Of ordinary things, and strange ones too

100 and out!

2010-01-24T00:13:00.020+01:00

Folks, this is my 100th post here, and that is as good a time as any to make it the very last one.

Ok, I am not saying goodbye to blogging, but I am saying goodbye to Blogger. This blog ends here and now, and moves to it's new home at oceankid.wordpress.com.

This blog started as a travel-blog when I traveled to the remotest parts of the Sahara, to view a spectacular solar eclipse. I am still quite fond of those early posts. Those days in the desert left some unforgettable memories, and led to several subsequent posts related to africa.

Total eclipse at Waw an Namus
March 29, 2006

Another memorable moment of this blog was The Tandem Story Experiment which resulted in two rather morbid stories. Speaking of stories, another favourite post was when I was had to set the record straight after a long absence from blogging. And for some strange reason this little tag from Soraya reamains vivid in my mind.

If you wonder why I am moving from Blogger to Wordpress, I must say that in comparison Wordpress is sooo much nicer to use. I will be happy to elaborate, if anybody asks me, at my new blog.

And that's it. Adieu Blogger.

99...

2010-01-24T00:09:00.001+01:00

really close now!

98...

2010-01-24T00:06:00.001+01:00

warmer...

97...

2010-01-24T00:03:00.003+01:00

getting warm

A Full Circle

2010-01-16T22:55:00.011+01:00

All good things must come to an end.

And that, I am afraid, applies to my little trip too. My last three days on Tenerife were great, but blogging... well I just did not find the time and energy. Now it feels a bit strange to write this closing post from home. Anyway...

The island of Tenerife, has slightly less than one million inhabitants. You can drive a full circle around the island in less than four hours. Yet - as I see it - this little island contains two entirely different planets.

The south has places like Las Americas and Los Gigantes, which I blogged about recently. It is quite warm, and the beaches are fantastic. It is dominated by mass tourism, and a lot of people really like it. But the first time I crossed the mountains, to the north was: true joy.

The north is considerably cooler. The beaches are less spectacular. Of course there are loads of tourists, but the vulgarity of mass tourism does not exist here. The coastal landscape is also IMHO a lot more interesting, and there is not a house on every coastal square metre.

The main town of Puerto de la Cruz is quite pleasant for walking, driving in it is quite a b*tch but worth the effort. It is a nice day to spend a lazy day.

Puerto de la Cruz

Through the eyes of Palestrina55, Creative Commons license

And the small village of Taganaga in the remote north east is really pretty, and the drive to it takes you through rain forests as well as fantastic serpentine roads. If I ever return to Tenerife, Taganaga will definitely be a must-see-again.

Taganaga
As seen by meteomara, Creative Commons License

And: "That's all folks!" The time has come to close my last chapter on Tenerife. My next post is due soon. It will contain another major closing...

Looney Tunes ©Warner Brothers

Photo Time

2010-01-12T19:52:00.011+01:00

There is so much stuff I haven't mentioned at all. And just to mention a few...

...my grand day out when I drove around the island in order to mount the peak of Teide, the famous volcano rising some 3718 metres above sea level.

Teide, from below

But unfortunately, the Teleferico (skytrain) was closed that day due to strong winds. So this is as far as I got:

The end of the line

But that was not so bad, as my road trip gave me some fantastic views of Tenerife's volcanic landscapes:

The long way home

La Orotava is a nice little town on the north coast, with pretty houses...

...and a meticulously kept garden...

...with exotic flowers:

or is it yet another proof of alien life forms?

And in the charming mountain village of Masca,

I bought some fresh oranges from this farmer:

The major town of La Laguna, offered many nice walks:

The Old town of La Laguna

But I would like to finish of with a few pictures of Garachico. I arrived here, some 9 days ago, and the place was so pleasant and relaxing, that all my half-plans to keep island-hopping simply evaporated:

Arriving into town along the coast

Small town life

Church bells marking every half hour,
surprisingly nice

And the shady town square, peaceful without being dull

And maybe just maybe, if you turn that last photo upside-down, you will see where I shot that space-ship a few days ago...

Another Trip, Another Time

2010-01-11T23:16:00.004+01:00

Still in Tenerife for a few more days but: I needed a little break from my holiday - great feeling by the way - and Tom Q is a great photographer and lost-and-found fellow blogger in more than one way. Some time ago he proposed this Flickr meme: “It works like this: if you use Flickr, go to the sixth page of your photostream and pick the sixth picture there, then post it to your blog.”

Olive oil, candied peanuts and a dustpan
What else can you need on the road in the Sahara?

I took this photo at a market during my trip to Libya in March/April 2006. Not sure exactly where but I think somewhere on the road east of Ubari: Garagara, (or maybe Murzuq) is my best guess...

View Larger Map

My Flickr posting is not nearly as prolific as Tom's but I do have loads of pictures tucked away on old hard disks, half forgottern CF-cards, and who knows where else? Perhaps I should pull myself together and post my best photos to Flickr.

Strange Fellows

2010-01-08T23:56:00.012+01:00

I haven't told you about my fellow passengers, have I?

Most of you are familiar with the first one. I had him neatly chopped in 12 slices and shrink-wrapped into 4 DVDs.

Dexter is IMHO the best TV-series ever made, at least the only one which has maintained superb screen-writing (great characters, clever dialogue and and nail-biting plot-lines) for four consecutive seasons. I thought I might need some distraction on slow days so I decided to bring season 1 with me.

Now, if you have missed out completely: Dexter is a forensics expert with the Miami police department. His professional specialty is blood. His main hobby is: killing people. He is mass murderer with a twist: he only kills really bad guys who have managed to escape justice. He is clearly a deeply disturbed person (due to a childhood trauma), but he follows a very strict morale, or "code" as he calls it himself. So if you haven't yet, I warmly recommend you to check Dexter out. Buy it, borrow it, download it, steal it, whatever.

And then...

The other guy in my bags is Böddi. Now, "who the hell is Böddi?" you might ask. Well, I had him evenly spread-out over 427 hilarious pages.

Stormland (Swedish details, and an English translation of another novel) is a highly entertaining book by Hallgrímur Helgason. Just like Dexter, Böddi has failed (or refused) to adapt to the norms of society. He lives in a tiny town, in the outbacks of northern Iceland. And I can tell you, he is one angry dude. He does things his own way, and loses every job he gets. On his blog he spews his sarcasms over everything he detests about Iceland and the people in his hometown. He then experiences an unbelievable string of unfortunate events, and slowly he starts to lose his grip on reality. But his anger remains unbroken. It then escalates to a Gargantuan confrontation with society. He decides to take them all on, single-handedly, from a horse-back. Epic stuff.

The book was written in 2005, well before the global economic crisis and the total collapse of Iceland's financial system. So it can be seen as a quite strong and prophetic story on the dark side of the heedless greed that was prevailing in Iceland (actually, not only Iceland (and actually not only was)) before the crash. If you have a soft spot for dark humour, I recommend it warmly.

* * *

It has struck me that we have a few things in common, Dexter, Böddi and me; Dexter loves the Atlantic ocean and often goes out to sea. Böddi often stares at the ocean and contemplates. And the Atlantic is just what made me come here! Even though I do not particularly mind traveling on my own, here I am constantly surrounded by happy couples, which reminds me of my status, and makes me feel a tiny bit like Dex or Böddi. And then, all three of us are travelers of different kinds. Dexter along with what he calls "his dark passenger", Böddi with his horse, and me with my little rented Fiat Punto!

Close Encounters of the Weird Kind

2010-01-08T00:41:00.005+01:00

At least a few true movie buffs will understand that title….

In any case, I can tell you the Aliens are here:

Not my photo, but note the size of the earthlings at the stern

This spaceship-like sea vessel is owned by the Russian oligarch Andrey Melnichenko, gossip here. I had to fix some paperwork and go to Santa Cruz, capital of Tenerife, this mega-yacht was anchored there. If you have £200 million Sterling to spare, you can have one of your own.

But that is not all. I have further proof that the Aliens are here. Here is what I saw next to my hotel the other night:

Alien life-forms, arriving in Garachico, Tenerife, January 2010

El Bonbon

2010-01-06T21:59:00.005+01:00

My favourite drink here (well, one of them) is bonbon:

El bonbon

Bonbon is an espresso with condensed milk. (If you have discovered the joys of Vietnamese Coffee, then you are familiar with condensed milk.) Here you see the milk at the bottom of the cup. As you see it is extremely thick, it does not mix at all until you start using the spoon. Also it is very sweet, so there is absolutely no reason to add any sugar. Maybe not your cup of tea, but I warmly recommend you to give it a try when you get a chance.

Punta de Teno

2010-01-06T21:04:00.001+01:00

Today I received another warm welcome by the authorities:

"Do you really want to die?"

After passing that rather ominous sign, I drove through some of the most dramatic landscape I have ever seen. The narrow dwindling road just barely managed to cling on the nearly vertical mountain walls., Above me I had spectacular cliffs almost disappearing into the clouds, and below me over a hundred metre drop.

Tenerife's Land's End

Punta de Teno really made my day. It lies on the very northwestern tip of Tenerife. Very much like Land's End in England. Far away in the mist you can discern the silhouette of Gomera Island.

Time

2010-01-05T20:42:00.003+01:00

One of the greatest luxuries while being on the road is to have plenty of time.

Time to relax completely and forget about itineraries and stuff. To have entire days without any musts. Days to read a lot. Days to enjoy a long siesta. Days to absorb impressions from the trip. Days to just breathe. Such small things make the whole experience so much greater.

Garachico

2010-01-04T20:29:00.006+01:00

So, it seems I have found myself a new harbour for the night...

Garachico, is an old town that lies on the north coast of Tenerife. (And behold: most signs are in Spanish.) I found a very pretty little hotel with yet a breathtaking view, this version of it is 20 minutes old:

The town has a native population of 5-6000 people. And with three (or so) hotels in town, tourism is no big thing here. People actually live here, which makes the atmosphere so much nicer.

Internet access in mega-touristy Los Gigantes was surprisingly hard to come by, and impossible after 6 p.m. But now I have it from the hotel terrace so maybe, just maybe, my posting will be less erratic. (Scary thought: could it be that my addiction brought me here?)

This post will end here, because I am hungry. I just got here after having spent a fun day with all the attractions at Siam Park, where the slightly morbid Wave was a lot of fun:

And in case you wonder, that is Siam as in Thailand, yes. Apparently the German business guy who built it has good relations with some Thai princess or so.

Los Gigantes

2010-01-03T14:10:00.007+01:00

I have always had a soft spot for sea views.

And the moment I saw the photos in the web-ad for the apartment I was lost. Can you guess why?

