Min Ny Hem

My house hunting trip was very successful. I got the house I wanted, at the price I wanted. Much furniture and equipment included. Check out the pictures below.



It went like one of those property shows that are popular at the moment. Fly in, second viewing with a local friend at my elbow. Thanks by the way Roland. Good job. I quick conference in the garden then make an offer. Negotiate backwards and forwards for the afternoon, agree a price and book the meeting to exchange contracts. It really can be that quick and efficient in Sweden. I have some weeks before completion but essentially the deal is done. The house is mine. I signed the contract so no going back. I stopped talking and put the ball in the back of the net.

It's a summer house situated in a popular hunting and fishing area, so great holiday let potential. It's a lot of house for the money, and I am enthusiastic about it. Once I have the keys I'll organise all of the usual suppliers, put the heating on frost protection and mothball it for three months. That will be hard. I want to play. In the spring I imagine a long drive over in the car, loaded to the roof with stuff. A few weeks later I would expect to fly back to England to fetch Elsa. I have a feeling that even if I do not take citizenship, Elsa will be Swedish within a year.

All of that is running well ahead. Back in England I'm flying a desk for a few days, organising international finances, insurances, electricity supply, tax etc. I have work to do. My international business experience is standing me in good stead. All of that is before I get on with the modernisation of my Warwickshire house. Then there is the small matter of Christmas and the new year. The solution is nice. Christmas in England with friends and family, then fly out to Sweden for new year with my Swedish friends. 

I haven't mentioned the black dog that storked me for so long lately. For four years he has waited for me to slip again. It didn't happen. The truth is I haven't seen him for many months. Life is about ups and downs. It's nice to have found an up at last. I feel a house warming coming on.

Will the British Union flag replace the Swedish one? NO. Well... just one day a year on our queens birthday maybe.

The Bit Between My Teeth

I'm due to fly back to Goteburg, and on to Jonkoping. It must be winter now, I am sure. Preparations are going well. I have a back up list of fresh houses to view should I fail to get the one I have in my sights. I'm prepared for a second viewing on my target property with a list of stuff I have to check. I have a little time with friends which I will cherish. Cozy is a word that has become important as I experience the winter weather of Sweden. Will I get the house I want? Can't make up my mind whether to cross my fingers English style, or cross my thumbs Swedish. Seriously though, I do this without hope. Hope nails you to a certain outcome and I cannot afford to do that. I remain flexible and open to new possibilities.

As an aside I once told my grandma' Emily Winterburn that I had an open mind. She told me to be very careful with an open mind. Rubbish can fall into it!

Here in Warwickshire my house modernisation steams ahead at break neck speed. The builders are in as I write. They are putting in a studding wall so that I can create an en suite shower room. I am preparing a guest suite to offer as a Monday - Friday let. This damned recession continues and funds are going down. I need income, and I need to be smart with my resources. Talking of trying to work smart, I have a little sister, a typical Taurus girl. She is brave and charges in, and she almost always pulls it off. She is also smart so her risks are calculated. As her cautious older brother I let her run ahead, then learn from what she has achieved. Not noble, but sneaky smart, and I am not ashamed to admit it. I have to get this house sorted so that I am ready for the Swedish project. I scare myself sometimes. This is full on.

The Wall

Before                                                                                              The wall goes up

The rest of the bedroom

Once the suite is finished I will have TV in the room and the use of free WiFi to offer.



Homo Sapiens....

