27 Feb 2009

The biggest smile

Our canteen is not the best the world has seen. The food is often over salted or not salted enough, and like the Brits the Germans LOVE their fried stuff... But you have a sort of selection and it is if not fantastic at least eatable. Or at least most of the time.

I anyhow like to go to the canteen. First of all because it is kind of practical to have energy in your body and the selections around here are not that great. But to a great extent because of the staff. Especially one of the ladies have got the broadest smile you can imagine, and the always greet you with a cheerful "Hallo die Dame". It is worth going there just to feel welcome :-)
More smiles to the people!

The same story once again

On a regular basis I decide that it is time to get in shape. I may look like I am in good shape, but the reality is that I am not quite as strong as I would like to be. I love long walks, and I walk fast, but being a woman it is even more important to stay in shape. For one thing, there is a higher risk that we get problems with shoulders, arms, neck etc, especially when having a job where we sit a lot. And second of all there is a higher risk we are more sensitive as we get older, our bones tend to break more easily - something that has to do with hormones, if I remember correctly - but the risk is smaller if you exercise on a regular basis when you are younger.

I guess I HAVE to realise that I am no exception, also I will not get younger, no matter how much it feels like I actually am (or so I keep telling myself). And I do indeed sit in front of my computer a lot at work. So on a regular basis I decide that no, now it is time to start going to the gym again. Often it lasts for a little while and then I give it up. Again. And then I have to restart. Again.

THIS time I have decided to keep doing it... I just have to find the training forms that are relevant for me, that I enjoy and then I also need to switch between different things, so that I don't get bored. Getting bored is otherwise one of the key reasons why I often stop... (And OK, laziness. I am lazy, I admit... At least when it comes to exercise...)

THIS time it is really different, I keep telling myself. And in a way it is. The gym that I finally picked is close to home, five minutes walk. Or seven perhaps, but anyhow. It has classes, and it has the gym. What is also different this time is that I don't just get a gym class, I get a language class too! Practical, isn't it! Although I must admit that I have to also look and see what the teacher is doing, to be on the safe side. And there are classes I will have to stay away from, at least now. Step for example, I can't do that even in Swedish. And in German I would ALWAYS be out of sync... Or perhaps that would be better, in Swedish I can't blame anything or anybody for my lack of "left/right understanding" and lack of coordination, but here I could blame the language and being lost in translation???

Well, well, we shall see. Regardless I expect that I won't be able to walk this afternoon, as my poor muscles start realising what I have done to them... :-)

23 Feb 2009

It IS starting to be a bit... Well, time for carnival to be over

Today is another party day for those who celebrate carnival seriously. I am not one of them, I have been at work. But many friends have a day off and celebrate as we speak. Or I write, or however you want to put it... Especially those who work in the city.
Many have partied since Thursday, through to today. In their costumes. Others have had a day or so in between but are anyhow still using their costumes.

Again, as mentioned before, this is Düsseldorf. The capital of the German state with the most smokers, Nordrhein Westfalen. Here the smoking ban has not been successful, instead almost every place has an exception.

Carnival is to a great extent a big party. For most people party and alcohol are closely connected. When people are drunk they spill. Alcohol. And other things...

Carnival is celebrated by a lot of people. In small spaces. When it is crowded is is warm.

When it is crowded people spill alcohol.

It is good that carnival is soon over, because it is time to get these carnival costumes washed. It is to be honest starting to get a bit.. Smelly... Especially for those of us who haven't been celebrating...

Howling dogs

Woke up in the middle of the night, of a strange sound. It was embedded into my dream to start with, but soon I realised that it was the dogs in the adjacent building. Wonder what it was that kept them up, howling...? Was it a full moon yesterday?

22 Feb 2009

Det dimmar, oj vad det dimmar

Det dimmar ute, som min lillasyster brukade säga när hon var liten. OJ vad det dimmar ute!

Sorry, of course it was a dinosaur!

I managed to insult a little guy today... He was possibly 5 years old, dressed up like a crocodile. I did mention that it is carnival, right? Everybody is dressed up, including the little ones. I have seen ladybugs, trolls, witches, elks, Santas, beer bottles, and so forth.

I walked home after having spent some time out looking at all the dressed up people (as I have to work tomorrow I can't really do much partying, not like the people who work in the city - they are all off tomorrow...), and stopped in a bakery, to pick up something to satisfy my sweet tooth, as I have plenty of reading to do tonight. And that is where I met this little guy. He was there with his parents, also buying something sweet. Dressed in a crocodile suit, as mentioned, and painted green in the face. Lovely. He was standing there, looking at what the bakery had to offer, looking like he was dreaming. When I heard that the parents spoke to him in English I couldn't help to comment about the dangerous crocodile standing there...