I took these pics from my terrace. So my apartment has a stunning view and every night I fall asleep to the soothing sound of the ocean. Just lovely.

Unfortunately, Los Gigantes as a place is less uplifting. It is a very friendly place, but it is a super-touristy resort. A lot of people love this: The restaurants have menus in at least six languages. There are more signs in English than in Spanish. In the evenings he Irish pubs are showing Premier League matches on huge screens. And the streets are filled with echoes of Lady Gaga and karaoke versions of Bono and Frankie boy. Urrrgh!

I have always wondered why people bother to travel thousands of miles just to see, eat and do the same stuff they do every day at home. Me not. So it is not without a bit of remorse that I leave this fantastic apartment and view. But I need something else.

Back soon.

Welcome to Tenerife

2010-01-03T13:41:00.003+01:00

Most of you know that I love independent travel and despite the fact that I usually scoff at people who plan every little detail ahead, I did book my apartment for the first week. I really wanted an ocean view and I started searching online and saw some fantastic places, but when I realized that almost every place I checked was already booked, I had to forget my principles.

So before I left home, I knew I would stay *somewhere* in Las Palmas for two nights, before taking the ferry to Santa Cruz, Tenerife. There I would take a cab to Los Gigantes, where my apartment was waiting for me. Turned out that there is quite some distance between the two and the ride would have cost me quite a lot maybe €100, but Jason, my apartment-host was kind enough to offer me a free pick-up and ride in his car. All I had to do was to hop off the ferry and find him in his “red Ferrari T-shirt”. Piece of cake, right?

By now, you may have guessed that the answer to that question is no...

Just after getting off the ferry, I saw this guy waiting in a red T, ok it wasn’t Ferrari but I had to check. Turned out he wasn’t my man waiting for me. So I had to keep looking. So I was walking back and forth, with my rather heavy bags, in the outdoors arrival area, looking for this guy. Nobody. Went outside to check the parking. Nothing. Went back in. Maybe he was there somewhere after all, perhaps in the cafeteria?

A man suddenly grabs my arm, gently but still decidedly:
“Policia. Documentos por favor.”
“Typical.” I think to myself. Here I am just looking for a dude I have never seen, and the cops think I have something fishy going on. “Not to worry. They will release me in a sec.” Right?

So this guy has got a woman and another guy in his company. All three in plainclothes, and suddenly I am surrounded. Like I would make a run for it, sure, but quite intimidating, nonetheless. Anyway, they make me show my passport, ferry tickets and whatnot. They hold on to all this stuff while I try to explain that I have a pick-up waiting for me. But they are not too keen to understand English, nor my (attempts at) Spanish.

And then they ask me, (still holding on to my papers), to grab my bags and follow them inside. The joke starts to wear thin as they usher me into a tiny wooden booth. And when the officer in charge pulls out a pair of rubber gloves, and puts them on I think to myself: “This is not happening. This is NOT happening.”

They start looking through all my stuff and the search is not finished when my phone rings, it is my rental guy. They refuse to let me answer it. Then I beg them to pick it up just to let the guy know, but they refuse that too. And those gloves have me quite spooked. Perhaps I have seen too many hard-boiled movies. Who knows? The guy in charge uses the gloves to go through my bags very thoroughly, but he never touches me. I can tell you one thing: when they are done and hand me back my papers, I make a huge inaudible and invisible “Phew!”

Back outside, I find my guy. The Ferrari T is black not red, and he had been a few minutes late, so that is why I didn’t find him, and that presumably, what had attracted the cop’s attention. No problemo, after a few minutes I can laugh about the whole thing, and we have nice long drive around the half of Tenerife, from Santa Cruz to my apartment in Los Gigantes.

My Canarian Adventures

2009-12-29T12:41:00.013+01:00

Despite a ridiculously prolonged absence from this forum, this particular blogger is still breathing…

…and at this moment I happen to be breathing the ocean air of the 28th northern parallel, and to be more precise: the air of Los Gigantes, Tenerife, of the Canary Islands. But getting here was not without extracurricular events.

As I landed in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, my original plan was to: rent a car at the airport, find a hotel with the airport services, chill down in Las Palmas for two nights, and take the car on ferry to Tenerife. I mean seriously, the touristiest place on the planet, how hard can it be to find a car, and a hotel, without advance bookings? Yeah right!

As I landed: no rental cars available. OK. “But where can I book a hotel?” I was recommended to try the agency in the upstairs hall. Surprise surprise: closed for Christmas holidays. OK no worries. Next Black-Adder-like-brilliant-idea: let the cabbie find a hotel for me. Yeah right!

I also had this bright idea that I wanted to stay away from the touristy (near-the-beach) parts of Las Palmas:
“So cabbie,” (in rather broken Spanish), “please find me a hotel in Barrio Vegueta [the Old Town of Las Palmas]”
He gives me this look and: “No hotels in Vegueta!”.
Me incredulous (like being told, no hotels in Gamla Stan, the old town of Stockholm): “No hotels in Vegueta??”.
“Nope. None. So where you go?”

Fairly certain that he is putting me on, in order to take me to his uncles place miles outside town or something, I insist he takes me to the market at the centre of Vegueta.
“Whatever.”
But when we get there, there really are no hotels in sight.
“So where you go?”
“Well, anything nearby.”
“Nothing nearby.”
“Right, something a bit further off, towards the centre.”
“Aha further off, well there’s Hotel Parque.”
Saying: “Sounds like a terrific idea!” Thinking: “Thanks for finally understanding me, bloody nitwit!”

Anyway the Hotel Parque is totally full. But they recommend the Tryp a few hundred yards to the north. And I enter that four-star-lounge, thinking “uh-oh, this will cost but wtf, I’ve had enuff of this.”
“No rooms Sir. We are fully booked.”
“”
“Sir?”
“eh really?”
“Yes, afraid so.”
“Ok anything nearby, that you know of?”
“Not really.”

At this moment I begin to envision myself spending the night underneath a palm tree, and on top of my bags. But then the other lady behind the counter notices my predicament:
“You could try the Pension Perojo.”
“Uh-huh?”
“But it’s a pension, not a hotel. It’s not far from here.”

So from the prospect of staying in a four-star-megacomplex I move through hyperspace and (finally) get a room in place where the shared bath has a sign like this:

Dear blog-guests I challenge you guess the price in Euros, that this place cost me. Points will be awarded.

Then, finding and booking the ferry, was not without challenges either, nor was it easy to find any internet access. I found it very surprising that it was much easier to find internet access in Tripoli, Libya than it was in the mega touristy town of Las Palmas. But the problems were not insurmountable. And then: my arrival in Tenerife was not without the warm welcome of the harbour police. Keep your eyes open, for my next post.

Before letting the curtain fall I would like to thank my boss Jörgen (bless his gentle heart) who predicted that I would be knifed to death in Gran Canaria, “because I have read that is what they do to Swedes there”. Thanks to his unselfish alert, I kept my eyes open and nuthin, totally nuthin, bad happened :P

Life

2008-04-21T19:07:00.003+02:00

Life

On our journey through time
For a while we visit this earth
We laugh, cherish and dance

Suddenly we may leave
And disappear into the wind
Like grains of Sahara sand

Reading 2

2008-04-07T21:44:00.010+02:00

This blog might perhaps not be the fastest place on the planet! But my visitor log reveals that some of my dear online friends have not given up on me, despite my rather erratic posting frequency.

Today I saw a visitor from a new country, Botswana. This of course brings back happy memories of one of my favorite writers: Alexander McCall Smith, who writes absolutely charming books. I blogged about him a while ago, here. So my dear visitor from Gaborone, if you come back here, please let me know who you are.

Gaborone, as seen by emster214

As for my other readers/bloggers I have another question: Very few of my real life friends read my blog these days. (It was different in the beginning when I was travel-blogging as a way of staying in touch. ) Today I have a nice little circle of online-friends, of whom I have met none, (well OK, very few!). How is this for you, do you have many real life friends who read your blog?

As for my own life, it is presently rather full of not too good family related troubles. Such things hardly help me find the time or energy to post. Let us leave it at that.

Of Music And Chess

2008-01-17T23:25:00.000+01:00

Well, another hiatus. Well, another year. Welcome to 2008. Thanks for stickin’ by.

Those of you who have not played a lot of chess might find it hard to see a natural connection between chess, and music. No matter, I think there is one. Music has the ability to transport your mind to another universe, to a world where other laws and values rule. To a world where you can find peace. Chess, sometimes does the same.

I may have blogged about this before, but when it comes to music I can warmly recommend one specific source: Radio Paradise, is a web-radio station that I cannot help fall in love with. They describe themselves as an “eclectic rock music station”. You may say that you are not “really into rock”. But these guys will play an amazingly broad selection of music. You may hear anything from the Beatles to the Chemical Brothers. If you love David Bowie, Calexico, Jethro Tull, Aimee Mann, Roxy Music, Björk, Beck, REM, Tom Petty, Tori Amos, Goldfrapp, and such, you should check it out. Or if you just like to be musically surprised, to hear a lot of new bands that you never heard of, you should click that link. The cool thing is not only that they play very cool music but if you listen for a couple of hours you begin to notice that they mix it in a really cool way that adds up to more than just the separate songs. Now the really great thing is that it is 100% commercial free. It is all working through voluntary listener support. Try it!

As for chess: a year ago I wrote that my goal for 2007 was to improve my rating by 200 rating points. 200 rating points, is a tall order, approximately you would win 4 out of 5 games against someone 200 points below yourself. So it is a significant improvement. Now, one year later the result is [drum roll please]:

230 rating points. Of course I am happy with that. For this year I hesitate to set a new goal because another 200 rating points is quite unrealistic. Anyway, the interesting thing is that my improvement did not chiefly come from intense study or training. Most of it came from a psychological shift, in my attitude towards the game. I have grown more, confident, careful, less risk prone, and most of all, more patient and persistent.

That might be a good lesson, for all of us, in all areas of life. Trust your decisions, stay patient, and do persist.

The Kite Runner

2007-11-01T21:37:00.002+01:00

Mo blogging has been rather silent for a month. Not the first time. Now...

I started reading this book while visiting San Francisco. It was electrifying to read the opening paragraph of the book where the narrator is overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge [me myself and I being there, quite a coincidence] and saying: " I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975. I remember the precise moment..." here I end my quote because I warmly recommend you to read the book.

A boy is born in Afghanistan in the mid 1960's. He grows up in a country: then rich, well organized, civilized, and beautiful, a fully functioning society. He sees the "revolution" where the Afghan leftist rebels overthrow the monarchy, and a total disintegration of a peaceful society, followed by a period of turmoil, followed by the Soviet invasion, then the undignified Soviet withdrawal, followed by the extreme islamist mayhem, followed by 9/11 and all.

