Random Acts of Kindness

I usually start my posts with some kind of anecdote. A sort of "drop of nectar" to pull the bees in and keep them occupied as I plan to unleash the heavy stuff on them. But with this post, I think I'll jump straight into it. I believe I can't do worse since I've already called y'all insects :-D

If you didn't know, I'm a driver. I quite enjoy operating an automobile. Especially those that respond well when I decide to really go all out. One simple rule I have is that I don't give lifts to random strangers on the road. Even if it's a really hot chick. That's how people lose their lives.

But one day, something happened. You could call it the odd day when rules just don't stand to be kept. It was new year's eve 2009 and I had taken a few friends to Rolf's place in kitengela for a round of paintball. I had to leave there earlier than them to make it in time to pick a jacket I'd dropped in the laundry earlier that weekend. So, I drove my boy's Toyota Platz there to serve as my escape plan.

Suffice to say, paintball was killer fun so by the time I checked my watch I had less than an hour to drive from deep inside kitengela till kileleshwa to make it before the laundry closed for the holiday. Being that I HAD TO look fabulous that night, I set out from Rolf's in a rally like mood (this is the point I pray the owner of that car doesn't read my blog :-)

As if to throw a spanner in the works, very omnious clouds had been gathering all day and they chose that exact moment to weep bitterly for my now seemingly impossible mission. Murphy and his laws definitely had it in for me just then.

So I was slip sliding down the masai lodge road in the rain with a worried eye on my in-dash clock when I noticed this ancient looking bloke struggling to keep his balance in the mud. A part of me wanted to ignore him and zoom past but an even greater part of me convinced my foot to step on the brake pedal. The old man didn't realize I was offering him a ride even after I leaned over and opened the door for him. I think he couldn't believe someone on that road had stopped to give him a lift.

So, when he got into the car he was thanking me profusely for getting him outta the rain. And for the short while that we rode together in that little Platz (he lived just down the road so it was a 15 minute drive there) he regaled me with stories about his youth and how he'd ended up employed at a well know eatery in that area. And wasn't he entertaining. The bits I can remember are that he was in Daudi Kabaka's band back in the day and when he left the band he went to work as a mechanic at a car dealership in the city, a job he'd retired from in the 90s. He was working at the eatery to feed his family, grandchildren included. He also told me about his love for cars and how he'd spend his sunday mornings maintaining his old Ford Anglia. That's the point I arrived outside his gate and had to politely refuse his invitations to come inside for some tea.

I eventually made it to kileleshwa just in time to catch the laundry before they closed. I won't disclose what speeds I attained going down Langata road. When I later thought about the smile that old man had on his face when he was stepping out of the car, I felt so good about myself. In the midst of all my rushing, I had taken a risk and performed a random act of kindness that I'm sure the old man will not forget soon . I know he's still going strong. When I pass by his gate on my way to Rolf's on a sunday, I always see his Anglia with all doors open getting the weekly maintenance regime. I plan to pay him a visit one day very soon and maybe purchase the Anglia. I hope he'll be able to sell that beautiful piece of machinery to me.

So anyway, the moral of the story is that you should be willing at all times to give service because what counts in life is what we we do for others. And with that, feel free to visit the comments section below and tell me what random acts of kindness you've had :-D

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The perfect job

There's a word for what I am right now. In between jobs. That's the politically correct term. Everyone goes through this once in a while. Those times when it just seems like all hope has somehow gotten lost in the murky unknown that is 'tarmacking'.

I usually try to keep myself busy when I'm in between jobs by trying to imagine what it'd be like to have that perfect job. The best job in the world. According to some competition run by the New Zealand tourism board some time back, that best job is apparently a position as an island caretaker. That job entails visiting and exploring the islands of the great barrier reef and reporting back to the world about them on a blog. For that, the winner of the competition now gets paid some 11,000 US dollars, free accommodation and food and one hella great time. I should at this point confess I did apply for that position during one of the periods I was between jobs last year. CLEARLY, I didn't get it.

