The truth is what matters
Friday 15 April 2011
Greek attache in Stockholm slanders all Swedish women
A holiday, which was supposed to be relaxing and bring happy memories, ended in 2009 in assault and rape for a woman after being drugged in Greece. The charges were dropped by authorities and the victim was instead accused of slandering the rapist in a goal to collect "rape insurance", an insurance that does not exist in Sweden but has been reported in newspapers in Greece as official and is no more than a lie. It makes you wonder of the integrity of the investigating reporters.
In recent days the situation of the victim has been reported in media and a private male individual wrote to the Greek embassy in Stockholm where he expressed his concern and views over her treatment, but also from a tourist point of view, who has visited Greece on many occasions. The written response he received from Vassilios Bakalis, attaché, was not what anyone would expect.
"To the opposite, my friend, it is you who should be ashamed of the behaviour of Swedish women, both on holiday in all parts of the world and with foreign citizens in their own country!"
Vassilios Bakalis continues writing of being warned by taxi drivers in Stockholm: "...has warned me of not taking home intoxicated Swedish women to my apartment because of the large likelihood of them accusing me of rape when they wake up in the morning and understand who you are."
Mr Bakalis views on women are very far away from the democratic society of Sweden. A woman has there the right to say no and own the right to her own body. Perhaps this is not something mr Bakalis, or the taxi drivers he has spoken to, are used to.
Mr Bakalis was called by TV4, one of the major national TV stations, with regards to his response to the private individual. He is asked the question of what he means, and responds arrogantly: "It is clear and precise English." During the interview he says he will tell a joke about Swedish women abroad, but he left noone laughing with the clear insult in the none existing joke.
It is not a matter of where you are from or what you look like. It is about the democratic right of you as a human being. Rape is serious. Assault is serious, Drugging someone is serious. Anything abusing anyone is serious and wrong on all accounts. By every breath I take I am more and more grateful that I live in a free society where women are seen and heard.
I will never give up on rights to freedom, truth and justice. I was born free and freedom of speech is my right.
Thursday 3 March 2011
Goodbye to the pleaser - HALLO to loving MYSELF enough!
My answer to the last question is a resounding YES. Admitting you need help is loving yourself enough to put yourself first. Because not doing so is allowing yourself to drown. I know because I have been allowing myself to drown for years. This surprises a lot of people because they see me as a strong, intelligent person who will defend and protect those dear to me until the end. Everyone except myself that is. I always let myself drown.
During my childhood I was badly bullied at school and have experienced challenges a plenty to now often ask God for a bit of a break. But these challenges have strengthen me, grown my wisdom but also made me doubt myself. And it is especially the last part that is my achilles heal. Yes, i will admit to not having loved myself enough to stop pleasing others in sacrifice of my own worth and wellbeing.
I have pleased, run around in circles, burned myself out several times AND STILL I continued. Often a line came into my mind "For those who give me nothing I give everything and for those who give me everything I give nothing". I always knew exactly what this meant but still I continued over and over again, for years and years. Because I wrongly thought that saying you can't do it and can't cope was a weakness. I could not have been more wrong. It is the ultimate strength.
So it was hesitantly and proudly I last night and this morning admitted to having completely flunked projects because I had too much on and asking for someone else to take them over. Was I afraid of the response? Yes, definately. Was the response what I thought it would be? No, but I still wonder what the feedback will be down the line and if it will affect my career. Will I care? I want to say a resounding NO here, but I hope that I will grow to fully feel it because this answer is deeply connected to loving myself completely.
An acquiantance of mine wrote to me that it is ME that matter. And that is the full honest truth. It is myself that matter the most because if I am not loving myself to the utmost of my ability, how can I then fully love another? It is like when you are sitting on the airplane and the stewardess says prior to departure for you to put your own mask on before you assist another. So identical, but why is one easier then the other? I guess it has to do with our society wrongly confusing loving yourself with being egoistic. The love I am talking about is loving yourself selflessly without materialistic or ulterior motives, and with a pure heart.
So I am to congratulate myself at this small step of strength. Feels good to have said "cant take on any more". Loving ourselves is difficult at times but we are all human and nothing is more important then your own wellbeing.
Sunday 9 January 2011
No one gives a shit about Mexico
The North American Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA, allows corporations from all over the world to build factories in Mexico along the USA border and thereby taking advantage of cheap labor and no tariffs. The goods are manufactured at low prices and include TV’s and computers, which are then sold to the USA. In Juarez there are over 1000 factories producing a television every three seconds and a computer every seven seconds.
