After 12 days finally the sun is out today. It’s wonderful and helps to elevate my mood which after some wonderful moments yesterday has been slightly... well it still is.
After dinner last night Lili was wondering, something wasn’t right she judged. She was right. The house was curiously empty. Apart from the 66 kittens who would be underage drinkers. We celebrated with a sushi dinner. I rolled and shaped them personally. I rock as usual. But after dinner I fell into a coma type stage staring at the computer screen refusing to acknowledge reality refusing to write this entry. I was too emotional,
I am realising as I am the one who writes, types, I keep going about my own self. Blue Bird reminding me we have news!
The egg has cracked open in the late afternoon. A joyful moment indeed. The little thing has eventually managed to break free from the remains of the egg and happily embraced the parents. Tobi and Elena were just like any new parent; euphoric with joy and indescribably proud of this yet out of shape slimy tininess. I was standing ready with a fire proof blanket so failed to take photos but nobody cared. Dragons don’t like to be seen on photographs anyway.
Oh, they seemed so happy! And rightly so. Even with the cushy pillow it came to a stage when their bottoms were a constant sore.
I am happy for them but sad for myself and our household. It will be some time before they return. Maybe sometime in the summer. It takes a long time for a dragon to learn not to breathe fire unintentionally. They are already missed. In fact, as mentioned earlier they were already missed at dinner time. I almost broke down in crying.
Blabla, Zagy and Blue Bird after dinner went out to celebrate and also to try to get over the fact they won’t be seeing them either for a while. Blue Bird had her sunglasses on all day. Although it is sunny but sitting in the well shaded, slightly dim cafe... well. I enjoyed sushi just the same I believe and it have not given me a hangover.
This drinking reminds me of a friend who has a friend, Lili’s age, with a hobby of collecting beer bottle caps. Only that, no drinking. This friend came up with the idea of surprising him with a great collection from all over the world. For now, you can sand yours to my address, I will forward it. (comment or email me to request address)
Earlier yesterday with a couple of friends we agreed to meet in Oulu on 3rd April for a lunch and other matters. I am quite looking forward to it.
In the morning, yesterday Lili, Jen and i went for a midwife visit. I went with Jen for the first one couple of months back and now we decided to take Lili with us so she can listen to the heartbeat of her yet to be born sibling. It was interesting. At five, trying to handle the future where she will not be a single child she is bouncing between mindless excitement, responsible grownupishenss and a mild annoyance for she will not command alone our attentions. But generally speaking she is pretty cool with it. So are we although at least I have similar kind of mood swings while Jen picked up on the new hobby of poking at her belly.
I am happy, we all are although I miss my friend more than I ever anticipated. To ease my pain I spent the afternoon shopping with Blue Bird. Waiting on the bus in the outskirts, where some bigger shopping outlets located and the paper factory we saw a toy truck whooshing by. The doors weren’t closed properly and a teddy bear fell out. The poor thing run after it for a good half a mile refusing to give up hope even if the truck has long disappeared from view. We run after him. He hasn’t been sold yet to a child therefore he doesn’t have a name. I never imagined a bear could cry so hard. Offered to buy him a coffee and some snacks but he kept on crying. Blue Bird offered him I would take him in and name him, take care of him. I had no choice but to agree. Didn’t want to hurt the poor thing’s feelings. But the name i decided to be a community decision. We been at it all afternoon but nothing yet. Eventually it will come to an agreement.
This is it.
It has been a wonderful year. And another wonderful year is ahead of us.
Should anyone have a message to Tobi, Elena and newbie let me know. I have their number, although they asked me not to give it out to anyone I can pass on a message or two.
Enjoy the spring flowers!
ps should I list on ebay the shattered egg bits? would be interest for an auction for segments or maybe the whole lot in one?
Tuesday 17 March 2009
Saturday 14 March 2009
Oh, that smell!
It has started to happen again, when the temperature is above that of the water’s freezing point frozen water starts melting. And that doesn’t smell. Locals claim the rotten smell is nothing but the usual, come spring, release the smell of composting last year’s whatever. Not so traditional locals, in other words immigrants claim that smell, that unmistakable spring smell is the smell off dog droppings. The snow hasn’t nearly melted yet and with this pace it will not be for another 4-5 weeks. So whatever under... As a non traditional local therefore I claim it is the innumerable little packages left on the snow, in the snow all at once releasing this and that.
Can one possible write more on this topic?
Moses cannot stand the smell but he cannot go back to sleep no more. That clock in his body it seems told him it is time to begin spring procedures. He should be eating but doesn’t have any appetite.
There is a bit of a crack on the egg now. It happened while it was Tobi’s watch, sit therefore he undergone rigorous interrogation about it. At some point especially considering that we had Lili and 66 kittens in the house as underage bystanders I took her by the wings told her it was time to calm down and taking her outside against will I dipped her in the snow. Living with these two for a lengthy time now I can manage such things without ending up at the accident and emergency! In fact, I managed without injuries. I rock!
Tobi was grateful to an extent that he got me a bottle of wine to show. Which was appreciated as we had a dinner guest yesterday and there was reason to celebrate. Numerous good news. For one, one of my countdowns has ended and news received made me relieved and happy. It was a boring wait for the last six weeks actually.
By the way, the long time sharing this place and days with Tobi is over a year now. He moved in on 11th March 2008. Kind of cool.
Can one possible write more on this topic?
Moses cannot stand the smell but he cannot go back to sleep no more. That clock in his body it seems told him it is time to begin spring procedures. He should be eating but doesn’t have any appetite.
There is a bit of a crack on the egg now. It happened while it was Tobi’s watch, sit therefore he undergone rigorous interrogation about it. At some point especially considering that we had Lili and 66 kittens in the house as underage bystanders I took her by the wings told her it was time to calm down and taking her outside against will I dipped her in the snow. Living with these two for a lengthy time now I can manage such things without ending up at the accident and emergency! In fact, I managed without injuries. I rock!
Tobi was grateful to an extent that he got me a bottle of wine to show. Which was appreciated as we had a dinner guest yesterday and there was reason to celebrate. Numerous good news. For one, one of my countdowns has ended and news received made me relieved and happy. It was a boring wait for the last six weeks actually.
By the way, the long time sharing this place and days with Tobi is over a year now. He moved in on 11th March 2008. Kind of cool.
Monday 9 March 2009
The Day After Ski Break
It was mentioned before last week was a holiday for many, or at least it was meant to be mentioned. I think I did say that it was a wonderful opportunity for one of my colleges and me to work a bit more than usual because of lack of other co-worker. In addition to this around the house most of us really have had so much time on our hands, Tobi and Elena sharing sitting on the egg, Blabla singing for spring constantly, Moses awake and stuffing himself with fried bacons, Zigy and Blabla preparing for the North-East Oulu chess tournament, Jen just generally busy the same as she has been for the last few months and Lili tending to her 66 kitten that we all decided, Jen and I really while the rest have obediently complied, so we all decided on reorganising the house.
Lili’s room became our room, the study became Lili’s room and our room became the study. We are rich I know, we have a study but hey, we have at least one student in the house. It was a fun week and unfortunately not quite finished yet but has been a success already. I found my long lost sunglasses!
Elena managed to persuade us not to touch the fridge on top of the egg lives. Which since last time hasn’t really changed status. It’s an egg with a dragon inside it that will eventually come out!
End of winter sales are on. My newest of hobbies therefore is Ice-skating. Blabla signed up. We are going tomorrow after work. Lili goes before work, before going to daycare. Elena is going with her as I heard and I hope they aren’t taking the 66 kittens. It could look nasty.
One could ask why Lili and I aren’t going in the same time to skate. Let it rest as a mystery. Too long to describe here in full detail and not nearly interesting enough. Specifics have that sometimes.
Lili’s room became our room, the study became Lili’s room and our room became the study. We are rich I know, we have a study but hey, we have at least one student in the house. It was a fun week and unfortunately not quite finished yet but has been a success already. I found my long lost sunglasses!
Elena managed to persuade us not to touch the fridge on top of the egg lives. Which since last time hasn’t really changed status. It’s an egg with a dragon inside it that will eventually come out!
End of winter sales are on. My newest of hobbies therefore is Ice-skating. Blabla signed up. We are going tomorrow after work. Lili goes before work, before going to daycare. Elena is going with her as I heard and I hope they aren’t taking the 66 kittens. It could look nasty.
One could ask why Lili and I aren’t going in the same time to skate. Let it rest as a mystery. Too long to describe here in full detail and not nearly interesting enough. Specifics have that sometimes.
The Day After Ski Break
It was mentioned before last week was a holiday for many, or at least it was meant to be mentioned. I think I did say that it was a wonderful opportunity for one of my colleges and me to work a bit more than usual because of lack of other co-worker. In addition to this around the house most of us really have had so much time on our hands, Tobi and Elena sharing sitting on the egg, Blabla singing for spring constantly, Moses awake and stuffing himself with fried bacons, Zigy and Blabla preparing for the North-East Oulu chess tournament, Jen just generally busy the same as she has been for the last few months and Lili tending to her 66 kitten that we all decided, Jen and I really while the rest have obediently complied, so we all decided on reorganising the house.
