On the Road

Today we went to a forest next my my mother-in-law's house and let the kid pick up blueberries. When we lived in Tokyo we picked up our blueberries in a shop's freezer, here in Finland we can pick them up anywhere we find them, as long as the spot isn't on anybody's back, or front, yard. It's lovely.

M started his 2 week's holiday on tuesday. On wednesday my parents came home from Zambia, where they spent six weeks working as volunteers. We prepared them a Finnish summer meal (fish and potatoes) and they seemed to be very happy about it.

We borrowed my parents car (an old loud Saab from 1970's) and drove to stay with my mother-in-law. I had never been to her house in summertime, so I hadn't seen her lovely garden before. Unfortunately it rained most of the time, so we didn't have a chance to spend time doing things one shoud do in lovely gardens, like reading good books by blooming peonies.

On saturday we drove to our friends garden party in Hämeenlinna. They had invited people from a gang that existed about 20 years ago. I saw many faces I hadn't seen since then. Someone asked me afterwards, who I thought was most touched by the time between, concidering the looks, and I had to say; it's the face I see in the mirror. People looked good.

Tomorrow we hit the road again and head for the northern Finland.

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!

School

We had a print identifying test today. It was tough and it was fun. I have a feeling my wild guesses didn't exactly hit the bull's eye, but it was a fastastic chance to see so many different kinds of print techniques on the same table and to see how difficult it is to identify prints.

A book I have worked with become ready today. Now I have two framings left to do and then I am done. Except that the conservtion reports wait someone to write them ready. Any volunteer?

Mental Teenager - Can't be Good

I have been very determined to avoid doing anything effective tonight. There are certain things I should be doing, like reading "How to Identify Prints" for tomorrow's indentifying test or writing conservation reports. I have browsed the book. I guess I just put it under my pillow and let the knowledge ooze to my head while I sleep. That works, doesn't it?

Another thing (than spacing out) I have been intensive about is listening to P J Harvey. For some reason she sounds better in my ears than ever before. I feel like a pathetic, bloody teenager: sitting in my room (friend's flat this time), listening to music and pretending I'm studying. What next? Acne's comeback?

Faces

The face on the left is from a chinese painting that was conservated at a studio we had our lessons last week. Another face is me having a closer look.

A Colon

Find your own pose!

It's good to know, now that I am heading for the bed, that I am a colon. Isn't it just great that there is a test on internet for everything!

One and half weeks left before returning home. I have never been this eager to be someone's mother than what I am now. And that someone is - of course - Vimme. I wouldn't like to be a mother to anyone else.

A Mental Note

My friends gave me a bicycle for the remaining two Gothenburg weeks. While I worked my way up the hill to where I stay, I made a mental note: don't ride the bike if you go to a bar - you'll never make it back home the same night. The ride down to city takes about five minutes. The ride back takes at least a half an hour - a tough half an hour.

Last night I was at a bar with a class mate. A very weird Finnish progressive rock band played and old Swedish TV commercials and Bollywood dance scenes were showed. Can a monday night get any better?

Origami

Here's a picture from a book I am conservating (hah - funny to use that word, I could have said repairing instead) at the moment. The book is from 1910 and is in quite a good condition. So far I have gone through the whole object, noted what ought to be done, and started with reparing pages.

I got inspired by Nix to make some "New Season Resolutions" (New Season is anytime, so why not to make resolutions every now and then).

- I will focus more on what I'm saying, foot-in-mouth keeps happening to me
- I will drink more water
- I will e-mail my friends more frequently

Oh yes, another thing: 20 nights to my flight home!

How to Get a Free Flat in Gothenburg

I am rather here than in Greta's position in the picture, but I still can't say I am having a good day. I am all pee-em-essy and touchy. I am tired of trying to communicate in Swedish, though everyone would say to this "but you are speaking so well!", which means people most of the time understand what I am trying to say.

I moved today - hopefully for the last time before I return to Finland - and I have a priviledge of being on my own again. My friends who live here are in Finland and they will stay in my parents place, while stay in Helsinki, and my parents are in Zambia. So, send your parents to Zambia and you get a free flat in Gothenburg.

Always Something to Be Happy About

I'm watching the hockey game. It doesn't look good. Canada is leading 2-0. Finn boys have to work harder and sit less on the penalty bench if they want to win. Fortunately I can comfort myself with the fact that I have such a fantastic birthday date and therefore these great qualities - according to Blogthings.

Your Birthdate: August 1

You are a natural born leader, even if those leadership talents haven't been developed yet. You have the power and self confidence to succeed in life, and your power grows daily. Besides power, you also have a great deal of creativity that enables you to innovate instead of fail. You are a visionary, seeing the big picture instead of all of the trivial little details. Your strength: Your supreme genius Your weakness: Your inappropriate sensitivity

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Stockholm and Thereafter

My time in Stockholm was lovely. Prejustices I've had towards Stockholm are getting weaker and weaker, though they do still exist. Stockholm is posh and I am not.

The course in Stockholm (about digitalisation) was very good and I had good time with my class mates after lessions. One night we ate sushi at one class mate's boyfriend. I worked hard to empty a big box of white wine and was very tired the next day.

