Christmas and #p4a

To begin with, dear reader, Project for Awesome, was as the name hints, completely and utterly awesome. I didn't sleep more than six hours during those three days but it was worth it, oh so worth it. We managed to get to number one on the trending topics with out lovely hash-tag #p4a and though my internet stopped me from watching, I hear the livestream show was amazing.

Also, for those of you who celebrate it, you might have noticed that Christmas is nearing. As a matter of fact, it's in two days.

Here in Sweden we have the ridiculous tradition to celebrate Christmas on the 24th. I do not know why, for it makes no sense. But I find it tiring to complain about things I will obviously not be able to change, so I do not care.

Actually, I find our traditions here quite nice.

We have our stockings that we keep close by. As a kid I always hung it right beside my bed so I didn't have to leave my bed in order to open it.

Yes. I was a lazy back then.

If you're a kid you spend the morning complaining about how long they have to wait before opening the rest of their presents. If you're an adult, you either cook or you run around trying to keep check of those kids who often OD on candy.

Honestly, the second job is hard.

Then, after finding our family and praying that the night will go past without any mishaps, we all gather around the TV at three o'clock, young and old, to watch Donald Duck. I don't know why we still call it Donald duck when now adays there are many different movies, and not all are connected to Donald.

It's actually the Cricket from Pinocchio who leads the show.

I know this sounds completely crazy, but it's been a tradition for many many years, and we simply must follow it. We can't NOT watch Donald on Christmas.

As a matter of fact, one Christmas the power went off because of a storm, and came back about five minutes after Donald ended. We were all devastated.

We then eat for hours and complain about not opening our presents, and then, finally, some poor soul dressed as Santa comes in and hands out a few presents.

When I was five or six, I found a Santa suit underneath my parents' bed. I was destroyed.

He then leaves, and everybody starts ripping up their presents like crazy, and before you know it, the time has passed. The room is now covered in paper and strings. The dogs love it.

This is when the parents begin to drink some more, and where the children run around playing with their brand new toys. I often find myself in the corner with a book and a glass of champagne, though I am not really allowed to.

It's lovely.

And this is a very boring post, but I have been a rather boring person lately, so there you go.

Have a Merry Christmas, and a happy new year.

(Are you guys as excited for the Doctor Who finale as I am?)

Snow

Dear readers, Sweden now has snow.

It probably won't last long, and as far as I know, being as sick as I have been the last week, it's no snow-ball snow. And we all know that it isn't real snow unless you can make a good snowball. But this snow means that at least the global warming isn't as bad as we thought.

Just kidding. It's really bad.

But at least it means that Sweden might have a white Christmas again! This hasn't really happened in a few years. I remember one year when it rained all Christmas and we even had to cancel Santa because taking one step outside of the house meant looking like a whale. Yes.

I was a bit put off when Nevada, the desert, had snow and we up here, basically on the freaking polar circle, didn't even have a single snow-flake. If my face spoke in chat-speak, it would have yelled WTF. But thankfully it doesn't.

So snow. Yay.

I am currently reading The Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, and I cannot believe I have not done so before. This is seriously, one of the best books I have read and I am close to declaring Douglas Adams as a genius.

Now I am off to bed, dear readers. Or, well, I al already in bed, but I am to lie down some MORE and read my book. So technically I am simply exchanging the computer for a book and not really moving towards sleep.

Okay, dear readers, I am now going to read a book and..not sleep. Yes. That sounds good. Bye.

Sarah

My life on the internet

Hello again dear readers, if there are any.

I have been asking all my friends online today for their addresses so I can send them christmas-cards. Now, this would be a whole lot cheaper and easier if I send them 'e-cards' or just pictures in general. But that's so easy, and it's basically what we do already. What I want to do, is to send them actual physical evidence of my existence.

Or something like that.

To be honest, I have only met - what could be it? - four people I have gotten to know through the internet, and one of them was not connected to the Nerdfighter community. Normally I would be the one who says, "No! Don't go and meet that strange person you have met on the internet!"

Which is what sane people might scream at the top of their lungs I suppose. But when it comes to my Nerdfighter friends, my Harry Potter friends and all those other people I don't think of them as creepy perverts. I have never given some thought of that they might be. To a great extent this is because I know them through pictures and videos, so it's easier to believe them.

