Reaction!

Finally! I got a reaction to one of my more or less deliberate provocative blog posts ;-) Well, it's more like I am provacative when I actually say what I think and I guess that people can only be provoked if they disagree and/or feel "guilty"* of being/thinking/acting in the way I think is negative. (Is that even more provoking? ;-))) It's more fun to get a reaction than not getting any. I LIKE to discuss things. My father has a point though when he says that he usually don't have much to say because he tend to agree when a more serious subject is brought up. Unfortunately I think he is one of the relatively few that have a good reason for not making any comments, most others either don't give a shit to be frank or they are too -->
to say anything.

* Can't think of a better word/expression right now. "känna sig träffad"

Water

"Allt oftare är privatisering av vattnet ett villkor för att fattiga länder ska beviljas lån från Världsbanken. I Sydafrika ledde det till en koleraepidemi med en kvarts miljon sjuka och flera hundra dödsfall, därför att människor inte hade råd att köpa rent vatten."

Fruits & vegetables

That is what I am going to deal with many days ahead...but mostly just as numbers on a computer screen. Except for doing that for a few days I've been, once again, studying = me very, very tired. Busy busy. It's about 22.40 and I am seriously thinking of going to bed. Less than 3 hours of sleep last night has that effect. Also it affects my brain activity. Not much coming out from there. Things on my mind right now: face washing, toothbrush + paste. Bed. Lights off. 05.45 will be here soon enough. I'll return some day very soon with a better blog post. Promise.

Aaaand, off I go!

Mamma, babbelmaja # 1!

HA! Jag har visst tid för att blogga mamma! Här ser du :-)

What a question!

Hihi...what a strange question :-) Not very serious though...

"Vill du veta mer om flytgödselspridandets mysterier och teknologi?"

...and no, I am not going to translate it, it's just about fertilizing.

P as in Panda

Generalizing - playing with fire

To generalize is, according to me, playing with fire! When talking about a group of people, no matter whether it is about the colour of the skin, nationality, gender, profession, political opinion, interests, way of making money etc., it is very dangerous to imply in any way that they are all the same. It says more about a person that he or she probably would like to and not the least realize!

I went to a seminar/lecture/discussion tonight about what role religion plays in world politics. There were three speakers discussing it in a very good and interesting way (and academic way). One of the two women pointed out almost in the end that it might sound that she is little against a secular society in this discussion, that she is one of those that usually always are fighting for a secular society. The only reason for sounding like this, she said, was because she thought that the discussion sometimes was a little one-sided and she wanted to make sure that it became a bit more balanced.

I am just like that. When I feel that somebody generalizes, simplifies things too much or are plain intolerant (which are three things that are/can be connected!) I always get defensive for the part that isn't there to defend him/herself, which often is the case, no matter if I share the view or not. E.g. how often is there a homosexual person present when homosexuality in any way is discussed, or an immigrant or anyone that is accused for something?

Well, defensive is in some cases an understatement... It infuriates me when people don't think longer than (Gorma's) nose! There is especially one person close to me that I have these kind of discussions with and they are never quiet! Another person can vouch for that hehe...

One last provocative statement: You are NOBODY without principals! Just choose them carefully...

I am about to explode... I am so angry. *not talking to anybody* Safest..for everybody. I could really need a lot of chocolate right now. Store's closed :-(

Hey, family and friends... I just figured out what you should give me for birthday present this year. A boxing sac or what ever it's called and a couple of big red gloves and mum, give me a prescription for your blood pressure medicine, I am going to need it, sooner or later.

Sometimes I wish that I could know for one single minute what it feels like to imply not care...

Becky Fisher

IF there is a hell, Becky Fisher sure as hell is going there when she dies! A very creepy woman...

See more from the Jesus Camp (fundamentalist children's camp) here... and here ...and here... how many do you have to see before you vomit?! You can pretty much see all the documentary on youtube.com. Just search for things about Becky Fisher and Jesus Camp.

Here she says, out loud in the radio that indoctrination is good, is right...and that they should keep doing it. Critical way of thinking is bad...

