Dorothee International 1st January 2017
I started the New Year in a little park somewhere in Greater Stockholm. Together with my son and his family I have been invited to a brother of my daughter in law for this celebration. There were more friends and relatives there. To see the fireworks really well, we were standing in the middle of a lawn, but that was not a good place, because all the others were standing at the edges and some were throwing fireworks onto the place, were we stood. Though we moved from there when people told us, that they had the right to throw the fireworks just on the place where we were standing. Nevertheless we enjoyed the New Year with champagne and were walking back to the house around 0:30am. None of us was going to bed before 3am, not even the children.
I awoke anyway around 9am by the noise of the children, but was a little dizzy. I have not had any alcohol, but the champagne and it was only a little glass I had drunk. I think the dizziness came only from the lack of sleep. I left the bed at 11:30, took my medicine, had a chat with someone and a coffee at high noon as well as a sandwich with cheese and one with a Polish sausage (which reminded me on ham).
After a walk to the nearby lake with the families, which still were here, we were going back home by car. My daughter in law visited her parents together with my grandchildren, meanwhile my son and I carried all the stuff, we have had with us for the celebration like pillows and covers, into theirs apartment and were going to my daughter in law parents, too. We only stayed for a little while and took afterwards a longer walk in the surroundings. The evening I spent on the Internet again, but my son and his wife took a rest.
2nd January I went to bed around 2am – yes, I am still a night-bird – and was up again around 10am. One of my grandchildren was still with the other grandparents. Myself walked to the Skärholmen Centre for a pharmacy and the supermarket. It is only around 1.5 km away. This day my soon prepared the dinner. Unfortunately he had some problems with the wound after the surgery of the appendix, though I followed him to a nurse. The rest of the day we were really lazy, but I helped my daughter in law to prepare for a job interview. Anyway I was on the Internet again when the children were asleep and did not go to bed before 2am again.
3rd January
I was seeing a doctor at our health center, because I have problems with one of my knees. It already started in Canada, after I fell in Calgary, but it is getting worse and worse. When I told him about my knee, he asked me, if it is swollen. I answered, I do not think so and he ignored my problems totally. He did not say anything either, when I told him, that my thyroid gland was taken by surgery for cancer and I have to check my thyroid results again. Furthermore I mentioned my autoimmune disease and asked him, if there is something I can do against it, but he told me, there is no way to influence it. Finally he wrote a remittance for a gastroscopy and gave me a prescription for a cortisone cream against my rashes as well as a remittance for a blood test.
There is a dentist close to the health center, who advertise for free examinations. I have not been at a dentist since I left Germany in April 2014 and thought, this will be a good opportunity for me. Though I went there and asked, how it works. Actually it is not really for free, but our public health insurance system pays a tiny amount to the dentist. Such a check-up is usually more expensive, but this dentist was happy with the amount from the public health insurance. I made an appointment with the female dentist.
My plan was to take a walk after lunch, but my daughter in law was back together with my grandchildren and she wished to practise one more time for the job interview. Though I stayed at home. I had already registered for the housing queue in December last year, because of the situation I am in. I was often on the Internet looking for an apartment or almost a room in a shared apartment, but had not found anything. For the housing queue in Stockholm and even in Malmo – I signed up for both, one needs 8 to 10 years in the queue before there is a chance for an apartment. I found an advertisement about lists, where one can find apartments for rent. Unfortunately I signed up for it and paid 250 SEK to get these lists. When I had paid I became aware, that on the list mostly are the apartments I have to queue for. I tried to get my money back, but did not succeed.
4th January
This day there was actually some snow, but it was not enough for a snowman or for going by sledge. I walked to Skärholmen C again, where I had an appointment at an optician this time. When I was driving in the USA I had the feeling, that I need new glasses. I thought, my eyes were getting worse, but it was the other way around. One of my eyes had become better and of course, the glasses were not right anymore.
Before going back home I was looking for an audiologist. It was hard to find the premises, but after a while I did and made an appointment for new hearing aids. There are new rules even in Sweden now and one can get new hearing aids every fourth year – similar to Germany. My last Swedish hearing aids I had got years before I was moving to Ireland for work – and the ones I have got in Germany does not count. I was happy about that, because I lost one in New Zealand.
