Whisky, Modern Art and My Beloved Sauna

I have just returned from my new Sunday evening hangout, the Irish pub that I visited with my cousin last weekend. I went to watch the Celtic vs Dumfries match (Celtic won 4-0) but ended up seeing a few of the lads that I met last week and so stayed for much longer than planned... and had a few more glasses of Irish whisky than intended. Aahh but I had a cracker of a time!

Earlier in the day I checked out the Modern Art Museum in Stockholm, which exhibits works by Picasso and Monet alongside various modern and postmodern artists from Sweden and Russia to Chile and Australia. In fact, my favourite work in the museum was by an Australian, a photomontage that I regretfully have forgotten the name of. Though, to be honest, a great deal of modern art is crap. My dog could do some of what I saw standing on her head! For instance, there was an 'artwork' that displayed only pink and white verticle stripes. What the hell? And there was one that was purely a corridor lined with flourescent lights. Now, I'm all for experimenting with new ways of seeing, with fresh ideas about the nature and functions of art, and for abstraction, but when this entails doing away with skill, I am not a fan. Just like I can't watch a movie with a shitty plot and shitty acting, I can't stand a painting without some kind of point and skill. Call me anachronistic, but I am much more partial to the Great Masters... those dudes really knew how to create art.

By the way, I have to say this - I love my sauna! I use it at least twice a day. There is nothing more relaxing than lying on the bench in 65 degree heat, sweating up a storm, while reading a magazine and thinking about nothing at all. My skin has never looked so good, my muscles never so at ease, my head never so clearer. I will cry when I leave this place, not only because I will be bidding farewell to the family, but to the sauna as well :(

When In Rome...

Today I booked a weekend away to Rome, the Eternal City. In two weeks time I will step foot on a Roman cobbled street and feel centuries of the city's turbulent history beneath my feet. Having studied and been captivated by ancient Roman history and being a lover of the great Italian masters, I am very excited. Oh, it's a dull life that I lead hehe.

Can ye hear the Rangers sing? Yes, unfortunately

So, I've just spent the weekend with my Scottish cousin, Christopher, who flew to Stockholm from Aberdeen to visit me. We had such a great time, much of which we spent drinking at a Celtic-adorned Irish pub and watching football on the big screen, including the Old Firm match, which was a bitter disappointment for us Celtic supporters (3-0). We also visited several sites in Stockholm including the Vasa Museum and the Old City, took a boat tour of the canals and had dinner at the house with Axel and Sonja who sang for Christopher 'Can ye hear the Rangers sing?', much to his delight. Having him here has made me so excited for my trip to Scotland, so much so that I'm considering forgoing the Moroccan leg of my journey for extra time in my ancestor's homeland and a possible short trip to Ireland. I'll see what happens. But it was so so good to see him again after 6 or so years. He is such a nice guy and, afterall, there's nothing quite like family!

For Your Viewing Pleasure...

I have finally bothered to upload some pictures of my adventure thus far. If you click on the month of August under Archives, you will be able to see all of the photos I have uploaded. These are from Northeast Thailand and my travels through Western Europe up until my first week in Stockholm. Unfortunately I did not get my photos from Laos and Northern Thailand onto a CD and only have them in print. So for those who are keen to see them, you will have to wait until my return.

Enjoy...

Royal temple in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Three drunken village women with beetle-nut stained teeth, dancing at the Nonpoon Village Games, Thailand

A beautiful temple in Sisaket, Thailand 

Some primary school kids that I taught in Sisaket, Thailand 

Angkor temple in Buriram, Thailand 

Cheeky little Amsterdam

Björn making pancakes and dropping eggs on the floor in Groningen, Holland

Just one of the many glorious buildings in my favourite city in Europe, Berlin

Holocaust memorial, East Berlin

The Little Mermaid's author, Hans Christian Andersen, in front of, um, Hans Christian Andersen in Copenhagen... but wait, isn't he dead?

Such a shame: Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin

Colourful Copenhagen 

Jennie and I at Per's dad's house 

Jennie at sunny Öland, Sweden... pity it's been cold and wet ever since

Korean reunion in Västerås, Sweden

The church in Uppsala, Sweden 

Gröna Lund

Yesterday afternoon I paid a visit to Stockholm's version of Luna Park, Gröna Lund, with Son and her little friend, Fija. While watching the kids enjoy themselves is great, not being able to ride the rollercoasters or more exciting rides sucks! But the amusement park itself is lovely, with century-old attractions and rides, and the view of Stockholm is worth the entry fee alone.

Fruity Sweden

On Saturday I took a trip into the city to watch the Stockholm Pride Parade, Sweden's answer to the Gay and Lesbian Mardigra. It was so much fun! People lined the streets to watch Sweden's homosexual population strip off their clothes, whack on some body paint and dance around like nobody was watching. There were gay police officers, gay soccer players, gay businessmen, gay old ladies (like I mean at least 80!), gay parents, parents of gays, gay dominitrixes, transvestites, gays of Middle Eastern heritage, gays from Northern Sweden, gays dressed as Pippi Longstockings, gays dressed in not much at all... it was such a wonderful mix and it made for such wonderful entertainment. The whole city just seemed so colourful and full of life. It was awesome!

At night I went out with Sab's sister and brother and several of their mates to a couple of bars and clubs in the city and saw some more fruitiness. Not that everyone in Sweden is gay, but the music and they way they dress and dance could fool some quite easily. But fruitiness equals fun, and I had a top night dancing to disco music John Travolta style.

On the Sunday I met up with my Swedish mate Anders from Uppsala. The two of us went and grabbed a bite to eat before checking out Stockholm, which, despite living here for the past month, I have not seen a great deal of. We visited the National Museum, where artworks from the likes of Rembrandt, Renior and my favourite, Gaugin, are on display as are works from notable Swedish artists. Later we went to a cinema to see 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', which was funny, although I guess it'd be even funnier for those who have read the book. The creator definitely had a great imagination!

Växjö and Domestic Life

This weekend I returned to Växjö to visit Jennie and Per again. As always, it was great to see them. We went shopping, visited a glass-making village and chilled out in front of movies and British crime dramas whilst the rain that refuses to leave Växjö (the town is one of the rainiest in all of Sweden) peltered down outside. Jennie and I also went driving around town in Per's brother's matchbox-sized car, giggling all the while at how silly we must have looked. It was a nice short break from the nanny life.