Dom är här!

Vilken dag! Jag är numer officiellt på sommarsemester och mina underbara vänner från Italien är äntligen här!

Trots att jag inte längre bor i Italien tänker jag ofta tillbaka på den tiden. Det var en väldigt bra och utvecklande tid av mitt liv och den bidrog mycket till den jag är idag. Italien lärde mig flexibilitet och tålamod. Jag fick lära mig acceptans och att inte grotta ner sig för mycket i detaljer utan att ibland kunna rycka på axlarna och gå vidare. Italien gav min underbana minnen och vänner för livet. Fyra av dessa vänner kommer på mitt bröllop och idag kom de till Stockholm för att få uppleva min hemstad innan vi tillsammans på fredag åker ner till Mauritzberg.

Ikväll drog jag ihop kollegor, vänner och vännerna från Italien och sågs på Takpark ovanpå Urban Deli. Jag förstår inte varför man som Svensk inte blandar sina vänner mer, det bli ju för det mesta sp fantastiskt trevligt när man gör det. Vi hade en toppenkväll och det var kul att visa upp Stockholm från sin bästa sida.

Att vännerna är här betyder att bröllopet nu är nära och konstigt nog är jag fortfarande hur lugn som helst. Jag väntar på den där galna nervositeten... I helgen blev vi klara med allt tryckmaterial då underbara Lisa ställde upp i vått och torrt och fixade vad som behövdes fixas. Så skönt! Imorgon är jag ledig och ska fixa klart bordsplaceringen, namnlappar och bordsdekorationer. Planerar även ett långpass yoga vilket jag ser fram emot!

xoxo

Härliga lediga dagar i Italien

Italien är på många sätt och vis en stor del av mitt liv. Både Italien som intresse (jag dras som en magnet till mat, film, musik, folk, ja allt som är Italienskt) men även Italien som en del av mitt liv, min historia. Att få ta del av den Italienska vardagen i några dagar, få arbeta på ett Italienskt kontor omgiven av Italienare kändes helt fantastiskt. Men än mer underbart var det att slängas in i mitt gamla liv igen. Så snart jag lyckades få en stund ledigt från kollegorna hann jag iväg på en sushi middag med Anna och Matteo. En lunch med Stefania och Luisa. Och en bröllopsskor-shoppingtur med Stefania. 

På fredagskvällen gick jag och Stefania ut på en långpromenad och pratade om allt. Hon hade sedan bokat bord till oss på en högrankad Italiensk restaurang där vi tog in en smak-meny som vi satt och åt av länge. Vi hade såå mycket att prata om. Stefania är för de som inte vet min bästa kompis i Milano. Vi var som oskiljaktiga de åren vi båda bodde i stan och har umgåtts mer intensivt än de flesta. 

Lördag förmiddag lekte jag och Stefania turister och tog oss upp på "taket" av Duomo, något jag aldrig gjorde under mina år i Milano. På eftermiddagen bilade vi ner till Genova och mötte upp min andra väldigt nära vän Francesca. Francii är den mest sociala jag känner och i hennes sällskap blir det alltid fest. Inte fest som i Svenska mått betyder alkohol utan fest i Italienska mått där det betyder stora gäng av glada vänner samt massvis av mat och dryck. Francii bjöd på BBQ på sina föräldrars takterrass och där njöt vi av en  härlig försommar-kväll i goda vänner sällskap. Jag bara njöt. 

På söndagen var det redan dags att flyga hem till Sverige igen och det var med blandade känslor jag lämnade Italien. Sorg och med tårar i ögonen för att behöva lämna landet och vännerna jag älskar men ändå lycklig att få komma tillbaka till min blivande man och mitt liv som det levs idag. 

xoxo

Sträva framåt, inte bakåt...

