Meeting at 8??? In the morning?

I have just realised that I have a meeting at 8 o'clock on Friday morning.... 8... I mean of course I have agreed to it myself, placed it in my calendar and all.... But it's not until now that I realised this. Yeah, I can't do anything about it since that was the only available time..

But MY GOD, how will I manage? 

I have a tendency to be a bit late in the morning. I simply can't get out of bed! We have management meetings that starts 8.30 AM and when I come, around 5min late I am met by silence and angry eyes. It's creepy really ;) 

So, back to the issue, with all given background... How in earth will I fix being on time Friday?!? Maybe I should stay at work over night? Or not go to bed? Or is that maybe too drastic? With my luck it might just be so that I accidentally turn off the alarm and not getting to work on time! 

Wow... Dilemmas... 

To be continued.

 

What is art really??

Another week has passed! All week spent on Basel/Pratteln, marvellous! Work wise.... Stressful, but things were back in control Friday I think. Not totally... But good enough! The week has brought so e good things; back on track with the biking and the working out... But the weeks of traveling shows on My body. Sad but true! 

This weekend I had visitors, lovely! Needed to think of something else after a tough week. Today, before they left again for Sweden, we visited the museum of modern art..... Well.... I love art. At least some I realise now. My mind is too narrow to understand the artfom of grey blankets piled up on the floor with three pines of wood sticking out underneath.... Am I just not creative enough? Or am

I too old fashioned when looking and apprishiating arts. How do some paintings/sculptures etc even end up at a museum or an Exhibition? For me that's abut of a mystery. 

This week is herbst messe in Basel. Activities everywhere!! But now I'm just glad to sleep in my own bed tonight and my only worries now is what to where when biking tomorrow, will it be really cold? And most important; at what time will they start working on the facade tomorrow??? Will I wake up with some peoples faces right outside my window??

Confusion and wine!

Today I have enjoyed the "wein messe" in Basel. It's a dream! You walk around, everywhere you go there's people offering you great wines! There were wines from all over the globe! Some great ones and some.... Well yeah... I met up with some friends around 4 pm and we stayed until they closed at 7 pm. After some tasting I got quite light and happy, and we all agreed to order some wine. Hm... I am counting my orders now. I don't have to buy more wine this year with that generous amount! Well, it is an interest... But to be honest, I don't have more space! At the last place we ordered I got one wine as a gift (beautiful Swedish girl etc etc...) and that took up the last space in my wine drawer. Well, I'll figure something out 😉

The rest of the weekend was also great! Apero Friday at some friends and birthday/luxury dinner Saturday! It was great to see all friends again after almost two whole weeks spent in Sweden (or at a plane flying back and forth) wow, it's been an intense period of time. 

The feeling of getting back to Sweden is always a bit strange, it's Luke my Vasel life is fading slowly and I'm just taking up my "old" life. But when I go back to Basel it's as natural but I need some minutes of adjustment and the Swedish life is not fading as much. Funny...

Well, it was a great and inspiring time back "home" but I'm glad to be back in Basel. Look forward to go to work by bike tomorrow morning. And today we even got one more hour from changing to wintertime!! OMG, was I confused this morning?!? My iPhone was automatically adjusted, but of course not the rest of the clocks! And since I had no idea of the time change when I woke up I didn't think of it until it became time to meet all friends for the wein messe. I all of the sudden saw that I had only 5 min until I was supposed to meet up with everyone!  And I couldn't understand how the time could just have gone so fast... Took me sw time to realise what it was! 

Well, now I will go to sleep and enjoy the extra hour tomorrow morning! 

Moments of brilliance!

I'm proud to state that so far I have gone by bike to work every day of this week. And the fantastic thing is that I have made it to meetings starting already at 8.30!! Wow.... That's almost not human! I mean, for me that's just too early nowadays! 

Today I have had my first meeting with my wine club. Finally I'm gonna learn more about wine so that I can show off whenever there's an opportunity! Yey 😁 

We tasted wines from the US, didn't know so much before but with some splendid education from the host I have now come one step further on the way!

