Monday, March 29, 2010

india next?

Having a great time in Copenhagen and know I am apparently just thinking of the next trip. Should I go to India in a couple of weeks? I might join some friends that are going to my ex-coworkers wedding. It feels like a once in a life time opportunity. I also always wanted to go to India but never really found anyone to go with. Furthermore it feels like the last chance to do a long trip before starting working again.

And the tickets are not extremly expensive even though it is only three weeks left. It could well work out.

Friday, March 26, 2010

snoozer number one

Not many hours of sleep tonight. The night owl shut the lights at 1 am and actually managed to fall asleep quite fast. Only 3 ½ hours later my alarm rang. However, I did not wake up from it even though it rang twice and I managed to snooze it twice. I woke up when dad came checking if I was awake. Good thing he did that. But after that I was wide awake, it is funny when you have something important to do and it does not matter how little sleep you got, you are still not tired. Well, until later the same day perhaps. I am sure the sleep will catch me eventually. I tried desperately to get some sleep on the flight but no such luck.

Now I am at A's place and just had some breakfast. The sun is shining and it is really nice and warm. Well, relatively warm. Especially when comparing with Stockholm since we still have snow. I almost had too much clothes on and had to open the shirts and jacket. I think this weather should come to Stockholm now. Please?

Right now my eye lids are feeling heavy. A nap perhaps?

copenhagen

So it is off to Copenhagen.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

exam done, now copenhagen

The home exam is done already. When necessary I seem to be able to gather enough discipline. Or perhaps it was the topic that I was interested in knew a lot about that made it go smoothly. I ended up with a paper titled 'The entertainment industry against the file-sharers', a topic I find interesting and I recent read the book about piracy and The Pirate Bay. I have already sent it in so now there is no return.

So now I actually have time for packing and to get some sleep tonight. I even have time to relax a bit. And paint my nails of course.

I am really looking forward to this long weekend in Copenhagen. I love visiting new places, but it is also a bit comforting visiting a city that you know so well. You know where everything is and how to get around. I am becoming nostalgic. Remembering the good old days.

2 600 words later

I just had a break for lunch. Lunch consisted of waffles with ice cream and raspberry jam, on the waffle day itself. Not a long break though, now I am back in front of the computer writing on my home exam. It is going quite well since I have already written 2 600 words and the minimum is 2 400 and maximum is 2 800. I am guessing that I might have to read through it carefully and shorten it a bit since I have a few more things I need to write down.

So I might actually have time to pack tonight. And perhaps even get some sleep before I have to get up at around 5 a.m. tomorrow.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

home exam revisited

Working on my home exam for the International Organizations course. I recieved the questions this morning and the deadline is Friday at 10 p.m. However, I am really counting on my writing skills here and to be finished with the whole thing on Thursday evening/night. This since I am flying off to Copenhagen on Friday morning. Worst case scenario I take the damn thing with me and finish it in Cph.

Lets see if I can work hard tonight. I have written 600 words and have 1800 more to go... If I can manage at least and additional 900 words tonight then it should not be a problem since I have a whole day tomorrow. Or is it my always optimistic side talking? But I do work better in the evenings/nights.

I have done these before. And I always work best under pressure.

interview number two

It is set, I have a job interview next week. My first interview. That phone interview a while back almost does not count. Okay, I am going to count it because then I can say that this will be my second interview which sounds better than it being my first interview.

Now there are jobs out there that actually are interesting. In fall and a bit into the new year I felt that there was not much out there that was appealing. Now I read job ads and there are several that I find interesting.

The only issue, I do not want to live in Sweden really. Even though, I have only applied for jobs in Sweden. I guess my own uncertainty has part in that. I do not know what I want to work with and it does not really matter where I end up. This gives a huge arena for job searching since the two questions 'what' and 'where' have the answers anything and anywhere respectively. One has to start somewhere and I guess the most logical is to start with the searching in Stockholm. That is what I have ended up doing.

We will see where it leads me.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

interview prospect

I had a missed call from an unknown when I left sister's hair saloon. (Yeah, I have got a new hair color from my very own hair stylist.) I did not really reflect on it and the thought that it could be regarding a job did not enter my mind since I have not sent out many applications lately.

Tonight I checked my email and it was one in particular that caught my attention since it was not from all of those job sites that I am receiving daily mails from. It was an email from Mr. Hultin saying he had tried to call me but could not get hold of me and I should call him whenever it suited. The subject of the email was 'interview'.

The interesting thing is that I have barely sent out any job applications, but yesterday I sent out four and it is regarding one of those jobs he is contacting me.

It is a job as a market analyst and I had to go back and read what the job was all about again since I could not remember exactly. It actually seems quite interesting. Contact the day after I sent out an application, that is what I am talking about, incredibly fast response.

Monday, March 22, 2010

anxiety and uncertainty

Four job applications have I managed to send out today. It is the result of large amount of anxiety yesterday or perhaps the last couple of weeks. Since I have been studying I have not done much on the job searching front, and that has hence given me a bad conscience. And when I get a bad conscience I just want to disregard it all and it gives a really bad downward sloping spiral.

