...while taking breath/break...

I feel like an application/report machine. Have written/read/corrected 2 EU reports + 3 EU applications in 3 weeks (including Easter holidays and some day off). Those who have seen those form will understand =) Besides that I have dealt with other things such Active seminars, emails, Transit etc. I feel little bit proud of myself =) but there are still some applications left and people count on my help so I will not spent lots of time being satisfied but will better go and read/correct some more because the 1st of April (deadline) is closing up.

Strange feeling..

Someone locked me in the office today, which of course caused alarm when I moved from my chair and wanted to go home. It felt very strange to realize that someone had forgotten me... But yes..it is not that tragical =)

That also made me think. Some of my friends might think I forgot them. I have to admit my activity online has decreased rapldly. The reason is that I realized it is not very healthy to sit in front of the pc so many hours as I do. Moreover when I am online at work - my attention is divided among 5 organisations, 5 other individuals talking to me and the volunteers of course. I feel a bit washed out when I am closing pc in the office. So I go and play handball in the afternoons/evenings. Handball was smth that has kept me pretty busy recently. And it will keep me busy in the future since our team is aiming on higher division =) Feels good =)

So yes - friends. You are not forgotten. I just remembered my health =) And I will also find my way back to you.

Conflicts solution..

I have just seen some press pictures from Kosovo. People fighting, cars burning.. I have seen such before but I can not get used to that. And I can not understand that. People killing each other because of different perspectives and understandings. If I could I would like to travel back in time to the beginning. To the real beginning where a conflict was solved by violance. I would bring a chess with me and they would play. Then they would have to use a musical instrument to play some melody, they would have to paint and they would have to run 400 m sprint. Each cathegory would be evaluated. The winner takes it all.

Weekend means...

Weekend weekend..I had a free weekend. That meant plans and changing of plans according to my current mood =) That meant a new bike and biking to a place I had never been to. I liked exploring new part of the town I have lived in for some time already. Weekend meant also walking Dante and letting him to take his time to play and not want to go home. Weekend meant visiting friends, going to handball and football, cooking (!!!) food, watching TV, planning NOM congress with Saska (I laugh with her a lot. "R u really discussing or r u reading jokes for each other" was Maik´s comment when he heard me talking to her), cutting Dante´s hair (3 hours job), cleaning the apartment.

Tomorrow I am expecting a parcel from Amazon =)

And btw.. now I know what "beef" means in rap langauge =)

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Cigarette smell could be cut in the room full of approximately 20 people. I do not like such smell. I usually keep distance from people smelling cigarettes. I am in general very sensitive to different smells (nice and bad ones).
But in this case I sat in the room and had nice time. Later I stood in front of the people and enjoyed. UNF, NSF, Junis and Active were invited to talk about our activities. I talked about Active and I also as a strawberry on the top added some info about IOGT International and NORDGU eventhough I was not asked to do that ;-)
It was meeting of local IOGT-NTO group. One could see that many of those who were present had some alcohol history, reached the bottom already and were on the way up. And I felt incredible respect for them. And I also felt that I was respected. I could see in the faces that they appreciated what Active is doing. Their faces showed that their were really persent during the presentations, they were happy, they were curious and wanted to know more. And they had fun.
When I was walking home afterwards  - the feeling of respect for them was literally carrying me through town.


NORDGU office

This is how it looks like right now. Stina working on Tool-kit and Callender at the same time. High-tech data centre =)


Proud

I am very proud of my boyfriend who finally got into the secrets of T9 and appreciates that wonderful function =)

Why why why?

Why would I write some project and do other usefull stuff if I can "argue" with the printing machine instead?

AC meeting

Sittin in the train, connected to internet (vivat SJ), satisfied after the IOGT International AC meeting. We managed the whole agenda for the meeting, we got updated on last happenings in alcohol policy, we discussed an international conference in Malaysia in december 2008, we decided about some representations at some congresses. I am impressed by enthusiasm and commitment, by knowledge and networking skills, by skill to see a bigger picture and have a longer time perspective. I have a lot to learn and these meetings are incredibly motivating for me. At the same time I feel that I understand more and more, that I see  different connections regarding the issue better than before.

