We got scammed in Thailand

Embarrassing but true… and we knew about the tourist bus scam already, but fell for it again. 😦 

DO NOT BOOK WITH SAMUIPEDIA Koh Samui to Khao Lak. 

Here’s the review I posted on Tripadvisor that the travel agency Samuipedia keeps taking down. What really pisses me off is that the company is in total denial (claiming we didn’t buy the ticket with them) and refuses to take any responsibility in their role in cooperating with scammy (illegal?) bus companies and sleazy Thai people (they give Thai people a bad name, as 99% of Thais we met were fantastic). So now I practice my freedom of speech and write negative things about them on my blog, as they sure as heck can’t take this review down! 

We were lucky that we didn’t have any cash for them to find in our bags (they didn’t bother with our valuables, including a small laptop computer that Per’s dad left in his luggage despite that we told them not to leave valuables…). But the sleazeballs looked through everything in our (LOCKED!) bags, including toiletry bags and every small nook imaginable. One girl on our bus had money stolen that was hidden inside her SHOE! Even though I knew there was a risk of our bags being looked through, it feels like a horrible violation to know someone has looked through your things. 

In any case, our trip to Thailand was a success overall, and this small thing doesn’t ruin Thailand for me. 

 

Tripadvisor review of Samuipedia  

DO NOT BOOK!! Koh Samui to Khao Lak bus/ferry thefts

We booked hotel transfer+ferry+ bus with Samuipedia (also called Samui Island Trips and Tours) from Koh Samui to Surat Thani to Khao Lak. DO NOT BOOK this tourist bus trip (which runs from Koh Samui to Surat Thani then Khao Sok / Phuket / Krabi / etc, Google search “Tourist bus scam Thailand”). This transfer is also sold through other travel agencies on Koh Samui, as we saw other tourists on our bus had their belongings searched and money stolen. 

All of us of us had our (LOCKED) bags searched through sometime between our hotel pick up in Koh Samui, the ferry ride, and bus to Surat Thani. The bus dropped us off at different “transfer points” (“travel agencies”) on the side of the road in Surat Thani in small groups, rushing us away from the bus before we could realize that our bags were searched through and things stolen. We then had another transport to the actual bus station 5 mins away, and to our surprise met the other travelers from our original bus who were dropped off 2 mins prior to us who also had their bags searched/things stolen. That way the bus driver and personnel get away and we are unable to confront them as a large group and call the police. 

We have been in correspondence with Samuipedia. They refuse to acknowledge that they have any responsibility and claim we did not buy the ticket from them. Perhaps their day tours are fine (I cannot say), but until they stop selling this ticket I cannot recommend their company. SCAM ALERT!

 

 

Time for another yearly update!

Summing up the last 12 months… as mentioned in my previous “yearly” update, I got an internship in Linköping. Which turned into a job offer with a 6 months probation period, which turned into permanent employment… which is no longer permanent, as my workplace decided to shut down the design department.

At first I was pretty happy and relieved about it, since I had been pretty idle at work for the last few months, and felt frustrated that I was not moving forward in my career. But after a month of being unemployed, it’s been hard to keep my spirits up and continue to focus on making new projects for my portfolio that are targeted more towards the direction my career that I want to take – interaction design and digital design. I think a lot of my self esteem comes from being employed. Plus, I don’t have many friends here, so at least I had some kind of social contact in the office. 

Still, I do have some small successes from the past year that I need to keep in mind and be grateful for. I got 7 weeks paid notice, and technically speaking, they could have let me go back at the end of May rather than letting me continue as a permanent employee, so then I’ve been paid for several months more, which in turn improves my unemployment payout. I got a chance to work on some small projects for a customer which I was really proud of (and he was more than glad to be a reference, and possibly could even be a future continuing customer of mine).  My Swedish has improved a lot, to the point where I can watch television, read (general knowledge) books, partake in conversations with a small group of people, and understand most of what is going on during a business meeting. 

I got a job interview in Linköping in the field that I want to work in – which gives me some hope that I might be able to get an interaction design job even if it is offered to someone else – and even completed the interview in (bad) Swedish. But in Swedish nonetheless! I couldn’t have done that 1 year ago!   

