:: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 ::

Luciadagen

Today (or more accurately, yesterday, December 13) was a particular Swedish Christmastime holiday known as Lucia Day. I'm not sure what exactly it means (possibly something to do with bringing light back to the cold, dark Swedish winter), but in any case it involves a young woman in white robes with a crown of lit candles on her head, attended by other white-robed figures. I had a paper due and two Swedish exams today, so I was unable to attend any local ceremonies and missed the coronation of the national Lucia on television, but the university had their own mini-Lucia ceremony this morning right as I arrived. There was a Lucia, complete with crown of candles, and 12 other people in robes holding candles, singing beautiful music. It was quite a nice thing to calm my nerves right before a difficult Swedish test, and very beautiful, too, as it wasn't yet completely light. I have no idea what they were singing (minus the one English carol they sung), but it looked and sounded amazing. I did, however, find this song on the web, first in Swedish, then with an English translation:

Natten går tunga fjät
rund gård och stuva;
kring jord, som sol förlät,
skuggorna ruva.
Då i vårt mörka hus,
stiger med tända ljus,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Natten går stor och stum
nu hörs dess vingar
i alla tysta rum
sus som av vingar.
Se, på vår tröskel står
vitklädd med ljus i hår
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

Mörkret ska flykta snart
ur jordens dalar
så hon ett underbart
ord till oss talar.
Dagen ska åter ny
stiga ur rosig sky
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.

The night goes with weighty step
round yard and stove;
round earth, the sun departs,
leaves the woods brooding.
There in our dark house,
appears with lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

The night goes great and mute
now hear it swing
in every silent room
murmurs as if from wings.
Look at our threshold stands
white-clad with lights in her hair
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

The darkness shall soon depart
from the earth's valleys
thus she speaks
a wonderful word to us.
The day shall rise anew
from the rosy sky.
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

Pretty cool, eh?

Well tomorrow I'm off on my whirlwind endurance trip home. The last train from Falun, overnight in the Stockholm bus station, a 4:00 AM bus to Skavsta airport, a 7:00 AM flight to Frankfurt-Hahn, a 2-hour bus ride to the main Frankfurt international airport, and then I get to try and find space on a flight to the U.S. Wish me luck! I'll only have about 2 weeks at home before I head to Prague for New Years, and then to Poland for the first couple of weeks of January. Quite the international jet-setter I've become.

So safe journeys to one and all, wherever you may be, and I hope to see you soon!

And Happy Birthday to Art!

Swedish words of the day: luciakrona, which means "Lucia crown," and luciatärna, which means "Lucia attendant"

:: posted by Rob 1:01 AM [+] :: 0 comments
...

Flaws in the American Way of Life

From the New Statesman, May 17, 2004, Vol. 133 Issue 4688, complete link here.

"What the New Statesman and several of its commentators such as John Pilger and Ziauddin Sardar have said for the past two years is now being accepted across the political spectrum. The Independent's ex-editor Andreas Whittam Smith compares George W Bush and Tony Blair to Stalin - a comparison at which even the most dedicated anti-Americans would have baulked until now. In the London Evening Standard, the political commentator Peter Oborne calls the US "a rogue state". The editor of Newsweek International, Fareed Zakaria, acknowledges that, to much of the world, the US is "an international outlaw". The proposition that America had the slightest interest in the welfare of the Iraqi people, and that a humanitarian mission could piggyback on its invasion, now looks wholly absurd. Attacked by Arabs on 9/11, it wanted to take the battle to Arab territory (that they were different Arabs was neither here nor there); alarmed by China's growing demand for oil, it wanted to strengthen its position in the oil-rich Middle East; dedicated to aggressive capitalism, it wanted to impose its ideology on the only region still largely resisting it.

As always, US leaders try to present America's crimes as an aberration. What happened at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, we are told, does not represent "American values". Yet as Stephen Grey shows in our cover story, the only exceptional thing is that Americans did the torturing themselves. More often, over the past two years, the US has used secret planes to move prisoners to allied regimes that have more skill and experience in torture. Again, the deaths of hundreds in Fallujah must be another aberration - or perhaps they didn't die at all or perhaps they were all armed terrorists.

Why we expect so much of America is a puzzle. During the Korean war, it bombed the north so intensively that it ran out of targets. In the 1960s and 1970s, it killed an estimated three million people in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. At the end of the first Gulf war, it killed retreating Iraqi conscripts in their tens of thousands. In Chile and Nicaragua, it helped armed opponents of democratically elected governments. It has tried to squeeze the life out of Cuba for decades and took new measures to stop Cuban Americans sending cash to their families back home only the other day. It opposes a host of international treaties - on banning nuclear tests and controlling carbon-dioxide emissions, for example - and now abjures the Geneva Conventions as well.

How a country conducts its internal affairs is a good guide to how it will behave abroad. It may treat foreigners worse than it treats its own people, but it will not treat them better. This is why tyrants' professions of peaceful intentions should never be trusted. What misleads us about the US is its commitment to many liberal values: free speech, a free press, a robust legal system and lots of voting, for example. But this is also a country that incarcerates two million (about one in every 140) of its residents - the world's highest rate of imprisonment. One in three black men spends some part of his life behind bars. Prison regimes are sometimes harsh and abuse is frequent, as a correspondent notes on page 35. The US also executes more than 50 people a year, some of them children.

The American way of life has many other shameful features: the subordination of politics to business interests; the uncontrolled possession of guns; huge social and racial inequalities; the pitiful provision of health and welfare for poor people. We tolerate these as an ally's flaw, rather as we might tolerate a few drunken binges in an otherwise amiable friend. We do not see how they add up to a vision of the world that America wishes to export - a way of life that seems comfortable enough for middle-class opinion-formers, but that brings misery to millions of others. We share, we think, "western values" and must unite against a common enemy. But are we sure that we and the Americans share the same understanding of western values? Are we sure that the extreme Christian fundamentalists who lurk behind President Bush, with their hair-raising attitudes to gays and abortionists, are a lesser threat than the extreme Muslim fundamentalists who lurk behind several Middle Eastern regimes?

Scoff if you like, and observe that the US does not behead people in cold blood. But who knows where its unshakeable belief in its own righteousness may lead it? Wiser rulers than Britain's would hedge their bets rather more, lest they find themselves obliged to defend worse things than beatings and sexual humiliation in a Baghdad prison. America, some say, is in a "pre-fascist" era. That now looks just a little less implausible than it did a month ago."

Food for thought.

Swedish word of the day: besviken, which means "disappointed"

:: posted by Rob 7:04 PM [+] :: 0 comments
...

Turn your head, now baby just spit me out

Happy December everyone! Today (or more accurately, yesterday) was quite the milestone for me. First, it marks two weeks until I come home for Christmas (or at least spend Christmas in the Frankfurt airport). It also marked the completion of my paper for my Comparative Social Policy class, entitled To Form a More Perfect Union: Recommendations for Improving Gender Equality in Sweden, after an all-day, all-night flurry of last-minute activity. Yes, a paper that I've known about for 4 weeks that I didn't start until the day before it was due. It's amazing that my time-management issues have allowed me to go as far as I have in life - of course, some might say that I haven't gone very far at all, but that's a whole 'nother can of worms* entirely.

Of interest, however (especially for anyone with knowledge of Swedish social policy), is the fact that I could even write a paper on gender equality improvements in what may be the most gender-equal country in the world. In fact, there were so many resources on it that I had no time to go into during my one whole day of research, that I'm once again thinking of changing my Master's thesis topic to explore this in greater detail. Who would have thought I'd be interested in gender equality? It's amazing the doors opened to you studying in a completely different field in a foreign country.

So yesterday was a day of rest and recovery from my paper-writing exertions. And even better (or perhaps worse), Swedish class this morning was canceled - which was good because I didn't have time to do my homework, or bad because my Swedish is still not to the level where I would like it to be.

But it's a busy two weeks coming up: we have our final Comparative Social Policy seminar on Friday, where we will discuss our papers (which I am reading today), before the new class The EU After Enlargement starts next week. I also have a paper due for my Nordic history class before I leave, a Swedish test (or two) somewhere in that time, not to mention no less than three Christmas parties: one for the Master's program, one for international students, and one for my history class. So even way over here Christmas is looking to be a busy time!

Enjoy the season, and I hope to see everyone if/when I make it home!

Swedish word of the day: idiot, which is what I am for waiting so long to start my damn paper!

* Who controls the worms, controls the spice; who controls the spice, controls the universe. Send me pepper and cilantro NOW!

:: posted by Rob 3:18 PM [+] :: 2 comments
...

Gobble, Gobble, Gobble

It seems that that age-old American tradition is once more upon us: Turkey Day! Of course, here in Sweden, there is no Thanksgiving. However, Sweden does have its own native people, the Sami (aka Lapps), though I don't think early Swedish settlers needed Sami help, nor do I think they repaid that help by slaughtering the Sami. In fact, the Sami are still alive and well up in Lappland, which actually incorporates the northern reaches of Norway, Sweden, and Finland. And I doubt there would be turkey, as the Sami herd reindeer. But that's another story.

