The end of one phase and the beginning of another

I realize I have somewhat neglected my blog lately...In part out of exhaustion, in part due to the uneventfulness of my life. But I am not complaining. I finally finished my master thesis...and I did well. In fact, I will admit I am proud of myself. I have no plans of going further than a master degree (although I should be careful to utter the word never) so I guess that means I have officially ended my education. It feels good.

But I am tired. 9 years, 2 bachelors and a master have taken its toll on me and I have been in desperate need of some time off. So thats why Ive been absent lately. I have been enjoying myself. Ive taken care of stuff I should have taken care of ages ago, like fixing my national costume so that I could finally wear it for the constitution day this year (yay!), Ive slept, Ive read books, Ive worked out and explored some other interests which I am not going to bore you with right now. Ive also booked 2 weeks of bliss in Turkey this summer with my man, and I cannot wait! To be perfectly honest...I cannot remember the last time I had 2 weeks off without feeling guilty about anything. It will be heaven.

It has also been a time of recognition for me. I have spent 21 years in school...which is 3/4s of my life...Although I have learned a great deal, both about the topics I have been studying, and about extracting information and separating good info from bad…reliable from non-reliable, I am happy to be done. I am ready for a steady income and some real responsibility…

Being a student usually means putting the “starting-a-family-phase” on hold. I have friends who ended their education years ago, who is now getting into that phase of their lives. As much as I would like a family one day, I am more excited about having some time to travel and enjoying time away from study halls. So...that's where I am right now. I have the time...but not the money. Ironic as it is.

So if you'd ask me what I am up to these days, besides enjoying myself...I will say: saving money. I have worked a little extra at my part-time job (which I have had the past 9 years) and I am trying to live cheaply so that I can spend the next couple of months planning a trip to somewhere exotic. The idea of being able to travel to some place Ive only dreamt of visiting before, excites me beyond comprehension.

You know...this is probably when I get accidentally pregnant...

Either way. Let life begin!

Fever

I am starting to feel the spring fever coming on...or it might actually just be a regular fever...I think my body is working on a cold...Either way its getting warmer and the sun has shown its beautiful face once or twice the past week.

I recently did one of my favorite spring activities; walking around town in the sunshine (and cold crisp air) with an apple in hand. I really cant tell why this insignificant activity brings me so much pleasure, but it really does. It seems to clear my mind of all dark thoughts and whatever ill feeling I may be having vanishes. I call it "spring fever"...others may call it "walking down the street with an apple". It may be the equivalent of drinking beer in an outdoor café...another activity which seems to initiate at this time of year. As soon as the sun manages to warm up the air enough for people to sit still outside, the beer-drinking starts. I still prefer my apple to a beer...but have to admit a cold pint once in a while can do the trick as well.

Spring also makes me want to go hiking...an activity Ive already done twice this month and plan to do more of. Ive also managed to dig out my old roller blades...Which I bought on sale about 6 or 7 years ago and only used once. This spring will be the spring that I teach myself how to use them. Perhaps i will photograph the event. Should make for some interesting pictures.

But its raining right now and rain is not appropriate blading weather...the only thing that makes me feel that spring is here, is the temperature...and Easter. And I will enjoy the last two days of Easter in the hopes that spring will come back for good once the holidays are over.

Happy Easter everyone.

Cogito Ergo Sum

I saw something awesome today. I don’t usually use the word ”awesome”…it reminds me of 14 year old girls and their conversations in the back of the bus…but I have to use it today.

