Areku's World

2010-06-06T12:40:00.003+01:00

One week from now I'll have arrived in Japan. In one weeks time I'll be living in Japan.

:O

Turning Japanese

2010-04-26T10:16:00.001+01:00

I got the grant! I'm going to Japan! I can't believe it! :D YAY!

All flights in Northern Europe cancelled due to volcanic ash

2010-04-15T15:17:00.001+01:00

I got up at 5 this morning since I was going to go to Sweden today, but when I got to Stansted I found out all flight have been cancelled due to the volcano eruption in Iceland. Though I didn’t find this for many hours. When I got there, more than half of the flight had been cancelled, but ours wasn’t one of them. So we sat there, feeling lucky, eating our overpriced airport breakfast, after already having checked in our baggage and gone through security. Then when the gate number was announced, we started walking, and even then it hadn’t been cancelled. Halfway to the gate it got cancelled, together with all the remaining flights.

We’ve booked new tickets to Sweden for Saturday now, hopefully the ashes will have cleared by then, but it’s hard to tell. It looks like the flights will be cancelled tomorrow too..

According to BBC over 4000 flights in Northern Europe have been/will be cancelled just today. Even if there would be only 100 passengers per flights, we’re talking 400 000 people.

…

A walk along the river Colne

2010-03-31T20:37:00.004+01:00

Today I went for a nice walk along the local river here in Colchester.
It was a bit chilly, but at least it wasn’t raining. It’s been raining quite heavily lately.

The river Colne

Sign to show the footpath to campus

A pheasant

Typical English houses and a typical English sky

Railway tracks and tags

Kuala Lumpur

2009-11-29T18:35:00.000Z

Petronas towers in Kuala Lumpur. Can you see me? Small as an ant.

2009-11-25T22:52:00.005Z

Two months into my PhD, and while I cannot believe how quickly these past couple of months have passed by, I can't wait for these following 3 weeks to pass too so I can get some well-deserved time off and go back to Sweden. It's so draining and while I really enjoy doing my research, I get home so late every night and it's always dark when I go home and all I have time for is to eat dinner and then go into zombie mode until I literally fall asleep from exhaustion. No matter. Only three more weeks to go. It's a good thing I really enjoy what I do, because it would so not be worth it otherwise.

Btw, it's weird but I'm already dreaming about going travelling again. I say it's weird because after I went to India for three weeks, I was so drained I didn't even think about travelling anywhere for months (which is, for those of you who know me, quite rare). And I thought that after months of backpacking around in Asia I would feel the same and for a much longer period too, but apparently not..

For now though, I'll have to make do with these pictures from around the Andaman (Thailand) from when I was there this summer.

Rural Vietnam

2009-11-07T08:03:00.000Z

Hanoi

2009-10-05T12:03:00.003+01:00

Here are some pictures from Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam.

Honey, I'm home!

2009-10-02T15:48:00.012+01:00

Ok! I'm back from my trip. Sorry for not updating more! I was too busy!

I did lots of amazing stuff on the trip, including some things on my list, so it's time for an update! Now I've done 23 out of 50. Almost halfway!

- Visit Japan
- See Stonehenge
- See the leaning Tower of Pisa
- Sleep under the stars
- See the Colosseum
- See an opera
- See a musical in London
- Eat a pizza in Italy
- Get a Bonsai tree and keep it
- Go clubbing in Tokyo
- Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
- Go to a pub in Ireland
- Climb the Great Wall of China
- See the Himalayas
- Travel around in India
- Decorate a whole apartment
- Learn to dance tango
- Get a degree
- Go backpacking in Southeast Asia
- Sleep on a boat in Halong Bay
- See Angkor Wat
- Ride an elephant
- Scuba dive in Koh Phi Phi
- Live and work in Japan
- Climb Mt. Fuji
- Ride the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Beijing
- See Machu Picchu
- Dance tango in Buenos Aires
- Go to Ushuaia, the southern most town in the world
- See the Pompeii ruins
- See the Nazca lines in Peru
- See the Grand Canyon
- Go to Los Angeles
- Go clubbing in London
- Gamble in Las Vegas
- Ride on a camel in Sahara
- Go to Seoul
- Touch the Pyramids of Egypt
- See the Gay Pride Festival
- See the northern lights
- Publish an article in a scientific journal
- Skydive
- Get a driver’s license
- Learn to play the piano
- Learn French
- Get a PhD
- Make a round-the-world-trip
- Watch all films on the top 250 films on imdb
- Go to the Olympic games
- Post a video on YouTube that will get more than 10 000 views (Please keep an eye out for it)

Broke in Nam

2009-07-30T03:47:00.004+01:00

Hoi An - a small, tiny even, town in the mid parts of Vietnam. A dangerous little town where you first arrive with no intentions of buying anything, but leave with what looks like the beginning of a whole new wardrobe. The only thing stopping me from having even more clothes tailored is that I honestly don't have any space in my backpack. Charming little town, Hoi An. With extremely sociable locals, even by Vietnamese standards, delicious specialities, and hundreds and hundreds of tailor shops, with everything and anything you can imagine. (Amongst many other, relatively more reasonable clothing items, I bought 2 jackets. That's right, not one, but TWO jackets! In JUNE!!)

Oh, btw, Halong Bay was amazing. Simply incredible. We went kayaking around the cliffhills and small islands, walked around amazing caves, met lots of people.. Which brings me to a funny series of events. We met 3 French people on the boat, and ever since, they have been appearing to follow us everywhere. We've met them continously here in Hoi An. Where ever we eat, they suddenly show up, where ever we go, they soon follow. This morning I found out they are now even staying at out hotel. They insisted jokingly that they are not following us, but they are. The second time we met them, one of the girls had broken her arm! The third time, the guy had hurt his leg badly from falling from a motorbike. They were just laughing, not able to do anything else, and said we could go home and tell our friends about the unlucky French people who kept being in accidents and hurting themselves. That's what happens when you follow people around, I guess. The last thing I said to them was "See you in Saigon!". And we probably will.

Regarding the blog title, I found that my English visa card wasn't working. Dispite having money on the account, I couldn't withdraw any money what so ever. I phoned and phoned my bank with no luck, and finally I had to wait in a telephone queue for 20 odd minutes (it's bloody expensive making international calls from Vietnam!) I was told that they had "blocked" it (AGAIN, this is the 3rd time it happens in less than 2 months) because it had been used in suspicious situations (In other words, I had been using it more than 2-3 times a month... Seriously.. in this day and age?! Of course I buy things on the internet, I'm out travelling in Asia for 2 months, of course I book flight tickets, of course I try to withdraw money from ATM's in Vietnam...). After an apology (like that's gonna make up being broke with 2 months of being stuck in South East Asia ahead of you) he said that he had made sure now that I wouldn't have any problems with my card for 30 days, but after that, he couldn't guarantee the card wouldn't be noticed by their security system and blocked again. So basically, I've got money for another 30 days... I guess it'll have to do - for now. But they do it one more time, and I'm chaning my bank first thing when I get back to England. And oh btw, the bank I'm talking about is Lloyds TSB, spread the word!

