14. A musical you would love to see produced by Deaf West?
Ohh, I already know this one! Matilda the Musical, definitely. I think it would work so well. Matilda is this little girl who's ignored and bullied by her parents. A deaf or hard of hearing Matilda Wormwood whose parents never bothered to learn sign language because they doesn't care about their daughter, it just works. Matilda has taught herself some sign language from the books she's borrowed from the library and she and Mrs Phelps can communicate a bit. Then she starts school, meets Miss Honey (who knows sign language and teaches Matilda and all of classmates how to sign) It would have such an impact. I'm getting emotional just thinking about it.
20. Express some love for understudies and swings!
I actually haven't been able to see a lot of understudies and swings perform. I find it easier to talk about people I have actually seen. But I always like an excuse to talk about the amazing Sara Lehmann so... Sara is one of the best performers, both acting, singing and dancing wise, I've ever seen. It's a crime she's not been given a lead role and more featured roles. She's a real team player though... I wish so much I could have seen her perform in some of her understudy roles, for example as Leading player in Pippin (she actually got to go on once) and Mrs Wormwood in Matilda. After seeing her as Anne in If/Then, I actually said that I'd love to see her as leading player.
There's a lot of fantastic Swedish ensemble performers that has understudied a lot of roles, but hardly ever got to go on, because we usually have quite short runs.
My favourite understudy performance is when Christopher Wollter went on as Daniel in Så som i himmelen. When I first saw ssih, I knew that he would be perfect for that role. It was so emotional seeing him play that part.
Quick mentions to other understudies I would have loved to see: Åsa Sjöblom as Eponine in Les Mis and Lena in ssih, Kerstin Hillden as Miss Honey in Matilda and Belle in Beauty and the beast, Nikola Stankovic as Rudolpho in Matilda, Karolin Funke as Billy's mom in Billy Elliot.
26. Best on stage chemistry?
Hmm, I can't just pick one. I'l try to limit myself to a few, I could go on for ages though. Jennifer Damiano and Adam Chanler Berat in Next to Normal, Alice Ripley and J. Robert Spencer/Brian D'Arcy James in Next to Normal, all the mains in If/Then in their various constellations (both obc and the Swedish production) , all the Matildas and Miss Honeys I've seen in Matilda the Musical, Linda Olsson and Marianne Mörck as Miss Honey and Mrs Phelps in Matilda the Musical, Linda Olsson and Karolin Funke in everything they've done together. (I've only seen them together in two productions, but their friendship and connection just shines through) and Philip Jalmelid and Tuva B. Larsen in Så som i himmelen. I could say lots more, but I feel like I should stop now.
41. What are some lines from musicals you really like?
How could it make any difference? How could it matter at all? How do I make such a major event of something so small?
You learn somehow to like the dark and even love the dark
And you find some way to survive and you find out you don't have to be happy at all to be happy you're alive
Maybe we can't be okay but maybe we're tough and we'll try anyway. We'll live with what's real. Let go of what's passed and maybe I'll see you at last.
I don't need a life that's normal, that's way too far away. But something next to normal would be okay.
Quiet.... Like silence, but not really silent. Just that still sort of quiet. Like the sound of a page being turned in a book, or a pause in a walk in the woods.
When I grow up, I will be brave enough to fight the creatures that you have to fight beneath the bed each night to be a grown up.
Patience, my love, time is on our side. Even time loves us. But time is the one thing no one is master of.
I can't really explain it, I haven't got the words. It's a feeling that you can't control. I suppose it's like forgetting, losing who you are. But at the same time, something makes you whole.
I varje hjärta finns en dröm, varje själ har sin. Jag ska finna längtan på den vägen som är min.
I natt ska en stjärna tändas, den ska skina klart. Den lyser dig väg, en gång ska vi mötas åter. Beskyddet av en ängel som står vakt, det vet du att jag har. Jag vill att du ska minnas vad jag sagt. Jag är i gott bevar.
I was tagged by the marvellous @stolligaseptember to do this handwriting tag, fun!
instructions: write the following and post a picture
your url + any side blogs you have
once upon a time
sphinx of black quartz, hear my vow
a few characters’ names
names of a few WIPs (if you have any)
who you’re tagging
Half of the time I don’t know what’s up with my “k”s, one would have thought someone who calls themselves Kako would have sorted it out by now, but alas, the “k”s are still my weakness.
