Divide time to equal portions,

Teaching finnish to the new exchangies,


At Molly Malone's with Laura, Robert, Timmy (from the block) and Iain.


FEVER with Frank, Sirpa, Siru, Remon (and the spanish people).

Today I caught myself smiling again at something happened during the last few days. Yesterday, I met Tarja to get some of her leftover boxes. During a conversation while we were sitting in her house, she said something like: "But surely you will get lots of friends in Italy." I'm sure of that, but just now I'm realizing how many great friends I have here. Siru and I talked just a while ago about the friends we had in high school. Neither of us, feel we have anything in common with them anymore. There is only very few people who I've managed to stay closer friends with. Sometimes when I see some of the highschool friends in Turku and I keep thinking how did I ever managed to be their friend. We had absolutely nothing in common (except for school). There is still few great friends I've kept from Raisio/Turku.

The Wednesday that I spent in Raisio was Jussi's birthday party. I was doing some stuff in the internet and writing to my blog as I didn't have much to do during the day. Katri commented on an entry and we chatted shortly there. 10 minutes after that she was at our door (it was about 1 or 2pm) and she left at 9pm that evening.

At the Stockholm cruise, I had a great discussion with Suvi about school motivation.
Before Laura left to Korea, I went to see her and we talked about how some people can just start from where they were left, when they meet again. I like that thought. It's just human to not always have the energy to see and talk to everyone. Time and energy sources are limited. (Of course, there's sometimes also laziness included.)
I called Siru just yesterday for nothing special at all. We chatted for a while and I ended up smiling by myself in the train. Then Miika sent me a message saying something like hi for no good reason!
Today I sent mom an email about all the money arrangements and such. She sent me something back very shortly and in the end she wrote: "I miss you". Instant smile on my face.
Laura is lending me her storage space for a full year. I'm worried to use her space, because I'm sure she would use it herself too. I'm so grateful of it since this way we don't have to take all my stuff to Raisio (and then back again the next year).
Then there's Yolanda dancing with me with full speed. Julio dancing salsa and his nice voice. Remon: "We've discussed it with Frank that you're a kulta! That means a sweetheart, right?" Going to Mental Wear shop with Kimmo and Siru. Robert trying to make me smile during my horrible sleepy-day and trying to manage at the same time teach foreigners finnish. And Iain with his scottish accent and sense of humour.

"naaa no limits but u wouldnt understand and be able 2 cope as well as i can with finnish :p"
"come on. when you get wrecked, i pull asses. and you say i couldn't cope with what exactly?"
"Lol wait if i get wrecked ul pull an ass?"

It's good to leave for knowing that
I cannot remember many days of unhappiness.

23 days until leaving the country. 16 days until I move away from Vantaa.

Appartemento con Anna,

It is very hard to divide the time left as equally and satisfyingly between everyone. These new exchange students are totally distroying my system of time dividing.

All together, I'm very excited to go to Italy. Everything is starting to be ready for going. Appartment is ready for me and waiting. The whole finding it was a process in itself. There was many complications and such during the search but in the end, all thanks going to Anna, I found a great place 3-4 minutes bike ride away from the center of Padova. Or at least based on what I know now, it seems like a great place. The only thing I don't understand in it is that why would someone want a mottled floor anywhere. I mean seriously mottled. All around the house there is a floor made of stone I think. It looks like black-white-dark green marble but isn't. And making it even more mottled is that the stones is in pieces, so that the already mottled material looks even more mottled when it is in little pieces around the house. Mottled or not - I'm happy with the result I got.

In the building, I'm living with Anna in one double room. In the other double room, there is going to be living two other unknown girls. At the moment, two italian girls are interested, who have been to exchange somewhere. There is also a little kitchen. It is surprisingly small to be in an italian house. The first one I saw pictures had a huge kitchen. Bigger than the bedrooms together. But I think there is all the space we need for cooking and baking. Outside the kitchen, there is a living room with sofa and tv-corner, dining-table and some cupboard room. In the end of the hallway, which starts from the door, is the bathroom. If I saw right and understood what I saw, there is two toiletseats in the bathroom... that's interesting I think. Or maybe it was a sink? But it was in the same level and looking the same as the toilet. On the sides, from the bathroom doorway, there is entrances to both of the double rooms. There's desks, chairs and shelves for everyone.