Lili’s room became our room, the study became Lili’s room and our room became the study. We are rich I know, we have a study but hey, we have at least one student in the house. It was a fun week and unfortunately not quite finished yet but has been a success already. I found my long lost sunglasses!
Elena managed to persuade us not to touch the fridge on top of the egg lives. Which since last time hasn’t really changed status. It’s an egg with a dragon inside it that will eventually come out!
End of winter sales are on. My newest of hobbies therefore is Ice-skating. Blabla signed up. We are going tomorrow after work. Lili goes before work, before going to daycare. Elena is going with her as I heard and I hope they aren’t taking the 66 kittens. It could look nasty.
One could ask why Lili and I aren’t going in the same time to skate. Let it rest as a mystery. Too long to describe here in full detail and not nearly interesting enough. Specifics have that sometimes.
Lili’s room became our room, the study became Lili’s room and our room became the study. We are rich I know, we have a study but hey, we have at least one student in the house. It was a fun week and unfortunately not quite finished yet but has been a success already. I found my long lost sunglasses!
Elena managed to persuade us not to touch the fridge on top of the egg lives. Which since last time hasn’t really changed status. It’s an egg with a dragon inside it that will eventually come out!
End of winter sales are on. My newest of hobbies therefore is Ice-skating. Blabla signed up. We are going tomorrow after work. Lili goes before work, before going to daycare. Elena is going with her as I heard and I hope they aren’t taking the 66 kittens. It could look nasty.
One could ask why Lili and I aren’t going in the same time to skate. Let it rest as a mystery. Too long to describe here in full detail and not nearly interesting enough. Specifics have that sometimes.
Friday 6 March 2009
Drip Drop
For some days now there is a desperate race in Oulu which neighbourhood will be the first to be snow free – ok, for the second day going. Tobi has been reporting rumours that some neighbourhoods, such as Linnanmaa and parts of Synimaa even drafted in with some bribes the heavy toers, tossers and scrapers of snow. Magnificent machines that otherwise I don’t get too excited about. He claims residents have been bribing the drivers.
Elena researched the issue a bit and she came to the conclusion that this in this case at least residents have not been slipping bribes, especially that they are poor students, or at least some of them are poor and there is no incentive to win as there is not a price given out. If not for the ability to lie on the wet grass outside your house. However, these neighbourhoods are run by the North of Finland Housing Association and thanks to heavy subsidies and some more heavy subsidies from the state they are loaded and spending the money on scraping snow.
I think they are both wrong but who am I to tell?
By the way the snow is melting and it seems serious about it. The conditions are perfect. Clouds from the south crushing air making breathing heavy. It’s warm and sticky; I almost roast outside even in light wear. +5. Amazing. Only 5 degrees more to go to reach the average morning temperature of July 2008.
I am not kidding about the +10! I remember my toes were cold in my sandals cycling to work but it was summer so I defied the cold. Things were different 2 days ago. It wasn’t so warm yet. In fact it was a lot cooler. About 10 degrees thus the melting race was still only in prep. With Tobi and Blue Bird we decided that that the kiting season is starting up and went on an adventure to find new and good kiting grounds. Nallikari, the official Oulu beach is only about 6 or 7 km, about 4 miles from home. Too much cycling or bussing to get there and back. But there is this place, less than half the distance, a beach... or so we hoped for none of us has ever been there. I didn’t trust Tobi and Blue Bird to explore the place for me and I didn’t trust them with the camera to bring back some pictures. They thought it was the best ides so far but somehow I didn’t. So we went.
About a km from the sea we had to abandon the bike for where the last buildings lay was where the clearing of snow has proceeded over the winter. Snow and dunes under snow as far as one could see. We walked. My companions bored quickly of walking especially that they are a lot shorter than me and the snow was deep and powdery still. They flew ahead resting on nearby trees and lampposts giving me directions from above and ahead which should be the best way to go. At some point, struggling through knee deep snow for the second time I started speculating shortcuts may not work. On the paths, marked by the lampposts at least there was some occasional traffic through the months, mostly dogs and their humans probably making the snow was a bit flatter. Eventually we made it to the coast noticing good spots and stretches on the way. The coast was good too. The only problem of course is the enormous effort and energy it takes to get there and back. So Kiting season is postponed for another month or so.
I must be fair to add that at home, before we sat out Jen mentioned that kiting season is on, it has been on some time but instead of the beach it’s on the lakes as their surface is probably still frozen solid. To be true to her she hasn’t failed to mention this on the second day of starting moon cycles since the beginning of December. But I have always been too cautious to venture too far and too long on the ice. Even if it has been perfectly fine to land an airliner on them for the last 2 months. I have learned my lesson. I will occasionally listen to my wife’s ideas. She is clever. I may even ask for direction when we are in an unknown city one day.
Other events in headlines;
Tobi, Elena, Bluebird, Zagy and Blabla are now fully my imagination’s responsibility as Lili is busy taking care with her 66 kittens, elephant friend and the reluctant Zebra.
There has been some knocking in and outside of the egg for the last week or so. Time is running out!
The ski break was fun. One of my colleges was off sick this week so the rest of us had the wonderful chance to work extra for no extra pay!
7 days left of a wait.
Sunrise was at 06:58 and sunset is expected at 17:38 although that could still be up for debate. Do we think that the laws of universe are universal for instance?
Saturday 28 February 2009
Revelations
A number of things I must confess. The most stunning and remarkable is about how, and not even how but about what Tobi kept me, us in the dark for all this time. He finally opened up to Lili. Of all people! I trusted him however, the whole thing made me laugh after.
Tobi is not form Vietnam! Although his family is but he was born and grew up in Hungary. Which normally is quite exotic and exciting for people to hear with Dracula near by but considering I am from Hungary he thought it wont work. Since he has lots of cousins, naturally most of them live in Vietnam around Dragon Bay it was easy for him to act as if.
I must say I did suspect something for some time. Often he goes there when something important comes up. It doesn’t matter the slightest bit to me and I hope that you wont care either.
Others
Now I forgot.
The winner of the first spot where snow melts is the sign above the kiosk in Kaijonharju. I stopped there coule of days back to use the cash machine and parking my bike I noticed the dripping. I thought first it is a bird who may have some medical issues holding it, or just too drunk sitting on the rooftop but I came to realise that it was only snow melting dripping away slowly melting in the sunshine.
The second quickest spot to melt is the roof of a walkway at a parking lot outside one of the university buildings. Cycling there cutting route length I came across the melted snow fallen now solid ice on the ground. Wasn’t a pleasant experience. And I know, a roof for a sidewalk… As it there was so much sunshine aound here and as if all that sunshine came down vertically. They could have built a wall instead but of course that would have some issues too.
Lili is not a cat! She categorically told me a couple of days ago. The last few months she had me conviced. That she was. Well, I guess it is good to know.
13 days left before I find out! We dug a tunnel in one of the snow piles. Jen is making soup for dinner. Tobi is snoring. Lili is making a card. I’m waiting on the soup. Elena is playing a computer game. Gordon brown is socialising risk while keeping profit private.
We all have some important things in our lives.
Tobi is not form Vietnam! Although his family is but he was born and grew up in Hungary. Which normally is quite exotic and exciting for people to hear with Dracula near by but considering I am from Hungary he thought it wont work. Since he has lots of cousins, naturally most of them live in Vietnam around Dragon Bay it was easy for him to act as if.
I must say I did suspect something for some time. Often he goes there when something important comes up. It doesn’t matter the slightest bit to me and I hope that you wont care either.
Others
Now I forgot.
The winner of the first spot where snow melts is the sign above the kiosk in Kaijonharju. I stopped there coule of days back to use the cash machine and parking my bike I noticed the dripping. I thought first it is a bird who may have some medical issues holding it, or just too drunk sitting on the rooftop but I came to realise that it was only snow melting dripping away slowly melting in the sunshine.
The second quickest spot to melt is the roof of a walkway at a parking lot outside one of the university buildings. Cycling there cutting route length I came across the melted snow fallen now solid ice on the ground. Wasn’t a pleasant experience. And I know, a roof for a sidewalk… As it there was so much sunshine aound here and as if all that sunshine came down vertically. They could have built a wall instead but of course that would have some issues too.
Lili is not a cat! She categorically told me a couple of days ago. The last few months she had me conviced. That she was. Well, I guess it is good to know.
13 days left before I find out! We dug a tunnel in one of the snow piles. Jen is making soup for dinner. Tobi is snoring. Lili is making a card. I’m waiting on the soup. Elena is playing a computer game. Gordon brown is socialising risk while keeping profit private.
We all have some important things in our lives.
Monday 23 February 2009
The 1st Breath of spring
I know it sounds odd. It isn’t even March yet but it is true. Make no mistake, it does not, not under any circumstances mean that spring is coming yet quite the contrary. It just like a movie previews Nothing else. This is how it will feel like. Sun, warm sun and a particular smell in the air. Not the dogpoo smell but a real spring kind of vibe, that’s all. Nothing else yet. No snow melting or anything like that of course not. And later this week or next week our socks will freeze off again in the -25 but we won’t mind anymore the same way we did before. We will be laughing; try all you might your time is up cranky winter! And we will be crying; where is the spring our bodies and minds are aching for?!
