"Under Construction"

I'm sure you haven't noticed much except the tabs above....well, I'm going through slowly and attempting to label/tag each and every post - so it makes it somewhat easier for you to find things if you put a search in Google for example: "Learning about Finland Blog - __________".

I thought I could organize it better - but unfortunately using Blogger as a free tool and not having my own domain etc. - causes me to not have things as I'd like them.

But that's alright! It could always be worse :D.

Extra Alphabet and an awesome deal

Today I woke up with a "feeling"....
One of those feelings where I didn't want to go downtown but I had the urge to shop.  And I felt like the second-hand shop nearby, Sillinteri, was calling my name...
I rarely ignore those feelings or sudden urges to cruise through a second hand store - because more often than not - I find something at a wonderful price and something useful for my son or the home...

Today was no exception.

I wasn't feeling all that great today (possibly coming down with a cold?) and started my morning with a trip to the playground with my (almost) 20-month old...he was bored and only wanted to keep eating crackers - so my "Shopping Senses" got tingly and I walked over to Sillinteri...
I didn't get a basket right away - thinking I wouldn't find anything bigger than a novel or a cloth diaper...
Well, wasn't I wrong!

I found 9 Chick-Lit novels (Queen of Babble series by Meg Cabot, The Nanny Diaries and some others) in English and all super cheap.....I grabbed a basket as the hood of my son's stroller wouldn't hold or support all of them.
Then I saw a laptop for 2�!  Not any kind of laptop but a children's laptop!  I confirmed with one of the workers that the label said it worked (although the power key is stuck - it thankfully auto-shuts off)...
And look at the inside of this thing:

Fisher Price's Laugh & Learn Preschool laptop

Note the funny alphabet?  � is a Swedish "A" and � and � are Finnish letters

I continued on and found some cloth diapers - which I'm constantly collecting if I can find them at cheap prices!  This way I'm prepared for whenever we have another kid (no rush! I just love a sale!) - and often times, I find bigger cloth diapers and can slip them onto V�in� now - so we save on disposables too!

Well, I was about to leave when I decided I'd do another quick run through and hit up some aisles I had previously missed...

WOW! Good thing I did!
For 20�  I found a baby back-pack carrier...no not a Manducca (I have a Patapum - which is quite similar) - but a "Deuter Kids Comfort III "!
What does that mean? I had no idea either...I just saw it's sturdy frame, it's hiking-like style, the big zippered enclosures for diapers etc. and the real eye catcher?  The sun/rain roof!

It still has the original foam and plastic protection on it!

Now, my husband wasn't terribly pleased when he saw I came home with "more stuff we probably don't need" - but once I did some research online and saw how much money we saved - even he couldn't disagree with this AMAZING find!

Okay - let's do some math and I shall explain what I learned about the "Deuter" brand.

The Deuter brand is a Germany-based company - mostly hiking and camping equipment stuff....kind of like MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op in Canada) I guess!

And then I started looking up this specific model of back-pack carrier....

• It was rated one of the Top 10 carriers in 2011 in a Youtube video....
• It's normally sold for 200-240�...(on MEC's site - I saw it for 315$ Canadian + taxes)....I PAID 20� FOR THIS!!!  And it's practically brand-new!
• It has large compartments to carry diapers and a hydro pack if you have one...
• There is a little zippered pouch near the hip band which contains a little mirror that sticks inside with velcro!  This way you can keep an eye on your little one and see how they are doing!
• Sun/rain roof can be zippered away or opened
• High back for the child - so their head and neck don't snap back like many other carriers do...
• Lots of room for a child to grow and move around in - without being in control of the walk! (aka if V�in� wiggles a bit - I often don't feel it because this carrier is so sturdy and has great padding).
• A kick-stand so you can fit your child in there without it toppling over
• Easy to adjust!
• The chin rest/pad is removable and you can wash it by hand!!  My son loved this feature and looked so comfy resting the side of his face on it while dozing during our trip to the grocery store.
• Here's the site with more specific information

Look at the TERRIBLE neck support from the Patapum! (This was taken when he was  17-months old)  Thankfully he didn't seem to mind this pose...but it was really scary to see him hang his head backwards like this!