However, there is one major important thing that this being in between jobs (A.K.A freelance work) has taught me. The thing about the perfect job that makes it so perfect is you, the worker. If you don't enjoy travelling, adventure and nature, the New Zealand definition of the perfect job is your living hell. If you do enjoy whatever it is you do, be it air traffic control, street sweeping, or even shooting movies, and you do it with all of your heart, you have the perfect job. And nobody can change that.

So, take it from me, once you learn to love your job, well, you're on your way to the perfect job :-D
Now, lemme go back to scouring the papers for open position ;-)

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Don't need you to tell me I'm pretty

I randomly sing to myself while I'm walking in town. Call me crazy, call me insane, I really don't care. Most times, the songs I'm singing reflect what my mind is sub consciously trying to figure out. As I was making my way home this evening (still am as I write this :-) the song I've named in this post's title popped into my head. I forget who sung it. Anyhu, it got me thinking about self esteem.

Most of us think its a bunch of hogwash created by high school guidance counsellors so they can retain their positions, but if you really think about it slowly and deeply about it you'll realize that a high self esteem is literally step one to a successful life. And by refusing to actually realize that one has esteem issues, however small, is just perpetuation of a very vicious cycle.

So why am I stating the obvious, you may ask. Well, we all have friends who we know are self destructing because of their esteem issues. But we choose to conveniently ignore it and think it'll pass. Yet we know that if we don't do anything about it, the cycle will continue till BOOM! I won't disclose what gruesome events are likely to occur on the other side of that word.

"So what can I do to help my friend out?" you may also ask. I'm not a psychiatrist or guidance counselor, but I sure know that high self esteem isn't easy to get. Its a tough journey ridden with guilt, despair and discouragement. But a friend to help you along on the journey is a priceless gem. I never had one but I sure hope that after reading this post you will reach out to the people you know who are having problems with their self esteem and just let them know you're there for them and they actually don't need ANYONE to tell them their pretty, because they KNOW they're beautiful.

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Chronicles of Kalmar #10- (Season Finale) Everything good comes to an end....

I really have been dreading the moment I would have to write this. I have been putting it off for a while now. Not because I have nothing to write, but because I know that in the act of writing this, I am closing a chapter in my life that has been the awesomest bit of living I have ever done. 

I am now counting hours till I leave this beautiful city called Kalmar. And now that the summer is settling in, the city is looking more glorious than ever. The temperatures are climbing by the day and the days are getting longer. It seems this summer will be a really good one. It's sad I won't be here to see it.I have spent my last 2 weeks in Kalmar in a perpetual party mode. I really don't wanna start counting where and when coz they are quite a number. But there are a few events I should mention, if not for anything but posterity. I sang in Swedish at the Kalmar Keys' Spring Concert two weeks ago. Totally brought the house down playing the drums :-D I also rocked at karaoke that same night.If you don't believe it, check out the videos of me. That same weekend, I took a bike tour to a large island off the coast of Kalmar called Öland. It was so beautiful that I felt like I was riding through a dream. It was so good I forgot to take many photos. 

Last week was totally messed up coz of shoots and re-shoots and editing. I basically lived inside an editing suite the whole week. Well, apart from when I'd take off to spend some time in the sun :-D But it was really bad sometimes. I can't remember the last time I had breakfast. This past weekend was extra extra good though. It totally made up for the horrible week. The beach party at the corehouse on saturday was marvelous. I believe some of you have seen the photos. I won't go into the details of that. Sunday, I hosted a barbecue outside my place. It was such a nice warm day to lie in the sun and chill. I think no one has ever had that many people outside this house. It felt good to see all my friends together and having fun. 

This week, I am basically in zombie mode. I am packing and moving stuff around. So I gotta go shopping for a suitcase and what not coz mine was in pieces by the time it arrived here in February. Can't imagine it's been 4 months. Time flies by so fast. But the perpetual party mode ain't stopping till I get into the Ethiopian Airline's plane. :-D ;-)

VIVA LA KALMAR!!!!!!!!!

