Time to Nanowrimo

Every year it sneaks up on us--the first day of Nanowrimo (or National Novel Writing Month to the uninitiated). I signed up for it weeks ago and then got so busy at work and getting my submission packages ready for agents that I forgot all about sitting down and thinking up a plot. Pretty smart, right?

Well, this morning I woke up at six and was unable to return to dreamland. Suddenly I realized I'd dreamed the plot of my novel--my Nanowrimo bonanza! I got up, pulled out a notebook and began scribbling down a synopsis of the first three chapters. Then I turned on my moody computer (it's been moody since I went to Matera with it--I forgot lock my hard drive and it keeps beeping at me now when I turn it on or it takes forever to get going) and wrote 1500 words. Yay me!

So now I shall keep chugging along with my Nanowrimo novel, which will be called Be Mine. I've got my iPod playlist ready for when I am writing and it features Robyn, Kate Nash, Maria Mena, the Whitest Boy Alive and Moloko, just to name a few. :)

Now the question is will I be able to write 50,000 words by November 30? I don't know but I will damn sure try.

The rest of you can follow my progress if you like. I am going to put a widget on my blog with a word count update. I'll fix it either today or tomorrow.

Of course, you could always sign up now and try Nanowrimo yourself....

Catching up...

I haven't posted in ages--partly because I have been very busy but als0 because I just wasn't in the mood.

Since I last posted, I have started a new job, attended the Women's Fiction Festival in Matera where I met a lot of new people like Brenda, Aleka, Cassy, Lori, Sarah Jane, Cynthia and Regina--just to name a few. I've also started outlining what may be my Nanowrimo 2008 novel. I need to tweak the outline a bit, but it has a good feel to it.

So where do I work now? I work for a cosmetics firm called Oriflame as the copywriter for the fragrances section. I started in September so now I've been working there for a little over a month. It's a great place to work and I really like my colleagues. Annika Shelly, a former member of SWG, told me about the position and really rallied on my behalf. I think I owe her loads of Belgian beer for that. :) Now Karin, who is also an SWG member and my writing buddy, has joined the team as the copywriter for the accessories line.

Now while I was in Matera I met Lori Avocato, who writes romance and mysteries, and her cousin Alice. We had dinner together the first night I was in Matera. She's such a nice person so I urge anyone who reads my blog to check out her website and blog! One of the other writers I met while in Matera was Aleka Nakis, who is just too funny. :) We enjoyed many meals, glasses of wine and loads of coffee at Bar Sedile (aka Franco's) together. Visit her website and get to know her!

Finally, I pitched my novels to agents and editors while I was in Matera. Several requested partials from me, which I will be sending out this week. One agent, Sarah Jane Freymann didn't request my work but we had a great time chatting and I hope we can meet when I am in the US in December for coffee-talk.

That's it for now. I need to get back to writing.

P.S.
Maria Mena has a new album out. You should buy it.

Rain, rain go away...

It's been raining almost non-stop since Sunday evening, and I am so tired of it. It feels like my brain is waterlogged it's been raining so much. So today's post isn't going to be particularly scintillating. I figured I'd keep you up-to-date on what I've been reading all summer...
So here it is--Kim's Summer 2008 Reading List (in no particular order):

• The Witches by Roald Dahl (read this with a ten-year old I was teaching)
• Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl (torn, don't know if I really liked this book)
• Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger (purely escapist reading that was sometimes fun, sometimes annoying)
• The Anonymous Venetian by Donna Leon (I love all of her books)
• Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs (lots of fun to read but you'll be very, very hungry...)
• How to Walk in High Heels by Camilla Morton (fun book on everything we chicas need to know)
• The Mission Song by John le Carre (fantastic, disturbing, highly recommended)
• Angels Fall by Nora Roberts (a little romantic suspense to get me through this rainy period in Stockholm)

I've probably read more books but I can't remember. I know I read two books while we were in Italy but I've forgotten what they were called and I left them at the hotel once I finished reading them.

Hmm...not much today. Well, maybe I'll feel more creative next time. But while I am writing, I can tell you I'll be in Italy again in late September for the Women's Fiction Festival. I'm really looking forward to it. Some of the chicas in my writers' group went to it last year and found it insightful. Now I'm sold--I'm going on September 24.

Happy Anniversary!

No, it's not my wedding anniversary--that was back in May. As of today, it's exactly thirteen years since I first moved to Sweden. Heja Kim! :) I can still remember how nervous I felt in the weeks leading to my leaving Richmond, Virginia and moving here. Part of the time I walked around in a daze. It helped that I was working at the time for a department at VCU that did tele-research for the various state authorities. Between 3 and 6 hours a day I called people, who found all of us who were calling them and asking them to answer health questions on behalf of Virginia's health department exceeding annoying or just too nosy.

