Lost in translation

Prime Minister John Howard was visiting a primary school and he visited one of the classes. They were in the middle of a discussion related to words and their meanings. The teacher asked the Prime Minister if he would like to lead the discussion on the word "tragedy". So the illustrious leader asked the class for an example of a "tragedy".

One little boy stood up and offered: "If my best friend, who lives on a farm, is playing in the field and a tractor runs over him and kills him, that would be a 'tragedy'". " No," said Howard, "that would be an accident."

A little girl raised her hand: "If a school bus carrying fifty children drove over a cliff, killing everyone inside, that would be a tragedy." "I'm afraid not," explained the Prime Minister "That's what we would call a great loss."

The room went silent. No other children volunteered. John searched the room. "Isn't there someone here who can give me an example of tragedy?" Finally, at the back of the room, a small boy raised his hand.

In a quiet voice he said: "If the airplane carrying you was struck by "friendly fire" and blown to smithereens, that would be a tragedy. "Fantastic!" exclaimed John Howard. "That's right. And can you tell me why that would be a tragedy?"

"Well," says the boy "It has to be a tragedy, because it certainly wouldn't be a great loss and it probably wouldn't be an accident either."

You should've thought about that, Mr. Howard, before you refused to sign the Kyoto protocol! I could have replaced Bush' name instead of the jolly good Australian PM , but would probably have been arrested by the FBI, SAS, CSI, various anti-terror units, Hamas or you name it who they've managed to get on their side.

So, some things are pretty self explanatory and there's no need for further explanation. Some things however needs more explanation than you would think. I spent last weekend in Stockholm (which is in another country for those Aussies thinking it was the capital of Norway), yet didn't think twice about actually bringing a passport before I was standing rather nervous at the airport thinking "Shit, do you need a passport, or is it in Schengen, or EEC or something," and luckily I made it to Sweden. Stockholm was a great city, but it is funny how culture shock can hit you, despite being so damn close to home. We were heading from one part of the town to another, and at the train station, trying to focus on what the cute Swede was saying I felt more lost than what I've done in Esquintla, San Cristobal or Huehue.

Great to know I'm heading back there soon.

What goes around comes around

When they were finally alone, he would have fresh in his mind the pictures of the other men thronging about her, he would be newly impressed with the fact that every one of them wanted her, and that look of sadness and despair would be in his eyes. Then she would make him happy again by letting him discover that, popular though she was, she preferred him above any other man in all the world. And when she admitted it, modestly and sweetly, she would look a thousand things more. Of course, she would do it all in a ladylike way. She wouldn't even dream of saying to him boldly that she loved him - that would never do. But the manner of telling him was a detail that troubled her not at all. She had managed such situations before and she could do it again.

She saw the look of surprise and happiness that would come over his face when he realized that she really loved him. Then a slight chill entered her heart. Suppose it didn't work out this way? Suppose he didn't beg her to run away with him. "I won't think of that now," she said firmly. "There's no reason why things won't come out the way I want them - if he loves me. And I know he does."

Congratulations, you've just read the last part of chapter 4 in Gone with the Wind. Despite it being a classic and all I'm struggling to get through it like I did with Little Women, Kristin Lavransdatter and Lord of the Rings. The last two are still on my to do list. Good to know relationships were just as complicated in the 1850s as they are now. I thought we were talking about development.

Must have been on those important issues like krig og fred og religion og politikk og sånn.

The power of one

I walked on my way to work today, fast and determined, it was minus 8 degrees, yet the shoes and jacket I was wearing belong to temperatures a good 30 degrees over the current level. Suddenly I saw a man on a one-wheeled bike!

It is winter. It is freezing, not to mention pretty icy and my runners struggle every day to keep me from an unpretty closeup with the sidewalk. And suddenly there is this man riding a one-wheeled bike!

He comes bikeriding with his helmet tucked around his head, like it was the most natural thing to do on a cold winter morning. Good on him for making me smile.

Gotta love those quirky things that makes our day.

Ghosts from the past

It's been another weekend at my parents new house, and lots of cleaning up, going through boxes with some stuff I wish I'd never see again. Like my year 8 gradebook. Nothing to be proud of. Also found some old essays which made me reconsider my choice of career. Not good.

Nevertheless, between textbooks, photos and teddybears I found The law of girl scouts. I was a girl scout when I was 7 and I'd made this book ful of (I assume) useful stuff when you hike around in the woods. Appearantly I once knew how to make signs in the forest for others to follow, how to rise the flag at the correct times, a star sign called Lepus, not to mention that I knew what animal had walked in my path by looking at the footprint it had left behind. I'm slightly ashamed, but have to admit this knowledge has somehow disappeared. Anyway, the law of scouts consist of ten rules. Here are my favourites:

4. A girl scout is a good friend.

7. A girl scout thinks and acts independently and tries to understand others.

8. A girl scout does her best in hard and difficult times.

10. A girl scout works for peace and understanding between people.

I wonder what the world would have been like if everyone, from the age of ten had been imprinted with these rules. Bet Bush hasn't been a scout, he needs a bit more practise at # 10 at least.

