Sekameininkiä,

Hannalle kävi tässä aika iloisesti pari päivää sitten. Ensin hänen kännykkänsä lopetti lopullisesti toimintansa, kun hypeltiin kameralle ja kännykkä tippui matkan varrella taskusta kivetykselle. Beni lainasi ensihätään toista kännykkäänsä ja nyt minä, kun Beni tarvitsi omansa takaisin. Sitten perjantaina pari päivää tapahtuneen jälkeen, hänen pyöränsä meni aika perusteellisesti rikki. Vei korjaamolle, korjattiin, 2 metriä pyöräilyä ja pyörä kosahti lopullisesti. No minkäs teet, onneksi korjaajat oli mukavaa sakkia ja lainasi hänelle vanhan pyörän kahdeksi viimeiseksi viikokseen.

Samoin iloisesti kävi Päiville, joka oli pyöräilemässä toiselta puolelta kaupunkia kotiin ostosten kanssa ja pyörästä meni ketjut yksinkertaisesti poikki. Tämä tapahtui tänään myös minulle.. luulen. Loistavaa! Tänään on toinen koulupäivä ja minulla olisi vihdoinkin oikeasti ihmistenaikaan tunteja! Enpä sitten päässyt tunnille asti. Eipä tuo ois ollukaan kuin 2 tuntia, mutta siltikin. Lähetin Fannylle viestiä, etten pääse, josko vois kertoa mulle tapahtumat ens tunnin alkuun!

Mitäs nyt sitten tekis. Illalla on taas yksi päivällinen. Tykkään kyllä italialaisten tavasta illastaa yhdessä. Se on paljon mukavampaa kuin yksin syöminen. Se ei ole sellaista suorittamista ja pakottamista vaan ruoka tehdään yhdessä ja pöydässä istutaan pitkään. Se on hirvittävän rentouttavaa, vaikka vaatii jokaillalta sen että lähtee oikeasti liikkeelle :) Hyväksihän tuokin on, mutta lopulta aiheuttaa sen jumalattoman väsymyksen, jota nukuin eilisen yön pois.

Elämässä on muutenkin tapahtunut paljon ja ei mitään. Olen kirjoittanut onnellisuuskalenteriin joka päivä, mutta enemmän ympäripyöreitä asioita, koska en enää aina muista mistä pienestä olinkaan kovimmin onnellinen eilispäivänä. Olen tutustunut moniin uusiin ihmisiin ja miettinyt sitä mitä tapahtuu kun Hanna ja Jennifer ja Johannes ja... kaikki kenen kanssa olen aiemmin viettänyt eniten aikaani lähtevät. Olen löytänyt uusia piirejä ja viettänyt enemmän aikaa vanhojen tuttujen kanssa. Olen viettänyt enemmän aikaani suomalaisten (Päivin ja Eevan) kanssa ja italialaisten, jotka ovat olleet Suomessa vaihdossa tai ymmärtävät suomalaista huumorintajua (Giorgio, Fredi, Mauro...). Samalla kun olen löytänyt uusia piirejä, on vanhoja jäänyt taakse erinäisten erimielisyyksien tai vain yhteensopimattomuuden vuoksi. Elämä asettuu kokoajan uusille raiteille eri ihmisten kanssa. Pystyn ymmärtämään tällä hetkellä loistavasti sen miten työpaikat joissa on suuri vaihtuvuus, ovat usein vaikeuksissa, koska työntekijöillä ei synkkaa. Ei siis sillä, etteikö täällä kerkeisi kenenkään kanssa synkkaamaan vaan syvempään yhteyteen menee enemmän aikaa kuin on tarjolla. Tai toinen ei olekaan kiinnostunut rakentamaan sitä yhteyttä yhtälailla kuin toinen. Kestää jo se, että löytää oikeita ihmisiä!

Monilla on se asenne, että kaiken on tapahduttava nyt.. tai ehkä se olenkin minä. Ehkä minulla on kiire ja muut elää hetkessä. Ehdin ihastua niin monta kertaa niin lyhyessä ajassa, samaan ja eri ihmisiin, samoihin ja erilaisiin tilanteisiin.

