London I do love you

On my way from Malta I realize how much London have really become my home. I do have two homes, I still talk about Stockholm as home as well, but London is where I live and where my heart lies.

Leaving the flat on a weekend heading for the cemetery, Hyde park or Notting hill give me a sense of belonging to something I have chosen my self. Being in London is a choice I make again and again and every time I think on whether I should move back or not I realize that London is where I should be right now.

London with it’s beautiful houses, cramped tube filled with people, pubs, music flowing the streets, best ice cream at Gelato Mio, every cuisine you can think of, cheap night at the Gate, night clubs open til 10 in the morning, squirrels in every park and a bed in a house with a man I love.

That is the city I belong in and even if it breaks my heart not going back to Stockholm I am exactly where I should be at this exact moment.

Under the Malta sun

Back from 4 days in Malta with my 550 colleagues. Tired and it feels like my insides are rotting. After a vague idea of taking it easy I ended staying up until 4, 4 and 7 am in the morning. Well worth it though, nice to see all of my Swedish colleagues i haven’t seen in so long and when the shots are €7 for 12 there is no lack of fun to be had.

Last day was a day of rest in the sun. Unfortunately i missed some with the sun block and now look like a lobster on various bits on my body. Healthy.

Had the best time but somewhat happy to be back in rainy, miserable London where the shots are expensive and its to cold to stay out longer than 1. Dont think i would survive otherwise.

 Happy colleagues. A couple of shots down the line…

 The pool at the hotel. Here is where the burning my self into a red crisp action took place

 The team building assignment was to make a movie. Here employing some old ladies

 The Malta view. Hard one going back to london.

Still so worth it. When i got back Oliver cooked me dinner, bought me ice cream, stroked my hair and covered my red body in after sun. On Sunday we went out for smoothies trying to recover my body to some kind of normal state.

Sunday night chill out time. Reading and a healthy salad. Some more of this and my liver might get resurrected and start working again.

Things that break my heart

Worth thinking about. Sometimes making no demands in a relationship can be seen as withdrawal. I easily make this mistake thinking I’m making it easier for the other person when I’m really barely there in the relationship. ‘In the end, he was so vague, so hidden, she couldn’t even see him’

Agnes. Why am I here when you are there? I miss you and the others more than words can say. I’ll make sure to spend some time with you during the summer. For me.

Happy birthday Kix

Saturday and it was Kix bday celebration. Instead of a sunny park we ended up being in a pub. Early on I realized I could never keep up with the party people so I sat with Ziggy in my lap and watched the spectacle. At 8 I went home for sofa and a sad movie.

I have become an old lady!

 Kix got tiny hand serum. Very fitting for the girl with the tiniest hand in the world.

 My party partner in crime

 Balloons, a girls best friend.

 Popcorn and movie. Who needs nightclubbing?

 Very sad! So sad I had mascara running all over my face.

Kix bday gift.

On sunday I went out for a walk in the cemetery and then home to Kix for cake and chill with all the hang over people. I felt a bit smug about being non hang over until I realized that is horrible. Then I ate so much sugar i got a sugar hang over. Skrattar bäst som skrattar sist. 

Ziggy humping the teddy. He is getting snipped in 6 weeks. Enjoy it while it lasts Ziggy boy…

Summer time and the living is easy (despite the fact its 8 degrees and freezing all the time)

Monday morning and I’m making the world a little brighter with my summer trousers. I have no doubt it will start raining soon again but you know what they say ‘there is no bad weather, only bad clothes’ and with trousers like this its permanent summer.

I had a very calm and relaxed weekend in with my new thing of drinking less for a while. We started out with an amazing home cooked dinner by Ella on Friday. Lamb steak, potato dauphine, fisk cakes, home made ice cream and chocolate cake. Spoilt!

After dinner we played games. It got to a very heated discussion on which game was really the best so we (as in the boys) ended up discussing more than actually playing.

After lots of laughing and our team winning a moral victory (which of course its the most important one) we went home and were in bed at 1. The old lady in me made winning fingers.

Lost in translation

There was thunder over London yesterday, the sky opened up and soaked anyone out in it. Both Sanna and me were on our way back to drop off her bag at the apartment before heading off for drinks. We survived, although looking like drenched rats. Great look and we rocked it.