I started slowly by taking my son to the nearby library, about 10 minutes away from our door and other than the fact that I did not properly adjust it - it was still quite comfortable!  I didn't have pains in any one particular spot of my body - which was a real joy!

So we returned some things at the library and I rushed home to adjust it as well as I could - and off we went to the grocery store (which is about 15 minutes away - walking at a lazy pace pushing a stroller)....With the exception of the hot temperatures (not the carrier's fault!) - it was a pleasure to carry and use!

I only brought 1 plastic bag with me because I didn't want to put eggs in the carrier's zippered pouch and a baguette wouldn't fit either...but for the most part - a lot of things did fit and yes it does add weight - but it's worth it for the convenience of not having to carry extra bags!

We met with my husband on the way back and he was really impressed with how comfortable and well-supported V�in� looked in it!

When we got home this is what happened:

He didn't want to get out of it!

Prescription is FILLED!

Something I've never posted or discussed here before was getting a prescription filled.

My inhaler was running quite low - so I asked the nurse when I last visited if I could have a refill by her.  Not all nurses are able to sign for a prescription - she being one of them.  So she advised me when the doctor was in and told me when to come in to swing by and get my prescription.

And this is what it looks like:

I blocked off my full name and security ID# for privacy purposes - but at least this way, you can see what a prescription here looks like!

When you bring this paper in (don't forget your Kela card!) to the pharmacy, they'll stamp the date, initial it and add a sticker label from your prescription onto this prescription.

Don't throw this prescription out!  Keep it if you have more than 1 prescription listed - or refills available to you! (If you can see it - I have a total of 3 inhalers available to me - 2 are refills).  That, and if you need a doctor to fill your prescription again, it's easier and faster for them to fill one out if you have proof that you've had this issued to you before hand.

A typical prescription filled by my doctor looks like a piece of stationary (a longer form of a Post-It note almost) with the doctor's office on the top, my doctor's messy writing (aren't all doctors messy writers?) and her stamp.

Finland clearly thought of the doctors messy penmanship and this is a nicer and easier form to use and read!

** On the off chance you forgot your Kela (benefits card) at home while at the pharmacy, ask the pharmacist for a Kela form - and submit your receipt and prescription copy (along with the filled out form) to Kela - and they'll credit your bank account that way.  I've done it once and it didn't take very long at all!**

International Food

I cannot believe I haven't posted about this before (at least I don't think I have...) but let's talk about "International Food".
Food that is not normally sold in Finland - would be American brands and British brands.

The big thing I missed since moving to Finland was Kraft Peanut Butter.  I don't think anywhere in Finland sells that brand (the jars are generally bigger) but that's okay...I eventually got used to the "Finnish" version of peanut butter, although it's not crunchy and it's more oily than the Kraft brand I'm used to.
Although, bonus points to Finland for selling Nutella!

Anyhow, a friend of mine, introduced me to this store, Behnford's, located in Helsinki.  They have their site in English (which I've linked for you) and they also ship based on weight and size of the package.

A friend of mine had gone to Helsinki and picked up a jar of Skippy's Peanut Butter - the jar was relatively small...I made it last as long as I could (got it in February I believe...) and the last bits were gone 2 days ago.
A very sad day indeed.

So, yesterday I got the chance to go with a friend (who thankfully has a car) to the big grocery store, City Market.

I wandered around and got the meat for the week and some other "heavier" stuff (bigger boxes of juice, extra milk cartons, pop - a real treat!, a big bag of potatoes) that can be a pain to carry home while walking....and then I remembered I was out of PB and Nutella!

Once I was in that aisle for spreads and jams - I looked across and saw a sliver of Heaven.

I bought 3 bags...the husband doesn't know.  I can finally make LOTS of treats and goodies with these!

Nutella is sold at all grocery stores....it's a hazelnut cocoa spread...yum.

The first time I've seen crunchy PB in grocery stores (City Market)

I've been here for almost 2 years and this is the first time I've seen semi-sweet chocolate chips! (Other than in Behnford's shop).

The Finnish version of smooth peanut butter...

