Unraveling an economic illusion

With reference to my study:

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/opinion/19672-unraveling-an-economic-illusion.html

Girl Power

http://blogs.worldbank.org/eastasiapacific/empowering-adolescent-girls-in-east-asia-and-the-pacific-to-protect-build-human-capital

Hvil i fred Regine

sinober.blogg.no

Utrolig trist, den flotte jenta paa bare 18 aar...

Oppfordrer alle til aa bli blodgivere og stoette kreftsaken.

Hvil i fred, Regine.

Bloody politics

This is supposed to be a democracy.

Yet, 21 people killed in what seems to be a massacre with political motives.

Election season has started in the Philippines - let's hope this incident is not indicative of what is to come....

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/philippines.hostages/index.html

Ben's Chili Bowl Washington D.C.

Photo: www. benschilibowl.com

I read in the news today that the founder of Ben's Chili Bowl in D.C has passed away.

And I had to tell everyone planning to visit DC to make sure you go to Ben's, an amazing little place with really good food - try the hot dogs! Actually, they're good even without the chili (saying that is probably like cursing in church, but hey it's true...).

Check it out!

Huge baby born in Indonesia

Photo: www.vg.no

And I just LOVE this picture..... 8.7 kg and still he manages to look cute!

I Sierra Leone dør én av åtte kvinner i forbindelse med svangerskap og fødsel

Foto fra www.vg.no

Det er for jævlig....

http://www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/artikkel.php?artid=589985

Leilighet til leie

Fiiiiin utsikt er det og! (Foto: privat)

Fiiiiin leilighet ledig, Holmenkollen/Voksen:

http://www.finn.no/finn/realestate/object?finnkode=18953586

Education in the Philippines

Underfunded and undeveloped... Sad, but true. More needs to be done!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/world/asia/25iht-phils.html?_r=2

Just back from summer break - and Christmas is here!

Yup that's right - in the Philippines Christmas starts in September..

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/218557/ber-months-here-countdown-begins

Merry Christmas!

Cory Aquino

Philippines' icon of democracy Cory Aquino passed away on Saturday. She had cancer of the colon.

Cory Aquino was a beloved and highly respected former President in the Philippines, and became the symbol of "People Power" that ultimately led to the downfall of the rule of former president Marcos.

Filipinos have been flocking to the streets and churches to pay their respect and say the final goodbye to Cory - popularly called "tita Cory" (aunt Cory). Thousands came to the streets yesterday as her coffin was transported to the Manila Cathedral - showering the caravan with yellow confetti, waving yellow ribbons, wearing yellow shirts - the symbol of Cory Aquino. We were among them.

Rest in Peace Cory Aquino.

Jakarta bombings - it's a sad day

Take Care Jakarta...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8155084.stm

World's oldest mom dies

... at 69 she leaves behind twin boys, only 2 years old. She could have been their grandmother - hey, she could actually have been their GREAT grandmother..

I'm usually a pretty open-minded person, but I can't see how it's OK to have babies when you're in your late 60s. Odds are you'll die from your kids way too soon. Sad...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31921390/ns/health-womens_health/?GT1=43001

Auksjon

http://www.qxl.no/accdb/viewitem.asp?AuctionNr=574244484&ComeFromMyPages=1

http://www.qxl.no/accdb/viewitem.asp?AuctionNr=574244268&ComeFromMyPages=1

Trykk, gi bud og send gode tanker til Regine :)

Oj, Del 3

Dette tar jo helt av! Jeg liker byen (må jo det, Drammen er jo HJEMME), men avisen??? Må jo være Norges dårligste, eller?

Heldigvis ble de venner igjen:

http://dt.no/article/20090617/NYHET/876155934/1063/NYHET

Hjelpes....

Flere store Drammensnyheter - Del 2

Ser nesten ut som dette kan bli en fast spalte gitt.

Får virkelig håpe Drammens Tidende setter av ressurser til å følge opp denne saken skikkelig - det blir virkelig spennede å se hvordan det kommer til å gå med denne hekken.

http://dt.no/article/20090616/NYHET/95787598/1063/NYHET

Haha!

Flere store Drammensnyheter

Drammens Tidende er i grunn et fantastisk humorblad...

