A business by the bus stop where I wait for the bus home after karate practice is called “Anti Stress and Velvære” (“Anti Stress and Wellbeing”). Now, had it been “Anti-stress” all would have been well, but without the hyphen, the name is ambigious at best. “When you leave us you will no longer be stressed, because you will be in so much pain you won’t be able to think about anything that might stress you out.” See what I mean?

I think I’ll stay away.

Voice in my head: Shakira – Underneath Your Clothes

You’re the Hipster Intellecticus. Call yourself
what you will (beatnik, philosophy major,
liberal arts student), you’re still hip and you
still dig Kerouac.

What Kind of Hipster Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Oddly enough, this on a day when I’m not wearing a single item of black clothing. Oh, well.

Went to see the new Norwegian movie Svidd Neger (“Scorched Nigger”, and yes, that title has caused a few reactions – just to reassure you: the “scorched” refers to sunburn rather than any other sort of burn) with Martin Sunday night, and it has to be the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen. I think it’s quite possibly the weirdest thing I will ever see, too. The state of genuine – though somewhat baffled and incredulous – helpless laughter lasted me well into Monday morning, and was briefly revived at lunch when I tried to convince people it has to be seen.

Because it does. Really. I could try to describe it to you, but I wouldn’t be able to do it justice. I could tell you to try to imagine chucking Bunuel and Dali’s “Andalucian Dog”, Monty Python, some dreadfully depressing “rural realism” Norwegian movie from the seventies (with the mandatory alchoholic father) and a dash of “What lies beneath” into a pot and stirring and see what you get, but you would have no idea. Really.

I wish they could get it nominated for the Oscar, though maybe not – I’m sure the rest of the world have some pretty interesting ideas of Norwegian country life anyway.

It still makes me giggle. Incredulously.

This or that?

1. Lying down on the couch, or stretching out on a recliner?
I haven’t got a recliner, and I don’t particularly want one. Not because they are not comfy but because they are mostly huge and ugly. Does that answer your question? No. I didn’t think so.

2. Going barefoot or wearing soft slippers?
Barefoot. The floor needs to be reasonably warm, though, naturally.

3. Eating ice cream, or pizza?
Pizza. Not too fond of ice cream, somehow.

4. Watching on TV…a classic movie or a reality show?
D’oh. I hate reality tv! Ok, with the exception of Fame Factory, so maybe I shouldn’t be so admant? Anyhoo: a classic movie.

5. Wearing: blue jeans or sweat pants?
Comforting? Sweat pants.

6. A long, soothing bubble bath or a quick, invigorating shower?
For comfort, a bath.

7. Furniture: leather, or something more on the fuzzy side?
Leather’s good.

8. Soft, classical music, or upbeat rock & roll?
Uh. For comfort? Neither.

9. Darkness or light?
Dimness.

10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You get married, or otherwise begin cohabitating with a significant other. S/he moves into your place, but brings with them the UGLIEST chair you have ever seen! You really don’t want this thing in your home, but SO says it is the most comfy chair s/he has ever sat in, and no way will they part with it. Do you: grin and bear it, or scheme to get rid of the montrosity somehow?
Grin and bear it. Wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice, I’m not that bothered about interior decoration. Comfort will win over style any day, and if SO likes it, why shouldn’t he have it? Come to think of it, if it’s really that comfy he might not get to sit in it much, as I might just appropriate it…

Always interested in the meaning of names.

Ragnhild (Old Norse)

meaning: God’s battle or Battle advice
motivation: Is purpose driven
character: Someone with a sense of justice
feelings: Does not like to feel restricted
intelligence: Has the ability to achieve academically
spiritual: Has a pure heart
nature: Is a disciplined person
inherent: A love of freedom

Which, apart from the “disciplined” part, is a pretty good match. I can even be said to have a pure heart, as long as a little leeway for just a pinch of devilishness is allowed…

Do people grow up to suit their names, I wonder? Is there a sort of collective subconsciousness that tells parents the right name to pick for their new-born child? If it’s neither, how come so many people seem to have a name that is exactly right for them? It’s easier when you get to pick the name yourself, maybe, but I had no idea what the meaning of Robin was when I settled on it, or rather, it settled on me.

Robin (female – from Roberta)
(Old English)

meaning: One who shines with fame
motivation: Tries to correct injustices
character: Is able to forgive readily
feelings: An emotionally strong person
intelligence: Has a keen and understanding mind
spiritual: Full of hope
nature: A person who loves life
inherent: Demonstrates refinement

Uhm. Well. I do not forgive easily, nor readily. Actually, that’s not stricktly true, I forgive, I just don’t forget. The fact that there was something to forgive makes me lose just that little bit of respect for the person in question and that is never good. Very imperfect forgiveness, isn’t it?

Voice in my head: Shania Twain – No One Needs to Know

And so, a new mission:

1. Postmodernism (a popular philosophy of the current day) indicates that there are as many “truths” as there are people; nothing is absolute (however, by its very nature, even the word ‘Postmodernism” resists definition). For yourself, what truths are absolute? Are there any absolute truths in the Universe?

Reading is good. That’s one.

2. Do you believe that you are still “teachable?”

Yes. Shouldn’t I be?

3. To do something well, in most situations, requires study and practice. What’s the most recent thing that you have done well as a result of study and practice.

Ahem. There you have me. Php?

4. If you had the time/money, what do you want to lean how to do more than anything?

I’d like to learn Spanish fluently – and the best way of doing that would be to live in a Spanish-speaking country for a while, a year maybe.