We started at Mall Tavern for Laura’s bday drinks. All the Americans had macaroni and cheese and Laura’s eyes when we told her there aren’t really any in Sweden was sad to see. I would say that was the worst bday gift ever. Seb is going to have a hard time convincing her to move to Sweden now.

After dodging paying for our alcohol free drinks (we honestly forgot) we went to Churchill Arms for dinner. The food was so so but when Oliver, Miranda and Sanna tried to order tea and got the ‘just green tea’ I laughed like i haven’t in a long time Well worth it for their faces when they actually got ‘just green tea’ and not the fancy stuff the thought they ordered. The conversation went something like this:

O: what kind of tea do you have?
Waiter: just green tea (in a very inaudible voice)
O: great – two jasmine teas
Waiter: Ok, 2 just green teas
S: I want a mint tea
Waiter: 3 just green teas
O: No, 2 jasmine and 1 mint tea, not three jasmine teas
Waiter: Great, ill bring you your 3 just green teas.

We went back for a quickie with Laura and the others but then back to bed. Early breakfast with Sanna this morning before work. Damn i miss my girls sometimes.

 Sanna came bearing gifts Love it! Know what I’m doing for the weekend.

 Kix and Lisen, Kix was matching Zig with the scarf… There is a point where it is too much, just saying…

 Sanna and the Zig.

 The birthday girl herself. Very happy!

 Sanna at Churchill Arms. Very relaxed and at ease in these surroundings.

A long awaited visit from the homeland

Even though the rain yesterday I ventured out into the wet streets of London to meet up with my Sunny Sunshine. First off was a stop at oliver’s friend Julians birthday drink. 40 year old something bearded and slightly scruffy looking men and gorgeous young models. And then me and Oliver – a 30 year old something slightly scruffy looking woman and a gorgeous young model. I know how to play this game.

After a drink and a chat with a (gorgeous young model) girl called June who also played in band (my ‘i work in the gambling industry’ didn’t feel so cool all of a sudden’) i left the pub and went up to see Sanna. We ate olives, drank water and talked about life. There is a lot to catch up on after 8 months. (At The Botanist Bella, we thought about you when we looked at the men)

Tonight we are off to Lauras bday drink and then dinner at Churchill Arms (to Olivers dismay ‘bah, pub food’ he spitted through gritted teeth). All while being sober. It’s my new thing. As Oliver say ‘Welcome to the dark side. And remember, this is a life style not just something you do for Christmas’. Bah

Never more

I am so tired of this weather. This morning, waking up in a clammy, rain heavy room, I started cursing for the sheer bleakness of the day. Poor Oliver.

It sucks the life right out of you. Its supposed to continue like this for another week. i’ll be dead by then, a mere shell containing nothing but dreams of sun killed by the harsh reality.

Just in!

Sanna comes to london from Wednesday to Friday. First time we see each other in 6 months! That is scandalous. Good thing we are making sure to fix that asap.

Some wine and girl talk. Hope it doesn’t become mayhem like that time she was helping me pack for my London move. Emptying my spirit stash we woke up the next morning missing DVD’s (after Sanna played frisbee with them in Riche) and being a stolen silk napkin richer. My bag consisted of only high heels and cocktail dresses and my head was pounding.

Good times.

The storm!

                                    
Saturday came and after a 2 hour trek up to East it was time for the guys epic dress up party. The theme was ghetto superstar. No one really followed it. The guys were topgun wing men. I started out as the girl from the fifth element.

But Tom thought i had too much clothes on and re styled me in hos old knee pads and army trousers.

I am sure this is what the knee pads are really for.

Tom was stupidly grinning all night next to his sexy cat woman girlfriend. Cant for my life understand why…

Wing man!

Tom and Kim, great hosts. At least the made sure everyone was on the same drunk level as they.

Looking at Candice face i think this is when normal people started to get tired. The party continued for about 5 hours after that. Grown up as I am I fell asleep in the middle of the party before i got led to bens bed. That saved my ass.

Love the face of the guy in the background. That IS ghetto. Maybe not so much superstar but definitely *im going to kill you ans take your money’ ghetto. (this is james, the guy who defended Kims honour by punching a british champion on boxing. Not the best idea)

Frog and frog. Ben and me had some epic dancing. Great night!