Oulu

Just a quick note. Nine hours after climbing onto the train in Helsinki I have safely arrived in Oulu. I had arranged to get a sleeper car, however I didn't realize that being assigned the top bunk meant the top of 3, so quite a long ways off the ground indeed. Two Finnish strangers were sharing my cabin sleeping beneath me, so that was a bit of an odd thought, but still I managed to catch and hour here, 30 minutes there in between the constant clackity clack and screetch as we made stops. It was an interesting experience, anyway. I tried to take pics of the sleeping cabin and if any of them turned out I'll post when I get back to my computer. Until then, it's visiting friends today and Sunday, laser tag and my host bro's b-day bash tomorrow, and then the drive the rest of the way to Luosto on Monday. I should be able to post an update or two from there, as I've just found out that internet access there has increased by at least 500% (there was only one computer last time for everyone at the resort...) So perhaps some stories, but the pics will come from Helsinki.

After this trip me and 2 friends will be heading to Estonia for the Easter holiday. I'm really looking forward to seeing and doing much on that trip, as I've wanted to go to Estonia for a long time. I'm also quite excited about my company there:) What can I say, I'm just all over the place these days.

UPDATE!! Photos

Take Two

Yes yes, I know I said not even a month ago that I was on vacation (and I was, from school). Tomorrow, however, I will be leaving for a genuine vacation skiing in Lapland. My very awesome first host family has rented a cottage for a week at Luosto and they've invited me along for the holiday. First, however, I'll make a stop in Oulu to visit some friends and celebrate my host brothers birthday with what he has billed a HUGE party. Should be exciting! In any event, I plan to get back in the habit of taking lots of pictures. The nature there is beautiful, so that should make for some great pictures. Last time I was there I skiied well over 100 km in the week, and am looking forward to doing the same again this year. We'll see though- it's been 4 years since i've cross country skiied. I'm much more of a skating style skiier. I find trench skiing to be cumbersome and entirely too much work. (see below) In any event, posting will be light if at all possible, and photos will have to wait til I return. Enjoy the beginnings of spring!

Skating style

Trench

Attack of the killer icicles

In a truly bizzare turn of events, I stepped outside my door onto the balcony the other day and was nearly impaled. How, you ask? By sideways growing icicles, that's how. I know, it's unnatural and impossible, but somehow gigantic icicles have grown off the outside of the balcony pointing directly towards the door. Don't ask me how it happened.

(side view)

BBDT

As a side note, one of my hobbies is ballroom and latin dancing. My team was just featured in the Brown Daily Herald (our school paper). If it's of interest to you, by all means please have a look. It's quite an enjoyable pastime, even though the committment is back-breaking (c. 20 hours a week on top of classes and work...)

Tolkien and Finnish

For those among you who have any inklings towards linguistics, you've probably already realized that JRR Tolkien (or Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fame) based his language of the elves on Finnish language. Just in case you missed it, though, here the National Geographic story on Tolkien's language orientation.

Tolkien's High Elvish language, Quenya, was inspired by Finnish. Tolkien taught himself Finnish in order to read the Kalevala, a 19th-century compilation of old Finnish songs and stories arranged by Elias Lönnrot into a linear epic poem and completed in 1835 and revised in the mid-1800s.

I tried reading the Kalevala in Finnish once. Let me tell you, THAT was a bad idea. I think most Finns today would be labored to read it in Finnish... So I'll just stick with the Canine Kalevala. Ohhh, pretty pictures!!

A walk in Central Park

This morning I was feeling pretty rough- both my headache and the rush of other thoughts going through my head- so I decdied to do what most any Finn would do when in need of some peace and tranquility- I headed back to nature. I am fortunate enough to live very near Helsinki's Central Park (Keskuspuisto). I took these pictures on my journey. The day was beautiful, even if it was somewhere around 7 degrees.

Lomalla (On vacation)

Sorry about the utter lack of posts over the last few days, but I'm on vacation from classes for the week. I know, that should give me more time for posting, but I've been out having a good time. Posting will resume tout de suite apres les vacances (right away after vacation), I promise.

Home away from home?

Out in Vuosaari the other day, I came across this shopping center right over the metro station. I just can't seem to get away from Columbus, even if I go to the other side of the world! It's bad enough that I was born there, but now they expect me to shop there?? Hardly! ;)

Finland today - 3 Mar 2006

• MM-avantouinti kilpailu in Oulu this weekend attracts polar bear swimmers from all over the world. (I once watched this competition when it was held in Kajaani. Great fun!)

• Widening inequality highlighted by re-elected Halonen in inauguration speech, a day later Halonen receives a 24% raise.
• Traffic in Helsinki at a standstill due to the inauguration festivivites. Delays were expected to last "a few minutes."
  

  Later in the afternoon, festivities at the presidential residence are expected to cause a series of delays lasting a few minutes.

• Strike threatened to start Sunday could halt 95% of Helsinki's waste collection services.
• Finland and Estonia: Putting the "flying squirrel" in Europe.
• Check out this site for "Stupid Finnish Advertisements," compiled and translated just for your misery...
  
  
  

It's March, and that means...

...no more long underwear. Yeah, I love my snoopies (as i affectionately call them, since there are pictures of snoopy all over them) but in the interest of spring thinking I decided that I won't wear them anymore. The days are getting progressively longer, so why shouldn't my layers get progressively thinner? Plus then I don't have to wash laundry as frequently since I only have 2 pairs of long underwear- the limiting reagent in my wardrobe. I win all around! Now let's just hope that this year isn't like last with March being the coldest month...

Why I love Finland, reason #9 354 546 657

In light of the recent spreading of the bird flu virus to an island near Sweden and Germany, this little tidbit may be especially helpful. In order to prevent the spreading of bird flu, the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture is reccomending that anyone who has traveled to an area where infection has been present use something very Finnish to disinfect their clothes: the sauna. According to the ministry expert, putting your clothes in the sauna at 70 C for 3 hours is enough to kill the virus but sterilize your clothes. As there are over 2 million saunas in Finland, access is not a problem.

The government urged travelers returning from places in southeastern Asia, where the virus has claimed 61 lives, and Russia, where numerous poultry farms have been infected, to disinfect their clothing, shoes and luggage in a sauna.

"This is very efficient way of destroying the virus, which cannot survive high temperatures. For clothes, you need 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit) for three hours," Kiviruusu said.

This method is mentioned as the preferred alternative to burning.

Laskiainen

Laskianen- Mardi gras- Fat Tuesday in Finland is a day for university students. Everyone dons the overalls color coded by faculty and heads (at least in Helsinki) to Kaivopuisto for extreme sledding and general drunken merriment. I have a few pics below, but for some really awesome pics (always) check out Mis's site. I'll add a video or two when i get around to it.

up the hill
Creative sleds abound
Tent sauna