Impossible to grasp
I feel disgusted. I just watched a show on TV about a woman whose ambition is to gain as much weight as she possibly can. Her ultimate goal in life is to break the record as the most heavy woman on earth at 1000 pounds, like 450ish kgs (during the time of filming of the show she was still quite some kgs short, I have no idea if she's reached that goal today). I just sat on the couch trying to grasp why a person would have such a goal as their ultimate ambition in life.
She has two children, a teenager and a baby. She broke the record as the most obese person to give birth to a baby (but that apparently doesn't satisfy her record-breaking desire...!). I felt really sorry for her children. She is so damn obese that she could hardly carry her baby. She couldn't bathe, dress, change nappies, or play with the baby either. If I were the baby, the only thing I would be grateful of her for would be the soft and warm belly fat to use as a bed! The mum also exploited her teenager, because she completely relied on him to do all the household work as well as take care of the baby.
She has a boyfriend of normal weight. He introduced himself as a "feeder" - i.e. he gets turned on by all the fat on her, and he gets turned on by over-feeding her and seeing her gain weight. He also takes these repulsing pornographic photos of her, which he calls "artistic". I can't imagine how a photo of someone's GIGANTIC freaking stomach fat dangling could be artistic or sexy. Apparently, this woman also has a lot of male fans all over the world, and she's even received lots of marriage proposals. Geez guys, what's fucking WRONG with you lot??
I don't know who I'm more repulsed at, the woman or her boyfried. He's exploiting her, and slowly killing her. Maybe he's brainwashed her and threatened her, and probably abuses her emotionally. So she's just emotionally weak? Urgh, I don't know, I just feel bad for her children. This whole thing is so retarded and twisted.
She has two children, a teenager and a baby. She broke the record as the most obese person to give birth to a baby (but that apparently doesn't satisfy her record-breaking desire...!). I felt really sorry for her children. She is so damn obese that she could hardly carry her baby. She couldn't bathe, dress, change nappies, or play with the baby either. If I were the baby, the only thing I would be grateful of her for would be the soft and warm belly fat to use as a bed! The mum also exploited her teenager, because she completely relied on him to do all the household work as well as take care of the baby.
She has a boyfriend of normal weight. He introduced himself as a "feeder" - i.e. he gets turned on by all the fat on her, and he gets turned on by over-feeding her and seeing her gain weight. He also takes these repulsing pornographic photos of her, which he calls "artistic". I can't imagine how a photo of someone's GIGANTIC freaking stomach fat dangling could be artistic or sexy. Apparently, this woman also has a lot of male fans all over the world, and she's even received lots of marriage proposals. Geez guys, what's fucking WRONG with you lot??
I don't know who I'm more repulsed at, the woman or her boyfried. He's exploiting her, and slowly killing her. Maybe he's brainwashed her and threatened her, and probably abuses her emotionally. So she's just emotionally weak? Urgh, I don't know, I just feel bad for her children. This whole thing is so retarded and twisted.
1 year and 6 months
Today I've been with my BF for one and a half years. It makes me smile whenever I think of that today, because it has not been a short road to get to where we are. We went on our first date one and a half year ago, but since then we have been separated continuously. Since I was working as a au pair in Nottingham at that time, I could only see him during the weekends. Last summer, we were separated for almost 3 months before we could reunite, then separated just after several days for another month and a half. We've never been united for a period of more than a month and a half. This long distance thing is hard, and I hate relying on Skype and (expensive!) phone bills to keep contact. And him going through the roughest period of his life during the past years doesn't make any of this easier. So to have overcome those obstacles and still be together and to know that he's mine mine makes me smile!
The other day, I heard this Chinese song, and I really loved the lyrics, because they fit in so well with my situation:
相思好比小蚂蚁
爬呀爬在我心底
尤其在那静静的寂寞夜里
它就在我心游移
叫我好想你
相呀相思
说是痛苦也甜蜜
让那寂寞在我心田扩大了面积
别让那你我的爱缩短距离
所以我好愿意
让那小蚂蚁
变成串串爱意
爬在我心底
The lyrics are about thinking and longing for someone, where ants are used as a metaphor for that, and the melodie is quick and cheerful. It may sound retarded to use ants as a symbol of longing, but it doesn't in Chinese, and the metaphor "cutifies" the song, making me cheerful about having someone to long for rather than being depressed about it.
I raise my imaginary glass to another 100 happy years together!
Rough journey back
I am now back on Swedish soil, got back two days ago. The trip back to Sweden was pretty much a torture. The evening before the day of my flight, we had to catch a train from the small town we lived in to Beijing. The train trip took twelve hours, and we spent the entire night on the train, sleeping in bunk beds. After we got to Beijing we headed straight for the airport for our flight.
That doesn't sound much like a torture eh? However, I got diarrhea the day before leaving for the train trip. That was survivable as I was still at home with (essential) easy access to the toilet every fifteen minutes or so. The next day, the day of the train trip, the diarrhea stopped, and I felt a bit less sick. I thought I would be alright on the entire trip back to Sweden. Oh how very wrong I was.
That evening, after we got on the train, I climbed up onto my bunk bed and went to sleep. In the middle of the night I started feeling sick again, and felt like throwing up whenever my head was level with my stomach, so I had to elevate my head so I didn't throw up and disgust the people sleeping on the other bunk beds. After repeating the process of falling alseep and then waking up countless times due to nausea, at 5am I started getting diarrhea again. Having diarrhea on a train full of passengers was not an ideal situation. I'm very grateful about the fact that the worst part of my diarrhea occurred between 5 and 7am while most passengers were still sleeping, during which time I basically invaded the toilet on the train. The toilet on the train was not pleasant. It was one of those typical Chinese crouching toilets where there is a fotball sized hole on the floor which penetrates the floor of the train where people's urine and excrete go through the hole onto the railway tracks below. Those types of toilets are disgusting as there is definitely pee and occasionally poo surrounding the hole (people seem to generally be bad aimers). I had to spend 2 whole hours in one of those, which didn't help my nausea at all.
Finally we got off the train and headed for the airport. We had a million heavy bags, and my arm muscles struggled to carry them. At the airport, the diarrhea continued quite regularly even until I got onto the plane. I usually get plane sick, because I feel too enclosed and the smell of plane food really disgusts me. This combined with diarrhea made me feel pretty damn sick. Fortunately, the diarrhea stopped at about 5pm (12 hours!).
Wow, I just realised how detailed I described my trip back. Despite the horrible trip back, I had a great vacation in China, and I really don't want to be back in Sweden. I'm still jetlagged, and I'm reeeally sleepy at the moment, so I'll write more later. Just a few photos below: 1) Nanjing, 2) Hong Kong, 3) Traditional soy sauce production in a small town
That doesn't sound much like a torture eh? However, I got diarrhea the day before leaving for the train trip. That was survivable as I was still at home with (essential) easy access to the toilet every fifteen minutes or so. The next day, the day of the train trip, the diarrhea stopped, and I felt a bit less sick. I thought I would be alright on the entire trip back to Sweden. Oh how very wrong I was.
That evening, after we got on the train, I climbed up onto my bunk bed and went to sleep. In the middle of the night I started feeling sick again, and felt like throwing up whenever my head was level with my stomach, so I had to elevate my head so I didn't throw up and disgust the people sleeping on the other bunk beds. After repeating the process of falling alseep and then waking up countless times due to nausea, at 5am I started getting diarrhea again. Having diarrhea on a train full of passengers was not an ideal situation. I'm very grateful about the fact that the worst part of my diarrhea occurred between 5 and 7am while most passengers were still sleeping, during which time I basically invaded the toilet on the train. The toilet on the train was not pleasant. It was one of those typical Chinese crouching toilets where there is a fotball sized hole on the floor which penetrates the floor of the train where people's urine and excrete go through the hole onto the railway tracks below. Those types of toilets are disgusting as there is definitely pee and occasionally poo surrounding the hole (people seem to generally be bad aimers). I had to spend 2 whole hours in one of those, which didn't help my nausea at all.
