Generally I do not allow myself to write late at night. So here is another exception.
I am entering Easter having had a very eventful week. I came back from South Africa on Monday, and then I moved into a new place on Wednesday.
There are many things to be said about SA. It is a beautiful country. I wish I could see things through the eyes of the people who live there – it is so easy to become a Mr Know-it-All. My friend Leah would have had a tough week without me being there, so she deserves praise for surviving me - and being a great host. Not like she had a choice...
Africa is probably not a finished chapter for me. When I get good at project management, I hope to get an opportunity to join my company’s office in Johannesburg on a short-term assignment. But first a few years in Guildford.
Good opportunities come to those who pray and work their asses off.
Today Simon has:
Listened to Def Leppard's Hysteria
Read Fortune and how American companies utilises the leadership qualities of ex-soldiers
Noticed that I am not always happy
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Poem
I have actually thought about publishing my collection of very random Swedish poems (my poems are for poetry what abstract expressionism is for art). Usually they are just jokes at friends' weddings (I put the most random stuff together, and ask friends to perform these at wedding parties in my absence - to their embarrassment and the guests' confusion). Here is one that was performed by a Oscar at Jonas and Monica's wedding.
Diktens namn: Lövträd
av Simon Sundberg
Senapssås, ååh du gyllengula
Vi ska dansa genom en ny skosula
Min katt är svart, grön grön grön
När ljuset droppar genom
Sirapskakan
Vill du inga vänner ha
I Södertälje
Kan ingen höra dig baka
In English:
Name of Poem: Leafy Trees
by Simon Sundberg
Mustard gravy, oh you golden
We shall dance through a new shoe sole
My cat is black, green green green
When the light trickles through
the syrup cake
No friends you want
In Södertälje (a city south of Stockholm)
Nobody could hear you baking
Today Simon has:
Listened to his own thoughts and a 10 presentations
Read in African Laughter by Doris Lessing
Noticed that this blog is slowly getting refreshed
Diktens namn: Lövträd
av Simon Sundberg
Senapssås, ååh du gyllengula
Vi ska dansa genom en ny skosula
Min katt är svart, grön grön grön
När ljuset droppar genom
Sirapskakan
Vill du inga vänner ha
I Södertälje
Kan ingen höra dig baka
In English:
Name of Poem: Leafy Trees
by Simon Sundberg
Mustard gravy, oh you golden
We shall dance through a new shoe sole
My cat is black, green green green
When the light trickles through
the syrup cake
No friends you want
In Södertälje (a city south of Stockholm)
Nobody could hear you baking
Today Simon has:
Listened to his own thoughts and a 10 presentations
Read in African Laughter by Doris Lessing
Noticed that this blog is slowly getting refreshed
Monday, 30 November 2009
Travhell
Today I am back in the Reading office after a few great days on the run. However, the week did definitely not start as I had planned.
This was my itinerary for Monday a week ago:
Guildford - Coventry
6:12 – 6:52 Train from Guildford Station to Reading
7:10 – 8.22 Train from Reading to Coventry
8:30 – 8:45 Taxi from Coventry Station to the Ericsson site at Ansty Park
9:00 – 17:00 Graduate training in Coventry
This is what happened:
6:00 @ Guildford Station
I turn up in Guildford in good time to get the train to Reading, only to find out that the train was cancelled. The next train departed half an hour later, ensuring that I would miss my Coventry train in Reading.
7:20 @ Reading Station
I knew that the next train to Coventry would depart one hour later, so after a breakfast sandwich in Reading I took the 8:12 train instead. I also sent a text to my colleagues, so that they would be aware of my late arrival.
My estimated arrival in Coventry is now 9:22. Not ideal, but still reasonable. Unfortunately, the following announcement came on the PA after the train had rolled on slowly for a while:
“If you are wondering why we are moving slowly, this is because of a freight train hanging around the area. We will be able to overtake it shortly.”
The expected arrival at Birmingham New Street Station (final destination) would occur 20 minutes or so later than planned, according to the announcement.
Approaching Coventry:
Cheery PA Announcement: “I am sorry, but unfortunately a train is blocking our platform at Coventry Station. This means that we will not stop at Coventry or Birmingham International. So you will be joining us up in Birmingham instead!”
Great. I thought. This could not really go any worse. We were told that a train taking us to Coventry would depart 10:10, and we actually reached Birmingham just in time to take that train.
10:08 @ Birmingham New Street Station
However, the following announcement sounded at Birmingham Station: “Unfortunately the train to London Euston has been cancelled due to a fire on a train at Coventry Station. Further announcements will be made once we have more information.”
Great. I sat down waiting and after 1 h and 10 mins (11:20) I finally got onto a train that would take me on a 20 minute journey to Coventry Station.
PA Announcement by the cheery Virgin Trains steward:
“Good morning everybody. We seem to have lost our crew, so we won’t be running a catering service on this train. We seem to really have a great day!”
