This thread is LONG overdue...what I HATE about travelling...

Mo:

We´re off to London today. Leaving the house in 1h, so probably should pack?





The best thing with travelling is actually being in the new place. The worst thing is the travelling.

What I hate the most is the airport security control.

WHAT A SCAM AND TOTAL BULLSHIT!

They make up rules about "security" which are just laughable. Like the liquid rule-or the lap top-crap, I mean,

what on earth can you REALLY detect from staring at an open laptop, turning it upside down and frowning your forehead???

Or what about having to take your shoes off because some idiot tried to smuggle explosives in his trainers??? And I absolutely LOVE the fact that after you have walked through the detection bars, in your bare socks (feeling like a 5-year old), they still have the stomach to scan off the soles of your feet?????? What the hell is that all about?

I´m sick and tired off being felt up by (Hello, exactely how dangerous can my breasts be??? Obviously LETHAL) different power-hungry and sad "översittartyper" (read Airport-Gestapo) at different airports around the world.

And I know, what some readers will think now: "ohhh, but it´s all good...all these terrorist attacks and don´t we all want to be safe?...etc etc etc". Yes. There needs to be some airport security control - check for guns, drugs, knives, machétes, etc.

But get a grip when it comes to the rest. If someone REALLY wants to blow something up, they won´t attach a big red sticker on the bottom of their laptop saying "explosives" or glue a bomb to the soles of their feet!

Get real and slope the liquid rule, the laptop rule and the laughable shoe rule, Airport Security do not even apply the SAME rules to different airports within the EU!...ehhh, let´s just say that this fact makes it very difficult to take you guys seriously....

Easiest way of losing 2.500SEK...and not even getting a pair of shoes!

Mo:

2 yoga classes this morning.
First one at 7am at Hagabadet and second one at 9am at Gymnasium, Sisjön. A lovely start of the day. Hooked up for breakfast with some wonderful people who used to take my classes when I was still at Badet. Nice.

I thought that maybe it would be quiet this week, being the Autumn break and all, but no.... the 9am class was really packed out...

Went home to work for a few hours and had lunch with a friend of mine, M, who is opening a new restaurant in a couple of weeks. He was actually supposed to be opened by now, but due to unreliable handy-men, the whole project is more than 1 1/2months overdue. He was pulling his hair out and looked quite stressed and tired. What´s with that? WHY is it so difficult to find great tradesmen/women when it comes to the building trade? Will that change now, as times becomes tougher? One could certainly hope so.
It´s just as hard finding a good carpenter as it is finding a good doctor these days (ie virtually impossible...).

By the way, Sterling Airways went bust this morning.

Bye, bye return tickets to ROME next May worth 2.500SEK...


If I look at it soberly, there went my extra 2 pairs of London shoes in an instant....
(....hmmmm.....unless I find something in the sale???...)

2 more classes tonight. 60min spinning (interval) & 45min Kettlebell. Oh, yeah!

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Bye bye Diamond Touch....

Mo:

I gave up in the end.

This morning it went out on "Blocket" and in 30 minutes the lucky buyer will come and pick it up (the first caller got through less than an hour of the ad going live...).

Bye, bye beautiful HTC Diamond Touch. It was fun whilst it lasted, but you were far too unpractical for me...

This must mean I can afford at least 2 extra pairs of shoes in London, mustn´t it????

Talking of which... I SOOO wanted to wear my black GUCCI ankle boots today, but with my retro NIKE-outfit, I´m afraid it was comfort over glamour yet another day!!! Explanation (but NOT a valid excuse): I overslept this morning and had to rush out the door...

Tomorrow is another day....

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Tuesday in London

Just had some delicious breakfast, painted my toe nails DARK RED :) And the cleaning lady arrived!

