March 2017

1st March

This month started well. I have been another time for a gastroscopy and the result was very positive. The doctor told me, that I do not need to take the medicine, but if I will get heartburn. There is no sore anymore. By the way I actually did recognize the place for the gastroscopy even I lost my memory last time I was there. I do not really remember the doctor.

This day I also took photographs of my youngest sons first photo album. I had taken photos of all my children’s first photo albums before I moved to Malta for work, but his. I had already given that album to him. By living in at his home it was a great opportunity to catch up with it.

 

2nd March

I had to go to Skärholmen for an x-ray of my knees, because of the pain I have in one of them (I told you before). Surprisingly I already reached the upper border for the need to pay for meeting a doctor. Now all my doctor’s visits are for free the rest of this year.

I did not take very long time to get the x-ray done, anyway it was time for lunch, when I left and I was hungry. I tried a new cuisine, while eating out. The meal was from Lebanon. I chose “Dagens mix” (the mix of the day) and it contained lamb on a spit, fried chicken, meat and vegetarian balls as well as bulgur, salad, humus and two kinds of white sauces. It was tasty and not hot spiced.

Full and satisfied I continued to the pharmacy and bought the prescribed medicine. I had to pay more than 500 SEK for it, because most of the medicine was not subsidized.

Last but not least I went to the supermarket and bought raisins, honey, almond milk. Back at home at my son’s I prepared the dinner. This time it was risotto a la Lina. In the late evening I was preparing for the talk about my last travel I will hold in Malmö. A friend of mine has a group, which was interested in it.  I continued until 3am the next morning.

 

3rd March

The audiologist sent a new cancellation. She is still not feeling well.  Though I had more time to prepare the talk. For dinner I cooked “schnitzel” of turkey – also an unusual dish for Sweden.

 

4th March

After a shower (not the only one this week ;-)) I started to put names on some of my photographs. Most of them are still named automatically by the camera and have names like DCS4012.

4:35pm was my train for Malmö. I had to go to Stockholm Central and left my son’s home around 2:30 pm. Always, when I have to catch a bus, train or plane I am going very early, because of my fear to miss the one I booked.

I had a really cheap ride booked – only 150 SEK one way. The car was really bad. It was a very old one and in bad condition. I was happy that I always have a kind of cushion with me. I used it this day and sat on it. The seat became a little more comfortable by using it. After we left the railway station in Alvesta I had the opportunity to take another seat and finally had some leg room. During the trip I was using my mp3-player all the time.

In Malmö I was using the apartment of my daughter. She had packed a lot of things in moving boxes, though I was wondering about it, but had anyway a good sleep.

 

5th March

My daughter told me that day, that she will let her apartment by a second-hand contract or maybe cancel the apartment from the month of May. She is living with her boyfriend and has no use for the apartment anymore as well as there happened a crime short time ago. A guy was killed be a knife on her staircase.  She was with me in the afternoon, but mainly for packing more of her belongings in moving boxes. Her boyfriend was picking her up later and had a chat with me, too. We decided to meet again for the theatre soon.

In the late evening I checked the ppt-presentation for my talk one more time, though I remember better during the talk. In addition to that I wrote some emails.

 

6th March

I booked the ticket for the theatre and could choose the seat directly next to my daughter’s.  Afterwards I was visiting my son – the one who lives in Malmö as well. For my opinion the floors were dirty in his apartment, though I vacuum cleaned them. Afterwards I was on the attic to check my belongings. I do not remember what I have left and what I sold or gave to charity. My son invited me for a pizza. When I left I should post a letter for him, but I forgot it. So I did with my tablet. He tried to call me and tell me, that I had forgotten my tablet as his place ;-), he did not think about, that it also is my phone. I listened to my mp3-player back in my daughter’s apartment.

 

7th March

When I am in Malmö I mostly also go to visit my eldest son in Helsingborg. So I did this time, too. On the way to the railway station I visited my other son one more time for picking up my tablet. Just before I had posted the letter.

