Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Mar 23, 2020Our Renewable Future, a virtual open door during theses confinement timesHey Everyone! I have been grinding my gears to find a way to contribute in these challenging times… Since the 1st of October 2019, I live in Suderbyn, an ecovillage in Sweden. It has been almost 6 months since I embarked on this experience: a radical shift towards ecology and…Sustainability4 min readSustainability4 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Mar 2, 2020Welcoming into our bubble: inviting students at our EcovillageThis Saturday, on a day that only happens every 4 years, Suderbyn Ecovillage welcomed every student of life into its community. For a real Leap Day! It was on my mind for months now. I had the chance to take part in several student initiatives since I arrived in Gotland…Ecovillage7 min readEcovillage7 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Mar 1, 2020More Green than Red, a Fair Christmas storyHow we put more green than red!Christmas9 min readChristmas9 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Mar 1, 2020Stone pathing, a game of Tetris, with hidden Community valuesThis winter has been “interesting” to say the least. Freeze and snow were nowhere seen, rain and humidity kept providing for our Water storage (that’s partly shared in this adventure). Nonetheless, life at Suderbyn Ecovillage was becoming muddy, literally. First, you might think “Okay, this a story about muddy boots?”…Ecovillage5 min readEcovillage5 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Mar 1, 2020The drop that spilled the cup, a story of pond overflow managementThe past few weeks we had a generous amount of rain coming up at Suderbyn Ecovillage. While it is always a blessing to fill up our water storage and ponds, when the glass is full, it overflows! Take a look for yourself: Antoine, who is coordinating the garden with Laura…Permaculture4 min readPermaculture4 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Feb 23, 2020Injustice management — stories about discrimination and how to turn them aroundBack in 2012, I set out with my friend Yvann for a trip to Cambodia. I was living in Thailand at the time. Due to Visa constraints, I had to leave the territory every 3 months, get stamped on my passport, then come back. The easiest accessible country was Cambodia…Discrimination6 min readDiscrimination6 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Feb 22, 2020Mix and Stir, one recipe for InnovationIt’s been a while since I’ve taken part in a hackathon or even an open innovation contest. It wasn’t part of my expectations since I joined Suderbyn Ecovillage. Nevertheless, opportunities appeared one after the other in our lovely Visby Island. For instance this Game Jam around Pears… RePear, how to build a videogame in a weekend My first participation in a Game Jam, after countless hackathons, Startup Weekends…and I don’t regret it!medium.comInnovation5 min readInnovation5 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Oct 17, 2019The second best way to visit Pakistan: Go to school!Or how I came to teach during my holidays… Last spring I had the marvelous opportunity of visiting an old friend, in his country. After attending his wedding I set out to visit the northern area of the country. But before we spent a few days at Umar’s and Rabia’s…Adventure7 min readAdventure7 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Oct 17, 2019From Umbrella to disobedience, my summer trip to Hong KongLast August (2019) I had the pleasure of visiting my friend Nicolas. He’s been in Hong Kong since 2012, and I didn’t get the chance to spend time with him. Well, he didn’t have time either as he was studying for his Ph.D. in Electronic and Computer Engineering. So on…Hong Kong7 min readHong Kong7 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Oct 13, 2019Best way to visit Pakistan? Get married!Or the next best thing: attend your friend’s wedding. Also, don’t forget to go to school if you have the time ;) That’s the second-best way to visit Pakistan. Last spring I had the marvelous opportunity of visiting an old friend, in his country. We met in 2012 during my…Pakistan7 min readPakistan7 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Oct 11, 2019Essentials work: how they shape our Ecovillage and CommunitySince the 1st of October 2019, I live in Suderbyn, an ecovillage in Sweden. It’s my first days here, and I take the chance to share my early experience. I didn’t spend my first night at Suderbyn alone. As soon as I finished the mediation session with Sophie and Vesela…Community8 min readCommunity8 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Oct 10, 2019Teaching is sharing, a story about Mushroom huntSince the 1st of October 2019, I live in Suderbyn, an ecovillage in Sweden. It’s my first week here, and I take the chance to share my early experience. As new members of the community, I feel that we (Heda, Simon, Jing and I) are quite privileged. Every opportunity to…Mushrooms5 min readMushrooms5 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·May 24, 2018The road to perfectionPerfection is a funny thing. To achieve it, you have to avoid everything that could go wrong. Or, you can experience the imperfections and discover that a perfect adventure is not the one going as planned. You might even like the bumps along the road. The race Back to February 2017, I’m…Laos10 min readLaos10 min read
Abdul OtmaninBe Yourself·Mar 6, 2018The road to perseverancePerseverance : continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition. — I have a hard time knowing when to quit. I admire when somebody throws the towel, retreats to fight another day. It takes wisdom to recognize when you are in those situations and a lot of strength to actually stop and quit. I remember having a discussion with my friend…Adventure Travel12 min readAdventure Travel12 min read
