Svenska
Monthly Archives: July 2019
Religion is difficult, and I got in touch with it recently when my mother passed away. Last week in Rome, I stayed a whole day at the Vatican. We had to wait for the guide who had some kind of trouble. Meanwhile, I started to talk to a family next to me. They were from Miami in Florida, and the father in the family works as a medical doctor within emergency care. The whole family are muslims, and they talked vividly about how to raise their children by showing them other religions. Even though you practice your own religion, there are also other religions that you have to show respect to.
I actually was a little happy since I had been to the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi last time I travelled. I showed them some photos and they had also been there. That was a nice start of the walk through parts of the Vatican – to unite with the Dubai voyage. I kindly asked them if I could have their photo to put it here on this blog. They said yes.
Below is a part of the lyrics from “Losing my religion” by R.E.M.. Since I like the piano I searched a long time for an instrumental version of this song. Maybe it can summarize some.
“Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I’m choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I’ve said too much
I set it up”
Of every waking hour
I’m choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I’ve said too much
I set it up”
Challenge your brain. To think “out of the box” is not always easy. It is convenient and comfortable to stay in your zone that you are used to. There is a story about the chained elephant. This elephant had been chained his whole life. One day he was released, but he didn’t move even though he could. This reminds me of my own thinking. To be tied to past experience. That will always stay with you. Memories cannot be erased. To think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective is my daily challenge – to find novel and creative thinking.
I am lucky. Stockholm is endowed with summer. I remember summers when it has been raining almost daily. Every morning I have my Nespresso. Sometimes tea. I follow the news, and usually it is very calm but the UK is having change. They have a new leader for the conservative party. Boris Johnson. I found a nice presentation of him here where he is introduced:
https://www.economist.com/erasmus/2019/07/27/boris-johnsons-confusing-and-contradictory-religious-history
There was not much politics in Rome. Only one occasion where a man wanted me to read about his party as I show you on the photo above. That was in the middle of square Piazza Farnese. He asked me if I am a communist. I told him that I am a tourist traveling. And indeed, he was in a way right, I have been to several countries where communism is dominating. Like Cuba and Vietnam.
It is now approximately 30 days til running. I will more actively focus on core training. Those muscles are very important when you run. I don’t want any injuries. What is your training objective?
I have so much inspiration and I feel happy that I have seen and learnt so much. During my whole life I have read quite a lot. Not only biological science. My old knowledge is put into a new perspective when I actually see the famous places I always have heard about. I love art and marble statues. They all have their own stories. I can stand infront of a painting and listen to the tale behind every scene in the painting, told by the guide. The voyage to Rome reminded me a lot of Pau in France where I was tought to more thoroughly watch and, furthermore, interpret art.
I walked for hours in Rome, and that was perfect. Sometimes it was difficult to find my way to various places, and then I had to go by taxi. Sometimes I had a pause like the photo above. I will write now and then about my voyage. Now I will watch the movie “Gladiator” with Russell Crowe.
