Ellen Forselius
was @Sweden (2012-06-18 to 2012-06-24)

People often refer to me as being “positive”, “happy”, or “like sunshine”, and they are all being very sarcastic when doing so. Recently I was described as someone who is “very proud to be angry”, which I can’t argue with. I’m always angry about something, and since I can’t change that I’ve tried to at least be funny when I’m ranting.

I live in Stockholm in a tiny apartment with a cycad, a fig tree and a big plant called Song of India, and probably spend a little too much time talking to them. Since I study Biology Earth Science and learn by talking, my plants are very well-educated about the processes that keeps them alive. Studying this also means all my friends hates me now, because we can’t walk anywhere without me naming plants in latin or tell them super-interesting facts about the salinity in the Baltic Sea. Even though I’m offically on summer vacation now, you’ll probably hear a lot about biology from me anyway.

Usually I tweet as Ellociraptor, because my name is Ellen and I like velociraptors. I write a lot about movies on my Livejournal, and I write about my life in general on my blog Som en spegelboll.

@Sweden June 24, 2012 20:20

Well, guys, I’ve had so much fun this week! I loved (almost ;) all your comments and questions. Gonna miss them!

@Sweden June 24, 2012 18:48

Starting this week, I said I’d be happy if I had 40k followers left by now. There’s actually 3k more of you now. Whoop!

@Sweden June 24, 2012 10:52

The problem with having a shower outside is that you’ll get to shower with snails and other disgusting things.

@Sweden June 24, 2012 09:31

This night I dreamt about Tony Stark. Although I used him to make another guy jealous. That can’t be good, right?

@Sweden June 23, 2012 20:44

Another neighbour here is former prime minister Göran Persson. Dad just had a chat with him, so now he’s happy.

@Sweden June 23, 2012 14:48

I didn’t eat the herring cake (don’t eat fish). I don’t think cream is involved. Everyone says it was great though. :P

@Sweden June 23, 2012 13:20

The Solar System model is the result of building the largest spherical building in the world and asking yourself the question: “now what?”.

@Sweden June 23, 2012 13:16

One of the coolest things I think Sweden has done is the Sweden Solar System: the world’s largest permanent solar system scale model.

@Sweden June 23, 2012 11:52

Border Security: Australia is on. Don’t think there’s a better cue for me to go shower instead of watch TV.

@Sweden June 23, 2012 10:18

Good morning! I didn’t dream of RDJ, so sadly I will never marry Iron Man. I guess I’ll have to become Iron Man instead.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 23:29

I picked the flowers, but didn’t stay quite and skipped the fences. Let’s still hope I dream about Robert Downey Jr..

@Sweden June 22, 2012 19:11

Midsommar food mostly consists of herring, potatoes and alcohol. Since I don’t drink and don’t eat fish, I went with halloumi instead!

@Sweden June 22, 2012 19:09

Midsommar food mostly consists of herring, potatoes and alcohol. Since I don’t drink and don’t eat fish, I went with halloumi instead. :P

@Sweden June 22, 2012 18:25

It’s not known who wrote it, but we think it started out as a French army song.Then the Brittish made it about frogs, and somehow we got it.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 18:23

Frogs are part of the order Anura, which means “tailless amphibians”. This leads me to believe Carl von Linne wrote the lyrics to the song.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 18:21

Translation: Little frogies are fun to see. They don’t have tails, they don’t have ears. Koack koack koack!

@Sweden June 22, 2012 18:19

Små grodorna, små grodorna är lustiga att se! Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de. Koack ack ack koack ack ack, koack ack ack ack ack kaa.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 14:09

So, mom and I are going to a proper Midsummer celebration in Sparreholm. I hope to get a vid of Små grodorna action for you!