Next mission is to teach a 90min class here in Southfields, an intermidiate group of lovelly yoginis!
After that I'll take a brisk 45min (love the word Brisk, so English : ) walk down to the Bikram Yoga. 90min of Hot Hot Hot asana, a sweet cold shower and then I am on the tube to Nothing Hill Gate. There I'll have lunch with a beautiful yogi (perhaps the ELECTRIC, love that place). Some walking and shopping in that amazing area before my next class at Jivamukti with CAT (a wicked teacher from New York, grrr).

Hope I'll have time to stop by Whoole Foods after the class before I take the tube back to Southfields in time to teach my second class that finnishes at 9pm.

So there you have it, just another full on day in LONDON!

Hope you'll have a MAGNIFICANT Day

LOVE jo

Tomorrow is a HIGH HEELS day

Mo:

Ok, so today wasn´t a normal Monday...
First of all, I tried to have a lie in this morning, but woke up at 8am, bright and awake.
The sun was shining, so I went out for a run.

Actually, my legs felt fine, but my breathing was heavy...

Had lunch at my favourite lunch place Picadeli. Enough food to last a Monday full of training.
Worked out with my PT at 15.45



and taught Spinning+kettlebell straight after. Just enough time to go home, pick up my yoga mat and leave for Hagabadet, where I subbed JoJo´s evening yoga.

All in all, a day of training and training gear. Tomorrow needs to be a day of glamour to make some kind of balance... High heels, ahoy! :)

By the way, got an email from our lovely, lovely Jo today. She has it sorted for my visit in London and I think I´ll be doing both Pilates, dance, shopping and a hell of a lot of fika in the big city when I arrive! YES. Just a weekend in my taste!

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Hahahahaha

Rang my brother in stress:

What am I suppose to change the clock to tonight??

Him: eh, what do you mean?

Me: Well, aren't we supposed to change the time back or forth?

Him: Well, that was yesterday

Me: Ohhhh..............., Thanks, Good Night!

(Thank God for Iphone :)

Sweet Dreams Jo

Ps Did you turn the clock?

Wacko

MO:

How normal is it to write someone the following message on Facebook, saying: (headline) "Do you know me?" followed by:

"My name is xxxx xxx and my surname used to be xxxxx. If you are the one I´m looking for , we met in the US and used to sing Swedish songs for a Swedish audience. That cannot be you in the photograph, can it?
Regards xxxxx"

Ehh, no. You so seriously got the wrong person. Which you most probably already knew, didn´t you? How do you explain the "...that cannot be you in the photograph, can it?..."-comment otherwise???

Weird.

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Warning: "I will tell you the truth"

So my BIKRAM Journey has begun!

Today is my third class in a row and I am actually excited about it J

I long for the heat and the 90min of strict asanas that I have now come to know (kinda, still don’t get how that man could have been practicing 30 days in a row and still suck like that?!).

The BIKRAM Yoga is in Fulham, a 45min brisk walk from where I live, I like that as well. After the bikram class I take the tube in to London and OMG! It’s just too much. I can’t handle it all. Those of you who know me know that I hate missing out on things. I would rather run around (some en skallad ratta) then miss out on a class, an exhibition, a shop or an event! And the problem is that London is jut TO BIG for little me.

However I have made some progress:

1. The first Bikram Class I was thinking that NO, am I not going to push myself 150% at the first class, so that I feel sick to my stomach, NO I am going to ENJOY it J (Even though Bikram says: Doing anything 99% right really means doing it 100% wrong!). The teacher was really nice and gave some great tips!
2. Later that same day I went to DANCEWORKS to take a few classes (still a bit exhausted from the bikram I started with a lovely Afro Contemporary 90min class. The teacher was lovely, a black puma and the class were great, still there were only about 6 or 8 of us there. After the Afro my plan was to do a 90min Stretch for Dance class (being a bit tired by now, 99% of me wanted to skip it, but the Hard-Headed Jo decided that I don’t have many days in London so Sharpen up missies!). Half way into the class I decided to LEAVE (very mature of me, another sign of my progress). The class sucked! A black gorgeous hard ass male was screaming at us to keep the rhythm, go on, go on, whilst we were forced to do stupid aerobics a la 80 exercises for forever! And believe it or not the class was packed??! It is so unfair, this business…..
3. Today I took SOVMORGON (even though I’m in London, every minute in bed= missing out on the city!)

