Oops, i Uppsala'd again

Wednesday 27 August 2014

"Grrrspssss"

I get startled and increasingly worried that something will ruin my perfect day. It sounded like a bomb or someone puking out his intestines.

"Grrrspssss"

For the love of god where is this coming from. I look around in agony. Who is trying to ruin my perfect swedish day?

"Grrrspssss"

It sounds closer. Doom and gloom. Oh there he is. He is actually sneezing. Can you go die in another corner please? Oh wait?! What is that?!

This looks fishy...

Let's take a closer look.

Run, the fashion police is coming!

So he is sneezing like his heart stopped for 10 seconds and he is wearing two different types, and colors, of shoes. Good job!

So it's 12:24 and i am on my trusty 7. Doors close and we start moving. "Grrrspssss". I must have heard that from 50 meters away. Weird shoe guy.

We get past sommaro and there is a bridge nearby that goes under, and i see a guy with a bike and a hat coming with loads of momentum down the hill. His hat falls down from the speed and that reveals a big bald head that was shiny like it was polished, i could see my reflection and my eyes were burning. His forehead was so big a Boeing 737 could take off from there. He luckily picked up his hat and my adventure continued.

I had planned to meet Andrea from Romania (she actually lives in Sala and is in great need of housing here so please help her. She also has a cute and obedient dog.) at 12:45 so i went to the University main building for the Welcome ceremony outside, near the statue. Cute girls passed by, then Andrea came and we finally met after months of talking.

The main building.

So we met some more people and we took some more photos, i tried to talk to Maria from Saint Petersburg but she looked disinterested so i moved on. Oh we also met a weird urban legend guy called Mattias or something. You can also spot Vasilis and Gregor behind.

Fun times. Stealing the show.

I spot my angel somewhere with a guy called Anton, who just vanished shortly after and we go inside the building. I think it was scary i knew so many people inside. The building was astonishing. More on it's history later. For now let's move around the tables with the various Nation info and see some more pictures.

Starting to get full.

And some more.

Gotlands nation had a nice ram head. On a stick.

I could spot my angel from the other side of the room without even trying. So i went up to her and told her we should take a picture with this girl.

Awww, so sweet.

I started taking pictures with everywhere, because i can. I also saw Roland and Anoud and she started like giving me challenges "talk to these people", "you are crazy", "you are a player", "take a photo with these girls". Funny i tell you. More photos incoming.

Just look at the building.

 And a view from the balcony.

People from all over the world flocking in the reception.

So i kept doing my thing and went in a boring master's students meeting about basic information, which i left shortly after. Oh a guy was so bored he was playing Texas Hold'em. On a 17 inch laptop on the ground. Because he can.

I looked for Vita so many times and each time we did something funny, like promoting some sort of bus tour to the Laplands. We were the admissions couple and when she was touching my hand or my back i felt a jolt going up my spine. Awwww so sweet. She had a scholarship meeting so i told her i will meet her after. We never saw each other again that day. I am a sad panda.

We go in the reception and the view is amazing. The building was presented as a government gift but when they finished it it was considered too luxurious so they refused to pay 2/3 of the cost. The builder paid for it. And died bankrupt and poor. But i guess he left a legacy. Tack.

Ridhima's mouth is humongous! That's Crystal and that's Jose.

 Oh i also met Madle from Estonia finally. We were supposed to live together in a caravan if we were homeless. Oh and A-nuuuuude!

My smile is contageous.

 Then i picked up a bunch of girls and told them to smile. I said "Mascarpone!" and all of them laughed! They are also Italian so it was extra belissimo! I met Cecilia, Laura and Nicoletta!

Cecilia, Laura and Nicky.

The are studying business in the Ekonomikum. Cecilia's skin is so soft and tanned and she is so cute in different circumstances i would have asked her out in a heartbeat.

Getting ready for the reception.

What an amazing architecture!

Some traditional dudes smiling with a uniform.

So the reception is fantastic. There was some royal orchestra that was off-tune, with the maestro glaring one of the violin players like all hell broke loose.

Him on the right next to dimitris!

The vice-chancellor of the University spoke, the Mayor wearing some sneakers, a girl from the student union and my favorite, the international student guide. He was a bit chubby, with a suit and a beard, really big cheeks and a red color like he drank too much red wine. He looked so boring but his voice was absorbing and mesmerizing. He was so funny. Every time he walked to talk i cheered and clap like a baboon.

