
lördag 12 november 2011
BIKE..................

onsdag 13 oktober 2010
lördag 3 oktober 2009
London Calling
I'm wondering whether I can/should keep this blog going. It is only now, a day when I'm so sick I can barely get out of bed, that I have time to write. Not many readers either, although it's good for personal reflection anyway. There is some irritating loud bass coming from somewhere a block down, and some odd noises coming from upstairs (i think) but it's generally ok. Apart from the fact there is a school playground right outside my bedroom window, and they often have whole days of PE in it. They can hardly call it a 'study bedroom' can they? But the library is great. I've been spending alot of time there. At first when I was given all the reading and assignments I have to do this year I freaked out a little bit, and still do on occasion, but when I got stuck in I thought - finally how refreshing it is to study something interesting. Which Anthropology most certainly is. So I'm looking forward to getting into the swing of things. This sickness being a minor blip. I have the nicest flat mates though, we are 8 girls from all over england, asia and america and we all get on so well. My bestie Soundus, who is in the room opposite mine, is especially brilliant and lovely and stayed in my room all last night looking after me when I was being sick. Don't really know what caused this but hopefully it will pass. Not had the dreaded swine flu yet - touch wood.
So yeah, London is great so far, although I haven't ventured a lot further than London bridge and Greenwich. But that is mostly due to so much happening around here. I've joined just about every society, the ones I actually have been active in being Women's football, the Feminist Society and the Palestine Twinning Campaign. Last night we had a PTC hip-hop night at the union, and there is an annual trip to Palestine at easter which I think would be a great opportunity. I also have to write a letter to senior management of the university questioning their decision to give the university less scholarships for palestinian students than finally agreed upon after the students occupied the Deptford town hall last spring.
I've been to an English session in Greenwich which happens on tuesdays (along with just about everything else I want to do) which was nice and friendly. Took along a German friend and a Norwegian. I have made good friends with many swedish people here and think this is great because we talk Swedish most of the time so hopefully I won't lose it. I am also joining Camden clog, which takes place this tuesday as it happens, but Michael Rosen is coming to speak at the student union for the Goldsmiths: Not for profit campaign. I would really like to go to that, so we'll see. Haven't met up with folky friends in London yet (well apart from Esbjorn from sweden who I've played with a few times), but there's plenty of time for all that.
So maybe one day I'll get round to telling the stories of my summer and all that, but for now I'll leave you with some of my ideas which I thought were some of my better ones: bringing my thermos flask and dictionary, getting a sainsbury's nectar card. I wonder if I'm going to be sick again.
xxx
måndag 18 maj 2009
the last 4 months...
Some of the things I remember from the last 4 months...
Firstly boring things: I have a job in oxfam bookshop on wednesdays, I have a proper job in my local pub/hotel otherwise which is not great but the only thing I could get really. It'll do for a bit. I'm still wondering what to do in september.. deciding whether to take up the offer from Goldsmiths to study Anthropology (not entirely a boring thing but trust me it's getting that way).
More later..
måndag 19 januari 2009
I'm in Cathy's office, doing all her work
Cambridge is really fun, especially cycling everywhere! Especially at night, after a few drinks! Only a few minor injuries...
So we've shopped, ate and drank in lots of nice places, saw some student music, met some friends, went to a session, and saw an amazing light display (for the cambridge university 800 year anniversary), and watched some Tom Hanks (always). Video soon. Cambridge university seems a really nice place, shame I got 3 Bs!
tisdag 13 januari 2009
So Anna, what did you do today? (censored)
I have thrown away LOOOADS of my stuff.
That's interesting.
Isn't it just.
I wonder what they are doing in Bollnäs.
Tomorrow i'm going to ring the dentist. Rowan's coming back. We're going to see 'The Reader' and go for a family meal. Then we're going to a session.
On Thursday I will teach my first violin lesson.
On Friday I will go to the job centre. Then maybe me and Rowan will play at a gaza benefit gig.
On Saturday I will go to cambridge. I will come back on
Tuesday.
On Wednesday I will have my first violin lesson back with my old classical teacher.
On Thursday I will go to Newcastle.
On Friday I will go to Edinburgh. I will see James. Maybe I will come back on
Monday.
On Tuesday I will go mental again.
tisdag 16 december 2008
what an emotional time i'm having
So all week since I made the decision, it feels all i've been doing is eating, sleeping, packing and waiting to go home. Not practicing enough. But only today has it become a difficult decision, as i've realised there are people here who I will miss alot, and lessons I will miss from Fröken (classical teacher) and Jonas Brandin (folk teacher). SPELMANSLAG (which i've annoyingly missed the past 2 weeks). :( It feels like I won't be able to find teachers as good as them elsewhere! But that's probably largely because I am here now. What makes it harder though is that Fröken said to me, after the string orchestra concert tonight that I could begin classical after christmas and that I would be welcome in her class. ARGH! But I know that there aren't enough reasons for me to stay here, and that it wouldn't be worth it (also I have no money anymore, Cath is paying for this and it's expensive, probably a reason why I have guilt dreams most nights). Tonight was the school christmas concert, which was really good, and afterwards a jazz kvintett played a cosy concert just for us, they were really really good. I will miss things like that, they are just so nice! I think thats what started me off...