Today, we are going back to Da Nang, because we're taking the train from there tomorrow to go to Saigon. It's a long journey from Da Nang to Saigon, around 18 hours or so.

Till next time!

Hanoi

2009-07-23T16:12:00.002+01:00

I had this beautiful, detailed rubbish for story in my head, but I lost it, like all the liquid in my body, so I guess I'll skip to the short version:

After a very long journey, 3 flights, 4 countries and 42 sleepless hours later, we finally reaced Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. We spent 14 godforsaken hours at Bangkok International Airport, and I can't say it was the most exciting day of my life, but I take comfort in the fact that it could've been worse. I once spent a night at Stansted Airport (in the middle of the winter!), and let's just say I'm glad Bangkok's airport isn't as small as Stansted. Or worse still: Vasteras.

The flight from Bangkok to Hanoi was delayed a further 2 hours, which was just what we needed. And I kept thinking that if we didn't catch the swine flu there, we probably never would. As of yet, we still display no symptoms of such a flu (or any kind of flu for that matter).

Earlier that day, whilst still in Bangkok, I spent half a day's budget (slight overexaggeration) phoning the hotel in Hanoi to arrange for an airport pickup, as we would now arrive in Hanoi in the middle of the night. When we arrived, a taxi driver was waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. Needless to say, I felt overly cool.

Hanoi is a relatively quiet and calm capital. Relatively because after all, it is a big city in South East Asia, but I've seen worse. A LOT worse.

So by now, we've walked the narrow alley's of the Old Quarters of Hanoi up and down and know them like the back of our hands. We've bought conical rice hats (which I'm decisively unwilling to wear because of all the small insects and lice crawling in and between the tightly bundled straws). We've even seen the (boring) traditional Vietnamese water puppet show, which is said to be at its best here in Hanoi.

I do like Vietnam so far. The people are extremely friendly. One of the friendliest (and genuine) you can find in the East (it goes without saying that Easterners are friendlier than people in the West, despite their intrusive habits of wanting to sell you all sorts of crap for a special price, just for you!)

I would post some pictures, but a majority of my patience was lost uploading pics on facebook on a barely cooperative computer, so I'll ask you to just look at the pics on facebook, or alternatively, wait about two months till I get home and upload the pics then.

2009-06-02T09:41:00.002+01:00

This is the kind of news I shouldn't read before a long-haul flight and a long trip: Plane hit by lightening and disappeared from radar

YAY!

2009-06-01T12:27:00.003+01:00

I've received the e-ticket for the trip now! I'm so excited!

This is the dates and times:

Departure: London 09.10 (July 20)
Arrival: Abu Dhabi 19.15 (July 20)
Duration flight: 7h 5min

Departure: Abu Dhabi 21.55 (July 20)
Arrival: Bangkok 07.15 (July 21)
Duration flight: 6h 20min

*************************************

Departure: Bangkok 20.35 (September 14)
Arrival: Abu Dhabi 23.50 (September 14)
Duration flight: 6h 15min

Departure: Abu Dhabi 02.35 (September 15)
Arrival: London 07.20 (September 15)
Duration flight: 7h 45min

2009-05-31T11:00:00.003+01:00

It's sad we're not gonna see this amazing place.. But at least the booking and payment is sorted now.. Still waiting for the e-ticket though. Hope they'll send it tomorrow.

2009-05-29T17:57:00.002+01:00

I booked the tickets yesterday, but apparently there was a payment failure. I'm not gonna write the whole story now because I'm too tired, but I've sent them an email now and hopefully it should be fine now..

What's more is that we will have to change our route slightly. Not much, but basically, we will have to skip Yogyakarta and Borobodur, which is a great shame because I was really looking forward to it. The reason is that we are going to Bali after that and we were planning on flying there from Yogyakarta. But apparently, ALL domestic flights in Indonesia are black listed because of very poor security, very old planes (often more than 20 years old), and just generally very bad standard. Accidents are very common, happening every week, and it's so bad that the insurance companies don't cover domestic flights in Indonesia.

And we don't have time to take the bus/train, but that would not be secure anyway, as we're going during the monsoon period and the roads are often flooded and closed off.

So we could either skip Indonesia completely or just choose one destination, and as we really want to go to Bali, we have to skip Yogyakarta and Borobodur.. Unfortunately.

This trip has not started very good.. I hope the rest will go more smoothly.

2009-05-28T11:25:00.005+01:00

I've spoken to Lesley, the graduate administrator, and asked her about whether I need to be here over the summer and when the latest I need to be back by is, because I was a bit worried about going on the trip. But she said it was fine and if I had plans, then they'll just have to wait. She's so lovely. So basically we can book the tickets now!

I want to do it soon as it's only some 50ish days left!!

But I still have one exam left :(

Btw I'm coming to Sweden in a few weeks so let me know if you want to meet up, people!

X

Update

2009-05-28T11:21:00.002+01:00

Still 34 left on my list.. Wow I should hurry haha!

- Visit Japan
- See Stonehenge
- See the leaning Tower of Pisa
- Sleep under the stars
- See the Colosseum
- See an opera
- See a musical in London
- Eat a pizza in Italy
- Get a Bonsai tree and keep it
- Go clubbing in Tokyo
- Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
- Go to a pub in Ireland
- Climb the Great Wall of China
- See the Himalayas
- Travel around in India
- Decorate a whole apartment
- Learn to dance tango
- Get a degree
- See Angkor Wat
- Take a boat trip around Halong Bay
- Get a scuba diving certificate
- Swim/ scuba dive in Koh Phi Phi
- Sun bathe on Bali
- Ride the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Beijing
- See Machu Picchu
- Ride an elephant
- See the Pompeii ruins
- See the Nazca lines in Peru
- See the Grand Canyon
- Go to Los Angeles
- Go to a gay club in London
- Gamble in Las Vegas
- Learn to surf
- Go to Fucking in Austria
- Take a gondola ride in Venice
- Go to Seoul
- Go to a fetish club
- Touch the Pyramids of Egypt
- See the Gay Pride Festival
- Go backpacking in Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia..)
- Publish an article in a scientific journal
- Go to Mexico
- Skydive
- Get a driver’s license
- Learn to play the piano
- Learn French
- Get a PhD
- Make a round-the-world-trip
- Watch all films on the top 250 films on imdb
- Go to the Olympic games
- Post a video on YouTube that will get more than 10 000 views (Please keep an eye out for it)

Backpacking 2009

2009-04-24T14:11:00.004+01:00

It's decided. I'm going on a backpacking trip around Southeast Asia after my graduation.

I haven't booked the tickets yet, but the following countries will hopefully be visited during the two months long trip:
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia
Malaysia
Singapore
Indonesia

It'll be great! I've dreamt about this trip since I was 15.

