Usch they say in Swedish.

 

A big cup of hot green tea with mint and lots of lemon to the left. Finnish leftist hiphop on high volume, and a bit of work to do. Today is being one of those oddly frustrating days: my body is tired and aching, the whole house is a mess, I don’t really know what I’m doing. Now I’ll have some chocolate, then I’ll make a plan for October and tomorrow I will spend a couple of hours in Starbucks reading important things. 

So, what exactly are you doing?

Few people seem to know what risk analysis actually is, and I often get the question "what are you studying that for?". Many people tend to think that risk analysis is something specific for Economics and Finance. This is not entirely untrue, but it’s a very wide field that can be applied in many areas, such as health care, environment, politics, security, engineering, traffic, IT, business etc.

After reading this post, I hope you can all rest assured that the probability of me making a mess of your finances is very small.

Our mere existence is filled with risks, and we are forced to continuously make decisions in order to minimise these risks. Some of these decisions occur on subconscious level "I will not cross the street right now because there is a lot of traffic and the likelihood of me being hit by a car is big". Other risks are so unlikely that we don’t even spend much time thinking about them: "I can go for a picnic in the park today because it’s sunny and clear, so the likelihood of being hit by lightning is small". Few of us would even consider the risk of being hit by lightning, but of course, it does exist.

Nonetheless, there are decisions whose consequences can threaten a very large number of people. "Should we go to war?": what are the consequences if we decide to attack another country, what are the risks (economic issues, number of casualities, revenge, psychological problems among soldiers, etc.) for us and future generations? What is the likelihood of succeeding, and failing? What factors will influence the success/failure, and the potential consequences...? What should we do to minimize the risks? When the Soviet Union attacked Afghanistan in 1979, they obviously forgot to run a thorough risk analysis: what was supposed to be a quick military operation ended up being a guerrilla war that lasted for almost 10 years.
Or, we want to build new metro lines: is it economically viable? What risks will the workers be confronted with? How will it affect the environment? Will it harm people? What can we do to avoid this from happening? Etc.

A classmate of mine works for a company that is analysing security risks: they have worked with the Swedish government for instance, assessing the probability and risks of an attack on the Parliament.
So, as you can see, it’s all fearfully complex and interesting.

Last but not least I will give you a little task (one that we’ve spent quite some time on)... tell me in the comment box what you think :)

After a penetrating foot injury, you have developed an
infection and possibly gangrene in the left foot. One
response would be prompt amputation, but at this
stage it is possible that your foot will heal with
careful medical care. If surgical amputation is delayed, however, there is a risk
that infection and gangrene could spread, necessitating
amputation above the knee or even resulting in death. If
surgery is performed now, the amputation can be done
below the knee, with less resulting disability and deformity
than that associated with amputation above the knee. Limb
amputation is a relatively safe procedure, but there is
always some risk of operative mortality. Given this
description of the circumstances and of the decision
problem, should surgery below the knee be performed
immediately, or should you wait to see if the foot heals?
The choice is yours!
(example originally from Weinstein and Fineberg: "Clinical decision analysis")

Time

The truth is that we all have 24 hours to spend a day. What matters is what we decide to spend all that time on. Now that I have a lot of things that I need to get done, I’ve noticed that I spend a lot of seconds and minutes on... nothing.
In an ideal world I would spend the 24 hours of a normal day as follows:

• 7 hours sleep
• 4 hours work
• 5 hours studying
• 2 hours exercise
• 3 hours for eating and doing other necessary things (like showering and getting ready in the morning, cleaning, shopping)
• 3 hours of cuddling and relaxing.

That’s pretty much what I want to aim for, even though reality looks quite different at the moment.
Anyway: are you time-efficient?

Demonstrations or football?

Today there is supposedly a general strike going on in Spain: I say supposedly because apart from my boyfriend staying at home and making me lunch, I have not noticed anything different from the usual. Earlier when we went for a walk everything was open and people seemed to be going on about their business as if it was any other day. I’ve been told that quite a few people would like to participate in the strike but that they are too afraid of being fired. To me that sounds bad, but then again, who am I to comment and criticise since I’m not a citizen and I’m not even working here (well, technically I am, but that’s another story).

