Back in the UK

So I arrived safely back home with my mother after a 2 day long jaunt across Europe (my mother doesnt like to fly anymore, so we went by boat and train and eurostar). I say home, although it doesnt feel much like it. It hasnt done for a few years now though, and I'm confident when I get back to Guildford I'll start to feel more normal again. I'm not sure I'll have much to say on here for now, or if I'll even carry it on. We'll see when I get back to Guildford. Of course you might still get the odd post from me, but given the title of the blog, it seems a bit silly to carry it on.

I'll leave you with a pretty Finnish song that I listened to over and over on the journey home. A certain special someone translated their whole album for me, so I now know exactly what they are singing about. I'm not going to tell you though. You'll have to listen to my radio show to find out, hehe. Talking of which, on a side note, I got around to emailing the manager today to ask to have the show back so fingers crossed.

In the meantime, here is Vieläkö Soitan Banjoa? by Scandinavian Music Group

Final 3 Days

I return from a lovely trip to Russia. Honestly, I wasn't that fussed about going again, but my mum was so keen to go that I agreed, but now I glad I did go again. I did more shopping than sight seeing this time. I bought a big Russian nesting doll, along with a porcelain one (in the dance outfit with rabbit hair and stuff... dont know the proper name, but I'll put a pic up eventually), and a couple of CDs (Ani Lorak and Bis). So I'm happy enough with that :)

As for this week though, I have just 3 days left in Turku. I cant even begin to gather my thoughts well enough to put it into words how I'm feeling right now.

Edit: Here's the pic as promised...

Die Tränen sind aus Eis

While in Tallinn, I spent a lot of time browsing the many music channels provided in the hotel, one being German channel Viva. I got to quite like this song, called Stadt by Cassandra featuring Adel Tawil (from German Prison Break Anthem fame). The official video wont embed, but here's the song for now...

Crazy Busy Week

Last night was the first night I slept in my own bed in about 10 days! Crazy busy couple of weeks. Firstly, we went to Rovaniemi, which was just brilliant. The scenery was beautiful, we met Reindeer, Husky dogs, Santa Claus, and swam in the huge river up there. We also went to the museum (Artikum) and did a spot of shopping. Along with the open boat trip that we took to get to the Reindeer farm. Then it was back to Turku for one night before heading off to Helsinki. Then it was an early start to get the ferry for Tallinn, where we spent one night, got very sunburnt, and then came back to Helsinki to meet the brother. We then did the touristy bus tour in Helsinki (mother wanted to see the Sibelius Monument, and the Rock Church, both a bit out of the centre, and it was pouring of rain, so walking wasnt an option). Then we headed back to Turku, where I immediately ran off to the boyfriends yet again. I'm not very hospitable it seems. Anyway, yesterday we saw the catherdral, the observatory hill, and the beach at Ruisalo. Nice day. Today we are heading off to the Castle (again... eugh), and a few other spots round town (university etc). Then tomorrow is the Baltic Sea Tall Ships Race. Or something like that. Which means there will be lots and lots and lots of tall ships lining the river down to the harbour, so that will keep us occupied for a while I expect. Then on to St Petersburg at the weekend!

You Spin Me Right Round

So, as promised, my picture of the Moomin souvenir...




Its a spinning top! How retro. I havent seen these in years. I used to have one as a kid. And well, when I saw it, I knew I had to get it. Has most of the moomin characters on it too, you see...

Reindeer!

I finally saw a Reindeer. More than one in fact. We wasted no time apon arriving in Rovaniemi this morning, and booked ourselves onto a boat trip to a Reindeer farm, where we got to mingle with the horned creatures. Beautiful weather here today as well, so the boat trip itself was also very nice. Just thought I'd let you all know :p

I'm sure there will be pictures to follow once I'm back.

Week one of the mammoth trip

So I've returned from a very busy few days in Stockholm. We seems to do quite a lot, which obviously makes for a lot of walking, and my feet were so sore! After my mum arrived and we'd checked into the hotel, we went for a tourist-type boat trip around some of the waters of Stockholm. Was very nice, even if I was falling asleep a bit...
Day two we ran round and saw the Palace, along with the changing of the guards, and the treasury. Then we had a quick sandwich and rushed off to the Vasa museum. We also saw a few churches along the way.
Day three, we took a steam boat to Drottingholm Palace. Much nicer than the one in the main square. The gardens looked beautiful in the sunshine. We then headed back and went up Katarina lift (near Slussen) to get a high up view of the old town. Well worth the trip. Kaknas tower was a taller alternative, but we decided it wasnt worth the bus trip.
Day four was our final day, so we did a tour of the city hall (not something high on our list, but actually surprisingly inetersting) and then we jumped on another boat tour, purely becuase it was raining, the ticket was free (included on the Stockholm card that we had purchased for the trip) and it was leaving from outside the city hall 15 minutes after our tour had finished. After that it was just time for some serious shopping. I bought 8 CDs (Mans, Danny, September, Molly Sanden, Sanna Neilsen, Jonathan Fagerlund x2, and Velvet) and we bought some nice souvenirs too. Back to the ferry, exhusted but happy.

Friday was my mothers first taste of Finland. Unfortunately I wasnt much of a guide, as I fell alseep for 4 hours, and then was a bit grumpy on the quick tour of the town I gave her before running of to my boyfriends. Not many brownie points there then. But today I took her to Naantali, which looked lovely in the sunshine and was a lot busier than the last time I went in the Autumn. We just strolled around, taking it all in, and then gave in a bought a Moomin souvenir (picture to follow... if I remember). We then headed back to the flat where I cooked shepherds pie for us both, so hoping that makes up for the lost brownie points of yesterday. Tomorrow, we're going for lunch with the boyfriend and then off to Ruissalo (weather permitting) before catching a night train to Rovaniemi! Busy busy busy.

Hello from Stockholm!

