Welcome to Anna’s Diary
On life, health and nature
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Yellow fever?
The days leading up to my trip are getting closer and closer. I will bring along the books about the Himalayas that I haven’t yet had time to read. I look forward to immersing myself in literature for a while—at least in the evenings.
Today I spoke with Professor Thapa and his lovely wife, whom I have not met before. He is still working at the university. We were able to wave to each other, and it felt just as if they were right there in my living room! I wanted to give them a hug. Professor Thapa says it is warm in Kathmandu. I am soon going to start packing my bag this weekend. I do not want to bring too much with me; I’m hoping to buy some clothes there instead.
To my surprise, there are rhinoceroses in Nepal. How exciting. I suppose it is a bit like having moose in Sweden. I hope I get to see them—the rhinos I mean.
Professor Thapa speaks excellent English. Being a bit of a language nerd, I wonder if I will understand anything of what is said in Nepal. Languages are so fascinating. I wonder what the cadence of the speech is like. Will I be able to make out the words?
I am starting to feel a touch of pre-travelling excitement.
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Domestic
Even though I live alone, my days are intense and eventful. A friend remarked with surprise, after spending a couple of weeks at home without her husband and children: “Anna, you must have so much to do. I have never had such hectic days as I have now while being on my own.” I laughed, of course, but on reflection, it felt like she was right.
Domestic flights I have had a couple of days off and traveled to northern Sweden with a friend within the family. I asked if she wanted to come along, and she did! The propeller plane felt unfamiliar—a small yet substantial aircraft. A Fokker 50—very important, according to the pilot.
Fokker 50 It was perfect to have company. It also felt like a little taste of Nepal, I thought. From Hemavan, the Norwegian mountains were visible in the distance, with a dusting of snow on the peaks. Hemavan had plenty of both Norwegian and Swedish cars. It actually felt a bit like Glommen Brygge in Fredrikstad, Norway—especially when I woke up this morning to see thick fog over the lake, just like in Fredrikstad. Ryfjället wasn’t visible at first, but then the sun slowly warmed the morning, and the mountain shone once more in all its glory. It was also the first morning with a light frost, I was told.
Ryfjället It has been about ten years since I was last in Tärnaby. Even longer since I went downhill skiing. I suddenly found myself longing to ski when I saw some ski gear in the hotel lobby. It might turn out to be a good winter, as there are plenty of rowan berries this year.
I felt I wanted to write down my impressions while they are still fresh. I am happy to have this diary. I sent the photo of Ryfjället above to Professor Thapa, and, of course, these must be small hills to him by comparison.
Autumn. The photo above is from earlier today. This evening Stockholm. Looking forward so much to discovering beautiful Nepal.
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Saturday.
I feel great that I have already voted. I have the weekend off; otherwise, my entire Sunday would have been devoted to voting. There is something solemn about voting. My little vote—does it mean anything? Does it really matter if I vote? And then I think about countries where people fought so hard to gain the right to vote at all. Women’s suffrage is a story in itself.
There was a long line at the library for voting. I have read so many books, and now I view them from a different perspective because I write them myself.
Waiting at the library gave me a sense of wonderful calm. The same calm I felt in Uppsala when I used to go to the Medical Library at Akademiska to study for exams. A place where no one else was around except the librarian. Memories of the library in Heby also returned to me—where I read everything from Alice Lyttkens to books on training hunting dogs. I believe Vivaldi´s Winter is my best friend at the moment.
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A blue-red mess
In a few days, we will have elections in Sweden. Today I am going to the polling station in the library to make sure that my civic obligations are fulfilled. We live in a democracy, and it is worth defending. I sometimes go by subway, and the photo below is so representative of the situation in Sweden right now. You either vote red, or you vote blue. Balance-of-power roles in politics are dangerous for democracy.
