Last night was the big Halloween party at the Kåren. I have to admit that I was impressed by the dedication to some of the costumes! Everyone was really into it, so although it I miss a lot of the fall and holiday traditions/decorations from home, I was happy!!!
Anna and Lou came over early to get ready at my place. I think we all looked great, and they are such fun people to hang out with! I am really proud of my home-made Statue of Liberty costume, I had mini American Flags from the Dollar Store to give out, and everything!
Making everything at Lou's on Thursday...yay Arts and Crafts!
Anna getting ready...
I decided Lady Liberty needed big hair.
Ice Princess putting on her awesome crown!
I will be using the table clothe I wore for my kitchen now
The girls
Of course, in Sweden you have to go to “pre-parties” before actually going to the “real party” at the Kåren. It was fun to go around to some apartments and see everyone’s costumes and hang out, so I’m not really complaining…
But, Lou and I, and a few others, did get bored of just hanging out and decided that we wanted to go dance…so left to walk up to the Kåren at around 11 (which is really early!) We were practically the first people there! But we didn’t care, and had the whole dance floor to ourselves. The whole night was a ton of fun, especially since almost everyone was dressed up in some ridiculous costume and dancing the night away. I guess Swedes do know what they are doing, after all :)
Yesterday I had a fabulous time hanging out with Lou and Anna. After practicing all morning, Lou picked me and Anna up from Ankars around 2pm to begin the day of fun.
We began by running all around town picking up the final touches for our Halloween costumes, as well as a few other things. We went to a thrift store that is a little farther away, called Repris. We also went to a kid’s store (Barnen Hus) and the Dollar Store. Then we headed downtown to pick up a movie and some wine before going out to the "suburbs", where Lou lives.
The next few hours were dedicated to arts and crafts. I had to make my crown and torch, Anna is going to be a nurse and was sewing and decorating her outfit, while Lou was designing everything to be the Ice Queen. We had a taco dinner (tacos are popular in Sweden, but they are much fancier than back home! Not really Taco Bell style!) and watched “New in Town” in our PJs.
It was a perfect day and evening, and almost felt like a vacation from reality! I’m really excited for the weekend, and hope that someone takes a lot of pictures!
Halloween has been a hot topic this week because there is a party at Kåren on Friday. Since it’s not a holiday in Sweden I’ve really been vocal about my love for the costumes, and giving everyone advice (whether they want it or not) on what to dress up as. Most peope just say they are going to be a ghost or a witch…LAME!! Then, I try to explain my shower costume that I’ve worn numerous times to different parties (once is highschool, once at OSU, and once at Eastman), and I just get blank stares, and maybe a sympathy chuckle. Sigh. I guess the funny costume trend never made it over the pond.
trip down memory lane...
Regardless, I am still trying to help people be creative (although most are just going to be a “sexy” something…haha, that trend DID make is overseas!). Phil is going to try to be Uncle Sam, which is so clever, and will compliment my Statue of Liberty costume well! Lou is going to be Mother Nature/Snow (get it...becuase we're practically in the Arctic Circle?!) She and I picked up a whole bunch of great items at the Red Cross store today. Hopefully I will have a camera to take loads of pictures at the party. I really hope Piteå doesn’t let me down…and everyone gets into it!
Anyway, on the way back from Swedish class this evening I talked to Phil and Igor about the holidays in the States and the holidays in Russia. Igor asked us about the history of Halloween, and neither Phil nor I had a conclusive answer. I think I rambled about witches, saints, and religion, but none of it really made sense. Igor just nodded…I told him it’s really all about the trick-or-treating, and that’s all you need to know!
From this conversation, I asked him what the major celebrated holidays were in Russia. He said Christmas is the biggest, but then he said that his favorite holiday is on March 8. It’s called Women’s Day, and it’s a day celebrating women’s beauty. To celebrate, the men clean the house, do the dishes and the laundry, buy flowers and pretty much worship the women in their lives. As he kindly held the door for me (we live on the same floor), a new soft spot suddenly emerged for the Russian!
