Cave Bear

Weather: cold, wet and darkish

Swedish of the day: Jag kan förstå en liten mer svenska! = I can understand a little more Swedish!

I was super proud yesterday when Nils (Doug's uncle) called and I answered the phone. Of course, answering with something like, Lauren here. But then of course, he breaks into the Swedish, like I do English. He asked, "Hur mår du?" I proudly answered, "Jag är bra, och en liten trött." He was pretty excited that I actually answered with confidence and said some more about the day and did we go shopping, I said, "Nej, I have been studying." (in english) where he responded that I need to study a lot? and did I understand him? I said, "Ja, jag förstår du." I could hear him smile and he responded with saying that I'm learning very fast. I said, "Ja, det är snabbt, mycket snabbt." Again, he was smiling, I could totally tell. Then, he asked to speak to Doug, mind you, all his was in Swedish. I said, "Ja, javisst!" I was so proud, even if my responses were really short, I actually understood the small talk and could respond back to them!!! Yay yay!

In a nut shell, here's a translation of our comments:

• "Hur mår du?" = How are you/How do you feel?
• "Jag är bra, och en liten trött." = I am good/well, and a little tired.
• Nej = nah, no
• "Ja, jag förstår du." = Yes, I understand you.
• Ja, det är snabbt, mycket snabbt." = Yes, it is fast, very fast.
• "Ja, javisst!" = Yes, of course!
• Hej då! = Bye!

So, about 2 months in and I can really begin to show for all my hard work. I even held a little chat with Doug's mom and her classmate during our pause from our classes today. (In swedish) I tell you, it's been really boosting to see a little shape from all these efforts. I really believe I'll be saying stuff by Christmas now, not just a hope.

As for the Cave Bear. That's part of the title of a novel I just finished, suggested by Doug's dad, The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel. This is an absolutely delightful period piece that takes place between the Neanderthal and the Cro Magnon era of "man" around the ice age. Jean is a Chicagoan and the story takes place pretty much in Eastern Europe or bits of Russia. This book is actually the first of 6, and I'm now on book 2, The Valley of Horses.

The story revolves around one particular Cro Magnon woman who is sort of adopted by the Neanderthal people and the obstacles she faces into young woman hood. I understand in this second one, she may actually meet some folks of her own kind; but how she gets there is written really intelligently and beautifully. You feel the cold or the beauty of the plants they see. You can see that knowing the environment for herbs, cures, nutrition, remedies and much more are available if you just care to learn about them. Very cool stories. I'm definately diving into the second one now.

Chilly Weather's Arrived

Weather: Chilly! Mornings are about 8C or 47F and by tomorrow, that'll just be the high in the afternoon. With the winds and overcast, it honestly feels much colder.

I officially have my first head cold here. I'm battling it well I think. Loads of drinkable Vitamin C, tea and soup, and sleep. Took a nap yesterday, translated a Swedish article for class and then just sorta slept not too long after that! Ah, the wonders that sleep can do. I'm just hanging in a dreamy state this morning, but at least the symptoms of pressure in my sinuses is way down.

So, yeah, I translated this article from a study done in France about people whom are more overweight actually lose more memory brain cells. They're calling it the Homer Simpson-effect. Evidently from the 2,223 people they studied over 5 years, the more overweight folks couldn't remember as much! 20 Body Mass Index folks could remember 9 of 16 words, but those at 30 could only remember 7 of 16. They say that the arteries in the brain get fattened and that reduces quickness. They even say that in the USA, it's already a dubbed name of the Homer Simpson effect. Can anybody vouch for that? I'm not sure that I can, but oh well. I don't really have to.

Whoop, it's that time; gotta head out for class.
Catch ya soon.

Reflections

Weather: sunrise and thin sheets of clouds most everywhere; chilly: 52 degrees.

I was captured by a lovely blog my sister-in-law wrote about her baby girl. She mentioned a little about her connection with God and I must say she put it so well; at least for me. I find that I agree with the simplicity of her belief. That I know I can't control everything or watch everything, and that's where trust in God comes in to help soothe the parts that would otherwise feel or go crazy if we had to deal with them by ourselves. I was also touched by wordless prayer. I feel that way sometimes. That words don't express it or the pain to God; like when you hear about something tragic; but that God can understand what your meaning is anyways and words aren't always necessary.