Finally we got off the train and headed for the airport. We had a million heavy bags, and my arm muscles struggled to carry them. At the airport, the diarrhea continued quite regularly even until I got onto the plane. I usually get plane sick, because I feel too enclosed and the smell of plane food really disgusts me. This combined with diarrhea made me feel pretty damn sick. Fortunately, the diarrhea stopped at about 5pm (12 hours!).
Wow, I just realised how detailed I described my trip back. Despite the horrible trip back, I had a great vacation in China, and I really don't want to be back in Sweden. I'm still jetlagged, and I'm reeeally sleepy at the moment, so I'll write more later. Just a few photos below: 1) Nanjing, 2) Hong Kong, 3) Traditional soy sauce production in a small town
Hong Kong, my love!
I am still in China at the moment. I've been in mainland mostly, but I flew to Hong Kong from mainland on the 16th and just got back yesterday. I was there to visit my bf as his family lives there and he also lives there during the holidays. Oh holy cow, how I loved HK! I have already decided that I want to work as a doctor in HK in the future. I have also neeearly convinced my bf to purchase a house for me on one of HK's many hill tops overlooking the sea and city.
My first impression of HK as the plane approached the airport in the air was that it is such a beautiful, breath-taking city with grassy hills and sparkling sea. I had imagined it to be a completely urban metropolitan place where people had lost the concept of nature, but oh how effing wrong I was! There is a lot of green throughout the city (except the most urban and developed areas), and the best thing is that the nature is approachable, and thus provides a choice for its citizens-city or nature.
I went through one of the most nerve-wracking experience during my trip in HK: I met the bf's family. Within my very first hour in HK, I had already met his mum. We had lunch in a high class Japanese restaurant, and I felt very out of place with my plaid shirt and baggy trousers (those trousers are very comfortable for plane trips!). The meeting proceeded quite alright, and I didn't die of nervosity like I thought I would. I also met my bf's older brother and his wife a few days later. We had dinner in an even higher class restaurant and my attire was even more inappropriate as we had just been hill climbing.
The first day I arrived in HK, I walked around a part of the city by myself for a few hours, because the bf had to run an errand. The weather was indecisive, it was sunny, then suddenly stormy and rainy. I had never seen such rain in my life before, it was even heavier than as if someone stood in the sky with a shower head aimed at HK on full power. However, I managed to snap a few photos in between the rain periods:
Skyline with rain clouds
By the harbour in the district I walked in, there was something called Avenue of Stars, where I suppose famous people from HK inprint their hand prints and sign their names on the concrete ground. I saw Jackie Chan's star, and he was the only person I knew (well, Bruce Lee was there too, but his star was too crowded so I couldn't be bothered to look at it).
I shall write about my remaining days later, gotta go exercise!
My first impression of HK as the plane approached the airport in the air was that it is such a beautiful, breath-taking city with grassy hills and sparkling sea. I had imagined it to be a completely urban metropolitan place where people had lost the concept of nature, but oh how effing wrong I was! There is a lot of green throughout the city (except the most urban and developed areas), and the best thing is that the nature is approachable, and thus provides a choice for its citizens-city or nature.
I went through one of the most nerve-wracking experience during my trip in HK: I met the bf's family. Within my very first hour in HK, I had already met his mum. We had lunch in a high class Japanese restaurant, and I felt very out of place with my plaid shirt and baggy trousers (those trousers are very comfortable for plane trips!). The meeting proceeded quite alright, and I didn't die of nervosity like I thought I would. I also met my bf's older brother and his wife a few days later. We had dinner in an even higher class restaurant and my attire was even more inappropriate as we had just been hill climbing.
The first day I arrived in HK, I walked around a part of the city by myself for a few hours, because the bf had to run an errand. The weather was indecisive, it was sunny, then suddenly stormy and rainy. I had never seen such rain in my life before, it was even heavier than as if someone stood in the sky with a shower head aimed at HK on full power. However, I managed to snap a few photos in between the rain periods:
Skyline with rain clouds
By the harbour in the district I walked in, there was something called Avenue of Stars, where I suppose famous people from HK inprint their hand prints and sign their names on the concrete ground. I saw Jackie Chan's star, and he was the only person I knew (well, Bruce Lee was there too, but his star was too crowded so I couldn't be bothered to look at it).
I shall write about my remaining days later, gotta go exercise!
Philosophical Musing #8
I have never sweated so much in my entire life until these past few days. I don't know if I was just lazy the previous times I came to China and just didn't move around much, or if the temperature here has risen like crazy, but I am sticky with sweat almost all day everday! Yesterday, the rain fooled everyone. When it rains, it usually decreses the temperature and brings some lovely wind, but yesterday's rain brough moisture and heat, which resulted in entirely sweated through T-shirts.
Anyway, what I really wanted to write about was how easy our lives are compared to our parents' or our grandparents' and previous generations'. My mum and grandma were chatting, and I can't remember how they got into the topic, but my grandma started reminiscing about the hardships in her life. Her mother died when she was still a kid, and she and her siblings were so poor that they had to beg for food in order to survive. She started working as a teacher for small children when she was 14 years old to earn some money, which was not enough for most things. During winter she only had one shirt and one thin jacket, and she got wounds due to the bitter cold and wind, which ultimately resulted in scars that are still visible. When she was nine months pregnant, she had to ground wheat into flour with that mill thingy. I don't know what the verb is, but she had to push this lever around to ground flour, a job usually assigned to donkeys. The same afternoon she went into labour. Can you imagine what that must have been like? She had no choice, they needed to eat.
What about our lives? We have a surplus of food and clothes and money. We hardly need to do any household work unless we've moved out (well, even in that scenario, we can escape housework if we can survive in our own mess). For most children, their parents live a longer life. Recent technological advancements have made certain aspects of our lives easier. We have so many more choices, we can choose what to study in university, and we certainly have much more opportunities in life. For instance, I had the opportunity to take a gap year, well, two actually, and experience another country and meet new people.
It's so not fair to my parents or my grandparents that they had such hard lives, and I can't even describe how guilty I feel when I look at my life and compare it to what they had at my age. It really makes me cringe with embarrassment when I look back in retrospect at my teenage years complaining and arguing like it's the end of the world about the fact that I wasn't allowed to use the computer when I wanted to or not allowed to go somewhere with my friends.
Today, almost everything is served to us or very easily attainable, and we don't need to fight half as hard as our previous generations did to survive. Is our generation becoming too spoiled?
P.S. I still haven't taken any photos, so I will stick some photos I took in Sweden of the lovely summer weather, because my blog looks too boring without any photos on my latest posts.
Anyway, what I really wanted to write about was how easy our lives are compared to our parents' or our grandparents' and previous generations'. My mum and grandma were chatting, and I can't remember how they got into the topic, but my grandma started reminiscing about the hardships in her life. Her mother died when she was still a kid, and she and her siblings were so poor that they had to beg for food in order to survive. She started working as a teacher for small children when she was 14 years old to earn some money, which was not enough for most things. During winter she only had one shirt and one thin jacket, and she got wounds due to the bitter cold and wind, which ultimately resulted in scars that are still visible. When she was nine months pregnant, she had to ground wheat into flour with that mill thingy. I don't know what the verb is, but she had to push this lever around to ground flour, a job usually assigned to donkeys. The same afternoon she went into labour. Can you imagine what that must have been like? She had no choice, they needed to eat.
