TriniSwede

Bored

2012-01-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

So, it has been a couple of months now, with a break for New York, Christmas and New Year's, but still, more than enough time for me to become bored. There is stuff to do around the house of course, and I had some web site work to do, but once finished, there was no more (for now at least).

Started studying Swedish again (what excuse do I have?), but still, I need something. It's not all about the money; it's about purpose. And what is my purpose exactly? Still trying to figure this one out. (It's taking a lifetime :)

Christmas & New Years

2012-01-02T01:28:00.000-08:00

Well, this year, for the first time, we had guests.

Christmas with the fam...

The good stuff...

The good stuff part 2 - New Year's

And then outside in the damn cold to see the lights...

Lutz

2012-01-02T01:24:00.000-08:00

So, I stopped by Lutz the other day. Didn't have much time as I was just there to show my brother and his wife my last place of employment, and while standing in an aisle, who should come walking towards me, but the man himself. (You know the man). And what does he do? Walks straight past me with his head turned to the left, like he was on marching duty. I thought to myself, WTF? And then I thought: ain't a damn thing changed. Lutz.

Back To NY

2011-11-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Headed out tomorrow, off to NYC for ten days.

Staying with Moms, K and little K. Will be nice. Probably cold, but no matter, it's Thanksgiving, so there will be plenty food and drink ready when we come back in from the cold.

Peace

Getting Back Into The Mix

2011-10-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

So my ex-workmate dropped by for a few hours yesterday to check out some old vinyl and the digital mixing set up that can all be had with 2 turntables, a mixer, a laptop, computer software and a USB interface. Yeah, it is a lot of stuff, but at the end of the day you have the best of both worlds and all the music you want at your fingertips. After 1/2 hour we ditched the digital and got down to business with the real vinyl.

Even though he has been out of the mix for a few years, from the moment he touched the turntable I knew he was no stranger to fader and faderless scratch techniques. Before you knew it, we were about 2 hours in, and blending tracks (me on TT1, him on TT2). The possibilities are endless.

However, I had to humble myself a bit because since everyone has a different style, it is difficult when two people are settling down into the mix to say who is better than who. Some deejays scratch hard, some with finesse, some with both. At the end of the day, a badly executed scratch is a badly executed scratch, no matter who does it, and when you are at least 2, you have to check yourself - you now have a witness!

You have to stay on point. Always.

Cake, Apples, Mushrooms & Company

2011-10-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Passion fruit cake

Dried Cantarella mushrooms

Last of the apples

Good company

All together now

Word of the Day - CRAP

2011-10-18T03:11:00.000-07:00

Once again, another twist - it is now official, and come November 14th 2011, IT Support at XXXLutz will be no more. Yup, my colleague and me have been given the boot. They have to cut costs somewhere!

How will the store manage without any local presence when computers start giving trouble and printers no longer print? I don't know. Nobody knows. But for one more month I will still try to care.

Back on the job hunt, I hope to find whatever it is starting in January of 2012. That would be great! All of December off, and I can finish the work on the house. True, the lady will be working all this time, and that will be a bit of an imbalance, but at least we would know that 2012 will start off with some certainties; better than the start of 2010, which by years end had turned out to be pretty alright anyway.

Onwards and upwards.

Hit Em Again with the K-nowledge!

2011-10-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

Come on! Is this not common sense??!

There are bad people wherever you go, and if you have qualified for and have been granted citizenship, then you have all the rights afforded to you. However, no matter your background (native or not) you are obliged to follow the laws of the land, and should be punished accordingly.

I am not for this secondary class of citizen or any rubbish like that. If the governing authority has checked you out (as they should anyone who is applying) and decided to grant you citizenship, they can't turn around later and say because you have now committed a crime AND are not originally Swedish your punishment is going to be different. That makes no sense.

If someone already has a criminal background, and you have already allowed this person to enter the country anyway, then if you have a law that says because of your criminal history you cannot be granted citizenship, then so be it. They know that coming in.

So, if you are one of those people who fall into that category and decide to stay anyway and have a baby or 2 who are automatically Swedish citizens at birth, then just like anywhere else, if you commit yet another crime in this land, you're going to face a very hard reality which now involves the lives of your offspring. I mean, if everyone who has children never commited a crime, then the world would be a better place. The reality is that people are people, and for whatever the reason, we will always have crime. The most a governing authority can do is hope to reduce it.

Racism in Sweden

2011-10-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

An image of the true Swede - blonde and blue eyed.
The image of a Swede - as in Trinidad, mixed up all kind ah how.

Why? Because for every possible reason, people have moved to Sweden and before long, babies were made. These babies then grew up, looked around, saw others just like them, and despite the lack of blonde hair or blue eyes, or both, they knew they were Swedish anyway.

In Malmo the struggle continues to reclaim a way of life that was and should continue to be - a controled but happy and peaceful society, where everybody just gets along because they 'get it'. There is no need to tell people to behave; they just do. And those that don't are looked at funny or giving the title of 'special' until they calm down, get their shit back together, and settle back down.

Malmo has a high influx of immigrants, some arriving here not so much by choice, but by necessity. The lifestyles that some of these people are leaving behind is all that they know, and arriving in this land without prior knowledge of the society, the expectations of said society, or the reprecussions of non-integration into this society, leaves them stranded.

Some of these people are at a loss and need help to find their way.
Others don't really give a shit and just work hard doing whatever to make ends meet.
Then there are the 'other' others who don't really give a shit and continue to do the same shit that they did before
- beat and rob people to get what they don't have
- sell drugs and/or guns to buy what they want
- organize criminal activity on the scale of being able to destroy the very fabric of a society and all that it had come to stand for

When you start talking about Malmo taking back control, increasing police presence in certain areas and suggesting deportation of the un-wanteds, you often get the race card being played. What I don't understand is how race has anything to do with enforcing your laws. I posted this brief comment on thelocal.se in response to an article about this very issue (under the moniker Shredder). If you can't find it, then here is the actual post:

Funny how the racism card always gets thrown in...

I have lived in Sweden for 4 years now, with a resident permit, and have recently applied for Swedish citizenship. I see no obstacle in my path that would prevent it from being granted to me even though I am a 36 year old black man who has been on the unemployed/employed rollercoaster and didn't decide that a life of crime would be the better path.

We all have choices.

So, whatever ethic background you may be, if you come here and decide to play the ass, then how does race factor into the consequences you inevitably invite upon yourself? How can a society that wants to maintain the safety of all its peoples, of all denominations, be wrong for wanting to expel the very people who threaten that very attainable reality?

At the end of the day, it's your village/town/city/country. Set your rules, apply your laws, and if they are disregarded and broken, then let the punishment take its due course.

Summer is REALLY over

2011-10-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

At 8 o'clock this morning, the hail was coming down hard. After about 5 minutes, rain ensued, and your boy donned 2 jackets and rode to work anyway. Soaking wet, the rain continued for a while, and then around 12 o'clock, bright sunshine.

This has been a really weird summer this year. I mean, just last weekend it was blazing sunshine and 25 degrees for 2 days straight. What the hell really going on? And it's no wonder that everyone is coming down with something, because the transition has been too swift. However, I don't get sick jus' so. In fact, for the almost 4 years that I have been living in Sweden, I have yet to miss 1 day of work due to illness. I missed a lot of work days when my ass wasn't employed, but we not talking about dat.

Summer Is Over

2011-09-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

... not that it was much of a summer anyway. Sure, it started a bit early with some really nice, sunny and warm days in May and June, but then it just rained. Nice long days, but crappy weather. What's point? Still, there was no hurricane over here, so we have to consider ourselves fortunate.

Heading up to Gothenburg for the weekend. Going to meet my cousin Kareem (first time) and we will have a fika (bus' a lime) somewhere. If the weather holds up, it will be nice. We are usually in Gothenburg once a year, but it should be more than that; really nice place.

I'll take some pictures of course.

But man, I am really glad that we are getting out of here for a little while. Work has robbed me of a normal, predicatable schedule, and the rest of the time has been spent fixing, but never quite finishing, various projects around the house. And when I looked around today, the house is a freakin' mess. Every room is unfinished. However, I think the change will happen soon. The furniture for the living room should arrive next week, and someone is coming to put up the wallpaper. So at least that room will be done.

I'll start painting the guest room next week, and perhaps the office room will really become and office and not a temporary storage area. 4 months and we have yet to live in the house. I suppose that's they it goes, and I'm not really too worried. Just getting tired.

Serious Work

2011-08-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

The first order of business was to get rid of the old and dirty previous owners' fridge and freezer. Up on Blocket (think eBay), and it was sold cheap the next day.

Then bring in the new...

Then it was time to get to it - strip the walls bare, down to the foundation, and rebuild them where necessary, wall filler everywhere, and then base coat, wall filler, and 2 coats of paint. 2 coats of white paint for the ceiling too. Prep time: 10 days. Final paint job: 2 days.

Sanding the walls before and after wall filler is no joke

Pain in de arse but must be done.

DSL broadband connection. Not pretty but it works.

Everything removed from the closet...

New colour scheme.

More pictures soon.

A Man and His Horse

2011-08-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Two weeks vacation, and all we have done is work on the house. But, we spared one day, just one, and did something different... hourseback riding in Hallamölla...

And my horse's name was (no joke) THOR.

After you, Anna and Magnus

De Crew

Yard Wuk

2011-06-27T15:24:00.001-07:00

Original stone work. Not so nice

One by one, removed and later replaced (after some paint)

All done. Ah hard wuk, but she real strong

A friend... Shelly

There was a tree

... money tight, so, you know...

De House

2011-06-10T07:23:00.000-07:00

Life is going to be consumed by this house of ours. Digging deeper, we are finding out that there is a lot of potential buried beneath some of things that have been done, poorly, before. That plus unexpected expenses will make this a very costly 2 to 3 month period, and then things will settle down.

We had the house fully inspected, and it checked out just fine, so it really comes down to the cosmetics. That can take as long as need be, but who wants to live in a house that cosmetically irks you every time you enter a room? There are holes in every wall everywhere, paint jobs gone wrong at every turn, and now a dysfunctional dish washing machine that only works if there are no dishes or soap in it. Naturally we were told that all the appliances worked fine, and they certainly looked new.

Floors have already been ripped out

That green is going to be history very, very soon

... and an archway, umm... modified

Well, so much more to do, and I guess I will need to find more time. Perhaps another vacation. Catarina has already gotten hers: first three weeks in August. I can only hope to have the same (hardly likely).

The Next Step

2011-05-07T01:23:00.000-07:00

2011 is turning out to be quite a year, what with a short trip to NY, a massive trip to Trinidad, a fiance, and now the purchase of a house.

Needless to say, money is a bit tight, but how else can one truly move on to the next step without having to bite the bullet and just do it? In our case, we have to move - living in a one room apartment has obvious limitations, and while moving to a bigger apartment is an option, being in an apartment also has its restrictions.

The main issue for us was wanting to remain - in/close to - the city, and that of course comes with a price. That said, it was a price we were willing to pay as the location is where we want, and even though the house is a bit on the small side, it is still three times bigger than what we have been living in all this while. Sitting on a sizeable plot of land in a cul-de-sac, we couldn't have gotten better, and hopefully it will be our new happy place for years to come.

My darling fiance has been waiting a long time for this moment, and now that it has arrived, it is hard for her to actually believe that we are moving in 2 weeks. No turning back now. Apart from the move, the house does need some work, and the more we can do ourselves, the better. Have to save some money somewhere. The added bonus - at long last I will become a true handy man.

Not Your Average Tourist (THE MASSIVE BLOG POST)

2011-03-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

The people who know me best (not that I know that many people) know that I always refer to myself as a Trini, no matter how much time I have been away from my homeland or the non-Trini accent that I express myself with. Still, to return home for only the second time in 15 years does make me somewhat of a stranger in my own land.

And while everything seemed familiar (places and faces), there was a lot that I had never done nor experienced, and so tourist I was for the three weeks that we spent there.

I returned 'browner' (dat sun was real hot), poorer (it was not cheap going there for Carnival), and almost married: my tourist partner, Catarina Caesar, is now my fiance. Oh yes!

Read THE MASSIVE BLOG POST here

Back From Trini - Pictures

2011-03-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

Ow

2011-01-31T22:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah, yeah. Another basketball mishap last week. Went for a block shot (what else is new?), missed the block... hell, missed everything, except for the net. Fingers caught in it, and I guess I went for a bit of a swing. I actually don't remember.

Came down like a cat, though not as graceful: toes, then knees, then hands and my right cheek for effect. All this after the first half hour of play. Blood was warm enough I suppose, so I didn't really feel anything until the next morning. Limped to work and didn't have a very nice day.

Ah well.

Basketball tomorrow night (didn't play last night; I was working late. Yeah. Well, actually no. My big toe still hurting, so you know, I couldn't make it last night).

Pre-Birthday Trip

2010-12-19T23:09:00.000-08:00

For weeks Catarina wouldn't tell me where she was taking me for the weekend, and when all that snow came down again, right after the snow from the last downpour had cleared, she almost canceled the trip.

But we decided to take our time and just drive (just drive, man!) and get out of snowy, cold Malmö and head to... snowy, COLDER, Göteborg. Three hour drive north, but the worst roads were actually in Mamlö, since for some bizzare reason, they decided not to send the salt trucks out and clear them.

Fortunately, the drive was uneventful, and once we arrived at the hotel, parked the car and got checked in, we decided top have a little walk about.

I haven't been here too many times, but even in this bloody cold you get a different vibe from this second largest city in Sweden, and it somehow feels 'cozy'. And there seemed to be happy people, wherever I looked.

The view from the hotel was pretty cool, as we were up on the 14th floor, and directly opposite the Liseberg amusement park.

Dinner that night was at Incontro, a snazzy restaurant right next to the hotel (there was no need to go back outside). There we enjoyed a 5 course tasters meal, with wine served with every course. But since we sat and talked and ate for 3 hours, the wine didn't seem to have any immediate effect. Once we were back in the room however... it's not that kind of story... we were bloated from consumption and passed out until 9 the next morning. Even though breakfast was fantastic, we just didn't have the room to eat that much.

