Welcome to my working world

Visualize the following. You enter an inconspicuous building in the center of a Scandinavian town, and find yourself in a corridor leading to a small courtyard. Go into the first entrance to the right off of the corridor, and into company premises presumably converted from apartments. Descend a spiral wooden staircase into the basement (you might have to ask for directions to the staircase the first few times you do this), and go straight ahead into a meeting area. Hope that there is no meeting going on. Once in, set up your computer and pull over a phone. Then start calling people. Not random people; you'll be provided with information about those you will talk to. Each phone call can last up to a half an hour, but normally a bit less, which is good as you have calls scheduled every half an hour. When you call people, the idea is to get them to talk. About their jobs. About the language they use on the job. Language as in do they use English, not as in do they swear, or say nasty things about colleagues. Ask them to ask you some questions. Ask them to tell you what they do in their free time. Find out how old they are. While you're doing all of this, fill in forms on your computer. Type in lots of notes on the forms, and lots of judgments. How they sound. Are they clear? Are they grammatically correct? Do they have the vocabulary they need to talk about their job? About their hobbies? When the phone call is done, and the forms filled in, repeat the process with the next scheduled call. Three or four phone calls and then you'll probably have a break. Don't worry too much about the break, as you'll be preparing forms for the next interviews. Repeat the process until the working day is done.

Yep, welcome to my working world, at least for the next several weeks. As I might not have as much time as I would like to pay attention to posting, what with the working, the teaching, the being a student, the project, the upcoming Danish exams (yes, I am feeling just a bit over-extended), the sleeping, the eating, the still paying attention to friends, and boyfriend, I would like to show you the view from my basement meeting room. So you know where I am when I'm not on blog. As you can see, there are two windows, one to the left, and one to the right. I have not gotten up from my usual spot to take these shots; they're exactly as I see them when I have a second to look around me.

Easter Reading

I came across this meme about women authors and followed it around and around and around. This particular one is from Knits with Cats.

I'm a bit dismayed at the amount of tantalizing things on this list that I haven't read. It also says a lot about the current state of my life how many of the ones I've read I read more than a decade ago, not to mention the high number that I haven't heard of. I've added explanatory notes where I just couldn't help but make a comment. Oh, and I hope you all do this one, too.

Instructions: Bold the ones you've read. Italicize the ones you've been wanting/might like to read. ??Place question marks by any titles/authors you've never heard of. Put an asterisk if you've read something else by the same author. And put a + beside anything you add.

Allcott, Louisa May–Little Women I always wanted to be more like Jo. I'm not really like any of them.

Allende, Isabel–The House of the Spirits
Angelou, Maya–I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Atwood, Margaret–Cat's Eye* I've read The Handmaid's Tale more than once.

Austen, Jane–Emma
Bambara, Toni Cade–Salt Eaters
Bank, Melissa-Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing
Barnes, Djuna–Nightwoodde??
Beauvoir, Simone–The Second Sex

Blume, Judy–Are You There God? It's Me Margaret* She was one of my all-time favorite authors when I was in primary school, and afterwards. My biggest memory was Forever being passed around junior high school with the 'dirty' bits earmarked. I'd love to read her again to see how it resonates with my adult self.

Burnett, Frances–The Secret Garden Loved it as a kid. Love it still. Read it periodically.

Bronte, Charlotte–Jane Eyre I read the first part several times before I made it all the way through.

Bronte, Emily–Wuthering Heights I've tried, but I just can't make it.

Buck, Pearl S.–The Good Earth One of my childhood favorites - we had the Reader's Digest Condensed version. I read the full thing as an adult.

Byatt, A.S.–Possession
Cather, Willa–My Antonia

Chopin, Kate–The Awakening I have no idea why I still haven't read this.

Christie, Agatha–Murder on the Orient Express* I can never remember which ones I've read, and will sometimes read through one again, not sure I've read it before for most of the story.

Cisneros, Sandra–The House on Mango Street*
Clinton, Hillary Rodham–Living History
Cooper, Anna Julia–A Voice From the South??
Danticat, Edwidge–Breath, Eyes, Memory??
Davis, Angela–Women, Culture, and Politics
Desai, Anita–Clear Light of Day
Diamant, Anita-The Red Tent

Dickinson, Emily–Collected Poems Bold for the ones I've read, and italicized for the rest.