Yesterday I was out on adventures, biking home from work and taking a detour to one of the Basel wine shops. I was aiming for a bottle from New Zealand, a really cool one. I actually bought the bottle Saturday... But then I accidentally dropped it on the floor... In another wine shop. It broke. It smelled fantastic, we all agreed to that. Including the poor guy that had to clean up after me. Now it's in my keeping. For how long is hard to say... But a few days more at least!! ;)

Dawn... Dawn?

Waken up really early, I mean really early. It's now 06.33 and I've only been sleeping for a couple of hours. Don't know what was waking me, but it's a great feeling, knowing that I can go back to sleep and stay asleep for as long as I like! 

Outside the city is also waking up. Cars are starting, people are walking by; on their way to work? On their way home after a night out? A couple were walking by singing. 

According to my app, the sun won't rise for yet another hour. So dear friends. This is my day off. I'm for sure going back to sleep. It's been an intense week and I'm not ready for today to start just yet. 

Spoiled in Switzerland

So, autumn is it coming? 

Ha! Not in the same way here as it did in Sweden! While I get reports from Sweden of how nice it is with gloves in the morning, the temperature is rising again in Switzerland. Tonight it was 24 C while I was walking home. 

Life's good! 

I have gotten used to some new things lately. I am taking the bike to work more often. Really does wonders for me! Even though I still have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, it's working! (Well not so well this week ... But most other weeks 😁) 

I have also gotten use to a Swedish form of... Eh.. Circle training? Called "friskis & svettis" which I really didn't think of as my cup of tea, but it apparently is! So almost every Wednesday I go, run around in circles and picking stuff from imaginary trees and so on. Today I didn't go, but it was for a good reason!! 

Today I joined the first meeting of my book club! It was lovely! Good company, a promising book and a proper Swedish meal!! Home made pea soup Swedish style! OMG luxury for an expat! 

Can't say anything but life's good! 

Bedtime stories

I often get my inspiration to write just before bedtime. So even this time. And to make this time an extra cheesy one; I'm listening to Madonnas  album "bedtime stories" as I'm writing! 

I've had a week of recovering after sickness and allergy chock. It feels like I've mostly been tired and hungry... Which is not the best combination, and not the best place to be in terms of keeping motivation up for doing practically anything. 

But one thing that I did have motivation to do this weekend was to go with the Swedish group to discover something else than Basel. It was super! We went to schaffhausen to see the largest waterfall in Europe. And then we kept on going to Konstanz and Bodensee. 

I figured out just short before the weekend that I had taken the wrong allergy pills. In the beginning of the summer I invested in some for my hay-fever and I got so tired from them. After a while I tried some other brand and felt sooo much better. Well...Of course I chose the wrong ones when I got my allergy reaction from the penicillin... So today I made up for all couch camping and went out for a run/walk. 2,30h all together! I'm proud! (No!! I just ran for half an hour... I'm not superman!) so now I will go to sleep pleased with my performance. 

Sleep well all of you! 

    

This is sick!!!

So, back in Basel! Lots of things has happened as usual. But there are some disturbing things that I need to share.... 

Ok, here we go: 

1. My Swiss phone is broken. Not so that I can't use it, but the glass is cracked. I'm writing this in my phone and I can't see properly. Very disturbing. I dropped the phone before my vacation when I was out running (yes, it sounds good, doesn't it?!) and I thought that I would be able to fix it quite cheep in my home town. No, didn't happened. It was expensive, yes, everywhere I looked. Now thanks to a phone guru I have located a place in Basel. So that will be solved! 

2. When I got back from vacation I caught a bad cold. That lead to a throat infection, which lead to an ear infection. "Ear infection" -  you might think "isn't that like a child's disease??" - and I would answer "exactly". I was sick for a week. And after some struggle and some tears I was able to figure out how the process of visiting a doctor is working in Switzerland. And it's of course a lot of differences to Sweden... I got penicillin. 

3. Again, I got penicillin. "Great" - you

Might think, well.... No. I have got rashes all over my body. Nice. I googled and found some nasty diseases which scared me to visit the doctor again. It turns out that I'm allergic to penicillin... And that these itchy things will last for 5-7 days. 

Beautiful 

In the air

I'm in the air after an amazing vacation in Sweden. I thought three weeks would be enough time, but now it seems like it passed by too quick. But OMG I have done so many fun things and met so many if my friends and I've simply had a great time! 

