From freedom to slavery

Recently, my all inner world was constantly pondering women's situation in their family context, considering only women from post-soviet countries, such as Baltic States, Balkan region and the rest of Eastern Europe. This blog post has spent over three weeks in 'draft' section, because I kept hoping I will arrive in some kind of a conclusion. Nevertheless, this question stays open and doesn't leave my mind. Maybe because I can't find the nerve to keep searching for an answer even though I'm interested in the idea of finding it. What puts me down the most is the absolute downfall of the idea of two young people being desperately in love with each other and willing to do anything for each other. It seems like something that can only happen if the society ceases to remain humane.

So what I've been pondering is women taking up the role of a husband-slave, or, worse, a family-slave. As this post-soviet period was not too long ago, this is still to to be seen in the environment of where I am from. I find it impossible for myself to understand why women choose to not change it and not do anything to make it stop. The majority of middle-aged and old men of this generation seem to be very fond of consuming enormous amounts of alcohol, especially vodka. This leads to alcohol addiction. These men not only disrespect their children, but usually as well humiliate their wives,and spend most of their family's money on alcohol. There are also cases when women take up this role, I'm not a sexist, but most often it IS men. What adds to never ending family quarrels, women having to earn money for the whole family and look after the children and the household, and men showing their children the worst family life example possible, is quite often physical violence, humiliation of women in front of their children, or even sexual violence within the family.

It is, of course, terrible and hard to perceive as something that is still happening in our modern society, but what worries me the most is how women accept it as something 'natural' (it's hard to even use this word in a context like this) and do nothing to change it. It might, of course, be so because of never ending hope that one day it will change without doing anything, or fear of big changes, or maybe even taking children away from their father, but if you think about it.. This is a change for good, and it is also a good thing to do regarding children's wealth. When you think about it, women's fear to escape is the only power supply for this kind of men. They have power over someone, they are given money, they have someone to clean for them, and cook for them. They have a servant. But only if women in this situation treat themselves as servants. But the truth is, everyone's free, regardless of their gender, marital status or number of children. It isn't a choice to make, it isn't even a choice of whether to make this change or not. However, the problem is - wait, there is no problem. And then, after choosing to be repressed instead of being free, women think they have the right to get offended by the usage of term 'women logic'.

The only thing I am sure of after thinking over it and writing it down is that I will be relieved if this won't become a tradition. The idea of free and open-minded society is taking over my generation, and it looks like we will have to be the ones to give it a form and make it a tradition, something to pass on to other generations as a model of general wealth. We will have to be the ones to resist the bad example we have been shown, take up the good bits from the exceptions in it and create something new for ourselves to make our lives better. To cheer you up, I think we will do just fine :)

Tattoos: representing thought or calling attention?

According to the statistics, 36% of US adults between the ages of 18-25 have at least one tattoo. This officially proves how fond young people are of expressing themselves in various ways.  Although most of them see this as a way to represent a unique way of thinking, others just seem to call for some  extra attention. Although there is no official proof of that and never will be, I think that everybody has thoughts about getting a tattoo and I’m not an exception. I have been constantly having thoughts regarding the location, the size, and, most Importantly, the meaning of what I would like to put on my body . However, the visualization of it in my head changes all the time. And that is for sure the only reason why I don’t have a tattoo yet. What keeps me from being sure about it is basically the thought that one morning I will wake up with regret. Images appearing in my head vary from band logos to quotes and those little fancy drawings that always look cute. For me they all have some kind of meaning or cause some kind of an association with what matters to me. But then I start to think about tribal tattoos or tramp stamps and what they mean to people, and what it is that causes them to want to have this kind of painting on their body.
Every person has his own reasons for doing things and even trying to be as tolerant as possible I cannot in any way understand some of them. For me life is a one-time chance to do whatever I feel like doing. A chance that just feels very wrong to miss. However, some people just seem to refuse to realize it and go with the flow.

