Please Ireland, vote yes today! Since you're the only ones having a referendum on ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, you're holding its future in your hands! The EU cannot spend another four years on a new treaty (we all remember what happened with the Nice Treaty)!
I have written about the benefits of the EU several times before, for example here, here, here, here, here and here.
Updated: an older post specifically on the EU constitution (that has now been renegotiated into the Lisbon Treaty).
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
Best Right Now!
Fantastic Swedish commercial running right now! It's in Swedish but with English subtitles.
Show & Tell: Light
This month's Show & Tell themes come from Sunny Swede. Her choice of topics are:
6 June: Light (from ljus, as in illumination, daylight, bright, lightly coloured, etc.)
13 June: View (the Swedish word utsikt could also mean forecast or prospect/chance)
20 June: 5 o'clock
27 June: Cooking
Anyone is welcome to join the gang!
My take on this week's theme, light, is to show you the beautiful sunset I documented while in the Swedish eastcoast town Oskarshamn at the end of March. It was just before 6 am in the morning and so beautiful to watch it from my hotel room overlooking the Baltic Sea.
6 June: Light (from ljus, as in illumination, daylight, bright, lightly coloured, etc.)
13 June: View (the Swedish word utsikt could also mean forecast or prospect/chance)
20 June: 5 o'clock
27 June: Cooking
Anyone is welcome to join the gang!
My take on this week's theme, light, is to show you the beautiful sunset I documented while in the Swedish eastcoast town Oskarshamn at the end of March. It was just before 6 am in the morning and so beautiful to watch it from my hotel room overlooking the Baltic Sea.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
The Books Post
This evening I attended a book reading event at Kulturhuset in Stockholm (it was actually in the evening sun on the roof terrace - well done organisers!) and came back with a few reading tips for the summer. The theme of this week (I think it will be a weekly or monthly thing over the summer) was Swedish debut authors. Those that particularly struck my interest were:
- "Hej Dolly" by Amanda Svensson
- "Paris-Dakar", a series of novels by Jens Liljestrand
- "Picasso valde också Kristinehamn" (Picasso also chose Kristinehamn) by Marcus Grahn
I have written about books several times before. Previous posts labelled "books" (there might be more since I blogged before labelling was introduced and I haven't had the time to go through all old posts for labelling purposes yet):
- (unrelated to my reading but) about some new book about Ikea
- a book list from spring 2007
- five weird books I've read
- my "book nerd" level
- my book list from a few weeks ago
Those of you who use Facebook may be familiar with iRead and book recommendations. It lets you click either "I like it" or "I don't like it" and whether you have read it or not. They give you 25 recommendations at a time but I will just treat you to the 10 first ones. Today they are recommending me the following books:
- "The History of Love" by Nicole Krauss - Haven't read it but think I would like it
- "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson - Yes! A favourite! Read it and loves it"
- Joke" by Milan Kundera - Haven't read it but I have read his classic book and would probably like this one too
- "The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxfod Dictionary" by Simon Winchester - Read it! Excellent!
- "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" by Jared Diamond - Another favourite!
- "Death in Venice" by Michael Henry Heim - Haven't read it and not that interested
- "Ett öga rött" by Jonas Hassen Khemiri - Haven't read it yet but want to (have read his second book "Montecore")
- "The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure" by Hans Magnus Enzensberger - Sounds interesting, want to read it
- "Turbulent Souls: A Catholic Son's Return to His Jewish Family" - No, doesn't strike my interest
- "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides - Haven't read it and don't feel like it
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Show & Tell: Shoes & Books
FINALLY! Time for my shoes blog. I LOVE shoes and I have a LOT of them so I had to post about them at some point!
I have purchased these really useful transparent shoe boxes from Inreda.com for my dressier shoes that I keep in my bedroom closet. Earlier they were just all over the place with some bags and purses thrown into the mix. The flip flops on the left are a new purchase - I always get blistards between my toes from flip flops but I'm hoping these softer ones will be different. The stripey Muji slippers on the right are a favourite.
I have purchased these really useful transparent shoe boxes from Inreda.com for my dressier shoes that I keep in my bedroom closet. Earlier they were just all over the place with some bags and purses thrown into the mix. The flip flops on the left are a new purchase - I always get blistards between my toes from flip flops but I'm hoping these softer ones will be different. The stripey Muji slippers on the right are a favourite.
This is my less organised shoes drawer in our hallway. I should say that these are my spring and summer shoes; my winter shoes are already tucked away in the basement.
Some more from the shoe shelf by the door. The shoes still on the shelf are Peter's - he doesn't have as many shoes as I do but probably 1/3 or even half of my collection and thus way more than the average man.
A recent purpose, well, actually a year ago in Hong Kong but I didn't get around to wearing them last summer. They are a bit hard and as I always get blistards I need to prepare my feet with plasters and Compeed before I'm ready to break them in.
Another recent purchase, this time from South Africa. It was summer when we were there in December but once back home in Sweden I had to put them away for a few months.
This is turning into an international shoe shopping post! I bought these slipper like shoes (with hard soles) in Hong Kong as well, but wore them quite a lot last summer. Especially since last summer wasn't that great and I often needed warmer shoes than sandals.
BOOKS - coming soon! :)
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Foul Taste
Looking for a house in Sweden? Look no further.
A little taster...
But seriously, what were they thinking??!! And now all of Sweden (and the world) will know about their complete lack of taste.
A little taster...
But seriously, what were they thinking??!! And now all of Sweden (and the world) will know about their complete lack of taste.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Abstaining from the Truth
In the early days of my blogging and reading other people's blogs, back in early 2005, my friend Nonna blogged about the abstinence education in Texas that had proven unsuccessful. In a comment to Nonna I cited a Swedish article on the topic, "Living in celibacy easier said than done":
"More and more Americans promise to abstain from sex before marriage, zealously supported by President Bush. But only every tenth keeps his/her promise.
Solemn promises of a life in celibacy until your wedding day ought to be quite difficult to demand of the drinkers at the clubs in Stockholm - and of the rest of Sweden. Statistics show that young Swedes on average make their sexual debut at 16. In the USA however, there is a nation-wide movement to persuade the youngest to practise abstinence. President Bush supports the work and Congress has assigned 131 million dollar to abstinence teaching. As a rule the debated is conducted with Christian characteristics. But the problems with teenage abortion, spread of HIV, and STDs have made a great deal of people outside of church listen. Since 1993 the movement True Love Waits has alone convinced 2,4 million young Americans to sign a promise of chastity:
'As a believe that true love waits, I commit before God, myself, my family, those I date and my future partner to remain sexually untouched until the day I enter into marriage'.
The effectiveness of the abstinence model is however strongly questioned by scientists. And many sexuality specialists believe that medical arguments can make more people wait than can promises to God. Especially if the promises are not kept anyway.
