“Sweetie, your shorts are shrinking by the second.”

I have been sitting here in front of the screen for 2 hours. Scratching my head trying to find something worth writing.

Some of you anonymous people might still follow me and read what i write. I could complete the adventures of the kid. I could make fun of things and tell you about my lazy sundays playing Hearthstone or simply fooling around with Jaime and his incredible dad. I could write a new story or share what happened last new year. I could write more from my memoirs regarding my past love or the dreaded army days. Or i could actually do something useful and tell you which bus goes where in Uppsala, how much the fares cost or the prices for food. I could teach you chemistry, statistics or how to write a proper report and then present it without death by PowerPoint.

These things are all good but the things that bother me are 2.

I always ask for support, a share, a like, a comment on what to do, what to write, if i suck or not. The last comments i received helped me regain my grip on reality and were a strong smack in the face. I want that. I need that. I don't want to be stale. So please, any suggestions would be nice. Hell i can vlog you through Uppsala sometime with a goPro camera.

A few months ago i published 2 informational interviews with two incredible women. Women that make a difference daily and were so interested in sharing their information with people like us, aspiring young students, professionals, ambitious people or people that needed guidance and to light up their spark. The interviews of Sandie Will and Sara Dolatshahi.

I posted them up in facebook, stumbleupon, vkontakte, google+ and any place i could think of. Because i thought it was worth it. I got 0 comments, a couple of likes and a very warm reception from these two women. I thank them very much.

Yesterday i was browsing the facebook news. I saw a girl i did not know, probably around 15 dressed in the most disgusting, repulsive and sexist way in a playboy style pose. She was probably a friend of someone i knew and represented everything that is wrong in the modern society. Objectification of women and the need that is instilled to them by social pressure and the modern woman of the 00's that they have to wear as less as possible to be attractive. I bet she feels nice about herself. I don't care, it's good that she does, but do i have, no wait, do i want to see the butt-cheeks of a 15 year old on my wall? Because that's how short were her pants.

But that is not the case, it's her life and the freedom they have been granted by their parents. But noooo kind sir, not only i will dress like that, i will post it on facebook so everyone can tell me how pretty i am and i can feed my ego and raise my self esteem. What the fuck is wrong? Where did the strong, independent, intellectually stimulating women go?

The rant stops here and i will get to my main point. That photo had 352 likes. Another one of my friends drinking vodka and being "skål bitches" had 200. And it kept going like this. Maybe they had more friends who knows but these photos have become so generic yet people continue to like them. But when there is a text that has something actually interesting to read and learn, they don't care.

Last week on new year's i was in Flogsta after seeing the most depressing fireworks in the world with my friend Elizabeth. It reminded me why i don't go out in clubs or party like mad. It was disgusting, funny at times and worth making a documentary about. Maybe you blokes would like to see a video in action. A man approaches me tilting his head like he was seeing Joan D'arc and he kisses me on the chick, then his first line was:

"I'm bisexual, no homo" 

I am really irritated because he smells like vodka and his behavior is repulsive. So my reply was:

"If you touch me again i will snap your dick and shove it up your ass"

Can you guess what his reply was just as i was about to punch him on the throat and break his kneecaps?

"Ok i will not talk about politics i am sorry". Like, my tiny little nipples have went to France and i like to do the cha cha like a sissy girl. Then he jumped on top of an asian dude lying dead on the couch.

I could post pictures or videos of these crap and get 50-100 likes per photo.  I don't want to. I want to escape from this. No wonder i have nothing interesting to write about. And YOU are going to help me do it i hope. Suggest something to write about. Something about politics? Greece? Info on Uppsala life? Info on my shitty masters program? Or maybe you would like to know how my idiotic colleague sent a report with the phrase "very crash, a lot of sad".

Peace out, goodnight Sweden.

Sadly i had to eat Rudolf.

PS. Elizabeth, i am going to miss you. Kevlar, you too man.

While you sleep I am dreaming of you, can you feel me?

Riding back towards home like a forlorn figure in the dark forests of Uppsala various types of thoughts crept in.

