TopSpot9

2012-01-24T22:51:00.000+01:00

I have forgotten my fathers voice...

Struggeling

2009-04-12T20:37:00.002+02:00

I'm struggeling with my dark side. Too much work, for too long, drives my demons to the surface whenever I'm out of office. Don't know why really, it's just a fact. I cannot hide.

Happy New Year 2009

2008-12-30T10:49:00.007+01:00

My New Year's resolutions:

be happy (it's a choice)
express gratitude and love

People who are... people

2008-11-23T13:52:00.002+01:00

"It's hard to see what people have become, you know.
It hurts...
Time has passed and we who left have changed in a different way than those who stayed. I don't want to go there anymore, at least not for a "vacation".
If I should go, I better go on my own. And only for a very short time, just to see madar joon."

Those are R's words...
oh, by the way, "people" is mainly referring to family. His family.

Am I ridiculous to feel hurt by this?

Vancouver

2008-11-02T14:33:00.002+01:00

Last week I had the opportunity to go to Vancouver, Canada. It was the first time ever in Canada for me, and a really short, crazy, trip. Leaving Gothenburg on Sunday, having meetings in Vancouver Monday and Tuesday, and then flight back to Gothenburg on Tuesday night. Considering the flight is 13 hours, with a time difference of 9 hours.... well, you do the maths. (Hint; I was quite groggy the rest of the week.)

I didn't have much time to actually see the city, more than from the cab window, but I think I like downtown Vancouver. I stayed at the Westin Grand Hotel which was really nice. And I did walk down to Yaletown on Monday night to have dinner. Ended up at a place called something like ...cactus...? or something. Good food, nice staff, and not too crowded :-)

I learned that Vancouver has really good asian food, and people seem to be relaxed and very friendly. Oh, by the way, I bought the book "Life of Pi" (by Yann Martel) at the Book Warehouse (open till 22:00). I always try to buy "english books" when I'm abroad because they are darn expensive in Sweden. And this one I have ment to read for a long time now, but just haven't come around to it.

On the way back, I had an old greek man sitting beside me. He didn't speak that much english, but I figured out that he was from Athens and that he had a son in Vancouver. The flight was a bit bumby and everytime we entered bad weather the old man took out a prayer book. He asked me a thousand times if I was from Holland (we were changing flight in Amsterdam). And even though I said "no, I'm from Sweden", he popped the question once again a few minutes later.
One of my biggest fears is to loose my brains... this man was so sweet, and when we landed at Schiphol he gave me two big cheek-kisses, and one on my head.

2008-10-26T23:11:00.003+01:00

2008-09-28T17:53:00.005+02:00

I lost her, the world lost her.

My friend since 20 years passed on

two months ago.

I feel so lonely.

What's up?

2008-06-16T15:44:00.004+02:00

What's up, you might wonder.

Well, I'm back in Sweden. Right now I just got back from the dentist (one cavaty which cost me 1500 SEK, approx 250 USD, and quite some pain, but I'm just happy it wasn't worse.) and a few days ago I got my tickets for this summer trip to Iran.

The European Championship in football is ongoing. Sweden lost to Spain 1-2 and will take on Russia on Wednesday. Equal score is enough to take Sweden to the quarter finals, so that's what I'm hoping for.

I'm reading "Mental Technology - Software For Your Hardware" by Barbara Berger. You can check her out here.

What else???
The sun is shining over Göteborg.
I'm alright.
Life is good.

/Take care, all you beautiful people.

What?

2008-04-11T15:36:00.000+02:00

An elderly gentleman feared his wife was getting hard of hearing. So one day he called her doctor to make an appointment to have her hearing checked.
The Doctor made an appointment for a hearing test in two weeks, and said that in the meantime there was a simple, informal test the husband could do to give the doctor some idea of the state of her problem.
'Here's what you do," said the doctor, "start out about 40 feet away from her, and in a normal conversational tone talk to her and check if she can hear you. If not, go to 30 feet, then 20 feet, and so on until you get a response."

That evening, the wife is in the kitchen cooking dinner, and he's in the living room. He says to himself, "I'm about 40 feet away, let's see what happens." Then in a normal tone he asks, 'Honey, what's for supper?"
No response. So the husband moved to the other end of the room, about 30 feet from his wife and repeats, "Honey, what's for supper?" Still no response.

Next he moves into the dining room where he is about 20 feet from his wife and asks, "Honey, what's for supper?" Again he gets no response.
So he walks up to the kitchen door, only 10 feet away. "Honey, what's for supper?"
Again there is no response. So he walks right up behind her. "Honey, what's for supper?"
"Damn it Earl, for the fifth time, CHICKEN!"

Returning

2008-04-08T13:23:00.004+02:00

I never expected returning would be hard... it was... it is.
Tonight I will start looking for another job...
Maybe this time I will take what is offered.
***
All you lovely people - life is good when you stop by

Forced happiness

2008-03-18T10:04:00.004+01:00

This could be a post on how life sucks.
How some men are trapped in the thought of themselves and therefore not able to love (well, I suppose this is true for some women as well).
How some women stick to what they know, even if they know it isn't good for them.
How hard it is to realise that you are alone in this life, even when together with others.
And how hard it is to live with this knowledge...

But "joy and happiness are major forces defeating the hostile spirits" someone said, so I will not start the new year with tears in my heart. I will not!

The mission

2008-03-11T07:27:00.004+01:00

me: is a mission really needed

pp: oh yes... find neverland - or stay dead

A trip out of town

2008-03-06T02:54:00.006+01:00

My ticket is booked, I'm going home March 19:th, just in time for NohRooz :-)

Last weekend I spent in Hangzhou, a town located 2 hours by train from Shanghai. Hangzhou used to be the capital of China (one of seven cities that have been capitals) and the Italian explorer Marco Polo called the city one of the most beautiful in the world.

What attracts people to Hangzhou today is mainly the West Lake, and the Lingyin temple (also known as the Temple of the Soul's Retreat). Lingyin is one of the largest and wealthiest Buddhist tempels in China.

Chinese people are very supersticious. It is important for them to follow tradition and they simply have to do certain things on certain days. For example if you are about to marry you better consult a website (or a "wise man") and calculate which date will be best - otherwise it might be an unhappy marriage.

On new years day it is highly recommended to visit the temple to pray for good fortune the coming year. And since Lingying is the largest and wealthiest, you'd better go there. New years day the entrance fee was said to be more than 200 RMB. Quite a lot of money for a Chinese.

On an ordinary weekend the fee is 30 RMB. But if you are a registered Buddhist you don't have to pay the fee, and you will even get the incense sticks for free. Selling incense sticks by the way, must be good business because even though three is a holy number and you are advised to burn three sticks, people seem to think "the more the better". Not taking much notice of the signs saying "Your piety to Buddha is more worth than burning incense sticks".

