like cats at night

2:36 p.m., Sunday. The apartment is quiet, and I can hear the irritating howl of the singers in the nearby street church. They run the church in small park across the river near the homeless shelter, Sundays and Mondays, and it's starting to drive me mental. I have often wondered about the whole scenario. I have nothing against them putting on church for those living on the streets, but the way they do it is a bit in-your-face. I mean, what's welcoming about giant loudspeakers and yowling worship leaders? Everyone in the neighbourhood is subjected to it.

At least I can still hear the rain outside; increased to a dull roar on the roof of the apartment, and pattering on the leaves of the trees. The sound of a generous rain is so soothing, and it takes the edge off the singers.

My brain is a soft jumble of unfinished thought lately. I've been tired and working alot and haven't had much energy for creative process. I've started reading the book The Righteous, by Martin Gilbert, a collection of anecdotal accounts of unsung heroes of the Holocaust. While informative and carefully written, it's ghastly and incomprehensible. I am only reading it a bit at a time.

My learning process right now has slowed to trying to learn a bit about the game only Americans and Camericans call "soccer". I started with a National Geographic feature, and worked my way to some online reading, to actually getting up at 7:30 a.m. to watch a World Cup game. It's funny: When it comes to soccer, my whole family cheers for Sweden. Hockey, of course, is another sport, but it was enjoyable to be gathered around the boob-tube in a heightened state of anxiety and anticipation. The tie is another story; a fluke, I say.

Now street-church preacher is up, and I can hear in the cadence of his tone exactly how he is preaching. Can't they ever just speak to people in a normal tone of voice?

I think I will end this... time to get ready for dinner at my parent's place with my grandma. More on my thrilling exsistence later. I'm sure you are going to hold your breath.

And Jakob, if you read this, I promise I won't say anything more about U2 if you tell me what you guys are planning for the reception :-)