On the road again....and again... and again..

You know you're traveling too much when a "funny" colleague designs a sign for you:




Unfortunately he's right. I now have a week in the office and then? On the road AGAIN.

Awkward Family Photos

Need a break or a good laugh? There are HOURS of entertainment on this site....

One of my personal favorites (wtf?!?):

Wild Rice and Wild Lotus

No, I am not going Wild! These are recommendations of two really good restaurants in Hanoi...

Wild Rice is smaller, really nice minimalistic decor and yummy Vietnamese food.

Wild Lotus is beautifully decorated, very Asian and zen with warm colors, great paintings and lots of Buddhas. The food there is equally yummy.

Great places to go if you're looking for tasty Vietnamese food in a good atmosphere. Enjoy!

Wild Lotus:
Address: 55A Nguyen Du, Ha Noi
Tel: 84 4 943-9342/ 8226917

Wild Rice:
Address: 6 Ngo Thi Nham Street, Hanoi
Tel: 84 4 943-8896. Fax: 84 4 943-6299

Beer Lao

I always drink the local beer when I'm traveling. And Beer Lao is one of the best and another reason why I love that little country. Now the New York Times has discovered it too!

Coincidence?

They once said that only when pigs could fly would a black man become President of the US.

Obama's first 100 days and - wham!

Pig's flu!

Det skjer store ting om dagen ja....

Siden jeg er stuck utenomNorges en stund til er det en liten trøst at jeg kanskje ikke går glipp av så mye som jeg tror. Hvertfall hvis man skal tro førstesiden til Drammens Tidende....

Unaccustomed earth

I just finished reading a great book: Unaccustomed earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. It's a collection of eight stories describing expatriate Bengali families -- parents with their traditions in tact and how it challenges the relationships with their American-raised children. In the title story, Ruma is agonozing over a presumed obligation to bring her widower father into her home, a stressful decision taken out of her hands by his unexpected independence after her mother dies. The alcoholism of Rahul is described by his elder sister, Sudha; and the lives of Hema and Kaushik intersect over the years, before and after Kaushik loses his mother to cancer. An grief for mothers lost at different stages of life enters many tales and is moving especially for someone who has lost a parent and can relate to the tragedy.

Mostly I enjoyed learning something new about a country I have never visited (India) but would love to explore. Book recommended!

Typhoon Chan-Hom (Emong) approaches Philippines

This just in to my email:

Storm signal 1 has been declared for Metro Manila as it intensifies and is forecast to make a landfall in Northern Luzon early tomorrow. Expect intermittent heavy rains and winds in Metro Manila over the next 72 hours that can cause flooding and traffic delays. Monitor media and carefully consider any travel to areas likely to be affected by the storm.

It sounds dramatic but really just means there will be lots of lots of rain the next couple of days. They should add to their advisory to expect heavy rains and winds in Metro Manila over the next 72 hours that can cause flooding and traffic delays AND EXTREME SLEEPINESS.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

http://www.123rf.com/stock-photo/rainstorm.html

The Pacman does it again!

I am no fan of boxing. No no no no no. But when you live in the Philippines you just cannot help knowing what's going on in the boxing world. Manny Pacquiao, one of, if not THE best boxer in the world is Filipino and, naturally, a national hero. His posters endorsing sports drinks, cameras, cars, you name it, are everywhere. The newspapers are full of his pictures, and you can't turn on a Filipino TV channel without seeing him within the first 5 minutes or so.

So, yesterday Pacman did it again. For the fourth time in a row he won the world championship, in yet another weight class. Even as someone who is no fan of boxing (actually I hate it, what a cruel sport..) I can't help but be excited for the Filipinos. This is their hero and they're so excited about it. The only complaint I heard was that he won too quickly! For a poor fruit vendor or bus driver who spends his last savings (don't even get me started on what I think about that...) to watch the game on live TV, I guess you'd want it to last more than a few minutes. Anyway, I will raise above my feelings against boxing: congratulations Pacquiao and congratulations Philippines!

Photo: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/boxing/8031324.stm

Are you a geek?

I am not -- at least I am a complete moron when it comes to computers so calling me one would be an offense to all the true geeks out there...

