Last Day Of May

Sorry friends (the real life ones) for having been so absent lately. The last few days have been tough. Bad news, worries and physical tiredness have all played their part. I'm feeling down right now, but I will rise again soon - just need to get some time to lick my wounds for a while.
And as always, when things don't go quite the way you had imagined, there are lessons to be learnt.
First of all, never take anything for granted until it has happened. Do not start planning your life around maybes.
Second, nothing you do is in vain. This is an important one. Even though you feel defeated, you have learnt things along the way.
Third, keep on walking. As Lao Tzu said: The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. 

Book Challenge - Day 8

Day 08 – Most overrated book


Today I'm going to be radical and claim that the most overrated book is one that I actually haven't read. Things that create too much of a fuss usually make me cringe. So does The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Haven't read it and doubt that I will.

 
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

Book Challenge: Day 7

Day 07 – Most underrated book

This is difficult. What is an underrated a book? A book that didn't sell or a book nobody has read? Or is it a book that people didn't like although they should have? 
Well. I don't know if this book fits right here, but I'm going to tell you about it anyway because I think it's the kind of a book that should be translated into lots of languages because it's so extremely fascinating.


Den röda grevinnan: en europeisk historia (The Red Countess: A European History) tells the story of a young woman, Charlotte Hirdman, who lives in different parts of Europe before, during and after WWII. 
The book is a biography and the writer, Yvonne Hirdman, writes about her own mother. It's an attempt to understand a charming, talented and adventurous woman who, through her experiences, seems to end up in the kind of situations that the rest of us only read about in the history books. Born in Estonia (then the Russian Empire) Charlotte finally ends up in Sweden after having lived in Austria-Hungary, Germany and the Soviet Union. The places - politically, socially and historically diverse - are all part of Europe. Through Charlotte's journeys we get a glimpse of these differences that make up Europe. We also learn about the life of a woman: the period she lives in shapes her life to a great extent but she also faces such problems that are relevant today.
The writer is a university professor in history and she has used letters, photos, postcards, official documents and diaries to create this fascinating book about a woman  The book won the August Prize in 2010 in the non-fiction category






Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

Book Challenge: Day 6

Day 06 – A book that makes you sad

Many books affect us in one way or another. Books that make me sad are generally based on reality. If they're not autobiographies, they are at least somehow connected to the real word, real feelings and suffering. They have some kind of base in history.
A book that I read fairly recently, which made me sad is Sophie's Choice by William Styron. Mainly because it deals with themse that I hope never to face in my life. Two things that I cannot live without are hope and some kind of basic trust in human beings. Needless to say, this book deals with the loss of both those things. One of the main characters in this book, Sophie, lost both hope and trust. At the same time, in a much wider perspective the novel discusses a more universal type of human abuse.


Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

Book Challenge - Day 5

Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
 
A book that makes me happy. The hopeless romantic in me finds a moment or two of happiness when reading Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It's an old book, from times long gone, but it's still relevant. Humans haven't changed much even though society and technology are developing at an enormous speed.
Pride and Prejudice makes me happy because it has a happy ending. It is also witty and realistic, characteristics that I enjoy.
Books serve a multitude of purposes, this is one of those books that make me happy.



Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

All That Drama

After yesterday I remember why it's a good idea not to talk about other people. Ever. The world is full of interesting topics to discuss (and if everything else fails, talk about the weather).
Talking about others, aka gossiping, just leades to misunderstandings and hurt feelings.And lots of useless drama.

Now, have a lovely Monday, everybody!

Book Challenge - Day 3 &4

Day 03 – Your favourite series

This is how much I read book series - I googled the term. Obviously the term "series" is familiar, but I couldn't think of any series. I have already mentioned a part of trilogy that I enjoyed very much, 1Q84. So let's pick another one.
The Nightwatch Trilogy (which has turned into a tetralogy and then a pentalogy) is an amusing series. Normally I'm not a fan of sci fi but this one was more than OK. The theme good vs bad is classic yet well applied here and the twist is well done.
I would also recommend this for anyone learning Russian - it's a good way to practise!
The films are OK as well.

Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series

Nightwatch.

 ___________________________________________________________________________________

Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

ESC 2012

Saturday night and Europe gathers in front of their tellies. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the Eurovision Song Contest. Everyone has performed, we don’t yet know who will win.
This was my favourite.

