Friday, December 29, 2006

Smoking at airports and Sparkling Water

So yea, back in Scandinavia now. Its really nice to be back for a while. I must say I was pretty beat from the four months in the US, I slept for like four days when I got here. Oslo has been welcoming. Its not that cold, and just a little bit of snow. Ok, so Im pretty low on time right now as I am leaving Oslo tomorrow to go to Copenhagen for New Year. A sexy 10 hour bus ride through Sweden. But all banks close at 3 here so I got to go and get myself some Danish Kroner. Just two thoughts on the advancement of Scandinavian society (for better or worse); When I got to Copenhagen airport on my way here I saw this thing in the corridor. It was like a smoking booth but it looked a bit like a bus stop, i.e. it was just a roof and a bench. But the roof contained superstrong ventilation so the smokers could stand literally in the corridor and smoke openly while the ventilation effectively took away the all smoke. I thought it was pretty hi-tech, wonder when that will hit the rest of the world. Secondly, I love sparkling water in Oslo. It is so cavalier. Its not just sparkling water, first it comes in three different levels of bubbles. Like; a lot of bubbles, normal bubbles, and light bubbles. Then comes the flavor; it could be natural, or infused with natural fruit juice, or just flavored in everything for the berries of the forrest to mango and guava. It also comes mixed with a little bit of milk and juice to create this kind of smooth, lightly bubbled juice explosion. Its soo good. But I mean, is it a sign of a well matured society when it takes you 20 minutes to choose your sparkling water. Don't even get me started on the still.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

How to dismatle a fire alarm?






No, its still beeping because there is just little bit of battery left lying around in the cord. That was Fabi's reply to why the firealarm was still beeping after we craftedly (if that is a word) took it out of the roof and pulled out the battery. But, yes it was still beeping. Like once every two minutes. So I had to phone my friend Jarryd and he explained that it was because it had a little Chinese watch battery so it could still warn you to change the batteries. Damn. But anyway the noise wasnt that bad so we could live with it whilst we were pre-gaming Saturday night. But then I came home on Sunday (dont ask) after brunch and the beeping drove me absolutely insane. Crazy. I felt like hitting with a hammer because the battery wouldnt go back in again and my head was hurting very badly from the night before. I couldnt do anything but magically my friend Durita could. She made it stop beeping and I dont think I have ever loved anyone so much. These are pictures of us trying to dismatle the thing in the first place. Enjoy. We did.

Epilogue






Ok, so its not really an epilogue. I mean a term is coming to an end and in less than 36 hours I'll be in Scandinavia. But I am coming back so. But epilogue is such a good word, it kind of makes this post seem important. Ive been here for 4 months now. To quote, well, someone; "Its been emotional". DC is far away from home; America is far away from Europe. I have learned a lot. A lot about having no personal space, a lot about being friendly, and a lot in general of transatlantic relationships and what Americans really think of Europeans and the other way around. Americans think Europeans just smoke cigarettes and ravel in old glory from old empires. Partly true but no. Europeans on the other hand think Americans are stupid. Not entirely true either, however, I am getting slightly tired of people mixing up Sweden and Switzerland and asking me if I speak German.
My friend Dave is already in Europe, he informed me to be prepared that everything is really small over there. I dont know if I should expect a reverse culture chock. Ill be writing from Sweden and Norway to let you know. I am also going to see the Danish girls in Copenhagen for New Years which I am very excited about. I mean they are not coming back to GW like me, so it is easier to do the good bye thing this way, its more like; See you next week. Rather then erhhm, good bye, for a like, ever.. No no. Dont like that. Just see you next week. Better. And DC ill be seeing v soon to, so not too sad about that either.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Ok. So its 22.52 Sunday night and I have yet to start my paper due last friday. But hey, I am an international student, allowed to be a bit of a slacker. Democracy in Lithuania isnt something you just dive into. Heavy procrastination is needed before. The Danish Girls and me have been incredibly geeky and teaching ourselves HTML. It is seriously funny, and dont tell anyone I told you. Look I made the description of my blog in a lightsalmon colour.
Anyway, We have also during our hours of studying/ procrastinating /lying on the floor crying with laughter developed a slight obsession with Eddie Izzard stand-ups. This is our favourite. Whenever I am stuck with work now I watch this. It helps. Press play and try it yourself.

