fredag 21 oktober 2011

Trinidad








Utsiktstorn





Plaza Mayor





Forra helgen akte vi till den vackra kolonialstaden Trinidad. Vars arkitektur ar bevarad fran 1500-talet. Dom sma och fargglada husen i fransk arkitektur bildar gatorna som ar karakteristiska for denna stad. Trinidad blev utsedd till varldsarv av UNESCO 1988. Priset lockade dit turistindustrin och idag kan man se turistjagare i varje horn som vill salja alltifran utflykter till billiga middagar. Vi hade otur med vadret da hela staden verkar bli paralyserad av regnet. Turistparalyserad ar nog ett battre ord. Utflykter till stranden, vattenfall och andra sevardheter var omojliga. Alla museer stangdes ner pga fuktigheten. Vi blev sittandes, ganska snopna, o valdigt blota vid ett fik medan regnet oste ner. I vantan pa solen kunde vi underhalla oss med att ta oss fram i staden som hade forvandlats till en vattenhinderbana. Nar regnguden bestamde sig for att ge oss nad sprang vi till en turistbyra o kopte den enda utflykten som fanns kvar: Sockerplantage och utsiktplats. Under kolonial tiden arbetade slavarna pa dessa sockerplantage och Trinidad kom att bli en enorm sockerproducent pa Kuba. Ett gammalt utsiktstorn som var till for att kontrollera slavarna finns an idag kvar. Dagen efter hann vi tillochmed se museer och kyrkan.




puss

måndag 10 oktober 2011

Mellan vardagen och paradiset

Det finns en magisk plats dit turister fran alla varldens horn pilgrimmar En plats dar turisten kan kanna sig saker, glad, matt, serverad och utan eftertanke njuta av det paradiset dom kallar Cuba. Platsen heter Varadero och bestar av enorma hotelkomplex som bokstavligt talat erovrat cubas vackraste strander. Dom monstruosa hotelen ar alla utan undantag all inclusive hotel. Nar vi forst horde talas om Varadero skrattade jag o tankte: vilken turistfalla! Men Jesus ogon los som stjarnor nar han horde talas om buffén. ”Det kan bli en inspiration till en kritisk text om turistfallor” sa han exalterad men jag visste att han dromde om den oandliga maten o de vackra stranderna. Efter mycket om och men gick jag med pa att aka dit. Trots allt langtade vi bada efter att bryta vardagen i staden. Varadero lever upp till sitt rykte. Turisten blir lyxigt serverad och en kansla av ”jag har inte akt hit for att tanka, jag har akt hit for att njuta” fyller den fuktiga luften. For att ”fa mer inspiration” valde vi kubas storsta hotel. Hotelomradet ar stor som en by med restauranger, barer, pooler, gym, en teater och en enorm privat strand. Inte nog med det, for att gasterna inte ska bli allt for trotta av att ga mellan buffen och poolen har dom sma elbilar som skjutsar dom runt omradet. Men det vi tyckte mest om var stranden, den ar nastan overdrivet vacker. Klychigt nog blev den vackrare med solnedgangen. Sanden ar vit, vatten genomskinligt och havet ligger platt som en tallrik sa langt ogat kan na. Myggornas buffe borjade runt den tiden och vara desperata forsok med extra lager av Mygga var forgaves. Men vi trivdes bra och denna magiska plats gav oss nagra lugna dagar i paradiset.



Nagra dagar efter att vi kommit hem till Habana gick vi till den kanda filmbaren ”Fresa y Chocolate”. En stand up komiker skamtade just om all in clusive hotelen i Cuba. Turisternas oslackliga torst vid buffè borden. Alla i baren skrattade hogt om hur tyskarna bara at nagra bitar av guayaba (billig frukt) medan de kubanska turisterna skapade nya buffebord med sina egna tallrikar. Ljudteknikern hojde volymen pa en reggaetonlat och alla i baren klappade i takt.



Resten av dagarna i staden har passerat som forut. Jag har gjort tva till besok med ICAP, det forsta var i Centro de la capacidad de la mujer och det andra besoket var i Casa de la orientacion de mujer y la familia. Om kvallarna gar vi mycket pa bio och om helgerna hander att vi gar pa nan teater- eller dansforestallning. Att aka in till Habana Vieja ar ocksa ett omtyckt alternativ. Dar kan vi mumsa i oss riktigt god mat, dricka mojito i La Bodeguita del Medio (habanas kandaste bar dar ernest hemingway, salvador allende och fidel castro besokt), ga pa mueseum o njuta av promenader langst strandvagen.