Duncan, Lois–I Know What You Did Last Summer
DuMaurier, Daphne–Rebecca
Eliot, George–Middlemarch
Emecheta, Buchi–Second Class Citizen??
Erdrich, Louise–Tracks
Esquivel, Laura–Like Water for Chocolate

Fielding, Helen-Bridget Jones's Diary* This is a classic. The sequel was o.k. The detective story that came after was a pure waste of time.

Flagg, Fannie–Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Friedan, Betty–The Feminine Mystique

Frank, Anne–Diary of a Young Girl My childhood copy I read repeatedly, so much so that pages were falling off the back.

Gedge, Pauline-Child Of The Morning??

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins–The Yellow Wallpaper One of the best short stories ever, good even after it's been gruesomely deconstructed in an undergraduate literature class.

Gordimer, Nadine–July's People

Grafton, Sue–S is for Silence* Kinsey Millhone is a truly special detective, but her early novels are much more compelling than later ones, from what I've read.

Hamilton, Edith–Mythology
Highsmith, Patricia–The Talented Mr. Ripley

hooks, bell–Bone Black* I haven't read this, but I enjoy her more academic writing.

Hurston, Zora Neale–Dust Tracks on the Road
Jacobs, Harriet–Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
Jackson, Helen Hunt–Ramona
Jackson, Shirley–The Haunting of Hill House

Jong, Erica–Fear of Flying* I loved Fanny when I was about 13 (ooh, that sounds a bit risque, especially in British). I tried to read it again recently, but couldn't get into it.

Keene, Carolyn–The Nancy Drew Mysteries (any of them) I aimed to read them all when I was young, but only read maybe 5 or so. I'd like to reread them to see how they've aged, but have the feeling Nancy would annoy me.

Kidd, Sue Monk–The Secret Life of Bees
Kincaid, Jamaica–Lucy
Kingsolver, Barbara–The Poisonwood Bible
Kingston, Maxine Hong–The Woman Warrior
Klein, Naomi-No Logo
Larsen, Nella–Passing??
Laurence, Margaret-The Stone Angel

L'Engle, Madeleine–A Wrinkle in Time* I don't remember reading this. I remember reading another book by L'Engle where the main character has a problem with his mitochondria. That's all I remember. Apparently, that means I've read this.

Le Guin, Ursula K.–The Left Hand of Darkness*
Lee, Harper–To Kill a Mockingbird
Lessing, Doris–The Golden Notebook
Lively, Penelope–Moon Tiger??
Lorde, Audre–The Cancer Journals

Martin, Ann M.–The Babysitters Club Series (any of them) I'm a bit too old for these.

McCullers, Carson–The Member of the Wedding
McMillan, Terry–Disappearing Acts??
Markandaya, Kamala–Nectar in a Sieve
Marshall, Paule–Brown Girl, Brownstones??
Mccullough, Colleen-The Thorn Birds
McDonald, Anne-Marie-Fall On Your Knees??

Mitchell, Margaret–Gone with the Wind I'm not sure I finished this, but I know I came close.

Montgomery, Lucy–Anne of Green Gables
Morgan, Joan–When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost??
Morrison, Toni–Song of Solomon*
Murasaki, Lady Shikibu–The Tale of Genji

Munro, Alice–Lives of Girls and Women Some, no many of her short stories haunt me.

Murdoch, Iris–Severed Head
Naylor, Gloria–Mama Day

Niffenegger, Audrey–The Time Traveller's Wife I have a review of this on my blog somewhere. To summarize, it started off amazing, and by the end was excruciating. And says all the wrong things about women's lives when there are not men it them.

Nin, Anais-Little Birds
Oates, Joyce Carol–We Were the Mulvaneys

O'Connor, Flannery–A Good Man is Hard to Find Totally different when read from a Catholic perspective. I'm not Catholic, but I pretend I am (sort of) when I read this.

Piercy, Marge–Woman on the Edge of Time??
Picoult, Jodi–My Sister's Keeper??
Plath, Sylvia–The Bell Jar
Porter, Katharine Anne–Ship of Fools
Proulx, E. Annie–The Shipping News

Rand, Ayn–The Fountainhead I was really into this as an undergraduate. I don't believe I'd be so now.