Det var nu lite över tre år sedan jag flyttade hem till Stockholm efter mer än 9 år utomlands. Jag bodde i Limerick på Irland ett halvår, i Bologna i Italien i lite över ett halvår, nästan 4,5 år i London och lite under 4 år i Milano i Italien. Sen flyttade jag hem, till mina rötters hemstad Stockholm. Jag får ofta frågan om jag inte saknar de liv (ja jag ser det som flera olika liv) jag hade utomlands men mitt spontana svar är alltid nej. Visst jag saknar Italiens klimat, både Milano och framför allt Londons flexibilitet och enkelhet i att träffa och lära känna nytt folk och framför allt saknar jag mina närmaste vänner jag fick under åren jag bodde i de olika städerna. Jag saknar dock inte den ständiga kampen. Jag kan inte sticka under stolen med att livet utomlands var hårdare än vad det är här hemma i trygga lilla Sverige. Ville jag få vänner på mina nya platser fick jag kämpa för det, relativt hårt. Lika så för att passa in i gängen, lägenheterna (flat shares) och framför allt arbetsplatserna. För att inte tala om kampen att lära mig (acceptera) städerna med dess kultur, funktionalitet och för vad de faktiskt är. Italien är ett land där mycket vi i Sverige tar för givet helt enkelt oftast inte fungerar, t ex kollektivtrafiken. I gott och ont stormtrivdes jag mina år utomlands och de har gjort mig till en annan person än vad jag var innan jag åkte. En starkare, mer förstående och mer accepterande person. Och jag är otroligt tacksam för alla erfarenheter jag fick och minnena jag bär med mig för alltid.

Men, jag är inte en person som längtar tillbaka särskilt ofta. Jag strävar ständigt framåt på det som komma skall. På det som väntar runt hörnet. Ibland mer än vad jag verkligen borde.

Idag yr någon typ av snöblandat regn över huvudstaden. Riktigt depp-väder, framför allt då första snön kom redan den 2 november. Jag är ingen vintermänniska. Jag tycker om att åka skidor och jag tycker vinterlandskap är vackra men jag är frusen av mig och tycker mig frysa hela vintern igenom och vill därför att vintern ska var så kort som möjligt. I Sverige är den lång.

Men senast idag kom frågan, vill jag inte flytta tillbaka till Italien där mina vänner idag, 2 november, fortfarande går i shorts och kan ta ett kvällsdopp i havet efter jobbet? Men just idag vill jag inte det, kanske om några år, vem vet. Istället tittar jag tillbaka på de mängder av bilder jag har från min tid där och ler av minnena som ploppar upp. Bjuder på några av dem här ovan.

xoxo

Borta underbart men hemma bäst?

Det är med blandade känslor jag nu är tillbaka i Sverige efter 11 helt fantastiskt underbara dagar i Italien. 

Jag saknar redan Italien. De vackra vyerna, värmen, de varmhjärtade människorna, den goda maten, havet och att bara att få uppleva massvis med nytt. Det är så vi reser. Ligga stilla på en sandstrand är inte vår grej. Vi gillar att röra på oss, se nya platser, få uppleva och att få träffa folk. Vi låg en dag på stranden och en annan dag vid poolen men annars har vi promenerat massor, kört en del bil, träffat vänner, ätit och druckit gott och bara härjat omkring i mitt absoluta favoritland. För Italien är mitt favoritland för semester. Sverige är mitt favoritland att bo i. Men mer om det en annan gång. 

Trots att jag saknar Italien är jag ändå glad att vara hemma igen. Vara hemma i vårt hus igen, med alla mina saker och min härliga trädgård. Borta bra men hemma bäst är verkligen ett sant uttryck. För man mår ju så bra att få släppa hemmaplan ett tag, koppla bort allt och bara få njuta av något annat för att sedan få komma hem igen och få njuta av att vara hemma. Vi kom hem i lördags vilket vi var glada för då det gav oss en hel dag igår av att bara ta det lugnt, packa upp våra saker och fixa hemma. Jag fixade en del i trädgården som tack vare min mammas vattning och Stockholms inte för bra, men heller inte för dåliga väder, klarat sig galant medan vi var borta. 

Jag kommer dokumentera hela resan på bloggen de närmaste dagarna. Mest för mig själv, för att jag tycker det är så himla kul att kunna titta tillbaka på mina resor på bloggen, som en dagbok. 

