Jokers Cave of Games

Life ain't always easy and the path is not always clear. That much I can easily say. It is now the beginning of april, and things are finally calming down a bit. I can personally see the light at the end of the tunnel, since from the 1st of May and on, I will no longer be CO of Skavsta. That will be somewhat of a relief, as work has been taking a hefty toll out of me lately. Things are about to change, dear friends! Photography is an ever-changing issue. It used to be my prime hobby but has a somewhat delicate position now in the household, as daughter and wife are somewhat ambivalent, and it is not always easy to follow the current whim. I am still a bit unsure of what direction I will take. There is the choice to keep photography as a small pastime, only to be brought out during travels and special events. There is the choice to pick up the hobby once again, and keep at it. Or there is the choice to hang the cameras on the proverbial peg on the wall (sell them, in all likely...

Yes, yes, I know you guys have been frantically expecting the elephants. Not to worry, here they come.  The tour with the elephants was a great one, for several reasons. We chose to go with the local travel agent, from a connection at the hotel, instead of Fritidsresor, which was really a great choice! Much less people (just us and two other couples and one of those couples now constitutes really good friends!), much cheaper (almost half the price) and shows some other things than the official tour (a better chance to see things behind the scenes). Getting behind the scenes is really what it is about, for me. Meeting some locals, sampling the local cuisine, listening to the music. To see how they live and enjoy life, and the contrast of how that differs to our own way of life. And perhaps even to hone or advance my own way of living. That's really what matters most to me. I want something out of it that allows me to become a better person. They say that travel broadens the minds, ...

The electrical wiring of places like this puts a different standard on the table than what we perhaps tend to be used to. Facades of buildings are withered and broken with garish signs attempting to cover it up.  A concept that tends to fascinate me as a Westerner, whenever I go to Asia, Africa or the likes, is the local market. The way people in the destination actually live their everyday lives. Of course, it is sometimes hard to reach beyond the tourist market and find the real ones, but that is also part of the challenge of experiencing the other culture. We go to other cultures, other countries and try to get a sample of how they live their lives, but the more the destination is adapted for tourists, the less of that we actually get. When I looked through the travel agency's recommendations for eating out, for instance, one of the most highly recommended places was Viking Pizzeria. Yep, for that ultra-Swedish feeling, it was the place to go if you were Scandinavian, ...

Vacation. For me, it's always been hard to relax, to take a vacation and really enjoy it. Guess I am tense that way. Still, to arrive way early in the morning, just after sunrise, and feel the 35-degree heat blasting down with palmtrees of the jungle swaying all around you and the gentle seasurf rolling across the beach, that helps a lot. The Apsara Beachfront resort left something to be desired, for sure. The rainforest is aptly named and rain will quite often crash down unlike anything we are used to in Scandinavia. And it eats buildings up. The locals tend to have very waterresistant houses, putting energy into the lightweight roofs, while walls are very often totally non-existant. A hotel can't really have that luxury, since we tourists tend to keep valuables and a sense of privacy with us, no matter where we go.  The first room we got lasted for the day. During the night, we slept very poorly and awoke to strange, pattering sounds. Vendela thought the room was swarming w...

There will be no order to the pictures or how they are presented. Just basically spur of the moment and the story will unwind with no regard for narrator thread.  This first picture is from the first surprise, from the room. Imagine storming in and rushing into the bathroom the first thing, like you do, only to see the dark wall light up as your roommate starts to unpack. And around that time, you're surely not able to lift yourself off the porcelain throne :) Who has a full-wall window between the bedroom and the toilet? One-way mirror would be something else, but this? And to make matters more interesting, our friends Darren and Kelly were actually upgraded into a room that was more or less the same, except there was no window! No… how shall I put it… soundproofing. The next picture is the Ila Lounge, the bar for us who went All-Inclusive. Truth be told, we shouldn't have. It wasn't really cutting costs and you did get somewhat tired of the food in the rest...

Just a little thread, a little reminder, about what life is all about. Never forget, it's about being happy. Here are some thoughts on how to be just that... For all of you who need it...  ·           Social bonds. I happen to be somewhat, if not overly, introverted by nature. Some would perhaps disagree but considering the definition of introversion, I am. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like people, or interactions. In fact, even though I am introvert by nature, good relationships provide the strongest base for life satisfaction. Instead of surrounding myself with innumerable friends, I choose to have a few deeper connections and really nurture them. Like my family! ·           Make a difference. By making a positive difference in the life of others, I allow them to make a positive difference in mine. By helping and reaching out, I increase my own feeling of self-worth and add meaning to my pitiful lit...

The breakfast. Breaking the nightly fast was something we were looking forward to. Denied the opportunity to eat in the Bistro, we were somewhat starved when the morning finally came. Interestingly, there had been several notes celebrating the splendor of the breakfast, but surprisingly little information providing practical details. In fact, when we went down and started yanking the door, a young lady provided us with the information that it would be another 15-20 minutes before breakfast was served. And then she looked at us and tried to lock the door, as if we would decide to sneak in while her back was turned to snatch a scoop of Kalles kaviar perhaps. Unfortunately, the door wouldn't lock, even after her insistent attempts, so she instead placed a small ashtray outside the door to stop us. Let me just add, for a moment here, that I live in a modern world. I have seen zombie movies, alright? This barrier wouldn't really suffice to stop a horde of ravenous proles, clawing to...