It is not a good time to be in my shoes. It's been a hard week and it had just become harder. At least i was in auto pilot biking home with Marley my only company. He is making shrieking noises and it seems like he is slowly dying, sounds of pain and weather and smashing metal trading paint with the tiny slick wheel.

Before biking back i had a tiny moment of clarity and laughter, you know one of those moments that lift you, energize you and plant a devious smirk that lights your gloomy face.

Walking Marley from Carolina Rediviva until the Blasenhus area i was looking at the ground, thinking about the cosmos and my loneliness, if my russian princess is safe home and why did i bother to go out alone tonight.

And then i saw it.

Laying down in the ground, gloriously with it's wings spread like it wanted to fly in the skies of Uppsala. An extra absorbent sanitary napkin. It was new but apparently someone dropped it. Why? Why not i ask you. What a glorious moment to end this pathetic week in my swedish life.

Don't fool yourselves, we are just beginning, so get in the van.

Backtracking to Friday for a bit. I woke up with a massive headache, most likely caused by the stress and fright i had the previous night.

I woke up at 8:04 and took the bus towards town. I remember looking behind me to see if there is anyone following me, looking at people suspiciously and holding my key-chain in my hands. I was relieved to see i actually had some credit left in the bus card.

Stora Torget was empty as a ghost city, me lost in the mists of wilderness trying to ask around to find the police. Finally after around 10 minutes of walking 2 kind men helped me get there in the big building. I get inside and get a ticket for the line, number B318, that opens up immediately.

Funny how after the health system in Sweden i had to get acquainted with the justice system too in the span of two weeks. The lady in the information desk says the usual hej hej and i start explaining my situation. No need for details, i just follow her advice and try to calm myself down.

Then i move to SweBank to exchange my money from euros to crowns. My ticket says 202 and the line is at 176. So i casually sit there between some people and start playing some Rayman Jungle Run in the harder difficulty to kill some time. The man next to me smelled like too much cologne while the guys on my left were reading CCN Turk and laughing to some incomprehensible video.

Finally my turn comes after 45 minutes and i race to the lady there. She informs me that they don't handle cash, however she gives me information where to go to exchange money and what i require to open up a swedish bank account. Thank you young lady.

So i enter MAX across the street because i am stressed and hungry and in perfect swedish i order one triple cheese burger without pickles. I satisfy my gluttony walking towards the exchange place. It's actually called "Exchange".

My identity is useless, as i need a passport or a European style ID. Crap. I am almost out of swedish money so i have to find a solution. I get on the bus to get to the university. Boom, my bus card is devoid of credit. I apologize to the driver and he happily leaves me to the next bus stop. I walk my way to campus with aching feet and sore ankles trying to make it before 13:15 because i thought i have a lab.

I get there and i find my synthesis group team sitting there discussing about the project. I learn that the lab was at 9:15 and i inform them about my situation. I try to find the professor but she is absent, so i go to the program coordinator, Susanne. She gladly hears my problems and comforts me, thank you so much.

I sit with the others and i look like a ghost, tired and pale and wandering somewhere in the vast nothingness of space, drifting between reality and chaos. I try to get my composure back in the end and i promise to do my part in the project.

Cecilia shows up and she is going downtown to shop. Sara will follow her and this is my chance, so i pick them up and we walk their bikes to the Norrlands area where they lock them up. We discussed a lot and i heard them sing songs they forgot the lyrics and they had to improvise. It was cool :D

I went into the Stora Torget Pressbyran and recharged my bus card with 100 crowns (5 rides). We then entered H&M and the girls bought some gloves, stockings/socks while i was just looking around.

We leave and i ask them to do me a favor, exchange my money into crowns in the next alley. We happily go there and Sara says she is thinking of mugging me. Good friends everywhere!

I ride the bus back home and i immediately send a message to my russian angel. We are supposed to meet at 6:30 in Upplands Nation for some crazy coco jumbo juicy dj set. She tells me "see you son", a typo i found pretty funny.

With the little strength i have left i wear my contacts, they kill my eyes and it's like injecting thorns in my eyes. I wear my fancy shirt and shoes and my trusty coat. I Marley my way to Upplands in 19 minutes and I am there at 6:38.