All together the house looked a bit dirty in the pictures, but there is or was living 4 boys, so that might explain something. I think we can do a lot to make the appartment look good with the help of a near-by IKEA!

The nicest part is that there is a nice guestroom for visitors. Unfortunately with only one bed, but there is lots of room for more than one person. That means that you can come visit me!

The house is a villa so there is a garden in front of it. The most interesting part of the arrangement is this. The owner, Franca's, mother lives in the same building. So as we entry the house from the side, she entries it in the front. So she lives in the same building but the appartments are clearly seperated. The garden is basicly on her side of the house, but I'm still hoping we can use it too! There is also a place for bicycles and a car.

ground plan of the house (made by Anna)

Now it's time for a thank you and an introduction. Anna, who made all this possible, is 23 years old and studies art history in the Uni of Padova. She's originally from Brescia, which is quite near to lake Garda. I got to know her when I found her ad for an Erasmus student to share a room with her in another appartment. After I replied her many things have happened.

The owner of the place where I applied first had some problems of getting me a lease contract, so as Anna got another interested SMS from a Norwegian girl, Silje, she started to look for other options. First option was a place near the river, but as she went to see her, the place was very small and some stairs where even a bit dangerous. The location would've been ideal, but the condition wasn't. So the owner, Franca, had another house for her to see. The villa in via Montà which we decided to take :)

And now, in the weekend, when I pay for a deposit, the place is reserved for me. Anna and I will share a room facing the garden<3

As scared as I'm for sharing a room with an italian girl, I'm also very excited to see how it works. So far, I haven't had a flatmate who has really been on the same level as I'm. Now I'm going to share a room, not just the appartment, with someone. Finns have the tend to need space around themselves, so I'm also worried for that. But that's a challenge too.

Another problem at first was that Franca wanted the rents paid every 6 months. As the rent is now 180 euros, the 6 month price is 1080 euros. That is not a problem as that is how it goes still, but the way she wanted it to paid was. She wanted a check for the first 6 months as I arrived and check for the last 6 months dated for 1st of January 2008. In Finland, checks are used very very very seldom, if ever. I've only got checks for a present in my graduation party. So the problem would've been that the checks need to be paid in advance and here there is no dating system as to not getting the checks dated for an exact date. When you get them, they can be cashed straight away. The problem was solved as Franca agreed to get the payment straight to her account. This way I don't have to pay the whole years rent at once. And yes, I'm there only 10 months and I can only get appartments for 12 months. It's funny. Italians *sneers*

So now there is only signing up for the courses, moving out from Vantaa and packing left to do. I still need a suitcase and some boxes for packing my things but everything else is about ready. Yeah, I have some school things still undone. 3 exams and 3+1 essays to write and one excercise to do. Most of the exams are very hard to do but.. let's see. I'll manage everything. I also got 3 more shifts to do at work. (Someone had just quit there last week and they were calling me 2 times a day asking if I could go that evening!)

Stockholm accompanied by Bom Chicka Wah Wah

A trip for many reasons: Suvi's birthday, my farewell, school starting, holiday ending, being together with friends. A cruiser ship, some long drinks, ciders and shots. The meal is ready for a nice little ride to Stockholm, Sweden.

Suvi and "How ya doing!" -stick. Matias (from Kuopio) and Siru changing shirts with a great grin. Laura looking glamorous!

A lot of time spent in the Old Town (Gamla Stan) where we ate and ate. The pie was a little and tasty piece of heaven on Earth. (Café Kladdkakan, Stora Nygatan)

We walked and talked and walked some more. Saw some Bom Chicka Wah Wah's on the way.

Few pictures in the first row taken by Suvi.
30 days left.

Exchangies at Facebook

I found Marco from ESN, who I got an e-mail earlier, from Facebook. There is a group for "Students coming to Padua '07-'08"! It is the coolest place where you can ask anything and get answers to it too :)

I'm having mood swings and this morning I didn't feel like going anywhere from this country, but now I'm looking forward to it again!

Joo-o, nii-i!

39 days/päivää/giorni.

Suomeksi

Today was Jussi's 18th birthday party. (Actually he's crossing the magical limit on Saturday.) I saw relatives and relative-alike-people - and somehow.. uh.. I don't know. Even though I was mostly quiet, I really enjoyed being around them. I didn't really have much to say about anything, I just wanted to suck everything possible of them to my memory.