The little guy gave me the look and stated, loud and clear:
"I am a dinosaur".

Hmmmm. What an insult... How COULD I have missed that it was a dinosaur???
(And yes, I managed to save the situation. But it took some work...)

We need spring now

We need spring now. This city which I always considered to be an open and friendly city, is with the exception of Carnival weekend - this weekend - full of grumpy looking people, and that goes especially for the trains. This is not normal, I believe it is the winter that just drags on and on and on that does it. People on the trains look like they have done nothing but eating lemons lately.

Of course I can't help but smile when I see all the grumpy looks. It is my defence nowadays. Like you take a paracetamol if you have headache I smile when people look grumpy. If I am lucky I get some smiles back. In other cases I get bewildered looks, in which case I smile even broader, while I imagine how terrified the people are that this strange IMMIGRANT is on the train smiling.

Of course, as soon as someone knows I am from Sweden they are very impressed and talkative - for some reason many many Germans have this fantasy about Sweden and want to go there - big empty spaces and easy access to the nature.... But since I don't LOOK Swedish the people on the train just realise that I am not German and I am smiling so no, better stay away... Very entertaining!

And I keep smiling but also keep dreaming about crocuses, light green trees, birds singing, and sunshine. And far more smiles.

Hjälp till att rädda Gammelskogen

Ett klick för skogen! Bara några veckor kvar och sedan är det för sent om det inte går att få ihop tillräckligt med sponsorpengar tills dess. Så klicka för skogen!!!
Och nej, det här är ingen annons, jag har ingenting med Ett Klick för Skogen att göra mer än att jag tycker det är ett behjärtansvärt ändamål.

21 Feb 2009

As Good as it gets: Får man bara gnälla när man ligger på en madrass från Jysk och ammar?

As Good as it gets: Får man bara gnälla när man ligger på en madrass från Jysk och ammar?

Jag säger inte mer än så, jag har redan skrivit ett politiskt inlägg i min ickepolitiska blogg idag... Men Good är bra, jösses vad hon är bra.
Här är det Linda Skugge som tycks tro att trebarnsmammor har ensamrätt på att gnälla och att det bara är för dem saker kan vara stressiga. Jaja... 

Uttryck - hur använder vi våra ord?

Jag kollar emellanåt in på en fin liten blogg som heter "CP-mamman" - en jättefin blogg om en mamma vars dotter drabbades av en CP-skada vid förlossningen. Förrutom att jag tycker bloggen är välskriven och intressant att läsa, så har den ett annat viktigt budskap, den talar om att en sådan skada inte behöver vara hela världen. Dessutom tar CP-mamman över uttrycket "CP" - som bara är en diagnos och ingenting negativt eller nedtryckande i sig - och hjälper till att omvärdera ordet. Jag minns själv när vi växte upp, "CP" användes som något nedsättande, när något inte fungerade ordentligt. Så oerhört korkat och det säger mer om oss och våra fördomar än någonting annat.

Själv har jag inte sett uttrycket CP som något negativt sedan början av högstadiet, när jag började förstå vad det handlar om - Celebral Pares, som uppstår om barnet drabbas av syrebrist, ofta i samband med födseln. En CP-skada kan visa sig på många olika sätt, och skadan kan vara olika "illa", men intellektet är ofta lika vasst som på andra. Och är det inte det beror det som regel på omgivningens korkade inställningar och daltande. KLART att man inte blir speciellt smart om man aldrig ställs inför utmaningar, för hur ska man då lära sig? Om alla förutsätter att man kan mindre än vad man kan så klart att man inte direkt utvecklas, eller? Nu gäller det inte bara CP-skador utan alla möjliga diagnoser. Kände en tjej med ryggmärgsbråck en gång i tiden. Hon var så daltad med att hon inte ens klarade av att ta sig ner för en liten ramp själv med rullstolen. Kände en kille med samma typ av skada om man tänkte inte ens på att han satt i stol, han var precis som alla andra - men så hade han en mamma som inte såg hinder utan lösningar. När jag kände honom spelade det liksom ingen roll att vi bodde på tredje våningen utan hiss. Det var fest och han skulle så klart med. Han fick bara komma lite senare så bar de andra upp honom, och han hade själv devisen att ner kommer man alltid. Han fick väl sätta sig på ändan och åka ner medan någon annan bar stolen, eftersom han sov över och de starka karlarna hade gått hem på morgonen. Och likadant var det med krogen. Han fick bara ta sats så kunde han gå ut som alla andra. Det var liksom ingen stor grej.

