In arbitrary order…
• I will miss the cosy dark climbing walls at Kombihallen – although I do wish Malmö’s Klatter Klubb to finally implement its plans to build a better facility. Sorry I can’t help, guys, and please add dressing rooms and showers
• I will miss Astrid och Aporna, for its organic food and Sunday opening hours
• I will miss the street views of Malmö
• I will miss the soft thumping of Steve’s electronic drum gear on Friday late afternoons – and other afternoons too
• I will miss Vendel’s organic Bakery and the Boulangerie. Tack för att ni pratade Svenska met mig, också när jag förstod er inte så bra.
• I will miss the street views of Lund, this ‘city without beaches’ (quote from a Langhorns cd cover)
• I will miss the area around Lund University Central library and the colony of crows which lands there every spring
• I will miss the magnolias in front of the Lund University main building
• I will miss my friends at RPI and CIRCLE
• I will miss the stroopwafel addiction of some of my CIRCLE friends
• I will miss 3 o clock fika
• I will miss Tina and Steve’s, sometimes successful efforts to annoy the hell out of me – sorry Tina, quality over quantity, here
• I will miss the hugs
• I will miss the yacht-ish cosyness of my place at Slöjdgatan and the landlord’s manjana manjana attidude – I am sure Mafalda is having a great time there, just like Mauri, Bianca, Ju and I have had.
• I will miss the whitish blond hair – even though I know that the color may be fake
• I will miss the Science Fiction Bokhandeln
• I will miss Mrs Brown
• I will miss Mac Support
• I will miss Folkets Parket
• I will miss Hanna, Magnus, Magnus, David, Björn, Lotta and many other friends at MKK- remember guys and girls : stand on your left foot when you reach for the next grip with you left hand
• I will miss the incredible legs of Swedish women
• I will miss the lunch talks with Olof and Steve at Tegnérs and Lars and Josee at Kårhuset to catch up on work, life and everything
• I will miss cruising bars and clubs in Lund and Malmö with Steve
• I will miss the green city busses and huge yellow shuttle busses of Skånetrafiken
• I will miss Björn’s stories about how he enjoys the good things in life
• I will miss the mac talks with Olof, Björn and anybody who would be willing to listen or unfortunate enough to run into one of those conversations
• I will miss Lucie building and the great office spaces
• I will miss Hamburgerstället – especially its former location in Saluhallen
• I will miss Repeat Records
• I will miss my place at Helmfeltsgatan – thank you Louise for letting it to me and Sara and Magnus for getting me in contact with Louise, I still owe you at least one dinner
• I will miss my friends at Kino and Doc Lounge – thank you all for teaching me some Swedish and the chance to meet so many Swedish people
• I will miss the train trips between the Netherlands and Sweden, not least because of Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, the ferry trip between Puttgarden and Rødby and the fish and chips dish on board
• I will miss the cobble stone streets in Lund and Malmö
• I will miss the sounds of the Øresundtåg
• I will miss the boulevard at Västrahamman – and it’s view on the Öresund and the modern world – and thank you Cris for enjoying that view with me one more time
• I will miss the chats with Magnus, Høgni, Jerker, Caroline, Roman and Tomas, which often enough became nice discussions and exchanges on the issues that be at CIRCLE
• I will miss Ariman
• I will miss bowling with Mauri and Bianca – thank you Mauri, Bianca, Olof, Dani, Björn, Lisen, Sofie, Sara, Magnus, Jens, Cecilia and Della for introducing me to your families, friends, and Swedish – and sometimes probably also not so Swedish – ways of life.