Today had to be one of the most productive days that I’ve had in Piteå, and it really feels good!
I slept a lot yesterday…the sun setting around 4:30pm really messes up your system! I feel asleep on my couch from about 7-9pm (and if you know me, you’re not surprised), woke up and got some things accomplished, and was in sound asleep again by midnight. So, when I woke up this morning, I was ready to take on another gloomy weather day with a smile!
Phil (the other American, from Oregon) offered to make some American pancakes...you know, the fluffy kind...for breakfast sometime this week. This morning, I took him up on his offer! He’s going to write a piece for me and Lisa, a vocalist. He’s never written for this combination, but I really like working with composers that are excited and willing to try new things. I’ve been showing him some instruments and we’ve discussed notation a lot this week, so it’ll be cool to see what he comes up with. Americans in Piteå, unite! Haha….
Then, I headed off to school. I got so much done in the practice room. Mr. Krygier so kindly emailed me the music to Charleston Capers, the xylophone rag I’m playing with Lakota West (my alma mater) in December. I love practicing rags…it’s just fun, melodic music, so it was a great way to start the morning. I then worked on the concerto that I’m also playing at West. I worked on the “drummy” part, which always acts as a stress reliever! Since I was “in the groove”, I had to work on music that isn’t as much fun to practice. I’m playing in a small contemporary ensemble that rehearses tomorrow for the first time. The piece is for vibes, 2 tam-tams, a cymbal, and a piperack (Daniel can’t think of what a piperack is…so, I’m just hitting the tam-tam rack….haha). The piece isn’t too bad, it just has some crazy bowing and counting, so I want to be prepared for tomorrow.
The pancakes began to wear off around 12:30, so I went to the Kåren to grab some lunch. The people working at the café know me, and I always ask “what’s for lunch today!?” (they offer 2 or 3 meals, and they always change…and I can never understand the board!) Today there was a sweet potato and curry pasta thing, and I thought it sounded good. The older woman that works there always lets me try a small sample before I buy it. I am spoiled by their kindness :)
While I ate, I chatted with some friends about Halloween. I sure do miss the States! There is a costume party here on Friday, but that’s about it! I think I’m going to go as the Statue of Liberty…nothing can ever top the shower costume, but packing it just wasn't practical!
As everyone had to go their separate ways after lunch, I headed back to….the practice room, of course. I worked on the new piece that I’m writing, and Daniel listened to what I have done so far. Writing a solo piece is much harder than writing a piece for an ensemble, I think. It’s much more exposed! I’m second guessing my ideas more because I don’t know if they are interesting enough to stand alone. Daniel shared his thoughts, and we discussed some different concepts and variations on what I’ve done. Hopefully it'll turn out okay...but we’ll have to see!
I stayed and worked on various other things until about 4pm, and it was dark! My right wrist was aching a bit, so I decided to call it a day. I actually took a nap when I got home because I was pretty worn out, and wasn’t motivated enough to start a project :) A little nap goes a long way…and I’ve gotten so much done this evening!
Jakob (sound engineer) and I have been talking and trying to set up a time to do a studio recording of Hittade. We finally set a date today: November 19. I’m really looking forward to this experience, and it will feel great to have something tangible to show for my work here in Piteå. I may try to record this new piece as well (we have the hall the entire day), but we’ll have to see if I can get it done in time.
I had laundry time booked at 8pm, which I really needed to get done (the advantage of this booking system...I HAVE to do my laundry when I've signed up, so being lazy!) While I was running between the laundry building and my apartment, I chatted with Kana via Facebook, and finalized my plans for Paris!! Woohoo! I’m going to stay at her place (which I wasn’t expecting, and am so excited about!) with Morgann on Nov. 25, then go to the hotel with Annie and Amy the rest of the time. I still can’t believe so many amazing people are going to be in Paris at the same time. And, I am so happy that RyanAir exists. It’s going to be quite an affordable and memorable trip!