@Sweden June 22, 2012 11:51

Today many swedes will get very drunk, have unprotected sex, and produce new swedes that will do the same in a few years.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 11:49

Apparently it might look like a cross because the christians tried to take over yet another awesome pagan tradition. They failed though.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 11:47

I’m trying to figure out if there’s any truth in maypoles (midsommarstång) being a phallic symbol, but I can’t confirm it. Awww! :(

@Sweden June 22, 2012 11:15

It’s fascinating how an account about Sweden is now all about an american comedian. But when isn’t everything about the US? ;)

@Sweden June 22, 2012 00:58

We have arrived at summer house. It’s one in the morning and I’m dead tired. Tomorrow you’ll learn all about midsummer. Good night!

@Sweden June 22, 2012 00:18

I’m what they call a fanatic single, so yeah, this subject gets me going. Just let everyone do whatever (or whoever ;) they want to!

@Sweden June 22, 2012 00:08

I don’t get this obsession with fixing everyone up in couples. Not everyone wants that! And all of us aren’t actively looking for someone.

@Sweden June 22, 2012 00:01

Being single doesn’t suck. Being unhappily in love sucks, which some singles are. But it’s not the same thing!

@Sweden June 21, 2012 23:56

And I don’t have to make time for someone else either. It’s all me, me, me, which is great when you’re in love with yourself (as I am). :D

@Sweden June 21, 2012 23:55

Seriously, matchmaking? I love being single. I get my bed to myself, yet if I want I can share it with whomever I feel like.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 22:34

Hahah, dad thinks that when a player is camping in the corner, you should be allowed to hit them with the flag pole. I wanna see that!

@Sweden June 21, 2012 19:18

Just make a bunch of pancakes (thin ones), stack them on top of each other with jam in between, and put whipped cream on top. Done!

@Sweden June 21, 2012 19:17

How have you guys missed pancake cake!? In the children’s books “Pettson & Findus” they eat it on Findus’ birthdays!

@Sweden June 21, 2012 17:56

I was referring to pancake cake, not having dinner (or breakfast for dinner. Though pancakes *are* dinner in my family!). :P

@Sweden June 21, 2012 15:54

Other big news in Sweden: explosives found near a nuclear power plant. Can’t confirm if this is in response to the strawberry thing or not.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 11:40

Did not mean to make a statement like that public. Sorry about that, dude. Not sorry about tweeting too much though.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 11:22

Noomi Rapace wasn’t looking for God in Prometheus, she was actually looking for the origin of the strawberries.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 11:19

The big news today in Sweden: strawberries are sold, claiming to be Swedish, when they’re actually not. Outrageous!

@Sweden June 21, 2012 09:33

I’m not a fan of must though. Dad loves it. Last Christmas he sampled different brands to find out the best one.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 09:33

I’m not a fan of must though. Dad loves it. Last Christmas he sampled different brands to find out the best one.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 09:29

Must is a Swedish soft drink that we drink around Christmas and Easter. Radio told me today that now there’s Summer Must too.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 09:29

Must is a Swedish soft drink that we drink around Christmas and Easter. Radio told me today that now there’s Summer Must too.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 06:44

I think the coffee love might come from the fact that it’s so dark and cold here during the winter. Without coffee we would never wake up!

@Sweden June 21, 2012 06:43

That sounds totally right. I read somewhere that the average swede drinks four cups a day. Personally I tend to have between one and three.

@Sweden June 21, 2012 06:29

Good morning! Or as we say in Sweden: God morgon. Although, if it’s really early it actually does sound like bork bork. It’s weird.

@Sweden June 20, 2012 21:32

Someone asked about Midsummer: I’ll do everything I can to get a picture of people doing “Små grodorna” around a midsommarstång on Friday.

@Sweden June 20, 2012 18:02

Sorry about that. It’s confusing when US people calls themselves american. And I think “Amerika” is correct in Swedish, but I’m not sure. :S

@Sweden June 20, 2012 17:29

Hah! The girl walking in front of me is dancing along to her music. Nice to see I’m not the only one that does that!

@Sweden June 20, 2012 16:23

Sorry, it’s not America, I was wrong. It’s the Colbert Nation. If THEY declare war on Sweden, I apologize to my country.