With all this historic turmoil as a background, all the personal experiences, family hardships, and difficulties are painted before us in a painful, yet very down-to-earth image.

I can only say: Get it. Read it.

Berkeley

2007-09-19T08:55:00.000+02:00

This weekend’s excursion went to Berkeley. Across the San Francisco Bay lies this super nice little university town. Everything revolves around the university. The atmosphere is very relaxed and pleasant. I spent a whole day just walking around campus and the streets. Just hanging out and absorbing the atmosphere, I really enjoyed it.

And, of course, academics and culture are high on this town’s list. Bookstores are all over the place.When I wandered into one the record/DVD stores, at the back I found a shelf that really won my film loving heart and mind. ( Most people when talking about film usually ask: “Who’s in it?”, while I ask: “Who directed it?”.) Movies in this section were sorted by director: Robert Altman? Check. Fellini? Check. Hitchcock? Check. Ingmar Bergman? Check. Francis Coppola? Whaddaythink?

If you ever spend a good amount of time in San Fran, do not miss Berkely.

Convivance

2007-09-17T09:04:00.000+02:00

“Convivance”, or “living together”, a term that some apply to the phenomenon of different groups of people living, and getting by together. Two groups of people here in San Francisco are bicyclists and car drivers. Me being a bicyclist, and them... being car drivers. Don’t get me wrong, I am really glad I got a bike for my stay here and I love riding it everywhere. But some car drivers here really scare me to death. I mean I have been biking in NYC The Big Apple, but biking here is really something. Car drivers here often forget about the outside world and just cut corner and lanes like they were alone. Several people who live here agree with me on this; that bikers and pedestrians really need to watch out. Cars running red lights here happens all too often, I saw it myself twice in just a week. And I am honestly a lot more afraid of the cars here than in NYC, because I see a lot more unpredictability here.

Now I am not saying that car drivers here, are more evil, or stupid, than in New York. But in a city which is so much structured in favour of cars, people automatically adopt different patterns of behaviour. I suppose I might too. New York is packed with pedestrians, so that makes the whole race so much more balanced.

Ah well, just a silly little rant, and perhaps some of you, with a bit of knowledge of history, and me, know of another very specific episode in time that this term also may refer to….

Fates Worse Than Death

2007-09-03T10:39:00.000+02:00

If you want to know about Fates Worse Than Death, I suggest that you take a look this book by my favourite author Kurt Vonnegut. Meanwhile this title was just lingering in my mind, waiting to break free. It has – at least for the moment – nothing to do with my own fate, which certainly is much better than Death!

Right now I am in San Francisco. My boss sent me out here for three weeks. Ah pauvre petit. Not! On weekdays I have to work, but evenings, weekends, it is really like paid vacation.

Friday night was good, I bumped into some fun people Don and Betty, who showed me a few bohemian aspects of the city. As a consequence Saturday was, ahem, slightly, slow. But I did enjoy a really spicy Thai dinner downtown. And I am just nuts for spicy Thai.

Another good thing is my bike. Today I took it for a big spin all over the city and across the Golden Gate. I went on to Sausalito, a really nice little town, even if a bit too touristy. And if you haven’t seen the Google 360-thingy, you might enjoy this. I promise, it is really worth clicking that link, it spins (but Firefox might handle it better than IE). And on the northwestern edge of the town, I got another dose of bohemian life. There they have a huge marina of houseboats. I am at a loss for words, but this will give you an idea.

And yes, I do need to get some software for my work computer so that I can upload my own pics...

Steven King in bookstore - mistaken for vandal

2007-08-19T00:11:00.000+02:00

Steven King, introduction redundant, was visiting a bookstore in Alice Springs, Australia. As he started taking out his own books from the shelves and autographing them,he was at first firmly stopped by vigilant staff. They hadn't recognized him and, quite understandably were a bit upset for this dude writing in some books. BBC story. King, of course hugely famous, by name, but how many of us would recognize him on the street corner café?

Imagine yourself in the position of the bookstore clerk. Having to switch attitude from cold and stern, to submissive and apologetic. And also gathering your wits fast to think of some really interesting questions you would like to ask a guy like that. One chance in a life time, five seconds to use it.

Ah, eh, Mr. King... How do you like Australia?

Not! a good question, but how can you find something more clever in five seconds?

Deus ex machina

2007-08-17T23:00:00.000+02:00

I recently read this story about a big guy, Thomas Martel, 28, of Bonnie Brae, Colorado, who chose to have surgery in order to alter his thumbs, in order to be able to use his iPhone more efficiently.

So he has a hard time using the features on ever-shrinking user interfaces on devices like his new iPhone. At least, he did, until he had his thumbs surgically altered in a revolutionary new surgical technique known as "whittling."

Read details on zDnet or the North Denver News.

What is your opinion of this?
Make sure to form an opinion before reading what others have written.

News

2007-08-17T22:30:00.001+02:00

Since that horrible Marathon I have busied myself with
1. work
2. a large national chess tournament, I did good, improved my game but not as much as I had hoped.
3. traveled, a great tour around France and Spain, in an old rusty Volvo. A rather bohemian but perfectly enjoyable trip, actually blogging on that trip was much harder than you might imagine. Picture a small Basque fishing village of a hundred or two inhabitants. Not really overwhelmed by internet cafes... Still I might post stories and pix later on, but right now my writing itch is stronger.

My next big trip will be to my fav US west coast city: San Francisco. Lucky me got chosen, and my employer is paying for it. Due in 8 days from now.

Click Pic

Silence Is

2007-08-17T22:16:00.000+02:00

Silence, they say, is golden...

Me I dunno, but the rumours of my untimely demise, have (so far) been completely untrue. I was not hit by an 18-wheeler on the highway while training for the Kuala Lumpur Marathon. Nor was I hit bit a freak meteor, while sunbathing on the Mediterranean beaches of Tripoli. Nor, I promise, was I eaten by a Great White Shark while scuba diving leisurely on the coral reefs off Nassau. And: I am sad to admit that these rumours were equally untrue.

So I guess I dedicate the above words, and this post, to my three most loyal fans, Highlander - who always remembers me, Red - who cannot go unnoticed under any alias, and Tom – who likes my photos and I sure like his. Thanks friends for being so patient.

Speaking of gold I just heard this beautiful ballad with these lovely lyrics:

I carry the Sun in a golden cup
The Moon in a silver bag

Lovely. Her name is Carla Bruni, song’s name is "Those dancing days are gone". Try it out on www.allmusic.com.

Marathon Dreams, again

2007-05-29T22:33:00.000+02:00

With less than two weeks away, my preparations for the Stockholm Marathon are getting into their final stage. Last year I really wanted to do the New York Marathon, but I didn't win the lottery to get into it (as it is hugely popular). But in Stockholm I got in and unless something really dramatic happens, well off I go!

[EDIT]
Done-That-Been-There OK, I did make it but in the scorching dry 28 centigrades it was no walk in the park. I crossed the finish line more than an hour behind my planned schedule. 520 kms of tarmac behind my runners this year did not matter. The heat got to me, I had the cramps and whatnot. But I did finish the bloody thing.

The Red Surface

2007-05-29T22:12:00.001+02:00

Few people expected it. But in hindsight it seems like it was only a matter of time. Fact is, now it has happened.

The match in the post below was just a stunt of sorts, but in the final of the ATP tournament in Hamburg Roger Federer managed to beat his archrival Rafael Nadal, fair and square on Nadal's favorite surface: clay. Afterwards Nadal said:"If I have to lose against anyone, then he is the man, I am not sad to lose to the best in the world."

With such a boost to Fed's self confidence the outcome of the French Open is more uncertain than ever. There is very little doubt in my mind that we will see these two in the final. But who will win? Now there's a good question!

What Will They Think of Next?

2007-04-29T23:33:00.000+02:00

If you are into tennis the tiniest bit, you know that the uncrowned king of clay-court tennis is Rafael Nadal. He has got amazing string of 72 consecutive clay court victories. And you will also know that Roger Federer, Fed Express to his fans, is the world’s top seed. He has got ten Grand Slam titles under his belt, and 48 grass victories.

Every time they meet they play great games but Nadal always wins on clay, whilst Federer usually wins on anything else, and always on grass. The latest brainstorm of tennis promoters is to create a tennis court with both surfaces, exclusively for a one-off match between the two! They call it "The Battle of the Surfaces".

Imagine that! The game takes of this Wednesday, April the 2^nd. The King of Clay vs. The king of all other surfaces! And it takes place in Nadal's home town of Majorca. Who will win? Methinks Fed has a slightly better chance, from a pure tennis point of view, but let us not forget that this is an exhibition match without the established "gotta win"-attitudes of regular tournament play attached to it. I am sure that the home crowd will do everything they can to fire Nadal up! And both players are tremendous fighters when they put their mind to it. The online bookies seem to hold Feder slightly in favour, so does the voting on the match site...

We are both looking forward to this absolutely new event. The idea really appeals to me as we both dominate one of the surfaces. Rafa holds the record of 62 victories in series on clay and I have not been defeated on grass since 48 matches. It'll be fun to find out what it's like to play on a court with mixed surfaces! And it ought to be interesting to see who chooses the better tactic. People have been talking about this event for quite a while. Now it's coming up pretty soon already and I like the fact that the stadium - which is very nice, by the way - is located on Majorca, Rafa's home. He has been to Basel, after all, and now I've got the opportunity to play at his place for once.

– Roger Federer

Update:
Nadal wins! 7-5 4-6 7-6 (12-10)
BBC NEWS REPORT!

So, I guess I was wrong :)

Music, Maestro!

2007-04-20T23:34:00.000+02:00

Just imagine: what do you think would happen, hypothetically, if one of the world's greatest violinists performed incognito before a travelling rush-hour crowd in the Washington DC subway? Imagine him dressed as an ordinary street musician, playing on a 3 million dollar Stradivari violin. Would people pay attention? Interesting idea methinks. Even more interesting is the fact that exactly this has happened. I urge you to read the Washington Post article.

It is quite long, so make sure you some good amount of time to spare when you read it, because it is really interesting. And the videos are amazing too.

Stupid stupid me

2007-04-17T23:54:00.000+02:00

So, after a great week in New York City, I depart from Newark Airport, NJ. I depart on Friday the 13^th.

Arrive in Stockholm Arlanda airport completely wasted after the flight. Half asleep I gather my book and my bag and my jacket and make sure I bring my earplugs. I stumble, zombie-like, off the plane. With my good friend Thomas I walk through the completely unpopulated customs checkpoint. We take the rapid to Stockholm City. We part and I take a cab the last bit. At home by 8 a.m. exhausted, but I wish to get into sync and stay awake for two hours. Unpack my laundry and shopping from NYC. Decide to take a nap for an hour, set the alarm clock to make sure!

