Five hours on Friday and six hours yesterday on Oxford Street are taking its toll. My legs and feet are sooo sore. And having walked for another five hours today hasn’t really helped…
But I found pair of capris, a linen skirt, a pair of jeans, two tops and a new handbag, and all on sale. So it was all worth it, even though it will be a while until I spend so much time just going in and out of shops. Guess I’m not a real fashionista or shopholic after all…
June 29, 2008
June 26, 2008
To London and Belfast
I'm off to London in the morning for a bit of shopping and girlie weekend with a friend. We've decided not to make any plans beside shopping and just do whatever we feel like. But I do have feeling a lot of wine will be drunken and that we are going to have a great time. It's hard not to have that in London. While my friend leaves on Sunday noon I'm staying on until Monday afternoon to catch a flight to Belfast. It felt rather ridiculous to go home on Sunday to go back through London to Belfast on Monday, so instead I got an extra day in London. Yeah!!!
Besides just being in my favourite city I'm also thinking about visiting The Imperial War Museum and London Transport Museum. The Anglophile and London buff in me needs to be nourished as well.
I'm quite excited about going back to Belfast as well. I'm staying at a hotel in city centre this time and I know where the shopping centres are and their opening hours, so I'll be happy... But on Monday night I know I will spend some time preparing for another day of talking content management and web statistics. It's been a month and half since the last time, so a bit of thinking through what to say and do is probably in order. I do not want to make a fool of myself....
I really started to like Ireland and its people and culture back in May. They are so much more laid back then the English and their accent I'm starting to like as well. Not as posh maybe, but warm and welcoming.
Besides just being in my favourite city I'm also thinking about visiting The Imperial War Museum and London Transport Museum. The Anglophile and London buff in me needs to be nourished as well.
I'm quite excited about going back to Belfast as well. I'm staying at a hotel in city centre this time and I know where the shopping centres are and their opening hours, so I'll be happy... But on Monday night I know I will spend some time preparing for another day of talking content management and web statistics. It's been a month and half since the last time, so a bit of thinking through what to say and do is probably in order. I do not want to make a fool of myself....
I really started to like Ireland and its people and culture back in May. They are so much more laid back then the English and their accent I'm starting to like as well. Not as posh maybe, but warm and welcoming.
June 25, 2008
New orchid
Hosting the last wine testing for the spring last week I got another orchid from my friends. I think this one is not as common as the pink and white ones, and probably therefore a bit harder to take care of , but I'll give it a try. I now have five orchids in my living room window and they just flower over and over again, so I must be doing something right. I think.
June 24, 2008
Macho, macho man
One doesn't chose ones family is a saying I try to remember the times I get rude, stupid or ridiculous remarks from my extended family. For almost 20 years now we've been a family who probably wouldn't have chosen to be together if our parents hadn't met. Most of the time I just let things pass, since it's not worth it. One mellows with age so to speak...
On Midsummer we all met at mum's for pickled herring, fresh potatoes, schnapps and strawberries, just as the tradition says. Outside it was pouring, that too very much like the tradition.
Someone asked me when my summer holiday would start (in three weeks) and then if I still travelled as much as I used to. Yes, more less. Sometimes I don't go anywhere in two or three months and then bang I'm travelling every week for a month or even more. The comment I got back was really astonishing: "If you ever get married you have to give that sort of life. No woman can travel and take care of her family and house at the same time." One could believe this would come from an older man, but this came from a man in his mid 40's. Amazing!
For once I actually had a good reply: "But it's works for all the men who travel a lot. Why shouldn't it work for a woman?" He actually went quiet and left to get some more food. One of the other women just smiled at me and said that he had that coming...
It's not the first time I've heard comments like that, but still every time I wonder why. Are they afraid of me? Am I too successful? (I don't think so) Is it pure jealousy? Why is it that a woman can't do what men have been doing for ages? Are we crossing a (male) boundary that maybe shouldn't be crossed?
On Midsummer we all met at mum's for pickled herring, fresh potatoes, schnapps and strawberries, just as the tradition says. Outside it was pouring, that too very much like the tradition.
Someone asked me when my summer holiday would start (in three weeks) and then if I still travelled as much as I used to. Yes, more less. Sometimes I don't go anywhere in two or three months and then bang I'm travelling every week for a month or even more. The comment I got back was really astonishing: "If you ever get married you have to give that sort of life. No woman can travel and take care of her family and house at the same time." One could believe this would come from an older man, but this came from a man in his mid 40's. Amazing!