@Sweden June 20, 2012 16:14

Well, he can have it, if he waits for his turn and then comes here to tweet for a week. If you ask me (which a lot of you do).

@Sweden June 20, 2012 11:46

I like that we have to rock radio stations in Stockholm. I can switch between them and avoid all the commerical breaks. :D

@Sweden June 20, 2012 06:44

Good morning! The sky is ble, the sun is up, and I’m so tired I could just lie down on the floor and go back to sleep.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 23:44

Well, I have to get up at 6 to work, so this is it for tonight. Got back 1000 followers from yesterday, so doing good. Good night! :D

@Sweden June 19, 2012 22:04

You know, I once had a theory that Chippen (Christian Wilhelmsson) was a jedi. He had the braid. Although he doesn’t seem very jedi…

@Sweden June 19, 2012 20:30

My brother Axel is having a shoulder operation tomorrow. It’s funny, because “axel” means shoulder in Swedish. ;)

@Sweden June 19, 2012 19:18

For those saying *I* should give the account to Colbert: can’t do that. I only had the password for a few minutes to get my app running.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 18:32

However, I will work two days now, which means I will tweet a lot less for nine-ish hours a day. So there’s that!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 17:05

A lot of Swedish youths move back with their parents when they’re on a break from school though. It’s cheaper that way, I guess. ;)

@Sweden June 19, 2012 17:03

I got to spend five days in my apartment this time, but now I’m packing again. Gonna live with my parents while I work.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 15:09

Right now I’m reading this awesome book called The Passage by Justin Cronin. The plot derailed after 200 pages, but it’s still GREAT.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 14:15

Well, people, obviously I don’t actually kill cats, I’m a vegetarian ffs! However, I don’t want a cat as a pet. I want a turtle!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 14:03

Lots of you don’t want a plant to kill your cats: I don’t want a cat to kill my plants. I don’t think we should date. :/

@Sweden June 19, 2012 13:50

That’s why a cycad is a great gift: it would’ve killed the cat (they’re very poisonous) and not the love!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 13:44

Luckily, in this day and age, a girl doesn’t have to wait around for Prince Charming – she can buy her own palm trees!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 13:34

If I guy ever gave me flowers, I’d probably be all “why are you giving me this when you could give me a palm tree?”. Love me some palm trees

@Sweden June 19, 2012 13:21

Also, have missed you how important queueing is to us? Colbert will have to wait in line, or hope that someone cancels. Sad, but swedish!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 13:21

Also, have missed you how important queueing is to us? Colbert will have to wait in line, or hope that someone cancels. Sad, but swedish!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 13:04

However, unless I get another 20k followers, it’s Sonja we’ll thank for the boost, not Stephen. And I think we all know I should just be–

@Sweden June 19, 2012 12:22

But because it’s Midsummer Eve on Friday I think I have half of Thursday off, so at least this week isn’t too bad!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 12:20

Summer job = painting houses with my dad. It’s an okay job, but I have to get up early, and I don’t enjoy that at all.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 12:16

Well, I guess this means I have summer vacation now. At least until tomorrow when I start my summer job. I never have time to rest.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 11:49

Carex might be the most annoying plant ever. Even Bergman agreed with me on that. Ugly and they are impossible to tell apart.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 11:39

Okay, done with exam! I think I did good. I could tell what family three of the flowers belonged to immediately, which is an improvement!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 09:25

Matilda (classmate) just yelled at me for thinking I might pass even though I haven’t studied. “You always say that!!” Hmpf…

@Sweden June 19, 2012 09:06

Wearing a t-shirt with “Don’t panic” printed in big, friendly letters. Like to wear it to exams, so it might calm someone down.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:58

Apparently Colbert is at it again? :P Just so you know, *I* can’t do anything, you’ve got to e-mail the guys in charge!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:47

Was just accused of being too nice. Don’t think anyone’s ever called me nice before! I guess everything really is relative.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:24

I study Biology Earth Science (geology and geography). It’s fun, though it’s been too much biology lately, if you ask me.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:21

Of course we do! I don’t see ice latte as coffee, it’s just something sweet and cool I like to drink. I need my regular morning coffee too!