Sleep through the alarm. Wake up at 4 p.m. I slept six hours instead of one. My world is upside down. Watch TV for a moment before eating, and suddenly it is 7 p.m. Go out for a stroll; find a new Indian place in my hoods. Great food, but less spicy than I was hoping for. Walk back. Crash into bed. Fall asleep.

Wake up Sunday morning. Feeling fresh. Miss anything? Nah don’t think so. Liz calls we’re gonna have lunch. Just before noon I think: “Why not bring my camera?” The weather is great so why not bring my camera! My camera yes where is it? Hmmm… Not in the kitchen by my big unpacked bag. Not in my ante by the coats. Not in the living-room by the sofa, not by anything. I get a bit nervous. Neither do I find it in my heaps of dirty laundry. OK, do not panic. Do not panic. I have no idea where my camera is!

My expensive Canon SLR, and all my photos. Gone.

It could be anywhere between Newark airport and my flat. Cripes! I call the cab company but they do not keep records of lost property, even though Stockholm cabbies usually are very honest. Call the airport-lost’n’found but they do not pick up the phone on weekends. File a report online, but expect no report until Monday. Rush off to meet Liz.

Her cheerful way warms me up a bit and brunch is nice. Still shaky about my camera of course. As I get back my feeling that I left it on the plane grows slightly, just slightly, stronger. Still far from sure. It is about 2 p.m. Even though I expect nothing I check my email every half hour. Hours pass while I do my laundry. A strange female person has left an item of black underwear in my laundromat. Keep checking my mail. Oh shit, still no clear memory of when I last had my camera. All I am 100% sure about is that I had it before airport security in the US.

At 5 p.m. an email comes through. It is from Stockholm Arlanda Airport lost’n’found. The contents of the email make me expel en enormous sigh of relief.

The Tandem Story Experiment

2007-04-15T21:00:00.000+02:00

Thank you all my my friends. McKenzie, Highlander and TomQ. This little experiment in interactive male-female writing has been a lot of fun. What happens if a woman and a woman have to create a short story together, by writing every second paragraph, alternatingly? Not my idea. I was inspired by this post by blogger Highlander and found the idea intriguing.

Plunge in and enjoy the two litterary creations below!

The Day It All Changed

2007-03-05T23:01:00.000+01:00

A tandem story by Highlander and Tom Q.
Comments on the story as it evolves are very welcome in the parallel comments thread.

Now this post is back on top. Nudge, nudge, Highlander!

Blue

2007-03-04T23:00:00.000+01:00

Another tandem story, by McKenzie and Adam

Completed! But make sure you read the three final paragraphs!

Sahara Run

2007-03-02T18:09:00.000+01:00

Well my friends, the rumours of my untimely death have been exaggerated. Two legs, two arms, and my head, still in place.

I thought that I was done with the Sahara, blogwise but no, not yet. This story is so good that I must share it with you. I wrote that the Dakar was a tough challenge. Well, compared to this the Dakar is a walk in the park.

Three top athletes ran 6437 km from coast to coast in the Sahara. It took them 100 days. That corresponds to more than two marathons a day. I'm not kiddin, two marathons a day! And marathons are sort of tough, even under the “luxurious” conditions of paved roads and a nice climate. Really really impressing…

Check story on National Geographic and Yahoo.

Sahara - Encore Une Fois

2007-01-25T00:37:00.000+01:00

Fresh snow outside my window.
10 degrees below freezing.
The Formula 1 season seems far away indeed…

But in the world of Rally Racing: the Jewel in the Crown, The Dakar, (for many years known as the Paris-Dakar), [Wiki facts], has just reached its completion. It is one of the toughest challenges on this planet, and extremely dangerous too. It crosses over endless miles of dessert landscapes. And the roads, oh the roads (!), are certainly not a walk in the park. Driving skill, mechanical skills, navigation, endurance and machinery all come into play.

This year’s winner in the car division was Frenchman Stèphane Peterhansel. After 16 days of racing, his winning margin was an astonishingly slim 7 minutes! But I must confess to you my dear readers: as I have been following this race on TV, I have hardly paid any attention to the numbers and names. I have been quite hypnotized by all the Sahara images.

When I traveled the Libyan Sahara some 9 months ago, something happened to me. That experience got into my bloodstream in a way I never imagined. It is like malaria, once you get it, it remains in your body for life. It does not necessarily break out, but it is always there. Do not get me wrong, there is nothing negative with the malaria comparison, I love this feeling. I just mean that it is something that I may forget for many months, but when it wakes up I realize that it has been there, all the time...

…and then sometimes, one starts to think about the people who live their entire lives here.

New Blog!

2007-01-17T22:44:00.000+01:00

Yes...
I have been a bit quiet lately. I have been a bit lazy but also a quite busy. I have been playing a lot of chess. I have a goal to improve my game considerably (200 rating points) this year. Perhaps I will post more on chess sometime. Furthermore, last week I had a hellish project to finish. So utterly stupid I still get angry when I think about it.

Anyway, now, I have finally taken the leap and switched to the new Blogger. As Blogger is owned by Gooooogle, I thought that would be a perfect excuse to post this cute little cartoon.

Vinyl Goes Digital

2006-12-27T23:54:00.001+01:00

A group of students, (David Öhlin, Patrik Olsson, Robert Olofsson, Reine Vaerlien and Cécile Ayrault), at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), in Stockholm have created an amazing piece of software: Using an ordinary digital scanner hooked up to a PC, they are able to convert good old vinyl records to music files. So the record never spins… they just analyze the image of it and convert it to music. Simply Amazing.

Here is a short description for the tech savvy: First, as the record does not fit into a normal scanner they need to scan it in four pieces. The four pieces are in very high res (2400 dpi), analyzed, and pieced together into a single image. Then the tracks are “straightened out” by the software. Then, in a final step of analysis the straight tracks are analyzed and then converted to music.

The article below claims that the software was written in C language but my guess is that the guys used C++. Then for the heavy math processing they used the MatLab package.

The software has already, in a side project, been used to recover the soundtrack from some films from 1906. Playing the films in normal equipment would, apparently, have damaged the fragile film stock.

The software is still a school project, and (I would guess) not quite finished. The students plan to release it as shareware. I hope that becomes a reality before the commercial forces descend upon these bright youngsters.

I am sorry I have not found any English texts on this, so here is the Swedish text for the benefit of my millions of Swedish fans.

Out Damned Spam - Out!

2006-12-19T11:50:00.000+01:00

Ah well, my experiment in open posting policy worked for a couple of months. Then those lower-than-scum-of-the-earth spammers found it. So now that booooring word verification dialogue is back. So much for idealism. Let's keep building walls! :(

While we are on the subject of spam; my very dear blog/IRL friend Highlander has not exactly been spamming our very famous tandem story above. But she knew what to do, and I am happy she (finally) did it.

How I Wish Upon A Star

2006-12-10T23:22:00.000+01:00

Now that we have dealt with the stars of the Eurovision Song Contest, we should also remember the stars above.

The Spaces Shuttle Discovery, has taken off, and for the first time in history we have got a Swedish Astronaut, Christer Fuglesang, in space. I think it is really cool. I remember reading about this guy more than 15-20 years ago. He has very methodically been working to achieve this, and now his dream has come true. Fuglesang, by the way means birdsong, quite fun too!

Finland - 12 points! *

2006-12-06T23:59:00.000+01:00

OK, on a lighter note: today December 6, is the National Day of

Finland

. It commemorates

Finland

’s independence from Russia. So this blog post I dedicate fully to my very dear Finish blog friend NBA.

Behold these majestic yet noble Finish warriors. See these brave and unflinching fighters for freedom. Watch their proud determination, and see these men splendidly defending right and justice. Take joy in their heroic posture, as they stand proud and tall:

____________________________________________________________

* For non-Europeans:
The blog title is a reference to Finland’s vigorous victory in this years Eurovision Song Contest. (12 points is the maximum a single jury member can assign.) This first time ever a heavy metal song won the competition, and the first time Finland won it! The awesome rock band Lordi took the title home to metropolitan Rovaniemi (pop: 57.835).

The Baker Commission

2006-12-06T23:58:00.000+01:00

Did I once say that this is a non-political blog? Well, sod that!

The Baker Commission has today released its Iraq report. It contains rather unflattering views of the present White House strategy. I agree fully that the present approach is quite unsuccessful. However I am not entirely sure if I agree that the US armed forces packing their bags swiftly is the best way out of this particular mess. It might be but I am not sure. On a broader perspective though: one thing is sure: that I fully agree with those who say that the Palestinian question must be solved, if we want to stabilize the entire Middle East.

Below is an excerpt from the NYT on the Baker Commission report. Full New York Times article here.

Panel Calls for New Approach to Iraq

By DAVID E. SANGER
Published: December 6, 2006

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 - A bipartisan commission warned on Wednesday that "the situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating," and handed President Bush both a rebuke of his current strategy and a detailed blueprint for a fundamentally different approach, including the pullback of all American combat brigades over the next 15 months.

In unusually sweeping and blunt language, the panel of 10 Republicans and Democrats issued 79 specific recommendations, including a call for direct negotiations with Syria and Iran and a clear declaration that the United States would reduce its support to Iraq unless that weak and divided government makes "substantial progress" on reconciliation and security in coming months.
---

Catch a Fire - Film Festival Take #3

2006-11-27T00:56:00.000+01:00

The third and last installment of my Film Festival Reviews, (unless I change my mind and write a note on “A Scanner Darkly”), is about a film called “Catch A Fire”.

It takes place in Apartheid South Africa, around 1980, but it does cast very deep shadows into our own days. It is about a man, Patrick Chamuso, who is a hard working family man. He has nothing absolutely to do with the ANC, the armed liberation movement, or “the terrorists”, in the white regime lingo.

Tim Robbins delivers an excellent performance, perfect South African accent and all, of a anti-terrorist cop. When the plant where Patrick Chamuso works get hits by bomb attacks every black man becomes a suspect. And he gets some very hard torture-like treatment. He tells them nothing as there is nothing to tell, he is innocent. But the treatment does turn an innocent man into an active terrorist. It certainly raises questions on how productive the methods of today’s so called War on Terrorism are!

And no, it is not a propaganda brainstorm. The story of Patrick Chamuso is a true story.

Out Damned Spot - Out

2006-11-24T13:48:00.000+01:00

Extra points to all of you who can place the quote! I know at least of of you have no doubt what so ever :)

The spot in this particular case is Internet Explorer. It is an awful pile of junk. If you are still on IE, switch to Firefox now! I had only been visiting my blog in Firefox but when a friend visited it in IE it look awful. All the sidebar links were gone, or actually shoved all the way to the bottom of the page. Thank you Microsoft.

