WSP Management in Budapest day 2

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I can’t remember the last time I was this tired. But being tired on vacation is basically just a receipt that you are doing the vacation right. Max gear all the time!

This morning was similar to yesterday. We discussed work-related things that we will work on and improve next year and there were good points made.

The afternoon was all dedicated to baths. We (or some of us, not everyone wanted to go to the thermal baths) walked to Szechenyi Bath and had lunch before at a restaurant close by. The food was simple and good. Pasta with tomato sauce.

We were 6 girls walking together to the bath when we saw a pretty castle and a market outside, so obviously we had to stop there. I was too full from the lunch so I didn’t get one of those sweet bread tubes, but I tried and it is on my agenda tomorrow to buy one for myself. We all also bought paprika powder. Apparently you should, so we did. I got one sweet bag and one spicy bag.

The bath was a really cool place! It was like a block of a low building, enclosing pools. One of them was really warm and it was perfect with the fall weather of November. There was a pool for laps and also a pool with a strong current. That was fun! But some people were so disrespectful and bumped into people all the time, both unconsciously but also consciously. Not okay!

Inside there were many smaller pools, hot ones and cold ones. Also several saunas. I tried most of the stuff but would have liked to be in the eucalyptus steam sauna a bit more. My dad’s genes are really 110% present at moments like this. I love heat! I love to sit in saunas or hot water. Not everyone is like that, which is good, but a little more sauna would have been nice. Our main playrule for the weekend was “everyone included/leave no one behind” and it worked.

The changing rooms were special. Small boths that you entered from the outside, and pulled down a part of the seat to lock the both doors on the side. When you are done, you open the other door and go to the baths. So strange. It took me a while to figure out how to lock the doors, haha!

We were three girls left at the bath at 5pm and we then took a bus back to the hotel. Less than 30 min later, I was down in the lobby leaving for the restaurant.

It was called Duncorso and we were served a three course dinner with Hungarian specialties. It was good! The company was also good and our table of six decided to toast every five minutes and each of us to speak every time. I used that moment to thank everyone for the warm welcome I have got and that I look forward to working .ore with everyone. I stumbled on words and it was not good at all, but I think the message went out okay.

I am truly happy at working at WSP. It is great. Fun work tasks and great coworkers. It couldn’t have been better!

After dinner we walked to a ruin bar, Szimpla Kert, the most famous one. It was the craziest bar ever! After WWII, there were a lot of abandoned buildings and eventually people put stuff in there and started up bars (or something like that). Everything in there was random and inside the building were several bars with different focus. The coziest room was the old tech junkyard with old screens and lights intertwined. Or the top floor where there was a hole in the floor. It is hard to describe. So I will post pictures when I get home. Probably not tomorrow. But Tuesday?

I talked to Dad today as well. Apparently, he heard from Grandma, who read my blog, that I was here now and gave me tips on a few things. I might look into them tomorrow. What is also pretty sick, is that he was here just last week, Sunday to Wednesday, and lived very close to where we are staying. And on Sunday, he was at the Szimpla Kert bar exactly (probably on the clock) a week before me. Crazy!!

One last day (half day) left in Budapest tomorrow. Only free time. I have to think about what I want to do. Probably shopping. And it would be cool to go on Metro 1, which is considered the oldest (or second oldest depending on how you count) subway in Europe.

Super long day, my calves are so stiff. Maybe I will book a massage here tomorrow instead, haha!

WSP Management in Budapest day 1

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I didn’t think it was a possibility that I would end up being one of those fortunate people who went abroad on a conference trip. But here I am, in Budapest with my coworkers.

We arrived late last night at Continental Hotel Budapest. We were delayed but the flight here were not too bad and went by very fast and we were extremely lucky with the transfer in Frankfurt. I don’t think we waited more than 2 minutes after arriving at the new gate before we could board. I have never been that lucky!

But when we got here, I was surprised to find that I wasn’t staying with Caroline, a girl who I am in a couple of projects with and whom I had very much looked forward to sharing a room with. It feels wrong to say that I was disappointed when I got a whole room all to myself, a full 180 bed instead of a 90, but I was.

After lots of trouble getting in to my room I could finally lay down and sleep at around 1am, so much later than I am used to now with my new routines.

Today was the first real day here and it was a very good one. It started with a decent breakfast followed by three hours of the conference-part of this trip. Some questions we discussed I had input to, but some I was too new for so I just listened. Very interesting stuff though!

For lunch all 37 of us were divided into six groups and we went out into the city to find some place to eat. Everywhere we went it was full, until we found a basement restaurant that was empty. Sceptical, but it was not too bad. It was a nice room and atmosphere.

What’s funny here is the currency. They don’t use Euro but something else. And today’s lunch was 33000 of it. Crazy!

