Leaving New York for a while

Airports have a certain very special shimmer. A sense of wistfulness slowly spreading. Somehow this is both an ending and a beginning. And amongst all these feelings the beautiful simple technology. No sentimentality. Silence. Love the feeling.

Without my swedish safety zone

Living abroad i always have to confront my own private boundaries. Clear private boundaries that - in Sweden - are all natural and obvious barely exist abroad. No one here respects my wishes to be silent or on my own or on a double seat or with a safety meter. At home we are spoiled with almost an excessive respect for other peoples private life.

The laundromat is a very illustrative example. I cannot even imagine a swede gladly holding their dirty undies up in the air for a while - loudly gossiping with someone across the room - before throwing it into the machine. Or that i would - after an evening at the washing machines - know more about these people than about my own friends. Sex drugs and sicknesses are quite candidly discussed. Not to mention all those couples arguing about the domestic burdensharing.

At the very same time i do realise that swedes are unusual with all the space and high standards of ours. Somehow this material advantage made us develop our own culture. A culture of independence and pride that many times makes our lives so much more complicated. Having one's own laundry machine you wont knock on the neighbor's door to ask for some detergent - you will rather walk to the far-away store.

As an observer i sometimes get jealous of this unconstrained every-day life. Everything i would consider so private being so open. But when i become a part of this myself i get claustrofobic and totally escapious. I feel naked and just want to go home.

Winter landscape in New York

Could so not resist Raoul Wallenbergs brown fifties briefcase with the colorful hawaii flowers against the crispy white snow.

Timeless design

After some attention to the farmers market on Manhattan i decided to add some extras. Actually i got quite suprised by their recycling of all the old objects. Just as we do at home. This is an old milk bucket that i totally fell in love with. Gotta check with mom and dad if we have something like this at home. Beautiful design. Great recycling.

The country side in New York

Coming home from the office tonight i was tired and low with my pod at its very loudest. Even so i awaited the neighbor kids coming down the street - so they wouldnt have to get their keys and hustle the door. We said hi youre welcome and thank you. Somewhere beyond Global Deejays i suddenly heard something about a cool jacket. I just thought about the fact they had no jackets - so i turned around. A bit suprised.

It turns out these supercool hiphopkids paid some attention and tribute to my oil skin coat. I take out my pod and hear this beautiful newyorker accent. I really love your jacket. Thanks. Its so cool. Thanks. And i laugh a little bit and say its definitely farmers style. Her smile covers her whole face and she says then farmers style is my style. Then both of us laughed and agreed farmers style is the style. How very unexpected.

Subcool rain

That ice storm has not quite reached New York yet. But the weather today. My gosh. Subcool rain snow and pouring rain. Tomorrow it will be rubber boots and my barbour oil skin coat. Thats for sure.

First Avenue outside the UN

Always as difficult to describe the feeling of security threats. But a snap shot just as i went out the diplomats entrance to the UN shows all the police cars. Do note how many lights that are blinking even though there are only police cars. A tad tense.

In the eye of the storm

Just when i come to the entrance i realise i forgot my UN-badge. I call my lunch date and say that i simply will have to cancel. He says god no - lets meet at the visitors entrance and i will eskort you in.

So for the very first time i enter the UN through the visitors entrance. It feels quite odd and i laugh about myself being such a tourist. After a lovely lunch with the view of East River we say goodbye and i leave my eskort pass. When i walk out through the doors i realise i walk straight into yellow embarring tape. Two police officers ask me to turn.

I have a talk with one of them explaining i actually have a diplomatic pass and know the UN - so maybe i could use another exit. Kindly he answers me all exits are closed for now. Suddenly another officer comes up - notably more tense. Discretely i stay and hear him say there is a suspicious package - get the people out of here - now.

Slowly i walk back to the tourists. Without my diplomatic UN-badge i feel naked. After all the bombings when i lived in Moscow i by instinct put my drivers license in my pocket. It is all about identification.

Back in the lobby I ask if the diplomats exits are still closed. Well as you are not a diplomat - you stay here. Well if i am. The guards wait to answer. I ask if i could have a pass without the eskort. The guard directs me to the man behind the counter. Absolutely. If i am in the blue book. But i am not. Because i am not here permanently.

Ah. Even though it most likely is a forgotten bag i do not want to stay. Kindly i ask the man to check my ID to the list of passes. A phone call later i finally receive my card.

Slowly i walk through the corridor from the General Assembly to the Sekretariat. It is absolutely quiet. I think about what the officer just said about Algeria. Slowly i think i should call the mission. That i should call mom and dad.

Finally reaching the pouring rain and dark clouds i hear the cacaphonia of sirens. Realise that the whole first avenue is filled with police cars black vans ambulances fire trucks. Yellow embarring tape.

So calm at the same time. I can not do anything but leave. So i left.

It's all about self-promotion

Have actually reassessed many of my prejudices about the US. But one image has grown stronger day by day. That attitude and self-promotion really does make a difference here. Thought about it when i was to chose roomie for the spring. Someone came here looking. All through the viewing she asked terribly detailed questions and put critical comments about perfectly everything. Finally i got fed up. My god. This is a rental apartment in Alphabet City - and costs absolutely nothing. Wooden floor newly renovated kitchen and wireless is actually really really good.