I am worried that I won't play as much and therefore keep improving, but I also know you need to be more happy and inspired to feel like playing. I feel like i've had this experience and i've done it now, moved to another country, learnt another language which is a big thing really. Learnt things. I am a little worried as I don't know what's next but piss that, who ever does? I'll just have to see. I think it's quite exciting, like next I can do anything! Well it's exciting if i think about it like that, if you think i'm stupid, whoever you are, then shut the fuck up for always telling me to think positively because thats what that is OK! Normal anna would say i'm going back to shitty england to sit about at home trying to get some shitty job with nobody even in the shittiest place wanting to employ me. Somehow I find it possible to be in between positive/negative?
Anyway, party time now, i'm not the only one leaving, Lina is too. I could pretend it's my goodbye party too, though only a handful of people know i'm leaving. The rest probably couldn't give a shit. I'll leave you with some videos of ethno this summer. Watching these, it hit me why there were cameras hovering around the whole week. See if you can spot me and matty and joe! And the end of the second one is cool, england plays out! And check out Marit's speech. Amusing. Ugh, memories seem to crop up an awful lot.
lördag 13 december 2008
Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul...
A group of 6 of us did a lucia concert (i was lucia) in a barn/cafe in a nearby village which was all christmassy and cosy. We got taken in a limosine (swish!) and walked in singing in traditional fashion with candles on my head etc, then we sang 6 songs (in swedish can i just say, i learned absolutely all the words to each one, nobody noticed i wasn't swedish!) and had free fika afterwards which was lovely! Then we got taken back to school in the limo and we also got 100 kronor each! Really nice, everbody said they enjoyed it too! I had quite a bit of wax in my hair afterwards but i picked most of it out now!
So anyway, that was an experience, now I am really looking forward to going home for christmas (less than a week!), especially since we had swedish christmas dinner on friday, which was not nice at all (lots of different types of fish and lots of mustardy weird stuff, and fish eggs and eww..). I can't wait to be home for proper english christmas food, and the christmassy decorated house, and endless films by the fire! And mulled wine! And english christmas carols in the pub! But most of all family time (obviously)! I'm thinking about christmas pressies at the moment, hoping I'll get them sorted in time! It's not very easy this year!
Tomorrow I think I'll bake something (thanks for the recipes marit!)..I'm in the mood and bought some ingredients, but I'm also going to concentrate on uni stuff for next year which is important (and stressful!). I think we also have a rehearsal tomorrow for the class christmas concert (oh yeah!). Gosh I'm busy, I'm just glad I didn't go to this party in Stockholm tonight as I was planning to.
I forgot to say about the concert, we have 2 45 minute slots with fika in between, for the first we are doing a swedish fairytale with music (i'm doing a solo) and for the next we are having a normal concert. We'll see how it goes..
Photos of Lucia up soon, as soon as I get them from parents who were taking them.
lördag 6 december 2008
Malung, Snow, Books, Boots and Rucksacks
I planned to go home the next afternoon however there was a dance evening that night (it happens every week!) so I thought I'd stay another night. So i sat in on lessons again, tried out the other fiddle course, did a singing workshop, then had to make a trip into malung (about 25mins walk on a main road) through the snow (kind of wrecked my boots) to buy a new rucksack because the zip on my old one had broken. Anyway the dance evening was brill, there was playing list where you could write your name/s down for a 15 minute slot and play in the middle of the room while everyone danced around you. I danced alot and even got a tune together with a couple of people from the fiddle course. That was fun.
I also met a really nice belgian girl called evelyn (oona, she said she knows you!) and we exchanged tips for learning swedish!
Anyway I've been steadily working my way throught swedish childrens books now, which feels really great. I need to pay another visit to the library actually to get more, and it's a great excuse to check out the childrens library area (we all know how much I love them, Bollnäs' is even better than Rättvik's).
tisdag 2 december 2008
Lucia competetors at the ready!