The factories are called “maquiladoras” and employ mainly women as they are seemed to complain less about the long hours and harsh working conditions. They are also cheaper salary wise. Most “maquiladoras” operate 24 hours a day making the women travel to work in an unsafe environment at late hours and early morning. The companies employing the women provide no security for their workers.
All evidence point to more than one killer. In a culture of murder and violence, denying or covering it up worsens the situation, but you see, covering it up is less expensive than protecting the women. So it is the fathers and mothers of the lost women whom themselves often search passionately for their children, and in some cases have to dig them up from their hiding places of dirt, sand and stone.
Silence is in tune with a line from the movie Borderline, which is based upon real events in Juarez, where Jennifer Lopez’s character says: “No one gives a shit about Mexico.” And Martin Sheen’s responds: “If you give a shit they will.”
The movie Borderline is based on several unsolved murders in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. The movie was initially planned to bring the lawless situation of the Juarez area to the attention of the world and to pressure the Mexican government into acting in bringing those responsible to justice. During filming in Mexico the crew received threats, in some cases from the police, and equipment was stolen to intimidate and stop the filming. The director Nava have been quotes saying: “(When) there are powerful forces involved, you’re going to be attacked. I expect the Mexican government to get very upset about it.” With the Mexican and US government being highly blamed in the movie one cannot stop wondering why such a movie with a powerful and highlighting message was released directly to DVD in the US and not in theatres despite receiving critical acclaim.
So, with this blog I hope that you will give a shit about Mexico, hear and respond to the screams of pain, hurt and courage from the women of Juarez, and in other parts of the world. Please listen. Please respond. Please give truth its freedom.
Next time you switch on your TV will you now acknowledge the silent screams?
Sunday 22 August 2010
A change of direction
So I ask you to come back in a few days and read a story I was told by multiple persons, and ask yourself afterwards: "Would you want to stay in or submit your dearest to this hospital?"
Saturday 22 May 2010
The truth about honesty
The truth is nothing else then the truth. There are no alternatives or varieties. The truth is the true account of situations, feelings, stories and lives as they have taken place. The essence of "truth" is principle, integrity and independence.
Honesty is the expression of truth. In the word honesty exists the actions of being sincere, trustworthy, honorable, fair, genuine, and loyal with integrity.
One of the contributing factors to our stressful lives is the need to hide our true emotions about our professional/personal lives and not being fully comfortable in our surroundings, thus developing a need to hide sides of ourselves. It is an unfortunate feeling not knowing who you can trust, making us close our hearts more and more with every cut into it. But have you asked yourself if you are true to yourself? Are you honest with yourself? According to the "Law of Attraction" what you send out is what you attract. An important and life changing thought.
Ultimately - be honest with yourself! As with the principle of loving one self, it all starts with YOU. The truth about who you truly are. So why not start now, this moment, by letting yourself open up to the possiblity of being the true you and releasing the copy of yourself, and you might be surprised to find a whole new world opening up in front of you. A world which is lighter, brighter and more loving then the one before. A world not needing the same amount of heavy energy a world without thruth and honesty requires.
Honesty is truth, and truth is honesty.
So take a deep breath and enter your true future honestly...
Monday 15 June 2009
"Redundancy" - ett ord i vardagen
redundancy = överflöd, övertalig
Från att ha använts som ett "tabu ord" har "redundancy" blivit vardagsmat i allas hushåll och på TV nyheterna inom det engelska riket. Under vintern så skrevs det dagligen om bolag som sade upp mellan 2000 - 7000 personer - VARJE DAG! Siffrorna är svindlande.
Ett samhälle som tidigare styrts av det finansiella centrumet i Londons "the City" kunde helt plötsligt inte förlitas på som den stabila kärnan. De brittiska bankerna behövde lösas ut med medel från staten och låneräntorna chockhöjdes för redan ansträngda hushåll.
Från att ha varit en tillgång blev man helt plötsligt överflödig och företag sade upp sin personal i drivor. Jag var en av dem i juni 2008, och igen i juni 2009.
