The Melody Festival 2012, part 1

Hello, to all the Eurovision fans out there! It's time again, time for The Swedish Melody Festival, 2012! Hurray! 


Few things are as loved and hated, worshipped and detested as the Eurovision Song Contest and the spectacle Sweden has made of the qualification rounds, The Melody Festival. Every spring the world revolves around The Melody Festival, both in the private and public domain. 


I've always been fascinated and very much entertained by The Melody Festival and The Eurovision Song Contest. However, unexpectedly, my interest has grown since I moved to the US. Maybe because living here has made it a coveted event, it's not constantly being shoved in my face. Also, I have found that it's more interesting to hear the songs and the artists without having read all the gossip about them weeks in advance.  


All the participating countries in The Eurovision Song Contest have their own way to select their contribution to the European finale. Sweden decide which song and artist to send by having four elimination rounds, followed by a "Second-chance" and finally a finale, where a winner is selected, through a combination of jury and public votes. The first elimination round takes place on February 4th, at 8pm (CET). To see it live:
http://svt.se/melodifestivalen/


Last year I spent several hours writing about The Melody Festival and I will keep to the same format this year. Every week I will write a pre-show post about the different artist performing that week, followed by a summary post after each show. The songs are kept a secret until the live show, so know that I write the artist presentations without knowing anything about the actual song they will be preforming:


Sean Banan: Sean Ramadi, a.k.a. Sean Banan, is a man of many talents. Artist, comedian, dancer and choreographer. I remember him from one of the early dance competition on tv, Floorfiller (2006). Since then he has had a re-accuring part in a popular comedy show, appeared on the Swedish Dancing with the stars and is currently co-hosting a talk show. As far as his music goes, it's a combination of club music and comedy. It attracts a younger audience, but his popularity is undeniable. I know what to expect, but I don't know how I'll react. Either I will absolutely hate it or I will secretly love it.
http://youtu.be/juObnnbP0fo


Abalone Dots: The group of three women (four when the band formed) has been performing Bluegrass and Country inspired music since 2000. They have not yet reached mainstream fame in Sweden, even though they have won prestigious awards. However, their musical successes has spread across the Atlantic and they frequently tour Bluegrass and Country music festivals in the US. Personally, Country is not my favorite music genre. My opinion about the song they will be performing will mostly depend on how much it is influenced by Bluegrass and Country.
http://youtu.be/z24eizoT1Wk


The Moniker: Daniel Karlsson, a.k.a. The Moniker, graduated Swedish Idol 2007 where he finished 4th. He participated in last years Melody Festival and competed against Loreen (see further down) in the same elimination round. The Moniker, just like Loreen, had to re-qualify in "The Second Chance" to participate in the finale. Not only did he make it to the finale, but he ended up being last year's overall no. 3. His song "Oh My God!" was very catchy and you could not help but to smile when you heard it. I should mention though, that the song lost quite a lot of it's initial appeal after some repeated listenings. But it had very little to do with the song, but the fact that The Moniker, as a performer, added a lot of spark and the song felt flat without his whimsical persona and his contagious smile. I hope he will be as happy and as genuine this year as he was last.
http://youtu.be/ZhiyK76j1kA


Afro-Dite: Afro-Dite is this week's veterans. They have done it all before. Not only have they competed before, they have won before. In 2002 they won the Swedish Melody Festival with the song "Never Let it Go". In Eurovision Songcontest (in Estonia), they finished 8th place. Since then they have also competed in The Swedish Melody Festival 2003, where they finished 7th place. Outside the group, the members of the group are, individually, well known personalities in the Swedish entertainment business. I have some hopes but mainly fears. It's always dicey to revive icons. Unfortunately, more often than not, it's a disappointment. Either way, I'm sure they will put a smile on my face.
http://youtu.be/MrZnpxOD1Lk


Dead by April: Believe it or not, this is not the first year, this Metalcore band has been in the Swedish Melody Festival. Last year they played behind one of Sweden's most beloved artists, Lena Philipsson, during her honorary performance as a heavy metal rocker. This year they are bringing their own music to the stage. I always welcome rockers to the Melody Festival. Sweden has a long and prosperous history with rock and metal. Hopefully Dead by April will stay true to who they are and not perform a watered down "adapted" version of their music.
http://youtu.be/7AQknSzA1AU


