Going on holiday

Being a pennyless student, it is pretty much a given that I am a) scum of the universe and b) can't afford to go on holiday (apparently being a student means one long holiday- now I beg to differ, sort of).

Well to 'stick one to the man' (or whatever the phrase is) we found a dirt cheap flight to my friend Padraic's home country of Ireland. Now he would be the first to say don't go to Dublin: in a similar way probably bares no resemblance to the 'real' Ireland, as London does to England.

But, being tax dodging geniuses, Johanna found them via Ryanair (ok, there's a good chance we will crash on the way) for $0.00 (sorry have an American computer and no pound sign). The only thing that cost us were taxes and credit/debit card charge, so a whopping total of 32 quid for both of us, everything included (in terms of flight).

I feel slightly embarrassed to say I've never been to Ireland, but I'm allowed to be let off as I'm English: meaning I am completely ignorant of 'foreign' things, think the shit-hole that is England is in some way a good place to live, that curry is an Indian dish and Carling is a real beer.

Of course, I'm joking and have no excuses. Trust me, English people don't generally have 'beefs' with other UK countries and Ireland; more that being English means they all hate us.....I don't blame them.

I might have to go over there and put on my best Irish accent, start talking about me lucky charms and fecking tings.....yes I am cultured, honest.

Although we may not experience 'true' Ireland, we'll get a taste at least. As Ryanair fly in to fields in random hamlets or villages, claiming to be 'Dublin airport' probably is closer to Wales than Ireland in reality. Hopefully we'll get rescued by some locals (who won't recognise where I'm from- I have Johanna with me and I can pretend to be Swedish. It's easy really: I just have to grunt lots and say mmm every other sentence....sorted), get a little Irish roof over our head and a nice cold Guinness.....oh stereotypes, don't you just love them?

A few bits

After a slightly morbid last post, I thought I'd better write something a little less, how shall I put it, erm... unwholesome.

Being a huge Eurovision fan (like every Brit I'm sure), I was eagerly awaiting another zero total score. I'm saddened to say, we got 14 points. However, on a better note, we did come joint last. Good news: well done dustbin man.

Ok, may be I'm harsh. Before you say anything, no I didn't watch Eurovision/even know it was on. They were showing a repeat of last nights action on TV today, which reminded me.

I do feel for our dustbin man though. Again, votes since 1972 have been studied and show a distinct political shafting between the Scandinavians (yes Sweden, you cheating gits), the Baltic countries and well, just Eastern Europe. This year proved to be no different and the results for the 12 point vote was recorded:

Guess who voted for the winners Russia? Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Israel (they're NOT european!!), Lativa, Lithuania and Ukraine.....hmmm says it all.

Guess who voted for Serbia? Yep, Bosnia, Montenegro and Slovenia.

What about the Scandinavian vote? Well Iceland and Norway voted for Denmark. Finland and Sweden voted for Norway.

Unfortunately this means none of the other Scandinavian countries like Sweden. The only 12 pointer they recieved was from Malta...haha. Oh you ask about the UK vote...well absolutely NO-ONE gave us the full 12 points: hardly surprising when we only totalled 14.

And so the scandalous politics continues......what a f**king stupid competition. (Oh by the way Sweden you came 18th, with your version of a cross-dressing 'woman' transexual beast).

What else to report? Johanna surprised me on Friday, with a trip to the cinema to see (what else?!) Indy!! All I can say is what a legend that man is. The film is a classic!

I'm just watching the first few laps of the Monaco Grand Prix....typical crap. I know guys, got a great idea....lets run semi-slick tyres on a wet track and see what happens. Yes folks, it's like watching Bambi on ice.

We are all screwed

Please don't take the title literally....this is in no way a dirty post. Just a huge warning to anyone going to hospital or any hypochondriacs who think they are always ill....be afraid, be very afraid.

Ok, I'm not freaking out, it's just we had a top physician from Uppsala hospital come lecture us about ESBL's (extended spectrum beta-lactamases) today and without going in to biology talk, it appears we have a pretty bleak future ahead.

Well in England, we've all heard of MRSA (to Swedes it has only really begun to exist) and now probably Clostridium difficile. What do they have in common? Well basically we have a very limited defense against these lovely bacteria. Im not going to bore you with details of antibiotic resistance and what not, just understand that it exists, is getting worse and alternative strategies are a long way down the pipe-line.

When a top medical doctor tells you there is no treatment for extremely common infectious bacteria (found in hospitals) and says it in a way that makes herself almost depressed, you know you have a problem.

In a non condescending way, if you don't know, bacteria are very clever bastards, who can basically transfer DNA between each other, meaning they can effectively 'steal' things, e.g. antibiotic resistance.

Picture throwing all your antibiotics (your whole arsenal) at these little bugs, in the process wiping out the resident ones (you know the apparent 'good ones' adverts like actimel claim....again, please don't listen to them....any joghurt, dairy type product works just as well, if not better). You effectively increase the chances of another infectious horrible little creature coming in and invading....taking the place/space of the 'good' bacteria.

Ok, all clear? Now picture the 'good bacteria' nearly all dying off, except may be a few. Now in order to survive they probably have some resistance mechanism...something/way to get rid of the antibiotic/drug.

As these little blighters can pass on their DNA as I said before, now picture our 'good' bacteria sitting next to a horrible infectious one....guess what they are going to share/swap? Yep...that lovely mechanism to stop the antibiotic working.....ok, you might have figured this out long ago.