But, when it comes down to it, all these social networks we have today, we really need to beware. With that said, I am going to point out how awesome they are. Just because you can do that when writing a blog-post.

My life on the internet began on Meg Cabot Message Boards. There I found the vlogbrothers and youtube.

Before that, Youtube had been a place where I could watch cute cats or people falling from silly things like a rolling trash-can. It was a place for music videos and movie-scenes. Never, in my whole life, had I thought I would find a community like the one there is.

Now, I live with it. I make videos at least once a week, and I watch all too many

After youtube it was twitter. Twitter lead me to Dailybooth and now, after two years, I found formspring.

It's amazing how much facts about my life you can find if you just look for it. If I ever were to become famous, I'd never have to write a "In the life of.." You'd have it all here!

You could argue that I have too much information out in cyberspace, but I truly don't care. It's nothing that can come back and haunt me or hurt people, so I must be satisfied.

I don't really know where I am heading with this post. I suppose I wanted to give my appreciation to the internet. The shameless linking a few lines up was all for your benefit.

Now... I am going to continue coughing even though it's 1.30 AM. I've been sick for a week, and the tough cold is refusing to give in.

Also, like I mentioned, I have been writing christmas cards all day, and if you want one (you do) send me your address in a mail, or on Dailybooth or where ever you would like to send it from/to.

I better be off now. cough cough.

sarah.saville - at - ybc-nacka.se

TV-shows

Paradise Hotel must be the worst idea for a TV program in the history of TV. This beats every stupid program in the history of the world.

What's it about? you may ask. Please ask. If you know it might mean that you watch it and I don't know if I can let you read my blog anymore.

For those, sane people out there, Paradise Hotel is a program where you send a bunch of horny people to an island with cameras on it. There, they are encouraged to make couples, have sex and create as much drama as possible.

Lovely.

Who thinks this is good TV? I mean, if you want porn I bet you there are movies that are better than this show. If you want drama, I would even let you watch Gossip Girl. Because, honestly, this is stupid.

Stupid. There is no other word for it.

And what is up with reviving all these old TV shows? They have had their glory days, how about you put down the remote and go outside. I am sure you won't miss a thing.

That 'V' came back I can understand, and look forward too. I mean, Aliens that look like lizards in hot human bodies. On top of all that, they are wearing very tight suits.

Totally awesome.

But Beverly hills? Come on! It worked back in the nineties with THAT cast. 100 year old Luke Perry and a very angry actor called Shannon Doherty. But it stopped for a reason. Now, you bringing it back?

By now we have enough shows with rich teenage kids who sleep around. We have bloody reality shows that are about that topic.

And Melrose Place? Honestly? REALLY? Who came up with that idea, and WHY, oh why, didn't you fire him? We had Melrose place. We had it for a really, really, really long time. We don't need it anymore. Those who do can just buy the DVD's.

NO MORE.

Sarah

NaNoWriMo

Hello there, dear readers.

As I am sitting here with the Wicked soundtrack blasting in my oversized head-phones, I started thinking about NaNoWriMo again. It might have been because I just watched Hayley's video about it, but it might also be because I have already opened a Scrivener project and I keep staring at the icon in the dock.

Terror.

Even though I am looking forward to this with my heart (corny, yes) I am also terrified. I know I need to focus a lot of school, and how am I to do that while also writing a novel? My friend is saying that she will write mostly on the weekends but I don't know how I could be able to write around.. what? 11.600 words every weekend? THAT, I cannot do.

I'm pretty sure this girl can, though. She was the only one who actually got anywhere last year. My novel didn't even leave chapter one.

In Kristina's NaNo post, she said that the year she was most pleased with her story, she didn't plan anything in beforehand. Since I have gotten NOWHERE when I didn't plan I still can't phantom how she did this. When writing short-stories I don't need planning, I just tap away on the keyboard, but whenever I try to achieve something bigger than just two pages or so, I fall flat without a goal.

That is why I think I will succeed this year. I have a goal, I have a general direction that I am heading for, even though I don't know how to get there. And isn't that the exciting part? Not knowing how you get there? Not knowing how to travel.

