Lights, camera, action - A night in Stockholm's finest

Hej hej!

It is your weekly dose of entertainment from Stockholm city!

But what happened during a very eventful Friday night and a lovely Saturday morning? Strap your seat-belts and prepare for a lot of satire and my amazing descriptions.

Being alone in a big city is a daunting thing. But one thing is for sure. I was not going to stay inside on a Friday night. So I wore my best smile, my best shirt, my best shoes and my best pants and managed to at least look like a very expensive waiter. I also managed to destroy my glasses somehow, but that's another story.

I had been in contact with Eleonor, a girl I met during this year's World Water Week. She has been really kind to me and I am very grateful. She told me that she might go out with friends and if they continue later I could join them. Well, I had heard that before so instead of waiting I decided to go ahead and visit The Soap Bar, a place I had been there before with my friend Silvia who used to work there.

The night was eventful before I even got to the bar. Around Ostermalmstorg in the metro station a bald guy was painting with a marker the walls and the escalators. I informed the security and they took him down. I continued my way into familiar territory as I stood outside the small line. The bouncer asked for my ID and then I went to pick up a small beer for 65 SEK. Not bad for Stockholm standards.

Then the fun began. Around 22:30 the bar was sort of full, but the real crowd began to arrive around 23-23:30. It was absolutely packed with people of all origins, backgrounds, dresscodes and behavior. There were 4 people (2 men and 2 women) that were in their 40's, looking like they were working all week non-stop and this was their only night out and chance to blow off some steam. They were dancing like crazy non-stop and it was a joy to behold, because they were genuinely having a good time. Then there were these barbie-like type of girls that did not stop taking selfies while the weird awkward guy next to them was actually catching Pokemon in the bar.

I was sitting in a dark corner enjoying my beer and gazing everyone with my watchful eye and mysterious grin. Then 3 men of Asian origin arrived and sat next to me. One looked like Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid and was like the quiet teacher.

The other one looked like a person from the TV series "Heroes" and the last one looked like...ehmm someone who was looking at the flowers of Robert Marplethorpe. The best thing was that all three of them were having the exact same pose, exact same beer and were bobbing their head like on Jim Carrey's Saturday Night Live spoof Night at the Roxbury (youtube that, it's  hilarious).

There was also a couple of guys that looked like Don Diego De la Vega from Zorro but with a hilarious mustache which i found very entertaining to watch. But nop, the star of the show was about to arrive.

Two blonde bombshells around 1.90 arrived and sat in close proximity. On of them was very slim, the other one was more curvy. But definitely very good looking women. So here comes this guy, no taller than 1.50 that approaches them, starts talking and waving his hands and making some dance moves straight from an LSD panorama. He actually entertained them a bit and the curvy girl actually gave him her phone (though from their signs of panic and body language, she gave him a fake). Best part was when shorty (lets call him that) actually lifted her from the waist and the poor girl left a shriek of horror.

At that point it was getting late and I would go home soon but until then I decided it was my mission to follow that guy and see what he is up to. Turns out he went outside the bar and starting talking to every woman on proximity. It was like 1.67 women/minute like an automatic machine gun. He lifted a few more up and then he went into the crowd where I lost him. Because he was too short to see. But I did manage to tell him that he is a hero and give him a brofist. Whoo-hoo!

In the meantime Eleonor called me and told me they are in Hornstull with 3 friends. I went there to meet them in a nice bar that reminded me of Greece a bit. We sat down, had some beers, enjoyed the super large queue to the bathroom and endured 2 hours of Americans hitting on my friends. In the end a tall guy from their group went behind to some really cute DTF girls and started talking to them. A blonde and a brunette. He talked to the brunette. The blonde told me that her friend desperately needs sex and she should go home with the dude. But the dude wanted the blonde. And I told the brunette. Who in turn told me that her blonde friend desperately needs sex. Still following? Well I said goodnight and they were a bit angry. It was like soap opera. I loved every minute of it.

