Monday, February 28, 2022

Blast doors

I remember descending deep into the Kyiv subway, passing thick blast doors that were built to withstand a nuclear attack according to Lonely Planet. Deep down, many stations had impressive murals like the one above. It is sad to imagine how these stations have now become shelters for hundreds of thousands of people.

Yesterday, Russia heightened the alert level for its nuclear forces in an obvious attempt to scare the West. To me, it is already sufficiently frightening that Russian nuclear doctrine sees nuclear weapons as a possible way of “de-escalating” a conflict. Still, for all their recklessness, the Russian political elite should have some basic interest in their own survival that will keep them away from the abyss. Having lived next to North Korea, this MAD state of nuclear psychosis feels all too familiar.

Meanwhile, in Germany, even Robert Habeck and the Greens seem to have some second thoughts about shutting down nuclear, saying that “there are no taboos”, in response to the current crisis. Unfortunately, my instinct tells me that they are far more likely to prolong the use of coal and that they will simply continue to deepen their fossil dependency by building more and more intermittent renewable energy. Yesterday, Elin asked me if Russian hydrocarbon dependency would not make people more willing to consider nuclear energy. I guess that is true for some people in the political middle but, judging from the environmental politics mailing lists that I am on, tribal identity still trumps any rational considerations.

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Saturday, February 26, 2022

Rayos Uva

After a day out in the sun, with rays that once again are beginning to warm the land, it seemed only appropriate to invest in some Rioja #småparti (or “tillfälligt sortiment” as it has been known for some time) called “Rayos Uva”. As tradition has it on Lyktvägen, I am making Tortilla Española and wishing that this darkness will pass. By now, it is obvious that Putin has grossly underestimated the determination of the Ukrainian people and that his actions have unified the country against him in a way that would have been unthinkable ten years ago.

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Behind

Having been sick for such a long time, I have obviously fallen behind on my different gym goals but, this morning, I at least managed to put 7,500 meters of rowing into the bank. If I repeat the same feat on Monday, I will have done 25k this month as well.

Right now, Umeå is filled with rally cars and enthusiasts as “Rally Sweden” has moved here from Värmland in order to ensure enough snow for the competition. Though my motorsport interest is, how should we say, somewhat limited, watching all the people in the sun was a welcome break from the horrors of Ukraine. As for sunshine, time to head out with the boys!

Friday, February 25, 2022

Stratotanker

Watching Flightradar over eastern Poland, there is a stream of Aeroflot planes avoiding Ukrainian airspace on their way to southern Europe and Africa. Right next to them, there are a number of aerial refuelling aircrafts such as the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker as well as some large NATO reconnaissance aircrafts. Further north, just outside Kaliningrad and the Corinthian Spit (where I went for my ultra-marathon back in October), the Swedish Air Force is busy flying in circles with one of their signal intelligence Gulfstreams. Clearly, the rest of the world is trying to learn as much as they possible can about what is going on in Ukraine.

For all the analyses that are being published, I am missing a serious discussion about our own responsibility for the catastrophe that we are now witnessing. More than anything, I believe that it was our failure to integrate Russia, both economically and politically, following the fall of the Berlin Wall that set up the antagonistic logic that ultimately led to the invasion of Ukraine. By making it clear to Russia that they could never become a NATO member and that their role would always be that of the enemy, the West has direct responsibility for what is unfolding. Just as with Hitler, for every analysis detailing how evil he was, it is far more interesting to ask how such people can become leaders in the first place. If the Putin regime does fall, one can only hope that we finally learn the lesson and realize that the Russian people is not our enemy.

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Duga radar

Known by NATO as “Steel yard”, the massive Duga complex near Chernobyl was a Soviet over-the-horizon radar used for early-warning missile defence. Back in 2016, as Jon and I were walking around the rusting radar facility, we came across a group of Ukrainian officers. Far from romanticizing war, these officers were crystal clear that the only possible solution was political. Hearing the news that the Chernobyl area has been taken over by the Russian military, I was reminded of our conversation.

