Year in review – 2012
Now it’s time again. Sum up the year that has passed. I have both done so much and so little, it seems. But I’ll go with the usual drill, first sum up my year, and then news, sports and entertainment and so on.
Content
- My 2012
- Year in review – news
- Year in review – sports
- Year in review – entertainment
- Dead celebrities
- Best songs of the year
- My guesses about 2012, how they went
- Guesses about 2013
- How did I do on my new years resolutions?
- New reaolutions for 2013
My 2012.
I moved in to a new apartment January 1st. I now live on Pilefeltsgatan in Halmstad, very close to a supermarket and my gym.
I was in America again. My first visit since I moved away from there. In April and May I was once again back in California, and I hanged out with Lauren and her family and we celebrated her birthday in Norcal. I was in Santa Barbara where I stayed with Nima and Dan, and I met a buch of old friends again, and I went to Vegas. Was there with Cecily and Lauren, and the gang was once again reunited. It was too short, but this spring I will be back again. I can never get enough of America!
Santa Barbara forever
I couple of sad things happened this spring. My grandpa died, which was very tough on the family. And also my cat Missan died. It was incredible hard to take her to the vet and put her down, after being in the family for nearly 19 years.
But mom is doing better, so that is nice.
In May I ran my first long distance race, the half marathon Göteborgsvarvet. It was a really nice experience. Despite the fact that I ran in one of the last starting groups there was a lot of people along the way, cheering for everyone. It went very well, the running, and I was please with my time: 1:58:18.
The summer was incredible busy. Me and my friends did a lot of things pretty much every day, so I wasn’t free that much.
Also, Lauren came to visist me and Sweden. We went to Getinge, Halmstad, Denmark, Öland and Stockholm. We had so much fun.
Öland
I also went to see Bruce Springsteen at Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg along with Daniel. My first major arena concert, but not my last. This summer Robbie Williams awaits.
Me and the gang also went to Liseberg amusement park
A lot of humor too, and standup shows with Johan Glans, David Batra and Al Pitcher.
In September me, Andreas, Henric and Anna went to Greece. A very well-needed vacation on Creete, with sun, baths and amazing food. Just what we all needed.
On the way home from the Samaria gorge
I became a blood donor this year. Three times I have donated so far. It feels good to be able to do something nice for others.
Overall I have done a lot of fun things. There hasn’t been one week where I have had multiple days off, cause we have always done something new. A lot of movies and dinners too.
Year in review – News
Not as many major things as last year, but still some bigger once.
In January, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia, ran aground and went down. Many peole died. The captain of the ship was the first one to leave, and he is now being charged for being a douche.
A Norwegian military aircraft went down in the Swedish mountains during a drill, killing all five aboard.
Sweden got a new princess and heir to the throne, Princess Estelle.
Princess Madeleine got engaged to an British-American finance guy, Chris O’Neill. Most famous was the announcement video, which was ended with the princess saying an awkward “teehee”.
A lot of this year has been about the American election. All spring was about the Republicans’ primary elections, and for a long time it wasn’t clear who would be the nominee. Eventually it became Mitt Romney who was their rep, even though many republicans didn’t really want him. A bunch of weird quotes, like 47% of the Americans being lazy social welfare demanders, and something about binders of women, as well as the fact of hime being a bit stiff and boring, lead to the election not being as close of a race and people at first thought. Obama won, and will remain for the next for years.
In Sweden, the Secretary of defense was forced to leave office.
A controversy surrounded the Sweden Democrats, the xenophobic party. Three of their politicians had been videotaped on a night out, saying racist and sexist comments, as well as following a drunk guy while waving iron pipes at him. Another of their MP:s was drunk in a bar and forgot a bag. He later accused imigrants of robbing him.
Strangely enough, the party gained a bit more popularity during the fall, despite all they’ve been through.
The Swedish Social democrats was forced to swift leader, after 2011’s controversies.
Russia is less and less democratic. The group Pussy Riot was put in prison after a Putin-critical song was performed in a church, and Putin also made it tougher for homosexuals. He also “won” the presidential election again.
A robber in Stockholm robbed a guy on a subway station. The victim was drunk and had fallen on the tracks. The robber took his wallet, but didn’t help him up, and the train came. The victim survived, but got severely injured. The robber was caught and put in prison.
The incarcerated Swedish journalist Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye was released for the prison in Ethiopia, and returned to Sweden.
Many shootings in America. One in a movie theater in Colorado killed 12 people on the Batman premiere. In December a shooting at a school killed 28 persons, of which 20 were small kids.
