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Jimbaran scum en route to canggu! #scootergang #willsurfforfood #bali #canggu #jimbaran #whereismyboardshorts #latergram #indogram #travelgram

#canggu #bali #willsurfforfood #scootergang #indogram #jimbaran #whereismyboardshorts #travelgram #latergram

Welcome to Bali and that's how you should not give a crap! #airportsigns #whereismyboardshorts #willsurfforfood #indonesia2015

#willsurfforfood #whereismyboardshorts #airportsigns #indonesia2015

POWER BIG MEET 2015, VÄSTERåS!

Frankly speaking, I do not see much reason for you to pay Västerås a visit, especially when you itch to experience a proper ballyhoo. However, there is one little exception. On July 4th, the entire city collectively drops its pants, skulls a can of warm beer and literally gives a crap about the established norms. Ladies and Gentlemen, during this weekend the circus comes to town and the monkey needs to be fed. It is a circus that consists of approximately 20,000 american car fanatics and almost as many spectators, who arrive from all Europe in order to turn the well mannered society of Västerås into a lawless, but jolly state of disorder. Suddenly, the entire city transforms into a fanfare and the city ring becomes the carousel where the polished and gleamy american cars do their laps. If you’re kind enough to the by-passers you might snatch a ride for a few rounds. Otherwise, you can also benefit from the countless food trucks which are set up near lake Mälaren, or visit one of the stages were live acts play country music and rock’n roll all night through. In case none of these proposals appeal to you, you can also do it like everyone else in the city: grab a blanket, a chair or even your couch, make sure that you have enough to drink and just enjoy the spectacle with a bunch of friends form the side of the road We opted for the third option and set down for a fair while, slipping more and more into an intoxicated frame of mind. Even though, our ability to judge might have been influenced by an awful lot of beer, we all agreed that we had not seen a car twice. While still amazed by the pure vastness of the happening, something even more astonishing dawned on me: This, if you will pardon my saying so, was the first and only time I witnessed that the Swedes collectively did not abide the law which hinders them from public drinking within the city ring.

It was just magical, the proverbial monkey was fed for the rest of the remaining year.

#powermeet #sweden2015 #västerås #americancars #beer #rock'n'roll

MIDSOMMAR SPRÄNGS IN VÄSTERåS

When you go to Smögen, Sweden....

In principle, if you go anywhere in Sweden, make sure to bring a jacket, as the weather might suddenly change, regardless of season and weather forecast. If you’re coincidentally planning to visit Smögen, you should also make sure to bring enough tissues in order to stop your mouth from watering.

Smögen, a little fisher/tourist town a few kilometers above Gothenburg on Sweden’s eastern coastline is gifted with colorful wooden houses, a rough coast line, crystal clear waters and countless little rocky islands, you itch to visit without any hesitation. The island is conveniently connected to the mainland via a bridge, and has seemingly turned into a popular holiday destination for the wealthier and well-travelled. Still, it has managed to maintain a certain charm and even on a small budget there is enough stuff to do in order to spend a splendid weekend in this area.

Following a friend’s recommendation, we decided to visit the island over the long easter weekend. In spite of relatively low expectations, the area enchanted us and we fell in love at first sight. It was literally like being dropped into a stereotypical picture book of Sweden from the 18th century. The relaxed atmosphere, the curious habit of doing almost everything by boat and the classic way of architecture were just fascinating. On our second day, we initially intended to make a little kayak trip, though everything was closed over the Easter weekend. A feeling for commercial opportunities is apparently not one amongst the strongest traits in Scandinavian culture. Hence, we went back to plan b and enjoyed a little stroll around the coast on a little wooden pier. On our way we found an abandoned house with a likewise abandoned canoe in front of it. “No we not gonna borrow it for little round trip around the islands” we thought and started scooping out the rain water from the canoe with two budgets placed next to it. The water was calm, the April sun was bright and the rocky islands looked just too peaceful to resist the temptation of breaking the law. Overall, the people of Smögen should be certainly accustomed to acts of piracy anyway. With this thought in mind we ventured off to the nearest island , just to open a bottle of too expensive wine and enjoy the views on small blanked next to the cliffs. In the meantime we fantasized about building a wooden house on location and just living from fresh seafood for the rest of our lives. We did not. Instead we brought the canoe back to the place where we found it, jumped into the car and basically went back to Västerås where everything should still be grey, hopeless, too expensive and cold for the next three months.