I hear it and am reminded about my yearning to the Balkans. Speaking of the Balkans, it’s great that all the Balkan finalists sang in their own languages. Way to go! We like it!

The Book Challenge–Day 2

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

 

Day 03 – Your favourite series
Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

The Book Challenge Day 1

Day 01 – Best book you read last year
 
 The best book I read last year must have been 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I'm not 100% sure since I can't remember all the books I read, but let's say it was 1Q84. Why? There's always something special about a book if one cannot put it down even though it's incredily THICK and in SPANISH. I couldn't. Therefore, the book must have been extraordinary.
The book, or actually volumes 1 and 2, were publish early in Spanish and that's how and why it ended up in my hands and later on in my book shelves. Haruki Murakami is one of my favourite writers, and after having read most of his works (in translation), this one was not a disappointment. It's been a while since I read this, so it's impossible to give any precise opinions. What can be said, however, is that it invites the reader to the surreal world that is so typically Murakami, and that the themes in the book are very important and very current.

 Have you read this book?

 ___________________________________________________________________________________

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favourite series
Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favourite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

Среди миров/Among the Worlds

Среди миров, в мерцании светил
Одной Звезды я повторяю имя...
Не потому, чтоб я Её любил,
А потому, что я томлюсь с другими. 
И если мне сомненье тяжело,
Я у Неё одной ищу ответа,
Не потому, что от Неё светло,
А потому, что с Ней не надо света.

(Иннокентий Фёдорович Анненский)
_________________________________

Own (free) translation

Among the worlds, in the hazy glimmer
I repeat the name of one single star...
Not because I love her so intensly,
but because I'm tortured by the others.
And if the doubs exhaust me,
I seek the answer only from her,
Not because she's shining so brightly,
but because with her I need no light.

(Innokenty Annensky)

“I like too many things and get all confused and hung-up running from one falling star to another till i drop. This is the night, what it does to you. I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion.”*

Bright blue sky. The colour of a newborn baby's eyes. Bright sunshine. Almost too bright, the kind that requires sunglasses and results in far too many freckles.
Balcony. The wooden floor is chipped. A bit uneven, perhaps. But even enough for a crystal glass with happy bubbles swimming about in the clear liquid. It smells of freshly cut grass. The smell of grass tickles the nose.
People are at their best. They smile and whistle. They talk more. Their clothes fly off and suddenly they feel liberated as never before. There is a smell of adventure in the air. Adventure, and maybe some hope. Hope that life isn't all that dark and boring. Hope that adventure indeed is possible.
The cold water covers the pale body. It causes shivers and a few moments of feeling courageous.
Brightly coloured ice-cream carresses the tongue and the taste buds while loud music is blasting from somewhere. Loud music in a place that usually is deadly quiet.


*Jack Kerouac.

Heja Sverige!

Favourite colours this summer (and always)


(by the way, I love Kiko and will drag my friend K to their shop in Valencia!!)

The French Challenge

"My plan does not involve moving to France or even speaking with a Frenchman, all I want to do is read some French writers without the need of a dictionary. In order to get this thing going, I have decided to set myself a goal: read three books in French over the summer."




Ok, let's do this. Three books in French over the summer 2012. Who's with me? You can read books in other foreign languages, too.

Bonjour Rudolph!

Today my nose is competing with Rudolph's red nose. It feels like the pollen is killing me, honestly. Last night I couldn't sleep because of having difficulties to breathe. Argh. Drama queen? Noo...
What's new under the sun? Not much. Except that there is a sun and it's shining oh so brightly these days. Tomorrow I'm planning on getting my bikini out and just sip on cold cava on the balcony. Weekend treat! 
Good news! I found a French course starting in the autumn. It's offered by the Open University and it's at level 3, which might be more or less suitable for me. This whole thing with French is turning into a huge problem. I want to speak it, I want to know it, I want to read it. But I don't know if I want to study it. Geez, the closest I've been to needing French was when I wanted to buy a red bull at Zürich Airport.
(There's a label in this blog called "The French Challenge" - wonder what that is? Must be something highly traumatic since I've forgotten all about it. Need to check that out) .
 

