A Prince of Serendip is back!

[TwistedMac]

I have always had a bit of a serendipity* attitude towards everything, because good things had a way of finding me, instead of the other way around.

Or maybe I was just seeing something good in most things coming my way, but the fact of the matter is; life hasn't been half-bad to me.

however, For the last 1ﾂｽ years I haven't been able to get a job or really do anything worthwile with my life. And at approximatelly $450/month to live off of, I haven't exactly been able to have a thriving social life. It's enough for food and lodging... barely.

when I finally decided to go study, I wasn't able to support myself.. but.. I live in Sweden. The real land of opportunities.

If you want to study here, schools are free (well... government funded anyway) and you can apply for money to support yourself, or rather the government supports you. (you get ~$890/month of which ~$480 is a loan you'll have to pay back later, the rest is given to you)

However.
I had already used this system one semester, and failed to get the grades to make me automatically elligable for another semester. (you can't just fail all your classes and expect this charity to go on, I failed 1 course out of 3... unfortunatelly that course was 50% of my cirriculum).

Now the agency that handles these matters (the CSN) are well-known for their arrogance when it comes to handling these matters. they know they're the ones providing the better-than-what-you-thought-possible service and that you can't go anywhere else.

So they make you come in holding your hat in your hands and ask for another plate, Oliver Twist style!

then they drag it out. I've been without money for food and lodging for 2ﾂｽ months now. How do I survive?... I'm a parasite, I live off others.

But now it would seem they have looked through my reasons for failing and deemed me worthy of a second try!

It's not black on white yet, but from what I understand it's pretty much settled. I'll get the final verdict on monday.

So I'm back to my old self, atleast for a while.
Things are yet again going my way, and I have yet again joined the ranks of my two brothers, the princes of Serendip ^^

*[[[most people know of the story, some don't. the princes of Serendip are three guys (princes!.. wow! shock!) that walk around and good stuff tends to flow their way. they keep finding pearls in clams on beaches and so on and so forth... it's an old folks-tale]]]

 

[RockLee]

you lazy bum ...work for it damnit,without working you won't make it lol...*stuffs a heart under Mac's belt*..good luck, and work hard man ;-) !

 

[Mimmy_08]

yeah goodluck..and be optimistic

 

[bossel]

Lucky you, Mac! I've just dropped out of a similar governmental programme in Germany (because I need another semester to finish, 1 too many). Now I have to find a job to earn my living.

But $ 890? I got already pretty much the most they gave, which was ~ $ 500. Ooooh, what could I have done with almost 900...

 

[kirei_na_me]

Good luck, Mac. I'm happy things are going your way. You know I think you deserve it all! ;-)

Oh well, I've already given you my good luck charm!

 

[King of Tokyo]

Congratulations.. Good luck with.. well.. being lucky.. Heh.

I see you have now have your title as King of Serendip. No longer Mr. Pink.. Heh. If you want to compete, I think a Pink avatar and signature is atleast in order.. Heh. Just like mine.. You don't even like Pink.. Do you? Heh.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

I Think.....

I'll wait till Monday to find out what happens before I make a comment. Keep us informed!

Frank

 

[TwistedMac]

Congratulations.. Good luck with.. well.. being lucky.. Heh.

I see you have now have your title as King of Serendip. No longer Mr. Pink.. Heh. If you want to compete, I think a Pink avatar and signature is atleast in order.. Heh. Just like mine.. You don't even like Pink.. Do you? Heh.

the pink clashes with my tatami green forum style (if you're gonna watch forums 6 hours a day, might aswell use a color doctors agree is easy on your eyes

as it stands, I'll be getting a large chunk of money now, enough to pay off debts for the months wheni had none AND since I'm getting enough money for those months and I already saved as much as I could, I'll have a little something extra some of that will go towards a pink iPod mini.. but you can have the title. you do have the pink avatar and sig after all.

bossel: 500 dollars? that's about 400 euro how do you make ends meet with 400 euro a month when you have to pay for course literature, a place to live, clothes and food?

 

[King of Tokyo]

the pink clashes with my tatami green forum style (if you're gonna watch forums 6 hours a day, might aswell use a color doctors agree is easy on your eyes

as it stands, I'll be getting a large chunk of money now, enough to pay off debts for the months wheni had none AND since I'm getting enough money for those months and I already saved as much as I could, I'll have a little something extra some of that will go towards a pink iPod mini.. but you can have the title. you do have the pink avatar and sig after all.