A new scientific report from the University of Columbia shows that 88 % of those who have given a promise of celibacy have not kept it. The frequency of STDs among these people was just short of as high as among those who had not promised to abstain. Those who broke their promises, quickly came even with the promise-free group by having many partners in a short period of time.A study at the A&M University in Bush's homestate Texas has showed a similar result. Among teenagers who have been taught abstention, the number of people making their sexual debut following the end of the course increased, in particular among the boys. The many young people getting pregnant in the USA are petitioned more and more firmly by abortion opponents. Around the country these organisations offer free ultrasounds in order to persuade women to reassess. Spokesmen claim that up to 90 % of these women have abandoned the thought of abortion after having undergone these examinations.
The abortion advocates accuse these clinics for leading the women to continue their pregnancies. At the same time these women do no get any information about contraceptives. Instead they are encourage to - exactly - abstain from sex."
I just read another article on the subject (from October 2007), by Amanda Robb at the New York Times, titled "Abstinence 1, S-Chip 0"
"DEMOCRATIC leaders are right to contest President Bush’s veto of their bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance program. But sadly, their “bipartisan compromise” will leave millions of young Americans vulnerable to sickness and suffering of the most preventable kind.
To entice Republicans to support the bill, the House of Representatives agreed to increase money for abstinence-only sex education by $28 million, to a total of about $200 million a year. Abstinence-only courses, the only form of federally financed sex ed, teach that sexual activity outside of marriage is likely to cause psychological and physical harm. If that were true, our health care system would be not only broken, but besieged. A 2002 survey found that 93 percent of American adults had had premarital sex by the age of 30.
In addition to provoking shame about a nearly universal activity, abstinence-only sex education is ineffective and dangerous. Last April, a 10-year study found that students who took abstinence-only courses were no more likely to abstain from sex than other students. Previous studies revealed that abstinence-only students avoid using contraception.
Programs in public schools teach patently false information like 'the chances of getting pregnant with a condom are one out of six' and H.I.V. 'may be in your body for a long time (from a few months to as long as 10 years or more) before it can be detected.'
The results are tragic. The United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the developed world (about the same as Ukraine’s), and the highest abortion rate in the Western world. Sexually transmitted infections like syphilis and gonorrhea are on the rise for the first time since the 1980s, and chlamydia is being diagnosed twice as often as it was a decade ago.
Among Americans living in poverty — those who might see the $4 price of a three-pack of condoms as the take-home pay for an hour of work at minimum wage — the unintended pregnancy rate has increased 30 percent since 1994. Our teenage pregnancy and abortion rates have declined during the last decade, but research suggests this is mainly because of increased use of condoms, something young people must learn about outside of school.
By dropping the financing for abstinence-only sex ed, Congress could save enough money to insure 150,000 children a year. And it would also demonstrate much needed resolve to protect all aspects of children’s health."
I can't believe that in 2008 some people still have such old-fashioned views and are turning a blind eye to the evidence and the social reality around them. Scary.
"More and more Americans promise to abstain from sex before marriage, zealously supported by President Bush. But only every tenth keeps his/her promise.
Solemn promises of a life in celibacy until your wedding day ought to be quite difficult to demand of the drinkers at the clubs in Stockholm - and of the rest of Sweden. Statistics show that young Swedes on average make their sexual debut at 16. In the USA however, there is a nation-wide movement to persuade the youngest to practise abstinence. President Bush supports the work and Congress has assigned 131 million dollar to abstinence teaching. As a rule the debated is conducted with Christian characteristics. But the problems with teenage abortion, spread of HIV, and STDs have made a great deal of people outside of church listen. Since 1993 the movement True Love Waits has alone convinced 2,4 million young Americans to sign a promise of chastity:
'As a believe that true love waits, I commit before God, myself, my family, those I date and my future partner to remain sexually untouched until the day I enter into marriage'.
The effectiveness of the abstinence model is however strongly questioned by scientists. And many sexuality specialists believe that medical arguments can make more people wait than can promises to God. Especially if the promises are not kept anyway.
A new scientific report from the University of Columbia shows that 88 % of those who have given a promise of celibacy have not kept it. The frequency of STDs among these people was just short of as high as among those who had not promised to abstain. Those who broke their promises, quickly came even with the promise-free group by having many partners in a short period of time.A study at the A&M University in Bush's homestate Texas has showed a similar result. Among teenagers who have been taught abstention, the number of people making their sexual debut following the end of the course increased, in particular among the boys. The many young people getting pregnant in the USA are petitioned more and more firmly by abortion opponents. Around the country these organisations offer free ultrasounds in order to persuade women to reassess. Spokesmen claim that up to 90 % of these women have abandoned the thought of abortion after having undergone these examinations.
The abortion advocates accuse these clinics for leading the women to continue their pregnancies. At the same time these women do no get any information about contraceptives. Instead they are encourage to - exactly - abstain from sex."
I just read another article on the subject (from October 2007), by Amanda Robb at the New York Times, titled "Abstinence 1, S-Chip 0"
"DEMOCRATIC leaders are right to contest President Bush’s veto of their bill to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance program. But sadly, their “bipartisan compromise” will leave millions of young Americans vulnerable to sickness and suffering of the most preventable kind.
To entice Republicans to support the bill, the House of Representatives agreed to increase money for abstinence-only sex education by $28 million, to a total of about $200 million a year. Abstinence-only courses, the only form of federally financed sex ed, teach that sexual activity outside of marriage is likely to cause psychological and physical harm. If that were true, our health care system would be not only broken, but besieged. A 2002 survey found that 93 percent of American adults had had premarital sex by the age of 30.
In addition to provoking shame about a nearly universal activity, abstinence-only sex education is ineffective and dangerous. Last April, a 10-year study found that students who took abstinence-only courses were no more likely to abstain from sex than other students. Previous studies revealed that abstinence-only students avoid using contraception.
Programs in public schools teach patently false information like 'the chances of getting pregnant with a condom are one out of six' and H.I.V. 'may be in your body for a long time (from a few months to as long as 10 years or more) before it can be detected.'
The results are tragic. The United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the developed world (about the same as Ukraine’s), and the highest abortion rate in the Western world. Sexually transmitted infections like syphilis and gonorrhea are on the rise for the first time since the 1980s, and chlamydia is being diagnosed twice as often as it was a decade ago.
Among Americans living in poverty — those who might see the $4 price of a three-pack of condoms as the take-home pay for an hour of work at minimum wage — the unintended pregnancy rate has increased 30 percent since 1994. Our teenage pregnancy and abortion rates have declined during the last decade, but research suggests this is mainly because of increased use of condoms, something young people must learn about outside of school.
By dropping the financing for abstinence-only sex ed, Congress could save enough money to insure 150,000 children a year. And it would also demonstrate much needed resolve to protect all aspects of children’s health."
I can't believe that in 2008 some people still have such old-fashioned views and are turning a blind eye to the evidence and the social reality around them. Scary.
Chilled Chili!
