Frustration

It's really frustrating! I am not getting anywhere with my internship. Today I was calling again to several hotels, but they didn't wanted me, in fact, they didn't wanted any interns this year or summer.

It is getting really tight now, since I wanted to start my internship at best in the beginning of June. Right now there is still some time left for visas, but the longer it takes, the more certain it becomes, that I have to stay in Europe, since I dont need visas and work permits here.

Anyways, I will not give up, I will find something, everything will be fine! It's always like that!

~M~

Uni is back!

Wow, it's still light and it's already 7 pm. Yes I know, there was the time change, but still it feels like spring just came up like a jack-in-the-box. It was nice weather and 6°C warm, for the weekend the forecast says about 10°C.

Anyways, I am back in uni now. I just had my second day of the last period here, which means, that I am going to be done here in 55 days, as one of my colleagues just told me. It's amazing how time goes by. So the two days in uni were fine, but I am totally exhausted already.. or.. well, I would say I am still exhausted from the weekend. The courses were ok, the teachers also, even tho I know that this last period will be a lot of work and not so relaxing like the other one. I already got so used to getting up round 9 a.m., having breakfast and at some point going to uni. Now I have to get up round 7 a.m. all the time and that's just cruel!!!

Tonight I will go to the sauna again to be fresh for tomorrow's morning lesson. Otherwise there is nothing to tell... well, I brought some order to my room, since it was necessary. Not so interesting, I reckon...

~M~

Pampasnationaldag 2010!

I am back from Vaasa and therefore basically also back to life! I was the last couple of days there with some guys to attend the Pampasnationaldag 2010. This students event takes place every year in spring and is a meeting of the Swedish speaking students in Finland.

S. and I left Helsinki already on Wednesday and went to Abo, since we wanted to take the much cheaper bus, which was organized by the local students union, up to Vaasa.So the party slightly started already on the train for us and went on in A's, flat, which we could use for the night. (Thanks for that, again!). Anyways, the next morning at 12 we went to the church of Abo, where we met up with K. & T., two friends of A., with whom we were sharing the room in Omena Hotelli. The bus ride, about five hours, we spent mainly drinking and S. was still putting batches onto his Halare, since he hadn't finished it, yet.

When we arrived A., who came from Helsinki, where she had had a job briefing earlier that morning, was already there and welcomed us warmly. J. another friend of A. from Ekenäs was staying down the corridor and so, since we were all united he just joined us for our first drink together in Vaasa.After ten minutes, when the second round started we realized that it would be better to write the number code for the hotel doors onto our arms, because we would, if we would keep the drinking tempo up like that, be totally wasted when coming back.

And actually this is also what happened. We went to Olliver's Inn. This music bar is one of the main places to be during these days. We met a lot of people we knew, also because there are not so many Swedish speaking Finns and the people going to the parties are basically always the same. Anyways, we met other friends of A., K. and T. and got to know new people.Again my opinion, that the Swedish speaking guys are so much more open than the "real" Finns, was proved. They were really appreciating, that S. and I were there to party with them, even tho we are "just" exchange students.The live music was good and the drinks surprisingly cheap, so we stayed quite long there.

The next morning started with morning shots, just to keep the alcohol level up and also to fight the upcoming hangover. We started slowly with the pre-party and wanted to round 1 o'clock to the olympic games, a fun competition for the students. The finals were said to be starting round 2 o'clock and we didn't wanted to miss them. However, at 12.30 one of our friends called to ask, if we would join them going to a middle party, since the games were already over. We were totally disappointed, that we missed them and were curing our tears with some more shots and other alcoholic beverages.

We were then just strolling around the city and the market place, like many other students. The sun came out and we were enjoying the good weather and the carefree living. We went to the shop and got some more supplies and also some food for before and after the party. We then went back to the room to have a small middle party with a couple of drinks, some food and writing onto each others Halares.Then suddenly K. had the idea to show us Salad Fingers a really really creepy animated video. Parts of the monologue from the movie then later became the running gags or punch lines, however you wanna call it, of the evening. The guys from the neighboring rooms, who came to join our middle party were so shocked and left totally scared off shortly after the film ended. You could tell, they were thinking we were weird.