Summarized in the news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UWIb4FwHPg

I saw the entire documentary, which is nominated for best documentary.

Evolution?

Swedish journalists

No wonder that some Swedish people are so lost when it comes to what actually is happening around them when a journalist write things like this;-) :

"Sickna eninga konstifiquationer!!" which could be "translated" to "Vilka konstiga saker!!" which means "what strange things".

I am joking of course. Btw, people who only write about celebrities for the sake of it are not, according to my personal definition, real journalists.

Secrets

I truly hate secrets. They make me sick. I hate being kept out in any way. Not knowing what is going on, why people think and act the way they do etc. One is NOTHING if not included! Of course I am not talking about all secrets but there are so many things left out for no reason or for a strong reason. If it is for no reason, it means that you are not even worth mentioning it for and if it is for a strong reason, you can in some cases be considered a person that really shouldn't be told. In other words, when people keep things from you, it can only mean one thing.

Some time ago I was asked to keep a secret. It was so hard since it was such a good thing I had to keep quiet about, but there was a good reason to keep it a secret and I knew that I would be able to share it with people later. It had to do with a pregnancy :-D A person who knows how much I appreciate to be included! It means so much to me!

Then there is another case when I was kept out by another person for no apparent reason about a life changing event and that still hurts a lot. I don't know if there was a reason for or not, I don't even see the slightest reason not telling me. Either way I feel very excluded and I don't know how to handle it.

Never there

You don't not always get what you want, no matter how hard you try, how hard you work, how much you give... You can hope, wish, strive, but concerning some things, it is simply not enough.

Knowing people

Yes, what is that? Knowing people, making friends. It's a subject that I've been thinking quite a lot about for some time now. I have been in situations where I have thought I knew people more than it turned out that I did when it "came down to it". Unfortunately I am not even talking about any big or serious conflicts or situations. Knowing someone includes two things. First it is about what you actually know about a person, from knowing simple facts like if a person has siblings or what they study/work as etc. to what he/she cares about, what values he/she has or what he/she is interested in, if anything. Then you have the "tiny" thing called trust. What can you expect of people? To what extent would they defend you if put in a situation that requires taking stand (shutting up/"avoiding" is of course also a very clear way of taking stand)? What do they share with you? Do they let you know when you are nice or when you have stepped on some one's toes or just messed up in general.

The other day someone said that it is strange how many uninteresting people there are out there (and it has nothing to do with sexuality). I agree but I think that it might have something to do with the unwillingness or incapability for many to show others a little about themselves. It can be hard to see a persons "specialties" when they don't show it to anyone. Who are they, except for that person who like to talk about nothing really when being at a party or at a dinner or what ever with whoever happen to sit/stand beside them? I find it easy to be around VERY different people, I enjoy it, which makes it a bit tricky to make them mix sometimes. So, I mix easy with many different kinds of people but how interesting I find them or how well I think I know them has mostly to do with how much they LET me know or how much they let me in. I have a feeling that some don't want to share because the less they share they less people expect of them.

I have learned that I should be much more careful and much more patient before "trusting" people, or to be more precise, to expect ANYTHING. You can think that you know someone enough after a few months to expect them to treat you nice and normal but be so wrong, so very wrong. But then there are some people you feel you can "trust" a bit more without knowing exactly how the person thinks. You just need to know where they stand in some way, realize and respect that. Then there are some you only speak with every now and then but the little things you speak about give you more back than a lot of than the seemingly endless conversations about "nothing" with others. It doesn't even have to be something specific or very deep, it's enough with a feeling of responsibility for each other and being aware of the other person as he or she is of you. You have just more in common with some people at some levels than with others. Unfortunately I don't feel that I meet or have many people around me that who are like that. I am too odd. In other words, it is veeery rare that anyone find me similar to them. Loosing a person who at least partly understands, accepts and likes you is a huge loss...

Don't let the good ones slip away! There will always be enough things that you will regret anyway.

Ps. I apologize if the text is confusing or something. It's very late and I am as tired as yesterday is and therefore my brain is functioning accordingly.

