Hey all, it has been almost a year since my last blog post..... once me and Jennie moved back to Australia things have been very hectic! Just setting ourselves up back home in Australia I kind of lost my inspiration to write. Anyway I have decided to kick it back off to the small little audience that I had when I was writing back in Sweden... I would love to hear how everyone is going.
Tim.
Home coming
Well, I have not posed for quite a while now! I think it has been over a month.... god talk about slack!
A lot has happened since my last post, Jennie and I decided to head back to Australia for the summer, it was a little bit of a quick decision but definitely for the best. At the moment we are living in beautiful Byron Bay with my mother, not a bad little place to stay for the Summer. I have put up some pictures just to show what type of a place it is, such a contrast to Sweden, but they both have their moments.
It would have been great to see a Swedish winter but the choice was made and I am happy either way. Not sure when we will be back in Sweden maybe for next summer? Not a bad way to live, hopping from Australia to Sweden just chasing the summer, I have not really seen a winter for 2 years now? Sorry to rub it in.... =D
Well please follow my now Australian adventures ill try to be a little more consistent with my writing!
Hope everyone is doing well back in Sweden, please keep in touch!
Timbo.....
A lot has happened since my last post, Jennie and I decided to head back to Australia for the summer, it was a little bit of a quick decision but definitely for the best. At the moment we are living in beautiful Byron Bay with my mother, not a bad little place to stay for the Summer. I have put up some pictures just to show what type of a place it is, such a contrast to Sweden, but they both have their moments.
It would have been great to see a Swedish winter but the choice was made and I am happy either way. Not sure when we will be back in Sweden maybe for next summer? Not a bad way to live, hopping from Australia to Sweden just chasing the summer, I have not really seen a winter for 2 years now? Sorry to rub it in.... =D
Well please follow my now Australian adventures ill try to be a little more consistent with my writing!
Hope everyone is doing well back in Sweden, please keep in touch!
Timbo.....
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| Tallows Beach Byron Bay |
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| Lennox Head Look Out |
A night at the movies
I went to the movies last night to see that buried movie, which by the way is a real disappointment. It sure did keep to the name of the film he certainly was buried, the whole movie was of just him in a box! No other scenes, nothing! This is beside the point of my post, now I know I have been going on about Sweden and the lack of customer service that is present here but there are so many things that just spring up on a daily basis. Never have I been to the movies and had to fill up me own coke and put my own salt on my popcorn?
I think that Sweden would be the easiest place to work, all you have to do it take the money and nothing else, they can't even strain themselves to lift and finger and do something else ! Now I mean filling up your own drink it not too bad. but when you get into the movie and start to eat your popcorn and it tastes like dry shit, then you have a problem! I turned to my girlfriend and asked where the salt was, I thought that she was going to say they don't do that in Sweden but it made it even worse when she said that you have to put your own salt on.... So i get up and have to bump through all these people to get outside, I start to walk around and around trying to find this stupid salt, finally I find it and proceed to shake the salt onto the popcorn. This just did not work all the salt just collected on the top layer and did not even touch the bottom, it was useless.
Just keep that in mind next time you head to the movies, the only good thing to come out of this is if you arrive early and have purchased your drink you can just drink and drink getting more free refills while you wait. I am sure this is not the rules but I find it my duty to strike back at the system and have a little win every now and then for the inconvenience of placing salt on my own popcorn!
Tim.
Sad Stories..
Even in a country, which is deemed to be very safe, events can unfold that make you question your own personal safety. When people talk about Sweden the first impression is of a very safe country, I know myself that before entering Sweden I also had this perception, but like any other country in the world, sometimes events can take place that do shock society.
A few weeks ago a nineteen-year-old boy was reported missing here in Göteborg, the boy had been attending a crayfish party with some work colleagues in a suburb called Backa in the Hisingen area of the city (which is an area that is known for crime and violence). During the night he had been separated from his workmates, a chilling call was placed to the boy’s sister during the night in which he proceeded to tell her that he was being chased by a group of individuals. To her horror the phone call cut off and that was the last that was ever heard of 19-year-old Rasmus Johansson.
Rasmus Johansson's body was found late last week in Gothenburg Harbor, he was thought to have disappeared near an industrial area on the Göta River. Initial examination of the boy’s body did not reveal foul play, but the investigation is still ongoing. Whether he was murdered or died from an alcohol related accident it brings out an uneasy feeling in society and the hearts of many parents.
