Changes in status

Four days after my last post it happened; Olli kneeled in front of me, and asked THE question! All I could do was to nod like an idiot, and mumble "yea!".

So, we're engaged now - and our wedding will be on 4.10.2008! I know it's still a long time away, but anyhow some preparations has already been made: the location for the party is reserved, an idea on the wedding dress is delegated on, hair- and make-up appointments are booked and best man's and maid's of honor are recruited.

About the dress; I just got unbeliavably lucky on that! Olli's parents' god daughter has studied design in Austria (if I remember right), and she's currently working for Mark's&Spencer in London. When she heard about the wedding, she asked Olli's mum if there'd be any chance for her to design a dress for me.
I know, it's a tough one, eh?!?!
So, she stopped by our office before heading back to London to take some measurements - and now I'm waiting for some first drafts of the dress she might have in mind for me! Due to this project, I guess I have to visit London a few time before the wedding. Too bad, I know!
***
Ok, but back to normal life - the wedding is - after all - over a year away!
Work is back on (boring) and I'm also trying to make an effort to lose all the summer-flab I managed to gather during those lazy days. And during the party-bonanza after my vacation (7 weekend's before this one has been more or less boozing :( ). So, now I'm on Weightwatchers (we have a group at work) and really struggling to make an effort on the sport-scene.
School starts again tomorrow - luckily I only have german for the firs quarter (Katja, any help available???). In late October there'll be two more courses starting - with two exams I intend to take. So, maybe this fall I get "lucky" with that burn-out? ;)

I hope someone still stops by here once in a while - even though my update-cycle is somewhat slow... ;)

Summer time!

I won't even start apologizing - because it's been so ridiculously long since I've updated this blog last time, it'd be useless. Because - being honest - I don't even think anyone even comes here anymore. I know I don't ;) ... which is kinda obvious. ;)

Well, here I am, again! It can be partly due to the fact that I'm actually on my summer vacation at the moment, and I basically have so much time in my hands that I almost don't know what to do with it.
Naah, just kidding - I get my time to fly pretty easily by doing NOTHING. And that's something I believe you're meant to do when you're on vacation, eh?!

Anyhow, back to this blog. It's been kinda bothering me for quite some time now: there's the fact that I haven't really managed to update it as often as I feel I should, which really makes me feel bad. I also tend to write too graphically on things I've been up to - without really thinking whether any of that interests anyone (not, I recon). So, now I thought just to write here some things I've done, maybe, and then what's going on in this small head of mine (ya, small??).

I got home from Bulgaria early on wednesday morning: I spent a week there visiting my friend who's working for a Finnish travel agency Finnmatkat there. While majority of Finns were stuck with "luvly" finnish summer weather Finland offered last week (+12 and pouring rain, mostly) I had the luxury of enjoying Bulgarian heat: +30-45 and cloudless skies every day!

Here's some pics from my trip:

Wild turtle in Ropotamo river

Pauliina and I in local bus from Tzarevo to Primorsko

My toes on Lozenez beach

Black sea and I

Now, that I'm back from my Bulgarian excursion I'll concentrate on Finnish summer. Olli will start his vacation tomorrow, and we'll head straight away up to Jyväskylä to see my family. On monday we'll head to our summer city 2007 = Turku, and we'll spend two nights there.
Latter week of our 2 week vacation will be spent in traditional finnish way: in cottages by eating, sleeping and sauna-going. First we'll go to my family's cottage in Ruovesi and then in mid-week we switch to Olli's granpa's cottage in Hämeenkyrö. The holiday-weeks are ended with a traditional summer-party in Hämeenkyrö with Olli's student board collegues of 2004.

On July 23rd I go back to work - and the next blink of light (=holiday) is as far as Christmas... (actually I'm going to Frankfurt in October, so I may be exaggerating just a tiny bit there... oh well, some self-pity has never hurt anyone, eh? ;))

Too long...

I'm so sorry!!!

It's been A-G-E-S since my last update... well, I have been busy at work, in school, with Olli and of course partying just a tiny bit.