Before travelling there I though I might call an old friend who lives in Stockholm and we could meet up, but thought then that my time will be going to sitting at lessons and socializing with my dear class mates, so I didn't call her. But I met her at a food store right before I caught the train back to Gburg. It was great! What are the odds?

The social life has been busy lately. Yesterday I was at an opening of an exhibition and to day I watched the Eurovision Song Contest in a bar with bunch of people. It was fun and I think (we) Finns made a great show.

Tomorrow is the Ice Hockey World Championship finals and Finland will be playing for the gold medal, against Canada. I'll be watching that game and I expect Finland to win.

Brrrrr

Where the summer is? I am constantly freezing and that is a sure sign of the fact that summer's not here yet. I can't stand freezing and I feel cold easily. Someone! Do something!

On the other hand - now that I concentrate on thinking of it - I am back in Northern Europe where summers can indeed be cold.

I'll find a hot sauna and stay there for the rest of my life.

Early tomorrow morning I take a train to Stockholm and stay there for few days. I hope it will be merrier than what I suspect it will be. For some unexplained reason I don't like Stockholm that much.

Half an Hour's Walk

This is what I see from my (borrowed) balcony at the moment. Bunch of famous xylitol producing birch trees and birds are singing like there was no tomorrow. Still I am half an hour's walk from the city center - walked there today, so I know.

I had a nice dinner with my friends earlier tonight and I was given pair of vintage sneakers, that has been originally bought to a quite famous model/actress. She never wore them, but it delights me greatly to know that we share the same shoe size: canoe. You never know what happiness is brought to your life next.

A Scandinavian Boozing Day

I made myself a MySpace page. Have a look and if you have one, become my MySpace friend. Hey ho!

Today is a huge drinking day both in Sweden and in Finland. I am going to avoid crowds and will cook some Thai-food at my friends. I am sure there will be some drinking ahead too, but not so heavy that I wouldn't be functional tomorrow.

Last friday was an opening at the gallery where I sit every now and then. If you happen to be somewhere around Gothenburg, go to see the exhibition. It's worth seeing.

It's All About Me Again

1. PICK OUT A SCAR YOU HAVE, AND EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT IT

This is my right knee. I rode my bicycle on a cold winter morning about 23 years ago, took a tight left turn and soon found myself lying on the icy road with a bleeding knee. I was in hurry so I didn't have time get stiches, hence the scar.


2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS OF YOUR ROOM?

My room is in Finland and it is usually occupied by two males; my son and my husband. They have a periodic table on the wall. Where I stay now walls are white and I haven't been bothered to put anything on them; I'll be moving soon anyway.


3. WHAT DOES YOUR PHONE LOOK LIKE.









4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?

Right now, at this very moment, I am not listening to anything, but I have listened a lot to Sahara Hotnights, a cool Swedish group. Their "Difference Between Love and Hell" has been my favourite song this week. I love the guitar riff in the song and the singer's half whining voice.



5. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT DESKTOP PICTURE?

Vimme in Tokyo. I like this picture a lot. The kid looks so calm and Tokyo skyline is nicely in the back ground. From Northern Europe my whole time in Tokyo seems so distant and dreamlike. And so does motherhood... God, I miss my kid!!!



6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?

Well, just look at the last sentence before the sixth question and you will guess what I want the most at the moment; to be with my kid.


7. DO YOU SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE?

Yes! All the people should have an equal right to get a divorce.


8. WHAT TIME WERE YOU BORN?

01:00 am


9. ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL TOGETHER?

Yes.


10. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

Erm... nothing. Should I be listening to something? A strange question. If I am writing I usually don't try to listen to other than music at the same time and that music question we already went through. Oh well - I should make my own meme then.


11. DO YOU GET SCARED OF THE DARK?

Sometimes. Twin Peaks used to scare the poo out of me in 90's. I had to have toilet company after seeing an episode (I had to see them all of course). I was sure someone else than me would stare at me from the mirror if I entered the loo alone. That feeling was usually gone by the next morning.


12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?

I drank wine with a good friend and we talked about all kinds of emotional stuff. I did shed a tear or two, but she wasn't really the one who made me cry. I guess I am easily teary now that I am so faaaar away from the kid.


13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?













14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOUR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?

Erm... what difference does it make?


15. DO YOU LIKE PAIN KILLERS?

When I am in pain I do love them.


16. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?

Shy? No, but I don't ask people out for dates... or raisins. Yeah, I know; I should go to sleep.


17. FAVOURITE PIZZA TOPPING?

Blue cheese.


18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Nothing. I am not hungry.


19. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?

It must have been my kid. He doesn't like "No!"s. Or then it was M and for the same reasons.


20. IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU?

Anyone? Go on then, just confess!

Grandmother

Here is a picture of my already late grandmother. The picture is taken sometimes in 1910's in Helsinki. I think she looks unbearably cute in this picture.

Many of her generation's women, she included, lost their men in war and they had to rebuild their lifes alone, without husband's support. Her life wasn't easy.

I have inherited her handicarft skills and like her, I have only one child and I have her nose.

