livingasmagnus
my way of telling stories
my way of telling stories
on the road properly again!
Thu 1. Apr 10
So here it goes again!
Been on the road for the last few weeks and have had time to hang out with some great old friends and meet quite a few new ones!
So I left my life in Nelson about a month agoe and have had a great time on the road with a lot of time for my self to deal with some parts of my life that has been a little bit hard lately. I have had time to hang out with some friends to and have had an awesome time and seen some great places. The latest experience now was I signed in for a 10 day course of silent meditation. This was something I didn't know too much about and I think that was a good thing. If I'd known, I probebly wouldn't have gone through with it. It was a very hard time where you werent allowed to communicate in any way wiht fellow students for 9 days. In case you ran in to problems or had questions the teacher was there for you. But otherwise you where to live a monk life for 9 days.
I turned out to be a hard thing physically and mentally, but looking back at it after a couple of days I'm really happy I did it and I got so much out of it. I feel a lot lighter mentally and have found a new spark for life! Great aye!
So here I'm sitting a more harmonious person with new passion for life!
Great adventures are to come for me and everyone els aswell! Just keep your eyes and mind open!!
Keep doing the right and great things in your lifes!
Lots of love from your friend
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There is a time and a place for everything!
Thu 1. Apr 10
Hi everyone!
So time for a change in life!
I've got about 5 weeks left of school and have diceded not to do the second year of the course. There are many things involved but mostley because I can't find a solid reason to spent that amount on money on something i don't know where it's taking me. Its been a great year though and I have learned so much cool and fun new skills that I hope to be able to use in the future. I really love to have been a part of the AVT1 in Nelson in 2007. There has been a lot of cool people to spend time with and I have made many new friends, hopefully for life.
So now it's time for new adventures and there is a whole new world out there to explore. There are a lot plans on the drawingboard and I'll share them as soon as they are somewhat a bit more solid!
I have had a pretty rough time over the last few months with some hard desitions to make. But over the last few weeks I've come to terms with a lot of things and I'm looking forward to what life got to offer again...
For those around me who don't have any idea what the hell I'm talking about.. please don't hesitate to yell at me! But I can tell you all one thing, I'll be coming out of the mist to meet you when you least expect it!
Lots of love to all you beautiful people out there in the world!
yours forever
magnus
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Life, the Universe and Everything..
Thu 1. Apr 10
Yo U all!
So here I am again!
Long time since last even if I said not!
Well here in NZ the School year is comming to an end. I'm right now planning the last 5 weeks of school and it's a lot pf fun involved as well a lot of serious planning.
Life is good here most of the time and I don't really have anything to complain about.. but somtimes its abit hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel!
Hope u all have enjoyed some of the photos I have posted and that some of the stories have entertaiened you!
Take care and expect to see me comming out of the mist when you least expect it!!
Yours Truly Foreva!
Magnus
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Hiking da NZ
Thu 1. Apr 10
So hi again!
A little update about my life again.
School started a month agoe and i've been locked up in a classroom until now. But life's good sometimes and for 4 weeks now i will mostly hike New Zealand around and have fun.
We've just done a 1 and a 2 day hike in the Nelson area and i was sleeping under the stars in -2 degrees for a night. Great funa nd the sight was something, I can tell you!!!
So for another three weeks i will have fun, challange my physical limits and start some snowball fights... GREAT FUN!!!
Check out the new pictures and take care of your selfes!
your friend 4 eva!
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Back again!
Thu 1. Apr 10
Hi all!
So a while ago again!
But I haven't forgoten about you all!
So since last I have had a few things on my mind and also a few adventures.
About a week ago I go back from a flash visit to Sweden. It was great! I didn't get more than 12 days in Sweden but in that time I got the chance to meet some of my lovely friends and my family.
I got to see my fast growing little nephew Jonathan, who's not so little anymore and he walks and talks!! Tiem flyes when your having fun!
So my friends in Stockholm got to take care of me for a few days and I got to do a few things i wanned to do too. It was great.
I got to see Linda, Sofie and Jana whom I havent seen for a while and got to catch up with Johan an Bea and talk some shit.
Down to Växjö, via Borås where Madde picked me up and we drove together down, and spend three days with my lovely friends there, drink some whiskey. see some potential houses and house sites and talk more shit. Great times!
