Confusing!

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

('Music of the Night', Phantom of the Opera)

The lyrics seemed appropriate since I have desperately tried to turn day-and-night around now, in order to hopefully survive my exams next week. The heat has lasted very long now, and I'm getting totally fed up with it!! I don't usually like the heat, and being under the pressure of heaving studying and a really really important exam, didn't make it any easier!
However, not so simple to turn the day around ... I could do that a lot easier when I was younger. However, I did try to study until about midnight (though it was soooo hot inside, it was hardly possible to concentrate. I had intended to sleep on my couch with the balcony door open - which wasn't possible since Zorro was completely insane! I gets crazy sometimes during the day too, but if it's open at night, he gets completely insane!

["Lose it…it meant go crazy, nuts, insane, bonzo, no longer in possession of one’s faculties, three fires short of a happy meal…WACKO!"] (quote from Stargate SG-1, "Window of Opportunity" ... very funny episode! )

So - forgive my little outburst - I had to close, but at least managed to get up at 4.30, at which time we only had about 16 degrees outside (still had about 27 or more inside though) [click here for a Celcius-Farenheit Convertor]. I opened up and has managed to study for almost 3 hours this morning - now I had to take a nap - and now I'm sitting here trying to wake up, while Zorro has one of his insano-attacks! I really do hope I can turn the day around now, becuase I won't have to be anywhere until Wednesday morning ... so hopefully I can get a lot of studying done at night, when I at least will be able to breathe ....

Now I'm starting to feel guilty about not studying, so I'd better get back to it!
Take care! And wish me luck!

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Theology of the Old Testament, Walter Bruggemann
Currently watching: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 5
Currently listening to: Nothing
My Plans for tomorrow:??? (studies .... )

The Wedding Singer!

At New Year's Eve, I saw The Wedding Singer with my Mum, and it was a great experience on very many levels!!

This was originally a movie, as some of you may know, and was later adapted for the stage on Broadway in America. This production by Värmlandsoperan is the first in Europe, so that was very special of course. But the best part was that they hadn't made it "simple" and just translated the american music into Swedish, they had in fact transformed it so that it applied to Sweden! The setting, the characters, the comments, the language, everything was typically Swedish, instead of being some kind of "americanized Swedish", which is quite common these days. The musical has a clear setting in the 1980's, and since I grew up during the 1980s and the 1990s this felt very special to me - and it was made even better by the fact that it didn't mirror the 80's in America, but in fact the 80's here in Sweden!





I was thrilled to once again see Christer Nerfont perform, he is quickly becoming my favourite Swedish musical performer, but I can't help thinking that he doesn't quite get the credit he should, working at Värmlandsoperan! I have nothing against it, and I guess that's what he wants himself, but there are no doubts in my mind that he would be a huge success in the "bigger" Swedish musical productions in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, and also on the stage in London's West End and on Broadway! His voice is fantastic and his stage prescence outstanding!! I have seen him a few times now - I saw him as Robert in Kristina From Duvemåla, where he impressed me a lot, he did a musical concert with Karlstad University's female choir, "Söt Likör", which was wonderful, I saw him with his wife Cecilie in a Musical Highlights Concert in 2006, and now in The Wedding Singer - and he keeps impressing me!
A shame he usually works in Karlstad, I'd love to see him somewhere a little closer to home! :)
Apart from Christer, I was very impressed by Nina Lundseie, who played the femmale lead and did a fantastic job of it!!





The musical was really great, a true romantic comedy and even though I usually don't like them that much, this one was absolutely terrific!! (I think it's the romantic comedy movies I don't like, but give me a live performance on stage, and I fall completely! *lol*)
The usual twists and turns, the usual anxiety when it seems like the beautiful young girl will be stuck with the "bad man", and the usual relief and little tear in the corner of your eye at the end when the hero and princess end up together! *big smile* I enjoyed the music a lot, which was very 80's, and lots of cool references!
A lot of dancing as well, which in my experience isn't that common in musicals these days, so that was great to see - lots of talented dancers on stage at the same time!





New Year's Eve was the last performance, although nothing special happened to "celebrate" (aparently, there had been a real wedding on stage on the premiere - totally cool!!), and I have to say I wish it had played longer, because then I maybe had been able to see it once more!