BUT, I can't help thinking that this t-shirt is kind of cool... It detects wireless signals and displays them on the t-shirt. Check it out here.

Støtt Regine!

Jeg har skrevet om Regine flere ganger. Regine som er alvorlig kreftsyk og gitt opp av de norske legene. Heldigvis har ikke Regine gitt opp enda! Og gjennom bloggen sin har hun skapt et fantastisk engasjement og det er mange mange mennesker der ute som støtter henne.

Det er nå opprettet en kleskolleksjon for å støtte Regine, en samling t-skjorter, topper, joggebukse og genser med kjempetøft design! Kolleksjonen er designet av Regine og hennes venninne. Forsiden av plaggene har et redigert bilde av Regine's øyne og baksiden er hennes motto: Face your Fear. Accept Your War. It is what it is. Dette er en non-profitt kampanje og alle pengene går til Regines fond. Løp og kjøp: http://www.beltespenner.com/oscommerce/bannersider/regine.php.

The Pulitzer prices are out

I just get warm and fuzzy inside when I look at what these people have accomplished - in their writing, in their photos, in their art. It's amazing! I also get sad when I then go to read the Norwegian papers -- no debate, no quality feature stories, no SUBSTANCE! Mostly just gossip about the latest glamor girl and her baby, street violence and other tabloid news. Sad.

For my birthday this year (yes, it's TODAY!!) I wish for a Norwegian newspaper of New York Times caliber. Even if one of them could make it halfway there I would be so excited...

Congrats to all the Pulitzer price winners!

Do you know anything about AML/MDS?

AML = Acute Myeloid Leukemia
MDS = Myelodysplastic syndrome

17 year old Regine was diagnosed with AML/MDS in August 2008. She has had a bone marrow transplant but learned last week that she has relapsed. The doctors in Norway have now given her up and can only offer her life-extending chem0therapy. However, there may be options for a second transplant or other treatment abroad. Some patients with Regine's diagnosis and history have survived and fought the cancer through a second transplant. However, they will not do this in Norway so Regine, her family and thousands of people following her amazing blog are now looking for other options.

Do you know anything about AML/MDS? A good hospital, someone with a similar story, a doctor or expert? Please let me know through email or leave a comment here, or post a recommendation directly on Regine's blog.

A account has also been opened to collect money that will allow Regine to pursue treatment abroad. The account number is 3939.01.61107 (Sparebanken 1 Nordvest). Please make a donation.

Thank you -- hopefully we can make a difference to Regine!

Kind Ambition

I have a tendency to stress... Lots of work, lots of things that needs to get done, not enough time to do it... Sounds familiar? Yoga has helped me deal with some of the stress and remind me that some times I just need time for ME. As I read the below article I realize it's way overdue that I get back to my regular practice - yoga 3 times a week makes me a better person!

Are you stressed? Read this article about healthy ambition, which requires us not to push ourselves so hard that we are incapable of having a balanced life, but not to take it too easy, either. What yoga can do, experts say, is help point the way toward healthy, balanced ambition, both for people with lots of drive and for people who feel they lack it.

Easter

Photo:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/ricomarko/pinas-2007/1176089340/picture_204.jpg/tpod.html

Easter has come and gone again.... As last year, my family was here in the Philippines visiting, which is always lovely! Easter is of course a major holiday in this mainly Catholic country and the Philippines has become quite well-known for the very "real" reenactments of the Passion of the Christ. Yes, people actually do get crucified! Voluntarily... We actually went to see it "live" last year, and it was a very different and somewhat disturbing experience... Seeing it once is definitely enough, so we didn't go back this year but opted for a more quiet time in Manila..

The recession heats up....

romance novels! and Hershey's chocolate and condoms.

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going....

Manila used to look so great....

A Man on the Street

Photo: Camilo Jose Vergara (www.nytimes.com)

My "name brother" Camilo José Vergara has taken these great photos of Martin Luther King Jr. murials. In America’s poorest ghettos, these images are popular subjects of public art and regularly appear on the walls of the liquor stores, auto-repair shops, fast-food restaurants, mom-and-pop stores and public housing projects of Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York and many other cities across the US. The majority are the work of amateur artists. Though Dr. King is usually front and center, he is often accompanied by other inspirational figures: Nelson Mandela, John Paul II, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, Pancho Villa. He is also often accompanied by his famous phrase, “I have a dream” – a reminder that in many of the communities where these murals exist, the gulf between hope and reality remains far too wide.