Further south to my Mum and Dad, and my brother with family. Great to see them and give them many hugs. We got to have a few good talks and to eat Mammas food again! Yammy!
A short detoure to Öland to visit Pedro and my old friends at Strand Hotell. Pedro didn't recognice me at fiArst bu a few beers and a few shots later it was like good old times. Even the day after waslike good old hung-over times where Magnus couldn't do much until the afternoon.... hmmmm! Well it had to be done!
Back to Mum and Dad to prepare for Dads birthday. Great times in the kitchen with Mum and Dad and the following day over to Höö to celebrate the day. We got some unexpected visitors and it was great to catch up with a big part of my family. Some I haven't seen in many years...
On the Saturday afternoon it was time to get going again and I got on the train to Stockholm. I flew out on Sunday morning and had about 26 hours traveling to loock forward to. uuh!
Well with a few minor problems, like almost not beeing able to bring my lovely snowboards due to CHANGED LUGGAGE LEVELS, I acctuallu got it all with me back to NZ and only with a few nerves broken and a BIT raised heart rate... hmmm. It's alll just to make it real!!! Oh, by the way. I even got my finger prints taken passing through the USA, I guess i was a great risk with my 2 hours in transferre!!!!! Good old Georgie!!!
So now I'm back in business in Nelson, NZ again and school's acctually not to bad. But I'm looking forwasd to next month with some hiking and hopefully some snowboarding!
Yehaaaaa!!
So just a short story for ya all to NJOY!
Got some pics comming aswell so keep looking for them!
Big thanx to ya for reading this and thanx to all the winderful people in my life!
I'll b seeing you all at some point when you least expect it!! So watch out!
Your truly!
Magnus
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it's been a while... but I'm still alive and kicking!!
Thu 1. Apr 10
Alright, I know it’s a long time since I wrote. But here I am again.
The time has flown passed and it’s now five months since I left Sweden. I have had a journey, a great one to say the least. I set out not really knowing what, where, when or how but have now managed to find me some of those places.
For those who don’t know I’ve gotten stuck in Nelson, south island of New Zealand and I am right now studying an Adventure Tourism Course. I have just completed the second block of it and have had a wet time for two months paddling river kayaks on the Buller River in Murchison the first month and sea kayaking in the Able Tasman, Marlborough Sounds and other amazing places. On Monday I start with my rock climbing module and gonna have a four weeks of that with a bit of Easter holidays in the middle of it. I can say now after the two water modules, both which I haven’t done any of before, have been a great learning period and an awesome journey in a scenic, mental and physical way. I’ve learned so much new in the outdoors recreational area when it comes to things I can do myself and how to deal with people in the same. My class is
another thing tough. There is a great interest from Sweden for this course, and not just from me. There a rein the first year about twenty five students and out of them there are eleven Swedes. Luck I’m no on my avoiding Swedes mission here anymore. It would have been a bit hard. Not for any reason that any of them should be avoided, they are all good people on a mission here and I get along well with them and sometimes it’s really good to have some Swedes to talk to and get to speak some native tongue as well. But sometimes it’s nice to be the only Viking in the house…
So I’m looking forward to the rock climbing and after that we are gonna have a couple of theory blocks covering Risk Management and Health and Safety and after that the winter should be here and I’m hoping to get to do some snowboarding and if thing go as the should I’m gonna be on my Hike module at that time and will be walking around half the south island, in or out of snow.. gonna be an awesome experience!
So right now I’m sitting in my bed, it’s early on a Saturday morning and I’m going down town soon to the markets to get some food for the week. I and Jesse have managed to find a nice small house in the outskirts of Nelson town and have a little garden and a nice sounding creek behind the house. It might not be the best place to be for the winter course of poor NZ building traditions!!?? and that it’s a bit closed in by hills so the sun disappears early in the evening. But the place has been good for a few months and we might stay.
Summer has been short here, it’s still cranking but I can feel the temperature has dropped in the mornings and it’s soon to bee a colorful autumn with all the introduced trees loosing their leaves as I’m used to. Other form that the NZ nature is incredible and stays “evergreen” it’s beautiful!
