Säg orden, de enda: jag älskar dig

Jag blir fylld av poesi, av tårar och rus av kvällens nyhetssändning. Flickor som hotas av könsstympning, oavsett vartifrån de kommer, skall få stanna i Sverige från och med nu. Migrationsverket ändrar sin syn på saken och klassar detta nu som förföljelse på grund av kön. Könsstympning av kvinnor är mycket långt ifrån min verklighet och tillvaro, men är bland det som berör allra mest. Idag blev jag lycklig, detta är att se flickebarn som fullvärdiga människor och erkänna de förföljelser som drabbar kvinnor som verkliga och viktiga.

Läs mer om det här, här och här.

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The Jelly Belly

Our last couple of days in San Francisco were very well spent I´d say. The red wood trip we wanted to do did not really work out. The shuttles there stopped going by the end of Septemberand we'd have to take a cab the last bit of the way (likely there will be a cab waiting for us by the woods late afternoon to take us home..not.) if we weren't to take one of those tourist trips there. The latter was really not an option since no company offered a day of free time in the woods. Sitting on a bus for 2 hours just to be let out in a group for another two before going home just was not worth it. I really wanted to see the huge trees, but I'm sure we'll be back in the states to see them, and then to have an opportunity to take our time while there.

One of those organized bus trips we already had planned and prepaid before coming here, and that was a wine tour in Napa Valley. Without a car, it's pretty hopeless to go testing, but with this tour we'd visit 4 places. In retrospect, 3 would have been enough. With 4-6 wines to try at each place, things felt a wee tipsy, but it was very interesting to challenge your pallot. Many nice white wines, and also nice bubbly ones at Chandon (yes, subsidiary to Moët), but just one good red wine. I'm very hard to please there, and I'm starting to realize I might not really like red wines, most of it is to heavy for me to really enjoy drinking. I'll just whiff on those from now on. ;)



The country side was absolutley beautiful, with all the (veeery expencive) wine yards, nice small wineries everywhere, and rolling hills by the horizon. Our guide was VERY enthusiastic, practically never stopped talking duing our time in the bus, EVER, but we had a very good time, and leart a lot. For instance, did you know that all juice that comes out of grapes ar clear? It is contact with the grapes skin that gives the wine it's colour.

But, the big field trip of the week, that we organized all by ourselves, went to the Jelly Belly Bean factory in Fairfield. Fairfield is a fairly small place in the bay area. We went there by tube and citybus/baylink, travelled for about two hours and were not disappointed. We got a factory tour, got to take cheesy couples photos with a big and soft jelly belly bean, hade jelly belly bean shaped food (not particularily good acctually, totally dry and boring, but felt like a must we had to endure), tasted all new kinds of jelly beans in their flavour bar and then bought merch and bags with our favourites. Buttered popcorn of course, cream soda, bubblegum, kiwi, apple pie and mint chocolate, but also the new ice cream and smoothie collections. We also bought their scary halloween-"dare to compare"-collection with flavours such as booger, baby wipes and vomit. Dare to try'em? Come by our house!



We learnt so much on the tour, mainly about how the jelly belly beans are made of course. 150 flavours, and each flavour takes 20 days to make. They have a unique centre, all flavours, and then different coatings etc. The factory was strange to experience with all the huge piles of candy in all imaginable colours and big blenders (like those for cement) where flavours and coating were added. Apparantly the little bean hade a true fan in former president Reagan. Due to his sweet tooth, all meetings were held off until the bowl of jelly beans had been passed around, and Air Force One back then had jelly belly bean dispensers, for safe munching while in the air.

Best trip ever, but walking to/between the buses was getting harder by the hour for me. The day before we had been out like forever, visiting the Golden Gate Park, but also the San Francisco Zoo. We left the hotel at no later than 10, and walked and walked and walked and walked. Ended up at the zoo at 16, one hour before they were to close up. Many of the animals weren't out anymore, unfortunatley, but we were there for the feeding of the giraffes at least, and that was quite something. Upon arrival my feet hurt SO MUCH. Our plan was to just bite it together, run around the zoo to see EVERYTHING and then hail a cab back to the hotel. After the zoo closed we hade to walk for hours before finding a tube station. No cab. Many blisters for Mika, out in her stylish but painfully flat sneakers. I'm getting old folks shoes from now on, that's for sure. Just over 36 000 steps we took that day. Crazy, great yet somewhat frightening..

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This is how we roll

San Francisco is still amazing, after over a week now. My foot totally broke down the other day, I could hardly stand on it at all, but after a lot of resting the swelling went down and today I am good to go. We have due to this been going around with cabs a lot more, and i just have to tell you that it is so cheap here. Also, the meeters run not on time but on distance. So, if you're standing in traffic you don't have to start sweating. On the other hand, most of the chauffeaurs drive like mad, due to the system. Our ride from the airport to thei hotel upon arrival was the worst cab ride I have ever made in my life - worse that both old cabs in Moldova with no seatbelts and the strange minibuses in Hurg Hada, Egypt, driving on piles of garbage and dirt.. We were going twice the speed limit, pitch dark out side. Brr...



