Somehow I imagined Lithuania a bit different. The image I had in my mind was a country full of people queuing in front of stores, and big grey blocks as buildings. Sad people everywhere. And imagine, I went there in January, the darkest month of the year anywhere in Northern Europe. Continue reading Does Norway want to adopt Lithuania? (Please, it’s for a friend)
On the 7th of January four famous French cartoonists were assassinated during a redaction meeting of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, along with 8 other persons including their colleagues and police officers who tried to defend them. More are wounded and some are still between life and death. Anyone out of France’s borders can feel attacked by this assassination, because this is not just a … Continue reading The world screams #JesuisCharlie. But what is next for France?
Many foreigners coming to visit Norway get a little surprised, or shocked is probably the best word, when realising the price of things in this country. From transportation to food in restaurants, everything except maybe for smoked salmon is more expensive in Norway than most Western countries. The kroners (NOK), Norway’s currency, confuse you at first and then when you convert it to euros or … Continue reading 10 Tips to Visit Norway on a Budget
It is finally the summer holidays, why write about saunas and about Finland? Well this year I had this strange idea of spending parts of my summer holidays in Finland. Every Norwegian I meet is like “You are spending your SUMMER holidays in Finland? But why?”. Why spend your summer somewhere North of where you already live? I just thought I would check out this … Continue reading FINLAND – What to do in Finland? Get Drunk in a Sauna
When one asks a Norwegians where they went on holidays, some reply they had a great time in “Syden”. “Oh Syden! Yeah right. Everyone knows where that is”. Mmmh well, Norwegians all seem to know, but it doesn’t really ring a bell for foreigners. My Indian friend knew the answer right away. When I told him I was writing a blogpost on Syden he said … Continue reading Where on Earth is Syden?
Back in the Spring I was planning a trip to Québec for the summer holidays. My dear friend A. whom I hadn’t seen in years invited me to a getaway weekend in the Laurentians in Quebec and I could not possibly refuse. Pictures of the place were stunning and represented exactly what I needed after months of work and city life: brick-colored pine forests, mirror … Continue reading CANADA – Joining a Christian Camp and Liking It (OMG)
Wherever we come from on this planet, whether we are religious or not, traditional or not, we all go through the same hormonal changes during puberty and then teenage years, discovering desire and all that jazz. The difference is that some wait and some don’t. In the Western world, except for a few Mormons and other true believers, not only couples already had sex before … Continue reading INDIA – How Indian Astrology Messes Up Newly Wedds’ Sexlife
Here I am in Bali, taking a few days off from work in the region. I wanted to go to some paradise island like the Togean island or Belitung, unfortunately time constraints (one boat per week going to Togean, hard to leave the island) OBLIGED me to go to Bali. Yeah Yeah I know what you think, how could I even dare complain? While some … Continue reading BALI – Drink, Pray, Love
I’ve been hearing the word “gentrification” over and over again in the past few months in different parts of the world without really understand what it means: Berlin, Toronto, Oslo, Copenhagen, Brisbane, Montreal for the least. My friend who decided to buy a flat in Berlin said he finally managed to find one in the only area that hasn’t been gentrified and is therefore still … Continue reading Does Gentrification = Colonisation? A story of hipster ghettos
I don’t feel like I belong in a place where it can be -17 degrees every day for 2 weeks like it has been this winter. Not yet at least. So I am very happy to take a holiday in Byron Bay. I am visiting some friends and family who moved there, and although I was prepared for the warmth, the beach and the beautiful … Continue reading AUSTRALIA – Surfing in Paradise
