Sweden Other - 5

Today my Moms friend and dog Widget passed away. So it's a very sad day. I can't even imagine how my Mom is doing, she had Widget for almost 12 years, he was her best friend. Widget was SO good and I wish I could had seen him before this happened but I didn't. But I wish.
Then I got that book Oogy today and just started reading it, the book is happy and sad because this dog went through so much abuse before he finally found a safe and loving place. So reading the book made me cry again. So I have been crying on and off today since a few hours now.
I feel so bad for my Mom, I wish I could go over and give her a hug and just be there for her, but the distance between us is big, I am in Vegas and she is in Stockholm. I love my Mom very much, though I don't tell her that, hardly ever. And I feel bad for that too. That makes me even more sad.
I think life in general is basically suffering. That's actually one of the noble truths of Buddhism. This is what it says,

"Life means suffering.
To live means to suffer, because the human nature is not perfect and neither is the world we live in. During our lifetime, we inevitably have to endure physical suffering such as pain, sickness, injury, tiredness, old age, and eventually death; and we have to endure psychological suffering like sadness, fear, frustration, disappointment, and depression. Although there are different degrees of suffering and there are also positive experiences in life that we perceive as the opposite of suffering, such as ease, comfort and happiness, life in its totality is imperfect and incomplete, because our world is subject to impermanence. This means we are never able to keep permanently what we strive for, and just as happy moments pass by, we ourselves and our loved ones will pass away one day, too."

And that is true. One day I will see every being that I love and care for pass away. Sad and difficult events happen constantly. I think the bright and happy events that we occasionally experience exist just to make life bearable to live for us. This sounds like I am a pessimist but I am not, I am a realist and in general a very happy person.
But these are the facts of life. I actually sometimes wish I could die before everybody else so I don't have to go through the pain, it would make it so much easier.
I tell Chhaya that I love her and how much she means to me several times a day.
I dreamed of Widget this morning, he was running in the snow and was happy. I think he is somewhere good. He showed me in the dream.
I hope and believe that when we die we go somewhere where we reunite with everybody we have loved, family, friends and animals. I am not sure if we need to live several lives first, to better ourselves with each life and learn until we finally can go to the big, blissful place and rest. I am not sure, but I hope.
I don't think that we just live this life, die and that's it. There's more.
Anyways, I have to go.

Here's my beautiful friend Widget, I have many wonderful memories of him. I love you Widget.

Tatiana can't believe the news she is getting! A bomb in Stockholm?! This SUCKS!
Sweden used to be the nicest place to live in, what is happening?
Tatiana's Mom, brother and many of her very close friends live in Stockholm. SO SAD!
😥
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/12/stockholm-sweden-bombs-explosions

So my Mom lives in Sweden, that's really far away and I don't see her often. She is a great Mom. I miss her.
And I am a Mom, I have Chhaya. She is the best.
Here are some pics of my Mom (and me) and my baby Chhaya. Look at that face, the cutest!!!





Also, to my friend Rose-Marie in Sweden......Grattis på Mors Dag, du är bäst, saknar dig!! ~ LOVE ~

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/sweden/7278532/Jews-leave-Swedish-city-after-sharp-rise-in-anti-Semitic-hate-crimes.html

If you have the time and energy to read it, takes about a minute or two.
This annoys Tatiana to no end. Sweden used to be a rather peaceful place UNTIL they started accepting too many immigrants. It's a small country. Tatianas solution? Kick out the MF's that cause problems, it doesn't matter if they are Africans, Arabs, Polish, Jews, Muslims etc.....(we have them all in Sweden by now) if they can't be "normal" and peaceful, if they do dumb shit and if they don't want to learn how to speak Swedish for various stupid reasons, then they need to go back to where they came from. That's it. Tatiana moved to Sweden with her Mom from Poland, yes it is not the first time she mentions this fact in this blog. She knows the feelings associated with not knowing a language and being targeted for that, arriving somewhere new and foreign. No, it wasn't always easy (actually it was bad at times) BUT if all she would had done was cause problems in Sweden and spread negativity then why even be there?
Sweden is NOT a Muslim country and should NOT become a Muslim country, that would be awful. Neither is is a Jewish country. It is Sweden. Should be calm and peaceful.
There are way too many immigrants in Sweden causing big problems. Tatiana is just waiting for the Swedes to get pissed off and dig out those old dusty Viking helmets and weapons and start cleaning house. See, Swedes are by nature very calm but once they get mad, the old Viking in them wakes up and then you better run.
Tatiana is like a Polish/Swedish mix probably. Kind of hot tempered and feisty but at the same time calm. She thinks. It is not easy making judgements about oneself.

