Reply to this post and I'll

1. Tell you why I friended you.
2. Associate you with something - fandom, a song, a colour, a photo, a word etc.
3. Tell you something I like about you.
4. Tell you a memory I have of you.
5. Ask something I've always wanted to know about you.
6. Tell you my favorite user pic of yours.
7. In return, you must post this in your LJ.

Ugh, so much stuff going on at the moment. Two more days, then freedom. I'll be singing along with David Hasselhoff in no time.

I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you there, how fabulous?

I'm on my third cup of coffee, my eyes are red, my fingers covered in highlighter stains... Don't you just love that day-before-an-exam feeling?

Actually, it's not so bad. It feels nice to kick my brain about a little, see what it's capable of - usually I'm pleasantly surprised. Right now, though, I'm taking my umpteenth breather of the day to post a teeny tiny meme, courtesy of Ms. Alyndabear. There is always room for a little more self-indulgence, right?

Seven odd facts about me:

1) I have a most uncanny sense of smell.
I'm like a dog: someone's smell can determine whether or not I can stand talking to them for a longer period of time. This is unfortunate, seeing as some of my favourite people have kind of funky smells. My least favourite people, too, often have bad smells. The rancid stench of sweat, age and bad cologne just gave me one more reason to stay away from my old boss as much as possible. I am also extremely picky when it comes to perfume - you can imagine my frustration when my signature scent was discontinued.

2) I do not chew gum, eat liquorice or like any kind of sweets tasting of mint.
After Eights have grown on me (it took a long time), but other than that, no thank you. This is very strange, because in general I dislike very few foods. All the ones I do dislike, though, are in the 'sweets' category. I'm amazed that I'm not skinnier. Someone should ship me over to MIT and have me studied.

3) I prefer skirts to trousers.
This hasn't always been the case, but about a year after I finished high school I lost a ridiculous amount of weight, forcing me to get a whole new wardrobe. I bought a bunch of skirts and only one pair of trousers (which ended up being a bad fit, so they went to the Salvation Army). Today I have three pairs of trousers (two of which I had to buy for choir concerts, and the last acquired entirely by accident last summer). In comparison, I own somewhere around forty-five skirts.

4) My hands are very sensitive to heat.
Whenever I get my coffee in a glass or in a take-away paper cup, I look completely ridiculous, because I have to keep my fingers at the very top of the glass/cup, making it easy to spill and practically impossible to drink. Also, this is the reason I dislike doing the dishes.

5) I have a dark scar on my left hip.
I was ten years old. My family and I were in Germany, at this sort of Water World-ish place with water slides and a bunch of different pools. I tried one of the really big water slides, and got to the bottom, but before I had the chance to come up to the surface the next person - an adult - came down the slide and landed on top of me, so that I hit my hip on the swimming pool floor. It bled like crazy, and I had a funny walk and a purple hip for weeks afterwards. Also, I don't think I've been on a water slide since.

6) The first band I liked was Belle and Sebastian.
If you don't count listening to the Spice Girls, Aqua or Cleopatra in primary school (when you basically listen to what the other kids think is cool), this was my first encounter with outside-of-the-charts contemporary pop music. I must have been about thirteen years old, and I borrowed 'The Boy with the Arab Strap' from the library. 'He had a stroke at the age of twenty-four; it could have been a brilliant career.' I count this lyric as my first love.

7) The sound of the radio puts me in a very, very bad mood.
Having grown up in a house where the radio channel P1, and usually also the TV, was on everywhere, all the time, I now despise the sound of it. In general, low, buzzing background noises without structure (TV, radio, people's voices, someone else's music through their headphones) tend to make me grumpy (and if they don't cease, violent). This may also be one of the reasons why being on campus stresses me out. The intense buzz of people's various conversations is extremely exhausting to me.

Hmmm... Where shall my tag fall today? I think, perhaps, on aeva86, to get her blogging again. And on Julie, of course. And Heidi, because even she must have time for this teeny tiny pathetic excuse for a meme. And on aj_stalin, because she is stuck at home for the time being and needs to keep busy.


Now I'm getting back to my new best friends: my books. I wish you all a lovely evening.

Things I Love Thursday. Now, I have to clear something up: I totally stole this concept. Specifically, I stole it from Gala. And she does it much better than me, because she has a better blog, better computer skills and more time on her hands. But so what? I'm still going to give it a go.

1) Arrested Development.

I have watched almost all of the first series this week, and it is one of the funniest things I have seen on television.

2) Listening to Mark Kermode reviewing films on my iPod. The reviews are often more entertaining than the films themselves, and having him describe Elizabeth: The Golden Age as 'history as retold in a Duran Duran video' is just priceless.