I have a new favourite ice cream! For those of you who don't live in Sweden (or in another country where they sell it), you're really missing something!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Show & Tell: Cool and Refreshing
Friday and Show & Tell time! This week's theme is svalka, which is Swedish for "coolness" or "refreshing" and refers to a thing or an act that is cooling or refreshing, such as a chilled drink, a nice breece, a swim in the ocean or an icecream. You will agree that it has been while since I showed some South Africa pictures so I will let them illustrate this week's Show & Tell.
This was our semi outdoor shower at the game lodge in South Africa. Had we had better weather it would have been a very nice place to cool off (although it was pretty cool in the other sense of the word too!).
I didn't try this spirit but it looks like it can be quite refreshing. I like litchi fruit as well.
It's a bit tricky for the giraffe when he needs to drink.
This was in the bar at the Backpacker place we stayed at in Johannesburg - but none of us felt like trying it. A cold beer did the trick instead (plus I think that the tub was probably heated).
The Loch Ness is probably missing the cool water back in Scotland...
To be stuck in traffic in hot weather with this view can be quite challenging. 
This is a really good place to go to cool off.
Peter braved the very cold water in Cape Town - it was about 6'C!
This sufficed for me.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
I Am What I Read
I found a book questionnaire over at Skolfröken (I think it was). I love books and I love questionnaires and lists so here goes...
1. Which was the latest book that you read?
"The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson. I really love Bill Bryson and have read probably 5 or 6 of his books!
2. Which book are you going to read next?
I have about 30 books on my shelves that I haven't read yet.... I'm quite the shopaholic when it comes to books but then don't get around to reading as much as I would want to, partly due to this blog (and reading other people's blogs) taking too much of my time... I have started "The Undercover Economist" but I think I need to read something fiction as well/instead.
3. Do you have more male or female authors among your books?
I have no idea actually, probably a mix. Whether the book is written by a man or a woman does not influence me when buying or reading a book.
4. When reading a book, do you count down the number of pages that you have left, or do you think "now I've read one fourth", "one third", "yes, half!", etc.?
Sometimes, but mostly if I'm bored with it. Although sometimes I don't want it to end, for example I wouldn't have minded "The Thunderbolt Kid" being much longer!
5. How do you choose what books to read? For example the cover, recommendations from friends, book reviews, bestseller lists, blogs, etc.?
I'm a member of a couple of book clubs (the kind that has a monthly magazine with a monthly book that you need to cancel if you don't want that month's delivery) and get recommendations from them. In addition to that I also listen to friends, read blogs and look at bestseller lists on different book selling sites. When I'm at the book store I'm quite influenced by the cover as well.
6. When does a book become too long?
Never in terms of number of pages, but pretty soon if it's boring.
7. Do you happily read in English (if it is the original language)?
This is a blog in English so I have to say yes. But actually it is true, it's always better to read books in their original language, the problem is that when it comes to the other languages I have studied (besides my mother tongue Swedish and my "second language" English), French and Spanish, my reading skills are not at the level that I would really appreciate the subleties of the language.
8. Which book was the most recent one you felt you just had to persuade ALL your friends to read?
I can't remember, I recommend a lot of books, but the ones I've really tried to "sell" in the last few years are "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson, "A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers, "Collapse" by Jared Diamond and "Bitterfittan" by Maria Sveland.
9. Can you put away a book without finishing it? If so, when do you give up?
No, I always feel that I have to complete it but I sometimes put it away for months before I make myself finish it. It feels very strange not to finish.
10. What genre is overrepresented in your bookcase, and which genres are completely missing?
Probably non-fiction current affairs or other facts books (such as Bill Bryson's science book or "The Undercover Economist". I don't have any fantasy books, unless you count "Harry Potter" but those are really Peter's book (they are still on my to read-list).
1. Which was the latest book that you read?
"The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" by Bill Bryson. I really love Bill Bryson and have read probably 5 or 6 of his books!
2. Which book are you going to read next?
I have about 30 books on my shelves that I haven't read yet.... I'm quite the shopaholic when it comes to books but then don't get around to reading as much as I would want to, partly due to this blog (and reading other people's blogs) taking too much of my time... I have started "The Undercover Economist" but I think I need to read something fiction as well/instead.
3. Do you have more male or female authors among your books?
I have no idea actually, probably a mix. Whether the book is written by a man or a woman does not influence me when buying or reading a book.
4. When reading a book, do you count down the number of pages that you have left, or do you think "now I've read one fourth", "one third", "yes, half!", etc.?
Sometimes, but mostly if I'm bored with it. Although sometimes I don't want it to end, for example I wouldn't have minded "The Thunderbolt Kid" being much longer!
5. How do you choose what books to read? For example the cover, recommendations from friends, book reviews, bestseller lists, blogs, etc.?
I'm a member of a couple of book clubs (the kind that has a monthly magazine with a monthly book that you need to cancel if you don't want that month's delivery) and get recommendations from them. In addition to that I also listen to friends, read blogs and look at bestseller lists on different book selling sites. When I'm at the book store I'm quite influenced by the cover as well.
6. When does a book become too long?
Never in terms of number of pages, but pretty soon if it's boring.
7. Do you happily read in English (if it is the original language)?
This is a blog in English so I have to say yes. But actually it is true, it's always better to read books in their original language, the problem is that when it comes to the other languages I have studied (besides my mother tongue Swedish and my "second language" English), French and Spanish, my reading skills are not at the level that I would really appreciate the subleties of the language.
8. Which book was the most recent one you felt you just had to persuade ALL your friends to read?
I can't remember, I recommend a lot of books, but the ones I've really tried to "sell" in the last few years are "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson, "A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers, "Collapse" by Jared Diamond and "Bitterfittan" by Maria Sveland.
9. Can you put away a book without finishing it? If so, when do you give up?
No, I always feel that I have to complete it but I sometimes put it away for months before I make myself finish it. It feels very strange not to finish.
10. What genre is overrepresented in your bookcase, and which genres are completely missing?
Probably non-fiction current affairs or other facts books (such as Bill Bryson's science book or "The Undercover Economist". I don't have any fantasy books, unless you count "Harry Potter" but those are really Peter's book (they are still on my to read-list).
Lingua Franca
Continuing on the education theme, which language should I learn?
Luckily I already know French (well, used to is probably the more correct phrase...) so I don't need to do anything! ;) C'est super!
| You Should Learn French |
 You are definitely a Parisian at heart. You just need your tongue to catch up... |
What Language Should You Learn?
Luckily I already know French (well, used to is probably the more correct phrase...) so I don't need to do anything! ;) C'est super!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Education: Big Money and Free Market?
The Swedish National Agency for Education has just published its latest report on the development of so-called independent or free-standing schools in Sweden. Since freedom of choice for pupils and freedom of establishment for providers were introduced in the early 1990s the number of applications for new independent schools and the number of pupils attending such schools have risen substantially. (I should mention that independent schools are still publicly financed; it is a voucher system of sorts.)
