Year in review 2018

(Translatet via Google translate)

 

Since 2003, I have been summarizing the year like this, so it would be sad to stop now. It will be a part of my personal year, and a second part about news, entertainment, sports and stuff. Sometimes it goes into each other.

 

Content

Mid-2018
2018 New Year
Deceased celebrities
Entertainment
Top 10 songs
Top 10 movies
Sports
 

Mid-2018

 

There is one thing that I have to start with that includes so much of my year. It is that in January I met Therese, whom I was more and more seen with and which I am now happy to call my girlfriend. It has been so fun to hang out, find fun things, get to know each other as well as our friends and families. For several of the things I have done this year she has been with. I am so grateful that we have met, and I care for her very much.

 


 
But if I should go a little more chronologically, there were many trips during the first half. It started early in January with a nice weekend in Copenhagen together with large parts of the friends gang. Fun days with shopping and fine dining.

 

 
 

Then, on January 28, Therese and I met for the first time.

 

In February, it was heading north. Just like in 2017, I was able to follow Halland artists in Melodifestivalen via the job. Not just one, but two this year. Also, two that I attended high school at the same time (which I also wrote a column about).

 

 
One was Mariette, who made her third attempt to win, as well as the debutant Emmi Christensson. Both would compete in the race in Örnsköldsvik, so I went there. There were some really fun days, with a lot of work, but also very nice hang with other journalists, artists and others in the production. I also had access to a separate apartment in the middle of town via a colleague's acquaintance, which I had as a base between ropes, dinners and shows.

Outside Fjällräven Center
 
Henric von Zweigbergk 
 
Edward af Sillén
 
Mariette
 
 
Emmi Christensson
 
Roland Järverup, aka Robert Gustafsson
 
 
Mariette went to the final, but not Emmi. I had prepared to go to Kristianstad to follow the Second Chance on behalf of the job, but instead I was able to go there completely privately, together with Anna, Andreas, Tessan and Henke, where we lived with Tessan's family.
 

 
 

Only two days after that weekend it was time for this year's big trip, together with the same gang. We had booked a two-week holiday in Thailand, and it was absolutely wonderful. First a week in Ao Nang, where we every day took boats out to islands and beaches where we could swim, snorkel, sunbathe and eat anything possible (with the exception of when Anna became food poisoned). So beautiful views and relaxing days together with lovely people.


 

 
 
 

 

 
 

 
 

Then a week at Kata Beach in Phuket. There we were on the same beach every day, and could relax, again eat and drink well, but also catch up on excursions in the mountains and nightlife on Bangla road. So much sun and bath, it was really needed.

 
 
 
 

 
 

 In the spring at home in Sweden, iI had a nice weekend in Skåne, with first an overnight stay and show with David Lindgren in Helsingborg with Therese, and then check out theater in Malmö with mom and dad, plus nice dinner at my friend's Jocke's restaurant.

 

In May it was again time for a big trip, even this time Mello-related. Then it went off to Lisbon, where the Eurovision Song Contest was held. Together with my mello friends Johanna and Jenny, as well as Jenny's Australian boyfriend with friends. We went to all the live shows in the arena, and saw many good performances. Very cool to be on Eurovision this way. I also work a little, and did an interview and wrote chronicles, but otherwise I was just a tourist and a fan. A very nice city, and a lot of fun in the arenas.

 


  

We also had the opportunity to meet Sweden's representative Benjamin Ingrosso, which was fun. It then went very well for him in the competition as well. After the jury points he was in second place, but when the TV viewers dissected his song, he was only seventh. My favorite, Czech's Mikolas Josef, came six.

Benjamin Ingrosso
 
 
Johanna and Jenny in the arena during Sweden's semi final
 
 

 
Johanna and I cheered on the Czech Republic in the first semifinals
 
 

Since I will be traveling later in the winter, I did not take as much vacation during the summer, but it was not needed. The summer was the warmest anyone can remember. Constantly 30 days several days in a row. Sun and bathed all the time, but also drought, watering and burning prohibitions, and problems for the peasants. But for us ordinary sun worshipers it was a completely magical summer, whether you worked or not. But I still had a lot of free during the spring.


 

But I did with a little trip even in the summer, during the week that I and Therese were free at the same time. Then it was off to Denmark, where we lived a few days in Vordingsborg, and from there went to various day trips on islands, cliffs, beaches and zoos. Very cozy and nice, especially biking around a small island. 

 

 

During the summer my friend Fredrik also married his Sara. It was a great wedding, which had been preceded by a very fun bachelor party.
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
Summer also meant a lot of soccer, when Sweden went far in the World Cup and the outdoor restaurants were filled with yellow-blue fans for several weeks.

 

 


My cousin Rikard got her second child, Ida, so we were on baptism.