Later that evening we went to Fontana, thii place to be on Pampasnationaldag in Vaasa. We were getting our batches for the Halare and then went dancing (and of course drinking). The club was pretty nice and super crowded. But now wonder, since The Capital Beat and Redrama were performing that evening. These two bands are pretty famous up here and I have to say, thats for a reason. They were really good and pumping up the mood. We were dancing and shouting and had a great time. When S. and I were dancing to The Capital Beat up on a platform the lead-singer was throwing us their latest album, S. caught it and now it's playing all the time in my PC and iPod.Also Redrama was awesome. I was walking around the club and realized suddenly that they were already on. I just ran to the crowd and through the crowd and was suddenly standing in the first row, rockin like hell...

Saturday we started the day again with morning shots and then fixed ourselves for the Sillis, a salty breakfast, which was held a couple of minutes with the bus outside of Vaasa. We got food and crisps as much as we could eat and a band was playing.We met they guys we got to know the evening before and were just enjoying beer and cider. That was basically it. Ah ja, when we went out, we met THIS nice guy and didn't feel that weird anymore for showing that very guy Salad Fingers the night before :-D

In the bus there was another guy standing in the aisle singing. We somehow started talking to him. When we got off the bus we walked a bit and had so much fun. Suddenly I stopped, since I saw one advertisement, which was so matching this moment.We just took this one picture with him and lost him then in front of Olli's. But this five-minute-random-meeting with a stranger was so funny and refreshing, I loved it! These are the real memories you take from trips like this I think.

As I said, after this Sillis, we wanted to go to Olli's, but when talking to people in the queue, we realized it wasn't worth waiting; They were standing there already for nearly three hours and had moved about two meters. So we reconsidered and decided to have again a middle party in the hotel room. Again some people from the other rooms joined and drank with us some alcoholic beverages. After about two hours in the room, round 5 O'clock, we all got hungry and went to Hesburger to get something to eat. (and now T., since you cant remember anything from this point, read carefully ;-) ) We were sitting there, having fun! Then we finally went to Olli's and actually got in. The night went on and we had shit loads of fun. Dancing, laughing, drinking. There is nothing more to say!

Then Sunday we packed our stuff and went back to Abo with the bus. We went on drinking in the bus... well some of us did and even found a juice, which tasted like sunshine dust ;-)

Anyways... it was a great time, the longer it lasted the better it got. However, now at least my liver is happy that it is over. I am back in uni and the new period starts. It was an awesome, if not to say one of the best weekends in my life and for sure the best in my exchange year here in Finland! Seriously guys, thank you for the company, it was awesome! I didn't had one minute or even a second, where I would have sighed and said "now we have a low point"! It was pure fun, the whole time! Even while sleeping, when some were talking and some got scared by the person lying next to her!

IT WAS JUST GREAT !!!

~M~

Preparing for Pampas

I am sitting right now with S. in Turku in A's flat. Tomorrow we are going to Vaasa, where a huge student happening of the Swedish speaking Finns, called Pampas Nationaldagen, will take place.

We have everything packed, mainly alcohol and tomorrow at 12h the bus will leave. We are going with K. and T., two friends of A., with the bus and A. is coming later with the train, since she still has something for a job in a town near Helsinki.

These are going to be four tough days of party. I am looking forward to it, since its going to be so much fun! Will tell later more about it!

~M~

Good company!

We just had some wine, ham and cheese, were sitting in the kitchen talking. Now S. is doing the dishes and E. in the sauna. When S. is finished I will start cooking.

Yesterday I was with S. and E. at F's place. She invited us and some others to a Finnish dinner. It as really funny and the food was good. Especially the soup we all liked. But also the pasta thingi, the cake and the mämmi, a Finnish specialty were rounding up the dinner.

