The year in reviw, 2015
- My 2015
- News
- Entertainment
- Music
- Film
- Sports
- Dead celebrities
- My guesses about 2015, how did they go?
- My guesses about 2016
- My 2015
Here's a review of my year. 2015 has been a good year. I've had fun, I did a lot of funny things and socialized with so many wonderful friends, both new and old. I have been traveling both in Sweden and abroad, attended concerts and sunbathed and bathed. I, Andreas and Henke has gone around the country, people have come and visited me, fun parties at Katta’s place and with the floorball girls, game evenings with board games, several after-work and gatherings with people from work, and I have also hung out a lot with my new friend Emma and her cat Hugo.
But I start off chronologically, kind of.
I turned 30 in February. That day I worked, and suddenly two policemen came into the newsroom. I recognized one of them. First I thought they were there because of a burglary we had had in the newsroom a few weeks earlier.
They went up to the news editor Cicki and asked for Johan Hammerby. They showed pictures of him (me) and had a service of notice. Right in front of everyone.
The images were printed from my facebook, and the evidence bags had candy and soda that I got. Everything was orchestrated by Andreas of course. Very funny, and a great way to draw attention to my day :)
However, there was no 30th party on the weekend, because then I was in Gothenburg, where I, Andreas Henke and Caroline went to the Melodifestivalen. I am such a Mello-geek, it is weired that this was actually the first time I was there live. But it was very enjoyable and there will certainly be more to come of that. For example, in Halmstad in 2016, for the first time to have a competition (the “second chance”). However, there was a 30th birthday party in August.
At the end of March I was with Henke and Andreas in Stockholm to attend a concert with Katy Perry. Really great show, and an awesome weekend.
In April it was time for me to be in the television program “Who knows the most”. I went up and recorded in Gothenburg. It was a Nordic specialty weeks, with two participants from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. It was great fun to record, but almost more fun then was keeping quiet for all about how it had gone. At work, they were really on me (especially Janne) and tried to get me to say too much, but I managed to keep it quiet.
I finished fifth in the program, and I'm pretty disappointed. But hopefully I will participate another time in the future, and then I promise that it will go better!
In May, it was the first time a gay pride parade in Halmstad, so it was fun to be in and celebrate the rights of all people.
Ther were lot’s of great sports to watch. The Ski World Championships in Falun saw Charlotte Kalla win more gold medals. I followed the Rangers in the playoffs, which this year lasted until the semi-finals, where they were knocked out in game 7 against Tampa Bay. In June, the European Championship Under-21, where it was really fun to follow Sweden, which went all the way. They won the U21 Championship in the Czech Republic, and was celebrated as heroes throughout the country.
Summer was initially rather bad. It rained most of May and June. A really, really hot week began in July, but then there was no more super heat. But it was decent weather then, and August, September and October were really nice.
In the summer, I had two weeks of vacation only. I managed to pinpoint those really hot days, so then I got some nice beach days in Tylösand and Eastern Beach. Also, after beach at Hotel Tylösand, as well as the Monday Night Club. One of the times, I met with Henrik Lundqvist there. Very short though, but I could shake his hand and say that he was the best.
The second week of the vacation, I was with Henke and Andreas on a road trip. Via Jönköping, we went up to Norrköping and was there for a few days. A very nice city. We were also at Kolmådern zoo, but it rained so much we really couldn’t appreciate everything. Then we went down to Öland where we stayed with my grandmother for a few days where we went around the island, played croquet, and was able to swim a little.
In August, I ran the half marathon The Prince's Memorial in Halmstad, but it was not so good. I choked in the heat and got a time around 2:25.
Halloween, I celebrated in Gothenburg. Liseberg theme park had a Halloween special. They had several haunted houses open, but the only thing we did was to stand in line. Then Ridwana had a housewarming party, themed the 20s / The Great Gatsby.
Then in November it was time for the big happening! Me, mom and dad went away on a two-week vacation in the Caribbean!
It was a cruise that started from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. First, it was two days at sea, then five days of new islands every day, and then two more days at sea. The islands were Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, St. Kitts, Dominica, Antigua and St. Maarten.
Cruise life was absolutely fantastic. There was so much to do. Several pools and bars and restaurants everywhere. Wonderful service, fantastic staff. There were shows every night. Great buffets for breakfast and lunch. Every night we also had dinner at our own table, who each evening buffet was of Joy and Viacheslav. Absolutely amazing food every day, always three courses. Ten alternatives to each starter, main course and dessert. The menus were changed each day, so there was plenty to choose from.