Travelled back to Canada twice to visit family and friends. Thought it might be awhile before I would travel back to Edmonton, but depending on how long I’m unemployed for, I might end up going back home next summer for a few weeks. 

I’m really unsure what I should be focusing on… studying Swedish… studying interaction design methods… learning new prototyping software // programming… Feels like there is so much to learn. Almost as though, why kill myself working and stressing when I should try to relax a bit and enjoy the time off, since I don’t know when I will be able to freely travel and partake in interests as now. Live in the moment. 

Despite that I know this intellectually, I can’t help but feel anxious… for all possible outcomes, whether I succeed or whether I fail. What if my portfolio is not good enough? What if I don’t find a job in Linköping? What if I’m offered a (less than perfect) job in Linköping? What if I’m offered a job in Stockholm and have to move? What if I don’t find a job and need to return to school? What if I don’t get into any schools? What if I’m ACTUALLY accepted and need to work my ass off in school and go through the same stresses as when I studied before?? In that case I shouldn’t be stressing so much now but maybe even taking it easy and enjoying my downtime.  

New design blog

I started a new blog to house all my clippings, bookmarks and notes related to industrial design
http://designfragments.wordpress.com/

 

 

Working during the summer in Sweden (or the strange, workaholic foreigner)

I still can’t get used to the whole country basically shutting down for a month. I know that it’s basically impossible to get things done in July in Sweden, as everyone goes on vacation. When I worked in Canada, I had a relatively generous 3 weeks of vacation per year, which meant that I had to work close to 1.5 years without vacation in order to save up 4 weeks for a longer backpacking trip in South East Asia during the winter. I worked all summers, as a professional and a student.  

Now I get 5 weeks, though have already used up 2 weeks of it. I took 1 week off during Easter, and 1 week in June for sailing, will work all of July and take 2 weeks off in August to go to Canada. All of my coworkers either feel sorry for me, or think I’m strange. One asked, “When do you have summer vacation in Canada?” Uh, we don’t. It would be unthinkable for most companies to shut down for an entire month. Yet in Sweden it’s unthinkable that someone (me) is willing to work the entire month of July. 

I’m alone in the house this summer, as Per is away on a summer course in Taiwan. In a way, I’m a bit glad to be alone for a few weeks. I want to spend this month as a sabbatical, of sorts (as near as it can be, while still working 40 hours per week). I’ve started going to the gym again, after hurting my back, to try to rehabilitate myself with weight training, yoga, pilates, massages, physiotherapy. I got permission to set up a clay workshop at work, so I hope to do some form exercises from Rowena Reed’s Elements of Form on the weekends. One benefit of having little to no work to do this month (as clients are on vacation), is that I have a lot of hours to learn CAD modelling during the day. I’ve also been practicing my sketching in the evenings and weekends. 

It feels like there are endless ways that I would like to improve my skills as a designer (sketching, form, CAD, experimentation and exploration). Long lists of books I would like to read, both in English and Swedish. Endless amounts of work to do around the house and garden. My health has been put on the backburner for too long, and I also need to focus on treating my body better. I feel a bit dragged down by the routineness of everyday life, as though there aren’t enough hours in a day to accomplish everything I would like. The weeks and months are just flying by, without any way of stopping it. It just feels like something is missing for me, as though there’s something more I want, but I just don’t know what. 

I’m not satisfied with the level of my design skills at the moment. Of course I know I do fairly good work, and our clients and my workplace are extremely happy with my work. I know I’m my own worst critic… I just don’t want to become complacent, and I want to reach a level of greatness, or at least to make something real that is beautiful… I’ve been dreaming about doing some sort of intensive summer workshop, perhaps on my own, but preferably with like minded people. I just found out about this summer design workshop in a beautiful location in France http://www.boisbuchet.org/workshop-programs 

Perhaps next summer I will be able to join?? I also found some interesting summer design workshops in Sweden (found out about them though too late), and the ones that ran this summer weren’t as interesting, so I’ll have to keep my eye out for next summer. A crazy though ran through my head that I should organize my own workshop of exactly what it is that I would like to do… I’m just too scared that no one will want to sign up, and all the risks of trying to reach out and do something like that..I don’t have much of a network here in Linköping, and it feels a bit frustrating and isolating. 