Top 250

2009-04-13T13:45:00.010+01:00

Ok, the challenge is on! I’m gonna watch all top 250 movies on imdb!
Deadline: 30 Sep 2009

So far, 13 April 2009:

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
~~2. The Godfather (1972)~~
~~3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)~~
4. Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. (1966)
~~5. Pulp Fiction (1994)~~
~~6.The Dark Knight (2008)~~
7. Schindler’s List (1993)
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
9. 12 Angry Men (1957)
~~10. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)~~
11. Casablanca (1942)
~~12. Star Wars (1977)~~
~~13. Shichinin no samurai (1954)~~
~~14. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)~~
~~15. Goodfellas (1990)~~
16. Rear Window (1954)
~~17. Cidade de Deus (2002)~~
~~18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)~~
19. C’era una volta il West (1968)
~~20. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)~~
~~21. Fight Club (1999)~~
22. The Usual Suspects (1995)
23. Psycho (1960)
~~24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)~~
25. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
26. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
~~27. Memento (2000)~~
28. North by Northwest (1959)
~~29. The Matrix (1999)~~
30. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
31. Citizen Kane (1941)
~~32. Se7en (1995)~~
~~33. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)~~
~~34. Léon (1994)~~
35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
~~36. American Beauty (1999)~~
~~37. Taxi Driver (1976)~~
38. American History X (1998)
39. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
40. Vertigo (1958)
~~41. WALL•E (2008)~~
~~42. Forrest Gump (1994)~~
43. Paths of Glory (1957)
~~44. Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001)~~
45. M (1931)
46. Double Indemnity (1944)
47. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
48. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
~~49. Alien (1979)~~
~~50. A Clockwork Orange (1971)~~
51. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
~~52. The Departed (2006)~~
53. Das Leben der Anderen (2006)
~~54. The Shining (1980)~~
55. The Third Man (1949)
~~56. The Pianist (2002)~~
57. Chinatown (1974)
~~58. Saving Private Ryan (1998)~~
~~59. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)~~
~~60. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)~~
~~61. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)~~
~~62. Aliens (1986)~~
~~63. Requiem for a Dream (2000)~~
64. L.A. Confidential (1997)
~~65. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)~~
~~66. Das Boot (1981)~~
67. City Lights (1931)
68. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
~~69. Reservoir Dogs (1992)~~
70. El laberinto del fauno (2006)
~~71. Rashômon (1950)~~
~~72. Raging Bull (1980)~~
73. The Wrestler (2008)
74. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
75. All About Eve (1950)
76. Modern Times (1936)
77. Gran Torino (2008)
~~78. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)~~
79. Der Untergang (2004)
80. Metropolis (1927)
81. Rebecca (1940)
82. Some Like It Hot (1959)
~~83. The Prestige (2006)~~
84. Amadeus (1984)
85. The Elephant Man (1980)
~~86. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)~~
87. La vita è bella (1997)
88. The Apartment (1960)
89. Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988)
90. The Great Escape (1963)
~~91. The Great Dictator (1940)~~
92. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
~~93. Full Metal Jacket (1987)~~
~~94. Sin City (2005)~~
95. The Sting (1973)
96. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
97. Touch of Evil (1958)
98. Ladri di biciclette (1948)
99. On the Waterfront (1954)
~~100. Back to the Future (1985)~~
~~101.8.3Det sjunde inseglet (1957)~~
~~102.Braveheart (1995)~~
103.Hotel Rwanda (2004)
104.No Country for Old Men (2007)
~~105.Batman Begins (2005)~~
~~106.Jaws (1975)~~
~~107. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)~~
108. Strangers on a Train (1951)
109. Blade Runner (1982)
~~110. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)~~
111. Unforgiven (1992)
~~112. The Green Mile (1999)~~
113. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
114. Notorious (1946)
115. High Noon (1952)
116. Gladiator (2000)
~~117. Oldboy (2003)~~
118. Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)
119. The Big Sleep (1946)
~~120. Fargo (1996)~~
121. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
122. There Will Be Blood (2007)
~~123. Die Hard (1988)~~
~~124. The Wizard of Oz (1939)~~
~~125. Mononoke-hime (1997)~~
126. The General (1926)
~~127. Donnie Darko (2001)~~
~~128. Yojimbo (1961)~~
129. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
130. Smultronstället (1957)
~~131. Ran (1985)~~
132. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
133. Annie Hall (1977)
134. It Happened One Night (1934)
~~135. Heat (1995)~~
136. The Deer Hunter (1978)
~~137. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)~~
~~138. The Sixth Sense (1999)~~
139. Le salaire de la peur (1953)
140. Ben-Hur (1959)
141. Into the Wild (2007)
142. Platoon (1986)
143. Le notti di Cabiria (1957)
144. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
145. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
146. Les diaboliques (1955)
~~147. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)~~
148. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
~~149. Life of Brian (1979)~~
150. 8½ (1963)
151. The Big Lebowski (1998)
~~152. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)~~
153. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
~~154. Ratatouille (2007)~~
155. The Killing (1956)
~~156. Snatch. (2000)~~
157. The Graduate (1967)
~~158. Finding Nemo (2003)~~
~~159. Amores perros~~
160. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
~~161. Stand by Me (1986)~~
162. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
163. The Gold Rush (1925)
164. Brief Encounter (1945)
165. Gandhi (1982)
166. Gone with the Wind (1939)
167. Trainspotting (1996)
168. The Wild Bunch (1969)
~~169. The Lion King (1994)~~
~~170. Scarface (1983)~~
~~171. V for Vendetta (2005)~~
~~172. The Thing (1982)~~
173. Groundhog Day (1993)
174. The Princess Bride (1987)
175. Harvey (1950)
~~176. The Incredibles (2004)~~
177. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
~~178. Toy Story (1995)~~
179. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
180. Sleuth (1972)
181. The Hustler (1961)
~~182. The Terminator (1984)~~
183. Umberto D. (1952)
184. Children of Men (2006)
185. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
186. La battaglia di Algeri (1966)
~~187. Twelve Monkeys (1995)~~
188. The Kid (1921)
~~189. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)~~
190. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
191. The African Queen (1951)
192. Låt den rätte komma in (2008)
193. Duck Soup (1933)
194. Stalag 17 (1953)
~~195. Hotaru no haka (1988)~~
196. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
~~197. Casino (1995)~~
198. The Conversation (1974)
199. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
~~200. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)~~
201. Dial M for Murder (1954)
202. In Bruges (2008)
203. King Kong (1933)
204. Ed Wood (1994)
205. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
206. Le scaphandre et le papillon (2007)
207. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
~~208. The Exorcist (1973)~~
209. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
210. The Lost Weekend (1945)
211. Crash (2004/I)
212. Rope (1948)
213. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
214. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
215. La strada (1954)
216. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
~~217. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)~~
218. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
219. Changeling (2008)
220. His Girl Friday (1940)
221. Safety Last! (1923)
222. Patton (1970)
223. Frankenstein (1931)
224. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
225. Network (1976)
~~226. Wo hu cang long (2000)~~
227. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
228. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
229. Manhattan (1979)
230. Magnolia (1999)
231. Glory (1989)
~~232. Big Fish (2003)~~
233. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
234. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
235. Mystic River (2003)
236. Roman Holiday (1953)
237. Spartacus (1960)
238. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
239. Great Expectations (1946)
240. La dolce vita (1960)
~~241. Rocky (1976)~~
242. Laura (1944)
243. Harold and Maude (1971)
244. Good Will Hunting (1997)
245. Barry Lyndon (1975)
~~246. Planet of the Apes (1968)~~
247. My Man Godfrey (1936)
248. Vals Im Bashir (2008)
249. Les quatre cents coups (1959)
~~250. Hauru no ugoku shiro (2004)~~

92/250

Brighton!

