onsdag 26 november 2008

Sound of Silence

It has been a while now. Quick recap. Nov. 19 don't remember anything special from that. Nov. 20 one of my classmates turning 21. Nice party. Nov. 21 to 23 out of my memory. Sunday morning, more specific 1:30 am a German and Korean calls my roommate to celebrate his birthday. After he been parting all night. He got a 2 cupcakes and a balloon. We celebrated him a bit later in the day with a very god cake and a present. Nov. 24 - 25 was work days. The 25th was also the day when the students in Ecuador came back. Some people were more happy than others but it was very chaotic. Also the Japanese guy came back, but disappeared again. He seems to have survived Ecuador at least.

Today. The silence was thick when everyones gone away for thanksgiving. My day consisted of to do as much homework as possible to make up for the coming days as I go to New York. Thats right. I'm making another trip outside of DC. Hopefully I will not feel bad for all the work I'm leaving behind. Everything will turn out fine, but it will probably some all nighters before that. Happy Thanksgiving to those who care.

tisdag 18 november 2008

Phantom of the Opera

Sunday afternoon. The economic students are insane. It's cold and they are doing a sketch outside for 20 minutes (and I'm just stupid for agreeing to film the whole sketch, should have gotten more clothes).

Monday. Work again and then stress back to campus for an opera performance at the Kennedy Center. Showing Lucrezia Borgia with Renée Fleming in the lead (in Italian). Very good I must say, very good. Very funny to look at the rest of the audience. All old, ladies wearing fur coats and so on. But all was sold out so all seats was taken. There were Italians, French, Asians (don't know if it was Japanese, Korean or Chinese) and Americans. And definitely a Russian couple. An old man going around with his much younger wife (those classmates who where in Egypt last year should know what I'm talking about).

Tuesday and a new working day, but this day the interns toured the Capital and the Library of Congress. And ate at the cafeteria in one of the bildings for the Congresspersons. Nothing special. Although I must say that the whole complex is huge with underground tunnels and halls with beautiful statues. It stunned me, much more intresting than the White House. Great place for a paint-ball war (would probably never happened, but it would be fun). Funny fact, they had a bust with Raoul Wallenberg inside the Capital.

And to tie together with the last entry, it snowed today. How fun.

söndag 16 november 2008

The Illusion of Power

It is a couple of days recap now.

Thursday. Bought Judas Priests new album Nostradamus and some new earphones and god, those earphones was a very good investment. I can actually hear the music now without turning the volume up to max. And what a sound. It's heavenly.

Friday. Don't remember what happened on Friday, probably a boring day.

Saturday. Up early and away to the White House. Took the bus, cheaper, but packed with all kind of strange people. Wished I had brought my Ipod, but they didn't say it was allowed and I could either strangle someone with the earphone chord or use the Ipod to bash someones head in so I left it at home. And boy, they had a very strict security. Really, it took us almost longer to stand in security check than walking around the White House. So I woke up at 8:30 to enjoy something that took 20 minutes. How fun. I need to go to the Royal Castle in Sweden just to compare these two.

The Afternoon was funny though. I actually had control over the remote and sat there from 7 to 1pm watching movies, series and such. First a documentary of the Antichrist and the Evangelical Christians in the US. Of course they predicted the Antichrist would rise from Europe (hard to see ones own fault). Then the end of Shrek with the songs Hallelujah and I'm a Believer. Most funny things was over, but two of the best songs were there. Then, embarrassing as it is, Alvin and the Chipmunks. Afterwards I sap through the channels until I find Cartoon Network and they show Superman: Doomsday. Those who came in at this moment just looks at me. One even said that she knew I was young, but not this young. I just countered with that I'm a childish person.

After this I went down to the TARC to see Baby Mama with all the others (even though I can't see the difference between my childlike appreciation of movies and series and the childlike humor of that movie). After that movie I go back up and watch two episodes of Doctor Who before going to bed.

