Donnerstag, März 23, 2006
Niko Skal Til Kina
The next 19 days I will be travelling to and within China, meeting Oscar and Ellie and hopefully not getting lost. I may update here, but certainly once I am back.
23 March 06 - Niko Skal Til Kina and he is very excited :) .
Current Music: Belle and Sebastian - Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying
23 March 06 - Niko Skal Til Kina and he is very excited :) .
Current Music: Belle and Sebastian - Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying
Montag, März 20, 2006
"Blue skies from pain"
Does anyone know what the two mickey-mouse-squeaky-voices say at the beginning of "Wish You Were Here"? I am intrigued...
Current Music: Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (Pulse Live)
EDIT: To answer my own question - I found it on the internet based on the two things I could understand; "remains" and "which is it". This is the text:
Current Music: Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb (Pulse Live)
EDIT: To answer my own question - I found it on the internet based on the two things I could understand; "remains" and "which is it". This is the text:
(radio channels being shifted)
[Man:] "...and disciplinary remains mercifully"
[Woman:] "Yes, now would you take this star nonsense?"
[Man:] "No, no."
[Woman:] "Now which is it..."
(channel changes)
"I'm sure of it..."
(channel changes)
[Man:] "...and disciplinary remains mercifully"
[Woman:] "Yes, now would you take this star nonsense?"
[Man:] "No, no."
[Woman:] "Now which is it..."
(channel changes)
"I'm sure of it..."
(channel changes)
Sonntag, März 19, 2006
"I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once"
The last week has been insane for me, but at the same time very productive. The wind that's been blowing seems to have torn down some things and given room to others. The melting snow took much with it. And the rain washed away what was left. Today is a sunny day, yet all I see over the sea is fat rainy clouds. This time in four days...
On Tuesday I managed to get myself back together eventually, and by the evening I had actually started writing my essay that was due on Monday. I worked through the night, took an early bus to Edinburgh in the morning, and walked to the Chinese Consulate. I managed to get the Visa without problems, and only minutes later I got a call that our application for accomodation for next year has been successful - it is good to know that you have a place to stay in the next year.
I went to a cafe, stole wireless internet, and finished my essay there. Then I met Matt and eventually sent my essay off to a friend, who would print it and hand it in before 17.00 so that it would be only two days late. Walking around Edinburgh while Matt had a lecture, I took a "free psychology test". I knew it was fishy, but keeping that in mind I was in the mood for a little adventure. I was already intrigued by hundreds of copies of the same book around, advertising itself as "having sold more than 20 000 000 copies". Right. The test itself was just lengthy and boring. When I handed it in, however, it was returned to me and the guy, whom I shall call Bob for the sake of clarity from now on (ah, the good old days in leirskule, when everyone was Bob...), asked me to also fill in the personal details.
"Could you also please fill in your name and address here?"
"Well, actually I'd prefer not to"
"Alright, but this really is nothing bad. I have to enter it into the computer to get results. See, I type x here, and x shows up here"
"In that case I'm not sure I want to take the test. And I'm not from here, anyways. I'm german."
"Ok, well, in that case you probably won't receive anything ever anyways"
"Receive anything ... ?"
"Have you had bad experiences with giving out your details in the past?"
"No, but I don't believe in the concept of personal details."
I turn to go out, turn back, and ask Bob "Is this scientology" (in reference to one of the books I had seen on a shelf). Bob smiles like a six-year old boy being caught nicking candy, grins a little, and says "Well, yes". To which I replied "In that case, I hope my answers will satisfy you, but you won't get my name. Thanks, and have a good day" and walked out. I regret not frying him with this a little longer, but it was fun for 30 minutes...
