h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My garden still looks mostly like it did when it was a part of a fir wood. A lot of trees and grass and whatever the previous inhabitants have put in of flowers and bushes.

I try to grow vegetables in the very sandy soil. Potatoes do quite well. Ecologically. I've only planted springflowers like crocus and snowdrops. They bring bright colours very soon after a long, cold and dark winter.

My gardening is not very succesfull, but I like working with soil and plants, listen to the birds and watch beetles and s go about their business while unexpected thoughts roam around in my brain.

Sometimes a headline or an introduction to an article pops out of nowhere and I jut it down on a notepad.

I gathered you live in America, but it is a vast country with different time- and climate zones. So where approximately?

Today we have 3 degrees C - 38 F and drizzling rain. We hope spring will show up at Easter.

I'll go do some housework

Your garden sounds nice. My dad has a large veggie garden, but no flowers I sometimes like to take a walk through our woods.
oh, oops I live in wisconsinRight now it's 39ºF with a nice blue sky and kinda windy.
I'm babysitting a little boy today. I babysit him every saturday. His name is Evan. He is two years old and a avid talker. He's always asking "cuz why?" until you run out of explanations.

I just finished the laundry (there is sooo much )

Well, i got to go back to work and Evan is hungry.
talk to you later

Baby-sitting, eh? I know the feeling about running out of explanations. Sometimes I make stories up (when they are a bit older - still have the al way of thinking, but also can figure out what is for fun and what is for real).

Wisconsin - I'd better look at a map.

Till later

Thats sounds like a good idea, i'll have to try that when he's older. It's so awesome how you can tell little kids between the ages of 2-4 stories about many things –why the water goes one way, why the sun shines, why animals have certaain color of hair– and they'll look at you with big eyes and drink it all in.

yeah, wisconsin is up kinda by Canada.

talk to you later

You have a very imaginative way with words, and good observations - it is not usual for a teenager to care about and observe smaller children.

I do not know very much of the geography of US. I was never really interested. US was the bad guy in my books. I know more about South America, Africa, Middle and Far East - and Europe of course.

not meaning to offend, but to explain. In Europe we get influenced by what happens in US, and I didn't - and don't - agree with the smartness, the 'we-are-the-best', the capitalism, the consumerism, the differences between white and coloured people, the poor and the rich etc. This is the picture we are presented via the news and the films.

Since I came to this site, I've 'met' and talked with a lot of US citizens, very nice people, and they have broadened my mind, I'm glad to say. And everytime I hear something new, I look it up.

Who am I to be prejudiced .

I hope you will keep on talking to me

01.26 - time for bed.

Thank you My parents and my older sister have helped me to be this way.

course i will still talk to you! i agree with what you are saying about America. Most of the time i'm ashamed of it, but sometimes i see people that are so kind and caring that it boosts my hope that someday more people will be like them. Have you heard of the Green Bay Packers? Well, they're our state's Football (not "soccer" football, but the rugby kind) team. Well, this year and a couple of years past, they haven'y done so well...actually, they have kinda sucked...anyhow, all through this, their fans (quoted to be the most loyal fans in America) have still come to their games in sub-zero weather, still wear their "cheese heads", and still have tail-gate parties. This is kinda what i feel towards America i guess. Yes, i amit it sucks sumtimes, but, it's my home. haha, i sound like a patriot. o well. hope i havent gave you any false ideas on the type of person i am.

well, i've talked to much once again. Nite and good morning

Good

Yes I have met many caring, thinking and passionate american people here. They share my views on life - that you have to do your best to give children all over the world good conditions to grow up and become happy, learned, skilled and compassionate adults who can make their own life together with others (solidarity) - and take care of the nature that provides all living creatures and plants with sources for continuous life in a very fragile ecological system.

These are times when so many species are threatened with extinction, and US, I'm sorry to say, is the most destructive society (pollution and exploitation of nature without giving enough back).

It is natural to be proud of who you are, and of the society/country you are part of. I think most people are patriotic, I know I am. But liking one's own country, one's own culture does not give a person or a nation the right to dismiss others', as I'm sure you know. They are also proud of who they are, and one shouldn't belittle other peoples identity. I know we can learn from each other.

