shark tale

A shark must constantly keep swimming or it will drown. I honestly think all of us are in that same catch 22 as the shark. We have to keep moving or we will cease to exist. Things in my life are seemingly in constant motion. Whether it is business travel, or friends dropping by for a visit, or celebrating milestones of life with those we care about. I don't think I would have it any other way. This state of motion keeps life interesting and dynamic.

My wish for the New Year is that my life continues going along this shark path. And at the same time I wish the same for all of you out there. May year 2009 be an interesting and fun year!

blue

Over a cup of hot chocolate (with whipped cream - yum) at Stockholm Airport I suddenly realised that I was going home to a home where I am all alone... Leaving the country, family and friends behind that I love and going home to "nothing"... And the man I love is somewhere else, so no sweet embrace at the end of the journey to look forward to.

Later on as I was sitting on the plane I came up with the perfect solution... If I could buy a big big castle, everyone I love could fit in there and we all could live together happily ever after... If only dreams could come true.

Guess I'm feeling a little blue.
But give me a few days and I'll be back with true colours.

dress up

Santa came with gifts on Wedenesday morning and I had been a good girl! And when I was "Santa" at Sofia and Patrik's, Santa quickly turned into Batman.

the forth candle

I left Valter home alone in HK.
He's looking after my house while I'm in Sweden.

And Sweden is cold, just as it should be this close to Christmas. We light the forth candle today, and I think that at this very moment Santa and his little helpers are probably in the midst of getting ready to leave Santa land with a sledge full of gifts.

Santa, I promise that I have been a good girl.

and off I go

The birds manage on their own, but not us humans.
I'm talking about flying.

So tomorrow morning I'm getting on a plane to fly to the cold but beautiful Stockholm.

Christmas holidays, here I come!

monkey

Sunday hike = Advent hike = Monkey hike!

advent hike

It's Sunday, which means hike day.
The sky is blue and it is a beautiful day out there, this will be great!

But Sunday this close to Christmas also means advent. We have come to the 3rd one of the year today.
Have a great one everybody.
In a weeks time from now I'm in Sweden.
Hurray.

sing lucia

I haven't sung in public since I was in 6th grade I think. But tonight I sang loudly, a Capella, dressed in white and with a candle in my hand, in a very crowded Spanish pub.


Oh no that's a lie... Not that I sang Swedish Christmas songs tonight, but that I haven't sung in public since 6th grade... Last time I did was probably when I lived in Australia. And that was when I was in 11th-12th grade, but let's just settle at that it was many years ago I sang in public prior to tonight performance.

Anyway, it went well, it was fun and we got applauds and also some strange looks as we walked along the bar street singing. However, it's only Lucia once a year so I'll give them that, especially as we were celebrating a Swedish tradition in the middle of HK.

lost and found

Something terrible happened when Kris and I were in Boracay earlier on this year. I lost Skippy. Skippy is my book mark that has been with me for years and have done many journeys with me. And we lost him... Sure he got lost on a beautiful beach, but he was left there all alone...

However, my beautiful boyfriend who knew how much this upset me (it really did... stupid perhaps, but true) has now found him!
OK, I understand that it's not my old Skippy that got delivered with the post today, I understand that the old Skippy has gone to Skippy heaven, but I feel that the old and new Skippy share the same soul... And he was bought and flown to me with love.

So thank you so much my darling Kris!

And welcome home Skippy!!
You were lost but now you're found...

the number is two

In two weeks time I'll be in Stockholm. Can't wait!
And today it's the 2nd of Advent.

The number is obviously two.
Have a great Sunday all of you.

xox

ice skating

I talked to my mum the other day and she laughed when I told her that I was going ice skating, and said: well that was never your greatest talent was it...?! Hmm maybe not... I guess I've always looked more like an uncoordinated bambi on ice than an ice princess...

Anyway, we went ice skating earlier on tonight, and I might not have been the prettiest sight on the ice, but it was fun and (mum)I didn't even fall once!

valter is back

Christmas is getting closer.
The air is cooler.
And Valter is back...

