Tiny update

Sitting in the public library in Gothenburg using the internet. You can always count on finding free internet at the library.

This morning's breakfast at Allianskyrkan could be described as captivating. This meeting was a pure lecture with a few acapella songs from Jenny, but mostly she was speaking about her life and the audience was transfixed on every word.

I was able to speak with a few people both before and after the performance. I don't have the ability to write down their thoughts just now, but when I get back to Houston, I will surely do just that.

For now, I've uploaded a few pics here and two clips to Youtube from this morning's meeting.


Books and CDs for sale.

Jessi and Anja interviewing Jenny for The Jenny Source website.

Jenny listening to the remixes for The Jenny Source contest.

Back in Gothenburg

Thanks to Anja and her awesome driving skills, we made it back just about an hour ago. The drive went very well. Beautiful sunshine, excellent music, and good friends. Can't ask for more!

A few pictures from our trip back:


The ultimate driving song.


Jessi reading the "My Story" lyrics.


A beautiful view!


Countryside.


Keep driving this way.


Big rigs bringing in construction equipment.


Welcome home!


Just outside Liseberg.


Passing the Scandinavium.


And back to the hostel... ahh!

We're now frantically getting ready for the concert performance tonight. We've checked into the hostel and gotten situated. We're all now in the process of recharging batteries, changing out memory cards, and making sure we have everything we need.

Plus, Anna will be joining us tonight. Yea! And maybe a few more people we know. Who knows who you might meet when you go to a concert? In any case, I have about thirty more minutes before it's time to pack the car and pick up Anna for the ride to Kungälv.

Check back with you all tonight!

The last time you did this...

Once the first two interviews were finished up, Jenny stopped by the the table and offered us something to drink again. We thanked her and said, "Yes, please!".

Jessi got an espresso. Anja got fizzy water and I got some tap water.

During the second interview, a woman from the office came in and placed a plate beside Jenny. The plate had a sandwich and fruit on it. Once the interview was over, the sandwich and fruit were still sitting there.

Somehow, the plate migrated to our table.

Jenny asked if we were hungry and we said we were slightly hungry, so she grabbed the sandwich and started slicing up pieces for everyone. She grabbed some plates and there we were, having a little snack and chat with Jenny.

It seems everytime Jenny and Jessi meet, Jessi ends up getting an offer of food. Today, Jessi mentioned a memory from the last time they met. Jessi mentioned that the last time this happened, it reminded Jessi of the song "Let Us Break Bread Together."

We chatted about general things, about the website, the album. Anything that came to mind. Jenny did most of the chatting. And we were totally ok with that. At one point she mentioned this fact and asked us about ourselves and our lives. So we chatted a bit about that too.

Jenny asked if we wanted anything for the website or the blog. Yes, please! I asked her to make another little clip for the blog. I mentioned the light problem last time and Jenny grabbed the lamp hanging over the table and directed it towards herself. She made such a face and such funny comments, I couldn't stop laughing. I had a hard time composing myself again actually film the clip.

So, here is the clip: Jenny saying hello and talking about her day today:



We were finished eating and there was another interview coming up that Jenny had to attend to. This one was a live interview with a radio station via phone.


A live interview on the phone.


But, before that happened, she taught us an icebreaker game. We didn't have time to play it together, but Jessi and Anja gave it a little go afterwards.

The game goes something like this: One person puts a toothpick in between their teeth. They come up with a noun and tell the person to their left. They tell a verb to the person on the right. The person with the toothpick in between their teeth then says the phrase to a fourth person. The fourth person then has to guess what the first person actually said.

When Jessi and Anja actually tried it out, I was laughing so hard I could barely take pictures. Then, Jessi has the bright idea to take two pieces of gum and make teeth.

Here is visual proof of their antics:





So, the office was about to close and Jenny had to go to rehearsals. We went back out of the office and onto the street. Jessi mentioned the fact that we hadn't been able to get ahold of the album yet and Jenny proceeded to open her suitcase. She pulled out three CDs and handed one to each of us. So very very cool.

We thanked her and she again apologized that we weren't able to into the Expressen XL event. We said our goodbyes until the next time.

Whew! And that was today...

Now we're back at the hostel with our albums! Been listening to it since we got back and it's marvelous! We're trying to decide which songs we like best. Difficult!



The three of us with our album and single!

Hope you enjoyed the reports from today. :)

First stop: Expressen

Yep, we stopped by the Expressen building before Jenny was going to sing for the XL show. Jenny gave the guard a heads up, yet the guard wasn't quite prepared. The guard called upstairs and we were given the go-ahead. Jessi went through the door, then it locked up on us. Anja was stuck in the middle of the revolving door, which was quite funny. I thought so. She probably thought otherwise.


The Expressen building.

