Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014 Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014



Tuesday 20th of May 2014 and checked in at Frimurar hotellet in Kalmar just after 3 o'clock. The hotel is just a 2 minutes’ walk from the train station where I returned my rented car. And it was nice to leave the car after more than 1300km of driving. I have not been driving for more than 10 years. So I was quite scared when I drove off from Sixt car rental. But it lasted until I was on Konditori i Ängelholm - May 2014the highway and I was soon plunging down the high way in 200.

I have spent many hours in the car so I only had a short trip to Ängelholm yesterday evening. I went to a coffee shop, or as we say in Sweden, Konditori. I had a big cup of tea and too many pastries before driving back to the hotel in Helsingborg.

I checked out around 10 o'clock this morning. I got my wakeup call at 7 and Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.stI got out of bed at 8 o'clock so I had plenty time for breakfast and a shower.

I paid my bill and I took off towards Kalmar. E4 from Helsingborg to Åstorp and I left E4 in Åstorp and I continued to Kristianstad on road #21. From Kristianstad I will take E22 all the way to Kalmar. Helsingborg to Kristianstad was the same way I Plötsligt i Vindslövdrove back home from Kivik Sunday evening. I had passed Vinslöv then but I missed to take off.

I wanted to see Vinslöv to see if I could see any of the characters from the world famous movie “Plötsligt i Vinslöv” or as it would be in English “Suddenly in Vinslöv”

Plötsligt i Vinslöv












I was approaching Kristianstad when I passed Plötsligt i VinslövVinslöv and I left the road. I drove through the town and I was surprised to see a kiosk/ fast food place with an Engelholms Glass Engelholms Glass banner. I only expected Engelholms Glass to be available in the NW part of Skåne.

There was foock all to see in Vinslöv and I didn't recognise anyone form the movie “Plötsligt i Vinslöv”. Well, I have 30 Swedish Scooby Doo Dollars in cash and I decided Plötsligt i Vinslövto stop at the kiosk/ fast food place for my last Engelholms Glass. Not many kilometres to the border to Bleking and I will have Skåne and most likely all Engelholms Glass behind me.

Plötsligt i Vinslöv
And I will not be back for 5 years when it is time for the fire fighting course next time. So I stopped Plötsligt i Vinslövfor my last Engelholms Glass. A “Stor Strut” cost 24 Scooby Dollars so I got 6 Scooby dollars in change
- What can I buy for 6 kronor? I asked

I was some hassle nut paste, something I used to buy when I was a child and 3 Scooby Dollars per bag so I bought 2. Good, no more Swedish money. The hassle nut paste was not as good as I remember it to be.

I had talked with the old couple running the kiosk and the SUPER STARS from “Plötsligt i Vinslöv” Plötsligt i Vinslövwere dead. They could see that I was disappointed. She pointed across the parking space.
- There is the bench they used to sit on

I went to have a look at the bench while I enjoyed my Engelholms Glass. So time has passed very quickly and the movie is already 14 to 15 years old. It feels like yesterday when we were sitting and laughing at the movie. Movie it is a documentary, but the documentary turned out to be hilarious.

Both Holger and John are dead and this was news for me. They have their own fan club “Plötsligt en förening” So click the link and become a member!

Plötsligt i Vinslöv

Plötsligt i Vinslöv

I had Vinslöv behind me and at Kristianstad I got on the E22 and I was soon crossing the border Blekingeto Blekinge. I stopped in Karlshamn to have a look for a place to eat lunch. But it was very hard to drive in the town with all the one way streets. And to find parking was not easy and I was soon on my way towards Kalmar again.

I passed a sign saying Väedshus and I left the highway to check it out. They call Gästgiveri for Värdshus outside Skåne. But be careful, Bosse Bajsbyxa's Värdshus can as well turn out to be a hamburger joint. But this place looked good in the forest next to a small lake. I parked the car and I went inside and I asked for the restaurant.
- We're only open on the weekends
I lost my good mood
- What the Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st Why do you have signs on the highway?

I was in a very bad mood leaving the place. Why the foock having big signs on the highway? I Blekingewasted my time, gas and the environment driving down to the Värdshus. I was hungry and I needed to fill up the car and I stopped at roadside restaurant and there was a gas stop.

