Spinning out of control...

A few days after my last post I was offered a new job in Stockholm, starting already August 20. This totally messed up my plans for the summer, as I had planned for August to be my vacation. In stead it was work 24/7...

Only 10 days to pack up and move to Stockholm and simultaneously move my sister out of her student apartment in Flemingsberg. No wonder that I am still not quite organized! As luck would have it Helena got a regular contract for an apartment in Huddinge centrum right on time for my move. It is small but well-planned and quite cheap. As Helena is working in Stavanger, I currently have the apartment to myself. I have a Chinese student as a lodger in my apartment in Malmö, in order to keep costs down.

My new job as controller and project coordinator at Jederstrom Pharmaceuticals AB has been very intense these first two months. My role is quite broad stretching from project planning and monitoring, budgeting, contacts with accountants and auditors, intellectual property, and investor relations, to purchasing, business intelligence, board meetings and even "dressing up in a space suit" to assist in the laboratory "clean room".

Commuting in Stockholm is stressful, but now I have gotten the hang of "entering the zone" and shutting out everyone around me. The stretch from the tracks for Pendeltåget at Stockholm Centralstation to the T-Centralen metro station requires that you can "zone out" the crowd. I am keeping my fingers crossed, as the company will most probably relocate to KI Science Park in Huddinge - just five minutes by bus from my apartment! The additional 1,5-2 hours of free time the shorter commute will afford me each day will be most welcome. Not that I am complaining - I am still working less than I did at MAH and earning 50% more! I am also learning a lot about the biotech/pharma industry.

My parents have gone back to Cyprus and I am quite envious. Think - the greatest stress in your life is that "we have to go to the bank this week" and the biggest decision whether to enjoy the sun on the terrace, by the pool or on the beach... They have furnished their new apartment with IKEA, that recently opened a store in Nicosia. I look forward to spending the Christmas holidays in Cyprus with my parents - and this time I don't even have to bring "lingonsylt"!

Helena has suffered from repeated respiratory infections since July and is currently on sick leave. She will be coming to Stockholm this weekend, but I doubt I will see much of her as she is visiting her boyfriend. Helena recently attended the 20-year reunion with her friends from Hagalidskolan at Folkets Hus in Staffanstorp - nowadays a familiar place for many Swedes due to the fact that it was there the "Hipp Hipp" comedy show character Tiffany tried to organize a Christmas concert with Carola in the "Julevangelium" series.

I have not really had a lot of time to socialize, but spend most evenings at home web surfing or watching my "new" widescreen TV ("inherited" from my 81-year old grandmother after it was repaired, as she "needed" a new one to watch the Athletics World Championship in August when it broke). To think how dependent we are on technology we hardly even know exited 10-15 years ago. My parents moan about the three week waiting period that they are "off-line" awaiting installation of their broadband Internet connection.

I have recently given in and established a Facebook account. I am a lousy online social networker - I simply never seem to have the time! I will link to my Facebook, Linked In, LiveJournal and MySpace accounts from this blog shortly and vice versa. I can however strongly recommend the Stumble Upon social bookmarking service/add-on to your browser. Great and interesting web-sites that I never would have found on my own, but oh so addicting... Time just flies when you are having fun!

I will make sure to update the blog more regularly from now on, probably once a week.

As it is getting late - Good night and sleep tight!

Ulrika