Actually from Malmö Central station to the place, where my eldest son is living, it takes three hours by public transport. Though I spent six hours on train and bus for visiting him for a couple of hours. When I arrived, he slept and I had to wait for one hour before he was awake – even it was 2pm, when I finally reached his place. This time his apartment was very dirty again even he knew, that I will come. It hurts so much! It nearly breaks my heart!

 

8th March

It is the International Women’s Day, but I did not celebrate it. I met my friend and she invited me for lunch. We ate at “Rådhuskällaren”, which is situated in the basement of the town hall. We ordered beefburgers. They were rare and my friend did not like that, though she complained. She got others, but they were rare as well! She did not complain one more time, but did not eat either and she was ready to pay for it, because she had eaten of the salad, the bread and some cheese as well. She also has had some beverage. When the waitress saw, that my friend had not eaten the other beefburger as well, she had not to pay for her meal.

After lunch my friend had other things to do, though I was window seeing and stayed at a place named Triangeln until it was time for the theatre. My think-tank was to save money, but I had a coffee and muffin instead and those were more expensive than the tickets ;-). Anyway they were my evening meal.

At the theatre I met my daughter and her boyfriend and we were watching a modern drama, called Livläkarens besök. We were talking about it during the pause and afterwards as well. It had been ages I have been to a theatre in Sweden.

 

9th March

I was lazy in the morning, but checked the power point presentation one more time. In the afternoon I was talking about my travel throughout New Zealand, Australia and North America at “Studiefrämjandet”. Some women were attending. Some of them had to go earlier, other exactly at that time my talk should have been finished. Unfortunately I could not make it during the two hours, which were announced. There were also pictures missing. I think it had to do with the other laptop I did use. I had put the whole file with all the chosen pictures on a SD-card and checked it, before I was going to “Studiefrämjandet”. They were all there. Back at my daughter’s apartment, I could not even open the file anymore, it was corrupted. Though I deleted that file. Fortunately I have saved a file on my laptop, too.

By the way, on the way back to the apartment I bought tickets for the cinema. I used the free tickets I have got for my role as an extra in an advertising movie and did that before in Stockholm without any problem, but the cashier here in Malmö had never seen such free tickets before and it took long time to get the tickets for the movie I had chosen even her colleague told her, that she should handle my free tickets the same way as all other free tickets.

I also got an email from my youngest son about the result of the x-ray. He had opened the letter as I asked him for and he wrote, that they did not find anything abnormal.

Furthermore the tenant of the apartment I will rent from May this year emailed me and asked me for buying things of her. I asked her for pictures of them and also proposed to come to the apartment and pay in cash the day before she will move. On the one hand site I had neither got a contract of the landlady, even we agreed with a handshake, nor can I be sure that the things will be left even I already pay for them. In addition to that I thought I will not need all of them.

Before falling a sleep I watched German movie series called “SOKO”. I watch them sometimes, when I cannot fall asleep – I usually cannot before midnight.

 

10th March

It became really late by watching the movies, though I was relaxing all the day. I also watched two “Oldies” by YouTube in black and white.

In the late afternoon I walked to the city and met my daughter and her boyfriend for the cinema. We watched the movie called “La la land”, which has a great reputation, but none of us did really like it. I was going by bus back to my daughter’s apartment.

 

11th March

I awoke with a headache, which is very unusually and had breakfast around 11am. I have got a message from my daughter, telling me, that a buyer will come for her coffee table. She is selling off furniture she cannot have at her boyfriend’s home. She asked me to manage the deal, though I did.

My friend had sent me in email with the feedback to my talk and I was answering her now. Later that day I took a walk for attending my daughters and her boyfriends dinner, I was invited for. After dinner we played bordgames. It was fun. It happens not often at all that I have an opportunity like this. Even this evening I took the bus back to my daughter’s apartment. I arrived there around 10pm.

 

12th March

I have had a bad night and was very sweat. Therefore I fall asleep on the train and was sleeping nearly all of the ride. My son was welcoming me back. Actually I was cold all the evening and night. It seemed, that I have got a cold.

