Deppert.se

Today I cast my vote for the pirate party. I did it because I believe the internet should be as free as possible. Of course it is used for bad things, but I am convinced the good that has come from the internet is far greater then the bad. Of course there are risks with the internet, and some kind of regulation are and will be needed, but the aim should be to make internet the most free it can be. And that does not happen if nobody tells those in charge that it matters.

So I voted pirate, because I believe the pirate party is the modern version of the green parties. When those came to power in the 70’s, it was because people got an intererst in the enviroment, and that the future matters. This is the same struggle, but in a different way. The internet has given rise to much good, but above all it gives hope. Hope that all the great problem humanity faces can be solved by colaboration. Hope that the world will be a better place for our children.

And the internet also proves that the best way to get innovation, is to let people be free. Both the radio, the TV and the mobilephone industry had more or less the same ground works as the internet, an international network. But somehow, I still only use the TV for watching shows, the radio to listen to programs, and the telephon for making calls. Oh wait, now I’m lying: I listen to the radio on the internet, I watch shows over the internet, and I call people over the internet. Using my telephon for all that.
So I guess the internet won. And that is what I want to preserve. I do not want to go back, and use the internet for only emailing people.

It is very interesting to see just how much Helsingborg turns into a place that looks and almost feels mediteranian when the sun comes out. Seems like everybody goes nuts, and spents all there free time at the beach / harbour.

Right now there is a beach-handball turnament right outisde my apartment (with nice music as well), and the beach is just full of people. And the car-parking situation is truly crazy.

I must say, it all is very charming, and it makes me feel bad for having to give up the apartment I share right now. It truly is one of Helsingborgs best spots. In the summer.

This will not be an entry concerning how my wonderful adventure in Alaska was; it will not tell you that I have seen the most amazing animals, mountains so huge they almost touched the sky and that I was very lucky with the weather and even got sunburned. No, this will be a short piece on how it feels to come back to something and experience the reversed culture shock. Alaska will have to wait a bit.

I have only been back in Sweden for three days. Three full days. And already my muscle memory jams into its well-known pattern: I can find the cups in the right cupboards on the first try, my parents computer responds as it should (but cannot change the language in this document, so every word has an irritating red underlining and is automatically corrected to the closest German word) and I still know how to bike. But then again, strange things are happening around me. My living space has grown. I am currently residing with my parents, who are out of town for the weekend. Suddenly I have access to an apartment nearly as big as the entire student housing I had on the UBC Campus, including the spaces which belonged to my three roomates. And being all alone I assumed I was free to choose beds and am now sprawled out at night in a huge kingsize bed. Now that is really a welcomed change.

Even stranger are things that I used to know but where I have adopted the Canadian Style instead. While shopping groceries today I unsuccessfully tried to grab the second handle of the shopping basket. Nope, there is only one. And that surprised me. What then in turn surprised me even more. I did not see any hand sanitizer (or people with surgical masks). And no, which I was very grateful for, no sprinkler that kept the vegetables wet. Noone packed my groceries. Also, people seem in general more unfriendly, or maybe rather more desinterested in me. Even though I know that no Canadian probably honest would like to know how I am when I approach a store and a mailperson, the Swedish seemed just a bit too concentrated on themselves and their doing.

Also, I am clearly damaged by my last job, where I was working in the deli serving customers. I looked to my left and saw the premade sandwiches and upon a closer inspection could state that they did not serve anything I have not made (but did not have the choice of turkey or any meat-and-cranberry mix). Then I looked right and automatically registered that the cheese display was not full and not in order and had to resist the immidiate urge to actually organize it. I guess I have to apply for a job in this store, I seem to be able to pull it off with honours.

The total freedom is equally weird. I suddenly have unlimited access to a phone (and I do not have to pay for it), I can access the internet when and how I want (at least once I had decided to wake my brother to receive confirmation that yes, the wireless network was on, and in addition had woken my parents via phone to learn the password) and there is noone who can demand me to go to bed early (except the time difference which does encourage me to go to bed early unless I would like to wake up with dinner or a keyboard pattern on my face).

I will enjoy this phase while it lasts. My summer is almost planned now and even if it includes family and friends, there is work to do and to find. The quite relaxed days in Vancouver, and the even more careless days in Alaska, are definitely over. And even if I enjoy the sunny days in Sweden, I already know that I will miss Vancouver for a long long time.

This will be a post in German. In case anyone is interested in the 675 anniversary of the hometown of my grandparents, just leave a comment and I will get back to you.

Vom 8. bis 14. Juni 2009 feiert Sieversdorf ihre 675-Jahr-Feier, aus Anlass der urkundlichen Ersterwähnung im Jahre 1334. Dies ist ganz schön beeindruckend, besonders wenn man gerade aus Kanada wiederkommt, wo es keine modernen Siedlungen gibt die älter als 150 Jahre sind. Das Festkommmitee in Sieversdorf hat sich ein gutes Program ausgedacht und es gibt viele verschieden Programpunkte für alle vorstellbaren Altersgruppen und Interessenten. Hoffentlich, schaffe ich es den Vortrag am Mittwoch über die Kämpfe in Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika 1906 zu hören.

Es scheint ob alle wrklich in der Feier irgendwie mit einbegriffen sind, was mich auch sehr beeindruckt. Entweder durch Vorbereitungen oder über verschiedene Vereine. Ich werde mich freuen, die Feier zu besuchen, denn ich denke es wird einfach toll werden!

The reason why I so seldom watch movies. 2 hours of my life I would like to have back.

Note: hard to believe that the first movie is 10 years old by now!