So there ya have it...my special trip to the City Market ended with me coming home with special treats for me to bake with!

Marshmallows are sweet and sticky and great for Rice Krispy Squares, S'Mores, and other great little cookies...

Chocolate Chips are wonderful for baking with...like chocolate chip cookies....or chocolate chip muffins...or pancakes...or melting them for dipping small things to coat them in chocolate (although I've lately been using Fazer Dark chocolate baking squares) like macaroons (a coconut kind of cookie - sometimes known as a "hay stack")...

(My friend has never heard or seen them before and thought they looked like hamster droppings...I was mortified!)

I use PB for toast, sandwiches, dipping apples, a spoon of it in milk shakes...baked in cookies...for dog biscuits...

I use Nutella for toast primarily...sometimes in baking and occasionally in a milk shake or smoothie if I want to have something "chocolatey" but not a whole bar if you know what I mean!

These items were pricey (and not a brand name I recognize - but I don't care!) - however, if you factor in the cost of shipping from a friend or the cost of shipping from Behnford's....plus the potential of squished marshmallows....it works out to be cheaper than Behnford's and definitely cheaper than shipping from the US or Canada!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

What goes "Beep!" repeatedly when you walk by?
Those big plastic sensors that detect if you've stolen something with a hidden electronic tag in it...like a video game, something expensive and electronic, clothing or a movie for example.
Pretty normal stuff right?

Well, today I had set off one of those thing in downtown Sokos, while out with my 19-month old.  I almost passed out!  What in the world did I have on me that would set something off?
I don't steal - so what could it be?
I pulled over by a bench near the S-Market (well not actually called S-Market but they take S-Card for the points...so to me it's "S-Market") in the bottom floor of Sokos and look through my stuff.
Nothing but crushed cereal bars, gummies, a dentist bill to be paid and my wallet with some diapers and wipes were in my bag!  (Nobody had stopped me - but I did get a few stares.)
Then I looked at my son, who has a plastic chicken toy in one hand and a plastic tea cup in the other....then I remembered his outfit.
V�in� was wearing a Cookie Monster shirt from H&M that he's worn several times before - so that wasn't it.
However, he was wearing a new fleece sweater from Old Navy (in Canada) and Old Navy is known for these cloth tags sewn into the clothing that will set off if you steal from their store...so I begin to strip my son on the "seniors bench" outside of the grocery store.  (It's not really just for seniors - but quite often that's who's sitting there).
No tag.

Hmmm....so I push my son towards the plastic sensors and again, "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"...so I wheel V�in� back to the senior's bench (and by now, all the seniors are looking at me in disgust - thinking I stole something I'm sure...it doesn't help that Finns have a slight tendency to be a wee bit racist....this is not a general statement for all Finns - but I was advised this BY a few Finns!)....
And I try to look up my son's shorts....I felt around and recognized the tag instantly.
I un-buckled my son, removed his shorts, buckled him back in and swung the shorts through the sensor panels and voil�!  It beeped!  (TAKE THAT seniors who thought I was a thief!)

So I went through my bag and noticed I did not have my little scissors for crafting in there - and went to the nearest Sokos cashier and asked the fellow to borrow the scissors.  He looked at me a little confused and then I pointed at the tag in my son's shorts and made a "Beep" sound and he instantly understood.

The tag was disposed of and we commenced with some grocery shopping.

Point of the story? Ensure you cut off those hidden tags after you've made your purchase....because regardless of the amount of times you've washed the product - and apparently, regardless of the country (or continent?) you move those products to and just because it was de-magnetized (or whatever it is) at the location of purchase..............it can STILL set off sensors!

PS Here's some photos of what they look like:

Just a pair of shorts I was folding...then I looked inside and saw....

The electronic tag!  Good thing we didn't go through the whole above AGAIN!

Sometimes you'll see these tags in books...they're hidden in CD and DVD cases too sometimes (although there's a little plastic bar shaped one too that is removable).
I'm so glad I noticed this before folding and putting away V�in�'s other pair of shorts! (Also Old Navy brand)

Oh just an FYI...

