Culture Saturday

Today I took some time to be with me and took me to some exhibitions. The first one was about Finnish art in 70's. I enjoyed it a lot. There were numerous works on paper and that, of course, always rigns the bells of my soul. The wood block print in the picture was one of my favourites.

The next exhibition me, myself, and I saw was from a finnish painter, whose works have never before really touched me though I've seen them. This time, the whole weird world the artist had created in a big exhibition hall was quite fashinating in almost a horror kind of way. I was impressed by real looking models he had made of existing buildings and it was entertaining to see how those models and paintings were parts of a same story, that was not really told from the beginning to the end - no point in that explanation - all the same, I kind of liked it.

Then I went to see Ars Fennica 2008 exhibition. Once again I have to say that though I have learned to watch art videos and even learned to like that art media - there weren't that many works in the exhibition that I found even a bit intresting. But I guess that's because of me, why would they show all that otherwise.

The last exhibition I saw today was by a photographer. Her works were beautiful. Beautiful surface. I didn't know if I liked them or not. I guess I had had my maximum dose of art for that day before her show.

Gardener

Last spring I decided to plant tomatoes and see if they will grow at all. I am not known for my gardening skills, so I didn't expect much. Tomatoes started to grow and they created a green jungle on my balcony. None of the plants made a single tomato - until now, right before the weather is turning so cold that tomatoes will die, I found two little green tomatoes in the middle of the wild green jungle type of material. I doubt that they have time to turn red and become edible before minus degrees (Celcius) arrive. All the same, I am a happy balcony gardener.

Work!

I wonder if there is still someone checking out if I ever write anything on my blog. I wouldn't blame anyone for not doing that. I have neglected my blog.

Things are fine - if you wondered. I am working at a museum and I love the job. Every early morning I am glad that I can go to work, and I am not natural born morning person at all. This all new to me. Until now I have basically done jobs I have disliked and going to work has been an on going pain - especially in the morning. Not anymore.

M was in Japan and returned home couple of weeks ago. He liked the trip and he said being there was like he hadn't been away from there at all. I think I would feel the same, if I went to Japan - and I will. Some day. The kid is still upset because he wasn't allowed to follow M to Japan. The kid is obsessed with Japan. But who wouldn't be.

Oh boy

I made some minimum lay out tests on my blog and lost info I'd put on the side bars with a single click on the left mouse button. I guess I have to come back to this problem when I have more time and energy. And when the hell is that?

Happy worker

I am working! It's a real job and I can do what I have been educated for. Oh boy, oh boy, it's fun!

M is in Japan for three more weeks. The kid has been VERY upset because he wasn't allowed to travel with M. He still misses Japan.

Summer Report

It's summer holiday season in Finland. M has been on his holiday since the end of June. I am still unemployed for couple of more weeks so we have had time to do holiday things.

On the first week we went to camp in a National Park, which actually is in the same city where we live. It rained, but it didn't matter - our tent was waterproof (now it's proven). But that didn't prevent me freezing through the night in my sleeping bag. I get cold easily.

The next day three of us walked a 2 km's route in the woods. The kid was thrilled. The picture is taken from that walk.

I can warmly recommend Noux National Park to anyone who travels with kids and especially if you don't have to drag a stroller with you.

The weather hasn't been the best this summer. They say it's the coldest summer in 15 years. It's been raining a lot. Still there were couple of sunny days when we were able to go to a beach close by. The kid swam with his life saverlike a seal and the water was freeeezing cold. No force on this planet would have got me into the water, except an emergency, but thankgod there are always life guards on beaches to take care of that.

We spent a week at my friend's house in a small town, 2 hours north east from Helsinki. It's a great place: kids can run wild on the yard and there is plenty of room to stay away from them. M and me decided to try juice fasting there. We started detoxing five days before the actual fast: off coffee, off alco and off sugar. Coffee was the most difficult for me and thanks to caffeine withdrawal I had a splitting head ache for all those five days.