Little experiments: new hairstyle

Before I left to the university today, I really felt like doing something new with my hair, but did not have time for extreme changes. Therefore, I just added a new braid to the one-sided one I already mastered. I think it turned out pretty well :)

Emi is into movie recommendations

'Cafe de flore' is another movie I can't stop thinking about..and watching all over again as well. That's my thing, when something makes me think or feel differently in a good way, I get addicted to the feeling and feel like it would be wrong not to see/hear it again.
So this movie raises the idea of faith when it comes to love. It's about two people being written in the stars. About one person being a part of his partner's flame which burns even after this life ends, and even when the other life starts, meaning that the two are destined to find each other there. I find it very comforting to think that. When you combine the main ideas of 'Mr.Nobody' and 'Cafe de flore', it's not so hard to believe. We live our lives and don't really know if the afterlife exists. But if we are so sure of it even if it can all exist in one child's imagination, the idea of afterlife doesn't seem so surreal anymore, at least for me. I often get taken over by those depressing thoughts about the end of my life. Especially when I wish for my happiness to last forever. But there is no forever if we die, is it? That's depressing too. So this movie gave me a new point of view, the one that gives my happiness some deeper context. One that makes me mean it when I say forever. feel love more truly than ever and encourages to never forget about it, not even for a second.
To be honest, I can't stop thinking about this movie for weeks after I watch it once. Those thoughts are seriously addictive, because there is nothing in this world that makes me feel more satisfied with what I have and who I am than perfect harmony inside me.

On the daylight: my latest shots

I have been leaving my camera at home for a long time, and only a few days ago I started taking it everywhere I go. So these are my most recent shots that I would like to share.

The first one was made by me two days ago as I was walking home, all feverish and tired. I was just cutting off the usual path and crossing the cemetery as I saw this very autumn-like view: some leaves on the ground and the sunlight on the path surrounded by trees. I got this urge to take the camera out of my backpack and it just felt wrong to not do it. So this is what I captured :)

The second one is really fresh, made this afternoon. I was sitting on my bed using my laptop when I saw this just outside my window :)

As time passes, I'll try to keep enjoying those little moments of absolute beauty and even though my camera is old and cannot capture everything so well anymore, especially after I tried using a brand new, digital one, I promised myself I'll do my best :)

Changes for good

Only a week ago or so I decided this entirely white wall of my room needed something on it. So I took this big photo of me and my boyfriend he gave me as a present, a drawing my other best friend gave me just before I left for my second year at the uni, some photos with the people I love from this summer and an old picture of me as a child and my mom and put it all into a collage. I think it turned out very nicely. 

This is what the final version of what the composition looks like :)

Best gifts come from the heart

No need to hide it, although we are being modest about this sometimes, we all love getting presents. Some like luxury, some like receiving money and being given the freedom of choice, some never know what they want. But the whole point of giving someone a present is surprising them and showing you truly care about them, isn't it? I don't know your position, but I couldn't agree more. It's not about getting exactly the physical thing you wanted for, it's more about attention. As for me, best gifts ever are those that come from the heart and are given to you regardless of their low cost and simplicity. Members of my family share this opinion as well. Therefore, this Christmas we promised each other we would only give each other gifts made by ourselves. And I think it's fantastic! What if you can't make stuff by yourself, you may ask? You take something simple and turn it into something beautiful. Even if it's only the bag or the envelope that's made by you, it still gives a totally different first impression. You are let to know someone put effort and thought about you, not only went to the shop, bought something random and brought it to you right away. That's what lets you know the other person actually cares, not only does what he or she has to.
What inspired me to write this is actually my best friend's gift I got for my 19th birthday. At first, it all seemed so simple, but now, 6 months later, it means the world to me. A postcard, thyme pastilles and dried cornflowers for the tea - that's what she gave me just before I left and went back to cold and windy Scandinavia. So this evening, when I am feeling weak and feverish, I'm drinking the tea and feeling how the pastilles slowly melt in my mouth, hoping I'll feel better tomorrow because of this small simple gift which was given to me to show how she cared for me. Amazing, isn't it?  :)