Sunday. Horrible. Got a cold again and feeling tired and depressed. The weather is still much better than in Sweden, but now all the leafs are gone and it is just autumn depression vibes over the place. And it's raining. It could at least snow.

onsdag 12 november 2008

The Wizard

Tuesday was a day you don't remember much about. More fun on Wednesday on the other hand. First of all it is confirmed that my class is going to The White (Black) House on Saturday, the downside is that you are not allowed to take with you any cameras, or pen, or tape recorder, ammunition, guns, fireworks and so on. I guess I take my mace with me then...damn, they prohibited it to. What are you allowed to bring? Your cellphone? Which consist of camera and sound recorder...apparently.

More good news was that we have postponed 2 assignments and canceled another. So nice. Oh, and we are also supposed to make a sketch about or internship experience. Looks like it's back into the theater light again.

The last thing to happen was me together with a couple of others were going to a basketball game. That's right, me going to watch a sport in an Arena. That's from the same person that didn't go to see a soccer game with Roma when he was in Italy (and frankly, still don't regret, except that some girls in the other room had to come over and play cards with me when I wanted to sleep). The game was between Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. And I finally realized why they have 3 mascots and a team of light dressed girls running around with there pompoms. Basketball must be the most boring game in the world. All they did was running back and forward on the plan scoring here and there. The Volleyball game was so much more interesting (I wonder if that had something to do with that all players where girls or that I actually understood the basics for the game and played it myself). It could also be due to that the seat didn't give enough room for my legs. Even though it sounds harsh, it was actually fun to see it and be there.

Oh yeah, almost forgot. They actually checked my jacket at the arena (probably due to my camera, cellphone and Ipod forming itself to the shape of a gun or similair). And I got caught at the Metro exit. Damn card didn't register the first time so I tried to avoid pay anything (yes, I did it by my own free will, but it has worked before).

In studies we continue onward with Israel-Palestina and the rest of the Middle East. Seriously, I'm getting a headache of this. I feel more hostile to my surrounding and I feel like I'm gonna snap (not that good writing before entering the White house, but I'm a pacifist by heart). So, by controlling the feeling that the world is completly hopeless I prepared a question. Also I prepared follow up questions on what would bethe likely answears to that question. I'm so proud of it.

måndag 10 november 2008

Broken Heroes

Monday morning and as usual it's working day. At least the sun is up when you go to work cause it ain't when I get back. The sun actually sets when I leave the building and after 30 minutes below the ground it's gone. Winter depression here I come. Lucky enough the boss had a bar of Swiss chocholate that everyone took from (I really miss Marabou).

And when I finally comes back Menja is in the room with heater on. My GOD, how I hate it. This night I woke up because he turned on the heater as I was sleeping (of course I had both windows open during the day before, but thats besides the point) so I turned it of (he also forgot to close the windows so I understand if he felt the cold). This will probably escalate into a Cold vs Warm war (and of course everyone knows that Cold is better then Heath).

Another thing about Mondays is that, apperently, they show new episodes of How I met your Mother and Heroes. Which I missed during the whole semester (damn it). Even more annoying was the ending of Heroes. I hate cliffhangers. At least I can enjoy that no one back in Sweden has seen it:).

söndag 9 november 2008

Carry Me Over

Alright, I begin to realize I've been here to long when my jokes begin to sound like the Professors. Not good. Today was study day and I realizes as well that it's gonna be a though last month with a lot of stress. Sounds fun. The readings just make me aggravated and I just want to hit the writers. They are so ignorant and I feel a very violent urge when I read thru some of it. Count to 10.
1...
2...
3... Calm.

The more fun parts of the day was when I talked to an old friend from high school (talked, more or less chat on facebook). Boy, how I miss all those people. Another more happy thing was the dinner. After eating Z-burgers for 3 to 4 days I stumble upon my RA and some others in the corridor making food. So I end up cooking parts of the rice to a chili and sausage dinner. Very good and nice company. Somehow the conversation begin to sift to hair so I tell them about my long-haired period. They can't believe it so I have to show them. All the girls go ahhh ... seriously, every time I show a photo of my long-hair all girls goes on with how cute it is and such. Wished I had keept it.