Mött många med CP-skador också. En del med väldigt grava sådana, en del med lindrigare. Hade en kille med en relativt grav CP-skada på min skola på gymnasiet. Han hade som dagisbarn gått i samma klass som en klasskompis till mig, så det blev titt som tätt att vi snackade. Han hade en specialstol - eldriven - som han kunde ställa sig upp i. Han stod inte själv, det fixade inte hans kropp - emellanåt hade han väldigt starka spasmer dessutom - men han satt fastspänd och stolen hade en specialfunktion som liksom "vecklade ut" honom till stående läge. Det var säkert skönt att kunna växla läge, och dessutom praktiskt att kunna komma upp lite om man behövde nå någonting högt upp. Jag minns speciellt en gång när vi stod och snackade innan lektionen skulle börja. Den här killen var en skärpt kille, och med ett himla sinne för humor, så vi stod och snackade och skrattade tills dess att min lärare kom. Då gick jag in på lektion och killen drog väl vidare till sin lektion, kan jag tänka. JÖSSES vad arg jag blev på min lärare när han kläckte "Pratar du med sådana där". Han menade ingenting illa, han var inte elak på något sätt - men korkad. Jösses så korkad! Han trodde att jag höll på med någon sorts välgörenhet. Tyckte det var trevligt av mig att jag pratade med "sådana där"...

Minns själv svärtan i mina ögon och istapparna i rösten när jag stirrade stint på min lärare (som jag egentligen tyckte mycket bra om) och högt och tydligt sa "Sådana där, vad menar du, sådana där? Människor med humor och intelligens, menar du??? För du vet väl om att en CP-skada inte har med intellektet att göra?".

Det blev ett väldigt pinsamt klassrumsögonblick. Inte för mig utan för vår lärare, det visade sig förståss att han förutsatte - som så många andra - att killen som jag stod och pratade med var lite efter, han trodde som så många andra tycks tro att CP påverkar intelligensen. Och senare fick jag en ursäkt... En väldigt generad ursäkt. Men det var förståss inte jag som skulle ha den, det var alla de som själva mötts av fördomarna.

Nånå, det blev visst ett långt politiskt inlägg det här. Tänker inte korta av det men vad jag egentligen ville säga är att jag tycker det är förbaskat bra att man tar tillbaka uttryck som används på ett negativt sätt men som inte borde vara negativa och använder dem för vad det är. CP-mamman har fått många kommentarer tydligen, både om namnet på bloggen och från person(er) som undrar hur hon kan kalla sin dotter för CP-skadad. Men det ÄR hon ju! Men det är ingen katastrof. Att hon fått den diagnosen innebär inte att hon är mindre älskad eller har färre förutsättningar, hon har bara andra, och det visar också CP-mamman jättefint på sin blogg. Klart att vi alla förstår att det inte alltid är helt lätt - speciellt inte när man får möta människors fördomar - men ska man vara ärlig är det väl aldrig helt lätt att vara småbarnförälder, oavsett, eller???

Oavsett: Tycker att vi alla har ett gemensamt ansvar för vilka uttryck vi använder och hur vi säger saker och ting. Låt oss ta över uttryck som har blivit negativa men som inte borde vara det och neutralisera dem! Låt oss kalla saker för vad de verkligen är utan att förskräckas utan låt det vara naturligt. Hyscha och förbjud inte utan diskutera, reflektera och lär, även när det gäller barn och vad de säger.

Och en sak till: Tiga ihjäl har aldrig funkat. Det kommer inte att börja göra det heller...

Det var bara det jag ville säga....

Och bloggen som fick mig att fundera? http://cpmamman.blogspot.com

The stair cleaning man...

I go out in the stairways as I need to look for some tools in the basement, and feel the cigarette smoke. It annoys me. Cigarette smoke has that effect on me. Turns out that the cleaning man - not lady, it is an old man - is here. He is outside having a cigarette, but the door to the block of flats is wide open so naturally the smoke goes straight into the staircase. And besides he is only standing on the step, it is very close to being inside. I am thinking that I should tell him, and normally I would, but in this case I decide to pick up the tools that I am there to fetch first and then I can tell him on the way up. It just seems easier, it will anyhow be more "on the way".

So I find the tools that I need and I head for the flat, thinking again that I need to tell him to keep the door closed when he smokes. And then when I climb the first stairs he is there, and he has a broad smile and all I can think of is that that is a happy smile that just made the day a bit brighter.