 

13th March

I coughed during the night, but in the morning, when I was leaving the bed I felt much better. I had some things like my certificates back from Malmö and did arrange them. I also answered emails and worked with my xls-file for my expenses. In addition to that I had a shower and washed my clothes as well as I cooked the dinner.

 

14th March

I have an invitation from my former classmates in Germany for a meeting. I decided to attend, because I found out, that I can take a cheap flight and also visit my late cousin’s daughter, who is in the same age as me and both my German girlfriends as well. This day I was on “twitter” after breakfast, but then I booked a ticket for “flygbussarna”, which is going from Stockholm City to the airport. I had to take the one, which is leaving Stockholm city at 8:10am, though I have to go by underground from my place around 7:20.

 

15th March

It is logistics in a family of five with one bathroom, when all have to leave between 7 and 7:30 am. Therefore I asked the evening before, when I could use the bathroom in the early morning. My son told me, it would be early enough at 5:45, even I told him, that I usually need 30 minutes to get ready. I was in the bathroom as agreed, but at 6am my daughter in law knocked at the door, because one of the kids had to use the bathroom. Though I left and used the bathroom one more time just minutes before 7am.

My flight was for 10:32am, but it was late. We did not start before 11:05am. The duration of the flight was only 1h and 30min and it was really pleasant. It was a cheap flight, no meal included in the price, but I had bought a banana and yogurt and made my day. From the airport in Düsseldorf I had to go by the “Sky train” (a monorail) to a railway station and continue by train to my first destination, which was Schwelm, where my late cousin’s daughter lives with her husband. My Swedish phone card is not working in Germany, though I could not call them, when I arrived. Anyway they do live in the city center, not far away from the railway station. I had some problems to find the direction, therefore I asked some pedestrians. Two of them could not help me, but the third – a couple in my age by the way – did exactly know, where the street is, which I was asking for, even it is a little avenue. My second cousin was very surprised, when I called at her door. They had offered me to meet me at the railway station. They told me, that they could not make it and walk all the way – especially not with luggage. For me it was easy. I am still used to walk and my knee is much better again.

We spent really enjoyable hours together and had an evening meal before they drove me to my girlfriend in Wetter. It was the procedure like the time before, when I was visiting both of them. By public transport I should have waste a lot of time, but by car it only took around 30 min. My girlfriend and me spent as well a very happy evening together. Her husband had a cold and did not attend. When I was ready to go to bed I found, that I did not have my nightgown with me. I thought, I forgot it at my second cousin’s home, but it was not there. Though I was sleeping in my underwear.

 

16th March

My girlfriend, her husband and me had breakfast together before my girlfriend left for her weekly Spanish course. When she was back, she told me, that they had studied customs this time and she also told me, that they were wondering about all the yellow underwear, which was sold on Mallorca, when they have been there at the end of last year. Now she had got an explanation: Wearing yellow underwear on New Years Eve means in Spain to get luck the New Year. Other Spanish-speaking countries has other customs, but Chile (I hope I did not mix it up now ;-)).

While my girlfriend was attending her course, her husband and me were going to the next city: Handen. He had to leave some papers, because my girlfriend will have a new car. The one she has is more than 10 years old. I was following because I was looking for a pharmacy. In Germany one can buy an ointment for the mouth – against blisters. I need that from time to time and was just running out of it. The last tube I bought before I was moving to Malta. I also asked for the ointment I had bought in Canada, which is used against itchings. I could not find it in Sweden. The pharmacist did tell me, that they did not have any similar either and that the active substance in it was used in sleeping pills in Germany. That surprised me, of course. I also bought a medicine for my bad throat. Unfortunately I could neither pay with my Swedish credit/debit card nor with my Maltese one, but there was a bank with an ATM very close to the pharmacy and all went well.

