I saw the film “Palo Alto” last night. I must say that I rarely see films, so I am certainly not a film critic. I grew up in Palo Alto, and went to high school there. I figured I would see the film and see Hollywood’s interpretation of my hometown. What a disappointment. The film is basically about confused teenagers partying, drinking, smoking, and having sex. I have no idea why it was called Palo Alto, because there was absolutely no reference to the city. All I know is that James Franco grew up in Palo Alto. He wrote the book and is in the film. The scene when the boys cut down the tree is real though. I remember that some kids cut down a beautiful oak tree at Gunn High school while I was a student there.   This movie version of life in Palo Alto is far from reality. My perception is that the teenagers there are all under a lot of pressure to get into good colleges, and their parents are ambitious people who want the absolute best for their children. If you are from Palo Alto, there is no need to see this film.

Yesterday I visited Millesgården, one of my favorite spots in Stockholm. It is an outdoor museum and former home of Carl Milles. The sculptures have a sense of lightness to them, as if they are about to fly away. There was an opening of an exhibit by a contemporary artist, Cajsa von Zeipel, who draws inspiration from Carl Milles, but dresses her figures in high heels and gothic clothes.

Sometimes I wish that I would drink coffee. There are so many trendy cafes now in Stockholm. Some have art galleries. One is a café that is also a bike shop. In the city, the cafes are full of people, with good haircuts and nice clothes, enjoying the company of their friends. And this is still winter: when the spring comes, it will be what a Swede might call a cafehuggsexa, a café free-for-all.