What about our lives? We have a surplus of food and clothes and money. We hardly need to do any household work unless we've moved out (well, even in that scenario, we can escape housework if we can survive in our own mess). For most children, their parents live a longer life. Recent technological advancements have made certain aspects of our lives easier. We have so many more choices, we can choose what to study in university, and we certainly have much more opportunities in life. For instance, I had the opportunity to take a gap year, well, two actually, and experience another country and meet new people.
It's so not fair to my parents or my grandparents that they had such hard lives, and I can't even describe how guilty I feel when I look at my life and compare it to what they had at my age. It really makes me cringe with embarrassment when I look back in retrospect at my teenage years complaining and arguing like it's the end of the world about the fact that I wasn't allowed to use the computer when I wanted to or not allowed to go somewhere with my friends.
Today, almost everything is served to us or very easily attainable, and we don't need to fight half as hard as our previous generations did to survive. Is our generation becoming too spoiled?
P.S. I still haven't taken any photos, so I will stick some photos I took in Sweden of the lovely summer weather, because my blog looks too boring without any photos on my latest posts.
Short update
I don't really know where to start, so many things have happened! Since arriving in Beijing last Saturday, I have been in 4 cities in less than 4 days! I've met some of my relatives, but far from all. I've done practically zero shopping (well, I did spend yesterday afternoon shopping, but only bought one T-shirt, so that doesn't count as actual shopping). I've also cut my hair and now I have bangs again. When I cut bangs myself last year I thought I looked alright in bangs, but when a professional hairdresser did it this time, I now look like a Chinese farmer's daughter, grr!
While chatting to some relatives, or listening to my mum and the adults chat, I realise so many things have happened to numerous relatives. There have been numerous divorces and new marriages, new babies have popped out, some have moved to a different city and have started in a new school or with a new job. I know about some of these incidents and events, but there's so much more new news than old news, which makes me feel a bit behind, and a bit left out. In the sense that, hello, why didn't you inform me earlier, I had no idea!
The heat is crazy here! It's 36 degrees outside today, not fun, it's like inserting your hand into the oven when you take the food out of there, except it applies to your entire body. I'm alright with it though, cause it's kind of part of what China visit experience is like for me. I wouldn't feel like I'm in China unless there's the damn heat.
I haven't taken any photos so far, cause I haven't really unpacked entirely. I am at my grandparents' home at the moment, and that's where I keep my suitcases and stuff, so I will unpack my camera and try to remember to take some photos today. I'm meeting my aunt and uncle and cousin from my mother's side in a while, very excited! NEED to go pee, so I'll post this. Laters!
Guess where I am!
I am in China! WOOHOO. I am overjoyed about it, although it still feels a little surreal. That's ok though, because I am constantly reminded by different things that I am on Chinese soil. Like whenever I feel like I can't breathe because the air is so thick of pollution, and there is no sight of any blue sky even though it's supposedly "sunny". Or whenever I'm 5cms away from being run over by cars and bikes and buses even though I'm walking on the pedestrian side. Or when the sun has set and the neon lights have been lit, and all of a sudden, the city feels so lively, and the air is thick of smokey barbequed lamb smell.
I arrived in Beijing with my parents this morning, at like 9isham local time, middle of the night in Sweden (6 hours difference). Then we waited a while for a domestic transfer flight. Our luggage was a hassle, because we had to take it out, and then check it in again, and also the Chinese security guards were so picky. We also had some food in the airport restuarant, and it tasted like..nothing. Bland. We took the domestic flight to a city called Jinan, where my dad works as a professor a few months a year.
I would love to write more about my adventurous day, but I am dizzy and sleepy and probably wouldn't make much sense in my writing even if I did continue. So I shall update tomorrow or whenever I next have internet. Going to bed, now. NIGHT!
I arrived in Beijing with my parents this morning, at like 9isham local time, middle of the night in Sweden (6 hours difference). Then we waited a while for a domestic transfer flight. Our luggage was a hassle, because we had to take it out, and then check it in again, and also the Chinese security guards were so picky. We also had some food in the airport restuarant, and it tasted like..nothing. Bland. We took the domestic flight to a city called Jinan, where my dad works as a professor a few months a year.
I would love to write more about my adventurous day, but I am dizzy and sleepy and probably wouldn't make much sense in my writing even if I did continue. So I shall update tomorrow or whenever I next have internet. Going to bed, now. NIGHT!
Oops
I realised I have not written anything here for an entire week now, tsk tsk me! A lot has been happening, especially because I am now back in Sweden. I have been back here since last Friday, and have been busy and tired to death every single day since then - stupid errands to run, things to get, school stuff to sort out. All is good though :)
Well, it feels yet again weird to be back in Sweden. In a way, life is a little more complicated back here. I don't really feel at home here, not even in my own home with my parents. The other day, my parents asked me if I was still used to living here, and I honestly told them that at the moment I feel more at home in London than here. I should have lied, because they looked a little hurt by my comment :( But I do feel more at home in London, in that little flat, with the BF. With him, I don't know how and why, but life is easier. Maybe it's because we're just two people who get along and live along quite well, and the flat is small, and it's easier to plan things and do things. Over here in Sweden, I want my parents to not have to worry about me, so I adapt to their wants and wishes as much as I can. I suppose that's the reason. I'm not complaining though, I'm very happy to be back and to spend some time with my parents!
Last Saturday was a big day for Sweden, because the princess got married. Lots of people went to the city centre to watch the ceremony on huge screens, including my parents and me. I wasn't very enthusiastic about the wedding, but my mum was, and she kept on leading us into the most crowded places! Geez, I wonder what she'll do when her own kids, my sister or I, get married. Although, I do have to admit that the ceremony was beautiful, the bride was very beautiful, and I was a little jealous! That evening we had dinner at my cousin's restaurant. Yep, that's right, my cousin opened a Chinese restaurant just outside town with two others, and we had a big feast there. I'm really proud of my cousin, he's just two years older than me, and he's got his own freaking restaurant up and running, utterly impressive!
I gotta go and run some more errands, will write more later!
Well, it feels yet again weird to be back in Sweden. In a way, life is a little more complicated back here. I don't really feel at home here, not even in my own home with my parents. The other day, my parents asked me if I was still used to living here, and I honestly told them that at the moment I feel more at home in London than here. I should have lied, because they looked a little hurt by my comment :( But I do feel more at home in London, in that little flat, with the BF. With him, I don't know how and why, but life is easier. Maybe it's because we're just two people who get along and live along quite well, and the flat is small, and it's easier to plan things and do things. Over here in Sweden, I want my parents to not have to worry about me, so I adapt to their wants and wishes as much as I can. I suppose that's the reason. I'm not complaining though, I'm very happy to be back and to spend some time with my parents!
Last Saturday was a big day for Sweden, because the princess got married. Lots of people went to the city centre to watch the ceremony on huge screens, including my parents and me. I wasn't very enthusiastic about the wedding, but my mum was, and she kept on leading us into the most crowded places! Geez, I wonder what she'll do when her own kids, my sister or I, get married. Although, I do have to admit that the ceremony was beautiful, the bride was very beautiful, and I was a little jealous! That evening we had dinner at my cousin's restaurant. Yep, that's right, my cousin opened a Chinese restaurant just outside town with two others, and we had a big feast there. I'm really proud of my cousin, he's just two years older than me, and he's got his own freaking restaurant up and running, utterly impressive!
I gotta go and run some more errands, will write more later!
Adventures
I've always wanted to take a random train out of London and just get off at a station close to the countryside where there are endless vast meadows and fields. I finally convinced the BF to go on such an adventure with me (wasn't easy!), and last Saturday we took a train from London Wimbeldon towards the southeast. We ended up getting off at the end station, which was a town called Guildford. We tried to figure out through the name how it would be down there while on the train. Maybe there's some kind of guild there, so we guessed that everyone in that town is into something, like fencing or horseback riding or whatever.