Canada Post is on strike...so if you're wondering why you didn't receive a Father's Day card from Canada - that's why.

Here's an article I found on the current situation...

That and Canada Post is pretty slow when it comes to shipping stuff to Finland without the strike.

I have 10 - how about you?

What do most people have 10 of?
FINGERS &TOES.

Now, why in the world would I blog about 10 fingers and toes?
During one of my knitting nights at a friend's home, the husband (not mine but the hostess's) was mowing the lawn outside.  All was well, we were chatting, knitting, going over the latest magazines and books and all of a sudden we heard: "CLANG CLANG, CLANKETY CLANG...MMMMMMMMM" from the lawn mower.
The hostess jumped up quickly and ran out the door.  Needless to say - I was confused.
But all was well.

Why did she jump up and run outside?
Well, it turns out that several years ago, her husband was outside mowing the lawn and cut off some of his toes (I forget how many - but a good chunk of them).  Because their yard has some bumps and small hills - the lawn mower was angled so that it got caught on a bump and he had kept walking and snip snip snip.  Bye-bye toes.
I've never seen his feet before - so I was impressed that he was managing without some (if not all) of his toes. But my friend advised me that they found them, put them on ice - rushed to the hospital and the doctor smiled and said, "Well! You're the first one this year!"
Thankfully because they were quick and the toes were on ice - they were able to re-attach them properly.

I guess it's common here in Finland to lose some pedi-digits!
(And yes, he was wearing sneakers and socks - the lawn mower cut right through the layers!)

Team Spirit??

Finns are very passionate about their hockey...I doubt it's to the extent of this:
http://sports.ca.msn.com/other/photos/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=29139655

The above link is a photo gallery of what happened last night in Vancouver, British Columbia - Canada.  Why?  Because the Vancouver Canucks team lost to the Boston Bruins.
Nobody thought the Vancouver Canucks would make it to the Stanley Cup Finals (it's "THE" thing to win for the hockey teams in the NHL - there's no 2nd or 3rd place) - so it was a huge deal...same goes for the Boston Bruins I guess.  As it's been 39 years since the Boston Bruins were able to claim the Stanley Cup as their own for the year.

I guess the hockey rivalry between Canada and the USA is similar to that of Sweden versus Finland.  When Finland won the World Hockey Championships against Sweden (I think that's the appropriate title - but perhaps I'm wrong - I'm not a huge sports fan) - there was lots to be happy about - but I didn't hear anything about riots in Sweden...and I'm sure there wouldn't have been riots in Finland if roles were reversed either.

Here's a list of all the Finnish hockey players in the NHL.

The really funny (well not really) thing about this is that on the Boston Bruins team - there are SEVERAL Canadian players (Brad Marchand is from Hammonds Plains, NS AND IS ONLY 23 years old!)...so you'd think Canadians would be happy that Canadians (some anyhow) kind of won the Stanley Cup!...and not think to tip police cars, catch them on fire, fight the cops and each other and vandalize property...
Can you imagine calling an insurance company and saying, "Oh my car was smashed to pieces because it was parked downtown and it was trashed in the riot because we lost a hockey game..."
My husband pointed out a good point too..."I wonder how much that game costed Vancouver...." 

Oh Canada....how embarrassing...where's your team spirit for even making it to the finals and for the CANADIANS on the Boston team?

The Difficulty of Finding a Dog Sitter (Long post - sorry!)

This is going to be a very honest and lengthy post- which I'm not typically a fan of writing (the lengthy part that is).
However, because it's something I've experienced here - I want you to be aware of what can happen if you have a pet needing long-term care (i.e. more than 2 weeks) when you travel.
**I will not give the real name of the person(s), however, if you are in Jyv�skyl� and want to avoid hiring this person, please email me directly and I will give the true name of the person - so you can avoid the situation I am about to write.**

While planning our travels to Canada for October 2010, we got lucky by posting ads everywhere online within a Finnish community (i.e. University job board online, Finnish forum, Facebook etc.)  and came across a lovely couple from Estonia who were interested in living in our flat for free in exchange for caring for our dogs.
Unfortunately, the guy's job moved to another part of Finland entirely - so we could not hire them again.