Side Notes:

• I know this season finale has been short. I kept it that way for a reason. The end shouldn't be dragged on and on. It should be short and sweet. That's what I tried to do with this.
• I should say that I met a Kenyan here in Kalmar. Yes. I met a Kenyan. Small world. I have also met some people who've been to Kenya and on Sunday I was chilling with two girls who'd been in USIU on exchange.So the world is officially tiny. Officially.
• I should admit that I love Sweden. I really don't wanna go back home just yet. But a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do....
• I am however looking forward to spicing up my Nairobi life. My stay in Kalmar has taught me that my Nairobi lifestyle really really sucks and needs a thorough jolting. So y'all had better get ready to be coming to my place for random barbecues :-D
• I have spent so much time in the sun that I have regained my Nairobi skin colour. A nice dark mocha. I am gonna miss spending hours in the sun without worrying about getting too hot...
• There are so many people I want to mention and thank for enriching my stay in Kalmar.....I think my last note shall be to thank them all. I will write it in the bus as I go to Stockholm.
• I am embarking on my tour of Stockholm alone. Couldn't find anyone at all who was free to come with me to Stockholm
• I hate saying goodbye for good. And I totally suck at it. Totally. And I have to tell so many people goodbye this week :'(
• This is the last time I am writing a chronicle. Who thinks I should start something similar when I get back home?

WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS SEASON OF THE CHRONICLES. PLEASE CHECK YOUR LOCAL LISTINGS FOR MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR....

The tower at night. Totally hot.

One of the most beautiful theaters I have ever seen. Both inside and outside

The bus to Öland

Inside the bus. I love those mirror shots

At one of the windmills where we stopped to rest. This should probably be the album cover for the Flight of the Corridor :-D

At a party that same night after the trip to Öland.

And at Casey's place the next day.....This has been my family for the last 4 months....love you guys!!!!

After the Spring concert with the Keys. Totally loved chilling with them

My three favorite people from ESN. They took care of all of us.
Oh,and me in my beach wear :-D

The BBQ was just starting.....that was a great afternoon

My crazy friends and their crazy human tower. I would have died of boredom without the company of all of these people.

Chronicles Of Kalmar #9 - Viva la Vida

The end is nigh. Literally. I have less than two and a half weeks left here in Kalmar. So you can imagine that right now, I am partying it up to the max. But that isn't the only thing I am doing. Let me get into some details on that....

For all of you who were complaining that I party too much and read too little, I think you will be happy to hear that for the past 2 weeks I have been so busy I have barely had time to eat. I am doing a class right now that had the oddest meeting times for the past 2 weeks. We had to be in class from 10 to 4 most days for the past 2 weeks. And for someone like me who'd gotten used to sleeping till midday every day, that was a challenge. But I did it. I was in class every day at 10 on the dot. Then in the evenings, mostly, I had lots else to do. If anyone remembers, I have been getting ready to film the premier performance of the play by the university theater group, the Spex. That involved attending most of their practises so I could study their movements and how they would enter and exit the stage. 

So, class from 10 till 4 then practise with the Spex till like 7 then head home to catch up on emails, facebook and food. By the end of that week, I hated school with a vengeance. It was raining most part of that week too. So I spent many days getting soaked to the bone walking about Kalmar. Not fun at all.
Anywhoo, the night of the premier was Saturday. I attended the dress rehearsal that Friday. That's when the work started. I took about 1100 photos at that dress rehearsal. Just to get an idea of how the action would move. Then the next day, I was supposed to be at the theater at like 3 PM so I could shoot some behind the scenes footage. But as Newton's forgotten law states, everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I got a call Saturday morning that we didn't have the 90 minute tapes that I needed to shoot the play. So I was to go buy some tapes before going to the theater. In my sleepy daze from a whole week's worth of missed sleep, I forgot that in Kalmar, people close shop really early on Saturdays. I went to visit a friend of mine who'd been feeling sick and I ended up starting my hunt for the tapes at about 2 P.M. Unfortunately, that's when the shops closed. So I spent the next 3 hours going round Kalmar first on foot then by bike (borrowed) looking for tapes. I finally had to decide to use 60 minute tapes instead. So I had to film a 3 hour play on 3 cameras with 60 minute tapes. How did I do it? With a whole lot of running around. I was extremely active that night. By the end of the play, I was hungry, stressed, tired and ready for a party. And party we did. :-D