The food was exactly what you can expect form a roadside restaurant. But I got a soft ice at the gas stop. This will be my last ice cream in Sweden and Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st hopefully my last ice cream ever.

My diet have more or less crashed during my visit to Skåne and now it is time to get serious again. I Blekingereached Kalmar around 3 o'clock in the afternoon and I checked in to my hotel.

I was going to buy wall papers for my kitchen before returning my car. I tried to buy wall paper in Helsingborg but they had to order the wall papers, same here and they will deliver the wall paper to my hotel.

When I had ordered the wall papers I drove to have a look at the training field at Ebbetoft.

I returned the car at the train station and I had two spring rolls at the Chinese restaurant. Well, the best spring rolls I have had so far was at Österns Pärla in Helsingborg.

Military coup in Bangkok and I had received an

From: Joanne
Sent: 20 May 2014 20:18
To: aladdin
Subject: E-mail from web page - travelling to Bangkok on 30/May
Importance: High

Hi ,

Could you advise me is there any road block from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Silom area I'm planning to take a taxi from Airport to my hotel ( Tawana Hotel Bangkok ) I'm leaving to Bangkok on next Friday - 30/ May .

Could you advise me ASAP.

Thanks
Joanne
e-mail from a girl in Singapore. She was going to visit Bangkok and she needed some information.

I don't know where she had found my web page, but as always, www.aladdin.st is always ready to rush in to help.

I had been walking around Kalmar city centre and I was at Ålens. At Ålens they have Kalmar's only escalator so this was exciting, for 3 seconds.

I bought a few bottles of Diet MAX at Pressbyrån before going back to the hotel and I spent the whole evening in my room enjoying my Diet MAX

The most exciting thing happened during the day was a tune I heard on the radio. Yeah, imagine our hero driving all the way from Helsingborg to Kalmar listening to Swedish radio. Top 10 shit from when I turned on the radio and I was ready to end it more than one time. Just turn a wee bit to the left to an oncoming 100 ton truck. But suddenly and totally unexpected...

Only one good tune played on the radio

Wednesday 21st of May 2014 and they called me at 7 o'clock and I got out of bed at 8. We will meet at Kalmar fire station quarter to 12 for transportation to Ebbetorp training field.

I had my breakfast before I walked to the train station. I bought a train ticket to Kastrup, Copenhagen International Airport. The train is leaving at 7 and I booked a taxi when i came back to my hotel room and I will have a taxi to pick me up at 6 thirty Saturday morning.

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Kalmar Fire Station

I left my hotel at 11 twenty-five and it took me about 5 minutes to walk to the fire station. There Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014were 2 other guys waiting and there was another guy coming a few minutes before it was time to leave. We left with a van and it took about 10 minutes to drive to Övningsfält Ebbetorp.

I could see plenty people outside the building when we approached. It turned out that we were 19 people taking the course. I was a wee bit disappointed, of course, I realised that there would be more than the 4 of us in the van. But anyway, I was hoping for it to be us, not against the law to hope.

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Övningsfält Ebbetorp

We started the day in the class room and it was interesting. I learnt a few new things. After Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014about 2 hours it was time for smoke diving and fire fighting. We got our clothes and when we were dressed we went to get our breathing apparatus.

We were divided in to 3 groups, 2 groups with Dräger and 1 group with AGA BA sets.

We were going to 3 different places for Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014smoke diving. They had put together 40 foot containers so it should be like a ship's accommodation. Of course, there was a man missing and we had to rescue him and to take out the fire.


Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Getting our breathing apparatus

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Getting our breathing apparatus

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Getting ready for smoke diving

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Familiarise himself with the fog fighter

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Ready to enter

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
16:30 and we take in the fire hoses

We left Övningsfält Ebbetorp at 5 o'clock and we were at the fire station 10 minutes later. I stopped for 2 spring rolls on my way back to the hotel. I had not been eating since breakfast and I Hönökakawas hungry. Well, one thing is for sure after trying spring rolls at 2 places in Kalmar: I will not eat any more spring rolls in Kalmar. Österns Pärla in Helsingborg have stand out as the place to eat spring rolls.

