Yesterday and the day before we were in Linkoping and Soderkoping and checked out the traditional Swedish way of celebrating Midsommar. Then it turned out that the cars we rented do not have to be returned to the car rental company until Monday morning, so today we went tripping. First we headed to Vaxholm, the centre of the Archipelago, spent two hours there. The sun was warm, approximately 23 degrees, etc. Then Long, B, Laci and me headed to Uppsala, a university town. In the cafe close to the big church they were rude to us. We ordered two capuccinos with cream, one standard cappuccino, and a coffee. First came the two caps with cream, i.e. without cream. Then the one without cream without cream, looking the same as the two other but without a spoon. And in the third round came Longo's coffee. Hilarious. Anyway, Uppsala is a nice place indeed. I liked it.

The weird thing that happened to my laptop the other day is that it only works with 800x600 resolution, and we cannot change it at all. Sucks. Photos killed it. Defragmentation does not work. Tomorrow morning I start at the HP service desk. Ick.

Now the guys cook Swedish meet balls, potatos salad, BLOODPUDDING (ICKKKKK!!!!) and bread, et al. Bon appetit!

Today I talked to the guy who helped an awful lot during the last couple of months. Oh, and btw, I am going to work with him from August. Yiipppiieeee, you heard it right I might be back in lovely Sthlm earlier than I would have thought, i.e. beginning of August.

My task will be supercool.... communication, as well as I might get to do present at the end of the day for some market units. I know, it couldn't be better. =)))

But of course this affects a little bit my summer plans. 

Ha minden igaz, akkor Longoek mar valahol a kozelben caplatnak. 

This is how it looked the other day, i.e. on Monday. F***ing bful. 

Today w - finally - managed to celebrate Jesse's laaast days of singledom, eheh, as if it was some kind of kingdom, right. So lame, I am so lame todaynight It was so much fun, the whole day, and everything. We took her out to a make-up artist, where she could learn how to do here make-up, afer that we took her shopping, and she got a reaaaally nice and girly dress. Then the guys caught up with us at the Kista Gallerija, each of them handing a white rose to her. As today morning we all had to do our Final Presentations the guys were all dressed up, suits, red ties, everything. Looked so cute, it was very celebral, loll, celebrational.

Then, then, then we went to another fave restaurant of mine, which is also pretty close to home, Ciao Ciao in Hantverksgatan. It really meant a lot for here, and everyone was there, except for Preeti. Poor girl was suffering from a terrible headache today =( And then we toasted to her, each and every one of us, and also hummed Mendehlson's Here Comes The Bride (in a fully crowded restaurant), and then of course we sang that stupid Swedish song about an Italian pizzeria, etc. And, and, and....

[Today morning, the Final Pres went okay, well, better than okay, and it seems like I landed an assignment here in Sverige. Cool.]

me, Fabio, JC, Gio, Stefa (counter-clockwise)

me & Stefa

the bday boy & me 

This was one of the last nights we spend together with my fellow GGPers. Obviously we were very close, caring, affectionate, and llloving. Singing out loud to Jovanotti, Ligabue, Celentano, Conte, etc. Perfect night.

Then I went out with N and Ola, where probably it was me who was not up for partying, dunno. Slightly weird experience.

And, and, during the day I worked with Gio for about an hour on his slides, then we went for ristretto to JC's place. I dig his flat, it is quite cool. Then Gio started his search for hairdresser, while we checked out an Apple store JC fancies. And I bought a new armband for my ipod. And, and, then we bought the presents (books!), but they also got 2-hours of rowing a kayak here in Sthlm. Then we went downtown with Gio and JC, me wanting to shop for summer dresses in Zara. It just closed when we got there, so what should we do, what should we do. We went for an ice cream-long walk combo in Gamla Stan. But with a huge circle towards Slussen. Perfect day.

Then b2home. Shopping for Somloi, home, prepare, gather music, and join the party.

Lofe is indeed perfect. Even though this is a fucking gloomy Sunday.

Well, to start with, I should clarify something. First, about grammar.... Herregod is spelt like "herre Gud", or "herregud", i.e. with a u instead of an o, as I spelled it earlier. Secondly, it means "my God". Me being an engineer, me being precise, me always nagging people about unimportant mistakes (mostly JC, suis desolee...).

Now. Let's focus.

Previously:

Herregod! Part I

Herregod! Part II

Herregod! Part III

Herregod! Part IV

Now: 

Finally, after wandering around the town for more than an hour we gave in and went in to an Italian restaurant. First shock, there was no pizza. So we ordered salads… as usual. We ordered one starter to share, and two salads. And a glass of red wine. After the first sip of wine it just hit me that I woke up at 3:30am, haven’t had food all they long except for some fine Go:teborg crackers, and had hash in my body. I started to feel weird and I did not like it that much…. Hele saw me suffering, I lost my appetite suddenly, and turned my mode to slow motion. Yepp. My fault.

After dinner we walked home as fast as we could, and I landed in bad rightaway.