So no celebrations here. In fact, I haven't even seen any turkey in any of the three nearby grocery stores I patronize. So I envy those of you with a day off of work, eating and having fun. Fortunately, I don't have any classes today. Instead, I'm doing laundry, working on schoolwork, and I finally bought a space heater this morning to heat up my chilly room! Yay!

So things are good - we got more snow yesterday - good, wet snow that makes perfect snowballs, enough that I'm sore today from the snow battles I took part in last night.

Enjoy the day and be thankful. I am. Happy Thanksgiving!

Swedish word of the day: kalkon, which means "turkey"

:: posted by Rob 1:10 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Rite of Passage

On Friday I finally took part in that oh-so-Swedish weekend activity known as going to Systembolaget. Yes, after almost 3 months here, I finally made it to the state-run liquor store. To those of you in places like Virginia, that might not seem so strange, what with Virginia state ABC stores. But here in Sweden, Systembolaget is run by the national government, and unlike in Virginia, you can't even get beer or wine in grocery or convenience stores. (Actually, you can get beer at grocery stores, but it's called "light beer," as in so light on alcohol [2-3%] as to barely be beer at all.) So if one wants "real" beer, or wine, or liquor, one goes to Systembolaget. In this way, the Swedish government can impose high taxes on alcohol as well as try to control the amount of alcohol imbibed by Swedish citizens. Does it work? Well, they do "stigmatize" patrons of Systembolaget by putting your alcohol in a horrendously ugly green bag that brands you to all who see it as a drunkard and a lush. But judging by the numbers of people one sees with the aforementioned green bags (particularly among the university students in Britsen), I would have to say most people dont seem that affected.

For my part, I ended up buying some wine with some friends so we could have hot spiced wine that night before going out, some "real" beer for myself, as well as that delicious Swedish yule-time drink, glögg. Like beer, glögg is available at grocery stores, though at 2.2% (barely alcoholic). Systembolaget carries both 10% and 15% glögg. I decided to take the middle road, and went with 10%. Of course, as I was drinking with my friends, I got to taste very little of it, so I suppose I'll be returning to Systembolaget in the not-too-distant future. Mmmmmmmm, glöööögg...

Swedish word of the day: öl, which means "beer"

:: posted by Rob 3:42 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Snö!

Today we got our first snow in Falun! It's only like 5 or 6 cm (about an inch), but we've all been waiting for the first snow - we are in Sweden after all, the supposed "land of eternal winter" or something. So while it's not quite enough to completely cover the grass, it is nevertheless quite beautiful. And it's probably going to stay below zero, so any further snow will just add to this. Looks like winter has finally come to Sweden! I'm sure it'll be even nicer whenever the sun comes out.

I took some pics of the snow, but I can't get the pics to show up here. Nevertheless, you can see them here on my photoblog.

Swedish word of the day: snökaos, which means "snow chaos," which of course, is what happens when it snows!

:: posted by Rob 5:25 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Talar du engelska? Javisst!*

One thing that continually amazes me is the pervasiveness of English-language culture here in Sweden. First, virtually everyone, and I mean everyone, speaks English here. And while most Swedes are somewhat shy in speaking English, thinking perhaps that their English isn't very good, nothing could be farther from the truth. They don't know just a few words here and there, but conversational, fluent English. Now this could have something to do with Swedish TV. Unlike many other countries, Sweden does not dub foreign programming, they just subtitle it in Swedish. What this means is that Swedes have daily access to English-language TV all their lives, which can only help their fluency in English. This is the other part of Swedish English-language culture. I can't miss American TV or pop culture, because I see it every day on TV. The Simpsons, Family Guy, Oprah, Scrubs, ER, you name it, they've got it (except the O.C. and Alias, but hey, no country's perfect). And almost every night on TV is an American movie, usually a couple to choose from on separate channels. I don't think Blockbuster would do very well here. Same goes for movies (in the theater) as well - unless it's a kids' movie, it's subtitled not dubbed, so it's really not that different from going to a movie in the States.

So it serves two purposes: it helps the Swedes speak better English (and I mean amazingly so, for what I was expecting in a foreign country), and it makes it incredibly easy for a non-foreign-language-speaking expatriate like me to live here.

In fact, about the only negative thing about it is the fact that it makes it hard to learn Swedish, since you always have English to use as a crutch. (That and the fact that they also have the worst American reality shows here - Fear Factor, For Love or Money, and now I hear, Paradise Hotel is coming too - that's a negative too...)

*Swedish words of the day, meaning "Do you speak English? Yes, of course!"

:: posted by Rob 1:22 AM [+] :: 0 comments
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Whispers in the Dark

One thing that I've really noticed while going to school here in Sweden is the absolute rudeness of the European students in class. Don't get me wrong, they're fine people, good Europeans, but during virtually every lecture I've had, other people in the class are constantly talking among themselves, usually just whispering, but sometimes actually out loud as well! There's this constant background susurration that is really annoying, and sometimes it reaches the level that it's actually hard to hear what the professor is saying. And of course, the typically non-confrontational Swedish pedagogical method means the professors say nothing about it and continue with their lectures as if half the class wasn't completely ignoring them and talking amongst themselves. I now tend to sit closer to the front just so I have a better chance of hearing the teacher, but it gets to the point sometimes where I want to turn around and scream SHUT UP!!! at the top of my lungs.

And the really strange thing about it is that these other students constantly talk about how strict and formal the universities are in their home countries, so you know they aren't used to talking in class like that (the Swedish educational system is very informal; it's a cooperative experience, and you call professors by their first names). It's like once formal discipline and restrictions are lifted, they feel free to act however they please, kind of like a dog who spends all his time behind a fence and then one day finds the gate open and bolts for his freedom.

I just thought that university students were slightly more developed than dogs.

/end rant

Swedish word of the day: håll käften! which means "shut up!"

:: posted by Rob 3:48 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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"Let the eagle SOOOOAAAARRR..."

Who woulda thunk it, but could something positive have actually come out of the last American "election"? It seems our good friend Attorney General John Ashcroft has resigned. Maybe there actually is justice in the world, though probably not at the Justice Department.

Ashcroft, in a five-page, handwritten letter to Bush, said, "The objective of securing the safety of Americans from crime and terror has been achieved."

Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever.

"Yet I believe that the Department of Justice would be well served by new leadership and fresh inspiration," said Ashcroft.

Word up, J.J. You got that one right, at least.

"I believe that my energies and talents should be directed toward other challenging horizons," Ashcroft said.

Like a career in music, perhaps?

The entire article can be seen here.

Let's hope Bush tries to redeem himself a little bit and replaces him with someone a bit less, oh, I don't know, fascist? Heck, at this point, a doorknob would make a better Attorney General, especially if it repealed some of the worst abuses of the Patriot Act.

And now, let us remember dear, departed John with a remix of his classic tune "Let the Eagle Soar":

Let the eagle soar,
Like she's never soared before.
From rocky coast to golden shore,
Let the mighty eagle soar.
Soar with healing in her wings,
As the land beneath her sings:
"Only god, no other kings."
This country's far too young to die.
We've still got a lot of climbing to do,
And we can make it if we try.
Built by toils and struggles
God has led us through.

Let the eagle soar,
Soar with freedom in her breast
So long as she's appropriately dressed
And not exposing her chest.
As the lands beneath her say
"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away."
But we shall overcome.
We won't let the First Amendment
stand in our way.
O, let the eagle soar,
but the Bill of Rights ignore
'cause we're in a state of war
Yes, let the mighty eagle soar.

Rock on, John. Rock on.

Swedish words of the day: rättvisa, which means "justice," and örn, which means "eagle"

:: posted by Rob 3:34 PM [+] :: 1 comments
...

God Help America

Well the election is over, and the people of the United States of America have once again confirmed my decision to leave it for the fair shores of the Kingdom of Sweden. The election was followed quite closely over here, by Swedes and other Europeans studying here. Both the BBC and Swedish state TV carried election coverage. Everyone was pretty disappointed when the results came in that Bush had won. And then of course came the questions. As one of the few Americans studying here, people wanted to know how and why "we" elected him again. And I had nothing to tell them, other than the fact that I considered myself in exile in Sweden, and was boycotting the whole country. It's really sad, and a bit scary too. A lot of people over here are concerned what the next four years might bring. I know for me, it's going to bring a renewed effort to do my best to stay here in Sweden for at least the next four years.

That said, I'll now leave you with the UK Daily Mirror's front-page election article, "God Help America." I think it sums up perfectly the almost universal European feeling about this lastest electoral travesty in the U.S.

GOD HELP AMERICA

Nov 5 2004

THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN..


THEY say that in life you get what you deserve. Well, today America has deservedly got a lawless cowboy to lead them further into carnage and isolation and the unreserved contempt of most of the rest of the world.

This once-great country has pulled up its drawbridge for another four years and stuck a finger up to the billions of us forced to share the same air. And in doing so, it has shown itself to be a fearful, backward-looking and very small nation.

This should have been the day when Americans finally answered their critics by raising their eyes from their own sidewalks and looking outward towards the rest of humanity.