I’m tagging: @aprilskyforever @starlene @askyfullofcomets and @liljakonvalj
So, a looooong time ago, longer now than it seems, I was tagged by both @stolligaseptember and @aprilskyforever to do the 11 questions tag.
And tonight I have less things to do than I’ve had in a long, long time, so I’m taking some time to finally do it!
The Game: Answer the questions, create your own 11 questions, and tag 11 people!
The Questions
So, since I’m doing 11x2 questions, I’ll continue down below
These are the ones from the lovely September:
1. What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
There isn’t really something I do by routine the first thing in the morning, it differs. But if I manage to go up before all of my alarms gone off then the first thing I do is turn them off. Other than that, I’d say I drink water.
2. Describe the latest photo on your phone?
It’s a photo of the cake I made for father’s day! It’s a cake with pale orange buttercream, chocolate drippel and lots of edible rocks I made some time ago for another cake. Oh and sprinkled orange zest! Not my finest creation, but I had little to work with and not a lot of time to spare, so under the circumstances I’d say it looks kinda pretty.
3. A book everyone should read
I don’t really feel like any of the books I’ve read “qualifies” as a book everyone should read? What even makes a book qualify as something everyone should read? But I’d say the closest one to earn the “title” is “Britt-Marie var här” (Britt-Marie was here) by Fredrik Backman. It’s just such a lovely book. At least I could say that everyone that has read “A man called Ove” and liked it should read Britt-Marie was here. Or maybe I’d say Mio, my son because I love Astrid Lindgren and there’s really something about that book that enchants me.
4. What would you say is your best talent?
I have no idea? Like I’ve been staring at this question and just!?!? I don’t know. So I googled “talent” and it said: “Talent is the natural ability to do something well.” And!? I’m sorry but I don’t have a natural ability to do something well (that I can think of, at least). Like I’m not particularly good at anything (like really, I’m not), and the few things I’d say I’m alright at didn’t come natural (I think). I’m content with being just kinda good at (some) stuff, tho :)
5. Favorite subject in school?
You know what, I take the previous answer back. My talent is that I’m not able to make up my mind about things. I rarely have one favourite. And concerning this, I can’t really remember having a favourite subject? And many times I’ve liked a class not necessary because of the subject, but rather because of the teacher or my classmates. But I can mention some of the subjects I’ve liked at some point throughout my “academic life”:
- Art, math, baking (we’re talking kid age)
- History, civics, geography, chemistry, physics, math, art (12-15 years old)
- History, math, science, TV-production (16-18)
After that I studied at a higher vocational education programme about environment where my favourite subjects was geology, environmental pollutions and a course in sustainable development (mostly because it included some ecology).
This question made me remember that I didn’t like biology when I had it in school (which was when I was 12-15), which is kinda ironic because guess who just started studying a biology programme!?! Although I guess it kinda makes sense because the biology we had then was pretty much focused on the human body and I’m all about nature.
Since I pretty much just started with named programme, I can’t really pick a favourite yet. But I’m looking so much forward to ecology and conservation biology!
Like I could probably say my favourite subject is ecology, but!?!? I’ve never actually had ecology as a school subject (yet!) so I can’t answer that.
6. Favorite holiday?
Now that we’ve settled that I can’t pick just one favourite, I’d say Lucia, Valborg and Midsummer. Although I haven’t actually celebrated any of them for real in years, so that’s a shame. Oh and I really like Christmas as well!
7. Song stuck in your head at the moment?
None! I don’t really get songs stuck in my head? Like that doesn’t happen? I don’t really understand the concept actually?
8. Favorite comfort food?
Honestly I’d say it depends on the mood and the weather and the season and the time of the day. But like vegetable soup and bread is a win win most times.
9. Have you witnessed something truly incredible?
Well I’ve seen some meteor rain and I think those are incredible! So spectacular and beautiful!
