:: Tuesday, April 26, 2005 ::

Thinking one thought only...Where is she...Tell me where

Today my Polka dot (previously referred to in these pages as my flickvän, which means my girlfriend, for those of you who are still confused) went back home to Polska (aka Poland). And now that she's gone I realize just how much I miss her, even after only one day. We had to get up at 3:30 this morning so she could catch the 5:00 AM train to Stockholm, and then I had the long walk back to Britsen by myself. I slept when I got back, but have pretty much spent the day doing a whole lotta nothing. There's a piece missing, so my whole day's been kinda weird...

On the plus side, we've sent a few SMS's back and forth today, and I know she got safely to Poland and Krakow, so that's good. And it's only for a few weeks - I'm heading to Poland in the middle of May to see her and her family as well attend my first Polish wedding(!) Then it'll be a quick turnaround back to Sweden, to meet my parents when they come to visit (all of which assumes they'll have made some kind of plan - as of yet, they still don't even know how long they're going to stay!). But it will be good to see my parents, and my Polka dot, and hopefully she'll be able to come back to Sweden to spend Misdummer with me.

And of course, I still have my thesis to write, as always, but I think it's going to take me a little while to get started on it again - I have other things on my mind.

Kocham cię octopus... :)

Swedish word of the day: älskling, which means "love, darling, dearest," etc.

:: posted by Rob 11:20 PM [+] :: 3 comments
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And I rehearse in my room, or what I call the Dragon's Tomb, when I lie there with my girlfriend

Today I introduced my flickvän to the wide, wonderful world of roleplaying games, in this case, good ol' D&D. Last week we made up a character for her using the 3.5 edition rules. Now I'm a strict 3rd edition man myself (always have been, always will be), but as all my books are an ocean away, and the 3.5 SRD is available online, that's what we went with. Fortunately I had the foresight to bring one set of very tiny dice with me to Sweden, so we had to share, but it wasn't too bad. (Note to self: buy D&D dice for her next birthday present...) I also had a nifty little introductory adventure called A Dark and Stormy Knight that I also downloaded, and we were ready for a Saturday afternoon of fun.

Herein lies a short recap of her adventures:
The flickvän had her character all ready to go: Charmaine, the halfling rogue. She was suited up like all of that ilk: leather armor, short sword, a handful of daggers, a sling, and of course, thieves' tools. Charmaine was traveling through the local wilderness when a sudden and violent storm came upon her, so she sought shelter in the lee of a nearby rocky tor, whereupon she discovered a doorway leading into the hill's interior.

Inside, she met a few fellow travelers also seeking shlelter from the storm: Amaryllis Thorngage, halfling druid, and her wolf companion Shiralla, Elec Mournbringer, elven monk, and Gunilla, the half-orc barbarian/sorceress. Agreeing on a truce for the duration of the storm and the night, the four settled down to camp, when a huge peal of thunder and accompanying bolt of lightning not only destroyed three doors leading deeper into the tor, but frightened a horde of angry rats that rushed into the room!

Charmaine met them head on, and in her very first attack of her very first combat, scored a critical hit on the lead rat, killing it instantly! Quite an auspicious start to an adventuring career (although the other rats were slightly harder to defeat). With three gaping portals now presenting the way to untold adventure and riches (and the only other alternative being Gunilla's fresh rat stew), the four storm-tossed adventurers teamed to explore their surroundings.

The party found a vargouille hiding in a sarcophagus, and though Charmaine was paralyzed with fear from the vargouille's shriek, the rest of the party was able to dispatch the beast without much trouble. Coming upon a stone chest in a room soon after, Charmaine proved herself quite the rogue when she not only found, but also successfully disarmed her first trap, yielding the adventurers a tidy sum of treasure. A couple of hobgoblins, also seeking shelter from the storm, likewise proved no match for the four heroes.

Deeper into the tor, however, they came upon a burial room, for the tor was also a tomb for the Dark Knight, an undead bugbear zombie that rose to defend its tomb from its would-be robbers. Skipping nimbly to the side, Charmaine pelted him with daggers, while Gunilla attacked with her spiked chain and Elec with his fists of fury. Amaryllis cast a spell, while Shiralla the wolf leapt into the fray. Unfortunately, Elec found that his fists had little effect on their undead foe, and Shiralla succumbed to the monster's attacks soon after . Gunilla entered into a barbarian rage to drive the monstrosity back into its grave, but not before Elec fell when he failed to disarm the creature. As Amaryllis rushed to attend to Elec and Shiralla, Charmaine realized she had to do something. Drawing her short sword, she headed into battle.

It was a hard fight, but finally the Dark Knight was defeated. Amaryllis was able to heal Elec, and was even able to stabilize Shiralla before the noble animal died. But that was not the end of the story.

