Christina

I'm taking over the LJ/DW Xmas ornament swap, with Rachel rachel2205's blessing. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's what it says on the tin. Sign up using the form below and comment with your answers (comments are screened). I will email you someone else's info and then you post them an ornament by the deadline.

The deadline to sign up for this is November 18th. Then I will email you your swapping partner's info (you may be sending an ornament to someone who doesn't have your name) and then send your ornaments to each other by December 2nd! You may have to send your ornament internationally, but it shouldn't be a problem as ornaments are pretty cheap and light-weight.

So, if you want to join, please comment the following:

Full name:

LJ name:

Email address:

Postal address:

Any allergies/pet hates?:

Favourite colours:

Would you describe your tree decor as traditional/modern/kitsch/something else?:

Rachel may be sharing this post on her LJ, in case you see it twice!

Happy Holidays. xxx

I'm back from Sweden! I should note I was meant to go with my friend/former flatmate Katie, but she became ill and got a blood clot in her leg, meaning she couldn't fly for 2 weeks. :( We planned to share a hotel room, and I cannot afford a Stockholm hotel room by myself, so the lovely Kiki gave me her studio flat while she stayed at her boyfriend's. It was such a lovely gesture, I'm still touched! I gave her some Yumchaa "Wanderlust" tea as a thank you.

This was my 4th time to Scandinavia (if you include Iceland), and once again, I am in love with that region of the world. My flight on Thursday was amusing as I went with Norwegian airlines and they name their planes after famous Norwegians - my plane was named Hilmer Hanssen, after the polar explorer. It is also the name of my great-uncle! I found it amusing, anyway!

When I got in I met Kiki at at Central Station. After a few errands, we had a lovely dinner of salmon and salad on her balcony that overlooks the city. The sunset was bright pink and beautiful. Friday morning I went off to Skansen, which has a zoo with Scandiavian animals (caribou! moose! brown bears!), a Sami camp and cabins from Northern Sweden from 100-200 years ago that look exactly like my great-grandmother Kari's cabin in Minnesota! Same style of funiture and everything. Well, Kari was from Swedish-occupied Norway. Makes sense.

Then I wandered off, eventually ending up at the the Vasa Museum. If you don't know the story of Vasa, it is weird. I found it odd that they claim they buried everyone who died, but had many full skeletons on display? I also learned the average height of a Swede in the 1600s was 162cm (5'3")! After my dose of Swedish-ness, Kiki, her friends and friends of friends, and I all had a picnic in the park while watching an outdoor screening of JAWS with free drinks and popcorn. I am very glad I never saw the movie as a kid, and now the gruesome bits are just funny!


Kiki & I at the picnic/JAWS outdoor screening

On Saturday Kiki and I had brunch at Cafe Sirap witih her American friends. I had these heavenly pecan pancakes that were just the right amount of crispy on the edges. Then Kiki and I found her friend Clare and we all took a boat out to Waxholm, an island an hour from Stockholm, full of summer houses and boats/small yachts. We ate gelato, window shopped and relaxed in the sunshine before bussing it back to Stockholm and seeing Kiki's boyfriend run in the late night 10k through the city. Beforehand we went to an Irish pub for a pint and my cider was £8!!! See, I love Scandinavia, but it's so expensive.


a vintage shop we found in Waxholm

Finally, Sunday (yesterday) I woke up early (8am) and considering Clare lives a 2 minute walk away, we met up and went for a very hilly 3k run through a nearby forest. During the run, we'd stop to pick wild strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Once cleaned-up, I took myself to the Moderna Musset with Kiki's membership card (free access!) and saw Yoko Ono's "Grapefruit" exhibit, which is almost exactly like her current exhibit in London. Oh well! I love Yoko anyway. I went for a stroll through the old city, Gamla Stan before meeting up with Kiki one last time and heading to the airport....My flight back flew right over Copenhagen, and then a wind farm in the middle of the North Sea (this is why I love window seats). Once at UK immigration, they were actually nice! And I got through customs a lot faster than EU citizens (because I was the only non-EU citizen).