Hundreds of thousands of Russians are signing protests against the war as the air sirens wail over Kyiv. Talking to a friend in St Petersburg last night, people are simply speechless about what is going on. Among those who read foreign news and have travelled to the West in the past, there is genuine disbelief as to why Putin has decided to launch a full-out unprovoked attack on their neighbouring country.

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Invasion

In the worst possible conditions, William valiantly biked to school through the slush with me running next to him. 

Waking up to the news that Russia has launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the world is on edge this morning as exactly the scenario that everyone has feared for the last weeks seems to be playing out. Apparently, the thought of a stable and prosperous democracy on his doorstep proved to be intolerable for Putin. Fearing that a successful Ukraine would inspire domestic dissent, Putin has instead set in motion a series of events that may very well lead to the end of his regime as the human and economic costs of this unwarranted war dawn on the Russian public. For now, the situation on the ground is difficult to assess but there is every reason to think that Ukraine will resist fiercely.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Sushi

Today, I got to meet my 107 social work students on Zoom for the second time. Understandably, many of the students are tired of online teaching and want to go back to campus as soon as possible. Yet, others seem to express the opposite view and, for different reasons, would like things to remain the way they are. However, starting from next week (when the last restrictions are lifted), I will nevertheless be back on campus even with these very large groups. Fortunately, all lectures are still available in pre-recorded versions on the course website for those students who prefer that option. Going forward however, I am less certain if I will be able to keep up this hybrid format since as it would basically mean that I have to do the same job twice.

After Zoom, I took my bike down to Navet for 1,000 meters of swimming followed by some of the best sushi in Umeå. Feeling better with the bronchitis, I will now attempt to run out to Innertavle to pick up the boys for the full triathlon experience.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Back in love

After complaining about how cold it was this morning, I thought I should mention that Anna and I just went for some cross-country skiing under all blue skies to celebrate Twosday. Followed by a semla from our local café “Crosta”, I am back in love with the winter season.

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Riviera Maya

Unaffected by the absurd scenes unfolding in the Kremlin, an Aeroflot Airbus 350 left Moscow this morning for Cancun, passing just overhead as I was biking out to Innertavle with the kids. I can only imagine how much Sergei Naryshkin would have liked to be on that plane after being grilled by Putin last night. As someone said, Naryshkin’s stuttering and flustered expression are clear signs that all is not well in Putin’s kingdom. For the moment, it is difficult to know if this is the beginning or the end of the crisis.

With a real feel temperature of -22 degrees, I would not mind escaping to the Riviera Maya myself. After Höga Kusten Winter Trail, I sort of feel that I had my fair share of snow but, living in Umeå, I know very well that we still have at least two more months of freezing temperatures ahead of us... 

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Monday, February 21, 2022

T-shirt

For all the suffering that they entail, I have to give the organizers of the High Coast races a shout-out for the quality of their t-shirts. Though I normally prefer to train in merino wool shirts, I have used the orange one from 2020 quite a lot, especially on races to give an extra mental boost, thinking that if I could finish HKT 43k, I can finish anything.

The blue winter edition seemed to be of the same high quality as I took it down to USM today for 5k of indoor rowing. Though tempted, I decided to stay away from the treadmill and other high-intensity activities until I have fully recovered. 

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Sunday, February 20, 2022

Deep snow

According to organizers, it was 120 cm of snow in the terrain yesterday. Judging by my number of “Ronja-moments” when I got stuck with one leg deep into the snow, I definitely believe them. Still, for all the insanity, I must say that I had some truly magical moments.

Now on the train back to Umeå, I have just finished marking the political philosophy exams and the next step will be to record a video in which I explain my thinking behind the grading. Beyond the individual comments, I find that the students really appreciate this kind of summative feedback.

