not much

Haven't been up to much lately, mostly failing my exams and thinking about stuff. Like, 'should study more', and i've actually made a promise to myself (and they are very few and far between, trust me...i dont usually commit myself to my own promises [regarding myself]). I will read atleast one article a day, starting today. Other news? In about 4 weeks i will be departing to Japan :D I'm excitement personified! i did some 'soul-searching' the other day (on the topic of "excitement") and i realised that i'm not easily excited, takes alot to get me REALLY hyped up. Even for this japan trip im not jumping up and down, runnin in circles etc, its kind of a mellow, laid-back excitement...

Have alot of food now thanks to my parents :D And i also have my favourite drink!! dhogh (don't know how u spell it), but its a carbonated yoghurt drink and its lovely, its imported to sweden from Iran (the make is "Irandad", which literally means "Iran gave"). Most western don't like it, understandably. It does smell like its gone off, but it tastes like heaven!

me out

Reading again

thank god im back to reading. I love reading, i had just forgotten how fun it can be if you have a really good book. The one i'm reading now is about the famous London diarist Samuel Pepys (pronounced Peeps) and his life. Well, its like a biography of him mostly, taking you through his diary and retelling some stuff from his diary but mostly it tells the story of the times in which it was written. What was going on in London and England at the time. And that's what interests me. Increases my admiration of London even more. Every time i go to London i feel so small walking around there, it has so much history and its all over the place. You can just imagine the bombs falling over london or how the royalists tried to take over the parliament over and over and the riots of the people every other day. The turbulent times seem always present in the texture of the city. If i was from london i would be very patriotic towards it. Much as i am towards Gothenburg, another town filled with alot of interesting history and old places.

I read a passage in the book yesterday night that quite shocked me, it showed the english's meddling attitude even back in the 1660's. Cromwell (leader of england at the time) had sent a fleet captained by Edward Montagu to aid the Swedes against the Danes (who were back by the Dutch, a long time enemy of the British) to ensure Baltic trade routes with England. It probably doesnt make sense to anyone else but it does to me and it is fascinating. I guess it's always been about protecting your own interests.

news have come through

First order of business, I did not receive the scholarship i was so convinced of getting. I wasn't very hopeful in the beginning but after the interview i felt i had the money in my hand already. They must've thought that either 1) the project was too much for a second year student 2) i was just funding my trip to japan. The second reason being quite true, but that's beside the point :P I'm not too torn up about it. I just realised i have to write pretty quickly because in exactly 6 minutes the internet goes down (don't ask, NTL) and i won't be able to post.

As i have mentioned before, my Superdrive needs fixing. Went to the Apple Store Genius Bar and they confirmed it. It will cost me about £230 to get it fixed and a 2-week separation from my beloved. Instead something might happen that will render this particular PB unusable, either due to theft or just pure folly and a new one will hopefully be put in its place. That's all in about 2 months time, in that time i hope Apple will bring out the long-awaited Mac Os X 10.4 Tiger.

Anyway, only two minutes left so i will wrap this up and say my goodnites!

Latest book shop

Went to Waterstone's yesterday to check the price of Lonely Planet's Guide to Japan (to compare with Amazon) and it was £5 more expensive but i bought it anyway...and three more books, on that '3 for 2' deal they always have going. I walked out of WS £35 poorer and about 2000+ words richer. I love buying books, as i do reading them but the fact that my stack of "unread" books is getting higher i deduce that i must like buying them more than i do reading them. Cursed WS!! Needed the Japan Guide though, mostly for planning the trip in April, but it's also fun to just read it through, about the history and such.

Going down to London on friday to pay a little visit to my friend Firas who has recently been blessed with a new PowerMac G5 with a 20" Cinema Display, the apple virus is spreading fast (all my housemates use iTunes as their main music player, they'll come around to the mac soon). Going to down to his place to help him familiarise himself with the mac and all the new features...though that doesn't really need any help, it'll all come to him in time. I'm still discovering things myself and i've had my PowerBook for a year and a bit now (purchased November '03).

Woke up not long ago and i have to eat something before i start my long long day of coding two MASSIVE questionnaires for yet another practical. I can't wait till third year when we don't have practicals, they're death.

x¶ Soon firas, i will be there! :D do not despair in this moment of truth ;)

japanese blog

Found this really cool place that does japanese blogs with alot cooler skins (well, different atleast) than blogger. It's got a spooky cemetery feel to it which i love. Very "nightmare before christmas"-ish indeed.

http://blog.drecom.jp/hemil/

Been ill for the past couple of days and the damn germs are hanging on for dear life it seems. Refuse to let me go, grrr...i hate being ill. Worked my first shift in a long time at Subway yesterday night, the new graveyard shifts on weekends, i got home at about half four. Dead beat, couldn't move a muscle this morning. That and a sore throat, and coughing ofcourse is not something you want a few days before a deadline.

Speaking of deadlines, i have one which i should be working on this very moment so i'll say my goodbyes here and now. Before i go, i have an interview for a travel scholarship to go to Japan to conduct a study on marriage attitudes. Interesting to me :D will provide me with £400. Which will go towards my ticket. Happy Times, hope i get it.

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