In the evening I met Mette as well. Even though I had to leave early and couldn't stay with her and Matt long, it was a great evening. On the bus back then I fell asleep a few times (not having slept the night before because of the essay) and eventually saw one of the pathetic and disturbing sides of Scotland live. When I had to change buses, there were three other girls waiting. All about 4 years younger than me, all dressed in rather kinky ways. When the bus came they quickly exchanged some coins so that one of them didn't have enough change. The bus driver knew her by name. Being 20 minutes late, he wasn't in the best of moods, which was clearly reflected in him shouting after her that she could have at least said thanks - giving her the cheapest ticket, and then giving it to her for less than a third of its actual price. The girls sat in the back, I sat towards the front, nobody else in the bus. Eventually they got off one by one. What shocked me, though, was how the bus driver knew the girl's name (and that was clearly because she had done this before, not because they knew one another from outside), how he cheated his company for her even though he didn't really want to, and all only to get some recognition from a 15 year-old, kinkily dressed teenage girl. And how these girls abused this to the full extent and got him to drop them off at specific places rather than at regular stops and the like. I eventually fell asleep to wake up with him shouting at me because we had arrived at the final stop - but when I thanked him for the journey and wished him a good evening, he did seem to smile for a moment. I don't know how I could ever live a life like either of the two sides I witnessed that night. When I told my roommate about this later, he only replied "Welcome to Scotland". Scarily enough, what I've seen seems far from being a single incident.
The one other event of sorts worth noticing is that this weekend so far has been insane as well - but in the opposite sense. I am quite happy, I get to be with the people who I want to be with, and of the two nights I didn't sleep one, and a fair bit the other one listening to Mike Oldfield on repeat. But both times it was what I wanted to do in that moment. At least right now, it seems as if things have a direction, which is maybe what I missed the last week.
Current Music: Under Byen - Den her sang handler om at få det bedste ud af det
On Tuesday I managed to get myself back together eventually, and by the evening I had actually started writing my essay that was due on Monday. I worked through the night, took an early bus to Edinburgh in the morning, and walked to the Chinese Consulate. I managed to get the Visa without problems, and only minutes later I got a call that our application for accomodation for next year has been successful - it is good to know that you have a place to stay in the next year.
I went to a cafe, stole wireless internet, and finished my essay there. Then I met Matt and eventually sent my essay off to a friend, who would print it and hand it in before 17.00 so that it would be only two days late. Walking around Edinburgh while Matt had a lecture, I took a "free psychology test". I knew it was fishy, but keeping that in mind I was in the mood for a little adventure. I was already intrigued by hundreds of copies of the same book around, advertising itself as "having sold more than 20 000 000 copies". Right. The test itself was just lengthy and boring. When I handed it in, however, it was returned to me and the guy, whom I shall call Bob for the sake of clarity from now on (ah, the good old days in leirskule, when everyone was Bob...), asked me to also fill in the personal details.
"Could you also please fill in your name and address here?"
"Well, actually I'd prefer not to"
"Alright, but this really is nothing bad. I have to enter it into the computer to get results. See, I type x here, and x shows up here"
"In that case I'm not sure I want to take the test. And I'm not from here, anyways. I'm german."
"Ok, well, in that case you probably won't receive anything ever anyways"
"Receive anything ... ?"
"Have you had bad experiences with giving out your details in the past?"
"No, but I don't believe in the concept of personal details."
I turn to go out, turn back, and ask Bob "Is this scientology" (in reference to one of the books I had seen on a shelf). Bob smiles like a six-year old boy being caught nicking candy, grins a little, and says "Well, yes". To which I replied "In that case, I hope my answers will satisfy you, but you won't get my name. Thanks, and have a good day" and walked out. I regret not frying him with this a little longer, but it was fun for 30 minutes...
