Zsuzsi's Playground

As of Late

2012-02-01T12:49:00.000+01:00

Book: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. The book was lying in the “books to read”-pile for quite some time before I dug it out. The other day I started reading it and found it tremendously compelling – it was about all the things that matter in life. Also, I felt deeply connected to the main character – we are both really picky about grammar and the proper use of language.

Music: Bon Jovi is good and cheerful during my walks home in the afternoon. Their music makes me think of summer!

Defect: I keep getting cramps in my toes. Not fun!

Object of interest: sociology – I’ve realised that it sort of connects all the dots together.

Plan: drink red wine and read some Marx. I need to start connecting the dots, so I can just as well start with him.

Food: there’s a sweet potato that needs to be cooked. I’m thinking sweet potato and chickpeas, maybe some spinach… do you have any recipes that include these ingredients?

Lesson learnt: if you want to impress people, tell them you’ve got a degree in Russian. It works every single time because people (mistakenly?) assume that you must be an intellectual in order to be interested in Russian. (Only try this if you actually have a degree in Russian). Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to work with Hungarian, which is a pity, because it’s far more difficult than Russian.

Object of interest no. 2: morality and how it affects decision making.

Reason for joy: I’m almost certain than in some cases (depending on the light) my abs and biceps are visible. Wohoo. We are moving in the right direction.

Activity: walking. Fresh air, possibility to choose your own pace + lots of health benefits. What’s there not to love?

Beverage: coffee with cardamom

Quote: “Amor Fati – “Love Your Fate”, which is in fact your life.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)

What Happened To You? You Look Awful Today

2012-02-01T08:56:00.001+01:00

…my colleagues really know how to charm a girl. Truth is, though, that I probably did look quite awful when they saw me, considering that I had just sneezed. And why is this worth saving this information for all eternity on this blog? Well… boys, mind your tongue when you are near a woman.

It’s February. What’s happening?

This month I want to dedicate more time for yoga. In January I didn’t go to yoga even once, and I can really feel it – I’m about as flexible as a carrot. This week I’ve booked two classes, so that’s a start.
I’ll have to write and finish the first draft of my dissertation. It (the dissertation) will be about the integration policy on this island. As the island is autonomous, its laws and policies also differ from those of Finland. I think it will be interesting, and I will be able to use my knowledge from decision analysis, policy analysis and social psychology. I’m also trying a crash course in sociology so that I will know the basics at least.
On Sunday we will find out who is going to be the president of Finland for the next six years. I voted already, and now I’m hoping that my fellow citizens share my opinion.
I’m considering a trip to Stockholm to rest my head a little bit. Otherwise I’d like Helsinki but it’s so expensive and getting there is a pain.
The cold has reached us. I don’t like it so I need to pamper myself a bit more than usual in order to survive the remaining part of winter.

What will you be up to in February?

Sleepy Sunday

2012-01-29T21:27:00.001+01:00

15 of the past 24 hours have been spent sleeping… in between naps I have eaten something (a lot, in fact), done some reading and entertained my mother. In a while I’ll be back in bed. The only thing I need to do now is prepare my stuff for tomorrow morning so that I can get up at 6.30 and then walk to work in the snow. Normal behaviour? Maybe.

Quite frankly, I think my body (and my head) needed a day of inactivity. The week was filled with a lot of everything- from hard training at the gym to loving the world. I don’t think one can have too much of the good thing, but once in a while it’s a good idea to rest.

Today I also took my measurements for Beach 2012. I’ve decided to ignore the scales because staring myself blind at my weight would probably drive me straight to insanity. Measures should be more reliable anyway.

Waist: – 2 cm

Chest: +/- 0 cm

Right arm: – 1 cm

Left arm: +1 cm (omg, I’m disproportional!!! )

Hips: – 2cm

Right thigh: – 1 cm

Left thigh: –0,5 cm

Both calves: + 0,5 cm.

So, ok. I ‘m satisfied, this is going in the right direction. On Tuesday my friend K and I are going to have the Great 5K Race. Basically, each month we will increase our distance and at the end of the month the goal is to beat a certain time we’ve set for ourselves. January has been all about 5K. Let’s see how fast we will make it.

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it..

2012-01-27T08:20:00.001+01:00

It might have something to do with the fact that it’s Friday. Or maybe getting up little past six has messed me up because I’m not an early bird, but I’m feeling SO EXCITED about everything. It’s like I’m in love with the world.

Friday Inspiration

2012-01-27T06:05:00.001+01:00

In Swedish this time Good morning to you and enjoy your day, it’s Friday again!

The Duck Has Returned

2012-01-25T14:29:00.001+01:00

Hi friends, greetings from the ice age.

Yesterday I engaged in too much exercise, so today I would happily have stayed in bed. Here are some thoughts on Beach 2012.

I feel like an elephant. Can exercise make you fatter? The answer is probably no (if you eat as before), so I need to check up on either my eating habits or the mean voices in my head.
My improvements in running are excellent. It’s really rewarding to see the improvement in speed and stamina. I’m still quite slow, though, so there is plenty of room for development!
I’m hooked on Bodycombat. It’s so much fun! For the ones who don’t what it is: Bodycombat is a form of exercise that belongs to the Les Mills-family. Basically it mixes different forms of martial arts and brings them together to form an efficient cardio workout. There is a lot of kicking and punching against invisible opponents -> perfect stress-release. This kind of training has awoken my interest for martial arts.
Resting is not overestimated. The body needs rest sometimes, and my day of rest is today. The plan? To do laundry, watch Sherlock Holmes and get some reading done for my dissertation.
I’m very glad that exercise has become a part of my life. It’s a lot fun and seeing the change (except for the part where I feel like an elephant) is both inspiring and motivating.

What else? Well, it’s sunny outside, which means I’ll walk home.

And soon it’s weekend again, yay!

Thoughts On Week 3

2012-01-22T14:11:00.001+01:00

Firstly, it didn’t go according to plan, but I’m quite satisfied anyway.

Monday: morning walk + strength training (triceps + biceps) 40 mins.

Tuesday: bodycombat

Thursday: walk, 5 km/45 minutes

Friday; running 5 km/31 minutes, 30 seconds + abs 15-20 minutes

Sunday: pilates (emphasis on back and shoulders) 1 h, running 4 km/25 minutes + lots of walking

My goal for next week is to keep it simple, but do strength training 3 times and running 3 times. I also need to go to yoga because my body feels extremely stiff. We’ll see how that goes because I’ve already signed up for HIT and bodycombat: they are both very useful (and fun!) forms of exercise, but I don’t exactly have too much time on my hands.

Today I also discovered a good song to run to. Come on, don’t tell me you don’t feel like running fast when you hear this

Cravings pt. 2

2012-01-21T20:12:00.001+01:00

Valencian red.

Cravings

2012-01-21T20:00:00.001+01:00

After I decided to start eating more healthily, my cravings have become pretty healthy, too. Instead of burgers, chocolate and pizza, my brain and body call for oranges, yogurt and nuts. One thing that I haven’t eaten in ages, but which is one of my absolute favourites is tzatziki. Today my friend K came over for lunch/dinner, and since she’s as much of a tzatziki-fan as I am, we decided to make a big bowl of this wonderful Greek meze.

Salad: chicken with garlic and chili, lettuce, avocado, tomato, red pepper, cucumber and a couple of spoons of bulgur. Add lots of tzatziki.

Tzatziki, as you know, is made of Greek (or Turkish) yoghurt, grated and drained cucumber, garlic, salt & pepper.

Now. Not Tomorrow.

2012-01-20T14:07:00.001+01:00

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Steve Jobs

Overheard

2012-01-20T09:33:00.001+01:00

”I don’t even know if I’m going to be alive 555 days from now”, said the boy to the girl and gave her a kiss under the streetlight, on the icy street. This morning while waiting on the bus – on an equally icy street, under another streetlight – a girl was hysterically crying to a friend on the phone. She was afraid of failing a test they were going to take later on during the day. I wanted to hug her, tell her that “really, it’s just one test. It has no importance for anything. Few things in life are so important that you should cry about them, a test is not one of these things”. Oh, youth! Listening to these young people brought back a lot of bittersweet memories – and a conviction that things did turn out quite well in the end.

Public transportation has a special meaning to me – not only is it the perfect place for people-watching, but it’s also a place where I’ve traditionally made up some pretty hardcore decisions. Therefore I’ve been spending lots of time on the bus lately – trying to convince my brain to come up with some creative ideas. Even though things turned out quite well, it would be silly to say that they couldn’t be better.

A lot of friends have received good news lately: there have been new jobs, babies, school… This is great: seems like 2012 is the lucky year – for everyone except my brother who recently put his (fairly new) iphone in the washing machine. Turned out it’s not waterproof.

Alright, folks: it’s Friday and the weekend is just around the corner. What are your plans? My plan is to vote, write an essay on flow and have a couple of glasses of red. The library can also expect a visit.

Here’s something to ponder upon during the weekend:

“When we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand on or we will be taught to fly.” – Patrick Overton -

On How To Overcome Defeat

2012-01-18T12:16:00.001+01:00

Bad news (sort of) -> turn on Russian radio -> feel instantly better -> come of with a multitude of strategies how to do things even better.