The rest of the afternoon we walked around and met up with everyone else at Mathias Church (which has a crazy and colorful roof, I might have to check if it is supposed to be the original roof. We watched the city from the hill and it was pretty.

On the way back to the hotel after the church (we didn’t go in), I spent a little time in the hotel pool and sauna. As a small preparation for the thermal baths tomorrow.

Dinner was served at a medieval restaurant called Sir Lancelot where we drank out of pottery urns, where food was served on a huge platter in the middle of the long table and a group of performers entertained us. It was a fun experience!

After dinner we went to a salsa club and I had such a great time! For the first time since Caribbean, I have had a piña colada that was really good. We danced and all of us occupied the dance floor with our typical circle dancing and scared away all the real salsa dancers. But it was great, I don’t think that place usually has that many guests. I feel like I need to find their social media or something because they took endless of photos and videos and they might post something about us crazy swedes! Fun place!

More pictures from the evening can be found here on their Facebook page.

Then we wanted to go to Szimpla Kert, a ruin bar and the most famous one in Budapest. The line said as much and we decided to go there tomorrow instead. So the description of what it is comes tomorrow.

I am writing this on my phone and the pictures I took today are on my work phone so I will add them to this post when I have access to a computer.

After 27k steps I am so ready to sleep. Goodnight! A fun day is waiting for us tomorrow again!

How is this possible?!

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A few days ago, my mom sent me a picture of the first page of the book she just started reading. I read the first line and thought “Oh, how weird, someone started their first chapter in the exact same way as I did”. Then I continued to read and all I could think for the rest of the page was “What the fuck?!”

I have never heard of Peter May before, or his book Coffin Road. But it is scarily similar to my first page! My first thought was that this might be me in a previous life. But the book was released 2016, so perhaps it was an earlier time in my reincarnation process but in this timeline, because time doesn’t matter in reincarnation? Perhaps I am living a double life as a Scottish author. Haha!

For those of you who have read my first chapter, you will most likely recognize this red-marked part from Coffin Road. May uses different words, but he follows the same path as I do. My first two sentence are “Salt. The air that filled my nose was full of that salty aroma.” His first sentence is “The first thing I am aware of is the taste of salt.” Pretty similar, don’t you think? The second thing his character aknowledges, is touch. Mine feels warmth, his feels cold. Then May’s character opens his eyes after what seems an eternity (mine can’t tell how long she lays there, a minute, several hours?) and it blinded, exactly as mine is.

Then he fills out with environmental descriptions, and throwing up, which I don’t, but then the realization hits both of our characters and they start to wonder who they are and where they are.

Then of course, he writes in a different way than I am, perhaps slightly better. Only slightly though, hahaha!

I still have a hard time believing this. This is insane!! I have had plenty of “what the fuck”-moments lately, but this takes the price. It is unbelievable! His book is a detective story and mine fantasy. It’s funny how two so completely different books can start in exactly the same way. Funny.

Review of “Champion” by Marie Lu

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Title: Champion
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend #3
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: 369
Published: 2013, Penguin Books
My Grade: 4 out of 5 airplanes

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

He is a Legend.

She is a Prodigy.

Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.

MY REVIEW

This series was definitely getting better and better and had a strong ending. Very predictable but still very fitting for the story.

The main thing about these books is the way Lu is writing and I feel that her way to connect to the characters are getting stronger and stronger with each book. She does it in a great way, but I am also feeling that it kind of gets too much, if that makes any sense? She paints a great picture of the environment and I feel that the characters feelings and analyzes take words from the story. Or maybe I am just jealous that I can’t write like that, haha!

It is hard to read when you are writing yourself. But that is good, because now I know that I want to use her passion and emotional engagement in her fighting scenes, in my own (way way way in the future).

It’s a good book, a four for sure!

#metoo

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Ever since I saw this tag for the first time, I haven’t been able to keep my mind off of it. My initial thought was that I didn’t want to copy it. I didn’t want people to know, I didn’t want people to judge me for being one of “those”. But I am. And I am not alone. I have hesitated a lot if I should post this at all, but I strongly relate to this issue, it is so important and I have realized that I am part of the problem if I don’t. Maybe it is time to be brave and actually open up, like so many other women right now!

2012. It wasn’t until two (!!) years later that I realized that this was not a no big deal. During WoW-week (Week of Welcome) at Cal Poly I realized the magnitude of what had happened and I completely broke down and told someone for the very first time. I couldn’t believe that I had been through that and just brushed it off my shoulders at the time. No, of course I didn’t just brush it off my shoulders. I spent two full days crying in bed, wondering why I hadn’t said no a little bit louder so he might have understood. But I didn’t tell anyone because I thought that I was overreacting. So I kept quiet, until Cal Poly made me aware of what I had been through. What was sad was, that at that time, in 2014, I was seriously thinking of doing something about it, tell the police. But then I thought, what good would that do, two years later and thousands of miles away? A hard realization hit me, nothing would happen. So I continued to keep quiet about it.

