Irina Bernebring Journiette

Live. Do. Laugh. Explore. Dance. Love. Fall. Write. Scream. Enjoy. Dare. Go.

120131– And the insanity in Riyadh life.

I knew this place was whack but I could never imagine how whack. My mind is going into overload. So much to do, so many places to see, so many people to meet!

Last Wednesday I went to masquerade, that proved to be a lot of fun. Even the whole process of getting dressed, then hiding your party-mode style under an Abaya and feeling like a criminal sneaking around the city not trying to catch the attention of anyone to go to a secret house behind massive walls, put on your Venetian-style green and gold mask, and sneak down into a decadent basement where there’s a full blown party.

The absurdity of life here is what’s the most intriguing. Sitting in a car outside a restaurant (in the back-seat of course), covered in this black mass, not allowed to enter the restaurant because of your sex, but instead waiting happily with the rest of the women lined up in cars outside.

Why do I always live in places that turns out to be like experiments in social anthropology?

120125 — Good morning Riyadh!

So. Today is the last day of my first week at work. (Since this is a non-Christian country, we don’t have the friday to sunday weekend but instead wednesday to friday.) Anyway, I left V., Friis and Malmö behind and vetured off in the search for new adventures. First stop was here–Riyadh. Actually The Swedish Embassy in Riyadh. Work entails being a trainee working with Human Rights and Politics here. As of now it’s still pretty awesome. I’ve been able to meet some very interesting people and I’m excited to see what this will bring.

120112 — Counting Down

My life is about to change. I’m moving yet again. I’m excited. I don’t know if I can tell you just yet though. I still haven’t booked a flight. Still waiting for my visa. Take off is scheduled in 6 days.

120104–Den kvinnliga journalisten 1902

1902 föreställde sig någon framtidens arbetande kvinnor. Journalisten romantiserades lite fint med käpp. Se resten av “Les Femmes de l’Avenir” här.

111229 – Och online-dejting.

Jag och Emma dricker vin och har blivit medlem på online-dejtingsidan HappyPancake. Det går så där hittintills. Emma matchas bara med skalliga killar, när hennes enda krav var att mannen hade hår. Den enda med hår skrev att han sökte en tjej som ville ta den i tvåan. Vårt första intryck blev alltså lite off. Själv matchades jag med någon som skrev att han gillade sex. “Dumma mongo,” utbröt Emma och jag vek mig dubbel av skratt. Just nu känns det som att vi kanske är för krävande ändå. Jag vill inte ha en man som fotograferar sig själv med bar överkropp i badrumsspegeln eller har mössa på sig inomhus.

Förövrigt funderade vi över vilka napp vi hade fått med följande “smeknamn:”
-GinFizz
-FizzLady88
-GizzFizz
-PinkLady82

111217–“Because the night belongs to lovers”

Yesterday was epic. Had a couple of my closest girlfriends over for a post-birthday-bash. The memories will be cherished for ever. Fragments in random order: Kelly falls on her butt at BK, screams at random guy: “Why did you trip me.” Gin and tonic. Me and Elvina refuses to pay to check our coats. Tequila. Jack requests and Ambulance so I send him home to my place alone in a taxi with my only house-key. Dance. We accidentally flush my toothpaste down the toilet. Wine. A guard guards the door as me an Kelly uses the mens-room at a club that for the sake of our dignity will be left unnamed. More tequila. Elvina does some soul-searching with the help of Emily=revelations. “Don’t give me words, give me an emotion.” About 200 pictures, a mysterious bump in Elvinas forehead, and a group sleepover later it ended with Brunch.

I’m lucky to have such wonderful people to call my friends.

11-12-13–Apeirophobia?

When sometimes the “unboundedness” and the indefinable space of everything becomes to much to bear.

111209 – Nya äventyr?

Jag ligger under ett duntäcke och lyssnar på regnet som smattrar mot rutan. Jag finner mig ännu än gång på gränsen till ett nytt äventyr. Beslut som ska fattas, som är, fattade. Det är dags att ge sig av. Visst kommer Malmö vara saknat. Mer människorna än staden. Jag vet att jag är välkommen tillbaka. Vera har fått detta att kännas som mitt hem. Nattliga promenader och filosofiska reflektioner. Regnet bidrar som vanligt till den poetiska, dystra men uppfriskande stämningen. Så? Vart bär det av då? Allt är fortfarande nytt och försiktigt. Vill inte avslöja för mycket innan saker och ting är officiella. Dokument är inte ifyllda. Biljetter är ännu inte bokade. Snart.

111207 — Home

I’m back from Oman. Catching up with reality. Unpacked yesterday. Sleeping in today. Doing homework tomorrow.

111127 — Goodmorning Dubai!

So. This is were I woke up this morning.

Yup. I’m in Dubai. Pretty awesome actually. My mother managed to make it a secret until we were in the air. (I looked like a freak at the airport constantly covering my ears, singing and only faceing the ground. At one point security actually even approached mom and asked her if “I had a problem” or if there was “something wrong with me.” She did her best to explain but he just shook his head in disbelief and settled with me just being crazy and not a security risk. The entire thing–travelling without knowing where you are going is quite epic and highly confusing. When I saw the aircraft, we were flying Swiss, and it was a jumbojet (I later learned that it was heading to Zurich eventually) I thought that mom had gone mental and that we were heading to Colombo or some other quite distant place. But no, up in the air we got complimentary birthday champagne and the destination was revealed. About 40 min later we touched ground. Spent an hour or two working our way through the rigorous airport controls, hailed a lady cab and headed over towards our hotel (which also remained a secret until we landed) the Atlantis Palm Beach.

It’s the one in the middle, right by the beach. Oh yeah. Here’s a water park and an aquarium. And they have tame sharks to swim with. Life’s pretty awesome at the moment.