Many people find languages sexy. I do, too, and Russian is one of the hottest languages I know. Other make-your-knees-go-weak languages are Irish English, Finnish (as spoken in the eastern parts of the country) and German. Actually, all Slavic languages are very nice.

What languages do you like?

Issues

2012-01-17T12:18:00.001+01:00

Ears open, eyes open. Open up to the world, and you will have plenty to think about.

Interesting (and worrying) developments are taking place in Europe. Hungary is facing a situation, where one party is gathering power and happily using it to appoint leaders, limit media, revise the consitution and change the laws according to the party’s nationalist and populist ideology. I need to read more about this before giving a more profound opinion, but there will most certainly be one appearing here soon.

The readers of this blog will know that there is a presidential election coming up in Finland. The first round will take place on Sunday. Although there is one candidate enjoying overwhelming (but possibly diminishing) popularity, it seems plausible to assume that the candidate in question will not get over 50% of the vote, which means that there will be two rounds. The speculation about the second candidate is interesting, but it’s not the object of discussion here today. Instead I’m wondering: what do we really know about politicians and politics? A Swedish commentator wrote an interesting piece about this in yesterday’s Hufvudstadsbladet. Actually, she mainly discussed the election debates from a foreigner’s point of view. Of course, depending on interest and personal experience, some voters are able to make a more enlightened decision than others. This enlightenment is probably an illusion: from debates and earlier actions we can deduce something, but the common voter, however interested, will never get all the facts. We live in a democracy where every vote has equal value, so basically the degree of enlightenment, illusion or not, behind the vote has no real importance. Whereas some people (like yours truly) is facing agony in order to make the right choice, some people just scribble down a random number on the slip, and others shrug the shoulders and say that they can’t be bothered to vote. Donald Duck also seems to be a popular candidate year after year. Yes, this is democracy at its very best.

In order to understand the political debate in a given country, one must be familiar with social structures and norms in the country in question. For instance, I can have a lot of opinions about the electoral campaigns in the US, but since my knowledge about the country is strictly theoretical (and most probably* biased); I don’t really have any idea about what’s really going on. Now, this leads us to Åland, the island where I live. It’s an autonomous region, whose population in general shares very few ties with the rest of the country. The local political system is different (even the majority of the parties are different), traditions are different, language is different. There are many people who have no contact whatsoever to the mainland. The question is: is the average “Ålander” familiar with the social and political context within which this election is taking place? How much does s/he know about national politics (and the candidates) in order to have enough information on which an enlightened decision can be made? At least one can assume that the main question for Ålanders is the role of the Swedish language whereas other matters haven’t been discussed so widely. Interestingly enough, surveys show that the Ålanders’ preferences differ from the ones among Finns, and to a lesser degree from the opinions held by the Finnish Swedes.

*One of the first things you learn when studying decision analysis and decision theory: many things are probable or possible, very few things are certain. Therefore the very active use of the word probably.

3rd Cup of Coffee

2012-01-17T09:01:00.001+01:00

Yesterday, at 7.25 am I passed the library. And I remembered many good moments. It’s funny that the library should be a person’s feel-good-place, but that’s exactly what it is for me. It’s the place to go to feel better, to absorb all the knowledge and inhale all the stories that are fighting for space on the shelves. Being surrounded by books is the best thing I know. I haven’t been to the library for a long time now; there has not been any practical need for it, nor time. But now I feel that I need to go there soon: randomly pick a book (or three), sit down in a corner, somewhere near a big window, and just read while sipping on some coffee/tea/battery.

At the moment the following things make my heart skip a beat:

Ambition, Art, Accents, Adventures

Books

Coffee, Cooking, Challenges

Debates

Energy, Equality, Exoticness
Friendship, Fitness, Fruit
Gym, Goals

Honesty, Hungarian

Intelligence

Joie de vivre

Knowledge

Languages, Laughter

Modesty

Novelty, Novels

Optimism

Politics, Psychology, Projects
Quality

Running, Respect, Russian

Sunshine, Summer, Solidarity, Society, Sherlock Holmes

Travelling, Tea

Vegetables

Writing

Yoga

Zen

The good thing about lists like this one is that they remind us of all the things we enjoy. Tip: on a bad day - check your list, pick an activity and DO it.

The Walk

2012-01-16T08:09:00.001+01:00

Beach 2012, here we come! My plan was to start morning cardio (in the form of good ol’ walking) when it’s light enough in the morning – but instead of waiting until March/April, my first morning walk took place today. I must admit that it felt very good during the walk, and even better afterwards. It was quite surprising, since I’m known to hate the winter and the cold. Usually I hide inside the house and refuse to go outside unless someone pushes me out through the door. The weather was wonderful this morning; a couple of degrees below zero and it wasn’t snowing until the very end. I will definitely continue with these walks whenever the weather permits them, because they are so good for both the body, and the mind.

This week’s exercise plan looks like this:

Monday: morning walk + strength training (legs + abs), possibly some running/walking.

Tuesday: pilates + running

Wednesday: strength training (chest + shoulders + triceps) + dance class *help*

Thursday: yoga

Friday: strength training (back + biceps + abs) + running

Saturday: DAY OFF *smile* (or maybe to the swimming pool with TT?)

Sunday: strength training (triceps + biceps), pilates + running

Morning walks: at least three, ideally four or five, times during weekdays

And then the running plan, which is quite simple: 5K each time. I have a time from the beginning of the month that I want to improve as much as possible.

New Toy

2012-01-15T15:27:00.001+01:00

…for days when the gym is too far from home.

Foodie

2012-01-15T15:17:00.001+01:00

For the longest time now, I have been craving for goulash, which is one of my absolute favourite dishes. So, when I stumbled across this easy (and quick) recipe, I decided to satisfy my needs.

This recipe is from Swedish food magazine Laga lätt, no. 1, January 2012. I did modify it a little bit, though. The ingredients I used were: pepper, onion, garlic, chili, pork, tomato, potato, a lot of paprika, caraway and some olive oil. At the end I added some cilantro to give the soup a twist.

As TT doesn’t try my masterpieces, I now have the fridge/freezer filled with this delicious comfort food.

It's Alright

2012-01-13T08:04:00.001+01:00

Long time, no see, dear friends! How are you? I hope life is treating you all well, wherever you are.

Here it’s snowing, and for the first time this year I slipped and fell on my face when walking from the bus to work. My colleague and I both started laughing like mad, it’s obvious that it’s Friday – the atmosphere is so cheerful. Yesterday I took a day off from studies and the computer. It felt nice doing NOTHING after work, just existing (well, going for coffee, taking a nap – very important!, filing all my papers). To be honest, though, lazy days are fun (and necessary) once in a while, but I very much prefer doing something “intellectually stimulating” in my free time!

A couple of days ago someone asked me about my plans for the next 5-10 years. Coming up with a satisfying answer turned out to be far more difficult than expected: despite my little goals and projects that push me forward, I pretty much am where I want to be. By surrounding myself with people and activities that I love and enjoy I’m able to seize the day. Carpe diem! This was a very important moment, and I will do my best to keep it with me, these moments of self-reflection and great conclusions are often forgotten in the midst of everyday life that’s often so far from glorious.

Here’s what some famous people have said about seizing the day:

Life, if well lived, is long enough. ~Seneca, De Ira

We do not do what we want and yet we are responsible for what we are - that is the fact. ~Jean Paul Sartre, Situations, 1939

Life is not long, and too much of it must not pass in idle deliberation how it shall be spent. ~Samuel Johnson

Conclusion? Act, don’t think too much! Follow your heart! Follow your passions! Know yourself!

I would like to wish you all a pleasant and eventful weekend! Do you have any special plans?

Ällälällälää–Keywords

2012-01-08T18:34:00.001+01:00

Ice

Energy

Hiding

Söder

Pink

Water

Grey

City

Shopping

Almost Home

Waiting for Spring!

Things That Annoyed Me Today

2012-01-05T16:47:00.002+01:00

I’ve been feeling grumpy since I woke up at 6.45 am. The prospect of going to work wasn’t all that fun – the countdown for my time there has begun, and even though I’m looking forward to it, I’m in a moment where most of thoughts are revolving around a very disturbing “wtf am I going to do next?”. Almost all available jobs on this island seem to be in health care, nobody needs a wannabe-polyglot with a couple of academic degrees. Riikka wrote about this, she said: “Enhän minä ole oikein mitään….Tällainen joka ei oikein vielä osaa mitään mutta haluaisi kovasti tehdä kaikkea.” (I’m not really anything … one, who doesn’t really know how to do anything yet, but who’d really like to do a lot of things). If I knew what to do, I’d just start my own enterprise and get it over with. However, I’m relieved by the fact that I’m not alone. My best friend is in the same situation. Maybe we should combine our skills and talents and energies and motivation and do something great together. Hell yeah, all of you can join us!

Another thing that annoys is me the attitude some people have in political debates. Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote the famous words (sometimes attributed to Voltaire): “"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". It’s some kind of a basic rule, for me at least. Opinions can be debated, but not people. And it’s just so annoying when someone throws a “you fu**ing communist” (or even better, Stalinist), when you voice your opinions. Yes, you can disagree with me, but don’t assume you can categorize me and put me in a box, just because you’ve heard an opinion or two on some specific issue.

