I'm going to be on a bit of a rant while the baby's entertained by his play-mat.
WHY THE HELL are people setting off fireworks since 6pm?! I don't understand...it's not New Year's Day - aka MIDNIGHT in Finland - so why do this since 6pm??
I can't see any of them unfortunately because they're not professional fireworks - they're just the small ones you can buy at the stores. That and the trees are heavily blanketed with snow presently.
Very annoying - constantly hearing booming and not the show :(.
Okay - onto other things...I'm supposed to pay my orthodontist bill via internet banking. Which is fine. 2 nights ago - I saw this bill and thought "Okay - due date is coming up - I MUST pay this." I no longer can find the bill...OR the date of my next appointment with the orthodontist.
I need the bill for my invoice # and his business bank account number to transfer the funds...
This guy is going to hate my guts by the time he removes my braces...sigh.
The first meeting - I was 10 minutes late if not more (I got lost)....the 2nd one - still no word from my Canadian orthodontist....3rd one - well we'll see. I know the DAY - but not the time. I know it's after 5pm and a 40 minute appointment as he has to apply a bracket onto my back top molar.
I've already e-mailed him today apologizing about the late payment...then I remembered that I can't remember the time of my appointment. AFTER I emailed him. Classy I know.
In other news...I've finished the 1st comic book of "Moomin". Moomin is a character created in Finland by a cartoonist by the name of Tove Jansson. He looks like a hippopotamus - but he is not. He is Moomin. I'll post pictures later. He's a popular character here with the kids - and in Japan too. He's like the Finnish version of "Hello Kitty" I suppose.
I am done ranting. Thanks. I'm presently eating lactose-free pear ice-cream with apple crumble cake.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
A bunch of random things from V�in� to the importance of "112"
*As usual - nothing is in order...I'm just bloggin' it all out of my system.
Been in Finland now for over 4 months already...today is New Year's Eve - wow! I had no idea as yesterday we spent time with Sulevi to keep him entertained while Jessica and Taneli ran errands and did some major packing. I only noticed it's NYE because of my Facebook friends' statuses about cooking, drinking, and finding something to wear and meet up.
I got some more cloth diapers and thankfully they're the pocket style - you slip a liner in the back and velcro up the sucker - and you're done.
We are hosting T/S/J's DVD collection presently - which is uber fabulous as there's so many!!! I'm presently on the hunt for a cheap TV and DVD player (hopefully with delivery included) on Tori. So far we saw the Big Lebowski - enh is what I say.
V�in� is growing like a weed....he doesn't get any formula or baby cereal or anything else but breast milk - which I'm glad I'm able to produce...but wow he has the gut. I've decided to cut out bacon from my diet to test my stomach and to test V�in�'s. Whenever I have an upset stomach from something - either one too many slices of bacon or in general too much of anything spicy etc - V�in� seems to get a reaction too. Which usually doesn't kick in until 2-3 AM.
Presently Tim is cooking the bacon - so I won't be tempted to sneak a piece...I've been bacon-free for about a week now - which is okay...I'm not addicted or anything. Then I'll cook the eggs - as he doesn't have confidence in doing so. Nor does he enjoy it.
Jessica suggested I cut out dairy for a few days - just to see if it'll ease his upset stomach and whatnot - but I really don't think it's the dairy...I drink about 1-2 tall glasses of milk a day- but not always everyday as they only sell lactose-free milk in 1L cartons - nothing bigger. And definitely not in bags. I'll try it maybe when I'm done this carton I just picked up a couple days ago. I really love my milk.
Something I also haven't eaten in ages are nuts. Primarily because of my braces - and my orthodontist always warning me not to eat nuts, skittles, M&M's or Smarties (I do have a friend who broke a bracket clean off with one), nachos etc. Well - Jessica kindly emptied out her cupboards while packing yesterday and sent us home with a bag full of every kind of flavoured tea you can imagine along with a bag of dried goodies. Gluten-free wafter bits, cashews, pitsachios, biscuits of various types, beans etc. I'm so excited to try some of these things - like the lentils - as I've never cooked them before.
I plan on making another batch of chicken soup - with lentils added!
Yesterday I went d/t to meet a lady for diapers and saw a great trailer - by the creators of the Matrix trilogy...some Asian movie - opening up scene with two little kids sparring practically to the death - and they get older and bigger - looks good. I forget the title unfortunately - and there were Finnish subtitles but the volume was muted on the TV.