In addition to that I went to “Svea Vaccin” asking about all the vaccinations I need for travelling in Mexico and Latin America. I have got a list and prices and we agreed, that I should come back in a month to start with all these, even I still was expecting to start over with my RTW-trip almost in the first half of March. I finished my errands by buying the cortisone cream at a pharmacy.
At this time I was very hungry and decided to go to the food court at the center and buy something to eat. I finally decided for a pie at “Millas”, which was served with salad. I really can recommend it.
5th January
My visit at the dentist went well. I did not have any holes and the she told me, that I can wait to replace the missing tooth later, when the one on the side of it also is missing, because it is already loose. She even told me, that I have damaged two teeth by brushing them to hard and that she could fix it. The price for it would be 1,400 SEK. I know about that damage, I have had it for many years and I do not have the money for it just now. Though I will try to come back later.
My daughter in law and my grandchildren are not at home when I am coming back, therefore I use the time for writing some very important emails and checking my Malta bank account.
6th January is a Swedish holiday and I could not do a lot. I also found, that I need to buy a new usb cable, though I can charge the battery of my tablet. Anyway I sorted my pics, or almost some of them. The kids were horrible that day, screaming most of the time and I am longing more than ever for an own little place.
After 9:30pm I am on the Internet again. I check at “Blocket” – a Swedish advertising site – for an apartment or a room.
7th January was also a day with screaming kids. Fortunately the parents of my daughter in law came and took care about my grandchildren. My son and his wife got some time of and were to the cinema. I sorted more pics and was on “Blocket” again. Even this day I was not to bed before 2am the other day.
8th January My grandchildren are still in the same mood. I am so sad, especially because of that it affects the parents, too. Anyway there are sometimes lights at the horizon. This day my daughter in law has invited me and a girlfriend of her, who is in my age, for the cinema. The idea behind is, that her girlfriend and me might become friends, too.
The movie we see is about an Indian boy, who got lost as a little boy and got adopted to Australia. When he is an adult, he is looking for his home, his parents and his brother. He does not remember the name of the village he lived correctly. He only know it the way he pronounced it as a four-year-old child. Finally he finds his home with the help of friends and the Internet. His mother is still living there, so is his sister. The mother did not move from the village in the hope, her son will come back and find her. The elder brother, with whom this boy had been and was the reason, why he got lost, is not alive anymore. He was killed by a train the night, the little boy got lost. When he found his mother, he is able to love his adopted parents again.
We have tacos for dinner and the kids might have eaten them, too, but my daughter in law talks so negative about the food, though the children does not taste it at all.
9th January I had a blood and a urine test at the Health Center. I was not allowed to take my thyroid medicine before the test, what is unusual. In Germany I always was allowed to take it anyway.
I try to learn Spanish by the book and CD I bought on Malta, but I cannot use the CD properly, the chapters are opening and closing like they want, not like I will. Therefore I try “duolingo” on the Internet. It is a free site for learning languages. The pairs are always English and another language. I am happy, that I practised English and now also can learn other languages in pair with English. Even the book I named was in English and Spanish. For using duolingo I have to make an update of my flash player and there are following lots of updates, therefore I cannot learn any Spanish that day.
When the other grandparents came with my grandchildren I started to cook the dinner. I use left overs of bulgur and tomatoes and have some fresh ingredients, too. Luckily the other grandparents care about the meal and it is really not easy to get the boys to eat. The evening was calm and I was to bed already at 10pm.
10th January I was awoke already at 6am, because of the noise of the grandchildren. I helped a little with the toddler, but was falling asleep again, when they had left the apartment. Actually I found some more sleep and awoke the second time this day around 10am. At high noon I was ready for my Spanish lessons. I continued until 3pm.
That day I had to cook salmon in the oven, potato mash and boiled broccoli. I am allergic against fish, fortunately only by eating it. Anyway I could not eat of the meal and had to take some left overs. That does not matter for me. I was surprised, that the elder one of the boys did not like potato mash – he does not at all his mother told me. Meanwhile the other grandparents tried to get the kids to eat, I took a walk. I was to a supermarket and bought papayas and “semlor“, that is a special Swedish dish. I like the taste of them very much and have not eaten them for years by working abroad.
I got new directions about the dinner. My daughter in law decided, that the dinner should be ready between 5:30pm and 6pm, not already at 5pm. She thinks, all can eat together, when the dinner is ready a little later. – Again I was writing my blog until 2am.