Marie Serneholt: Marie knows the entertainment business very well and she has been a part of it since her break-through with A-teens in 1998. Since then she has competed in the Swedish Melodi Festival 2009 (where she didn't qualify to the finale), hosted it once and done tons of other public appearances. I don't know anything about the song she will be performing, and frankly, I dont care. I really dislike her as an artist. She is one of the least genuine people in the industry and everything about her seems fake, her hair, her nails, her smile and her "personality".
http://youtu.be/Mg9qAnYg3_E


Thorsten Flinck och revolutionsorkestern: Oh my, I don't really know what to write. Thorsten Flinck is famous as an actor, on stage as well as on the silver screen. But more than that, he is infamous for being unpredictable, temperamental and somewhat out of his mind. A genius or a highly disturbed addict or maybe both. I know very little about his music, even though I know he has had some successes. If his previous music is an indications, my guess is that it will not be my cup of tea.
http://youtu.be/UtweSz08GEY


Loreen: The Swedish public first got to know Loreen through Swedish Idol 2004, in which she finished 4th. But more recently, people know her from last year's Melody Festival where she preformed "My Heart is Refusing Me". She ended up in 9th place, after re-qualifying in "The Second Chance" and her song became a huge radio-hit. The artists from last year's competition also voted "My Heart is Refusing Me" as their favorite song. Personally, I love her voice and "My Heart is Refusing Me" grew on me and turned out to be one of the few songs I still haven't grown tired of. I have high hopes and can't wait to see what she has to deliver. 
http://youtu.be/UjrVoonz4WE


All in all, this should be an interesting elimination round. Again, without knowing anything about the songs, I'm mostly looking forward to see what Loreen has to offer. I'm also very curious to hear Dead by April. I will be very surprised if I find my self liking Abalone Dots or Thorsten Flinck. And I already know I will dislike Marie Serneholt, because I already do. 

After a year of sweating...

Woohoo, I've made it! A whole year! Today, exactly 365 days ago, I ventured into the world of exercise. Countless of hours, sore muscles and gallons of sweat later, I'm still standing, taller and stronger than ever before.

But this blog post is not just about me boasting about my success, even though I'm very proud of my achievements. It's about how sticking to one single decision can change a life. It might sound cheesy, but I'm dead serious. And it's not so much a cliché as it is a modification of a cliché.

You have probably heard it a million times (in all aspects of life) "you just need to make a decision". But is that the whole truth? There are millions of people around the world who make the decision to live a healthier life... every Monday. The challenge is sticking to your decision, not just to make it.

It's January and the gym is PACKED! Some faces I know, from seeing them every week. Some faces I recognize from January/February last year. Many faces are completely new. You can recognize the beginners by the look of pain in their faces. I know it's an up-hill struggle, believe me, I can relate. But once you're up the hill, you get to enjoy the view and the view can be spectacular.

What I really want to say, to those new to exercise, is "hang in there". Tough it out! But most of all, be patient. It will get easier. And before you know it, you will be the one surprised by your own reflection. I didn't suffer through any diets, I've eaten healthier and smaller portions but not deprived myself of anything. I can proudly say I've lost 8 inches (20 cm) around my waist and 35lb (16 kg) since January last year. As a final note, here are pictures taken from my vacations to Thailand and Mexico, exactly one year apart.

Waste of waist!

It's January 18th. So far, this year, I've spent about 20 hours at different shopping malls and outlets, actively shopping and looking for cloths. Am I a shopaholic? I wish! Let's look at what I've bought...

2 pairs of running tights
3 bras
2 panties
2 sweaters
1 shirt
2 t-shirts
1 pair of leggings
1 dress

A grand total of 14 pieces of clothing. If I remove the garments I bought out of necessity, such as underwear and replacement t-shirt and tights, I have bought 5 pieces of clothing out of enjoyment. So, it has taken me about 4 hours of searching to find each piece.