Crime on a daily basis in Sweden is just like anywhere else in the world. Certain areas are just deemed to be more risky than others. The area of Backaplan, which is just outside the city of Gothenburg, is in my opinion very unsafe after dark. During the day it is not really a pleasant site as it attracts many drunks and those who have chosen a life devoted to drugs, but it still is a vital transportation connection for many trams and buses. The type of place you would like to avoid but sometimes have no other option. At the end of last month the body of Elin Krantz a 27 year old girl was recovered in the same Hisingen area of the city, she disappeared after getting on a tram in the early hours of Sunday morning on her way home from a night out. Her body was found just meters from the tram stop, hidden in some bushland. A man in relation to this murder has been taken into custody.
If you are travelling into an different country or city, it is vital to understand places that you should avoid at night, many people think that these types of things will never happen to them, as I am sure these victims felt. Do not rely on guidebooks to give you these answers, because some are far too brief and do in fact give you the wrong type of information. The best way to find out useful information is to talk to the local people, those who have been living in the city for a long time are the best sources of information.
Rasmus Johansson's body was found late last week in Gothenburg Harbor, he was thought to have disappeared near an industrial area on the Göta River. Initial examination of the boy’s body did not reveal foul play, but the investigation is still ongoing. Whether he was murdered or died from an alcohol related accident it brings out an uneasy feeling in society and the hearts of many parents.
Crime on a daily basis in Sweden is just like anywhere else in the world. Certain areas are just deemed to be more risky than others. The area of Backaplan, which is just outside the city of Gothenburg, is in my opinion very unsafe after dark. During the day it is not really a pleasant site as it attracts many drunks and those who have chosen a life devoted to drugs, but it still is a vital transportation connection for many trams and buses. The type of place you would like to avoid but sometimes have no other option. At the end of last month the body of Elin Krantz a 27 year old girl was recovered in the same Hisingen area of the city, she disappeared after getting on a tram in the early hours of Sunday morning on her way home from a night out. Her body was found just meters from the tram stop, hidden in some bushland. A man in relation to this murder has been taken into custody.
If you are travelling into an different country or city, it is vital to understand places that you should avoid at night, many people think that these types of things will never happen to them, as I am sure these victims felt. Do not rely on guidebooks to give you these answers, because some are far too brief and do in fact give you the wrong type of information. The best way to find out useful information is to talk to the local people, those who have been living in the city for a long time are the best sources of information.
Funny Stuff!
A good read... Everyone's fantasy, about a guy who got locked inside a pub for the night here in Gothenburg. I wonder why he was so concerned about being let out? You would just embellish the moment!
http://www.thelocal.se/29504/20101008/
http://www.thelocal.se/29504/20101008/
A little intro...
Ever traveled or lived overseas? Had feelings of alienation or frustrations about the way things are run in a different society? Well welcome to my world.
Travel is a very enjoyable experience, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, but it also can bring out some national superiority deep down in the subconscious. How many times have you thought to yourself, "Back home things are not like this" or "God why can't I just find this type of food", "Do these people really hate me because I speak English?".
Travel is a very enjoyable experience, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures, but it also can bring out some national superiority deep down in the subconscious. How many times have you thought to yourself, "Back home things are not like this" or "God why can't I just find this type of food", "Do these people really hate me because I speak English?".
This is what I am experiencing on a weekly basis, it is very hard to be subjective and go with the flow when you are used to different ways of getting things done.
Swedish society loves to run on procedure there is always a strict rigid way of doing things, if you are not willing to play by the rules and follow the system I can guarantee that you will not get very far. Dealing with this bureaucracy can at times be a pain, but that is life.
Sweden does have many advantages and is a remarkably stunning country. Scandinavia is a place that many people do miss when they travel to Europe. It may be quite expensive to travel around here, but its landscape and beautiful natural scenery are second to none. Sweden's vast coastlines are filled with jaw dropping islands and pristine waters. Summer is without a doubt the best time to travel here, if you want to take full advantage of the weather and environment June and July are the two best months. Plus most of the Swedes are on holidays at this point and are really a lot more pleasant that in the cold Winter months.
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| Sillvik, the ocean in Göteborg near where I am living |
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Smögen an Island on the West Coast of Sweden. Has a reputation as a party Island in the summer months |
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| Hunnebostrand, another stunning island on Sweden's West Coast |
Travel once you are in Sweden is very easy and affordable. You can either rent a car or take the bus or train all over the county, the great advantage is that you can also explore most of Scandinavia with easy access to Denmark, Norway and Finland.
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