I’ve also heard that the demonstration is due to start at 7 p.m. Why? Wouldn’t it be more logical to organise it at noon when people are supposed to be striking? And then there’s the "unexpected" event: Valencia is playing against Manchester United in Valencia tonight, so I wonder how many people will actually choose a demonstration over football? I will ignore them all and have dinner with a good friend.

Syyskuun viimeinen tiistai

It’s the last Tuesday of September, and there are lots of nice and interesting things coming up before Christmas (just a few weeks to go now... :)).

Today’s:

• Mission impossible: get a hold of a certain Spanish governmental agency: why don’t they EVER pick up the phone?
• Mission hopefully possible: send some papers to a certain governmental agency in Finland.
• Feeling: content but sleepy.
• Task: some work + catch up on Hungarian + update my calendar + exercise (FINALLY!)
• Weather: cloudy but nice
• Music: Finnish poetry

• Drink: lots and lots of tea
• Cause of wonder: why doesn’t the laptop accept the camera memory card?
• Piece of news: the president of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, has removed the Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov from office today. This is a great surprise considering the fact that Luzhkov ruled Moscow for a good 18 years and that he has been an important figure in United Russia. I definitely need to read more about this.

Breakfast @ the laptop

Extremely busy day ahead: I have two deadlines to meet tonight plus a whole bunch of other things to do: cleaning, walking the dog, grocery shopping, meeting friends... with a bit of luck I’ll also be able to squeeze in some work and exercise. It’s a lot but the truth is that I like being busy and having flexible schedules.

I’m wishing everyone a nice start on the new week :)

Rahulolev [Ee: pleased, content]

Now I’m lying in bed, under two blankets, in my PJs, with a huge cup of tea and berry water. My feet are relaxing after a long day, and tomorrow I can finally get up after 7.30.

Today we had our 2nd (1st for me) meeting at the University of Stockholm, and I was terribly afraid of lots of things; about getting lost, being more stupid than everyone else, maybe I hadn’t prepared the material well enough. I was even worried about looking ridiculous among all those posh people.

Well. As usually is the case, my fears were ill-founded. The university was easy to find, really, you just walk straight from the metro stop until you bump into the library. I found the classroom without any problems (after a pit stop at the Department of Slavic Languages... surprise, surprise). I understood what everybody was talking about (although I had no clue about nuclear power in Sweden or tunnel constructions before this afternoon) and in the seminar I managed to combine risk analysis with international relations. Maybe not very successfully, but there was no havoc caused either. My classmates were nice, and oddly enough the guys seemed posher than the girls. In the beginning I spent most of the time in my own corner, but then we started talking and everybody seemed like cool and relaxed people,

The university is nice with an international atmosphere (great for eavesdropping on people): the campus is well situated and the surroundings are lovely (lots of parks around). I liked Uni of Manchester more, but this one comes at a good 2nd place.

Knickknacks asked what on earth I’m doing at a Swedish university :) Well, this is an M.something (social sciences, maybe?) in Decision, Risk and Policy Analysis. Most of it is done independently, but there are a few compulsory meetings in Stockholm, and that’s what I was doing today!

Jó reggelt!

Thursday it is and I’m sitting on the ferry that will take me to Sweden. Four hours of sleep last night left my eyes tired but other than that I’m feeling great (and a bit nervous because tomorrow I’m going to uni... help! I’m scared that a) I won’t find the right place, and b) I’ll make a complete fool out of myself). Right now I’m also trying to multitask: this is a good time to do some work, while eavesdropping on some Estonians: it seems that they are going to work in Sweden, and that their boss is a horrible person (at least he keeps telling them off in bad English).

The plan for the rest of the day is simple: work, socialise, eat & possibly go for a walk in the forest (too bad I only brought high heels with me. Lol.) I might also try to find the university :D

Do you have any nice plans for today?.

Little Pig

 

I feel like a little pig, a balloon that will fly away soon and then explode somewhere above the Atlantic. The food in this pic is pretty much the only healthy thing I’ve eaten for ages. When I get back to Spain I will do a superduperdetoxweek (anyone with me?) .

