Strobaek Blog

One of the people I follow on Twitter (@hhariri) asked if anyone had any book recommendations. This is always a good question, but it did not contain any details whether he wanted fiction or non-fiction. I will – most likely incorrectly – assume, that he was interested in non-fiction, and will in the following name a few of the books I have enjoyed reading lately.

As the people who know me are aware, I do enjoy books, and have read my fair share. The “lately” in the above paragraph should therefore be taken literally, except in the few cases where I have come across a very good book within the same genre.

The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov is a classic and it was just as enjoyable as the first time I read it. Alastair Reynolds is also a good scienfiction author. Some time ago I read House of Sun, Pushing Ice and The Prefect, and more recently Chasm City of the Revelation Space-series. I was given Redemption Ark by a good friend, but have had some problems getting a copy of Revelation Space as I would have prefered to read it on my Kindle, and I understand this book should really be read prior to reading Redemption Ark. Unfortunately Revelation Space is not available on the Kindle, making a purchased of a more “physical format” required and I am now looking forward to receiving it one of these days. As a last note, before we leave the science fiction genre, I would like to mention Blindsight by Peter Watts. I was (also) given this book as a gift and I am ever gratefull, as it is one of the best SciFi books I have read, fully comparable to the best of William Gibson (it has been a long time, since we have seen anything worth while from him).

I have always been a fan of detective novels and enjoys a good “whodoneit”. One of my favorite authors is P. D. James and her new book, Talking about Detective Fiction, was not a disapointment, even though it – as the title indicates – talks about what defines a detective novel instead of actually being one. It was fun to get her take on the genre and in addition I got a few titles from the earlier days, I will look forward to reading. Her last novel, The Private Patient, is highly recommendable. Another old favorite is Scott Turow. His latest book, Innocent, is actually a sequal to this very first book Presumed Innocent; yes, it has been made into a decent movie staring Harrison Ford and Bonnie Bedelia, but do yourself the favour and read the book. I must say, that I was slightly dissapointed with Innocent. In my opinion it does not live up to the usual high standard of his other books. An author, whom I just recently got acquainted to, is Val McDermid. She has written several books about Dr. Tony Hill and Carol Jordan. So far I have only read the first one in the series, The Mermaids Singing, and it was excellent. I am looking forward to the next one (The Wire in the Blood) which is already safely stored on my Kindle. Like for the SciFi-books, there is an author which I would like to point out, namely Mark Billingham. His books about Tom Thorne are nerve wrecking and can also be highly recommended.

One type of crime or detective novels that I enjoy is the one set in a historical setting. The books by Ellis Peters about Brother Cadfael comes to mind in this category (A Morbid Taste for Bones is the first) and I think I must have read them all. More recently, however, it is the books by C. J. Sansom about the lawer Matthew Shardlake and Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel which have given me many hours of good entertainment. Both happes to be set under Henry VIII in England and both are able to convey how it must have felt to live back then – something I am glad I do not. A more recent setting is the books by Tom Rob Smith. He has so far writte two books taking place in the Soviet Union under Stalin. The first, Child 44, if my favorite, but the second, The Secret Speech, is not to be missed. Like Mr. Sansom and Ms. Mantel, Smith is able to give you the feeling of how it must have been like to live in fear under the reign of Stalin. Don’t read Child 44 if you (already) have problems sleeping.

How many “favorites” of something can you have, before it is not a favorite any more? I am asking because I was next going to mention a book by yet another favorite auther of mine John Irving. Ever since The World According to Garp, first published in 1978, I have been a fan. I love his humor, his plots and his ability to tell stories within the main story line. His latest novel, Last Night in Twisted River, fully lived up to my expectations.

It is very individual whether one likes a book or not. I have in the above given just a few pointers to some of the reads I really enjoyed and hope others may find them amusing/thrilling/moving as well. No classics are amongs them, but sometimes it is like that and I have read my share of Tolstoy, Dickens, Kafka, Camus, Hemingway, Green, …. I have also left out all the excellent Nordic authors I have recently read (Næsbø, Adler-Olsen, Dorph and Pasternak, Roslund and Hellström, Larsson, …).  Should you be interested and do you  have a profile at LinkedIn, I try to keep my readling list up to date. I would be really interested in suggestions of what to read next, so drop me a comment if you have a good reading experience you wish to pass on.