11th January had the same procedure at the day before ;-), but I dressed already about 9am. My son was working from home. I was reading my emails and tried to establish a secure D-Mail, but it was not working, because I do not have a German email-account. My son was with the elder grandson for the doctor, because of a bubble on his chin, which was hurting. The boy has swine pox.
I took a walk, even it was very windy and snowing this day. Afterwards I cooked the dinner. In the late evening until 1am I was on the Internet, some of the hours learning Spanish.
12th January started with a lazy morning. My son stayed at home and took care about the elder son. At 12:30pm I met the audiologist. Unfortunately she found a “plop” – from my hearing aid in my ear and sent me to NNE-doctor. I was allowed to get it removed immediately. Usually one had to wait for weeks to get an appointment. On the way home it was snowing again, but +1°C as well as it was a little slippery. This day my knee really hurts again.
Back home I cooked a soup of lentils, potatoes and carrots. My daughter in law put the soup in the blender, like she does with all soup I learned. The kids drink the soup. I would like to be a mouse at the kindergarten and see, how they serve soup there and what kind of soup they serve.
13th January Already at 6am the kids are screaming. When they have left I felt asleep again and slept until 9am. After breakfast I am going by underground to Stockholm City looking for an outdoor shop. As I already told you, I am preparing for my further travel, though I bought some items I have lost or are good to have like a small travel towel, a new all-in-one spoon, a folding cup and a folding bowl as well as a new termos bottle and all-in-one washing detergent. It was for around 1,000 SEK. On my way home I passed a shop, which sold ginger bred in boxes for only 3 SEK, though I bought one and ate the ginger bread instead of lunch.
I was back at 5pm, but the chicken I should cook was still frozen, though my daughter in law ordered pizza instead. The evening I spent again with Spanish and my blog.
14th January was a Saturday. Meanwhile the day did not have any surprises for me, my son and family did check a town-house in the afternoon, the might be interested in to buy. I followed them, but was going further afterwards to check a room a might rent. There was only one little wardrobe in the room and the bed had no mattress. Also the place were neither very close to the underground nor to the buses. I decided not to rent the room. Later my son and his wife decided not to buy that town-house either.
15th January was a usual day, but I was to the supermarket nearby buying almond milk and more items. Oreo biscuits were for sale, though I bought a roll as a gift for my daughter in law.
16th January I cooked my first lasagne. I always thought, it is too much job to cook lasagna, but now I had to och it went well. It was really tasty!
My son and his wife think I have nothing private to do, but I am still working with my blog for hours as well as I try to learn Spanish and talk walks as far it is not slippery. This day I found an opportunity to sign up for being an extra in TV movies and similar. It also is for being audience in TV shows.
I also have got my “orange envelope” – a letter from the authority for pension stating how much pension one can get. I am surprised for two reasons:
- I signed up to get this letter digital
- I already have pension and in that paper they state, what pension I could get.
17th January is the birthday of my second son, but I have no possibility to go to Malmo already again, though I just write an email.
I signed up for the following events:
- creative dance
- audience at a TV show called “Hur gör djur?” (How does animals?)
- extra for “Jordskott II”
- audience at “Biggest Loser 2017”
I am surprised, when I get a call and I am asked to come to the creative dance. There is no compensation paid, but it is a good start. I agree and have really fun with the other extras and with the dance.
Home again I design a poster about talks i can offer for groups about my way to travel throughout New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the USA. I will meet people from an association for seniors and tell them during 10 minutes, what I can talk about.
18th January I checked my bank accounts. All is OK, even the amount is not so high as I wish ;-). I tried to get an extra job at a fair, but I am not sure, that it would be good to get that job because the taxes.
During the evening I filled out the papers from the authority for pension. Maybe I can get som money from Ireland and Malta, too. Anyway it will not be much.
19th January I went to Skärholmen Centre to pick up my new glasses. I am really satisfied with them. They are not so big, though the glasses are not so thick at the outside. The frame also is good for combining with hearing aids.
I sent the letter to the authority for pension and bought tights as well. Furthermore I was at the supermarket and bought cheap jewellery for sale. It looks like beads, but I am sure, they are artificial. I bought them for the next time I will be an extra and need to be dressed for party. I was looking for shoes as well, but did not buy a pair. At least I went to my house-bank and tried to cash two checks from Canada – one from the car insurance and the other one from the car register, but it would cost 500 SEK to get a check cashed and the amounts on both checks were around 40 CAD (270 SEK).