This year 560 applications reached the Agency for Education in its capacity as reviewer and approver of independent school licences. Today 9.1% of Swedish compulsory school pupils and 17.4% of upper secondary school pupils attend an independent school. In some bigger cities, e.g. around Stockholm, independent schools cater for almost 50% of the pupils, while some rural, often northern towns have no or very few independent providers.
Initially most of the independent providers were parent co-operatives or association and trusts, i.e. non-profit organisations, but today most of the schools are owned and run by big education chains, a development which has its pros and cons. Since independent schools in Sweden are allowed to make a profit and filter back that profit to its owners (often venture capital and similar organisations), it makes sense that more and more companies want to have a piece of the cake, and that they want to grow. Economies of scale, makes sense. By the way, this is a very different situation to the UK where profit in the education sector is not allowed. This has however not stopped the Swedish education provider Kunskapsskolan, which is making an entry into the UK education market.
The National Agency for Education, and others, have expressed concerns over the disrepancy between the legislation - and the intent of the reforms - and the current situation and the consequences for society's control over these schools and the school system as a whole. Swedish municipalities are responsible for the education of its minor citizens, but what happens when all or a majority of pupils choose another school? How do they keep the municipal school open or in other ways prepare for having to take in a substantial group of pupils when an independent school close down (for whatever reason: bankrupcy, withdrawal of permit, etc.)?
The Swedish education sector has changed over the last 15 years but the legislation regulating independent schools has not been amended since 1994. The law talks about independent schools as a complement to the municipal schools, for example other types of pedagogical methods, and not big chains with schools all over the country. Despite a completely new and different situation, the regulation about municipalities' responsibility and obligation for education provision has not changed. When an independent school has applied for a permit in a certain municipality the Agency for Education especially looks at the municipality's consequence assessment, including pupil prognoses and possible effects on the schools and education programmes already provided in the region. Unfortunately the quality of the consequence assessments is varying and some municipalities do not have the resources to do one.
Another current topic is how many schools does the sector have room for when the competition for pupils gets tougher? And how long can independent (and municipal) schools compete on different conditions? According to the Agency for Education the risk of over-establishment is huge and the number of applications is a surprise to them. The development in the Swedish school sector has occurred at a time when the age cohorts have been large and growing, but next year is the peak before the numbers start to shrink. The competition will lead to both independent and municipal schools being forced to re-organise or close down. To give an example, in one Swedish municipality last year's applications to start independent schools covered 7,700 education places in a town with only 4,500 pupils.
The Agency for Education argue that the municipalities are badly prepared for tougher competition. Since the municipalities by law still have the utmost responsibility for the education in the area they must always have a preparedness for a transfer of students from independent schools and for having to keep a school open despite a low number of pupils. As government organisations however, municipalities are more slow-moving creatures than independent schools and they cannot get rid of personnel or facilities easily, which means that the cost per pupil increases in such a situation. The ability to plan long-term is diminished. A municipality thus risks both school closures and increased costs for its pupils' education. Since the independent schools do not have the same obligations and responsibilities, they conditions are not the same for the two types of actors. The education market is not a level playing field.
In addition to the "market factors", there are also other differences in conditions between independent and municipal schools. The principle of free access to public records (the famous Swedish offentlighetsprincipen) does not apply to independent schools. The Justice Ombudsman or the Attorney General do not have jurisdiction here. The only inspection that takes place is that of the Agency for Education, and the municipalities have some right of insight into the independent providers in their area. This means that in municipalities with very many independent school the citizens have very little control over a major part of the local school system.
The government is starting to address some of these issues by looking at how to increase national government control (through agencies such as the Agency for Education) over the school system and how to make the conditions for independent and municipal schools more equal, but the "solution" is not obvious. There are also other negative aspects of the present competition in the education sector, such as the methods used by schools (municipal and independent alike) to attract students, for example, through flashy brochures and offering laptops and other perks, instead of competing on the quality of the education and pedagogy. But that's a topic for a future blog post!
Source: Skolverket/National Agency for Education
This year 560 applications reached the Agency for Education in its capacity as reviewer and approver of independent school licences. Today 9.1% of Swedish compulsory school pupils and 17.4% of upper secondary school pupils attend an independent school. In some bigger cities, e.g. around Stockholm, independent schools cater for almost 50% of the pupils, while some rural, often northern towns have no or very few independent providers.
Initially most of the independent providers were parent co-operatives or association and trusts, i.e. non-profit organisations, but today most of the schools are owned and run by big education chains, a development which has its pros and cons. Since independent schools in Sweden are allowed to make a profit and filter back that profit to its owners (often venture capital and similar organisations), it makes sense that more and more companies want to have a piece of the cake, and that they want to grow. Economies of scale, makes sense. By the way, this is a very different situation to the UK where profit in the education sector is not allowed. This has however not stopped the Swedish education provider Kunskapsskolan, which is making an entry into the UK education market.
The National Agency for Education, and others, have expressed concerns over the disrepancy between the legislation - and the intent of the reforms - and the current situation and the consequences for society's control over these schools and the school system as a whole. Swedish municipalities are responsible for the education of its minor citizens, but what happens when all or a majority of pupils choose another school? How do they keep the municipal school open or in other ways prepare for having to take in a substantial group of pupils when an independent school close down (for whatever reason: bankrupcy, withdrawal of permit, etc.)?
The Swedish education sector has changed over the last 15 years but the legislation regulating independent schools has not been amended since 1994. The law talks about independent schools as a complement to the municipal schools, for example other types of pedagogical methods, and not big chains with schools all over the country. Despite a completely new and different situation, the regulation about municipalities' responsibility and obligation for education provision has not changed. When an independent school has applied for a permit in a certain municipality the Agency for Education especially looks at the municipality's consequence assessment, including pupil prognoses and possible effects on the schools and education programmes already provided in the region. Unfortunately the quality of the consequence assessments is varying and some municipalities do not have the resources to do one.
Another current topic is how many schools does the sector have room for when the competition for pupils gets tougher? And how long can independent (and municipal) schools compete on different conditions? According to the Agency for Education the risk of over-establishment is huge and the number of applications is a surprise to them. The development in the Swedish school sector has occurred at a time when the age cohorts have been large and growing, but next year is the peak before the numbers start to shrink. The competition will lead to both independent and municipal schools being forced to re-organise or close down. To give an example, in one Swedish municipality last year's applications to start independent schools covered 7,700 education places in a town with only 4,500 pupils.
The Agency for Education argue that the municipalities are badly prepared for tougher competition. Since the municipalities by law still have the utmost responsibility for the education in the area they must always have a preparedness for a transfer of students from independent schools and for having to keep a school open despite a low number of pupils. As government organisations however, municipalities are more slow-moving creatures than independent schools and they cannot get rid of personnel or facilities easily, which means that the cost per pupil increases in such a situation. The ability to plan long-term is diminished. A municipality thus risks both school closures and increased costs for its pupils' education. Since the independent schools do not have the same obligations and responsibilities, they conditions are not the same for the two types of actors. The education market is not a level playing field.