My “Yearly” Update – 16 months of (near) continuous weekly commuting is over!

Yikes, I am really bad at updating (anyone still reading this thing?). And now I see that all my photos aren’t linking properly either, which I will have to go back to fix I’ve lost a lot interest in updating this blog, I guess mostly because I’m unsure whether anyone is tuning into my updates anymore. When I had my year long trip, at least I knew people were checking in to make sure I was still alive.

My daily life doesn’t feel super interesting to write about. I think it goes with my theory that no matter the circumstances you are in, when you are in it, it feels absolutely normal (even unremarkable, or mundane). But really, looking back on what I’ve done during the last year, I should be more amazed or proud of what I’ve done.

I did my thesis with a high profile Swedish company working alongside designers, getting the opportunity to live in Stockholm for several weeks.

Lunchtime run at work

Was in Paris in the springtime! (ooh la la!)

Got an internship as a product designer at a company that I thought I could only dream of, while also getting to live for free in beautiful Gothenburg during the best time of year.

View from the office in Gothenburg

Finally someone came and visited me in Sweden! It was great to spend time with my sister, showing her what my life is like here. We were able to make more use of the sailboat this year as well.

And we hit up Berlin (the first time for both of us).

Went back to Canada for a short visit, missing loved ones even more. Got my Swedish residence permit approved for another 2 years.

Visited London for the first time, getting to hang with some of my Canadian friends, as well as meet design friends I studied with in Umeå. Have so much nostalgia for the time spent with my old classmates, and am amazed and proud of what they have achieved for themselves in the last 2 years.

In London. Chopped my hair for the first time in 16 years.

Visited my old classmates in Jönköping twice this fall, and also feel happy they are also making progress in their careers.

And after living out of a travelling backpack for 16 months (not to mention the last 4 years), bouncing back and forth between Linköping, Jönköping, Stockholm, Göteborg, spending between 5-12 hours every week on the damn bus, finally living under the same roof as Per. Improved my motion sickness threshhold, as all those hours on the bus I have trained my ability to read on a laptop.

Started an internship at THE company I have been hoping for here in Linköping, and finding the work completely to be what I want to do! (and really hoping I will be hired on longer… fingers crossed) Gave my first presentation completely in Swedish at work (!) Tried curling for the first time with my coworkers, and found it a lot more fun that I expected.

Won 2 contests this year. One for a really nice TV (mainly on luck and Per’s perseverance). The other for 350 euro worth of outdoor merchandise based on a t-shirt I designed for Haglöfs 🙂

Really…  An amazing year when I think about what I had been doing 5 years ago. Though I also feel I have been sacrificing a lot of my health and can no longer keep putting it on the backburner. Over this next year, I will focus on my health, becoming fluent in Swedish, and continuing to improve (and enjoy using) my design skills. Overall, life is good.

the most beautiful (& expensive) boots I’ve ever owned

I’m a bit of a shoe snob – I have an expensive taste for quality, though I often want to wait to snag end of season deals. In Canada I’ve found that February has been a good month for picking up end of season deals. But in Sweden the selection tends to be very limited – there’s only a few shoe brands/chains, and they are rather overpriced. I can’t get over the shock of having to pay $70+ for a pair of made-in-China, pleather (or not fully leather) shoes. During the 2 years I’ve been in Sweden, I’ve bought one pair of pleather boots, and one not-fully-leather pair, and both have given me blisters. So then I decided – no more poor quality boots again!

Since I’m in Stockholm for the week, I planned to take advantage of the best shopping selection in Sweden (which isn’t that great, I’m afraid). When I saw them in the store, I loved how they looked. When I put them on, and I knew I had to buy them, if not in every colour… But even after 2 years here, I still have trouble converting currency in my head and pulled out my iphone calculator. 1800 SEK = ~$275! Yikes… too late, I fell in love with them and had to have them.