My husband is born and raised in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) up till 8 years. Then he lived in four different fugitive camps in Italy for four years and has lived in Denmark since 1962. He of course still have the cultural and familly values from childhood, the Southern European being different from the Nothern European - as I'm sure there is difference between the North and the South of US.

You can say as much as you like. It is very interesting talking to you.

I've been wondering: How come you go to school on-line. What kind of school? And what are your plans for the near future?

Thank you so much for your wise words .
Well, my parents didn't want my sibs and i to be subjected to the different problems in public schools here. So when it became difficult to do highschool in a homeschooling situation, we atarted looking for different options. We found that our state was offering an online school, my parents signed us up. It's cool, we can take AP classes and honors classes if we want.
What did you mean "what kind of school"?
My near future? Well, i'm in the 11th grade, so i'll be taking one more year of school, then its on to college. I'm not quite sure what i'm going for yet, but i'm pretty sure it's going to involve animals. One main idea i had was being an non-domestic veterinarian. So i'll be working at animal sanctuary working with wild animals.
Well, talk to you later!

With 'what kind of school' I actually wondered how far you were and where you were going - in comparison to the Danish School system.

In this country we mostly have public schools - the people's school - for all pupils - entirely tax financed. All education is gratis, entirely taxfinanced from 0th grade to the university degree. It is possible to start in what we call 'kindergarden-class, 0th class' at 5-6-7 - depending on the child's maturity - and then on to 1st form. From 1st to 9th form school is obligatory and it is possible to take a 10th grade. Then there is 2-3-4 years of youth education either qualifying for a craft (carpenter, mechanic etc) or for preparing for middlelong educations like teacher and pedagogue or for longer educations at University. I think youth education is what you call college. Up till recently private schools - 1st to 10tt form - (also partly tax-financed) have been few and far between.

The philosophy being that kids with better conditions in the family should be blended with kids with lesser possibillities - and they should learn from each other. To eliminate social classes. To give workingclass kids equal rights and possibillities.

There are hardly any private schools for college/youth education - I cannot think of any right now, and no private Universities - there are very few specialised educations, one has to pay for.

Now we have a libertarian government and they are taking after UK and US and smashing the system: If you can pay, you can have good education - if you cannot pay, tough luck, and who cares.

What kind of problems are in your public school - and why not try to solve them for the good of all kids in the area?

Home schooling and on-line school. Does that mean that you only meet kids and youngsters like you and your family? Not from different types of families and of different income, with a handicap maybe or another cultural background? Both of my youngest children have been in very mixed classes including children with mental and physical handicaps.

I like your future prospects. It must be satisfying to help and heal. Do you have animals - pets - yourself? We have just had to put our 11 year old dog to sleep and we now only have a cat.

Sometimes we have hens but not for the time being.

What do you do in your free time?

I'll ease up on the politics.

It's just...

I'm very passionate about equality, and that every child should have equally good conditions for developing - no matter into which family and in which country they are born. And that we should share what we have with each other. Worldwide.

The UN Declaration of Children's Rights is unfortunately not written in a language for children to read - but what the declaration says is a very good guideline.

I get furious when I think of the millions of children who have to grow up famined - and without parents because of AIDS - which we could prevent if we all didn't hang on to our money and didn't have chemical firms that want to make big money instead of doing good for lesser profit.

And now to something completely different. What music do you listen to?

I didn't post sooner. Little busy yesterday and this morning.
America's school system is set up like this. 1st there's preschool that's for kids ages 3-4 which pretty much teaches them to share, clean up after themselves, etc. Then there'skindergarden, ages 5-6, which teaches kids their alphabet, numbers, phonics, etc. After that there's grade school which is 5 years of school. Then there's middle school, years 3 . Then theres another 4 years of Highschool. Then there's college, which you can go to for up to ten years i think. College is when you get the schooling about the profession you want to become. So, pretty much, the government pays for 12 years of school and a year of kindergarten. Then, if you want to go on to college, you can get scholarships to help pay the way, but your paying for it, the government doesnt really help. Wow, complex school system lol. So, right now i'm into my 3rd year of highschool.