A Doer

Here's an old technical drawing I have worked with today. It is fun to DO things instead of listening lectures about how to do thing in case you do something. I like to get things done.

I have also started a cautious try to teach myself a habbit of running again. (I haven't that for a year now). Cautious in that sense that I won't be saying: "yes, running is my hobby" before I've done it for a month. Or for a year. Let's see what happens. Maybe I get tired of the whole process on the first rainy day.

I guess I don't understand today's respected Finnish male painters

We were at the Nordic Watercolour Museum with my class mates yesterday. We listened to few minor lectures and saw the present exhibition at the museum. The exhibition was mainly about the dualism of flesh and spirituality in us humans; can these both aspects dwell in us at the same time (the guide told us this). The Finnish chap's (yes, a fellow Finn) works "..explore masculine sexuality with a cynicism and honesty rarely seen." Numerous painting of ugly penises in other words. I was told that he is very respected artist in Finland today. My next thought was: do I have to live in a country where respected male artists paint mud coloured ugly penises for their living?

The pictures is taken close to the museum. A cute little town it was.

Back in Sweden again

Here's my lovely kid ruling the world from his throne. It was - again - so very sad to say good bye to him. It doesn't seem to get easier, no matter how often I do it.

So, I'm back in Sweden, back at school. I am living at my friends who are away from the town most of the time, so I can pretend that I am actually living somewhere on my own.

Tomorrow I'll be listening to lectures about what to do with all the valuable museum and archive object after a catastrophy (fire, flood etc.). My first reaction would be to throw all that crap away, but that can't be a good attitude for a future conservator. Maybe I will think differently tomorrow.

Home Sweet Home

I am at home! Soon I will go to get the boy home from his day care. I would have gone there already, but I know kids are napping at the moment, so I wait for a bit more and rush then to get the boy home.

We had a nice week at school: we made some salt paper and cyanotype prints. I used pictures I've taken in Japan & after Japan; some of them looked really good. I am secretly planning to do more prints at home on some bright future day. That shouldn't be a problem - I do have a personal chemist to provide me the chemicals I'd need.

What will I do with my long weekend in Finland? Well, I do my best to be at home as much as I can, now that I am finally at home.

A Hot Date

It's another sunny day in Gothenburg. M was over for a long weekend. He had a job meeting here and he decided to stay two extra nights, so we had a chance to spend some time together - just two of us - for the first time since the boy was born (4 years). We stayed in a small hotel. It was quite weird, but in a nice way.

I will see him and the kid again on thursday when I'll travel to Finland for easter.

Piko 1990-2007

Last saturday I was in Finland to be there when our old dog was taken to his last walk. He walked on his own wobbly feet, sniffed some bushes and even did some territorial markings before arriving to the vet. Me, M and M's mother were there and stayed close to the dog until he was gone. It was utterly sad. But I am glad I had a chance to be there on his side when he died. He lived a long and eventful dog's life, of which he stayed 14 years with us and the rest with M's mother, where he got totally spoiled, which - I think - was a perfect way to spend a retirement years for a good dog like him.

Rain or Shine or Both

This morning we had heavy snowing and in the afternoon a beautiful sunny day. If we'd had some rain and a good thunder storm too, I would have been able to say: an ordinary Gothenburg day - weatherwise. If you want to be prepared for all possible weather option while being in Gothenburg, you better take your whole garderobe with you, any season.

The picture is from Linnestan. A nice part of G. The broken bike has been there at least since I came here in January. Let's see if it still there when I leave in June.

Saturday Morning in G

I seem to be able to move pictures from the previously mentioned memory card to my computer if iTunes is not on. Computers work in mysterious ways. So, just because I can I give you this picture of the cat I live with right now.

Yesterday I browsed "The Optimistic Child" while I sat in the gallery. In spite of the fact that some terrible 60's animal tests were described and half end of the book was basically just forms and tests, there were some essential thoughts put in words. The main idea was that optimistic view to life helps a child to cope with dissapointments (life) easier than a pessimitic view and that parents pass their views to their children. I have to watch myself - I have a tendecy for occational pessimism, which I have tried to get rid of.

Other than that: I think zits should stay away from a face that begins to have a fair amount of wrinkles on it.

Good News and Bad News

I took the memory card out of my camera and put it into a hole on a side of this little laptop of mine and the computer shut itself down immediately. The function has worked so far like an angel and now suddenly it stopped co-operating. That means: no recent photos on this blog until I know whats going on.

Today I've had a day off from lectures. I have done some school work too, but mostly I have just waisted my time doing nothing productive.

Yesterday I heard that I will get the practice place in Finland I applyed for. The practice will be in autumn - the whole semester - and I will be able to live at home when I do it. That is ultimately fantastic!

Our ancient dog will be taken to the better lamppost sniffing realms on the 24th of this month. I have booked a ticket to Finland so that I will be there when it happens. Sad, sad, sad.

Weaker Option

Today is the first real spring day here in Gothenburg. Fantastic!

We had lectures on archive blah blah blah this afternoon and will have some more until thursday. I guess one has to have some boring lectures sometimes, otherwise it isn't real studying.