Mikäs siinä, ehkä on hyvä olla kauempana jonkin aikaa. Vähän yli viikon päästä lähden Saksaan 10 päiväksi ja sitten melkeinpä heti perään Roomaan Tuomon kanssa ~4 päiväksi!

Pää vaikka selkiäis ja osais taas kirjoittaa paremmin :)

Kuvia,

My tandem partner gratuated. This is what they do. Make them read stupid texts about themselves, drink wine if they make a mistake in reading and in the between they might throw you with an egg, pour flour or tomatosauce on them. Bello, eh?

Giorgio, Nicola and Giorgio. Yes, Italian are very creative on names and no, I have no idea what's up here :)

Alfred at Greenwood Pub, Serata Pub.

The beginning of the shaking at Banale!

Päivi Tampereelta! <3>

Miguel in the fog of Padova. This guy is very interesting. On Saturday we were out dancing at Fishmarket and his bikes chain went off track, so he started fixing and swearing, but everytime someone came to ask if he needs help, he started to sell these tickets for his upcoming photo exhibitions lottery :D

Suomitytöt Vicenzassa. Eeva, Päivi ja minä <3>

En jaksanut taaskaan kirjottaa. Väsymys painaa.

Reggaeton,

It's unbelievable how dancing can be so incredibly addictive. It's a passion, a kind of a drug. Every morning after I have a small hangover of it and I have a great need for more. It's all I think about. It is not just any kind of dancing, but couple dancing with latino rhythms is especially addictive! I could do it every night all week if there would be a chance.

This weekend was great... and very addictive ;)

No brains,

Somehow there's so much to tell but my brains have hard time to process it into text. I've done a lot and nothing. We had traffic light party and I was yellow. Shouldn't have been. I went out for a walk with Päivi and in the end we ended up sitting in her so called balcony (actually the roof you can reach from her window). We talked about so much that's been going on in my head. About strange things here and people, habits, behaviours, things we like. She's new here. Been here for a month and is going back home in April. We share a lot of similar interests :) Then I also went out for a coffee with Johannes, a german guy, who's travelled everywhere.. spent 7 weeks in India travelling alone. We talked about how this way of life makes just going out of the house feel like doing something. It's amazing.. and how hard it is to keep the braincells going with such little actual activity or very confusing activity, like thinking in finnish, talking italian and english.

So because I don't just succeed with words now, I will put it into pictures. Feel free to ask more specific questions if any of them bother you.

I had a project of photographing one of my days here with little details too
and this is the part of washing the dishes.

The guy in the black shirt is Alessandro, my tandem partner, who is actually graduating this Friday (tomorrow) and I'm also invited to the seremonies :) Next to him is Boris, boyfriend of a swedish girl, Charlotte, who left home this Tuesday.

Charlotte and I in Mensa (school cafeteria).

Jeni and I... somewhere :)

Kathy's byebye party at Fly bar (the bartenders know me already).

Probably the best picture I have of Johannes (red shirt).
At traffic light party!

Päivi and her balcony :)

We went to see one of the first Anathomy teathers in Palazzo del Bo.
It was so exciting!

Yesterday at the piazza.

Then yesterday I spent the weekly Mercoledi Universitario with Johannes at the piazza. We got to know some great people and in the end, though freezing, I was there at 4am still watching the eclipse of the moon while people were singing and playing several instruments. When I was biking home sometime between 4-5am, this is what I faced in the street which during the day is one of the busiest:

