The night that passed

Last night, I couldn't sleep (like every night this past week) and I snapped this photo of myself looking like Yoko Ono.
I feel comfortable enough with you to share it.
It's quite easy, really.
Sleep deprivation and no make-up, all Asians look like this sooner or later.
Too bad it happened so soon, I'm only 27 for God's sake.

Jenny.. Yoko.. Jenny? Yoko?

My last day as a free woman in Stockholm is at its end. It's 4 a.m. and I am about to hop in the shower after a long day. I desperately need to flip my sleeping hours back to normal, that's why the countryside sounds like such a good idea. 10.50 my train leaves tomorrow.

Returned the Zara shoes and feel very pleased with myself. Didn't buy the Canon camera because it was sold out everywhere for that price. I was told it will re-enter but at a higher price so now I am confused. I think I'll just wait for a while..

Relaxed in the sun with my friend Gilla and ice lattes, then we went to organize for her BBQ in her courtyard at Mariatorget.

Malin and new friend Robin. Please note Thomas being a dedicated grillmaster in the background.

We made five (yes, F-I-V-E) buckets of potato salad and everyone brought booze and BBQ stuff. I grilled salmon filets, as fish and seafood is my only vice after being a good vegetarian for almost four whole months. It was all good until Pontus showed me all his good meat. I was very jealous until he dug into it with such enthusiasm he resembled a hungry hyena tearing apart an antilope corpse.

Here Pontus actually used cutlery, for aesthetic reasons I presume

Helen and myself. Note to self; evening mode on camera doesn't work all that well..

Red Stripe was the drink for hyenas this evening. I learned how to open bottles with a lighter.
I feel very MacGyver.

Then we went to our favourite nightspot, Debaser Slussen. Crowded but oh so nice. Luke warm evening breeze, lots of people and my best friend; Apple Caipiroska.

Helen returned after a trip to the bar and announced some heavily dressed Italians looked lost over there and after 10 minutes I had them eating out of my hand. Theoretically that is.
When I say heavily dressed I mean that one actually wore a gilet stuffed with goose feathers and another one wore a fleece jacket. I was in a strappy camisole.
They were amazed at my language knowledge and we're here for a couple of days crammed into a caravan at Långholmen (I know, try to picture six Italians in a rental caravan..).

They wanted advice on where to go tomorrow and when I left I gave one (Matteo) my cell phone number so I could text them name and address to good places.

Now it's 04.28 and I am still convincing him via texts that he really SHOULDN'T come to my place in a cab and it would be a BAD IDEA for me to come and see him right now in Långholmen. Well well.
I love that crazy Mediterranean enthusiasm!

Good night peeps, see you on Sunday.

Oh, forgot. Wore these shoes instead, as the Nine West shoes most likely never will be worn.

White 60's leather pumps with python applications, second-hand

And below are the shoes I will dream of tonight, and probably every night until they are there, on my shoe shelf, for everyone to see.
Alaia, worn beautifully by Carine Roitfeld of French Vogue.
Thanks to Sartorialist.com for these pics!



Now Matteo just texted, again, saying how he will try and get up early and come meet me for coffee before my train leaves for Eskilstuna in six hours.

Drama, every minute, on this blog.
I'm kind of like an American news channel.

I will keep you posted.

Islands and cameras and not going out

Today we went to the archipelago again, Nåttarö this time.

For me it was a walk down memory lane since I have been there plenty of times in my childhood. For you who don't know, I spent all my summers and many (too many) weekends sailing with my parents. Nåttarö is an island outside of Nynäshamn, and consists mainly of sand.

The beach is great and I even went for a dip again!

Panorama of the beach

We brought pasta salad and lots of fruit and spent most of the day sleeping in the sun.
What made it even better was that the sun wasn't out all the time so it was never too hot like sometimes during this past week (can't believe I just wrote that).

Melon time!

On my way home Malin texted wondering if I wanted to go out tonight.
Mixed feelings but I was up for it. Arriving home, showering, eating..
Clothes-crisis, fat-crisis.. Well..
Let's say we didn't go.
We said we'll compensate by having a blast tomorrow night when we have a BBQ and a good-bye thing to Rasmus on our schedule!

Thinking of finally wearing my unused Nine West shoes that Lina brough me from the States. I love them but can never find the right occasion to wear them!


Also contemplating buying a digital camera.
Although my cell is ok and my old one is ok, I'd really really like one for Paris. I have found a Canon Ixus for 1495:- and it's the best camera (and champagne beige as well, really pretty) and the one I'd go for.