On the brighter side: tomorrow is a public holiday, so TT and I will be going to… dada… Estocolmo.

Dreaming Away

2012-01-05T06:14:00.001+01:00

Sunshine, beaches, warm air, bathing in the sea, delicious food and that hot, southern atmosphere.

Motivational Monday

2012-01-02T08:27:00.001+01:00

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill

2012

2012-01-01T14:59:00.001+01:00

Many bloggers make summaries of the past year – in pictures or in words they tell us about their feelings, experiences and adventures.

I’m not going to this, because – let me be completely honest – I feel far too lazy to even think about 2011. Instead I want to focus on the new year, and all that it will bring. I think that attitude determines the outcomes of many things, and right now my attitude could best be described as motivated. There is so much I want to this year, there are places I want to go, people I want to meet and things I want to explore.

There are some things I want to focus on. Travelling is important for the soul, but unfortunately it has recently consisted of ferry-hopping between this island and Stockholm. I’m at least hoping for three “big” trips this year. Beach 2012 is still on. What drives me is mostly the curiosity to see what I can achieve. I also want to run a half-marathon this year. It’s something I’ve talked about for a long time, but never really taken the thought much further. Another aspect of fitness is food and nutrition. Trying out new cuisines and testing new recipes is a lot of fun! Work is on my mind – I will have my current job until mid-March. The situation worries me slightly, but at the same time I see this as an opportunity to find something that is closer related to my own field. My studies will continue as before: the subjects really fascinate me and I feel lucky that I have this opportunity to pursue my interests. Spirituality is important: I spent a fair amount of time on spiritual questions in 2011, I hope to be able to dedicate more time the spiritual and philosophical schools that are close to my heart. And why not explore other ones: there can never be too much knowledge.

The keywords for 2012 will be: adventure, knowledge, kindness, balance, compassion, laughter, passion, curiosity, fitness, simplicity, spirituality and optimism. These are the words I want to be actively apparent in my life.

Delicious

2011-12-31T13:34:00.001+01:00

Frío, dijo el pato.

2011-12-28T09:14:00.001+01:00

Hola, amigos!

Kilenc órákor.

Today…

…on the radio: Snow Patrol.

…general feeling: happy but tired.

…idea: it’d be great to know Japanese. Yes, you are allowed to hit me now. Not that there’s anything wrong with Japanese, but because I don’t have the time to even think about these things.

…sore muscle: the lower back. Pilates is deadly at times.

…exercise: bike to work, back from work.. and tonight I will play with my new kettlebell and run some tests on myself.

…breakfast: a protein shake with “real” milk (not the skimmed kind) and latte protein powder. Tasty. Right, I also had some homemade chocolate. Oops.

…entertainment: listening to the news in Hungarian.

…question: why is it so difficult for some people to think positively instead of looking like they swallow lemons for breakfast?

…positive thought: learning is one of the best things in life.

…thing to look forward to: lunch, which will consist of salmon with a delicious salad.

…best friend: the sun.

Enjoy your day – and remember, smile!

Thoughts On A Rainy Day

2011-12-27T10:12:00.001+01:00

I was very lucky this morning – going to work by bike was great for waking up, but had I left the house a little bit later, I would now look like a drowned cat. Christmas is over, finally. I say “finally” because this year I didn’t really get into the Christmassy mood. Now I just want to focus on next year and all the challenges it will bring.

One thing I’ve thought about a lot lately is passion, and the things that I love doing.

One of the ways to figure out your passion is to take a close look at what you do in your spare time, what do you do when you have the freedom to choose your activities?

This year has been a bit crappy, but one of my personal successes has been the incorporation of passions into my daily life. This is something I intend to hold on to next year, as well.

Another topic altogether is the Finnish presidential election that will take place in January. Deciding whom to vote for is important and far from easy, so it has been on my mind a lot lately. There are several candidates, some of them better than others. The question is: do I vote for the person who best represents me and my values/opinions, or do I vote for someone else in order to try to make sure that the “enemy”* won’t be elected? The deal breaker seems to be the European Union. Many voters have expressed their disillusion with the EU and there seems to be a sentiment that Finland has somehow been used by the EU to cover for the mess created by others.

* enemy is a strong word, and I wouldn’t really consider any of the candidates my enemy. Here I refer to opinions and values that I disagree with.

Why Would Anyone Need A Decision Analyst

2011-12-26T18:47:00.001+01:00

"It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be."

- Isaac Asimov -

When TT and I were talking about my career prospects, I mentioned that I would like to work as a decision and risk analyst (after all, that’s what I’m studying!). He was surprised: “why would anyone need a specialist to analyze his/her decisions? Doesn’t each person know what is the best decision for him/her?”.

This, my friends, is a valid question. Now, why would anyone pay lots of money, just so that some stranger would analyze their decisions?

First, keep in mind that we are not talking about the straightforward decision problems that people encounter in their daily lives. We are talking about decisions with consequences so costly or undesirable that it really is worth paying someone for their help. Some decision makers need to make such decisions, that can affect the whole society (or parts of it) negatively. Remember, all human activity springs from a decision – the decision to act or not to act.

So, why do we need help?

* In politics, many decision makers are elected by the people. There is no official requirement that they know how to make good decisions. If there were, many strange laws would have not come into existence. Many wars would not have been fought and our society would look very different now. Most decision makers are normal people, like you and me. And how do you and I make decisions? Sometimes we use our gut feeling. Other times we look at what’s best for us personally, not the society as a whole. Cognitive biases tend to affect us now and then, too. Often we don’t have the time, nor the energy, to carefully analyze all the aspects of a given decision problem. And what’s the result? Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. It’s rarely optimal.

* Decision making requires the ability to analyze alternatives and consequences, to assess uncertainties, to weigh costs, to work with different types of probabilities. It’s about identifying the problem, defining objectives and running risk analyses. How many of us do all those things when faced with a tough decision? How many of us KNOW how to do them?

* A good decision maker is also familiar with “psychological traps” – in many cases people use heuristics to make decisions. These normally function very well, but sometimes they can lead to unwanted cognitive biases that affect the solution negatively.

* Decision analysis is also about knowing how to use the correct tools.

As with most things in life, a tool is only useful as long as one knows how to use it.

"Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives, the cumulative experience of many masters of craftsmanship. Quality also marks the search for an ideal after necessity has been satisfied and mere usefulness achieved."

-John Ruskin-

Gotta love Facebook…

2011-12-25T21:45:00.001+01:00

Errr…. no?

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T12:26:00.001+01:00

I wish you all a very peaceful and merry Christmas. Forget about yesterday, enjoy only today. Eat well, drink well and be with the ones you love. Give a thought or two to peace. Keep your feet warm. Be thankful for what you’ve got.

And most importantly, enjoy the cake.

Dream Jobs

2011-12-22T09:56:00.001+01:00

Back in the days I would have gotten married at least ten years ago and I’d have about five kids by now. Nowadays, a person my age is supposed to know what to do with the rest of their lives. Well, hahha the joke is on me, but I have no clue. (Thank God I keep thinking that I’m older that actually am, it gives me more time!) Or actually. I can think of lots of professions I’d like, here’s the list.

Secret agent. I even speak Russian “like a Russian”, that should count for something. (Otherwise I can be the “bad guy” in a bad Hollywood movie). I’m also as discreet as a clumsy duck; nobody would ever suspect I’m an agent – the perfect cover.
Project manager. Everything is a project.
Decision and risk analyst (political decisions, political risks… it’s all about politics)
(Foreign) policy analyst – see above.
….or how about a specialist in political project management. (if you don’t get the point by now, you are dumb indeed)
The President’s little helper (I could even wear a nice little red hat)
Therapist
“Inspirator”
Translator (but only interesting texts – i.e. NO MANUALS EVER AGAIN)

And the conclusion is…? Well is there any conclusion? Not really. The only conclusion might be that if any potential employers read this, they’ll think I’m completely out of my mind.

But come on, tell me: what’s your dream job?

The Darkest Day Of The Year

2011-12-22T09:34:00.001+01:00

Let’s celebrate the Darkest Day Of The Year. Today is the day when you are allowed to eat as much chocolate as you want, and just lie on the sofa, watching soppy films and feeling sorry for yourself.

Yes, you are allowed to. As long as you return back to normal tomorrow when it starts getting lighter.

Smedette (sorry, not able to link!!!*sad face*) wrote a good post about the end of the year. I hope that the New Year will bring a lot of positive changes to her life, as well as to mine. 2011 has mostly been horrible and depressing. The stress is starting to wear me down, every morning I wake up with horrible headaches and the energy barometer is showing low values.

At the beginning of this week I was given some news. Not good, but not particularly bad either. Nonetheless, the information I was given will give me a necessary push toward change. I just don’t know how to make sure that the change will benefit me as much as possible. My current job has taught me a lot of useful (and unexpected) things about my own role in an office environment. It has been an important lesson, as it will direct me in my quest. At the same time I feel that I’m in a desperate need of an “Inspirator” – a person who could help me structure my options and motivate me.

