Douches de Français

I don't know many who are listen-to-music-while-taking a shower people. Well I am and the recent past weeks the magnificent french singer Edith Piaf's music has been the start of my morning and the start of my days. That and the mandatory, crucial but yet so great cup of columbian roast from Trader Joe's.

Beau Jour!

Gnarly F**kin' Movie!!

Anti Christ (2009) with Willem Dafoe & Charlotta Gainsbourg.

Lars Von Trier used Charlotta and Willem to scare me, petrify me, make my body ache and still I would like to recommend you to see it, gather up a safe-group and watch it, discuss it and feel the exact way I felt after that I had been watching it, my conclusion was and is; 'Gnarly Fucking Movie'.

Good Afternoon, Good Evening & Goodnight

My apologies Mr. Brando!

Marlon Brando (t.r), Steve McQueen (c) and Marilyn Monroe (t.l)

I've just been getting on some truly amazing classics in the recent past weeks, as I started through my inspiring James Dean adventure with 'Rebel Without A Cause' and 'East of Eden' I am now before 'On The Waterfront', 'Some Like It Hot', 'Bullit', 'The Last Escape', 'Papillon' and more to come, we got Hitchcock, Wilder, Allen, Goddard, Kurosawa and list just goes on and on.

Unfortunately though Mr. Brando, Mr. McQueen and Ms. Monroe, got to get my head into Math, not because I'd rather do it, but because I have to.

Good Night and Good Luck

Yeah! Well, I have to get back to you on that!

Well at least I was told that I was a good student, doesn't really help me finishing my degree because a billion dollar bail-out couldn't cover the educational sector.

Well. I will know tomorrow but the fact that I discovered this one day before enrolling, scares me slightly.

Good Night & Good Luck

Double Double!

John Mayer - Battle Studies & Norah Jones - The Fall

Sometimes you just get two presents in one, epic release for my private like in music.

And by that notation my return to the world of blogger is official.

Hello, Goodbye

Stefan Henriksson

Flying Airplanes and Getting Frustrated Over Structure

I'm sitting here in the middle of the Los Angeles night trying to figure out the story of Rocky Racoon ain visual images for my midterm in Storyboarding.

To get my mind onto something else I rewind my thoughts and frustration to this past Saturday's experience. I was flying home with my two roomates and my girlfriend from Los Cabos and on the plane from New Mexico to Los Angeles it struck me. The feeling and sense of emotion that goes through you when flying in over a major city at night. There's a hidden sense of thoughts when flying in over Los Angeles.

There's always an expectation when flying in over a thousand lights at night. Maybe it doesn't occur from within you or the one's you travel with but rather in the atmosphere of the cabin. Spectators who are still awake in the early night watches out their airplane windows either in expectation or despair. It is though so that the power and creation of human beings is what amazes us at night rather than the skies and starts in above us do since there is a greatness to the size of Los Angeles that people can relate to. Universe is to big and even though it fasinates us it's not ever an end to a journey like a big city like Los Angeles.

What hits me is that it is the forth time flying in over Los Angeles at night and that I am kind of passive to the amazement the thousand or millions of lights have done to me. It might have numbed me from the thrill and greatness I saw two years ago. And instead of being amazed I take the time of preparing for arrival to breath in the calm of the lit out airplane. I am still concerned that time will never be on my side. Protesting night after night that a day is to short when being counted in 24 hours. I always get over my head, I want so much and feel so great potential in my ideas that I rarely find time to embrace them and finish them.

So I use the moment of peace, flying in over La-La Land for myself gathering my thoughts to regain focus and attention needed to create and create over and over again for the purpose of upholding my dreams which point beyond the lights of the Los Angeles night and up to the invisible stars that still amazes me and that I recollected as being the true thing that I miss in Homewood.

Guten Nacht.

Splendid or To Good To Be True

Of course we can look forward to what we all should look forward to but when coming across this trailer of 'Where The Wild Things Are' based on Maurice Sendak's book with the same title I recall not only my childhood but the imagionation I once possessed. A splendid and fantastic story in the hands of the visionary film maker Spike Jonze.

Art of Telling Stories or The Day Mr. Keeshen Remembered my Name.