Weekend went by. On friday I went out first with my class mates and later with my Finnish friends. In sweden they sell both "strong beer" and less strong "between beer" (terrible translations, I know) and so far I've always ordered the strong option at bars and had a headache next morning. This time I ordered the weaker beer and felt great the next morning and still had beer after another the night before. Long live the "between beer"!

Otherwise I spend my weekend missing the kid. It's terrible to be away from him, in case I haven't mentioned that yet.

Talking is Difficult

I guess all people who in daily bases use another language than their own have met the situation where you tell a person about a topic and after a while you see a look on listener's face showing that she (or he) doesn't get a word from what you are saying. It's frustrating.

I saw The Queen tonight. It was a good film. Go and see it.

Pain Goes, Pain Comes

The worst pain of saying good bye to the kid has eased a bit for now. Though today's report from home told me that he has a fever. Let's hope he gets well soon.

Today I had a chance to repair some old leather covered books. Before that I repaired a well read Moomin book, which appeared to belong to one of our teachers and she was happy to have the book back in a good condition.

The home exam keeps annoying me. I tried to talk to M about how frustrating the whole thing is and what my attidute towards the exam is and I ended up feeling stupid and shit about the whole thing. Never expect a scientist to object a fellow scientist in a cost of compassion for an accidental student.

New Week

Oh god it was sad to say good bye to the kid.

M's and the kid's way home went well and the kid spent today at my parents. My mother went to a food store alone with the kid and says that she won't do that again. I must have warned her sometimes about not doing that, but I guess she has to see to believe.

Here are some books I made last week. This week we'll be focusing on book conservation, plus we have a "home exam" to do before friday. Sounds like lots of work, which is good, the more I work the less I think about sad absence of the kid in my life.

Congratulations

Happy birthday my lovely son!

Only in Japan

I'm sure you can't find dog yoga in Sweden, like you can't find a place to rent a puppy for few hours - at least not legally - but in Japan you find all this. So, you bored North European dog owner: do yoga together with your pet.

Fun at School

The kid is coming here tomorrow!!!

At school I've been busy bookbinding. I had never tried that before and it is now officially something I'd love to do more. How will I combine all my favourite things to do into a profession that would also bring money to my household? Time will hopefully tell.

I have a slight feeling of an arriving cold/flu in my bones. Let's hope this one will decide to skip me. I don't want to get sick.

Puffy Eyed Printer

Never watch a sentimental two-out-of-five-stars Hollywood film about mothers, children, and family issues when you happen to be a longer time apart from your own kid, unless you want to have extreamly baggy, puffy, and pink lined eyes the next morning.

Other than that, we did have printing lessons this week after all and it was all very intresting and fun. I am developing a serious urge to make more fine art prints with my own originals.

Why Can't Japan Be Any Closer?

Oh GOD I miss Japan!

I just watched the first part of Karin Muller's documentary 'Japanland' and begin to long to Japan so much that I even had accidental tears in my eyes while enjoying the film.

I miss japanese food, both slow and fast, polite people, odorless elevators (one can sense a strong odor of urea in any given elevator in Metro of Helsinki), wonderful people I met there, places, Tokyo Elvises (didn't know them personally I must add), the beauty of Japanese people and, and, and...

Oh well. I can't do much about that longing right now. I am house-sitting at my friends here in Sweden and I'm also taking care of their old dog - the one I already shared my bed with earlier. He doesn't smell any nicer but he is a good dog and I like him.

Today we were supposed to start a course about certain prints at the local Art University. When we got there, the chap who we expected to teach us told us that his superior had forbidden him to teach us the course, because of god-knows-what. He refused to tell why exactly, but it had something to do with the fact that we are from another faculty. We could clearly see that he wasn't happy with the situation and that he was really sorry about all that.

So, no lectures. What we did? We watched 'Little Ms Sunshine' at school on class mate's computer. Not a bad way to spend a monday afternoon.

Fluffy Cat

Here I am in Sweden again. This time I have stayed at this adorable fluffy cat's home - some people are also involved, but the cat is the only one I am publishing here.

We had a nice course on fine art prints last week at two different studios and next week we'll have three more days of prints. Fun fun fun.

The kid and M have both been sick back home in Finland (a bad cold or a flu). I can't do anything about that from here. I just hope they'll get better soon. Well, they both sounded happy today when we talked on phone, sick or not.

I haven't been sick, other than homesick, but that doesn't count.

Last night there was an opening at the gallery where I sit every now and then. I stood by a counter selling wine to people and drank the same poison myself with my both hands. It was fun and I only had a slight headache this morning.

I talked to lots of people in swenglish, finglish, swennish and findish. I have no idea if anybody understood a word I said, which sometimes can be a good thing.

Today I've been baby-sitting a little princess who lives here with me and the fluffy cat. She has the cutest fairytale voice and she is telling all kinds of fantastic two years old's things with that voice all the time.

Winter Weather

Oh boy, oh boy, it's cold!

But I am not freezing, like I did in Tokyo. I can sit at home without layers and layers of clothes and feel nice & comfortable. Thankgod for the fantastic central heating system!

I remember when I was a kid up in northern Finland, the lowest temperature limit for out door sports at school was -21 °C (-4.36 Fahrenheit). There we skied our faces frozen. I hate skiing.