2009-04-10T16:19:00.005+01:00

Kay peeps, here are my pics from Brighton 1-3 April.

Update

2009-03-06T18:36:00.001Z

- ~~Visit Japan~~
- ~~See Stonehenge~~
- ~~See the leaning Tower of Pisa~~
- ~~Sleep under the stars~~
- ~~See the Colosseum~~
- ~~See an opera~~
- ~~See a musical in London~~
- ~~Eat a pizza in Italy~~
- ~~Get a Bonsai tree and keep it~~
- ~~Go clubbing in Tokyo~~
- ~~Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower~~
- ~~Go to a pub in Ireland~~
- ~~Climb the Great Wall of China~~
- ~~See the Himalayas~~
- ~~Travel around in India~~
- ~~Decorate a whole apartment~~
- Learn to dance tango
- Get a degree
- Ride the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Beijing
- See Machu Picchu
- Ride an elephant
- See the Pompeii ruins
- See the Nazca lines in Peru
- See the Grand Canyon
- Go to Los Angeles
- Go to a gay club in London
- Gamble in Las Vegas
- Learn to surf (or at least try)
- Take a gondola ride in Venice
- Go to Seoul
- Go to a fetish club
- Touch the Pyramids of Egypt
- See the Gay Pride Festival
- Go backpacking in SEA (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia..)
- Publish an article in a scientific journal
- Go to Mexico
- Skydive
- Get a driver’s license
- Learn to play the piano
- Learn French
- Get a PhD
- Make a round-the-world-trip
- Watch all films on the top 250 films on imdb
- Go to the Olympic games
- Post a video on YouTube that will get more than 10 000 views (Please keep an eye out for it)

The Cloud, Dubai

2009-01-30T18:18:00.003Z

Speaking of Dubai on the clouds, there really is an existing idea about building a city on the clouds. Or rather, building a resort city 300 m above the ground, hold up by legs resembling rain.

It really looks amazing, doesn't it?

City on the clouds

2009-01-28T22:29:00.002Z

It looks like a city on the clouds. A sci-fi version of jack and the beanstalk.
Dubai

Seoul Commune 2026

2009-01-27T20:14:00.005Z

Wow! Vilken grej, as we say in Swedish. I'm looking forward to that one!!
The future is here!

Things to do..

2009-01-21T22:54:00.008Z

Things to do before I’m 30

- ~~Sleep under the stars~~
- ~~See the Colosseum~~
- ~~See the leaning Tower of Pisa~~
- ~~Eat a pizza in Italy~~
- ~~See Stonehenge~~
- ~~See a musical in London~~
- ~~Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower~~
- ~~Visit Japan~~
- ~~Go clubbing in Tokyo~~
- ~~See an opera~~
- ~~Climb the Great Wall of China~~
- ~~Go to a pub in Ireland~~
- ~~See the Himalayas~~
- ~~Travel around in India~~
- ~~Get a Bonsai tree~~
- Decorate a whole apartment
- Learn to dance tango
- Get a degree
- Ride the Trans-Siberian from Moscow to Beijing
- See Machu Picchu
- Ride an elephant
- See the Pompeii ruins
- See the Nazca lines in Peru
- See the Grand Canyon
- Go to Los Angeles
- Go to a gay club in London
- Gamble in Las Vegas
- Learn to surf (or at least try)
- Take a gondola ride in Venice
- Go to Seoul
- Touch the Pyramids of Egypt
- See the Gay Pride Festival
- Go backpacking in SEA (Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia..)
- Publish an article in a scientific journal
- Go to Mexico
- Skydive
- Get a driver’s license
- Learn to play the piano
- Learn French
- Get a PhD
- Make a round-the-world-trip
- Watch all films on the top 250 films on imdb
- Go to the Olympic games
- Post a video on YouTube that will get more than 10 000 views (Please keep an eye out for it)

Things to do before I’m 40
- Go to Tibet
- Go to Antarctica

Things to do before I die
- Set foot on each of the seven continents
- Beat the Internet
- Beat the last boss

The Ren Building

2009-01-21T16:10:00.005Z

This magnificent building is a proposal for a hotel, leisure and conference centre for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai.

It is designed to look like the Chinese character REN, meaning person, or human.

Gorgeous isn't it?

Brief update

2009-01-14T10:58:00.003Z

I am sooo busy at the moment. I'll tell you why later.

It's been such a long time since I wrote anything. It's been Christmas, and New Year. I went back to Sweden during the holidays, spent lots of time with family and friends, didn't study at all, but did make some very big and important decisions that needed to be made.

And now I'm back in Colchester, for my last term before I graduate this summer. And it will be an extremely busy term, not just because of my studies.

But I'm hoping it will be a good term.

A happy year to you all!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T13:35:00.006Z

I made a Jack-o-lantern today!

Look, Sushi and Sashimi are afraid of it! Kawaisou!!

Bed throw

2008-10-25T11:50:00.003+01:00

The bed throw I bought in India.

2008-10-23T17:18:00.003+01:00

I recently bought a bonsai tree by the way. Before I got the goldfish. I'll take photos and upload them so you can all see.

It hasn't been named..
Do you think plants should be given names? Or should the line be drawn at pets?

Sushi and Sashimi

2008-10-21T21:05:00.005+01:00

I've bought two goldfish. They're really cute!
The black one is called Sushi, and the orange one is Sashimi!

India - Pakistan border

2008-09-24T10:46:00.001+01:00

The Golden Temple

2008-09-24T10:29:00.001+01:00

Amritsar

2008-09-24T10:16:00.003+01:00

Varanasi (Ganges)

2008-09-24T10:13:00.001+01:00

Maharaja Mac

2008-09-24T10:11:00.000+01:00

Haha

Darjeeling & The Himalayas

2008-09-24T10:09:00.000+01:00

Darjeeling 5

2008-09-24T09:32:00.003+01:00

Darjeeling 5 - Happy Valley Tea Estate

2008-09-24T09:27:00.001+01:00

Darjeeling 4

2008-09-24T09:06:00.004+01:00

Darjeeling 3

2008-09-23T12:54:00.002+01:00

Darjeeling 2

2008-09-23T10:28:00.003+01:00

Darjeeling 1

2008-09-23T10:24:00.003+01:00

Pahar Ganj, Delhi

2008-09-23T10:18:00.000+01:00

The Lotus Temple, Delhi

2008-09-23T10:16:00.001+01:00

India Gate in Delhi

2008-09-23T10:15:00.001+01:00

More from Agra

2008-09-23T10:12:00.000+01:00

Agra Fort

2008-09-22T14:24:00.004+01:00

Taj Mahal

2008-09-22T14:17:00.002+01:00

Agra

2008-09-22T13:53:00.003+01:00

Agra

2008-09-22T13:49:00.002+01:00

2008-09-22T13:47:00.000+01:00

Delhi, first day, near the Jama Masjid.

