New Years Resolution

Pictorial New Years resolutions are not that common. But I have one this year. The picture above is taken sometime around 2.30 on the 1st of January 2007 in Ideal Bar in Copehangen, Denmark. I want it to be model for the next 365 days to come and by this i mean; in 2007 I want to be;
1. Happy
2. Dancing
3. Dressed Up
4. as often as I can With A Beer In My Hand
5. In A Foreign Country
6. With Amazing Friends (not visable on the picture though)
7. Have Orange Nails.

I feel like if I am any of those 7 things within the next year I shall be ok. And If I have all at once as much as possible 2007 might even be as good as 2006 was. happy New Year.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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?

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!

Thanksgiving is a great holiday. I'm not sure we have anything similar in Sweden. Well, I guess we have midsummer, which also revolves around food and wine and having a good, stress free, time. But (sorry to say it) in the homeland of commercialism and consumer obsessions and Christmas decorations in April it is nice to see that thanksgiving hasn’t got a gimmick. There are no thanksgiving colours that need to be symbolised with shiny ribbons, no thanksgiving elf that needs to be bought, and no gifts to be compulsorily given, or received. Altogether, a great holiday of just eating and having fun. I guess you Americans knew that; but I was at least pleasantly surprised. I’ve been on Shelter Island for the weekend and it is beautiful. So good to get out of the city, went surfing yesterday, going sailing today, been haingnig out with family members I haven't seen in seven years, shooting clay pigeons, drinking tequila with the locals, its been, well, my best thanksgiving ever. Its setting the standard high, I like it.

Today I am going to New York, or actually Long Island, for my first Thanksgiving ever. I am very excited, both about the break and about the food! I will let you know how it held up. It is the busiest weekend travelling this weekend, my friend said 200 million people will be travelling. Im taking the Chinatown Bus, oh the joy!

I think I’m in Love. With a big L. In love with New York. I once had a violent and volatile affair with London. It made me to who I am today; it left me pretty bruised and shattered, but more pleased, grown-up and cynical. Now New York has stolen my money, my health, my heart, my wallet and my toothpaste, and I feel happy about it.
I lost 4 credit cards so now I am living of 79 cents; its going pretty well so far, but by the end of the week I will have no friends left because they all have to buy me coffees constantly.
There is a Norwegian singer/song writer called Thomas Dybdahl. He sings this song called: ‘One Day you’ll Dance For Me New York City’. I think I like that to be true one day.

I am so excited about going to NYC tomorrow. I have never been. I cant wait. I am bubbling with excitement. Im nuts with enjoyment. Im mad with anticipation.

I am also excited about that the mid-term elections proved to be such a success for women. America is most likely getting its first female, and feminist, Speaker of the House. It also got more female senators, possibly its first female presidential candid, and more women in the House of Representatives. Its great. Its about time. However, not too unexpectedly the media is slow to catch on. Most of the Mainstream Media was covering the election looked like, as NYPost put it; A men's Club from 1962.
As much as Tucker Carlson makes me laugh sometime, with his screwed unsubtle but cute (in an anti-way) right-winged-ness, where were the female faces on TV? The networks are pretty good at putting them there when it comes to "chat" politics (in a friendly and deweaponazing way); but obviously they can not provide the American people with cutting-edge election analysis? Oh no.

Ok, well anyway; Im off to New York, the Democrats has won the House AND the Senate, SD voted against the Abortion Ban, Rumsfeld have resigned, I got an A on a paper, my work is done for the weekend, I have new shoes to wear in NYC, my mum loves me again, the sun is shining, its 20°C in November; Life IS Great!
(Oh, and look below how good my predictions were; 5 out of 6) woho!

Good Morning Election Day! WoHoo! My predictions in the races I think are most interesting;
Senate:
VA: Webb (D) (I love this race, it has been so close, and so interesting in such a red state, Allen came across as a much more accessble man than Webb, but he really cocked up).
MD: Cardin (D).
RI: Whitehouse (D).
TN: Corker (R).
OH: Brown (D).
Yes, it is four Democrats but I dont think they will take over the Senate. But I am pretty certain they will do with the House, possibly by ca. 23-26 seats.
Gubernatorial:
MD: Erlich (R).
Other:
SD: Please, please, please don't let the ban-all-abortion law pass. If you pass it I will loose a big chunk of my belif in humanity right then. I can not be clearer; please do not pass the abortion law, it is not helping anyone; it is based on lies and an outdated views on women and their bodies. Please. Please. Please show your independent thinking. I am so scared this law is going to pass.
VA: I do not think the same-sex marrige amendment is going to get through, but I wish it would, this country needs to loosen up abit. I just hope it doesnt rally Virginia voters to vote for Allan.

