tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203040962024-03-29T11:08:00.957+01:00Helsingbloggin' - MalmöA <b>British-Canadian</b> expat's observations and opinions <br>about two cities <b>in the south of Sweden</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger17715tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20304096.post-73260646545497035152010-11-09T15:21:00.028+01:002010-11-10T01:57:01.685+01:00Tuesday, November 9th, 2010: Dental care by the seat of your pants in Malmö and Helsingborg<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What I think:</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've been to the dentist a few times over the past couple of months. Apparently there are spaces between my gums and teeth in which bacteria are starting to form, which could cause me grief a bit later on in life; the grief being that I could be toothless if I'm not ultra-careful about keeping everything spotless in my gaping cake-hole.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I've learned a few tooth/dentist-related Swedish words during my time here, which I'd like to share with you now.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Swedish (bear with me on this):</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- Tooth is </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tand</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">; a direct translation.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- Dentist is </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tandläkare</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, which is a compound word, consisting of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tand</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (tooth) and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">läkare</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (doctor). So the direct translation of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tandläkare</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is tooth doctor. So a dentist, in Swedish, is a tooth doctor. Cute, huh?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- Gums is my favourite inside-your-mouth word. In Swedish it's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tandkött</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Another compound word, this one consists of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tand</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (tooth), as you've already learned, and </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">kött</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (pronounced kind of like "should", but you replace the last consonant sound ["ld"] with a "t". This means meat or flesh.). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So the direct translation of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tandkött</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is tooth meat. So gums, in Swedish, are tooth meat. Isn't that adorable? Bless.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- Tartar may taste nice on fish, but apparently it's nasty on the teeth. In Swedish, it's known as <i>tandsten</i>, which translates to tooth stone, which, unless you're Keith Richard <i>[Hi Keith!]</i>, is really not as glamorous as it sounds.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- "Open wide". "Gapa" is what a Swedish dentist (or a sadistic dental hygienist, apparently) says when he (or, more commonly, she) says when they can't quite reach the tooth containing the nerve that will cause you the most agonising (US/CAN: agonizing) misery. Interestingly - and etymologically - the English word "gape" (as in "my gaping cake-hole") comes directly from the Old Norse word "gapa", meaning "to open the mouth". </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There you go. You learned something new today. Unless you're Swedish, in which case: </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Håll käften</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So anyway, my four - no five - visits to the sadistic Swedish dental hygienist cost me around 3,000 kronor (this is, at the time of writing, about £278.50 / US$446.20 / CAN$447.65 / €322.70 / 2,063,673 Zambian Kwacha). </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I guess this isn't too bad, considering all the torture you get for your money, but since other healthcare is so greatly subsidised (US/CAN: subsidized) here, one would have thought it would be substantially less. Ah well...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And now for a not-so-smooth segue. I was on my way to one of my band's </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">[CSI: Helsingborg's]</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> notorious Pissed Rehearsals in Helsingborg a couple of weeks ago, umm, after having brushed my teeth. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When I got off the bus and headed for the platform, I noticed that just about all of the bicycles parked near the platform had these bright pink seat covers on them.</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlgLyF1k_I/AAAAAAAABAc/vl2tueRBgb4/s1600/by_platforms.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlgLyF1k_I/AAAAAAAABAc/vl2tueRBgb4/s400/by_platforms.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537562972369818610" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You see, over the past year or so (possibly longer; I'm not normally terribly observant), someone came up with the clever advertising (US/CAN: advertising - ha, gotcha) idea of printing up logos and/or messages on pre-made bike seat covers and putting them over as many bicycles as they could find.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is actually quite ingenious, as many Swedish cyclists normally use plastic carrier bags as covers to keep their seats dry when the weather really sucks (which is usually about 342 days a year) and - regardless of the message of who's selling what - would probably appreciate having this little cycling accessory given to them free of charge. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">[Unless, of course, it was provided by the </span></i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden_Democrats"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sverigedemokraterna</span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (The Sweden Democrats), in which case 5.7% would hang it on their walls, about 54.3% would burn it, a few would actually use it, and the rest wouldn't be sure whether they should sit on it or not. Oh yeah, some would sell it on e-Bay.*]</span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But I'm into advertising, and not politics, so I thought I'd just check out which company was splashing out on this particular benevolent gesture. When I approached the nearest seat, here's what I saw:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlgFmqX7MI/AAAAAAAABAU/eQ1POA6o7-4/s1600/seat_close_up.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlgFmqX7MI/AAAAAAAABAU/eQ1POA6o7-4/s400/seat_close_up.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537562866222623938" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Skåne region's "dental health" authority is advertising on these things. What?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(By the way, Skåne is the county or province (whatever) in the southwesternmost part of Sweden.)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The large writing (roughly translated) means "Your smile looked after.". The bit in the black speech balloon means "Healthy dental care - now for everyone!". The bit at the bottom is </span><a href="http://www.skane.se/default.aspx?id=2031"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this website -></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now, Malmö is not a huge city; certainly not by American, Canadian, British, Australian, French, Spanish, German, Irish, Italian, (... etc... for ages...) Peruvian, Turkish, Brazilian, or </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">even Swedish</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> standards, but there are a lot of cyclists here; that is if you look at bikes per capita, and the number of those who actually use them regularly.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I looked over at (one of) the main cycle park area(s), and just had to go halfway across the bridge to share this with you:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlf_veFcxI/AAAAAAAABAM/8vC5zztn6G0/s1600/bike_deck.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlf_veFcxI/AAAAAAAABAM/8vC5zztn6G0/s400/bike_deck.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537562765507785490" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's a lot of dental care encouragement, wouldn't you say?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then glancing back at the other (main) end of the station:</span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlf5neBY2I/AAAAAAAABAE/3f9uxOa4bNM/s1600/front_station.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlf5neBY2I/AAAAAAAABAE/3f9uxOa4bNM/s400/front_station.