And for a few hours early yesterday, when the exit polls predicted a John Kerry victory, it seemed they had.

But then the horrible, inevitable truth hit home. They had somehow managed to re-elect the most devious, blinkered and reckless leader ever put before them. The Yellow Rogue of Texas.

A self-serving, dim-witted, draft-dodging, gung-ho little rich boy, whose idea of courage is to yell: "I feel good," as he unleashes an awesome fury which slaughters 100,000 innocents for no other reason than greed and vanity.

A dangerous chameleon, his charming exterior provides cover for a power-crazed clique of Doctor Strangeloves whose goal is to increase America's grip on the world's economies and natural resources.

And in foolishly backing him, Americans have given the go-ahead for more unilateral pre-emptive strikes, more world instability and most probably another 9/11.

Why else do you think bin Laden was so happy to scare them to the polls, then made no attempt to scupper the outcome?

There's only one headline in town today, folks: "It Was Osama Wot Won It."

And soon he'll expect pay-back. Well, he can't allow Bush to have his folks whoopin' and a-hollerin' without his own getting a share of the fun, can he?

Heck, guys, I hope you're feeling proud today.

To the tens of millions who voted for John Kerry, my commiserations.

To the overwhelming majority of you who didn't, I simply ask: Have you learnt nothing? Do you despise your own image that much?

Do you care so little about the world beyond your shores? How could you do this to yourselves?

How appalling must one man's record at home and abroad be for you to reject him?

Kerry wasn't the best presidential candidate the Democrats have ever fielded (and he did deserve a kicking for that "reporting for doo-dee" moment), but at least he understood the complexity of the world outside America, and domestic disgraces like the 45 million of his fellow citizens without health cover.

He would have done something to make that country fairer and re-connected it with the wider world.

Instead America chose a man without morals or vision. An economic incompetent who inherited a $2billion surplus from Clinton, gave it in tax cuts to the rich and turned the US into the world's largest debtor nation.

A man who sneers at the rights of other nations. Who has withdrawn from international treaties on the environment and chemical weapons.

A man who flattens sovereign states then hands the rebuilding contracts to his own billionaire party backers.

A man who promotes trade protectionism and backs an Israeli government which continually flouts UN resolutions.

America has chosen a menacingly immature buffoon who likened the pursuit of the 9/11 terrorists to a Wild West, Wanted Dead or Alive man-hunt and, during the Afghanistan war, kept a baseball scorecard in his drawer, notching up hits when news came through of enemy deaths.

A RADICAL Christian fanatic who decided the world was made up of the forces of good and evil, who invented a war on terror, and thus as author of it, believed he had the right to set the rules of engagement.

Which translates to telling his troops to do what the hell they want to the bad guys. As he has at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib and countless towns across Iraq.

You have to feel sorry for the millions of Yanks in the big cities like New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco who voted to kick him out.

These are the sophisticated side of the electorate who recognise a gibbon when they see one.

As for the ones who put him in, across the Bible Belt and the South, us outsiders can only feel pity.

Were I a Kerry voter, though, I'd feel deep anger, not only at them returning Bush to power, but for allowing the outside world to lump us all into the same category of moronic muppets.

The self-righteous, gun-totin', military lovin', sister marryin', abortion-hatin', gay-loathin', foreigner-despisin', non-passport ownin' red-necks, who believe God gave America the biggest dick in the world so it could urinate on the rest of us and make their land "free and strong".

You probably won't be surprised to learn of would-be Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn who, on Tuesday, promised to ban abortion and execute any doctors who carried them out.

He also told voters that lesbianism is so rampant in the state's schools that girls were being sent to toilets on their own. Not that any principal could be found to back him up.

These are the people who hijack the word patriot and liken compassion to child-molesting. And they are unknowingly bin Laden's chief recruiting officers.

Al-Qaeda's existence is fuelled by the outpourings of America's Christian right. Bush is its commander-in-chief. And he and bin Laden need each other to survive.

Both need to play Lex Luther to each others' Superman with their own fanatical people. Maybe that's why the mightiest military machine ever assembled has failed to catch the world's most wanted man.

Or is the reason simply that America is incompetent? That behind the bluff they are frightened and clueless, which is why they've stayed with the devil they know.

VISITORS from another planet watching this election would surely not credit the amateurism.

The queues for hours to register a tick; the 17,000 lawyers needed to ensure there was no cheating; the $1.2bn wasted by parties trying to discredit the enemy; the allegations of fraud, intimidation and dirty tricks; the exit polls which were so wildly inaccurate; an Electoral College voting system that makes the Eurovision Song Contest look like a beacon of democracy and efficiency; and the delays and the legal wrangles in announcing the victor.

Yet America would have us believe theirs is the finest democracy in the world. Well, that fine democracy has got the man it deserved. George W Bush.

But is America safer today without Kerry in charge? A man who overnight would have given back to the UN some credibility and authority. Who would have worked out the best way to undo the Iraq mess without fear of losing face.

Instead, the questions facing America today are - how many more thousands of their sons will die as Iraq descends into a new Vietnam? And how many more Vietnams are on the horizon now they have given Bush the mandate to go after Iran, Syria, North Korea or Cuba...?

Today is a sad day for the world, but it's even sadder for the millions of intelligent Americans embarrassed by a gung-ho leader and backed by a banal electorate, half of whom still believe Saddam Hussein was behind 9/11.

Yanks had the chance to show the world a better way this week, instead they made a thuggish cowboy ride off into the sunset bathed in glory.

And in doing so it brought Armageddon that little bit closer and re-christened their beloved nation The Home Of The Knave and the Land Of The Freak.

God Help America.

A link to the article is here.

Swedish word of the day: landsförvisa, which means "expatriate"

:: posted by Rob 7:01 PM [+] :: 1 comments
...

"Seems such a long time ago..."

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's been forever and a day since I last posted. My only excuse is that I was very busy with my last course, Why Revolt?, and with the paper I had to write, entitled Hasta la Victoria Siempre: A Comparative Study of Revolution in Cuba and Bolivia. (If anyone actually wants to read this scholarly masterpiece, let me know, and you can soon have a copy in your very own email inbox. PLUS, it guest-stars Che Guevara!) So apologies again, and although I'll still be busy with my new course, Comparative Social Policy, I promise to try and update my blog more frequently. First up: election woes.

Swedish word of the day: folkhemmet, which means "people's home," aka the Swedish welfare state

:: posted by Rob 6:09 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Some people call me Maurice

I've made it back safely from Stockholm, which was just as cool and fun as the last time. It was also warmer than here in Falun, which we noticed as soon as we stepped off the bus after three days in beautiful, balmy (relatively speaking, of course) Stockholm. I want to post more soon, but I am literally slammed with work for school right now, so instead I'll leave you with this:

How many members of the Bush Administration does it take to change a lightbulb?


The Answer is TEN:

1. One to deny that the lightbulb needs to be changed.

2. One to attack the patriotism of anyone who says the lightbulb needs to be changed.

3. One to blame Clinton for burning out the lightbulb.

4. One to tell the nations of the world that they are either for changing the lightbulb or for darkness.

5. One to give a billion dollar no-bid contract to Haliburton for the new lightbulb.

6. One to take a photograph of Bush, dressed as a janitor, standing on a step ladder under the banner "Lightbulb Change Accomplished."

7. One administration insider to resign and write a book documenting in detail how Bush was literally "in the dark"

8. One to viciously smear #7.

9. One to campaign on TV and at rallies on how George Bush has a strong light-bulb-changing policy.

10. And one to confuse everyone about the difference between screwing a lightbulb and screwing the country.

This election is being watched like a hawk over here, too.

Swedish words of the day: buske, which means "bush," and glödlampa, which means "lightbulb"

:: posted by Rob 1:38 AM [+] :: 2 comments
...

Back where I belong

Well, I'm heading back to Stockholm today for three days with some friends from school. On the plus side, I get to go back to what may very well be the most beautiful city in the world and see some more of it. On the minus side, the bus leaves at 6:40 in the AM, which means we have to leave at about 5:45 to get to the bus station on time! The price one pays for public transportation, I guess. This time, I'm staying in the Gustaf af Klint youth hostel in Södermalm, which coincidentally, is also on a boat.

So anyways, I'll be gone for a few days, and hopefully we won't have the same rainy days in Stockholm that we've had recently in Falun. And one of these days, I'll get the final installment of my last visit to Stockholm posted! Bye!

Swedish word of the day: vandrarhem, which means "youth hostel"

:: posted by Rob 5:13 AM [+] :: 1 comments
...

Stockholm on Sunday (Part 1)

After my busy first day in Stockholm, I woke up bright and early the next morning (after being woken up only a few times during the night by my 7 various roommates coming home, turning on the lights, etc.), and headed to the kitchen in the hostel building on shore for breakfast. Being Sunday, I didn't have much time to see everything, as opening hours were shorter. But I knew where I wanted to go: the Kungliga Slottet, or Royal Palace! I headed across the Skeppsholmsbron to Blasieholmen, turned left and headed for Gamla Stan.