2008-09-22T13:44:00.002+01:00

Flying over Finland.

Tadaima!

2008-09-21T13:26:00.001+01:00

I'm home from India now. So I can finally start uploading pictures!

Attari-Waga border + Chandigarh

2008-09-20T11:34:00.007+01:00

We have done a lot of things since last I wrote anything.

One thing is going to the Attari-Waga border - the only border between India and Pakistan. We had heard it was a spectacular border closing ceremony every evening and were curious about it. It truly was spectacular.

Remember how I said I enjoyed being a woman here in India? Well the border just made me love it even more. When we got to Attari, we met an older American couple from Hawaii and decided to go together. We saw that the men and the women had split into two different queues, and we decided to do the same. So Linda (the American) and I went to stand with all the Indian women. After a while, a little boy approached us and said that we were standing in the wrong queue, and that there was a separate queue for foreigners, and told us to follow him, but if it's one thing we know we should never do in India, it's to follow strangers. Later we found that there really was a separate stand for foreigners, but boy am I happy we didn't stand there, because I wouldn't have experienced half of what I experienced there if I had been sitting with the foreigners. I'll tell you about it.

All the local women were really friendly and smiled and kept talking to us, mostly in Hindi or Punjabi, but even their English wasn't comprehensible. All of them wanted us to sit with them. There were loads of people, all there to see the weird closing ceremony!

Some women went down to the road to hold and walk with the flags, so I asked a guard if we could do the same, and he said: Yes, please go and do it! And only women could do this, so I was again very happy to be a woman. After a while many of the local women were standing all over the road and started dancing. The guard wanted to tell us something, so I walked over to him, and he said: You can go and dance to if you want. So Linda and I went, as the only two foreigners, to dance Punjabi with all the local women, and they all wanted to dance with us, take pictures with us and enjoy themselves together with us. Afterwards, I was amazed over how I managed to dance for half an hour in that heat! But it was great fun and definitely something couldn't have done if we had been sitting with the other foreigners.

After a while the closing ceremony started and it was amazing. I highly recommend you to go there, if you go to Amritsar. It's only 40 minutes away by car. And now I can brag about actually having SEEN Pakistan haha!

After Amritsar, we went to the capital of Punjab: Chandigarh. We were there for two days. Chandigarh is a bit different from what we've seen in India so far. It's more modern, and slightly cleaner, or rather, less disgustingly dirty than what we've seen so far. Nothing special about it. There's a nice rock garden there, which we visited. I'll upload the pictures later. I'll upload all pictures when I get home.

Yesterday we spent the whole day in Delhi, and now today is our last day in India. Tonight we're going home. Our flight leaves at 1am. It's been an amazing journey, no doubt! But now it feels rather good to get home, take showers and actually feel clean afterwards, have access to high-speed Internet again, and escape the smell and the loud traffic, to name a few things.

About being a woman in India

2008-09-16T08:36:00.002+01:00

Being a woman in India is exhausting in many ways. The men constantly stare at you, try to touch you, and shamelessly take pictures of you, etc etc.

But there are also good things about being a woman in India. For example like how all queues have separate lines for men and women, and it's always very very long for men, but always almost empty for women.

And also, I like how everyone keep calling me ma'am. "Good morning, ma'am", "Yes, ma'am", "No problem, ma'am". It's adorable.

But I still don't know how to wear my sari. I tried, but it looked very awkward and not very flattering at all. I wonder how they do it. I'm actually considering just asking the first woman I see wearing one, but that would be a bit embarrassing.

Blasts in Delhi

2008-09-13T15:26:00.003+01:00

I just saw on the news, they were sending live from Delhi, about the serial blasts at several places in Delhi this evening, less than 2 h ago. Several people have been killed and many have been injured.

Explosives had been put in public bins and in parking lots, aiming at the busiest market places, with the most people, and during the busiest time of, not only the day, but the week.

One of the places was Connaught Place. It's hard to imagine that I was walking around on those streets 24h ago, and in that particular market (Palika Bazaar).

...
Anyway, we're fine, but we don't plan on doing any shopping in Delhi, so don't expect any souvenirs!

Trains and Turbans

2008-09-13T12:14:00.004+01:00

Yesterday we just did some general browsing in and around Connaught Place in Delhi. This morning we woke up early to catch the train to Amritsar, which took 6-7 hours. So we are now in Amritsar. Land of the turbans..ehm I mean the Sikhs.

By the way, I've looked up how to wear a sari, so I'm gonna try that, as I have had the blouse made and all (I had it done in Varanasi). So hopefully I'll be able to wear the sari tomorrow. Haha.

Here in Amritsar, we stay at Grand Hotel. It's located very near the train station. Tomorrow we plan on going to the Golden Temple.

Not to get jinxed or anything, but I'm proud to tell you all that none of us have gotten food poisoned (yet), and except for my cold, we're healthy and fine.

More spicy adventures

2008-09-12T08:44:00.006+01:00

We ended up booking flight tickets from Varanasi to Delhi yesterday. It was kind of cool. I’ve always wanted to buy a last minute ticket and hurry to the airport. It’s so spontaneous, and wild, like being in a film. "When's the next ticket to Delhi!?" And then: "Taxi! To the airport! Hurry!". Almost like: "Follow that car!" kind of cool. But not quite.

It’s ironic though, because I remember when we flew back from Darjeeling and were waiting for the bags, and not far from us stood people waiting for their bags, from Varanasi. And I remember thinking: ”Pffh! Why would anyone fly from Varanasi, when there are convenient night trains going between Delhi and Varanasi??”. Now I know.

Last night was very adventurous. Because of our spontaneous little change of plans, when we got to the hotel we usually stay at here in Delhi, they didn’t have any rooms available. I couldn’t believe it! A noisy hotel (fair enough, that just means it’s in a very good location, and it’s cheap too). I had never imagined a hotel being fully booked during off-peak season, but there you go.

Anyway. Stranded in Delhi, in the middle of the night, without anywhere to stay. I must say I wasn't too happy. Lots of things happened that I can't even be bothered to write about right now, but we finally got a place to stay, a very expensive room, totally not worth what they were asking for, but hey, we had a place to stay. We then went to a nearby 24h open fast food chain to have a way too late dinner consisting of sinful burgers and coke, because we just couldn't be assed after all the .. ehm.. excitement, if you will. Well I can tell you this much: after what we've been through, I don't think there's much I can't handle now.

This morning we checked out to go all the way from Connaught Place, beyond Paharganj and beyond the railway station with our big backpacks on our packs and the little ones on the front, like sumo wrestlers dressed in black. Running, on the busy streets of Delhi, with all that packing, in the heat, made me think that this is what it must feel like to be fat. I mean, really fat. Remind me to start working out when I get back, because I don't ever want to feel like that when running if I don't have any bags or backpacks.

Oh by the way, I've caught a cold. Fancy that. In the 35 degrees hot India. Hah.

Anyway, I'm just glad to have left Varanasi.
Tomorrow we're going to Amritsar. I'm looking forward to that actually. Even thought it means getting up way too early. Sleep is overrated anyway.

