The Butterfly Battle Blog: one month today!

The 29th of march Natasha and I published our first posts here at our Butterfly Battle Blog!
One week earlier we were attending a conference in Oulu, Finland: the Barents Press annual meeting.
Journalists from Norway, Finland, Russia and Sweden gather annual for brother hood over the boarders.
This year I got a new sister, Natasha from Russia. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw I had lost 27 kilos since the last meeting in Kirkenes 2014.
-Join me, I asked her! She said yes at once and suggested: Let's start a blog!
For one month we have been publishing 79 posts this included. We have had more than 9000 visitors mainly from Russia, Sweden, Finland and the US but also from all over the world. Kerry is reading our blog in Australia, Heidi in Germany, Yasser in Spain.

Soon I realised it's not possible to break this wove. Too many people are watching us now! Here at the Butterfly Battle Blog, at Facebook, in the streets of Luleå, Sweden and Petrozavodsk in Russia.
We have to continue until we meet next time in March 2016 in Sweden for next Barents Press meeting.

Natasha is a true talent entertaining with her charisma in funny videos (You haven't missed the bread fitness movie from 21st of April I hope) but she also talks about her true feelings regarding over weight.

I have learn a lot this month. I have opened up more about my thoughts about the weight loss fight.
Before there were few people I could talk about it with. It always ended up in tears. It hurts being fat.
Not only the whole body moving around all kilos but in my heart.

My sons are worried about my health. Elisha, the oldest, studied to be a Personal Trainer at SATS Sweden. He has shared his knowledge with me. He got me stay away from sugar and fat in sweets and snacks for 16 month. He has been composing a meal plan to reduce my weight. The love from my children helps me on the way.

But also the cheering, support and pep talk from my friends. It gives me power to keep on struggling.

Natashas stories here at the Butterfly Battle Blog has been inspiring. She started the Samuray way about two weeks ago with five goals to reach everyday.
I have followed her in my Ninja Diet also with daily goals.

It hurts me when Natasha says it's not possible for her and other Russians to spend so much money at healthy food. I am not rich, but I live in Sweden and that makes a different.

When I grow up,  our greatest threat was the cold war and possibility of a war with nuclear bombs.
I lived some years in Berlin in the 80ies. Happy to see the Perestrojka  coming to Russia and the Berlin wall fall.
For twenty years east and west have come along pretty good. We don't like everything about your politics. Not the last year regime.

Yesterday I heard on the news that Sweden will prepare for eventually attacks from Russia.
What's happening?
It makes me sad. I am so happy over the sister hood we have created here at the blog. I get greetings from Russians women I never had met. My friends love Natasha.
Why must we start fearing each other again?

Human rights for everyone NOW!

The last days I have been eating far too much.
The battle for the Swedish butterfly has indeed been a struggle... Not much dancing but a lot of good music. Check Dimitri Keiski out on Spotify!

I've been attending a conference. Breakfast, tea-time, snacks, dinner every second hour.
It's not the only reason. I have been comforting my feelings with food.
This emotional overeating comes from the stories I have heard in two days.
I sat next to a man that was born in a tent in Karesuando, in the very north of Sweden, 60 years ago. His mother was refused to give birth at a hospital. His two twin sisters died early by freezing to death.

This year a mother gave birth to a child in a car outside the large, modern hospital of Luleå in the middle of the winter.
The staff didn't let her in when she came to the wrong entrance at night. She's a Romani. It's 2015.
I feel ashamed we haven't gotten further. Maybe it's not possible for some people to live without prejudice.

The family of Mikael came from Russia in the late 1800. They belong to the Romani people Kelderash.
They have had a long struggle with Swedish authorities during decades.
The same arguments against the Romani people 50 years ago are still heard in Sweden. Today about people coming to Sweden from Romania.

 Mikael and his wife Angelina has a school in Stockholm for Romani children:
http://romakulturklass.com/index2.htm You can read about it in English.
Mikael himself started school at 11 and told me how difficult it was. He had to bribe his school mates with cigarettes and candies to stop them from treating him bad.

As a Chils read all the books of Katarina Taikon about Katitzi, a Romani girl, and when Mikael talks to his 10-year-old granddaughter and is calling me gadji, I know the meaning: a non-Romani.
"Katitzi" gave me an understanding at early age. I wish all the kids today could read about her:
"Katitzi in school".

I feel so much sorrow for all the discrimination the Romanis are facing all over the world today.
Human rights for everyone NOW!