Study Habits

I wasted my whole Sunday on Facebook, Skype and Spotify. I even watched some movies. All of this instead of writing and working on my paper. So now I have to get real and meet the deadline, which happens to be today.

What I have noticed though, is that when I study I need a lot of brightness and sun in a room to give me energy, a high ceiling for my thoughts to grow, a white room which is more neutral and spacious so that I won't feel so confined, a big desk with lots of space I do not wish to use in order for my body to feel at ease instead of claustrophobic or for my work to be observed by my neighbor. (I am sure there is supposed to be a comma somewhere in that sentence, but it would not fit in artistically because I want you to feel the anxiety that confined working areas give me.) Back to the topic ® That is really hard to succumb in our flat. It is so tiny and the biggest desk is the kitchen table. So for nine hours of intense work, I did some minor changes in the kitchen...

I will just have to keep my head looking straight forward to the garden outside and pretend I have as much space around me as I wish I did. And look at the sky in front of me and pretend that that is my roof and not the ceiling lamp hanging right on top of my head. Or that the building outside the window is not an obstruct that might potentially cause me to encounter a drought. 

It would not surprise me if I later in life started decorating my own home according to the rules of Fengshui.

I am already getting rid of the clock in the kitchen because I hear it ticking, but mostly because Amelia tells me to.

Click to see what I am talking about: http://www.amelia.se/halsa1-23611/Inred-ditt-hem-med-feng-shui



UPDATE (1406):
I just rewrote my whole thesis because I found it too short and boring. Now it's twice as long and seems a bit more interesting and academic than my first draft of my thesis. However, there are five remaining chapters left waiting to be written. Thankfully I have three pages scribbled down with notes about classical music during the Third Reich, now I just need to turn them into complete sentences and make it work to my advantage.
Meanwhile I am trying to get myself motivated to write this paper and so far dolphin sounds, waves and underwater bubbles bubbling (= Ocean Melodies) have done the trick. Unfortunately it has started to ware out and I wonder what type of music I will need for my next chapter.

UPDATE (1514):

Surely a small break is something I am worth. However, I always reluctantly spoil myself and now I have ended up procrastinating for the past hour. During that hour I; checked Facebook, logged in to the student portal to check if my grade for the syntax course had been posted, ate two different biscuits, had a glass of water, searched for some new study music other than dolphins and nature calling in a language I do not speak and ended up finding a Vivaldi playlist (1h long) that was unbearable because it was remixed, and now I am provlyssna:ing (some Swenglish for you) some playlists on stereomood. It is pretty good once you've settled for one list and stick to it, unlike me who switches lists after every fourth song.

Link: http://www.stereomood.com/

UPDATE (1834):
It appears to me that silence is the best music for studying. Had I been working on this paper two years ago, music would have been vital for me to actually get homework done. However, I guess my love for music has grown so much that I simply cannot ignore it whilst doing something else. Not even if I am reading a book. Perhaps when I draw and sketch, but it has been a while since I could enjoy that on my leisure time.
Soon the second part, or chapter actually, of my paper is done. Next up I will be dealing with Orff's Carmina Burana. Hopefully I will have enough to say about it. And then move on to Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Then that should do it, I will send in what I have ready to my professor, do something else for a change, perhaps bother to start attaching foot notes, source and bibliography. Or get back on Facebook...
The discussion and the conclusion can wait till Friday AFTER I have my next Beratungsgespräch.
Ja wohl! I better get back to my paper before the sun disappears, because once it does - I won't have the energy to (or be bothered to) write anymore.

UPDATE (2003):
Silence works no more for me. And my stomach is growling. Not to mention my huge and ridiculous cravings for chocolate.
Two more hours to go and then it's deadline time.

Facebook, Spotify, Skype and all of this networking shit

This social network needs to end for me. I can't say that I hate facebook, nor I can say that I love it. It is simply a function for procrastination - and it is ruining my life right now. Well, perhaps not my life entirely but definitely my academic life. At the moment it is non-existent. How do I know that? Because I was supposed to work on my paper due tomorrow the whole day today and did nothing. My fingers refused to write on the Word Document I had open, ready to be written and sent to my professor, under Facebook. Damn you FB! (Same goes for Spotify and Skype...)