Varanasi

2008-09-10T09:51:00.006+01:00

I don't get it. Why are people crazy about Varanasi? Why do they all come here and why do they end up strongly recommending it to everybody else? "You MUST go to Varanasi!", "No travelling around India is complete without a visit to Varanasi", and "I was travelling around India for 3 months and out of all places I visited, Varanasi is definitely my favourite".

I don't get it. I dislike Varanasi. A lot.

Yes, it's filthy, the riskshaw drivers are always all over us constantly following us, and all men very indiscreetly take photos of me everywhere I go. But they do that everywhere else too, so that's not it.

There is something very disturbing about Varanasi. I'm not sure what it is, I can't really put my finger on it. Is it the numbing smell that's a hundred times worse than anywhere else? Is it the devilishly narrow and empty alleys that send chills down your spine even when the heat is so intense that your clothes have formed an external layer of skin because you're sweating so much that 50% of all the water inside your body is actually now not on inside but on the outside of your skin? Is it the fact that all drivers insists on having their "brother" or "study-buddy" with them in the rickshaw and you spend 15 minutes saying you only want to go with the driver? Is it how half of the cycle-rickshaw drivers are kids below the age of 11? Or how all vendors on the street, regardless of what trash they are selling, want to sell you drugs? Or fools who with all seriousness want to convince you to take an hour long ride on an old, rusty boat, out on the Ganges river with a thunderstorm just seconds away? Or all potheads who claim they are pure and spiritual because they are vegetarians dressed in hippie clothes in India, and yet sit around (high as scyscrapers, I should add) and smoke cigarettes in restaurants?

And in addition to all this, there's nothing really to see here. A River. I've seen it now, thank you. So it leaves me here wondering why everyone likes Varanasi. If you ask me, there really isn't much to like here. And so, all I can do now is to read lousy books and wait until our train back to Delhi leaves tomorrow night.

Travelling in India

2008-09-08T09:00:00.005+01:00

Travelling in India is quite an adventure, for better or for worse.. Yesterday we left Darjeeling to go back to Delhi. We got up early and went down to the bazaar in Darjeeling, where pooled jeeptaxis leave for Siliguri once the jeep is full, and it's not considered full when it really is, but when there are around 15 people in a jeep for 8-9, having some people hanging outside, standing on the flap. So we drove around Darjeeling for quite some time, yelling "SILIGURI" through the windows, to pick up more people. Needless to say, the journey was very uncomfortable, especially on those rocky, terrible things with holes they call roads. An 80ish km took 3 hours. But the view was as always fantastic.

In Siliguri we took a auto rickshaw to the airport in Bagdogra, where we flew to Guwahati in Assam, all the way on the other side of Bangladesh, before continuing to Delhi, again alongside the beautiful peaks of the Himalayas. It's so beautiful I wasn't sure whether the goosebumps were because of the AC or the view.

Back in Delhi we were supposed to take a prepaid taxi to the Railway Station (which is a 2 min walk to our hotel), but the car broke down in the middle of the motorway and we had to actually push it away from the motorway while trying to avoid getting hit by all the cars, mopeds and autos. After arguing with the driver for a while, we ended up taking an auto to the railway station.

Back at the hotel we just had time to take a well-needed shower before our Indian friends came to pick us up and took us out to a very modern and fancy restaurant where we stayed until late.

Tonight, our plan is to take a night train to Varanasi, so tomorrow we will wake up in Varanasi, and hopefully try some yoga.

By the way, I bought a beautiful, dark redish sari in Darjeeling. Now I'm looking for a tailor who can make the blouse for me. Today is Monday so most places are closed, but hopefully I'll find someone in Varanasi.

Oh and one more thing. In Darjeeling, one of the things we did was to go to the Happy Vally Tea Estate, as Darjeeling tea is quite famous in the world, and a personal favourite. After a tour inside the factory, we went to the little cafeteria where we were served the finest quality Darjeeling tea actually called, hang on to your hats now: Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pick 01 (picko one). A lovely old Nepali woman explained everything, and told us it could be done in only 5 seconds, and that's why she's known as the 5 second lady.. We sat there for quite some time and she told us how she had moved to Darjeeling from Nepal to get married when she was 13, and told us all about Nepal and even the old legends from there. Afterwards we wrote in the guest book, so if you ever go there you can read what we wrote on the 5th of Sep 2008.

Rain

2008-09-05T07:11:00.003+01:00

Yesterday evening we went to Kunga, a Tibetan restaurant here in Darjeeling, and ate momo (Tibetan dumplings). There we met a Japanese girl. We started talking and ended up going to her hotel and drink and talk, while trying to hide the alcohol from the owners, because we weren't supposed to consume alcohol there. It felt like being a young teenager again.

When it was time to sleep I noticed how quiet and peaceful it was. No cars, no trains, no one screaming, just some stray dogs howling in the night. It was indeed different from Delhi, a bit strange, but lovely!

There are a lot of dogs on the streets here in Darjeeling. Usually they are sleeping during the days, and wake up during the evenings.

This morning we went back to the Tibetan restaurant to have banana pancakes, warming tea and ate while listening to the chefs and waiter sing. The perfect way to start a peaceful day.

Afterwards we went to the train station to buy tickets for the Toy Train for tomorrow, but soon the rain started to pour down, so we fled to an Internet cafe.

My malaria pills are giving me terrible stomach cramps and make me nauseous, and the mosquito repellent stick is itching, but one look over the houses on the hills, and the gentle faces of the locals here make it all worth it. It truly is a mesmerizing town.

I want to stay here forever.

Darjeeling: People of the clouds

2008-09-04T12:03:00.005+01:00

We are now in Darjeeling, but before I talk about our trip here, I'll continue where I left of last time.

Agra was nice, with the Taj Mahal, The Fort, Baby Taj etc. But pricey, probably because of all the tourists. Anyway, the Taj Mahal made it all worth it. We took the train back to Delhi in the evening and arrived at 22.30. The train took only 2 hours, and we passed the birthplace of Krishna on the way.

The train personnel were very cute in their little uniforms, mustaches and semi-turbans. Meals and drinks are included in the train prices. One problem I find though is that you're supposed to eat with your right hand here, as the left is for toilet duties. I struggle with this, because I'm left-handed.

Anyway.
Yesterday we went to the Lotus Temple (The Baha'i House of Worship). It was very beautiful! Oh, and we had to remove our shoes again, which was fine because cleverly had the pair of socks in my bag! In the afternoon we strolled around the busy streets of the Main Bazaar in Paharganj.

This morning we woke up early to go to the domestic airport and go to Darjeeling. Or rather, to Bagdogra, and then to Darjeeling from there. The flight was only 2h, the stewardesses very beautiful, and the view simply amazing. We flew next to the Himalayas for over an hour, above the highest clouds, alongside the beautiful mountains.

We had met a Belgian girl at the airport who was also going to Darjeeling, so we shared a jeep to Darjeeling from Bagdogra. The 90 km ride took over 3 hours on the godforsaken roads, but it was the most amazing car journey I have ever been on (bear in mind I'm extremely carsick). We just went higher and higher up, up up in the clouds and the mountains. People emerged from the mist just meters away from the jeep and no one seemed scared or even bothered. The views were incredible all the way to Darjeeling.