I also might be going to Malung Folkhögskola to visit tomorrow, but am waiting to hear back from a teacher there if I have anywhere to stay. If I do go, it means I will have to leave here at 6.15am! Early! But I think it will be worth visiting to see what it's like there and it will probably be fun! Also partly to get away from the lessons here...our replacement teacher while Jonas is off being a dad is 'jennikel' a swedish woman who speaks english with an irish accent, has a masters degree in irish music, plays only irish music, teaches only irish music...yes. And last week it took about 3 hours for the class to learn 2 pretty boring irish reels (they can't DO irish, they can barely do swedish!) I had to leave at one point, because it was literally wasting my time sitting there, I have to practice! Anyway I probably won't go even if I don't go to Malung, I can't afford the time and really don't want to learn irish tunes. We should be spending our class time on our christmas concert, which is swedish coincidentally.
söndag 30 november 2008
You can't help wasting time on a sunday
Cath I've just been trying out the swiss throat sweets - tell helm: 'yes, they are nice.'
I'm gonna practice now, here's some pictures of outside my window from the other day:
XXX
p.s. oh and advent starts tomorrow! thanks for the calendar cath! i put it up but it fell down, i'll sort it out now!
söndag 23 november 2008
Walk
Last night 4 of us did a concert at a cafe next to the garden centre type place. It was for some sort of private party with about 100 people sitting at tables and people giving speeches and prizes etc. Anyway, when they went to get food we played for about 50 mins (we were asked to do about 30). It was fun, and everybody said they enjoyed it, and when we came off stage we were told to tuck into the massive buffet. We had to sit on a separate table among the plants but free food, free beer, and then 500 kronors each which a man came over and gave us, who can complain!
Today, apart from my walk, I've been doing laundry, chilling out, reading, not practicing, and almost getting hit by trains. That was really quite scary.
Also, I found out just now (facebook) that Jonas Brandin (my teacher, and the best one in the world at that) has finally had his baby. This makes me a little sad as he won't be back to teach me for a long time. Maybe ever. :( Babies, who would have them. Today I don't like them, they seem to be everywhere.
Tomorrow is spelmanslag, and lots of practice. Perhaps swimming, I am in need of it, but that means I have to venture out into the snow (theres piles of it now)!
Love Anna
XXX
lördag 22 november 2008
fredag 21 november 2008
up/down/up/down/up
In sweden you can pretty much study anything, anytime. I feel like i'm forced to choose between music and a career or something. All I know is right now, I feel more free than I've ever felt and it's great to concentrate solely on the only thing I love doing. And I love being in Sweden. It just feels like I want to stay, therefore not go to university in england or scotland. But then comes money problems. I can't get funding for studying here unless, for example, I've officially lived here for 2 years, or I get married to someone here..
But I guess it still is an option. (studying I mean.)
And on top of that..things are still stressing me out, like concert tomorrow which 4 of us are doing, getting paid equivalent of around £50 EACH! For 30mins! In sweden they don't think that's alot...! But we just finished rehearsing for this evening and things look more positive. Then there's christmas concerts which are stressful now but they will probably be ok once we get into working on them.
One positive thing is I've been selected as 'Lucia' for the school christmas concert, which is like a saint and a really big thing in sweden. I have to have candles on my head and walk around with my hands in prayer. Wahoo! I've also decided to do more classical music here, so take some of those lessons too because I think it will be good for me. And I would like to.
So I'm gonna get an earlyish night, and go swimming tomorrow morning. (Not in the lake, obviously, it's frozen now)
måndag 17 november 2008
In Recovery
We took her to the station this morning and waved her off back to Newcastle, I wasn't that sad because I will see her in about 5 weeks at christmas! The rest of today I planned to do lots of classical practice but bumped into Emma Reid at lunch (bizarre) and found out her band was giving a concert and workshop all afternooon, so I went to that which was really good. I managed to practice anyway, in my room this evening, it's really good being able to practice in my new room! And I am proud that I managed to practice actually, because I really had no motivation. But thinking about it an hour a day (which I have been told I should do by my teacher) is not really much to ask. But I think I still have the blues slightly and am a bit achey, and now I find myself watching a programme about eating disorders! It's the only thing in English, oh dear! But I think my swedish is actually coming on, suprisingly today I found it easy to talk swedish most of the time. It is strange that some days I find it very hard. Usually I am good on mondays though. Tonight there was also no spelmanslag, which is annoying as I was looking forward to getting back into it, so I'll have to wait another week! Oh well.
I think I'll get an early night and finish this belgian chocolate that Oona left for me for letting her stay in my room, and hopefully I'll feel a bit better tomorrow.
XXX
måndag 10 november 2008
Other than ucassing, I've been busy...
You know, Harriet Nob, Harry Head - Harriet Nob-Head kinda thing. Rheingans? How unfortunate. Anyway, made myself a couple of hats and a tortoise out of crochet also. Also paid a visit to school which was disturbingly pointless. Oh well!
torsdag 6 november 2008
My classical exercises make me cry.
So before I left it was (early) halloween in Bollnäs, we had a big fancy dress party, and unlike me I actually made an effort for once, which paid off as I was the scariest! Got a bit too drunk though, and had to get up for a lesson at 9 with Jens Comen from Hoven Droven on friday. But I managed and it was good. Then I packed and gradually saw people leaving, and there were about 12 people left at dinner, which felt quite sad really, although I knew it was only for the holiday.
