12.000

Do you know what number those are?
Well of course you dont. It could be anything.

But u wanna know huh? You really do?
First of all, its dollars.

12.000 Dollars- $12,000=approx 110,000 Swedish crowns- 110,000:-

Ok. For what you think?
I'll tell you what its for. Its the annual cost of Sofias preeschool.
Yes. Thats the ammount of money they have to pay for her, to go, not to college (that we all know its out of this world expensive over here) No, its for Pre-school- Dagis.
That my friends, is crazy.

Not only that. But now its the times for enrolling you little 4-5 yr olds in Kindergarten. Which is even more crazy. Its really difficult getting your child into one of these schools. And they are even more expensive, above $20,000. Yes. I am telling the truth.

Not only do they have to pay this, you are enrolling your child from Pre-K to 8th grade. So every year, you have to pay around $23,000 dollars for you childs school (Ps, no food included, have to bring lunch in lunch boxes)

A mom me and sofia has playdates with told me this.
She just enrolled her son in a kindergarten up in marin, because its too crazy here in the city. They have insane tests and interviews with the children. Makes them jump on one leg, draw a human, and behave well (among lots of other things) The parents have to be really sociable and prove that they will attend charitable events and donate even more money to the schools. Attend lunches with other moms and uuhh...just be fake!

You have a list of the 7 most desireable schools you want your child to attenend. Most children dont get into the top 7. Then you need to do more horrible interviews with the 8th-15th choice on your list.
Some people don't get their children into a school in time- some kids even miss the first weeks in school because they havnt gotten into one!!! And again- we are talking about Tiny tots here!!!

Jackie told me that moms are crying in the school corridors because their kids didnt get into the kindergarten they hoped for. And that there is lots of talking behind the back like "Did you hear about Kathys son, he didnt get into the Diller school. He couldnt draw a human, you know, hes a little after"
Sounds like a movie? Its real.

Of course, these are private schools we're talking about. But if you live in the city, you dont want your child to go to a public school (which are free)
They are really bad, in bad neighboorhoods, and dont even have art class sometimes! And still, you usually dont get into your first choise. Your child get into the 14th choice, wich is probably really far away from where you live, and a scruffy one. You kids will end up being gangsters.

It gets better outside the city though. The schools. Thats why San francisco has never had so few families as now. Everyone is moving out of the city, because of the school situation.
The public schools is easier to get into, and of course, they are free.

So, getting kids and live in San francisco, no can do. Uh-uh. C'est impossible!

But guys, again. Im appauled here. Can you imagine paying 110,000:- every year for your child to attend daycare? Can you imagine paying over 200,000:- ever year for your child to attend kindergarten to 8th grade?
Then comes high school, which is even more expensive!! around $26,000, and my friends, i will not even write those numberes in swedish. I think u get the point.

But isnt it weird, that a country like sweden. Can afford to give all children good, fun public schools? For free?
When a country like USA. The richest country in the world. Can even afford to give children art classes? It makes me sick.
And even more weird, how the f*ck do these people afford this???? I always knew SF was a wealthy city, but gee. And add a sibling to that. Or two. Youre either bancrupt or have gangster kids. Yeay. dont we live in a great world. Applause for USA.

So fellow swedes. Enjoy the swedish school system and welfare as long as it lasts. One day you might have to start paying for good schools too. The path Sweden is taking now....

Over n out
Boo

Skype- an artform

August 2008. First time my mama uses skype. For some reason, It's very difficult.
We have the webcam on. We can see eachother. I can hear her, but she can't hear me.

i love the way that mama accidently presses the caps lock button in the middle of a sentence. I also love how annoyed i am.
I just remember to see my mama, panicking over this whole thing, and she kept talking in her microphone thingy around her head which made me soooo annoyed haha.

Movies!

I wanted to share some movies i've seen lately. Really good ones!
The first one, Coraline, was really good and cute. Remember, this is all puppets. Amazing. Love style and mood, but not the design of Coraline.



Watchmen. Prepare for a loooooong movie. It was ok. I like the visual effects in it, but it was ridiculous choise of music. "Hallelujah" during a scene where they make love. "Sound of silence" on a funeral, and Jimi Hendrix "all along the watchtower" Among other ones. That just made it stupid. But i enjoyed it, and liked the way that they didnt cencure violence and nudity out.



"Knowing" Wow. Loved this one. Very surprising end, and a good story. Good thinking. Very intense!

What happened last week

Emma came back to SF for a week. Yay. You gotta love visits from Sweden.
Friday, I joined her, and Ulrika for a day of shopping and catching up.
Later David came and we went to a pub/restaurant with amazing burgers and steaks. Emma was almost sleeping.

It was St Pattys day on Tuesday, but there was a choise of snuggle in the sofa, or be annoyed by too drunk irish peeps, so i chose the snuggle this year. Score.

I had a photography field trip to china basin to photograpgh.
Got the talking with a dude from my class. Who told me he wantet to be a wedding photographer too. He never shot a wedding before, and he charges 2900 for a wedding. Dollars that is folks. Dollars. Not Swedish crowns. Dollars. And here i am offering my services for free. Damn. That made me motivated!