Now, because I wasn't able to have them come again and stay here with Blue and Loki during our various trips this year - what was I to do?
I had a very "last minute if you cannot absolutely find ANYBODY" back up plan with a good friend of mine -but that was just for an extreme emergency....

So I did my online scouting thing again and with very good success - through the Finnish Forum, found a young man living downtown who was very interested in watching the dogs.
However, after meeting him - I realized he wasn't the type.
"Bob" was more interested in money and not interested in living here for free (or having the month of May's rent discounted towards his fees he wanted) or really caring for the dogs in my opinion.   He was terrified of them, despite them being very friendly and happy.  And supposedly he had owned a German Shepherd in Morocco  (Very doubtful about this due to some other tidbits of information that I have been told).
Bob expected me to pay not only for his services of walking the dogs (that part is understandable) but for his:

• Gas money for his vehicle - we live less than a 30 minutes walk from his flat or a 10 minute bus ride.  But because it was exam time - he wanted us to pay him to drive to his "work place" (aka our home).
• Money for take out/eating out - once again, his excuse was that it was exam time - and he didn't have time to cook a quick meal...so if you can't cook a quick meal - what makes me think you can walk 2 dogs???

After a quick discussion with my husband (who was not present), we decided against hiring him.  I notified him kindly thanking him for his time and expressed interest - but that we will look elsewhere.  He then asked if he could have a job even for a couple days....pfft - with the attitude and first impression he gave me (and I am quite particular) - no go dude.  Sorry.

Then a friend of mine found online, a potential dog sitter with all these dog-specialty qualifications....excellent!

We'll call her "Erin".  

Erin came over and had brought a translator and she was very professional.  She was very quiet and shy (typical Finnish attitude especially when trying to speak a language she isn't very familiar with) - but seemed to really know her stuff.

I didn't have time to have her walk the dogs with me - and she was shaking so badly from being nervous, I worried she might've passed out if I asked her this.  So I trusted that she could handle my dogs (medium size but strong), as I saw she posted a photo of herself with a husky and other large breeds on her website.

Erin was incredibly prepared with a contract for me to fill out with information about the dogs and she wanted to know every single detail possible.  Which was a GREAT thing!
Things like:

• Emergency Contact if the key was missing or something serious happened to the dogs.
• Special routines for the dogs 
• Special concerns about the dogs: i.e. dogs they do not like or sounds that scared them
• Weight, birth date, latest vaccines for both dogs, microchip information etc.

I was feeling very confident that Erin would have no problem with them and she continuously gave them attention in my presence.  Her translator/friend assured me several times that Erin was fantastic with her dogs (although they were tiny breeds) and would be wonderful with mine.

Great ! She brought a reference with her.
And she only wanted 12�/day for caring and feeding 2 dogs!!

We went to Sweden in March for a conference and were gone for a week.

Our only rules for staying in our flat were pretty easy to follow and I think quite reasonable:

• Don't smoke inside the flat (we're not smokers, we have a young child and we are renting from non-smokers).
• Don't have huge parties because it's a family building - it's quiet at all hours of the day pretty much- so let's keep it that way. 

That's it.  The obvious un-spoken bits were "clean up after yourself, make yourself at home and please care for our dogs".

• When we got back, there was evidence of regular smoking on the balcony (which is NOT completely exposed outdoors and it was winter - so I imagine she didn't open the windows very wide).  She even left the make-shift ash tray (an empty old jar from baby food) on the table.
• She was also spraying my hair spray as an air freshner all over the flat while we were walking in the door...
• There was a bag of empty (and not rinsed) alcohol bottles...
• Some dirty dishes...not a huge deal...
• Nothing was in it's proper place (i.e. plates, glasses etc.) - minor detail
• Bed wasn't stripped or even made...despite us making her bed for her before leaving...
• But the floors were clean and the dogs were happy and well exercised.