In addition to the "market factors", there are also other differences in conditions between independent and municipal schools. The principle of free access to public records (the famous Swedish offentlighetsprincipen) does not apply to independent schools. The Justice Ombudsman or the Attorney General do not have jurisdiction here. The only inspection that takes place is that of the Agency for Education, and the municipalities have some right of insight into the independent providers in their area. This means that in municipalities with very many independent school the citizens have very little control over a major part of the local school system.
The government is starting to address some of these issues by looking at how to increase national government control (through agencies such as the Agency for Education) over the school system and how to make the conditions for independent and municipal schools more equal, but the "solution" is not obvious. There are also other negative aspects of the present competition in the education sector, such as the methods used by schools (municipal and independent alike) to attract students, for example, through flashy brochures and offering laptops and other perks, instead of competing on the quality of the education and pedagogy. But that's a topic for a future blog post!
Source: Skolverket/National Agency for Education
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sad News
I had some very sad news yesterday. A fellow student at St Antony's College in Oxford (when I was there 2000-2002), Michael Bhatia, was killed in Afghanistan on 7 May. Already before studying for his MPhil at Oxford, Michael had been working with different projects in Afghanistan and now he was working as a social scientist in consultation with the US Department of Defense. I didn't know Michael that well but we hung in the same crowds and it's such sad, sad news. He could have done so much more good for humanity.
Copied in is an e-mail from a friend of Michael's with details on what could be done in memory of Michael, in case any of you out there happened to also know Michael.
Although Michael parted ways with the [Catholic] church as he grew older, no one cared for poor, marginalized people and people who had been victimised by war and ethnic conflict as much as Michael did. That, to me, is so central to living a Catholic life and also so central to so many of our other great religious traditions and secular moral values. Simply put, no matter our faith, these are values that so many of us share -- and Michael exemplified them as well as anyone could."
CONDOLENCES -- The Bhatia family would love to hear from Michael's friends. They can be reached at [address available upon request]. Please do not send flowers; in lieu of flowers they are asking for contributions to a scholarship fund (see below).
FUNERAL SERVICE -- Services will be held during a Catholic mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Medway, Massachusetts. A date has not yet been set. Funeral arrangements will be made by Crowley Funeral Home at 3 Barber Street in Medway.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND -- A bunch of us would like to set up a scholarship fund to honor Michael's memory. His mother has embraced this idea and we will set this up as soon as we can. We would appreciate the assistance and involvement of anyone else if you would like to honor Michael in this way. The contact person for now is the class president for the 2001 Marshalls, Alan Trammell (amtrammell@gmail.com).
In these moments, I appreciate more than ever our friends from our group at Oxford and I know that Michael would be so touched by all of our mutual expressions of love and support. Michael's mother has requested that this information be disseminated widely to all who knew him so please forward this email.
More info at the Watson Institute for International Studies.
Copied in is an e-mail from a friend of Michael's with details on what could be done in memory of Michael, in case any of you out there happened to also know Michael.
Although Michael parted ways with the [Catholic] church as he grew older, no one cared for poor, marginalized people and people who had been victimised by war and ethnic conflict as much as Michael did. That, to me, is so central to living a Catholic life and also so central to so many of our other great religious traditions and secular moral values. Simply put, no matter our faith, these are values that so many of us share -- and Michael exemplified them as well as anyone could."
CONDOLENCES -- The Bhatia family would love to hear from Michael's friends. They can be reached at [address available upon request]. Please do not send flowers; in lieu of flowers they are asking for contributions to a scholarship fund (see below).
FUNERAL SERVICE -- Services will be held during a Catholic mass at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Medway, Massachusetts. A date has not yet been set. Funeral arrangements will be made by Crowley Funeral Home at 3 Barber Street in Medway.
SCHOLARSHIP FUND -- A bunch of us would like to set up a scholarship fund to honor Michael's memory. His mother has embraced this idea and we will set this up as soon as we can. We would appreciate the assistance and involvement of anyone else if you would like to honor Michael in this way. The contact person for now is the class president for the 2001 Marshalls, Alan Trammell (amtrammell@gmail.com).
In these moments, I appreciate more than ever our friends from our group at Oxford and I know that Michael would be so touched by all of our mutual expressions of love and support. Michael's mother has requested that this information be disseminated widely to all who knew him so please forward this email.
More info at the Watson Institute for International Studies.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Show & Tell: Breakfast
This week's Show & Tell theme is breakfast. What do you eat for breakfast? Do you eat the same every day? Is there a difference between your breakfast Monday-Friday and on the weekend? Are you a coffee or a tea person? Do you have any favourite cup/mug for coffee or tea?
I have never understood those who skip breakfast. That said, I don't eat a hearty breakfast every day and I'm a bit boring I guess because I tend to eat the same thing almost every day; two pieces of dark/rye/fibre-rich bread with either cheese or messmör, a glass of juice and a cup of tea. Sometimes I replace one of the pieces of bread with yoghurt or filmjölk with cereal. I never drink coffee with my breakfast but as soon as get to work I have some.
At the weekend I usually eat a little less healthy by trading the nutricious bread for toast with jam or marmelade. We have one of this advanced juice machines though so sometimes we make fresh fruit juice which hopefully evens out the intake of less healthy toast. Peter usually goes out either Saturday or Sunday to buy some freshly baked bread and croissants so that's another weekend treat for me. Sometimes we make eggs and bacon or American pancakes but that's just one weekend a month or so depending if we're heading out and planning to have lunch in town or not.
One of my favourite breakfast is a proper English breakfast but since that's difficult to find in Sweden I have to make a couple of trips to England a year to fill my baked beans need. Of course I could buy a can of it together with the other ingredients but it's not the same...
Doesn't it look yummy?!
I have never understood those who skip breakfast. That said, I don't eat a hearty breakfast every day and I'm a bit boring I guess because I tend to eat the same thing almost every day; two pieces of dark/rye/fibre-rich bread with either cheese or messmör, a glass of juice and a cup of tea. Sometimes I replace one of the pieces of bread with yoghurt or filmjölk with cereal. I never drink coffee with my breakfast but as soon as get to work I have some.
At the weekend I usually eat a little less healthy by trading the nutricious bread for toast with jam or marmelade. We have one of this advanced juice machines though so sometimes we make fresh fruit juice which hopefully evens out the intake of less healthy toast. Peter usually goes out either Saturday or Sunday to buy some freshly baked bread and croissants so that's another weekend treat for me. Sometimes we make eggs and bacon or American pancakes but that's just one weekend a month or so depending if we're heading out and planning to have lunch in town or not.
One of my favourite breakfast is a proper English breakfast but since that's difficult to find in Sweden I have to make a couple of trips to England a year to fill my baked beans need. Of course I could buy a can of it together with the other ingredients but it's not the same...