There’s so much I have to tell you all and all the thing I have experienced on my trips with school and in time I will tell you all the stories if you are interested, on the web on in person, but for now this is enough so that I don’t bore you to insanity!
All of you how has bared with me for a few months of writhing drought (skrivkramp) I hope I have your attention again and I hope that you’ll continue to check in from time to time.
For those who would like to contact me in NZ, my mobile no is: +64 21 25 90~817 and email mangus@horberg.org or muffred@yahoo.com or present postal address is:
F1/326 Brook Street
7010 Nelson
New Zealand
Hope you are all good and that I get to see some in the mists sometime soon. Here or there!!
Until next time, B Great!
Yours Truly
Magnus
By the way, for those who are a bit interested about the course I’m taking, check out: http://www.nmit.ac.nz/portal/TemplateID__8910669/TabID__3689/DesktopDefault.aspx
NJOY!
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leaving Thailand!
Thu 1. Apr 10
...so, the days pass by and we moved on.
I’m sitting in our “nice” hotel room in Krabi on the west coast.
We stayed in our little paradise on Koh Phagnan for almost two weeks and then we decided it was time to do something new.
There was a good reason for staying there and not do too much for a few days. The both of us have been really tired after working away our summer/winter and needed to rest even more than we thought.
Well, on Koh Phagnan we filled the days with various things like snorkeling, lie on the beach, eat good food, explore the island on a scooter or just lay in our hammocks, just being slackers… hehe.
   We had some great nights at different bars and met some awesome people, but we managed to stay away from the liveliest parts and places.
 One crazy bike rides through out the island to explore. Here we are standing just on the other side of the hill where we later spent a night in our hammocks in a house we from the beginning were lead to believe where in the middle of the jungle...
  …well the house “was” in the middle of the jungle before they cut it all down and it might have been a really nice house and a jungle tour if the road wasn’t just 100 meters from it. But we were a bit too trusting and the guy got a bit of easy business off us. Though it wasn’t all bad, we did get a great feed and they started a nice fire to keep the bugs away. But I can not say I slept to good that night. We live and learn!!! Right?!?
We stayed on Koh Phagnan for about just over two weeks and had a really good time…
…but it was time to move on a bit and see something different. So we headed for Krabi D
district to check it out. Krabi is on the other side of the thin strip of land from where we had been staying and it was a nice full days traveling to get there with the Thai public transport system which sometimes works like a clock, and sometimes, most of the times takes a little bit longer time then you have been told!!
But it’s all a part of the journey!
In Krabi we found a quit fancy hotel to stay in for no money at all and we stayed for three nights.
We managed to hit the place at full moon and it was probably a good place to be for that time of the month, compared to the hysterical partying on Koh Phagnan. They celebrated the full moon with a festival filled with food stands and with sending beautifully decorated hubs of palm leafs with candles and incense in down the river carrying their bad thoughts and energy. A kind of cleansing ceremony! It was beautiful to see all these lights get brought further out to sea by the water. The also had a hot air balloon made from paper that they sent flying up in the sky, this also a magnificent sight for the eye.
   Market food stands Flower boats Hot air balloon
The day after we hired some scooters again and headed for a National Park about 20 kilometers north of Krabi, called Panom Benja National Park. A BEAutiful place where we found a nice cranking waterfall to have a afternoon swim in after the bike ride and a short hike. The park has got everything from bears and panthers to snakes and monkeys. And as we were sitting at the waterfall having a late lunch we got the company of a fairly big, but probably harmless snake, a bit over two meters long. Might not be a strange sight for someone from Australia for example, but a great big snake for me!! ;-)
  After the park we too the scooters and drove back towards Krabi to get to Tiger Cave Temple, which we where looking for earlier that day.
We found the temple quite easy, curse if you’d only look up a bit you’d see a great big Buddha Statue sitting on a hilltop.