10. Best childhood memory?
There’s not really a specific memory I’d call “the best childhood memory”. Like I don’t remember a lot? It’s just small fragments with meanings long forgotten and I can’t really call any of them anything special and definitely not the best. And I can’t really sit down and just remember things? Most of my memories just flash by when they feel like it, I can’t really pull them out of nowhere and just remember things. I’d say my strongest memory, one of the rare I can actually recall without any form of provocation, is when I dropped a red rose on my grandfather’s coffin when I was like 4 or 5. But I’d certainly wouldn’t call that the best one. If I actually could remember my grandfather, I’d probably pick a memory with him because even if I don’t remember why I liked him so much I do remember that I did.
11. If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
I first answered this question with like a long rant about humanity (as an argument for choosing the species closest related to us) because apparently I can’t talk about anything concerning zoology or ecology without getting upset with humanity and the fact that we endanger literary all species upon this earth
But instead of doing that (I kinda just did that anyway didn’t I?) I’ll say deer fly (Lipoptena cervi). I just can’t imagine that they wouldn’t be rude because I feel like their entire existence is rude (which of course isn’t fair of me – but since I do get personally attacked by them I don’t feel that bad about verbally attacking them). Or like, maybe ticks, for the same reason.
So that was Septembers questions, thank you dear! : )
Now it’s time for the sweet @aprilskyforevers questions!
1. would you rather live in a two story penthouse in a city of your choice (but it’s never really quiet and the elevator is broken when you move in), or in a mansion on the country side where the wi-fi sometimes is dodgy and the nearest large city is a two hour drive away?
I’m a small-towner to the bone, I don’t even think I could live for a long time in a city where there’s even such a thing as a two story penthouse. So the mansion it is! Just think about all the trees I could plant and all the vegetables I could grow! And all the flowers! I could grow a meadow! And plant a lot of bushes. The ones that bees and butterflies like. And roses! And I could build some creotopes. Maybe even a little pond. I could make my yard a little paradise for bees and butterflies, endangered plants and flowers (I’m just going to assume that the mansion comes with a big yard).
And I mean with a mansion I would be able to offer rooms to friends and other people in need? Like how amazing wouldn’t it be if a friend needed somewhere to live for a while and you could just go YOU CAN STAY IN MY MANSION, HERE YOU GO YOU CAN HAVE THE SECOND LEVEL. ALL BY YOURSELF (although I can’t guarantee that my cats, because yes there will be cats, won’t trespass because it’s their mansion first and foremost). Come stay at my mansion! I’ll cook soup with vegetables fresh from the yard and bake a lot of bread. And cookies. And cakes. And buns of course. Come taste all my apples! And all the other fruits and berries! Look at the pretty butterflies! LET’S RUN AROUND LIKE FOOLS IN MY MEADOW AND MAKE SOME FLOWERCROWNS. Oh and in the winter we could go ice skating on my little pond. And drink hot chocolate AND GAZE AT THE STARS. I mean my mansion is far from large cities so there won’t be a lot of light pollutions, do you realize how clear the sky will be in the winter? Crisp air, hot chocolate and endless of stars.
Sjidhudhudh. Can someone just give me a mansion. Or a little cabin. Or a tree house. mdlemdffji. I just want to plant trees, grow vegetables, save the bees, adopt cats, bake stuff and make. people. happy.
2. favourite dessert?
Oh, this is so hard! It really depends? Especially on what season it is, I think? And probably on my mood, the weather and what time of the day it is. But these or some of the things I really like: cinnamon buns, blueberry pie, carrot cake, soft gingerbread cake, gingerbread thins, apple cake, chocolate mud cake, chocolate balls, snickers cake, Swedish raspberry caves (?), chocolate mousse and ice cream. Oh and also I really like desserts I haven’t made myself? Like eating someone else’s stuff really makes it more special? Might be because I make pretty much all the sweet things we eat in my family, so whenever it’s something else it feels special.
3. tell me about your relation to the sea. have you ever seen the ocean? been on a boat? ferry? do you know how to swim?
I don’t live close to the sea, so I don’t have a particularly strong relation to the sea. I don’t think I’ve seen the ocean? I have been on ferries a couple of times and I do know how to swim, I’ve never bathed in the sea however. When I was younger, an annual 5-day orienteer competition I competed in was hosted in Gothenburg one year, and then we lived in a camping place rather close to the sea. I spent the evenings jumping on rocks by the shore and got to see jellyfish for the first time. One evening I actually fell into the sea, that was the first and only time I’ve ever been in the sea. Since the stay in Gothenburg I hadn’t really seen the sea except when I’ve been on ferries, until this year. Just some months ago I stayed a week by the sea as a part of a marine excursion and went out with a research vessel some times and saw lots of animals I’ve never knew of before. And I found out that I don’t get sea sick even on a very stormy sea, which is very surprising since I get car sickness very easily. Oh, and I really like stormy seas? The movements and the sounds! And I like picking shells on the shores.
