How I envy people like Witzl, who lived in so many countries. How does one plan such a thing like emigration? I would love to leave this crowded country for a more quiet place...
NB. The last four lines refer to the first lines of the Dutch and Swedish national anthems:
" Wilhelmus van Nassouwe ben ick van Duytschen bloet"
and
" Du gamla, du fria, du fjällhöga nord"
In an overcrowded land All my years so far I spent Busy streets, noise, crowded trains Never on time, little pains Politeness is hard to find They have too much on their mind Easily annoyed, hurried Crammed, stressed, in their work burried I tell myself that one day Everything will be OK And I will flee to the north And stay there until I'm bored I imagine the dark wood Where life is quiet and good It might be lonely and cold But nice, so have been told And I might change Wilhelmus Prince of Nassau thus For a Scandinavian lord In the gamla, fria nord |
Written by Phil (6383 comments posted) 5th June 2007 | It's odd. In my twenties I was drawn to cities. In my case - and only by an accident of geography - Manchester. I live just outside the city in a large town called Bolton. I used to get a real thrill just travelling into the city. Now, at forty, I yearn for a much quieter life in the back of beyond - but hey, I've got to stay where the work is.
Incidently, the grass is greener in the North (at least in the UK) because it rains more. That can get a little depressing after a while. We have grey, Tupperware skies from the end of September through to March.
Really liked the last four lines of this.
Phil. |
Written by Phil (6383 comments posted) 5th June 2007 | | Doh - incidentally | Hi, Fledeermaus!
Written by Bagheera (679 comments posted) 5th June 2007 |
Interesting that your reaction to the 21st Century Rat-race is very similar to my own!
Even MORE interesting that your proposed solution so closely mirrors mine!
*assumes best 'Michael Caine' voice*
"Not a lot of people know that ………"
Sweden is (almost to the m²) 7½ times the size of the UK
Sweden's TOTAL population is LESS THAN half that of Greater London @ c. 5½m
Because of the requirements of their School Leaving Certificate, ALL Swedes speak excellent English as this is one of their 5 Compulsory Subjects
See you there, Fledermaus …. Värmland sounds good, it's far enough from any of the big towns, and we've family there and also in Göteborg. While this isn't "out in the forests", it isn't TOO big a city to cope with!
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Written by ellyb39 (79 comments posted) 5th June 2007 | | Well Fledermaus, I can empathise with your wish for a simpler quieter life, up to a point, that is when boredom steps in. I live abroad for 3 -6 months of the year and I am always thrilled to leave and thrilled to return back home....but then I don't live in a huge city. At least in this country there are lots of places to escape the crowds. Interesting and thought provoking poem. elly |
Written by Fledermaus (3159 comments posted) 5th June 2007 | Thanks Phil, Bagheera and Elly.
Phil: Really? I know some people from Manchester, but they weren't too positive about their hometown. As for myself: I always lived in the city, but by now I'm getting tired of the crowds, the noise etc.
Bagheera: The contrast is probably even sharper with the Netherlands. Except for some city states, only Bangladesh, South-Korea and Taiwan are more densily populated. Sweden is more than 10 times as big as our country and has only half its population.
The west of the Netherlands is one big metropolitan area (Randstad) with 7.5 million inhabitants, stretching over three provinces. Traffic jams, crime, pollution, what have you...
I can very well understand why you prefer Denmark over Liverpool. It must be comparable.
Elly: That's interesting. You're sort of a modern nomad? Britain has many faces I think. In the Netherlands places like Friesland might still be quiet and peaceful too (which is why I have a weak spot for that part of this country), but there are no realy empty and wild places like in Scandinavia (and perhaps in some parts of the UK). | Yes - one hundred per cent greener in th
Written by Josie (2496 comments posted) 5th June 2007 | | After my poem about Ilkley, you knew I would say this. I look through my window and there are forty shades of green out there and not a cloud in the blue sky. I've lived north, south, east and west, but chosen the north to stay! How many people have in their garden at the moment, a moorhen, mother and father duck and their one surviving duckling, a squirrel and a tame blackbird? I have, and the woodpecker has just left the peanut container. Yes, you are right about the north Fledermaus. |
Written by Fledermaus (3159 comments posted) 11th June 2007 | Thank you Josie.
Sounds like a wonderful place. How I'd prefer a small town or a village over the place where I live now... |
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