Once in Darjeeling, we easily found our hotel and checked in, and then took a stroll down the streets of Darjeeling, with all the schoolkids on their way from school, vendors, animals, and the odd backpacker.

It is cool and nice here (we're even wearing long sleeves). It's indeed a nice change from Delhi and the heat.

India!

2008-09-02T09:57:00.002+01:00

We arrived in Delhi late on the 31st of August and were greeted by our Indian friends. It was so humid and so hot even though it was midnight. The flight was good. Shorter than to China or Japan, which was very nice.

We slept in on Monday morning. We wanted to go to the Baha'i Lotus Temple, but it's closed on Mondays, so we went to the Jama Masjid instead, which is the biggest mosque in India. We had to wait outside for an hour and a half, because of prayers (and non-muslims aren't allowed in then). You had to remove your shoes before going in. I was only wearing a pair or flip flops, and no socks, which was unfortunate because the ground was EXTREMELY hot. Even the thin rugs they had put out had become very hot. We had to dance our way around the mosque. Needless to say, I am now always carrying a pair of socks in my bag, just in case.

In the evening we ate at the hotel restaurant. Bryani and tandoori chicken. The chicken was without doubt the best chicken I have ever tasted. Everything was of course very spicy and hot, and yet sooo good. Which I found surprising, because my stomach usually can't handle very spicy food.

Today we had to wake up very early (05.30), because our train to Agra would leave at 06.15. Fortunately our hotel is only 2 minutes from the railway station. Despite this, finding and getting on the train turned out to be quite the adventure. We asked 4 different people where the platform was and got 5 different answers. It was baaad. When we finally found the platform (ourselves!), the train was already rolling! Doors open, of coure, so we ran after it and jumped on it! It was really last minute..! But no India without running after and jumping on trains, I suppose..

Agra is incredible. The Taj Mahal is beyond everything. I couldn't take my eyes away from it. I'll post pictures later. We have also seen the Agra Fort, which was huge, and beautiful, but nothing compared to the Taj.

Now we'll wake our rickshaw driver and head for new adventures!

Bye!

2008-08-30T15:27:00.003+01:00

I'm going to India tomorrow!

We'll leave to go to the airport Arlanda at 6ish tomorrow morning.
10.30 - 12.25 Stockholm - Helsinki
14.15 - 23.30 Helsinki - Delhi

We'll come back on the 21st of September:
01.00 - 06.00 Delhi - Helsinki
09.30 - 09.30 Helsinki - Stockholm

Bento 8

2008-08-17T12:52:00.002+01:00

Bottom: Two piggy onigiri on a bed of spinach, watercress and rocket.

Top: Tamagoyaki, Chinese spare rib flavoured chicken sausages, and cherry tomatoes.

Karaage

2008-08-16T14:09:00.002+01:00

Today I made karaage.

2008-08-14T12:23:00.003+01:00

Places we wish to visit in India:

Delhi
Agra
Darjeeling
Bodhgaya
Varanasi
Jaipur
Amristar

2008-08-14T12:16:00.006+01:00

I'm going to India in 17 days now. I'm very excited. In my head, I picture is as being a very colourful journey.

There are some things that need to be done before we leave. We still haven't booked hotel in Delhi, or trains/flights in India. And also, I need to purchase a backpack, but I'll wait until I go to Sweden and buy one there, because there's not much point in buying one here as we're flying to Delhi from Stockholm anyway. Also, I already know which one I'm going to buy there.

I've been doing a lot of reading in Loney Planet's India Guide, and it seems it will be quite useful.

Colchester Town

2008-08-12T12:44:00.000+01:00

On the way to town

2008-08-12T11:47:00.001+01:00

Bento 7

2008-08-10T19:17:00.004+01:00

Bottom: Ume onigiri, spinach, watercress and rocket.

Top: Green beans, tempura shrimps, and blackberries.

Colchester

2008-08-01T19:35:00.001+01:00

Here are some pictures of Colchester.

Kimura

2008-07-30T11:26:00.003+01:00

I've seen two Kimura Takuya dramas since last time I updated this blog. The first one was Sleeping forest from 1998, and the second one was his latest drama Change.

I preferred Sleeping forest, a mystery drama that got me hooked from the first minute. However, it was slightly predictable at times. It was about a woman who had lost all her memories from when she was a child, and the memories she did have didn't seem to be right. She met a man who seemed to be somehow related to her past. Creepy and very exciting. 7/10

Change was about a school teacher who was thrown into the world of politics and ended up running in the general election, to become the Prime minister. It was fun at times, but nothing special really.. 5/10

Engine

2008-07-18T22:12:00.008+01:00

I've finished watching Engine now. It's about a racer/an ex-racer(?) who wants to race more than anything, and his life with some children living in an orphanage. It's a beautiful drama, and I'm completely in love with Kimura Takuya and his acting. I loved him in A million stars, and he was excellent in this one as well. Can't wait to see more of his work. 7/10

Proposal Daisakusen

2008-07-16T22:07:00.002+01:00

I've finished Proposal Daisakusen now. It was about a guy who was in love with his best friend since elementary school, and he was now at her wedding where she married another guy. He wished he could go back in time and change things so that he would be the one getting married to her. And so a fairy appears and fulfils his wish.

The funniest part was probably every time he would go back in time to change something, because he had to shout "Hallelujah chance!" with a gayish pose. A bit disappointed at the end, but I guess that's what the SP is for?

I give it 5/10.

To watch

2008-07-16T09:53:00.002+01:00

The following dramas are now on my to-watch-list:

Proposal Daisakusen (ep 1)
Ashita no Kita Yoshio (ep 1)
Hero
Orange Days

I've seen the first ep of Proposal Daisakusen and Ashita no Kita Yoshio, and they look promising so far. We'll see.

Dorama

2008-07-16T09:29:00.010+01:00

Like my good friend Erika, I thought I'd start posting dramas I watch, as I do watch alot of them. I've recently seen Nodame Cantabile, which I loved! Probably one of the best dramas I've seen. Definitely top ten.

Except for Nodame Cantabile though, I've only seen really crappy dramas lately. This last week or two I've seen the following dramas:

Gokusen 3, which was as I expected exactly like Gokusen 1 and 2, so really just a waste of time. I really hope they wont make a 4, becuase the second and third were bad enough. 2/10

Bara no nai hanaya: I liked the whole idea and the story line, but unfortunately it wasn't as good as it could have been. It was rather boring and I just wished it would end. Each episode felt sooo long! 3/10

Akihabara@DEEP: Goofy and quite fun drama about a bunch of otakus in Akihabara who make it their business to help fellow Akihabarans in need. 5/10

First Kiss: yes, I finally finished it, and I wish I hadn't. One of the worst dramas I've seen. 1/10

Galileo: As I've previously written this is a really great drama! 10/10

Puzzle: About a high school teacher and three of her students solving puzles and searching for hidden tresures. I was a bit disappointed with it. I guess I was expecting a bit too much as the idea and storyline seemed so good! I couldn't stand the teacher, I think her character killed this drama for me. There was something very annoying about the whole character.

