Känniapina Suomessa

That's: "Drunken Monkey in Finland".

This drunken madness got loose last thursday, when we headed down to Helsinki for this business student seminar. First we had some awesome lectures from eg. the CEO of Finnair etc. and after the "official" part we got to "network" (= get drunk and meet new people). The official seminar part was held in this congress centre in downtown Helsinki, but for the night party we floated off to the Baltic sea. And even though the ferry was actually a biggest piece of crap I've ever been on - we managed to have an awesome, drunken party-fiesta-night!

The drinking actually started already right after the lectures, since we had a nice dinner there even before the cruise. Two of my friends from Mikkeli school were also taking part on this whole ordeal, and hanging out with them was so awesome; since we hadn't been seeing eachother since last July-August. Jonna was in Mexico for her exchange and Joel spent his fall in Buenos Aires, Argentina. So, those guys were a bit (!!!) tanned - and I think I was just rusty for all the rain we had to go throuhg in Limerick!? Here they are, tanned bastards, in the dim hours of the night on board the Viking Rosella...


It is a common habit that everyone will go to the ship liquor store to get some booze (cheaply, since it's usually tax free...) and then party on in their cabins for a while until hittin' the ship bars. That was also our plan, but as the ferry was such an old, crowded, crappy piece of sh** we had to hang out in the bars for a good while to be able to even fit into that tax free shop. Well, we finally made it and headed back to our cabin: TO PLAY KING'S CUP!! There was Olli, his friend Valtteri, Jonna, Joel and yours truly - in that 3mX2,5m hellhole called our cabin. Still we managed to have an awesome game - once again - and we definitely reached intoxication! Here's some pics of our game...



After the game our drunken crew headed to the bar - and well... there happened lots, I suppose, until Olli finally found me and took me back to our cabin to sleep. Well, he was TOTALLY WASTED, I was just pissed out of my tree (in other words: I do have some recollection of the night and what I've been up to (= talking to people from my school), while he has no idea where he's been, with who, drinking what... ye know the drill!?). Anyhow, after passing out in the bathroom - more specifically on the toilet - and after I had picked the toilet lock TWICE, I managed to get Olli to the top bunk of our cabin to sleep. I climbed there too, since we were unable to solve the mechanism of the bottom bunk (alcohol had NOTHING to do with it?!).

After some hours of totally drunken sleep, I woke up, and thought to go to the bathroom & have a sip of water or smthg - but apparently I forgot that I was also in the TOP bunk... so ya, I did fall flat and semi-hard from the bed! Result: my knee is STILL bloody, sor and reminding me of the drunken night on the ferry. Olli remained unconscious through the whole episode.

The ferry was to reach Helsinki again at 11.15 in the morning. Since the arrival was scheduled so late we had thought that we'd have PLENTY of time to shower, perhaps have some breakfast and all before that. Well, I wake up for loud banging on our door, and decide to hit the showers. Luckily I took a glimpse on my watch before heading to the bathroom, since it was 11.13!!!! HELL!!

So, I woke up Olli, we jumped into our overalls, tried (!!) to get all our stuff together and got out of there. The losses - that we have discovered so far - were my eye make-up remover and one T-shirt of mine.

The reason for us to put on our overalls was the raw fact that the party was to go on in downtown Helsinki. In Finland we have this habit, that after an academic party there is always a sillis (= silliaamianen = herring breakfast). In other words, it means that ... well, I already said it: the party will go on. It is also a tradition that the sillis location is a secret - and thus we were taken there by a bus. And yes, we did get drunk, again, and had - if possible - even more fun!

Then, at 16.30 a bus came to pick us up and we headed back to dear old Tampere. Olli passed out ON me on the bus - and I think I did sleep some on the way.

But, all and all, it was - again - a one CRAZY Finnish academic party!! Anyone interested in coming here and taking part on something like that?? ;) ;)

***

The partying goes on again on this week, since tonight we'll go out to play cards with some of Olli's friends, tomorrow there's an outdoor party, hankiralli (=snowrally), and an overall party after that, on friday we'll go out to see one of my favourite bands and on saturday there's a 30th B-day party of some friends of mine...

So, part-tee, part-tee in here also. *sigh*