At Gustav Adolfs Torg I crossed the Norrström on the Norrbro bridge to the island of Helgeandsholmen, home to the Riksdaghuset, Sweden's parliament building. Crossing the Stallkanalen brought me to Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town, and the Kungliga Slottet itself. Though the royal family hasn't actually lived there since 1982, the palace is considered the official residence of the king, and many official functions and ceremonies take place there. Being Sunday, the Palace wasn't open yet, so I wandered around the Yttre Borggården or Outer Courtyard. I didn't have to wait long, however, and was soon exploring all the Royal Palace had to offer. (Unfortunately, I was unable to take pictures inside the palace, so you'll just have to trust me when I say that what I saw was really cool!)

I started with the Ordenssalarna, the Apartments of the Orders of Chivalry, which are located in the offices inhabited by the High Court (established in 1789) until 1949. The Hall of the Order of Vasa, the Hall of the Order of the Northern Star, the Hall of the Order of the Sword, and the Hall of the Order of the Seraphim hold exhibitions relating to the Royal Orders, both those granted by Sweden and by other countries to Sweden's nobility. There are also a number of coats of arms of various nobilities around the world.

The Ordenssalarna lead directly into the Rikssalen, the Hall of State. Until 1975, the Hall of State hosted the ceremonial opening of the Swedish Parliament, complete with a march of the royal bodyguard in full regalia. Now it is used for official state functions (such as Crown Princess Victoria's coming of age ceremony), and is also home to one of the palace's greatest treasures, Queen Kristina's huge silver throne, a gift commemorating her coronation in 1650.

After the Hall of State, I visited the Bernadottevåningen, the Bernadotte Apartments, so named because of the gallery displaying portraits of the Bernadotte dynasty (Sweden's current royal family are Bernadottes). I saw various guardrooms, the Pillared Hall, the Victoria Drawing Room, the East (and West) Octagonal Cabinets (where the king still receives foreign ambassadors), Oskar II's Writing Room, Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Room, as well as Lovisa Ulrika's Audience Chamber, Antechamber, and Dining Room. Basically lots of ceiling paintings, lavish decor, and wealthy knick-knacks.

From there I headed to the second floor, to the Representationsvåningen, or Royal Apartments. First was the Festvåningen, the State Apartments, consisting of such royal rooms as the Council Chamber, the Audience Chamber, and the HUGE Karl XI's Gallery, modeled on the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, where state banquets are held. There is also Gustav III's State Bedchamber, where the king died in 1792 after being shot at the Opera House, Sofia Magdalena's State Bedchamber, the Don Quixote Room, and "The White Sea" drawing room.

Next was the Stora Gästvåningen, the Guest Apartments, where visiting heads of state stay, consisting of the Empire Salon, the Meleager Salon, and the Great Bedchamber. Those heads of state who find the opulence of the Great Bedchamber too overwhelming may instead stay in either the Small or Inner Bedchambers. Finally, there is the Margareta Room, named for the king's grandmother, an amateur painter, where some of her works are displayed.

Thus finished with the main apartments of the palace, I headed back outside. The palace contains more museums, but it was almost time for the Changing of the Guard, so I wandered a little around Gamla Stan, stopping at a kiosk for a korv (basically a big Swedish hot dog) for lunch. As it turned out, the square was Stortorget, Gamla Stan's main square, and site of the infamous Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520, where the Danish king Kristian II beheaded more than 80 of Sweden's nobles, before burning them as heretics outside the city walls.

Next: The Changing of the Guard, Storkyrka, and the Vasa

Swedish word of the day: kronprincessa, which means "crown princess"

:: posted by Rob 1:12 AM [+] :: 0 comments
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The Great Copper Mountain

On Saturday, I went to Falun's number one tourist attraction, Stora Kopparberget, the Great Copper Mountain. It's a copper mine that is over 1000 years old, and in the 17th and 18th centuries produced 3/4 of the world's copper (thereby making Falun the biggest town in Sweden at the time). It's pretty impressive, and a lot of fun, too. There's the Great Open Pit, a giant hole 95 meters deep and 350 meters across created when three mines collapsed in 1687; the story of Fat Mats, a miner who died in the mine in 1677, who was found perfectly preserved in 1719, looking exactly as he did forty years before; and of course, the guided tour through the mine itself, 55 meters down, through a host of drifts, pits, shafts, and stopes.

I'll be posting the pictures on Buzznet soon, but until then, you can feast your eyes on this picture:

Rob at the Copper Mine

photo by: ceruleaneyes

Here's me all geared up after my trip through Kopparberget, the famous Falu copper mine.

Swedish word of the day: gruva, which means "mine" (koppargruva means "copper mine")

:: posted by Rob 8:47 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Of lakes and cycles

With today being another dark and rainy day in Sweden, I'm glad yesterday was beautiful and sunny. I'm even more glad I took advantage of it by going cycling around the good sized lake north of town.

Falun is situated right between 2 lakes, with some small lakes and a river/stream running through the middle connecting the two. To the south is the quite large Lake Runn, while to the north is Lake Varpan. (If you click on the map of Falun link, you will be able to see the two lakes.)

So yeterday, with clouds only partially obscuring the sky, and the weather relatively warm, I set off for a circuit around Lake Varpan. Unlike the tiny lake Östanforsån near where I live, which is surrounded by biking and walking trails, I discovered that such was not the case around Lake Varpan, and ended up riding along roads for the most part. But they were quite clear on a Sunday afternoon, and I really only feared for my life once or twice! ;)

Overall, the ride was about 18 km, or 11 miles, and was quite nice, although a little tiring (but in a good way). I passed through a handful of little villages, such as Stennäset, Bergsgården, and Österå. On the northern side of the lake, I passed by several farms, with Swedish horses and sheep grazing and sleeping. I also passed through the typical Swedish forest, and there were several people out and about collecting berries.

On the trip back down the eastern side, I realized why there were no bike trails - everyone has houses along the lakeshore. I was riding along on the road, forest on either side of me, and looking through the trees, I could just make out these little cottages on the shore. I kept thinking of the old fairy tales, like the Grimm brothers stories, of Goldilocks stumbling across the cottage of the 3 bears in the woods, or Hansel & Gretel finding the witch's cottage. Sweden's big, dark, thick forests really bring those old European stories to mind. In any case it was really cool.

So an afternoon well spent - hopefully the exercise did my lingering sickness some good, too. And hopefully the weather will stay good on the next few weekends for me to go out and do more things.

And I'll be posting up some pics soon, too!

Swedish word of the day: sjö, which means "lake"

:: posted by Rob 6:53 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Slippery goodness

After searching long and hard, I have finally gotten a pair of slippers! I never would have thought something so simple could be so difficult. At home, I always wore slippers (or went barefoot, when warm). The first thing I would do when I got home was kick off my shoes and put on my slippers. It always just seemed the most comfortable thing to do.

Yet for some reason, when moving to Sweden, I apparently decided that I could suddenly break a lifetime of habit and I threw away my (admittedly old) slippers, leaving me here in Sweden with no slippers. Which meant I've had to sit around in my room, relaxing, wearing my hiking boots, or deal with freezing feet. And what with cutting through the wilderness on the way to school, it's also meant tracking the wilderness indoors with me as well.

But apparently slippers are hard to find in Sweden - it took some searching, but today I was able to finally get ahold of a pair. (I actually could have gotten them yesterday, but yesterday I didn't know what my European shoe size was.) So now I have slippers, so I can walk down to the kitchen for a drink without having to put my shoes on, which is quite nice.

Still trying to get over my pneumonia - I've got 3 days left on the antibiotics, but I still have this annoying lingering cough. Hopefully that will be gone in a couple of days.

My first class, The Role of Intellectuals, is now over. I turned in my paper last week and we discussed them in seminars on Friday. Mine went over well. We won't actually get our grades until probably Tuesday, but I'm not really worried.

Our next class, Why Revolt?, starts Monday. I'm excited about this one (I'm all about the revolution, you know), but this is supposedly the hardest class in the program. Already our compendium of readings for the course is like a phone book (and that's just a collection of some articles; that doesnt include actual books we have to read as well). Well, I'll just have to do the best I can. And hopefully I'll have some time on the weekends to do some fun stuff!

Swedish word of the day: toffel, which means "slipper"

:: posted by Rob 1:12 AM [+] :: 0 comments
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Pictures in an Exhibition

Buzznet finally restored my photoblog, so you can once more go see the pics posted there, including the ones that link with my blog entry on Stockholm. I'll try to get the rest of the Stockholm pics up this weekend, along with the final blog entry about Stockholm, Day 2.

Then I get to regale you with tales and pics of Falun and beyond! Oh boy!

:: posted by Rob 11:05 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Sick of Sweden...?

Or is Sweden sick of me? For the past 2 weeks, I have been afflicted by some sort of cold/flu. Some days were worse than others, some better, though it seemed the symptoms changed daily. I kept hoping to ride it out, thinking that it would pass, as colds and flus eventually do. A shipment of Vitamin C and DayQuil from home seemed to be the answer.

