characters: me and jesus
setting: breakfast on a sunny friday morning and my "happy" playlist (you are the best thing, everybody knows, sweet pea, la vie en rose, moon river, hey soul sister, three little birds, who says...etc awesome playlist)
today is going to be good. oh yeah. i have taken my early morning shower, gotten dressed, fixed my hair, and i managed to not wake the kids up before they were supposed to! the smallest accomplishments never cease to amaze me. jenny has taken the kids to school, the sun is shining, and the greatest part about this moment is that i have a mango. a mango i have been saving/hiding for a week and a half, and when i checked this morning, i knew it was time. because i live in such a cold country, i didn't think waiting until the mango was ripe would actually make a difference in the flavor. oh. OH. i was wrong. i peeled and sliced that baby open and a little piece of heaven shown down...you know the kind where the sun actually shines visible rays through the window of the house and a choir starts to sing in the background? yep. a little piece of heaven. that mango had the most beautiful sweetness to it that i couldn't stop thinking about it all morning. i don't think i've ever actually tasted a mango that ripe and pure! it was amazing! i had a relationship with this mango and you know what? it was worth the wait.
yes, this one is for my ladies, and yes, this is about love, fairytales, and waiting on the lord for true love.
i grew up watching disney movies, princesses, always believing that every girl deserves to find prince charming. i still believe that now. it's not cliche, it's not stupid, it's real.
in my personal relationship with jesus, i have always believed that he has prince charming picked out for me, and all i have to do is wait (patiently) for jesus to place him in my life. however, this is extremely hard to do, trusting that the lord will let me know when it's the right guy at the right time, especially when i want to fall in love NOW, just to be able to have that "feeling." but it is really worth it in the end? because what usually happens is we doubt our hearts, who we are in the lord, and end up changing what we believe to try to make this guy fit in our life. and then we realize that we've settled for less than what god has already designed, and all that's left is a little hole in our hearts that only jesus can fill, not another guy, not shopping, and not ice cream. i know this from making some stupid decisions for the past 2 years, allowing myself get caught up in a whirlwind of love and emotions. but what i realized is that i wasn't pursuing my relationship with my lord, which has resulted in me being blindsided by satan's lies. the sad part is, it happens time and time again, and i forget about the one who stole my heart from the very start, the one who aches for me to run to him, instead of a "feeling." but the best part about having jesus steal your heart, is that no matter how many times you run away, he "...will [always]allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her..." (hosea 2:14). he'll always bring my heart back to life. something i will never understand, for i am completely undeserving of that love.
i'm not going to pretend that waiting for the right guy is easy, because everything in this evil world tells us to give yourself and heart away to just a "feeling" and even just for the heck of it. but my renewed love for my lord, tells me to hang on to the fairytale concept. i have even sat back and watched fairytales unfold in front of me with some of my closest friends, all because they ignored satan's lies and waited, some for a very long time, for their prince charming, and they all have beautiful marriages that are wrapped in god's love. again, it's a commitment and not easy, but the outcome is joy, love, peace, goodness...etc. i have also witnessed many relationships go down in flames because they settled and compromised themselves. i have to say that i have always had a habit of running from committments, but i like to think that it is because my heart is not ready. i still have more waiting to do, more ripening to do, like my mango, in my relationship with my lord. and then he'll let me know.
"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven..."
(ecclesiastes 3:1)
.............and scene.............
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Coming Soon...
The Dreamer
Me & Emma
The Mango Story
A Constant
For all of the blog stalkers, aka mom, i scatter my thoughts around and don't finish my writings before i start something new, so i just wanted to inform you that the goods are coming and to keep reading. This adventure is just getting started!
Me & Emma
The Mango Story
A Constant
For all of the blog stalkers, aka mom, i scatter my thoughts around and don't finish my writings before i start something new, so i just wanted to inform you that the goods are coming and to keep reading. This adventure is just getting started!
A True Swede...
1. drinks their coffee black
2. snuffs religiously(dips, chews, whatever you want to call it...usually only the guys)
3. eats salty "goodis" aka candy (worst candy i've ever tried, strictly swedish)
4. takes their kids to get "lördags goodis" aka saturday candy (kids don't eat sweets during the week and always look forward to walking to the candy store where there are bins and bins of all diferent sorts of candy and sweets)
5. develops supermom status if one can make good "bulle" (buns), especially "kanelbulle" (cinamon buns...we haven't made them yet, but i have tried one...urgott! (SO good))
6. makes a bookmark book (for girls) and passes them down to the female children in the family
7. owns a volvo (an most of the time you don't even need a car because you walk anywhere and everywhere)
8. puts butter on everything (though that is very european as well)
9. has sparkly blue eyes (haven't met one that doesn't)
10. walks into the church and out with their husband (at a wedding) the father doesn't give the daughter away.