Ray, Rachel–365: No Repeats I'd never heard of her until my last visit to the states, when I saw a bit of one of her programs. I believe she was making meatloaf.

Rhys, Jean–Wide Sargasso Sea

Rice, Anne-Interview With A Vampire* Very influential book for me in my late teens/early twenties.

Robinson, Marilynne–Housekeeping??
Rocha, Sharon–For Laci??
Sebold, Alice–The Lovely Bones??

Sexton, Anne-Transformations*++ Everyone should read these fairy tales to their children. And to themselves.

Shelley, Mary–Frankenstein

Shields, Carol-The Stone Diaries* I recommend Larry's Party.

Smith, Betty–A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Smith, Zadie–White Teeth
Spark, Muriel–The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Spyri, Johanna–Heidi Another childhood favorite that I still like.

Strout, Elizabeth–Amy and Isabelle??

Steel, Danielle–The House* I don't really know, but I'm sure I must have read something by her.

Tan, Amy–The Joy Luck Club
Tannen, Deborah–You're Wearing That*
Tyler, Anne-The Accidental Tourist
Ulrich, Laurel–A Midwife's Tale??
Urquhart, Jane–Away??
Walker, Alice–The Temple of My Familiar

Waters, Sarah-Tipping the Velvet*++ She's one of my favorites. I added this one because it's the first, but I strongly considered adding Affinity, as I felt so completely traumatized after having read it.

Welty, Eudora–One Writer's Beginnings
Wharton, Edith–Age of Innocence

Wilder, Laura Ingalls–Little House in the Big Woods* I read the whole series as a kid, multiple times. A couple of these were also falling apart after repeated viewings.

Winterson, Jeanette-Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit* I want to like her, I really do. Maybe I didn't start with the right thing, but what I read was so insufferably self-centered and untalented, that I can't imagine anything else she does would be better. Although if I see this one in a library, I will probably give it a go anyway.

Wolf, Naomi-The Beauty Myth
Wollstonecraft, Mary–A Vindication of the Rights of Women
Woolf, Virginia–A Room of One's Own
Banana Yoshimoto-Kitchen

Let the academic games begin!

Yes, dear readers, it's time to begin the second run of that all-time favorite, 'kimananda whinges about her current school project'. I'd tell you about it, but then I'd have to kill you. Or rather, I'd tell you about it, but then I'd have to clearly define what exactly it is that I'm doing. Which wouldn't actually be a bad idea.

If I had to define what I'm doing - and of course I do have to do exactly that - I would start with some keywords (or in some cases keyphrases). Blogs. User-based Tagging. Power laws and the long tail. Bias and exclusivity in internet searching. Testing for bias, and what constitutes inclusivity. Pretty scattered, I know.

Then, I'd try to come up with a concise research question to be answered in my project (as the maximum length is about 25 pages/9,500 words, including references, one nicely focused question is more than enough). I have two questions actually, but I believe that they are connected...and if I change my mind, then I can always drop one of them, and focus more on the other. The first is does tagging on largely text-based media like blogs actually give substantive value-added over best-match free text searching (like the 'search' function which Blogger offers)? The second is to what extent does tagging give the possibility for full inclusivity, as some proponents claim?

Finally, I'd stop blogging and continue writing. My goal for the day is to turn my close to a thousand words of notes into the beginnings of a recognizable piece of academic writing, which should lead to some semblance of a very rough draft by the end of the long Easter weekend. Wish me great quantities of luck, as I'll most certainly need it. If I'm able to reach my goal, then I may also be able to better explain what the project is about, which would be a very useful thing to be able to do.

Photos: the coolest of the libraries I go to, as seen from a well-placed seat on the upper floor. Looking into the library offers a view of spacious shelves. Looking out of the window offers a tranquil lake-side view.

Note to self: might stay a while after all.

It seems a bit of an indulgence to blog about bagels two days in a row, but my last post seems to have hit somewhat of a widespread bagel-craving nerve, so perhaps it's not so indulgent to bring everyone up to date on later events: to put it simply, I got my bagel fix this morning, and in fact at several points during the day.