Now that I remember, there was a lot of photos taken that week. I was at a Queensday party that Wednesday where I did take quite a number of photos even if I was really tired. Then the next day, I took a photo walk around Kalmar with one of my friends, Agnes, who is looking forward to being an exchange student in USIU in the fall of this year. I still have to upload the photos from that. That same evening, I was shooting the 'Flight of the Corridor' at Soderport. Then the next day, the 1100 photos at the theater was the beginning of the night. I took a further 1000 at the rock party. I am just hoping my camera doesn't start giving up on me soon. :-D

Last week, we started shooting sequences with the class. Which was a whole lot of fun, but a lot of work too. I didn't do much in terms of partying last week. I was still quite involved with the Spex coz I had to shoot the behind the scenes material when they were performing on Wednesday and Thursday. I went out for an hour on Wednesday to sing one song at karaoke. Then 2 hours on thursday to one of my favorite joints in Kalmar, Soderport. There, I found someone who was tapping a drum on stage (He wasn't playing, aki) as his friend sang and played the guitar. When they took a break, at the insistence of the French girls, I played a simple but strong rhythm on the drum that captured everyone in the whole cafe. The drummer got so jealous that when he went back up to play, he stopped tapping the drum and started playing. And he also did all he could to make sure I didn't touch the drum again. And he got the guitar dude in on the action, so even when the owner of the cafe was asking them to let me sing with them, they refused. 

As to what happened this past weekend, I will only mention that I was partying with the Spex on Friday. I got to teach people how to dance the shuffle and how to say 'my name is....' in Kiswahili. And then I also got to play some of my favorite songs by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. On Saturday, it was the goodbye party organized by ESN. I should also mention I sang very well at that party. I am still looking for the videos that were taken of me singing. Yesterday, I was working at the theater with some of my friends then I had some relaxing time watching Ace Ventura with a friend. 

All in all, my last few weeks in Kalmar are shaping up to be among the best weeks of my life. I wonder what the future has in store....

Side notes

• My phone died some time last week. The image on the screen turned up side down and then it refused to change back when I put the phone to charge. Thankfully, due to the efforts of the best friend anyone could ever ask for, Adele Tartarin, I have a phone that I can use to keep in touch for the meanwhile. On the downside, since I always save my numbers on my phone, I don't have anyone's numbers. Please feel free to inbox them to me.
• My experience with the Spex has been extremely good. I got to learn a bit more Swedish by force coz I was watching a 3 hour play in Swedish. I made so many more friends and I had one of the greatest times of my life. Plus, now I have the samba beat in the fabric of my being :-D
• I am busy for the next two weeks shooting and editing two productions for my class. I have a crazy crew to shoot with, so I am looking forward to seeing how this all turns out.
• I have reached that point in the semester that I am reaching into the back of the fridge/freezer to see what I forgot to eat. So I wouldn't mind if anyone invited me for dinner sometime.....
• I get to see Stockholm for a day right before I leave Sweden. Now I just need to find someone to get lost with/tour guide with me.
• On Wednesday from 7 P.M I will be singing with the choir at the concert. Looking forward to that.

If you have enjoyed this episode of the Chronicles of Kalmar, make sure you stay tuned to this station for the season finale. Coming soon to your facebook.....

At the 'Slutfest' last friday with the Spex

At the 'Slutfest' last friday with the Spex

The theater in Kalmar.Beautiful huh?

The theater in Kalmar.Beautiful huh?

My 'Maasai' outfit for the goodbye party.

At the Friday K.O rock night. It wasn't as good as the photos :-D

At The Queensday party. It was very orange

The equipment we are using to shoot...

