Nu lyfts värdet mot himmelens rand...
Updates on life and stuff:
Last night I barely slept due to coughing. I actually had to sleep sitting up. Thank God my bed is actually a futon. Soooo tonight I'm buying a cough suppressant -- usually I avoid them, because you're supposed to cough, to get the shit out of your chest -- and tomorrow morning I'm going to wake up really freaking early to get in line and hopefully grab a spot at the school's health clinic. Where they probably won't do anything useful for me, but at the very least I might be able to get out of my Friday exam.
I wasn't going to try to do that, but this is just getting ridiculous. I've been sick over a week. I've never lost my voice like this in my life -- for a few hours after shouting a lot, maybe, but never for days on end. And my cough gets worse every single day, instead of better like you'd think it would. I can't study with this bad a cough, and not being able to sleep is utterly disastrous. Especially considering how much I have to study for Friday. It's basically impossible. I've kind of already given up, and haven't studied at all today, just halfheartedly tried to sleep a little more and tried to watch South Park, when it would actually stream.
Mainly I need to get well as fast as possible, and this exam isn't giving me a chance (or it wouldn't, if I studied properly). I need to be better before my other exams, and besides that, I want to be well enough on Saturday to drink. I can't even imagine a Subcommittee party without drinking! That's like... that's like trying to imagine a Metalocalypse episode without a bunch of people dying in horribly messy ways. It's just not possible. It's only twice a year that a few people and I get to blow $700 of student money on drinks! Whatever, if I'm sick I'll just drink anyway and then probably get strept throat like I did last time I tried that. Or pneumonia. My parents are yelling at me to see a doctor because they think I'm going to get pneumonia or something, which would actually be a valid argument at this point, except that I just told them I had a cold and a bit of chest congestion. I haven't told them it's been getting worse. They're just flipping out over a fucking cold. God. Why do they think I don't tell them when I have health problems?
Ergh. I feel like shit. I think... I'm going to go get coffee and at least take care of this headache, and then finish this entry later. BUT UGH IT'S SO COLD OUT ok going now.
That is slightly better.
a;sldng;asdgnasd;lgna WHY IS THIS SONG SO FUCKING PRETTY. I love this band to death but they're not supposed to be... pretty. Except when Metalocalypse typo'd their Finntroll reference. (Um. Explanation: all of the stores, bars, companies, etc. in Metalocalypse are named after real metal bands. And the characters always shop at Fintroll Mart. Except it's supposed to be Finntroll. Apparently, according to several drunkenly loling members of Finntroll, 'fin troll' means a pretty troll in Swedish, not a Finnish troll.)
And while we're on that subject, I feel like I haven't given proper attention in my LJ to my recent musical obsession. Considering that my various musical obsessions are half of what I write about. I've only mentioned it in passing. But I'm obsessed with Finnish metal, mainly Finnish folk/pagan/Viking metal, though the classification is usually kind of dumb. IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY COOL because this is the first time I've really been into something that a) isn't mainstream, b) is actually current, and c) isn't something I'm discovering 10 years after all my peers listened to it. Obviously none of those things should matter, and I've always striven not to be ashamed of my mainstream and outdated musical taste, but it's just fun to be into something unique for once.
At any rate, I've decided several things over the last few months:
1) Check the date. Is it before 1990? If you answered yes, all good metal is from Britain. If you answered no, and you don't like black metal, all good metal is from Finland. (Obviously there are some exceptions. I'm just speaking in terms of general guidelines.) Most people know HIM, Apocalyptica, Children of Bodom, or Nightwish, but that's not even touching on Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Turisas, or Ensiferum. And that's just the beginning. If you haven't listened to them, do it. Now. I don't even care if you don't like metal.
