Car worries

Coming back from Stockholm this evening and picking up my car that had been parked by the train station over the weekend, I discovered something worrying. I noticed that the speed meter on my car just did not work any more. It is worrying from two points of view. First; of course I will have to have it fixed. And I don’t like having to have things fixed on my car. I am convinced all such things will ruin my economy. Secondly this is nothing that I can postpone. I mean the car still works perfectly fine, but I know my self to well to let me drive without a working meter. Not that I always pay that much attention to it or the speed limits, but driving without it would probably render me drivers-licence-less in no time at all…

Life Sucks

Today there was another report on the wellbeing of the Swedish people presented on the morning news, or rather the not-well-being. This time a study confirmed that a big portion of the young adults (between 20-30 years)are not feeling well, they are depressed and suffer from anxeity etc etc. Not long ago there was another study about people with physical disabilities that showed how badly they felt and that their phsychological healt was also not that great. And just before that it was the elderly (10-15 percent of the above 65 are depressed), the young (15-20), before that pregnant women... I wonder if anyone is happy and feeling fine!! Maybe men between 40 and 65. Maybe it is their fault everyone else is feeling bad!? It's them that are in charge aren't they?!

Or is it just that we all have too high expectations on life? Or shall we just all agree on that life sucks?! Or is it just that we are actually doing so well we have the time to feel bad!? Or is it just bad journalism?!

Back to Normal Life?!

Back to Normal Life again!? And back to the small problems and annoyances of the developed world.
Came back to The Small Town only yesterday night, as I went straight from the airport to my parents’ place. I drove back with a close, childhood friend who is living in The Next Somewhat Bigger Town and she came up with me for a cup of tea and to watch some photos before she went home. After that I cleaned out my fridge and went out to buy some new food. It was quite late when I came back and I was pretty tired. So guess how happy I was to discover that obviously I hadn’t closed the door to the freezer properly before I left…. Great welcome home!!

The whole freezer was completely clogged with ice. There was no way around it but I had to start defrosting the freezer before I went to bed. As most of the time is just about waiting for the ice to melt (with some help from hot water) I started down loading some pictures from Afghanistan on my Travel blog. Somehow that got me captured and I continued doing that till 03.30. Very clever!! Just as I had almost overcome the jet lag…

Travel Worries

It might sound strange, but I actually worry more about going back to The Small Town than I ever did about going to Afghanistan. It became very obvious when we should leave Mazar. I felt I would much rather have stayed there than go back to The Small Town, especially as I was told that it was snowing. It is so horrible; I just can not understand how I can live there. I really do not want to go back!

My plan to delay the return by a stop over in Dubai does not really work out. That is so sad; I would really have needed a couple of relaxing days on my own on the beach or by the pool. The flights that I wanted to change my booking to were all booked out and changing the booking would cost 200 euros and not 100 as I thought, that might be a little too much for only two extra days, especially as hotels were quite expensive those days, as it is Easter, I suppose. 

N.B. I am not saying that the life in general would be better in Afghanistan than in The Small Town, by no means!! I am only saying that I can cope better with the life I would live here (or in any other place!) than with the life I live in The Small Town. And what I guess I am also saying is that I really have to do something about my “normal life”. At least getting a place where it feels like coming home to.

On the way!!

One day later than planned, and months later than due; I am actually on my way to Afghanistan now! The first stretch of the journey is behind me, I am in Copenhagen.

My proud ability to pack and travel lightly was completely wasted. I think I was quite good to only have 14 kg luggage for this kind of trip. Until someone came up with the idea that I should bring two flak jackets, they are 13 kgs each! So thats all for my effort. A nice smile saved me from paying overweight!! Good start!

If I have time to write from Afghanistan, which is not sure, you will find it on my Travel blog!

Busy skiiers!?

This weekend (Thursday to Sunday) I went skiing with a big group of colleagues. As we are over 20 persons out of office for two normal woking days some/most felt obliged to keep an eye on the mobile phone and the e-mail but we all somehow established that we are a bit pathetic. In my cottage where eight people are staying we togheter have 6 laptops with mobile internet connection and 15 mobile phones. On a skiing holiday!!! Pathetic or just a sign of the times...

Extremely Bad Timing

This time I really got more than i asked for, barely recovered from the sore throat and fever from last week, I now caught a cold. It is just so bad timing.
I had planned to go skiing with some colleagues this Thursday-Sunday. When the previously postponed trip to Afghanistan was planned with departure this Monday I started questioning whether that still was sensible or not. But since I can not plan everything in my life after that trip I decided to go anyway and have been working hard to get things ready on time. So therefore this cold came with very bad timing! Now I really don't know if I can go. On the other hand I think that is exactly what I would need right now; a couple of days off in nice company, with fresh air and some (light) physical exercise and a few days when I don't have to think of Afghanistan...