:: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 ::

When it's time for leavin' I hope you'll understand

I'm off to Poland today to see my Polka dot for about two weeks, then it's back to Stockholm to meet up with the 'rents for their inaugural visit to the land of ice and snow. What does this mean for you? I'm glad you asked. It means I probably won't be updating for the next few weeks, at least, but it also means I'll have many stories and adventures to recount when I do return.

And never fear, I can still be contacted via email, smoke signals, and passenger pigeon, as usual.

So happy trails to you and yours (and me!) and I'll catch ya on the flip side!

Swedish words of the day: tåg, flygplan, och bil, which mean "train, plane, and automobile"

:: posted by Rob 11:39 AM [+] :: 1 comments
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Caught in the camera eye

Zamek Lubelskie 3
Posted by: ceruleaneyes.

Details of the facade of the Lublin Castle, in sepia.

After many months of procrastination, I have finally posted pictures from my trip to Poland in January on my photoblog. I've even posted a few of the more artistic ones on my deviantART page. So please click on the links, view the pictures at your leisure, and enjoy. Feel free to leave comments as well and let me know what you think.

Swedish words of the day: Polen and bild, which mean, respectively, "Poland" and "picture"

:: posted by Rob 5:46 AM [+] :: 0 comments
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You can't take the sky from me

It's finally here! The trailer for Serenity is up! (For those of you in the dark, Serenity is the upcoming movie based on what may be one of the best TV shows ever, Firefly.) It looks really cool and fantastically good...the only problem is we have to wait until September 30 to actually see it. O Cruel Fate, how thou dost mock me!

In related news, one can also see the trailers (there's three of 'em, plus assorted featurettes) for Kingdom of Heaven, which opens today. It also looks quite entertaining, if Ridley Scott sword-and-sandal epics are your kind of thing.

And lest we forget, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comes out the week after next.

It's a time of movie joy.

And finally, a belated happy Cinco de Mayo (to those of you in Mexico) and happy Ascension Day (to those in Sweden and the rest of Western Christendom) to all of you and yours, while today we remember the Battle of Chancellorsville (for those of you in the Confederacy South), the Hindenburg disaster (for those of you in New Jersey), and the opening of the Chunnel (for those of you in England and France). Whew! Quite a pair of anniversary days!

Remember, Serenity! Woo-hoo!

Swedish words of the day: stillhet and eldfluga, which mean, respectively, "serenity" and "firefly"

:: posted by Rob 11:30 AM [+] :: 0 comments
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Are you a teacher of the heart? Yes, but not for thee

Victoria 05
Posted by: ceruleaneyes.

Crown Princess Victoria at the Falun copper mine.

Yesterday one of my dreams was fulfilled when H.K.H. Kronprinsessan Victoria (aka Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria) of Sweden visited Falun to open the new Världsarvshuset at the Kopparberget copper mine. The copper mine is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the Världsarvshuset is a new vistors' center for the mine. The mine is considered quite a big deal in Sweden, and especially here in Dalarna, as the mine at one time produced 3/4 of the world's supply of copper and enabled Sweden (for a short time, anyway) to become a Great Power on the European stage. Important enough that they sent the Crown Princess to officially open the new building, at least.

It began with her arrival in a horse-drawn carriage, greeted by people (including me) waving Swedish flags thoughtfully handed out for the occasion, and she passed within 10 feet of me as she rode by. We were then treated to speeches by Ingrid Dahlberg, landshövding or County Governor of Dalarna, and Bo Berggren, ordförande or Chairman of Stiftelsen Stora Kopparberget, the organization that runs the copper mine. We hoped that Victoria would give a speech as well, but she only received a key which she used to open the doors to the new Världsarvshuset and went inside, followed by various VIPs and members of the press for a private tour and presumably other official duties. Those of us peons left outside were entertained by the band Gränslöst and a mob of costumed peasants.

Then we waited around for Victoria to leave, unfortunately via motorcade rather than carriage this time. She hung around a few minutes, signing autographs and receiving flowers from children, before she finally departed, leaving nothing of her visit but her autograph on a stone inside the new Världsarvshuset.

More pictures of the princess's visit can be seen on my photoblog.

Now it's no secret that I came to Sweden to meet the princess, marry her, and settle into my new life as the future king of Sweden. And here I had the perfect opportunity to meet the woman of my dreams and dazzle her with my sexy American accent and irresistible slacker charm as a permanent thirty- twenty-something student. Sadly, however, she breezed in and out in the span of about an hour, with but a glance in my direction and nary a word spoken to me, leaving me standing alone and still not royal. Cruel fate, you say? Not at all, because fortunately I have already met my very own Polka dot in Falun, the Princess Marpi, who is more beautiful, more fun, and much more accepting of my aforementioned American sexiness and slacker charm than Victoria would be, and possessed of no small amount of Polish sexiness and charm herself. A choice well made, methinks.



Swedish word of the day: kronprinsessa, which means "crown princess"
Polish word of the day: księżniczka, which means "princess"

:: posted by Rob 2:43 AM [+] :: 1 comments
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Valborgmässoafton

Last night was Valborgmässoafton, otherwise known as Walpurgis Night, that old pagan throwback holiday when people sing and light bonfires to scare away witches and evil spririts going to visit the Devil. It also coincides with annual student festivities celebrating the beginning of Spring and the completion of studies at gymnasium. And finally, it is a night for drinking and revelry, as May 1 is May Day, the beginning of Spring and a national holiday, so people can drink and stay out late without having to worry about going to work in the morning. (Not so much a big deal this year, as today is Sunday, but try telling that to the Swedes.)

I went to the copper mine in Falun for the local festivities with my German friends Stefan & Christiane, and Christiane's mother and aunt, and we were joined by Klaas from Belgium, Ram from Uzbekistan, and Ania and Basia from Poland. It seemed like everyone in Falun was there, and it began with a procession of torches to a stage where a men's choir sang what I assume were traditional songs. They wore the traditional Swedish white "sailor's cap" that new graduates wear, although these guys looked like they graduated about 50 years ago. Then a woman sang accompanied by a guy with a guitar, which was quite beautiful. And then, it was time for the bonfire!



Accompanying the bonfire was a fireworks display, which was quite nice, and then we returned home. (Actually, fireworks had accompanied the entire festivities, set off by celebratory Swedes, but these were bigger and technically more professional.) The way home (as well as the way to the copper mine earlier) was like a war zone, as we passed wandering gangs of young Swedes with bags full of fireworks, shooting them off anywhere and everywhere they could, and generally making noise and having fun, lighting campfires down by the lakes, etc. This went on for most of the rest of the night. I felt like I as having flashbacks to the 'Nam. It was kind of like the 4th of July on crack, but in a good way.

I've posted some pics on my photoblog, so feel free to take a look. If you're interested in seeing more pictures and some short movies of the singing and bonfire, I've posted them here, although be warned that the movie files are quite large and that there are a lot of pictures of the fire. I like fire. Fire, fire, fire. And I had a digital camera, and kinda got carried away. So sue me.

So another Swedish holiday has passed, and maybe now we'll finally see some signs of Spring. Yesterday it turned cold & rainy, but it's been (relatively) warm lately, although there still hasn't been any budding trees or flowers or green of any kind. Just annoying seagulls nesting on the roofs and generally making a nuisance of themselves - clearly they think Spring is here.

So Happy May Day everyone! May your Spring be green and full of life and happiness.

Swedish words of the day: Valborgmässoafton, see above, and brasa or bål, which mean "bonfire"

:: posted by Rob 12:02 PM [+] :: 0 comments
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