What further enhances the anxiety is when I realize that I have not been working since June 30th last year. That is many, many months. The time has passed so quickly even though I have been living at home and here it is not much that makes the time go by. Although I am saying that I have been unemployed since September 30th since that is when my employment officially was over. Even though it makes it a bit better I still know that it is June 30th that is the date.

Spring is almost here and that means summer is 'around the corner' (to be optimistic), which means vacation plans, travels, weekend trips. Okay, I do not have a job but I am still one of those who wants to make trips and take vacation somewhere. For once I want to make plans, but how can you make plans when you do not know your future? Is it one thing I do not like it is uncertainty. I can live with it, but it is there somewhere nagging all the time, causing anxiety and other feelings.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

a day in the snow storm

Mom and me did actually venture out into the snow storm today to go to the movies. We also squeezed in a trip to IKEA and bought a few small things. We damned ourselves for not going to the movies on Saturday as we planned at first, when the sun was shining and the snow was melting. But no, we pushed it up a day and fought our way through the snow and wind.

As the snow storm was not enough for our unlucky choice of day. We realize on our way to Uppsala that the Swedish championship final of bandy is playing in central Uppsala. How are we ever going to find a parking slot? We manage in the end, but have to walk a bit to the movies in the snow storm. More than once we thought about going home but since we had already bought the movie tickets online we had to give it a go.

So to conclude, try to avoid driving into a city where there is a championship final playing. Try to avoid going to the movies in the snow storm, especially when you are going by car. Try to avoid venture out at all when there is a snow storm. But the good things is that I made some small finds at IKEA and that the movie Shutter Island was good. Of course not as good as the book, which they almost never are, but it was a really good try. You should really read the book if you get the chance, I usually figure out the ending but with this book I never did. It is an ending you will not expect. That is why I love it.

snow, please be gone

I guess I got a little bit too excited yesterday. This is the view that met me this morning. Even though I had read in the news that it will start snowing today I got kind of surprised of the amount.

I damn the snow.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

unresistable apple cosmo

Trying to eat healthy now and avoid all calorie traps. So when mom called me to ask if I wanted a drink before dinner my response was no. A few seconds later she called again and said it was an Apple Cosmo she had made. Then I could not resist and had to accept that the desire for that special drink was greater than the desire to stay away from unnecessary calories.

So here I am, sipping on a delicious Apple Cosmo before dinner. It was my favorite drink for a while, it still hangs on in the top five, and I used to make it all the time at pre-parties in Jönköping. Containing one part vodka, one part Sourz Sour Apple, and pineapple juice to be shaken together.

snow, be gone

Yeay, the snow is melting! We also got some sunshine again after many dark months. Usually the immediate thought when hearing the smatter of rain against the window is not good, but yesterday I could not be happier. It meant that the snow will disappear even faster.


With the eight degrees celcius we are having together with some rain and wind it will soon be gone. Just some week ago our road to the house was all covered with packed snow and ice. Now it is basically gone and you can walk normally and not worry about slipping and getting bruises on your ass.

covers #1

I while back I stumbled across an album called Guilt by Association on Spotify that I have come to love. There are two albums out and I have read that there will come a third one which makes me happy.

There are some really good covers of both oldies as well as newer songs. The one below is Kaki King with I Think She Knows a Justin Timberlake cover.



Another favorite is Jim O'Rourke - Viva Forever (these links requires Spotify).

In Spotify you can hence find Guilt by Association Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

Friday, March 19, 2010

books, books, books

Woops. Another week has passed. So what have this week consisted off? Not much, mostly reading. And further reading.

I have been reading a little bit of everything. I have been reading International Organizations which is course literature in the course I am taking, actually really interesting. Which is good since I am doing this course voluntarily and then you need something that is interesting.

Otherwise I am reading David Rothkopf's book Superclass: hur den nya globala makteliten styr världen (Superclass - The Global Power Elite and the World They Are Making), that I bought at the book sale. I realized when started reading that it connects with the course which makes it more interesting.




















Other books I bought at the book sale are:
Chuck Klosterman - Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
Anders Rydell, Sam Sundberg - Piraterna (a book about the Pirate Party and Pirate Bay)
Muhammad Yunus - De fattigas bankir (Banker to the Poor)
Carolina Gynning - Ego Woman
Andreas Carlsson - Live to win: låtarna som skrev mitt liv (biography, about his career as a music producer and song writer)


Lately I have been all about non-fiction which can be seen by the books I bought. I am all about biographies and true stories these days. Something you actually can connect with the real world.