This might be the top ten for a true swede, but there are many other culture shocks as well. I'll start with the children, since i am an Au Pair and a teacher.
Cursing...it's crazy but even the kids curse! Not all the time, but it's not a big deal if the F-bomb slips out every once in a while out of a 7-year-old's mouth. Erik, the oldest, said it one time in front of me and i GASPED loudly and said "inte okej Erik" (not ok erik!!). He kind of just giggled at me and i said huh uh, that is not cool! Funny part was that he was talking to the fish when he said it...(we have a fish tank with about 7 african ciklids)...maybe it is because i'm from the south, but that is strange for me. And they don't bleep out curse words on the radio either!! Needless to say, Eric Iglesias new song doesn't actually say "tonight i'm loving you..."
School...children know their table manners by age 2. They sit on their bottoms and eat with a fork and knife, plastic of course. It is incredible. Most kids also eat whatever their parents prepare for them, including steak paired with a red wine demi glace.
From a teacher's perspective, teaching in sweden would be marvelous. There are zero grades until the 8th grade! I'm not even kidding! There is no pressure whatsoever on the students to succeed, and there is no such thing as retaining the kids. There are assessments in class, the students have reading homework, and the teachers have a review of the student's progress twice a year, but school for the young ones is all about exploration and play. The first standardized test is when they are age 13, and students are also given grades at that age. I see both the advantages and disadvantages of this process, but that might be the biggest culture shock here.
weird.
People/public transportation...again, this has to be because i'm from the south, but when i smile or wave at strangers, they look down and keep walking. People are always only going about their own business, and don't really care that you are there. It's not a bad thing at all, but it's taking time to get used to, especially since i'm used to striking a conversation with just about anyone. there is one type of person you do want to avoid, and they are known as the street performers. you absolutely don't want to make eye contact with them, even if their tune on the accordian is somewhat ok. if you make eye contact, they will follow you until you give them money. it's entertaining, though, to watch how mad some people get when they follow someone onto the tram. hahaha good times. thankfully i haven't been a victim of this.
Also, Göteborg is a place where anyone can fit in. The language is swedish and everyone speaks to you in swedish first, but everyone also knows english. There are so many different nationalities here that you don't just see blonde hair and blue eyes. Somone actually thought i looked swedish, and then i opened my mouth. There is a huge asian culture here as well, which i thought to be very interesting. Göteborg is all one big happy family!
I have been here for a month and a half now, and i am still learning and seeing so much every week. i like it. it's new, fresh...it's europe!! This is the coolest opportunity i've ever been given and i hope to make the most of this experience. Who am i kidding, how can i not?!!
p.s. swedish fish (the candy) does not exist in sweden, so if you've ever believed, like i have, that they did, the world has been lying to us. thought i would share.
2. snuffs religiously(dips, chews, whatever you want to call it...usually only the guys)
3. eats salty "goodis" aka candy (worst candy i've ever tried, strictly swedish)
4. takes their kids to get "lördags goodis" aka saturday candy (kids don't eat sweets during the week and always look forward to walking to the candy store where there are bins and bins of all diferent sorts of candy and sweets)
5. develops supermom status if one can make good "bulle" (buns), especially "kanelbulle" (cinamon buns...we haven't made them yet, but i have tried one...urgott! (SO good))
6. makes a bookmark book (for girls) and passes them down to the female children in the family
7. owns a volvo (an most of the time you don't even need a car because you walk anywhere and everywhere)
8. puts butter on everything (though that is very european as well)
9. has sparkly blue eyes (haven't met one that doesn't)
10. walks into the church and out with their husband (at a wedding) the father doesn't give the daughter away.
This might be the top ten for a true swede, but there are many other culture shocks as well. I'll start with the children, since i am an Au Pair and a teacher.