The winner of my bagel kronor was the Gothersgade location of The Bagel Co. It was a bit hole in the wall, but in a good way. The selection was not the widest but wide enough, and the price, while not cheap, was not as high as I feared I might have to pay. I got four smaller plain bagels, two larger sundried tomato bagels, and two larger bagels the contents of which I almost immediately forgot, but it looks like some sort of cheese bagel.

The goal was to keep them through the day, and then enjoy them at home for a late lunch today, and breakfast tomorrow, but who was I kidding? The first smaller bagel was a goner as soon as I was at school and had bought my morning coffee. The second smaller bagel became a snack in the lunch break. The third and fourth smaller bagel made it home for Thor and I to enjoy for late lunch, this time with the proper toppings of cream cheese and lox. At this point, we were both far too full for dinner...but not too full to each have one of the larger bagels as a late night snack.

The verdict: very good bagels. The plain was a bit sweet, but otherwise perfect. The texture of a fresh bagel is sublime. The sundried tomato bagel was also quite good. The other type I'll have an opinion on once I've tried it.

The next step, when the craving for bagels comes around again, is to try the place googled by Neil, and the place recommended by Kelly, both of which were a bit off of the path from home to school, but on the path to other places I frequent. The other next step is to start making my own, using recipes from Fourlegged and Helen. The step before all of this is of course to get to sleep in order to make the wait for that last breakfast bagel that much shorter.

Note to self: must move. Now.

I hope you're all sitting down, dear readers, as what I am about to say will shock you, without a doubt. One can only wonder why it took me so long to realize the truth. And now that I know, I have no choice but to move away, for good.

The catalyst for this was a small one: Thor and I went shopping, as we have done many times before. And, like many times before, Thor somehow started free associating dinner ideas, and soon had amassed a small basketful of items: eel, smoked salmon, fresh dill and spring onion, Philadelphia cream cheese. I was just staring at these items, and then, from nowhere, had a revelation. 'You know, there's just one thing missing,' I announced to Thor. 'Yes, of course you're right', he responded, and we then proceeded to have one of those conversations, where we both knew we were each talking about a totally different thing, but not wanting to admit what item that we were thinking of. He was thinking of snaps. I, as anyone else would do, was focusing on the smoked salmon and the cream cheese, and thinking, 'ummm...bagel....'

Only, there are no bagels in my town. It was like a lead weight dropped on my scalp. I have never seen bagels anywhere near where we live. We looked of course. At the supermarket. At the bakery. But we knew already that we wouldn't find any.

So, now, I'm obsessed, with moving house and with bagels. Though now that I think of it, towards the end of my bike ride into Copenhagen, I pass a not very hospitable hole-in-the-wall place, with barely a sign of life, called Bagel House. I've never before gone in there, but Bagel House, you had better be open tomorrow morning is all I have to say, because I'll be there.

* image credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bagel.jpg Oh, if only I could have taken a picture of a real bagel, but then this wouldn't be much of a post, now would it?

My life, if my life were a random word meme

I was tagged by Simple American, but I would have tagged myself in any case, cause I find this one intriguing. If you find it the same, then consider yourself tagged, too.

The Rules : Write a composition using the following 10 words. The composition is not to be more than 300 words in length. The words must be used in the order found on the list. Each word presented in the list must be used only once.

The Words: Actinide, Juvenescence, Ease, Oval Office, Cottager, Accede, Biryani, Crashing, Screenplay, Space shuttle

The following is exactly 300 words.

So, you want to hear about Thor. Well, I'll tell you. About Thor. And Lawrence. The chauffeur and the butler's assistant. Both attractive, but Thor got there first. 'Thorium and Lawrencium, we're both radioactive, but only I occur naturally. He needs to be synthesized. His half-life is much shorter than mine.' So I chose Thor. What can I say? I’m a sucker for an actinide.

At first, it was just so right. I was in a continual state of bliss, returned to juvenescence. I felt for the first time truly at ease. But it couldn't last. I liked being driven to his little house on the outskirts of town, but I am destined for mansions, for the Oval Office, not a cottage. I wasn't born to be a cottager.

So, I had to let him go. He protested of course, tried to win me back, but in the end he had no choice but to accede to my desires. Not that it was easy for me, especially with that last ditch effort with the champagne and home-cooked biryani. But I held fast.