Oh Yoko

( All the photos....! )

♥ Hej då!

Back in Minneapolis for the first time in about a year was strange. Not much had changed in the city, and I felt like I had to go back to my old apartment there when it kept dawning on me 'Christina, you don't live here anymore! It was just surreal. I thought that some bad things that happened to me ( a lot of shit happened to me a year ago) would come back to 'haunt' me, but nothing has. I'm a different person now and my frame of mind has changed, I'm a lot more easy going now. maybe. I'm defintely not the stressball I was when I was at Uni. Terra was very quick to point that out right away. I just don't let things bother me as much. I think it's from defending yourself on your own across the world for one year.

Some things have changed. Terra ladygaia has a lovely, new place and has the cutest kitty!!!! Her name is Lydia. I love that cat. She even cuddled up and slept with me during the night. awww. <333 RockStar & Aquavit are both shut down, Let it Be Records was closed yesterday :( but it looks exactly the same from the outside. Oh, and there's a billboard with two half-naked men on it next to the Hotel Amsterdam. That wasn't there before either. heh. ;) We (I don't know if I should admit this or not *l*)went to the Mall of Death yesterday and it was worse than I remembered it! I knew it was kind of yuppie-ish, but yeah...after Barnes & Noble you run out of places to go, fast.

I kept commenting that the buildings downtown were 'so big!!' lol. I thought that was funny myself...

New Year's Eve was fab! The party was at Spike's spikenheimer's house. Thosquanta played a live set. I think they sound like Covenant meets the Sneaker Pimps! That's a big compliment from me.I met susina and she seemed really cool :)
I had tummy problems so I had to keep going upstairs, it also made me quieter so I didn't socialize as much as I probably would...but I had a good time! :)

I can still tell that after a week here, I'm still going through culture shock. oi.
Well, when I finally adapt I'll be leaving and then I'll miss it because I'm just that way. :p I don't understand why the American news media tries to make everybody so paranoid (okay i know, it's for control) and why the American media keeps searching for some type of American royalty..(see the Hiltons...) and why all the music is so ansty all the time. *shakes head* whatever.

2003-lookingback-survey:
1. What did you do in 2003 that you'd never done before?: became independent in London, England and Dublin, Ireland, ask my crush out on a date (and he said 'yes'!), went to Germany and saw Dachau, worked for Amnesty International Irish Section, saw the Manic Street Preachers live, was in my 1st band in London, saw the Dandy Warhols live, got more 'street smart', also got a bit 'colder', a lot 'stronger', and didn't buy a Madonna album ;)