I stopped at Coop on the way back to the hotel and I bought Hönökaka, yet another item on my list of things to “do in Skåne before going back home”
• Eat Swedish spring rolls
• Eat Skånsk liver pate
• Eat Swedish pickled cucumber
• Eat soft ice cream
• Eating Skånsk new potatoes (BONUS) and totally unexpected as I had not expected the new potatoes from Skåne to be ready until June
• Eat Engelholms Glass - The best ice cream in the world
• Eat Hönökaka

This one I will have to eat in my room and Maersk save money for a dinner. So it was a win win, I got good bread and Maersk saved money.

Thursday 22nd of May 2014 and I was quite tired when they called me at 7 thirty. My computer and phone had started the alarm just a minute before they called me. I had a shower and I went down to the breakfast. We have to be at the fire station at 07:45 for transportation to Övningsfält Ebbetorp. I finished my breakfast quicker than expected and I left the hotel at 07:25

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Passing a beautiful street in Kalmar when walking to the fire station

So I was early at the fire station and I enjoyed the morning and the gorgeous weather on the bench outside the fire station. We took off to Övningsfält Ebbetorp quarter to 8 and we started Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014the day in the class room. 20 minutes and we went to get dressed in our fire fighting clothes. We were split in to 2 groups today, we started with handheld fire extinguishers and the other group started with gas.

My group went down to the training field where they have different pools for fire fighting training.

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
The enthusiasm is bubbling in the blood

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Extinguish a fire in a waste paper basket with a water extinguisher

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Powder extinguisher action

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Powder extinguisher action

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
One powder extinguisher wasn't enough

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
We try the foam extinguisher

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
I few squirts with the foam extinguisher was enough

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
It was a gorgeous morning

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Powder extinguisher action again

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Fire is out

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
The hardest exercise - Radiation heat makes it almost impossible to extinguish

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Cooling down before attacking with the powder extinguishers

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Cooling down before attacking with the powder extinguishers

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking with the powder extinguishers

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking with the powder extinguishers

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
It was not easy to extinguish the fire

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
It was not easy to extinguish the fire

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
About 5 litres of gas oil on fire

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
About 5 litres of gas oil on fire

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking with foam

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking with foam

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking a new fire with foam

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking a new fire with foam

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking a new fire with foam

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Almost ready

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
After the coffee break we started with the gas fire

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Attacking the gas leak

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
Here we can see the valve we use to close the gas with. And we see the water shield between the fire and the valve so we can close the valve

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
It is very hot, but it is cool behind the water shield

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
It is very hot, but it is cool behind the water shield

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
It is very hot, but it is cool behind the water shield

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
The heat and fire can't break through the water shield

Aladdin's fire fighting course at Kalmar Brandkårs Övningsfält Ebbetorp - May 2014
In this drill we will save a gas bottle - And yet again we can see how the bottle is and fire fighters are protected by the water shield

We had a lunch break when we were ready with the gas exercises. After lunch we did the smoke diving again and we completed around 14 thirty and we were ready with the fire fighting course. 8 of the guys left us as they were ready. We were still 10 or 11 staying for the basic safety revalidation. Today we will do CPR and tomorrow we will be in the port training with a life raft.

We finished at 5 o'clock and when I was back in Kalmar I went for a Pizza and I bought a few bottles of Diet MAX before returning to my hotel and my web page. I have changed web hotel, Surftown sucks and my e-mail have not been working for a very long time. So I had it with Surftown after 10 years. I hope to be up and running after a day or two.

And believe me, it was VERY VERY nice to take of the boots and fire fighting clothes.

I had a nasty experience in the evening. I was outside the hotel for a quick fag. There was plenty people drinking beer at the square. The restaurant opposite of my hotel was full of students screamin’ and singing. They had a good time and I wish I was 22 again. There was an old grumpy man passing me, he must have been almost 100 years old.Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st
- This is the generation that will take over, he complained.
- Yeah, good, they like to have fun unlike you complaining all the time, I said
And I continued
Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st- Fer foocks sake, it is spring, gorgeous weather and they are soon finishing school so of course there is party!

This was not the answer he had been looking for and he turned if possible even grumpier. And the nasty experience? Why did this 100 years old coming to me to complain? Do I look like 100?

