Jonaz is taalking

Back in old Sweden

2008-03-21T14:22:00.000-07:00

So now I am back in Bälinge. Back in Uppsala. Back at my dad's house.
Itis ok. When I don't think too much of it I am not bitter. I have quite a lot to do. Studying Icelandic and statistics and am studying on my own for exam in microbiology and endocrine organs after a week and a half. Riding three horses. Trying to find time to have coffee with my friends. Looking after my brother's dog.

And now it is Easter. Today is Good Friday, or the Long Friday as we call it here. Tomorrow I will have Easter dinner with lamb steak with my dad, sister, brother, Eva and maybe grandma. Then more Easter dinner on Monday with mum and Hans. That'll be nice.

On Sunday it is a very very special occasion in Uppsala. At Studenternas, the big outdoor sportsarena in the very centre of Uppsala, there will be Icetölt. That means we will have a lot of great Icelandic horses and riders competing on Ice. The very best horses will come. I am so looking forward to seeing this! See more info on http://www.nattfari.com/istolt. I wil there the whole day taking photos. You will see a few of them soon.

I end with some pictures. From when I went with veterinary Hanna for a day in Gävle, while riding the stallion Vindur and a clinic I attended in a cold riding hall.

2008-02-26T02:02:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to say thata I love my new camera (Nikon D40 with 18-55mm-lens). The only thing I'm doing at work now is to go through all these photo forums. Maybe one day I will be able to use all the settings.

Just a pic so you know I am actually using it:
Thanks Anna-Karing for taking the pic!

Sweden moves closer

2008-02-20T01:57:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had my last Spanish class. Ever. Probably.
It actually went quite ok and I wasn't so stressed to talk that I usually am at classes. That doesn't mean I speak any good Spanish still though. But nice to finish it in that way.

Yesterday I sent an e-mail to highly respectable Uppsala University to ask if I could retake my exam in Icelandic. I took that Icelandic course eight years ago and haven't really done it again yet. So I didn't really know what they were going to respond, but that was no problem, I am welcome to do it. Orally this time. So I sent another e-mail to the icelandic teacher, Heimir. I wrote the e-mail in Icelandic and his response was: ,,Þetta verður ekkert vandamál" - this will be no problem. I really hope I will pass a beginners course in Icelandic after having lived on the island for almost two years and had an icelandic boyfriend for a year.
Then I could also attend Icelandic 2, which is the next course.

And my school said no prob to me when I wanted to attend the classes in statistics once again, so I can pass that exam.

Anna-Karin found a new suitcase for me, so I can bring all my stuff (including heavy books) back to Sweden.

I'm looking forward to going home, even though I start liking Barcelona a little bit better now. Probably just because I have finally started to party here and seen nice looking boys.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away - so now when I leave Apple, will I be sick? Or can I eat apples instead of working for one?

New and improved (?) rules

2008-02-08T00:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we got an e-mail at work. With rules for the office. It said:

- No jacket on the chair
- No bags under our table
- No coffee while working
- We have to wear shoes at all times (it has only been me though walking without shoes...)
- No food or biscuits on nothing can be eaten at our desks

These rules really pissed me off. I got so angry! Why not try to motivate people that works in a company? Especially in a company where everybody is looking for a new job and people come and go all the time. Especially in a company that has a lot of foreigners working there that are highly motivated to sooner or later go back home.
Some of these rules could have been ok. If we had a good place to hang our jackets I wouldn't have gotten offended. But as it now turns out we have gotten a really small locker that is supposed to hold 40 jackets. And of course 80% are smokers. I don't really look forward to having my jacket stink from cigarettes just because I have to be at work!! Instead I squeezed it into my personal locker that we got a few weeks ago. This locker that is approximately 20x30 cm is supposed to hold all of our personal belongings, bags included. But everyone that has seen my bag (a ruggsack) would easily understand that it won't fit in a small locker like that. My boss said I could keep it under my desk, but to try to hide it. Thank you so much for that!!
And now the worsed thing - the coffee. We are not even allowed to drink coffee. I have never even heard of a rule like that. In the old office me and AK always brought coffee for each other and it felt great being at work then. That was back in the old office. I miss it more and more. The reason for not getting to drink coffee is that we can spill coffee on the keyboard. That is how much they trust us. And instead for trying to motivate us by giving us coffee cups with lids, they just ban us.