Today I’ve been reading this:

 

Two hours to go before the deadline. Hilfeeeeeeeeeeee!

Cabbage "Rolls" w/ Lingonberry Jam

Nobody does it better than my mother.

Wise words

When I was hunting for possible questions for tonight’s quiz on Finnish Wikipedia, I somehow found the life philosophy of Mother Theresa. And even if I’m not exactly religious, I think these words are very inspiring. Apparently the text comes from a biography written by Kathryn Spink. However, this translation (from Finnish to English) is mine, so it’s possible that the text below does not coincide with the original one.

 

• Elämä on tilaisuus, käytä sitä hyväksi. Life is an opportunity, take advantage of it.
• Elämä on kauneus, ihaile sitä. Life is beauty, admire it.
• Elämä on autuus, maista sitä. Life is bliss, taste it.
• Elämä on unelma, tee siitä totta.  Life is a dream, make it come true.
• Elämä on haaste, kohtaa se. Life is a challenge, face it.
• Elämä on velvollisuus, täytä se. Life is a responsibility, comply with it.
• Elämä on peli, mene siihen mukaan. Life is a game, join it.
• Elämä on kallisarvoinen, varjele sitä. Life is precious, protect it.
• Elämä on rikkautta, säilytä se. Life is wealth, preserve it.
• Elämä on rakkautta, iloitse siitä. Life is love, rejoice it.
• Elämä on lupaus, toteuta se. Life is a promise, implement it.
• Elämä on suru, voita se. Life is sorrow, defeat it.
• Elämä on laulu, laula se. Life is a song, sing it.
• Elämä on taistelu, suostu siihen. Life is a battle, accept it.
• Elämä on murhenäytelmä, näe se. Life is a tragedy, watch it.
• Elämä on seikkailu, uskaltaudu mukaan. Life is an adventure, dare to join.
• Elämä on onni, ota se kiinni. Life is happiness, grab it.
• Elämä on liian arvokas, älä tuhoa sitä. Life is too precious, don’t destroy it.
• Elämä on elämää, taistele sen puolesta! Life is life, fight for it!

n. The condition or state in which humans exist in a meaningless, irrational universe wherein people's lives have no purpose or meaning.

The local library deserves a big kiss for making my day on several occasions in the past few weeks. A Yugoslav Nobel laureate in literature, a Russo-Canadian writing about fools, a couple of Czechs writing exciting short stories, and yet another Yugoslav who would have received the Nobel Prize, had he not died before the ceremony.

Each of these books cost me 80 eurocents, although I’m sure they are worth much more since they are bound to, in all their Slavonic absurdity and beauty, provide me with lots of fantastic moments. 
The only downside is that they are all translations, but then again, you can’t have it all, especially not for 4 euro.

Tiny random thought

My boyfriend might think I’ve gone mad (but that’s what he gets for leaving me alone thinking too much on a Sunday night), but in my head I’m sort of flirting with the idea of moving to Norway someday. I mean, they live well those Norwegians and the language barrier isn’t exactly high.

But, as I said, this thought is very tiny and extremely random so it shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Nights like this, I wish...

... wish what? Maybe that it would be nice with some company, and hugs. And long and twisted discussions about the silliest topics one can think of. A glass of wine would be nice too, and city lights. Especially city nights.
I’ve been sitting in front of the computer for hours now, waiting for something to happen. Anything. The only exciting thing going on is the parliamentary elections in Sweden. Right now it seems like a nationalist far right party is going to make it into the parliament. Not good, not good at all.

Uwaga, uwaga!

Riikka, a gorgeous girl who writes oh so beautifully, and sometimes melancholically, about love and music and Paris and life and butterflies, gave me an award and asked me to reveal some secrets or unknown facts about myself.

Before continuing with the facts, I’d like to pass this meme on to... yrkesskadad because she’s the best friend a girl could ask for (I miss you!!!!); knickknacks because her comments are always lovely; the reasonable environmentalist because I miss her too and want to see her answers; and señorita (in case she hasn’t done this one) because she loves memes (+ she’s supergorgeous). It’d be nice seeing everyone else doing it too, though, so just let me know if you grab the challenge.