So I think my relation to the sea is somewhat stronger now. But I’m more of a forest kind of person, if that makes sense. I sure like the sea, but I can’t see myself living close to the sea. I can say I prefer to travel with a boat on the sea rather than a ferry. But the thing I like most about the sea is the sea as an ecosystem and all its fascinating inhabitants.
4. what’s the best trip you’ve done in your life so far?
I don’t really know (when do I ever), mostly because I have trouble remembering things, even good things. But this summer while being on the same 5-day orienteer competition I’ve mention before, this time hosted in Örnsköldsvik, me and my sister took a trip to a cave. There where ladders in the cave and a line to follow and we could borrow some cave helmets with lamps. We got to climb up and down several hundred of meters through this dark cave and it was so so fun! So that’s at least one of the best trips I’ve done so far!
5. what do you rather do in the mountains; hike or ski?
I’ve never been hiking or skiing (in the mountains at least) so I don’t know? Like I prefer cross country skiing and not downhill, and like I could see the enjoyment in hiking but I’m not a huge fan of wandering? Idk I get restless in some way? Like most times I feel it’s to slow and that I’d rather run. The only time I really enjoy wandering is in forests, where I can look at the plants, the moss, the fungi, the lichens and the fauna. I guess there might be some of that in the mountains? So hiking maybe? But like skiing in the mountains sounds pretty fun too I guess? So skiing in the winter, hiking the other seasons? Sorry, I just can’t give you a straight answer. I would probably need to try both things out to be able to pick one or the other.
6. favourite decade for music before 2000?
That’s hard, most of my favourites are active now! But I think I’d say 1990s because that’s the decade of Kristina från Duvemåla and the prime decade of trallpunk. Also Nordman was active around that time and some of my favourite metal bands had their debut then. Oh and let’s not forget the stars of my childhood – Markoolio and Rednex started out in the 90s!
7. have you/do you want to move away from the city where you grew up? why/why not?
No, not really? Like I could find myself living in another small town somewhere, but like, my life is here? So no, not at the moment. I’d like to temporary move to other small towns around Sweden, but I think I would always return to my roots. I’m too sentimental, I would miss my family, my friends, the nature, the landscapes , the geology and so much more.
8. what would you name your kids if you had any?
Well, I’ve never wanted any kids so I’ve never thought about it, and honestly I can’t imagine what I would name any kids because I can’t imagine myself having any kids. But, I sure like naming things! I can tell you that I would name future cats Mumrik and Mymlan. I have two adorable little fir trees I’ve named Harald and Hilding. I call one of my plants Arabella Nicodemus. I’ve had hamsters named Lilje and Freja. I also like the names Fenja, John and Karl. But I don’t think I would give any of those names to kids? For kids I’d say Hugo. I don’t know what I would name a girl!?!
While we’re on the subject of Hugo, here’s an unnecessary fact:
I once had an idea of writing a small story about ecology / biodiversity with a bumblebee called Hugo (Hugo humla och den försvunna ängen – en berättelse om ekologi och biologisk mångfald / Hugo the bumblebee and the lost meadow – a story about ecology and biodiversity)
9. name three guilty pleasure songs:
I think I can just say most songs with Ronny and Ragge instead. I mean what even are those songs but also, the nostalgia? And also, so catchy?
10. where is the perfect spot for a proposal, in your opinion?