Tokyo Is Far Away

Here are my friend's dogs in their bag, which I bought in Tokyo when I still lived there, which seems now so long ago.

I wish Tokyo was closer to Northern Europe, so that it would be no big deal to fly there for a long weekend. I wouldn't mind having sushi washed down with Japanese beer and once another piece of sushi wouldn't go down then I'd be heading for two hours of Karaoke and more beer.

Oh well... One can do that in Helsinki too, but it's not the same as in Tokyo.

Happy Birthday Mom

It's nice to be back at home. The kid is fine, though he had a high fever yesterday, which seems to be gone by now.

We are on our way to my mother's birthday party. Congratulations mom!

Going Home

There was a thick fog in a valley below one morning when I woke up. Trams were late that morning and that made me late too. 10 minutes ride took half an hour. All the same, the fog was beautiful.

I will fly home tomorrow morning. I will rush to kid's day care and take him home with me. I am looking forward to that! Oh my god I have missed him!!!

Focusing on The Kid

I found this old note during a lecture last week. See the date! The day of V's arrival wasn't far away. I couldn't then focus on studies though I pretended to do that. So, last week I sat on the same lesson, listening to the very same facts as four years earlier and felt like I've never heard any of that before.

Other than that: I am counting days when I am back in Finland again to spend time with my kid.

Weekend Report

Every moment I am closer to the day when I see the kid again.

Fortunately I have been busy doing all kinds of things - mostly studying - and haven't spent unhealthy amounds of time feeling sorry for myself.

On the weekend I had a pleasure to have a dinner with friends every night and I also sat at my friends' gallery both on saturday and on sunday. The weather was quite bad. Only the most dedicated art lovers came to see the exhibition. That was fine with me - I read a book and surfed on the net, which I would do with my spare time anyway.

Identifying

Today I was supposed to do fibre analyses at my school's laboratory. I did try to look like I knew what I was doing and keep busy doing that. I had my eyes glued to a microscope and still I didn't identify a single fibre. Fortunately our teacher told me what I was so desperately looking at. It was cotton.


I am staying at friends'. Here's a picture of their funny dog. One night I found him sleeping next to me, in my bed. He isn't supposed to do that, but he had sneaked quietly in while rest of us were sleeping. So, I don't have to sleep alone after all. I wonder if I should take samples of his fibres and see if can identify them tomorrow?

Ambivalence Again

I arrived to Sweden this morning. The kid slept when I left. I can't say that I am happy about being away from him, but I guess I would be less happy if I didn't do anything to finish my studies.

It's strange to be back in Sweden. It feels like I've returned home, though I don't have a home here (I am at my friends' during my stay). The town looks the same and yet new houses have appeared here and there. Swedish language sounds very familiar and easy to comprehend and still I feel like I can't use it.

The school will start on monday. Before that there should be a strong storm on sunday. They say one shouldn't go out at all. I have been invited to have a dinner with my friends tomorrow. How will I get there if I can't go out?

Terrible Ambivalence

Last week we went to my kid's new day care for "training". That means I went there with the kid, to make the place familiar for him and to make him feel safe in a new place. I can't help being chicken shit about it all, wondering how he will cope with the institutionalizing - I know, I am being dramatic. And I know the kid will find his place there like all the others have done before him and he will learn social skills and even make friends. In many ways it will be good for him, but the start will be hard for everyone.

Next week we'll train again and week after that begins the hardcore adjusting period with day care every day and an absent mom. Yes, I am leaving for Sweden in a week and yes I am feeling pretty awful because of that. And at the same time I am thrilled to get back to my studies.

What are you reading?

Now that I am sighting an english book I am back to this important issue.

1. Take the nearest book and go to page 123.
2. Go to the fifth sentence of the page.
3. Copy down the next three sentences and tag three people.

1 bird in a cage
6 pink ribbons
3 cats
2 parasols
10 yellow ribbons

Unfortunately there weren't any sentences to copy in the nearest book, but these wonderful lines are from "The Usborne Big Book of Things to Spot". Vimme inherited the book from friends who left Japan long before us and he liked the book so much that we took it with us to Finland.

2007

Happy New Year people! A year of Pig has started. I wish it will be satisfying, prosperous, and full of right decisions for everyone.

Late December Saturday

It's a saturday before noon. We all slept late (until 8 o'clock at least) and M is having his late breakfast. The kid is in a hut made of pillows and blankets. I am going to get dressed and become effective - there is a lot to do.

Our guests from Japan are now safely back home. Before they left I was honoured to see baby guest's first steps. It must be a good omen for a little girl to start walking in Finland. I miss seeing her ever so happy "ohayoo"-face in the morning. I hope I will see them soon again.

My sister and her boyfriend came to have fondue with us last night. It must have been more than 8 years since we last prepared fondue. It was delicious. We should have it more often. The secret of good fondue is good cheese. We used Swiss Gruyere and Finnish well stored Emmental.

But that's about cheese for now.

The picture on this post was taken on christmas eve sometimes around one in early afternoon. Sun stays low this time of the year.