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Saturday, February 19, 2022

Höga Kusten Winter Trail

Having done the 43k summer edition two years ago, I set off shortly before 8 am for the 50k winter version. With the temperature at a refreshing -18 degrees, the first kilometres could not have been any more beautiful with the sea and snow reflecting the rising sun, and I soon felt warmer in my TKN-buff as I climbed up towards Slåttdalsskrevan.

Fairly soon however, the trail became more difficult to navigate with deep snow and I started to cough. Having not fully recovered from my acute bronchitis, running 50 km in these conditions would probably be outright dangerous so after taking in the breath-taking views on top of Slåtterdalsberget, I decided to change to the 25 km distance. Little did I know how much I would struggle to even finish this shorter race but in the end I made it back to Friluftsbyn, almost six hours and 905 meters of elevation gain later. Without any doubt, this was one of the toughest races that I have ever "run" and I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it would have been to do the double distance.

During my run, I had plenty of time to think about the upcoming trip to the UK. With the deteriorating situation in Ukraine and my parents probably unable to take care of the kids, Anna and I have decided to change the tickets until June and the BISA Conference.

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Friday, February 18, 2022

Marking Express

Friday afternoon and I am finally aboard train 585. Tomorrow, I plan to take on the 50k version of Höga Kusten Winter Trail or “Insane” as the race is called. Given all the snow that fell a couple of days ago, I guess that is true even for those who did not spend the last three weeks with acute bronchitis. At least the forecast could not be better with plenty of sunshine in store.

Before running however, I have tons of exams to mark so I am afraid I have to keep this short. But for anyone wondering, my lock screen is indeed from October 2019 and the Alila Ubud.

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Monday, February 14, 2022

Off-ramps

Much like in school, if Russia only gets attention when it misbehaves, it will continue to misbehave. As such, I have long argued the need for new positive narratives about Russia and the world, suggesting that Russia could for instance play a key role in advanced nuclear innovation and, as such, in solving climate change.

As the situation has unfolded in Ukraine, there is an even more urgent need for off-ramps or ways that Russia could step back without losing “face” (which is a concept that I know all about after my years in Asia). At the same time, any concessions to Russia will essentially reward it for its bad behaviour and, thus, inspire similar acts in the future.

One idea that has been floated is a ten-year moratorium for Ukrainian membership in NATO or a promise from the US that it will stop stationing offensive weapons along Russia's borders. Given how far the situation has already escalated, it is of course uncertain if such initiatives would be enough to pull Putin back from the brink.

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Sunday, February 13, 2022

Rouge waves

Earl Grey, “piping hot”, to borrow a reference from a future saloon in Los Angeles, as another day comes and goes with no tangible improvement to my bronchitis. Except for a nasty sinus infection in the summer of 2009, I cannot remember if I ever been sick for this long. Still, I really should not complain, I know I am very fortunate in general with regard to health issues. While waiting for my body to recover, I managed to mark all the exams that my police students submitted on Friday so at least “24-timmarsmyndigheten” is alive and well ;-)

Browsing CNN in the sofa with my tea, I came across an article about rouge unpredictable waves, in this case a 17-metre wave suddenly appearing outside Vancouver Island. Though long part of marine folklore, new sensor buoy technology has confirmed the existence of such rouge waves, definied as a wave that is twice the size of surrounding waves and often comes from a different direction. Though I did not experience any rouge waves there, the article reminded me of how treacherous yet irresistible the Atlantic was at Fanore Beach in Ireland when Ally and I went for a swim back in September. Jumping into the waves, strong currents tossed us around and there was not much one could do except embracing the power of the ocean.

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Leaving

In the spring of 2013, tensions were at their height on the Korean Peninsula. Having flown to the United States for a conference, Anna and I made the difficult decision that I would return alone to Seoul while she and Eddie would fly to Kiruna to stay with her family until the situation calmed down. I remember my unease when seeing them off but also the ominous atmosphere as I was boarding my United 747 to Korea. By then, all tourists had cancelled their tickets, so it was just me, a lot of American military personnel and a few Koreans returning home. 