I don’t really have any opinions on proposal because proposals are so far away from my life like!?!? Not happening. But I guess a place with some kind of significant meaning would be a perfect spot? And it should be private! (unless you’ve discussed it beforehand at least)
11. name your favourite disney main characher, favourite side kick and favourite villain:
There isn’t really any Disney character I would call my favourite? But my favourite Disney movies have always been Aristocats, Atlantis, Brother Bear and the Jungle Book. But favourite characters? That’s taugh. For main I think it could be Kenai, Milo or maybe Robin Hood. Oh or Aladdin (but honestly that’s mostly because of Peter Jöback). Favourite side kick would be Thomas O’malley, Koda, Audrey, Baloo or Bagheera. But villain, I don’t know? It’s not Shere Khan, and probably not Tiberius. I would like to say Frollo because of SOM ELDAR! DET BRINNER! SOM GLÖD IN I MITT SKIN! Hellfire but I haven’t actually seen the Hunchback of Notre Dame yet so I can’t really say that. But Jafar maybe? Or King Richard. Probably Jafar.
So that was it! Thank you dear for those questions! : )
Now, here’s my questions:
1. How was your day?
2. Favourite food to bring on a trip?
3. What would you want me to ask you about? Like if you could pick a question that I would ask, what question would that be?
4. If you did pick a question, what’s the answer to the question? If you didn’t, that’s fine, I’ve noticed that it’s very hard to come up with questions. Maybe you could post a picture of a cute animal or a pretty plant or the sky or something instead?
5. Please name three birds you find beautiful?
6. What’s three inspirational quotes/facts or similar you like?
7. What’s your favourite root vegetable(s)?
8. Share at least one new thing you’ve learned this month!
9. What’s the best advice someone has given you (or that you’ve found in some other way)?
10. Describe yourself in 10 words (don’t make sentences, just list some words). Can be personality, hobbies, aesthetic, whatever! : )
11. Let’s pretend you could visit any planet, star, comet or other thing not created by humans in our solar system. Let’s pretend you could travel there in little to no time and you could explore it without getting harmed, what would you choose to visit and why?
I tag: @gottagobackintime @hippygirl14 @cookiemcfumb @askyfullofcomets @liljakonvalj @norrlandshobbit @asgoodasanyone @entidforalt and I mean it was such a long time ago you tagged me, so I’ll throw in @stolligaseptember and @aprilskyforever as well because why not! :) I know it’s not 11 people but I don’t know who else to tag sorry
Thank you so much for asking! Great questions, I love talking about books. 📚
2. Did you reread anything ? What?
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett. It's a tradition to read it in may. It never gets old and I still get emotional about it.
4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?
It depends how you see it.. I read my first book by Celeste Ng in 2023, but I read two of her previous books in 2024. So I had already discovered her, but in reading and loving two more books, I have found that I love how she writes and that she is now one of my favourite authors.
11. What was your favourite book that has been out for a while, but you just now read?
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. It's been out for about 10 years, but I have never gotten around to reading it. I found a copy in a secondhand store and I figured it was a sign to finally read it.
20. What was your most anticipated release? Did it meet your expectations?
Ö by Sara Bergmark Elfgren. I had really been waiting for this one. It had been a couple of years since her latest book. I'm a huge fan of her writing and this book certainly lived up to my expectations. It's got her excellent writing and it's a book that made me feel and think a lot. I felt sadness, anger, hope and a lot of things in between. I'm not gonna write a lot about it because I don't want to spoil things. But I loved reading about the two sisters and their bond and the dynamics between them.
Thanks a lot for asking! This was a lot of fun, but also difficult. It was hard choosing my favourites.
1. Book you've reread the most times?
I'm not completely sure, but I think it's either The lord of the rings series by J.R.R Tolkien, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman or the Engelsfors trilogy by Sara Bergmark Elfgren and Mats Strandberg. All of these are among my favourite books.
2. What is the first book you remember reading yourself?
Pricken by Margaret Rey and H. A Rey. It's a beautiful book about a rabbit who has black spots on his fur while all of his siblings doesn't. I loved it so much as a child and I would read it all the time. I still have my copy of the book.
17. Top 5 children's books?
Hmm, that is a very good question... There are so many that I loved as a child and have fond memories of. It's really hard choosing just 5. I couldn't rank them though...But here goes:
*Ronja rövardotter by Astrid Lindgren (This list could probably be Astrid Lindgren books only, because she has written so many that I love dearly. But after much debating I picked Ronja, it's so special.
*Tomtebobarnen by Elsa Beskow
* Flickan med svavelstickorna by H.C Andersen
* The little house on the prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
*Plupp by Inga Borg
20. What are things you look for in a book?
Interesting and creative storylines, something new and fresh, well written and diverse characters, something that makes me think and leaves a lasting impression, some sarcasm and dark humour...
