In the heart of Sweden's Windy City: Göteburg

I am slipping aren't I?

Well, have not posted for two weeks. But here it is. An old post. Last posted on December 6, 2019 but first posted on...Nov 15, 2014.....when I was working on a class in this city....and now I am back, both working and taking a class in the city....some of the reason behind my stay is an unfinished business, the other is new beginnings..

But I thought I would share ....notes and images from this city again....next few weeks, I will add some recent pics that I have taken....of the blue buses and blue trams amidst orange leaves..

November 12, is also a special person's birthday....

HagaKyrkan in Göteborg! Kyrkan (pronounced Shirkan) means church. Haga is the name of the area. Picture taken at 3 pm. And the city is south of us, we get darker earlier. We already have snow, and Gōteberg is still fairly warm and might never get snow the entire year...

This lamp was outside of a shop.  During this time, all the shops start to put candles --both inside and outside. Sweden they say, uses 80,000 tonnes of candles every year!!  Gentle flames bring warmth.  And they always indicate life--someone took care to put candles and light them in the right places.  In the background of course is HagaKyrkan. 

Once again a repost, but quite relevant.  First published on November 15, 2014, here it is again because I have been travelling back and forth for the last month to Göteburg like I did five years ago.  I had started a class then, and finished all the short assignments but could not get to the final one. Why? simply because I missed all the lab work. The class is on statistical analysis.  And learning the software that runs the tests is very important.  My professional growth has remained stunted because I took only quantitative analysis classes during my PhD.  But my dissertation and everything after that was either completely qualitative or descriptive analysis.  Teaching myself everything through the pain and confusion of movement other milestones in life has not been easy.

But I am in that mode where I am taking responsibility.  Even when I am not always at fault. 

What responsibility do I take here--I need to be aware.

More aware than my circumstances.

When we are overwhelmed and overwhelmed for decades---then we shut down. It become too much, and we find distractions and ways to blame things and circumstances, and sometimes people. 

I take the responsibility that I reacted to my exhaustion by shutting down and being distracted.

Then, I forgive myself.

Then, I dust myself and pick myself again and start walking.

No, wait, I have not decided yet what I want.

I sit down again and then meditate a bit, and then decide, or have an inclination.

Then I pick myself again and start walking in the tentative direction.

All the time remaining more aware than my circumstances.

This time I am working on statistical analysis again. It is like I am on drugs. I enjoy it so very much.  Letting numbers talk!!

So, back in Goteborg, its been hectic but great.  Learning and meeting new people as I am re-learning a new software.  The last time I took the class the software they used was SPSS.  This time, the software is Stata.

So, a completely new software that requires a bit of programming.  Am also taking another programming class.

That internal churning I talked about--its on.  Massively.  Will write about that soon.

Will also write about new interesting people I have met. 

And now, here is the old post. The shop that sold heart shaped things is gone.  The tea shop still remains.  

                A store in the area named 'Haga', where everything--or almost everything sold is heart shaped.  One thing about cities is that they be as general or specific and afford to be cutsie in many more ways than small towns, where shops are not that resourceful and have a larger hold on their markets. November, 2014

Second largest city in Sweden, fifth largest in the Nordic countries, Göteberg, can be easily nicknamed the windy city, although the official title of country's windy city has been bestowed on Luleå!!  Currently, I am here taking a class, as I am teaching full time back at my university.  I have been to Stockholm several times, but never really to Göteburg, unless coming to the airport counts.  It is easy to fall in love with it.  Both Stockholm and Göteberg have an older section of the city called 'Gamla (old) Stad/Stad (City or town), are surrounded by water, and are major tourist attractions.  But there was something about Göteberg that made me fall in love with it on the first day.  Tall balding trees, standing erect showing off their stiff branches, as if looking down on the fallen leaves and saying, well, you are nice, but we are beautiful even without you.  And then there are large trees in their half-autumn glory, they smile back, because they are old (er) and wise(r)--'-What do the youngens know, they think¨to themselves, Ïts all beautiful, with or without, summer or winter, autumn or spring.  When they get to be our age, they will know, and feel it in their bones--how beautiful the plant kingdom is, just by its virtue....¨

Old cobbled streets, massive building both simple and ornate from old times, the new ones that are simple and state their Swedish-ness in their thriftiness--let us not spend money in beautifying -all that is to be functional---But like Swedish trademark, they are all stylish, even though simplistic.  And then there is this fine network of public transport, that allows you interactions with different kinds of people.  There is life, right here, people running after buses, people holding doors for each other, little children in awe of every little thing, because there is so much to distract them....ah city life!!  

I have kept away from it in many ways--because small towns allow for simplicity and certainty and a higher possibility of having a community.  But city, city provides the world, with all its uncertainties, all insecurities, that come wrapped in excitement!!  This time has brought me back to memories of living in DC, a city I started to love so much because it reminded me of Delhi, where I grew up.  But I had moved there after having lived in a small town in Pennsylvania, and before that I had lived in a southern african village.  So, DC came as a fresh experience --in so many ways.  Even though, in the beginning I was afraid, I made several friends there, very few of them are still in touch, but those who have stayed connected over the years are much dearer today.  

I grew up in a city--one of the craziest.  Suva, where I also lived is a city.  Although, by some standards it may not qualify.  In comparison to other Fijian towns, it is.  But having lived for long in a comparatively small town called Karlstad, trips Göteberg are fascinating. 

These following pictures are from the store where everything sold was made in heart shape.  There was no 'focus' in the store with regards to what it was offering.  

Only 'hearts'

Hearts on a pot-rest

Heart shaped, pewter candle stand

Heart shaped decoratives!

Heart shaped (christmas) lights

Heart shape candy containers

More Heart shape, more ornate!!

Heart shaped candle holder

Heart shaped wreath

A view out the window of a little cafe I had lunch at. 

And ofcourse you can the international influence, --which always includes quotes from eastern religions--

Om the symbol of sound of the universe.  The sound behind the silence.  

Haga:  Göteburg

Swedish flag next to a rainbow flag

The famous Haga Kyrkan (Church) All the pictures were taken at 1 p.m. November 2014

May be the pictures give you an idea of how much life there is --and how beautiful it is all--even in the dimming lights of autumn!!