Officially the ugliest tuning co. on the market

“The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again.”
/George Santayana/

Breathe Freely is the slogan of an unknown and perhaps one of the most beautiful places in the world (of course according to my excellence ) which is called simply – Sigulda.

I have been already 5 times this year to Latvia and all the time I am there I feel like I belong there – for real , it is the place where I find myself. I become speechless all the time I visit new places in this country and I am no wondering why the local authorities are not doing a big effort in promoting the beauty surrounding them – indeed they just want to preserve the places for them and me .

Sigulda is really the place, where the beauty of nature becomes an integral part of the city. I was really amazed by all the things you can do in Sigtuna. Besides visiting the Bird festival, or maybe Opera festival, Gauja National Park, Gutmanis Cave, Krimulda, Sigulda Castle, Turaida Castle you can do any type of sport activities starting with most borring ones to Bungee jumping, bobsledding the vertical wind tunnel Aerodium, or the rope course (the kind of emotion one can experience only in Sigulda).

It is quite difficult to convince my colleagues about the beauty of this place or of this country. Anyway why trying to convince people, which were hanging around only in Stureplan . Nevertheless the photos taken there are really surprising them :

Riga

Jūrmala

Sigulda

…and of course at the end a picture with the photographer :

Prior to arriving in Hong Kong, I was expecting hustle, bustle and the kind of traffic-induced pollution so often found in South-East Asian cities. I anticipated anxiety and confusion; those feelings that so often come hand in hand with visiting an unfamiliar country – the very definition of culture shock itself. However, it was almost immediately clear that this place was different. It wasn’t due to a lack of crowds or traffic though – it just, well, it felt like home. Now, I’ve traveled around quite a bit and it’s rare that I don’t feel any kind of disorientation when visiting a new city. But what was one of the first things I saw upon my arrival? Double-decker buses!

If it’s your first time to go to Hong Kong, you might also be wondering what to expect – perhaps you envisage myriad Jackie Chan Statues and a sprawling packed city full of pollution and noodles? Stereotypes from home can easily invade your perceptions even if you try vehemently to resist. Thankfully, after spending some time in Hong Kong I can tell you this is not the case. Hong Kong is in fact one of the cleanest, most modern cities in the world and despite its relatively small size, there is a surprising lot for visitors to do.

Like many tourists, one of my first stops was the highest point on Hong Kong Island – the place best known as Victoria Peak. Although you can go up The Peak by one of the many distinctive red taxis or even by bus, the most exciting way to get there is by the infamous peak tram. You can’t stay in Hong Kong for long without hearing about the Peak Tram. To fill you in on a bit of history, the tram line was built way back in 1888 by Phineas Kyrie and William Kerfoot Hughes. When they’d first proposed the idea in 1885, everyone had thought that they’d gone insane, but conversely, the tram turned out to be an astounding success and it’s now one of the most memorable landmarks in Hong Kong.

Going up such a steep slope, and believe me – it is steep; the sky scrapers of the city begin to turn on unusual angles as you begin the ascent and your back presses hard against the wooden seats. It’s not the most comfortable of rides that is for sure – and there is no business class I’m afraid, even if you do wave your money around at the ticket office!

Being pulled up the mountain by a thick steel cable, I noticed that some people began to feel a little unsafe during the ride. However, I felt secure with the knowledge that there have been no accidents during all its years of operation – quite a boast considering how long it has been running and probably making it one of the safest ways to travel in the world.

Up on the peak, I was stunned by the panoramic views and noticed that it’s a bit cooler than down in the city. Someone told me that it’s usually about 5 degrees cooler on the peak than down below, which is probably why it has been a popular place to come ever since the British arrived in Hong Kong in the mid-nineteenth century. British company bosses used to build summer houses up on the peak to get away from the intense summer heat and humidity. Now, a modern complex has developed – a galleria shopping mall, entertainment (including a great waxworks museum), restaurants, in fact, it is one of the best places in Hong Kong to visit. I stayed there until it was dark and watched the nightly light show unfold down in the city below.

Unfortunately, my visit to Hong Kong was a short one and I felt like I left all too soon. I didn’t even make it onto one of the infamous Star Ferries during my stay, but still managed to make some panoramas :

1st of April – should be April Fool’s Day – a day invented to honour Dr. April Fools (according to uncyclopedia), but not this year. This year seems to be the year of every other day full of lies and only April Fool’s Day is the only day of the year where absolutely everything you see or hear is true .

Yes, I am now in Moldova and it is not a lie I came to vote and again it’s not a lie. Actually I am voting for the first time in my life and I am convinced that I will vote for a CHANGE – a better or worse CHANGE – time will show. The most important thing is that I have the CHANCE to vote for a CHANGE and I will not miss this CHANCE.