....means Wise Man. As a species we are misnamed. I think we should be renamed Homo Ingeniosus.   Setting aside that in modern times Man should probably be person, my point is clever we undoubtedley are, but there is a problem. Unlike dolphins we are smart-stupid. We still have monkey brains apparently. Dolphins show more common sense. If an area is over populated they spread out, and stop making babies. That is wise. We strip our environment of resources which will inevitably lead to our species dieback (I think), and bonk our brains out making thousands more babies to overload a world already holed below the plimsole line. Maybe I am being unfair. Dolphins have been around for 50 million years.
Wisdom? Emotional intelligence? Enlightenment? Maturity is another word. What I am seeing is that our species is clever but immature. I've been watching the news of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians as they rush with blood lust towards outright, full-on war. Who is right and who is wrong? The question is immature. I don't need to, and cannot answer it. Arguments have two sides and usually have no ends. Where did it all start? When? thousands of years ago I think, and it is the same for many peoples around the world where different cultures rub up against each other. I studied culture for commercial reasons. Culture clash costs businesses money. My studies convinced me that nice as the idea of multiculturism is, it is dangerous and has never worked out so far. We are too immature as a species to make it work yet is my current opinion. We are like little children pulling each others hair out by the handful in the play ground. People die in their thousands because they have different religions or ideologies. It always ends in tears.

I suffer accusations of racism because I think multiculturism is a bad idea. I'm not. I honestly don't care about the colour of a person's skin. It is what is in their hearts and heads that is important. Here is another thought. If a wise person finds themselves in the middle of a war zone, being shelled. What do they do? Take sides and rush into murderous battle? No, they probably leave and seek asylum in a safe place. The immature will call them cowards maybe. Since in this case they are genuine they will receive refugee status. Next time you hear the phrase asylum seeker, remember that although a bogus one may be doing it for the government handouts and national health service, the genuine one is a wise person who got the hell out of there. give them a break or better still listen to them and learn something. I do. I spent time with some refugees from Iraq in 2010. I learnt a few things.

Wisdom: My grandmother Emily Winterburn was a clever lady, and wise. She lived to be 91. I asked her once how old you had to be to stop taking prat falls. She thought a while and said that she could only speak for herself. 70 years old maybe. Her next point was that it's possible the majority go through their entire lives without achieving it. For me I think I have flashes of it, and I recognise it when I see it. Am I wise? Occasionally, but certainly not most of the time! I have a way to go. I certainly don't want to live the rest of my life as dumb as I can be sometimes still.

I dumped religion and party politics years ago, but if I was a person of faith I would say a prayer for another blogger. Her name is Malala Yousufzai. She is a brave 14 year old from Pakistan. She was campaigning for the education for girls. The Taliban shot her in the head. As she recovers from surgery I salute her bravery. Not only am I not wise, I also cannot match her courage. Get well soon Malala.

A Swedish Adventure

"I may not always be happy, but the starter gun went off and I'm up and running."

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. House hunting in Sweden and spending time with dear friends. They helped with the search with their computers and four wheel drives. The houses I had lined up for viewing didn't work out. The big old farm houses at great prices have draw backs as you would expect. No mains water, sewage, heating. Almost none existent road access. You need twice the money to fix them up, and it's still a risk. Thanks to an agent called Fredrik for opening my eyes to other possibilities. I hope he makes a sale with me, but suspect he won't. I found a place towards the end of my trip I might want to make an offer on, so I'm heading back in a couple of weeks to pursue that one. It would be wonderful to get the job done ready for the Spring, but I will not rush. Rushing will cost me thousands. Nice and steady.

Time with friends was wonderful. Outside an early winter snow storm lashes the windows. Inside we have a Stieg Larsson movie unfortunately without subtitles. The violence and sex in the story need no translation. The court room drama is totally impenetrable to me. I don't care, I am content and comfortable. The winter weather isn't putting me off. It's atmospheric (yes I know in the forest alone would feel different). Given a good reason I would stay here for sure.

My first Scandinavian adventure was Nordkapp. What I am doing right now is every bit as exciting and challenging. Bring it on. I am ready!!

    
Thanks to those who provided houses to view, beds and wonderful meals, a car, and wonderful friendship. See you in a couple of weeks.











Before I flew out I almost got the shed finished. I'll tidy it up when the stormy British Autumn weather allows.