There was a snow storm on the weekend, so snow is still here for some weird reason. My dog Kajsa loves snow, and especially chasing snowballs. She's also a champ at making snowangels. I'll give you some snow photos. They could be dedicated to Tonje Camilla who's in Central America and definitively won't see snow in the upcoming months, but might dedicate them to Stian instead, because it's actually just as unlikely he'll see any.

Det er dejlig at være norsk i Danmark.

Told you so!

Snow's gone. Unreliable piece of crap. Feel most sorry for Kristin actually, she's been wanted snow nearly more than me, looking forward to skitrips in Nordmarka, with Kvikklunsj and oranges. Only four months til Easter.

Luckily, way before then I'll be roaming Central America, feeling lost at bus stations and bored at Tica buses, nevertheless, it will be fantastic to come back to La Bendicion and Xela, meet the people from Kab'awil again and maybe the People's College up in the mountains outside Quetzaltenango. I smile every time I think about it.

However, these things aren't best experienced on your own, it's a bit like diving, great to have buddy, so I hereby extend an open invitation to anyone who might be so lucky to get a few days off work/school/life in March to come with me. I realize I'll probably do it on my own, can't expect employers here in Norway to understand the need to go bananahunting at Montezuma, but you would be sorry to miss it.

Really.

Can't fight the curiosity

You've definitively been there. Seen the sign wet paint but you just had to dip your finger in it to make sure, absolutely one hundred percent, that yes, the paint was wet. Been at the zoo where they warn you animals bite, but aaahhh, the monkey is so cute, then AARGGHHHH, it's a god damn rabies infested monster when it takes a chunk out of your finger.

If someone gave you a box where it said do not open, and left the room to be gone for a while, would you open it? I bet you would. Or, as I would, walked backwards without looking, accidently tripping over, box on the floor, lid off, contents revealed. Half of Americas Funniest Home Videos are probably made up of people just a bit too nosy for their own good, only to be scared the living daylight out of by the thing they were'nt allowed to check out. I realize that is a possibility.

We see so many warnings every day, but diregard them, because, it might, just, what, if, maybe. You never know.

I agree. Why wouldn't you want to know?

Too little, too late?

In fear of using too many of Radio 1's "Topp seks klokken seks"- songs as headers I hereby acknowledge that I stand by my decision to name this post "Too little, too late?" (And the question-mark is important here), despite it also being the second post in a row that steals the name of a song.

All autumn I've been waiting for one thing. I've talked to friends about it, wished for it, waited for it, gone to bed every night and thought, please, pretty please, let it happen tonight. But no, it has been long. I've been waiting and been left out in the dark. There have been indications that we might be have been close to the ultimate satisfaction, but what little there was always disappeared in front of my eyes, left me stranded and lost, longing for it.

Then, like a lightning from clear skies, I got it. It was there before me, and suddenly I did not know. Was this really what I wanted? It would definitively make me uncomfortable at times. And cold. Maybe I was better off without it?

It used to make me happy. But was it just too little too late? Was I nearly so over it, waiting for the next, that it screwed with my head and left me clueless? Despite promises of it's authenticity, and that this time it had come to stay, I'm not sure I'm willing to let the guards down. I might get disapointed.

13 cm of snow can't make up for the green winter we've had so far. It should've snowed back in October when I wanted it to. Not waited til now to seize the day.

All good things come to an end

It's been a weird weekend. I've been at my parents place cleaning up before they upsize their perfectly fine suburbian house and move out to the country. Of course I have to think of the future offspring who wants a garden to play in without the immediate danger of getting run over by cars, but a bit out in the sticks, if you ask me.

Nevertheless, up in the loft, behind old clothes, doonas and teddybears were four boxes that literally contained "my life". Pictures, letters, old school organizers and just small things that reminded me of times that had been. Some things I'd kept for so many years I'd forgotten why there were special to me, some things brought up sad memories and other things just made me laugh. I found a wooden figure Ryan made to me in Australia because he'd seen a beautiful flower Cristina had crafted, although it was a nice gesture, the wooden man somehow did not make the "keep beyond 2007" box.

What I did find that just made me embarrazed and probably should go without mention was a CD-collection. I'm not even going to mention it's content, but it matched the like of 74-75 and Blue (both of which I've heard on the radio during the weekend), Space Jam, Cotton Eye Joe and Macarena, not to forget the one and only MMMpop.

I think it's good some things come to an end.

Clueless

A: hey, hey, hey!! Watch out!!
(napkin has caught fire during NYE dinner)
F: Hmmm...we'll just stop the flames.
(puts another napkin on top to kill the fire)
M: Don't think that's going to work.
(flames triple in size)
F: Hmmm...this might work.
(extinguishes the flames by throwing the plate, first course of the night, knife and fork in a waterfilled sink)

There is a solution to every problem.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."