In Wetter again the husband of my girlfriend did made a pizza. The bread was really crispy and the pizza very tasty.  After lunch, my girlfriend packed her little suitcase and we left for Kassel – our hometown where we had attended college. As agreed I was driving her car, because my girlfriend had asked me for before. She has a fear to drive on the freeway and also closes her eyes, following with someone in the car. Her car has manual gear shifts and I had driven a car with automatic gears for more than 30,000 km in North America, though I had to become comfortable again with this kind of cars. It only happened once, just in the beginning, that I forgot to shift gears and the motor stopped. We just left her home. The rest of the ride I was driving the car like I never had driven a car with automatic gear shift before. My girlfriend was very happy about my driving.

In Kassel, we first visited my girlfriends mother, who is more than 80 years old. She was interested in to meet me. She knows me from the time my girlfriend and me attended the college. She was not satisfied with herself, because she bought a cake and did not bake it by herself. She also showed me around in the house – I have no memory of, that I have seen all of the rooms before. I also have been only twice there, while attending college. Mostly my girlfriend and me met in the city. We had a lot to talk about and it was getting late. When I was leaving she gave me a chocolate bar as a gift – as in the good old times.

We arrived at 6pm at my other girlfriend and her husband. They were awaiting me earlier, actually for a coffee break with cakes. She had not read my email either, I had sent her and told her, that I will be late, because they only switch on the WiFi from 6pm for an hour or two. Anyway, they were happy to see me. From here my girlfriend from Wetter did drive the car back to her mother’s home, where she will stay overnight while I will stay with my girlfriend living in Kassel.

With this friend of mine we had a long conversation about my travel around the world, part 1. She did ask me a lot, even she tried to follow my blog. She also put a world map on the table and I had to show her all the places I have been in North America. I told about all the famous people I met and the amazing nature I have seen as well as I told her about my adventures car ownership. Around 8pm we took a break for dinner and continued afterwards until 1am.

 

17th March

I awake 7:40 this morning as the first of us three. I took my thyroid medicine and was writing my diary. During the morning I was reading the local newspaper. We had lunch together as well as coffee and cakes. Before leaving for the reunion of our college class, the world map was put one more time on the table and I explained the last part of my travel for her, when I was going by busses throughout California and to Tijuana, Mexico.

I did take the tram to the stop Königstor. We met in a restaurant called “Lohmann”. It has been there already, when we were at the college, but it was much more simple at that time. They did not serve warm meals either, but now. Most of our classmates arrived during the evening, even those, who never before had come to a reunion. It was so interesting to hear the stories of those, who attended for the first time! I also was reminded of, that some of them and I were visiting another kind of school together. It was called “Höhere Handelsschule”, where we had similar subjects, but also typewriting and stenography. We all did only attend one of two terms, because of the change of the school year. Before the school year was from April to March and when we started at the college, the school year was like it is international, that means from September to Augusti. In between we had two “short school years”. It was a hard time for us, because we had to learn the same stuff as during a usual school year. Furthermore one of my former classmates knew my girlfriend from Kassel. He also took me home to her late this evening. We did not have a program and it was only for one occasion this reunion, but it was much better than all these, I attended earlier and which has been in different places – lasting for three days.

 

18th March

Even the last two nights ended late, I was already awake before 7am this morning as well. I took my thyroid medicine and around 8am I was writing my diary. I have got breakfast at my girlfriends home, told her about the so far missing rest of my trip, showed her some of my photographs and got a sandwich and a banana for my way back to Wetter.

My girlfriend from Wetter picked me up at my other girlfriends home. I tried to back the car, but did not succeed, so my girlfriend had to do it, but then I was driving all the way back for the reason I already told. This time the weather was not good, but I was driving 120km/h anyway until my girlfriend did ask me to drive slower. We arrived well and I have got a snack as well as a sandwich to take with me. My girlfriend did drive me to the train station in Hagen, where I bought a ticket to Düsseldorf. It was for 15 EUR. We arrived in time at the Central station in Düsseldorf, but the train to the airport was late. Nonetheless I had a lot of time at the airport and there were no queues at the security border. I had to pass a body scanner and I had forgotten my pills for my throat in my back pocket of my jeans. Though the assistant did feel for it, but did understand what it was and I also showed it to her. They also did take a check for explosives. There were no many people waiting for the flight, when I arrived at the waiting area of the gate. Eventually more were arriving. I was able to sent some emails while waiting for boarding. I was lucky, who could catch a “flygbussarna” – a bus from the airport to the city as well as an underground home.

