Scandinavian pathology

The inability of the Swedes (and as I have heard also Norwegians and Danes) to distinguish between the different Baltikum states really borders with a genetic pathology. That's what I have come to believe after spending some time here... Just 3 short examples

1) First time I was an exchange student in Kalmar, it was still before Schengen and I had to fill in a form and send it to Migrationsverket (Immigration Office) in Växjo and they had to send me back a plastic residence permit card. The system was very easy and fast, so a plus for that because in many other countries migration procedures can give you a hard time. However, I decided to fill in the form in English. I was hesitating for a while between writing "Latvia" or "Lettland" (in Swedish) in the field for the citizenship, but I chose to write it in English as I was filling in the form in English... that was my mistake. Because I got back my plastic residence permit card with "Litauen." I wrote a very angry complaint mail saying that people working in the Immigration Office at least should learn the difference. I did not get any reply to my email but in a week I got a new plastic card with "Lettland." So at the end I had two residence permit cards in my wallet. With "Litauen" for the times I do something wrong and for "Lettland" for all the other times. Unfortunately, I never needed to use them and my wallet got stolen shortly after returning to Latvia, so my best souvenir from Sweden got stolen with it. Uhh, what a pity.

2) Recently I started to work as studiehandledare (something like teaching assistant) for a little Latvian girl at a Swedish school. It is a preparatory class for children who have recently arrived in Sweden and are starting to go to school. On the wall of the classroom they have a beautiful map of the world with a lot of pictures of important objects and how people look like and live in different places... However, "Lettland" and "Litauen" appear to have exchanged their territories on this beautiful map. Lithuania is now north of Latvia. What can one expect from these kids when they grow up if they learn from wrong maps and nobody teaches them that there is a substantial difference in whether Latvia is north of Lithuania or Lithuania is north of Latvia.

3) Today I went to a bank to open an account. I started with asking whether we could speak in English because I had to explain a complicated history, which I thought I would have trouble with in Swedish. The lady said "of course we can talk little English," after which I saw that probably it will be still better if I try in Swedish as her English was of a similar level. However, when she saw my passport, she suddenly ran away with some good idea. I could see that she is talking to her colleague. Then she ran back saying that her colleague is also from Lettland. However, when this colleague herself came up to me, she blushed and apologized that she does not know Latvian as she comes from Estonia.

Tum-tu-tum tu-tum tu-tum tu-tu-u-um...

And now my TOO MUCH (great) husband started to play Pink Panter on guitar and I should make some tea and dive into the Chinese economy...

spinning around

Long time I have not opened you, my friend, and talked to you. I think it is about the time to get some clear ground below my feet. But it just does not happen... I don't know if I am really to blame or it is some higher providence.
So I went to Kosovo for 6 months, but at the end had to come back earlier. In a way it is great, I feel it, especially because I have the best husband and now I cannot imagine how I could be away from him for 3 months...
But...
It is a bit strange feeling when you make long term plans (6 months for me is long term), meet people whom you expect to meet for a longer time, make friends...and then suddenly need to leave. Now this summer for me seems like a dream, like it was not real. I am back where I started from 3 or a bit more months ago. And, in general, it is hard to imagine that such realities and Sweden and Kosovo coexist...
And yes, now I feel a bit guilty that I have left my friends in Kosovo and still, after almost 3 weeks, have not let them hear anything from me. So it will be some emailing time on Monday. Just I need to write it down in my agenda, otherwise, it is just too much to keep in my head right now.
Yes, and my life seems far from calm and stabilized right now. It is just waiting for the next curve...

"Emotional muscles"

"Men need to learn how to be strong in a different way by developing "emotional muscles."
/Neil Blacklock/

I would not know how to say it better. And that's why I think women are the stronger gender, we have bigger "emotional muscles"

Men and showers

This morning I went to the bathroom and was surprised there was so much water on the floor... And then I remembered that this night one girl had her boyfriend staying over. Of course, I do not have any evidence it was him, but no other morning did I observe such a phenomenon. And doing it statistically, I could say I am sure it was him over 95% level of confidence.
But what is it with men and showers? So hard to pull closed the bath curtain? Wider shoulders, negligence, or just too much pleasure from splashing water all around?