"Yannis. 100% pure Colombian coffee."

 In the seats we also had King Harmeet, Kevin Falafel and many more Asians.

All hail King Harmeet. Coolest dude ever.

So Anoud tells me to meet some more girls. I talk to a cute one and she started running towards the exit. At least she would survive a caveat or a fire. I ran after her i think she felt scared. I also managed to take the picture with her friends.

Don't run away??

 More people everywhere. I only spoke to Caroline and Melissa, most of them were from the USA.

This is unreal!

We are done with the reception. I go with Cecilia and Laura, they get their bikes and we go towards Norrlands pub, Orvags Krog. Well they were strolling in their bikes, i was catching my breath because i was running. Tack.

So they lock their bikes and i meet some more people, Tobbias from Germany and Catherine from Wales. We teased her all night because she is from Great Britain, but she is actually really nice and funny and she is dressed so well. Classy. Oh she drinks cider too, like a sir.

Hey there sweetie.

We sit around a big table, were we have so much fun and see even more strange people and the waitress was actually greek. More people join us. We are like King Harmeet, General Kostas (meeee), Vasilis, Katherine, Tobbias, Cecilia, Laura, Alberto and three more Korean people.

So we are soooo hungry. I ate some sort of arabic pie but we decided we want pizza. So we went to Papa Something's pizza that nobody speaked italian, so we went instead to Pinocchio's. The owner's nose was bigger because he was also lying that the pizza was italian.

Hmmm what to get..

 We had such an amazing conversation and i was king of the house, entertaining everyone. I told them stories from the dark village and about the lumberjack with the small penis my friend was dating in the woods. Scary. Also i remember Alberto gave us a moment of fun.

"So we take a deck of cards" he says.

"A dick of cards? Wth??" i say.

"A DECK"

"A DICK??"

"A DEEEECK".

"Oh a deck."

We laughed so hard and ate our pizza's. We also learned 35 ways to call someone gay in Italian. Thank you Laura. The bottom line was that the water was sh$t, while the pizza was not so sh$t.

Back to Norrlands walking along the river. We sit in the pub on a massive desk, i spot two more cute swedish girls and they take a photo of us. We are so many, Raymon joined us with two more girls, Francesca from Italy, and a million other people from Greece and Spain. Ohhhh let's not forget Phoebe from Melbourne.

To infinity, and beyond!

More weirdly dressed people walked by, including this.

Harmeet also felt strange i guess when he saw Cruela DeVil.

So i am going back home, reflecting on all this. It's 23:17 and i am entering the door. I go up and collapse on my bed after talking to my huggie buddie Kelly. I hugged the pillow and dreamed of Vita's silky touch and hair.

Goodnight Uppsala.

30 minutes in the rain

Tuesday 26 August 2014

Waking up from last night, i checked out if i was at the right place or the right bed. I expected to be in a worse shape but i picked up my pieces quite fast. I'm impressed with my self. I would regain my composure and be a good boy tonight.

Yea right.

But let cut to the chase and start over. New day, new plans, new party.

So. It's like 11pm and i need to be at the Geocentrum. I take my trusty number 7 bus and stop at the Blasenhus, which is pretty much the Uppsala University main science/engineering campus. I see a map sign that shows the location of the centrum, trying to decode it because i'm slow in the morning.

Oh wait, two people are coming my way. Let's stop them because it's raining and i like to get wet.

"Do you know where the geocentrum is?"

"No! Do you know where is the department for nordic languages?"

"No, bye!"

So i keep moving and i ask some worker with a bald head like a globe, he points me to the wrong direction. Tack. I then see and older man that tells me where the correct building is but sends me to the wrong entrance. Tack. So i do a 200 meter walk around until i finally get to the correct way.

Oh wait! I see someone. He is with 2 others. He wears a checkered shirt, jeans and has a beard. He is Greek so i say "Geia sou!" and i met Yannis, a PhD student that takes me to the entrance.

Speechless.

So i enter the premises with some automatic doors opening while i walk. I felt like David Coperfield. I enter the room Norrlands 1 and meet my new colleagues. We are two greeks, spreading like a virus. I met the program helper Aby and the program coordinator Susanne. We did the basic stuff, i registered for my program, asked all the questions i had and received my welcome package.

I ate a nice sandwich with something that resembled greek feta. We were briefed on the campus's training facilities 1477 and the student mental support group. There was also a brief intro about Grus and Unt.

