It is Friday night and Nils (5) and I are having an evening on our own. The girls are off to the movies with Jochem. Nils and I have watched cartoons, eaten more candy then needed (yes, I am a firm believer that sometimes you really need candy), had ice cream and now we lay completely stuffed on the sofa.
It has been a chaotic week at work and yesterday I had my first attack of the small town virus. I suddenly felt stuck in an environment of close mindedness and conservatism. When I started here everyone focused on the importance of getting new blood in – someone with a different view on things and with lots of new ideas. However, people often say that but are not fully aware of what that means.
To me it means changes and to try new ways and methods to ensure quality improvement and development. You also have to have some gut. Don’t complain about something if you are not prepared to change it and to try something new! We are not working with problems but with challenges and if you see it as a challenge, a solution might not be far away! However, you have to have an attitude of willingness and be open to new ideas but in public service organisations you sometimes find people who have settled for the “problem attitude”. Something is not working ideal and still it remains the same. No one feels that they are responsible for solving it and the urge for change is long gone after decades on the same job.
AAAuuuggg! Well, after leaving a group of tired civil servants of the “old school” I wondered if I have landed at the right spot. Is working for a municipality really my thing? Does someone as outspoken as me fit in this setting and how can I continue being creative when there is so little creative input from others? Well, I guess it had to come. Jochem warned me before our move here that small town life has it pros and cons. Luckily I work at the right department at the municipality in a dynamic group and in that perspective I am lucky. And maybe one day I will inspire someone to try something totally out of the box! After all this is not a serious problem but a challenge I will take on!
Now Nils and I will finish the Richard Scary film and head for bed. Tomorrow a group of five year olds invade us as we celebrate Nils 5th birthday! Talk about a challenge!!!
May 2013
in Ulricehamn
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
A seriously bad hair day!
It is January and I am suffering from the January blues. I have gone from having a bad hair day to having a bad hair month. The heating has not worked for two weeks and I walk around in the house dressed like a Michelin man wondering what I have done to deserve this. This morning the heating guys arrived and after an hour they told me that this was a little bit complicated. Complicated – what does that mean? Probably more money but I pretended not to get that message. Yesterday I received the highest energy bill I have ever seen which felt a bit ironic, as we have no heating. Well, the bill was for November and December and the heating did not give up until January so I guess I have no option but paying. With minus 10 outside, and two young guys in the basement working at something “complicated” I have decided to be nice. I want heat and having a fit about the complications does not seem to serve my purpose so I am nice. (but if I have no heating before the weekend I’ll go mad!)
This morning (after dealing with the complications in the basement) I brought the girls to the ski slope. They have an outdoor sports day at school. We were a bit late and I needed to get to work on time but naturally we run into new complications. The lock on the ski box had frozen and did not want to open. Blowing warm air in the lock led nowhere but luckily I found a smoker who lent me her lighter and after ten minutes and no feeling in my fingers anymore I was able to open the box and get the skis out. I arrived late at work, without having had any breakfast and had a shock when I saw myself in the mirror. Seriously bad hair day and black rings underneath my eyes. It is January and life is great!
This morning (after dealing with the complications in the basement) I brought the girls to the ski slope. They have an outdoor sports day at school. We were a bit late and I needed to get to work on time but naturally we run into new complications. The lock on the ski box had frozen and did not want to open. Blowing warm air in the lock led nowhere but luckily I found a smoker who lent me her lighter and after ten minutes and no feeling in my fingers anymore I was able to open the box and get the skis out. I arrived late at work, without having had any breakfast and had a shock when I saw myself in the mirror. Seriously bad hair day and black rings underneath my eyes. It is January and life is great!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Happy New Year 2009!
Every year I write a Christmas letter to friends and family but this year I missed the deadline! So, here is my New Years greeting for 2009!
Happy New Year 2009!
As you read this we hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas holiday with family and friends! I just didn’t get ready on time this year to send our annual Christmas letter before Christmas so here is our New Years greeting for 2009! We have had a very busy year filled with many memorable moments.
After 11 years abroad I moved back to Sweden and this time brought with me my family. The last ten years we have lived in several countries around the world and naturally talked a lot about Sweden. Last year we decided that if we wanted to give the children a chance to experience Sweden for real we would have to move now, before they get to old. We also wanted to experience something new and different and so we ended up in the small town of Ulricehamn located about an hour drive from Göteborg in the south of Sweden. I got a job as International coordinator at the municipality of Ulricehamn and Jochem is commuting between Sweden and the Netherlands.
During our Christmas holiday last year we bought a house in Ulricehamn and in January I travelled to Sweden with the girls to look at schools. In mid February I finished my work at the embassy in the Hague and a few days later the moving truck brought our belongings to our new home. Needless to say January was a crazy month and when we celebrated Ingrids 9th birthday in February we did so with 100 moving boxes in the living room!
On the 15 of February we arrived in Ulricehamn and two days later the builders arrived to start the renovation. After two weeks we realised that living in the house during the renovation was not ideal, so we moved out into a small cottage in the forest. Living in the forest in a winter landscape with foxes and deer walking by was quite an experience for us all. Naturally the renovation took a longer time then expected but in May we finally moved back to our new home. We now live in a typical Swedish red wooden house with a surrounding garden with apple and peer trees.
For the children this was a year of many changes and many new experiences. They go to a small Montessori school with 10 children in each class situated in a charming old brick building surrounded by a large park-like playground. Elsa (8) felt at home right away and has made some really good friends. For Ingrid (almost 10) the move was a bit more difficult but I think she has now settled in quite well enjoying school and different sports (soccer, golf, tennis). Nils (5) had some difficulty with the Swedish at first but now he speaks very well. The children spend a lot more time outside nowadays and we are all enjoying the beautiful nature surrounding Ulricehamn. We have tried to make use of all the sports opportunities here by taking up golf, skiing, sledding and this summer Jochem bought a boat. We also bought a summerhouse in Vegby, 15 km south of Ulricehamn situated 30 meters from a lake (hence the need of a boat :)!).
Summer went by too fast but we enjoyed the company of many visitors from Sweden, the Netherlands, India and South Africa. Great to see you all and thank you for coming!!! Next summer the renovation of our summerhouse will be finished and ready for more visitors! We had a fun family reunion in Stockholm in June where the children met up with their “Stockholm” siblings whom they had never met before. Ingrid and Elsa are now planning our next Stockholm trip, as they don’t want to loose contact with their newfound family :)!
Jochem started a second company in the Netherlands this fall (Apiron) and travelled quite a bit this year (to the US, Australia and Europe). I spend most of my time in Ulricehamn but had some time for visits to Belgium, the Netherlands and Latvia. I really like my job and work in a great team. We still have to work on expanding our social network but the people of Ulricehamn are friendly and helpful so I think we will be successful!
In a few days time we move into 2009. For us 2008 was an intense year and now it is time to enjoy life a bit more. Jochem will be working in France in 2009 but will go to China and Japan in February. Usually he spends 3 days abroad and 4 days in Sweden so the travelling is not too bad. 2008 was a baby boom year among family and friends. My sister Hanna gave birth to little Ellen in January and enjoyed this so much that she is going for a second one in May! Una, Arnold, Marlou, Felien and Siem also joined our world (and if I forgot someone I apologize!). Congratulations to all parents and newcomers!
We wish you all a great new year with lots of new and happy experiences!
Lots of love from all of us!
Ingrid, Elsa, Nils, Jochem and Ulrika Geeraedts
Happy New Year 2009!
As you read this we hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas holiday with family and friends! I just didn’t get ready on time this year to send our annual Christmas letter before Christmas so here is our New Years greeting for 2009! We have had a very busy year filled with many memorable moments.
After 11 years abroad I moved back to Sweden and this time brought with me my family. The last ten years we have lived in several countries around the world and naturally talked a lot about Sweden. Last year we decided that if we wanted to give the children a chance to experience Sweden for real we would have to move now, before they get to old. We also wanted to experience something new and different and so we ended up in the small town of Ulricehamn located about an hour drive from Göteborg in the south of Sweden. I got a job as International coordinator at the municipality of Ulricehamn and Jochem is commuting between Sweden and the Netherlands.
During our Christmas holiday last year we bought a house in Ulricehamn and in January I travelled to Sweden with the girls to look at schools. In mid February I finished my work at the embassy in the Hague and a few days later the moving truck brought our belongings to our new home. Needless to say January was a crazy month and when we celebrated Ingrids 9th birthday in February we did so with 100 moving boxes in the living room!
On the 15 of February we arrived in Ulricehamn and two days later the builders arrived to start the renovation. After two weeks we realised that living in the house during the renovation was not ideal, so we moved out into a small cottage in the forest. Living in the forest in a winter landscape with foxes and deer walking by was quite an experience for us all. Naturally the renovation took a longer time then expected but in May we finally moved back to our new home. We now live in a typical Swedish red wooden house with a surrounding garden with apple and peer trees.
For the children this was a year of many changes and many new experiences. They go to a small Montessori school with 10 children in each class situated in a charming old brick building surrounded by a large park-like playground. Elsa (8) felt at home right away and has made some really good friends. For Ingrid (almost 10) the move was a bit more difficult but I think she has now settled in quite well enjoying school and different sports (soccer, golf, tennis). Nils (5) had some difficulty with the Swedish at first but now he speaks very well. The children spend a lot more time outside nowadays and we are all enjoying the beautiful nature surrounding Ulricehamn. We have tried to make use of all the sports opportunities here by taking up golf, skiing, sledding and this summer Jochem bought a boat. We also bought a summerhouse in Vegby, 15 km south of Ulricehamn situated 30 meters from a lake (hence the need of a boat :)!).
Summer went by too fast but we enjoyed the company of many visitors from Sweden, the Netherlands, India and South Africa. Great to see you all and thank you for coming!!! Next summer the renovation of our summerhouse will be finished and ready for more visitors! We had a fun family reunion in Stockholm in June where the children met up with their “Stockholm” siblings whom they had never met before. Ingrid and Elsa are now planning our next Stockholm trip, as they don’t want to loose contact with their newfound family :)!
Jochem started a second company in the Netherlands this fall (Apiron) and travelled quite a bit this year (to the US, Australia and Europe). I spend most of my time in Ulricehamn but had some time for visits to Belgium, the Netherlands and Latvia. I really like my job and work in a great team. We still have to work on expanding our social network but the people of Ulricehamn are friendly and helpful so I think we will be successful!
In a few days time we move into 2009. For us 2008 was an intense year and now it is time to enjoy life a bit more. Jochem will be working in France in 2009 but will go to China and Japan in February. Usually he spends 3 days abroad and 4 days in Sweden so the travelling is not too bad. 2008 was a baby boom year among family and friends. My sister Hanna gave birth to little Ellen in January and enjoyed this so much that she is going for a second one in May! Una, Arnold, Marlou, Felien and Siem also joined our world (and if I forgot someone I apologize!). Congratulations to all parents and newcomers!
We wish you all a great new year with lots of new and happy experiences!
Lots of love from all of us!
Ingrid, Elsa, Nils, Jochem and Ulrika Geeraedts
Friday, December 12, 2008
Time and memorable moments!
I always thought it sounded corny when my parents used to say that ”time goes so fast” but nowadays I hear myself say the same thing. On this day five years ago I went into labor with Nils. Jochem sat in an airplane and I was home alone with Ingrid and Elsa. I knew that Jochem wouldn´t answer the phone but I still called him hoping that he would be able to land, drive from Brussels to Nijmegen and be in time before arrival. He was! 15 minutes before Nils decided to make an entrance he arrived dressed in a dark suit still holding his briefcase. Nils popped out and Jochem said – that went quick! (something I could not agree with and that has been up for discussion a number of times since then :)!)
Today we will celebrate Nils birthday with my parents and my sister and her family. We have landed in a wonderful winter landscape and Ulricehamn looks beautiful with its picturesque architecture, small snow covered streets and children pulling their slays. The dark falls early but all windows lit up in the dark and everyone has some kind of Christmas light in their windows. The girls would have like us to have the same type of stars as the majority of people but I am trying to convince them that being unique can also be something to strive for. Why is it that children find it so important to do things the same way as other people do?