New thinking

2008-02-15T06:34:00.007+01:00

One of the girls we just hired in Shanghai told in her resumé that she is a passionate knitter. I suppose that kind of information is rarely found in american resumés, or maybe I am wrong. Anyway, I thought it was kind of cute and happy that her technical qualifications was sufficient to grant her a second round of interviews, and eventually a contract.

It is something about knitting that gives you a feeling of relaxation. But I don't knitt.

My mom taught me how to when I was about six years old, and yes I have made some hidious jumpers and scarves in the past. But I soon lost interest, and preferred to crochet table cloths instead. I know it was all about the pattern - crocheting gave me freedom to create a pattern that was visible to me from the beginning (not like a knitted jumper; one back one front and two arms...).

But no one ever said that knitting must be boring and predicitve. Swedish designer Sandra Backlund, who won the Hyerés 2007 festival, has opened my eyes once more. Creativity is about thinking in a new way. Don't let your "knowledge" stop you, at the end of the day it's all about having fun.

Valentine

2008-02-14T04:14:00.008+01:00

Valentine's gift? No...

One of our chinese co-workers got married during the spring festival (chinese new year celebration last week) so today when coming back to work he brought me some "lucky candy". It sure warmed my frozen heart, and made this day a bit brighter.

Growing up I don't remember that we ever celebrated Valentine. But these days it is quite an event, at least if you measure it by how much it is talked about in the media and also by the effort shops put in to make this another big-spending-day.

It's not only chocolate and heart shaped sweets that are on display. Oh no, they obviously believe that anything with the tiniest connection to love, or the colour red, might be sold. And probably they are right. People tend to buy more, and also more expensive, gifts every year (the same goes for Christmas). Why is that?

Will I ever...

2008-02-13T09:20:00.001+01:00

Will I ever understand men?

Stupidity

2008-02-03T02:21:00.000+01:00

Help Hydra stop this stupidity.

Nothingness

2008-02-03T01:54:00.000+01:00

Don't know why really, but as I was surfing around I also clicked some of the "old links". You know those that you know isn't updated anymore, but still, somewhere in the back of your mind for a fraction of a second you tell your self "maybe"...

And all of a sudden I got this picture in my head, of the Internet being full of closed down blogs saying "thank you all" and nothing more.

Waiting for spring

2008-02-01T02:06:00.000+01:00

Coming back to Shanghai this time was really hard... I miss my family so much.

My way to survive is to work hard (way to many hours each day) and try not to cry my eyes out every night.

Guess it would have been a bit easier if I at least could have some sun on my face. But instead we've had quite a bit of snow this past week. And windy.

Everybody keeps telling me that Shanghai haven't had this much snow in more than 20 years.

Next week is the beginning of spring festival - the Chinese new year. And just as for the Swedish christmas, everybody is "going home".

Every time this year is chaos with millions of people travelling all over the country. So you can probably imagine what's it like this year...

On the news last night they showed how travellers are setting up camps around the train station, waiting for better weather as many trains have been cancelled due to snow.

I'm staying in town... waiting for easter when I probably will be able to go back home.

2008-01-12T00:27:00.000+01:00

I went home for Christmas.
Thank God for kobideh, pizza, and swedish candy.
Now I'm on my way back. Delicious Donna Karan securely tucked in my luggage.

What's that smell?

2007-11-20T13:59:00.000+01:00

After two weeks in China I keep thinking of Alirezas neighbour... yeah, it smells funny here. Sometimes it smells like s**t, but I believe that smell is coming from the cars. God knows what they're driving on.

The food is either really good, or really bad. I believe that you should try before rejecting, so consquently I have tried some really strange food. Or what do you say about cow lung and sea weed? I prefered the sea weed. Never again will I put cow lung in my mouth. Mind you, I'm not especially fond of kaleh pacheh either.

In general, everybody is really nice and helpful - though their English is not very good. To think of it, I'm not really sure if they actually are that nice, or just smiling while saying something mean. But, I prefer to have faith in the goodness of mankind, so I say they are nice.

Next stop, Shanghai

2007-11-02T20:32:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow I'm leaving for Shanghai, China. This past week I've had tons to do, preparing for the new assignment. And it hasn't really hit me until now - geee, I'm gonna stay there until June 17...

I was told that it is possible to post to blogger.com, but you cannot read blogger-blogs from China. So, please don't be cross with me when I'm not posting comments on your blogs. I'll catch up when I'm home for christmas :-)

2007-10-07T09:49:00.000+02:00

You might think this blog is dead... not much has happened here these past couple of weeks. Sorry about that, dear friends. But you know how it is, lots to do at work, no creative inspiration, lack of time, out of town with limited access to the net... I could give you tons of excuses, but you don't need that, do you?

Bad feeling inside

2007-08-26T15:11:00.000+02:00

This time of the year, bigger cities in Sweden, like Malmö, Göteborg or Stockholm, receives a lot of tourists. And also, for the past five or six years, an increasing lot of beggars.

Of course there are native people (not just Swedes but people living in Sweden all year long) that are "at the bottom" and some of them even homeless. But you don't see them beg in the streets. They pick pepsi cans or play music in the street corners, and if they beg you for something it's usually a cigarette.

But nowadays, during the summer months, you'll see, not just one or two, but several unfortunate ones. Mostly men, but I've also seen a few ladies, standing on their knees with heads dropped and eyes following you from far down the street. Hands reached out, holding a cap, or a plastic cup, with a few Swedish kronor in it.

According to Swedish papers, the police say that this is people, mainly from Rumania, but also from other poor eastern European countries, that have begging as a sort of summer occupation. During one good day in Stockholm they can get more money than what they would from a regular job in their own country.

I've always regarded begging as one of the most humiliating things ever, and cannot believe that someone would choose to do that if there was an alternative. But maybe I have changed. Yesterday I found myself looking closely at a beggar before handing him any money. And I don't longer give to everyone.
I hate this feeling inside.

Give it to me - now

2007-08-23T08:42:00.000+02:00

Stuck at work way to long everyday, and most of the pots and pans already packed for the upcoming move next week, life is hard. I want good food. And I want it now!

If I wasn't fond of men, I would have gone for Nigella. For sure ;-)
The cover of her new book is quite like my life. Pasta in one hand, and the mobile in the other. Don't get me wrong, I love being a woman able to do more than one thing at the time, but right now there's no Nigella-smile on my face.

This past week has been an all time mess. We had to postpone a software delivery at work, which was OK, and yet... not OK. And on top of that, I missed my brothers birthday-party. I haven't dared to call and question him about all the scandals yet. Figure he's still in bed.

The boss wants me to go to Shanghai, China, for six months... I'm torn. Yeah, it's a career move, but I have personal responsibilities here, and besides, I'm chicken. By the way, didn't I tell you just a few weeks ago that I just want a simple, calm, life? Look what that request has brought upon me.

Very strange laws indeed

2007-08-20T07:10:00.000+02:00

The Times has provided a list of the world's strangest laws, which is quite funny.
Take, for example, a look at no 24: "It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament"... it may be a bit hard to carry out a punishment for that, won't it?