Okey, thats it; Im off to the gym then library all day! Hope you are having a good Election Day (particular if you are a Democrat)!

Healthy Obsessions: I was procrastinating; trying to avoid the huge amount of papers I have to do write before I jet off to NYC this weekend. I was scrolling through the long list of obligatory graphic design, interior design and typographic design blogs I read, and I realized I had yet to even mention my obsession with these on the blog.
I have talked about feminism, Ive talked about Sweden, Ive talked about Tequila (see post below), and Ive talked about Co-ed Intramural Soccer; so Ive mentioned most of my obsessions; but I have yet to talk about the greatness of a well designed font, or the beauty of a groundbreaking wallpaper. But as I was scrolling through one of my favorite graphic design blogs (in Swedish) I came across the new logotype for the EU. What a crazy coincident; because I am also obsessed with the EU (the cooperation, the multilateralism, the normative diplomatic values, the multilayered governance, what is not to love?). So here you go! Its the one above, and I think its great! Not because it combines my two, uptil now unmentioned, obsessions, but because it is just really cool and fresh. It was designed by a 23 year old Polish guy who won a competition about it. I think he really managed to create something that embodies the EU, a multicultural collection that doesn't always seem to fit, but all put together it kind of does. Or something like that. It also just, well, look damn good!

I woke up this morning feeling like a little piece of paper scrambled into a little ball which had then been thrown far far away. DC's nightlife is making me feel this way. But its in a good way. When you come to a new place going out is so much fun, over and over again. We are definately taking full advantage of this honeymoon period. 5pm, Georgetown on friday; My friend Ben: Hey Stine, Im out shopping in Gtown wanna come down for a coffee before seing the play. Me: Yea, why not. After coffee is finished; Us: Oh we have another 45 min, should we just go by Garrets to have a pre-play drink. Us: yea, good idea. Ben (after first round): Oh, but now I have to by a round, just to make it equal. Then we'll go. Me: Ok. Ten Hours later, 5am, Still in Georgetown; Us: *falling out of the Guards*. Me: *forgetting credit card behind bar*. Ben: *Still dancing to Paradise City*. Durita: *Skipping*. It was just one of those great nights, great weekends, Saturday much the same.

Yesterday I got a weird stomach feeling; The first snow arrived in Scandinavia, with brute force. It was chaos in Stockholm and along the coasts. A ship even collapsed on the Swedish coast, and an oil rig was floating about outside Norway (putting it that way might be understating the serverity, sorry). But here in DC we were having 19°C (66F) and shining sun; Ive been walking around in skirts and sunglasses for the past two days. Ok, I think my point is this: Im kind of missing Scandinavia. The weather difference was so stark yesterday it made me miss Scandinavia. Snow rocks. Its when the difference and the distance become so apparent that I think more about home. But knowing me; if I was at home I would certainly be moaning about all the snow. Oh its soooo coooold bla bla bla. So basically Im confused about the weather. And me missing home or not. Wow, this isnt making much sense. But rumor has it the winter is pretty cold here too, when it eventually arrives. Thankfully I packed warm socks.

Yesterday I had a surreal feeling first. Well, I had two surreal feelings yesterday actually, and I had to mention both on the blog; the first one about the snow storm in Scandinavia is discussed above.
But I had one about DC too. When I lived in London it took me six months and a visit from my mother to get me to see the Houses of Parliament. I’ve been in DC for two months now; and only yesterday did I take up my friends offer of a private tour of the Congress (he interns there). Sightseeing is never really a priority; but every time I do it, it makes me feel like I get to know a new city a little bit better, like its becoming more mine and less foreign. Its a really wicked feeling.
To make a city yours, you need to know the touristy parts; as well as the cool, quirky, drunken, shiny hidden parts. Only when you know how to entertain the socks of both your 58-year-old aunt, your 12-year-old niece and your 25-year-old best friend so that they never want to go home; you can know you are home. Seeing the Congress was not like exploring Dupont Circle nightlife, but in all ways both are life-depending necessary for my DC trip.