Saturday 10 September 2016

Understanding

Understanding  10.09.16

Trying to analyse what has made the difference, why today has definitely been one of my happier, more fulfilling days. Its like anything, its not down to any one thing and its hard to put a finger on it.

My recent unexpected house rental dosh along with cheaper rent here mean i can spend money on myself. 
The tourist office were friendly and helpful (i actually think thats a biiiiggg biggie) 
The bus sytems work. 
Its a green and pleasant city with a lot of water. 
Its Swedish! 

There is definitely a happier, noisier, feel good feel to the place. More people breaking rules, like not waiting for the green pedestrian light to pass go, drunks on the streets in the morning, homeless bods sleeping on benches, people walking in bike lanes, noisy cars vrroomming it up the road, littering, ostentatious headlight systems on cars, car stereos blasting out loud, people walking with loud music, people sitting in parks playing live music with amplifiers, horns being hooted playfully. It feels a much less oppressed society altogether. Ah... And maybe there's more women out and about. And definitely shorter skirts. Im now sitting outside a bar, enjoying a pint before heading home and there are more females than males around me. Refreshingly different, isnt that an advert for something? Was it Carlsberg? Isnt that Danish? 

I havent read all the tourist office leaflets i picked up this morning but one i saw but didn't pick up was the history of Ikea. I had to smile that theres a museum dedicated to its history.

I think the story i liked best from todays boat trip was a king or prince who levied taxes for the first time and became so unpopular that they got rid of him and he ended his life as a successful pirate. I love it! Mal mo means pile of sand! The town was initially built around shipbuilding and reached a crisis in x year, dunnoooo, im no good at factual recall and has had to redevelop itself since then, both in terms of identity and economically. We werent given information about how the ecomonics have worked but it definitely appears to be a successful and growing city with development work going on around the old abandoned shipbuilding areas. 

There is a church or cathedral that i must take a photo of at night and show you. Walking fully laden with my front and backpack last night i was confronted by a bright silver church or cathedral spire and roof. I was unsure whether it was illuminated or just so silver that it shone as the sun was beginning to go down. I think it was probably both but a stunning find and close to home. Impossible to take a pic last night and tonights return journey took a different route.

Walking out earlier this evening to catch the bus i discovered im next to the winos park and walking back this evening, there were people settling in for the night on benches, but it felt ok walking through. Im also situated near one of the arterial roads around the city, no wonder it was noisy last night. And she advertises it as a quiet area of the city?

Hmm its ten o clock. i thought it polite to let my host know ive had a lovely day and will be home in about half an hour as ive not seen her all day. She replied that she is at her boyfriends, has been with him all day and will see me tomorrow. When i was home from six til seven it was clear there were still no breakfast provisions, this may not turn out to be a good reference at all. 

The thing about airbnb is that it is generally so clear, you get what you see, you get what they say! Usually. The stars system is confusing tho, she had three and a half stars out of five which is bad for airbnb but looking at recent reviews she sounded much better and early bad references can affect a hosts rating for a long time so i didn't take much notice of the stars. Perhaps i should have. 

Did i mention my lumpy bed? Its an old futon, she told me it might be uncomfortable and i could fetch down a thin mattress from on top of the wardrobe and put it under the sheet. Hmmm. It took me until nearly midnight last night to actually get up and remake my bed. Standing on the wobbly chair wasnt good and it still wasnt high enough so i sort of had to semi jump, reach, pull and duck, reach, pull and duck until it toppled down! It was comfy enough after i had remade it. But I still couldn't manage the noise, even with earplugs, so had to close the window and swelter.

Maybe i have her apartment to myself while i am here, its quite common that couples work that way but its usually explicit. I messaged asking about breakfast when she said she wouldnt be home and she said she will get some in for Monday!!!! Such a shame, i really dont need awkward interactions.