Today was relaxed, I did my laundry and was watching some House online. I still dont know where to go for my internship. Anyways, S. is finished now, so I will start cooking!

~M~

Sunny day

It's crazy. Yesterday evening it started snowing and this morning when I got up there were 8cm more out there. Seriously it could finally stop snowing and get spring!!! Now the weather is really nice, its sunny and plus degrees, which means, all the snow is melting again and everywhere are huge puddles of dirty water and slush.

Anyways, I just came back from Pasila, where I had lunch with E. & S. After that I went to Lidl to buy some stuff for the next days, until I leave on Wednesday to Turku and from there on Thursday to Vaasa. I know I am writing again about it, but it's just because I am so looking forward to it. It's the first time to really wear my Halare. S. also just bought the last batches , he still was missing and hopefully is going on to sew.

Tonight we are going to Malmi, since F. one of our tutors invited us for dinner. Maybe this will give me some distraction from the stuff occupying my brain right now. I still don't have an internship placement and dont know where to apply. I mean, the problem right now is not, that there is too few, but too many possibilities. I just cant make a decision. But time runs out and I need to do something. But where should the motivation come from, when you have nothing to do ;)

~M~

Sunday!

This is a real Sunday somehow. I was sleeping long again, got up and had breakfast. I was watching an episode of a series online and was reading the news. Then I brought some order into my stuff in my room, was bringing out the bin and stumbled through the web.

I did some research for a blog entry I am writing right now and was starting it. I was amazed how much work it actually is to write about a specific topic. Especially in this case I have to filter out the most important information, since the post shouldn't be too long. After that I was talking nearly 2 hours with my father over Skype. We had some issues to solve and I hope we did well. It was a really refreshing talk and I really enjoyed it.

Now I just had some bread for lunch and started to write here. It's still disgusting outside and so I reckon I will stay in today again. S. just asked me if I could cut his hair later on. Let's see how this will end up... well worst case would be him with no hair at all or with a cut throat... could be worse...

Anyways, I will relax even more now and then maybe read and write a bit more. Let's see what comes up next...

~M~

Keeping Track

This is day 2 of being off! Now that it is weekend I cant do anything about my internships and so I was sleeping long this morning. Got up round 12.30 and since then I am more or less doing nothing.

I was reading the news paper online and was searching for stuff on the internet. Since the weather here is still disgusting, that's basically the only thing you can do. Also regarding my current money situation there is nothing I could do about it. I mean, of course I am well off, but since I know that next weekend is going to be pretty expensive I am right now saving a bit. Further there is always a difference between money you have and money you wanna spend.

I started now to track my expenses, since all the small expenses, like coffee and one beer more in the bar, add up and let you spend quite much per month. Yesterday, for example, I was invited by J. to her place to have dinner with some guys. After that the others wanted to go out, but I did not really feel like it. I finally agreed to join them, since they anyways just wanted to go to a bar where there is normally no entrance fee. I think you know where it is going now. Yes, you are right; When we arrived there was some kind of concert going on and the entrance fee would have been 9€. So we reconsidered and went somewhere else.

I actually planed for the evening to go to the bar and maybe drink one beer or even nothing. However, since it was Friday evening, every place had an entrance fee. The others then finally decided to go into one club, but I didn't go with them. So instead of paying 5€ for the entrance of a club, where I didn't wanted to go, I left home. Even tho I did not go with them the whole evening, I had a great time. I think it is the small amounts of money you don't spend, that make the big difference. Especially here in Finland, where the living costs are anyways over the top it is important to be aware of you money situation.

~M~

Boredom!

Seriously, I'm bored! I thought it would be nice to be off, but somehow it is boring. So many people left to Stockholm or home. The weather is not the best and so you cant even go out to enjoy the weather.

I have to say I got up this morning pretty early, since A. left to Tampere for her aunt's brithday, which they celebrate this weekend. So I was awake early, had breakfast and coffee and was sitting a bit at my PC. After that I learned some Swedish, since I have to... uuhh ... there I realize that I totally forgot to go to my Swedish class yesterday! Seriously, I really forgot it... damn!

