Sigurd Eriksen: I can't believe it almost over

I can't believe it almost over. I'm actually checking up on my plane ticket back home already. Well, SAS have no record of it, but I have an email saying I have bought it, so I guess I'll get back to Norway somehow. Or maybe I'll just show up at work in Helsinki Monday morning. You never know.

The last few weeks have been a little bit more busy here in the office. Bonnier had a seminar called "Omskakas". Over 200 people attended it, and I made all the materials. Everthing from the invitation to the folder (shaped as a juice carton folded out, see pic), div A4 seminar material, buttons, t-shirt and two 10:1 size juice cartons for the stage. It was a funny job, and it allowed me to use my creative side, thinking a bit different.

The current project I'm working on is the Bonnier Publications OY 2010 Media Guide. It's a presentation of Bonnier with useful information of the magazines, dates for next years deadlines, supplements and technical information.

For sales department I'm in the process of making a "notebook" for Evita, Divaani and Olivia, and a presentation of different Divaani events. We're also working on a 68 page Christmas gift guide that will be a supplement to Evita, Divaani and Olivia. Hmmm... hope I'll get to finish every task before I go back to Norway.

It has happened a lot outside work as well these last weeks of my stay. Last weekend my girlfriend, Karina, came over (without the kids). Friday night we went to a Massive Attack concert, before Tuomas took us to a "deadline issue"-party for an independent magazine called Casino A4. Unfortunately, as the name of the party indicates, this party marked the end of this magazine. 

Saturday morning started fine (a bit late, but fine), and after a while we got on to a boat taking us to Tallinn. I must say, walking around in the old city of Tallinn, it makes it very easy to imagine how life might have been a couple of hundred years ago. It was beautiful, but very wet. It was raining cats and dogs, so after about two hours in the old city, looking at buildings, holding hands and eating lunch at a place that treated us as royalty, it was time for some serious shopping. We found a shopping mall and spend the rest of the day inside. To us it doesn't matter if we are spending almost five hours on a boat, as long as we get at least as many hours shopping. It was pretty close to a perfect Saturday.

Last week there was a seminar in Helsinki and the Key Note speaker was Luke Hayman. (He is a pretty smart guy, who has worked with and redesigned magazines like New York Magazine, I.D., Time, Travel + Leisure magazine to mention a few.) It was really inspiring listening to him. But I must say, what really made my day, week, month and probably year, was the fact that Tuomas and I took him out for dinner in the evening (and later for some drinks). We shared a lot of thought and ideas of the magazine world (well I must admit, Tuomas and Luke are quite a bit more passionate about magazines than I am, so listening to them was unbelievable. The day after (I could lie and say I felt fine but the fact is that) I had a hangover and I was really hanging over. What probably made my hangover even worse was the fact that I had been invited to a cocktail party in the office, with promises of games, prizes and drinks containing more than one ingredient. Well, we had work to do first, so when it was time to mix drinks (about four o'clock), I was feeling quite ok. Luckily, it turned out to be a very late and funny Friday night.

As I said earlier, this is my last week, and it will contain finishing work tasks, bowling, sauna, a couple of training sessions, cleaning out the apartment and packing my bags. And if I can get some help from SAS finding my seat on the plane, I will show up in Norway with a lot of fresh Helsinki ideas. If not — I guess I'll beg for something to do here in the Helsinki office.

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!

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