When I, If I ever become somewhat a filmmaker, my storyboarding teacher made it clear that he demands 10%, not only from me but all of his students. His name is Mr. Keeshen and he is somewhat someone you either love or not, his humor is not always understood and that doesn't make him stop, he can be rather sadistic and really put students into a bad position that they dislike, but he is probably the most important teacher 

'Trip To The Moon' (1902) A Perfect Example of Great Storytelling.

I have always meet and this Thursday, he finally remembered my name, after eight months. He has already given me an 'A' in one of the most important classes of my career that's why he deserves those 10%. Not because of the 'A' but the simplicities and the realization he put me through in order to fully understand that concept of film and motion pictures that I have always witnessed but never believed in.

In my opinion, Keeshen is a brilliant teacher and a really cool guy. A guy at my class told me: 'Some people may say bad stuff about Keeshen, but they're all wrong, he's one of the best'. I totally agree, he knows storytelling and in that first class called 'Storytelling' and those cozy Monday night with Mr. Keeshen and 45 eagerly storytellers of tomorrow we all got know the basics in which I possess the power to write any story I possess. 

'Casablanca' (1942) also a terrific story told.

It's easy, it's 'Establishment', 'Conflict' and 'Resolution', broken down in '12 Steps Of the Main Character's Journey'. It's basic, its simplicity but most of all it taught me to get out! Get out of that pattern of believing that storytelling, as well as movies is art, art where rules are broken and yes they are. Sometimes, but in order to break rules, the content needs to follow a pattern understood by the writer or artist in order break it and make sense out of that art. 

Mr. Keeshen also told me this, that movies often get to long which I disagreed with in the beginning. And sometimes I still do it. But to shorten down and give a story quality rather that quantity is the power few posses and that counts in with some of the greatest directors, writers and producers on this earth. Stories are not made to be created for the purpose of entertaining to long, directors fall in love with their work so badly that they don't no when to cut, some stories demand the width but most don't. 

'La Maison En Petits Cubes' (2008), one of few Oscar nominated films this 

year where the story was told with greatness.

That's why we so often fast forward the dvd or the downloaded avi file, cause that's what we do. We download it, like it or dislike it, the we throw it away or keep it. Most stories are unfortunately thrown away and we only keep few and that's where storytelling in movies has gone wrong and someone finally made me understand that.

On the other hand I have serious problems with my 'Act II' for Mert Meneri, the beginning of my conflict or middle or what ever we choose call it, has so much importance and demand width. But I don't want to lose the reader on the 10th page, seems so frustrating. 

Good Night and Good Luck!

Revised Storyboard and Finding My Story

It seems to as I have either grown up or lost confidence in art, but as argued in every single class I've taken since I started at Santa Monica College, the screenwriting segment every teacher expresses him or herself in is about storystructure, especially in my Digital Media classes, and yes when reading 'Inglorious Bastards' last week, I see, that even Quentin Tarantino uses rules, even though if he brakes them. Syd Fields book 'A Screenwriters Workshop' is actuallt pretty legit, he goes into the process and that book, my neighbor who is taught by Syd Field and Eli Roth's 'The Curios Case of Benjamin Button' is currently helping me with the structure of writing my first Feature Film screenplay. 

The Story is simple, it's about a guy called Mert, coming to the US, succeeding in selling a screenplay and reaches maximum fame. Conflict, he's held back by his father and Death's friends and in order to process his career he demands full creation freedom, and yes it sounds cheesy, but I haven't presented the narration yet or the climax of the story which has somewhat a powerful approach in this screenplay. Of course 'Story' is king, and I respect that.

I am just so hard on myself, I just finished the first 13 pages and I erased them. My Professor in Storyboarding Jim Keeshen said to me that you should never under any circumstances fall in love with you're work and that is not the case with me. I think it through so much and criticise it to hard to ever reach a progress. As leaving from my class with Mr. Keeshen I find out that there is so little of my music library that suits the uncomfortability of riding the buses expect from one album, 'Skebokvarnsvagen 209' by Joakim Thastrom, that inspired this day so much that I wrote somewhat an article on him (Music, Truth & Tunes). 

So what did I learn today? Always something new and I'll share it with you. I learned that Animatics is king in Animation, that my story is not an animation but rather a story that need a lot of fixing and some kinds of motif's, just like Eli Roth, because he's wise and writes extremely well. Watching the Oscars this Sunday you should get inspired, but since this story of Mert Meneri is rather 'anti-Oscar' I don't really know. School takes up time and so does this and MT&T, but that is a funding source in order to live better, so would a sold screenplay for 40 000$ be, but in order to get there I need to learn how to sell.