Actually, we didn't plan to get off at the end station. We looked out the window the entire way, and agreed to get off at any station as long as there were meadows nearby. However, all the meadows were in between two stations, and it would take hooours to walk to one if we got off at any of the two stations, and we were too lazy to walk. Eventually, as the train approached Guildford, we had no choice but to get off and just explore the Guild-place and see if people there actually do engage in any specific activity.
Initially, the place looked like any other English small town. Then we spotted this beautiful grassy hill, so we got some sandwiches and climbed towards the top of the hill. It was quite a high hill, and we had to go to the toilet in the middle, so we went to search for a potential nature toilets. Eventually, after all the hassle, and risking being stung by nettles every footstep, and stopping to admire the grassy hill and view, and complaining about insects, we managed to reach the top.
On our way down, we took another route, and ended up walking among huge, beautiful mansions. I wouldn't hesitate to accept one if some generous person gave me one of those! BF said he would buy one if the price was cheaper than his flat in London! We found our way to the town centre and did some shopping and then went home with the train, sooo effing tiiired.
We encountered some strange things during our stay there. Like this weird insect stuck to a pole, which none of us dared to touch cause it looked quite exotic and poisoness:
Then I saw some heart-shaped leaves that were very pretty!
When we were on top of the hill and looked up at the sky, BF spotted this piece of cloud shaped like a pony, or whatever animal your imagination tells you. To me it looks more like a running dog with short ears.
I want to go on more adventures and see cooler and stranger things! Anyone up for one with me (as I would probably not be able to convince BF to go on another one)?
Actually, we didn't plan to get off at the end station. We looked out the window the entire way, and agreed to get off at any station as long as there were meadows nearby. However, all the meadows were in between two stations, and it would take hooours to walk to one if we got off at any of the two stations, and we were too lazy to walk. Eventually, as the train approached Guildford, we had no choice but to get off and just explore the Guild-place and see if people there actually do engage in any specific activity.
Initially, the place looked like any other English small town. Then we spotted this beautiful grassy hill, so we got some sandwiches and climbed towards the top of the hill. It was quite a high hill, and we had to go to the toilet in the middle, so we went to search for a potential nature toilets. Eventually, after all the hassle, and risking being stung by nettles every footstep, and stopping to admire the grassy hill and view, and complaining about insects, we managed to reach the top.
On our way down, we took another route, and ended up walking among huge, beautiful mansions. I wouldn't hesitate to accept one if some generous person gave me one of those! BF said he would buy one if the price was cheaper than his flat in London! We found our way to the town centre and did some shopping and then went home with the train, sooo effing tiiired.
We encountered some strange things during our stay there. Like this weird insect stuck to a pole, which none of us dared to touch cause it looked quite exotic and poisoness:
Then I saw some heart-shaped leaves that were very pretty!
When we were on top of the hill and looked up at the sky, BF spotted this piece of cloud shaped like a pony, or whatever animal your imagination tells you. To me it looks more like a running dog with short ears.
I want to go on more adventures and see cooler and stranger things! Anyone up for one with me (as I would probably not be able to convince BF to go on another one)?
Little Miss Braggy
I realise this is a very braggy post, but I MUST display my latest culinary creation, because it is the best thing I have made so far! It's the first time I made soup, and I made a sweet potato and lentil soup. It was D-E-L-I-CIOUS! I served it with olives, oatcakes with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and homemade toasted bread with mozzarella and pesto. How good doesn't that sound?!
Today I am also Little Miss Happy, because I am really happy today! First of all, I am officially cured of my scared-of-cooking-syndrome, and I got scallops for lunch which I look forward very much to cooking. Second, BF is sitting his last exam at the moment, which means he is going to be free in about 10 minutes, and we will be able to finally hang out without his head buried in lecture notes about thermodynamics and stupid quantum mechanics. Third, it is the World Cup opening and even though I'm no where near a football fanatic, I think it's really fun just to watch and cheer on a team. Four, I have no reason to be unhappy :D
The decapitation of Mr Homemade Bread:
1) prepare knife
2) make two incisions along ears
3) separate ears from body
4) censured due to strong images
Have a great Friday people!
Today I am also Little Miss Happy, because I am really happy today! First of all, I am officially cured of my scared-of-cooking-syndrome, and I got scallops for lunch which I look forward very much to cooking. Second, BF is sitting his last exam at the moment, which means he is going to be free in about 10 minutes, and we will be able to finally hang out without his head buried in lecture notes about thermodynamics and stupid quantum mechanics. Third, it is the World Cup opening and even though I'm no where near a football fanatic, I think it's really fun just to watch and cheer on a team. Four, I have no reason to be unhappy :D
The decapitation of Mr Homemade Bread:
1) prepare knife
2) make two incisions along ears
3) separate ears from body
4) censured due to strong images
Have a great Friday people!
Food, Inc.
A few days ago, I watched Food, Inc., a documentary about the food industry and corporate farming in the United States. However, what is shown in the documentary is happening all around the world, so it is globally applicable. Since I had read the book I mentioned in April on my blog about the food and farming industry in the UK, Not on the Label, I was aware of some of the facts that Food, Inc. presented. The difference, however, between the two documentaries is that Food, Inc. provides an even greater incentive for us to change the way to farm and consume. Food, Inc. is photo/pictures-narrative, and to actually see the images of slaughterhouses, the method used to raise animals for food, and the way the entire food industry is trying to hide what is put into our food gives such an impact that a book can't give.
I know there are a lot of films and books and media coverage about this topic today, but I think Food, Inc. is one that everyone ought to watch. It's really nicely put together, and easy to understand, even though it touches upon a whole range of different issues within the food industry. For instance, it starts out narrating about how our farming methods and the food industry has changed. In the past, there were many farmers and different companies involved in providing food for the nation, but today, it has all developed into much less farmers and just a few companies that provide food for the US. These few companies are really powerful, and they make a lot of money, meaning that these businesses are well protected by the government and law.
Then the film goes on to show how chickens are raised. Many farmers declined to be interviewed for the film and many didn't dare to take the film crew into the houses where the chickens live. Only one farmer agreed to let the crew inside, and holy shit, it was effing horrible. The place was so crowded that the chickens even stood on each other. They were being fed fattening food, which resulted in their upper body growing far too obese for their legs to carry, so most of them could only take a few step before collapsing. Their legs were also stained with blood and bruises. Urgh. Not to mention, there were feces everywhere, and the farmer regularly had to remove dead chickens scattered around the house. The animals are also being fed antibiotics in their diet, to keep them from contracting diseases. Not long after this was filmed, the farmer who let the film crew was fired by Tyson, the meat producing/packing company who had a contract with the farmer. Oh, and most of the chicken houses had no windows, so they had not even seen daylight, and there is absolutely no ventilation either.
Geez, I can go on and on about the chickens, and cows, and people that died of E.coli, the big bad companies, and all the issues and questions the film raises. But I don't want to spoil too much, because you guys must see this! I showed it to the BF yesterday, and we ended up throwing out our cheap pork and beef (the chilli con carne I made(!)) we got at the supermarket. We have agreed to, in the future, live on a diet that is vegetarian, but with lots of beans and stuff, and have good quality meat and fish several times a week. You will too, I guarantee, after you watch Food, Inc.!
I know there are a lot of films and books and media coverage about this topic today, but I think Food, Inc. is one that everyone ought to watch. It's really nicely put together, and easy to understand, even though it touches upon a whole range of different issues within the food industry. For instance, it starts out narrating about how our farming methods and the food industry has changed. In the past, there were many farmers and different companies involved in providing food for the nation, but today, it has all developed into much less farmers and just a few companies that provide food for the US. These few companies are really powerful, and they make a lot of money, meaning that these businesses are well protected by the government and law.