 

There were two trips to Öland, both together with Therese. One in August, so you get some sun and bath, but then also a weekend at the harvest party, at the end of September / October.

 
 


 
 

 
In addition to a fantastic summer, it also became a nice autumn, with many walks in autumn colors, halloween decorations and pumpkin cooking.

 

I have also had time to record two television programs during the year, but none of them have been broadcast. Firstly, it is the new version of the game show Who Knows The Most?, with new host Johan Wester. Then Who Wants To Be a Millionarie? with Rikard Sjöberg. Both of these programs are broadcast during the spring.

 


 

 
 
Another quiz I was in was "Swedish champonchip". Me and my friends usually go to quiz night every week at Harry's, and they have also had a competition in all their restaurants in Sweden, where one team from each city could win a place in the national final. We won after four competitions, and I, Svante, Linda, Andreas and Henke got to go and represent Halmstad in the final in Jönköping. Plus dinner, party and the day after a visit to the match museum.


 
Our team, Fritz klyka
 

Because Therese both sings herself and also leads Laholms Men's Choir, there have been many concerts and such types of performances during the year, both with the man choir and where she has sung.


 
 

The year ended in Annestad outside Ljungby, where I followed Therese to celebrate New Year with her friends, and on New Year's Day she held a concert with her friend Rebecka.

 


 
 

This has been a fantastic year. So much fun has happened. Several wonderful trips, both in the Nordic countries and far away. Warmth, friends, good food, music and more. The summer was lovely, and a lot of other fun has happened. But above all, I'm happy to have been able to share so much with someone else. It means a lot to me, and has been a strong contributing factor to this being one of my best years so far.

 

 

The new year that went

 

 

News year 

In Sweden, there have been the big general election, but we do not know how it went. It was September 9, but still, so at the turn of the year, it is not deceided how it has gone. The parties do not agree on who will govern, and in which constellations. Two Prime Minister votes have been held, one about Ulf Kristersson (M) and one about Stefan Löfven (S). It may be held no more than two more, and they are scheduled for January. If these do not go through then it will be new.

The reason for all the chaos is that no block has its own majority. A little crucial is C and L, and how they want to do. No one wants to become dependent on the far-right party SD (although KD and M have wavered there) and the middle parties also do not want to cooperate with V.

The election campaigns was otherwise almost as non-existent. With the warm summer, nothing started until the end of August, it felt like, and with the election in early September, it was not as drawn as before.

 

Another big thing has been the tours of the Swedish Academy. After the metoo-fall last year, it was revealed that Jean-Claude Arnault, who is called the culture profile in the media, has caught on and raped several people (he was convicted during the year both in the District Court and the Court of Appeal), and leaked information about Nobel Laureates in advance. He is married to a member, and the Academy has been divided into two phalanges. Partly those who of course think this is reprehensible, since those who inexplicably defend the rapist. And they later won. The Permanent Secretary was dismissed, and as a result, several other members quit. Those with sensible opinions disappeared, and the bullies may remain.

As a result, it was chosen not to award a Nobel Prize in literature.

 

The severe drought led to extensive fires in Sweden during the summer. Later in the year, it has also burned very much around the world, including in California. In the south, it burned in Malibu among other things, and many celebrities' homes were destroyed. In the north there were even worse fires, and, among other things, a whole city, Paradise, was completely destroyed in northern California.

 

The climate situation has attracted a lot of attention during the year, both because of this and several other meetings that have been held. But still, world leaders cannot agree on how to overcome this. And it is above all a person who is the reason for this ...

Donald Trump.

Internationally, this year, like the latest ones, has belonged to this weird man. His decision is often not preceded by anything other than his own impulses, and is rarely anchored by experts. Only recently he said first that he should pull out all the troops from Syria. "It wont be very good," said all military and connoisseurs. Then Trump changes. Absolutely erratic.

 

His handling of refugees again received criticism, including when they were closed in cages.

But he also did other things during the year, for example he got a meeting with North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-Un. There, it would be promised that North Korea's nuclear weapons would be scrapped, but it doesn't seem to have helped.

 

In the fall, letter bombs were sent to several well-known democrats, including former presidents and actors. No one was injured. Later in the fall, the republicans suffered defeat in the midterm elections.

 

In Thailand, a soccer team with young people was stuck in a gave for a long time. They could eventually be saved. All young people survived, but a rescue worker died.

 

The Swedish king made a record of being ruler over Sweden for the longest time in history.

 

The EU decides to ban plastic disposable items eventually. The GDPR law, on data protection, is voted through. In Ireland, you vote for abortion to be no longer illegal. Homosexuality is decriminalized in India.

 

A Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khasoggi, is murdered in Istanbul, allegedly by Saudi Arabia. Later in the year, threatened journalists are appointed to Person of the Year by Time Magazine.