Yesterday evening they celebrated Lucia at school to the great excitement of the children. We stood outside in the snow while the children sung Lucia carols and the parents were served warm Glögg. It was really cold but the engagement of the children made it a memorable moment. Unfortunately my phone camera did not cooperate!
At work I have been keeping busy with many applications and this week we had an international day for the politicians and higher civil servants which I think was appreciated. I feel that more and more people within the municipality are getting involved in international activities and projects which is great.
Tomorrow Jochem and I are heading for Kronovalls slott (a castle in the south of Sweden). It is not only five years since Nils was born! On the 14th of December it is our 10th wedding anniversary!! Talking about time and the passing of it! Here we are, ten years later with three kids who speak 3 languages. We have moved 10 times to four different countries, had many different jobs, bought and sold several houses, travelled the world, gotten to know fantastic people, experienced cultural differences and difficulties at times and now we are experiencing Ulricehamn. What the future will hold I don’t know but I do know that the last ten years were filled with many, many memorable moments!
Wishing you all lots of snow for Christmas!
Today we will celebrate Nils birthday with my parents and my sister and her family. We have landed in a wonderful winter landscape and Ulricehamn looks beautiful with its picturesque architecture, small snow covered streets and children pulling their slays. The dark falls early but all windows lit up in the dark and everyone has some kind of Christmas light in their windows. The girls would have like us to have the same type of stars as the majority of people but I am trying to convince them that being unique can also be something to strive for. Why is it that children find it so important to do things the same way as other people do?
Yesterday evening they celebrated Lucia at school to the great excitement of the children. We stood outside in the snow while the children sung Lucia carols and the parents were served warm Glögg. It was really cold but the engagement of the children made it a memorable moment. Unfortunately my phone camera did not cooperate!
At work I have been keeping busy with many applications and this week we had an international day for the politicians and higher civil servants which I think was appreciated. I feel that more and more people within the municipality are getting involved in international activities and projects which is great.
Tomorrow Jochem and I are heading for Kronovalls slott (a castle in the south of Sweden). It is not only five years since Nils was born! On the 14th of December it is our 10th wedding anniversary!! Talking about time and the passing of it! Here we are, ten years later with three kids who speak 3 languages. We have moved 10 times to four different countries, had many different jobs, bought and sold several houses, travelled the world, gotten to know fantastic people, experienced cultural differences and difficulties at times and now we are experiencing Ulricehamn. What the future will hold I don’t know but I do know that the last ten years were filled with many, many memorable moments!
Wishing you all lots of snow for Christmas!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Forbidding the use of snus in Ulricehamn???
How much does living abroad affects you? I guess that the longer you stay somewhere and the more integrated you get the more “their” ideas will become “your own” ideas. I felt quit Swedish living abroad but being back I notice that my ideas often are very much mine. Sweden is not as liberal as I thought and people are much less critical then the Dutch. If Big brother tells you that this is how you should live your life most Swedes go – OK! A Dutch person would do the opposite and would interpret the rule to fit their own ideas of how society should be run (which sometimes can be just as annoying!).
A few weeks ago I wrote about the strange adult film policy we have here in the municipality. I am not allowed to stay in a hotel while on a conference where there is a possibility to watch adult films as this can give me the wrong idea about women and sexuality???? (9th of October – “Emancipation and adult films” in this blog). Now the next strange policy is on the agenda! Some people want to ban the right for people working for the municipality to use any form of tobacco. Well, before we welcome this idea (which many people seem to do!) we need to decide what we mean by tobacco and question if and why we need to add new regulations. In situations where use of a substance may affect bystanders, regulations - such as in the case of smoking - should be enacted to protect the bystander without denying the individual's choice to use the substance. Smoking and non-smoking areas in public places are a prime example of this. It is already forbidden to smoke in any public building in Sweden so we do not need any new laws in this area. However, the policy discussed in Ulricehamn is not only looking at smoking or other drug abuse but want to forbid the use of snus.
Snus, a Swedish tobacco product, is a moist powder product that is consumed by placing it under the upper lip for extended periods of time. It contains nicotine and since the indoor smoking ban was put into place in Sweden in 2005, sales of snus has increased dramatically. You can use snus without it affecting anyone else and recent studies from Umeå University in Sweden have shown that no carcinogenic effects can be attributed to snus. Using snus does not increase your chance on getting cancer. In fact WHO acknowledges that Swedish men have the lowest rate of lung cancer in Europe, partly due to the low tobacco smoking rate.
Why should we as municipality forbid people to use a product that is not dangerous to the user and does not affect bystanders? How much freedom can you take away from an individual and don’t we want people that take responsibility of their own actions?
Some people will choose to use their freedom to engage in activities that go against our personal values. It is a great temptation to use our democratic rights to try and enshrine our own personal values - whether they come from religious or humanistic origins - in the laws of a nation or as organisation. However, we can use other means to fight for the ideas we believe in. Freedom of choice, as long as it does not infringe on another's rights, is something to treasure!
A few weeks ago I wrote about the strange adult film policy we have here in the municipality. I am not allowed to stay in a hotel while on a conference where there is a possibility to watch adult films as this can give me the wrong idea about women and sexuality???? (9th of October – “Emancipation and adult films” in this blog). Now the next strange policy is on the agenda! Some people want to ban the right for people working for the municipality to use any form of tobacco. Well, before we welcome this idea (which many people seem to do!) we need to decide what we mean by tobacco and question if and why we need to add new regulations. In situations where use of a substance may affect bystanders, regulations - such as in the case of smoking - should be enacted to protect the bystander without denying the individual's choice to use the substance. Smoking and non-smoking areas in public places are a prime example of this. It is already forbidden to smoke in any public building in Sweden so we do not need any new laws in this area. However, the policy discussed in Ulricehamn is not only looking at smoking or other drug abuse but want to forbid the use of snus.
Snus, a Swedish tobacco product, is a moist powder product that is consumed by placing it under the upper lip for extended periods of time. It contains nicotine and since the indoor smoking ban was put into place in Sweden in 2005, sales of snus has increased dramatically. You can use snus without it affecting anyone else and recent studies from Umeå University in Sweden have shown that no carcinogenic effects can be attributed to snus. Using snus does not increase your chance on getting cancer. In fact WHO acknowledges that Swedish men have the lowest rate of lung cancer in Europe, partly due to the low tobacco smoking rate.
Why should we as municipality forbid people to use a product that is not dangerous to the user and does not affect bystanders? How much freedom can you take away from an individual and don’t we want people that take responsibility of their own actions?
Some people will choose to use their freedom to engage in activities that go against our personal values. It is a great temptation to use our democratic rights to try and enshrine our own personal values - whether they come from religious or humanistic origins - in the laws of a nation or as organisation. However, we can use other means to fight for the ideas we believe in. Freedom of choice, as long as it does not infringe on another's rights, is something to treasure!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Life is full of miracles!
Despite lack of oxygen little Siem is doing better day by day as well as his mother. Lots of kisses to Barbara, Roel and little Siem!!! Enjoy!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
A fragile life!
Friends of mine had their first child this weekend. What should have been a moment of exited happiness turned out to be a nightmare. The mother got Heelp syndrome and almost lost her life and their baby suffered from shortage of oxygen. Now they are stable but still in intensive care and the future of the baby unknown.
Why is life so unfair and what can you do to help? When something like this happens I cant help looking at my own kids and being thankful for their health and possibilities to grow.
Every day is a chance to enjoy life and the people we fill our lives with!
Lots of love to you all!!
Why is life so unfair and what can you do to help? When something like this happens I cant help looking at my own kids and being thankful for their health and possibilities to grow.
Every day is a chance to enjoy life and the people we fill our lives with!
Lots of love to you all!!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Living with two hearts
Five days in not enough. Not if you want to visit friends, family and take part in a conference. I’ve spent the past five in the Netherlands being back for the first time in 9 months. It was great and much too short. I’m sorry I missed so many of you and I promise I’ll be back shortly!
It is strange how you can feel about a country and its inhabitants. Sitting on a train between Eindhoven and the Hague I thought to myself, this country is overcrowded, full of cars and in the early morning full of stress but still it feels like home. This multicultural country, full of colour and creativity has an energy about it which spreads to people willing to take it in. It is somewhat chaotic and sometimes a bit weird. I cannot explain what makes the Dutch so unique and at times I get annoyed, surprised or challenged but never ever bored!
Creativity and innovation often rises from unexpected situations where people meet and exchange ideas and knowledge. The Netherlands has the largest amount of small businesses in Europe and you can almost feel the entrepreneurship atmosphere. At the same time they have almost the highest amount of part time working women in Europe and there are lots if discussions in regard to the lack of ambition of Dutch women. They do well at school, they are better educated then the men and still they do not reach the higher positions on the labour market.
This was the core challenge discussed at the emancipation conference I visited while in the NL. Naturally one can point out a few things that could increase the possibilities for women in the NL such as better and available childcare, stronger financial incentives to work more etc. but there is a clear difference between Sweden and the NL in how we look at combining work and family life. One of the speakers at the conference was Gertrud Åström – a guru on gender mainstreaming and an inspiration to listen to. With a clear message, backed up with statistics she brings about a message full of wit. She showed that from 1970 to 2007 the amount of women who chose not to have any children at all has stayed on 14 % in Sweden. Women in Sweden, who almost all work fulltime do not feel that there is a need to chose between a career and having a family. Actually the opposite has happened. Women are financially independent in Sweden, (which only 38 % are in the NL) they work full time and they have more children then the average European. There is a correlation between financial independence and having more children, which I find really interesting! If we want to do something with the birth rates in Europe we need to use the capacity of women and have a law system, which gives women their financial independence. This is not the case in many countries such as in the NL where a couple is taxed as one unit. As long as women do not have control over their own income and their own pension we will stay unequal!
My trip to the NL also included seeing some good friends and enjoying the Dutch hospitality! We hope to see you here soon! It was a dual feeling returning back to Ulricehamn and Sweden but the beautiful layer of snow and the kids enjoyment of it made returning a bit easier. I live in a beautiful place that offers a lot and luckily the Netherlands is not very far away. It is time for the kids to go to bed and I will get my head out the door and shout to them that its time to come in. They can spend hours in the snow!!!
It is strange how you can feel about a country and its inhabitants. Sitting on a train between Eindhoven and the Hague I thought to myself, this country is overcrowded, full of cars and in the early morning full of stress but still it feels like home. This multicultural country, full of colour and creativity has an energy about it which spreads to people willing to take it in. It is somewhat chaotic and sometimes a bit weird. I cannot explain what makes the Dutch so unique and at times I get annoyed, surprised or challenged but never ever bored!
Creativity and innovation often rises from unexpected situations where people meet and exchange ideas and knowledge. The Netherlands has the largest amount of small businesses in Europe and you can almost feel the entrepreneurship atmosphere. At the same time they have almost the highest amount of part time working women in Europe and there are lots if discussions in regard to the lack of ambition of Dutch women. They do well at school, they are better educated then the men and still they do not reach the higher positions on the labour market.
This was the core challenge discussed at the emancipation conference I visited while in the NL. Naturally one can point out a few things that could increase the possibilities for women in the NL such as better and available childcare, stronger financial incentives to work more etc. but there is a clear difference between Sweden and the NL in how we look at combining work and family life. One of the speakers at the conference was Gertrud Åström – a guru on gender mainstreaming and an inspiration to listen to. With a clear message, backed up with statistics she brings about a message full of wit. She showed that from 1970 to 2007 the amount of women who chose not to have any children at all has stayed on 14 % in Sweden. Women in Sweden, who almost all work fulltime do not feel that there is a need to chose between a career and having a family. Actually the opposite has happened. Women are financially independent in Sweden, (which only 38 % are in the NL) they work full time and they have more children then the average European. There is a correlation between financial independence and having more children, which I find really interesting! If we want to do something with the birth rates in Europe we need to use the capacity of women and have a law system, which gives women their financial independence. This is not the case in many countries such as in the NL where a couple is taxed as one unit. As long as women do not have control over their own income and their own pension we will stay unequal!
My trip to the NL also included seeing some good friends and enjoying the Dutch hospitality! We hope to see you here soon! It was a dual feeling returning back to Ulricehamn and Sweden but the beautiful layer of snow and the kids enjoyment of it made returning a bit easier. I live in a beautiful place that offers a lot and luckily the Netherlands is not very far away. It is time for the kids to go to bed and I will get my head out the door and shout to them that its time to come in. They can spend hours in the snow!!!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A visit to Latvia!