Wishing you all a happy and cosy first advent.

wow

I wanted more when the show was over.
I wasn't ready to leave.
I wanted more dazzling and daring performances.
I wanted more of the fun and fantastic.
I wanted more of that wow feeling.
I wanted more of that happy grin that wouldn't leave my face through out the performance.
Encore, encore...

cirque du soleil

It all started in Baie-Saint-Paul, a small town near Quebec City, in Canada. There, in the early eighties, a band of colourful characters roamed the streets, striding on stilts, juggling, dancing, breathing fire, and playing music. Already, the townsfolk were impressed and intrigued by the young performers – who included one Guy Laliberté who became founder and CEO of Cirque du Soleil. Now more than 20 years later it has become one of the world's most spectacular performances, playing to packed houses across the globe.

The Cirque du Soleil, French for the "Circus of the Sun," mixes circus arts and street theatre and features original music, special effects and spectacular costumes. It emphasizes acts of human skill and daring, but unlike traditional circuses it does not include animals. Each Cirque du Soleil production centres around a unique theme and features spectacular theatrical effects by performers that are masters of clowning, stilt-walking, trapeze and other acrobatics, juggling, contortionism, mime, and other traditional circus arts.

Tonight I’m taking the ferry across to Macau to see this spectacle with my own eyes and I can’t wait!

dog's life

Meet Derek.
Probably one of the cutest cocker spaniels ever.
Saved from a dog shelter by one of my friends, and now he's supposed to be in my care for a week, while my friend is in Thailand.

I'm saying supposed, because it's not going to happen. Unfortunately.
Why? Well, earlier tonight he decided to bite my friend Erica in the foot. 4 stitches later (!), I have decided that he is going back to the dog shelter, at least until my friend is back and can decide what he wants to do.

Poor Erica and poor little cute doggy (a devil in disguise...).

postman duties

The last two days I've been a true postman.
A company we use for local deliveries didn't manage to do their job properly, so I took care of things instead. If you want something properly done you do it yourself, isn't that how the saying goes?!

So out on the streets I went.
And I got many surprising looks along the way when I as a tall blond gweilo (ghost face, i.e. white person), did hand deliveries around the city.

Have seen many new places and probably used HK's very efficient public transport more during these two days than I've done the last year... Trains, buses, trams and ferries took me to all the places I needed to go, and sometimes (when I got a little lost...) I had to jump into a taxi as well.

Anyway, mission accomplished and I've taken off my postman hat for this time. But who knows, now that I know my way around I might hit the streets again...

good neighbours

A few months ago I got new neighbours.
Haven't really seen them until yesterday, when I decided that a foot and back massage was the answer to my Friday fatigue.

And it was soooo good. Will definitely visit them again!
After the massage I felt a million dollars and went out for dinner and drinks. That those drinks later lead to a spinning head is a totally different story...

sunday hike

My friend Ilissa and I have a new tradition.
Sunday hiking.
It's great!



Not only do you get to see so many new places and sides of HK that way, but the feeling you have when you are about to go to bed is great, a combination of being tired and re-charged at the same time.

Am really intending to keep this tradition going.

halloween

HK was a mad place the other night...
That's what Halloween does to this city.
Like it though!

And me, well I turned into a "scary" purple witch.

a restaurant, love and a wedding

After an annoying delay I arrived to my home away - Australia. And after what seemed to be an eternity, I threw myself into the arms of Kris. Love feels so good!

Got to see the restaurant.
Got to see where Kris lives now - Mooloolaba, and where he grew up - Byron Bay. (And it is paradise, I promise you).
Got to see his family. (So sweet).
Got to see "family" and friends of my own. (Ray & Lorraine and Terrence - Great catch ups).
And got to take part in a beautiful wedding.


All in all - had a marvellous and splendid time!
And it was really sad to go back home again...

mooloolaba - here I come

Finally she's on her way to Australia.
On her way to see Kris!
On her way to places she hasn't been to before.
On her way to meet the whole Lewis clan for the first time (and not feeling nervous yet...).

Just about to step on the plane.
Laters skaters.

golf

Today was a beautiful day and I got to see a side of HK that I hadn't seen before.

