The pursuit of happyness.

Choose one of the following statements of what the picture above characterizes. 1. Cloud of happiness, (2.) Ray of success or (3.) just another African elephant on the Savannah? Diffrent people see diffrent objects and focus on diffrent things in life. The objectiveness and knowledge of all the three statements above, makes me content and gives me peace of mind and inner peace...

Just like the Will Smiths movie pursuit of happyness, there are allot of thoughts concering our way of life in the Western world. Some question arose in my head:


Who sets the limits and goals for what is successful?

What is success if you can't live your present life?


If I get e skyrocket career, and heaven forbidd, work 12-15hours a day, is the time spent worth it all? And if it is so, who sets the standards of worthiness and "rank of success", the soceity within for certain...

If I'm on my deathbed, lets say as a 85-year old, and been focusing on "work" and neglecting myself from experiences that money can't buy, will I remember and appriciate my fancy cars, and all the money that I spent on clothes, appartments at posh addresses??

Or is it the awesome and beautiful friends I got to know in Macau, the wise villagers in Bubulo, the suicidal 17 hour suicidal busride to back and forth to Nairobi, the even more suicidal rafting on the Nile, which gave me my first close-to-death-experience, the help from the Entebbe taxidriver that protected us as if he was our Dad, through the crazy taxipark in Kampala...

Well, I wish all of you my friends could get the same crazy, life-enhancing, challenging, adventurious, fast, slowmotion, paradoxal year that I've had the last year in China and Uganda, it totally rearranged my point of views, when it comes to values, and what really is important in life ! (Only you, yourself, know the answer to that personal question)

I guees if you live in your own social bubble, with their own unique social values and regulations, and therefore won't get to experiences of other cultures (exclude the 2 week trip to Greece and Spain) you tend to not value what you have untill its gone.

So, did U pick your statement underneeth the picture? To let ya'll know, It was just another elephant on the Savannah, but an imaginery one.... yet real!

*I hope some of you could follow my philosophical point of view, I might be alone in my thoughts, I don't really care, it just feels better writing it down*

I promise you, cross my halfturkish heart, I didnt listen to Caruso with Luciano Pavarotti when I wrote this blogg :-)

Cultureshock in Sweden...long live Africa !

"Aaah, my White Wine is so warm, please change it! " - A woman on a cafe on my town.

"I only got 14.000 kronor (US$ 2000) this month from my Union, that's an embarresment for this system, I used to get 25% more last year!" - A random guy that I was walking behind on the streets of Stockholm.

"I can't wear this t-shirt it has some spots on 'em" - A girl in my local H6M store.

As you can see, living and breathing the Ugandan culture for almost 9 weeks, puts a strain on your ability to cope with spoiled Westerners, once you're back home in Sweden and the "cultivated and civilized world"

Well, in my mind the people in the West are the most unhappy and unsatisfied people on mother Earth. I'm really having a hard time listening to all the uncontent people that really live a luxorious life here in Europe. While the Ugadans might not have the same standard of living,as a Bubulo-villager told me:

"You Western people worry to much of the future, that makes you dead in the present time! You never really enjoy living your life in the present do you? You always live in the future. You have allot to learn from us...when it comes to enjoying the everyday life! "

I agree 100% with the villager...

We're too focused on creating a career, and the strife to always "have more" that we neglect the fact that we're actually living now and not the next week, next year...we do have something that the Africans can teach us, appriciation and actually enjoying the present!

Guees this will be my last blogg chapter for my African blogg, the next will probably be emreinsweden.blogspot.com

C ya'll !

Hot News in Uganda !

"Aaah, yes, you're the ones from the Nigeriagame, wearing the Ugandan T-shirt with that big Swedish flaggggg !!!"

Celebs' in Uganda, it didn't matter where we went in Uganda, if we said "remember the two white guys from New Vision at the Namboole-game?" Everybody knew who we where...that's freaking crazy!

During the Uganda vs Nigeria game, journalistst swarmed all over me and Tobey, because of our excitement over the game, so the day after on the second page of Ugandas largest newspaper was a LARGE photo of us two, take a look for yourselfs!

Wild water Rafting on the Nile !

"Guys, get the f::ck down!"

That's the sound of our Canadian raftinguide on the Wild water rafting on the River Nile, while we where taking a class 6 raft () . All rafts around the world have the classification from 1-5, and in some rare cases a class 6. Class 2 is the highest in for example Scandinavia, where there's no danger and no high waves. When you get close to a class 5 raft, there's high risk of injuries, through hitting rocks on the bottom of the river. A class 6 is the equvivalent to HIGH risk of injuries and some cases even death.