But it will come eventually. Spring. Thinking it curls my tongue up. Wonderful name. Like a love affair we will soon all be having a dizzy head of it. And in March when snow truly starts melting the smell of melting dogshit will help to get that dizzy head. Till then...... when we can we sit outside catching a bit of sun kicking the snow. Great things are to come we hope. Tobi is sure. I hope. He flips between excited anticipation and panicked out anticipation. What on earth will he do with an infant dragon? It comes naturally I keep telling him but stopped recently when he nearly bit a couple of my toes off through my boots just after spitting a moderately sized fireball dangerously close to my head. It seems he had enough off hearing ‘it comes naturally’. He wishes for something else and when he let me know this it must have been one of his panicky anticipation moments. Fair enough.
I became an uncle recently and it is a very weird feeling. The happy parents are the aunt and uncle of Lili’s. Wicked dynamics. They are experienced Aunty and Uncle but know nothing of actually having one while we are fairly well experienced about having a kid yet know nothing of being an uncle. Tobi says I shouldn’t worry, it comes naturally.
I can’t bite through boots. And apart from special occasions when I am really really angry and put on a not Irish accent anymore just some really stupid sounding one I will produce plumes and some fire as well. True, I used to speak with an Irish accent when getting agitated. I lost with my Glaswegian. Something to make me sad but the joy of anticipation helps me let go.
Tobi was away last night he popped over to Vienna and Budapest to the Opera Balls. He hasn’t actually gone to the Balls but to the anti-balls. It is common that the new aristocracy has this wonderful events once a year when they come together to show off their pretty dresses and drink some nice cocktails. Something very similar to the president’s birthday party in Finland with the possible difference that in central Europe they at least have the face that it isn’t state sponsored.
The Anti-Ball event is organised by... guess whom! Of course, the anarchists! Those guys whom the police always treats most heavy handed. Why? Because they are enemies of the capitalist system and they really mean it!
In Budapest for example, at some point about 15 of them walked over to the Opera Building and on the stairs a couple of them pulled their trousers down to show off their bottoms expressing their opinion about the event and I guess the winners of Corporatist Capitalism to the true amusement of the photo journalists and TV crews. The police couldn’t tolerate it so about 40 of them in riot gear beat the crap out of them. The contrast, last summer on a Rainbow Parade the Fascist and Racist antiprotesters threw eggs at the parading cheerful crowd. Eggs that had a hole punched on them to fill them and filled up with acidy liquid before. The police on the spot and the courts later last year announced this was merely an expression of their opinion. As I said, Anti-Capitalist are the true enemies of the state these days. Still. So... Obama, Sarkozy, Brown? They are talk, talk and talk. Sorry pals to disappoint you who believed otherwise.
Anyway, Tobi enjoyed the events somewhat. I think, although he isn’t telling, he may have been responsible to hyping emotions a bit thus contributing to the ‘incident’ that gave the excuse to the police to overreact.
Saturday 21 February 2009
Executive (a thousand words)
A couple of days back I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to have a taste of a lifestyle that is so common to those who go by titles such as managing director. The facility maintenance company and the student housing company to whom we work for had a training and enhancing cooperation day for the lot of us from the 2 companies who work in and with the Linnanmaa and Synimaa areas. There were 15 people, one was the managing director of PSOAS, the student housing company of Northern Finland. I ended up chatting with him most of the time for my Finnish is lousy at best while he was the only one confident in English.
We were expected to work a shortened and therefore hard shift in the morning before shuttled out to this spot in the middle of nowhere, an executive hideout. I of course skipped my shift but forgot to mention it to my boss. I am not so much into 15 hours work days. Tobi came out with me so while I was very modest in the drinking, not wanting to get tipsy and start bashing on capitalism to the managing director Tobi could have my share of the cider. I didn’t say no to the aperitif before dinner which by the way was wild boar sauce on uniquely special only grown in the region potatoes. The aperitif was also very uniquely special particularly Finnish drink made of potatoes in process that exactly resembles how vodka is made. But it wasn’t vodka. Hm.
Lots of exciting activities and tasks making us all feel special and challenged, important and cared for by our companies and bosses. One these days can so easily see through it all yet I am sure it still had some of the desired effects. After the programme, before dinner, we had sauna with wood burning stows. Regular Sauna first, then smoke sauna, then a comfy dip in the hot water pool under the stars, back to the sauna and cool down standing outside in the minus ten. I loved it but modestly took my time reasonably short for not everyone engaged with the sauna activity and dinner was waiting and home with bed after that. Managing director and other big boss took their time. We were all waiting and waiting. Scuffed our food helping ourselves to a second serving thinking of taking a nap in the bus especially that the moment the last crumb of the dessert was finished by everyone the bus driver popped his head in wondering if we were ready to go. Ready but…
Managing Director and Area Manager had to sum up the wonderful day’s events and outcomes and trade a couple of inspirational speeches before we could go. The other 13faces spent that 25 minutes with trying to hide ‘Just shut the hell up!’ from their faces and praying that nobody would ask a question or throw a comment. It could have been a nice afternoon but the ending just threw it all out. Of course Managing Directors and Area Managers have their priorities right. No worries apparently of getting home to the kids and wife, getting up next day fresh relatively enough. It seems it is all about the company. Money. My money really, for who pays for this kind of stuff anyway?
The people who are the frontline of production are the ones who create what then is sold as service or product to the costumer. They are, we are the lowest paid. The money that we don’t get paid pays for office staff, fair I guess, someone has to organise work and supply. For management, sort of fair, every company needs a head but the wages there start running away. And the feeling of fairness is further eroded thinking that Managing Director and Area Manager will have more than one a year of these executive style work camps for their staff. There ought to be at least ten or so of such areas in Northern Finland like Synimaa and Linnanma and they all should get their enhancing cooperation days.
In the bus home with Tobi we discussed that probably the ordinary worker would find it far more motivational if some of the hard worked for money instead of being spent on such events, paying for cushioned life for such otherwise nice and friendly people would be given back to us. I would find it more motivational. In fact this whole day demotivated me further.
One more thing Tobi and I agree on here. Smoke sauna is not an easy matter. It is hard to make a good one. In the executive hideout it wasn’t good. Made my eyes not so nice. It felt smoky. The last one before that I took was far better. It was prepared by a friend who has never done it before and I remember she spent an hour or so on the phone to her granddad trying to avoid blowing it up, burning it down or accidentally killing us all with poisonous gas when we went inside. She managed and it will always be a defining experience for me of Finland.
Tobi told me with a wink he decided if he wins the lottery he won’t live on big foot and will give all the money to the poor. Thanks. Lili is slightly annoyed because she just spent the money she saved up in her piggy bank and now she will have to wait buying something else till it’s full again. She keeps asking me for more change. I taught my daughter to beg?
By the way, I am Uncle Gabor from now on
No, Tobi didn’t win. Neither did I. 21 Days left, or maybe less. They did say ‘at latest’. But spring but spring maybe later. In Budapest they are already counting days before it’s spring. We are still counting in weeks at best. Or maybe months.
We were expected to work a shortened and therefore hard shift in the morning before shuttled out to this spot in the middle of nowhere, an executive hideout. I of course skipped my shift but forgot to mention it to my boss. I am not so much into 15 hours work days. Tobi came out with me so while I was very modest in the drinking, not wanting to get tipsy and start bashing on capitalism to the managing director Tobi could have my share of the cider. I didn’t say no to the aperitif before dinner which by the way was wild boar sauce on uniquely special only grown in the region potatoes. The aperitif was also very uniquely special particularly Finnish drink made of potatoes in process that exactly resembles how vodka is made. But it wasn’t vodka. Hm.
Lots of exciting activities and tasks making us all feel special and challenged, important and cared for by our companies and bosses. One these days can so easily see through it all yet I am sure it still had some of the desired effects. After the programme, before dinner, we had sauna with wood burning stows. Regular Sauna first, then smoke sauna, then a comfy dip in the hot water pool under the stars, back to the sauna and cool down standing outside in the minus ten. I loved it but modestly took my time reasonably short for not everyone engaged with the sauna activity and dinner was waiting and home with bed after that. Managing director and other big boss took their time. We were all waiting and waiting. Scuffed our food helping ourselves to a second serving thinking of taking a nap in the bus especially that the moment the last crumb of the dessert was finished by everyone the bus driver popped his head in wondering if we were ready to go. Ready but…
Managing Director and Area Manager had to sum up the wonderful day’s events and outcomes and trade a couple of inspirational speeches before we could go. The other 13faces spent that 25 minutes with trying to hide ‘Just shut the hell up!’ from their faces and praying that nobody would ask a question or throw a comment. It could have been a nice afternoon but the ending just threw it all out. Of course Managing Directors and Area Managers have their priorities right. No worries apparently of getting home to the kids and wife, getting up next day fresh relatively enough. It seems it is all about the company. Money. My money really, for who pays for this kind of stuff anyway?
