Second semester

Idag känner jag verkligen inte för att skriva på engelska, det kan bero på att jag har ägnat dagen åt att lyssna på Kents senaste skiva samt läsa Stieg Larssons bok "Män som hatar kvinnor", vilken ju är skriven på svenska. Så det får bli ett litet lathetsundantag. På tal om lathet, alla kan se att jag inte har skrivit på en månad. Det beror lite på lathet, men även på att det inte finns så hemskt mycket att berätta.

Idag och igår var snödagar. Det är svårt att rättvist beskriva känslan av att gå upp klockan 6.00, duscha, komma tillbaka till sitt rum, slå på radion och höra att skolan är stängd idag, och sen förstås krypa ner i sängen igen med vinden viner runt knuten (eller nåt). Oslagbart!

En normal ledig dag/snö dag för mig är att jag går upp klockan nio ungefär (det ni!), duschar (om jag inte redan råkat göra det) äter frukost, dricker kaffe klockan 10, läser/sitter vid datorn/går en promenad innan lunch, som serveras klockan halv ett, hjälper till med disken som diskas för hand, läser/ sitter vid datorn/ går en promenad, dricker kaffe igen klockan halv fyra, läser/sitter vid datorn/ går en promenad innan kvällsmålet som i regel ätes klockan halv sju. Resten av kvällen är det väl mest TV/pluggning/pingis som gäller. Ja, snacka om rutiner. De bara blev till, men jag trivs väldigt bra med dem.

Idag skulle jag ha haft mitt körteoriprov i Moncton men som sagt blev det en slapp snödag istället. Det är lugnt, nu har jag en extra vecka åt att lära mig alla metrar hit och dit.

För övrigt rullar det på med skola och allt. Andra terminen startade för ett par veckor sedan. Mitt nya schema lyder som följer: Theatre Arts, PhysEd, Modern history, Biology, Culinary Tech (cooking). Det enda problemet i det schemat är väl biologin. Läraren vill inte riktigt ha mig där för hon anser att et är för komplicerat för någon vars modersmål inte är engelska. Jag ville väldigt gärna bevisa att hon hade fel, men efter att ha tragglat med läxor om och om igen börjar jag inse att hon har rätt. Ska prata med henne imorgon så får vi se om jag kan få någon extra hjälp eller om jag tvingas byta kurs. Vore synd för jag såg fram emot att lära mig engelska namn på olika ben och kroppsdelar och grejer. Tekniskt sett måste jag i och för sig inte bli godkänd, men ändå.

Jag fick en av huvudrollerna i musikalen Guys and Dolls. Jag spelar sergeanten Sarah Brown som driver ett missionsförbund i 30-talets New York, en stad full av gamblers. Hon blir dessvärre kr i en av dem vilket komplicerar saker och ting. Det jag ser mest fram emot är att spela grovt berusad, det ska bli intressant =) Musiken är väl sådär, ingen av skådespelarna är direkt överförtjust men lärarna verkar exalterade så det är ju bra. Hittills har vi mest läst igenom manus. Rehersal på går mån-tors en timme efter skolan. Det är kul än så länge, även om det nog blir en typiskt "Salisbury production".

En annan riktigt bra sak den här termine är det faktum att jag har the fitness course varje dag. Det är shockerande nog ganska disciplinerat med 8 minute runs och situps och massa armhävningar och sånt. Det är nyttigt för mig, jag har inte rört på mig sen Oktober.

Familjelivet går jättebra. Alla relationer är bra, jag retar Baukje och Wiebe precis som jag retar alla andra människor som jag bryr mig om (mm, i min värld går det ihop) och till och med Tineke och Auke ibland, moha. Standard motkommentaren i det här huset har blivit "Do you want this -whatever the person is holding- in your face?". Best comeback ever! Good times, good times. Jag har fått Baukje hooked on to the Aladdin computer game. Hon spelar väl sisådär 4 gånger om dagen, haha, men hon jobbar hårt för att få ner det till tre. Wiebes stora replik är: "Elin, go to your room" varje gång jag är på väg till mitt rum och måste gå dit hursomhelst. "Eh... yes, I'm going to my room anyway, but not because you said so.... hrm" =P

Bilderna är från sista hemmamatchen för två veckor sedan. De ljusblå snubbarna är från vår skola =D

JMA Armstrong

If anyone want to see what my schoo,looks like, just go on youtube.com and type in 'JMA Armstrong'. You'll get a movie from 1987, watch it, everything looks almost exactly the same today, that's the scary part. If you pick the Yearbook-one you get something even more accurate, it's made in the fall of 2007.

By the way, I got excempted from all my exams. So, next week'll be a swee week.

