seven!

Seven Quick Takes with Jen and Friends

- 1 -

Greg just told me about Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire last weekend, and I am smitten! I can't believe I never knew about this!

- 2 -

I rent a fully furnished apartment, except that fully furnished does not include a microwave. Even though I have never lived without a microwave, I (somehow) wasn't too concerned. I've gotten really good at re-heating foods in the oven or on the stove. Sometimes laziness wins though, and then I just eat cold food. Alternately, I bring my nice leftovers to the office for lunch and eat a sandwich for dinner. Perfect.

- 3 -

Just this week I realized that the cashiers at the grocery store often ask me if I want my receipt. In Swedish. They say "kvitto?" which just sounds like "K toe." to me. Questions don't have a rising tone, so you just know it is a question based on word order or context. I really don't know how many times I basically ignored this question due to a complete lack of realizing it was being asked of me. The thing is, the receipt always prints, so you either take it or they throw it in a bin. And I always smile and take it and say 'tack', so that is almost like giving an answer right? Goal for the future: reply "ja tack".

- 4 -

Fat Tuesday is called Fettisdag. In Sweden you celebrate by eating semlor buns. Don't mind if I do.

- 5 -

I've been thinking about things I should do or give up for Lent. I am usually really bad at Lent. This year I keep thinking of practical things that will make my life simpler. Then I realize that I should already be doing these things, and then force myself to start immediately instead of waiting for Lent to start. Exhibit A: no more snoozing through the second alarm. (That is a serious issue for me.) Exhibit B: wash bowl from breakfast immediately because I hate not having a clean bowl for breakfast in the morning. Needing to wash dishes before eating is my least favorite, but I do that to myself all the time.

- 6 -

When I started my new job I switched from programming in IDL to Matlab. (thrilling!) I am also now using immense amounts of data instead of just a small amount. So I have a need for greater computing power. Just this week I got things sorted so that I can run some of my stuff on the big research computer. And all that is to say, now I have dueling matlabs! (Also I sit in my office with the sounds of dueling banjos in my head... ddin din din din din din din din diinnn)

- 7 -

I am continually amazed that children here often know as many languages as their age. A co-worker and her husband were not from here, and not from the same country as each other, and their three year old son spoke both of their languages plus Swedish, which he learned at daycare. He might have known some English on top of those as well.