Back and Gone Again

We came home today from a small town, one and half hours train ride away from Helsinki. Our friend's granparents empty house is there and we had a pleasure to stay there over Juhannus, Midsummer's Weekend. Weather was nice, company was good and kids ran wild outdoors - indoors as well.

M will have two weeks off from his work now and we'll be doing some more travelling around Finland to see friends and relatives.

A Long Day

Tomorrow is the longest day of the year and up here in north long days are indeed long. Though, from Finland's perspective Helsinki isn't in north. The real midnight sun summer is further up to the direction of the Arctic Circle.

Friends came over yesterday evening to have a dinner with us. Their 16 years old boy insisted to come along and that I find very flattering. He is such a cool kid. I have known him since he was 3 years old and we have always got along fine. Now he is much taller than me and there isn't much left of the kid he was. Still he is the same funny and charming boy he was when we first met.

Alter Egos

The kid has watched 'Madagascar' again after a longer break and he is truely enjoying it. I too have watched it for the n+1st time and there are still some scenes that make me laugh like there was no tomorrow, so I am not wondering why that film has made such a strong impression on him.

When we waited for our bus this afternoon, he sat beside a spooky looking older lady and they started to talk(!!! - my kid never talks to stragers!!!). I listened to their dialogue and acted like nothing. She asked him what is his name and he told his name to her, but added, that today he actually is Kowalski (the tough penguin on Madagascar).

Isn't he charming!

Today M and me been married for 19 years. Congratulations us!

Parenting

Being a parent for a 4 years old seems to be more time consuming than what I expected; I have no time to blog! All the same, I will try to do my best to blog every now and then anyway.

It has been both extreamly wonderful and terribly demanding to be back at the parenting post. The kid is both lovely and a handful. He is clever, charming and about explode for any given reason. I know it's easier to have a kid like this than a partner like this so I am not complaining.

Summer Finland

We went to a beach with the kid today. Water was cold, +16 C degrees. An older lady coming out of water said though that water is now perfect, but she turned out to be a winter swimmer; a person who jumps into a hole in the ice and enjoyes(?) the refresing feeling of icy water. That's so not me.

It's lovely to be at home. It's lovely to be in Finland. It's lovely to be in Finland now that it's summer.

The kid is like I hadn't been away at all; both in good and in bad. I feel priviledged to be his parent. He is the best.

Best Places to Eat

I have been tagged by Mr. Craptastic, Sunny Jimmy, the one and only. I am suppose to reveal Gothenburg's best places to eat and I am going to do that, on this eve of my departure.

Super Sushi, Drottninggatan 50

Huge sushi pieces with a fair price. I've bought my lunch there at least twice a week. It's close to my school.

Sunset Falafel, Kungstorget

Another fantastic lunch place. Cheap and good.

Restaurang Bombay, Andra Långgatan 2

Good Indian food.

My friend Canadian's private kitchen, I won't reveal the address

These people have have fed me with wonderful meals in their kitchen since I arrived to Gothenburg in January. They both are fantastic cooks and there always seems to be nice wine with meals too. An excellent place to eat! I will hire these people to cook me when I am filthy rich.

Cafe Japan, Viktoriagatan 8

A very nice place to dine and drink. They sell fantastic Swedish porter there too.

I am tagging Nix, Joy, Jo, Boo, and Timorous Beastie

The list

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Todd (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
miss kendra (los angeles, california, u.s.a)
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, CA, USA)
Tits McGee (New England, USA)
Joe (NE Tennessee, USA)
10K Monkeys (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA)
Big Stupid Tommy (Athens, Tennessee, USA)
Newscoma (Weakley County, Tennessee, USA)
Russ McBee (Knoxville, Tennessee, USA)
Atomictumor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA)
Oh Really? (Oak Ridge, TN, USA)
Mark Steel (Knoxville, TN, USA)
Swanky (Knoxville, TN, USA)
Humuhumu (Seattle, WA, USA, and Silicon Valley, CA, USA)
swankola (Edmonton, AB, Canada)
Craptastic (Calgary, AB, Canada)
Say It In Finglish (Gotheburg, Sweden)

La Dolce Vita Plot

An unhappy and confused guy tries to figure out what to do with his life - other than shag. People are wearing sunglasses all the time, except when the sun is shining. Jesus flies. Decadent aristocrat and intellectual characters have lots of lines. Anita walks in a fountain. People are tearing a tree apart. Nico wears a helmet. Children are killed. The guy wears a white suit. The end.

Smelly Dog

I have spent this lovely saturday evening with the dog in the picture. He would be a fantastic companion if he didn't smell like the worst fumes from hell. Guess who isn't going to sleep next to me tonight.

Four nights to my return to Finland. I will see my kid soon!