The next morning we were to have a phone conference with the others at 10am. One hour was not enough so we finished around 11:30am leaving only half an hour for me and Hele to have breakfast and check out of the hotel. It was a rush, not a good one. Our fault.  

Anyway, we checked out, left the luggage at the hotel, and went for a sunny and warm walk to the museum district. It was just so fine, nice, harmonic. Perfetto. We had such a nice Caprese Salad for lunch. Then we wanted to shop a bit. Or well, in fact even before the lunch we shopped a bit. I bought Star Trak by Corbijn, and one book from Covey (First Things First) which is about time mgmt, and another about how to give presentations.

Longo gave me this task a couple of weeks (?) ago, anyway, here come my answers:

1. mi a legjobb az utazásban? // what's the best in traveling?

I want to go to NYC. I promised my friend Lucas to visit him two years ago, then again last summer. So if I get to stay here in Sthlm for another half a year from September, then most probably I'll visit him in NY, and the others who gonna be on the continent will meetup in NY anyway (Helena will be in Dallas, Gio & Stef in Montreal, and JC in Atlanta). I cannot miss out on that =)

4. mi volt eddig a legjobb utazós élményed? // what was your best travel experience so far?

But all in all, I like to live abroad cause...

....then i get to see this from my window ::

..:: 21 March 2007 ::....

..:: 27 March 2007 ::....

..:: 9 April 2007 ::....

..:: 26 April 2007 ::..

..:: 31 May 2007 ::....

..:: 6 June 2007 ::....

..:: 8 June 2007 ::....

..:: 9 June 2007 ::..

..:: 11 June 2007 ::....

There are things in life that are merely great - messy and great. How nice mixture.  To give an example, yesterday evening, which actually was a Friday night, I came home from work around 7pm, then I grabbed some food and was about to continue working.... in the least efficient way probably. I had to review the second half of our final report, and I just sucked, the tv was on in the meantime, I could not focus, and probably managed to review 2-3 proposals until midnight. Of course I had a strict deadline, 8am in the morning, as Gio had to merge our input and then send it to our Boss.... I went to bed at midnight, but Stockholm is just too warm right now =))) so I could not sleep until around 1am. Then again I had to wake up at 6am to finish the stuff by 8am. I handed in my input around 8:05 =))) when pour Gio just woke up to send the document.

Of course I was not able to fall asleep again at 8. Of course I just passed my time until 12 when again JC and Gio dropped by for a little Saturday brainstorming session. Merely 3,5 hours... At least now I have the bullets for the executive summary, which I will only write tomorrow. Morning, again.

Then I headed out to the beach across the street to pass some time with Marina, we lied in the sun for two hours and almost joined some of her friends to head out on their boat to Sandhamn... but we didn't as they were only to come back at 2am. And I am so boring, I had work to do... still have ;)))

Then I just passed out, well I didn't, but isn't it nice to put it that way? so I passed out, half asleep, sipping water and it was Ocean's 12 on TV1000, I dunno why but i love that movie. I love the OST, I love everything about it. So what comes next, Crash, my other fave movie =))))

Isn't it nice... and warm.. and cosy... full of idealistic thoughts about future, guys, evolving lovelife, Sweden, I'd better stop daydreaming. Stick to reality.... how on earth would an optimist naiva do that?

??? 

I just read somewhere that Corbijn did direct his first movie ever last year. Ok, not just somewhere but I have been browsing his website, and his last blog update was from November 2006 where he talked about his movie entitled Control on the life of a mate from Joy Division.

Anyway, I checked on imdb, and it says it won something at the Cannes Film Festival, so I obviously checked the page of the festival, and he did indeed receive an award: Camera d'Or/Mention speciale.

As far as I saw the movie itself will  be released in Belgium in the fall of 2007. 

I should also note that it is again Samantha Morton who plays in the movie, and where is she so familiar from exactly? Well, she is a pretty good Irish actress, appeared in In America by Jim Sheridan, U2's video clip for Electrical Storm, etc. 

Herregod! Part I

Herregod! Part II

Herregod! Part III

<< This is now 22:50, and I am definitely on the plane >>

So I still had more than two hours to spend in Amsterdam, and somehow I started to feel extremely tired. I walked a lot, but just in the very center of the city. I visited at least two, or maybe three bookstores. I have to tell you that at the Swedish airport I bought a book, Tim Harford's The Undercover Economist. In Amsterdam I was just killing time in the English and American bookstores, I just loved them. Of course, I was looking for books by my fve photographer Anton Corbijn, and also found that book by Michka Assayas, the one which is about a prolongued interview with Bono. However tempting these books were, I managed to resist and did not buy them.

Then after a long long time passed I collected Hele at the train station and we walked to the hotel. Quick shower, Laci just called, they were already in a coffee shop with his friend from Hungary. As soon as we refreshed ourselves we started to walk around and finally met the guys. But before that we as well had a spaceshake with Hele.... instead of having lunch. And then we met the boys. We went to this other coffee shop called Baba, and someone rolled a joint.... No effect, I must say. Then we headed out for a short walk as we, the girls, were dying for dinner, and soon the guys left for Tilburg. Before searching for a restaurant we actually saw quite many of them, but since looking for a tapas bar, we never so one. Not even any other kind of restaurant except for fast foodies. Fuck that shit, episode 3.

