Apparently the most popular artist among white South African men is a man called Kurt Darren. Right now he has a hit with the song Kaptein (Span die seile). I heard this song on the radio today while driving and couldn’t stop smiling. The contrast between the hardcore macho culture in South Africa, and the sugar-coated schlager / eurodisco sound of Kurt Darren, is fun. Thank you P3 Kultur for making my day.
Archive for the ‘private life’ Category
The Outcast
In lessons, private life on January 29, 2010 at 10:32 amIt’s scary how difficult it is not to drink alcohol. Not because I desperately need a drink, but because how socially awkward it is to be stone sober. So many social activities are associated with drinking, and by saying “no thanks” some people get offended.
Yesterday I told a friend that I was staying away from the booze for a few weeks. He asked me to call him back when I started drinking again. Another friend said that this was another example of my addictive personality; with me everything is black or white, yes or no, all or nothing. He might be onto something, but the the main reason is that I can feel a real difference in well-being by staying away from alcohol (and coffee) for a while, and that’s why I’m not having any.
This can be hard to explain to people at poker nights, at after works, and at big dinners, where a big glass of water doesn’t look quite right.
Five Days of Night
In private life on January 4, 2010 at 5:09 pmI’m just back from a five-day trip to Poikkijärvi, in the far north of Sweden. This time of year, the sun never rises above the horizon. From the airplane, the landscape looks like the moon. Everyone is dressed like an astronaut, to survive the cold. We used these snow racers with oversized engines, to travel through the snow.
This Is Why I Hate Losing
In private life on December 6, 2009 at 7:18 pmThis morning I played a tennis match against an old friend and rival. He won, which he deserved. Today he was the better man. I wouldn’t mind losing so much if it wasn’t for the way he wins, and for the way that he clings on to his victory like it was the last drop of water. As I came home tonight there was an email waiting for me. This is how it read.
“AP International Press (GOTHENBURG, close to)
He came back.
He played.
And he won.
The comeback had everything tennis lovers across the world could wish – and then some. Former Champion and 2 time GRSO and VM winner Mr X met hard slugging rival Nils Hammar in the early hours in a battle in Joe Farrelli Open – a battle that will be long remembered by fans across the planet.
- Well, I never expected to be back in a 3 setter, and yet to win, not a chance, I thought. But sometimes dreams come true. And today was one of those times, said Mr X earlier tonight.
He is called chief strategist by his tour colleagues. And he certainly showed the world why in today’s min-blowing match, when coming from behind to win in an amazing 2-1 victory (4-6, 6-1, 7-5).
- It was a close call. Hammar had the upper hand, but late in the game i pulled a couple of cards out of my sleeve and turned the game around, commented a busy Mr X as fans tried to approach him in trendy, low key restaurant in Gothenburg earlier today. Nils hammar declined to comment on the game.
Mr X earlier tonight released a press release as media and fans gathered and put pressure on the Champion to come out into the open. The statement is here in full:
Press statement MR X, Sunday DECEMBER 6th
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that Sweden is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our tennis game, tonight is your answer.
It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that Mr X could be that difference.
It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Hammar or Mr X, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Mr X who sent a message to the world.
I am, and always will be, Mr X.
It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what I did today and on this date, change has come to gothenburg.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Mr Nils Hammar. Hammar fought long and hard in this game. And he’s fought even longer and harder for a game that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for the game that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless player.
I congratulate him for all that he has achieved. And I look forward to wishing him good luck in his future career.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who was with me at all times; God.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friends.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. My fans. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this victory. We didn’t start with much money or many personal trainers. Our fight was not hatched in the halls of Ullevi TK. It began in the backyards of Karlstad, Skåre and the living rooms of Värmland. This is your victory.
Yes we can.
Players, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves — if our children should live to see the next century; what will they remember?
My victory.”
Packing It Up
In private life on November 19, 2009 at 11:10 amI’m moving to a new flat on Saturday, which made me think about where I’ve lived over the last years. Since I’m home sick and bored out of my skull I took a trip down memory lane and created a map of my historic whereabouts.
Apparently, this move will be my 19th since February 2001, but the first ever where I’m moving my own bed and furniture with me.
Here We Go Again
In private life on November 16, 2009 at 9:49 amYou know it’s another Monday morning in the office, when this is all you can think of.