Or no19: "In Ohio, it is against state law to get a fish drunk". Well, I've heard about the use of small bombs to get the fish groggy and make them float to the surface... but alcohol?

"In the UK, a man who feels compelled to urinate in public can do so only if he aims for his rear wheel and keeps his right hand on his vehicle", according to no 10. Whereas "a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants – even, if she so requests, in a policeman’s helmet" (no 17)... I'm speechless.

And I'm moving too

2007-08-09T13:11:00.000+02:00

But not quite as "final" as Bergman, just to the other side of town.
It's amazing how much stuff one has, without actually being aware of it. Years ago, I decided to live by the philosophy "whenever you buy something new, you should give away something old"... now I wonder what happened to that insight.

A genius has moved on

2007-08-04T10:27:00.000+02:00

On 30 July, the swedish director Ingmar Bergman passed away. Despite his age, the news came as a bit of a shock. Being referred to as a "mentor" for directors like Woody Allen, one realise what a huge impact on world stage- and cinema art he has had. And it is a bit ironic that Michelangelo Antonioni (another great director) also passed the very same day.

Last night swedish television broadcasted Fanny and Alexander, one of my favourite Bergman films. Not only because it's like a candy store for a former prop-master, but also because it features the elite of swedish actors. It is pure joy to watch these talented artists (some of them no longer with us).

Anyway, whenever I see films staged in another era, like this one which is depicting the early 20th century, I get the feeling of being born in the "wrong" age. I should have been around in 1910 or 1920. Or maybe even further back in time... it's just a feeling, but it's strong.

2007-07-24T23:56:00.000+02:00

pain has

many faces

I don't need you

to show me

any more

...

my prayers

are carried

by the wind

just as

yours

Team Melli

2007-07-13T08:47:00.000+02:00

Even though Irans first game in the Asian Cup ended with a smile, when they beat Uzbekistan with 2-1, one has to be a bit nervous about the future, especially since all three goals were made by Team-e-Melli...

According to Ali Karimi, the main problem is the Malaysian weather. Perhaps the weather also caused the manager, Amir Ghalenoi, to have a fit. Next game, against China on Sunday, Ghalenoi will be watching from the gradstand.

To have, or not to have

2007-07-12T12:29:00.000+02:00

So, what can a girl do when it's raining cats and dogs outside (where in the world did that stupid expression come from)?
I've been watching film. Little Miss Sunshine (appropriate title, don't you think), Babel, The Prestige, and Apocalypto. It is quite nice to curl up in the sofa, but honestly, movies should be seen at the cinema.

I've only been to the cinema once this year... it's a shame, because I love it, and would go much more often if I only took the time to do so. But anyway, I saw Helen Mirren in The Queen. A marvelous performance in a somewhat dull movie. In my opinion, it lacked bite.

Talking about Royalties, I am reading "An Enduring Love", by Farah Pahlavi. It is interesting to see her point of view, and it gets very obvious that you experience life differently depending on who you are. I am not talking about whether you have, or have not, the means to do something, because I do believe that everybody can do good, no matter who you are.
It's up to you how you will live your life. How you will take on the challenges your are facing.

The Swedish crown princess, Victoria, is turning 30 this saturday. The last couple of years the swedish media has been quite harsh on her when it comes to something that for ordinary swedes is considered a private matter - marriage.

It is a public secret that she has a boyfriend, a "man of the people". It is also well known that the King is not approving of this relationship. It's not even certain that the poor fellow will be invited to the birthday party. Imagine that, a grown woman, Swedish head of state to be, and you cannot choose your husband without the consent of the court.

Yes, they are privileged, in many ways. But so am I.

Under my umbrella

2007-07-11T06:50:00.000+02:00

In Sweden, everybody is entitled to at least five weeks vacation per year. You don't have to take the whole lot at the same time, but most employers need to have your applications at least a couple of weeks in advance.

The beginning of June was quite nice, with temperature around 25 C. So, I decided to take four weeks off from work, starting this monday...

Today, it's 14 C and raining... No wonder suicide rates are high in Scandinavia.

2007-07-07T10:17:00.000+02:00

070707... since seven is considered a "lucky number", I suppose this will be a wonderful day.

2007-07-01T00:09:00.000+02:00

Summer gift á la 2007 (from the company). Don't they look more like toilet bags? I wonder what Nigella would have said... Anyway, if you want one too, you can get it from Stelton.

Public holiday

2007-05-17T15:30:00.000+02:00

Today is a public holiday and I love public holidays. I don't care a bit about what is celebrated, just that I am allowed to sleep a bit longer in the morning is enough to be thankful.

But you can't stay in bed all day, so I went to see a football game (boys, aged 17). Football is very good if you want to keep your mind on something else than job-issues. Even good games have moments when your mind is off somewhere in the distance. And that's not a bad thing.

About twenty minutes or so, into the game, I realised that I was thinking about Nigella Lawson and chocolate/brandy cakes. I have a thing when it comes to Nigella. She is so lovely, beautiful and funny. But why in the world does she have to stick her fingers into her mouth all the time? Maybe some people think it's sexy... maybe she does... but I certainly don't.

Another British chef that I sometimes watch on TV is Jamie Oliver. At least he doesn't put his fingers in his mouth all the time. On the other hand, there is something strange with his mouth. His lips are... mushy. But he's a fantastic cook. Which is odd since the british kitchen is considered one of the worlds worse.

Right before halftime my team scored, totally fair. Second half was even easier, and the boys won five to nil. I went home and had Ghormeh sabzi.

Right into the bin

2007-05-13T16:51:00.000+02:00

There's been a lot of media focus lately, in Sweden, on blog bullies. The latest blogger to anounce her resignation from the blog world, is a credited novelist and columnist. A person who is a professional writer, making her salary on texts that quite often are both critical and somewhat bitchy.

It makes me wonder how the criticism against her looks like. It must have been bad, to make a tough chick like her quit.

There is a distinct difference between criticism and bullying, I know. One you should learn from, and the other should go right into the bin.

But the lesson to learn is that we all have this little soft spot inside. When pushed too often, we might crack, even though the brain says "it's just another ass trying to be witty".

2007-05-06T18:02:00.000+02:00

"Will God ever forgive us for what we are doing to each other, I thought.
Then I realised that God has left this place a long time ago."

This quote is from the film "Blood Diamond". A horrid film, well worth seeing. As usual my eyes and cheeks became a bit wet. One feels so powerless when facing evil... And still, we can all do something. If we are aware of what's going on.

Every being has a bit of God within. Do one good thing for another being, and you are on the right track.

Shopping

2007-04-15T16:19:00.000+02:00

Nowadays women earn almost as much as men. In some cases, they even earn more. Then why do we need to feel guilty when shopping? Face it, no one is scrutinizing, or even commenting, on men shopping.

Could it have to do with the fact that men don't buy as many things as women? If so, one has to consider that the stuff men buy is often more expensive.
A new handbag is fine with me - but R wants a new BMW.