Well, here we go:

1) I love having my feet scratched, and that’s probably the quickest way to my heart. It’s something that seems to run in the family: sometimes my brother will walk into my room at midnight, demanding me to scratch his back (he’s the spoilt one).

2) If it wasn’t for my complete lack of self-discipline I would probably be living on cottage cheese and strawberries, just like all those Polish girls I used to know. My idea of beauty is somewhat twisted, but it’s ok, let’s blame the media.

3) Every time I read about someone who’s living or has lived in Central Europe or the Balkans I’m filled with an unexplainable void which shows quite a resemblance to jealousy. One day, when I’m rich, I’m going to have a summer cottage in the Hungarian countryside, or a beautiful flat in Budapest. This is probably one of the few reasons I want to get rich because being "poor" doesn’t really bother me that much.

4) I’m afraid of peacocks, cows and chicken. And no, there probably isn’t any logical explanation for this. There is no way I can watch films about Nazis either, unless I’m begging for nightmares. This fear, I believe, makes more sense.

5) This isn’t a secret because everyone who has seen me in real life knows what I look like, but... I look a lot younger than I am, and I’m seriously considering chopping off a few years of my real age (in order to postpone any age related crises). The other day my brother, the same one who likes having his back scratched, spent a good half hour in shock after hearing that I’m 2 years older than he thought I was. So from now on, I’m 22. OK?

6) I used to live in the same spot as Friedrich Engels, and just one street from the Moscow house where the young Leo Tolstoy spent the winters with his family. That’s kinda cool.

7) It’s very likely that I’m the only person with my name in the whole world. Combine a Swedish first name with an uncommon Finnish surname (everyone with that particular surname is family), and you get uniqueness.

Pod kocem.

It’s Saturday and I’m lying in bed, feeling like I’m going to convert into an icicle any moment now, despite two blankets, lots of clothes and hot tea. And an angry friend who wanted to go out isn't exactly making me feel better. Apparently I'm lazy and selfish for not wanting to go out...
At least there is no shortage of interesting things to read in this house.

Dziś rano, jak się obudziłam ze snem w oczach, myślałam o tobie i o twojej słodkiej jesieni.

It’s not the great moments I remember. There is only a fleeing notion of thousands and thousands of people celebrating on May 1st, 2004. The trips and travels are almost forgotten. Where did we go? What did we do? Gdańsk had lots of water. Zamość was empty and cold. And Warsaw... from Warsaw I remember tall grey buildings and the pale sun trying to find its way through the greyness. And of course Stalin’s gift to Poland: the Palace of Culture and Science that would rather belong in Moscow with its seven sisters. There was also a lonely palm tree growing on a square somewhere in the Polish capital.

I remember the little shop where I used to buy some croissants to eat in Ogród saski. The endless walks in Stare Miasto. The smells. Watching the autumn arrive. The soups and bread we ate in the university cafeteria. The bars and the crazy flatmates. Crowded concerts and stuffed cabbage.

Will I ever go back and experience it all over again?

23.23 pm

Job interview/intro meeting tomorrow morning means that this girl has to rise by 8 and shine at 10.

We’ll see how that goes since I’m starting with the important things (some assignments for Monday) now, at the middle of the night.

Are there any other night owls out there?

Typically Finnish

Today’s lunch that is... my grandma had made me some "makkarakeitto" (i.e. sausage soup) before our trip to the swimming pool. Usually I don’t really like this kind of food, but since one of the golden rules I try to live by is "avoid upsetting elderly people", I ate it. And really, it was OK with some rye bread with lots of butter on it. The soup basically consists of potato, carrots, some swede/turnip and Finnish sausage, and it's very popular up here.

Speaking of sausages, I’m considering a couple of weeks without meat again... Some of you might remember that I did a similar experiment last spring, and I really enjoyed it. There are so many delicious vegetarian dishes out there to try, and it’s more likely that you try them when you make a conscious effort to skip the meat.
Today something else strange happened: I was all dressed in black... yeah, you should definitely note this down because it’s not very likely to occur again very soon. [and yeah, I do realise that you don’t have anything better to do with your precious time than looking at my clothes and taking notes).

