Hej!
Wow, a full month without blogging...this isn't exactly how I envisaged this going! But yet again, I have been caught up in everything that has been going on. Not that I have really been anywhere to stop me blogging, its just that I have been busy :)
So what have I done? Well, to start with I had another visit back to the UK to see Sarah for a long weekend, and it was another really hectic one! We seemed to be busy the whole weekend, but in a good way, and it was fun.
We had a night out in Doncaster for Sarah's sisters birthday, and it was certainly an experience. Lots of 'cougars' as I have been taught that they are called. Basically, older women dressed far too young, chasing something young.
Oh, and of course I had to make a fool of myself, and spray the tap all over my top when I went to the bathroom....just very glad it dried quick!
Then on the Sunday Sarah and I went to Wigan to have dinner with my brother and his wife. I worked out it should take somewhere between an hour and a half to two hours, and I pretty much knew the way...up the M1 and across the M62...I've done the drive lots in my old job.
So we set off, and were having a good laugh and good conversation and Sarah asks 'Where is Scotch Corner?' as the sign says we are on the way there....I suddenly realise I am driving to Gateshead and not Leeds/Manchester...oh bum!
So we come off at the next exit, and put on TomTom (don't ask why I didn’t do this to start with, I just knew I knew the way...ok!) TomTom then tells me I have basically driven as far north so that we were basically the same time away as we were when we set off...after about 45 minutes of driving! Oooops.
But anyway, we got there in the end, and had a very nice Chinese meal and a nice evening at Gregg and Julie's house, and I got to see their new A4 too, although they didn't let me drive!
So Monday came, and Sarah and I got ready to come back to Sweden. Yep, she was coming to visit for the whole summer, 6 weeks together! Was very excited!
As we were staying so long we didn't want to leave the car at the airport that long, so Sarah's mum brought us to the Airport...thanks Julie!
The journey was pretty standard, long and uneventful, but it just reminded me how much better travelling is when you are not alone.
So we have now had a few weeks of living together, and have tried to fill it with doing things so Sarah didn't get too bored while I was at work. We have been to see Harry Potter (pretty good, missed loads from the book, 4 stars) and we have been to the Helsingborg Festival. This was 4 evenings of stalls rides and music acts (no-one we had heard of) around Helsingborg, and it was pretty good. We didn't spend ore then a few hours there, as it was pretty much the same 6 stalls again and again, and we didn't fancy the rides.
I have managed to borrow a car for a few weekends too, so we have driven North and South along the coast, and seen quite a lot of very beautiful Sweden.
However, Sarah as also had to play nurse for a few days, as I got a pretty nasty cold and was pretty much house bound for 2 days. Not nice at all. But it was nice to get to spend the extra time together! Just rather it could have been with me not feeling so bad.
Oh, and I bought a bicycle! I have been thinking about it for a while, as it would really lower the time it takes to get to work and back. It would also allow me to ride around a bit more and see a little more of Sweden. So while we were shopping I saw one that was really good price! About a third of the other ones I had seen, and a pretty good make too, so I bought it. Who says I can't make quick decisions!?! And I like it, lots.
Sarah and I then went shopping for all the accessories and stuff...so I now have flashing lights for the back and a light for the front, pump and fix kit bag thing and a set of waterproofs...going to look soooooo cool in those when it rains! Not.
We have been talking about going up to Gothenburg for the weekend too, as there is a really good weekend deal thing that gives free access to museums and the theme park, as well as discounts for shops and restaurants, and this pass also includes a hotel room and breakfast.
But we haven't done it yet...we went to Malmo this Saturday instead. Its only about 45 minutes away on the train, and is very nice indeed in the main bits. Sarah was happy as the shopping is far superior to what is available in Helsingborg, and we came back with quite a lot more then we went with...!
So we still have Gothenburg on the plan, but not 100% sure when we will do it. We also plan to do a bit more sight seeing in the localish vicinity, so hopefully I should have some more pictures to show you just how lovely it is here.
I have also been acting manager for my full team over the last 4 weeks, as my manager has been on vacation, so I have had a busy/a little stressful few weeks. But I think I have done pretty well with it, and have definitely enjoyed it! I think it has shown me I am going in the right direction with my career, and also that the Swedish move has been really good for me so far!
What I have learned this month:
Having some one to travel with makes the journey much better
Its worth taking the time to visit other parts of where ever you go, small changes can be good! Extra responsibility is hard...but well worth it!
PS. Sometimes people get sidetracked, or something happens to make someone act a little differently to normal. This doesn’t always mean things have changed, just that their head is in a different place. Its worth talking it through and making the effort to change, as keeping what you have is much better then losing it!
Sunday, 2 August 2009
Friday, 3 July 2009
...Tenerife, U21 Championships and good friends
Hej!
Warning....this might be a rather long blog! Seeing as how I haven't posted anything for over a month!
And what a good month it has been! I guess I better go in order or no doubt I will miss things out...!
So first after my last post (so end of May..!) I went to Tenerife with my parents, my big sister, her husband and my nephew. Now it might sound like it wasn't set up to be a good holiday, but it really was! The weather was really good almost the whole week, and I really get on with my whole family so it was easy.
In order to get there from Sweden I ended up having to fly to Manchester from Copenhagen, and then get an Easy Jet flight to Tenerife. I haven't ever flown a 'low cost' airline so far before....and now I know why! I am used to SAS seats...with room to at least move your legs once sat down! That plus adverts over the tannoy thing at what felt like 2 minute intervals really made for a not pleasant flight.
Warning....this might be a rather long blog! Seeing as how I haven't posted anything for over a month!