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Friday 23rd of May 2014 and I woke up at 6 o'clock, 30 minutes before wakeup call and my alarms were set to go off. I was in a good mood, we finished the fire fighting course yesterday and today Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014we will have a day with BASIC SAFETY. So I walked to Kalmar Maritime Academy where we will have today's activity after breakfast

It was a gorgeous morning and I enjoyed the 4 minutes’ walk to Kalmar Maritime Academy, a part of the Linnaeus University. We met the Instructor from the Fire Fighting Course at the restaurant Zegel on the first floor at the school. This is the first time they run this course since they changed the courses after the IMO conference in Manila. And this new regulations will come in to effect 2017. So all courses are changed and I have no doubt that it will be an increased standard in many countries.

But for sure, they have lowered the standard for the courses in Sweden. Before we had 2 days of fire fighting and now it is down to 1 day of action. We started the day in the class room and as I said, the quality of the Swedish training has really come down to a minimum after the changes in Manila.

4 hours of talking about safety, how do an IMO sign for muster station look like? What equipment do we have in a life raft? Where can we find the safety plans? I could not believe it, we are working on ships and this is a revalidation course so we should know the life boat equipment and Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014where to find the safety plan.

And then we wasted time by talking about accidents. GROUNDING:

REASONS: 1) Human factor
2) Technical factors
3) etc etc

RESULT: 1) Injuries
2) Damaged ship
3) etc etc
Seriously, I cannot understand how this is going to increase the safety. But I'm not surprised, every time there are changes to increase the safety Sweden have to lower their standards. Like when we joined EU, we cannot bring East Europe to our standard so we will have to lower our standard. And this is what they told us word by word. Of course, they didn't mention this until after the referendum. And we who voted no to the EURO already knew this, but back then they called us Nazis.

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
An exciting over head picture
This is what we ( Experienced Sailors) have to study. Safety will be improved according to IMO. Here was have REASONS and CONSEQUENCE for a collision
REASON:
• Human factor
• Poor visibility
• Technical reasons
• Drugs
• Hampered manoeuvrability
CONSEQUENCE:
• Leaking ship (Surprise surprise)
• List/ Capsizing (Surprise surprise)
• Impact on the environment (Surprise surprise)
• Abandon ship (Surprise surprise)
• Fire (Surprise surprise)
• Injured people/ damaged ship (Surprise surprise)

Yes, I'm sure IMO is on to something here. And I'm sure there are people on the ships sailing on Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014the 7 seas that needs this course. But for Swedish standard it has been a decrease in quality.

But time turned quick and it was soon time for a coffee break. I walked to my hotel to get a Diet MAX from my room. Same at the lunch break, I walked to my hotel and I borrowed some duct tape and I taped my box with wallpapers. They had delivered them yesterday and now I'm ready to go back Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014home. I will just buy some Falukorv to bring back to Bangkok.

I taped the box and I took a bottle of Diet MAX and I walked back to the marina. We were going to do the practical exercises at Calmare Nyckel. Calmare Nyckel is Kalmar Maritime Academy's training ship.

Calmare Nyckel was built in 1969 in Mandal, Norway. She was bought by Kalmar municipality in 1984 and transformed into a training vessel. In 2001 the vessel was bought by KMA and converted according to the needs of deck and machine officers in training.

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Calmare Nyckel

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Kalmar Marina from Calmare Nyckel

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
This is the life raft we will train with

We were meeting on board Calmare Nyckel at 12:45. We got our survival suits and we went down in a class room onboard Calmare Nyckel. We had 20 minutes theory, about drugs, stress and fatigue. This is new from Manila, we have to study these things. OK, they care about drugs, but no one cares about stress and fatigue and I wonder what kind of reality IMO lives in.

But the exercise is very good. Training with a life raft and survival suits is something every one working on a ship should do. So IMO have actually come up with a good thing here. The fire fighting exercises has been very good. I was surprised that I could get in to my survival suit. And I think the other guys were as surprised as I was.

We will jump overboard and swim in a line to the life raft, same as we trained at the helicopter escape course a few years ago. And let's have a look at some pictures from 2010 below to refresh our memory. It will be the same way of swimming today, but now we need to wear a survival suit. Water temp in Kalmar marina, less than 10°C



Well, why not? Let's see the slide show from the HUET training.