The miracle: the only black t-shirt that I own.

That’s enough self-centred blabbering for today... have a nice Thursday, everyone!

What to do? [note to self]

Sometimes I feel slightly guilty for being careerless at 26. It feels like everyone around me is a) having a wonderful job or b) starting a family. I’m still studying and spending my time on strange jobs. Now my brother is going through the same “whatamIgonnadowithmylife?”-phase, and he’s just 19 (well, 18 and 11 months). That makes me feel even guiltier. I should have figured it all out like 5 years ago. But so what? Isn’t the important thing that I work with something that I enjoy, and study hard to uncover the mysteries of life and Hungary? Most of the time I firmly believe that one day I will be able to combine all my passions and interests and do something truly incredible with my life. Until then I will be enjoying myself.

The magical equation:

+

+

+

Pictures from google images.

Angels

 

Maan korvessa kulkevi lapsosen tie.

Hänt' ihana enkeli kotihin vie.

Niin pitkä on matka, ei kotia näy,

:,: vaan ihana enkeli vierellä käy. :,:

On pimeä korpi ja kivinen tie

ja usein se käytävä liukaskin lie.

Oi, pianhan lapsonen langeta vois,

:,: jos käsi ei enkelin kädessä ois. :,:

Ja syntikin mustia verkkoja vaan

on laajalle laskenut korpehen maan.

Niin pianhan niihinkin tarttua vois,

:,: jos käsi ei enkelin kädessä ois. :,:

Maan korvessa kulkevi lapsosen tie.

Hänt' ihana enkeli kotihin vie.

Oi, laps' ethän milloinkaan ottaakaan vois

:,: sä kättäsi enkelin kädestä pois. :,:

El gato con botas

Doesn't she look a little bit like...

A sport for Zsuzsi?

Dear Readers, I really really really need your help. I’d like to start a new hobby, an activity that I have never tried before, but I have no idea what that could be. Obviously there are lots of sports out there that I’ve never tried, but still... I asked TT and he thought swimming is the only activity that would suit me (and apparently it’s absolutely impossible to imagine me doing martial arts). But yeah. Swimming is fun, but it’s not exactly new, and it’s definitely not cool (and there’s no jumping involved either).

So you tell me, which activity/sport do you think of when I say jumping, running, skipping, speed, strength... blood, sweat and lots of endorphins?

Temporary Corner

This is a little corner, occupied by me and Tomi, that’s perfect for anything and everything: it doesn’t matter whether you’ll be studying, cuddling, reading, writing, just reflecting on life, or cleaning yourself: this is the place to be. 

This is another sweetie that I could bring to Spain along with the cat (just don’t ask me what all the stuff in the background is). She’s simple, but yet efficient; colourful but stylish. We went on a great journey today, she and I, all the way to the super market to buy some coffee for my coffee-drinking-monster-parents-and-brothers. It’s really autumn now: the nature is changing its colours, the green is turning into red, yellow and brown. The air is fresher, the wind is stronger.

There is nothing better in the world than exercising outside: the endorphins give you a great kick, while the nature fills you with inspiration. Someone (and I really can’t remember who) once said that all the best ideas came to him/her while s/he was out running. All I can say is that I agree.

Back on Åland.

We’ve spent the last two days on various means of transport: 4 different ferries, 2 buses, and about 400 km in a car. Oh yeah, we also managed to squeeze in some hysterical relatives and a funeral, as well. It’s been a tough couple of days. Now we’re back on Åland where we will be relaxing for a while: it will be nice to get back to normal again. My plan is to spend as much time as possible outside, exercise, meet friends, read lots of books and just be. When I go to Stockholm next time I’m so going to indulge in fresh berries and sushi.

It’s odd. It’s not until recently that I’ve started to take an interest in Stockholm and all that it has to offer, even though it used to be the place we went for shopping when we were younger. And right now I have two trips planned to the Swedish capital; one will take place this week, and the 2nd one at the end of next week. Det ska bli så skoj!