In the evening I met Mette as well. Even though I had to leave early and couldn't stay with her and Matt long, it was a great evening. On the bus back then I fell asleep a few times (not having slept the night before because of the essay) and eventually saw one of the pathetic and disturbing sides of Scotland live. When I had to change buses, there were three other girls waiting. All about 4 years younger than me, all dressed in rather kinky ways. When the bus came they quickly exchanged some coins so that one of them didn't have enough change. The bus driver knew her by name. Being 20 minutes late, he wasn't in the best of moods, which was clearly reflected in him shouting after her that she could have at least said thanks - giving her the cheapest ticket, and then giving it to her for less than a third of its actual price. The girls sat in the back, I sat towards the front, nobody else in the bus. Eventually they got off one by one. What shocked me, though, was how the bus driver knew the girl's name (and that was clearly because she had done this before, not because they knew one another from outside), how he cheated his company for her even though he didn't really want to, and all only to get some recognition from a 15 year-old, kinkily dressed teenage girl. And how these girls abused this to the full extent and got him to drop them off at specific places rather than at regular stops and the like. I eventually fell asleep to wake up with him shouting at me because we had arrived at the final stop - but when I thanked him for the journey and wished him a good evening, he did seem to smile for a moment. I don't know how I could ever live a life like either of the two sides I witnessed that night. When I told my roommate about this later, he only replied "Welcome to Scotland". Scarily enough, what I've seen seems far from being a single incident.
The one other event of sorts worth noticing is that this weekend so far has been insane as well - but in the opposite sense. I am quite happy, I get to be with the people who I want to be with, and of the two nights I didn't sleep one, and a fair bit the other one listening to Mike Oldfield on repeat. But both times it was what I wanted to do in that moment. At least right now, it seems as if things have a direction, which is maybe what I missed the last week.
Current Music: Under Byen - Den her sang handler om at få det bedste ud af det
Montag, März 13, 2006
Breaking down
I was overdue anyways. Sentinel by Mike Oldfield (the song that played in the intro for Earth Day GC in Flekke), a picture and a thought coming together did it. I had dreaded this moment ever since I came here, and knew it would happen sooner or later. Let's hope things get better from now on, and the late penalties for IR essays are not too horrendous.
Let it be :)
Current Music: Mike Oldfield - Sentinel
Let it be :)
Current Music: Mike Oldfield - Sentinel
"It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round"
I'm sitting over an essay once again. Although the previous times by this point of the night I usually had some idea what I was going to do. Not so tonight. I realised that I had researched the wrong focus of the question all the while. So now I'm trying to find other sources, with the library being closed, and another 13 hours to write 2000 words in. That actually makes it sound not so bad...
Weird how things have changed, though. At the beginning of the year I posted from here, about 4 metres away. Having finished my essay, reasonably cheerful, promising myself I wouldn't do this again. Here I am four months later, having lost and found myself, drinking Mate to stay awake, smoking to keep my thoughts in order, and listening to my ipod (that miraculously revived on Tuesday night after I hit it three times out of despair) to keep my emotions settled.
In general, since Wednesday morning things have been better. It took two things for me to get myself back together - my ipod coming back to life, and me waking up with a bad hangover and the other consequences of too much vodka. If it wasn't for this essay, this weekend would probably have been very nice indeed. But again, the good thing about essays is that they are worldly - they have an end.
And once this one is out of the way, I'll try to finish sorting out my life, write my ethics essay, and try to finish my philosophy of religion and philosphy of the mind essays, which are due right after the easter break. Which I will be spending in China, if I get my Visa, which I shall hopefully pick up on Wednesday. After that I can safely freak out about not having planned anything yet for this journey.
But then again, the moment is now. I am feeling strangely content considering what awaits me the next few hours. I hope it'll stay this way until I have handed in my essay.
Hugs from snowy Scotland :)
Current Music: Radiohead - Creep
EDIT: Maybe I've discovered the reason for my mood swings. I need somebody sane somewhere close to me. With sane I mean sane as The Ark defines it (It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane). Or maybe I need Mad People around me (thanks for pointing me towards this one, Doro...):
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!' " - Jack Kerouac
There are few people like that around, especially here. Maybe another reason why I spend so much time reading blogs and on MSN.