I park the bike and she is nowhere to be seen. Classic but oh well. I sit on the stairs outside the nation pretending to be happy while people pass and go around me. I see a couple in the corner sharing a moment of tender passion. I miss it. I can hear laughter and discussions coming through the pale windows and the smell of dirty food coming from the kitchen.

20 minutes pass by and there she is. With that casual smile that can win you over in a single second. She washes my pain and fears away with one hug. Let the emotions out so i can breath. Apparently the DJ event starts at 21:00 so we make our way inside the nation. After a while we find a table and as usual it's occupied by two greeks. I leave the princess there and i go to order.

A thousand type of burgers in the menu. Some fake Greek ones too. Not my style. I talk to the guy in the line in front of me. Because i am bored. He seems bored too so he advises me to get the Texas Burger. We chat a bit and i tell him what i study, he tells me he studies languages and i order my burger and get a small cider to share with my sexy lady.

I rejoin the others and we have some greeklish laugh that entertains Vitalina. They have to leave however, but not before we crack some jokes about Kostas's hair who is longer than hers. The answer to "how did you grow them so long" was along the lines of:

"He went to heavy metal concerts"

or

"He put weights in his hair to make them grow"

So they leave and we get on our usual funny stuff. Baby I've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be. We have a blast, from the exploding boob lady that was studying drinking red wine on our left to the most unkissable guy in the world behind her. From the antisocial swedes that joined our table to the greek-italian people that joined us after and we shared a laughter. From how i want to embark into an adventure with her in Asia this december to the red tuxedo Mattias was wearing in a picture. We were actually pretty mean and imagined him being a gynecologist and being a "hugwhore". "Let me just hug your vagina!". Yea that sounds wrong.

At some point we hear thunderous noises and we witness an unreal downpour and lightning that lasted only a few minutes. My instinctual thought was to give her my scarf or my coat to protect her from the rain. We talk and talk and talk. Every joke, every look. Just wow. It's like creating a monster and she jumpstarts my heart quicker than a shock from the doctor when I'm not cooperating.

I tell her most of the stuff i want to in person, so she probably knows that i would follow her in the far sides of the world, in places unknown just to gaze in her sparkling eyes and her velvet skin. Just for a hug, let alone a kiss.

So it's getting late and i walk her home. We share our usual giggles outside the door and i get my classic hug. We'll get there princess right?

I Marley my way back to Varmlands, i call Anoud and Dimitris and only the latter is in V-dala pub. I make my way there where there are 3 more greeks, a guy from turkey that i can't remember his name, a 2.06 giant from Iran and later Simon and Nikolas join us.

In the meantime I feel sleepy, tired and bored. There is an international gasque (....) going on and the afterparty will be in this Nation's club. I grab a beer and look around. People dressed like vampires, clowns, baboons, ninjas. And the most boring girls next to us. God it was mind-boggling watching them, the most mind-numbing thing since the lobotomy.

I drink my beer and around 23:00 me Simon and Dimitris go in the queue where we stumble upon even more Greeks. Jesus tapdancing Christ. We sit in the queue while Simon works his way in the front talking to a girl with a hatchet for a nose and her friends, some cheesy american ladies that are visiting their exchange friends.

Oh and then. OHHH AND THEN. The most annoying thing since my army days showed up. A girl with asian features, a slutty posh attitude, a disturbing voice, no boobs and a personality to kill for. She came there every 2 f$#$@$ng minutes dancing her way around, gliding so bad like Superman in the Nintendo 64 game. I wanted to hit her in the head with a frying pan, gouge my own eyes out with a pitchfork while doing the windmill with the giant iranian guy body pumping next to me. I wanted to get my penis out before i chopped it off and hit her in the forehead to cause a concussion, if there was something left in there.

Oh wait, there is more. The drunkest guy in the universe shows up. Over 50, he looked like 88. Baggy jeans, some sort of sweater that read overdose and trembling feet. He was so wasted he could barely walk. He walked close to us and i started using the sign language and he nodded. He hugged Dimitris and i laughed so hard.

