So the usual Xmas and NY thing has been laid to rest for another year. Another Xmas for me, spent sitting there like a lemon, not understanding much of what the hell is going on. Yes, it appears I am linguistically challenged. For despite understanding (practically) everything around me in Uppsala, at work etc, as soon as I take that first step out of the car in Skövde, it's like I've landed on a new planet.
Much like northern monkeys in England, the regional accents are painfully different. I literally cannot hear the sounds, just a sea of mumbling. The only saving grace is sitting around 5 year old kids, as the elders speak properly and clearly to this forsaken bunch. It's potentially not a problem with my inability to hear these strange sounds, for the accent I have an 'ear' for is the Uppsala/Stockholm area, meaning the 'proper' Swedish. Much like anywhere north of say Oxford in England (minus some areas), the accents become, in a word, retarded. It's not the same anywhere, just a vast mishmash of weird dialects and accents, the one that really gets on my tits is the northern 'the'. Yes folks, even people who 'speak English' cannot even say this little word. I know Swedes struggle with the 'th' sound, it becomes more of a 'da', or at least my significant other, when being lazy, starts sounding like a Jamaican. However, the select northern people then refer to 'the' as 't' in the phonetic saying of the letter, yes, very very special.
Anyways, my lingo problems continue, something I shall further address this year.......
Another non event has been the last 5 days. Like a lot of unfortunate souls, I've had crazy fever, aches and pains, tiredness and worst of all, Niagra Falls out of my arse. It's subsided now, just in time for my boarding holiday to Sälen (yes, seems 'convenient' I know, but trust me, I've been sick as a dog). So no New Year for me, I heard it from my bed, that counts right?!
In other more general boring, lets just write something, type of thing, it's been cold here and snowing for a while now. It's strange when you can't get in your car because the doors are ice-welded shut. The lowest my thermometer reading has been was -18. All I can say is thank f**k for heated seats. The weather topic is immensely boring, I know. But it's beautiful here, really it is. Everything is white, the sun is out and it's crispy crispy noodles, just awesome.
Today is packing day then, getting all my boarding stuff together. I shall take the camera and the video camera, hopefully can manage to convert the video files to something able to put on here. After all, we don't want to miss J boarding right : )
I've lost the writing thought severly now. Just want to say a quick thanks for the Xmas presents from everyone. There's always bizarre things in the news that make me laugh. Such ridiculous things on BBC, that suggested if you take a walk on Xmas day, after all the food, you would burn off calories and feel better- reported in the British Medical Journal or something. No shit. True science that is. Honestly.
I'm not in to all this celebraty crap, but an interesting comment on Sky news about the Brittany Murphy death at 32 (I think): 'A state coroner said Murphy appears to have died from natural causes but other reports have said she suffered a cardiac arrest'. What the hell is a natural cause, especially at 32?! No suspicion there.
Just to let you know, the huge snowman is where we will be staying (well not in the snowman) but at Lindvallen in Sälen.
Well no educational summary, no clever jokes or puns for the start of 2010. Just get on with it, as before you know it, 2011 will be here.
Much like northern monkeys in England, the regional accents are painfully different. I literally cannot hear the sounds, just a sea of mumbling. The only saving grace is sitting around 5 year old kids, as the elders speak properly and clearly to this forsaken bunch. It's potentially not a problem with my inability to hear these strange sounds, for the accent I have an 'ear' for is the Uppsala/Stockholm area, meaning the 'proper' Swedish. Much like anywhere north of say Oxford in England (minus some areas), the accents become, in a word, retarded. It's not the same anywhere, just a vast mishmash of weird dialects and accents, the one that really gets on my tits is the northern 'the'. Yes folks, even people who 'speak English' cannot even say this little word. I know Swedes struggle with the 'th' sound, it becomes more of a 'da', or at least my significant other, when being lazy, starts sounding like a Jamaican. However, the select northern people then refer to 'the' as 't' in the phonetic saying of the letter, yes, very very special.
Anyways, my lingo problems continue, something I shall further address this year.......
Another non event has been the last 5 days. Like a lot of unfortunate souls, I've had crazy fever, aches and pains, tiredness and worst of all, Niagra Falls out of my arse. It's subsided now, just in time for my boarding holiday to Sälen (yes, seems 'convenient' I know, but trust me, I've been sick as a dog). So no New Year for me, I heard it from my bed, that counts right?!
In other more general boring, lets just write something, type of thing, it's been cold here and snowing for a while now. It's strange when you can't get in your car because the doors are ice-welded shut. The lowest my thermometer reading has been was -18. All I can say is thank f**k for heated seats. The weather topic is immensely boring, I know. But it's beautiful here, really it is. Everything is white, the sun is out and it's crispy crispy noodles, just awesome.
Today is packing day then, getting all my boarding stuff together. I shall take the camera and the video camera, hopefully can manage to convert the video files to something able to put on here. After all, we don't want to miss J boarding right : )
I've lost the writing thought severly now. Just want to say a quick thanks for the Xmas presents from everyone. There's always bizarre things in the news that make me laugh. Such ridiculous things on BBC, that suggested if you take a walk on Xmas day, after all the food, you would burn off calories and feel better- reported in the British Medical Journal or something. No shit. True science that is. Honestly.
I'm not in to all this celebraty crap, but an interesting comment on Sky news about the Brittany Murphy death at 32 (I think): 'A state coroner said Murphy appears to have died from natural causes but other reports have said she suffered a cardiac arrest'. What the hell is a natural cause, especially at 32?! No suspicion there.
Just to let you know, the huge snowman is where we will be staying (well not in the snowman) but at Lindvallen in Sälen.
Well no educational summary, no clever jokes or puns for the start of 2010. Just get on with it, as before you know it, 2011 will be here.