The people who are the frontline of production are the ones who create what then is sold as service or product to the costumer. They are, we are the lowest paid. The money that we don’t get paid pays for office staff, fair I guess, someone has to organise work and supply. For management, sort of fair, every company needs a head but the wages there start running away. And the feeling of fairness is further eroded thinking that Managing Director and Area Manager will have more than one a year of these executive style work camps for their staff. There ought to be at least ten or so of such areas in Northern Finland like Synimaa and Linnanma and they all should get their enhancing cooperation days.
In the bus home with Tobi we discussed that probably the ordinary worker would find it far more motivational if some of the hard worked for money instead of being spent on such events, paying for cushioned life for such otherwise nice and friendly people would be given back to us. I would find it more motivational. In fact this whole day demotivated me further.
One more thing Tobi and I agree on here. Smoke sauna is not an easy matter. It is hard to make a good one. In the executive hideout it wasn’t good. Made my eyes not so nice. It felt smoky. The last one before that I took was far better. It was prepared by a friend who has never done it before and I remember she spent an hour or so on the phone to her granddad trying to avoid blowing it up, burning it down or accidentally killing us all with poisonous gas when we went inside. She managed and it will always be a defining experience for me of Finland.
Tobi told me with a wink he decided if he wins the lottery he won’t live on big foot and will give all the money to the poor. Thanks. Lili is slightly annoyed because she just spent the money she saved up in her piggy bank and now she will have to wait buying something else till it’s full again. She keeps asking me for more change. I taught my daughter to beg?
By the way, I am Uncle Gabor from now on
No, Tobi didn’t win. Neither did I. 21 Days left, or maybe less. They did say ‘at latest’. But spring but spring maybe later. In Budapest they are already counting days before it’s spring. We are still counting in weeks at best. Or maybe months.
Wednesday 18 February 2009
25
The temperature the closest to the bottom so far. This week it has been 25 once. One daring morning. 25 below zero. And the advance has stopped there. The coldest I’ve ever been to is 26 and that didn’t happen here. It was in... It was in Turkey now 9 years ago. If my memory isn’t playing tricks with me which I hope not. Although at this age, over 30 one can never be sure about anymore. Although on my way to the loo I don’t get confused about coming or going. I hope I have another 60 before that kicks in.
25 and so far it isn’t getting any colder. Jen thinks I became obsessed with the temperature. At times I feel the need to carry a thermometer on me just to monitor the changes during the day. But during the day nowadays it always gets warmer. It is so because either the sun is out and he warms up things a bit or clouds are quashing our air and they bring some more as well. Warm air from over the seas.
Tobi and Elena haven’t left the house much this week. I had no choice. I talked to my mother the other day and made sure not to mention about the weather. I think she couldn’t handle it not even through the phone. She thinks minus 12 is crazy already. Inhuman. She should know the weather is not for us. We merely survive.
It is less than 25 days now before I know stuff for sure that I do not know now.
It is about 25 days from now when we will want it to be spring but will not have it quite.
There was a day when I was 25 and being 30 seemed like an eternity away. It was only a short kind of eon. Age. A period of 5 years.
Lili decided it is time for her to learn riding the bike without the support wheels. She hasn’t been on the bike since snow came 3 months ago because it is impossible to ride in these conditions with them. There could be 2 reasons for her sudden decision. It could be so that she just misses cycling and knows that this is the only way. Our wishful thinking is however that she clearly remembers how in the autumn she categorically announced she will start speaking Finnish once she learnt to ride the bike without the support wheels. We hope she wants to start speaking in this third language but she also wants to keep to her word. We will start training over the weekend. After all, she is far more cushioned now. Should she fall.
By the way cushion.
It works well. Sore bums are a thing of the past but boredom still triumphs. Tobi cannot read. And we don’t have a TV. We have SG-1 on computer. From beginning to the end all ten seasons but he has seen them twice now. Zagy thought maybe we could keep the egg in the microwave to give everyone some time off but he was explained that would be a stupid idea. There is a clear difference between slow cooking and keeping warm.
Blue bird is on holiday in Helsinki with bird pals. Sent Lili some nice letters teasing her about her holidays to come. Not in the near future unfortunately.
Sunrise today was at 08:10
Sunset is expected to be at 16:54
25 and so far it isn’t getting any colder. Jen thinks I became obsessed with the temperature. At times I feel the need to carry a thermometer on me just to monitor the changes during the day. But during the day nowadays it always gets warmer. It is so because either the sun is out and he warms up things a bit or clouds are quashing our air and they bring some more as well. Warm air from over the seas.
Tobi and Elena haven’t left the house much this week. I had no choice. I talked to my mother the other day and made sure not to mention about the weather. I think she couldn’t handle it not even through the phone. She thinks minus 12 is crazy already. Inhuman. She should know the weather is not for us. We merely survive.
It is less than 25 days now before I know stuff for sure that I do not know now.
It is about 25 days from now when we will want it to be spring but will not have it quite.
There was a day when I was 25 and being 30 seemed like an eternity away. It was only a short kind of eon. Age. A period of 5 years.
Lili decided it is time for her to learn riding the bike without the support wheels. She hasn’t been on the bike since snow came 3 months ago because it is impossible to ride in these conditions with them. There could be 2 reasons for her sudden decision. It could be so that she just misses cycling and knows that this is the only way. Our wishful thinking is however that she clearly remembers how in the autumn she categorically announced she will start speaking Finnish once she learnt to ride the bike without the support wheels. We hope she wants to start speaking in this third language but she also wants to keep to her word. We will start training over the weekend. After all, she is far more cushioned now. Should she fall.
By the way cushion.
It works well. Sore bums are a thing of the past but boredom still triumphs. Tobi cannot read. And we don’t have a TV. We have SG-1 on computer. From beginning to the end all ten seasons but he has seen them twice now. Zagy thought maybe we could keep the egg in the microwave to give everyone some time off but he was explained that would be a stupid idea. There is a clear difference between slow cooking and keeping warm.
Blue bird is on holiday in Helsinki with bird pals. Sent Lili some nice letters teasing her about her holidays to come. Not in the near future unfortunately.
Sunrise today was at 08:10
Sunset is expected to be at 16:54
Monday 16 February 2009
Sick Bay 2
Sequels are always rubbish. I can’t imagine one otherwise and certainly cannot remember.... Maybe... No. You see?
I should have introduced the first time writing about sick bay as ‘part one’ so now part two could come. But sitting here, trying to focus my thoughts I realise I have taken my own motivation to write about sick bay anymore.
What is there to say anyway? I feel miserable! Feel sorry for me! I don’t like the sound of these last sentences. I am getting better. Writing is fun but lazy I am. Yes. I am. I think in an uncertain, hesitant way. All I know for sure that Tobi’s bum and so does Elena’s heart badly. I bought them a nice cushy cushion. There has been some knocking from the inside of the egg therefore we know now, from a book I picked up from the UK years ago that there isn’t much more to go (time). We all are happy although not all the same way. We will miss them for those months when they are out in the deep country.
Lili is back in day care after a lengthy break from it. I hope she likes it although I am sure she does. She was getting bored of the constant adult company. Especially that Moses slept through pretty much the whole of last week.
I am counting down now, to mention one counting. I have 25 days left before I will know a lot more about the future than I do know.
Ok. I am not being clear.
I have 25 days left before I will know with a lot more certainty about the future what I already know now.
I began reading a book with which I spent countless hours in the last 4 days. Apart from today for Today I have managed so far only to work a supposedly 8 hours shift, have breakfast, lunch, snack, a couple of nice chats, a cup of coffee, this writing session, doing the laundry and other things. No time for reading. The book by the way is The Shock Doctrine from Naomi Klein. All I can say that a good friend, the same one who have saved me in the snow in Seinajoki have managed to summarise the book for me back in December fairly well. And another thing I could say is the advice for us all never to give up our last bit of solidarity for the other human being in whatever condition we or he/she might be in. If we do, ‘they’ will have won. The corporatist state will have triumphed and the legacy of – amongst others, many of them far worst - Thatcher will be everlasting.
Tobi started organising our neighbourhood to clear up the grass, the playground and the common room we have for the ten houses in our ‘estate’. There are some problems however with his initiative he is unwilling to see.
1. The grass is particularly nonexistent after three and a half months of winter so far.
2. Both the grass and the playground have been under snow for the last 3 months.
3. The common room in our little neighbourhood is never used. I mean never. The only time someone goes in there when it’s getting cleaned once a week.
4. Point three points out further difficulties in trying to organise anything at all in VK5.
5. It is always good to have 5 points. But to validate it properly: he is a dragon
I am bored of writing, coffee is cold
Advertisement!
An acquaintance of mine has been inspired somehow - I am so great I know – and started his own blog:
Semantics of Life
I should have introduced the first time writing about sick bay as ‘part one’ so now part two could come. But sitting here, trying to focus my thoughts I realise I have taken my own motivation to write about sick bay anymore.
What is there to say anyway? I feel miserable! Feel sorry for me! I don’t like the sound of these last sentences. I am getting better. Writing is fun but lazy I am. Yes. I am. I think in an uncertain, hesitant way. All I know for sure that Tobi’s bum and so does Elena’s heart badly. I bought them a nice cushy cushion. There has been some knocking from the inside of the egg therefore we know now, from a book I picked up from the UK years ago that there isn’t much more to go (time). We all are happy although not all the same way. We will miss them for those months when they are out in the deep country.