Then the film goes on to show how chickens are raised. Many farmers declined to be interviewed for the film and many didn't dare to take the film crew into the houses where the chickens live. Only one farmer agreed to let the crew inside, and holy shit, it was effing horrible. The place was so crowded that the chickens even stood on each other. They were being fed fattening food, which resulted in their upper body growing far too obese for their legs to carry, so most of them could only take a few step before collapsing. Their legs were also stained with blood and bruises. Urgh. Not to mention, there were feces everywhere, and the farmer regularly had to remove dead chickens scattered around the house. The animals are also being fed antibiotics in their diet, to keep them from contracting diseases. Not long after this was filmed, the farmer who let the film crew was fired by Tyson, the meat producing/packing company who had a contract with the farmer. Oh, and most of the chicken houses had no windows, so they had not even seen daylight, and there is absolutely no ventilation either.
Geez, I can go on and on about the chickens, and cows, and people that died of E.coli, the big bad companies, and all the issues and questions the film raises. But I don't want to spoil too much, because you guys must see this! I showed it to the BF yesterday, and we ended up throwing out our cheap pork and beef (the chilli con carne I made(!)) we got at the supermarket. We have agreed to, in the future, live on a diet that is vegetarian, but with lots of beans and stuff, and have good quality meat and fish several times a week. You will too, I guarantee, after you watch Food, Inc.!
Just a few photos
Haven't been on the computer for days! BF is in the middle of his exam period, and needs the computer for past exam papers, so I have scooted my ass entirely off the computer desk to give him the facilities to study. But now, I am seizing this moment to write a little while he is still sleeping!
I've done a lot more cooking now since the last time I wrote here. I have actually made almost every single meal the past few days, three meals a day. Most don't turn out as good as I expect them to turn out, because the photos on the recipe books look SO effing yummy. So when my attempted replica come out uglier and not very good tasting, it's quite a disappointment. However, I have had some successes too!
A few days ago, I made my very first homemade yogurt! It's really easy, hardly takes any preparation time, you just need to be patient about it, because you need to give it some hours for the bacteria to multipy, and then some hours in the fridge for it to set and cool down. But oh, how ever so pleased I was when my yogurt turned out white and thick and creamy :D
Yesterday, I made chilli con carne for lunch, which was sooo good. I was so pleasantly surprised that it was neither too salty nor too bland (something I had not balanced very well in my previous dishes). The instructions in the recipe said that instead of adding actual sugar, adding a small piece of plain chocolate would give it a nice final touch, and that was very true! I could actually taste a tiiiiny, just right amount of sweetness.
In the afternoon, as a snack, I baked apples. I did not know baking was something you could do to an apple, but oh yeah, you can do that alright, and with some butter-sugar-cinnamon-walnut mixture pasted around it, it tastes heavenly with my homemade yogurt!
I feel like such a housewife! I've started to constantly think about food, and what to cook. I do most of the household work, and SO much washing up that my fingers are itchy and dry by the end of the day. I bake our own bread and make our own yogurt. I go to farmer's markets and pick out fruit and veggies, and I read cook books before bed. I need to get my normal teenager life back!
Gotta go and make breakfast, today's menu is pumpernickel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, boiled egg, and sliced tomatoes. Hah, see what I mean by housewife?! See ya!
Having fun with sun lotion :D
I've done a lot more cooking now since the last time I wrote here. I have actually made almost every single meal the past few days, three meals a day. Most don't turn out as good as I expect them to turn out, because the photos on the recipe books look SO effing yummy. So when my attempted replica come out uglier and not very good tasting, it's quite a disappointment. However, I have had some successes too!
A few days ago, I made my very first homemade yogurt! It's really easy, hardly takes any preparation time, you just need to be patient about it, because you need to give it some hours for the bacteria to multipy, and then some hours in the fridge for it to set and cool down. But oh, how ever so pleased I was when my yogurt turned out white and thick and creamy :D
Yesterday, I made chilli con carne for lunch, which was sooo good. I was so pleasantly surprised that it was neither too salty nor too bland (something I had not balanced very well in my previous dishes). The instructions in the recipe said that instead of adding actual sugar, adding a small piece of plain chocolate would give it a nice final touch, and that was very true! I could actually taste a tiiiiny, just right amount of sweetness.
In the afternoon, as a snack, I baked apples. I did not know baking was something you could do to an apple, but oh yeah, you can do that alright, and with some butter-sugar-cinnamon-walnut mixture pasted around it, it tastes heavenly with my homemade yogurt!
I feel like such a housewife! I've started to constantly think about food, and what to cook. I do most of the household work, and SO much washing up that my fingers are itchy and dry by the end of the day. I bake our own bread and make our own yogurt. I go to farmer's markets and pick out fruit and veggies, and I read cook books before bed. I need to get my normal teenager life back!
Gotta go and make breakfast, today's menu is pumpernickel with cream cheese and smoked salmon, boiled egg, and sliced tomatoes. Hah, see what I mean by housewife?! See ya!
Having fun with sun lotion :D
Where will life take me?
I was thinking the other day about my life, and was suddenly awed by all the changes that have taken place over the last year and a half. Two years ago, I was still in (dull little) Sweden, getting ready to graduate from high school, but since graduating, I have experienced so many things I never thought I would!
When I travelled back that summer to China after graduating, my dad took me to a hospital, and I got to witness surgeries. I observed a heart surgery while standing right by the patient, and I saw the heart beat, then stop as the surgeons diverted the blood flow, then start again before they closed the patient up. The same summer, I also worked in a place helping mentally disabled people. Not really standard things you would experience at the age of 18 eh.
At the very beginning of year 2009, I desperately wanted to get out of Sweden. So in very short notice, I started looking up au pair placements in the UK. Not because I was particularly fond of looking after children, but there were a lot of families in need of au pairs, and it would be rather easy to find a placement. Initially, I was going to take up a London-based offer, but in the last minute I changed my mind to a family living in Nottingham. The London family had two newborn babies, not sure I could have handled that, I wouldn't even dare to pick them up, which would have made me looking after them slightly difficult!
After arriving in Nottingham, I met new, kind people. Then less than two weeks later, when I travelled to London to visit a friend, I met the guy who would be my future boyfriend. Later, in June that year, we had to separate for three entire months, as I had to go back to Sweden and he to Hong Kong. Three months apart nearly killed our relationship, not because we stopped liking each other, but because it was too hard. Thank god we survived, and in the beginning of November, after my first stage of UK University applications were completed, I moved to London to live with him.
That was more than six months ago, and well, I'm still with him. But I've also worked, lived alone, volunteered, attended interviews, and done a whole bunch of other things. Life's been a challenge, especially relationship-wise as well. Although I am very happy with the BF, it hasn't been easy. These challenges are also the reason I love life so much, this is how life is supposed to be in my opinion, full of surprises and new challenges. Well worth living for, even though the surprises and challenges aren't always good or easy.
In the summer I will be in China for a few months, then I will proceed my journey in Liverpool. Thinking about the future scares me. I intend on introducing the BF to my relatives (I have 100s of them) while in China, how will I survive that?? Then I will commence university and med-school. Will I make friends? Will I like the university? God forbid I become one of those get-so-drunk-that-previous-night-is-completely-forgotten-almost-everyday type of person! I know, it seems impossible such a cool person like me will become a drunkie sort of person, but you never know :)
Then thinking even further ahead, like 10 years ahead, I don't even dare to! If all goes to plan I should be a doctor by then. But is that where life will take me? I'm not so sure anymore after the last two years!
P.S. Today is sunny and warm again, which means ICE-CREAM day! Woohoo!
P.P.S. I've been trying to find watermelons, because you have no idea how much I crave them, it's like a rip-out-my-hair-and-eyeballs-craving! But either they are TOO expensive, or they are so unfresh that when I push the skin with my finger, my finger freaking sinks into the skin! Today I shall continue my hunt for the perfect melon!