My point and my purpose of my A.A Degree in Digital Media is to gain all knowledge required to be a project manager in film, a.k.a a Producer, and to be a producer you are to know every field. That's where I wanna get and this screenplay is just a dream thing, that helps me practise. But I will write it, and I'll make it unpredictable and good,

Enough with the nonsense/Becoming a Filmmaker

Forget about the nonsense, I won't post un personal posts again, it's out of my character to do so. What the underlined purpose of this blog was to tell you, who read this that it is a blog of my life 20 minutes away from the Hollywood Sign and my process of becoming a filmmaker of course with association to what happens in my life. Some people claim that un personal blogs are not of interest, but of course they are and if you don't agree, I've got that side covered with my second blog Music, Truth and Tunes which I hopefully will squeeze some living money out on. 

So let's get down to business, my path to 'becoming' a film maker.

- 'Well, aren't you a film maker when you say so?'.

- 'Well, no, not exactly. Some People may argue that, but I don't. I simply, 'Wants To Become' one.

- 'Ed Wood, was a filmmaker even if he didn't know anything.

- 'Yes, he was, but on the other hand he was also the worst film maker of all time and yes there's a difference, he actually made movies. I've only made a school project short film.

So that's what I am going to argue. Enough with 'YouTube' nonsense unless it doesn't really mean anything.

The Sense of Everything Coming Together

As I entered school for my first day I did it with somewhat hate and pain, towards the world as it is financially and especially with a look on what's happening to the Swedish economy, it not a downturn it is simply a disaster.

Entering my first class, Color Theory in Digital Entertainment I shortly started to see how everything I've been learning so far comes together. The creation of advertisments, how they appeal to us as learned in my Communication 1 classes. I leave the class in shock over the prices for supplies in the class, thinking about one thing; 'This class should be a 4 Unit Class for all the money I spend on it'. I start my second class and in Film Studies 1 we get to break down movies as how the appeal to us. In a historical sense and how the business model works like as well as the elements of story which contains three classes I have taken; Storytelling, Race and Gender History in the US and Communications 1. All these elements come hand in hand and also help in the process of knowing the basics in a production which was learned in Broadcasting Production. Non of these classes but Color Theory and Storytelling is included in my major, many of them just taught to me from personal interest and manditory 'G-E' requirements but I sense the inspiration of knowledge that has been given to me and I like the second day of school with Mr. Keeshen in Storyboarding, simply because its fun.

This is a strange event or feeling for me, for the first time in my life I really enjoy going to school.

It starts with an F and ends with a K.

I have no clue what will happen now.

The Swedish Krona has dropped down huge during the last 24 hours.

As it is right now the one American Dollar costs us, 8.7 Swedish Crowns.

When I moved here I payed 6.5 for it. Talking about losing the sense of touch.

Tomorrow I am paying my student tuition, it's going to cost me 400$ more than planned.

That's news that does not only sucks, they put me in a very difficult position for the upcoming 4 months.

What's up with Joaquin Phoenix?

The Tensions of 'Finals Day'

It is strange, how the tension on the day of finals seem to reflect my past of 'emotional experiences'. Walking across campus at a day like 'finals day' the cool wind blow through a day when most students walk through it. I reminds me of my first days of elementary school every year. How there lies a tension in the air, a wind or a breeze of calm and tension that floats through the air. It feels in the Cafeteria or in every hallway, it is around us, in the library and everywere.

It's the calm before the storm and if reflects a semester as it has come to its end, as all knowledge gained is to be used for proving that we are enough. That we have obtained the quotas we have to obtain. We normally don't reflect the end of something like a semester, but as this winter semester approaches its end I do reflect back what I have learned and I sense my tension as I hope for the best. It is also not about this moment, but about the reason that we all come here for. For our future and the knowledge we need to succeed forward with our life and the future of ours. I feel nervousity, hope and reliability on that I will succeed as we all should feel.

Anthony & The Johnsons

As a conclusionn I would like to wish all students good luck as a nice gesture and I praise the mythic atmosphere of our chance and hopes to maintain our dreams alive.