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537562660280820578" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And there's a bit across the bridge over the canal:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlfz77HqyI/AAAAAAAAA_8/uFLFm0ML3zU/s1600/across_bridge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlfz77HqyI/AAAAAAAAA_8/uFLFm0ML3zU/s400/across_bridge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537562562692360994" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amazing.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So. I caught the train to Helsingborg, and was walking to the </span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunday-april-22nd-2007-top-toilet-tips.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Charles Dickens Pub</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to meet guitarist CSI: Nils for our usual pre-Pissed Rehearsal piss-up, and I realised that the tooth-care-advert fairies had hit Helsingborg as well (Helsingborg is also in Skåne):</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNle1sdJbPI/AAAAAAAAA_s/AVpf2VQi0as/s1600/bike_hbg_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNle1sdJbPI/AAAAAAAAA_s/AVpf2VQi0as/s400/bike_hbg_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537561493388225778" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hadn't left Helsingborg's train station through the bicycle parking area, but it looked as though a deed had definitely been done there too. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A couple more bits of evidence:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlevwNbKvI/AAAAAAAAA_k/MPt1r4sNPFc/s1600/bike_hbg_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlevwNbKvI/AAAAAAAAA_k/MPt1r4sNPFc/s400/bike_hbg_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537561391316806386" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlehcblKQI/AAAAAAAAA_c/8-WisUMhBE4/s1600/bike_hbg_03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 314px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlehcblKQI/AAAAAAAAA_c/8-WisUMhBE4/s400/bike_hbg_03.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537561145489303810" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, apparently, the dental care authority of Skåne had spent loads of money advertising the fact that people in the southwest of Sweden should visit their dentists, as if this was a radically new idea. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oh, by the way, when I was in Paris last month, I was at </span><a href="http://www.montmartreparis.com/things-to-do/nightlife/p/detail/la-fourmi1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this place</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and went out for a smoke, and there was some guy selling funky-flashy glasses. I had to try them on...</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNleYHCFURI/AAAAAAAAA_U/EiZvq6Ss5q8/s1600/paris.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNleYHCFURI/AAAAAAAAA_U/EiZvq6Ss5q8/s400/paris.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537560985126392082" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I didn't buy any, and the guy selling was a bit annoyed, but this guy did...<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlfZVvtK8I/AAAAAAAAA_0/VVYnTcKalW0/s1600/glasses_guy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TNlfZVvtK8I/AAAAAAAAA_0/VVYnTcKalW0/s400/glasses_guy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537562105767340994" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">... and the funky-flashy glasses sales guy was happy again. That's him to the left of the guy wearing (two pairs! Ha-ha! of ) the funky-flashy glasses. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Oh, how we laughed, etc.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anyway, as I was saying, I wonder how much money was spent on producing and distributing those glasses - no, seat covers - in Skåne. Most Swedes that I've met are well aware of the existence of dentists, and most actually go through the ritual torture that that awareness entails; it's pretty much a part of being Swedish.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So why spend so much money on this silly campaign? Can't they use the money for the research and development of more efficient and painful torture devices? It's all very futile, it's ridiculous, it's costly, and it's time that </span><a href="http://www.sweden.gov.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Swedish government</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> did something about it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's what I think.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">[*Based on figures I made up, for the most part.]</span></i></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20304096.post-20970644348650414102010-06-23T13:12:00.017+02:002010-06-23T17:09:18.982+02:00Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010: Top Toilet Tips: Pubs in Malmö - Part One: The Pickwick Pub<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What I think:</span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groucho_Marx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A wise man</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> once said: "Time flies like an arrow, and fruit flies like a banana."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With those words, and following the great success of my Top Toilet Tips for pubs in Helsingborg*, I start my first in the series of Top Toilets Tips for pubs in Malmö.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But first, I've got to show you something I saw on the platform at Malmö station yesterday: </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The smoking area</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvcj95ULI/AAAAAAAAA_E/pumhoWdruns/s1600/smoking.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 391px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvcj95ULI/AAAAAAAAA_E/pumhoWdruns/s400/smoking.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485929095084200114" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cool, huh?</span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">OK, off we go to The Pickwick Pub...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pickwick's is located on the corner of Malmborgsgatan and Stadt Hamburgsgatan. During the summer (which usually lasts for about eleven days here in Sweden), it's nice to sit outside with your beer, where you catch some cool northern rays and chain-smoke yourself to death.</span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvXahMSfI/AAAAAAAAA-8/uN0PEf8hLL4/s1600/pickwick_ext.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvXahMSfI/AAAAAAAAA-8/uN0PEf8hLL4/s400/pickwick_ext.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485929006648543730" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's the pub I go to most in Malmö, as the staff are friendly and attentive, and they're all English-speaking (there's a Swedish girl there, but her English is really good). OK, so that's not necessarily the best reason to go to a pub in Sweden, but the place does seem to attract a fair number of expats, which means that you can actually find people there drinking during the week - generally a big no-no in Swedish culture. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Apparently it's a good place to work as well; although the staff seem to be mostly in their 20's or 30's, they've all been working there since about 1948 </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">[</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">citation needed]</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The interior is done up in a very English-pub-like way, with plenty of dark wood, knick-knacks, and upholstered seating. They've got a very good selection of ales, and some Czech and German lagers (I think they might have some Swedish shite as well, in case you have no sense of taste).</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvQ3GGYaI/AAAAAAAAA-0/SeZ1FYud84Y/s1600/pickwick_int.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 275px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvQ3GGYaI/AAAAAAAAA-0/SeZ1FYud84Y/s400/pickwick_int.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928894060454306" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When you come in, there's seating directly in front of you, with the bar on the left. There are actually two entrance doors, but I'm referring to the main one on the corner, as the other one is closed for all but the eleven days of summer in Sweden.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Look left again, and you'll see another seating area, referred to by staff as "The Library". This is probably because there are some books there:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvKyCliSI/AAAAAAAAA-s/0KJkAaL0Q5Y/s1600/pickwick_int_lib.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 346px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvKyCliSI/AAAAAAAAA-s/0KJkAaL0Q5Y/s400/pickwick_int_lib.