The first week I made a report after cleaning the roof. That was actually fun and that activity I think set the tone on my  vacation. There has not been too much sleep or relaxing or reading like it normally is for me. This with moving abroad and visiting your home country for vacation and weekends only is a strange thing. In three weeks I haven't even been able to spend all the time I would like to with the people "back home".  

Today I've dreamt a lot and not slept so well. Excited about coming back to Basel and the life I have there and sad about leaving friends and family in Sweden. What a mix. I particularly blame a friend of mine for all if it, he asked me to buy some "fjällbrynt" for him and bring to Basel. I of course forgot that and had to pick it up today, before leaving for the airport 😉. 

When arriving to the airport I only hoped that my extremely heavy bag would not exceed 20kg, which is the easyjet limit for  bags to check in.... It turned out to be 4kg too much. I had to repack at the scene.... Well, I did and almost managed.  There I got a bit stressed. And then I just haaaad to look through the different stores at the airport (I really like Copenhagen airport!). When I was just two minutes from The check in they called my name from the loudspeakers.... Yeh, I made it. Without too much shopping made. 

Now I sit on the plane. We've been in the air for almost 30 min. I'm starting to relax. 

Reflecting back on the three weeks I've been at home I'm making the same conclusion as I make every time. I have to realise I can't meet everyone and do everything I want. There have to be more time that is not booked and where I prioritise myself and relaxation. 

My parents has been amazing. The time spent in the summerhouse has been great and they are so lovely! Everyday we've been into the sea. No matter how cold it was in the beginning. 

As always in Sweden you often meet people over a drink or food. But that you do in so many cultures and countries so that is not too unique. But in Sweden you also meet over candy! The Swedish candy I sometimes miss. Not too often any longer though, but still. When there'scandy in  front of me I eat until I get sick. Why you might wonder... Well yeh... I don't know. Not too healthy really.

 

 One thing I really do miss when talking about food is the seafood that you very easily can get a hold of in this country with so much coastal area. This summer I have eaten lobster, shrimps and cray fish. Soooo good! 

I can't pick one event that was the highlight of the vacation, there's so much. But I do want to say to my friends and family in Sweden that they made my vacation to the great period of time that it turned out to be. 

But now it's time to come back to Basel! And it's great to know that I have fantastic friends there as well that is making every day into an adventure!!😎

So now I'm looking forward to all the fun that we will have!!  

Swedish BBQ, still on vacation!!

One week of vacation has passed! It's been a great week, filled with friends, activities and sun. Today we've had an obligatory summer event; the BBQ. This event means that the husband if my stepsister, the grill master, is taking the command over the meat and the BBQ as such. The rest of us are mostly running around, getting more and more hungry, or helping out with the rest if the meal. This time we had a big chunk of meat, which of course takes a bit longer to prepare. All of us were circulating around the BBQ, like our presence for some reason would speed the BBQ process up. But as the Swedish saying states "the one who waits for something good never waits too long" ... We didn't wait too long. But I guess it's a bit ungrateful to "feed the hungry wolves" since the meal tends to pass in 10 minutes!! 

It was, as always, fantastic! I'm spoiled for sure, having all these great chefs among my friends and family! 

Yesterday I also had a great day! It was full of activities and nice people (and some shopping). In the afternoon I was meeting a close friend, but first I had my eyes on some lovely clothes that I had tried out the day before. I bought them. It  was a whole set. And after paying, I immediately changed into the new outfit and I was ready for an evening out! 

I first went out and had a few drinks with a friend of mine, then her husband joined for a lovely dinner. After that I ended up at a pool party!! This weekend has for sure been fun! 

Except for a funeral tomorrow I'm hoping for yet another great week of vacation! 

The first report from my Swedish Holliday!

I arrived to Copenhagen late yesterday evening. The first reaction: "why did I leave Switzerland with it's 28C for the Nordic 16C?!?" Another comparison I have made today is "GOD it's only 17-18C in the water! It does matter when comparing to the 20C from Rhein..." Ok, I know, it's the sea, I can't really compare like that.., but still!! 

