Deppert.se

Winner: best optical illusion.

Just some info for those of you who want to know how I am living right now.

After having lived at 4 different places in the same town in the same number of years, I have now moved to a new home again.
It was no option this time, as the last place I stayed in is about to get a total face-lift, and probably will be one of the cities mote expensive places after-ward. Not really an option to stay there for me.

So I had found myself a really nice little apartment before I left in the begining of summer. However, the same day I signed up for the apartment, and one day before I was about to leave, an old friend called. He and his girlfriend where moving together he said, and there room in a larger apartment would be free. An apartment that also had 2 other residents, both of whom I knew since earlier.

So with a little luck I managed to get someone to take over the apartment I had found, and decided instead to move in in the larger apartment with my now 2 new room-mates.

My second morning here now, and it seems to get pretty sweet. One of the room-mates is a former co-DJ to me, so now I actually have acces to really good equipment and good connections if I want to play a little in Sweden. The apartment is also located really convenient, with a 5 minute walk to all relevant spots for me. And – so far I have not had to move one single piece of furniture and that could very well stay that way. Which is nice, for I have been moving so many times that I am glad if I don’t have to move a lot of things again – my room now is small enough to not need more then a borrowed bed and sofa (I need some things for the walls thou), and the rest of the apartment has all that I could ask for.

Seems very good this far.

Another season in Greece comes to an end. Just as all my previous season, both here and in Turkey, it is an intense experience, emotionally. It teaches you a little bit more about yourself every time.

My biggest bad point is that I got the comment that I did not look as having as much fun as last year. Something that might be right, but I cannot feel that I have had less fun. However I think this is partly because of my involvement in SHIP the last 6 month. It was quite an exhausting period, and I think it took a lot more energy then I like to admit.

Härarbete
I have also experienced “härarbete” in a real way. It took a while to take off, as it took more then 3 weeks to get my new computer (which I am really happy with). But now I have starting using Ubuntu, and getting things done from here is no problem. Biggest drawback is the ability to talk over telephone – there are no really good quite spots here to talk on, so it is always a little bothersome.
Compared with Sweden, I spend about as much time with “office work” as back home. There are some complications, most related to that the files are on the old computer, and that I do not have a fixed office, but otherwise it works surprisingly well. Would I have been here longer it would all be about setting the right routines.

DJ
Professionally I have also come a long way as a DJ. This year is a lot of different, music wise, then last year. But I really do feel I do a lot of a better job and I have really enjoyed it. I have also been offered to play in Norway next May, through one of the former employees here. Nothing sure if it materialises, but it would be fun to visit everybody in Oslo for one week.

Some other good acquaintances have been made as well, some of which maybe lead to big new projects for me in the future. But that will only time tell. Needles to say, the biggest lessons from here is that good people can be found everywhere, and just by acting in an honest way yourself, you will find them and you will inspire each other.

But now it is almost finished, and I will miss being an employee when I get back to Sweden. It is really good, as a boss, to be an employee from time to time – you can learn a lot about leadership just by being subjected to it.

I always find that being in another place gives you a whole new set of daily routines. One that did not translat too well to being in Greece was taking time to read books.

I have however now finished one of the books I brought done here, the slimest one: Full koll på mailen. It is a book I bought when I realized that I more or less do all my work through emails, and wondered if there aren’t any guides to leadership through email. There weren’t. Not what I found at least. I did however find the above mentioned book, which is about how to write and behave in electronic conversations.
There is also a small chapter devoted to being a boss and using emails.

I was sceptical to the book to start with. I usually only read books I have gotten recommended, and this one I searched for and bought without knowing anything about it. However, it turned out to be a good buy.

The book talks about a lot of things that can seem to be common sense. But, as always, common sense is not something given. So it is good to read that yes, it is important to have a friendly tone, and yes, you should start your letters with “hi” and finish with an apporiete ending (because it shows that you take your time when writing, and it therefore conveys importance to the letter)
A lot of details like these, but they are good to hear.

The things I take to me the most from the book:
- There are 3 golden rules – 1) avoid creating distance to the person you are writing too 2) think about the other persons needs 3) treat the “email room” as a limited resource, and don’t just send emails because you can.
- The book also stretches the need for good emails, avoiding to many recipients, and just talking about one topic at a time. And that you really, really, should avoid arguments through letters.