Lili is back in day care after a lengthy break from it. I hope she likes it although I am sure she does. She was getting bored of the constant adult company. Especially that Moses slept through pretty much the whole of last week.
I am counting down now, to mention one counting. I have 25 days left before I will know a lot more about the future than I do know.
Ok. I am not being clear.
I have 25 days left before I will know with a lot more certainty about the future what I already know now.
I began reading a book with which I spent countless hours in the last 4 days. Apart from today for Today I have managed so far only to work a supposedly 8 hours shift, have breakfast, lunch, snack, a couple of nice chats, a cup of coffee, this writing session, doing the laundry and other things. No time for reading. The book by the way is The Shock Doctrine from Naomi Klein. All I can say that a good friend, the same one who have saved me in the snow in Seinajoki have managed to summarise the book for me back in December fairly well. And another thing I could say is the advice for us all never to give up our last bit of solidarity for the other human being in whatever condition we or he/she might be in. If we do, ‘they’ will have won. The corporatist state will have triumphed and the legacy of – amongst others, many of them far worst - Thatcher will be everlasting.
Tobi started organising our neighbourhood to clear up the grass, the playground and the common room we have for the ten houses in our ‘estate’. There are some problems however with his initiative he is unwilling to see.
1. The grass is particularly nonexistent after three and a half months of winter so far.
2. Both the grass and the playground have been under snow for the last 3 months.
3. The common room in our little neighbourhood is never used. I mean never. The only time someone goes in there when it’s getting cleaned once a week.
4. Point three points out further difficulties in trying to organise anything at all in VK5.
5. It is always good to have 5 points. But to validate it properly: he is a dragon
I am bored of writing, coffee is cold
Advertisement!
An acquaintance of mine has been inspired somehow - I am so great I know – and started his own blog:
Semantics of Life
Monday 9 February 2009
2 weeks in one go, 4 entries
290109
Ultra
Ultrasomething. I had to take the lot there. It all started with a heartbeat, calm, rhythmical and constant through the eggshell. We caught Tobi with ears constantly on the egg, listening to it smiling in that idiotic way that I so like to use on the bus; helping people have a long walk or wait for the next bus. His ear however isn’t really warm enough Elena pointed out a thousand times already. It’s got to be the bottom.
Ultrasomething is what caught a dragon’s attention when we were comparing notes on the process of baby growing. ‘That ultrasomething, we must get to do some of that’. I looked into it and one day packing up the whole lot we set out to the one place in town they will do it for free. Sort of free. It took some convincing to get an appointment on short notice and get to the lab with the ultrasound machine where the operator lady was still rather reluctant to work with an egg but after 15 minutes of whining, crying, trying and miming Elena eventually started to get a bit upset and disappointed to be turned down. Tobi slipped in ‘She usually gets a sneezing fit when she is upset’ Tobi slipped into the conversation to which statement Moses reassuringly added ‘they’re both fire breathing dragons from Vietnam.’
The tiny thing looks tiny inside the egg and it can still move ‘bout a bit. Not so much. Our operator lady was clearly distressed as she paused the picture on the screen and took measurements telling us the due date. She seemed a bit puzzled by something while telling the happy parents to be this and our wild laughing and rolling on the floor after a split second helped her realise that she was not looking at a human thingy so her usual measurement thingy was just entirely pointless. She managed a modest smile and saw us off with best wishes and everything stressing again and again that just the one examination was enough; everything is in the most perfect of orders as far as she can tell.
Joyful singing on the way home which I missed. The dragons flew off with Moses, Blabla and Zagy on backs and I got to carry the egg in a bag with the hot water bottle. It was boring waiting for the bus. But is it ever not boring? Well maybe when it is frustrating. Then there is an emotional charge.
I have become interested in becoming a student once again. And it is interesting.
The waiting isn’t interesting. It’s killing me. Not literally. It would be terrible if people died in waiting for interview dates. Besides it would be fairly disappointing not to have anyone show up.
30012009
Focus
It has become impossible to write anything, to do anything anymore. It seems my life is taken up with care. I care a lot. About earning money so we can have food and other commodities. I care for people and I seem to care for their state of minds. So I either listen to one talking about history and essays or I listen to random stuff from daycare or life round the house, live report of what’s happening to Moses or I listen to Tobi’s plans for the time when they are going to be a family of three. Sometimes reading through a paragraph is interrupted several times and vow! No I managed to finish this one only now sharing my attention... and eventually loosing focus.
The weekend that has passed with Lots of talking 03022009
And sauna and wisdom and some beer while there were children and snow as usual and some ice for a bit of change. People of course. Old friends who entertained each other with Much talking.
About babies and children and day cares and stuff. Lots of stuff. Too much talking that my brains feel fried somehow. There was eve a fire breathing competition. That was fun somehow. Tobi loved it and I think he may has a good recording of it. But he is not sharing. A bit of shame. He was the jury or something like that but jus the himself. I still claim that he let things slip a bit because although it was a firebreathing competition even when I was shredded to bits, chewed up and spit out on the snow he didn’t intervene or anything. But this last part clearly didn’t involve any of the fire. He said something about the loose text in the rule book. Then I realised that we don’t have one of those. Luckily an innocent bystander saved the day. Saved me. I also mimed dead for a while but that wasn’t working particularly well.
The biggest confusion in regular talk was on how to exercise then finalize communal living. Shall we
1 create a community wherever we go, whatever we do? Regardless of anything apart from the momentary place one resides? – a good idea but...
2 Become virtual villager or maybe
3 Become villagers collecting up a bunch of people from all around the globe
I take votes.
Tobi is for the village, point three. Me too but that taking action bit hesitates so to begin I am thinking of building a website gathering up all those people and I am also thinking of organising a community even in our neighbourhood, trying again joining a ruokapiiri with people who refuse to talk English...
I should see.
A ruokapiiri is a bunch of people who buy food together from local producers.
09022009
Sick Bay
In the last couple of weeks we have been hit hard. It all begun with a friend moving in with us for about ten days coming back home to oulu from exotic Istanbul. She thought that it’s a sanatorium or something. A comfy hospital where people take care of you. Then it was Jen’s turn. And now it is Lili’s. And I care I care I care. Tobi is having difficulties to stay awake but as long as he is on the egg it should be ok. They say it maybe only as short as a month before we crack. I mean the egg does. Elena and I play chess these days or some computer games that Lili is growing most tired off. I suppose it must become tiring when your parents can only say ‘in a minute’ eyes glued to a screen. Moses is asleep and anyway. There is half a meter snow outside while she is having an ear infection. Life it seems has its troubles sometimes.
We have been accused of abandoning this stuff here by some. I felt the negative vibes. Well, we don’t! Yes, surre getting lost in counting but hello, I finished that application form 10 days ago and since I have been having a most terrible block. It must be that I was forced to write into 462 words (3000 characters with spaces) everything that is important about me. I am a very important person and such scrutinizing squeeze has had some uncomfortable consequences of which I will not disclose any more details here.
This sounded somehow different from what I intended but not gonna edit it out. You read it!
Tobi says hello. We went out to the snow tonight. It’s a new habit since the lot of snow fell. Go for a walk in the woods. Scare some dogs and enjoy the knee deep snow. Knee deep for me. We are all for snow suits of course.
Ultra
Ultrasomething. I had to take the lot there. It all started with a heartbeat, calm, rhythmical and constant through the eggshell. We caught Tobi with ears constantly on the egg, listening to it smiling in that idiotic way that I so like to use on the bus; helping people have a long walk or wait for the next bus. His ear however isn’t really warm enough Elena pointed out a thousand times already. It’s got to be the bottom.
Ultrasomething is what caught a dragon’s attention when we were comparing notes on the process of baby growing. ‘That ultrasomething, we must get to do some of that’. I looked into it and one day packing up the whole lot we set out to the one place in town they will do it for free. Sort of free. It took some convincing to get an appointment on short notice and get to the lab with the ultrasound machine where the operator lady was still rather reluctant to work with an egg but after 15 minutes of whining, crying, trying and miming Elena eventually started to get a bit upset and disappointed to be turned down. Tobi slipped in ‘She usually gets a sneezing fit when she is upset’ Tobi slipped into the conversation to which statement Moses reassuringly added ‘they’re both fire breathing dragons from Vietnam.’
The tiny thing looks tiny inside the egg and it can still move ‘bout a bit. Not so much. Our operator lady was clearly distressed as she paused the picture on the screen and took measurements telling us the due date. She seemed a bit puzzled by something while telling the happy parents to be this and our wild laughing and rolling on the floor after a split second helped her realise that she was not looking at a human thingy so her usual measurement thingy was just entirely pointless. She managed a modest smile and saw us off with best wishes and everything stressing again and again that just the one examination was enough; everything is in the most perfect of orders as far as she can tell.
Joyful singing on the way home which I missed. The dragons flew off with Moses, Blabla and Zagy on backs and I got to carry the egg in a bag with the hot water bottle. It was boring waiting for the bus. But is it ever not boring? Well maybe when it is frustrating. Then there is an emotional charge.