We went back to the guard and she remotely unlocked a second door for us. One that opened like a normal door. Thankfully.

A man named Christian greeted us. He worked for Expressen and first thought we were the backing vocalists. Ha HA! Well, Jessi could surely pull it off...

We were told Jenny and company were running a little late, so we sat down to wait. Simon was already there, and he said a quick hello. Jenny came in just a few minutes and waved a fast hello. Terese and her friend Elin introduced themselves and sat down for a minute or two to chat with us.

Things were hectic and frantic at this point. Everyone had to go into the room to rehearse, so we waited on the couches.

It was exactly one o'clock and Christian was running around like crazy back and forth between different places. We were waiting for someone to tell us it was ok to go inside, but that ok never came to us. We likely should have asked but we waited there instead thinking someone would allow us in.


The Expressen staff loved their coffee machine. I think the entire staff stopped by at least once during the hour we were there. ;)


A sideways pic of some office cubicles.

We heard the performance of the two songs from the outside. We then saw Simon and Terese and Elin leave the room. They said a quick goodbye to us and left.


Behind that grey door is the very small Expressen XL Room. Jenny said the room was quite small. The one side of the room they were facing had cameras embedded in the wall.

Jenny came out a bit later and asked us if we were able to get in. When we said no, she looked a little confused. She then apologized and said she thought we were able to see something. She told us she was rushing because she had another interview and she was supposed to be there now!

She started down the hallway of Expressen's newsroom. We were still sitting when she said to us that we could come with her. We jumped up and joined her. We rushed down the halls and I took one last look at the enormous newsroom with all the journalists sitting at their computers looking at their papers in the bright light of the office.

Christian thanked Jenny and we jumped into the elevator. We were all carrying large bags and there were four of us. We barely fit in this tiny elevator but we made it. We asked Jenny how it went and she mentioned that she messed up some of the lyrics.

We jumped off the elevator and back through the revolving doors that didn't work for us the first time. This time, they worked perfectly.

Outside, a taxi cab was waiting. I asked Jessi, does she mean we're going to go with her??

On the East Coast

Our road trip to Stockholm lasted about six hours. We took our time getting there. There was also a little bit of constrution and traffic in Stockholm proper, but the trip was fun. Jessi brought several mix cds to play and I found out we listen to a lot of the same music. I suppose that should come as no surprise.

Anja drove the whole way and did an excellent job. The car is a manual, so I'm not allowed to drive it. If I did, we may not get out of the driveway.

We walked to town after checking in at the hostel and saw a little bit of Gamla Stan. By the time we got down there, most places to eat were closed or closing, so we went to the 24 hours, always open golden arches. That is to say McDonalds. I usually try to avoid the McDs while in Europe, but this was an exception. We were very hungry by that point and it was open. I had a McTasty. I think that's a Homestyle burger in the US. Not sure though. Anja wore a bib for her meal. Ok, not really. She just wore it for the picture.

So, here we are this morning. Just got up. Not sure what we'll be doing today but we will find out when we get into town a little bit later.

I want to be forever young

Whew! We just got back from a fun-filled evening. Anja, Jessi and I met up and went to pick up our tickets at the theatre. We weren't sure we had the right place until we walked around the whole building and saw the entrance tucked away in the middle of the building.

After picking up tickets, we looked for a place to eat. The closest restaurant was pizza, which was just right. Jessi was craving pizza and I haven't been able to eat any pizza yet on this trip.


Anja and Jessi waiting on our pizzas to arrive at the table.

We walked back to the theatre and I asked the woman working at the ticket window if I could stash my bag in the back of their workroom. She was very kind and said it wouldn't be any problem at all.

We picked up our programs and waited for the doors to open. While waiting, we noticed we were at the younger end of the age spectrum for this performance. Much of the audience was older than we were, although as the time went on, we saw some folks that were in our age.

The doors opened about fifteen minutes before the performance was to start and we found out our seats were in a very good location. We were on the second row, right up front. It was maybe ten feet from the stage.

It was finally showtime and the entire theatre was packed full. The theatre holds about 250 seats and every single one was taken. They even pulled out a few extra chairs for the overflow.

The play stared with Jakob walking out on stage and sitting at the piano, then the nurse came in to help the other characters into the living room of the nursing home. She had them sing songs that were easy and simple. A bit like children's songs. As soon as she felt they were ok, she left the room and that's when things got fun. The cast would chat with each other, sometimes argue, but always break out into song. They would use props such as a cane and the cover for the piano keys to create rhythm. Much of the music was with Jakob playing piano, the characters singing, and sometimes using a prop to add rhythm.

Their first song was "I love Rock and Roll" and it set the stage for the rest of the play. Many of the songs were current or new classics (Light My Fire, Mr. Tambourine Man, I Will Survive, Barbie Girl, Forever Young, Smells Like Teen Spirit, etc).

