The World as It Is; Just Enjoy Your Swedekend.

A lornful ugly cloud hung over my weekend trip to Stockholm. Of course this was due to the awful, despicable acts which occured nearby in Norway. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those whose lives were taken by that vile, twisted extremism that has cost humanity so much.

Such a tragedy made all my trivial mishaps seem all that more trifling. It stung to have my Iphone, money and camera stolen out of my locker at the swimming pool later that weekend and I walked back to the hotel with my head hung low, cursing the faceless thief and feeling sorry for myself. But this episode stopped when I returned to the hotel and saw the BBC coverage of the Oslo aftermath. I pondered memories of the bush hospital I was at ealier this year in Africa, and tried to conceive of the magnitude of loss and absence of necessity that is experienced round the planet with one passing of the sun. Nothing any weekending tourist could complain about is possibly of any consequence whatsoever. I felt ashamed for entertaining even a fleeting second of self pity.

I learned many things last weekend. I learned that the Swedes like strange tasting candy, which ranges from sour patch kids dipped in sea salt to hard jawbreakers which taste like Liquid Draino. At the Nationalmuseet, I learned that I really like an artist named Nils Kreuger who lived from 1858 to 1930 (see Spring in Halland, 1894 or Hailstorm Apelvik, 1893). After seeing a perfectly preserved 17th century sailing vessel, I learned at the Vassa Musuem that not all ships and men rot in port. I learned that socialist Sweden and certain American states have something in common: they both support the nanny state policies which mandate 3.5% beer on the shelves of grocery stores and all other alcohol to be sold in state-run bottle stores. I learned that Ho's Chinese Restaurant makes a great spicy Shanghai Chicken and wholesome wonton soup, and that that satisfied feeling you get when you eat a great dinner can last well into the following week.

What I also learned was this: weekend getaways are not vacations. Four days is not enough to relax or unwind. It's barely enough time to release a sigh. Weekend getaways exist so as to help you better appreciate where you live, how you live, that you can and that you do live everyday life, every day that you can.

It's good to be back.