20th January I do not remember a lot of. I had an appointment for a gastroscopy and I agreed to be audience for a TV show. I was up early, dressed och took a packed lunch with me for going to the gastroscopy and was in time at the clinic.
I do neither remember, that I refilled my SL-card, was arriving at the clinic, of the examination nor how I came to the TV studio and what the show was about. I only remember, that I left a building and was on “Valhallavägen” looking for an underground station. I was first walking in the wrong direction and only found a bus. Still dizzy I was not willing to try the bus, maybe I will not find my way home. I walked back for a short while and was intensively looking for an underground station and saw one, which I was going to and taking the underground home. It felt really horrible that I could not remember most of the day. I could see that I have done some things by the receipts I have and I was writing to both the clinic and the TV studio to know, what I have done respectively if I have been there. Some parts of the day I think I dreamed, but maybe they have been that way. I checked if I still had all my belongings I usually have with me. They were still there! By the way it was dark, when I left that building, what meant to me, that I might have been at the TV show.
Before going by underground home I ate my packed lunch. At home I had a coffee because of my headache. It did not help. I was already to bed around 8pm and slept the whole night through. I do not remember if I took my thyroid medicine that day.
21st January I awoke around 6am, but felt soon asleep again. Finally I was up at 9am, but I did not remember, that I have to take my medicine. Fortunately I checked my backpack for my termos bottle and also found my medicine. After I have taken my daily dose I wrote my notes about the day before.
In the afternoon I followed my son and his eldest son to IKEA at Kungens Kurva. My son bought a desk with two hurts, but got some wrong pieces. Though he and I was going back to IKEA and change them, that was no problem. I also helped him later to put the pieces together. It was time again to check my Swedish account and all was OK. Actually I check my accounts quite often to be sure there is no fraud. That evening I did not do anything with my blog, but was on twitter and checked my emails. I still feel really comfortable, but better.
22nd January I was up around 9am again and nearly felt like usual. I had to look for my bra:s and it was not easy to find them in my suitcase. I had to take both my suitcases out off the closet, lay them on the floor and search through all the clothes in it.
The rest of the day was relaxed, even I took a walk to Skärholmens Center and Lidl, where I bought some food and snacks. Unfortunately I forgot to buy a new ball pen. Even the evening was relaxed. I did neither write my blog nor make my Spanish lessons.
23rd January I did the dishes – usually I only cook the dinner – and washed my clothes (which i do once a week), but I forgot to put my new towel into the washing. I bought a small travel towel some days ago, because I do not have towels with me, but the big travel towel and my son’s family have not enough to borrow me some.
This evening and night I was continuing with my blog again.
24th January I get dressed around 10am, because the bathroom was occupied previously. I also tried to call my general practitioner (GP) for the results of my blood test and the Gastroscopy Clinic. At the last one I have got an answer about what happened to me there. I have been told, that I agreed to get an injection with Midazolam, which would make me relaxed and take the pain, but I still would be conscious, what happens. The nurse also told me, that the doctor found an inflammation at the esophagus. The nurse admitted, that I was dizzy afterwards, though she asked me to stay in the waiting room for around half an hour before they told me, that I could leave. She also refered to, that I only have got half the quote of a usual dose. In addition to that the doctor later told me, that it theoretically can happen, that one does not remember anything by this medicine, but she never have experienced it.
Afterwards I checked that medicine with the help of the Internet – both by Wikipedia and the Swedish FASS, where public can read about medicines. On that side it was written, that it is usual with memory loss and that sometimes is the effects wished by the doctors, but not so hard as it was for me. People 60+ and people with any disorder should get much lower doses. Though the half dose was for me like a whole one for younger people and people without disorders. I little higher dose could have been my death. In addition to that I have been told, that there is a prescription for medicine I have to buy at a pharmacy of my choice. The Swedish Health System is all digital. Nobody gets the prescription in his hands, though nobody can falsify it. By the way, they have the same system in Canada, I experienced that almost in Saskatchewan. When I got in contact with my GP, he told me about my esophagus and the prescription for the medicine, too. The blood test only had shown normal results, he told me.
I did not get an answer from the TV studio this day, I am still waiting for it. Maybe they cannot recognize me, but she should tell me that. Anyway I have got an answer on an email, I sent by Blocket, about a room. But it did neither get an answer to my question nor pictures about the room and the flat. I also got an answer from another landlord. The room did not fit my needs.
