Speedily a Tale is Spun

I seem to have this problem where I, as soon as I neglect posting anything here, don't post anything again until months later. The December Talking Meme was supposed to prevent that, but obviously that didn't work. To the people whose questions I never got around to answering: I'm really sorry! It had nothing to do with you.

I was kind of busy around Christmas due to... it being Christmas, and I started feeling depressed around New Year's. I somehow struggled through January, but with the new courses starting I couldn't really help but crash a bit. I still attend all my lectures, but I barely study and it's getting harder and harder to do basic tasks like cooking and cleaning... I'm just constantly drained.

It's not all bad though-- well, depending on your definition of bad; I've been getting into anime and manga again, of all fucking things. It's been what, eight years? Eight years since I read manga and watched anime regularly. And yet here I am, eight fucking years later, crying buckets over Hikaru no Go (and no, EIGHT YEARS HAVE NOT REDUCED THE PAIN).

Strange how things turn out in life.

And next week is the premier of The Circle (the movie based on the Swedish YA novels, not the Eggers book). May I just say how stoked I am that we're getting an Especially Written For Movie Song like all the cool movies these days? Except with The Hives instead of Ed Sheeran (which is a better deal tbh) doing a Johnny Cash-esque number about young witches who have to save the world?? HOW GREAT IS THAT??? VERY GREAT. VERY GREAT INDEED.

(The Hives are from the same town as one of the authors, upon which the fictional town of Engelsfors in the books is based, which makes it Even Greater).

After yesterday's post touched on the connection between bodily autonomy and racial exploitation, it seems kind of fitting (but completely accidental) that I checked out a music video released earlier this month together with Sofia Jannok's latest album, Áhpi.

Sofia Jannok is arguably Sweden's most prominent Sámi artist at the moment, and one of few who have gained mainstream attention; the result is an album that is a lot more political than the former two. And a video both gorgeous and chilling in its portrayal of a topic that hits much closer to home than Egyptian mummies-- namely, scientific racism.



(And yes, I will be picking up that album next time I'm in town.)

This post will once again reaffirm two things about me:

1. I am really bored now in summer.

2. I am a huge fag.

So here. Have a DenSu fanmix.

( History sticks to our feet )

I'd be rather grateful if you tell me if you snag and/or like this. Besides the fact that comments are always fun, it'd be nice if someone shares my slightly unusual taste in music. XD

X-posted to kalmarunionen and denmarkxsweden. Sorry for the spam.

F-List reminder: still leaving for Tunisia the 10th. Will be back a week later/the 17th. <3

Came back from Värmland yesterday, but... I don't feel like writing about it. I have a few photos from Mårbacka (Selma Lagerlöf's home and birthplace) I might post later if I feel like it, but right now... I'm tired and listless. I don't feel like doing anything much at all, to be honest. I've had a great and also a bit hard time down west, but it's been great. The stories I could tell somehow don't come out right when I think of writing them here though.

... If anyone wonders WHY I went to Värmland, it was to attend Arvikafestivalen. It's a music festival taking place in Arvika every year, and the big attraction this time was Depeche Mode. :D Whose concert was awesome, really, I've never been to a consert before... (Ranarim playing in a cottage in the middle of nowhere doesn't count, shut up. XDD)

Anyway, today has been... Quite shitty. I don't have anyone to talk to, I don't feel like doing anything, I'm just bored. Oh, but I did get new music today, which makes it better. Värttinä's Oi Dai (argh, now I've ordered all CDs of theirs I can get my hands on in the country, got to visit Amazon if I want more XDD) and Kraja's Under Himmelens Fäste. Folk music in a cappella. :D

However, I promised kitsuneasika I would translate some stories from my collection of Swedish folktales... And here is the first one. It's a story with a motive known from well-known sources like the Grimm brothers to the old Norse tales and a Roman satire. Here in Scandinavian shape.

The original title is "Lärdom är bra men Lagom är bäst" (there is no proper translation of "lagom"; the closest is the word I've used) and it was recorded by Nils Gabriel Djurklou in 1884, in a dialectal version that is sadly lost in translation.

( Happiness can not be bought, sold or, in this case, learned. )

(Leaving this entry public in case I'll post links when I've done more of this in communities.)

A rather short and hopefully amusing (and educating?) start. I promise I'll do more translations, as long as they don't turn out to be too much of a hassle. It was fun. :D