And also, how some things were repeated in every ep. Like how the girls ALWAYS showed up, and the three of them laughed a synchronised evil laugh, or how the teacher always ran after them in the end, or how the boys got hit on the head by the detective, or how the male teacher always tried to ask the female teacher out but when he turned around she was gone... I can go on and on.. There was no variation in the way they presented these little routines either. They were exactly the same everytime! It got boring quickly.

Otherwise I think it could've been a much better drama. The ideas were all good. The puzzles, the mysteries, the clues, even the motives were all very good. It's a shame really, that it didn't turn out as good as it should have, and most certainly could have! 3/10

Strawberry on the shortcake: Again one of the worst dramas I've seen! Two in the same week, what are the odds. 1/10

Tokkyu Tanaka 3 Go: Fun, but boring at times. About a bunch of tetsus (train obsessed geeks) and their lives. 4/10

Tokyo Tower: It was ok. Believable but repetative, where they showed "memories" of the characters a bit too often, which made it slow. 4/10

Bento 6

2008-07-15T17:25:00.000+01:00

Ramen and onigiri

2008-07-13T18:28:00.001+01:00

Ramen, hamfilled onigiri, and umefilled onigiri.

Lunch

2008-07-11T13:12:00.005+01:00

I'm eating lunch at home today, but that's no reason not to have a cute lunch ;)

I've got lots of onigiri, octodogs, penguins, crabs and fish, hana shaped egg, and ham and carrot flowers.

Bento 5

2008-07-08T17:23:00.002+01:00

Today's bento

Bottom: Egg noodles and octodogs.

Top: Swede, carrot, bean sprouts, and cherry tomatoes.

Ramen

2008-07-07T19:24:00.001+01:00

I made ramen with the ramen soup stock I got today. It was really tasty!

Rice etc

2008-07-07T16:55:00.000+01:00

Today I received a parcel with 10 kg Nishiki rice, lots of ramen soup stock, and cold green tea for PET bottles! All from http://www.japancentre.com/

Ureshii~

Weekend

2008-07-04T22:10:00.003+01:00

Friday evening. Which means the weekend is here. Which means, for this blog, no more o-bento till Monday. Sorry folks!

So the first week on my new (and first) job is already over. It's been a great week.

Ohh by the way, I got my first salary ever today! I'm so excited! What should I do with the money? I want to buy something that I can keep and remember as the first thing I bought with my first salary. How romantic - in a very materialistic kind of way..

So come on people, bring on the suggestions!

Back

2008-06-29T09:51:00.006+01:00

I'm back in Colchester now. Got back last night, but was so tired I fell asleep at 10 pm. So, obviously I woke up at 7 something this morning. I've been unpacking, doing laundry and I've tried to tidy up a bit. I need to go to Tesco later today. It's supposedly open 24 hours, except for Sundays when it opens at 10 am, and closes at 4 pm.

Oh by the way, I've started watching a new Japanese drama, called Galileo. I watched the first episode this morning, and it was really good! I highly recommend it. It's about a female detective and a weird genius scientist who is obsessed with finding logical explanations to everything. He helps the detective solve weird cases. Anyway, it's really good!

England

2008-06-28T09:21:00.003+01:00

I'm now only hours away from going back to England. It's sad. I would've wanted to stay a bit longer.

My flight leaves at 15.10, and arrives at 16.25, so I should be able to catch the 17.00 bus and be back in Colchester around 18.00.

I don't like flying, and I certainly don't like flying alone!

Flights

2008-06-25T11:39:00.003+01:00

The sweet carefree days here in Västerås are coming to an end and I'm going back to England on Saturday. Back to Colchester, start work. Actually I'm a bit nervous about starting to work, but excited at the same time, so it's good nervous!

Anyway, the flight on Saturday included, I've been on 9 flight this year so far! That's in less than 6 months! Wow... Who would've thought..

And there are more flights to come! At least 6 more for sure! Having said that, I should add that I still haven't really gotten used to flying. I still find it a bit scary and uncomfortable. But I do admire some people. When we flew to Ireland, I was sitting next to a pregnant woman (it must have been at the beginning of her pregnancy, because I didn't notice at all! Anyway, the poor woman got morning sick during landing, so she couldn't go to the toilet. I felt sorry for her, must have been difficult for her. So I felt a bit stupid sitting there, not pregnant and not sick and still uncomfortable about flying.

Pro

2008-06-18T10:19:00.000+01:00

Hehe, pro. I found this in Kvicksund.

Kvicksund

2008-06-17T10:13:00.002+01:00

Here are some pictures I took from the car on the way to Kvicksund from Västerås.

Decisions

2008-06-17T09:28:00.003+01:00

Who would've thought planning an itinerary could be so hard. Which way should be taken? How many days should be spent at each location? Luckily there is still 2 months left, so there is plenty of time to plan everything.

By the way, I was told that a 60L backpack is way too big, so I'm now considering a smaller one, maybe 50L.

75 days left! Woo!

Rudbeckianska gymnasiet

2008-06-16T10:59:00.003+01:00

This is one of the buildings of my old school here in Västerås, before I moved to England to study at uni. The name of the school is Rudbeckianska gymnasiet, often called Rudbeck. It's a very beautiful school. It's very old too, actually the oldest upper secondary school in Sweden! It was built in 1623, so it's quite old. I miss it sometimes.

Cannons

2008-06-16T08:38:00.002+01:00

The other day when I was walking around in Västerås, I saw some cannons that I have never seen before. I was told they've always been there, but I've never seen them!

View from train

2008-06-15T09:01:00.003+01:00

I like Sweden, I think it's a very beautiful country. Here are some pictures I took from the train on the way back to Västerås from Stockholm.

Stockholm

2008-06-14T11:02:00.002+01:00

More pictures from my trip to Stockholm yesterday.

Gamla Stan

2008-06-14T10:03:00.001+01:00

One area of Stockholm that I particularly like is Gamla Stan, which when translated into English means something like the old town. It is the old part of Stockholm and very popular among tourists. It is a very beautiful area with narrow alleyways and lots of small, cute shops and cafeterias.

Stockholm again

2008-06-14T09:19:00.005+01:00

Yesterday was the third day in a row that I went to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. Here are some pictures I took.

Backpack

2008-06-13T20:41:00.003+01:00

I need a good backpack for India. I'm thinking about this one:

It's an Everest Travel 60L. Should be able to hold enough, but I'm wondering if it is comfortable to carry around all the time.

Tickets and visa

2008-06-13T19:31:00.005+01:00

I've done it now! I have finally booked tickets to India! I'm leaving 31 August and will be gone for three whole weeks. I'm so excited!!

We booked the tickets last night, and today we went to Stockholm to apply for visas at the Embassy of India. Mine would only take one day and I could go back during the afternoon to pick it up, which was very convenient.

Iih nervous

2008-06-12T18:12:00.002+01:00

I'm a bit nervous now, because we've decided to book tickets to India tonight. That's it, once we book them then it's final.. We will actually be going to India!!

Wow..
I'm nervous.. In a good way, but still..