Flight of the Corridor :-D

My production crew :-D

My two favorite people in the world. Don't know what I'd do without these two.

Chronicles of Kalmar #8 -Sensations of Reality

I should say that time is like a like the suicidal wild bunnies we have here in Kalmar. It comes out of nowhere, distracts you for just long enough to make you think you can stop your bike in time, then hops off just as you engage evasive maneuvers. That's how my time here seems to be moving anyway. Seems like it was only yesterday that I was leaving JKIA....ah, time.

Anywhoo, life seems to have slowed down a bit since the last time I chronicled my life. Not much seemed to have happened actually. Though that Thursday I did have some interesting things happen to me. I went teddy bear shopping as a favour for a friend of mine (and my sister in law). That was pretty interesting coz every decision I made was being scrutinized by her for a class she was having about consumer behavior. After the teddy bear shopping, I gave her a 3 hour crash course on my life. Then I went to watch the play that the University drama team is preparing. I should say that it's a 3 hour play in Swedish. Very very funny though.

So after such a long day, I went home via the supermarket so that I could treat myself to some buffalo wings. That's like a 20 minute deviation from my 30 minute walk home. When I got home, imagine my surprise to see a strange person seemingly blacked out on the kitchen table with a backpack and a carry all on the floor beside the table. Being that it was a Thursday, I didn't give it much thought at first coz barbecue season is on so maybe someone had a party and forgot one of their friends blacked out on the table. And also, the person looked like a young girl. So I only switched on a few lights to get enough light to put the groceries in the fridge, then I went to my room to check mail before cooking dinner. I left the lights on hoping the person would wake up and see the light then realize they were in the wrong place. Checking mail didn't take too long, so after a few minutes I was back to cooking in the kitchen. That's when I noticed the person had indeed woken up and had moved to lying on the floor on top of the bags. So I went around my business cooking my fries and buffalo wings, a little bit scared that the person had woken up and moved to the floor instead of getting out of the kitchen. I made sure to make a whole lot of noise hoping it would wake the person. Didn't work. When the food was ready, I decided against eating in the kitchen and instead went to eat in my room.

To cut a long story short, one of my corridor mates also saw the person there a bit after I retreated to my room and when she switched on the lights she noticed that it was a dude and not a girl so she got our resident strong man from upstairs, Tomas to come wake him up and then called the police to come get him. Turns out the guy was some kind of druggie and he had 'lost his way' looking for where one of his friends lives and somehow ended up getting into out kitchen through our balcony door (which someone still keeps on forgetting to lock, grrrrrrr!) I heard the commotion when the whole of the top floor right side came down to check out who was sleeping in our kitchen and that's when I got the whole account. We all stood at the door for like an hour as the police came and took the dude away. A cup of peppermint tea later, I couldn't sleep coz I kept on wondering whether that guy had been sincere or he was planning to finish us all off later that night. So I spent part of that night chatting online. When I decided it was safe enough to think of sleep, I lay in bed and put on some chilled out music on my laptop so I could do my nightly 'thinkin before sleeping' session. I started thinking about what I'd been through since I joined uni and came to the conclusion that, hands down, 2008 was a good year.

The saturday after that I was in the streets of Kalmar with an afro wig on my head advertising the Kalmar Spex (the uni drama team). That was a blast. And I got some nice photos :-D I don't think anything really special happened the rest of that weekend. It was one of those dead weekends.
Last week was pretty interesting too. Monday last week I was working on a design for my cousin Vincho who, by the way, is showing a short film in the Cannes film festival this month (so proud!) and when I was done, I went for a Polish barbecue on the wrong side of my floor. Suffice to say, that was interesting. Next morning, I went shopping again, this time for an outfit for the 50's party I was planning to attend that Thursday. I did get some pretty nice clothes and an awesome belt that is now officially my favorite belt (check out the pics if you don't believe) The rest of that week was basically spent lazying about in the sun. I have changed back to my Nairobi skin colour as a result :-D

I should say I was feeling a bit sick last week. One of my friends gave me a killer cold some time the other week, so I was fighting it most of last week. But I think I am almost cured now. :-D
But enough about boring old me!