Of course I don't tell him off.

(And of course I will be just as frustrated next time I feel the smoke...)

Carnival in Rio, Carnival here in Düsseldorf

Carnival in Rio and Carnival here have certain similarities. It is celebrated at the same time, it is connected with the easter period, and always happen a certain time before easter. 
It is also a big party.
It engages a lot of people.
Alkohol is a part of it for many.
People dress upp.

But unlike Rio we don't have minimal bikinis etc, here you see fully dressed clowns, witches, doctors, nurses, postmen, cowboys, indians, you name it. Temperature obviously makes a difference. 

And instead of samba we have German Umpa Umpa...


Opera in Düsseldorf

Went to the opera yesterday. The opera house was renovated a few years ago. Pity they didn't think about German ladies with BIG hairs when they placed the chairs. The middle of the stage yesterday was hidden by the hair of the woman in front of me, so I moved around quite a bit to see the part of the play that took place there, possibly annoying the people behind. Although I didn't actually make any noice, it was just my head and neck that moved. But still. I am sure I blocked the view of others at time.

The Orpheus show was however magnificent, if a bit grey. I think opera should be strong colours and much drama. Drama it was. But not much colour... Soft pastel colours in the beginning and the bit down in Hades was grey, very grey. But well performed, never the less. And the stage setting was also kind of grey beige. I understand that Hades was grey but I would have liked to see some more colour when they celebrate the wedding between Orpheus and Eurydice, you want it to be a clear difference between Hades - death - and life, don't you!

And today? Well, guess I NEED to see some of the carnival? Today it's obviously in Altstadt the big ado is. Tomorrow on , for the "people's carnival", and on Monday, when I am at work, there is the street parade, the "Rosenmontag" parade. Next year I may take a day off to watch it... Not this year though.




20 Feb 2009

How to spot a good party

When the floor on the train that you are taking to work in the morning is all sticky you know it must have been a good party that lasted late, even if you didn't join yourself...

And by the way, it continues the whole weekend, plus Monday... Carnival that is.

18 Feb 2009

Tomorrow at 11:11 it starts

Tomorrow at 11:11 it starts. The carnival. And I will be at work in a business meeting. Hurray for me. (Although to be honest I am quite happy about it. I am not man enough to party all day. Even if I was going to join, which I don't know yet, I wouldn't want to party all day. It seems like to much hassle. And besides I need to be alert the day after As I happen to be going to the opera Friday.)

(And by the way, there is nothing mystic about the time. Carnival always starts that time. Got a long comment from someone who tried to tell me that this was something spiritual. It's not. Not in this case at least.)

Kalles Kaviar

As Good as it gets: Bli först med att göra en kaviatar.

Ulrika Good skriver om Kalles Kaviar idag, men anledning av att reklambyrån hon jobbar på har jobbat på en Kalles Kaviar-kampanj (och jag antar att de precis fick lite extra draghjälp av mig...?)

Och då KAN jag ju inte låta bli att tänka på lillebror igen! Lillebror den äldre (har tre). Lillebror den äldre som älskade - och älskar - kaviar. Lillebror som VÄGRADE äta Kalles Kaviar när han var liten. Han gillade helt enkelt inte Kalles Kaviar. Det var dock relativt enkelt fixat. Lillebror kunde inte läsa så bara storasyster hörde att någon gjorde misstaget att tala om att det var Kalles Kaviar kunde storasyster rycka in och tala om att den vuxne hade läst fel, det stor ju NALLES kaviar, Nalles Kaviar som var den kaviar som han gillade. Och kolla, det är ju en likadan tub som Nalles, så det förstår du väl att de bara läste fel - kolla, det är den blå tuben med den blonda lille killen som såg nästan precis ut som vår lille Nalle gjorde på den tiden...

Tur ibland att det fanns räddande storasystrar, inte sant. Annars hade det inte varit mycket som hade gått ner i den lille pojken emellanåt... :-)

Se där, jag var inte bara en grym besserwisser, när det verkligen gällde var jag där för mina syskon och de för mig (och så är det för övrigt fortfarande...)