I'm currently sitting in the Centralen station of Stockholm, killing time while waiting for my mums train to arrive. Its been a weird morning. I arrived at 6:30 with the ferry (after only 5 hours sleep...) and spent the first few hours wandering from cafe to cafe waiting for the city to liven up. Then it was time to do a spot of Cd shopping and what not. Also had a trip to the Tourist information centre and then did a sweep of the old town and the area by the town hall. But my bag is very heavy (I refused to pay 50SEK to leave it in a locker in the station... bad move) and I am very tired, so decided to come and make use of the internet terminals here in the station and await my mothers arrival. Only another 30minutes!

In Other News...

Me and Rach have booked train tickets to Edinburgh for September! After a long 6 months apart (cue violins) while we've been off exploring foreign ground, we have decided to take a little holiday on home soil for a change. Just before the madness of final year kicks in. I've always wanted to go to Scotland, but mostly it will be cool just to spend a few days with Rach with no other stresses or responsibilties to worry about. Just mix it up with some Russian-themed cocktails, and a europop compilation CD. What could be better :)

Reflective Blog

So, as I mentioned, I had my last day at work this week. It was sad to say goodbye to Saara and Joanna who have been great supervisors, although mentor would probably be a better word. They have taught me so much scientifically and culturally. I dont often talk about the science side of things here, but that was the intially point of my year abroad. It was a PTY (placement training year) which could have just as easily been in the UK, but instead was abroad and as such, all the cultural stuff I was learning and experiencing kind of overshadowed my scienitifc achievements for the year. Obviously the seminar was a huge milestone, but actually, my confidence in my abilties has really improved. After doing badly in my A-levels, I came to university with the aim of just getting on with it, seeing how I did and then getting a job. But now I have renewed enthusiasum to achieve a 2:1 (something people kept telling me I could get if I just worked a little harder, but I didnt believe them. Now I do). And I am also now considering the option of doing a postgraduate course. Perhaps a research masters, so as to be doing something similar to what I was doing this year. Who knows, we'll have to see. But either way, I don't see this as a sad ending, but rather a new beginning. A new chapter is starting, one that could lead me anywhere, and that is exciting. I feel like there are more oppertunities to be had out there. The world is my oyster! haha.

Aaaaanyway. The traditional exchanging of gifts took place. I tried to think of something more meaningful than chocolate, so bought a pot plant for each Joanna and Saara to have at their desks and brighten up the place. I think they liked them. As for me, they bought me something really nice. All year I had been considering buying myself a Moomin mug, as it is the most typical Finnish souvenir. However, Moomins are very popular here, and so anything to do with them is expensive. And the Moomin mugs are made by the popular Finnish ceramics company Arabia, making them even more expensive. But that is exactly what I got as a present and it couldnt be more perfect. Look...




All wrapped up pretty with some Marimekko napkins. I've decided the Marimekko store in Turku is dangerous. They had a sale this week, and I ended up buying a cute notepad that I probably won't use. But still... Oh, and as for a report update, I've passed the 3000 word mark now, and so might treat myself to that bag anyway :)

Last Day

Tomorrow is my last day at work. I can't quite believe it. Have I really finished my 10-month placement? Is it really over? If it werent for this extra month trip with my mum, then I would probably be at home already. In less than a week, I will be heading off to Stockholm (woo, Cd shopping!!!), and so then in less than a month, I will be heading home home. For good. How final. So maybe not for good. But I will have to say my final goodbyes to Turku, and the amazing people I've met here. Still, best not to think too much about it just yet...

Sind Wir Allein?

So I heard today that this great German tune, Allein Allein by Polarkreis 18 is going to get a UK release. So just doing my part to spread the word. I really like this tune. There's something magically anthemic about it. I have a really strong memory of walking through Turku late-ish one night back in February when it would actually get dark, and this came on the ipod just as it started to snow. I just remember looking up to the skies as the hauntingly pretty chorus kicked in. Magic.

July Plans

So I guess its about time I reveal to you the truely ambitious month of travel I have planned for July. My mother is coming to visit me here in Turku, but she doesnt like to fly (problems with her ears you see) so she is coming via 5 trains and a ferry! So since she was coming all that way. I foolishly suggested that I extend my lease on my student flat (assuming there was anyone wanting to move in as early as July) and she stay for a few weeks and we could really explore. Little did I know what a headache organising everything would be. We got a little carried away with where we want to go and what-not, but here is the final plan...

05/07: I leave for Stockholm on the night ferry.
06/07: Mother joins me and we spend a few days exploring the Swedish capital.
09/07: We head to Turku on the night ferry.
12/07: We get a night train to Rovaniemi.
15/07: Return from Rovaniemi.
17/07: Head to Helsinki.
18/07: We take an early ferry to Tallinn.
19/07: Return to Helsinki, and meet my brother from the airport.
20/07: Head to Turku for the week.
24/07: Head back to Helsinki to see my brother off. Spend the night.
25/07: Take a train to St Petersburg.
28/07: Return from St Petersburg.
31/07: Sat moi moi to Turku. Take the night ferry to Stockholm, and then 5 trains to home!

How crazy is all that?! Well, its been a bit tricky booking all the various hotels, trains and ferrys. Not to mention arranging for another visa to Russia. I know that for my mum it is the trip of a lifetime, and she is so excited to see everything. I am happy to be visiting Stockholm again, and for a longer stay this time. And then I'm always happy to go back to Tallinn. Can't say I was overly enthused about going to St Petersburg again so soon after I've just been, and all the extra complications of getting visa's a what-not didnt help, but luckily the Russian consulate is here in Turku. Anyway, nearly everything has been booked now. Well, all the things my mum was in charge of is at least. I only just started my end of the deal, but I'm slowly getting sorted. Although maybe I should stop being so slow, what with it being less than 2 weeks away!