The fast is still on: the 6th day, so I can't say much about it yet. So far I have felt tired and sometimes quite weak and every now and then I have had sudden cravings for practically anything one can eat. Otherwise this isn't as bad as I imagined. Tomorrow we'll start eating again. We'll do it as we should: small portions and only veggies for two days. And then I'll have my first cup of coffee on monday. Mmmmmm, coffeeeeee.

Doing, doing, doing - nothing

Oh boy I am glad to hear that I am not the only person who arrives to places WAY too early - greetings to Texas, by which I mean the state, not my smelly dog friend in Gothenburg.

Since I came back home, I haven't done much of anything. Of course I have spent time with the kid, but other than that... days just go by and the great cleaning project at home remains undone. It's sometimes nice to do nothing, even in the middle of a mess.

Oh, we did travel up to north last weekend. We took a night train on friday, spent one night at my brother's, and travelled back on sunday. When we returned home the train was full of rock festival people and while I looked at them I felt sad: I would have wanted to go to that festival too and only because Foo Fighters played there. Oh well, this was my second time when I choose to miss FF and then regretted it (a little) afterwards.

I have a profession

I am now officially a paper conservator. It feels fantastic to be ready with the school. It's also a bit sad: I know I won't be meeting my school mates that much from now on. Thankgod there is the internet.

Friday, party time

Yesterday I was at a party with my school mates (I managed to get to Sweden). I was the first to arrive - that's what you get if you dislike being late - and I do, so no real reason to complain, and still I think it's uncool to arrive first. I better start liking being late or ignore the fact that I am not cool.

When everyone had arrived we had a nice picnick on the lawn in backyard. A class mate had prepared a pie that made me loose my control: I ate at least half of it. It was utterly delicious. After eating we did some Sing Star karaoke and then went to a party at school. Then suddenly I became old and tired and decided it was time to go to sleep. The next day I was separately grateful for that decision.

Amnesia

Very early this morning I went to the airport just to find out that my flight is tomorrow.

Walker

Here's something on the internet my little boy apprecietes. We just peeled an orange.

I might have bragged that I am taking part in 10 km's run for women. I am a woman, so that part of it is nothing particular. But, when I signed up for the run in Janury I had a vision in my mind about how I'll be jogging regularly, the whole spring, few times per week and will be in a good condition in May when the run is taking place. I haven't jogged and the run is tomorrow. I am doomed. Fortunately there is a start for walkers too.

Party Season

Thanks to the thesis panic I will miss a wedding party in Holland. I was very eager to go there and was also looking forward to see my friends from Japan (both the couple and guests). After few days of planning I realized that I was on a thesis denial, if I'd gone to the party, my thesis would have suffered and that would have been a bad choice: finishing the studies is the top-priority mission in my life at the moment. So, I had to make this choice. I hope you guys have a fantastic party next weekend in Holland!!!

This is a busy party season. Quite a many of my friends and family celebrate their birthdays this week. I wish you all happy birthday: the higher the number of years it is, the wilder the party should be! Cheers!

What?

Days are getting warmer and longer. Summer is coming. That means the dead line for my thesis is also very close. Let me tell you: I am stressed.

The kid has glue ears. That's what he got after the infection in both ears. He doesn't hear that much. But nothing to worry about. We wait and see a doctor in two weeks. In the meanwhile the kid keeps repeatting "What?" after any noice he thinks he heard.

A baby was born in Oulu (far away in the norther parts of Finland). I think I might go there to see the baby once the dead line is behind me. I might take the glue eared kid with me.

Sunny Days Are for Writing

It's a sunny sunday. M and the kid went to see friends. I am supposed to write effectively my thesis while they are gone - not the whole thing though. My plan is to go through references for the chapter I am most unwilling to look at and that will make my last minutes future working much easier to do.

Last weekend I was in Sweden and I managed to sing karaoke. I did much else too, but karaoke always seems to be the most important of all activities.

Oh god - I better start working, so I won't think how much there is left to write and get panicked.

6 words

Ooh Tim, what you gave to me? This one is difficult. I am tagged to describe my life in six words.