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year? I never have them. I have one this year but i can't tell. ;)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? My cousin Stephanie had my goddaughter, Sidoni on 18 May.
4. Did anyone close to you die? My dog Blossom died. I cried for the entire first 2 weeks of 2003. because a bunch of people close to me died at the end of 2002. It was really really horrible. I thought i'd spend all of 2003 crying and mourning. it was insane.
5. What countries did you visit? UK, France, Ireland, Germany, USA
6. What would you like to have in 2004 that you lacked in 2003? don't trust people as easily as I did. Take better care of myself.
7. What date from 2003 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? many dates. I'll go with 28 July. my 23rd birthday.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? becoming fully independant and living in central london.
9. What was your biggest failure?Choosing to take an easier, but in the end a stupid decision, which was made even before I got to the UK in the first place, so maybe that's 2002's biggest failure...hm. Now I've learned that sometimes the harder way has to be the way to go.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? I spent a lovely night in Dublin with my head in the toilet, yeah. I also injured my knee in Dublin and it's still not healed. :( I'm not limping anymore but when I put pressure on it, it still hurts.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Those Dublin> London< Dublin plane tickets. hehe.
12.Whose behavior merited celebration? What!!?! Jen...
13.Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?hahahahahaahahah..ask Jen ;)
14. Where did most of your money go? Rent, food, band stuff, traveling.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? seeing the Dandy Warhols and the Manics...especially since I knew I was going to see the Manics only 15 minutes before I left for it. Sam rocks. lol
16.What song(s) will always remind you of 2003?
The Darkness- "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" (listening to it now..<333333)
Kylie- Slow
Oasis- Stop Crying Your Heart Out
Rachel Stevens- Sweet Dreams my L.A. Ex (I hate that song, but it was on the radio every 10 minutes...)
Westlife- Mandy (same as above)
anything on the Manics Lipstick Traces album Esp. 'Judge Yr'self'.
anything on the Dandy Warhols' Welcome to the Monkey Basket album
Dandy Warhols- 'Horse Pills'
Duran Duran's Wedding and Greatest Hits albums
The Pogues- 'If I Should Fall by the Grace of God' and 'London Girls'
Meredith Brooks- 'Bitch'
Pulp- 'Common People'
U2- Still Haven't Found what I'm looking for
Sugababes- 'Hole in the Head' and 'Too Lost in You'
Annie Lennox- 'Why'
No Doubt- 'It's My Life' (Talk Talk cover)
David Bowie- 'New Killer Star'
The Clash- 'Tommy Gun'
Mark Owen- 'Four Minute Warning'
All the Pretty Horses'Creature album
Madonna- Hollywood
anything by Turbonegro
anything by Serafin
17.Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier. much.
ii. thinner or fatter? I'm thinner, but it's way too easy to gain weight here...I need to go on the treadmill or something...
iii.richer or poorer? poorer. just a bit though.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I did a lot of everything. ;) Ask Jen..lol..I stretched myself to the limit.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? stress myself out ....I've learned not to do that nearly as much....so stupid...
20.How will you be spending New Year's?see above. at spikenheimer's NYE party!
21Compared to this time last year, has your biggest crush receded or gotten stronger?receded....to nothing. it's easy to do when they move thousands of miles away now.
22. Did you fall in love in 2003?No.
23How many one-night stands? private information ;) :p!! I'm trying to be somewhat classy on this thing..;) I remember walking down the rainy streets and Jen saying 'At least I haven't had sex with the world!!'!! It was a joke, a joke. I hope it was a joke. hahaha..okay, all the class has just disappeared *l* Then she called me a "world class culture slut". Thanks Jen, I love you too. :x...I'm pure and innocent!!!!! *looks around* really. ;)
24. What was your favorite TV program?V Graham Norton, MTV2 Europe
25Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? oh fuck yeah.....but it's stupid to waste energy on hate, so I never think about it.

26. What was the best book you read? 'If this Was Happiness', the biography on Rita Hayworth.
27. What were your greatest musical discoveries? All the Pretty Horses, Sugababes new stuff, Manics rare stuff, The Darkness.
28What did you want and get? Money. Dinero. Geld.
29. What did you want and not get? David Bowie's Pin-Ups and Low albums.
30. What was your favorite film of this year? Some Like it Hot! Very old, but was very new to me. <33
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? Went to Garlic'n'Shots with Becky Jen and ex-bandmates, got presents, drank £115 worth of drinks, spent the night in Becky's 4-star hotel room. I was 23. I'm an old fart. ;)
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? no more drama!!!! no more dealing with immature brats!!
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2003? It went from glammish normal to glammish/gothish trying to focus on my own personal style more(you wouldn't guess that at the NYE party tho...lol)
34. What kept you sane? Jen and my own personal drive. I'm very stubborn. I never give up.....;)
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Nicky Wire. I never thought of him like that until I saw him in person... yum.
36. What political issue stirred you the most? Oh. we're not going into that here...I'm sure I'm annoying people enough by non-lj cutting this ;)
37. Who did you miss? Terra ladygaia, Becky miss_lixx, and Sarah.
38. Who was the best new person(s) you met? Robin, Jen, Sam, Dave, Stephen, Sebastian, Kevin, Jesse, Ben, Fiona and Heather (again!!) haha ;)
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2003: go after what you want in life and make sure you know what you're dealing with.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: 'I have earned my disllusionment. I have been working all of my life....I have been fighting the good fight'- Ani Difranco, Not a Pretty Girl.