I finish work on tuesday. I can't believe it. Especially since there are still many assays to be done. Will have to trust that someone takes over from me. So anyway, you might not hear that much from me in July other than the odd quick update here and there.

Se Malja Vain Sua Oottaa

I bought Jenni Vartiainen's album last week. I listened to it this week. Its very good. I've been told the lyrics are very clever, but what with it being in Finnish, its a bit lost on me. But the music is quite funky. Not your cheesy pop, more mature than that. And not so typically Finnish either. I shared Ihmisten Edessä with you all a while ago, which is also the name of the album, but this is another good track from the album called Malja.

Dedicated to Rach

Lyrics used to be worthless to me

The cold has struck with a vengeance and I feel rubbish :( Also, went into work today to start an experiment and decided to stick around and do some more work on my report. I was there for 3+ hours, and only wrote around 200 words. So frustratingly slow progress today.

Anyway, since I won't have much time over the next few weeks, what with last minute planning for my mums arrival, and this report, along with finishing up at work (just 7 more working days, can you believe the year is almost over?!) I thought I would go back to the good old days of sharing music.

I heard this song on the radio in the lab the other day, and the lyric "No hot water, I'm stood in the shower, I think that my boiler's died" just made me laugh so much at its naff-ness, that I couldnt help but remember to look for it on youtube later.

Its called Every Song I Hear by Koop Arponen, the winner of the latest series of Finnish Idols (beating Anna Puu, posted below). Its so incredibly 'Magic FM' and I love it...

Happy Midsummer!

Seems I've not been keeping this blog very up-to-date with my goings on, but to be honest, there isn't that much to tell. I've just been going to work, spending time with my lovely boyfriend, and planning my mums mammoth visit (more on that another time). Mira has now abandoned me to go swanning off around Slovenia, Austria and the USA. Students, eh? But before she left last week, we headed off to Ruisalo for a bit of a swim. Was freezing cold, but I didnt care. I love swimming, but to swim in the ocean here is just one of my favourite things. Shame the sea is frozen half the year...

Also, this weekend its Juhanustasjsdfoudgcjsdbvohn. Well something like that. Basically, its midsummer. This weekend sees the shortest night (it really is only dark for about and hour or so these days), and traditionally everyone leaves the city to go to their cottages and spend the weekend grilling, swimming, and of course drinking. However, I don't own a cottage. So instead the boyfriend is coming here, and I'm going to attempt to cook cottage pie for him and his friend. I'm getting quite good at British cuisine out here. No microwavable equviliants in the supermarket you see... Plus I don't have a microwave.

Example of the sunset at 00:39 (note time stamp)

In other news, I have a terrible sore throat, I just got drenched in a rain storm that decided to come on just as I was leaving the supermarket, I've spilt blue cheese all over my keyboard, and yet another vehicle with blue falshing lights has driven past (the fourth in 20mins).

In other other news, I finally bought something from Marimekko (a famous Finnish designer). I bought this rather bright snazzy bag...


I spotted another bag I want from there on the way out too, but have decided to wait and buy it as a reward if I can write at least the main first draft of my final report by the time I leave Finland. It has to be ~6000 words, and I've made it to nearly the 2000 mark. Wayhay! So only another 4000 to go, and then I can have another bag :)

Oh, I've also decided I want the oven mitten, pencil case, and tin box to match my lovely new bag :) I'm going to be spending a lot of money come July...

C'est La Vie

A few days ago I was introduced to this song by Finnish singer Anna puu, and I found the video so darkly humorous that I thought I would share it with you. I think fans of Duffy and the like will particularly enjoy it. Although saying that, I hate Duffy and still like it...

Pargas

Last weekend me and Mira decided we would investigate one of the islands. Turku has what is supposed to be a very beautiful Archipelago region. I think perhaps best appreciated from a boat or a bike, but it is possible to get a bus to some of the more populated areas. After much discussion, we decided to head to Pargas (or Parainen in Finnish). This is supposedly the sort of 'capital' of the Archipelago and just a 40minute bus ride away.

Apon arrival, we discovered there was a strange market going on. I later found out this was for Paraisten Päivät (Parainen days?). Anyway, there was some odd music, a man on a segway, a man in a tutu offering potatoes, a stag night party (more on that later), and most notably a CD stall selling Swedish CDs :) Actually I didnt buy any as I'll be going to Stockholm soon, and am confident I'll find them cheaper there, but still it was exciting to see Måns, Sanna Nielsen, Alcazar, MF and many others.

After looking at a map we decided to head towards what looked like a nature trail. It was also close to a beach. As we walked along the coast, the sun started to think about shining... We then cut through a very nice little residential area. I'm guessing these are very sought after houses. They were fairly big (in terms of Finland at least), had lovely gardens, and most had views of the ocean. Also as we were walking along, we passed another group walking along who said a friendly 'Hej/Hei' to us as we went past! What?! That never happens in Finland. I've decided if I move to Finland permanently, this is where I want to live. Especially after we reached the beach...


The sun came out, and I decided to go for a paddle. It was so nice. I could have happily gone for a swim in fact. Although I nearly did when I foolishly decided to try and walk along a group of rocks. They were a bit slippery...


After that we went and sat on the pier so I could wash and dry my feet without the issue of sand. Unfortunately I somehow ended up flinging my sock into the ocean :/ So I had to walk around with just one sock on for the rest of the day... Oh, and then it started hailing. Yes, it was cold enough to hail. In June. Crazy country.


So then we explored the woods. Not much to say really. Trees, plants, pine cones, you know the drill. However, due to the recent rain, it did smell nice. Must be the Brit in me, but I love the smells after it rains.


We then went to explore the old town. Well, it was no Porvoo, but there was an interesting church. Something about the shiny roof made me think of the Wizard of Oz for some reason.