We checked out around 11, and then made a side trip to Ullared and did some discount shopping. As much as I love shopping (um, yeah), I have to say that it would make no sense to be any where in the vicinity of this place and not stop and shop for something. Everything is in there, and while they may not have the latest and greatest, there is a deal to be had on everything.

2 hours later we finally got on our way, and managed to get back home safe and sound.

Many thanks to my wifey

Another Party; Lost Opportunity

2010-12-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

The XXXLutz Christmas party took place yesterday in the restaurant. Half an hour after the food was served and devoured, most of the staff who dared gyrate on the dancefloor were already drunk.

The deejay for the night was seated comfortably and doing his thing... which wasn't much. I still don't understand why people pay money to have a deejay spin tracks, when they would be better off playing tunes off of an iPod instead. Unless of course the deejay is standing, sweating a little bit, and doing what deejays are supposed to do: mix tracks together, and keep the music flowing.

Instead this guy is playing tracks off of one CD to the next, seemingly at random. How you go from Swedish pop music to Rupee's 'Tempted To Touch' and think you're wrecking the night with your skills is beyond me.

Not that it matters when people are drunk - they will dance to anything.

People kept asking me why I wasn't deejaying, and all I could say was that I wasn't asked to this time. The reason: the guys in the restaurant took care of everything, and the last party that I did rock... let's just say a few of these guys thought the music a little too 'dark'. But you know, I get it. I really do. This is Malmo, Sweden. Not Queens, New York. Even though the culture is quite diverse, especially here in Malmo, there are places to go if you want certain types of music. Hip Hop and Dancehall are not for everybody, and I know if I spin for this company again, a lot more Dance and House music will be thrown in for good measure.

Still, at the end of the day, I play what the majority demands, and playing Techno to keep only two people happy on the dancefloor just won't do anyone any good.

Let The Madness Begin

2010-11-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

So, finally, now after weeks of non-stop work and stress, XXXLutz has finally opened its doors, and man, did the people come. About 3000+ showed up for the VIP opening last night, and then the unofficial opening was today. The doors were opened at 9am and the store was packed at 9:05.

At first it was the usual IT issues: the printer doesn't work; the workstation connection is slow; someone else logged into my terminal and locked me out. Yeah, yeah, small stuff.

And then...

"Leigh, four workstations upstairs are not responging."
"All the terminals in the office have no signal."
The cash terminals have stopped working. All of them."

What in the world? Then we find out that there was a network overload on the central hub in Austria.

Well, time for a break. You see, there is nothing to do when that happens, except wait. So, I was tasked with making an announcement to all our customers. Told them that due to the fantastic turnout, our systems have been overloaded. We're working on the issue, thank you for your time and patience, blah, blah, blah. After an hour of chaos, the systems came back online, and all was well for the rest of the day.

It was interesting to see the reaction of the staff. Some were a little panicky, others just took it in stride and switched to customer socialization and crowd control. Free drinks were supplied for a while, and when it was over, it was back to business as usual.

Don't know how much of a life I am going to have over the next few weeks, but it is what it is. Another day, another dollar (kronor).

When I Have The Time, I Scratch A Little (there's a joke in there)

2010-10-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

Rocking the XXXLutz Monday night party (Oct. 18th). It was a 5 and 1/2 hour set after an 8am to 6pm workday, with an 8am to 8pm workday the day after. No matter! We partied hard... well, they did. I was still working.

2010-10-03T01:57:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah. I still have it.

For a while it seemed that there would be no performance. After the initial set up, when I was ready to connect the mixer to the lounge's audio system, the connectors were of a different kind...

Well, the mixer has regular RCA connectors and balanced connectors, but these were rendered pretty useless. So, after a quick consultation with Magnus and Alex, I hopped on Magnus' bicycle and rode like hell to Music Borsen.

"Ah, hello. I have to take this in English... I am going to deejay in about 15 minutes and I need to know if you have adapers for these cables!"

The salesman was unimpressed with my predicament, and remained calm.

"Sure, I think I have what you need."
"Um, yeah. Well, where man! I need them NOW!!"
"Yeah, sure. Well, just follow me."

After what seemed like an hour, we finally arrived at aisle number 2. He held up the cables he thought I would need, and after a quick kung fu chop to the side of his neck, I was out of these, cables in hand.

So, at exactly 6pm I was ready to go, and as it should be, after some stress, everything went really well. You know, sometimes it needs to feel as though you are fighting a war, because if things seem to be flowing too easily, then it is almost not worth it in the end. The feedback and feeling of having paid your dues just isn't there. So, I was sweating it for the first hour, and then I found my rhythm, and all was well.

It was a good 3 hour set, and as tired and somewhat unprepared as I was, it was good to have the support of friends who came out and stayed throughout the set. Many thanks to Magnus, Alex and Catarina for suggesting songs to play, as at one point during the set I really was at a loss as to what to play next.

The hotel manager and the bartenders were pleased, thought the vibe was really good, and so another booking is in the works! Now, if only I can make the time to do it again.

Problems? No. Soon To Be Discovered Solutions

2010-09-30T07:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged for a while. Not for a lack of stories to tell, but, for the first time in a long time, there has been a sheer lack of time. Everybody has tales to tell of hard work, and long hours, and the feeling of having life revolve around the job. I am reliving this tale now.

Yet, ever since I moved to Sweden, I have appreciated the Swedish way of hard work balanced by 'hard' relaxation. From the every-other-hour fikas (coffee breaks) to five week vacations, there always seems to be a certain perspective on life: that it must be lived and never encroached upon by the demands of work.

Naturally there are exceptions to this rule, as there are to every rule, but up until now I have never had to work constantly... crazily, with work over-riding all previous existing priorities. And yet, I can't honestly say I dislike it.

I know if I were single man, then I would do what what was necessary, clocking the many hours and making use of whatever free time could be found, doing whatever my body was still capable of doing. This is not to say that my relationship is somehow preventing me from working harder or longer hours. It's just that the time has come (at least for the next 5 weeks or so) where I will be like a machine, and the person I have been will fade into the background as I become consumed with the planned launch of this store.

I know I am capable of stripping away every facet of my life to conmpletely give myself over to the job at hand. It has already started; I'm dreaming about work: what can I do better, what needs to modified, addressed, fixed??? The situations that I have found myself in during the last 4 weeks have tested my resolve, and because I still consider myself to be one of these people who care too much, I know I am suscepible to taking offense at demands or comments directed at me, even when I know I am doing my absolute best.

What more can a person do when they believe they are already doing their best?

Eat well, sleep well, wake up the next day and then try again.

You might surprise yourself, overcoming the tasks that life is dictating, achieving a level of an accomplisher, who sees not problems or issues, but obstacles to be surmounted and surpassed and inevitably forgetten when the next reveals itself.

I'm not there yet though. I need to get out of this airport, fly home, and check in with my Katie. Tomorrow will come soon enough.

Macau Lounge October 1st

2010-09-30T00:42:00.001-07:00

After a 2 year hiatus, Dj Leroy West returns to make his debut at

Macau Lounge
Noble House Hotel
Gustav Adolf Torg
Friday October 1st
The After Work Social
Klockan 18:00 to 21:00

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

The Return

2010-08-30T22:48:00.001-07:00

Return #1 - Going back to Austria for more training, last 2 weeks of September

Return #2 - Dj Leroy West spins at Macau Lounge, Nobel House Hotel, Gustav Aldofs Torg, Friday October 1st, for the Afterwork Chill

Back From Stockholm

2010-08-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

CLICK - Pictures from Stockholm -CLICK

First Trip to Stockholm (about damn time!)

2010-08-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

The cloud never came, so we're off to Stockholm for a few days.
Pictures coming (of course).

The Cloud Is A Comin'

2010-07-31T04:36:00.000-07:00

The timing of the Stockholm trip (first one in my almost three years here) is of course, not the best. Catarina booked the trip before I had even found this 'new' job, so it is not a problem to go, and we are definitelty going, but damn, during the very same week...

... the first major IT equipment arrives on Monday, four days before we leave, and we need to get that stuff in place, confugured, tested, documented and ultimately working. And this is no small task. We're talking about a big store. IKEA big. XXXLutz has come to Malmo, and depending on the success of this first store, more will be built.

So, I will bust my a$$ and do all that I can before I leave, so my co-worker (I only really have one) will still be alive when I return the following Monday. We endured a week in Prague helping with the new store there, and although that was pretty tough, we got a clear vision of how things can turn out if we don't plan accordingly. But we also saw just how much work this really is, and for two people to try and do it all in a relatively short space of time can be disastous.

Since we have been back we have been brainstrorming and spreadsheet-creating and mentally visualizing how to make this as smooth as possible. Time will tell if all of this is actually prudent planning or just wishful thinking in the face of the inevitable madness that comes with such a vast undertaking.

Where Do We Park the Car Now?

2010-07-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

When we can't find parking in the somewhat 'public but private' parking spaces across the street from our building, we pay the 24 hour parking fee of 10 kronors (that's right, about $1 and 20 cents) and park right outside of the apartment building, but on the main road. The road is wide, and there is no need to worry about the trucks, buses, motorcycles, mopeds or thousands of cars that go speeding by night and day.

Still, weeks before Christmas last year, some fool broke off the passenger side window of the car. It was weeks before we could even get an appointment with the body shop, and another week or so before we got the car back. It was no worries really: we filed a police report, notified the insurance company, and everything was taken car of.

Today was one of those days where I couldn't find a spot in the public/private area, so I paid and parked the car in the first available spot in front of our building. Just stick your head out the aapartment window and you can see if all is well with the car.

At around 9 o'clock tonight, a loud and odd sounding crunch of plastic and metal caused us to perk up and wonder out loud, "What the heck was that?" My first thought was, "Don't let it be the side mirror!" and after a quick peek, confirming that the mirror was fine, I declared to Katie, "Don't worry, the car is fine!"

Now, Catarina considers herself to have had a hell of a lot of bad luck with this car. I would have argued that my car ownership was rife with experiences that make her bad luck look like a blessing, except for the fact that most of my bad car luck was due to malfunctions rather than people running into it all the time.

So she runs to the other window to get a better view, and announces to me, "Someone has crashed into the car and is trying to get away! Go outside quick!" I was decently dressed, except for my crooked extra pair of glasses, and pretty much flew outside, all the while fixing my belt buckle, lest there be another accident.

A young man crashed his motorcycle into the car parked behind us, ricocheting into the back of our car, breaking the right tail light, denting the trunk and the lower rear bumper and spolier. He was not really fleeing the scene; he was picking up pieces of his bike and probably feeling quite crappy.

Apparently his bike, which he just bought and was learning to ride (no license yet) was parked about five cars back. He was checking to see why it wasn't starting (possibly the battery was on the fritz), and when it suddenly started up, it went for a ride without him.

"Is this your car?"
"Yes. Well actually, it's my girlfriend's."
"Ah. I'm really sorry man."
"What happened?"
"Well, the battery was quite low, so I was surprised that it started it up, and it jumped and got away from me."

Yup. That's some pretty bad luck right there, and my heart does go out to Catarina at times like these, because she loves that car possibly more than she does me. I mean, I came sometime after. Yet, this scenario was 'better', because the guy was still there, taking full resposibiliy and being coorperative.

After about half an hour of information exchange and all the necessities, it dawned on me that if Catarina were not here, I might have been really screwed if this happened with some other character. I guess I would have had to call the police and let them take care of it. But with this guy, who actually lives in the apartment building, I got to see a good example of just how things are expected to go in Sweden.

If you live in a country where you are expected to do the right thing, if you weren't in the habit before, wouldn't you do the right thing?

Watermelon and Crab

2010-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

Summertime. Watermelon. Crisp, juicy refreshment.
A nice cool breeze of the coast. What's on the menu? Crab? Of course!

Took my lady out for dinner, as promised, since I now have a job. Mrs. Brown is the name, and apparently the food was fantastic when Catarina had eaten there last.

So, we dressed up a bit, hopped on the bicycles, and had a nice bike ride through the park on an almost perfect Swedish summer day. Reservations were for 7:30, and we arrived there with a minute or two to spare.

A little to our dismay though, no one else seemed dressed up, and sitting at a table outside we had the distinct feeling of being at a cafe rather than at a somewhat expensive restaurant. No matter! The proof is in the food.

Cold soup.

Yes, that is what I ordered as an appetizer. I have never had (purposely) cold soup before, and certainly not containing the ingredients that were listed in the menu:

Watermelon... and crab.

So you see, I had to order it.

When it arrived, it was indeed cold, and pink (like cherry flavoured Kool-Aid (if you know, you know)), with green balls of canteloupe floating around, and yeah, pieces of crab.

The first taste... confusion!! My tastebuds protested. My brain signaled my mouth deparately trying to instruct it to never open again. My eyes rolled back in my head for a second or two, and when they refocused, it was only to see Catarina leaning forward, smiling, and confirming (for me) that it tasted good. She tasted it and deemed it excellent, and I had to taste it again.

Second taste... has this chef lost his freakin' mind? It wasn't even a matter of whether it tasted good or not. It was more a matter of why would you put these things together and charge so much money? Why? Because you can do whatever you want as a chef at a highly regarded, established and profitable restaurant in the middle of Malmo, and get away with it.

Imagine I go back to Trinidad, touting this soup as a speciality and serving Trinis who love watermelon and love crab, but not necessarily together?

"What?! You take meh good fresh crab ah now ketch dis morning an' drown it in a bowl ah watermelon juice?! Gwan from here bwoy!"

The main course was some chicken something or another, and it was very good, but didn't distract from the watermelon juice still sitting in my stomach. Crab, chicken, potatoes, white wine and watermelon juice, all in a belly at the same time. Dangerous!