We took of from Kampala to Jinji (Source of the Nile), and got to Jinja at 9:00, we came home at 19:00, pretty shaken up and scared shitless after that the last raft sucked me inside of a Whirlpool (Strommvirvel in Swedish). It held me down in its grip for some 7-8 seconds, in that time your whole life passes by you an X amount of times. When I reached the surface, I was kind of panicing becuase I thought I was gonna hit some rock formations on the side of the Class 6 raft, instead I got sucked down again by the current for some more seconds. When I popped up one of the 12 Kayakrescue dudes picked me up. I tried to look for Tobias but he was gone!

Taking a class 5 raft is once in a lifetime experience, a class 6 raft is just like playing with death!

During the 8 hours long raftsession, we hadent flipped over once, like the rest of the 8 raftingboats. But we flipped on the worse raft of the enitre contintent! We came into the so called 50-50 raft (which means that there\s a 50% chance of not flipping over) we made it through that one and then continued into "The Bad Place", which is highly dangerous for any kayaks or rafters, when it comes to injuries. Anyway, we took the powerful current and came ontop of this 5 meter high wave, and got SUCKED back into the strong current, that's the moment when tobias said "Man, you got sucked into the Bad Place in 0.5 seconds!!"

Tobias who was left on the raft, with two other people who was as scared, and with fear in their eyes, was actually surfing the Bad Place for 20 seconds, becuase the raft was stuck between a class 6 raft and a strong current. Tobias had no choice then to jump inside it and getting sucked up and transported some 70 meters downstreams. He then got picked up by the rescuekayaks.

I can honestly say that I've never been as scared, and close to shit my pants and never seen people with that kind of fear of nature before, you're really helpless and powerless ! I saw my life ending underneeth the powerfull current.

A simple class 2 raft....

I can understand why people to this, the adrenalinekick and the rush you get afterwords is incomparable to anything I've ever done in my enitre life!

Safari by the Congolese border.

On the way to the north western part of Uganda, the Congolese and Sudanese borders...dangerous place to travel to? I guees the drivers are mentally drained from these war ares.

Tobbe & Emre by the Republic of Congo-border...stuck in the Savannah, with a safaribus burning, what a Kodak moment!

Sunset in the Savannah. Murchinsons Falls National Park...

Well, after all the meetings and some time of stress, we decided to take a 3 day tour to Murchinsons Falls National Park, just by the Congoborder in the Northwest part of Uganda.

A group of Elephants in Murchinsons Falls National Park, by the Conogolese border.

A year ago the owner of the Hostel that we stay at in Kampala, The Red Chilli Hostel, got murdered in this region after that the LRA (Lords Resistence Army)- militia killed him on his way home from helping out some villagers by the Sudanese border (2 h away from Murchinsons). The area is still dangerous, and the US foregin ministry advice people not to visit Murchinsons Falls National park.

Anyway, our hopes where high to see the Big Five, we got to see four of them (Giraffs, Elephants, Buffalos, Hippos), the fifth we got to see in Entebbe Zoo, the Lion!

Thousands of Baboons by the River Nile...they we're not intimdated by humans, because they actually stole food from a military vehicle 3 meters away from us in the National Park.

We lived in a HUGE safaritent, with actual beds in it. The view from the campsite is one of the most breathtaking I've seen, comparable to the views at Sipi Falls by the Kenyan border.

The second night the monsunrain came, with a vengience! Almost tore our eardrums off our heads, the monsunrain lasted the whole night and we couldnt sleep for the entire night! Tobias then tried to get out of the tent, when some big lizzards tried to invade his boots! WHAT A KODAK MOMENT!

Giraffs, and Acaciatrees in the background....Murchinsoons Falls National Park.

The last day we took a trip on tyhe river Nile to see hundreds of Waterbuffalos, Hippos and Crocodiles by the shores of the Nile. After 2 h we came to the place where the Nile is the narrowiest, on its 7000km journey, only 5 meter apart from the cliffs, Murchinsons Falls!

Hundreds of crocodiles lying in a very small area, probably because thats the spot they;re getting fed by the Rangers.

With a speed of 35 meters a second these falls are probably the most powerfull waterfalls in the world! Sipi falls was more beautiful, but this was the most powerful!

The most powerfull spot of the whole River Nile....Murchinsons Falls

On our way home from the Safari, our Safaribus cought a fire in the engine, so that we were stuck in the Savannah for a while. Its a good thing that the UPDF (Ugandan Police and Defence Force) had a base close by, so that the bandit militia LRA couldnt spot us...it feelt kinda scary I haft to admit to be in an area which is very very very unsafe, scary bu!

