Friday, May 30, 2008

Murder at the Otter House



This posting originally was going to be about small, plague-spreading vermin that inhabit the area around a historic landmark next to our apartment. But, things took an unexpected, fatal turn.

First, some background.
The stone house is called Drottning Kristinas Jaktslott which translates as Queen Christina's Hunting Lodge. It is one of the oldest buildings in Goteborg dating back to the 1600s when it occasionally was used as....the hunting lodge for Queen Christina. The building is located on Otterhällegaten. Thus, we refer to it as the Otter House. Why? Why not. The Otter House is a tourist stop. Though, quite honestly, there is very little interesting or unique about it except for its age. It has been renovated with modern windows and skylights. The house is rented out for special occasions. In fact, the British Club of Gothenburg holds a pub night there once a month with some members dressed in full Brit regalia.

In the back of the house (as shown in the picture) is a small grassy area shaded by a large tree. Some plants and flowers cover the periphery. A large rock outcropping anchors the edge of the backyard. This is the closest bit of grass in a sea of pavement so it was only natural that we would take the dogs to do their business there (and clean it up, of course). As did many other dog owners. A month or so ago, as the weather grew appreciably warmer, I noticed some scurrying activity late at night as we entered the area. Then, one evening, I saw the source. A rat! Welcome to life in the city. Since that night, rat sightings have become a common occurrence - even during the day. They run in the streets, all over and into the rock outcropping, and around other areas near the Otter House. That rock outcropping is like one giant rat mountain.

So. The murder. Committed by me. An unintentional accident. Resulting in death, nonetheless. Last Friday, TJ and I had been out and about. We got home late. The girls still needed to be taken out. As we walked into the yard, a rat ran across the patio toward the house. I hurriedly stepped onto to grass away from the rat. And, as I did, the ground squirmed under my left foot. I had stepped on another rat. I moved aside to see. But, Zoey wanted to investigate so I quickly pulled both dogs away. The rat tried to run for the safety of the ground cover. But, it could no longer run. The girls did their business. We passed by the rat. In the same place. Moving its feet. Haltingly. I went upstairs feeling queasy. I didn't know what to do except (hopefully) let nature takes its course. Most unnatural.

The next morning, bright and early, a catering company was at the Otter House. I checked late morning and the rat was gone. Did it crawl to the bushes for its impending death? Or was it removed having already succumbed? I'll never know. But, the bottom line is that I killed a rat. And I felt awful. Later that day, we headed North to the coast. I was driving. I saw something ahead on the highway. I avoided the object; it turned out to be a duck. Just sitting in the road. Probably injured. There was no way to stop. To help. At some point, someone else was not going to swerve for that duck.
Ugh. What a dreadful feeling.

So, how do I lighten up this post. Not too many ways that I can. Except maybe this. When we returned home there was a party going on at the Otter House. Parents and children. Most were in the back yard. Sitting on the grass.
The grass where the rat had died. The grass encrusted with dog fecal-matter. Some were climbing over the rock outcropping. Poking around the opening to the rat-infested lair. Maybe the rats will have the last laugh. A plague on the Otter House. It's only a matter of time.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I Kissed a Girl




Um, me? Not recently. Barrack, with Hillary? Probably not. And no, this is not wishful thinking for an Obama-Clinton ticket in the Fall election. That would be like wishing for a War of the Roses style divorce.

No, this was just a little bit of Photoshop fun that popped into my head while listening to Katy Perry's new song. Titled appropriately, I Kissed a Girl. Love, love, love this song. I like singing it out loud - ironically, of course. Of course. There may even be some choreography with the singing, but I'll refrain from divulging those details. Just had to talk about this song before the next Music i Full Fart post comes out in June. Katy Perry may be the new Pink. Or a hybrid of Pink and Joan Jett without the lesbian undertones.
Either way, the song is fun. None of that pop-tart music stuff by J-Britimi. Refreshing.

