Day 108: Kitsch and Kitchen

From the outside it looks like the entrance to someone's garage but as soon as you enter you step into a world of the finest Asian kitsch imaginable. And as if that weren't enough, there is also a huge variety of Asian delicacies to be had in this underground mecca for foodies.

The place is Kina Li, Ringvägen 127 in Södermalm. The assortment of plastic everything, greeting cards in gloriously misspelled English, cookware, cutlery, serving dishes (what home can be without a Hello Kitty saki set?), silk kimonos, masks, toys, plastic flower, slippers and more is overwhelming. Overwhelming fun to sift through.

The adventurous foodies among you will love the large variety of Asian groceries, delicacies and frozen foods. The staff can even answer cooking questions, for example "What on earth do I use this in?" A visit to Kina Li is sure to put a smile on your face...and a dent (albeit a modest one at that) in you pocket.

Day 107: The Burbs

Next book club meeting is on Tuesday and I hadn't even procured the book let alone read it. It is not a book I want to buy...and in any event I'm on a buying freeze at the moment for all but the absolute essentials...so I planned to borrow it from the library. The library in Stockholm is surprisingly well stocked with books in English and this one is no exception. The only hitch is that someone else had already taken it out. I put a reservation on it a few weeks back but the loaner has not returned it. What to do?

Then it struck me that I could read the book in Swedish (although that does break my cardinal rule to read a book in its native language if it is a language I comprehend...however, desperate times call for desperate measures). There were plenty of copies of the book in Swedish, though not at a library nearby. So, off I went on the subway to one of Stockholm's suburbs to get the book so I can read it over the weekend.

Funny the many neighborhoods you never visit in a place you've lived in for many years. It both makes sense (after all, why travel there unless you have a reason) and is really odd. It felt like somewhat of an adventure and it was fun to see the bustle in the town square. Here are some photos. While you're looking at them, I am going to start on that book if I'm to finish it by Tuesday!

Art in the subway station

Town square

Fruit stand

Day 106: Uplifting

Listen to these speeches. They made me happy today.

Day 105: Eschaton

Today's entry was going to be called apocalypse until Wikipedia explained to me that apocalypse is a revelation of something hidden, which is not at all what I want to write about. Apparently, in the Revelation of John the revelation which John receives is that of the ultimate victory of good over evil and the end of the present age. And therefore, many people misconstrue the word apocalypse to refer to the end of the world in general.

What I want to write about is the dream I had last night, in which the world as we know it did come to an end. It was rather celebratory. I was uplifted and filled with energy as I recognized the opportunity to create something better, together with a variety of people situated in many corners of the world. While many people around were in a state of despair, anxiety and panic, I felt optimism and a call to rally our creative forces. I traveled, or rather teletransported, to many locations, the last of which was an underground cave where people had taken shelter sharing their meager supplies. As I encouraged them not to give up hope, a large and loud crowd of looters was heard above us, and I realized that not everyone was going to share our enthusiasm for rebuilding. The realization hit hard.

So what is this story doing in a blog about happiness? Let me tell you, I was very happy to wake up and realize that it was just a dream!

Day 104: Urban Adventures

The rain managed to hold off until we were all done strolling through the area of Södermalm that is so charmingly referred to as SoFo. A native told me that the name was originally the invention of real estate agents who were out to create somewhat of a bohemian reputation for the area and it stuck. Over the past few years, the neighborhood has sort of grown into its name and now boasts boutiques, galleries and some great restaurants.

What better way to explore the area than in the company of two out of town guests, this time from Brazil, the parents of my wonderful friend Juliana (btw, if you have never checked out Ju's Web site, do it now...she is an amazing photographer http://www.morethanwords.se/). They were such wonderful hosts when I was in Curitiba a few years back and it made me happy to spend some time with them in my hometown.

P.S. For those of you who have been following my computer saga, I am happy to report that my X61s is up and running, all the files transferred successfully and I am enjoying the speed that comes with the first few days of a brand new setup. I know it won't last for long ;-)

Day 103: Up and running again!

People, it's been quite a day. Held my breath as first hours and then minutes ticked away leading up to the 2 PM closing of the online auction. Would I have the winning bid? Or would someone sneak in during the last few seconds and screw me over? As I stared at the screen at 1:59:53, the auction closed and all the items simply disappeared. Yikes. No clue...I thought I had the highest bid but what if someone had gotten in just under the wire?

Meanwhile, to steady my nerves and make me feel I was doing something constructive, I contacted Microsoft to ask how I go about transferring my Office package from my old computer to my (I was hoping!) newly acquired one. I had purchased Office a year ago through an offer we got at the company I was working for at the time. It was a great deal...if I remember correctly, it cost $10...yes, that is ten U.S. dollars.

A very pleasant Microsoft rep, referred me to the local Home Use company where an equally pleasant customer support rep provided great, eh, customer support. Naturally, she asked me for the license number which naturally, I did not know. She then searched for my record using my previous work e-mail address and, lo and behold, she found it. Ten minutes later, I had a link in my inbox to downloading the package! Miraculous, no?

Shortly thereafter, another e-mail arrived, this one from the auction site informing me that my items were ready for pickup. Items, in the plural, because at the last minute I placed a bid on a multifunction color printer, in addition to the laptop. So, now I am the proud owner of a Lenovo ThinkPad X61s with 3 mg RAM, 100 GB hard drive, Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Office Package, Windows 7 and a multifunction color printer/scanner/photocopier.


All that for the outrage price of 1400 kr or $209 at today's exchange rate.

I am a happy camper!

Day 102: Cleanliness

My strategy for cleaning my house is to invite people over, and I know I'm not alone. So today, in preparation for the September board games meetup, the vaccuum cleaner came out and I hoovered, though not with an actual Hoover. The guests have now departed (after seven hours of games galore...my idea of heaven), the dishes are in the dishwasher (my favorite household appliance) and I am enjoying serenity and a clean home.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday eve. What are you up to?