Besides voting, I am glad to be home close to dearest people with really good people from Sverige. I don’t know how many foreigners write Master’s thesis about Moldova, but I am really glad and proud that Johan and Hedvig (alias Johanna or Hedvin or Victoria ) decide to explore this country and I hope that they really had a great time and experience in Moldova – especially at the Central market in Chisinau and hopefully this is not their last time in Moldova.

I will let pictures to speak as usually :

Most beautiful country in the world

Country of contrasts

Johan & Hedvig admiring the history

Most expensive story

Proud house owner

Checking wind/temperature

Mănăstirea Hâncu

Hedvig’s first try to let the surrounding villages (-/+ 20km) that some Swedes came to visit the monastery

An important message from Her Excellence – Princess of Sweden

Amici

Very friendly and hospitable priest

The trip was of course very peaceful, except one small cross-cultural issue

In the end some photos with the local star

Next article will be written from Hong Kong, so be prepared for some spicy words ;).

P.S. some thousands fo photos from this trip are HERE.

First of all, everything you need (and don’t need) to know about The Glorious Nation of Latvia is to add all the time everywhere possible an “s”, especially at the end of the words and trust me, you will be fluently in Latvian

It is not a secret that Latvia is located near Stoneya and Lithiumania and the people of Latvian ethnicity are currently enjoying the countless benefits of the marvelous European Union – in other words, being able to eat french fries after years of suppression and persecution, also the ability to warp to Great Britain, Ireland, Spain and other EU countries such as Uzbekistan.

Referring to financial crisis, I guess the only survivors will be the Latvian banks, known as the world’s largest exporters of virtual credit cards, which are only useful for purchasing imaginary power to operate the virtual memory of PC’s .

Anyway no more bull**iting and below are some pictures :

…a here is the evidence of the crisis:

more pics HERE

As the gasses erupt from 3000 meters-deep towards the surface, through the underground layers of clay and water, they push up underground salty water and mud, so that they overflow through the mouths of the volcanoes, while the gas emerges as bubbles. The mud dries off at the surface, creating a relatively solid conical structure, resembling a real volcano. The mud expelled by them is cold, as it comes from inside the Earth’s continental crust layers, and not from the mantle.

The reservation is unique in Romania. Elsewhere in Europe, similar phenomena can be observed in Italy (northern Apennines and Sicily), Ukraine (in the Kerch Peninsula), as well as Azerbaijan.

The mud volcanoes create a strange lunar landscape, due to the absence of vegetation around the cones. Vegetation is scarce because the soil is very salty, an environmental condition in which few plants can survive.

Fram (”Forward”) is a ship that was used in expeditions in the Arctic and Antarctic regions by the Norwegian explorers Fridtjof Nansen, Otto Sverdrup, Oscar Wisting, and Roald Amundsen between 1893 and 1912. Fram was probably the strongest wooden ship ever built. It was designed by the Norwegian shipwright Colin Archer for Fridtjof Nansen’s 1893 Arctic expedition in which Fram was supposed to freeze into the Arctic ice sheet and float with it over the North Pole.

…as usually I am lucky to see only the first half of the things

…improvising

FYI: The Eiffel Tower (also known as the Aw’Ful Tower, Waffle Tower or The World’s Tallest Lightning Rod) is a cheap Taiwanese knock-off of the Blackpool Tower, located in both Pisa, Italy and Tokyo, Japan, but originally constructed near Paris, France ;).

As far as I know Eiffel Tower was very useful to the French in World Wars 1, 2 and 3; during this time French soldiers used the tower as an important Battle-Station where they would take refuge when the tides of battle turned. After fleeing to the top of the tower for, er… regrouping, the French would turn off the lifts. After tense hours of-er… strategizing, the French would remove rivets from the structure and proceed to drop them on the Germans.

With these pictures a calendar will be printed.

My spot which will be in the calendar is the one taken in Lappland:

Ice Hotel

For me it doesn’t show a lot of creativity and innovation in Europeans’ life, but is a pleasant feeling that somebody valued my effort under -30C .

p.s. yeah there should be as well a material prize…they shall contact me these days…

Basically the aim of competition is motivate those, who travelled around Europe and to share their best moments showing:

1. Multicultural Europe
2. Creativity and innovation in the Europeans’ life..

I have decided as well to participate (just for fun ) and show the EU what my plastic camera can do .

Every participant was allowed to submit 6 pictures (3 in each category).

My pictures are very ordinary, but it seems that somebody appreciated them

The ceremony of awarding the best photos will be held tomorrow (6.11) in Prague and the pitty is that I cannot be there to take my 1st place – yeaaaahh my very first photo award i .