Today we listen to Anthony & The Johnsons new album 'The Crying Light' (Review on Music, Truth and Tunes later today)

It Struck Me...

It struck me as a ligthning. 

The realizing of my upcoming days.

In this week of finals, I have so much,

and I mean so much of homework and studies 

to do.

I tell myself good luck and take a deep breath.

And I start. Yeah it's really that much.

Caught on the Lincoln Line

I sit on the bus, longing for it to get to my stop at Broadway/California from Pico Blvd. when I catch a discussion between an old man in old clothes, beard and a typical bum-fashionable way (if I get the permission to stereotype) and an old upper classy kind of way lady. The man had paintings with him, very beautiful indeed but the thing about the conversation was that this man and the old lady were talking about how she was a collector and he was an artist that had sold his work to artists and celebrities such as Madonna, Paris Hilton and Barbara Streisand. 

She replied with triumphs of her life as well such as having a daughter that was an actress starring in a Madonna-Movie and that she now was a make-up artist for very famous people.

I ask my self, bitterly cold (since I am only wearing flip-flops); 'Why on earth are they riding the low-class-of-society buses in the city of cars and freeways when he sells paintings to the Hollywood elite and she has a daughter of high class entertainment with a salary I could only dream of?

The man closes the discussion as we approaches Rose Ave. by saying 'You never know how you gonna meet on the bus, that's what I love about LA'. With my Swedish sentiment I would to reconstruct the sentence by saying 'You never know how's going to bullshit you in LA' even though that the credibility is higher here than in any other city.

A Side Note: I would like to correct the last sentence from my previous blog today by saying 'a cold because colder temperatures increase the risk of receiving germs or viruses that get you sick' instead of saying '...get the flu' 

Good Days, Bad Days

A Negative Effect of Optimism in 'Sunny' California

It is obviously not summer going on right outside now. Heavy winds and pouring rain has left me out, the weather has bailed on my presence to the day, today. Wearing nothing but a long sleeve, jeans and some flipflops and of course my sunglasses. I was fooled by the morning sunshine that struck by and in the middle of this messy and terrible California weather I have one good news, my Comm 1 classes are cancelled until Thursday.

Always appreaciate what you get, days of, recovered sleep and of course last but not least, a very high possibility to get the flu.

Reaching Full Writing Mode and sharing Oscar Reflections

Approaching the always so terrible 'Final Exam' week I am finally reaching back to the first progress of re-inventing myself for better purposes. I have started writing my first full length film script and I have started to find leading main ideas for a short film which I will try to shoot myself.

And as the world present itself for being the main problem I also find inspiration to write emotional, meaningful small stories that unfortunately maybe won't be considered astonishing and highly originally creating but according to me quite necessary to write. Not to consider myself a prophet but rather an inspired human that likes good stories and most of all wants to write those not-yet-created to make sure to at least try to make them done (Seriously one of the longest sentences I have written, dot). 

Not much but a thing-piece.

As approaching to my favorite event of the year, 'The Oscars' I am making my early predictions. They will probably change as we reach 'the Day' but so far my predictions are;

Actor in Supp. Role: Heath Ledger for the Dark Knight, Actress in Supp. Role: Viola Davis or Amy Adams for 'Doubt', Actor in Lead. Role: Mickey Rourke for 'The Wrestler', Actress in Lead. Role: Kate Winslet for 'The Reader'. Directing: Danny Boyle for 'Slumdog Millionaire', Original Screenplay: 'Happy-Go-Lucky', Adapted Screenplay: 'Slumdog Millionaire' or 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' and the Picture will be 'Slumdog Millionaire'

 

Strange Wilderness? I grew up with moose around me!

Good thing to know!

As she falls asleep...

As a day is closing to its end, I found a peaceful silence in the room that I am sitting in. Only a candle and this computer screen is the light source in the chilly California night.

As time goes by and as memories are shaped I enjoy the silence and watch her as she sleeps gently, confident and safe next to me. She is beautiful and every single breath she takes brings warmth to the inner of my heart and to the presence of this room. After a glass of red wine, thoughts are flowing in my mind and I ask my self how 731 days have past by so fast. I think back for a while and I smile, I feel safe and so secure lying next to her.