Honestly i told her i would offer the apartment to swedish interns at first. And suddenly she changed completely. Incredibly charming nice positive open. Then i realised that even to find a simple rental apartment one has to work hard in this city. Not only to sign a website to have a letter sent home and a key in the hand. Quite the opposite. Its all about contacts personality chemistry timing talent. Everything.

Farmers market in Manhattan

Just between my office and the UN - at the monument of Dag Hammarskjöld - there is a farmers market every wednesday. Somehow quite odd. But the apples are so good and the market is the only place where i actually found really good sourdough bread. And everything being so well presented. Like cauliflower in four colors.

9th and A

I am falling deeper and deeper in love with my kitschy neighborhood. Passed the 9th street and A some weeks ago and didnt know whether it was a restaurant or an antique shop or some kind of supplies. Now i know it is a perfectly beautiful thai restaurant with the cutest staff.

The hippie feeling with All you need is love love love love love is all you need along the walls and Serge Gainsburg in the speakers. Wildly decorated and simply adorable. Definitely my recommendation for eating. Far from the clinical fast food joints.

Colorful

The decorations in an indian restaurant just by me. Dashing. Please do note the blue beach ball with fishes.

Those running shoes on

At eightish tonight i just felt it. I had to. For the first time since i came to New York i put those running shoes on. Gosh. So totally happy.

My roomie - who has lived here for a year - asked me to avoid the empty streets down by the river. So that is exactly where i ran. Avenue D and down to the more rough areas. I just love running those dark streets with steem seeping up through the manholes. Rats scurring round my feet. Odd fellows hanging out in the shadowed doorways. A couple of kids boxing. Crosscountry. Hood.

After about half an hour i totally lost control of north and south. Finally asked two supercool hiphopers for the way. To cute to be true. After some gibberish it turned out i was only two blocks away from Ave C. When i run away from there i stop to let a cab pass. Behind me i hear a very sweet Baby dont worry no one is following you in this hood.

I just had to turn around and crack a big laugh. It is so chocking having a curvy blonde jogging by in black tights i obviously have to be scared. No worries tho.

A little bit further up on Avenue C i ran passed some random guys who suddenly burst out into Oh honey - thats paying off. God bless you. Dont they have anything better to do. What do they do all day long. How do they come up with all these comments. I can hardly be the first runner in lower Manhattan. Or maybe i am. Maybe i dont adjust to the lifestyle as i should. I guess one is supposed to run in Central Park. But in so many ways this is so much more fun.

Craving for some good running

A lonely runner along the horizon in Central Park a Sunday afternoon. I can feel the very happiness all the way down to my running shoes. And i do realise there is no turning back. I miss my running so much i could die. Gotta learn to make time for it.

This spring i took the (swedish) mile a couple of times a week and in between some interval and shorter runs. Just love it. In quiet with no pod just feeling those steps. Nothing compares to being really fit and just run. No limits. Such a total ease.

Absolut Sweden

Waiting for the bus the other day I saw a couple carrying H&M-bags. Crossing the path of a young man on his way to the laundromat carrying a big blue IKEA-bag filled with laundry. The man next to me read a Metro and just in front of us a Volvo passed by. Literally unbelievable. More Sweden than in Sweden.

Every day I see ads for Mamma Mia! not to mention the cute little cab-ad flashing by. Young Folks in every Apple Store and stylish cafe. Superbeautiful Absolut ad. Home.

Fascinating how tiny Sweden somehow is so big.

Emotional biking

When I am out biking I get so many comments it sometimes makes me laugh out loud. A tad outrageous of course - but still entertaining.

Yesterday this gentleman comes up to me - furious - making a total scene - telling me to buy a bell and a helmet. Fine - a bell would be great. But a helmet is not my way of biking. All chill I told him to move away from the crossing as it turned red. Obviously more dangerous.

Today this lady became all upset with me leading my bike on the walk. But I was walking right. So. Imagine I would have lead my bike on the cycletrack. The bikers would have slaughtered me. For sure.

If I ever stop and ask about the way - they look at me as if they have seen a ghost. They say god bless you and take care and all kinds of stuff - instead of actually telling me where to go.

Do please note that even the biking symbol has a helmet. Gosh. This country do need some common sense and a few bikes.

The Analogue America

Neil Peter and all those magazines. Please note I'm risking my life in the middle of the street taking this pic.

Neil. This one is for you. And your urge for commenting Swedish news. A friend of Madeleines called America analogue. So true. But why is the American society so under-developed. Could you please tell me that. The phones are not working in the subway. Every other text gets lost. Phones are virtually impossible to fill with money. Nothing is online. Always and everywhere this stupid machine voice telling me things I do not want to hear. People still read newspapers in paper. Compared to Sweden this is crazy.

Not to mention. All meals include knife fork spoon three napkins at least three plastic containers and two additional plastic bags. Everyone buys soda on cans and throws them away in the next garbage bin. No one would ever consider a bike instead of a car. And they wonder what climate change is all about. Compared to Sweden this is a total nightmare. Couldn't we just bring about Swedish life style as a business concept..? Ie - stay informed and healthy while fighting global warming. Neil. That would be something for you me and Oprah.

We still will have to negotiate for your addiction to snus though. I'm not quite sure that snus would be an advantage for our new Utopian Digital American Society.