Friday January 27 2012 - M is missing...

This weekend I'm a grass widower, but together with m of course (so still not quite...). Big M left for freezing Tallinn yesterday for party party party. We are paying back; will party at Trattoria Toscana tonight, and with movie and Pampas on Saturday, and with pancakes in bed on Sunday. That will teach her not to leave us again :-)))
Little m got her Playmobil house that we "won" at Ebay last week. 5 storeys high, and fully equipped. Pure fun for m, Not THAT much fun for me, as I have to be her play mate, and talk with squeeky voice while handeling a bunch of small plastic characters.

            

            

Friday January 20 2012 - last week it was uhh...? But next week it will be Friday again!!

Another week has passed without me even noticing... According to my calender I went to Sweden on Monday, and was back in BP Wednesday again.
My superduper weather station tells me that it has been a bit rainy and windy, but not very cold.
Big M tells me I've been snoring, and little m said we had a good time.
Who needs a memory those days :-)))
What I know is that we're soon heading T&G for the Friday T-bone. Tomorrow it might be forgotten.
Do I suffer from a light version of Alzheimer? I do not think so, or at least I do not hope so. I guess the reason is that the future is more important and interesting than the past...

By the way, now we have a real "Hard Rock Cafe" in Budapest. Not only the t-shirts anymore :-)

New picture, same old statue...

            


Friday Januari 13 2012 - reflections...

In the past years, I have mentioned many positive things about living in Hungary. Now I can add another one; Amusing!!! Amusing to follow the political charade. The so called politicians in this country are all a big joke. That is if you are not a Hungarian citizen depending on stability and honesty. An expat like me, with income in Euro, and the possibility to leave whenever I want, I would say it's just amusing!

As most of the world is aware of by now, the Government with >75% of the seats in the parliament can change the constitution in any way it suits them. Most of the new "laws" are totally agains fundamental EU values and regulations.
Our Dear Mr Orban are holding long speeches in national media (the one he has not yet forbidden) that Hungarians are proud people with their own brains, and refuse to get ruled by Brussels.
Hungary actually has a lot to teach the rest of Europe how a country should be led.
Big words from a guy who desperately needs 20 billions not to bankrupcy this proud nation.
Which IMF/EMF of course denies, as long EU regulations are wildly abused.

Hear it from the Hungarian side and you get the impression that the main differences between Budapest and the European Union/ International Monetary Fund are the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding. A bit of talking, a policy tweak here and there – and all will be well.

Haha!!

Otherwise? Weather is springlike with a warming sun, 10 degrees one day and hail the next. But definately spring is on its way.
T&G tonight, so the world is still in order after all :-)

            


Thursday January 12 2012

ok, ok, ok, I'll try to write something tomorrow... Jó?

New Years Eve 2011 - Lets turn page (as the Swedish king would have said)

We're back from our tour on snow. Ischgl was sunny and nice. You can check some of the pictures at Facebook.
Tonight we'll go to Trattoria Toscana, the three of us, then home to check the fireworks from the top of the roof.
With other words; it won't be a very wild celebration... :-)

From tomorrow there will be the next 365 new days to fill with meaningful content. Will be an exciting challange :-)
I will keep you posted...

M&m on snow;

            

Friday December 23 2011, tomorrow will be a great day

Friday! Time for good old T&G Italiano. Last visit for this year, as we will leave for Ischgl tomorrow morning.
Can you think of a better way to spend a christmas eve? :-)
We will stay at "Lindas" Solaria. There is loads of powder on Idalp and the weather forecast has promised cold and sunny winterweather.  :-))
I will think of all poor suckers who still has to celebrate x-mas... :-))))))))

As you know we already have this nice celebration behind us, and once is enough :-)

One of many x-mas markets in Budapest

              

Sunday December 18 2011 - X-mas is over :-)

Today we had nice garlicy lamb staek :-) Our "Köttbulle" X-mas we celebrated yesterday. With kids plus belonings we counted 13 heads. More and more year by year :-)
X-mas tree is long gone, and next christmas will be only in a year or so. Yeahhh :-)
Tomorrow we leave for Budapest. Early morning 24th, we'll be off for skiing :-))

Family :-)


            