After the meal I told the waiter that honestly, I was confused after I tasted the soup. He asked if I appreciated the sweetness of the watermelon mixed with the saltiness of the crab. Um, yeah. I then asked who had come up with this brilliant combination, and he quickly pointed in the direction of the kitchen. (Ah feel it was really his idea you know, but he didn't know if I was just making conversation or about to hit him a clout for charging me so much money for an experimental dish).

Still, it was an experience; not something I would have again, but I was glad that I tried it. Did I mention that I finished the entire bowl? Watermelon and crab. You can't waste that!

Prague in a Flash

2010-07-10T02:47:00.000-07:00

Arrived at the airport at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon, with the sun blazing in the sky, and we spotted our driver who promptly whisked us to the store. Constrcution was more or less complete, but on the inside there was a lot of work to be done in every department. We had been instructed to report for a meet and greet with our Prague co-workers, and to actually start work the following morning. However, this had not been communicated, so we found ourselves in the somewhat awkward position of wanting to help... but not today. A quick call back to the central office, and that was all cleared up. So, we were given a key to one of the company vans, a GPS navigator, and sent on our merry way to check into the hotel.

I had no time. No time! After spending a month in Austria, I was back in Sweden for a week, and then off to Prague with a fellow co-worker to help finish the IT set up for the new store in Prague.

After an hour of driving around lost (the NAV wasn't programmed correctly; apparently it had not even been configured for Prague) we were instructed to drive back to the store, have the NAV reprogrammed, and then try again. (Do I hear 'taxi' anyone?) So, back on the road, still in good spirits (sunny day in Prague), and the NAV runs out of power and of course there is no charger in the van. Some desparate phones ensue, and we find another old one in a compartment. We fire it up and take a grand tour of Prague before arriving on the outskirts of the city center. Still, we can't find the hotel. I'm beginning to get a little frustrated behind the wheel, and instead of relying on the unreliable NAV, we find another hotel and get directions from the front desk lady instead.

Right up the road. Bus' a u-turn, drive straight, make a left, and voila. Well, the whole of Prague seems to be under construction, as they are installing/repairing the tram lines, so everything is messed up. As I was ready to make the left, the police spot us and start giving us some hard looks and tell us to turn around. No left here! (in spite of the sign). So, I am making yet another u-turn, and one of those trams is bearing down on me. You can't see out the back of these company vans as there is no view in the rear view mirror, and I decided that running over a few pedestrians is better than having a collision with a tram, so I just turn around blindly and follow the police car. At first we thought they were going to pull us over and give us an earfull of Czech, but instead, with a few hand gestures and frantic pointing, they get us on the right track, and there it is, Hotel Ibis.

Finally! It's about 6 o'clock now. Waste of freaking time, but there will be sun till 10, so we decide to change quickly, meet in the lobby, and go out for a walk.

And walk we did. We found a hill that turned out to be a small mountain, and after some sweat, we managed to get to the top and get a good view and some decent photos of the city below; and of a cool red-coloured air tram that seemed to imerge from a hotel below and glide up to Hotel Prague that was perched at the top of this mini-mountain. Eventually, we walked down, after wolfing down some late lunch/early dinner, and decided to walk just a little bit further towards what we figured would be the historical city center. But we didn't get far as we were both quite tired. As it would turn out, that was all we got to see of Prague, except for the 2 hours we spent in the airport on our way back at the end of that week.

So, from Tuesday to Thursday we clocked 13-14 hour days, filled with trips back and forth to the main storage area to collect the hardware to set up the work stations. Due to shipment delays and misplaced inventory and the inevitable wants and needs of store workers and managers, this took a lot of time. Lunch was at 12:30, and then dinner was sometime after 10pm. I for one was not mentally prepared for this, and found myself caught between just wanting to go home and wanting to finish setting up all of these things and feel good about being part of something bigger than myself.

And so it was, because what choice did we really have? So, on Wednesday night I went into overdrive, and figured that I could work like a machine and just get the hardware set up on the main floor. All these workstations required the same components, but the time it took to cover the space from one terminal to the next, to double check if no data connection was established and to make the rounds again and again when missing components were delivered and made available, just sapped the energy.

That night I was on the floor in the bathroom, hovering over the porcelin god, con-vulsing with stomach cramps due to dehydration and lack of food. Straight to bed for me, while the others went out for some late night pizza. The next day, I kept the same pace (although we had gotten most of it done by Wednesday night), but made sure to have plenty of fluids and small snacks to eat throughout the day. One more day to go, and half a day at that!

Friday... worked from 8 to 5, and then left for the airport. Our flight was at eight, and I was back at the apartment sometime after eleven. Travelling to Prague is quite easy and quite fast, so someday I will go back with Catarina and spend a few days. From the little I did see, it is indeed quite beautiful and lively, but I must admit that I really missed home.

It's good to be back, and the sun is shining here too.

On The Way Home

2010-06-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

After 4 weeks in Austria (and Czech Republic for a couple of days), it's time to go home. However, I will be back at month's end for yet another week, in Prague, to help finish the final preparations for the new store launch.

Although I have been here for just about a month, I never met anyone else besides my fellow co-workers, until this morning. A New Yorker, Jon Sass, who happened to be passing through Wels just for one day, and heading back to Vienna, where he said he has lived for 25 years.

Would have made for some interesting conversations if only he had been around before. A friendly fellow, I must confess, when I ran into him on my floor just before getting onto the elevator, I really wasn't in the mood for a conversation. I was still freakin' tired from my 5 hour drive from Prague to Wels the previous day. So, in the elevator, I turned 'Swedish' on him (stay quiet, don't say too much, if anything at all), and he said, 'Hey, where you from?'

What? An American accent in Wels? What a coincidence! He was headed to breakfast, but I had already eaten and was off to work. Too bad. Would have been interesting to hear about the brother's life and experiences in Vienna, a city that I have managed to visit for all of 3 hours.

Maybe next time.

Random Pictures - Austria

2010-06-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Pictures From Austria (2 Weeks to go)

2010-06-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

A few pics from Austria. They can't really do the country justice because it is really beautiful in a 'you have to see it with your own eyes' sort of way. Still, I try to show what I see.

Click here

A New Member

2010-05-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

My brother and his wife just had a baby girl. And here I was, a little nervous about starting a new job and the unknown that comes with it, and they are bringing a new life into the world. What am I worrying about?

My niece Kaleah was wishing for a baby boy cousin, but I guess she will have to 'settle' for girl.

Big congratulations to Raefer and Sharlene and all the best for baby Sofie.

It's Been A While, And Now a New Direction

2010-05-18T22:29:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, before we were off to New York at the end of February, I had nothing lined up. No job, no prospects, and no idea of what was to happen next. Basically, I was feeling a bit lost, quite frustrated, and hoping that a couple of weeks in New York would offer some kind of recharge or mental boost, after having been there for many years, struggling with similar scenarios. And, with help, I survived New York, so little Malmö should be manageable.

To add to my woes, I nearly broke my foot playing basketball two days before the trip, and hobbled around New York for a week. But, that same Wednesday, before the basketball injury, I met an American guy living in Lund who had a start up company that was in dire need of a website. As luck would have it, this is what I do, and arrangements were made quickly to get me started with him as soon as I returned from New York.

Naturally, I was glad for the work, and a salary would have been a major bonus, but that was not on offer, and would not be for another 6 months. So, there I was working for free, but at least focused on the task at hand and grateful that I could at least do something useful.

Then, an opportunity fell in my lap. Catarina's ex-coworker had started at a company that is based out in Austria but looking to expand right here in Malmö. Turns out that they were looking for someone to provide some much needed IT Support, and she figured setting up an interview was the least she could do. I found out about this on a Sunday and the interview was set for the following Wednesday. Efficient.

Armed with a resume and one of the few nice shirts I own, I plunked myself down into a seat to face my two interviewers, and proceeded to tell part of the tale that has landed me here in Sweden, struggling with the language, bouncing from job to job, and basically leaving me concerned about my future. In no unclear terms, I do this and can do that, but am also willing to learn whatever I need to, so I can secure a future for myself, while at the same time proving beneficial to my co-workers and others around me.

When it was over I honestly could say that I left all my cards on the table, and there was nothing more I could have said to improve my chances. A week later, called back for a second interview, the question posed was not:

'Leigh, why should we hire you as opposed to some other qualified individual?'

but rather,

'Leigh, would you consider yourself to be a nice guy?'

After a slight pause, I answered

'Well, if a person considers himself to be 'nice' then I don't believe that he should feel the need to state this opinion to others. I mean, if he is really nice, then people will figure it out for themselves.'

A cautious answer, but a truth I have always believed in. I don't think this response got me the position, but perhaps it helped.

So, on the 25th of May, I will be off to the headquarters in Austria for FOUR weeks of training, and then return to Malmö to start my new job as an IT Technician, commuting to work for all of 5 minutes as the office will be right up the road.

But, first things first: I need to find the headquarters in Austria - a 2 hour flight to Vienna, then a subway train, and then another subway train, and then a 2 hour train ride to Wels, and then a taxi to the office.

It's going to be an adventure just to get there. Next blog title - Ah Trini Lost in Austria

Sometimes the Lyrics Just Don't Really Matter

2010-05-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

Being here in Europe, I can't help but be exposed to all kinds of sounds and 'riddims'. So, every now and then, I will hear a dance music track, or a house music track, or a garage, funky, electronic, dirty jungle track and wonder, where was I when people started jammin' to all this music? Well, obviously not here, and certainly not in circles where people listen to that.

I didn't realize until now that once I started down the 'I wanna be a deejay' path, that there was no turning back. Seriously, if it sticks and you get some skills, you cannot just sit and listen to music and truly be satisfied. You start remixing in your head, breaking down the track to see what can make it better, what it may blend into, what song was the beat lifted from, etc.

Still, there are surprises, and once in a while you just listen and don't even touch the record...

Pass Out by Tinie Tempah (turn it up!!!)

Finally!

2010-05-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Man, that took some time, but finally, a REAL job, with real opportunities, and a big bonus thrown in from the very start - 4 weeks training in Austria.

I'll be working as an IT Technician (IT Support - on-site) at xxxLutz. They're opening a new location right here in Malmö, about 5 minutes drive from home, but the headquarters are located in Austria, and training is mandatory. I ain't complaining.

All this time in Europe (3 years come November) and I really haven't seen much. Heck, in August will be my first trip to Stockholm, and to have been here for 2 summers already and to have not gone to the capital is a shame.

I will see how much time I have for some sight-seeing and picture taking. Maybe a trip to Vienna can be arranged...

I have two weeks to kill before I leave, so I think it is time to get started on my *project*.

[ details on this soon ]

Tobago

2010-05-04T23:03:00.000-07:00

The turntable will never die

2010-05-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Turntable as an instrument - Vestax Controller One

It's Been A Long Time

2010-04-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Man, I have just had my head down, working on my latest venture. Linked up with (another) American living in Sweden who is trying to get his company off the ground. He 'hired' me to be the Webmaster for the company, and you know, I have to take these titles seriously. So there was no time to waste.

After 14 hour days for the last couple of weeks, the site was launched last week (right before Easter), but will remain a work in progress for a while yet - most web sites remain this way; there is always new info. Burboo AB

I am also back on the basketball scene after missing a few nights due to my lingering ankle injury. When wrapped and warmed up with blood coursing though my veins, it's alright, but not quite 100%. I think I have lost about 3 inches on my vertical, and that does not bode well for Leigh Da Shot Blocka. A little more time and my body will adjust.

My good friend Magnus, his 'sambo' Anna and Catarina paid the b-ballers a visit last week. Magnus is a photographer (not by trade - yet!) and thoroughly tested out his new toy. 292 pictures and a couple of days later:

It's really cool to see ourselves in action and in all our tired glory. Well, perhaps I am speaking only for myself as you will see in many of the pictures I am just standing there, taking in the scene.

Truth be told, we all run quite hard, and Michael and I have started our own after 10 o'clock 1-on-1 battle. He's up 2 games to 1, but probably not for long. We'll see on Wednesday.

Hope everyone is well. (You would have to be doing okay if you are making time to read this blog post).

Hej då

On The Menu Today: R.I.C.E

2010-02-24T23:17:00.000-08:00

The timing couldn't be any worse. On the last play in the last game, after 2 hours of a physical basketball night, I jump to contest a shot, and land right on my opponents foot, and my ankle twists mercilessly.

Instant pain and instant realization that Catarina will have to carry my suitcase as well. We're leaving for NY on Friday, and my ankle looks like a tennis ball (with out the green colour and furry texture. I slept half the night, waking up every other hour to turn over while trying to keep my foot somewhat elevated. And then a massive muscle cramp rips through my right hamstring (ankle sprain is on the left), and I'm trying to decide what hurts the most.

REST ICE COMPRESS ELEVATE - That's what the doctor would say. Maybe two out of four. I just don't have the time.

Hobble to the bathroom this morning, and I'm a total mess. Busted lip, slightly sprained left index finger, my left knee reminding me that all that jumping around comes at a price, and the constant throbbing pain in my ankle.

Still, I have to get the laundry done, drop the car off at our friend's place, pack, and somehow manage to get to the airport for our 8 and 1/2 hour flight to Newark, New Jersey, and then make our way home to Queens, New York.

I think I am going to have to call in a favour and get David to leave work early and pick us up. He lives in New Jersey after all, and hell, when's the last time I cashed in a favour from him? At least a year ago.

Time to focus and get through this day.

The pain is nothing new and I know it is just a severe sprain, but it interferes with everything. I seriously believe that driving the car today will be very, very painful.

A Waste of 'Air' Time

2010-02-14T09:09:00.000-08:00

Man, I stayed up from 2:30 am till around 5:00 am watching the live feed for the NBA All Star Weekend on TNT (nba.com ran the feed). This is the only option I have since we don't have cable.