Well, anyway, I got in to the survival suit. I had help from 2 other guys, but we made it in less than 2 minutes as the regulations say. Have we forgotten the survival suit on board Maersk Claudia? We can refresh our memories by clicking HERE. We had to jump in to the water and then we were going to swim on the back to the life raft. We connected each other with a rope and by holding on to the legs of the guy back of us.

I had brought my water camera but as soon as I was in the survival suit I realised that I could not use the camera. Our Fire Fighting Instructor took my camera and he took pictures of us in the water. So thanks' to him we can see some “action” pictures from the exercise


Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
We're getting dressed

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Our heroes getting dressed

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
First group in the water

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
First group in the water

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Our hero ready to get in to the water

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
First group on the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
One of the heroes in group 2 jump in to the water

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
2 of our heroes in group 2 in the water

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Yet another hero on the way in to the water

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Landing in the water with a discrete “PLUP”

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Our hero take off to join the others in group 2

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Our hero take off to join the others in group 2

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Group 2 connected together and we start swimming backwards to the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Group 2 connected together and we start swimming backwards to the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
It was not easy

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Group 2 at the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Group 2 at the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Sjöräddningen coming to disturb us

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
It was not easy to get in the to life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
It was not easy to get in to the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
It was not easy to get in to the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
It was not easy to get in to the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
It was not easy to get in to the life raft

Aladdin's Basic safety revalidation course at Kalmar Maritime Academy - May 2014
Finally, ready and we can go home




Yes, it was even better to get out of the survival suit comparing the the fire fighting clothes. Iwalked back to the hotel and I walked through Kalmar marina. Full of people and activities as they Källaren Kronan in Kalmarhad some yacht fair in the marina. I had a shower and I put up my clothes from our exercise for drying so they will be dry tomorrow morning when I pack them in my bag.

I called taxi and confirmed pick up time tomorrow morning at 6 thirty.

I packed most of my stuff to see how much space there would be in my bag for Falukorv. I went to have a pizza and I Källaren Kronan in Kalmarwalked to Restaurant Källaren Kronan. Located in the basement in one of Kalmar's oldest houses. I have been there 10 years ago to have Christmas dinner with J.

Källaren Kronan is just around the corner form the pizzeria. They have elk on the menu and I decided to go to try out the elk tonight. That would be something to finish my stay in Sweden with elk. But I ran in to trouble, on the other side of the street they have a konditori. Holmgrens Konditori, konditori is a Cafe or more fancy, a patisserie in English.

Holmgrens Konditori in Kalmar - May 2014
Holmgrens Konditori

Holmgrens Konditori in Kalmar - May 2014
Pastries at Holmgrens Konditori

Holmgrens Konditori in Kalmar - May 2014
Holmgrens Konditori

Holmgrens Konditori in Kalmar - May 2014
Holmgrens Konditori

I was full when I left Holmgrens konditori and I was doubtful if I can make it to Källaren Kronan tonight. I stopped at Coop and I bought a big bag of Falukorv and I went back to my hotel to pack my bagspreparing for an early morning tomorrow.

Well, last night in Sweden and I can't remember ever having eating elk, or moose as they sau in USA. I left my room at 8 thirty and I walked to restaurant Källaren Kronan via the marine. It was Källaren Kronan in Kalmara beautiful evening and I really enjoyed my evening walk.

I went in to Källaren Kronan and it was as beautiful as I remembered it from last time I was here 10 years ago. A place like this is something you can expect to find in Skåne

The Waitress brought me a menu and I told her that I wanted the elk, or moose as they say in USA. I told her that I wanted the sauce from another main course and I asked if they had Skånsk new potato.
- I will check
When she came back with my pot of tea I asked her if it was Skånsk new potato.
- Oh, i forgot to ask
- Buit it is Swedish?
- Yes
- Then the potato is from Skåne
- How do you know that? She asked
- They had foocking permafrost here in Kalmar less than 2 weeks ago!