Even though Bikram wouldn’t be proud, I am

Things I LOOOVE that I have occupied myself with the last few days:

v Teaching YOGA

v SHUE UEMURA Shopping (the BEST makeup, hair, facial stuff in THE WORLD)

v WHOOLE FOODS (OMG! I would be ruined if they came to Sweden!)

v HARVEY NICHOLS, Harrods is so 90ies

v LIBERTY

v WALKING everywhere, I love it

v Sitting reading with a coffee in Nothing Hill

v Victoria and Albert

v TATE MODERN

v Borough Market

So now I am off down to Old Village Wimbledon to have a coffee and some scone before the Bikram class (Bikram says that you can eat ANYTHING when you do yoga, as long as you don’t tattoo yourself, cause your body is not yours, it is GODS, hmm?!, oh well TO LATE J

CIAO Jo

Are you Monika Björn???

Mo:

I was booked to do a continuing education in Ljungby today.

I left Älmhult around 8am to arrive in Ljungby by 9am (decided that there might be far too many elks just waiting to jump out in front of my car, so better safe than sorry and drive legally for once...).

The center had sent me a great map to follow and it was fairly easy to find the way. After I had parked the car, I brought all my luggage with me inside. There was a lot of people running around with children´s clothes, toys etc, and I spotted a big sign saying "Carboot Sale - Saturday 25 October". There was no one in the reception area, so I walked into the main studio. Lots of tables, stuff and people, but no familiar faces around. (Not that I had ever met the woman who had booked me...).

I walk back out to the reception area and hear someone calling my name: "Monika??"

As I turn around, I see a blond woman approaching me with a friendly face.

"Are you Monika Björn???"

It struck me as a very strange thing to say to someone whom you have booked for a full day to train your trainers....

"I saw you in there, and I thought to myself: Isn´t that Monika Björn?" the woman continues.

"Yes, it´s me..."

"WHAT are you doing here?" (not said in an unfriendly manner, just in sheer curiosity...)

???
"Ehhhhh... I thought I was working here today?...." I desperately look around. I see the club´s logo... it seems to be the right place?...and then I see the address...It is NOT the right place! What is the likelihood of that? I´m in the deepest forest of Småland and there are two places with almost identical names just next door to each other????

"You´re probably going across the street" the woman smiles and points to the building just opposite where we are.

There I see the right logo.

"I would love to book you another time for us!...and our 3 instructors who went to Millennium 2 weeks ago were SOOOOO pleased and inspired!!!!"

A different start of the day, but oh, so funny!

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Siberia - Småland

Mo:

Sibiria - Småland.

Traveling to the depths of Sweden´s forests seems like an easy task after a week in Russia. :)

Found the following photographs on JB´s webpage:

Order in the classroom!....

JB playing air guitar with my leg...

Album of the month I

Mo:

"Tell him" by Stephanie McKay

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Album of the month II

Mo:

If you´re looking for two CDs to buy this month, make sure it is "The Way you love me" by Marc Evans and Stephanie McKay´s "Tell it like it is"...







Thanks Per, for introducing me to Mr.Evans and Ms.McKay...

Marc Evan´s "Underneath the crescent moon" is the best song I´ve heard for ages...

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All go

Mo:

Have been home for 48hrs and it feels great!

Tomorrow morning I have breakfast with Febs and then I´m holding a 75min lecture for 40 people from HSB. I´ve been stressed out for a week in Russia, so I decided to feel relaxed about tomorrow´s presentation - and - so far, so good.