Now, back to Barrack and Hillary. Yes, I am following the election over here. Every cringe-inducing, jaw-dropping, and painful moment of it. And that's just the news commentators. I can't wait until the real battle [of the words] begins this Fall. I'll be over here in Sweden hiding under a rock from embarrassment. Not to fret, I will be voting. I'm not one to shirk my civic duty. Hopefully, one of the two Democratic candidates above won't screw up this opportunity to take back the White House. There is change in the wind. I can feel it all the way across the pond. Either that or we're in for a cool Summer.

And, no, I do not think it is appropriate to refer to Hillary as a girl. She is a woman. And I have a lot of respect for her. Though not as much as I used to have. I merely linked the Democratic race to the title of a pop song - visually. Nothing more. Nothing less. I would hate to cause a kerfuffle.


Cool Weather Attire



TJ is sporting the must-have Goteborg cool weather accessory - a [cheap, IKEA] blanket. Every establishment has them for patrons who eat, drink and be merry outside. So, we [read: TJ] purchased one for our deck so we could enjoy a nice beverage [a pint, in this instance] while admiring the setting sun. We do have a few other blankets that can be used in a pinch.

Not sure why I am going on about cool weather since it has been quite warm for the past few weeks and looks to be even warmer next week (25C aka 77F). Ominously, I was told that this weather pattern was similar to last year. Warm and sunny up through Midsommar and then cool and rainy for the remainder. Hopefully not. But, I took this picture a few weeks ago and knew I had to post it. Hopefully, the blanket won't be in use again until Fall.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Parting Shots [Vänersborg and Särö]

This past weekend, we headed inland to check out the largest lake in Sweden, Vänern. Not only is Vänern the biggest lake in Sweden, but it also is the third-largest lake in Europe. In the town of Vänersborg, we walked along the shore of the lake. There was a small rocky island just offshore that could be accessed by a foot bridge. Beyond TJ is the lake. With the wind and the waves, it could easily be mistaken for the ocean. Vast is an understatement.



On Sunday, our destination was Särö Västerskog, a nature reserve, near the towns of Särö and Sl
äp. Set in an affluent community of large houses, golf courses, and tennis courts, this peaceful wooded headland has a couple of small beaches nestled along its rocky shoreline. We were able to walk out on a very short breakwater to this rock outcropping. In the photo below, looking out to sea are islands of the archipelago. Zoey [and Lily] got to see and explore the water. Happy, tired dogs when we got them home.


Sunday, May 25, 2008

Happy Dogs Ticked Off



Happy dog? Well, at least I think she's smiling. Yes, Zoey finally is starting to find her groove here in Goteborg. Sounds are less frightening. People are less intimidating. And she's been to the big park. What more could a dog want?

Slottsskogsparken is about a 15 minute walk from the apartment. It is a big park. There are three separate dog areas. Two weeks ago, we brought the dogs for the first time. And found one of the hund rastplats which, when translated, should mean dog exercise area. We think. We hope. No one, except us, was playing with their dog...at all. Let alone off the lead. Lily didn't seem to think it was a big deal.



We've been back a few times. It's convenient.
And it wears them both out nicely. But, this past weekend, we opted for a walk in the woods. The destination was Vänersborg. A quaint town on the Southwestern shores of Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden. On the way there, we spotted a small lake with a path circumnavigating it. Off we went through the woods. Around the lake. And back to the car. Then I spotted something. Right next to Lily's nostril. A tick. Crawling. Now, had I been thinking rationally, I would have taken a picture of what unfolded next. And you would have a visual cue. But, I was not thinking rationally. I mean, these were ticks. Ticks!

Lily was laid out on a towel and examined head to toe. Her light-colored fur was a nice contrast to the small dark ticks. Not sure how many we pulled off. But they were roaming around and heading down into the fur. Zoey came up empty in the tick lottery. Though, inexplicably, at home nearly 6 hours later, I saw (and removed) a tick crawling on her leg. For the next couple of days, I will run my hands across both dog's coat. A sign of affection. And paranoia.