And what a good month it has been! I guess I better go in order or no doubt I will miss things out...!
So first after my last post (so end of May..!) I went to Tenerife with my parents, my big sister, her husband and my nephew. Now it might sound like it wasn't set up to be a good holiday, but it really was! The weather was really good almost the whole week, and I really get on with my whole family so it was easy.
In order to get there from Sweden I ended up having to fly to Manchester from Copenhagen, and then get an Easy Jet flight to Tenerife. I haven't ever flown a 'low cost' airline so far before....and now I know why! I am used to SAS seats...with room to at least move your legs once sat down! That plus adverts over the tannoy thing at what felt like 2 minute intervals really made for a not pleasant flight.
Here is a picture of the Family
But anyway, I got there....I guess that’s all that really matters. We found out that the main pool was being serviced while we were there, so we could only use the little pool for most of the week....But this was fine, as James could touch the bottom in most of the little pool so it was more fun to be swimming with him anyway.
My Dad and I also got in a round of golf...one (if not THE) most beautiful rounds of golf I have ever had! My Dad got about 250 pictures! I didn't play particularly well, but I had a few good holes, so I was happy. :)
Then when I got back I had a very nice surprise visit from Sarah! :)
We had worked out with all the stuff in our calendars that we wouldn't get to see each other for 6 weeks if we didn't do it then, so she came over for 4 days and we had a really really good time. Was really hard leaving each other so quickly though...but on a good note next time we see each other it is going to be for about 6 weeks!
I would put a picture of Sarah up...but I will wait for permission first :)
And then on the day Sarah left some of my UK friends came to visit; Chris, Rick and Danny. Chris is getting married in August, so it was the first part of his stag tour...and Rick got special t-shirts made for us all! Very cool.
Here are the boys
And here is the t-shirts! Good work Rick!
The reason they were over was also for the Under 21 European Championships which were held in Sweden this year. We managed to attend 2 games as well seeing a few others on the TV. We went to Sweden v Italy in my local town (Helsingborg) which was pretty good...even if Sweden did lose. The match was actually on Midsummer’s Eve which is a massive day in Sweden. So after the match we went to a friends of mine and did part of the whole Midsummer thing. Mainly it involved a few beers, a few 'Snaps' and a BIG barbeque! All in all a very fun evening.
This is just one set of meat on the BBQ...
On the way home from the party thing we went to get the train...and I realised I had got the times wrong so we had an hour to wait! To be fair it wasn’t my fault...I had found out that the last train was at 39 minutes past the hour...so I assumed that the one before would be an hour before that....but no. It was an hour and 15 minutes earlier. So while we waited we invented a really fun game...'kick the plastic bottle into the bin'. Ok, maybe it was more fun at the time...but we actually spent about 50 minutes doing this! And Chris got it in just before the train came! Perfect timing.
Then we had a really good weekend of sitting in the sun, going out in Helsingborg (until 5am on the Saturday....not sure my friends are a good influence on me!) and generally enjoying the amazing weather.
Monday we went to see England v Germany...a big game for any Englishman! Unfortunately England had already qualified for the next round and so didn’t bother to put out their best team. We still got to see Theo Walcott though, so I was a bit happy at least. It ended 1-1 so not too disappointing.
The boys went home on Wednesday, and I suddenly realised how empty my house can be! But still, I had the semi finals to watch! Sweden v England was a really good game. Half time was 3-0 to England...and I was very happy (and a little scared) as I was watching it with about 200 Swedish people...! But then it got a little scary... 3-1...3-2...and then 3-3! Not good! I was starting to be really glad I hadn't celebrated the England goals too much! Then during extra time we had to walk up (very fast) to the local stadium to watch the other semi-final. So I was in Olympia stadium in Helsingborg for the penalties. Yep...me cheering England, and about 3000 Swedes, Germans and Italians. Strangely I was the only one celebrating the England victory!
The Germany v Italy match ended up 1-0, and was no where near as good as the England Sweden one!
And then we don't talk about the final. So no more to write on that.
And then I have just been working hard, cleaning the apartment (it was such a state after having 4 boys live here for a week!) and generally enjoying the Swedish summer. Its been about 23/24 degrees all week, and I've loved it!
Another UK friend Steve (who lives here in Helsingborg) is a VERY good chef...and has been kind enough to cook for me a few times. The latest time we were talking about how I ask a lot of questions while he cooks, and how it would make a great TV show....so we are going to start recording them and posting them online! Watch this space for more info and also for hints on upcoming recipes!
My Swedish lessons are coming on really well too. I am definitely able to understand much more..and can almost hold a full conversation.
So all in all I have had a REALLY good month since last time I blogged...so I hope you will forgive me.
What I have learned this month:
Following England in sports is both amazingly good...and heartbreaking!
Learning Swedish is really key to fitting in here and being able to socialise
Having friends to visit is really fun!
PS. It can be really fun doing things for other people, as long as seeing them happy makes you happy too! It doesn't matter what it is, everything is worth doing for the right person. :)
Saturday, 23 May 2009
...getting older!
Hej!
Wow, its been ages since my last post! Time really has flown by! Well, since my last post I am now a year older...and of course so much wiser.....!
I had a really nice week back in the UK with my family and friends, did a lot of catching up with people and seeing people I hadn't seen for 5 months. As well as doing the family stuff on Sunday and Wednesday (and my Mum, Dad, Big sister, her husband and my nephew came to the airport to see Sarah and I off) I went out in Sheffield with Sarah's uni friends as it was one of their birthdays, went to the cinema 3 times (Angels and Demons : 3*, Star Trek : 4*, Fast and Furious : 2*) and spent Friday night with my uni friends. By the time I came back I was in need of a holiday! :)
Got some very nice birthday Pressies too...a very nice watch, an iPod, a very nice Ralph Lauren T-Shirt, some English Chocolates, an iPod docking speaker set thingy, a book on F1 circuits, money for iTunes just to name a few! Was a really really nice birthday, so thank you to everyone who contributed to making it special for me!