Lately, I've been thinking that most of this wouldn't feel as effective and strong if I would stay. It's like all my senses have gone stronger. I sense everyone and everything around me so much better than I've used to. I don't exactly know why is that, because it's not like the people would be different. I trust that my grandparents and parents are keeping it real for me and not being nice or unnice just because of the fact that I'm not gonna see them in a year. But the fact is effective on my senses.

Everything around me reminds me of leaving and not being around someone or something in a long while - or ever again. It's like I'm glutting as much of the things happening and being around me as possible. Everything feels so amazingly nice and harmonic. Not even the worst co-workers can piss me off enough to make me jump to the walls.

Today I was doing what you usually do in the bathroom and I caught myself staring at the hand towels thinking that I won't be watching those then. It's also about knowing that somethings are gonna change for good. I knowing I'm living in phases and some phases are not for going back to. I cannot go back to this moment and this harmony anymore. Who knows what relationships change and how. All I know for sure, like I have for some time now, is that I'm really living my life and enjoying every bit of it. I know it sounds corny, but - what the hell - so does everything else in this post. It is corny.. what I'm feeling here.

It's also scary. Every change is scary in a way. Going to something that you're not familiar with or used to. Like mom said today, when I was suggesting that I won't miss some particular thing: Just wait and see, you might miss that a lot more than you think during next year!

I'm sure I will miss some strange things. I know for a fact that I will be desperately lonely at some points. Hehe, like two years ago when I moved to my very first own appartment. When mom, dad and Jussi left after moving everything in, I didn't know what to do. At least now, I'm not talking alone anymore. I was so used to shouting HI from the door back then, even if the appartment was totally empty, but my roommate looked me so weird that I stopped doing that quite shortly. Now I've evolved another kind of a safety net in Vantaa. I know I won't be left alone there either. That also why it's difficult to leave.. knowing that yet again you have to build everything from the very beginning.

Laura is leaving in 5 days to Korea and Sini in 7 days to Denver, US.

---

Tänään oli Jussin 18-vuotissynttärikutsut. (Oikeasti hän ohittaa maagisen rajan lauantaina.) Näin sukulaisia ja tuttuja - ja jotenkin.. hmm.. en tiiä. Vaikka olin hiljaa suurimman osan ajasta, pidin heidän kanssaan olemisesta. Ei minulla ollut paljon sanottavaa, halusin vain saada kaiken heistä muistiini.

Viime aikoina olen miettinyt, että suurin osa tästä kaikesta ei tuntuisi niin vaikuttavalta ja vahvalta, jos jäisin. Ihan kuin kaikki aistini olisivat voimakkaampia. Aistin kaikki ja kaiken ympärilläni paljon paremmin kuin yleensä. En ole ihan varma miksi, koska ihmiset eivät ole kuitenkaan niin erilaisia. Luotan siihen että isovanhempani ja vanhempani pitävät jalkani maassa, eivätkä siksi ole erityisen kivoja tai epämukavia. Vain siksi etten näe heitä vuoteen. Mutta se on kuitenkin se, joka vaikuttaa vahvasti aisteihini.

Kaikki ympärilläni muistuttaa minua lähdöstä ja siitä että en ole jonkun tai jonkin lähellä pitkään aikaan - tai koskaan enää. Ihan kuin ahmisin kaikkea ympärilläni olevaa ja tapahtuvaa. Kaikki tuntuu niin mukavalta ja harmoniselta. Edes inhottavimmat työkaverini eivät saa minua hyppimään seinille tekosillaan.

Tänään istuin vessassa ja tein mitä siinä nyt yleensä tehdään. Sain itseni kiinni tuijottamasta käsipyyhkeitä ja ajattelemasta, että en noitakaan katso sitten. Kysymys on myös siitä, että jotkut asiat muuttuvat kokonaan. Tiedän, että elän jaksoissa ja jotkut jaksot eivät ole sellaisia, joihin voi mennä takaisin. En voi tulla takaisin tähän hetkeen ja tähän harmoniaan enään. Kuka tietää mitkä ihmissuhteet muuttuvat ja miten. Ainoa mitä tiedän varmaksi (ja mitä olen tietänyt jo hetken) on, että minä todella elän elämääni täysillä ja nautin jokaisesta hetkestä. Tiedän, että se kuulostaa kliseeltä, mutta sitähän se on... kliseetä. Koko kirjoitus ja kaikki miltä tuntuu nyt on kliseetä.