And, yes, TJ and I checked ourselves for ticks. Nothing. But, for the rest of the day, any strange sensation on my skin conjured up thoughts of a methodical tick inching his way toward a jackpot of my blood. As unsettling as that was, headed back into the woods on Sunday. Ticks be damned!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

The Sun's March Towards Pagan Celebration




The view from our deck shows that the sun continues its race northward. Currently, from sunrise to sunset, there are 16 3/4 hours of daylight. Add another hour or so on either end for dawn and dusk (twilight) and you understand why I am no longer a night owl in the traditional sense.
Given our latitude, the angle of the sun as it intersects the horizon is becoming more acute. This will continue until it dives below the horizon for just a few hours a day. A relentless drive that ends at the summer solstice. Midsummer.

Midsommar is not just the longest day of the year, it is also one of Sweden's most celebrated holidays.
Midsommer originated in pre-Christian times and has never shaken off its pagan beginnings. My kind of holiday. A good overview of the festivities can be found here and here. In short, every community erects a maypole and spends the day and well into the night eating, drinking, singing and dancing. Traditions include eating pickled herring and new potatoes, drinking snaps (aka schnapps), and performing the frog dance. Here's an IKEA commercial produced by the company's German subsidiary that parodies the Swedish holiday traditions. I think it's a parody.



Hmmm. Fish, alcohol, and pole-dancing. In Sweden, a national holiday. In the US, a career choice. [Think about it. Oh yes I did.]

It's Dancy Times!

There are a series of ads for a digital TV company in Sweden called Boxer. This particular ad is a take-off on Indiana Jones using their corporate character Robert; thus, the name Indiana Robert. Robert is computer-generated; life-like, but not that convincing.

But, that's besides the point. This commercial is all about the song. TJ loves it. And made me try to find it. I did. Not available anywhere yet...except BitTorrent (which I do not use). Here's the commercial:



The song is It's Dancy Times by Priddyboy which can be heard, not seen, on YouTube. Is that an oxymoron? It's a fun little party tune. Should last through the Summer. Probably will be heard in soccer stadiums throughout Europe. I'd dance to it. But, I probably wouldn't get the digital TV service from Boxer. So much for effective advertising.

So, Priddyboy has yet to post the lyrics to this song on his new website. Until he does, this is what I've come up with so far. A few small gaps remain. Any assistance with the missing lyrics would be appreciated.

Note: Priddyboy allows you to download the vocal only and instrumental only tracks of the song from his website. Follow link named Yo DJs.

It's Dancy Times Lyrics
Artist: Priddyboy

Move Your Ass!

CHORUS
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh, it’s dancy time
Dancy, dancy ‘til you’re fly
Come on, pick it up, pick it up and dance

REPEAT CHORUS

[Dance] To the ?????
(lyric might be rhythm divine)
It’ll take you out of place and take you out of time
Have a little look and don’t be shook
Dance like a crook, dance dance to the hook [dance]
And now I’m here, hold the line.
Your man is live and you know I don’t waste time
You know who it is.
I’m looking for kidz, still doing gold in this biz

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

[Dance] To the ?????
(lyric might be rhythm divine)
With your man on the line.
[Dance] Would you be so kind and lose your mind and move your behind
[Dance] Then you can do it ???? sexy beats with macho rhymes
(unknown word)
A combination that will make you feel so fine
Take cover cause we’re gonna wreck it one more time

Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh
Ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahhhh-ahh

Dancy slow with me tonight (not 100% sure about this line
)
So come on hold on tight

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

It’s dancy time
It’s dancy time
It’s dancy time
Dancy, dancy ‘til you’re fly.

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS
REPEAT CHORUS

[Dance]

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Musik i Full Fart [Music at Full Speed] v2

New and notable music to set the mood for the Summer ahead. Artist links will take you to informational websites (Myspace, etc). Song links will take you to a video.