Sadly, it was not the case. Yesterday I went to the emergency room of the local hospital (because on weekends, the local clinic right next door is closed) because I was having difficulty breathing. After tests and x-rays, I got the news: I have pneumonia. Pneumonia! I thought that was something only really sick people got, or people already in the hospital. Well apparently pneumonia can strike right along with a cold, and can be caused by a bacteria or a virus.

So after getting my diagnosis, I was given a prescription for antibiotics (basically just penicillin) and 2 pills to keep me inoculated until today when I could get the prescription filled. Which was another adventure in itself. But suffice to say, I am now feeling better, it's not quite as hard to breathe, I don't think my fever's quite as high as it was (it was around 104 when they checked it at the hospital last night), and things seem to be progressing smoothly. Of course, it still hurts like the dickens when I cough. But hopefully within another day or two all the major symptoms will be taken care of.

Now if I can only muster the will and energy to write my term paper that is due on Wednesday!

And no, I'm not really sick of Sweden (and I don't think she's sick of me). I'm just sick in Sweden. And thanks to the gods that everyone speaks English here, which makes being sick in a foreign country a little less daunting.

:: posted by Rob 6:56 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Thoughts on Sweden

A couple of Polish girls in my Master's program were asked by the university newspaper to interview some of the foreign exchange students and get their views on Sweden for an article. As one of the students chosen for this (and as one of the very few students representing America), I thought I'd share the questionnaire and my answers here.

1. What did you know about Sweden before you came here?
Quite a bit. I did a lot of research into Sweden, its government, people, and culture, so I feel I've been pretty prepared.

2. What was your main reason for coming to Sweden?
(Rather than simply put "the Crown Princess," I said something else): My main reason was to get out of the US and experience life in Sweden and all Sweden has to offer.

3. One word you associate with Sweden. Nature

4. Is there a thing that you forgot to take from home and you would like to have with you now?
my slippers

5. How do you find Britsen?
I like Britsen - it's a lot of fun and very international. I think the rooms are nice, and it's very nice having a private bathroom!

6. What do you think about Swedish people?
They are very nice and friendly, but a little standoffish. Sometimes it seems that it's hard to get to know them.

7. Are you looking forward to the Swedish winter? Why?
No - because of the cold! But I am curious as to just how cold it will get...

8. What's your opinion on Falun's nightlife?
Haven't seen much of it so far - does Falun have a nightlife?

9. What surprised you most in Sweden?
How everyone speaks English. It's amazing to me to be in a foreign country and have no trouble at all communicating.

10. Which supermarket is the best one for you - Lidl, ICA, or Hemköp?
Lidl is cheapest, but doesn't have much of a selection. Hemköp has everything you need, but is expensive. So I guess ICA is a good choice between the others.

:: posted by Rob 12:17 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Stockholm, Venice of the North

Update: Buzznet finally fixed their servers, so the links to the pictures finaly work. Definitely click away if you think you missed any of them!

After the difficulties with the weight of my luggage in Amsterdam, I finally arrived in Stockholm on Saturday, August 14 after a brief layover in the Prague airport (I wish I could have seen the city itself - perhaps some time in the next year). Most of the day was taken up by travel, between cities and between the cities and their respective airports, but I arrived at Stockholm's Central Station somewhere around 4:00 pm. Once again leaving my suitcase in a locker at the train station (and after buying my train ticket from Stockholm to Falun on Monday), I found bus 65 to Skeppsholmen and was on my way to the Youth Hostel af Chapman & Skeppsholmen.

The hostel is actually two hostels in one - the 19th-century rigged sailing ship af Chapman and an adjacent building on the island of Skeppsholmen itself. The af Chapman was originally built in England in 1888. Named Dunboyne, she sailed as a trader for 25 years under British and Norwegian flags. She was moved to Gothenburg in 1915 and renamed G.D. Kennedy, serving as a private training ship. The Swedish Navy took ownership of her in 1923, renaming her af Chapman, and trained ship's boys upon her until her final voyage in 1934. Towed to Stockholm in 1937, she was permanently moored to Skeppsholmen to serve as navy accommodation. After WWII, the navy sold her to the city of Stockholm for 5000 Swedish crowns, and the Swedish Touring Club restored and renovated the ship, opening her as a youth hostel in 1949. The adjacent building of the hostel was originally built in 1785 to store firewood for the Royal Palace. In the 19th century, it was completely rebuilt as quarters for navy craftsmen. After subsequently serving as a post office and grocery store, it was opened as a youth hostel in 1983.

I had reserved space in the hostel ahead of time, but did not know where my room would be. Checking into reception in the main building, I discovered I had been given a bunk on the ship! I joined the International Youth Hostel Federation, and boarded the ship, where I discovered I was sharing a room with 7 other guys, mostly Italians. I chatted with them for a few minutes, "stowed my gear," and went topside to look around.

The af Chapman is moored on the island of Skeppsholmen, and lies just across the body of water called the Strömmen from Gamla Stan (Stockholm's Old Town), the Riksdagshuset (Parliament House), and the Royal Palace. It's also very close to the Skeppsholmsbron, the bridge linking Skeppsholmen to Blasieholmen on the mainland and the city center. Since it was so late in the day, I decided to just explore Skeppsholmen itself, and its connecting island Kastellholmen.

Skeppsholmen once served as a naval base, and many of the buildings on the island are restored naval buildings, most dating from the 19th century. The island is also home to three museums: the Östasiatiska Museet (Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities), the Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art), and the Arkitekturmuseet (Museum of Architecture). Unfortunately, they were all closed so late in the day and I never had time to visit them. Near the af Chapman, however, is the Admiralty House, as well as Skeppsholmen's salute battery, four 57-mm cannons fired to mark national and royal special occasions such as the birthdays of the King, Queen, and Crown Princess. Also on Skeppsholmen is the Skeppsholmskyrken, the island's Empire-style church, built between 1824 and 1842. My exploration of Skeppsholmen mostly completed, I passed through Långa Raden, a "Long Row" of buildings now used by the State Board of Culture, but originally a barracks built around 1700 to house Karl XII's royal bodyguard. On the other side was Kastellholmsbron, a bridge built in 1880 to the island of Kastellholmen.

Just across the bridge on Kastellholmen is the pavilion of the Royal Skating Club (built in 1882), which used the water between the two islands when it was frozen. Kastellholmen's real draw, however, is the Kastellet, a medieval-style castle built from 1846 to 1848. Every morning since 1640, a sailor has hoisted the three-tailed Swedish war flag at the castle. Kastellet also has a battery of four cannons that fires a salute from the terrace whenever a visiting naval arrives. From Kastellholmen, one can also look across the Nybroviken to Djurgården, the large island that was formerly a royal animal reserve and hunting ground and now forms part of the Stockholm National City Park, the only one of its kind in the world. One can also look across the Saltsjön to Södermalm, an area of cliffs and steep hills south of the city center, added to the city in 1436.

After only a few hours in Stockholm (even with intermittent rain), seeing the vista from the deck of the af Chapman and wandering through the parks of Skeppsholmen and Kastellholmen, I was already in love with the city. I had so little time in the city, and saw so very little (although I did manage to see a lot), that I have to go back. It's only three hours from Falun by train, so I'm definitely planning to spend a few more weekends there. And if I end up being able to stay in Sweden, I may very well try to make Stockholm my new home. It is such a beautiful city, with its collection of islands and waterways (not to mention the wider Stockholm Archipelago and its 24,000 additional islands and skerries), that I fell in love almost immediately. Words and pictures really don't do it justice.

With night fast approaching, I decided to go looking for dinner, crossing the Skeppsholmsbron into Blasieholmen on the mainland. Another major museum is located here, the Nationalmuseum, built in 1866 and housing Sweden's largest art collection. It was, of course, closed by this time, and I had no time to visit it later. A little ways further up Södra Blasieholmshamnen is the Grand Hotel, Sweden's only five-star hotel, built in 1874. Every year since 1901, the Grand Hotel has provided accommodation for the Nobel Prize winners, and until 1929 hosted the Nobel Prize banquet, at which point the event outgrew the location and was moved to the city hall, the Stadshuset.

In Blasieholmen, I took a short tour of Kungsträdgården, formerly the royal kitchen garden in the 15th century. It is home to statues of two of Sweden's kings: J.P. Molin's statue of the warrior king Karl XII, unveiled in 1868 to mark the 150th anniversary of his death, and Erik Göthe's statue of Karl XIII, who reigned from 1809 to 1818. Bordering Kungsträdgården are the Kungliga Operan (Royal Opera House), the 17th-century Jacobs Kyrka dedicated to St. Jacob, the patron saint of wayfarers, and Sverigehuset (Sweden House), home to the Swedish Institute and the Stockholm Visitors Board. All of course, were closed by this time, and though there were a few cafes open, I decided to head back to the af Chapman. The hostel has an attached restaurant/cafe, where I ate a simple but good dinner accompanied by pear cider. I then spent some more time on deck, enjoying the Stockholm evening, before heading to my bunk so I could make the most of my one full day to come in Stockholm.