2) Folk metal is the most brilliant thing ever. What's better than epic metal about Vikings and shit? Epic metal about Vikings and shit, played on fiddles and accordions and flutes. That is, heavy rhythms and guitar riffs, but with folk melodies, played on folk instruments. Sometimes much more obscure instruments unique to a particular cultural tradition, and usually with lyrics pertaining to that cultural tradition and history, often about a people's pagan roots or the exploits of their ancient heroes. Bands from different countries are like little windows into cultures you would normally never learn much about, with the added benefit of the subjective perspective of members of that cultural group, something you might not get through schoolbooks as easily as through lyrics by people of more-or-less your generation. And then you have ridiculous bands like Eluveitie who write entire albums in a dead language. Leaving aside my love for the music (I've always loved folk music and epic history, but mixing it with metal makes it that much more fun to listen to, and accessible to someone of my generation), listening to this stuff is genuinely educational. Seriously. Most brilliant thing ever. Not even kidding.
3) Swedish is weirdly easy to understand. Maybe it's my Swedish blood, I don't know. If I read Finntroll lyrics, then look up the translation, I'm always like 'wow, that sounds almost exactly like the English, except the Germanic roots I can figure out anyway.' For example, I know the name of this song means 'Black Depths' without even looking it up. Incidentally, Finntroll are from Finland, but their lyrics are in Swedish. In case you were wondering. Those of you who actually bothered to read this far. Swedish : Finland :: French : Canada. It's an official language, spoken by a minority, mainly in a specific area of the country, except in a way that apparently sounds weird to actual Swedes. There, you already learned something about Finland, all because of folk metal.
4) Finland is epic and I want to go there. Mainly because their music is awesome. But also because apparently all there is to do there is drink, sauna, drink, look at trees, drink, and listen to metal, and honestly, that sounds perfect to me. (Not exaggerating on the drinking. Finland is definitely on par with Ireland and Eastern Europe, though maybe not as well-known for it internationally. Maybe because all anyone knows about Finland is that there are a bunch of trees and reindeer there.)
OKAY I'M DONE. Except that if you need further convincing that you should listen to Finnish folk metal, and you identify as being attracted to men, look at this. That is all.
EXCEPT A RANDOM SHOUT-OUT TO 'Vesilahden Veräjillä' by Korpiklaani for being a fucking epic song. Apparently the meter is Kalevalan. Fucking Finland. So awesome.
Last night I barely slept due to coughing. I actually had to sleep sitting up. Thank God my bed is actually a futon. Soooo tonight I'm buying a cough suppressant -- usually I avoid them, because you're supposed to cough, to get the shit out of your chest -- and tomorrow morning I'm going to wake up really freaking early to get in line and hopefully grab a spot at the school's health clinic. Where they probably won't do anything useful for me, but at the very least I might be able to get out of my Friday exam.
I wasn't going to try to do that, but this is just getting ridiculous. I've been sick over a week. I've never lost my voice like this in my life -- for a few hours after shouting a lot, maybe, but never for days on end. And my cough gets worse every single day, instead of better like you'd think it would. I can't study with this bad a cough, and not being able to sleep is utterly disastrous. Especially considering how much I have to study for Friday. It's basically impossible. I've kind of already given up, and haven't studied at all today, just halfheartedly tried to sleep a little more and tried to watch South Park, when it would actually stream.
Mainly I need to get well as fast as possible, and this exam isn't giving me a chance (or it wouldn't, if I studied properly). I need to be better before my other exams, and besides that, I want to be well enough on Saturday to drink. I can't even imagine a Subcommittee party without drinking! That's like... that's like trying to imagine a Metalocalypse episode without a bunch of people dying in horribly messy ways. It's just not possible. It's only twice a year that a few people and I get to blow $700 of student money on drinks! Whatever, if I'm sick I'll just drink anyway and then probably get strept throat like I did last time I tried that. Or pneumonia. My parents are yelling at me to see a doctor because they think I'm going to get pneumonia or something, which would actually be a valid argument at this point, except that I just told them I had a cold and a bit of chest congestion. I haven't told them it's been getting worse. They're just flipping out over a fucking cold. God. Why do they think I don't tell them when I have health problems?
Ergh. I feel like shit. I think... I'm going to go get coffee and at least take care of this headache, and then finish this entry later. BUT UGH IT'S SO COLD OUT ok going now.