When I travelled back that summer to China after graduating, my dad took me to a hospital, and I got to witness surgeries. I observed a heart surgery while standing right by the patient, and I saw the heart beat, then stop as the surgeons diverted the blood flow, then start again before they closed the patient up. The same summer, I also worked in a place helping mentally disabled people. Not really standard things you would experience at the age of 18 eh.
At the very beginning of year 2009, I desperately wanted to get out of Sweden. So in very short notice, I started looking up au pair placements in the UK. Not because I was particularly fond of looking after children, but there were a lot of families in need of au pairs, and it would be rather easy to find a placement. Initially, I was going to take up a London-based offer, but in the last minute I changed my mind to a family living in Nottingham. The London family had two newborn babies, not sure I could have handled that, I wouldn't even dare to pick them up, which would have made me looking after them slightly difficult!
After arriving in Nottingham, I met new, kind people. Then less than two weeks later, when I travelled to London to visit a friend, I met the guy who would be my future boyfriend. Later, in June that year, we had to separate for three entire months, as I had to go back to Sweden and he to Hong Kong. Three months apart nearly killed our relationship, not because we stopped liking each other, but because it was too hard. Thank god we survived, and in the beginning of November, after my first stage of UK University applications were completed, I moved to London to live with him.
That was more than six months ago, and well, I'm still with him. But I've also worked, lived alone, volunteered, attended interviews, and done a whole bunch of other things. Life's been a challenge, especially relationship-wise as well. Although I am very happy with the BF, it hasn't been easy. These challenges are also the reason I love life so much, this is how life is supposed to be in my opinion, full of surprises and new challenges. Well worth living for, even though the surprises and challenges aren't always good or easy.
In the summer I will be in China for a few months, then I will proceed my journey in Liverpool. Thinking about the future scares me. I intend on introducing the BF to my relatives (I have 100s of them) while in China, how will I survive that?? Then I will commence university and med-school. Will I make friends? Will I like the university? God forbid I become one of those get-so-drunk-that-previous-night-is-completely-forgotten-almost-everyday type of person! I know, it seems impossible such a cool person like me will become a drunkie sort of person, but you never know :)
Then thinking even further ahead, like 10 years ahead, I don't even dare to! If all goes to plan I should be a doctor by then. But is that where life will take me? I'm not so sure anymore after the last two years!
P.S. Today is sunny and warm again, which means ICE-CREAM day! Woohoo!
P.P.S. I've been trying to find watermelons, because you have no idea how much I crave them, it's like a rip-out-my-hair-and-eyeballs-craving! But either they are TOO expensive, or they are so unfresh that when I push the skin with my finger, my finger freaking sinks into the skin! Today I shall continue my hunt for the perfect melon!
IELTS: check!
I got my IELTS English exam results back yesterday, and I got an average of 8.5 out of 9.0, which is plenty enough to finally completely secure my place in med-school in Liverpool!!! The results are sent by post, and in the UK postmen work on Saturdays as well. The exam centre sent out the results last Friday, so I was expecting it to arrive on Saturday, seeing that domestic city post should take maximum a day. I was nervous throughout Friday night, and wriggled around the bed (which the BF was not happy about). Saturday morning we went out for speed-walking session, but when we returned I was soooo disappointed to not see any letters in front of our door! This meant I would have to wait until Tuesday, because no one works on Sundays, and Monday is a so-called bank holiday (there are bank holidays regularly throughout the year, and I suspect it's just an excuse for people to be lazy). However, yesterday, after breakfast and a few episodes of Friends (I've started watching Friends now, and I'm addicted! And no, I'm not behind!), my results letter popped down the mail slit on the door. I was shocked, but pleased, and I tore it open, and glanced at my results and started jumping! Bingo! :D
People kept on telling me, while I was revising and waiting for the results of the exam that shouldn't have a problem getting a 7.0 for med-school admission, because after all, I am fluent in English, and I am quite good at it. I know that too, but the IELTS is not only a test of your English knowledge, but also of exam techniques. There's the time limit, which is especially hard in the writing section, because you must write two short essays within one hour. I was mostly concerned about the writing section as I like to take my time when I write properly and formally as they require. When I rush through, it makes me feel like my sentences are silly and informal. Besides, they also require you to write a certain number of words, and if you don't, you get penalized, so you have to literally count your words. The topics you get are not necessarily topics you have much opinion on either, but you still need to squeeze out the required number of words. Also, you must follow the instructions given, and write exactly about what they ask you to. If you don't do all this, you will get your score deducted, even though you're a writing genius.
Anyway, to celebrate, the BF and I went to a small Chinese place yesterday evening and had the most expensive (he paid, so it was alright :P) but yummy authentic food from a province called Sichuan (known for hot fiery spicey stuff). Halfway through the meal, the BF had consumed about a big bowl of rice and multiple glasses of tap water to relieve the burn in his tongue from the hotness. I enjoyed the meal more than him, it was the best thing I've eaten for aaages. Then I ate half a tub of Ben and Jerry's Fairly Nuts (while watching Friends, of course). Oh My God, I nearly died, the ice-cream was heavenly!
Liverpool University, here I come for real!
People kept on telling me, while I was revising and waiting for the results of the exam that shouldn't have a problem getting a 7.0 for med-school admission, because after all, I am fluent in English, and I am quite good at it. I know that too, but the IELTS is not only a test of your English knowledge, but also of exam techniques. There's the time limit, which is especially hard in the writing section, because you must write two short essays within one hour. I was mostly concerned about the writing section as I like to take my time when I write properly and formally as they require. When I rush through, it makes me feel like my sentences are silly and informal. Besides, they also require you to write a certain number of words, and if you don't, you get penalized, so you have to literally count your words. The topics you get are not necessarily topics you have much opinion on either, but you still need to squeeze out the required number of words. Also, you must follow the instructions given, and write exactly about what they ask you to. If you don't do all this, you will get your score deducted, even though you're a writing genius.
Anyway, to celebrate, the BF and I went to a small Chinese place yesterday evening and had the most expensive (he paid, so it was alright :P) but yummy authentic food from a province called Sichuan (known for hot fiery spicey stuff). Halfway through the meal, the BF had consumed about a big bowl of rice and multiple glasses of tap water to relieve the burn in his tongue from the hotness. I enjoyed the meal more than him, it was the best thing I've eaten for aaages. Then I ate half a tub of Ben and Jerry's Fairly Nuts (while watching Friends, of course). Oh My God, I nearly died, the ice-cream was heavenly!
Liverpool University, here I come for real!
Bye bye!
Today I'm a bit sad, cause my sister is moving away from Sweden. She's undergoing a training programme for her position as an engineer-developer or whatever her job title is (I never remember it, and I never understoood what she actually does). She's moving from the teeny town Ludvika in Sweden to big Quebec in Canada! Quite a change eh.
I'm really excited for her, but also worried and scared for her. I know she will be fine, cause she's a smart, kind and social person. But that doesn't eliminate the risk of her being mugged by an evil robber, or being hurt by a bad person, cause immoral people don't care who they mug and hurt. Ok, I shall shut up now, that will not, not, nooot happen, Canada is not America!
I know how lonely one can feel when moving away from home to a completely foreign place, seeing that I've done it a few times now. I really don't want her to feel sad or lonely, I want her to be happy. I really, really hope Quebec will feel like home to her in a veeery short while, and that she will meet people she gets along with. My BF said that maybe she'll even meet a new guy there. I would be really happy for her if she did, but on the other hand, that might mean she might stay in Quebec and get married, and settle down, and all that grown-up stuff - she'll be so far away from me and my parents :( Regardless of what happens, I hope she'll be happy. Right now, she's on the plane, she'll be landing in New York (so cool, I wanna go there too, especially today cause there's a Ben and Jerry's truck driving around giving New Yorkers free ice-cream!!) in a few hours, and then transferring.