For once I actually had a good reply: "But it's works for all the men who travel a lot. Why shouldn't it work for a woman?" He actually went quiet and left to get some more food. One of the other women just smiled at me and said that he had that coming...
It's not the first time I've heard comments like that, but still every time I wonder why. Are they afraid of me? Am I too successful? (I don't think so) Is it pure jealousy? Why is it that a woman can't do what men have been doing for ages? Are we crossing a (male) boundary that maybe shouldn't be crossed?
June 23, 2008
Sliding doors
With the rain pouring yesterday morning I ended up watching Sliding doors. A film that I used to watch over and over again, but now I don't think I had seen it in three or four years or probably even more. I actually stooped watching it because I ended up bawling like a baby every time.
First because everything is so perfect and romantic and then in the end because it's so sad and not fair what happens. It also made me miss my dear friend Jo and our adventures in London immensely. Jo has lived in Oz for four or five years now and I have made new memoires in London. But regardless of that I cried again watching the film. Silly me.
Again John Hannah's character makes you wonder where men like that comes from. That's sooo my sort of man. Add a bit of Scottish accent and I'm smitten. One thing I didn't like this time though was Gwyneth Paltrow's British accent. That was not British English, that was an American thinking she spoke Queen's English but she didn't.
Anyhow I had a good girlie cry, the rain had stopped when the film was over and I had just remembered a great quote:
First because everything is so perfect and romantic and then in the end because it's so sad and not fair what happens. It also made me miss my dear friend Jo and our adventures in London immensely. Jo has lived in Oz for four or five years now and I have made new memoires in London. But regardless of that I cried again watching the film. Silly me.
Again John Hannah's character makes you wonder where men like that comes from. That's sooo my sort of man. Add a bit of Scottish accent and I'm smitten. One thing I didn't like this time though was Gwyneth Paltrow's British accent. That was not British English, that was an American thinking she spoke Queen's English but she didn't.
Anyhow I had a good girlie cry, the rain had stopped when the film was over and I had just remembered a great quote:
James: Cheer up. Remember what the Monty Python boys say.
Helen: "Always look on the bright side of life"?
James: No, "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition."
June 22, 2008
Old friends and inspiration
On Thursday I had lunch with my old colleague and now friend Johan. He's been working in New York for the last year, so the last time we met was actually last year in London having lunch at Soho House. Our lunch there lasted for almost five hours and the both of us were rather tipsy when leaving. So this time we only did a two-hour lunch and the strongest we had to drink was the coffee afterwards. As usual we managed to talk about most everything. Work, sports (especially Sweden's lousy match the night before) travel, design, people and so on. Thinking that we meet maybe once or twice a year and only keep in touch through a couple of emails during the year, it's amazing we just start off where we ended the last time.
Getting my hair cut after our lunch I felt amazingly good about myself and life. Thinking for a while I realised it was actually because of meeting with Johan. He radiates such a warmth and energy and fills one with inspiration and motivation. Thinking back he's always been like that. But maybe this time(and the the last time in London) I was in more need of hearing that I'm one smart and good-looking woman who can do whatever I want. Nothing is impossible. Just go for it!
If I only could remember that...
Getting my hair cut after our lunch I felt amazingly good about myself and life. Thinking for a while I realised it was actually because of meeting with Johan. He radiates such a warmth and energy and fills one with inspiration and motivation. Thinking back he's always been like that. But maybe this time(and the the last time in London) I was in more need of hearing that I'm one smart and good-looking woman who can do whatever I want. Nothing is impossible. Just go for it!
If I only could remember that...
June 19, 2008
Summer solstice
By now I think everybody knows my relationship with daylight. I hate when it gets dark and love the day when the sun is back. With the summer solstice coming up in two days I'm a bit sad knowing that it can't get any lighter than this. But still there are about 3-4 months with decent daylight left. On the other hand I'm also very amazed how light it is right now.
I woke up the other night by some sirens and couldn't go back to sleep so I ventured out the kitchen to have a look out the window. Close to 3 o'clock in the morning it wasn't dark outside. Dawn was just coming and the sky was blue or close to grey. Standing there for a minute or two I noticed some rabbits playing around on the lawn and when back in bed again I could hear some (early) birds starting to sing. As much as I hate the dark parts of the year it's moments like these that makes me appreciate that I live in a country with very different and contrasting seasons. Mother Nature and the earth is an amazing place to live at.
