Traveling again

Had a fab weekend in Sweden, Uppsala. Know that I've visited the city once before... But when I got there I realised that I don't remember anything. But vaguely remembered the big city church. 

In the city church there was an exhibition with old, mostly wooden, figures. I guess they have been taken out from some storage in the basement to show the people. 

This was one of the figures that I guess has seen its glory days a long time ago. This one was especially fascinating because of what the figure is placed upon. Let me zoom in for you! 

I KNOW!!! What's up with that??? 

Apart from this experience I've been spoiled with fantastic food and lovely company during the weekend. 

In Shanghai

What a special place really...! 

It's big, it's crowded, it's loud, it's polluted...

What an experience, what a cultural chock in a way! I have seen so much since I arrived. A bit of everything. Poverty, hard work, rudeness, despair, negotiation technic, markets, dirt, etc.

But what strikes me the most is the traffic, the Vespa's, the way people dress and eat. It's different to what I'm used to. But that is of course the beauty of discovering new places and cultures. 

One thing that I find especially funny is this sign, "please fasten your safe belt"

Why is that funny? I'll tell you! There's no way you can fasten your seat belt since it's only the belt itself that exists, nothing to fasten it in! 

The food here is great! Just one time since I arrived has it been mediocre. That was when I ordered room service. Feels like luxury to be here! Both from a cost perspective and from the perspective that I'm actually here on a business trip. It's unreal! 

A Basel Sunday

Walking around in Basel, it's a day with no wind and 19 degrees. There's a feeling of autumn in the air, must be the Coudy sky. The colour of the leaves are changing, but most of them are still dark green. Where I walk there's not so many people. The sounds that I hear are from cars and from the trams passing by. It's Sunday in Switzerland. Calm and peaceful. 

My to do list:

• throw our my garbage (not allowed until tomorrow evening)

• do some laundry (not allowed to do on a Sunday)

• clean the apartment (shouldn't Hoover on a Sunday, not allowed)

• throw always some glass bottles (not allowed on a Sunday!)

• well.... If the police doesn't come then I will go for a run, and go back to being a good foreigner. 

Morning routines during summer!

Staying in the summer house comes with a couple of routines. But most important of them all is the morning routine! It's the workout! 

Mum wakes me up around 8.30 for breakfast. (I know it's scary early!!! Especially since it's during my vacation!!) yes... She always have to wake me up, I would never really wake up by my self that time! And yes, I do have a choice! .. But back to the routine now! Here comes the most amazing thing!! I RUN!! And not only go for a run, but it's finished off with a swim in the sea! Sometimes we even start with a warm up thing. I swear it must be from the early 18th century or even older! It's a tape that tells us what to do and we are standing there in the middle of the living room floor, perform in what the man on the tape tells us to do. It's very efficient though! And very entertaining. 

The next step is the run. For me at least. My parents are varying between walk/run or biking. Then when we reach the sea we jump in and swim!! 

Today I wasn't really running the whole time... I would like to describe it as... Hm intervals? Very good! It's... Hm... Good to alter a bit I've heard. Walking is also good, yes yes! 

Just wanted to share! 

Swimming like crazy ... 200m what an athlete!

Today I swam 200 m!!! 

... Yeh, you might think that I missed out on a zero, but no I haven't. Sadly... 

I hurried from work to manage to take like a passport ticket for my seasonal entrance ticket for the outdoor swimming pool. I went in, successfully, and congratulated myself to have picked the day when the pool was open until 20.00!!!

When I came in I discovered that the part that is an area for people that would like to swim was reserved for swim practice. 

Two lanes where opened! Chaos, no structure! People were swimming everywhere, back and forth without keeping to either of the sides... After I had been swimming for 200 m the staff came and told us that these chaos lines are also reserved, you need to leave... 

That was my evening. What about yours?

 

My way through the crisis curve

I'm teaching change management. I should be good in recognising the step you take in regards to change. I also know that the phases you go through in a change are the same phases you go through when facing a crisis. I'm teaching managers that they should be aware of that every time they are faced with a change they should take themselves through the step or get help to go through the curve before implementing the change to their coworkers. 

Here I am, in my sofa. Just now realising which steps I've already taken. The curve that I'm working with has a few more steps than the most common ones if I google. Bit hey! I can add some steps of my own. 

The common steps seems to be: chock, denial, anger, depression, acceptance and then processing. 

When my phone called yesterday, I answered. The message I got pushed me directly into chock and I got paralysed for more than one hour. My brain was somehow working without the rest of the body realising. It took me to the IKEA store where I bought candy and pancakes. Then it took me home. It was passed lunchtime by then. So I are candy, it helped. I warmed 4 pancakes and are them too. That also helped.

After what I would like to refer to as "the pancake phase" I switched to anger. There I stayed for a while before just falling asleep in the couch. Not in a very comfortable position. But I didn't care. 

When I woke up I was in depression. For sure. Just laying there, still in a uncomfortable position. Thank God I had booked an evening together with friends. That forced me out of my self pity and into action. "Operation evening makeover" it was a nice evening. A bit much to drink, and quite some eating as well. 

 

Today I woke up early. To a blue sky and a shining sun. It's a beautiful day. Life is anyway not fair. But today I know that we will manage. We will get through this as well. I'm in acceptance. Starting the processing (and eat more pancakes) 

My man message: FUCK CANCER!!!

(...And add the pancake step to the crisis curve)

Reflections of melancholy

I'm right now reading Alice Munro's "too much happiness" and realise that she, with her short novels, are leading me in to a melancholic mood. The stories are, like I've heard before, well written and sharp in their own, a bit floating, way. The red thread that I can see from reading a few of them is the feeling that they leave me with, apart from the obvious theme of change in people's lives. 

With the help of this book and the music that I'm listening to, my thoughts are reflecting a conversation I've had in the weekend in regards to dreams. What are my dreams really? I sometimes find my self envy my friends that are having dreams to fight for, live for or only to visit and keep just as a dream. 

Before moving to Switzerland and changing my life completely, all my dreams were connected to work and career goals. Now I have realised that there are so much more to life than that. But my dreams have not found or taken their true shape yet and no one can help them but me, taking the time to reflect and find out. 

Philosophical reflections on a Sunday evening.