In between phone calls, I fretted over if I had enough money saved up (I didn't), would I like my new job in Sweden (well, the first one fell through before I even arrived but another one eventually came along), would Tord and I be able to stick it out when we were finally together on a full-time basis or was it a case of absence making the heart grow fonder (didn't need to worry about that). In short, I was terrified but I think I did an okay job of pretending I had no doubts at all because sometimes I even fooled myself.

On the day I was supposed to leave the US, Andrew, Inge, Paula and Mona took me to Dulles and they kept me from sinking too often into my own thoughts. When we arrived, the KLM check-in personnel informed me my flight had been canceled and that everyone booked on the Sunday flight to Amsterdam was being put up in rooms at the airport hotel. This hiccup was enough to rattle me. I hadn't planned for this, didn't have any phonecards or credit cards (I'd gotten rid of all my American cards by that point) but Inge gave me her phonecard so I could call Tord and let him know I would be a day late arriving in Stockholm.

As it turned out, I was two days late arriving in Stockholm. The flight I was scheduled to take the next day was several hours late leaving Dulles so I missed my connecting flight from Amsterdam to Stockholm. I ended up having to spend the night in Amsterdam, which should have been fun but I was so focused on getting to Stockholm and to Tord that I had no real interest in anything else. Besides, by the time my flight landed in Amsterdam, it was nearly one in the morning and the only thing I wanted to do was take a shower and go to bed. So much for excitement and adventure!

I tried to sleep but I spent more time tossing and turning, reviewing the three years I'd spent in Richmond, my life PT (pre-Tord) and how I was embarking on seriously major change. I was twenty-five and I was taking this huge step--moving to another country and leaving everything behind--and I suddenly understood why my mother was so worried about me and what I was doing. I didn't know anyone else in Sweden other than Tord and his family. I didn't have a support network in case things went horribly wrong. If I fell, there was nobody to catch me. And it was both thrilling and frightening.

But thirteen years later, I can say I have survived a hell of a lot of ups and downs in Sweden. Tord and I are still together and I can honestly say that--if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn't change a thing.

Late Afternoon Thoughts Regarding Vi i Vasastan

Yesterday I was reading Vi i Vasastan, which is the local weekly paper for the section of Stockholm where I live, and came across an article called "Vasastaners Best at Complaining" or something like that--I don't have the article in front of me since I already recycled my copy of the paper. The article focused on things we Vasastaners complain about the most.

Many of the people they interviewed made some valid points. One of the complaints I agreed with was the rat problem in Vasaparken. At one point a few year ago, Vasaparken was so overrun with rats that I didn't want to sit in the grass for fear that one would jump in my bag and come home with me. Yuck! This year it doesn't seem to be as bad as it was last year and the year before, but--then again--I haven't been hanging around so much in the park since I'm not on vacation yet.

I think the rat problem wouldn't be so bad though if people who have picnics and barbecues in the park were better at cleaning up after themselves instead of assuming the Park Authority will have time to clean up for them. Too often (when I've been in the park) I've seen people who show up with takeaway lattes and food, revel in the great weather and then (instead of taking their containers to the nearest trash cans or taking their refuse with them) leave their leftover food on the grass--didn't their parents ever tell them to pick up after themselves? So to paraphrase an old anti-littering campaign from the US, "Give a hoot, don't pollute! Never be a dirty bird! In the city or in the woods, help keep Vasaparken looking good!"

Another problem someone mentioned was the lack of food halls here. The closest we have to one is PrisExtra, which is not really my idea of a food hall like Reading Terminal in Philly or Östermalmshallen in Stockholm's Östermalm district. There's Vi Vasahallen but it's more like a supermarket that has a few luxury items. Of course, on the plus side we have some nice specialty shops like Vasastan Ost, A Tavola, Delicatessen Chez Jean Yves, Fiesta Deli, just to name a few. Plus a couple of good fishmongers (I've forgotten their names but one is on the upper part of Dalagatan and the other is on Karlbergsvägen in Birkastan). But anyway, they're not all under the same roof but we can always look at it from the bright side that we're getting exercise as we stroll along Upplandsgatan in search of good French cheese or Odengatan to collect some yummy smoked mozzarella.