Now I am going to dive into my notebook and plan away! To make my notebook a bit more inviting I design something of a cover. I hope to be able to print it when school starts again, on November 2nd

.

Have a nice weekend!

Sarah

Also, I believe Sara has begun to read my blog so... Hi, Sara. I hope Germany treated you well!

It's a break!

Hello again dear readers.

It's now Sunday, and I am without my blues. The reason that facing a week isn't making me hide underneath the covers is simple. I do not have school tomorrow.

Now, I have told you many times before that I do enjoy school, and it is true. Sometimes you just need to sleep, you know? Get out of bed in the morning not worrying about the books, the computer, the charger, the calculator and whatever else you need to bring. Sometimes you need to get out of bed in the morning because you chose to.

It feels GOOD.

It will only last a week, but maybe that is all an Ib student needs to charge her batteries. NaNoWriMo is starting in a week you know.

I am awaiting the week with both excitement and fear. The last two NaNo's have been complete and utter failures, so I really do have hopes for this one. There are only two problems.

I have two tests this month. One in history that I do not need to study that for, but it's the other one that has me quaking in my converse.

MATHS.

This is probably going to cause a failed NaNo.

Now it's time for me return to my nano-notebook. I still have lots of planning do to, and I can't wait to start writing!

Sarah

November hell,

Hello internet-readers,

So. It's that time of the year again. The middle of october. Here in Sweden it means rain, the occasional snow, more rain, cold and a teeny tiny bit more rain. I don't mind the rain, it's always been my favorite kind of weather.

But, october doesn't just been that winter is on its way, no, it also means that it's time to start planning for NaNoWriMo.

If you don't know what NaNoWriMo is, then click the link and you'll find everything you need to know. In short, it's the National Novel Writing Month and it's all about a big personal goal you set for yourself.

Write a novel in 30 days. More specifically, write 50.000 words in 30 days. For those who have done NaNo before, we all know that means 1666,66667 words each day.

This is my third year, and as a friend said, Third time's a charm.

Bah. Hambug.

I'll let you know how it goes through this blog but also my youtube channel.

Love dearies!

Oh, the memes.

Hello dear internet-readers.

I know I promised the dear girls on SYIP to blog, and now I am. So here we go.

How many siblings do you have? --> One. A younger brother. We fight all too often.

What would you do with a poe-bust? --> Put STUFF on its HEAD.

Who's on your guilt-free-three? --> Alan Rickman, David Tennant, and... and... Colin Firth.

Favorite soda? --> Coca cola!

What is the color of you couch? --> Brown.

Favorite TV-show(s)? --> Heroes (though I am seriously pissed with things right now), How I met Your Mother, Glee, Doctor Who, the X-files (and lots more I am afraid)

Do you watch Heroes, and if you do, what bugs you the most about it? --> I NEVER KNOW WHO IS EVIL! Seriously, It's getting OUT OF HAND.

What house are you in? --> Gryffindor, where the brave dwell at heart.

Coffee or tea? --> Neither

Do you have a rubber duck? --> Sadly no. But I did get a hundred rubber ducks when I turned one. Seriously. A hundred. I was in heaven.

So, those were the questions Kristin had for us, NOW, it's time for me to ask YOU questions. I will repeat this in my video, in case none of you reads this.

Now. GO FOR IT. (Anyone who reads this is welcome to answer the following meme. Link to it in the comments if you do ^^,)

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 12 (or a million) people you like. You can’t use the band I used. Do not repeat a song title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

Pick your Artist: Dixie Chicks

Are you a male or female: Loving Arms.

Describe yourself: So Hard

How do you feel: Ready to run

Describe where you currently live: A Home

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Top of the World

Your favourite form of transportation: The Long Away Around

Your best friend: Voice Inside my Head

You and your best friends are: Long Time Gone

What’s the weather like: Cold day in July

Favourite time of day: Without you.

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called: Lubbock or leave it.

What is life to you: Heartbreak Town

Your relationship: Not ready to make nice

Your fear: Tortured, Tangled Hearts

What is the best advice you have to give: Let 'er Rip

Thought for the Day: Don't waste your heart

How I would like to die: Travelin' Soldier

My soul’s present condition: Hole in the head

My motto: Some day you gotta dance.

