Today, this blog is one year old.
Sun's out today, and set to stay out for the next week or so, which bodes well for the annual gathering of relatives out at Tallören. Less so for the practical part of the Rescue Diver course that starts on Friday. Sarah and I are simultaneously doing the Dry Suit Diver speciality course, and the combination of dry suit and mediterranean heat is not ideal. At least we both scored full pot on the oh-so difficult Rescue Diver theory final exam. Part of PADI's business model seems to be to make sure that no one ever fails their courses, which is good for PADI's bottom line but perhaps less so for the diving community. Saying that, sport diving in Sweden has an exemplary safety record, with the number of deaths per year countable on one or two fingers. It is not considered a 'risk activity' in insurance terms here, whereas it was the most expensive component in our BMC travel insurance.
Slowly working my way back into climbing, too. No convenient crags nearby, but a reasonable Entreprises-style indoor wall, which is super-steep - and top-rope only. The idiocy of this should be apparent to anyone who's ever climbed anything, but it's a product of some misguided safety thinking. One at least has time to reflect on life, the universe and everything as one embarks on yet another massive swing brushing the opposite wall, all in the name of safety. Big signs reinforce this by stating that no leading is allowed (it's so dangerous), and that all those lovely bolts are there only for show, not for use.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
France
There is a World Cup going on, in case you hadn't noticed. Watched the Spain-France game last night and couldn't help being struck by the sheer quality of play from both sides, especially in the first half. So different from the dull, uninventive football produced by Sweden and even England. Eriksson's England would have been absolutely shredded by either side last night. Brazil is next for France, and that game is likely to be another celebration of footy joy. I wouldn't like to gamble on the outcome.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Sweden 2006 051
A few trees needed taking down. Chris insisted it be done by axe, rather than by chainsaw.
Freddie
God bless Freddie Ljungberg for keeping us in the tourney. That said, I find football-the-phenomenon more interesting than football-the-game. I forgive the upbeat revellers for keeping me awake most of last night through their sheer unabashed joy. And my three year old niece Zoe for waking us up at 6am, too, out of sheer excitement of greeting another day. Sarah's completed her first Swedish course and are making progress in leaps and bounds. Next course set to start in a few weeks' time, before which we're doing the PADI Rescue Diver course. It's busy work being unemployed, I say.
Otherwise, a new-found interest is Tai Chi which during the summer months is being run in a nearby park, two evenings a week. I have trained various martial arts in the past, but nothing as pure as this. Very rewarding, and I'll certainly look to carry on if I can. If you get a chance to try it, it's a very different, but useful complement to any other sports you may do.
Our friends came and went, and good times were had out at the island. The lads (and some of the lasses, too, no less) got busy chopping down a few trees and recovering with beers in the sauna and chilling dips in the sea. Good food, drink and company
Last week we entertained Sarah's parents here in Sweden for a week; their first visit to Scandinavia. We walked around the prettier parts of town, saw the capital and spent four days at the island, all in glorious summer weather. Hopefully they came away with some positive experiences.
Otherwise, a new-found interest is Tai Chi which during the summer months is being run in a nearby park, two evenings a week. I have trained various martial arts in the past, but nothing as pure as this. Very rewarding, and I'll certainly look to carry on if I can. If you get a chance to try it, it's a very different, but useful complement to any other sports you may do.
Our friends came and went, and good times were had out at the island. The lads (and some of the lasses, too, no less) got busy chopping down a few trees and recovering with beers in the sauna and chilling dips in the sea. Good food, drink and company
Last week we entertained Sarah's parents here in Sweden for a week; their first visit to Scandinavia. We walked around the prettier parts of town, saw the capital and spent four days at the island, all in glorious summer weather. Hopefully they came away with some positive experiences.
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