Some time passed and with the realization that it was a big deal, I actually wanted to share. But I was met by someone who took the guy’s side and I decided that I would never ever share this with anyone ever again. Why would I tell someone something this big and horrible if it wouldn’t help me in any way, just make me feel worse? So here I am, more than five years later and still haven’t really talked with anyone about it.

Then I saw this tag, thought it was a good idea, but I didn’t want to be a part of it. But I changed my mind. This is important and I have to hope that this will have some kind of impact! My Facebook feed is full of hashtags, many of them are probably from women in a similar situation like mine and that is just awful! I get so angry that so many (me included) are afraid of sharing because they might be met with shrugs and comments like “you are overreacting”, “think about it from the guy’s perspective”, “it could have been worse”, “was it really that bad?”. And the worst part? Feeling hopeless, because you know that even if you did tell the police or some authority right after it happened, the most likely scenario is that nothing would have been done about it anyway…

So now that everyone is aware, what is the next step?

#metoo

Another milestone reached!

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Yesterday I hit 20k words!

I have so many things in my head right now, things I want to both rewrite and continue to write. And as from the beginning, I still have tons of ideas for parts that will happen in 30k words or so. If only a day had more hours!

Right now, I am currently adding a whole new section to chapter 1. I am adding conflicts and excitements instead of just having it poetically beautifully written. I don’t want an anticlimax where I built up to something and then just threw it out the window. This will be great!!!

Review of “Prodigy” by Marie Lu

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Title: Prodigy
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend #2
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: 371
Published: 2013, Penguin Books
My Grade: 3.5 out of 5 paper clips

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic’s most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots – a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

MY REVIEW

I am not sure why exactly this got a slighty better grade than Legend. It might have been because I listened to Legend as an audiobook and I did it in two sittings so it felt like nothing happened. Or perhaps because this one was slightly better. Maybe they were as good? I got a good impression of it anyway. 3 feels low, but according to my scale, it was a good book so I guess that is accurate.

What was good about it? First of all, it was very intimately written. I got the impression that this book’s focus was the development of the characters and their point of view rather than the story. The story is good, but the closeness to the characters really make it pop.

Second, any type of realistic dystopian story intrigues me. Well, it doesn’t even have to be realistic, but this is. More of the backstory to why it became the Republic of America is revealed in Prodigy and it is so cool that the author sits on so much information that never really gets out to the reader. This is something I have definitely learned since starting to write myself and Marie Lu has drawn up a very colorful (maybe vivid is the more correct term since her future is really really grey and dull) world.

Definitely better than the first. Is perhaps Champion (the last in the trilogy) even better? We will have to wait and see.

Gothenburg Book Fair

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In Gothenburg there is a book fair held annually. And as a book enthusiast, I am embarassed to admit that I have never been, until today. If I hadn’t had an appointment, I probably wouldn’t have gone at all because of the demonstration. I won’t go into detail about it because it is extremely upsetting and I honestly don’t understand how the city of Gothenburg could approve of a Nazi demonstration. So many thousands of people on both sides coming to Gothenburg of all places, from all over Europe to demonstrate. Svenska Mässan, which is the place where most fairs are held in Gothenburg, was right in the middle of all the action but mom and I were lucky and didn’t get in the middle of anything.

We started our day at Heaven 23, the top restaurant in Gothia Towers. In all the years the hotel have been there, I have never been to that restaurant and had one of their famous shrimp sandwiches. But today I did! And at one of the best tables, right next to the window with an overview of all the chaos down in the street. Lots of people there, but we were lucky. Nice experience!

So anyway, at 16:30 I had an appointment with a literary consultant. They offered free analysis of the first chapter. I was nervous, but the woman I had who read my chapter was really nice and gave me some really helpful tips. For example, I was really good at making the text flow, well-written, and good environment descriptions. The first part of the first chapter was really good, built up some suspension, but it got kind of flat at the second part. I put together chapter 1 and 2 as they are written now because it made sense. There is kind of an anticlimax, I build up for some suspension but then leaves it. So I will add some action, or maybe not action, but something exciting instead of the “perfect” and boring paradise life.

Something else she told me that really inspired me was that I need to direct the reader in some direction. Either plant hints about what will actually happen, or lead the reader in a different direction and make them surprised when something else is revealed. I have planted lots of small hints, but they are not enough to guide the reader in any particular direction. I have to think a little bit about that I think. But I already know what kind of suspense I will add. I got the idea exactly when Anna-Carin told me about it. It will be awesome!