Now, I’m working on various other projects, emails, and correspondences. Tomorrow rehearsal is at 9am (boo, I can’t believe I used to wake up at 5:30am in Rochester, and then have a full day. I can barely make it up at 7:30am now!), so I’ll need to get some sleep tonight. Hopefully the rest of the week is just as productive!
Today we set our clocks back an hour. It was good for me, because of the long weekend, and emotional week in general…the extra hour of sleep really helped! But, it also reminded me that the darkness is coming! Ah!
It was a horribly gloomy day, and I didn’t leave my apartment until 7:30pm to go take my Swedish language test. (whoops! I wasn't really being that lazy, I got a lot of work done...and watched Grey's Anatomy from this week...hehe)
The test went really well! We had to dictate sentences after Helena recited them (out of 10 sentences there were about 3 words that I couldn’t understand. I can’t wait until she reads my test…haha). We had some fill in the black sections, and we had a section where we needed to choose the correct verb tense. The final portion of the exam was writing a paragraph about ourselves. Mine went something like this:
Jag heter Maria. Jag född i Ohio, bodd i New York och flyttade i Piteå, Sverige för två månader sedan. Jag studera slagverk på musichögskolan. Min lärare är Anders Åstrand. Jag talar engleska och lite spanska och svenska. I november ska åka jag till Paris läsa musik med vänner från Amerika. När är studera inte, jag tycker om att skratta, leka, och köpa nya saker på Piteå rödakorskrets.
I’m having fun learning the language, and can actually read some of my friend’s status messages on Facebook! (I’ve convinced myself that this is a teaching tool, and therefore it is ok that I spend such an insane amount of time on it!!) I still sound weird when I try to speak, but my main goal at this point is to be able to impress the family with a few sentences over Christmas!
Before I get started, I need to vow to write everyday this week. I got out of the habit of sharing my oh-so-exciting daily eating habits and such with you…and I need to get back in a routine of writing. I’m afraid that if I don’t, I’ll forget about this thing by March and regret it! So, this week I will write everyday. Yell at me if I don’t. (oh, and this entry is really long…so prepare yourself…)
This weekend was filled with many events that put me back in a positive and energetic mood! On Friday night I invited all the international students over to go out for pizza, and then hang out before the big party at Kåren. I’ve gotten to know them a little through our Swedish class, and when we did the interview a few weeks ago, but I really wanted to just hang out!
We went over to the pizzeria that is close to Ankars (where we live). I found myself playing hostess, even though we were out. I just wanted to make sure everyone was happy with their food, and ensure that the conversation kept rolling! They talked about their major, journalism, and how it’s different from their studies in Russia and Ukraine. We also talked about how different the social scene is here in Sweden…and found a lot of common ground throughout the night!
After the pizza (which was knife and fork pizza, with mini shrimp, ham, and mushrooms. I can’t wait to get back to Ohio and order some Larosa’s or Papa John’s…mmm…), we hung out at my apartment for awhile. The first band at the Kåren started around 9:30, so we had to time it just right! Martina had a friend visiting, and since she had to be at Kåren to set up (all the first year ‘experience production’ majors put the festival together) I was enlisted to entertain him. His name was Gustav, and he was super tall, hairy, and hysterical! He was from southern Sweden and entertained us in his already drunken state (crazy Swede!). I was upset when he spilled some beer on my rug (from the thrift store…but still!), but then I convinced him he owed me a drink at the bar, so it was all good!
On our way up to Kåren we stopped at my friend Anton’s because it was his birthday, and ran into a lot of other people. Most students from school go to this party at Kåren because it’s a big deal for the ‘experience production’ majors, and there is live music, etc…It was a great night! Louise (that will be known as ‘Lou’ from now on) was staying at my place, because the family she au pairs for lives about 10 minutes away when driving. It was nice to have a person there to speak English with, and someone that I knew had my back (and I had hers) at all times. It really made the night much more fun!
