Lazy Living toukokuu 27, 2007

Helsinki +12 degrees Celsius (expected +22!), partly sunny.
Sunrise 4:17 am, sunset 10:19 pm.

Yesterday was so wonderful day. I felt happy and some how I had this weirdly serene feeling. We didn’t do much with Tuomo, just hung around home and the city. Day started well with listening rain pounding roof and window sills. There’s something magical with that sound. Then we watched a very strange Finnish black and white movie from the sixties from TV. Or I watched the beginning and the end and slept through the middle part. Luckily I had Tuomo who informed me what had happen. The movie was a comedy, but what made it so strange was that it was very brave for the movie of the sixties. It actually had some nudity scenes in it!

After movie we decided to go for a walk. So, quickly we put clothes on and hair in order. We had no idea what to do where to go when we stepped out from the archway leading to the street. We just started to walk one direction and see what it had assigned for us. Suddenly I saw a poster of World Village Festival. That’s it, our destination was set! We didn’t really stay at the festival; we just walked through the festival area. But the atmosphere was great and we enjoyed our walk. The weather was great but a bit weird for a Finnish weather. We had about +16 degrees and because of the rain it was really humid. Strangely it also was very warm (this is not usual in Finland [humid and warm]). It reminded me of my time in Virginia, USA.

Later at home we made really delicious dinner, slept a bit and listened some music. Then Markus came to our place and boys went out. I tried to find some cheap museums to visit today (Sunday). I truly have some financial problems, so I don’t afford to spend too much money on anything. My schoolmate is here today so maybe we are going to do some museum visiting with her. We’ll see…

But back to the beginning: As you were able to observe, my day’s are now (that I’m on my vacation) very easy going and I just don’t bother to stress on anything. I just feel great about everything. And I and Tuomo have certainly enjoyed each others company. Though we joked yesterday, that we’ll see how long this is going to last. But unfortunately that’s the truth; no-one’s always happy and content. I just have to try to keep the same attitude and I’m going to be happier than otherwise.

Summer is here! toukokuu 25, 2007

Helsinki +15 degrees Celsius, partly cloudy.
Sunrise 4:19 am, sunset 10:17 pm.

Summer is here! No, I don’t mean the weather, though weather is great. I don’t mean the date, though it’s almost June. And I don’t mean the atmosphere, though it’s good as well. What I really mean is that I have started my summer vacation TODAY! Today I also became a resident of Helsinki. Today I organized my move from Jyväskylä to Helsinki (=it meant carrying hundred and one boxes to the moving van [thank god I got some help from Tuomo, Linda and Hannu]), I helped my dad with their renovation at Mukkula (Lahti [by carrying hundred and one slabs to the sixth floor]) and then made a visit to the waste disposal site. It’s now 9:30 pm and we just arrived to OUR (this place is now officially my home as well) home to Helsinki. I’m feeling a bit washed out, but I’m truly so happy that it doesn’t matter.

Packing my stuff was a big job for me (just believe my word: I have SO much [too much] stuff), especially when I had to do all the last school work at the same time. Luckily I was able to do it all and after all trouble I feel really rewarded. And happy. And really happy…

My practical training isn’t going to start until next Friday, which means that I really have a week long vacation. I’m so excited about the job. Yesterday I got the first official work related e-mail and I instantly felt like a professional…

Now we are going to go out to the Helsinki night with Tuomo! And what is really nice, we are going to see lots of our friends there. Dear reader, have a great evening! We definitely are going to!

A bit of our trip to Sweden toukokuu 15, 2007

Jyväskylä +17 degrees Celsius (real feel +14), partly sunny.
Sunrise 4:22 am, sunset 10:08 pm.

I didn’t want to write about the trip to Sweden before I got the pictures. We made a deal with Markus, that we are going to take the photos with his camera and I’m going to get them from him. Well, sometimes things take longer than you would think… Now I have some of the photos, so this is my report of the Trip to Sweden!

The main thing we did in Stockholm was walking. We walked so much that our legs were still aching after one week back home. All this were, of course, totally optional and we could’ve take public transportation to everywhere, but we choose to use and ancient way of moving. Stockholm is a city full of beautiful parks and glorious water side and that’s why I could recommend walking there.

Tuomo and I in one of the parks:
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Our main purpose for the trip was to enjoy Bloc Party’s gig in Cirkus, which is a wonderful old building in island of Djurgården.

Outside of Cirkus:
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The gig it self was really good. Afterwards we all pointed out: “It was a good gig, but not the best I’ve ever seen”. I had some problems at the beginning of the gig with getting trampled by the crowd little bit too hard. I almost lost my shoes and was absolutely certain that my feet were taking a new form of mush. After the beginning I withdraw myself bit and were able to enjoy for the rest of the show.

During the trip we were able to eat the first ice creams of the summer,
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see some balloons escaping from their salesman
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and enjoy each others company.
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After all, it was a really nice trip!

Eurovision song contest 2007! toukokuu 12, 2007

Jyväskylä +5 degrees Celsius, partly cloudy.
Sunrise 4:28 am, sunset 10:02 pm.

Now that I was writing the sunrise and sunset times, I remembered something I do everyday: I wake up at the same time with the sun! And I don’t do it in purpose! You can imagine that it isn’t always that nice.

But what I really wanted to write about is Eurovision Song Contest 2007. It’s actually happening right now! Eurovision song contest 2007 in Finland! You don’t maybe know this, but Finnish people are crazy about Eurovision. It truly sounds strange, but that the way it is. Last year we finally got what we have always been hoping for: We won the contest! What make the winning little bit funny, is that our candidate, Lordi divided opinions beforehand, but after the won they have raised to the whole nations heroes.

Here is a picture of Lordi (From Wikipedia):

Even though in the Western Europe the Eurovision song contest is considered quite funny and ridiculous, in Eastern Europe people take the contest really seriously. Although there always are those who make fun with it! And I don’t blame them! Good example of this is Ukraine’s candidate…

Picture of Ukraine’s candidate (From Yle’s official Eurovision pages):

It’s really unique to follow the contest which is held in Finland. Of course I’m hoping that Finnish candidate, Hanna is going to win, but somehow I doubt it. My other favourites are Georgia’s and Sweden’s candidates, Sopho and The Ark. Let’s see how the contest ends…

Finland’s Hanna (From Yle’s official Eurovision pages):

Georgia’s Sopho (From Yle’s official Eurovision pages):

Sweden’s The Ark (From Yle’s official Eurovision pages):