While the others nursed their wounds and searched the room for treasure, Charmaine headed off to explore a small corridor they had passed earlier. Unfortunately for her, it led to lair of a monstrous spider, and before she knew it, Charmaine was entangled in one of its webs. Screaming for help as the spider tried to make her its next meal, Charmaine struggled to escape the clinging webs. She was successful, but not before the spider's poison began coursing through her system, weakening her strength. Fortunately, the others heard her cries, and Gunilla, Elec, and Amaryllis ran to her rescue and killed the horrid arachnid.

Wounded, exhausted, and poisoned, the four heroes had defeated the tomb's last denizen, and so retreated to the front room to camp and rest. The next morning, Amaryllis's healing magic restored their health and they divided up their spoils, which included a few items of magic!

Thus ends the tale of the first adventure of Charmaine, the halfling rogue. What will happen next? Will Charmaine, Amaryllis, Elec, and Gunilla join forces for greater adventure? Who knows? But the flickvän assures me she had fun, and she's already half-way to second level, so she may feel the urge to head out into the unknown again.

As for me, I enjoyed myself as well (although I did miss all my books and dice and miniatures), and was very happy that my flickvän not only wanted to try this strange little hobby of mine, but actually enjoyed herself as well. I guess I should have known that she was a thief at heart.. ;)

Swedish word of the day: drakguld, which means "dragon's gold"

:: posted by Rob 8:11 PM [+] :: 1 comments
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Alternating currents...Force a show of hands

I was supposed to go to Uppsala today, but the best laid plans of mice and men, and all that. Instead, I will entertain you with something a friend of mine here came up with regarding student life here in Sweden. So without further ado, I give you:

The Top 26 Ways of Knowing You Are an Exchange Student in Falun
1. You can bike drunk better than you can bike sober.
2. Your definition of getting up early is waking up between 12 and 13.
3. You eat vegetables once a month.
4. You are used to going to Kåren and knowing over 200 people.
5. You've stopped going to ICA because it opens too early.
6. You have a class once a week.
7. You have enough time to make lists like this.
8. You have enough time to read lists like this.
9. You get excited when LIDL puts bananas on sale.
10. You get excited when a Swede initiates a conversation
11. You try to impress the opposite sex with your second-hand bike.
12. You don't mind paying five crowns a minute to talk to a friend in the next building.
13. You've dropped the Swedish course.
14. You hear the same songs on the radio as you did when you arrived four months ago.
15. You travel to a different country in order to buy cheaper alcohol.
16. A 500-crown bill has not lasted in your wallet longer than two days.
17. You have no Swedish friends.
18. Your definition of a really nice bike: costs more than 300 crowns, wheels thicker than 3 centimeters, both brakes work, has more than two speeds, and is a different color than rust.
19. On Fridays, you say "yes" even before people ask if you are going to Kåren.
20. You spend entirely too much money to get drunk at Kåren.
21. You're enjoying Kåren after getting drunk.
22. After spending months in Falun the only Swedish you ever use is "Hej" and "Tack".
23. You don't care about how clean your kitchen is anymore.
24. You just can't remember when you had your last two-course meal.
25. It's impossible for you to go to the LIDL and buy JUST MILK.
26. (If you're Spanish) You think a "siesta" is something great you're not able to do in Sweden.

But wait, there's more. We also have:

The Top 18 Ways of Knowing You Are a Swedish Student in Falun
1. You don't have any international friends.
2. You actually don't have that many friends at all.
3. You like to wear shiny white running shoes under a classy black dress.
4. You like it better to walk with a bike than really bike on it.
5. Except in commercials, you have no sense of humor.
6. You claim to live in a hard working country...
7. ...But you don't.
8. You will never question a rule and always make sure it is carried out with the utmost precision and certainly no flexibility.
9. The level of your university courses is a joke.
10. You feel lonely when you don't have your mobile phone with you.
11. You think that when you show your emotions you risk the death penalty.
12. When you are drunk, you are allowed to show emotions and to be a total bastard.
13. You only go out if you are good-looking.
14. If you don't stand in line for at least half an hour a day you start shaking and feeling sick.
15. It's impossible for you when you are drunk to understand the sentence "Sorry, I don't speak Swedish."
16. Your clothes and the music you listen to are the same as in the 80's.
17. Your favorite way of ending a conversation is walking away.
18.YOU CAN EAT KETCHUP WITH EVERY SINGLE DAMNED KIND OF FOOD!!

Maybe this isn't very funny (or doesn't make much sense) to those of you out there, but it's funny (and true!) to those of us here, so there it is. A little slice of Swedish student life. Enjoy.