Finally, remember that “A book a day, keeps reality away”

It happens I meet people, harboring the notion that business travels are romantic. They believe you get to travel to far and exotic places, get to see mysterious cultures and eat different and unusual dishes.

They could not be more wrong!

The reality is, that all you see is the airport and your hotel, which is often located right next to the airport, hence there is nothing to do in the evenings and you don’t event see the city you are in through a cab window – or get the change to visit the bars and restaurants in the evening. One airport looks pretty much like the next and hotel food is just not that interesting.

In my everyday life I am an “Information Technology Professional” … which is code for I know a bit more about computers than a box of rocks. During my professional career I have done quite a lot of business related travels. The following are some survival trips to make your experiences more pleasant and efficient.

The first thing you should do especially if you travel a lot is sign up with all the reward programs that airlines, hotels and maybe car rental services offer. If possible try to pick a (few) favorites and stay with those. A lot of companies will let you keep the frequent flier miles; I have gotten a lot of free plane ticket on this account. One thing is for sure: if you travel a lot and don’t sign up for these programs, you are plain stupid.

My second advise would be to never check bags with an airline. Take a course in “how to fit all your baggage into one suitcase without ruining your shirts and suits” if you have to (or ask your wife to do your packing). I have several times lost my bag and trust me, it is no fun. On a site note, you might want to memorize the location of the nearest store selling menswear at your destination, if you can’t manage with only carry-on. This reminds me of a time where I was flying into Zurich, lost my bag, and with less than an hour to my meeting ran into a department store and asked a clerk – a most distinguished older gentlemen – for a dark suit, a tie, two shirts (french cuffs), some underwear, socks and a pair of black dressshoes. He looked at me and said: Have you lost your suitcase, Sir?

These days security in airports can be a nightmare, so dress comfortably. I try to wear slip on shoes (sneaker) as these can quickly be taken on and off if required.

Sleep, sleep and more sleep. Make sure to get plenty of sleep before, during, and after your trip.

Try to eat resonably and stay hydrated.

Bring reading material like books or magazines or do like me: stack up your Kindle.

Use Skype. I have for a long time used Skype to keep contact with the folks at home. It is just more fun seeing the person you talk to than just hearing them and then it is cheaper too.

Delays in travel are inevitable. Try to be nice to the airline or travel employees. Even though they might be dorks, screaming at them won’t get you anywhere. Remember that you are only late, when your trip is over, and you are actually late. Instead open your Kindle and bury yourself in your favorite book.

The last but properly most important thing about business travels is having an understanding spouse.

One thing I really enjoy is a good cop of coffee and especially if it is served as an espresso, it being a regular espresso, an espresso macchiato or a cafe latte.

Instead of trying to explain how to make a great espresso, please check out sites like CoffeeGeek or Risteriet. If you live around Copenhagen, Risteriet is the place to buy your equipment; those guys have forgot more about coffee that you will most likely ever know.

You can’t make a good espresso without a good grinder. I need a new one and this time I want one for life, so I am seriously considering the Mazzer Mini from Mazzer near Venezia in Italy. According to e.g. CoffeeKid and others it should be the best grinder ever made. It can, of course, be bought at Risteriet.

I would also like a new espresso machine. If money was not an issue I would consider the one group Linea or the GS/3 from La Marzocco in Florence or even better the Cyncra from Synesso in Seattle. Until I win in Lotto I will have to settle for something less fancy like a Vibiemme or an ECM.

A finale note: if you are ever in Århus, do not deny yourself the treat to visit Sigfreds Kaffebar in Ryesgade. They have the best coffee in town. As their bread is almost as good as their coffee Sigfreds have fast become my favorite breakfast place when visiting the city.

Updated: 21.01.2010

After doing some more research into which grinder to buy, I am not so certain about the Mazzer Mini anymore. Not that it is not an incredible grinder that will last a lifetime, but more that I have found an alternative, which should be just as good, even more versatile and at a better price. I am referring to the Baratza Vario. Not only is it extremely capable as an espresso grinder, but you can quickly switch grind settings, grinding for press. I haven’t found a retailer here in Denmark, but you can order it from the UK.