Cursing...it's crazy but even the kids curse! Not all the time, but it's not a big deal if the F-bomb slips out every once in a while out of a 7-year-old's mouth. Erik, the oldest, said it one time in front of me and i GASPED loudly and said "inte okej Erik" (not ok erik!!). He kind of just giggled at me and i said huh uh, that is not cool! Funny part was that he was talking to the fish when he said it...(we have a fish tank with about 7 african ciklids)...maybe it is because i'm from the south, but that is strange for me. And they don't bleep out curse words on the radio either!! Needless to say, Eric Iglesias new song doesn't actually say "tonight i'm loving you..."
School...children know their table manners by age 2. They sit on their bottoms and eat with a fork and knife, plastic of course. It is incredible. Most kids also eat whatever their parents prepare for them, including steak paired with a red wine demi glace.
From a teacher's perspective, teaching in sweden would be marvelous. There are zero grades until the 8th grade! I'm not even kidding! There is no pressure whatsoever on the students to succeed, and there is no such thing as retaining the kids. There are assessments in class, the students have reading homework, and the teachers have a review of the student's progress twice a year, but school for the young ones is all about exploration and play. The first standardized test is when they are age 13, and students are also given grades at that age. I see both the advantages and disadvantages of this process, but that might be the biggest culture shock here.
weird.
People/public transportation...again, this has to be because i'm from the south, but when i smile or wave at strangers, they look down and keep walking. People are always only going about their own business, and don't really care that you are there. It's not a bad thing at all, but it's taking time to get used to, especially since i'm used to striking a conversation with just about anyone. there is one type of person you do want to avoid, and they are known as the street performers. you absolutely don't want to make eye contact with them, even if their tune on the accordian is somewhat ok. if you make eye contact, they will follow you until you give them money. it's entertaining, though, to watch how mad some people get when they follow someone onto the tram. hahaha good times. thankfully i haven't been a victim of this.
Also, Göteborg is a place where anyone can fit in. The language is swedish and everyone speaks to you in swedish first, but everyone also knows english. There are so many different nationalities here that you don't just see blonde hair and blue eyes. Somone actually thought i looked swedish, and then i opened my mouth. There is a huge asian culture here as well, which i thought to be very interesting. Göteborg is all one big happy family!
I have been here for a month and a half now, and i am still learning and seeing so much every week. i like it. it's new, fresh...it's europe!! This is the coolest opportunity i've ever been given and i hope to make the most of this experience. Who am i kidding, how can i not?!!
p.s. swedish fish (the candy) does not exist in sweden, so if you've ever believed, like i have, that they did, the world has been lying to us. thought i would share.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Never Alone
You know those songs you hear and you think, "hmm this song could be about jesus."? Well here ya go. I like to listen to classical music while studying and today's instrument choice was piano, of course. It's Jim Brickman with Lady Antebellum as the voices to the melody. It is a song from parents to their children, they can be young or old, and all i think about is how jesus tries to tell us this all the time:
May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when its time to go home
May you always have plenty
Your glass never empty
And know in your belly
You're never alone
May your tears come from laughing
You find friends worth having
With every year passing
They mean more than gold
May you win but stay humble
Smile more than grumble
And know when you stumble
You're never alone
Chorus:
Never alone
Never alone
I¹ll be in every beat of your heart
When you face the unknown
Wherever you fly
This isn't goodbye
My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you¹re never alone
Well I have to be honest
As much as I wanted
I'm not gonna promise the cold winds won¹t blow
So when hard times have found you
And your fears surround you
Wrap my love around you
You're never alone
Chorus
May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when its time to go home
And when hard times have found you
And your fear surrounds you
Wrap my love around you
You¹re never alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXrMPtCVcE
Don't we all love "cute" songs? I recommend that you only listen to it once and maybe use a verse as a lullabye to your kids (now or one day) because it is pretty repetitive. BUT, i hope you were reminded that jesus christ is a father that wants to hold you, protect you, and love you! ALL the time! You never have to feel alone!
"...and lo, i am with you always, even until the ends of the earth..."
smiles
May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when its time to go home
May you always have plenty
Your glass never empty
And know in your belly
You're never alone
May your tears come from laughing
You find friends worth having
With every year passing
They mean more than gold
May you win but stay humble
Smile more than grumble
And know when you stumble
You're never alone
Chorus:
Never alone
Never alone
I¹ll be in every beat of your heart
When you face the unknown
Wherever you fly
This isn't goodbye
My love will follow you stay with you
Baby you¹re never alone
Well I have to be honest
As much as I wanted
I'm not gonna promise the cold winds won¹t blow
So when hard times have found you
And your fears surround you
Wrap my love around you
You're never alone
Chorus
May the angels protect you
Trouble neglect you
And heaven accept you when its time to go home
And when hard times have found you
And your fear surrounds you
Wrap my love around you
You¹re never alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pXrMPtCVcE
Don't we all love "cute" songs? I recommend that you only listen to it once and maybe use a verse as a lullabye to your kids (now or one day) because it is pretty repetitive. BUT, i hope you were reminded that jesus christ is a father that wants to hold you, protect you, and love you! ALL the time! You never have to feel alone!