Watch out for the movement of the arm. Ick. 

I told you that Sthlm is beautiful these days. This was the view that I had to wake up to.... 

IT IS 28C HERE. I am sweating. And I hate it.

Instead of lying in the sun we went downtown w/ Laci. Took a bus towards Kungstradgarden, walked around in the crowd. Swedes are  indeed weird and crazy =))) concerning the fact that they all went out to the streets. We even saw some kinda Sthlm parade, lolll. And then again, it is hot, people are everywhere, a lot of people live in Sthlm, it is just that I did not know it beforehand. Eheh...

Another reason for staying here, it probably will not get warmer than this.

You  can jet ski in the lake downtown....

Tonight we have dinner together w/ Marina & Laci. Marina is going to spend her international assignment in Bp, lovely. She is cool, and I have news for her. I like if people are decisive enough, I learn a lot from them.

I am wearing my bathing suit again.

I cleaned the apartment. Did the dishes. Supergirl. And supergirls don't cry. 

Dinner today: rakott krumpli. 

Weird or not, but I cannot put on with the heat anymore. It is merely 24 degrees today, but I say 'Enough, enough", gosh I am gonna so die in Budapest next month. Anyway, I just love June in Sweden, it is nice and sunny and warm, and people are crazy on the streets and they you again get to BBQ like every weekend. And the light, basically the sun goes down around 10, so it is only dark from 11 to 2, and we still have three weeks to go until Midsummer's. Now how cool is that.

Today I talked to my sponsor, the big boss, and he gave me some practical piece of advice on how to do next, where to go, whom to talk to. So I am going to do that tomorrow, mailing some important people.

Apart from that yesterday I told N that I owe him a dinner....

And today morning I had to listen to a song on my iPod in my bed for more than five times to get up. I needed some energy boost. Mmmh.... the song was, ..... cheesy.... Beautiful Girl by INXS,  but that just is still a not-cheesy cheesy song for me and I love it and am not at all ashamed to do it =) Here comes cheesy pride, hehh.

Watch out, cause I am a man on the prowl.

Seems like I am hooked on this lyrics thing today. I even did a presentation today where the goal setting slide started with "One man, one goal..." and the conclusion/summary ended with "... one vision". Isn't it horrible.

Apart from all of this CBS (company bullshit), no actually I am just being flashy and showing off, of course this was not company bullshit, anyway, anyhow, i had a superb day, learnt a lot, now I am reading my book on presentation (weird coincidence I bought it while going to A'dam), and googling Bill Clinton's apology speech on Ms Lewinsky, as well as Churchill and ML King's oh-so-famous "I have a dream". So do not be surprised at all about this craze/crave in me for rhetorics right now. Just fell for it.

To top it, tomorrow is the Swedish national holiday for I dunno what reason, so basically today is Friday, however it is only Tuesday. Sweet. (I acquired this expression - sweet - from Andreas) Tomorrow the options are:

As well as book him for dinner, and and and emails, tons of emails to be sent out regarding my international assignment.

I love life. 

Today, thanks to an early ending of the Presentation Skills course I got home around 4:30pm which I have to tell you haven't happened to me for quite a while. So I had a couple of hours to browse through the photos I took during the past two weeks and select the one I love the most and that I could actually connect to a nice text, for me i.e. some lyrics. So I had some time to listen to some music I haven't been listening to lately. And then my iTunes just played this U2 song - ok, i know i am boring, whatever - When I Look At The World, and this was a song that was fairly new when I was living in Helsinki, so I naturally associated. It wasn't just a fairly new song, but I remember lying in my bed, listening to that shitty IBM Thinkpad and blasting out to this song.

Cause when I look at the world... just tells everything.  

I think I am pretty coherent. Or, well, [... I am watching Thelma & Louise right now, we're at the scene when a police car starts to chase them and they are pulled over...] still I am quite coherent in the things I like. I like the movie La Nuit des Varennes by Ettore Scola, I loved it when I was 18, I love it now.

The idea of showing only the legs of Louis XIV and Marie-Antoinette whenever they appear in a scene is just marvelous. I remember the movie had a great affect on me being so young. I first saw it at a History class in high school, I had a pretty cool History teacher, that's why we got to see movies like La Nuit de Varennes.

The whole background of the movie is that in 1971 Louis XIV and his wife try to escape from Paris and the revolution but get caught in Varennes.

Superb actors, that is all I can say. Hanna Schygulla, Marcello Mastroianni, Harvey Keitel.

I really am a big fan of Harvey Keitel. He appears in Thelma & Louise too. [... whom by now had escaped the police...] As well as most of the Tarantino movies (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn]. He was juuuuust awesome in The Piano (one of the best music score ever)