Just came to say hi :)

One-time style changes. Going all formal ^^

Emi is thinking about life, love and existence

Let me just begin by saying it's in no way a recommendation, because most people I offer to watch this tell me it's crap, I am just spilling my thoughts into a virtual space. So there's this movie I can't get enough of. It's called 'Mister Nobody'. The name of it is far from catchy. The actors, however, are insanely good and Jared Leto is doing perfectly well there as always. On the other hand, it's too long as a mindfuck type of movie, so not everyone can last till the end of it. It's also weird as hell, I thought the same thing after watching that once. But it's a kind of movie that takes more than one time to watch in order to understand it. However, I do not know any single person except myself who is willing to watch this 3-hour movie more than twice. Ain't nobody have time for that.. However, after I watched it I got really curious about things I did not understand there. To get most of it took me about 4 times. But still, I keep watching different parts of it again and again. It changes everything. Before I found it, I would have never believed a movie can contain more and cause more thoughts about life, existence and love than any lecture I can possibly have or book I ever read in my life. When I watch it for a minute or two, all those thoughts are reborn and alive in my head, and I must add that it's addictive. I want to think more about it, feel this infinity of space and have this idea of everything being not real. Thinking about love from a different perspective than that of girly movies or romance comedies. Imagining all people being a huge 7 billion pixel screen and not being able to see myself in there, when everyone around me is telling I can change the world.
Every person sooner or later finds his way of feeling this. It might be a once-in-a-lifetime feeling, but it might become an addiction. Well, this was mine.

/Emi

Long time no see :)

It's been a really ling time since I last updated this blog. But now, since I am back in Sweden, Malmo again, I will be writing more often. Maybe that's because I don't have so much to do here.. My friends and family stayed in my home country and I am here, not entirely on my own, but lonelier than ever. Anyways, it's not so sad as soon as I get used to this new lifestyle. The summer's been fantastic and I have nothing to complain about. Lots of adventures, lots of beautiful photos of me with people I love and adore, adventures and spontaneous meetings with my friends. In early spring, I gave myself this promise to have the best summer in my life (so far), and now, when it's over, I really have nothing to regret. Zero time wasted. I shall do it again next year, but for now, I have never-ending motivation and something to look for and think about when everything looks bad or goes wrong ^^

Photo session with my best friend ^^

With my boyfriend. ^^

With my best friend again :)

@Nida (on a three-day trip with my boyfriend)

Spending time with my beloved one

So that's it for now. New posts coming soon!

xoxo

Summer pleasures that prevent from writing

Summer is at its hottest, friends and love is all around, the food is always fresh, the volleyball is on nearly every day, and the water is bearable as well. The adventures are calling one after another and there's no such thing as using the computer for more than one hour a day anymore. Sweden looks far behind me, and I am far from longing to go back there. Well, I miss my friends a lot, but they are not actually there right now, so it doesn't really count. I've been up to so much lately, but, I must admit, I did not write. What motivated me to come back to it was the first payment I have ever received for writing ^^ So I am back again and I will try to come up with new ideas to write on and avoid making such long breaks in writing. I start to miss it very fast :3

Technology, back off.

Today, I got really really lucky. Today I got to feel weightless and perfectly peaceful. No drugs, no yoga, no meditation, just hard, long work. Today was the time for packing and cleaning, getting ready to finally leave for the summer, working from early morning to late afternoon. People usually hate those days. But today I was truly into it. Don't know why, don't know how, but I was. How do I know that? Caught myself running around with my stomach making noises of a mating whale. And this, one must admit, doesn't happen very often, especially now, when the weather is so nice and warm and your whole existence is constantly searching for an excuse from work (by the way, if it doesn't find one, there's always a backup plan- 'I'm hungry', even if it's not really so). So then I make soup, putting in the pot whatever I can find in the fridge and stand by the stove, impatient, smelling the food. Time slows down to almost zero speed. When I pour the contents of the pot in the bowl, I realize it is a little bit under-cooked, but...whales in my stomach won't shut up, I really need to eat.
But then I go to my emptied room and sit on the floor. The windows are open and I can hear the birds. My computer is turned off, and, I guess, this completes the feeling. I end up sitting there, slightly smiling, thinking nothing, being a part of the nature, of the house, a part of the room, all of us just being one. The soup cools down.