Side notes:

• I have a class this session that totally sucks. Got class from 10 A.M to 4 P.M every day of this week. So long to ultimate freedom :-(
• I have my ticket ready and confirmed for the flight back to Kenya. I will travel the world a bit coz I will fly to Rome, change to another plane then to Addis Ababa change planes again then fly to Nairobi. Just hoping my luggage doesn't potea somewhere in the middle.....
• I am such a risk taker. I will be singing in Swedish with the choir at the Spring Concert on the 20th. That should be interesting.
• I got hit on so many times in the club on Friday night. By dudes. Even more times than the 3 chicks I was dancing with! Still wondering what's up with that...
• I am almost down to my last cent. All of y'all who owe me money, inbox me so I can give you my bank account number you deposit my debts in there!
• My phone is a zombie now. Keeps on reversing the screen and colours or just blanking out on me. When it dies I think I will go totally phoneless for a while coz my luck with phones seems to be down right horrid. This is like the third phone to die on me.
• I'm still in love with Kalmar. I have no idea how I will get back to my routine in Nai from the 6th of June.
• One month to go in Kalmar and I am determined to make it the best month of my life. Watch out for the photos

We hope you enjoyed this episode of the Chronicles of Kalmar. Please stay tuned for more after a message from our sponsors....

Don't we all look so good in this photo? Smile everybody!

Doing the twist :D

Totally love how many flowers are in bloom this spring. It's so colourful everywhere!

Working on my tan and taking photos of the castle......my days in Kalmar shall be defined as such

The banner we carried around on while we were dressed like the Village People

I still want a wig like that one!!!!

Chronicles of Kalmar #7- Inflections and Reflections

I have really been procrastinating to write this note. It's not my fault. It's just that sometimes when you really have everything good, you don't wanna reminisce because you might remember way past the good times. But let me get to the true subject of this note.

I realized that this journal has been more of a party journal than anything and that I really haven't been very true to myself more often than not. I am doing a whole lot more than just partying. Believe me. Although my class schedule is very flexible (and I do mean extremely flexible) I am studying quite a lot. And when I study I do get a fresh insight into the world outside Kenya. For instance, did you know that Kenyan media........scratch that..kenyans in general, suck at telling news. What I get from the Nation and Standard websites is more international news than anything. So as you guessed, I get most of my news from Facebook status updates. Can you imagine? Mpaka I have given up and lost track of the news in Kenya. This shows heavily biased we are against the internet (and gives me a business idea, anyone wanna join me?)

Also, I realized that our Kenyan government really doesn't give a care about any of us. But that's something I will get into detail when I get back home and have a plate full of chapati madondo in front of me.

This experience in Kalmar is really opening my eyes to what the world has to offer and I am realizing that sometimes as Africans in general, we downplay our strengths and resources thinking that we can't do anything coz we are just Africans. But I shall also get into detail on that when I get some chapati madondo.

And speaking about chapati madondo, since the last time I sat down to write a note, I have been on a singular mission to grow fat. And so far, it seems that I am failing miserably. As any of my friends can tell you (and I assume you saw the photos) from Easter it's been just one big eating frenzy. It all started on Good Friday with a lunch kindly cooked by my dear friend Adele and hosted by my crazy Rhodesian friend Felix (which is where I got my profile pic from :-) That was a pretty interesting lunch coz we were watching a cartoon that's definitely not for kids. I shall not tell you the name in fear of getting any of you addicted to it.

That evening, the third floor of the 'mansion' hosted a barbecue and we called all the people who were spending their Easter in Kalmar. That turned out well. We sang Beetles songs the whole night :-D And that was the official start of BBQ season :-)

The next barbecue was the next day by the sea. All the exchange students who hadn't gone home for Easter came together to have some fun in the sun and suffice to say, we did have a good time. If you don't believe, check out the photos. That night, I was king of the dance floor at the only club that was open. Though it was full, it was fun.