I am not saying I am working really hard at my job nowadays. I recieve about ten calls each day, and in between I have to sit and always be prepared when the next call comes. I cannot change the call volyme myself, but still I try to motivate myself to do a great job, as I always try to do. It just makes me sad that my company doesn't try to do that. By giving them a month notice that I am quiting (instead of two weeks that you have to give) I could not take the training they have now. Maybe just as good since I can blog now and get paid for it, but I was really looking forward learning something new. Last month I was among the topsellers and I thought I would get something for that. But no. We can't even get to know how it actually went. When I ask I get the answer that if the big boss hasn't said anything that is good news. It would be nice at least getting to know how it went.

I sound really bitter, and it is true for a bit. But I am not as bitter as it sounds. Just so you know.

And just so you know, my shoes stay on today and the biscuits I bought the other day stays in the bag and I am not going to drink any coffee.
life could be both better and worse I suppose.

At least I have a new camera. Bought a Nikon D40 with a 18-55mm lens for a good price and I got a bag, a memory card and a tripod with it. It is really really nice I must say. Here are som pictures I have taken with it (you can click them to make them bigger). It is reallty another feeling taking a photo with the D40. The hold, the clicking sound. Everything. I am still learning though and have a long way before it will turn out good.

Good and bad

2008-02-01T10:24:00.001-08:00

One good thing and one bad.

Let's start with the good news. I just go my results for the exam I did in the beginning of January. Or actually it was two exams. One bigger about the central nervous system and a smaller one about the endocinre organs. I knew that I wouldn't pass the endocrine one, because it was only 5 questions and I really didn't the answer for two of them... But I did pass the nervous one!!! I am so hapy about it. It means so much for me. Now I actually have a chance of getting into vet.school again this autumn. I can do it and I want to do it!! The future feels and seems much better now!!

The bad things is quite bad though. Me and Gabriel choose to break up a few days ago. It has been a down-period and we agreed on it. Still it feels like SHIT!! So that will mean I will leave Spain and I am going back to Sweden 1 of March. I have another exam in end of March so I will stay in Sweden so long at least. Then we'll see.

That's it for now.

Tonight is Friday so i have planned to drink some beer!

Merry Merry Christmas!!!

2007-12-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

Today is the big Christmas Day, even though I not it is Christmas Eve :P

Was working as usual today but it was dead dead dead in the telephone. I recieved 3 calls in 7 hours. So they decided to close the Barcelona office at 16, so then I went home. Very nice!

Tonight Gabriel and me are going to spend christmas with two of his relatives just outside of Barcelona. And then tomorrow really Swedish Christmas in our flat.

Once again, MERRY CHRISTMAS

Middle of the week in a week too much in the future

2007-12-19T03:54:00.000-08:00

Well time flies!
Don't know how that works, but it really does. And I haven't made a single blog entry for ages. Or at least like two weeks. And I can't even blame any lack of time since work has been very quiet, at least today and yesterday. Otherwise sales has been good for christmas. Very nice for a change to actually do something at work :)
I do have some really bad news from work though. Two of my dear dear dear collegues (half the swedish team) got fired a week ago. Just before our 2-moths of trial-period ended. They hadn't done anything wrong, but we were too many. I have been really upset and sad about it. I can understand that we were too many, but the way it was handled. Wednesday at half past five. Then they had Thursday and Friday paid, nothing more. I HATE not having them here. Carin and Malin was so great and we were a really good team here. I will still have them as friends though which is really nice. Me and Carin will take a coffee this week!!

There is not many days before christmas. I will work in Christmas Eve up til 6 o'clock, so then xmas will start for me. I don't know yet if we are going to have christmas dinner at our house, or if we are going to Gabriels relatives. Either way christmas will be nice with traditional swedish food! So what I have to do is to prepare and buy food, and I have to buy all gifts. They are not too many but I still have to find the perfect gifts. And how easy will that be??

Anna-Karin leaves for Sweden tomorrow. Will be strange not have her at my next desk. We have a lot of fun at work. But luckily Maria will be with me!! And on Friday we are moving to our new an great office, At least I hope it is, because then I can't walk to work anymore, but it will be nice being close to the beach!

Attached is a picture of Sagrada Familia where I went last Sunday when I was on my way to Anna-Karin and got a "lussebulle" from her room mates. It was delicious!

All for now!

1st of Advent

2007-12-02T13:26:00.001-08:00

Today is first of Advent. Only three weeks until christmas. Woho!! Of course we have to celebrate this in a proper swedish way. So yesterday I went to one of the best stores in the world: IKEA. There I bought (among other things) 4 big candles and a nice wooden tray. I put the candles on the tray, and voilà, there you have a adventljusstake. What that is? Look at the pic! So today we lit the first candle, and then next sunday the next and so on, and then on 4th of Advent all candles burn. It is a really nice tradition if you are in dark and cold Sweden. In Barcelona with bright sun and 15°C it felt a little odd. But now in the evening it feels better, and together with my Blossa Glögg (christmas spiced wine) and my pepparkakor (gingerbread cookies) it feels like december will be really nice! And Matt gave me a choclate calender a few days ago. Me like a lot!!

