From grey to white

This week has been like this photo: grey, spiky, dull, gloomy. I've missed the busses, had horrible classes to teach, slept badly at nights.

But there's nothing good friends, music and food (and snow!) can't make better. Also winning the quiz for the 3rd time in a row felt like the cherry on top :) And to tell the truth, most of the 7th graders are adorable and sweet and they are happy to come to the library and ask all kinds of questions. And I'm happy to help them.

Kent's new cd Röd was released this week and today I've been mostly listening to it. It's nice to listen to the new cd's from Spotify before buying them, but it's impossible to get the same kind of experience as when you listen to the music for the first time from your own cd. I listened to Imogen Heap's new Ellipse from Spotify, but didn't find the music interesting; only until I bought Ellipse from a salesman (who sells cd's to the libraries) I really concentrated on the music at home and it was amazingly beautiful.

I'm also thinking about buying a new camera from Korea, I'd like to be able to take good photos also inside...If someone has some spesific model/brand in mind that's both good and quite cheap (and of course cheaper in Korea!) then let me know!

Last weekend I had guests as well, Tuula and hiding Nelson. It was so funny to talk about cultural differences! This time Tuula sent me a message saying if it's ok that they're coming and I said yes. In Chile that's not how people do it, they just wait for invitation and go for a visit when they're invited. So Nelson was feeling a bit awkward, because I was not the one who suggested that they could come :) Also if you invite someone to your place, you should clean and prepare dinners and lunches and be a good host. First thing Nelson thought when he came to our place was that "oh, it's so messy" :D For me that kind of formal visiting is a nightmare, because I believe the best thing you can do at your friends' place is to relax :)

But we had great time anyway, that's the main thing.

Why breakfasts in local places (ABC, different cafes etc) are so horrible? I'd love to go and eat something fresh and good if I ever miss the bus in the morning again and have to spend one hour in the centre.

Tea and knits Saturday!

"Watch it closely you see it begin to flicker"

This week I've seen someone trying to find something useful (food?) from the garbage bin next to a bus stop - TWICE.

This week on a local school there was a boy who was drawing swastikas and telling the teacher how he wants to be a skinhead, hammer all negros and have Finnish flags tattooed all over himself. This boy is 5th grader in an elementary school.

Those things have made me sad, of course. Doesn't sound like an affluent society to me.

Teabag had this message last weekend: You are unlimited. And there are days when I feel like it!
(You should, too!)

This week can only get better. I'm especially waiting for the quiz and all the shamefully stupid answers escaping from my mouth. How that kind of quiz can make you feel happy and foolish at the same time! And tomorrow, bubbly conversations between people who are here now but who might be leaving too soon.

Sunshine for the weekend, absorb some from this photo ;)

Nothing special - really

Everything seems so blue at this time of the day. The snow is piling up in front of the terrace and soon I will be surrounded by the blue whiteness. Luckily I can keep warm inside, especially when I wear my new cute slippers :)

Yesterday was interesting (all days are interesting if you have the right attitude!). I returned one magazine to Tuula and got a chance to take a photo of her catmaster Kassu. Kassu is the most relaxed, warmth loving cat I know! He spent one week at my place before christmas and because my bed was warm, he was trying to get under my blanket various times! In the end he slept in my bed, I slept in the guest room :D That's why I'm not so fond of the idea of taking a cat...I love my own bed too much!

After running to the bus and travelling to the centre, I attended the weekly quiz. It was a disaster this time, we were 7th! Just impossible to know the names of the bridges in Paris...Or the name of some Finnish generals who died hundreds of years ago. I'm sad to reveal that the only thing I knew was a music sample = Madonna's Erotica :D But I used to listen to Madonna and Aikakone in the middle school!

Our team is called Oravateam (don't ask why, I don't have an idea!) and the geniuses in the team are Kai and Olli. Rest of us are just trying to know an answer to at least one question...

After the quiz the cashier asked for my papers in the shop, when I was trying to buy 2 ciders. She looked a bit funny when she saw my driver's license.

Then some chips, good company, Deep Impact (the worst movie ever) and talking. What could be better?

Now I keep listening to the Field, I have the whole record (From here we go sublime) on my computer and it's just the perfect music for slow saturday almost-evenings. Maybe I'll warm the sauna today too :)

Small

I've been thinking about the small things in life, how they can make you happy. Yesterday I was waiting for the bus and I was watching at the birds and how they flew. I wondered if they ever feel cold and how they can fly in so many different ways. I also saw an aeroplane, it was flying very high and it left 2 smoke lines on the clear blue sky. Somehow it was very beautiful. It was very cold at to wait at the bus stop but I felt warm when one woman, who goes to the same aerobic class, said hello to me when she was biking past me. I've never talked with her, but she said hello and smiled anyway :)



I don't have lots of money and that's why I can't travel and do the things most of the people do. Sometimes I feel a bit sad because of that and start to worry about future, life and money itself.

But it's impossible to be worried, if you have your fridge full of food. I love the local shop, since it has many products for half price. Today I found many vegan products at smaller price. I'm not a vegan, but some of my friends are and now I can bake something special for them :) Baking for friends is also one thing that makes you happy no matter what.

I love to go to shop. I don't mean clothing stores, but food shops. I love to compare prices, try to find organic products (I always buy eco-milk and yoghurt as well as organic eggs and carrots) and -50% tags. It's kind of adventure every time! I could spend one hour on the shop just looking at products and prices...And I'm so happy if I find tofu or cheese at half price :)


Yesterday was a quiz day again (it's another completely free thing that makes me happy!). This time we ended up 4th, so better than last week! I took my sticks and yarn with me too and finished one fingerless mitten while competing with the other teams. This time the most difficult question was about italian operas -> we had to identify 5 different operas and composers from 5 music samples sung by Pavarotti. We got 2 points from the maximum 10 :D I've studied music science, but I'm familiar only with finnish operas. Hopefully next time there will be questions about trance music, then I'd know something :D











I knew couple of answers again, but constantly I'm amazed by the knowledge my team members have. Wow!

Quiz failure

I started to go to a local pub quiz last autumn, because I thought I know something. Previous months have proven me wrong. Last week we ended up first (a miracle happened for sure!) and today we dropped back to our normal place -> we were 6th.

I knew a couple of answers, about japanese food and Sarah Palin. Most of the questions were just impossible once again, but it was fun anyway. I just can't understand how someone can remember stuff like "the 5 islands on the Pacific which are under British jurisdiction"...


I really need to buy a new memory card for my camera. I took some photos today and although the quality was not very good, I could take only 10 photos :D I should also study taking photos, now I just aim and shoot and I have no idea about lights or shadows. I also feel a bit uncomfortable, when I have to take photos on public places. I seem to need more practice.



Luckily my yarns can't run away and they're very willing to appear in photos. I'm still making the second sock (the yarn keeps breaking my already dry skin) and it takes a while but at the same time I'm planning on making a top, other pair of socks and fingerless mittens.




I got lots of yarns as a christmas present and I also took part in one yarn swap before christmas. When I got home from my holidays I received a package from Italy, including local yarn (picture below), chocolate and christmas ornaments. At the same day I also received organic teas from Canada, lovely Ivan had collected them from local shops. I'm so happy to have friends :)