Exams and 'Guys and Dolls'

Hey there people! Now it has already been a while since the last report. And it has been the busiest of times, next time I'm complaining about high school work in Sweden remind me to think back on these times. It is crazy. Such a thing as student democracy and two major pass-ins or tests a week etc... Screw it! Here you can have the math teacher telling you on tuesday about atest on thursday and if you have outside school activities that make it impossible for you to study, then it's too bad so sad. And the same time you can have two english research papers and one or two other tests. Noone cares, teachers don't talk to each other or anything, it's the students problem.

I'm not saying that it is necessarly a bad thing that they are more strict here and concerned about University and Collage after graduation. But eventually it got to a point for me that I had to spend like every afternoon/night a week to study and get all my things done. Otherwise I would have been screwed. And then I can only imagine what it is like for people in the basketball team or on the year book staff. But now we had a snow day yesterday actually, so it's thanks to that I'm able to sit here and write this now.

Next week is exam week. If you have a mark of 85% and over you can get an Academic Exemption. I've got two of those so far. If you've got only six absenses and a 75% or more mark, then you can get an Attendence Exemption, but you can only have three of those in total. I have to write math for sure. That would be on Friday. I was right on the edge but today I bombed the math test, so now the battle's over. I have to write it. I got an exemption in World Issues and Music (hm, I wonder why, anyone see a logical pattern here? :P). I don't know about Political Science, but I suspect that I might have to write that one too. That would be on Tuesday in that case. I don't know about English either yet. Tomorrow I know for sure.

Monday I tried out for the JMA spring musical, 'Guys and Dolls'. It was ok, I'd practiced my speech all weekend with Baukje but despite that I messed up a couple of time. But after talking to people it seems like more people did the same thing so it might not have had a devestating effect on the impression of my whole performance. I tried out for a major part, so that means that I had to sing a song too. I chose "Maybe this time", from Cabaret. It sounded different, I don't know what made it sound like that. But anyway, I'm so glad it's overwith, now I just have to wait.

A lot of people are trying out for the musical ll of a sudden. People who before were scared that people would make fun of them for being in such a thing are taking there chance now, since almost everyone is trying out. That means a lot of competition of course, but I'm so glad that people finally have the courage to just go for it, and don't care if it's for cool people or geeks or what. Although I doubt that they will get enough guys for the male parts. Why is it always girls going into things like this? It's retarded.

Well, that's all for now. I don't really have any new interesting pictures so I'm just going to add some from Baukje's birtday party two weeks ago. And one from the dance before Christmas too =D

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a great start of the new year, 2008. Wow, time flies by...

A little too fast sometimes actually, I was thinking this morning and it hit me that our christmas break soon is over, only a week to go. That's a little sad, but that's life I guess :) Christmas was wonderful. We celebrated christmas day 'cause that's what they do in this country. It started off with opening of christmas gift in the morning. That was sweet, like the whole family gathered around the dinner table, with coffee and tea and cookies and candy and the ginger bread house. And I think people were happy with their gifts too, that's always nice.

Then was the big christmas family dinner. That was nice, they had like a frying pan in the middle of the table and a lot of pieces of raw chicken and pork and meat balls and stuff. So everyone kind of cooked their own meal. Excepst for me who sat by the and of the table and couldn't reach. So I got people to cook for me.

I like the christmas break so far. I've been at home mostly, you know, relaxing. We've been playing a lot of ping pong since that table was Auke's christmas gift for everyone. It's sweet! I love it. Last week me and Baukje went ice skating in Moncton. That was cool, shaky in the beginning obviously but I regained my balance after a while. And I've been walking a lot too. Like on the side of the roads since the fields are covered in snow.

Well, that was all for this time. Happy New Year again everyone!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy 18th birthday Linnea! Although it's a little late... hrm ;)

Now we are finally on christmas break, and we will be so for the next two weeks. I am not really sure how to spend it yet, but I'm sure it won't be a problem. Taking into consideration how busy it has been these past weeks, with school work and everything I am really looking forward to some relaxing and getting some reading done again. I have all my christmas gifts done, I'm so proud :) I behind with some school work as well, so I'll have some catching up to do.

And, I have to start exercising again. I havn't even been going for my precious walks lately, this is a big problem as you can imagine. I'm also planning to start eating better, like more fruit and lettuce, and drinking more water and stuff. And to not dry my hair every morning without using any type of conditioner. Well, I'm sure all that was of great interest for all of you.

Tuesday was the semi-formal dance. It was a lot of fun, I love dances. Although the last one in the gym was even more fun. I liked it better in the gym, not quite as open as in the cafeteria. But anyway, this dance was fun too. I was getting ready at Amanda's place. Haha, I got her to curl my hair. It took like an hour. And then I didn't like it so she had to straighten it, haha, I'm sorry Amanda :P

Then Wednesday was the last DriverEd theory lesson. Or at least so we though; Bud feels like he hasn't covered the whole course that he was supposed to cover, so we'll have two more hours in january. And I will meet with him on the Christmas break because I missed it once. Then I have to write the theory test before I can start taking driving lessons.