Can a country be united through music? According to many Latvians the nations strong choir movement has been a factor in consolidating the nation. I have spent the last three days visiting Latvia and the Dobele district as Ulricehamn has a town twinning agreement with Dobele. It was an interesting visit, which made me think of the importance of culture and music for a nation and its people. Latvia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 but the last three days they have been celebrating the 90th anniversary of their prior independence
On the second day of our visit we took part in a music event with participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. All the performances were really good but what made the strongest impression was the last song. When the small choir started singing everyone in the hall joined in and all in different tunes. It was beautiful! My counterpart in Dobele told me that Latvians consider it an honour to sing in a choir. The foundation is laid at school, since music is on the curriculum from the first year and every village and larger enterprise has a choir of their own. She felt that choir singing has had (and still has) an important unifying element in a country with a complex history.
I went to Dobele with two colleagues, and we were all well looked after by our Latvian hosts. The only downside (except that we missed the flight back and that I lost my luggage) was the amount of vodka drunk by other guests the first night. I have been to parties in Eastern Europe before but this was really extreme and made it obvious why the life expectancy within Europe is very different. I don’t mind if people want to enjoy a glass of wine or a glass of vodka but when one guest alone drinks a bottle of vodka on his own during a 4 hour dinner and then loses all sense of dignity it is not only sad. It is embarrassing, annoying and being one of very few women in the group made the situation quite uncomfortable. Luckily the other two days were more or less alcohol free and the program and the discussions with our twinning partners well worth the trip!
I got stranded at Copenhagen airport and lost my luggage but got to spend two hours shopping and now have a new lingerie wardrobe and a very nice expensive dress so please invite me for a big party!!! Tomorrow I am off to the Netherlands!!! It will be great and I am really looking forward to see many of you! Five days is obviously not long enough but I will be back for a short weekend just before Christmas! We still have no snow in Ulricehamn but I have my fingers crossed for December!
Big hugs to all of you!
On the second day of our visit we took part in a music event with participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. All the performances were really good but what made the strongest impression was the last song. When the small choir started singing everyone in the hall joined in and all in different tunes. It was beautiful! My counterpart in Dobele told me that Latvians consider it an honour to sing in a choir. The foundation is laid at school, since music is on the curriculum from the first year and every village and larger enterprise has a choir of their own. She felt that choir singing has had (and still has) an important unifying element in a country with a complex history.
I went to Dobele with two colleagues, and we were all well looked after by our Latvian hosts. The only downside (except that we missed the flight back and that I lost my luggage) was the amount of vodka drunk by other guests the first night. I have been to parties in Eastern Europe before but this was really extreme and made it obvious why the life expectancy within Europe is very different. I don’t mind if people want to enjoy a glass of wine or a glass of vodka but when one guest alone drinks a bottle of vodka on his own during a 4 hour dinner and then loses all sense of dignity it is not only sad. It is embarrassing, annoying and being one of very few women in the group made the situation quite uncomfortable. Luckily the other two days were more or less alcohol free and the program and the discussions with our twinning partners well worth the trip!
I got stranded at Copenhagen airport and lost my luggage but got to spend two hours shopping and now have a new lingerie wardrobe and a very nice expensive dress so please invite me for a big party!!! Tomorrow I am off to the Netherlands!!! It will be great and I am really looking forward to see many of you! Five days is obviously not long enough but I will be back for a short weekend just before Christmas! We still have no snow in Ulricehamn but I have my fingers crossed for December!
Big hugs to all of you!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Life doesn't come with an instruction booklet and decisions should never be final!
I believe that we shape our own lives based on the choices that we make. Naturally external circumstances can have an effect on our lives but even at a moment when the surrounding situation is unfavorable we make decisions that will take us a certain way. Personally I seem to have been given the gift of never feeling a lot of regret. I have made choices in my life that in hindsight were not very good but I think I learned something from these decisions anyway. They probably took me on a path I would otherwise have missed and they taught me not to fear failure. The worse case scenario is only as bad as you yourself let it be.
So, why do I write this? Well, the last few days I was confronted with other people’s choices and other peoples ideas on how to live your life which made me think about my own choices. When you have a family you want to make choices that generate as much happiness to as many as possible. If the kids would hate our move to Sweden and feel miserable here we could not have stayed here. Their happiness is central to my happiness! Luckily they have adjusted just fine and have settled in really well. I think the quality of life that they experience here is worth a lot and this obviously has an impact on my other choices. When I miss the big city life or the openness (and craziness) of the Dutch society I put this in relation to what we as a family get out of living here and then I feel that we made the right decision. However, and this is the crucial point, I firmly believe that all our decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last. Life is not a constant but a process and we are all life puzzles under construction. In a few years’ time (or tomorrow) our wants and needs might have changed and then we have to make new choices.
Sometimes I feel that people stick too much to the decisions they have made. We fear that if we change our minds we might cause so much trouble that it is better to stay put. It is not shameful to admit that a made decision was wrong because you probably took it under other circumstances.
Jochem and I once bought a house in Almere, the NL (well I bought a house with Jochem’s money as he had no time to go to the viewing) and after 3 months we hung up the last lamp in the house and sat down on the sofa.
-Do you think we will stay here for a long time, Jochem asked me.
- Actually no. This does not feel really right I answered.
- Oh, I am so happy you feel this way too, Jochem responded and the next day we put a sign in the garden that the house was for sale.
At this moment there were 27 houses for sale at our (very long) street and the market was far from good. We got rid of the house and it did cost us a bit but we made the right decision. We moved back to Nijmegen where we used to live previously, I quit my job and Jochem started job hunting in Nijmegen. We told everyone that now we would focus on our family and that we felt the most at home in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Half a year later we packed our belongings and moved to South Africa instead. A job offer and a chance of experience something completely different made us change our minds again. However, the aim was still to spend more time together and that we did!
My message to you;
You are the choices you make in life and you can live with any choice you make! Strive for happiness!!
So, why do I write this? Well, the last few days I was confronted with other people’s choices and other peoples ideas on how to live your life which made me think about my own choices. When you have a family you want to make choices that generate as much happiness to as many as possible. If the kids would hate our move to Sweden and feel miserable here we could not have stayed here. Their happiness is central to my happiness! Luckily they have adjusted just fine and have settled in really well. I think the quality of life that they experience here is worth a lot and this obviously has an impact on my other choices. When I miss the big city life or the openness (and craziness) of the Dutch society I put this in relation to what we as a family get out of living here and then I feel that we made the right decision. However, and this is the crucial point, I firmly believe that all our decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last. Life is not a constant but a process and we are all life puzzles under construction. In a few years’ time (or tomorrow) our wants and needs might have changed and then we have to make new choices.
Sometimes I feel that people stick too much to the decisions they have made. We fear that if we change our minds we might cause so much trouble that it is better to stay put. It is not shameful to admit that a made decision was wrong because you probably took it under other circumstances.
Jochem and I once bought a house in Almere, the NL (well I bought a house with Jochem’s money as he had no time to go to the viewing) and after 3 months we hung up the last lamp in the house and sat down on the sofa.
-Do you think we will stay here for a long time, Jochem asked me.
- Actually no. This does not feel really right I answered.
- Oh, I am so happy you feel this way too, Jochem responded and the next day we put a sign in the garden that the house was for sale.
At this moment there were 27 houses for sale at our (very long) street and the market was far from good. We got rid of the house and it did cost us a bit but we made the right decision. We moved back to Nijmegen where we used to live previously, I quit my job and Jochem started job hunting in Nijmegen. We told everyone that now we would focus on our family and that we felt the most at home in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Half a year later we packed our belongings and moved to South Africa instead. A job offer and a chance of experience something completely different made us change our minds again. However, the aim was still to spend more time together and that we did!
My message to you;
You are the choices you make in life and you can live with any choice you make! Strive for happiness!!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fart dangerous!!
It was Jochem’s birthday yesterday which he spent with his tax lawyer in the Netherlands. I hope he got some good news because otherwise it does not sound like a fun way to spend your birthday! We celebrated Jochem’s birthday in Lund with my family this weekend as he returned back home after a month in the US and Australia. He got everything he needed; a beer opener with a count function and a blue tie with matching cufflinks. From me he did not get anything but I have until tomorrow to come up with a gift as he then returns back from the NL. Any good ideas?
What do you give someone who turns 37? I guess I will stick to his own saying “less is more” which he often uses when I go shopping. However, to go from less to nothing is a bit harsh so maybe I should get creative very fast!
I spent the day with a Dutch film crew who were here to do a film about the Swedish emancipation model. I really prefer the role behind the camera and felt as if I was talking with a frog in my mouth most of the day. I definitely have to use my Dutch more and read Dutch books to keep the language alive!
The kids also got to participate in the film but I kept Nils out of sight. You never know what he will say and yesterday he invited me to come to bed to read a story for him. When I arrived a really bad smell was hanging around!
- You invite me to come and read for you and then you fart? I said to him.
- Yes, I am fart-dangerous (fisfarlig) he answered!
What do you give someone who turns 37? I guess I will stick to his own saying “less is more” which he often uses when I go shopping. However, to go from less to nothing is a bit harsh so maybe I should get creative very fast!
I spent the day with a Dutch film crew who were here to do a film about the Swedish emancipation model. I really prefer the role behind the camera and felt as if I was talking with a frog in my mouth most of the day. I definitely have to use my Dutch more and read Dutch books to keep the language alive!
The kids also got to participate in the film but I kept Nils out of sight. You never know what he will say and yesterday he invited me to come to bed to read a story for him. When I arrived a really bad smell was hanging around!
- You invite me to come and read for you and then you fart? I said to him.
- Yes, I am fart-dangerous (fisfarlig) he answered!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Culture and nationalism! Long live internationalisation!
I have been watching two documentaries tonight. The first one was a short report about why Germans love Sweden and Swedish culture (or what they imagine Swedish culture to be) and the second one was about the racist party Sverige Demokraterna who are striving for a monocultural society built on Swedish values and Swedish traditions. Both these films made me think about what’s Swedish and what makes a culture unique or special. We in Europe often talk in negative terms about the American melting pot. But what is it that we have that they don’t have, and does culture and history have a timeline? When does a building get a historical value – after one year, after ten or after a hundred? Obviously you cannot answer the question in this way. When the Opera house in Sidney was build it was far more expensive then anyone could dream of and many people criticised the politicians for spending so much money on a building. I don’t know if the number of admirers for the art of opera has increased in Sidney but the building is a landmark for Australia. It is probably one of the most well known images of Australia. The building has become a part of Australian culture and history. The architect was Danish and the building has no connection to any previous Australian architecture. Still it an Australian piece of art, isn’t it?
We celebrate Lucia in Sweden the 13th of December and it is a very popular tradition. The party Sverige Demokraterna are worried that typical Swedish traditions such as Lucia will die out if immigration into Sweden continues. What they seem to have forgotten is that Lucia is a fairly new tradition introduced in Stockholm in 1923 by a group of shop owners who wanted a “miss” contest in order to increase sales. The Lucia tradition comes from Italy but we interpreted it into becoming something very Swedish. There is nothing wrong in being proud over our traditions or enjoying taking part in them but it becomes a bit strange when we start marking them as national traditions aimed for a specific group of people. We talk about culture as if it is static phenomena but it is obviously something that is constantly evolving. It never stops and it never ends.
Look at music for example. Sweden is the 3rd largest music exporter in the world with over 800 million dollars in revenue last year –superceded only by the US and the UK. Per capita we are the most profitable music country in the world. When you turn on the radio in Sweden or anywhere else in the world you are probably listening to some Swedish music without even knowing it as we especially good at writing and producing music for many big American artists such as Justin Timberlake or Britney Spears. Does the music sound typically Swedish? Is it even possible to put nationalistic labels on music? I think we can talk about trends or influences in music but it is very difficult to say that this is typically Swedish music while that is typically German music. With internationalisation going on as I sit here writing we will see even more blending and mixing of different music traditions and the same goes for fashion, interior design, film and all kinds of artistic and cultural expressions. Does this not sound exciting?
When people talk about culture and especially used in connection to nations we forget that the experience of culture is personal and unique. When I talk about Swedish values I might think about emancipation while this is not even on the agenda of Sverige Demokraterna.