Once our flight was over Honshu, the plane did not follow the usual route across the Sea of Japan but rather continued all the way down to Kyushu before turning 90 degrees and approaching Incheon Airport from the south. During that 500-mile detour, my thoughts were truly spinning as to why we were suddenly avoiding flying close to the North Korean border. Without inflight internet, there was no way of knowing what was going on. Once on the ground, everything seemed strangely normal but, as tensions continue to build up over the following week with North Korea announcing that they would no longer “guarantee the safety of foreigners”, I chickened out and went down to Singapore for a few days until things eventually settled down a bit.

A month later, I would then pick up Eddie and Anna in Sweden and return together to our home on campus. Today, I am reading that the US and some other countries are asking their citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible. So far, Sweden has not followed suit but rather suggested that Swedish citizens should be ready to leave if a conflict does break out, which is obviously non-sensical as it will be much more difficult to leave in such a situation. Having been a parent in a somewhat similar setting, these dark thoughts and vexed choices feel all too familiar, and I am again reminded of what an enormous privilege it is to be able to “leave” in the first place. Looking at the picture above which was taken when Anna and I returned to Korea in May, I can only pray that de-escalation will be possible also in Ukraine.

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Friday, February 11, 2022

Acute bronchitis

In a society obsessed with diagnoses and labels, I am fairly confident that it is acute bronchitis, rather than Covid, that I have been having for the last two weeks. Still, while coughing like crazy, I was at least able to conduct the last Q&A session with my political philosophy students on Zoom today.

With the 50k Höga Kusten Winter Trail just a week away, I am of course beginning to feel a bit stressed but, hopefully, just relaxing and taking it very slow over the weekend will be enough to finally turn this around. As such, I find myself watching another sartorial video by David Zaritsky, this time on the theme “winter white”. Looking through my wardrobe, I came to think of this long-time favourite sweater which I think fits the category? As you can see, the weather could not be any more beautiful and I really regret not being able to go for a run.

Thursday, February 10, 2022

Tintin

From red-and-white chequered rockets at Brussels Airport to my own adventures in the Dhofar Governorate, Tintin is always lurking in the background of these pages. As such, I really appreciated this story about a Tintin photo project set in Lund, including the shot above from the railway station with its dreamy platforms.

Tuesday, February 08, 2022

At long last

After nine days without any aerobic activities, I finally went skiing around the lake tonight. I do not know why, but the evening had an eery postapocalyptic feel to it. All alone, with only my headlamp to guide me across the ice, I got all these dark thoughts about Ukraine and where the world is heading.

Last night, I came to think of the fact that while the media has remained focused on a possible invasion of Ukraine, Putin has already staged a large number of troops in Belarus, making the prospects of its democracy movement even bleaker while increasing the vulnerability of the Baltic States. 

Boys with toys. Nothing is more predictable than people who feel sorry for themselves or cling to power through deceit and corruption. As with climate change, it is just so sad that we have to descend deeper and deeper into this self-made darkness before we somehow realize what was obvious all along: that we are into this together and that we simply have to take responsibility for the world that we have created.

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Still at home

Another day and I am still at home with both boys coughing, looking in disbelief at the screen retelling my 80 km solo trail adventure from Ammarnäs to Hemavan.

Later today, I will have the first thesis guidance meeting with my new master’s student over Zoom. Having not supervised thesis students for a couple of years, this is something that I really look forward to. Otherwise, the coming weeks will mostly be about grading and, hopefully, recovering in time for my two upcoming ultra-races.

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Monday, February 07, 2022

Lunch break

As much as I had hope that all would be back to normal this week, I am still coughing way too much to be in a classroom and so are the kids. As such, I am having five hours of seminars on Zoom from home today. At least, this meant that I was able to go for a nice lunch walk with Eddie in the sun and that I can wear woolen socks at “work”.

