factory visits

A really interesting aspect of my job are the factory visits in China.
I have always liked to broaden my horizons, and to say the least the factory visits indeed do. On different levels.

First of all it's always interesting to see different kinds of production. To get an insight in how things like: dolls, cars, markers and crayons, green slime, cosmetics, paper boxes, clothes, plastic things, metal things and so on actually are made. How much effort and detail are put into everything. How labor intense the manufacturing are and how much people these factories "swallow".

The most obvious aspect however is of course the people and the conditions they work in.
Now the factories my company source from are regarded as good factories. Still, it's more common than uncommon that you walk into, not rooms but, halls filled to the maximum of people sitting in line after line executing extremely monotonous work. There is no talking, no smiling and as I walk by they don't even dare to look up. Coffee breaks are most likely something they never have heard of, and they are being pushed to produce like if they were machines. And all this is done to a salary that you and I wouldn't even call pocket money...

It's a real eye opener, that's for sure. And as always it makes me feel like the white slave driver. Not a nice feeling at all...

birthday

It's 10.30, I'm tired - Here's your cake!

Happy Birthday Jon!

(Sorry, but I just had to give it to you! It was 10.29 yesterday evening when I found the picture, so it just had to be yours.... Love it, it's so funny!!)

I also have a special little gift for you that you will get when I see you next. (Also one of those things that just had to be yours...)

Anyway, hope you have a great day!!

Big hug and enjoy the cake.

midsummer

Midsummer doesn't have to be rainy and miserable... The water doesn't have to be freezing cold...

Midsummer can be hot, sunny and spent on a boat! The water can be just perfectly warm (so warm that I jump in there with a smile). And add some strawberries with cream on top of that just to make sure that you have a beautiful day!

At least that's how our Midsummer was here in HK.
4 boats full of Swedes (and one Finnish of course... :)) anchored together in a small bay with great view. Herring, potatoes, meatballs and other traditional dishes plus the obligatory a snaps.

Lovely!

Did I mention that I got a great tan... ;)

shopping at lunch

When you during your lunch hour discover that your favorite store started their Summer Sale just 3 hours earlier you know it's gonna be a great lunch!

With a big smile on my face I walk in that store and the heart starts beating. I buy a dress that I've had my eyes on for a while (yes, it's mine!), and I buy a top that I've never seen before but seems to be screaming my name loudly... With a "slightly" lighter wallet (who said sales were cheap...?) and the biggest smile on my face I walk out of that store.

We (Tiina and me) caught a cab back to the office and 45 minutes late we sneak in the door hoping that no-one will notice our bags...

And just over 3 hours later we're in a cab again, on our way to the favourite store once again..., however this time in an other shopping center, just to make sure that we don't miss out on anything important...

And let me tell you, it sure was good that we went, cause in there were a pair of shoes that wanted to come home with me and also some underwear!

shouldn't and don't

There are always things you do that you probably shouldn't... And there are also things that you don't do, but if you did them it wouldn't hurt at all, to be honest it would probably be pretty good...

So on my fun, relaxing and somewhat drunk Saturday yesterday I did the following things that I shouldn't:

• Stayed in bed until it was almost noon... (what a waste of time...but oh so good and comfy my bed is...)
• Spent more than 2 hours in the sun by my beautiful pool without sunscreen... (definitely not good for those wrinkles that I am so obsessed about... however I didn't get burnt or anything, so I'm hoping I didn't do too much damage...)
• Ridden a (white and red) fast motorcycle in only shorts and a sleeve-less top... (I would have been nothing but a mess if something had happened... although I must say that I love the speed and that warm wind against the skin feels like a soft caress...)
• Chosen to put on those high heels when I went out as I ended up walking barefoot through the streets of HK when we went club-hopping... (broken glass, cockroaches and bare feet really isn't the nicest combination...)
• Have had those shots when I already had had that many cocktails... (should know better really, but I wasn't the only one to get pretty tipsy... two Finnish friends of mine (no names mentioned) also seemed to get affected by those shots in the same way as I did...)
• Kissed a guy that I know are really interested in me when I am not... That's just not a nice thing to do, neither very smart when you at the same time try to explain that you actually are not interested... (but I'm blaming the booze for my lack of judgement and the kisses were actually pretty good...)

And the things that I didn't do, but probably should have...

• Gotten my act together earlier in the morning and gone to stability ball.
• Put insect repellent on when I went to that chilled out beach club (the place had a great DJ and stunning view) for dinner...
• Tried to get my heart to listen to my head for once... (A sweet, caring nice guy with good humor, high EQ, a good job, good arms and hands and nice bike :) are seriously interested in me. But this foreign babe does apparently not appreciate that, cause her heart does not beat any faster at all... ) (so typical me...)

working late

When you are tired, bored and working way too late there are different things you can do to make life feel more bearable...

One is forcing your self into a Ninja Turtles Play Suit made for the ages 9-11.

It guarantees you and your tired colleagues a good laugh!!

birthdays

Congratulations!
I've got two birthday girls today...

Kristina and Carina.

So a big cake, a big hurray and big hugs to you both.
May your days be full of fun and smiles!

However, the cake needs to be shared with Filip, since it's his birthday tomorrow, Wednesday.

Hope you get lots of fun presents Fille!

a devil and a witch

Did I scare you?!
Do you like my new clothes?

I call them mine, cause I partly designed them (that's actually what I did when I went to Shanghai). And now I will also be the model on the packaging.
A witch and a devil.

Ok, the pics need to be cut, but I think the end-result will look fine.

Like this product group of mine, I mean how could I not like dealing with clothes... (Wish we sold shoes and handbags for grown-ups as well... :))

Anyway, when Halloween comes around these clothes will be in our stores, just so you know where to go...

friends

Isn't it just great when you meet people that you hit it off with at once?!
Isn't it great when you meet people that you feel nothing but comfortable with?
Isn't it great with friendships that last even though you don't really make much of an effort, but because you really did hit it off and did feel comfortable with that person from the very beginning, you don't have to.

Isn't it great when you just can pick it up where you last left it off and it feels like no time has past at all, like it was only yesterday you met when in fact it has been months and sometimes years....

Isn't it great when the sound of the voice of one these special people make you smile and feel all warm inside. (And today I received one of those phone calls... Smiled all day, thanks Mr Smith!)

Well I think it's great anyhow, and I'm blessed with friendships just like that.
So just wanted you to know that you guys are very special to me.

xxx

scary thoughts

If your subjected to X-mas almost all year around, well from April to December, will you grow tired of it?! I really hope not, cause I love X-mas! But right now I'm worried as I'm feeling pretty tired of it already... Too many singing things (animals, snowmans, X-mas cards etc etc) around me that are playing "We wish you a Merry Christmas". Help!

Is it possible that the body lotion I'm using actually works as a man-repellent? And after men have told me that they like my smell, that they think I'm really pretty and that they like me, the repellent kicks in and off they go - cause they have to run?!

How come a balcony and a living-room on the 10th floor can be so interesting to a big ant-family that they chose to climb all those stairs and decide to stay and live there instead of all other places in HK?! (thank you god for going the whole way and not stopping at just inventing repellent, but also inventing a poison that kills the little bastards...).

When you are so tired that you for the third night in a row decide that I'll make the bed tomorrow instead and then go to bed with just a little blanket over you.... Is that a sign that you are working too long hours you think?