We then went back to the river, where we found a nice little cafe place to sit and have what was in fact a very big portion of chips and a burger. Yum Yum. Possibly the highlight of the day was the stag party mentioned earlier. Sadly I have no photographic evidence, but the stag was dressed up in a blonde wig and carried a guitar to serenade unsuspecting victims with. Luckily we were not one of these victims, so it was just funny :)


After that we went back into the old town and continued to walk around marveling at all the lovely big houses. After sufficiently walking off said burger and chips we went and sat down by the bay again, and watch a seagull attempting to catch his own lunch. Was quite impressive to watch him diving for the fish. Didnt see him actually catch any mind you...


And then it was time to say goodbye to Pargas. It was a fun day. The only way it could have been better is if the weather had been a bit better, and if we had found the mysterious sheep farm, haha! But still, it was so nice to get out of Turku for a while. In some ways it did feel like we had gone abroad (Swedish was the main language, and although most of what we heard was Finnish, shops and signs were all written in Swedish first, and then Finnish). I would definitely like to see some of the other islands before my time here is up.

Walking Around in the Rain

Its been raining allll day, and was just 5 degrees(!) as I left the Kauppatori this afternoon. What happened to the summer?!

On the plus side, me and Mira found some of the best postcards ever...

I found my place in the world

Not thinking much of Antti's outfit here. And whats with the emo hair? But the scenary in this video is very pretty indeed. I approve...

I Was Just Walking Around in the Sun...

The summer is finally arriving in Finland. Or maybe its just the spring, I cant tell. Either way the sun was shining beautifully yesterday. So after work I met with Mira for pizza and then we went for ice cream along the river. We went for a soft-ice/99 flake style ice cream this time. Except of course they don't have flakes here :( BUT they did have a choice between vanilla, chocolate, or a mix of the two! Magic. So we sat along the river for a while until the sun went behind some bushes. In search of more sun, we went higher. Towards the observatory hill. We found a second spot, but once again the sun moved behind some trees, so we continued yet higher until we were practically at the top of the hill. Success. Anyway, I'm not sure whether it was the prolonged sun exposure, the high altitude, or a sugar rush, but I was in such a bizzare mood. It was the best afternoon I've had in a while. It made me feel young again, in the days when you could just chill out with friends without a care in the world and forget about the passing of time.

I have some pictures and a song to share with you. In my crazy state I ended up singing a random selection of songs to the increasingly concerned Mira. This being one of them...





I should mention that Mira had never heard of Adam and the Ants before. Anyway, I also have some lovely photos. They're just of the sunshine, but still...

BBQ tonight! Although its partly a farewell party for my housemate who is leaving early tomorrow morning. There have been a few goodbyes this week. It makes me sad. Mostly because it reminds me that it will be my turn before long :(

Last Weekemd

So, its been an interesting few days. We didn’t have the bank holiday weekend like you lucky souls at home (although we had a bank holiday Thursday so cant complain too much I guess). But my weekend has been made up of films, food, and cheerleading.

The film society (I’m guessing) hosted another film festival this weekend, where I saw an interesting Norwegian documentary on the acidification of the ocean, and how co2 emissions are threatening the future of all marine life. Heavy stuff, but enlightening. I also saw a few shorts, some good, some bad, some indifferent. It was all free though, so why not eh? I then went to my boyfriends where he was determined to show me Rocky. He is convinced its not just about boxing. And ok, it isn’t entirely, but is still a bit :p But yeah, it was actually alright, better than I expected. So that was the film section of the weekend. I should mention also, that in return for showing me Rocky, I am introducing him to a wealth of British comedy – Black Books, Fawlty Towers, Michael McIntyre, Frankie Boyle… The list goes on.

Next for the food. I have made Yorkshire pudding for unsuspecting Finns twice this week. The first time was more successful than the second, but both were edible :) I’ve also had mince meat soup and meat balls and potato wedges cooked for me. Its nice to have proper meals for a change. I should get more into cooking. Its not that hard. But supernoodles or beans on toast is just so much easier :) And sandwiches, never underestimate the beauty of a good sandwich :)

Then the cheerleading. Well, yes, my boyfriends sister was competing, and he was official photographer, so I went along with him. It was actually quite entertaining. There’s a lot of different skills involved. Dancing, co-ordination, trust and impressive acrobatics. And with the right music, its pretty cool to watch. I agree that Waldo’s People makes for a good song to cheerlead to, but I must have heard it more than 5 times within an hour! Oh, and 30seconds or so of a remix of Fairytale, which was odd.

But overall an enjoyable weekend. Although the thunderstorm on Saturday wanst so nice. I mean, I was indoors at the time, but inside a wooden hourse… Wooden houses somehow seem like a major fire hazard when surrounded by bolts of lightening… The weather is glorious now though, and I’m thinking of wondering around for a while after work with my camera and taking a few pictures to share with you all.

And I promise I will finish the Russia diarys sometime soon. I took way to many pictures, but have finally sorted through the best and the rest, so should have those started up again by the weekend…

All This Time You Have Had It In You

This is a pretty little ditty thats been on the radio at work a fair bit. Its called All This Time, by Maria Mena. She's from Norway apparently. I think her voice would really irritate me if I heard it too much, but for the context of this song, I think it fits perfectly.

Eurovision Final - My Final Thoughts

Apologies for the disappearance again. I didn’t want to write about anything else until I’d done the compulsory eurovision post, but just wasn’t feeling that inspired. I have to say, it wasn’t the best night (for a mixture of reasons) but even despite beginning to be a bit excited before the show, I still wasn’t blown away by any of the song. Greece grew on me upon a second hearing, but was too early on to be remembered when it came to voting. Ukraine was still shockingly psychotic (I felt the whole thing was designed by someone who couldn’t decided between different ideas, so just ended up doing everything). Iceland, Estonia and Romania were still my favourites by the end of the show. But for the first time in a long time, I didn’t bother to vote. I thought Iceland was nice, and it was my favourite, but I just didn’t want to it to win for some reason. And I think we all knew back in March who was going to win anyway, so I just didn’t see the point. Am pleased that the UK did so well, although I don’t believe that we deserved it actually. And am very sad that Finland ended up bottom. I wonder if Signmark would have done any better? Probably not. As for the actual show, I liked Dima’s bit at the beginning, although I was cringing when he got his coat stuck. Poor guy. That could have ended badly. The walls were a bit strange, but ok. The interval act was all a bit strange for me though. All that spinning was making me dizzy. I think I preferred the interval acts of the semi’s. All in all, I went home feeling that it was a fairly predictable outcome, no major surprises, no major highlights either really. So, time to get excited about Oslo 2010 perhaps?