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928789624326434" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Also to your left (before the library), there's a dart board. Next to it, there's a chalk board, on which you can either keep scores, or write important messages for the next players. Below, Jenni tells us that she's best </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">[citation needed]</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. One can only wonder at what... Oh, actually, she does a pretty mean palm-reading; I know that for sure.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvEs8A4II/AAAAAAAAA-k/z1c-iuklTLo/s1600/darts_jen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHvEs8A4II/AAAAAAAAA-k/z1c-iuklTLo/s400/darts_jen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928685175365762" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So now it's off to the toilets. If you enter the pub and go straight through, passing the bar (and more seating) on your left, and the previously-mentioned seating on your right, you come to a doorway with a helpful sign:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHu9OhwwfI/AAAAAAAAA-c/fXyiiyGpupM/s1600/toilet_sign.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 340px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHu9OhwwfI/AAAAAAAAA-c/fXyiiyGpupM/s400/toilet_sign.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928556753109490" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the photo above, you can see the sunlight coming in from the right, through the pub's second entrance (which is currently open - Yay, Summer!).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Turning left, as instructed by the helpful sign, you've got a little corridor leading to the stairway to the toilets:</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHu3hFQ2mI/AAAAAAAAA-U/JKMP8rMpMTg/s1600/toilet_hall_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 328px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHu3hFQ2mI/AAAAAAAAA-U/JKMP8rMpMTg/s400/toilet_hall_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928458654636642" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once through the double doors, and turning left, you're at the top of the stairs, over which stands a copy of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz. Just joking, kids; it's called a suit of armour (US/CAN: armor):</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHuyrx0KtI/AAAAAAAAA-M/aiEnGyp0Ggs/s1600/toilet_armour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHuyrx0KtI/AAAAAAAAA-M/aiEnGyp0Ggs/s400/toilet_armour.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928375626509010" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Quite daunting, isn't it? Don't pee yourselves now; keep up with me here...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Finally, turning left at the bottom of the stairs, you'll find the doors to the toilets.</span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHus7vp8FI/AAAAAAAAA-E/gmXKafUXkWI/s1600/toilet_doorway.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 295px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHus7vp8FI/AAAAAAAAA-E/gmXKafUXkWI/s400/toilet_doorway.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928276833202258" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">You can probably guess that the one on the left is the Ladies', but the doors aren't always open like that, so I thought I'd point it out.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'm guessing that the doors are left open when the pub opens because the staff had just washed the floors, and want to allow air through to allow them to dry quicker... but it could also be (partly at least) because these places smell bad, and they want to keep them aired out for as long as possible.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now, I know that pub toilets are generally not world-reknowned award-winning areas of nose-pleasing, aromatic Gardens of Eden, but these ones can get pretty nasty, by any standard. I don't know whether it's partly because they're under ground - and that dampness could be part of the equation - but... well, at times, it's an experience.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Of course, my only experience comes only from my olfactory observations of the Gents' (US/CAN: Men's Room) , so ladies, I can't say for sure what awaits you on the other side of the wall. Just bring a small - yet stylish - nose plug, just in case.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another gripe I have is with the hand dryer. What is it with these things? It's 2010, for crying out load (and stamping feet, screaming "It's soooo not fair!!!"). A little bit more than a gentle breeze, please?<br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHuloG0uxI/AAAAAAAAA98/cGlbnTH3Cac/s1600/toilet_row.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 305px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHuloG0uxI/AAAAAAAAA98/cGlbnTH3Cac/s400/toilet_row.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485928151302585106" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Having said all this, there is a certain aesthetic charm here as well. The urinals (US/CAN: urinals, but pronounced differently) are good, solid, old-fashioned pieces of work. </span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHsqT_XMvI/AAAAAAAAA90/6pSqU_4f73g/s1600/toilet_adamant.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 301px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/TCHsqT_XMvI/AAAAAAAAA90/6pSqU_4f73g/s400/toilet_adamant.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485926032778670834" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Crafted in Stoke-on-Trent (like one of the bar staff), even the name of these masterpieces of yesteryear are an eternal testimony to the pleasures of weeknight drinking in a society in which it is frowned upon: </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Ant"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ADAMANT</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even though I don't give it top marks, mainly due to its odourificiousness (yeah, I know it's not a word, shut up) and the pathetic hand dryer, at least the stalls (not shown in these photos, sorry) are usually relatively clean and usually have toilet paper. And the toilets actually work (although at least one is missing the little knobby thing that you pull on to flush).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Toilet stuff aside, The Pickwick Pub has a really fun (and free) Quiz Night every Wednesday evening at 8:30 p.m. (SWE: 20:30), the beer is good - and there's a wide selection of it, and the staff are absolute diamonds. Oh yeah, and they serve some tasty, and good-value, meals as well. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But really, those pathetic hand dryer things - the ones that barely work - should be banned, and it's time that </span><a href="http://www.sweden.gov.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Swedish government</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> did something about it. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's what I think.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Top Toilet Tips for pubs in Helsingborg</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunday-april-22nd-2007-top-toilet-tips.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Part One: Charles Dickens</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/05/thursday-may-10th-2007-top-toilet-tips.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Part Two: Hamnkrogen</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/06/sunday-june-3rd-2007-top-toilet-tips.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Part Three: Bishops Arms</span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/06/tuesday-june-19th-2007-top-toilet-tips.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Part Four: PL13</span></a></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20304096.post-41896551028603702812010-01-27T18:00:00.033+01:002011-01-09T14:21:54.845+01:00Saturday, January 30th, 2010: Acting, performing, and publishing recordings in Helsingborg and Malmö<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">What I think:</span></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All in all, January's been quite a cool month for me here in the beautiful south of Sweden. I could have done without the snow, but it </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">is</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> winter, so I can't really complain too much about that.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's a photo taken today from our rooftop terrace, </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">with the </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Torso"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Turning Torso</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> in the distance:</span></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2Q0IFL6LbI/AAAAAAAAA9k/wZj0_Owaqcs/s1600-h/snowy_torso.