Okey, so it isn't Facebook's fault entirely (or spotify or Skype, Twitter, 9GAG, and so on and so on...) - I could be more disciplined. The thing is that there is always new things happening on FB; new updates, new pictures, new messages, new comments, etc. And we all turn into stalkers. Suddenly knowing what someone, who you used to go to school with 7 years ago, ate for breakfast got interesting. Suddenly seeing an old flame's new photos of him/her and their new beloved other is no longer you torturing yourself but instead getting yourself a good laugh because they "moved down the ladder and not up", or more likely you hating on them both because that old flame moved up the ladder and you are determined to find a 10 instead of his/her good  and solid 8 to flaunt off. Facebook eventually even makes you think you know people well enough to start passing judgments, until you realize that "no, I just read every detail about their life that I 'accidentally' come across or that they post on their walls and info section" and embarrassingly notice that you are officially a "creepy stalker".

The worst thing about Facebook, however, is this: you commence to fail academic wise. Facebook will not save your ass when you drop out of college and you are unemployed. Instead that piece of news will be spreading like a virus on the news feed and that old flame of yours will definitely confirm that they climbed up the ladder ...way up.



Totally lost my roter Faden somewhere between the three paragraphs. Stupid chocolate cake...

Lieber Patensohn

It is soon that same time of the year when my godson will be celebrating his birthday again. What hurts is that I am on the other side of the world and in a completely different time zone. His day is my night, and my day is his night.

However, it doesn't stop me from sending him a present. Question is what I should get him this year. Last year I got some wonderful help from a store clerk on Hauptstraße. Unfortunately I am nowhere close to Thalia at the moment so I will have to improvise big time.

Tomorrow I will be meeting loads of friends for coffee and breakfast, and even drinks later in the evening. They better be able to brainstorm with me. I need tips!

Sleep

Diese ganze Woche hab ich gar nichts vernünftig gemacht...

• sah einen Film (Sucker Punch), der viel Aktion hatte, aber deren Einheit nicht so super war
  ®  zum Abschluss: ok Film mit richtig cooler Musik
• faulenzte den ganzen Tag
• aß viel Schokolade und auch gutes Essen, das meine Mama gekocht hat (nicht die Schoko)
• anstatt meiner schriftlichen Arbeit fertig zu schreiben (entschuldigung: anfangen...), hab ich diesen ganzen Tag "The Real Housewives of D.C." angeguckt
• war auch ein bisschen zu viel beim Facebook
• guckte an viele Tango Videos auf YouTube
• hab dagegen die ganze Wohnung sauber gemacht ...etwas praktisch konnte ich wenigstens machen!

Naja, wie soll ich alles erklären. Ich bin überhaupt nicht müde von der Uni und allen Arbeit ich machen muss. Irgendwie hab ich mich die letzten Tage sehr leer gefühlt. Ein bisschen mehr wie tot oder eine Leiche. Zum Beispiel hab ich ab und zu keinen Lebenswille - will einfach für viele Jahre schlafen oder alles lassen und irgendwo anders in der Welt fahren.

Vielleicht habe ich Angst in euch erweckt. Sollt ihr nicht haben... Nur wie ich mich heute fühlte, wahrscheinlich wegen des Wetters (es hat geregnet) und meiner Ermüdung. Also, los ins Bett für mich!

A question that has been on my mind...

Why are the Palestinian Territories my top audience!?

Italy and the state of California are just as big

Who would have known? Not me. Until I spent time procrastinating on "The Scale of the Universe" (link: http://htwins.net/scale2/index.html).

I haven't blogged in a while but I doubt that anyone has missed me. And even if I would have had the time to blog and update anyone who reads this blog with boring details from my boring life; it would all have been so negative that I would finally be able to call myself a pessimist. That's the type of people no one likes. So therefor, I may not go over to the dark side.

Once I have more time and when I am not too sleep deprived (maybe tomorrow evening), or when I am not having major anxiety and cravings for the next Grey's Anatomy, Revenge and Hart of Dixie episode, I will write about my Klausur and this past weekend.

But for now - bonne nuit!

Ausspannen und planen

Ich hör zu Philipp Poisel, während ich das Schedule für Hamad und Ana mache. Eigentlich brauche ich tatsächlich Musik zur Ablenkung. Es ist mir nicht gelungen, da ich Poisel zuhöre und "Ich will nur" ist kein glückliches Lied, sondern ziemlich traurig (nicht wegen dem Text, aber der Melodie).

Back to planning!

