breaking the ice

For the last 5 days I have been on a “Alm” (mountain pasture/alp) in Salzburg. We had no Internet, no TV, Radio or Newspapers, and hardly any mobile phone couverage. I have to admit it was fabulous. But the best was not this retreat from civilisation, but the company I had. We were there for a teambuilding and the first bureau meeting in the new mandate. It was a strange feeling to have many of my colleagues in Austria and showing them places of my childhood and youth. But it was also a really assuring experience that the new bureau is full of dedicated and experienced people very motivated to work hard for the youth forum in the next two years. On Sunday I had the opportunity to bring some of them to the village where I grew up and it was moving to show them around. The 5 days were full of surprises and happy ends, we found teddy and his buddy again, we had 40 Schweden Bomben and 100 Mozartkugeln; not many of us had the opportunity to eat balisto, we found out that Jovana and Luiza are natural talents in downhill sliding, we witnessed that Portuguese are excellent snow ball throwers, we have a lot of common ground to share, we have proper punks amongst us and there will never be enough Ribs to eat and you need oxygen to light fire! Thanks for the good times.

Hope is evil. Hope creates expectations and makes you disappointed, when things come different. Hope make you cling on things that you should let go already for long. Hope makes me believe in the good in people and makes me crestfallen when they are not so nice after all. You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back.
Hope is indispensable – because it keeps everyone going and then there is no need to cry because it's over, but many smiles because it happened.
Dancing is joy. Last time I really danced was in July in Alikante (borke my toe there). Waiting so long for the next real dancing session was a very stupid mistake. I should dance much more often. Already the first healthy weekend this month in Helsinki I remembered it and it was absolutely fabulous (not mentioning the strange courtship rituals of Finns). Having a nice party after done work, like yesterday in Brussels gives me so much energy; it is a really sustainable mood booster. I should never forget that again.
Dancing is indispensable for my wellbeing! (but I should not do it with heels, my feet ache!)

The treaties of Rome establish the European Economic Community and France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg signed them on the 25th of March 1957.

The 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is not only an opportunity to reflect on the last 50 years of European cooperation, but also a time to look forward to the future of the EU. With this in mind, the European Commission and European Parliament, in close collaboration with the Youth Forum, are organising the first ever a European Youth Summit "Your Europe – Your future" in Rome on 24-25 March. 200 young people from different backgrounds in all EU countries will attend the summit to discuss what kind of EU they want for the next 50 years. The Youth summit will take place in parallel with the European Council in Berlin, where Heads of States and Governments will adopt a political declaration setting out the values and ambitions of the European Union.

The Youth summit will deliver messages for the future of Europe to the EU leaders on Berlin.

In preparation of the Youth Summit, a debate and consultation process is to be launched. The process will lead up to the Youth Summit and will kick off in Brussels on 18-20 January with a preparatory meeting. The meeting is being coordinated by Youth Forum, and will be attended by national representatives from Youth Councils and International Youth NGOs. The following six themes will be worked on with the aim of producing a discussion document: the future EU Treaty, the Social and Economic Model, Sustainable Development, the EU’s role in a globalised world, democracy and civil society, youth and education.

Vienna 14°C
Helsinki -4,5°C

99 days and all we got is forced volunteering

ditch: a long, narrow, open channel dug in the ground, usually at the side of a road or field, used esp. for supplying or removing water

skid: to slide unintentionally on a surface, (esp. of a vehicle)

destitute: without money, possessions, or any of the things needed to live

slack: showing a lack of activity; not busy or happening in a positive way

skewed: to cause something to be not straight or exact; to twist or distort

When I think back (which I tend to do at the end of one and beginning of another year) I see memories of very different nature – sad ones and happy ones, but all of them have one thing in common, main actors in those memories are friends. Friends who know all about me and still talk to me and more so – they even like me and care for me. These people who force me to examine, who are frank and honest with me and encourage me to grow. I have friends in different places of the world, the oldest and best friends are for sure in Austria, but there are people I have shared a lot of laughs and also tears with in other places of the world, but luckily true friends are never apart, maybe in distance, but not in heart. Thanks to that I can live the travelling life I do, cause it is not the quantity but the quality of time spent together that counts. This is also my only new years resolution, to spend more quality time with the people who I love the most.
Many people come into our lives and quickly leave. It is the special few that came in and left a footprint in my heart; that changed me and made me learn essential things for life.
Truth is the strongest bond that exists between friends if you lie or break a promise then you have broken that bond, which only time can heal, a bond which is so indispensable for trust and respect.
Nothing feels safer than a friend understanding me without me saying anything. Real Friendship is the sharing of all the secrets that my heart holds inside, it's tears and laughter, it's joy and broken dreams, its embarrassment and honesty, it is parallel reading of Gala, it is sharing flat, it is singing with each other, it is getting introduced to new music, it is drinking liters of tea with each other, it is forgiving, it is knowing each others families, it is driving home for Christmas together, it is being there for each other, it is borrowing a shower or bath, it is reading your blog, it is listening to your podcast and watching films with you, it is cooking for you, it is waking you up in the morning, it is travelling with each other , it is staying up all night to talk, it is arguing and finding conclusions, it is playing dice poker, it is organising theme parties, it is making coffee for each other, it is playing sing star, it is texting sms during boring meetings – it is love. Thanks to all of you who have been patient with me in 2006 and who have shared ups and downs with me. Luckily the contract of our friendship is not terminated.

lots of love and power to you all