Fridays are now almost an official shopping day for me and Heather. And we've started finding new places everytime. This time a Marshalls. And I guess that's not a very good trend, if I wanna have some money left to travel for, and to eat for... at least i paid my remaining rent the other day, so i don't need to think about spending that money. I mean I'm really not spending that much money on shopping, I'm just buying things with a good price and things I think I need. Of course there's always some argument for why I need it, if it's something I like. After shopping we went to my place and bought Chinese food downstairs. It was really good, I didn't try it before, but I had some really tasty sweet sour chicken. And my fortune cookie said: You will travel to many exotic places in the next few years. Promising! I'm thinking Korea/China, and Brazil. That's exotic enough for me and I have good reasons for going there too.

 

 

 

Objects in photo may be smaller than they appear (i.e. the bag is not as big as it looks)

 

Tomorrow me and Heather are planning to go jogging in the park, and to play badminton. It's gonna be a healthy day, ánd I shouldn't have to spend any money, which is my goal for the whole weekend. Except Publix for food of course. And if something else comes up, you never know...

Oh, and here is a photo of my room. That's where I lived for two months now, and where I'll be for another two months plus. I can't believe I've already been here almost half the time. Well, it's half the semester by now and then another two to three weeks, for which I haven't planned anything yet. And I don't think I have to for a while, but I don't want it to be like with spring break, last minute decisions. For spring break by the way we have decided to go to Miami, which should be a lot of fun, but it's gonna be expensive, as I still haven't got the tickets. I actually though about driving down and then take a couple of days to drive down the Florida Keys, that would be really cool, but I don't wanna drive 10 hours by myself (since my friend is flying down from Chicago).

Time to sleep now I think, if I'm gonna get up in the morning to write on my essay before the work out schedule starts!

Today in class my film professor said she has an exhibition opening next week and gave out flyers for that. She makes comics, or just single images, with some everyday observations, she adds one for each day on her website. Some of them are really good, some make more sense than others. Anyway they're kind of funny so check them out: Ordinary Comics, Özge Samanci. I really like some of the little details she puts in, like the "no exaggeration in our size difference" in Feb25. And also some of the spelling and grammar mistakes, which really bugged me at first, especially in her ppt presentations in class, but now it's just kind of cute, charming... She's a cool professor.

I think I know which machine this is, I should try its maternal feeling towards me =)

Early start today as we were meeting at 9 for the bustrip to Birmingham, Alabama. And I can now officially cross another state off my list.

Our first stop was Chris McNair Studios, where we had a Southern lunch - cole slaw, mashed potatoe salad and chicken. Before lunch, Mr McNair talked about his photographs. He was a photographer during the Civil Rights Movement which to a great extent took place in Birmingham. His daughter was killed at 11 years in a bombing of a church during that time, and many of the photos depicted her. There was also a memorial room with clothes, school books and other of her things.

After silencing my screaming stomach we went on to the Civil Rights Institute, which was basically a museum about the movement. Many interesting items and information from the time of segregation. McNair said, however, that there is probably an even greater segregation today than at that time, if, for example, looking at the schools.

And something you might find funny, or not: a group of blind people were at the museum. One of them asked someone working there for the restroom. The man pointed him towards it.

Last stop was Sloss Furnaces, a historic landmark. Here they started producing iron in late 1800's, and it was around this industry the city of Birmingham grew. Now it's closed down since many years, but everything has been preserved as a historic symbol of the city's past.

That's pretty much it. And, yeay, I actually snapped a few photos!

Shopping Friday yesterday again. Me and Heather wanted to find TJMaxx and looked up on the map that there should be one close to the Lennox mall. So we went there, thinking it's not gonna be that hard to find, but of course we didn't. But, that's ok, we found Filene's Basement instead and I don't know how many hours we spent there. I bought a pair of PJ pants, the one's I brought have for some reason developed a big hole in them after many years of use. I love my new ones! I finally found a pair of shoes, the only ones in my size were red. I guess I would have chosen the black or brown if I could've, but I'm liking the red too. Original price $80, Filene's price $49, sale price $15 !! How's that for a bargain =) I also bought a belt, but I'm gonna have to return it, turned out to be too big. Or long, or what ever you say about a belt. And don't have any tools here to make another hole in it. Anyway, 30 days to return it, that's good about American shopping, compared to the Swedish 7 or 10 days.