Monday December 12 2011 - beautiful V district

Budapest has 24 districts. Every district with its own council and mayor. We live in downtown; district 5. Our mayor is a very smily and energetic guy named Antal Rogan. Every year he gives flowers to all female residence of the district, young or old, doesn't matter (as long as they are old enough to vote...) He's a very popular guy, who has done a lot to improve the district. All streets are under marble now, loads of new sculptures and green areas.
In a country with big state financial deficites, he's done a great job!! :-) Of course most of the marble is financed by Brussels, and in the very end by European tax payers.  Thank you all (north) Europeans. Very nice of you. You should come and visit one day to see how nicely your money is spent. Especially after learning how well the hired entrepreneurs were paid.
Now the bureaucrates in Brussels are asking questions how it could be so expensive. Especially in a low cost country as Hungary, and why there were only one bidder of the most of the projects, and why this only bidder was a close friend to dear Mr Rogan... I hope he will manage to finish the new local parking space for tenants in our street before he'll be put into jail.
His fellow (ex) mayor István Verök in neighbouring district 6 is right now in trial for corruption and fraud.
Even if this supposed to be the Eastern part of Europe, it's very much like the "Wild West".
It's a very interesting country to live in I must say.

One of many nice Rogan quotes;
Whichever one of our enthusiastic staff did this committed a serious mistake, but the world will not come to an end.”

Otherwise? We´re off for Sweden this week. Will celebrate early X-mas with all the kids.
This is one of the highlights of the year. We have at least 100 of them. Not kids, but highlights during the year... :-)))
Today we got our yearly flu shots.
Any reader who will have one???

This is our golden boy:-)

            

Sunday December 4th 2011 - Life is good

Don't try to trick me, 'cause now I can read the fine print again. Upgraded my reading glasses from 1,25 to 1,75.
Made M crazy as I finished two books in record time (night reading...)
My new favourite author is Jussi Adler-Olsen. Sounds a bit on the Finnish side, but the guy is absolutely Danish. At least he thinks and writes like a Dane!! :-) If you like crime stories and colorful characters, I can definitely recommend his books. And read them in order!!!

Otherwise life is good as always. m got star of the week with following motivation; "For your beautiful smile and delightful sense of humor. For being an excellent role model of your class mates in all areas of learning". Even I got a tear (very small one) in my eye, when Mr Baines (the headmaster) gave her the award.
Tomorrow evening I will leave for Sweden. Back on Wednesday again. Just a quicky for a customer meeting.

Trying to find a nice hotel in Ischgl for X-mas. No luck so far, but I'll find one. Be sure!!!

Weather is damp and foggy. No snow. - Not that we need any... :-)

Some things they haven't manage to "computerize" yet...

            

Saturday November 26 2011 - skeletons

Today, eight years ago we dug Grandma (Mompsen) down under a tree. First we stole her remains from the funeral home. But that's another story... :-) Maybe I write a book one day, there are a lot of interesting things to tell the world. Or maybe not. Some things should remain in the closet. Like burning half a million DM in a ditch...
As my memory is very selective and erases old happenings to give place for new ones, I'm very grateful for the morning eggs that give me the flash-backs :-))

Grandma before she got wrinkled, or maybe after she left the wrinkles behind her...

            

Little m got herself a new winterjacket the other day
            

Tuesday November 15 2011 - Autumn

Since last time I shared my life in this forum lots of things happened. I´ve been to Sweden, 11 days to be exact. Can't remember when I was away for that long time anymore. Was too long to be honest. Anyway, I did a lot of work, and we (EPC) participated in a trade fair in Jönköping. Fair was very good :-) Got the key for lot of doors. They now have to be opened, and I have to explore what's inside. Maybe a goldmine, or maybe a skeleton. Let's see.
I also woke up one Saturday morning in Båstad, sun was shining and I knew there was a half marathon run in some hours. I went to the race office to sign up. No one told me that 15 of the 21 kilometers to run was constant uphill... Now it's done, and I feel good about it :-) In my absence M&m enjoyed Budapest life together with Grandma. I guess they had a good time.
Weather here is cold as in Sweden right now. Hard to believe that it was only one month since we had 31 degrees...

the 8,7kg Parma ham that we fed our visitors at the fair with
            

Recepy for playdoo
            

Budapest autumn
            

Who are those???
            

Saturday October 29 2011 - travelling weeks

Saturday, and we have been one hour late the whole day thanks to me, who thought I should change the clocks already this morning...
M was very annoyed that all the clocks in the city were one hour ahead. But now she knows why :-)))

Little m had her half term break last week, and off we went to London. Her favourite city besides Budapest.
Of course we went shopping. Among other things M found a nice jacket and matching boots. They looked very expensive, so I tried, without success, to find the price tag. The shop assistant saw me looking and assured me it was cheap. A bargain I thought, until I had to pay. It was then I realised that she probably said it was sheep...
Well, well, it looks good at least... :-)

As it was little m's holiday, she decided what to do;

 -  feed the ducks in Hyde Park
 -  shop at Hamleys
 -  see a musical
 -  take a tour with the London Eye.