Swedish word of the day: utbytesstudent, which means "exchange student"

:: posted by Rob 5:45 PM [+] :: 1 comments
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Ride all the way to where the lizards play

A British company called Intelligent Energy has unveiled the world's first purpose-built, fuel-cell motorbike called the ENV (pronounced "envy"), or Emissions Neutral Vehicle. It's got speeds of up to 50 mph, can run up to 4 hours on a full tank, and is made of hollow-cast aircraft grade aluminium in either black supergloss or iridescent white. Its water emissions are so clean as to be drinkable, and more amazingly, it's no more noisy than a desktop computer! Keep in mind, though, that it's designed as a motorbike, not a motorcycle.

"It feels when you ride it to be more like a cycle than a motorbike in the smooth nature of the vehicles motion, because its a bit like skiing on wheels, I characterize it as. And of course, 50 mph on something that's equivalent to a bicycle feels very fast. It's not the fastest thing on two wheels. It's not intended to be. It does naught to fifty in about 12 seconds, but remember, it doesn't have any gears. It does have the ability to free-wheel. So, it has a number of unusual characteristics, which means that it's very easy to use. It just has a simply throttle; and remember the benefit of a fuel cell is that it delivers power instantly. You get a 100 percent torque at zero revs".

The CORE fuel cell is completely detachable, and is designed so that "people will be able to use a bike like ENV to leave work in an urban environment, drive to the countryside, detach the CORE and attach it to another vehicle, such as a motorboat, before going on to power a log cabin with the very same fuel cell, which could then be re-charged from a mini hydrogen creator, the size of a shoebox."

The 1kW CORE is equivalent to a 125cc gasoline engine, and is supplemented by additional 6kW batteries for acceleration. They are recharged by the fuel cell.

Though there are currently only 2 prototypes, if it were to go into production, it would currently cost around $30,000. If the company began producing them in volume, the price range would drop to between $6,000 and $9,500. The possibilities are already being imagined, such as replacing the noissy, polluting motorbikes and scooters in Asian cities. Remembering my trip to Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City), the introduction of such a motorbike would be a huge change.

I'm gonna start saving for one now. Hey, it's no flying car, but it's still pretty damn cool.

A short article on the bike can be found here.

A more detailed article, with more on the CORE fuel cell and lots of cool pictures can be found here.

Swedish word of the day: framtid, which means "future"

:: posted by Rob 10:28 AM [+] :: 2 comments
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Take me back to old Virginny

As a former Virginian, and to all my friends and family who were, or unfortunately, still are, Virginians, I present:

You Know You're From Virginia When...

Speed limits are just suggestions You have at least two friends who have no idea what their relatives do...because its "top secret" government work Most of your senior class wend to Mason, JMU, Tech, VCU or UVA When people ask where you're from, you tell them DC because its easier to explain You've never told someone you're from Virginia without putting "northern," "central," or "southern" in front of it (See above.) It's not actually tailgating unless your bumper is touching the car in front of you. You know yellow light means at least 5 more cars can get through. (Yeah, man...at least. Probably also happens everywhere else.) A red light means 2 more can. You actually know what the black boxes at stoplights are for. Despite the fact that Virginia fought for the south in the Civil War, you are not, under any circumstances, a "southerner" You are amused by visiting relatives who are actually excited to see Washington, DC You took a field trip to Williamsburg as a kid You are amazed when you go out of town and the people at McDonalds speak English You or someone in your family has a Smart Tag An inch of snow and you miss 3 days of school All the potholes just add a little excitement to your driving experience Crown Victoria = undercover cop Subway is a fast food place. The transportation system is known as Metro, and only Metro. They just tore down the old farm house across the street and put 12 new McMansions in its place For the cost of your house, you could own a small town in Iowa If you stay on the same road long enough, it will eventually have three new names. You have to dial the area code to call your neighbor "Vacation" means spending a day at King's Dominion or Busch Gardens. "Going to the River" means any stream with water. You have never been served tea without the waitress asking "sweet or unsweetened?" Your favorite past time is telling West Virginia jokes. Anyone who can't trace his or her ancestry back to at least four generations in Virginia is an outsider. "Going to the beach" means anywhere from Ocean City to Virginia Beach to Myrtle Beach. You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Virginia.

Get Your Own "You Know You're From" Meme Here

Ahh, it's funny (and sad) because it's true...

Swedish word of the day: sanning, which means "truth"

:: posted by Rob 10:13 AM [+] :: 4 comments
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I want to come over and roll in your clover and kiss your blarney stone

I have recently discovered the identity of my Inner European:

Your Inner European is Irish!

Sprited and boisterous! You drink everyone under the table.

Who's Your Inner European?