Though, on the bottom line, we both agreed that Smögen was one of finest place we have visited so far and in case you plan to see this part of Sweden, give us a call, you can take our car.

weekend! gone fishing. #smögen #sweden2015 #sverige #whereismyjacket #stillamazed

#stillamazed #smögen #sverige #sweden2015 #whereismyjacket

HAR DU SNUS?

Put it this way; smoking in Sweden is everything but an accepted activity. Many people admire the Scandinavian tolerance towards gender equality and sexual orientation, but when it comes to smoking, oh boy, you could rather take a dump in front of Drottningholm Palace, wipe your ass with the Swedish flag and whistle the national anthem out of the edge of your mouth. In actual facts, only 11 % of the adult population in Sweden smokes regularly, while smoking in other EU countries basically varies from 21% to 44%.

Interestingly enough, tobacco is not entirely banned from the Swedish way of living, but it actually plays a very crucial role. Here is a little test for you: Go to a men restroom in any Swedish bar or club, and risk a brief look into the pissoir. Besides the well known urinal pucks, you will learn that a vast amount of little brown bags, approximately the size of the tip of your thumb, is scattered around the basin. Before those little bags end up in the pissoir or decorate the pavement of any Swedish city, they had been rested under someones lip for round about 15-20 minutes. Those little bags are called “Snus” and if the Swedes have a general disgust for cigarettes, Snus is one of the most celeberated veatures of Swedish culture.

For the local population, it is entirely normal to utilise theses little bags at any given time of the day. Whether it is a coffee break, business meeting, sport event or a night out at the local bar, you’ll always encounter a handful of people throwing some Snus in their faces. Also during meals, some user like to rest their Snus on the side of the plate, just to throw it in again, as soon as the meal has been finished.

In fact, Snus has a long tradition in Sweden and Norway, which is partially due to restrictive regulations on the usage and distribution of cigarettes. The oldest Snus brand is called Ljunglöfs Ettan and happens to be in business since 1822. However, the variety of brands and tastes is enormous and some kiosks pride themselves with fridges packed with Snus. A fellow student form Finland once compared those kiosks to candy stores for grown-ups. But besides those places, users may purchase Snus in cafeterias of universities, pizza places or just the local supermarket.

Certainly, Snus is a kind of oral tobacco and will do your body everything but good. Though, studies revealed that the usage of Snus has less negative impacts on ones health than smoking cigarettes. In bold numbers, one study claims that the usage of smoke – free – tobacco is 90%-95% less harmful compared to smoking tobacco. Still, the European Union has banned “any product of tobacco that is not chewed or smoked” and therefore Sweden remains the only country where Snus can be bought legally. However, there are multiple initiatives to loosen those restrictions within the EU, in order to decrease the usage of cigarettes and to shift the behaviour of smokers towards Snus. Scientists found out that the availability of snus can be actually held responsible for the low percentage of smokers in Sweden.

Whatever this means to you, from my own experience, I can confirm that Snus has helped to reduce my cigarette consumption dramatically. As I encountered Snus upon my arrival in Sweden, the taste, smell and the way you use it, will always remind me on my time in Västerås. I know for sure that when I am back in Germany and someone only opens a box of Snus, I will directly enter an express time-travel elevator to Västerås, Sweden. Possibly, in the same breath, I will walk up to this person and ask: “Sorry, men har du Snus?”

The beauty of winter! Cars pulling their snowtails through Västerås, Sweden. #whereismyjacket #sweden2015 #snowstorm

Island Hopping - in a swedish sort of way. #västerås #björno #moon #ice #whereismyjacket #sweden2015 (hier: västerås, sweden)

#sweden2015 #västerås #whereismyjacket #moon #ice #björno

With this nailing block, my room is finally complete! Shall the weekend begin! #sprängs #huggkubbe #göteborgsrapé #stancesocks #whereismyjacket #sweden2015

#stancesocks #huggkubbe #sweden2015 #whereismyjacket #sprängs #göteborgsrapé

+++++++FJÄLLHALSEN, THE UNCANNED EXPERIENCE, NOVEMBER 2014+++++++

"Four Germans and one Austrian are sitting in a hut in northern Sweden and …" If this beginning appears to you oddly reminiscent of a bad joke, bear with me, since this trip definitely has some comic elements. Being an international student in Västerås, Sweden, you easily get the idea that nearly all student trips are measured on the number of northern lights you have captured, the amount of moose you have stroked and the maximum speed you have reached with your husky sledge. In case you want to evaluate our little trip to Fjällhalsen, Jämtlands Län, Sweden, on those measures, I agree, it has been a bad joke, as we confidently scored zero on all the above mentioned categories. For almost an entire week, we managed to successfully circumvent all those clichés so typical for the swedish landscape and, with a snort of dismay, had to accept that those elements are not always at ones disposal if going for the uncanned experience. But looking at it from a different point of view, the force of circumstances worked just fine for us and offered us in return: majestic views over Sweden's alpine landscape, incredible sunrises, breathtaking waterfalls and a barrel full of adventurous situations to be managed. By and large, it has been an epic trip and a fantastic gateway out of Sweden's darkest November of all time.