One other problem was that people don't like parents of small children or parents pushing prams around the town. Well, I don't have a problem said parents (so long as they don't do disgusting things like change their kids' smelly diapers at the table beside me--that's why they have customer bathrooms, or allow their kids to run wild in places where people go for peace and quiet). I do have a problem with people who push prams and take up the entire pavement by walking beside their prams instead of behind them. I also don't like it when people with huge prams ignore the signs café owners put up asking them to leave their prams outside since there is limited space inside. Too often, I have been hemmed in by people with baby sedans blocking already crowded aisles in small cafés. The owners of these baby sedans then get annoyed if you so much as nudge their gigantoprams out of the way or ask them to move them aside.

Someone once accused me of only feeling this way because I was envious of people who have children since I don't have any (and probably never will have any). I don't think this is the case. I just think that often parents with prams don't think when they are in public space. Why do they need to walk beside their prams on crowded pavements when a pram is designed so that the person pushing it should be behind it? Why can't they understand that restaurants and cafés need to keep aisles clear so that their patrons and staff can move freely? Why do they suddenly decide to change a dirty diaper at their table instead of going into the restroom? No one wants to smell baby poop, let alone see it, when they are eating.

So to the young woman who said that people in Vasastan don't like parents of small children, said children or people pushing prams--those are some of the reasons why people don't like prams (and the people pushing them) in Vasastan.

Anyway, one of the main points in the article was that people who live in Vasastan are good at writing letters of complaint to the local authorities. And that these letters of complaint have often worked in improving things in the area. Good to know venting can lead to progress! ;)

Arrivederci Gli Azzurri, Ciao...

Well, Spain beat the Boys in Blue...for the first time in--did they say 88 years??? Ah well, it was fun while it last. So now Spain will meet Russia on Thursday in Vienna, and the winner of that match will meet the winner of the Germany/Turkey match. Still, there will always be a soft spot in my heart for Gli Azzurri, and I will always cheer for them.

On to other things--I am reading a very spooky book called Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill, who just happens to be the sun of Stephen King. Just the first few chapters were eerie enough to give me the willies. Well, let's just say it gave me nightmares last night...so it must be good!

Other books I've read in the last few weeks include:
--The Host by Stephenie Meyers (really liked it)
--Whiskey Road: A Love Story by Karen Siplin (loved it)
--Frenemies by Megan Crane (liked it)
-- Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner (liked it)

Once I finish Heart-Shaped Box, I will concentrate on my own writing. I have a deadline to meet with my writing coach. I also need to decide if I am actually going to the US in August or if I'll wait until the end of November. So difficult to make up my mind sometimes.

BTW, I saw Sex and the City tonight with some girlfriends and it was a lot of fun. I was never really very addicted to the show but I did watch the final season and found myself missing the show. I knew the movie didn't receive rave reviews, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for: something light, fluffy and completely escapist. I've got two free movie tickets burning a hole in my bag so I need to find another movie to use them on. Maybe I'll see another movie tomorrow. Should check SF's schedule.

I also need to start doing yoga at home again since this is the last week for Friskis och Svettis yoga until sometime in August. It's soon July and practically everything in Sweden comes to a standstill as everyone disappears for four to five weeks of summer vacation. It's the perfect time of year to ride my bike in town--everyone's away and I have the streets to myself. But I was hoping to get back into the swing of my yoga classes since my work schedule interfered with the afternoon Ki-Yoga and Ki-Balans classes I was taking at F&S. My brain must have been on vacation when I assumed I'd be able to do so in July--after nearly thirteen years of living here, I know everything stops for a month. Good thing I have a yoga DVD I can do. I just prefer doing my yoga class with other people. I am not very good at doing these things on my own.

Forza Italia Redux!

Italy beat France and are moving onwards! On the 22nd at 20:45 they meet Spain in the quarter-finals. This is getting exciting--has Gli Azzurri recaptured their fighting spirit? I sure hope so! Unfortunately, I missed most of the France-Italy match but I am still pleased as punch that they're in the quarter-finals and I hope they win against Spain.

Last night, the Swedes lost to the Russians. I have no clue what is wrong with Lagerback and the Swedish football team. The only player who even shows real inspiration is Zlatan. I still remember that gorgeous goal he made against Greece...now that was sheer poetry. If only the rest of the team could have gotten it together enough to push Sweden forward. Remember back in 1994 when the World Cup tournament was held in the US for the first time and Sweden won the bronze medal? The team played so well together and instead of just passing, passing, passing and trying to be democratic all the time, they took risks--they shot even when they weren't sure if it would secure a goal. Maybe they need to review footage from back then and try to remember how good they were.

Maybe Sweden needs a new coach. Can't we lure Marco van Basten to Sweden? Look what he's done with the Dutch team? They are so fast, so superior--it's...well, Sweden's just not even in the same category.