Busy as a Bee

2007-04-14T21:48:00.000+02:00

All hell has broken out at the office. Two co-workers are on sick leave, due to stress related illness, and another one announced yesterday that he has decided to join another firm. I don't blame him, considering that the salary he will get is approx. 20 percent higher.

With three people less, the work load is almost unbearable. And of course we have some major deliveries within the next two months. I tell you, I didn't sleep that good last night...

So, what do I do? Instead of preparing for next week, I am blogging.
Busy as a bee, and yet in denial.

But what the h*, it's saturday. The sun is finally shining over Göteborg, and the birds are singing outside my window.

A piece of meat

2007-04-09T20:02:00.000+02:00

I don't mind having a piece of meat every now and then...
What I'm concerned about is how we treat animals before eating them. Acctually, the whole meat-industry is quite disgusting.

Anyway, animal-right-activists held a manifistation in Stockholm a couple of days ago. And I must salute their creativity, as they wrapped themselves, bloody and naked, in a package similar to the ones we see in the supermarkets ("kött" means "meat", in swedish).
Mind you, it was freezing cold that day.

Lipstick Jihad

2007-03-25T10:02:00.000+02:00

Time for another book tip, "Lipstick Jihad" from Azadeh Moaveni (clever title). It's not a new book, I know (published in the US in 2005), but perhaps you, like me, have missed it.

The first time I saw Moaveni's name, was as the co-writer to Shirin Ebadis "Iran Awakening" (also an interesting book), and when Googeling, this interview came up. Enjoy :-)

A prosperous new year

2007-03-24T13:19:00.000+01:00

Swedish shopping malls have finally realised that they can make money on Nohrooz. Actually it started last year, when a food shop in Göteborg had a haft-sin table on display inside the shop.

This year another shopping centre decided to put an ad in the local paper.

It turned out to be a not-so-good idea. The local community of Iranians had a fit, claiming that the couple in the picture are arabs, and not iranians. This based on the fact that "iranian men seldom have a beard", and "the woman certainly looks more like an arab than an iranian".

The persons responsible for the ad apologised, both in the paper and on the local iranian radio station. But I doubt that it secured the expected Nohrooz profit.

2007-03-18T18:40:00.000+01:00

Well yes, women in general are crazy about handbags. But honestly, isn't it even more crazy to make a design like this? And then put a prize tag of 46 000 dollar on it?

Anyone buying this quilt of Louis Vuitton, must be out of his/her mind, even if it makes them the owner of the worlds most expensive handbag.

2007-03-13T21:54:00.000+01:00

It's often the small things that make the difference. This electric socket by Mina Wu is a fine example of that, I think.

Here is an interview with her, and also an introduction to Droog Design.

2007-02-24T13:54:00.000+01:00

I'm not a liar.

I may be a lot of things. But, I'm not a liar.

The problem is, that you don't see things the way I do.

My truth isn't yours, obviously.

The silence of snow

2007-02-23T18:25:00.000+01:00

The silence of snow, thought the man sitting just behind the busdriver. If this were the beginning of a poem, he would have called what he felt inside him 'the silence of snow'.

Isn't this just a lovely way to start telling a story?
It's from the beginning of Orhan Pamuk's book "Snow", and that's just how I feel right now.

I stopped by the book store on my way home from work today. This itching inside forces me to get a book. Which is so stupid, since the yearly book sales starts on tuesday.

But, anyway, when I shop for books I either know exactly what I'm after, or I go by my gut feeling. Today was a gut-day.
I went straight up to the paperback shelf, and picked out this Orhan Pamuk book. Don't know why, really. But the beginning looks promising.

Lights-out

2007-02-03T00:28:00.000+01:00

To put some extra focus on the climate change report that was released today, the French organization Planet Alliance, yesterday urged us to join a five-minute "lights-out" campaign to express our concern over the fact that the earth is getting warmer.

Lights went out in Paris, both on the Eiffel tower and also at the Paris Hilton, where a lot of the scientists working on the report was staying. Several other European cities also staged symbolic blackouts along with Paris. For example, Rome, where the Colosseum and the Capitol went all black. In Madrid, Spain, the Puerta de Alcala arch was turned off and in Valencia, the Ciudad de las Ciencias complex went completely dark, according to media.

But in Sweden, power consumption went up. I wonder why.

How safe is Google?

2007-01-28T12:30:00.000+01:00

I have this itching feeling that the world is becoming completely Googleized. Just look at the boost they've had the last couple of years or so. Lots of new cool features, and G-mail... As much storage as you possibly could want. No need to delete anything - in fact they urge you to save everything. And if you don't, they will (be sure of that).

Oh, it's just for research, they say. And to ensure us of their good will, they have an informal motto; "don't be evil".
Sounds good, doesn't it? And we like Google, no doubt about that. We even voted them the second best employer in 2006.

But what about their sovereignty towards the government? Can they really grant the safety of the information they collect?

To write, or not to write...

2007-01-13T09:40:00.000+01:00

Every now and then, I hear people say; "Oh, I cannot write... I'm so bad at spelling." But honestly, isn't the most important thing about writing, the possibility of getting heard?

In fact, our ability to understand the written word is remarkable. Look at this:

It deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer are in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by it slef but the wrod as a wlohe and the biran fguiers it out aynawy.

Cool, isn't it?

Picasso

2006-11-26T18:54:00.000+01:00

I've never been a Picasso fan (except for the Guernica, even I realise it is a master piece), but last year in Denmark (or was it two years ago...) I saw an exihibition at the Louisiana MoMA where Picasso was represented with a couple of paintings, and I thought "they don't look like Picasso", showing my prejudice.
Anyway, this fall Gothenburg Art Museum is showing some early works of Picasso, and since the exhibition ends within a week, I thought I'd better give it a try.

Bad choice. Oh no, not to see the paintings, but to go there on a sunday - the last sunday.
The queue was... full of old ladies. And too long for my high-heel boots (what was I thinking). But I endured, and cursed myself for not reading a biography first. Because I relly liked some of the paintings.
"Better late than never" the saying goes, so I guess my next bedside table experience will have to be Pablo.

Oh Father

2006-11-12T22:19:00.000+01:00

Well l woke up this morning
feeling closer then ever to god
wish he sent me a warning
but he forgot, and now l feel so bad

Can you keep it
this dirty secret
Can you feel me
Oh tell me you do
Can you heal me
Cause im a beliver
And l´ll be waiting here til you do

Oh Father
l've been having these thoughts and lm sorry
say a praire, you know what l need
Oh Father
l've been touching myself and im worried
is heaven still open for me

Help me

It was not my intention
thought he was from heaven sent
so here's my confesion
l know l've made a fool of myself

Can you do it
Can you forgive me
Can you make it
Make it undone
Can you heal me
Cause l'm a believer
and l'll be waiting here til you do

Oh Father
l've been having these thoughts and lm sorry
say a praire, you know what l need
Oh Father
l've been touching myself and im worried
is heaven still open for me

Is heaven stil open for me
(Is heaven still open, heaven stil open, is heaven stil open for me)
Could you guide me all the way
through paradise and brighter days (aha)
l'll do anything oh, if you know what l mean
But l don't want to go down

Oh Father
l've been having these thoughts and lm sorry
say a praire, you know what l need
Oh Father
l've been touching myself and im worried
is heaven still open for me

Ah a father, ah a oh father, ah a father, ah a o father

(Linda Sundblad & Tobias Karlsson)

Autumn

2006-10-22T13:23:00.000+02:00

This year we were blessed with a long and unusually warm summer. But last week, autumn hit Gothenburg, with rain and fog and bad mood. Don't know why I always get depressed this time of year. I love the colours. And I enjoy lighting candles, and curl up in the sofa when it's dark and windy outside. Besides, there are trillions of studies claiming that most people have their depressions in the spring. So, why?