Doesn't it look yummy?!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Abort now!*
* i.e. stop this development now
I'm a bit worried by the latest developments on the issue of abortion in the EU. European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) has just published a new survey of European parties' view on abortion, which concludes that 36 out of 75 parties, mainly Social Democrat, Liberal and Left parties, are in favour of the right to abortion. EPF defined this as "still big support for" the right to abortion, as some of the parties that don't specifically express the right to abortion in their party manifesto implicitly support the right, but to me, that isn't good enough. Actually I don't know what the views of the party was last year or five years ago or ten years ago, but it feels like people are questioning this fundamental right for women to decide over their own body.
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden are some of the countries where there is broad consensus on the right to abortion (though one wonders sometimes what the Swedish Christian Democrats really think), while parties in Ireland, Poland and the UK are more divided. For example, in the UK there are differing opinions within the Labour party if the right to abortion on socio-economic grounds should be extended or restricted.
24 of the 75 surveyed parties want to reduce the number of abortion, which is not obviously the same as wanting to ban them, but it depends how (and why) you want to reduce them. The Swedish Christian Democrats, Liberals, the Centre Paty and the Left party belong to this category although the Christian Democrats want to restrain the grounds for the right to abortion. I can also support measures that reduce the number of abortions if these concentrate on the causes of unwanted pregnancies, increasing access to and use of contraceptives and discouraging the use of abortion as a type of contraceptive, but any means that try to limit women's right and access to abortion is really a no-no for me. I think it's probably safe to say that countries where abortion is banned or restricted have as high number of abortions as countries where access is free, and more women in dying in the process.
Some facts about the right to abortion in the EU
Completely free until at least twelve weeks into pregnancy: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary
Allowed on socio-economic grounds (also to save the women's life and on physical and psychological grounds): Cyprus, Finland, Luxembourg and Great Britain
Allowed only to protect physical health: Poland
Allowed only to protect mental health: Spain, Northern Ireland
Allowed only to save the woman's life: Ireland
Sources: Europaportalen and Political Party Mapping by European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development
I'm a bit worried by the latest developments on the issue of abortion in the EU. European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) has just published a new survey of European parties' view on abortion, which concludes that 36 out of 75 parties, mainly Social Democrat, Liberal and Left parties, are in favour of the right to abortion. EPF defined this as "still big support for" the right to abortion, as some of the parties that don't specifically express the right to abortion in their party manifesto implicitly support the right, but to me, that isn't good enough. Actually I don't know what the views of the party was last year or five years ago or ten years ago, but it feels like people are questioning this fundamental right for women to decide over their own body.
Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden are some of the countries where there is broad consensus on the right to abortion (though one wonders sometimes what the Swedish Christian Democrats really think), while parties in Ireland, Poland and the UK are more divided. For example, in the UK there are differing opinions within the Labour party if the right to abortion on socio-economic grounds should be extended or restricted.
24 of the 75 surveyed parties want to reduce the number of abortion, which is not obviously the same as wanting to ban them, but it depends how (and why) you want to reduce them. The Swedish Christian Democrats, Liberals, the Centre Paty and the Left party belong to this category although the Christian Democrats want to restrain the grounds for the right to abortion. I can also support measures that reduce the number of abortions if these concentrate on the causes of unwanted pregnancies, increasing access to and use of contraceptives and discouraging the use of abortion as a type of contraceptive, but any means that try to limit women's right and access to abortion is really a no-no for me. I think it's probably safe to say that countries where abortion is banned or restricted have as high number of abortions as countries where access is free, and more women in dying in the process.
Some facts about the right to abortion in the EU
Completely free until at least twelve weeks into pregnancy: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany and Hungary
Allowed on socio-economic grounds (also to save the women's life and on physical and psychological grounds): Cyprus, Finland, Luxembourg and Great Britain
Allowed only to protect physical health: Poland
Allowed only to protect mental health: Spain, Northern Ireland
Allowed only to save the woman's life: Ireland
Sources: Europaportalen and Political Party Mapping by European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Questionned
Found a blogging questionnaire over at Sweet Home Alabama.
1. How long have you been blogging?
Since 29 September 2004 but I only posted twice that autumn and started for real on 22 March 2005
2. What was your view of blogs and bloggers a month before you started blogging yourself?
Blogs were pretty new and exciting and my friend - Nonna - had started one, so I wanted to join the club. I figured I also had things to write that people might find interesting :)
3. What was the first blog you fell in love with?
I can't really remember but the first two I read regurly and which inspired my own blogging were Nonna's as mentioned above, and Tomato and Basil Sandwiches.
4. What do you think about your first blog posts when you read them now?
They are pretty good, some short but some pretty long and attempts to be a bit political. I didn't know how to post pictures then, or, I knew but it wasn't as easy on Blogger as it is now, so I lack illustrations.
5. How many blogs do you read regularly?
At least 30. Those in the link list to the left and some other ones.
6. Of the bloggers you read, how many are diary blogs and how many are subject blogs/e.g. technology, fashion, politics blogs?
A mix of everything. Most are general, every-day blogs but I read a few politics blogs. I hardly ever read targetted fashion, design or travel (etc.) blogs though. I like the mix of entries in each blog.
7. Recommend (and link to) a blogger who is very different to you, whose blog you like?
Alvas pappa (Alva's dad) blogs about his daughter and being a father, so that's obviously something I can't relate to, but I enjoy reading his blog a lot (and I hope he won' stop blogging!).
8. Recommend (and link to) a blogger who is very much like you, whose blog you like?
Lullun in Greenland lives a very different life to mine (so I guess she would qualify under (7) too, but as I begin to get to know her (through the Internet world at least) I feel that we have very similar personalities and interests.
9. What do your closest family and friends think about your blogging?
Most of my friends don't know that I blog (even if I'm wrong they are very bad at commenting or ever mentioning it). My mum reads it regularly and seems to enjoy it. Some of my relatives also read it and as they are bloggers themselves, I assume they are positive towards it. My boyfriend used to read it a lot in the beginning of our relationship but now not as much (though I have complained about that!) - it was a bit unfair actually as he learned all these things about me without having to ask! :)
10. Do people who know you think that you are yourself in your blog?
I think so. I try to be myself at least and write only my own opinions or take on things. Thereof the name of the blog: Anna, Fair and True!
11. Have you found a good balance for how private and personal you want to be in your blog, or do you move the boundaries all the time?
Yes, I think I started out pretty good and I have kept that "system". I have never intented to be neither anonymous and secret nor write about everything I do, think, feel and post a lot of personal photos (especially of family and friends who may not want their face on the Internet).
12. Name a few things you would never blog about and why?
I probably wouldn't blog about difficult things I was going through, or at least not tell the whole story, and I wouldn't rat on friends or others who could get hurt. I also sometimes avoid topics that I don't know enough about and don't feel qualified to debate.