Today I woke up really tired after returning at 4:32 am and went in the city with my new pal Victoria. We had this super awesome walk in town at the city hall where a guy dove into the water and pushed his own dog in there to swim with him. We came back and walked around Huvudsta where we played with the goats and horses before returning home. I think I am a bit tired so it is time to nap my friends!

So, chins up and remember to smile!

Kostas almighty - Smite me almighty smiter!

If you are a movie enthusiast like me, you must have seen Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey. Especially if you like silly humor like I do (ohhh, quelle surprise Kostas!). To keep it short, it's a movie where Jim Carrey is your everyday unlucky man trying to have a better life than he is allowed to. He thinks god is behind all of his bad luck and challenges him, ending up becoming god for a week and making his girlfriend's boobs bigger and reaping chaos and destruction in the city. I love this film. It is hilarious.

So why did I bring this up? Well, in the movie, Bruce (Jim Carrey) just CANNOT GET A BREAK. Literally. Water falls on him, he gets the worst reporter assignments, his own car is against him, his dog pees everywhere in the house. I feel him. I feel for Bruce. Because in 2016, I am Bruce. Yesterday we had one of the worst flood disasters in my hometown of Kalamata. People died, properties were completely destroyed and flooded. Let's take a look where nature decided to park my car.

Now that's what I call parking skills.

But then again, in the end everything started going better for him.

Moral of the story: There is always something that will go wrong in our lives and most likely it will be a chain of events, making you want to gouge your eyes out with a pitchfork. However, a problem always makes you work and look for a solution. Everything will get better eventually. Just do not lose hope.

So yesterday I visited the beautiful Stockholm University campus in Frescati. Amazing landscape, full of green, sunny and with hundreds of people suntanning or eating lunch. It was a great experience. I met my two new partners in crime, Imenne and Reyesssss for lunch and we had some nice discussions about life and how unemployed we are. I shared more ridiculous life stories from my past and Imenne laughed and laughed and laughed at me. I am starting to feel like a live meme here. But it is alright, because that is how I deal with those things, I laugh them away. And those two girls remind me of that. Thanksssss.

I finally sorted my taxes, my house and my SFI lessons so everything has started to pick up pace. I am still a professional dog walker, but we will figure that one out eventually too. How about you? How was your week? Did your own car decide to be a squirrel too? Leave a comment and lets laugh about it together.

The next step is to redesign my CV. I mean it is pretty good because I am super awesome and modest, however it needs to be cleaner and shorter and I have some ideas about it. I have shortlisted where I want to work and I will make it happen. That's the spirit Kostas!

Ehm...that's what I felt like sharing while making a greek salad with a lot of feta cheese and way too much olive oil. I deserve it. See you soon? Maybe.

Bye bye! Kiss the week away!

Something's brewing in Solna

Handsome, smart, philanthropist, animal lover, 2 university degrees, 6 languages and a whole lot of modesty (or maybe lack of) and here I am living the dream. Professional dog walker. You can call me dagmatte, or hundvakt. Could be worse. I could be a kattvakt and watch over cats so they don't claw grandma's painting or scratch her favorite wooden chair. But it is what we have right now and that is better than nothing. Because 0+0 = 0 and 1+0 = 1.

Now that I got this out of my system, there are some changes around here. First of all the name of all this. Who was I kidding? The voice of Uppsala? I ended up more at home or in the university rather than outside. That was mostly because of economic constraints and because of my crescendo with the girl in the yellow dress.

Then again, pursuit of happiness was an equally awkward choice. While everything started well I ended up battling demons left and right, having cliffs behind me and steel trap doors in the front. Add to that burdened by choices i made (or i did not make) and next thing I know I was rambling about sadness, sorrow and depression. Boo-hoo cry me a river Kostas.