But now...if Italy meets Holland again in the finals... shiver... now that would make for a nail biter of a game...

Forza Italia!

I was certain I'd have time to update before I went on vacation but work (and other things) got in the way. Now it's nearly the end of June--here in Sweden we'll soon be celebrating Midsommar (that's "Midsummer" to the English-speaking world though I am sure you could figure that out) and everyone will be drinking far too much aquavit and singing about "small frogs" as they dance around the maypole (though it is June)--and here I am updating after close to a month of nothing, nothing, nothing.

The hubster and I went to Italy for nine days to celebrate his birthday and to throw ourselves completely at the mercy of la cucina italiana. And, boy oh boy, did we enjoy! Early on, we decided we wanted a Slowfood trip and planned our itinerary around cities renowned for Slowfood, namely Milano, Cremona, Parma and Bologna. Milano and Cremona are part of the region in Italy known as Lombardia (or Lombardy in English), while Parma and Bologna belong to Emilia-Romagna. Parma and Bologna are often referred to as the food meccas of Italy, and both cities live up to their culinary reputations.

We only spent one day in Milano. We spent several days there a few summers ago, and neither Tord nor I were very interested in shopping or spending too much time in a large city. Instead, we spent the night at the Jolly Hotel Milano Machiavelli, which was quite nice and very conviently located--just a ten-minute walk from Milano Centrale train station, and left the following morning for Cremona. While in Milano, we didn't really partake of any Slowfood there. We were too tired and still rather full from the pizza we ate for lunch. We made up for it in the remaining cities.

Cremona, which is a little over an hour's train ride from Milano, is a fantastic place to visit in early June. While we were there, the city was in the midst of its Poesia Festival. Every evening there were free concerts in the city's piazzas. We enjoyed an al fresco concert by Misia, a Portuguese fado singer with a fantastic voice. It was the perfect way to cap our evening, which started with dinner at La Sosta, a renowned Slowfood restaurant on Via Vescovo Sicardo 9. By the way, the food was stellar there. You will not be disappointed if you go there. Speaking of food, the Cremonese salami is so delicious that you will want to eat it every day...preferably with some really good bread, a hunk of cheese and a good bottle of wine (all purchased at Formaggi d'Italia, a charcuterie just around the corner from Cremona's duomo). In case you're interested, we stayed at the Hotel Delle Arti, which is around a twenty-minute walk from the train station, and we really enjoyed our stay there. Our only complaint about the hotel is that check-out is at 10 AM, but then again it meant we could take an early train to Parma and the train wasn't crowded, so maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Next, we continued on to Parma, another short train ride via Fidenza. We spent four days there and loved it. We stayed at the wonderful Palazzo Dalla Rosa Prati, in the Ermione suite. What we really liked about this hotel was its great location (right on Via al Dumo), the coziness of our suite/apartment, and the first-class service we received from the friendly staff there. We tried out several restaurants but our favorite was La Forchetta, which was just around the corner from the palazzo. The duck (my choice) and black bass (and Tord's choice) were so delicious we still dream about it. We also tried Trattoria del Tribunale, and enjoyed their local specialities! Thank God Parma is a very pedestrian-friendly town--we needed to do a lot of walking considering how well we ate there. Since we had a kitchenette in our room, we made our own breakfast every morning and ate lunch there every afternoon. We got in the habit of walking along Via Cavour, crossing Piazza Garibaldi and traipsing along Via Farini until we came to what became our favorite enoteca. We bought all of our provisions there and the lovely ladies who run the place were always so friendly and patient with us (especially considering our poor Italian skills). I hope we'll return to Parma--it was a great place to visit.

Our final stop was Bologna. The last time we visited Bologna was in January 1999--we were poor and couldn't really afford to enjoy everything the city had to offer. This time, we had enough money to eat more than lackluster tourist food. We indulged in everything the Bolognese cucina had to offer at restaurants like Trattoria da Gianni (on Via Clavature 18, recommended in our Slowfood guide and well worth it) and Marco Fadiga Bistrot (on Via Rialto 23/C--not in our Slowfood guide but it ought to be). We stayed at Il Convento dei Fiori di Seta, an intimate boutique hotel in a converted convent on Via Orfeo 34. The beds are incredibly comfortable at this hotel, and the location is in a residential neighborhood in the southern corner of the historical district.

By the way, while you're in Bologna, you should definitely see Santo Stefano, a fantastic church made up of seven religious edifices. According to legend, it was built by Saint Petronius over the remains of an Isis temple. Don't miss it!