That's all from me.

BYE

This is for Bekah ^^,

Hello dear internet readers.

Can we just agree on that I have failed with my promise to post anything here more often? 'Cause I am just going to stop mentioning it now.

The end of complaining.

So, I haven't had a couple of eventful weeks. I haven't had any more fun that usual, nor has it been worse than usual.

The weeks have simply passed with with the kind of daze that follows a program like IB. The fact that I even have time to write this blog is a testimony of how calm this week is. I have a biology test in a week, but I am giving myself a few days of norma studying before concentrating on lysosomes and vacuoles.

Now, as this might show, I don't have much to talk about today. The only reasons I have even thought about writing anything is because Bekah has been nagging asking me to write one, and of course I have to do what she says.

HOWEVER, I have to read The Kite Runner for Swedish, so this is all you're going to get today. I hope you're satisfied.

Sarah

Not much

Hello dear-internet readers.

I've had a great couple of day. Now that we're entering the first year of real-IB (we've only been in pre-dp before) we are starting to realise just what a huge job IB really is. We have classes that require complete attention, and ever day is filled with homework and revision.
We also have 150 CAS hours to complete, and that is scaring me so much, I can barely describe it.

However, more work and less sleep doesn't make us fall down. No, instead we act.. how to put it? CRAZY. We laugh for no reason, and when the contents of our lockers fall down on us we simply lie in a pile until we can stop laughing. It's not easy.

If this is what happens after a month of school, then I wonder what two years of IB will do to us.
I spent almost a hour on IB Quotes yesterday, and it was wonderful to find my life in those quotes ^^, I also wonder how I will make it.

I will tell you all about my birthday when I find time, and when I am on my own computer. This PC is simply too odd. I'm too much of an Apple girl to like this one. The keyboard is off somehow =/

I will, however tell you, that that my friends have been amazing, and that today, with my dad, hasn't been all that good. =)

(My friend just got a blog. Go and make her write some more!)

Love and kisses (for I'm very frivolous with them)

9/11 for me.

Hello dear internet readers.

For once I actually have serious matters to blog about.

As you all probably know, today is the day known as 9/11. It was the day that several airplanes were highjacked and then crashed into the World Trade Center for example.

I am not an American, and I was just nine when this happened. I do remember the day when it happened. I'm afraid this day hasn't affected me as it has others, but I do feel the need to dedicate something to this day.

My mom and I were in this Swedish store called Åhlens, and I remember wanting to go down to the toys department. I was very happy for mom had promised me a toy, even though there was only one week left to my birthday.

We were looking at jewelry on the first floor when mom's phone rang. Suddenly she grabbed me and told me that we had to go home, because something had happened.

I was so angry! She had promised me a toy, and as a nine-year old I couldn't understand how ANYTHING could be more important than a toy for me. As mom and dad sat in front of the TV staring at the devastating images I huddled in my bed.

Next day in school we talked about what had happened, and I suppose it was then that I realized that something terrible had indeed happened. But, still, smoke from two buildings looks like something from a movie for a kid.

That's what happened on my part. It's not very dramatic, and I acted like the spoiled child I was.

Today I think of all those who lost their lives in the terrorist attack. I think of those who live on with a hole in their hearts. My thoughts is really all I can offer.

Love,

Sarah

Oh hello there.

Hello dear internet readers.

I have once again managed to let time pass between my blogposts. Even though I love writing and everything that comes with it, but for some reason I seem to keep neglecting this blog. I guess it might be because I don't know who reads this, besides two of my friends. If you do read, it might be nice to leave me a comment, just to keep me going. I don't care if you love what I am writing, or if you hate it.

If you're a hater, please let me know in the comments and then we'll have a nice little fight here on my blog.

Now, since my head currently feels as if it's exploding, and that is no exaggerating, for it feels as if it is pumping, I should go to bed. I have been saying the entire week that I am lucky to nt have gotten sick, but now I am.

Karma, I suppose.

I love you, lovers and haters alike, and I will talk to you soon again. I promise. I think.

Sarah

Troubled times

Hello internet-readers.