So sticking with the basics. Almost Swedish. Because for the love of baby Jesus I will never be 100% Swedish. Let's do a quick countdown:

1. I talk too much
2. I talk too loud
3. I talk to strangers
4. I laugh with things that I shouldn't
5. I don't like Salmiaki or licorice (a touch of Finland anyone?)
6. I don't like meatballs

You get the idea. Then again, there are a few things that I love here. Well, more than a few:

1. I don't mind the cold
2. I don't mind the darkness
3. Lovely, helpful, reserved people everywhere
4. Nature everywhere
5. Dogs, cats, horses in the city
6. Nightlife
7. Day-life
8. Incredible sceneries and sightseeings 

I also moved from Uppsala to Stockholm. I had enough of that city. But I am not running away. Because no matter how fast you can run, there are a few things you cannot outrun. More specifically i moved in Solna. The most beautiful place in Stockholm city. A place that blends the city with the forest and the sea. A magical area with grass everywhere, dog parks, infrastructure, horse stables and the most incredible sights along the river.

This is not a comeback. I never left. But it is not also a promise for more writing. My way is to sometimes express myself through words, because words can carry powerful emotions too. And I will support her and her choices because I am there until the end of the line.

With that said, I am once more the heartbeat of a true soul.

My life in Huvudsta...

The Water Diaries || Part 2 - Oceanborn

I speak a lot about water in this recent resurrection of this blog. But why?

Water is the foundation of life. The entire planet is covered in water, water flows under the surface, hidden from plain eyes. Our bodies are made of around 70% water. It is essential to our well-being and sustenance, but lately all we do is diminish our fresh water resources and mismanage it. Some say a World War III will happen for water and in the current state of things it does not look highly unlikely.

Therefore, drinking water is beneficial. It regulates our body temperature, keeps us hydrated, removes toxicity and wastes from our bodies. We shower to keep clean, we swim to relieve stress, enjoy the aesthetic pleasures of life and nobody can deny the wonderful feeling of drinking cold water after a hot, thirsty day.

Water also has a darker, mysterious, unknown side. Too much water can be fatal due to over-hydration. A moment of negligence and you can drown in the sea, or even in the comfort of your own shower. Dangerous predators roam the waters and many people are afraid to swim in the night. Tsunamis, flash floods, hail, can cause extreme amounts of pain, damage, death and destruction.

These qualities and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sides of water have led me to specialize in hydrology, being fascinated by the possibilities, simulating events that happened aeons, thousands of years ago, predicting the future, making the world better, reducing hazards and regulating flows.

This importance of water extends to our dream world. This fascinating, never ending, beautiful and mysterious realm that most of us enter during our sleep. If you are lucky like me, you have re-occurring dreams, lucid, real dreams where you enter a new world, you know that you are dreaming and can wake up on command. So many times i have found myself remembering in a tight situation saying "I know this is a dream. I will wake up".

Water can be related to many things. Many things that usually occupy our subconscious. It can be a religious or spiritual feeling, it can be a cathartic experience, it can be a question of values or overcoming an obstacle, it can be the different influences in your life, it can be love, hate, passion, peace or the weight of the world. You could sum up by saying that water represents your emotional state. Today i will write about one setting, one location and continue in another article.

The meaning of water can vary. It depends on many things, like form or location. Different people experience it differently. But there are a few distinctive features that impact our attempt at explaining these water dreams:

• Motion: Fast, slow flow? Still waters? Spinning whirlpools? Everything has a different meaning.
• Clarity and cleanliness: Water can be muddy, crystal clear, deep blue, gashing red or even polluted.
• Location: Are you swimming in a pool? A sea? Are you alone? What is the setting?
• Setting: Is it raining? Maybe there is a storm above you. Maybe the storm is coming. Maybe it is the most peaceful place you have ever been.