Yesterday after being picked up at the train station in Malmö, we drove directly to the summer house in Höllviken. Nice! My dear mum had prepared some lovely sandwiches for us, which suited me perfectly at that time 😁. The TV was on during the meal. Of all exciting things you can watch we were watching the birthday celebration of the Swedish crown princess...  My mum had a colleague that would be there at the second row, so we had to watch the full show to see if he by any chans would be visible on the screen!!

Today, the day started with a shake. My mum is working at a weight centre so this is a part of life. The thing is to replace two meals with these shakes, so there was one for lunch as well... Now we're sitting in one chair each just waiting for the time to pass so that we can fix dinner... (Self torture) the plan WAS to wait yet another 1,5h... Now we're down to just one. We also started the day with going for a run, which probably mean that we're extra hungry... But feeling good! (But again hungry)

For some reason I have voluntarily signed up to help my stepfather fix the roof of the summer house. Hey, it was even my idea!! Must be the lack of food...    

 

Ok.. Soon food

Doing a little dance!

Why is it that motivation so easily can fade? I mean, I was doing so well with my running and my biking to work. Ok that it's only Thursday, but I took the bike Tuesday. Apart from that I haven't moved as much as I set myself to do. The rain might have something to do with it though.... 

Yesterday I had a total loss of energy the last hour. It stayed until 8pm when I started to clean the apartment big time!! After one hour it was a total mess everywhere! (Since I decided to clean really thoroughly. Or since I had loud music on and did as much dancing as cleaning... ). I need to continue the work in the weekend.

Soon just one more week before vacation!!! 

Struck by lightning

I just realised that another of my relatives is actually gone. 

It's a strange feeling really, and strange to think that he's been gone for about a week and it's not a reality for me until now. My grandfathers brother died on his birthday last week.... 

It will be a new era from now on. 

There's so many memories. So many funny expressions that he had. These things will of course stay in my hart. 

Again I'm far away from my family, living in another country. I really look forward to go home to Sweden for my holidays. 

Motivation dipp

I'm going running, was on my way out and all when something mysteriously dragged me to the sofa... Now I'm lying here, fully dressed in my sportswear and with my nikeies on... Trying to pull myself together...

Had a very good day, calm. Went around  in the building with a big smile, but now I'm mostly tired. Would really like to have a snooze at the sofa, but WILL go for that run!! Hm, it does look like it's gonna rain, and it has already, but half an hour I should manage. I should.... I will.., 

I will feel better about this when I'm done. Be strong! 

God, I'm going, I'm soo going... 

Uh.. 

Crazy traditions and routines

I just love my parents, they are crazy! I am now in the summerhouse, preparing to leave for Switzerland later in the afternoon. We have had a very traditional morning. Doing our thing! After breakfast my stepfather is playing an old tape with a warm up routine from the 60's. it's hilarious!! But we're following the instructions while laughing (every day!) when we're done, we go for a run which we end with a swim in the ocean. The tape give a clear instruction in the end saying that we should finish of with a shower or a cold wrap up ("kall avrivning") so we take it literally and jumps into the ocean! The coldest have been 13 degrees for me. I already look forward to coming back in the muddle of July when I have my vacation ;) 

This week I've been working from Sweden. How on earth did I manage the 1.15h commute to Älmhult from Malmö every day?! I must have been crazy too... I mean, it's three hours a day just to go to and from work!! I know that in some places of the world this is very normal, and specially on big cities... But anyway!!  

It was nice to see my old colleagues though and to have the meetings that I was set to have. 

It's been a really good week!! 

After the excitements of midsummer!

Yes, swedes are crazy when it comes to midsummer celebration. But that's just the way we are! It's one of the most important traditions of the year! Well, for me Christmas and Easter are the most important one, but seldom the most fun ones! For me midsummer is definitely beating New Years! (No offence to the people that I've celebrated New Years with the last couple of years, I promise it was nice!) 

This year I was visiting a friend that recently moved to a house in the near of Gothenburg. Wow... The place, the food, the guests!! My God, did we eat?!? Yes, I think I definitely gained some weight... It felt like I ate a whole cow and a couple of herrings within a few minutes. (For real, I didn't) 

For you non swedes out there, midsummers is an old Heiden tradition. We dance around a maypole and celebrate summer and fertility. Nowadays it's more of an excuse to throw a really good party! But we do all the things with dancing and making wreaths and stuff.