• I will miss Mats’ enthusiasm – thank you Mats, for welcoming me twice to RPI
• I will miss the Grand Hotel in Lund
• I will miss the talks and drinks with Gustav at Stortorget
• I will miss the Swedish patience in queues and respect for others
• I will miss the jogging men and women in Pildammsparken and the power-walking women with their pony tails jumping in the air – for some reason, it seems mostly women practicing this hobby
• I will miss some bits, but not all, of the Swedish self-service culture, which is ahead of the curve I think
• I will miss Lucie building’s lunch room, its battery of micro waves and the frequent talk about food
• I will miss the liveliness of Möllevangen area – and really envy Matthias for having found a place nearby
• I will miss the opportunity to have day trips to Copenhagen
• I will miss the dome tower at the Astronomy faculty, and its secret
• I will miss the toilet queues in the bars – queue and thou might learn
• I will miss learning Swedish from Björn, Hanna, Andrina, Sonja, Jerker, Joop, Åle, Niklas, Karl Johan, and many others – Tack så jätte mycket, vänner
• I will miss the smell of the sea in Malmö and the screeching seagulls in the courtyard at Helmfeltsgatan
• I will miss Folketsparket in Lund
• I will miss the COOP Nära at Trollebergsvägen
• I will miss Fågelbacksgatan, simply because of its name
• I will miss sitting, sunning, reading and watching people passing by during summer afternoons at the little lake in Slottsparken
• I will miss the spicy pesto calzone of 7/11
• I will miss the loudspeaker sounds at Lund, Malmö and Triangeln station – too bad though that the sounds usually announced yet another delay
• I will miss the snowy winter in Lund two winters ago and the snow fight with Mauri, Bianca, Björn, Steve and Sara in the middle of the night after a great dinner party
• I will miss the demonstrations for and against many things good and bad at the market squares
• I will miss Kårhuset’s student restaurant
• I will miss the view from my office at the crossing of Sölvegatan and Turnavägen
• I will miss how the Swedish mistake light for warmth
• I will miss the small organic food store at Borgmästaregatan in Lund – where time seems to stop
• I will miss browsing the outlet DVD’s at Hemmakväl, and the second-hand comic store at Lila torget
• I will miss Pronto’s sandwiches and pasta salads
• I will miss Triangeln railway station – it took a while to finish it, but the result is doubly cool
• I will miss helping Björn getting things printed on the Konica printer – studying innovation apparently doesn’t mean one can handle it
• I will miss all the fuzz about the alarm in Lucie building and dashing for the console when somebody (no worries Jonmi and Ju, I will mention only pseudonyms) switched it on after checking the offices with their brains instead of their eyes
• I will miss the farewell fikas and parties, not just my own, but also Bram’s, Cornelia’s, Monica’s, Adèle’s, Høgni’s (which I unfortunately missed), Tomas’, Astrid’s, Karoline’s, Ju’s, Gouya’s, and Astrid’s – I hope, I haven’t overlooked anybody. Hmmm, I’m not sure I’ll actually miss these farewell’s, but they keep reminding me to enjoy things while they last.
• I will not miss CIRCLE’s research policy and human resources policy
• I will miss cooking on tiny electric stoves in tiny kitchens
• I will miss Kex, Billar, and probably Vinegar & Salt crisps, and organic paprika crisps with Kavli remoulad saus
• I will miss baked potatis as they make them in Graffiti café in Lund
• I will miss the voices at the coffee machine, and the laughter in the hallways of CIRCLE offices
• I will miss the seminars that introduced me into innovation studies
• I will miss the beeps of the jojo-kort readers and the ticket vending machines
• I will miss the Scandinavian-style art-deco architecture
• I will miss switching of the lights at CIRCLE and switching on the alarm – hoping that I checked with my eyes, rather than my brains
• I will miss the abundance of Ikea furniture – but Ikea is working on that
• I will miss CIRCLE’s social capital committee – it should be institutionalized, although that is impossible
• I will miss the stairs with the bronze cats and water falls at Södra Vallgatan
• I will miss the Skype talks with Anne, Mirjam, Frank, Louis, Robin, and Wim & Leonie
• I will miss the lack of dog shit in the parks
• I will miss the vegetarian dish (nr. 6) at Triangeln’s China Box
• I will miss the thrill of Dutch-style biking on Malmö’s streets and biking lanes
• I will miss the plant in Malmö where they make the support pillars for windmills – is it Kockums?
• I will miss the smell of Kino, the sound of the 35 mm projectors and checking tickets. I can’t remember smells, but that may be all the more reason why I will miss them
• I will miss the parties, dinner parties, BBQs
• I will miss having family and friends from Holland over and showing them around – Louis, Frank, Marga, Robin, Wim and Leonie, Anne and Els thank you for your visits
• I will miss senap sill – fortunately also available in blue-box stores in the Netherlands
• I will miss the fashion addiction of Swedish women and men to H&M, Gina Tricot, Lindex, Brothers & Sisters (Finnish actually) and what have they
• I will miss bouldring in Stapelbäddsparken parken with Björn, Magnus, and Matthias
• I will miss the Swedish public health care insurance system
• I will miss the Turning Torso high rise, and especially the view on it and Malmö from the Øresund bridge
• I will miss the queues in front of System Bolaget
• I will miss the tastes of semlas and sourdough bread with olives
I will miss all that and more. I do hope to return some time.