13. To what extent do you blog for self-confirmation?
Part of it for my ego, I won't deny that. It's fun to write something and hear what people think about it. But it's not only about that but about getting people engaged in discussion, feeling community with other people, learning from what others write on my blog. It also fun to work out how blogging works technically, learn some htlm-code, try out different blog designs, etc.
14. Do you think you can get to know a person by reading his/her blog?
Definitely, especially if they are personal, even if they are anomymous but still personal. There are several bloggers who I would really like to meet because I think they seem like genuinely nice, fun and interesting people.
15. Have you met people IRL (in real life) after having made contact with them through the blog?
No, not yet but I would love to meet some of my regular bloggers.
16. Do you think it can be bad for certain persons to blog?
No, not so long as there are others things in your life too (my boyfriend thinks I spend too much time blogging, reading different blogs, Facebooking, etc. but on average it's only 1 hour a day probably so I don't think I need to worry). Some people with certain jobs or who are public persons should perhaps be a bit careful with what they write and how personal they are but in general I think blogging is a positive phenomenon.
17. Have you ever been hurt by anything that has been written to you/about you in the comments or in other blogs? If so, how have you dealt with it?
Not that I can remember. There have been differences of opinion but the discussion has never got out of the way. I know some people that have receive anonymous e-mails about something they have blogged about but it has never happened to me.
18. Have you written things you have regretted in your own or other people's blogs?
I don't think so, I hope not.
19. What are the disadvantages of blogging for you?
As I mentioned above, it's time-consuming and a little bit addictive (you don't want to let down your readers by not blogging regularly ;) but it's so much fun and rewarding so I think it's still on the plus account for me.
20. Do you think that you are still blogging in two years' time? If so, do you think your blogging will have changed?
Definitely! And why change a winning concept! ;)
21. Do you think bloggers have (or will have) some influence on our culture, or are they a group of people that mostly influence each other?
Both!
22. Finally, can you summarise what your blogging has meant to you?
A new hobby, a new channel for knowledge (i.e. for myself in new sources of info, opinions and knowledge) and a new group of friends.
23. Name 5 bloggers you think should answer the questionnaire?
I extend the invitation to all the blogs on my blog roll!
1. How long have you been blogging?
Since 29 September 2004 but I only posted twice that autumn and started for real on 22 March 2005
2. What was your view of blogs and bloggers a month before you started blogging yourself?
Blogs were pretty new and exciting and my friend - Nonna - had started one, so I wanted to join the club. I figured I also had things to write that people might find interesting :)
3. What was the first blog you fell in love with?
I can't really remember but the first two I read regurly and which inspired my own blogging were Nonna's as mentioned above, and Tomato and Basil Sandwiches.
4. What do you think about your first blog posts when you read them now?
They are pretty good, some short but some pretty long and attempts to be a bit political. I didn't know how to post pictures then, or, I knew but it wasn't as easy on Blogger as it is now, so I lack illustrations.
5. How many blogs do you read regularly?
At least 30. Those in the link list to the left and some other ones.
6. Of the bloggers you read, how many are diary blogs and how many are subject blogs/e.g. technology, fashion, politics blogs?
A mix of everything. Most are general, every-day blogs but I read a few politics blogs. I hardly ever read targetted fashion, design or travel (etc.) blogs though. I like the mix of entries in each blog.
7. Recommend (and link to) a blogger who is very different to you, whose blog you like?
Alvas pappa (Alva's dad) blogs about his daughter and being a father, so that's obviously something I can't relate to, but I enjoy reading his blog a lot (and I hope he won' stop blogging!).
8. Recommend (and link to) a blogger who is very much like you, whose blog you like?
Lullun in Greenland lives a very different life to mine (so I guess she would qualify under (7) too, but as I begin to get to know her (through the Internet world at least) I feel that we have very similar personalities and interests.
9. What do your closest family and friends think about your blogging?
Most of my friends don't know that I blog (even if I'm wrong they are very bad at commenting or ever mentioning it). My mum reads it regularly and seems to enjoy it. Some of my relatives also read it and as they are bloggers themselves, I assume they are positive towards it. My boyfriend used to read it a lot in the beginning of our relationship but now not as much (though I have complained about that!) - it was a bit unfair actually as he learned all these things about me without having to ask! :)
10. Do people who know you think that you are yourself in your blog?
I think so. I try to be myself at least and write only my own opinions or take on things. Thereof the name of the blog: Anna, Fair and True!
11. Have you found a good balance for how private and personal you want to be in your blog, or do you move the boundaries all the time?
Yes, I think I started out pretty good and I have kept that "system". I have never intented to be neither anonymous and secret nor write about everything I do, think, feel and post a lot of personal photos (especially of family and friends who may not want their face on the Internet).
12. Name a few things you would never blog about and why?
I probably wouldn't blog about difficult things I was going through, or at least not tell the whole story, and I wouldn't rat on friends or others who could get hurt. I also sometimes avoid topics that I don't know enough about and don't feel qualified to debate.
13. To what extent do you blog for self-confirmation?
Part of it for my ego, I won't deny that. It's fun to write something and hear what people think about it. But it's not only about that but about getting people engaged in discussion, feeling community with other people, learning from what others write on my blog. It also fun to work out how blogging works technically, learn some htlm-code, try out different blog designs, etc.
14. Do you think you can get to know a person by reading his/her blog?
Definitely, especially if they are personal, even if they are anomymous but still personal. There are several bloggers who I would really like to meet because I think they seem like genuinely nice, fun and interesting people.
15. Have you met people IRL (in real life) after having made contact with them through the blog?
No, not yet but I would love to meet some of my regular bloggers.
16. Do you think it can be bad for certain persons to blog?
No, not so long as there are others things in your life too (my boyfriend thinks I spend too much time blogging, reading different blogs, Facebooking, etc. but on average it's only 1 hour a day probably so I don't think I need to worry). Some people with certain jobs or who are public persons should perhaps be a bit careful with what they write and how personal they are but in general I think blogging is a positive phenomenon.
17. Have you ever been hurt by anything that has been written to you/about you in the comments or in other blogs? If so, how have you dealt with it?
Not that I can remember. There have been differences of opinion but the discussion has never got out of the way. I know some people that have receive anonymous e-mails about something they have blogged about but it has never happened to me.
18. Have you written things you have regretted in your own or other people's blogs?
I don't think so, I hope not.
19. What are the disadvantages of blogging for you?
As I mentioned above, it's time-consuming and a little bit addictive (you don't want to let down your readers by not blogging regularly ;) but it's so much fun and rewarding so I think it's still on the plus account for me.
20. Do you think that you are still blogging in two years' time? If so, do you think your blogging will have changed?
Definitely! And why change a winning concept! ;)
21. Do you think bloggers have (or will have) some influence on our culture, or are they a group of people that mostly influence each other?
Both!
22. Finally, can you summarise what your blogging has meant to you?
A new hobby, a new channel for knowledge (i.e. for myself in new sources of info, opinions and knowledge) and a new group of friends.