Bad Back Blues
In lessons, private life on June 25, 2009 at 1:16 pmAbout 2,5 years ago I had an accident with a gocart, and since then I’ve had problems with my back.
I’ve had whiplash, tendinitis, and most recently a pretty ugly case of slipped disk.
I’ve seen a bunch of different doctors and 3 different physio-therapists. I’ve tried pain-killers, the McKenzie method, traditional physio therapy, and a few other patented “miracle cures”.
So far, nothing is doing any real good. A couple of times I’ve been feeling better for a month or two, but at the moment I can’t walk without limping, and I can’t tie my shoes without a struggle. (But I can still function normally and I haven’t been off work a single day, so it could be much worse.)
I’m slowly losing patience and my energy. I hate that there’s no proven treatment for bad backs – some experts say stretching is good for you, others say streching is the worst thing you can do. Some say you should pump your body full of pain-killers and go about as usual, others say you should be careful of signs of pain from your body and don’t do anything that hurts. Some say operations do the trick, others say they don’t really help.
Equally annoying is the fact that I’m far from alone in my state of bad back blues. Bad backs are costing the society a serious sum of money:
“Back pain is the most common reason for sick leave (30% of all sick leave) and early retirement in Sweden. The total cost of back pain is estimated at more than 20 billion SEK per year”.
I have a feeling that there’s a lot of dishonest people in the “bad back business”. As an entrepreneur I can see why – there are millions and millions of relatively rich people all over the world with a desperate demand for a product or service that’s nowhere to be found. It’s easy to sell them a “break-through product”, because people really want to believe. And when you’ve paid good money for something, you don’t want to tell your family and friends it aint working. But most of them don’t.
That said, I’m currently trying out a new type of physio therapy. In short the idea is to activate and strengthen the muscles that are not used properly when we live our lives in front of computers. I got the recommendation from a good friend, and the therapist was convincing, and I really belive in the theory.
If it works, I’ll be the first to sing its praise, and I’ll tell you all about it. But maybe we shouldn’t get our hopes up just yet.
Springtime Has Come
In music, private life on March 17, 2009 at 5:04 pmSo I’m having coffee on the balcony, with Martin, a dog and a guitar.
There’s only one song that fits the mood. “Hallelujah, I’m A Bum”.
“Well, springtime has come
And I’m just out of jail,
Without any money,
Without any bail
Hallelujah! I’m a bum,
Hallelujah bum again,
Hallelujah! give us a handout
To revive us again.
Oh, why don’t you work
Like other men do?
How the hell can I work
When the skies are so blue?”
The story behind the song can be found here. Click here to hear Peter Seeger sing it.
Changing Tack
In private life on March 9, 2009 at 11:28 amNo more Israel or London, no more MyHeritage – I’ve moved back home to the west coast of Sweden, where the sun always shines.
I’ve got some spare time coming my way, so I plan to get busy doing nothing. My brother is a great inspiration, as the picture shows below. Here you see him in our great grandmother’s rocking chair, listening to the Long Black Veil with Johnny Cash. Clearly doing nothing with talent.
The Bokbuss Forever
In private life on January 8, 2009 at 10:40 amMy mother is a librarian, but a librarian with a twist. She drives the bokbuss. A bokbuss is basically a library on wheels, or an ice cream van full with books.
One day a week my mother drives the bokbuss around the Swedish countryside, making people happy with small packages of quality literature (courtesy of the Swedish state).
It’s mostly elderly people who need the bokbuss, since they’re not that mobile themselves. But they really, really like the bokbuss. They give my mother Christmas gifts, to show how much they appreciate it.
The first “bokbuss” hit the streets of Sweden in 1948. Today there are 93 of them left, but they’re disappearing, along with the rest of the Swedish welfare state. Below is a good-looking example from Engelholm.
THEY TOLD ME YOU COULD PUNCH AS HARD AS JOE LOUIS
In friends, private life on December 18, 2008 at 4:54 pmThat’s what Muhammed Ali said to George Foreman, as Foreman tried to punch Ali senseless in Congo 1974.
“THEY TOLD ME YOU COULD PUNCH AS HARD AS JOE LOUIS” is a brilliant tease to get Foreman furious, and it worked.
It was also Ali’s way of showing defiance — to Foreman, to his own age, to the experts who said he was history.