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 323px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2Q0IFL6LbI/AAAAAAAAA9k/wZj0_Owaqcs/s400/snowy_torso.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432524363951386034" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There's one thing that did annoy me this month though. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Did you read </span></span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-november-20th-2009-beer-and.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">my post about the contempt I have for the town of Ängelholm</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, where my cover band (CSI: Helsingborg) played a couple of months ago? If not, it doesn't matter; suffice it to say that this town (in which one of main attractions is a </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO-Memorial_%C3%84ngelholm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">UFO Memorial</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) is one place that I wouldn't miss if it got mistaken for Bin Laden's cave, and got blown to smithereens.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I went to a rehearsal in Helsingborg on January 10th (as we were booked to play at Telegrafen on the following Friday night). It was a good one, with lots of fun, energy, and beer. Quite a substantial amount of beer. I remember that we actually talked briefly about about our Ängelholm gig, and I vowed never to set foot there again.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Afterwards, I decided (in my wisest wisdom) to go to the </span></span><a href="http://www.restaurangtelegrafen.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Telegrafen</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">pub for a beer, before getting the train home. I was feeling good. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then I went to the station, got my ticket (</span></span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2009/08/thursday-august-27th-2009-how-to-take.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here's how -></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) and got on a train. I was just in time, as well; the train left about 30 seconds after I sat down. Cool.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then it occurred to me that I got on the wrong train. This one was heading northwards, ending up in Gothenburg. I would have to get off at the next stop and catch a train back in the opposite direction. I looked up and saw that the first stop would be - you guessed it - Ängel-bloody-holm. Nooooo!!! Oh dear. Oh dear-oh-dear-oh-dear. And damn, even.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just hours before, I vowed never to go there again. The Fates were being painfully unkind to me, and not even using lube whilst administering their unkindness.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In my even wiserest wisdom, I was actually contemplating going all the way to Gothenburg. I would get there before 23:00 (11:00 p.m.) and could stay with my friend VikingHumpingWitch. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I rang my girlfriend and explained the situation to her, but she'd obviously not drunk of the wisdom juice as I had, so convinced me that it would be better to get off at the next stop, and make my way home.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So there I was.</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QijlvvrlI/AAAAAAAAA9c/SGC_420CO38/s1600-h/angelholm_error.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 353px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QijlvvrlI/AAAAAAAAA9c/SGC_420CO38/s400/angelholm_error.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432505045338795602" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There would be a 45-minute wait for the train to Malmö, it was freezing out, and there was no pub nearby. There was an empty taxi rank and a bus stop. Great. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And the train heading back was an all-stations one, so there'd be three extra stops before even getting back to Helsingborg. Super.<br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2Q5X6WwOqI/AAAAAAAAA9s/OlII2hBSHFQ/s400/train_time.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432530133480127138" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But of course, I made it home and lived to tell the tale, so no real harm done. But I was pretty peeved, to say the least. Grrr, etc.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So now, on to the fun stuff.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Acting</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A few months ago, a friend in Stockholm mentioned on his Facebook profile that he'd gotten a bit of work as an extra for some kind of film or TV production. I thought that was pretty cool, so I asked him how he got that gig. He said that he was signed up on a site called </span></span><a href="http://www.statist.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">statist.se</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">statist</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is Swedish for "extra") which lists ads for extras (as you might have guessed). </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After having a look and noticing that you have to pay to sign up, I asked him if all the "jobs" are Stockholm-based, to which he replied in the positively negative; there are a few down my way as well. So I paid the small sum of 99 Kronor (about US$13.50 / CAN$14.35 / UK £8.40 / €9.79 / 1,985 Kazakhstan Tenge) for a two month subscription, and had a look. Nothing suitable. Ah well, no great loss. Then I forgot about it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On January 6th, completely out of the blue, I get this email from someone called Frida at a production company called </span></span><a href="http://www.danskskalle.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dansk Skalle</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, asking if I'd like audition for a small English-speaking part in a film (US/CAN: movie). Hhmm... OK. So it was arranged that I would go to their office for my audition on the 12th. It turned out that they're only about a ten-minute walk from my place, which was well handy. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I went and read the few lines, and the guys said they still had other auditions during the rest of the week, so they'd get back to me during the next week.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On the 19th, I got an email thanking me for my time, but informing me that I didn't get the part. This was followed immediately by an email apologising for the previous email, and saying that I did get the part. Sweet! Perhaps the Fates had now withdrawn their prickly implements.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Last Monday (the 25th), I went back to their office to meet Åsa, who's looking after costumes for the film. She's actually also an "Aerial Artist". If you want to see what this means, </span></span><a href="http://www.myspace.com/kostenniemi"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">have a look at Åsa's MySpace page here -></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. She looked at some shirts I'd brought, checked my size, etc. and said that she'd see if she could find something better suited to the character.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also had a bit of a rehearsal with the directors (Martin and Emil), which was cool; I got a insight on how they wanted me to play it. We then we arranged to meet on Wednesday (the 27th) for filming. We'd do it at their office, as it was a more-than-adequate location for this particular scene.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At this point, I guess I should describe the character. Without giving too much away, he's a rather scary German pervert called Friedrich; so I get to have fun with a German accent. In this scene, I'm buying gay webcam sex off one of the main characters. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Note: If you wish to leave a comment at the end of this post, please try to keep it clean-ish, okay?)</span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I got there just before noon on Wednesday, had a coffee and some biscuits (US/CAN: cookies), after which Åsa got me ready. She gave me this shirt that I would normally not be caught dead in. I think it will take a few years for me to forgive her for that. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Then she smothered a bit of vaseline on my face, and a hint of dark eye shadow under my eyes - to give me that tired, sweaty, greasy German look. Ooh oui, c'est chic. Actually, it was quite subtle; nothing too over-the-top.