I love that Swedish people actually dance too…it’s not as dirty/annoying as going dancing can be in the States. Lou and I had every intention of staying out after Kåren closed, and going to an after-party (another popular Swedish social event), but when we got back to my apartment there was no way we had the energy to go back out! I put an episode of Sex And The City on my computer, and I’m pretty sure we were both asleep within the first 5 minutes. (no pictures. RIP camera…)
In the morning, we had to wake up a little early because I had a gig at 11:30. And, what does an au pair do on her day off? Make a yummy breakfast for her and her slightly hung over friend, of course!! She made European style pancakes….with Nutella!!! It was the perfect start to another great day.
At 11:30am I had to meet a group of students in the center of town for an interesting gig. Some of the other 'experience production' students planned a musical event to occur in the Galleria, the small indoor shopping mall downtown. It was sort of like Improv Everywhere, the group based in NYC. We all learned a song, and some dancers created choreography. We all walked around the Galleria, and at 12:30 the violinist began the tune, and we all joined in. We rehearsed last week after the mall closed, and I was really excited to be a part of it, and to see people’s reactions.
I played a tar (a Middle Eastern hand drum). They gave me a stroller to put the drum in so no one would suspect anything. It was HYSTERICAL walking around with an empty stroller…but, I had the best behaved kid around! Luckily, Lou wondered around with me, and we giggled as I fake paid attention and rocked the kid. At 12:30, the violinist started, and the dancers danced! The mall was pretty crowded, and it was funny to witness the confused expressions on everyone’s faces. The TV students filmed it with hidden cameras and such, so we’re supposed to get a DVD of it, that I’ll share soon!
some pics...taken with my small video camera...
my kid is sooooooo cute!
playing, with dancers along too
the group playing in the mall
After the little show, Lou and I headed over to a café called Krocodil. It’s a great little place that I’d heard a lot about, but this was my first time going. They have a small stage, and Venla was going to be singing and playing some African drums! It was also her birthday, so I really wanted to go. The singer/songwriter she sang with (I can’t remember her name! ugh!) was fabulous! She had a very pure and emotive voice, plus the lyrics (in English) were really touching. Venla has a gorgeous voice too, and the harmonies were perfect. Plus, they had a djembe/dundun player with them! His name is Adam, and he is from Senegal! After their set, the three of them played some traditional African drumming, and Adam explained what each rhythm was called and represented in his culture. I was SOOOOO excited! I couldn’t wait to talk to him after the show!
Go Venla!!
The third act was a man who is evidentally a big radio personality in Sweden. He talked for about 30 minutes, and honestly, I really didn’t want to be there. I had no idea what was going on, I had to pee, and I was hungry. But, the room was packed, and if I tried to leave I would have made an embarrassing scene. So, I just sat there…and maybe closed my eyes once or twice….
I was tough (haha) because I really wanted to stay for the last act. I wasn’t sure who they were, but the drum set up was really cool (a normal kit with a mounted doumbeck, tamburim, some bells and other accessories). I’m so glad I did! The musicians were from all around the world! The bass player (leader of the group) was Finnish, the singer (amazing!) lives in Paris, and I think one of the guitar players was from Morocco? Again, their intro was in Swedish, so I didn’t catch it all, and none of my friends knew either.
This group really was outstanding. Each one brought a very different musical background, and the product was very unique! There were so many genres put together; county two-step, Indian inspired patterns, shuffle, Moroccan guitar, rock and roll power chords, folk singing, mbira (or kalimba, I can never remember the difference), accordion tango, African dancing…etc…I was so excited to be there! Venla took me backstage to chat with everyone, and it seems as though they don’t play together very often, which is a shame because I really enjoyed it!