May the force be with me.

I guess that's it.

Of course I am maying the force be with you too.

I am tagging Elspeth, Joy, Nina, and lovely Sunny.

Antibiotics and Bob are in the house

Yesterday I took V to a doctor. He had slept restlessly two nights in row and had a fever. The kid has an ear infection in both his ears and the doctor ordered him antibiotics. I didn't realize how sick he actually was - he was so damn genki (means about healthy or energetic) in spite of the pain.

Now I am at home with the kid again. He is watching the ever so entertaining "Bob the Builder". I have good intentions to let my alter ego "the cleaner lady" arrive here today; I can't write my thesis with the kid jumping around and one has to do some cleaning sometimes anyway.

A Short Report From A Couch Potato

We started to watch Pushing Daisies. We have seen two episodes so far and there are several things in that lovely and silly series I like: cheese, knitting and dogs - among other things. I am looking forward to see more.

Snow, snow, snow & an unpaid commercial

In Japan people are admiring cherry blossoms and here in Finland all we see is snow.

I am reading articles and sorting them out to those I can refer to on my thesis and those I can bring back to the high pile of paper I have on a corner table in another room.

We have two rooms and a kitchen. And that was just for the record. I don't want anybody to picture that we have rooms after rooms. Or why not. We are living in a mansion with 25 bedrooms and 17 servants. And a butler. Or was a boxer? Oh no, it wasn't a boxer, it was a half Irish Setter (other half unknown). Our crazy late dog, whose ashes are somewhere in Finland, next to a tall pine.

I better start reading and writing the thesis.

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That was not all I wanted to say, so here I go on writing.

Because of this lovely shirt I've got as a present from a friend, I have a nickname "Motherfucker" in certain circles. I find it quite amusing. Mentalwear have a fantastic selection of crazy t-shirts. You can easily order them anywhere on this planet. Who wouldn't like to wear a motherfucker t-shirt? I am wearing mine right at this moment.

Easter Promises

Last weekend I was in Sweden, just for a weekend. Travelling with a small suitcase made me feel like a decent, average, sane human being.

I met my mentor (for the thesis I am writing) and had a meeting with another teacher and with couple of class mates. It was nice and relaxing to be in Sweden without "I have to stay here forever"-agony. On saturday I went to The Nordic Watercolour Museum for an opening. Exhibition was beautiful - go see it if you have a chance - and the dinner afterwards was lovely.
The picture is taken right next to the museum.

When I returned to Finland the kid had caught a cold, so he stayed at home with me until yesterday, instead of going to his daycare. I didn't get that much done when he was around, but once he went back to his daycare routine I started to read articles and I have to say: it's fun.

Now it's Good Friday. For me that doesn't mean so much, except that shops are closed and they play fantastic music on the radio: Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater" and Russian Orthodox church music, Bach's Matthew's Passion etc. M took the kid with him and went to his mom's place. I will follow them on sunday. I promise I will be a good student and work on my thesis until then.

Language Problems

Sometimes there are weak moments when I think I should quit writing a blog in English. It's terribly embarresing to see all the language mistakes I've made (and published!!!) and sometimes things I try to tell don't make any sense - but the same thing happens in Finnish too, so that must be else than a problem with language.

But the fact is that this blog has brought good things to my life: I hadn't met such wonderful people as Tim and Jo if didn't have started to write this blog in English. Also, it's great to get comments every now and then and that way to hear how people, who still have a patience to read this, are doing with their lifes. Or at least hear from them. And I can always announce: this is Finglish. In Finglish you write like this.

I have started to write my degree thesis for the school. I am writing it in english (no finglish allowed) and I must say it's not easy. The longer I have been able to communicate in English, the less, I think, I can.

Five Years

Now that I am in Finland it doesn't mean that I would be living home. Oh no. There is a massive pipeline renovation going on in our humble home, especially in the bathroom, and our family unit has been in exile at my parents. We will return home next weekend. Hopefully. It's been a while since I've been there - other than fetching things.