I woke up the other night by some sirens and couldn't go back to sleep so I ventured out the kitchen to have a look out the window. Close to 3 o'clock in the morning it wasn't dark outside. Dawn was just coming and the sky was blue or close to grey. Standing there for a minute or two I noticed some rabbits playing around on the lawn and when back in bed again I could hear some (early) birds starting to sing. As much as I hate the dark parts of the year it's moments like these that makes me appreciate that I live in a country with very different and contrasting seasons. Mother Nature and the earth is an amazing place to live at.
June 18, 2008
Case of the giggles
Who can resist this?! Makes you smile and you feel like laughing too. Happy and cute babies is always a good cure for sad faces.
June 16, 2008
How do they think?
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said on Sunday that he would be willing to hand power to a ruling party. But, and that is a big but, only when the country was safe from sellouts and British interference.
I remember when seeing The last King of Scotland a while back that I was very fascinated by how Idi Amin got more and more paranoid as time went on, Is that what goes on with Mugabe or any of the tyrants left in the world? Is it all in their head and are they actually ill?I want to believe that, but it's too easy. The other reason is probably that the taste of power is sweet and the more you have the more you want. The human being is so easily fooled.
But the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper said he gave no time-frame and again vowed to stop the opposition from ending his rule, which Britain's foreign secretary David Miliband described on BBC television as sadism.Whenever I ready statements like this from dictators and other tyrants I wonder what they are thinking. How can you go on thinking that what you say and do is the right thing regardless of what the rest of worlds says? How can anyone be so evil (or is it selfish) to just think about you and your own power? After the cyclone in Burma the junta in some statement said they didn't need any help since they could do it themselves. The same went for Kim Jong-il in North Korea when the people was starving. No, nobody is starving and if so we can help ourselves.
I remember when seeing The last King of Scotland a while back that I was very fascinated by how Idi Amin got more and more paranoid as time went on, Is that what goes on with Mugabe or any of the tyrants left in the world? Is it all in their head and are they actually ill?I want to believe that, but it's too easy. The other reason is probably that the taste of power is sweet and the more you have the more you want. The human being is so easily fooled.
June 15, 2008
Not again
Yet again sensitive government paper has been found on a commuter train in the UK. Just only on Wednesday last week other top secret papers containing the latest intelligence on al-Qaeda was found on a commuter train. This time the information was regarding fighting global terrorist funding, drugs trafficking and money laundering.
Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz made this accurate but rather alarming comment:
Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz made this accurate but rather alarming comment:
Our enemies don't even need to hack into our computers, they apparently just need to travel on public transport.Not being British, but as any person living in the age of terrorism, I'm very concerned how things like this can happened over and over again. More and more I wonder if the British government is made up by halfwits and fools. Who on earth leaves secret files on a train or a laptop with government records overnight in a car? I wouldn't. It's just common sense.
What not to wear
With The Royal Ascot starting on Tuesday The Telegraph has published a guide on what not to wear. Strapless, halter necks, spaghetti straps are considered unsuitable. The same goes for miniskirts and wearing knickers is a must. A hat is also a must and the bigger and bolder seems to be the theme for the attending ladies.
June 12, 2008
June 11, 2008
Paying ones debt
Prince Charles paid off a family debt yesterday. 350 years late...
Charles handed over 453 pounds and 15 pence (572 euros and 20 euro cents, 885 dollars and four cents) which King Charles II failed to pay to the Clothiers Company in Worcester, central England, in 1651.Visiting the clothing company Prince Charles was happy to pay off the family debt, but he resisted the temptation of paying full interest. In today's money that would have been £47500. I wonder if that behaviour would have been accepted if he wasn't royal?
June 10, 2008
Blue and yellow
I have to admit that I'm feeling quite blue and yellow as Sweden play against Greece in the Euro 2008 tonight. Being Sweden's first match in the competition hopes are (still) high. Greece, on the other hand, is the current European champions and are known for their rough and physical style, so you can never be too sure. But really, what can be stronger than Vikings form the north?! Go Sweden!!!
June 09, 2008
Books, books, books
Having the time to read a lot during the weekend I first finished off This Charming Man, which was as good as I had anticipated. Some parts in the book even touched me more than I thought it would, so it was indeed a good read.
Probably a year ago or even more than that I bought Ugly by Constance Briscoe when in London. Having read an interview with her in British Marie Claire I was fascinated as so many other by her horrendous and loveless childhood, but never less made her one of the first back women to sit as judge in the UK. I finally started to read the book on my way to Ireland last month and before the plan arrived in Dublin I had finished feeling both distressed and empowered at the same time. Distressed wondering how other human beings can be so cruel to other human beings and empowered by the fact that Constance Briscoe had a dream and she never gave up, regardless of what.