Trips and Travels

This is so exciting! After a long period of stillness, I'm starting to get back to my gypsy-life. For now, I'm happy about it (that is, I haven't had time to grow bored of it yet!).
Next week I'm going to Austria for 1 (yes, ONE) day. There won't be much time for sightseeing but I believe the trip will be interesting in other ways.
In June I will most probably go to a rock festival to see Snow Patrol live. The funny thing is that  neither the person I'm going with (whom I met through this blog, by the way) nor I is/am interested in the festival per se, so we'll probably just see this one band and then do some sightseeing in the fields of Southern Ostrobothnia. (yes, you are allowed to check what and where that is on Wikipedia!)
What else? Yesterday I booked plane tickets for Bestie and me. We are going to Valencia in July. Yippie! The plan is very simple. Lie on the beach. Eat. Lie on the beach again. Try to avoid getting burnt.

Smoothie In a Bowl

Mango + instant coffee

Whey protein (mint chocolate)

Dried mint

Add some fat-free natural yoghurt

Ready to serve! (and there’s plenty left for breakfast!)

Excitement!

 

Better late than never, they say.

Enough.

It doesn't take more than two weeks of no gym and horrible eating habits to be back to zero. I need to get back on track. The first step is to plan my training for next week.

Sunday: pilates + running 

Monday: body attack + strength training (arms + shoulders)

Tuesday: body combat + strength training  (back + chest)

Wednesday: body combat + strength training (legs)

Thursday: yoga

Friday: strength training (arms + shoulders) + interval cardio

Saturday: strength training (back + chest) + interval cardio

Sunday: strength training (legs) + long walk

Step two will be to make some kind of eating plan, stay tuned. 

I Cannot Live Without A Camera

My old camera stopped working a while ago. It just said poof and decided to die.

This is what the old camera looks like. The zoom won’t close.

I know myself. And I know that all things technological have a tendency to die on me after a a few months of use (that’s the reason you’ll never see me with a smartphone). This time I decided to go for a camera that is shockproof, waterproof and coldproof. Maybe it will survive for more than a year. *fingers crossed*.

New camera also has more megapixels and a lot of fun functions.

The fridge had the honour to act as a model today.

Friday Music

This is quite old, but the lyrics are wonderful. Also, if you’re interested in the Swedish language and have always wondered about the Scanian dialect, you have a good example here. Lyrics + translation (my own) below.


Timbuktu – Flickan och Kråkan (Mikael Wiehe Cover)- the Girl and the Crow

Jag satt häromdagen och läste min tidning
en dag som så många förut.
O jag tänkte på alla dom drömmar man drömt som
en efter en har tatt slut
Då såg jag en bild av en flicka
med en skadskjuten kråka i famn
hon springer iväg genom skogen
så fort som hon någonsin kan
Och hon springer med fladdrande lockar
hon springer på taniga ben
o hon bönar och ber och hon hoppas och tror
att det inte ska vara för sent

The other day I was reading my paper
It was a day like so many others
And I thought of all the dreams one has dreamt about
that one by one  have disappeared
Then I saw a picture of a girl
with a shot crow in her arms
She’s running through the forest
as fast as she ever could
She’s running and her locks are flying
she’s running on thin little legs
And she’s begging and praying and hoping and believing
that it won’t be too late

Flickan är liten och hennes hår är så ljust
o hennes kind är så flämtande röd
kråkan är klumpig och kraxande svart
om en stund är den alldeles död
Men flickan, hon springer för livet
hos en skadskjuten fågel i famn
hon springer mot trygghet och värme
för det som är riktigt och sant
O hon springer med tindrande ögon
hon springer på taniga ben
för hon vet att det är sant, det som pappa har sagt
att finns det liv är det aldrig för sent

The girl is little and her hair is so light
her cheek is a flaming red
the crow is clumsy and black as night
in a while it will be completely dead
But the girl, she’s running for the life
of a shot bird in her arms
She’s running toward safety and warmth
for what is real and true
And she’s running with shining eyes
she’s running on thin little legs
for she knows that it’s true, what her dad has said,
as long as there’s life it’s never too late

O jag började darra i vånda och nöd
jag skakade av rädsla och skräck
för jag visste ju alldeles tydligt och klart
att det var bilden av mig som jag sett
För mitt hopp är en skadsjuten kråka
och jag är ett springande barn
som tror det finns någon som kan hjälpa mig än
som tror det finns nån som har svar
O jag springer med bultande hjärta
jag springer på taniga ben
O jag bönar och ber, fast jag egentligen vet
att det redan är alldeles för sent

And I started to shiver with anguish and need
I shivered with fear and terror
because it was obvious and clear
that I had seen a picture of myself
My hope is a shot crow
And I’m a running child
who thinks that someone still can help me
and thinks that someone will have answers
And I’m running with a beating heart
I’m running on thin little legs
And I’m begging and praying, even though I know
that it’s already way too late

Long Weekend.

