"It just doesn't flow for me" - something I think Matt and Dave will recall and understand more than any of you. Those were words uttered by a former employer while we were desperately trying to get him to record a few simple words to camera for a sporting event we were involved with.
That really has nothing to do with this blog entry. I just thought of it as I sat here staring at a black compose window in blogger as I tried to summon up the will and the 'flow' to actually start typing. Of course, now I'm falling into another trap that so often caught that same employer - I'm saying a lot but not actually getting to my point. But I blame it on yours truly. That last line also just for Matt and Dave.
And now to the rest of you. Thanks for sticking with me. This blog has been quiet for a while which is some ways is ironic. Usually people update blogs to tell the world about the cool things they are doing. Well, I've managed to fill my entire blog to date with not very much at all but over the period that I have been silent I have been very busy doing some cool things!
Like traveling!
This new job of mine opened up a few doors for me at the start of this year. Although I still work for the UK outfit I have been seconded at times to 'Centre' aka Copenhagen to fulfill the role of a trainer of trainers! Just to explain - that isn't to say I'm the best trainer out of a bunch of trainers rather it says that I am training others to be trainers. And nothing to do with footwear.
My first big trip was in the last week in January. I made my way to Gothenburg, Sweden for two weeks in the cold. So just like home then!
I had a great time. The work was fun as I got to try to enthuse people about a new way of working. Basically I got act like an idiot for two weeks so required very little effort.
As well as the work I got to enjoy some nice food. I discovered that typical Swedish food is well, Italian! You can't go far without seeing a pizzeria or ristorante. Another food phenomenon is what they call Filke (I think). On Fridays through an organised rota employees will bring a host of cakes and desserts to the office. Then in the afternoon the whole place grinds to a halt of half an hour as they all get stuck into coffee and cake and a general chin wag.
Speaking of phenomenal food I need to tell about the single most expensive meal I have ever had in my life. I don't want to go into all the details - you can ask me when you see me - but I want to tell you about one of the courses on this epic gastronomic experience. About 4 courses in, yes, 4 I found myself staring quite bewildered at a glass of ice. How stupid did I feel when I was told it was not just a glass of ice - it was a glass of the purest, oldest ice in the world. Impressed? Apparently I should have been. This ice was mined from deep underground (not the same place as River Rock though - I checked) in the most northerly parts of Finland. They say it is as close to pure frozen H20 as you can get.
You'd think that given the age and purity of this ice they would let me suck and savour it. Not a bit of it. They covered it in champagne making it the most expensive slush puppy I am every likely to consume.
Anyone who has been to Ikea will know that the Swedes are great at design, order and storage! In reality they are exactly like that which to my Aussie co-trainer and me was something to be admired and to rebel against. They have a device on the road side that counts the number of bikes using the cycle lane. A casual observation will tell you the answer is lots - this is what they would do in Belfast (and get it wrong) - but the Swedes have a dedicated counter. But one of my new Swedish friends couldn't understand why it was fun to try to run past this device to see if we could trigger a count. You guys understand, right? (We triggered it by the way, and not just once! We rock!)
A note to the lads: it is true what they say about Sweden. Oh yes, it is true. Nuff said.
I have spread a few pics around this post to break up the blurb. One is of us in another fancy restaurant where we had the privilege of learning how to taste wine. Its easy really, you just kind of swirl it around in your mouth. But what was interesting was how the guy demonstated how and why certain wines go with certain foods. We would try the same wine after eating honey, then sucking some lemon juice, then after taking some salt. After each item the wine tasted differently - in some cases a good wine tasted awful!
That night was a late one. The restaurant stayed open late for us but even when we left we didn't go home. We traveled to an Irish bar where I met a guy from Banbridge. He was one part of a two man band who entertained us with some great tunes.
Ok, this entry is very long now and I am shattered! I'll leave this for now an promise another updated soon. I have been to other places since Sweden.....
I had a chance to catch up with a few of my Swedish friends in Italy. Sounds a little odd but that seems to be the nature of the job! I bump into people all over the place.
Genoa is a lovely seaside city. Although only there for a few days it felt like a little holiday - but I was working! Honest.
Everyone seems to ride a scooter. These were parked right along the sea front!
The Italians are crazy. They served me chocolate ice cream with chilli! My mouth couldn't work out if it was hot or cold!