So coming back to Sweden last Saturday was a bit strange...that has been the longest time I have spent back in the UK since leaving, and while it was really nice, I was still kinda excited to get back to my house! And even more weirdly, I was looking forward to getting back to work...I had things I wanted to do, and catch up with, as well as having the last couple of days of my Personal Leadership training course to do. That was on the Monday and Tuesday of this week, and I really really enjoyed it! I think it has really encouraged me that I am aiming the right way in my career, and massively improved my confidence in my own abilities, as well as letting me reflect on what I can do to improve on my weaknesses.
So this last week has been spent with Sarah in Sweden, having lots of deep and meaningfuls, as well as a really nice week in the relatively warm sunshine. Sarah and I have also spent quite a lot of time with my Swedish friends (well...friends that live in Sweden, I don't think she has met my "Swedish" Swedish friends so much yet...) and that has been really nice too! Felt very couplie, and really nice to know that we can integrate into each others lives so easily :)
My friend Keri moved into a new apartment this week, and Sarah was free while I was at work so she helped Keri out...was quite scary knowing that my girlfriend was talking to one of my friends without me being there...who knows what horrible things they could have been discussing about me! But Sarah seemed quite happy with me after a day with Keri, so I guess she must have been singing my praises at least a little :)
So basically I have had a really really good 2 weeks! Amazing birthday, amazing times with Sarah, and really nice weather too!
This weekend is a long one for me too....Thursday was Assertion Day, so a "Red Day" here in Sweden, so I decided to take Friday as holiday which has given me 4 days with Sarah with nothing planned...a rarity when she comes to visit! We don't usually get the chance to spend so long together here, and I think it has been really good! We have had a few walks down by the seafront, and some days just sat in the sun, as well as some evenings in the bars and restaurants around Helsingborg. All in all, a really really nice time for us!
So what have I learned this week (or so) :
Birthdays can still be exciting and really fun, even at 28
I am getting used to Sweden being home, even if I do miss UK Home too
Helsingborg would be even lovelier if it wasn't for the wind that drops the temperature so much!
PS. Life sometimes throws curveballs at you, and how you deal with them defines you afterwards. Try and be as honest as you can with those you love, as it is easier to deal with things as they happen rather then when things are found out bit by bit. Thank you for everything that has made this birthday amazing, and for understanding and trusting me when I mess up.
Wow, its been ages since my last post! Time really has flown by! Well, since my last post I am now a year older...and of course so much wiser.....!
I had a really nice week back in the UK with my family and friends, did a lot of catching up with people and seeing people I hadn't seen for 5 months. As well as doing the family stuff on Sunday and Wednesday (and my Mum, Dad, Big sister, her husband and my nephew came to the airport to see Sarah and I off) I went out in Sheffield with Sarah's uni friends as it was one of their birthdays, went to the cinema 3 times (Angels and Demons : 3*, Star Trek : 4*, Fast and Furious : 2*) and spent Friday night with my uni friends. By the time I came back I was in need of a holiday! :)
Got some very nice birthday Pressies too...a very nice watch, an iPod, a very nice Ralph Lauren T-Shirt, some English Chocolates, an iPod docking speaker set thingy, a book on F1 circuits, money for iTunes just to name a few! Was a really really nice birthday, so thank you to everyone who contributed to making it special for me!
So coming back to Sweden last Saturday was a bit strange...that has been the longest time I have spent back in the UK since leaving, and while it was really nice, I was still kinda excited to get back to my house! And even more weirdly, I was looking forward to getting back to work...I had things I wanted to do, and catch up with, as well as having the last couple of days of my Personal Leadership training course to do. That was on the Monday and Tuesday of this week, and I really really enjoyed it! I think it has really encouraged me that I am aiming the right way in my career, and massively improved my confidence in my own abilities, as well as letting me reflect on what I can do to improve on my weaknesses.
So this last week has been spent with Sarah in Sweden, having lots of deep and meaningfuls, as well as a really nice week in the relatively warm sunshine. Sarah and I have also spent quite a lot of time with my Swedish friends (well...friends that live in Sweden, I don't think she has met my "Swedish" Swedish friends so much yet...) and that has been really nice too! Felt very couplie, and really nice to know that we can integrate into each others lives so easily :)
My friend Keri moved into a new apartment this week, and Sarah was free while I was at work so she helped Keri out...was quite scary knowing that my girlfriend was talking to one of my friends without me being there...who knows what horrible things they could have been discussing about me! But Sarah seemed quite happy with me after a day with Keri, so I guess she must have been singing my praises at least a little :)
So basically I have had a really really good 2 weeks! Amazing birthday, amazing times with Sarah, and really nice weather too!
This weekend is a long one for me too....Thursday was Assertion Day, so a "Red Day" here in Sweden, so I decided to take Friday as holiday which has given me 4 days with Sarah with nothing planned...a rarity when she comes to visit! We don't usually get the chance to spend so long together here, and I think it has been really good! We have had a few walks down by the seafront, and some days just sat in the sun, as well as some evenings in the bars and restaurants around Helsingborg. All in all, a really really nice time for us!
So what have I learned this week (or so) :
Birthdays can still be exciting and really fun, even at 28
I am getting used to Sweden being home, even if I do miss UK Home too
Helsingborg would be even lovelier if it wasn't for the wind that drops the temperature so much!