I called the Vakt (security) who started laughing but when i told him he is touching us he got him out of the line and asked him if he is a student. That was so funny i wish i took a picture. Then he tried to hug the Vakt and he pushed him and left towards the abyss. Probably to drink some more. If some car didn't crash into him since he was trying to walk in the middle of the street.

Oh look, we are inside! I can pay....AGAIN THE ANNOYING THING. "Oawwe i'll be upstairs dancing and fornicating and making my hair and screaming like a mongol Neanderthal".

I try to stay calm, i pay 60 crowns entry and i get a UV stamp in my hand. There is lizie and Spyros. And some other guys that apparently know who i am but i don't. I am either getting famous through this blog or my pictures or my social networking that my reputation precedes me. We leave our coats and guess who is in front of me in the queue. That's right. THE ANNOYING THING.

Composure Kostas. Gusframba. Yoda. Peace. We go up to the dance floor. We get some beers and we run around like morons. People dancing every single dance or wannabe dance that you can imagine. There is a karaoke room with horrible voices that smells like dead meat from the army of 1943.

We go to the main floor and we sit there in a corner while our friends dance while i take pictures and enjoy the show with Dimitris. I eventually end up walking around taking photos of turtles, ninja's, tuxedo's, penguins and every weird thing you can imagine. I meet Harmeet, Alice, Natalie, Danika (girl you are sexier by the day), Amy, Kevlar, Phoebe and of course....Kevin.

Photo by King Harmeet TM.

Even Alice behind him feels the macho heat <3. I move along and i find Despoina. She is with Patricia and two Indian friends, probably smashed as well. There was another girl that forgot to get dressed next to us. This smelled like entertainment so i stayed there until the end. I met Celine, who looked absolutely phenomenal in a black slick dress. I told her that.

Me, Celine pretty and ...someone i don't know :D

More photos and ridiculously dressed people doing the dancing monkey under the spell of booze and intoxication. Naked guys, sweaty guys, girls ready to be hunted down by the fashion police. I love this country. The diversity, the shock, the fun. Dig yourself a hole and plant yourself in it.

Watch him make those moves bro.

It's 2am and we have to wrap up the night. So i will close it with another amazing picture.

I like turtles.

I saw Carolyn who said hi, she was the prettiest girl in the room that night, i told her later but i also mentioned that she was smashed. It's ok. I apologized and probably will never talk to her again. I take Despoina home because I am a gentleman and we talk about my life, my friends and my russian princess.

I marley my way home, dead tired through the woods, witnessing more rabbits and local fauna as well as a couple of bikers. Took me 25 minutes from Despoina's house to get there. I was thinking about escaping in Asia with my angel and our Jack Russell dog.

I finally make it here, i check my messages and i kiss goodnight Amy. I have received a lovely message from princess saying that she had a great time. I am so happy i just hug the pillow like it was her and smile my way into dreams and passion and oblivious sleep. I saw the starts burning bright that day and a cheeky grin carved into my mouth. I was happy.

Next day i wake up at 10. Then at 12. Then at 13:00. Then at 14:36. Then i finally crawl out of bed around 15:26. God i am bored and tired. I want to go to Flustret today. But the age limit is over 25. Everyone is less than 23. Good job! So i write a nice russian message to my princess and wish her a safe trip. I pillage some more villages viking style in Clash of Clans and i listen to some music studying.

I call Despoina and she calls back. Harmeet with the most womanly voice possible tricks me into being bamboozled. They invite me into Upplands and i crawl my way there with Marley around 7:37.

I get inside, pay the 20 crowns and text my princess if she wants to come. She didn't. I go towards the upper floor, greet Kevlar and OH WAIT, THE ANNOYING THING. In my beer queue. I escape fast, grab a beer and join the others in the upper floor.

Harmeet, Despoina, Patricia, Orla, Cecilia and Laura are there. Huge tables, weirdly dressed people resembling (or trying to) the classic Oktoberfest spirit. Also Laura, just wow darling, even in photos she is the star of the show. Incredibly photogenic and beautiful. I was very happy to hear that her boyfriend visited her for a few days here.