Anyways - I went on the hunt for stuffing after that - so I could finally finish up the amigurumi (Japanese "cute" crochet) - and no such luck. I'm very frustrated as I'd love to keep making toys for V�in� - but can't complete individual projects for some reason or another.
I suppose I should've asked Jessica and Taneli this question when we first got here - but I just asked yesterday: "What is the equivalent of '911' here in Finland?"
It's 112.
Been in Finland now for over 4 months already...today is New Year's Eve - wow! I had no idea as yesterday we spent time with Sulevi to keep him entertained while Jessica and Taneli ran errands and did some major packing. I only noticed it's NYE because of my Facebook friends' statuses about cooking, drinking, and finding something to wear and meet up.
I got some more cloth diapers and thankfully they're the pocket style - you slip a liner in the back and velcro up the sucker - and you're done.
We are hosting T/S/J's DVD collection presently - which is uber fabulous as there's so many!!! I'm presently on the hunt for a cheap TV and DVD player (hopefully with delivery included) on Tori. So far we saw the Big Lebowski - enh is what I say.
V�in� is growing like a weed....he doesn't get any formula or baby cereal or anything else but breast milk - which I'm glad I'm able to produce...but wow he has the gut. I've decided to cut out bacon from my diet to test my stomach and to test V�in�'s. Whenever I have an upset stomach from something - either one too many slices of bacon or in general too much of anything spicy etc - V�in� seems to get a reaction too. Which usually doesn't kick in until 2-3 AM.
Presently Tim is cooking the bacon - so I won't be tempted to sneak a piece...I've been bacon-free for about a week now - which is okay...I'm not addicted or anything. Then I'll cook the eggs - as he doesn't have confidence in doing so. Nor does he enjoy it.
Jessica suggested I cut out dairy for a few days - just to see if it'll ease his upset stomach and whatnot - but I really don't think it's the dairy...I drink about 1-2 tall glasses of milk a day- but not always everyday as they only sell lactose-free milk in 1L cartons - nothing bigger. And definitely not in bags. I'll try it maybe when I'm done this carton I just picked up a couple days ago. I really love my milk.
Something I also haven't eaten in ages are nuts. Primarily because of my braces - and my orthodontist always warning me not to eat nuts, skittles, M&M's or Smarties (I do have a friend who broke a bracket clean off with one), nachos etc. Well - Jessica kindly emptied out her cupboards while packing yesterday and sent us home with a bag full of every kind of flavoured tea you can imagine along with a bag of dried goodies. Gluten-free wafter bits, cashews, pitsachios, biscuits of various types, beans etc. I'm so excited to try some of these things - like the lentils - as I've never cooked them before.
I plan on making another batch of chicken soup - with lentils added!
Yesterday I went d/t to meet a lady for diapers and saw a great trailer - by the creators of the Matrix trilogy...some Asian movie - opening up scene with two little kids sparring practically to the death - and they get older and bigger - looks good. I forget the title unfortunately - and there were Finnish subtitles but the volume was muted on the TV.
Anyways - I went on the hunt for stuffing after that - so I could finally finish up the amigurumi (Japanese "cute" crochet) - and no such luck. I'm very frustrated as I'd love to keep making toys for V�in� - but can't complete individual projects for some reason or another.
I suppose I should've asked Jessica and Taneli this question when we first got here - but I just asked yesterday: "What is the equivalent of '911' here in Finland?"
It's 112.
Friday, December 25, 2009
"S" is for Sauna
Alright - I'm officially 95% "Finnish".
I have a reflector tag on my coat, the baby's pram and Tim's getting one for Christmas. I've eaten the fish here, eaten reindeer stew and reindeer pizza and eaten a tonne of baked goodies. Oh and I've picked blueberries in the woods too.
So I don't know what's left to do in the 5% - maybe a trip to Helsinki or something or dye my hair blonde and get some blue contacts for the eyes - however! I finally went in a sauna (Pronounced - sow-nah...not sawn-ah).
I never went before because I was pregnant, it was summer outside (I hate the heat as a general rule especially while pregnant) and presently rocking the stretch marks ("badges of honour", "Tiger stripes"....not Tiger Woods.)....so needless to say - I am shy of my body presently when viewed by others.