Just don't

If you have a surprise for someone, try your best not to ruin it, even if you have to lie and you feel really bad about it. Although at the moment it sounds fair, and also the best thing to do to finally get some nice sleep, it is not a good choice to make.

Good old cinnamon

We all know cinnamon as one of the best-smelling natural food preservatives. When we were little,  I guess, most of us also tried tasting it, and, surprisingly, cinnamon alone was disgusting. And that's what spices are like: you can not enjoy eating them alone, but when you combine it with certain foods, just a little dash of spices can make miracles.
If that alone wasn't enough, quite recently I happened to find some information, proving cinnamon to be very useful for us. What I found was that many centuries ago cinnamon was used to treat certain diseases. Consequently, cinnamon can have positive effects to those who have type 2 diabetes, also to have an anti-clotting effect on the blood, lower bad cholesterol, and relieve arthritis pain. In addition to that, very recently cinnamon has been found to be a natural remedy to eliminate headaches and migraine relief. Surprisingly, I also found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory! This sounds quite weird, but I think it's worth a shot.
And finally, just before I end this post- good news for those who are trying hard to get fit- cinnamon can stabilize blood sugar, which means, it fastens weight-loss. So, this information I found once again proves that big difference comes out of small changes. Conclusion: I should go and get some cinnamon. To end this small article, some tips and tricks from me on combining your meal with cinnamon:
1. Simply put a couple of dashes of it in your cereal or morning coffee.
2. One of my favorite light snacks: chop some apples, pour yogurt on them and then put some cinnamon on top.
3. When mixing the dough for your morning pancakes, put a little bit of cinnamon, along with vanilla sugar in it- your entire kitchen will smell good after you are finished cooking.

Sports challenges

So, as I wrote before, I am currently working on two sports challenges: squats and crunches.
To be honest, I have dropped the squat challenge and settled at the number of 50-100 squats a day, depending on how I feel and how much I run. One more thing: starting from the 1st of June, until the 18th of June when I will be going home, I promised myself I'll go running every single day, no matter the weather. So far, I have only been running 3.5 kilometers a day, but I am seriously planning on coming back to 5 kilometers in a couple of days. So, this is the main reason why I quit squatting to the schedule - when I had to do 160 and even more, it got too much, so my legs would shake and the muscles would get extremely tense when I was running. Anyways, even though it is not so intense anymore, I haven't given it up :)
About the crunches: I just did 115 and that looks really good so far. The number is still growing day by day, but since my legs have nothing to do with it, I have no right to complain :)

So, to sum up, my daily routine has to do a lot with sports. It has gotten pretty intense lately, and takes quite a lot of time by the way, but, since I can see the summer at home coming, it keeps me motivated and happy :)

Thoughts about saying good-bye

Saying good-bye is not what everybody has a chance to experience, but it is something you never learn how to deal with. It hurts every time, even if it's not forever. And if that wasn't enough, those moments of parting settle in your memory and later become one of the reasons for out-of-nowhere sadness. Especially now, when people freely travel all over the world every day, good-byes are becoming a very common thing. Even children experience that with, for example, their summer camp friends. Also, one mustn't forget about the rivers of tears that are being shed on graduations, in airports, bus and train stations, and, finally, hospitals and cemeteries. In addition to this, couples fall into long distance relationships, children leave their parents, people go on business trips, and soldiers go on missions, knowing they might not come back. But then, there is always some brighter shades regarding some of those points (not the cemeteries, of course). Take, for example, the fact that people make friends all the time. Then, in some cases, it becomes a closed circle: you find friends and leave them, then you do it again and again. But still, I do not believe you can ever put up with the feeling. Oh, and some more news from the bright side: just think how many love songs and letters have been written for the ones who were left alone, especially in the case of LDRs (Long Distance Relationships). From my still lasting experience I can say that this is one of the most morally painful things one can experience. Especially the beginning of it, which is always the worst. As time flies, it gets a little calmer inside, but the pain and sadness never disappear (of course, if the feeling of love remains). Nowadays, it has become an entire new culture: hundreds and hundreds of videos on Youtube, all those previously mentioned songs and cute letters, little gifts, big packages, motivational pictures on the internet... It is surprising how everything has changed to the extent of LDRs when the meeting of a couple in love is actually the first time the two people see each other! So, in conclusion, good-byes are painful, but what comes out of it in some cases is just amazing and couldn't possibly result from anything else.