Last blog I told you guys that I would be updating this blog more frequently, but that was a downright lie. I forgot.

Now I am here again though, ready to pour words out on the net.

School starts on Tuesday. Since I have been longing to go back for some time, I thought these last days would be spent planning, getting notebooks, pens, erasers and everyhting else I could need. Instead, I've been trying to get the thought of school out of my mind. I am no longer looking forward tot his year.

It is going to be hard. Especially whenever I think of maths.
I was sick a lot last year, and therefore missed A LOT. While you can catch up a lot easier in the other subjects, I fell behind in math.
I like maths, I really do. It's logic for god's sake! It's fun. However, since I missed so much, it got harder and harder for me to keep up. After some time I gave up with catching up.

Not a good choice. You need everything you learn when you're learning the next thing.

So, I have no idea how I am going to make it through the next year. I have chosen Standard, but even that will take a whole lot of effort. It was my stupid pride that stood in the way of choosing Studies.
Now I'm afraid, and I feel like hding under my convers until the year is over. Of course, that is not an option.

Studying like a madman is.

The other subject are going to be fun having, though. Swedish, English, history (all higher levels), visual arts and biology (standard). Okay, I might not be looking forward to biology that much, but it's the only science subject I can actually stand.

Today we went to a store so I could buy some kind of camera to bring to London. I bought it myself, I might add, or I will as soon as I get the money and can give them to mom. We also took our Nikon to check the lens that broke on Midsummers.
Mind you, I wasn't involved. I wasn't even there! I was over 400 kilometres away from there, so I doubt I could have had anything to do with it.

But, the nice man told us that it wouldn't be much difference between fixing it and buying a new one. Taking his advice, we bought a new one and it's actually better than the last one we had, so ... Yes. Awesome.

Coming home with that, I was happy, filled with photographic joy, I logged on facebook to check my Strawberries. After about half an hour, I realized that the battery was low and THEN.
My charger is broken. Serisouly, if things could just stop breaking I'd be very happy.
There is already a CD stuck in the computer, and school is starting Tuesday.

How the heck am I going to get that fixed before school starts? CRAP.

With those lovely words, I'll leave you. I hope you're day has been or will be better than mine.

Love
Sarah

Late night thoughts

Hello dear internet reader,

I was thinking that maybe I should start blogging a little more regularly. Do escuse any spelling mistakes in this post. I am on a strange computer, and I can barely find anything on this keyboard. It's also two AM and I'm tired.

So. Yes. A blog-post. What would you like to hear about? I don't belive anything interesting has happened since my last post, but what else can I do at two AM, but to entertain you guys?

First off, the bad news.
As I might have written on this blog (and everywhere else) my friends and I were planning a Yoad-trip next summer. It was supposed to take us from Canada, all the way down to Disneyland (or world, or place, of whatevs. I'm tired) and then back again. To say that I was excited about this would be an encredible understatement, since there is probably no word to describe how much I was looking forward to this.
Now, however, my joy is gone.

I am not a rich girl. It's not as if I am poor. I have food, clothers, a very nice home and I can go to the movies, eat out, when I would like too, but I am not rich. Vacations are saved for, and cannot be spurr of the moment things. (the london trip I am taking, might seem like a spurr of the moment thing, but I have planned this for months, and will pay lots of it myself)
But, I do not have a pile of money I can use whenever I want, like dear Harry P does.

So my trip will probably not happen. This is sad. This is so sad, I had a huge fight with my mom about it. Tears and harsh words were involved, and I regret most of what I said. That isn't the only reason to why I can't go, though. Even if we had that kind of money, mom wouldn't let me go all on my own.

I'm sixteen. My world consists of school, books, friends and ... this is where I want to say boys, but sadly no luck there yet.
My mom, they dear person that she is, is refusing to let me go on a raod-trip by myself. I had to badger her for months about a weekend in London, imagine what a month in the states would make her say.
Even though I will only be two or three months away from 18 next summer, she believes that I am too young.

I admit that riding across America is not the safest way to spend a summer. "What happens if you run out of gas in the middle of nowhere? What happens if you get lost in the middle of nowhere? Can you IMAGINE what places you could end up on?" (think Psycho) "Do you KNOW what is OUT THERE?"