With this I remark I go to bed. The kids are at my parents for a oneweek holiday and I will work tomorrow (on a Sunday again – bad habit!) and take Thursday and Friday off as Jochem is heading home. It has been a long month as a single mum!
We celebrate Lucia in Sweden the 13th of December and it is a very popular tradition. The party Sverige Demokraterna are worried that typical Swedish traditions such as Lucia will die out if immigration into Sweden continues. What they seem to have forgotten is that Lucia is a fairly new tradition introduced in Stockholm in 1923 by a group of shop owners who wanted a “miss” contest in order to increase sales. The Lucia tradition comes from Italy but we interpreted it into becoming something very Swedish. There is nothing wrong in being proud over our traditions or enjoying taking part in them but it becomes a bit strange when we start marking them as national traditions aimed for a specific group of people. We talk about culture as if it is static phenomena but it is obviously something that is constantly evolving. It never stops and it never ends.
Look at music for example. Sweden is the 3rd largest music exporter in the world with over 800 million dollars in revenue last year –superceded only by the US and the UK. Per capita we are the most profitable music country in the world. When you turn on the radio in Sweden or anywhere else in the world you are probably listening to some Swedish music without even knowing it as we especially good at writing and producing music for many big American artists such as Justin Timberlake or Britney Spears. Does the music sound typically Swedish? Is it even possible to put nationalistic labels on music? I think we can talk about trends or influences in music but it is very difficult to say that this is typically Swedish music while that is typically German music. With internationalisation going on as I sit here writing we will see even more blending and mixing of different music traditions and the same goes for fashion, interior design, film and all kinds of artistic and cultural expressions. Does this not sound exciting?
When people talk about culture and especially used in connection to nations we forget that the experience of culture is personal and unique. When I talk about Swedish values I might think about emancipation while this is not even on the agenda of Sverige Demokraterna.
With this I remark I go to bed. The kids are at my parents for a oneweek holiday and I will work tomorrow (on a Sunday again – bad habit!) and take Thursday and Friday off as Jochem is heading home. It has been a long month as a single mum!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Fighting racism and ignorance in a small town!
Ulricehamn is a great place but even here racist parties are gaining ground and last week they had a really stupid article in the local paper. I had to write a response (you know me - being quiet is not my style!) Today it was published and I have received several positive phone calls. Obviously I am awaiting a written response in the paper but for now I have posted the article here. It is in Swedish but when I get some more time I will make a short translation of it! For the Swedish readers:
Sverigedemokraterna vill fira Italiensk lucia och bojkotta Falaffeln!
Invandringen är för dyr, Ulricehamn bör säga upp avtalet med migrationsverket och den svenska (oj, det var visst den italienska) lucian måste vi värna om. Det är svårt att veta om man bör skratta eller gråta när Sverige Demokraterna tar till orda om det monokulturella samhället.
I insändaren i UT den 18 oktober talar SD om de enorma kostnaderna invandringen för med sig men glömmer nämna att i Spanien, Australien och Kanada utgör invandringen en betydande del för respektive lands ekonomiska utveckling. När vi talar om kostnader för invandringen bör dessa ställas till relation till ingen invandring alls vilket SD förespråkar. Vad för samhälle och utvecklingsmöjligheter får vi då?
Europas födelsetal blir allt lägre. Befolkningen i EU minskar. Vi har redan nu stora problem i vissa sektorer (tex. vården och äldreomsorgen) för att hitta kvalificerad personal och många företag är ute och rekryterar arbetskraft långt utanför Sveriges gränser. Vad vi behöver är högutbildad arbetskraft och en bättre integrationspolitik som ser till att vi tar tillvara på den kompetens invandrarna för med sig. Jag sticker inte under stol med att det finns betydande integrations problem som vi måste ta tag i men dessa problem har med vårt system att göra. Nima Sanandaji, Vd för tankesmedjan Captus, visade under Irakkonferensen i Stockholm tidigare i år att invandrarna från Mellanöstern till USA, klarar sig bra på den amerikanska arbetsmarknaden medan det råder en motsatt situation i Sverige. Kombinationen av en trög arbetsmarknad, höga skatter och generösa bidragssystem leder till att samma grupp av människor som blir framgångsrika på andra sidan Atlanten hamnar i social fattigdom och beroende i Sverige.
Jag har spenderat de senaste 11 åren utomlands och vet hur det känns att stå med en svensk universitets examen och få höra;
- Lunds universitet i Sverige? Det universitetet känner vi inte till. Nej, den examen kan vi inte räkna med här.
Jag vet hur det känns när man inte är helt säker på de sociala reglerna. Två kindpussar i Frankrike, tre i Nederländerna och fyra i Belgien – eller hur var det nu? Det är inte lätt att vara nykomling men om man får en chans att visa vad man gå för så tar man den! Sverige Demokraterna ger inga chanser och ser inte möjligheterna!
För mig är svensk kultur och svensk historia det samma som solidaritet, demokrati och lika värde för alla individer. Jag är stolt över att vara svensk och stolt över de svenska värden vi spritt världen över såsom jämställdhet och öppenhet för andra kulturer. Jag äter kanske hellre falafel än rotmos men glädjes åt mångfalden på bordet. Den från Italien hitplockade moderna lucia traditionen (uppstod på Skansen 1927) har mina barn ännu aldrig upplevt då vi är nyinflyttade i Sverige men vi ser fram emot firandet av denna mångkulturella tradition i december!
En röst åt Sverige Demokraterna i nästa val är en röst för ett segregerat, trångsynt och stillastående samhälle!
Ulrika Geeraedts - tämligen nyinvandrad Ulricehamnsbo
Sverigedemokraterna vill fira Italiensk lucia och bojkotta Falaffeln!
Invandringen är för dyr, Ulricehamn bör säga upp avtalet med migrationsverket och den svenska (oj, det var visst den italienska) lucian måste vi värna om. Det är svårt att veta om man bör skratta eller gråta när Sverige Demokraterna tar till orda om det monokulturella samhället.
I insändaren i UT den 18 oktober talar SD om de enorma kostnaderna invandringen för med sig men glömmer nämna att i Spanien, Australien och Kanada utgör invandringen en betydande del för respektive lands ekonomiska utveckling. När vi talar om kostnader för invandringen bör dessa ställas till relation till ingen invandring alls vilket SD förespråkar. Vad för samhälle och utvecklingsmöjligheter får vi då?
Europas födelsetal blir allt lägre. Befolkningen i EU minskar. Vi har redan nu stora problem i vissa sektorer (tex. vården och äldreomsorgen) för att hitta kvalificerad personal och många företag är ute och rekryterar arbetskraft långt utanför Sveriges gränser. Vad vi behöver är högutbildad arbetskraft och en bättre integrationspolitik som ser till att vi tar tillvara på den kompetens invandrarna för med sig. Jag sticker inte under stol med att det finns betydande integrations problem som vi måste ta tag i men dessa problem har med vårt system att göra. Nima Sanandaji, Vd för tankesmedjan Captus, visade under Irakkonferensen i Stockholm tidigare i år att invandrarna från Mellanöstern till USA, klarar sig bra på den amerikanska arbetsmarknaden medan det råder en motsatt situation i Sverige. Kombinationen av en trög arbetsmarknad, höga skatter och generösa bidragssystem leder till att samma grupp av människor som blir framgångsrika på andra sidan Atlanten hamnar i social fattigdom och beroende i Sverige.
Jag har spenderat de senaste 11 åren utomlands och vet hur det känns att stå med en svensk universitets examen och få höra;
- Lunds universitet i Sverige? Det universitetet känner vi inte till. Nej, den examen kan vi inte räkna med här.
Jag vet hur det känns när man inte är helt säker på de sociala reglerna. Två kindpussar i Frankrike, tre i Nederländerna och fyra i Belgien – eller hur var det nu? Det är inte lätt att vara nykomling men om man får en chans att visa vad man gå för så tar man den! Sverige Demokraterna ger inga chanser och ser inte möjligheterna!
För mig är svensk kultur och svensk historia det samma som solidaritet, demokrati och lika värde för alla individer. Jag är stolt över att vara svensk och stolt över de svenska värden vi spritt världen över såsom jämställdhet och öppenhet för andra kulturer. Jag äter kanske hellre falafel än rotmos men glädjes åt mångfalden på bordet. Den från Italien hitplockade moderna lucia traditionen (uppstod på Skansen 1927) har mina barn ännu aldrig upplevt då vi är nyinflyttade i Sverige men vi ser fram emot firandet av denna mångkulturella tradition i december!
En röst åt Sverige Demokraterna i nästa val är en röst för ett segregerat, trångsynt och stillastående samhälle!
Ulrika Geeraedts - tämligen nyinvandrad Ulricehamnsbo
Sunday, October 19, 2008
A fake role model?
My parents spent the weekend in Ulricehamn helping me out with a mountain of washes and took care of the kids so that I could join my colleagues for a night out and so that I could do some work today (on a Sunday - L). I am going to be part of a Dutch documentary about emancipation in Sweden but currently I wonder what kind of role model I am? I think women in Sweden have come a long way but still our society is not equal and it is not because men are not doing the right thing. We all want to do so much and achieve so much in life that it becomes difficult to priorities and I am still not sure what I should priorities.
It is too easy to say that we should choose to take care of our children when they are young and have a carrier when they get older. I am not working to make a carrier but because it is fun, challenging and because I think I have something to offer. I am good at it! I don’t think I would be a good fulltime mother. I like to work and I want to work. And at the same time I want to be the mother the kids can count on and the one they can come to when they need to. Jochem is away this month and I am trying to give 100% at work (40 hours a week) and 100% to the kids but the pile of washes keep on growing, the house is getting seriously untidy and the garden needs a facelift. Thank god for parents who are willing to spend 6 hour in a car and a weekend cleaning at their daughters’ house (and they also work during the week!) They even brought a stew with them and filled up my empty fridge!
The puzzle of life is not easy and everyone seems to be struggling to find the right path. I don’t think it’s a simple solution to this but a number of possibilities. The question is which solution fits us the best? We work, have kids, try to keep the passion up in a relationship suffering from too little quality time, see friends and keep a little bit of social life and time is going so fast. Well, I guess this is true universal challenge. Are we fooling ourselves in trying to be the best in whatever field it might be – the best employee, the best parent, the best lover, the best cook, the best friend etc. In an individual society we need to be stronger and better. When is it OK to say that this is what I do and what I stand for and for the rest it – I need some help?
Well, I have no answer and it will probably take me some time to figure it all out. The only thing I know is that the older I get the more I realize how little I actually know but hopefully it makes me more flexible, more open to new solutions and more humble to other peoples choices!!
Time to tuck the kids in!!
It is too easy to say that we should choose to take care of our children when they are young and have a carrier when they get older. I am not working to make a carrier but because it is fun, challenging and because I think I have something to offer. I am good at it! I don’t think I would be a good fulltime mother. I like to work and I want to work. And at the same time I want to be the mother the kids can count on and the one they can come to when they need to. Jochem is away this month and I am trying to give 100% at work (40 hours a week) and 100% to the kids but the pile of washes keep on growing, the house is getting seriously untidy and the garden needs a facelift. Thank god for parents who are willing to spend 6 hour in a car and a weekend cleaning at their daughters’ house (and they also work during the week!) They even brought a stew with them and filled up my empty fridge!
The puzzle of life is not easy and everyone seems to be struggling to find the right path. I don’t think it’s a simple solution to this but a number of possibilities. The question is which solution fits us the best? We work, have kids, try to keep the passion up in a relationship suffering from too little quality time, see friends and keep a little bit of social life and time is going so fast. Well, I guess this is true universal challenge. Are we fooling ourselves in trying to be the best in whatever field it might be – the best employee, the best parent, the best lover, the best cook, the best friend etc. In an individual society we need to be stronger and better. When is it OK to say that this is what I do and what I stand for and for the rest it – I need some help?
Well, I have no answer and it will probably take me some time to figure it all out. The only thing I know is that the older I get the more I realize how little I actually know but hopefully it makes me more flexible, more open to new solutions and more humble to other peoples choices!!
Time to tuck the kids in!!
Monday, October 6, 2008
The (rabbit) brothel at Wallenqvistgatan!