On Friday I´m off to Småland, to work in Ljungby on Saturday. Sunday we´ll leave after breakfast to hit Daisy´s name giving-party at 14.00.

And although it´s still all go, it feels quite relaxed in comparison to last week´s havoc. :)

Next week, I´m subbing 2 classes, Monday & Wednesday for JO at Hagabadet, and next weekend I´ll be at the Yoga Show in London. P is holding 2 presentations,"Yoga & injuries-lecture" + "Yoga & injuries-workshop". I´ll be taking classes, shopping and hanging out with Katy Appleton & JO.
Planning to have some time at the Burberry outlet as well. (P doesn´t know yet, but that´s the plan for Sunday...)

.

Yoga + Competition

Well DARLINGS!

I'm in london now and I'm thinking of joining a BIKRAM Studio (Hot Hot yoga). They have a challange, 30days non stop Bikram! I remember taking a bikram class here last year and at the end of the class the teacher announces: And a big congrat to MARK who just completed the 30 Day Challange (meaning he had been doing 90min of HOT hard yoga EVERYDAY for 30 days!) All I could think was: Oh my GOD, 30 days and thats the BEST he could do!!?! (Mind, the sequence is THE SAME, always!!)

Well perhaps it is my turn, to step up for the callange? Was thinking of starting today but... I got stuck reading, so I'll start tomorrow! U can follow my challange here on MOJO!

Wish me Luck :)

Love Jo

World Wide Traveller

Well, I thought so….

After some quality time with my family in Skane:

$ playing ROCKBAND with my brother
$ cooking, grocery shopping with my mom
$ baggage lucke loppis in lund with the world’s BEST grandmother, and mom off course!
$ THE worlds best pedicure (there is a piece of glass left in my foot from having a bit too much fun this summer, ask TONI J)
$ Wonderful late night dinners and tea in front of the TV with my family (including two cats and one dog)

I was off to LONDON to run APPLEYOGA! The business of the amazing KATY APPLETON

Took the train to Copenhagen airport, all set to check in when the attendant asks for my passport, I can’t find it. But hey I have my Swedish EU drivers license, that works J the answer I get is that GB is NOT part of the EU! What?! Come aging…. Off course they are! Well, well some schengen stuff… the final answerer is that they WON’T let me on the flight!!!

It is 930am, I am supposed to teach 2 big classes in London at 630pm… and more classes the day after.

I can only start to imagine what I would be like without my yoga and meditation…

This is what I HAD TO do:

$ Store my luggage (50DK)
$ Take the train back to MALMO (200sek)
$ Walk to the POLICE STATION in Malmo
$ Sit and wait to get a temporary passport (980sek)
$ Take the train back to Copenhagen (200sek)
$ Buy a NEW ticket to LONDON (2000DK)
$ Have to sit and wait until 8pm for my flight (let me tell you, airports do NOT have good FENG SHUI!)

Arrive in Southfields where I stay in Katy’s wonderful appt. at around 1am… what a day!

So there you have it… If I cried?! No, but I really felt like it at times! So if you saw a HARD HEADED short hair blond walking with brisk steps and a mad as killer focus around malmo and Copenhagen yesterday, it was most likely ME!

Off to teach a class now, jihaaaa!

See u soon

LOVE Jo

Novosibirsk I.T.S convention - Tony Stone

Mo:

It took 17hours to get home. 3 flight changes & 3 time zones later I arrived in Landvetter airport last night at 17.30. What a trip it has been! Jeez.
You know, I swore to never go back after the first 4 days....Again, never say never. The feedback after my five (!) yoga classes was great and the people were so happy... Maybe I just need to sleep on it. For a year or so.
Thanks Sergey for driving all the way out to Domododevo with my heart rate monitors! I hope you enjoyed the breakfast. :)






See photos added to the Russia-threads below...

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Novosibirsk I.T.S convention - Per Markussen

Mo:

Per Markussen making Sweden proud...(yes, yes, I KNOW he´s Norweigan, but he´s actually a "Stockholmare" more than anything else....)

