The inevitable when holidaying with me (updated)

Ok, so here's a post in reply to Karin's comment inNature offers a Time-Out. Her comment:

"You just can't pass an animal without taking a picture of it, can you? I remember our cycling vacation in Skåne, lol!"

Skåne - summer 2003

Very true, I am guilty as charged. We went cycling in the south of Sweden; a fabulous week with great company great weather, and great scenery. Helsingborg by the sea was definitively my favorite town - but towns are rarely the highlights of any trip.


Helsingborg 2003

Now, our teamwork was quite interesting. Karin made sure we stopped regularly to eat properly (she's a dietitian today) while I made sure we stopped to enjoy all the animals!

I had actually forgotten how many pictures there was of me together with animals in some way, until I looked in the archives!


Ishtar: "Ah - a cow!" First thought? "Let's feed it!"


Ishtar: "Ah - a foal!" First thought? "Let's bond!"


We did have fun riding Island ponies on our way back (which was Karin's idea!). It was a great week, one of the best vacations I've ever had!

I think that everybody who's been on holiday with me knows that I always end up taking pictures of the beautiful creatures. Even better, right in their midst!!

In 1999, Hanna and I went to Paris together, and what do I find?


... a picture of her posing in front of yellow German flowers...


... Ishtar having a closer look at a German mare & foal...


... and then a goat!


We did end up seeing a lot of Paris though (maybe because they had so few animal distractions?)



We learned so much about French culture (and the fact that you can never walk safely on the Champs Elysées if the color of your hair is blond...). Good thing though that we were good at defending ourselves!

Ishtar

Nature offers a time-out

The greatest disadvantages with struggling with an essay (or anything that demands your full intellectual attention) is that, in order to keep my energy level up, I spend most of the time nibbling on sometime. Had I been in Niger, I would have been out riding in the mornings or in the afternoons, but in this tight-scheduled country, there's been no time for any kind of extra these past few weeks. But with the essay, finally done with, I decided it was time to celebrate and headed out into the forest for a good run.



Ah...! Swedish landscape in summertime is beautiful and refreshing! And believe it or not, the sun was actually shining for a few moments there!



The pigs were out; although the newborn piglets didn't come close enough for me to catch them with my mobile phone camera. Nonetheless, the two older pigs were happy to be of (photographic) service!


After 30 minutes of running, I was tired! But it felt really, really good and I was reminded, once again, of how much I miss the horses, who take me out on regular time-outs no matter how much work there is to do...

Oh well, better move on to the next task. Cheers!

Ishtar

Presenting Eden

Eden family in the Tanout area - Copyright Eden Foundation

Today I had two Eden presentations (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and they went very well - my first commitment since the news of my mother's illness. I was a little worried at first because I was sooooo dizzy (I didn't sleep much tonight because I somehow got it into my head that the alarm wouldn't go off in the morning; not that it helped worrying about it...), but I survived the day without losing my train of thoughts and the message came through.

I love presenting Eden's work and showing how such a laughably simple solution (helping the farmers establish drought-tolerant trees and bushes that bear fruit, even in times of need) can give such outstanding results; how the poor can be joyful and how easy it can be to achieve a sustainable solution if you only have the time, commitment and patience to see it through.

Collecting Eden fruits from the family field
- Copyright Eden Foundation

Now I am well aware that few projects plan the future in terms of generations and that Eden is quite unique in this matter. I am aware that others think I miss out on many adventures by not changing scenery now and then - after all, with all my knowledge and experience, I could take jobs in so many other places. However, the thing is (and I say this whole-heartedly) that I would rather spend the rest of my life working with one thing that I know truly makes a difference, than spending a few years here and a few years there and in the end not accomplishing any true difference.

A small fortune of Eden fruits - Copyright Eden Foundation

I love Niger with all my heart, despite its weaknesses and turtle-paced progress. I love Eden because I get to help the poorest of the poor - the inhabitants of the least developed area in the least developed country in the world - to achieve a sustainable solution, and we get to do it from scratch. It's a huge challenge, but I love challenges, and so yet again, I am incredible fortunate!

Now, as you may or may not already have figured out, I wish I could be spending all my days (nearly, at least!) in the land "that stands still", the land that so few people know anything about. But I can't at the moment - have to work on my finances etc - but there is one thing I can do here in Sweden which concerns Niger, and that is to be the messenger of glad tidings and let the people of the Developed World know that there really is a solution for the poor, that both poverty and desertification is reversible and that they can be a part of letting that happen. So can you!

Little Illa with his Eden fruits, one my favorite pictures!
- Copyright Eden Foundation

Greetings!
Ishtar

Where to raise your children

Lol, I really must be one of the greatest Niger-fans on this entire planet!

Today I read an article in the Swedish paper Aftonbladet, which stated that Sweden is the best country to live in if you are a mother.

At the bottom of the list was none other than Niger, in terms of insurance, health care, female life expectancy, education, financial inequality between the sexes, parental insurance (or lack of...?), female involvement in politics, child mortality rate etc... (The list was long).

Now, all this is true - and Sweden is really a comfortable place to bring up your children, and yet... there is no place on earth where I would rather raise my children than in Niger!

Copyright Eden Foundation 2007

Material wealth and security in all its honor, but the difference - for me - between Niger and Sweden is that in Niger, I have time. Time to think, time to spend with others, time to inspire and figure out what life is really about. Though I would probably be so much more efficient if I lived the rest of my days in Sweden, I never really feel as if I am "alive". Life in Sweden is so much about work, work and work. My tinnitus goes up, my neck muscles ache and my dizziness increases and I know it's only from the mental stress that I create in my mind.

So despite what the papers say, my choice is Niger. I am Swedish and I enjoy meeting all my friends and relatives there - and Niger is truly at times one of the most awkward places on earth, but there is a very special sincerity to it that I find precious and rare, and which I would like to pass on to my own children on day.

Now your turn!



Ishtar

Back in Sweden!

So - I've been in Sweden for 3,5 days now and I'm starting to adjust. Slept two hours on the plane so Friday was a bit groggy. Have been working on settling in and trying not to miss Africa too much (won't do me much good since I'm sticking around here for another five to six months!). Anyway, here's a little summary I put together just for fun!

Hours of sleep per night since arriving: 10
Cups of coffee had since setting foot on Swedish soil: 9
Hours spent talking to my sister and other family members: +12
Money spent since arriving: 0 kr
People met: 6 (people that I know)
Hours spent bicycling: 0
Hours spent walking in the sunshine: 7
Meals cooked: 1
Restaurants visited: 1

Numbers of kg gained since arriving: so far 0
People concerned about my current weight: 1
My odds as I see it of keeping my current weight: 0
Minutes spent longing for Africa: +200
Number of calls made to Niger since arriving: 3

Minutes spent worrying about my future(finances etc): surprisingly few
Minutes spent stressing: 0
Contacts with workplaces: 2
Working days scheduled this week: 2 (+1 pro bono)
Hours spent organizing my life in Microsoft Outlook: 2
Days spent being happy and feeling fulfilled: 3,5 (of 3,5!)

So there you are! I'll let you know in a week or so if the stress mode has gone up somewhat. But right now it is surprisingly cool and "African"!

Cheers!
Esther