After that I saw how fun everyone else had it in Karlstad and I miss it. It feels like I have seen the most thing and could go home. I really miss all classmates in Sweden. Of course the Swedish newcomer asked me if I wanted to go back home to my family. I said no and thats probably still true because I know that when I get home it will be 3 LONG weeks with my sisters, isolated from the world around me . Also thought upon my birthday in more than a month. 21 in Sweden is completly wasteless, doesn't mean anything but here it is THE birthay. So 21 is special until I get home and actually becomes it...4 months to late. Bummer.

lördag 8 november 2008

The Only Ones Here

Silence...
It's so quiet while everyone has spread all over the world.
China, Ecuador, Europe and the Middle East. The corridors are empty and silent so are many of the rooms, a ghostly veil covering us all joined with the dark. How I love it.

This was not the case with Wednesday. Four people in just our room, but thanks to our understanding for each other there where no problems. Wednesday was study day for the exam on Thursday. After a long struggle to free myself from the grip of the computer and Facebook I'm able to drag my feet to the Auditorium for studies, for a while. Until a class occupies it so it's out on a hunt for a new study room. Eventually it's finally settled and some progress is shown.

Exam day, how fun. Maps and questions about WW1 and an attack upon Taiwan. Sometimes you must sacrifice the most important principles in your life. Taiwan had to go. After this lecture on the Middle East, not a fun subject in the sense that the whole region just have troubles for the future.

Friday was a long waited lecture on Africa, not fun either in the same sense, but with a more hopeful future in a possible future. Then a Palestinian view on the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Of course bias, but fairly historical accurate, even though some in the room had a hard time grasping it while other seemed to handle it very well. Of course it's a very infected question and I can't help but wondering when someone will break, either it will be one of us or one of the speakers. It's a minefield and every step could trigger the explosion. This day was also the day Yuki left for Ecuador. It will be empty without him and his Japanese pop-music.

Spend the evening watching movies down in the TARC. First movie I missed 1 hour and it was ca 30 minutes left. Crash and the first thing that happens when I'm sit down is a girl looking at her dad coming home and being threatend with a gun and she runs out and gets shot. Then I feel emotionally distressed. This kid being shot while hugging her father. It's such a sad scen. The rest of the movie is just a spiral of depression. Next movie was The Punisher, which means braindead action. After a couples of minutes I realize that it looks very familiar. Then I remember that I saw that movie before back in Sweden. Except that then I missed the begining, until the family massacre.

Saturday and this day I visited The House of Sweden, finally after being here for 3 months. A very beutiful area and the house was very nice and they had Dajm (internationally spelled as Daim). Then it was time for Christmas shopping which means that any of my sister read this that I want you to be very nice when I get back home for a month and hopefully longer (yes, I bribe my sisters, what's wrong with that?).

As a consequence of everyone moving out we take this oppurtunity to initiate the Swedsish Invasion. Yes, the revolution has begun by increasing the Swedsish presence on campus with 20%. With our forces bolstered we can can reach or goal for world domination by sparking a glorius revolution amidst the financial... who am I kidding? Melissas boyfriend has come over which means that we are 6 Swedes at the moment... I think. Some of them I hardly seen. Who knows? Maybe we are the only ones here.

onsdag 5 november 2008

Elected

The world is really small. The girl my Japanese roommate brought with him was actually a roommate to the Swedish student that came the year before me and took the same program as me. It's a small world indeed.

Election day and it is of to Starbucks with my cup filled with change. The result is that they took 5 minutes just to count it and then my breakfast was nearly done. Of to work. Not much happened there. The CEO is out working for some polling station so it's like when the cat is gone and the mice is on the table, even with senior staff members there.