I have a crush on the bass player (he's such a cute old man!) and the guitar player (I'm a sucker for talent...)
the crappy camera mic distorts the sound every once in awhile...my bad...but it should give you an idea of what the group was like!
When the concert was over, Venla offered to drive me back to Ankars (she is so nice!). I finally met her boyfriend, Jon, who is equally as nice! It always makes me happy to meet really great couples :) Since it was her birthday, Venla was having a little get together…at first I wanted to “be good” and spend the evening in…but after I got home, Johan, a German exchange student, knocked on my door. He asked me if I was going, I hesitated, but then gave in. I decided I would only go for a bit, no drinking. Venla is to awesome to skip her birthday party!
Johan, Phil (the other American), and I made a salad to take with us (it was a pot luck) and we headed over to the party. Each little apartment/condo complex has a clubhouse in the middle that you can rent for free for parties, which is really awesome! There were a lot of people there, including the drummer from Africa! We talked for a really long time. I still can’t believe there is drummer from Senegal here. He moved here about 3 months ago, and said I could play with him! I told him about my past experience with playing in African dance class at OSU, and when he realized I actually knew how to play and knew some rhythms, I think he got excited too!
I chatted with a lot of new people, as well as a lot of people I’ve met in the past few weeks. I’m finally starting to connect with a lot of musicians and composers, which is really nice. I ended up leaving around 11, because I was so tired, but I hear that the party lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
Whenever I think about salsa (the food or the genre of music), I think about the past OSU percussion studio. Not in a good way though, because the used to make fun of me because I say “salza” instead of “salsa”. Haha, I have my quirks, I guess! They wouldn't make fun of me, if they didn't love me...right mom?! (I think she's been telling me that since I was 5 years old! haha!) It was all out of fun, and I miss everyone so much!
This afternoon was different then most. Last night Venla called me to ask if I wanted to play in a salsa band. Of course I wanted too! So, today we met in one of the ensemble rooms (there are a lot of large rooms with a piano, drumset, and multiple amps for the bands to rehearse) and read down two charts. It was so much fun! I played congas and had a blast…it was nice to use what I learned in hand drum class at OSU…thank goodness I remembered all those rhythms! We’re going to rehearse every Friday, and hopefully gig in the spring.
After the rehearsal, I practiced. I’m making a lot of progress on a new piece for solo marimba, vibes, kick drum, 2 opera gongs, 2 toms, and 2 cymbals. It may end up being a duo because I don’t like solo played as much…but we’ll see!
Now, I’m getting ready to meet all the people from my Swedish language class for dinner, then we’re going to a big party at the Kåren called Upplevelsefest! Louise is also staying over, which will be super fun! I’m sure I’ll have some stories this weekend!
….Also….thanks to everyone who sent me messages this week! You all mean so much to me and I wouldn’t survive this new experience without your love and supprt! I’m ready for this weekend, and to put all the emotion behind me :)
Things have been going so well since I’ve been here…a bad day was bound to happen. And, last night I had my first good cry (which is the reason why I haven’t written for a few days. Trying to communicate when I’m in a sour mood is just not a good idea!).
I want to be completely honest and as transparent as possible in this blog, I want to be able to look back on this experience and remember the good/bad/ugly (but mostly the good), because this move is about growth and independence, struggle and success.
So, I let myself cry, eat cookies, and stream American TV on my computer all night.
There wasn’t any one event that set me into my upset state (although the fact that I am extremely clumsy, and broke my camera by dropping it, did not help). I think it was just a combination of day to day life and general feelings.
