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 :)

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?  :)

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.

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.

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.

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 :)