Men vad har ett land där order "redundancy" vilar över mångas vardag frambringat för dess befolkning? De negativa orden är många, men bland allt det mörka framkommer positiva ord som "nya möjligheter" och "ny livsinriktning". Ord som frambringar ett hopp om en ny framtid med ett samhälle som kanske mer riktar in sig på banden till familj, vänner och kärlek, och mindre på materiella artiklar. Man stannar hellre hemma och lagar mat tillsammans med vänner än att gå ut på restauranger. Möbler målas om, kläder färgas om och nya företag uppstår, många internetbaserade.Nya möjligheter får en kanske att äntligen uppfylla drömmen om en resa till Indien, skriva en bok eller studera till en ny professionell inriktning, och därigenom frambringa en större tillfredställelse med livet.
Från det negativa kan det, om man öppnar ögonen för en förändring, uppstå en knopp som i solen av positiva tankar förvandlas till en vacker blomma som bringar dig mer glädje och lycka.
Skillnaden från 2008 till 2009 är att jag nu är en starkare person som förstår spelet bakom kulisserna. Förstår att ibland tar vägarna oväntade riktningar, men det viktiga är att inte sluta leva utan lyssna på dig själv och vad du vill ha ut av livet. Detta leder i slutändan till en rikare tillvaro.
Det är du som lever ditt liv, och ingen annan kan berika eller förbättra det förutom du.
Ha tillit.
Sunday 14 June 2009
Välkommen till Leicester Square, London - filmpremiärernas torg
När klockan närmade sig 17.30 var atmosfären på topp och den rosa mattan var utlagd med sina glittrande stjärnor, då ankom en bil. Det gick ett sus igenom publiken. Vem var det? Var det någon av dem? Tystnaden lade sig och vi höll alla andan. Dörren öppnades och ut kom...Steven Gerrads fru. Ett besviket sorl hördes, men plötsligt svängde en andra bil upp, en dörr öppnades och gröna fjädrar syntes. Ett upphetsat skrik hördes och ut kom hon, förebilden för så många, vars upplevelser visat att det är okej att vara en självständig kvinna med rätt att göra misstag och njuta av livet. Ja, där var hon, allas vår Carrie - Sarah Jessica Parker.
Det beräknades vara 8.000 personer på Leicester Square denna kväll. Det stod människor i all fönster, uppe i lyktstolpar och klättrandes på staketen. Kändisarna kom i drivor - Kelly Rowlands från Destiny's Child, Nelly, Kris Marshall, Vivienne Westwood, Sugababes, James Purefoy etc etc. Kvällens vackraste autograf gick till Vivienne Westwood!
Revolutionary Road - januari 09
Det skulle ta några månader till, men en kall vinter morgon i januari 2009 var det dags igen - "Revolutionary Road" premiären med Kate Winslet och Leonardo DiCaprio! Jag älskade Titanic och inte för något i världen skulle jag missa chansen att se mina favorit skådespelare i verkligheten. Det var så jag kom att denna kalla och blåsiga söndag återigen stå utanför Odeon Leicester Square i åtta timmar (ÅTTA!), men tro inte att jag hade tråkigt. Det var en underbar stämning och jag träffade en av mina käraste vänner Candice. En dag full av skratt och danser för att värma frusna tår, slutade perfekt med Kate's och Leo's autografer. Men det bästa var mitt "moment" med Leo, något som Candice inte kan sluta prata om. (se bild till höger tagen av Candice.)
Istället för att stanna bilen längst ner för att sedan gå längs med fansen så körde den hela vägen fram till dörrarna på Odeon. När Tom kom ur bilen så, istället för det normala skriken, var det knäpptyst. Inte ett ljud. Han gick långsamt längs med bilen och öppnade den andra passagerardörren för sin fru, Katie Holmes. De gick snabbt in på bion, men Tom kom ut 5 minuter senare för att göra pressintervjuer och träffa fansen. Han var inte ensam, utan konstant omgiven av 6-8 säkerhetsvakter. Han spenderade inte det normala 3-4 timmarna med fansen, utan "endast" 1 timme.
Marley & Me - mars 09
Owen Wilson var supertrevlig mot fansen och gick och skrev autografer mycket länge. Han kom förbi flertal gånger för att se till att alla var nöjda.
Star Trek - april 09
Ibland har man bara tur och det var vad som hände när jag på väg hem från arbetet gick förbi "Star Trek" premiären. Hela uppsättningen av skådisar och regissör var där.
Även premiären för filmen "State of Play" gick jag förbi på vägen hem från arbetet, men lyckades ändå hamna i första raden. Russell Crowe och Helen Mirren väntades att komma, och förväntningarna uppfylldes.