The last few days we have experienced fleet week here in the harbour. The events were topped off with a really cool show be the Blue Angels, performing all kinds of air bourn stunts over the bay and flying really low amongst the skyscrapers. We also visited Haight Ashbury, the so called hippie part of town.
I must say that the hippie thing mostly concisted of weed, weed pipe stores and a lot of tingel tangel (Sw. krimskrams), which did not really impress me. So, sorry mom, not hippie gift for anyone, it was all crap.. BUT Ashbury had really good places to eat, and also some cool stores with your designer clothes. We went on a total spree at Loyal Army Clothing, so many cool items there. We both bought clothing, some gifts for friends and I got a handbag with dracula burgers and happy pears on it. Totally cute! The girl in the store was a former political sciences student and amazed about the Swedish welfare system. While being here, I am just so sad about people not having at least parts of the security we experience. Even though our system isn't by far what it once was, it is still concidered a luxury to many others. Weird to see it for another view for a change, to see workes demonstrations demanding at least some vacation time every year, pensions, paid sick leave, higher minimum wages, unemployment protection. All of this is very tangible here at the moment, since the bail out.

Obviously it's all about politics on the news, and we are very excited about that. It's interesting to see the portraial of the campaigns by the media, and to see how the election system works, what's the debates all about, the rhetoric etc. There are a lot of commercials about regional props aswell, being voted on during the national election. Some are so right wing I almost think they are made up. The issue of banning gay marriage again here in California, dreadful propaganda out there, and clashing demos from both sides this weekend.

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Best of San Francisco

It's so weird to be here. Our part of town is totally nice, and the first days we were wondering where all the homelessness and poverty was. San Fran is told to have one of the highest rates of homelessness in the US. One day when we strolled 2 streets in the "wrong" direction, we got our answer. Tenderloin with drugs, prostitution, people visibly high, hungry, sick and/or mentaly ill; we just walked right into it by accident. The area where we live definatley looks and feels different at night, so we are not out on adventures then. Old folks warning on that one, I know..

On our trip we are guided by SF Weekly and our magic 8-ball. SF Weekly hase the best lists of all the best places here. We have followed its advise regarding the best compic book store, burrito, swiss fondue and traditional italian dinner. We will keep on taking their advise, with a little help of the 8-ball, who's decisions we know better than to defy.

We visited Japantown and the Mission District yesterday, also known as the banana belt (the taxidriver who told me figured that it was not a negatively racist epithet on the latino part of town, but I don't know, he was white himself so..). In Chinatown I bought the traditional Chinese fiddle Erhu (Sw: Ninjafiol)the other day, and we will try to dare a Dim Sun meal there soon. Try to stay away of the chicken feet and focus on the nicer stuff I guess..

Tonight is laundry night for us, and maybe go out for dinner. Most of all we'll read the stuff we bought at Isotopes and plan for our red wood trip this weekend!

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Burnt honeymooners spotted on the Golden Gate Bridge

Yes, it's true. I am in California for 2 whole weeks, and yes, I did not bring my sun lotion. I also did not purchase such a bottle upon arrival, or even before going on a 6 hour bike ride wearing a tank top. So yeah, that's settled then, and Daniel is rubbing my back and arms with aloe vera every hour.



I'm writing in English as a way of honouring one of my best friends in life, April the sunny and funny girl from Manitoba, Canada. I have not seen her since the day in June 2000, when I got on the train leaving my aupair life in Engelberg Schweiz, going back to Sweden. The other night when I flew over seas I acctually sorta flew over Winnipeg Manitoba, and that's the closest we've been since.

Anyway, I am a happy honeymooner. First time in the US ever, and I did not quite know what to expect, except some alone time without work or dog with the lovely Daniel (also referred to as "The Husband"). I love Mir to the bone, and miss him heaps, but it's also nice to be away just the two of us after becoming a "parent" this summer. We have so much time on our hands before going back home, but we have already experienced so much.

After fighting off the jet lag pretty good (we simply did not sleep for the entire flight), we are early birds and have spent the mornings walking around, in the harbour, in parks, in the financial district. I work in the financial district of Stockholm, and it's a wee bit funny to see that the dress code seems much more strict there than here. Today we rented bikes and went along the costal trail before the bay fog lifted. This leaves me with the strongest views I have ever seen. The ocean is so powerful! After biking over the bridge and back, we went home via Fishermans Warf and In 'n out burger. Awesome!

San Fran is a strangely steep city, and combined with sky scrapers and small crowded houses all in different styles, we just won't get bored walking around all day I think. Some excursions planned though, such as a trip to Great America or Six Flags amusement Park, as well as a wine tour.

Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om Bonnabränna, Bröllopsresa, Californien, Golden Gate Bridge, Honeymoon, San Francisco, Semester, USA

Bröllopsresa!

See you in San Francisco baby!

(foto: Elin Maigaard)

Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om San Francisco, bröllop, Bröllopsresa, Honeymoon