Next: The Royal Palace

:: posted by Rob 5:32 PM [+] :: 1 comments
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Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Here's a neat litle thing showing where I've been - my goal is to cover all the world in red! Hahahahahaha!!!

The states I've visited:


create your own personalized map of the USA
or write about it on the open travel guide

The Europe I've visited (2 of them in the past month!):


create your personalized map of europe
or write about it on the open travel guide

The countries I've visited:


create your own visited country map
or write about it on the open travel guide

:: posted by Rob 1:50 AM [+] :: 0 comments
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Amsterdam, Day 2

After collapsing from exhaustion Thursday night, I woke up refreshed and completely un-jet-lagged Friday morning. After joining my fellow guests in the Hotel Prinsenhof's breakfast room for breakfast, I was ready to hit the city.

My first planned stop was the Anne Frank house, coincidentally located on the same canal as the hotel (the Prinsengracht), but on the other side of the city. I decided to follow the canal rather than try to decipher the tram system at this point, but after a bit of walking and quite a bit of rain, I bit the bullet and used the trams.

Unfortunately, where I was at the time didn't have a direct tram to the Anne Frank house, so I had to go into the center and change trams there. This, coupled with my walking, and somewhat of a late start, got me there later than I had planned, which meant waiting in line. Luckily, the rain held off the entire time I was in line outside, and the wait was definitely worth it.

I am so glad I read Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl before coming, and since I just read it a month or so ago, it was still fresh in my memory. I wasn't originally going to go there, with only one day in Amsterdam, but now I'm so glad I did. They say it's Amsterdam's most popular tourist attraction, and I can definitely recommend that anyone who goes to Amsterdam should visit here. Though all of the furnishings have been removed from the "Secret Annex," there is still a very palpable sense of what went on there, knowing that 8 people lived in hiding here for years until they were betrayed. You can't help but feel something when you pass through the hidden door behind the bookcase, or when you see Anne's room, with her pictures of movie stars taken from magazines still pasted on the walls. At the end, of course, you are confronted with the facts about what happened to everyone there. Only Anne's father, Otto Frank, survived the concentration camps, and it is because of him that we have her diary. Tragically, Anne herself died of typhus and deprivation in the Bergen-Belsen camp, only two weeks before it was liberated by the British Army.

After I left the Anne Frank house, I headed to the nearby Westerkerk ("West Church"), the bells of which Anne mentioned in her diary. A small statue of Anne sits outside. The Westerkerk is one of only two churches built in Amsterdam specifically for Protestants, and was completed in 1631. I wanted to go up the church's tower, but their tours were already booked for the next hour or so, and it was already afternoon, so I decided to miss it this time around.

Instead, I headed to Dam Square, the center of the Old City, home to both the Nieuwe Kerk ("New Church") and Koninklijk Paleis ("Royal Palace"). Dam Square is also home to the city's war memorial, as well as Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and when I was there at least, a carnival of some sort.

Whereas the Westerkerk was built specifically for Protestants, the Nieuwe Kerk was Amsterdam's second parish church, built some time in the 14th century. Later, the Calvinists stripped it of all its adornments, but all Dutch monarchs since 1814 have been crowned here. For some reason I didn't go in - maybe there wasn't enough time, or admission was too high or something. I don't remember.

I do remember stopping for lunch nearby at a little Indonesian place called Sie Joe, where I had some delicious satay. Then I wasted more time as I went to change some traveler's checks. I had already signed them before I realized that I had left my passport at the hotel, and the exchange place wouldn't accept my Virginia driver's license as valid ID. And since I had already signed the checks, I couldn't cash them anywhere else. So I used up an hour or so taking the tram back to the hotel, getting my passport, and then back to the exchange place. As it turned out, it was a good thing I returned early to the hotel, however, for reasons I'll explain later.

Finally back at Dam Square, I went to the Koninklijk Paleis, the other big thing I wanted to see in Amsterdam. Originally built as the city's Stadhuis (town hall) in the 17th century, it was appropriated as the Royal Palace of Louis Napoleon in 1808, after he was appointed King of Holland by his brother Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France and recent occupier of the Netherlands. Though Louis abdicated and fled in 1810, the building remained a royal palace, though not really used by the monarchs of Holland. More information can be found in the pictures I posted, but suffice to say that the interior of the Koninklijk Paleis is quite ornate and beautiful, and was well worth the time spent there.

By the time I finished in the Royal Palace, closing times were fast approaching for a lot of the museums. I wanted to stop by the Oude Kerk ("Old Church"), Amsterdam's oldest church, built in the 14th century (although an earlier wooden church was built on the site in the early 13th century), but I also wanted to see the Amstelkring. Both closed at 5, so I headed for the Amstelkring, rationalizing that I've seen churches before and will again.

Of course, the Amstelkring itself is a church, though not the type of church you would expect. In 1578, Amsterdam rejected Catholicism and the Protestant rebels proclaimed the Alteration. Basically, all Catholic churches were recycled for Protestant use and Catholics were prohibited from openly worshipping. The solution: clandestine churches hidden inside normal buildings, of which the Amstelkring is the only surviving example.

Located in the attic of an unassuming merchant's house on Oudezijds Voorburgwal, the Amstelkring, properly known as Ons Lieve Heer Op Solder ("Our Dear Lord in the Attic"), is now a museum. The current exhibition was on the Seven Sacraments, but the church itself was pretty impressive, stuffed into a narrow Amsterdam canal house, but with an organ and mock-marble altar, even carved balconies over the nave. Tiny confessionals hidden under stairways and secret rooms for the priests completed the museum. No pictures were allowed unfortunately, and I was a bit rushed to get through it before closing time, but it was still pretty cool, and definitely recommended.

Of course, no visit to Amsterdam would be complete without a visit to the famed Red Light District. And since the Oude Kerk and Amstelkring are right on the edge of the RLD, I took this opportunity to wander through. Nothing really exciting - I've seen worse (or better?) in other big cities of the world, but it was still something to experience. Sorry, no pictures allowed there, either, fellas. Maybe the rain was keeping people away, or maybe I was just there too early. No great loss, it seems. I did go into a store/museum of prostitution looking for souvenirs, however. Rather than pay to see the museum I bought a souvenir shot glass (as I try to do for all the places I visit). I decided to forego the tacky RED LIGHT DISTRICT shot glasses complete with bare-breasted ladies in favor of a much more classy and simple "Amsterdam" shot glass. I also stopped for a glass of Heineken in Teasers, basically Amsterdam's answer to Hooters, but bar-dancing waitresses excluded, I think Hooters has it better. At least they have wings.

On the other side of the Red Light District, I came upon Nieuwmarkt and the Waag, a former fortified city gate built in the 1480s. Once the city expanded past its walls, the Waag became a municipal weighing-house, quarters for the surgeons' guild, as well as serving as a furniture store and firehouse. Today, however, it is home to In de Waag, a Belgian restaurant-cafe where I had quite a nice dinner of some kind of soup, Oriental-style mussels, and ice cream and chocolate cake for dessert.

As I mentioned earlier, I had to go back to the hotel earlier in the day, which turned out to be a good thing. When I went into my safety deposit box in the hotel for my passport, I enquired about check-out the next day. Good thing I did, as I had to leave early, and I was told that after 5 pm Friday there wouldn't be anyone there, nor would there be anyone there that early in the morning when I had to leave. So Friday afternoon I ended up emptying my safety deposit box and paying for my room. Since I would be leaving before breakfast was served, they offered to prepare a breakfast tray for me the night before. Check-out would consist of leaving my key on the tray.

So when I got home Friday night after a long day in the 'Dam, I had a tray already prepared for the next morning, complete with a one cup coffee maker. After packing up and taking a shower, I hit the bed, waking up bright and early Saturday morning at about 6 am. I got to enjoy my breakfast in my room, looking out on a sunny day of all things, and was out waiting for the tram on Utrechtsestraat by about 7:30. The tram took me to Centraal Station, where I already had my ticket for the train to the airport, and my day and a half in Amsterdam was over.

Almost over, actually. As I went to do the self check-in for my flight to Stockholm via Prague on Czech Airlines, I was informed that my bags were too heavy, and I had to go through regular check-in, which meant waiting in line. Though I had had no troubles with my bags on SAS from Dulles to Amsterdam, apparently my Czech Air ticket gave me a weight limit of only 23 kg, and together my bags weighed 47 kg. I was helpfully informed that I could remove items to make my bags lighter (because after all, I was only moving to Sweden for a year and I could surely afford to leave 24 kilos of my life in Amsterdam). What could I do? I had to take my bags with me, so after waiting in line to check in, I had to go wait in another line to pay for the extra weight. How much was it, you may ask? At 11.04 Euros per kilo, my charge was 265 Euros. More than the cost of my entire flight from Amsterdam to Stockholm. Grrrrrrrrr. But like I said, what could I do? Well, waiting in line to get through security is what. Fortunately, even with all the extra time it took, I still made my plane in plenty of time, and I was finally on my way to Sweden! Stockholm, here I come!

You may have noticed some links to photos in my photoblog in the above report. If you haven't already checked them out, please do so! The captions on the photos contain a lot more info about some of the places I mentioned, if you're interested.