Which is strange, considering I'm living in Sweden and planning on moving to either the Czech Republic or Poland. Even stranger is the fact that my flickvän is an inner Irish too. Perhaps this is a sign that we should head for the emerald shores of Eire instead...?

Swedish word of the day: irländsk, which means "Irish"

:: posted by Rob 5:53 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Rest in Peace

I just got the news that Pope John Paul II has died, and although I'm not Catholic, nor even religious for that matter, I find myself experiencing feelings that don't seem to have a logical basis behind them. I'm feeling sad right now, but even that doesn't really reflect what I'm really feeling. I don't even know what I'm feeling. Ever since I can remember, I've heard about the Pope, and there's always been something comforting, even to me, to see him in the news, giving his traditional Easter message, visiting other countries, and just being there, almost looking out for all of us, Catholic or Protestant, believer or not.

I've always respected him and his message. I haven't always agreed with everything he said, especially with his more conservative views, but I understood where he was coming from, and looked up to him as a great leader, thinker, and person dedicated to helping the world in the way he was best suited. More recently, as I've learned more about Poland and her people, I've come to respect him even more and the place he holds in the hearts of the Polish people.

I think his time on this Earth, and as Pope, has done a lot for the betterment of mankind, and I think the world has lost a great figure whose position may never be filled. I think his absence will affect us all.

But I also think he has shown us how to face our ends with hope and dignity, and though I am sad, I also think, perhaps for the first time, that he will truly go to a better place. And that offers me some comfort.

I've written this to try to express what I'm feeling right now, and to help myself try to understand those feelings. But it's hard, and I don't quite know what to say, or if this is just some ramble that doesn't make any sense. But I think it's better to try to put this down here so I can remember it and think more about it.

I'll just end with these words:

The church is Catholic, universal, so are all her actions; all that she does belongs to all....And when she buries a man, that action concerns me: all mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language....
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne, Devotions XVII

Rest in peace, Karol Wojtyła. God bless you.

:: posted by Rob 11:18 PM [+] :: 1 comments
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Dedicated Follower of Fashion

Thanks to my good friend known (mysteriously) as Tacitus, not only have I updated my blog twice in one day, Alas, Babylon! also has a spiffy new header (see it? it's right up there at the top. Says Alas, Babylon on it...has a little picture of the Ishtar Gate...I'm pointing right at it...>

So a new year, a new look, and dare I say it, a new sense of style? Maybe not, but then again, maybe so...

Thanks for the header, Tom. It's hella-cool! :)

Oh, happy belated Easter to everyone, and happy Daylight Savings Time as well!

Swedish words of the day: Påskafton, Påskdagen, and Annandag påsk, which mean, respectively, "Easter Eve," "Easter Day," and "Another Day of Easter," (aka Easter Monday)

:: posted by Rob 11:59 AM [+] :: 1 comments
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Go Rob, It's Your Birthday! Go Rob, It's Your Birthday!

And so another year has passed, and I'm now a year older, a sprightly young 22... :O

Apparently, quite a lot happened on my birthday: President Reagan was shot, the Hue Offensive began, and the Japanese set up their puppet regime in Nanking. On the plus side, the Allies captured Paris (back in 1814, that is). So add that to me being born, (along with Vincent Van Gogh and a few others) and it hasn't been that bad of a day.

We had a bit of a party here in my student dorm of Britsen, one that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning on the 31st (I think I stumbled off to bed somewhere around 6:30 in the AM). I've gotten good responses from the guests, who claimed it was the best party in Britsen this year (since August, and that's saying something considering the number of birthday parties people have had in the past 7 months). We enjoyed the sweet elixirs of Polish Zubrowka vodka, Czech Fernet, Lithuanian vodka, Czech Pilsner Urquell beer, some Swedish pear cider, and probably some other things I don't remember now...

Presents-wise, I got Dr. Seuss's Happy Birthday to You!, L'Auberge Espagnole on DVD, a copy of We Were Soldiers, a Star Wars ship, computer speakers, beer, wine, some cakes, a pizza, and even a can of Pringles! Quite a good take for being in a foreign country away from friends and family and surrounded by poor university exchange students!

Thank to my sister, who sent me a package of party supplies all the way from the good ol' U.S. of A., we had balloons, streamers, noisemakers, funny glasses, and even funnier make-your-own hats, which were quite a hit. Interested parties can view pictures of the bacchanalia taken by myself and a few friends. However, I can take no responsibility for any wild, drunken revels inspired by viewing said pictures.

All in all, it ws quite a good time, spent with good food, good drink, good music, and good friends. I'm ready to do it again next year, when I will once again turn 22. It's a good year for me to stay, I think! ;)

Swedish word of the day: full, which means "drunk" (not that I was, Mom & Dad, really...)

:: posted by Rob 11:26 AM [+] :: 1 comments
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