Just the kind of day I needed after the week I’ve had. Waking at my own pace to frost and sunshine, puttering about, reading a bit here, cleaning a bit there, not really doing much of anything. Looking through Lego boxes with Martin to find all the different Lego people heads we have (41!), and having a delicious dinner of sushi out and then Melodifestivalen LIVE at Malmö Arena! There wasn’t anyone on the line-up that I cared all that much about, so I could relax and enjoy the show without thinking too much about it. It was quite different from a regular concert, since it’s televised live and a great deal of effort goes into making things go smoothly, but it was pretty seamless.
Apart from the row of VERY LOUD men talking right behind us through the show (until the lady next to Anders finally turned around and told them to shut up which saved me from having to do it) we all enjoyed it, and I was pleased that Malena won with her operatic rocker and thought she was darling with her obviously genuine surprise and pleasure at winning, though I’m not 100% sure that her song can 1) win the final or 2) win Eurovision.
I’m still not convinced that a music competition like this is really a fair thing to do at all, regardless of its popularity, and precisely BECAUSE of its popularity. I seldom think that the really good songs get a chance, and the way they have the competition set up now with the stupid extra duels makes it even less likely that the really good songs are able to pass the popularity contest side of things. Regardless, it’s still a campy, silly lot of fun to watch.
These are the 2 songs I like best from the whole thing: I Got U performed by Rigo & The Topaz Sound featuring Red Fox, and La Voix performed by Malena Ernman. Neither one of them is a really typical song for Melodifestivalen, BUT that might be just why they have a better chance of winning the modern Eurovision contest than the usual pop-disco-schlager stuff.
Math Brain strikes again
Liz: *driving past gas station* OH man, I knew I should have bought gas this morning!
Martin: *from backseat* Why?
Liz: Because it was under 11 this morning and now it’s 11.44! It’s almost 12!
Martin: It didn’t go up that much.
Liz: It’s almost 12!
Martin: No, it’s not. It’s closer to 11 than to 12.
Liz: Is not.
Martin: Is too.
Liz: *very long pause* Well, it would be closer to 12 if it was a CLOCK.
Martin & Liz: *giggle madly*
*Title from a quote by Hans Christian Andersen