Kotoisasti,

Tänä aamuna ostin VR:n luukulla lippua kotiin. "Yksi opiskelija seuraavalla Turkuun." Ilma tuoksui keväältä hiekoitushiekkaa oli joka puolella ja näin leskenlehden kävellessäni asemalle. Katselin netistä asuntoja joihin voisin muuttaa, makasin kotona valkoisella sohvalla oranssin peiton alla parvekkeen oven ollessa auki ja äidin tehdessä ruokaa keittiössä, tv:n olevan rauhoittavasti auki taustalla. Kevät ilmaa. Kävin entisen kämppiksen luona, omassa entisessä kämpässä teellä. Kuljin Kampin ohi Mannerheimin tielle, postin ohi rautatieasemalle. Puin päälle lempihameeni. Tulin Hietsusta. Junassa kuuntelin Jussin mp3-soittimelleni laittamia biisejä ja tiesin maisemista koska jäädä pois. Sisäinen kelloni kertoi silmä sulkiessakin koska olisi aika astua ulos. Kävelin kouluun tytön ohi, jolla oli kirkkaanpunaiset korkkarit. Hän hymyili... kerran. Koulussa istuin ruokalassa. Söin ja juttelin kuin en poissa olisi ollutkaan.

Miten äiti tiesikin että näin puoliunta näistä aamulla ja soitti Korppoon kalliolta. Molempien vanhempien äänet kuulosti niin rentoutuneilta. Korppoo on sellainen. Meri on sellainen. Karu luontokin on sellainen. Se ei valehtele. Se näyttää itsensä sellaisena kuin on, joidenkin mielestä se on rumakin, mutta se on rauhoittava ja turvallinen.

Odotan kotonakäyntiä.

Milano and Genova,

Early on Friday morning Hanna and I stood in the Padova station to realize that we couldn't take the train that we planned because not having any other places available for 2nd class anymore. So we waited half an hour for the next train and we're 2 hours later in Milano.

In Milano we had to face a person full of service spirit in the luggage deposit, right after arriving. So full infact that we had to watch a man with a big big bag going around the station with a baby seat in his arms.. searching where to put the stuff, because these people didn't take more than 20kilos per bag there. That bag was over 40. And I still cannot understand why? There was so much space, the bag wasn't so big, just heavy. And they have these carriages to take the luggage to the safe. What's the god damn problem?

After that, the city just took a hold of us. When we entered to the fresh air and at our first steps saw blue little flowers, something clicked. We were out of Padova and felt so free about it. The day went by fast. I saw new things too, like the top of the Duomo. I was also suppose to meet Francesco but he didn't have time.



At 19:30 We were sitting in the train on our way to Genova. What was Genova? Except for a city on the Ligurian coast, horizontally on the other side of Italy. The city in Italy, I would like to study in. It might not be the perfect and most interesting place, neither the most impressive, historical nor beautiful, Ive been to... but it has the atmosphere I click with... when I think about living... in Italy.

We were there around nine in the evening and we had no reservation to any place, but we knew a hostel. In the station there was a sign there, so we started climbing upwards.. which in the end became 3-5 km's of a tour. Almost an hour when sometimes having to ask for the road and something just taking pictures. In the end, even though we were highly tired and hungry, it was really worth it... we got a great view over the city coast by night. We saw a living site in the city. Also the hostel is very nice and recommendable!


In the morning we took the bus down the hill. Gave our seats to an old couple, who said first in italian that we are amazingly kind and it's very unusual nowadays already. Then he realized we're not italian, so he said the same in english. Now me and Hanna were with our mouths open. Such an old man talking in english and with such kind words. We both agreed on this never happening in Padova. Even if you'd give the seat to someone, they would never say thank you or even look you in the eye. He continued the talk with his - presumably - wife until they got of the bus.

Aquario di Genova, molto famoso!

Genova with its alternative little shops, streets, bars, churches and harbour has such an open character. After eating lasagne al pesto (genovese), I kept thinking why a city and it's character beat so many people with their fine personalities. How can it feel so good to stay away. Maybe it's like Hanna said in the train, we are just so bored and we have so much time to think about it.

(More pictures here!)