Поздравляю!

It may not seem it, but yesturday was a landmark for this little blog. Yes, it has indeed been a whole year since I started writing about my random experiences in life. Along with my not so random ones! So I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all who stop by and read, comment on, and generally enjoy this blog. I've had a lot of fun this year, and its been great to be able to chronicle it for myself and to be able to share it with my friends new and old.

Right, enough of the cheese, lets have a song. As its eurovision tonight, lets have a Dima Bilan song. And what song is more suitable than this?

Eurovision 2009; Semi-Final 2

Time for some proper comments on Thursday's semi, before the big night tonight :)

I wasn't so bothered about Thursdays final, and the only songs I was really keen to hear were Estonia's and The Netherlands. Of course, I was curious to see how the favourite, Norway, would do, and there were a few other songs of worth, but I guess without Finland it just didn't seem such a big deal...

Anyway, here are my thoughts;

• I missed the opening act completely, and half of Croatia, but have a thing against Croatia in esc anyway, so didnt mind
• We had a few problems with the signal being bad when stood in certain parts of the room, particularly where my host was preparing food. Ultimately food took priority over the rubbish that was the first few songs...
• As Poland came on I remembered that I had heard maybe 30 pleasing seconds of the song and so we settled to watch. It was quite moving and was making me sad, so maybe it wasn't so bad that the computer then decided to freeze and we missed most of it.
• By the time we rebooted we were half-way through Norway too. However that was the end of our technical issues
• I actually don't remember much of the others. I thought Greece was good from what I heard of it, but was a little distracted at the time :) Hungary was a disaster. They should have kept it simple. He was too out of breath, and the outfits were shockingly bad... Lithuania was actually ok, given their bad track record for the past few years. Azerbaijan was a nice highlight as well. And Denmark was pedestrian but pleasant enough.
• Anyway, then it was my favourites both tucked on the end. Estonia was classy, dramatic, and all in all very very good I thought. Shame I couldnt work out what she was singing. And Estonian and Finnish can't be that similar because the subtitles looked nothing like what she was singing. The Netherlands was just so much fun! Ok, it was incredibly cheese layden and perhaps having 3 middle-aged men and 3 vuluptous backing singers isnt going to be able to compete with, say Greece, but the singing was good, the dancing was naff, and the overall impression was that they were having fun which made me happy. I knew they wouldn't get through though. They are like us, part of no voting block, falling between the lines. A real shame. Eurovision is taking itself too seriously lately, and that was a throw-back to the good old days :)
• So then it was time to compile a list. Again a mix of what I wanted and what I thought would go through; Croatia, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Azerbaijan, Greece, Lithuania, Estonia, Netherlands and Serbia just to make up numbers.
• The interval act was hit-and-miss for me this time. It started a bit boring, but got better. As Rachel said, it was much like what we had seen at the Russian Winter Festival. Ah, that was a good day :) Anyway, I'm am so looking forward to the interval acts tonight. I'm so excited!

And then the votes were announced. The commentators weren't so vocal tonight, so got to hear how annoyingly naff the actual presnters were. Oh dear oh dear. But yes, charming in a way I guess... I got 7 out of 10, which isn't bad, but I'm dissappointed I won't get to hear Poland properly, and 'The Toppers waz robbed', to quote Rachel.

Roll on tonight!!!

Maybe The Answer Is Just This Simple Song

Seriously, how did this not qualify? They were fun and fabulous!

Eurovision 2009; Semi-Final 1

So, I guess its about time I put in my 2 cents from last nights semi. I wasn't at all excited a couple of days ago, and even last night I still wasn't that bothered. But today I've managed to have fairly long conversations with my colleague about it. So apparently I've been sucked in...

So here are my general thoughts, written down earlier this morning while waiting for the rest of my antibody purification fractions to elute ;)

• Missed most of the opening, but it seemed nice enough
• Presenters were talked over by the Finnish commentators for the most part, but it seems I didn't miss much. Although I would have liked to hear more from the lovely lad in the green room, haha.
• I liked the postcards. It was a strange but original idea I guess. Oh, I should mention I also love the general logo this year.
  
• And I liked the one-word Russian lessons - although why were they in the Latin alphabet?
  
• The interval act was actually pretty good. Brought back memories of the Russian Winter Festival back in London 2008 :) Oh, and the pink tank side of stage was fabulous!
• As for the songs, my favourites going into the show were; Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Romania (in order). Was hoping to hear a few more nice surprises, since I haven't listened to most of the songs beforehand this year. Can't say I was blown away by any of them though.
• I text Rach after the performances with my predictions (a mix of ones I wanted to go through, and the ones I wanted since I couldn't be bothered to write out 2 lists. Consequently it ended up as 11 rather than 10). Anyway, this is it: Belarus, Sweden, Andorra, Switzerland, Turkey, Israel, Iceland, FYR Macedonia, Romania, Finland & Malta.
  
• I was disappointed that Switzerland didnt get through, but it was always going to be one of those songs that either did really well or crashed and burned.
• Thought Finland was one of those songs as well, so was glad to see it has qualified. The Finnish commentator was also pretty happy, especially since Sweden was announced first.
• Talking of Sweden, wasn't much impressed with it. I mean, the vocals were much better than expected given the rehearsals. However I felt the staging was all wrong, the lighting was bad, and the back singers were waaaay too loud. Just goes to show that what works at MF doesn't always work at ESC.
  

