12/30/2013

Downton Abbey

The English TV series Downton Abbey is the best series ever made.
I'm in the middle of the 4:th season and I love every minute of it.
Love, death, happiness and evil conniving. That and fabulous clothes. What else can you wish for?

12/29/2013

Favorite place

I think all people have a few favorite places here on earth and one of mine is at the Boudhanath stupa.
There is a small coffe shop where they don't even have tables, just a few stools outside.
There Leya always eats an icecream and I drink an iced peach.
In the afternoon the sun is shining, it's near a pigeon feeding spot and people are walking around the stupa, always clockwise, mumbling the mantra "Ohm mani padme hum" with their malas, a 108 beads necklace, running through their fingers, bead by bead.
This place is a perfect spot to take a breath, relax and enjoy life.
Since we love dogs and this beautiful dog, who we have named Boudha Nani since she is a nougat colored version of our own Nani, is coming to us every time we go there the place has grown in value even more for me.
Last time we were there, just two days ago, we realised that Boudha Nani was very pregnant, so we hope she will find a warm, secluded place to give birth and bring up the little ones and next time I will buy a chocolate muffin instead of a banana.
Banana wasn't her favorite and I want to share this peacful moment with her.
Next to me sleeps Tarzan, another of our friends.

12/28/2013

Strawberry

Today we ate strawberries, which is very strange for us since we use to eat strawberries in June in Sweden.
And we couldn't believe it! It tasted just like proper Swedish strawberries. Very taste!

12/26/2013

Happy girl

I think Leya is the happiest girl on the planet right now.
Getting a whiteboard from Santa's wife was a huge surprise and spot on for a girl who loves to play "mam mam" (school) and beat her mom in Tic-tack-toe (tre i rad).

12/25/2013

Merry Christmas

We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

12/23/2013

Christmas decorations

My sister and I have completely different taste when it comes to decorating the home.
Like my mother said when she was here: "No wonder I'm a little schizo with two daughters who are so different."
This is our kitchen table with colorful Tibetan ceremonial table cloths.
And this is my sister's beautiful ginger bread house.

12/22/2013

Fever

I'm not happy about having fever, only one day before Christmas.
I hope I feel better tomorrow and that no one else in the family catch it.

12/21/2013

Santas in Sweden

My mom is very creative and a little crazy. In a good way.
Every holiday she comes up with new ideas and Christmas is her favorite time of year.
Her Santas this Christmas are so cute.
Santa is sitting in the kitchen with a doll in his lap, keeping mom company when she is cooking.
This is Santa's wife telling a story to her bearded (?) elf babies.
It looks as if she needs a haircut.

12/18/2013

Distracted

My dear husband is so distracted.
The other day he looked like this:
And yesterday I found him like this when I came home from town. Apparently he know about it, but didn't care enough to turn it right.
As far as I know a V neck on the back is not in style yet. But you never know.

12/17/2013

Puja at Boudhanath

It's really exciting to live close to Boudhanath and witness these big meetings.
Since they have the meetings outdoor, next to the stupa, we are all invited to join.
Listen to the chanting.
See Part 1 here.
So many monks and nuns had gathered for this occasion.
See part 2 here.
Here are the leaders.
You can see the hierarchy clearly. The leaders in the front, then the monks and nuns with an orange sheet and in the back they only have the marron sheets.

12/15/2013

Christmas pottering

Every year we use to fill the kitchen table with colored papers, tinsels, fabrics, beads, glue, scissors, yes, everything you can turn in to something Chrismassy. And Christmas carols on the stereo of course.
This year I had to threaten the kids that Santa wouldn't come if they didn't come to the kitchen and create with us.
They'd rather stay in Leya's room playing school.
Kids of today!

12/14/2013

Lucia and birthday

Yesterday, the 13:th of December we celebrated Lucia, just like we do in Sweden every year exactly that date.
Read more about it here.
Yet another holiday we celebrate without really knowing how it all started.
Anyway... It's a welcome holiday in Sweden since Lucia and her followers bring light, songs, saffron buns and ginger cookies.
We celebrate Lucia as close to the Swedish version as possible and people we meet in the streets are very surprised to see the little girls with tinsel in their hair and candles in their hands.
Here we visited a shoemaker.
The same day it's Nicholas' birthday so it's double festivities.
For some reason Nicholas is holding our neighbor's dog Blossom.
We ended our day with a fabulous buffet at Hyatt Regency Hotel. The best birthday present ever!

12/12/2013

Magic crystal

Today Leya got her first magic crystal.
She was so happy!

12/11/2013

Dolly

I just got the sad news that one of my dear Facebook friends died a few days ago.
I can't believe it! She was always encouraging and inspiring me with her comments.
Rest in peace, Dolly Sandhu! Our loving prayers go to her close ones who have lost a precious family member.

12/08/2013

Tree house

When Leya was playing in this house at Fun Park,
Nicholas and I spent time in this charming tree house. Oh, I want a tree house like this!
I just have to find the perfect tree and I know it's out there waiting for me.

12/05/2013

ebay.in

Today I've started to sign up for different sale sites in India. I'm promoting Prana nail mat in India from every angle I can find.
I had to borrow the manufacturer's bank and id information to pass all sorts of verifications.
Entering ebay.in was as difficult as I imagine taking over Pentagon is. But I did it, after too many non-happy moments.
Click here to see the Purple Prana nail mat listing.

12/04/2013

Christmas tree

I'd promised Leya we go Christmas decoration shopping today and somehow we ended up in a narrow alley.
Deep inside, in a side street, there was this amazing Christmas shop with all decorations you could dream of. If you fancy glittery, cheap Chinese Christmas decorations that is.
For about 40 USD/250 kr we got a tree, lots of balls and Santas and everything else we desperatly needed to get the real Christmas feeling, far away from mom and her over the top Christmases.
It was so great when Leya asked if we please please could buy two and I had the money in the pocket to say: "Why don't we buy two in each color".
It sure was one happy girl in the taxi on the way home.

12/03/2013

Plumber

We haven't had hot water in the shower for two weeks now.
This is how it works with handymen here:
You have one handyman for each area, like plumbing and electricity, and if they have gone to their remote village and are gone for a month you don't call someone else. You simply wait until they come back.
It doesn't matter how long time they are gone. You don't call someone else. You wait!

12/02/2013

Videos from the wedding

Below you find short videos from the wedding. It will give you a more intense feeling of the people, the colors, the energies and the singing and dancing. Enjoy!

Click here for video No. 1.
Click here for video No. 2.
Click here for video No. 3.
Click here for video No. 4.
Click here for video No. 5.
Click here for video No. 6.

12/01/2013

Suresh and Muna

Please click here to see the photos from the wedding.