 

Another bag blog

Found another great bag blog! With all the other great blogs I’ve discovered, why haven’t I discovered bag blogs earlier?

Also found this innovative cycling backpack by Ergon Bike with 2 part independent suspension:

Ergon Bike Backpack

Sexy product shot!

Oh the wonderful world of internet!

Thesis work started!

So now I have a sponsoring company, as well as a well defined project for my final thesis project! An infant carrier for Haglöfs! I’ve started to do a lot of the research, including tons of background reading on ergonomics, infant development, parenting, as well as looking on the internet to see what products exist today, and for inspiration in general.

It’s a bit ironic that my first design project – a homework assignment submitted to Umeå as part of my entrance application – was a backpack, and that my final projectwork as a design student will also be a type of backpack =)

But looking around the net, I stumbled upon a really fantastic website obsessed with all things backpacks, Carryology. I’ve been looking for a great looking and practical backpack for some time, and have bemoaned the lack of selection and design. I want a nice looking, comfortable backpack to carry all the things I need everyday, such as my 15.6″ laptop (which gets quite heavy after some time on my back, let alone if I were to use a messenger bag), that could carry enough things for an overnight trip, and look stylish and fit my everyday style. Most backpacks look too much like a hiking bag.

I had a second interview with Volvo Cars a few days ago (want the job so bad! Fingers crossed that I make it onto the 3rd and final round!!)… Anyway, I needed to go to an evening recruiting event, stay overnight in Gothenberg, and go to an interview the next morning. I didn’t have many bags to choose from that would be large enough to carry my overnight necessities (without being too large) and professional looking (or at least not like I was going hiking). Now I found this bag from Cote et Ciel, which I am in love with, and thinking about buying:

Cote et ciel rucksack

Reminds me of origami! Love the Japanese aesthetic, and simple lines. Undecided if I want it in grey, black, or tan.The lighter colours show off the form really well, but black goes with everything.

The other bag I’m considering is from Mission Workshop. I love that it is waterproof and expandable (so practical!), and would work really great for when I travel, but it looks a little on the big side and maybe overwhelming on my small frame.

Mission Workshop Rambler

I also like this bag from InCase, but apparently it’s not in stores yet… And perhaps it is a little on the small side to be used for travelling.

InCase backpack

When I think about the number of times I have thought, “I wish they made better looking camera bags!” “Backpacks!” “Laptop bags!” And all other types of practical bags. I don’t know why it never occurred to me to go into soft goods design, considering the amount of time I have spent and spend travelling, as well as my interest in design and fashion! It makes a lot of sense… something to think about if Volvo Cars doesn’t pan out.

Some days I feel worried and a bit stressed that I can’t/won’t be able to think of a great idea or design for my final thesis project… Don’t want to let down Haglöfs (or my own hopes for myself). But I feel a little inspired after seeing great backpack designs online, and maybe I need to scale back my hopes to solve all the problems of the world / imaginable / of parents everywhere, and concentrate on making a beautiful and functional product.

The other night, Per and I watched “Modets offer” on SVT, a German produced documentary translated into Swedish about how the fashion industry is exposing people to hazardous chemicals used during the production of textiles. Of course there is no easy solution, unless we start growing and producing our own textiles and clothing under conditions where we can enforce the production methods (and pay accordingly and suitably). I have really believed in buying only quality footwear, because they last longer, are breathable, more comfortable, and look better. I think that producing, selling and buying cheap shoes made of leather are a waste of really good material. Though the documentary found that even expensive shoes could have traces of banned, hazardous chemicals, I think that consuming less, but better quality items is a step in the right direction. Cheaply produced clothing is also a waste of resources and puts workers’ health in developing nations at risk. I don’t shop for clothing very often – especially compared to the average woman – but the documentary definitely makes me rethink my consumption habits.

 

Inspiring and depressing at the same time

I just watched another great TED Talk by Jonas Gahr Store, Norway’s foreign minister, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue in politics.

