New appreciation for IT support

One thing that I will certainly miss when going self employed is the superb IT support that I'm used to. Installing the new mobile broadband took forever (the supplier has made it more complicated for Mac-users; I wonder why?!) and running back an forth to different mobile network operators when it became clear that the one I first picked had absolutely no reception in my new office (alias my flat, which is on the top floor in an area that is considered by most people to be very central).

The operator questioned me if the walls were very thick... All you have to do to set up your own business. The day I can employ an IT manager will be a real milestone.

Beloved London

The double decker bus. Children in school uniform. British gentlemen on the train. Sheppherds Pie and Bonoffee Pie. Hot water bottle in the bed. Long pub lunch, fireplace and red wine on a Sunday. Fortnum and Mason. My English friends and family. Just to mention a few things that brings out my London smile. The top up from the last couple of days will last me for a couple of weeks...

Afternoon tea conversation

After a full day's work we concluded our business talk while picking up my business partner's children from school. The oldest one ran off with a friend and we took the six-year-old, a pretty princess, to afternoon tea and cake before walking back to the house.

This is how the conversation went:

My business partner: 'Hey, Princess, we want to talk to you. We can't do that if you are playing on the phone.' (Princess wanted the iPhone.) You know, you don't have to wait for us to ask you questions. You can also ask questions to us.'
Princess: After some careful thinking. 'What is your favourite colour?'
Me: 'I think it's still blue. What is yours?'
Princess: 'Purple.'
My business partner: 'Oh, I thought it was pink?'
Princess: 'No, I changed when I turned six. Now it's purple.'
Conversation moves on...
Princess: 'What is your favourite type of swimming?'
My business partner: 'You know, Princess, you can also discuss topics which are not just the answer to a question...'

How to bring up children to master the art of conversation and social skills!

Pub lunch with T and S

Coffee next to a Birkin

At Harvey Nichs of course.

Kate, what happened??

Not even Kate gets away with these dresses.

Tartine, London

Late lunch. Me and all the other ladies-who-lunch. So Kensington.

Building on the theme of today's yoga class

If your life was a film, and naturally you would be the lead, what would it be like? Drama, comedy or thriller? Where would it be located and who would be the supporting actors? Not just now, but in the past and in the future?

What we were really getting at was if you are living your life at your best potential and if you are the best version of yourself that you can possibly be.

Unless you are also the producer, you may not control the scenes and conditions, but you can still decide how to relate to them.

Pink temptation

I couldn't resist. The little set with Hello Kitty in a strawberry bar. I don't even know who to give it to yet. Could it be my crush for Hello Kitty stationery when I was ten that is all of a sudden making itself known? So there goes my principle of pedagogic toys out the window.

Our corporate give aways

Could it be more right?

Barbie on the wishlist

The Christmas presents distress has started. Although I will be in a remote place far away from Santa, the precious godchildren, nieces and nephews still deserve their gifts. There will be three different possibilities from my end: Lego, books or toys with a pedagogical purpose, like a jigsaw with letters and numbers. Some wishlists actually match these categories. The exception is Barbie. Pedagogical toy on how you don't want to be when you grow up? Far-fetched I would have thought.

India is not that far away

Four weeks to go and then this will be my reality for a month.

http://www.isoladicocco.com

A sad destiny

A day with no reasons or demands to leave home. A cold, grey and wet cloth has placed itself over Stockholm. Very unfriendly. No social engagements to attend to, no obligations or have tos. A long desired for, quiet day in. Time for cooking, time for yoga and time for reflection.

Last night's drinks party led to a meeting with an old school friend. He was embedded in a cloud of alcohol and with a slurred speech he did his best to have an interesting conversation. The polite words couldn't disguise the sadness and disappointment within him. A lost little boy masked in the body of a man. What happened? Drugs and prostitution in combination with sad family conditions. Rumour or truth? Don't know.

Once again I was reminded of how lucky I am to have such a loving and supportive family.

Post-autumn, pre-winter

When men get married

It's a fact that all of my male friends disappeared after they got married. The spontaneous drinks after work, evenings turning into nights and chitchatting growing to heated discussions. Gone. My married girlfriends are still around so marriage as an institution isn't necessarily the antagonist to friendship. Naturally there is less time to meet up when there are babies involved, but they are still there and the friendship is still a two-way street.

But something seems to happen to men when they get married. The need for female friends disappear. Or was it never an honest friendship in the first place?

As always there are are exceptions to the rule. One of them Little B and I caught up with last night. We joined him and his girlfriend at the end of their romantic dinner and when she decided to call it a night (note: no drama, no hard feelings), he decided to stay out with us for a couple of drinks. The evening turned into night and the champagne flooded...

Ah... that's right. There may be children involved, but no marriage. Somehow I still think he would be the exception to the rule.

