Ha ha, I just heard the most hilarious piece of news!!
I just happened to listen to the local news on TV and heard that five municipalities from the region where I live now, Värmland, have decided to apply to be transferred to the neighbouring administrative region, Västra Götaland, (where I originally come from). It is absolutely hilarious, not even the towns can stand it here!!
I totally understand them; this region is so backwards in comparison! Of course The Small Town is not one of the deserting municipalities, although it is also direct on the border to Västra Götaland. Only another sign that this place is even more backward?!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Visitor's Weekend
This weekend I had my fist visitors to the Small Town, the first from people who are not relatives of mine or had any other reason to be here. That’s BIG! We even went out to one of the local restaurants/bars/night clubs. A very interesting experience both for my friends and for me! One of my friends also grew up in a small place and is hence used to small towns, but he completely agreed with me that The Small Town seems to be particular backward. Finally some confirmation!!
They came here to play golf together with me at the club here and that was great! Really good fun! That means that I did my first 18-holes rounds this weekend, one yesterday and one today. Ok, I can not say I scored so many points, to be honest today I played really bad. But still, on the whole of it, it was great fun and I got inspired to practise more. I realise though that two 18-holes rounds make you really tired and I feel rather sore all over my body right now. Would love some spa treatment!! Jacuzzi and a massage!!! Lovely!!
They came here to play golf together with me at the club here and that was great! Really good fun! That means that I did my first 18-holes rounds this weekend, one yesterday and one today. Ok, I can not say I scored so many points, to be honest today I played really bad. But still, on the whole of it, it was great fun and I got inspired to practise more. I realise though that two 18-holes rounds make you really tired and I feel rather sore all over my body right now. Would love some spa treatment!! Jacuzzi and a massage!!! Lovely!!
Olympics from a different Angle
Well, then the Olympic Games in Beijing is over. It is obviously the least successful Swedish game since Saint Louis 1904, where we did not even participate… Still I feel a little bit proud myself, as I guessed we would get five medals and five we got! I was during a discussion with some friends from various nations, the day after the opening, when we were discussing how many medals our respective countries would take. My friends were rather surprised and disbelieving when I answered only five, but I insisted. So, I guess I was right! (Seppi and Wouti, I hope you remember and can confirm! :-) )
Maybe most other Swedes believed Sweden would get more, only because they follow the sports in the media, which I don’t. Somehow Swedish sports journalists always praise the athletes overwhelmingly in advance. It is, however, very interesting to see the reporting from the Olympics in different media and maybe most of all so in different countries’ media. The previous Olympics I was in Shanghai and hence was watching the reporting in Chinese TV. The Chinese state television CCTV only showed the sports where China had big chances of getting a medal, which of course were quite a few, but apparently almost exclusively the sports were no Swedes have a chance. So even though the Olympics in Athens were one of the best ever for Sweden I did not see one single Swedish medal being won. At the same time there was already then a big focus on this Olympics and the Chinese aim of making it a huge national success. Now, watching these games on Swedish TV I almost had the impression China did not get so many medals and that these games were not the great success the Chinese planned for. Not until I saw the statistics over won medals. Of course they were fabulously on top of the league. It is only a matter of focus. Swedish TV probably spent more time reporting from quarter- and semi-finals, were some Swede MIGHT have a chance to advance, than reporting about another Chinese gold in diving, gymnastics or synchronised swimming. Well, it is indeed all a matter of point of view.
Maybe most other Swedes believed Sweden would get more, only because they follow the sports in the media, which I don’t. Somehow Swedish sports journalists always praise the athletes overwhelmingly in advance. It is, however, very interesting to see the reporting from the Olympics in different media and maybe most of all so in different countries’ media. The previous Olympics I was in Shanghai and hence was watching the reporting in Chinese TV. The Chinese state television CCTV only showed the sports where China had big chances of getting a medal, which of course were quite a few, but apparently almost exclusively the sports were no Swedes have a chance. So even though the Olympics in Athens were one of the best ever for Sweden I did not see one single Swedish medal being won. At the same time there was already then a big focus on this Olympics and the Chinese aim of making it a huge national success. Now, watching these games on Swedish TV I almost had the impression China did not get so many medals and that these games were not the great success the Chinese planned for. Not until I saw the statistics over won medals. Of course they were fabulously on top of the league. It is only a matter of focus. Swedish TV probably spent more time reporting from quarter- and semi-finals, were some Swede MIGHT have a chance to advance, than reporting about another Chinese gold in diving, gymnastics or synchronised swimming. Well, it is indeed all a matter of point of view.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Autumn and Champagne?!