Of course, the root of most my negative thoughts is always money. Ugh. I wish money DIDN’T make the world go round. I was raised to believe that money is not essential to be happy, and I truly believe this...there are MUCH MUCH MUCH more important things to life (mainly you, the person that cares enough to read this). I think my thoughts revolve around the fact that sometimes I feel selfish for being here. While so many people are getting laid off, and really, truly struggling, I’m spending my savings on an adventure in Northern Sweden, not contributing in the work force or stimulating the economy (besides the Swedish Thrift Store economy!). Sometimes I just feel like I should be smarter with my finances. I feel like I should move home, and get a “real” job, because that would be the responsible thing to do. Most of the time when I think about these things I remind myself of the bigger picture, and that this experience will pay off in the end because of what I’m accomplishing musically and personally…but when I’m upset it’s hard to focus on those positive thoughts.
I also miss the States. I miss being able to READ. I love learning Swedish, and I’m starting to pick up a lot more than I thought I would. But, I still can’t read the newspaper, or the posters informing me of concerts, or mass emails form professors or student organizations, or the ingredients on the back of a food items….blah, blah, blah. It just gets exhausting trying to translate and feel informed.
I do get lonely sometimes, too. I think I’m ready to really settle in a place. I was getting very settled in Rochester before I moved. I loved my friends, the gym, ESM, the public market, etc…and although there were plenty of things I didn’t like about Rochester (like getting mugged!), I was really feeling comfortable. Now, I love Sweden. Although Ohio will always be home (don’t worry mom and dad), I know I’m going to start feeling “at home” here very soon. Then, I’m going to move again, and have to start over somewhere. The thought is exhausting!
That is mainly it. I was up until about 2am thinking and crying. Luckily mom, dad, and I Skyped at about 1:30am. The connection was bad, and kept cutting off, but it was still comforting to hear their voices. They were great, but knew that nothing life threatening was happening, I was just being me…and annoyingly emotional!
Sleep always helps, so I woke up and tried to put the past few days behind me. This morning I had plans to hang out with Louise (and Lisa….the adorable baby!) that I was looking foward to. We went to ICA, the Red Cross store, a store like Walmart, a coffee shop, and the liquor store (the only one in town, haha). It really helped getting out of the apartment/school environment, plus Lou is so easy to talk to. I did pick up a few things at Red Cross, including a very Swedish furry/leathery hat. You know one that covers your ears. I love it! Bring it on snow and freezing cold!
I’m feeling a lot better now. I’m going to head over to school and work on a new piece, some improv ideas from Anders, plus the concerto that I’m playing with Lakota West in December. It feels cleansing to get a lot of emotion out, and hopefully I won’t have any more breakdowns anytime soon. :)
But, it’s just all apart of the experience, right?
After numerous battles with technology, I finally uploaded the video of Hittade from the recital! The balance is a little off because of the cheap camera mic, but you can get the idea! Comments (both positive and constructive) are more than welcome. Consider it a challenge...a lot of people claim that they read this, but I rarely get comments...so now's your chance to leave me with your thoughts!! :)
I’m really tired, and want to start the week off with a good amount of sleep, so I will (try) to make this update short and sweet!
I had a blast this weekend! Friday night was the first time my barlåg (bartending team) had to work for a party at the Kåren. We were all really nervous, but the night went so smoothly! We had to arrive at 9pm to start preparing everything; loading the refrigerator with bottles, preparing the bar, arranging the space, and figuring out how to make the drinks. Along with beer, cider, Smirnoff, and wine, there were about 10 mixed drinks that we sold, one was called “Gloria” and was the drink of the night.
Although my Swedish is getting better day by day, I knew that it would be tough to understand everyone, which made me a little uneasy. Plus, there was a live band playing, so we all had earplugs in to save our hearing. But...luckily, I didn’t have one problem! If I couldn’t understand someone, I just started to speak English, and they would get the hint. Since all of the attendees (there were about 160 people there) were students, everyone was super cool. I ended up meeting a lot of new people because of it, too!