Merry Christmas

Merry christmas to everyone. Eat a lot and drink enough.

We'll head for a three days' tour from a christmas table to another. Our lovely ex-neighbour from Japan will be with us to share the fun - with her super cute baby girl.

I'll be back a bit heavier (thanks to all the christmas food) and a bit more rested (hopefully). Until then, be good.

Busy Hostess

I have been tagged again by lovely Tim. I will return to her tagging once I have other than a Japanese toddler's book or a Finnish translation of latest Harry Potter next to me.

It's fun to have visitors: my friend from Japan with her super-cute, 10 months old baby girl. I have enjoyed their company a lot as well as showing wonders of Finland to them.

Next on our scedule is to get ready for christmas, that is to increase gradually our food intake to be able to survive all the christmas gluttony.

Potatoes

Potatoes are important part of a Finnish meal. They are usually served with a sauce. The sauce often brown and has meat in it. And that's about it.

Of course I am not telling the whole truth here. Now a days pizzas and pastas are often seen on dinner tables instead of the traditional potatoe+meat-surprise. But still, Finns eat loads and loads of potatoes.

(If someone wants to know what Finns really eat and how to cook that, you can check it out here.)

My kids doesn't like potatoes. My kids doesn't like food in general. He agrees to eat pasta with ketchup or pesto, oat meal, rice with soy souce, fish fingers, tomatoes, nori seaweed, soba or udon noodles, sushi and french fries. Who knows, he might eat meat too, but we haven't given him any, because we don't buy or prepare it to ourselves. If he could choose his meals himself, he would live on ice cream.

I used to love cooking. Since I started house-wifing I have lost my inspiration to cook. I hope it comes back someday.

And here's what I wanted to share: tomorrow my lovely neighbour from Japan will arrive here to delight our dark days for two weeks. I am looking forward to see her and her little daughter again.

Berries and Suicides

Trees and bushes are full of berries this year. They say it's a sure sign of a coming especially cold winter. We will see if that's true. So far this been the warmest and rainiest winter in 40 years, during my life time.

I wouldn't put my money on betting for white christmas this year.

We spent the weekend at my mother-in-law's. On the way there our train killed a man. Just before our station there was a sound of a food processor under the train, then the train stopped and a shocked voice announced that there had been an accident. Then came two abulances and the police. Ambulances left the place and the police begin to inspect the scene and pick up pieces of a former human being. After hour's waiting another train stopped next to ours. We hopped on that one and soon reached our destination.

Everyone's guess was that the crash victim commited a suicide. For him, I assume it was a man, it was a quick end. He got what he came for. For the chap who drove the train it was a terrible tragedy and he will surely see the accident happening before his eyes for the rest of his life. I think it's cowardly to commit a suicide: everyone dies for sure anyway. But I guess you don't give a shit about your own cowardliness if you are determined to end your life, all the same, it's double cowardly to make someone unwilling do it for you.

No Ball

It's rainy, it's dark and it's cold. It's Finland!

Tomorrow is the independence day. Our Mrs President will have a huge ball and as before, I haven't been invited, which itself isn't a wonder: I haven't done anything I would be mentioned for in history books and I am not Mrs President's personal friend or even a member of the parliament.

Of course I would be panicing, if I suddenly found a forgotten invitation under my doormat. I have no dress to wear and my hair looks like a jungle so much that I am half expecting to hear Tarzan doing his howl any time, the Johnny Weissmuller way.

Oh well. A friend has asked our family unit to join theirs tomorrow afternoon and we'll have a nice dinner together. I can wear jeans and these people won't ask me if I have taken a perm. When people ask that, I wonder how low they think I've gone during my years away from this arctic land. If I saw a perm that looked like my hair, I would feel sorry for him/her.

Why don't I do something to my hair disaster? Well, I am lazy and I secretly like looking like I didn't give a poo about my looks.

Five Things, Instead of Three or Four

I got tagged by Timorous Beastie. Now I am wondering what five things I could tell about myself that I hadn't told already.

Thinking, thinking, thinking...

1. Long ago someone told me to start modelling. She arranged me to a shooting and that was the only one I ever did. The photographer complained about my bad skin (at that point my acne wasn't that bad anymore) and I didn't think I had looks for the job anyway. So I quit before I even started.

2. I think "the natural way" to give a birth to a baby is the most unnatural (been there, done that) and everyone woman should have a right to have a cesarean section, if they wanted one. Or even better: men should carry unborn babies. I guess I have to consult Universe's Biological Design Deparment (UBDD) about these improvements.

3. I used to have a sweater saying: "I love mankind - it's people I hate". I wish I still had it.

4. I am in an acute need of a vacation. I know, I've told that about 100 times before, but I still am.

5. A palm reader told me that I have been a sailor during three past life times. That explains my shameless swearing (in Finnish).

Distances From Water

In Tokyo we lived next to Tokyo Bay, in Odaiba. I liked that a lot. The closer to sea the better, is my secret motto.

Now sea shore is a bit further away from our home - about 15 minutes walk - but it looks like this.

Ok, it looks freezing cold but you see the horizon and all is built by mother nature.

With'n'without

I experienced moments of happiness in a food store today: I went there alone!