Pravda a láska zvítězí nad lží a nenávistí*

2011-12-20T14:30:00.001+01:00

Somehow I have completely missed that Václav Havel died on December, 18^th.

I don’t know if there is anything I can add to the praise, but I will share a couple of reflexions anyway.

I consider Havel the personification of the Central European peaceful revolutions of the 1980’s. Together with Lech Walesa, he is the man whose face will be remembered when we look back at the overthrow of Communist rule. At a more general level, Havel represented (not only) European ideals. He was the writer who fought for democracy, the one who openly criticised the leadership in a system, where openness and democracy were non-existent. His keywords – pravda and láska - were rather diffuse for a politician, but they were suitable for an artist. They are also words that each and every one of as could and should adhere to.

The European revolutions were not the result of a small group of people, but every country needs its heroes.

* Truth and love will prevail over lies and hatred (Czech)

Conquering The World

2011-12-20T12:15:00.001+01:00

I don’t want pats on the head, or friendly smiles. I don’t want to hear how sorry they are and I don’t want to see them get angry for me. No. I want them to sit down with me and create a master plan. To let the creativity flow and let all those crazy, mad and absolutely wonderful ideas become the solution. I want to conquer the world and I want them to be my sidekicks.

The Greatest Gift Of All

2011-12-19T09:25:00.000+01:00

When I was still a little girl, my mother used to clean a book shop at night. We weren’t rich, but now and then she would buy me a book and leave it on the kitchen table so that it would be the first thing I’d see in the morning. I read about Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and a lot of horses.

I loved these books, all the stories they told and the worlds they showed. Eventually I grew too old for Nancy Drew & co, but I’m still madly in love with words. Almost all my money and time are spent on books, but it’s OK. Because – what would my life be without all those masterpieces I’ve read throughout the years?

Next up is the play Tragedy of Man (Az ember tragédiája) by Imre Madách.

How about you, what will you be reading next?

A Battlefield In My Mind

2011-12-18T23:11:00.000+01:00

Swoosh. Bang. Crash.

It’s not a war.

It’s my mind during yoga.

My mind in an unusually tranquil state.

Usually the state of affairs is far worse.

It could almost be compared to a Great Modern War.

The ideas keep popping up.

They fight, they argue.

They punch each other and make a lot of noise.

They shoot at each other, aiming for victory.

The loudest one wins.

During yoga,

my mind is more like one of those battlefields that could be found

in the medieval ages.

I guess this could be called Progress.

Getting It All Together

2011-12-18T20:26:00.002+01:00

Beach 2012, happiness project, millions of exams (ok that is a slight exaggeration), fitness plans, food plans, budgets, travel plans… all kinds of plans.

The positive thing is that this is the darkest week of the year, so all that time spent on planning is time well spent. It’s not like I should be outside enjoying the sunshine or anything else similar. Actually, you'll only get wet if you go outside right now.

I’ve been thinking quite a lot about happiness lately. I realized that most of the time I’m doing things that I like (well, except when doing the laundry). Exercise makes me happy, working (-> studying) towards a goal is a lot of fun, yoga is relaxing. I read the books I want, have the opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic I find fascinating. Even work is interesting most of the time. I’m also surrounded by people who care for me, and for whom I care in return.

It’s important to keep this mind when embarking on all those various projects. Even though doing and moving forward is a lot of fun, it does not mean that life needs to be drastically changed.

HELP!

2011-12-18T16:33:00.002+01:00

Since I know that the followers of this blog are a bunch of clever people, I would like to ask you for some help.

If ANYONE has any good suggestions for good literature on (European) integration and immigration, please give me a shout!

A bit of sunshine in the rain…

2011-12-17T15:24:00.001+01:00

…this kind of music makes me long for summer. It’s not much left now, six months is nothing.

Yesterday I had a great day in Stockholm. Among other things I found out that it will be possible to continue my master program at a more advanced level. In Sweden there are two types of Master’s programs: there’s the one-year option and the two-year option. Until now only the one-year option has been available for distance students, but now we can do the more advanced alternative as well. This is good news for me, not only because I’ve been fretting about my “academic career”. The subjects I study are very fascinating, and I can’t wait to gain more knowledge and experience.

Another good thing about Stockholm is the possibility to look for interesting magazines and journals. (the energy drink is optional).

Yesterday

2011-12-17T15:03:00.001+01:00

Polar Night

2011-12-14T09:23:00.001+01:00

Although we don’t really get to enjoy the Polar night down here in the very south of Finland, it’s still dark, cold and miserable. (Am I complaining too much now?). It’s no wonder people are going so crazy about Christmas – it’s the only way to remain sane in the darkness.

Fortunately the days will start getting longer next week, now we can only hope that the snow will arrive in time for Christmas.

Yesterday TT gave me a very nice gift: the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Now, I used to read Gretchen’s blog so I’m not completely unfamiliar with the project, whose aim is to dedicate a year to increasing happiness.

I believe that most people can work towards greater happiness – and everybody’s happiness is individual. A happiness project might help us pinpoint what happiness is to us and what we need in order to be happy. Off the top of my head, I’d say that my own personal happiness project would include attempts to increase energy, move towards the dream job, find balance in my existence and get the opportunity to travel more. I would also like to be a bit more positive as a person.

How about you, what would your happiness project include?

P.S. Geez, I just realised that one of the guys I always disturb regarding lost stuff is MY COUSIN. Hahha, what an epiphany.

Tired

2011-12-13T08:26:00.001+01:00

Mais oui, je suis fatiguée. What a week!

It’s not long until the end of the year now, and I’m longing for it. This year has been tough and the remaining two weeks will be tiring (this week I need to squeeze in a trip to Stockholm, a grammar exam, grammar class, a couple of BRP-assignments, some random multicultural meeting, a book about self-esteem, two sessions of yoga + two sessions of bodypump, shopping for Christmas gifts, being social, and work).

Next year will have to be great, or I don’t know what to do – maybe flee to Siberia?

Now, time for a big cup of coffee!

Stiff

2011-12-12T09:11:00.001+01:00

Hola,

So one more weekend is over. This is what it was all about:

This weekend has been spent with family. I don’t really see my cousins much, but on Sunday we were all visiting my grandma at the same time. Catching up was fun, although there were some awkward moments. Even my brother came over with his friend on Saturday at 11 pm… to watch football!
My body is feeling weird. I’m usually healthy but right now I’m in granny-mode – especially my hips, lower back and calves feel sore. I could almost bet that I’m suffering from some kind of infection because it just feels so… odd.
I’ve found someone to have a secret crush on. Apart from my boyfriend, that is (which isn’t much of a secret anyway). He thinks it’s strange that I don’t fancy any famous people, because apparently that’s what people do. None of the “usual hotties” (read Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp) appeal to me, but now I’ve finally found someone who might be a little bit fanciable. Hint: it’s a football-player. And no, it’s not Cristiano Ronaldo.
El Clásico opened my eyes. Not only did I find the aforementioned secret crush, but suddenly, while watching it, I realised that a lot of old friends and people I haven’t seen for years would also be watching the very same game at the very same time as I. How cool isn’t that? I enjoy watching almost any sport – watching someone do something that they are very good at and passionate about is always fascinating, and it can teach a lot to the rest of us. Oh, and FC Barcelona won, yay!
Yoga is good. I did yoga three times last week, with three different teachers. In fact, I think yoga is the greatest discovery I’ve made in 2011.

.

2011-12-09T18:44:00.000+01:00

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

Henry David Thoreau

The Tired One Shouts Hi

2011-12-09T16:34:00.001+01:00

Friday. It’s been a short week, but I feel like a zombie, so this weekend will be dedicated to a) rest, b) cooking and c) the gym. And sleeping some more. Only have to survive one oral exam in Hungarian, after which I’m freeeeeee as a bird (to do all of the above mentioned things + watch series + eat pizza. Omg – I’m such a slob).

Yesterday I had something absolutely delicious for dinner. It was quick, too! As with all my cooking, all you need to do is mix the ingredients in a bowl and eat. And what were the ingredients?

Oven-baked salmon (only seasoned with lemon pepper), a very little bit of orzo/kritharáki, one small red onion (raw), a few cubes of feta cheese, one tomato and garlic.

Warning: you will smell after eating this, but it’s definitely worth it.

Purple Food

2011-12-09T16:10:00.001+01:00

Hello, friends. I thought I’d share an interesting recipe with you. It all started when I was googling “Dukan galette”. The Dukan galette is a a sort of pancake, which is rich in protein while keeping the carbs down. The main ingredients are quark, egg(whites) and some bran. Now, in order to add some colour to life, I decided to throw some frozen blueberries in the mix.

It tasted like blueberry-flavoured omelet. Fortunately a couple of spoons of natural yoghurt and some muesli (and more blueberries) made this purple pancake a bit more edible.

(I was so excited about this that I forgot one very essential fact – I don’t know how to make pancakes that look like pancakes, hence the scrambled pancake)

Failing Logic

2011-12-09T08:21:00.001+01:00

Person A asks Person B to ask Person C to do something.

