Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!

Here's my third neighborhood. It's much more down to earth and low key. Peace!

Two Radiohead Covers (Perhaps Unlikely Ones)

The Smiths' "Headmaster Ritual"



New Order's "Ceremony"

Two Interesting Buildings

Here's KTH, Kungliga Tekniska Högskola. I go past here almost every day on the way to work. Nice campus, no?



I have dubbed this building The Good Death Star. It's called Globen in Swedish. It's where all the big bands play, hockey matches take place, and other large events take place. Today I did some grocery shopping on my way home. I like passing by it on the tunnelbana every morning. I've moved again, so I see it regularly. I hope the sight of it doesn't get old. It's also the same area where Hammarby plays home football.

OK, I Admit it.

These past few days, I've been feeling pretty damned homesick. Between the recent troublesome news back home and the strain of the flu I picked up, I was aching to be back in the familiar. For these past few days, Stockholm just couldn't hold me with it's warm and open arms like it usually does. Amidst the hot buzz that my body and mind suffered during the fever, I needed something firmer, more solid—to me. Even today, I felt a little of the ache in bones. Someday home will make sense to me, wherever I find myself.

For times like now, I prepared a mix of music with Chicago connections to get me through. Here's the list:


Chicago 6:05 Sufjan Stevens Illinois 11 11/5/07 6:08 PM Protected AAC audio file
Dear Chicago 2:13 Ryan Adams Demolition 3 11/5/07 6:10 PM MPEG audio file
Skyway 2:06 The Replacements Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?? The Best of The Replacements 1 11/5/07 6:13 PM MPEG audio file
Double Vision 3:37 The Ponys Turn The Lights Out 12 11/5/07 6:16 PM MPEG audio file
Chicago At Night 2:47 Spoon Girls Can Tell 6 11/5/07 6:19 PM MPEG audio file
Happy When It Rains 3:37 The Jesus & Mary Chain Darklands 7 11/5/07 6:23 PM MPEG audio file
The Fall Of Troy 3:01 Tom Waits Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards [Disc 2] 5 11/5/07 6:26 PM AAC audio file
Ballad of the Sin Eater 5:22 Ted Leo & The Pharmacists Hearts of Oak 13 11/5/07 6:31 PM MPEG audio file
Love & Communication 4:35 Cat Power The Greatest 13 11/5/07 6:36 PM MPEG audio file
We're from Barcelona 3:02 I'm From Barcelona Let Me Introduce My Friends 9 11/5/07 6:39 PM MPEG audio file
Pink Bullets 3:53 The Shins Chutes Too Narrow 1 2/10/07 10:59 PM MPEG audio file
Misunderstood 6:28 Wilco Being There [Disc 1] AAC audio file
Via Chicago 5:34 Wilco Summerteeth AAC audio file
Sunken Treasure 6:51 Wilco Being There [Disc 2] AAC audio file
It Takes Two 5:02 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock Profilin' the Hits 9 10/12/07 7:42 AM Protected AAC audio file
Never Let Me Down 5:24 Kanye West Feat. Jay-Z & J. Ivy The College Dropout 1 7/4/07 12:43 PM MPEG audio file
Wolf Like Me 4:39 TV On The Radio Return To Cookie Mountain 7 7/4/07 12:48 PM MPEG audio file
I Will Refuse 4:23 Pailhead Trait 3 7/22/07 12:17 AM AAC audio file


Did I forget to mention that it's starting to get dark here really early? Yes, no shit, you're saying to yourself. That's what we've been telling you for months. It came as a shock to be finally packing up to leave school just before 4 pm to see that the light was nearly gone. They even have these silly lamps for sun light deprivation for more southerly folks like me at my school. I use one at my desk at times. I really helps! Who would have thought! Nevertheless, here's a photo and believe me when I saw it was darker than it looked:

It's Julmust Time Again!

This is glögg for kids. It's a sort of Christmas soda with a very distinct taste. Today I even found some in "light," which is the diet form of a drink here in Sweden. I would imagine this would mix really, really well with Absolut Vanilla; although, I'm not pushing a particular brand name. If you are interested and live in the States, I'm quite sure you can pick some up at IKEA, and also Wickström's and Erickson's on Clark Street. Quite a unique sweet taste!

Elvis, My New Swedish Teacher

I recently completed my first Swedish B course and although my teacher claimed that I had improved greatly, I feel like I could have learned more. Nevertheless, I've been too busy to continue immediately, so in place of a course, I'm reading more... Elvis! Elvis is a comic strip which I greatly enjoy. I think he's a flea. He's funny, or at least he acts funny, and he teaches me new words. Just who said Elvis is out of the building?