I've lived most of my life in cities, and I grew up in the suburbs, where the lights from the houses and offices and streetlamps obscure the stars. If I lived in the country, I could learn the night sky. I've always felt a bit sorry that I've never really seen the Milky Way as a smudge of white, never learned the constellations except Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.



But it's still not enough to tempt me.



I'm an urban kind of guy.



The Swedish verb for the day is att undvika. It means to avoid.



- by Francis S.

Oh, yeah. That guy from Textism got the Best European or African 2003 Bloggie Award.



I voted for Duncan, and then I was hoping that D. would actually win.



Oh, well. Next time. Congratulations to the guy from Textism.



- by Francis S.

If I were a real man, I would've given up English for Lent.



Unfortunately, I'm spineless, controlling and pathically devoted to my mother tongue. I'm also wallowing daily in utter shame and self-pity because after four years of living in this comfortable city not far from the arctic circle, choir rehearsal is the only place I really speak my mediocre Swedish without switching back and forth to English as soon as I feel the least bit frustrated at not being able to express exactly what I think. Is it really perfectionism - wanting to get everything right all the time and without a trace of an accent - that's doing me in?



I've turned into the thing I dreaded when I moved here: the American who doesn't bother to speak the language.



Woe is me.



You can hit me now.



The Swedish verb for the day is att sparka. It means to kick.



- by Francis S.

The evening started in L.'s apartment with a mojito - the husband and A., the assistant producer and C., the fashion photographer, and R., the r&b star, and L.'s boyfriend, and me.



It was a dinner of lamb with prunes, and couscous, and blood oranges, and almonds. And then there was lots of red wine, and everyone talking at once, agreeing and disagreeing about exactly how much manic despression is due to chemistry and how much it is due to sociology, about overpopulation and personal responsibility and sorting one's trash for recycling, about Michael Jackson and his ability or inability to influence the media, and we went round the table and gave out our middle names, those of us who have them.



"I have a great story," A., the assistant director said. "You know the actress is still playing the maid in A Doll's House. Well, the other day, during the performance while the lead actors were in the middle of their dialogue, a mobile phone rang in the audience and the guy actually answered it and everyone could hear him say: 'I'm at the theater. Mmm-hmmm. So-so...' It was all they could do not to burst out laughing, they just had to keep on playing . But afterwards, the whole cast laughed their heads off."



It's great to know that actors have a sense of humor about this kind of thing.



The Swedish verb for the day is att bli. It's a verb that doesn't translate so easily - it means to be or to become, and I misuse it often, as it's used when a change of condition is implied as far as I can tell. Att vara means to be when no change of condition is implied. I suppose there's some kind of rule about when to use which form, but mostly I learn it by listening.



- by Francis S.

From: "Anonymous via the Cypherpunks Tonga Remailer"  

| This is Spam | Add to Address Book

To: francisxstrand@yahoo.com

Subject: Hola Francis XXX Strand

Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2003 22:39:58 +0100 (CET)



Hi Francis.



I love your page, I love what you write, I love you! Sorry, but thats

the truth. I am a nice guy from Albania, Tirana that couldnt help myself

from becoming obsessed with you and your website. I have to admit that

I actually went to Sweden to try to find you, not much luck.

I am in Sweden again now to star in a couple of arty

flicks. Yes I am a gay porn star, but everything I do have to have some

deeper spiritual meaning and a lot of subtext going on, I cant stand

does superficial flicks were they just f^^^ and suck, I think sex, poetry

and something to say about life is the best ingrediences for a

successfull gay flick. Dont you agree? We are starting the shoot off the first

flick at the end of next week "A fluffers confession" then two days

later we will shoot "Being Johns Malcockwitch" followed by "Bed man

walking". All three flicks are intellectual masterpieces, very well wri

tten and with something deep and profound to say about life and the

society we are living in. The intellectual viewpoints that inspired the

creation of these flicks are based upon the philosophy by Aristotle,

Karl Marx, Jesus and Jeff Koons. Yes, you have guessed it, I am a

co-writer:)What I wanted to ask you was if you would like to star in one of the

flicks. I was on my way to approach you yesterday when I was waiting

outside your office, but I thought you might get upset if I

didnt contact you before approaching you. I have stared in a flick called

"Stalking Johnny Depp", it was based on a real stalking scenario and I

learned that it wasnt a very good idea. I will come by your office

monday and maybe you can show me around stockholm and we can have lunch. I

am quite tall, I wear blue leather pants and I have a large beard. My

name is Genc Xhelaj, you can search google and find some interesting

information about me and my life.



Kisses & Hugs.



Genc Xhelaj.



Oh, M., my favorite movie producer.



I guess someone isn't keeping you busy enough in London.



The Swedish phrase for the day is att smeka, which means to caress or fondle.



- by Francis S.

It was about as fat a Tuesday as I could handle. I'm too old for Mardi Gras or Carnival, it seems, but not too old for Sweden's version of the holiday: one simply stuffs oneself with semlor, sweet buns filled with almond paste and rich cream. Which we did with A., the assistant director and C., the fashion photographer at their apartment last night. It's the one place that feels as much like home as home.



Now it's time for forty days of dourness and denial.



The Swedish word for the day is fastan. It means Lent.



- by Francis S.

I've never had to commute to work before, I've always lived a 20-minute walk from whatever office I was working at. Until now.



I'm having to re-think my love of trains. And I'm wondering why anyone would ever live farther than a 20-minute walk from work, because the years of a lifetime spent commuting are the equivalent to years spent in hell. At least if the subway is crowded. Otherwise it's a kind of vaguely malign purgatory. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to drive every day, sitting in traffic with no escape.



Maybe it's time for the husband and I to move.



I know, I'm a spoiled brat.



The Swedish word for the day is att skjutsa. It means to give a ride to.



- by Francis S.