I have become interested in becoming a student once again. And it is interesting.
The waiting isn’t interesting. It’s killing me. Not literally. It would be terrible if people died in waiting for interview dates. Besides it would be fairly disappointing not to have anyone show up.
30012009
Focus
It has become impossible to write anything, to do anything anymore. It seems my life is taken up with care. I care a lot. About earning money so we can have food and other commodities. I care for people and I seem to care for their state of minds. So I either listen to one talking about history and essays or I listen to random stuff from daycare or life round the house, live report of what’s happening to Moses or I listen to Tobi’s plans for the time when they are going to be a family of three. Sometimes reading through a paragraph is interrupted several times and vow! No I managed to finish this one only now sharing my attention... and eventually loosing focus.
The weekend that has passed with Lots of talking 03022009
And sauna and wisdom and some beer while there were children and snow as usual and some ice for a bit of change. People of course. Old friends who entertained each other with Much talking.
About babies and children and day cares and stuff. Lots of stuff. Too much talking that my brains feel fried somehow. There was eve a fire breathing competition. That was fun somehow. Tobi loved it and I think he may has a good recording of it. But he is not sharing. A bit of shame. He was the jury or something like that but jus the himself. I still claim that he let things slip a bit because although it was a firebreathing competition even when I was shredded to bits, chewed up and spit out on the snow he didn’t intervene or anything. But this last part clearly didn’t involve any of the fire. He said something about the loose text in the rule book. Then I realised that we don’t have one of those. Luckily an innocent bystander saved the day. Saved me. I also mimed dead for a while but that wasn’t working particularly well.
The biggest confusion in regular talk was on how to exercise then finalize communal living. Shall we
1 create a community wherever we go, whatever we do? Regardless of anything apart from the momentary place one resides? – a good idea but...
2 Become virtual villager or maybe
3 Become villagers collecting up a bunch of people from all around the globe
I take votes.
Tobi is for the village, point three. Me too but that taking action bit hesitates so to begin I am thinking of building a website gathering up all those people and I am also thinking of organising a community even in our neighbourhood, trying again joining a ruokapiiri with people who refuse to talk English...
I should see.
A ruokapiiri is a bunch of people who buy food together from local producers.
09022009
Sick Bay
In the last couple of weeks we have been hit hard. It all begun with a friend moving in with us for about ten days coming back home to oulu from exotic Istanbul. She thought that it’s a sanatorium or something. A comfy hospital where people take care of you. Then it was Jen’s turn. And now it is Lili’s. And I care I care I care. Tobi is having difficulties to stay awake but as long as he is on the egg it should be ok. They say it maybe only as short as a month before we crack. I mean the egg does. Elena and I play chess these days or some computer games that Lili is growing most tired off. I suppose it must become tiring when your parents can only say ‘in a minute’ eyes glued to a screen. Moses is asleep and anyway. There is half a meter snow outside while she is having an ear infection. Life it seems has its troubles sometimes.
We have been accused of abandoning this stuff here by some. I felt the negative vibes. Well, we don’t! Yes, surre getting lost in counting but hello, I finished that application form 10 days ago and since I have been having a most terrible block. It must be that I was forced to write into 462 words (3000 characters with spaces) everything that is important about me. I am a very important person and such scrutinizing squeeze has had some uncomfortable consequences of which I will not disclose any more details here.
This sounded somehow different from what I intended but not gonna edit it out. You read it!
Tobi says hello. We went out to the snow tonight. It’s a new habit since the lot of snow fell. Go for a walk in the woods. Scare some dogs and enjoy the knee deep snow. Knee deep for me. We are all for snow suits of course.
Friday 23 January 2009
Routine
Life seems is slowly sinking back into a normal way of thinking and happening unlike my bike’s wheels into fresh snow. Although what the wheels do is normal in the deep snow but in no way I can describe their act as comfortable. I try to tell I know of some guy who got famous for staying on top of water, walking on it and maybe he could be a positive role model for keeping those wheels on top of the snow. Unfortunately I came to realise that no bike should be underestimated for I was told then how that story ended with the guy famous and all. It is an unexpected turn of technocracy in the wholly scriptures on my opinion. It is raising concerns amongst friends and foes, dragons and cats that I try to communicate with anything in any manner. But is not everything the same things? From whatever viewpoint one seeks perception?
Tobi kept out of my way for the last couple of weeks. The two dragons in fact kept out of everyone’s way pretty much. They got in some books form the library such us ‘How to raise a fire breathing hatchling’, ‘You and your baby Dragon’ and ‘ten way to avoid burning down the neighbourhood’.
PANIC
I tried to talk them out from getting any books. Books can be terribly dangerous.
I think when the newbie has cracked the egg they are moving out. Elena already has been away to look for a nice quiet area with lots of water and some caves. It might be some time before they will be back for a visit which is a fantastic disappointment for all of us but they have grown to like Oulu. Hence the going away for a while.
I mentioned already life is nicely back into some routine. It’s really pleasurable. When I have time in the afternoon, this has happened twice this week; I end up at uni after work, have a cup of something and jump into the library. After the cup of something a quick stop at the toilet and an argument with the automatic paper towel dispenser. Just keeps insisting on us getting that paper even if our hands, paws and feet can get any drier. Our regular desk always waits for us neat and tidy. I think library goers know their place. I like it this way. Good to have a dragon on you.
Lili has been asking lots of interesting questions lately. I suspect she might be suspecting some things. She asked for example how Moses came to stay with us. So we told the truth; an old bear who grown tired of travelling, always on his own eventually wanted to settle a bit and when he heard that we were going to have a baby, about 5 years ago he moved in.
Realising that Moses finds her really special Lili realised that Moses is really special to her as well and recently begun taking good care of him. Although he sleeps through most of the days this time of the year she drags him about a lot not letting him out of her site. Now he has a nice and cosy hanging bed on the bottom shelf of our coat hanging and boot dumping entrance hall. The shelf used to host Lili’s jumpers and overall warm suit. We are still trying to find a more convenient way to store them than trying to avoid their hitting the ground under the wet shoes and boots.
Today Moses went to Day Care with Lili and the Seahorse. He slept a lot but he got up to play a bit. At home he got up again, sat on the egg for a wee while when the parents to be, went out for a cosy walk in the minus ten and when they came back Tobi let him to have some of his pizza. He was in a good mood so we could have pizza for dinner as well. Then Moses went back to sleep.
It’s a devastating cold winter in Hungary with temperature around minus ten for long stretches. At some point a week or 2 back it was down to minus 18 on some parts. Here the minus 10 is actually cosy.
Geography is always a fascinating subject but not if too many details are getting into it.
Tobi and I found a wonderful book. It’s for kids I think. We found it in the Children’s section but a pretty good read otherwise. It’s a story from Finland from a time when it didn’t exist yet. About 6000 years ago. I’m trying to get it in Hungarian so I can read it to Lili but a bit of a challenge. It’s called Wolf Brother. Elena keeps telling us that it isn’t an actual biography, it’s a made up story. We think her words are nonsense. I cannot understand how she can be so rude. How can she prove?
Yeah, and everyone is ever so excited about politics! A week ago and before I used to get an email from Avaz to do something about Gaza. Click 5 times and type my name and email in to take action. Not a word now on that topic now. But everyone is looking at the west. I hope I will not have to see crushed dreams. And yes, I am a scarecrow. No I am not a scarecrow. Scaremonger? Something like that
Politics make us sick. So I prefer stories of life and death from 6000years back. It’s easy to imagine that I am reading a fiction
Tobi kept out of my way for the last couple of weeks. The two dragons in fact kept out of everyone’s way pretty much. They got in some books form the library such us ‘How to raise a fire breathing hatchling’, ‘You and your baby Dragon’ and ‘ten way to avoid burning down the neighbourhood’.
PANIC
I tried to talk them out from getting any books. Books can be terribly dangerous.
I think when the newbie has cracked the egg they are moving out. Elena already has been away to look for a nice quiet area with lots of water and some caves. It might be some time before they will be back for a visit which is a fantastic disappointment for all of us but they have grown to like Oulu. Hence the going away for a while.
I mentioned already life is nicely back into some routine. It’s really pleasurable. When I have time in the afternoon, this has happened twice this week; I end up at uni after work, have a cup of something and jump into the library. After the cup of something a quick stop at the toilet and an argument with the automatic paper towel dispenser. Just keeps insisting on us getting that paper even if our hands, paws and feet can get any drier. Our regular desk always waits for us neat and tidy. I think library goers know their place. I like it this way. Good to have a dragon on you.
Lili has been asking lots of interesting questions lately. I suspect she might be suspecting some things. She asked for example how Moses came to stay with us. So we told the truth; an old bear who grown tired of travelling, always on his own eventually wanted to settle a bit and when he heard that we were going to have a baby, about 5 years ago he moved in.