Then we divided in 4 groups or so and we had a short tour of the facilities, which are frankly, amazing. Massive library, clean places, microwaves and kitchen, study rooms that you can book to study quietly, 3 computer room and a biology lab, as well as 5-6 lecture rooms.

We have some students from Sweden following up from their batchelor's, one with a scholarship from Ethiopia, Ezre, Kate from the Netherlands, Kostas and Yannis from Greece, Lena from Germany, Stephanie from the USA, etc.

During our first meet.

We set up a meeting in Thursday @ 8:50 outside the faculty building for a bus tour/excursion and we went to the printing shop to get our student access. It was me, Alex and one more from Iceland. He got is access and then i went home like a sad panda because i am stupid and i did not have my driver's license with me so we could not complete, more or less start the register. Tack.

So i'm going back home, it's raining slightly and i am listening to some soothing drums and bass. I get on the bus with a weird granpa holding eggs like it's the precious one ring.

Oh i am so relaxed on my bed, talking to my buddy Kelly from Stockholm. I tell her dirty and stupid jokes and she laughs maniacally.

I get a message from Vita, my russian angel. The time is 5:44 and we set up a meeting at 6:15. The bus is leaving at 5:50 and i want to be there fast so i see her more...I forgot my umbrella, my ipad, my phone, my mind. I was not even sure of the nation i had to be at...So i found the Gotlands Nation where they had a crash course about sweden. It sucked because it lasted 10 minutes and they only asked 5 questions. I am outside speaking to some random dude and Maria from Ukraine.

She is nowhere to be seen. The time is 6:35. I see Roland and Anoud (A-nude. muahahaha). He sends a message for me to Vita in hope she sees it. I am off to the Gotlands pub which has a massive queue and i talk to James, a tall dude that works in the nation. And then Vita enters with Jose from Spain/USA. Everytime i look at her my heart stands still and so does time and space. I greet her warmly. She smells so nice and is so sweet. I play the sad panda face because she is late and we pretty much met by luck there.

Time to go to Norrlands pub. We sit there inside and we see Dimitris with his buddy program. We have some fun and i keep teasing Vita because i love her laugh and beaming smile. She makes me want to smile too. So we need some action and we talk to two random guys next to us. One is called Henrick (me thinks) and his half-swedish, half-greek (!) friend Andreas. We had the best of times, they actually bought us beers and we stayed there for 3-4 hours. It was amazing. I loved the part where they said that we make a nice couple ("blush mode on").

Dimitris, Jose, Henrich, Andreas and Vita.

So that was it, a fairly quieter night that the previous one, but get ready, because the storm is coming. Tomorrow is the Welcome Ceremony!

Welcome in Uppsala.

Pleb me I'm famous - Adventures in Uppsala

Monday 25 August 2014

 

You know when you have those really amazing days when everything goes great, then something occurs and you know it is going to end up in misery pain and agony yet you still do it only to regret it in the end?

Tipsy, slightly dizzy, with vomit leftovers in my mouth from my old friend Captain Morgan i just sat there in the freezing cold of the abyss in Stora Torget in Uppsala waiting for the first bus at 04:17 sharp.

Vomiting on the plants behind the bus station was not my proudest moment, but i promised to share all the moments with you, good and bad, so maybe you will get a lesson from this too.

But let's start from the beginning.

So i woke up casually, took my medicines and contacted Jim, a Greek friend from Thessaloniki. We went in one of the nations that had a pancake breakfast with coffee for 39 Kronor. You stood in the line, you got a ticket and they called your number. There i was eyeballing a cute German woman and we started socializing around. We met Raymon from Canada, Elizabeth from Germany (taking a master's and having two children with her, wow), Alice from Wonderland (well Australia), Esmee from Holland, Celine from Austria and well i made my move and asked the German girl her name, she was Anne from Berlin. Good times.

Alice, Raymon, Celine, Esmee.

So my number was 68 and the line was on 15. That meant i would eat in 512 hours so we went outside, sat on the wooden floor because all the tables were taken and talked a bit. I focused more on teasing Esmee and then with Anne a bit too.

Is Paok going to sign anyone new??

So Jim got us a table and we ninja'd some chairs (like 10) from the other tables and we sat down there, where more unknown people joined us! Harmeet from Hong Kong, a guy that was introduced as Bastian Schweinsteiger (Gregor), and two other people that kept talking about Mr. and Dr. Falafel. I guess the difference is just a PhD (derp xD).

