Rainy days

It has been raining for the last couple of days. At home a little rain doesn't stop us from doing anything.  Rain is just part of life in Seattle. Dress the kids for rain and nothing is out of the question. If we don't feel like going out side, we can always find something to do inside...We have lots of toys, books, play-doe, Legos.  If things get really bad, we can put on the T.V.   Being at home there are options.  We can run and hide in a different room or can send a particularly unruly child into another room.  Although life can be hard sometimes, there are always relatively quick fixes. 

Being in Sweden for two months, we are faces with challenges that are unexpected and not so easily fixed.  On rainy days the question of what to do with the kids is an especially hard question to answer.  We basically move here for two months.  All of our possessions in five suitcases and four carry-on bags.  How much can we actually bring and how much can we expect Mornor (Grandma) to have that will be entertaining to the kids?  Also how much space can we expect to have in her home? The answer is no much for all.   To get by on days like this, it takes the imagination of both the children and the parents.  Finding ways to entertain the kids in much the same way kids were entertained 50 years ago.  An old doll house, some books maybe a handful of stuffed animals.

 

Some houses have T.V. with multiple channels, video games and DVDs.  Mormor has none of these things.  She is more traditional and not interested in technology.  So how does life here work for me, a consistently connected, internet addicted geek.  It is not uncommon for me to have three screens running at the same time while working on a fourth. 

Here I'm lucky to have a power cable that will plug into a wall and not burn out my devices.  Only have one adapter, that I can safely use, I continually cycles my one of the three IPhones, the IPad, the Surface, Kindle Fire, Nook touch and one of the laptops  through the charger adapter so at least two of them are always fully charged.  I like to say I do this so I always have some way checking my emails and online class but it is more like a safety blanket...I feel better when I'm connected.

We had Wi-Fi installed for our use, when we leave it will probably be taken out within five minutes.  Looking at the list of electronic devices, I know its totally ridiculous, I recognize that.  I also recognize that the list although extreme,  is not beyond the scope for a lot of people. 

It is amazing how much has changed here over the twelve years I've been coming here, Wi-Fi did not exist for much of the word, and in fact internet could only be found down town at the city library. 



     

Jasmine then

Now my twelve year old niece Jasmine, who was about three months when I first came, is now never more than a foot away from her IPhone.   How will things be next time I come.  The world seems to be changing so fast, that I can hardly keep up...I sound like that "get off my lawn" guy.   



Jasmine now (note the IPhone)

This island is in many ways the caught in between yesterday, today and tomorrow.  There is a beautiful symmetry to it.  Children (about the ages of my kids) are forced to live and play as they did many years ago, children the age of my niece have a blend of technology and tradition.  I...well I don't really count in the equation, but my mother-in-law is strongly held by the old ways.  In her eyes a row boat is just as good as a powered boat, and when something breaks fix it yourself, if you can't give it to someone who can. 



Super old Coffee grinder

My mother-in-law does have a cell phone...it can store up to 18 phone numbers in its directly.  The book of the usefulness and uselessness of modernity has yet to be written here. Where will this island be in two year when I return again...you'll have to come back then to find out. 

 

I don't let my kids play my devices much...there are puddles out there to jump in.