Hyvää ystävänpäivää,

"In the third century after Christ, Valentine was the bishop of Terni (Italy). He wedded pairs, which were not allowed to marry in Rome at that time. The reasons were that parents did not agree with the connection or because the bridegroom was a soldier, or a slave so the marriage was forbidden. Valentine gave to the married pairs flowers from his garden. That's why flowers play a very important role on Valentine's Day. This did not please the emperor. On February 14, 269 AD, Valentin was beheaded because of his Christian faith. --- The martyr Valentine became the patron saint of the lovers."

Wikipedia

In Italy people seem to be all about couples while Saint Valentines day. Maybe because of the historical reason. It's everywhere... the thought. Except in Finland, for me. In finnish this day is called friends day instead of Saint Valentine's. I adore that idea much more than the day for lovers.

For me this day is for friends and for loved ones. It's still love.. and after all, there's not much that parts friendlove from romantic love. For the sake of that, I share with you a clip from the postsecret-project:

Aika tekee kaikennäköstä,

Yesterday I went and bought a new camera. Didn't pay too much, but it was still a lot of unplanned money. But I'm happy.. felt so empty without a camera anyway.

I was out yesterday evening first in a chocolateria with Alessandro just to talk for tandem, later we went to Mensa to eat and Hanna joined in. And we continued to Flybar, where spritz is for 1 euro until midnight. Two new finnish girls (Milka and Jenna) were there already with some italians. Giorgio I knew before and I went to Fly with him and his roommates on Sunday evening. One of the roommates is scottish! My god, I miss the sense of humour people have in scandinavia. The scottish is similar. Here people don't really laugh about themselves so much. I even had problems with that... people thought I was just rude :D

Talking to Giorgio in italian is so much easier than with anyone else so far. He's so calm and in no hurry that for me it's also stress-free to talk. Nice to realize that I can actually have a conversation in italian :)



Beh. I'm in a strange mood today. No brain activity. Strange sentences coming out of my mouth.

Samuli Edelmann - (Sinä olet) Aurinko

Käännä väsyneet kasvoni sinuun ja jaksan taas.
Sinä valutat voimasi minuun niin kuin nukkuvaan.
Se saa silmäni auki ja jalkani nousemaan.

I booked flights today!

6th of March, I will fly to Münster-Osnabrück. Then start my journey around the upper Germany. End it at Berlin and fly on 17th of March back to Milano. Then, I will go visit hoooome! Will come to Finland on 28th of April and leave on 7th. On 4th I will go to a student cruise of my university!! And the best part possible after seeing all my family and friends is that a friend from here, Hanna, is maybe joining me to my finnish tour :)

Weeee! I'm happy!

--

I finally have a tandem partner!! Tandem learning is that two natives - or like native speakers meet and just talk about something changing languages. So my tandem partner is a native italian and I talk english almost like a native. We talk half of the time in italian and half in english. Alessandro is such a nice guy! He's from Verona originally and half Polish like many people here.

--

My camera is broken :( It got to a zoom error while I was in Venice for the carnival. I feel incredibly empty without the possibility to take pictures. Maybe I'll appreciate it more after this. Anyway, I hope the fixing process will not take too long. I want my camera back for the Germany trip at the latest! Let's see now...

But why now :( It's such a nice weather here and everything... :'(

I took some pictures today with my cell phone, so you can get even a part of the joy of sunshine. I mean, I didn't wear a coat for over 30mins today while lying in the sunshine :)

7 days!

If you live 100 years, I want to live 100 years minus one day so I don't have to live without you.
Winnie The Pooh

Almost Valentine's day! (In Finland friends day).

Something I've kept up for my roommates, everyday before Valentine's day :)

Yesterday I got that balloon while Giada, Marica and I were walking around in the center :)

Today... your my sunshine, my only sunshine,
you make me HAPPY when the sky is greey!

How to dress here in February! What about Finland, eh?

We went today to the newest Mensa (school cafeteria) and the food was like a restaurant. I've heard that they even use the same kitchen with a near-by restaurant, so... :)

My bike was broken today. I got it to repair after walking 40mins to the center from the Mensa. The guy working there remembered me from 4 months ago! Probably because of my bad italian. I realized how little I had improved compared to many others... but also decided to make it better. After having the first meeting with Alessandro and talking in italian for most of the time anyway, it was much better :) I think I took the first step to talking late, but still at a natural time. Now the first step is done and better is to come!