There was also a monter where there was supposed to be a short seminar about how to publish a book and what to think about. I was there, waiting, but when I got there the owner of the publisher told me that the security guards told them to keep the volume down. But the monter behind them were allowed becase the security guards didn’t want there to be any conflicts. The monter behind was Nya Tider (the nazi paper)… She is gonna post a presentation online in a week and I will look at it then. She gave me lots of help there though and I knew what kind of questions to ask at least one publisher that I have looked at before. It sounded really nice! But that is far away. Hopefully only a year, but we will see.

Anna-Carin also gave me lots of advice, like what I should do if I get stuck. I should try to write from a third person perspective and from other people’s point of view. Now I will get very “stuck” with my main character, to whom I draw lots from myself. She told me it could be good to write some other things and feelings to get perspectives that will give me a better understanding of the story.

Lots of good help and if I get really stuck in the future or need anything, I now know where I can turn. Unless it is way too expensive. But she was really professional and helpful and kind and excited. It was a good experience and I am now more thrilled than ever to continue to write!

This fall has been better than this year’s summer. Beautiful evening in downtown.

Review of “Kraften” by Siri Pettersen

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Title: Kraften (~The Power)
Author: Siri Pettersen
Translator (Swedish): Ylva Kempe
Series: Korpringarna #3
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 535
Published: 2016 (translated 2016), B. Wahlströms
My Grade: 5 out of 5 ravens

GOODREADS’ DESCRIPTION (translated to English by me)

Everyone in Ginnungad knew who she was, because she was the very symbol of everything they hated. She was Dreyris’ big hope. The proof that they would always rule.

Dreysil, the first land, is a cold world where weakness is despised. It is also a part of Hirka’s heritage, her father’s homeland, to where she has gone to save Ymslanden and RIme. But the corpseborn’s thirst after the Power is enormous and Hirka realizes that the wars that she wants to stop is inevitable.

Kraften is the third and finishing part in the series The Raven Rings, an epic fantasy story about power, hate, arrogance – and burning love.

MY REVIEW

Finishing a series is always a horrible experience. You read and read and read because you so desperate want to get to the end and find out what happens, but once you get there, you realize that there is no more. No more of this amazing journey you were a part of for a whole series. I always have this feeling, and it gets exponentially worse when the series is a good one.

Korpringarna is honestly one of the best series I have ever read. Siri writes in an excellent way, she continues to make the characters feel real. Everything feels real and realisticly written. There is a lot of thought behind every sentence and it is all connected in such an awesome way.

Like with the previous two books, she is flawless when she is drawing up the descriptions of both the world and emotions. I really hope that I will be able to create something similar with my book.

There is one thing that bothers me though. Like I said, there are no loose ends, everything makes sense at one point or another. But why didn’t Skerri call Hirka a traitor when she was there when all the fallen went through the rings? I might have misunderstood when reading, but if anyone have the answer to that question, please feel free to answer in the comments.

No question about it, a strong five out of five!

First day at my first job

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Today was the beginning of my new life. I have worked the first day at my first real office job! As of today, I am an assisting project manager at WSP here in Gothenburg and I still find that kind of hard to believe. I have spent the whole day setting up my desk with computer and phone and done e-courses on the company. Today was basically just about getting comfortable in a easy way. We had a department meeting where I got to introduce myself to everyone and everyone was so welcome and warm and friendly! Some people I knew from school, one even was my parents’ old friend whom I hadn’t seen in probably more than 15 years. The world is a small place.

I had a great first day. Many new expressions, everything completely new. And of course, I couldn’t fall asleep yesterday and might have gotten a little bit too little sleep. Now I have a full weekend to absorb all of this, gather more energy and work a full 40-hour week next week.

I can’t express how excited I am about this, this is the dream job. And I got it right after graduation! I couldn’t be more happy. I am actually hoping that this weekend will go fast so I can go back to my desk and doing important stuff. SOO EXCITED!

 

I also have to write quickly about the weather today. When I got out of the office building this afternoon, it was almost summer. It was hot! Then I voted in the Church Election and bought dinner and by the time I came out, the sky was a very very dark grey. The raindrops were so heavy and big that I felt them on my skin, THROUGH MY JACKET! And then of course, to make it even nastier, there was hail mixed in it. And of course some lightning and thunder. Fun times. What’s really sweet though is that a girl on the bus stop offered to share her umbrella with me. So super sweet! It was just for a couple of minutes until the bus arrived, but still, that probably saved me a lot more soaked clothes.

And one last thing. Yesterday, Jesper and I went to the gym. The first time for me since April. Last year! It hurts today and beach volleyball will be painful tomorrow morning. I really look forward to getting some routine to my life again with this 40 hour per week job and no uncomfortable hours. Once again, I can’t express how happy I am about this!

And here comes a picture of Ramses, the ever so photogenic floof!