Novosibirsk - day 6 & 7

Mo:

Thanks again to Per, Tony, Marc, Christine, JB, Volkmar and Chris for keeping spirits high and the energy level going.

Thanks also to all the delegates at the Novosibirsk I.T.S convention for making this year´s event a success and for your wonderful feedback concerning our classes.

Enjoy this clip from Tony Stone´s beautiful cooldown on Saturday evening.

Day 4 and 5

Mo:

STILL here! :)

Finished the training course on Friday.

2 days, 20 people and 11 bikes later...

After training was finished I had a back massage by someone who must have been Karelin's cousin. 2 meters tall and about 100kg musle. Great for my shoulders though. Exactely what was needed after 4 days of pure stress.

Was amazed to see how many "off" classes that were held at "City Gym". Belly dancing in a push up bra, anyone?

Belly-dancing at City Club, Novosibirsk

Anyway, came back to the hotel about 7pm and had dinner around 8pm with Per, JB & Volkmar.

Time has gone so much faster since the gang arrived! (Thank God!....)

Per Markussen, my dear friend from Stockholm and the Swedish NIKE team

Per Markussen & JB´s manager Volkmar

Marc Oliver, founder of "People in Motion". One of the big names in Europe. Someone I've known for 10 years now, since I was the first to invite him to Sweden all that time ago...

Me and Marc Oliver - 10 years after meeting for the first time in Nürnberg

Tony Stone, the man, the myth, the LEGEND! We haven't seen each other for years and it was amazing to see that he hasn't aged 1(!) single day and he is as wonderful and humble as always... Damn it, if you have ANYTHING to do with dance - you HAVE to know who this man is! He has worked with Michael Jackson, is on speed dial to Britney AND choreographed the opening for the VIPs and extraordinary important people at this year's Olympic Games, God damn it!

Me, Tony Stone and lovely Christine Reiter

Lovely JB + cool manager Volkmar. Yes. Manager. And PR-agent.
I WANT ONE!!!!
So...: someone with class 1 organization skills, who is a complete negotiation and PR-wizz, preferably with fluent German, Italian, English, Swedish (Russian?) wanted for demanding, kick-ass, strong-headed, creative, control freak. Salary not negotiable.

Ego-photo together with JB

Christine Reiter, multi-talented and nice woman whom I've never met before! Teaches dance, house, Pilates (and Pilates to house music - I LIKE this woman!) + muscle classes.
Chris - friendly and fun guy from Germany, who teaches Hot Iron and is much too nice for his own good.

Per again, this time with Chris

Thank you crew for making these last days fly past!

Survived my 3 yoga classes yesterday. (Was supposed to teach 2 and was asked 5minutes after arriving at the convention if I could sub an extra class.... I said "yes, and here's the price..."

I've got 2 more classes today and I will definitely join Tony's "Street Jazz" at lunch.

Tomorrow I go HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ps. JO - I LOVE the hair!

MAKE ME

.......................

It's ALL GONE pete tong :)

No more curly fro, short, sharp and RAW

And I'm LOVIN IT :)



Off to London in two days. First some quality time with my loved ones! In one second I will kick my brothers ass in ROCKBAND - Guesse what I AM A ROCKSTAR :)

SHANTI Jo

FEAR FACTOR

All my bags are packed and.... no not really, but by this evening they will be:)

But before I leave for London I am teaching A BodyJam class, two Yoga classes, one meditation class and inbetween I am planning on attending a BodyPump class early early in the morning!
Guesse if I will enjoy the train ride down to Skåne after that :? Yeahh!

Before I go, wanted to share a source of inspirition of mine:

Authentic Avenue

Enjoy!