Well, to be honest, I think work related stress has had some impact... but I've found a cure to that. It's called "body-pump". And it hurts!!!
Imagine, one hour of sweat-dripping (oh sorry, I forgot, it's called "glowing" among girls), muscle bending, heart-beating, frenzy - not a chance to think of any work problems. It's great.

Too bad though, that afterwards, even walking is almost impossible.

2006-10-15T12:15:00.000+02:00

maybe it wasn't the best of hands
being off-suit and all
but at least I had the jack
and the ace of hearts

so I played the only way I knew how to
i.e. all in

waiting for the river
I can't take my eyes off the two queens
he's been sitting on
all this time

say it like it is

2006-09-24T17:52:00.000+02:00

Presenting... the new prime minister

2006-09-19T21:41:00.000+02:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, here he is - the new prime-minister of sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt. Actually, he looks a bit like the former prime-minister... a bit younger, a bit slimmer, equally bald, and a bit less self-righteous. No wonder he got more votes.

I have to admit, I am a bit disapointed of the outcome of the election. Even if Mr Reinfeldts party (Moderaterna) isn't as "right-ish" as their european counterparts, they sure ain't no democrats.
It is however important to note that the new government will be a coalition of the following four right-wing parties:
Moderaterna (mostly well fed, well dressed, company owners)
Centern (mostly farmers)
Folkpartiet (middle aged, middle class, ... middle everything)
Kristdemokraterna (christian-democrats, better say no more)

One wonders how they will be able to co-operate. But perhaps they'll do fine, considering that Centern has a female leader. Put a woman in a group of men, and all of a sudden they are all civilised. (*sorry guys, couldn't let the opportunity pass*)

So, why did the swedes vote for the right-wing? I actually don't believe they did, I think their voting was all about wanting a change, rather than wanting Moderaterna.
Sweden has a lot of problems with unemployment and integration of immigrants. Problems that the social democrats haven't been able to solve, and that the right-wing parties were smart enough to focus on in their election campaign (the social democrats focused more on the fact that the swedish economy is quite strong right now... big mistake).

Anyway, since the economy is strong, the new government will have a better starting point than they did more than a decade ago, when they last won an election (that is, 1991). Hopefully they'll manage to do a better job this time around.

Stand up for what you believe in

2006-09-16T19:22:00.000+02:00

Have you ever thought about all the choices that we make? I mean, we make them all the time, and often without truly reflecting on the outcome. It is how we choose to react on situations that we encounter, that forms our lives - rather than what actually happens.
This is, by the way, not a follow-up to the previous post, even if it is applicable :-)
No, I was thinking of the upcoming swedish election (tomorrow). A couple of my co-workers had bought cakes to everyone at the office yesterday, wanting to celebrate democracy and make us oblivious fools aware of the importance of voting. (I have used my right to vote ever since I was allowed to, but I happily joined in and grabbed a cake - what can I say, I love sweets.) Anyway, voting is important, but it is also important to realise that you have to stand up for what you believe to be right - everyday, and not just tomorrow.

How bad was it?

2006-09-05T13:12:00.000+02:00

Remember the World Cup?
Everybody wondered what Materazzi could have said that made Zidane completely lose all sense, and then end his fab career in such a stupid way. Neither of them wanted to tell, right after the finals. But now, Materazzi have decided to come forth.
Apparently, Zidane told Materazzi that "if you want my shirt so badly, you can have it after the game" (considering that M pulled his shirt more than once) and M then replied; "I'd prefer your sister".

Chocolate warning

2006-08-18T18:19:00.000+02:00

A warning to all you chocolate lovers out there.

AFP reports that a homeless man in Amsterdam found a chocolate bar at the Shiphols airport. After eating it, he started to hallucinate. For example, when being arrested he mistook the police uniforms for wedding gowns...
Anyway, a couple of days later he returned to the police station and handed in another chocolate bar. Tests showed that the chocolate contained the drug "psilocin", which resembles LSD.
You may find psilocin in certain mushrooms, that are sold without restrictions in Holland. But it is not allowed to mix these mushrooms in food, for example, chocolate.
The police theory is that the chocolate bars were thrown away by tourists, scared to get caught in customs on their way home. Still, a warning is in place; don't eat chocolate that you find lying around... you might get high.

Truthfully

2006-08-07T22:00:00.000+02:00

If only he had the courage to say;
- I love you, but I love myself more.

simple and absolutely lovely

2006-08-06T17:54:00.000+02:00

About 10 kilometers from where I live, there's a farm where you can pay a fee to pick vegetables of your choice. They grow all kinds of vegetables, for example, beans (all kinds of beans), corn, egg plant, zucchini, lettuce...
One of my favourites (and also what I picked most of today) is broad beans.
Boiled broad beans with somagh and olive oil... simple and absolutely lovely.

Wanna watch an Iranian movie?

2006-08-03T19:38:00.000+02:00

I had no idea about this place... and maybe some of you didn't either, so here is todays link-tip:
IranianNight.com

Evolution

2006-07-31T09:10:00.000+02:00

I spent a couple of days with "la familia"... and considering that darling F now belongs to the married lot, I suppose it is only natural that I got the baby-itch. I do believe that every family should have at least one baby, don't you? Somehow, both gents and ladies are more loving when there's an infant in the house. One thing that annoys me though, is the "mashahlah" whenever the little one turns out to be of male gender (well, you know me... and if you think I'm wrong, it's ok, just don't give me the smirk, will you).
Anyhow, when I got back I browsed the net, and to my surprise found that papers report that beautiful couples first born often is a girl. The reason is said to be evolution.
Apparently, female evolution is based on other factors than male evolution. And a recent survey, done at the London School of Economics, shows that if you and your spouse are beautiful, the likelihood of getting a daughter as your first born increases with 26 percent...
So, when male progress is based on social status, females rely on beauty. No wonder so many wants nose-jobs, breast implants and liposuctions. It's in our genes.
But I guess you can't fool mother nature. For those of you that get a baby girl the first time a round - at least you honestly can say "we do make a beautiful couple".
As for F and his wife, no babies are planned yet, at least not to my knowledge.

