bortgjord, främmande och vilse

I spoke to a friend yesterday about my writing. I told him that I've been considering writing in Swedish lately and he asked me if anyone would actually read it then. (I don't think he knows I actually have quite a few friends here who read it for some reason that not even I know.) My answer was that I write for myself, not for anyone else, and if no one read this I'd still be writing. Maybe not here, but on a piece of paper, a receipt or just on a file on my computer. It's more a need to write than an actual will, but I think I've mentioned this before.

Hrm, I just considered making this a dual-language-entry and started translating into Swedish, but it just felt odd. Too personal. How weird.

That opposition... I almost felt sorry for the guys whose essay we were commenting. They were writing about why a sweater from a guestdesigner - Jimmy Choo - sells better at H&M than one that's almost identical. It was an interesting read, I give them that, but if you start talking about a brand at least make sure you have something about that company then. And if you decide to not use a whole book, at least read the book then. This still brings a smile to my lips (or well, a scournful grin) so I decided to write it down and then you can just skip it or read it or whatever. We're in green, the opposees are in purple and the teacher is black.

We'd like to have information about Jimmy Choo - not everyone know who or what that is.
Your references... Why don't you have a page-number?
Well, we don't need it, we've mentioned the book. Isn't that alright? (Turning to the teacher.)
I have to agree - if you don't have the page-number it means that you're referring to the whole book, instead of just a passage. Always have page-numbers.
I'd like to know why you've put Jimmy Choo in italics on one page, but not anywhere else.
We'd like to emphasize that it's his brand we're mentioning.
Okay fair enough. Although if you'd read the background you'd've known that it's not a he, it's a company. Then you'd also know that he no longer owns his company - he's sold it.
(Silence.)
You've mentioned that you haven't used Naomi Klein's No Logo because you think it's about brand resistance and marketing from a company's point of view. Is this all you think this book is about?
Well, yes...
Because we don't think so and you, who've written about how mass media influence us, could certainly have used this book in your essay. It's fine that you haven't - just give us a better reason.

Okay, so these guys were really unlucky - I happen to be a fan of Jimmy Choo, but their research was really really bad. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes with all the corrections they had to do. Our essay? Oh, it turned out that the group who opposed us had gotten everything all wrong. I know, it's very hard not to gloat.