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's me practicing my smoking - turns out I'm a natural:</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFnb_hNHI/AAAAAAAAA9U/GpqDS5N4674/s1600-h/fred_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 338px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFnb_hNHI/AAAAAAAAA9U/GpqDS5N4674/s400/fred_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432473225602872434" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The guys had cut some cigarettes in half, so that when I lit them, it'd look as though I'd been sitting there smoking for a while prior to being connected to my webcam bitch. That's an old movie trick (ah, the magic of </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Le</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cinéma</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, eh?). Isn't that shirt just... Oh, I don't know. Some of you may even have one like it; if so, I apologise. It's just so not me. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">*Shudder*</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So then we got down to filming my seven lines, and it went really well. We did a few takes, trying different movements and different variations on the lines that were scripted. Have a look in the view finder below - that's what I look like.</span></span></span></i><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFdFZnJ6I/AAAAAAAAA9M/81e1iZOE_pA/s1600-h/fred_01.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 374px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFdFZnJ6I/AAAAAAAAA9M/81e1iZOE_pA/s400/fred_01.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432473047739606946" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pretty creepy, eh?</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The film is called </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Odjuret</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, (which is Swedish for "The Beast"). I believe the English title will be "Savage". It's due out at some point after the summer; probably in September or October. The guys aren't sure of how widely it will be distributed, but I'll keep you posted on that.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was great fun, and a brilliant experience. Now I just need an agent for all the job offers I'll be getting.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Performing</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As I mentioned earlier, CSI: Helsingborg had a gig lined up at Telegrafen in Helsingborg on January 15th. We weren't too pleased with the date, as mid-January is not a time that we associate with "lots of people with loads of money coming out to party". Christmas and New Year's had just passed, and it was the middle of the month - exactly two weeks until most people here would get paid.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But we got on with it. We met up at the rehearsal space and loaded up, and guitarist CSI: Nils and I walked to the venue (there was limited room in the car, and Telegrafen is an easily-walkable distance).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On the way, I used some of our crime scene tape at a few choice locations. Here's a shot of an area near the guy-on-the-horse statue in front of City Hall:</span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFOV50i4I/AAAAAAAAA9E/LIROf_oEDyg/s1600-h/csi_telegrafen_3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 251px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFOV50i4I/AAAAAAAAA9E/LIROf_oEDyg/s400/csi_telegrafen_3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432472794471631746" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And here's CSI: Nils waving the banner across from the </span></span><a href="http://www.clarionhelsingborg.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Grand Hotel</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">: </span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFI5bNufI/AAAAAAAAA88/Q_cX_DC8h6s/s1600-h/csi_telegrafen_4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 330px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QFI5bNufI/AAAAAAAAA88/Q_cX_DC8h6s/s400/csi_telegrafen_4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432472700927719922" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, not many of the people I'd invited on my Facebook "Event" could make it, but we ended up having a fair number of people there anyway. Bassist CSI: Per's wife had invited loads of her friends as well, which was very cool. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here we are during our third set:</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QE4GSIogI/AAAAAAAAA8s/Sx-_neEZm1s/s1600-h/csi_telegrafen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QE4GSIogI/AAAAAAAAA8s/Sx-_neEZm1s/s400/csi_telegrafen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432472412321522178" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some people even got the boogie-bug, and got up to dance. </span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Shake that thang!</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QEt9jCc3I/AAAAAAAAA8k/mD-qi6qaw_o/s1600-h/csi_telegrafen_2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2QEt9jCc3I/AAAAAAAAA8k/mD-qi6qaw_o/s400/csi_telegrafen_2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432472238177809266" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The people I gave my camera to used it to get some video footage as well. I was surprised at how well it turned out. I mean, the performance wasn't sheer brilliance, but the quality of the sound could have been much worse. Have a look at this clip of Get Off My Cloud, and guffaw at my clumsiness:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre; "><center><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gCrGQnFHSyo&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gCrGQnFHSyo&hl=en_GB&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></center></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I put some more stuff on YouTube (</span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=csi+helsingborg&search_type=&aq=f"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here-></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) if you're feeling particularly masochistic.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So anyway, in the end, that evening was another CSI success.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Publishing recordings</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A few months back, I saw an ad for a company called </span></span><a href="http://www.zimbalam.eu/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Zimbalam</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. For a fee, they publish recordings for you, and distribute them to places like iTunes, Napster, Amazon, and other online mp3 "stores". I had a few songs hanging around, so I thought it would be fun to go for it.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I published an EP with four songs on it, and called it "Consenting Adults". This is because all the musicians I recorded with were of legal age, and they agreed to work with me without too much Rohypnol-I-mean-persuasion.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And here it is:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><embed src="http://player.zimbalam.com/player/3661585249764/4/blue/0/0/0/en/" quality="high" wmode="transparent" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="200"></embed></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre;font-size:10px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: normal; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; font-family:'Lucida Grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><div id="explanations" style="margin-top: 20px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: auto; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I wrote the first, third and fourth songs. "Wedding" was written by a good friend of mine when we were in the Montreal Goof Rock band Rude Guru, back in the late-80's. He goes by the name of Dr Trinidad. He's actually married to Professor Maggie who writes the blog, </span></span></span><a href="http://www.golding.ca/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Something Up With Which I WIll Not Put</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. They live in Montreal.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I recorded "Anti-60's Protest Song" with a groovy German girl called Barbarella when I was living in London; we lived in the same area, and recorded a few songs together. She's a great pianist with a good ear for producing and arranging music. She now lives in (on?) Lanzarote, where she mainly does website stuff. </span></span></span><a href="http://www.themadcatlady.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Check out her photo blog and personal website here -></span></span></span></a></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I recorded Dr Trinidad's "Wedding" on a weekend visit in Germany. A chap called Reto did all instruments except guitar, which I did. The backing vocals were done by the girls in the house at the time.