Thursday, May 28, 2009

Meet the passporter(?)


I couldn't come up with a better name.

Was at the police station today to apply for a new passport because the first page --- you know, the one with all the important information --- was about to go bye-bye.

Passporter features:
*camera to take your passport photo of course --- the thing about getting your photo taken at a police station is it feels odd to primp...it's more like "Hello mugshot!" and you don't really feel free to request a retake;
*camera is automatically raised/lowered to eye level when the person assisting you inputs your height;
*fingerprint scanner for added security --- it couldn't register my fingerprints because my skin was too dry, but it should be okay as long as no one is out to single white female me;
*signature capture device --- I liked this one because you got to write on paper with a pen as opposed to writing directly on the device and not seeing what you're writing like I've had to do for ID cards in the past...or maybe those should have come with paper too, but they were just being stingy;
*monitor so you can check that the information is correct as well as the final layout of the information page; and
*a big ruler on the side --- oddly enough, my favorite part!

If you think about it, the passporter is really just a glorified computer with a bunch of peripherals, but I think it's nifty that someone came up with the idea of consolidating all the components into one unit.

Will pick up my new passport next week with lots of time to spare before I leave for Manila.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Kungsholmens gymnasium


Am here for an orientation since I'll be working at one of the polling places on EU election day.

Don't know how well it comes across in the picture, but that is a pretty corridor.

Snack time


Geez, do I feel tired. Forgot what I was supposed to order while waiting for my turn.

Had a good day though. Did self evaluation today as a part of our Professional Development course. I was dreading it because I've been feeling like I've accomplished zilch this semester, but filling in the self evaluation form and speaking to my mentor actually helped me realize that I am in fact making progress.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

My outfit for today


...comes courtesy of Stockholm County Council and is oversized.

Monday, May 25, 2009

If only it came in my size


Thought this would be perfect for the big niece because her hair looks similar and she has recently been fond of wearing a cardboard crown that she originally used for a presentation at daycare.

When I found out that it also came in black, I wanted to get one for myself too. The largest children's size is 170 cm and I'm only 163 cm tall, but alas, the cutoff for this shirt is 122 cm.

The niece dodged a bullet there. Matching aunt and niece outfits must rank pretty high on the daycare cringe scale.

I was about to pull out a pen to solve the crossword puzzle


...only to find that it came pre-solved.

It is done


Have finally voted for the first time in my life.

Cast my vote for the EU elections today.

[Röstkort = voting card; valkuvert = election envelope]

Saturday, May 23, 2009

The price of art?


Spotted this candle holder at Designtorget. Cute idea, but I can't help but wonder how the tag price of 350 Swedish crowns compares with just buying the components from the hardware store and putting it together yourself. Or would that amount to intellectual property theft?

[Photo taken at 1729.]

The shifting of the guard


Missed the changing of the guard ceremony at the Royal Palace because I overslept, but I did get to see them change shifts.

[Photo taken at 1601.]

Look who I almost stepped on


Honestly can't say which of us it would have been more traumatic for.

Or is it more traumatic to end a sentence with a preposition?

Friday, May 22, 2009

Oopsy!


Pen ended up in the washing machine by mistake.

Wonder if it will still write.

UPDATE: It's working better than it did pre-laundering.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

What is wrong with this picture?


It looks like people made an effort (for the most part) not to litter.

Too bad that is not a trash can.

Whew!


Passed the anatomy exam...just barely, but I'm relieved to have it behind me. Felt confident and in control while identifying structures in the plastic models, but started to panic and guess haphazardly when it was time for the cadaver. Everything would be so much easier if veins were really blue and nerves, yellow.

Am now going to watch the movie I'd intended to watch last Friday.

Guess the original English title of this movie which was simply translated as "Dump him!"

Brain, brain, don't explode


...at least wait until Thursday.

Apparently, being able to sing "my toes, my knees, my shoulders, my head" and "the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone" will not get me through anatomy.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Railroad construction --- niece-y style


"The circle is very circly!"

Friday, May 15, 2009

Done watching


Thought the movie was great.

Now waiting for the bus which will finally take me to school.

But that's the whole point!


Don't usually buy popcorn at the movies, but got a kiddie menu in hopes of scoring more Lego.

After ringing up my order, the cashier asked whether I would like to have the toy that goes with the meal. Um, yes?!

Guess the brother will let the niece keep this toy.

Because the churchy wurchy said it was okay


...am now going to watch Angels & Demons. Just kidding, would have watched regardless.

Was planning to watch a movie after school and was heading to class, but the trains were delayed due to an incident. Since I was only going to make it to a 45 minute class followed by an almost 3 hour break until the next one, I decided to go watch a movie now instead.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Vårtecken?


"Vår" means spring and "tecken" means sign.

I've never heard anyone say anything about snails heralding spring, but anyhoo...

I just spotted oodles of snails on my way home and I've never seen them there before.

A skeleton in my closet


Back in grade school, Baywatch and 90210 aired on Friday nights and come Monday, we'd be chatting about the latest episodes at school. If we'd had a water cooler, we'd have talked about those programs while standing around it.

The height of Baywatch and 90210 fever coincided with the period when power outages frequently occurred in the Philippines and I remember how we'd sit on the trunk lid of the old Chevrolet Vega (try doing that on a Toyota) during a Friday night blackout and how I'd fervently hope that the lights would come back on before my shows started --- or at the very least before they ended --- so that I wouldn't be out of the loop on Monday.

I also remember a Friday evening when I read --- or tried to read --- Pilgrim's Progress only to fall asleep. I cried when I woke up much later and discovered that I'd slept through the programs. This was long before the internet and series DVDs, when missing the airing of an episode meant that you would probably never get to watch it. Come to think of it, I don't think I ever bothered to finish reading Pilgrim's Progress, which I was incidentally only reading because of Little Women.

I think Shauni and Eddie were probably the first television couple I ever rooted for --- not counting animated ones. Just to be clear, we're talking about pre-Pamela-Anderson Baywatch here --- oh, the horror!

If you're wondering whether I bought the DVD, I didn't. Although come to think of it, maybe I should have. Just for old times' sake.

[Photo taken at 1629.]

If this ad is to be believed


...then 100g raw chicken contains 11.4g fat, 19.5g protein, 20mg magnesium and 79mg cholesterol. That accounts for 31g...what's the remaining 69g? Bones and water?!

Snack time at IKEA


Strawberry cheesecake!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Tulips in hiding


[Photo taken at 1450 today.]

The facebook ad I couldn't resist


amelia @ 29.50 x 4 issues = 118.00
Movie tickets @ ~100.00 x 2 = 200.00
Walk The Line DVD @ ~75.00
TOTAL VALUE = ~393.00

I paid 88.50.

The tickets and DVD finally arrived along with the third issue today. Not planning on extending the trial subscription and was mostly in this for the movie tickets. Have caught bits and pieces of Walk The Line on HBO before...not really my type of movie, but like the Time's A Wastin' duet

Tulips!


Spotted these and many others at school.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Don't try this at home!


My snack for tonight is tocino* and mayo sandwich.

Sorry arteries!

[*They're dark because the brother prefers them burnt to lessen the sweetness. Also, it would seem that the makers of this tocino aren't big on nitrate.]

Friday, May 1, 2009

Jacket style & color + shirt print


= soldier from Bambi's army

Well, at least as far as the brother is concerned.