Harmeet is half Indian too and he was pretty big and loud for an Asian, so i instantly liked him, he reminds me of Greece a lot. Good guy and we also shared a passion for football. He was amazed that i am a friend of Sokratis Papastathopoulos. We will play Fifa and real football soon. 

Finally the pancakes arrived and they were delicious, mine had pancake syrup but most preferred berries and ice cream.

We exchanged with most people Facebook pages, Jim left for Stockholm to pick up a packet that was sent from Greece and i went home with my trusty Gottsunda bus (number 7).

Back at home i just chatted a bit randomly and watched another episode of Psych (i find it hilarious) before i got dressed to go to the V-Dala Nation pub quiz about Sweden.

This town never ceases to amaze me.

I found it after asking around, got in the Nation and saw everyone sitting on a big long table with red covers. Most of the people i knew were there, so i took a seat at the end and we divided into groups of 4. I was with 3 people from Jordan, one woman and two men. The woman was incredibly beautiful and her name in Greek was Chara, but in her language that translates into sh$t.

10 questions, crap non-alcoholic reward.

The quiz spanned 15 minutes with 10 really hard questions about Sweden and Uppsala, like how many faculties does the university have or at what point water boils (spoiler, it's not 100 Celsius).

We got 3/10 like most of the teams so we left for Upplands Nation right at the corner in a big garden party. It was nice, we sat down and we went for beers with Kevin from Canada and Alice. She got some cherry beer, i got a local Uppsala lager and Kevin got one, then another, then a jug of beer.

We met more people, like Teresa from London, Amy from Canada, Ridhima from India/Australia and another loud Kevin :D I went with Kevin across the street and he got some Falafel and it was hilarious.

Let the Fallafel hit the floor.

Ridhima and the crazy cat dude!

Having fun at the table.

Attack of the zogglers.

Oh my god, what am i doing in Sweden?

 And this was Pleb. You can follow him in his own instagram page! He is so awesome and you can witness all of his greatness!

Nick Fury was outside.

So coming back in i saw a blonde angel next to the welcome desk, she started laughing at my ID photo. Her name is Vitalina from Russia and she is so funny and sweet. I invited her over to our table and we had a blast. We all stayed there until like 10pm and then two more girls i met and were about to adventurously shape my night dragged me to their house and then to Flogsta for a party in block 6, floor 4, apartment 4. Good stuff.

Oh don't we look extra cute together?

Here enters Nette from Finland and Lovisa from Sweden. Oh and their friend Leyla that works in a Greek restaurant that nobody speaks greek.

So we get bus 2, we go to Flogsta and we try to GPS our way to block 6. We got to number 15, we went through a fence, climber over some wood and a playground, Lovisa fell down, i powerlifted her up the fence, we made a circle and found our way with 2 asian people in the elevator. We pee'd in some unknown guy's toilet and we played a game i still don't get called "in my pants". We drunk crap and Cap Morgans, i lost the last bus and i was semi dizzy.

Amy's tongue win the day.

Raymon Nette and Lovisa.

So here i am dizzy with vomit coming through my throat, walking like a headless chicken down the road from Flogsta. It must have been like a 1 hour walk. The girls left me near the center and i went to the bus station. I just died there for a bit until i wanted to puke. Taxi's in front of me, the sound of their tired petrol engines echoing in my head like drums. So i went behind in the flowers and gave my best self. Don't go there.

I felt so heavy, my legs like a steel trap ready to swallow me in the endless abyss of the swedish night. It was so cold, i was tucked in my coat trying to breath heavily to exploit any inch of warmth i could get. I was hovering between a state of sleep and insomnia, trying to keep my eyes closed and waking up every 5 minutes watching the clock on my digital camera because i don't have a phone yet. Then an Indian dude came around at 3:30 and started playing Texas Hold'em.

I started to lose hope when i saw the time. The clock said 4:14. The bus was about to come. I felt a burning desire to get home. I knew i would make it. I felt the warmth of the bus penetrating my bones and my entire body. It was so good.

And then i overslept and lost the bus stop that i had to take. Cry me a river. But i told the driver and he was so kind that he let me get down in the middle of the street. Thank you strange guy. Tack.

When i walked through the door of my house, almost running with my last breath, i just crawled my way up the stairs in my cozy bed. And i died. The time was 5:02.

Learn from me. Don't lose your buses. Have a home. Have a bike. Have a phone.