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The last two songs were recorded with Adam in Milton Keynes, England. Adam played lead guitar on both songs (those groovy solos are not mine, alas). Coincidentally, Adam's girlfriend is actually Dr Trinidad's sister. Small world, eh? Have a look at Adam & Nicole's websites -</span></span></span><a href="http://www.whisperingback.co.uk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Whispering Back</span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, and </span></span></span><a href="http://www.borntowhisper.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Born to Whisper</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> - especially if you're into horses.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sales of the EP are currently doing better in Europe than in North America, they're doing particularly well in Sweden. In fact, all sales of "Consenting Adults" have so far come from here. Yes, I am the only person to have purchased the EP, and it was by accident. I was testing out how the iTunes purchasing works, and I accidentally bought my own EP.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, what I'm really hoping is that some of my readers in the US and/or Canada will buy it as well. If two people in the USA were to buy my EP, I could say that twice as many copies were sold over there than here, so I would be "big in America", relatively speaking. That would make my January complete. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So how 'bout it guys? Yeah, you two; you know who you are...</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That about wraps it up for the fun stuff, I think.</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As for what still annoys me: Ängelholm still exists. Why? </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's time that </span></span></span><a href="http://www.sweden.gov.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFF00;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Swedish government</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> did something about it. </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's what I think - and Lucy Fur the cat agrees.</span></span></span></span></div></div></span></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2Bx9KW4qdI/AAAAAAAAA8c/L2HnM6dqn_U/s1600-h/lucy.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 341px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/S2Bx9KW4qdI/AAAAAAAAA8c/L2HnM6dqn_U/s400/lucy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431466446175119826" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20304096.post-41762143329517328592010-01-09T10:25:00.010+01:002010-01-09T18:37:13.223+01:00Saturday, January 9th, 2010: Healthcare in Malmö, Sweden - my foot!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><b>What I think:</b></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Happy New Year. May 2010 bring you lots of attractive things with elaborate frilly edges and modern, but artistically understated, motifs.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With the continued hub-bub about so-called "socialized" (UK: socialised) healthcare in the US, I thought I'd share my recent nightmarish experience here in Sweden.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">About 15 months ago, I posted about </span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2008/09/saturday-september-6th-2008-eventful.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">how I broke some small bones in my right foot, in a very Rock 'n' Roll</span></a><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2008/09/saturday-september-6th-2008-eventful.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> kind of way</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. At the time, I wasn't given any kind of treatment, and no X-rays were taken. The doctor I saw just felt my foot, established where bones were broken, and sent me on my merry way, telling me to try to walk on it as soon as possible.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have since heard from others that more should have been done - maybe an X-ray to confirm her diagnosis, and possibly some kind of brace. At least a pair of crutches would have been nice. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In any case, time went by, and my foot eventually healed. I would get occasional discomfort, but nothing severe or long-lasting. Until about six weeks ago. I started getting pain again, and it seemed to be here to stay - and it was getting progressively worse. I've developed a bit of a limp; if I walk how I'm naturally supposed to, I'm in pain, so I often walk on the outer side of my foot. I look like a little criminal.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, yesterday, I decided to do something about it. This is where my nightmare begins.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At about a quarter-past two, I rang a clinic here in Malmö, to see if I could arrange an appointment. I waited in the queue for </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">five long minutes</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> before I was answered. When I finally got through, I asked the lady on the line if she spoke English (contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Sweden speaks English). She said that she did.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This lady was </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">annoyingly friendly</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on the phone. When I started explaining my problem, she </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">interrupted</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> me to ask me for my </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">P</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ersonnummer</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (person number - Sweden's social security number). The rest of the conversation went like this:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Her: "I see you're registered in Stattena [an area of Helsingborg]."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: "Yes, I moved to Malmö in March."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Her: "Ah. Well you'll have to register here before we see you."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: "OK, so should I come in and fill in a form, and make an appointment after that?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Her: "Well, what's your problem, exactly?"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I gave her a brief version of the story, and told her that I'm now pretty much in constant pain when I walk. Then she said, "Well, there's an appointment slot open for three o'clock."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Me: "That's in about </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">half an hour!</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Her: "Yes. Just ask for the registration form when you get to reception."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I had been looking forward to a nice long wait of at least a few weeks to relish my delicious agony a while longer, but in one fell swoop, she completely ruined it. The nerve of that irritatingly polite woman.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">About fifteen minutes minutes later, I got on my bike and cycled to the clinic (the first time I ever cycled when there was snow on the ground - it's pretty common here; </span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2005/12/image-systembolaget.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">looky here -></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">). I got there at about five-to, and checked in at reception. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was given a very long and complicated form to fill in. It required </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">all</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of the following information:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- My name (first </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> last),</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- My address, </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">including</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> my post code,</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- My Personnummer - </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">all</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> twelve digits, with a dash after the eighth digit (how </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">complicated</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> is that!?)</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- Then I had to spend time writing down my signature (something that takes so much focus and concentration that my tongue automatically sticks out the side of my mouth), </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> the date (do I look like a calendar, or what?).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I just wanted someone to look at my foot; I didn't expect all this bureaucracy. Jeez. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I handed in the form, and then I </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">had to pay</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> for my visit. I was charged </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">200 Kronor</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (about US$28.30 / CAN$29.20 / UK £17.65 / €19.65)!! Highway robbery, or what!? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I sat in the waiting room for </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">almost ten whole minutes</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> before the doctor came to get me. He shook my hand and introduced himself as "Eric". Umm... Eric? That didn't sound very professional to me.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In the examination room, Eric asked me loads of boringly relevant questions in an aggravatingly affable manner. He looked at my foot, pressed around a bit, and said that if it happened 15 months ago, the bones will definitely have healed. But he was a bit surprised that an X-ray wasn't taken at the time, just to double-check that it wasn't more serious. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He said he suspected that a nerve was irritated, and that I should try using a padded insert in my boot (available from any sports store), to take the weight off the troubled area. He also prescribed a two-week course of anti-inflammatory tablets, and booked an X-ray for me, so that my problem would be properly documented, just in case I need to go down the route of orthopedic surgery later on. It was an open booking, meaning that I could go for my X-ray any time they're open, at my convenience. Well, that's something good, at least.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Eric said that I should let him know how things go after a few weeks. OK.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I went to the </span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2006/03/wednesday-march-29th-2006apoteket.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Apoteket</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> nearby to get my prescription of anti-inflammatory tablets. I handed over my Swedish ID, and the cheerful woman behind the desk tapped in my </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Personnumme</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">r</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and got my prescription from the online system. Paper prescriptions are quickly becoming obsolete here in Sweden (if they still exist at all). My pills cost me</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> a whopping </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">160 Kronor</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (about US$22.60 / CAN$23.35 / UK £14.10 / €15.70)! This was costing me a fortune.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I went to a sports store (something I would never normally do), and asked for a "</span><i><a href="http://www.bergal.de/sortiment_sohlen.php?p=56"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">pelotte</span></a></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">", which is the little pad I was supposed to put in my boot. I'd never heard of it, but they knew exactly what it was. There goes another </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">100 Kronor </span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(about US$14.15 / CAN$14.60 / UK £8.85 / €9.80).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I got home, placed my pelotte, popped my pill, and pondered my plight. Since the time I picked up the phone, I'd </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">wasted</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> a total of </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">two whole hours</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> of my life, and spent a gigantic </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">440 Kronor</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> (about US$62.25 / CAN$64.20 / UK £38.85 / €43.20), just to get something done about my foot.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I think it's totally unacceptable that this type of thing is allowed to happen in any society. More should be done to warn innocent people of the dangers that Rock 'n' Roll can bring to their feet, especially in this day and age. It's time that </span><a href="http://www.sweden.gov.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Swedish government</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> did something about it. That's what I think. </span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20304096.post-22672027511075304832009-11-20T12:17:00.021+01:002009-11-20T22:45:27.373+01:00Friday, November 20th, 2009: Beer and Loathingin Helsingborg and Ängelholm or A Tale of Two Telegrafens<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-family:arial, serif;">What I think:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, it's official: Ängelholm is my least favourite place in Sweden. Actually, I take that back; it's my least favourite place on Earth. In fact, if some form of intelligent life was ever discovered on some distant planet, somewhere in the outer realms of the known universe, and that civilisation (US/CAN: civilization) had one town that everyone considered really crap, I would most likely prefer going there than to Ängelholm.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pause. Rewind. Pause. Play...</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My band, CSI: Helsingborg, had a couple of pub gigs lined up a while ago. One was to be at Telegrafen in Helsingborg on October 30th, and the other at a different, unrelated, Telegrafen in a town called Ängelholm the following week, on November 6th. Cool.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I go to the one in Helsingborg fairly regularly, and we'd actually played there before as well (</span></span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2009/03/wednesday-march-18th-2009-so-long.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">go here and scroll down</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, if you want to read about it). We'd had a great show there, so we were very much looking forward to this one (even though the "stage" area is about the size of a disabled persons' toilet cubicle).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hopped on the train from Malmö (</span></span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2009/03/tuesday-march-24th-2009-recycling-and.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">where I now live</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">) to Helsingborg the night before the gig, and set about doing my usual bout of vandalising (US/CAN: vandalizing) the city with CSI: Helsingborg crime scene tape. I cordoned off much of the southern part of the city, bits of the park near the library, and a few places near Telegrafen in the north.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's a bit just outside 7-Eleven off Södergatan:</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ82JaFHBI/AAAAAAAAA8M/iyul3y8dnrc/s1600/7_11.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ82JaFHBI/AAAAAAAAA8M/iyul3y8dnrc/s400/7_11.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406145672384945170" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next day, we had a visit from </span></span><a href="http://www.misskitten.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Miss Kitten</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> from Gothenburg (SWE: Göteborg) who came down to see the show and to stay with us in Malmö for the weekend.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I met her at the station in Helsingborg in the afternoon, and we toddled off to </span></span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunday-april-22nd-2007-top-toilet-tips.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Charles Dickens pub</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> to get the festivities underway for the evening. The beer went down nicely-yum-thanks. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My girlfriend turned up a bit later to take Miss Kitten to her friend's little pre-party, and I walked to the rehearsal space to contribute to The CSI: Helsingborg Loading of The Gear process. This didn't take long, as Telegrafen has an in-house PA with a mixer and speakers. So it was really just instruments, an amp, and a few other bits. We didn't need to hire a trailer for this gig. But it did mean that two of us would have to walk.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our rehearsal space has a little fridge, which we try to keep stocked with beer, so I brought one of these and took a nice leisurely stroll to the venue with bassist CSI: Per.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The gig was good, but there weren't as many people there as last time. Miss Kitten had graciously agreed to take a few photos for us.