Fathers' day

• It's fathers' day today, the second Sunday of November. Isn't it amazing? A year ago I wrote the TOEFL test in order to prove the people at the International Office of Linköping University that I am fully capable of going to the United States of America to pursue my academic studies. My result on the TOEFL test were high and I was far above the lowest acceptance levels. I still didn't make it due to fierce competition. It's OK though, life took another path and I can't say that I am unhappy about it right now.

• We spent the evening at Barolo, congratulating my dad. The dinner was great and it was a pleasant evening. It feels like six months ago, not 12. I had to return to Linköping that same evening so shortly after we had finished our meals, dad drove me to Södertälje Syd train station for the late train back to "Camp Bad Accent". The following weeks were calm compared to the rest of 2007, I saw a light at the end of a very long tunnel.

• The meeting with the former exchange student on Friday night was cool, nothing special though. He was very nice and he liked to drink a lot of beer. He emptied three Stiegl bottles while I was struggling with one. Sara told me that he had four beers altogether that night, we only had one each. Anyhow, the bar (or whatever the fuck it was) was situated on the top floor of a student dorm. The building was a typical soviet-like, spartan and ugly concrete block. Ten tenants were supposed to share toilet and showers, and the walls (including the very scary elevators) reminded me of a prison. We'll see if we meet again.

• AIK finished 5th in the league this season after a 2-0 victory over GAIS (stupid name).

• I am currently taking a break from a very long and exhausting chapter about "Customer Centric Organizations". I am supposed to present Nokia from a customer centric viewpoint in a couple of days but I am not very motivated about it. It is a lot of reading...

• Something that actually does motivate me to continue, despite the enormous amount of text that I need to read, is the fact that things are going well. My grades have been hight this far, and if I can manage to nail the exam on Wednesday, it means that I have passed my second course down here.

• The coming weeks are stuffed with lectures, seminars and deadlines/exams. After that things will hopefully cool down a few notches.

• Quantum of Solace was impressive, but I saw it in German so I don't have much of a clue what the story is about. I feel obliged to watch the English version, but the question is if it is worthwhile, I have already seen all the scenes and nothing will surprise me. I am mentally cleft. Nevertheless, it was a very pleasant evening, and I would like to this again. Thank you Nicole!

I am heading back towards the books. Thank you for reading!

Feeling like home

It struck me the other day that the air and and climate in Linz reminds me a lot of Tehran, as corny as it sounds. Linz is an industrial city, so is Tehran. Tehran is surrounded by the mountains of the Alborz mountain chain, Linz is surrounded by plateaus (in lack of a better word). The conclusion is thus that the air is not in motion (as in Linköping, where you always have to fight head wind). Smog can be seen often, and after a few hours of rain, the sky is clear again. Just like Tehran. The industries contribute to the heavy smell, and pollution can easily be tasted as it is a flavour in the tap water.

This is the view from my window in Linz.














This is the view from "Tappe-ye Sa'aadat-Abad" in Tehran (if that makes any sense...). I know that Tehran is a much more polluted city and by watching the picture from Linz, it doesn't look smoggy at all, but it actually is!





It has been relatively warm the last few days. When I first arrived here about eight weeks ago, it was raining constantly and it was rather cold. the last few days I went to the university without my jacket on, only with a polo t-shirt. The sun was really burning yesterday and i skipped an hour from a boring lecture just to get to sit in the sun for a while. It felt as if it was the last days of May back home, that's how warm it was!


My first exam is coming up and I feel good about it. The courses down here differ from how it is in Linköping in regards of pace, workload and scheduling. Everything here is supposed to be made by yourself exclusively, the administrators help you out whenever you end up in trouble (with this I mainly mean overlapping courses). In Sweden you usually don't experience such problems, if you have chosen your major, you will be able to take whatever courses you want without having to fear that they will collide in the timetable. Everything has been worked out in advance so that you can pick one road initially, and finish it without having to change lines simultaneously.

It's Thursday afternoon and I'm hungry. My roomies are cooking so I'll have to wait for them to finish their work in the kitchen. I have one seminar left this week and I must say that these seminars are the most interesting ones I've attended this far of my academic life. The professor is American and knows a lot about our subject (varied aspects of global business). I handed in my first paper to him the other day and I am eagerly anticipating his response. I am curious to know what level I am on and what I need to improve.

Later tonight I'm heading out, a MENSA party (a more brief explanation of this subject is to come in the near future!), but it will most probably be a calm evening for me. I have class tomorrow. I doubt that there will be many exchange student out tonight because many seem to be going to the movies to see Quantum of Solace. I almost feel a little jealous.

Quantum of Solace

The new Bond movie has its premiere tonight (in Sweden) and I was hoping that it would be out in Austria at the same day, but unfortunately it wasn’t. I usually joke about Austria being a developing country (considering the somehow bizarre experiences I have had during the last seven weeks), but this goes even beyond. I had to comfort myself by passing by the watch shops’ windows and drool in front of their monters with elegant portraits of Daniel Craig showing off his Omega. This picture turns me on in a morbid way.

Anyhow, I couldn’t see Quantum of Solace and I will have to wait a few weeks due to heavy workload, but I saw another movie instead. I saw Burn After Reading with Brad Pitt, George Clooney and John Malkovich. Short reflection: Funny scenes, funny characters (but with the wrong set of actors) and horrific story. It was hurtful to see Brad Pitt in that kind of role, he is too good for that. It was tragic to see George Clooney in his role too because it was unworthy. John Malkovich was funny though, but all in all, it was as if Jim Carrey would start acting in drama movies, it just doesn’t sit right.

In a few weeks time…

The Dark Knight

And so I finally got to see one of the most hyped movies of the year. The latest Batman movie was better than any of the other ones I have seen before, but I am still not convinced and fully impressed. This was a good movie, no doubts, but I have seen better (the last 6 James Bond movies for instance). Heath Ledger was absolutely brilliant in his role, Christian Bale made a more heroic impression this time with morale sermons and pure (mortal) love. Katie Holmes absence ruined that character.

Speaking of James Bond, I saw the trailer for the first time today and I am very curious to see what they have come up with this time. Casino Royale was one of the best productions this far and I think it will be hard to overshine it with something new. I hope I'm wrong.

It's three weeks left till my departure for Austria. The coming weeks are stuffed with farewells, reunions and "fuckoff's". I am looking forward to a derby game between AIK and Hammarby, which I actually know that AIK will be losing. No big deal. I'm there for the atmosphere (for the last time in a while) and to socialize with friends.