Yes, for those of you not here, it really has been shining in Stockholm. Wonderful early spring weather - clear blue sky, very little wind, temperature around 15. And the consequences? (sounds like me in one of my Social Studies lessons - "so, what's the issue/problem? What are the causes? The consequences?" - did I mention we've started looking at Identity/Integration/Immigration? more of that later). Anyway, back to the weather... the consequences are a significant number of people that think it is now warm enough for shorts and skirts - particularly the girls at Beverly Hill High, presumably to show off their legs to the boys or so that they can wear the latest ArmaniGucciPradaGabana skirt they bought last weekend in ParisMonacoRomeNY. I have ventured to sitting in the sun in a T-shirt in the middle of the day - it's not summer yet! Put the shorts away!! The weather also increased the particle & pollen count to the extreme, which in turn gave rich a severe dose of hay fever - mostly over now. See: cause, consequence and solution (loratadin 10mg!)
School is rolling along, 4 days next week before Easter holidays start. Have started looking at Integration with my Social Studies classes - not an issue unique to Sweden, looking at how society is affected and how it should react to immigration. It is always interesting talking about Integration, Segregation and Assimilation at the High School located in possibly THE most segregated area in Sweden (particularly based on socio-economic measures). Thankfully there are some students in the class that see that, and most of them agree with it when it is pointed out to them. (Teachers seem to develop this wonderful ability to ask questions where it is completely obvious to the student how they should answer - great!??) The main challenge for this issue (anywhere in the world) is to avoid falling into the "us" and "them" trap - which most countries/political parties/people fail to avoid. "They" should do this, do that, jump through hoops, do 13 years of school and 6 years of university again, learn our language (but not lose their foreign accent, so we know who they are), not complain, and be happy driving a taxi, working at a kebab place or a school kitchen in snob-ville. Above all, fit in, don't cause trouble, don't take our jobs, and fill the scape goat roll anytime we need you to. And whilst this may seem a bit harsh I believe that degrees of this lie behind many of the views/opinions expressed (not just in Sweden). Even when you look at the political parties "plans" for Integration much of it revolves around measures to help them - and very little that we need to do. So I'm fighting the uphill battle, in the hope that one day (when all the darlings to which I proclaim my great knowledge have leapt up the social/business/political ladder) some of this understanding will seep through and make the world a better place... here goes rich again - the idealistic [tree-hugging, left wing hippie - Alex's note] teacher. Enough of that... well, maybe one more thing:
What do fans of Midnight Oil, Nuclear Disarmament Party (ca. 1984), Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace, Surfrider Foundation, "sorry" (Sydney Olympics, 1st Oct 2000), and the Australian Labor Party?
Peter Garrett - and maybe he is managing to affect environment policy in the Opposition party... Australia might finally sign the Kyoto Protocol if Labor wins the next election. Would be amazing if they did - I was sadly disillusioned last election when I realised that many people seemed to vote with their hip pockets rather than ideals/morals (Iraq vs. interest rates was my interpretation of that election - and this one could be the same). Now I really do sound like Alex's tree-hugging hippie friend... enough banging on.
Time to go put my shorts on, the sun is shining!
rich.
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