I do not look underage!

During my looong journey home, I had a 24 hour stopover in London. Since it was over Christmas, there wasn't that much to do 'in town' and I decided to simply go to a hotel and catch some sleep before my other two flights.

As I was going out of the 'duty free' area, a nice young man came up to me and asked if I wanted to try a free sample of Bailey's. He was offering everyone, so I guess it was a pretty mechanical motion by the time me and my bags rolled by. As he was approaching -and asking- me to take a sample glass, he takes another look and goes 'oh! Too young! Sorry!!!'

I AM NOT TOO YOUNG. I am 28 and well over the age limit for free drinks in duty free shops. However, I take my compliments where I can find them and assume that looking under 21 is a good thing... right?

Ten weeks

After you don't want to know how many hours of traveling, I finally made it to the land of everlasting spring. It wasn't a very tiring trip, because I did have a little layover in London that let me get some rest before getting here.

...and now I'm back. I have the (I feel) monumental task of finishing my fieldwork, my first manuscript (and submitting it!), writing most of my second article and hopefully, drafting a bit of the third with my friend Christie.

But with the sun shining bright, friends ready to hand out and lovely 24°C weather... who really wants to work? I'll get to it next year. I mean, I am a PhD student after all.

Vegetable curry and mango chutney for the soul

Ever since Magnus came for a visit and we had dinner at that Indian place in downtown Umea, I've had a craving for not-so-spice vegetable curry like you wouldn't believe. There's nothing wrong with spicy though, I just happen to have the taste buds of a 70 year-old woman from Boca Raton, Florida.

So yesterday I was at the ICA (aka, supermarket) and decided to go ahead and buy a little jar of ready made curry. Since it said 'Made in Indonesia' on it, I knew that I had to go for the mildest one they had. I also got some veggies and some polar bread, in the absence of anything Nan-like. I got home and started making my 'boil in 10 minutes rice bag' (don't laugh, rice eludes me) and put some Cardamum in the boiling water, stir fried the veggies and some Quorn pices (faux-meat for us vegetarians)and plopped the curry on the mix.

And so I sat in front on my computer screen ready to watch a movie that Magnus recommended with a steaming bowl of rice, veggie curry and mango chutney. It was great and made me really happy. So happy, I had seconds and thirds and even managed to go out and have a little walk and a ciggie. The happiness that curry brings to my senses is beyond description... although next time, I'll try the next step of spice... it seems Swedes can out-mild my old woman from Florida taste buds.