Skills contest; 3 point contest; BLAH! Everyone is just waiting for the dunk contest, because that's what gets people out of their seats. And on this night (morning for me) we had some high fliers and the real possibility of seeing some human highlight reels. I watched Gerald Wallace's top 10 dunks, and the boy is an animal... apparently only during a game, when his blood is hot and he doesn't need to think.

You would hope that these cats would set aside the time and practice, practice, practice, so that when the time comes, they could add a Slam Dunk Champion notch to their belts, and join the ranks of the select few who have truly impressed with aerial theatrics over the past 2 decades.

Instead, we see a performance of immensely boring proportions, so bad in fact that the commentators are basically yawning along with crowd, and wondering openly what in the heck these guys were even doing out there.

Back in the day, the players were sweating before the competition began, practice dunking, stretching and getting pumped up. These fools were walking around the court talking and shooting jump shots. Not surprisingly, there was only one truly good dunk, but not only was it not the winning dunk, but also a dunk that relied mostly on a deft assist, lobbing the ball off the side of the backboard, for the trailing DeMar DeRozen to catch and windmill dunk it home.

The Los Angeles Lakers' Shannon Brown, the man with the highest vertical leap in the NBA today, did nothing. On an assist from Kobe Bryant, he rose up and... well, dunked it. No prize there since the point of the dunk contest is not to just dunk it, but to do something creative, original and possibly spectacular.

The last time we witnessed the truly spectacular:
10 years ago - Vince Carter

And perhaps Dwight Howard's Superman Dunk in 2008 is worth mentioning, if only for the fact that he provided humorous theatrics (cape, superman logo on the chest), and for a 6 foot 11 inch guy, he certainly flew. (The man literally threw the ball in the basket.)

So, was it worth staying up in the wee hours of the morning to witness probably one of the worst dunk contests? Yes! Why? Because Charles Barkley had the quote of the night:

"Have you ever noticed that Gatorade does not work for players who suck?"

Foreign Mind

2010-02-11T01:08:00.000-08:00

Junior Reid - Foreign Mind

The Man!

2010-02-10T07:21:00.001-08:00

Dj Angelo

For the Reggae Lovers - Real Tunes!

2010-02-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

EVERY HOT REGGAE/ROCKERS/DANCEHALL OLD SCHOOL TRACK. REAL TUNES!!!

'Debarking' Procedure - Just Not Right

2010-02-03T16:36:00.000-08:00

Click here to read article

The Return

2010-01-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Dj Leroy West

You Can't Charge For Air

2010-01-06T02:02:00.000-08:00

It was bloody cold last Sunday, but we decided to ride into town and have some lunch with a couple of friends. 8 minutes into the ride Katie's front tire is flat. So, a brisk walk in the -3 degree (Celsius) weather was in order.

Finally with some mild frostbite in my fingers and toes, we arrive and proceed to eat well.

So, I take her bike to the bicycle store on Monday, leave it there while I go and train at the gym, and then when I collect it an hour and 130 kronors later, I walk home with it. As I am about to lock it up in the bike garage, I see that the tire is flat, again.

I walk back down to the shop and show the guy. I watch the guy in the back pull apart the tire and the tube and check for a hole, but he can't find anything. (So, what the heck did he do the first time?). I tell him to check it again, and keep the bike over night and I will come and get it tomorrow when I have time.

No, no, no. No problem. We'll fix it right now while you wait.

Still can't find a hole, but...

Take the bike home, it seems fine. Problem solved.

Next morning the front tire is flat. So, on my way home, I stop by again, without the bike, and I tell him the tire is flat again, and I will bring the bike back.

'Will I need to change the tire, and if so, how much?'

Well, that would be 250 kronors, but I will do it for 200 kronors since you have to bring it back again.

I bring it back, the tire and tube gets changed, and he rings up 200 on the cash register. Well, 330 kronors to change a tire just isn't sitting right with me. And sure, maybe I should have checked before to make sure that he wasn't charging an additional 200 on top of the 130 I had already paid, but most importantly, I wanted him to fix the damn thing.

I tell him that I am not paying 330 kronors, especially since I was the one who suggested that they keep the bike overnight. I mean, basically, I paid 130 kronors the first time for the guy in the back to pump air in the tire since he didn't find a hole.

So he starts -

Well, I said 200 before and you said yes, and now you don't want to pay...

'Yeah, well, I thought it would be 200 in total, not an additional 200.'

Okay, then you can just give me 180 and take the bike...

'So now I'm paying 310 kronors because you didn't find a hole the first time? It's not like I brought the bike back with a nail sticking out.'

Fine then, you pay me 150 and if not then I will just take the tire back off and you take the bike back with the flat.

'Okay. Are you going to be upset with me if I only pay the 150? Because I have been here before and you helped me out and that's why I came back here.'

No, no, I am not going to be upset. I mean, 50 kronors is no big difference to me, it's just that we agreed on 200 before and you said yes.

'True, but I thought about it and changed my mind. So we straight?'

Yes, yes, it's okay.

Tomorrow the rear tire will go flat. That's they way life goes.

God Jul och Gott Nytt År!!

2009-12-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

Oh My Word

2009-12-16T15:00:00.000-08:00

I have just seen 20 minutes of 'Wanted' and can honestly that it will be one of the worst movies ever. And I thought Ultraviolet was bad...

How the hell they convinced Morgan Freeman to be in this crap, I don't know.

Test Drive

2009-12-16T00:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Magnus and I decided that we should head out to the BMW dealership and check out the new arrivals of the 5 Series GT and the X1.

The X1, to me, is an unnecessary and unnecessarily small SUV, no bigger than a car, but has the advantage of sitting higher so one can look down on their fellow commuters.

And it was freaking expensive, at 440,000 SEK (~US$60,000). Ridiculous! And what is it with the small cars costing so much money? There was also the BMW 1 Series, also at a ridiculous 440,000+SEK, with room for only 2 people. For 100,000SEK LESS you can get a 3 Series station wagon which can seat more people and hold more stuff in the trunk.

The GT, also priced quite high, is an ugly piece of crap (harsh opinion, I know, I know). Basically they tried to make a hatchback version of the 5 Series, and it all went wrong when they reached the back of the car.

Butt ugly? You bet. It was so ugly in fact that we didn't even bother to sit in it. It would be like wearing a suit that was badly stained in the back. You know people approaching you will think you look quite dapper, but the ones behind you will be asking themselves, 'Is that... sh#t?'

The new Z4 was sitting untouched and unloved, and we decided to check it out.

From the outside, it is a sexy two-seater. In the driver's seat, it was like looking out of the X5 SUV: all hood and not much else. You can't even see a dog/small child/ball/curb because you are sitting so low in the car, and with the seat at its highest, you can only see the bulge of the hood.

Bollocks! Off to the Porsche dealership.

911. Carrera. Panamera. Ah, they all look the same... wait. The Panamera.

In the magazines, it looks stupid. The Porsche headlights just looking out of place on anything but their 2 door coupes. But here, on this new 4 door super car, they look decidedly right. This is one hell of a car. It is long, low, and sleek, and just looking at it, you know it is a bullet.

Inside, the driver and the passenger both can experience the feeling of wanting to and being able to press a lot of buttons (if that is your thing). The center console sweeps up from the elbow to the dashboard, with about 7 buttons on either side of the gear lever, with space for more. It is busy looking, but really cool.

The back of the car is fantastic, and surprisingly, the trunk is relatively big for a sports car, and can hold 4 small suitcases/2 adults/4 children (I joke!). From the side, you see a true sense of Porsche design, as the car looks curvy, without being soft about it. It is a serious piece of work.

So, what did we end up test driving?

We headed off to the Audi dealership to get our hands on the Audi R8.

Denied access to that beauty, we 'settled' for the new A4 3.2 FSI Quattro.

With 265 horsepower on tap, there was no trouble getting up to speed. In a way, it was a little anti-climactic, since, once you get on the gas in 2 second gear, 90kph arrives in a few seconds and then you can just switch up to 6th gear. With the Quattro system, road holding was a non-issue, and when we set the dynamics to Sport, the steering immediately firmed up and it was like riding a vacuum cleaner over a thick carpet.

I handed the keys over to the more experienced test driver, Magnus, and he wasted no time trying to kill us both. Being 'new' in Sweden, and getting my Swedish driver's license a mere 7 months ago, my days of driving the hell out of a car are on hold for now. 2 years probation in this country.

So, Magnus really tested the car. Grip. handling. Steering. Acceleration. Braking. The car handled it all without a fuss, and the only bad thing with having driven this car was the fact that when the time comes to buy, you wouldn't be able to opt for a smaller engine. 265HP is addictive, especially when, these days, that is no longer considered such a high figure. The only way to get around that in the same car would be to opt for the 3.0 diesel, which pushes a respectable 240hp, but has 500 ft. lbs. of torque. Lord ah mercy!.

Next up will hopefully be one of the sexiest cars on the road today, the Audi S5, and if I can my hands on it, the 465 hp/650 ft. lbs. RS6 Avant.

The latter two probably wont happen, but I would be happy with an A4 all the same.

4 Years and Counting

2009-12-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

December 10th, 2005 - Catarina and I met in New York City, and the rest is history.

The four years don't seem short or long in retrospect. They seem like a full four years, and 2 of them were spent traveling back and forth keeping the long distance relationship alive.

Then November 11th, 2007 rolled around and here I was, in good old Sweden, just in time for winter. Yay! Good (freaking cold) times.

So, what has changed? Nothing. Katie and I are the same, just 4 years older and wiser. The stresses of everyday life are no more or less than that other peoples' we presume, but we do hope that 2010 will bring at least one serious change: a house.

A bit ambitious considering that I am out of work yet again, but with that settled, anything can be achieved. Well, that's what we choose to believe anyhow. And why not? I am here to stay, so this is home for us both, and it's time to put down some serious roots. Ent?

Taking to the Court, Malmö Style

2009-12-10T13:03:00.000-08:00

Another Wednesday night of basketball, and what a thrill it was. Blocked shots, 3 pointed, jumpers in the lane and some great passing. No, I didn't do any single one of these things. I did them all. Haha! A good last outing before the Christmas break. It's the closest to the NBA I am ever going to get, and the closest to an official MVP award.

Forget the NBA. Malmö basketball is where it's at.

Tings Ah Gwan

2009-12-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

The Christmas spirit is beginning to make the rounds, and I guess that is why I feel a bit more optimistic and a little carefree. I mean, what else can you do when out of work, but look for things to occupy your time? So, in addition to looking for a new, fun job, I have my badminton on Tuesday nights, basketball on Wednesday nights, and any other strenuous activity that I can find to participate in.

Such as... the girls at SATS who are instructors for spinning class (Catarina, Anna and Emma) had to make their demo tapes: one of their 45 minute classes, showcasing energy, enthusiasm and communication. This all gets recorded on a digital cam, and to keep it real, a few people need to be there in the class (the camera is aimed at the instructor for the whole session) and make some noise.

Luckily for Magnus and myself, only Emma and Anna, his sambo, had to make tapes, so instead of 3 spin classes back to back to back, it was only two, back to back. This was Magnus' first time in spin class, and I remembered pretty early on why I stopped coming. You see, it's like running on a treadmill - you're not going anywhere, and that can get boring really fast. And so it seems initially, when you're not tired and the music is pounding away.

About 20 minutes in, your body starts to protest, and while it was totally unnecessary to give an honest effort (I not on camera, so wha' ah sweatin' it for?), I couldn't help but give it a go, hoping that the extra workout would pay dividends come Wednesday night. I mean, if you're in shape and can run up and down a basketball court without getting too tired, then it will be nothing but good times.

Emma did her thing, and after 30 minutes I was soaking wet with sweat. The more water I drank, the faster is poured out of my hairless-faucet-head. And then after a 10 minute break following Emma's class, it was Anna's turn. It is interesting to note how your body reacts when it is hot and tired but there is good music in the background. Regardless of the strain, you want to move yuh body, and while dancing would be a better alternative, with this much sweat pouring off the body, it wouldn't take much to slip and bus' your ass during a moon walk.

After that monstrous workout, Magnus and I headed to the nearest coffee shop (damn Expresso House on every corner. Starbucks syndrome) and tried to defeat the purpose of our workout - a Frapino (Expresso House version of a Starbucks Frappacino - not even close) and a ginger muffin. Sweet!

And then Catarina and I had to ride home. Ah nearly 'tro way dat bike deh'

2 Weeks Feels Like 2 Months

2009-11-27T00:29:00.000-08:00

So, here I am at the end of a second week of total unemployment, and it feels as though I haven't stepped into an office in 2 months. I picked up a web design project, so I do have something to do, but still I feel as though I have no structure, no true sense of purpose, and whatever the next job is, it will have to do.

Speaking of which, I am off to a career fair in about 15 minutes. Have about 10 resume copies, and will wear a nice jacket (no freakin' tie though), and see if anyone likes me enough.

Lycka till... till mig.

Played Like Crap, But Had Block of the Night

2009-11-18T15:02:00.000-08:00

Ever just played any sport and just had a really off day? Tonight, all the easy shots were missed, some at point blank range, and while I don't dwell on a couple of missed shots, assuming that I will make them next time, these really piled up.

So, as the frustration mounted, and the blood started to boil, it was only a matter of time before somebody stepped into my path.

... As he received the pass, it was already all over for him. He was facing the basket, about 2 feet away, probably surprised that he was wide open, that the defense was so poor that he, one of the shortest on the court, was about to make an easy bucket.

... I was already airborne, high above, like an eagle about to dive and destroy its prey. The man didn't even look back. Wha happen to he dread? He ent learn to respect the Shot Blocker yet? It's time.

He rose up for the jumper, and as soon as he released the shot, it was only thunderclap in he tail. It was the most massive of blocks to date, and everyone was in awe, as everyone bore witness to the aerial display of precision and power. It was like a Dominique Wilkin's dunk - powerful, brutal and a thing of beauty.

I felt guilty as soon as it was over. No one there really deserves a block like that, as everyone is pretty cool and out to have some fun. I made sure to let him know that it was not personal, and I was actually quite pissed because I was playing so much too-too.