I think the best part was sharing the experience with Sara, Astrid, Martina, David and Jonas (plus Johan and Sofia were the DJs). They are all really fun people…remember when I met them at the very beginning (see "Go Bucks" enrty from Sept.2)? Isn’t it funny how life works out? Who knew that the people that I randomly met would turn out to be such great friends?!
getting organized before the craziness begins!
we decided to all wear red...so my OSU shirt was perfect!
The team! David, Astrid, Sara, Martina, Jonas
The awesome DJs!
Saturday ended up being an only mildly productive day. We didn’t get done at the bar until 3:30am (we had a lot of cleaning to do), and so I slept a lot! In the evenng, I ended up having dinner with Martina, Sara, and Sanna at the pizzeria that is next to the mini-Coop. My first pizza in Sweden!! (There are pizza places everywhere!) It was actually quite good, but it doesn’t take much to please me when it comes to pizza!
Although we didn’t have anything planned, it ended up being a really funny night. Since we are lazy/broke we didn’t want to go into town, so ended up hanging at Martina’s for awhile. It was nice to get to know her and Sara even more over a few glasses of wine…but we were determined to find party! We called everyone we would think of, and finally convinced Johan to have people over. Then, we wondered over to another gathering, and I didn’t know anyone else there! It was fun to chat with some new people, and what I love about Sweden is that “partying” often means a big group of friends hang out and sit on floor talking. I had a lot of deep conversations with people, plus met a few new, hysterical friends and neighbors.
However, it was a late night once again, so today I was determined to get more done. I cleaned my apartment, did some work, went to a rehearsal, and then went to Swedish class....OH! and some bad news...I dropped my camera (I am such a clumsy person!), so it's not working. I'm really bummed and hope I can get it fxed somehow...
This entry was not as short and sweet at all, and I need to go to bed now!! I feel really great, and will be refreshed tomorrow. I’m going to start composing a new piece, and plan for recording/teaching/performing!
Last night I joined some friends on a short trip up to Luleå for a hockey game! I was so excited to go to a live sports game. I’ve been so bummed to miss football season at home, and I knew that this would give me a good high energy sports fix!
We had to catch the bus at 5:15pm. It was a special shuttle only for those going to the game. Unlike the States, there are no college sports here. So, we were going to see Luleå’s team play. Some of the players were young and in school, while some were older and ‘professional’.
grabbing a öl before the game
The arena itself was smaller than Blue Cross Arena (in Columbus. I went to a Blue Jackets’ game once, so it’s all I have to compare to!). I think there were about 5,500 people at this game. We were in the ‘standing room only’ section, where people were leading cheers and rowdier than the rest of the fans. This was the only spirited area, everyone else was wearing black and just sat there!
it says "Subway" on their butts! :)
We had a great time, even though we had no connection to either team. Actually, at the very beginning of the game, David and I were cheering for the wrong team and it took us awhile to figure it out. Whoops!
Conny, Kajsa, Johan, Sarah
David, Martina, Me
with Sarah!
The funniest part of the experience was that a lot of the cheers were to American cheers or tunes. One of them was to “It’s off to work we go” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Seriously. Most of the time I just made up my own words, and shouted “Luleå” every once in awhile!
Luleå flag?
The bus ride home was a lot of fun. There was a very drunk fan that kept talking to David and was making the whole bus laugh. At some point he made me take off my hat to give it to David. He was convinced that I stole it…or something. Everything was in Swedish…and when you just go with it, it’s a lot of fun to have no idea what’s going on! I also tried to teach everyone some OH-IO cheers, but they didn't catch on :(
Hat switch to make the drunk guy happy!
When we got back to Piteå, some of us hadn’t eaten dinner. So, we went to Big Boy. Yes. There is a fast food place in town was called Big Boy. Not like the restaurant in Ohio, but it still made me laugh. Not to mention I haven’t eaten fries or a burger in such a long time! It was yummy!!