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Sunday, February 06, 2022

Grinding

Instead of going skiing, I decided to play it safe and watch Nils van der Poel’s incredible Olympic gold in Beijing. Unlike those who have argued for a boycott, I think a strong case can be made for keeping certain domains away from politics (to whatever extent that is now possible) to somehow remind each other of our common humanity.

Otherwise, Anna and I have spent the day cleaning the kids’ rooms, something that was long overdue. I have also started reading another book by Mian Lodalen and grinding some of my “Academia” beans from Caffé Hausbrandt in Trieste #cookiemonster

Saturday, February 05, 2022

Manchego

Yesterday, through the snowstorm, I could hear a jet engine spinning up as SAS departed for Stockholm. Still on the ground in Umeå, I was reminded of the Holzbrätchen that somehow made it to Lyktvägen back in November, thinking that the time had finally come to make use of it.

As I slowly recover from what turned out to not be Covid (even if I still think it was), I went for a 30-minute walk in the afternoon sunshine with Anna and Eddie, picking up a white turtleneck sweater suitable for any critical theory classes that I may teach. Assuming further health improvement, I plan to go for some gentle skiing tomorrow morning. But first, cheese and prosciutto.

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Friday, February 04, 2022

Last levels of Covidgeddon

As my friend Gabriel phrased it, these are truly the last levels of #covidgeddon. A moment ago, I received my PCR test result, and it was… negative. Meaning, that we are all down with some other unknown plague. And, fun fact, this means that we still have Covid ahead of us (unless it really was Covid that we had over Christmas)… sigh… I am beyond tired of this.

PCR test

After double-checking the rules, I was finally able to hand in a PCR test yesterday. Hopefully, the result will bring some long-sought clarity as to why we are all coughing. While the ride to the test centre could not have been any more beautiful in the sunshine, I could tell that my body was definitely not up to biking.

Today, instead of sunshine, I am reminded of Emerson, “nowhere to alight: the whited air”, as a snowstorm rages on with half a metre of fresh snow expected over the next 24 hours. 

Watching another deeply melancholic BBC-video about the situation in Ukraine, it is clear that, unlike in 1914, people have absolutely no illusions about the heroic nature of war. On the other hand, even the “enthusiastic spirit” of 1914 remains contested among historians. Thinking back on my own visit to Ukraine in 2016, I just feel sadness about the whole situation. Writing in the New York Times, Yulia Latynina points out that, if Putin’s strategy was to bluff his way to NATO concessions, it has surely backfired. And given the corrupt nature of his regime, Putin obviously fears having a stable and democratic Ukraine next-door, so the road ahead is likely to remain bumpy even if the worse can somehow be avoided. 

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Wednesday, February 02, 2022

The Last Monocle

To my surprise, I received one more issue of Monocle before my subscription expired. With a special report on political satire across the world, urban rowing in Turin and the opening of the Ace Brooklyn, I am at least ending my decade-long subscription on a high note.

Yellow River Stone Forest

Instead of blowing over, a night with high fever followed as the dry cough intensified. Still, subsequent self-tests have all been negative, and without access to PCR testing, I am no wiser if it is really Covid this time around. Luckily, the fever has now subsided and, except for feeling extremely lethargic and coughing, I am doing quite okay.

While drinking my morning coffee, I read a long article in Runner's World about the Gansu ultramarathon disaster that happened in May last year. Having just returned from summer temperatures on Öland, I remember how my own disappointment at the sudden winter weather in Umeå quickly faded when I read about the disaster and how 21 people had died in the Yellow River Stone Forest when the temperature abruptly dropped to freezing with graupel and gale strength winds. Having experienced first-hand how cold it can be in the mountains during my solo trail adventure between Ammarnäs and Hemavan, I must say that the thought of becoming trapped with nothing but shorts and t-shirt is kind of frightening.

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