But do let me tell you about the food that we ate! There were all kinds of herrings, and even the loveliest herring cake!  (Yes, it was delicious!! And yes you can eat a cake like that, made of herrings) wow.. Then a few hours later we did some BBQ it was fantastic too, but I don't think we were that hungry... However we ate! And after that we ad some sweet stuff, it's as obligatory as eating herring to have strawberries and ice cream served on this special day. I'm still full... And quite tired! Between the herring and the BBQ we plaid some version if pictionary.   

Now it's time for bed... Can't believe it but the neighbour is having a party today as well... Swedes... 

The joy of sun, Wine and Alsace!!

And so we've reached June! OMG May has been completely depressing weather wise in Switzerland! The only weekend I saw the sun was the one I spent in Sweden during the hockey finals. But today it turned! The sun came with the new month. I hope it lasts, I have heard since I moved here that June is the most rainiest month of the year in Basel. If it's truly so I will move back to Sweden (who had a lovely weather lately I've heard :/ I guess when I will come for vacation the summer in Sweden is over and the weather in Basel is fantastic)

This weekend has been a good one! Friday I was in Zurich for a concert. Saw Josh Groban sing and play. I have dreamt of going to one of his concert since I heard "to where you are" the first time (ages ago). I had pictured it a bit different in my mind though... The picture I had painted for myself was a concert in a real concert house built for the acoustics and the comfort. But this was more staged as a pop/rock concert. They were also acting that way on stage and actually some of the audience did too. That was hilarious! The guys sitting just in front of the scene was screaming, Clapping and cheering! Fantastic evening!

....btw someone is smoking just outside my window... It's my bedroom window, and it's open. Is it allowed to shoot people for that???  

Yesterday i was with friends in Alsace, visiting the wine yards :) 

It was a lovely day, not too rainy... Just a little... I have always pictured the grape plants as big and that they were growing along the side of a mountain! ... Think that was a bit if a romantic expectation. I feel wiser and more experienced now. I now know better :). Well, we had a lot of nice tastings 

And with a various of success I must say. We bought a couple of bottles though :) 

After two stops we were already a bit tipsy. Feel happy for our kind driver who got to experience us so talkative and nice. 

Today, again it's worth to replete, it's been sunny (at least some parts of the day) so I have been visiting the expat expo and gone for a long walk, solving the mysterious of life (can share another day) now I'm going to bed. So tired.. Already fell asleep twice during working on a presentation.... 😬

So to all of you who's out there, sleep well!! 

Gold!!!!! Way to go Sweden!!

Amazing! Sweden won! Gold for Sweden in hockey. I'm so excited, jumping up and down! It's ok to go back to Switzerland Tuesday! And I will do so with a big smile! So, the typical question "how do you feel?" 

Well, thanks for asking! It feels good to be Swedish today!!! Really good. As always when a swede wins something it's the entire Sweden that actually won. (And if they loose it's the team or person that lost)

Now I will enjoy Loa Falkman singing the Swedish national anthem!!! 

Eurovision and hockey!!

Oh my God! There's like loads of things going on in Sweden this weekend. 

I am currently visiting Sweden, going back to Switzerland Tuesday. Yesterday the activity in Malmö was to the extreme. People from all over Europe here to see the Eurovision. I wasn't really up to date regarding all the different artists. I now realise that it was a shame not to keep track!!! If I would have known I would have kept an eye out for the Irish dancers or the Greek singers!! (Not so impressed by the songs though... But the looks!!!!) 

It was an interesting show!! To be honest... Not too many songs that were particularly good, but fun to look at. It has everything!! Love, horror, comedy, adventure and joy!! ... And some really strange things. 

There was a giant carrying a girl on on the stage, putting her down upon a rock from where she performed the song. Why? 

Sweden was ok, not the best performance I've seen from the singer though. 

There was an opera singer from Romania practising a quite different style... Eh.. If you get a chans to hear that contribution, do notice that it's a guy that sings!! 

And of course, congratulations Denmark!!  

But today is another day!! Hockey VM, It's the final! Sweden against Switzerland!!! 

Again, OMG!! ... Who to bet on??