Weird how things have changed, though. At the beginning of the year I posted from here, about 4 metres away. Having finished my essay, reasonably cheerful, promising myself I wouldn't do this again. Here I am four months later, having lost and found myself, drinking Mate to stay awake, smoking to keep my thoughts in order, and listening to my ipod (that miraculously revived on Tuesday night after I hit it three times out of despair) to keep my emotions settled.
In general, since Wednesday morning things have been better. It took two things for me to get myself back together - my ipod coming back to life, and me waking up with a bad hangover and the other consequences of too much vodka. If it wasn't for this essay, this weekend would probably have been very nice indeed. But again, the good thing about essays is that they are worldly - they have an end.
And once this one is out of the way, I'll try to finish sorting out my life, write my ethics essay, and try to finish my philosophy of religion and philosphy of the mind essays, which are due right after the easter break. Which I will be spending in China, if I get my Visa, which I shall hopefully pick up on Wednesday. After that I can safely freak out about not having planned anything yet for this journey.
But then again, the moment is now. I am feeling strangely content considering what awaits me the next few hours. I hope it'll stay this way until I have handed in my essay.
Hugs from snowy Scotland :)
Current Music: Radiohead - Creep
EDIT: Maybe I've discovered the reason for my mood swings. I need somebody sane somewhere close to me. With sane I mean sane as The Ark defines it (It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane). Or maybe I need Mad People around me (thanks for pointing me towards this one, Doro...):
"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww!' " - Jack Kerouac
There are few people like that around, especially here. Maybe another reason why I spend so much time reading blogs and on MSN.
Dienstag, März 07, 2006
A Tuesday Night
It's a tuesday. Where half of St Andrews goes out drinking. I decided to stay in, yet I drank. I don't know how much I have had by now, but it's been a bit. Amazingly how different one can feel after a little bit of drink. I have never been much of a drinker, so this may worry me. I shouldn't drink. I'll think in the morning, after my first meeting at 9,00 am...
I better go to bed now. I'm in no state to think ... Sorry for such a senseless post. I really only meant to post this picture... Niko with a sea horse made from ice at the New Hall Ball on Sunday.
Hugs...
Current Music: Pink Floyd - High Hopes
I better go to bed now. I'm in no state to think ... Sorry for such a senseless post. I really only meant to post this picture... Niko with a sea horse made from ice at the New Hall Ball on Sunday.
Hugs...
Current Music: Pink Floyd - High Hopes
Montag, März 06, 2006
Every now and then I fall apart
I've just come back from a ball in one of the other halls of residence here and its afterparty (or rather, tea to warm up), and I'm not sure whether there is any point in going to bed at all. I have a meeting in a bit more than 4 hours, I have a lot to prepare for classes.
I wish somebody could hug me (but I am in my sleeping bag after all). I wish I could leave this darn place for a little while, hover above it, observe its pathetic happenings from a distance apathetically. I wish I could see tomorrow in a different light from tonight's perspective. I wish I could tell certain people how disappointed I am without disappointing myself. Or maybe I just wish I could forget to care and come back in a few weeks, when I'll know what he's after.
I hope I will slowly get drunk now. I hope I'll manage to work myself senseless this week. I hope I'll be able to tire myself, to sleep. Alternatively, to break down, to cry.
I know I should get over myself. I will try. But I have another few hours, a lot of Finlandia, and Bonnie Tyler before I'll have to try...
Every now and then I fall apart ... Forever is going to start tonight
Current Music: Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse
PS: If this song reminds me of one thing, it is of Flekke. When I listen to it, I think of Flekke. And everything gains meaning only in contrast to Flekke, in contrast to the song.
EDIT: It is now after 9 in the morning. I am still awake, even though I fell asleep for an hour. Still not feeling drunk, damn. Will see whether I'll just continue drinking or what will happen...
I wish somebody could hug me (but I am in my sleeping bag after all). I wish I could leave this darn place for a little while, hover above it, observe its pathetic happenings from a distance apathetically. I wish I could see tomorrow in a different light from tonight's perspective. I wish I could tell certain people how disappointed I am without disappointing myself. Or maybe I just wish I could forget to care and come back in a few weeks, when I'll know what he's after.