Och en sak till, bara för att det ska vara klart: Jag äter själv inte kaviar speciellt ofta - syftar då till smörgåspålägget kaviar (även om jag inte heller äter iransk kaviar eller rysk för den delen speciellt ofta. Stenbitsrom blir det då och då. Fast det var bestämt ett sidospår...). Hur som helst, när jag äter kaviar spelar faktiskt inte märket någon större roll. Så det här är inte någon skum produktplacering eller så. Bara så att alla vet... Ifall det nu var någon som tvivlade :-)

17 Feb 2009

Carnival

The coming weekend is carnival. Actually the carnival is already ongoing, but the coming weekend is the highlight of the carnival. On Thursday every man has to make sure he wears an old ugly tie because it will get cut off. And not wearing a tie is a bad idea, a former colleague of mine tried that one in Köln. It ended badly, they cut the collar wings instead, the collar wings of his expensive silk shirt... Better to dress up with an old ugly tie!
I guess one has to keep the remains around the next until it is time to call it the day because how is the tie cutters otherwise supposed to know that there used to be a tie but no more, so please don't cut my shirt???

One is supposed to dress up for carnival, some sort of fancy suit. I have a backup plan. Not sure if I will go ahead with it and join - for one thing I am not off Friday and Monday like the people working in Düsseldorf and Köln. I am also not in the mood, at least not right now. But that may well change! If not, I will save my idea for a some other time, I am sure there will be plenty.

16 Feb 2009

Jag blir lite trött, snacka om att luras med statistik

Ett lite annat inlägg än vad jag brukar skriva. Min blogg brukar ju vara om mitt liv och mina betraktelser, framför allt på engelska för att alla ska kunna förstå. Men nu kommer ett lite mer politiskt inlägg, tyckte det var dags för det...

Jag blir lite trött, det blir jag. TCO har presenterat en rapport om den svenska akassan. Det handlar om hur andra länder har en mycket bättre a-kassa än Sverige, det vill säga man får ut högre ersättning i många länder, högre än i Sverige. Det är jättebra att man belyser den här typen av problem. Vad rapporten inte alls säger någonting om är dock att kostnaden för a-kassan, för den enskilde individen. Avgiften till tyska a-kassan till exempel är mycket högre än den svenska och dessutom är det obligatoriskt med a-kassa, vilket innebär att man här är många fler som betalar in en betydligt högre summa per person. Tacka sjutton för att det avspeglar sig i ersättningen om man sedan blir arbetslös...
Den tyska a-kassan är tio gånger dyrare för mig som individ än den svenska. Minst...

Aftonbladet är en av de tidningar som naturligtvis svalde betet. Med hull och hår! Ledare skrevs också, inte bara artikel. Nu känns väl inte Aftonbladet som en speciellt seriös nyhetskälla oavsett, men i det här fallet blev det riktigt fånigt. Kunde inte låta bli att skriva ett lite ironiskt brev till personen som skrivit ledaren och fick faktiskt också ett svar, men med tanke på att inte ens rapporten tar upp frågan om kostnaden, utan bara hur lite ersättning man får i Sverige så kan man knappast förvänta sig att Aftonbladet ska ta upp den frågan, de tar mer eller mindre bara TCO:s rapport upp och ner - och det passar väl också deras ändamål, att skriva om hur dåligt det är i Sverige.

Att så många inte får ut 80 procent av a-kassan för att taket är lågt, det tycker jag också är illa. Men det är viktigt att förstå att för att en höjning ska kunna komma till stånd så krävs det också att det går att finansiera den. Staten kan ju inte trycka pengar efter behov... DET skulle definitivt ta en ände med förskräckelse. Och jag tvivlar att svenskarna vill se ett par tusen dras från lönen varje månad för att betala en arbetslöshetskassa som den enskilde individen kanske aldrig kommer att utnyttja. Det spelar ingen roll VEM som styr, jag tror ändå att det blir svårt att få gehör för det... Notera att det inte i till exempel Tyskland går på skatten utan det dras verkligen från din lön EFTER skatt. Till och med en liten höjning i Sverige gjorde att många gick ur a-kassan. I Tyskland går det som sagt inte... Utan du får glatt betala.

Även till exempel Norge har en obligatorisk a-kassa som varje person som arbetar är med och betalar till, men huruvida det dras från skatten eller om det är på redan skattade medel det dras kan jag inte svara på, dock.

Som sagt, bra med a-kassa. Men någonstans måste vi ju också inser att man får vad man betalar för...

(Diskussion välkomnas, kan vara intressant med någonting som sticker av från det vanliga bloggandet)

Happy anniversary or what do you say?

Yesterday I celebrated one year in Düsseldorf! One year ago yesterday I picket up the keys to my first little flat, a small furnitured place on the forth floor in Pempelfort. I loved that place, and really enjoyed my time in Pempelfort, it is a wonderful area to live in. Except for the parking situation, that is...