Pop:
from both sides of the pond, but with a preference for europop
  • Delta Goodrem – In This Life [Had heard of this Aussie for a few years. Wasn’t sure what she was about. Uplifting pop music, it seems]
  • Sonny J – Can’t Stop Moving [Silly fun from the UK]
  • Duffy – Mercy [Amy who? More retro sounds from the UK. Very 60’s]
  • Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love/Better in Time [A diva is born]

Dance: if you can dance...for inspiration
  • Dave Armstrong & Redroche – Love Has Gone (Original or Full Vocal Radio) [Hard-driving song about a callous ex-lover-to-be]
  • David Guetta ft. Tara McDonald – Delerious (Original Extended or Radio Edit) [Happy dance music]
  • Yves Larock – Rise Up (Club Radio Edit) [Best experienced while dancing on a beach in an exotic location]
  • Freemasons ft. Hazel Fernandez – If [Yet another dancefloor gem from the Freemasons]
  • Rubberman Creep (Raul Rincon Mix) [More Hed Kandi goodness from their latest: World Series: SF]

Trance/Electronica: last night a dj saved my life
  • Armin van Buuren & DJ Shah – Going Wrong (AVB’s Extended or Radio Edit) [This is my song for the Summer. I recommend checking out the whole album, Imagine]

Ambient Alternative: sonic sounds to move you into a different time, space, feeling
  • Gary B – Lead Me Home [Builds slowly. Achingly so]

Adult Alternative: great voices, introspective lyrics, accomplished songwriters apply only
  • Jason Mraz – I’m Yours [This is happy music. You will feel good after you listen to it]
  • Brett DennenShe’s Mine [Great voice. Great sentiment.]
  • Joshua James – Lord, Devil, and Him [Storytelling at its best. Sit back and listen]
  • Snow Patrol – Open Your Eyes [Kind of sounds like their other songs. Great]
  • Sara Melson – I Feel It Coming [I believe. You will too. The grass is oh-so-green]
  • Josh Kelly – Unfair [Love, unfair? Say it ain’t so. A funky ode to love lost.]
  • Missy HigginsWhere I Stood/Going North [The first, hauntingly beautiful; the second, the aural tonic for anyone striking out in new directions]
  • Laura Izibor – From My Heart to Yours/Don’t Stay [The first, making her case for ,convincingly; the second, making her case against, convincingly]
  • Kendall Payne – I Will Show You Love [Everyone needs to hear these words at least once from someone in their lives]
  • The Cinematic Orchestra – To Build a Home [Slow, careful piano passages. It’s hard not to soar along with the high notes]

Alternative: alterna-who, alterna-what
  • Feist – I Feel It All [She can do no wrong. Hard to stand still to this song]
  • Sia – The Girl You Lost to Cocaine [Channeling her inner-Feist here. Her vocal chops make it her own. The video is out there]

Neo-Soul: adventures in retro soul
  • Jill Scott – Hate on Me [Listen to Jill, but stay out of her way. She means business]
  • James Lidell – Little Bit of Feel Good [It does go a long way. The video is weird beyond words]
  • Marlena Shaw & Diplo – California Soul [So glad I stumbled on this song. Takes me back to the 5th Dimension in the best possible way. Currently used in a Dockers commercial. This is the only video - which sux - that I could find with the song]

Guilty Pleasures: you know you shouldn't like it, but you do
  • LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum [A guilty pleasure only because of the name. I love the song. Actually, I love the name too. Quite apropos]

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Man Prams



This is a fairly common site in Sweden. No, not TJ and I pushing a stroller. But, a father pushing a stroller. When I first arrived here, it was a fairly common and, for me, an odd sight to see so many men pushing strollers. But, not so odd for Sweden. The country has one of the most liberal parental leave policies. In total, parents are afforded 480 days of parental leave. Each parent is guaranteed 2 months of [paid] leave. The remainder can be divided any way the family sees fit. Of course, there is concern in Sweden that too often the fathers are transferring the residual leave to the mothers. Speaking from the experience of our few hours with baby Emile, I cannot understand this trend. But, if you were a young child, would you want these two feeding you?