That is slightly better.
a;sldng;asdgnasd;lgna WHY IS THIS SONG SO FUCKING PRETTY. I love this band to death but they're not supposed to be... pretty. Except when Metalocalypse typo'd their Finntroll reference. (Um. Explanation: all of the stores, bars, companies, etc. in Metalocalypse are named after real metal bands. And the characters always shop at Fintroll Mart. Except it's supposed to be Finntroll. Apparently, according to several drunkenly loling members of Finntroll, 'fin troll' means a pretty troll in Swedish, not a Finnish troll.)
And while we're on that subject, I feel like I haven't given proper attention in my LJ to my recent musical obsession. Considering that my various musical obsessions are half of what I write about. I've only mentioned it in passing. But I'm obsessed with Finnish metal, mainly Finnish folk/pagan/Viking metal, though the classification is usually kind of dumb. IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY COOL because this is the first time I've really been into something that a) isn't mainstream, b) is actually current, and c) isn't something I'm discovering 10 years after all my peers listened to it. Obviously none of those things should matter, and I've always striven not to be ashamed of my mainstream and outdated musical taste, but it's just fun to be into something unique for once.
At any rate, I've decided several things over the last few months:
1) Check the date. Is it before 1990? If you answered yes, all good metal is from Britain. If you answered no, and you don't like black metal, all good metal is from Finland. (Obviously there are some exceptions. I'm just speaking in terms of general guidelines.) Most people know HIM, Apocalyptica, Children of Bodom, or Nightwish, but that's not even touching on Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Turisas, or Ensiferum. And that's just the beginning. If you haven't listened to them, do it. Now. I don't even care if you don't like metal.
2) Folk metal is the most brilliant thing ever. What's better than epic metal about Vikings and shit? Epic metal about Vikings and shit, played on fiddles and accordions and flutes. That is, heavy rhythms and guitar riffs, but with folk melodies, played on folk instruments. Sometimes much more obscure instruments unique to a particular cultural tradition, and usually with lyrics pertaining to that cultural tradition and history, often about a people's pagan roots or the exploits of their ancient heroes. Bands from different countries are like little windows into cultures you would normally never learn much about, with the added benefit of the subjective perspective of members of that cultural group, something you might not get through schoolbooks as easily as through lyrics by people of more-or-less your generation. And then you have ridiculous bands like Eluveitie who write entire albums in a dead language. Leaving aside my love for the music (I've always loved folk music and epic history, but mixing it with metal makes it that much more fun to listen to, and accessible to someone of my generation), listening to this stuff is genuinely educational. Seriously. Most brilliant thing ever. Not even kidding.
3) Swedish is weirdly easy to understand. Maybe it's my Swedish blood, I don't know. If I read Finntroll lyrics, then look up the translation, I'm always like 'wow, that sounds almost exactly like the English, except the Germanic roots I can figure out anyway.' For example, I know the name of this song means 'Black Depths' without even looking it up. Incidentally, Finntroll are from Finland, but their lyrics are in Swedish. In case you were wondering. Those of you who actually bothered to read this far. Swedish : Finland :: French : Canada. It's an official language, spoken by a minority, mainly in a specific area of the country, except in a way that apparently sounds weird to actual Swedes. There, you already learned something about Finland, all because of folk metal.
4) Finland is epic and I want to go there. Mainly because their music is awesome. But also because apparently all there is to do there is drink, sauna, drink, look at trees, drink, and listen to metal, and honestly, that sounds perfect to me. (Not exaggerating on the drinking. Finland is definitely on par with Ireland and Eastern Europe, though maybe not as well-known for it internationally. Maybe because all anyone knows about Finland is that there are a bunch of trees and reindeer there.)
OKAY I'M DONE. Except that if you need further convincing that you should listen to Finnish folk metal, and you identify as being attracted to men, look at this. That is all.
EXCEPT A RANDOM SHOUT-OUT TO 'Vesilahden Veräjillä' by Korpiklaani for being a fucking epic song. Apparently the meter is Kalevalan. Fucking Finland. So awesome.