Fantastic speaker, and amazing CV… which led me to wonder, who the heck is Canada’s Foreign Minister?….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minister_of_Foreign_Affairs_%28Canada%29

Seems to be a bit of revolving door… The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is John Baird, since May of 2011… with absolutely no international experience on his CV. Oh wait, he WAS Environment Minister during 2007-8, and you can see the fantastic results of the environmental targets made…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16153800

Sum up:

The Canadian government has announced it will formally withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, making it the first nation to do so.

The move was expected, as the country declared four years ago that it did not intend to meet its existing commitments, and its annual emissions have risen by about once third since 1990.

Pathetic and utterly embarrassing. Having lived abroad for a few years now, I really notice Canada’s lack of international involvement and global perspective, from its citizens up to its top levels of government. I used to think (and still cling to hope) that politicians were smarter than most of the population, and therefore better qualified to make decisions that affected our future lives. Depressing to think about the lack of smart leadership that exists in Canada.

Highlights of 2011!

The year has gone by in a flash, and looking back now, I realize there were so many amazing experiences! It really feels like a snowball effect; that by taking steps and risks towards what you truly desire, that so many good things follow!

In December/January, on my way to Taiwan to visit Per, I visited Copenhagen again, revisiting the place that inspired me – the Danish Design Center – along with the industrial design museum. I also got a taste of Russia, with a stop-over in Moscow, where I had my most entertaining flight to date, on Russian Aeroflot airlines… You can ask me about the story in person =) I got a lot of new impressions, met with old classmates from Umeå, and shopped till my backpack was bursting with cool and cheap Taiwanese fashion.

Taiwan, Chiang-Kai Shek Memorial

Taiwan, Toroko Gorge

New design inspirations from Taiwan =) =)

Rang in 2011 with Eve at Luxy nightclub in Taipei

Back in school for the winter/spring, completed 3 good school projects, all of them with positive feedback from our teachers and the companies! Volvo Cars encouraged me, along with 3 others in my class, to apply for jobs at Volvo because “we need engineers like you”. My lighting teacher passed along the name of a company that he thought I should pitch my lamp to (though I haven’t had time to follow through yet).

My Volvo seat concept

My helicopter concept

My work lamp concept

In February, I visited Stockholm twice. Once to see the Stockholm furniture fair, visiting with some friends, and the second on my way up to Umeå to visit my friend Roy, also spent visiting a museum with fantastic impressions, and crashing with a couchsurfing friend!

Stockholm furniture fair. Love this bedroom, but especially the lamp!!

Another interesting photo exhibit.. Basically Sweden had the lowest housing standard in the 1930s until they formed what is now the Swedish Consumer Agency, that observed, tested and made recommendations for household appliances.. the start of Swedish design?

Snow castle in Umeå. Amazingly no one steals the reindeer fur set on the benches, so that everyone can enjoy them… the Swedish collective

I visited Vienna in April, a dream of mine for some years, to revel in the artwork of Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt.

Vienna, secessionist building

A second visit to Umeå in June to visit friends again, see the (amazing and inspirational) degree show, and the keynote speaker Richard Seymour, an extremely inspiring and optimistic designer! Said something along the lines of…

“Technology is not our limitation, our imagination is!”

I got an email response to a summer internship I applied for, along with a second follow up! I didn’t secure the position, but the fact that I am getting responses to my work is very encouraging!

Spent the summer flying and travelling around the globe, literally. Starting in June from Denmark, to Taiwan, China, New York, Canada, and back to Sweden for September.

In Taiwan, I took it easy for most of the 3 weeks, to sleep, recover and plan the China trip, though we had time to celebrate Swedish midsommar and made one last excursion out to Green Island. We only spent 2 days and 1 night on Green Island, but I would highly recommend it if you are in Taiwan, to take a scooter around the island and snorkel or scuba dive. I was skeptical about how good the snorkelling could be, so close to the shore, but I would say it was maybe the best snorkelling I have ever had!