I should have been an audience on the TV show “Biggest loser 2017”, but I did not remember that before my calendar reminded me and that was too late, though I sent an email and told them, I will not come because sickness. Also this day my son and I were to IKEA Kungens Kurva, he needed some more things and I was to the shop Elgiganten for an adapter to my camera, bought in New Zealand.
I have got help to cook the dinner by my son this day and was afterwards on the Internet again, but I was not really active – just looking at things.
25th January I will meet one of the girlfriends of my daughter in law for lunch and a walk around noon. The morning passed as usual. I met her close to the underground station “Aspudden” and we were walking to “Liljeholmen”, passing the “Winterviken”. It is a really nice area, but it was icy and slippery this day. We thought first to have lunch at “Winterviken”, but there was not much to choose, especially one of the three dishes was fish. Therefore we continued to Liljeholmen and she invited me for lunch at a Thai fast food restaurant. I like that meal. Soon afterwards she was leaving and going home, meanwhile I took a tour throughout the Liljeholmen Centre and was window seeing.
On my way home by the underground I was continuing to Skärholmen Centre, where I was to a pharmacy and also to an optician, who participate in “Opticians without borders”. I left my old glasses there and got a very small bottle cleansing spray. The gift surprised me, I did not have expected anything.
Back home my daughter in law parents were cooking a big dinner, because a son of them had his birthday and the family does gather for all birthdays. The home of my son’s family is easy to reach for all of the family. There appeared not only all the siblings, but also friends of him. The dessert was a very Swedish gateaux “Princesstårta“. The party was soon over. The birthday boy had to go to work, though all the other siblings and friends left, too. Our evening was as usual.
26th January my son was at home and made the laundry as well as he was working from home. I watched the last part of the SVT movie Jordskott and was then writing my blog again. In the evening I started to work with a ppt-presentation for the 10 min introduction about my travel talks for the pensioners.
27th January My son is sick and at home. I was working most of the day with the ppt-presentation. I did it even while the children were at home and awake. I was lucky, that it was possible without bigger interruptions. I cooked the dinner as usual.
28th January my son and family were going by car to a public swimming pool. I had been asked to follow them, but I felt, I would like to spend the time by myself. I took a walk to the Skärholmen Centre and further to Kungens kurva, where I made some shopping, e.g. a new jacket. I need that one for my role as an extra in the TV movie “Jordskott II”. I also left back some items my son had bought wrong. I spent two hours at IKEA, just looking for a shelf. Before I was going home by bus and underground, I bought some food. I was finally at home around 8pm and continued working with the ppt-presentation during the late evening.
29th January I helped some time with household work and continued later with the ppt-presentation, that means I did exercise for the presentation.
30th January the day is come for the presentation in front of the pensioners. I had to find the building, where it will be hold. I have got directions, but anyway I was first walking by it. After asking some people, I found it in time.
There were many more people talking about, what they can offer. I remember a doctor, I also was talking with afterwards, how has participated in “Doctors without borders”. It was so interesting, what he was talking about and he had made such a great job, but nobody of the pensioners came to him asking questions. There were a musician and a man, who want to tell about garden, composting and what one can make of the food, one buys. He thought, he was funny – OK, I was not so funny like him ;-). Anyway, when it was my turn and I had my presentation and was looking at the pensioners I did understand, that nobody will contact me. They did not look interested in my way of travelling.
At home again I baked waffles and started with my ppt-presentation about my travel throughout New Zealand, which I will held in February. – I also was on a scale – the first time I am back from my travel. I gained weight and I am not happy about it. I hope I can get rid of it again, when I have my own apartment.
31st January my daughter in law and my elder grandson was sleeping until noon – the did not feel well. I continued with the ppt-presentation about New Zealand for a while. After 2pm I was to IKEA Kungens Kurva and other shops again, leaving back what my son had bought the wrong. Even the items were not bought by my credit card, the amounts for the returned items were credited on my credit card. In Sweden we are with big steps on the way to the cashless society. There are lots of shops, which do not take cash anymore.
In the afternoon I cooked the dinner again and made the dishes as well, even usually my son or his wife do the dishes. Later on I continued with the ppt-presentation of New Zealand.
For following me under the upcoming month, please click the link for February 2017.
Dorothee International 