I didn't realise yesterday that it was the one year anniversary but I was out celebrating a friend's birthday and I guess I can count the drinks and dinner towards my one year too... Don't you agree?

And just to clarify: Yes, I started to work down here January 1 but I didn't have my own flat then, but went back to Sweden over the weekends. It was such a relief when I could pick up the keys, it is not fun to travel back and forward all the time, especially not when there is a whole new adventure waiting around the corner!

14 Feb 2009

Sushi the way I like it

One of my absolute favourite sushi places is Maruyasu, in Schadow Arcaden here in Düsseldorf. I wouldn't have found it if one of my colleagues at work hadn't pointed it out on a map, when we were in France about a year ago. Maruyasu is located in the basement, at the food quarters at the shopping mall close to "Kö", Köningsallee, the fanciest street in Düsseldorf.

There are always lots of people in the food quarters and you'll find from several parts of the world - Italian, Lebanese, Indian, and so forth, all actually quite good quality it seems - but I always end up having sushi. It is highly likely that you'll find me there on any given Saturday, actually...

The sushi place may not look that special from the outside but it is. The staff is continuously making sushi and serving customers. A looong counter and you point at the bits that you want. I always end up with the odd special bits that mainly the Japanese eat. And many of them! I just can't control myself when it comes to sushi it seems...

I have said it before and I say it again, I'll ruin myself at that place. But you know what, if I am to go bankrupt over something, nice food should be it ;-) I refuse to get one of the "predefined" packages and I refuse to limit my sushi intake. I WANT the odd bits. And fish is good for you anyhow! Of course, when the person who joined this time had a meal which cost 1/3 of my meal despite the fact that I only had tea to drink while the other person had a glass of whine it is obvious that the Italian food is a lot less costly than the Japanese...

The only disadvantage with Maruyasu sushi is that now I am so spoiled that it is difficult to find the sushi that I used to like very special. I am getting picky...

Does it get more relaxing?

Relaxed.

It's been a hectic week. Fun but hectic, with multiple events, art exhibition, classical concert, films and loads of socialising. Tomorrow it's going to be another busy day, with art exhibition and a birthday celebration to join.

Therefore it was extra delightful to just have a day off today with nothing planned and nothing special going on. 
I wonder if it gets more relaxing than this...  Add a cold drink, some opera on the stereo, me and some travel guides, and it doesn't get much better. 
(And yes, the bathwater is supposed to look like that. It's colour/aroma therapy. Can't remember was green was supposed to be good for. Calming effect? It worked!).

12 Feb 2009

Breakfast on the morning train

I am all for having breakfast on the train (which is also a song title, by the way- breakfast on the morning train). But when the guy next to me picks up his beautifully coloured egg, in red, and starts peeling it I can't help but think that he has overdone it. Just a bit.

11 Feb 2009

Spring

I am desperately trying to ignore the fact that we got snow yesterday and that there is more snow expected today. "It is spring" is my mantra. And just to prove it I have bought tulips. Again. Tulips is the true sign of spring, to me at least.

But seriously, this is getting dangerous (at least for my savings...), I am increasingly restless and something has to happen soon. Spring, get here or I will come and find you.

Always get restless but this year is worse than in a long time, simply because the business trips have been cut to an absolute MINIMUM (hello financial crisis). On the other hand I don't mind because that makes it so much more fun to travel privately, and it gives me some time to be home doing my laundry in between... If I didn't plan loads of activities and always worked so late that is...

10 Feb 2009

Heja Abbe.: Norska pirater.

Heja Abbe.: Norska pirater.

TACK för inspirationen till dagens inlägg!

Förresten: Missa inte att Februari är "Alla Barnhjärtans månad" - http://www.hjart-lungfonden.se/abm09-Kampanj---barnhjartan-2009

Olika språk

När lillebror och jag var, tja, inte så stora, så skulle vi åka med pappa till Gotland (det är en historia i sig, som jag kanske berättar någon gång). Det var jag, pappa och äldsta storebrorsan.
Vi skulle ta nattfärjan, troligvis var den väl billigast, plus att vi inte behövde en extra dag utan kunde åka från Västkusten till Östkusten samma dag och ändå hinna med färjan.

Spännande värre! Och vi skulle få vara VAKNA när båten gick! Åka färja hade jag gjort förrut, till Danmark, men det var inte alls lika vanligt då som det var när jag blev äldre. Det allra mest spännande var förståss att vara uppe tills mitt i natten!!!