I saw a crow with a piece of chewing gum in its beak. You are probably wondering what’s so awesome about a bird with gum…Obviously, birds and gum don’t really go well together…and I agree. But the bird seemed to have some issues with the gum being too hard. It was a pretty large piece of gum, and I’m guessing it wanted to divide it into smaller pieces before it ate it…something which was impossible to do with that dried up chunk. My first thought was: “yikes, you really shouldn’t eat the gum, birdie. It will go straight through you without fulfilling your nutritional needs.” Or actually, that’s a lie…My thoughts weren’t that fancy…They were probably closer to; “Don’t eat the gum birdie, it’s bad for you.” As I was thinking this, worried that the bird was going to give up and swallow the entire chunk in one go, and thereby forcing me to do bird-CPR, the bird did something I did not expect it to. It skipped along the pavement towards the nearest puddle and dipped the gum in the water. And all I could think was how I used to do that as a kid when I wanted to save my gum for later. I used to put it in a glass of water (‘cause we all know how important it was to chew your gum until it basically disintegrated in your mouth…) to preserve it. The water would keep it soft and retain some of the flavor in the gum for when I decided to continue my chewing. Im guessing the bird must have learned at some point that water can soften dry material, but I was still amazed by it.-Thinking that perhaps birds aint as dumb as I first thought. It also reminded me of another incident with a bird I had a couple of years ago.

I saw a seagull with a shell in its mouth. The only reason I spotted the bird was the fact that I was almost hit in the head by the shell. In an attempt to break the shell open, the bird flew about 10 meters into the air, dropped the shell down on the asphalt of the road I was walking on, and dived down to pick the shell up again. It repeated this pattern a couple of times, each time going higher before dropping the shell. I remember having two thoughts; 1: what a dumb bird doing this right in front of me on the road...where I was walking with a large german shepherd in a leash, and 2: What a smart bird…Faced with a problem (breaking the shell), it conducted an experiment (dropping it on to a hard surface), decided it worked but needed improvement (flying higher the next time) and eventually managed to open the shell…which it started eating as soon as my dog and I had passed.

I guess this only shows that birds have cognitive behavior…which is odd considering their brains. I dissected a chicken brain once in an anatomy class…and I have to tell you, there aint much to look at. Perhaps a proof that a large brain is unnecessary…further offering an explanation for why humans are so destructive. Our brains are too large for our bodies, offering plenty of space for unnecessary information. -Information that confuses our instincts…causing us to destroy what others have built and spitting our chewing gum out on the pavement for birds to pick up. Perhaps we would be better off with bird brains…just a thought.

30th or Pearl

My parents are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this week…30 years…30 years with the same person.

I find it admirable and terrifying at the same time. Admirable because 30 years with one person requires an ability to both give and take in equal amounts…and to accept a person for who they are without trying to change them. I also find it terrifying because I have no one but myself to blame if I cannot accomplish the same. So many people who get divorced like to blame the fact that they come from separate homes as a reason for why they couldn’t make it work. It is nothing but an excuse of course…but I guess sometimes that is just what you need.

It is indeed sad that most kids today grow up in separate homes, and that living with both your mom and your dad is the exception rather than the rule. But at the same time it is understandable…both women and men have careers today, no one is dependent on the other so no one is forced to stay in a bad marriage, which inevitably benefits the kids in the end. A bad marriage is no place for a child.

That is why I have so much respect for those who are able to maintain a good relationship post divorce…Those couples who manage to be a family although new lovers enter their lives. Those who let the kids spend Christmas with both mom and dad even though they are no longer married. With the independence of women today and the constant search for happiness that we all aspire to, that is the future. The ability to stay a family after a divorce.

I have friends who are getting married this year and I have friends who are engaged. My generation is entering that phase of their lives when they feel the need to settle down…start a family and begin the same stage,-the only stage of our parents life, we know and recognize. I hope that our generation will continue the ‘amicable divorce’-trend which the previous generation has barely initiated. And perhaps contribute to a more stable family situation. But most of all, I hope our generation can put the love back into marriage and accept each other for who we are. Because there are still some couples out there who aren’t forced to be together, but who wants to…and therefore get to celebrate a 30th anniversary.

Now, that’s something.

And this post turned way more serious than I planned…but sometimes that’s the way they come out.

100

I just realized that my previous post about surrogates was my post number one hundred. How cool is that!? 100 posts of meaningless blabber...Im actually a little impressed with myself. No wonder Ive written 10 pages of my discussion chapter (of my master thesis) without actually saying anything...

I guess this also means Ive waisted about 50 hours of my life writing down nonsense. -If I spend an average of 30 minutes on each post...which is probably not far from the truth. Ah well, even meaningless yack is a skill...some people even make a living of it. They're called reporters. The specialists within this field are called gossip reporters. Perhaps thats what I should have become then...a reporter. -Not the gossip kind...I need my sleep at night.