Each character had their own strong personality and sometimes they would conflict with the other personalities. Some of the humor was based upon this. Much of the humor was based around aging and getting older, with a lot of physical humor. There were many jokes about the physical sides of aging and the mental decline that comes with age.

The audience was laughing so hard at many points, the actors had to pause to let the laughter die down before they were able to continue their dialogue. The songs were placed at just the right moments in the play and delivered the proper feeling at the right time. The songs were funny, mellow, powerful, thought-provoking, jovial, and moving.

The play was mostly lighthearted, but there was also a serious side to this very funny performance. We are all getting older, and as we do, we lose some of our physical abilities. We may also lose some of our mental abilities with time. But we don't lose who we are. We don't lose our zest for life and our desire to live life to the fullest. We don't lose our memories and our stories. We don't lose our need to love and be loved. We will get old, but it doesn't mean we become useless or lose our need to hear and be heard, to love and be loved, to need and be needed.

The play is a funny way to remind us that we're all alike, regardless of age.

The play lasted an hour and fifty minutes but it felt like five minutes. The actors received a standing ovation, twice. The entire cast came out on stage twice after the play was over to receive thanks from the audience.

I was quite impressed with a part of the play that turned Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" into a moving, almost heartbreaking ballad about the fear of letting others see the effects of aging.

The entire cast was very talented in both singing and acting and it was a pleasure to watch them work. I really haven't laughed this hard in a long time. There was a funny bit every other minute, it seemed.

An excellent way to spend an evening. I can understand why it was sold out and why they are running the play again in the springtime. It's just too good to only have one season of performances.

We were not allowed to take pictures during the play, but Jakob met us for a few minutes after the play was over to take a few pics. Thanks Jakob!

Anja's picture didn't turn out well on my camera, but there are a few pics of her and Jakob as well.



Jakob on stage after the play was over, in character.


A pic of me and Jakob.


Jakob and Jessi

K-Stad

A quick post from K-Stad. Been here about three hours and will meet Jessi and Anja for dinner before we head off to the play.

Some pics from the past few hours:


The city center.


The river that flows through the city and the view from the hostel window.


I had to stop at the library, of course. On the left, you'll see Ace of Base is well represented. That picture was posed. On the right, you'll see Jenny's biography. That picture was not posed. That's the way I found the book on the shelf.



I also found this poster hanging up at the library.



And finally, my ticket for tonight!

Here's a rundown of the play for those who are wondering what it's about:

It's 2052 and the theater has been closed for ten years. The theatre has been turned into an old folks home. Some of the old singers and actors who used to play at the theatre now live in the nursing home. The artists refuse to be old. They still live in their old rooms and wear their old scene clothes. Once a day, the nurse takes them out for a little cultural enjoyment with some old-time songs. This time, it turns into something a little different than the nurse had expected...

Jessi just called, so it's time to go! Catch up with you after the show!

Going North

It's time for Karlstad. In a few hours, anyway. I will be taking a train to get there and I'll also be looking for my scarf. One of my co-workers knitted me a beautiful scarf for my birthday, which is in late October. She knew I was coming here and thought it would be the perfect present - and it was! I used it everyday - until I lost it. I think I left it on one of the buses, so I'll be checking the lost and found at the Central Station before I head off to Karlstad. I hope it's there!

Jessi, Anja, and I (and hopefully my scarf), will meet back together in Karlstad and we will see Forever Young this evening at 7 PM. Then, we will be getting up early for the women's breakfast lecture and concert at Karlstads Pentecostal Church at 8:30 in the morning.

That's the schedule for the next few days. Hope you like heading north, because that's where we're going.

The Jenny Source team has arrived!

Jessi and Anja from The Jenny Source arrived earlier today in Gothenburg. They had a nice trip and have already paid a visit to the city. I just came back from visiting them. We had a long chat about every topic that came to mind. And there were many topics to cover. We jumped from topic to topic because there was so much to catch up with since we met each other last year.

They've also brought their mobile studio with them. They put me to shame with their incredible spread. I see I'm just an amateur acting like a professional, but I'm having fun doing it. I'll let Jessi and Anja show me the ropes in Karlstad.

I'm excited when I see the equipment they've brought because they'll get some incredible photos and audio from the upcoming concerts, which I'll be enjoying along with you all. Jessi even bought a new bag for the occasion and it is a technical wonder. All her equipment fits snuggly in different compartments. And she never had to unpack it once for airport security. Genius!

I also found out they'll be going to Karlstad tomorrow to see Evigt Ung as well. So, the three of us will be able to enjoy the play together. Very cool.

Time to get some sleep because I'll be packing up early to get to Karlstad for the play on the 8th and the lecture on the 9th. Sleep tight to everyone in Europe and enjoy the rest of your day to everyone in the Americas.