Anyway, he fixed Diana (yes, I've named my bike) for only 5 euros :) Nooot bad!

Koe #2

(Päivitetty 8.2.2007 klo 12:10)

Väsyttää aivan toivottamasti. Jännitin tänäpäistä koetta aivan uskomattomissa määrin. Odotin 4 tuntia vuoroani. Siinä ajassa ehtii luovuttaa, saada lisärohkeutta ja luottamusta ja luovuttaa taas monta kertaa. Pääsin kuitenkin läpi. Puolet tehty italiaksi (selitin Lumieren osuudesta asiaan) ja puolet englanniksi. Sain 24/30! Tosin semmosella pehmeellä kädellä mentiin :) Nyt oon tosi väsyny.

Ja kun on nyt tullu erinäisiä kyselyitä, niin: Ei, Carlos ei ole mun poikaystävä. Ei nykyinen, eikä tuleva :)

Taidan mennä nukkumaan!

---
Niin ja piti vielä lisätä, että Marica ja Giada tuli keskiviikkona takaisin piiiitkältä lomalta. Melkein kolme viikkoa. Oli ajanu suoraan sairaalaan, koska Marica oli luullu saaneensa sydänkohtauksen tms. Paniikkikohtaus. Giada tuli syömään kun tutkimukset kesti, menin hänen kanssaan hakemaan Maricaa. Huhhui. Niilläkin oli seuraavana päivänä koe.

First exam,

I sucked bad. I had a line on my msn later saying didn't pass :( and Marco (guy from ESN) asked me what? He told me that I should just take it easy on me, because it was the first one and they're hard on italians too and it depends on the professor... Still I feel bad. I studied so hard and now I just feel useless. I have another one tomorrow straight. I'm intending to pass it (like this one too), but I definitely don't feel very confident about it now.

The situation was strange in the first place. I sent maybe 3 e-mails to the professors that I can't sign up through the signing up page for some reason. Yesterday evening the other one answered, so I could sign up still this morning and take the exam. The other one for tomorrow... haven't heard anything. After signing up, people were just registrating written exams (which apparently could've been done before Christmas and would cover all). In the room I was left, there was two women taking the oral exams. They took one by one people and then afterwards registered it to a book.

While two people were having the exam, other people could listen if they went to sit closer (which they did) or just read their notes still. I couldn't do anything. I was so focused on being so nervious. I probably have never been so nervious. Not knowing if I can actually do the exam in english or italian. Not knowing what she's gonna ask. Not knowing what I should answer.

I went with an older woman to talk. She asked me punch of general questions and when I started to answer she asked me more specific and I couldn't follow her path at all... I'm used to having 2 hours or time to write even three essays and using the first ½-1 hour just to make mindmaps. How the fuck can I answer to a really general question quickly when I definitely am not used to this. Then she even went to details... I have never had to remember specific years...

I'm gonna suck tomorrow so bad if the other professor is like that too. This system sucks! Though it does have advantages like making the students have a lot of detail knowledge but I still HIGHLY prefer focusing on the important and put it into practice.

Positive thing in this day was how many people encouraged me. Dino's just helping me to remember years for tomorrow's exam. Minna cheered me up so much just by being her and saying that come on girl, get up :)

PS. I can't remember if I told that Marco's thinking of going to Finland to exchange and I'm trying to convince him so today he kind of invited himself over for a finnish dinner, so I thought I'd just put a finnish dinner together and invite all the Finns (all girls) and him over :)
PSS. Tomorrow I'm going for dinner in the evening with this one new finnish girl. She seems really nice when I met her in the Carnival party last Saturday!!