Well there we first had to get passed the cute but cheeky monkeys that were running around at the bottom of the 1237 step stairs we were about to climb. These monkeys have a bad habit of thinking that your sunglasses are theirs just because they are not nailed to your head, or that any water bottle is their toy for the day. Cute but cheeky! The stairs was not the easies to climb. Some places you really wanted to hold on with both your hands to feel safe. There were numbers on each pole you walked passed so that you knew you where making progress at least, sometimes it felt like an impossible mission…
  …finally at the top of the stairs we knew it was well worth the effort of sweating our arses of for. The Buddha statue is over 10 meters high and is sitting on top of the hill about 400 meters over sea level. This whole place was so peaceful and quiet. We stayed up there for about an hour and got to see the sunset and listening to the crickets play in the trees all around us. To hear them from the hills all around was almost an ear deafening sound. It is a very powerful and peaceful place, and has a great view.
  …and an amazing sunset!
The Krabi scene was great but we felt like we could use some exercise and a few more trees around where we stayed so we cruised over to Ton Sai Beach, northwest of Rai Lay Beach and Krabi. This is a rock climber Mecca and is supposed to be nice and relaxed.
We got there late in the afternoon and didn’t get around to do anything but check the place out that night. Still in the habit of going to bed early and sleeping a lot, so after a few beers we did.
Waking up early next morning to get our hands on some kayaks, for it was time to do some exercise and a bit more exploring…
I haven’t been in a kayak for quite some time but it all went well even though we only got two sea kayaks for the three of us, but Bridie found an open deck one that was alright.
One hour mission to get to the first little island and then another 40 minutes to get to the second one, this alone was a big effort but a very nice reward with a white sand beach and not too much people.
From this island we doubled back towards the mainland when the weather started to look a bit bad, and had a great lunch on Rai Lay west. After that me and Jesi continued passed Ton Sai and over to Ao Nang to visit a couple form back home that has got a resort there. A nice place and it was great to catch up with some familiar faces for a few minutes. They are hitting the busy season and have little time and we had to get back to the kayaks we left on the beach 10 minutes away to get back to Ton Sai, in the dark!! It wasn’t a too bad situation, but the long tail boats still keep transporting people late at night and not too many of them has got ANY lights on their boats. But then again the kayaking alone, in the dark, was enough of a mission. But even with all of this, we got back safe and sound and after having to carry the kayaks through
muddy and rocky sea bottom because of low tide, we were finally HOME to sweet Ton Sai and safety!! The things you do! Or I!!! ;-)
 The three, or almost three days we spent in Ton Sai wasn’t anywhere near enough. I didn’t get around to any climbing. The day after the kayaking we were all too tired to do much at all. We enjoyed food and reading a book, and great sunsets!
 So we said a sad goodbye to Ton Sai after far to short time there, and headed for Bangkok. Jesi to fly out to Sydney on the Sunday and I to Melbourne on the Tuesday. Ton Sai is a place I can recommend to all of you who read this and especially if you are in to rock climbing and kayaking and don’t mind having a beer or two, with some good people!
The night bus to Bangkok on the other hand, is something I don’t really recommend. On the way down south from Bangkok the aircon was dripping water all over some of us, or rather poring I should say. And on the way up, the so called VIP bus had smaller seats and less room for my long legs than the ordinary public bus has, hmmm something is wrong. Or it might not be, but it is Thailand, the land of everything and nothing. I’m not the one to complain, so don’t think I am now ether. But it is rather funny some of the things people do in this country. They see an opportunity to make money and they go for it.
I have to say, now when I’m soon leaving, that I didn’t like it at first. I didn’t see a structure in their system. But it is wrong to criticize it. There are a lot of things that are wrong and VERY short term, but they are such a happy people and most make do with very little money and are still very happy. And they are getting aware of long term solutions for many things. And they make damn good food!!!
The plan now is to stay here in Bangkok for another few days and then head for Melbourne on Tuesday.
And probably only stay in Australia for a week and then fly to New Zealand south island, to spend some time there. The plans are there and they are almost set, but the details aren’t worked out yet.
“So much to do, so many places to go to… if you ever get confused, just follow your heart!”
For now it is Over and Out!
Take care everyone and let me know what’s happening with you!
Send me a cute little email and make me an even happier person!
Love to you all!
Your Magnus
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resting easy..
Thu 1. Apr 10
S)…efter några dagars sökande så hittade vi vårat lilla paradis, mitt i djungeln på östkusten av Ko Phagnan, på en plats som heter Mea Hat. Huset är stort nog för att rymma en sang och ett badrum, m e a tillräckligt stort för oss…
E)...after a few days of searching we finally found our little paradise, amongst the trees on the east coast of Ko Phagnan, in a little place called Mae Hat. The house is just big enough to fit a bed and a bathroom, but big enough for us.