And thats about all I had time for before my fractions were done. But I think it pretty much sums it up. Am looking ahead to the next semi, and am really starting to look forward to the final. Just have to find somewhere to watch it. Hoping there will be a bar somewhere that I can go to. Especially now Finland is through :)

Russia Diary, Part 1 - Moscow

My journey to Russia was to begin at 2pm from Turku (just 2 hours after a visit from my lecturer from Surrey to assess my work here). We got a coach to Helsinki, where we would get the night train direct to Moscow. We had a rather small, but comfortable enough cabin, where we whiled away the hour till morning. I guess it was about 10 hours of so. I lost track. Luckily our attendant spoke some English but there were no problems at the boarder anyway. So we arrived in Moscow in one piece, ready for the busy day ahead.

First we left our luggage in the station, changed some money, and were shown the toilets (if thats what you can call them, I passed thanks). Then our tour guide shepherded us onto a coach where we fought the morning traffic to get out of the city and see some sights. The first place we went was a bit strange. Some building where officials made the decision to abandon Moscow to Napoleon and his army back when. If I were a history buff, I might have been interested, but in reality it was just a small house. After that we went to the War Museum/Memorial, where there was lots of symbolism, according to the tour guide. I believe of course, but there was also a strong icy wind in a big open space, brrrr. Anyway, it was quite imposing, here's a picture...


After that we headed back toward the centre where we attempted to get onto the red square before having a tour of the kremlin. As it happens, it was all closed off for rehearsals of the victory day parade (happening tomorrow in fact). We still got to look at the fantastic church though (from the outside at least). St basil's I think it's called.


After that we walked around the outside of the kremlin walls before getting to go inside, where we had a different and very informative guide to show us around. Within the Kremlin there are some interesting buildings (including the presidential offices) but most notable is the church square, with four different churches. In one, all the tsars of Russia were christened, in another all were, erm, crowned?, and the other all buried. Ok, so my knowledge of Russian history/politics/society is pretty bad. But my love for Sergey Lazarev surely makes up for that? Anyway, these churches were really beautiful. Especially inside, where unlike in Finland where the Lutheran style means hardly any decoration, nearly every inch of the insides of these churches had been covered in biblical paintings. Quite a sight. Unfortunately photography was banned, so you'll have to make do with a picture of the outside...


After that I went with a friend to meet with her Russian friend who then took us to Gum (rym), the world-famous (apparently) shopping centre right next to the red square. Actually, it was one of the poshest shopping centre's I have ever been in. They had a beautiful fountain in the middle, which at the time was decorated with blossom trees.


Then she took us to a church nearby with a strange history. It had been built, and then had its downfall predicted by a nun, then had its downfall, was turned into a swimming pool, and then that was destroyed, and finally the country donated money to have it rebuilt as a church. Maybe its sad past was the reason for such tight security to enter, or is common to pass through a metal detector and have a bag search on the way into every church in Russia? By the way, I could be wrong about parts of the history, but I think thats what the guide said... It was something like that anyway...


After that we walked along Arbat, another famous street, or something, where we had some nice chocolate cake thingys, I saw a sketch of Filip Kirkorov, and we had a picture with a man/woman dressed in a cow costume. He/she was dressed like that because they were advertising the Muu Muu cafe that we had just eaten in. Very nice.

Erm, then it was back to the Kremlin to meet with the tour guide again. This time we were doing a tour of the metro. Which I thought sounded a bit silly. I mean, no one gives guided tours of the London Underground. But then the London underground isn't decorated like this...


Finally, after the metro tour, we headed up to Sparrows Hill (or Stalin's hill, before it was renamed). From here there was a great view of the Moscow skyline all lit up.


Unfortunately that was all we had time for before having to head back to spend a second night on a train. Next stop, St Petersburg.

Roots? Like Beetroot?

This week saw the release of Antti Tuisku's latest single for radio airplay. I don't listen to Finnsih radio much, but I found it on trusty youtube. Can't say that I'm immediately in love with it, but I like enough that I will be listening to it a lot in the coming weeks, and I think its a grower, so will be in love with it in no time I expect. I guess its just that he has taken a break for a year or so, and I was expecting something big to signal his return. Am excited to hear the album though, which better be being released before I leave. Anyway, here it is. It's called Juuret, which means roots. Thats all I know.

Hyvää Vappua

May the 1st in Finland is a national holiday looked forward to by many Finns. Many have even told me they prefer it to Christmas. Then again, their Christmas doesnt seem as much fun :p

But yes, May 1st, or Vappu, is a 2 day celebration of... well I'm not sure actually. But its important for students. If you graduate from a Finnish 'high school' then you get a funny white hat that looks like part of a navy uniform. They have a little gold emblem, which is different for each region. But essentially they all look the same. On April 31st the celebrations begin. Well actually, some people start ealier in the week, and various societies at the university hold gatherings with drinks and traditional Vappu snacks. My celebrations started with the annual speach made by the head of the utu (university of turku) students union. This is held on the hill by the art museum, just north of the kauppatori. And there's were many many many people. There was some music and a choir before the speach, after which the students can then put on their caps. Although mainly a student celebration, many adults and all ages were there to listen to the speach and take part in the tradition. Have a look at some of my pictures to get an idea of the atmosphere...
After that we walked down to the river where there is a statue of ... someone. Every year she gets 'cleaned' by some of the dentist students before getting her cap. To be honest this was a bit lame. In helsinki the statue is a fountain so the cleaning is well, real. But anyway. After that everyone goes off to private parties, and the town is overtaken by drunken Finns.

