17th July 2009 – Gothenburg, I came back to you…

I have during the two and a half weeks that I’ve been working from the Göteborg office been staying at Matte and Lotta’s place in Majorna, and they have completely embraced me as a third family member (occasionally referred to as the pet). When I first arrived Matte told me of his magnificent ideas of starting a collective out on the countryside, maybe buying an old farm with several dwellings, sharing all boring duties in order to maximize everyone’s free time. He was really excited about it. Since such an arrangement would require some planning and rules I’m quite sure that I would not be an optimal member, but I have been very happy to be part of the smaller prototype at Ostindiegatan. Matte has been in charge of the breakfast smoothie. I have been doing the washing up and as a second task I have (self nominated) tried to keep track of Lotta’s keys and occasionally her other possessions as well. (In any future collective I would though recommend each individual to have their own key.) I have spread my stuff(s) all over their living room and filled their hallway with my shoes. And still they have liked having me there. At least so they say…


During the evenings I have mostly met up with old friends. Last weekend the collective went on a quite improvised road trip driving back and forth in the rain over the island of Tjörn (seeing lots of cows, horses and small red cottages) and finally ending up in Ljungskile, where we had a great eating/drinking/playing boardgames night with some friends of Matte’s until the sun rose at four in the morning.

Being back in Göteborg has of course been a long walk down memory lane. I went past our old house and saw through the glass of the gateway that they have finally managed to build the balconies that we planned for. The 7Eleven at the corner of Andra Långgatan/Linnégatan has changed owners and done some internal rebuilding and does no longer make the best brownies in town/the world. They are out beaten even by the 7Eleven some hundred meters further up on Linnégatan, which used to be much, much worse. The Sorrentina at Vino Pasta at Plantagegatan was not as good as I remembered, but number 41 at Bombay at Andra Långgatan is still in the game. And my taste for salty sweets has completely changed and my new obsession is with Dumle Lakriskola, which is surprising. Well, well, everything changes, although it stays the same. I guess…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG64DmsSQH4