And if you are buying a new computer in the near future, they will probably try to sell it to you with the new operating system Windows Vista. This is an important bit of friendly advice:

Whatever you do - do not, I repeat not, buy a computer with windows Vista on it. It will be well invested money to pay extra for the good old and solid Windows XP.

So, what is wrong with Vista? Everything! To install even the simplest bit of software will force you to answer an endless sequence of questions: "Are sure that you want to? Are really sure that you are sure? Don't you have any doubt at all?" Ok, the last one is a joke, but you get it.

The second reason not to buy Vista: Forget bringing all you old software to the new Vista. I work in software development, and I promise you, a lot of your old software will not work at all, or in the best case start to work after you spend hours lowering all the default system security settings.

Programmer Craig, are you still around here? Despite many of our disagreements don't you agree with the first part and maybe the second too?

Tandem Note

2006-11-23T01:43:00.000+01:00

The tandem stories; I were keeping them at the top for a long time. I will lift them up to the top again, as soon as the the "tandeming" resumes :)

Film Festival - Take # 2

2006-11-23T01:31:00.000+01:00

Another highlight (by popular demand!) from this year’s Stockholm Film Festival. The thing about film festivals is not that you catch the latest and the gratest movies. Sure it is nice to watch for example the latest Cohen brother’s, before everyone else, but wait a few weeks and it is on in the cinemas. What is great about a film festival is the stuff you would never otherwise be able to see.

Zidane – 21^st Century Portrait, is such a film. It was shot during a single Real Madrid match, with 17 cameras. None of them were following the ball, all were following Zidane! It may not be the best film at the festival but is one of the most interesting.

Make no mistake, whether you like the famous footballer Zinedine Zidane (Zizou to his fans) or hate his guts, is really beside the point. In fact it may not even matter if you care about football at all! But it does help if you are generally interested in the mental aspects of highly competitive sports. In my eyes, this film is much more an art movie than a sports movie. It just happens to take place in a football field. It is about a state of mind. A Zidane quote from early in the film gives an idea of this:

I remember whenever playing football I was a kid I used to hear a running commentary in my head. It was the voice of Chaquet [exact name forgotten]. Whenver he was commenting a match on TV I used to run there to get as close as possible. It was not so much his words – as his tone of voice – the atmosphere – that captured my heart...

The result is quite amazing, and the interesting stuff takes place inside your own head: after a while you drift into a light trance-like meditation. I loved it, others did not. Make sure you check the “Videos” and “Gallery” links at the movie site. And if you want the other side of the story too, check the dissenting opinions at IMDB.

The Sounds of Sand

2006-11-22T13:18:00.000+01:00

The Stockholm Film Festival is on right now. Hundreds of films in 9 days

On of the films I have seen is the Belgian production Si le vent soulève les sables, (or The Sounds of Sand.) It is a beautifully photographed film, about a poor family struggling on foot across the desert sands, in search of water.

I myself have travelled in the mighty Sahara it has gotten into my bloodstream a bit. Even though I travelled in the relative comfort of 4WDs I still could recognize the total mercilessness of the dessert.

Yellow

2006-11-09T07:50:00.000+01:00

Well as primary colours seem to by my present mode for post titles it seems I must keep that going. Even if it sometimes gets a bit contrieved. And I suppose Gold is a better description (than Yellow) of the colour of beer but whatever :)

Oktoberfest, is a huge annual beer-festival held in Munich. A friend of mine, Frax, and I decided this summer to stage our own Oktoberfest. I must admit I was in not too much of a party mood, but I am glad I went through with it, I sorta snapped out of my low.

We did not get six million guests, only 60 but it was a smash hit nevertheless. We had bought 7 cases of German beer, 168 bottles, and the last one went with the last guest 4 a.m. in the morning. So we got that one right for sure!

We also served lots of snacks, olives, peanuts, salty thingies, German sausages, both the smoked and freshly grilled kind, sour thingies to go with the sausage. The DJ stand was shared by many guests; producing everything from German trivial pop of the 80's, German hard rock such as Rammstein, to contemporary mainstream such as Madonna.

This is not a scene from "Close encounters of the third kind."

But who can tell?

Red? or Blue?

2006-11-05T11:28:00.000+01:00

Perhaps you already have heard of Zefrank, I hadn't until very recently. Extremely productive guy, puts out new stuff almost every day.

Now: midterm US elections on the front page...

How about his little entertaining view? Some readers from Finland, and elsewhere, might actually like it as much as I did.

Page with movie
Movie only
(You will need Quicktime)

White!

2006-11-03T18:07:00.000+01:00

This Wednesday winter arrived with a bang.

I am getting out of my flat. Thinking that biking to work is an option. Cold it is, and snowing a little bit. But after the first kilometre a snowstorm breaks out and a million snowflakes, sharp as razors are cutting at my face. Rather painful, and I cannot see more than a few yards ahead, but keeping my eyes open is hard. So I resign the biking game, taking the tube to work. Ah well.

Winter usually arrives later. The landscape today was pretty but odd. Yellow leaves, resting on a bed of white snow. Nice.

I gotta buy some candles. I just love candles in the dark.

Rumors....

2006-11-01T21:48:00.000+01:00

Several independent reports maintained that a blond Scandinavian blogger had been abducted by Tralfamdorian aliens. Perhaps some of you thought that it was me. Nope. Some rumors (on some middle eastern blogs) claimed, that my absence was caused by abduction to a certain

base on

Cuba

. Some narrow minded people on Bigpharaoh’s blog implied that I probably had deserved it. Well, it never happened. Nor is it true, that I had been taken to the loony bin, after losing my mind over a monstrously complex programming problem.

Last week, the respected newspaper Al Hayat reported of a Scandinavian guy disappearing into the Libyan Sahara with a stunning Bedouin beauty. That is actually true, but it was not me. (That guy was from

Finland

.) As for the recent note in the New York Inquirer, that I had sailed off for six fabulous weeks with Nicole Kidman, on the

Tonga

Islands (off the Australian Coast), I presently decline to comment on that. But I must inform you that the news were pulled from the afternoon edition after Mr. Rupert Kidman placed a few phone calls…

To blog, or not to blog

2006-10-30T19:07:00.000+01:00

To blog, or not to blog: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous blogosphere,
Or to post arrows against all the wrongs,
And by opposing end them? To logout: to delete;
No more; and by a logout to say we end
The finger-ache and the thousand natural keystrokes
That mouse-arm heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To logout, to delete;
To logout: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that final logout what disk crashes may come
When we have reformatted off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;

* * *

And thus the native hue of typing these words
Is unwritten o'er with the pale cast of Non-Blogging,
And future posts of great pith and moment
With this perspective their provocations turn awry,
And lose the name of communication. Euro-Soft you now!
The fair Highlander! Nymph, in thy Sahara
Be all my unblogged moments remember'd.

Black

2006-10-16T22:12:00.000+02:00

My dear uncle Paul - has taken the last ship home. He has left this world for good. His final days were a hard struggle. Very hard indeed. I think he has found himself a better place now. He will be dearly missed by all in our family.

A room at the top

2006-10-05T23:18:00.000+02:00

A few you may remember the that book by John Braine, but now we are talking about the very top floor. At least one of my readers, yes you, will love this:

CLICK

Translated from Norwegian by yours truly. More in English by the same cartoonist here.

Online / Offline

2006-10-05T23:03:00.000+02:00

As a creature of habit I repeat my post titles. Sometimes this strange thing outside the blogosphere catches up with you. It is called "life". I would like to thank you all for remaining patient with my absence.

At least one thing that I can report is that I did another race (or chicken run if you like) last weekend. Only 10 km this time, but with my target set to 53:00 I was very happy to beat my own target by two minutes. At least some things are going the right way. Work has also been fun the last few weeks. My boss has been giving me pretty lose reins to let me finish a bit of programming prototyping that now will end up in our product. It is rather technical, I will not bore you with details.

My blogging will not go hyperactive in the near future but at least a little goodie (hint) is due shortly, and with that cliffhanger I will now leave you to begin catching up on my hopeless sleep deficit...

Photoz

2006-09-16T16:40:00.000+02:00

OK! For all of you who have asked: Hanu, HL, NB, Mck, Pumpkin, Red. I just posted two new sets on my flickr. Posting here will continue, but the stories will remain on top. Enjoy!

Tagged

2006-09-07T23:57:00.000+02:00

Aaaaah!
With a challenge from such a woman as Soraya: What can I do but comply? So here we go :Dee.

1.Which is the single best post you've read on any blog? Please provide link.
First:
execution-in-kingdom-of-nouns
but that might be not-so-funny for people outside software development, so…

Second:
A particular angry post on the IDF at Sandmonkey´s place but this is a non-political blog (for now), so…

Third:
Sawatsky

2. Which is the best post you've written? Which is your worst? Please provide links.
Best: "Desert Dreams - Episode I"
Worst? Rubbish. (Thanks NB 4 u no what)

3. How about a place you've never been to but would very much like to see.
I would like to travel for a month in China, the world's next super power.

4. If you were a member of the opposite sex, what would you have done differently?
Duh! I would marry a great guy like me!

5. Do you remember a childhood recurrent dream or nightmare? Good or bad, tell us about it.
I am trying to forget it.

6. Make me laugh or make me cry, put your words to use.
"I am not a vegetarian because I love animals. I am a vegetarian because I hate plants."
And
"Our bombs are smarter than our high school students-at least they can find Kuwait."
Both by the great A. Whitney Brown

7. Do you regret the unfulfilled dreams, the inaccessible roads, the uncharted lands?
I am very much a fatalist. I may have unfulfilled dreams, but on the other hand I have experienced good things I had never dreamt of!

8. What is a friend to you? And what are you to a friend?
In good times, someone to share the fun with. In bad times, somebody to lean on. In all days someone I can trust. And I try hard to be the same.

9. T.S. Eliot measured his life with coffee spoons, how about you?
I do not think I measure it, but I think too much about how limited our time is here.

10. Write your own epitaph, or if that is too hard, how would you like your epitaph to read?

Poof! Gone. Just like that.

Invitation to an Experiment in Male/Female Writing

2006-09-07T19:00:00.000+02:00

My dear sister-blogger Highlander mentioned an interesting litterary experiment in her Mars&Venus (TM) -post. Upon my suggestion she seemed less willing to stage such a thing. So I thought I would do it here instead. I invite all interested writers to apply here.

Here's how it goes:
I will now let this idea stew for a week or so. Then the highly undemocratic jury (moi) selects two writers: one female and one male, not necessarily the people I like most. (In the unlikely case of excessive interest I might even select two pairs of writers, for two stories.) The two writers agree on one of the suggested story titles below, or any other title they prefer. Then I start a new thread where they alternatingly post one paragraph each to the blog, with the lady going first. The story ends when both agree it ends.