I hope I will slowly get drunk now. I hope I'll manage to work myself senseless this week. I hope I'll be able to tire myself, to sleep. Alternatively, to break down, to cry.
I know I should get over myself. I will try. But I have another few hours, a lot of Finlandia, and Bonnie Tyler before I'll have to try...
Every now and then I fall apart ... Forever is going to start tonight
Current Music: Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse
PS: If this song reminds me of one thing, it is of Flekke. When I listen to it, I think of Flekke. And everything gains meaning only in contrast to Flekke, in contrast to the song.
EDIT: It is now after 9 in the morning. I am still awake, even though I fell asleep for an hour. Still not feeling drunk, damn. Will see whether I'll just continue drinking or what will happen...
Freitag, März 03, 2006
I usually hibernate my computer. Leaving all my windows open. On average, my computer runs 3 days non-stop that way. So every now and then I close some windows. One that I'll leave open a little longer is the viewer for this image I find funny. A small light streak in St Andrews, that has been covered a few cm in snow in a sudden blizzard this morning.
Current Music: P:ano - When You Garden in Your Garden
Current Music: P:ano - When You Garden in Your Garden
Donnerstag, März 02, 2006
St Andys Close up...
To reply to the comments earlier...
Maybe St Andys close up can be described like this glass of approximately 16-hour old self-made orange juice.
It is a thick, oozing yellowy liquid, that is still rather fresh. And very healthy.
St Andrews is a rather lively town. Very quirky, in that way. But it never actually moves anywhere. It is so comfortable being in one place, why would there have to be any movement at all? The little movement that may be there comes about from some people trying to tip over the glass every now and then... Oh, and healthy, because we are by the sea. And close to the highlands. And we have good air. Apparently.
It consists of two parts - a hard, thick part blocking off the other part, the liquid, fluid part (which isn't as thick and oozing as what I mentioned above.)
It is this hard part that prevents much movement from happening. Some people are trying to break through, but it just won't work.
You can poke holes in it, and often that will make some liquid flow.
And there will be many small trickles, but nothing to change the state of that glass.
It is only when you shake it, that its contents come splashing down, leaving only remainders of what was once in it on the glass walls.
Hasn't happened here yet in a long time. But the number of people who'd be remainders is scary.
I won't even go into all those nasty bacteria floating around in it, trying to fight one another. Or the way everything is so superficially happy, so naively beautiful. "Awesome, cheers mate, how are you doing?" And in the afternoon we jet to "Europe" [mainland Europe] to show how cultural we are. In german we sometimes say some people have a horizon "from 12 until midday".
Of course this is just a part of this place. But sometimes that is the only part you get to see, and it certainly is the part that tries to attract the most attention to itself.
As for the juice, a bit of shaking, and it went down the drain. As I feel St Andrews does sometimes...
Current Music: Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Maybe St Andys close up can be described like this glass of approximately 16-hour old self-made orange juice.
It is a thick, oozing yellowy liquid, that is still rather fresh. And very healthy.
St Andrews is a rather lively town. Very quirky, in that way. But it never actually moves anywhere. It is so comfortable being in one place, why would there have to be any movement at all? The little movement that may be there comes about from some people trying to tip over the glass every now and then... Oh, and healthy, because we are by the sea. And close to the highlands. And we have good air. Apparently.
It consists of two parts - a hard, thick part blocking off the other part, the liquid, fluid part (which isn't as thick and oozing as what I mentioned above.)
It is this hard part that prevents much movement from happening. Some people are trying to break through, but it just won't work.
You can poke holes in it, and often that will make some liquid flow.
And there will be many small trickles, but nothing to change the state of that glass.
It is only when you shake it, that its contents come splashing down, leaving only remainders of what was once in it on the glass walls.