An entire journey lies behind both me and Matilda as we celebrate two years of love, songs of recognition, memories of happiness and sometimes hard times that lies beneath our bond of love. She is beautiful when she sleeps, as well as when she laughs. I love this girl who on the fourth of February, 731 days told me that I was beautiful. I replied with a question; 'If she had in mind that I kissed her'. 

As she falls asleep, the lights from the burning candle rests over her beauty and her gentle presence I thank her, I tell her that she is beautiful and I tell her that I love her...

Good Night

Monday Hate Expressed on a Sunny Thuesday

My girlfriends professor in song is the only one who can give the full explanation in one sentence on what happened to me yesterday on a godforsaken Monday filled with hate and frustration.

'Once, Big Blue Buses almost got me fired'
Dr T.

Answer to that is, the simplest thing would be 'Yes' a subway between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica and second, stop driving alone in your car to work, car pools exist for a god damn bloody reason.

Off Topic in another world miles away, the song 'Jai Ho' by A.R Rahman is nominated for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture for the Oscars and yes, it's from India but it is kind of catchy and probably one of the main reasons why I watched the entire credits.

The Industrial Country Issue of Today or A Social Issue of less importance

The supermarket chain 'Albertson' have remodeled their stores into more fresh stores with organic choices. Unfortunetly they the store planning manager forgot to think twice before he placed the fresh fish next to the customer toilet. Not only does it smell alot of fish in the toilets, it's also freezing cold considering the isolation quality of the houses in Southern California.

Sad miss!

The Entire Credits, I Watched The Entire Credits

It is rare but yet somewhat fantastic. Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' from 2008 is probably the only movie that I have watched from first to last frame, including its credits. The fantastically narrated story of color, unforgettable love brings hope as the colored, beautiful landscapes of India stretches out in Jamal Maliks story. The film's recognition is well deserved as I hope for continuing success in this fantastic art of storytelling.

And for the record, I am going to Cabo for Springbreak.

Somedays are better than others.

Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite

EARTHQUAKE!!!

...was what I felt last night, scary and unexpected.

But at the same time, pretty tackyish cool

Write, Piggy, Write...

If I don't start to write more I am going to turn out like...

or...

Which by the look of it is defined as not good nor of appreciation what so ever the claim may be. I carefully sit and get upset by pride and prejudice as I claim that history is written by the winners, so of course the people will suffer from hubris, the question is when the wings will melt down Like they did for 'Ikaros' in Antique age of Greece. A Person who I spoke to yesterday was talking about the AE as in the 'American Empire'. He compared it to the 'Roman Empire'. Well to start of the Roman Empire is known for their expansion by killing and conquer, they were the founders of Christianity that was established through the first meeting in 'Nicaea' 325 AD. They formed the ages of 'March', the ages of war and were considered as barbarians who destroyed the female image, established the crusades et cetera. So the questions is, do America want to be compared to the 'Roman Empire' and what is their excuse to the evolution process in our society that has passed by the last millennium of our history. 

Greet a Brand New Day!

A Brand New Morning in America

It is not much that you are good enough for. Finding directions or installing, learning people around me how electrical things work, call for favors to be made or be of loving kind. You try
to take responsibility and do your best every day to please the ones with needs for knowledge through you. I think I am the only one who ever has been blamed for by the person yelling at you can not get the television working and yet after it was no blamed as a frustration for the moment.

I am not going to say that I am sorry but myself I have to 'youtube' the most important part of Barack Obamas Inaguration, because I was yelled at in a phone when he swore his presidential oath, at least I could hear the applaus of the school cafeteria as my communication class had a very different form from what it usually has.

I am not going to write how I wanted to feel the pride of being an American or being in the country when 'the moment' happened. My biggest concern right now is that the dollar is up at 8.4 Swedish Kronor and that I have to struggle with my mean-machine-computer for three days while my computer is being fixed. Yet I felt somewhat the moment of how huge this day was for many americans as well as citizens around the globe who truly believes in the hope that Obama is all about and brings out.

None of ones duties end because of great moments, as I sit here 50 pages of reading awaits me and a tough week lies ahead. But moments of beloning even for a foreigner like me in a country of such pride makes one forget about reality for a while and enjoy the January sunshine outside even more. As this historical moment of joy raise above our expectations we catch a glimt of it as the day moves on and even I forget that I was yelled out for no good reasons what so ever. I feel that the world is not a hopeless misery and somewhat believe the picturesque meaning of a change that we all can be in favor of.