Two women and a man

Planning for a visit to Apple

First contract sent off. Once signed, second contract will follow soon. With revenues around the corner may be time to write that shopping list of necessary equipment to get the business going. Just about anything from the Apple store should do the trick.

This week Gothenburg, but...

...next week London. A balanced commuting life.

Proper cooking

Chicken à l'Italien. Or something. A Monday evening of cooking and entertaining, a very rare occasion. I can't even remember when I last made the effort of actually cooking something, not just mixing half ready-made ingredients together in some sort of salad or pasta dish. Tonight's cooking included butter, cream and port just to mention a few. And the salad was definitely a minority.

Great comedienne, actress and writer

More than two hours of entertainment where she took the audience from a chorus of laughter to serious silence, and via some thoughtful songs back to more laughter. I'm impressed by this thirty-four year old woman who seems to have done so much in her life. Sitcoms, live shows, a book and two children. And probably much more.

The question we pondered after the show was if you need to have had a difficult childhood, eating disorders or experienced some kind of abuse to be a successful stand up comedian. It certainly opens doors to areas that are otherwise forbidden to make jokes about. Have you not experienced an eating disorder and come out on the other side then you can't joke about it. The same goes for bullying, weight problems and dysfunctional relationships.

She certainly put herself out there. But somehow I got the feeling that she still has her integrity. That no matter how much she discloses of her body, experiences or emotions, she has something that is so profound that makes her able to do all of this without selling her soul. Admiration.

A new view

It was there for a minute and then it was gone again. The sun that is, not the crane which appeared in my view the other morning. Somehow I think it will stay there for a very long time as it is part of the massive building site for a new train line. This is probably how the Parisians felt when la Tour Eiffel changed the city skyline of Paris for ever.

On the to do list today

• Sitt still and do nothing part 1
• Go for a long walk with favourite doggy
• Sit still and do nothing part 2
  
• Study muscle names, muscle structure, muscle functions, muscle cells... And may be exercise a few while at it
• Sit still and do nothing part 3
  
• Finally get a test drive of the nail polish from last time's London trip

And this is the lead up to a glorious evening with Beautiful J where we at some point late tonight join a party to celebrate somebody's fortieth birthday. Somebody I don't know so I can observe from a distance. A slow realisation process to face the fact that I'm closer to forty than to thirtyfive.

Special birthday greeting

Last time I celebrated his birthday with him was fourteen years ago. But I still call him every year. A date that I will always remember.

And he does the same. Family but still not.

It's a tacit undestanding.

Pulling it together, almost like the final exam

Emotional outbursts and unexpected behaviours in challenging scenarios. The actors our participants faced during a full day of testing and practicing their leadership skills did a great job. There was no other option than to be completely present in the moment as the scenarios could take unexpected turns and the planned script had to go out the window. Very exciting and extremely effective.

The best reward of them all was seeing how the participants with passion applied the learnings and feedback from the last six months. The openness to develop and improve, the willingness and committment to support each other...

To be part of somebody's leadership development is a true gift.

A step in a direction

There I was. In the middle of two men, facilitating the kick-off of something bigger. Will this really work? Can we find a way forward that we all believe in and can commit to? Big words, visions and aspirations. Now time to fill them with realistic content.

Muscles, studies and work

Musculus quadriceps femoris had a good workout when I defied the cold, dark evening and went for a run along the canal. Surprisingly nice. The study and training programme for the next seven weeks will be challenging. Exams just like in the old days. A minimum of three yoga classes per week, and preferably observation of a couple of classes too.

All happy-go-lucky if it wasn't for the little detail of a full-time job that needs to happen in between. And starting a new business. Or at least building the foundation to be ready in the new year. Very important meeting happening tomorrow night when I'm hoping to seal a deal with two of my future business partners. I still can't tear myself from the yoga studies to focus on preparation for the business meeting.

Sunday morning

First milestone is almost completed

One day to go and then we have completed sixty hours of lectures in nine days. It's not called The Intense Yoga Instructor Progamme for nothing. It's been truly enjoyable but also exhausting; it's obvious that studying takes up much more brain power than work.

Last night I dreamt of body parts. In Latin. No surprise if the Veda texts and Bhagavad Gita turn up in one shape or another as soon as I close my eyes tonight.

A normal day in the Yogic classroom

Learning Sanskrit and Latin in the same week is certainly a challenge. In addition to languages, my yoga instructor training is a crash course in physiotherapy and history. And patience with people who have a need to express every thought and reflection they have to the whole group.

Breathe. Breathe again. And wait for the lesson where we are taught the Yogic way of saying 'Shut the f....k up!'.

Benjamin

The guy I've been looking at all day. The boney guy that is, not the guy in orange.

Being a student again

Who would have thought that muscles have so many different roles, that there are more than one type of joint or that there is no connective tissue in the liver? A whole new world is opening up although I've been living in it for thirty something years. Whoever figured out the biomechanics of the body did an impressive job.