We also ate good, at least two of the evenings. The third evening we decided to give Jamie's Italian another shot (we were pretty disappointed the last time we went, - last spring)
No improvements :-) still lousy waiters, food was good but absolutely not fantastic. The place held about 15 degrees or so, making all guests eat quick as hell, and then run somwhere else for a good cup of warming tea. As there always is a constant queue outside, i'm sure the concept is a goldmine, and if there actually would be some real gold to dig, I'm also sure that all the guests would volunteer for some hard labour to keep warm...

Our favourite restaurant is called "Loch Fyne", a fishy warm place with superb food.

As we stayed at Lancaster Gate, opposite to Hyde Park, we saw plenty of joggers. Sporty people those Londoners. Maybe they don't even freeze in cold restaurants, as most of them ran more or less naked in the rain and cold wind.

Otherwise??? hmmmm... H&M had to overtrump us, so they went off for a week in New York, and tomorrow I will leave Budapest for a looong trip to Munich and Sweden. We have a fair in Jönköping next week.

Ozzzzzzzz...
            

At freezing Jamies
             

Hamleys sure can make a little girl very happy :-)
            
The city in evening light
            

Fisherman's plate at Loch Fyne
            

postcards had to be sent....
            

little m's treasures
            

Among others, the not so cheap sheep
            


Sunday October 23 2011 - Half term

A rainy Sunday. Even if the weather has been a little autumnish lately, today was the first day I actually had the right feeling of autumn. Maybe because it's raining a bit. And that we watched the first downhill ski race of the season from TV.
Half term has started. Last school day was yesterday. Tomorrow we are off to London.
In all we have a nice and slow life here. Maybe we're getting old? At least I had this feeling the other day when talking to one of m's classmates mother in school the other day. Can't even mention the topic in this forum :-) And today I read a Facebook entry from one of the other classmate mothers, that  she lost her top in a bar yesterday.
Don't misunderstand me, I'm very happy and do not miss late nights in suspicious bars, even if it sounds like loads of fun :-))
In London we will see a musical. The Wizard of Oz and/or maybe Mamma Mia.
Little m had had loads of playmates over lately, almost every afternoon is booked. Hungarians, Brits, Serbs, French among a dozen other nationalities.
m is by the way switching over more and more to english at home. Let's see where that will end... 

m and Anja googleing something interesting...
            


Saturday October 8, 2011 - who waits for a big steak, sometimes wait to long....

Time has been flying. Have had very little time for social networks lately. The only thing not flying is Wizzair! :-(
Went to Sweden last Wednesday evening, and was supposed to be back in time for T&G promptly at 20,00 yesterday. It was Friday and all...  However the flight was delayed a bit, so I had to spend the evening at Sturup (Malmö Airport) instead of cozy T&G. Was home only 03.30 this morning.
Can't actually blame poor old Wizz, as they had a technical problem with the plane which was supposed to take us.
15 years ago (if they would have existed so long time ago, which they actually haven't) they would surely have done as the Russians do today; they fly anyway. A vodka or two, and up they go, and sometimes they hit ground faster than planned.
A younger version of me would have chosen the Russian way, but as I slowly get mature, I think it's better to play it safe, even if it sounds a little boring, and not that exciting...
I think LKVHMM&m would have killed me if I would have died in a polish corn field.
So here I am. Tired but alive :-)

Autumn has hit Hungary, so little m had to swap the summer clothes for something rain proof.

            


Another autum sign is the "Lomtalanítás", on a specific day you throw out whatever you want to get rid of, placing the stuff on the pavement outside the house, and 1000 garbage trucks will clean up during the night. Very practical and loud.
I was a little worried though to find my car in the middle of a huge pile of unwanted items.
Hope it will still be there after the cleaning up...
            

Monday September 19, 2011 - chop, chop

It's five in the afternoon, and I just called a taxi to take me to the airport. Heading from a right now 29,6 degree Budapest to a 15?? degree Båstad.
Little m is well again after the last week in fever, right now having her ballet class.
Got the report this morning that Maja has broken her little toe last night when doing some acrobatics. I saw i photo of the mess. Poor girl...
Well, well. I'm off. Tjoff Tjoff :-)))


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