Passing a book shop in Dun Laoghaire a day later I found the squeal called Beyond Ugly which I really looked forward reading this weekend. Unfortunately the book wasn't as good as the first one, leaving me a bit disappointed and wanting to know more about whatever happened to her mother and how she felt when she had children of her own. Nevertheless both books is a great story about survival.
Being a bit of political junkie (Thanks for that epithet Holly) I also bought Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland by Jonathan Powell at the book shop in Dun Laoghaire. Going up to to Belfast and Northern Ireland the next morning it seemed very appropriate.
Jonathan Powell was the Chief of Staff to Tony Blair and he was very much part of the Northern Ireland Agreement behind the scenes. A diplomat doing all those things we never hear about. I have only read about half of the book, but so far it has given me a lot of insights and background to The Troubles. Most Swedes just know that The Trouble was Protestants and Catholics fighting, but not why they thought.
Also having read Alastair Campbell's diary from the Blair years last summer it's interesting to learn about the same things from another person's point of view. Just like it was reading the memoirs of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright. They all talked about the same things, but so differently.
Probably a year ago or even more than that I bought Ugly by Constance Briscoe when in London. Having read an interview with her in British Marie Claire I was fascinated as so many other by her horrendous and loveless childhood, but never less made her one of the first back women to sit as judge in the UK. I finally started to read the book on my way to Ireland last month and before the plan arrived in Dublin I had finished feeling both distressed and empowered at the same time. Distressed wondering how other human beings can be so cruel to other human beings and empowered by the fact that Constance Briscoe had a dream and she never gave up, regardless of what.
Passing a book shop in Dun Laoghaire a day later I found the squeal called Beyond Ugly which I really looked forward reading this weekend. Unfortunately the book wasn't as good as the first one, leaving me a bit disappointed and wanting to know more about whatever happened to her mother and how she felt when she had children of her own. Nevertheless both books is a great story about survival.
Being a bit of political junkie (Thanks for that epithet Holly) I also bought Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland by Jonathan Powell at the book shop in Dun Laoghaire. Going up to to Belfast and Northern Ireland the next morning it seemed very appropriate.
Jonathan Powell was the Chief of Staff to Tony Blair and he was very much part of the Northern Ireland Agreement behind the scenes. A diplomat doing all those things we never hear about. I have only read about half of the book, but so far it has given me a lot of insights and background to The Troubles. Most Swedes just know that The Trouble was Protestants and Catholics fighting, but not why they thought.
Also having read Alastair Campbell's diary from the Blair years last summer it's interesting to learn about the same things from another person's point of view. Just like it was reading the memoirs of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright. They all talked about the same things, but so differently.
June 08, 2008
Almost like on holiday
The last four days have been marvellous and it has almost felt like being on holiday. The weather has been gorgeous, I've been able to do things in the morning and then sit outside reading in the sun during the afternoon. I've been able to sleep late, have a long breakfast also that outside and then in the evening spending time cooking without being tired or stressed out. Also with the football starting last night it even more feels like holiday and summertime.
Right now the remaining five weeks left until my summer holiday feels like an eternity, but five weeks sounds so much better than six weeks which was the case last week. And by this time next week it will only be four weeks until my summer holiday.
Before my holiday I will also go to London for a weekend seeing friends and hopefully do a bit of clearance shopping. Something that I'm looking forward to tremendously, so I guess I'll survive these last weeks too...
Right now the remaining five weeks left until my summer holiday feels like an eternity, but five weeks sounds so much better than six weeks which was the case last week. And by this time next week it will only be four weeks until my summer holiday.
Before my holiday I will also go to London for a weekend seeing friends and hopefully do a bit of clearance shopping. Something that I'm looking forward to tremendously, so I guess I'll survive these last weeks too...
June 06, 2008
Weird dream
With a four-day weekend because of the the Swedish National Day (today)it was so nice to have another lie-in this morning. Right before waking up I had a nice but a weird dream. I was having oysters and other seafood delicacies with Mr Big from SATC. We were sitting in some sort of champagne bar, eating and having a great time together..Waking up I was in quite good mood, but a tad bit disappointed at the same time since I didn't know what we had been talking about. So a weird dream indeed, but a very nice one.
Going down the analysis path I know I have a thing for tall, dark and handsome men, and in SATC Mr Big is my man. The SATC movie is not out here yet, but with friends in the UK and US having seen it already I guess SATC has been on my mind. I love seafood, and along with champagne it gets even better. And with a tall, dark and handsome man, well it can't get much better...