Maybe I don't. Maybe I never will.

But, what is life about, but not taking chances? What is life without some risks? What is life without an awesome road-trip, across America?

Who knows?
I do know that Bekah and Shannon will have an awesome time without me (I will probably be at home, crying my eyes out I am afraid)
Mom is telling me that this isn't the only chance I have of doing this, there will be other times, and I am sure there will be. But when? When will I ever have time to spend a summer with my awesome girls?

A weekend with Shannon and Lucy is not going to be enough. I would like to have some more. If I could, I would take eternity, even though we would probably tire of each other after a while. ^^,

So, yeah. I'm upset. And sad. I really wanted this. I suppose I was so excited I never really thought about mom's protests. They weren't as loud as my squels of excitement.
But that is life, I guess. You want things, and then you're disappointed. So crap. Shit. Bloody bananas.

I should be glad that I am goingt to London in barely two weeks, which I am, but this whole road-trip thing has taken most of my excitement. Also, traveling alone is scary. At least they speak English, so I will be able to communiate if I get lost in the airport. (it could, and probably will happen)
A weekend will NOT be enough with Lucy and Shannon, but if it is all that I can have, then I shall grasp on to it with my few fingers and not let go.

I should sleep now. This wasn't supposed to be a long blogpost. It wasnt't really supposed to be anything, but I have been writing for almost an hour now, and I guess it's time to turn in.

Tomorrow I will be heading into the city to attend a little Nerdfighter gathering. It will probably be awesome, even though I hate meeting new people. The shy girl inside of me, seems to be the dominant one. It will be great seeing CH, though, especially since she is leaving for Canada soon, and won't be back until next summer.
I am trying to convince this girl to come with me, first of all because I miss her and would like to see her. The fact that iwill know someone is just a bonus.

Now I feel this lovely bed that I am sitting on calling my name. If I should actually sleep or try to write something on my novel now that I am on a role is hard to decide. What do you say, dear internet-readers? Sleep or write?

Love and bananas,
Sarah

I miss you guys,

You know, living in Sweden is pretty great. We have a great health-care, a free (and quite functioning) school-system, a fairly calm country and great weather. There is not much to complain about really.

But when I became addicted to the internet, and everything related to Nerdfighteria, then things started to go downhill.

When I started watching John and Hank's videos, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Not only have I been introduced to a million different things, I have also gotten to know some of the best friends I have ever had.

I've always been a shy girl and I don't like to blame my handicap, but I suppose that might have been the reason to why I have always hated to "connect" with people. I never really know what they judge me on.

Now, having gotten to known these girls both my text and by face, I can honestly say I have never had better friends. This might seem very unfair to my 'real' friends, but I can't deny it. I love these girls so incredibly much it's crazy.

Living THOUSANDS of miles away from them is horrible.

When they're sad I just want to rush there and hug them. When I am sad I want to do the same. That I am actually seeing Shannon in just two weeks is insane. I will be crying so hard when I have to leave, you won't believe it.

This is a HUGE downside with having an instant connection with the world. We're all so far away from each other.

Shannon lives in Canada, and that she is actually coming as close as London is the only reason I can actually see her. If she wold stay in Canada, this would be impossible.

Bekah is still in Nevada and can't come to London, something we are VERY VERY SAD ABOUT. I want to hug her so much, and next summer I might even be able to do that.

Now that school starts again, my communication with my girls, not just Shannon and Bekah, will almost end. I know I have to focus on school, so spending hours every night on Skype will not be possible anymore. I will miss them all terribly, for since I can't see them, Skype is pretty much all we have.

I am trying to keep myself for the Yoad-trip (a road-trip with youtubers) we might be going on next summer. If it does happen, I just might faint of happiness ^^,

Now I better go sleep. It's already past 11 PM and I only slept three hours last night. i do hope you have the opportunity to see the meteor shower. Sweden is covered in a blanket of clouds, so my expectations were crushed.

Love,

Sarah

Free Uglies!

Here you go, all Scott Swesterfeld fans.

Uglies will be available for free download until September fifth, as a preparation for the release of Leviathan, his new book.

