Happy 1st Advent!

During a hot summer evening (I hate running in really hot weather) I was close to giving up and walk the last 500 metres. But then there was another runner crossing my path, seemingly boasting with energy and just whizzed past me. Effect on me? Well, I did run even the last stretch and afterwards I felt so happy that I did it! Physically it was possible, so it really is only in your head!

Today’s run went superwell, nice and relaxed, sunshine, and I had all the time in the world, no “musts” waiting to be done at home. So I decided to for the longer round straight from the start. When there was about a third of my round left, I met an old fellow being out and about with his walker, holding on to it tightly while pushing it forward. When I went past him, he took a moment to rest and shouted “Right you do, going running on such a beautiful day! Really good job!!”, smiling broadly at me, waving with one hand. I shouted back a “Thanks” and “Good job yourself to get out and enjoy this beautiful weather!” and off we went, each in our own direction. It made me laugh and glad to meet a person probably about 80 years old, getting that enthusiastic about my humble jogging round. Nice it was, and yeah, I reckon that acknowledgement did put a bit of an extra spring into my steps. Such a difference to most peeps one meets on the way, lots of which looking at one like something from a different planet approaching. OK, probably that assumption is triggered by the colour of my face matching the one of my T-shirt (red) … Anyway. Sometimes it’s small events like these that make you go the extra mile, or just a wee bit faster than you probably would have gone otherwise.

Happy Sunday!

Happy Midsommar everyone!!

Rhubarb-Mango-Madeira.

I am always amazed how nature in Sweden “explodes” within like 3 weeks from when it starts being continously around plus 5 degrees centigrade and more. This is the first round of rhubarb harvesting. Exceptional for what I am used to. If the nice warm, wet weather continues, we are looking at another load like this in a few weeks time. Nice! There will be crumble pie and jam. Any good rhubarb jam recipes anyone?

Little more than 4 years later, on 31th of May 2012, my last day at Twingly also involved – Go-kart. This time a bit closer to home, though, at Sviesta.

I mean, honest, how many of you can say that their work at a company started and ended with just Go-kart?

Working with Twingly opened the world of digital and social media for me. I started blogging, tweeting, facebooking, foursquaring, pinteresting, deliciousing and got to know loads of other social platforms. I got into using these tools as part of a social media and/ or online-marketing-strategy. I experienced which great results our customers achieved in their online-strategy using Twingly products like eTrade, Blogstream and Blogwatch. Not to speak of all the social media monitoring companies using Twingly’s data-API. Today I (finally!) started using Instagram btw .

In other words, I learnt an awful lot about digital social and became a part of it, both here in Sweden as well as in Germany. Thank you, Martin Källström for giving it a try with the back then newly arrived German girl from London who at that time was far from fluent in Swedish !

My latest project Medienbewachen.de which I started in June 2011, involved getting into the world of social media monitoring – a hugely important topic, since today one really should know what’s been said on the interweb and social sharing platforms about oneself, one’s company/ organisation or brand. A topic I therefore will naturally continue to follow very closely. A fast developing area it is as well. New monitoring services enter the market every month, some of them being genuine and offering great value, while others are more after the quick cash and probably bugger off again later. Anna and Steffi now manage Medienbewachen, together with Twingly.

However, I left Twingly, you’ll be asking yourself since quite some time now… Why?

As some of you surely know, there is a special place in my heart for the motorcycle world. When I in February spotted the opportunity of working with the Swedish Association for Motorcycle- and Snowscooter Sports, SVEMO, I couldn’t resist putting myself forward for the position of Coordinator for Road Racing, Minimoto and Dragracing. The rest is history.

A bonus that needs mentioning is that SVEMO is situated less than a kilometre away from where I live… . For the first time in my life I can walk to work! A luxury after having commuted to work since almost 10 years, duration at least one hour per way. First on London’s cattle-waggons (how I call the local transport during rush hour) and then on Östgötapendeln. The latter was luxury-commuting, though. Always a seat, hardly ever a neighbour it was uncomfortable sitting next to.

What’s next? Well, Twingly is looking for an enthusiastic person with great sales skills and an interest in blogs and social media. You will be joining one of the very best teams you can wish for! Your ideas and spirit are wanted at growing Twingly – and you will grow with them. That much I can promise. As another bonus you maybe could see that you’ll be working with Peter, who is heading up the Twingly-team. Peter is not only a knowledgeable and great person to work with (like the rest of the team!!), but also a Gladiator and Rugby Player in Swedens National Team.

And what about me? Well, I started getting my little head into the world of Swedish and International motorcycle sports. I have to learn a lot about Road Racing, Minimoto and Drag Racing, get to know all the lovely new colleagues around me, who helped me hugely during my first two days at SVEMO. Then I will also meet the people out in the field, who are working hands on with “my” sections and all the races and who I am supposed to help in their work. I also look forward to meeting some of “my” racing riders, so that I don’t only fix their licenses but can put a face to a name. I will start doing that at the Sweden International Dragracing EM in Tierp.

We read, chat and whatnot each other as usual, I reckon! And luckily, Linköping isn’t that far away, so there will be the occasional Afterwork as well .

(Seen and picture taken in Flygvapenmuseum Linköping)

Socialism: You have two cows and give one to your neighbour.

Communism: You have two cows, the government takes both and gives you milk.

Fascism: You have two cows, the government takes them both and sells your milk.

Nazism: You have two cows, the government takes them both and shoots you.

Bureaucracy: You have two cows, the government takes them both, shoots one of them, milks the other one and throws away the milk.

Capitalism: You have two cows, you sell one and buy a bull.

Fauja Singh also blogs at The Independent, if you want to follow his tips of a healthy, vegetarian lifestyle – he has been a vegetarian all his life! Don’t get me wrong, I love my steak once in a while, but I’d agree that one should definitely eat more vegetarian food. The Indian kitchen is ideal for discovering meat-free food since it has loads of amazing vegetable based dishes . Even after more than 4 years in Sweden, I really miss my local Indian restaurant from Muswell Hill, London. The one that gets closest to that one in terms of food is Indian Garden in Stockholm, and luckily there is also Indra in Norrköping who do decent Indian food.

Anyway – ‘nough about food, on with your shoes now and off you go – RUN!

Seen a few weeks ago on the Stockholm tube…