Still, with the poor shooting display today, it can't be any worse next week. My arm hurts from the Swine Flu shot I took earlier today before basketball. Yeah, that's the reason. Yeah.

Time On My Hands Again

2009-11-17T01:26:00.000-08:00

Tuesday morning. Was up at 5:30. Had to take my baby and her friend/co-worker to meet up with their boss, who was then going to do the driving to some unpronounceable place a few hours away.

Forgot to make a left in the roundabout when I was heading back home, so ended up heading further north for about 10 minutes, and then turned around and got home. Not really that eventful.

So, once again, I find myself with time on my hands, and the ironic feeling of being happy with the feeling of freedom, but a bit low because I don't know what to do with this freedom. I have reopened some Swedish language books to start studying again, and am trying to cram Silverlight into my brain (Visual Basic programming), so I can be occupied, but still...

Anyway, the last 6 months have been a good experience, despite the lack of pay, and the hope was that after those 6 months I would slide into a decent salary. But alas, it was not meant to be.

So, I don't know what will come next or when, but it can't be less money than before, so it will be all good.

This Is It - For Me, Not for MJ

2009-11-12T00:28:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is supposedly my last day here at this IT company.

In this financially unstable, hard-to-get-a-job climate, how is one supposed to feel about impending unemployment? Well, technically, I have been unemployed since March, and for the last 6 months, I have only been at this company as an intern of sorts (Arbetspraktik - Practical Training). So, financially, my finishing up here tomorrow makes no difference. Still, the idea of waking up in the morning and going to work to do actual work, at least gave a sense of purpose, despite the lack of income. The hope was that within 6 months time a position could and would be offered.

With this company laying people off and imposing a strict non-hiring policy, despite the need for Software Test Engineers, they cannot justify keeping me on while the hatchet is still swinging. So, alas, all this good work for nothing... well... experience was gained and contacts were made, and who knows what the future holds here or elsewhere? If things turn around in 2010, I may very well get that call and end up sitting at the same desk I am at now.

Body Balance

2009-11-12T00:05:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's been a couple of weeks since the last post, but nothing truly significant has transpired. In an odd way, life these past few weeks has centered around Wednesday night basketball highlights. Last week, we played about 10 full court games, and my team lost every one, except the last. Needless to say, it took a while before anyone managed to make it home. 2 hours straight. And then a bike ride home.. Damn.

Last night however, with the full squad of 15 guys attending, 3 teams were created, and the winner of each game stayed on the court. You lose - get off the court AND get some rest. You win, you stay on until you lose - NO REST, but the winning fuels the adrenaline and the level of pride is high.

5 minutes into the game, I felt the telltale twinge of a hamstring about to complain. This however was no due to old age; rather, it was due to lack of a good lunch, and almost no warm up. As soon as I arrived, I was called in to play.

As slight as the pain was, I knew I really had felt it, and immediately I had to make adjustments: instead of raw running speed, it now became striding, covering ground as effectively as possible. Jumping was no longer a leap off the left leg; two feet planted and a calculated exertion of energy to fuel the shot blocking leap.

As the pain steadily increased, it was amazing to experience, again, the feeling of the body automatically adjusting and balancing itself to cope. Whatever pain I had last week in my knee and ankles was now non-existent, as the hamstring was deemed the more serious hindrance to performance.

And, as I had discovered about 15 years ago, performance can often increase when the body is under the stress of pain. The mind focuses more, and disallows any movement to be taken for granted. Body control becomes crucial to keep playing at a high level, and chances taken now are weighed against the fact that one unnecessary risk under these circumstance may become your last.

The perspective changes once again - if one can play well in spite of an injury, then when recovery is full and complete, there can only be one outcome - increased level of play, mentally and physically.

Next Wednesday should be a highlight reel.

bOring!

2009-10-28T06:41:00.000-07:00

Man, I am so freakin' bored. Regression testing - retesting to ensure that new shit works and that older shit continues to work after software/programming updates. Naturally, I find myself in a bind: there is no future here at this company, so now after almost 6 months, come the middle of November, I will not be kept on here. So why even continue? If I stay and manage not to die of boredom, and beg for automatated testing, then I might as well go home. It would be automated = not necessary for Leigh to be here.

Freestyle rock climbing is crazy. Sitting at my desk trying not to fall asleep is even crazier. A freestyle rock climber will fall to his death, and as tragic as they may be, that is the inherent risk that these adrenalin junkies crave. People would understand, even if they don't agree with the 'sport'. They would understand the consequences. If I doze off and my head hits the edge of my computer monitor, and then perhaps the edge of my desk, what could I possibly say? People wouldn't understand.

The risk that I am taking now bears no real significance compared to the real things that people do day in and day out. As it is, it is 'safer' for me to run across the street in front of the Central Station to try and catch my bus than it is for me to sit here till 4:30.

2009-10-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

London was NICE.

We got lucky with the weather four days out of the six we spent there and on Sunday, Catarina's birthday, Raefer (meh bro) drove us out to Leeds Castle in Kent,

...and then out to Canterbury to see the Canterbury Cathedral, and to get some lunch. Met up with some Trini friends of his, and our 'spunky' cousin Sherise (full ah talk!)

Although prices are lower on most things than here in Sweden, we actually didn't do much shopping at all. That doesn't mean we didn't go shopping. Heck, on the first day we were at Bluewater Mall, and then two days later at Westfield Mall.

Westfield is... well, massive. Usually I would be the first to say that all malls are the same, and with the same shops and stores in most, they appear to be. However, Westfield was beautiful in construction and presentation. Even in dire financial times, you could understand why people would go there just to be there.

This guy we spotted down in Camden. Lots of characters around there, but none quite like this fellow.

Posing for pictures when we went to see the Meridian Line in Greenwich...

Me and meh bro...

Random London pics...

B-Ball Round 3

2009-10-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

It was as if Jordan himself had come out of retirement, after popping some age reversing pills, and lacing up his trusty Jordan sneakers and proceeding to kick some ass on the court.

I was dropping shots from wherever, whenever, and a few fast break layups set the tone for the night. I don't usually try to carry a team, preferring to play defensively, which inevitably leads to offensive opportunities. But, I was in rhythm, and although I was starting to feel faint with exhaustion, the adrenaline kept me going.

Eye contact was made from across the court.
The lane had space.
I started to make my run, ready to take flight and catch the lob pass, leading to either a thunderous dunk (yeah, right), or catch and smooth layup.

Well, the pass didn't come (my own team mate tricked me as well), and I suppose my left and right foot got confused. Mr. Right, who only really comes into play when I am running, rebounding, or decisively jumping off both feet, wasn't sure what the hold up was. Mr. Left who is responsible for almost all aerodynamic feats realizied (before my brain) that no energy was going to be required for flight, didn't provide lift off. So, Mr. Right, feeling a bit slighted, just gave out completely (didn't even want to walk), and ended up twisting on himself.

I felt the pain immediately, but didn't want to shut down while my blood was still running hot. So, I stayed in for another ten minutes, and after the second air ball, decided that the night was over for me. Only 1 hour of game time.

Damn!!!!

A week later, after destroying the competition in badminton the night before, I returned to the court. Mr. Right was now wrapped up and braced up, and I can honestly say I wasn't hearing any complaints. Still, I took it easy this time. Met some guy from Vancouver, who had been in Sweden for 2 years with his sambo. Hmm. Sounds familiar. And then another guy from BROOKLYN, NYC baby!!! Living in Sweden for 2 years with his sambo. Damn yo! These people are just like me! Or me, just like them.

Sweden is beginning to seem more and more like home.

Mr. Officer

2009-09-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

A Trini, ah Swede and two Indian men are all seated on a train, headed from Copenhagen to Malmö...

So, there we were, enjoying the cross-cultural conversation, when all of a sudden one of the two customs officials who had just walked past, turned around and came back and asked me:

"Sir, do you speak English?"

"Yes", I reply. "Quite well in fact. But I don’t speak any Danish and only a little Swedish."

He seemed to assess my character in one amused sweep over my person, and then must have decided to do what he had to do: he asked me for ID.

Just to be clear, so you can visualize the situation and the surroundings: of course I am the only brother man on the train. True, my two friends, Sunil and Abhishek, who had been here in Scandinavia for 3 months were almost the same shade as I was, but for some reason were not asked to identify themselves. The Swede, Tobias, just chuckled to himself.

My wallet was in my backpack, which I had stored in the overhead compartment, so I had to rise up and retrieve it. While doing so, I asked in a loud enough voice, if this was really a random check.

"Hehe. Well, yes sir, it is." This was said a little sheepishly (after the little titter), because as everyone on the train now knew, if they hadn't already confirmed for themselves from before, this was no damned random anything.

"Well, which ID you want? I have my Swedish ID card, my Swedish driver’s license, my SATS gym card..."

"Okay. Okay. Thank you very much sir."

You see, now he just wanted to move and find another brother in another section to harass. But before he could leave, I asked him again about the ‘random’ nature of this particular check.

"How come you are only checking me, hmmm?" I had a slight smile, because he wasn't the a**hole type, and he did seem genuinely embarrassed.

"Well, you really want me to tell you the truth?" he asked, ready to divulge some secret piece of information to justify his asking only me for ID.

"Um. No. You don't have to say anything. I already know." With that I took my seat, and he left (quickly), and soon the incident was forgotten. Until I reached home and told the wife.

THE VERY NEXT DAY

A Trini and two Indian men are seated on a crowded train, headed home to Malmö after working all day in Copenhagen. Two customs officials are making the rounds, and one stops and asks all of us for our passports. Well, at last, I have some company. Friends no less!

"Passport? I don't walk around with my passport. Here, take some ID. Which one you want? My Swedish ID, my Swedish driver’s license, my..."

"Okay. Okay. Thank you." They leave after checking our documents, satisfied that we are not drug dealers/smugglers or terrorists entering Sweden legally (anyone in Denmark can jump on the train and go to Sweden, and vice versa).

2 MINUTES LATER

The Trini and the two Indian guys are still sitting in the same seats when lo and behold, the two customs officials from the day before are making their rounds as well. What are the odds? What? You guys don’t communicate and ensure that you don’t interfere with with each others schedules?

The one who asked me for ID the day before sees us, and with a big smile says:

"Hej! How you guys doing?"
"Hey! We alright. Just innocent an' ting, nah mean?"
"Okay. Take care now!"

It's good to have a Customs Official partner. Now it's time to smuggle some s#%t!

B-Ball

2009-09-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

At long last, 2 months short of 2 years, I have found a group of guys to play some basketball with. Funnily enough, it is exactly the same scenario as the one in New York: a group of guys aged 18 to 40 with various skill levels, gaining permission to use the basketball court of a local high school for a couple of hours one night a week.

And so it was last night, the debut of 34 year old Leroy West, who still believes that his body can do for him now what it did for him 10 years ago (minus the dunking). I still have the speed, and anticipation is the name of the game, but the physical capacity to maintain a high level of play for 2 hours is just not there. I'm not exactly tired, just winded. Continuously. So while some of the guys appear to be really exhausted, I merely need a break. This is due to the fact that I have become more of a passer and a director of play, so now it is common that my assists outnumber the amount of shots or drives to the lane I make.

Now, if only I could shoot well consistently life would be a whole lot easier. As it is right now, I don't practice, so it is almost impossible to expect my shots to fall. Still, when I drop 'em they are appreciated, as every shot obviously counts.

We played on whole court game, and I like the freedom and break away opportunities, but it is a killer when a fast break fails and you suddenly find yourself on the defensive. And not everyone likes to or can play defense. This is my natural mode, as on the very first play I ran back and took flight before the layup attempt by the opposing player was even made. Needless to say it was a block shot in waiting since half court, when I made the decision to run all the way back while I still had the energy.

What really destroys morale however is the rebounding giant. This guy dominates. He does not care for outside shooting or pretty layups. He is an inside bruiser, and every point is in the paint, one foot from the basket. The only way to defend him is to double team, and a shot blocker will have to have patience and timing to do it. With elbows flying and traveling a non-call, it is only a miracle when he misses, which all too often ended with him grabbing yet another rebound and putting back his own miss. In a half court situation he is unstoppable.

Another biggish sized Swede plays inside quite strong, but with defensive clamps, he is only left with his jumper (decent), or a dash to the hoop. When my fitness level peaks, there will be no points for him. A bit arrogant and self-assured for certain, but that is the defensive attitude to have: the opposing player's only 'good' shot is from the outside. Anything else is just a defensive lapse.

Alternative

2009-09-14T13:55:00.001-07:00

The days and weeks are passing, and it all seems the same. I actually don't mind the commute to Copenhagen, because there is a sense of purpose of having to take the bus and then a train and then another bus to reach the office. It's not as though I am traveling all that way to walk around Copenhagen trying to find something to do. It is predictable, and I get a lot reading done. I should be studying Swedish, but I like to escape the surroundings by reading my latest acquired novel while listening to music. All the while, the rumble of the train and the air whooshing past is a comforting feeling, keeping me connected to the world and people around me.

Speaking of people... my co-worker (let's call him T) has always been kind enough to invite me out to some party he's attending every other weekend. While I can't justify staggering home at 4 o'clock in the morning to Catarina, I know the allure of the night life. I have always found something deeply comforting about being out in the wee hours of the morning while a lot of the world sleeps. There is a sense of prolonged existence, as you are able to stretch your days from one to the next with minimum downtime. The consequence of course is diminished alertness the following day, but as things stand now at work, I have a greater chance of falling asleep at my desk than feeling sleepy at 3 o'clock in the morning.

So, I decided to take him up on his offer this one time, and see what all the fuss was about. He considers himself to live the alternative lifestyle, but that group encompasses so many different sub cultures, that is truly difficult and confusing to seperate them all. I arrived at the pre-party venue before T did, and going to a stranger's apartment didn't sit too well with me and I decided to wait outside. That choice was revoked, as T called up the host, (let's call him T2), and instructed him to allow the black man standing outside to come on up and join the festivities. At first glance, T2 seemed like any other guy. He didn't seem worried about my unknown character, and it soon became evident why.