Rädsla är vägen till framgång

Rädsla är en enorm drivkraft i våra liv. Den kan styra oss att göra de konstigaste saker och den kan förlama oss till att inte göra någonting. Men den kan också vara en katalysator till handling och på så sätt bidra till äkta framgång, i våra egna ögon. Rädslan för att leva ett helt liv av bara plast och yta kan – när vi fått insikten om hur det ligger till - få oss att gå genom eld för det vi innerst inne tror på. Utan att fiska efter grannens tyckande. Det finns få tillfällen då vi känner oss så levande som då vi gör det vi är rädda för och rädslan är därför en vän, inte en fiende.

De flesta av oss är rädda för andra, helt vanliga människor. Vi är rädda för vad de ska tycka om oss, vad de ska hitta på om vi inte har kontroll över dem och för att de ska döma oss om vi visar vårt trasiga inre, våra drömmar eller vår oglamorösa morgonrutin. Det är lätt att glömma att vi alla är människor och att vår storhet ligger just i att vara både liten, rädd och – människa.

Det är inte konstigt att vi är rädda för varandra när vi själva målar upp en fasad som kanske inte alltid stämmer helt överens med verkligheten. Och om vi gör det finns ju risken att alla andra också gör det och hur ska vi då kunna lita på att dem? Det fina är att det enda vi behöver öva på är att vara människor och inte utställningsobjekt. När vi slutar jämföra våra insidor med andra människors utsidor blir det så mycket lättare att se varandra på riktigt.

Om vi vill bli berörda av och beröra andra människor och måste vi kliva ur alla de roller vi skapat. Släppa den polerade bilden av oss själva och istället kliva i den självklara sanningen om dem vi är. Sanningen som säger att vi kan vara små och stora samtidigt, rädda och modiga på en och samma gång och framgångsrika trots att vi inte har koll på precis allt. Inre framgång leder oftast till yttre framgång och för att nå den behöver vi inte göra någonting alls. Bara vara precis dem vi är och lita på att om vi tar aktiva, medvetna och modiga steg varje dag så kommer framtiden att ge oss precis det vi behöver.

---

So True!!!

Jo

Day 3 in Siberia

Mo:

Day 3.

In-Cycle instructors at Dr.Loder fitness center in Moscow

As I was boarding the plane - after hanging around at the airport for about 3.5h, I remembered: I left my 9 heart rate monitors in Sergeys car!!!! Couldn't believe it! For a moment I was worried that I had brought them out of the car and forgot them on a luggage carrier somewhere (as I've done with several half-read books...). But then when I backed-tracked, I was sure I forgot them in the car...

Red Square from a car window...

Luckily enough they were with Sergey and will find their way back to me in one way or another, either by post or when I stop by in Moscow for 4h on my way back to Sweden...Sergey, I buy you a HUGE breakfast if you happen to drop by Domododevo on Monday morning!!! :)

Arrived in Novosibirsk at 4.55am.
Got to the hotel at 6am and fell asleep around 6.30.
When my alarm went at 9.50am I had no idea where I was, who I was or where I was going....
Luckily a hot shower shook me up a bit and I even got breakfast in this hotel! YEEEAAH!
2 boiled eggs, some cereal and an almost sandwich (bread older than 4 days doesn't count as a sandwich...).

View from a car window in Novosibirsk...

Got to the fitness center around 10.45 and left at 18.30. It's been a long day-and yes, there were 23 people and 11 bikes. It's in these situations that your "flexibility" really gets tested.
At the end of the day, at least the people seemed very happy and there were even smiles all around....

Now it's room service, vitamins and BED! Cannot wait!!!!

By 21.00 I'll be sleeping like a baby....

Nitenite

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A THOUSAND BILLION STARS

Thing like this makes the hair on my arms stand up straight! Some of you might find it cheesy BUT I don't care! It's thoughts like these that make me wanna make every breath deeper, it's thoughts like these that fuels me in this world!!!

Saw "Vingklippt Ängel" on TV last night and I am still a bit shaky. It is a fine line.... this life!