5. Those around us may often try to intervene, but ultimately each individual is responsible for the choices they make in life. Tell me about a recent situation where you had a decision to make, and those around you tried to influence or direct you. Were they successful? Was that “help” welcomed?

I’m not sure I can consciously remember anyone trying to influence me in specific decisions (other than the: “Oh, stay for another drink, it’s still early” variety, and that hardly counts). I tend to absorbe the opinions of the people whose opinion I value, and base decisions on a combination of that and my own instincts, favouring my own instincts (which seem, on the whole, to be pretty good). In cases where someone presumes, unasked, to “order” me to make a certain decision, my instinct is always to do the exact opposite – and I have to take care not to go with that gut reaction, just because they are presumptious doesn’t mean they are necessarily wrong.

6. Things are much easier to accept when they are given by invitation rather than being forced upon us. When was the last time you rejected something because it was forced on you? How did it happen? Did you hold a grudge about it? Was it ever resolved?

Ah, I see I’ve jumped ahead on the questions here… Well, lets see. Anyone insisting that I come along to a nightclub because “It will be such fun! You’ll have a good time!” normally makes me determined to hate the place if they manage to cajole me into going against my better judgement. Normally I’ll just wish them a good night and go home.

7. Are you the sort of person who questions everything, or are you able to accept things without someone providing you tangible proof?

“Tangible proof”? Like what? I do question most things, though.

BONUS: Ooo baby, do you know what that’s worth?

Give me a minute and I’ll get it…

I almost bought an iPod yesterday. Not as in I went to the shop and looked at an iPod and had my wallet out and then changed my mind (I sort of did that Friday, looking at Apple’s web-shop). As in I read a couple of reviews of various MP3 players and realised there was a good alternative at a lower price overall and a much lower price considering the capacity. So I went to the shop just to have a look at that and had my wallet out, all of a sudden and now I am the proud (not to say extatic) owner of a Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen, of 20Gb capacity.

Needless to say, all I seem to be able to think about is ripping CDs in order to get them onto the CreNJuZ (I need a shorter name for it, that seems as good as any, and nice and cryptic, too). I tested it yesterday walking home from town at 1am and it plays beautifully (though I might have to agree with the reviewers and get another set of headphones – not because of the quality, but because I don’t like the way the bundled ones sit on my head). I also ripped all of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, so now I can carry that everywhere. I need to get hold of the other four books as CDs as well… Uhm. This could turn out to be expensive. But just think: Portable audio book library! No more fussing about with tapes and batteries (just remember to recharge). And all my favourite music readily accessible at any one time. No more vain attempts to predict which CDs I might get an uncontrollable urge to listen to when going away for the weekend. Yay.

Right. Back to ripping CDs.

Voice in my head: Sophie Ellis Bextor – Music Gets the Best of Me

Yay! Friday!

1. What was the last TV show you watched?
I saw bits of Torsdagsklubben yesterday while helping Pia pack her books (she’s moving). I guess that counts.

2. What was the last thing you complained about and what was the problem?
The lack of adequate hardware to test a somewhat urgent problem on.

3. Who was the last person you complimented and what did you say?
I can’t remember. That’s not good.

4. What was the last thing you threw away?
The teabag for my morning mug of tea.

5. What was the last website (besides this one) that you visited?
My webmail, but before that: Nettavisen

Voices in my head: The Eagles – Hotel California

Moles run in the female line in my family. My grandmother (my mother’s mother) had a rather large mole on the left-hand side of the back of her neck, just about at the hair line. So does my mother, in exactly the same spot. Me? I have thousands, not to say millions of moles, all over, mostly pretty small. I have, however, also inherited the family mole, except in my case it has decided to move to a better vantage point. It’s in the back of my head, towards the crown, in the exact spot you would aim for if you came from behind with a baseball bat on a downward stroke (please don’t). Odd that.

Voices in my head: the Muppets – doing the Muppet Show theme tune

This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.

1. You’ve been given the chance to go back to a point in your life and change a single decision you made; you’ll lose everything that happened since then, but you’ll get to live in the shiny new parallel timeline that develops. Would you? What would you change? And would you want to keep the memory of this timeline, too?

I wouldn’t, I don’t think. A whole new set of difficult decisions to deal with? Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, I can’t think of any single decision I’ve made that I would like to change. I mean, there are several situations I’d have liked to handle differently – a couple of boyfriend snafus that lost me good friends – and a fair few choices where, in retrospect, it’s obvious I made the wrong decisions – I wish I’d done French at IB, for example – but not one, single, momentous, life-changing decision that “went all wrong” – and surely that would have to be the point? I’m pretty happy with my life most of the time.

2. If you could legally sell your vote in the next Presidential election — hand someone a signed, blank ballot in exchange for money — would you do it? And what price would you ask?

No. Not that I have a vote in the next presidental election (though I wish I had, the last one wasn’t exactly a great success and maybe my vote would help), but assuming the question to also mean “in the next general election”, my answer is no. Definitely not.

3. What one object you own has the most sentimental value to you?

I’m having a hard time coming up with something here. I have lots of stuff that has sentimental value (I have lots of stuff – period), and a few things that I keep only for their sentimental value, but not very much that I would be devastated to lose. The things I would be devastated to lose are the things that are irreplaceable – slides and negatives, drawings, paintings, old letters, that sort of thing.

Huh? My coffee tastes of toffee. Why? Have my tastebuds suddenly gone dyslectic? Has someone added toffee flavour to the instant coffee? Is it an echo of last night’s tasting (Clontarf, was it?)? Or am I just going mad?

The latter seems likely.

Voices in my head: Atomic Kitten (sadly) singing The Tide is High