Jeg heier på Regine!

Vakre, tapre Regine har en av de flotteste bloggene jeg har kommet over. Hun skriver vakkert og tar fantastiske bilder. Dessverre har hun akkurat fått en forferdelig beskjed: kreften hun har kjempet mot så hardt har kommet tilbake. Regine setter nok stor pris på all støtte hun kan få nå. Les den vakre bloggen hennes og send henne en hilsen her.

Hva tenker de med?

Er litt sint naa. Leser i Aftenposten at partiet Norgespatriotene har samlet inn nok underskrifter til aa stille til valgliste til Stortinget. De trenger fortsatt godkjenning av fylkeskommunen i Vestfold, saa det er kanskje haap enda.. Men det er SKUMMELT at slike partier og meninger etter sigende blir mer og mer vanlige og at innvandringsdebatten forblir saa generaliserende og fiendtlig. Ja, jeg blir sint! Ta disse menneskene med paa en liten rundreise til noen av de stedene jeg jobber, kanskje de vil faa seg en oppvaakning hvis de vaager seg litt utenfor den komfortable lokale puben i Vestfold hvor alle ser like ut og mangfoldet ikke lenger lever... Arg!

Livestrong Challenge Cancer Video

If you had the chance, what would you say to cancer?

This is a moving and honest video.

Game on!!

Jade Goody

Yes, I will admit that I occasionally read the Daily Mail... And I have been following the story of Jade Goody on an off - the British reality TV star who went very public and was diagnosed with cervical cancer last year. She died on Mother's day in the UK, only 27 years old and with two young sons.

Her decision to be so public about her battle was criticized by a lot of people, BUT she was able to raise a lot of awareness about cervical cancer. So girls, please please please remember to have your annual pap smears, it can save your life!

Tragisk

Jeg leser Aftenposten med gru i dag. Albinoer i Tanzania og enkelte andre afrikanske land drepes av "heksedoktorer" slik at ben, hår og hud kan brukes til å lage lykkeamuletter av. "Den enes død, en annens brød" har vel sjelden vært mer tragisk korrekt. Akkurat nå føler jeg dessverre ikke det er så mye annet jeg kan gjøre enn å spre informasjonen - les mer her.

Face Bar, Jakarta

I was back in Jakarta for a few days last week and really enjoyed seeing old friends and catching up! We also made it to one of my favorite joints, Face Bar in Menteng. What a great combination of nice decor and ambience, great food - in addition to the bar it has 3 restaurants, Thai, Indian and Moroccan, and very good cocktails. Recommended for unwinding after a busy day working (as in my case), shopping or whatever else you may find yourself doing in Jakarta!

Something to think about...

Photo: private

“Worry is the darkroom where negatives develop.”

Most of us are worry warts in some way or another. When I came across this great saying I decided that TODAY I will try not to worry about anything and focus on the positive. So far so good..

I am grateful...

...that I am able to get good health care when I need it.

If I had been born in rural Laos, I might have to deliver a baby here:

Photo: private

And if I were sick, this could have been the bed I was given to rest in:

Photo: private

That is, if I was so lucky as to get any health care at all...

Barcino

Photo: www.barcino.com.ph

Barcino is one of our favorite after-work hang-outs. A bad day at work? Not much can beat great wine and tapas in a relaxed atmosphere with good friends. You can get take-out too, both wine and food! AND the wine you buy and drink in the bar is the same price as if you bought it for take-out. I love it! There have been some glitches here and there and it would be nice if the staff knew that gazpacho is served cold, red wine is not... Maybe an idea to put some more resources into staff training? (this is not Barcino specific but a general need for Philippines' restaurants and shops... service with a smile, yes, but the poor staff also need proper training so they know what they're doing and talking about...!). Anyone else with good restaurant or bar recommendations? Any tips in any country are welcome, please share!

Barcino is located on Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas, near the golf course.
There is also a Fort Bonifacio branch, located on Rizal Drive.

Life without sex?!?