Work. It was busy as H**L for the first 6 weeks of the year. Then, suddenly, it just slowed down. For a while I felt almost useless - until it perked up again just last week. Phuuuuuusk. Now it's busyBUSYbusy again - planning campaigns, buying media space, negotiating with medias, updating our databases and so on and so forth.
So, ya, busy. That it is.

School. I'm actually trying to take it easy this spring, as I'm only taking two online-courses. But what a fraud! I've been sitting in the office - hussling for these S-T-U-P-I-D, meaningless courses after office hours wearing myself out. Then, when I finally get to go home, I walk like a zombie or smthg. At home, I just hit the couch and turn into a vegetable.

Thus, no blogging. (excuse part 1).

Olli. We're doing GREAT! The only trouble is the distance: he's in Tampere, I'm in Helsinki. For weekends we travel. Luckily, next weekend we'll both be on the road - or actually in the air, as we're heading to Copenhagen. To see Damien Rice! :) I also have a mission to find a dress for my sisters wedding there.

Parties are still the same. Some drinks, some very bad jokes, some music and movement someone could call dancing. I wouldn't though. At least when I'm sober. ;)

Ok, gettin' somewhat tired again. And having a headache.
Julia is coming to town, though! In three weeks! Jaiks! Who's next?? :)

European Tour 2007

This year has slowly gotten to its routines. Or actually all these routines I'm stuck with are the same ones I wrestled with in 2006 already... in other words: it's wake-up in the morning, to the office via shower and clothing-puzzles, in case the office hours fall short I get home around nineish after doing some sweating in the gym or in some workout class.

Ya, that's my life.

On weekends it's train time for either me or Olli, depending on the location of our weekend-plans. Last weekend it was Tampere and My Fair Lady, this up-coming one it's travel fair and Helsinki. And on the last weekend of the month we'll both be on that train, as we go up to Jyväskylä to celebrate my sister's big 3-0! So, lot's of domestic travelling for both of us...

But as the title suggest, I won't be settling for just Finland this spring. Oh no! I'm coming to Europe, baby! I actually have three separate trips already booked with varying travel parties: first I'll head across the Baltic sea to check out Stockholm on the last weekend of February. Then, on March 22. Olli and I fly over to Copenhagen. The main reason for the trip is Damien Rice, who is throwing a show there. We'll then stay for the weekend, though, too...
The final trip booked so far is - yes, believe it or not - to GERMANY! We're heading to Berlin with my collegues for a bonus-trip from last fiscal year! We'll be there 20.-23.4.2007 - so, in case someone would be in the neighbourhood... ;) ;)

But. My lazy ass has just gotten wider, my jokes lamer and the daylight hours in Finland are increasing again! Here's still no snow... which sucks. This is it, global warming. Just dark, rainy misery for 9 months of the year - and then short, light season (often called as summer) is over-crowded, over-booked and over-estimated by majority of this people... Still, CAN'T WAIT 'TILL SUMMER!

Well, before summer I get to do a little travelling - and if I get lucky, I'll get to meet some friends while doing that! :) Fingers crossed!

Merry Christmas ya'll!!

It's again my favourite time of the year - CHRISTMAS!

Perfect - not just because due to the holidays I get 10 days off work (for the first time since summer!), but for the holidays as a whole. I have loved Christmas always - at least as I can remember. I love those cozy days in the middle of the darkest winter, that I can spend with my family and loved ones. Even though the times BEFORE Christmas may be stressful, busy and frustrating for most of us, when Christmas eve dimms to dusk the rush is gone and quality time, christmas time, can really start.

The fact that there's really no snow in Finland at the moment could ruin someone's holidays up here - but after all; it's all in the ambiance, that quality time and the holiday feeling!

I could bore you again with some tales of my so-called-life in watery, too-warm Helsinki - but since it's Christmas, I spare you. I'll get back to those boring things later - maybe next year or so. Now I just want to wish all of you (maybe just Katja and/or Jula - if even them... ;)) a very merry Christmas - and I REALLY hope I'll see you next year!!!

Here's one for ya - from last year... ;)

Back to basics

... which basically means that back to close-to-zero-degrees-temperatures...