Saknar er!

torsdag 22 september 2011

Glass och regn



Krabba i stranden


Den statliga glasskedjan Coppelia ar en uppfriskande tillflykt i den kubanska hettan. Du behover 5 pesos (1,5 kr), lite talamod och mycket plats i magen. Det kan handa att man blir avskrackt av den enorma kon som slingrar sig runt omradet men frukta inte! Det galler bara att ta en annan ingang sa har man vipps ett bord. Glassmenyn har inga variationer det finns en glassort for varje dag, den som servitrisen mumlar nar hon narmar sig ens bord. Det gor att bestallningen gar snabbt, anda far vi vanta. Den langa vantetiden far en att fundera over hur man lyckas ha 10 anstallda i glasbaren, inga komlpicerade bestallningar och anda sa sitter gasterna som otaliga barn. Det ar den kubanska servicen. Runt om en sitter stora familjer, kompisgang och par o slanger i sig den kalla glassen. Vissa har tankt efter. Det sitter en stor kvinna med en annu storre tupperware lada o haller over fem, sex kanske sju portioner glass. Nar den stora glassportionen glanser mellan dina hander sa forsvinner alla oroligheter. Du ser inte att det krokiga metal foremalet i din hand forestaller en sked. Du kanner inte varmen. Du hor inte barn skriken. Det ar bara du o glassen.



Varme och mer varme. Tyvarr kan man inte spendera alla varma timmar om dygnet pa Coppelia. Jag tror att dom skulle ga i konkurs. Det gar att spendera nagra timmar vid stranden. Men da ar det bokstavligtalat tva timmar. Efter det sa blir varmen outhardlig. Det karibiska havet som till en borjan var ljummen och vacker blir till en kokande soppa. Det enda man vill ar att springa till den luftkonditionerade bussen som tar en tillbaka till staden. Det ar inte sa konstigt att jag borjar gladja mig over ovadret. Nar jag ser de graa molnen som samlar sig kring himmel ler jag och hoppas pa regn. Det ar riktigt mysigt att ata tropisk frukt medan blixten slar och askan danar utanfor ens fonseter. En host i kuba J

lördag 17 september 2011

Habana, Cuba












Mina forsta tankar om Kuba ar att det ar precis som jag ahr tankt mig. Politiska slagord och malningar pa gatorna, gamla bilar, varme, gatuforsaljare, gubbar som spelar domino pa gatorna. Det ar som att vara i en film.


Den forsta veckan i Havana var valdigt valdigt forvirrande. Det existerar tva valutor. En for att handla farska ravaror, billig mat, bocker, bio och den andra valutan ar till for att handla handla mjolk, klader, internet, resor och annan overflodig konsumtion. Den sist namnda ar saklart mycket dyrare och darmed till for turister.



Vart andra problem kom att bli kackerlackorna. Dom invaderade var lagenhet som vi hade hyrt. Vi fick panik. Och jag blev ofrivilligt utsedd till kackerlacksmordare. Annars tyckte vi verkligen om lagenheten och omradet. Var balkong gav oss en vacker utsikt over staden och havet. For oss var omradet typsikt kubanskt, med lekande barn pa gatorna, djur pa taken, mann som meckade med sina 60-tals bilar med hog reggaeton musik, Men med tiden fick vi veta att det inte alls var vanligt med kackerlackor i hemmen och att vart omrade var farligt. En dag hade vi kackerlacks invation, jag fick doda 30 stycken, den dagen bestamde vi oss for att flytta. Inte for att vi kannde oss osakra i omradet utan att det skulle finnas mindre chans att det fanns kackerlackor i det nya omradet. Istallet for att bo med den gemene kubanen flyttade vi till ett finare omrade: Vedado. Det bestar av gamla lyx kolonialvillor som en gang i tiden bara tillhorde spaniens kungafamilj. Och senare rika europeer. Men nu bor det inte langre nagra vita rika man i lyxvillorna utan dom tillhor organisationer, kultur centrum, museer, ambassader och kubanska familjer som (ibland) hyr ut rum.