It reminds me of the feeling you have when you’re on a sailing boat, and the wind picks up, and the water starts flooding in, and the sky looks dark, and you scream “IS THIS ALL YOU GOT?” with all your lungs.
Or when you just have a bad day, after many bad days in a row. That’s when you walk out, turn your face towards the howling wind, and scream.
“THEY TOLD ME YOU COULD PUNCH AS HARD AS JOE LOUIS.”
(This post is for you E. Read it while listening to the theme song from Gladiator. Then watch what happens ca 2.20 into this video).
Four Weeks and Counting
In Israel, private life, random, women, writing on December 12, 2008 at 10:49 amI’ve been in Israel for about four weeks now, so thought I’d summarize some of my impressions.
1. Hebrew is a beautiful language. My favorite words so far are Shablol which means “snail”, and Schlulit which means “water on the street after it has rained”. It doesn’t rain much, so I guess they want to make the most of it when it does. So pronounce it Schlulit!
2. Hebrew is completely impossible to understand. There’s no resemblance to anything I’ve heard before, except when they say goodbye. Then they say “Bye bye”. Gareth was so confused by the language that he said “Mazal Tov” (congratulations) to everyone, convinced it meant thank you.
3. Hebrew writing looks like what a kid who can’t write would write when he pretends to write. When I get a receipt in a restaurant, I always turn it upside down, because I’m sure the waiter gave me it in the wrong direction (which they don’t).
4. All leased cars are made by Mazda, and all leased Mazdas are Mazda 3s. I’d estimate Mazda’s 3’s market share to 97%.
5. Swedes have a good reputation here. Saying that a girl is “Schwedit” means she’s a hot blonde, no matter where she comes from. Apparently, this means that all porn movies have “Schwedit” in the title (but Russians acting in the movie).
6. The women in Israel are as beautiful as anywhere else, but of a different kind. You start talking to someone and ask what she does, and she says something like “Oh I’ve just finished 4 years in the military, where I was the commander of 20 male soldiers and worked non-stop for days, handling life or death situations”. If they ask what I do, I say “nothing special” and go away.
7. It’s easy to be healthy here. Usually I have pizza, red wine and ice cream on Sundays. Here I have hummus, olives, falafel, pita bread, and MAYBE a banana.
Recipe for Recharging
In private life, surfing on November 11, 2008 at 7:05 pm1. Take 4 weeks off.
2. Go to Sayulita, Mexico.
3. Surf.
4. Eat tacos.
5. Sleep.
6. Listen to your iPod.
7. Sleep some more.
I just did it, and it did the trick.
In Between
In private life on October 9, 2008 at 11:47 amThey say music is the sounds of feeling, so here’s my current mood:
“Ute på vägen igen”, Ulf Lundell (sorry you need to be Swedish to get this one)
“Home”, Michael Bulbe (yes, it’s power ballad from a Canadian, but I like it anyway )
Living For the Weekend
In friends, private life, surfing on September 15, 2008 at 3:27 pmA good indication for how good weekend break you’ve had is the amount of angst you have when you’re back in the city. Yesterday was pretty rough, which means I’ve a wonderful weekend.
I returned to my ol’ true love of Saunton Sands, and had a smashing surf session yesterday morning – glossy and clean waves, sunshine and blue skies (which is why my face is red today).
I also got lucky and caught a ride back home to London with Oksana, Emma, and Kadi, young ladies who know how to keep themselves (and others) entertained.
As you can see from Emma’s worried face below, she doesn’t trust my skills with the surf rack that much.
Westward Ho!
In private life, random, writing on September 1, 2008 at 2:26 pmThis weekend I found a place in Devon called Westward Ho!. Not Westward Ho – Westward Ho!, with an exclamation mark. The place is named after a book, but it’s still an amazing name.
I would like to do the same, but also add an a question mark. So from this day forward, call me Nils Hammar?!, nothing else.
The Farsund Blues
In lessons, private life, sailing on July 22, 2008 at 3:13 pmWe’re currently trying to sail from Gothenburg (Swedish west coast), to Fraserburgh (Scottish east coast), on a beautiful Dehler 34 (pictured below).
The first leg went splendid, and we did 170 nautical miles in less than 30 hours, arriving Farsund late Saturday evening. But since then, we’ve been stuck here, being forced to eat expensive Norwegian ice cream.
