The first European Green Capital

Traditionally known as "The Venice of the North", in 2010 Stockholm added more fame to its name, by becoming the first European Green Capital.

• 95% of the population living less than 300 metres from green areas
• an innovative integrated waste system
• a protection plan stating new standards to cleaner water
• effective measures for reducing air pollution
• all trains and inner city busses run on renewable fuel

Long Live Sweden!

At a closer look at these excentric sun glasses one can see the Swedish flag, the yellow cross surrounded by blue.

Well, my conclusion: the Swedish people are extremely nationalistic. This was one of the "myths" that I had heard before going to Sweden. It proved to be reality. Swedish people are very patriotic. Apart from the fact that they speak a lot about how wonderful their country is, or about how beautiful (debatable I would say) the Swedish blond girls are, their flag is hanged at the entrance of every house. Now it looks like that the place of the flag is on sun glasses as well.

But paradoxically, their national day is not a great celebration. There is a joke in Scandinavia that states the fact that Swedish people know better the national day of Norway (celebrated on the 17th of May as the day when Norway became independent from Sweden) than they own National day (6th of June).

Freedom for Iran!

During my last visit in Stockholm, on the 12th of June I was given the chance to see a protest of the Iranian people living in Sweden. They were protesting, as expected, against the harsh regime from Teheran. It was more than impressive: they were singing the anthem of their Green Revolution, holding the Iranian flag and revolutionary messages in their hands.

They all had tears in they eyes. I immediately thought about my Iranian friends. Melika was a bit afraid to go back home in Iran just because she had posted revolutionary messages on Facebook, Mahgol and Afshin missed their country, and Sahar could not return in Iran just because she wrote an article against women wearing veil, which would take her back to prison. I remembered that some collegues from my Swedish university, including my friends Clover and Constance went to Iran in May,a bit fearful that they might be accused of being spies.

I hope that soon enough my friends will no longer be afraid to go back home.

Stockholm Seen from Above

Stockholm is beautiful in every season. I used to hear his all the time during my staying in Sweden. I would complete that it is even more beautiful if seen from above.

There is a place in Stockholm called Katarinahissen that can be reached either by climbing a lot of old wooden stairs or by using the elevator. The last time I was in Stockholm, I used the stairs. A bit tiring, but worthy.

And so is how Stockholm looks like from above. Amazing!

The Show Must Go On! So Does the Drop!

I have ignored My Drop of Sweden lately. Well, I have to admit. I've been lazy. But that is not the main reason.

I left Sweden on the 12th of June, on a clowdy, but pleasant Saturday. I wondered around Stockholm for about 6 hours. I took a lot of pictures while my mind was rememorating the wonderful or less pleasant moments that I had gone through for the past five months. Therefore, I had plenty of things to write about and pictures to post.

But, when I arrived, I saved the pictures in my laptop, did not even look at them and decided to post them when I will miss Sweden too much. Well, that moment is here. I miss Sweden, but most of all, I miss the people I met there, those from whom I've learnt so many things and that became my friends without noticing when and how. But life goes on and the world is smaller than we think.

Therefore, even though I am no longer in Sweden, this blog will keep on existing (cause in the end I wll be back in Sweden). So here we go...