One of my pet peeves has always been people with nice bodies who doesn't dress "properly". If you have the goods, why not be proud of it. I'm not saying you should flaunt it, but if you have a nice body, most cloths will fit so why not buy appropriate sizes? I used to dream about the cloth I would wear if I weighed less.

Almost a year ago, I begun my own transformation, from being overweight to being smaller. My goal was to be able to walk into any store and have most of the medium sizes fit me. And when I reached my goal, I would reward myself with a new wardrobe.

Well, I've reached my goal. Actually, I reached beyond my goal. Now I fit in some mediums and some smalls. More or less everything I try on fits nicely. Have I treated myself to a new wardrobe? Nope. I have certainly tried, but it's been very difficult. I don't mean to sound like spoiled brat and I realize this may sound like a stupid problem, but I don't know how to dress the new me.

Last time I was this size, I was 13 years old. Obviously, it was a long time ago and there are very many reasons why I shouldn't be inspired by my 13 year old self.

Don't get me wrong, I have bought some new cloths, but only out of necessity, when I absolutely had to and not because I have found a million things I look great in. Trust me, when you're underwear is a couple of sizes too big, it's a sign your wardrobe has shrunk to a smaller size and it's time to buy some new cloths.

So, until I figure myself out, I will buy what I need to buy. Other than that, I will probably stick to my current re-invention of my style, belting and tying my old size 14 cloths. I've quickly turned into my own pet peeve. What a waste of waist!

Go to Mexico!

It's been over a week since I left Mexico. It was a fantastic trip! With all my heart, I recommend people to choose Mexico as a vacation spot, especially if you've never been there before.

This trip took us to great diving waters, fantastic beaches and hidden local gems throughout Quintana Roo, on the Yucatan peninsula. If you're looking to have a relaxing vacation whilst experiencing the Mexico away from the beaten path, but like to enjoy the organization and amenities that popular tourist destinations have to offer, I would recommend you to follow in mine and Theres' footsteps.

We arrived Cozumel Airport from Houston. When we booked our tickets, the difference in price between flying to/from Cozumel and Cancun were so vast, it made sense to fly to Cozumel. We then took the public ferry to Playa del Carmen, walked a few blocks to the bus station and took an ADO bus to Tulum.

Arriving Tulum, we grabbed a cab from the bus station to Zamas Hotel. All the taxis we took in Tulum had a set rate from the beach to/from the town (50 pesos). No room for haggling, but also no risk to be taken advantage of. The hotel was wonderful, with rustic, yet clean and pretty, bungalows on the beach. This was our vacation splurge. If you want to live on the beach, you pay the price for living on the beach. But it was worth every penny. Also, the hotel restaurant was great! We tried a bunch of different ones by the beach, but we kept returning to ours.

We did most of our diving in Tulum, with MexiDivers dive shop. They were so nice and the location of the dive shop was perfect if you stayed at our hotel. It was literally right across the street. The days we were not diving we made our way to downtown Tulum. It's where you can find the really good food for a steal! I ate ceviches  almost everyday in Tulum (downtown and at our hotel)!

After Tulum we made our way to Cozumel. We took the trusted ADO bus back to Playa del Carmen and then the ferry back to Cozumel's only city, San Miguel. Most people choose to stay in Playa del Carmen and only do day visits to Cozumel. If you're looking for great nightlife, it would be a wise choice. But if you're like us, who wanted great diving, good food and relaxation, go to Cozumel! Our days on the island turned out to be our favorite part of the trip.

We chose to stay away from the harbor, big hotels and cruise ships. Instead we lived at Hotel Casita de Maya, just next to the airport. It's about a 30 min walk from the town center, and the surroundings are not the prettiest. However, the hotel was really nice and cosy, only had four rooms in total. The owner and the staff made our stay unforgettable. Within a three block radius, we ate the trips best meal at La Perlita restaurant and we fell in love with one of my all time favorite restaurant, Diego's. We had two meals down by the harbor and hotel zone, but it was heavily overpriced and didn't taste that great.