The Terminal

Oh, I have been sitting here tonight, all by myself, laughing very much...and not the least smiling. The Terminal with Tom Hanks is much better than I had expected. I like many different kind of movies and there are many that I don't like. Some make me scared in that "nice" way, others make me think, others are just exciting. Then there are the kind of movies that just make you smile for those small, silly, friendly things. The Terminal is just like that. I just couldn't stop smiling. I know somebody that as a kind of principal rejects all movies that are labelled "drama"...to bad. He doesn't know what he is missing (and yes Memma...you tell him ;-)))). hehe...

Dream

It is always as confusing when waking up and remembering a strange dream. People in it that have no reason really to be there, doing things that are even more strange. Some things you might understand (more or unless unconscious things) but what about the rest? Does the dream want to tell you something about that too? E.g. if you dream that someone is sick? Could that mean that I should stay away from that person?? ...or keep a little distance? I have no idea what so ever :-) Probably it doesn't mean anything at all.

Unattended candle

This is what you can get when not keeping an eye or two on a huge candle...Not too bad huh? And mom, your carpet is soaked in melted candle. Bring the iron!

One

For someone else...

Beloved siblings

Haha... I "over heard" a friend say "you suck" to his brother. That isn't a very nice thing to say to a sibling! ;-) Although, I know for a fact that it wasn't literally nor seriously meant. :-) I know what it is like to have a very good brother and I have a feeling that this guy probably is a good brother too. One should take care of one's siblings and they of you. Actually I am going to see if I can get my sister to do me a couple of favours, one which includes some careful chop chop and the other some xxx... I can't tell here. It is going to be a surprise. When I think about it, I owe and will owe both my Big Sister and Big Brother since they have been and will be very helpful to me! I understand those who would like to have a sibling...they sure are nice to have!

Stupid eyes!

No no no...please don't be worse again! Anyone who'd like to change eyes with me?! At least I'd love to change some "muscles"...those for the pupil! I should have had a eagle parent instead. Hm. Would mean less headache...

Btw... this is a very nice colour of the eyes. Green eyes are nice and of some reason I have met quite many with it this last year.

Correct time

Every now and then you meet people (Swedish people) that complain a lot about how things work here in Sweden, some even saying that they want nothing else than to move away from Sweden because things don't work here. Once a woman on a bus, any normal woman, said to me that she badly wanted to go to the US because it is much better there in general.

The other day I was standing in a queue* to order some food in a central station. In front of me there was a man with a big suitcase. He turned to me and asked for the time, in English. Instead of getting my mobile, I just turned around and pointed at the huge clock at the other end of the station. Ahh, he said, then wondering if it was correct. Sure, I said, it always is! It has, as long as I have been going through that station (about 7 years) never been wrong. Then the man seriously said that "Oh, of course, everything works in Sweden!".

* kö

Language teachers

It struck me on my way home today from my first Spanish class (evening class) that all the evening class teachers I know, from own experience or as friends, they are all very, very nice people! I remember the first one, McKena... She was my dear French teacher while I was in Mexico. She was adorable and always very kind and patient with me..and she gave me good grades for that matter. I am not 100% sure that I actually earned them but maybe I did. The second class I took (don't think I ever paid for it) was with my friend Gayle from Canada who had conversation classes in which I only participated in to have some company and to meet people. My sweet very curly Gayle who did NOT appreciate the useless bureaucracy where she worked (some place to help children), an opinion she shared with our friend Jennifer from Quebec (they were 24 and 25 at the time). I wonder what has happened to them since then... One conclusion I can draw from my friendship with these Canadians is that Swedes seem to have a lot more in common with them than with Mexicans, in general at least. So, except for these three I have a couple of other friends, who teaches in Spanish and English. I never went to any of their classes but one seemed to like correcting my mistakes. I guess that is what happens when hanging out with teachers:-) I hope I'm not making TOO many mistakes here in my blog at least. It is good when people correct you since it is a good way of improving your language skills even if it isn't all that funny being reminded of your flaws sometimes.

Yes, I really do like all of these language teachers... Too bad I can't meet them more often than I have so far.