The Stockholm Syndrome

I'm sitting here in a Tailor shop/internet cafe, it's 11 AM and about 34 degrees celsius outside, but such is my commitment to this website that I'm willing to sweat it out to update our loyal viewers on our time down in Phuket. Unfortunately, pictures will have to wait until our return to Bangkok tomorrow night, but I can share an amusing anecdote with you...

We're staying on Kamala Beach at the Kamala Bay Gardens hotel on the west coast of Phuket island. We've discovered that this beach, and especially this hotel are a Scandinavian playground. There are Swedes everywhere, I think our family is the only one that does have anyone named Lars or Henrik. Last night we went to the hotel buffer for dinner, and the entertainment was 'A tribute to Disney'. I've never been to Sweden, but apparently they love watching Thais dancing around and lyp-sync-ing to Disney karaoke. Swedish culture is so fascinating to me.

So two nights ago we were in the hotel pool, which has a water slide and pool-side bar amd soccer nets on either side. Morg and Jake and I got into a physical game of pool-soccer. It got a little rowdy for a while, but we made a conscious effort avoid roughing up the Swedish kids nearby. Anyway, during one play I was tossing Morg around like the pink little water-wing he is - after dunking him under the water I turned around to fire the ball at the goal. Only after releasing the ball do I realize there's a 5-year old little Swedish girl sitting on the edge right next to the left goal post. The next few miliseconds were in slow motion, but of course the ball hit her right in the head and she fell crying into the pool.

After trying unsuccessfully to hide underwater for several seconds I went over to converse with the father who was now comforting his little girl. My heartfelt apologies were met with a 'go away' hand gesture and a look that said 'Haven't you done enough already?'

Yeah, well...what do you think will happe when you sit right next to the soccer net when people are playing for the championship of the universe? I thought Swedes were supposed to be the descendants of the Vikings. Where's the toughness that made all Europe shudder? Do you think Leaf Erickson would haver cried if he'd been hit in the head with a soccer ball? Do you think Eric the Red would have whined about someone kncking his kid into the pool? I don't know about the Swedes - all those indoor saunas and tasteful furniture has made them really soft. I'll bet that little girl wouldn't last five-minutes in a long boat out on the North sea.

They're just lucky it was a bunch of meek, mild-mannered Canadians playing in their pool. If it had been the Aussies she would be wearing an eye patch for the rest of her life.