In other words: fall has found Finland. For past few weeks it's been more and less rainy and f**king cold. And it's not gonna get any better, since that zero will be broken on wednesday the latest. Here in Helsinki, I mean. Up in Lapland it's already winter-wonderland.

But. Enough on the weather. It's just so easy to write about the weather, because it's so amazing to me too... this year has been just insane weather-wise. This hot-hot-hot summer that we had, was totally unheard of --- and now it's such a cruel return to reality. Also, I'm living in Helsinki now - and as a inland-girl, I'm not used to this "oceanic" climate, which basically means wind, rain, damp air and merciless currents. I'm actually totally freaked out when I even think about this approaching winter, since I'm used to piles of snow, freezing temperatures and icy roads... but here, I've been told, winter is more about slush, slushy rains, slushy winds and cruel breezes from the Baltic Sea... that's why I'm constantly talking about the weather.

Now. REally. Enough on the weather!

My routines have pretty much settled now, since school's on, as well as work and everyhting else. I'm constantly feeling guilty, no matter what I do - since, to take a class, I have to leave the office. And to do my job, I have to skip lectures. To see my boyfriend I have to travel to Tampere. And to hang out with my friends I'd have to stay in Helsinki for weekends... not to mention my family, which is in Jyväskylä...
So, I'd need a look-a-like or smthg to manage all my responsibilities. But, you all know what I actually do... ya, I just skip classes and try to pass the exams anyways. And I hook up with my friends on weeknights and try to catch a glimpse of my parents while they're in Helsinki. So, as Alanis said: "life has a funny way of helping you out when you think everything's going wrong and everyhting blow's up in your face..."

Nothing much, then, has happened... I'm trying to organize my life to be able to visit Katja, but somehow it seems like a mission impossible. Not the visit, but the organizing part... ;) I will give you a promise, though: I will visit. Sooner or later - and due to these early burn-out symptoms I'm starting to experience, I'd bet on that sooner-part. ;);)

Now I'll go home to do my laundry... sweet.

Time goes by -- so QUICKLY!

They came, they saw, they got conquered.

Jula & Katja came and went - and it's already been weeks since! And still I haven't been able to find any time to report on the matter here. Ya, I'm pathetic, I know!

But here I am now - and I don't have TOO MUCH to say. Everyhting we did, was not-so-special to me, so actually I should've asked the gals to do this reporting for me... Going to a cottage for a sunny and warm early-september weekend is nice - but pretty common - for a finn. Also heating up the sauna, rosting sausage on open fire while the night wraps its wings around us, rowing a boat on a calm lake or dipping into that still-warm lake after the heat of a real, wood-heated sauna --- ya, we just do things like that up here. And we're also called a bit mad because of that.

After a somewhat calming two nights at a cottage my guests were still to face one more challenge: my family! I loaded the tired foreigners into our car and off we went: twoish hours later we reached the heart of "lake-Finland", and it's pearl: Kinkomaa! :) The poles were seemingly tired (Michael fell a sleep on our backyard lawn!), but they coped while Katja was making a livley conversation with my parents, my sisters - and I think she did try to chat up my little nephew too... (Taavi 4 yrs) ;) After a rich reindeer-supper we finally headed back towards Helsinki - but not without a small twist: instead of taking just the boring main-roads I decided to drive just a notch longer on a scenic route via Punkaharju. This plan backfired a bit though, since half of our party was fast a sleep through the whole thing. Oh well, that route was much nicer for the designated driver also!

After our great Finnish escapade we stayed stedily put in cozy and sunny Helsinki. I had to work and girls strolled around downtown area taking pictures of all the silly, finnish things they came across with. I also made them eat several dubious finnish foods before they were able to flee the country... ;)

Since the visitor-week life has slowly gotten back to it's normal patterns; work, some school, some school-skipping and several lazy, lonely nights with just tv keeping me company. My work-contract was renewed from the beginning of september - and now I have a steady job!! So, there's no end to these days in the office in sight... but also; the paychecks just keep on coming - and it actually got somewhat bigger in the process too! So, smooth living in the soon-winter-wonderland! (=there's already snow up in Lapland!!)

A year ago we had just started school in Limerick... HOW IN H*LL CAN TIME FLY BY SO D**N QUICKLY???