Sverige, Nordman, Julia Roberts, and truck related feelings

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We are back in Sweden now, well since Saturday anyway, and back into the midst of Swedish life, (tomorrow is a holiday and marks the time that many people take the next five weeks as their mandatory vacation time, brilliant). Our apologies for no updates but it was a busy two weeks back in the States and we have both felt like we were run over by trucks since we've been back. Two cross country, two trans-Atlantic, and two red eye flights in two weeks will do that I think.

But to celebrate our return we went to a party to watch Sweden, or Sverige in Svenska, play Russia in the last game of Group Play for the Euro Cup. Sweden needed a draw or a win to advance to the tournament portion. Unfortunately somebody forgot to tell the players that because they looked pretty flat and apathetic, remarkable for a team that was carded twice. Russia won 2-0 and that's it for the Swedish national team until the Olympics start. The party was pretty cool. It was hosted in a gym with plenty of beer and burgers and big screens and our "favorite" Swedish band, the Nordman (referred in this space as the "Van Art Guys"). Ragen and I even went out and bought some scarves and tshirts and stuff for watching the game, nothing crazy like these folks though.

Here you can see a couple of the screens they had up and the game projected onto them. The thing started by everyone standing up and singing the Swedish national anthem and some chants and stuff. Prior to kickoff everyone starts singing the base line of Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes. Yeah! Go America! Chalk up another one for US cultural influence! Whoo hoo! That's right up there with the 86ers breaking their huddles the same way we did in high school, and every high school does in the states. The guys ask me what other things they could say and to be honest, I tell them that they could do it in Swedish, and they'll look at me like they never thought of it. Sweet.

Ladies and Gentlemen... the "Van Art Guys"!!!

It's come to our attention that these guys were immensely popular like 10 years ago... and haven't done anything since then. That's probably why they are playing in a gymnasium during a football watching party in front of 1000 people maybe (at least there was before the game, ten minutes after there was maybe 100, including the catering staff). Nothing makes playing in front of 100 people sadder than smoke machines and dramatic lighting.




They only played like 5 songs and were done. Ragen and her friend Yezica, who was a huge fan back in the day, went out to get a picture with them. There were two people at their table to get CD's autographed. The guys asked Ragen if she wanted and autograph but she asked for a picture instead. They thought about it for a second, and agreed, so here you go! Apparently the lead singer (guy on the right) was a big drug user, and Ragen says he wears it. Awesome.


In other news, it no longer gets completely dark. The darkest part of the night is now twilight, the sky is still blue and is too light to see many stars. And by 2 am or so the sun is almost completely up. Good times. By the way, our what time is it picture was taken at 3am. That light is now equivalent to about 1 am.

In Julia Roberts news, including the weeks were were gone, we can now add America's Sweethearts, I Love Trouble, and Mona Lisa Smile. That we are aware of.

Until next time...