I guess this dream could also mean that I need to go out there and get a bit of romance in my life. Why would I otherwise dream of a man that doesn't exist? It's a bit alike dreaming about Mr Darcy. The perfect man, that doesn't exist not matter how much you look, and the more you look the harder it gets. He's just a fantasy.
Going down the analysis path I know I have a thing for tall, dark and handsome men, and in SATC Mr Big is my man. The SATC movie is not out here yet, but with friends in the UK and US having seen it already I guess SATC has been on my mind. I love seafood, and along with champagne it gets even better. And with a tall, dark and handsome man, well it can't get much better...
I guess this dream could also mean that I need to go out there and get a bit of romance in my life. Why would I otherwise dream of a man that doesn't exist? It's a bit alike dreaming about Mr Darcy. The perfect man, that doesn't exist not matter how much you look, and the more you look the harder it gets. He's just a fantasy.
June 04, 2008
June 03, 2008
Why are we never happy?
Why are we Swedes never happy when it comes to the weather? For the last year everybody has been complaining about how last summer rained away and how important it is to get some sun during the summer. Now one year forward and everybody is complaining about the terribly drought since it hasn't rained since May 1. Also with the temperatures around 25 degrees and up for the last couple of day people are now talking about the terrible heatwave. Come on, this is ridiculous! Why can't we just be happy and enjoy the nice weather for once? It will not last for long. Or are we the same as the people living on the British Isles? The weather is usually effect us all since it's so bad, so when there for once is some good weather we don't know how to appreciate it.
Anyhow, I'm probably being very much non-Swedish, but I'm enjoying the recent warm weather tremendously and no rain, well it will come. If not now, it sure will come in October again and there will be plenty of it. Just relax and enjoy what we have at the moment.
Anyhow, I'm probably being very much non-Swedish, but I'm enjoying the recent warm weather tremendously and no rain, well it will come. If not now, it sure will come in October again and there will be plenty of it. Just relax and enjoy what we have at the moment.
June 02, 2008
Bygones
Ever since my little crash and burn at Christmas time I've tried to look forward and change things that can be changed. But most of all I've decided to let bygones be bygones. There is no need to dwell on why things some things happened and why some didn't.
Until today when our old department had a meeting with HR to finally discuss what actually happened. Just starting to think of all those things that went on got me tensing up and soon I could feel my heat beating and I felt all shaky. Indistinctly I just wanted to get up and leave, but I stayed on and the whole group had a rather good discussion. A couple of times when talking I realised that I was biased and too emotional involved and somehow I managed to put those feelings away. Something that I could never had done earlier, but at some occasions I was very close to tears. It was all too much. But hearing what the other had to say made me understand that it hadn't just been me. I can't help wondering though, why people never said anything, more than just the ordinary moaning and groaning about work.
Sitting here now, I understand that it was good we had this meeting. Things needed to be put to rest the right way, but I feel totally drained. And when I feel emotionally drained I need comfort and comfort is food. Glorious food that is always there to help and support me. Food that never gives up on me or tells me I'm not good enough. Food.
Until today when our old department had a meeting with HR to finally discuss what actually happened. Just starting to think of all those things that went on got me tensing up and soon I could feel my heat beating and I felt all shaky. Indistinctly I just wanted to get up and leave, but I stayed on and the whole group had a rather good discussion. A couple of times when talking I realised that I was biased and too emotional involved and somehow I managed to put those feelings away. Something that I could never had done earlier, but at some occasions I was very close to tears. It was all too much. But hearing what the other had to say made me understand that it hadn't just been me. I can't help wondering though, why people never said anything, more than just the ordinary moaning and groaning about work.
Sitting here now, I understand that it was good we had this meeting. Things needed to be put to rest the right way, but I feel totally drained. And when I feel emotionally drained I need comfort and comfort is food. Glorious food that is always there to help and support me. Food that never gives up on me or tells me I'm not good enough. Food.
June 01, 2008
Nice and warm
The first really warm whether have reached Sweden and it's sooo nice. Having survived another autumn and winter it almost feels like it was worth it. Blue sky, not a cloud in sight and just gorgeous warm sun.
With three more weeks until the summer solstice the days are very long and the nights are short which Michael's photo from last week in Stockholm really shows. It can't get much better than this. It's Swedish summer and it's plain marvellous.
With three more weeks until the summer solstice the days are very long and the nights are short which Michael's photo from last week in Stockholm really shows. It can't get much better than this. It's Swedish summer and it's plain marvellous.
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