Coming Soon: Stockholm, Venice of the North

:: posted by Rob 5:45 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Tour de Sweden

Yesterday I finally got my bike. And what a process and a half it was! Apparently there's some strange law in Falun that says all secondhand stores must be located as far as physically possible from the people that actually want to patronize said stores.

After numerous inquiries, contradictory testimonies from various informants, and information that certain closer secondhand stores had NO used bikes left, I finally got a line on one that supposedly did (thanks to the Polish Underground - there's so many of them here, it's like a bush telegraph or something - suffice to say, nearly all the Poles have bikes, but how?). In any case, I had a big stretch of time between my morning and afternoon classes, had reasonably good directions, and I was already in the center of town (after issues with paying my September rent - don't ask), so I figured, what the heck?

Now a smart man would say the place is several kilometers away, you have to take the bus there, and you have the entire day Wednesday free - why not wait until then and take someone with you, maybe make a fun excursion out of it? But no, Rob wants his bike today, so off I go. A smart man would also have said I'm going to a secondhand store to buy a bike, I'm just now leaving my bank, and maybe getting some money first would be a good idea. As it would become clear in hindsight, I was not that smart man.

I was reasonably certain I was on the right bus, though somewhat concerned with what stop to get off, so I spent the entire trip looking at my Swedish bus schedule and map and comparing them to the bus stop and street signs I saw through the window. But before you know it, I was in Korsnäs and ready to find my bike, assuming I could find the actual shop. My directions were to cross over the bridge between two lakes and it was somewhere around there, so off I went.

I was a bit concerned about time - I still had a few hours until my next class, but I had to make sure that if I didn't buy a bike that I would be back in time to catch the bus back to Centrum, which would still leave me about a 20 minute walk away from the university. So I was under a bit of pressure to find a bike, just so I wouldn't have to worry about making the bus.

A few minutes' walk indeed took me to the bridge, and lo and behold on the other side stood a big building marked Falun Fynd, with a bunch of bikes out front. I had found it! Success! I took a little while perusing the bikes, weighing the balance between budget and coolness, when a thought suddenly occurred to me: how would I pay for it? As suspected, the place only took cash, and there were apparently no cash machines around. Now I could have turned around and gone back to town, to return another day with less of a time crunch and more money in my pocket, but I was already there, I had found a pretty nice bike that very well might not be there when I returned, not to mention I had already spent 17 crowns on the bus trip out here and would have to pay 17 more to get back.

But there was a solution - just a few hundred meters up the road, I was told, was a grocery store where I could buy something and then get cash back to pay for a bike. Ah, but wait - the bike I had chosen was 1000 crowns, and I could only get 500 in cash back. No problem - just a little further up the road was another store, where I could once again buy something and once again get more cash back.

I'm tempted to postulate what a smart man would do in this situation, but instead I'll tell you what I did - I spent another half hour or so walking up the road to a grocery store, where I got a drink and 500 crowns, then further up the road to a convenience store where I got a candy bar and 500 more crowns, and then walked all the way back.

Of course, the fact is, the 1000 crown bike was one of the more expensive bikes there. I could have gotten one for considerably less money (anywhere from maybe 250-500 crowns), but this one had several features that not only recommended it above other ones there but that I was also looking for.

So I finally made it back to the store, money in hand, legs tired from walking, with an hour to go until class. I paid the man, got the bike, but decided I should raise the seat. No such luck - they didn't have an Allen wrench of the right size. No problem, it wasn't that bad, I could always adjust it later. I was finally on my way, back to town and university!

Now came a slight dilemma or two. I didn't know the exact way back, as I had come here by bus, but I wasn't too worried, as I had a map, and knew which direction to head at least. But should I head for school or home? I had brought a bike lock with me from the States, but as the smart man in me had decided to vacation for the day, I had left it in my room, because that's clearly the best thing to do with your bike lock when you're going to buy a bike! I was once more concerned with time - it was an hour until class, I was untold kilometers away from the university and home (which is actually past the university), and I kept having visions of my new (used) 1000-crown bike being stolen while I was in class on the very day I bought it.

So off I went, heading (I think) towards town, pedaling like mad, hoping I'd have enough time to go home before university. Seriously, I was like Lance Armstrong, or at least that's how I felt, riding so hard on my first time on a bike in at least five years. Fortunately, there were clear signs pointing the way to Centrum on the bike trails, so I had no problem with directions, although the town center was still a 20-25 minute walk from university and/or home. But I made it to the center of town with half an hour to spare, and decided that I did indeed have time to stop home first to get my lock. On my way, I passed several of my classmates heading to class in the opposite direction.

Now came the (almost) fatal flaw in my plan. I had made very good time in getting back to Britsen from the secondhand shop, and still had plenty of time to get to class, as the bike trip there would be faster than walking. But the way to school from Britsen is uphill most of the way, and my legs were already jelly from my hard first-time-on-a-bike-in-way-too-many-years ride.

I ended up having to walk the bike up one of the hills, and paused at least once to gasp like a fish flopping around on dry land. But I did make it there on time (with time to spare even), and the ride back after class was all downhill, and it was fun zipping right by my classmates and arriving home 15 minutes before them.

So now I'm in possession of a blue 4-speed mountain bike (technically a woman's bike, but it's not that noticeable and it is secondhand), complete with headlight, a rack on the back, and a bell to warn oncoming pedestrians. Now I just need to find an Allen wrench of the right size to adjust the seat a little higher.

Of course, fate continued to smile on me by raining this morning, prompting me to walk, and then suddenly turning sunny and warm before I had even made it to school. Perfect weather for a bike ride. Tomorrow I don't have class, so no riding then, either, and Thursday it'll probably snow, so my bike will get one day of use. Sorry, that's just the pessimist in me talking - I'm sure I'll be able to ride Thursday - but I do want to raise that damn seat.

Allen wrench donations freely and gladly accepted.

:: posted by Rob 10:45 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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"Sold my plasma in Amsterdam / Spent it all in a night" *

or, Amsterdam, Day 1

So here it is, the long-awaited and much-promised Amsterdam trip report.

After a long, relatively uneventful, and mostly sleepless overnight flight from Dulles (Note to self: wear more than a short-sleeved shirt on international flights - it's damn cold on those planes!), and after a brief layover in the scenic Copenhagen airport, I arrived at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 10:30 in the morning on Thursday, August 12. After leaving one of my bags in a locker, I hopped on the express train to Amsterdam Centraal Station. After a quick look around and a stop in the Tourist Office for some maps and info, I hopped onto Tram #4 and headed for the Hotel Prinsenhof, located in the Grachtengordel, the "girdle of canals" that encircles the Old Centre of Amsterdam.

The Hotel Prinsenhof is located in a historic Amsterdam canal house on the Prinsengracht Canal, outside of the city center (and therefore a little quieter), but still close to a lot of the city's attractions. When I knocked on the door, the top half opened, and I was confronted with some very steep stairs. Looking up the stairs, I saw the manager on duty on the floor above, who opened the door for me with ropes and pulleys when I told him my name. After checking in, I was taken up the steep, winding (and very typical) Amsterdam stairs to my room on the top floor, or more accurately, the attic. Even though it was bit of a climb, I really enjoyed my room. It had a lot of charm, with the peaked ceiling and exposed beams, and felt very European to me. Typically for small European hotels, I had to share a bathroom, but since this was the attic, I only had to share it with the other room up there, and never had any problems. I really wanted to just go to sleep, since I had been up for almost 24 hours, but I knew I would never get my internal clock set straight that way, so I resolved to stay up as long as I could. So after a short rest, a shower, and a change of clothes, I headed off into Amsterdam.

My first stop was a little tearoom (basically a cafe) close to the hotel called Cafe Panini, where I ate lunch (a prosciutto panini, of all things) and tried to recharge my batteries a little. It was cloudy and rainy in Amsterdam, and I had left my umbrella in my suitcase at the airport, so all I had was a light rain poncho. But the rain was mostly intermittent, so I headed south, crossing the Singelgracht, the last of Old Amsterdam's big encircling canals, on my way to the old Heineken Brouwerij and the Heineken Experience.

Heineken was brewed here between 1864 and 1988, when the company moved its brewery outside the city. Now it's a sort of beer museum, though probably its greatest attraction is the three free beers you get as part of the ticket price at small pubs scattered throughout the building. The old brewing facilities were pretty interesting, but I was so tired that a lot of it was a blur. In fact, I only drank two of my three free beers, though I did get a souvenir Heineken glass as part of the package too.

After the Heineken Brewery, in an attempt to stay awake through constant movement, I headed into De Pijp ("the Pipe"), Amsterdam's first suburb, so called because the apartments in the brick tenements on the narrow streets were said to resemble pipe-drawers, since each had small street frontage but extended deep into the buildings. I headed down Albert Cuypstraat, which hosts a daily market that stretches for more than a kilometer, selling all manner of everything - basically a combination flea market-produce stand-discount street mall. Not seeing much of interest there (and getting rained on), I wandered through the Sarphatipark, a big park with paths and a lake, built before De Pijp itself as a picnicking area for the bourgeoisie.