Returning to Stockholm after such a gratifying trip was difficult. I was in a bit of a funk last night and this morning at being back. Now I am happy to be home again (though if someone were to offer me a free ticket back to Italy I'd take it in a heartbeat). I will have to live on the memories until we have the time and the money to sneak away again...

By the way, if anyone has any theories as to why Gli Azzurri is doing so poorly in the Euro Cup, I'd love to hear them. I remember when they won the World Cup, defeating then-champions France. We were in Rome the same day Gli Azzurri arrived home with the Cup and remember the anticipation, the heat and the all-night celebrations. I don't think there will be such celebrations this year... I just wonder what happened between then and now since the team doesn't seem to be playing as well together as usual.

I could use a Calgon Take Me Away Moment....

Lately I have been feeling a tad bit miffed and I am not exactly certain of the reason. Little things annoy me, things that never really bothered that much me before.

Things like:

• people who try to hog up two seats on the subway or bus and pretend they don't hear you asking them to move their bag/ugly chihuahua/sweater
• being forced to listen to annoying ring tones from other people's phones--especially when those ring tones go on and on and on
• people who try to jump queues and--when you call their attention to your presence--brush it off by saying "I didn't see you..."
• used packages of snus smeared on windows/walls/desks (ewww)
• teenagers who spit everywhere all the time

I could go on--the list must have at least thirty more entries but I won't bore you with them.

I can only take this as a sign that I am either turning into my mother or getting old (or both). Now, Mom, should you ever read this, there is nothing wrong with me turning into you but I rather like being me. Of course, it could also simply be a symptom of the usual snarkiness that comes when I am tired (working way too much lately), in desperate need of a vacation (just a few more weeks to go and we're on our way to Italy again) and/or PMSing. Take your pick--all of the options sound plausible.

So what happened to all that wonderful positivity I had a few months ago? Well, my current work schedule hasn't really allowed me to go to yoga in the afternoons and in the evenings I am too tired to do so. When it comes to working out, it's got to be done early in the day or in the afternoon--I want my evenings free, especially when I come home from work and I want to unwind with the hubster. I have tried doing yoga on my own at home but I need company. I am like a dog in that respect. I probably won't have time for my afternoon yoga sessions again until June, which is frustrating, because I miss going to them. If I am lucky, I'll have time next week (should there be any cancellations).

So maybe this snarkiness re-invading my body is the result of no yoga and no Ki-Balans? That's plausible too, isn't it?

All I know is that there is nothing worse than hearing this griping voice come out of your mouth and it sounds suspiciously like the old people I used to giggle at when I was a teenager.

Calgon, take me away...

The Kings of Convenience....Aren't Coming to Stockholm...

After weeks of being giddy about Erlend and Eirik coming to Stockholm, Fate pulled the rug from under me. Yesterday, I found out that the Kings of Convenience concert at Nalen had been cancelled. Hanna and I had been planning on seeing them; we'd booked our tickets and were looking forward to grooving while sipping cocktails and dancing. But alas--it was not to be.

Why? Erlend broke his arm while running in a competition. Let's hope his bones heal quickly and he feels better soon. Hanna and I hope that, once Erlend's arm has healed, he and Eirik will reschedule the concert and we can finally experience KoC live.

So while we wait, we'll listen to our KoC and Whitest Boy Alive cds, wait for more sunny days and wish Erlend a speedy recovery.

We're patient women, we can wait...

The Kings of Convenience are coming...to Stockholm!



Yesterday morning I was checking my mail when I received an email saying one of my fave bands was coming to Stockholm. I was a little groggy so I didn't think much of it until I was out in the fresh air (well, maybe not so fresh since I was walking down Sveavägen) and I saw a guy putting up posters for upcoming concerts at Nalen.

And then I saw it...Kings of Convenience...Nalen 4 May...

The first thing I did was call Tord and babble, "The Kings are coming, the Kings are coming!"
His response: "Okay...cool."
Me: "We have to go!"
His response: "Okay."
Me: "Really? You'll go if I arrange tickets?"
His response: "Sure, why not?"

I love when things come this easily. So now I just need to check my schedule and make sure I don't have to work too early the day after the concert since it's on a Sunday night. I will probably be the oldest person there, but I don't care. Anyway, if you want to check out the Kings, go to their Myspace page, http://www.myspace.com/kingsofconvenience, or their official website, http://www.kingsofconvenience.com/. If you want news about their concert in Stockholm, here's the link, http://www.nalen.se/.

There are rumors of a new album coming out in April but according to the Kings' Myspace page nothing is recorded yet. However, we Kings fans can rejoice that Eirik and Erlend feel really confident about nine of the new songs they've written. So who knows, maybe there will be a new album soon?