Pierced eralobes, lips, and eyebrows seemed to be part of the theme. Other things that drew the eye in were the various hairstyles and colours that went with them, and the dress code seemed to be halloween-themed. Except that it wasn't halloween, and this was the normal daily dress code. As my friend Alex later said, 'You were the alternative one there!' Indeed.

My first reaction was, 'What the hell?' This was soon followed by a distinct urge to flee the premises, never to return. But, this is the Trini we are dealing with, and a Trini can fit in anywhere. And so it came to be. Possibly sensing my discomfort after being introducted to a giant named Gabriel, who happened to have some of the thickest earings dangling out of his ears that I have ever seen, T2 offered me some coffee. It wasn't laced with alcohol as was the custom, and I opted for 4 teaspoons of sugar instead. I needed to stay awake and alert. Strange people in a strange land (apartment), and no one besides T knew where I was. So, T2 and I started talking, and he told me that he had a 5 year old daughter from a previous marriage, and as tough as that was, life was good. Some girl named Alex made her way past us and found some chocolate in the door of the fridge and started to nibble. We were introduced, and then the questions started flowing.

I asked, 'Why?' quite a number of times, trying to understand what would drive anyone to dress this way, look this way, act this way. However, I was careful not to construe the questions in such a way as to provoke a defensive response. I was genuinely interested, because as far as I could see, under all the black clothes and heavy make up and funky hairstyles and boots, which must take at least an hour to lace up, everyone was normal. Attention craving perhaps, but just like you and me. Okay, of course I was the only brother man there, but no one was saying anything that had to make me take a step back. And then I met the ex-Nazi.

T showed up in due course, outfitted in some bizarre (at least for a man) get-up, which consisted of a long flowing black skirt, black boots, a fish net top and black eyeliner applied in such a way as to elongnate his eyes, out to his temples. Like the mask Robin (from Batman and Robin) wore. T's 'costume' made him seem weird to my eyes, but not gay, like Robin. In fact, when I saw T then, I didn't know what to think really, but I suppose that was the whole point.

From what I gathered, this whole alternative lifestyle had more to do with expression and the choice in music. They went hand in hand, as there were no hiphop heads in there, and whatever they were listening to must have connected them all in some way. There were about 20 people in the apartment, and they all seemed happy. Some were intoxicated surely, but you could see that everyone was comfortable, dressed in whatever without having to be concerned with being judged negatively. Some get-ups looked trashy, and whether that was the intended effect or not would never be an issue. Compliments flowed, and spirits were high for this was just the pre-party.

By one o'clock mostly everyone was off to the club a few blocks away. The ex-Nazi started telling me about his past, and while I listened and feigned interest, I really didn't give two flying figs about what he was saying. The man was dressed in all black, with black face paint to boot, with a white horizontal patch running across the middle, creating a crappy illusion of a rectangular eyeglass frame. He kept talking, and I kept thinking: 'An ex-Nazi? Is there really such a thing? Time to go!'

In the excitement, no one actually said goodbye to me, because they assumed that I would be following the party train and attend the party at the club and the pre-planned after-party. No sir. I told T to enjoy and that I would see him on Monday. No need to say either really, but any exit line would do at that point. It was time for me to head back to my alternative life.

Still, I was glad that I went out that night and caught a glimpse of the 'alternative'.

Babash!

2009-08-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Only a Trini could sing bout dem ting

I'm Not Drunk

Tivoli

2009-08-15T02:43:00.000-07:00

Ferraris at Tivoli Gardens

2009-08-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

2 trips in 1

2009-06-22T06:47:00.001-07:00

2 weeks in NY: 1st week back home in Queens. 2nd weeks in the heart of NYC: Times Square.

The best thing about this trip was the fact that I could spend time living in one area and traveling to the other, and feeling equally comfortable in both. Good old Saint Albans, Queens. For the most part it is peaceful enough and not too hard on the eyes, until you come across those blocks where the characters are out and some of the home owners have hit hard times.

QUEENS - I took the missus for a little walk in the hood, and no doubt she felt a wee bit uncomfortable. She isn’t exactly a white American girl walking through the hood: she’s European, and obviously so, but by my side, I don’t think anyone really cared or figured out what she doing with me. We weren’t walking along holding hands like some jungle-fever-struck couple lost on the wrong side of the track. I walk down those streets (some) as if I have lived there for years (which I have), and even though I have been gone for almost two, there was a time when my ride (Pontiac Gran Prix GT 3.6L V6 200HP 18" 245/45/18 K&N Filter) had the system (JL Audio 12" subwoofer (2!!)) on full blast and I was flying down the road like any other hooligan. Perhaps not the proper way for an educated grown man to behave, but that is the beauty of the ‘hood’: you can be whatever you want to be when you’re not at your day job.

During the walk on Hollis Avenue, no one tried to place us, assuming, I suppose, that I had a guest ‘from foreign’ and I was taking her for a little walk. Naturally, this was during daylight hours and on busy Hollis Ave., so there was very little risk, although these days you never can be too safe. I have noticed that while I am not hardcore, with my jeans all down by my ankles, striped draws showing, no one ever tries to stare me down. I don’t know what they see when they look at me, but so far, knock on wood, I have never been confronted, and believe me, all my late teenage to present life, I have definitely been in the wrong places at the wrong times.

NYC - The hotel was on 46th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave. Location-wise, it doesn’t get much better than that. Step out of the lobby and you are hit by the noise, the smells and the shitload of tourists. To be fair, we hit the theatre-goers first and then the tourists on Broadway. On vacation, this is all good: right in the heart of it, you feel a little more alive, and while you don’t know any of these people streaming around, when you do meet up with a friend or two, it just seems a bit more meaningful. You’re standing there on the corner talking to someone else, while a million people, who don’t give 2 flying figs about you, bump or squeeze on by. Living in the city, I suppose this would get a bit tiring after a while, but still, it’s the dream that many people chase.

Highlight: standing with Catarina on the ticket grandstand in Times Square realizing that the novelty of coming back to New York has worn off, but still being able to feel that unique New York City pulse.

Highlight: sitting in Times Square, in the middle of closed off 7th Ave., eating a slice of Junior’s cheesecake with Henrik after seeing Terminator Salvation, and kind of hoping that a Terminator comes tearing through all these tourists. Damn! It is crowded all the time.

The rest of the NYC stay was pretty much walking all over the place and ensuring that our guests were never bored and were always somewhere new. We covered:

Ground Zero
Wall Street
South Street Seaport
Canal Street / China Town
West 4th Street / The Village
Union Square
Flatiron District
Madison Square Garden
Macy’s @ 34th Street
Times Square
Rockefeller Center
Columbus Circle
Central Park
Staten Island Ferry / Statue of Liberty
Queens: Bay Terrace Mall |Jamaica Estates (via the Q30 bus) | Saint Albans

...and many streets in-between.

Of course there was a ton of other stuff we could do, but a week isn’t that much time, and doing one of those ‘hop on hop off’ bus tours may have been better as far as covering some distance, but walking kept it real.

Surprisingly, for the second time back in NY in as many years, I did not make it to a club. The lounge 1849 on Bleeker Street was cool enough, and I remembered that spot from back in the day (had a different name back then). The deejay played some decent tunes. I could have showed him a thing or two on the 1 and 2’s, but it’s been a while, and I know any real deejay wouldn’t appreciate his spot being hijacked.

There were a few people who had no idea that I would be in New York around this time, and didn’t know I was there, until now, if they read this blog post that is. And there were some who I met up with only because they happened to have the time and were nearby. These included some people who I had not seen in years, even when I was living there. Hopefully no one will care enough to take it personally, as it isn’t personal at all. It is really about having the time, and with guests in tow, my time was not the top most priority.

The last trip back in September 2008, Catarina and I spent 10 days running around trying to see everyone. Didn’t work, and I was freaking exhausted and quite miserable when I came back to Sweden. Besides, no one cares THAT much. Life goes on, and in these times, emails and instant messages and text messages bridge the distance for the most part.

This trip was a surprise for Mom (who woke up in shock when we walked into her room that Friday night when we arrived), and also a chance to just chill out and enjoy NY for what it is: a fun, cool and exciting place to be, when you take every day as it comes and just go with the flow.

Malmö - The Other Side...

2009-05-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

So, last Saturday I decided to take up the guys on their invitation and head out for a night of drinking. Not that I am a big drinker by any means, but vodka and whatever always goes down well and never seems to come up.

I saw Jason (Timbuktu) across the street, talking on his cell phone, and he looked across and nodded a hello, probably recognizing me from somewhere, but not really remembering me. Nevertheless, after meeting him in New York a few years ago, and then again at a signing here in Malmö back in '07, I know him to be the humble superstar, and that's cool. A nod is enough.

Very un-Swedish-like, I arrived empty handed, not used to the Swedish way of bringing something for yourself to drink. Actually, I hadn't given it too much thought as I figured we would hit the town and drink it up. Instead, we drank at Magnus' place from 7:30 to 12:00. Then we headed out to... Swing Inn.

Now, I have walked past this place many a time, not even giving it a sideways glance. And why would I? There is nothing to see from the outside. But once inside... Lord ah mercy!!! I have never seen a scene such as that.

The venue is rather big, 3 levels, bars on each level with separate rooms with different music. The main dance-floor is on the lower level, with a balcony surrounding the whole space; the deejay looking down on the crowd and playing his music through a pretty decent sound system. Nice surroundings, good sound (although it was all dance/house music) and lots of people.

Ah, the people. Well, let me tell you:

If you reach the age of 50, and everything has gone to hell, and you figure dancing and drinking your ass off to get you through the next couple of years will set you straight again, then this is the place for you. You wont be judged.

If you are between the ages of 21 and 40, then you can rest assured that if the shit hits the fan sooner than expected, then you will have somewhere to go.

And if you are anything like me (that's not all bad you know), coming from another land, and stumble onto this scene, then it may strike you as bizarre, but in a totally entertaining way. I mean, there were people from every walk of life up in there... JAMMIN'! Race, ethic background, social status, financial standing: all a non-issues. Anyone who could shake a leg was on that dance-floor at some point. Yes, I was all up in it, but man, I couldn't stop grinning.

We didn't leave until the place closed (Trini style) at 4 o'clock, and I actually had to walk my ass home as I didn't take the bike, and sure as hell wasn't taking a cab. So after we each had a hot dog, it was a brisk 20 minute walk home for me.

I wish I could have taken pictures. I can't even describe the feeling, but I really just didn't know Malmö's nightlife could be so swingin'.

Damn this paperwork!!!

2009-05-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

So, after 2 months, the unemployment agency has still not paid out and has declared that my papers are not in order. Apparently this company of mine (conceptwest) is still active and possibly earning me some money (it hasn't been for a while, although that changed this past week), and they need me to submit the correct form from the moving company that I was breaking my back with last year, with regarrd to the amount of hours I worked there. Actually, the moving company submitted an outdated form, so now it is a matter of how fast they can resubmit the correct form and if that will be enough.

However, I started at Tieto (www.tieto.com) as a Test Engineer (in training), and this may be a new career path for me. Who knows? I have tried so many things... modeling, voice over recording for commercials, mechanic, real estate agent, proofreader, deejay, web designer, web producer... time to settle down and make some freaking money.

So, I can't complain about anything, but I am broke right now, and need some dinero fast!

Back To The Chill

2009-05-11T12:17:00.001-07:00

Spain was about 28 degrees everyday.
Sweden... well, it's warming up. It was 18 degrees today.

Off to Spain... Once Again

2009-04-28T13:17:00.001-07:00

Well, I don't feel that good jetting off to Spain considering that I ent even working. Still, I was in New York for 12 years and never got past the border, so I suppose I am making up for lost time.

Either way, I don't have a choice as I have been invited (again) by Catarina's parents, and if I didn't make a good impression on them initially, I guess my ass would not have been invited anywhere.

Pics to follow as usual. Flashback to Spain 08.

Vi ses.

Car Show at MalmöMässan

2009-04-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Another car show, featuring the same cars.

London After 2 Years

2009-04-21T05:45:00.000-07:00

Last time I passed through London was in November 2007. For a weekend. Due to flight delays, one missed flight, and a lot of bad luck, I spent almost all day Friday getting there from Copenhagen, and all Sunday coming back. So we (my brother and his wife) did London in one day, and needless to say, it was all a blur.

Not this time. True, it was only for three days this time around as well, but I flew in early Tuesday morning, and had the rest of the day to kill. Wednesday was spent walking around London, bowling (Raefer bowled a 160 in the first game, and continued to destroy me in the last two), playing basketball, and then capping it off at Emirate Stadium to see Arsenal defeat Villareal 3-0. Maximum capacity of the stadium is 60,000 people, and that night there were 59,220 screaming fans.

As if that wasn't enough, we also took a windsurfing class at Bewl Windsurfing in Kent. A lot of fun, but it was tiring and after the first hour my teeth were chattering away. The water must have been between 13 to 15 degrees at the most. The sun was out though.

Random pics...

The Swedish Driver's License... Finally

2009-04-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

After all that stress over how hard getting a Swedish driver's license might be, the most difficult part of it all was parting with all that hard earned money. Damn, it is expensive, and after 'losing' my Swedish ID card and not taking the test 2 weeks ago, I had to pay to take the final... again.

THE EXPENSE:
3200 SEK - cheapest package available from my driving school. includes 5 road practice sessions, 20 online theory tests, and unlimited online theory tests (if done on school premises)
1600 SEK - ice and wet skid control (mandatory class)
700 SEK - fee to take the road test final
600 SEK - drug and alcohol 3 hour lecture
600 SEK - fee to use the driving school's car for the road final (equipped with duplicate pedals on the passenger side)
220 SEK - fee to take the theory final

6920 SEK - TOTAL

So, we drove for all of 25 minutes, didn't drive near a roundabout, and perhaps 5 minutes of city driving (leaving and returning to the starting point at the test center).

