passing the days

Sometimes time goes by and it feels like you're just passing the days, waiting for something else. Then this something happens and you like it, but afterwards you feel kind of empty. It's like that with the plans I've made since Marta and Polly have been gone. I enjoy it, but at the end of the day (literally -not the rather tired expression) it's kind of hard not to be with M & P.

to be left alone

Tomorrow will be the start of a difficult week for me. I will be alone, since Marta will take Pollington with her to Poland. Yes, my baby girl has got a passport and will be going abroad for the first time on the outside.

I'll try to keep busy while they're gone so I don't perish from missing them too much. Objectively, that shouldn't be too hard - keeping busy, I mean. I have a lot of projects I haven't had time for. Mostly recording song ideas. It seems I've turned into a new song fountain. I don't mind. It's not like I'm Dylan or anything, but it's fun to write songs. I guess I'll have to focus on that...

So anyway, don't be surprised if you see that I'm online on facebook this week, ok?

sowing some seeds of curiosity

It's been a day of creativity. I have (so far):

* Written the musical part of a new song -no lyrics yet, while in the bathroom

* Painted a picture entitled "Bunnies of the Apocalypse"

* Drawn three comics and submitted them to LÄRA for publishing

* Written this blog entry

I am fully aware that the last item on the list isn't exactly what you'd call "worthy", but I just thought a list of three things is a bit of a silly list. Here's a list of other, less creative things I've done today:

* Biked to and from work

* Taught some English classes

* Bought Mark Knopfler's new CD

* Picked up Polly's passport

* Washed up after the lovely pancake dinner

* Called my sister and talked to my mother who's staying there for a week

I also have a feeling that life is good. I'm optimistic today and I believe tomorrow will be even nicer. But of course, one can't be entirely sure until one knows for sure.

trying to salvage the weekend

My sister phoned a while ago and gave me some terrible news. I missed Geology Day at the museum yesterday. That's what we call a "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" moment.

In a desperate attemp to save the weekend, we're going to Skeppsholmens dag. I don't know exactly what it is, but it seems like a nice place too meet up with said sister and her family and walk Polly around in her pram. We're seeing my sister at noon at Slussen to take the boat over. There's a cool exhibition at the East-Asian Museum too. We'll see. And speaking of Polly; I have her hanging over my shoulder as I'm writing this. I'm not wearing a shirt, and I can feel some drool slowly running down my back. Aah, fatherhood... Gotta go wipe. See ya!

photography at night

a new beginning

Tomorrow I will have my first classes with my new students. I have no idea what it's going to be like. Since I've had two weeks off with Polly, I haven't had any classes yet this semester. It's time to start again. I haven't taught a new group for five years. I guess I have to take my own advice and look at this as an chance to be who I want to be for the coming three years. With a class, you only get one. I'll keep you posted.

frauds and fuck ups, pt 2

frauds and fuck ups, pt 1

duck room at the hospital

i had no id

Polly, Marta and I spent a good deal of the day at Skatteverket's city office, waiting as Marta applied for a Swedish ID. She used to have one, but it was stolen along with her wallet over a year ago. It was time to get a new one, since lots of places in Sweden don't accept her Polish ID or passport as valid identification.

I know it sounds weird, but you used to apply for IDs at banks. That and at the post office. I think you still can, but not if you're a foreign citizen. They recently changed the rules, so now you have to bring a Swede with a valid ID, provided the Swede is your partner/husband, sibling or boss. And you have to go to Skatteverket (the tax office). This has led to waiting times at Skatteverket. We were there in May for our first attempt, but since we got there at six and they close at seven, we had to just go home again. They said the people being served arrived at noon.

Today we decided to try again. We got there at a quarter to one and left around three. The place was packed with angry foreigners. There were security guards there to make sure things didn't get out of hand.

But the real story is this:

I asked an employee at Skatteverket what a person might do if the following is true for them:

* They are a citizen of another EU country
* They have a Swedish personal number
* They have a residence permit
* They are the boss at their company
* They have a Swedish bank account
* They are single
* Their siblings do not live in Sweden

My question was whether Skatteverket could get them an ID. The employee asked me:
"Do they currently have a valid Swedish ID?"
I resisted the temptation to ask why they would apply for a second one and instead opted for the slightly more neutral
"No."
I was stunned to hear the simple, yet brutal statement:
"Then we cannot help them."

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. If you are a foreigner in Sweden, you better marry a Swede or start working for someone instead of being you own boss, because that's what the new system does. I remember helping out a friend a few years ago, doing the same at a bank in Huddinge. There were no problems then.

I don't get why they have to fuck with everything that works.