Technically it's only available for US. residents, but Scott was so kind to inform us about the fact that a US. postal address has five numbers, so any one can get it.

I will have to admit that this will be my first Scott novel, and from what I have heard, I will love his works. I do hope it's true, and since I have problems with leaving a series unfinished, you can count on me getting these books when I am done with Uglies.

I just hope that my expectations are not too high, for I have really heard a lot.

Let's find out.

The book can be found here: http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=1294

I hope you enjoy it. I am pretty sure I will.

Sarah

I have a dream

Most people dream about a trip around the world, a million dollars or magic powers. My dream is a lot more simple than that. I don't need money, travels or any kind of magic. Not that I wouldn't accept it if someone handed them to me, but if I could have my dream, then nothing else would matter.

My dream is to be able to lace my fingers.

Just like this.

It might seems as a stupid dream to you. I mean, lacing one's fingers together might seem as a everyday thing to you. There is no years of dreaming about being able to do what you take for granted.

Some days are just harder than others. I've thought about it a lot today for some reason, and whenever I do, I feel terrible. I know there isn't much I can do. There will probably never be anything I can do, but one always dreams.

I feel sorry for myself sometimes, thats all. There are millions of people out there who would love to change their problems for mine. I know I'm lucky when it all comes down to it, but it doesn't feel like it when it drags me under.

As I kid I tried everything. I climbed things other kids couldn't, I was one of the first who learnt how to tie her shoe-laces, and I wasn't afraid of anything.

I can look back at it with a laugh and ask myself what happened to that little fearless girl.

Well, life goes one, and I shouldn't be thinking about this before I go to bed. Just like when I was a kid, it sort of gives me nightmares.

Love,

Sarah

Asking for a change.

Humans are a sad race. No, it's true. I mean, what do we really bring to this world? Some thoughts? Maybe.

but wars, global warming and famine? Yes. That we do bring.

Humans are a sad race. And what is our last craze? Oh yes, being illegal while we don't know we are breaking the law.

This is indeed a post about downloading. This is also indeed a post about how stupid the arguments for illegal downloading are. Of course, it will be a post about how I hate you.

I would like to begin with the argument I heard while discussing this is class. It is one of the weakest I have ever heard, and believe me, I have heard many.

"Why should I pay a lot of money, for something I can download for free?"

What? How? Why? I don't see your argument at all.

Why should you pay for something you might as well steal? Oh I don't know, because following the law is the right thing? Because STEALING is ILLEGAL?

Would you walk into a record store and take 5 CD's? Because when you download five albums that is exactly what you are doing. The argument "but I am not taking something that is physical, something you can touch" won't work with me, because I think you're an idiot. When you download, even "just one song" you are stealing profit from those who deserve it.

The fact that you don't want to pay the singers or actors high salary won't affect me. That is not the only person who gets payed. No, quite the opposite. Hundreds, if not thousand of people are involved in making this thing you feel you have the right to steal.

When it all comes down to it, what right do you have to get this material for free? Why shouldn't you pay for what you get? Can anyone give me a real answer here? Anything sensible? For I have never heard an answer that many any kind of sense.

You don't have that right. No one does.

What is it with you people, don't you understand that you are killing an entire industry? If you don't stop now, there will be no new movies to download in the future. There will be no new music or books.

The movie industry for example, is completely built on sponsoring. If you pay 10 million for a movie, then you expect it to make 16 million, so that you get you ten million back and then have enough profit to pay everybody who worked with making the movie.

But what happens when the profit is only 6 millions? Who gets the money? The investor, who will lose at least 4 million, or all of those depending on their salary?

An industry is dying, and this is because of you.

Now, I'm too tired of this discussion. I don't understand how you can keep doing this. Why don't you understand that is it illegal? Why doesn't it feel as if it is illegal?

Why won't you just stop!

Give the students computers!

This seminar is about computers 1:1, and so far I have become more convinced that this is the way to work in school.

I thought this wouldn't really matter to me, because I already am a student with a computer, but I have learned more about what you can do with computers.

One man spoke about tablet computers, and how great it was for the teachers to have them during lectures and presentations. You can draw straight on the presentations, like you would on a whiteboard.