Cherrish it!

LOVE Jo

The making of....

I'm starting to PLAY with it.....

www.jira.se

SHAKTI Jo

I would rather do your math homework then:

• Buy stamps
• Buy toilet paper
• Go pick up the laundry
• Unpack my necesär
• Put up stuff in the attic
• Change the light bulb
• Do my accounting
• Clean my bokhylla (I mean REALLY clean it!)
• Learn how to install my TV BOX
• Go to sleep (right now!)

Oh well……

Sweet Dreams ☺

Jo

Day 2 in Moscow

Mo:

Day 2.

The sun is actually shining here in Moscow.
Leaving for Novosibirsk tonight, will arrive 4.55am tomorrow morning and start the 2-day training course at 10am...

Found a descent cappuccino this morning! Thank the powers above for small mercies! :)

Looking forward to see Per Markussen & Tony Stone at the weekend.

If Russia was a song it would definitely be "Firestarter" by the Prodigy.

16.59

At the airport. In one piece. I've "only" seen 2 car accidents in two days this time. Last visit (which was in February 2007) I saw 6 car accidents in 3 days - the worst one was a car doing a 360 in the lane next to us. Not to be recommended.

Sergey and his crew at the Dr.Loder Fitness Club have looked after me well. They are great people, very friendly and helpful.
It's not their fault that my hotel was a complete nightmare and that I was placed miles away from where I was working.

Russian people fascinate me. They are so serious and look so hard. Yesterday, when I was buying a ginormous barbecued chicken I was wondering why the men in the kebab shop were staring like crazy. (I mean, it's not like they haven't seen Asian people before). When I got back to my hotel I realized what makes me stand out here. I laugh. I laugh a lot. And loudly. Not extremely common in this country, I've noticed. As a matter of fact, most people look like they have "sold the butter and lost the money" as we so wonderfully say in Sweden.

I probably would too after a week or three. Apart from the absolutely stunning churches and ginger-bread inspired official buildings (think KREML & the RED SQUARE) a lot of Moscow strike me as very grey and tough. People in the underground wear a sea of different greys and blacks. Not a lot of Benetton-colour to be spotted there...

It's always a great lesson to travel the world and the greatest lesson of all:

Celebrate what you have.
Enjoy the little things in the place that you call home.
See the beauty in your everyday life where you are.

Like the clean air and fresh water,
the fact that you can walk or bike to work,
that you have your wonderful partner, friends and family close to you
and that you are in a safe environment.


To be continued...

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Another day passes you by...

In the evening, feel grateful for whatsoever happened during the day!




BHAKTI Jo

Day 1 in Russia

Mo:

Sorry can't be long...but the story so far: Was supposed to be picked up at 9am, was picked up at 10.
Thought I was booked for a basic certification, turns out the client wanted a continuing education (my agent "forgot" to tell me this). Hence the wrong working materials in place...

In two days I'm supposed to do a basic certification in Novosibirsk for 20 people - with 11 spinning bikes. ???

And this is Day 1.

TRUE LOVE

I Love u
I Love u
I Love u


Why Do I love my Job?

Even though I sometimes wish that I had a daytime job at ICA (a food market) because of all the TRAVELING (hate flying, not good for the environment and I always make the mistake of buying a big Juice or Chai just before I enter the security check, dam it!), the ODD late evenings and full on weekends cramped up with WORK!

I wouldn’t trade it for all the stars in HEAVEN because of this:

Look at these amazing soon to be BODY JAMMERS trying to make a human bridge ☺

Or look at this ASSUME gym just outside of OSLO FIVE55!

When I got there NOTHING was in place but this weekend they hade their GRAND Opening. Man, their members are lucky! For example, every Friday they have a live DJ spinning records and you can chill with a bear or some sizzling wine at the club till midnight!

Not to mention my FAB colleagues, just look at Gorgeous HANNA!!!

