Commenting

The latest update to the comments form on Blogger seems to mean that one no longer can subscribe to comments or is it just me who doesn't get it?!  I get an email every time someone comments on my blog but when I comment on someone else's I want to be able to know if that person has replied without having to go back and look for replies.  There used to be a little box to click to subscribe to comments, which meant they sent an email to you every time someone else commented on the same post, but I can't find it anymore.  Doesn't anybody know how to get it back??!!  Argh, so annoying!

Pearl Necklace

No, it's not what I want for Christmas (well, jewellery is always on a girl's list...).  It's the string of cars driving in the middle lane on the motorway between Stockholm and Södertälje tonight on my way home from work.*  Always when I'm driving I get so annoyed (in a calm way as I'm a rather calm person) with all drivers who stay in the middle lane, even though it's empty in the right lane or they are driving too slow for the middle lane, or both.  Is it that so many Swedes are nervous drivers and stay in the middle to prepare for a shift of lanes or exiting (even though exits are mostly to the right) 13 km down the road, or because they don't want to have to change lanes if another car is entering (even though it's the entering car that has to yield and you don't have an obligation to move).  Tonight was extreme with a string of cars in the middle lane even though it was completely empty to the right.  Why?!  In a way, tonight was less of a problem since there wasn't much traffic, but when there is traffic, which is most of the time, these drivers are really blocking off a big part of the road.  The third lane between Södertälje and Stockholm is rather new (and there are now lights all the way) but if people are not using, what was the point of building it?!


* I decided to drive back and forth as it saves a lot of time, especially in the evenings.

Not My Favourite Flower

I did a another personality test but it wasn't accurate at all. Does this sound like me??!!

I am a Violet What Flower Are You?

"You have a shy personality. You tend to hesitate before trying new things or meeting new people. But once people get to know you, you open up and show the world what you are really all about."

I'm not shy at all and I'm a very social being who likes meeting new people! And I'm usually up for trying new things! New food, new music, fun activities (maybe not bungy jumping but other fun things) or what have you.

Mobile Flightmare

It looks like the EU will allow mobile phone calls on airplanes soon*. What a nightmare! Can you imagine dreadful 10-hour transatlantic flights with mobile phone ringing constantly and people jabbing away about relationship problems or their latest illness??!

The newspaper Svenska dagbladet reports that reactions to the news among passengers at Stockholm Bromma Airport were somewhat mixed, with several worrying about disturbance onboard. Some believed that a number of airlines will use peace and quiet onboard as a marketing tool - for those who regard one of the virtues of air travel as being the haven it provides from being reached or hearing other people being reached - while others will target passengers with the offer of mobile phone use.

Hopefully it will only be a short period of free mobile use before airlines - and passengers - come to their senses! The future probably - hopefully - holds mobile phone booths or small compartments for those who cannot stand being disconnected for a few hours instead.

* On certain flights under new European Commission rules, provided the airlines have the necessary technical equipment. The plan is to install small base stations into the cockpits of the planes. Calls made via the station will be routed to terrestrial networks via satellite link. However, according to the decision, flight captains will have the power to switch off the service if they feel it necessary.

Healthcare or Sick Care?

Helena argues really well for more European healthcare co-operation! Some people think the EU should stay away from healthcare issues but like Helena, I think we can only benefit from more co-ordination and more patient influence.

Helena has a personal story to tell - you can read it here. In brief, she has moved back and forth between Stockholm, London and Brussels over the last five years, which has caused some difficulties for the Swedish health service, mainly as a result of the procedures in place for GP appointments, referrals for tests, waiting times, IT systems and ultimately, her living abroad. Even though she had a letter from her doctor in London stating that she needed to have a certain test taken, the Swedish health service could not set up an appointment unless she went through the normal routes within the Swedish healthcare system (details on her blog).

Her point with the post is to:

ask the question how the Swedish health service manages increased internationalisation? If they could not manage my needs, despite me being registered in Sweden, because I had taken a test in another country, how would they then meet the needs of persons who live in Sweden temporarily, persons who have just moved to Sweden, or person who do not speak Swedish?