And that's how my summer began

Summer.. In our heads, it's all about long nights at the fireplace, swimming in the sea or lake, comforting sound of crickets every night, and lots and lots of sun. For me, it's the same. But today..it's just different. The first day of summer '13 feels completely different than usual. So here I am, sitting in my room, enjoying relaxing music, eager to make art. Contrary from what we all expect, there is no sun. The rain drops are knocking at my window, creating that incredible feeling of harmony and peace. It's pouring outside. Just an hour ago, I heard shy, lazy murmurs of thunder. It's the first time I got to hear them this year. It's the first time the first day of summer looks too cloudy to see the sun, smells like rain and speaks to me in quiet peals of thunder. Weird, you say, but, surprisingly, more enjoyable than ever.

Creativity takes over

So this is a story which I wrote at about 5a.m. tonight for one of my courses.

Elijah, a five year-old, was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the endless hills outside, which contained all possible shades of green, roughly interrupted by some red, white or pink bits of blossoming wild flowers. He was alone in the house. Alone, but not lonely. He was used to this feeling, waiting for his dad to come home from the corn fields. It’s been like this for a long while, that actually lasted more than he could remember. However, when he was way too little to be left alone, his aunt Cora would stay with him throughout the day, talking to him, sometimes calming him down so that he would stop crying. He was such a cry-child! He took her as a family member. But as he grew old enough to stay alone in the house for the whole day and do some cleaning, she became a guest, a visitor. She would come once a week, every Thursday. More and more often, talking to her felt completely different, strange, even awkward.

He saw Caleb walking across the tall grass towards the house, a chocolate-brown figure, surrounded by the greenness of the sun-lighted hills. He finished the day’s job and until the next day he was free. Elijah watched him, relaxed, getting closer and closer to the house, waving to him. The little boy waved back. He felt sympathetic to Celeb, although the old man did not seem to mind the obligatory work in the fields. Elijah might have to go and work there one day, too. Just like his grandfather did, just as his dad does. But he might as well not. Caleb told him that things were getting better, everything was changing. However, seeing his dad so lively and happy every time he was coming back from the fields, he felt like this kind of work was all he needed for a good life. It seemed to Elijah that it was enough to feel useful, enough to be treated fairly, to eventually gain respect from the whites, which, Caleb used to tell him, was an important goal to achieve. The door opened and he heard a cheerful and lively voice, calling his name. Impatient and excited, he waited for Caleb to take of his shoes, then jumped off the chair and ran to greet him.

  What, from your point of view, was the main idea of this story?

Pleasures of a sunny day

Today in Sweden was just amazing and...typically Swedish, especially the weather. Sun and heat on the first half of the day, then a quarter of an hour of pouring rain in the afternoon, and then (again) lots of sunlight and warmth for the rest of the day. Luckily, I was on the lecture when it rained, and when I left the university building, it was all sunny again, without a tiniest footstep of rain. In the morning, I woke up way ahead of my alarm clock, but when I looked out the window, I decided I would take advantage of this pure awesomeness outside, and study outdoors. I went to the university library, borrowed the books I needed and then moved outside, at the embankment of the river. I always carry my camera in my bag and take pictures when I see something I really like, so here they are, fresh and summerish captures of today's study time.

Ladybug cars. It's the first time I got to see something like that.