I'm so excited, the high school is doing a musical next semester, Guys and Dolls. Mr Spencer, Mr Legge and some other teacher arethe supervisors and the auditions are going to be held in January some time. So cool! A lot of the people I know are going to try out too. So that is hopefully gonna be a lot of fun, a big time killer and a lot of work and commitment. Bring it on, I'm ready to give.

Well, that would probably be it for this time. Merry Christmas again and Happy New Year too!

Singing Christmas Tree

Tuesday two weeks ago we had our first snow day. A big snow storm made it impossible for students and teachers to come to school. You just listen to the radio in the morning, and if they say that Sistrict 2 does not have school, then it is just to go back to bed. It is wonderful, I love it! Today we have our second snow day this winter, and it is just December. Just imagine what is to come.

Today was supposed to be the third day in the Enrichment (writing) project I was talking about, and in the afternoon I was going to have DriverEd 4-9 pm. Well, now I got an extra dau off, that is always nice. I just hope they do not cancel the Enrichment project but just move it to another day.

Last week we had the Singing Christmas Tree performance. It was fun, I sang a duett with Alisha, Silver Bells, and I sang a verse of Silent Night. I forgot to turn the microphone on though, but that is a different story ;) Now it is only one more week in school, last day is on riday. Then it is Christmas Break :D I do not really know how to spend the time, but I'll find something to do.

Yesterday I went christmas shopping with Paige's family, I think I have everything now. Thank you very much Mom and Dad for the christmas gifts. I have not opened them yet of course, but they sure look interesting.

Tomorrow is the Winter wonderland semi-formal, I'm so excited. Bought a lovely pair of shoes yesterday, and I am borrowing a black dress from Paige. It will hopefully be fun.

The crazy hat society

Last week was insane. I think it was the busiest week so far. And then of course I had to catch a really annoying cold too. But anyway, I'll tell you what last week was all about.

Tuesday I had my DriverEd course from 4-8, as I have every tuesday it just seemed so much longer last week because of the cold. Then wednesday I was chosen among four other students to go to an enrichment project held in a school in Moncton. It was so cool, like a workshop with two authors. They taught us all about writing murder mysteries. I didn't know much about that before, so it was really interesting. They had created like a murder mystery for us to solve. They had five different group which were suspected to have commited the murder, and every group had a certain background and characteristics and so on.

Then we were divided into these five groups. I was a Shine On Me. We knew Katie (the victim) because we had all been involved in arraging a tour for people who wrote poetry. It was a week on a cruise ship with a well-known poet who would work with the up and coming writers. Of course, there was no well-known poet and the ship was a wreck. The group were only out for two days and weren't even fed properly. They had to get themselves home after the ship put them off on a very poor island in the Caribbean. Eventually all of us went to prison but Katie didn't (that was our motiv). We worked in the jail pharmacy so we know a lot about poisons (Katie was poisoned to death). We whisper to each other and we all speak at once. We have a one track mind and are very stubborn.

Every group wore a different kind of funny hats, so that we would be able to tell each other apart. The authors gave us things to do, like writing the murder scene or plan out how Katie was murdered and then act it in front of everyone. In the end my group wasn't the one who did it. We weren't smart enough *tssk offended*. It was a little difficult with the english and I was nervous to read what I had written in front of the whole group, but it turned out fine. We even got a diploma :D

Anyway, I was on that thing wednesday thursday. On thursday night I went with Mandy and Ashley to the living Christmas Tree, that was really nice. The light shows were incredible, really. And the choir was very professional too. That was a show they can be proud of. Then, guess what I did yesterday. I went to Moncton High with my english class to see Yann Martel. Yann Martel! The author of like the best book ever, "Life of Pi". I've seen and heard Yann Martel speak live for an hour, I'm so cool! :D He spoke about the illustrated version of Life of Pi. But he didn't speak only about the pictures, he spoke a lot about his inspiration and different interpretations of the two stories in the book and meaning of life and stuff. It was quite deep, but at the same time he was a really down-to-Earth kind of person. I loved it!

Yesterday all the exchange students had dinner in Moncton. We had a gift exchange, it was really nice. I got candy, and a crazy plastic panda, haha. And Janet gave all of us a bag with things from Moncton and Canada. It was really cool.

I have so much to do in school now it's not even funny. Every teacher seems to think next week is a perfect week to have all tests, quiezes and project presentations. Awesome! That's probably international. So, that's part of why I'm stressed, I have so much stuff to do. Have to write a novel to present on Dec 17th too (last day with the two authors) I'm going to write about child labour. More than that, I don't know. And every lunch we have Singing Christmas Tree practice and meetings and stuff. Friday at lunch time I didn't even eat. Stupid I know, but I was running around from meeting to practice to appointments with teachers and so on. Well, it's working for now.

Now I have to go and drink coffee. I drink coffee at least two times a day now a days, haha ;) I'm addicted.