Sa, har bor vi nu. I en vacker kolonialvilla med en super snall och hjalpsam vard. Jesus ar pa standig jakt efter bocker och tillstand for att borja forska. Genom Instituto Cubano de Amistad con el pueblo har jag fatt och kommer att fa besoka olika politiska enheter och aktiviteter. Hittills har jag besokt det kubanska kvinnoforbundets huvudkontor. Samt deltagit i en minnesstund/ceremoni for dom 5 fangslande, eller dom 5 hjaltarna som dom kallas har. Sa det blir nog ingen praktik for min del, utan ett besok i det politiska Kuba.



Med hjalp av mr. Lonely Planet, tiden och vanliga kubaner har vi lart kanna Havana. Och allt vad det innebar. Jag kanner mig som en svamp. Utan att riktigt kanna av det har man sugit at sig sa mycket kunskap om det har landet.



karlek

lördag 31 juli 2010

Graffiti and Street Art Tour






Art lives in every corner, in any part of the world. Madrid’s streets are full of colours, messages, paintings, thoughts and art in all its different shapes. I believe that art is an expression of endless variations. Vandalism and destrucion is not a part of this.

I don’t believe that the urban space is only destined for commercial agencies, companies, and politicians. Commercial is the only thing aloud by the law. It’s a mistake, the public space is for all. (Calma)

With this in mind, me, a couple of friends and couchsurfers did a Graffiti and Street Art tour in Madrid. Together we captured and absorbed wild art. We walk around Malasaña, a neighbour hood in the city center north of Madrid. We ended the tour in a bar called El 13 Tribal, where they have a couple of Banksys paintings and art. Later on we ate pizza and drank beer at plaza Ildefonso. The Madrid way. then we celebrated that jesús received a important scholarship. all in all a wonderful night.

peace and love

söndag 25 juli 2010




im really enjoying the summer in spain :) spending the days in pools or parks and when the sun goes down friends and a millions of bars are keeping me company. I recently got back from Ibiza with my love. We spent some really nice days in the beach taking it easy. Ibiza is a beautiful island with a lot of party spirit. We where probably the only ones not cruising all the huge clubs. But I liked it, the beaches where so nice and we had the good luck of living close to one of the worlds most beautiful sunsets.

peace

tisdag 13 juli 2010

Vacaciones en el norte

muuu

por los campeones


Gamoneu

Mis papis vinieron a Madrid con sus amigos malagueños. Se quedaron un día para partir el día después hacía el norte de España, específicamente el pueblo Gamoneu (cerca de cangas de onis),Asturias. Este sitio es verdaderamente una maravilla. Todo verde, tranquilo y perdido. Una pausa del caos de Madrid y el mundial. Hacemos excursiones por montañas, pueblos pequeños y disfrutamos de la gastronomía asturiana. ¡Me encanta el norte!

torsdag 8 juli 2010

la roja

right now, i'm in the right country. last nights game Spain vs. Germany ended like a surprise for many of us. 1-0 and Spain is in the FINALS i can't believe it. as you may know i'm not a big sports fan but this is incredible. and last night madrid was crazy crazy. people where celebrating al over madrid and sol (the city center) was absolutely packed with happy españoles. all dough last night was a very happy one i want to send my love to all my german friends (you were so close :)).
unfortunately i'm not in madrid for the finals. i'm going to Asturias with my parents and their friends 10-14 of july. so i´ll see the game in the north :)

onsdag 7 juli 2010

heat and more heat

Gay Pride, Madrid

its sooooo warm now. the hole winter i've been complaining about the bad weather and claiming my right to sun. Well, now i'm not aloud to complain...but its sooooo warm. Since i'm adjusted quite well to the madrid society i'm hiding underneath al the shadows i can find and spending hours in the public pools.
From sweat to highlights. Madrid has these days been filled up with gay pride ppl and world cup ppl. Al together a intense atmosphere. The headlines of the papers in madrid define it like: Gay pride in between games. The gay neighborhood Chueca was completely crazy the whole week, i didn't expect less :) So the days has practically consisted in all that; gay parties, world cup games, swimming pools, ice coffees in the shadow AND a second trip to toledo with a couple of friends.
Me like.


onsdag 30 juni 2010

....

Puerto Santa Maria, Cádiz

a million things has happen these past weeks.

I really like my persian classes :) we’r learning the alphabet and how to write.

I really like going to the tango lesions in Patio Maravillas.