After a log working day it's out in the rain an back to Campus with dinner. Then starts the election count down. Sits with some friends in the Capital Hall lounge discussing how in the world they can predict where one state is heading after counted 10% the votes on CNN. Boring channel though. They repeated the same statement three times and the only innovation was their holographic invention, but that was frankly kinda bad. Really, in a society with such a high technology standard to produce holograms and they still can't create universal education and healthcare? This country seriously need to check their priorities if a news channel can project a 3D image and they still have a serious debt problem.

Went down to the TARC to see the Daily Show special about the election which was very good. Returned after they announced the President to the lounge and saw all the speeches and stuff. When John McCain spoke I really felt pity for him as I clearly could see his tears and his stammering ways to speak during some occasions. It must really felt hard for tht man to come that far and still lose right at the end. This also show some flaws in their system as it clearly was very even in the popular vote between the candidatees, but the electoral voting system showed a landslide for Obama.

And hear we come to another interesting point of view. When Obama spoke he probably enchanted the whole population, but I couldn't stop thinking bout all the comments on that this was a historical day for US and such thing. Eventhough I actually hoped for him to win I really woder if thisis a historical victory. It was historical when Reagan brought all the states except Massachussets and DC, this was only talking about that Obama is black. Does color actually matter? To me, if this is supposed to be historical I would wait at least 4 years to see what he accomplish and see if he are able to be reelected which to me looks like an uphill battle all the way.

Another thing in the cold winter nights is, what are the Swedihs media gonna focusing on now? Everyday you could actually read about all the details in 1 years time. I realyy hope that this mediafocusing will continue to the European parliment election nex year which both affect us and where we actually can say something.

måndag 3 november 2008

Devil Inside

So after a long weekend consisting of Halloween and two completely worthless days it's Monday again. Saturday was just a never ending sleep. I was so tired without any reason whatsoever for this change. That was one study day gone to dreamland. Sunday, boy, that was a hard challenge. Feeling stress over my Congressional assignment (which most part I didn't do) which was supposed to be in at 10pm. After 5 hours writing (writing and writing, seemed more like ways to escape writing) I produced 1 1/2 half page out of 3-4. Not very good, but it is still 4 hours left I think and then hell brakes lose. The damn fire alarm starts shouting so it's just to get out and stand in the November darkness until everything is checked.

Apparently their was someone that had burned their food and caused the alarm to go of. Feels like I need to teach that person to cook. Anyway I lost 30 minutes and then talk another 30 minutes because it is so boring to write. It feels like a winter depression is hitting me and I have no Marabou to keep my smile on. Luckily it is just 40 days left before going back home. Anyway I finished the paper and sent it in 5 minutes after deadline (shot me, it will end my misery).

Sunday night Yuki ask Menja and myself f it is alright if he let a friend stay the night. No problem, both of us are to tired to think about it. Menja goes to bed early to prepare for a telefon interview at 5 am and I decide to go to bed before Yukis freind showes up (apparently it was a girl which sleept in his bed while he sleept on the floor, which is strange enough because his part of the floor is the most disorganized of the whole room). Yuki nd his freind showed up after midnight waking me up and I quickly fell back to sleep. Next event was Menjas alarm going of at 4 am. This will not be a fun ay.

Wakes up at 7:30 and goes to Starbucks wich is crowded. I'm getting late but still manage to throw the coffee down my throat and be out around 8:30 and down to the Metro. Work. Goes back home and realizes that my wallet is soon about to explode with all the damned change that you never use (why the hell do they use cent without any practical meaning?) By calculating my breakfast expenses I prepared the most evil plan ever in mankind. I have a cup with 6 dollars and 66 cent in coins to pay my breakfast tomorrow. It is so evil (it was either that or stand and put coin after cooin in the farecard machine, but I don't know if they take 1 cents). Hopefully that will cure my winter depression. The dayligh saving doesn't seem to work cause it' dark when I go up and it's dark when I get back. What's the meaning of it? And as a footnote Yukis friend has sleept the whole day it seems since I got back.