2006-07-26T08:57:00.000+02:00

"Lives in the balance", by Jackson Browne:

I've been waiting for something to happen
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear
You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that you've seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
And a country is drifting to war

And there's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interest runs

On the radio talk shows and the T.V.
You hear one thing again and again
How the U.S.A. stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend
But who are the ones that we call our friends—
These governments killing their own?
Or the people who finally can't take any more
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
There are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

There's a shadow on the faces
Of the men who fan the flames
Of the wars that are fought in places
Where we can't even say the names

They sell us the President the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us every thing from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars
I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

(c) 1986 SWALLOW TURN MUSIC, ASCAP

The Swedish ship Götheborg

2006-07-19T09:11:00.000+02:00

September 12th 1745, the ship "Götheborg" sank in the Gothenburg harbour. She was loaded with tea, silk, spices, and pocelain, arriving from a 30 months journey to China.

In 1984, divers tried to bring up what was left of the cargo, and at the same time a dream of recreating the ship was born. The first step of this huge building-project was taken in 1995. The aim was to build an exact copy of the ship, and do so the way it was done in the 18th century, by hand.

June 6th 2003, she was launched from the Eriksberg ship-yard, very close to my office. Me and my colleagues were standing on the balcony and had a marvellous view of the launch.
But the foundation sponsering the project had earlier come up with an even greater idea. Wouldn't it be nice to try to sail this ship to China? Said and done, in the fall 2005 she set sail for a two year journey to China. And last week, July 18th, she arrived in Canton.

If you are interested in knowing more about this fantastic project, please visit the website.

Gothia Cup

2006-07-13T08:20:00.000+02:00

The World Cup is over, and even though I'm happy for the Italians, I am disapointed about the performance from the Brazilian team, the Swedish team, the Iranian captain (what was he thinking?), the referees, not to mention the fools that obviously could have had a good career in acting (at least we were spared of a "show-off" a la Rivaldo, but please - if you fall, don't just lie there, get up and at least try to get the ball back).
This list can be a long one... Appointing Zidane as best player is also a bit overrated, if you ask me.

No, I am going to forget about this one, and focus on another world cup that is starting next week in Gothenburg. It is Gothia Cup, a football cup for teenagers from all over the world, gathering 1 500 teams from 124 countries.
Throughout the years, more than 690 000 players have participated. And many of them are now famous footballers, for example, Alan Shearer, Xavi Alonso, Andrea Pirlo, Ze Roberto... just to mention a few.
So, pray to the weather Gods for sunshine next week, please.
The official site can be found here.

If...

2006-07-07T08:00:00.000+02:00

If I was a Brazilian, I would be a footballer... If I was a footballer, we would have been in the finals now... If my name was Nyx Chaos, my shirt would look like this...
Too bad, I'm not.

On Sunday, I will sing "Italia... Italia..."

(Try this, if you want to have your Brazilian name on a shirt.)

2006-06-27T22:48:00.000+02:00

My father, the dreamer, told me that I was special. Born on midsummers eve, just before day break when the fairies danced - I was one in a million.
He held me high up in the air, looked straight into my eyes and spoke to my heart.
A year later he was gone, and a seed of mistrust was planted within that same heart.

My fathers sister, a wise woman, kept telling me I was special. Not because of the day I was born, but because who I was. "And don't you let anyone tell you different". But the seed within my heart had grown. I wasn't special, I was different.
Not by looks, oh no, I've got my mothers blond hair and fair skin. The difference lies in this darn dreaming heart. A blessing, and a curse, from my father.

Hunting

2006-06-18T20:37:00.000+02:00

A friend called early this morning, offering me to come along on a hunting trip. I guess my friend knows me very well, I sure needed to get certain things off my mind... Still, I wanted to get back in time for the Brazillian game, which didn't leave us much time. But anyway, I gathered my gear and off we went.

A rumour had it that the pray had been seen yesterday in a specific area, and going there we sort of built up the adrenaline by telling all kinds of stupid hunting stories. Once we got there my heart was pounding and I was really upset by the fact that we weren't alone, event though we were there at this early hour.

It didn't take long before I spotted the pray, and boy was it beautiful. The light made it glow, it had such a lovely colour, and the size was perfect. For a moment time stopped. Weapon in hand, I aimed.

And can you believe it... Right in front of my eyes, it was snatched by this fat old lady.
All I could do was to put down my credit card and head back home.

Good, but not enough

2006-06-17T19:44:00.000+02:00

I'm sad to say, but Team e Melli didn't make it this time either. Oh, don't get me wrong - they did good. It just wasn't good enough.
But hopefully we've seen the future in cutie-pie Hossein Kaebi. Man, is he fast...

Finally

2006-06-16T08:18:00.000+02:00

The swedish hunk finally did it.
After 178 minutes of hard work in this world cup, swedens Fredrik Ljungberg scored against Paraguay. Lets keep our fingers crossed for Team e Melli tomorrow.

Chatting with God

2006-06-09T07:56:00.000+02:00

The world cup has started!!! and Germany has just beaten CostaRica with 4-2 (not very surprisingly).

But I must say, betting on the outcome isn't as easy as it might seem, and I spent a minute talking to God about this very important subject.

If you too have some serious business you want to talk to God about, you can do it here.

:-D

2006-06-05T23:01:00.000+02:00

My neighbour came over earlier this evening and offered me a coffee-pot (see post below). She had one spare, and since I have seemed to enjoy the coffee so much... maybe I would want one of my own?
She's such a sweet lady.

But, the hairy thing is missing... Where the heck am I gonna find cows hair here? I suppose it's from the tail...

Talking about food...

2006-05-28T18:00:00.000+02:00

Friday night, we were invited to a neighbour for supper. This neighbour is a lovely lady from Eritrea, very kind and gentle, and with a great sense of humour. And now she wanted us to try out some traditional eritrean food.

One of the dishes was all black, looked almost like fesenjoon, and made mainly of meat and onions, I think. The other one was also blackish, but this one had chicken and hard boiled eggs in it. Both dishes should be eaten by hand, but not with bread, but with something almost like a pancace.
Believe me, it was really hot. I've had some indian food before, and that was hot, but this was even hotter. R got a stomach-ache, probably because of the onions.

Then she made traditional coffee. Meaning, roasting the coffee beans on the stove, graining them and then boiling them in a traditional clay pot. At the top of the spout there were some cow hair, used to strain off the coffee powder. The coffee was quite good, with a little bit of imagination you could almost believe you were having an espresso (my favourite).

Anyhow, with a good company, almost any food is good.

I'm back, safe and sound...

2006-05-26T09:58:00.000+02:00

... but with a nasty cold. So, take this warning - don't ever get into a plane with a cold!! Landing hurts like hell, and for three days now, I've had the feeling of having my head stuck into a barrel. Hearing every word of my own very well, but not one singel beep from the people around me. It's so annoying.

