Markus i Sverige

Wednesday was the coldest day so far. During the whole day we did not have more than -6 degrees. In the morning it were even -11. But it began to snow during last night when the temperatures became near 0. Now we have a nice pouder-snow everywhere. This night Stefan and I went by car to Sidsjön for sledging down the skislope. It was so fun. After days in office and room at home this was an awesome joke at night.

The week was not so interesting. On monday I've been a little bit sick and did not go to badminton. The preperations for our Kårhuset party went well until we heard that Kåren is unhappy about our topic. That was an accident. For attracting at least some Swedish for our party we announced our erasmus-party as a Black&White party which accidentely is also the topic of an incredible huge and famous Kårhuset-party in spring. Announcing a small Black&White-party in Kårhuset would violate the reputation of the big party in spring, so Kåren. I guess, all of you, who have been in Kåren in the last 10 months how big partys are. Esspecially those in spring. I remember "huge and famous" Apre Ski party, Reeperbahn party and Pyjama-party. But maybe this party is really huge. But however, it is too late anyway. We tried to fix the advertisments on Wednesday. So cool that some of the "old" students attend "in mind". In the evening was a goodbye-party for our

On 5th of December 2007 Kåren has been so kind to offer us a place to party in Kårhuset. The initial idea was to play our own music there. Jens will be the DJ, so we can be sure to have a good collection of songs beyong the usual club-stuff. Since the party is so late in the semester it turned out that this will also be a kind of Goodbye-Party for the exchange students. Of course, we can have fun among ourselves, but with more (Swedish) people its more fun, so we spread the news. To give the party some style we decided to anounce it as a black&white party. This has nothing to do with the famous (???) Black&White party from Kårhuset. We never heard about it before otherwise we would have skipped that topic for avoiding confusion. The single drawback: the party takes place on a Wednesday.

Thursday has everybody been busy. The whole day. Except of me. For not starring at the walls I spent the evening in the wood and starred at the sauna-walls afterwards. Friday was a quite successful workday. The evening happend a cool sit-in-party at our flat and it last until 4am. Saturday itself has been therefore very relaxing. Jens and I went two hours through the wood and around Sidsjön. In the evening has been the vodka-party. Cool thing. The common 4 of us went to Kårhuset at 11 for joining the 60-70's party. But due to the soccer-match between Spain and Sweden which Sweden lost heroical with 0:3 the Swedes had left the place after the match. We were almost the only people in the house. But that did not matter. We had the dance floor for our own and got not tired to use it. Definitely a cool evening. Sunday morning Christian made breakfast at our flat. So tasty and climax of a weekend which I felt like eating all the time. Preparing tomorrows lesson bridged the time between l

It is constantly cold here. Actually -5 degress at 8am. Sometimes it snows a little bit, but usually it is not worth to mention. Snow on the sidewalks is by now that compressed that you might be able to skate to university without a problem. Looking back at the past three days nothing specific has happened. From monday I remember badminton and sauna. Tuesday was a staying-home day. Yesterday I got my first feedback about my thesis. In 3 months. But it seems things are rolling now. The thesis is "method vodoo" but not a hopeless case. That's more than I have expected. Todays tasks: writing CV, writing applications , and writing thesis, of course. At the weekend there is a vodka-party announced at Norrmalms. We all shall share vodka. To "get wasted like one big family". Yeah, right... seems like I've been to long away from home. Yesterday the skiweek has also been booked. We are one week too late for getting the accomodation I prefered. Damnit. But at least w

Short week. Last salsa evenings. Finally. Although it was fun, I am looking forward to two free evenings in the week. What else... haircut and Glühwein on Friday, swimming on saturday and finishing the day with an ABBA party as classic as weird. Definitely an experience. I do not know what was in that Polish bowl, but my slight headache and the sickness of several guests tell their own story. Pictures by Marta and Maritha . Sunday was relaxed. Long sleep and a long walk through the wood. Over the night and during the morning we got real good snow.

Old sins always come back, they say. One of them caught me now. My own course. Today started the new quarter for me with a new course: decision analysis 1, a course that I visited myself last year. At least from time to time. I remember the laborations were pretty cool, because I worked with Basti. But the lessons I can hardly remember. I think, I remember slides I did not really understand, but the satisfaction always followed during the laborations when a given problem brought sense to theories. But now I have to hold those lessons by myself. Hardly content to tell. As far as I remember, the first 10 minutes in the last year courses (not only decision analysis) were necessary for getting a projector working with a laptop. Because I am annoyed by wasting time with computer problems, I am using the whiteboard since the first lecture. The students have to suffer from my handwriting, but at least they only get what's necessary - I think. So today started a power-course with 3 student

So that was it. Halloween. After a preparty at Norrmalms all started similar to last year with snow, a huge queue in front of Kårhuset and Swedes who are already unable to walk straight before entering the party. After we entered they closed the doors, because Kårhuset was already full. With 200 hundred people as I heard. 200? On bartömmning they have usually 500 to 600. Why closing when the queue is still so long? But it got even worse. Instead of having opened the big dancing room at the upper floor they had just three small dancing rooms: the usual dancefloor that was owned by awful electro beats, the smoker room almost playing the same crap and the billiard room playing the same crap sometimes mixed with garbled classics from Offspring and Green Day. Stefan and I left the disappointment 15 minutes before its official end for avoiding at least the final queue at the wardrobe. On the way back we met a funny Swed. He asked us for the Ibiz-hotel. We could not really help him further ev

Just found something funny on WebCT (webplatform of Miun): For all non-Swedish speakers: Finska = finnish Spara alla = save all One of those words does not fit ;)

Work goes quite well these days. Every day my thesis gets more text. I start now every morning at 9. Effectively at 10 or later, because before I do everything else than working: getting tea, checking mails, reading news and stuff like that. On Tuesday my students wrote my exam. Pretty cool thing. Yesterday I corrected it. Strange to see them in my situation from one year ago. These days are more serious than the days before. Not only because of workload. Since my future in Sweden depends on the result of my thesis there is a uncertain timespan after February. Even if they accept me as PhD I cannot imagine that bureaucracy (even in Sweden) can let me start immediately in March. Therefore I should check for some B-plans. I already canceled my room at Nacksta, because in case I stay here it is no problem to take the cancellation back. May thoughts about plans in spring are quite vague. There is still the master thesis that needs to be written. I could bridge the time between diploma thes