I really want Sweden to win, otherwise I can't go to work Tuesday!! :/ 

So far so good!! I will keep you posted! 

GOOOO SWEDEN!!!! 

Quick late update

This sometimes feels like writing a diary. So.. It's been some time since I wrote so I I'm not sure of where to start! 

The news in a short summary: 

• the wedding was fantastic! 

• I've passed my German exam!

• I've visited Luzern! 

• shopped some out door furnitures at IKEA

• some guys in Basel are just too straight forward

Oh! Almost forgot! 

• And I've decided NOT to buy the orange shoes!!

Well, if I start with what's happened today. It was a bank Holliday today, so what did I do? Practically nothing. I watched "True blood" (I've got hooked)

Washed some clothes and cleaned the apartment (even though its forbidden on a "Sunday" and then I've gone for a walk. That's about it.

The view around here is still marvellous. 

Luzern I visited together with friends the first of May. Also super pretty!!! I'm amazed by living here, one city more beautiful than the other! 

  

I will share how my balcony looks when I've put all furnitures together. 

It's really late now, so I have to tell the guy-stories next time. Sleep well!! 

Wedding tomorrow!!

No, not my own! But one of my best friends or you can actually say that she's like my sister!

It's late, I've just finished my preparation. I will be singing at the reception. I will also be toast master and of course give a speech. Finally finished it now. There was this last part that was missing, but I think I got it now!

I have been on Holliday since Wednesday evening. Felt ok when leaving Basel. Got everything under control, I thought. Then Thursday came. My dear parents arrived. And in the evening we were all invited to the parents of the groom. It was lively! The snacks were lively, the food, the desert and the champagne! .., so I ate. A lot.
Then today came. We thought, why not start off the day with a proper English breakfast?! Yeh! Why not. So we ate. Then lunch came... And we ate a really small portion, so when the evening came I was so hungry that I ate a lot!!

Now the bride lives next door to me at the hotel for the night. I went to visit, they had some snacks. And I saw it as a really important task to eat most of the chocolate. You know, to help the others to stay away from it! ... So I've been eating to prepare for the wedding you could say. Eh... Not my smartest move. Feel fat.

Now I will try to get my beauty sleep and start a new day tomorrow :) it's gonna be great! And so much fun... And food.

Out running!! ... Or... Yeh

I'm out for a run! Feels really refreshing! ... Or, yeh.. Right now I'm walking. But I ran for a while. When it was going downhill it was really easy. And I ran past a couple of good looking guys so I sort of had a good speed! Good with music (read loud music) in my ears so that I can't hear how hard I'm breathing. Then you can also imagine that all the others around you don't notice either.

I have not been running for about 6 months. But running has a lot to do with willpower. But the problem is that after 15 min I just didn't have more willpower. Walked for a while and then ran again. Now it just have to be enough with walking. And maybe just run for the last bit so that my neighbours think good of me!

Today I've bought hiking boots. Pleas read again: HIKING boots. Yesterday I was all into buying orange pumps. Today I've ended up with HIKING boots. (Shoot, now people running the other direction is running passed me again!)

Stated to run again, realised that I was in a crowded area. Had to run for longer than I thought I would. Good, but the breathing was loud. And so many people that are sitting along the Rhein barbecuing, making me hungry!
Everywhere around the Rhein, little bars has popped up and I've seen more handsome guys during this run/walk than I've done during the whole time while living in Switzerland.

Half way home.

Shoes..shoes... And shoes

Ok, I have never seen myself as a person that is particularly much of a shoe person. Now I'm not sure anymore...
I've recently bought several pairs. With very high heals.. Golden, black, light pink, black and white and so on... Why? Oh... I always had a purpose for buying them!! But the problem might be that I only had ONE reason, or one event in mind. Now I have four relatively new pairs of pumps, and not so many occasions to where them to!! I mean, I am 1.74m tall. If you add on 5-7cm to that I become.. Well taller.., but to be honest; taller than everyone else!

You might think to yourselves; "she's crazy, this is not so bad!" And no, maybe not.. But I am seriously thinking of buying another pair! An expensive pair, even WITHOUT an occasion in mind of when to where them! (The orange pair from the pics)

What to do!!!! (And above all... When to ware them??)