Good thing we had a long walk home to work it off :)
Today was a great, busy day! It began with a rehearsal with a chamber group, followed by some practicing. Then, I watched the dress rehearsal for a operetta that Daniel is playing in. It was the craziest production I have ever seen. It was all in Swedish, and I had no idea, not even a small clue, of what was going on. The costumes and set was crazy (it was just a sextet of singers, and a small 10 piece orchestra), and the music was modern, but with a comic twist. Regardless, the musicians were talented, and it was an artistic way to spend two hours! After the show, Daniel and I sat down to plan the upcoming months, and just chatted about music and life. He's a great resource, and awesome to bounce ideas off of. We decided to record Hittade at the end of the month, and talked about other pieces I/we can record for our debut albums! :)
After some more practicing, I came home for dinner, and some studying. Louise stopped by before Swedish class to practice. We tried to make each other only communicate in Swedish, but it only lasted about 5 minutes. We'll get there...eventually! Swedish class was fun, as usual! Helena is a good teacher...she's patient, but tough. Plus, since she's our age, we have a lot of fun. I got home from class around 10, and Martina came over to upload the pictures she took from the recital last week. They are amazing!! She is such a fabulous photographer! I couldn't thank her enough, I sure am lucky to have such talented friends! (especially ones that are willing to be my paarazzi!)
Here are some of my favs from the Percussion in Piteå concert on October 7
The morning after the concert I was on an airplane (sleeping during the flight, of course), on my way down to the city. The purpose of this visit was to meet with Anders a few times for lessons, visit Rolf at his job with the Royal Swedish Army Band, and do a little sight-seeing. We definitely packed a lot into a few days!
On Friday, I went up to Hallenbergen to see Rolf Landberg. He is a member of GPN (Global Percussion Network; the percussion group with Anders and Daniel), and he teaches and plays for the army band. The band was rehearsing movie music with Swedish conductor Hans Ek for a concert that weekend. It was great to observe a rehearsal with such a great conductor and band. Although I couldn’t understand everything he was saying, I could guess at his comments and requests...music is music...and I've played in enough bands to make some educated guesses!
Then, David Lindberg, one of the drum majors for the group, gave us a lesson on Swiss and Swedish drumming. He let me play on the drum, which felt a lot different than the rope tension drums that we used for the OSU drum and fife group. It was more of a hybrid between our ‘traditional’ and ‘modern’ drums. He’s doing a clinic at PASIC this year, wish I was going to check it out!
It was also fun learn more about how the military band and service works in Sweden. Rolf not only plays, but instructs all of the recruits and percussionists in the group. They have a huge rehearsal space, and a lot of equipment and practice rooms. Rolf was a good tour guide…he’s got a pretty sweet gig, that’s for sure!
Aside from some great time with Anders and his family, the other highlight of the trip was a trip to the Vasa Museum (check out the website for info about the ship).I thought of Dr. Powell and Mr. Kygier while I was there, because it’s the one thing they told me to see in Stockholm! It was pretty amazing. The ship was huge, and I really liked all the exhibits. Took tons of pictures, but I’ll only post the amusing ones!
I was sad to leave Stockholm, because I absolutely love the city, but was feeling extremely exhausted and under the weather, so I was looking forward to getting home to my bed in Piteå. However, the trip was extended by a couple of hours. When we were boarded on the plane, the pilot announced that the breaks of the aircraft were subpar, so we had to exit, and board a new plane an hour later! Luckily, it wasn’t a complete fiasco…turns out that I the couple I was sitting next to was from Piteå, and offered me a ride to my apartment (a 50 minute ride that takes 2 hours on the bus!). They were so nice, and we chatted during the flight and the car ride. Ironically, the husband was a fundraiser for the Acusticum! (which is where I played my recital). I was very thankful for their generosity!
I slept all day yesterday, and am finally feeling better. It’s been such a crazy couple of weeks. I’m happy to refocus, and work towards some new goals. Anders gave me a lot of new ‘assignments’…one being recording Hittade in the studio. Life is good, as usual… :)