We tried to take off earlier this morning, but the wind outside Lista Fyr was just too evil, and we had to turn back. Which was probably a good decision:
“The seas outside Lista look inviting when the weather is fine, but in fact, the lighthouse sends its warning signals out over one of the most dangerous coastal stretches of Norway. During the days of the sailing ships, ships often ran aground along Lista’s coast. In 1781, as many as eight ships ran aground just during the autumn months.”
We’ll do another attack this night. But if that fails, I’m afraid I’ll have to use good ol Ryan Air to get me back to the UK.
Stay Away From Your Roots
In lessons, private life on July 15, 2008 at 6:46 pmMy great grandfather was a Swedish farmer, who ruined his back trying to support a hungry family of eleven. I believe he would have been disgraced if he saw me today, as I was struggling with a potato-patch close to our summer house. I had no idea where they were hiding.
“In Sweden, even the horses are blond”
In friends, private life, random on July 7, 2008 at 11:25 amA quote from a surprised foreign friend, who visited Sweden for the first time this weekend.
Tales From the Past – Ljungskile Fasadrenovering
In lessons, marketing, private life on July 1, 2008 at 5:03 pmThis weekend an old friend and business partner is getting married, and I’m flying back to Sweden for three days of celebration. The occasion made me remember the startup we both were involved in setting up – Ljungskile Fasardrenovering. In English, I guess the name would translate to something like “Chesterfields Carpenters”. We specialized in painting and renovating old houses on the Swedish west-coast.
I learned two things from this experience. First of all, I realized that I’m completely retarded when it comes using my hands. I can’t even paint a simple wall without messing it up, or falling down, or getting abnormally tired. My business partners realized this even earlier than I did, so after 3 weeks we parted.
I also realized that there’s a huge demand for cheap professional services, which is far from being met by the current suppliers, at least on the west-coast of Sweden. These kind of business are safe bets for any entrepreneur (who likes to work REALLY hard) not only because of the untapped market, but also since you’re not up against Internet super stars from all over the world.
I attach the flyer we used to get our business. For one day, we drove around in my fathers Volvo, pushing these down any mailboxes we could find. We did say upfront that we used unqualified students as labour (=ourselves), but that didn’t stop people from contacting us. Ljungskile Fasadrenovering HB was booked for the whole summer, and made a healthy profit. I didn’t see much of it though, since I was chilling on the beach.
What’s Up With The Little Frogs?
In friends, private life, random on June 17, 2008 at 3:50 pmAs I was explaining the concept of midsummer to my South African colleagues a few days ago, I found myself staring in disbelief at a few video clips from YouTube. The clips showed hundreds of Swedish men and women jumping around a maypole, pretending to be little frogs.
Hundreds of sober and mentally sane men and women, pretending to be little frogs, making loud frog noises.
“What’s up with that”, they asked. “Why do you pretend to be little frogs”?
I have absolutely no clue why. Do we look like little frogs?
Swedish men
Little frog
Good Picture, Bad Accident
In friends, private life, random on June 13, 2008 at 11:41 am
(Emailed to me from a friend, who took the wrong turn with his motorcycle)
The Benefits of Bruises
In friends, private life on June 6, 2008 at 12:03 pmYesterday I spent some time with Alexander, who is 3 years old. I don’t spend much time with kids normally, so I was unprepared for the raw energy he puts into whatever he does. There were no hesitation, no fear, just a frontal attack on life.
Equally impressive was Alexander’s mother. Even as Alexander smashed his nose into a heavy iron gate, and he started crying as if the world was about to end, she remained cool and made sure he got the attention he needed.
To me, this seems to be the biggest challenge of parenthood – how can you avoid worrying too much, when you know how dangerous the world is to a kid growing up?
I guess you just have to accept that these are lessons for life – painful, but useful. (And since the day I smashed my own head open on an iron gate when I was five, I’ve been quite good at avoiding them.)
Almost Back to Business
In private life, surfing on May 25, 2008 at 6:14 pmI’m just about to leave my hotel in Portugal, and return back to London for work. But I love this place. I urge you to go here, eat fish, drink wine, and get smacked in the head by big waves.
(one of the many pretty spots around here)
On a Deserted Island, Far Far Away
In friends, private life on April 28, 2008 at 9:03 amWith hotdogs, beers, and four smelly friends.