Now late afternoon and very tired, I headed over to the Amstel River to take me back towards central Amsterdam. I walked up the river, saw the Amstel locks, and looked for the Magere Brug ("Skinny Bridge"), supposedly Amsterdam's most famous bridge. But I was such a zombie by this time that I somehow missed it, even though it is apparently very close to the locks, which I did find.

Heading back to the hotel, I stopped off at a little Italian place for dinner. I don't remember the name, unfortunately, and it wasn't the best meal in the world. Not that the food itself was bad - I think a combination of jet lag, exhaustion, a lot of walking, and maybe the beer at Heineken had made me feel sick and dizzy, so I left having hardly touched my dinner. I stumbled back to the Hotel Prinsenhof, and struggled to stay up a little longer before finally going to sleep.

I had left my window open, and was woken in the very early morning by the loudest thunderstorm I think I've ever heard. Even as exhausted as I was, the thunder woke me up - it felt like it was crashing right above the roof above my head. So I closed the window, dried off the windowsill and table under the window, closed the curtains to try to block out the lightning, and fell back asleep again after a little while.

Next: Amsterdam, Day 2

*Note: I didn't really sell my plasma in Amsterdam. The title of this entry is a reference to a verse in my new theme song, Euro-Trash Girl, by Cracker. (Thanks, Tom!)

:: posted by Rob 5:08 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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The Annotated Thermometer

Living in Sweden, I'm having to get used to Celsius temperatures (a scale invented by a Swede, btw). Luckily, I've found this handy little device to help me keep things straight.

°C   °F

15   60 Californians put on sweaters (if they can find one in their wardrobe)

10   50 Miami residents turn on the heat

 5   40 You can see your breath

        Californians shiver uncontrollably

        Canadians go swimming

 2   35 Italian cars don't start

 0   32 Water freezes

-1   30 You plan your vacation to Australia

        Canadians put on T-shirts

        Politicians begin to worry about the homeless

        British cars don't start

-4   25 Boston water freezes

        Californians weep pitiably

        Minnesotans eat ice cream

        Swedes go swimming

-7   20 You can hear your breath

        Politicians begin to talk about the homeless

        New York City water freezes

        Miami residents plan vacation further South

-10  15 French cars don't start

        You plan a vacation in Mexico

        Cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you

-12  10 Too cold to ski

        You need jumper cables to get the car going

-15   5 You plan your vacation in Houston

        American cars don't start

-18   0 Swedes put on T-shirts

        Too cold to skate

-23 -10 German cars don't start

        Eyes freeze shut when you blink

-26 -15 You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo

        Arkansans stick tongue on metal objects

        Miami residents cease to exist

-30 -20 Cat insists on sleeping in your pajamas with you

        Politicians actually do something about the homeless

        Swedes shovel snow off roof

        Japanese cars don't start

-32 -25 Too cold to think

        You need jumper cables to get the driver going

-35 -30 You plan a two week hot bath

        The Mighty Monongahela freezes

        Swedish cars don't start

-40 -40 Californians disappear

        Swedes button top button

        Canadians put on sweaters

        Your car helps you plan your trip South

-45 -50 Congressional hot air freezes

        Swedes close the bathroom window

-60 -80 Hell freezes over

        Polar bears move south

-65 -90 Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets

:: posted by Rob 9:51 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Geek This!

Just a quick post, to let everyone know how much of a geek I am:

You are 29% geek

You are a geek liaison, which means you go both ways. You can hang out with normal people or you can hang out with geeks which means you often have geeks as friends and/or have a job where you have to mediate between geeks and normal people. This is an important role and one of which you should be proud. In fact, you can make a good deal of money as a translator. Normal: Tell our geek we need him to work this weekend. You [to Geek]: We need more than that, Scotty. You'll have to stay until you can squeeze more outta them engines! Geek [to You]: I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain, but we need more dilithium crystals! You [to Normal]: He wants to know if he gets overtime.

Take the Polygeek Quiz at Thudfactor.com

I go both ways, baby! See how much of a geek you are...

And I promise I'll get some more posts up soon. All about Amsterdam is coming up, I swear.

:: posted by Rob 11:02 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Sweden's Greetings

So here it is, my first post from Sweden. Currently in Falun, it's in the 60s, and raining, though the sun is shining as well. And about an hour ago, it was hailing. This place has the weirdest weather I have ever experienced.

Sorry I've been out of touch for so long, but I've been very busy traveling, settling in, and waiting for my internet connection to get hooked up. I'll try to post more details soon, but basically I'm having a great time here. Sweden is very beautiful, and Falun, the town where I am, is a cute quaint small time. Everyone is very friendly, and I have yet to encounter anyone who doesn't speak English. The only problems I've really had have involved reading street signs and food labels in the grocery store, and those really aren't problems at all.

I've started posting pictures on my photoblog, so check them out. Unfortunately, I just discovered that I can only upload 10 images a day, but I'm going to try to do it every day to get all of my pictures up there. Right now, there are 3 galleries there: Rob in Sweden, which will have all of my pictures about Falun and my surroundings; Amsterdam, which has pictures from my short stint in Amsterdam; and Stockholm, with pics of my even shorter stint in Stockholm. So check out all the galleries on a daily basis to see what I saw.

I'll soon be posting details of my trip, too, about what I did and saw in Amsterdam and Stockholm. At least, that's the plan, but classes start tomorrow, so who knows what will happen? But I'll do my best.

Feel free to email me with any questions you have about things. Basically, things are pretty much the same here as anywhere, though a bit cooler (and definitely rainier, lately) than Virginia. Some things definitely have more of a European feel, particularly in the center of town, with cobblestone streets and old churches, and of course I'm surrounded by a huge contingent of people from all over Europe. But it is really cool meeting different people from all the world, and a lot of them are very surprised to see an American here. But it's all good.

One side note, that I just noticed this morning: it's very quiet here, and I finally realized why. There's no birdsongs. It's actually quite strange. I'm used to birds being everywhere, singing and flying around, but here I've only seen like 3 types of birds, and they don't sing. There's a big blue and white and black bird here that a Swede told me is called skata, which my dictionary translates as "magpie." They're really cool-looking, although the Swede told me that they're annoying (kind of like crows in America, I guess), but I haven't heard them make any noise yet. It's very strange and very quiet, without even the sounds of insects, like I'm used to hearing out in the country in the U.S. Not that I'm in the country here, although there is a lot more nature and green in the towns than you would find in the States.

So for now, check out the pics, and I'll try to update more with my experiences of the last 2 weeks, while simultaneously learning about the Role of Intellectuals in Society.

Adjö for now!

:: posted by Rob 9:16 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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Alas, Babylon!

For those of you wondering why this blog is called Alas, Babylon! or why the url is ceruleaneyes.blogspot.com, I thought I'd post a poem I wrote a few years back which is the inspiration for those names. So without further ado, I present:


Alas, Babylon!

When the hour's late and fires low
Remember back to long ago
To an ancient age forever gone
The glory of lost Babylon

Within her brilliant, sun-drenched walls
I was god and king of all
Atop my mighty ziggurat
I sat enthroned, deep in thought

Of you, my slave, your beauty fair
Copper skin and raven hair
Cerulean eyes, rimmed with kohl
Deep within I saw your soul

An ancient spirit, holy, divine
I thereby vowed to make you mine
Jus primae noctis was my right
And so I took you on that night

When dawn's first rays caressed the walls
I brought you to the royal halls
Deep within my shining palace
And raised on high the Sacred Chalice

I anointed you with blessed wine
And incense in the hallowed shrine
Enthroned you at my right-hand side
My goddess, queen, and precious prize

My love for you outshone the sun
But you burned with hate for what I'd done
From your golden throne you refused to reign
Your azure eyes were filled with pain

To appease you I had statues formed
Monuments to your grace and charm
Enshrined in temples for all to laud
You their goddess and I their god

But still my love you always spurned
My kingdom's fortune soon would turn
For as I grew ever more alone
The seeds of discontent were sown

The gods of life became enraged
Their anger could not be assuaged
For as the Hellenes would come to know
Hubris only leads to woe

Famine, drought, rebellion, war
Plague and flood, and locusts galore
For succor and aid my people cried
But I heard only my silent bride

My mighty walls they cracked and fell
While death rang out from temple bells
My people fled, hearts filled with fright
And left us with the endless night

Watching as my kingdom grand
Sank beneath the shifting sands
And though your soul was filled with tears
Your cobalt eyes were once more clear

For though you wept for splendor lost
I had finally paid the cost
Of taking you against your will
And holding you as I held you still

But as the tears ran down your face
I saw once more your divine grace
Your beauty never was more rare
Than on that night of dark despair

And so I freed you from the bonds
That held your soul for far too long
You flew away to lands unknown
And I again was left alone

So when the night is dark and deep
And the world has fallen into sleep
Remember back to days bygone
The glory of lost Babylon!

© Robert G. McCreary 1997-2005


And that, my friends, is the meaning of Alas, Babylon!

:: posted by Rob 9:38 PM [+] :: 1 comments
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