For the (country) notebook; majestic moments in Sweden are as common as a beer burp on a barbecue, it just depends on how YOU extract value from the experience and how far you venture out.

wednesday/little friday! It has become a happy routine: first go skate and second, teach the lads a good old german drinking game: BIER WM #whereismyjacket #sweden2014 #tjena

#sweden2014 #tjena #whereismyjacket

Look who paid us a brief visit today. yes, that's right; THE SUN! Thx for sprinkling your warm rays over our dim frame of minds! It was a great pleasure having you, even though it was only for a little while. #movemberwithoutsun #welcometosweden #backtothedarkside #whereismyjacket #sweden2014 (hier: västerås, sweden)

#welcometosweden #sweden2014 #backtothedarkside #whereismyjacket #movemberwithoutsun

AWESOME 2014, VÄSTERÅS, SWEDEN

It's this time of the year when the days get shorter, the temperatures drop and the Swedes lock themselves in their little homes. In Västerås, the first snow already visited the little city in Västmanland and consequently, I somewhat felt an urge to remind myself how good this autumn actually was. Before getting into greater detail about winter in Sweden, let me provide you with a brief "flash back" about my first 2 months in Sweden this autumn 2014.

When looking at Sweden from a birds eye perspective, it strikes that "water" is playing a crucial role in the configuration of this country's landscape. The shape of Sweden appears oddly reminiscent of a swiss cheese where the wholes are just filled with water. In actual facts, 8.1% of the country itself are water. Even though the total area of Sweden, sharing borders with Norway to the west, Denmark to the south-west, the baltic sea in the east and Finland in the north-east, is slightly larger than the one of Germany (round about 93.000 square km), the actual population of Sweden is almost 8 times smaller. Majestic moments within the nature are here as common as a beer burp during a barbecue and the best of it; you can enjoy these moments with out any crowds.

Nature reserves, public fireplaces (where they actually provide free firewood), running/cross-country skiing slopes, or outdoor gyms are a common feature in the area around Västerås. As a result and accompanied by postcard weather conditions, I spent the first 2 months of my study wandering around the wilderness with my cheeks bluffed and a continuous feeling of amazement. Whether it was a SUP trip to stormy island, a run through the forest, a bike trip to a nearby viking sight or just a mushroom picking trip to a designated area with friends, it all just felt like a fairy tale and I was falling hopelessly in love with the beauty of the Swedish landscape. The only questions that remained were:

Where are all the Swedes? What are they doing? How do they spend their leisure time?

In fact, having lived in Sweden for only two months, and similar to probably most international students, actual contact with the local community has been a rare but much needed commodity. Though, so far my perception is that the swedish people are having a very relaxed and mellow attitude towards life in general. On weekdays, the city appears almost abandoned. Having lived in Germany and the Netherlands, both countries with a vibrant bar culture, it seems a bit odd, but the locals rarely go out for a beer after work or university. Instead, more weight is laid on sporty activities, such as going to the gym, playing floorball (combination of ice hockey and field hockey, or any other indoor activity you could care to name. Sportswear has seemingly become trendy thing in Sweden and many times you might see, mostly female students, just walking around in leggings and running shoes for the hack of it.

Fortunately and especially to the splendor of male party goers, during the weekends, the running outfit is mostly replaced by too short skirts, way too much make up and an unreasonable amount of alcohol.

Halloween Skatesession - Sala, 01 November 2014

As it was Jacob's birthday last week, two occasions; Halloween & Birthday were merged into one epic skate session. Thus, I gladly accepted the invitation and grabbed a bus to Sala, which lays approximately 30 km away from Västerås. The Skatepark in Sala is a fun little community hall where everyone hangs out and enjoys a beer or a good smoke. It's a room given to the locals by the community of Sala, which is a very nice move into the bargain.

Upon arrival, I was instantly greeted by the local gang with high - fives which maybe had to do with the fact, that I was the only dude - stupid enough - to show up in strawberry costume! Needless to say, best Halloween Skatesession ever. Or as the Swedes say, Skate och Öl, (Skate&Beer) Session.The session was going down like a house on fire and everyone was super motivated and killing it!