Quite many other parents had decided to take their little monsters along. I heard fathers shouting at their kids "do not touch that" and mothers running after their fast moving short companions. Right then I valued the absence of my personal screamer, who was having fun with M in a park.

The kid told us later today that M is nice and I am nervous and therefore bad. That's what you get if you consciously enjoy doing grocery shopping without him: polls drop.

Lazy Days

This is life: both me and the kid are sitting by a computer. I am surfing on the net and he is playing Linux kid's game. (M has that incureable computer virus called Linux on his computer). Of course we could go out doors, to a play ground or for a walk, but not just yet. In no time we are living times when I am away studying in Sweden and the kid has to wake up with larks (and M), eat quickly and rush to his day care and sundays will be only days for this kind of waiste of time. So, I am not starting my day yet.

And an important notice for everybody's knowledge: I am a Mermaid.

You Are a Mermaid

You are a total daydreamer, and people tend to think you're flakier than you actually are. While your head is often in the clouds, you'll always come back to earth to help someone in need. Beyond being a caring person, you are also very intelligent and rational. You understand the connections of the universe better than almost anyone else.

What Mythological Creature Are You?

Keeping Warm

The kid isn't happy about our new home. He says that we are still living in Odaiba and it's M who lives here in Espoo. It will take some time before he accepts the fact that we are living here. It took some time a year ago when we moved to Odaiba.

It's gray, rainy, cold and dark here this time of year, but I don't mind. I can sit indoors - even naked if I want to, which itself isn't that high on my todo-list - and I don't freeze. After two winters in Tokyo I can truly appriciate the fantastic and well functioning central-heating system in Finnish houses.

Living in a Storage

We have finally settled down to our new home. Interiors look still like a storage (I am sitting on floor and there is no lamp in this room). But, we have internet. What else you need for a good life?

M came to Finland on wednesday and went to work the next day. I wonder if he has noticed that he isn't in Japan anymore.

I have lost some things since we left Sweden two years ago: I can't find my nice iron frying pan anywhere and tools are nowhere to be found.

Finnish Cashiers Give Me Evil Looks

In Finland you have to weigh your vegetables and fruits yourself at food stores. The self service scale is placed next to products and not hard to see or find at all. Still I manage to forget to weigh most of times and get scary looks from the person at a cashier.

I find it hard to understand why finns don't use the same system they have in Sweden: the cashier weighs your fruits. Finland must be the only place on this planet where they trust customer to place the price on the product. People try to cheat. A friend who worked as cashier said that it happened all the time. You could tell the price was too low for that number of fruits or the customer had "accidentally" pushed a wrong, cheaper product's button.

One country where this self pricing would work is Japan: people are very honest there. But shops wouldn't allow customers to do service job them selves. Someone's job is to put (rediculously expensive) prices on fruits.

Customer service is suberb in Japan. I really, really, really miss that among these northern zombies who don't even try to hide the fact they hate their jobs and their customers.

Moments of Horror

It's been a pretty rough and dramatic three days: serious illness in my family, strong emotions because of that and ongoing session of major tantrums from my son's side. Fortunately it seems that everything is going to be allright with my little relative and I live in a hope that my son will some day quit being a loud and determined opposition to anything I do, say, or even think.

Next week M will arrive to Finland. Thankgod!!!

Finland Finland Finland

Damn, standing at that bus stop today was cold. We have minus degrees and wind - not my favourite combination at the weather department. But I don't care: it's warm indoors!

The kid is loosening his tight grasp on me and agrees to stay with other people while I take care of things. He seems to like being in Finland and he has enjoyed playing on piles of snow. Those piles we found at my mother-in-law where our ex-dog lives too. There we'll go this weekend to dog-sit the ex.

Our new home is still a mess. Today I found out that the washing machine our land lord left there for us isn't working. Crap.

We have huge piles of books and no bookshells or any other furniture. No interior magazine won't be willing to show our home on its' pages, unless "less is more" turns to "nothing is more" and a messy version of that becomes popular.

And, happy b-day you 40 years old you.

Moving

I am in Finland at my parent's place. Jetlag is gone. I am working on moving to our new home, which seems to take more time than what I expected, and trying to keep the kid entertained at the same time (he spends lots of time watching videos).

The kid doesn't accept anyone else's company than mine, which is understandable in a stressfull situation like this and which makes it quite difficult for me to do anything. Everyone is very helpful and hospitable. I can't tell yet how I feel about being back "home": too much to do and no time for myself. I will let you know as soon as I can.

Tokyo Housewife's Leaving

Tomorrow my career as Tokyo Housewife is finally over. A weekend full of goodbyes has gone (god, it's sad to say goodbye) and the last bit of packing is left to be done.

I think I am one of the luckiest people on this planet what comes to the people I've met. I must have met all the most wonderful people in Tokyo and I have a feeling we'll meet again don't know when, don't know where... (at his point I am singing out loud). Why can't everybody move to Finland with me?

I won't abandon you my dear readers. I will go on reporting about my ever so exciting life once I have an internet access in Finland. Until then - Sayonara.