Karaoke on Thursday, and my Emelie came!! Havn't seen her since my birthday last year. I missed her!! I also met Karro who is back for a while. It was packed, and as ususal, i got hit on by a guy. Some kind of well dressed office-type dude. Who thell goes to karaoke in a suit??

Friday was Touristday. Woke up with a headache and met up with Always alert and lively Emma.
We did Twin peaks, Portrero hill, got some picnic lunch by the waterfront, slept, talked, then we took the bikes over GG bridge and slept on the brickwall there for a while. A very nice day! (although i felt like dying because of my heahdache)
David came home and we drove down to the place where its not cool to be- cupertino (damn, its just so freakin far to drive!) Got a nice BBQ with Emmas hostparents. Nice eveing!


Kisses::: Boo

This is why its better to talk on the phone

Just another conversation between my mama and me.
Click on it to read bigger

Im laughing so hard im shitting myself... Its just such a misunderstanding

Blondie

I made highlights! The lightest highlights i've done. Whatcha think?

Twin sisters?

No, this is Not the actress Ginnifer Goodwins mother in the 1940's.
This is my incredibly beautiful grandmother in the 1940's
Isnt that scary? Honestly, the eyes, the look, the mouth, the hair, shape of the face. they're like freakin sisters!!!!
Well, i guess beauty runs in out family ;-)
Love u mommo!!

Check this. Crazy! The exact same smile! Hell, even the eyebrows are the same,
the freakin cheeks!

Look at that mouth. Just look at it. They have the same expression!!

Oh lord. i think this one is the scariest of all!!

Dream on

I want a lot of things in the world.

I want to be a wedding photographer, a chrildrens book writer, work with movies, a travel journalist, a tv host on a travel program, an actress, i want to design childrens clothes.
I want to open my own restaurant, my own cafe. I want to have my own business with David.
I want to be a young mother. I want to travel and see the world, and have a career before i become a mother. I want to volounteer work in Africa, bulid a school, live among the locals in little huts. I want to travel all around Africa and be a wildlife photographer.
I want to go to Egypt, Marocko, Tunisia, Kenya, South africa, Tanzania, Senegal, Madagascar, seyshelles, india, Vietnam, China, hong kong, japan, Phillipines, Australia, New zeeland, French polynesia, Alaska, Antarctica.
I wanna study french in Paris, i want to go Island hopping in Greece again. I want to study italian in Rome. Wanna visit Iceland.
I want to travel by car around Europe during eurocup. I want to travel by caravan in all of Sweden.
I want to travel by caravan to all the states in the US

I want to be rich so i can fly to Sweden many times a year.
I want to buy a house in San Francisco, a house in Marin county, A vacationhouse in greece, a vacation house in Belize, a house in N.Y, a house in Paris, a house among the vineyards in Marseilles, a red summerhouse by the sea or a lake in Sweden.....

I want....i want....

Now. Can someone give all this to me?


PS: I don't know how much of this i will accomplish, but i already accomplished the most important- a loving husband, amazing family, and the best friends in the world.

One of those clumsy times.

Yesterday, i was doing the lanudry.
When i took all of the wet clothes out of the washer, i heard a little metallic sound.
"ooh, money" i thought like a small child on christmas.
When i took it up, i saw to my surprise...it was my wedding ring!!!!

I just stood there. Holding the ring between my thumb and point finger. staring at it. Looking dumb.
What just happened? Did i actually wash my ring?! I didnt even notice it was off! What the H*ll!!

Lately, i guess since i lost weight, My ring is huge.
Its like a had freakin fingers out of dough before. Baguette fingers!
David thinks i should resize it, but im being sentimental and thinks "that this is how the ring was when we bought it, and when we got married, so i dont want nobody altering with it!! "

But...i guess i have to change my mind...
Resizing- here we come.

PS: Of all the places on the body you loose weight, your fingers is what sees the action?! Man, that just sucks. Couldn't i loose that fat someplace where i actually needed instead?

Scraproom

This....scraproom...is...amazing!
I want it!
Give it to meeeeeeee....

Oh, imagine having everything so organised.
Papers i one box, pens in another, stamps in the third.
Stickers, beads and adhesives.
Man...
i would spend my day in here!

Sofia 4 yrs!

Written before the weekend

Honestly, i cant express my joy more when i say. Yes. Its weekend.

Sofia turned 4 yrs this wednesday. 4 yrs. Can you imagine? My little bug starting to get big now!
I bought her some stuffies, Uniqua and Tyrone from the popular tv show "the backyardigans". Dont ask. Never seen it, and i'm sure it sucks :-)
But she loves them!! So i bought them, and a book about them.

Remember when....

Only 14 little months... My little chubby bug!

movies from Tahoe

Ski-photos!

A very tired Fluffyboy

But now he's ready to ski....

Me too of course

So much fun to ride the lift!

Always a nice view

Another nice view

"Sunnyside"

After that hill where i almost died!!