Two minutes later:
“I am sorry, but I forgot to tell you where we are going today. But as much as I like magical mystery tours, here are our stops on our way to London Euston….” (stops announced)
11:40 @ Coventry Station
I get to Coventry 11:40. I am very hungry and looking forward to lunch. After a few minutes of waiting in the taxi rank, I eventually catch a cab. This cab looks older than any of the other cars available. But I thought that he probably knew what he was doing.
I had been told by a colleague that the taxi journey would cost me around £15.
After getting into the car, I find out that the driver does not know where the Ericsson office at Ansty Park is, so he asks me for a post code for his sat nav.
“CV2 2TF”, I tell him, specifying the last two letters using a makeshift interpretation of the NATO alphabet.
After 40 minutes the taximeter shows £25, and still no office in sight. He is asking me repeatedly whether that really is the right postcode.
After a while, I get to see it on a note where he had written it. The note says CD2 2TF. As there is no such post code, he looked up the region CD – which apparently is quite south of Birmingham.
Around 12:45 @ The Completely Wrong Motorway
When I see a sign saying Birmingham International Airport, I realise that this is probably very wrong. The taxi driver was nice though, and it was partly my fault that he did not get the postcode right.
He switches of the taximeter when it is showing £58 (700 Swedish Kronor), saying that it would not be fair to charge me that much.
13:40 @ Ericsson, Ansty Park
After nearly two hours, and some help from my sat nav, we reach the office. As I only had £23 in cash – he was happy to accept that. I was also given a book by this Muslim driver on why you do not have to say goodbye to your brain when becoming a Christian(!). Very kind of him and I will read it properly at some point.
After Arrival
I managed to get out some of the training, although I only got a couple of hours of it. As Jonas (the other Project Management graduate from the UK) and I were departing Birmingham to Stockholm (via Copenhagen), we had to leave 17:00. This as our flight would leave Britain at 19:00.
Thankfully, our taxi found Coventry Station, and our train stopped at Birmingham International. In addition, our flights departed on time and we were ten minutes early arriving in Stockholm Arlanda. Our Stockholm taxi driver knew where our hotel was, and I hit the bed just after 1 am local time. Phew!
All this was written on Thursday night onboard the flight to the UK from Stockholm.
Today Simon has:
Listened to an announcement in Guildford about a cancelled train - that did not affect him!
Read stuff on the new Ericsson website, particularly this section
Noticed that he has all reasons to be proud of the place where he works
This was my itinerary for Monday a week ago:
Guildford - Coventry
6:12 – 6:52 Train from Guildford Station to Reading
7:10 – 8.22 Train from Reading to Coventry
8:30 – 8:45 Taxi from Coventry Station to the Ericsson site at Ansty Park
9:00 – 17:00 Graduate training in Coventry
This is what happened:
6:00 @ Guildford Station
I turn up in Guildford in good time to get the train to Reading, only to find out that the train was cancelled. The next train departed half an hour later, ensuring that I would miss my Coventry train in Reading.
7:20 @ Reading Station
I knew that the next train to Coventry would depart one hour later, so after a breakfast sandwich in Reading I took the 8:12 train instead. I also sent a text to my colleagues, so that they would be aware of my late arrival.
My estimated arrival in Coventry is now 9:22. Not ideal, but still reasonable. Unfortunately, the following announcement came on the PA after the train had rolled on slowly for a while:
“If you are wondering why we are moving slowly, this is because of a freight train hanging around the area. We will be able to overtake it shortly.”
The expected arrival at Birmingham New Street Station (final destination) would occur 20 minutes or so later than planned, according to the announcement.
Approaching Coventry:
Cheery PA Announcement: “I am sorry, but unfortunately a train is blocking our platform at Coventry Station. This means that we will not stop at Coventry or Birmingham International. So you will be joining us up in Birmingham instead!”
Great. I thought. This could not really go any worse. We were told that a train taking us to Coventry would depart 10:10, and we actually reached Birmingham just in time to take that train.
10:08 @ Birmingham New Street Station
However, the following announcement sounded at Birmingham Station: “Unfortunately the train to London Euston has been cancelled due to a fire on a train at Coventry Station. Further announcements will be made once we have more information.”
Great. I sat down waiting and after 1 h and 10 mins (11:20) I finally got onto a train that would take me on a 20 minute journey to Coventry Station.
PA Announcement by the cheery Virgin Trains steward:
“Good morning everybody. We seem to have lost our crew, so we won’t be running a catering service on this train. We seem to really have a great day!”
Two minutes later:
“I am sorry, but I forgot to tell you where we are going today. But as much as I like magical mystery tours, here are our stops on our way to London Euston….” (stops announced)
11:40 @ Coventry Station
I get to Coventry 11:40. I am very hungry and looking forward to lunch. After a few minutes of waiting in the taxi rank, I eventually catch a cab. This cab looks older than any of the other cars available. But I thought that he probably knew what he was doing.