Anyways, after that I went out for a walk, but it was really disgusting outside. Yesterday evening, when I was in the cinema, watching Alice in Wonderland, it started snowing. Basically it started before I left home. Then, when we came out of the cinema and went to AussieBar to have a beer there was already 10 cm of snow on the ground. This morning however the temperatures rose up to 5°C and the whole snow was melting again. Damn... now my shoes are wet and everywhere is slush.

Now I just had lunch with S. (thanks for cooking) and made coffee. Now I am bored outta my mind and dont know what to do. Internet is boring, outside is boring, city center is disgusting with the snow... I reckon I will read something. I really dont like these days of the winter... it should be spring... NOW !!!

~M~

March 19th

My grandpa is turning 95 today! Happy Birthday grandpa, even tho you will not read this! Anyways, I am amazed by this age!

~M~

Finally off

I am done with this period! I wrote today my last exam and now I am off until Monday the week after. It is weird, normally I have this relieved feeling, but not this time. I don't know what it is, but I guess it's because I don't know where I am going after my year abroad, yet, and the time is running out!

Anyways, today I will still enjoy my life, I will go to the cinema tonight to watch Alice in Wonderland in 3D. I am so looking forward to this, I have never seen in movie in 3D yet... excited!

I was stumbling through the web today and came across an article, I've been reading before. This article is from the travel section of the London Telegraph. It is about a man from Japan who has traveled since 2001 from Japan, through whole Asia and then to Europe. The amazing thing about this story is, that he did all this (except of the passage from Japan to Korea) by bike and a rowing boat. During this time until now he covered 38 countries and is currently in Italy.
The guy, Keiichi Iwasaki, writes about his adventures and his life on the road in his blog. During his trip, which he started with 160¥ (about 1.30€), he performs magic tricks on the street to earn money. The article of the Telegraph also states that he was the first Japanese person to climb the Mount Everest from sea level without any transportation.
I think that a story like this is so inspiring. A person just realizes suddenly that he has to change his life, leaves home with nothing and is just going wherever life takes him. I envy Keiichi a little bit for this freedom in his life. He says, that he loves this way of traveling, "because [he] want(s) to see and feel everything with [his] own skin, [...] the air and atmosphere of the place." He also is the perfect example that traveling is not about getting somewhere, but about the way you go there. It's not the speed that is important, but the experience you gain from your trip. He is, after his own words, "traveling far, little by little".

~M~

March 17th

Happy Birthday, Dad! Will call you later!

~M~

Get crackin!

Seriously, I have to get outta here! I dont wanna write the exam tomorrow! I just came back from my first exam, which was pretty easy and should have been good. Still I am annoyed somehow at this uni.

Yesterday, while learning I got so fed up and watched this video again:

The Longest Way 1.0 - one year walk/beard grow time lapse from Christoph Rehage on Vimeo.

It's from Vimeo and was created by a guy, who was walking over 4000 km in China for over one year. I feel really stuck right now and need to travel again. The winter here in Finland is taking way too long now and always after few days of warmer temperatures it's snowing again and it gets cold! I would really need summer or at least spring now. It's even worse to read then the blog entries or Facebook statuses of people, who are traveling right now all over South America and Asia. This really gets me sometimes. But I know, that soon I will be somewhere else and that makes me happy. It is anyways just one year more in uni and then I'm free to do whatever I like to do... so I just have to hang in there!

I also have to get crackin now with my internship. All my applications I've sent so far were rejected and it seems pretty hard right now to find something, because of the economical situation. I hope it will work out soon. The problem right now is also, that I was/am so occupied with my uni stuff that I do not really find the time to apply somewhere. Anyways, I already planned to work on that the first three days of the Intensive Week.

At least I have something to look forward to right now. Next week I will be going to Vaasa, to a huge students happening with loads of people and loads of party. And next months there will be the Sea Battle, a booze-cruise... and hopefully higher temperatures! I just keep that in mind and it will get me through my learning now!