Photos, photos...

This is what this part of the world looks like in September. We’ve been having a good time, but a part of me is already longing for some serious me-time. I need that a lot: just time to pamper myself and let my thoughts flow freely. Too much of the good thing (in this case socialising) just makes me grumpy and nervous. The schedule is quite busy until Sunday, including a lot of ferry-hopping, but after that things will hopefully calm down a little bit.

Going for 5000. Part IV.

Hey, I’m quite busy right now, so while I’m trying to organise my time better and get some creativity flowing, you can try to get to know me better. If you’re interested.

201. Put these creatures in order from what you would least like to be reincarnated as (1), to what you would most like to be reincarnated as (10) assuming reincarnation ended up existing AND you were given a choice.

1) female human

1. male human

2. dolphin

3. manta ray

4. house dog

5. oak tree

6. rock

7. wild dog

8. vulture

9. caterpillar
   caterpillar, house dog, wild dog, vulture, male human, female human, oak tree, rock, manta ray, dolphin
   202. What do you feel unworthy of? A lot of things.
   203. Would you rather be remembered for having done something for humanity or being a really nice person? For having dome something for humanity.
   204. Which do you value more: science or intuition? Science, although I'm far better with intuition myself.
   205. Your best friend and your significant other are in the hospital at the same time with the same ailment. Who do you visit first? My significant other, for strictly practical reasons.
   206. Does the universe revolve around human beings? No, although that's what human beings like to think.
   207. If you are no longer a virgin, do you wish you still were? Not really, being a virgin at this age would be rather sad.
   208. Who is your favourite poet of those who are alive right now? Poet... alive...
   209. What is your favourite song from the 90's? Any song by East 17. Or Savage Garden (was that in the 90s?)
   210. If you were in alphabet soup what letter would you be? Z
   211. Do you believe in fairies, ghosts, aliens, angels, dwarves, elves, etc.? No.
   212. What makes you want to be someone’s friend? Usually it has something to do with unexplainable attraction- you just feel you have something in common with the person.
   213. Do you troll around the Internet harassing people anonymously for fun? Why would I? I have better things to spend my time on.
   214. Have you ever seen the movie A Man Who Fell to Earth? No.
   215. What is your favourite line from a movie? I never remember any lines.
   216. What's your favourite video game? Spyro.
   217. Have you ever taken something that wasn't yours? When I was younger, yes.
   218. What is one phrase people say that irritates you? People who swear a lot are extremely annoying, they make me want to wash their mouths with soap.
   219. You allow strangers to read your diary, but would you let your parents read it? Yes.
   220. Hot steamy bubble bath or quick in and out shower? Bubble bath any day :)
   221. Are you allergic to anything? Pollen, and anything that annoy my sensitive skin.
   222. What is your favourite Terminator movie? None.
   223. What is your favourite fast food? Souvlaki when in Greece, otherwise Whopper without mayo at BK.
   224. What would someone have to do to get you to never speak to him or her again? Insult me.
   225. Would (or have) you ever whip someone or be whipped by someone in bed? Would you really like to know the answer to this question? Are you sure?
   226. Have you ever said 'I hate everyone' and really meant it literally? No. I have better things to waste my energy on than hatred.
   227. Why do some people want to get more money than they could ever spend? Because they want all the things that are somehow related to having lots of money.
   228. Have you ever won a carnival fish? No.
   229. Did it live more than a week? No.
   230. What's the best sounding accent a person can have? Heh. I love any kind of accents, but the people from eastern Finland have a very sexy dialect. Oh, and the Irish, love the Irish accent.
   231. What's the most boring thing you've ever read? Notes from the Underground by Dostoevsky. Makes me fall asleep after 2 pages every single time.
   232. Do you prefer buttons or touch screens? Buttons.
   233. Do you think there is a lot of similarity between the Harry Potter books and the Lord of the Rings series? Haven't read (nor watched) the Lord of the Rings.
   234. Would you consider yourself to be naive? Yes, sometimes.
   235. Which of your friends is most likely to go to jail? None.
   236. What is the smallest amount of money that could be in a public toilet that would make you reach in and grab it? 50 cents maybe...
   237. Would you ever wear real fur? No.
   238. Arachnophobia or Eight Legged Freaks? None.
   239. What are your feelings about police officers? Should I have any special feelings about them? Well, most of the time they do a great job, and society would fall apart without them.
   240. what is your favourite line from a song? . Don't. Remember. Any. Lines.
   241. Is fifty dollars a lot of money? Depends on what you are going to spend them on.
   242. Do you like the band Front 242 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Front_242)? Never heard of them
   243. Would you rather have fame, money, or self-satisfaction? self-satisfaction
   244. What's your middle name? Susann.
   245. What is the absolute limit, the craziest thing you would do for a million dollars? Define crazy.
   246. Are you good, evil or neutral? Neutral: or at least something in between.
   247. Should ebonics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebonics) be considered a language? Probably not.
   248. What color is your bedroom? white
   What color would you like it to be? Pink, blue or yellow.
   249. When are you planning to move to a new home? Dunno.
   250. If you added up the cost of everything in the room with you, approximately what would it come out to be? A lot.

