I'm going home
The Creative Buddhist Sunday Supplement
Hello you,
I have good news. I got my residency and am finally free to live with my wife in Sweden. For those of you that are new here (welcome!) I applied for residency a year ago, sold my house and have been living in Eddie the van, visiting Sweden when I could. I had to follow the rule of only being there 90 days in every 180 days.
Having heard nothing for an entire year, suddenly it all happened so quickly. The Tuesday before last, I got an email saying I could make an appointment at the embassy in London. They got back with a cancellation for the next day. Wednesday we took the train to London and on Thursday I got an email saying residency had been granted. I can’t tell you what a relief it is. Next time I write, all being well, it will be from Stockholm.
Any kind of trial we face in our lives has the benefit of giving us more empathy. I’m sending out a prayer for all those people in the world that can’t be with the ones they love, that can’t travel freely, or are without a stable home. I now have the tiniest inkling of what that might be like, at least an inkling more than I had before.
Podcasts - Homoerotic: Before my retreat I listened to a podcast about the artist known as ‘Tom of Finland’. His drawings are so familiar and yet I knew nothing about his story. It was quite moving. From there, I jumped to an older podcast in the Talk Art series with Wolfgang Tillmans, also known for his homoerotic art. He talked about the tragic nature of life in a way that resonated with me, love in the midst of tragedy.
Shops: On my holidays I found and fell in love with 3 different shops. I would have loved to have been a shopkeeper in another life. The first was Merchant and Mills in Rye. I felt I’d walked into a temple. They sell fabric and sewing patterns. Then in London we happened upon Labour and Wait, full of practical household objects that are also beautiful. And just around the corner, Niwaki, who sell Japanese garden and kitchen tools.
Book - The Expectation Effect: I’ve long had a fascination with the effectiveness of placebos. That a placebo medicine can actually heal, even though there are no active ingredients in it, and even if you know it is a placebo! The Expectation Effect takes this principle and sees how it holds true in various areas of our lives.
App - Clippy: I recently had to buy a new computer and some apps no longer worked or needed updating. The one I realised I couldn’t live without was Clippy. When you copy and paste you can usually only paste the last thing you copied. Clippy lets you paste any of the last 30 things. So you can batch copy and then paste them all where and when you like. Life changing!
A quote I’m thinking about:
“For me, one of the reasons for having a partner is to have a mutual, equal relationship with someone you love who accepts you exactly as you are and who loves you, faults and all. It’s difficult under those circumstances not to grow as a person, not to have more courage, generosity and love to give, not only to your partner but to everyone. ”
- Philippa Perry
Share the Sunday Supplement with your pals!
I loved the crowdsourced issue of the Sunday Supplement while I was on holiday, thanks to everyone who contributed. I’m planning to make it a regular thing,
Sending some Swedish love,
Vajradarshini
P.S. Still time to book on the Wabi-Sabi Month, starting 1st November.
Red Ladder Studio | Instagram | Threads
Tip - Buy practical presents:
On the retreat I’ve just finished, we introduced ourselves with the icebreaker question, ‘tell us about your favourite tool’. Wow, people are so passionate about their tools, from pen knives to fountain pens, wooden spoons to staplers. Why not buy a beautiful tool next time you want a gift for someone’s birthday? What’s your favourite tool?
Congratulations Vajradarshini! So delighted for you.
So happy for you. Know what oh feels like. I now have an Austrian passport. (My parents left Vienna in 1938, avoiding being exterminated.) my daughters and grandchildren are also applying. Eldest daughter 53, cried in Austrian embassy when they said you are now an Austrian citizen. Was also given a hug!