~M~

I need a break!

I am learning already half the day, therefore I need a break now! Well, half the day, because it started off with me doing the laundry and putting the laundry into the dryer/drying room. Then I was learning a bit, was drinking coffee and talked to E.

Then I went with E. to Pasila to have lunch and while we were there also S. joined us. After lunch we went to Lidl to buy some stuff, went home and I was taking a break. I talked to A. and checked out Facebook a bit. Then I started learning and now I just needed a break from that stuff. I am glad that I just have two days of exams. But of course exactly on tomorrow, on the day before the more important exam, there is a huge student party in Circus and I can't go. It's always like that.

Anyways, from Friday on I am off uni for 10 days or something. I hope these days don't fly like the last three weeks did. I really need the world to slow down a bit. It's too hectic and fast and gets therefore annoying. As I said today to E.: I hate time! I mean I hate to be stuck in schedules. I hate me hurrying and sometimes even running to catch the train, even tho I know the next train is leaving 10 minutes later. I hate not doing sports, because the really tight opening hours of the gym are not fitting into my timetable. I hate eating because it's 2 o'clock (and lunch is just available until 2.30) instead of eating because I am hungry. I just want to get my watch of my wrist, switch off my cellphone (since it has a clock) and simply enjoy the day like it comes. Having this in the summer was so awesome!

~M~

Awesome Weekend!!!

This weekend went fast! It's Monday today and I had a presentation in uni this morning. After that I went to work, to earn some more money! Now I am back here, booked my laundry time for tomorrow and thought, that I could write my blog again!

As I said, the weekend went pretty fast! I reckon it's because my brother was here and we were really active. He arrived on Thursday morning/noon. I went to the airport to pick him up and it was really good to see him again. The weather was wonderful, so we quickly went to Kannelmäki, where he left his stuff, then to the uni in Pasila to have lunch and then to Helsinki center, where I showed him around a bit. Sadly the weather then changed, it got windy, really cold and eventually it started snowing. So we went back to my place, where I him, since I had to go to my Swedish class. My Swedish btw. is doing good (I think/hope), today at work I was talking to one of the girls in Swedish. Anyways, when I returned from class A. had also arrived "home" and we spent the evening together, F. cooked and we had a good time talking.

The next day we got up early, as we had to catch the ferry to Tallinn. I wanted to show this city to F. because I liked it, I wanted to see it in winter and also, that he could put another flag into the map of cities he visited. We were walking around, had a coffee in a nice café and then went back to the boat. Tallinn is not so big and so five hours are more than enough to see the whole city... especially in winter! However, on the boat back to Helsinki we had dinner and suddenly there was an announcement, that if there was a doctor aboard he should come as quickly as possible to the bar. Something had happened there and when F. went outside to take some pictures of the sun down, he was told to leave the deck, since they expected an helicopter. We, as we are all in a way "tourists" were waiting outside to see the helicopter, but eventually, after what felt like three hours in the cold, we realized, that the helicopter was canceled. So no action on the boat, as expected. Anyways, A. and I then went to the Eckerö Market and bought booze for Pampas, a student festival in Vaasa, which is in the end of March.

On Saturday F. and I got up early again and went to Pasila, where we met up with a group of students, and from there to Kirkkonummi. Helga, the student's union of Haaga-Helia, had organized a winter sports day for the exchange students and so we went Snowboarding. It was again so much fun (for me) and I hope F. also enjoyed it after a slow start. The hill, however, was not so high and so you were down in like 30 sec., had to queue for 5 minutes, 2 minutes in the lift and then 30 sec. down again. I got a little bit bored and started to jump over a small hill on the slope. It went well and was thrilling for a novice like me. Then shortly before the end I wasn't concentrated anymore and somehow lost the board under my feet during the landing. I fell pretty hard onto my head, which was luckily protected by a helmet. Anyways, I was down and didn't know where was up and where was down for a minute or so. Later, since the headache didnt go away and I every now and then had problems to focus things with my eyes, I realized that I probably had a concussion, which is holding on ever since. It is getting better, but I still feel that I made an unpleasant acquaintance with the ground that day.