The Inaguration is Details;
Place: The Santa Monica Clayton Buidling (SMC Cafeteria)
Drink: Mocha with Whipped Cream (Starbucks)

What's the story, morning glory!
Tef

Snapple Ice Tea is what you're suppose to drink this year.

A 'Listomaniac'

Sitting alone in the outdoor patio at the school cafeteria stuffing myself with the never so tasteful but always as addictive 'Beef and Broccoli' I found one of my biggest addictions.  I have somewhat a need for entertaining myself and in the simplest of ways, through making unimportant lists of all possibilities, music, movies or future career options. I have to rid of this habit at least in some small portions because I have to admit that it is rather nerdy. This facing of the future does not mean that I will stop making music lists because that's somewhat a passion I find extremely entertaining, even though it is rather mainstream.

This is my list of how to reinvent during 2009 myself, the one that I wrote in the cafeteria when I discovered the addiction, just had to publish it.

• Start Exercising
• Drink and Eat Healthy or Healthier
• Blog some mo'
• Don't eat chocolate for 6 months
• Write a Screenplay
• Seriously considering buying an X-Box 360 (Because I DO want it)
• Stop making unimportant lists like this one
• Don't promise stuff I can't keep (sense the double moral)

Hello, Goodbye

Morning Showers and Comm 1

Getting up in the morning usually is the main issue for people in general. Me, myself find it rather easy if you compare it the hardest in my life; Getting Out of the Shower. People who claim that getting up is hard, but when standing there, half sleeping and not really awake is probably the main reason why I always arrive at a scene at the last minute. When thinking about it, I question myself why on earth this is such a problem and how one or at least I behave in the shower during the morning.

* When standing in the shower I realize that I can't lean on either of the walls because they are ice cold, which is a reason why you shouldn't have the power to stand in the shower for so long, because a chair in the kitchen is more comfortable and breakfast taste better than the water.

** When standing in the shower you start thining in a half awake, half dreaming phase when you think in way to strange ways to even find logical explanations to them. Take for instant; 'Why is a grey man standing in George Lucas pool holding a chicken when KFC has a sale on tacos.'
Yes wierd stuff as that, it is not meant to be entertaining or an scientific idea. It is a thought processing without any logical sense to it.

*** When you have decided that your time in the shower is up you supposedly turn the water off and grab a towel. No, in my case I look at the crane and think, one more minute. And this I do even if I am in a hurry because my self dicipline has no power over my morning shower.

**** When I finally get out of the shower I am wrapped up in my towel and I sit down on the toilet seat and think of nothing and really, really slow try to think of something that will keep me occupied before I go out in an even colder apartment.

If I wouldn't take the morning shower I would be considered a wandering mummy for the rest if my day so in some way it has a creative purpose in organizing me and prepare me for the day just like my must-have glass of orange juice, but why my shower routine is so wierd and with our any logical explanations I do not understand, what so ever.

First Class is Always Comm 1 and today I did screw up, I will never forget about Potters Box and how it stole 2% of my final grade.

Guess I have to Read Some Mo'

Final Draft is Always On My Mind

Always and Never.

I want to write a great story but where do I start?

Establishment:

Boy Meets Girl.

Conflict:

?

Resolution:

They all live happily after?

Sleep Tight!

Tef

A Red Diamond Shaped Sign

As lit bonfires emerge into

a fire the little boy screams;

Stop!

The little boy has come a long

journey just to take part of the

warmth from the bonfires lit of honor,

to the people who live in poverty.

As the fire spreads through

the crowd they emerge into fire.

The little boy screams yet again;

Stop!

Afraid to lose a burning heart in the fire, 

hands of god, save the people,

from burning and from dying.

As a new fire emerges, but not

here, not know.

As a baby starts to weep,

the boy starts to realize.

One last time he screams;

Stop!

My body screams for more chew as my mind desires an Xbox 360

While sitting in my Communication 1 Class and listeting to how media effects us I just
wander away in agony and pain when finding my chew (a.k.a Snus) almost entirely gone.

At the same time I can not stop thinking about sitting at home in my apartment with a new Xbox 360 and just spend a couple of days.