Maybe I should go in more depth.
You go in the sauna NAKED. No towel, no bathing suit, etc. So me puting myself out there in front of some strangers (females go together and males go separately together)...yes everybody has the same bits and pieces - but with all my scars from my operations I've had as a newborn - it can cause some eyebrow lifting.
Anyways - I caved. I went as it was just Jessica and I. And with Jessica being at the birth of V�in� - there's not much to hide.
So the sauna was in a separate little building and when you walk in - you take your clothes off and then turn right and you're in the bathroom/shower area before the sauna room. Generally one would give themselves a quick rinse and the sauna itself takes an hour to heat up. Then you go inside the sauna room and there's a bucket filled with water with a large spoon to splash onto the hot coals...which increases the heat greatly. At first when Jessica first poured some water - the heat increased so quickly - it was a rush - similar to that of an asthama attack. But it was fine. So there's a patio with benches to sit on that go along the walls and you have a wooden step to step up onto the patio/platform. And every so often - we got up and left to cool off and we grabbed our towels and stood outside on the snow. I was too chicken to roll in the snow. I could've gotten away with it - as it's a very Finnish thing to do. I wouldn't get charged with indecent exposure - the street is too quiet. HA.
And you just go back and forth - we didn't go outside each time - but just in the entry way to cool off.
It was great and after we each showered and voila.
Now - for those of you that may not know this - DO NOT wear contacts in the sauna. Thankfully I brought my contact stuff with me and my glasses in anticipation of going into the sauna for my first time.
Now another tip - it took me 4 trips into the sauna before my gold necklace (the one with the little gold ball on it) started to heat up and leave red burn rings around my neck. Jessica was talking to me and I started getting a burning sensation around my neck and couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. Finally I interrupted her and said "OW!!!" We couldn't get it off in the sauna - so I went in the bathroom and took it off. Apparently pure gold melts pretty easily. It was 80 degrees inside the sauna.
Oh and I brought my glasses in there too - to see if they'd fog up while wearing them. They did - so I left them on the bench and they became malleable (plastic frame) and now fit much better on my head. They were getting a wee bit crooked for awhile...haha now you know some tricks.
Re-shape your glasses in the sauna and don't wear pure jewelery.
I have a reflector tag on my coat, the baby's pram and Tim's getting one for Christmas. I've eaten the fish here, eaten reindeer stew and reindeer pizza and eaten a tonne of baked goodies. Oh and I've picked blueberries in the woods too.
So I don't know what's left to do in the 5% - maybe a trip to Helsinki or something or dye my hair blonde and get some blue contacts for the eyes - however! I finally went in a sauna (Pronounced - sow-nah...not sawn-ah).
I never went before because I was pregnant, it was summer outside (I hate the heat as a general rule especially while pregnant) and presently rocking the stretch marks ("badges of honour", "Tiger stripes"....not Tiger Woods.)....so needless to say - I am shy of my body presently when viewed by others.
Maybe I should go in more depth.
You go in the sauna NAKED. No towel, no bathing suit, etc. So me puting myself out there in front of some strangers (females go together and males go separately together)...yes everybody has the same bits and pieces - but with all my scars from my operations I've had as a newborn - it can cause some eyebrow lifting.
Anyways - I caved. I went as it was just Jessica and I. And with Jessica being at the birth of V�in� - there's not much to hide.
So the sauna was in a separate little building and when you walk in - you take your clothes off and then turn right and you're in the bathroom/shower area before the sauna room. Generally one would give themselves a quick rinse and the sauna itself takes an hour to heat up. Then you go inside the sauna room and there's a bucket filled with water with a large spoon to splash onto the hot coals...which increases the heat greatly. At first when Jessica first poured some water - the heat increased so quickly - it was a rush - similar to that of an asthama attack. But it was fine. So there's a patio with benches to sit on that go along the walls and you have a wooden step to step up onto the patio/platform. And every so often - we got up and left to cool off and we grabbed our towels and stood outside on the snow. I was too chicken to roll in the snow. I could've gotten away with it - as it's a very Finnish thing to do. I wouldn't get charged with indecent exposure - the street is too quiet. HA.
And you just go back and forth - we didn't go outside each time - but just in the entry way to cool off.
