Back to Oslo from Stockholm

24.02.12 Guess what baby Kara? We're on the train again but its back to Oslo and you've just been fed.  Mom says your eyes look cute now, probably because you got that drunken look after feeding - but we didn't spike your milk. Well I think you have that peaceful and contented look, and shuffling back and forth between wanting to rest and also wanting to know what is happening around you. Everytime you open your eyes I felt scared, not knowing if you will cry or do next, but a pat from mom and you immediately went back to sleep. Half an hour ago it was full of tension. The train wasn't here yet but the platform was full of people, and full of baby prams, buggy, wheelchair and oversize luggage. We went into the wrong carriage and it was jam packed with people and stuff and I had to chuck your baby carriage at the train steps just to let people through since it was quite sizable, and also trying to find our seats. In the end, we found out we were in the wrong carriage and quickly moved to the correct one where it was much peaceful and had more places to place your carriage. Lesson learnt, don't assume and rush into things, take a little longer to confirm things and it will save you much hassle. Earlier this morning we went to the Malaysian embassy in Stockholm to apply for your citizenship papers and passport which went very smoothly. The highlight of it was when we had to fingerprint you, and it was so tiny compared to daddy's. You were pretty calm when putting it down for the passport form, but you were crying the whole time when it was time for the citizenship paper. We met a very nice lady called Joyce who processed your applications, and then met another Malaysian lady who came from Oslo and is married to a Norwegian. It's a very different world in Europe and Malaysia in terms of marriage and having kids. In Europe, as a woman you get married and take your husband name, and you can change it with ease to reflect that but in Malaysia it would be a hassle. Or God forbid, for a woman who give birth to a child without being married, can register the birth of the child in Europe but not so easily in Malaysia, but mom says its a good thing so that we don't encourage pre-marital sex and single parents. All in all we spent 2 days in Sweden, but mostly on the train and in the hotel. I would like very much to take you and mommy out to see the sights but it's rather windy and you're either hungry and need feeding, or crying and making us worried. But anyway you didn't miss much. Stockholm is a mixed bag of semi-old and metropolitan in the city center, and pretty old in Gamlestan but somewhat scarred by commercialization. Everything looks so dispersed and faded, but compared to Oslo, it is very crowded, especially on the train and metro station. I guess that is why when I went to the supermarket, there is much more choices on the shelves, or many types of restaurant and cuisines, because the market here is large enough to create a demand and sustain it. Daddy got so much more to share, but then i don't think I qualify to comment after spending 24 hours in Stockholm and you're much too young to appreciate it. But one geeky thing that your telco engineer daddy didn't get to do was to go to Kista and pose in front of  the Ericsson, Sony Ericsson and Nokia buildings, but at least I came back in time to see you poop all over your pants and fed us so we could get onto the train in time.