3) Cream caramel sauce on fruit.

This is becoming an exam-month tradition - it's the one thing I can always make, no matter how few ingredients I have in the house. Cream, white and brown sugar, syrup, fruit. Eat too much and you get the stomach ache of the century, thus an excuse for going to bed instead of studying.

4) Faux fishnet stockings.

I buy mine from Lindex (even though they are terrible quality and get holes almost instantly), and they sex up any outfit in no time.

5) My tall, high-heeled, round-toed black leather boots. So versatile. So comfy. So sexy.

6) The autumn/winter lingerie collections.

Always so classy, with such rich, gorgeous colours and such beautiful detailing, because this stuff is not intended to be worn underneath skimpy white camisoles. Yummy.

7) Pale, rosy skin, berry-stained lips and sleek, super-shiny hair. The ultimate winter look for dark-eyed brunettes like me. I'm enjoying it before hat season starts.

8) Flight of the Conchords - a couple of Kiwi comedians that have made a musical TV-series that can best be described, according to Arne, as "'Singin' in the Rain' meets 'The Office'". Here's a clip:

9) Home-made soup and mashed potatoes. Two wonderful comfort foods that don't score too low on the health-o-meter either.

10) The sunrises at this time of year.

They are so beautiful, and I get to be awake for them. I love watching the sunrise on my way to school, but it's even better peeking at it from underneath the duvet, thinking 'oh, it's still dark out, I don't have to get up for hours yet'. Love that.

Which reminds me, I have to get ready for my date with my duvet. We've been going together for almost a year now, I think it's getting serious.

And I thought nothing could ever come between me and my pampering routine. Well, apparently, 'nothing' means 'a migraine of otherworldly dimensions'. So how was your day?

All is not lost, however. I am making my best confused frowning face and trying to work out what all this website stuff is all about - crack the FTP-code, so to speak (yeah, just going to give you a few seconds to digest that one - there we go). This is complicated stuff, but I'm used to having my way when it comes to learning new things and I won't let a silly little website put an end to that. I will get back on the roll. I just have to finish my coffee first (and we all know that might take a while).

'To you, I am an atheist. To God, I am the loyal opposition.'
- Woody Allen

Nothing but memes until after exams. I think.
Shit, I'm nervous.




[1.] What did you do in 2006 that you have never done before?
Get a full-time job. Move away from home. Move in with a boyfriend. Argue with him. Gain some sense of the value of money. Cut my hair short on purpose. Have an orgasm (I'm a tough one). Get over it.

[2.] Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
I can't even remember what they were, so I'm guessing not. I suspect 'become a better person in all conceivable ways' was on there, so...nah.

[3.] Have you any resolutions for next year?
Not any that I've finally decided upon. Stay tuned, for I can guarantee that they will be blogged. A few to start, though: Write more. Spend less uncontrollable amounts of money on silly little things (this worked really well for a while this autumn, but then it went straight back down again). Be a little less of a spoilt brat. Be a little more of a funky sex kitten.

[4.] What countries did you visit?
Uhm....Vestlandet? Ooh, and Portugal and Sweden. Been a slow year.

[5.] What would you like to have in 2007 that you didn't have in 2006?
Ambition, or motivation, or preferably both. A ZOP diploma. A plan.

[6.] What date in 2006 will remain etched in your memory?
March 20th. August 6th. More things went on in my mind in those few months than in the whole of last year, but it turned out really, really well.

[7.] What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Making a couple of independent decisions, and sticking with them.

[8.] What was your biggest failure?
Not changing the slightest by way of study routines etc., relating to this exam I keep mentioning...

[9.] Did you suffer any illness or injury?
 Not physical, no. Mental growing pains, yes.

[10.] What was the best thing you bought?
A fantastic coat. The perfect work shoes, and my first wedges. Tickets to Iron&Wine/Calexico. German dictionary.

[11.] Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
EsHo's 'self-righteous-bastard'-ness, VaDa's puzzling neglect and MaGa's drunken alter ego. ArMo's general self. More than anyone's, though: my own.

[12.] Where did most of your money go?
Rent. New coat. German course. Lingerie and shoes.

[13.] What did you get really really really excited about?
Flat-hunting and everything connected to it. New friends. My new-found ability to be aware of the contents of my bank account at all times. Haircuts. New shoes. Thoroughly lovely boyfriend.

[14.] What songs will always remind you of 2006?
Mercury Rev: Goddess on a highway. Anna Ternheim: I'll follow you tonight. Regina Spektor: Us and Samson. Bjørn Kruse: Elements.