Heh.. Well, The pink clashes on pretty much every skin actually, but I like it. And I so want to get a pink iPod.. But I'd rather save my money for spending money in Japan.. It actually is a hastle not being able to spend my money.. But it's going toward a greater good.. Heh. But yes, I shall accept the title.

*Takes Title and stands proud*

Heh.

 

[Lina Inverse]

No such thing as free colleges here... you can apply for support, but only if your parents aren't earning too much, and it's nowhere near as much. Besides, you'll have to pay back a good part of it once you finished.
Other than that, you are only allowed to study a limited time... if you're over that, you have to pay a hefty fine of 650竄ｬ per semester

 

[bossel]

bossel: 500 dollars? that's about 400 euro how do you make ends meet with 400 euro a month when you have to pay for course literature, a place to live, clothes and food?

Sorry, little mistake. Not dollars but euro. I think, I got roughly 540 竄ｬ the last months. Somewhat more than $600 then, not so much worse than what you got, but still...

Actually, I could make quite a good living with that, living in a dorm. Could even afford a car, but my girlfriend was quite an effort (restaurants or travelling being off limits).

 

[mad pierrot]

Good Luck!

Damn. I gotta get me to Sweden.

 

[TwistedMac]

getting my first "payment" wednesday, 'tis all settled now ^^

when CSN is bad, it's really bad...
but when it's good, it's good!

 

[Brooker]

I guess you can kick back and let the good things happen to you in a country that hands out money like candy on Halloween. I'm jealous. I think I'll be going back to school soon and it's gonna put me deep into debt.

 

[TwistedMac]

I guess you can kick back and let the good things happen to you in a country that hands out money like candy on Halloween. I'm jealous. I think I'll be going back to school soon and it's gonna put me deep into debt.

that's socialism for ya
*waves socialistic flag*
i'll still be put in debt.

approx $5500/year.. but that's not too bad really ^^

 

[joel.lindgren]

I guess you can kick back and let the good things happen to you in a country that hands out money like candy on Halloween.

We pay the highest taxes in the world in Sweden and that's the biggest reason why our government can take care of us. Alot of stuff are "free" in Sweden, thanks to high taxes. Unfortunately liberal politics and the EU has forced us to privatize alot of industries and that has been really heavy on our economy (and service and quality has gone to hell). Go back 10-20 years and Sweden was probably the best country to live in (I dont remember because I was a little kid). We have functioned as a real "socialist" nation since WW2 but now that's over and now people have to start living on the streets like in the rest of the capialist world.


Mac, are you calling Sweden socialist?

 

[TwistedMac]

Mac, are you calling Sweden socialist?

well, we're *supposed* to be socialistic (what with a socialistic party in power) but we have been drifting more and more away from it.

still, we do have some of the good parts and we've ALWAYS had people living in the streets. We've never had alot of them though, but we still don't have alot of them.

schools are free, hospitals are free. We can apply for all sorts of help.
I like Sweden the way it is, but it looks like we're gonna drift more and more towards becoming a mini-America.. I don't want that :/

 

[Duo]

i wanna do thatttttt
gimme gimme gimmeeeeeeeee

 

[TwistedMac]

i wanna do thatttttt
gimme gimme gimmeeeeeeeee

live on the streets?

 

[Kamisama]

so is this what they mean when they say sweden is a welfare state? The government dishes money out? And if the government doesn't, you do?

 

[TwistedMac]

swedish people pay sky-high taxes, government dishes it out.

sort of "take from the rich, give to the poor".. except you take alittle from the poor aswell

but in the end the poor get the better deal (and if you're swedish and about to argue with me on that, do yer maths >_< there's more to count than just the money in your hand. like healthcare, schools and so on.)

 

[StarCrap]

Damn. I gotta get me to Sweden.

I know right, If it's going to be like that.

 

[joel.lindgren]

well, we're *supposed* to be socialistic (what with a socialistic party in power) but we have been drifting more and more away from it.

We've never really been socialist, but in a way I guess we can "almost" call us that. But that ended in the 80's.

still, we do have some of the good parts and we've ALWAYS had people living in the streets. We've never had alot of them though, but we still don't have alot of them.

