Category: Little Voices archive entries

Well, I guess you’ve all heard about Norway being somewhere round the top of al Qaida’s country hit-list, huh? Not quite sure what to think about that, but I would like to put the best bit of advice I can think of here in nice friendly letters:

This is a necessary bit of advice, because people are, quite clearly, panicking. A firm of builders who were contracted to build a garage for a 27-year old Norwegian who happens to have a Pakistani background have cancelled the deal. This, according to the owner, because: “Du er trolig muslim, og etter de siste muslimske terrortrusler vil ingen av mine ansatte arbeide for muslimer.” (“You’re probably a muslim and after the last muslim terror threats none of my employees want to work for muslims.”)

How daft is that? I mean, even according to their own panicky, twisted logic (“All muslims are terrorists”) this is daft. If you’re afraid of suffering a terrorist attack, surely pissing the terrorists off by refusing to build their garages is a bad idea?

I also like (as in “would be amused by, if it wasn’t all so sad”) the “trolig” (“probably”).

Voice in my head: Bob Dylan – Masters of War

Last night was good. I had great fun making the tapas – so much so that I made way too much food – and the eurovision was a blast as usual. One bit of advice, though (to myself, mainly, but anyone else who cares to listen may want to remember this too), when making sangria, make sure there’s enough soda in it. Or drink soda alongside, if you like. And when you’ve finished the sangria, have some soda (or even just plain water) first, and then, maybe, if it seems like a good idea, have some wine and bubbly.

I think the word I’m looking for is: Ooops.

Not that it matters much, I had a good time. I just don’t like having holes in my memory. This morning I couldn’t remember who won the eurovision (I had a feeling it might have been Turkey, but I wasn’t sure). And my digital camera was on the table, and I can’t remember getting it out. I also cannot remember any pictures being taken, but there is photographic evidence (might put some of it up. Possibly). You’d have thought I’d been taking part in the Eurovision Song Contest Drinking Game, though I hadn’t (hm, an idea for next year, perhaps?).

I felt much better this morning than I deserved to feel, so that’s ok. And one of the other people who came sailing had a much more serious hangover (he’d also had next to no sleep), which was comforting.

But still. More water. Will I ever learn?

Voice in my head: ABBA – The Name of the Game

So, Rolf has this boat, right, which – quite frankly – costs an awful amount of money to keep and to sail. And he lets people come and sail with him, without charging them for it. Even so he has problems getting enough crew members to sail some of the regattas. Is it just me, or is this a bit strange? Does Rolf know only weird people? (Well, he knows me, I’m weird, is that evidence? But I will come sailing as often as I possibly can, and I won’t be a beginner – also known as landlubber – forever, so eventually I might even be really useful on deck.)

The boat is lovely, by the way. She’s an Elan 40 called Spirit of Islay, and has her own website.

Anyway, we were out for a few hours this afternoon. There did not seem to be any wind at all but we got a sail called a “windseeker” up and suddenly there was a little wind after all. Very strange. I obviously have a bit to learn about wind and such. The boys got to practice exchanging the windseeker for the “Genoa 1 light”, putting the latter up on the “inside” before hauling the former down. While they were busy at this I was set to tend to the helm, which seemed a bit rash (“You know I can’t even drive a car, right?”), but was fun. And then they decided to try the spinnaker, and the wind promptly disappeared again.

And it rained most of the time. Still, sailing. All v.g.

I am an “If I want it I go and get it” person myself, so when people do not I tend to assume they don’t.

Voices on the stereo: Bon Jovi – Living on a Prayer

…to wish that the Norwegian Eurovision entry receives 0 points? Well, I dunno, I do.

And so, I find myself agreeing with a Swede (or two, or two million, I wouldn’t know). (The column is in Swedish, but there’s a great Morrisey quote down the end in English, so have a look anyway.)

Donna muses (or rants, whichever way you want to look at it) on reputation:

On a different note: does reputation matter? Does it actually matter what people think of you? Should how people view you have any bearing on how you view yourself? And if you’re so ashamed of the things that you do that you don’t want anybody to know… should you really be doing them?

Well, you know, on the whole the only thing that matters is whether you yourself like you the way you are. Other people may dislike what you do, and may let their prejudice affect how they treat you, but that is really no reason to pretend to be something you’re not. If you don’t get that job because of the recruiter’s prejudice, well, then, tough luck. But would it be better to hide whatever is unusual about you? Would you really want to work someplace where you’d have to watch every word you say so as not to “expose yourself”? I wouldn’t.

One of my favourite Gruks – Hvad må folk tro – has a bearing on the subject. A rough translation would go something like this:

What might people think
Question and answer.

The fear, which drives
many to the brink:
the question of
what might people think?
There’s only one answer
you can use
that people may think
what they bloody choose.

(Piet Hein)

What’s with the branding, anyway? It’s the Friday Five.

1. What brand of toothpaste do you use?
Sensodyne.

2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer?
Whichever is cheapest and recycled.

3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear?
Right now I’ve got a very comfy pair of Bjørn Borg shoes, bought on sale. I normally jump at any Vagabonds on sale. And then there’s the Docs. Gotta have Docs.

4. What brand of soda do you drink?
I don’t. Well, ok, so once in a blue moon I get a craving for Coke (not the diet stuff), and then I buy some. Coke is also what I chose to drink if I’m offered soda, but I’ll drink practically any other soda as well, unless there’s sparkling water to be had – I prefer sparkling water (or even just plain tap water), especially if I’m thirsty.

5. What brand of gum do you chew?
I don’t. No, really, I don’t.

Now go read No Logo.

Voice in my head: Shakira – Underneath Your Clothes

There are two new links on the menu this evening. One is the link to the Norwegian diary (which, by the way, I guess I ought to write a bit in). The other is The Kitchen. I’ve been scrounging the net for Tapas recipes for Saturday, and I needed someplace handy to keep them, so I added a kitchen section – it’s there for my own convenience, mostly, but you can obviously feel free to use it too… I’ll be adding comments to the recipes I use, to note things like ease of preparation, and I hope you’ll do the same if you decide to try any of them.

Do you know where your towel is?

Then there’s only one thing to do: Click the banner, pay attention, and tell me on Monday how your day was (please count the weird looks).

Get into the spirit of the thing.

Yes, you should really carry a towel with you all day. You might get teased or looked at weird, but then you can just hide behind your towel until the offensive people go away. (These people are mind-bogglingly stupid and think that if you can’t see them, they can’t see you – daft as a bush, but dangerous otherwise.)

…how the internet started? (Via Donna)

…why so many people forget how to play Calvinball?

…where to get that perfect bra for Halloween?

…what that odd name really means?

…why all anarchists only drink herbal tea?

Voice in my head: Vonda Shepard – Hooked on a Feeling