Maybe my next poll should be however I should consider buying an Xbox, I mean consider it yourself. You'll probably get out hundreds of hours and if you pay 150 dollar for a used console I need to pay off or live without 30 buckaronies per month, which is the answer to the mothly costs my the costs of my chew?

The conclusion is that being a student is hard sometimes.
Enjoy the lovely weather
Tef

Big Blue Bus vs. The Shining

I must admit that the bus system in Santa Monica is more well developed than anywhere in the US (Always count out New York). The System covers good routes and easy transfer access, but also I fully understand the frustration in Los Angeles citizens who refuse to ride the bus. I am not pointing at discrimination like people in West Hollywood, when saying that the Sunset Bus to Beverly Hills is the 'Nanny Express'.

When saying that The Big Blue Bus System is like the The Shining (1980) is simply based on the fact that the busses that run between every 15-30 minutes is a totally un-synchronized system where lines don't wait for each other even though people run like mad men over the raging streets to catch them. In the comparison between The Shining and the Big Blue Buses I see myself as the little lost and terrified boy being haunted by the psycho dad (or Jack Nicholson or Johnny) in a labyrinth that in my comparison is 'Time' as a character controlling and haunting my grades in school (two late drop-in equals one minus one point from the final grade). The labyrinth itself is the bus system that as I said runs without any logical explanations. After line three drops me of a new line 3 comes to pick people up, the issue is through that a line three just drove pass witch means that 3 line three comes and are all followed by four to five line seven buses, which is the line that I am suppose to take to get to school.  

Just like living in LA without a car is like running Tour de France without a bike I realize that I am heading toward my home and that my class starts in 5 minutes, sucks to be me in the early orange sky morning.

- Todays 'Bummer'!

On the question who Martin Luther King was I get a very blonde answer.

'He was a king or something, wasn't he?'

I Just Answered: 'Are You Serious?'

- I have a GPA at 3,25, two more A's and I shall be satisfied.

- And I just can't get it, I heard my first Timo Raisanen songs a week ago. 

Shame on me!

Sleep Tight Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite.

Tef

Chronicles of 2008 Part II - The Year That Passed and the Upcoming Future of Mine.

(When the ice is broken and the settlement sets in.)

I can't hardly remember everything that I got to see or do last year. But i clearly remember what I did not do and how changes may occur as the new year leads me on some what paths of redemtion. Redemptions toward myself of course.
As the clock counted down toward the birth of 2009 I was stuck on a small local pub in Henniker, New Hampshire called 'Gin-Gin' with an older friend, a room-mate and a loved one. I was also in the company of new friends as cheers and free alcoholic bevereages greeted the new year. When looking back on 2008, I do not see darkness even if 'Part I' might express somewhat frustration about a year that did not come out as expected. Truth is, life never turns our as expected. Decisions are made and things happen more on impulse that we ever planned them on to happen which is the charm of a years evolution towards the growing of knowledge both around and inside of you. The part of the year in Sweden seem so 'Out-Of-Date' and expired as so many new experiences have given to me during these minority months of 2008, that were spend in Los Angeles.
Truth is that all places become human and natural. They all lose a touch of greatness when touched as well as the most magnificant places on earth. There comes same issues with love and therefore so many do not have either the will or the power to last longer than a couple of months. Personally I look at love differntly from concrete objects such as boulevard with dirty stars that suppose to stand for glamour. Love is more pure, abstract and can not be touched or destroyed by issues that are concrete matters, of course they can but I do not consider my self someone who consider a location more than the feeling of beloning both in relationships and in bonding friendships. I now I do not always get even with people but as a new year opens up its door a 2 year celebration will be made in the name of love.

2009 will also be so much about re-inventing myself, getting back to old habits such as exercising and try to do what I always have loved, write. By writing both here and in my other new music blog I will try to finally finish a screenplay and hopefully use my time in the Entertainment Capital of the world. Of course you promise yourself to be good to yourself and change and some people doubt that people can change. Me on the other hand have full belief for changes, I am to much of a sentimentalist to not think that we can re-invent ourselves to take good and bad, new and old habits to later on turn them in to the perfect me, for me and everyone around me.