Perhaps I got the cold while splashing around in one of Budapests many spas. It was really lovely, swiming in 38 degrees (celsius) water while the rain was tapping on my head. The city is situated on several hot springs and the thermal baths (first introduced by the romans) are many, so don't miss that if you ever go there.
The city is quite "layed-back", I didn't feel the stress that is usually present in capitals. (This one has only about 1.8 million inhabitants, though.) Someone told me that the "no-stress-factor" is because everyone is going to the country side on weekends, leaving only tourists in the city. Anyway, it suited me fine. I needed this break.

The architecture is marvelous, palaces and villas everywhere, and the city is also quite green with alot of huge, old trees lining the streets. I didn't have time to do some serious shopping, so I can't tell you much about that - sorry. But I can tell you that the absolutely best thing with Budapest, and I suppose Hungary in general, is the food. Spicy, but not too hot. And very cheap.

2006-05-19T08:04:00.000+02:00

I'm off to Budapest, the capital of Hungary. Tell you all about it next week.

Until then, take care.
Love
/nyx

To be, or not to be...

2006-05-15T13:12:00.000+02:00

Inspired by Behrooz, I would like to define life as a stage.
I have my script, but I've left it in my dressing-room and now I have to improvise.
To be honest, I quite often wonder if my fellow actors actually are portraying the same play as I am...

Once every now and then, I try to gaze into the darkness, beyond the spotlights.
I know there is an audience out there, I can feel them... and someone told me that the director is also present tonight. Still, I cannot see him.
...
I'll just have to do my best, and when the curtain falls I hope to hear the applause.

Happy birthday to you...

2006-05-04T07:52:00.000+02:00

Sunday 30:th the Swedish King celebrated his 60:th birthday. Throwing a grand party with 300 of the european royalties as guests. Well, they're all relatives so I suppose he didn't have any choice.

Even though it seems as the swedes love their King, some voices have been heard, asking if it is just to have a monarch in a democracy (even if the monarch is powerless). Swedes pay alot of taxes and quite a bit of the money goes to the maintenance of the royal family.

The King himself was quite a party-kid in his youth. And his two youngest kids, prince Carl Philip and princess Madeleine, seems to have inherit his taste for the extravaganza. I suppose that is one of the things that bugs the critics. In Sweden everything must be "lagom" (average, not to much). If not, you better be prepared to be criticised.

BTW, the picture proves that even Kings can have a bad hair-day.

2006-04-26T22:26:00.000+02:00

Here it is, the official dress of Team e melli.
What do you think???

Cooking

2006-04-26T20:14:00.000+02:00

I don't know why I'm such a fan of cooking programs. I never cook the stuff they present.
Actually, I'm no good in the kitchen.
Well, I can produce a nice ghormeh sabzi... and I'm a champion when it comes to rice. But that's just about it.
On the other hand, I love to eat. Thank God I have this metabolic disturbance - I can eat almost anything without gaining weight. I've had warnings that at a certain age, this god-given disorder will probably slow down, and if I don't pay attention to the signals, I'll end up a chubby old lady.

Quote of the day

2006-04-22T01:27:00.000+02:00

"The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think."
(Edwin Schlossberg)

Family gathering

2006-04-16T16:57:00.000+02:00

A four day holiday usually means family gathering, one way or another. This weekend F and his wife came to visit.

F was born in Iran and came to sweden with his parents when he was about 10 years old. He has a 4 year younger brother, and both of them have done well, though they are both very different from each other. The younger one has somehow adapted more to the swedish life style. Geee, he even prefer swedish girls...
F on the other hand, is keen on keeping the iranian heritage. A couple of years ago he met an iranian girl in sweden and they got engaged. Unfortunately it didn't work out. Mostly because of her mother. Why is it that mothers always have to interfere? Messing things up...

Anyway, when the break-up was a fact, Fs amme in Iran came to rescue, introducing E, the lovely daughter of a close friend. And so the arranged marriage was a fact.
F went to Iran and met the bride-to-be, they both fancied each other and for the next year or so Fs parents almost went bancrupcy on the telephone bills (not to mention the wedding preparations). Last summer they got married in Iran. Three weeks ago she came to sweden.

Getting married is a huge step in life. Leaving everything you know at the same time, is even bigger. I'm really worried about them. F thinks he's like "an iranian", totally unaware of how living here has formed him. And E... I'm not sure what she expects.

IKEA

2006-04-04T20:26:00.000+02:00

I can't end this design-talk without mentioning IKEA. (But I promise, next post will be something totally different.)
Did you know that the IKEA catalogue is the largest free "printed matter" in the world. Last year they produced 160 million catalogues, distributed in 33 countries, in 25 different languages, in 52 different editions. And the founder, Ingvar Kamprad, is the 4:th richest man in the world according to Forbes.

Prada for H&M

2006-04-01T20:27:00.000+02:00

There's a rumour about Prada being the next high fashion designer to create a special collection for H&M. Please may this be true!!
First was Karl Lagerfeldt... but he's not my cup of tea.
Next one was Stella McCartney. I like her, but not as much as I dislike the shopping-frenzy these openings create. Honestly, if you believe ladies to be fragile, well behaving beings, attending one of the H&M stores at the opening might seriously damage your perspectives on women.
But for Prada, I might consider standing in line.

Inspiration

2006-03-31T08:33:00.000+02:00

The last couple of days have been quite... gray.
It's raining in Göteborg, which actually is a good thing because by now I'm so fed up with winter and snow. I'm longing for spring!!!!
To cope, I browse for inspiration. On the swedish company Mateus website I found a book of inspiration for table settings.
Take a look, and get inspired.

2006-03-25T14:14:00.000+01:00

”When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love”

(Bob Dylan, from Time out of Mind)

2006-03-19T09:10:00.000+01:00

Sal-e noh mobarak, all you lovely people.
May this be the best year so far.

Experience

2006-03-13T11:57:00.000+01:00

Yeah, perhaps I am acting childish..... I sure have been naive.

2006-03-06T12:30:00.000+01:00

In the hospital the relatives gathered in the waiting room, where their family member lay gravely ill.
Finally, the doctor came in looking tired and somber."I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news," he said as he surveyed the worried faces. "The only hope left for your loved one at this time is a brain transplant. It's an experimental procedure, very risky but it is the only hope. Insurance will cover the procedure, but you will have to pay for the brain yourselves..."

The family members sat silent as they absorbed the news. After a great length of time, someone asked , "Well, how much does a brain cost?"
The doctor quickly responded, "$5,000 for a male brain, and $200 for a female brain"

The moment turned awkward. Men in the room tried not to smile, avoiding eye contact with the women, but some actually smirked.
A man unable to control his curiosity, blurted out the question everyone wanted to ask, "Why is the male brain so much more?"

The doctor smiled at the childish innocence and explained to the entire group, "It's just standard pricing procedure. We have to mark down the price of the female brains, because they've actually been used."

