House at the beach,

After I came back from Finland a lot has happened. I got to know more of the people I got to know first through Fredi. I met Fabian and Mickela for example. I met them a week ago in the piazza when like on all the Wednesdays the students gather up. I was telling them that we had planned to celebrate my birthday in Prato della Valle on the next Saturday as in a picnic. The original plan also included to go to a nearby city to party and return with one of the first trains. The plan expanded.

In the end at Prato there was a lot of people in the group that I didn't know and with them, in Fabian's car, we went to the near-by city, Mestre (just one before Venezia) to a social palace called Rivolta. I gathers up from a house which some people took over and turned it into a huge club of different sections. It was like a festival where people sell unordinary cd's for a little money and funny t-shirts, but it happens every weekend. There was three different halls of different kinds of music (Reggae, Minimal/Industrial and... I don't know what to call it.)

After the club, at 5-6am the car was directed to the beach. The original plan was to go to Lido to the beach to enjoy sunrise and swim. But the plan expanded as well and we ended up to a private area in Albarella, where Mickela's grandparent(s) have a beachhouse. When they told the plan it sounded very good and dreamish. In the end, as Mickela's wallet had got stolen that evening from Prato della Valle, we couldn't get in.. the whole island of Albarella is private and filled with houses. It is guarded day and night and you can only enter it within certain times. There was a small beach with small boats, so we landed there drinking wine and sleeping. It was like from a movie. Drunk young people talking, laughing and drinking on a beach while the sun is rising.



When we finally did enter, the house turned out to be something that I didn't imagine (based on Hollywood movies of course). It was a small apartment, which had a small garden in front and if you went out of the yard there was water. Not the beach but like a harbour for boats (without boats) with tall sidebuildings and you could just swim there. Milka and I walked around there and were certained that it was a place for only quite wealthy people. There was swimming pools and really glamorous houses.

I have no pictures to show you of any of these events and of the extraordinary looong evening anyway, because in the club at 4am, while dancing and having my purse with me all the times. My phone, camera, cards and some money got stolen. From my bag, which was on me all the times.

Even if I was highly sad about this loss of material, as I'm looking back after few days of "calming down", the evening was great. Like Milka said in the car to Fabian, this is already the greatest night so far and it's not even over yet. If nothing else, it is something to remember. On Sunday we got home at 5pm, so the long evening for us lasted... almost a day and as I looked back to it then, it felt at least like two split nights, not just one long one.

Second of Finland,

Only pictures.

I loved all the seconds.

Nel temporale senza scarpe bellissime,

It is thundering so bad that the car alarms went off in the near-by parking lot. Now our lights went out, so if this text ends somewhat quickly, it's because the dead american-indians (who's cemetery Prato della Valle used to be according to Lorenzo) came after me :)

Do you remember the girl I met in the train while going to Trieste in November to meet Walter? She was studying in Milano but had been studying in Padova as well and she said that she comes here every now and then. I met her about few weeks ago in a club! It was so strange. She went into a complete shock and was just laughing there. Apparently she had also been talking about me just at the same moment. And who says there's no magic :) Or faith or.. whatever you want to call it.

My new roommates are great. Alessandra is home mostly and studying for some exams. She's studying something with politics and is from Bergamo. Really calm and nice. Giulia and Camilla are home only for the nights.. otherwise they stay outside or at study rooms or class. They are best friends and from Verona. Francesco is never here. I don't even know much to tell about him, because according to Alessandra she's also seen him maybe twice within a month. What I know is that he studies engineering.

(1) Giulia and Camilla (they had some kind of fight of wills going on there) (2) My table under the bed while the lights were out. (3) The other end of the room.

Today Alessandra made a promise that she'll just talk italian to me. I've started to get a bit nervious about my italian. I talk so little and I've been here already 6 months now... people keep on mobbing me about it. While I was walking through the city with Katri, I realized that I've always been really slow with languages. I mean, I can have a conversation in italian already, but I always am missing many words and I'm shy to have conversations between more than just one other person. When I was starting to learn english, it took me years to get to the point of writing this good english and speak as fluently as I do now. I started to write a blog also then and then slowly it got better. I took breaks and it took years. Then I started tutoring exchange students, that's when it all got off. Now I can say I can speak it well and I know good english (at least I did before coming here to mess up my whole language system). Anyhow, I decided this changing apartment is also a changing point with the language. More confidence, more practice.

