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
Friday 23 January 2009
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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