mikao's world

Interview #3

This third interview comes from Flip, all the way around on the other side of the world. :)

1. Tell us something unique about the area you grew up in:
"It depends on how wide your definition of "area" is, I guess. If you mean the part of the country, I'd say the dialect. It's no coincidence that most actors playing morons in Swedish films choose to speak Östgötska (pronounced something like "uh-schutska" with "sch" as in the Scottish "Loch"), as the dialect is called - there's no way of describing the sound of it other than as dumb :)

If you mean the local area, I grew up in a rather poor suburb where most people had more or less severe social problems of different kinds. The school I went to between 12 and 14 years of age had a lot of problems with kids doing drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol, which would have been rather unique for any school in Sweden during the 80's. I don't think it's very unique in any other aspect.

2. What is your favourite book and why?
I could go for the obvious, of course, and say "The Bible". It's the only book where I can find something that speaks to me regardless of where in life I am. Other than that I don't think I can choose just one favourite... It all depends on the mood I'm in when I read and the subject I'm interested in at the moment. One indesputable all-time favourite must be the Webster's Encyclopedic Dictionary, though.

3. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you chose and why?
Luckily you're not the first person who've asked me this, so I've got the answer prepared :) Icecream. It's the only food that comes in enough flavours, and where no one would mind if you snuck in an essential vitamin that just happened to colour the icecream green or pink.

4. What is something about yourself that people usually do not notice for a long time?
I don't know if it's a good idea to tell you or not. If it takes time to notice, it's probably because I don't want them to notice :)

Seriously though, I think it depends very much on the other person. The context in where I get to know people also very much dictates what sides of me I show, I think, and hence what they will notice. Most people probably don't notice that I'm actually rather shy.

5. Tell us about one hard lesson that you have learned so far in life:
Hmm... That's a difficult question. Did you mean "hard" as in "painful" or as in "difficult to learn"? It's more that some things have taken a lot more time and practice to learn, I guess. The most important things I've learned are probably that:

A. You can't avoid the sorrow and difficulties of life, but you can choose how you handle them. I don't believe that everything that happens has a meaning, but I think most things can get a meaning. Letting bad things happen to you without even trying to gain something in terms of personal growth is somehow a wasted life experience, isn't it?

B. Jesus will always be a greater saviour than I'll be a sinner.

6. If you could change anything about your growing up years, would you, and what would it be?
I honestly don't know. Of course there are things one sometimes wish had been different, but the thing is that if they had been you would probably not be the same person today. And I've come to like who I am. Not that I think that I'm perfect, of course, but on the whole I get along rather nicely with myself :)

7. Tell us about a couple of your favourite blog posts that you have written so far:
Once I've written a post I usually never read it again, so I don't have any favourites as such. Somehow the words aren't mine after they've left my head, so it feels very strange to read them when a while has past, if you see what I mean? After reading your question I had a quick read-through, though, and if I have to pick some it would probably be these:

Monsters
This is what I think
The Kill-Kenny clock
Raindrops keep falling on my head

The first two because they summed up some things about me that had occupied my mind for quite a while, "the Kill-Kenny clock" mainly because I like the pictures and because I found the similarity between Kenny and the clock rather amusing. "Raindrops keep falling on my head" is also about something that has been on my mind very often. (Yes, I confess - I'm slightly (although some claim "very very") nerdy.) I like most of the photo posts too, but more for the pics than for the writing, I think.

8. What are some cool things about Sweden that we (living elsewhere in the world) probably do not know?
If you had asked what cool things people think they know about Sweden, but which aren't true, this answer would probably have been a lot more entertaining. :) But I'll stick to dry facts:

- All names of the different furnitures at IKEA are Swedish names, places or words, and 2002 the IKEA catalogue was printed in 34 different languages. "IKEA" is short for Ingvar Kamprad (the founder, who is know wealthier than Bill Gates) Elmtaryd-Agunnaryd (which is the place where Ingvar Kamprad was born and started his business).

- It was Swedes who invented the zipper, the ball bearing, the Coca-Cola bottle, the Celsius thermometer, dynamite, the pace-maker, the periodic table and the adjustable wrench.

- 2003, Sweden had the lowest poverty and illiteracy rates in the world and the second highest longevity mean (close to 80 years). Sweden was also the only nation with more than 40% (45.3%) women in the parliament.

- In year 2002 6.02 million reported that they use the internet, which is quite good considering the entire population is just below 9 million. We've also got quite a few great sportsmen and -women, Anja Pärsson, Börje Salming and Mats Sundin, for example.

- Speaking of sports, one of the most common sports for a Swede to have played is "innebandy" (indoor bandy). It's a bit like hockey, but with no ice, different stick and a white perforated ball. You'll have to see it to understand, so I'll attach a photo, I think :)

- In spite of Sweden being famous for meatballs with potatos and lingonberry jam, we also have quite a strong vegan/animal rights movement. And a strong environmentalist movement.

- Sweden was a great political power in Europe during the 1700's. Now we're happy if people don't confuse us with Switzerland.

There are probably loads of other cool facts about Sweden but I'm not cool enough to think of them, it seems. Hope at least some of these were previously unknown to you :)

9. If you had to choose between living on a mountain top or a boat, which one would you pick and why?
Mountain top, without a doubt :) The view is better and I wouldn't get sea-sick.

10. If suddenly one of the primary colours (red, yellow, blue) disappeared from the world forever, which one would you prefer to be the one that disappeared?
Yellow, I think. Most colours I find ugly have got yellow in them. But then there would be no green, of course... Hmm... No, I'll stick with yellow, I think."