Shanghai, China 2008

I just looked through my China pictures and I absolutely adore this gentleman and his genuine smile. What a beautiful face!

(set to be published 4 hours later, and I am hopefully very asleep right now.. :)

I’m too tired for this.. but I have to, have to, have to finish my assignment.

For those asking, the course in International Peacekeeping at Queensland University in Australia is mainly about the work of the UN, it’s an intensive distance course which is given during a period of about three months and I am attending it as a part of the Universitas 21 Global Issues Programme which is just an extra thingy I applied for as they offered really interesting courses at really nice universities.. and hey, I get a Global Issues Certificate when I’m done.. whatever that means. haha

Every week we get the assignment of writing a blogpost answering a question where we have to take a stand in some matter.. so there’s an active on-line discussion and it’s really interesting to read other people’s statements on the topic.. However, as I am miss procrastination and a crazy time optimist, I tend to start way too late.. and then I have to sit here.. hoping to post my blog before 6 o’clock in the morning when the deadline is. And right, I have to get up at 9 tomorrow.. Crazy timezones, crazy me.

I love all this though, the conflict resolution, the world politics, the international relations.. And today I’ve met two really interesting and inspiring people that don’t see the limitations that seem to keep others down.. My prospects to solve wars and mediate between arguing parts scare people sometimes, they think it’s too big and too far away.. impossible. That I want too much from life, that I should slow down. I don’t see the limits, as the world is all out there, just waiting for people to use it. And I find every-day standard life, working 9 to 5 completely unsatisfying and understimulating.. Give me the world!

The picture above is from a 12hour hardseat trainride from Kunming to Guiyang in China last year.. I’m as tired right now as the guy on the picture was after our attempt to communicate for a couple of hours using a dictionary and my notebook.. and the book is Ayn Rand’s – The Fountainhead.. it’s fantastic.. I swear, it’s perfect. Do it.

Back to Peacekeeping. And I really want to sleep.

I guess you all understand why, even if I’m not writing private things, it’s still private enough.

If you know me, you will guess the password, it’s not there to make it difficult for people that know me, it’s for those just googling my name to have access to my thoughts.. future employers, random people.

If they want to know something about my life they can use the contact form to ask..

Things are good, my room has received an adult-makeover.. so it’s totally liveable right now.. and I feel great in it.. :)

I am beginning my Global Political Studies master programme next week, and I’m really looking forward to it! I can’t forget the International Peacekeeping course that I’m doing right now though. It’s also fun and really interesting, but the assignments that we get every week are not easy.. and I don’t really want to do them. But I have to, for me.

You and that beautiful smile of yours :)

Q3.Does the categorisation of peace operations into these five different types make sense? How and why, or why not?

Categorising peace operations into the five main categories of traditional peacekeeping, managing transitions, wider peacekeeping, peace enforcement and peace support (Bellamy et al 2004:95) may be useful for analysing the outcomes of the missions retrospectively /…/ However, I do not believe that categorisation in such fragile matters as conflicts is suitable as I think that it is of key importance to really try to understand the complexity of the conflict and design every mission individually. /…/

See what time it is?
This is what Australian deadlines do to me.. or well, maybe it’s just me.. goodnight. :)

Just came back from the premiere of Inglorious Basterds [sic!]

So I’ve seen yet another Quentin Tarantino movie, and he has done it again.
What he does is hardcore art, he is messing around with himself, his characters and the audience to the extent that you lose the ability to decide whether you should turn away your head in disgust or just laugh out loud. The way the sarcasm and ultraviolence works together in the kind of atmosphere only Tarantino can create, and those pretty little details that just make you go “ha?”. It’s really, really good.

Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Deathproof. And now this one.
There’s a lot of blood, but if you look closely, you’ll see the details.. they are everywhere!

I would have posted the trailer.. but as usually, I think it spoils too much of the movie, just go watch it.. if you have appreciated his previous movies and if the violence doesn’t scare you off, you’ll surely enjoy.

Goodnight.

Saw this documentary the other day..

Making peace is not impossible. All that people need to do is to believe that the smallest action can make a difference. And I cried, because it was so beautiful.. and he held my hand and said; you’ll get there.. and I want to, and I will.

http://peaceoneday.org/
http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

21st of September, International Day of Peace. What will you do to make a difference?

A part of my bookshelf. 4 years of studying psychology, focusing on culture & conflict resolution – this is it. :)

Bebe – Siempre Me Quedará

Cómo decir que me parte en mil
las esquinitas de mis huesos,
que han caído los esquemas de mi vida
ahora que todo era perfecto.
Y algo más que eso,
me sorbiste el seso y me decían del peso
de este cuerpecito mío
que se ha convertío en río.
de este cuerpecito mío
que se ha convertío en río.

Me cuesta abrir los ojos
y lo hago poco a poco,
no sea que aún te encuentre cerca.
Me guardo tu recuerdo
como el mejor secreto,
que dulce fue tenerte dentro.

Hay un trozo de luz
en esta oscuridad
para prestarme calma.
El tiempo todo calma,
la tempestad y la calma,
el tiempo todo calma,
la tempestad y la calma.

Siempre me quedará
la voz suave del mar,
volver a respirar la lluvia que caerá
sobre este cuerpo y mojará
la flor que crece en mi,
y volver a reír
y cada día un instante volver a pensar en ti.
En la voz suave del mar,
en volver a respirar la lluvia que caerá
sobre este cuerpo y mojará
la flor que crece en mi,
y volver a reír
y cada día un instante volver a pensar en ti.

cred: Buzza

Yesterday was yet another wonderful day, it’s great how the perfect days are becoming more & more frequent, those bad days I used to have have turned into bad hours instead which I’ve learnt to handle and let pass.. Things are beautiful.

We went to the festival in the evening.. walked around, took some pictures.. bought some freshly baked breadrolls and some juice.. and wandered the city. In folkets park we found a great concert and we danced, danced and danced to reggae, salsa, cumbia and SKA.. it was pure happiness and just great.. and in the end they gave away all their grilled meat with rice as the festival was ending.

So, to sum things up, we walked, talked, danced, had some food, drank our juice, took some pictures.. and danced our way back home.

Goodbye Malmö Festivalen, see you next year!