It is amazing how fast the summer ended! Ok, I am normally the one who strongly stress that at least August is also a summer-month, but this year the weather changed so quickly that it almost already feels like autumn. Very depressing!!
I had a lovely holiday but it did not take long back at work for me to realise how very much I hate the place I have to live in. It is really bad! I have lived in many places and felt quite well everywhere, but here it just does not work! I have never hated a place this much. Or I don’t think I ever hated a place at all before. Unfortunately that makes it also harder to like my job although that is actually quite good.
So this autumn will basically be about getting out of here. First of all that of course means finding another job and another place to live. All suggestions and tips are welcome! But I also have another plan, to make things a little easier to deal with. I have decided that for every month, starting from now in August, that I have to live here, I will buy a bottle of champagne that I then will drink when celebrating my move from here. That is a true win-win-deal! If I move earlier I don’t get much champagne but I do get out of here sooner. If I have to stay longer than I would like to; I get more champagne! Good eh?
I had a lovely holiday but it did not take long back at work for me to realise how very much I hate the place I have to live in. It is really bad! I have lived in many places and felt quite well everywhere, but here it just does not work! I have never hated a place this much. Or I don’t think I ever hated a place at all before. Unfortunately that makes it also harder to like my job although that is actually quite good.
So this autumn will basically be about getting out of here. First of all that of course means finding another job and another place to live. All suggestions and tips are welcome! But I also have another plan, to make things a little easier to deal with. I have decided that for every month, starting from now in August, that I have to live here, I will buy a bottle of champagne that I then will drink when celebrating my move from here. That is a true win-win-deal! If I move earlier I don’t get much champagne but I do get out of here sooner. If I have to stay longer than I would like to; I get more champagne! Good eh?
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Useful Clichés?
A lesbian friend of mine is having some problems with her relation. That made me wonder what arguments homosexuals use when their relations do not work. I mean; they can hardly use the same old clichés to complain about “men” or “women” in general. I think every heterosexual man or woman who had problems with their relations have at some time complained about “typical male or typical female” behaviour and the problems these cause. The gays can hardly do that. Maybe that makes them see more to the individual and the unique problems of every relation?! I believe that should be a good ground for a relation. But on the other hand it gives you no cliché argument to hide behind, which might make the truth cruelly apparent.
Olympic Games
This far I have not followed the Olympic games very much at all. I did not even see the opening (as I then was lying on the beach on Mallorca at that time). However today they showed a short sequence from the opening on the news. It showed a little girl in a red dress and pigtails singing a song with a high and clear voice. But the news was that it was not the girl shown that was singing, she was just miming to another voice. The singer was another seven years old girl, who was considered too ugly to be represented on the opening.
At first I was upset to hear that and the news was presented with indignation. That a little girl is told she is too ugly to be shown. But after a while I started to rethink. Maybe it is just another sign of the same preset mind, that of the importance of beauty. And it might also be a sign of Swedish urge for equality; no one is better or worse than anyone else, especially not children.
Of course in an ideal world it should not matter what anyone looks like if the person has a unique talent, but on the other hand is it not more important and matters more to have a talent than just a pretty face? And is it so strange that you want to show a pretty façade when the whole world is looking? Can we not just see this as a combination of two talents? The one who can sing does the singing and the one who is cute gets in the picture. As long as the singer also gets the credit, and in this case the organiser admitted it, at least afterwards it is not so bad or…? And after all I believe that how you look or how you sing at the age of seven does not really say much about what you will look like or sound like as an adult, so why not just let the poor kids be what they are..
At first I was upset to hear that and the news was presented with indignation. That a little girl is told she is too ugly to be shown. But after a while I started to rethink. Maybe it is just another sign of the same preset mind, that of the importance of beauty. And it might also be a sign of Swedish urge for equality; no one is better or worse than anyone else, especially not children.