Jochem has left for the US and will be back in the end of October. I am desperately seeking some help for the days when I need to work a bit late or want to do some social activities. I want to find someone via my network and not put an ad in the local supermarket but what do you do? This Saturday Jochem and I went out alone for the first time in 6 months. Some friends, who actually already had guests this weekend themselves, took care of our kids for the night. Really, really nice of you Marlene and Peter! I guess the problem of finding someone to look after your children now and then is the biggest disadvantage of moving to a place where you have no family or friends from the beginning.
Talking about moving brings me to tomorrows task. I am hosting a meeting regarding increasing the inhabitants in the Sjuhärad region. Sjuhärad is a cooperation of seven cities in the west of Sweden and we are all looking into attracting more people and businesses from abroad – mainly the Netherlands and Germany. As a frequent mover (nine countries by now) I think I have quite a good picture of what one needs to get settled somewhere and what needs to be arranged before the move. I want the region to create a strategy and a clear plan of how to work with immigration with a well-defined aim of what we want to achieve. I have seen many Swedish municipalities who just go abroad trying to sell their place to unprepared dreamers and I want to avoid this situation. Naturally, all you guys reading this blog are more than welcome :)!
Today I was invited to join the emancipation conference I initiated at the embassy last year. My colleagues at the embassy have worked really hard (especially you Anette!) to make an informative and challenging conference for politicians in the Dutch and Swedish parliament and I am sure it will be a great conference. There is also a documentary film being made and the Dutch filmmaker has a website that I want you Dutch readers to have a look at! Check out www.lofonline.nl
We have bought a huge rabbit cage (or a rabbit brothel as Kristian called it) and this Thursday Jochem painted with the help of five kids. Elsa (8) asked what a brothel is and with four quiet adults around my dad took the word. It is a house he explained! Well, I guess I will hear Elsa say at school that she lives in a brothel!! Now I will do some smaller repairs on the cage and then it is time for the rabbit. My colleague Mikael has already promised us his kid’s rabbit. Lets hear what his kids say about that?
It is time to tuck the kids in!
Talking about moving brings me to tomorrows task. I am hosting a meeting regarding increasing the inhabitants in the Sjuhärad region. Sjuhärad is a cooperation of seven cities in the west of Sweden and we are all looking into attracting more people and businesses from abroad – mainly the Netherlands and Germany. As a frequent mover (nine countries by now) I think I have quite a good picture of what one needs to get settled somewhere and what needs to be arranged before the move. I want the region to create a strategy and a clear plan of how to work with immigration with a well-defined aim of what we want to achieve. I have seen many Swedish municipalities who just go abroad trying to sell their place to unprepared dreamers and I want to avoid this situation. Naturally, all you guys reading this blog are more than welcome :)!
Today I was invited to join the emancipation conference I initiated at the embassy last year. My colleagues at the embassy have worked really hard (especially you Anette!) to make an informative and challenging conference for politicians in the Dutch and Swedish parliament and I am sure it will be a great conference. There is also a documentary film being made and the Dutch filmmaker has a website that I want you Dutch readers to have a look at! Check out www.lofonline.nl
We have bought a huge rabbit cage (or a rabbit brothel as Kristian called it) and this Thursday Jochem painted with the help of five kids. Elsa (8) asked what a brothel is and with four quiet adults around my dad took the word. It is a house he explained! Well, I guess I will hear Elsa say at school that she lives in a brothel!! Now I will do some smaller repairs on the cage and then it is time for the rabbit. My colleague Mikael has already promised us his kid’s rabbit. Lets hear what his kids say about that?
It is time to tuck the kids in!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
A fat but cozy mother
The moose hunting season in Sweden has started and I just got an e-mail informing me that a suggested meeting date was absolutely impossible as everyone will be off in two weeks time (I guess the season in Ulricehamn starts in two weeks).
With the continues rain outside I have no wish to be outside and my colleagues told me that I just have to get used to this weather from now on. Autumn is rain and winter should be snow but if we are unfortunate it will be rain this winter as well. Last winter was much too warm and with the current climate developments it does not look as if we are in for a cold winter. Nils asks me every day when the winter will start as he is dreaming about his birthday in December.
I had my family visiting this weekend which was really nice. It is clear that little Ellen (8 months) has our family genes. No one can survive in my family if they don’t talk a lot and Ellen, who does not talk much yet, already knows how to sing and make all kind of sounds. Especially in the early morning hours :)! She is absolutely adorable and the only problem we had was the timesharing of holding her.
Tomorrow I am off to Stockholm for a two day Interreg conference (an EU fond for cooperation between the Nordic countries) and the coming month I am working on a number of applications for different EU related projects. Jochem will be off to the US for two weeks followed by a week in Australia so I will not travel anywhere for some time. I am helping the girls and their friends making pillows and dresses with the new sewing machine and spending the evenings reading for Nils. Yesterday while reading, he said with a sweet voice:
- You are fat and cozy!
When he gets older I´ll tell him to avoid these kind of statements around women but for a mum I guess it is okey!
With the continues rain outside I have no wish to be outside and my colleagues told me that I just have to get used to this weather from now on. Autumn is rain and winter should be snow but if we are unfortunate it will be rain this winter as well. Last winter was much too warm and with the current climate developments it does not look as if we are in for a cold winter. Nils asks me every day when the winter will start as he is dreaming about his birthday in December.
I had my family visiting this weekend which was really nice. It is clear that little Ellen (8 months) has our family genes. No one can survive in my family if they don’t talk a lot and Ellen, who does not talk much yet, already knows how to sing and make all kind of sounds. Especially in the early morning hours :)! She is absolutely adorable and the only problem we had was the timesharing of holding her.
Tomorrow I am off to Stockholm for a two day Interreg conference (an EU fond for cooperation between the Nordic countries) and the coming month I am working on a number of applications for different EU related projects. Jochem will be off to the US for two weeks followed by a week in Australia so I will not travel anywhere for some time. I am helping the girls and their friends making pillows and dresses with the new sewing machine and spending the evenings reading for Nils. Yesterday while reading, he said with a sweet voice:
- You are fat and cozy!
When he gets older I´ll tell him to avoid these kind of statements around women but for a mum I guess it is okey!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Chocking nudity
Yesterday I spoke t my friend Katrin. We both work a lot (well, Katrin quite a lot more then me at the moment) and are trying to juggle work, family life, kids and some social activities. I think that 80% of the time that we call each other we do not have the time to talk (and we like to talk) so we usually speak to each other at nighttime. Yesterday we spoke for an hour around nine and then agreed to continue an hour later (Katrin had to get some more work done). At eleven I decided to take a shower and go to bed but just as I turned on the water the phone rang.
Out I went, into our dark bedroom in search of the phone. After six months we still have no lamp in our bedroom! I found the phone and did what I guess most people do who are on the phone. You go to a place where there is light as it feels a bit odd to sit in a dark room. After 20 minutes (time always goes very fast with Katrin!) I realized that I was standing in our lit, window filled hallway at nighttime wearing absolutely nothing! Luckily Ulricehamn does not have an extreme nightlife and our street is more or less dead at night but anyway. God knows how many people who passed our house yesterday evening seeing a phone speaking naked woman on the second floor.
I am not an exhibitionist and you will not even see me topless on a beach in summertime. I envy people who are so comfortable with their bodies that they can be as they are but I am just not like that. The only time people see me naked is when I forget to put on the swimsuit at the swimming pool (happened years ago) or when I mistake a shopping window for a toilet (a very complex and embarrassing story). Actually me friends have selected me as the person with the most embarrassing moments but as I suffer from a very selective memory I live under the notion that I am a controlled and serious person.
Today I am off to give a presentation about international work in an educational environment for headmasters and leaders in Ulricehamn. I will focus on how we reach the once that are not interested in international encounters and how one can be international without leaving Ulricehamn. As a mother of 3 I know how difficult it is to travel and be away for several days but there are many ways of making the world come to you!
Time for work! Have a great day!
Out I went, into our dark bedroom in search of the phone. After six months we still have no lamp in our bedroom! I found the phone and did what I guess most people do who are on the phone. You go to a place where there is light as it feels a bit odd to sit in a dark room. After 20 minutes (time always goes very fast with Katrin!) I realized that I was standing in our lit, window filled hallway at nighttime wearing absolutely nothing! Luckily Ulricehamn does not have an extreme nightlife and our street is more or less dead at night but anyway. God knows how many people who passed our house yesterday evening seeing a phone speaking naked woman on the second floor.
I am not an exhibitionist and you will not even see me topless on a beach in summertime. I envy people who are so comfortable with their bodies that they can be as they are but I am just not like that. The only time people see me naked is when I forget to put on the swimsuit at the swimming pool (happened years ago) or when I mistake a shopping window for a toilet (a very complex and embarrassing story). Actually me friends have selected me as the person with the most embarrassing moments but as I suffer from a very selective memory I live under the notion that I am a controlled and serious person.
Today I am off to give a presentation about international work in an educational environment for headmasters and leaders in Ulricehamn. I will focus on how we reach the once that are not interested in international encounters and how one can be international without leaving Ulricehamn. As a mother of 3 I know how difficult it is to travel and be away for several days but there are many ways of making the world come to you!
Time for work! Have a great day!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
I am a soccer mum!
Every week I bring Ingrid to the soccer practice and to the games and stand along the field with all the dads (!?). The season is almost over but today (finally) they won their first game! Way to go girls!!! Next week is the last practice and then the mothers will play against the girls (if we can get a team together). I can’t find my soccer sneakers but even if I did they would probably be too hard and old to use by now. I do admire you girls (almost reaching 40) who are still playing soccer in Nijmegen (the Netherlands). Why is it that we suddenly get too old to do team sports?
For Ingrid the soccer has a really important social function as she gets to know people outside her school environment. They are only 9 kids in her class and with only four girls in the group she feels a need to extend her social network. She still misses her girlfriends in Nijmegen but the sports activities outside school help her to feel more at home here. I understand how she feels. It takes time to make new friends and you have to have some luck as well.
This weekend we enjoyed great autumn weather with a blue sky and walks in the forest. We baked a ladybird cake with Elsa for her birthday and had a pre party with a small group of friends. Time is passing by a bit too fast at the moment and I feel a need to stop it somehow. Maybe the planned weekend trips to the Netherlands and to Stockholm (celebrating 20 years of friendship with Jenny and Helena!!!) this fall will help getting the energy level up again!
Sleep tight!
For Ingrid the soccer has a really important social function as she gets to know people outside her school environment. They are only 9 kids in her class and with only four girls in the group she feels a need to extend her social network. She still misses her girlfriends in Nijmegen but the sports activities outside school help her to feel more at home here. I understand how she feels. It takes time to make new friends and you have to have some luck as well.
This weekend we enjoyed great autumn weather with a blue sky and walks in the forest. We baked a ladybird cake with Elsa for her birthday and had a pre party with a small group of friends. Time is passing by a bit too fast at the moment and I feel a need to stop it somehow. Maybe the planned weekend trips to the Netherlands and to Stockholm (celebrating 20 years of friendship with Jenny and Helena!!!) this fall will help getting the energy level up again!
Sleep tight!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Lobster fishing or moosehunting?
My colleagues were debating during lunch hour weather the lobster season (which starts the first Monday after the 20th of September) is more extreme then the moose hunting season. I guess you can compare these two events with the week of carnival in south Limburg (the Netherlands). Suddenly nothing else matters. Shops are closed, there is only one subject on the agenda and people get totally obsessed. The lobster fishing does not happen here in Ulricehamn but along the west coast of Sweden and I have never seen it or experienced to my colleagues big surprise. We have fishing and crayfish rights at the lake where our summerhouse is located so next summer we will try to catch some crayfish. The lobster fishing will have to wait:)!
This weekend Elsa had her first lesson of horse back riding. Instead of joining the local club in Ulricehamn we went to a farm in Dalum (a few kilometers outside Ulricehamn) where the lessons are held in the forest. It was a cold but sunny Sunday morning and all kids got a pony each and off they went into the forest. The parents walked as a group a bit behind in a quiet untouched forest passing small rivers, large stones and it was a very peaceful 1 ½ hour walk. Elsa loved it and asked if she could do this every day.