A pot of tea, a sign of quality restaurant. Changes in the menu, a clear sign of quality restaurant and service minded staff. If you're unlucky and end up in a restaurant where the staff has 0 interests in their job, you will run in to trouble trying to ask for some changes.
- I want this meal, but with boiled potato
- It comes with French fries
- But I want boiled potatoes
- It comes with French fries
- OK, we eat somewhere else

Here it was no problem, they had mushroom sauce to the elk and I don't like mushroom so I asked for pepper sauce from one of the other courses. And the potato cake is ok when there isn't any Skånsk new potatoes. Skånsk new potatoes wasn't on the menu, but it was no problem.

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Elk and Skånsk new potato, not is Skåne
but I doubt that I could have a better end to my culinary voyage through Skåne

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Elk and Skånsk new potato, not is Skåne
but I doubt that I could have a better end to my culinary voyage through Skåne

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Källaren Kronan in Kalmar, highly recommended by Aladdin

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Källaren Kronan in Kalmar, highly recommended by Aladdin

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Källaren Kronan in Kalmar, highly recommended by Aladdin

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Källaren Kronan in Kalmar, highly recommended by Aladdin

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
Källaren Kronan in Kalmar, highly recommended by Aladdin

Källaren Kronan in Kalmar
400 years old, imagine if these walls could talk

+++++++++++++++
Saturday 24th of May 2014
and it is time to go home. Wake up call and 2 alarms to go off at 6 o'clock in the morning, but I woke up 20 minutes before 6. I had a sip of Diet MAX and a shower and I brought my bags to the entrance. The taxi was waiting for me and we were soon on our way to the train station leaving Frimurarehotellet behind.

Frimurarehotellet in Kalmar
Time to leave Frimurarehotellet and Kalmar behind

Train station in Kalmar
Kalmar train station @ 07:35

Train station in Kalmar
Of course, I ended up in the last car

Time to leave Kalmar behind so let's end this with some music from Kalmar

The train was at the station and of course, my car was the last car so I had to walk all the way to the end of the train with my luggage. I got a seat and the train was almost empty. But I expect the train to fill up on the way to Copenhagen Airport. I opened a bottle of Diet MAX, I bought two bottles for the train at Coop yesterday and now I enjoyed one of them while reading the latest news from Thailand on my SAMSUNG S5.

We left Kalmar at 7 o'clock and yet again I praised myself for buying the SAMSUNG S5 in Singapore. I could spend the 3 and a half hours on the train Train station in Växsjöreading the news from Thailand and the military coup. Time turned very quick and we were soon in Malmö.
It was a gorgeous morning when we left Kalmar and it was blue sky and sunshine almost all the way to Skåne when the weather turned gloomy and grey and it was soon raining

When we were on the Öresunds bridge I started to prepare my luggage. Train service have become excellent after they built the Öresunds bridge.

But I don't understand how they can have trains to Copenhagen International Airport, Kastrup without space for the luggage. But it is OK, but I hear a lot of people complaining that they can't keep an eye on their luggage On the Öresunds Bridgesitting in the car having the luggage in the area at the entrance/ exit doors. Well, I had a seat so I could keep an eye on my bag with the Falukorv.

But they have luggage carts at the train station and I had soon loaded my luggage on the cart, Falukorv and wall paper and I brought out the second and last of the bottles of Diet MAX that I had bought yesterday. I had a quick fag on the platform before going to the check-in.

Thai airway had of course not open the check-in so I had to walk around for a bit before I could check-in. And as usually I had problem getting on the flight. Scandinavia and rules are to be followed. Not allowed to fly to Thailand without a visa or a return ticket. We remember the drama in Switzerland a few years ago when my passport was out of empty pages. Thai Airways Supervisor flipped through the passport and she told them that he had been in Thailand many times, no problem, let the foocker on board.

Same this time, they went to a Supervisor and she just flipped through my passport.
- A frequent traveller, no problem

Of course flying business class helped a lot. Same in Switzerland, and I pay the extra for the business class, but in the long run I think I have saved money flying business class.

Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup
Train station at Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup

It was very nice and I was relieved when I sat down in SAS - STAR Alliance's lounge. No problem to get my boarding pass, but I have my reservation to Las Vegas as a back-up “out of Thailand ticket” if there would have been any serious problem. Copenhagen airport, well, all Scandinavian airports is the same. Poor service and they only have the self service check in for SAS, saving money on the check in staff.
Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st - Hmm, I wonder how that works out for them

SAS, once an airline breaking new ground, and even so with the self service check-in. Scandinavian Airlines were once a beacon of good service and quality. They invented Business class and they were not allowed to fly to France because they served, are you sitting down?