So overall it was, actually, a very good read. At 88 small pages (not even A5!), you can easily read it in under 1 hour, and I would recommend it to everybody who works with a computer. For even if you don’t think about it, a lot of our work nowadays is about getting and replying to emails.

The book is from 2 Danish authors (I think) and I haven’t seen it in any other language. So the link above is to the Swedish version.

I have now, finally, gotten started with excercising! Even if I will change location in a couple of days, back to Sweden, I do feel that there is a big chance that I will hold this routine up.

I want to attribute the change to my dear friends the fellow pumpmasters, Kristian and Bård. Without you it never would have happened.

My daily excercise consists right now of:
40, 30, 20 pushups or 40, 30 and 20 sit-ups every day, right before I take a shower. These numbers will, of course, increasewith time, but that’s where I’m starting.

Almost on time for after beach 2009…

Still being in Greece, we are now getting towards the end of the high season, and I will get back to Sweden soon.

This season has been good, but one difference from last year is the presence of TV crews. Right before I arrived here, during midsommer, a norweigian TV show called “charterfeber” was here, filming the barschool and our club. This show is apperently really big in Norway, so it will be interesting to see if there is any impact after it has been aired, during the winter.
The crew from charterfeber has been here during the high season as well. There have however also been another Swedish crew here, filming pilots for 2 different reality shows they want to make. Both involve the barschool, and one even a swedish B-celebrity (who will arrive tomorrow, or so they say).

It will be very interesting to see if anything happens with this. Whatever happens it was atleat fun, goofing around for the cameras and staging conversations. Interesting to see also how it works, and how these things are made. Tina, my former flatmate, has for some reason been at the center of both TV crews. So she atleast will be on TV somewhere later this year.

More details if anything is sent, either in Sweden or Norway.

Interesting and well written article about the education system, and a project that sounds very reasonable and promising. Found here, at the economist webpage.

Ich habe neulich mich über das Internet schlau gemacht, und doch so einiges gelernt. Am lustigsten fand ich da das sogenannte Meier-loch; das ist einer rundförmige Region in Deutschland wo es keine Leute wohnen, die Meier/Mayer/Maier etc als Nachnamen haben.

Lest doch selber nach bei der Süddeutschen, auf Seite 9.

A little bit different Swedish webshop: muminmuggar.se

As promised, here is a short travelog from my trip to beautiful Southeast Alaska. For all of you who have not been there – go! I am not sure how long the nature will be “untouched” but it is absolutely amazing. Many have told me it looks a lot like Norway or even northern Sweden, and yes, if you are short of money and live in these regions, discover your own country. Otherwise: get out there.

I will not bore you by telling you all the fantastic things I saw and did and experienced but instead give you a short recap of the best:

When travelling through Alaska take the ferry! Just cruising through the archipelago and fjords was amazing, snowy mountains to the right and the left, eagles cruising above and the highlight always was when the captain made whale-announcements! I have now seen both humpbacks and orcas and lots of porpoises, just amazing. And of course, sleeping outside on the solarium deck of the ferry, cold but what a feeling to awake to a blue sky!

Climb every mountain you see, explore all forests and go kayaking. Alaska is for nature people and the ways for adventures are unlimited. Every trip offers something new; just remember to bring your bear spray and bear bells. I did not see any bears, but they where close.

Look out for porcupines (mostly called North American porcupines to distinguish them from the other, more common known ones)! Most amazing animals. They look like fluffy beavers and climb small trees and sleep up there. And once they are asleep they are not bothered by people walking just below them. Mountain goats are fun too, but not that much.

Meeting different people in the hostels, trade books and ideas and places. I did not realise how much I had missed backpacking until I did it again. Avoid the cruise ships, they do not make life fun.

Alaskans are further quite obsessed with Sarah Palin. Sure, they have elected her, but they do seem to talk about her a lot. Maybe not for other reasons than the fact that this has put Alaska back on the tourist map. It also seems like Alaska has not been hit that hard by the recession either, but still has the same structural problems as I discovered in Vancouver, regarding homelessness and other social and ethnic problems.

Anyhow, I am not sure I have been able to convince you all to go to Alaska, but you should. There is so much more to discover, and I will go back, at one point.

This is my last letter to you all, my trip has ended. But you will be right there again, on my next, right?!

Cheers,
Ulrike