It was great and after we each showered and voila.
Now - for those of you that may not know this - DO NOT wear contacts in the sauna. Thankfully I brought my contact stuff with me and my glasses in anticipation of going into the sauna for my first time.
Now another tip - it took me 4 trips into the sauna before my gold necklace (the one with the little gold ball on it) started to heat up and leave red burn rings around my neck. Jessica was talking to me and I started getting a burning sensation around my neck and couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. Finally I interrupted her and said "OW!!!" We couldn't get it off in the sauna - so I went in the bathroom and took it off. Apparently pure gold melts pretty easily. It was 80 degrees inside the sauna.
Oh and I brought my glasses in there too - to see if they'd fog up while wearing them. They did - so I left them on the bench and they became malleable (plastic frame) and now fit much better on my head. They were getting a wee bit crooked for awhile...haha now you know some tricks.
Re-shape your glasses in the sauna and don't wear pure jewelery.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Bills, Bills, Bills and CHOCOLATE
Once again it's been awhile since I wrote in my "Learning about Finland" blog.
Here we go:
Remember when I said I got some hospital bills that should be covered by the Kela insurance program - as I was technically covered but there was some delay with getting me my card?
Well - apparently all Finnish citizens pay for their hospital stay in the hospital after giving birth. Thankfully I didn't stay too long! I still had to pay for V�in�'s stay as he was in the baby ward after delivery for a few days.
According to Kela (I had to visit their office to ease my confusion) - depending on where you live determines how much you actually pay. So the amounts that I had to cough up - were quite minimal compared to some people. The Kela rep had said something about it being based on the community in which you live in. Not quite sure what that means - however I live across the street from the hospital...so it can't be that bad!
Alright - onto better things - CHOCOLATE. WOW. Before pregnancy - and while Tim and I were first dating - he thought I was a weird girl because I didn't like chocolate. I still am not obsessed with chocolate honestly. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate but love my white chocolate. Or chocolate with stuff in the center - such as nuts or a fruit filling.
Well - I had purchased some Karl Fazer chocolate bars for folks back home and had one left over as we figured Tim's mom and brother wouldn't be able to eat the massive bar I picked up. So I snuck myself a piece this afternoon - and yummy. It DOES taste different than North American chocolate...not quite sure what it is - but delightful. I've had several chunks since. The after-taste isn't as strong as North American chocolate - I think that's why I've been able to consume so much without brushing my teeth yet. (Don't worry I fully intend on brushing my teeth.)
I believe that was my old complaint about N/A. chocolate - was the after taste that followed and the scuzzy/sticky/slimy feeling on my teeth and tongue. But I don't have that now. I may have to eat more to test my theory.
Here we go:
Remember when I said I got some hospital bills that should be covered by the Kela insurance program - as I was technically covered but there was some delay with getting me my card?
Well - apparently all Finnish citizens pay for their hospital stay in the hospital after giving birth. Thankfully I didn't stay too long! I still had to pay for V�in�'s stay as he was in the baby ward after delivery for a few days.
According to Kela (I had to visit their office to ease my confusion) - depending on where you live determines how much you actually pay. So the amounts that I had to cough up - were quite minimal compared to some people. The Kela rep had said something about it being based on the community in which you live in. Not quite sure what that means - however I live across the street from the hospital...so it can't be that bad!
Alright - onto better things - CHOCOLATE. WOW. Before pregnancy - and while Tim and I were first dating - he thought I was a weird girl because I didn't like chocolate. I still am not obsessed with chocolate honestly. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate but love my white chocolate. Or chocolate with stuff in the center - such as nuts or a fruit filling.
Well - I had purchased some Karl Fazer chocolate bars for folks back home and had one left over as we figured Tim's mom and brother wouldn't be able to eat the massive bar I picked up. So I snuck myself a piece this afternoon - and yummy. It DOES taste different than North American chocolate...not quite sure what it is - but delightful. I've had several chunks since. The after-taste isn't as strong as North American chocolate - I think that's why I've been able to consume so much without brushing my teeth yet. (Don't worry I fully intend on brushing my teeth.)
I believe that was my old complaint about N/A. chocolate - was the after taste that followed and the scuzzy/sticky/slimy feeling on my teeth and tongue. But I don't have that now. I may have to eat more to test my theory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)