So, I am enjoying yoga more and more. I really like it as an exercise and also enjoy how it helps me stress down and live my life a little bit more on the calm side (some times...). The more I practice, the more I find myself reading about yoga, the different philosophies attached to it, and the spirituality of the practice. I subscribe to Yoga Journal's daily email updates and they're great.

Then I got today's email update and it's about the importance of celibacy in yoga practice. Yikes! Fortunately there are ways "out of it" and I certainly don't think the majority of yoga practitioners live in celibacy. It's an interesting article though, if you're interested in the topic you can read more here.

(And don't worry, it won't make you feel bad about any of your lifestyle choices...).

Trist og urettferdig.....

www.svekn.blogspot.com

Oppfordrer alle til å sende Anne Marie en hilsen, tror hun setter pris på det.

Fiiiin bil til salgs

Fin bil, lett å kjøre, bruker lite bensin.. i det hele tatt, den er perfekt og jeg selger den med tungt hjerte. Men siden jeg bor så langt unna har jeg omsider innsett at det meste fornuftige er å selge...

Se annonsen her.

God's eye

Photo: European Southern Observatory, eso.org

I just think this picture is fantastic... It's a dying star and ultraviolet rays are causing the beautiful colors.

Krafttak mot kreft 2009 er i gang

Tema 2009: Forskning med fokus på eldre med kreft

I dag er seks av ti kreftpasienter over 65 år. Likevel er kreftbehandlingen utviklet for yngre mennesker. Pengene som samles inn til Krafttak mot kreft 2009 skal gå til forskning med fokus på eldre med kreft.

Dette er et tema som er viktig og personlig for meg. Min pappa var 60 da han døde av kreft for litt over et år siden. Han var ikke "eldre" men ikke helt ung heller. Det samme året mistet to av mine gode venninner en forelder i kreft. Ved å støtte årets Krafttak mot Kreft kan vi hjelpe andre mennesker - noen med å bli friske, andre med å forebygge at sykdommen inntreffer i det hele tatt.

Jeg har akkurat gitt mitt bidrag og oppfordrer DEG til det samme. Les mer og gi ditt bidrag her.

Travel blog: Siem Reap

We had a fantastic time in Siem Reap a couple of weeks back. Since we only had two and a half days there, we squeezed in a lot of activities, and had so much fun!

We arrived in Siem Reap in the afternoon and went straight to our hotel, Shinta Mani. It is a lovely hotel, which runs its own "Institute of Hospitality", which provides free hospitality industry training for young Cambodians at risk. By staying there you don't only get to enjoy the great facilities, you also contribute to the Institute. The rooms are large and nicely decorated, and the staff are friendly and well-trained. The Spa is fantastic, they start off by serving you tea and giving you a foot bath and after the treatment they provide more tea and a small snack. Very nice touch! The breakfast is OK, but not great, and the price of the transfer to and from the airport is ridiculously expensive at $8 per person each way. We opted for a tuk-tuk on the way back.

We had afternoon drinks at the FCC terrace, which is a great place for people watching. Then we set off to the Night Market, great buys, very cheap handicrafts and we got to practice our bargaining skills! I also tried the "fish massage", which involves putting your feet in a big pool with little fish eating off the dead skin on your feet... A bit weird, but a fun experience. And it actually helped!

Fish Massage in the Night Market (private photo)

Day 2 was the time to go to the temples. Fantastic! There are so many of them you'll need days to see them all, but we really enjoyed visiting Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Angkor Thom. We also went for the sunset at Phnom Bakheng, which was nice though I think seeing Angkor Wat itself during sunset may be a better option. We also did a detour to Artisans d'Angkor, a training school for local Cambodian artisans which helps them gain employment and make a living from traditional crafts. They have a lovely store too, pricey but the quality is outstanding.

South gate of Angkor Thom (private photo)

Deaf-mute students at Artisans d'Angkor practicing silk painting (private photo)

Day 3 we went to the Angkor National Museum, which has stirred some controversy because it is Thai-owned and carry a lot of pre-Angkor artifacts, thereby having some critics claim its name (both the Angkor and the National part of it) inappropriate. I actually really enjoyed the museum. The history is well presented, they have a good mix of displays, and audi- and video presentations, and the room of 1,000 buddhas is just a sight in itself. For me it was definitely educational, and I recommend it! At $12 for foreigners it is expensive by Cambodian standards, but still, a good experience.