Since Oslo is in a FOREIGN COUNTRY it’s best to stick with what you know: IKEAS Meatballs ☺

INPULS!!!
What a CLUB!
Three POWER WOMEN putting their SOUL, HARD ASS BOOTEE’S and INTELLIGENT MINDS together and create FITNESS MAGIC in the North of Sweden!

Check out my NIKE colleague’s blog, she was there not long ago (piccs from her blog:)!

And for this day!

After spending a weekend working and traveling I sometimes ponder upon the idea that MAYBE it would be nice NOT TO TEACH classes on Mondays! BUT, ONE minute into the class I KNOW why I keep on doing it!

Tonight one of my FAB and FAVORITE (yeas, we do have our favorite members hihi) brought her husband to the AFRO POWER DANCE class. He was the only guy there but my GOD did he shake some booty ☺ !!!

After the class I got an e-mail: He bought a 1-month membership at the club straight after the Dance class!!

But the thing that brought the biggest smile to my face today was this conversation:

Me: Wow, great thing that your husband joined the class tonight!
Her: Yeah, he’s the kind that goes running once every month and comes home hating it even more since he finds it soooo boring!
Me: Oh, well he did a great job tonight, he was so focused and I could tell that he gave it 100% all the time!
Her: Exactly! I want him to find the joy in exercising like I have because I want him to live as long as I!!!!!!

Hahahah This is TRUE LOVE friends! True LOVE

Sleep Tight!

Jo

Moscow & Novosibirsk - here I come!

Mo:

Almost packed.

I leave this afternoon for Moscow and Novosibirsk. I´ll be teaching spinning in both cities and then I´m doing 4 yoga classes in Novosibirsk at a convention next weekend.

I´ll be back Monday 20 October.

Please forgive me if I don´t find any good internet connection where I´m staying. I´m bringing my camera of course, and I´ll promise to give you a full report when I come back if nothing else.

Temperature in Siberia at the moment: 3.8 degrees Celsius.


Facts Novosibirsk:

Population:	1,400,000
Ethnic Groups:	Russian
Founded:	1893
Industry:	Machinery Manufacturing, Metallurgy

Novosibirsk is a city that prides itself on size: it is the third-largest city in Russia (the biggest city east of the Urals), has the biggest railway station along the trans-Siberian route, the biggest library in Siberia, and the biggest opera/ballet theater in all of Russia - even bigger than Moscow's Bolshoy. The red-brick Cathedral of St. Alexander Nevsky, while not the biggest, is considered one of the finest existing examples of pure Russian Orthodox architecture.

Siberia is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the U.S.S.R from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the 16th century. Geographically, it includes a large part of the Eurasian Steppe and extends eastward from the Ural Mountains to the watershed between the Pacific and Arctic drainage basins, and southward from the Arctic Ocean to the hills of north-central Kazakhstan and the national borders of both Mongolia and China. It makes up about 77% of Russia's territory (13.1 million square km), but only 30% of Russia's population (42.2 million people).

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Millennium Exclusive Convention

Mo:

Thanks to EVERYONE who joined Matthew Griffiths and me, during yesterday´s Millennium Exclusive Convention!

We had a blast and we are very humbled by your great feedback and
thank you-emails.

Thank you Kristian Rönne (MAI), for letting me read your review about my class back in 1998 (or was it 1996?!) - wow, that was a blast from the past!

Great to see "Styrkan from Värmland" in the house again - good luck with your new club!


Next year the Millennium Convention has its 10th Anniversary... Let´s see what can happen then...

Keep up the good work, the happy spirit and have fun in the saddle! :)

Ps. If you want to read about yesterday´s event from a participant´s point of view, check out the following blogs: Orka Mera & Towards Higher Ground. Thank you Anna & Magnus for the raving reviews!

Me and Matthew at the end of a long, great day...
Photograph courtesy of Magnus Gårdmark from Sportclub, Gothenburg