And, you don't need to read anything more into this post. Kids are great, but we're pretty content just taking care of two dogs.

Licorice Forsaken No More



Fear not taikotari, I have not given up on licorice. And what brought me back to the licorice table? You are looking at it. Licorice fudge. With some vanilla and vanilla/choco fudge thrown in for good [visual] measure.

When Corinne was visiting last week, I explained godis (candy in Swedish) to her. This is the bin candy I had discovered in convenience, grocery, and godis stores throughout Sweden. Found this great video of someone foraging at the godis bins. Gives you a good idea of what you typically find.

So, Corinne, Emile and I enter a godis store while wandering about. And there these little svart gems. Corinne insisted that I get them. :) I haven't checked to see if they make my teeth turn black. I shouldn't worry about such things. But, I am smiling when I eat them.

Monday, May 12, 2008

Revisiting Friends


Last Friday, I reconnected with a dear friend. Corinne lives in France and was visiting a friend who lives outside of Goteborg. She and I worked together in Santa Monica at Business.com in 2000-2001. This was back in the dot.com golden age. Right as it went bust. The experience consisted of long days stretching into night,
illogical management decisions, dot.com perks that receded as our fortunes waned, the inevitable slide into downsizing, and the demoralization of downsizing. There also was the euphoria of launch day, striving to create something that was useful AND could be monetized, and the cachet of working for a dot.com. But, most importantly, there were some truly wonderful people with whom I got to work. Corinne was one of them.

Corinne took the train into town. In tow, was 6 month-old Emile; one of Corinne's three children. We lounged on the deck for a bit and got caught up. Then, TJ met us for lunch at a cafe with an outdoor space; the weather couldn't be any better. TJ and I took turns feeding Emile. And, yes, it takes a bit of skill to ensure that the food goes directly in his mouth. My skills are a bit...nonexistent. Corinne and I wandered around town after lunch. And before long, I was saying goodbye at the train station.

Too short. And, yet, just enough. To reconnect.
To share stories. To allow each other into our respective lives. To pick up where we left off. With no worries about the gap in between.

I've been getting in touch with friends from the past lately. And had the good fortune to have some friends contact me.
I love being able to pick up where I left off with a friend even if it's been a month or six months or a year or longer. Time shouldn't erase the connections we've made throughout our lives. But, often, it does. And the difficulty lies in bridging that gap in time. Without worrying about whether there is someone to blame. There isn't. Without thinking that some base level of correspondence is required going forward. None is. Too often people focus on "why haven't you called [or written]" instead of "it's great to see [or hear from] you again."

So,
Corinne, it was great to see you. I look forward to the next time.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Encased Food Products

Upon my first trip to a grocery store in Goteborg, I noticed aisles of refrigerated encased food. It looked like sausages on steroids; some were quite endowed. I assumed all of it was meat or meat-like products. Over the past few months, I repeatedly have seen the encased products pictured below. And wondered. What is it and do people really eat it?

The shape was more uniform and cylindrical than some of the other sausage-like products in adjacent bins. The contents, partially visible through the plastic film, conjured up all sorts of shutter-inducing animal innards.

Curiosity got the best of me. So, I got out the old Swedish-English Dictionary. Pictured above from left to right: rice pudding, brown beans, and peas with pork. I over-imagined that the rice pudding might be chopped tripe. The brown beans; a lite blood sausage, perhaps. And, the peas/pork combo; well, it just looks like vomit plain and simple. I am racking my brains trying to think of a recipe where I could use one of these. Um, no. Kidding. Don't like rice pudding and cannot bear to try the other two. Probably just the packaging. But, I'll stick with cans.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Parting Shots [Marstrand and Fjällbacka]

What is the shortest day of the year in Sweden? Summer. Hat tip to Paul for the joke.

