My sister Tina came back from the States today after having spend a year there as au pair. Her boyfriend Lars picked her up in Stockholm and we had a little welcome party for her when arriving in Åminne. Tina has a blog too.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Tina back home
My sister Tina came back from the States today after having spend a year there as au pair. Her boyfriend Lars picked her up in Stockholm and we had a little welcome party for her when arriving in Åminne. Tina has a blog too.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Exams
This is the view that I will have the coming weeks.
One exam the 17th of August (Complex analysis) and possible a second one the 25th (Fourier analysis). My last two exams. Wish me luck.
I study for an M.Sc in Physics Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology.
That's what I did before I started working and studying Chinese. Now I want that degree before I move on doing other things.
Friday, July 22, 2005
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Playing games
Family, including grandparents, cousins, and "extensions" visiting this last weekend.
Playing quiz games. We are doing this quite often during our family get-together. I mean, we are all quite different from each other and we have to do something. Playing games like this is a good distraction.
I was dead tired from working 2 weeks in a row with 2 days off. Got me into a shouting row with my sister who thought I wasn't cheerful enough for her. I've been quite worried about the coming exams and I really have to get down to it to make it. Them math exams are pretty tricky. Sigh.
The only survivor
I have finished the work at the old folks howm. Worked here a couple of weeks, something I did last summer as well. This is where my dad works.
A candle is lit next to this clock when someone has passed away. From last year about 1/5 of them have. The clock has stopped, representing the ending of a life.
Monday, July 11, 2005
The sky is the limit
Scott just sent me following:
I've enjoyed seeing pictures of your life in sweden. I recently went home myself, to virginia, and it was more beautiful than it has ever been before. I've been in cities for a long time now. Standing in a forest, swimming in a natural clean pool of water; I never appreciated these things so much in my whole life. Anyway, judging from your blog pictures, I'm guessing you might be having the same thoughts.I do.
Most of all I enjoy being able to see the sky everyday and that the water from the tap tastes like spring water.
I rented an apartment together with Scott, WuZheJian, WenYa, Mr.Evil and some other Chinese friends during most of my year at Peking University.
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Summer time, and the living is easy
Tonight we played volleyball and swam in the lake that is just 100 meters away from our house.
28 C in the air, probably around 23 C in the water. It has so far been a great summer. From the left is Jakob and Johanna, Cissi with two friends, my mum, Lasse (Cissi's boyfriend), and my dad.
Jakob, Johanna's boyfriend and my tennis partner, flying off.
The Åminne viking-ship.
The village has a club that organises activities and festivals. Among them they maintain a museum and a viking ship. There is just a couple of hundred people living here in Åminne, and people from far away as Germany come to check out the museum. I haven't been on the boat nor checked out the museum. I've checked out almost all museums in Beijing and all major ones in Europe, still haven't checked out what is just around the corner. Wen, wanna go for a boat ride when you get here?
My high school
This is my high school, Finnvedens kunskapscentrum. Here I attended school from grade 10th to 12th from 91-93, then I went to the States as an exchange student, then came back for my final 3rd year 94/95. To the left you see the café, where we spend quite a lot of time. I took the picture since I was playing tennis there the other day.
Summer time reading - 哆啦A梦
Nice to have when taking a break or sitting in the garden sun-tanning. It is for kids, so it suits me just fine :)
Doreamon (机 器猫 or 哆啦A梦), a Japanese children's' cartoon first published in 1974. Japanese cartoons are quite popular in China and this copy is a translation into Chinese.
Doreamon is a robot cat that has come from the future to help a Japanese boy. This boy hates to do school-work and always finds excuses not to study. Something I can relate to. Unfortunately I don't have a robot-cat from the future to pull out some machines from his front-pocket to help me out.
The boy is called 大雄, he's not always that bright. Something I can relate to as well.
Saturday, July 09, 2005
The ultimate ignorant
Comment on the Parents article about China trip post.
I do not understand why the west must impose their violent religion (i.e the stupid imagined jesus and his mother) on to the Chinese?
It is laughable to watch all these brain-dead Christians worshiping their childhood indoctrination all their lives.
At least China does not have the Christain biogots and racists.
Darwin bless you,
LEAVE US ALONE!
After that it only gets better. Some highlights.