A special thanks to Sarah; I appreciate your words.

I don't really have news on the Swedish front. Learning Swedish has truly taken over my days. I was kind of enjoying my class when all of a sudden, it decided to accelerate to the fast track of learning and boy, was I overwhelmed. I couldn't take it. Fortunately, it only lasted last week and into this. We should slow back down a bit. (I'm in a class that's kinda progressive anyways; much faster as it is than a few other classes for less educated immigrants and such)

What's cool about it, is that our teacher's taken an initiative with my and others' concerns of going too fast to pull aside the few that the class is too slow for them and is constructing a super fast paced lesson plan for them. Good! That way, they're not dragging the most of the class with them in the dust and non-learning. I'm just spilling these thoughts; I apologize if they're a bit scattered.

None the less; I trudge on. With this small separation of the more easily learned folks; I feel like I'll be able to gain some confidence again. I swear, it got grim last week. I'm still piled to my ears in homework that I haven't gotten to because there's just not enough time in the days for me to complete it! Hopefully, this week, it will thin a bit and become more manageable by next week. Phew!

Shortly here, I will be able to add living situations to my repetoire of words. Last lessons were discussions of the body and doctor/patient scenarios as well as customer/cashier situations from changing rooms and sizes of clothing to ordering a sausage or cheese in a deli. Mmm, cheese.

Sunny Days

Mood: relaxed
Music: the wind outside
Swedish for the day: engelksa, spanska, svenska = english, spanish, swedish
Sverige = Sweden

We've now had a whole week of sunshine! I really cannot believe it. I think... oddly enough, my U.S. homeplace is experiencing autumn weather, with a cool down and quite a bit of shade? Crazy how opposite that can be. It's been so beautiful all week, warm even... in the afternoons. I'm so taking advantage of it. Being productive with my projects and going for little extra bike rides... even enjoying ICED teas. (Crazy, huh Sarah?)

Swedish is a crazy thing. It's got some huge similaries to english... but then there's words that are so obtuse... it's discouraging. But... I can tell that over-all the grammer has a lot less rules and verbs have less formats; but the organization of it all is still a huge challenge. Remembering words is equally difficult. I'm definately gonna start increasing my study time during the week. Swedish is my main thing right now... in order to get into this society... so I think I feel like I gotta learn it... and the more I can stay on top or even ahead of class, the more confident I feel over all. It's tough though. I mean, my memory isn't so flash as it was just 5 years ago... so I think that's surprising too; on top of wanting to learn a whole new language A.S.A.P.

None the less, Doug's truly my best supporter and cheerleader. I cannot thank him enough for that. He helps me keep it real and not get too lost in trying to learn the language too fast, too frustratedly, and/or too self criticized. Instead to pace myself, relax once in a while, just take it steady... I can't help but feel like I need to put in that time though. By the end of an almost 30 hour study week, I truly am burnt by the weekend. I always have ambitions of staying at the same pace... like 3+ hours a day, but I just don't. It ends up like 1-2 a day for up to only about 4 for the whole weekend. Ah, I'm getting by though. I really am very hard on myself. I mean, as Doug pointed out... what could I say before the class started? and now? how well am I deciphering sentences? pretty good with the exception of past tense verb forms and a few vocab type words. In celebration of my progress I'll might write a little passage for ya... and then of course, tell you what it means. Good practice too.

Keeping the nose to the books. phew!

Cramming the Swedish in

I guess I'm in the thick of learning Swedish and being just about entirely surrounded by it; with the exception of Doug, but even then, he's been a priceless resource in my learning and understanding what I got from class.

Swedish of the day: att arbeta - to work.

I tell ya, the 3 hours and then up to at least 3 more later? I'm already exhausted. But my class... I have mixed feelings. It's a self propelled class, yet still encouraged by the teacher (en lärare). Oh the plus, the class is a bunch of immigrants from all over the world. And I mean all. From the Americas: Peru, Brasil and El Salvador and the USA; from Europe: England, Romania, and well, Russia, not quite Europe; from Arabia in Lybia and Iran I think; from Africa in Zimbabwe; from Asia in China, Thailand, and Vietnam. So, from the diversity angle, it's incredible to meet people from so many places.