Dreaming oceans: Delve into the unknown

Oceans are mysterious, interesting places. It is known that if you are left stranded in the ocean your survival chances are really slim. It can be a vast, terrifying experience. The thing about oceans is that they are so big, so limitless, you cannot see the end of them. Therefore, an ocean can feel overwhelming, a sea of emotions or a passage through unknown parts of life. It could be a recent experience that has left you there and  you need to find your way out. Not by fighting, because it will consume your strength faster, but calmly, accepting, analyzing.

The relationship with oceans does not have to be a negative one. When you think of an ocean your mind immediately can go to tranquility, peace, the passion of the waves and tropical islands. If you are traversing through the ocean in peace, there are no waves and storms, maybe you are just flowing through life accepting it, appreciating things, going with the flow. It might be that you are seeking solitude and the only thing you want is the crisp waters that surround you with nothing else in sight. It might be a time for peace or a bit of personal space.

The ocean is a deep place and you might be digging deep into your own unconscious emotions or areas you had no idea existed in your personality. You need an open heart and courage.

Do not fear the ocean, but be weary of it. For i am also, oceanborn.

The Water Diaries || Part 1

Today the sweetest woman i have ever met told me that my soul is beautiful and pure. She also told me that love is always in the corner and it takes two people to make it. Those were the last words before i went into my daily short water slumber.

Once more, for 10 minutes i became shapeless and i started flowing around in space and time, built by my imagination. This was a different dream than yesterday's dream though. This time i was looking at myself mostly through third person when i shapeshifted to my human form. Because i may be formless and shapeless, but when i want i can turn into anything.

This time i pictured a beach. The sea was silky smooth and crystal clear. It had no waves. The beach was sandy, with tiny little golden particles of sand covering the entire surface and from time to time a beautiful seashell showing its tiny little head.

At the end of the beach there were rocks and cliffs. Rather steep ones that would make for a nasty fall. A blurry figure was on the top and could barely be seen in the horizon blue. The waves were crashing down the rocks, eating them slowly like rust eats metal. It was a stark contrast compared to the silky quiet sea of serendipity. The figure looked beaten by weather, tired.

The sun was slowly setting and was being eaten by the sea in the horizon. It was slowly turning into this beautiful crimson red color, almost turning into gashing red, like blood freshly exiting a wound. It looked painful but beautiful in the same time. This kind of pain that you can only appreciate.

But were was i until that point? It was not obvious but then i understood. I was everything. I was the sea, i was the water and then slowly, particle by particle i formed my body and soul, just gliding and hovering on the calm, majestic waters. I was looking at me from a panoramic view. Almost like looking into a crystal bowl and my own self was waving at me with a beaming smile. Waving for me to go there. I was peace itself.

As my hand reached to the scene, the water turned into a giant whirlpool. Α Charibdys. I was spinning and spinning in this watery tornado getting sucked into the deep blue sea. A picture of the girl with the flowerband and the yellow dress appeared close and i was in first person, trying desperately to reach it. In the end i accepted my fate and let go, slowly drowning.

As soon i accepted what looked like my premature end, i was in the shower. The water was cold at first, like the deep blue sea, but then changed into a warming gentle breeze. That kind of breeze that falls onto your shoulders and washes away all your problems from top to bottom. And then the water stopped. And i heard myself telling me "It is time to wake up Kostas". And i woke up.

I was peace. I was tranquility. I was serenity.

Do you have any water dreams? Do you ever wonder what they mean? Join me in the next part to find out soon. You can send your comments here or your stories in methanol1988@gmail.com

Live and let die

I have come to realize a thing today that i have been laying in bed. I spent my nights being tortured by nightmares, feeling constricted by my past, future and even present sometimes. But even for a moment, this moment i am writing this, i feel serene.

I was there lying on my stomach, eyes closed after reading an email that made a beeping sound on my phone at 16:12 pm. I simply closed my eyes and tried to isolate my thoughts finally. I was formless, shapeless. I was water flowing through life. And when i entered something i took its shape, i took its form, i took its feelings, its state. So when i entered something that caused pain, it caused me pain as well. But when i started to flow once more outside the item or person i glided again into the unknown.