If you're a diver or enjoy snorkeling, Cozumel is a must! Clear waters, colorful corals and more fishes than you can count! Our hotel recommended Dive Blue dive shop and the recommendation was spot on. The staff was super friendly, it was well organized and we had the best dive of the trip.

After Cozumel, we made our way to our final destination of the trip, Cancun. We knew Cancun was the tourist mecca of Mexico and that we would run into other tourist rather than experiencing Mexico. To our surprise, we were completely wrong! Why? Because we chose to live in the city and not in the Hotel Zone. Sure, you can find Walmart, Costco and Home Depot in Cancun city, but unless you go there, it's nothing you notice.

The Hotel Zone however, is a whole other story! We paid a visit when we went diving, and OMG, it could have been Mexico, Las Vegas or Disney World! If you enjoy your everyday life in the US, but want to stretch the dollar and enjoy the sun, the Hotel Zone in Cancun should be a perfect fit. If you, like us, wanted good and cheap Mexican food, communicate with body language rather than English and experience something different from what you already know, you can certainly find that in Cancun, as long as you stay away from the Hotel Zone. When looking for a hotel in the city, try to stay close to Tulum Avenue and the ADO bus stop. This will put you in close proximity to all public transportations.

During our stay in Cancun we did a day trip to Isla Mujeres. Once there we rented a golf-cart that took us around the island. We took the Ultramar ferry and it was very convenient. On our way back, we looked into grabbing a cab back to our hotel in the city. They wanted $20! By then, we had been in Mexico long enough to know when someone is trying to rip us off. Instead we walked across the street and found a somewhat questionable minivan/bus, but they only wanted $0.45 cent per person. The bus stop was a only a block from our hotel so it worked out perfect!

In summary, go to Mexico! The people are so very friendly, the food is fantastic, the climate is perfect and I can't wait to go back. As a final note, I leave you with a few photos from the trip.

https://picasaweb.google.com/115674748425775704656/Mexico?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Nice to meet you, 2012!

Happy New Year!

Today is NewYear's Day. The first day of the new year. I can't say I feel like any different or that the world around me has changed. However, today is a good day for contemplating on the year past and the year to come.

I'm still writing you from Mexico. It's our last day in this amazing country and tomorrow we will fly back to reality. The days in Cancun have been at times relaxing and at times very hectic (as has the entire vacation). More scuba diving (with some very interesting characters), golf-cart driving, ferry rides, loooong walks, crazy bus rides, suntanning, eating and drinking. This vacation has been everything I could have hoped for and it is with a humble heart and a full stomach I have to bid farewell.

All the great things aside, the most amazing thing with this trip is that I got to experience it together with my BFF. And thinkig back to the beginning of 2011, we had the privilage to explore Thailand together. We live on two different continents but with hard work, planning and prioritizing, we have done amazing things together and will continue to do so in the future. I can't wait!

2011 was a great year. My husband is great, my family is great and my friends are great. With all this, how can a year turn out anything but great? I got to start 2011 in Taiwan with my family, continue on to Thailand with my BFF, enjoy New York, Portland and Seattle with my husband, travel to Sweden, see our friends families grow, be visited by old friends from all over the world and make new friends I very much look forward to spend more time with. On top of it all, I got to discover new passions in drawing and scuba diving.

But in the grand scheme of things, I will look back on 2011 and remember two things in particular. 2011 will always be the year I received my Green Card and it will always be the year I changed my life around and became a healthier, fitter and slimmer version of myself.

What about the future? My hopes and plans for 2012 are very exciting. I'm not the one to promise before I know I can deliver, but I do invite you to join me in what could possibly be the most important year to date, but you will have to be patient. I also hope my loved ones will stay happy and healthy and that the small health scares we've had in 2011 is left behind, where they belong.

The years may change, but my new year's resolution stays the same. I promise, a year from now, I will look back on 2012 and have had a great year.

Life's a Beach!

Adios Cozumel, Hola Cancun!

After four days on lovely Cozumel, I and my BFF arrived Cancun, our final destination of our trip.