The next day, actual Vappu, there is a mass picnic held on Vartiovuorimaki (something like that). Its the observatory hill, one of my favourite places in Turku, and something I believe I have written about quite a few times. Well, the place was strewn with sleeping hungover Finns, picnic blankets, mini BBQ's, and there was also a stage with more bands and a DJ and more speaches. Oh, and there was also free ice cream and free fanta :) Again, pictures say more than words...

Return from Russia

So, I return from my triumphant trip to Russia. Not sure what was so triumphant about it, but just feel like using that word. I'm pretty shattered as its straight back to work. However, that is a good sign as it showed I made the most of my time there. This was the most expensive trip of the year for me (the visa alone was €77!) however it was totally worth it. We had a great day in Moscow before heading off to St Petersburg for 4 days. St Petersburg is just beautiful. So much great architecture. Beautiful palaces and so many churches. Not to mention all the rivers. I really loved it there. And Russia people are not as rude as the stereotype suggests. Or maybe it was just all the sunshine we were lucky enough to have that was cheering people up. I have taken waaaaay too many photos, and have many storys to tell, so stay tuned for the travel diarys. Although this week is Vappu (the biggest date in the Finnish student calander) so it probably won't be till the weekend I'm afraid...

Oh, and on a side note, you might be surprised to hear that I didnt find any CDs worth buying...

Ahoj!

So again it seems I have been neglecting the blog. My two weeks at home were manic, and this week has been just as manic. It must be something to do with the beautiful sunshine we're having here (although still not double figures in terms of temperature, so don't get too jealous), but I've been feeling rather sociable this week. So on wednesday, just one day after getting back in Finland, I went to the ESN goodbye party! So soon! It was a tshirt signing party, so thought it might make a nice memento. I have quite a bit of space to hunt down some of my friends that weren't there though... so be warned!

Then friday night was spent chilling with Mira. The days are so long here now, its really messing with my head. Its always much later than I think it is, and I nearly walked straight past Mira's flat because I didn't recognise it in the daylight!

Saturday, well saturday was crazy. I met with Mira again to go to the market that was going on down by the river. The sunshine was glorious and the fish smelt so good. I bought another piece of salmon cooked over an open fire (really really delicious!) and I was even brave enough to try the tiny fish that they seem to just eat as though it were a plate of chips. I always thought they looked unappealing, but one stall was giving away free samples, so thought I should try before I judge. It was very salty, still had the skin (no scales, but still I hate the skin on fish in general) and lots of tiny tiny bones. So I had a couple of bites and threw it away. I'll stick to the salmon :)

Oh, and since I got a shiny new digital camera for my birthday, I took a few snaps for your pleasure...









Then in the evening, the head of our ESN section hosted a party at her house. Its an amazing apartment, the most coveted of the student accomodation, and now I can see why. It was the best student accomodation I've ever seen. There was a mix of mostly Finns and the odd exchange student, but it was just a really fun night. Although I perhaps had a few too many vodka shots. Ahem.

Today, I'm out for drinks again (not so many this time), and then tomorrow will be a crazy last-minute packing night. Yes, I may have been back less than a week, but I will soon be off on travels yet again. This time I'll be going to explore the great motherland itself.

Yes, I will be travelling to Russia!!! After a bit of a headache with visa's and my disorganisation in signing up for activitys, its now all systems go. I will be travelling with ESN (and a Russia speaking tour guide) to both Moscow and St Peterburg! We spend one crazy day in Moscow (night train arrives around 8am, and then we get the night train to St Petersburg at about 10pm), where I will be partaking in a tour of the Kremlin among other things. Then we stay in St Petersburg for 3-4 days. I have signed up for a tour of one of the many palaces, a trip to the ballet (I'm not a huge fan, but if I'm going to see ballet anywhere I guess it should be in Russia right) and then a riverboat cruise of the city (with champers and chocolates on board). I just hope the weather holds out for that. There was also talk amongst the ESN girls last night about hiring a limo one night. Then of course there is the Hermitage to get lost in too. And CD shopping :) Any other tips and suggestions of things to do and see are very welcome!

So yes, a busy few more days. I'm sure even when I get back there will be lots more exploring. Particularly, I want to explore the islands around Turku much more, something I had been waiting for the sun before doing. No excuses now then eh? So moi moi for now!

Release Me

Sorry for the disappearance. Its been a bit non-stop since I've been back. Its all a bit odd actually, I've just slipped back into life here, and feel like I've picked up where I left off. Like Finland never happened. Its hard to think I'm going back again in just a few days. But its nice to know life doesnt move too fast here, and that I havent missed much while I've been away, that my friends are still here for when I come back.

As for my birthday, it was a lot of fun. Well, actually, the friday night out with my friends was great. Saturday morning I woke up with a hangover and a stinking cold (what is it with me and colds this year, I swear I'm never normally this bad), and then there was the bizarre behaviour of my cat leading to a trip to the vets, and the news that I may not make it to Russia as planned due to a few problems with the Visa. But I decided to try and forget all that for my actual birthday on the sunday, for which I went for a carvery at a posh hotel in the country :) Ate way too much and was in bed by 5pm though! Really feeling my age then :p

Anyway, as for the post title, I just saw Agnes' video for Release Me on the box (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSb6e3grdL8). I heard she was releasing stuff over here, but hadnt heard the song before. I had seen it around but thought it was Leona Lewis :/ I paid better attention this time though, and am pleased to see her doing quite well over here with this song. Its a funky song, and deserves to do well.

Going Home Tomorrow

I'm really not looking forward to tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to get home, but that won't happen till friday. You see, I will be getting up at 8am like usual, going into work as usual, and then getting the 4pm train to Tampere and going for lunch somewhere before getting a bus to the airport for my 9pm check-in/11pm flight. So will land at 2am Finnish time. Thats one hell of a long day. Actually, the length of the day doesn't bother me, but its the idea of dragging my case around with me all day. And its always boring to do that much travel on your own.