The need of the patient must always be more important than the system. If something does not fit into the system there must exist a culture within the health service that encourages flexibility and initiative. But all too often governance through quantitative evaluation and budget goals makes it more profitable for divisions and units to stand on the side of the system when it collides with the needs of the patient.

Thus I cringe when I hear Swedish politicians saying that EU initiatives in the healthcare sector threatens the Swedish healthcare system. Defence of systems and models is seldom a very good political starting-point.

What I would add is that - which probably Helena would agree with as well - is not that we want the EU to start deciding the financing or the content of the healthcare provision, but to facilitate for patients in an increasingly global world.

My Home - Best and Worst

I found a fun challenge over at Anne's: show what's best and worst in your home.

B E S T
Must be our wallpaper in the bedroom (a "fondvägg", in our case on the wall behind the bed). We put it up a year or so ago and we still love it! It's an English make called Osborne & Little if anyone is tempted!

It was quite tricky to put it up - luckily my mum is quite the wallpaper guru!

Another thing on the "best" list is the balcony - this picture is from Peter's birthday in mid-April last year when we had our friends Maria and Daniel over for dinner and it was such a warm evening that we could eat outside.

Peter and Maria posing on our 7sqm balcony

W O R S T
Difficult to photograph, but the worst thing is definitely the cigarette smoke that sometimes seeps through from our nextdoor neighbours. What's weird is that you cannot smell it through their door (believe me, I have tried!), instead it only smells in the kitchen (which is next to their kitchen) and it's worst around 6pm and 11pm and INSIDE the cabinets! They must be keeping all their cigarette butts under the sink or something.

Any advice on what to do? Both how to get rid of the smell and how to bring this up with nextdoor (as they are probably not going to read this)?

Passing on the challenge to Skolfröken, Johanna and Anna!

Waffled

Today it is Annunciation or Jungfru Marie Bebådelsedag as it's called in Sweden. This "holiday" always takes place on 25 March, nine months before Christmas, to celebrate the "conception" of Jesus Christ. On this day Gabriel foretold the birth of Jesus.

Back when Annunciation used to be a holiday it was called "vårfrudagen" after "vår fru" (our madame/wife/Mrs) instead of "jungfru" (virgin) Mary. Over time Vårfrudagen has become "våffeldagen" (the waffle day), which has given rise to the customs to eat waffles on this day.

The plan today was to make savoury-style waffles for dinner followed by some sweet ones for dessert. But when the ingredients had already been purchased and I was almost home I remembered that we threw out my (inherited, bright orange, 1970s) waffle iron few months ago...

(Photo: Tasteline)

Oh well. Luckily we had lots of sauce left from last night's Thai take-away so I just threw in some new chicken (quorn actually) and some vegetables and put the rice cooker on, and voila, dinner was ready.

I still want those waffles with spinach, avocaco and bacon some day soon though.

Nonsense Pondering

Is it just me or have you ever seen Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's daughter Suri in a pram or a pushchair? They are always carrying her, everywhere. It must be some Scientology crap, just like that barley (wheat) formula babies are supposed to drink according to the Scientologists, instead of breastmilk or regular formula. It's probably good for little Suri to run around, but sometimes she'd probably like to take a nap in a comfortable pushchair instead of her mum's shoulder.

Early Dementia?

I had this great idea for a blog post at work today but now I can't for the life of me remember what it was about!

Does the same thing happen to you?

Christmas Manners

It seems like people forget their manners completely when they are out Christmas shopping. I don't understand why, when it is soooo obvious that there is one, single queue for the till, people suddenly think they can skip the queue and start queuing behind someone who's being served at one of the tills? Do they think the rest of us are just queuing for fun? Do they pretend not to see, motivating to themselves that "I have so many things to buy still, I'm in a hurry"? Like the rest of us don't... It also annoys me that cashiers do not (want to) see this and tell people off.

Anyway, despite my shopping difficulties I had a pretty good day. Won a Kosta Boda bowl and two crates of beer in the Christmas draw at work today! (Also managed to buy my last X-mas present in the end.)