The Sunday was lazy. We went to the City center one more time, had a coffee and then went back. I had to work for uni and A. and F. were sitting around, doing stuff.

Today, early in the morning. F. left to the airport, A. left to the train station and I went to uni, as mentioned before. However it was a really nice weekend, apart from the accident, which was my own stupidity. Anyways, doesnt matter, I am still alive, the pain is vanishing and I wont stop being stupid... I will go on snowboarding, I will go on motorcycling, I will go on doing whatever I want to do and no one is going to stop me ... :-P ;-)

~M~

Spring is in the Air

Today we had up to 8°C, the snow is melting, the spring is coming now... I hope !!!

~M~

Beeing a little swamped

I am feeling good! I have shit loads to do in uni right now, as we have to finish a project until tomorrow and I am still waiting for the stuff of one of my group members to finally write the conclusion to the report. He is just not sending it, which will bring me into trouble in the end.

Anyways, the weather is nice and I know when I have this uni stuff finished, my brother is coming. I am so looking forward to that. He is going to stay here from Thursday noon until Monday morning. I haven't seen him since Christmas and we are not so much talking on skype/phone, as he is working so much. As I said in one of my earlier posts, you just see the value of your siblings, when you are not with them. I'm really happy and so looking forward to his visit.

Now I will go on working on this uni work, since I didn't had so much time on the weekend. As mentioned we had all the people here and now they left. I just had nice and relaxed breakfast, which gave me fresh energy for the day!

~M~

Kannelmäki (Private) Hostel

----------------------Written on Friday----------------------

I thought I might write something here, since it's March and the weather is nice. I know this is not really a reason, but there was no other available.

Anyways, we have visitors right now in our flat. P. & C., from Italy are visiting us right now, M. from Spain is coming this afternoon. They were here last semester and were our neighbors here in Kannelmäki and most of all our dear friends and dinner guests every now and then. Also A. is here. She is out of uni and right now working on her dissertation.

On Thursday we all went together with the exchange students of Haaga-Helia to an ice hockey game. It was really nice and after I watched a lot of ice hockey during the Olympics I got really interested in this Finnish national sport. The game was fun, even tho it was slower and also the atmosphere inside of the arena wasn't comparable to a football stadium. Maybe it's just the Finnish culture, which was affecting the cheering and shouting.

----------------------Written on Saturday----------------------

On Wednesday I was actually supposed to go to a student party in the city center, but I didn't make it there. Before I was asked by S., a Finnish girl, to go out to Amarillo. She went to Germany on Friday and asked me if I wanted to join her "farewell-get-together" for a beer. It was so nice, that I stayed instead of going to the party.

Yesterday, on Friday, we broke the record of "number-of-people-having-dinner-in-our-flat" by far. The old record was 14, now we were 20 people, sitting in one room at one table. It was really funny, everybody brought food and we ate so much. We were so many people, because apart from C. & P., the two Italians also M., another ex-exchange student from Spain as well as three friends of E., my flatmate, also from Spain. Sounds difficult, but after all the maths, we are 10 people in the flat.

After the dinner we went to Circus to party. We were lucky, that we were entered into the VIP-List beforehand and so we didn't had to pay the entrance fee. The money was then invested into drinks instead. It was a fun night and we came home late/early ;-)

Today we had a hangover-day. Sleeping long, breakfast round 14h and lunch at 18.30! Damn good day, with half of the people. The other half, the friends of E. and E., got up after maybe 2 hours of sleep to catch the ferry to Tallin. Crazy Spaniards !!!

~M~

PS: I changed the Favicon, the icon next to the URL, of my blog. It is supposed to be the sign for the Departures on an Airport, a sign for traveling. I like it!!!

Wow!

It's March already, incredible! Now the spring should come!

~M~