Quebec, you better treat my sister very well, or I shall not be pleased with you!
I'm really excited for her, but also worried and scared for her. I know she will be fine, cause she's a smart, kind and social person. But that doesn't eliminate the risk of her being mugged by an evil robber, or being hurt by a bad person, cause immoral people don't care who they mug and hurt. Ok, I shall shut up now, that will not, not, nooot happen, Canada is not America!
I know how lonely one can feel when moving away from home to a completely foreign place, seeing that I've done it a few times now. I really don't want her to feel sad or lonely, I want her to be happy. I really, really hope Quebec will feel like home to her in a veeery short while, and that she will meet people she gets along with. My BF said that maybe she'll even meet a new guy there. I would be really happy for her if she did, but on the other hand, that might mean she might stay in Quebec and get married, and settle down, and all that grown-up stuff - she'll be so far away from me and my parents :( Regardless of what happens, I hope she'll be happy. Right now, she's on the plane, she'll be landing in New York (so cool, I wanna go there too, especially today cause there's a Ben and Jerry's truck driving around giving New Yorkers free ice-cream!!) in a few hours, and then transferring.
Quebec, you better treat my sister very well, or I shall not be pleased with you!
Random thoughts about food
Ever since I sat my English exam (which I do not know the result of yet, and it's killing me!), I've had some more time on my hands. I have devoted this time to FOOD. No, I haven't been binge eating humongous amounts, but I have been baking and cooking new food! I made my own hummus the other day, and it turned out better than Tesco bought ones! I've also made smoothies and different salads (I don't understand why I haven't made Greek salad before, they are sooo yum!). Yesterday morning I also made my first ever bread. I was soooo upset when it got goddamn burnt when I took it out of the oven! I just wanted to bake it a few more minutes because the inside still seemed a little bit gooey, but after the few minutes the surface turned into black! I attempted to rescue it by dusting the burnt surface off with tissue paper, but to no avail, and the tissue paper got stuck on the bread :( I'm comforting my failure by convincing myself that it is ok to burn bread on my first try. Today I shall bake heavenly bread!
Recently, I discovered something regarding food, cooking and taste. There really is a big difference in the taste of raw products and the subsequent taste depending on the quality of ingredients you use. I used to buy the cheapest available alternative of a product, but now I have stopped looking at the prices, and just buy as good quality as possible. Ok, it's hard to not look at the price as a poor working person like me, but when things get expensive, I convince myself that it's worth the taste to sacrifice money! For instance, I now buy our bread at the market where they bake it from scratch with good ingredients. It is not inexpensive, in fact I could never imagine spending so much on bread from our food budget, but it really makes me wonder while chewing the yummy piece how I ever lived with conventional store bought, factory produced, yucky, chemically loaded no taste bread.
I never knew food could be so enjoyable and cooking could be so much fun. I was so effing proud of myself while my bread was baking in the oven last morning (a sensation that evaporated very quickly when the bread came out black though). Cooking gives a satisfied sensation with oneself, like you've successfully created something enjoyable from scratch. I see why my people aspire to be chefs now!
Welcome to my life feta cheese, olives, anchovies, and all lovely ingredients! Look at my first bread attempt:
P.S. The last few days, London has been on fever, cause the temperature soared into nearly 30C! The weather has been absolutely flawless, and I've never seen such blue sky and counted such few clouds and done such intensive ice-cream consumption. But now it's turned white and yucky and cold again.
Recently, I discovered something regarding food, cooking and taste. There really is a big difference in the taste of raw products and the subsequent taste depending on the quality of ingredients you use. I used to buy the cheapest available alternative of a product, but now I have stopped looking at the prices, and just buy as good quality as possible. Ok, it's hard to not look at the price as a poor working person like me, but when things get expensive, I convince myself that it's worth the taste to sacrifice money! For instance, I now buy our bread at the market where they bake it from scratch with good ingredients. It is not inexpensive, in fact I could never imagine spending so much on bread from our food budget, but it really makes me wonder while chewing the yummy piece how I ever lived with conventional store bought, factory produced, yucky, chemically loaded no taste bread.
I never knew food could be so enjoyable and cooking could be so much fun. I was so effing proud of myself while my bread was baking in the oven last morning (a sensation that evaporated very quickly when the bread came out black though). Cooking gives a satisfied sensation with oneself, like you've successfully created something enjoyable from scratch. I see why my people aspire to be chefs now!
Welcome to my life feta cheese, olives, anchovies, and all lovely ingredients! Look at my first bread attempt:
P.S. The last few days, London has been on fever, cause the temperature soared into nearly 30C! The weather has been absolutely flawless, and I've never seen such blue sky and counted such few clouds and done such intensive ice-cream consumption. But now it's turned white and yucky and cold again.
In London again
Ok, so I'm back in London again. Yeah, it was a quick trip to Sweden. I spent two nights with my sister in her flat in a teeny weeny city called Ludvika where the company she works in is based. The only thing that was impressive with the city was the breathtaking nature - the lakes and trees. Otherwise, the city was boring and I found the people in there to be rude and quite bland (except for my sister of course!).
It was really nice to spend time with my sister. We played on her Wii and apparently my Wii fitness age is 60. Hmph! Stupid Wii, I will prove my fitness age is 20 next time! The remaining two nights, I spent in Stockholm with my parents. That was lovely too, but I was quite unused to having people do things for me. I should have enjoyed the luxury of having someone cook, and do laundry and stuff for me!
Yesterday, I had to work, so I had to fly back in the morning before my afternoon shift. A really interesting thing happened on the coach to the airport in Sweden though. I sat beside this woman who after a few minutes started talking to me. She asked me if I took the flight from London on Tuesday, and I said yeah. She said we sat together, and that she recognised the earrings I wore (I wore strawberry earrings both days). So we started talking, and it was really nice to have a companion to talk to on the coach. We even had breakfast together, although that proved to almost be a fatal mistake. We almost missed our plane because none of us paid any attention to the time! We were too busy discussing marriage and musicals and films, and it wasn't until I said I needed to go to the toilet that she asked what time it was. We both looked down at our watches, and realised it was 9.30 (our flight was supposed to take off at 9.40), so we both sprinted like mad ostriches to the security gate, and dumped all our things in the boxes. The guards just ushered us to hurry, they didn't check my liquids, I could have SO smuggled a bomb onto the plane had I been a terrorist. Somehow we managed to catch the plane. Wow, 10 minutes, talk about panic.
Anyway, I'm back in a very warm and sunny London. I'm sweating and it's 10 o'clock, and it's stuffy. I consider this early practice for my trip back to China in late June.
It was really nice to spend time with my sister. We played on her Wii and apparently my Wii fitness age is 60. Hmph! Stupid Wii, I will prove my fitness age is 20 next time! The remaining two nights, I spent in Stockholm with my parents. That was lovely too, but I was quite unused to having people do things for me. I should have enjoyed the luxury of having someone cook, and do laundry and stuff for me!
Yesterday, I had to work, so I had to fly back in the morning before my afternoon shift. A really interesting thing happened on the coach to the airport in Sweden though. I sat beside this woman who after a few minutes started talking to me. She asked me if I took the flight from London on Tuesday, and I said yeah. She said we sat together, and that she recognised the earrings I wore (I wore strawberry earrings both days). So we started talking, and it was really nice to have a companion to talk to on the coach. We even had breakfast together, although that proved to almost be a fatal mistake. We almost missed our plane because none of us paid any attention to the time! We were too busy discussing marriage and musicals and films, and it wasn't until I said I needed to go to the toilet that she asked what time it was. We both looked down at our watches, and realised it was 9.30 (our flight was supposed to take off at 9.40), so we both sprinted like mad ostriches to the security gate, and dumped all our things in the boxes. The guards just ushered us to hurry, they didn't check my liquids, I could have SO smuggled a bomb onto the plane had I been a terrorist. Somehow we managed to catch the plane. Wow, 10 minutes, talk about panic.