 

19th March

was a day like the most at my son’s home.

 

20th March

Finally I filled out the application for changing my last name. I do not remember if I already told me, in any case, my youngest son and his wife would love to change their last name. The feel that the name “Hermansson” (after my children’s father) is too usual. They tried before with one of my relatives name, but got denied, because too long time has gone since one of my relatives has had it. We realized, that it only is possible for them to change name to one of my relatives name, but my last name, when I apply. So I did, but I could not get all the documents this evening, because there is one, which is only available by visiting a special service. It should be possible to get this document by calling a special number, but I could not go through.

 

21st March

I was visiting that special service for the requested document. When it finally was my turn – I was waiting for around an hour – the assistant did not really understand, what kind of document I needed and did print out the wrong one. When I explained one more time he was calling for that document. I was surprised, that also he had to call. Anyway, he had more luck than me. Maybe they have another possibility to reach that department. By the way there were people, who got help for an hour or more.

 

22nd March

My son exercises a lot and he like to run events in Stockholm. The city announced a TunnelRun for the opening of the City tunnel for public transport, different kinds of trains and routes. Though he asked me to pick up the start-kit for the event at Odenplan. It was said, that there will be lots of people picking up there start-kits in the evening hours, therefore I was there at high noon already. More than 25,000 people had signed up for the run and av them were many thinking like me. There were different queues. When I arrived a new queue was opened, but we had to wait until all the other queues had got their starter kits. I was waiting for almost one hour before the queue was moving, but finally moving it was moving quite quick, even it was a long way to go, where the starter kits could be taken in the City tunnel.

I was very hungry after the long waiting time, though I was looking for a not so very expensive restaurant, but I mainly found upper class restaurants in that part of the town. In an Espresso House Coffee Shop I buy a boccaccia with goat cheese. I did not like that one, even I liked the cheese.

On my way back I left the underground at Skärholmen Shopping Centre and bought birthday gifts for my grandson, who will become 4 years old 1st April. I learned, that my daughter in law does not accept which gifts ever – even I think, there are good ones. Though I do not really know, what to buy. Finally I bought pirate binoculars, a t-shirt with a car on it of a good make, a ring game (most for outdoor use) and some sweets. With all this stuff I took the underground back to my son’s home. In the evening, when the kids were asleep I did wrap the gifts.

 

23rd March

I was awake early in the morning of the noise in the apartment. The kids were screaming and the TV were on high volume as well. During the day I wrote cards for Easter – for my aunty in Kassel and my cousin in South Germany, but I will not send them before 10th April.

This day I also emailed a questioned document to the social service on Malta as well as I was going to the Skärholmen Centre again for vaccination for my travels, the audiologist and to buy some food. In between I also took a lunch break.

This evening I finally did fix my files about the first part of my RTW-trip. I did not have time to finish it, because of getting too late. It was so late, that I did forget to take care about my knee.

 

24th March

My knee does hurt more and more. Now it hurts even if I am not walking, but the cream I have got for it did help and it became better. This day both my son and his wife is working from their home office (the kitchen table ;-)).  My daughter in laws father was picking up my youngest grandchild before noon – and took care about him, but the other boy is still at the kindergarten. That gave me the opportunity to continue with my file for the expenses. I was working with it most of the day and until midnight, but I came not further than finishing Canada.

 

25th March

I took the underground to “Medborgarplatsen” and was looking for, where the TunnelRun’s goal is. I found it easily – just following all the other people respectively go in the direction lots of people where coming from. The start was done in different groups and each group had a delayed start to the group before, though I met people, who already finished the run. Actually I was in time and had a good place on a bridge, where I could see all the runners, but I did not recognize my son. He called me, when he had finished and we met on the other side of the goal. I also met his friend, he was running together with.