In a little more than one week I think I read three books, I just kept reading and finished one book in perhaps two days. Carolina Gynning's second book was not that good, not as interesting as her first book.
The book about 'the Pirates' was really interesting, it tells you the story how file sharing came about and the whole technological development. How Pirate Bay started, the trial, and the rise of the Pirate Party. Also about the movie and music industry how they in centuries have tried to stop private copying.
And last, the book about Andreas Carlsson and his impressive career as a music producer and songwriter. It is really fascinating when reading about his life, all people he have met and what he has accomplished. It is truly inspiring.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

a banoffee pie for mom

Last weekend it was mom's birthday and I made a delicious pie for her. It was a recipe I had seen just a week before and was just trying to try out since I love toffee, a banoffe pie. Really good.













































In the evening we had dinner at the restaurant Båthuset (Boat house) in Sigtuna and as the name might suggest it is in fact a boat house on the water. Really small and cozy restaurant with good food.

#900

Just realized that my previous post in this blog was number 899. Which means this is number 900.

Crazy.

So only hundred more to go and I will be up in four digits for this blog.

private stylist

Sister did her hairstyle on me today. Wanted to see what it would look like and I think I like it. It is nice to be able to switch sometime and not just have flat, boring hair.

And I like curls.

Friday, March 12, 2010

another chance

A song from long time ago that I really liked and still do.
I will always remember the video to it as well, it touched me and it is a really good video.

Roger Sanchez - Another Chance

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

night owl revisited

I have a very special daily rhythm these days. Every evening I say to myself that tonight is the night when I am going to bed at a reasonable time. Especially now when I have this course that I am studying for.

But every night I find something to do in the last minute that makes the minutes pass. When I eventually get under the duvet cover I have to read a bit to relax and get tired. Of course all the books that I have been reading lately is so interesting so I have trouble letting them go. Which makes me shut the lights as late as three o'clock the last couple of days. Hence I wake up quite late in the 'morning', around 11 am or 12 pm perhaps. I get something to eat while I continue reading the interesting book where I closed it the night before. Then again I have trouble letting it go even though I should be reading some course literature.

In the afternoon, when I am guilty enough for having read to much in the interesting book I switch to studying and spend the rest of the evening studying. At night when I am done with the studying and think that I should go to bed now to wake up earlier tomorrow. Then I find something to do in the last minute that makes the minutes pass. When I eventually get under the duvet cover I have to read a bit to relax and get tired. Of course the book is so interesting that I have trouble letting it go...

And so on.

I am very bad at breaking habits it seems. Especially when it comes to my night owl habits.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

isn't it ironic

For you Swedes. This must be my favorite piece of news today.

Monday, March 8, 2010

student again

I have been good today and doing some studying. I am taking an online course at Dalarna University to keep myself occupied. So far it is really interesting, it is a course called International Organizations and it is kind of implied what it deals with. This course basically follows a course I took in Singapore called Globalization of World Politics, which dealt with international relations explained by theories such as realism, liberalism etc. Now those theories are instead applied to international organizations and it also deals with international institutional law.
It is really interesting and keeping me quite busy now since I missed some work when I was sick. Thankfully I can make up for an online seminar I missed. I also realized in the beginning that it is a full time course for these five weeks. So have to see how much time can be spent on job searching. But when I catch up what I have missed I think I can split the time a bit more.

So I am a student again. But not like in the good old days unfortunately. There is not much of a student life here.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

my remedy

The cold (or some kind of flu as it could be) I got never broke out to it fullest luckily. I seem to have found my savior. Always when I caught a cold I could expect one week in bed not being able to really function. Soar throat, runny nose, headache, fever, stuffy nose, hoarse throat, coughing. What I have done twice now, in the beginning of the cold is to take two painkillers, Alvedon 500g (paracetamol), and it has helped. Of course this is no scientific evidence and might just be a fluke, but I know how my body reacts when I get a cold and it has always resulted in one week off school/work/life. Twice in a row now it has worked and I have just been mildly sick, still being able to function. So of course I will try this remedy in the future to see if it works again.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

new york fudge brownie

Very good reviews for my New York Fudge Brownie I made the other day. You should definitely try it and it is so fast and easy to make.


3 dl sugar
1 1/2 dl cacao
1/2 dl light syrup
175 g butter
1 pinch salt
3 eggs
2 1/2 dl wheat flour

Put the oven on for 175 degrees Celsius. Use a baking sheet 40 x 30 cm and cover it with baking paper. Whisk butter and sugar. Mix in cacao, syrup, and salt. Stir in one egg at a time and then stir in the flour. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-12 minutes. Let the cake cool.

2 1/2 dl cream
200 g dark chocolate
1 tsp butter

Heat up the cream and take the pot off the stove. Put in the chocolate and the butter in the hot cream and stir. Smear the glazing on top of the cake, let cool, and cut into pieces.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

well this sucks



First, the snow storm that appeared again today when I rolled up my window blind.

But mostly the second, that I have caught a cold. Mom and dad are already much better from their colds and I thought I had managed to stay well. But no. Sore throat. Runny nose. Headache. Fever. Now I am just waiting for a stuffy nose and hoarse throat.

Always, always the worst timing. I have a mandatory assignment for my online course on Thursday so now I probably will not make it. Is this the fifth or sixth time I have been sick before an exam/assignment/school stuff? Great.