Within 30 minutes of us getting there and her leaving - my older dog, Blue, had a huge diarrhea mess on the carpet.
Why? Because Erin fed them canned meat (and I clearly specified don't give them human food except veggies and fruit and occasional piece of meat if you want)...and this was a disaster to clean up....!!
I looked in the stores for this canned meat and it's not  wet dog food.  It was canned meat you'd use for making pasta sauce or something like that.  I'm sure the expiry date is 4-8 years from now....and went through my dog's digestive system in less than 24 hours.

I notified Erin about Blue being sick and that I know she smoked on the balcony and I'd appreciate if she didn't do it again because the smoke does travel inside (where the balcony is not completely exposed outside)...she said fine, she wouldn't do it again and didn't ask if Blue felt better or apologize - nothing.

We went to Paris and Estonia for 1 week in April and when we returned - she arrived drunk (it was the day before a big Finnish holiday called Vappu) to return my key, despite me stating it'd be fine if she left it on the table on her way out....

There was no evidence of her smoking but the same above things occurred - not cleaning up after herself...etc.

So! We go to Canada for 1 month....we were gone for less than 2 weeks and got an email about there being wasps and bees in the kitchen - so she couldn't live there or let the dogs eat in the kitchen.  We've never had an issue with wasps or bees and neither had the owners.  I notified her to get rid of the dead (by now) flowers near the window and that should help and let the dogs eat and drink wherever....

Then we get an email shortly after that stating her rates had gone up from 12�/day to 16�/day BUT because we didn't sign for that amount - I was legally able to decline having to pay her extra.  

She also never notified me of "potential price increase without formal notice" when filling out the contract.  (So I declined politely).

Then my dog's eye was infected - she contacted my emergency person and myself and I confirmed to get Blue to the vet.  She notified me of the procedures done and what needed to be done when we return - fabulous!  I'm so glad she took the time to notice his irritated eye and helped him. :)  

When we returned, the living room was neat and tidy - but the kitchen was a DISASTER...

• Black cooked stuff stuck onto the stove top...
• Garbage under the sink was OVERFLOWING (a couple of days wouldn't be a big deal...but we were gone a whole month)....
• Dirty laundry forgotten in the washing machine...
• No alcohol bottles this time and no ash tray on the balcony.

Although - I'm 95% positive she smoked on the balcony (or her guest did) because there were ashes all over the table cloth on the balcony (which I'm pretty sure wasn't there since the ash tray was)....and my son found an empty cigarette package - so who knows where that was left at ...obviously not in the garbage....

And here's the kicker:  in a box of CLEAN diapers - I found a plastic grocery bag with used pads.

I was mortified and disgusted.  I know it wasn't me because I haven't been there in a month and I wouldn't hide my used pads in a diaper box!

I did not mention this to Erin - but I'm sure she must've remembered, because I haven't heard from her in a month - as I emailed her confirming I sent the final payment and that she forgot some dirty laundry here.  I will be notifying her once more of the clothing she left behind - and if she doesn't want it  - I will dispose of it.

I'm sorry I'm being "such a mean blogger" in this post - however, I wanted you to be aware of what to expect if you hire "Erin".

Yes, kennels were an option but worked out to be much more expensive...and often we needed a car to get out to the locations to drop off and pick up the dogs...and we don't have a car.

And since we've had wonderful experiences before with our first dog-sitters in Finland (and in general, most Finnish women are quite tidy) - we assumed this would be a wonderful arrangement.

**My husband wants me to note here that not everybody may come off in this situation with Erin depending if you have her live in your home during your travels - that and "it wasn't a huge mess" in his opinion.  I counter-act that statement with, "Who cleaned up after her? Not you."

So - this is purely my opinion and experience - take it for what it's worth...for me, as a common courtesy - please clean up after yourself when you're living in someone else's home.  I am not the neatest and tidiest person ever - trust me, my good friends know what I can be like, but when it comes to someone else's place and at their expense - I'd leave it as clean as they left it for me, if not cleaner.**

Originally written in June 2011 - posted July 5, 2011

Updating the blog

Hey folks:

As you can see in the headline - the blog is going under construction and I'm not sure how long this will take.  
I will continue to blog but am in the process of organizing things so they're easier to find for you!