In the beginning i saw myself entering a bottle. The bottle was small, like a bottle of water. I pictured it a bit like my life right now. Constricted and trapped in emotions and situations. At points i changed phase and instead of the water itself, i saw myself in first person drowning in that small plastic thing.

Shortly after, a bullet came out of nowhere and the bottle exploded, releasing the water in every direction. I felt free for that moment once more, then i became the bullet. I did not travel far, but when i stopped i exploded like a firework and the dust dissipated on the fictional ground.

I thought i would stay there forever, stale and immovable. But then again the water came out of nowhere and became one with me, became me once more. We kept going and going, taking the shape of the ground, overcoming every obstacle.

We hit a giant wall. There seemed to be no way forward. It was a giant concrete wall, like the Berlin Wall. And there when all hope seemed lost and my journey looked to reach an end as the water furiously hit the wall in anger, a small crack began to show.

Water can eat rock, it can find its way through everything given enough time. I pushed and pushed and finally more came out the other way. In the end, i appeared in third person wielding a giant hammer and i gave the wall a titanic strike in slow motion, tearing it down in one go. Myself looked at me and smiled. I smiled at me with that genuine loving smile i am known for after such a long time.

The journey continued. I glided more and more. There was a heart-shaped object. It was full of dust and ashes. But i took the shape of a heart and water cleaned everything. I started beating again, because i am the heartbeat of a true heart. And if i am grateful for someone that knows who she is, is that i learned that i am special and that i can be loved and that i have something worth loving.

After restoring the heart i left again. I saw three figures. The first one was pale and cold and did not even wave goodbye. I smiled and she dissipated in the background like the shifting sands. The second one had a yellowish dress, a midsommar flower headband that is traditional in Sweden. I smiled at her as well and let myself go down the road once more, flowing, sensing. The last one was accompanied by a dog, a dog very familiar to me, my own Flicka. I smiled at her as well and she blurred out slowly.

When all of these shapes were gone i was alone. The journey was not over, it was actually about to begin. I was still water and at least for this brief moment of writing i can see with clarity and wisdom what lies ahead. But no matter what lies ahead, i will take its shape. And when i feel like i am drowning i will flow once more. Just like water does.

I opened my eyes. It was just 16:23 pm.

This is my story

A lot of things have happened since the last post in December. I live in Finland now until June. I am halfway through my thesis. I spend too many hours in the house watching Twitch and playing silly video games.

I have been writing a book. It may or may not be released ever. It is based on a true story. As i try to banish these thoughts from my head making it a daily struggle i thought i could write a bit here, a few fragments and share with whomever happens to be around. A message to everyone: Even though a choice comes back to haunt you and your dreams, do not regret it. It happened for a reason. Everything happens for a reason. So without much introduction, here's a section based on a true story. If people like it, i will share more. Enjoy.

"She promised me we would wake up at 4:21 to catch the bus around 5 am. We both set our alarms around that hour and we kept talking and hugging until time passed and it was over midnight. I told her to save her strength and take a short nap as I was anxious and could not sleep, fearing of not waking up. I watcher her sleep and I decided to lie next to her, smelling her hair and neck, trying to absorb that smell and keep it forever with me.

Eventually I fell asleep. A few hours passed and I woke up by sheer luck around 4:40. In the beginning I was happy. We were sleeping together, holding hands, like inseparable partners. It was the second time I had that feeling i felt in October 21st, that it was here that I belong. Then happiness gave way to panic as I saw the time and woke her up. She panicked too and we started looking for alternatives. It was not easy moving around the deep snow with 5 bags weighting so much. I watched her dress, I watched her care, I watched her have a deep sorrow in her eyes.

We found out a time that we could barely scrape it to the bus and the train at 5:26. We dragged my bags through the snow for 15 minutes in a massive struggle towards the bus stop in Flogstavagen. She was powering forward without stop, determined and strong. If only she knew how much i admired her. Once we reached the bus stop we waited there, it was cold. It took 10 minutes for the bus to arrive and we hopped on in the middle, tethering the luggage with a belt and sitting together on top of them.