From a work ethic perspective, the class is a bit imbalanced. Some really want to learn it or are just young, so they can handle it; others are a bit less interested or a little elder, and thus aren't catching on as quickly. Most of the class is there for love; for a romantic connection that has thus brought them here... and well, need work to keep their brains and bodies bus; so they, like myself, need to learn Swedish.

I recently have been sent to a link by an american friend... I think it really does sum up Swedish culture and tendencies... Feel free to check it out. Been in Sweden Too Long

Last Saturday (lördag), Doug and I went to Copenhagen to visit Nance. She'd been working on a really unique art project. Here's some of her work as she learned about migration and the stories that made people who the unique that they are. and making tacos without the solar energy she planned on and using a small custom oven made of cans. Incredibly resourceful!

Anyhoo, I gotta go to class... keep cramming that swedish in! phew! (already feel like I need a break, but that's why I gotta keep going right? keep it sinking in?... something like that)

Grey Days

Grey days are already abundant in our well established autumn season. When the sun comes out, I now understand the efforts to flock and bathe in it. Tanning is still a mystery to me, but enjoying the sun, that's a different story.

Swedish has become my biggest thing. I spend 3 hours in class in the mornings Monday through Friday, and then from 1-3 hours practicing and doing homework in the evenings. I'm starting to be able to say a few basics like: My name is Lauren. I come from the USA. I have 4 brothers and many relatives, a mom and a dad, ... and well, that can go on a bit. I speak english and a little spanish and now a little swedish. My relatives live in the USA. I have lived here in Sweden for 3 months. I study Swedish. Yeah... you get the picture. Not too shabby for only a week and a half!

As a result, my other readings have taken a back seat and a much lessor time invested in them. However, I'm gradually getting through the ever so entertaining life of cadavers in Stiff. I have to share a passage (in fact it's a footnote) with you; just made me chuckle.

People have trouble believing Thomas Edison to be a loopy individual. I offer as evidence the following passage on human memory, taken from his diaries: "We do not remember. A certain group of our little people do this for us. They live in that part of the brain which has become known as the 'fold of Broca'... There may be 12 or 15 shifts that change about and are on duty at different times like men in a factory....Therefore it seems likely that remembering a thing is all a matter of getting in touch with the shift that was on duty when the recording was done."

This footnote was added in reference to a chapter about the search for the human soul and where it resides in the body; using cadavers to research that in the brain, heart, or liver which have been top choices over time.

Anyhoo. More praise when I'm through with that... and more swedish to come soon too. Hopefully I'll get to see Nance, from Chicago tomorrow, if not, there's next Saturday. She's in Copenhagen doing somthing with solar energy and a taco stand. I really have yet to find out what all that means. Feel free to visit her website and her photos for more about her nature loving sprit.

Swedish for the day: Hej då! This is pronounced sorta like hay-doe. It means bye bye/goodbye.

Shark!

Ahh! Shark!!

no, no, I fortunately was nowhere near this shark, but I could have just eaten its relative.

For the first time, we've prepared a mako shark meal. I must say, I'm quite proud of our efforts. We've found a variety of tasty sounding recipes online and ended up with a first try called Shark Mexicana from a cool chefs website. We needed the beer to marinate the shark in, with lime, garlic, parsley, and some cumin and mustard. Then made a salsa with fresh tomatoes, red onion, mild green chilies, and a splash of hot sauce. To add a little to this entree, we added some brown rice and a quick and tasty side dish of broccoli with garlic and red onion sauteed with a little of the marinade. We broiled the fish to a flaky finish and served the items with some fresh ripe avocado on the side.

I must say, I think that the meal turned out really well. I had a little suspicion, but kept up the optimism and I think it was a cool success. Next though, we'll have to try a recipe we found with a sauce made from anchovies and capers in a white wine sauce/marinade. Yum Shark! These are some pictures of real mako sharks, by the way. Crazy, huh?? Although an expensive meal, I would have it again.

Thumbs up to that salsa garnish too. That was really really tasty; could be used on a chip, fish, or even atop other Mexican style cuisine. It was very easy to prepare and I highly recommend that, if not the fish too.!

Beer Tasting

Ah what to do when a really cool lookin' recipe calls for beer? Well, I suppose you gotta taste the beer you end up using for the dish! And that's just what I took the liberty of doing. We ended up with a Danish beer called Harboe Beer GULDØL. In honor of Ted, David, Charles, Heidi, and EJ, I gave this little beer a taste.

