My life has been fairly uneventful.

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Tomas Halberstad

Perhaps a little blog post is in order. It’s been long overdue I know. My life has been fairly uneventful. Not that anything hasn’t happened. Just that all that happens is right along the path of even steven. Nothing to get me too down or up and over. (And for those of you that want to follow me on this rather straight but not very narrow road there is always my twitter feed.) Well… that isn’t entirely true. There was that small matter of Arsenal winning over Liverpool. Two day euphoria, is probably the best way to describe the feeling that followed.

Nothing new on the study front.
Nothing new on the music front.
Nothing new on the weather front… you get the deal.

Seems like all I do is wait for Christmas break. Or perhaps the day after Christmas break begins. Or perhaps on the night, the day after christmas break begins. Why? Well, then Camilla, The Boo, and I will be in Högfors, after a train ride which I am not looking forward to. Two weeks of relaxing in the woods.

One thing I have done is the annual visit to the local amusement park (Liseberg) and it’s Christmas market.

Sorry the pictures aren’t better but there you go.
It was a rather pleasant experience. In spite of the snowing (and the snow then turning into slosh on the ground as it does here in the re-re-named city of Gothenburg… they tried to let the name City of Göteborg fly for a while but no more… at least not in English). Friends from up north were visiting. Always a pleasure.

Tired as fruit and looking onwards.

Posted on July 5, 2009 by Tomas Halberstad

Tired as a banana right now. Worked a 11h shift yesterday, then off to Liseberg, then to bed way too late then another 11h shift today. I’m beat like an old drum. That doesn’t really matter though, because there’s not much going on with the thing that needs to be on going. Nothing for me to write about really.

Tomorrow, however, I am going to do two major things:

Start working on my bachelors thesis again.
I have some fine tuning; tidying up, fixy things to do with it before I hand it in on August the 10:th.
Rehears a little.
On Tuesday afternoon and evening I am going to KG to record and I need to know the songs I am recording (even if the recordings are for internal, as in the band, use).

…

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Tomas Halberstad

The weather is excruciating. I know it’s like swearing in church to wish the sun away, in Sweden (or in the northern parts of Europe) more than in other places I would imagin (since the summers here are short). I, however, stand by the lead in sentence. Please, let there be a cold wind, a cloud, perhaps some drops of rain.. I can’t take it anymore.

That on that.

On Tuesday I will (I hope) go to KG’s place and record the songs for the next album. I will record acoustic guitar and vocals only versions. I will do this because my fellow musicians; the guys in the band, are a really busy group of guys. Finding time when all of us can rehears together is near impossible. So, the will get the songs so they can practice and think at home.

I will not present any of the songs here, nor anywhere… ever. Why? Well I only have the lyrics for one song finished so I’m guessing there will be a lot of I love you’s and time… for some reason I always seem to get the word time in, several times, when I am singing a melody which has no lyrics (and not wanting to hum).

Tomorrow ans Sunday I will work. I will, however, cram in a visit to Liseberg tomorrow night.

‘Til then…

Second rehearsal, and beyond, picture post.

Posted on June 27, 2009 by Tomas Halberstad

Yesterday saw the second rehearsal of my newly put together band, trying to get an album done. It, the rehearsal, went well and in two days we have had the chance to take a brief look at no less then seven songs.

Yesterday went a little bit like this:

Martin picked me up, a bit late, in his skubb-Volvo, and we were off:

1_on_our_way

We arrived at KGs place and Martin, dare devil that he is, decided to park his car next to the containers of trash, not knowing which of the following scenarios to fear most: 1. The parking guards comes and gives him a ticket or 2. The trash-men come and confuse his car for trash:

2_there

So, a bit late. Chrille the drummer and Brandt the bass player were chilling. Talking to KG:

3_drum_and_bass

Not many in-action pictures for you but KGs place is an inspirational one, at least when the sun is out. Check out the view from our rehearsal space:

4_the_view

And that was it for the day. Chrille and Brandt went home. Martin and KG went to Florens for some Spaten and I hooked up with Camilla at Liseberg where we watched A Camp [Spotify link] in concert (must say that Niklas Frisk is a really underrated guitarist, he pulls of some real stunts with the strings during the show) and then won 3.3kg of Daim-candy.

5_leaving

a_camp

candy

The lit trees of Liseberg and Bob Hansson.

Posted on December 14, 2008 by Tomas Halberstad

So. Liseberg yesterday. Nice, but a bit crowded. My sister Angela, who works there, said that we picked the wrong day. Saturdays are the most crowded, and yesterday was Lucia, so it was even more people. We bought some candy and played some at the prize wheels, not winning anything though.

The best thing about Christmas at Liseberg is the lit trees, depicted below. When I grow up and get myself a house I’m going to get myself one of those.

liseberg

Today Camilla and I went Christmas present shopping. Usually a rather dull experience, and don’t get me wrong; it was no picnic this year either, but we wrapped it up pretty fast. Let me just clarify one thing: I pride myself in getting good, well thought out and fitting gifts, and that I did!

The best thing about the day was something completely different. Camilla and I went into a book store to browse for some gifts. In doing so we stumbled upon a Bob Hansson book signing. So I bought a little Christmas gift for myself and got a little inscription along with it. I think I have all printed Bob Hansson books except one. That is to say I really like what and how he writes (and how he says it: spoken word, poetry slam…).

Now we’re home and beat. School tomorrow.

I’m wishing for christmas.

Posted on December 13, 2008 by Tomas Halberstad

A good Saturday morning to you all. I was up at 0800h to look over the first draft of my paper in value theory – The effects of death awareness on the individual. I’m done with that now and have sent the paper/draft for review to my teacher. I haven’t slept proparly in many days/nights. All because of the hyper-something I talked about a few posts down.