I really like the recycle book workshop. I now know how to make an entire book J

I really like seeing The Village People live (im getting pumped up for 3 of july, gay pride in Madrid)

I really don’t like goodbyes. A lot of my erasmus friends are returning home and leaving Madrid a bit worse.

I really like my vacacions in the south. Spent 3 days in Puerto, Cádiz next to the beach with my love. It was the first time I felt like not going back to Madrid.

tisdag 1 juni 2010


salam doostãne aziz!
so, i did survive these intensive weeks of exams. mostly with the support of a wonderful person, thanks :) and today two big things are going down. im having my first class of Farsi, or persian :D this is a thing i've been wanting to do for a long time so im super exited! and later on today im moving to my new apartment :)

khodafes!

söndag 23 maj 2010

on the move


i got it! im moving to a new room in between the area lavapiès and la latina :D 10 min walk to the centercenter. Its a big apartment with 4 rooms, my room is big, it has a high sealing and a window facing the street. Im so glad! Its going to be really cool moving to a new neighborhood...all dough i all ready lived in la latina before.

So yes, the weekend was very very good. We had a crazy warm weather. My examen went well. I learned how to make recycled books. I also learned that there are some really interesting people in madrid :). I met up with some swedish friends and showed them a bit of madrid. Later on i met up with a german, a italian, a mexican and spanish friends. We made malasaña rock and ended up singing songs from the 90 and drinking wine in my room. The day after i spent some steaming hours in Casa de Campo and ate from the latin barbecue (mmm). Tried to avoid the crazy football supporters. Had botellón in Templo de Debod with some wonderful people.

And to day i had a lot of study anxiety :( so normally i called my parents (witch made me very happy), watched a lot of Simpson episodes, washed my clothes and cleaned my room. very productive.

torsdag 20 maj 2010

my mind is spinning


im done studying for to day. tomorrow i have an exam in my course organizations and international relations. my head is filled with worries about my exams and at the same time i'm also looking for a new room to rent. can´t seem to find the time for everything. tomorrow will look at two rooms in the barrio lavapiés, its the bohemian/multicultural zone of madrid. all dough i absolutely love my barrio malasaña i think its going to be a nice change.
after the exam and the flat- searching tomorrow im going to my first workshop of books cartoneras. Its a workshop for volunters to help out with creating recycled books. I guess i will know more after my first workshop :)
After that im meeting up with some swedish university friends thats visiting madrid this weekend. And for the night i'm still doubting if i'm going to Gogol Bordellos concert. I've never seen them live and i'm sure i will love it....but its quite expensive.....
yes, i have a lot of things on my mind and its spinning. i guess i will calm down after i found a room. wish me good luck to morrow!

peace and love

felizfelizfeliz
















si! hace mucho tiempo que no escribo nada y el tiempo pasado es demasiado rico para resumirlo en texto. Igual voy a intentarlo:
- Visita de mi amiga alemana
- Fiestas de San Isidro. disfrutamos de gran via de forma peatonal, baile madrileño tradicional, espectaculos de magos y baile, botellónes grandes y concierto de Emir Kusturica!
- Mi cumpleaños, por cierto quiero agradecer a todos por mandarme mail, saludos y mensajes de distancias tan lejanas. y agradecer a toda la gente maravillosa que celebraron conmigo. estaba suuuuper feliz :D

estas semanas increíbles lo voy a resumir con esta canción que me gusta mucho: mandarinas y pomelos


lördag 10 april 2010

you can feel it in the air.

People are smiling, birds are singing, the sun is shining, a boy dribbles his football on c/ colón, crowded streets, couples kissing, a clown is trying to entertain the young people drinking by plaza Ildefonso. It’s not my imagination. Spring has come to Madrid. So, go out in the sun and enjoy the 15 min of d-vitamins that your body requires each day.

I myself have a nice weekend to come. Last night I enjoyed the streets of Madrid with some lovely people. Today I have a nice visit from Denmark, and later on a concert. A band witch I already seen 2 times before but can’t get enough from: Che Sudaka. And Saturday my flatmates and me are thinking of a bike ride in Casa de campo. Not bad.

måndag 29 mars 2010

Coplas



My music taste is very very broad but I never thought I would like Coplas. Although that all changed after seeing the teather piece No me hables de Felipe V. The piece is about a crazy man telling his life story and his life goal: Sing a Copla to his mother on the moon. His monolog and singing are incredible. It was one of those pieces that’s on for a month and I thought I would never see it again. I recently heard that they are doing a couple of more shows :D You can see it in the alternative theater Nudo Teatro in Malasaña. I strongly recommend you to go and see it!