Today my lovely son has his 5th birthday. This is the first time we celebrate his birthday in Finland. We have a habit letting him eat ice cream for breakfast on his birthday - that's what happened this morning too. He seemed to like it as much as he did last year and year before that. That boy likes his ice cream.

Now I am off bake a cake for the boy.

Going home

I will fly home to Finland tonight. I am extreamly grateful to all my friends who, once again, have let me stay at their homes in a middle of their busy lifes. It's unbelieable that I have had such a good luck with finding all these people and that they seem to tolerate my constant need for help and favours. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can't thank you enough.

The kid will be sleeping when I arrive tonight. We'll see what kind of protest he will create when he wakes up tomorrow morning. I don't care, I want to be where he is. I'm his mother.

Meow

Four nights left before going back home! Four nights left to party? Even a thought of partying four nights in row makes me feel extreamly tired.

Last night I was at a class mate's. We had a fun and loud "Singstar" session. My best performance was Duran Duran's "Rio".

Patterns

I've been to Sweden for a week now. Another week to go and I can go back home and study there. I am looking forward to that, both being at home and studying there.

Last night was an opening here at the gallery (that's where I'm writing). I didn't count how many glasses of wine I managed to drink. Quite a many would be my guess, concidering the headache I have. Both me and the artist wore the same patterns. In the morning patterns had moved under my eyes and I guess they're there to stay. One can't fight wrinkles.

Mom's Birthday

We celebrated my mother's birthday today by preparing her a dinner. She said it was terribly strange just to sit and wait while other people did all the cooking.

The kid announced at the airport that he hates me and that he doesn't want me to come to his home. Poor kid. I had missed him too. It isn't easy to be apart from each others for any of us. I still have to be in Sweden and back at least until the end of March. Wish us strength.

It's good to be back home anyway.

Home

I'll go home tomorrow. I'll be at home a bit more than a week. M and the kid'll come to the airport to fetch me. I guess there'll "public tears"-moment ahead. I have missed the boy terribly much.

Back in Sweden

The school started again. Everyone in our class gave a presentation on their internship - I did too, in so called swedish. I was brief. Phew, now it's done.

I didn't feel like coming back to Sweden at all. Who knows, maybe that's why my flight turned back to Helsinki right before landing to Gothenburg - an airhostess hit her lip on a microphone and there is no way an airhostess can work with a bleeding lip.

Then, in Helsinki I waited for odd number of hours to catch the day's last flight to Copenhagen. That mission was successfull and in Copenhagen I had a chance to enjoy ever so lovely airport athmosphere for couple of hours before I got into a plane to Gothenburg. I arrived to Gothenburg long after midnight. I was supposed to be there 6 pm.

The kid cried his eyes off at the airport. He screamed: "DON'T GO!!! DON't LEAVE ME". Boy, I felt like a piece of shit. Now that I have Skyped him, he sounds all content and doesn't cry at all.

It's been nice to see school mates. It's been nice to see friends. If there weren't all the friends' kids testifying how time flies - they have all grown so much - I would say, I haven't been away from G at all.

2008

Happy New Year to everyone.

We had a nice and peaceful christmas time at M's mother (the beautiful christmas tree in the picture is from there). As you all may know already, we Finns have the biggest xmas season's celebration on christmas eve. Joulupukki (Santa Clause) brings presents and everyone eats too much. It was lovely to see the kid enjoying his christmas. After the little town christmas we came back to city and spent time with my family.

When we returned home from our visit round, I and the kid got a cold and that was happening on New Year's Eve too - so we didn't have a party.

Now I have a bit less then two weeks left of my wonderful internship at museums. Then I have to go back to my studies and back Sweden and I have to say, I am not happy about it. I want to be at home. BUT, I am determined to finish my studies as soon as possible and then start looking for a real job in Finland and for that I have to go to Sweden.

I haven't made any real new year's resolutions, but I made a deal with my sister to run Naisten Kymppi this year. If I want to do that I better drag my behind up from the couch every now and then.