23. Name 5 bloggers you think should answer the questionnaire?
I extend the invitation to all the blogs on my blog roll!
Friday, May 02, 2008
Show & Tell: Colourful
Désirée in Alabama has created this month's Show & Tell themes. And anyone can join in the fun!
2 May: Colourful
9 May: Breakfast
16 May: Coolness, refreshing (weather and temperature)
23 May: Shoes (YES! says the shoe fetishist!)
30 May: Books
Since Désirée said to be very creative with today's theme I thought I'd just blog about something colourful that I remember from my childhood. Not brightly coloured perhaps but a specific colour scheme, albeit a pale one.
It's a jigsaw puzzle that was a big favourite of mine, especially when I was sick and had to stay home from school. I used to play with it at an age where I was way too old for it (as a teenager), but it was cute and a nice pastime when you were ill and bedstruck. I used to have a tray on my lap (a red one in wood) on which I practised my creative skills (though I could probably do that particular puzzle in my sleep).
Anyway, the puzzle was a set of three with different motifs portraying the life of a cat family. It was just a mother and her kittens I think; I guess fathers are not too present in the cat world :) I think there was one kitchen scene, one outdoors play picture and probably some sort of tucking in/nap scene though I could be mistaken.
The puzzle was - and this is where the colour theme comes in - pastel-coloured, a lot of baby pink and blue, although the cats were black I think. What I also liked about the puzzle was that the pieces were really thin and sort of rounded along the edges so theye were really soft to touch.
I hope the puzzle is still in my parents' attic somewhere - so I can take it out and see whether my memories are completely wrong and also, once I hade kids of my own, pass it onto them. (Maybe my mother who reads this blog and never comments *hint, hint* can confirm whether the puzzle is still around?! :)
2 May: Colourful
9 May: Breakfast
16 May: Coolness, refreshing (weather and temperature)
23 May: Shoes (YES! says the shoe fetishist!)
30 May: Books
Since Désirée said to be very creative with today's theme I thought I'd just blog about something colourful that I remember from my childhood. Not brightly coloured perhaps but a specific colour scheme, albeit a pale one.
It's a jigsaw puzzle that was a big favourite of mine, especially when I was sick and had to stay home from school. I used to play with it at an age where I was way too old for it (as a teenager), but it was cute and a nice pastime when you were ill and bedstruck. I used to have a tray on my lap (a red one in wood) on which I practised my creative skills (though I could probably do that particular puzzle in my sleep).
Anyway, the puzzle was a set of three with different motifs portraying the life of a cat family. It was just a mother and her kittens I think; I guess fathers are not too present in the cat world :) I think there was one kitchen scene, one outdoors play picture and probably some sort of tucking in/nap scene though I could be mistaken.
The puzzle was - and this is where the colour theme comes in - pastel-coloured, a lot of baby pink and blue, although the cats were black I think. What I also liked about the puzzle was that the pieces were really thin and sort of rounded along the edges so theye were really soft to touch.
I hope the puzzle is still in my parents' attic somewhere - so I can take it out and see whether my memories are completely wrong and also, once I hade kids of my own, pass it onto them. (Maybe my mother who reads this blog and never comments *hint, hint* can confirm whether the puzzle is still around?! :)
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Show & Tell: Favourite Magazines
I've missed the last two weeks of Show & Tell but this week I thought I'd take the time, even if it's technically one day late.
One of my first favourite magazines was Bamse.
I was never a horse fan so I never subscribed to (and hardly read) "stables" magazines. As a teen I read a lot of teen and music magazines such as Frida and Okej.
Nowadays my favourite magazines are the Economist to feed my current affairs needs and Vanity Fair for a mix of everything including some interesting articles. I got a subscription for VF from Peter for Christmas and I have subscribed to the Economist in the past but at the moment I don't feel like I have the time to read it and they just grow into a big pile on the floor (at the moment I have a little pile of VFs that I haven't read...). So I buy it once in a while instead.
Image from China Daily
I also read King when Peter buys it (he stopped his subscription for a while), which is a men's magazine but I find it much better than the equivalent women's magazines. Maybe because it's a bit more "exotic" or the abundance of useless fashion ads in the women's magazines.
Picture from Dagens media
Lastly I enjoy reading design and interior decorating magazines - I like those much better than women's mags actually. I also like gossip magazines but I hardly ever buy them; I read them for free and cafés or the hairdresser's instead. And I also get my gossip from Just Jared :)
One of my first favourite magazines was Bamse.
Picture from Tidningskungen
I think the first issues I remember were from 1982 when I was 6 years old. I saved all editions for years but at some point in my late teens I threw them out. It's a pity because it would have been fun to have those 1982 ones still. I don't know if my grandmother gave me my very first subscription but it became a tradition that every year in December when it was my "name day" (9 December) she gave me a subscription for the coming year as a gift. I don't remember when I stopped getting them but presumably when I became a teenager. I still prefer Bamse over Donald Duck though. I think the stories in Donald are okay but I don't care much for the drawing.
At some point as a child and a teen I also subscribed to Kamratposten. It had interesting stories and took up all those subjects about your body and feelings that you didn't want to bring up with either friends or adults.
Image from Tidningsbutiken
I was never a horse fan so I never subscribed to (and hardly read) "stables" magazines. As a teen I read a lot of teen and music magazines such as Frida and Okej.
Picture taken from Vassa Eggen
Nowadays my favourite magazines are the Economist to feed my current affairs needs and Vanity Fair for a mix of everything including some interesting articles. I got a subscription for VF from Peter for Christmas and I have subscribed to the Economist in the past but at the moment I don't feel like I have the time to read it and they just grow into a big pile on the floor (at the moment I have a little pile of VFs that I haven't read...). So I buy it once in a while instead.
Image from China Daily I also read King when Peter buys it (he stopped his subscription for a while), which is a men's magazine but I find it much better than the equivalent women's magazines. Maybe because it's a bit more "exotic" or the abundance of useless fashion ads in the women's magazines.
Picture from Dagens media Lastly I enjoy reading design and interior decorating magazines - I like those much better than women's mags actually. I also like gossip magazines but I hardly ever buy them; I read them for free and cafés or the hairdresser's instead. And I also get my gossip from Just Jared :)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
A Party Well Thrown
Peter's 30th birthday party took a place last night and it was a hit with both the birthday boy and the 52 guests.
Less successful
- We only had two late cancellations
- Everything was ready in time for the first guests to arrive
- There were some really entertaining, spot-on speeches
- Most people had seconds of the catered food but there were still plenty of leftovers for us to live on for a few days
- There were still 20 people left at 3am
- The dance floor was rocking all night
- Only one out of 54 attendees turned annoying and drunk
- We only broke a total of two glasses
- The cleaning the day after went smoothly, thanks to regular clearing up throughout the night
Less successful
- Why did we book the laundry room for 5-8pm on Sunday?
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