[] Your website demonstrates the ancient feelings of Christians in the west. []
(I'm not a Christian)
[] BTW, the proud Sweden White Christian: do you speak any Chinese at all? It is shocking for some total ignorant like you to say the Chinese are ignorant. You don’t even speak their language. You are the ultimate ignorant! []
(I do speak Chinese)
[] you will be forced to say "one nation under God" everyday in public schools in the west? In private religious schoold, you will be punished for not believing in God. []
(Not around here you don't)
It goes on. Check the comment on the post for the latest accusations and insults. I should probably ignore it, but I don't have much to write about at the moment. This discussion reminds me of other "discussions" I had in China before I learned to avoid them. Never discuss anything "sensitive" with people you don't know, or the discussion would go down the toilet in a kind of 'wicked foreigner' vs. China kind-of-way. Not a discussion where anyone listens.
Anyone is free to read this blog, comment and critizise my writing. I would appreciate if comments made where somewhat constructive and informative. Or atleast not so damn liberated from humor.
I might be ignorant, but I'm clearly not the only one.
I do not understand why the west must impose their violent religion (i.e the stupid imagined jesus and his mother) on to the Chinese?
It is laughable to watch all these brain-dead Christians worshiping their childhood indoctrination all their lives.
At least China does not have the Christain biogots and racists.
Darwin bless you,
LEAVE US ALONE!
After that it only gets better. Some highlights.
[] Your website demonstrates the ancient feelings of Christians in the west. []
(I'm not a Christian)
[] BTW, the proud Sweden White Christian: do you speak any Chinese at all? It is shocking for some total ignorant like you to say the Chinese are ignorant. You don’t even speak their language. You are the ultimate ignorant! []
(I do speak Chinese)
[] you will be forced to say "one nation under God" everyday in public schools in the west? In private religious schoold, you will be punished for not believing in God. []
(Not around here you don't)
It goes on. Check the comment on the post for the latest accusations and insults. I should probably ignore it, but I don't have much to write about at the moment. This discussion reminds me of other "discussions" I had in China before I learned to avoid them. Never discuss anything "sensitive" with people you don't know, or the discussion would go down the toilet in a kind of 'wicked foreigner' vs. China kind-of-way. Not a discussion where anyone listens.
Anyone is free to read this blog, comment and critizise my writing. I would appreciate if comments made where somewhat constructive and informative. Or atleast not so damn liberated from humor.
I might be ignorant, but I'm clearly not the only one.
What am I up to this summer?
After returning home I have been working in a service home for old people. That’s what I did last summer, though this summer I will just work for four weeks. Next week will be the last week. If anyone wants to call me, this is the hours (Swedish time). Coming weeks work schedule (from 11th June):
Mon 15:00-21:30
Tue 7:00-14:00
Wed 15:00-21:00
Thu 16:00-21:00
Fri 14:00-21:30
Update(!):
Sat 7:00-17:00
Sun 12:00-21:00
After finishing working I will have to pull myself together and study hard for a month to finish a math exam in the middle of August. Got two exams before I get my M.Sc. I’m a little bit worried about the exam, since the weather here is really nice, my motivation to study that course is very low, and all my sisters will be around.
What happens after the exam is a little unclear. I think I will go for the second exam ten days later, then either receive Wen here at home, or go traveling with her. By then I should also make up my mind on where to write my thesis during the fall.
Mon 15:00-21:30
Tue 7:00-14:00
Wed 15:00-21:00
Thu 16:00-21:00
Fri 14:00-21:30
Update(!):
Sat 7:00-17:00
Sun 12:00-21:00
After finishing working I will have to pull myself together and study hard for a month to finish a math exam in the middle of August. Got two exams before I get my M.Sc. I’m a little bit worried about the exam, since the weather here is really nice, my motivation to study that course is very low, and all my sisters will be around.
What happens after the exam is a little unclear. I think I will go for the second exam ten days later, then either receive Wen here at home, or go traveling with her. By then I should also make up my mind on where to write my thesis during the fall.
Sunday, July 03, 2005
Parents article about China trip
My parents came to see me in Beijing this last April. When they returned home they wrote an article that got published in their church magazine! (Churches around here are way organized) Clicking on the picture should enlarge it enough for the text to be readable. Only in Swedish I'm afraid.
Det glada budskapet, nummer 2, 2005, p 14
The editor of the magazine has added following text under the picture: "Göran and Mari-Anne with their son Johan in front of Mao's Mausoleum". We are obviously NOT standing in front of the mausoleum, though we went to see the plastic doll earlier that day.
p 15
Update: Check out the comments to this post. Gives you perhaps one Chinese perspective you didn't have, or possible have had too many of (my case).