"...and lo, i am with you always, even until the ends of the earth..."
smiles
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Edelweiss
Children laughing, a fresh mountain river, waves crashing on the sand, crickets and bull frogs, horses running in a pasture, the key of G on the guitar, your mother's voice, sizzling fajitas, the coffee maker in the morning...etc. Do me a favor. Think about a "sound" you love. Just one sound. Now, close your eyes and really imagine this sound like it is sounding in this very moment. HA!! I bet you couldn't think of just one! You tried, but then the dryer's buzzer went off, a motorcycle rode by, or maybe you heard someone walking toward you. I bet you couldn't count all the sounds you actually hear on a 10 minute walk outside. Are our ears not incredible?!
I think my favorite of the five senses is hearing, or maybe that is a dominant sense of mine. Just the other day, I came home from my first swedish class and sat down and turned the tv on to find the cast of "The Sound of Music" together for a reunion on Oprah.
*Side note: I have a crush on Captain VonTrapp. His voice is close to perfection. End side note*
Anywho, I was also studying swedish because I started class this week. Now picture this: I look up from studying and find myself mezmorized by the simple tune of Edelweiss...with tears! I was crying! Something in my brain registered to me that the sound of these notes put together was beautiful! Not to mention the sound that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer make together! Gasp! Go to youtube or your itunes right now, and listen to how simple this tune is. It reminds me of the scene in "The Holiday" where Miles plays a tune for Iris and says, "iris, if you were a melody, i used only the good notes..." Edelweiss, also, uses only the good notes.
I started thinking about how often music alone does this to me. Music is one thing that can always bring me to life, meaning my emotions are affected more by music than people most of the time. If you know me well enough, you know that i am always singing, or if i am not singing, i have a song in my head at all times. It can be annoying, especially if you are Sam Giffin, my brother, and a 2-hour car ride home is nothing but, "OMG!! I LOVE this song!!!"...for every song...
*Side note: i also LOVE everything. End side note*
I am going to say it: I LOVE music! I can't help it! My mom used to have us listen to classical music when we were very young and pick out the instruments that were being played. I still do that today, except now i can pick out the rhythms and harmonies (shout out to my girl, ARG, my harmony partner in crime). It is incredible how many different sounds can be included in every song, and how many different songs and tunes exist in the world. I am blown away by how blessed i am that i have "ears to hear" (matthew 11:15).
It is not just the sound of music that i love so much either. I love the sounds of nature, the sounds that allow me to feel so close to my Lord Jesus. Think about the power in the feirce waves of the pacific ocean, or the peace of a mountain stream. Think about the calm before a storm, and then the wrath of thunder. Usually, it is what i see in vast places that make me feel so small, but also the sounds of His creation. The smaller i feel, the more overwhelmed and comforted i am by His love for me. And that is just with my ears! There are so many things God has given us to be able to experience an intimate relationship with Him that we take for granted.
"Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?"
(1 Corinthians 14:7)
It seems silly that a simple tune such as Edelweiss, a tune that is familiar and old to many, can bring such a realization of the many blessings we have, including our ears. Our ears allow us to "sense" or experience joy, peace, love, sadness, thrill, and even fear. Whether it is the sound of an instrument, a simple melody, a busy sidewalk, or a library, try to be in "tune" with what you hear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHujvkacNY
*Side note: yeah, i know, that line was super corny, but it happens so get over it. End side note*
I think my favorite of the five senses is hearing, or maybe that is a dominant sense of mine. Just the other day, I came home from my first swedish class and sat down and turned the tv on to find the cast of "The Sound of Music" together for a reunion on Oprah.
*Side note: I have a crush on Captain VonTrapp. His voice is close to perfection. End side note*
Anywho, I was also studying swedish because I started class this week. Now picture this: I look up from studying and find myself mezmorized by the simple tune of Edelweiss...with tears! I was crying! Something in my brain registered to me that the sound of these notes put together was beautiful! Not to mention the sound that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer make together! Gasp! Go to youtube or your itunes right now, and listen to how simple this tune is. It reminds me of the scene in "The Holiday" where Miles plays a tune for Iris and says, "iris, if you were a melody, i used only the good notes..." Edelweiss, also, uses only the good notes.