The next production will be Candide during spring, but I don't know wether I'll be able to see it, it all depends on wether I'll be going to Karlstad, and how much time I get! *fingers crossed*

Overall, I strongly recommend The Wedding Singer if it will be put into production on other places, and all I can say to you all (mostly those of you in Sweden) - if you get a chance to see Christer Nerfont, don't miss him! :)

När det är din bröllopsdag
Hör på mej så lovar jag
Min musik slår an en
Ton av kärlek
När det är din bröllopsdag
Lyssna till din hjärtas slag

Sången inom dej
För kärlek är
Ja, kärlek är musik

Julkonsert med Johnny Logan! [swedish]

(Sorry you guys who don't read Swedish, but there's no way I'd be able to review this Christmas Concert in English ... so this will be a Swedish blog entry. Hope you understand! Thanks!)


Dags igen för den årliga Julkonserten med Tonica-orkestern, under ledning av Peter Sjunnesson, som i år gästades av Carolina Jönsson, systrarna Jenny och Emma Freij samt ingen mindre än Johnny Logan!!!
Mycket trevligt!

I traditionsenlig anda började konserten med Tomtarnas julparad, till vilken hela orkestern bar tomteluvor! Mycket jul-igt!
Därefter sjöng de tre tjejerna Julen är här, vilket är en av mina personliga favoriter, och sedan avlöste jullåtarna varandra i rasande hastighet. Det blev t ex ett julmedley med Alice Tegnér-sånger, där publiken inbjöds till allsång i Pepparkaksgubbarna, men också lite allvarligare tongågar som First of May och Decembernatt.
Därefter dags för solisten: Johnny Logan!! En helt fantastisk röst, och mycket populär hos publiken - man såg t o m två irländska flaggor i publikhavet!! :) Han började med att sjunga sin hit-låt Hold me now, vilket var helt fantastiskt, och fortsatte med att sjunga två låtar från sin nya skiva, "Irish Connection" som kommer att släppas i Sverige snart!
Efter ytterligare några sånger, bl a en fin nytolkning av Tommy Körbergs Stad i Ljus (Sprid ditt ljus) med de fyra solisterna var det dags för paus.

Efter pausen körde orkestern igång med Sleigh Ride för att få alla i stämning igen och ganska snart kom Johnny Logan tillbaka med What's Another Year, en annan publikfavorit, utan tvekan! Det bjöds också på ett "American Christmas Medley" med olika amerikanska julsånger, innan det blev dags för ytterligare en allsång, den här gång den traditionella Dagen är kommen.
Konserten avslutades med att dirigent Peter Sjunnesson sjöng O Helga Natt, vilket verkligen är en stämningsful avslutning på en underbar konsert!
Ett extranummer bjöds det också på, förstås, vilket i år blev When You Wish Upon A Star.

En helt fantastiskt julkonsert även i år, som åtminstone har fått en del av julkänslan att infinna sig hos mig (har inte så lätt för att komma i julstämning)!!

Julen är här
Och lyser frid på jorden
Glädjen är stor
I ett barns klara ögon bor den

Julen är här
I våra mörka länder
Kom låt oss ta varandras händer
När julen är här

Feeling Greatful!

Today has been much better than the last two days, so I'm very greatful for that. I still feel a bit frustrated over the fact that I can't see why I all of a sudden get in these horrible, totally passive and apathic moods ... I just know I do! Would be better if I could see something that triggered it though, because than I'd at least have a fair chance at avoiding them.

Still, I've been having a better day today though, and I guess that's the main thing.
I've managed to clean most of my apartment and also get some studying done.
Things at Uni will be more than horrible in the future, because from 5 November I will actually be taking two full-time courses at the same time! *gulp* I didn't really plan it that way, but it turned out like that anyway ... so I guess I won't even have time to be in a bad mood! :) Guess it's not all bad then, right!? *lol*

I'm really really hoping my moods will improve now and that I won't experience to many bad ones in the future, because I don't have the time or the energy for that anymore. Also, the thing with Uni is, that if you don't carry on as planned, the consequences usually are really bad - such as not being able to take the courses I plan next semester, or not getting any money - so I honestly can't waste any more time now ...

Past the point of no return
The final threshold
The bridge is crossed
So stand and watch it burn ...
We've passed the point of no return

'Point of no return' - Phantom of the Opera



Before I sign off, a message to all my Swedish readers:
Jag har bestämt mig för en lite ny approach till min vikt-blogg, Ytterligare Ett Försök. Det lär ju bli ett sista ytterligare försök nu innan jul, och jag kommer därför att försöka uppdatera bloggen varje dag! Detta kommer dock inte noteras i min lilla "updated blogs" längst upp till höger i den här bloggen, utan ni kan förutsätta att den uppdateras varje dag (skulle jag ändra det kommer jag att meddela det på bloggen).