PS. Life sometimes throws curveballs at you, and how you deal with them defines you afterwards. Try and be as honest as you can with those you love, as it is easier to deal with things as they happen rather then when things are found out bit by bit. Thank you for everything that has made this birthday amazing, and for understanding and trusting me when I mess up.
Thursday, 7 May 2009
...missing the sun and watching Henrik Larsson in Helsingborg
Hej!
I guess I had better apologise! I can't believe how fast this week (10 days?) has gone since my last post! It doesn't seem possible that it was so long ago!
Well where to start....? I guess the first place is the dodgy weather we are now having in Helsingborg. Most mornings I am now woken up by horrible hard rain, and dread walking to work....and so far Dennis (one of my team at work) has come to my rescue most days...thanks matey! And then this morning he couldn't take me, so I prepared myself for a very wet walk to work. But as I walked out of my flat it turned to drizzle, and got better all the way to work, so I wasn't completely drowned when I got there, just mildly moist. :)
I have also been crazy busy at work this last week or so, we have had a new server and client roll out of my product (well ok, not MY product, but still the one I am responsible for...) and it has gone quite smooth...but still we have had nearly 200% of the normal incidents to look at and investigate! On top of this, I have been doing lots of training and introductions to various things, as well as continuing my Swedish lessons (which I am proud to say I am getting much better at...even if I am still rubbish!) which means I am not spending a full week at my desk anyway. Ah well, such is work life I guess...
Last weekend was also a bank holiday (red day, national holiday etc..) as it was May day. Now I am used to the English way of doing things....whatever the holiday, its the Monday you have off. But Sweden are actually sensible about this, so we had our May Day holiday on the first of May. What a great idea! Its only when I look at it in the #we are celebrating a specific day' kind of way that I realise how stupid the English way is...there they are just having a day off, because they can!
So anyway, Thursday night (30th April) is a big thing here...something to do with the celebrating of coming of Spring or something...and traditionally they have big bonfires down by the sea...but this year the weather had been so good that they decided it was too dry to have them...so we just had an evening down by the sea anyway :)
Was really warm, and really busy down there...it was like the whole of Helsingborg had gone down to the beach that evening!
Then the weekend seemed to pass by in a blur! More time at the beach was involved, and seeing friends...but I don't really know how it went so quick!
Then all of a sudden it was back to work! SCARY!
Monday evening I went to see my first Swedish football match, Helsingborg v's Malmo. This is classed as a local derby here, so there was quite a good (if a bit scary) atmosphere, but it was mostly kept well controlled by the police. The game wasn't exactly high quality...about English football league 1 I think, but was still really nice to see live football again! The best bit (in my geeky opinion) was seeing the legend that is Mr Henrik Larsson! At his stage in his career he was still by far the best player on the pitch, and is quite clearly the talisman of the Helsingborg team. Just to see the way he predicted the game, and the runs he made and the space he constantly found was worth the entrance fee alone :) Yes...I was a happy boy! Oh, and also he scored the only goal...so now I can say I have seen Larsson score a goal live and in person!
This week has also been the Champions League Semi Finals (ah hem....3 English teams...) so I have watched them too. Both were actually really good games, and very entertaining throughout, not to mention some amazing goals! It is a shame that it won't be two English teams in the final, but I still think Manchester United will beat Barca...they just seem unstoppable at the moment!
I am now on the count down to my birthday too...that’s right, 13th May, well remembered! I have actually decided to spend it in the UK with Sarah and my family, so I fly back home (UK home) tomorrow, and will spend a full week there :)
Really looking forward to it...not just the time off work, but getting to spend so long with Sarah and seeing my family properly. Also quite excited about my presents this year...I don't think I have looked forward to a birthday for a long time!
And then after my Birthday when I come home, Sarah is coming back with me for 2 weeks as part of my present! So we get 3 weeks together... Really really looking forward to it! Not all that sure what we have planned for the 3 weeks, but its going to be fun..I know it! Sarah and I have still been talking most (I think every...) day, and it is really good to come home and be able to talk through the daily things and just relax with someone you really care about. Its not quite as good as being together, but it is a pretty good substitute while we can't be together.
I also had a review at work this week, and got a very pleasant surprise! I thought I had been doing pretty well in my new job, and was quite pleased...but it turns out that my boss(es) are REALLY pleased with the work I have been doing, and see massive potential in me! It is really really nice to be given that confidence boost, especially when I know I still have so much more to give!
Oh, while I remember...Helsingborg has now turned on most of its fountains again, and also overnight turned green! As you (I) walk around now all of the trees are green, flowers are coming out all over the place and it just looks lovely! The fountain thing is quite strange though...they turned them on just in time for it to start raining...great planning..!
So what have I learned this week...
The Swedish 'cleaning' team are amazing...the morning after the big Thursday night everything was spotless again!
Birthdays can still be exciting at 28
No matter how much you know, you can always learn more
PS. Some times even the best of things can feel very hard and like they are a lot of work, but it is worth remembering the good parts in order to work through the tougher times. If you really want something, it is worth going through some hardship to get the result you want. Don't give up because of potential problems, find a way to make sure those problems don't affect it in too big a way.
I guess I had better apologise! I can't believe how fast this week (10 days?) has gone since my last post! It doesn't seem possible that it was so long ago!