Now, on to things not related to the Kings, I have been working on an outline for my new book so I can stay on course. I had several weeks where my brain was barren of ideas so an outline is what I need to see where I want to go. I know how I want the book to end. I just need a map of how to get there so I won't hear "Mmm...you can't get there from here..." in my mind--so reminiscent of the last time I was in Vermont back in the early 90s and we got lost. I think we heard that phrase at least three times until we finally were given proper directions. Speaking of Vermont, the new book, a romance involving a young widow, her ex- from Sweden who turns up on her doorstep and a dilapidated Federalist-style house in a small town in Vermont, is making me long for a trip to New England. Maybe the next time I am Stateside I'll have to fly into Boston and take the train into Brattleboro or White River Junction...hmm...we'll see. I am starting to feel a little homesick but I don't want to spend my entire time in the US hanging around Philadelphia.

And for those of you who share my Sims addiction: news of Sims 3 has been popping up on the Net. It looks promising--but then again, new Sims games always look promising but the end result doesn't always live up to our expectations. And still we play. It looks like we'll have more freedom customizing things in the game as well as have a seamless neighborhood--something I have always wanted. Looks like it will require a lot of our computers so I guess I will have to get a super PC in 2009 (when the game is projected to be released). You can find more info at http://thesims3.ea.com/.

A few weeks ago, Tord and I tried out a new restaurant (well, it was new to us anyway) called La Dame Noire on Scheelegatan 3. The food and service were amazing. You should check out their menu, http://www.ladamenoire.se/. Tord and I were in seventh heaven it was so yummy there. Methinks we'll be going there again next week. :)

Now I think it's time for coffee...I need a bucket of latte to get me going. Going to synch my iPod first since I just downloaded Dreams by Whitest Boy Alive (Erlend's other band) from iTunes and have been dancing around the living room to "Fireworks". [Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/thewhitestboyalive.]

Off I go!

Weirdness...

Yesterday wasn't the best of days. I was PMSing--never a good thing--and felt like a zombie (not enough sleep, my own fault for staying up too late watching a movie on the Silver channel). Anyway, I'd had a morning class in Hammarbyhöjden and was on my way back into town when this wiggy older man sat next to me on the subway. Now, this in itself is by no means weird. Strange old men seem to gravitate to me--much like skanky men often approach me and say the most vile things to me (my friend Dave once told me this was due to my having an invisible tattoo on my forehead that only icky, skanky men could read ha-ha). Usually these strange old men try to tell me their life stories or babble about something they read in the newspaper that they are sure I must know something about. Most of the time, I humor them. Yesterday I was creeped out and wanted nothing to do with the weird guy sitting beside me.

Why? Well, first of all, he had this freaky Charles Manson crazy stare. Then he started talking to himself and kept hitting my leg. I got up and moved to another seat. He turned and stared at me from Gullmarsplan all the way to Gamla Stan. By the time we'd arrived at T-Centralen, I was completely wigged out by this old guy.

As I got off the subway at T-Centralen, I noticed the old guy had disembarked through another door. He was on the platform before me and he pointed at me and started chanting, "Neger...neger...neger!" (The Swedish variant of "N*gger...n*gger...n*gger!"). I ignored him, then he apparently found some more black people to follow because I heard him chanting it again and when I looked over my shoulder he was walking behind a younger African woman. She turned around and slapped him with her handbag before she continued towards the steps to the other levels of the station.

Then I started thinking about being called "neger" and how nowadays I just ignore it whereas if someone had called me a nigger in the States or when I was younger it would have set off a huge explosion of whoop-ass. Am I becoming Swedified and sticking my head in the sand? Is it because I am getting older and am learning to let things slide? Have I learned to simply ignore crazy people? Was this all one of those "Candid Camera"-style moments that will eventually pop up on some TV program for the entertainment of the bored couch potatoes of Stockholm?

I don't know the answer, but I can say it didn't make me feel riled up in any way. Maybe these last few months of yoga and Ki-balans and finding this "tranquility within me" (which always sounded like mumbo jumbo before) is actually making me feel calmer. Who knows?

The Hedgehogs Think It's Spring But I Beg to Differ

The hedgehogs here in Sweden have ended their hibernation. Since the daytime temperatures have been higher than normal (9 C instead of -5C), they think it's spring. Tulip shoots have sprung up in my apartment building's garden. Even some of the plants on my balcony are looking a wee bit greener. I, however, find it hard to believe it's spring when I still feel just as sleepy as I did when winter first began and I am cold all the time.