Time will tell. Either way Im about to finish the science part of my life...unless a wickedly cool job falls into my lap that is...So there will be plenty of time to write the next 100.

Just a warning...or a heads-up if you will.

Future-fantasies.

I love movies, most of you already know this so it is no big surprise...and as a lover of movies I tend to look forward to some of them...perhaps before a release date is set...and the wait can be seriously long...like the wait for Die Hard 4.0 for instance which took about 2-3 years since I first heard about it until I had the chance to see it…Fortunately it didn’t disappoint…which I have to admit, usually happens when you wait 2 or 3 years for a movie. Its hard not to build up an enormous amount of expectations when you wait that long…even though I do try not to…Anyways, this wasn’t what I wanted to talk about…Im already a little tired and almost put myself to sleep there for a second.

I have been waiting for a movie called ‘Surrogates’ (which by coincidence, -only coincidence, I promise!*cough* is another Bruce Willis movie) for about a year now. I believe it is a sci-fi, I Robot, A-I kinda film which I have to admit is not a good starting point for me. I did enjoy AI…although it made me kinda depressed…but what fascinates me with the prospect of this film is the idea of surrogates. Apparently people in the future are going to be seriously anti-social, spending most of their time alone in their homes. And to make up for this behavior, they have surrogates, or robot versions of themselves doing all the work and shopping and partying for them. Now, I personally cant for the life of me figure out why anyone would want to spend all their time at home when they could send their robot version to work and go party themselves. Personally I would love a surrogate. I’d make it perfect. It would have great hair every day, as well as makeup and clothes. It probably wouldn’t sweat or eat or use the bathroom, so I wouldn’t have to bathe it…expect for an annual touchup. No exercise would be necessary as it wouldn’t gain or lose any weight. It would be nice and toned with perfect complexion. Not a single zit…

If I did have one, I would set it to write my master thesis, which is taking up all my f’ing time these days, and go travel. Once it has finished my thesis, it can go to work and make money which I can spend on more traveling…and shopping. Of course, with my luck my surrogate would probably develop a strong personality and refuse to go to work for me…and insist on coming with me on whatever trip I was planning…And as I have a pretty strong mind of my own, we would end up spending the entire trip arguing on what to see and do…Either that or fighting non-stop on who gets to see and do everything first (ever been to Disneyland with a sibling?). And of course non of us would give in to the other…Why give in when you know there is no way it will lead to sex?-Which by the way opens up for a whole new concept; the end of single-hood. No one has to be unwillingly single anymore…you can just create an opposite sex version of yourself (unless you’re gay of course) and date that instead. According to various scientific studies people tend to fall for someone who looks like themselves…Although, you would probably come back to the previous issue of two minds which are way too similar…and end up fighting non-stop. And who wants that? I’d rather stay single.

Anyhow, in light of the release of ‘Surrogates’, Touchstone Pictures have released a so-called viral-site for the movie (No worries, it has nothing to do with virus or computer destruction) where you can read up on the (fake) company which builds these surrogates, and where you can make your own one…Which of course I had to try.

You can upload a picture of yourself and change age and ethnicity, as well as facial features…which I did. I built a version of myself with a skin complexion slightly darker than my natural (who wants to stay pale as a Scandinavian if you can be tanned all year around?), green eyes with a touch of yellow just for fun, purple hair (because I love purple) and slightly longer hair…mostly because I couldn’t find my own hair-do among the choices...a do I like. But anyways, I dressed ‘me’ in a black dress and waited for the final result to come up. The new, better version of myself. The one which was going to improve my life and free me from my responsibilities.

She turned out to be an old lady. An old slightly bloated lady with purple hair and a black granny dress. It was terrifying seeing my own face on such an old woman. I am not going to be an attractive woman of age…if life hands me that many years, that is.

My surrogate is an old lady, who I bet would boss me around and tell me what to do. Who would make me finish my thesis and earn my own money…And in turn would spend my money on cake and coffee at the local bakery.

No thanks…I’ll do without.

http://www.chooseyoursurrogate.com/