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:13

In reality, however, you need to closely examine a million tiny parts of the flower and it’s pretty much impossible. For me at least.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:12

“How many petals does the flower have?” “What colour is it?” Answer the questions right, and you’ll know the flower specie.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:11

In theory this floristic exam is very easy. You get 7 flowers and your book. Book has a “key”. Key asks questions.

@Sweden June 19, 2012 08:07

Found an ice latte in my fridge! Sometimes I just wanna go back in time and high-five myself. Perfect exam snack!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 23:44

I have an exam to get up to tomorrow. Floristic. -_- Third time I’m taking it, so let’s hope third time’s a charm!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 23:04

Other swedes suggest: Låt den rätte komma in, Fucking Åmål, Yalla Yalla, Göta Kanal, Mimmi och Reini i Fjällen. :P

@Sweden June 18, 2012 22:55

Oh, Kopps and Tillsammans are great Swedish movies! Can’t believe I didn’t think of them. And Skenbart! Thriller comedy about trains!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 22:54

Äkta människor can be found with English subs according to IMDB. Also heard rumors about a remake, called Real humans.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 22:46

Other than that we are the kings of weird comedy movies. Like Tomten är far till alla barnen and Livet är en schlager!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 22:45

There is a great Swedish sci-fi show called Äkta människor. It’s about an alternative universe where we have robot technology. Very good.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 20:18

Apparently proper Swedish TV isn’t airing Italy – Ireland. I guess I’ll have to watch Croatia – Spain then…

@Sweden June 18, 2012 18:58

I love how we respect personal space. We avoid each other like plague on the bus and subway and stuff. That totally works for me!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 17:46

I haven’t been home much the past month so I keep forgetting I have to cook my own food. One day I’ll be rich enough to hire a cook…

@Sweden June 18, 2012 17:07

The best song on YouTube right now is Bengt Hennings version of Euphoria. Go listen to it! The song will be ruined forever.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 14:57

Nokia owns 23% of the worldwide phone market btw (and leads with that), so I’m not alone in my choice of phone!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 14:44

STOP DISSING MY NOKIE PHONE. XD It’s the only phone I could find with an actual qwerty-keyboard. I hate touch!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 14:42

Me: “Oh, look, I ate all the veggies!” Friends: *looks under table to see where I hid them* That sort of thing! ;P

@Sweden June 18, 2012 14:39

Okay, I’m gonna have to explain the vegetable thing. X) I don’t actually hate veggies, I just rarely eat them as they are.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 14:06

I’m tweeting for and as myself. :P I might tweet about Sweden in general, but most swedes are not veggie hating Star Wars-nerds. Sadly…

@Sweden June 18, 2012 13:44

If the pic still looks like Sonja, it’s because your Twitter is slow to update, btw. To me, it looks like me!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 13:32

She lives 500 km north of me, so it’s a bit to travel. :P We met through the internet years ago. The third member of our group –

@Sweden June 18, 2012 10:45

And this whole debate is just something George Lucas made up so we’d forget that he put Hayden Christensen at the end of RotJ.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 10:44

Doesn’t matter if Han shot first or not: he was always ready to shoot. Greedo wasn’t walking about of there alive, and he knew it.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 10:29

Had never heard the word “teetotaller” before. I’m not one. I’ll have the occasional cider. Never more though.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 10:23

, I don’t drink alcohol, I wish I had been a teenager during the 80′s (80′s rock, f yeah!), and I talk to my plants all the time.

@Sweden June 18, 2012 10:21

A little about me: I’m from Stockholm, I live on my own, I’m the only vegetarian you’ll meet that don’t eat vegetables, sleeping is my hobby

@Sweden June 18, 2012 09:58

Thanks for all your kind words. :D Except for the ones calling me a Jar Jar Binks-lover. I’ve got my eyes on you, dude!!

@Sweden June 18, 2012 09:38

I figured I should start with something controversial just to get it out of my system, and then just take it from there.