Cuteness overdose: duck family meeting

Blossoming trees at the lighthouse

Shoeless for the first time this year!!!

Lovely view of the city

Glasvegas @ Malmo Folkets park

This Thursday, when me and a group of my classmates were sitting on the grass outside, enjoying the sun (which has been shining so rarely lately), having a friendly chat and relaxing, one of my friends invited us to  a concert in the park. She mentioned the name of the band and said it was for free, so, although I did not know the band, I decided to give it a shot. The band was called Glasvegas. All I knew was that some of my friends really liked it, so when I came home, I made a little research on it and listened to a couple of songs that I actually found quite enjoyable. In the evening, I went to this place called Folkets park, which, luckily enough, is about two minutes away from where I live, and met my friends. We got to the very front just before the band came out on the stage. First impression: awesome outfits, quite young musicians, and promising screams of fans (not only teenagers, but some people in their forties as well, which is a good sign). One more thing that gave them some extra points from me - a female drummer (since I have this experience of playing drums in a band myself, I admire those girls). The concert lasted a little more than one hour, but It was a lot of fun. The songs they played varied from quite hard rock to lyrical and slow ones, which gave us an opportunity to charge our batteries. The music was really good and enjoyable, the fans went crazy and as it was nearing to the end, it felt like a huge party. Enerizing! Needless to say, I slept really well that night.

Cute hand-written letters ^^

I have a really good friend, who used to be my classmate. Sadly, when we graduated last summer, she went to the capital of my home country, and I left for Sweden. Since September 2012, we met only twice: on the Christmas and Easter holidays. Despite that, we stayed really good friends and now we can't wait until the end of June when we will meet and spend the summer together. But for now, although we are a few hundreds of kilometers apart, we still communicate, and the best part is, we do it old school - we send each other long hand-written letters, where we write, draw, share our adventures, worries, and joys. So, I wrote her this letter last night, and I felt like doing something differently. After giving in to this impulse, I ended up drawing this little cute giraffe on the envelope. I bet my friend will be really happy to receive it (last time I wrote some extra quotes on the other side of the envelope, someone crossed them out :( I hope it won't happen this time).

So this is how the letter looked just before I sent it out :)

My motivational desktop background

So, this is what's on my desktop right now. I made this when I started doing the challenges, so that I don't have to look for them everyday in my photo gallery. What is more, there were enough space for Ryan Gosling to sneak in and take half of the space there. It's not that I am a no.1 fan of him, but I just looove this picture. It really does motivate.

Doing my abs (crunches)

So, besides starting the squats challenge, I also started another one. This time, crunches. So far, I have been doing it for 13 days as well, but it is not as difficult as squatting. Firstly, the numbers aren't that big, and, secondly, I have worked hard on my abs before, by doing a challenge that involved doing 100 of them in one go, everyday, for two weeks. So, the fact that I'll have to do 90 of them today doesn't look so scary. Even if you do not have any experience in this, but you want to get started right off, I suggest that you take this. However, if you want a smooth start, I can upload a lot of different workout plans :) So, I'll get back to this when it overcomes 100.

Sports challenges: keep it low (squats)

So, as I mentioned before, I've been trying quite hard to get fitter and improve my physical state, or, in other words, to get ready for the summer. I have found a lot of tips and tricks on the internet, which also involved different kinds of sports challenges. So, I found a series of those monthly challenges. They contain only one kind of exercise, but as you move on with it, you have to do more and more of it. So, although it's recommended to take only one of them at a time, I started off with two, and I am going to comment gradually on how I am doing with both of them. The one I begin with is the monthly squat challenge. I have been squatting for 13 days now, and I really feel it's getting very difficult. It's been 130 squats in one go for today. Quite a workout actually. 

A new skill or just wordiness?