On the other hand I really need to save up for Paris and I went for a little walk on the town with Malin yesterday and returned home with a pair of Zara shoes, a cardigan on sale (i.e. non returnable) and a Chanel-inspired jacket from Lindex.
High street shopping but for an equivalent of a Canon camera.
Oh dear.
So I'll return the shoes, that's for sure. Any advice on what to do?
Linda said to wait with the camera for a month and keep the clothes in the meantime.

Huge problems to contemplate in front of the tv tonight. Maybe I'll ask Gilla to take me camera shopping tomorrow.. Yeah.

Then off to my parent's cottage in the countryside outside of Eskilstuna Thursday. Really looking forward to getting away for a bit. If the weather is crappy I'll stay at home, painting my livingroom all white. Yup.

What are you up to?

Smelly

Sometimes when I have my balcony door open this weird weird and disgusting smell enters. At first I thought the guy living here before me had had a cat pissing all over the place but now I think I have an infected house.
We most defenitely have an animal problem.
Seagulls to be precise.

Since I can hear them and see them 24/7 there's no denying they are my closest neighbours.
Since I live on the top floor of my building it's like I'm one of them many times.
I swear, one morning I will wake up understanding their random shrieks and noises! I think I live right beneath their dining place. Or, even worse, their toilet place.

Because it reeks of old fish in here now.

Lazy summer days

After one week of vacation my brain has turned to goo.
All I do is eat (lots), sunbathe (lots) and drink drinks (lots).

After my three day birthday bash I have been laying low and Friday I went to Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago with Linda and Maria.
It was the best thing so far this summer.
Beach, sun, bath (yeah, even I went for a dip) and lazy ferry trip.
I never would've thought doing so little could make me so tired!

Next week I'm off to the cottage outside Eskilstuna.
If the weather is as nice as this and with my mother's cooking I will roll all the way home after four sleepy days of doing nothing except drink and eat.
I love this life!

With Linda at Mamas & Tapas

This is what the old people in my neighbourhood do. The Essinge Parish, the sign says.
I couldn't help but laugh when I passed by and saw all the zimmer frames neatly parked outside!

Linda on the ferry to Sandhamn

Maria and I were happy to finally arrive

The little harbour of Sandhamn

The view from the beachside. If you could see across the Baltic you'd see Åland and Finland!

I have a picture like this from Florence 2006.
For me it defines summer, I always look at it during the winter and try and remember the sweet chill of the water against my skin. Summer 2008 then, here it is.

Yesterday in Luxparken below my house Linda and I had the neighbourhood sushi that is extremely good and fresh. I got my moving in pressie (Carin-perfumed candle from By Redo) and my birthday pressie (two photos of NYC taken by Linda and enlarged). I started crying (need I add, of joy?).

Yum!

Forgot to tell you

Go to

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/comedy/37321/charlie-kasov

to see Charlie! He was picked by Time Out New York as Joke of the week! Yay!

I'm so proud of him!

After my heart turned cold again..

..He did write me, a couple of hours ago. Not Fabri Fibra, the other italian man I just gave up hope on.

He wrote me on Facebook, like always. After two weeks of complete silence. The bastard. After saying how he didn't want to lose me a second time. The bastard. He said he was sorry for not writing sooner but he's in a bit of a down period. Yeah, well, it's too late. I can't have people showing up in my life after two years, making a mess and then leaving without a word.

Today is his birthday and all I can do is not congratulate him. It's so hard to play this game. The activity of NOT doing something, like not responding on his message, is harder than to actually just do it. Like quitting smoking. To actively choose not to do something. Gaah.

Silent time..

For the first time in my life I am on paid vacation, starting Monday. Two full weeks of relax. Crazy.

These last two weeks, being responsible for all the childrens' small accessories, have been heavy but I have loved being in charge. I did it, I really did it.

Tonight is Friday night and I worked overtime two hours, went straight home and watched tv and pottered around. Now it's almost 23:00 and I am amazed that I don't have to go to bed now and get up real early tomorrow morning. It feels so sweet.

Have been on the phone with Jonna, planning the menu for Monday's dinner party. We'll go gor an Asian theme but down the wok and stir fry with classic Mojitos. Perfect.

My dear co-workers had all collected some money and threw me a surprise birthday this afternoon. They had bought me a bottle of red wine in a bottle shaped as the Pisa tower, vanilla/ raspberry cheesecake and made a card with Italian bare chested men. It was so sweet, I think they seem to know me pretty well by now.

Will have to go around the city looking for Asian cooking ingredients tomorrow, plus return my beautiful old red phone that I found at a second-hand store. Since my phone company does not support old phones it doesn't work with my land line. Absurd but true.

Monday I turn old. 27. Can't wait to get to 30. God knows where I'll be!

Good night.