The one with the knee

Stuck on a couch. Indeed, that's what I've been all day. Studying and letting my mind get lost in many of the fascinating programs on Discovery Channel from time to time. I can't let ppl know often enough how underrated TimeWarp is. Amazing! Anyway, I did actually get quite a lot of studying done. I'm reading a book on how the institutionalized project:development has gone terribly wrong in Lesotho during the 1970s. Believe it or not: it's a page-turner.

I've been very lucky this year with the books on my curriculum. Most of them are very well written and keep a nice balance between theory and empirical observations. As I'm studying anthropology I read plenty of strange empirical observations from all around the world and strange doesn't even come close to describing some of the everyday activities that are occurring all across the globe. Sometimes it feels like I'm reading a fairytale book. It's safe to say that I'm in love with my subject of study.

The reason I've been a studying couch potato today is because I woke with an aching, unbendable knee. What changed between last night and this morning, I don't know. Did I do squats in my sleep? Sure feels like it. I rolled out of bed, into my sweats and onto the couch. Good thing the kitchen's close by or else I would be starving.

From time to time it's nice to study at home, but at the same time I know there's a lot of hidden traps I might, most likely, fall into. Of course there's the regular "now seems like a great time to clean the kitchen" or "I feel like organizing my underwear" and not to mention "I deserve a long shower, a facial, manicure and pedicure". Strange how things like this seem like an incredibly good idea when I know that's not at all what I need to be doing. Thankfully (?) this was not an option today since, well you know, I was glued to the couch.

Then there are the other possible pitfalls. The mental ones. They don't involve much movement. Yes, I'll do them instead. Ahh, geez. Time to get analytic, pessimistic, full of expectations and let the mind wonder off to "what-if"-land. Even thou I can tell from early on that this is going to end badly, I still knock on the door with all the stop- and keep out-signs, only to go down a mudslide to upset- and disappointment-land. You never need to ask a girl twice if she feels like analyzing and trying to make sense out of whatever-it-might-be (yes, it usually includes the XY chromosomed human beings). Be warned: BIG MISTAKE!

So now I sitting here, on the couch of course, pretty upset with myself for having to walk down that road, when I knew so very well were it would end. It's Friday night and I was suppose to go to a concert, but instead I'm, tadaa, on the couch feeling blue ready to watch a sad movie (like icing on the cake). Well, I wouldn't be able to attend the concert anyway due to my knee, but hey when feeling sorry for myself I don't pay attention to details.

On the bus with destination grumpy-town and currently inhabiting in the country of pessimism.

An addict

There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just put it out there.

I love shopping!

Phew, glad to have that out in the open. It's not just that I love walking around, trying on different styles, checking out what's new and taking a quick trip to make-belive land. Surprised I didn't mention spending money? If you ask me, it should be absolutely carefree to shop, therefore I am the president of the Shopping for Free Association.

But I have yet another confession to make. It's not the clothes I'm obsessed with. It's the books. I can easily pass a clothing store without even making an effort, but the book stores... The pain about living in Trondheim is that they're everywhere! You can't avoid eyeing one either as a sign on a mall or in the street. I could seriously spend hours walking around the store reading on the back of the books, old as new. I love how they feel, their covers, the words one by one, neatly horisontally placed. It is, needless to say, dangerously expencive for me to enter a book store (which I so too often do). Even at the university I can't be spared of the book store so close to the exit (strategic?).

I've tried to going to the libary instead, but it's just not the same. I like the way the books look in my book shelf (why else would it be called a book shelf). I like to bring them out every now and then and turn the page; run thru the memories. I like the smell and the feel of them. I can't do

that if I have to return them. It's like Carrie in "Sex an the City" and her obsession with shoes. Imagine if there was a place where she could borrow the shoes for a certain time and the return them again when she was done with them. Everyone who has watched at least one episode of SATC knows that it wouldn't happen in a million years! She likes to look at her shoes, touch them, feel them (maybe not smell them, but you get the picture).

I dream of an entire room filled with books in my future home. Somewhere that have the scent of a library, that illuminates your imagination and that sends a thrill thru your body; you have to read! I like novels with great romantic stories, terrible losses and heart aches. Books of a battle between good and evil; right and wrong; love or death. Tales of a forgotten time and leaps into the future. Tragic family relationships. Hopeful young lovers and their paths meeting at a most unexpected time. Novels filles with the cruelty of the world that leaves no hope for the good in man. The philosophical ones that leaves you wondering. Biographies of importent, inspiering, magnificent and forgotten ppl; their thoughts, hopes and aspirations. Books concerning specific subjects related to my studies.

I'm intreaged by how the written word never fails to entertain me, one way or another.

Don't underestimate the power of a word.

Focus

My Starbucks mug is empty and I just finished the last piece of chocolate (new melkesjokolade with Kvikk Lunch is recommendable). My book is lying wide open in front of me begging of me to read a few more pages. Political anthropology. I could come off as a boring, uninteresting and a not-worth-wasting-time-on-subject, but on the contrary. To my surprise, it's actually the quite opposite.

I've never been too interested in political structures or power methods (as the book refers to it as), but in a cultural perspective the strangest things can lure its way into my interest-zone.

The question then remains: why aren't my eyes focused on the book and not the computer? I guess that's one of the many mysteries of life, and not to mention the mysteries of the human brain. Why is it that we keep wandering off into the realm of dreams and to-do lists, and for some reason suddenly find ourselves preoccupied with something else. I don't know how it happened. Last thing I know I was reading about political symbolism amongst the Creoles in Sierra Leone...

Let me retrace my steps. Reading about Sierra Leone (political anthropology). Drinking coffee (Starbucks). Drifting off to New York (thanks to the Starbucks). Easter holiday in New York (still the Starbucks)? Looking up flights at expedia.com (how to get to NYC). Checking my e-mail (while on the Internet, why not multi-task). E-mail from the library (the books I reserved are ready for me to pick up). Check facebook (while on the Internet...). Couldn't find any flights that didn't include 12h at Heathrow (not a big fan of London or Heathrow). Upset and frustrated (aha, I see where this is going). Blog.

Ok, now that the mystery is unraveled, I guess I have to get the books. And when I get back home, without doubt, I won't be able to put them away. In other words, I can surely close the political anthropology book for now.

Life is fairly predictable.