In the countryside, the election campaign is underway, but I cannot vote there. I can only note that the current municipal policy has decided to turn off the little lighting that was on the roads. The countryside became even more the countryside. The stars certainly shine even brighter when I walk Molly in the evening. I can always find the Big Dipper/The Plough, and sometimes Orion’s belt is very clearly visible.
I already like Nepal so much. I get upset when this humanitarian disaster is overlooked in the news. Nepal is a rich country with beautiful landscapes, but some people live in simple conditions and have been hit very hard by the floods.
I now have a tourist visa for Nepal and Sri Lanka. But India is still not ready. There, I had to choose a religion, and it was “Christian”! But I like all religions. I am waiting for a response from the Indian embassy on how to fill out the form. I will probably travel to India by bus. Not by boat or plane as advised in the application.
I am preparing for lots of photos on the trip to Kathmandu. Should I bring my digital camera? My mobile phone takes better pictures now compared with my camera. However, it feels so good to hold a real camera because it clicks when I take a picture. A Western dilemma.
Election in Sweden -
Algorithms and the Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers
I am now starting to be able to visualize my trip. It will be an adventure, and I must be prepared. There is a certain freedom in traveling alone even though I will now be visiting friends. People tend to be curious and want to speak with me. And I with them! If you travel in pairs or in a group, you mostly end up talking to each other.
Sometimes unexpected events appear on my computer. Like today, when some kind of algorithm found music for me that I really loved right away. The small symphony orchestra, and especially the piano, reminded me of a concert I went to in Malaysia under the Petronas Towers. Yes, exactly, under the two towers on a Sunday morning. There were many of us waiting in line for the performance, and a couple from the Philippines started talking with me while we were waiting. They studied architecture. We became friends on Facebook, but after my ID was hijacked, we lost touch.
Today, I am curious about what kind of music and theater I will experience during my trip. This song is in French. It will also be exciting to see if there are French influences in Nepal and India. In Vietnam, France has left their mark.
A perfect song for the people in Nepal. When you do not have a house anymore 🙏🏼
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My new routines
Finally! I have started both theoretical and practical strength training. It is really great to get help from a PT. I am learning more and more. He teaches me the right technique and also how to think when it comes to weights. The summer ice cream days are over.
The book I am reading reminds me of studies that years ago were called biochemistry. Aerobic and anaerobic metabolism to gain strength. I remember Coenzyme A, which helps to form Acetyl-CoA, which in turn fuels the so-called citric acid cycle. That is the biochemical explanation for why I can lift weights. When there is not much oxygen, lactic acid and less ATP are formed, which I notice so well every time I exercise. The acid tickles my nerve endings.
Now I am halfway through the book, and the more practical parts will be described. The ones that I am actually interested in. A lot of willpower is needed, and I need to be a little disciplined.
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Central Nepal floods 🇳🇵
A glacier has caused great devastation in Nepal. Several thousand people have died. My friend in Kathmandu is unharmed. Thank goodness. He told me that his friends in the military are doing massive rescue work. The new government is working very intensively. A similar incident occurred a year ago in the European Alps in Switzerland, where part of a glacier broke away.
I received a message today that they have made a lot of progress in the rescue work. The irony of fate. Professor Thapa’s field of study is anatomy. I did a little research on his scientific work, where I found a publication about how important it is to show respect for dead people who donate their bodies to science and education. A symbolic ceremony for reflection, please see Professor Trilok Pati Thapa’s work:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38196216/
Maybe I will write an alternative resume for my book “Generations” when I am in Nepal. One of the characters in the book receives a donated kidney. The main character, Greten, suffers from chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
Many people come to Nepal to climb mountains. Perhaps because a near-death experience makes them feel more alive. I am more interested in catching a glimpse of mountains that reach above the clouds. How is it possible that they are so high?
I hope that I will be able to find a way to contribute to Nepal. It has been almost 10 years since I was in Asia. A lot has happened. The Internet helps to make the world feel so small. News spreads instantly.
Stay safe 🐾