Don't forget the International Women's day (8 March)

Eve

2006-03-01T19:41:00.000+01:00

[part 2]

My first memory is that of the breeze. Gently touching my skin... the smell of ocean, and the sunlight upon my face.
My second memory is that of Adam... leaning over me, curiosity in his eyes, and... fear?
I wonder why.

I walked for hours, all the way to the pond... where I took a good look at myself in it's dark surface. I was wrong... we are different after all, Adam and I.

Fat tuesday

2006-03-01T08:15:00.000+01:00

28:th of February is known as the "fat tuesday" in Sweden. From now on, all christians (maybe only catholics?) is supposed to fast until easter. So, in order to cope - they eat alot of "semlor", a bun with whipped cream and almond paste. Nowadays folks in general aren't very religious... and I honestly don't think I've ever met a swede that fasts, but the eating-of-semlor-thing has increased...

Back in the dark ages the eating only took place on this particular day, but in the year of 2006, bakeries started to sell semlor as early as december 2005, and I'm sure they'll keep up the business for another couple of weeks. As much as I love them, I still think it's better to crave for something, and then have the pleasure for a week or two...

Hockey-heroes

2006-02-26T19:25:00.000+01:00

The 2006 olympic games has been fantastic for the Swedes. Todays hockey game against the Finns was nerve-wracking. I almost got an heart attack the last 30 seconds, but Lundqvist (the N.Y. Ranger-rookie) was great. Seven gold medals, two silver and five bronze, not bad for a nation of 9000 000 people.

Counting our steps...

2006-02-22T12:53:00.000+01:00

At work there is a new competition going on. Yesterday we all got a step-counter, a small gadget to hang on the hip, that will count every step taken.
The competition will start on monday 27 of february and will be running for four weeks. Everyday we are supposed to report the number of steps taken, and the minimum limit for a chance to win is 7000 steps a day...
Yesterday it sounded like hell of a lot (excuse my bad language) so I put it on this morning, just to see how bad I'll do. I could hardly believe it myself, but it is now 1 p.m. and I've already done 5107 steps :-)

Eve

2006-02-19T19:42:00.000+01:00

What is he doing? I can hear him mumbling... but it is dark, and only the stars light up the night.
I move a bit closer and I can see his face. Eyes closed... lips moving... I supose he's chatting with God again.
I have followed him into the bushes once before. I hid, and watched him talk to someone. He looked happy... beautiful... and I was proud to be his. Then all of a sudden I heard a womans voice. Or at least I thought I heard a womans voice. My heart started to pound. My blood rushed throught my veins... all my senses were on alert. I called out to him.
- Hey, what are you doing? (trying hard to sound casual).
He reacted with anger.
- What are you doing here? Leave me alone, I'm busy. Go back.
He looked guilty, and I was confused. Had God given him another woman to play with? I looked around, gazing into the sunlit woods. I didn't see anyone then... but I definetly had heard a voice. He was mad for three days... not talking to me.

Now he has wandered off again... into the bushes. It is dark, and I don't want to be alone... I cannot sleep. I am a part of him... forever. Why is he hiding things from me?

How bad does England want a soccer gold?

2006-02-13T07:44:00.000+01:00

Not very, I'd say.
This morning, the swedish paper Dagens Nyheter reported that British Chanel 4 is planning to record a tv-drama called "The life and loves of Sven Goran Eriksson".

To me, this is quite unbelievable. First you hire the man (for a substantial amount of money) to take the football team to the world cup. And then, when they all (players as well as team-leaders) need to left in peace to prepare, media tries with all means available to have the man sacked. Or wasn't that the intention with the Dubai-incident when Eriksson was tricked by "reporters" from News of the World.

On the personal side, Eriksson has acted as an ass. But as manager of the football team he can make a difference, if he is left to do his job.

Support the cat

2006-02-12T18:43:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I got an e-mail from our dear friend "Felix the cat". Apparently, some idiot has stolen his identity and set up a blog in his name. A blog with "not so nice" content.
Honestly, what is wrong with some people? Why do such a thing?
Anyway, to support the cat, please remove any links to the blog.

vaaaj I'm sick

2006-02-08T07:47:00.000+01:00

Not sure I'll survive this.... I've got the flu - first time in ages...

Clash between cultures

2006-02-05T14:55:00.000+01:00

In September, last year, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published the by now famous cartoons of the prophet Mohammed. Was it pure stupidity, or an act of provocation - I wonder...

Ordinary folks up north don't know much about Islam and muslims. What they know, is what media has shown them. Pictures from the iranian revolution... 9/11... suicide bombings in Palestine... bombings in London and Madrid... Ahmadinejads talk about Israel and nuclear power...
If that's all you know about Islam, no wonder you think all muslims are crazy.
Still, as a westerner you should know that you cannot trust media. Not solely.

In a democracy you may say what ever you want. It's ok to call the president a yerk, or Jesus a fag. And you may protest against all that you think is wrong. That's what is great about democracy. But given that freedom you also have to take responsibillity for your actions.
You need to treat people with respect - that's all.

Yesterday the Danish embassy in Damascus was burnt down. Apparently due to a rumour that SMS messages in Copenhagen had encouraged people to go to a certain place and start burning the holy Quran. I don't know if such messages were sent or not. Perhaps they were, beacause there are certain groups of people that would welcome this "calsh between cultures".
And today, the Danish embassy in Beirut is burning...

I can understand the provocation, and I can understand why it is neccessary to protest against it. But I cannot understand the proportions the protest has taken. Where, in all this, is the respect for democracy? Or am I misstaken, is it only the muslim world that should be given respect in this question?

Superheroine

2006-02-04T11:06:00.000+01:00

Want to know which superheroine you are? Take the quiz.
Me, I'm Trinity.
"Touch me and that hand will never touch anything again."

Freedom

2006-01-29T19:54:00.000+01:00

I think we tend to forget to appreciate what we have. Instead we are grumpy about what we don't have, and what we often believe we should have.
A couple of years ago a colleague of mine said;
"man is never satisfied, we as humans always want more, that's why we have come such a long way".
Maybe he's right - I don't know.
But I know that life isn't always as easy as it might seem. No matter where, or who, you are - life can be a struggle. And freedom is sometimes nothing more than a feeling.

Too cold...

2006-01-25T19:34:00.000+01:00

It's freaking cold outside.
Last week there was a new record, -41 degrees celsius... can you believe that! But that was up north, and I was happy to be here on the west coast because we just had -9 degrees :-)

Actually winter isn't that bad. I like the snow, and even if I'm no good at skiing, I'm a devil with the "pulka". Sorry, don't know the english word for it, (and too lazy to look it up) but you know what it is. It's a flat, plastic board that kids use when sliding down hills. Almost as a snow-board, but you sit on a "pulka".

Anyway, for a week now I've been trying to get R to come along for a slide. We have the perfect hill right outside our apartment - but, we also have neighbours. And I guess that's the real reason for him being so "grown-up" whenever I ask. Mind you, I've never asked him to do it in broad daylight. No, I've suggested that we'd go quite late, sometime around 11 p.m. or so... But he thinks it's too cold.