After some bands that were choking the cat we all left. I raced past the annoying thing and went at Despoina's house so she could wear warmer clothes. We would go to Norrlands for a bit. I sit on the bench outside her apartment and i look at the block across. I can see a rapper guy and a big breasted lightly-dressed girl.

Despoina comes and we make our way to Norrlands pub. I order a lyx burger because I am an idiot and a coke. I can't eat all of it but when she is not snoring we have so much fun. We made scenarios of the people in the room, like the hedgehog guy behind that was in the band "the electrics", or the computer guy next to us and his bored girlfriend, the jealous friend and the psychologist friend that hates them.

We talk about people and relationships and that I am full of excitement when i talk about princess. But enough details, my fingers are starting to ache from the typing.

We go out, we check Marley and she walks home. I get in line for the Norrlands 04 event, that spans until 4am. I get one more stamp in my hand, pay the expensive entry, leave my coat in the coat room because apparently they are afraid of fire. I piss 30 thousand liters of beer and i go up.

New beer, new corner to sit. Where to begin? From the music? Bad mixes of macarena, YMCA, you make me wanna la-la, Gwen Stephanie. It was like a retro night. People had fun, danced a lot, actually smiled. I was watching them thinking about remembering every detail so i can write about it.

My ankle is sore and in pain, i can't dance and i sit there, cutting a frustrated figure, alone. The couple in front of me try to kiss, the girl burps on his face. They laugh, i laugh. I see Farah in the room. And a petite cute girl with curly hair alongside. She joins me. Hi Anoud! She wore a grey dress and looked elegant and pretty. She kept me company 2-3 times and even tried to make me dance and happy. Thank you for that sweetie.

Time flied by, not by much. I caught myself thinking about V and how is she. And how much i like her. I went a round in the dance floors. It smelled like a liquid fart. People were dancing inside that ring of liquid poo it was disgusting. That was my wake up call so i said goodbye and went to get marley.

Which brings me to this stage right now. Man that is a long post. Congratulations if you managed to read all of it. Share the love and give me a comment, add me on facebook, send me a nice message. A horrible one, whatever. I am tired, it's 6:31am.

Goodnight Sweden!

A blurry Harmeet selfie is mandatory!

Go go power rangers

Tuesday 2 September 2014

Leaving the classroom with a smile on my face like i was on magic mushrooms i stood there in the university yard and gazed upon hundreds of students casually sitting on the grass, reading, playing, having fun and listening to crap pop music. It was a joy to behold, like the day today. The sun rays pierced the clouds and reached within my very soul.

Almost 4 hours of lectures had passed, hearing about the solar system, cosmic rays, water and icebergs. I had studied so hard before i knew all the material. I remember the teacher asking a question that i already knew the answer and raised my hand. She gave me a cheeky smile and winked at me. I lowered my hand in satisfaction.

Just outside campus.

I took some pictures and listened to some music passing by the 1477 campus and library as well as the fantastic botanical garden. I don't recall seeing such beauty condensed in such a majestic city.

It's all lighted during the night. Breathtaking.

I walk towards town. Crap my temporary id expired. No cheap norrlands beer for me. Oh wait, the register office is closed too. Back on my way.

In Max's. Let's eat crap because i am bored. I am supposed to call someone at 6 to set up a meeting and it's still only 5:30. I watch outside the window and see weird people dressed in all kinds of uniforms. When you see a woman dressed as Pocahontas taking pictures of girls dressed as some sort of B-movie superheroes while a group of people passes by with plastic garbage bags for outfits you know something is really wrong. Or amazing. Or Swedish.

Go go power rangers.

I go outside the Norrlands building and sit. I learn from my sis that my mom is in the hospital. I feel depressed. She is not responding to my calls and i just sit there for 3 hours. I doubt many guys would sit 3 hours waiting for someone. I am very proud of my self.

There and back again...

I talk with my new bestie a bit and i head for the bus station. I get in the bus and she keeps me company while i head in the house. The landlord is 70 years old doing yoga. Fun times.