As well, I'll be adding more photos and possibly work on creating a Photobucket or Flickr account just for photos for your viewing!  This way it's probably faster, and I can upload links instead of photos individually.

I'm hoping to do this with my Aquarius Tigris Blog as well after this is complete.

Thanks for your support!
Dominique

Who Called?

The great thing about Finnish cell phones is that you don't have to pay for caller ID.  It's free...now, while this may be a shocker to many North Americans (it was for me when I moved here!) - it's the norm here.
So if you have your friends phone numbers listed in your address book, it'll say who sent you a text message or called you.

If you don't have a particular number, it'll list the full number for you.  (Voice mail services are additional costs- I have no idea how much, as I don't have it.  But like any other phone service here, I imagine it's relatively cheap in comparison to Canada).

A couple days ago, I received a call and had forgotten my phone and was curious who this number belonged to, because they didn't call back.  The phone companies occasionally (rarely) call to offer better deals than the company I'm with (DNA), but I am happy with DNA thus far.
My friend was visiting and said, "Well you can find out who called you via SMS" (text message).  I had no idea how, so she showed me and now I'll show you!

You write a new message and send it to: "16400"
In the message you write: "Find: _________________" and you insert the phone number (country code not necessary if it's within Finland).  Within 1 minute, you'll get a response, in Finnish, with the company or person's listing that is attached to this phone number who called you.
This is not a free service but it's not an expensive one either.  Just a few Euro cents from what I understand.
If the number is un-listed or it's a pay-as-you-go cell phone - then it will notify you that they could not find the person or company's name.

And it was a telemarketer trying to sell me magazines, in case you're wondering.

** Fees are subject to change and as of June 2013 - someone used this service (by their own choice) and was charged 3�. **

Sorry, you must be at least 65 to join....

What club possibly requires you to be at least 65 years old to join?

Well, there's this gym that requires you to be that young!  I know - it sounds crazy! I'm not 65...but one of my knitting friends is and she asked if I knew of this experiment in Jyv�skyl� (and only in JKL) that involves senior citizens doing aerobics, jumping, somersaults and other gymnastics.  I honestly did not believe her until she explained it to me...

(I am in my mid twenties and do not do somersaults....or any form of exercise other than running after my 19-month old and walking...  Needless to say - this caught my attention and hopefully captures yours as well!)

Don't believe me? This is how famous this Seniors Exercise club is - they were interviewed by a Taiwanese News Network.  Here's the video (it's a few years old) and just in case you're wondering - the oldest member is now 83 - 84 years old.

How did this start?
Well, a researcher by the name of Erkki Tervo wanted to see if disabled children were able to learn gymnastics (which may seem easy to those that are not handicapped in any way).  Once that proved possible (with proper instruction, supervision and support) - he thought, "What if we can get senior citizens more active and try to do gymnastics as well?"
In 2007-2008, as part of a research project, this gymnastics group consisting of both men and women between the ages of 65 and 77, began to learn how to tumble, stretch, jump and balance themselves...

Here's the official video.  And yes, there's English headlines in it.
And of course, the video for the same gym techniques for the disabled children.

They were also involved in a radio program for the BBC News/Europe/Gym and Dance For Elderly Finns in November 2007.

The title of the email I received (quite awhile ago, and I apologize for just posting this now) is called, "Gym For All" - and I think this is a lovely title for both the group and the email, because it proves no matter what your ability - you can at least try and do something.

Huge thank you to my friend, Leila T., who provided me with this information and the video links.


**For some reason, the Taiwan video link no longer works and neither does the 3rd video link for the disabled children gym for all.**

Knitting in Public

Yes, I realize this is a slightly crafty-related post...and yes, I do have a crafty blog for such things...
But there's more to it!

Today is an international day for "Knitting in Public" (KIP as some know it).  What do you do? You gather some of your pals, pack some snacks and a blanket...and knit in public!  Whether it's in a yarn shop, in their window, in a park or on the sidewalk....just go out and KNIT IN PUBLIC!

The bi-weekly Tuesday night knitting group I am a part of, with Poppeli, met up around 11 this morning and parked ourselves outside of the Town Church in Jyv�skyl�.
What a prime location!  Besides the weather being gorgeous, it was a Saturday.  What in the world does that mean? It means wedding day!