Spent my whole day in the sun, on a stunning golf course. All because my company sponsored the yearly Swedish Chamber Golf Tournament. And as I don't play I just represented and greeted the people that came to "my hole". Good fun.



What a hard day of work... ;)

stupid pig jump

There was 3 seconds when I was standing there on the edge, 233 meters up in the air, looking down, when I thought shit shit shit. And then... I jumped!





My stupid pig jump (the direct Chinese translation of Bungy Jump) was over way too quick. But it was good while it lasted...

Why live on the edge when you can jump off!

extreme

What do you do when you've been extremely bored due to pneumonia and want to liven up things a bit?

If you are one of those people that believe that you are into massive adrenalin rushes, well then there's no other extreme experiences or theme park ride that will come close to throwing yourself down the side of the Tower of Macau.

So if this is what you decided on doing, even though your stomach has butterflies just writing about it..., you will still step on that ferry to Macau tomorrow morning to go and do, not only the most technical bungy jump in the world, but also the WORLDS HIGHEST BUNGY JUMP – 233m.

I must be f-ing crazy...

sanya

Some rain, some sun, long beautiful beach with white sand, relaxing days in a good hotel and lots of fresh sea air. That was the remedy. My coughing is gone and I now feel I have energy again. Mission "Recovery" accomplished.

Had a really nice time in Sanya, Hainan. China's paradise island. Actually people call it "the Oriental Hawaii". And my only question to this is: is that because the island sits roughly on the same latitude as Hawaii and enjoys similar temperatures and weather conditions or is it because all the Chinese friends and couples wearing unisex Chinafied Hawaiian combinations? (I know it's not nice to laugh, but I just can't help it...:-))

recovery

In the last few years the city Sanya, situated on the island Hainan - the most southerly province of China, has developed to become a get away from Hong Kong, where you can relax totally by strolling along the beaches and breathing the fresh air.

So I thought, why not go there and recover from my pneumonia.
A few lazy days on the beach... If that doesn't "heal" me, then I don't know what will.

Am leaving tomorrow morning, so see you in a few days time.

one year older

I woke up during the night and in front of me stood this beautiful woman.
She had golden hair, white clothes, wings and a wand in her hand.
She told me she was a birthday fairy and that I could make one wish. 'But you have to be quick' she added.

I was totally gob smacked, didn't know if I still was dreaming or not. One wish she said... What did I want... Breakfast in bed, a big cake, an expensive hand bag, money, a prince on a white horse, a kingdom... Oh I just couldn't make up my mind... I mean who thinks clearly in the middle of the night, and under pressure too...

Next thing I hear, is a 'oh no', and right in front of me this beautiful fairy turns into a ugly big nosed witch dressed in black. And she starts laughing. 'Ha ha ha ha ha ha, you were too slow you ugly bitch. Didn't know that your pretty little fairy was cursed did ya?! Now you don't get to make a wish anymore, I will make one for you. Ha ha ha ha ha.' 'Listen carefully she said, I will only say one word, but you will soon come to understand its meaning. 'Grey'. And then she was gone.

Grey I thought, what the hell does she mean. A minute later I was convinced that it all must have been a dream. And I fell asleep again.

I know that's what you think too, that I was dreaming, that it was all imagination. But it wasn't, I know that now. It was true. It is true. The word grey - I know what she meant. This morning I found two grey hairs in my fringe.

So Happy 'Grey' Birthday to me!

one good thing

There is only one good thing about pneumonia.
You get time to read books you have intended to read for a while.

Right now I'm reading a book that my good friend Trita has written.
Full of important and interesting facts.
I know that by the time I finish it, I will feel "enlightened".
And I also know that by the time I finish it, I will be full of admiration for him.

(Although he's just a Turk... He's not really, he's Persian. But if he can call me a Turk, well then I can call him the same back... Not that there's anything wrong with being Turkish, but you know the Persians - they think they are so superior and special... ;-) And so do we - the Swedes... Although we're blond and stupid... But then again, at least we don't smell like Turks, but oops, my boyfriend does and he is Australian... Well, I guess that just shows that no-one is better than anyone else, regardless of country of origin... Anyway...)