Public Enemy (Kind Of)

2011-12-06T19:41:00.001+01:00

I’m not scared of many things in this world. However, there is one animal that makes me panic when I see it. And now a whole group of them has decided to stay close to our house. Heeeeelp!

(my boyfriend had to take this photo because I was busy hiding behind a tree)

Bummers

2011-12-06T19:36:00.001+01:00

I don’t know how to write it. In fact, I don’t know if I should write about it at all. After the second Christmas card I was trying to make turned out ugly, I decided to give up for today. Lately I have been feeling both stuck and like a failure. Exams are not going as well as I would like, work is a bit dreary and very unstable, finding a job that somehow relates to my studies seems to be hopeless, my weight horrifies me. What’s the point in making so much effort if it won’t take me anywhere? And my two left hands and lack of creativity guarantee that even the task of making a simple card becomes a huge obstacle. Nothing is going well. In yoga we have been focusing a lot on “just be” lately, but even that is difficult.

I believe that most of the time and with enough decisiveness we are able to change our situations, to move forward. It’s often a question of attitude. The problem is that right now, I don’t know what to do next. When I try to talk about it, people quickly change the subject to something like Christmas decorations. Talking about it in my own head isn’t very clever since it only worsens the situation. What then? Ignore it? Accept it?

Taggad!

2011-12-03T17:40:00.001+01:00

Somewhere deep down inside I know that things will be more than OK, they will be fabulously great. How I will get there, I don’t know. But get there I will.

Pictures from weheartit

Undercover Under The Covers

2011-12-03T15:50:00.001+01:00

Saturday. Darkness and rain. Warming blankets. Fizzy diet coke. Books about decision, risks, values, ethics. Articles about immigration. A word-document that needs to be filled with words, ideas, suggestions.

Find The Cat

2011-12-03T13:58:00.001+01:00

Don't Try This At Home

2011-12-02T07:15:00.001+01:00

Believe Zsuzsi when she’s telling you that it’s not a very good idea to stand up in bed with a laptop in your hands. Your foot might just get stuck in the sheets, which leads to you falling down, dropping the laptop on the floor and hurting your big toe.

Anyway, it’s Friday today. I hope you will all have a wonderful day and a great weekend!

Que bien...

2011-12-01T10:10:00.001+01:00

…acabo de encontrar café en mi taza.

Sore Muscles On A December Morning

2011-12-01T08:24:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I worked out for the first time this week – I was a bit pressed for time, so I opted for a good old Bodypump class. I like it, although it’s not as effective as “normal” strength training, and unless done properly, things can go horribly wrong. For those of you who don’t know what bodypump is, let me explain. It’s a class developed by Les Mills – the programme consists of 10 songs. During each song, one muscle group is being trained. Due to this format, the weights tend to be fairly light and the amount of reps is high. Many of the moves are basic – we are talking squats, lunges, curls, push-ups, crunches, rows, etc. The programme/release changes every 3 months, but most of the moves remain the same.

Yesterday my favourite was the bicep-song. Somehow bicep curls are so much more fun when you sing along to Livin’ On A Prayer by Bon Jovi.

And now it’s December. 24 days until Christmas. And soon it’s a new year. For me personally this will be a hectic month (at least all the Christmas shopping is done!!) – the plans include 2 trips to Sweden, 4 exams, a big assignment, celebrating everything from Finnish independence and the dog’s birthday to Christmas and New Year’s, and being social.

Happy December, dear readers!

Keine Lust auf gar nichts

2011-11-30T08:09:00.001+01:00

Not in the mood for anything, lallalaa. The last few days have passed in a haze. I just realized that this is the longest time I’ve spend on this island since I ran away almost ten years ago, it’s affecting me and making me question all the most basic things, mostly myself. The problem is that I don’t really know how to get out of this situation, how to feel good about myself again. Any ideas?

Side note: at least I have what “it takes to compete for a place in a course in Finnish for beginners”. Well, I’d better. I don’t think I could live with the shame of not having been admitted to such a course. The reason, by the way, I’ve even applied for a course in Finnish for beginners is that a 2^nd language in Finno-Ugric languages is required for advancing to the next level of Hungarian, not because Finnish is so fascinating that I want to learn it all over again from zero. (It is, however, fascinating enough to learn, in case any of you is up for the challenge!)

With Dark Circles Under Her Eyes

2011-11-29T11:55:00.001+01:00

Please, let there still be hope.

Becsvágy (Hun: Ambition)

2011-11-29T09:30:00.001+01:00

“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.” (Mark Twain)

Ambition is a funny thing. It’s like an indefinable voice inside your soul that wakes up and stirs you at the most unexpected moments. It’s the need to keep walking, moving, running, jumping when all that is required of you is to keep still. Ambition is hunger – it’s the feeling of never being fully satisfied. It’s the knowledge that perfection can and will not be achieved, but the willingness and need to go on anyway.

What I Promised, And What I Actually Did

2011-11-27T21:17:00.001+01:00

I wrote about the initial plan here. The plan turned out to be a bit too ambitious.

And this is what I actually did:

Pilates : Tuesday (put it on the wrong day) and Sunday

Yoga: Thursday

Body Combat: Wednesday

Strength training: Saturday (Shoulders, back + triceps)

Walking or running: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday + Sunday

Today I’ve also been cleaning for almost 3 hours. Geez. I’m happy I’m not a housewife, tis was tough.

I also found a great song by Kino that I’ve somehow managed to miss until now. If you’re interested in Russian music, you can listen to it here!

Back To Darkness

2011-11-27T09:54:00.001+01:00

Sunday Music

2011-11-27T09:43:00.001+01:00

This is the perfect song on a rainy Sunday – Swedish Takida with You Learn.

The Little Red Book And Other Treasures

2011-11-25T16:04:00.001+01:00

Buy nothing!

2011-11-25T10:41:00.001+01:00

Everyone remembers that today is dedicated to buying nothing, right?

"You seem to be an eternal student"

2011-11-25T08:30:00.001+01:00

This is comment that has been given to me more than once. Each time I sense a continuation hanging in the air, the “…but now it’s about time you grew up”. Maybe I’m being sensitive and a little neurotic about this. Maybe people really mean: “…and good for you!” Maybe a part of me feels like a failure for being so slow with my studies, for not having a proper career yet, etc. However, my neurotic tendencies notwithstanding, there seems to be general antipathy toward learning and studying. The word “student” has a negative cling to it. Another comment that pops up quite frequently is “but… how can you study so much? It can’t be healthy; you don’t have any free time”. Define free time! “Well… watching TV, going out to party and such things”. Another: “But why?”

I graduated from high school eight years ago. The fist thing I did was to take a gap year in order to study Polish in Poland. Then I started university. Getting my degree took four years because it included a compulsory year abroad. I lived and worked in Spain for three years. Continuing my studies at the time was not possible due to financial reasons. Postgraduate studies in Spain cost money and (full-time) salaries barely cover the basic living expenses. So I waited until I found something that suited me. They say that good things come to those who have the patience to wait: I am busy at the moment, but all those things that keep me busy, are things that I feel passionate about. Learning and studies mean development, the chance to do new things. I also have a full-time job, pay my taxes and manage to be fairly social (for a person who isn’t all that social). Apart from the need to travel more, I’m generally happy with my life. Everything that I do is the result of a conscious chain of decisions that I’ve made. Trust me, the day I notice that watching telly is more interesting than psychology or languages, I will re-evaluate my decisions and glue myself to the sofa.

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

SUNSHINE!!!!

2011-11-24T10:34:00.001+01:00

This morning I really would have preferred to stay under the blankets. When the alarm started sounding under my left ear (yes, I always leave the phone under my pillow), I cursed all the reasons for which it is necessary to get up at 7.30 am. I’ve changed my mind. The sky is clear blue and the sun is shining (although the sun itself is hiding behind the rooftops somewhere) – it’s such a rarity to see the sun these days that it must be noted somewhere. It’s crazy how important the sun is for one’s mood.

I believe it is Thanksgiving in the States today. We don’t celebrate anything of the kind over here, which is a pity, because it seems to be such a nice and important tradition. I have personally celebrated Thanksgiving once. Some of my classmates in Poland were Americans, so we all gathered to celebrate Thanksgiving in the boys’ dorm. Anyhow, even though we’re not doing anything special today, we could all try to be a little extra thankful. One of my colleagues said today: “He’s always complaining, and that’s so wrong. There must be something good in life”. And I think that is true. It’s often easy to focus and waste energy on the bad things life, even though there are plenty of reasons to be happy and grateful.

So, some of today’s reasons to be grateful in Zsuzsi-land are:

The sun is shining. Autumn is a nice season, but the sun does give a lot of extra energy.
My family is lovely and I’m also a bit spoiled by them all.
I’m healthy – if the only physical pain I experience is the occasional headache and sore muscles, then I can be considered very lucky. Let’s hope it stays that way.
I’m thankful for some of my personality traits. It doesn’t matter if they are socially or biologically…, I’m happy that I’m such a curious person who loves learning. It really makes life feel like an adventure most of the time.

What makes you grateful today?

Time To Pretend

2011-11-23T08:33:00.001+01:00

When I’m 80 years old, I want to be fit enough to run a marathon.