My son and I were going back home together, but I did go by underground to the following station, because I have not had the opportunity to post the letter for the name change. Now I did it as a registered letter. I also bought bran – and chocolate ;-). We had a late lunch this day and it was just macaroni and meatballs. After the meal my son’s family was visiting a cousin of my daughter in law. This made it possible for me to continue with my file about the expenses of the RTW-trip. I finished it before they were back and also put it online.

 

26th March

was a Sunday, but I do not remember what day it is. In my mind it is Saturday even I remember the time change during the night to the so-called “summertime”. I am a little tired, too. I was going to bed very late. I watched a movie in the afternoon and was listing to my mp3-player afterwards. I was just not in the mood to attend the weekly CS-meeting. I decided to go there the upcoming Sunday instead. I also declared my interest in working as an extra on the related site I am a member of.

 

27th March

My daughter in law as well as the kids are sick and staying at home. I will try to use my laptop anyway. I have to write my blog about my time in Sweden. Even it does not happen so much, it might be interesting for my friends to get to know about Swedish family life. I did not start before 11:30 because of different circumstances. It was working – the kids did not disturb me. I finished the sites for 2016. In the late evening I opened a file for my economy. Even I am at home in Sweden I like to know, what I use my money for. Especially for saving some money if possible. Before I was to bed I was watching a movie again.

 

28th March

I did not leave the house this day. I was mostly writing my blog (Sweden 2017). My sons whole family was sick this day and all stayed at home. I am really surprised, that I did not get it. The dinner contained roots and a sausage called prinskorv (korv means sausage).

 

29th March

I had a late morning with a shower and afterwards a big lunch. My son and me were talking about meals from the past, when I had to bring up my kids by my own. We also remembered the situation at my daughters first school, where the teachers did not like, that my daughter was eating a lot for lunch – she could not eat breakfast before school and was not allowed to eat anything there before lunch, even there were almost one break earlier during the school days. We talked as well about how often my children have been sick and which kind of illness they had. My daughter in law was back at work again.

This day I also started with my letters and forms to fill in. I was asking for pension from Ireland and Malta and I had to fill in all the things again I earlier left to the German authority for pension. I also had to find out, which compensation I have from “Folksam”. In Sweden we can have three kinds of pension: The basis pension, a pension for which an employer had paid and so the premium pension – we get an amount of the government of Sweden to place it in funds or pension papers. If we make a good job, we can higher our pension by that. If we are unlucky, we lose pension. I think this idea of the government is so bad, because there are so many people, who does not have any knowledge about the stock. I am happy, that my pension became better by this, but it was just luck – and it is not about a lot of money. I also booked an appointment at the German embassy in Stockholm. I was through the whole process of giving back my German citizenship and had to go there for the document about it.  Last but not least I was working with my blog again.

 

30th March

I was helping my son with the cleaning of their apartment, especially the things one do not do during every cleaning. Though I cleaned the doors of the cupboard and similar things. The father of my daughter in law came and washed the windows.

Later that day I was to a shop, which handles the mail, which is to big for the letter box. I have got the ordered pen for my tablet. It was delivered very fast. I also sent a letter with my requested account details to the social security department of Ireland. They had written, that I have no right of pension by the Irish law, but they now will check the European law, because I had contributed to the pension scheme. In Ireland one have to be 57 years old or less when paying money to the pension scheme. Though I thought, I should not have paid anything – but the employers automatically sent the money to the authority.

I also got a letter from the Swedish authority for name changes. They only told me, that my letter had arrived and the procedure, how they will send letters in the future. I did not have time to continue writing my blog before dinner. After dinner I was too tired to do it, though I watched movies instead.

 

31st March

I was up around 8:30. Nobody is eating at home that day. I have been told, that the family will eat at her parent’s, because of an anniversary day. Actually they did not tell me in time, therefore I had already melt the minced beef for dinner and now I had to cook the dish anyway. Sometimes things changes and they were happy to have a dinner at home. When the kids had fallen asleep, I helped to prepare the birthday party for my eldest grandchild. In addition to that I started to collect facts about Mexico, cities, what to do and see there etc. for my planned travel.

 

For following me under the upcoming month, please click the link for April 2017.