[15.] Compared to this time last year are you :
[A] Fatter or thinner? Pretty much the same, I think. A tad fatter, but I also allow myself to eat chocolate now, so it's ok.
[B] Happier or sadder? Happier. Much, much happier.
[C] Richer or poorer? Richer, even though that makes absolutely no sense.

[16.] What do you wish you'd done more of?
Gone for walks. Read. Had tea with friends. Kept in touch with people. Relaxed. Phoned my grandparents. Studied. Written proper things.

[17.] What do you wish you'd done less of?
Obsessed over hopeless issues. Cried. Worried. Complained about my job, my boss, my inadequacy and other people's clothes.

[18.] How will you be spending Christmas?
With my family at mum's place. Spending a lot of time alone, writing (crossing my fingers).

[19.] Which LJ users did you meet for the first time?
Well... None that I hadn't met in real life first. But I got to know a few of those a lot better than I did before.

[20.] Did you fall in love in 2006?
Not in anyone new, but a second and a third time with someone old.

[21.] How many one night stands?
None. Oh, come on, you know me; I'm not a tart, I'm a flirt! A tarty flirt. Ok, I'm a flart.

[22] What was your favourite TV show?
I've hardly watched tv since I moved away from home. Gilmore Girls, maybe? Although even that was pretty dull towards the end. I've grown quite fond of Grey's Anatomy, though.

[23.] Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Not any more. Appalled and depressed is more my style.

[24.] What was/were the best books you read?
Hm, God I can hardly remember what I've read this year. I loved Få meg på for faen. Platform was great, and just what I needed at the time. Silk was beautiful. Eats, shoots and leaves was very, very entertaining. About a boy was sweet. But I think either Platform or Få meg på. Coin flip. *flip flip flip*
Platform. Jesus, how that book screwed up my mind...

[25.] What was your greatest musical discovery?
Anna Ternheim (hardly my discovery, but a discovery that meant a lot to me).

[26.] What did you want and get?
Happiness.

[27.] What did you want and not get?
The Oxford English Dictionary. I'll shut up now.

[28.] What was your favourite film this year?
'Tristram Shandy'? Or maybe 'Das Leben der Anderen'. Or maybe one of those that are slipping my mind right now. *slip*

[29.] What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I went to lectures. It snowed. Ice fell on my head. I got a haircut. I bought coffee. I felt sorry for myself. I hung out with MaMü. I spent time with boyfriend person. It was a really, really bad day. Oh, and yes, twenty. Big girl.

[30.] What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
Something resembling a plan. Something resembling a lasting change in my lazy attitude towards schoolwork, avan though I know all too well that that's not going to happen unless I do something to make it so. Also: People sticking wround.

[31.] How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
Spring: Bag lady, or 'student' as they call it. Jeans re-enter my closet after a period of absence.
Summer: Romantic and shiny. Ballerina pumps and flowery skirts. Turquoise dress.
Autumn (and still going): I don't know, sexy librarian? And lots of happy cleavage on weekends, hoorah!

[32.] What kept you sane?
Friends. sootpigdog for quite a while. Boyfriend on my spare time, MaGa at work. Tea, my red slippers and lj.

[33.] Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Steve Coogan and Kate Winslet, tied. Runners up are Natalie Portman and Jarvis Cocker. Yummy.

[34.] Which political issue stirred you the most?
The whole Middle East thing and the Iraq nightmare are both just exhaustingly, horribly stuck. Loads of domestic issues fronted by verbally challenged politicians. I'm best at not getting involved.

[35.] Who did you miss?
My brother. Then there are the other fifty people.

[36.] Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Loads of cliché standards, like 'love comes in all shapes and sizes', 'the most precious thing you have is your friends' etc. I keep learning those lessons a little better, but never quite well enough, so I don't think they count. I have learned, though, that you should never judge other people, and never make assumptions about them and their tastes, values etc. I'm starting to learn a few things about myself that can's be put into words right now, for fear of jinxing the process. I've learned that people don't, in fact, disappear if they don't mean to. I've learned that there loads of people in the world who have no idea of how good they really are, and that's a lesson I'd like to learn again and again and again.

[37.] Quote a song lyric that sums up your year...
One?! Jeez, no single song lyric that I can think of right now can sum up my entire year. The past six months, though, it has to be one from an I'm from Barcelona song:
'I don't care, let's pretend that it's Sunday'

Sundays are great for thinking. Or in my case, thinking and cleaning. Not so good for working, or for writing anything good. I'll keep this short, then.

On Wednesday I wrote something proper. I haven't written anything proper for a very, very long time, if ever. Something I've really concentrated on doing, something I've felt was worth writing, and perhaps even worth reading. I spent four and a half hours working on it, sacrificing a huge amount of German homework that I could have, and probably should have, worked on instead. Writing made me feel truly happy (not the kind of giddy-happy that I'm so good at squeezing out of the most mundane situations, but serenely, thoroughly content).