So, this time, I decided to write about my writing.
I started drawing my own path of creative writing when I was about fifteen. What I started with were essay contests, and this new beginning appeared to be quite successful. Since then, I have written quite a lot of essays and short stories. But when I graduated from school, my productiveness in creative writing fell to almost nothing. Unfortunately, when I made it to Malmo University, English Studies, I got obliged to write, it became my new routine. However, not being pleased by this state of unproductiveness, I was never going to complain about that. Suddenly, the amounts of text I wrote got really big, especially when compared to the amounts I had to produce in high school. Instead of 500 words a week, I was suddenly supposed to write three essays of 1000. Oftentimes, even more. And that was where the real skill-building progress began. For some time in the beginning, it was all about writing: courses, lectures, homework..everything. Now it's about other things as well, including linguistics, but writing is still a major part of my entire degree. So now, having almost finished my first year in English Studies, I can say that so far it is giving me a priceless skill: ability to write much more than before, but not by getting wordy. I started to think more about reasons and consequences, fill the text with thoughts of my own, but also search for the answer, considering all possibilities. Although it's not so much about creative writing anymore, it's still something I enjoy very much. Besides, I feel like that is what I want to do, and a huge part of what I want to become.

Ponderings on the business of photography

So, about photography. Making pictures of whatever catches my attention is one of the most enjoyable things for me. Needless to say, quite a few pictures get to appear on my Facebook wall - people love to share things they like, and I'm not an exception. In fact, quite a few people actually tell me I'm good at it. As I tend to skim through my Facebook news feed quite often, there are certain types of posts I see more or less often. One of those in the category of posts I see every day has to do with making money out of photography. Nowadays, every person can start that, if, of course, he or she has a camera. Preferably, a good one, to make the whole thing look very professional. Then I think to myself: maybe I should do that too? A lot of people I know do that, and not having finished any kind of course that has to do with photography works as well. A couple of photo sessions with friendly people, a dozen of recommendations and boom - you have your own successful business! But then I think to myself: there are plenty of photographers, plenty of photo-models. I guess I should at least get a university degree first. Maybe then? Naaah, I'll come up with something else.

The profits of writing a food diary/counting calories

Since the summer is getting closer and closer (it's almost here actually), for the past three months I have been trying quite hard to get fitter. What I began with was sports: jogging, exercising, running, walking etc. Then, after some time, I did a research, looking for tips and tricks on the internet. And then I found this picture.

And that is where it got really interesting. It wasn't all about sports anymore. As time passed, more and more people were starting to live, eat healthier. This sort of became a new trend, so there were plenty of tips and articles I found everywhere even without any special effort: Facebook, Weheartit, Twitter, and so on. So I made a lot of research on healthy lifestyle and balanced diet (if you are interested in what I found, you just have to ask for it, and I'll write more blog posts about that), gathered everything in my computer and started changing my eating habits.  I bought much more vegetables and fruits, changed white bread and rice into their wholegrain equivalents. I also read that if I wanted not only to prevent weight growth, but to lose some, I had to reduce my calorie consumption.from 2000 a day to at least 1500. But how do I know how much I consume? There was a way to do it. I started a calorie journal. Every day, I made a schedule, trying to eat at the same time every day, four times a day, following the balanced diet tips and, of course, counting calories I have consumed. What made it a lot easier were different websites for calorie counting, such as http://www.caloriegallery.com. So, I went for 1500 calories a day and wrote the journal for about a month. Then, quite recently, I stopped doing it, because there was no need to do it anymore. My body got used to it and I am pretty confident I do not consume more than that. Of course, I can never be sure, but I eat way less than I used to before, and I'm happy with it. I still jog and exercise daily, and so far it is working :) So, my advice is to keep the food journal in the beginning and to just stop when you feel it's not so relevant to keep note of what you eat anymore. This way you will get used to eating regularly and less, and, what is more, you will have evidence to be proud of :)

Blogging works!