Maybe that’s a good plan? Maybe… please, agree with me. Anyone? I did some pilates yesterday, and now I’m feeling like an old granny. After pilates. There probably isn’t any hope for me at all. However, I do think pilates is useful because in that session we do all the (boring*) moves that I avoid during strength training.

In line with my new improved diet, I also ate a pizza. It’s time to get serious since there are only 6 months until the beginning of June, which is the END date for my Beach-project.

Here’s a short list of measures to be taken to improve the likelihood of success for this project:

morning cardio (as soon as it starts getting light outside… let’s say February)
small and regular meals (doing that already, but there are some foods that should go)
quality over quantity in the workouts.
Increase amount of cardiovascular training – at least 45 mins/day.

The plan for this week looks like this:

Monday: power walking – 60 minutes (7,3 km/h with an incline between 4 and 7,5) + normal walking 30 minutes

Tuesday: pilates – 60 minutes

Wednesday: body combat + strength training (arms, shoulders, chest) – app. 2 hours

Thursday: yoga – 60 minutes + running 45 minutes

Friday: body pump – 60 minutes

Saturday: drinking glögg (mulled wine) + enjoying the Christmas market (-> lots of walking)

Sunday: pilates - 60 minutes + strength training (legs) – 45 minutes + running 45 minutes

Not completely happy with that plan, but it’ll have to do this time.

* Unfortunately, boring sometimes equals useful.

Don't create differences where there are none

2011-11-21T12:01:00.000+01:00

”I’m not going to buy pizza from place X because the text on their pizza boxes is in Finnish”. “I cannot go to the independence ball because there will be gay people there”. “Immigration from non-Nordic countries has increased – how alarming!”.

Statements like these disappoint me. People seem to cling to their national, cultural and lingual identities as if they were the only identities available. I don’t know if this is because the rapid changes in society are scaring people so badly that they choose to close their eyes and ears. Only their mouths remain open – spitting out dubious opinions about everything and anything. Yes, culture is important. So are language and nationality. Those factors affect our identities, but there are so many other aspects that are important as well. For instance, I have a lot more in common with my friends than my colleagues. Very few of my friends have the same mother tongue as I, almost none of them is Finnish. The saddening fact is that many people want to stay in their bubble. Instead of moving forward, they long for what used to be. What is different is seen as a threat. Because of this view, perhaps, there is a tendency to focus on the differences instead of similarities. And yes, I believe that by emphasising the differences, new differences are created – differences that are nothing more than a constructs of our (sometimes far too vivid) imagination.

Nem rossz! (Hun: not bad)

2011-11-20T19:13:00.001+01:00

+ running 30 minutes today.

Total: 6,3 hours,And what could be done better? This is good, but few things are perfect. Next week I need to increase the amount of cardio + add a session or two of yoga.

I also need to take a serious look at my diet because I had a really scary moment realising that my bum looks like the behinds of J.Lo and Kim Kardashian. Together. On one small person. Now, there’s nothing wrong with them, but… yeah, you get it.

…

2011-11-17T21:29:00.002+01:00

There are times when I miss Moscow very, very much.
The photo is from Google maps.

Ill? And Life List

2011-11-17T10:55:00.001+01:00

In the glorious year of 2011 there was only one Thursday like the third Thursday of November, although this Thursday seemed as uneventful as any other Thursday. The newspapers wrote about fake doctors, right-wing politicians, fish and the lack of snow.

In the ordinary life of Zsuzsi the day moved forward in slow-motion, she talked to a lot to Finnish colleagues and dreamed about pancakes with fresh berries and cream.

Song: Stereo Hearts by Gym Class Heroes feat. Adam Levi

Feeling: painful and sleepy. I could hardly get out of bed this morning and I’m still feeling quite unwell. My shoulder and lower back are feeling very sore, and the common cold seems to be attacking as well.

Work-out: yoga will do.

Lunch: chicken salad.

Additions to life-list: increase knowledge of yoga and tea.(note to self: add them to life-list.)

Idea: Allie mentioned Croatia for summer holidays… it might be more viable than some exotic place on the other side of the planet (since I’m poor!), so the idea really deserves some serious consideration.

Thought: Why write about one thing only when there is enough space to babble on forever?

Opinion: the great thing about learning foreign languages is that sometimes it feels like you are hitting your head against the wall – but then suddenly – boom – you realise that you understand it and you can use it AND you’re good at it. Being able to see the progress so clearly is what makes language learning really fascinating.

Yes, I doubt this day will go to (my personal) history, but it’s OK. Being able to enjoy days like this is more important than chasing and enjoying the really amazing ones.

Bread

2011-11-15T10:40:00.001+01:00

According to Helsingin Sanomat, almost 40% of Finnish people have decreased their intake of bread this year in order to eat less carbohydrates.

Now, we don’t know how much of that information is actually true, but let’s assume that 40% of the Finnish people (that would be about 2 million people) are eating less bread than before. I’m not a nutritionist, and even though the topic interests me, I must admit that I’ve never really clarified my opinion on the great carb-debate. The following “statements” are my own personal observations and opinions, and they are not based on any scientific evidence.

Before eliminating (or drastically decreasing) bread (and other carbs) from our diets, we need to ask ourselves: what is the essential role of carbohydrates? Do our bodies and brains need carbs in order to function?
There are carbs, and then there are carbs. Using common sense (a very subjective kind of sense, sorry about that), we might figure out that some carbohydrates are better for us than others. The same goes for bread. The nutritional values vary a lot between products, so being attentive to available information is a good thing.
Some people proudly tell everyone about their new diet – from now on they are eating NO carbs. Except some cake, and alcohol, and ice cream. And NO exercise. I wonder which the better alternative for one’s health is: eating a little bit of bread now and then and working out regularly, or banning carbs and spending all day without physical activity.
Now, I have noticed that a breakfast consisting of a couple of slices of rye bread with butter and cheese/ham keeps hunger away until noon when it’s lunch-time. This works for me. It might not work for you – the point is: everyone is different, and instead of believing blindly in what media tell us, we should listen more to our bodies. Especially bread can be problematic since it might lead to allergic reactions, in which case it’s obviously not a good idea to eat it.
Instead of banning carbohydrates altogether, one’s diet could probably be improved greatly by a few, subtle changes. Swapping sugary snacks for vegetables and fizzy drinks for their diet-versions (or even better – water) might sound like the obvious choice, but still – it seems there are still a lot of people out there who don’t understand what a big bottle of coke + a bag of candy a day can do to you.
Not just carbohydrates! Yeah, I think I/you/we can eat carbohydrates, but the point is also to ensure a good enough intake of fat and protein. Living on only bread is not the ideal option (not for me anyway).

Zuuuuumba

2011-11-15T08:24:00.001+01:00

Wikipedia tells us: Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program created by dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia during the 1990s. Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. Zumba's choreography incorporates hip-hop, samba, salsa, merengue, mambo, martial arts, and some Bollywood and belly dance moves. Squats and lunges are also included.

Yesterday I decided to try zumba: judging by people’s status updates on facebook, this is a popular form of exercise and it also seems to be a lot of fun. Well, it was fun – even for someone who’s got two left feet and whose coordination is below zero. I’ve never been a good dancer, jumping up and down on the dance floor in a crowded nightclub is the closest I’ve come to dancing. Being in a room full of women of all ages and sizes, I didn’t feel quite as self-conscious as I do when wearing skimpy clothes at a disco.

I can definitely imagine doing this again, even though zumba is far from a killer-workout, because I feel that a workout program should be both fun and varied. Normally I focus on strength training, running and yoga, but will try to squeeze in the occasional zumba session to add some fun to life.

Short Week Ahead

2011-11-14T09:45:00.001+01:00

Monday, it’s Monday. Once again it’s Monday. I’m sitting in my corner at work, sneezing and being happy about the fact that this work week will be shorter than usual. On Friday I’ll be at the university again – it’s quite incredible that we only have a couple of meetings left, after which it’s time to write the dissertation and voilà… One part of my education will be over. Writing the dissertation is something I’m really looking forward to: it’s my chance to apply some very interesting tools and theories on a topic of my choice, a topic very close to my heart. Basically, my plan is to analyze the local immigration policy: the plan is to focus on how different risk perceptions are taken into account in the risk analysis and the risk communication at different levels of the policy process.

As I mentioned last week, we are now doing a module in personality psychology. It is very interesting and some of our assignments seem really interesting. Even though I’m really busy sometimes, I must admit that I’m really lucky to have this opportunity to study things that I find both interesting and important.

The plans for this short week are:

Visit the gym at least five times
Translate and summarise a Hungarian news article
Visit Stockholm and go to at least one coffee shop
Spend quality time with my mother
Read a couple of psychology articles + check if any of them could be used for my dissertation
Start digging into the academics of decision and risk analysis
Have fun!

Next Week

2011-11-13T20:03:00.001+01:00

Monday: never tried zumba before, but I’m quite curious so why not give it a try. After the class I also want to do some sort of strength training, probably biceps and triceps.