We also got a chance to visit the Old Market and do more shopping. The handicrafts are just so cheap, and we packed our bags with shawls, pillow cases, silver, an Apsara statue and even a (good imitation...) Phillipe Patek watch. You they also have interesting displays of food - snake meat anyone?

One thing to avoid? The Tara River Boat. It is nice to see the floating villages, but you're much better off going on your own on one of the small boat. The Tara "cruise" actually never even sailed, and while the sunset was nice, the "free" food was not and the whole thing was just a rip-off. In my view.

The food i Siem Reap is also lovely and there are a variety of restaurants serving both Cambodian and international cuisine. I highly recommend the Amok, a national curry-dish made with coconut milk and truly delicious! The icecream and cocktails at Banana Leef bar are wonderful too...

Amok (private photo)

Cheapo...

Ok, I admit the alarm bells should probably have gone off when I saw the name CheapoAir... But hey, I was looking for a good deal on flights to Sieam Reap and found a good price on cfares. So, when the website directed me to purchase the tickets through cheapoair, I thought why not, it doesn't matter who you buy the tickets from as long as the airline itself is not called Cheapo right? WRONG!! Cheapoair just made everything so difficult, and for the money I used calling their US number (yes, US number...) I could have bought the ticket cheaper directly from the airline - and with much less hassle.

• First, Cheapo says you need a US credit card to buy the ticket. OK, fine by me, we have a US credit card.

• Then, they email to say that we have to call them to confirm the transaction. What?!? OK, so we call them.

• No, we have to call from a US number because someone in the US has to confirm the transaction. What?!? That's a bit difficult, given that we're in Manila and not the US, and we tell them that it seems a bit strange that someone has to remain in their own country in order to use their credit card. Never heard of this from anyone else before.
  

• FINALLY they let us buy the ticket.

• The next day, they email and say there has been a change in the schedule and we have to call the airline office IN THE US to check what is going on. If the delay is too long, maybe they will give us a refund. What?!?

• I am not about to call the US again, so I call the local Philippine Airlines number, who have no problems helping me out and change my flights. Fortunately for cheapo, I was able to reschedule for the previous day, if not I would have missed my connecting flight. Then maybe they would have given me a refund...

• -Then cheapo sends another email asking me to call them to confirm that I have made changes to my ticket. What?!? I did that because the flight was rescheduled and they told me to call the airline. I give up...

Well, I finally made it to Bangkok and when I got to check-in for my connecting flights to Siem Reap I was told
"Ma'm, you have to go to the ticket counter and pay the airport tax, it is not included in your ticket". Hmm cheapo, so "all taxes and fees included" means all taxes and fees except the airport tax..?

Warning people, avoid buying your tickets through cheapoair.com, it will cost you a lot of time and you'll probably end up losing money too....

Should the government provide contraceptives to the public?

This is one of the major debates in the Philippines these days. A proposed Reproductive Health bill would allow government funds to be used to promote artificial contraception, which is now prohibited in the Philippines. Many people doubt that the bill will be passed as it has been subject to massive criticism, mainly from the Catholic Church.

Contraceptives is a major expense for poor families. Maternal health care is another problem and the lifetime risk of maternal death for Filipinas is one in 140. For Swedes, it is 1 in 17,400. Food for thought...

Da pappaen til Johanne hadde kreft

Kreft er en forferdelig sykdom og alt som kan hjelpe de syke og de rundt, både fysisk og psykisk, er gull verdt. Denne flotte boken er ment til å være til hjelp for barn for å forstå hva som skjer når en som står dem nær blir kreftsyk. Den vil og hjelpe de voksne med å snakke med barn om kreftsykdom og behandling, samt at den gir mange råd til de voksne om hvordan de best mulig kan ivareta barn når kreft rammer. En god ressurs for familier som rammes av denne sykdommen.

Boken er skrevet av Anne Marie Handeland, moren til Johanne og konen til Svein Kåre som har kreft. Anne Marie og Svein Kåre har og en flott blogg som du kan lese her.