Lunch break!

Hey!! Another nice view!!

Fluff and Boo

Our cute little Twig house! And the racoon i though was real!

Second day

u understand what i mean when i say eskimo and astronaut?

alone in the slopes

Silly one (i love fluffs face here...he looks like a cartoon!

..and a nice one too!

To have or not to have.

Botchow gets served a gigantic piece of ice cream cake for dessert and wonders where the coffee is. Its supposed to be included.

Boo: Is there coffee...uhm...in it?
Servergirl: Oh no...no coffee, the are pistashios on top though...."
Boo: nonono.... is there coffee TO IT
Server girl: Oh, yes, of course, would you like some?
Boo "whispers" to Fluffy: u having one?
Fluff: No not for me thanks.
Boo: Oh, ok... so, not for me either then. No coffee thanks.

Ehh...what just happened?
I do have a mind of my own. I do.
the stupid thing was that i actually insisted on this coffee.
At least i COULD have had it for free if i wanted to. Thats the point. At least i knew that.

Fanboys

Yesterday we saw a showing at Lucasarts for the new movie "fanboys" wich is about 4 fanatic star wars fans who travel across the contry to break in at skywalker ranch. I didnt think it would be so funny. It was hilarious! Go see it.
I mean, i guess only if you are a star wars fan. Otherwise you wouldn't understand the jokes.

Afterwards the director of the movie came and you could ask him questions.
I didnt. Of course. im a chicken. But others did. It was interseting to hear.
Its so easy here. You just meet Directors, sometimes i cant believe it.
David even played soccer with him. Its not like he's Spielberg of course, but still. I'm amazed.

Anyone?

Heck.
Is there even anybody except my mama and Helena who's actually reading my blog?

Comment for gods sake peeps, comment!

Lake Tahoe

Did anyone ever drive a car with snowchains on?
Well, i never had until yesterday, and i'll tell ya- it was a bumpy ride!

The snow came Sunday. During the day it rained, and of course the rain turned into thick white snowflakes up on the mountain. I was in awe... i had forgotten it was so beautiful with snow....

Of course. After a while the snow got kind of annoying, and i realized that it was more fun to ski in sunshine.

1. You dont have to look like an astronaut disguised as an eskimo for one thing.
2. And The flakes turns into drops, which just distorts just about everything you see in the skiglasses. Which...can be annoying too.
3. You dont have to freeze the fingers off when the cheap shitty gloves leak in (seriously, i thought my fingers would rot)
4. Its a ton easier to turn when its not "new snow" and you dont fall like a cartoon face down in the deep snow. (yes i did)
5. Beginner skiis + new snow = bad idea. They just wont move!
6. And you dont have to fear for the thought of 28 days later-"zombies in snowland"
   

I dont know what happened, but me and David was like, alone in the mountain on Sunday. Had the whole slopes for ourselves. It felt like 28 days later.
Every now and then a lonely snowboarder or crazy skiier would pass us by.
Then there we were. Alone on a big mountain with our eskimo outfits. Poor us.

Anyway. Tahoe was great.
Our little cottage was definatly a great part of it! Decided to spend a little extra for some cozy-ness.
It was called te "twig house" and a little narrow stair took us up to this little cute tree-house looking place. Everything was in wood, tiny windows, gas-fireplace, a little sitting room which we never used.
Ahhh... i didnt wanna leave. It was the most cute place we ever stayed at.!!

In the mornin' there was a good breakfast in the main cabin. (we were a bit worried, cause sometimes when they say "continental breakfast included" it means donuts and some coffee. I dont know whats so freakin continental about that, but its sure isnt healthy) So we were surprised when we got really good food.

There was no partying. Are you crazy? Party? When you wake up at 7am and have to force a very tired husband up from bed. No, there was a restaurant though. And the thought of having a drink somewhere.
"Do you wanna have a drink somewhere?"
'honestly...no....im exhausted"
"Mee too lets just go home and snuggle"
"yeah, I mean its.... 7.20pm....what??? Its 7.20??

That might sound lame.

Anyway. David, who had way too much sun that day and was all swollen, probably had a heat stroke. So the evening was short. I watched an incredible boring movie with Queen Latifah. I know. Thats even more lame.

To sum up. First day-hella warm and sunny. Easy to ski. restaurant. sleep.
Second day- hella cold. Difficult to ski. Alone in slope. rotten fingers. swollen eyes.

then there was the adventure of going home. After a while, the traffic was stuck and we saw cars on the sides putting their chains on.
"ahh come ooon, its just raining, we dont need chains!! Americans always exhagerate!!"
Well, turns out we did. We asked one of the "chain workers" if it was mandatory, and yes i was, because it was snowing like crazy higher up. If u dont have chains on at the chain control, u must turn around! So 30 bucks later and chains on the tires we were on our way. And after a while, we were driving in a crazy snowstorm.
The stupid thing was, that about 30 mins later, we had to take them off. snow was gone and the rain was back. :-)

Kississ ::: Skiboo