It is getting colder and the changing of season is much more noticeable here then in the Netherlands (or in Lund, south of Sweden, for that matter). I like that. Suddenly one want to light the candles, drink hot chocolate and read a good book after a day of working in the garden. My parents-in-law are here now and Nell is making use of our apples and pears. Elsa’s birthday is coming up and she wants to have a baking party and will get a sewing machine for her birthday. So, during the dark afternoons and evenings to come we will be busy making pillows, blankets and other nice things.
This weekend Elsa had her first lesson of horse back riding. Instead of joining the local club in Ulricehamn we went to a farm in Dalum (a few kilometers outside Ulricehamn) where the lessons are held in the forest. It was a cold but sunny Sunday morning and all kids got a pony each and off they went into the forest. The parents walked as a group a bit behind in a quiet untouched forest passing small rivers, large stones and it was a very peaceful 1 ½ hour walk. Elsa loved it and asked if she could do this every day.
It is getting colder and the changing of season is much more noticeable here then in the Netherlands (or in Lund, south of Sweden, for that matter). I like that. Suddenly one want to light the candles, drink hot chocolate and read a good book after a day of working in the garden. My parents-in-law are here now and Nell is making use of our apples and pears. Elsa’s birthday is coming up and she wants to have a baking party and will get a sewing machine for her birthday. So, during the dark afternoons and evenings to come we will be busy making pillows, blankets and other nice things.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Dutch invaders
When I told my colleagues at the embassy in the Hague that I was moving back to Sweden to the small town of Ulricehamn the ambassador said;
- I guess we will see you back here next year at the emigration fair, trying to attract some Dutch people to Ulricehamn!
More and more people in Sweden move to the bigger cities and in some parts of the country small towns have completely disappeared. Everyone has moved away to places where you can find jobs or get the services you need in today’s life.
Borås is a city located half an hour drive from Ulricehamn. 150 years ago the cities (Ulricehamn and Borås) had the same size. This was the textile region of Sweden. Today Ulricehamn has approx. 22 600 inhabitants and Borås 65 000. What happened? Well, one thing is for sure. Ulricehamn was not ready when the textile industry moved away from Sweden.
The goal for Ulricehamn is to become 25 000 inhabitant in 2020 and there are many ideas on how to reach this. One idea is to attract foreign companies and the Dutch have showed many Swedish municipalities that they are good at settling in and starting their own businesses. So, now I am working on this while Jochem worries about the Dutch invasion! The emigration fair takes place in the beginning of next year but I will visit the Netherlands already in the end of November and I hope to see many of you then (I will be in Nijmegen and the Hague from the 19th to the 23rd).
As for life in Ulricehamn the semester has started and the kids are busy with school and all their sports activities. We just heard that the football season will be over in two weeks and wont start until April! Surprising but Ingrid will try handball and badminton instead and Elsa will start horseback riding on Sunday. Jochems parents are arriving on Friday for a 10 days visit and in two weeks time we welcome my family to celebrate Elsas 8th birthday. Time really flies!
- I guess we will see you back here next year at the emigration fair, trying to attract some Dutch people to Ulricehamn!
More and more people in Sweden move to the bigger cities and in some parts of the country small towns have completely disappeared. Everyone has moved away to places where you can find jobs or get the services you need in today’s life.
Borås is a city located half an hour drive from Ulricehamn. 150 years ago the cities (Ulricehamn and Borås) had the same size. This was the textile region of Sweden. Today Ulricehamn has approx. 22 600 inhabitants and Borås 65 000. What happened? Well, one thing is for sure. Ulricehamn was not ready when the textile industry moved away from Sweden.
The goal for Ulricehamn is to become 25 000 inhabitant in 2020 and there are many ideas on how to reach this. One idea is to attract foreign companies and the Dutch have showed many Swedish municipalities that they are good at settling in and starting their own businesses. So, now I am working on this while Jochem worries about the Dutch invasion! The emigration fair takes place in the beginning of next year but I will visit the Netherlands already in the end of November and I hope to see many of you then (I will be in Nijmegen and the Hague from the 19th to the 23rd).
As for life in Ulricehamn the semester has started and the kids are busy with school and all their sports activities. We just heard that the football season will be over in two weeks and wont start until April! Surprising but Ingrid will try handball and badminton instead and Elsa will start horseback riding on Sunday. Jochems parents are arriving on Friday for a 10 days visit and in two weeks time we welcome my family to celebrate Elsas 8th birthday. Time really flies!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Making the right choices
Elsa (who is turning 8 in a few weeks time) asked me today why there are mothers who leave their newborn babies at the hospital. She had seen a piece on the news. What do you tell a child when they come with such a question? I tried to explain that there are people who feel that they are in such a bad situation that they see no other option and that they think that their child will be better off with someone else.
- So it is not because they don’t like their child then, Elsa asked.
No, I answered. Almost all parents love their children very, very much!
As a parent you never really know if you are doing the right thing. You try to. I want to be a good mother and I want to give them a start in life that will make them strong enough to make the right choices at the right time. But how do you prepare them for life? When our guards in South Africa used machine guns on burglars in our back yard the kids slept through it all. When a paedophile was picked up outside our kid’s school in the Netherlands we never told the kids anything. Was I worried? Of course, but I did not want my fear to reach them.
Compared to our life in Johannesburg and in Boston, life in Sweden is pretty safe. Yet, things do happen everyday and everywhere. I don’t want my kids to worry. I don’t want them to know the full picture yet (which I myself can not comprehend anyway). And at the same time you cannot let them live in a bubble. They see things, hear things and they want to know. They have a right to know – at least at a certain age.
But, why do some people leave their children behind in today’s society? I have no good answer but I think that whatever the reason might be it is never done easily.
- So it is not because they don’t like their child then, Elsa asked.
No, I answered. Almost all parents love their children very, very much!
As a parent you never really know if you are doing the right thing. You try to. I want to be a good mother and I want to give them a start in life that will make them strong enough to make the right choices at the right time. But how do you prepare them for life? When our guards in South Africa used machine guns on burglars in our back yard the kids slept through it all. When a paedophile was picked up outside our kid’s school in the Netherlands we never told the kids anything. Was I worried? Of course, but I did not want my fear to reach them.
Compared to our life in Johannesburg and in Boston, life in Sweden is pretty safe. Yet, things do happen everyday and everywhere. I don’t want my kids to worry. I don’t want them to know the full picture yet (which I myself can not comprehend anyway). And at the same time you cannot let them live in a bubble. They see things, hear things and they want to know. They have a right to know – at least at a certain age.
But, why do some people leave their children behind in today’s society? I have no good answer but I think that whatever the reason might be it is never done easily.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Half a year in Sweden
We had a group of Dutch visitors here last weekend. They work with Jochem, I had never met them before and they had never been to Sweden. Every time you meet someone from a different country who has no previous knowledge of your country you end up talking about differences or similarities between the two cultures. So did we. What is typical Swedish food, what is the main difference living in Ulricehamn compare to living in Nijmegen (our previous hometown in the Netherlands) or is life better in Sweden then in the Netherlands? Difficult but very interesting questions I think (well, the Swedish food question is quite easy to answer but the rest…).
We lived in a big city before and we now live in a small town. We commuted a lot. I travelled 5 hours a day, four days a week and Jochem usually spent 10 to 12 hours commuting every week. We had a cleaner (oh, how I miss her!) and we had Francis – our babysitter who was like a family member. Life was pretty chaotic! Now it takes me 5 minutes on the bicycle to get to work. I’m home at five every day and the kids can do almost any sport they want after school. Crime rates are low and house prices as well. We have two pubs but from Sunday to Wednesday they are closed. Is this typically Swedish? No, this is typically small town life and we could probably have found something similar in the Netherlands (if we had moved to Friesland or to Limburg). However, life here is different and it is not easy to explain why. The paste is slower and life is more organized (not ours but for normal people I think it is :)!) and the surroundings here are fantastically beautiful. I never knew how beautiful Sweden was until I started travelling. It is also accessible in the sense that you can walk, run, and bicycle or put up a tent almost anywhere. And, it is all for free! Great!
Is there a downside to our life in Sweden or is everything better here? No place or culture offers the complete package but almost every place offers something special and what that is can only be in the eyes of the beholder. We miss family and friends and the weekend tournaments at the local tennis club. I miss the shopping and the cafés and sometimes the anonymity a big city brings. At the same time we see more of our Swedish family and our Swedish friends and that is really nice. I spend a lot more times with the kids and that is obviously a fantastic advantage! We still have to work on expanding our social network locally.
After 6 months in Ulricehamn I now know that I need to stay updated with the ice hockey scores if I want to be part of the discussions at the coffee break. I have seen more wildlife than ever before and I have improved my driving skills in snow and on ice. The job is challenging and I feel that I’m part of a great team. The kids have learned to speak Swedish really well and feel at home at school and with their friends. With the changing of seasons we have been picking apples and peers today (several bags) and I guess it is time to show the kids that I once knew how to bake. In other words, the move to Sweden was a step in the right direction.
We lived in a big city before and we now live in a small town. We commuted a lot. I travelled 5 hours a day, four days a week and Jochem usually spent 10 to 12 hours commuting every week. We had a cleaner (oh, how I miss her!) and we had Francis – our babysitter who was like a family member. Life was pretty chaotic! Now it takes me 5 minutes on the bicycle to get to work. I’m home at five every day and the kids can do almost any sport they want after school. Crime rates are low and house prices as well. We have two pubs but from Sunday to Wednesday they are closed. Is this typically Swedish? No, this is typically small town life and we could probably have found something similar in the Netherlands (if we had moved to Friesland or to Limburg). However, life here is different and it is not easy to explain why. The paste is slower and life is more organized (not ours but for normal people I think it is :)!) and the surroundings here are fantastically beautiful. I never knew how beautiful Sweden was until I started travelling. It is also accessible in the sense that you can walk, run, and bicycle or put up a tent almost anywhere. And, it is all for free! Great!
Is there a downside to our life in Sweden or is everything better here? No place or culture offers the complete package but almost every place offers something special and what that is can only be in the eyes of the beholder. We miss family and friends and the weekend tournaments at the local tennis club. I miss the shopping and the cafés and sometimes the anonymity a big city brings. At the same time we see more of our Swedish family and our Swedish friends and that is really nice. I spend a lot more times with the kids and that is obviously a fantastic advantage! We still have to work on expanding our social network locally.
After 6 months in Ulricehamn I now know that I need to stay updated with the ice hockey scores if I want to be part of the discussions at the coffee break. I have seen more wildlife than ever before and I have improved my driving skills in snow and on ice. The job is challenging and I feel that I’m part of a great team. The kids have learned to speak Swedish really well and feel at home at school and with their friends. With the changing of seasons we have been picking apples and peers today (several bags) and I guess it is time to show the kids that I once knew how to bake. In other words, the move to Sweden was a step in the right direction.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
I’ve been kicked off
With the end of August in sight it is kick off-season at work. In other words we are making plans for what’s to come this year and setting up new targets. Last week I spent two days in Göteborg with my unit, which was a lot of fun (despite the fact that I lost the games we played in the evening. Getting back is the only option!!). We got a lot of work done on Thursday and for the first time since I moved to Sweden I had a night out in Göteborg. Göteborg is the second largest city in Sweden with approx. 600 000 inhabitants (I think) and it is also a very beautiful city. We stayed in a converted ship located in the city centre (it’s a coastal city) and went out for dinner together in the evening. The atmosphere, the enjoyment of looking at people strolling by and the nice summer breeze made me miss city life a bit. Life in a small town has its benefits but so does life in bigger cities. Luckily Göteborg is only an hour away from Ulricehamn so if I feel a need for some opera, some sushi, more people or a visit to get some clothes at Zara I know where to go.
Yesterday it was time for the second kick off. This time with all the departments located in my office building. We had different workshops during the day and dinner together in the evening. I know people who really dislike kick offs or other type of arranged teambuilding activities but I like them. It is nice to get out together, work in new teams and to get to know each other a bit more outside an office environment. I was responsible for a group of people looking at how we can increase staff competence by international activities and the group had lots of ideas and thoughts about the subject. My job is to increase the international activities in the municipality and with the help of my colleagues this is bound to happen.