Well where to start....? I guess the first place is the dodgy weather we are now having in Helsingborg. Most mornings I am now woken up by horrible hard rain, and dread walking to work....and so far Dennis (one of my team at work) has come to my rescue most days...thanks matey! And then this morning he couldn't take me, so I prepared myself for a very wet walk to work. But as I walked out of my flat it turned to drizzle, and got better all the way to work, so I wasn't completely drowned when I got there, just mildly moist. :)
I have also been crazy busy at work this last week or so, we have had a new server and client roll out of my product (well ok, not MY product, but still the one I am responsible for...) and it has gone quite smooth...but still we have had nearly 200% of the normal incidents to look at and investigate! On top of this, I have been doing lots of training and introductions to various things, as well as continuing my Swedish lessons (which I am proud to say I am getting much better at...even if I am still rubbish!) which means I am not spending a full week at my desk anyway. Ah well, such is work life I guess...
Last weekend was also a bank holiday (red day, national holiday etc..) as it was May day. Now I am used to the English way of doing things....whatever the holiday, its the Monday you have off. But Sweden are actually sensible about this, so we had our May Day holiday on the first of May. What a great idea! Its only when I look at it in the #we are celebrating a specific day' kind of way that I realise how stupid the English way is...there they are just having a day off, because they can!
So anyway, Thursday night (30th April) is a big thing here...something to do with the celebrating of coming of Spring or something...and traditionally they have big bonfires down by the sea...but this year the weather had been so good that they decided it was too dry to have them...so we just had an evening down by the sea anyway :)
Was really warm, and really busy down there...it was like the whole of Helsingborg had gone down to the beach that evening!
Then the weekend seemed to pass by in a blur! More time at the beach was involved, and seeing friends...but I don't really know how it went so quick!
Then all of a sudden it was back to work! SCARY!
Monday evening I went to see my first Swedish football match, Helsingborg v's Malmo. This is classed as a local derby here, so there was quite a good (if a bit scary) atmosphere, but it was mostly kept well controlled by the police. The game wasn't exactly high quality...about English football league 1 I think, but was still really nice to see live football again! The best bit (in my geeky opinion) was seeing the legend that is Mr Henrik Larsson! At his stage in his career he was still by far the best player on the pitch, and is quite clearly the talisman of the Helsingborg team. Just to see the way he predicted the game, and the runs he made and the space he constantly found was worth the entrance fee alone :) Yes...I was a happy boy! Oh, and also he scored the only goal...so now I can say I have seen Larsson score a goal live and in person!
This week has also been the Champions League Semi Finals (ah hem....3 English teams...) so I have watched them too. Both were actually really good games, and very entertaining throughout, not to mention some amazing goals! It is a shame that it won't be two English teams in the final, but I still think Manchester United will beat Barca...they just seem unstoppable at the moment!
I am now on the count down to my birthday too...that’s right, 13th May, well remembered! I have actually decided to spend it in the UK with Sarah and my family, so I fly back home (UK home) tomorrow, and will spend a full week there :)
Really looking forward to it...not just the time off work, but getting to spend so long with Sarah and seeing my family properly. Also quite excited about my presents this year...I don't think I have looked forward to a birthday for a long time!
And then after my Birthday when I come home, Sarah is coming back with me for 2 weeks as part of my present! So we get 3 weeks together... Really really looking forward to it! Not all that sure what we have planned for the 3 weeks, but its going to be fun..I know it! Sarah and I have still been talking most (I think every...) day, and it is really good to come home and be able to talk through the daily things and just relax with someone you really care about. Its not quite as good as being together, but it is a pretty good substitute while we can't be together.
I also had a review at work this week, and got a very pleasant surprise! I thought I had been doing pretty well in my new job, and was quite pleased...but it turns out that my boss(es) are REALLY pleased with the work I have been doing, and see massive potential in me! It is really really nice to be given that confidence boost, especially when I know I still have so much more to give!
Oh, while I remember...Helsingborg has now turned on most of its fountains again, and also overnight turned green! As you (I) walk around now all of the trees are green, flowers are coming out all over the place and it just looks lovely! The fountain thing is quite strange though...they turned them on just in time for it to start raining...great planning..!
So what have I learned this week...
The Swedish 'cleaning' team are amazing...the morning after the big Thursday night everything was spotless again!
Birthdays can still be exciting at 28
No matter how much you know, you can always learn more
PS. Some times even the best of things can feel very hard and like they are a lot of work, but it is worth remembering the good parts in order to work through the tougher times. If you really want something, it is worth going through some hardship to get the result you want. Don't give up because of potential problems, find a way to make sure those problems don't affect it in too big a way.
Sunday, 26 April 2009
... enjoying the beach (ish) in Helsingborg
Hej!
Ok, so its not a week since my last blog, but it is Sunday, so it seems right.
Its been a pretty busy few days since my last blog!
Thursday I had a friend from the UK staying, and he cooked me a really good curry! Steve and Keri turned up about 8, and we had a good night in :)
Friday we went for an 'afterwork' down at the circle bar, and stayed a few hours before going for dinner and then having a DVD night....watched 'How to lose friends and alienate people'. Was actually really good...I was expecting it to be really silly (most Simon Pegg films are) but it seemed a bit different then the others, in a good way. Not that I didn't enjoy the other ones...but you know what I mean.
Yesterday was a REALLY sunny day again in Helsingborg, so Yvonne and Ken (my Canadian friends) Keri and I decided to have a picnic style afternoon down at the sea front. It was so nice! Helsingborg is a little windy a lot of the time, so we found a nice place behind a little wall and had ciabattas with pate and cheese, and lots of fruit...and of course wine. Then ice cream for desert...my first ice cream in Sweden! ('Glass' in Swedish...not to be confused with 'Glas' which is a drinking vessel...)
It then got even more windy...and we considered leaving...until Ken found a really calm spot behind a big wall that had had the sun on it all day, so was lovely and warm! We ended up staying down there for about 5 hours...was so nice! Definitely going to take any of my visitors there if its sunny!