Veckan som kommer ska i övrigt fokuseras på jobb och plugg, men känner jag mig själv rätt kommer det även bli en del träning, trädgårdshäng och vänner. 

Bilden är tagen en halvmulen dag i Porto Santo Stefano på halvön Monte Argentario. 

xoxo

Att flytta hem till Sverige...

Jag och mina väskor på väg från Milano 3 sep 2013

Idag är det, enligt facebook memories, exakt 2 år sedan jag flyttade hem till Sverige efter mina, nästan 9, år utomlands.

Jag stormtrivdes utomlands både i Milano och i London. Livet var egentligen lite sämre men samtidigt lite roligare. Mina veckor fylldes till maxgräns av vänner, god mat, bra väder, fina platser, nya människor, konstiga händelser och ständig personlig utveckling. Jag pratade dagligen 3 flytande språk, lärde mig konstant nya saker och slutade aldrig att fascineras av hur annorlunda allt var, enligt mig. Mina år utomlands var fantastiska och de gav mig oslagbara minnen och vänner för livet.

Beslutet att flytta hem var inte lätt men jag har aldrig ångrat mig en sekund. Sverige är ett fantastiskt land på så många olika sätt. Levnadsstandarden är högre. Livet är tryggare. Jag mår helt enkelt bättre här. 

Jag är glad för åren jag fick i både London och Milano men idag är jag lycklig här, i min hemstad Stockholm. Jag utesluter dock inte att jag någon gång i framtiden kommer flytta utomlands igen. Något jag rekommenderar alla att testa på om ni får chansen.

xoxo

Wind music awards at Rai Tv

I miss Italy! I miss Italy so much that it hurts some times.

The summer in Sweden has still not started. It is the beginning of June. The spring has hardly arrived in my opinion. I still walk around with a duvet jacket and gloves in the mornings. That is winter for me. We have got between 5 and 15 degrees. It has been raining most days in the whole 2015. Just boring!

I am happy I got such a great life that the weather is not the main focus even if it annoys me. Best boyfriend, a great job and a new house soon to settle into brightens my mood up. I have also been crazily busy so even if we would have had sunny days I would have spent them inside.

However, yesterday evening I ended up in front of the TV. (It happens very rarely) But my sixth sense turned the TV on and immediately put the Italian Rai uno on and just happend to find the amazing Wind music awars show. I melted. Italy! My lovely Italy. The wonderful Italian music. The heat. They have 30 degrees in Italy at the moment, 22 by night and people in the crowd were sweating. I so wish I was there but I wasn't. 

Today I will book tickets to go to Italy in August. Can't wait.

xoxo

Moving to Stockholm

Yesterday was a really sad and stressful day. But I survived it!

With over 100 kg of luggage my mum, Cicci and myself managed to bring it all the way "home" to Stockholm without to much problems or overweight charges. Great. 

So much emotions to leave Milan. I have had 3,5 amazing years. Very busy years full of challenges, great people, lots of travel around Italy, fun and happiness. And a thing is that I am leaving it all in the middle of a great period. Many people make changes when things doesn´t go well but I do this BIG change even if everything actually was going great. 

I loved my job. And my colleagues. I enjoyed the gym. I had lots and really good friends. And my best friend Stefania has just moved back to Milan....

So why did I move? I decided it after the election in February. Italy has amazing people but I actually don't get the mentality. It is too much egocentric voting and thinking in the election and that kind of was the final push when deciding if moving home - something I have been thinking about since almost three years ;)

I love Italy! It is an amazing country. Delicious food, fun people and a real beautiful country. Another big plus is the weather. 

But I love Sweden as well. I do believe I belong here. My future should be here. So now it is time to get it a try... HELLO Stockholm!

xoxo

The Italian way of celebrating the international women's day

Ok people, now I will tell you the Italian way of celebrating the International women´s day. Hold your hats...

Starting around after work hours, from 6pm more and less, in most bars, pubs and nightclubs and also in many restaurants ONLY women are welcome. No men at all. So all these places fills up with only lots of girls. Kind of strange. Then in later hours there is always some kind of show with a "poor" man that has to dance/striptease in front of all these women. 