Truth be told, there are not too many mistakes you can make if you have been driving here for a while, roundabouts being the only probable cause for worry. Then again, if you have been driving here for a while, you'll have more than enough experience driving in roundabouts. They are everywhere (except on the route we took yesterday).

Advice, if any, now having gotten that out of the way: drive as you normally would (in Sweden that is). You can't help but being cautious what with all the cyclists and uncontrolled pedestrian crossings.

Small ting! (as we Trinis are inclined to say (after the fact)).

Interview Tomorrow: IT Company

2009-04-07T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hope is all I have left. Half the brain has failed me already, and I hurt my groin playing badminton last week. So, the professional badminton player dream is already over.

You Did Something Stupid Today? Please...

2009-04-07T05:12:00.000-07:00

So, I went to the Motor Vehicle Department yesterday (Vägverket) to take my theory test. 70 question. 50 minutes. Half of them are giveaways, and the other half are in the 'choose the best answer' format, where a couple of the answers are not necessarily wrong.

No worries mon! Ah buss up de test and everything cool. Took the picture for the driver's license, signed my digital signature, and all that is left is to take the road test the next day. Today.

Well, here comes the dotishness (Trini for stupidity).

Did I wake up late and miss my appointment?
Nah. The test was at 12:45.

Did I forget to go to the car school first and collect the car?
No dread! The car school parks the car for you at the DMV. All you have to do is show up.

So, what did I do? Well, I live about a 5 minutes bicycle ride from the DMV, so there was no reason to leave earlier. At 12:00 I started getting ready, and by 12:30 I was ready to leave. Except for one thing. I couldn't find my wallet.

Well, that's not the end of the world. I mean, I know I came home with it yesterday, and I know which jacket I had on. Looked through all of them. No wallet. Looked through all my jeans. No wallet. On every shelf. No wallet.

Still, if it home, it home, right? Except, I have my Swedish ID card in the wallet, along with the rest of my life. US driver's license in there too. Credit cards, debit card, video store card.

So, I decide to do the next best thing: take my passport, the printed out result from the previous day's theory test, and a big bag of HOPE.

I reach at 12:43, and Mr. Instructor is no where to be seen. So, ah wait a 5 minutes, and he comes over, we shake hands, and he checks his paper work. The the moment of truth: 'Can I have your ID card please?'

Then it was third person view. I'm looking over my own shoulder at this surreal scene, and hearing myself telling the man how I just left home, couldn't find the wallet, but couldn't look for it any longer or I would be late.

'Here's my passport.' Now, I saw people the day before either using their passport or their Swedish ID (if they had one), so I really wasn't prepared for what he was about to say.

'Oh Anthony, this is not good. Not good at all. You can't take the test without having that ID.'

My first thought: 'Who is Anthony?' Then I see on his paperwork that he has my full name (middle name is Anthony), but in any case, I'm here, that's me in the passport, and I took the written test YESTERDAY man! I mean, all I had to do today was pass this test and it would have been dinner out in the city tonight; to celebrate you see. This license business is an expensive and time consuming pain in the ass here in Sweden, and once you get that out of the way, then it's all good.

So, I do the triple check, knowing full well that my wallet is not hiding in some back pocket somewhere, and I realize that there is no hope. He flat out says that he can't help me, schedule another appointment, and peace out.

On the ride home, I am caught between two possibilities: If I do find the wallet, then all is not lost, but I will be an idiot for some days/weeks to come. If I don't find the wallet and it is truly lost, then my problems will be a lot bigger than having to reschedule a driving test.

If I took the test but failed, then I would probably feel stupid, but more disappointed. Now, I just feel quite stupid, especially considering where I found the wallet, and further more, I could have just called Catarina and she would have told me where it was. THAT is whole other story, but confirms once again that everything is connected, one way or another.

So, perhaps this happened for a reason (might have screwed up the test today..?). I don't really know, but however I try to see it, it is just really dumb. Jeez!

Ol' School Dancehall Lovers

2009-04-05T14:34:00.000-07:00

A THROWBACK!!!

Hmmmm...

2009-03-30T14:58:00.001-07:00

Well, I don't know what to say. I mean, life is good. I have my health, the sun is out these days, Catarina and I are doing fine, and socially, all is real good. But I am still not working, and time is passing by, and I don't know what the point of this time off is. I don't need time off.

Swedish classes are over come Wednesday, and I should hopefully have my license by next week. Going by Raefer (my bro) in a few weeks, and then to Spain at the end of April. Nothing to complain about really, but what to do with all this time. Study more I suppose, but damn man, I just want to work and put some dinero in my pocket.

Come on. Hire a brotha!

Problem: The Pontiac Grand Prix GT Coupe is dead. Bought in 2000, this 1997 model had a lot of mileage then, and much more now. It still looks fine, but there has been one problem after another, and now it is on it's last legs. Parked outside the house, the battery is dead, left front tire is leaking air, and the car can never be brought back to what it was.

What can be done?
1) Fix to sell? Might cost more to fix it than what it will fetch when sold.
2) Donate to charity? Will they take a non-working car?
3) Sell it off for parts to a mechanic? Perhaps if he thinks he can make some money off of it.

Suggestions??

Killing Time

2009-03-12T00:27:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, nothing on the job front yet. Interesting, the feeling now, as opposed to last year, when the situation was the same. Perhaps it is a test to see just how much has changed for me here in Sweden since then.

The fact is, when I have a job, I hate the routine that inevitably comes with it. For the past 8 months, it has been almost the same every day: wake up, get ready, take the #6 bus to the station, take the #171 bus to Lund, walk 5 minutes to work, talk to Anita at the front desk, then upstairs to face the problems that everyone has working in Vista. Come 5pm, put it all in reverse.

Then, shortly before Christmas I started playing badminton on Tuesday evenings, and have been doing that ever since. Got back into the gym, and although I feel stronger, I have to admit that I'm not going to get any bigger.

So, to stay occupied I have been taking practice test after practice test for my driver's license, night class for Swedish language twice a week, and trying to cram whatever software is out there (provided for free) into my tired brain.

Fact of the matter is that I cannot afford to get bored and depressed.

2 Weeks Already

2009-03-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been two weeks already, and while I have no job to go to, there are things to do. Swedish class, and this blasted driver's license. The theory test is what is killing me, because it is ridiculously tricky, and 70 questions long, and there are just some things that just don't make any damn sense.

Example: what is the maximum speed allowed for a light goods vehicle on the motorway?

1) 80 kph
2) 90 kph
3) 110 kph
4) 120 kph

You will not find the answer in the theory book that they make you study. Oh no. You actually have to get this one wrong 3 times before you can even believe the answer. Yes, 120 kph!!!

Speed limit on Swedish roads? 110 kph.

However, there are a couple of highways (you'll discover one on the 3 hour drive up to Göteborg) where the speed limit is 120 kph.

Now why even allow a light goods vehicle to drive at the fastest allowed speed in all of Sweden? I have no idea, but stuff like that, and other crap, I really just don't need to know. But, I have to get no less than 63 to pass the bloody thing, so I might as well seriously try for the 70.

As you can tell, I really have no stories.

Latah.

How Much Steps Ah Have To Climb Dread?

2009-02-19T04:12:00.000-08:00

2009 seems long already, as many things are happening over the course of the first two months. Moms was here at the beginning of the year for about 10 days, and then my bro, Raefer, did a solo trip this time around, and visited in the middle of January for a few days.

This cold weather can never be ignored, so instead of some strong liming at the local lounges, there was pool playing one night, and dinner at home every night after that. Still, the old up-all-night-playing-Playstation(3) was in full effect, but now at this age and stage, the stamina for such things just isn't there, and we had a much better time playing squash and table tennis the next morning, at the sports complex here in Malmö.

Now, there is another reality check, as my last day on contract at this company in Lund was up last week Thursday. However, they extended it to this coming Friday because... well, I don't really know. I guess they just got used to having me around. We were hoping to work something out with the head company that is based in Malmö, but it turned out to be smoke, and since I don't inhale, I'm okay. Just a little disappointed, but I still have my wits about me.

In the meantime, I MUST get that blasted Swedish driver's license, and am enrolled in advanced Swedish language classes (yes, I paid. The free course just wasn't cutting it). But what is a brother supposed to do now? I have a feeling that all of these experiences just happen for the sake of making me stronger, but there comes a time when you want to stop working out and just actually work.

I done strong already. I know. It's time to find my niche and get on to the next level. House, car, li'l Katie/Leigh...

What has this year brought already? A Visitor?

2009-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

2009 has begun with a nice visit from the one who has made it all possible (well, for me at least).

Mom took some well deserved vacation time and headed off to London to see my brother and his wife for Christmas and New Year's, and then made her way a little further to see what Catarina and I were up to here in Malmö.

It was good to see Mom on this side of the world, and the pictures speak for themselves. (In case they don't, it was all good).

God Jul och Gott Nytt År

2008-12-24T00:52:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

I wonder who even reads this blog anymore? No matter.

The end of yet another year. 2008 seemed quite long, and life took a lot of turns, but I suppose that life is about navigating these turns and hanging on for the ride as long as we can.

I hope we are all managing to hold on to what we have, while still moving forward.

All the best for 2009.

Hej då.

wOrK

2008-12-18T05:43:00.001-08:00

Shiiiiit!
I still can't speak fluent Swedish, and now it may cost me big time. The company I work for, has me deployed as a consultant to an international company in Lund, where English is the standard language of choice. No worries.

But the contract they have with my company expires on January 12, 2009, and it doesn't seem like they are going to renew it. But so what, I work for a big IT company in Malmö so I could get ah wuk anytime, ent?

Well dread, apparently not, since I cyan speak Swedish yet, and they have no non-Swedish positions open...

Word just in... I have just been informed that I will get an extension to February 12th, 2009, buying me an additional month of time. Lord ah mercy! That is some comfort in these troubled times, and to think I was just about to rant and rave about being out of work to start off the New Year.

( Picture from http://www.maracasbay.com )

Please! Trinis abroad in a cold country not supposed to worry about anything, because one quick mental flashback, and we back at Maracas eating bake and shark without a care in the world.

No Need to Set the Alarm

2008-12-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

I was having some strange dream about boarding an abandoned train in some jungle somewhere, when all of a sudden there was a mighty rumble. Which was odd, considering I am usually quite aware when I am still in a dream, and this particular dream hadn't developed to the point when action would commence, so I woke up with a bit of a start.

I looked over at Catarina, ready to wake her if need be, because sometimes when she has a nightmare, she gets the shaky legs. But, she was already awake, and the bed was still shaking, and there was a low, grumbling noise, almost like a subway train passing below. Except of course there are no subway trains in Malmö.

After about 10 seconds, the shaking subsided, and I asked, "What the hell was that?" We weren't panicky, and really didn't have the sense to formulate any guess as to what it could be, but unless something hit the building, or there was an explosion somewhere and we were getting the aftershock, it could have only been one thing: earthquake.

What de faddah?! And so it was. A 4.7 on the Richter Scale.

Only in Sweden: Not a sound in the apartment building. Not a single car alarm. No lights quickly turned on in the apartment building across the street. No dogs barking. No cars pulled over to the side of the road. People were still riding their bicycles to work. You could have sworn that either nothing happened, or that earthquakes are the norm here, so people just figured, "Ah, what the heck. It was time to get up anyway."

There was no aftershock and no reason not to get dressed and go to work. There was no chatter on the bus, and only a brief discussion on the reactions that everyone had when they felt the rumble, at work. In fact, no one actually seemed to care one way or the other, and it was just another day, cold and with grey cloud cover in sky as always.

I had to ask myself: Why am I here in Sweden? It's cold. It's windy. There is no sun during winter. I caught the Swedish Winter Puking Illness (not pleasant) a couple of weeks ago (the week after falling off my bike when I went sliding on some ice at 1 o'clock in the morning). And now I had my sleep... my dreams, interrupted with an earthquake at 6:20 in the morning.

I love meh Katie.

Here's The Third

2008-11-30T13:09:00.001-08:00

Catarina and I have both come down with the winter illness.

This has to be one of the worst things ever. The body can't hold anything in, and one way or the other, it's coming out.

Too much information.

It Comes in 2's, Possibly 3's

2008-11-28T04:21:00.000-08:00

The snow came down last Friday.
The temperature dropped down to zero degrees.
The wind added an insulting chill factor of minus five degrees.
Yeah, it was cold in Malmö, but I've experienced worse, so life went on as usual.

By Saturday night, black ice was everywhere, invisible and deadly. I was liming by my friend Alex, watching some TV, playing some Gears of War 2, eating some food, couple of beers, talking... next thing you know it was after 1 in the morning, and I had to get my ass home and out of the cold.

There I was, riding though the park on the bike trail, carefully choosing previously worn tire tracks to ride in, and then the front wheel started sliding sideways.

"Hell no! I am not busting my ass tonight!"

"Aww, shit."

As I lay they on the ground, after sliding to a stop about 10 seconds after the fall, I was well aware that no one was out and about at that hour in that cold, but I was embarrassed all the same. I haven't fallen off of a bike since... well not in about two decades, so to fall now, no matter the cause, was just a blow to my pride, especially since...

The week before, I decided to get back into the gym, and back into some sort of athletic form. The workout was going well, and I didn't feel too weak, even though it had been a full 2 months since I had lifted anything remotely heavy.

After an hour so I decided to call it quits, but something inside me was craving a challenge, and sometimes, pushing yourself a little bit shows you what you are really made of.

I stepped to the bench press, threw on 20 Kg weights per side, took a deep breath, and started my set. 1... 2... 3... When it came time for the fourth push, I experienced complete muscle failure, and down came the bar. I managed to prevent it from crushing my chest, but this was nothing new; everyone has reached their absolute limit on the bench press, whether it be too much weight or you are simply too tired to do more. Of course it is advisable to have a spotter behind you, to prevent situations like the one I found myself in.