The past week has been hectic. A lot of work and not enough time to do the things I'd like to do. I haven't even had a chance to go to my Ki-Balans/Yoga passes. Well, tomorrow looks to be a slow day so I think I'll go to the lunchtime Ki-Balans session. Then I'll have lunch at Como and go home and get some writing done.

But I really do wish it were spring--then I'd know that summer is just around the corner. I don't even know why I bother longing for summer when fairly often Swedish summer is extraordinarily disappointing and marked with rain, rain and more rain. I guess I am tired of wearing heavy winter clothing. It would be nice to be able to go for a walk without having to wind a scarf around my neck. I long for a day or two when I can wear sandals.

So here I am, looking at another gray day in Stockholm and longing for sunshine and heat. Maybe it's time to plan a trip to Italy.

John Mayer said his girlfrind's body was a wonderland...my brain is not a wonderland...it is sandpaper...

This has just not been a good writing week for me, which is driving me crazy. On Monday, I wrote a list of scenes I need to write or revise. I figured this was the best way to make some progress. I actually started two of the scenes--and I told myself, "Piece of cake! You'll have them whipped into shape by Thursday!"

I forgot I had deluge of translations I'd agreed to work on this week. They began streaming in late Monday afternoon. The first batch was six three-page documents, which didn't take so long to finish. Tuesday was more of the same--seven rolled in, one of which was a ten-page transcript. I finished the short texts on Tuesday evening after I had dinner with my Novel Underground chicas. The transcript was a bit trickier--I had to proofread/revise it a few times and managed to send it off yesterday morning. Then I went to Kista to teach...came home, found five more texts in my mailbox, worked on them yesterday afternoon; then three more arrived just before 18:00. Gack! Finished those this afternoon.

So then I decided I would write but my brain felt like sandpaper...still does! Have I written anything? Not reallty. Just three paragraphs...

Must get better. My brain must become a wonderland...must become a wonderland....

I need more yoga.

Yoga and the art of telling someone to shut up

For the last two months I have been taking two exercise classes at Friskis och Svettis, which I guess you could say is the Swedish equivalent of the YMCA/YWCA. The classes, Ki-Balans and Ki-Yoga, concentrate on improving balance, flexibility and giving you a sense of well-being--I know it sounds New Age-y and very unKim-like but I hurt my hip a few months ago and my naprapat (or manual medicine/sports injury specialist) advised me to start training again now that my injury had finally healed. She recommended these classes to me, stressing they'd keep my hip, thigh and lower back from becoming too stiff and they'd help improve my core.

Well, I figured Ki-Yoga/Ki-Balans twice a week was okay. My work schedule is weird but I have enough holes in it to accomodate two days a week at the gym. I really like attending both classes--though I sometimes have to stop myself from rolling my eyes at some of the goofy supposedly philosophical jargon the instructors come up with. Still, they do a great job of establishing a calm, conducive environment and the stretching exercises we do have really helped--no more pain and stiffness first thing in the morning, no more limping, no more having to sit down every few minutes because I was in too much pain to walk.

Yesterday, I arrived too late to join the early afternoon yoga class at F&S on Sveavägen so I decided I'd wait until 18:00, when another yoga class (with a different instructor) would meet at F&S behind NK. I usually don't go to F&S City--I am not sure why...I think it's because I like Annexet on St. Eriksgatan, F&S Karolinska Institute and F&S Sveavägen so much. All three are convenient and the changing rooms are spacious. F&S City just seems too crowded. Anyway, I managed to get the last ticket to the yoga class and was really looking forward to getting started. I'd felt stressed all day and thought an hour of relaxing music and stretching was just what the doctor ordered!

I grabbed a mat and situated myself near the back--I hate being right in the front. Initially, there were only two of us in the back row. About two minutes before class started, two teenagers arrived and plopped down beside me. I should have known from the giggles and beeping cell phones they'd be pains in the tookas. As soon as the lights were dimmed and the instructor turned on the music, the teeny-boppers began stage-whispering and squealing and giggling and making it difficult for me and the woman to my left to hear what the instructor was saying.

Several times, the instructor reminded all of us (though her comments seemed more directed at the teeny-boppers) to be quiet and listen to our breathing and to what our bodies were telling us as we stretched. This made the teeny-boppers squeal even more. I tried to keep my patience but they were really getting on my nerves. I shushed them twice, they stage-whispered even more. Someone else shushed them--their cell phones beeped in response, triggering yet another fit of squeals and giggles.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. The inner grouch in me emerged and hissed at them to shut up--not in polite Swedish, but in thorny, I-am-in-a-foul-mood-now American English. It did the trick. Their squeals ceased, giggles no longer spilled out of them and clouded the room--and everyone else seemed to let out a sigh of relief--or where they simply practicing their breathing and listening to their bodies? Who knows? All I can tell you is that I could finall hear what the instructor was saying and I was no longer distracted and annoyed by these two girls.