I had been told by a colleague that the taxi journey would cost me around £15.
After getting into the car, I find out that the driver does not know where the Ericsson office at Ansty Park is, so he asks me for a post code for his sat nav.
“CV2 2TF”, I tell him, specifying the last two letters using a makeshift interpretation of the NATO alphabet.
After 40 minutes the taximeter shows £25, and still no office in sight. He is asking me repeatedly whether that really is the right postcode.
After a while, I get to see it on a note where he had written it. The note says CD2 2TF. As there is no such post code, he looked up the region CD – which apparently is quite south of Birmingham.
Around 12:45 @ The Completely Wrong Motorway
When I see a sign saying Birmingham International Airport, I realise that this is probably very wrong. The taxi driver was nice though, and it was partly my fault that he did not get the postcode right.
He switches of the taximeter when it is showing £58 (700 Swedish Kronor), saying that it would not be fair to charge me that much.
13:40 @ Ericsson, Ansty Park
After nearly two hours, and some help from my sat nav, we reach the office. As I only had £23 in cash – he was happy to accept that. I was also given a book by this Muslim driver on why you do not have to say goodbye to your brain when becoming a Christian(!). Very kind of him and I will read it properly at some point.
After Arrival
I managed to get out some of the training, although I only got a couple of hours of it. As Jonas (the other Project Management graduate from the UK) and I were departing Birmingham to Stockholm (via Copenhagen), we had to leave 17:00. This as our flight would leave Britain at 19:00.
Thankfully, our taxi found Coventry Station, and our train stopped at Birmingham International. In addition, our flights departed on time and we were ten minutes early arriving in Stockholm Arlanda. Our Stockholm taxi driver knew where our hotel was, and I hit the bed just after 1 am local time. Phew!
All this was written on Thursday night onboard the flight to the UK from Stockholm.
Today Simon has:
Listened to an announcement in Guildford about a cancelled train - that did not affect him!
Read stuff on the new Ericsson website, particularly this section
Noticed that he has all reasons to be proud of the place where he works
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Where the Action is…
…or perhaps; where is the action?
I do apologise for the lack of blog posts. I have been thinking lately about updating this blog with a more customised look. In addition, I am hoping to connect my mobile to the blog again. This would make a huge difference as I always have plenty of time to write when travelling. I also have plans to write more about what I think, as this blog so far has been very much about what I do.
Work is going well. Ericsson is a great company and I do not mind the Reading commute, as it will all be worth it in the end. I trust I am in the right place.
In the upcoming week, Jonas (the other Project Management graduate) and myself will be going to Sweden for some training in Ericsson's Project Management Model (PROPS). It will be great to show Jonas my home country, and Stockholm is one of my home towns as well!
The joy of writing has really hit me in the last week or two. I really look forward to write more with my new fountain pen - and that the ink will remain calm and not attack my clothes...
In a week's time I will also have my keyboard back. Really looking forward to start playing music (well, technically) again.
More later, my friends.
Today Simon has:
Listened to Natalie Imbruglia's Left of the Middle
Read about pens, and bought two!
Noticed that it is raining outside
I do apologise for the lack of blog posts. I have been thinking lately about updating this blog with a more customised look. In addition, I am hoping to connect my mobile to the blog again. This would make a huge difference as I always have plenty of time to write when travelling. I also have plans to write more about what I think, as this blog so far has been very much about what I do.
Work is going well. Ericsson is a great company and I do not mind the Reading commute, as it will all be worth it in the end. I trust I am in the right place.
In the upcoming week, Jonas (the other Project Management graduate) and myself will be going to Sweden for some training in Ericsson's Project Management Model (PROPS). It will be great to show Jonas my home country, and Stockholm is one of my home towns as well!
The joy of writing has really hit me in the last week or two. I really look forward to write more with my new fountain pen - and that the ink will remain calm and not attack my clothes...
In a week's time I will also have my keyboard back. Really looking forward to start playing music (well, technically) again.
More later, my friends.
Today Simon has:
Listened to Natalie Imbruglia's Left of the Middle
Read about pens, and bought two!
Noticed that it is raining outside
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Work Starts Soon
On Monday I will start a working for 'real'. I am really excited about starting with Ericsson, and I hope I will feel as excited about things in a few weeks' time.
The current flat is good, but too expensive for me and I hope to get a cheaper one this spring. So please let me know if you are interested in flat sharing from April and onwards.
Guildford is a beautiful place, and I have found myself a good church. Interesting times ahead!
Today Simon has:
Listened to a box with ten Kent CDs
Read about taxation in Britain
Noticed that the tax year does not end when the year ends =/
The current flat is good, but too expensive for me and I hope to get a cheaper one this spring. So please let me know if you are interested in flat sharing from April and onwards.
Guildford is a beautiful place, and I have found myself a good church. Interesting times ahead!
Today Simon has:
Listened to a box with ten Kent CDs
Read about taxation in Britain
Noticed that the tax year does not end when the year ends =/
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