When in Rome...

Well, not quite Rome. But near enough. Last week we took a 4 day flying trip to Milan. Initially it was to see a football game. But the significance of that event quickly became overshadowed once it was discovered that Milan was the home of the odd fashion shop. Or two. Or 10. But that's a story for another day. This was my first real trip outside of Sweden since arriving in Sweden. I don't really count our trip to Iceland, as that was just a group of Swedes hanging around together. This was just the 2 of us, in a strange new world. And a world that embraced neither English nor Swedish as a language. And here's where I discovered something really interesting about my current destination in life. I had learnt, or tried to learn, a little Italian. Prior to our trip. Nothing too complicated or technical. Just so we could hail a cab, order a pizza, or check the price on something. When I arrived to Sweden I knew a few Swedish words and phrases. But I was very very selfconcious about my shortcomings, so was reluctant to try them out with any anger. Still am to an extent, but that's slowly fading with my sense of self respect. In Milan I discovered that, when you are crap at speaking one language, and you know that you are, and you accept that you are, and you've given up being polite........ you have no problem at all about being crap in another language. So I let those poor sods in Milan have it. Both barrels of tragic Italian. It was bollocks, they never understood a frickin word, and I couldn't have cared less. I consider that to be progress along my Swedish journey.

Red Cross mission

"I once met a man who had no shoes, and I pitied him. Until I met the man who had to carry those shoes". Something like that anyway. Works for me today. Back from a flying holiday visit to Milan. Left Sweden on Thursday morning, back again on Sunday afternoon. The official reason for the trip ? A football match. Time for a quick maths lesson first. Time spent in Milan: 76 hours. Duration of a football game: 90 minutes. Ever wondered how many pairs of Italian shoes one can buy in 74 and a half hours ? Come around to my house some time and I'll show you. You'll know it, it's the one with the mountain of empty shoe boxes blocking traffic outside the front door. Why is it that there must always be 3 additional options when buying shoes ? No matter how many you are actually planning to purchase. Looking for one pair of shoes, there's always 4 pairs lined up to be compared against. When I foolishly suggested that we really should limit ourselves to just buying 3 pairs at this shop, there were 6 lined up to choose from. And "plum" coloured shoes. Who buys plum coloured shoes ? Actually, dumb question, that one. But you don't have any plum coloured clothes !! Mind you, I knew the moment I said that, I was in trouble. An easily fixed problem. Why do I never learn ? Now, I might be the bad southern cousin of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. But who can say no when the tears well up in those eyes, the lip quivers, and the tiny voice whispers "but look at the heel". That's why we went with 2 extra suitcases. And why I like eating beans.

The things we do for Love

It seems like a lifetime ago now. But it was in fact just 3 years ago this November since we were married on that lovely beach in Vanuatu. In many ways I guess that was a lifetime ago. For the both of us. Both of us casting out the misery of our previous lives. The day itself was everything we had hoped for. No family around us, but that was the way of things, with everyone scattered to the corners of the globe. Our guests were people we had met a few days earlier on holiday, our witness was the local village chief. But we were there, and frankly, no one else mattered. For our first anniversary we flew to Sydney, Australia, and had a wonderful week there just exploring the sights together. The next year, being last year, was a little more difficult, having just arrived to Sweden. The date coincided with a family gathering out of town, so we called that our celebration also. This year we have decided to take ourselves off for 5 days to Milan. Because we can. Nothing to do with the potential to restock the shoe closet, I'm sure. Anyway, my dearly beloved, lord bless her, has decided to gift me ( us ) with 2 tickets to view a football match at the magnificant San Siro stadium in Milan. She really is too sweet. The tickets cost her 600 kronor, which I felt rather guilty about. 600kr works out to around 50 British pounds, 85 US dollars, 60 Euros, or 125 NZ dollars. Not a bad pressie, if I may say so myself. Now being trapped like a rat, as I was, I found myself saying "and what would you like to go and see while we are in Milan ?". Yes, know what you're all going to tell me, that was my first mistake. As it happened, the love of my life rather fancied the idea of attending a concert at La Scala theatre. I must confess that I did think it was rather cool at the time also. So, just to reinforce that I truely was the man of her dreams, and nothing was too good for my sweetness, I vowed to move heaven and earth to get us two kick arse tickets to the ballet at La Scala. On reflection, I should have known better than to challenge heaven and earth. I put this down to hormones. There's a saying that one can buy anything, for a price. I think that saying was coined in Milan. We have two tickets to the ballet at La Scala. Oh yes we do. In fact, I thnk that I may have just bought the place. Two tickets for a 2 hour performance of something I suspect I will not understand, are mine for the princely sum of 300 Euros. In real money terms, that is 3100 SEK, 430 US dollars, 260 British pounds, and 630 Kiwi bucks. I didn't pay that much for my first car !! By my reckoning, I now own those two gold plated, jewel encrusted, limited edition, theatre seats. So the first things going into the suitcase is a long handled screw driver and a pair of pliers. Those chairs are coming home with me.