By the way, I never did make it to Umeå. I had too much to do and I kind of figured I wouldn't go. I shall wait for the next Kings of Convenience gig. Hopefully, it will be in Stockholm or someplace I am more interested in visiting. Until then, I will listen to my KoC CDs and dance around my apartment. I'll play a little Maria Mena in between and maybe even throw in a bit of Novastar and Neffa.

And I will wait for a little more sunshine because Stockholm is one rainy place this winter.

The Kings of Convenience are coming...

...to Umeå, that is. Erlend and Eirik are not making any forays into Stockholm this time, but I'll keep my fingers crossed. If they do come here during the spring, I will have to use my charms on Tord and see if I can convince him to see them with me.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Kings of Convenience, they are a fantastic Norwegian duo whose music I fell for around two years ago. The first song I ever heard by them was "I'd Rather Dance with You". I was in Vienna at the time, celebrating my birthday and enjoying a change of scenery. I liked the song so much, I went out and bought their "Riot on an Empty Street" CD. Fantastic album! Loved it so much, I bought "Quiet Is the New Loud".

Whenever I start a new writing project, I make a playlist of music to listen to as I write. Songs by the Kings of Convenience have figured prominently in the last two playlists I've stored on my iPod.

Well, I will keep my fingers crossed and hope they come to Stockholm soon. If they don't, well hey, maybe I should just go to Umeå? Nah, who am I kidding? I'm a wee bit too lazy to go to Umeå just for a concert. And yet--just a few days ago, I was considering going all the way to Copenhagen to see Neil Young until I found out that only tickets available cost 350 Euros. I like Neil Young but not that much. Hell, I don't like any band enough to pay that much for a concert.

So as I write this I am listening to my iPod and flipping between Word and Blogger. I am trying to write a new scene for my latest project and listening to Robyn sing "Bum Like You". Maybe I'll skip forward to the next Kings of Convenience song in the playlist... I think the next song on the playlist is something by the Police... yup, "Can't Stand Losing You" but I am not in the mood for it. KoC's "I'd Rather Dance With You" is calling me...

Right, time to get back to work on my novel...

It's January...did you make any resolutions?

A long time ago I decided I would stop making resolutions at the start of every year. Why? I never keep them. Or I forget I made them. Or I decide they were stupid resolutions to begin with and find something far more interesting to do instead.

This year I haven't made any resolutions. Instead, I have simply decided to continue with what I started last year. So what did I decide last year? Well, I decided to take up my Italian lessons again--a wise decision, I think, since I really enjoyed studying Italian and Tord and I spend so much time there. I have already looked into lessons and found some that start in two weeks.

Something else I decided last year was to repaint my hall. I was supposed to start painting a week ago but I spent more time running errands than picking up paint. I've got it pencilled in my calendar now--buy paint on Monday--and the hall will be a lovely shade called "oregano"--ooh, still Italian. Do all roads lead to Italy?

Next on my list, finish the first draft of 2007's Nanowrimo novel. That should be done fairly soon. I like the story, even it's a bit schmaltzy. I don't care. As I said in a previous post, I like pop fiction and I like love stories--even the sappiest ones can make me happy. Will this road lead to Italy--well, there is a writers' conference there in September...mayhaps I will have it revised in time for it...?

Other decisions from last year...? Yeah, the driver's license decision. Still haven't got far with that one. Could be that I have developed motion sickness lately. I feel nauseous when I am in a car too long so maybe it's better traveling by foot or public transport. We'll see... :)

What else...? I have started ridding myself of clothes I never wear anymore. No point in keeping them if they've been hanging in my closet for more than two years and I have never worn them. Going to get rid of some shoes I no longer like or wear anymore, plus some old bags I bought many moons ago and have more than served their purpose. Out they go. Ditto goes for anyone and anything that makes me feel negative. Out they go. I don't have time for putting up with that anymore.

Anything else...? Ah yes, start treating myself to massages, manicures and pedicures more often. That should be easy to continue with. I deserve it.

Right--next decision--must stop writing this now because it's soon time to start preparing dinner. And Tord has requested corn-fed chicken roasted in butter, onions, lemon, garlic and a wee bit of olive oil. I made it yesterday. He loved it so much, he wants it again. No problem. It's easy as pie!

Off I go! No resolutions, just continuing with everything from last year.