This week I also booked all my flights to come home for my birthday, and also to go to Tenerife at the end of May. Also had a very nice surprise from Sarah...she is going to come back home (to Sweden) after I have been home (UK) for my birthday...so we are going to get 3 weeks together! That’s going to be a really nice present as we dont normally get to spend that much time together :)
I had another Swedish lesson this week too, and surprised myself with how much I know! Its not like I can have a proper conversation yet...but I can form sentences if the other person is going to be very patient with me! But it is really coming along.
So what I have learnt this week:
Helsingborg has a beach, and is VERY nice in the sun (behind a wind break)
I am amazingly happy at the prospect of spending a long time with Sarah
I am getting better at Swedish...and pretty quickly I think!
PS. Planning for the future can be really fun, and quite scary all at the same time. Sometimes you just need someone to plan with and for that makes it all seem ok.
Ok, so its not a week since my last blog, but it is Sunday, so it seems right.
Its been a pretty busy few days since my last blog!
Thursday I had a friend from the UK staying, and he cooked me a really good curry! Steve and Keri turned up about 8, and we had a good night in :)
Friday we went for an 'afterwork' down at the circle bar, and stayed a few hours before going for dinner and then having a DVD night....watched 'How to lose friends and alienate people'. Was actually really good...I was expecting it to be really silly (most Simon Pegg films are) but it seemed a bit different then the others, in a good way. Not that I didn't enjoy the other ones...but you know what I mean.
Yesterday was a REALLY sunny day again in Helsingborg, so Yvonne and Ken (my Canadian friends) Keri and I decided to have a picnic style afternoon down at the sea front. It was so nice! Helsingborg is a little windy a lot of the time, so we found a nice place behind a little wall and had ciabattas with pate and cheese, and lots of fruit...and of course wine. Then ice cream for desert...my first ice cream in Sweden! ('Glass' in Swedish...not to be confused with 'Glas' which is a drinking vessel...)
It then got even more windy...and we considered leaving...until Ken found a really calm spot behind a big wall that had had the sun on it all day, so was lovely and warm! We ended up staying down there for about 5 hours...was so nice! Definitely going to take any of my visitors there if its sunny!
This week I also booked all my flights to come home for my birthday, and also to go to Tenerife at the end of May. Also had a very nice surprise from Sarah...she is going to come back home (to Sweden) after I have been home (UK) for my birthday...so we are going to get 3 weeks together! That’s going to be a really nice present as we dont normally get to spend that much time together :)
I had another Swedish lesson this week too, and surprised myself with how much I know! Its not like I can have a proper conversation yet...but I can form sentences if the other person is going to be very patient with me! But it is really coming along.
So what I have learnt this week:
Helsingborg has a beach, and is VERY nice in the sun (behind a wind break)
I am amazingly happy at the prospect of spending a long time with Sarah
I am getting better at Swedish...and pretty quickly I think!
PS. Planning for the future can be really fun, and quite scary all at the same time. Sometimes you just need someone to plan with and for that makes it all seem ok.
Wednesday, 22 April 2009
...being trained, 3 months in!
Hej!
Well the sun is still out here in Helsingborg....or rather it was until about 12pm (midday) It seems to be hiding behind a rather large cloud just now.
But generally speaking it has been a glorious couple of weeks! I have had several very nice 'after works' down by the sea front, making the most of the sun to get these Swedes socialising...not the easiest job, but I have a core group that seem to join me quite regularly now :)
So since my last post I have hardly been sitting at my desk at work... I have been partaking in some training. The first couple of days after the Easter break I was in a 'Welcome to IT' training...yes, that’s right...3 months after starting my job I was introduced into the way my company wants to run its IT setup. It was actually quite good...well, the second day was! The first day was really an introduction to the company, whom I have worked for for 8 and a half years, so wasn't massively important for me! The second day was much more information about things I didn’t know, so I found it much easier to stay awake for that :)
In this training there was also 3 people from Shanghai, so I felt much better about the training having to be in English, as I wasn’t the only one that didn’t speak Swedish!
Then the Thursday and Friday I had a very different kind of training...'Take Personal Leadership'. This was REALLY good! All about how you (me) is the most important part of being able to lead, and showing by example, and taking a step out side the situation...you know, all the really obvious things that you forget about when it comes to work and stress. This training I was the only non-Swede...so felt quite guilty when people were struggling to find words and feelings in English when I was the only one who needed them!
The Swedes are generally very happy to do tings in English, most of them have been learning it from about the age of 7, so know loads! (Also, none of the TV and films are dubbed here, so they pick up very unusual words too!)
I also made a couple of new friends on this training, people whose faces I had seen around work, but hadn't really spoken too...but they liked my invitation to a beer and so I think they will join me more often now. I seem to have built a reputation for always being available for a drink or dinner....which I think is a good thing, even though I don’t actually drink that much!
Saturday I was back in the UK to see Sarah, and had no problems with SAS at all this time! In fact, both flights arrived early, so maybe they were trying to make up for last time...?? So I had yet another really nice weekend in the Sun with Sarah. We didn’t do a massive amount, but did things every day, so it felt like we were busy most of the time, but also got to spend a lot of time just being together which is very important when we see each other so little. It really is hard leaving to come home though.
We did do a lot of looking around shops and things...always quite depressing when you (I) don’t have a lot of money! I keep seeing things that I want, and keep having to think 'wait a while, and see how it goes', a situation I haven't been in for a long time! ... anyone want a Honda S2000 and therefore help me out with money??
