Archive for the ‘Diary’ Category

The Roman Empire

Saturday, April 22nd, 2006

I recently returned from something that can best be described as a crazy trip to Italy. Me, bigmac and fremen set off in bigmac’s car to visit ye olde roman empire during the easter holiday. Since bigmac and fremen are both working peoples, that was the only time that the could go.

The trip took about 24 hours there and 24 hours back. We stayed in Rome 2 nights and then went on to visit Pisa on the way back to the north pole.

It was surely a fun adventure. Filled with crappy youth hostels, crazy parties, black taxies and fighting with your friends in the dead of the night.

Here are the pictures to prove it:
http://angelhill.net/albums/italia-2006/
http://angelhill.net/albums/italia-film-2006/ (using film camera)
http://angelhill.net/albums/italia-bw-2006/ (black and white film)

Blogging and stuff

Tuesday, March 28th, 2006

Wow it’s been a while. I dunno, I just feel like I have little of value to contribute to the Internets at the moment.

What I can say is that I am going to Japan again in June (I bow to all mighty ticket fixer Alex). So I am looking forward to that big-time. Still 2 months to go.
This time I am going with a friend of mine, Nisemono Nisse is his name.

Also I started to dabble a little in more serious photography. I bought an SLR film camera and some stuff like a tripod and now I can be sometimes seen mucking about in town snapping shots of things. I am thinking of getting a digital SLR before going to Japan.

In related news… Last night I was about to go to bed when I instead thought that it might be nice to take some pictures of the church tower covered by fog. This does not happen often, so it seemed only natural.
This was at 3am, and I had to get up at 6am to go to Uni.
Needless to say, 2 hours of sleep is not something I can recommend to any sane person.

Despite all this, I not only did not miss my subway, I actually caught an earlier one. This is unheard of. Truly.

PS: Soon I will scan in some of the photos I’ve been taking with my SLR.

Shedding Skin

Tuesday, July 5th, 2005

Shedding skin is a topic well known and dear to me, ever since I started regular Kendo practice. I lost track of the times that I have been forced to cut away dead skin on my left foot or left hand, but that is not what I am here to discuss.

Shedding skin is about me leaving the black and white world, and getting out into the gray.

Until sometime in the year 2002, I was a very black and white person. This was not a bad thing mind you, in fact it allowed me to focus strongly on that which I have up till now considered my main profession. Computers.

During 8th and 9th grades, I focused strongly on computers. Whether my computer skill a result of some freak genetic talent, or if it is just a result of 10 years of dedication to computers, we shall never know, but I digress. During my high school years, I focused strongly on programming and other fun aspects of computers which were not related to games or OS maintenance.

I did this at the expense of any kind of social life (and I am sure my teachers would be the first to say that my school work suffered quite a bit hehe), and aside from a my fellow geeks, I had no other friends.

I don’t really see that as a negative thing, mostly just setting up the background for what is to come.

As time passed, I got a job as a programmer, got an apartment, a girlfriend, a few cars, and less and less computers.

In 2001, when I moved into my current apartment, I had 2 servers, 2 normal PCs with a 19″ and 21″ screens, a laptop, and a few other fun toys.

As time went on, the number of servers, computers and gadgets has dropped to what is today a measly 15″ Powerbook and a PIII 500 server which is located at a friends place, where I skillfully leach on his BBB connection to get the goods.

At this point in time, I don’t even have a TV (although I have a small projector).

So in 3 years, I dropped from 5 always on computers in my apartment, to one laptop and one computer at a friends place. I also have much smaller energy bills.

So what fills that empty server room now? I enjoy wandering around town, chilling with friends, kendo, climbing (just started!), sitting in the sun and reading books on subways. There are other things, but I won’t bore you with all the details.

So what does all this have to do with black and white?

Well, when I was an all out geek, I sat at home, programming, gaming, watching movies…. Most of my friends were the same, and we either did that stuff at home, or went to each other’s apartments to do it.

Now, I enjoy going outside, or just having some tea and playing table-top games like Ninja Burger, or Go.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy computer games, and I love computers and gadgets. Yet I also feel the need to be away from these things, I no longer prioritize them.

My world is no longer black and white, it has become gray, and I realized today that I have a great deal of trouble balancing my social life with my geek/work life.

I have shed the skin of a Geek, and out came a new person, a different person who remembers fondly the nights he spent playing Ultima Online, Everquest and Diablo, yet now wants to experience the other side of life. To enjoy the world outside the window.

Empty Mind

Tuesday, May 17th, 2005

I believe that earlier today I came to some sort of insight. I was walking home from my grandma’s place, it’s a 30 minute walk, or a short bus ride. I usually take the bus there, and then use my feet to get home. Depending on the allotted time of course.