Se on myös pelottavaa. Kaikki muutokset ovat pelottavia. Ei tunne tilanteita tai ei ole tottunut niihin. Kuten äiti sanoi tänään, kun sanoin etten ikävöisi jotain tiettyä juttua: Odota vaan, tuut vielä kaipaan sitä enemmän kun huomaatkaan ens vuonna!

Olen varma, että ikävöin vielä kummallisia juttuja. Tiedän, että tulen olemaan todella yksinäinen joinain hetkinä. Heh, niin kuin kaksi vuotta sitten kun muuten ensimmäiseen omaan asuntooni. Kun äiti, isä ja Jussi lähtivät muutettaan kaikki kamani, en tiennyt miten olisin ollut. Nyt en sentään juttele enää yksinäni. Olin myös niin tottunut huutamaan MOI ovelta, vaikka asunto olisi ollut aivan tyhjä, mutta kämppikseni katsoi minua niin pitkään, että lopetin sen aika lyhyeen. Nyt olen kehittänyt itselleni turvaverkoston Vantaalla. Tiedän etten jää yksin. Se on myös yksi syy miksi on vaikeaa lähteä.. tietäen että taas kerran pitää aloittaa aivan alusta.

Laura lähtee Koreaan viiden päivän päästä ja Sini Denveriin, Amerikkaan seitsemän.

ARGH!

Absolutely everything is on hold right now. Valeria and I can't get the contract ready, because the person helping her in it is on a holiday. August is the biggest holiday season in Italy during the whole year.

Also the person, I'm suppose to get the ONE needed paper anymore for signing up for the courses is on holiday from the italian embassy of Finland.. or is it the finnish embassy of Italy? Anyway the embassy which takes care of italian things and it situated in Finland.

It is absolutely frustrating... and they come from the holidays in the end of this month, which means, with luck, I have just about a month to get EVERYTHING ready.

---

Ihan kaikki on jäädyksissä tällä hetkellä. Valeria ja minä ei voida saada vuokrasopimusta yhtään eteenpäin, koska se henkilö, joka auttaa Valeriaa koko lakipuolen kanssa on lomalla. Elokuu on kaikkein suurin lomakausi Italiassa koko vuonna.

Tän lisäksi se henkilö Suomen Italian suurlähetystöstä (vai onko se Italian Suomen suurlähetystö? No kuitenkin se joka hoitaa italialaishommia Suomessa), joka auttaa mua saamaan sen yhden ainoan tarvittavan paperin, jonka enää tarvitsen, että voin ilmoittautua kursseille.. on myös lomalla.

Niin turhauttavaa... ja ne tulee lomilta vielä tän kuun lopussa, eli hyvällä lykyllä mulla on kuukausi (tai alle) aikaa saada KAIKKI valmiiksi ja paperit joka puolella perille.

Kämppä,

Olen löytänyt mukavan kämpän, jossa asuisi minun lisäkseni 3 italialaista tyttöä: Anna, Chiara ja Valeria. Valerian isä omistaa kämpän. Talosta vapautui yksi sänkypaikka, koska Alessandra lähtee vuodeksi Saksaan opiskelemaan. Italiassa on tapana, ettei opiskelupaikkakunnilla vietetä sen enempää aikaa kun on tarvis. Jokainen noista tytöistä siis matkustaa kotiin viikonlopuiksi. Joka viikonlopuksi. Koska opiskelupaikkakunnan kämppä ei ole pääkoti, niin pienempikin tila riittää. Siksi monesti makuuhuoneet jaetaan. Näin ei samanlaista yksityisyyskuplaa pääse tulemaan, mikä taas suomalaisilla on kovin yleistä. Minäkin jaan huoneen Annan kanssa.