Here is one song I really like :) Romance de Valentía.

tisdag 23 mars 2010

adventures in the south


Plan loco:

Party Thursday night, don’t sleep just go directly to the bus station were you meet your friend to catch the 7 am bus to Granada. Sleep in the bus. Be one with the bus.

You arrive around 12. Eat some sandwiches from the supermarket. Take a nap in the Alhambra Park. Be one with nature. Enjoy the most beautiful town in Spain. Meet up with some friends, eat tapas, have some Alhambra beers then sangria from los chinos and enjoy the massive botellón (drinking in the streets). Sleep in some park. Be one with nature again.

Catch the 12 o’clock bus to Santa Fe (a village outside of Granada). Find your way to the underground/illegal Dragoff Festival by following kind hippies. Get there exhausted. Make camp and friends with some more kind hippies. Take a nap. Be one with the tent. Inaugurate your new shisha: Ramses. Enjoy the crazy and alternative festival. Be upset for the rain. Dance with punkies, hippies and perroflautas. Slip around in the mud. Be extremely happy for your borrowed rain boots. Buy a vegan hamburger from some german hippies. Get to know their 4 year old daughter called Luna. Sleep. Be one with the rain pool in your tent.

Wake up. Feel helpless for your wet clothes. Find your way back to Santa Fe by following hippies. Arrive in Granada at 13.10. Feel tired cuz your bus back to Madrid went at 13. Buy a new ticket. Arrive in Madrid tired, (still) wet, muddy but happy. Oh, so happy to be home.

söndag 14 mars 2010

a couple of downs. a lot of pluses




These last couple of days has been filled with ups and downs. mostly ups :)

- Cold (with fever!)

- Infection in my piercing again! im taking antibiotics for the infection to go down and on the 24th of this month im taking it out!

+ Dj Steve Aokis gig at sala Heiniken

+Dinner in the dark, its as simple as the name. You simply eat in the dark flavouring the unknown food. This one gets an extra plus for the great host how also served chupitos (shots) in the darkness.

+ Danish dinner with the flat mates, must say that the Danish meatballs are better then the Swedish ones.

+ Concert: La roux. This one gets a – as well, but I learned my lesson: concerts where the bands only have one album are simply toooooo short. But I did enjoy the performance and the live music :)

+ Sunshine! We have sunshine! I feel completely filled with light, spring and happiness.

+ The Brian Jonestown Massacre, after a day of (intent of) studying at a friends house we watched the film Dig! A documentary about two rock bands in the unites states. Well, now I’m very fond of the band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. A nice song: Anenome Anemone Amenome Anemomnuonme Anenomznomz

peace and love

måndag 8 mars 2010

What a day!

What a wonderful day! A day to be proud of being a woman. Proud over the power that a joined movement can do for the rest of the world. For the advances witch affect half of the worlds population. It’s something that we definitely should think about everyday.

my enthusiasm kind of got let down when I heard about a quite stupid definition of the international women’s day. The key question was: Do we want equality in all levels? Do we want men’s negatives side as well? Like dictatorship or burping in public? Okey, I know the article was quite ironic but still, I got...tired.

Equality is not about breaking the patterns in the sense that women should start behaving like men. For me it’s about breaking pattern in the society and in our individual behaviour towards equality. Either way, I guess we all have different definitions of what feminism means to us. I’m curious about your opinion!? english spanish swedish men women or something unidentified. Write and get your thoughts out!


Peace!

lördag 6 mars 2010

den svenska skammen


hur kommer det sig att mina spanska vänner kan mer om svensk musik än mig? som musikälskare ger det mig en stor skam. nåväl, ville dela med mig av denna otroligt sköna låt som en kompis rekommenderade mig. videon är inte dum den heller.

från svensk musik till det svenska språket. jag pratar nästan ingen svenska här i madrid och det märktes igår när jag pratade med ett par småländska vänner. jag uttrycker mig på ett spanskt/engelskt/svenskt sätt. jag använde diskotek som klubb (inte okey!!!). skammen är för stor, kan väl lika gärna stanna här.

puss o kräm