As I was crossing Kungsbron, for the probably 1003rd time (after-all, Stockholm is only that big), I was thinking about the fact that I felt at peace.
All day today, I was feeling rather down, this was due to it’s reasons, some of which being the upcoming exams, but not all by a long shot. Today is not really an exception, but when I am not feeling down, I still have trouble relaxing.
Yet, as I was crossing the bridge, looking out over the water, the beautiful nature, the roads and the train tracks, I felt at peace. As my feet carried me over the pavement I had no worries, except maybe the wind that was a bit chilly.

This was far from a new sensation, I have experienced it many times, when I walked other streets of Stockholm, or other towns in other countries. Best achieved when few people are near, although that is not an absolute condition.

I started thinking about what this meant, a thought that always brings me back to the question of my destiny, or, my goals in life.
Now you might think that the whole “peace” suddenly vanished as I pondered the meaning of life and my future, yet, before I even finished crossing the bridge, the thoughts disappeared and I was once again concerned only with the occasional course corrections to avoid unsuspecting pedestrians.

During that short time, among other things, I remembered my time in Japan. A time I spent mostly wondering about, or sitting on trains. I went to very few tourist attractions or bars or places, mostly I just wandered. There were of course diversions, especially when I hooked up with other travelers, but in essence, even with other travelers, my mission was mostly walking. Looking back on this passage, I believe I might be reconstructing events to fit the discussion, so maybe not too much attention should be payed to this.
However the fruit of that thought remains, my mind feels most at peace when I walk the streets, in those instances I feel strong, both physically and mentally, unburdened by the reality that awaits at the end of the journey. Perhaps this is my way of meditating.
To add more fuel to the fire, I have been able to achieve this state with other people present. Although this is generally more difficult, and requires a level of trust, or some other constant, in order for me to let go of this world of flesh.

All I have are more questions. I’ve established that walking, preferably alone, preferably in quiet surroundings, better yet in a quiet city, allows me to free my mind from all the thoughts that occupy it at all other times. To meditate in a sense.
Then there is also plenty of discussion to be had where my normal thinking patterns are concerned. People often point out to me that I think/worry about too much useless crap, and that I should take it easy. A point with which I tend to agree more often then not.

What does this all mean? How does my over-thinking tie in with my Empty Mind while walking? Does it have deeper meaning or am I just fishing for The Ultimate Question?

Pics

Saturday, March 26th, 2005

Got more pics up now. Click “Flickr” on the side menu. Or here.

The story behind the picture of my “hotel room” in 大吉 I will rescind in my next entry. Now I gotta book a sleeper train to Kyushu. Maybe.

I might just chill at this mangakissa all night.
I mean, I can watch all the anime I want, or read manga or play games, for peanuts.

I heard from a Japanese friend that apparently because the Mangakissa are so good, they are actually somewhat of a problem since a lot of people hang there all the time.

Nice.

//D

Pics!

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005

Got some pics uploaded to flickr!

Click it!

To Kyoto! Japan Diaries #4 です

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005

Well, now I shall continue my story.
My current position is Kyoto, but since I am a big slow, we shall go back in time so I can explain what happened in the days leading up to this experience.
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I lost weight, got way too drunk, or AKA Japan Diaries #3

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2005

So, before we continue, I shall start by saying that when I did my budget calculations last night, I realised that in the 3 days I spent in tokyo, I spent no more then 20000 YEN. This excludes the hotel which was 11400 YEN for 3 nights.

Now, the 20000 YEN includes Subway rides, food, a new mobile with 3000 YEN prepaid card and spending the night in a Manga cafe…

Anyway, I am borrowing this comp from the hotel so Ill keep it short.
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Japan Diaries #2: Arrival, excitement, okonomiyaki

Sunday, March 20th, 2005

日本にやって来たぜ!

At last I have arrived! Well actually I arrived yesterday, but it is only now that I am sitting in a マンが喫茶 and writing this article for thee.

I arrived in Japan yesterday at about 9am.
My flight was really chill, but the transfer process was a little… stressy. The miniscule almost learjet-like plane was neat, but 30 minutes delayed, so I had a 20 minute transfer window. Luckilly everything worked out and even my luggage was ok.

However, now to the important bits!
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Japan Diaries #1

Wednesday, March 16th, 2005

The last few days have been filled with nothing but chaos and more chaos. Due to a national holiday in Japan, I had trouble booking a nice inn, which in its own right destroyed the subtle feeling of calm that I had felt just a few hours before. It did however give me a chance to practice plenty of Japanese, and to hear people tell me that they have no rooms over 30 times.
In the end, I found a nice place not far from Shinjuku. Initially I wanted to stay in the Ueno/Asakusa area, since that is a very nice downtown area, but nothing there was available, so I decided to settle for this.
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