</span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's one with me holding a beer:</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ8lQ3YKcI/AAAAAAAAA8E/ObPoLyGLVBw/s1600/csi_telegrafen_04.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ8lQ3YKcI/AAAAAAAAA8E/ObPoLyGLVBw/s400/csi_telegrafen_04.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406145382329100738" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here's one in which Miss Kitten had run out of beer:</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ8eoUJ2dI/AAAAAAAAA78/cookawfod8o/s1600/csi_telegrafen_03.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ8eoUJ2dI/AAAAAAAAA78/cookawfod8o/s400/csi_telegrafen_03.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406145268364728786" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And here's one in which Miss Kitten had replenished her beer:</span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ8XVQgkrI/AAAAAAAAA70/-SeMcRBH-X4/s1600/csi_telegrafen_02.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1yh6LksXsN8/SwZ8XVQgkrI/AAAAAAAAA70/-SeMcRBH-X4/s400/csi_telegrafen_02.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406145142990082738" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There are more photos, but I don't want to bore you, as most of the others don't contain beer.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So anyway, yeah, it was a good night, and a great weekend.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next Friday, not wishing to break with a winning tradition, I went to the Charles Dickens pub for a beer or two, then went to meet the CSI team at CSI: HQ, Helsingborg. We loaded the gear and headed to the Telegrafen pub in Ängelholm.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The layout of the place was a bit special. When you walk in the door, to your left there are a couple of tables, and to your right, a few paces ahead, there's a small staircase leading up to the main bar area. The bar is straight ahead, and there are a few tables on either side. Before the bar, and on the left, there's another small staircase leading up to another area with a few more tables. In the far left corner of this area, there's yet another small staircase leading up to an area with the blackjack table on the right, and a small table and a sofa on the left. Past the table and sofa is a small balcony. This is the stage.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I know that was a bit hard to follow but, basically, the balcony is above the entrance area. If you walk in the front door and look up and to your right, you'll see the balcony; the balcony faces the first flight of stairs, and the bar.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now this "stage" is bloody tiny. It makes Helsingborg's Telegrafen's stage area look like Wembley Stadium. OK, slight exaggeration; maybe Wembley Arena. There was about 60 cm (about two feet) of space between my microphone stand and the bass drum behind me, and guitarist CSI: Nils would have to stand sideways throughout the gig, to avoid hitting me in the head.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We unloaded and set up the CSI equipment, had a beer, then had a beer with some food, and got rocking with our first set. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We were told to keep our most upbeat set (with our most "known" songs) for the third set, as this would be when a lot of people will have come in for a drink before heading off elsewhere. Fair enough, and I thought it was a good call by the manager guy. He seemed to have a good idea of what he was doing.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After our first set (which we felt was pretty damn good), I went down to get us a round. I went to the bar and ordered three beers, only to be told by the barmaid that she was told not to serve us any more drinks. No beer? This is where the "loathing" bit comes in.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I marched straight back upstairs, told the guys that we've been refused beer, and announced that I was going out for a smoke to calm down, after which I would speak to the manager guy. If we weren't to be served any more beer, they would not be served any more rock 'n' roll, dammit. So there.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When I got back from my smoking/fuming stroll (which was actually more like a swearing, pacing, swaggering strut), I went back in and up to the bar. The guy was there. When he came up to me, I ordered three beers.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"Yep, no problem," he said, and began pouring. After he served me, I asked him what the hell the business with the barmaid was about. He tried to explain, in some bizarre and roundabout way, that it was a misunderstanding. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I tried, a few times, to ask why the barmaid would have refused to serve me unless she'd been instructed to, but to no avail. The guy was just rambling. I think he was confusing himself nearly as much as he was confusing me. In my opinion, he's just a weird guy.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's not like they were free; we were actually paying for our beer. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Anyway, we continued with our show. After another set, the guy asked us if we would mind sitting in the kitchen area, so the customers wouldn't see us drinking. Umm... This is a pub. It looked to me that everyone else in the pub was drinking. Why would they mind the band having drinks between sets? I'd been out for a smoke when this episode took place but, needless to say, we did not sit in the kitchen.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After our third set (there were to be four), we were told that, because it was rather quiet, we could pack up and go, and that we'd still get paid for the whole gig. So we had another beer, and did just that.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Three of us waited in the car, while CSI: Per was collecting our money. He took quite a while because, apparently, the guy was lecturing him on our choice of songs, and how it's not very professional to have drinks when you're performing. Perhaps he normally gets Mormon bands in, or something; I don't know. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We won't be playing in Ängelholm again.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ah Ängelholm. It's actually where Helsingborg's airport is (in the tradition of having a city's airport nowhere near the city itself). I wrote about my adventure of getting to the airport a few years ago </span></span><a href="http://mdabase.blogspot.com/2006/10/saturday-october-14th-2006-helsingborg_14.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here -></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> .</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I looked it up on Wiki, and apparently Ängelholm is most famous for the manufacture of clay cuckoos and ice cream. Uh-huh. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But that's not all it has, oh no. There's also the "UFO-Memorial". </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">From Wiki:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"The UFO-Memorial Ängelholm memorialises the landing of a UFO, which is said to have taken place on May 18, 1946 and been seen by the Swedish ice hockey player Gösta Carlsson. The memorial consists of a model of the UFO and the landing traces, and is constructed of concrete....</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"In the encounter Gösta Carlsson claims to have received recipes for natural remedies. Based on this knowledge he started the pharmaceutical companies Cernelle and Allergon which grew to become a success and made him wealthy. He later founded the first professional ice-hockey club in Sweden — Rögle BK..."</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Clay cuckoos, a UFO memorial (on the site where an ex-hockey player got recipes from aliens), an airport that's not serviced by a train station, and a pub that doesn't like its guest bands to have any beer. Oh, and ice cream (that bit's OK - although I don't think I've ever tried - nor would I want to now). That about sums it up.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, it's official: Ängelholm is my least favourite place in Sweden. Actually, I take that back; it's my least favourite place on Earth. In fact, if some form of intelligent life was ever discovered on some distant planet, somewhere in the outer realms of the known universe, and that civilisation (US/CAN: civilization) had one town that everyone considered really crap, I would most likely prefer going there than to Ängelholm.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I wish </span></span><a href="http://www.sweden.gov.se/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">the Swedish government</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> would do something about it but, judging from the decisions that they make in this country, I suspect many politicians are from there.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">That's what I think.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7