Today I've only been lying in bed, reading my book for Russian Lit and Film; Heart of a Dog. About a dog which by a surgery slowly turns into a human. Weird, obviously, but fun. And a really short novel, so no pressure.

Rain all day.
Which is only natural, and good so the grass will get green.
But it still kinda sucks. When I for once had a long afternoon
off. I don't know what I would have done if it had been sunny,
but probably something other than staying in.
I should have done some of the readings for next week,
so I don't have to in the weekend, but time goes so fast even
when I'm doing nothing.
Or actually I've been planning for spring break. Or trying to.
We can never make a final decision. I think it's between Puerto
Rica and Miami now. It depends on lodging.

Sunday I'm going to Birmingham, Alabama with the other
exchange students. I have to bring (and use!) my camera
this time. I'll report back on that.

01:47 AM. Tired. For once. This whole last week I've had such a hard time to sleep. Hours every night. And tonight I have an essay to finish before I can sleep. And as I'm writing this I feel how the tiredness is going away. So typical, by the time I'm done writing, I won't be able to fall asleep anyway. But maybe that's my punishment. For watching Prison Break and surfing Facebook instead of doing the work in the evening. Now I have to stay up all night. And I should not be writing my blog right now either. Not so much because of the essay, more for the reason that tomorrow I'll look at what I've been writing here, and it's all nonsense... So I forgive you for not reading this. Pointless. Just an excuse for not doing what I should. Still - at 01:55 AM.

Keep listening to Idol Amanda's song... People will be people always.

Ok, I just ended my essay with ... I'll have to do it tomorrow morning, which means I have to get up early again. But no more complaining. I guess most things happen while you're awake anyway, so why wanna sleep so much... Nothing good will come out of it. Enough of late night philosophies.

First test over with, and new one tomorrow. And for this one I'm actually studying, although it should probably have been the other way around. I didn't feel too good about today's exam, but the one tomorrow is in my film class, and I think I know most of the terms pretty good so... We'll see! Then I think I'll have to spend the whole weekend on projects and essays and presentations =(

So last night was the Hawks game, they actually won, but were pretty close to loosing, so it was a good ending of the game! Otherwise it was kind of boring, as I didn't sit with those I wanted... I did, however, meet a Swedish guy, but only as we left the arena and it was really crowded, so I'm not sure where he disappeared to. It's funny, Heather, from Korea, is somehow really good at spotting Swedish people. She knew there's a guy in her building who's Swedish and the minute she saw him she thought that it had to be that guy. And it was. Same thing yesterday.

Tonight I dreamt that my dad gave me a million dollars (or kronor?) cash tied up like a bundle of news papers. I was really happy, think of all the things I could do with that money! Then came my mom and asked if I knew where that money came from, am I sure it's legal, does it not seem a little suspicious? Hmm, maybe so, I guess my dad must have commited some crime. So I started thinking about the best way to put the money into the bank, without any suspicion, how often and much could I deposit at a time? But my mom wouldn't leave me alone with my new-gained fortune, she made me feel guilty for keeping stolen money, so I asked her: what if I give half of it to charity, to the starving children or something? No, Marie you know what you have to do... she said. Yes, the only right thing would of course be, it turns out, to throw it away!

So, even if it all seems to be about school right now, at least I have my dreams!

Oh no not another cold... especially not now, when I have so much to do. I have tests both Thursday and Friday, which means I should be studying now, since I wont be able to tomorrow night. But I just can't get to it. Eventhough I have nothing else to do... Where's the discipline in me?

So tomorrow night I'm going to a Hawks game. That's Atlanta's basketball team, they're playing the L.A. Lakers and I'm going with the international students. I think it will be fun, even if not the ideal way to spend the night before a midterm :-s

I think this weekend I'm going to IKEA... again, I know... but this time I'm gonna buy some stuff. Or food to be precise. I want knäckebröd, and maybe some Ahlgrens bilar or Marabouchoklad and köttbullar. Vad jag allra helst vill ha är semlor, men tror knappast de har det där...*tår på kinden*

Thanks for the comments, keep 'em coming!