Päivä Venetsiassa Carloksen ja Lilianan kanssa,

Tänään oli ihanan piristävä päivä. Kaiken tämän aivokaaoksen keskellä menin Venetsiaan tapaamaan Carlosta ja hänen kolumbialaista ystäväänsä, Lilianaa. He tulivat sinne pari tuntia myöhässä junien myöhästelyn vuoksi, mutta koska se oli tiedossa osasin hienosti ajoittaa asemalle saapumisen samaan aikaan. Ehdin juuri ottamaan cappucinon (kyllä join kahvia! kiitos vaan Dino!) baarista, kun soitti. Baarissa käveli ensin ohi ja kun sain kiinni, sain niin vilpittömän lämpöisen vastaanoton etten koskaan kyllä! Olin itsekin yhtä hymyä tuollaisen vastaanoton jälkeen. Kun käveltiin paikkaan jossa hänen ystävänsä oli soittamassa yleisöpuhelimesta äidilleen, tarjosi heti käsikynkkää ja sanoi, etten tiedäkään miten iloinen hän on nähdessään minut taas!

Tutustuin Carlokseen yli vuosi sitten LOB-risteilyllä (Helsinki-Tukholma-Helsinki), jossa hän oli vaihto-ohjelman järjestämällä matkalla. Meitä yhdisti selvästi rakkaus (vai olisiko se tässä vaiheessa sitten intohimoa) tanssimiselle. Viisi kuukautta myöhemmin tavattiin uudelleen Barcelonassa, jossa olin lomamatkalla kolmen ystävän kanssa. Hän vei minut ja Megin salsaklubille, jossa tanssimme 5 tuntia putkeen salsaa, merenguea, reggaetonia... yksi upeimmista illoista missään ja koskaan! Tapaamisten välissä oltiin jonkin verran yhteydessä mesen kautta, mutta enemmänkin mailitse vaihdettiin jotain kuulumisia, yleisesti kuitenkin todella vähän. Nyt tavattiin kolmannen kerran jos näistä matkoista voi sellaisen yhteenvedon vetää (Barcelonassa kuitenkin nähtiin monesti viikon aikana).

Hän on yksi harvoista ihmisistä, jotka saavat minut olemuksellaan niin rentoutuneeksi ja aidosti iloiseksi täysin ilman erikoisempaa syytä. Enkä voi painottaa tarpeeksi miten paljon se merkitsi tänään tämän päänsisäisen kaaoksen keskellä! Olin täysin huoleton hetken verran.

Lopuksi sain kutsun Kolumbiaan ensi vuoden Karnevaaleihin (järjestetään samaan aikaan kuin Venetsiassa, eli näillä nurkilla). Vannotti, että aloittaisin jo säästämään rahaa sitä varten, niin voisin päästäkin. Lupasin yrittää ja tosissani haluankin! Aika näyttää riittävätkö varat ja onko aika sopiva (viimeinen vuosi pitäisi kuitenkin olla koulussa). Lupasin kuitenkin yrittää! Vastavuoroisesti hän lupasi tulla Suomeen minun vieraakseni :) Viimeksi kun puhuttiin asiasta jotain kierto kautta, sanoi ettei pitänyt Helsingistä lainkaan, eikä halua sinne takaisin. Nähtäväksi jää mitkä osat näistä toteutuu, koska elämä muuttuu ja vie mennessään.

Ihailen tuollaista olemusta ja yritän imeä itseeni sitä asennetta.

On niin monia ihmisiä, joista olen kiitollinen, että tunnen heidät ja saan olla heidän ympärillään.
Ja jotka saavat tuntemaan itseni eläväksi.

Postaan kuvia päivästä, kun saan niitä Carlokselta.

I was Miss Sunflower,

Life has happened between updates. Strange kind of life and also happy kind of life. Sharing comes along with the part that yesterday I was in - probably the best - party so far!


Wikipedia: Carnival is a festival season. It occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February or March. It typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party. People often dress up or masquerade during the celebrations.

There was Erasmus people from all over... Pavia, Pisa, Trento... the coolest party is when you actually have something in common with everyone and you can talk to everyone - and everyone talks to you! So I did.











On Tuesday to Venice for the last day of Carnival! JAWOLL!