I went to the stable today to meet my horse buddy Lisa. I talked Spanish to one of the girls there when she was finished riding a really nice but tense horse. Or at least I tried to talk. She was talking a lot and I tried to squeeze some "Sí" in here and there :P

I also went up to Mont Jüic. Really nice in the weather and nice to be walking. The satsumas are growing there and are ready to be eaten. That is Spain today. Crazy!

Thursday Thoughts

2007-11-29T05:46:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I cooked. For more than 3 hours. I am actualy so impressed of my achievment so I had to upload a picture of it. And it actually tasted quite good.
Anna-Karin had the worse day ever yesterday by being sick and had a lost/stolen wallet. I couldn't help her much with getting her wallet back, but I could bring her lunch, which I did. I think her day today got a little better actually. At least I hope so. And since she ate way too little I still have lunch for tomorrow ;)

Tomorrow I am going to buy an iPod. Me like a lot. So I will spend a lot of money, but you know what they say: Money can buy happiness. Or was I mistaken? LOL
I have great plans how to use it and I have great expectations. It will probably end up with what happens to most of the things I buy. I do not tend to use them as much as I thought. But hey, this is an Apple product. Of course it is great!!

TH-Thursday

2007-11-22T01:12:00.000-08:00

Today is TH for Thanksgiving!

I have never attended a Thanksgiving dinner before, but thanks to my american flatmates I will. Yesterday I made an apple pie for the event, but that is my only contribution for the dinner. My plan is to eat and eat and eat tonight.

I will tell you tomorrow how it went.

I attach a pic of my beatuful horse Ára which I really miss. She is home in Sweden preparing to be a mom again. Isn't she a beaty??

T-Tuesday

2007-11-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

Tuesday at work.
I'm blogging, listening to Icelandic mediveal ballads, eating friut and are iChatting with my collegues. I like my work. And, yes, of course I am worlng as well. in seven hours I have recieved eight calls. Sold nothing. But I have still two more hours to go :P

Tuesdays mean Spanish class. I hate them by the only reason I suck at Spanish. Yes you heard, I SUCK. And that's why i don't like the classes because I get so stressed when she asks something in Spanish. But I like our teacher. She is a young Spanish woman that is full of energy. And she talks Spanish all the time. So of course it is great for me attending the classes, but I want to be good at Spanish yesterday. I hope it will come. It is difficult though since I never have to speak Spanish. I talk Swedish and English at work, Icelandic with Gabriel. And in stores it is enough with Hola and Gracias. Hm, don't really know what to do. I mean I want to learn Spanish. I hope the stable can be a Spanish zone for me. And I am reading Harry Potter in Spanish :P

I went to the stable yesterday. Really nice, but I have understood the horse culture is quite different than I am used to. But I will learn about it and maybe teach a bit from what i think is important. So now my plan is to spend much time there to get to know the Spanish/Catalan people there. To get to train some horses and to get to start speaking Spanish!

Today's pic is from Snæfellnes in west of Iceland. Isn't it nice?

And so the quote of today:

"iThink, therefore iWork"

He's here!!

2007-11-16T04:00:00.000-08:00

So, now I have an English blog aswell for all my international friends!! I am not at this moment going to give any promises for the intervals of the updates though :)

Today is Friday and I am working my last day at Apple for this week. I have during these first four hours recieved five calls. I had to transfer three of them. So meanwhile I am writing in my blog (sic), surfing horseforums online, playing some games, talking to my colleagues.
Yesterday we found out who will be teamleaders. I had applied and was really hoping to get it. i didn't. But my dissapointment starting to dissapear from my mind now which is good. And the best part is that now I can continue slacking at work!!

And a small update of my life now (I know it is about time): Me and Gabriel have found a nice apartment where we are renting a room with balcony. It is in a nice area and have five bedrooms and a IKEA-kitchen (me like). We are currently living six persons there now and it actually works fine. We have two bathrooms ;) There is a nice american couple living there and they are very social. A little too social. But they are very good in the kitchen.
And I have found a job! As I said I work for Apple in their iPod-sales though the phone. Mainly for the Swedish market, but I was in the UK-team in the beginning. That was really nice actually because British people are sooo polite. Swedish people are not. And swedish people don't buy anything from us. But it is a nice job. And good to get salary!!

It is getting cold here now. At least at night. And you have to have a sweater on at daytime since it is only 15 degrees Celsius ;)

All for now