Anna (23) asuu Bresciassa, joka on Lombardyn alueella. Brescia sijaitsee noin 150 kilometrin päässä Padovasta (suurinpiirtein siis sama kuin Helsinki-Turku). Hän ja Valeria (21) opiskelevat Padovan yliopistossa taidehistoriaa. Chiara (21) opiskelee filosofiaa. Molemmat, Valeria ja Chiara, ovat Bellunosta, joka on Padovan tavoin Veneton alueella. Välimatkat voivat silti näiden alueiden sisällä olla pitkät ja Bellunostakin on yli 100 kilometria Padovaan. Annan mukaan Valeria ja Chiara ovat vähän ujompia kuin hän itse, mutta ajan kanssa he avautuvat vähän enemmän. (Kuulostaa ihan suomalaiselta.)

Kuitenkin... sopimusneuvottelut on vielä käynnissä. Italiassa ei myöskään ole sellaista käytäntöä kuin Suomessa, että ihan normaali alivuokralaisuussopimus olisi vain asunnon omistajan ja alivuokralaisen välinen juttu. Nimet vaan paperin alle. Italiassa sopimuksen tekee lakitoimisto ja siitä pitää maksaa vielä 50 euroa poliisille, jotta se on täysin laillisesti voimassa. Ihan mielenkiintoinen härdelli tulossa. Valeria meni tällä viikolla ottamaan selvää kaikista lain mutkista. Vielä en ole kuullut hänestä mitään.

Padovassa kaikki käyttävät pyörää. Myös asunnolta yliopistolle on 15minuutin pyöräilymatka. Anna kertoi minulle, että useimmat opiskelijat ostavat pyöränsä poliisin huutokaupasta. Hän oli ostanut omansa 48 eurolla, mutta halvemmallakin kuulemma lähtee. Asunnolta menee myös bussilinja (10) rautatieasemalle 10 minuutin välein. Matka kestää myös sen 10-15 minuuttia.

Lähetin tuossa viikko sitten papereita Suomen Italian suurlähetystöön, mutta he eivät ole käsitykseni mukaan vielä saaneet papereitani. Olen lähettänyt kahdesti kysymyksen, koska postin mukana lähti kuitenkin arvokkaita papereita. Apostillellinen yo-todistuksen kopio ja suht'kalliit italian käännökset todistuksesta ja apostillesta sekä läsnäolotodistus ammattikorkeasta. Lisäksi juuri se henkilö joka minulle tarvittavan paperini kirjoittaa lähti lähetystöstä lomalle eilen tai tänään. Sain aamulla sieltä luultavasti italialaiselta harjoittelijalta mielenkiintoisen viestin, joka ilmoitti että Satu lähti lomalle ja "minä en apuu sinua". Eikä muuta.

Nyt sitten vain odotellessa. Piinavan odotuksen kanssa on välillä niin raivostuttavaa elää. Asunto ja tuo suurlähetystön kirjoittama paperi ovat kuitenkin tärkeimmät osat, jotta saan kaiken järjestettyä.

Helsinki,

The past summer has been amazing.

Partly it's good to see how difficult it is to think of leaving.. even though it is so difficult. I'm leaving so much behind, taking so much with me and looking forward with my eyes (and heart) wide open.

These pictures are from two different evenings I spent with lovely Laura. One near Hietsu and one, taken tonight, at Freda (Check out the links to helicopter pictures of the places. The blocks are very typical finnish with the inner yard.)

Mennyt kesä on ollut upea.

Osaksi on mukavaa nähdä miten vaikeaa lähtemisen ajatteleminen on.. vaikka se onkin vaikeaa. Jätän niin paljon taakse, otan paljon mukaani ja katson eteenpäin silmät (ja sydän) avoinna.

Nämä kuvat on kahdelta eri illalta jotka vietin ihanaisen Lauran kanssa. Ensimmäinen on Hietsun läheltä ja toinen, tänään otettu, Fredalta. (Katso linkkien alta löytyvät helikopteri-kuvat, jotka kopioin Live maps ohjelman kuvista.)

Vapauden huuma (Petri Tamminen)

"Hurjimmalta tuntuu rikkoa arkisimmat tottumukset - nukkua yö täysissä pukeissa, herätä varhain ja lähteä ulos niine hyvineen, syömättä, pesemättä ja hampaita harjaamatta. Kaupunki näyttää uudelta ja kansainväliseltä. Vapaus pakahduttaa. Elämä tuntuu lahjalta.