I haven’t wished for Christmas this much since I was a little kid. Not because of the food, the presents or the atmosphere but because the 22:nd of December all this paper writing stuff will be over (if I pass). It’s been a lesson learnt for me though. Now I know how not to work when next semesters even bigger paper rolls in.

So. Middlessburroughgh against Arsenal today. Early kick-off suits me fine. Let’s hope for a better game than the one against Porto.

Tonight Camilla and I are going to Christmas on Liseberg (the local amusement park). Should be good.

Last report from this weekend.

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Tomas Halberstad

On Sunday we, Camilla, her parents and I, went to the local amusement park; Liseberg. We didn’t win anything, well a little bag of candy, at the prize wheels. Camillas farther Lennart and I got to hold bags and sit on park benches while Camilla and here mother got to go on rides and stuff. It was ok. I’m not a big fan of rides, neither is Lennart.

The picture shows Camilla and her mother riding The Fear of Heights (Höjdsckräcken änna).

Dinner, a show and a hand.

Posted on July 24, 2008 by Tomas Halberstad

Last night, after studying my head in on my aesthetics exam, Camilla and I decided to do something. We didn’t know exactly what but we knew we had to get out of the apartment since the sun was shining outside and the place stunk of statistics (which Camilla is studying at the moment) and the wretched stench of aesthetics (it’s not really that bad, hard words = dramatic effect).

And no; it’s not like I’m done with the exam. I have given myself until Friday to finish it. I believe I’m on schedule. Let’s hope todays study session doesn’t screw things up.

We left the Boo with my mother and took the bus into town (and of coarse the bus was late, and yes Mr. Bus Driver had to drive it like a rally car, and yes: we got the same driver, or his brother, on the way home. They might be trying to set some kind of record.)

We went for dinner at a place called Dinner 22, a sure thing since we’d been here three times before without being disappointed. This fourth time did not let us down either. We both highly recommend it if you just want to get out for an easy dinner.

Joyous with the feeling of full we then proceeded to the local amusement park, Liseberg, to watch Carl-Einar Häckner (a magician/entertainer who every summer puts on a show at Liseberg). It was a fun show, the best in many years.

Despite having played for more than a 100 sek we did not win anything on the lottery wheels, which is pretty much for the best since we haven’t finished the winnings from last time.

Depicted below is Camilla showing exactly how much fun you can have in Liseberg. She’s here comparing hand size with a hand print made by none other than Jerka! (Who strangely enough doesn’t have a web site, or none that I could find at least. For you not reading Swedish, since the link is in Swedish: it’s not all that funny, the joke or the link.)

New Life part 4 put on hold.

Posted on June 25, 2008 by Tomas Halberstad

Ok! First day of being constructive, doing things, not just sitting on the sofa playing Tetris (or actually the Mac-version of Tetris; Quinn). So did I? Was I constructive? I’d say semi, semi-constructive. I did stuff.

I figure I have to finish what I’ve got going before I can go again, so that’s what I did, I finished one thing.
I finished the book I was reading at the moment; Stefan Einhorns “Konsten att vara snäll”* (the art of being kind). First off: the book gets TTT (on a scale of T-TTTTT) no more no less. I really haven’t figured out what he (Stefan) is proclaiming. It could be some kind of consequentialism and a preferential version of that or he is advocating something called ethical egoism but it might just be that he lands in every day moral, or common sense moral picking a little here and a little there. And it is here my recommendation lies; if you don’t have the time or possibility to think about your situation and how your acting and interacting with other people, read this book. It’s not so much an eye-opener as it is recognizing yourself in the text. A good read but I’ve had better.

A thing that bummed me out today, or to be correct kept a part of me bummed out today was the fact that I got my aesthetics exam back two days ago and while I didn’t fail completely I have to hand in completions on two and a half of seven questions. My professor is a stern man, stern Bengt, but I’m sure I’ll learn this way. Stern but fair as the old pro verb and Punk of Country song goes.

I also today managed to cram in a visit to the local amusement park: Liseberg. Me and Camilla** and one of here work buddies went there to see Mustasch. Funny thing in the que, this also in reference to the dialect of the Swedish language spoken here in Göteborg; Göteborska which I have written about in previous posts:
Man in que: “E du me här för å se Musstas eller?” If you are from Göteborg and have a bit of distance to the way you are, you are laughing now.)

Since Mustasch really isn’t my bag I went to eat. Oh man that was a, as we say in Sweden, pers. Why? The Health athoritys here in Göteborg have been out with the axe towards restaurants here in town* but they seem to have missed the restaurants in Liseberg. And not only that. Having gotten my food, kriss crossing between piss-kids running around screaming there cotton candy induced high heads off I sat down to have my burger… what song do you think the sound system of the carousel next to me plays? Guess? Try your best? No? A instrumental synth pan-flute version of Stevie Wonders “I just called to say I love you” ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!!

Ok. Back to the concert for the last couple of songs. And here comes the cool part. The singer, Ralf, was doing a call and response thing with the audience and at the end of it, with his most metal voice, in a power full crescendo and in an ascending scale, just before the whole band erupts in a distorted mega heavy riff, screams, in rhythm: SKVALLERBYTTA BING BONG GÅR I ALLA GÅRDAR! Super heavy!
What he sang was a Swedish nursery rime translating to: tatter tale bing bong walks in every yard (and continues, licks every bowl… hahaha really off).

I also had something to say about drunk girls singing along in heavy metal songs but I’ll leave it. I leave you instead with two thirds of tonight’s amusement park winnings (the third being two small rolls of Center).
This is also what fills the headline with meaning. I can’t possibly start my new working out type of life, healthy type of life, with 4000 grams om chocolate in the kitchen.