So, the question is, do I take my luggage to work with me tomorrow, and go to the special lecture seminar that is going on from 12-2, and then go for the train, or do I try to get out of said lecture and go home at noon to pick up all my stuff instead. I'm rooting for the latter personally.

Music Music Music

I've been on a bit of CD spree lately. Ok, maybe 'spree' is a bit of an overstatement. But I found a number of albums that I will get round to buying. Its just I feel I should buy them one at a time, else I wont listen to them properly. But this week I bought 2 new CDs.

The first one is from an artist called Olavi Uusivirti. He was one included on my friends list. She pointed me towards his song 'On Niin Helppoo Olla Onnelinen', which Rach found to be a hilarious title. I guess there are a lot of O's going on there, hehe. Its means 'Its so easy to be happy'. I'm not sure if he's being ironic though. Anyway, the video is quite nice.

But I clicked around and found some other songs from him that I quite like. For example, Hautalaulu is a beautiful moving song. The lyrics are quite sad, so I wont translate the title for you as it might put you off listening to it. But think of it like a lyllaby. Both these songs are on his latest album, but I found an older album in the sale at Anttilla, called Minä Olen Hullu (I'm crazy). Its quite a cool album, quite brit-pop in a way, apart from it being in Finnish obviously. I think its an album you should listen to as a whole, but it includes my current favourite track from him, called 6:06. Check it out;



The second album I got was one I'd been looking for for a while. I posted a song by Katri Ylander called Unta a while ago, and I still like it very much. I think her voice is very pretty, and she sings songs of a style fitting to her voice. They arent exactly modern pop hits, maybe they are a bit old-fashioned, but the album is a nice relaxing listen. There are some songs with a bit of bite though, one of which is called Valehdellaan;

Packing is Boring

I really should be planning what to pack. Yes, I am returning to my home shores this week. I'm not going till Thursday, but what with work, I know if I dont plan my packing today it will be a last minute rush. And really its not as simple as packing for home. This will be the last time I go home before I go back permanently, and I have waaaaay too much stuff here in Finland. I was hoping that all the extra winter clothes I brought here after Christmas could go back with me at easter. But given that its still snowing, and rarely getting above about 3degrees during the day, I'm thinking I shouldnt part with them just yet. Oh I dont know what to do. I guess I will just have to pay the extra weight charges come July, or do what Rach did and post a few boxes of stuff home. But yeah, I'm sure there's some stuff I can get rid of now.

On the subject of home though, I am pretty happy to be going back. I love snow as much as the next person, but seriously, 3 months! Its just too much. I want to see grass again. Its traditional that it pours with rain for my birthday (a week today!), but if I stay here I have a feeling it would snow! I love spring time though, so will like to get home to experience it properly :)

Note To Self

Do not listen to Swedish diva anthems when navigating through 2 inches of snow. Strutting and snow do not go well together!

Whats with all the random snow storms today anyway?

Sillä Me Ollaan Yhdessä

One of my lovely Finnish friends recently compiled a list for me, of Finnish songs that she thought I might like. She has good taste, either that or she knows me well. I liked nearly all the songs she sent me. Some more than others obviously. One of the good things about it though, was that the list included some songs that I had heard around and liked, but didnt know the names of. Like the following song for example. I rather like it, and now thanks to my friend I know its by Jenni Vartiainen and is called Ihmisten Edessä;

Olen Nuoret Tutkijat

I'm having one of those days today. You know the ones where everything seems to be going wrong. Thing is I was having one of those days yesterday too. Oh well. I think the problem is I don't have much to look forward to now until I go home for my birthday/easter. Still, I have Måns to keep me happy :)

Another thing - why oh why is it snowing again? We had glorious sunshine on thursday, which made me go a bit hyper with excitement that spring was on the way. By saturday the roads and pavements had begun to clear of snow, and I was certain that was it, winter was over. So when I woke up this morning to see a fresh layer of snow, I was distraught... Oh well, another reason to look forward to going home I guess.

I wanted to do a post about friday but given that I didnt do it yesturday its unlikely I'll find inspiration to during the evenings (my laptop is still being somewhat of a little terror). But I will just say a few things.

• I'm so proud of my poster, which is now blue-tacked to the kitchen wall and will be going home with me at easter (although I have now found 3 mistakes, grr)
• My presentation was too short (being only 10minutes instead of the requested 15), but nothing major went wrong and I managed to answer most of the questions afterwards.
• I am very very proud of myself for doing it. I haven't really done any public speaking before, so to get up and present my research to what is supposed to be my peers but are really my superiors given that they are all masters/phd students (or above) and I havent even finished my bachelor yet, was an incredible achievement. I'm surprised by how proud of myself I am. It marks a big change in my mentality in the past year, but also shows how far I've come since I left school at 18 (a very difficult time for me).
• The evening afterparty was so much fun.
• We had wine alongside a posh 3-course meal; Russian blinee's (pancake things, I dont know how to write it in english) with sour cream and fish eggs, followed by duck with raspberry sauce, and then chocolate mud cake for afters. Yum Yum :p
• Then my supervisor bought our research group (all 3 of us) some PAPP-A drinks. I'm not sure what was in it to make it PAPP-A related, but we decided it was the colour of the buffer we use so that is good enough.
• Some of us then went on to Börs (a big pub/restaurant/nightclub complex) where there was much dodgy dancing to old school anthems from my colleagues. Its true that Finns come out of their shells after a few drinks, hehe.
  
• Oh, but I was possibly just as bad, as I launched into the traditional arm-swing dance for Cotton-Eye Joe. I learnt after that they don't do that so much in Finland, so that was something new for them, hehe. I started a trend though, since everyone followed my lead :)
• A few more drinks and then it was last bus home for me. It was such a good night actually. First time I'd spoken to some of my colleagues, but definitely have some good memories. Was a celebration of our achievement, and a lot of fun.