Anyway, I'm back in a very warm and sunny London. I'm sweating and it's 10 o'clock, and it's stuffy. I consider this early practice for my trip back to China in late June.
Back in Sweden
I'm currently back in Sweden, in my parents' home. It's so freaking weird to be back in Sweden, and I feel like a person who has a defected voicebox and cannot speak, cause I have seriously forgotten all my Swedish. Or at least I seem to have lost my ability to speak without stammering every word. So I suppose it is fortunate that I will only stay a few days until early Saturday morning. The reason I came back at all is because my sister is flying to Canada at the end of this month and she'll be staying there for half a year. I wanted to come back and see her before she leaves in a week or two.
It even feels weird to be back in my parents' home, or well, my home too. The bathroom seems so unfamiliar, and when I open the bathroom cupboard, it confuses me, because I expect to find my toiletries, but end up staring at my mum's anti-wrinkle creams and my dad's shaving stuff. Not to mention, the toilet seat is also strange, my buttocks are not used to the shape of it! I miss my London toilet seat! It's odd and quite unfortunate that I feel more at home in London than in this home that I grew up in.
There's one thing here I can't complain about though, and that's the weather. When did it become summer here? It seems like the last time I spoke to my parents, they said there was still snow around! It's even warmer here than back in London, freaking unbelieveable! Everything is so much more beautiful here though, the sky is clearer, the grass greener, the air fresher. While I was on the airport shuttle bus, I was overwhelmed by the nature, the forests and rocks and meadows and flowers. I've really missed it all.
I'm going off to bed in a minute, because I'm exhausted, so good night for now!
It even feels weird to be back in my parents' home, or well, my home too. The bathroom seems so unfamiliar, and when I open the bathroom cupboard, it confuses me, because I expect to find my toiletries, but end up staring at my mum's anti-wrinkle creams and my dad's shaving stuff. Not to mention, the toilet seat is also strange, my buttocks are not used to the shape of it! I miss my London toilet seat! It's odd and quite unfortunate that I feel more at home in London than in this home that I grew up in.
There's one thing here I can't complain about though, and that's the weather. When did it become summer here? It seems like the last time I spoke to my parents, they said there was still snow around! It's even warmer here than back in London, freaking unbelieveable! Everything is so much more beautiful here though, the sky is clearer, the grass greener, the air fresher. While I was on the airport shuttle bus, I was overwhelmed by the nature, the forests and rocks and meadows and flowers. I've really missed it all.
I'm going off to bed in a minute, because I'm exhausted, so good night for now!
DONE
I haven't been kidnapped or myteriously disappeared from the face of earth the past few days, I have simply been busy preparing and actually sitting the English Exam I need for my med-school offer. I need a score of 7.0 in each component to keep my offer, and I suppose I did well enough yesterday to get those scores. I keep recalling little details of the test and then get utterly terrified that I chose the wrong multiple choice answers, or that I didn't write enough words for the two essays. So now I'm trying to keep my mind as far away from the exam as possible, and just hope for the best.
I had to get up at 6:30am in the morning for the exam, which started at 10am. The start was so delayed, and I was annoyed that I could've slept for another half hour! I didn't sleep very well the previous night. I don't think it was because I was too nervous. I'm not sure if I was nervous, but somehow I couldn't drift into sleep. I remember waking up, and consequently waking my BF up. In the end, I think he got so fed up that he locked me down with his arms to keep me from turning around all the time, and eventually I fell asleep in his arms until 6:30.
The exam was held in the University of Westminster, a university located in central London, right where the most busy shopping street is. I got there and then had the YUMMIEST breakfast in an Italian restaurant (but it wasn't cheap, the quantity of food was very little for the price!!). Then a few hours later, after all the registration proecdure, the exam started. The listening comprehesion section screwed up a bit, because they played a CD for us to listen to, but the CD started to jump. The invigilator had to restart the CD player and he took aaaages to find the track we were listening to (old people can't handle modern technology!). Besides that, the remaining sections of the exam went quite smoothly. Oh, I wrote my essays in the wrong places, I wrote Task 1 where Task 2 should have been and vice versa. I totally freaked out, but the invigilator reassured me that it was alright, as long as I indicate clearly which one is which task. I asked him like 3 times if he was sure, and he said yeah, so I hope it's alright!
Aaaanyway, enough about the exam, the most important thing is that it is done, and I shall attempt to not think about it. The scores are available 13 days later, so I will worry about it 13 days later if that should be necessary. Now I shall go and enjoy my freeeeedom by going to Camden Market and purchasing a million things that I will later regret, and become broke!
I had to get up at 6:30am in the morning for the exam, which started at 10am. The start was so delayed, and I was annoyed that I could've slept for another half hour! I didn't sleep very well the previous night. I don't think it was because I was too nervous. I'm not sure if I was nervous, but somehow I couldn't drift into sleep. I remember waking up, and consequently waking my BF up. In the end, I think he got so fed up that he locked me down with his arms to keep me from turning around all the time, and eventually I fell asleep in his arms until 6:30.
The exam was held in the University of Westminster, a university located in central London, right where the most busy shopping street is. I got there and then had the YUMMIEST breakfast in an Italian restaurant (but it wasn't cheap, the quantity of food was very little for the price!!). Then a few hours later, after all the registration proecdure, the exam started. The listening comprehesion section screwed up a bit, because they played a CD for us to listen to, but the CD started to jump. The invigilator had to restart the CD player and he took aaaages to find the track we were listening to (old people can't handle modern technology!). Besides that, the remaining sections of the exam went quite smoothly. Oh, I wrote my essays in the wrong places, I wrote Task 1 where Task 2 should have been and vice versa. I totally freaked out, but the invigilator reassured me that it was alright, as long as I indicate clearly which one is which task. I asked him like 3 times if he was sure, and he said yeah, so I hope it's alright!
Aaaanyway, enough about the exam, the most important thing is that it is done, and I shall attempt to not think about it. The scores are available 13 days later, so I will worry about it 13 days later if that should be necessary. Now I shall go and enjoy my freeeeedom by going to Camden Market and purchasing a million things that I will later regret, and become broke!
Last few days
I have some more nice photos to display!
Camden Market in northern London sells a lot of cool stuff. Besides a pair of awesome plastic ice-cream earrings, I also got this candle for BF (the earrings were for me though, not BF). It's painted on top, and when you burn the candle, the paint actually stays. Somehow the layer of paint doesn't blend in with the underlying layer of wax, super cool! The candle has been burning for an hour in the photo. That monkey doesn't represent me, only what its saying...!
BF is about to sit his physics exams (urgh, the horror, I don't know how he survives pure physics). Well, actually, he barely survives the revision. Yesterday, I caught him lying on his stomach revising, and I asked him what the hell he was lying on the floor for out of all positions and places he could revise. And he said the hard floor kept him awake. Hahaha, I felt so sorry for him.
And just a last little salad mustache, ehehe :D
Camden Market in northern London sells a lot of cool stuff. Besides a pair of awesome plastic ice-cream earrings, I also got this candle for BF (the earrings were for me though, not BF). It's painted on top, and when you burn the candle, the paint actually stays. Somehow the layer of paint doesn't blend in with the underlying layer of wax, super cool! The candle has been burning for an hour in the photo. That monkey doesn't represent me, only what its saying...!
BF is about to sit his physics exams (urgh, the horror, I don't know how he survives pure physics). Well, actually, he barely survives the revision. Yesterday, I caught him lying on his stomach revising, and I asked him what the hell he was lying on the floor for out of all positions and places he could revise. And he said the hard floor kept him awake. Hahaha, I felt so sorry for him.
And just a last little salad mustache, ehehe :D
