Being humble and respecting each others is the common ground for the Nordic people. The acceptable rules to behave are summarized in 10 unwritten rules named the Jante Law. However, these unwritten rules were actually part of a real book…

In 1933, Axel S. wrote this code of conduct of how people need to behave in their lives as mentioned below:

1. You’re not to think you are anything special.
2. You’re not to think you are as good as we are.
3. You’re not to think you are smarter than we are.
4. You’re not to imagine yourself better than we are.
5. You’re not to think you know more than we do.
6. You’re not to think you are more important than we are.
7. You’re not to think you are good at anything.
8. You’re not to laugh at us.
9. You’re not to think anyone cares about you.
10. You’re not to think you can teach us anything.

Very simple rules that Nordic people acknowledge and live accordingly. The only thing that you have to do is to memorize and here you go…

Not so simple, for all of us that are born and raised outside Scandinavia. Our education system is built on excellence and how we can prove ourselves better than the others…

“Probably”, we can reach happiness without reaching excellence. For me, this does not necessarily mean to have low expectations, but to be able to respect and to cooperate…

Almost 100 years ago, Nordic nations set the “rules” and demanded happiness. Let’s us read the jante law and reflect: maybe it will take us shorter…

what does SWOT means? For me is my Sunday work out! One day dedicated to physical exercise and getting out the intense of the week.

Oups.. wrong picture, below you may see the proof:

Of course an physical exercise needs a break and some coffee of course, this is the explanation of the precious picture. After almost 13 klms, 13 floors and 17k steps, a cold coffee is well deserved.

Have a nice Sunday and happy SWOT everybody !

Friday night and after dancing along the river Seine a white round wheel appeared in front of me on my way home. I took out my camera and captured a little video:

A wheel that always goes round and round like our lives. Never stops but continues eternally as this beautiful shiny wheel.

Colored, black, Indian and white are all ethnic origins of the same modern human beings living independently in their community and with no interaction with each other. Myth or reality? It is the bitter reality of South Africa world approx 25 years ago.

Isolation and well-hidden news in an effort to hold the horses from the revolution.

The revolution that came after all, and trying now to find similarities with the revolution of a young Muslim. He is ready to kill himself and commit a suicide attack. This is the pure craziness of our day and age. Maybe, there is something deeper or simply an effort to escape from reality.

A year back, my footprint lies to Europe, Middle East and America’s. Nothing on Asia Pacific and Africa. My target is in one year to have a footprint on these areas.

Target locked

Η γραφή μοιάζει με τη ζωγραφική… κάθεσαι αναπαυτικά στο ξύλινο παγκάκι και αρχίζεις να γράφεις, παρατηρείς, ακούς τα πουλάκια να κελαηδάνε, το νερό να τρέχει στο ρυάκι, τα βήματα των περαστικών πάνω στο χωμάτινο μονοπάτι, τις συζητήσεις από τους διπλανούς, τη βοή από την αραιή κίνηση των αυτοκινήτων, τις ρόδες από το καροτσάκι που σέρνουν οι γονείς, την συνομιλία από το FaceTime, τον ήχο του τρένου, τα γρήγορα βήματα από το βηματισμό του μικρού παιδιού, το χαμόγελο από τη μάννα του που το ακολουθεί, το θρόισμα του αέρα – σκέφτεσαι επιτέλους δρόσισε.

A dead rat just across your street is so disgusting… and makes you feel sad

Alive Rats in art creates another feeling of admire and piece fullness.

The link between the above images is the rat, however the life or death, the reality vs art is creating a total different story. Loving rats? No, definitely not my pet.

Είχα χρόνια να μου δώσει κάποιος λαμπάδα… και τώρα η Aegean έγινε η νονουλα μου.

Μια λαμπάδα άσπρη χωρίς πολλά πολλά με ένα απλό κορδελάκι με το σήμα της Aegean.

Μπαίνοντας στο αεροπλάνο για Αθήνα, η αεροσυνοδός της Aegean έδινε σε κάθε επιβάτη από μια λαμπάδα. Ένα τόσο απλό κεράκι. Η αίσθηση από το άγγιγμα της πασχαλινής λαμπάδας και το άρωμα του κεριού με έκαναν να ταξιδεύω κατευθείαν στην Αθήνα. Παρόλο που ήμουν παραπάνω από δυόμιση χιλιάδες χιλιόμετρα μακριά από την Ελλάδα. Ήταν σα να διακτινιστικα. Μπήκα λοιπόν στην κάψουλα μου και χωρίς να το καταλάβω άρχισα να περνώ φάστ τρακ την Μεγάλη εβδομάδα. Όχι λόγω αναταράξεων αλλά λόγω γευσιγνωσίας, με ένα καταπληκτικό χταποδάκι που τόσο είχα λαχταρισεί.

Η αεροσυνοδός σε κάθε σερβίρισμα μας έδινε ευχές και ήταν πραγματικά μια διαφορετική εμπειρία.

Οι περισσότεροι Έλληνες επιβάτες μαζί με το πλήρωμα ανυπόμονους αν να φτάσουν στην Ελλάδα και να κάνουν Ανάσταση με τις οικογένειες τους. Το ίδιο κι εγώ !

Η πτήση για Αθήνα έφτασε στο τέλος της όμως οι διακοπές μόλις ξεκίνησαν. Από τη γρήγορη και εντατική Μεγάλη εβδομάδα στην Ανάσταση μέσα σε δυο ώρες και σαράντα λεπτά.

Καλή Ανάσταση σε όλους !!!

Trying to decode myself puzzle, the first question that came to my mind is what really makes us who we are. The answer is genes, family, environment, education, work and beliefs.

Analyzing my genes is not obvious for me and I let my lovely wife to do that as a Nurse and Biologist at profession. She is able to analyze my DNA and reply to this part.

I will focus more on my studies, beliefs and work experience. I was at ease with numbers, solving mathematical problems and it was a normal path to study Statistics, Actuarial Science and Operational Research. At the last year of high school, I discovered psychology among other things but I left my sister to follow “The Road Less Traveled” as a successful psychologist.

I will never forget the first time that I had to deal with Actuarial Science where I had to cope with the idea that the only sure probability in this life equals to one, is death. Maybe the trauma of the tragic event of losing my cousin in a terrible accident was affecting me.

Studying and being a volunteer in a student organization was the best combination for me, as I could get in depth knowledge in very interesting and appealing topics and travelling around Europe. The only problem is the realization 20 years after that no common European values exist.

Professionally I managed to become a true HR expert with in-depth knowledge of Compensation & Benefits combining strong analytical & project management skills with business proximity as well as customer-centric approach, working for six countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden and Greece. I am a strong adviser, diplomat, cooperative, friendly, rational and stable with an objective mind. I am a team worker, tactful who calms the waters, strategic and fair.

Things that I hate are hypocrisy and showing off. Living in Denmark, I discovered the equalitarian societies, which are really in line of what I am and what I represent. I am proud as a Greek and carrying the heavy history in my shoulders and trying to motivate my children be as proud as I am. Kindness is coming natural as this runs to the family and to my parents. My own personal values of fairness, common good and transparency go hand in hand with the main objectives of my job as an HR professional.