Og se dette flotte innslaget av Anne Marie og Johanne fra God Morgen Norge!

Done with Lisbeth Salander

Photo: www.stieglarsson.com.au


It is kind of sad to finish good books

Especially when you know there will never be another sequel

I am now done with Lisbeth Salander

Perfect books for long flights, long Sundays, long nights, short (and long) coffee breaks

And I don't even like crime novels...

Enjoy!

Grisen

Cappelen lar deg laste ned Lars Saabye Christensen's novelle Grisen helt gratis.

YogaBear

I just came across the coolest thing: YogaBear is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing cancer survivors with more opportunities for wellness and healing through the practice of yoga. By partnering with individual yoga studios, they offer free yoga classes to cancer survivors. Yoga has been know for its great impacts on stress, depression, and both mental and physical well-being - definitely something a cancer survivor needs and deserves!

What a great opportunity to help another person through something you are passionate about... This could surely be done in other countries as well? It is highly doubtful that I will ever become savvy enough in yoga to be able to teach, but if anyone is or know someone, take the challenge!

YogaBear also keeps a nice blog.

Om å le av Ari

For det gjør JEG, når jeg leser hans dårlig skjulte forsøk på å fremheve seg selv og sin "originalitet".

Men det betyr sikkert at jeg og er et kjedelig furubord - jeg synes Ari Behn er full av floskler og dårlig skjult selvfremhevelse og det er vel ikke akkurat en radikal mening i disse dager.

Forresten, er det fortsatt noen som har furubord?

A good deed - for free!

Hi, all you animal lovers. The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals. It takes less than a minute (How about 20 seconds) to go to their site and click on the purple box 'fund food for animals' for free. This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising. Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.

And while you're at it, why not take a minute or two more to click on each of the links at the top of the page - that way you can also make donations for breast cancer, literacy, hunger, child health, and the rain forest.

Steder der vi bor

Over en milliard mennesker bor i slum. I utstillingen "Steder der vi bor" viser Magnum-fotografen Jonas Bendiksen 20 hjem i fire slumområder.

Utstillingen utfordrer publikum til å tenke på hva vil det si å leve i en by i det 21. århundre. Bendiksen har besøkt fire slumområder - Kenya, Indonesia, India og Venezuela - valgt ut fra geografisk spredning og variasjon av slumformer. Han skildrer forskjellige aspekter ved slumtilværelsen, fra samfunnets dårligst stilte til slummens ”stormenn”.

Hadde jeg bodd i Oslo skulle jeg tatt meg en tur på utstilling. Mer informasjon her.

Breathing

In yoga, we learn to breathe in ways that facilitate our practice, protect our bodies, and quiet the internal noise of the mind. Since breathing is an involuntary function, it can be a mental shift to think consciously about every breath you take. You don't need to shift into conscious breathing overnight, but slowly begin to bring more awareness to your breath during your practice.

Start by breathing in and out through the nose, not the mouth. This practice will ensure cleaner air, because the nose functions as an air "conditioner" by humidifying and filtering inhaled air. In contrast, when you breathe through the mouth, the air that enters the body doesn't gain the benefit of this filtration process, so it may be drier and contain more pollutants. As yogis say, "The nose is for breathing, the mouth is for eating."

You can learn more here (a bit long and winded...).

Obamania

George Bush

I am really happy his Presidency is almost over, but will really really miss all the laughs he has given us. This is hilarious!

Happy New Year!

I hope 2009 will be a fantastic year for all of us! 2007 and 2008 were both a bit tough for me, so I think 2009 will be a great comeback.

Cliff and I spent Christmas in Norway, which was wonderful. It was so nice to see family and friends again! Special thoughts to Bitten&Frode and Marie&Ronny who became parents to beautiful Aurora and Eirik. Look forward to spending more time with them as they grow up!

New Years Eve was spent in Amsterdam, which was fantastic! Almost a war zone there with all the drunken people shooting fireworks all over the place, but it was so much fun. We also got to do a bit of sightseeing (Red Light District, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, wandering along the canals). Amsterdam is a lovely city, if you haven't been there you should go! Though maybe not in December/January, I have to say it WAS a bit cold..

I hope to put out some pictures soon, I am just the world's slowest person when it comes to uploading my photos...