It's getting late and Tatiana is going to sleep soon, she will read a few gossip magazines first, just to get the updates.
But before that, while she still remembers, she needs to tell you about the Prinsesstårta!!! That's in Swedish and means Princess cake. And it is SOOOOOO good and to Tatiana's joy, was served at IKEA this last time Tatiana was there, on New Years Day.
Tatiana looooooveeeees Prinsesstårta, it is a cake that originated in Sweden and she would get it for her birthday. If you are close to an IKEA, go in and try this cake, it is the best!
They even have it prepackaged to take home, Tatiana ate all four pieces in the package she brought home with her tonight, she had plans on sharing the Prinsesstårta with some friends but couldn't help herself and scarfed it all down this evening. Actually, she has been on a scarfing down binge since New Years, there needs to be some jogging done this week. Seriously. The thighs are filling out.
Yeah, Tatiana is super happy that she can have Prinsesstårta in the US now, thank you IKEA!

Tatiana came across an article today that talked about how the Scandinavian countries fight FGM (female genital mutilation). In case you don't know Scandinavia consists of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. Beautiful countries.
Tatiana thinks that is is very good that it is illegal in Scandinavia to subject your daughter(s) to FGM. It is total mutilation and against human rights. Here are some extracts from the article and at the end of this blog there will be a link to the full article.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - When she was 11, a Swedish-born girl was taken on vacation to her mother's native Somalia. The mother wanted to “make her daughter clean” and paid a man to cut off her daughter's clitoris and labia while two women held her down.
Afterward, the girl was stitched to her urethra.
No anesthesia was used.

“The reasons given for female circumcision are traditional, cultural and religious. It is believed to encourage cleanliness, to control promiscuity, enhance the males´ sexual pleasure, preserve virginity and protect against unwanted pregnancies,” said Timnit Embaye of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kenya.

“Women in most African communities are taken as second-class citizens. Although the mothers may not want to circumcise their daughters, it is often very difficult for them to openly oppose the practice,” she said. “It would be a bold woman to stand up against a practice that has been endorsed by all her women ancestors for centuries.”
So Scandinavian governments are trying to stand up for the women.

Ok.......in Sweden we have lots of immigrants from all kinds of countries. Tatiana arrived to Sweden from Poland with her single Mom, not a word of Swedish but quickly learned. There are lots of issues in Sweden regarding immigrants. Tatiana thinks that a person that moves to a new country should embrace the new country as well keep the original countries traditions as long as they do not compromise the new countries laws.
And you should definitely learn how to speak the new countries language. There are people in Sweden that do not know how to speak Swedish after years in Sweden, that is so not ok. Those people should not get any special assistance whatsoever, they need to learn the language, asap.
Tatiana didn't know a word of Swedish upon arrival, first grade was scary due to the language barrier, later she excelled in Swedish, probably because she would bury herself in books a lot. First novel read from cover to cover "Roots" by Alex Haley in second grade.
If you feel like you can not conform to the new countries laws you do not need to live there, go back to where you came from. That is the best solution for everyone. If you want to circumcise your daughter, do not move to Sweden. If you want to wear a burqa or force your daughter or wife to wear a burqa then don't move to France. Or Sweden either for that matter.
Tatiana is applauding the French president Sarkozys decision to ban the burqua in public. Western Europe and Scandinavia are countries where equality between the sexes is strived for, as is should. Burqas and FGM do not belong.
Tatiana wouldn't move to a country where she couldn't live the way she wished, you need to somewhat be able to assimilate yourself into the society you live in. That does not mean you have to be a sheep in a big flock, not be able to think for yourself. Thinking outside the box is great, that is how we as people can move forward.
Tatiana admirers women from Mother Theresa that immersed herself in altruism to Anna Wintour, the super successful and totally in charge editor in chief of American Vogue magazine. Pippi Långstrump is a great role model for girls too.
Tatiana doesn't like women like Jessica Simpson and Heidi Montag. Anyone that changes the way they talk and act when a man is around. Any woman that gives up who she is for a man. Bleh! Compromising is fine but not totally changing.
Women should do whatever they want. If they want an education, travel, do whatever - they should. Not every woman wants to have babies and cook and clean, that is ok if that is what a person wants to do.
Equality, a great concept, Tatiana is all for it.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/europe/090916/scandinavia-female-genital-mutilation?page=0,0

Since this blog is about circumcision and equality......what about male circumcision? This does not happen too much is Sweden (Tatiana is not familiar with Swedish laws on this issue) but is common the USA. This is usually performed when the child is still very young, not like FGM. But really it should be that individuals choice whether to get circumcised or not. A child has no say in a decision like this, it's the parents decision. If the foreskin and the clitoris were so bad for our bodies we would not have been born with these parts.
Thanks for reading!