Realising that Moses finds her really special Lili realised that Moses is really special to her as well and recently begun taking good care of him. Although he sleeps through most of the days this time of the year she drags him about a lot not letting him out of her site. Now he has a nice and cosy hanging bed on the bottom shelf of our coat hanging and boot dumping entrance hall. The shelf used to host Lili’s jumpers and overall warm suit. We are still trying to find a more convenient way to store them than trying to avoid their hitting the ground under the wet shoes and boots.
Today Moses went to Day Care with Lili and the Seahorse. He slept a lot but he got up to play a bit. At home he got up again, sat on the egg for a wee while when the parents to be, went out for a cosy walk in the minus ten and when they came back Tobi let him to have some of his pizza. He was in a good mood so we could have pizza for dinner as well. Then Moses went back to sleep.
It’s a devastating cold winter in Hungary with temperature around minus ten for long stretches. At some point a week or 2 back it was down to minus 18 on some parts. Here the minus 10 is actually cosy.
Geography is always a fascinating subject but not if too many details are getting into it.
Tobi and I found a wonderful book. It’s for kids I think. We found it in the Children’s section but a pretty good read otherwise. It’s a story from Finland from a time when it didn’t exist yet. About 6000 years ago. I’m trying to get it in Hungarian so I can read it to Lili but a bit of a challenge. It’s called Wolf Brother. Elena keeps telling us that it isn’t an actual biography, it’s a made up story. We think her words are nonsense. I cannot understand how she can be so rude. How can she prove?
Yeah, and everyone is ever so excited about politics! A week ago and before I used to get an email from Avaz to do something about Gaza. Click 5 times and type my name and email in to take action. Not a word now on that topic now. But everyone is looking at the west. I hope I will not have to see crushed dreams. And yes, I am a scarecrow. No I am not a scarecrow. Scaremonger? Something like that
Politics make us sick. So I prefer stories of life and death from 6000years back. It’s easy to imagine that I am reading a fiction
Friday 9 January 2009
An appointment or two
Fridays are nice, especially when one gets paid on that same day. They just make me cheerful. Amongst other things.
Sadly entertaining facts of the week are the almost futile attempts to make appointments to engage with the health care system. I wanted to make a doctor’s appointment so I phoned my healthcare centre to which I am insured through my work. I forgot to check up how to say such thing in Finnish and since I haven’t said such thing in Finnish for a long time I had trouble expressing myself so changing to English my attempt was still futile. The receptionist told me to wait then put me on hold. After about five minutes the phone started ringing, I got excited but nobody picked up for about five minutes when the other end hanged up the phone and I was listening to a gentle beep beep beep...
Jen tried with the Finnish health care system as well this week. From her centre, because as a student she goes to a different one she was sent away with a phone number. Calling that number she started off in English straight away and she was told to wait a minute. Then the call without any warning was redirected to a very surprised operator at the tourist office receiving the shortly surprised Jen’s call. After some more phone calls, other number, finally she managed to get a time.
I had to go to my healthcare centre in town and after lengthy waiting and some interesting but still cheerful mockery of a conversation I managed to get a time as well.
Tobi offered me to lose his temper several occasions this week because of these odysseys of making doctor’s appointments and ... well, as he now understand the anti violence stand he offered to puncture some car or bike tires. I refused because I’m saving his services for someone else.
Otherwise not so much for events. Nearly full moon. Full moon is always good. Positive changes come with it. Old things, structures, habits and thought patterns die with the turn. It’s a bringer of better things through the leaving behind what needs not to be carried anymore. Elena and Tobi are out howling for the night. They were courteous enough to go to another neighbourhood. We will sleep. Someone else might not.
At work today there was lots of excitement. I think it had to do with payday feeling because the job otherwise is dead boring. Funny. We managed to get some relaxing time however folding and hanging up mops and clothes from the washing machine. Nice and warm laundry room, just Tobi and I. Elena has been out shopping for baby things. She is getting a bit carried away. Relaxed and contempt my dream from last night popped into my head. It was an interesting dream so I shared it with Tobi. He had a good laugh at my expense rolling on the ground and kicking his feet in the air. Well, he does have a certain sense of humour.
The dream is here but the actual dream starts about half way through the story, I put a ‘*’ mark in.
And before I turn in, I reveal to who I am saving Tobi’s services.
The President of the Republic of Hungary
A bit of a figure head but he has some duties. Like having to sign the laws passed by parliament. When he doesn’t like them, for concerns about their constitutional standing he can refer them over to the High Court. The judges there love him so much they only ask ‘how high’ when Mr President tells them to Jump! The laws Mr P doesn’t like they don’t send back to parliament but instead they come up with some jumble about how it’s unconstitutional and destroy it.
Most recent two were the one about granting gay people their otherwise constitutional right to choose the form of relationship they want to live in. It wasn’t even going as far as marriage but only the right to register civil partnership. The high court sent it down the drain for him. The second time now. First time around was 10 year ago when the old man himself was the P of the High Court.
The most recent one that pissed me off even more so is about a new law designed to create the frames how courts and most importantly police should handle cases on domestic violence increasing their repertoire to protect the victim. Mr P thought that in special cases police handling a case issuing limited time – until court ruling - restrain orders on the abusing, violent person is against their constitutional right to own property and access freely their property. So the law is over to the HC. They ask only ‘How High?’
The old B&%)#d A(%#”*e mr P forgotten about the probably constitutional and certainly basic human rights of the other person. To life, to dignity etc.
I am on a crusade and I have a couple of dragons to back me up!
Sadly entertaining facts of the week are the almost futile attempts to make appointments to engage with the health care system. I wanted to make a doctor’s appointment so I phoned my healthcare centre to which I am insured through my work. I forgot to check up how to say such thing in Finnish and since I haven’t said such thing in Finnish for a long time I had trouble expressing myself so changing to English my attempt was still futile. The receptionist told me to wait then put me on hold. After about five minutes the phone started ringing, I got excited but nobody picked up for about five minutes when the other end hanged up the phone and I was listening to a gentle beep beep beep...
Jen tried with the Finnish health care system as well this week. From her centre, because as a student she goes to a different one she was sent away with a phone number. Calling that number she started off in English straight away and she was told to wait a minute. Then the call without any warning was redirected to a very surprised operator at the tourist office receiving the shortly surprised Jen’s call. After some more phone calls, other number, finally she managed to get a time.
I had to go to my healthcare centre in town and after lengthy waiting and some interesting but still cheerful mockery of a conversation I managed to get a time as well.
Tobi offered me to lose his temper several occasions this week because of these odysseys of making doctor’s appointments and ... well, as he now understand the anti violence stand he offered to puncture some car or bike tires. I refused because I’m saving his services for someone else.
Otherwise not so much for events. Nearly full moon. Full moon is always good. Positive changes come with it. Old things, structures, habits and thought patterns die with the turn. It’s a bringer of better things through the leaving behind what needs not to be carried anymore. Elena and Tobi are out howling for the night. They were courteous enough to go to another neighbourhood. We will sleep. Someone else might not.
At work today there was lots of excitement. I think it had to do with payday feeling because the job otherwise is dead boring. Funny. We managed to get some relaxing time however folding and hanging up mops and clothes from the washing machine. Nice and warm laundry room, just Tobi and I. Elena has been out shopping for baby things. She is getting a bit carried away. Relaxed and contempt my dream from last night popped into my head. It was an interesting dream so I shared it with Tobi. He had a good laugh at my expense rolling on the ground and kicking his feet in the air. Well, he does have a certain sense of humour.
The dream is here but the actual dream starts about half way through the story, I put a ‘*’ mark in.
And before I turn in, I reveal to who I am saving Tobi’s services.
The President of the Republic of Hungary
A bit of a figure head but he has some duties. Like having to sign the laws passed by parliament. When he doesn’t like them, for concerns about their constitutional standing he can refer them over to the High Court. The judges there love him so much they only ask ‘how high’ when Mr President tells them to Jump! The laws Mr P doesn’t like they don’t send back to parliament but instead they come up with some jumble about how it’s unconstitutional and destroy it.
Most recent two were the one about granting gay people their otherwise constitutional right to choose the form of relationship they want to live in. It wasn’t even going as far as marriage but only the right to register civil partnership. The high court sent it down the drain for him. The second time now. First time around was 10 year ago when the old man himself was the P of the High Court.
The most recent one that pissed me off even more so is about a new law designed to create the frames how courts and most importantly police should handle cases on domestic violence increasing their repertoire to protect the victim. Mr P thought that in special cases police handling a case issuing limited time – until court ruling - restrain orders on the abusing, violent person is against their constitutional right to own property and access freely their property. So the law is over to the HC. They ask only ‘How High?’
The old B&%)#d A(%#”*e mr P forgotten about the probably constitutional and certainly basic human rights of the other person. To life, to dignity etc.
I am on a crusade and I have a couple of dragons to back me up!
Wednesday 7 January 2009
Not as cold as expected but cold enogh
The Dragons had some news for us a couple of days back. Unfortunately I was too busy to report on this straight away. I had to take care of some writing business for an application which of course isn’t completely finished but I am giving it a bit of a break. It seems that Elena and Tobi were more than just good friends hanging out together eating ice cream and stuff. So we are expecting another dragon, a new born one this time. It can take easily over 6 months for such an egg to hatch but before it does I am pretty sure they will move out getting a new place for the three of them. The top of the fridge is already too small for two and getting another squeezed there would be too challenging. Beside a new born baby dragon will need a quiet dimly lit place for the first couple of years...