I go up in my room and have a discussion with the person i was supposed to meet. It did not go so well, she thought i was angry. I am not angry. A bit let down but angry? Nahhhh. I eat half a kg of yogurt. I shower. I need to study and sleep.

Goodnight Sweden

PS. If you follow this blog, if you stumble upon it, if you actually like what i write and managed to read through all this crap, send me a message in Facebook or leave me a comment here. I don't care from where you are, i don't care if i know you. Send me a hug or a kiss or a smilie and show me that you care and that you believe in human relations.

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!

My harajuku moment - Acting beats wishing.

Have you had your Harajuku moment?

Today i started a poll in my facebook page to find out new topics worth researching (gah 4 months left to move to sweden). I got a few interesting ideas, including euthanasia, animal abuse, manga comics, true and fake love, even men wearing women's lingerie (wtf mageira?). Right.

Not my idea of blogging topics.

Of course not many replied, as they are more busy posting silly pictures or status's about their crusade to find true love, only to love someone else next week. Though everything connects right? Like the topic suggested by some was everpresent in the news feed.

I will cover these in a future post but i will partly fulfill a promise i gave to a wonderful young lady i met recently.

Lady Tatev on the left is not just stunning, she is also interesting, smart and warm, a quality many women lack lately. Знаешь, я часто думаю о тебе :)

Let's get down to business before i fall asleep.

I was reading a book today about self-improvement and fat loss called The 4-Hour Body. It was well written and had some interesting stuff, but one section early on caught my attention. It was called the Harajuku moment. Simply put, it is having an epiphany about something and actually Doing something to achieve it, as only wishing it or wanting it will not make it a reality. Sounds like having a DCA (definite chief aim), as i wrote in a previous article huh? The chapter follows the story of Chad Fowler, giving birth to the phrase.

I have had many of those moments, but i rarely took action to make it happen. I was not strong enough mentally or i never wanted something so much to put the effort. But when i did, i aced it. Being a perfectionist is a weird perk for me.

My defining moment though was my former girlfriend and my only true love so far. After breaking up with her after almost 5 years during my army enlistment, i went through a really dark period in my life. One day i was handling the call center in the army camp and i had some sort of vision, being half dead from only 1 hour of sleep the previous day due to training excercises. She supposedly called me and told me:

"You will be a slave to society, left unemployed in this country, be miserable and with no friends and you will never get over me".

I was slapped in the face. Not because i was afraid that would happen, but partly because it already had. Chills went up my spine, that paved the way for what followed. I said "That's enough, time for action!". I carefully constructed a plan to make my heroic escape from the abyss i was plunged into.

1. Research and find a country that embraces young minds, respects people, builds the foundation for success.
2. Finish the current task at hand with a presence of mind. That was the army obligation.
3. Do any kind of work in order to support myself in that country. Work like a dog if needed.
4. Become super social, destroy approach anxiety.
5. Make things happen. Apply for university with a strong belief that i will get accepted.
6. Prepare mentally and become a better person in the process. 

That was the blueprint. And i wanted it so bad that it worked. I chose Sweden, a country that covers every single of my demands and way more. I made an application and got accepted in the prestigious Uppsala University. I embraced my fear of approach and strangers and now i met my best friends through random social gatherings. I thank them for their support. Instead of plummeting to the depths of depression, i used that vision to overcome my fears, relax and finish the army. And lastly, i learned how important it is to offer selflessly volunteer work to protect animals and special needs kids. Life lesson i tell you.

You can do it too. Do not hear other people's opinions. There is no failure, just temporary defeat. Accepting that will get you far. Set up some goals this year, try to achieve them step by step. You CAN do it.

We can do it!

Lastly, by all means, never EVER hear what other people have to say about what you want to do (obviously except if it's downright stupid/dangerous etc.). Your close people should be happy that you want to make a difference for yourself and make things happen, not bash you and degrade you. If they do that, then....sorry you need better friends. Remember i have said it many times, life is not a sprint, it's a marathon!

Goodnight for now, think twice when you have your next Harajuku moment ;)