Wednesday night is now known to me and my closest friends as 'the night when lj's auto-save function failed me'. I cried so, so much when it all disappeared (except for the first two, extremely silly, paragraphs). What it took me a couple of days to realise, though, was that that incident caused me to like mysalf quite a lot better, because I, for once, felt that something I had produced all by myself was important enough for me to regret losing it. This whole semester has been a series of emotional ups and downs because of my feeling of worthlessness, and how I've kept ending up thinking 'maybe this is all I'm good for'. I'm not claiming that that's all over now, that I have ambition and a feeling of self-worth now, but I'm getting there.

On the whole, my life hasn't changed all that much this past year. That's all bullshit, of course: I've grown up more than I have in the previous five years put together. I still have many of the same habits, though. The same fears, the same weaknesses, the same guilty secrets. I still spend my Sunday nights writing and drinking enormous cups of tea, even though I know I should be studying. I still have that one pair of tracky bottoms, the dark blue ones with the frog. I still believe proper tea does not come in bags. I still think that beautiful notebooks are one of the greatest joys in my everyday life. I still think I'm kind of shit at everything I attempt to do, and I'm still annoyed at myself for not making more of what other people seem to consider 'a mind worth taking care of'. I'm still scared stiff when I think about what I want to do with my life, and I still want to take all the people who urge me to 'figure things out as quickly as possible, so as not to waste more of my precious time' and aim at thair necks with a blunt axe. I still have days when I love my hair, and days when I hate my belly. I still feel generally inadequate. I still love being the smartest in a room, although that happens less and less often. I still wonder how I can become a better person, but after a quick surf on the internet I mostly end up going to sleep and forgetting about it. I am still puzzled by other people and their social codes. I still wish that being 'just' friends were enough, even though it clearly isn't for many of my favourite people.

I'm still crap at keeping in touch with my friends. I still have no idea how to change the things I dislike so much about myself.
But I dislike those sides less now.

So I'll take a bit of a stab at that meme that everyone's doing, although I doubt much entertainment will come of it:

February:
Så. Mitt selvutleverende jeg dukket på mystisk vis opp etter lang tids fravær. Velkommen tilbake, kjære. Over til deg

March:
Internett! Internett! Mor har endelig fattet en avgjørelse i den store diskusjonen: Trådløst nettverk eller ikke trådløst nettverk? Og ja, Ja, JA!!!!! Fra mandag er jeg knyttet til utenomverdenen uten å måtte reise halvannen time i snøstorm til de offentlige pc-rommene på Blindern (som er forklaringen på min hittil ekstremt labre blogg-som-ikke-er-verdig-å-kalles-mer-en-wannabe-blogg).

April:
The weather forecast for the next three days is showing rain - sleet - snow in that order for the next three days. Not much news to speak of, really.

May:
Regina Spektor, Regina Spektor, Regina Spektor, Regina Spektor, Regina Spektor, Regina Spektor, Regina Spektor.

June:
It's officially summer. Breakfast on the balcony, baking in the sun for days on end, drinking tea, reading, watching my legs turning ever so slightly beige-ish and my freckles darkening, going to the cinema, walking out of the cinema at eleven o'clock and being met by daylight and loads of half-dressed sixteen year-olds...

July:
In the midst of everything...
... was a little woman not quite knowing where to start. Help wanted.

August:
I. Have. SO. Much. Stuff.

October:
She's back...
And more in need of a good rant than ever!

November:
My brain is turning to mush, but then, who would notice?

December:
What's your seduction style? The Escape Artist.

I'm pretty self-centred. I'd like to be more interesting and less talkative. I wish my working morals were up to scratch. I wish I weighed a little less, and that I had one of those nice, round music video bottoms. I wish I didn't bite my cuticles when I'm nervous.

For a twenty year old girl it could be worse, couldn't it?

This morning, on my way to work, I looked over to the pavement on the other side of the road and saw a very large, ill-dressed young girl with a very small purse. I have since begun to think about which images give me that specific feeling of 'really, really odd'-ness. My ambition is to make a list, and ultimately to find a connection. It starts today.

Exhibit A:





Now isn't that just the cutest dog you ever saw? (Ok, yes I know it's not. That was a rhetorical question, I didn't mean... Oh, never mind)

Exhibit B:





How come li'l ol' Chi-Chi all naked? Who stole her Couture Chien and told her that buck was the new black?

But wait, there's more!

Exhibit C:





Now, take a long, hard look at that bag.