I have never gone out on the 8th of March in Italy before but as this year it happened to be on a Friday Anna and I decided to go give it a go. We went to Tocqueville for aperitivo, saw the show, danced a bit and left not too late. It was fun!

I find the idea behind this Italian tradition kind of ridiculous but at the same time I know that this is a day that big groups of girls are having reunions with old class mates, university friends or colleagues and that is a nice tradition instead. 

xoxo

Goverment-less Italy

Sunday and Monday's election in Italy ended up with no real winner. The center-left (Bersani) got slightly more percents than the center-right (Berlusconi) but no single party or coalition ended up getting enough votes to set up a majority government. The "standup comedian" Beppe Grillo got ca 25% of the votes while the above mentioned coalitions got around 30% each and as long as no one of these decides to shake hands with one of the others (small chance/risks) no Government can be created. So for now, Italy is goverment-less and for how long that will be case no-one seems to know.

I so wanted Monti to end up with more votes so he could end up joining the center-left coalition which for me would had been the only real good outcome of this election. Now there is a risk (quite small anyway) that the comedy star Bebbe Grillo (I rehesitate to take him seriously) joins the center-right side which would be a disaster.

The problem is that the (not very serious) Italy are the fourth biggest economy in Europe and it is therefore also very important for the whole European union economy. I feel sorry for the world being dependent of something as confusing as the Italian election...

What will happen next is so far very unclear... But I do have hope in president Napolitano, that he once again will find a good solution. Fingers crossed.

xoxo

Italy has voted...

The elections are over and done and now we all want to know the results! As the results are equally important for the European union's future as for Italy's  the whole world is waiting for the outcome of this big election. Late tonight or tomorrow morning we will get it.

So far we only know that only just just above 50% of the Italians did vote. Crap weather conditions could have been a reason for it even if I would like to hope not. How much influence can 5 cm of snow have on the Italian population?

xoxo

Italy should vote...

On Sunday and Monday Italy is voting. It is the big Italian election 24 and 25 February 2013 everyone (the whole world actually) has waiting for is finally here. The result is important not only for Italy but it is very important also for the whole eurozone and kind of important for the whole world economy.

Milan has since over a month been full of election posters and the TV hasn't done anything else than talking about politics. My head is exploding. Both because it is too much politics for my taste, but also because even if I have read as much as I could in the last few days and have talked to many different people I find it impossible to get the whole picture of this election.

To make is sound "dramatic" the Italians can choose in between:
- One soon 80 years old man that should not only retired but should also be put into prison
- One university professor
- One stand up comedian
- One politician that in the last weeks has been in the center of a bank scandal
- Then we had a big liar but he resigned just the other day....
...
I would have no clue who to vote for, that's for sure.

But I am not alone. They say 1 of 5 of the Italians still today doesn't know who to vote for. But the other day I found this website: Voi siete qui

 

I answered 25 tricky questions and got the result above. Apparently, I lean towards the center-left side and many of my opinions goes well together with the parties of Mario Monti. I am not overly surprised. He is the only one, according to me, able to get Italy moving towards in the right direction. According to his ideas the Italians would have to live a bit harder life for a while with higher taxes, higher costs and better controls.... But I do believe that is the only way Italy would be able to have a brighter future.

Unfortunately many Italians don't think like that, they have never done and will never do. They want to live good today, no matter what the future will bring. That is why the country is close to collapsing. Few years ago people has retired at the age of 40-45 years, can you image how high pension costs Italy has got today? Also, many employees, paid by the state, still today works part time and earns as they would do full time. School teachers works never more than 20 hours a week and earns over the average Italian full time salary. And they have got more than 3 months paid holiday a year as well.

But well, a small detail to all this is that I can't vote in Italy. But it is interesting to read and discuss the Italian politics anyway.

Here is a very interesting article from the Economist "Who can save Italy".
I agree with every word they say.

xoxo

Sanremo festival 2013

2013's Sanremo festival is over and done. It has been going on every single night this week and he big final was yesterday. I only saw the final and I was surprised to enjoy it a lot. Not all, but many of the songs were very nice and the winner was great. Yes, the right song won! 