Philipp fängt schon am Anfang mit echt guten Wörter an:

"Versteck mich wo du mich nicht findest

damit auch du mich mal vermisst

Hab mich seit Wochen nicht gemeldet

und frag mich ständig wo du bist"

Thomas Mann + Richard Wagner

Heute Abend werde ich den Literatur-Unterricht teilnehmen. Hab schon "Tristan" von Thomas Mann gelesen. Erstes Mal hatte ich nichts verstanden, da ich todmüde und auf einem Zug nach Stockholm war. Ich hatte, zum zweiten Mal, gestern früh am Morgen das Buch noch wieder gelesen, und dann, plötzlich alles verstanden.

Und jetzt, als ich die Fragen Kataloge vorbereite, hör ich zu Wagners Oper "Tristan und Isolde", die ich noch nie gehört hab. Obwohl es schwer ist zu hören, was Tristan, Isolde und die anderen singen, hab ich das Libretto auf'm Internet gefunden. Das Liebestod ist schön aber am schönsten ist immer "Unsere Liebe heißt es nicht Tristan und Isolde?".

Ich will etwas mit Nachdruck sagen, und zwar, es ist, dass Romeo und Juliet nichts gegen Tristan und Isolde haben. (Wenn man sich auf dieser Weise ausdrücken kann.) Bevor Romeo und Juliet, gab es schon Tristan und Isolde, die ein schönere Liebe und Geschichte haben.

Ich bin Pro Tistan und Isolde!

Unter dem Video gibt es einen Auszug von dem Zweiter Auszug Wagners Tristan und Isolde. Er bedeckt "Unsere Liebe heißt es nicht Tristan und Isolde?" und "Habet Acht! Habet Acht!".

ISOLDE.

Doch – unsre Liebe,

heißt sie nicht Tristan

und – Isolde?

Dies süße Wörtlein: und,

was es bindet,

der Liebe Bund,

wenn Tristan stürb,

zerstört es nicht der Tod?

TRISTAN.

Was stürbe dem Tod,

als was uns stört,

was Tristan wehrt,

Isolde immer zu lieben,

ewig ihr nur zu leben?

ISOLDE.

Doch, dieses Wörtlein: und,

wär es zerstört,

wie anders als

mit Isoldes eig'nem Leben

wär Tristan der Tod gegeben?

Tristan zieht, mit bedeutungsvoller Gebärde, Isolde sanft an sich.

TRISTAN.

So starben wir,

um ungetrennt,

ewig einig

ohne End',

ohn Erwachen,

ohn Erbangen,

namenlos

in Lieb' umfangen,

ganz uns selbst gegeben,

der Liebe nur zu leben!

ISOLDE wie in sinnender Entrücktheit zu ihm aufblickend.

So stürben wir,

um ungetrennt –

TRISTAN.

ewig einig

ohne End –,

ISOLDE.

ohn Erwachen –

TRISTAN.

ohn Erbangen –,

BEIDE.

namenlos

in Lieb' umfangen,

ganz uns selbst gegeben,

der Liebe nur zu leben!

Isolde neigt wie überwältigt das Haupt an seine Brust.

BRANGÄNES STIMME wie vorher.

Habet Acht!

Habet Acht!

Schon weicht dem Tag die Nacht!

TRISTAN lächelnd zu ihr geneigt.

Soll ich lauschen?

ISOLDE schwärmerisch zu ihm aufblickend.

Laß mich sterben!

TRISTAN ernster.

Muß ich wachen?

ISOLDE bewegter.

Nie erwachen!

TRISTAN drängender.

Soll der Tag

noch Tristan wecken?

ISOLDE begeistert.

Laß den Tag

dem Tode weichen!

TRISTAN.

Soll der Tod

mit seinen Streichen

ewig uns

den Tag verscheuchen?

ISOLDE.

Der uns vereint,

den ich dir bot,

laß ihm uns weihn,

dem süßen Tod!

Mußte er uns

das eine Tor,

an dem wir standen, verschließen;

zu der rechten Tür,

die uns Minne erkor

hat sie den Weg nun gewiesen.

TRISTAN.

Des Tages Dräuen

nun trotzten wir so?

ISOLDE mit wachsender Begeisterung.

Seinem Trug ewig zu fliehn.

TRISTAN.

Sein dämmernder Schein

verscheuchte uns nie?

ISOLDE mit großer Gebärde ganz sich erhebend.

Ewig wär uns die Nacht!

BEIDE.

O ew'ge Nacht,

süße Nacht!

Hehr erhab'ne

Liebesnacht!