Swedish midsommar celebration in Taiwan

Green Island, Taiwan

Green Island, Taiwan

I had planned to write about our 5 week China trip in a separate blog entry, but I’ve been so busy that I never got around to it. China is at once exhilarating, frustrating, fascinating, and full of scammers but also very kind people… It was my third visit to China, and so much has changed even from 2005 and 2008. The amount of tourism is growing staggeringly fast, especially by the growing middle class, but English is still quite limited in most places. I was grateful that Per learned quite a bit of Chinese, as there were many situations where we would not have made our way without it. I had intended to write about a lot of travel advice and tips to avoid scams that I would give to people planning to travel there independently, but maybe it’ll have to wait another day…

Irregardless, I would say that Sichuan province, particulary towards the Tibetan areas, was the highlight of our trip… If only the Chinese government had not stopped us and all western tourists from continuing onwards,”closing” all Tibetan districts, forcing us to turn back to Chengdu after all the trouble it took us to get there…

Shanghai

Panda center in Chengdu

Children’s school play in Kangding, Sichuan province

Tibetan gravestone in Kangding, Sichuan province

Day hiking in Kangding

Rich, yak-butter filled Tibetan bread… soooo good!

Xi’an muslim night market

Stepping up Hua Shan. One of 2 famous mountains we walked up (Emei Shan the other)

Beijing’s 798 Art District… the most interesting, and ‘authentic’ part of Beijing for me

On an “illegal” and little visited part of the Great Wall with a random local who insisted on a photo together. He came running down from another tower in worn out shower slippers yelling at us to “Be careful!” and to hold onto the sides of the wall for support, since we were falling on our asses despite proper hiking boots. Amazing!

I flew onwards to New York (my first ever visit!), while Per spent a few more days in Beijing before he would go onwards to Thailand for a few days. I stayed with my sister for 10 days at her ritzy place on Park Avenue (I think it was the first time we got to see each other in 2 years?). I was able to visit a great design exhibit at MoMa, as well as an exhibit with Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele at an Austrian art museum! I also had a chance to catch up with an old classmate from Umeå a few times over lunch! Nice thing about having studied in Umeå is that you make friends from all over the world!

To sum up New York…  The museums were great, the food a bit disappointing and expensive, and the sites – well, a bit uninteresting considering the several thousand year old sites I had visited in China. For me, the best part of New York was the people and the people watching! I could imagine living there would be great… only if you could manage a high paying job that would cover the astronomical rents, and one that wouldn’t expect inhumane working hours…

Where else but New York City?

Returning to Canada, I managed to squeeze in quite a lot of visits, and errands, with the highlight being two of my best friends getting married to each other! Of course it felt a bit short, but I was glad I always had someone to see or something to do, and was never bored.

Tim Horton’s, how I miss you!

Back in Sweden in September, we managed to squeeze in one last sailing trip. We could actually swim too, though it was 17 C in the water, which made it very short bathing.

End of Swedish summer sailing

The sailing trip would foreshadow the theme of “compact living” for the fall semester… Our school project would be to design a caravan, and the project would take the full 3+ months. I spent a lot of hours, days and nights in the project – some of it feeling very stressed. But overall it was very fun, designing my “dream” caravan – one that would show my design philosophy and aesthetic in my portfolio. In the end, they chose 2 projects from the class to be “closed” for possible further development. One of the ones they picked was me! Ironic that in doing the project for myself, and to show in my portfolio, meant that the company was so impressed by my result that I am no longer able to show it to anyone due to confidentiality… Awesome! =)

Along with a momentary payment came an offer to continue the work for our thesis project. I had to turn it down because I already secured a great company for my thesis! I had managed to secure one interview with a company doing a project that would have been beyond my expectations, but the client funding fell through. Still, I am very happy that they liked my portfolio enough to call me in! The other interview I secured, and will continue my final thesis project work with, is Haglöfs – which is like the North Face of Sweden! Beyond excited and almost in disbelief!

Between working hard on my portfolio and the caravan project, we took a little time out in October to visit Copenhagen, Denmark and Germany!

Koge, Denmark

Per and I also managed to experiment a little with some new recipes for the moose he hunted.

Successful first attempt at ossobucco, made with moose meat

Winter arrived, at least for a few days, here in southern Sweden

And now it’s been my fifth Christmas in a row away from Canada. Miss my friends and family a little, but glad I have a Swedish “family” to celebrate with. All in all I would say it’s been an amazing year, and I know that the coming years have even more in store for me. Happy new year to all!