Take care guys!

---------------------------------------
My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Dödens medicin, Olov Svedelid
Currently watching: Stargate SG-1 (season 9)
Currently listening to: Lost in the Stars, Philip Quast
My Plans for tomorrow: Studies, probably a little outing, cleaning.

Definately Counting Down!

Yes, I am definately on active countdown now, that's for sure!
~~ 3 days, 15 hours 34 minutes!! ~~
I really can't wait for this whole thing to be over right now, I am soooo motivated to really start to change a lot of things in my life, and I just feel like I have to get started on it. I'm a bit divided though, because I'm not feeling I'm getting enough studying done, so obviously part of me feels I need more time to prepare for the exam as well. But for the most part, I just want it to be over. I'm really trying to study as much as possible (despite my cold), and I won't give up, but one thing is certain: I'm gonna be THRILLED when the exam is over, wether I've passed or not!

I am very much looking forward to our little picnic after the exam during the afternoon! It's gonna be really great, and I am definately going to celebrate that this whole thing finally is over ...

I have to aplogize about my blog entries being kind of boring lately, but I think that is because I'm doing nothing except sitting at home either with my nose in a completely weird and difficult Norweigan book (and yes, Sweden and Norway are next to eachother, but just because of that, it's not easy to read Norweigan!!!) or I'm buried in the Hebrew Bible, doing my best to translate, figure out weird word-forms and/or working my way through interpretation-issues ... so that's why I don't have that much fun and exciting to write about.
I guess I'll at least have a few days down here after the exam, when I'm hopefully going to be able to do more fun stuff, before heading up to the summerhouse!

Take care guys (I hope you had a more fun weekend than I did!!!)!

Life's not a song
Life isn't bliss
Life is just this
It's living
You have to go on living
(Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 'Once More With Feeling')

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My Life At The Moment!
Currently reading: Olycksfågeln by Camilla Läckberg
Currently watching: Millennium Season 1
Currently listening to: ---
My Plans for tomorrow: STUDIES, also running errands (which is SO much fun compared to studies ...)

Good Or Bad :-: Bad Or Good ??

He sees you when you're sleeping

He sees when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness' sake

("Santa Claus Is Coming To Town")
Well, I doubt wether even Santa could figure out if I've been good or bad now ... Things are complicated to say the least ....
I didn't go to lecture today either! *sigh* I'm really very confused about this myself, because the reasons for going are naturally obvious! But since I have had a more or less AWFUL weekend, I feel a strong need to have a day when things really work out, before tackling something difficult again. Right or wrong - I skipped today's lecture.

I have been in a much better mood today, absolutely, and regarding this ... what shall I call it ... "personal, mental and psychological come-back" (if anybody has the slightest idea what I'm talking about!!), this day was a true success! I do feel a lot better, and I don't have the accute antipathy against Uni as I have had all weekend.
Regarding the more practical matters, it was not such a great decision! I'm trying to study - now on my own since I've missed two lectures - and it really is very difficult!!
It's exciting, absolutely, and I'm not at all sorry I chose these courses, but they certainly are very difficult!
The language in itself is very complicated and it get worse by the fact that you don't have anything to rely on! You don't have letters or an alphabet, or phonetics or anything, you have to start at the very beginning! Things are moving along very quickly too, and throwing in grammar into sentences which you can barely pronounce - or understand - is very hard!

I'm definately not giving up, but I need to find a routine in my life, with quite a lot of disciplined studies, and I find it very difficult indeed to find this routine ... Guess all I can do is keep trying, right?!

Moving on to the good news then! I finally made up my mind ... and I bought the James Bond DVD box!!! *feeling happy although slightly guilty* It's a great deal of money, but I figured this is a real collector's item, and I have been a Bond-fan for over 20 years now!! :) I'm gonna have to work really hard on my "figure-out-a-daily-routine"-thing from now on though, so that I can get an acceptable balance between Hebrew and James Bond.
Hey, actually that sounds like a pretty cool combination!