Tomorrow I am off to a two-day conference in Strömstad. I’ve been told that there might be a chance to get some home cooked moose here at home on Saturday (and the chef will come to our house and cook it for us!!!) Lucky me! I’ve been kicked off and now I’m kicking in! Time for bed!
Yesterday it was time for the second kick off. This time with all the departments located in my office building. We had different workshops during the day and dinner together in the evening. I know people who really dislike kick offs or other type of arranged teambuilding activities but I like them. It is nice to get out together, work in new teams and to get to know each other a bit more outside an office environment. I was responsible for a group of people looking at how we can increase staff competence by international activities and the group had lots of ideas and thoughts about the subject. My job is to increase the international activities in the municipality and with the help of my colleagues this is bound to happen.
Tomorrow I am off to a two-day conference in Strömstad. I’ve been told that there might be a chance to get some home cooked moose here at home on Saturday (and the chef will come to our house and cook it for us!!!) Lucky me! I’ve been kicked off and now I’m kicking in! Time for bed!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
A near death experience
Summer disappeared the moment I got back to work. With the current rain I felt that it was time to get serious again and start exercising for real. I haven’t had the time to do any fitness for a year. Other people exercise to loose weight or to feel better. I do it to be able to sleep at night and I decided to start with some boxing at the local fitness centre. After ten minutes I had a cramp in my left leg and at half time I though my ending was near. How much can a person hyperventilate before you pass out? God knows how I will be feeling tomorrow! Not only was I unfit but I was probably the oldest one in the hall which made me think about Napoleons comment when he heard that I had taken up golf; “gosh, how middle age!”
It is not easy when you reach an age where you are too old for some sports and too young for others. Since I can’t take a hint I will go on mixing golf and the combat/boxing training and if I don’t get fitter – at least I get to meet many different people.
Yesterday I heard about how unfit we are getting in Sweden (and probably elsewhere in the world). The last 60 years the Swedish military has collected fitness data (and measured lung capacity) from 18 year olds. With the expansion of TV and computer games many of today’s 18 year olds are seriously unfit. 20 % of people working in an office do not even have the lung capacity to perform at an optimal level or to concentrate properly!
Despite the rain and the ending of my holiday I feel good about being back at work. There are many things on the agenda this fall and I think I enjoy it the most when there are many projects running or developing simultaneously.
Now I will try to move from this table, up the stairs and into my bed. At the moment I am not sure which body part hurts the most but I bet I will sleep as a donkey!
It is not easy when you reach an age where you are too old for some sports and too young for others. Since I can’t take a hint I will go on mixing golf and the combat/boxing training and if I don’t get fitter – at least I get to meet many different people.
Yesterday I heard about how unfit we are getting in Sweden (and probably elsewhere in the world). The last 60 years the Swedish military has collected fitness data (and measured lung capacity) from 18 year olds. With the expansion of TV and computer games many of today’s 18 year olds are seriously unfit. 20 % of people working in an office do not even have the lung capacity to perform at an optimal level or to concentrate properly!
Despite the rain and the ending of my holiday I feel good about being back at work. There are many things on the agenda this fall and I think I enjoy it the most when there are many projects running or developing simultaneously.
Now I will try to move from this table, up the stairs and into my bed. At the moment I am not sure which body part hurts the most but I bet I will sleep as a donkey!
Monday, August 4, 2008
I am having an affair with the gardener
I am having an affair with the gardener and the handyman. How did this happen and what changed after almost ten years of marriage? Well, Jochem has proven me and mostly himself wrong. I married a guy who always stated that he had two left hands (a Dutch expression for someone who cant do anything practical). He never cooks. He has never ironed a shirt and he is terrified of anything revolving around a hammer. At least, this is how it used to be. Since summer arrived in Sweden I have gotten a new husband who has taken on the role as gardener and handyman. I run around the house calling his name only to find him out in the garden cutting the grass or working on the boat. The office chair stands empty and Jochem has a suntan worthy a professional tanner (on the back that is as he is always standing with his back towards the sun!). This new interest in practical work will be seriously put to the test as we bought a new summerhouse this summer. It is a charming house with a wonderful lake view where the word “renovation” gets a totally new meaning. I will let you know further on how we are getting on with this second round of renovations this year.
Last week we had 29 visitors and it was really nice that so many decided to spend some of their vacation with us in Ulricehamn. I actually got the question if I get paid extra if I mention this towns name in my blog but unfortunately this is not the case (should definitely talk to my boss about it :)). The beautiful weather, swimming at our summerhouse in Vegby, spending long evenings on the porch in great company makes living in Ulricehamn a real pleasure and I think that all of our guests (who had never been here before) felt the same. Thank you all for a wonderful visit! Please come back soon!!! Jochems holiday is over but I still have one more week and tomorrow Jenny and little Ebba are coming for a visit. 20 years of friendship and lots of ups and downs comes down to one thing – we will have a great week this week.
Enjoy the summer! Ulrika
Last week we had 29 visitors and it was really nice that so many decided to spend some of their vacation with us in Ulricehamn. I actually got the question if I get paid extra if I mention this towns name in my blog but unfortunately this is not the case (should definitely talk to my boss about it :)). The beautiful weather, swimming at our summerhouse in Vegby, spending long evenings on the porch in great company makes living in Ulricehamn a real pleasure and I think that all of our guests (who had never been here before) felt the same. Thank you all for a wonderful visit! Please come back soon!!! Jochems holiday is over but I still have one more week and tomorrow Jenny and little Ebba are coming for a visit. 20 years of friendship and lots of ups and downs comes down to one thing – we will have a great week this week.
Enjoy the summer! Ulrika
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
A Swedish shortcut
This summer we are arranging an international youth camp in Ulricehamn and the last two days we have had a pre camp to prepare for the invasion of 40 youths from Scottland, Norway, Latvia and Sweden. We have been planning different activities and workshop on the subjects concerning the European citizenship, social inclusion, cultural diversity and democracy and I think it will be a very dynamic and interesting camp in two weeks time. We were 8 people from the 4 countries who met up to make the preparations and it is interesting to see how diverse our own views on the subjects are and how many different perspectives there can be. Our Latvian friends brought up a problem in Latvia that I knew nothing about. They have different citizenships between Latvian and Russians all living in Latvia. The two citizenships does not give people the same rights but if I understood it correctly we are not talking about people considered to be illegally in the country. The Scottish mentioned the somewhat difficult situation between the English and the Scottish. What do we mean when we talk about a European citizenship and who should be included? Do we want to be Europeans and rather independent Scott’s for example? The camp is financed by the European Youth in Action program with the main goal to increase awareness and understanding between youths in Europe. I think a one-week camp like this is a great opportunity for young Europeans to meet up and experience the diversity of cultures.
Since our foreign guests had not been to Ulricehamn before we decided to show them around a bit and also to show them where different activities will take place. One of our workshop will take place at Torpa Stenhus, which is one of Sweden’s best-preserved Renaissance manors, with roots in the Middle Ages. I had never been to this place so I told Per (my Swedish colleague) that I would follow his car. Half the group joined me in my car and off we went. After 15 minutes I had lost track off Per but I had an idea where this place should be. After 40 minutes we stopped at a café to get help and two women gave me two different road descriptions (not in the same direction). I chose to go for the woman who sounded the surest of her self. One hour after leaving Ulricehamn and after several u-turns I had to admit defeat and as a last resort we stopped at a small supermarket where a friendly shop owner and a friendly shopper told us exactly how to get to Torpa Stenhus. As we an hour and a half after leaving Ulricehamn drove onto the parking at Torpa Stenhus, Per left with his group. Despite the long drive we had a lot of fun in the car though and the trip brought back memories about the Swedish shortcut.
My husband usually warns people travelling with me to be aware of the Swedish shortcut. When I first met Jochem we lived in Lund where I come from. I think I have quite a good sense of direction if I have been to a place before (no, it’s the truth!!). One night we were bicycling home and I told Jochem that I knew a shortcut. Well, basically we ended up in the outskirts of Lund and till this day I have no idea how I could make such a mistake. Jochem had only one comment; “no more Swedish shortcuts, please!”
Luckily we had time enough with the pre camp group to get all our work done and to enjoy Torpa and a bit of Ulricehamn. It was a fun group visiting here and I am sure the real camp in two weeks time will be lot of fun. I will be on holiday then but will be down to visit the group as I am planning a local holiday with my family and visiting friends. Maybe we will go to Torpa Stenhus?
Since our foreign guests had not been to Ulricehamn before we decided to show them around a bit and also to show them where different activities will take place. One of our workshop will take place at Torpa Stenhus, which is one of Sweden’s best-preserved Renaissance manors, with roots in the Middle Ages. I had never been to this place so I told Per (my Swedish colleague) that I would follow his car. Half the group joined me in my car and off we went. After 15 minutes I had lost track off Per but I had an idea where this place should be. After 40 minutes we stopped at a café to get help and two women gave me two different road descriptions (not in the same direction). I chose to go for the woman who sounded the surest of her self. One hour after leaving Ulricehamn and after several u-turns I had to admit defeat and as a last resort we stopped at a small supermarket where a friendly shop owner and a friendly shopper told us exactly how to get to Torpa Stenhus. As we an hour and a half after leaving Ulricehamn drove onto the parking at Torpa Stenhus, Per left with his group. Despite the long drive we had a lot of fun in the car though and the trip brought back memories about the Swedish shortcut.
My husband usually warns people travelling with me to be aware of the Swedish shortcut. When I first met Jochem we lived in Lund where I come from. I think I have quite a good sense of direction if I have been to a place before (no, it’s the truth!!). One night we were bicycling home and I told Jochem that I knew a shortcut. Well, basically we ended up in the outskirts of Lund and till this day I have no idea how I could make such a mistake. Jochem had only one comment; “no more Swedish shortcuts, please!”
Luckily we had time enough with the pre camp group to get all our work done and to enjoy Torpa and a bit of Ulricehamn. It was a fun group visiting here and I am sure the real camp in two weeks time will be lot of fun. I will be on holiday then but will be down to visit the group as I am planning a local holiday with my family and visiting friends. Maybe we will go to Torpa Stenhus?
Monday, July 14, 2008
A Swedish lion in Ulricehamn
So finally, after months of looking and searching we met him. The king of the animals! No, we did not see a lion along the Swedish highway! We saw a majestic moose. He stood there looking at us as Jochem stood on the breaks of the car and we both screamed to our terrified children “Look, a moose”. Not far from the moose a deer was strolling by and for two city people like us this was a big moment. Ever since we moved to Sweden and Ulricehamn we have been dreaming about seeing this animal that Jochem calls one of the most successful marketing lies in Sweden. All foreign tourists buy a moose sticker to put on the bumper but no one has even seen the moose in real life. Well, now we have!!!
We were in Nybrostrand this weekend to celebrate my sister Hanna’s birthday and to meet up with our South African relatives Vibeke and Travis! Naturally their visit in Sweden brought back many wonderful memories from our time in SA and I really hope we can get going on our plans for a visit to South Africa. We heard that Birthe and Kim might be heading this way as well and I hope you know where to stop when in Sweden!!!
This morning we signed the contract for a new summerhouse. Jochem bought a house he had only seen from the outside (for the 3rd time). I guess it is how it works with us. I go to viewings and Jochem gets the messages that I have found some nice property :). It is an old renovation object on a fantastic location 20 meters from a lake 15 km south of Ulricehamn. Despite quite some renovation needs it is a charming house with many rooms (I will post a picture on Friday – today I forgot to take one).
This week Jochem is in charge of the kids and getting out with the boat is on the planning. I just hope it doesn’t sink. It is a mahogany boat and Jochem has no clue about boats but it looks good (vanity - ha, ha) I still have one more week of work and then I am off to enjoy the Swedish summer. Swimming, canoeing, making fun excursions and seeing family and friends are on my to do list! Hope to see many of you! Ulrika
We were in Nybrostrand this weekend to celebrate my sister Hanna’s birthday and to meet up with our South African relatives Vibeke and Travis! Naturally their visit in Sweden brought back many wonderful memories from our time in SA and I really hope we can get going on our plans for a visit to South Africa. We heard that Birthe and Kim might be heading this way as well and I hope you know where to stop when in Sweden!!!