Wen du umfangen,

wem du gelacht,

wie wär ohne Bangen

aus dir er je erwacht?

Nun banne das Bangen,

holder Tod,

sehnend verlangter

Liebestod!

In deinen Armen,

dir geweiht,

urheilig Erbarmen,

von Erwachens Not befreit!

Wie sie fassen,

wie sie lassen,

diese Wonne,

fern der Sonne,

fern der Tage

Trennungsklage!

Ohne Wähnen,

sanftes Sehnen;

ohne Bangen,

süß Verlangen;

ohne Wehen

hehr Vergehen;

ohne Schmachten

hold Umnachten;

ohne Meiden,

ohne Scheiden,

traut allein,

ewig heim,

in ungemess'nen Räumen

übersel'ges Träumen. –

ISOLDE.

Du Isolde,

Tristan ich,

nicht mehr Isolde!

TRISTAN.

Du Tristan,

Isolde ich,

nicht mehr Tristan!

BEIDE.

Ohne Nennen,

ohne Trennen,

neu Erkennen,

neu Entbrennen;

endlos ewig

ein-bewußt:

heiß erglühter Brust,

höchste Liebeslust!

Sie verbleiben in verzückter Stellung.

Södra Sverige and Dänemark!

Svenska? English? Deutsch? English.

Nyhavn in Copenhagen. Beautiful!

So I never got around to writing a post about Malmö and Copenhagen. I will now because my brain is putting up a fight with studying for my Syntax exam after having watched The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.

I had three days to do this trip. The first day was obviously in Malmö, where I visited Ivona - a dear friend of mine from high school. She's currently on her last semester of her BA Perfoming Arts (I think that's what the program is called...) and she plays the transverse flute. She's really good! All you classical musicians better watch out once she has graduated.

Malmö has never really been a city of my preference and I've always thought of it as a Swedish version of Sin City. so much crime going on down there! I know that that happens everywhere, but Malmö just seems to be the capital of crimes to me (it's the newspaper's fault baby!). As I was trying to look past that though, I did see the city for what it was - nice and cute. Maybe not the cutest city I've seen but it does have it's peaks.

My main reason for even going down south, was to get a hold of the pictures that Ivona had of us from last year. That was my first visit to Malmö and I was already then, wondering what bad stuff I would experience. Anyways, long story short: Ivona took some really good photos, lost her cable, her Mac Airbook doesn't even have an input for memory cards (wtf!!!), and I wanted those photos so badly that a year later I went to visit her and brought with my HP laptop in order to get a hold of them.

So we decided that since I was gonna be there for 3 days we might as well spend one full day in Copenhagen. The city is only a 20 minute train ride away! And we bought the Copenhagen card which made everything worth it. We went on a really nice sightseeing cruise and got some awesome pictures of most stuff. One of my favorite photos was of these boat houses in the middle of the sea/lake (whatever you'd wanna call it), mostly because it seems so typically Danish to me.

My favorite photo.

I have never really known why, but for some reason I have always underestimated the Danes when it comes to culture and art. It probably has to do with the fact that I am a Swede and it is in our blood to naturally look down on Norway and Denmark. Truth be told, they - well Denmark at least because I haven't been to Norway yet - is very nice, very cosy, and very rich in culture and art. I have actually found [one of] my favorite museum in the world: Ny-Carlsberg Glyptotek. My Lord, was it fantastic! The locations, the art, the sculptures, the paintings, but most of all the building - I fell in love. As you enter the actual start of the museum (not the lounge), you are greeted by a statue of a woman/mother with babies that are crawling all over her. It's a magnificent sculpture.

We managed to do a lot and see a lot in Copenhagen. For one day, I must say that I'm quite impressed with everything we saw. On the third day, my last day, Ivona and I took things easy and just slept in. Luckily, my train left at 5pm, which gave me more than enough time to just chill and pack everything. We walked around in the city, did some shopping before we had dinner and before I had to depart. Since it is Easter, we saw tons of eggs in the city. Not small ones, but large ones. All designed after things in Malmö or that can be associated with Malmö. Pretty neat, and pretty big.

Yeah... That should sum it all up.

And so it is...

Apparently Ella tells me what such a situation or relationship is called. Now I know.

A fine romance, with no kisses
A fine romance, my friend this is
We should be like a couple of hot tomatoes
But you're as cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes
A fine romance, you won't nestle
A fine romance, you won't wrestle
I might as well play bridge
With my old maid aunt
I haven't got a chance
This is a fine romance