But to be honest, I have always admired this man.
Since I first met him actually, when he was still a boy, about to become a man.
Since we sat around that pool in Dubai, talking about this and that and everything, me with a needle in my hand (was creating a Christmas pig on a piece of fabric that as to get sold on a Christmas bazaar at the Swedish/Norwegian church) and he had a book in his hands, probably one that had something to do with international relations...
Since I understood that this Turk was a smart one... Even though I managed to trick him with my not so impressive card tricks... ;-)

poor little me

Fever: 38.5
Sick: Yes, since over 3 weeks back.

Diagnosis: Started off as “the flu”, then became bronchitis, but the antibiotics never helped, and now the new diagnosis is Mycoplasma pneumonia.

Which is a form of pneumonia caused by bacteria of the Mycoplasma genus. Simply put: it is an infection of the lungs by bacteria.

The ones that know say this result in fever, chills, and fatigue.
I say - 'no shit!'

The only good thing is that the ones that know also say, this kind of bacteria commonly affect teenagers and young adults.
I say - 'young is the word!'

What to do: Get better!

what to do?

Nobody is going to stop doing business in cheap China. Why should they... When there's a demand, there will always be a supply...

The West needs to realise that it can't have it both ways. Dirt-cheap products and a clean conscience. There is no such thing. Perhaps you and I need to realise that we can't have dirt-cheap trainers and Chinese factories where the workers get treated like human beings.

Ok, I understand, it's hard to comprehend things like this, and it's easy to hide from. The truth. It's so far away.

But I'm telling you, it is heart breaking to go to these factories. You feel ashamed of where you come from, the colour of your skin and being who you are. The even sadder part is that I base my words in my previous post on factories regarded as "good" factories, because that all I've been too. That's worth writing again. Good factories. And I've been to a few; I've been to clothing factories, a suitcase factory, a make-up factory, a factory where they make slime and beads that stick together with water only, a packaging factory, a pen and pencil factory, a plastic toy factory and a metal toy factory. Probably more factories than that, which I can't remember right now. And the feeling when I walked out of these places was always the same. I felt sick to my stomach.

I’m not saying that people should stop doing business in China. But the business they make in China should be good business. Business where they pay for themselves in every aspect. Business they can be proud of, business with a clean conscience.

Honestly, can anyone with a healthy heart and a sane brain ignore what we are doing here with a clean conscience? I know I can’t…

I want to give you a few words on the way:
Awareness & Knowledge
Caring & Compassion
Respect & Responsibility
Reaction & Action

I believe that if people lived by the words above the world would be a better place.
I believe that you and I can make a difference.

If you and I care.
If you and I show that we care.
If you and I demand a change.
And if you and I are willing to pay for it.
Always chose fair trade products and ecological products when there is a choice.
Cause remember; if there is a demand, there will be a supply.

facts on China - part 2

All for a pair of trainers or a piece of cheap clothing.
That's why we exploit China (and other cheap labour countries)and the earth...

But there is no such thing as cheap clothes. The real price is most obviously not paid by the people who buy the stuff. The real price is paid by the people who make it, and the earth that we at the same time are abusing with pollution etc.

The factories in China might look like nineteenth-century workhouses. Where room after room are filled with hundreds young women and men behind machines and a noise level that makes conversation impossible, or rooms filled with workers spray and hand painting products where the fumes of the paint makes it difficult to breath after just a few minutes and you feel dizzy. Most of the time the workers don't dare to look up from what they are doing, if they do they might get in trouble for not doing what they are supposed to do. They look worn out, badly fed, used up, although most of them are hardly out of their teens. Where they sleep crammed into in dead-aired dormitories, where the workers que up for a feed in a stinking canteen. Peasants straight off the farm working fourteen hours a day, doing double and triple shifts till they drop. Getting $60 a month with one day off.

However, the CEO's of the western world like the profit margins they get out here. And the customers, us, like rock-bottom prices.

reflection Sweden then - China now

In 1900 four out of five inhabitants of Sweden lived in the countryside, and a predominant majority worked in the agricultural sector. The poorest families at the time were those who did not own any land and there were many of them. Far too many were threatened by starvation year in and year out. You could find fields owned and shared by a local community, by the 'people'. But laws changed, the land was needed for the big industrial revolution, and this community property ceased to exist. The poorest became still poorer. And there were many mouths to be fed.