Tuesday: my friend K and I have scheduled a killer-session for Tuesday. It will probably consist of running + strength training (back + chest + shoulders)

Wednesday: Hungarian grammar class limits the time at the gym so I’ll go for classes.

Thursday: yoga for flexibility and some sort of cardio.

Friday: Stockholm baby.

Saturday: Stockholm + ferry. I might be able to squeeze in some crunches.

Sunday: running + strength training (legs)

Tomi Tai

2011-11-12T11:19:00.001+01:00

Neurotic? Me? Noooo…

2011-11-12T10:47:00.001+01:00

So, since we are doing a module in Personality Psychology at the moment, I thought it’d be fun to check my scores on the Five-Factor Model.

This is what I’m like (apparently) compared to other participants:

Extraversion – about average. (score: 31)

Agreeableness – relatively high. (score: 34)

Conscientiousness – about average. (score: 33)

Neuroticism – relatively high. (score: 27)

Openness – relatively high. (score: 32)

If you want to try the test yourself, you can find it here!

Time To Be Girlie

2011-11-11T08:30:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow the company is arranging this year’s Christmas bash/50-year anniversary. It might be about time to start thinking what to wear, and – most importantly -, choose a hairstyle and make up. This is the fun, albeit difficult, part.

So, what are the requirements for a good party style?

it has to make you feel gorgeous.
Comfort is a plus. What’s the point in wearing high heels if one walks like a duck?
It has to be “easy” and long-lasting. Imagine being gorgeous when leaving the house, but looking like a troll in all the photos takes a couple of hours later. No thank you!

This project is somewhat complicated by the fact that my skin has decided to go crazy, I have a cold sore and my hair is unmanageable.

My dress is this colour – teal.

Shoes and ear rings are blue.

I wonder if adding a bit of red would mean there are too many colours in the mix.

The question remains: how to make my face look decent and the hair look amazing?

I’m a bit tempted by the 40s-style. Natural make-up with red lips. Not very difficult to do, and shouldn’t be too hard to maintain in a country where we shake hands instead of kissing people. The lipstick will probably smudge, though.

The hair is another story.

The most advanced thing I’ve ever done is a high pony tail and I don’t trust myself when it comes to being creative with hair. But curls would be nice, indeed.

Negative to Positive

2011-11-10T14:43:00.001+01:00

“Fear less, hope more; Eat less, chew more; Whine less, breathe more; Talk less, say more; Love more, and all good things will be yours”(Swedish proverb)

No, the intention is not to swamp you with inspirational quotes, even if it might seem like it. It’s just that I’m looking for useful and efficient tools for turning negative thoughts into positive ones. Negative thoughts are like snowballs – once they appear they just become bigger and bigger. Nobody can be shiny all the time, but it’s important to experience more positive thoughts than negative ones. At least that’s my philosophy.

Mondottam ember: Küzdj, és bízva bízzál!

2011-11-10T06:35:00.000+01:00

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

- Theodore Roosevelt -

Hufvudstadsbladet

2011-11-09T18:05:00.001+01:00

Hufvudstadsbladet (abbr. Hbl) is the highest-circulation Swedish-language newspaper in Finland. Its headquarters are located in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The name of the newspaper translates approximately into "The Capital City Newspaper", hufvudstad (modern spelling huvudstad) being 19th century Swedish for capital. The newspaper is informally also called Husis or Höblan.
Hufvudstadsbladet was founded by August Schauman in 1864, and the first edition was published on 5 December the same year. During the late 19th century, the paper was the highest-circulation newspaper in Finland.*

And why am I telling you this? Because said newspaper actively follows Russian events (adding a fair amount of news from the CIS). This, my dear friends, makes the coffee breaks at work a lot more interesting for a lover of all things Russian.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hufvudstadsbladet

60

2011-11-09T17:55:00.002+01:00

~~60. Learn~~ ~~statistics.~~

Yey, well done me! Mathematics, numbers and graphs have not been my thing since I was about 11 years old. That’s the reason I’m extra happy for passing the statistics exam (even though I generally think that “just passing” is a lousy goal). No more numbers until spring! This calls for a celebration!

Question

2011-11-08T14:02:00.001+01:00

”For a long time we’ve all been aware of the corruption at all levels of society. Why is nothing being done about it?”- (Hufvudstadsbladet, 08.11.2011).

Greece is causing Europe troubles. The EU is probably causing Greece a headache of similar dimensions. The Greek people are probably very confused right now.

My not-so-happy question* is: if you were all aware of it – why did you choose not to do anything about it? You see, the key to effective cooperation is the commitment to shared rules, rights and obligations.

*I’m for the European Union, but at the same time I’m quietly wondering why my tax money should save an economic mess which is the direct result of the actions of greedy politicians and banks located abroad.

Ja mikä se tähti oli?

2011-11-07T11:38:00.001+01:00

Suomea. Ruotsia. Englantia. Espanjaa. Venäjää. Puolaa. Unkaria.

Jos on aivan pakko osaan myös vähän saksaa ja ranskaa.

Siinä ne sitten olikin.

Äkkiä, äkkiä työ.

2011-11-07T11:32:00.001+01:00

Puhun seitsemää kieltä*. Melkein kaikkia sujuvasti. Taskusta löytyy korkeakoulututkinto (eurooppatiede, kansainväliset suhteet + venäjän kieli) ja pian tilille napsahtaa pari tutkintoa lisää (psykologia + unkarin kieli & päätös- ja riskianalyysi). Myönnän olevani humanisti. Olen tunnollinen ihminen, joka osaa laittaa itsensä likoon. Koen kaiken seikkailuna ja opin mielelläni aivan mitä vain uutta. Määrätietoisuudesta ei ole puutetta. Kaiken lisäksi olen ystävällinen ja hymyileväinen. Täydellinen en kuitenkaan ole, vaikka itseltäni sitä vaadinkin: ajan suhteen olen välillä liiankin optimistinen ja osaan laittaa riman niin korkealle, että harva sen ylittää. En myöskään ole kovin sosiaalinen silloin, kun pitää keskittyä.

Haussa olisi sellainen työ, jossa saa kehittää itseään, inspiroida muita ja puhua noita kieliä. Hyvä palkka ja mahdollisuus matkustaa olisivat plussaa. Itsenäinen työskentely ja joustavat työajat eivät haittaa.

No niin, te suomenkieliset lukijat, jotka saitte tästä jotain selvää. Mistä tällainen työ keksitään?

La La

2011-11-07T09:48:00.001+01:00

The reason I love challenges and projects and everything else of their kind is simple: the process of working toward a goal includes so many steps that provide me with new knowledge and new experiences. Besides – PLANNING IS FUN!

As I mentioned on Friday, I have been starting on a Beach 2012-project (feel free to join). Here’s the basic information about the project in question.

What: a project to improve my diet and overall fitness. Even though I consider myself to be of normal weight, I’d like to have a more toned body. The goal is therefore to try to get rid of some fat and add some muscle. I will follow up on my results by measuring my “critical” points.

Why: there are two main reasons for this project. One is curiosity – I want to see what is actually possible, the challenge is a turn-on. Besides, I’ve spent most of my life being chubby so the thought of being fit is sort of amazing! The second reason is more about opening my mind: I grew up in an environment where appearance had no importance. Caring about your looks was something stupid and superficial. Now, this project is about a lot more than just looks: it’s about experimenting with food, being active to stay healthy and so on, but let’s face it: anything with “beach” in it, ultimately focuses on appearance. I spend a lot of time thinking about non-superficial things, so maybe some superficiality will do me some good.

How: the “how” is the crucial part of any project. I’m going to stick to cottage cheese and run 10K a day. Just kidding. Being crazy about food is not an option because those things have a tendency to mess people up completely. So, for the food-part the plan is to a) eat home-made meals that are well-balanced; b) eat regularly, and c) limit the intake of empty calories and sugar.

Work outs will consist of 6+ sessions a week: 3x strength training, 3x cardio + any additional activity I’ll feel like doing (pilates, yoga, core training). When spring arrives (hopefully soon!) I will also add some morning cardio.

When: now.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

2011-11-06T20:39:00.001+01:00

“Somewhere there is someone that dreams of your smile, and finds in your presence that life is worthwhile, so when you are lonely remember it’s true, someone somewhere is thinking of you.”

Ready, Steady, Go….!

2011-11-06T13:33:00.001+01:00

In about 30 minutes it’s time to start writing a statistics exam. The good thing about distance studies is that a lot of the studying (and test writing) can be done at home in a pajamas.

I also tried to make my study corner (the kitchen!) a bit cozier with candles and fun coffee mugs– just to make statistics a bit more fun!

Interesting... (and some Beach 2012)

2011-11-04T13:19:00.001+01:00

Seems like I’m not the only into* gym training in this house: the person whose desk I inherited left a huge bucket of protein powder hiding in a corner. Blueberry-vanilla flavour. Hmm.

My goal for this week was to go to the gym five times. When I get home at about 6.30 today I will have been there 4 times. Running, yoga, core and bodypump. Maybe I will be able to squeeze in a fifth time although tomorrow will be dedicated to people’s birthdays and on Sundays I will face the most dreadful exam ever – statistics. It’s going to be difficult, but failing is not an option.