Blogging.. Now I think that it was pretty smart to finally start doing it. What gave it a push was an open lecture I attended this Thursday. It was about writing for media. So, in the lecture there spoke a man, who studies the same thing as me (he's just about to graduate now), who has already started working as a copy editor, and a woman, who's a professional at marketing and has her own company. They spoke about what an English student should do to create a path to his/her carrier when still studying. So, I went out of the lecture room carrying two main ideas: take the Copy Editing course, and..start a blog. The marketer gave us this idea. She said that if we wanted to associate our future carrier with writing, we should get used to it, practice it. Then she mentioned blogs. What there is to add, she also said that having a blog might give you some extra points when searching for a job. And, of course, it will help you develop your own voice and style.
Although I am still not sure I will be able to keep up regular blogging some time later, I am really enjoying it at the moment. 2 posts a day, and still actively searching for new ideas and topics to write on. By the way, if you ever happen to wonder what I think about some particular things or learn something related to what I do in my free time, you can always ask for it. I am open for this kind of stuff :)

Hundreds and hundreds of roses

So, this blog post is going to be about something that tends to occur on my Facebook news feed more and more frequently:  pictures of girls with enormous numbers of roses in their hands- usually anniversary gifts from their beloved ones. Of course, there is no way I am going to say this is wrong or inappropriate, I wouldn't mind receiving one myself. What is more, reading comments below those pictures is also something that makes me smile. Cute, cute, cute, that's what envious girls tend to write there. It really is cute. Talking about guys, although they do not usually post comments under this kind of pictures, we can all understand that seeing it on your girlfriend's Facebook wall makes you insanely proud of yourself.
But there is always a 'but'.
To begin with, this kind of gift is very expensive. We can all understand that all those flowers appear in a trash container only a week after they are received. Of course, there are people who can afford this (and not only once), but the point I am trying to make is that this kind of gift is not the most valuable thing you might spend a big amount of money on. Again, I am not saying you should give this money to charity or donate it to someone who might 'need it more than you do'. Every guy should try and make his girl/woman happy, and one mustn't forget about anniversaries. But now I am turning to guys who are not in very good financial state. What should they do? I am sure that seeing your beloved girl posting comments under the pictures with those huge bouquets and knowing you can't afford one hurts, but is it really all about pride and Facebook posts? It seems like we are all starting to believe that yes, it is. But think about it this way: if you are with someone who can't afford that, this, of course, doesn't mean you must hide your high expectations and thoughts. However, if I were this kind of guy, I guess I'd feel the pressure of being able to afford to surprise my girl in a way that I could be proud of what I did, reading those comments under the picture of her, hardly being able to hold all those flowers in her hands. But one shouldn't forget - what we see most often is not all there is. Nobody says you must be the one people should get jealous about once in a while (although I bet his feels really good). What's more to add, giving so many flowers could in some cases be considered as buying attention. However, those who do that shouldn't judge. All I am saying is that it's not yet a must, so guys, there is always something more original and exciting to go for.

And the blogging begins

No expectations. That's how I begin my first blog ever. Plans: try and write about things that catch my attention in a different way, developing my own voice and style, and finally, finally get a long-time habit of writing regularly.
So, to begin with, a little bit about myself.
A struggling writer, still searching for my genre. Very eager to write, but sometimes too lazy to do it. Full of ideas and thoughts, but lacking the spirit and motivation to write regularly. Therefore, trying to change it and get better. So far, unsuccessfully. This made me consider starting an online blog. So, this is my another attempt to start writing daily, at least weekly.
I am not a native speaker, so there might be some grammar, punctuation or spelling mistakes in my writing. I am not going to set a specific topic for my blog posts. I imagine my blog being a reflection of me: everything from fancy and creative to scientific and very serious. In my posts, I will express my opinions, ponder over what I see on my Facebook news feed, get creative sometimes, or even do a research on something that catches my attention. If my blog happens to be successful, I might also consider making tutorials of cooking, handcraft (friendship bracelets, making teddy-bears), making different hairdos or healthy lifestyle.
I am a first-year student in Malmo University, Sweden (but I am not Swedish, just so that you know). and since my studies have to do a lot with writing, this blog will also be my way of practicing it, getting used to it.
So, I really hope that blogging will become a fun part of my life :)