Welcome in Uppsala.

Reasons to move to Sweden - why you should become a viking

Why should you move to Scandinavia, and in particular Sweden, off all countries in the world like the land of freedom and opportunity (USA you dummies)?

You can become a viking here and learn how to train your dragon, what's better than axes and beards, swinging hammers and worshiping Odin the All-father?

Ok....ehhh...No.

So, really, with all the myths and rumours that circulate, why would you want to live in a country that is so expensive, where everyone is blonde, 2 meters tall, taxes deduct 50% of your income, that has freezing winters with temperatures up to -30C, 9 months of total darkness and a few hours of daylight? Sounds like hell for a foreigner such as me, coming from a country with mild winters and really hot summers. Let's break it down a little then.

I actually hope that this post might convince some of you to move to Sweden!

1) It is NOT so cold. 

Ok this is the only drawback i can find and i thought i should mythbust this first. Sure it can get down to -30C if you live North, but souther the climate is milder, the temperatures can soar up to 25C during the summer. Summers can be incredible here. The sun has risen before you even wake up and will actually set after you have slept. So if you work or study you will have plenty of time to do any day activity you wouldn't be able to do in another country. And Sweden is a vast country that offers many alternatives, rowing, karting, skydiving, horse riding, check my previous posts!

Also, someone wise told me, it's not cold, you just have bad clothing ;)

2) At least 5 weeks PAID vacations for workers.

I don't think this needs a massive explanation, don't make me bring out Ms. Information again. For me that means that once i get a job after my MSc. i can travel around Europe again without stress. And these vacations are mandatory.

3) You have kids or plan to start a family? You hit the jackpot.

Are you working and have a new baby in the family? You get 480, yes 480 days of parental leave. For EACH child. I think you get around 80% of your salary on those days and according to this study it's one of the best places in the world to grow up. The top three countries are Scandinavian, with Sweden coming in at No. 2. Risk of maternal death over a lifetime is only 1 in 14,100, and gross national income is a whopping $53,150—maybe because all kids receive 16 years of formal schooling. Great.

4) Taxes are worth every penny.

Taxes in Sweden can amount for a substantial sum of your income, almost 50%. But for once it is actually money well spent! There is cheap health care for everyone (ie. dental care is free for under-18's), the infrastructure is great, as well as the public transport. Metro stations and buses cover wide areas in all time frames, making the use of a vehicle diminished. Everybody promotes the use of bikes, which leads on a healthier lifestyle.

Also don't forget that the salaries in Sweden are pretty high compared to other countries, so there is a higher quality/standard of living. Let's compare for a moment selling newspapers in the streets of Stockholm VS serving coffee for a whole day in Greece. 15 Euros/h vs 4 Euros/h. Even after tax it sounds fair huh? While not everyone is as rich as the owner of IKEA or H&M there is a bigger balance in the middle areas of the society and the government tries to eradicate poverty so everyone can have a chance.

There is tremendous help for people that are having a rough time or could be homeless, or unemployed (a really low % by Europe's standards). I would be happy to pay taxes if i have to if they offer me and the rest so much.

5) Education is great, universities are free.

Ok, universities since 2010-11 or so are not free for students outside the EU/EEA but there are scholarships for that that promote the cultural diversiveness in Swedish institutes. And they are very respected amongst the world, ranking steadily each year in the top 100.

No wonder people from the UK or even the USA move here more frequently. Instead of shelling out loans and graduate debt ridden with a mountain to climb they can focus more on their studies, or gain scholarships and grants/reliefs, to ease the pressure, as US universities can cost thousands of dollars each year.

If you are a EU/EEA member you can work/study for free here, only having to cover your living costs. I couldn't think of a better country to study. I would have given my left leg and my right arm to do my BSc here instead of my native Greece.

6) Gender Equity and class.

People dress well. Swedish women are beautiful. It's one of the few countries you can wear the side-perm and never be out of fashion. It's one of the most advanced countries for women, with them representing 44% of the parliament. Not bad ladies? I am a fan of equity and i dislike racism, so this gets a plus in my head. Along with the fact that there are no stray animals here. Like in Greece as well. Oh wait....

7) Low corruption and transparency.

From what i see the level of corruption is significantly lower than other countries, that reminds me not to talk about Greece's bright politicians again...Also watching the news, i hardly remember any war or conflict involving Scandinavia. Sure there are a few occasions let's not put everything in one basket, but still. If you want corruption go play a warlock in world of warcraft.