The Sanremo final was seen by 14 millions of people, that is more than whole population in Sweden! And... a bit less than 25% of Italians population. Not bad. A big event in other words and I think they managed to make it very good this year. It felt up to date for being in 2013. Italy normally manage to get things done traditionally making these kinds of festivals the same since 50 years...

Marco Mengoni won with his song L'essenziale and you can hear it clicking on the link above. I love it. I got it on my phone already by the mid of this week as I liked it so much so I was happy to see him win. He will also be the one representing Italy in the Eurovision song contest in Malmö in May. It might be a to "normal" song to win it (there are always the strange ones winning) but I hope he will reach a good position anyway!

Now I am gonna go back to Virgin Village for another Zumba master clsss. I am all exited. 

xoxo

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns

In the beginning of this week the Pope Benedict XVI announced  his resignation. He is saying his reasons for this big decision is that he is tired and sick which would prevent him doing a good job as the Pope.

A good job? I ask myself, is being "a pope" a job like being a receptionist, a taxi driver or a politician? I thought they say the pope was chosen by god into that massive role of the leader of the whole catholic world? The Italian politicians (no names) don´t want to leave their jobs until they fall into the grave but the pope is now resigning like he was just anyone.

Rumors are anyway saying his reason to resign is something else. They talk about internal conflicts in the Vatican, "bank problems" or just emotional problems with the Christian population. I am curious to know the real reason but my opinion remains; A pope should not resign.

The pope Benedict XVI´s last day at his job is the 28th February and at 8pm he should walk out of the church for good. A new pope should be chosen around Easter. Interesting.

xoxo

Pub night with Stephanie

 

I remember all my pub night during my four years in London. It was part of almost everyone's lifestyle to go to the pub with friends at least once a twice a week. A social and fun tradition England has since hundreds of years. Sometime you go for just a beer/coke/glass of wine/hot tea, sometimes for dinner, or to watch a game or for the traditional Sunday roast lunch.

However Italy is equally social. It it part of the weekly life of almost everyone living in the bigger cities to go for aperitivos at a bar. It one way it is even better as you get free dinner together with your drink.

But a bar is a bar and a pub is a pub. A bar is trendy. A pub is cosy. And yesterday I realise I actually miss the pub hang a lot. I have Milan's oldest pub "La Matricola" just few steps from my place and I wonder why I don't bring along friends there more often?

Yesterday Steppy and I finished off the left overs from my lasagna dinner the night before and then we went down the pub. So cosy.

xoxo

@ ASL for the yearly registration

 

  Oh I hate this place, the ASL office in Lambrate. Remember how many times I went here trying to register and they kept rejecting me asking for different documents each time? Read about it here

Now when I think about it It feels like taken from a comedy movie. And then I am quite impressed of my own persistence of going back so many times, always with a smile on my face, to re-try again just to be treated like shit. What a worrier I was!

Well, now I am back again, as I have to come back every year, but now it should be easier as I already have the card and just need to renew it. Next number is me...

...OK! Now I am on the tram on my way to work. Everything went well. I was well prepared and had with me all kinds of documents they could ever ask for. Perfectly organized I just handled the man every single document he asked me for, he looked angry all the time but when we were finished he said... "the world would be so much easier if everyone would be organized as you Germans..." GERMAN? I am not German but Swedish! The man just saw my surname and assumed that I was German... well, no time for argue, I just smiled and walked away...

xoxo

Job lunches

Italy might not have as many working benefits in comparison to Sweden. But few actually does exist!

One of them is that most Italian companies pay for your every day lunch.

When working for Givenchy they gave me daily "lunch ticket" that I could use either at one of the nearby restaurants, in the employee restaurant or when buying food at the supermarket. As my salary wasn't that high at the time I saved lots of money using the tickets for all the food shopping I did and then I brought with me lunch boxes with home made food every day.