In a morbid kind of way, this real time evolution is quite amazing.....an ESBL positive Klebsiella strain can literally become resistance to an antibiotic (well actually potentially ALL of them) in 3 days!!! Imagine going in to hospital on a Monday, on antibiotics, then by Wednesday the Dr. turning round and saying, well sorry we have nothing else we can treat you with because the little bastards have become resistant. Then, the day after, you drop down dead.

I mean whatever your thoughts on evolution are (if any), these things can happen over a course of hours....we've all seen Jurassic Park etc and know it took man etc some millions upon millions of years to 'evolve'....again go to England and check out the regular folk- you might think we are a few million years behind still.

My point? Erm.....not sure really. It's all interesting stuff and the mechanisms behind it are complex and fascinating. It's a scary thought that going in to a hospital could be the end.....joking aside, that's pretty harsh news.

I apologize for the morbidness (is that a word?) of this post: so I'll end on a high note- when you get to around 60 and need a new hip, DON"T go to hospital: the answer you ask? Get a few bottles of alcohol (no not to drink, to sterilize!), wipe down the kitchen table, get a sharp Ikea knife, a decent sewing kit, a pair of gloves, a steady hand, a thermos flask (for the replacement part), a copy of Take That's 'things can only get better' and hope for the best......

Where's the next place on your list?

It's a saturday evening and today has been a weird day- I mean not in totally crazy way, but as my 'summer' trip back to England is shortly approaching; mine and J's conversations are on thoughts and what not about exactly that.

Ironically, its been grey, pissing it down and bares full resemblance to an oh so spectacular English Summers day. Just as we drove down our road from a quick visit in town/study sesh at BMC (my second home....thats the bio medicine centre for those who dont know), standing by the bus stop was some morbidly obese, twenty something, smoking, ugly beast. The significance you ask?

Well about 30 seconds before some chav bastard in his rude boy 20 year old civic decides to spank it round this roundabout, then swerves like some drunk nobhead, barely missing a mini centre divider. Again, so what?

Well as my charm and love for England has been rubbing off on Johanna she kinda looks at me and laughs saying something along the lines of 'this is great, it's like a warm up for going to England'.

Chuckling away, I think (taking in the weather, the psycho hose beast and chav boy racer) to myself how truthful her words are. The phrase 'taking one for the team' was never more appropriate.

I mean I'm not so sure why it almost feels like a burden coming 'home'. However rude I sound, my feelings are compounded by seeing almost now nostalgic images from 'home'. With recent surveys from the UK clarifying peoples thoughts that living was better 20 years ago....at least I was alive then...in the 'good old days'.

May be I'm jealous that I'm not Swedish, that I can't speak two languages, that I could afford a house over here, that you don't get abused by pockets of teens, that you're allowed to have a Swedish flag hung high in the sky, that you show some respect to others around you. Or may be it's the ongoings in an apparent soap opera that is 'family'....or may be ignorance on my part.

Either way, despite living in a fantastic place, with the thought of beach, water, etc..I'm almost planning what I'll be doing when I come back to Swedenland......

Football, Andy and everything else

Well firstly, although he doesn't read this, Mr. Pollard came and visited us and what a jolly good time we had. For those who don't know, I met Andy whilst teaching boarding in the States for my two winter seasons, became mates and that's your lot.

It's funny, coz I'm not having a dig at people but he's actually the first person to say 'I'll come over and see you' to actually do exactly that. That by itself means a hell of a lot to me, there isn't too many people that would go out of their way, even if they have the chance. So kudos to you Mr. P, kudos indeed. (p.s. Next time I'll kick your ass on Wii bowling)

Again, thanks to Andy he (as an unbelievably nice gesture) paid for football tickets for me and J to see AIK vs Malmo in Stockholm. As my adopted team is AIK, this was my 'virgin' Swedish football match, needless to say was an experience, the final score ending 2-0 to Gnagnet (look it up): get in.

I mean the whole last day of the Premiership and all that garbage was happening at the same time, but AIK is far more important, now lying 2nd in the table....watch out for Dulee Johnson....

Last weekend was another series of firsts then: the football and then a BBQ at lake Malaren just south of Uppsala, in 24 degree perfect conditions: providing my bleached white body with some much needed sun. (Now paying the price as I am a lobster).

A quality weekend, if not a little sad as my boarding companion left for France (yeah I know, why you might ask). On a lighter note, I got my first exam back from my Molecular Infection Biology course, 38/40.....can't complain.

Not long until I go 'home'... in the meantime I leave you with a clip from the game...woeful attempt at a penalty.

Squash comp

Well I never thought I'd be playing in a squash tournament in Sweden, but it's happened. Named Roslagen, based in that particular area of Stockholm, saw me and a few others from Uppsala squash club go down and give it a go.

As my fellow compatriots fell by the wayside, I made it through to the final, where my little chicken legs couldn't keep up the pace they aren't accustomed to. Nevertheless I gave it everything I had, considering I looked more at home with a zimmer frame or crutches before the match, to still be competitive was a good result by itself. I cant remember the exact score, that sounds strange but you focus on the game not the points.

After we finished, went for a cheeky coffee, met some scum IFK Goteborg supporters then called it a day.....

Here's a clip of the action.....