I have slowly been starting a Beach 2012-project. As in most project management, planning is an important aspect. Thinking about and creating definitions for the objectives are essential parts as well.

Objectives

What is it that I want to achieve? It’s important to be specific, to use smaller goals that will eventually work toward achieving the big goal.
What do these goals really mean? How do you define your goal. It’s easy to say that “I want to get fit”, but what does “fit” mean? Many common adjectives are far from objective, and I believe that we often use definitions created by other people – definitions that sometimes might not be ideal for ourselves.
Why are these goals important? The question here is why. Objectives can be fundamental, and they can be instrumental. Is the goal an end in itself or is it a tool to achieve something else altogether?
How am I going to achieve said goals? Planning is important. But more important still- doing.
What will I have to give up in order to achieve my goals, and really, is it worth it? Every time we decide to do something, we also take an (un)conscious decision not to do something else instead. It’s as easy as that. Being aware of this fact makes the journey toward accomplishing a goal a little less painful.

I will write more about both Beach 2012 and projects in general later.

I Want To Know Your Secret

2011-11-04T08:23:00.001+01:00

Morning people, how do you do it? How do you get yourself out of bed at 5 am to go for a run? There is something very romantic about the thought of being a morning person. Imagine having the time to read the newspaper with a fresh croissant and a cup of hot coffee in the morning. Or how about the chance of watching the sunrise* and doing some yoga without the need to hurry? Or writing? I’d be really pleased to possess the necessary time-management skills to have time to find matching socks in the morning. I got up early today, and at 6.40 I was already on my way to the gym. Why don’t I do that more often, it feels great once you are up, after all.

* The good thing about living not that far from the Arctic Circle means that at this time of the year you don’t have to be a morning person in order to admire the sunrise. Being up at 9 am will do.

Is It Thursday Again?

2011-11-03T10:52:00.001+01:00

First: good news of the day – I’ve been given a new desk in a far-away corner of the office, which means that I can listen to Hungarian radio without anyone thinking I’m weird. Today I’m also planning on going to yoga class, it’s been a while since the last time so it’s definitely needed.

One thing that I’ve been thinking a lot about lately: how to convert dreams, ideas, thoughts, plans into reality. There is so much (maybe too much?) that interests me, fascinates me. So much I want to do in life, but I don’t know how to just get out there and do it. If I ever reach a conclusion, I will surely share it with you.

Simple, Yet Delicious

2011-11-01T18:32:00.001+01:00

2 slices of Alaska Pollock (80 g each)

0,5 onion

Chanterelles

100 ml Oatly oat cream

Dill

(serves 1 if not served with anything else)

Marraskuu (Fin: November)

2011-11-01T08:17:00.001+01:00

November. Short days and darkness. Lightning candles and drinking tea in the sofa. Good books. Yesterday I went to the library for the first time in a very, very long time. I had forgotten how peaceful a place it is. How all those books tell us marvellous stories and frightening truths.

Yesterday it started to get dark at 5 pm, and I was reminded about my power-hour. At sunset – the world is so beautiful at sunset.

November.

There will be parties and birthdays. A 4-hour exam in statistics. Trip to Sweden. Reading and analysing books. It’s not too long until Christmas either – can’t wait!

In Autumn

2011-10-31T19:12:00.001+01:00

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

Chinese proverb.

Last Night’s Run

2011-10-30T13:01:00.001+01:00

Distance: apr. 8K. Time: 50 minutes. Result: surprising.

Last night I decided to run to my parents’ house and it was possibly the best run ever. It was chilly (not long ‘till it’ll be snowing here too!) and dark. After leaving town there weren’t even any street lights so the stars were guiding me.

Amidst twinkling stars and the chilly breeze the running was easy – it’s never been that easy – and I once again remembered why it’s such an amazing activity.

Miłość [Pl: Love]

2011-10-27T18:19:00.001+02:00

Czesław Miłosz

Miłość

Miłość to znaczy popatrzeć na siebie,
Tak jak się patrzy na obce nam rzeczy,
Bo jesteś tylko jedną z rzeczy wielu.
A kto tak patrzy, choć sam o tym nie wie,
Ze zmartwień różnych swoje serce leczy,
Ptak mu i drzewo mówią: przyjacielu.
Wtedy i siebie, i rzeczy chce użyć,
Żeby stanęły w wypełnienia łunie.
To nic, że czasem nie wie, czemu służyć:
Nie ten najlepiej służy, kto rozumie.

Love means to look at oneself,

as one looks at things foreign to us,

because you are just one of many things.

And the one, watching in such a way, though unaware of it himself,

his heart will be cured of many worries,

The bird and the tree tell him: friend.

Then he will want to use himself, and things,

so that they stand up in the flame of fulfillment.

It’s fine to sometimes doubt what to serve:

He who serves best is not always the one who understands.

Translation; my own, so you can blame me for any mistakes.

Guten Morgen, Welt!

2011-10-26T06:03:00.001+02:00

It will be dark outside for almost two more hours, the coffee cup is warming my hand. The phones are ringing and people are starting to drop into work.

I’m hoping for a lovely Wednesday – for myself and also for you, wherever in the world you are!

Things (People) That Annoy Me Today

2011-10-25T14:41:00.001+02:00

When are people going to realise that living a so called ”fit life” isn’t about swapping a chocolate bar with lots of calories for a chocolate bar with less calories?

One of the local newspapers had a “big test” where they were comparing “normal” foods with their healthier versions. Since when are chocolate and candy considered staple foods? It makes me so angry that people seem to think that normal food is cake, cookies and pizza. It’s not. I’m surrounded by people who are constantly dieting (i.e. trying some fad diets) but it would never occur to them to work out. The same people don’t eat sugar but cake is fine! Whaaaat?

What did I ever do to you?

There’s one Russian word that I like (among a thousand other Russian words) – Лицемерный. This word could be used to describe quite a few of the people I’m working with. If I wouldn’t be so conflict-shy, I’d like to tell those people the following:

Were you never told that what goes around comes around? Everyone knows what you are doing and they will not respect you for it.
The only way to create a good atmosphere at work is by cooperating and being nice to people.
Believe it or not, having a positive attitude towards your workmates – and people in general – will make you happier.
Usually, if you are worried about somebody’s wellbeing, the best way to show your concern is by asking them directly. Philosophising about another person’s health with everyone else except the person in question will probably not provide you with any satisfactory answers whatsoever.
I can live without snotty remarks about how very difficult it must be to study and work at the same time. Most students work while they study. But then again, you – without any kind of higher education – probably don’t know what it means to be a university student.
I believe that they pay you for working, not gossiping with colleagues.

Czeslaw Milosz

2011-10-25T10:38:00.001+02:00

One writer whose works have not gained much interest for me before is Czeslaw Milosz. Being a fan of both the Polish language and literature, I have probably been suffering from some unknown malady – I don’t know how else to explain this irrational lack of interest. Not anymore, though. Yesterday I finished a collection of essays written by the Polish Nobel winner, and I was actually stunned. I truly believe that there is nothing quite as beautiful, or powerful, as the written word.

According to Penguin Classics:

Proud to be a Mammal (1942-97) is Czeslaw Milosz's moving and diverse collection of essays. Among them, he covers his passion for poetry, his love of the Polish language that was so nearly wiped out by the violence of the twentieth century, and his happy childhood. Milosz also includes a letter to his friend in which he voices his concern about the growing indifference to murder and the true value of freedom of thought, as well as a verbal map of Wilno, with each street revealing both a rich local history and intricate, poignant personal memories.

Proud to be a Mammal

Lucky

2011-10-25T10:21:00.001+02:00

I have many reasons to consider myself happy. For one, I’m surrounded by some really great people, who really brighten my day. One of my best friends is also the best possible training buddy: we meet a couple of times a week in order to work towards our common goal (with the very descriptive name of Beach 2012). Having a training buddy is good for motivation and it also takes working out to a next level.

Another great person in my life is my boyfriend. I don’t write much about him here on the blog because he has chosen to be an anonymous player in this playground, but I think that everybody should have a person like him in their lives.

C’est le weekend

2011-10-21T20:31:00.001+02:00

She’s got a lot to say, but now she’ll just make a salad, drink some organic cava and then have a hot bath. The weekend is here!

The Joys Of Living On An Island

2011-10-19T11:52:00.001+02:00

As you know, I work in logistics. As you also know, I live on an island. Sometimes combining these two is quite the impossible task. This morning I was greeted by the following mail: “our own cruise passengers E, J and F are in Stockholm”. The cruise passengers (aka colleagues), and a few trucks filled with fresh food, were supposed to show up here this morning. What happened? It was too windy so the ferry continued its journey to Sweden instead of stopping here. Hopefully the boys had a really good time at the bar, because that would be the only positive thing coming out of this.

It’s not the first time this happens. It also won’t be the last. Now I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that there won’t be any problems with my trip to Sweden tomorrow. The plan is to stay there for two days: tomorrow will be dedicated to walking around in Stockholm, coffee drinking (and maybe some shopping) and on Friday I’ll spend the entire day at uni, listening to lectures on such interesting subjects as probability theory.

Oh. And I need to look for some cute socks and tights.