Jessica's Websites

Julkonsert! [Swedish]

I am terribly sorry but I will make this review on the Christmas concert I attended today in Swedish only! The reason is that most of the Christmas songs, the traditions or whatever you want to call them, feel very Swedish ... and to be frank, I don't have the time nor the energy to try to come up with translations of everything - or try to find all the song titles in English if they are avaliable.
I do hope that the readers that don't read Swedish will forgive me for this - should there be a great interest for a review in English as well - please post a comment here or send me an email, and I'll see what I can do!

---

Okej, det var det. Över till Julkonserten ... som var helt fantastisk!
Tonica-orkestern, som jag bara har hört en gång tidigare (de spelade även på Musical Highlights-konserten) var mycket mycket duktiga!! (Konferenciern nämnde vid något tillfälle att han tyckte det var fantastiskt att en "amatörorkester" - med hans ord! - kunde låta så bra ... jag får ju vara ärlig och säga att jag aldrig hade kunnat benämna den som "amatörorkester", de är helt enorma!! Vid två tillfällen spelade de helt utan dirigent, vilket också imponerade på mig!! Hur kan man samordna en hel orkester så att alla spelar rätt sak vid rätt tillfälle utan att ha en dirigent?!

Under inledningssången - "Tomtarnas vaktparad", helt perfekt! - bar alla i orkestern tomteluva! *ler stort* Mycket "juligt"!

Solister var systrarna Jenny och Emma Freij och Anders Mårtensson och dirigenten hette Peter Sjunnesson. Alla, i vanlig ordning, oerhört duktiga.
Jag var väldigt imponerad utav solisterna, som gjorde en enastående insats och verkligen skapade julkänsla!!
Avslutande "O Helga Natt" var nog den absoluta höjdpunkten tror jag ... enorm insats av alla solister!!

Konserten inkluderade också allsång från publiken! :) :) Vi fick sjunga "Nu tändas tusen juleljus", "Stilla Natt" samt vers fyra och fem av "Dagen är kommen" och jag klämde naturligtvis i för kung och fosterland!


Publiken var mycket bra, det klappades med i inledningssången, och efter "O Helga Natt" då det var dags att avrunda, var publiken helt klart med på noterna och applåderade in solisterna samt dirigenten fyra gånger! Sånt gillar jag! :)
Vi fick också höra ett extranummer, nämligen "Julen är här", och även då var det "tomteluva på" för orkestern! :) En kille hade t o m tomteskägg - very cool!!

Det räckte dock inte med extranummer för denna härliga publik som bara fortsatte att applådera och applådera ... så solisterna och orkestern fick köra "Julen är här" ytterligare en gång - innan vi ansåg oss fyllda av julstämning och kunde gå hem!

Helt klart en underbar eftermiddag!!

Julen är här
Och lyser fred på jorden
Glädjen är stor
I ett barns klara ögon bor den

Julen är här
I våra mörka länder
Kom, låt oss ta varandras händer
När julen är här!



Jessica's Websites

Life's A Show ...

Life's a show
And we all play our parts
And when the music starts
We open up our hearts

Life's a song
You don't get to rehearse
And every single verse
Can make it that much worse

Another day over - thank God!

Today was at least better than yesterday, but I'm in a 'not-so-great" period right now! Certain things in my life are good, I know that, and I'm really trying to be greatful for those things ... but there are other things that are not great at all!
I know I'm being vague again, sorry about that, but all I feel up to sharing in a public blog are the facts that some stuff in my life has turned out really well, and other stuff ... well ... let's just say I'm having a really hard time dealing with them!!

The group project-thingy that has been what I need to deal with next in my life, is more or less done!! And I'm more or less happy with it ... but still, we've done the written part, and we've sent it in ...so it's pretty much finished, no matter how good it is!! I know I can't expect too much of this, and I have to say that I'm greatful to being part of a group, no matter how the project turned out!!

I realize I'm not making much sense at the moment - so I think I'll make a short entry of this! I guess I'll have to write a bit more when I don't feel quite so confused as I am right now ...
Anyway, the point of today's entry will be that, despite the fact that a lot of things aren't going in the "perfect" dircetion, I think that most things are at least going in the right direction!

Sorry about the major confusion in this entry! I'm really far to tired to write a proper blog entry! I hope I can come back with an entry that makes a little more sense! :)

I made another siggie/avatar set tonight ... I quite like it, I hope you do too!! :)

Take care, guys!
See ya soon!

Jessica's Websites