 

Greece and Macedonia have ended their incredibly silly name fight. Macedonia should change its name, and add a "North".

 

Dead celebrities

Lill-Babs, Avicii, Johannes Brost, Ingvar Kamprad, Mort Walker, Kenneth Gärdestad, Ulrika Hydman Vallien, Jerry Williams, Lys Assia, Winnie Mandela, Milos Forman, Barbara Bush, Ola Ullsten, Per Ahlmark, Aretha Franklin, Kofi Annan, John McCain, Burt Reynolds, Frank Andersson, Kim Larsen, Lisbeth Palme, George HW Bush, Stephen Hawking, Stan Lee.

 

Entertainment

It is perhaps difficult to talk about "entertainment", but the two biggest events during the year were two deaths. It is about two of Sweden's biggest artists ever, but from completely different eras. Barbro "Lill-Babs" Svensson died after just 80 years of age, and was a huge star from early 1950s till her death. The DJ Tim "Avicii" Bergling killed himself in May, only 28 years old. This created much discussion about the pressing life he lived, and a documentary about his life received new attention.

 

Melodifestivalen was in the final a fight between two childhood friends, Benjamin Ingrosso and Felix Sandman. The first water. The songs this year were good, but contained a lot of trams, such as Edward Blom who "sang" surrounded by dancing food. The program itself, however, was unsettled, and they were due to the script work and the director. The presenter David Lindgren and the side kick Fab Freddie did the best they could.

 

Eurovision then won by Netta, with an unusually up-to-date song, about metoo, disguised with chicken sounds.

 

Top 10 songs

  1. Peg Parnevik – Loafers
  2. Clean Bandit & Demi Lovato – Solo
  3. Ina Wrodsen – Stronger
  4. Alan Walker – Ignite
  5. Alan Walker – Darkside
  6. Bad Wolves – Zombie
  7. Imagine Dragons – Natural
  8. Mikolas Josef – Lie to me
  9. Vargas & Lagola – Roads
  10. Ava Max – Sweet but psycho

 

Movies

Superhero movies dominated the film year. Among the five most revenue-generating films were four of the films, namely Avengers: Infinity war (which was a great talk in the spring, especially for its ending), Black Panther (who refuted people who have not believed that they can make grand movies of and with black people), The Incredibles 2 and Venom.

In the third place came the new Jurassic Park movie.

Musical films were also successful in cinemas, such as the Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody, the new version of A Star is born, and the sequel to Mamma Mia. It was worse than imagined to go to movies in old series, such as the self-standing Star Wars prequel Solo, the Harry Potter thing and the other movie in the Fantastic wonder series, and a new Stieg Larsson movie in American Swedish.

 

Top 10 favorite movies

  1. Bohemian Rhapsody
  2. A Quiet Place
  3. Ready Player One
  4. A Star is born
  5. Black Panther
  6. Ant-man and the Wasp
  7. Mamma Mia! Here we go afain
  8. Avengers: Infinity War
  9. Unga Astrid
  10. Venom

 

Sports

It was Winter Olympics in South Korean Pyeoungchang. It went great for Sweden, with more medals than ever. There were seven gold.

It was not with any NHL players in the hockey tournament.

 

Otherwise, the second major event was the summer's World Cup. Sweden unexpectedly did well and thanks to the hot summer it became folk parties during each match, and crowded outdoor cafés.

After winning against South Korea, it became a sad 1-2 loss against the big favorite Germany. But with the help of a win against Mexico and some other unexpected results, the reigning world champions Germany were eliminated and Sweden went on to the eighth finals. There, Switzerland, who became a mouthful of blue-yellow, waited for the first time since 1994 to reach the quarter-finals on the men's side. There, England waited, but Sweden made a very pale match. Actually, one should have been able to take them, but it was never really close.

Later, France won against the Senate team Croatia in the final. Belgium took bronze against England.

During the autumn, a new national team tournament, the Nations League, was introduced. No one has really taken the set up yet, but Sweden won their group anyway.

 

In Halmstad, HBK was very pale, and failed to get up from Superettan to Allsvenskan. However, Falkenberg succeeded. In the highest series, AIK won gold.

 

The new NHL team Vegas Golden Knights surprised everyone with how good they were. It went all the way to the Stanley Cup final, where they eventually got to defeat the Washington Capitals. This meant, on the other hand, that Alexander Ovetchkin and Nicklas Bäckström finally got to win.

Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. A very bad season.

For the second time ever, a Swedish one was elected in the NHL rally, when Buffalo Sabers chose Rasmus Dahlin.

NHL has decided that the league will be expanded again in a few years, this time with a team from Seattle.

 

During the year, Stockholm worked to get the winter Olympics in 2026. The governing politicians are skeptical, but there are problems in the other candidate cities as well. So there are great opportunities that Stockholm takes home the hosting.