Cozumel gave us a whole bunch of unforgettable memories and we met people we will never forget. If someone forced me to pick my three favorite things about our visit to Cozumel it would be: Diving the Palancar Reef, Diego and Eric's family and fantastic food! If you ask me to rank amongst the three, I will have to refuse!

As you might know, we received our PADI Open Water Diving certificates just last week. Two days ago we did our first dive as certified divers. We booked a two-tank dive with the Deep Blue Dive Shop and we found ourselves missing our beloved Dive Master from Tulum. But brave as only unknowledgable can be, we braced ourselves and made our deepest dive to date, with a new Dive Master and a  new dive group. It was absolutely amazing! Aldo, the Dive Master, was reassuring and calm. Our dive group was made up of the two of us, Mike and Rose from Denver and a Canadian. The Dive Shop receptionist, Ricardo, also joined us and added a big smile to the whole experience. We loved every second of it! We still have a lot to learn, but we are starting to understand why people who love diving, love diving!

We were lucky to have such a great experience when diving, but the great experience of Cozumel would not have been possible without Eric, Diego and their family.

Let me introduce Eric. He is a young adult who is still at school, but during his spare time (read school breaks) he works as a receptionist at the hotel where we stayed from 8am to 3 pm, and later at night he works at his family restaurant from 7 pm to 11 pm. It was such a pleasure to see his big smile every morning and he was ever so helpful with absolutely EVERYTHING. No task was too big och too small.

Eric's father, Diego, ran a family restaurant just a block from the hotel. Calling it a restaurant is a slight exaggeration, it's more like a food cart, some plastic furnitures under a plastic tarp ceiling. Diego and family was just as lovely as their son. And they were also ever so helpful and service minded. They made us feel so welcomed, it was difficult to say good bye after our four day stay.

This brings me to the third thing I mentioned, the food! I love good food! Good food can made any day a better day. And if good food is combined with dirt cheap prices, I am in heaven! Diego's family restaurant served the freshed fish and shrimp tacos I have ever encountered. The cost of three hearty tacos was 45 pesos! If you had the pork or beef taco, it would only cost you 36 pesos! Insane! We ate at Diego's everyday except one. I have missed his food at every meal ever since!

While on the subject, I should mention another fish and seafood restaurant on Cozumel. Pricier, but heavenly good was "La Perlita" restaurant. Our hotel manager sent us there for our Christmas Day dinner and  Oh Boy, was it worth every single pesos! I had the best octopus of my life!

I could go on and on about Cozumel, but it's time to leave that island behind, not only physically, but emotionally. We are now in Cancun and about the celebrate New Year's Eve in a few days. Who knows what new adventures await us. The only thing we do know, is that we will fly back to San Francisco from Cozumel on Jan 2nd and hopefully we will have enough time to swing by Diego's for our final meal in Mexico.

Crowded seas

The ocean is vast. Too vast to comprehend. But now I know it can be crowded, too crowded to explain.

Theres and I did our last dive with our Dive Master yesterday. It was us and a Mexican family made up of a father, a teenaged daughter and a teenaged son. The sea was pretty rough, but calm enough to venture out to the coral reef outside Tulum.

All is well until we are realize there is some logistical problems. First of all, the currents were surprisingly strong, secondly, my eqipment was too big and thirdly, three of us (me included) were VERY interested in swimming right behind the dive master. Theres soon realizes that three of us were fighting for the same spot and decided to take a step back. She's very clever. I, on the other hand, am willing to fight for what I want. If you've read my previous blog posts, this should come as no surprise. However, the teenaged son is more than willing to give me a fight for my money. The result is as expected, we were like two swimming bumper-cars throughout both dives (45 min each).

So, we did a two tank dive. Between dives we change tanks, but also got ourselves to a new location. I started to feel a bit seasick, but stupid as I am, I pretended everything was fine. Everyone else looked fine and I didn't want to create a scen. After a while, Theres asks me how I'm doing and I fess up. Appearently I'm not the only one feeling the force of the ocean. She's not doing too hot either but even worse, the father and the son are turning green.