oh and Terra ladygaia burned me her Creatures album!! (Siouxsie Sioux's latest band...) it's fab! thankyou sweetie! *hugs*

EDIT: I JUST GOT A PACKAGE FROM ROBIN!!!!!!! LOVEYOU!!!!!! X10!!! SHE MADE ME COOKIES!!! *many Portland/Minnesota dancy hugs and goes to listen to the Darkness in your honour* ;) I miss you!! You made my day :D well, obviously. ;)

A pop art look at the year 2003.



from my trip to Cardiff in July. I love that city. <3


( more more more )


My mother's best friend, her son and his fiancee (he's on his 2nd finacee and he's only 22...) came over. We had Pepparkakor (I got 3 pieces again!) and n/a drinks, and guess what? His fiancee is pregnant! They're going to have a baby in August '04. It's just shocking because this guy (my mom's friend's son) I grew up with and because we were both only children, we felt like we were siblings because we were always around each other....now he's going to be a FATHER!?!?!?! Jesus, I feel old.
They are getting married in October 2005...I think it's weird when people plan out their weddings for years...I'd just elope in Las Vegas, but that's just me ;)
Yes, I do feel old but on the other hand, I'm so grateful I'm not married and having children yet! I need to do a lot more things before I even start thinking about that, if I ever start thinking about it. The idea of me 'settling down' makes me feel trapped. It may be okay for some people, but not for me. Give me at least another 10 years.

Last night I went with a bunch of people to the Inteprid Fox in Soho. it's the best bar ever. I thought Garlic'n'Shots was, but the Interprid Fox wins. What other place has Oasis & Sex Pistols posters with fake cobwebs and robot crucifixes on the walls!!? I got a girl-crush on the barmaid upstairs....she looked like a cross between Traci Lords and Courtney Love with a lip piercing and pink streaks in her hair. I wasn't alone, Alana was the first to say "She's really hot". yes, indeed. After drinking Newcastle Brown Ales and Strongbow, I came back here, changed, and headed off to The Borderline.

Okay, I don't think I was actually in The Borderline. Sure, I went in, went through these doors and saw people dancing to The Darkness and...just assumed I was at the right place! It looked kind of small but I didn't know...so I just started dancing around with the rest of the crowd....I saw some people that looked familar (ie people in bands, in the NME...) and was like 'nah, can't be them' and just kept on dancing around... Lots of indie boys danced with me, I got loads of compliments on my Spiller's Records shirt, and all around had a really good night!

When I left the bouncer stopped me and said 'How did you get in there? You weren't supposed to be in there!!!'. Okay. Apparently I accidently went into this VIP area party...*LOL*!!! I just said 'Sorry, I didn't know'. The bouncer was nice, he called me 'darling' and let me head home.

I just thought that was amusing. ;)

Today I spent the afternoon at Tate Modern. I used to hate dislike Tate Modern, as I thought it was overly-pretentious. Well, it is, but I've grown to really love it. I basically went to see the 5 Angels of the Millennium again. I could spend hours watching it....it's now my favourite piece of art, including film, photography, painting, everything. I also loved the Warhol room. After reading more about his paintings and the meanings behind his Jackie O. Elvis & Marilyn prints, I'm more convinced that he was a genius. How he linked celebrity to mortality is just, liberating? ingenius. I also respect him even more for his Electric Chair prints. The whole Tate Modern visit today just made me feel very inspired.

Did everybody that wanted a x-mas card from me get one? The postal service hasn't been to kind to me recently...:/ gr.

Kelly Osbourne is just down the street from here so everyone just rushed out in a frenzy to go meet her or if anything, get a glimpse of her...(the story is that she just left the HIM gig at the Astoria..) while I decided to go check my email instead..

silly people.

Oh, you know I'll go outside in a few minutes if they're still out there. ;)

"Fashion is merely a form of ugliness so unbearable that we are compelled to alter it ever six months"
-Oscar Wilde

;) by the way, Wham! rules. They've managed to create one of two christmas songs that don't make me want to stab a fork in my eye.

the other one belongs to The Darkness. "Christmastime (don't let the bells end)". Please be the Christmas #1!!!!