Summer is on its way and it’s making me so inspired and happy. One of these days I will find my notebook and start scribbling down the plans. A rock festival on the mainland and a trip to Spain seem to be quite likely to happen. And maybe, maybe, I will have a proper summer holiday (albeit an unpaid one) for the first time in years.

This Is Where The Difficult Part Begins

Yesterday I had my last class of Hungarian. I will not continue next year because I need to do 3rd year psychology in order to get my degree. I will also start an MSc in Sociology of Law and this time it will be about top grades – nothing else will do.

The difficult part begins when you step out of the (virtual) classroom and you are faced with reality. You need to find strategies for how to continue the language learning process. Constant development requires a proactive approach. One must also use the language in order to not forget it.

This has always been difficult for me, that’s why I’ve always preferred to learn a language with a teacher. However, I know that a lot of people have studied languages on their own and reached a very good level.

How do you do it? What are your tips?

Where We Need To Be

These past few weeks I’ve meet some incredibly inspirational people and I’ve also found out lots of things about myself.
When I was 15 years old I told everyone that I wanted to become a diplomat. It’s not a professional path I’ve actively been pursuing because I always thought that I didn’t have the required interpersonal skills.
The people I’ve met have been members of the political and military elite of Finland. Noticing that I can function like a normal person in these situations has been a real boost. Interestingly enough, it’s not necessary to be super-social in this type of situations as long as one knows how to behave well and be interested in others

Before starting this internship I thought I might be taking a step backwards, but I was wrong. This is a huge leap forward that was supposed to happen now. A couple of years ago I would have been too insecure in myself to be able to deal with all this. 

Starstruck...

...that's me at the moment. Meeting all these people is making me nervous but it's also very much fun, as well as a great experience.

Language Assessment

How do you know that your language skills are sufficient? Assessing one’s language level is a subjective process. People tend to either under- or overestimate their skills.  One of the reasons I’m no big fan of people who claim to be fluent as soon as they manage to have a conversation about the weather is that these subjective assessments often appear on CVs and job applications. In such cases, the perceived level of knowledge can give an unfair advantage to the weather conversationalists.

There are exams one can take. Exams that are expensive and may even require travelling. I tell you, the nearest language centre offering the possibility to take an official exam in Polish isn’t exactly next door. These exams require dedication. They are often a last option, at least for me, for getting some kind of formal proof of knowing a language.  

The reason I’m writing about this is that I need to get some certificates. I have a plan, you see. And for that I need formal proof of my language skills. 

Of the languages I know I have sufficient proof (according to Finnish requirements) that I know three.

Swedish: I took my A-levels in Swedish, and my grade in Swedish was good enough to ensure that I officially know Swedish.

English: a degree from a British university is enough to prove a sufficient level of English.

Having a university degree in a language is also sufficient. 

Therefore I have proven knowledge of Russian and Hungarian.

I need to take a language exam in Spanish, Polish and Finnish. Finnish is my official mother tongue, but since I took my A-levels in Swedish (I had no chance, as far as I know, to choose Finnish) I have no proof of this. This is the ironic part of the story. Believe it or not, I think that a Finnish exam would be the most difficult one of these.  The level is different, even though I plan on taking both Spanish and Polish at C1/C2*.

Time to study :) 

*C1: Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognise implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns, connectors and cohesive devices. 

C2: Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in the most complex situations. (source: Wikipedia)

First step

As a first step toward multilingual blogging, I decided to give new life to my Swedish blog. It’s still being a baby, but do go and check it out if you feel that Swedish is a language that interests you. The blog can be found here.

The Finnish blog will appear soon.

 

Happy Friday, everyone!

Gorgeous.

Today I bought a magazine just for the cover. Actually, it wasn’t as much the cover as the model’s hair that gave me cravings. This is what I consider perfect hair.

Goal Management

What do you do when you have various goals that are competing for your  time and energy?
Goal management is an art, just like any other type of management.
Let's repeat a little bit, shall we? A good goal is:







Obviously one has to think about these aspects before embarking on the journey of attaining the goal. Things might go wrong along the way, but good planning is still an essential part of the process.

