May 2009 - They Call Me Sweden - Blogs

21 year old Swede living and studying (BA Journalism, Media and Sociology) in Cardiff, UK. Originally from Stockholm. Loves food, to travel and my dear friends.

Archive for May, 2009

Trading places

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Today there have been more visits to other blogs (mostly some of those super blogs…) than my own. Must change that! Today has been a good day (thereby I’m quoting Anna Ternheim’s song with same name) and you could really tell in school that there’s only 17 days left of school for us who are in the third year. I had my last natural science presentation today and afterwards when me and my group were done it felt so good! No more natural science presentations. Our subject was ‘evolution of the nervous system’.

Then after school I met up some friends for a ‘fika’ (hate that there’s no good English translation for that word) and after about an hour I went home to write my final social studies essay. I’m proud of myself that I have written more than 1000 words in total. You guys seem to be interested in what subjects I’m writing about. So, for this essay I’m writing about when Lars Johan Hierta created Aftonbladet and what kind of changes this brought to the media environment. In order to explain I’m using the filters of Noam Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent – A propaganda Model.

Enough about my essay. Yesterday an intern from The Local interviewed me about my blog! I must say that it was very strange being the one who answers the question as I’m used to the opposite. During my three years as a reporter at my school paper (KZINE) there has been a lot of questions asked to a numberous of people. I love to interview people and have the opportunity of hearing a story! But… Being interviewed… I’m not used to that part at all…

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Us vs. them

Monday, May 18th, 2009

The radio channel P3 has a special program today about ‘us vs. them’ and this is a term which I think almost everyone is familiar to. I am at least. As you know I am 100% Swedish and I have lived in Stockholm for all of my life so people may think it strange that I chose to study in English. The major reason why I applied for an International School was that since I was about 11 or 12 I have had an ambition of that I would move abroad, most likely to Great Britain where my aunt and cousins live.

So when I entered the first day at this school (or section really, the whole school is not International) that only had lessons in English I didn’t realize that I would be different than everybody else. I have always liked the environment in my class as there’s people from across the world. We have a guy from Uganda, a girl from Russia, a girl that’s Polish, a Canadian guy etc. But it was so hard to adapt to the new environment, not the people but it was hard to get used to the fact that everything was in English. To write, discuss and think in English. My English teacher immediately noticed my grammar problem which he gladly wanted to point out. At that time I thought that he did so because he was mean, so I never realized that was only his way of helping me. I felt excluded the first term because of this and I continuously assumed that I was worse than everyone and that they soon would kick me out, or that they would tell me to start over in the Swedish section. It really felt like ‘us vs. them’.

But they never did. Instead my teachers improved my self confidence by letting me know what I did good or excellent. With that I grew and I realized that it really didn’t matter if I had English as a mother tongue or not. Today English is absolutely not an obsticle and I have enough confidence to see that it won’t hinder me to succeed abroad. And I’m defintely proud of my Swedish heritage.

Anyone of you who have experienced ‘us vs. them’?

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“Every night we fell in love”

Sunday, May 17th, 2009

Sorry for that a week has gone without any updates, I’ll try to improve that. Seems like all bloggers are writing about the Eurovision Song Contest so I want to comment as well! Malena Ernman’s song have never been my favorite but I think that it’s a bit unfortunate that she only got 33 points. She’s worth more! How come Moldova and Greece got better positions than Sweden? I have to say one thing: Europeans vote strangely. Isn’t that so!? I become so Swedish when it’s ESC… Anyway, I thought that Alexander from Norway was really cute and that he deserved to win. Fun that our neighboring country won without any help from us. But how beautiful isn’t this line: “Every night we fell in love”. Heard that they have already booked an arena in Oslo for next year’s show. Some other of my favorite songs were the contributions of France (even though I don’t understand French, but the song was so beautiful and you could really tell that she sang from her soul) and Iceland.

By the way, there’s only 19 days left of school today! Nice!

patricia-kaas-eurovision-song-contest-2009
Patricia Kaas (France)

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Yohanna who’s actually Norwegian!

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Cute Alexander Rybak

Now I really should start writing on my final essay in Social Studies that regards Lars Johan Hierta…

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Graduation soon coming up…

Sunday, May 10th, 2009

Several things really hit me yesterday at my skiva. Some of them good, others less good. I had the greatest time yesterday, all my friends (almost at least) were there and everyone in my class were nice to each other. I really think that we succeeded with changing Viper Room’s (at least for one night only) reputation! The music was so good, the food was all right and the people that were there made it everything so much fun. And two of my teachers stayed after the dinner as well, that was quite fun. They danced and drank beer with us, not every day that happens!

But… I’m graduating soon, it’s less than a month left of a twelve year long ‘process’ of essay writing, tests and homework. There has been a routine which has been more than familiar, and when June 5th comes everything will change. Last night was probably the last time we as a class were united with our beloved teachers for a long, long time. Will it be five, ten or even fifteen years until we see each other again? We will spread ourselves all over the world. Some of us is going away right away, to the UK for studies or going somewhere else at the planet. And some of us will stay, take a gap year and do something differently. There are even some of us who have been accepted to universities in the US. When will they come back?