After that, we lost touch. Rumour has it that, without my affections, his life came crashing down, in a haze of drink and drugs. But of course, that's not the case anymore, as we both know. How could I know that screenplay he was working on, that I laughed at the whole time we were together, knowing he'd never finish it, would be so big? While I languish here in mere ordinary riches, he could be out buying a space shuttle from all the marketing tie-in profits, for all I know. How was I to know? If only I had known...

Actually, I'm not feeling so well. Maybe we should call this interview a little short now....

Come here little Spring...that's a good Spring!

A 'secluded' spot to one side of a busy motorway
A view of my favorite lakes

Winter in Denmark: really cold, and sometimes snowy.
Spring in Denmark: not so cold, and often rainy.

The color of the Danish Winter: grey. Light grey when the sun strikes new-fallen snow.
The color of the Danish Spring: grey. Slightly darker grey when it rains.

So has Spring really arrived? I believe so. I think so. I hope so!

In imitation of a food blog: Thanksgiving, Spring edition

The essence of Thanksgiving: the pumpkin pie. The spicy aroma filling the kitchen while it's baking, the cinnamon, ginger, and cloves seeming to signal upcoming joy directly to the brain, bypassing the senses altogether. The compact solid texture that somehow yields so satisfyingly on the tongue. I can think of few other foods that better fit the definition of food porn. But, as I found out, it's not always that easy to find such a heavenly creation. My autumnal search for 'græskartærte' led only to bemused bakery workers who unfortunately had no such thing, but how interesting it sounded! And to make one's own is equally challenging. Where does one find a can of pumpkin, apparently a bit of a precious commodity in Denmark. And the pie crust...how do I, an avowedly lazy cook, conjure up such a creation? But last night, it finally happened. The crust was made, the filling sorted out, and the whole thing baked. And the wait? Oh, so worth it!

As I am a very lazy cook, the recipe is almost startlingly easy: just follow the instructions on the back of the box of pie crust mix, and the instructions on the back of the can of pumpkin (substituting vanilla flavored dessert cream for the evaporated milk, which seems to be as hard to find as the pumpkin). Then, eat dinner while the pie is cooling, in the meanwhile both asking and being asked repeatedly 'is it ready yet?' After dinner, place the pie to best effect and take photos. Then eat a slice, with much more whipped cream than is seemly to photograph, and with all the moans, groans, and exclamations which such a dish merits. Afterwards, have another slice, and then perhaps another. If your dinner companion, like mine, has never had pumpkin pie before, consider it an added bonus, and silently praise your selflessness in bringing culture to those who have not.

Pumpkin Pie Q & A:

How should this be eaten? In large quantities, with whipped cream. May also be accompanied by vanilla ice cream.

What drink should be served with this? Coffee, tea (preferably spiced), mulled wine, or a glass of milk. May also be enjoyed without a beverage.

What time of year is best for this? Any, but it's a traditional autumnal dessert.

Is this vegetarian? What about vegan? It's vegetarian. To make vegan, substitute soy milk for dessert cream, and use a vegan-friendly pie crust (as I did here). Serve with soy ice cream.

So does this mean you're turning your blog into Kimananda's Kitchen of Fortune? That's a great idea, but frankly one that involves way too much cooking.

My tame life: a small meme

I've been tagged by a fellow honorary Scandinavian, the lovely Helen. Reading notes: If there's anything here which you consider negative, I did it only in my youth. Anything positive, I do all the time. Mom, Dad, if there's anything here which you consider negative, it's only a typo.

Place an X by all the things you've done. This is for your entire life:

( ) Smoked a cigarette
(X) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend's car
( ) Stolen a car
(X) Been in love
(X) Been dumped
(X) Shoplifted
(X) Quit your job
( ) Been in a fist fight
(X) Snuck out of your parent's house
(X) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Lied to a friend
(X) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
(X) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been lost
(X) Been on the opposite side of the country
(X) Swam in the ocean
( ) Felt like dying
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(X) Coloured your hair
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(X) Made prank phone calls
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(X) Blown bubbles
( ) Made a bonfire on the beach
( ) Crashed a party
(X) Gone roller-skating
(X) Ice-skating

If you are so inclined, consider yourself tagged...I look forward to hearing about all of your not so tame lives.