So, what does one do when stuck like this?
1) Call for help
2) Wait a minute, regroup, and then get the bar back up
3) Die on the bench under 50-60 kilos

I chose #2, and then, try as I might, I could not raise the bar. I was really stuck. Then I began to feel the amused stares, and I also caught a glimpse of some smirks. Seems as though these Swedes like some entertainment, and would you believe not a single one of them stepped forward to help? Does a brother have to really call for help or die in the middle of the gym? Finally a guy of Middle Eastern decent came to my aid, wearing a smirk, and asked me if I needed some help. Very amusing.

After saving my life he suggested that I do another set, with his help this time, and I told him that I had had enough for one day (a year). Still, he insisted, and in effect allowed me to redeem myself and salvage some pride as I gave into his wish and proceeded to do another set. 1... 2... 3... Okay, now I'm going home.

I went back to the gym this week and had a fantastic work out. Even went back to the bench press. In time I will be pushing some real weight, but for now 15 kilos on each side and everything is alright.

Test Drive

2008-11-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I was only in the passenger seat, but still... We took the 160HP version (they didn't have the 200HP available for a test drive), and blasted off from the VW dealership. Basically, you walk in, show some interest, show your driver's license, sign a piece of paper, and off you go.

It was no M3, but it powered through the manual 6 gears, and the exhaust had a nice, deep-ish rasp to it. Then we found the nearest roundabout, and tired to get it sideways, but it held firm, and then we were back on the highway, driving in a very un-Swedish-like manner.

Would I buy? Eh. A little too small. A little too cute. I'll hold out for the Audi A5.

Bond #22

2008-11-11T01:53:00.000-08:00

I didn't rush out on opening day (Friday 7th November) to catch this latest Bond flick. Not because I didn't believe the hype or wasn't salivating after seeing the previews. Indeed I was. I saw the Aston Martin, the explosions and the bullets, and I was definitely looking forward to it.

So, a week later, Catarina and I plonked down our 200SEK, and headed to the Royal Movie Theater. This was the same location where we watched Batman, The Dark Knight, and I was already preparing for my ears to bleed. This time however, they turned the volume down one notch, so it wasn't too bad.

The movie opened with the typical Bond action sequence, preparing the audience for what was to be surely an exciting movie, although the opening scene was probably the most exciting part (at least for me).

I know that on this rare occasion I have managed to see a movie that I really wanted to see before it was released in the US, so I won't say much else about it now.

So, enjoy and delight in this non-stop, action-packed 22nd installment. Bond is a player no more: shoot (beat up) first, ask (demand) questions later.

Mr. President Elect

2008-11-05T02:57:00.000-08:00

I have always believed the political engine to be a corrupting force, capable of stripping any person in power of their morals and human instincts to mind and care for others, at the expense of their own personal gain. And so, I couldn’t care less about what someone says they are going to do, and I keep my head down and try to survive as best I can, no matter who is in power, as I assume most people do.

That is not to say that everyone succumbs to greed and corruption, but when it does happen, who among us is really that surprised? What is surprising is that when these characters are caught, up to their eyeballs in scandal, they all issue the same response: denial, guilt, eventual responsibility and then public apology. All the while, the everyday man experiences the consequences of mistakes and bad decisions too; just not on such a grand and public scale.

Now that the right thing has been done, and the U.S. of A has made its choice, seen past the skin colour, the name, and all the political talk that comes before the official election, it remains to be seen if President Obama will be able to withstand the forces that will now push and pull him in so many directions all at once.

Still, I can’t help but believe that there is another level, above the presidency, which had to allow and therefore believe in this movement, this new journey. How can we choose to ignore the fact that there are other, unseen, unknown people who really run this world? For Obama to aspire to, and achieve what he has now accomplished is nothing short of a miracle. For a nation with deep roots in a racial tide that has all but subsided, colour is the only factor that truly hindered his chances. I say that based on the fact that he has everything else: the qualification (educational, at least), the determination, the eloquence, the magnetic personality, and the cool, calm diplomacy that allows all to see past all the political self promotion that all prospective candidates have to push. We are all unique, but in the world of power and politics, far too many seem joined at the hip.

If his supporting cast really shares his views, and if the political agendas are truly for the good of all, and if over the next few years there really is change and a sense of things being corrected, bettered, fair and just, then who can even come close to matching him? His demeanor alone may even disarm his most hostile foes; at least enough to reduce them to what the world needs them to be: people who have lost their way and need guidance in the ways of humility.

This is my ignorant view, stemming from my limited world experience and interaction with it thus far. What do I know besides what I know? Everyone who wants to delve deeper into what factors contribute to producing a certain moral character and personal disposition can spend hours on end seeking the answer. No doubt they will claim to find the reason (the environment, one’s parents, a transforming event, etc.), and to substantiate their ‘truth’, they will contrast it against a negative opposite, a situation which will create another character, a product of that person’s environment and experiences; someone who didn’t turn out so well. That said, there are probably a few people who could be in Obama’s shoes, capable of grabbing the reigns and steering the US in the direction it needs to go.

Except of course for the fact that these people are not present, never can be and never will be at this time. Those people, like all others, have gifts. Some more than others: the right skills, the right temperament, the right look, the right voice, or the right combination of all the positives. However, only few have the greatest gift of all, and it is one that cannot be learned, cultivated or bestowed by another. When one appears with their multi-gifted, multi-talented self, at the right place, at the right time, and those gifts and talents are given the chance to blossom and transform the landscape set before them, this gift then stands apart from all others.

Mr. Obama’s ultimate gift can then be said to be ‘timing’. He has not become a ‘could-have been’ or ‘would-have been’, but instead became a person who is exactly what they strived to become, at the right time, in the right time, in our times.

Warm Days in Winter

2008-11-05T02:49:00.000-08:00

It’s a been a year since I relocated from New York to Malmö, Sweden. It feels so much longer. When I walk down these streets now, it is familiar territory. My streets. My neighbourhood. My corner. Don’t mind the fact that I still can’t speak the language fluently, people switching to a second language to accommodate me. Happens all the time. Even when I try my broken Swedish when I am in the mood, it’s as if the butchery is too much for them to bear, and they willingly, gladly, easily, switch to English. WTF? I will never learn like this.

Winter is here already, the days dark by 5 in the afternoon, the skies overcast and grey, a slight drizzle adding to the gloom. It is quite depressing, and I have already felt the inevitable want for hibernation. When summer came earlier this year, it was a joy that I haven’t felt for such a long time. In New York, when the heat came, it was great, but then the city became hot and sticky; an over-filled jug, spilling the sweaty masses onto the streets, sloshing them together in the subway cars, then inevitably pouring them into every available nook and cranny.

Here in Malmö, the warm weather made everything else irrelevant – work became a part-time routine, a simple chore, a prerequisite to the after-work activities that ranged from football on any available grass surface; walks on the boardwalk by the sea; massive hamburgers chased with cold beers at Moosehead, in Lilla Torg. Why anyone leaves Sweden during the summer is beyond me. It’s what everyone waits for.

The only way for a warm-blooded Trini such as myself to get through this damp cold is to venture where it is colder: north to the slopes! Once you strap both your feet into a board and hurl yourself down a mountain of ice and snow, the cold is the least of your worries. That’s right. Snowboarding is the name of the game, and pain will surely come with it. The icy cold pales in comparison to the potential intimate meeting between man and tree.

Naturally, I have done this before. No, not the tree, but the sport itself. After trying my hand at skiing, and having to fall first, and then rise up in the direction that I wanted to go in order to change direction, I thought that it would be easier to lean forward or lean back to change course. At first I didn’t realize that leaning forward causes face-plants, and that leaning backwards can result in mild concussions, but by the third trip I felt as though this was something I could truly master if I kept at it.

When my elbow popped back in, I was grateful for having yet again avoided the breaking of bones. I have experienced all else in the way of pain, but have never received signatures on a cast. While navigating the very first bend that night, with 3 of my experienced snowboarding companions, I leaned back a bit, fingers of my right hand brushing the top layer of snow behind me, and then suddenly the board lost its bite, and I fell backward onto my arm. My elbow become confused with what it was being asked to do, and popped out of place, before regaining its composure and popping back in. We had been coming down the mountain for all of 5 minutes.

It was a long way down to the bottom, and walking down did not guarantee against slips or falls, so I cradled my elbow against my chest, and aimed for the first man-made mound of snow, and proceeded to land my first, and only, jump. When in pain, the mind can focus on the task at hand, so next up was the icy jump of death, where spectators lie on a snow bank to the right, with a perfect view of the approach, elevation, aerial maneuvers, and the landing of would be gifted snowboarders, if said athletes knew better than to try their skills there.

With adrenaline pumping and washing away all sense , and with supporters in the crowd, I approached the naturally formed ramp of ice . But then, to the amazement of those who knew I had no idea what I was really doing, I stopped, unstrapped, picked up my board and headed back up the hill. You see, I knew I would need some more speed to make my imminent demise worthwhile. A few deep breathes later I was approaching the apex, dead center, enough momentum having been made to ensure a good flight. What happened next spanned an eternity, but passed in a flash.

I got airborne. Football, basketball, tennis, cricket, high jump, long jump, 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters… every ounce of athletic experience went into that jump. I don’t know how long I was up there (accounts vary anywhere from a couple of seconds to half a minute), but while up, I had a look around: there wasn’t much to see as I was facing straight up, board completely vertical, myself perpendicular to the board, back to the ground below, the cold night sky dead ahead. I had a thought: I have not a single thought now. My whole being was a peace.

The collective gasp (and occasional “Holy S#@t!”) emitted from the entranced when I returned to earth with a dull, deep thud, was reassurance of my still being alive, and while I remained in my dazed state, checking my body parts one by one, my board slid down the remainder of the slope. Like a car accident victim losing a shoe. Surprisingly, the only thing that hurt as much before as it did after was my elbow, which I had instinctively protected on my descent. The other aches and pains came days later. The elbow took 8 months to mend. No doctor. No lasting reminder of the last time I donned a snowboard.

4 years have passed since that night, but I will always remember that as the warmest winter day I have ever had. Perhaps this winter I will experience such warmth again.

10,000 B.S.

2008-10-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a movie! And I watched it High Definition Blu Ray.

And let me tell you, when you watch a movie in HD, you see that shit clear!!! Every layer and shade and ingrained spec of crap is so crystal clear, that you feel a hundred times more foolish for wasting your time.

The movie was an hour and thirty eight minutes too long (1:48 minutes total time). All the characters looked like extras, including the so-called main characters, and the special effects... well, let's just say that the movie had no right to be done in HD. Why not? Because, no matter how rich and colorful it may look, if it is crap, it's crap.

I mean, who did they make this movie for? My soon-to-be six year old niece, who once saw piece of Alien 3 and laughed at the Alien's 'funny looking teeth' wouldn't sit and watch this movie, and even if she did, before switching back to a more entertaining show (Dora the Explorer), it wouldn't be for her to see, what with all the killing, and sacrificing and bloodletting that was taking place.

No teenager would raise an eyebrow looking at the lame fight scenes and totally cheesy 'special effects'. So, this movie apparently was directed towards people like me, who wouldn't have anything good say about it, but would still rent it and watch it anyway, just so that they could have something to write about, criticize and feel better at some time later on in the day, because they get to vent.

Very therapeutic.

Peace and Quiet

2008-10-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been away for a while. Actually went back to NY for 10 days. It was so familiar, it was almost as though I had never left, and yet, there was so little time to just kick back and take it easy. Not that I was surprised... I mean, what's 10 days after 10 months? Still, rushing through NY is never a good thing.

But I am grateful that I had the opportunity, and Catarina and I made the most of it.

Last weekend we went up to a place called Höör, about and hour north of Malmö. From the pics below you can see it is a different world out there...

Henrik, Catarina, Anneli

Now, why is this horse looking at me like that? What? The hat isn't THAT bad.

Niiiiiice...

The Blairwitch... Sweden style?

A Few Comments After The 'Knight'

2008-08-18T00:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't want to say too much, as I know when the most anticipated movies come out, some of us don't like to get too caught up in the hype, only to be let down when they finally get around to seeing the latest blockbuster flick. The Matrix comes to mind: I didn't get caught up in the hype, but was blown away when I first saw it. Others waited too long, and ended up seeing it at home on DVD, and unless you had a true home theater set up, you could never do the movie justice outside a movie theater.

ANYWAY

The Dark Knight, in my not-so-humble opinion was the best movie in a long, long time. Sure, another superhero movie, and there are many to choose from, but there is a reason why the title in itself was so apt. Firstly, it is a Batman movie done the right way: true to the comic book, sans comic. The hero in question has no super powers, wasn't a lab experiment, an alien from another planet, or a victim of a spider bite. Just a man in a cape with some pretty handy gadgets, and a smart behind-the-scenes accomplice who could piece together all the technological marvels that they can think up. However, the Bat did have training in the ways of the ninja, so if push comes to shove, he can still hold his own if need be.

Okay. Enough of the chatter. The movie kicked ass simply because the action was intense from start to finish, the acting was flawless, the story line uncomplicated but yet still twisted, and the Joker... effectively the Batman's perfect foe: his opposite, as Venom was to Spiderman (except not silly or alien or computer generated). The Joker was a complete nutcase, a ‘man’ without remorse, but more importantly, a man who was able to carry out his agenda outside the confines of a conscience. Killing him wouldn’t have carried the intended weight of justice served. Catching him (eventually) gave a brief sense of vindication, since taking his life would have made Batman similar, since that is what the Joker seemed to do best. But it was short-lived, and the price to pay was dear.

At the end of the day, it was a fulfilling, deep-ish movie, that if stripped of the gadgets and costume and special effects, was very similar to Heat, where Robert Dinero and Al Pacino faced off in a world where black and white are just two shades from which to pick, and the choices made to ensure survival only leave you in the grey.

New Site Lauch

2008-07-25T14:21:00.000-07:00