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

In case anyone was wondering...

I've suddenly had to work at a different location for the next few months. There's no interweb access there (<yikes)...and what with that and an extra hour'e travel each way, my hootoo time will be severely curtailed.

I'll still be around, though.

Don't forget us!

TRiG.

If I had no internet access at work I'd be screwed.

And an extra hour's travel each way?

Will miss seeing as much of you, but quality is more important than quantity.

Awww, shucks.

This week I've been leaving extra early and getting home extra late - but I'm going to start taking the extra travel off my working day. The guys I'm working with are decent, so it should be OK.

Anyway...I've been using the extra travel time constructively, with a Pimsleur Swedish course...which, oddly enough, I got from some Swedish guys. It's rather good! I've been learning to move my mouth in a Swedish way.

I wonder what's the Swedish for 'Ecoutez et repetez'?

Lyssna och upprepa...

When you can say "Sju sjösjuka sjöjungfrur" you have officially graduated (Seven seasick mermaids)

Good luck!

See you around Ed.

, Milla. That might actually come in handy, week after next - when I shall be carousing with mermaids.

Seventy-seven is hooty-hoo with a special whistly h.

My sister-in-law and her son (my nephew) have been learning Swedish cause he's living and married there . . . what's your excuse?

You might also find this useful....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS2N1mBsEdM&feature=related

Will you be carousing in the south? There's a minimeet, you know...

I shall be carousing with mermaids at Chalmers University, Göteborg, where I have a small harem of respected colleagues.

And on the way I shall be stopping for a night at my employer's expense in Copenhagen. And the best part of it is that the (British) colleagues who were meant to be joining me there are now going straight to Göteborg, so I shan't have to worry about what they'd make of the district I intend visiting.

I've just printed off a copy of 'Colloquial Swedish' - and as well as the Pimsleur, I now have an umpteen-CD download of a university Swedish course. That's much more than I need for a short trip (not that one needs to speak *any* Swedish in Sweden - the Swedes all being such highly educated and talented English-speakers - but since I'm interested in 'a long term working relationship', there'll be plenty of other opportunities.

My word! That Swedelish course is *damned* good! I'm quite amazed by the things I can say already. But I think the best part is that my ears (and tongue) are getting acclimatised to the weird Swedelish pronunciation (they seem to miss out or mumble half the consonants - and most of the vowels sound the same!). Next week will tell if it's done any good.

I'm also supplementing it with a 'Colloquial Swedish' book, to expand my vocabulary.

I've been religiously taping Wallander on BBC4 and watching it. As I speak Danish and am familiar with both Swedish and Norwegian, I can understand most of what goes on but the subtitles make sure I know.

My favourite is listening out for the regional dialect of Skane as it is quite distinct...

My OH learnt a bit of Icelandic when we were living there but it doesn't appear to have lasted very well. I find myself searching for words when speaking to my mamma og pabbi, who are visiting. They don't seem impressed with me...

I've not got around to Wallander...although it seems to be on BBC 4 *every bloody day*. But I had the impression that it was in English. What with Kenneth Branagh playing the title role. Am I mistaken?

I have a DVD of 'Låt den rätte komma in' waiting to be watched.

Just now I looked at some photos from a previous trip and - wow - I can understand the words on them!

Ah. I see there's also a Swedish series. So...is that the one on BBC4?

On a cycling trip in Sweden my brother and I stayed once or twice in a Gästgivaregård . . . quite a mouthful.

I can cook in Swedish, I learned it on the Muppet Show.

Actually, when BBC4 showed the Branagh version they also showed a mini-series or something of the Swedish version, so I was watching all sorts of crossovers, but it was fine.

Then again, being a girly type, I do the gatherer thing with TV anyway (referencing 'Defending the Caveman, by Rob Becker here) so that sort of thing is quite common for me.

I like both series - haven't taken sides between Branagh and Henriksson in the role, but Johanna Sallstrom makes me sort of upset, knowing what happened.

>>I've been learning to move my mouth in a Swedish way.<<

Indeed, t.