Then had an interesting journey home on saturday, well I often find long journeys interesting (things you see, people you meet). This journey was comprised of 3 trains, a bus, a plane, 3 more trains and a car journey. I got home at about 11pm to find mended drawers (thanks helm), and all my clothes piled up on my bed. The next day we went for a nice walk up padley gorge and a cream tea at the top which was nice.
On friday me, Rowan and Marit travelled to Sheffield for the folk festival where they were performing, and just about got there due to Rowan's reading incapability. Spent way too much time at doncaster train station - the worst place in the world - in the past week for my liking. Though you can get name numberplates from the shop there, Rowan got 'Ryan' and I looked for 'Brian' but they didn't have it. Apparently people in Doncaster aren't called 'Brian' anymore. Anyway, James finally arrived in grindleford at 11pm for the weekend, and we saw Jack on saturday, then went to Padley Bonfire which was cosy, and played some very very cold music. All the neighbours were impressed, as they are. Best weekend ever! But then James had to go on Sunday because of his course in Edinburgh, which is too far away, and also £60 to get to, which is why I won't be there this weekend. :( Then me and Rowan had some Rowan and Anna time, watching Little House on the Prairie. Then she went home.
Since then, I have mostly been doing ucas ucas ucas, trying to make some definitive decisions, occasionaly baking, going to the hairdressers with Cath and staying up all night watching the US election which was very exciting. I am currently considering Edinburgh (I've spent all morning looking through the prospectus which came through the door today, and suddenly it was 2pm and i still wasn't dressed). Though at the same time I feel very lazy and go out for a walk, but then the weather gets shitty. I suppose I should make an effort to see my school friends, but something is holding me back. I'm about to start crocheting some wrist warmers for my next door neighbour's birthday which was yesterday.
At the moment I want to do Neuroscience.
Love Anna
xxx
onsdag 5 november 2008
onsdag 22 oktober 2008
Maybe I should just get myself a trumpet and do jazz.
..and turns into poo. I think the combination of having a really bad cold, 2 violin lessons (classical/folk) in one morning, lots of boring classical practice with no breaks, then class lessons in the same room for about 3 hours, ensemble, food then more class lessons didn't turn out too well. I want to leave again. But I am going home in 2 days so that's a good thing. My teacher is arranging for me to visit malung to see what the course is like there, which could perhaps also be another option for me, who knows.
But yeah, I feel like the class lessons wasted alot of my time to practice etc today, as I feel frequently, it's very frustrating. But it's also frustrating that more often than not ensemble practice leaves me feeling shit and stopping me from practicing in my free time later. Basically ruins my day a little, like now I don't feel like doing anything, even laundry which I need to do. Jonas talked to me for ages (trying to make me feel better, worse, I don't actually know) about what's going wrong, but I didn't take much in i don't think, he's very cryptic, you would think that's impossible when speaking the simplest English. Regardless, felt shit anyway.
I'm getting increasingly sick of these bouts of lowness, and am starting to wonder if there is actually anything that will help, like moving courses etc. I'm starting to think it isn't because of where I am or what I am doing at all. That really sucks. This all sucks quite badly. What else sucks is that wednesday is party night in Bollnäs. I was actually going to have one, like a moving in party, but that's not going to happen now. I bet people will show up though, being how they are here.
So anyway there are literally concerts all the time, yesterday our choir had a lunchtime concert to some randomers, which was quite bad on my part because of my cold, my voice was wobbly like jelly, but also just generally coming in at the wrong places and singing wrong things because I should have been in bed really, I just like singing in choir it's fun. And last night was ok, I felt a bit better so went to the jazz club, was impressed by the main band but even more by the Bollnäs folkhögskola jazz pupils that played first.
Love Anna
xxx
p.s. reading back on this, maybe singer/songwriter would be more my scene.
lördag 18 oktober 2008
Suprising Saturdays!
Anyway, the reason I have moved rooms is basically because the guy in the room next door to me was kind of creepy, and wouldn't leave me alone. I could have perhaps put up with it, but Lisa was being forced out of her double room, as a couple sharing a single room needed it. This was slightly unfair I think but anyway I offered to move to house 11, which has less people in it that 5. That is the only downside as this room is so much better: it has internet, it is much bigger, has a telly and hairdryer (not that I am really bothered) and a sofa which folds into an extra bed. I will still hang out in 5 though I think, because I will miss the kitchen gang, and I am one of them anyway so it won't be weird, and it's only a few metres away...
So anyway lina and lisa are here now so I will leave you with some pictures, and I hope James is ok, apparently he is very hungover.
XXX