Friday, December 15, 2006

I just needed to post this. V cool logo for a (I think) Duch design firm. Love it.
I feel terrible. Ok, so there had to be a point where my body said enough to the constant drinking, hard core studying til 4 in the morning, the deprivation of sleep, and the lack of regular meals that have been the theme of much of my last two weeks. And this point is now. Its had enough. I feel terrible, tired all the time, havnt eaten since Tuesday, feel weak and just want to get better. Im today slowly trying to eat some oats.
But what gets me right now is that, what is going on in DC? Why are they rebuilding the whole of Foggy Bottom the days that I am tragically ill. Construction works are everywhere, they have been really bad at my friends around New Hampshire Av and M for a while so its impossible to sleep there. Now they have seemingly come to my part of 24th street too. Its like waking up to World War I. Or how I imagined WWI to sound like anyway. Bombs, hammers against steel etc etc. It is very hard to sleep to. Not even my French friend's French sleeping pills helped. They still hammer their way into my sleep. I just wish they would stop building, I like Foggy Bottom as it is. Its fine by me to leave it like this.
But I guess my calls will go unheard and I must return to essay writing instead. i'll leave you with this; "Women, conditioned for millenia to accept the partriarchal definition of their role, have sexually and emotionally serviced men and nurtured them in a way that allowed men of talent a fuller development and a more intensive degree of specialization than a woman ever had" - Gerda Lerner The Creation of feminist Consciousness

Friday, December 08, 2006

I feel very post-modern in my procrastination today. Back in the days, like in 2001, when I tried my best to not do work I tidied my desk. You know, stacked my post-its in a pile, threw away receipts lying around, lined up my pens in a straight line and opened my notebook on a fresh page, all ready to work.
Now, in the future I do this virtually in this place with no tangible things called my desktop. Its exactly the same but computerized. I put the Youtube videos in the entertainment folder, stack all the .pdf's about the European Common Foreign and Security Policy in the EU folder, put some iPhoto labels on the pictures I just got from Fabi, throw away some rough drafts of an essay in the Trash, and get everything clean to start work eventually. Its all very 2006.
But Im thinking now; what is the next step? I already communicate mostly over email and MSN, I get all my news here, I find out about all the events I go to here, I could do my shopping. Will I eventually be able to shower virtually? That would be handy, maybe.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Everything is bigger in America. The cars, the buildings, the TV shows, the politics, the coke bottles, the road signs, the tequilas, the military spending, yea pretty much everything. When everyday stuff is bigger I notice it more, like food sizes. I just had a sandwich. I ordered a small. Always order a small. It was huge, I could barely finish it. If you order a salad somewhere in DC you get a mountain of lettuce, like really, a mountain. Ok so I know this whole obesity thing is a problem over here, but Britain is the fattest European country, and most people I see everyday here in DC is average size, so I don't think that's all it. Am just wondering; where along the line did American's get more hungry than the rest of the World?

Monday, December 04, 2006

I think my to-do list is now 2 A4 pages long. Single spaced. 12pt Times New Roman.
Finals are hitting GW firmly, and it is so tiring. Especially for a girl who has been spending most term focusing on having fun; fun in Dupond Circle, fun in Adams Morgan, Fun in Georgetown. Not so much focusing on having fun in Gelman (GW library) or the Library of Congress or any other DC hot spot for studying. I mean, I have been working a bit, but I have figured out I am one of those people who can only work under deadline pressure. So when it comes to a 20-page paper I prefer to leave it to 3 days before, and then have 3 hour sleep a night and go slightly crazy. Not so healthy. But during this 20-page paper stress I have been so dry on inspiration to work on the blog, completely out of anything interesting to write. And then today I figured out; Oh, I can write about how I am stressed and all out on inspiration. So yeah; I'm all stressed and out on inspiration.
But I'm not going to become one of those bloggers that keeps on apologizing for not posting. It feels like most blogs I read once in a while leaves a big post about; Oh sorry I have been so busy, and oo I promise I will write more, and aah I have had such a full plate but I’ll be better.
So anyway, I will not apologize (even though in Sweden my mum seriously worries if I am dead every time I haven't posted…ok, so I am slightly sorry about that. Sorry mum). Instead I will think positively and think ahead; I'm looking forward to do xmas shopping in Georgetown, going to a free concert with my favourite Norwegian Jazz band; Tord Gustafsson Trio, in the Kennedy Center, and then going to a rave on Thursday, and all good things I am doing in DC before the 22nd when I go back to Scandinavia for Christmas.



Oh, and I have uploaded a bunch of pictures onto Flickr. From Thanksgiving, and working hard in the library, the Army v. Navy game in Philadelphia this Saturday, and other ones. A little random collection basically. its to be found Here!