On the islands we went on tours, layed on the beach and shopped. On Tortola, there were awesome nature and cool beaches. We also visited a 400 year old rum distillery. On St. Kitts, we had a beach day, at Dominica we took a trip into the mountains and rain forests. Antigua has 365 beaches, so of ocurse we had to check out one of them. The last day, on St. Maarten was one of the things I had looked forward to the most. The island's airport, Princess Juliana Airport is located right by a beach, so there you can see the planes land and take off just above your head. Absolutely incredible cool, really!
This vacation was really what we all needed.
In December, I made my first trip to Norway. When Jocke turned 30 we surprised him at a dinner party, I, Andreas, Caroline and Jonas. A lovely weekend it was!
Last year, I was laid off from the job due to cutbacks. But I have worked all year, and this fall I became a permanent employee again.
So, I have done for a lot of years. I must say it has been a great year, and I look forward to next year, which will hopefully try to surpass this awesome one!
- Year in news
Very much this year has been about the increased flow of refugees into Europe, mainly from Syria. Millions have fled the civil war and the ravages of ISIS. Many have come to Sweden to seek shelter.
This was symbolized among other things with a photo of a little boy, Alan Kurdi, who was found dead on a beach.
Domestically, politics have therefore focused on how to act. The government has been criticized for proposals for ID controls and that they wanted to be able to close the Öresund Bridge. The proposal received so much criticism that they had to backtrack on it. The Green Party was also criticized because it has previously been very for those with refugees freedom, but that they would rather sit with the government and has the power than to stand up for their old ideals.
The Sweden Democrats had two high-profile advertising campaigns during the year. One with an English text that was put up in a subway station, and one where they handed out pieces to refugees in Greece where they were lying and bullshitting about Sweden.
Otherwise, terrorist attacks, in particular in Paris, also symbolized this year. It began in January in France where the terrorists entered the editorial office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and killed 12 people there. A few days later the one to attack, which was linked to this, and a few died.
On 13 November another terrorist attack took place in Paris, but this time it was bigger. In several places around Paris the terrorists opened fire or detonated bombs. Among other things, at a soccer match at the Stade de France and at a concert. In total, 130 people were killed and houndreds were injured.
Turkey also saw a part of the terror, when nearly 100 people were killed in two explosions in Ankara.
Attacks were also in Yemen.
Sweden also had something that by some can be classed as a terrorist act. A masked man entered a school in Trollhättan, with the sword, and cut down several people. Three people died, plus himself. The motive was racism.
A passenger plane crashed in the Alps, after the co-pilot deliberately crashed the plane, as a form of suicide.
A Swedish 17-year-old Lisa Holm, disappeared, and the case involved many. She was later found dead, and a man was sentenced later this year for the murder.
The Supreme Court of the United States states said that same sex marriages should be allowed in all 50 states.
Prince Carl Philip married Sofia, who is now a princess. The day after, Princess Madeleine gave birth to her second child, Prince Nicolas. Later in the year both Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Sofia announced that they are expecting a baby in 2016.
Very many died in Mecca after panic broke out and people ran over each other during a stampede. Exactly how many people died is not clear, but over 1500 probably.
Volkswagen has been cheating in environmental tests, and withdrew very many cars.
In the United States, a television reporter and photographer was killed during a live interview.
There has been a lot of things happening with FIFA, with bribery scandals and other things. The chairman Sepp Blatter was re-elected, but announced then that he would resign, but then he was fired.
In the US, the preparations for next year's presidential election are on the way. For the Democrats, it feels like it is Hillary Clinton who will be the candidate. For the Republicans, Donald Trump participates, and many thought he would be around for a while and then disappear. But he has led the polls throughout the year, and although he said one racist and sexist comment after the other, he still hangs on and gets attention for everything he does.
In December, finally the tunnel through Halland ridge was inaugurated. It should have been done already more than 20 years ago but have been delayed by environmental scandals and other things.
In December there was also a big climate meeting in Paris.
- Entertainment
Among the coolest this year entertainment wise was that Sweden won the Eurovision Song Contest!
It was a very good year in the Swedish contest, with only good songs in the final. New this year was that you could vote via an app, and it floundered at first, but then it was a success, but failed again in the final. But in the end, Måns Zelmerlöw won, with the song Heroes, ahead of, among others, Mariette from Halmstad, Hasse Andersson who made a coemback and Samir & Viktor, who sang the not so subtle text that they would take a groupie tonight. Hostess was Sanna Nielsen, Robin Paulson and Filippa Bark, who were all very good.