We were mostly (kinda) looking for things for me, as it is my birthday in less then a month (hint hint) and I didn’t really have a clue what I wanted, but as usual Sarah had a fantastic idea (or two. 3 actually...) so I know a little of what to expect...but still love the surprise factor! I think it helps that my memory is so bad I never remember details, so although I have picked what I want, I will still be surprised when I open it!
So now I am back in Sweden, but have an English (well, Geordie...I guess they have to be counted as English) friend staying with me for the next 2 nights as he is here with work. He is cooking me and Steve a curry tonight...hope he finds what he needs in my kitchen...its not the best stocked kitchen in the world as I don’t do an awful lot of cooking for one!
Plans for this weekend?? I have no idea! Its quite nice to not really have anything planned, as it means I can do whatever I feel like!
By the way, if anyone wants to know more about a particular thing, just say...ideas are always welcome! I keep thinking of things to blog about...and then when I get to it I forget what they were...
So what have I learned this week:
Swedes form very close knit friendship circles...hard to break in to, but very strong once in
Swedes speak very good English, but don't always appreciate having to speak it...make an effort!
I need more money, as I want to buy loads of things!
PS. Sometimes it is really good to listen to other peoples ideas, as they can see things you can’t. That goes for anything from clothes, to watches, to things to do. Thank you for knowing what I want and what will suit me even more then I do! You make me look good! (in a good way...not in the 'compared to you' way...)
Well the sun is still out here in Helsingborg....or rather it was until about 12pm (midday) It seems to be hiding behind a rather large cloud just now.
But generally speaking it has been a glorious couple of weeks! I have had several very nice 'after works' down by the sea front, making the most of the sun to get these Swedes socialising...not the easiest job, but I have a core group that seem to join me quite regularly now :)
So since my last post I have hardly been sitting at my desk at work... I have been partaking in some training. The first couple of days after the Easter break I was in a 'Welcome to IT' training...yes, that’s right...3 months after starting my job I was introduced into the way my company wants to run its IT setup. It was actually quite good...well, the second day was! The first day was really an introduction to the company, whom I have worked for for 8 and a half years, so wasn't massively important for me! The second day was much more information about things I didn’t know, so I found it much easier to stay awake for that :)
In this training there was also 3 people from Shanghai, so I felt much better about the training having to be in English, as I wasn’t the only one that didn’t speak Swedish!
Then the Thursday and Friday I had a very different kind of training...'Take Personal Leadership'. This was REALLY good! All about how you (me) is the most important part of being able to lead, and showing by example, and taking a step out side the situation...you know, all the really obvious things that you forget about when it comes to work and stress. This training I was the only non-Swede...so felt quite guilty when people were struggling to find words and feelings in English when I was the only one who needed them!
The Swedes are generally very happy to do tings in English, most of them have been learning it from about the age of 7, so know loads! (Also, none of the TV and films are dubbed here, so they pick up very unusual words too!)
I also made a couple of new friends on this training, people whose faces I had seen around work, but hadn't really spoken too...but they liked my invitation to a beer and so I think they will join me more often now. I seem to have built a reputation for always being available for a drink or dinner....which I think is a good thing, even though I don’t actually drink that much!
Saturday I was back in the UK to see Sarah, and had no problems with SAS at all this time! In fact, both flights arrived early, so maybe they were trying to make up for last time...?? So I had yet another really nice weekend in the Sun with Sarah. We didn’t do a massive amount, but did things every day, so it felt like we were busy most of the time, but also got to spend a lot of time just being together which is very important when we see each other so little. It really is hard leaving to come home though.
We did do a lot of looking around shops and things...always quite depressing when you (I) don’t have a lot of money! I keep seeing things that I want, and keep having to think 'wait a while, and see how it goes', a situation I haven't been in for a long time! ... anyone want a Honda S2000 and therefore help me out with money??
We were mostly (kinda) looking for things for me, as it is my birthday in less then a month (hint hint) and I didn’t really have a clue what I wanted, but as usual Sarah had a fantastic idea (or two. 3 actually...) so I know a little of what to expect...but still love the surprise factor! I think it helps that my memory is so bad I never remember details, so although I have picked what I want, I will still be surprised when I open it!
So now I am back in Sweden, but have an English (well, Geordie...I guess they have to be counted as English) friend staying with me for the next 2 nights as he is here with work. He is cooking me and Steve a curry tonight...hope he finds what he needs in my kitchen...its not the best stocked kitchen in the world as I don’t do an awful lot of cooking for one!
Plans for this weekend?? I have no idea! Its quite nice to not really have anything planned, as it means I can do whatever I feel like!
By the way, if anyone wants to know more about a particular thing, just say...ideas are always welcome! I keep thinking of things to blog about...and then when I get to it I forget what they were...
So what have I learned this week:
Swedes form very close knit friendship circles...hard to break in to, but very strong once in
Swedes speak very good English, but don't always appreciate having to speak it...make an effort!
I need more money, as I want to buy loads of things!
PS. Sometimes it is really good to listen to other peoples ideas, as they can see things you can’t. That goes for anything from clothes, to watches, to things to do. Thank you for knowing what I want and what will suit me even more then I do! You make me look good! (in a good way...not in the 'compared to you' way...)
Sunday, 12 April 2009
...getting a better experience of Helsingborg
Hej!
Firstly, Happy Easter! I hope you are all having a very nice long weekend :)
Well I am going to start with last weekend, as that is where I left the last blog...
I was meant to be going Swedish clubbing...it didn’t really happen. I had a really nice evening with the expat crowd, Keri, Jif, Helgi, Nuno and Laura, and we made it to a couple of bars, but we never actually made it to the club!