Blue
Lost in Translation
Music for the Deaf
Me, Myself and I
The Vision
The Lost Child
The Longest Night
Chasing Rainbows
Another Chance
Forever Yours
* * *
Black & White
Shades of Gray
The Day It All Changed
No Words
The Paperclip
Summer's Edge
Vacantly Hopeful
Two

Labor Day

2006-09-06T01:55:00.000+02:00

Our dear Highlander is such a good person. I like her blog a lot, and I really appreciate my personal friendship with her. Labor Day,in the US, was just a few days ago, my train of thought was running wild, and I suddenly thought: why not celebrate this a with a little bit of harmless fun?

Farewell Andre

2006-09-04T10:55:00.000+02:00

Andre Agassi, one of the greatest sportsmen in the world has ended his fantastic career in world class tennis. For more than 20 years he was among the best in this highly competitive sport. This 36-year-old "Grand Old Man" was admired by the audience and feared by his opponents. His skilful game and courteous manners made him popular wherever he went, on and off the court.

Personally, I admired him for his versatile and adaptive style, his tactical cleverness and his fighting spirit. I really liked the joy he brought to the game. And I was astonished by his comeback. In 1997 he had fallen to 140th on the ATP rankings. Everybody thought he was history. Two years later he had fought his way back to the top. Thank you very much for all these years Andre!

The Chicken Has Landed [Update]

2006-09-03T12:57:00.000+02:00

A handful of you have been following my final preparations for the race. As promised, I finished, but rather exhausted.

Before the race I had set a primary goal, under 2 hrs, and a secondary goal, an average race pace below 6:00/km.

I had made a very precise plan for what time to make for each km. Due to congestion at the start I was some 40 seconds behind schedule after 3 km. A distinct increase in pace was required, and at km 6 I had caught up and was back on target. At km 10 I was exactly 13 seconds behind and at km 16 I was still within 30 seconds of my planned schedule. But then during a long uphill stretch I ran out of steam. I finished a few minutes behind. But at least well within the secondary goal.

The final five were a bit painful but with the end within reach I began to feel relieved. Of course a much deeper relief came to me after crossing the finish line. Later the same evening I went out and rewarded myself a nice Greek dinner with lamb chops, tsatsiki, Greek coffee and baklava.

Traveling

2006-09-02T13:16:00.000+02:00

Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sun, the sky – all things tending toward the eternal, or what we imagine of it.

Cesare Pavese (1908 – 1950)

Bird of a Feather

2006-08-30T21:11:00.000+02:00

D minus three Days, and counting.

As I was contemplating the term "Euro-Chicken" (invented by my blog-mate, the blogging Non-Blogging) and my race a few days from now, suddenly this sweet little movie sprung back into memory. I recomend it warmly, for adults as well as youngsters. But maybe small children will not like it.

Well... just now, I did my last "high-energy-run" before the race. Only 6 km but as fast as I could. It felt pretty OK. Now I just need to take it cool and get lots of sleep until the race.

Marathon Dreams

2006-08-29T21:53:00.000+02:00

In early February this year I had registered for the New York City Marathon which takes place in November. It is a most popular event and one has to pass a lottery to be able to start. It would have been soooooo cool, but it did not happen. And November 2007 seems a bit to far away to even ponder.

But last year I took part in the half-marathon here in my city. So at least I could start there. I hadn’t been thinking about it for a while and it was just yesterday that I realised it is on Saturday, 5 days from now. Ouch! But I quickly decided to do a 16 km test run, and although that was pretty painful I made up my mind to start on Saturday. I will not beat last year’s result but I will finish the bloody thing. In fact, my publishing of this is a way of pressuring myself to not chicken out. Wish me luck.

Help! Delete Delete Delete!

Sad Sequels

2006-08-29T00:05:00.000+02:00

There was a quite cool film, Cube, made in 1997 (trailer). A group of people who never have met before, wake up inside a complex maze of rooms. Suspicion and fear of the unknown dominate as they struggle to understand what is going on, and try to get out. An interesting concept and - within its own microcosm - well executed.

Last night however I caught one of several sequels on a movie channel, Cube Zero. It was so bad that I refuse to link to it.

So what is this, a post about a really bad film? Hardly. But watching this sequel reminded me of the original movie. If you are into mystery & sci-fi you might appreciate it.

Sailing!

2006-08-25T23:01:00.000+02:00

After one week of work I can hardly remember that I just had three weeks off. So I have to look at these snaps, just to make sure. But then I do remember: I had a great week of sailing with Eric.

Each day we caught some wind in our sails, each night we found a new island to explore. Cooking in a really tiny kitchen requires a bit of creativity. But we had great meals, and in all, a really good time.

As for my South Africa photos, they are due soon, but one roll is still in the camera so I will finish that before I develop that batch. So just remind me another 27 times and you might get to see them.

Reading

2006-08-24T22:46:00.000+02:00

With my quiet little blog suddenly turning into Grand Central Station, I feel some responsibility towards my visitors. So what started out purely as a travel journal is now about to become something slightly more. So here is my first - drum roll please - non travel related post ever.

Despite the new pompous title this is a light hearted little blog. The title is I guess some sort of half-joke. Here will be pondered small thoughts and great…

One writer that has touched my heart recently is Alexander McCall Smith. I recently read his Cappuccino Tales, which follows the fates of a number of people living in misty but airy Scotland. The prose flows lightly between events and between the thought processes of the characters without ever turning into anything like the literary experiments of “modernist” writers. It is a witty, funny and charming book.

Most readers however know his The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. It is a whole series of books. The people in these books remind us that we should not complicate simple things in life, that small things can give great joy. The stories teach us to be gentle, humble and wise. Or at least that we should strive to be wise. This is how we meet Mma Ramotswe, the central figure, in the first book. (Link above: longer excerpt)

The Daddy

Mma Ramotswe had a detective agency in Africa, at the foot of Kgale Hill. These were its assets: a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, and an old typewriter. Then there was a teapot, in which Mma Ramotswe--the only lady private detective in Botswana--brewed redbush tea. And three mugs--one for herself, one for her secretary, and one for the client. What else does a detective agency really need? Detective agencies rely on human intuition and intelligence, both of which Mma Ramotswe had in abundance. No inventory would ever include those, of course.

But there was also the view, which again could appear on no inventory. How could any such list describe what one saw when one looked out from Mma Ramotswe's door? To the front, an acacia tree, the thorn tree which dots the wide edges of the Kalahari; the great white thorns, a warning; the olive-grey leaves, by contrast, so delicate. In its branches, in the late afternoon, or in the cool of the early morning, one might see a Go-Away Bird, or hear it, rather. And beyond the acacia, over the dusty road, the roofs of the town under a cover of trees and scrub bush; on the horizon, in a blue shimmer of heat, the hills, like improbable, overgrown termite mounds.

Everybody called her Mma Ramotswe, although if people had wanted to be formal, they would have addressed her as Mme Mma Ramotswe. This is the right thing for a person of stature, but which she had never used of herself. So it was always Mma Ramotswe, rather than Precious Ramotswe, a name which very few people employed.

She was a good detective, and a good woman. A good woman in a good country, one might say. She loved her country, Botswana, which is a place of peace, and she loved Africa, for all its trials. I am not ashamed to be called an African patriot, said Mma Ramotswe. I love all the people whom God made, but I especially know how to love the people who live in this place. They are my people, my brothers and sisters. It is my duty to help them to solve the mysteries in their lives. That is what I am called to do.

Flying Higher

2006-08-17T09:44:00.000+02:00

Sometimes you strike gold... Flying long distance in First Class for the first time of my life was quite an experience. Champagne is given to us immediately before take-off even before we have a chance to ask for anything. And the meal is a wonderful three-course-meal with an impressing selection of wines.

The staff is impeccable, and the legroom, is just u n b e l i e v a b l e. I have three, yes three, windows to myself so you can imagine what sort of space we are talking here. The chair has 8 or 10 buttons for every possible angular and positional adjustment. It is easily converted into a full length bed. Amazing! I have a truly wonderful night (we are talking sleep here...) on-board the aircraft.

I am in heaven
Heaven

Whales!

2006-08-17T09:30:00.000+02:00

We have a very nice drive across the mountains to the small coastal town of Hermanus. If you ever go to South Africa, make sure to remember that name!

Here too, high cliffs meet the ocean, huge waves crashing in. The large bay is a favorite mating and playing water for whales. It is really awesome to watch these large creatures. Watching them jump, exhale water and swim around fills us with joy. These guys sure know how to enjoy themselves.

The Cape of Good Hope

2006-08-17T09:19:00.000+02:00

Ah! you brilliant Cape of Good and Hope!

Here where seamen drown and hopes are born
Where emperors have fallen and strong men survived

Two raging oceans you so boldly divide
While beholding their fury with quiet pride

Oh Mighty! How I wish I was an Albatros!
If only for a brief moment
I could circle your southern skies
I would die such a happy soul

Penguins!

2006-08-16T19:21:00.000+02:00

On our way down to Cape Point, further south from Cape Town, we pass some azaing scenery. On one stretch of rocky coast a fairly large colony of penguins have chosen to settle down. These are really lovely animals. They move like Charlie Chaplin and are dressed like James Bond!

The little ones are so fluffy and cuddly, I wish I could take one home. And the babies as well as the bigones are quite unafraid of humans. I could touch them if I wanted too, but of course, I do not.

To be continued...

People in South Afrtica

2006-08-14T11:54:00.000+02:00

I would have thought that 40 years of Apartheid would leave deep scars in this country. It was abolished only 12 years ago. Now white and black people look each other in the eye with no hatred no fear. I percieve people actually a little bit more open, in initial encounters, than in many western counbtries. So perhaps there is some hope for other conflicts in the world...

Touchdown in Cape Town

2006-08-13T14:41:00.000+02:00

Posts now will be short but sweet.

Takeoff 2 hours late. Looong flight, little sleep. Had a weird dream: the pilot had gone nuts and was manouvering the our Jumbo Jet through a tunnel. Freudians shut up :)

I have a nice ride from the airport into town. The landscape is quite beautiful. Large undulating hills, but yet open You can always see the landscape far away even from the valleys. Quite relaxing.

Found a nice backpacker's place to stay. Afrique du Sud. My room has a nice view of the ocean. The waves are huge. Walked along the waterfront. A little bit cold but soooo relaxing.

Airport Blues - Take # 4

2006-08-12T18:12:00.000+02:00

So am I afraid to travel because of terrorism? Not really. Crossing the street every day is more dangerous than flying twice a year.

