Stockholm Syndrome.

//I am just updating. Holy Fabregas! Thank him for saving Gunners from hidious loss tonight. 1-0 down until he hit. I can´t believe how much their game resembles a rollercoaster. Tuesday a perfect game and today *this* close to a second defeat in a row. Thank god it didn´t happen. It should have been 1-2 to Gunners as RVP`s hit should have stood. The ball never went out before the goal. But it was flagged. Just a draw before the international break, way better than a humiliating loss. I have to say I love how my parents reacted when I was cheering the divine goal. They were: "You react strongly. Like it´s a matter of life and death." Well, no, but not far from it. How can you explain the feeling you have when your team is losing and then manages to net the ball? You can´t. Fortunately, Fab saved us from a disaster. Internationals next weekend, I´m curious to see how Spain beats Estonia. And wether Finland is still unbelievable good. Oh, in case you´ve missed: Joe Kinnear curses "a little".

First, I got to ask if Milan is some new big hit city. Recently more than one magazine has done an article about it, I remember reading at least three. Next week´s Volt is running a story of 24 hours in the city. Seriously, why? It ain´t that interesting a place. Is it going to be the next Budapest or whatever city we Finns have travelled way too often lately? A bit like Thailand is the new Canary Isles. Never been to either of them and not intending. I am not a beach person. I´m sure Thailand has great cultural things to offer, but I lack the passion for Asia. Of course, I´d love to travel to China or to Japan, but I think that is quite another thing.

I was once again having the "if you could choose any place on Earth, where would you travel" -conversation with my folks. I don´t get why they are so unoriginal. Seriously, every single time we do this, my dad answers Germany, especially some wine area in the south or Austria ad the Alps. My dad, who has seen most of central Europe, even USA for god´s sake. I don´t understand why that particular area fascinates him so much. He´s been to Germany, we spent two weeks in Austria a few years back and he has no knowledge of the German language.

Do not get me wrong, I love Austria. One of the countries I´ve travelled most. Fine, I´d really like to visit Vienna so that there aren´t what, about 100 000 football tourists at the same time. It is a wonderful city, one of the most peaceful places in Europe I´ve stayed. I mean, I can´t think of any other country where I´d spend a night at the capital´s railway station. Now I can just say it has to be one of the most odd and fun experiences I´ve ever had. And the countryside is beautiful, but as my mum put it, I´m a city-person. So I can´t get why dad wants to travel there time and time again.

My mum is a bit more original on her answers as she usually says a place she hasn´t been to, like Hungary and Germany. I also know she has a dream of travelling to some Greek island, even to Australia and to New Zealand, both of which are places I´d be more than thrilled to visit myself. Just not with my savings. Not yet, at least. Wonder when Kilroy is having a sale on those around the world trips they sometimes have... Oh, back to the topic. I do know that mum would love to go to Mauritius, which if I´ve understood correctly is also an island. Nothing bad about that.

The funny part is always when I answer the question. My folks don´t roll their eyes, but it´s not far. If I remember right, this time my answer included the countries of Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Japan and Morocco. I wouldn´t travel to the first two until I´ve brushed up my Spanish which isn´t at its best right now. Of course I also want to see Spain and Portugal, but I refuse to dream of them. Just because my parents don´t know that I´m going to travel there, doesn´t mean I´m not going to do it. Because you can be sure that I will. And rather sooner than later. Also, as I have to admit I´ve never been to Norway I´d love to make a visit there. It´s just so damn expensive a country, so I´d need someone to finance that trip.

If I´d have to make a list of the corner´s of the world I want to see before I kick the bucket, on top would be USA and Canada. Southern parts of the grand US, like the state of Louisiana and then again the forgotten state of Washington. It is still a bit like a joke with my friends, to travel to the rainy state to see Seattle. Which my dad has done... I have to wait until I´m 21, at least, for that since you can do nothing in that country unless you´re of age and have a credit card.

If I´d have to re-travel one of the places I´ve already been to, I couldn´t name just one. Krakow, for the park and the hostel (seriously, I refuse to sleep anywhere else than at Greg-Tom´s if I ever get there again). The atmosphere there is wonderful too. And there are still places to see as reading a map until the last night wasn´t a part of our great plan and missing some key sights due to that fact was inevitable. A good reason to get back there, I guess.

I might do Budapest again too, to get a proper look at the Buda side. The city is big, so I know I haven´t seen everything yet. Prague, one of the cities I´m not fond of. Still, I wouldn´t travel there for a while, since I´ve seen most of it. Unless I get some different-Prague tour. But if there is someone who hasn´t been to the capital of the Czech Republic, I highly recommend it. It is one of my favourites. Of Croatia I´d like to see Dubrovnik, but otherwise I am done with that country for a long time. Actually, Riga might be my first pick. I´ve had a long weekend in Latvia when I was maybe twelwe, so my memories aren´t very bright. I recall the city has a nice park and the river flowing through. There are Zeppelin halls operating as market places. And the food there is ridiculously tasty. And damn cheap, at least back then.

So much for travelling, which I´m currently doing by sitting in an armchair reading. I finished Mankell last night, it was great. Created a nice "what if" -scenario. Mankell at his best no doubt. I moved on to read Anne Rice´s The Vampire Armand. If you are familiar with Rice, you know what it is like. If you aren´t start with her first novel. Can´t say if I like it yet, but I have some expectations.

To top my things yet to be done list, I should write a short piece for my dad. I´m thinking of doing it tomorrow, as I haven´t planned it at all. Shouldn´t be too hard. And I have no particular plans for tomorrow (expect to remember to watch the rerun of Cuantame como paso I missed on Monday) so I´ll try to get it done. As noted many times earlier, I have tens of movies to watch, so I think I´ll have a way or two to spend few days.

By the way, is it just me or is it very strange to remember a birthday of some Czech more correctly than one´s own goodmother´s? Because that is what I do. Anyway, have fun and take care.

IWFT