I gained so much knowledge from living together with someone and also by gaining new knowledge of new cultures that I already feel re-invented in many ways. I just want to find those designated moments of the past years that me glowing, that had be going constantly and that change comes from inside of me not from chaning my surroundings. As the year will evolve it will also face loss in many ways as I am forced to leave love for a while, at least physically in order to obtain my dreams.

I also find within the bottom of my soul that we borh can do it. I also look myself around and realize that this place is not my home, it will never become HOMEwood like my home country. On the other hand I do not feel that my former hometown will ever feel like HOMEharbor. As establishing a period of my life her I know I belong to the country I was born to and therefore that is also a place where I think I want to build my life for good. Of course there are never certainties in the world but of course the heart of ours tells us what feels right and what feels wrong and for the moment this feels right. But right is not always the forever solution it is just simply a path that I have been given in the journey of a new a year. It is also a path that will change mylife as the previous and hopefully turn out to a perfect year, in every single enjoyable little way.

Good Morning, This Is Notes from Homewood and my name is,
Stefan Henriksson

Chronicles of 2008 Part I - The Year That Passed and the Upcoming Future of Mine.

(Breaking the Ice and Getting it All Out for Reconsidering a Re-summary)

When asking what a year is we can often define it differently based on own experiences. A year can be anything we decide it to be, for some, younger souls as myself a year can be as much as a journey without a solid ground as an establishment towards something we like to see as our future. When looking through the past year of my own one can say it has been a little bit of both.

When naming this blog 'Notes from HOMEwood' it contains a sense or irony in it, just a little pinch. It has been quite a journey as the year has stretched through new enviroments and many new gained friends and when it came to its end it was with the dearly beloved with whom my perfect ending. 

As the year took place in a friends house party on New Years eve in my hometown it was without both steps forward and backwards, I was waiting eagerly as the year that has passed (2007) had become a quite successful year. It also started without a goal reached later on to be reached while meeting up with my girlfriend in Boston after one year's forced seperation in a so called long distance relationship. After a wonderful trip to Florida and South Beach, Miami we both headed back home. Home was new to both of us, under the surface lied the same city was the one we both had grow up in. After a quite stormy summer without any special designated uplifting moments the decision to move California became more and more clear. When looking back at those first 8 months I hardly remember anything, they seem so old fashioned and dead to me as a new road was asphalted for me. 

One can say that the summer could be easily described as a rainy summer without letters of recommendation for anyone and I clearly sensed that a new path had to be made as the moving to Los Angeles became reality on the sixth of August. The move to Los Angeles was a new start for me and a chance to get somewhat a perspective on the world and the dream of mine and the city where dreams are told to come true. The first four months were new to me as the year evolved faster than I imagined. A stormy week on a cheap, stinky hostel lead to an apartment in Venice Beach. Autumn in Los Angeles clearly misses its charm if you compare to New England where the beginning of last years fall was spent. School went on as expected, due to mentally effecting fights with a not so impressive English 1 teacher as new friends was made and love re-engaged in both concrete and abstract ways. 

I ask myself sometimes if all the beer cans before crashing Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday Nights was an establishment or an escape from home? Truth is that I might have been escaping in the beginning of my journey to in the end establishing a new home if I am ready call this place 'home' yet. But as I say and always has, cheesy but somewhat truth spoken; 'home is where you heart is' and my heart got to spend all nights beside me fighting bedbugs that we yet to this day seem to be fighting more than trash talking professors. 

When summarizing a year I tend to forget all memories, the best musical was seen in London with Matilda as she turned 21 and all bright moments become out shined as I eager look forward to the upcoming spring and a future of settlement. Truth is that 2008 will always become somewhat of blur both physically and psychologically since the year did really settle me anywhere but in myself, for some parts. Summarizing a year like 2008 will unfortunetley not mean as much as 2007 or 2009 hopefully will be as a heart continues to evolve toward new heights, new goals and brighter future.

Some defined moments of 2008;

South Beach in March, London in April. 20 in June and Moving in August. Having an old friend for visit in September and October. Finding Bedbugs sleeping with me in November and making a journey to New Hampshire to celebrate Christmas in New York.

As closing my eyes for some last word of 2008 it is Christmas that I choose to recall. Christmas became a quite nice settlement for all gained knowledge in this course of a year and it also brought me home, home to me, which is always my home in heart.

Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bedbugs Bite (Literally)

Tef