Enough about Christmas, sure it's obviously the main event at the moment but I don't really have that much to write about it. I'm thinking much more about my first semester on the university, which is over now. I've learned a lot in just these four months that I've been studying journalism. When our teachers told us that we'd be able to work as real journalists my christmas I think most people took it as a joke. I don't really think it is anymore. Sure, I'm far from a top notch journalist but I don't think I'd have any trouble with doing an okay small interview with some lady who opened a second-hand store nearby, even if I worked for a large newspaper. I actually see many things that I could improve quite easily when I read Swedish newspapers. I think the same goes for most people in my class, some have already worked as journalists for serious papers.
But looking back at the semester I think much more of my classmates than of the studies, cliché as it sounds. It feels like the first time we met each other was only two months ago, perhaps even less. It really feels crazy that it's already been four months together. Lunch boxes, sharks hitting walls, cheese and wine, kidnappings, paddle races, karaoke, fridaysnuggle, tabasco and much much more. Stuff that doesn't make sense to any outsider but to many of my friends, some of them probably understand it all. Of course I'm looking forward to becoming a better journalist the coming years but I'm looking much more forward to spending more time with my classmates and get new unforgettable moments like "the lunch box scene" that I call it.
Just like I think more about the people I meet than what I do in Sundsvall I care more about meeting friends here than I care about Christmas itself. Of course that doesn't mean that I'm not glad that it's Christmas, after all I would have to do some boring but useful schoolwork if it wasn't holiday.
Oh who am I kidding ... I've got schoolwork to do anyway. For some reason it has to be group work too, the one time so far we havn't been able to meet up. I'm not sure what whoever put that there on the schedule was thinking but I sure want to interview that person and ask why he or she did it. To place group work over Christmas has to be incredibly stupid and pure evil, or too smart for me to understand.
Oh well, Merry Christmas! And do tell me if you got any special gift that you liked, I'm curious.
To finish off, here's a Christmas poem as a gift to you Swedish people. It's not self written but it's one of the best and most beautiful poems I've ever read so I find it worth linking anyway.
Midvinternattens köld är svår
Tio små nissar i djupsnö går
Rävsax gömd under skynke vitt
Knipsar nisse av på mitt
Livsandan snabbt för honom tryter
Snart i eget blod han flyter
Nio små nissar i midnattstimma
Traskar fram i månljusstrimma
Uggla hoar i sitt näste
Istapp faller tyst från fäste
Nisse spetsas utav tappen
Tomte ligger död på trappen
Utanför dörren står gröten och ångar
Åtta nissars intresse den fångar
Under stigande hunger fatet de nalkar
En stackars tomte på kanten halkar
Han sliter, han kämpar, han svettar sig blöt
Men sjunker likväl i kvicksandslik gröt
Många springor stugan har
Där sju tomtar in sig tar
Katten som bak dörren ruva
Slukar nisse med hull och luva
Resterna av tomtehand
Suger Misse bort från tand
Sex små tomtar mot julbord ila
Snabbt de uppför bordsben kila
När sista tomten över kanten hasa
Han tappar greppet och nedåt rasa
Faller nedåt likt ett lod
Mattan röd av tomteblod
Tomtar fem i väldig iver
Springer runt, ty hungern river
Nisse snubblar på sitt skägg
Faller rätt på knivens egg
Lilla nisse, stackars saten
Rinner ut i sillsalaten
Fyra små nissar har festat på sill
Och nu de törsten sin släcka vill
Mot glöggen de springer i samlad tropp
Och tar för sig av drycken i var sin kopp
Ner faller nisse i glögghett hav
Likt en skållad mandel hans skinn faller av
Tre små tomtar i granen svingar
Mellan ljus och änglavingar
Nisse sig för när våga
Strax han står i ljusan låga
Doftar snart likt vidbränd stek
Ångrar då sin ystra lek
Två små tomtar kring sig tittar
Då en smällkaramell de hittar
Ner ner på den då hoppar
Men för detta den ej stoppar
I tak, på golv, på gardin med frans
Finns nu Nisses hjärnsubstans
Husbond stiger upp om natten
För att kasta lite vatten
Under husbonns tunga toffla
Nisse blir till krämig våffla
Snön ligger vit lite här och var
Inte en jäkla tomte finns kvar
The poem is written by Christer Åkesson and three friends according to the internet. I made some very small changes that I think improved it. The original can be seen here.