Tuesday was a special day at SHIP, as we were host for the Scandinavian Mini Seedcamp, an british event that gives help and the possibility of venture capital to start-ups.

This event is actually quite big, as the usual hosts are a little bit bigger cities lite Berlin och Paris. But, if you convince people that Helsingborg is nothern Copenhagen, it seems to work. Feedback so far has been that people where happy with it.

It was an interesting experience. The best part for me was the night before, when everybody had a welcome snack and beer at Helsing Bar. It was fun to just mingle and talk to the different people that had come here for this event. The start-ups where mostly swedish, but some danish and isreali (guess they didnt fit in anywhere else) guys where also present. From the swedish point of view some more famous IT people, but also totaly unknown ones.

The mentors however where from all over Europe. Most british, but also german and others. There background was quite mixed, some worked for companies in the IT sector and had jobs relevant for the future trend in IT, other had participated at earlier Seedcamps as start-ups and where now mentors, and other still had more or less just happened to talk to the right person at the right time.

Overall the event was about 20 teams pitching there ideas for the mentors, who where about 50 people. These provided insight and knowledge. And then some of the teams had a chance to qualify for the big SeedCamp in London, and a chance to win venture capital for there start-ups.

Overall it was a bit like the “idee-forum” we have with FENA every week. Just instead of 2 hours it was a 12 hour day, a little bit more organized, and all the participants were a bit more experienced. But almost the same…

I just heard that applications for seedcamp berlin have started. Now that I know what it is, I must say I am intrigued to participate.

Just another quick link to the serious problem we face with credibility.

Dear all,

while waiting for the clock to turn 1am – budget travellers do not spend their hardearned money on a second partially useless hotellroom – when the cab will pick us up in order to go to the ferry, I will give you the latest news on my trip.

It all started out really well: panicky packing & crazy cooking. With lots of food and a huge packback we caught the bus going north from Vancouver to Prince George (12 hours) and from there to Prince Rupert (another 12 hours). Beautiful scenery, which of course is not unexpected since it all lokks like Sweden, just much much bigger (and for those living in the southern parts of Sweden: way more mountains with snow on top), small canadian towns on the way and a variety of other bus passengers. In all, it was a successful trip.

Until we reached Prince Rupert. When the cab pulled over at the ferry terminal we were met by closed gates. Really closed, including a chain and a lock. Eh… So our nice cab driver (Karl-Heinz originally from Wiesbaden, the bonding started straigt of from there) called his old school friend Murray, who was now manager of the terminal. And got the message that the ferry was postponed due to rock slides and icebergs. But it was on its way, it would leave at noon two days later. Ok, the extra days in Prince Rupert were spent hiking and strolling around town. Lots of eagles, I have learned to recognize skunk cabbage and false azalea, two plants that grow in the whole region.

The town itself consists of 11 000 people, mostly native fom the Tlingit or Haida clan, some Hindi and the rest Canadians (whatever that might mean in terms of origin). This has some tremendous effect on the town: there are in all 18 different churches. Walking from our inn downtown we passed the Latter Day Christ, the Pentecoastal, Mason Hall, S:t Paul Lutheran, Sikh temple, and the Kingdom Hall (and City Hall, which to some might be a religion). The question arising from all these different churches is not how they all came here, but what is the religion teching in their schools like? Given the fact that the Berlin commune in Germany recently voted not to introduce religion as a subject for students but to stick to ethics, I would find it really interesting to see how teachers here would deal with the various active religions.

Anyhow, after another delay, the ferry finally arrived (only about 56 hours late) and I am now in the beautiful state of Alaska. More on my adventures here will be written about later.

I hope that you are all fine!
Cheers,
Ulrike

This post is also in swedish, because it refers to a concert the chorus I am in will have. If however you happen to be in Helsingborg the 15th of may you are warmly welcome!

En kort notis bara: fredagen den 15:e maj, kl 19.00, kommer Helsingborgs studentkör ha en konsert på Rådhuset. Liknande som förra året, kommer det vara i rådhusets stora sal, med sittplatser och servering av vin och småplock för den som vill.

Kören har den senaste tiden haft en ny körledare, Ilze, och detta blir den första egna konserten med henne. Upplägget blir liknande förra året, men med många nya låtar så klart.

Det kostar 50 kr för vanliga, och 20 kr för studenter. Är man intresserad är det bara att höra av sig.

The following post is in swedish, because it is about a local restaurant. Not much use of the information for anybody not living in Helsingborg :)

Både denna och förra helg hade jag nöjet att vara äta på Pålsjö krog, som ligger endast någon 100 meter från min nuvarande lägenhet (så länge som jag nu kommer vara kvar där).

Vill egentligen bara säga att det rekommenderas. Första gången var det med föräldrarna på sena eftermiddagen, och det blev en enklare rätt från menyn. Inte särskild imponerande.
Den andra gången blev det dock brunch. Och det är stans bästa brunch enligt mig. Inställningen var att det skulle vara dyrt och lite för fina saker för att vara roligt, men resultatet var ett hyfsat pris (149 kr, vilket är marginellt dyrare än de flesta andra), och ett riktigt bra utbud. Många varma rätter, lite lyxigt som crepes eller panpizza, och mycket kallskuret. Mozzarella med tomat var min favorit.
Och sen rabarberpaj med vaniljgrädde som dessert. Äntligen ett ställe som inte bara har våfflor (för ikke-våffel fantaster som mig).

Så vill bara rekommendera det, nästa gång man tar en promenad i pålsjö skog eller längst landsborgspromenaden.