After 12 days in Stockholm

It feels like yesterday when I reached Stockholm and met Aron after 3 months.

Work is a lot of fun because my bosses always want me to learn more. The information I have been getting regarding brand and marketing has been linking a lot of separate dots in my mind and clarifying a lot of confusion I initially had while preparing for the interview. My real responsibilities are mainly details: calling or emailing people for information, sending freezers or dish washers from one place to another. Though I'll get more and more involved in designing advertising campaigns later on. Since I have believed that the key to success is more about the execution capacity rather than brain power, I am loving the challenges to make things happen with the right timing. Personally it is a break from quite a lot of strategizing back during AIESEC time.

Some interesting observations of the Swedes without any intension to insult the people:
- Smile disability: The Swedish guy sitting next to me on the flight watching a comedy didn't have the slightest smile on his face, let alone say laughing, throughout the whole movie which scared me a bit.
- Unaturally black: A lot of young people dye their hair to black which is the opposite of what's happening in China. Hilarious!!! It is very strange for me to see a fair skin Swede with dark black hair - it is so dark that it is not even natural.
- Old only: Aron and me went to Stampen on Saturday evening only to find people of our parents or even grand parents age there. Why Jazz is classified as old people's entertainment?
- Egalitarian: name card without titles - does this reflect a flat organizaitonal culture? I guess people still have their different roles and responsibilities. Still the Swedes are very proud of its own organizational culture of being open and equal.
- As long as you wear clothes? I asked people in Elux that what is the dressing code. I was told that as long as I wear something instead of being naked: shocking! Regardless most people here are very classy and stylish - what a surprise! The typical Scandinavian thing.

I am soon moving into an apartment together with a Romanian girl. It feels familiar because I lived with Geta last year in Rotterdam. I enjoy living away from parents though I badly need to diversify the recipe I mastered. This time I am more interested in exploring nice little cafe, art exhibitions, concerts more than new countries - the weather discourages me a lot.

I am looking forward to Christmas already because it is going to be an authentic Northern European Christmas at Aron's parents place. I wonder how it is going to be after a summer Christmas with Flic's family. And I constanly miss Rotterdam just like how much I missed Beijing last year. Is Stockholm going to be another place I'll miss later on? Let's see.