A Woman and Her Handbag
In private life, women on March 13, 2008 at 3:30 pmMy girlfriend is usually angry with me because I spend too much time in front of the computer. As soon as we come home from anywhere, I always go “I wonder what’s happened on the Internet?” and disappear for an hour.
But now she’s found a website where people talk about their true love, their passion, their raison d’etre – their handbags. When I came home yesterday she was typing away in their forum, chatting with her new friends and discussing the best sized Hermes bag out there. And she refused to give me back my computer, using my standard phrase “just give me aminute…”
And then I fell asleep.
Headaches of a Global Startup
In business development, kindo, private life on March 7, 2008 at 2:15 pmWorking with people from all parts of the world is fun, but sometimes requires sacrifices. Fridays should be spent relaxing with friends and families, and usually that’s what I do. But tonight I have a conference call scheduled at 10pm GMT, and then phone interview with a US podcaster at 11pm GMT. Better stick to water, then.
My Cousin – the Ape?
In friends, kindo, private life, random on February 27, 2008 at 1:19 pmI’ve always been fascinated by apes and monkeys, without quite understanding why. The opening chapter of Jared Diamonds book “The Third Chimpanzee” presents one explanation.
According to him, and according to other studies, there are good reasons to put the chimpanzee in the human family tree. Scientists claim that the chimp is more closely related to humans than they are to the gorillas, and should be put in the same genus as us.
According to an National Geographic article about the same subject, “studies indicate that humans and chimps are between 95 and 98.5 percent genetically identical”, and “researchers argue that humans and chimp lineages evolutionarily diverged from one another between five and six million years ago”.
I know this is an explosive subject, and I’m not enough of an expert to really say what’s fact and what’s fiction. (Gareth probably could though, since he’s a trained zoologist).
But when I study photos of chimpanzees, and my own cousin living in here London, I clearly see similarities.
4 Years with the Queen
In private life on February 2, 2008 at 11:18 amGareth wrote a great story about his 6 years in London, which got me thinking.
When I was studying in Sweden I had no idea where I was going, but I knew I wasn’t going to London. I didn’t like the combination of bad weather, bad food, and single-glassed windows. I used to scorn at my banker friends destined for excel-sheets and suits in the city. Yet, here I am, having spent the better part of my 20s on the district line.
I’ve made a few serious attempts to escape, first moving to San Francisco, and then back to Sweden, but for different reasons (such as Ebay, Pema, and Kindo) I always got thrown back here.
Do I regret it? Of course not. But I really don’t think that I’ll be here in 4 years time. Hopefully I’ll live somewhere closer to the nature, where you don’t have to use wikipedia to get the idea.
On the other hand, that’s what I’ve been saying for the last 4 years, so don’t listen to me.
A Brilliant Idea
In office space, private life, random ideas, sailing on July 26, 2007 at 5:59 pmA friend of my told me about his plans to sail around the world a while back. I suggested that instead of “just” hitting standard destinations along the route, he should visit the best surf spots around the globe.
Westcoast of Europe (UK, France, Spain, Portugal), Morocco, Canary Islands, Cap Verde, Caribean, Panama, Costa Rica, Australia, NZ…All of them are along the route most sailers take, and full of world class surf spots.
The trip would probably take 2-3 years to do. And at least 2 years of preparations. But what a trip it would be!
I wonder if he can get back to Monday mornings in the office after such a trip.
The Stockholm Syndrome
In private life on June 9, 2007 at 5:46 pmI was back in Stockholm again this week, and realized why I never really liked it. People are too pretty. It’s one big army of tall, back-slicked, ultra-trendy, aerobic-shaped humanoids. When I’m in Stockholm, I get this instant urge to cut my hair, shave, and go on a week-long shopping session at NK (the Swedish equivalent of Selfridges). But then I go back to Pimlico, and it’s ok again.
After school
In private life on May 2, 2007 at 12:45 pmI’m presenting my master thesis this week at Stockholm School of Economics – Skype: Reasons for Growth. Since I originally joined SSE in 1998 I was supposed to present my thesis in 2002. But something got in between. Skype.
To celebrate, I’ll be drinking Pina Coladas at “Hotellet” in Stockholm on Friday evening. Drop by if you’re in town.