Yes, the food was too good on the airplanes so they were not allowed to fly to France. But now they are on their way to disappear even though they have the self service check-in system. Scandinavians are too expensive so they use machines. And then we import a workforce from Azbekistan ets working for foock all. So of course, no one wants so hire Scandinavian people. And at the same time they open the borders for immigrants, but the jobs the Azbekistans and Copenhagen International Airport - KastrupThai berry pickers are doing is not good enough for this people.

So the tax payers have to support them while we take people from Thailand to come to Sweden to pick blueberries.

And of course, these hard working Thai people always gets cheated on their salaries, year after year and the Embassy still hands out the “Blueberry” visas year after year. Well, you don't need any university degree to understand how this will end. We already see it in the South of Europe.

I had time to point my web page from my old web hotel Surftown to my new web hotel while waiting for my flight. I also had time for a delicious curry soup and some very good black bread in the lounge before I went to gate C33 and Thai Airways flight TG 951 to Bangkok

Millions of people at the immigration, but it didn't take long to pass. They had started boarding when I came to gate C33 and I got onboard and I took my seat at 15A and we left Kastrup at 14:25. We took off and we flew over Skåne towards Russia and Bangkok. Sunshine in Copenhagen and Öresund, but Skåne was covered by clouds.

Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup
Leaving gate C33 at Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup

Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup
Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup

Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup
Copenhagen International Airport - Kastrup

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
We're over Öresund

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
We can see the island Ven between Denmark and Sweden

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
This looked funny, Skåne covered in clouds all the way to the shore line

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Skåne covered in clouds to the shore line, then it is sunshine

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Skåne covered in clouds to the shore line, then it is sunshine

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Skåne covered in clouds to the shore line, then it is sunshine

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Skåne covered in clouds

I adjusted my wrist watch to Bangkok time, 5 hours difference and the time was suddenly 19:40. I felt asleep and I woke up at 10 o'clock and the Stewardess asked if I wanted to have my dinner. I popped my Rohypnol and I had my dinner. Better to have the pills before eating. And this turned out to be correct, I got tired even before finishing my meal.

I woke up at 2 o'clock and then it was impossible to fall asleep again. 4 hours to go and it is pitch dark outside. But I was comfy in my seat and the time turned pretty quick. At 4 o'clock they brought the breakfast. I had asked for bacon, spinach and scrambled eggs before falling asleep yesterday. The food was good and I had 4 cups of tea with the food.

Flying to Copenhagen and they managed to get me a wee bit bigger tea cup. I asked for a bigger cup this time and I was up front in the galley helping them to look for a bigger cup. But we came up with ZIP. But it was OK with double cups, but I had to call the Stewardess for refills all the time. But it was OK and it was soon time to land at Suvarnabhumi.

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Breakfast and we start with fruit and a Mango/ Orange smoothie

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Approaching Suvarnabhumi

Thai Airways Flight TG 951
Approaching Suvarnabhumi

Well, back home and I'm ready with my courses, 5 years until next time. Fire fighting and life raft exercises were very good and something everyone should do. But the REASON and CONSEQUENCE for collision, grounding etc was a waste of time. And we know how an IMO symbol look, so if they changed it to 3 days of practical exercises it would have been perfect courses.
Sverigedemokraterna

Sverigedemokraterna had a success at the EU election, but it could have been better. 9,8% and Sverigedemokraternathat is 6,6% up from the last election and that means they get 2 mandates in Brussels, Belgium.

And of course, they call us Nazis just because we're against EU. And believe me, I was very PRO EU when it was West Europe. When I was in Sweden for my courses I saw beggars everywhere, but none of them looked like they were from Denmark or Germany.

Well, anyway, I'm back in Bangkok and I finished 2 pieces of Falukorv the first 2 days. I brought one ring to my friend and we cooked Falukorv at his place. So click HERE for the Falukorv adventure in Bangkok. So hang on, this can be fun. And for sure delicious!




       
                  

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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