Nåväl, klockan var nästan midnatt och vi satt i hyttfönstret och väntade spänt! Pyjamasar på, tänderna borstade, allt klart så det bara var att krypa till kojs när vi kommit ut på mer öppet vatten. Så började färjan röra sig utåt... Det var mörkt men lampor lyste upp valda delar i hamnen. Vi försvann längre och längre bort. Och så plötsligt: "HISSKRANAR! KOLLA, KOLLA, HISSKRANAR". Det var lillebror som hojtade! Kanske fyra år gammal, och VÄLDIGT exalterad. Och den ohumana storasystern med besserwissersinne kollar hårt på honom, och säger tydligt "Lyftkran, det heter lyftkran". Lillebror stirrade stint och satte syrran på plats:

"Ja, men jag pratar på engelska"...

Och hur kunde jag säga emot. Jag hade inte heller lärt mig engelska då...

9 Feb 2009

When will I learn?

WHEN will I learn that coffee in the evening isn't a good idea. Sleep is a good idea...

8 Feb 2009

Unexpected day

Very unexpected I ended up having an Australian day Saturday. Nice. Shows again how important it is to be opn. If you are just open adventure is around the corner, even if you stay at home, in the city you live in.
Just by saying yes to a lunch a whole new world may open up! As it did in this case, I was contacted by a woman from a group we both attend, she wanted to go for lunch, we did, and then more friends connected - and we ended up having a great day. I learned a lot about Australia that I didnt't know before!

6 Feb 2009

New way for the train to be on time...

Deutsche Bahn have a new way of making sure that the trains are not delayed. They skip a couple of stops... Today my train, the S8 to Wuppertal was for once supposed to be in time. It was. But I was very surprised when the train just zoomed by on the third track and didn't stop at all. The people on the train were probably as surprised as the ones on the outside at the railway station...

4 Feb 2009

Books

When one has more books than one has space in the bookcases, perhaps it is time to go to IKEA to get new ones - bookcases that is - instead of just ordering more books. That won't fit either...

German kitchens

I am lucky, I have a big "wohnkuche", a kitchen/room in one. It is big and I can cook and entertain at the same time, just like I am used to, from the house in Sweden. The house was sold 2008, and I am very happy NOT to have a house to worry about, because it is a lot of work and I always felt bad for not spending enough time fixing things, decorating, digging in the garden, all of that. But I do from time to time miss the space, that I must admit (although less space, less to clean - but on the other hand bigger risk for clutter...)

But my kitchen, I loved my kitchen. Cooking relaxes me and when I have guests it is normally all about food. And though this kitchen is good, it is still light years behind what we had in the house. And still this kitchen here is far bigger than a normal German kitchen. It's like the Germans have yet to discover how nice it is to socialise in a kitchen, with fabulous food. Their kitchens are often TINY, you are lucky if you can squeeze one person in there. And it may also be miles away from where you actually sit and eat your food. It feels like an area to trap housewives, making sure they don't come out and disturb the party...

Was lucky in another way too, this flat actually came with a kitchen. I. e not just with a room that could be a kitchen, a room where you just see where the water comes in and where the train is/should be, like most flats, but there was a stove, a dishwasher and even a bench and some cupboards. Rare! I still had to go out and get a fridge and some extra cupboards but that was that, so easy compared to what most go through when moving.

What is the point in bringing your old kitchen to your new flat? Including everything - it will not fit properly anyhow. And that is why German kitchens often look like a jigsaw puzzle, I guess - because they are...

2 Feb 2009

What were they thinking???

What were they thinking here? Historical Museum in Berlin - very interesting place I might add - and they have this in there... It's a floor... And yes, people are passing under it. WHY do they put a see through floor - it is basically a net - in a place like this? Is it to ensure that no women go upstairs in the summertime? Who would walk up and see the part of the exhibition up top if you are wearing a skirt? Seriously! And that it is dangerous for high heals, you may get stuck, is another interesting aspect.
It is quite obvious that the architect/designer was/is a man...
Not very practical, is it...?
Not that it mattered this time, it was around zero and snow, so no risk that I would be wearing a skirt...

Att blogga från iPhone

Att blogga från iPhonen är inte en bra idé, stavningsprogrammet och jag kommer inte överens och ord avslutas och ändras på ett spännande sätt. Så får man då gå in och korrigera i efterhand. En del kan ju skyllas på att jag skriver när jag är trött men inte alls, långt ifrån allt... 
Apropå det så kan jag konstatera att jag överlag är mycket slarvigare när jag skriver numera, man är så van vid att rättstavningsprogram finns att ta till att man inte tänker på att formulera sig och stava och så vidare. Katastrofalt, tycker jag, det utarmar språket. Men vad ved jag, jag är ju ingen expert...