Right now I am bit tired, slept very little. Was talking to Kristiina about Faroe Islands instead. I can sleep in the train =) Soon.

I just wonder how did the Melodifestivalen go ;-)

Celebration

Is there a better way of celebraing international day of women than writing a Gender and alcohol booklet for IOGT International? OK I agree that there are many other nice ways to celebrate this day but I feel like I am contributing with my part.
I have been extremely busy recently so my interest in gender was put aside or better said I did not deal with that actively. But now I m sitting 5 hours in train having internet connection and that are just the best conditions to get back to my hobby =) I have several idas for a research. Would be cool to conduct it. One never knows - maybe once =)

Otherwise I am very happy that the days are getting lighter. Sweden looks very nice. All the lakes and the reflections of the trees in the water, grass still yellow..everything so calm and spring hanging in the air. Amazing.

Last month as president

I´m right now writing an email regarding NOM congress in april. I will finish my NOM presidency (after 4 years if I count right) and I will leave the NOM board (was there since 2001) Strange feeling..but yes it is definitely time to go on.  I am not leaving NOM though. Will try to help as much as I can. This year has been very successful for us - we organized an international seminar, had activities at schools and got new members so now it is just to plan new activities and continue the way we  walk now..

InDesign

I btw started InDesign course. I have worked with that programme for 3 years now but i know 0,5% of it (as I undersetood during the first lesson on tuesday) I can´t wait till next lesson.
Me like! =)

Like a rollercoster

Yesterday was an amazing day at work. Everything went so good. One "to do" item on the list after another. It felt so good. I felt full of enthusiasm after the "Oslo talk" and the day off afterwards. Newsletter has been finished and uploaded, I made up a new logo for that, i fixed things around the seminar in Budapest and also solved the things for the seminar in Reims that is right now going on. Handball training in the evening was also great.
Btw u can read the newsletter here:

image234

Today I came to the office, Per H. was not there (and I so much wanted to talk to him). Then I had 5 important phonecalls on the list, none of them worked out (no answer, or my request could not be responded because of some technical reasons etc etc etc) Blah.

But yeah - also good things are happening so I am not sittitng here in tears. It is just strange that my work usually gets stuck on some technical problems that I can not do anything about.

Utveckling samtal/development discussion

Sitting in Juvente Norway office after the meeting with Emil. We had "develpment discussion" talking Active, board - office cooperation/communication, improvements. I liked it. It´s great to think over future, directions etc.Feels good =) Feels that we all can grow.

I got to listen to some norwegian, to meet some nice people and since we are in Oslo I got to buy me my favourite baguette. I could have meetings here much more often =)  Eventhough my legs aftre 5 hours in bus were a bit numb. On the other hand the view during travelling was amazing - I felt spring in the air =)

Can´t wait..


Not a usual saturday..

Just came home from the supermarket where I made inventory together with several of my teammates. From 6 till 9.00. It is a nice feeling =) I have learnt many new swedish "food - words" =) I know how those code scanners work now =) And I know where is what in the supermarket. I have lived in Sweden for more than 3 years, I have been in the supermarket at least 500 times but since I am not very creative when it comes to food, I have always only picked "my" things and payed and left again. So I never looked into what they actually have. Now I know =)
I did smth for the team, I have learnt smth new and it is still lots of time left till the evening.

Came home - Aysa from Moldova called. She got visa. Alleluja! BUT..she got visa to France for the seminar that starts tomorrow and I am supposed to buy her a ticket. Ja ja.. if she made it through embassy, then a travel problem won´t stop us. 

Yes..Aysa will go to France =)

So now I can eat smth for some minutes and then off I go to bring Ukraine and Sweden a bit closer to each other and to the rest of the Europe maybe =)