May 7th

Owning a car keeps one busy. Yesterday Ernest and I took it down the local autoclub to have it checked out and get some papers with which we can get some more papers to then get the papers. While waiting on the mechs to do their job we gone for a walk, after the playground we nipped into Szeged Plaza, by far the largest shopping mall in south-east hungary. around the size of Stockman downtown Oulu. We were thrown out of the sport shop, in fact not allowed in because I had a backpack and weren’t willing to give it up. Never mind that we were the only shoppers in the sportshop probably due to the early hour while there was a security guy and two other shop assistants on duty besides the cctv. regulations are regulations.

We spent the rest of the day with shopping. Ernest slept trough the market for which I was thankful, was not up for chasing him around there. We also spent the day in anticipation of the Scottish election results and following the news of the UK results somewhat, mostly the referendum.

We parked the car by the way, fairly early yesterday and haven’t bothered with it since so my opening statement isn’t so true for this last couple of days at least
Liliom has the habit of jumping of her bed far as she can onto a matrass and some giant inflatable coushin. Ernest copies her although he hasn’t gathered the courage to actually jump yet. Probably due to the relative weight of his head. He still gathers their duvets and pillows right next to the bed and after dutyfuly counting to three, as seen from Lili, he steps out of the bed onto the pile.

Last night we had some wine celebrating the Scottish election results. Although I am cautious to celebrate the SNP. The interesting development is there nevertheless. I believe if we cannot just yet do away with the state, at least government should be brought closer to people and the smaller a state is the easier this task can be. For me it’s about locus of control.

In the UK people generally voted down the idea of a more representative electoral system. The argument to support such decision that through a more proportional system (the current first pass the post is one of the least) there would be a greater chance for a ‘hung’ parliament and coalition governments that are unstable and yara yara.

The past four years the Scottish government was a minority government (which is an unimaginable notion in Westminster) yet this gov managed to now gain such an overwhelming swing of seats that the SNP controls more than half the seats in Hollyrood. This has happened in an electoral system which is practically designed to prevent it.

The arguments against changing the UK voting system are false as in Westminster there is an unstable coalition government contrary to the disproportionate electoral system and in Hollyrood there is a majority government contrary to a far more proportional system. Maybe voters voted the proposals down cause they annoyed with the Libdems, but surely; punish other, smaller parties?

Looking at the developing political culture in Scotland I came to realise that unlike most central europen countries Scotland will go on its separate way – prob in a couple more elections – once it’s ready, it has a tradition of a democratic process well developed. A culture of parliamentary politics.

I wonder if a political tradition is a reason for the no vote on the referendum now. A more proportionate representative system would get parties such as UKIP into Westminster in numbers. And look at Finland to see where does that get you. What if that seemingly idiotic no was a very well calculated no?

Naturally, I am critical of it nevertheless. Even bogyman nationalist must be confronted in a dialogue (ok, this is told by me who half the time runs away from such confrontations) but more importantly, here comes the Marxist, maintaining the status qou benefits the structure that is already in power; economic, or corporate fascist. They are only really a step away from hard liner nationalist and nationalist-fascist, besides, in the current system the electorate is also robed from choosing someone else. In such system many probably just opts to take the least worst, as the result of the referendum shows.

Tomorrow we should go to the zoo or something like that, take plenty pictures – if we find the camera – and have a photo blog entry. It takes a lot more composition to write photo on electoral systems

Ant the whole point mentioning the wine was that being drunk after the second glass I realised that I have dropped my thesis topic. Looking for a new one. Then Jen told me that she thinks I have dropped my topic quite some time ago and only my stubbornness kept me on it but she didn’t want to say, just in case now I don’t quite remember what.

January 11th

Around 11am I gave up and turned towards home. The coffee he drunk before we left the house some 2 hours earlier did not seem wanting to wear off. Of course he weas only waiting for this signal and fell asleep. There might be the odd question ‘why let a toddler drink coffee?’ but my comeback is Lili’s explanation on how she came to have drunk coffee when she accidentally revealed that she didn’t like coffee: she was walking with her tongue hanging out, she slipped and fell and her tongue accidentally got into the coffee cup sitting on the floor next to the sofa. Ernest’s explanation is so much more modest and straight to the point; I put my more or less empty cup on the table and i turned my back. Surely, what did I expect?

The past week’s biggest achievements are... hm, Jen is frantically studying for exams, writing blog entrie(s) and... well, she is having a stressful time. Poor little sowing machine is sitting on the side of the desk with the dustcover on. Lili is enjoying weaving and keeps talking about it all the time ( I prefer I recounts of school life). Ernest on our Sunday afternoon sunny walk and play in the park learnt to sit down on the slide all by himself and, well, slide down. It was so exciting eventually he stopped doing this in his excitement and would just throw himself down the slide. He had another one. Today while I was yet again talking to the greenpeace activist on the walking street, which happens sort of every time we walk there, Ernest discovered his tongue. Again. He does this at least once a week. And last but not least late this morning walking in town I caught myself thinking about my thesis topic! It was quite a surprise actually. Have been avoiding it for quite some time and now there it was!

In the afternoon I’ve found some old oranges in the fridge and decided to handpress some juice for the kids only to have the glass thrown on the ground. Was tempted to soak it up and squeeze and hand press the second time but i couldn’t.

Started watching river cottage, the very first episode. The pigs were cute. Or so we were told. Lili weaved. It was Jen’t idea, it’s a training video for our future rural life. We are setting up the online community as we speak. Just goes slowly with all this other bits to do.

And finally some politics too