It seems a lot easier than using a smartboard during a presentation.

It was also a very clever thing to have when you correct a paper, for you do no longer need to print it to make comments, but can instead take noted directly on the document.

During the seminar.

Some thought along the road.

Due to lack of internet yesterday, I didn't write down my thoughts of the seminars. I will however do so after todays learning. What I did do, together with Maria, was a little vlog about the first seminar. That can be found here.

As I walk around here I find myself in awe of how far our school seems to have gotten. This entire conference seems to be more about IT as a goal, a goal they haven't reached yet. They want the computer, as my teacher said, they see it as a goal, not as a way to reach the goal. On YBC we use the computer in everything we do. It is seen as a must, for without the computer we cannot work.

I see this as a con of technology. That people see the computer as a must, and not a privilege, which is the way it was a few years ago. If you don't have access to internet in these days, you feel isolated and left out of the world. Phones are no longer meant for calling, but for instant internet connections.

How did we go from letters to internet on your cellphone?

The world is constantly changing, and unfortunately we have to change with it, even if the road isn't leading towards where we thought we were heading. All in all, we move towards something new every day, every minute, every second.

Now it's time for a new seminar, this time about Computers 1:1 in the classroom. Our principal himself will speak, and we, sitting here with out computers, will probably we asked plenty pf questions.

Sarah

Inspiration for life.

Usually Mondays makes my eyes tear, my body shake and my head hurt. Today was different. Starting the first lesson with 20 minutes of Juno was wonderful. The story behind this is actually quite odd, for the class is Italian.

Last week we were supposed to watch an italian movie during the Thursday lesson, but since someone had stolen the DVD, and the movie store failed to mention this, we only had the features DVD. So, after fifteen minutes of laughing, complaining and some looks of apology from our teacher, we started watching Juno.

After these twenty minutes of well-written bliss, half the girls in the school went into the 'BC aula' to listen to a lecture. Before entering the room, all we knew was that it was supposed to be information about drugs. From all other lessons and lectures about this we have had during the years, I expected a few wasted hours. Lucky for me it wasn't.

We had two speakers, one man and one woman. The man began with telling his story, and from the first second you were caught in what he was telling us. You could tell that he had accepted his past and what he had done, and had moved on. He had such self-perception it was unbelievable. He could actually smile and tell his story with a laugh, something I think many have problems with. A past like his can not be easy to accept.

I have never experienced anything related to abuse of drugs or alcohol, but I can still say that I know it is hard to drag oneself out of that, no matter how determined one is.

This is where on would usually say that one knows all there is to know about alcohol and drugs, the effects the consequences and whatnot. The usual explanation? "I've read about it" or "I saw this documentary once"

Unless we have actually been there, down at the bottom crawling through the shit of life, we cannot say we understand what it is all about. Sure we can say it is hard, but we cannot know just HOW hard. How impossible. How much it hurts. We cannot know anything actually.

The girl, she was much younger than her friend, and I felt as if she still could bear what had happened to and with her. Maybe it's because a woman is so much more easily abused and used than a man. Also because she was still so young, and only got control of her life a few years ago. The man had had around 16 years to understand and think about what he had done, the girl had not had at all as many.

I was truly amazed that they could stand there in front of a bunch of neglecting teenagers and share that amazing and tragic story. I don't believe I could ever have that courage. Maybe not that many people have.

The kind of courage they showed today isn't something you are born with. Courage doesn't even mean that you dare to do everything. It's simply doing what you afraid of even though you are afraid.

So, with those few words to think about maybe, I will go to bed.

Tomorrow I can be found on the "Framtidens Lärande" (translation:The future's learning) conference in Nacka Strand. I'll be blogging and tweeting during the day, as our teachers has told us to.

I am looking forward to be a part of this, all in all I think we're twenty students from YBC going. It will be interesting to learn more about what is happening in the school-world, and to hear people's thoughts and beliefs.

Quote of the day:

“No one ever gets far unless he accomplishes the impossible at least once a day.”

Elbert Hubbard

Greetings

Once again I have decided to start a new blog. The reason I so often change between different sites is because I'd love to find the right one for me. 

I guess that concludes the first blog post. 

Back to He-Man.