I want one of these.

Dear Friends and Family,

The best wishes for the holiday season and the new year.

Some years ago my family and I moved out of Copenhagen, away from our appartment and into our house. While it was great to get the extra space and not having to sleep in the livingroom, it did introduce a new element into our lives, which I just a few years previously would have forsworn would ever happen: we had become pendlers.

Until we moved I had always used my bikecycle to get to and from work, even when I had just over 20 km – a shower after each trip was required. Living in the city we also very seldom used our car. In fact we did not get one until our second son was almost a year old; now we have two cars and as I wrote in a previous post drive all over the place.

How do I get to work? Having 80 km to Copenhagen kind of rules out the cycling to work business. Initially I took the train, which was nice (when it was on time or ran at all) as it allowed you to actually use you time for something usefull: work, read, sleep, make love – yeah, you wish . At the moment I’m taking my car – properly not very PC these days, but public transportation to my current destination is just not practical.

The driving is actually not that bad. I leave early and hence avoid most of the rush hour traffic on Køge Bugt (a notorious stretch of freeway south of the capital). I’ve just had the handfree Parrot MKi9200 system installed in my car, which apart from allowing me to answer phone calls without breaking the law, also allows me to listen to my own choice of music and more importantly podcasts and audio books.

In an ideal world you would live next to your workplace, like my good friend Han Sen, who is able to walk to work in around 5 minutes, and at the same time you would have an ample amount of space at your disposal. In the real world, this is not always possible. We selected the space and fresh air over proximity and have never looked back. Sure my wife and I may well move back to the city once the children “have left the nest”, but that is another story.

When I grow old(er) I will think back on this period of my life as being one big road trip, driving the kids from one place to the next and from one activity to another.

Several times a day my wife and I drive from Herod to Pilatus – don’t know if you can say this in English.

Well, it is a good thing I can be online while waiting for them to pack their things

I love books and I happened to marry a woman with the same passion, so between us we have quite a few; I have lost count, but somewhere between 3 and 4 thousand. I used to have them all cataloged, but lost the “list” during a computer upgrade some time back.

I am using Delicious Library 2 to catalog our books, absolute the best program to catalog your books, movies, music and you name it. It can sync with your iPhone/Touch, so now I will never get in a situation where I have bought the same book twice, because it sounded real nice in the book store, but I could not remember if I had it already – maybe I’m just getting old, but it has actually happened a few times.

I still have a long way to go, but the ever expanding list can always be viewed here (or here if you have an iPhone).

I have always had a passion for good food or rather gourmet food and the cooking of such. Ever since high school, where I was able to seduce my female classmates with dishes like Coniglio alla Provenzale, Osso Buco or if time was scarce Pizza Gorgenzola, I have enjoyed the tranquility of preparing a gourmet meal for my friends and loved ones.

During my time studying economics at the University of Copenhagen, I have spend many evenings producing ‘physical stuff’ after spending the day with more or less abstract subjects within the fields of micro economics or game theory.

I will never reach the level of my good friend Mark – who actually cares if you should use blood oranges for sauce Maltaise or not – and these days, with screaming kids demanding ever increasing amounts of food, it is seldom that I actually have the time to engage in big gourmet productions. Once in a while, we do make time to cook and fill up the freezer with everything from spring rolls over lasagna to pirogues and frikadeller (Danish meat balls).

Bone Appétit.

A couple of years ago I bought a running watch. The Garmin Forerunner 305 (http://bit.ly/NQzt0). At the time I bought it, I had the old 201, so it was really a step up. Newer models have come since, but this one does the trick – if you remember to charge it; today it died on me around 15K.

Apart from the GPS and the wireless heart rate monitor, it tell you all you need to know when sweating it out on the road. As an added benefit, you can upload your training session to Garmin Connect (formerly known as MotionBased). I know, you can live without it, but personally I really like to keep track of your training sessions and see how you did compared to e.g. last year at the same time.

A few words about the training: this and also next week I still work on getting some miles into those old legs. After this I will go for speed for a few weeks doing intervals and after this revert back to the training program derived by Lars Bom (to the Danes: yes the actor). Drop me a line if you are interested.

Happy running to all.