Instead where I am working now we have the lunches paid at one of three choices of restaurants in the area. A Mojito bar opposite the street serving nice sandwiches, salads and other quick dishes. Or we have kind of a self service restaurant employee restaurant just below the office where we got lots of eat. Or my favorite choise, is a family owned restaurant where an old couple is cooking homemade Italian food. I just love it. In there I have tried special Italian dishes I had never heard of before. They have a good range of daily choices including pasta, meat and fish dishes.

I eat lots every day for lunch and 9 times of 10 the food is perfect.

xoxo

Friday at Jazz

Anna, Sara, me and Steppy

Friday and a good day for a cocktail at Jazz Cafe with some friends. The place was like always overly full of people and I was kind of sad that we had to leave so early.

The problem here in Milan is the public transport by night. There is "something" but I haven't really figured out how it works so I always have to go back home around 00.30 as that's when the last trams go. So annoying.

xoxoi

You need to pay to collect mashrooms in the Italian forests...

In Italy, If you wanna go out a sunny autumn day in the forest and collect some mushrooms you first need to apply and pay for a "mushroom permission card". This cost in between 20-50 Euro. It is really against the Swedish "rights of common" (allemansrätt) which give everyone free rights out in the nature...

I found out as I said that today, a beautiful sunny autumn day, would had been great for a spontaneous mushroom collecting day in the forest but obviously that can not be spontaneous at all in Italy as you need to apply weeks before for the permission, pay the fee and get the card.

I keep wondering where all the money the Italians are paying in high taxes, extremely high costs for traveling on Italian highways and the permission fees that they pay for whatever they wanna do end up?

xoxo

A small part of the Italian TV

It ended up being a quite lazy evening in the end. I passed the gym for one hour step tonification. and then I just went home. Was supposed to meet up a friend for an aperitivo but neither of us didn't feel very weel so we postponed it. Step tone is the perfect fitness class to make if you're a bit tired or if, like I was supposed to, would go out directly afterwards. It is a good training but it doesn't tire you out like some fitness classes can do. It is just a bit tricky step dance warm up followed by upper body free weights training. The hour passes before I even manage to blink...

At home I had a simple dinner in front of the TV watching the final of "The Veline", a beauty/dance competition where the winners gonna be, for one year, the show dancers for one of Italy's most seen TV shows, Striscia La Notizia. It is a great TV show that exposes holes and shames in the Italian media, government, politics, welfare and other scandals with help of local reporters. And like all the Italian TV shows it obviously needs to have some good looking girls too... (no comments)

This competition has been going on for the whole summer and I am glad it is finally over an the real program will start again.

One joke made me laugh tonight... one of the juries (a editor manager from a gossip magazine) turnes around and looks at the public saying,"it was very nice to see the boyfriends to these beautiful girls tonight. I wonder if they know how many serie A football players that are waiting for the two winning girs out there...." The sad thing is that it is true. All the below finalists are normal university studying girls but in a month or o two of them (the winners) will be hanging out on the trendiest restaurants and night clubs dating millioner football players. It has always been like that and I guess it will always be...

And by the way, the wrong girls won. The winners are the second couple on the picture (in yellow and blue) but I liked the last couple both dressed in black...

xoxo

Two earthquakes in one day

Thanks sweetest you for all the messages and e-mails today!

For those who doesn't know Italy was hit by two earthquakes this morning. One around 09 when I had just arrived to work and one around 13.00. I felt them both, very hard, and I obviously got terrified just like the other two times it happened. Everyone just freeze and doesn't know what to do, actually there is not much you can do. It is an absolutely terrible feeling.

However like you can see on the picture above the earthquake was quite far away from Milano, so if I felt it hard you can imagen people living closer. The earthquake was centered in the province of Modena, near Bologna. The towns of Mirandola and Cavezzo were closest and got totally distroyed. 15 people dies, many ingured and tousends has lost their homes and lives in tents on the streets.

It feels terrible that the country where I live have been hit by something like this, I find it hard to believe. I wish and pray this was the last earthquake for this year, we have had more than enough.

Now I just got back from the gym, have had a quick dinner and and will now jump into the shower and then rush away to Matteo's birthday party.

xoxo