  ...beachhouse in Mae Hat…
S) Vi började vår resa tillsammans i Bangkok, efter att ha vilat ett par dagar där. Staden var allt för intensiv för att vu skulle stå ut med den allt för länge. Vi hoppade på nattbussen till Surhattani, en resa som blev något av en mardrömsresa för vissa. För mig var det ganska bra med gott om benutrymme och relativt sittvänligt. Men vissa fick sig en dusch av ventilationssystemet som fick jobba för högtryck i värmen, kul va?!?!
E) We started our journey together in Bangkok, after a couple days of rest there. The great big city was TOO big and intense for us to last it for very long. So we got on the night bus headed for Surhattani, a bit of a nightmare trip for some people on the bus to say at least. For me it was quit nice, I had room for my long legs and was sitting comfortably. But for some people along the windows it was like sitting in a shower. The ventilation system was poring down all night, fun ehy!?!?!
  ...on the porch of the bungalow at Leela Beach, Ko Phagnan… and bungalow!
S) …väl framme på ön så hittade vi ett litet trevligt ställe att stanna på som heter Leela Beach, detta efter en rekomendation av en av Jesi’s vänner från Australien Bridie och hennes partner Gary. Han känner till ön väl efter att ha bott här till och från under ganska många år.
Leela Beach var ganksa lugnt och stilla och vi stannade där i tre nätterinnan vi blev lite trötta på det och tog oss vidare till där vi bor just nu, i en liten pittoresk bungalow i ne sluttning på en plasts som heter Mae Hat. Ett helt underbart ställe! Det är som en bild tagen direkt ur fantasim om hur DIN tropiska ö ska vara, tyst och lugnt trots att det är på en ö son är mest känd för sina vilda fester när månen står högt och full i natten...
Ko Phagnan!!
E) ...well on the island we found the first place to stay on Leela Beach, after a recommendation from one of Jesi’s mates from Ozzy, Bridie and her partner Gary. He’s been staying all over the island a lot and has lived here for some time so we took his word for it.
We found the Leela Beach quit nice and stayed there for three nights before we got over it and moved on to where we’re staying at the moment, in a small bungalow on the hillside in Mae Hat. Love the place. It’s like taken straight out of your imagination and is very quiet and calm at the moment even for being the party island of Ko Phagnan…
 …with sunsets like this it’s very hard to NOT like the place, from porch at Mae Hat…
S) Just nu är det väldigt skönt att bara ha det lignt och skönt här och inte göra allt för mycket mer än att återfå krafterna och vila upp sig efter en hektisk sommar respektive vinter, det finns en massa annat som också måste återhämtas!!
Vi har bott här i snart en vecka och det blir nog några dagar till, men sedan finns det vissa planer på att vi ska över till västkusten av Thailand och utforska lite och kanske även pyssla med lite klättring ifall andan faller på...
E) Well right now we’re just taking it easy here and are enjoying the peace and calm of this place. There’s a lot of catching up to do, both in health and getting to know someone!
We have been staying here for a week now and we’re probably gonna be here for another couple of days, but might then move on to the east coast of Thailand and check it out for a while and maybe do some rock climbing if possible and we feel like it… J
 …the girls enjoying a beer in the hammocks on the porch in Mae Hat…
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it's getting closer!
Thu 1. Apr 10
..well the trip actually started with this..
 …pedro asleep on the couch somewhere in Stockholm…
The boys were supposed to keep me awake all night before my fight to Thailand, so that I was gonna be able to sleep on the plane.
Well you all see how well it went..!!! They couldn’t even stay awake themselves!
Pedro and Marc!
You ARE the best!!
Thanks for a couple of great days in Stockholm!
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getting started
Thu 1. Apr 10
on the road..
Just getting ready to pack up for a last night on town with the boys in Stockholm. Marc and Pedro is going to "take care" of me on my last night in sweden. And I'm sure they are going to take good care of me! We'll see tomorro.
If i survive thos you all will get something more to read soon!
Take care for now!
All of your friends
Magnus
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