Autumn Fun.

All the usual colours: red, navy blue, white. Polka dots. A little bit of leather. Short skirts and lots of socks and tights. In autumn it's fun to play!

Enjoy the Silence

After a day of sightseeing, I’m now enjoying a cup of cappuccino while reading an article on decisions under uncertainty. The text is interesting, the equations are way too complicated for my poor brain, but maybe I’ll understand them too someday. 

Yes, we can.

Face your fears. Do things you never though you’d be capable of. Open your mind. Decide to like something you’ve always disliked. Take a new route to work. Visit a distant country. Start studying mathematics. Jump higher than you’ve ever jumped before. Challenge yourself.

Only by challenging ourselves – our minds, brains and bodies – can we achieve our goals and dreams, that’s the only way we will find new paths and fight those boundaries that we have set for ourselves, or that have been imposed on us by the people around us. At the end of the day, there is so much we can do if we set our minds to it. Life isn’t supposed to be easy, and it should most certainly not be comfortable or a constant party. Our experiences, good and bad, make our lives fascinating!

At the Last Minute

Remember how I told you yesterday that I needed to get a lot of things done? (thanks to everyone for cheering for me, by the way) Well, I still need to do most of those things... Why, oh why do I ALWAYS leave things to the last minute? It seems to be some innate characteristic that I’ll never get rid of, since I always manage to end up in the same situation, even if I try to remind myself about the consequences. How about you? Do you always stress at the last minute or do you possess enough foresight to complete your tasks before they are due?

But. Maybe it’s worth it. Yesterday turned out to be a lovely day.

It eventually stopped raining, so we (I & a very sweet friend) went to get our caffeine boost at a beach not too far away (called Pinedo).

 

We had the beach all to ourselves...

...there were only a few fishermen here and there.

Now we must to fast-forward to this moment.

Did you really think that I would let you get away without seeing a photo of food? Mohahha. If that’s the case, then you were wrong. Don’t forget about my secret mission, which is to make you hungry, Today’s breakfast was very tasty: raspberries, mango, cereal and some pineapple yoghurt.

And this photo describes quite well my feelings this morning: all blurry, pouty and up-side-down.

Now, off to work. Have a nice Friday, everyone!

Hello, September!

Our plans to go to the beach might have been jinxed. Seriously. How often does it rain in Valencia at this time of the year? Rarely. How many times has it rained in the past couple of weeks? Twice. On which days? Well, on the days we were planning on having breakfast at the beach, seriously. Now we are hoping that the rain will move on to terrorise the poor Italians instead so that we can eat our lunch in peace on the beach. Fingers crossed.

On Saturday we are going to Finland and before that I have to read a terrible amount of text. About the brain, and I just don’t wanna. But, I probably need to put some tea in the kettle now and just start. Even Mark Twain had something clever to say about this whole getting-started-process:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

Right. We can do this!

On Sunday morning at about 7 a.m. this is where we will be messing around: the Stockholm Central Station.

 

AND OMG: IT’S ALREADY THURSDAY!