And anyway: presently I am separated even from my so beloved mobile phone for twenty hours. Now that is terrifying! :)

Cut!

Airport Blues - Take # 3

2006-08-12T18:06:00.000+02:00

You cannot imagine the amont of stuff that is taken away from people after this new alleged terror threat. I now saw through the window a truckload of large plastic sacks filled with private belongings, mostly books, being thrown into a container. I hope someone will have the sense to keep it and give it to schools or charities. But I doubt it. Such a waste.

Cut!

Airport Blues - Take # 2

2006-08-12T17:58:00.000+02:00

I just wrote myself this little song. Those of you who know Povel Ramel's Grasankling Blues can (well, ahem, sort of) sing along.

Airport Boredom Blues

I'm just sitting down and starin'
With nothing much to do
The minutes hardly movin'
And I just wanna go

I have this creeping feelin'
No it doesn't go away
My skin will soon start peelin'
This is the longest day

So baby you've gotta see
This very boredom's killing me

I am feelin' so-oh-ho-ho, so blue
As I sing the Airport Boredom Blues

Cut!

Airport Blues - Take # 1

2006-08-12T17:49:00.000+02:00

Camera! Action!

Transit at London Heathrow. Five hours to kill, boring as hell. As most of you have seen on the news no carry-on luggage is allowed now. I even had to part from my dear book "Kafka on th Beach". A bit odd as books are sold in the departure lounge. I dunno what could be hidden in a paperback book. So I got myself a new nice book "Espresso Tales", I think I can keep it if I keep the receipt.

I am already a bit tired (as some clever bloggers already have guessed), and the noise here is getting to my nerves. The high-techy earplugs I just bought are not very effective. Ah crap.

Cut!

Booked!

2006-08-11T16:27:00.000+02:00

Terror alert and what not: after a lot of ifs and buts and maybes the ticket now is mine. I will be flying to Cape Town on Saturday :) Nearly 13 hrs of flight from LHR to CPT, will be a test, especially with the new security regulations that ban all carry-on luggage...

So if you Highlander, see a blinking spot in the high western Tripoli sky late Saturday night, make sure you wave, chances are that it is me...

Lizzie talked me out of staying in Long Street, apparently Sea Point is a much nicer area to stay, whilst Long Street still is great for nightlife, and is a cheap cab fare away. So the hunt for a nice place to stay is on once more...

To fly or not to fly, that is the Question

2006-08-10T17:56:00.000+02:00

Just yesterday (Wednesday) I decided that I would treat myself to a quick & short notice visit to Cape Town. My dear friend Lizzie would help me in getting a good price on the tickets. She would fly too and she is great fun to be with. But surprise surprise: this was a British Airways flight and with this sudden terror alert in London I really do not know if I will be able to fly as intended (tomorrow Friday).

Still, why not I thought, fire up my old sleepy little travel journal…

I have been web-surfing for hostels and cool areas in Cape Town. I get the impression that Long Street is the place to stay as well as go out. This hostel looks very nice:

Inn Long Street

Chilling on that balcony sure looks nice, but with a stay shorter than a week I suppose that I will not be sitting on my behind for a too long time, (if I will be able to go after all).

I might fly to Cape Town tomorrow or the next day, or not at all. No worries, time will tell.

Desert Mutiny

2006-04-27T23:47:00.000+02:00

So I guess I will have to post this part a second time as it somehow fell out of the system, but this begins in the "Desert Disaster" story, so please read that first if you have not read it yet.

Back to the story:
We are deep into south-west desertland of the Libyan Sahara.
We have lost our kitchen car. We are a bit short on water. We are very short on food. We would like to see the Accacus ahead of us, but we decide that we must turn back and look for the kitchen car...

Desert travel in the day can be gruelling, but in the night it often becomes just horrible. We are already disheartened by having to turn back. And as night begins to fall we begin to realise that our guide (who should be in charge of the cars and where we go) has lost all his authority with the drivers. We are completely in the hands of Mohammed, the first driver, who quite aggressively and forcefully has taken over command of the group! It is pitch black and we have no idea where we will set camp for the night. We are tired, angry and feel totally helpless, in the hands of this maniac. We also can conclude that the real answer to this mystery (a few days earlier) of avoiding Ghat was probably not the Algerian army or some secret conspiray: It was most likely the beginning of Mohammed's mutiny against our guide, we think he simply refused to make that long drive!

Our mood has hit rock bottom. Finally we arrive at a police/military outpost in the middle of the desert. It is a really dirty and uggly place, and there is a lot of noise from the diesel generators. We have had so many beautiful nights in the desert and now this. Losing two days of travel is bad. Setting camp for the last night in this undignified place makes it even worse.

Nevertheless, after all the hardships and disappointments we still struggle, with varying degrees of success, to maintain a positive attitude.

Photo-Time

2006-04-23T21:52:00.000+02:00

Well, back at home at last. And finally I have published my best photos on another site. But this is a photoshare for everybody in our group, so if people make a bit of effort then there will be a lot of pictures, not just mine. Check all the photos here!

Also it seems that a nasty blogspot bug has eaten the best and last part of the desert disaster story. I guess I will republish it in the next few days.

Cairo Haze

2006-04-13T22:11:00.000+02:00

The city was like a disordered mind, an expression of archaic wishes and half-submerged memories of vanished dynasties.
Robert Irwin, The Arabian Nightmare

My personal impression of this intense city is that it constantly reminds me of the Tintin cartoons I grew up with. The narrow overcrowded streets, and the old cars especially the taxis could be on any page of such a cartoon album. But more than anything the charactars, middle-aged men who carry their big bellies and thick mustaches with an air of great Egytian self-confidence. I have seen so many such people that really look as if they just had walked out of a Tintin album.

Cairo

2006-04-12T23:35:00.000+02:00

Click to zoom-sorry I really am a Google-earth nut

The Cairo Grand Hotel. For the moment I stay here. Originally I had planned to travel to maybe Luxor, but after the hectic pace of the Libya tour (13 nights in 11 places, 8 of those nights in tents)
It feels pretty good to stay in one place.

I got a bit of a cultural shock as I arrived here. This must be the noisiest city on the planet. I have met loads of pushy people, but also many others who are really nice. So: I really liked Libya, but I have to admit that I am starting to dig this place too.

Today was my pyramid day. Went to the pyramids of Giza where all people go, but also to Saqquara. The Giza pyramids were really impressing and even today radiate total, absolute superior power. It is really easy to imagine the feelings of awe, respect and almost fear that people of those days must have felt. The Saqquara pyramid (20 km further to the south) does not have the same overwhelming effect, but there are some amazingly well preserved stone carvings and hieroglyphs. Also the crowds are much smaller, and the guides not at all so pushy. All of these make the trip really worthwhile. Danke schön Herr Peter for the tip!

Desert Disaster

2006-04-09T23:57:00.000+02:00

If you thought that I had run out of desert stories, you were wrong. I have kept the most spectacular nightmare until now. I am writing this from Cairo, but now we are back in the Sahara:

Five days have passed, our caravan has had at least three flat tires and two minor engine failures, and one major car breakdown where we had to unpack and leave one car behind. Things were still allright. But...

...on our sixth day in the Great and Mighty Sahara we are hit by disaster.

The day is Sunday April 2. The tracks are quite bad this day, it is impossible to drive faster than 30 km/h most of the time. After many hours on such tracks we realise that our caravan has lost one car! It carries our kitchen, and most of our food and water. We had parted from it earlier in the day but had expected to meet with it at a point just before the Accacus mountain range. But there is no car! We have no communication between the cars. Earlier in the week some of the cars had satellite phones but now we had none. And of course in such vast and desolate landscape cell phone coverage is unthinkable. We simply have no way to tell wether the kitchen car has passed the meeting point by mistake or if it suffered a breakdown on the way to it. We are very OK with water for the moment but short on food. Even worse though, the people in the other car might be in danger.

The question now is, should we continue as planned, into the spectacular Accacus, and sort of hope that the people in that car are allright,or should we turn back and search for them and thereby lose two good days of travel and awesome sights? After a long and agonizing discussion we decide that we must turn back, because of the people.

Mutiny!

Desert travel in the day can be grueling but in the night it is just horrible, when the tracks are bad. And as night is falling it becomes clear that our guide, who should be in charge of the cars, has lost his authority with the drivers. Our feeling is that we are completely in the hands of one of the drivers Mohammed. He has aggressively and forcefully taken over command of the group. Do you remember those stories of "military problems with the Algerian Army" that I mentioned earlier? We now conclude that this "mutiny" has been building gradually for the last few days, and that this driver Mohammed had refused to do that long drive to the southwest and that this was the real reason for those stories. So all conspiracy theories were wrong...

It is pitch black, the "road" is horrible, and we have absolutely no idea where we are going to set camp for the night. Finally we arrive at a police/military oupost in the middle of nothing. A dirty and uggly place, and a diesel generator is making a lot of noise. A most undignified place for our last night of camping in the desert.

Nevertheless, after all the hardships, disappointments and confrontations, and most of all exhaustion, we are still fighting, with varying degress of success, to maintain a bit of self-control and maybe even a humorous view of it all.

Five-star

2006-04-09T23:48:00.000+02:00

And today: for the first time since I came to Libya I have been able to order myself a cup of real arabic coffee in a five-star-place in five-star-company, and I quite enjoyed it.

Celebration Time

2006-04-09T23:15:00.000+02:00

Today the rest of the group left back for Europe, and I am on my own now. Our schedule has been very hectic, every minute was busy, and most of us were a bit exhausted, so to just stroll around in the city of Tripoli, doing absolutely nothing except walking around and enjoying the atmosphere, is a most relaxing change.

And as a bonus this eve, the people here are celebrating the birthday of the prophet Momammed. The streets have gone totally crazy. People who stay in their hotel might think that war has broken out. Firecrackers go off every secondon the sidewalk wherever you go, and above there are fireworks. So, Kaela dear, if you think that the desert was "so me", then this is even much more so!

I passed by this international trade fair,which showcased an american band Luna Angel, a mix of reggae and afro-rock. On the stage they were flying a large American flag, but above everything, was the portrait of the ruler of Libya Muhammar Khadaffi. A pretty strange view!

online / offline

2006-04-09T00:30:00.000+02:00

At last back in Tripoli with a few moments to spare. Considering my Arab-friendly inclination, some of my friends will find it highly amusing that I by chance have been booked into the Osama Hotel! Yes, you Freddy-Frax, I bet you are smiling now!

Over a week of desert travel. No internet access for a while, so I have plenty of chapters to post now. That satellite internet at the temporary desert camp was a one-off. Sorry Bjorn, no camels with built-in web access.