I started thinking about how often music alone does this to me. Music is one thing that can always bring me to life, meaning my emotions are affected more by music than people most of the time. If you know me well enough, you know that i am always singing, or if i am not singing, i have a song in my head at all times. It can be annoying, especially if you are Sam Giffin, my brother, and a 2-hour car ride home is nothing but, "OMG!! I LOVE this song!!!"...for every song...
*Side note: i also LOVE everything. End side note*
I am going to say it: I LOVE music! I can't help it! My mom used to have us listen to classical music when we were very young and pick out the instruments that were being played. I still do that today, except now i can pick out the rhythms and harmonies (shout out to my girl, ARG, my harmony partner in crime). It is incredible how many different sounds can be included in every song, and how many different songs and tunes exist in the world. I am blown away by how blessed i am that i have "ears to hear" (matthew 11:15).
It is not just the sound of music that i love so much either. I love the sounds of nature, the sounds that allow me to feel so close to my Lord Jesus. Think about the power in the feirce waves of the pacific ocean, or the peace of a mountain stream. Think about the calm before a storm, and then the wrath of thunder. Usually, it is what i see in vast places that make me feel so small, but also the sounds of His creation. The smaller i feel, the more overwhelmed and comforted i am by His love for me. And that is just with my ears! There are so many things God has given us to be able to experience an intimate relationship with Him that we take for granted.
"Even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes?"
(1 Corinthians 14:7)
It seems silly that a simple tune such as Edelweiss, a tune that is familiar and old to many, can bring such a realization of the many blessings we have, including our ears. Our ears allow us to "sense" or experience joy, peace, love, sadness, thrill, and even fear. Whether it is the sound of an instrument, a simple melody, a busy sidewalk, or a library, try to be in "tune" with what you hear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFHujvkacNY
*Side note: yeah, i know, that line was super corny, but it happens so get over it. End side note*
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Faces and Places
My sales clerk yesterday looked EXACTLY like Chad Michael Murray!! I was in a cute homestore called HEMTREX to get some towels and such, and I couldn't stop staring! It was amazing! I most definitely creeped him out but he still smiled at me. I texted Chad while in the store and told him his twin lived in Sweden...SIKE
It has been such an interesting first week in my new home and with the whole house being sick (mom AND all 3 kids with high fevers), I have had to do most everything on my own with little direction. My first experience out on my own was this past Saturday, my day off. Magnus (dad) had the idea that I should use his tram card and venture into town. Originally, Jenny was going to go with me and show me but she was sick as a dog and wasn't going to be able to make it out of bed that day...so I was on my own (uh oh). I was very nervous but I decided to just go for it: get on a tram and find my way downtown, or as they call it in Sweden, "centrum." Magnus told me which tram to take and what station to stop at. He wasn't worried at all that I hadn't ever been out of the country and that I had no idea what anyone was saying when they tried to talk to me! I made it to the tram station, which is a 4 minute walk, and asked a couple of guys who were talking to each other in swedish, "this way to centrum?" They replied with "yes, correct." Okay, that wasn't so bad! I finally made it to the mall and walked around for a bit. There were SO many people there, nothing was in english, and I was trying my hardest to walk like I knew where I was going. I was so overwhelmed listening to the sounds and the language around in this crowded place. I've never been so intimidated about opening my mouth! Everyone can speak english, but swedish is their first language so that is all I heard, putting me comepletely out of my comfort zone. When I got home, I almost wanted to cry! I missed America BAD! But this is my home for the next 10 months so I have to make myself be ok. I WILL be ok!
Sunday was a better day. Jenny's (mom) parents took Elias (2 year old) and I to the harbor. They don't speak english very well, but they told me all about Göteburg the best they could, and even taught me a few words in Svenska (swedish). It was refreshing to walk around in the cold air, to think, and to listen. Already, I can say it is my favorite place, full of boats, pier cafe's, and a beautiful image of the city just across the harbor! There is a lot to do and see, especially in the spring and summer when everyone is ALWAYS outside :) And there's FRESH sushi everywhere. As DAve Barnes would say, "So gooood, so good!"