This past weekend, the weather was unexpectedly oh-so-nice. Warmer than the average highs for Summer (60's). So, off we went on some short road trips to explore
western Sweden.

On Friday, we ventured North from Goteborg along the coast to the town of Marstrand. The town is located on an island that
is reached by a very short ferry ride - 3 minutes at most. Marstrand is very quaint. And it has its own fort which crowns the island. Quite distinctive. While Smogen is more of a working fishing village, Marstrand is a Summer resort that attracts the well-to-do crowd. On this day, that seemed to be French tourists.



TJ and The Girls. In the background is Carlstens Fortress, the 300 year-old fort that overlooks the town. Still trying to find out what that little room is off the upper part of the fort. A loo with a view, perhaps? Or a prison cell. The fort did have prisoners. If I were a prisoner, that's where I'd want to stay. Unless it also doubled as a loo.



On Saturday, we headed even farther North to a very small town near Tanum. To visit a work colleague. Again along the coast.

First, a brief synopsis on the geology of western Sweden. Sweden was covered by glaciers which scoured the granitic and metasedimentary rocks bare. The results were especially noticeable along the coast. There, vast areas have much less soil and, as such, have fewer trees. Very spartan. Many of the islands (referred to as an archipelago) have this strangely beautiful combination of smooth rock surface and minimal vegetation. A lot of sea grasses. And lichen.

We made a pit stop in Fjällbacka (the "fj" is pronounced as something close to "hwa"). The town has a large granitic hill from which you get a good view of the surrounding archipelago. I made it up, but The Girls sat this one out.




How quaint is this town? That superlative probably will get overused as we continue to explore the coastal towns of Sweden.


To see more of the town, check out this website. It's in Swedish, but try the Galleri link for a visual tour through the seasons.

Jet Lag and Culture Shock


They made it! Zoey and Lily arrived on Wednesday. Lily seemed to have come through the ordeal a little tired, but none the worse for wear. Zoey was a little shaken, but very glad to see us. We stopped just outside the airport and let them have a run around a large grassy field. Probably for the first time in 3 months. The photo on the left shows Lily after her spirited run. Alert. Seemingly content. Zoey is in the photo on the right. She just wanted to chase her Kong toy. Again and again.
Just like old times. Tongue hanging out. I probably should have held back on the last few throws. But, she kept coming back and looking at me with those eyes that said "ett till" (once more).

As I write this on Day 4 of their arrival, it seems like much longer. In a good way. But, I do wonder what they make of all this. Neither had flown before. Neither has lived in the downtown part of a city with its hustle and bustle and strange sounds. Neither has lived in a building with an elevator; so many doors to pass through before they get home. How much did and will this move affect them?

Lily has come through the process relatively unscathed. The spiral stairs in the apartment presented a bit of an obstacle. Lily was extremely tentative especially on the very top and very bottom steps. TJ bought some rubber floor mats, cut them up and placed them on the stairs. Traction! Now, she motors up and down with relative ease; she is nearly 13 years old, after all. On the deck, there is a portion of the railing that is not covered with screening material. Initially, Lily did not want to venture close to that section. Perhaps her eyesight doesn't perceive the rails that well and all she sees is the vast openness beyond. Who's to say. We're still working on that one.

Zoey. The rescue puppy. Now, nearly 3 years old, she has just been through a series of stressful situations. And it shows.
Loud noises now seem to scare Zoey. A lot. And trash cans. And statues. And, apparently, the horses painted on the inside of the parking garage. The elevator causes anxiety. She has growled at friends. Her response at times of greatest distress is to cower away with her tail between her legs and try to escape.

But, then, she can become the Zoey we left in Irvine.
TJ and I both realize that the recovery process may take some time. All we can do is reassure her. And love her. I have confidence that she'll get the hang of things here. That things will become familiar. That routines will develop. It's only been 4 days. And if I can do it, so can she.