Right now Sweden doesn't have alot of homeless people, they exist but everybody who's legally in the country have the right to a place to stay. the government are responsible for housing and money for food if they can't get it themselves. Most homeless people are a) crazy/drunk/junkie b) Too proud to live of the government or c) Choose homelessness for some other reason.

schools are free, hospitals are free. We can apply for all sorts of help.
I like Sweden the way it is, but it looks like we're gonna drift more and more towards becoming a mini-America.. I don't want that :/

I HATE Sweden for what it is. I am only 21 but I am old enough to have seen what capitalism and privatizations have done to our country. Everything that has been privatized are now a complete mess. The Post office, electric companies (Probably the best thing to be owned by the government of all things, worked perfectly), the phone companies have screwed up prices there, and I don't live in Stockholm but I know that the subways worked way better before. We have lost everything because of right-wing politics. We didn't have big gaps between poor and rich, we do know. I don't like Sweden for what it is, it's crap and it's going way down. These days it's more important to keep people out of job than anything to make the competitions bigger so the companies can fire people for any reason they want, just like in the US. I wish I was born 20-30 years ago, then I would be very proud of Sweden.

 

[joel.lindgren]

so is this what they mean when they say sweden is a welfare state? The government dishes money out? And if the government doesn't, you do?

The government can hand out money because we pay high taxes. The problem nowadays, is the tax money are used for other things instead of going to the people. Like hand-outs to the rich (The upperclass has always been the biggest group of welfare-grubbing jerks, in any nation), the EU and other crappy projects that doesn't do good. Sweden's "high taxes for justice" policy doesn't go hand in hand with the liberal economics in the EU, so we pay alot of money for nothing. We are still somewhat of a welfare-state but it's getting worse every year. Some stuff are totally being neglected, one thing is helping drug addicts. To be able to get help you have to have proof that you are a danger to youself and society, with means to get help against your addiction you must commit crime, try to commit suicide and stuff like that.

sort of "take from the rich, give to the poor".. except you take alittle from the poor aswell

Not really, if you look at the budget, each year the rich get more and more benefits and now have alot of options to save their "hard-earned" stock money. So it's more like "take everything from the poor, take a little from the rich and then give it back to them through various *******-regulations and projects"

but in the end the poor get the better deal (and if you're swedish and about to argue with me on that, do yer maths >_< there's more to count than just the money in your hand. like healthcare, schools and so on.)

I agree with you there. Sweden is probably the best country to live in if you are poor, because the government is doing what they can do help people from having absolutely nothing. But the future doesn't hold great things. More private hospitals are being built, everything in health-care costs more and people with money gets first hand treatment. Remember when our prime-minister cut in line, got treatment and then refused to just get the money he was going to get as sick-listed, and he got his regular salary for several weaks? Everybody thought it was wrong but nobody did anything. That sort of thing is in the future to come.

What do you mean with "better deal"?

Sweden are also "losing" alot of money because we pay so much to international organisations. I think Sweden pays more to the UN than any other nation (we used to atleast) and we pay more to the EU than countries the size of ours, and we do a hell of a lot more than other nations when it comes to helping poorer nations and giving money to different peace-projects. It's something to be proud of but we can't even take care of our own as it is.

 

[TwistedMac]

Remember when our prime-minister cut in line, got treatment and then refused to just get the money he was going to get as sick-listed, and he got his regular salary for several weaks? Everybody thought it was wrong but nobody did anything. That sort of thing is in the future to come.

Yeah well, he's an ***hole. Can't stop people from being that even if you're socialistic. Someone should've done something about it. the question is *who*?

What do you mean with "better deal"?

that the poorer you are, the more money out of your taxes you get back (%)

Sweden are also "losing" alot of money because we pay so much to international organisations. I think Sweden pays more to the UN than any other nation (we used to atleast) and we pay more to the EU than countries the size of ours, and we do a hell of a lot more than other nations when it comes to helping poorer nations and giving money to different peace-projects. It's something to be proud of but we can't even take care of our own as it is.

and for some reason they wont let us vote about this. because they know that everyone wants us to take care of ourselves first. It was all well and good in the eighties when Sweden had more money than we knew what to do with, but now...

Everything that has been privatized are now a complete mess. The Post office, electric companies (Probably the best thing to be owned by the government of all things, worked perfectly)

mhm, it's not even funny how they busted up the post-office... jﾃ､vla kladderﾃｶvar.