I must say, it was tasty when we first opened it to use in the marinade, even at room temp. The aroma reminded me of nutmeg. Kinda sweet. But when I had some later, after shopping and then cooled down, it well, tasted like beer, and just whatever beer. But I really have to say, that initially, I did enjoy the flavors of the first popped open beer. (Wow huh??) This little beer has 5.7% alcohol and it's a nice yellow beer, not too light, as I understand lite and pale ales would be.

So, yeah, I can hardly believe it myself. I tasted some beer. Anyhoo, moreabout our beer marinated entree tomorrow It's gonna be good!

Small Gods

Nothing like reading a fun, enthralling, and provokative novel. Terry Pratchett's Small Gods was my last read. I thought it was clever, fun and well, intelligent. This guy used clever names, like Brutha or the Great God Om, and how he went into beliefs and faith of the characters in their gods or ideas of how the universe works. I must say this is a must read.

In a delightfully humorous way, Pratchett dives into some parallels between the Omnians and Christianity, like blindly follwing rules because the church says so; or some prophet added his 2 cents to what God might have said. What caugt me was how militant the Omnian religion was, they wanted more people under their "rule" and would kill people for committing something that displeased the "clergy." Bloodthirst, humor, theology, positive light for humanity, and yet still a mystery for the world of the gods.

I'm telling you, this was a great read. Before this one, I had read Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. Now I've read a book by both of these authors independently, and I must say they are both incredible inspired writers. When they came together for Good Omens, that was a brilliant take on the Armageddon... but I tell ya, if you need something to escape and jump into a great and entertaining read, these guys are it. American Gods by Neil Gaiman was the other book I read. That one was delightful in a different way than Small Gods, different idea behind many gods needing their belivers in order to survive, but yet still containing similarities to Christianity and some of its ways or traditions.

I'm looking forward to some more of Pratchett's writngs. But in the mean-time, I'm switching off between fiction and non-fiction.

Current book being tackled: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach.
This one's so far, amazing. Disgusting and yet humorous and real. Very insightful about what happens to a dead human body, what people have done with them over time, and how the deceased are used in various methods of science and study. More on this one later.

Little updates

There's not a whole lot happening lately. No big adventures, just little progresses.

I've been designing a whole range of cards for my collection/for sale eventually. Thinking up patterns, prints, designs, simple messages (from famous people like Amelia Erhart and such), colours, fun, special, meaningful, and always, beautiful. I need to get those pictures uploaded, but don't worry, you will see some soon.

Doug and I have successfully sketched our mural drawing onto the wall in a corner of our balcony...however, pictures don't take the pencil to well, sorry folks. However, we seem to be stuck on how to paint this bad boy. I mean, we've got ideas, so we try them on a piece of paper and we aren't too happy with the results... so we have a ways to go before we start slapping pretty colours of paint on the wall to create a more come-to-life image of the viney tree we've corroberated.

Doug's been studying for one last exam that will officially complete his masters program. It was a neglected exam that should be finished. This is on Monday morning... no sissy multiple choice exams here, ever! All essay and problem style, you've really got to know your stuff!

On the topic of school, I'm really hoping to hear from Komvux, the Swedish lessons place. I haven't yet, so I'm in limbo, I hate that. I think we'll have to go in and ask questions and find out for ourselves, even though they said they'd be sending me the info. Good Grief! They love to wait to the last minute! So, next week, we'll have to do that.

Doug's mom came back from her summer in Botswana (well, winter there). I assume it went well, but it was cute, she actually missed the summer here. Well, we did have an unusually nice summer here. But I think she missed creature comforts more than weather. None the less, it's great to see her back. She and I are going to church on Sundays together, so it's kinda cool to get the alone time with her, even if most of it's going through motions of a foreign language ceremony. Plus, we both get out of our homes and just walk and/or talk a bit. Even if we are still quite new in the "getting to know one another phase."

I think I owe you guys a little story about Lake Fagertärn, so I'll do that real soon for ya. There's some interesting history of the founder, Bernhard Kjellmark and then the stories that have come about as to how the red water lily came about. More on that next time! Ciao!