I enjoy living here and I like my room a lot. It's a single room with a loft bed (parvisänky?) and I sleep so well in it. The room is a bit dark, but it doesn't matter. I have my own biig table, lots of storage space, bookshelf space in the living room. We share so much from sugar to spice, from washing powders to soil cleanser. Francesco came to fix the lights.. they just didn't go on after this proper thunderstorm. He's never here and now after 20 mins of going, he came back and first thing in the between the door: "Non ho dimenticato niente!" I didn't forget anything! Then I made baked potatoes for myself and left the room to pick up the phone, going back Giulia had her moment: "mmmm buoni ma poco piccanti" (mmm good but a bit spicy) with a focused look on her face :P

The only thing left worrying me about my ex-house is money. There is a big gas bill coming and I don't know how to pay that if I cannot get the money from the landlord. And it also looks like this change for a better mental health is costing me quite a lot, but we will still see what happens here.

I feel alive and dandy. Even though there's some problems always on the back of my mind haunting me, they don't get to me so much like before. I actually like walking the streets of Padova and I enjoy every ray of sun. I even feel like standing up for lessons in the morning, even though noone cares if I'm there. On Tuesday at the time of the lunch, I realized I smiled without any certain reason just because I could.. and it felt great. I have some kind of a peace of mind stage for a while. Hello, where have you been?

I have been partying with friends who stay and friends who leave in a short period of time.

I've got visits. Tuomo was visiting me for few nights. We went to Venice where the poor fake product sellers were escaping the police (1) and we went to Prato's market (2) and ate chinese (3).

Katri came for a visit and we went sunbathing as the sun was heating with over 20 degrees. Giorgio watching my strange drawings (1), Nicola reading the songs in a cd (2), Katri being cute (3). Otherwise Katri's visit was quite a casino with this moving stuff and all the arrangements. First 3 nights we were couch hopping.

And one lovely day 3 finnish girls and a crazy brit walked through the whole city just to go to Lidl.

Hanna,

Hanna lähti sillä aikaa kun olin Saksassa. On tuntunut tosi vaikeelta sisäistää se nyt tänne takas tullessa. Hanna oli aina se kenelle soitin ja ketä tuli istumaan aurinkoon mun kanssa. Kenen kanssa kävin ulkona. Kenen kanssa juttelin kaikesta.

Kirjoitin eilen mailia hänelle:

"Hey love,

I have this strange depression going on. I miss you all the time here and I didn't think it would be so hard to get used to some people going. I mean some people left and I spent a lot of time with them too, but it didn't feel so bad. Now you are gone and everyday there is something I would want to call you about or ask you to do with me. And it doesn't help that everyone has something else to do this weekend. Thank god I got Eeva to go dancing with me tonight..

Padova, I can't really say what it is right now. It's strange because I don't see familiar people around me anymore. There's lacking so much and it feels somewhat empty to me. Many people somehow ignore me... like yesterday I was talking to Tatjana (slovakian girl) and then someone new asks me "oh you're finnish" "yes" "can you take a picture of us" (as in me taking the picture of other people).. funny how personally I can take such ordinary situation if I'm feeling bad myself. I'll get over it eventually. Just so much stress right now. And even though I sound depressed right now, don't worry about me. It's just again my process on getting over these holes which people leave around me when they go. I guess it's good too.. good preparation for going home and a sign on that I care alot.

I missssss you soooooo much! I will dance Blink182 for you, drink a spritz with you and hug some strangers in the street for you :) I wish you were here!

BACIONE!"

Olen ollut niin väsynyt viimeiset 15 päivää matkustamisesta, sotkuista, unenpuutteesta ja niin monista tapahtumista, että huomasin tänään kuinka paljon mulla oikeastaan on ja on ollut. On ihana huomata ajoittain kuinka onnellinen on hassusti huomaamatta ollutkaan. Soitin Johannekselle kun kävelin pois asemalta ja höpöteltiin hyvän aikaa. Näin Giorgion lounaalla ja oi mulla oli ikävä niitä lounashetkiä kun saan taas heittää hervotonta juttua sen kanssa. Kaiken lisäks pesin farkkuni Piovegon coca-colalla, kun uudet helmet kaato lasin syliin. Päivi lähetti ihanan viestin, että olipa pitkät 10 päivää. Ja lopuks juttelin Peterin kanssa onlinessa pitkästä aikaa (oon aina hymyä kun kuulen siitä pojasta):

Peter: hehe. U know, U r kind of life artist :P (if there is such a word. :P) U used to say that U don't really like Padova and now U wanna stay
Milla: yaaaaj :P someone said it's a real finnish thing. trying and wanting to be happy all the time, which is obviously not possible, but we do it all the time and that's why if something doesn't work we get so sad and easily depressed.
Peter: then I'm finnish in my soul. :)

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.

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:

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.

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!