Det glada budskapet, nummer 2, 2005, p 14
The editor of the magazine has added following text under the picture: "Göran and Mari-Anne with their son Johan in front of Mao's Mausoleum". We are obviously NOT standing in front of the mausoleum, though we went to see the plastic doll earlier that day.
p 15
Update: Check out the comments to this post. Gives you perhaps one Chinese perspective you didn't have, or possible have had too many of (my case).
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Church visit
My parents and most of my relatives are members of the Pentecostal Church. After returning from China I went with them to church to listen to one of their missionaries that is working in Qinghai. Turns out she didn't say much about China, but did a lot more preaching. Reminded me of how I don't like to go to mass. For a person that hasn't grown up in such an environment it must be a very weird thing. People are friendly and I'm sure it is a nice way to get to know a lot of people. Just not a place for me.
Sunday mass. There is usually lots more people, but since there was a church festival going on a lot of young people were missing.
Talk about the missionary work in Qinghai. She has been there for many many years and she invited me to come and see their work. Would be very interesting. She works in small villages, teaching women about health-matters. And of course doing missionary work.
This old gentleman is regularly attending mass on Sundays even though he doesn't understand Swedish. Many of the church goers have been curious about him and sad that they can't talk to him. When I started chatting with him, other people came to ask questions and wanted me to translate. Turns out he was from Guangdong and speaks mandarin. He has come to this town since his grand-son has been living in Sweden for a long time. I think his son, almost 17 years ago, fled to Vietnam, then to the Philippines, then to Sweden.
Sunday mass. There is usually lots more people, but since there was a church festival going on a lot of young people were missing.
Talk about the missionary work in Qinghai. She has been there for many many years and she invited me to come and see their work. Would be very interesting. She works in small villages, teaching women about health-matters. And of course doing missionary work.
This old gentleman is regularly attending mass on Sundays even though he doesn't understand Swedish. Many of the church goers have been curious about him and sad that they can't talk to him. When I started chatting with him, other people came to ask questions and wanted me to translate. Turns out he was from Guangdong and speaks mandarin. He has come to this town since his grand-son has been living in Sweden for a long time. I think his son, almost 17 years ago, fled to Vietnam, then to the Philippines, then to Sweden.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Article in the magazine "Civilingenjören"
I got the magazine "Civilingenjören" in the mail. When checking the table of contents I saw something about China. It took me a little moment to realize that I was in it, even though I'm on the large picture. Four pages. Pretty funny.
Arvid, a friend who has studied at Beijing Normal University the last year made an interview with me and his cousin Pär about being an engineer student in Beijing. Now it was published in the magazine "Civilingenjören", a magazine for engineers with a degree in M.Sc.
The article is about us two engineering students that has gone to China to study and what we intent to do in the future. The title is "The dream is a job in the Middle Kingdom". A little bit cheezy I think.
"Johan and Pär are driven by the thought of finding the job at a technology company where they can do what they do best and towards the Chinese market. Both have their degrees almost finished when we meet them in ZhongGuanCun, Beijing's answer to Silicon Valley"
Some quotes:
"Despite an explosive growth in the Chinese market, it is not easy for a Westerner to find a job that is a good move for your career"
"The problem is to find something that feels meaningful and that is worth something when returning to Sweden"
The absolute illegal republishing of the article. This will of course not stop me from complaining about the piracy in China...
Arvid, a friend who has studied at Beijing Normal University the last year made an interview with me and his cousin Pär about being an engineer student in Beijing. Now it was published in the magazine "Civilingenjören", a magazine for engineers with a degree in M.Sc.
The article is about us two engineering students that has gone to China to study and what we intent to do in the future. The title is "The dream is a job in the Middle Kingdom". A little bit cheezy I think.
"Johan and Pär are driven by the thought of finding the job at a technology company where they can do what they do best and towards the Chinese market. Both have their degrees almost finished when we meet them in ZhongGuanCun, Beijing's answer to Silicon Valley"
Some quotes:
"Despite an explosive growth in the Chinese market, it is not easy for a Westerner to find a job that is a good move for your career"
"The problem is to find something that feels meaningful and that is worth something when returning to Sweden"
The absolute illegal republishing of the article. This will of course not stop me from complaining about the piracy in China...
Monday, June 27, 2005
Midsummer in Dalsland
In the afternoon I went to Dalsland to visit Edward and his brother.
Edward and the booze.
Karlsson, me, and Eddie after some alcohol consumption. Mandatory party pic.
Swimming in a lake nearby the day after.
This is a tattoo if one of the girls that attended the party. According to her it means "Carpe Diem". I told her that it probably was a very rare character and that I hadn't seen it before.