When we finally made it to the train station we run with as much strength we had left to catch the train. It was leaving in 3, 2, 1 minute. But when we went to the platform there was no train. It was Sunday and the next train left in 30 minutes at 5:56. I would barely make it to the ship. I sat there with a big void in my eyes while she comforted me. I was about to leave her forever and she was still strong for me.

The train came. We sat side by side and I held her hand strongly while caressing her hand with my fingers. She was wearing the ring i gave her underneath her gloves. A ring that i carried through my entire life since 1998 and I will never see it again. Nor I will see her. The only thing she didn't know was that I had another ring with me. I ring I planned to give her in June 3rd, right after my thesis presentation. It was a vows ring that had a name engraved on it "Νικη Μανδηλαρη Σαρρη". It was the only thing that kept me going.

We once more raced through the train platforms of Stockholm towards the taxis. There was no traffic so there was a glimmer of hope of making it there with the ship leaving at 7:45. It would be close. The taxi driver asked some questions and when we said we are from Greece he began talking in broken Greek as well. He was an expat from the Middle East that loved Greece for his holiday destination. He took us as fast as possible to the ship docks. My heart was racing.

I bought a ticket and was ready to go through the passageway alone to the ship. I don't know how i found the strength to carry 5 bags. I said a quick goodbye to her and a kiss and run and run and run. Bags were falling, but i kept going. And then i reached the entrance of the ship. It would leave in 5 minutes. I stood there watching as the steward urged me to enter the ship or risk missing it.

I turned back and run to the lobby. She called me to see if I made it. I lied and said that the ship left early. It was all a big lie. It was a lie because I missed the ship on purpose so I got to spend another day with her. I could see the small happiness within the sorrow in her eyes. We would spend 12 hours wandering in Stockholm together. I held her hand once more with pride and squeezed it as much as I could as we walked our way towards Gamla Stan to find a coffee shop to sit and relax. I stopped and looked at the purple sky of Stockholm admiring its beauty. I told her "This is not how I expected us to see Stockholm together, but it is so beautiful".

We walked  towards the center and sat down in a shop called Espresso House. It was the dirtiest coffee shop we had ever seen. We took some juice and bread and we sat on the couch removing our shoes. We cuddled as I held her hand and legs. That is how that day started, a day of happiness, love, sorrow and pain."

We don't talk anymore as she blocked me from her life. She doesn't know everything and probably doesn't want to anymore. She is having a good life. I am happy for her. The sun is burning bright in Turku right now. And so is my passion. I hoped you like my story. I will close out with a song. A song I have handwritten among other things and wanted to mail it to her for her birthday in September 4th. Do you think I should, or should I let her walk her own path?

Song by Dido - White Flag

I know you think that I shouldn't still love you,
Or tell you that.
But if I didn't say it, well I'd still have felt it
where's the sense in that?

I promise I'm not trying to make your life harder
Or return to where we were

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I know I left too much mess and
destruction to come back again
And I caused nothing but trouble
I understand if you can't talk to me again
And if you live by the rules of "it's over"
then I'm sure that that makes sense

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

And when we meet
Which I'm sure we will
All that was there
Will be there still
I'll let it pass
And hold my tongue
And you will think
That I've moved on....

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be

Θα σε αγαπώ μέχρι να κλείσω τα μάτια μου. Είχες δίκιο, διάλεξα να μείνω μακριά σου. Είχες δίκιο, μου δώθηκαν άπειρες ευκαιρίες.  Αν το διαβάσεις αυτό ποτέ, θα σε αγαπώ όσο καμία. Δεν ήσουν ποτέ δεύτερη. Ήσουν η Νίκη της καρδιάς μου και ήθελα θέλω να γίνεις η Νίκη της ζωής μου.