Not even this was an alternative.

And Gordon, now u know how we want to see your stuff and pix the next time u leave Boringville! That goes for u too Pelle-Joens. You can set this stuff up in a couple of clicks.

The Libyans

2006-04-07T22:56:00.000+02:00

Libya is not a rich country but there is no mass poverty here. Despite a slightly strict political leadership, people here can lead happy and comfortable lives within certain limits, as long as they stay out of politics. And I mean stay out completely.

I will post my pictures when I get back home,

meanwhile I have to rip pictures from the web.

I bet this particular Libyan never suspected he would end up here.

The Libyans I meet are cool people! Even though language often is a problem, they are very relaxed, friendly, really helpful and interested. They have a good sense of humour. I guess that is partly in their nature and partly a survival strategy. Shopkeepers never bother me or try to bully me into buying this or that, (very much unlike what I hear about their brothers in for example Egypt), but they are often happy to get into a little bit of chit chat.

The only pushy mongers I have so far met, are Tuareg, (black tribespeople from the countries a bit further south,) who survive on selling handicrafts to tourists. I wonder what will hapen to the otherwise relaxed Libyan attitude when mass tourism really explodes here...

Desinformation?

2006-04-07T21:31:00.000+02:00

Ah well, I am writing this several days after the actual events, as web access has been nearly nil, mostly, and when there has been access, then, time has been pretty sparse, so I have a backlog of quite a few unpublished anecdotes from the last eventful week. This is just one of them.

Our original travel plan was to do a large loop into the southwest corner of Libya(map) . One of the highlights would have been the alluring border town Ghat, just by Algeria. A few days before we approach the area our guide begins to infor us of "border hostilites" and "military trouble" and "very dangerous" etc. At first we accept these stories but soon we begin to suspect that they are mere fabrications. But we can only speculate on the motive for such lies. Often the speculations are more entertaining than the real answer. Here are some of our speculations:

That it is true after all (fellow well informed bloggers please let me know)
That the tour has run over budget and that the trave agency needs to cut costs.
That there is som shady political directive from high above about what to show tourists and what not
That our guide has run out of steam and finds it too tiring to make that large loop

Some days later we come to a slightly different conclusion but I will leave that as a cliffhanger...

Desert Dreams - Episode II

2006-04-06T11:03:00.000+02:00

The great and mighty Sahara has challenged travellers in all times. Roads in the the most desolate parts are non-existent. People just loosely follow the tracks of others. These tracks can sometimes be a km wide. It reminds me of navigating at sea. Distances are huge. You must be equipped with a plenty of water as well as endurance. Days of travel are long, really long. Even thought the landscape is constantly shifting it can sometimes be rather monotonous.

Roadblocks

One phenomenon that breaks monotony is the roadblock. In some areas they are frequent. Sometimes they are manned by uniformed men but sometimes it is just youngsters, almost kids. They are wearing sneakers, T-shirts and carry machine-guns, when they stop you. A pretty outlandish feeling, I can say that much.

ECLIPSE!

2006-04-06T10:38:00.000+02:00

Witnessing a total solar eclipse is a truly breathtaking experience. Everyone should get the chance at least once, before they die!

On the morning of the Eclipse, excitment is mounting in our little group of Eclipse-junkies. We take our jeeps a few km away from the camp, to the exact centerline of where the shadow of the moon will pass, that is, where viewing conditions are the best. Thre are many amateur astronomers among us, and quite a few have brought powerful telescopes from home. People begin to set their instruments up, and we all have increased levels of adrenaline.

As Eclipse totality is approaching, the landscape starts to transform rapidly. Colours shift, the light is darkening and getting more diffuse. It is getting cold! Suddenly, the darkening sun is replaced by this huge black thing that hangs above us. It shimmers and glimmers and everyone goes ahhhhh. It is quite beautiful.The feeling is awesome, almost intimidating.

The four minutes of totality end even more suddenly than they began. But the feeling of awe stays with us for a long time.

Desert Dreams - Episode I

2006-03-28T22:51:00.000+02:00

The Sahara desert is vast and mighty. It surprises me how varied the terrain is. The colour and texture of the sand displays an innumerable variations in colour and texture. The landscape itself keeps finding new ways of surprising us with new forms all the time.

We spend our first night, sleeping in tents, under an amazingly rich and clear starry sky, a great reward for the hardships of the previous day. But cold, OMG, is it cold! The second day of travelling is quite an adventure. Our little convoy consists of eight cars, some carry supplies and food. The others carry our little group of 28. As we travel westward, deeper into the Sahara, roads become worse, often the drivers prefer the soft sand beside the road anyway. Innumerable broken tyres line the side of the road, or track in the sand. Towards the end there are not even tracks we just head out in the sand. This is about when one of our cars break down. The driver and half a dozen of the Arab staff of our group intensly examine the engine under the hood. Soon we are on the road again, only to have a second abrupt halt, when the same car breaks down again. But more work unde the hood and we roll again and have a great lunch, by some trees that offer a nice shade.

Back on the road again, another car has a flat tire. But it is swiftly fixed. Darkness begins to fall and we suddenly realise that our group has bees split and not only that, WE ARE LOST! This is just a test. It must be. So let us maintain patience. We have total confusion for a a good quarter of an hour. Luckily we manage to radio one of the other cars and by a fluke one of our travellers has got a GPS navigator. The other guys give us their position. They are som 15km away, but we head off into the big empty nothing and a quarter later of an hour we see the dead straight before us... Technology, it is a pretty good thing from time to time.

Our little group is finally joined again, and together we head of for the large campsite at Waw an Namus. We are in the very southeast of Libya, near the border to Tchad. This is the absolute opposite of the awesome darkness and silence from last night's camp. Noisy diesel generators, electrical light, hoards of people and vehicles. This large temporary camp has been built only to service all the eclipse-travellers from all around the world, at the best possible viewing site. We are a bit disappointed in this rather noisy camp. But on the other hand, I am writing his note, in the middle of the dessert, in the middle of nowhere, sitting in a tent with internet access via satellite, which is quite amazing...

Hello Libya

2006-03-28T21:05:00.000+02:00

One should not be of the nervous kind when travelling Libya. Arrival at the Tripoli Airport greeted us with a certain amount of frustration. Long lines at immgration, and after that nobody to meet us so we started the waiting game. (No way to leave the airport without a guide) A couple of travellers had their luggage sent to Cyprus, another one's never even left Vienna. Well after no more than an hour the guide's aidee turns up and things start to roll. We have another flight to Seba in Libya the same evening but we have a couple of hours to spare so we get treated a trip o the Old Town of Tripoli. Back at the airport the plane is delayed. No worries, just five hours late we take off. And after 23 hours of travelling I hit the bunk. Sweet Sleep. And we are pretty happy despite those five hours, some other people waiting on the same flight,never got that nice visit to the city. They stayed at the airport the whole time! And an even worse fate hit the Eclips travellers who were in a telt camp in the desert outside Jalu. They got hit by a sandstorm which destroyed the whole camp!

Bird Flu Jokes

2006-03-25T11:22:00.000+01:00

As terror hits North Africa people there find different ways of coping. Still on the light side one might add:

click me!

But not even Disneyland is safe.

And a few OK Jay Leno one-liners:

Jay Leno: “Today, President Bush outlined the US government's plan to fight a bird flu outbreak. Apparently, his plan is to attack the bird flu over there in Iraq before it attacks us here.”

Jay Leno: “You know what he's calling his bird flu attack? ‘Flock and Awe.’ That's what we're calling it.”

Jay Leno: “President Bush says he wants to stockpile enough vaccine to protect 20 million Americans. Of course, the other 260 million Americans who aren't millionaires, you're on your own.”

Jay Leno: “Bush said today he wants to spend something like $7 billion on a vaccine for this bird flu. In a related story, Halliburton said, ‘We're in the vaccine business.’”

Jay Leno: “I don't think President Bush really understands this bird flu. Like, one reporter asked him today if he's inoculated, and Bush said, ‘Hey, I haven't had a drink in 20 years.’”

Fever Pitch

2006-03-24T23:12:00.000+01:00

And no that is not a reference to the book by the utterly mediocre Nick Hornby.
As departure is approaching the fever has reached it's peak now. I am about to enter Libya without a visa in my passport, this is supposed to happen through the magic of a "group visa". Now I have never met my group but with a bit of luck I will somehow find them at the Vienna airport, before boarding Lauda Air (yes F1 champ Nicki Lauda) for Tripoli. Most things are done now, a few important odds and ends remain. For example:

Tease my good pal TomTom for quitting this trip in favour of some boring Thai Curry. We started planning this trip on Madagascar in 2000, but he suddenly changed his mind. Recently he started to realise his mistake. Hah!
Buy a nice looking and handy diary. A blog will never replace my private notes.
Stuff a couple of Euros into my pockets, now that the presidential greenback is less popular.
Take a deeeep breath.
What else? Ah yes, take a crash course in Arabic. And I am ready to go.

Maps and Bird´s Eye

2006-03-22T22:40:00.000+01:00

click to enlarge

A fine map by Lonely Planet. And my trip if... all goes according to plan. (TomTom, you may eat your heart out!)

The greater Tripoli metropolitan area.

The Old Town of Tripoli. If you take a close look it is not hard to guess which part is old. Most large hotels are located just south of the old town, probably I will be staying there. If you see images like this on CNN, I am probably in big trouble.

The city of Benghazi, with a rich colonial (Italian) heritage.

The great pyramids of Giza.

A Package of Goodies

2006-03-22T15:14:00.000+01:00

Wednesday: Four days left today, at last the dearly awaited package arrives from the good people Angela & Kerstin (Thanks!) at Eclipse-Reisen & Trend-Reisen. Wow... this trip is really going to be!

Guide-books,flight-tickets and of course

the mandatory Eclipse-Shades.

"IBM"

2006-03-21T14:16:00.000+01:00

Perhaps it is true what people tell me, that there is this saying "IBM" in Libya:
Insha'Allah (ان شاء الله ) - God Willing, it will happen.
Bukra (غدا) - Tomorrow, it is going to happen.
Mallech (آسفة) - Sorry, it did not happen at all.
Of course I hope that no such disappointments will hit me during this trip, but who knows? I am something of a fatalist and I am prepared to humbly adopt an infinite amount of patience if necessary.

Fever Rising

2006-03-20T23:45:00.000+01:00

In less than 140 hours I will be walking on Libyan soil. That slight feverish feeling that I get before each big trip is growing now. I sort of like that feeling. Still a lot of things that need to be done here at home, in the last few days.

Went cross-country skiing today. 10 km around Ursvik/Kista. Still plenty of (well at least enough) snow in the forrest. Not easy to picture the desert in my head, under such circumstances.