Some say life begins at graduation day and that it’s at university that you will start your life long friendships. The three years at Kungsholmens Gymnasium has absolutely shaped us, the school and the teachers are part of what we have become. I remember that I was very shy the first day of year onw, became frightened when a teacher wanted us to present in front of the class and I was afraid that I wouldn’t become friends with so many. I’m not fearless now, but I have learnt that it’s not fearful to face new people. And it’s not the biggest problem to hold a presentation, I promise. There are so many mixed emotions that I have for graduation. A part of me is happy to see the world and start over, but another one is a bit afraid to face the world. But I think it will be okay. More than okay actually.

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ES3A’s skiva tonight!

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Sorry for the gaps in my updates. Anyway, I’m so excited! Guess why? It’s my own skiva tonight! It will be so fun. We have an -ist-theme (meaning that you should dress up in something that ends with -ist or has -ist in the word. e.g: socialist/sex pistols) and was first thinking of being a “rebellious royalist”, but yesterday I changed my mind. Instead I will be a journalist, boring in a sense as everyone in my class and all my friends know that I want to become a journalist. But it’s both easy and fun; I can dress up however I like and I know how a journalist behaves. I will probably be people’s pain in the ass tonight as I will ask tons of questions. “What are you dressed up as?” “How does it feel?” etc.

This skiva is going to be the best one. So many of my friends will be there, awesome! And I found this jacket (below) in my mum’s closet which I will combine with high heels and something else… I’ll show you later.

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The Good Girl

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

You know what, I think I will do some exercise this afternoon! My religion essay is (sort of) finished so now I have time to do something good to myself. I’m thinking about treating myself to the top. What about spending some time in the sauna after working out! My mom has begun complaining about the fact that I haven’t used my gym card so much this semester, but have been sick basically whole term so hasn’t been all my fault. Change is gonna come. Spinning and core sounds lovely. From now on I’ll be Miss Athlete!
By the way, the feeling when an essay is finished is pure lovely. It’s over and soon when I have handed it in there’s nothing I can do about. A bit scary of course, but still a good feeling.

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A city located on a hill can’t be hidden

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

I was so late, embarrassingly late actually for my Italian class. Came more than a half our after we started… My teacher was a bit annoyed with me, especially as I’m having a presentation today. “You can’t be late when you have a lecture.” A five minute lecture… I guess she’s right. Even though I hate being late I’m always a bit late when I start 8.20 in the morning. Try to wake up at six when you have been up writing an essay the night before! assisi_panorama

Anyway, I’m having my presentation about the lovely city Assisi in Italy, a little city famous for st. Francis. So there’s a lot of churches there, I’ve been to at least seven of them (went there last summer as a confirmation teacher). The ice cream is lovely there too! If you’re in the region Umbria in Italy, you should defintely go there.

“You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.” – Matthew 5:14 (many people connect this bible verse to Assisi)

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The Swine flu – the new panic causing disease

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

I got an email from an organization called Avaaz and of course it concerned the swine flu, and they asked me to sign a petition that they would send to the UN. They claim that if the UN control the pig farms to stay clean etc. it will protect the global health. This made me think. First of all, there has been so much about it in media the past two weeks so it feels like they’re exaggerating. And come on, over 15 million hits at Google already! pig swine

Perhaps it will spread the same way as HIV/AIDS, I mean, be a large disease in poorer countries and remain like a regular flu in the Western world. I have to say that I am a bit curious about the possible swine flu case here in Stockholm, will people go around with operating masks in the city center? I’m sorry, but I can’t see that coming. Swedes are too stubborn for that! Think about it, we never believe that something is really serious until it hits us. And how careless aren’t we sometimes? Our society is rather safe, perhaps we are too used to that as we sometimes kind of live in a bubble. What happens across the world does not affect us. Mostly.

The Swine flu has affected us differently, even though no one yet has confirmed being a carrier of the virus we panic. I read in the paper that people bought Tamiflu (antiviral) in masses, and this medicine is rarely sold out, and the operation masks are on the way to run out of store. What do you think, what are we waiting for? Could the Swine flu be a recurrence of the Spanish flu?

P.S have some comments on the “Free Dawit Isaak” campaign so I’ll be back later

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Pics from mösspåtagningen

Friday, May 1st, 2009

I just looked at the conditions which I need to reach in order to get accepted to the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural studies. I need to have MVG in all subjects, I’m not sure if they mean this year’s grades or if the past years’ grades count as well. Then I’m screwed. No way I’m graduating with 20.0… Really have to see my study and careers adviser on Monday to find out how my chances are. Anyway, I want to show pics from the ‘mösspåtagning’ that we had yesterday. My friend Mikaela took the lovely pictures. Gold star to her!

Louice and Linn
Linn and I – a manic student and a jealous second year student
Me, Anna and Micke from my class.
Anna, Micke and I
Linn was a bit jealous of us (she went to the US last year so shell graduate next year) :P
Linn was jealous of us as she was supposed to graduate this year, but she went to the US instead.

Happy students!
My class mate Eva chose to write 'smör' at the back of her cap. I chose to write 'TJ' (nickname)
You can choose to write whatever you like at the back of the cap. Eva in my class chose ’smör’. Don’t even ask

My class mates Anna and Joanna

Julia, Joanna and I
Fanny was happy!
Fanny was happy of course!

Anna, I, Mikaela and Fanny!
Guga, me, Mikaela and Linn
Guga, I, Mikaela and Linn
Me, Malin, Polina and Amy
Malin, Polina, Amy and I
Linn and Mikaela <3
Two of my best friends, Linn and Mikaela