Karaoke Is Always A Good Choice

Our last guest will leave early tomorrow morning. She will take some Vimme's toys with her (about 10 kg) in an ancient plastic suitcase, which propably won't travel anywhere after this journey, if not to a garbage container. Toys, of course, will be removed before that.

I have packed another small suitcase full with Vimme's clothes. There is a cardboard box to fill with stuff and send it to us in Finland. And I haven't even started to think about packing my own stuff.

Oh dear.

But I don't think about all that today. I go to Karaoke instead.

Loosing My Touch

I have always been good at finding my way and in Tokyo, finding the right train and taking it to the right direction. Not anymore. I am flipping out.

Yesterday I took us first to a wrong platform, then to a wrong train and got us where we've never been before (we did end up having a nice evening walk and a dinner at a restaurant on our way to a station we should gone to).

Today I first didn't find my way to a metro station (elevator was lost) and then I took a train to the wrong direction. I wonder what is wrong with me. Time to leave Tokyo I guess.

How To Handle A Jetlagged Guest

Our last guest from Finland arrived today. I know I thought our previous guest was the last one, but someone needed to come to Tokyo before we leave. I think it's fun and keeps me from freaking out before the big move. And - our guest is special. She is a female and the kid likes her. That rarely happens.

Everytime a jetlagged person comes to our humble home, we try to keep the person up until Vimme goes to bed around eight. The jatlagged will be so tired at that point that s/he will sleep until the next morning and won't be too tired when the kid wakes up at 6:30.

Keeping awake strategies are: taking a tour through Venus Fort (shock effect) and other malls, hanging on the Odaiba beach and having a dinner (read: buying a sushi box and a sixpack). Seems to work well.

Art And A Small Room

Last night I went to an opening of an exhibition at a gallery in Aoyama. The weather was as bad as it was earlier, but going somewhere didn't feel impossible because I was able to leave the kid home.

The exhibition was good. I don't think art that I would define good had to be done with skill and good technique, but every time I see en exhibition that "talks to me" and one can see the the artist is really skillfull, it gets number of extra points from me. This was the case last night.

I was there with my Japanese friend and we went to have sushi when we left the gallery. I am panic-eating sushi. I eat it like the end of the world would be knocking on my door - and a way it is. The end of my housewifing period in Tokyo is definitely ending and also my access to Japanese sushi. All the same, sushi was good, like it always is.

Then we went to Shibuya for a drink. Since another Japanese friend told me about this tiny area next to Yamanote Line (X marks the spot), where you can drink in a tiny, little, closet sized bar - as soon as you've been able to decide which one you enter, I have wanted to go there and sit in one of those claustrophobic interiors. We did that.

The bar we picked up wasn't the most crowded (that's why we went there). The only beer they sold was white beer from Belgium, we had that. The most unexpected thing happened: a Japanese man started to talk to me!!! And in English!!! Now I've seen it all and I can leave Tokyo with no regrets.

Hi, It's Tanaka Nanba

Weather is really horrible. We were supposed to leave to meet a Finnish mother-kid-unit this morning, but I decided to cancel the meeting. The kid is in a screamy mood. Combine that to wet clothes and trains running late, you'd figure out in no time why I am staying home today.

Your Japanese Name Is...

Tanaka Nanba

What's your Japanese Name?

Friends and Cities

Vimme has spent time with the new friend every day now. The only difference in their characters I've noticed so far is, that Vimme is more into taking physical risks, thus getting more cuts and bruises.

Such a pity there isn't a Star Trek type of a transporter room service between Tokyo and Espoo (where we'll move). For those people who have never heard of Espoo: it's the same for Helsinki as Yokohama is for Tokyo - a big city right next to a gigantic one... except that Helsinki isn't gigantic at all and Espoo isn't big. But you know what I mean. And if you don't - what can I do? Give finglish lessons?

Anyway, one of the only things I've been secretly wishing for Vimme (one shouldn't have any expectations what comes to one's kids) is that he would have friends and he would know how to be a good friend to his friends. I might get lucky with this one. Happy happy, joy joy!

A New Friend

Here's another picture from our Odaiba.

Vimme has a new friend in our building: a boy who is about two weeks older than he is. They look alike, they are exactly the same size, and they are both into learning (numbers, letters, hiraganas, flags, countrie's names, train station's names, etc). A perfect match in other words. Only things they don't have in common is a language. All the same, they had fun playing together for hours today.

Too bad we learned to know them so late - soon we have to wave bye-bye to all our friends in Japan and that's sad.

Getting Ready to Go

I had a list of things I thought I would buy before leaving Japan, like shoes with separate big toe, baggy workman trousers, 'Hello Kitty' pocket watch, all kinds of kitchen stuff, T-shirts with Japanese text etc. Today at shops I looked at various objects and while watching them came to a conclusion that I don't need any of those. I didn't buy anything I had planned to buy. Let's see how much I will regret that when I'm back in Europe.

It looks like we are going to have a flat ready to move in when we arrive to Helsinki in the middle of this month. It's a huge relief. Now I can focus on hunting a day care place for the kid + packing, moving and unpacking. Any volunteers to help me?

Doesn't "A day care place for the kid" sound just fantastic!