Our school is called a virtual school, so its pretty much like a public school, 'cept you can do your school at anytime of the day you want. every day there is certain "office hours" that you can go into a chat room online and talk to your fellow students and teacher. als, in this "classroom" the is a virtual "whiteboard" where the teacher can write on and all.

imaginable.
I like Denmark's philosophy. That's way too bad that they are changing the school system

Well, in schools there's different social classes, much like the casts of the people from india and that regian. there's the "popular" people, the people that aren't popular, but not unpopular. Then there's the lowest class- the geeks, nerds, poor kids, kids with disabilities..etc. this lowest class gets bullied alot. Also, there's drugs, porn, sex, and somtime's school shootings. its sad

In our schools there are rich kids, poor kids, kids that speak 7 different languages, kids from different cultures, different religions, people with learning disabilities, some cant walk, some are almost blind, some have tried to commit suicide...there is everykind of child.
Well, just recently, we also put down our 15 year old dog, Mandy. It was so hard. So, as of right now, we have 3 hermit crabs, a ferret(she is very nice, and not at all smelly) a dog, and a horse. Before winter came i had to sell my horse (he was so awesome, but i didn't have enough money or time to keep him happy and so i sold him (i have regret it ever sence.) But i have had a toad, frog, 3 snakes, an iguana, 2 cows, chickens, pig, three aquatic frogs, tons of fish, ummm....like ten cats of a period of 12 years, and i think thats that wow.

For my free time? what's free time??? ummm....draw, in the winter i snowboard, swim, play vol;leyball, soccer, basket ball, and a game called frisbey football, every so often have a party or go to a movie with my friends, read (i kinda read alot), umm....take walks, excercise, lotta stuff what bout you?

I dont mind you talking politics! seriously! i actually like it when you do. It helps me to see your veiws and i like to see it when other people share my views.

lol, music? bout anything but country. I mostly listen to punk rock, rock and a little harder than rock stuff, but i enjoy everything but country. What about you?

oh, one more thing, i might be writing as much as i have been, but if you post something, sooner or later i'll replie.
Thank you so much for being someone i can talk to
Woah!..sorry, i really wrote alot this time.

Hi bubbles_unpopped

My freetime: Hmmm, as I'm working freelance and being a mother it seems that I'm actually working all the time.

I speak to you, and a lot of other people on h2g2. I've been on the schoolboard for 12 years - one of 7 elected parents. Now that is finished because I have no children in the 'people's school' anymore. In stead I got myself elected on the board of my union and go to a lot of meetings and arrange stuff. I still am one of the editors of our school magazine. I talk with a lot of people, very interesting, and read a lot. Mostly crime fiction - preferably by female English and American writers, a lot of Scandinavian writers (Sweden, Norway, Denmark mostly), and the odd Spanish and Mexican. Right now I'm re-reading Raymond Chandler, he has such a rich language.

I play music with my husband - and we go out to play sometimes. We have both been singers in each our rockband (while the kids were young), but my husband has tinnitus and cannot endure playing rockmusic anymore. In May he releases a CD with his own songs and music - folk-ish - his third.

I like music from the 60es and 70es (Beatles, Stones, Hendrix, Cream, Janis Joplin, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd etc., etc)- the music of my youth - both rock and folk. But never country - like you. Sometimes, very rarely, I listen to classical music or newly written pieces - very stange but beautiful never the less. We sometimes go to concerts in churches or The House of Culture in a nearby larger city, Randers. I sing in a choir, and we have taken part in our kids sports - driving soccer boys and karate girls . Then there is the garden - and the grandkids. My husbands son has two kids and my daugther one.

You need a certain amount of selfdiscipline when you go to an on-line school, don't you? Do you ever meet your classmates in real life, or are you spread out across the country?

Tell me more about your life an surroundings - the town, the nature, your family.

Now I'd better sign off so I don't scare you away.

I'm still here.

Are you busy? Concentrating on school ans/or real life?

Hope to see you soon.

Omg, So so long since i've been on here, and so much has happened...good things, bad things, and things that have changed my life. for not being on for a while, but i was "banned" from my computer for a long while, then...i dont know...didnt come back on...so here i am, little less then a year later back on oneof my favorite sites...so hello everyone once again!


Bubbles_unpopped