Kevin & I just got our tickets for LoTR: The Return of the King for tomorrow! horah!

Kevin is this guy I met tonight. he's from NYC and he's pretty cool. yup!

Today I went to Camden and got a New York Dolls shirt, which I'm going to alter (cut off the sleeves, shorten it and cut a v-neck into it) and then I went to Knightbridge area,the first time I've been there in years...

I bought a present for my mom at Harrod's. (a Paddington bear!!) Then I went to Versace, Dior, Fendi, and pretended I had loads of money...just because I could. Most of those current fashions are hidious, by the way. yuck. Those doormen at the shops are very intimidating. I feel when I walk past they're going to grab me like "We can tell you got those trousers in Camden! You're not posh enough.." or something. meh.

I forgot to say in my last entry. Heather bought me the cutest tiny Marilyn Monroe purse!!! I keep all my coins in it (which for those who've been/are in Europe, you have loads more coins than you do in the States) and Heather liked my demo so much, she still has it!! Well, actually she just forgot to give it to me so she's posting it off to me.

I also know what I'm getting Becky miss_lixx and Terra ladygaia! I made Terra something but I may get her something little as an extra gift...but only i can find the place again! I randomly found it 2 weeks ago with Jen and I can't find the shop again!

I miss Jen & Robin a lot....alot a lot a lot a lot. It's not the same here without you guys.

I think I'm going to walk around the city now, while I still can. bye!

I'm still sick. *sniffles*

NyQuil never knocks me out so last night I took Night Nurse and didn't think it'd affect me, at 8pm, bam I was out. I woke up at noon today. The last time I slept for 16 hours straight I was in hospital.

Yesterday was the Amnesty International conference, and I had a cold running on 4.5 hours of sleep the night before, hence my sleep-a-thon last night.

I already have my new year's plans! yay! Apparently I'll be with ladygaia going to spikenheimer's party :)

So this year doesn't have to live up to much to beat last year (meatmarketclub, drugs, heavydrinking, crapmusic, scarydriving, girlbrokemymobilephone). trust me.

Heather and I are going to try to find Jill Furmanovsky's gallery somewhere in Temple Bar this weekend.....

oh yeah, and apparently parts of my demo are 'mega'.

and Amnesty International's christmas party tomorrow night! yay! I love working for a laid-back international rights office who also remembers to have fun as well as work.

When I worked for the Institute of Global Studies in Mpls. we would have fun, like get beer from belgium and cake to close the day. This place has a similar atmosphere ;)

I got everybody's address who wanted a x-mas card. I'll send them out. thanks.

I can't wait to get my photos developed! I'm getting antsy...I'm starting to want a digital camara.

I swear Jen, I'm going to make you a shirt that says that!! ..oh that reminds me! I must find a great photo of Albert Camus...and I did.
Yes, I do realise my mind works in weird ways...

Last night I met up with Heather eire2000, and Jen for drinks, then preceded to my apartment for dinner and for dessert we made....vodka floats. Ya know, like Root Beer floats, but using neapolition ice cream and 80 proof vodka instead?

The outcome: disgusting. It tasted like sterlized ice cream, if there ever was such a thing. So, no, never mix ice cream and vodka. badbadbad.

I just got off the phone with this woman who's clearly...not there, claiming she doesn't want to take her medications anymore. I do understand this because I know family friends who've reacted badly to certain medications (ie prozac) but yeah....after what seemed like forever-and-a-day I didn't know what to tell her. I just told her to 'live a healthy lifestyle' and she seemed pleased with that.

but seriously, I'm not a doctor, I didn't know what the fuck to say. That's not in my job description.

other events have included: romping around co. dublin and wicklow, taking lovely photos of the sea (at least I hope they turn out lovely), going to a conference on mental health, going tacky soveniour shopping, laughing until my sides hurt and I can't breathe, and now, going downstairs for Mexican food! yay! it's Mexican night in our break room. lovely.