There was a BBQ on Monday, but I was so tired that I rathered to just chill in the sun and chat with my neighbors from the third floor. That ended in a photo shoot.....and I am sure you have seen the photos so I won't tire you with those details.

Fast forward to Wednesday and I was nervous as hell coz I had organized a treasure hunt to get to know my neighbors more. I wasn't sure that they would turn up and true to their form, they didn't. But I still went on with the treasure hunt and everyone who did turn up for it (most of my friends from the building) surely had a good time. The BBQ afterward was marvelous. You should have seen me, happier than a Kenyan housewife with a kitchen full of guests. Best part is that guests almost outnumbered hosts.

Friday night was Salsa night and I had the priviledge to teach many many people to dance. And all my students moved on to become marvelous dancers :D That night I think I danced my feet off. And after that we went for an after party at somebody's house and there I met this most amazing couple. A tattoo artist and his wife. They live in Norway now but some time ago they sold their stuff and went to live in Thailand. Just like that. Talking to them got me thinking that sometimes life just needs to be lived. Screw hustling and just get out there and live your life. So we talked and talked till the sun came up and I realized I had to go sleep or risk missing work on Saturday night.

Sato night I was working in the student-run club. There was a dinner for ESN, which is the organization that makes sure that exchange students are well catered for. I was among a team of 7 exchange students working at that dinner and I must say we were a pretty good team :D The dinner was from 6 till about 9 then we all went to a pre-party that ESN Kalmar had organized in a basement. That was fun. And I have the photos to prove that. :D Whatever happened from that point till sunday morning is not to be repeated.

Sunday was round 2 of the International lunch and this time there was way much more food. It was pretty interesting to have so many nationalities under one roof. We ended up playing a game of ping pong with frying pans (and I have the photos to prove it :-) whatever happened after that point till today morning shall also not be repeated....

All in all, I have realized one thing. Everybody needs to really live their life. If not every day (like me), every so often. You need to shake off the idiosyncrasies and dullness that is classic in popular culture, get out there and literally smell the roses. You will be surprised what you have missed sitting in the house or at the pub every weekend. Ask me and I shall show you!

As a by the way, I attended a very interesting Swedish traditional event for children the Wednesday before Good Friday. It was the 'witching' night. That was interesting. Lots of children dressed like witches and running around a museum. And I got to learn more than a bit about Swedish history at the museum. And I got the cutest photo of some of the origami frogs the kids were making :-D

Side Notes:

• I have gotten used to how people look at me. I think most people really wanna come over and ask me stuff, but they are usually too Swedish to do that. So instead they stare very intently. Once in a while though, the random person comes over and says hi. That's usually interesting. But it's the kids I like. They usually aren't afraid to come up and talk to me. One kid some time ago actually even asked me to help him tie his shoe laces. And recently a couple of kids invited me to join them in a game of street basketball. I really couldn't coz I was feeling really tired, but I bounced the ball around a bit with them before I went into the 'mansion'
• I call my hostel the 'mansion' for a reason. It's special to me. And it's the coolest place ever!!!
• I understand why the rest of the exchange student community doesn't really wanna go home for summer. Kalmar is special...
• I miss chapati madondo :'(
• I am still not gaining weight. Don't think I will gain weight here.....too much walking :D
• I joined the university choir. They are called the Kalmar Keys. And they are the coolest :D I will also be taking part in shooting and editing a production by a theater group affiliated to the university. And I am playing drums for the Keys :D
• I have resorted to documenting my stay photographically. I can't seem to remember what I did on some of the days.....

If I remember something else I wanted to say...I will add it in.....but that's it for now....keep it locked to the Chronicles of Kalmar for more quirky happenings :-D

Winners of the treasure hunt :D

Best team ever!

When in doubt, use a frying pan

Nature answers the call of spring

Hi! My name is Mr. Froggi Origami :-D

Just coz I love this photo

This was at the BBQ for exchange students....nice eh?

The mansion in all it's grandeur