Sunday, 7/08/2011. It's raining cats and dogs outside, a perfect day to stay in for a lazy Sunday. Well, after the laundry and other household chores. It has to be done...
The week before last, I signed up for a trial lesson at one of the language schools in town. I've been wanting to go to Swedish classes again for ages. I've no idea what level I am. I have no problems reading detective novels or following (well more or less, anyway) a film or series in Swedish, but I'm absolute rubbish at talking myself. The trial lesson is to find out what level I am and find the right class for me. I'm looking forward to it, but I'm also a bit nervous. I've taken quite a few Swedish classes, most of them during my year at Stockholm University many years ago, and I don't really want to end up in a beginner's class. So I'm taking out all my old text, grammar and exercices books to brush up. And I've started reading a Swedish novel. It's actually Norwegian, but I'm reading the Swedish translation. I definitely can't read Norwegian, at least not a whole novel.
A little treat for Sunday lunch. I love salmon.
It's still quite wet outside in the afternoon, and I use the time to go through some pictures I took last Sunday during a walk. After all, this is a walk I could have taken today, if the weather wasn't so bad all day. I love walking through the woods, and taking pictures of the trees. The bright green of the foliage and the light in the trees are just beautiful, but I find forest photos such a hard thing to do. .
There are cows everywhere in Switzerland, even close to and in the city. Most of them usually have bells, even if they're just in a small field next to the farm instead of roaming freely around the alps. These ones were even allowed to keep their horns. I think they look much better with their horns, like cows should look like. But also even scarier. Yes, I admit it. I'm afraid of cows...
Walking along the corn fields. Love the golden colour and the details in the summer sun.
I've wanted to go to this little lake or pond for ages. Actually, my plan was to come here on a Sunday morning back in autumn or winter, really really early in the morning, to catch the frost and mist, but I never managed it. But it also looks quite nice on a sunny summer Sunday afternoon. It reminds me of one of my favourite places I used to go to back in Stockholm, in the Nationalpark near the student campus where I lived.
There's a sign pointing to a little lake in the middle of the forest. I'm intrigued. I haven't been in this part of the forest for ages. I've passed it many times by bus or car, and I've seen many people going into the forest for a walk, but I've always avoided the forest myself. When I was at the impressionable age of about 12 or 13, a woman was found dead in this forest, somewhere around this lake. She was walking her dog one early morning, and was murdered. I don't remember any details or the exact circumstances, if I ever knew any. All I ever knew and remember was that a woman went for a walk into the forest and was murdered for no apparent reason. And I haven't dared enter this forest ever since, for over 20 years. Until today. And I wouldn't have gone into it if it hadn't been such a sunny summer afternoon, with lots of people around. I do like my solitary walks, which allow me to dwell on my thoughts, and to take as many pictures along the way as I want, without someone impatiently having to wait for me all the time. But right now, I would have much preferred not to be on my own,to be honest. It's a beautiful, even peaceful place. But I never felt 100% comfortable. For me, it will always have this slightly dangerous and scary atmosphere, a place, where someone once was murdered. *shiver*
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| Texture by Shadowhouse Creations |
There are lots of little things to see along the path, everywhere around you, if you keep your eyes open and look. Something, my camera has taught be to do in the last year.
What music should I chose for today's post? Hmmm, there are so many more Swiss band, and it's a difficult decision. Well, I guess Gölä will do. Mostly because I find the video quite funny, somehow, and the song's about 'the goold old time when we were young and wild', and I've sort of reached that age when your start doing that, thinking about 'back then'. Anyway. The song's from 1999, and you can clearly see why Gölä was voted the least handsome man, or something like that anyway, in Switzerland a few years back :). In the meantime, he's got rid of the ridiculous long hair, has a few more tatoos and a few more pounds around the waist, has emmigrated to Australia, and come back, sings now in English only, and has announced to never sing in dialect again, but did so after all a on a tv show a few years ago, although only half of the song. But dialect songs is what he does best, I think. So here we go.
I have to take my lunch with me to work, as there's nothing really close to the library where you could get something. I'm preparing a sandwich and some carrot salad for tomorrow. A few weeks ago I complained to my mum that I always grated off at best parts of my finger nail, at worst parts of my finger with my grater (one of those flat board-like ones). My mum hads the solution for my problem - my grandmother's old multi-purpose grating machine. Over 50 years old, it comes with 6 different grating disks, and it's just perfect. Easy to use, clean and store, and no danger at all to my finger and finger nails :). Who needs modern kitchen utensils... :)
I really like my little gadget. A lot! :)
In the evening, I finally find the time to take out a piece of paper and some colours. I've bought some PanPastels not long ago, and I've been wanting to try them out. They're really quite cool, and quick and easy to apply. It only takes me about 15 minutes to do this.
And so my Week in the life is finally over. I'm quite glad, I must admit. I'm happy that for once, I actually managed to do and finish a project. But it's been a lot of work looking for and taking pictures every day and process them in the evening (even though I only did the most basic processing), and write it all up in a blog post. Much as I love my camera, I'm glad I don't have to carry it with me every single day anymore. My week, I'm afraid, has been rather boring. There's not so much going on in my life at the moment. But having to commute up to 4 hours every day does not leave much room for an exciting life. It's just tiring. And not really recommendable. On the other hand, this whole week made me realise how much there is to see and appreciate even in every day life. It's been a good experience.
Well it's another really well packaged blog to finish this fabulous series. You certainly give us readers value for money. The photos of your vintage grater look like they've come straight out of a cookery book, or from the walls of a high class bistro.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is a bit obsessed with poppies and she would adore that painting you just casually created in no time You are too modest about your skills sometimes!
Your final choice of music is quite ermmm.. different from the rest! It is much more like American rock from the 90's, and yes, I agree - I think it's safe to say he is not likely to win any beauty contests.
That's a tragic story about the murdered woman in the woods. Did they ever catch who did it? It definitely creates a different emotion when looking at the photos (especially the one with the added texture for some reason) to know there is this dark side to the history. It's good that you can actually visit still, even though it's with a little trepidation, and time to yourself in this kind of setting can be quite magical if you can put the history to one side. I know exactly what you mean about taking photos in the company of someone else, particularly someone who does not share the passion. In the past I have had to leave my camera at home sometimes, trying to remind myself that I could always visit again by myself at a later time. Unfortunately, all to easily, that can get forgotten.
Spending a year in Sweden must have been a fascinating experience. It always strikes me as an incredibly difficult language, so yet again I am impressed with your versatility at so many different things - I already knew your English is almost perfect, now Swedish too? Stop it!
Well, it's a shame this series has to end - I would be happy to see more cows with their beautiful bells at any time - I quite like cows, though I do try to keep a fence between them and me! But not just cows - it's all been fascinating, with great photos and with some good humour often just under the surface. I might do something similar myself one day, though I'm sure i wouldn't have such a wide variety of interesting things to talk about.
Thank you for sharing your week, and you have my permission to relax now, put your feet up and catch up with some serious T&J viewing!