I don’t know in which category and which is the winning spot, because they told me that is very confidential and they don’t want to make publicly before the ceremony…I have really no idea which is the choosed one, you decided

…or just go clubbing.

Going out in the evening Stockholm is a strange affair. There are about a hundred little rules one must be aware of in this image-fixated city.

First important thing to remember is this: you are how you present yourself. This goes for clubs in the bohemian part of town as well as chic Östermalm. How you present yourself dictates everything from how people on the street will size you up to how snooty the guy in the 7-Eleven store will treat you. Read on and you’ll get it.

Regarding transportation:

How you get to a club doesn’t always matter, as they’re often located in a district where there are clubs everywhere and people just walk between them throughout the night. Some clubs however require a certain something upon arrival. For example, pulling up to Spy Bar in a cab filled with 8 people just won’t fly. A VIP club like that has a (if arriving by taxi) 2-3 person limit per cab. Pulling up in a limo with 10 people on the other hand is fine.
This is of course taking the whole transportation bit to the extreme but you get the drift.

Regarding the doormen:

One thing to always remember is that the doormen at clubs seriously mean business in this town, and they have no self perspective whatsoever. This is where the humor part comes in. Always let them have their power-trip and laugh about it with your friends over drinks inside. Getting into clubs in Stockholm has pretty much become as tough as getting through New York airport security. So don’t be drunk, and if the doorman tells you you’re an idiot then just agree . He’s just looking for an excuse to keep you out from all the fun.

Also remember that a mean doorman doesn’t necessarily mean a fabulous party inside, which is what many people seem to think. It all comes down to what your goal for the evening is. In general, the meaner the doorman, the more scantly dressed women and men inside, and a relaxed doorman often means a relaxed atmosphere inside.

Another thing to avoid when it comes to doormen is name-dropping. Telling him you know the princess Magdalena or the King won’t get you inside any faster. Honestly, the likeliness of him even knowing who either of them are, are slim to none.

Regarding dresscodes and stuff:

Many places in town don’t have an official dresscode, but still refuse people entry when dressed improperly. This is of course far from fair but that’s the way it is. So here are a few things to keep in mind when dressing to go out on the town.

The south side, Södermalm, has the least pretensions when it comes to clothes. Sneakers, jeans and a t-shirt are considered OK even if they’re not plastered with brand names like Gucci, Prada or D&G.
If you ask anybody if they’ve spent any time at all in front of the mirror preparing their ensemble they’ll lie and tell you of course not, but that’s part of the Stockholm charm!

The east side, Östermalm, with the chic uppety clubs takes clothes to another level. Sneakers will probably get you stopped at the door, so wear something a bit fancier. Same goes for jeans if they’re not fancy label material.
The bottom line is basically that the party clubs are meant to be enjoyed by nicely dressed people with a nicely filled wallet, and the bohemian clubs are a bit cheaper and more relaxed and people dress as such.

Regarding ordering drinks and tipping:

When you’ve finally made it through the hassle of actually getting into the club the next obstacle appears, namely ordering drinks. Basically waving money or yelling at the bartender will be ignored by bartender until you stop. Just standing around, looking politely at the closest bartender will get you the best service. If you’ve got the confidence, a little flirting can get you a long way also.

Tipping isn’t a necessity but it might get you a couple shots at a cheaper price later in the evening. Another thing to keep in mind is that coins in general are frowned upon, so keep the bills at hand. If you do receive a couple coins as change when buying a drink then just leave them at the bar. Scrambling for öre is considered pretty cheap.

Stockholm flirtation etiquette :

So you’ve gotten in, you’ve got your drink, the music is great but now what? Everybody wants some love so here are few tips to keep in mind when venturing into the jungle of Picking Someone Up.

The rules of flirtation are pretty universal. Start by scoping out the potential victim and see if the eye contact seems to be of the appreciative or the “leave me alone” variety before heading over for a chat. If appreciation is sensed then step two is in order. Step two consists of starting up some easy conversation, and NOT over-the-top compliments . The person already knows you’re attracted to them, so save the massive compliments for when you’ve at least spent a few moments together.

After that you’re on your own. Either you’ve got it in the bag or you’ll be left with your drink alone on the dance floor. Keep in mind that buying somebody a drink in Stockholm doesn’t mean a thing to most people. Some people will politely decline so as not to give the wrong impression, but most will take the drink, say thanks and then hook back up with their friends in 2 seconds if they’re not interested.

When the party’s over:

MAAAAAAAX –

photo by Sanna Samuelsson

Now go out, have fun and be safe, because Stockholm is a great town to party in.