Then on Sunday I met up with Mark, Tom, Jon and Gwen as Gwen was visiting from Gothenburg. We had a nice afternoon trip on the ferry, and then a few beers in one of the 'English' bars in Helsingborg. After that Mark and his band had a rehearsal...so we all went along to watch that too! Was really good fun...a very good day.
Then this week I have had a very workless week! Monday I was in Almhult again, this tie to sit with the customer services people, and learn about how they use my computer systems. This was a really good day too, most of my team were with me and it was a really good day of building friendships outside of the normal work place. We also got ice cream and sat outside in the gorgeous sunshine, so I was happy!
Tuesday and Wednesday I was on a Team Building couple of days...and it was actually much more fun then I thought it was going to be! We did some hard work, had some really good discussions about were we wanted our system and the team to go over the next few years. We also had a very fun team challenge, which involved 5 different things; putting (golf), archery, bowls, blow darting and then some Swedish rock throwing thing. Of course my team won all 5! :)
This was also a really good way of spending time with the whole team in another setting, we had a really nice evening of talking and watching the football and playing a game of guess the song...I think I lost that one, being the youngest and also because they kept on putting in random Swedish songs!
So Thursday was my first and only day in the office this week, and so was VERY busy, trying to catch up on stuff as well as doing stuff for next week...as I'm not in the office at all!
So anyway, to the clubbing experience...yes, we had one! We went out last night, and made sure we made it to the club this time. Helsingborg doesn't really come to life until after about 11, so that’s when we went out. Now normally Swedish people are quite polite, and aware of personal space...apparently that goes completely out of the window when they have had a drink or when in a bar or club! I was bashed into many many times over the night, with maybe 1 or 2 times someone saying sorry. The rest of the time it just seems to be taken for granted that its ok. So I spent a ton of money getting in, a ton of money on every drink to listen to pretty poor music and get bashed about! Brilliant! But saying all that, it was actually an ok night.
This week Sarah has been away on a cruise, and I have really missed talking to her! We normally talk almost every night, and with her away we haven't been able to. But she is back today, so hopefully we should get a good catch up :)
Its strange, she lives in another country most of the time, and yet when she goes away it gets really lonely! Awww, poor little me. Oh well, hopefully we shall have a very good couple of days catching up now.
So what I have learnt this week:
Swedish people change when they have a drink
Personal space does not exist in night clubs
Missing people is a very strange thing...and gets stronger for strange reasons!
PS. Its amazing how much missing someone can hurt, and yet it makes things so much clearer. You get time to think through all the feelings, and realise how strong they actually are. It also just makes the thought of being back with them even better, and the thought of talking to them for hours really really inviting. I love wot.
Firstly, Happy Easter! I hope you are all having a very nice long weekend :)
Well I am going to start with last weekend, as that is where I left the last blog...
I was meant to be going Swedish clubbing...it didn’t really happen. I had a really nice evening with the expat crowd, Keri, Jif, Helgi, Nuno and Laura, and we made it to a couple of bars, but we never actually made it to the club!
Then on Sunday I met up with Mark, Tom, Jon and Gwen as Gwen was visiting from Gothenburg. We had a nice afternoon trip on the ferry, and then a few beers in one of the 'English' bars in Helsingborg. After that Mark and his band had a rehearsal...so we all went along to watch that too! Was really good fun...a very good day.
Then this week I have had a very workless week! Monday I was in Almhult again, this tie to sit with the customer services people, and learn about how they use my computer systems. This was a really good day too, most of my team were with me and it was a really good day of building friendships outside of the normal work place. We also got ice cream and sat outside in the gorgeous sunshine, so I was happy!
Tuesday and Wednesday I was on a Team Building couple of days...and it was actually much more fun then I thought it was going to be! We did some hard work, had some really good discussions about were we wanted our system and the team to go over the next few years. We also had a very fun team challenge, which involved 5 different things; putting (golf), archery, bowls, blow darting and then some Swedish rock throwing thing. Of course my team won all 5! :)
This was also a really good way of spending time with the whole team in another setting, we had a really nice evening of talking and watching the football and playing a game of guess the song...I think I lost that one, being the youngest and also because they kept on putting in random Swedish songs!
So Thursday was my first and only day in the office this week, and so was VERY busy, trying to catch up on stuff as well as doing stuff for next week...as I'm not in the office at all!
So anyway, to the clubbing experience...yes, we had one! We went out last night, and made sure we made it to the club this time. Helsingborg doesn't really come to life until after about 11, so that’s when we went out. Now normally Swedish people are quite polite, and aware of personal space...apparently that goes completely out of the window when they have had a drink or when in a bar or club! I was bashed into many many times over the night, with maybe 1 or 2 times someone saying sorry. The rest of the time it just seems to be taken for granted that its ok. So I spent a ton of money getting in, a ton of money on every drink to listen to pretty poor music and get bashed about! Brilliant! But saying all that, it was actually an ok night.
This week Sarah has been away on a cruise, and I have really missed talking to her! We normally talk almost every night, and with her away we haven't been able to. But she is back today, so hopefully we should get a good catch up :)
Its strange, she lives in another country most of the time, and yet when she goes away it gets really lonely! Awww, poor little me. Oh well, hopefully we shall have a very good couple of days catching up now.
So what I have learnt this week:
Swedish people change when they have a drink
Personal space does not exist in night clubs
Missing people is a very strange thing...and gets stronger for strange reasons!
PS. Its amazing how much missing someone can hurt, and yet it makes things so much clearer. You get time to think through all the feelings, and realise how strong they actually are. It also just makes the thought of being back with them even better, and the thought of talking to them for hours really really inviting. I love wot.
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