Some of my favourite genres are dystopia and what I like to call folklore fantasy. So give me interesting and well written books in those genres and I'm sold.
15: A song that is a cover by another artistLyckliga gatan by Timo Räisänen, it’s such a lovely little song and his version is so, so good
oh and I’ll throw in “Somebody that I used to know” by Walk off the Earth too because it’s just i c o n i c
16: One of your favorite classical songsI’m grateful for the fact that it says ”one of your favorite” because I have more than one. I’ll say Ode to joy, because it was the first to come to mind. Maybe that’s a boring pick, but it’s so beautiful! I did give two answers to the other question tho, so why not keep that up, I’ll throw in “In the hall of the mountain king” by Edvard Grieg, because again, it’s just i c o n i c
1. Songof the year?It has got to be ”Reser fast jag inte vill” by Philip Jalmelid from Så som i himmelen (the musical), as it is the one that has been there from the very start to the very end. Like there has been other songs that has defined this year for me as well, but that one has been there through it all. I love it. Honorary mention of Life is Good by Flogging Molly tho! If it has to be a song released this year, I think I’ll say Tack förlåt by Laleh or Bismarck or Great war by Sabaton.
9. Best month for you this year?I really wish I was good at keeping some kind of journal, but I’m not. And because of that I don’t really remember which month was best. But I’ve been tryning to figure it out by looking through old pictures and notes to remember what I did this year, and I think my best month was either April, May or June. Can’t be more precise than that tho, sorry!
So, a while ago I was tagged by @askyfullofcomets to do the five things meme, thank you so much!
Now, this meme is about picking one favourite and I’m sorry peeps but that’s not me. I can’t. I’m too fond of many things, too indecisive and too changeable to pick one. So to be able to answer this I’ll have to pick more than one answer. Like, I’ll try my best, but beware, I’ll not succeed.
Favourite flower – Well this is tough, I love flowers and plants! But I think I’ll give it to Anemone Nemorosa (wood anemone). I’ve just always loved how they create like a “starry night” on the forest floor in spring! And they’re so so pretty. But I feel bad just mentioning one flower, when there’s so many I love! Sooo, these are some of the other flowers I adore: Hepatica nobilis (liverleaf), Convallaria majalis (lily of the valley), Syringa vulgaris (lilac), Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy), Tussilago farfara (coltsfoot), Helianthus annuus (sunflower) and various roses. And I’ll give a shout-out to Linnaea borealis (twinflower), who is such a cutie. And, I know it’s not seen as a flower, but actually biologically speaking it’s an angiosperm aka flowering plant, but I also want to give a shout-out to Betula nana (Dwarf birch) as well because they’re adorable and so so beautiful in the autumn.
Favourite fruit – Oh, I like a lot of fruits! And I feel like I have different preferences depending on which season it is? I’d say apple is my favourite in the autumn, while I love plums, grapes, cantaloupe and water melon in the summer. And I love various citrus fruits in the winter. But if I’d pick one overall favourite, it might be banana? I’m very fond of bananas, all year. If they’re ecological and doesn’t taste like chemicals like most of them do, that is. Oh, and let’s entertain the thought that this means fruit as in all botanical fruits, because then I’d add peanuts, wild strawberries, strawberries, bilberries and cherries to the list of fruits I really like.
Favourite season – This is the only easy question for me, it’s spring, I love spring! And for me, nothing says spring like wood anemone, might be why I love them so much.
Favourite smell – This really changes from situation to situation and also with seasons. But I really like the smell of freshly baked bread, cinnamon, cardamom, lilacs, sun warm fields of lily of the valleys, blown out matches and a lot of different citrus fruits.
Favourite flavour – This really depends on the season and where the flavour is (like honestly most things taste amazing in the form of ice cream). But here’s some of the flavours I like most times: Chocolate, gingerbread, wild strawberries, strawberries, apples, bilberries, salty liquorice (on it own and paired with viola), peanuts, lemon ice cream, banana and caramel.
I’m tagging @stolligaseptember @hippygirl14 @chococheshire @aprilskyforever @entidforalt @liljakonvalj and @gottagobackintime
