Today, Tomorrow, Toronto

The picture is obviously not Toronto. Tomorrow I will leave for Canada - North America for the first time in my life. As the airline enthusiast I am; I will gladly allow myself getting carried away (pun intended) by Air Canada. Today Simon has: Enjoyed the assessment centre of DSG International. Read an article about Philips in FT. Listened to PAs in Cockney at London's public transport.

These R the Thoughts

The last two weeks have been rather busy as I have not been able to resist the temptation university assignments bring to my life. I should not complain though as I am one of the strong proponents of the thought that there are seasons in life. And now, apparently, is the season of report writing.

I have the privilege of going to Canada on Wednesday. I agree with myself when I say I deserve it after two weeks of report writing.

Newcastle takes on Portsmouth tomorrow in what is the best football league in the world. I will definitely watch it on the telly. Then I think it is a great idea to play with three strikers, especially as they are probably the three most gifted players in Newcastle's current squad.

The Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt takes on China this weekend in a meeting on climate change. I am surprisingly knowledge-less about this meeting as I am usually a news geek (I blame my journalistic past).

China is an interesting country and I promise to devote a blog post to it before the Olympics kick off (or whatever Olympic games do).

Regarding my future career there are no major news. I will go down to London for an interview before I leave for Canada. I do not have much information yet what the role entails (apart from that it is marketing). They will probably be able to answer my questions when I meet them.

I have told God that he has the great opportunity of putting me wherever he likes. He will - as it is in his interest. And hopefully hindsight will show that it was in my interest as well...

In five year's time I hope to:

Have a job that I am passionate about (I have no problem with being 'married to my job' for a while)

Be without debts (might work if I get a graduate salary of 40k - I have no problem with having a grad salary of that!)

Fly a lot (as flying is freedom in plane-shape)
Work with competent people

Play ice-hockey again

Speak decent French

Speak German fluently

Understand Italian



Today Simon has:

Listened to These R the Thoughts by Alanis Morissette
Read CNBC European Business
Noticed that the local Indian's Peshawari naans are terrific!

My Default Age

There are many reasons why I try not to write in the night. One of the reasons is that you might get the impression I am drunk. Or just full of crap.

I am always skeptic when it comes to thinking loudly online. But hey - it's my blog! I can write nearly whatever I like. And if it annoys you, it's likely more your problem rather than mine hehe...=>

Well, to cover the headline then. I have lately become concerned with my age.

Sometimes I wonder if I have missed out on lots of fun because of my default age (which seems to be 46). Throughout my life, I have generally behaved like I am older than I actually am.

What do normal 23.5 year olds do then?

I don't know if I am able to go clubbing as I don't like getting my ears trashed in an environment where I can't hear what people are saying. I could add as well that my dancing abilities are unknown since I dominated the P.E. bugg floor as a 15 year old.

One thing that has changed is, when I was little, I was no risk taker at all. I always played things safe. That has changed. Risk is amazing and to me the word equals opportunity.

There you go. Here are my public promises. The most radical ones since I bought a pair of jeans a bit more than a year ago I guess (cheers Geord).

I will:

Get another pair of jeans and another bag for my uni stuff
Give the amazing(?) nightlife of Newcastle a go
Try to move my body in a way which is appropriate to the music played

The first one will be easy. The second point will be scary as I don't know how to do. I blame the fact that I am brought up in the middle of nowhere and in a cultural context where going out was seen as sin.

The third point won't be scary for me. It will probably be very scary and embarassing for people around me though. Unless they are too drunk to remember. Which I this time hope that they will be.

(below is the moral bit which is best read in a Jerry Springer voice)

I recognise that all the changes I will make are extremely superficial and they will probably not make me a happier person. They might though give me at least a good night out in a new environment. For you, that new environment might be in a completly different place.

Anyway, on Tuesday I will go to the theatre. I know, that is so 46 year old, but it is something I usually do not do.

That's me for now. Thank you for reading. Please tell if you have found anything in my behaviour that you believe I could gain from changing.


Today Simon has:

Listened to Mannen i den vita hatten (16 år senare) by Kent

Read two amazing articles in the latest Fortune about Steve Jobs and Apple

Noticed that he has amazing friends in the Christian Union which do everything they can to change his default age.

Everything Changes

I told a friend that things have changed in my life since I came to the UK. She said that was not in line with the statement I made when I set up this blog (I am well chuffed that somebody, apart from Johannes, actually read my blog!).

I had claimed that the only thing that has changed was the setting (in this case country) and that I was the very same person today as two years ago. Now I have changed that statement in the top-frame and I am also explaining it further here.

I know that I have changed a lot, and I am not sure if I like all the changes - even though I like most of them. When I studied journalism, one of my tutors said to me that values you strongly believe in now will very likely change as you get older. What I thought when she said that was something similar to "No way!".

She was right.

About change itself then. I believe that the change I experience is sometimes perceived greater by me than people around me. In some instances I guess it is perceived greater by people around me. Finally, some people probably do not notice anything as you only meet them for a very brief moment.

Another description for change could possibly be personal development. Maybe that sounds more positive?

Compared to one year ago I believe I am:

Not as cynical (Yeah, right)
More determined (I will get there!)
More positive (not that I have ever been negative, but now nothing is impossible)
Better in trusting myself and God


Today Simon has:

Listened to Simple Plan's latest single
Read The Economist - at last I am a subscriber again
Noticed that he should stop stalking people - yeah, you!
Watched Jersey Girl which is a wonderful film

Who's wearing the t-shirt?

A competition is on. Who is posing with this amazing t-shirt on an equally amazing upper body? Answers can be e-mailed to me and the one who has right gets a free coffee/tea from da man on the pic.