What do you do when you have several goals? I believe this is a common problem. It would be an ideal situation if we could dedicate our time for one goal only, but usually we are swamped with academic, professional, family.related and other goals. It's not uncommon that people are building houses, worrying about their careers, thinking about starting a family and getting ready to run a marathon. At the same time.

In these cases planning becomes even more essential. If you know what you want and how you are going to achieve it, life will be easier. You will also need to use your skills in time management. Manking priorities is important: usually it's impossible to dedicate all your time to goals, friends and family will want to get some attention too. My suggestion is that you include as many people as possible in your goal-related activities.

MoreThoughts On Languages

Continue Russian to perfection. Study politics and philosophy in French. Ability to function completely in Spanish. More Hungarian.
Those are my goals.

I complain a lot about the lack of time.
I want to do more than languages.

I want to become fit and get my MA.
After writing my thesis I want to get my 2nd BA in psychology and Hungarian (next year).
And two years from now I plan to have my MSc.
A PhD will probably knock on the door at some point.
A career in politics/government is high on the list. 
I want to do all this.
And more.
I want to be a good friend. A great girlfriend. A caring daughter and sister.
I want to travel the world, too. 
I want to do all this although I sometimes feel like lying down on the grass and just die (from stress).

But now to the languages. It is possible to learn a language on your own. But it does require a lot of self-discipline. I don't know if I have that kind of discipline, not when it has to fit into the rest of the schedule. Classes are even more difficult to fit into a schedule, but a good teacher knows how to guide, how to challenge and how to reward. When you're on your own, you are completely on your own. Assessing the progress will be difficult. The same applies to knowing your true level. There are no good local schools, so university is the only option for proper learning with a teacher. Language exchange might be an option, but it would require the other person to be interested and specialised in the same topics,

Ideas? Opinions? Suggestions?

French.

Je pense que je vais commencer à apprendre le français. Sérieusement.

So now, I said it. How I will have the time, I do not know. How long my energy will last, I do not know. French has been mentioned on this blog before. I studied it for six years, took the A-level exam (and passed with a good grade) and then promptly forgot all about it. Because French is hard, it doesn't like me. But I think I might need it. French, politics, international cooperation go hand in hand, ya know. Even though English has gained a more prominent role, knowing French might not be a bad thing.   


Is there anyone else wanting to learn French out there?

Still Alive

Dear friends, dear foes (if there's anyone of that kind reading this), how are you? I hope you are all well in your corner of the world.
There is a lot of things I would like to write about, but time is scarce and I don't know how to put thoughts on paper. (or in this case, blogger). Help me out: what do you want to read about?
If I only survive this week (exam tomorrow and another one next Tuesday), I will hopefully have more energy for this project.

Hugs to you.

Unfair

Yesterday I remembered why I don’t buy travel magazines.

It didn’t take long before I was drooling an daydreaming, thinking about how wonderful it would be to go travelling, to see the world. To take a stroll in Tallinn, explore Albania, swim in Croatia, drink wine in the Czech Republic. And that’s just Europe. Imagine how much there is to see in the rest of the world.

Bribery

Mothers can bribe their daughters with pink wine glasses and pillow cases…

…and daughters can bribe themselves with blue dresses….

Why So Serious?

The cool wind is beating my face, the wheels keep on rolling even though my head was feeling dizzy and my eyes were blurry. At that moment I was thinking about dancing with the devil. The devil takes many disguises: it’s in the unwashed dishes that pile up in the sink, in the endless requests, the deadlines. The assignments, essays and experiments. It hides under the clothes on the floor and it the food that’s not being cooked. It’s in eyes that hurt and the muscles in pain, in the sleepless nights. It’s present in the dreams and the goals. In the lack of energy and the self-doubt.

And yet. It’s still worthwhile because it’s the only thing I know how to do. And someday, a long time from now (hopefully), I hope I will look back and smile, and be happy that I walked my own path.

Simplicity

If you want to be happy, be.

- Leo Tolstoy-

Sometimes the simplest things are the best ones.

 

 

Salad made on spinach, salmon, cucumber, tomato and feta cheese.

Last Days of April

The last days of April were wonderful, filled with laughter, sunshine and some philosophizing. Now I need to recover for a while before getting ready for an energetic summer!