8) European Location, citizenship.

You are in the middle/north of Europe. You have access to every major country in a heartbeat. Be it Russia, Germany, UK, Italy. Just hop in a plane in Arlanda Airport and you are anywhere. You have/get EU citizenship? Fantastic. Now you can work in the European Union or live there with no need for a residense/work permit. For me this means that every month i could get 3 free days and visit someplace else. Travelling is my passion.

9) Clean, Green country.

Not much to say here. Everyone recycles, they don't litter, people are polite and they don't smoke where they are not supposed to (that's your face silly). Innovations happen for a sustainable environment. I remember my University recently asking for suggestions on how to become more sustainable and eco-friendly. And as i previously stated, everybody uses bikes. 

10) Incredible sights.

From the beauty of the Northern Lights to the little islands of Stockholm, to the vast mountains and staggering forests, this country will never cease to amaze you. I remember in my cover letter during my application here, i said i wanted to promote Sweden and become an ambassador for this country. I just can't wait to move there.

You should too! Consider it, leave me a comment, or simply add me in Facebook!

Happiness Is a Serious Problem

Thursday 3/4/2014

I read a post about human longevity and it gave me some serious food for thought. We live way more than our ancestors did, and way more than most people do in 3rd World countries, all that in anno 2014. Yet we have some serious issues.

One of them is the lack of happiness. I currently live in a country struck by the economic crisis, where unemployment and corruption flourish and there seemes to be no ray of light at the end of the tunnel. For the past 15-20 years i have had a tough time, especially during 2012-2013. But i never lost hope, nor the desire to regain my composure and chase my goals.

Plastic friends are everywhere, they only know how to have fun and drink, but once you ask them for help or to do something new, something interesting, they bail out and throw any kind of excuse right in your face.

"Hey Maria (random name), let's go horse riding this weekend."
"I can't Kostas, i have no money, work at uni/school"

Same night you can find Maria and co. at the local club dancing her ass off and throwing 20 euros per night.

Yet you witness them in the nightclubs and cafe's, where people are meant to socialize and actually have a good time:

1. Get smartphone out.
2. Check in location including all friends.
3. Write that you are having a blast.
4. Wear your fake smile and take selfies.
5. Sit in the corner like a statue.

Now that's what i call fun. Let's throw a picture for the sake of it.

Seriously?

Let's not talk about their attitude when you try to approach them, or the male orbiters that pray and eye-stalk every good looking woman in the place.

PS. Orbiter: A guy or group of guys that surrounds women with no purpose or use, he just exists. Also known as beta male or AFC (Average Frustrated Chump).

So how do we combat this plague?

Unless you are willing to make an actual effort and you are not just a man/woman of words but action you can turn your life into something purposeful, that fulfills you, brings you joy and overcomes your depression.

Notice when you want something really bad and you make it your goal to get it even if it sounded impossible for you at the moment? You need a DCA, a Definite Chief Aim to be able to achieve your goals. You need to know what you want, where you want to be and a plant to make it happen. Of course we are talking about realistic targets most of the time (Napoleon Hill, The law of success).

 

Not like this.

The same book covers some interesting topics, though his obsession with Henry Ford being the most powerfull human on Earth and the USA being the greatest country in the world (not objecting, it just gets repetitive). 

It also promotes self-talk and self-suggestion, which is a really powerful tool that we usually use wrongly. Instead of telling ourselves every morning that we are the best, that we are beautiful, that we can achieve our goals, we downgrade ourselves, and our self-esteem plummets to Hades. Employers talk a lot about powerful communication being a perk, they forget that it is not only important to be able to communicate with others, but also to have a discussion with yourself.

Do activities, embrace your fears, face them, travel, talk to strangers. I started volunteer work, helped animal shelters, started learning Russian, travelling etc.

I will get back to that later sometime, let's some things up:

• Get a Definite Chief Aim.
• Brainstorm plans to achieve your goal and work towards them.
• Engage in different activities.
• Talk yourself up (in your head, write it down etc)
• Self suggestion. Powerful tool, seriously use it.
• Leave your smartphones somewhere. Seriously.
• Have fun.

That's it for now, will post in a few days time, not sure if it will be about Sweden but i am doing a post (in the works) titled "A Fool with a Plan can Outsmart a Genious with No Plan"

Cheers, have a great night and remember to smile!