A big festival is beginning in Nepal. Unfortunately, a river has flooded and swept away houses and bridges. Please see BBC News:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ck86zppejjw3o
I feel so sorry about this. I got this as a little present, and it feels like I am participating in traditions. People are very friendly.
My deepest thoughts and prayers for Nepal in this dual festival-flood moment 🙏
I woke up very early to see the Annapurna Himalaya. I sure am lucky because the other day was cloudy, so you couldn´t see anything.
A beautiful day. Professor Thapa has a nephew in Pokhara, and I met him today. We made an excursion to a Pagoda on a hill. Swedish mountains are hills. Mountains are those with snow on top.
The Pagoda felt so close, but there were many steps to walk before reaching the Pagoda.
I will write more later, and I would just like to add some memories and write more a little later.
I was so happy to see Professor Thapa and his lovely wife. They met me early in the afternoon, and Professor Thapa´s driver brought us all the way to amazing Nagarkot. I feel overwhelmed by so many beautiful moments that I need to write about them. Yes, this is really Writing & Leisure.
We went by car – it was like the crookedest street in the world. Similar to Lombard Street in San Francisco. The temperature was rather cool when we arrived, and Professor Thapa wanted to go to the temple, so we joined him. The sunset was ongoing, and we took off our shoes and said a little prayer. A precious moment that I will keep in my mind.
We had dinner together, and Professor Thapa ordered French Fries, dumplings, and vegetables. Since these were my first days in Nepal, I felt a bit impolite since I didn´t dare to eat so much. However, it was so tasty, and I love spicy food.
We tried to call Professor Jörgen Engel, my previous supervisor, during dinner. It was not possible, but we could at least send some chats instead. I was reminded of pharmacology and the nicotinic receptors.
Professor Thapa and his wife returned to Kathmandu, and I stayed the night there. It was so calm and peaceful. At the end of the evening, the only light I had was a candle. I needed to go to bed early to wake up with the sun.
I was awake before dawn, and to my surprise, I had cholinergic pharmacology in my mind. Suddenly, some dogs started barking at nothing, as they always do. I went to the veranda and saw the fluffy clouds from yesterday, but this time not from a plane. Professor Thapa had brought me 2000 meters over the sea. We were not able to see the whole of the Himalayas, but I got a glimpse. I wish every morning would be like this.
I was awake before dawn, and to my surprise, I had cholinergic pharmacology in my mind. Suddenly, some dogs started barking at nothing, as they always do. I went to the veranda and saw the fluffy clouds from yesterday, but this time not from a plane. Professor Thapa had brought me 2000 meters over the sea. We were not able to see the whole of the Himalayas, but I got a glimpse. I wish every morning would be like this.
After breakfast, I had a little walk in the forest below the house. Lots of greenery was mixed with flowers, reminding me of tea plantations I have seen in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. This morning I also saw a coffee plant. The Himalayan java coffee is great, and the local tea is so smooth and fresh. I was told that there was a big earthquake in 2015 that actually demolished lots of buildings. They have made a great effort to rebuild houses.
I had some more tea and enjoyed the atmosphere. Birds and cicadas were singing in the background. A chilly morning in Nepal. And there is hope – I spoke with a German couple who saw the Rhinos the other day. They also didn’t know about Rhinos in Nepal.
It has been a fantastically beautiful summer with mixed weather. Personally, I now count August as a summer month. June can usually be unsettled in terms of weather. I have had a short break in my training, and next week I will start again. An intense and exciting autumn awaits. Finally, I have an idea of what I want to continue writing, and it feels good to let it mature. At Heathrow Airport I saw this sign below:
I would like to see a common path forward. However, the reality is not like that, and I continue to discover. I hope that my upcoming trip will give me more insight and, above all, hopefulness. I will end with this beautiful song, “Teardrops”. The pace and the rhythm are something like a slow, long-awaited summer rain outside my window in the evening.
It is in the middle of summer in Sweden. Tropical sunny days mixed with rain. The ground is so hot that the rain evaporates immediately when it hits the lawn, which makes the humidity close to 100%.
Summer is perfect for short trips. I traveled by train to Gothenburg during the day to meet some friends. They prefer cliffs to sandy beaches and wanted to visit the Swedish west coast. Like me, they like to travel. There were direct flights from Barcelona, Spain, to Gothenburg. I travelled by train from Stockholm.
Interestingly, when I booked my train ticket, I automatically took into account that traveling would mean delays. Later, it turned out to be true. The weather was perfect with sun and blue sky. It was soothing to see green meadows and fields pass my train window on the train to Gothenburg. On the way back, deer grazed in the meadows at dusk.
It had been a long time since we had seen each other, and it was a lovely reunion. The funny thing is that we got to know each other when I was in France – not Spain. 30 years ago. I understand a little Spanish, but we speak French. My friend at that time was her little sister. She could not join due to her family in Spain.
We walked through Gothenburg and ended up in Haga. Life is often depicted in pictures, and I also wanted to photograph the gigantic cinnamon buns that were made for Instagram.
At the café, we tried to catch up after our last meeting in Barcelona. We laughed, and as usual, we understood each other despite some language barriers. They wanted me to show them my best secret spot in Gothenburg. Since we didn’t have much time, we took a taxi to Saltholmen-Långedrag. They laughed at me as I tried to stop a black Tesla that later turned out not to be our car – kind of universal humor where words are not needed.
The sea was the same, and the boats were where they should be. Here, too, there was a ready-made motif for social media. A perfectly polished boat that was moored right next to the restaurant. It was hot, and we cooled off with cold drinks. In the background, the song ‘Macarena’ by the Spanish pop duo Los del Río was playing. It seemed to be the end of a sailing course, and all the participants danced the Macarena to the greatest delight of my friends.
The week before, I had seen on the news that a luxury yacht belonging to Putin had passed Gothenburg. It felt better to see dinghies sailing. We started to get hungry, and we found our way back to the city center again. The market hall was tempting, but we ended up with a pasta dinner right by the equestrian statue of Karl IX (kopparmärra).
My Zaragoza friends continued north along the west coast. I went by train to Stockholm – a truly wonderful little summer memory – Le temps est bon. Let’s go, Spain! ⚽️ 🇪🇸 ⚽️ 🇪🇸 ⚽️
My passion for languages started at Uppsala University. I was asked, ‘Are you studying humanities?` A little question that has shaped my life. Anu, my friend with the cake, is now working at a London hospital as an MD. She reminded me of times in Gothenburg where we met through science. I had arranged an early breakfast for PhD students at a French café, with croissants and coffee. Languages need to be constantly updated.
I had some photo glimpses in London that I am sharing. Suddenly, I have a special vibe about something I’m trying to catch. Below, I am sharing some sweet photo moments. My camera had to work some. I found a photo from 10 years ago in London. It really is before and after the COVID pandemic. I have, for the most part, worn sports clothes these past few years and not cared so much about looks. I need to change. At least I have changed to high heels. I bought a VOGUE magazine for inspiration.
Today is devoted to the power step. My favorite training. Lots of coordination, strength, and fitness. Aiming for that before the COVID feeling.
Stay safe 🐾
