Day 129: Marking time

ALLA KAN Institutet, where I have led singing circles in the past, celebrated its 20th anniversary with a singing party this afternoon. So many familiar faces and a few new ones too. The theme was time and with it an opportunity to reflect back over the 14 years that I have been part of ALLA KAN.

I remember vividly walking up to my soon-to-be singing circle leader at the term kickoff in 1998 and explaining that I did not know one single song in Swedish. I wondered how that was going to work. He said, "Förstår du vad jag säger nu?" (Do you understand what I am saying now?) When I replied, "Ja," he assured me that it would all work out just fine. And so it did.

That was the first step in my long journey with ALLA KAN. After that singing circle, I signed up for a week-long course on an island in the Archipelago, and then joined the board of Sångföreningen ALLA KAN (a singing club comprised of circle participants). Eventually, after going through the leader training program, I began leading circles of my own. And then assisting Monica Sperens (ALLA KAN's founder) in the summer courses and leader training program. There have been singing trips to La Gomera, Corsica and London. Countless singing parties and mini-courses. And a number of friendships forged along the way.

So Happy Birthday ALLA KAN and thank you for the joy you've brought into my life! Ja, må du leva!

Day 128: Taking measure

An entire day with no plans...luxury. Coffee. Breakfast. Order toner for the printer. A phone call here. Another there. Bored!

Funny how luxury can turn to boredom in the blink of an eye. Not to fret, there's always something fun around the corner. Today's fun? Going through the Assassins script and writing in the measure numbers from the score for those in the company who prefer singing from the script rather than the sheet music. This will make the rehearsal process go much more smoothly as the cast will be able to find the place our musical director directs them too in a jiffy.

Tedious as this project might sound, it is actually quite fun. For one thing, I've gotten much more familiar with the Swedish lyrics. For another, I get to suggests tweaks here and there where the fabulous translation can be made even better. For a third, I spent the day singing.

And now, off to watch Doobidoo, a sort of singing game show. Tra la!

Day 127: Stambråk

The Swedes among you think no doubt that today's blog is all about tribal warfare, as do the English speakers who were curious enough to run today's title through Google translate :-) Well, you're all wrong. Today, at Mattecentrums Math Labs where I volunteer, I learned all about unit fractions (stambråk in Swedish). What, you ask, is a unit fraction? It is a fraction whose numerator is 1. Any positive fraction can be written as the sum of unit fractions, in multiple ways, as you can see in the following example:

Apparently, the ancient Egyptians used unit fractions in their calculations, which makes them (both the Egyptians and the unit fractions) worthy of study. 

It always makes me happy to learn more math, though admittedly I have a hard time seeing of what possible use unit fractions can be. Even my fellow volunteer, who also happens to be a full-time math teacher, had no good answer for that one, which did not, however, discount our mutual joy in discussing the topic.

Day 126: Atonement

It is the day of atonement today. Yom Kippur. It's a very spiritual day in the life of a Jew. This year, for me, it fell by the wayside in the sea of other realities that I live in. (Although not completely. Aside from morning coffee, I fasted for the rest of the day as tradition calls for.)

So what other realities filled my day? In no particular order: A funny exchange of e-mails with members of the board that I serve on of my bostadsrättsförening (co-op). Recruiting hosts for the next Swedish Language Exchange meetup. Updating the attendance list for Nick and Helen's bon voyage party that I'm throwing in October. A production meeting for Assassins followed by a meeting with the theater staff. Vacuuming and dusting my place in preparation for said production meeting. Refilling two retractable pencils with new lead. Oh, and various activities for ALLA KAN Institutet's 20th anniversary party coming up on Saturday.

Have I mentioned lately how much fun I'm having?
I lead a charmed life.

But I digress...

Before the day comes to a close, my sincerest apologies to those I have offended this year.

And for this Yom Kippur, I will atone...G-d willing...next Yom Kippur.
G'mar chatimah tovah!

Day 125: Changing focus

My week as a "single mom" came to an end this morning with a rather leisurely and successful breakfast with my Sweeties. They were all talk about Being Elmo which we'd watched last night and which obviously left a big impression. To my question, "So how do you think our week went?" I got three thumbs up. And I got hugs at the door as I sent them off to school.

Then it was time to shift gears and return to my single life, without the mom part. The impact of re-entry into a childless existence was softened considerably as I had tonight's Assassins singing rehearsal to look forward to. Four members of the cast got together with our wonderful musical director to sing through a couple of the songs. Tricky, tricky Mr. Sondheim. Every single note is so specific, and many are unexpected. Then there are all the variations on one and the same melody line. It's all nuance. Into this nuance you have to fit the densest of lyrics. Such a challenge.


I know a number of these songs in English and tonight I heard a couple of them in Swedish for the first time. Surrounded by a top-notch cast, I managed to sing along, ever so quietly!, and was humbled by the level of difficulty. And everyone's commitment. And good humor.

How lucky am I?

Day 124: Celebration

Homework, check. Project, check. Piano practice, check. Dinner, check.

It's our final evening together after a productive and fun-filled week and absolutely cause for celebration! What better way than with a midweek film fest... Being Elmo, A Puppeteer's Journey was loved by all!

Gonna miss these Sweeties and feeling so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend an entire week in real time with them. Now if they would only let me kiss them ;-))

Day 123: Rubber ducky

A byproduct of a week with my Sweeties is that I've managed to get these not quite nine-year-olds interested enough in the upcoming production of Assassins to want to go see it. They also walk around humming tunes from the score :-) In the process of answering their questions, I also learned quite a bit about the assassinations.

Now they're happily ensconced in the bath while I continue listening to the score myself. Soon, bedtime story. Then lights out for them and feet up for me. Life is good!