This morning we signed the contract for a new summerhouse. Jochem bought a house he had only seen from the outside (for the 3rd time). I guess it is how it works with us. I go to viewings and Jochem gets the messages that I have found some nice property :). It is an old renovation object on a fantastic location 20 meters from a lake 15 km south of Ulricehamn. Despite quite some renovation needs it is a charming house with many rooms (I will post a picture on Friday – today I forgot to take one).
This week Jochem is in charge of the kids and getting out with the boat is on the planning. I just hope it doesn’t sink. It is a mahogany boat and Jochem has no clue about boats but it looks good (vanity - ha, ha) I still have one more week of work and then I am off to enjoy the Swedish summer. Swimming, canoeing, making fun excursions and seeing family and friends are on my to do list! Hope to see many of you! Ulrika
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Can economic incentives get you pregnant?
The municipality of Ulricehamn has 22 542 inhabitants. The aim is to become 25 000 inhabitants in 2020. How do you increase the number of inhabitants in a town? Well, one way is to increase national or international immigration. Another option is to increase fertility rates.
Yesterday my sister Hanna turned 34 and naturally I called to congratulate her. She was arranging a mother – baby party at home as ALL her friends have had babies in the last year (and Hanna had fantastic little Ellen 6 months ago). I think it interesting how these things work out. Are they having a baby boom in south Sweden or is this an isolated event? We have our children later in life (average age for the first child is 29 years for women in Sweden) but currently it looks like the fertility levels in Sweden are higher then in other countries. Why is that? Is it due to the development of generous family policies? In Sweden we have very generous parental leave benefits (one year paid leave to take care of our children) subsidised childcare and high child allowances. Basically the Swedish government is using economic incentives to get more women pregnant but does this work?
Well, I had a look at what is going on around the world and how other countries are doing when it comes to fertility levels. Birth rates in the European Union are falling fast. Europe's working-age population is shrinking as fertility rates decline. It is estimated that for Europe to achieve a population replacement level, the birth rate should be 2.1 children per woman.
According to numbers from 2005 Ireland has the highest birth rate in the EU. Irish women have 1.9 children each, with the European average at 1.5. Ireland also has a relatively young population, which probably have an effect on the statistics. France says it has now probably overtaken Ireland as Europe's most fertile country, with French women having an average of two children each. What is interesting with France is the fact that France can still boast one of Europe's highest rates of female employment. Some 81% of women aged between 25 and 49 are in work, including three-quarters of those with two children.
Italy has serious fertility problems. The birth rate of Italy, at a rate of 1.23 children per woman is the second lowest in the Western world. Women rarely have more than one child.
In order to change this the Italian government decided to give a 1000-euro bonus to each newborn child. In the small town of Laviano in Italy, the mayor decided to use even stronger financial incentives to increase the birth rate in his own town. He decided to offer women 10 000 euros over a five year period for each additional baby they have.
Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics did a study on how financial incentives can boost pregnancies and their results support the view that fertility responds to financial incentives and indicate that the child subsidy policies used in many countries can have a significant influence on fertility decisions. The positive birth rate figures in Sweden and France confirm this but I think one need more that financial incentives to increase fertility levels.
When I lived in the Netherlands I was surprised at the number of highly educated women who were at home with their children or who only worked part-time (just imagine the brain drain and the costs for society!!). Day care facilities were expensive and offered less quality care then Swedish day care but this was not the only reason for women (and very rarely men) to stay at home. The cultural climate differed from Sweden. Many of my friends did not feel the same trust for the social system as Swedish people tend to do. The emancipation debate took place on a totally different level and many of my friends felt that it is in a mother’s nature to care for her child. Well, our genetics should not differ too much between the countries but the cultural differences and the social heritage has a major impact on the choices people make. I also think role models play an important role, especially for women who want to make a career and combine this with family life.
Looking at fertility rates in Sweden in the last years one could say that economic incentives will get you pregnant but that is only telling half the story. Good quality childcare, a generation of women who showed us the way (thank you mum!) and a soft culture where men are included in the upbringing of their children are just as important as financial incentives. Maybe we cannot use (any extra) financial incentives to increase the fertility levels in Ulricehamn but maybe we can use financial incentives to attract new inhabitants. What if the municipality offered a (financial?) bonus for people who attract new inhabitants?
As for the baby boom in my sisters’ surroundings I think nothing has a bigger impact on fertility levels then friends having babies. Luckily, with 3 kids at home, I think I have become immune to the baby virus:)!
Yesterday my sister Hanna turned 34 and naturally I called to congratulate her. She was arranging a mother – baby party at home as ALL her friends have had babies in the last year (and Hanna had fantastic little Ellen 6 months ago). I think it interesting how these things work out. Are they having a baby boom in south Sweden or is this an isolated event? We have our children later in life (average age for the first child is 29 years for women in Sweden) but currently it looks like the fertility levels in Sweden are higher then in other countries. Why is that? Is it due to the development of generous family policies? In Sweden we have very generous parental leave benefits (one year paid leave to take care of our children) subsidised childcare and high child allowances. Basically the Swedish government is using economic incentives to get more women pregnant but does this work?
Well, I had a look at what is going on around the world and how other countries are doing when it comes to fertility levels. Birth rates in the European Union are falling fast. Europe's working-age population is shrinking as fertility rates decline. It is estimated that for Europe to achieve a population replacement level, the birth rate should be 2.1 children per woman.
According to numbers from 2005 Ireland has the highest birth rate in the EU. Irish women have 1.9 children each, with the European average at 1.5. Ireland also has a relatively young population, which probably have an effect on the statistics. France says it has now probably overtaken Ireland as Europe's most fertile country, with French women having an average of two children each. What is interesting with France is the fact that France can still boast one of Europe's highest rates of female employment. Some 81% of women aged between 25 and 49 are in work, including three-quarters of those with two children.
Italy has serious fertility problems. The birth rate of Italy, at a rate of 1.23 children per woman is the second lowest in the Western world. Women rarely have more than one child.
In order to change this the Italian government decided to give a 1000-euro bonus to each newborn child. In the small town of Laviano in Italy, the mayor decided to use even stronger financial incentives to increase the birth rate in his own town. He decided to offer women 10 000 euros over a five year period for each additional baby they have.
Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics did a study on how financial incentives can boost pregnancies and their results support the view that fertility responds to financial incentives and indicate that the child subsidy policies used in many countries can have a significant influence on fertility decisions. The positive birth rate figures in Sweden and France confirm this but I think one need more that financial incentives to increase fertility levels.
When I lived in the Netherlands I was surprised at the number of highly educated women who were at home with their children or who only worked part-time (just imagine the brain drain and the costs for society!!). Day care facilities were expensive and offered less quality care then Swedish day care but this was not the only reason for women (and very rarely men) to stay at home. The cultural climate differed from Sweden. Many of my friends did not feel the same trust for the social system as Swedish people tend to do. The emancipation debate took place on a totally different level and many of my friends felt that it is in a mother’s nature to care for her child. Well, our genetics should not differ too much between the countries but the cultural differences and the social heritage has a major impact on the choices people make. I also think role models play an important role, especially for women who want to make a career and combine this with family life.
Looking at fertility rates in Sweden in the last years one could say that economic incentives will get you pregnant but that is only telling half the story. Good quality childcare, a generation of women who showed us the way (thank you mum!) and a soft culture where men are included in the upbringing of their children are just as important as financial incentives. Maybe we cannot use (any extra) financial incentives to increase the fertility levels in Ulricehamn but maybe we can use financial incentives to attract new inhabitants. What if the municipality offered a (financial?) bonus for people who attract new inhabitants?
As for the baby boom in my sisters’ surroundings I think nothing has a bigger impact on fertility levels then friends having babies. Luckily, with 3 kids at home, I think I have become immune to the baby virus:)!
Monday, June 30, 2008
As it is in heaven
The kids have joined Jochem in the Netherlands and I am spending a week on my own in Ulricehamn. Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the golf course trying to improve my swing with the result of 3 blisters in my hand and after that I had an obsessive film evening. I watched “As it is in heaven” more or less three times going through some scenes several times. The last few years I have had very little time to watch films and it was really nice to get completely into the film. It is also one of the best Swedish films in the last ten years. When I worked at the Swedish embassy in the Hague I tried to get Kaj Pollak (the director) to the Netherlands but he was busy writing a new script and did not want to stop the writing process. If his next script is as good as “As it is in heaven” we will see a new Swedish top film shortly (as he has already proven his directing skills in several films).
The European union is trying to increase European film production in order to strengthen local production and cultural heritage. After my studies at the European Film College I did a short traineeship at Warner Brothers in Brussels and London. At this time (in 1995) the European distribution channels and marketing strategies were still far behind the Americans. WB used 10-15% of its film budget on marketing and the marketing process started before they even started shooting the film. For a long time European films were supposed to sell themselves but in today’s world it does not matter how good a film is if you don’t know that it is there and the competition is killing. So far the EU support to the European film industry has had a positive effect on the European film market and we have seen several good European films doing well. I also think it strengthens the connection between Europeans when we see more films from other neighbouring countries. I have decided that I will try and watch at least one non-American film a month from now on (from all over the world so please come with your suggestions!)
If you have not seen As it is in heaven I can surely recommend it.
Ulrika
The European union is trying to increase European film production in order to strengthen local production and cultural heritage. After my studies at the European Film College I did a short traineeship at Warner Brothers in Brussels and London. At this time (in 1995) the European distribution channels and marketing strategies were still far behind the Americans. WB used 10-15% of its film budget on marketing and the marketing process started before they even started shooting the film. For a long time European films were supposed to sell themselves but in today’s world it does not matter how good a film is if you don’t know that it is there and the competition is killing. So far the EU support to the European film industry has had a positive effect on the European film market and we have seen several good European films doing well. I also think it strengthens the connection between Europeans when we see more films from other neighbouring countries. I have decided that I will try and watch at least one non-American film a month from now on (from all over the world so please come with your suggestions!)
If you have not seen As it is in heaven I can surely recommend it.
Ulrika
Monday, June 23, 2008
Swedish midsummer or a South African chutney?
We celebrated midsummer in Nybrostrand (on the Swedish south coast)this weekend and it was the first midsummer celebrations for the kids. Despite the unusually nice and sunny weather (I heard it has been raining in Ulricehamn at midsummer 8 out of 10 times in the last 10 years!) it was difficult to get the kids dancing aroung the midsummer pole and it occured to me that one might have to be bred into midsummer celebrations from an early age to fully appriciate this Swedish festivity. They had a good time though but not due to the fact that it was midsummer. The company (my parents, my sister and her family and my cousin with her family) made it a fun filled day and Ingrids extreem luck in the lottery made it a day to remember forever. Ingrid won 4 prices in the lottery (a grill, two wallets and a family game - all thing we did not know we could not live without:)). But, the midsummer dancing part while singing old folksongs did not impress the kids and neither did the haring.
When I first met Jochem he often asked me why we sing the same songs around Christmas as at midsummer and why we eat haring everytime we have something to celebrate (haring for Christmas, haring for Easter and haring for Midsummer) but til this day I have no good answer for this. I guess we Swedish people like our traditions and when I lived abroad I often missed these traditions. It just does not feel the same eating imported haring while sitting in South Africa. Each place and each culture offers something different and nothing tastes better then Swedish haring on midsummer in Sweden.
Writing about South Africa brings me to a reconnection story. I lost touch with Emma and Rolf Cyrus last year (good friends from South Africa) as we all moved and changed e-mail addresses. Today I found them again and for anyone going on holidays to South Africa or who is intersted in really good food, check out www.wyckedd.co.za
Emma and Rolf are not only fantastic people but also great cooks!
When I first met Jochem he often asked me why we sing the same songs around Christmas as at midsummer and why we eat haring everytime we have something to celebrate (haring for Christmas, haring for Easter and haring for Midsummer) but til this day I have no good answer for this. I guess we Swedish people like our traditions and when I lived abroad I often missed these traditions. It just does not feel the same eating imported haring while sitting in South Africa. Each place and each culture offers something different and nothing tastes better then Swedish haring on midsummer in Sweden.
Writing about South Africa brings me to a reconnection story. I lost touch with Emma and Rolf Cyrus last year (good friends from South Africa) as we all moved and changed e-mail addresses. Today I found them again and for anyone going on holidays to South Africa or who is intersted in really good food, check out www.wyckedd.co.za
Emma and Rolf are not only fantastic people but also great cooks!
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