It’s great news and I think Lili is quite excited. Tobi, well, Tobi is excited too although I am confident he hasn’t a clue what will come and how it will change things around. Elena is pretty happy and shiny. I can understand. She doesn’t have to carry the egg just sit on it a lot. Or she can leave it in the warmth of their corner and go out to sunbathe.
We can almost sunbathe now! Without flying. On Saturday Lili and I and the gang went to town and Lili discovered that on the top floor of the city Library, standing on a particular place bending in a particular angle she could see the sun. It took a bit of reminding her what the sun is. I was in tears almost. Didn’t want to leave at all but it is only so long before a four years old bores of anything.
Things are getting better. Today when there were 2 car parks between me and the nearest tree and house towards the sun I could actually see it shining through the branches of trees with its blinding pale orange glow... Yes, it isn’t really blinding with any decent central European standards. Only with crazy northerner standards.
I abandoned my pacifism for a brief moment. Tobi forced me. He was thinking of enlisting to do something so I kicked him real hard. Didn’t mean to but he was beyond reasoning. Some things like genocides upset him.
We are spending a lot of time watching news. Shouldn’t really I guess. It doesn’t do much good to my nerves. Our nerves. But it’s so cold outside it is not possible to sunbathe too long without losing a nose and starting to get blue fingers.
Elena and Tobi are practicing a lot about caring for something other than themselves. They hang out a lot with Blabla and Zigy taking them everywhere they go. Tobi thinks it’s cool. This becoming an elder dragon, taking care of kids will be so much fun. He can just fly about all day carrying someone on the back and doing crazy stuff in the air. I as so often don’t want to break his heart. So I don’t and it is a pleasure to watch until my neck gets tired.
It’s great news and I think Lili is quite excited. Tobi, well, Tobi is excited too although I am confident he hasn’t a clue what will come and how it will change things around. Elena is pretty happy and shiny. I can understand. She doesn’t have to carry the egg just sit on it a lot. Or she can leave it in the warmth of their corner and go out to sunbathe.
We can almost sunbathe now! Without flying. On Saturday Lili and I and the gang went to town and Lili discovered that on the top floor of the city Library, standing on a particular place bending in a particular angle she could see the sun. It took a bit of reminding her what the sun is. I was in tears almost. Didn’t want to leave at all but it is only so long before a four years old bores of anything.
Things are getting better. Today when there were 2 car parks between me and the nearest tree and house towards the sun I could actually see it shining through the branches of trees with its blinding pale orange glow... Yes, it isn’t really blinding with any decent central European standards. Only with crazy northerner standards.
I abandoned my pacifism for a brief moment. Tobi forced me. He was thinking of enlisting to do something so I kicked him real hard. Didn’t mean to but he was beyond reasoning. Some things like genocides upset him.
We are spending a lot of time watching news. Shouldn’t really I guess. It doesn’t do much good to my nerves. Our nerves. But it’s so cold outside it is not possible to sunbathe too long without losing a nose and starting to get blue fingers.
Elena and Tobi are practicing a lot about caring for something other than themselves. They hang out a lot with Blabla and Zigy taking them everywhere they go. Tobi thinks it’s cool. This becoming an elder dragon, taking care of kids will be so much fun. He can just fly about all day carrying someone on the back and doing crazy stuff in the air. I as so often don’t want to break his heart. So I don’t and it is a pleasure to watch until my neck gets tired.
Friday 2 January 2009
It has come
Cool morning didn’t spare us from having to venture out there… There was ice on the ground and the birds, those wonderful birds were asleep. So were Lili and Jen. The gang, still worn out from the evening party ending barely 24 hours before. The gang sleeping in the kitchen under the worktop was in no shape to… look like a gang. A blob. Only blue bird on the top of the fridge woke when I got some supplies for breakfast. He offered to come to work with me. Took a step outside then returned to the house wanting to look for gloves or ‘something’. That was the last of him I saw today although now I am at home. And it is warmer inside than outside.
The grit on the ice doesn’t stop one from falling over occasionally. Certainly doesn’t stop bike from trying out new tricks. I am prepared. I am always prepared. This year I have managed to get on my back only twice and once on my side. The rest of the time, countless of those I ended the tricks on feet. Sorry, that was technically last year. You see, for me the turn of the year still happens sometime in August or at the start of September. A year is a period of time between the start of a school year and the start of the next one.
Minus 15 shouldn’t be that cold! It should be just simply cold. Cool… and somehow it is. Just don’t stay out too long. It’s gonna get colder now, below 20 for a couple of days before easing up again. Then… then maybe I will get Tobi out of the house. Go for a walk. Maybe even as far as the nearest Sauna.
Two nights ago, when it was still 2008 there was some terrible wind. We thought it would be tricky to walk and wonders; it was on some corners and icy patches. We thought that we might get snowed in and unable to get home but we were wrong. Wind just blew and blew until it blew away everything. Or so it thought. But I have a disappointing bad feeling that there may be some stuff left behind. Quite a lot of stuff.
I appreciated the intent. Getting a clean slate, a fresh new dawn at 10:24.
I am not sure it has worked though. Maybe wind hasn’t blown enough. Started too late or finished too early. Somehow reading the news I see it hasn’t worked. It just seems to be all the same as before. And I sound soo soo soo dark and moody. Well, you got to sometimes.
I think my problem derives from events around 9 or eight days ago. I didn’t get to have some decent glög. Now I will have to wait a year for another one. And to realize this is a greater burden than anything I can imagine even in my darkest of hours…
Tomorrow… I will go to the shops before dawn. They open at 10. I will see if they have still maybe a carton left that I could mix with some water and drink, right there on the spot if I have to entering this new year of harsh winter mornings 3 days late. Exhausted from an odyssey of a nature I can’t quite manage to describe.
And finally a status report from the comments pages of Hungary’s biggest daily:
An article about a shanty town and how its inhabitants go to jail for stealing some electricity or being unable to pay for it without ever seeing a lawyer sparked some debates. Now it seems that there are five people debating upholding the principles and rights of equality and dignity. The rest, vastly outnumbering these five, about 12. They argue for things some of which shall not ever see print yet moderators will not kick them out.
And here comes the best part! The people about whom this article writes, the debate erupted for can only join the debate, comment on the article if they break the law and steal electricity – all meters and stuff like that have been removed from their houses. Especially on a day like the 1st January when the only place one could access the net is the home.
Yeah, happy new year and remember Tobi, at least he know when to remain joyfully ignorant
The grit on the ice doesn’t stop one from falling over occasionally. Certainly doesn’t stop bike from trying out new tricks. I am prepared. I am always prepared. This year I have managed to get on my back only twice and once on my side. The rest of the time, countless of those I ended the tricks on feet. Sorry, that was technically last year. You see, for me the turn of the year still happens sometime in August or at the start of September. A year is a period of time between the start of a school year and the start of the next one.
Minus 15 shouldn’t be that cold! It should be just simply cold. Cool… and somehow it is. Just don’t stay out too long. It’s gonna get colder now, below 20 for a couple of days before easing up again. Then… then maybe I will get Tobi out of the house. Go for a walk. Maybe even as far as the nearest Sauna.
Two nights ago, when it was still 2008 there was some terrible wind. We thought it would be tricky to walk and wonders; it was on some corners and icy patches. We thought that we might get snowed in and unable to get home but we were wrong. Wind just blew and blew until it blew away everything. Or so it thought. But I have a disappointing bad feeling that there may be some stuff left behind. Quite a lot of stuff.
I appreciated the intent. Getting a clean slate, a fresh new dawn at 10:24.
I am not sure it has worked though. Maybe wind hasn’t blown enough. Started too late or finished too early. Somehow reading the news I see it hasn’t worked. It just seems to be all the same as before. And I sound soo soo soo dark and moody. Well, you got to sometimes.
I think my problem derives from events around 9 or eight days ago. I didn’t get to have some decent glög. Now I will have to wait a year for another one. And to realize this is a greater burden than anything I can imagine even in my darkest of hours…
Tomorrow… I will go to the shops before dawn. They open at 10. I will see if they have still maybe a carton left that I could mix with some water and drink, right there on the spot if I have to entering this new year of harsh winter mornings 3 days late. Exhausted from an odyssey of a nature I can’t quite manage to describe.
And finally a status report from the comments pages of Hungary’s biggest daily:
An article about a shanty town and how its inhabitants go to jail for stealing some electricity or being unable to pay for it without ever seeing a lawyer sparked some debates. Now it seems that there are five people debating upholding the principles and rights of equality and dignity. The rest, vastly outnumbering these five, about 12. They argue for things some of which shall not ever see print yet moderators will not kick them out.
And here comes the best part! The people about whom this article writes, the debate erupted for can only join the debate, comment on the article if they break the law and steal electricity – all meters and stuff like that have been removed from their houses. Especially on a day like the 1st January when the only place one could access the net is the home.
Yeah, happy new year and remember Tobi, at least he know when to remain joyfully ignorant
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