Today's outfit

Have been reading some other blogs. Well, actually I read other blogs on a regular basis.  The blogs that I follow are personal, and have something to say. Otherwise I would not follow them. 

But blogging seems to be BIG business in Sweden, or at  least in parts of Sweden, and a lot of bloggers seem to be doing it to make money. Blogging is not to just about sharing your thoughts. Have stumbled over some of these blogs. They are all pretty uninteresting, to me, and they are also difficult to download because they are so crammed with commercial messages etc. But obviously they have plenty of readers. Some of the people running the most uninteresting blogs claim that they can live on it! 
And now I have learned. One is supposed to talk about things that makes the blog seem like a version of Big Brother - cameras everywhere - and show today's outfit etc. THAT  seem to be a way to get readers, and readers are important - or so I hear (I write this to keep my friends and family updated on what is going on in my life... But that is obviously not what I should do - I should be trying to get readers. At all cost).

So here is today's outfit... :-)

One light slipper, one dark. No, no fashion, I just happen to have misplaced the other newer one - the light one. And since I couldn't find the matching slipper but my feet were cold I took what I could find. And this is the end result. Fabulous, isn't it... Not that it matters, I have been working from home the entire day, and in telephone conferences no one can see what you are wearing...  (Today I am back in the office and have several business meetings, to tomorrow I better dress well again. No jeans, T-shirt and slippers...)

And no, I think I should keep on writing because it is fun and a way of staying in touch... Advertising today's outfit is really not something for me. I don't care about getting loads or readers,  I write for the few I know read what I write. And for myself, it helps me to remember things as well... 

If you are looking for fashion tips I would anyhow not be the right person, I am only fashionable once in a while when something I like happens to come back into fashion after having been "out" for some time... And it doesn't bother me at all!

1 Feb 2009

Berlin - Swedish in Germany


It feels odd to walk around in Berlin, the capital of Germany, my new home country, and discover that I continuously draw parallels with Düsseldorf, after all I have only lived in Düsseldorf for a year. I met up with some friends from Sweden and we are renting room in a flat over the weekend. Splendid little place, with a fully equipped kitchen - and I compare it with my first flat in Düsseldorf, the furnitured one I had, north of the city centre. 

Christmas lights in the window? Yes, the tiny little lamps that I as a Swede see as Christmas lights are common, I had them in my first flat too. On the other hand I have seen them in many American homes too - and since this flat is actually owned by an American, perhaps it isn't that German after all...? Or is it just that the Germans and the Americans have a lot in common?

There are things here that I am not that used to from Düsseldorf though, like the water heater running on gas. Every German flat that I have been to has it's own water heater - and I have two for my flat, one for the kitchen and one for the bathroom. Even if water happens to be included in the cost of the flat (but checked every year, individually, for each flat, and then the rent is regulated bases on how much you use), you pay yourself for heating up the water. Nothing strange with that and to be honest I believe it is good for the environment too, because you see that it makes a difference if you cut down for example. But anyhow, that is besides the point in this case. What I wanted to say is that in Düsseldorf I haven't yet come across the water heaters running on gas. Here we have it. Every now and then - every ten minutes??? - the heater starts up and runs for ten seconds or so just to keep the water warm. First few times I jumped but it is amazing how quickly one gets used to these little sounds.

One of the women who is here from Sweden looks at the burner and mutters "Russian gas". No idea if that is really the case, but I imagine it may be. We are staying close to Alexanderplatz, in one of the parts that used to belong to the east, so it makes sense that old Russian pipes- or Soviet union pipes as it used to be then - runs here too...

Berlin is an interesting city, and there is so much history here, modern history as well as old history. I am already planning to come back in the spring, after all it is only a four hour train ride, and it is an amazing city. I need far more than just a weekend to rediscover it (it has been over ten years since I was here the last time). 

Another thing that is a bit odd is the fact that I walk around in Berlin actually speaking Swedish. I have already gotten used to German and English here in this country (more English than German, I must admit, my friends consist of a mixed group and at work English is the company language), so the fact that I can now walk around and speak Swedish strikes me as odd. Funny feeling, that there are no English speaking people with us but only Swedes. In Düsseldorf even if there are Swedes, as soon as there is someone there who doesn't speak the language it is English all the time. 

Except of course with one German colleague who has started to learn Swedish and wants to practise, when I talk to her I can make an exception... :-)