Ihmiset muistelevat äkkilähtöjään vuosikausia - kuinka silloin kahvipöydästä paineltiin suoraan satamaan tai lentokentälle. Pelkkä yllättäen valvottu kesäyö voi laukaista voimantunnon. Ympärillä ovat äkkiä oudot hajut ja äänet, autiot torit, yön kulkijat. Auringonnousu on elämys, se tuntuu yksityisnäytökseltä.

Hurmoksellinen, ilmestyksenä koettu vapaus on lupaus paremmasta elämästä. Se käynnistää ketjureaktion. Tottumukset rapisevat, vanhat salaisuudet ja valheet raukeavat. --"

Google Earth / Live maps

Everyone seems to know Google Earth already. If you don't. The page introduces the service as a combination of the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to put the world's geographic information at your fingertips. The service has to be downloaded to your computer and from there you can view almost all the places in the world surprisingly closely. People can also download picture there. Just a while ago I was checking amazing pictures of Blue Lagoons in Iceland from there.

However, there's also another kind of map service available, which within time and preparation might even compete with Google Earth. But for that it'll need time. Live maps is Microsoft's service working in the internet. If you have Windows Live ID (msn) you can save pushpins and locations to the account. The view is amazing.

Here's the Laurea building in Vantaa where I study in Finland as an example for you of Live maps.






The difference between Google Earth and Live maps is obvious. Live maps has the bird's eye view possibility, but Google Earth is still much diversified than Live maps will be in a long while. They still give you different kinds of point of views to many things. I was viewing my soon to be new home in Padova from all the possible directions just today :)

Conversation between you and I,

non-Erasmus

Not being in any kind of mobility makes many thing less easy than they probably otherwise would be. Earlier I was concerned about getting a place to live, because there was no-one to help me and I'm still continuously concerned about actually getting to study the single courses. Getting to the courses at all. But aside from those, I was worrying about how I would get to know people. As being a volunteer myself here in my university in the activities of ESN (Erasmus Student Network), I found the solution very near. I contacted the local ESN just today and got an answer very quickly.

Andrea, the secretary of ESN Padova, sent me a very warm e-mail telling me that they don't only welcome Erasmus student, but from other types of international mobilities too, such as people from China, Australia and USA and volunteers of EVS (European Volunteering Service). "We believe spirit is more important than papers!"

She also said that ESN Padova is there to help students to intergrate in the social life of Padova by organising parties, trips, cultural events, photo/dance/theater courses, concerts and a lot of activities. Because there is more than 700 students per year as well as italians, but the association is powered by voluteer power, the membership fee is there to make the prices of the events lower.

I'm getting even more excited about going. Now I just have to wait to get to actually sign up for the courses. That's the most stressing part at the moment. So keep the thumbs up and fingers crossed.

Finding Walter,

There's many people to thank for getting me as far as this right now. One, over the others, is still Walter. I can honestly say that without your help, I wouldn't have manage to get this far. (My mom even said to me today that I should ask from him about how the prepaid works in Italy ;)

Thank you for always being there for me and trying to answer even my most stupid questions.

In my opinion, this is one of the most important things. Finding someone to help you understand even the most difficult law-like texts and helping you find accomodation. Someone who knows how the things work. It doesn't mean they would do the job for you, but they can give you very signifigant tips. It's good to have a contact in the target country, whether one is behalf of the university or someone found through a penpal page.

Walter I found through this penpal page (penpal party). You can search for e-mail pals by a language or country. Mostly people are searching for help in some languages and culture they want to learn better. It's absolutely free and you don't need to register to answer the ads. Remember to also try searching for people interested in your country.

Maybe I've been lucky to find someone this helpful, but you cannot find if you walk with your eyes closed and stop trying to find :) Maybe it's easier that you think.

-

On monia ihmisiä, joita on kiittämän, että olen päässyt edes näin pitkälle. Yksi muiden ylitse on kuitenkin Walter. Voin rehellisesti sanoa, että ilman apuasi, en olisi päässyt näin pitkälle. (Jopa äiti sanoi tänään, että minun pitäisi kysyä häneltä miten prepaid toimii Italiassa ;)

Kiitos, että olet aina ollut auttamassa minua ja yrittänyt vastata tyhmimpiin kysymyksiinikin.