The Great Falls of Murchinson....

After have seen the things you haft to see in Africa, where doing some River Nile Rafting in Jinja this weekend, by Lake Victoria.... said to be one of the best rafting spots in the World, badabing bada BOOOM! Do we miss the routine and boring life in Sweden? Naaah, dont thinks so!

We had some time to "Kill" in the Savannah while our Safaribus driver was trying to put out the fire inside the bus with water...

After almost 2 months in Uganda and Africa, both me and Tobias have taken almost 2800 pictures, incredible pics of people, trafficaccidents, guns, ammo, animals, nature, buildings, everything!!! The reason for that, is that we love this country. It feels more secure then Sweden in many ways, and the people are more openhearted then cool and intraverted Swedish people tend to be.

I just had to show you this picture from Mbale, its all about safety! These tubes are very common in the packed Minibuses, also called Mutatos. What's inside of these large tubes, well, you can maybe figure that out yourself! A big sign was on it, which said "Highly explosive"!

UGANDA OYE!!

Swedish National Day @ the Swedish Embassadors residence!

Me, the Swedish Embassador, Tobias, the embassadors wife.

We were invite to the Swedish Embassadors residence in Kololo, on one of the most impressive Hills of Kampala, where all the diplomats live. Well at the residence we also got to know the Chinese, Russian, Japanese ambassadors with their wifes.

It was kinda interesting to speak to the Chinese embassador on the topic of the Chinese resource hunt in Africa. He said "I dont understand that people get suspicious whenever they hear that Chinese companies are moving into a developing African nation, they dont care when the Swedish companies do the same!" I just replied "Angola, Kongo, Niger, Chad, Sudan and Tanzania all have something that the Chinese government wants. Natural Resources ! Its not for the solidarity of helping the African nations to get rid of poverty, aids, economical boosting, that the Chinese govt are in Africa!" The Chinese embassador just changed the topic by saying "Hmm...well, where in China was it that you lived?"

The embassadors residence in Kololo, Kampala.

After mingling with the embassadors we took the opportunity to make som good connections with some high UN-officials regarding our research in the area of entrepreneurship.

That resulted in a couple of incredible meetings this week with some UN-officials, European commission members in rural economical development, Sida, Ugandan parlamentmembers, Ugandan businessmen that have lived and studied in Sweden for a long time. The network we've created here is unreal! Not in a 100 years will you be able to get in touch with so many high officals in such a short time. Only in Africa!

Uganda vs Nigeria, Nelson Mandela Stadium.

Our homeboys from Kampala and the northern Bugulobi-district loving the Swedish support...UGANDA OYEEE!

The day before the crucial African Cup of Nations qualificationmatch between Africas maybe best team, Nigeria and the underdogs Uganda, we took our backpacks and left for the Swedish Embassy in Kampala with one mission, get the biggest Swedish flag in the country!!!!

I wonder what the score was?

Well, if I put it like this, the tired dude that welcomed us in the Swedish Embassy was originally from my town, Eskilstuna, he was so tired and not excited that we were going attach the 6 square meter huge flag on the frontrow at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Namboole/district, just outside Kampala. Typical Eskilstuna dudes, not willing to cooperate ey!!

Us with the Ugandan nationaljerseys outside the Nelson Mandela Stadium.... UGANDA OYYYE!

We came 3 hours before the game started and the arena was already packed to its fullest potential! 50.000 crazy Ugandan fans!

After the huge Nigerian stars, such as Martins, Kanu and Mikkel scared the small Ugandans with scoring the opener, the Ugandans got back with a penaltykick, and then 15 minutes from time, the Ugandans got their lead with another welldeserved penalty, the match at Nelson Mandela stadium ended with the Ugandans winnning 2-1 !!

The real Swedish Embassadors at Nelson Mandela Stadium, Namboole-district, Kampala, Uganda.

Around 10 000 people just ran into the pitch and went freaking CRAZY, like they all had been elektrefied by Tazzerguns!!! It was almost as crazy as the time when I saw Galatasaray kicking out Manchester United from the Champions Leaugae...

Ugandan fans breaking off the Sky Sports cameramans platform....

We had to walk for 6 km to get to the nearset Boda Boda driver to take us ho9me to Bugulobi...we danced on the streets with the BIG swedish flagg, people went crazy and I still dont have a voice after screaming my ass off for some 8 hours or so...before and after the game.

We are going to return the Swedish flagg on Wednesday, when we are invited to the Swedish Embassadors residence for the Swedish nationalday...the contacts that we've generated here are amazing!!

UGANDA OYYYEE!!! (GO UGANDA!!)