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Showing posts from 2010

The Road Not Taken

One of my favorites...by Robert Frost The Road Not Taken Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leands on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

Laundry time II

Laundry Part Två! On the scheduled day, one arrives promptly and uses the electronic key to open the doors to the washer and dryers! What's available: two washer units, a tumbler dryer, a clothes press, and the huge drying unit which I've never seen before. To help with moving all the clothes around, there's a little cart! See and download the full gallery on posterous

Laundry time I

How to do laundry in Sweden when you don't have individual washer/dryer units (it's a real luxury). First you book your time. We're not in the corridors (think Hall dorms in college) so we get to use the electronic booking. It's basically a calendar showing when the two washing setups are available. As we share these two rooms with at least 20 something or more families, we get to book only one room at a time. The corridor system is much more basic but quite cool too. You place your lock in the time you want, and then show up! See and download the full gallery on posterous

Mushroom Picking II

More photos of mushrooms! See and download the full gallery on posterous

Mushroom Picking I

We went mushroom picking this past Saturday (20100925)! This is something the Swedes really like to do. Most people have some rudimentary knowledge of mushrooms and can pick at least one species of non-toxic 'shroom. Saturday was pretty humid and perfect weather for mushrooms to grow. We went to an area near Dalby and near a military base! Several rounds were heard during picking, which definitely added to the adventurous feeling. Our organizer joked that we should be careful to not get shelled or run over by tanks. I found a beautiful red with white dot mushroom, which reminded me a lot of Mario Brothers. But it's quite a toxic 'shroom, so kids, don't pick anything based on your memory of mushrooms in Mario Bros. Most are very bad for you! A friend from Fysicum told me a story that the red/white mushroom can actually be consumed safely, in very small portions. Apparently, ancient vikings used to take a bite before heading into battle!! Download n

Bike tour to Uppåkra

We met up with friends from Fysicum to bike to Uppåkra http://www.uppakra.se . There is extensive archaeological digging going on as one of Skåne's oldest Viking settlements was found here. It's not that far from Lund. The scenary along the way was great, though the weather was a bit overcast. One of the most famous finds was this iron pin, which resembles Mickey Mouse! Not sure what it is supposed to be really, but some blogs suggest that it could have been a lion? ( View Larger Map ) See and download the full gallery on posterous

Malmö Festival!

Malmö festival from 20 August, 2010 - 27 August, 2010. It's one of the biggest in Sweden. Here's more http://www.malmotown.com/en/events/2010/the-malmo-festival . The sour sweets were good, and we saw some celebrity signing his autograph (no idea who it is). See and download the full gallery on posterous

Crayfish songs!

More about crayfish and other food from a fun night in a barn. Here's the lyrics to some of the songs. Kräftan (sung to Twinkle Twinkle little star): Kräfta, kräfta prydd med dill, (cray fish cray fish, decorated in dill) och en immig sup därtill, (and a misty schnapps on top) bröd och smör och ost och sill (bread and butter, cheese and herring) och så några supar till (and a couple of more schnapps) Kräfta, kräfta prydd med dill, (cray fish cray fish, decorated in dill) nu vi får allt vad vi vill. (now we get all that we want!) Here's another song we sang that night, somewhat less appropriate subject matter...but fun nevertheless. My Bonnie lies over the ocean: My father makes counterfeit money, my mother brews synthetic gin, My sister sells kisses to sailors, and that's how the money rolls in! Rolls in, rolls in, my God how the money rolls in, rolls in Rolls in, rolls in, my God how the money rolls in. My uncle's a slum missionary saving young maidens from sin He

There's a nest outside our window!

The birds love to watch the sunset too. They came almost everyday for a week. See and download the full gallery on posterous

August = Crayfish season in Skåne

To properly enjoy the lovely and tasty crustaceans in the Swedish way, one must sing loudly in good cheer the songs for the occasion, followed by downing a shot of schnapps!

Duke Chapel

Some interesting information (www.chapel.duke.edu), gleamed from the guide. For pictures, see here . Dedicated in 1935, the Chapel is built in the English Gothic style designed by The Trumbauer Company of Philadelphia, PA (Julian Abele was senior architect). The exterior has Duke bluestone from local NC quarry and Indiana limestone, while the interior is lined with Guastavino tile. The main Bell Tower is 210 ft. high, and the nave of the Chapel is 73 ft. high and 39 ft. wide. The interior space is about 291 ft. long and 63 ft. wide, with the transept 121 ft. long. The pews and altar screens inside are made of oak, and the stained glass was made by the Bonawit company of NY with Charles Jaeckle as chief designer. The main Chapel seats about 1500. A Memorial Chapel at the far left end houses the remains of the Duke's, and the lower level crypt is the resting place for Duke relatives and former presidents of the University. As you enter the Chapel (facing the Chapel), important relig