Mielestäni on tärkeää löytää joku auttamaan ymmärtämään vaikeimpiakin lakitekstejä ja etsimään asuntoa. Joku, joka tietää miten homma toimii kohdemaassa. Ei se tarkoita, että he tekisivät työn puolestasi, mutta he voivat antaa elintärkeitä vinkkejä. On hyvä olla kontakti, oli se sitten ketä tahansa yliopiston puolesta tai kirjeystäväsivuston kautta löydetty tuttavuus.

Walterin löysin tämän kirjeystäväsivuston kautta (penpal party). Voit etsiä sivustolla sähköpostiystäviä kielen tai maan perusteella. Monet ihmiset hakevatkin apua jonkin kielen opetteluun ja oppiakseen maan kulttuuria itse maamieheltä. Se on täysin ilmaista ja sinun ei tarvitse edes rekisteröityä vastataksesi ilmoituksiin. Muista myös etsiä ihmisiä, jotka ovat kiinnostuneita sinun maastasi.

Ehkä olin onnekas löytäessäni jonkun näin avuliaan, mutta et voi löytää jos kävelet silmät suljettuina ja lopetat etsimästä :) Ehkä se on helpompaa kuin kuvitteletkaan.

Budget, part I

In the beginning of the summer, I made a budget for the 10 months I will spend in Italy, to see how much I have to earn and do I need a student loan.

The first budget I made was mainly based on assumptions and prices here. This was only because mostly I didn't know about the rent or anything yet. Some of the amounts may be far from realistical, but better to take it over the top at this point. (I will check my budget after I have booked the flights and found a place to live, knowing if it's furnitured etc.)

I will not tell you the amounts of money I counted for everything, but I will tell you what things I considered. All of these I first thought as in weeks or months and then turned them into the 10 month-price.

EXPENSES

FOOD (total)

CLOTHES (total)

APPARTMENT (total AND after taking out all the one-time purchases what is left for me per month to use)

rent + possible first week stay at the hostel
decoration etc (sheets, towels, curtains…)
cooking (kettles, pans, plates, glasses, cutting board)
hygiene (disinfecting liquid, plasters, toothpaste, showersoap, deodorant…)
laundry (washing agent, self laundry service)
cleaning (rags, powders and such)
insurance

COMMUNICATION

internet connection
prepaid phone
laptop
postcards, letters, stamps

SCHOOL

single courses payment
school supplies (books, papers, pencils...)
possible student association payment

TRAVELLING + FUN

bike
bus card
flight (to and from + other travelling expenses included to coming and leaving)
partying and such
travelling (there's always unlimited need of money with this one!)

INCOME

SCHOLARSHIPS (from school and gov)
SAVINGS
STUDENT LOAN

Purchases,

I have to find a laptop powerful enough for my kind of use. I haven't decided yet if it's going to be MAC or PC.

I also need an enough big suitcase and a bag to take with me to the cabin. Suitcase I'm not sure yet if I'm just gonna take a huge backpack or a regular suitcase. It depends on how I'm gonna get to the appartment. The cabin-bag needs to swallow my three camera's, laptop and rest of the important stuff. And also fit to the scale that the airlines have about the biggest kind that you can take with you.

That's going to be interesting :)

Spring of decisions and friends,

It's dark and rainy outside. I'm at home in Raisio and it's 1:35AM.

I have been going through my picture archives because mom and I are developing pictures. I got 146 pictures that I want to develop and I should count them down to 50. That's going to be a hard job. However I caught very few lovely pictures of people that made a lifelong impact on me, even if we never see each other again.

Thank you for making my spring complete and directing me to this decision with those many talks, advices and moments. You're all priceless!

Ulkona on pimeää ja sateista. Olen kotona Raisiossa ja kello näyttää 1:35.

Olen käynyt läpi kuvakansioitani koska kehitetään äitin kanssa kuvia. Nyt minulla on 146 kuvaa, jotka haluaisin kehittää ja ne pitäisi karsia viiteenkymmeneen. Se tulee olemaan vaikea karsinta. Jokatapauksessa joukosta löytyy ihania kuvia ihmisistä, jotka tekivät minuun elinikäisen vaikutuksen, vaikkemme välttämättä enää näekään.

Kiitos kun teitte kevääni kokonaiseksi ja ohjasitte minut tähän valintaan kaikilla noilla keskusteluilla, neuvoilla ja hetkillä. Olette korvaamattomia!