Brittney Spears' New Song: Circus

Useful Words & Phrases in Swedish

First, some pronunciation tips for Swedish phrases:

Most consonants are exactly the same in Swedish as they are in English. Some exceptions:

j: pronounced like the "y" in "yellow"
g: pronounced like the American "g" if it is followed by an a, o, or å; pronounced like the "y" in "yellow" if followed by an e, i, ä, or ö
k: pronounced like the American "k" if it is followed by an a, o, or å; pronounced like "sh" if followed by an e, i, ä, or ö
rs: r followed by s is pronounced as "sh"


This provides a basic idea of the pronunciation of vowels:

a: pronounced like the "aw" in "claw"
e: pronounced like the "e" in "fell"
i: pronounced like the "ee" in "fleece"
o: the pronunciation falls between that of "o" in "close" and "oo" in "moose"
u: pronounced like the "oo" in "moose"
y: the pronunciation falls between that of "oo" in "moose" and "y" in "any" (the trick: shape your mouth as if you were going to say "y" but then try to say "oo")
å: the pronunciation falls between that of "o" in "close" and "o" in "pot"
ä: pronounced like the "a" in "apple"
ö: pronounced like the "u" in "full"

Greetings
Hello: Hej.
Goodbye: Adjö/Hej då.
Yes: Ja.
No: Nej.
Please: Snälla/Vänligen.
Thank you: Tack.
That's fine: Det är bra.
You are welcome: Varsågod
Excuse me (sorry): Ursäkta mig/Förlåt
Do you speak English?: Talar du engelska?
I don't understand: Jog förstår inte.
How much is it?: Hur mycket kostar den?
What's your name?: Vad heter du?
My name is …: Jag heter …

Small Talk
Where is the …?: Var finns …?
Bus stop: busshållplatsen
Train station: tågstationen
Tramstop: spårvagnshållplatsen
What time does the …leave/arrive?: Nar avgar/kommer?
Boat: båten
Bus (city): bussen
Tram: spårvagnen
Train: tåget

Signs
Entrance: ingång
Exit: utgång
No vacancies: fullt
Information: information
Open: öppen
Closed: stängd
Police station: polisstation
Rooms available: lediga rum
Toilets: toalett
Men: herrar
Women: damer

Around town
Bank: bank
City centre: centrum
… embassy: … ambassaden
my hotel: mitt hotell
market: marknaden
newsagency: nyhetsbyrå
post office: postkontoret
public telephone: offentlig telefon
public toilet: offentlig toalett
tourist office: turistinformation
what time does it open/close?: när öppnar/stänger de?

Times & Dates
What time is it?: Vad ar klockan?
Today: idag
Tomorrow: imorgon
Yesterday: igår
Morning: morgonen
Afternoon: eftermiddagen
Night: natt
Monday: måndag
Tuesday: tisdag
Wednesday: onsdag
Thursday: torsdag
Friday: fredag
Saturday: lördag
Sunday: söndag

Numbers
Zero: noll
One: ett
Two: två
Three: tre
Four: fyra
Five: fem
Six: sex
Seven: sju
Eight: åtta
Nine: nio
Ten: tio

Zietgeist I & II

Srry

I've kinda been on a brief hiatus. :P :P But I'm back now!! XD XD

Is there a door in St. Peter's basilica that's opened once every 100 years?

Yes but this is not exactly a secret back door to the Vatican. It is an odd tradition at St. Peter's involving the Porta Santa, or Holy Door. This door is in the front of the basilica to the right of the main entrance. Most of the time it's kept not merely locked but walled up. It's opened only during Holy Years, also known as Jubilee Years. Massive numbers of pilgrims descend on St. Peter's at these times, and I gather the door functions as a sort of Holy Fire Exit.

Holy Years are an odd tradition in their own right. The first was proclaimed in AD 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, not entirely voluntarily. The faithful somehow got the idea that centenary years were the occasion of a Great Pardon. Tens of thousands of them spontaneously embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome with the view of getting one.

So here's Boniface looking out the window, and he sees vast crowds of people who'd evidently done something bad enough that they figured it was worth going to Rome to get a pardon for. Whoa, says Boniface, time to think fast.

He worked up a system whereby participants could gain a special indulgence (pardon from punishment for sins) in return for fulfilling various conditions, notably visiting certain Roman churches, St. Peter's being the most important.

The original plan was that Holy Years would occur every 100 years, but the interval was soon reduced to 25 years. Additional Holy Years are sometimes proclaimed for special occasions, e.g., in 1983-'84, which marked the 1,950th anniversary of the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

A Holy Year starts on Christmas Eve, at one time considered the last day of the year. There's an elaborate ritual in which the pope strikes the Holy Door three times with a silver hammer. The door promptly collapses, no doubt inspiring at least one or two spectators to hope that the rest of St. Peter's was built by a different contractor. In fact, however, workers with ropes and pulleys nudge things along.

Considering all the buildup, one would suppose the Holy Door provided admittance to a garden of forbidden delights. But in fact it gets you into the back of the church just as the other entrances do. The door remains open until the following Christmas Eve, when it's again walled up.

One can appreciate that having a special door heightens the drama of the Holy Year, provides instructive symbolism, etc. But why the pope feels he has to wall it up as opposed to using a good dead bolt is a matter that remains obscure. Cynics will of course suggest that some cardinal's nephew probably has the plaster contract.

TaeKwonDo Times Excerpt

"The Korean word for uniform is dobok. Do means "way of life" and bok means "a spiritual protector or shield against the elements". So, wearing your uniform has great symbolic value. When you wear it, you also "wear" your commitment to follow the spiritual path leading you your Silent Master. Your commitment is assuredly your protection against the elements. The belt wrapped around your waist symbolizes the unity of spirit you share with others on the path, and it's color proudly proclaims your level of achievement. When you honor you uniform, your honor your real self". Quote from Tae Yun Kim/TKD Times Mar. 2008.

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