It was under these bleak circumstances that the 'America fever' began to spread. America offered something at this time which was missing amongst the poorest of Sweden - the hope of something better.

At this time the American law stated that anyone who cultivated a tract of land had the right to mark its boundaries and, henceforth, automatic ownership would be established after five years. This meant a free country with cost-free, fertile land for anyone. It must have seemed like a dream for the poor Swedes. Like finding gold! (And yes, some of them did find that too...).

But they had to work hard over there. And as immigrants they were cheep labour. Swedish women were so common in American households that the words "the Swedish maid" became a familiar term for a housekeeper.

In the period between 1868 and 1910 over one million people emigrated from Sweden (out of a population that at the time was a little over five million). Not everyone went to America, but many did. And in the letters they sent home to Sweden they talked about their new "good" life (that I suspect wasn't all that great most of the times)and about buildings that were so high that one could barely see the tops of them!

Do you see the resemblance to today's China?

The land that is taken from the people.
The factories that are built.
Only difference is that when Sweden went through this phase, there were no foreigners gaining from their poverty in the way that we are gaining from the Chinese poverty today. There was not a whole world that wanted to take advantage of Sweden and the Swedes, like the world now wants to take advantage of China and the Chinese people.
And the industrialisation was done in a much slower pace as well as in a much smaller scale. The development in China is crazy and it's enormous.

Chinese people are, with the same desperation as the Swedes back in days I would think, trying to leave China. But they are not that welcome. Not even to HK, and HK is part of China for God's sake.

But they are welcome to the factories. To the grey, and in my eyes, awful industrial cities with millions and millions of people. They are very welcome there. And needed. Because the West and the rich need there goods.

They are often promised a new good life at the factories. And they come there with hopes for something better. For money. For a future. They end up working hard, very hard. And they are cheap labour.

You know what, I'm sure they write home, telling the parents not to worry, that their life is good and that the buildings are so high that you barely can see the tops of them!

facts on China - part 1

In so many ways China is a medieval country. A medieval country with broadband...

Until the mid-nineties all the land in China was owned by the 'People', and then suddenly it wasn't. One day the people woke up and the land their family had farmed for generations was owned by someone else. Some one they didn't know. And that someone usually wanted the people out. Because there were factories to be built and fancy homes for the people that could pay. And in the end the new rich would be getting their mansions. The local politicians would get their cut. And the farmers would just get shafted...

The great China 'gold rush' had started. The economic miracle.

A few fortunate people had discovered that there was a lot of money to make in China. A lot of money. So a few million or so are or will be leaving poverty behind. But at the same time, most people in China will never rise above poverty.

The principal reason the economy keeps growing is because us foreigners want to invest in China. No Western CEO wants to go down as the man who missed China... But how can it be an economic miracle when five hundred million Chinese are living on less than a dollar a day? By the middle of the century China will have a bigger economy than the US. And you know what? They will still have five hundred million people getting on by a dollar a day. It stinks...

The Chinese deserve an affluence that's worth having - clean water and air you can breathe, not empty skyscrapers; rule of law, not back-handers; uncensored news, not broadband porn... They need education, democracy, a free press - not propaganda and Prada bags and traffic jams full of local-made Audis.

super heroes and junk boats

On Saturday night I turned into a super hero. I went from quiet down time in the sun by the pool with a book in my hand to a not so quiet party full of other super heroes (and a few Mexicans...).

Fun times. Especially when some of us decided that it was time to leave the party and hit town... Entering night clubs full of "normal" people in a pretty 'slutty' bat girl costume did turn a few heads and also cause some laughter. But hey, even super heroes like to dance and drink champagne at times...

Anyway, after a night on town I turned into a pumpkin by the pool again, and felt pretty happy about that too.

And then yesterday we rented a junk boat. Spent the whole day out in the archpelago of Hong Kong and truly enjoyed the sun and the ocean. The day was very chilled out and was the perfect end to the long weekend.