A woman went to a museum and thought she should fix a painting. She ruined it, and it was hilarious.
Felix Baumgartner beat a record by skydiving from space, 39 kilometers, after a free fall for several minutes.
The world didn’t end December 21st, even though some schmucks believed the Mayan calendar said so.
NASA put a vehicle on Mars.
More fights in Syria.
An attack in Libya against the US embassy after a film about Mohammed was put n YouTube.
And speaking of YouTube, South Korean musiscian and his son Gangnamn Style reached over ONE BILLION views. That’s cool. Everybody has danced to his song this year.
Dead celebrities.
Neil Armstrong, Michael Clarke Duncan, Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Sixten Jernberg, Hans Villius, Lars-Gunnar Björklund, Dick Clark, Mike Wallace, Larry Hagman.
Sports
The Olympics was just so and so for Sweden. Only one gold, eight medals in total. But many close calls.
The European soccer championship went straight down the drain. We were out after just two games.
The soccer fall was much better. In one of the best games every Sweden came back after 4-0 away against Germany. It ended 4-4 after one of the most heroic efforts ever made by a sports team. Amazing.
And later, in a game against England on Sweden’s new national arena, Friends Arena, Zlatan Ibrahimovic made one of the most beautiful goals ever, with a bicycle kick.
New York Rangers made a great season, and was just two wins away from the Stanley Cup finals. Henrik Lundqvist won the Vezina Trophy as goalie of the year.
The NHL this fall hasn’t been as great. It hasn’t been at all. A very unnecary lockout is taking place, and it’s so much more stupid than the one 2004-05. There is still a chance for play in 2013. I hope it will solve somehow, and then all the hotshots need to resign, because this is embarrassing and unworthy of the NHL.
Nicklas Lidström finished his career. Sweden’s best player ever, and one of the world’s best ever, too.
The Swedish junior ice hockey team won the world championship.
Halmstad played in the second division, but did it well and are back in the top division for next year.
Entertainment.
Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest for Sweden! Really cool that Sweden is best in music in Europe again. And the song got high points from all countries, except Italy.
I have discovered the TV series The Walking Dead. It’s about survivors after the zombie apocalypse. Insanely good series, and during the fall’s season 3, me, Henric and Andreas has been so excited about every episode.
Some nice movies I have seen in theaters this year: Hunger Games, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, En gång i Phuket, Rock of Ages, Men in black 3.
Best songs of the year:
- Train – 50 ways to say goodbye
- Fun – We are young
- Marina and the Diamonds – Primadonna
- Train – Drive by
- Carly Rae Jepsen – Call me maybe
- Panetoz – Dansa pausa
- Ivi Adamou – La la love
- Psy – Gangnam Style
- Loreen - Euphoria
- Linnea Henriksson – Lyckligare nu
- Petra Marklund – Händerna mot himlen
My guesses about 2012, how they went
Mitt Romney becomes the Republican presidential candidate, but Obama wins the election.
Bouya, I nailed it!
New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup.
Unfortunate not, but they were close.
The Social Democrats meeting new difficulties, it becomes a crisis, but Juholt remains.
No, they let him go.
Sweden go far in the European Championships. However, it will be only five medals in the Olympics.
Completely wrong with the soccer, closer on the Olympics.
Nothing serious happens on December 21, when it is intended that the world should perish, but it becomes a whole lot of parties!
True that. But no party for me, since it was during the only day this year I had a cold.
Guesses about 2013.
The summer will be awesome!
Al-Assad will be forced away from the ruling of Syria, one way or another.
I will sit in the audience of Eurovision Song Contest, watching Sweden bomb.
Sweden will qualify for the World Cup of soccer.
NHL will start in January, and the Rangers will at least reach Conference final.
How went my New Year’s resolutions?
Promise 1: I'll go and visit in the U.S.
Promise 2: I will somehow work out at least three times a week, preferably more. Does every week, except when I am out of town or sick.
Promise 3: I'll update the blog more often
Promise 1: Check!
Promise 2: Went pretty well, until the end of the year. In December I had so much to do, so I couldn’t keep up with three times a week. But the rest of the year I did.
Promise 3: Well, I could do better.
Resolutions for 2013
So, for 2013 I will have the same resolutions, and hope I could continue keeping them.
This was 2012. A year of big peaks and deep lows. I look forward to 2013, and I think it will be good. Many tough things, but I believe in this. So thank you for an interesting year, and welcome a new exiting one!