In the Eurovision song contest then, there were also many good songs, such as Estonia, Israel, Russia, Italy, Montenegro and Iceland. This year Australia was also invited, to celebrate Eurovision's 60th anniversary. They also had a really good song, that got Sweden's twelve points. But best of all was thus Måns (perhaps not his song, but the whole package), who won Sweden's sixth victory. So next year it's time for the Eurovision, to be held in the Globe Arena in Stockholm, and hosted by Måns and Petra Mede.
Several big Swedish entertainers died in 2015. The most sad was that Magnus Härenstam died. Also Robert Broberg died.
Ingemar Stenmark won Dancing with the stars.
It was a good round of Swedish Idol. The best was Amanda Winberg, but she came second.
A big deal in the beginning of the year was a picture of a dress, where the world went bananas when you would decide whether it was black and blue or white and gold. It was pretty funny how people could really see so differently to the same image. It was clearly blue and black, which I thought from the beginning.
- Music
This has been a great musics, I would say. Especially in the summer it was very good. A look at the list below, for example. It is as Sweden Ranking looked the first week of July. Number one, Sun is Shining, is not visible, but if you look at the other songs, it is those who were played during the summer, and all of them were good, I think. So all of those on the list will be featured on the soundtrack for the summer of 2015 for a long time to come.
The artists that have dominated the music calendar otherwise are Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Adele, and in Sweden also Zara Larsson.
But this will still my list of the best songs in years.
- Axwell ^ Ingrosso - Sun is shining
- Miriam Bryant - One Last Time
- Jason Derulo - Want to want me
- Badpojken - Johnny G (The Guidetti song)
- Bebe Rexha - I'm gonna show you crazy
- Adam Lambert - Ghost Town
- Elina Born & Stig Rasta - Goodbye to yesterday (Estonia in the Eurovision)
- David Guetta / Nicki Minaj / Bebe Rexha / Aforjack - Hey Mama
- Norlie & KKV – Ingen rör mig som du
- Zara Larsson - Lush Life
- Film
There have been many great movies that came out this year. Several long-awaited sequela, like a new Avengers film, a new Jurassic Park, seventh Fast & Furious movie (with Paul Walker, who died before the film was finished), last Hunger Games movie, and then this year's big happening in December, a new Star Wars movie. In fact, Star Wars: The Force awakens was the year's best film, I think. Hunger games went up to the cinema when I was on the cruise, and I have not actually seen it yet. Therefore, there is not on my list of top ten.
This is a list of my ten favourite films from 2015, though without any particular order.
Star Wars: The Force awakens, San Andreas, Ant-Man, Jurassic World, Paper towns, The Martian, Magic Mike XXL, American Sniper, Spy, Mad Max: Fury road
- Sports
The best in sports year terms was clearly U21 European Championship gold. So darn delightful to follow the boys' tournament in the Czech Republic, which led all the way to the final, where it was decided on penalties.
World Ski Championships in Falun went well, especially for Charlotte Kalla.
The Rangers made it to the semi in the NHL.
Sweden managed to advance to next year's European Football Championship. This via qualifiers against Denmark, which as usual Zlatan decided. We actually managed to see match on the boat, because they had a sports bar there, and the match was shown on ESPN.
- Dead celebrities
Magnus Härenstam, Robert Broberg, Anita Ekberg, Stig Bergling, Leonard Nimoy, Christopher Lee, Tomas Tranströmer, Günther Grass, BB King, Bo Larsson, Wes Craven, Göran Hägg, Henning Mankell, Linda Haglund, Karin Söder, Peter Lundblad, Lemmy.
- My guesses abour 2015, how did they go?
I make at least two major trips
One larger trip at least.
At least two ministers resign from the Swedish government.
Nope, they all remains.
New York Rangers goes to the final. Oh, stop being a wossy, Johan. They win!
= (
At least one major change in my life. However, nothing’s going on right now, but I have a positive feeling.
Well, not really. Became a permanent employee again.
Sweden is doing a poor in the World Ski Championships.
No, it went pretty well.
Boyhood wins the Oscar as best film.
It was Birdman.
Pretty bad guesses. But I will try again for 2016:
- My guesses about 2016
- Sweden go pretty far in the UEFA European Football Championship
- Sweden makes one of its best summer Olympics in a long time. Above all, Sarah Sjostrom will be the best
- Rangers win the Stanley Cup after a final series against Dallas.
- Hillary Clinton wins the election in the United States, against Ted Cruz.
- I get a car