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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.