TOM'S BLOG

This fall, my Japanese studies at Stockholm University will begin. It will probably be very tough, but I will give it my all. The courses also include history and culture (art, films, theater and so on).

Unlike most universities, Stockholm University consists of many smaller buildings scattered over a large area. The pictured building is where the Institution for Oriental Languages is located. And that's where my Japanese lessons will take place. The building is decorated with owls of wisdom! As well as the national coat of arms above the entrance.

Photos by Keitha Ramberg and Kim Ahlström.

Saturday, the 19'th, I met some friends on Serieteket in Kulturhuset ( it's like a library for comics and manga). Then we went to Kungsträdgården. In this park in Stockholm, it's held some kind of Japanese event every year, to celebrate the cherry trees. This involves a lot of stuff. Here is the translated programme for that day:





13.00 Traditional drumming with Taiko Kai
13.30 "Cherry Blossoms and Gardens"
Onita Wass, vice head of Östasiatiska muséet (East Asian Museum).
13.40 Anette Stridh and Angela Wannbäck sings
Madame Butterfly and other operas
Pianist: Ann-Sofi Klingberg
14.10 Park architect Bodil Hammarberg, Trafikkontoret,
talks about Kungsträdgården's cherry trees
14.15 Kimono showing with music by the Japanese string instrument KOTO
14.35 Sakura, Japanese female choir
14.45 Lars Göran Carlson reads Haiku poems
15.10 Kenshou gives a show in KYUDO - Japanese archery


We were there before the drumming started, so we went to Östasiatiska Meséet's (East Asian Museum) tent. We tasted green tea and made cherry blossom origamis. It wasn't a real Japanese origami though, the ones working there had designed them.
Then we watched and listened to everything on the programme, eating hamburgers from Max. Much were very interesting! After the haiku poems, we went to another tent, which belonged to Kenshou Kyudo Kai. We talked to one of the archers for a while. And then we went to watch when they were shooting.

As if this day couldn't be more Japanese, we decided to visit a Japanese shop, called Japanska Torget. We wanted to buy some Ramune, which I like very much. Unfortunately, we were to late and the shop had closed. Instead we took the tube home.

I want to recommend people to take part of this event next year. And I want to thank Kungstradgården for the photos, since I forgot my camera.

If you are interested, I have updated my photo section with a lot of photos. But as I wrote, not from the Cherry Blossom Day.

Last weekend I watched the musical "Rivierans Guldgossar" or "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" as it's called in English. The musical was held in the building called "Cirkus", in Stockholm. This is also the same place where Europe the band recorded the I'll Cry For You-music video, back in the 80's.

The actor's were really good. Especially Robert Gustafsson, the world's funniest man, in my opinion.


By the story, he earned money by tricking people with his charm. However, on a train he meets his rival to be, in the same "buisness", and later on they decide to compete. The goal is to trick a girl, and get her money before the other one does. But things get really weird...

This musical was very good. I recommend everyone living in Sweden, to go and watch it.
It's 295-595 kronor/crowns per ticket, depending on where you want to sit. For those of you who understand Swedish but lives abroad and are coming here soon; it's 31-63€, 45-91$ or 23-46 £ (I could be mistaken).
For more information, visit these sites:
www.cirkus.se
www.rivieransguldgossar.se