Sigh, I'm going to love it in this country, and after my Swedish course, it will be MUCH easier! I'll be able to make new friends, talk/understand the kids, and actually "live" in Göteburg! It is quite peaceful and friendly.
Here's to brighter days!
It has been such an interesting first week in my new home and with the whole house being sick (mom AND all 3 kids with high fevers), I have had to do most everything on my own with little direction. My first experience out on my own was this past Saturday, my day off. Magnus (dad) had the idea that I should use his tram card and venture into town. Originally, Jenny was going to go with me and show me but she was sick as a dog and wasn't going to be able to make it out of bed that day...so I was on my own (uh oh). I was very nervous but I decided to just go for it: get on a tram and find my way downtown, or as they call it in Sweden, "centrum." Magnus told me which tram to take and what station to stop at. He wasn't worried at all that I hadn't ever been out of the country and that I had no idea what anyone was saying when they tried to talk to me! I made it to the tram station, which is a 4 minute walk, and asked a couple of guys who were talking to each other in swedish, "this way to centrum?" They replied with "yes, correct." Okay, that wasn't so bad! I finally made it to the mall and walked around for a bit. There were SO many people there, nothing was in english, and I was trying my hardest to walk like I knew where I was going. I was so overwhelmed listening to the sounds and the language around in this crowded place. I've never been so intimidated about opening my mouth! Everyone can speak english, but swedish is their first language so that is all I heard, putting me comepletely out of my comfort zone. When I got home, I almost wanted to cry! I missed America BAD! But this is my home for the next 10 months so I have to make myself be ok. I WILL be ok!
Sunday was a better day. Jenny's (mom) parents took Elias (2 year old) and I to the harbor. They don't speak english very well, but they told me all about Göteburg the best they could, and even taught me a few words in Svenska (swedish). It was refreshing to walk around in the cold air, to think, and to listen. Already, I can say it is my favorite place, full of boats, pier cafe's, and a beautiful image of the city just across the harbor! There is a lot to do and see, especially in the spring and summer when everyone is ALWAYS outside :) And there's FRESH sushi everywhere. As DAve Barnes would say, "So gooood, so good!"
Sigh, I'm going to love it in this country, and after my Swedish course, it will be MUCH easier! I'll be able to make new friends, talk/understand the kids, and actually "live" in Göteburg! It is quite peaceful and friendly.
Here's to brighter days!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tinkers
Barnes & Noble is one of my favorite places to get lost. I like to take my time looking through each section, looking at people, flipping through pages, and drinking an amazing cup of starbucks brewed coffee. I thought it to be the perfect place to buy some essentials (a journal, new pens, a new novel...etc) before a long flight across the big pond. While walking by the ''New in Paperback'' table, The most interesting title called ''Tinkers'' caught my eye. I saw that it was the winner of the Pullitzer Prize for 2010 and I just had to have it. So here i am in Sweden trying to figure out what is going on, besides the fact that the back cover says it's about an old man finding himself before he dies. Every paragragh is a new subject, I can't figure out who i'm reading about, the conversations don't have quotation marks around them, and this guy won THE Pullitzer Prize? I feel like i have AD/HD...which is, of course, a possibility. Nonetheless, I am continuing on with it because i think i have figured it out. The author has captured the train-of-thought of this dying epileptic man who has so many thoughts running through his mind in every direction day after day after day. It's exhausting trying to figure out why he is concerned with the soap again only for the next sentence to be about a heart attack when he was 68!! (You'll just have to read it.) I might bite my right-middle fingernail over this novel! All that said, it actually is reminding me of my own train-of-thought. I am a thinker and I am thinking ALL the time...even when i'm talking or humming, i'm probably thinking about SOMEthing. The past few days have been an exhausting whirlwind of so many thoughts running around in my head. Living in Sweden as an Au Pair is going to be way more challenging than I thought it was going to be when the only common language I have is with the oldest boy (7-years-old) and that consists of ''Master Yoda,'' ''R2-D2," and "Jabba-the-Hutt." If you are a visual person, then yes, it is quite funny.
breathe.
As overhwelmed and anxious as I am right now, I know the language barrier will not be for that much longer, for I do have 10 months to learn Svenska (Swedish). With that, i hope there will be lots of positive experiences and stories to share. In the meantime, there is still a lot of thinking to do, and blogging (it's my first one!).
Feel free to figure out my train-of-thought or pick apart my brain! I could use any help with that one!~Uncharted
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