Hasn't happened here yet in a long time. But the number of people who'd be remainders is scary.
I won't even go into all those nasty bacteria floating around in it, trying to fight one another. Or the way everything is so superficially happy, so naively beautiful. "Awesome, cheers mate, how are you doing?" And in the afternoon we jet to "Europe" [mainland Europe] to show how cultural we are. In german we sometimes say some people have a horizon "from 12 until midday".
Of course this is just a part of this place. But sometimes that is the only part you get to see, and it certainly is the part that tries to attract the most attention to itself.
As for the juice, a bit of shaking, and it went down the drain. As I feel St Andrews does sometimes...
Current Music: Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
Mittwoch, März 01, 2006
I've been tagged...
So I have been tagged from the other side of the great lake...
I'll attempt to answer these questions, and then I should really tag someone to answer them as well, but I don't think I'm the tagging type ;) . Oh blogging joy!
4 Jobs I've Had
- Apart from participating in psychology experiments nothing paid, really, still looking...
4 Films I Could Watch Again
- Jeux D'Enfants / Love Me If You Dare
- Lilya 4ever (will hopefully watch it again soon)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
4 Places I Lived at
- Hannover, Germany (at 2 different places)
- Flekke, Norway
- St Andrews, Scotland
- Poel, Germany (if spending a few weeks every year there counts)
4 TV Series I Like(d) to Watch
- Babylon 5
- The Simpsons
- Family Guy
- I don't really watch that much TV...
4 Places I Have Been on Vacation to
- Sofia & Varna, Bulgaria
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Luxembourg
4 Website I visit every day
- Tagesschau.de (excellent german news page)
- A variety of blogs
- The Hype Machine (excellent for finding alternative music and discovering new tunes)
- The Facebook... I have to admit it... ;)
4 Books
- The Unberable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera (everyone should read it at some point...)
- The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (to this day one of the most refined pieces of writing I've come across)
- The Red Tree - Shaun Tan (a picture book, but my absolute favourite book)
- The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami (a masterpiece in its very own way)
4 Places I'd Like to Be Right Now
- Somewhere outside this town
- Amherst, USA
- In my sleeping bag
- Hannover, Germany
Right. Some of those answers quite surprised me myself... I don't really want to tag anyone, so feel free to answer this, I'd very much appreciate it :D !
Current Music: Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
I'll attempt to answer these questions, and then I should really tag someone to answer them as well, but I don't think I'm the tagging type ;) . Oh blogging joy!
4 Jobs I've Had
- Apart from participating in psychology experiments nothing paid, really, still looking...
4 Films I Could Watch Again
- Jeux D'Enfants / Love Me If You Dare
- Lilya 4ever (will hopefully watch it again soon)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
4 Places I Lived at
- Hannover, Germany (at 2 different places)
- Flekke, Norway
- St Andrews, Scotland
- Poel, Germany (if spending a few weeks every year there counts)
4 TV Series I Like(d) to Watch
- Babylon 5
- The Simpsons
- Family Guy
- I don't really watch that much TV...
4 Places I Have Been on Vacation to
- Sofia & Varna, Bulgaria
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Luxembourg
4 Website I visit every day
- Tagesschau.de (excellent german news page)
- A variety of blogs
- The Hype Machine (excellent for finding alternative music and discovering new tunes)
- The Facebook... I have to admit it... ;)
4 Books
- The Unberable Lightness of Being - Milan Kundera (everyone should read it at some point...)
- The Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger (to this day one of the most refined pieces of writing I've come across)
- The Red Tree - Shaun Tan (a picture book, but my absolute favourite book)
- The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami (a masterpiece in its very own way)
4 Places I'd Like to Be Right Now
- Somewhere outside this town
- Amherst, USA
- In my sleeping bag
- Hannover, Germany
Right. Some of those answers quite surprised me myself... I don't really want to tag anyone, so feel free to answer this, I'd very much appreciate it :D !
Current Music: Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