Don't get a tattoo if you don't know what it means. This site is dedicated to the misuse of Chinese and Japanese characters, usually pretty entertaining.
及时 [jíshí] in time; promptly
行乐 [xínglè] seek amusement; make merry
Edward's home in Bäckefors, Dalsland, Sweden. A very exciting place where the Swedish movie "Kopps" was recorded. It's not too far from Åmål, a place mostly known because of the movie "Fucking Åmål". Kind of a happening place. Not.
Edward and the booze.
Karlsson, me, and Eddie after some alcohol consumption. Mandatory party pic.
Swimming in a lake nearby the day after.
This is a tattoo if one of the girls that attended the party. According to her it means "Carpe Diem". I told her that it probably was a very rare character and that I hadn't seen it before.
Don't get a tattoo if you don't know what it means. This site is dedicated to the misuse of Chinese and Japanese characters, usually pretty entertaining.
亳 [Bó] first capital of the Shang dynastyI doubt that it has any other meaning than that and I can't find any words containing that character. According to Wen, 'Carpe Diem' is translated with '及时行乐'
及时 [jíshí] in time; promptly
行乐 [xínglè] seek amusement; make merry
Edward's home in Bäckefors, Dalsland, Sweden. A very exciting place where the Swedish movie "Kopps" was recorded. It's not too far from Åmål, a place mostly known because of the movie "Fucking Åmål". Kind of a happening place. Not.
Midsummer in Värmland
For midsummer I went to Värmland to see my friend Stefan and his family.
Me and Saga, my god-daughter.
The new member of the Wemmel-Ljung family. Mira was born on the 22 of March.
Midsummer day at Stefan's mother's old home in the countryside. New potatoes, herring and shots. Salad for Toba who is a strict vegetarian.
Strawberries are mandatory. And appreciated.
Me and Saga, my god-daughter.
The new member of the Wemmel-Ljung family. Mira was born on the 22 of March.
Midsummer day at Stefan's mother's old home in the countryside. New potatoes, herring and shots. Salad for Toba who is a strict vegetarian.
Strawberries are mandatory. And appreciated.
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
Flight Itinerary
Beijing Airport
Itinerary
MR JOHAN
Wed, Jun 15: THAI AIRWAYS INTL LTD, TG 0615
From: BEIJING, CHINA (PEK) Departs: 5:25pm
To: BANGKOK, THAILAND (BKK) Arrives: 9:10pm
Flight Time: 4 hours and 45 minutes
Thu, Jun 16: THAI AIRWAYS INTL LTD, TG 0960
From: BANGKOK, THAILAND (BKK) Departs: 1:10am
To: STOCKHOLM ARLANDA, SWEDEN (ARN) Arrives: 6:50am
Flight Time: 10 hours and 40 minutes
Update:
Arrived in Stockholm. Missed my buss because of traffic jam! And I didn't even get irritated. That's what Beijing does to you. Gives you plenty of patience. And experience of traffic jam.
Update2:
Finally home. Took a bus (Swebus Express 280 SEK for students) from Stockholm directly to Värnamo. For a second year in a row while taking this bus the aircon broke down and we had to change the bus! Now for some rest and change of socks.
Friday, June 10, 2005
Brain Check
On my way home just outside where I live I saw some people dressed up with white robes and equipped with a computer with some funny equipment. Turns out to be a free brain examination.
免费[miǎnfèi] be free of charge; gratis 检测[jiǎncè] examination
Free brain check
An old woman takes the opportunity.
Since the procedure took quite a lot of time I didn't have the patience to wait for my turn. Whatever you say Wen, the fear of getting a really disappointing result was not a factor, .
I'm not sure how they make their money, but I'm positively sure that they don't really do it just to help people. Maybe they sell medicine or want people to come for a another check at their hospital.
ADDITION 2006-Jan-17:
I find it a little bit ironic that this became my last post from China. :-) Mabye I should have taken that braincheck, because I'm planning to come back.
免费[miǎnfèi] be free of charge; gratis 检测[jiǎncè] examination
Free brain check
An old woman takes the opportunity.
Since the procedure took quite a lot of time I didn't have the patience to wait for my turn. Whatever you say Wen, the fear of getting a really disappointing result was not a factor, .
I'm not sure how they make their money, but I'm positively sure that they don't really do it just to help people. Maybe they sell medicine or want people to come for a another check at their hospital.
ADDITION 2006-Jan-17:
I find it a little bit ironic that this became my last post from China. :-) Mabye I should have taken that braincheck, because I'm planning to come back.
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