Of course in an ideal world it should not matter what anyone looks like if the person has a unique talent, but on the other hand is it not more important and matters more to have a talent than just a pretty face? And is it so strange that you want to show a pretty façade when the whole world is looking? Can we not just see this as a combination of two talents? The one who can sing does the singing and the one who is cute gets in the picture. As long as the singer also gets the credit, and in this case the organiser admitted it, at least afterwards it is not so bad or…? And after all I believe that how you look or how you sing at the age of seven does not really say much about what you will look like or sound like as an adult, so why not just let the poor kids be what they are..
Monday, August 11, 2008
Back in office
It is amazing but it only took one single day back in the office to make me feel as if I had no holiday at all! After only one day I already feel tired, frustrated and irritated. Not good!! Of course it could also partly be because I did not get much sleep last night. Because of a delayed flight, that was already late, a missed airport bus and other things I barely got three hours of sleep. Therefore I was considering take the day off. In the end I did not, I just came a little late and wanted to make a soft start by leaving early. That did not work out at all! There was hardly anyone in the office but a very big and urgent caseload, so no soft start there!!
However, I will really try not to get back into the very negatively stressed feeling I have been having for quite some time at work. I will try to hang on to the good and creative feeling that at least was starting to build up the last days of my holiday, although I think I would honestly have needed at least one more week off to really get there. I will try to focus on what I like to do at work and what I am really good at (except spending money!) and what can me further and were I can achieve results. I will also try not to work very late everyday; there are other things to do too. First I will try to get some time to download the photos from this holiday, here or at picasa or facebook, so others can see them too, maybe I will also try to write something about my holiday and my travels here on the blog… and on my other blog, but that will have to be another day, now I really have to sleep to catch up for last night. Good night!
However, I will really try not to get back into the very negatively stressed feeling I have been having for quite some time at work. I will try to hang on to the good and creative feeling that at least was starting to build up the last days of my holiday, although I think I would honestly have needed at least one more week off to really get there. I will try to focus on what I like to do at work and what I am really good at (except spending money!) and what can me further and were I can achieve results. I will also try not to work very late everyday; there are other things to do too. First I will try to get some time to download the photos from this holiday, here or at picasa or facebook, so others can see them too, maybe I will also try to write something about my holiday and my travels here on the blog… and on my other blog, but that will have to be another day, now I really have to sleep to catch up for last night. Good night!
Back in office
It is amazing but it only took one single day back in the office to make me feel as if I had no holiday at all! After only one day I already feel tired, frustrated and irritated. Not good!! Of course it could also partly be because I did not get much sleep last night. Because of a delayed flight, that was already late, a missed airport bus and other things I barely got three hours of sleep. Therefore I was considering take the day off. In the end I did not, I just came a little late and wanted to make a soft start by leaving early. That did not work out at all! There was hardly anyone in the office but a very big and urgent caseload, so no soft start there!!
However, I will really try not to get back into the very negatively stressed feeling I have been having for quite some time at work. I will try to hang on to the good and creative feeling that at least was starting to build up the last days of my holiday, although I think I would honestly have needed at least one more week off to really get there. I will try to focus on what I like to do at work and what I am really good at (except spending money!) and what can me further and were I can achieve results. I will also try not to work very late everyday; there are other things to do too. First I will try to get some time to download the photos from this holiday, here or at picasa or facebook, so others can see them too, maybe I will also try to write something about my holiday and my travels here on the blog… but that will have to be another day, now I really have to sleep to catch up for last night. Good night!
However, I will really try not to get back into the very negatively stressed feeling I have been having for quite some time at work. I will try to hang on to the good and creative feeling that at least was starting to build up the last days of my holiday, although I think I would honestly have needed at least one more week off to really get there. I will try to focus on what I like to do at work and what I am really good at (except spending money!) and what can me further and were I can achieve results. I will also try not to work very late everyday; there are other things to do too. First I will try to get some time to download the photos from this holiday, here or at picasa or facebook, so others can see them too, maybe I will also try to write something about my holiday and my travels here on the blog… but that will have to be another day, now I really have to sleep to catch up for last night. Good night!
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