The dive master realizes we were all about to hurl and hurried us into the water. What a difference it made! Everything felt a 1000 times better and the second dive was great. It was still very crowded and at one point the five of us were like rag-dolls in a tumble dryer. It's a good thing I don't have a issue beeing VERY close to people I don't know.

It happened at least twenty more things I would like to mention, but there is no time and I very much doubt there is any interest. All in all, it was fun, funny and a great experience.

One last note. I can't write about December 23rd without mentioning Theres' birthday. I had the privilage to celebrate my BFF in Mexico with gifts, drinks and awesome food. I hope she had a great birthday, cause her happiness means the world to me.

Sun, sand and diving

Greetings from Mexico! And a special shout-out to fellow divers out there!

A few days ago, I and my BFF, Theres, arrived in sunny Mexico. Our flight landed on a sun-drenched Cozumel and one drink, one ferry and one bus ride later, we arrived in Tulum and eventually made our way to Zamas Hotel. As we walked the sandy path leading down to the reception, we found ourselves in our own slice of heaven. After our last trip to Thailand, we were afraid we would find ourselves disappointed if our accomodation in Mexico would be any less than the perfect bunglow we had last year. But there were no reasons to be afraid. Our beach bungalow in Tulum is AMAZING!

But our accomodation is only one aspect to our vacation. Our diving adventure is another. I didn't even know I wanted to dive until Theres suggested it last year. And where better to do it than Mexico? In the company of a couple from Switzerland and our diving instructor, we have learnt all the basic techniques and slowly, but surely, we're starting to feel comfortable and in control of our diving. I will admit that I was a bit overwhelmed after the first dive but maybe I should not have expected to master the art of diving after 2 hours of diving. This afternoon we'll do our written exam and we still have one open water dive to complete, but after that, we'll have our PADI Open Water Certifications!

The only little mishap is that my camera decided the diving was a bad idea. Before you conclude that I must be stupid to expect otherwise, you should know that I have a waterproof sports camera, recommended to use while diving. I'm not sure what happened, but when I opened the battery compartment a small ocean poured out. I'm pretty sure it's not going to recover from it's diving injury, unlike Theres, who is well on her way to full recovery after a very rough encounter with her diving mask.

Enough said, for now. Why blog about amazing Mexico when I can live it?

Happy Holidays!

A tad too early, some would say. Already too late, according to all retail stores. Just the right time, if you ask me.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

My birthday was a few days ago and now that that's done, I feel ready to climb onboard the Christmas Express to Santaville. Or to be more precise, I'm soon about to board the Christmas Express flight to Cancun. Unlike last year, I will not be shoveling snow, not be freezing and not be drinking hot beverages by the fireplace. This year I will be diving, suntanning and drinking margaritas in Mexico. I'm replacing the reindeer with a pinata. Instead of a parka I will be wearing a bikini.

The holiday season can be a lot of things. Fun, festive or magical. Unfortunately, too many find it stressful, expensive or lonely. Much of it, I believe, is caused by the assumption that Christmas has to be perfect. The food and decorations need to surpass last year's and should ultimately put Martha Stewart to shame. The gifts need to be the latest/newest/biggest/smallest/coolest thing that has happened since sliced bread. The people around you need to be as many as possible, even if your brother-in-law makes everyone uncomfortable, your cousins haven't spoken to each other all year and your uncle's new girlfriend is a wrench (the brother-in-law, the cousins and the wrench are all hypothetical).

Obviously, there are many who love cooking up a feast, love to find the perfect gift for their loved ones and surrounds themselves with only close family and friends.

Ultimately, I think the Holiday season should be about happiness. Your personal happiness and spreading happiness around you. With this in mind, and heart, I wish you all a Happy Holiday.

Whats goin on..

Saw this video today. It made me sad, but more than anything, it made me angry. What kind of a person are you, if the only way to express your own frustration is through bullying others? What personal background justifies hurting a person over and over again? What is wrong with you if take pleasure in making someone break inside?

I've read the comments people wrote after seeing this video. Many were very encouraging and sympathetic. However, many accused him of being a fake. I don't know what's true or not, and frankly I don't care. This story is not fake, this situation is not make-believe and for every story made public there are hundreds of people suffering in the dark.