Those extended sessions characterized by way too many beers, good music and good vibes are just priceless.

It is always, once again, surprising how skateboarding builds bridges and connects like minded people in an instant. "Do you skate?" "Yes!" "Cool, let's hang out!"

It does not matter where you go, what you do, or where you're coming from…if you ride a skateboard you're in. (and if you don't, you're in as well, fuck it.)

#where is my jacket

another successful day of mushroom picking came to an end. great job guys!!! @terry @elin @karolinatamminen #whereismyjacket? #sweden2014

#sweden2014 #whereismyjacket

MIDSOMMAR 2014, STOCKHOLM

It had not been long since the letter of acceptance from the MDH University Västerås, Sweden, had reached my postbox that I decided to pay this curious land a brief visit. Certainly, before moving there for good, or at least for the next year, I wanted to stick my nose into it with the mere intention to get a superficial idea how my life in Sweden could possibly look like. ‘Let’s check out Midsommar in Stockholm’, I decided and - based on no information - booked my flight.

Unfortunately, I did not take into account that during this time things should get a bit hectic around the desk and hence the time I dedicated to my preparation was next to zero. Thus, I happened to find myself throwing an armload of random cloth in my backpack just to drag it to the airport with one sleeve still hanging out. The skateboard was clutched under my arm pit and my shoelaces were open.

I somewhat just realized that I was actually on my way to Sweden by the time I was already seated in the airberlin aircraft. In an absent frame of mind I had apparently booked a hostel room in the cheapest place you could find. It should not matter anyways, since the greater part of my stay I would be shoelessly dancing around a May tree, with flowers in my hair and happy swedish people around me. At least that was what I expected from the article in the airberlin magazine that I had read cover to cover during the flight. Boy was I wrong on all accounts.

I arrived at Arlanda, Stockholms international Airport, on a rainy Thursday evening. While walking towards my windowless room, I grew slightly wary and wondered were everyone was. I mean to say, the next day was a public holiday, it was only 11:00 pm and all pubs, restaurants looked as if they were under construction or closed for ages. ‘They are preparing for tomorrows Midsommar parade’, I calmed myself down and happily retired to the shittiest hostel I ever visited and which name I should certainly not mention, INTERHOSTEL STOCKHOLM.

The next day, I awoke to the flush of a toilet, as(s) my room was directly located between the shared bathroom facilities and the washing machine. However, it did not affect my mood, because it was Midsommar, I was in Stockholm and happy as a dog with two tails to experience a day/night of partying, May tree dancing and swedish culture. With a “Ich mach mir die Welt, widdewidde wie sie mir gefällt” attitude I jumped outside my dark hostel hole and was instantly greeted by a cold drizzle and abandoned streets. “Bummer!!!” I crunched the airberlin magazine in my hand, like bad news from the doctor and wandered off, prepared to put the whole city upside down in my search for Midsommar.

I quickly learned that my first impression had not proved me wrong and apparently no living soul was in Stockholm on Midsommar. It was the coldest Midsommar since 10 years, and in a too optimistic sort of way, I did not bring a jacket to Sweden either. Every time I left the indoors, I shivered, quickly wondered ‘…where is my fucking jacket’, pictured the wardrobe in my flat in Stuttgart with three warm winter jackets eagerly awaiting me and finally walked off with blue lips and arms crossed.

Interestingly, every stranger I met, and every skater I skated with, showed the same reaction to my question I increasingly only mumbled out of the side of my mouth: “Where is everyone?”

They first looked at me with big eyes, bluffed their cheeks and almost every time dropped an answer that was along the same lines:

"Of course no one is here, everyone is celebrating Midsommar at their holiday homes outside of Stockholm, didn’t you know that? I am working, that’s the only reason I am here? You should have come any other friday and btw, why didn’t you bring a jacket? Its freezing man, I am going home”

'Unwelcome news and yeah, why the fuck didn't i bring my jacket' I thought and went off to discover the Skateparks around Stockholm to first; get warm and second; to meet some people. It would be a bit far fetched to state that I really experienced Midsommar in Stockholm, and it would also be far fetched to say that I had a very good time there. But, all this does not matter, what matters is that I have become curious, very curious.

Two months later I boarded an airplane again, with the intention to get a better understanding of this country where the inhabitants rather celebrate their national holiday in small family and friends circles than with the entire nation (see Kings day in Amsterdam), where temperatures are unpredictable and where the price of two beer already necessitates a trip to the bank with a wheelbarrow if payed in cash.

Let's go and find this fucking Jacket!

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