Because there are only 8 Saturdays in a summer that is ideal for weddings, many people get married and from 1pm onward, the weddings rotate the use of the Church every hour on the hour!  For example, my friend got married on a Saturday in the summer and there were 4 weddings that day in the same Church.

I asked about traditions and whether or not the bride and groom often show up together, walking down the aisle.  Where as, in North America, it is common for the groom to be up at the altar already -then the bride comes along.  Some things I noticed with the 2 weddings we saw were:

• For both weddings, I didn't see any other bouquet - so it was hard to tell who was a bridesmaid.  Especially because everybody was dressed up quite fancy for both weddings.
• First wedding had a little flower girl without the flowers and I didn't see a ring bearer at either wedding.  The little flower girl for the first wedding didn't carry any flowers or petals - she held the train of the dress until they got in the Church.
• First wedding - the bride and groom entered the Church together.
• Second wedding - the groom and best man (arrived via taxi) entered the Church first and then the bride and her gang arrived after in a separate taxi and then entered the Church.  My friend thought this was extremely odd - until we saw the horse-drawn-carriage that took the newlyweds afterward.
• Once outside: the guests sometimes blow bubbles (not at these weddings though) but the tossing of rice is no longer accepted because it can kill birds...I once heard that the un-cooked rice expands in a bird's stomach and can cause explosion.
• First wedding I didn't notice a photographer....second one clearly had one.  Another common thing is to get the photos done in the portrait studio prior to getting married or just have photos taken in the Church and at the reception.

Oh and then there's the 2 bachelorette parties we saw!  The brides weren't wearing tiaras with tiny veils and their bras on the outside of their shirts...or sashes with "BRIDE TO BE" plastered all over it.
One of them was dressed kind of old fashioned - with an apron, handkerchief in her hair and a little dress and carried a rolling pin with curled ribbons and a little pad of paper attached.  She was asking for people to write good marriage advice on the piece of paper! Her two friends were also dressed like she was too.

The second bachelorette, wore a bright-catchy get-up that would make Flava Flav proud.  She handed out candies for those that signed her little pad of paper with advice.

And here's some photos (we were sitting quite far away so I apologize for the fuzziness):

1st wedding at 1pm - bride and groom entered together

1pm Bride

The get-away-mobile for the newlyweds!

Town Church in Jyv�skyl�

1st Bachelorette Party (Bride to be is in the red checkered apron)

Knit in Public!

I worked on the multi-colored star fish face cloth (pattern is not my own).

Newlyweds! HOORAY! Congrats!

Small wedding

2nd Bachelorette - Flava Flav style complete with a clock around the neck

Getting marital advice from some of the knitters....

Pregnant 2pm Bride

Waiting for the Newlyweds

Congrats!

Syllables in Finnish Names!

So a lot of my friends are having babies (primarily in Canada) and like any other North American, I ask what the name choices are going to be.

I discussed these various names with my Finnish friends during a knitting group (which led to their children's names) and how I noticed the name "Tarmo" means "energy" in Finnish and perhaps V�in� should have been named that instead!
Fast forward a few hours of knitting and gossip, and my neighbour who drove me home, asked if I noticed that in general, Finnish people have a 2-syllable first name and a 3-syllable (or more) middle/second name.
That is a common tradition - although  not always practiced.

Thinking through all the friends we have - here are some first names for you!  (and yes they're mostly all 2-syllables!)

• Eino
• Pasi
• Martta
• V�in�
• Sohvi
• Ilkka
• Kirsi
• Olli
• Petrus
• P�ivi
• Kimmo
• Katri
• Lauri
• Heli
• Mikko
• Vilma
• Venla
• Pirkko
• Olavi
• Matti
• Markko
• Kreeta
• Sulevi
• Taneli
• Juhana
• Johanna
• Paula
• Pauliina
• Antti
• Valtteri
• Arttu

Just to name a few!

Taking a Train in Finland

Taking a train in Finland is relatively easy.  (I'll take a photo and add it to this post later today showing you what is what on your ticket -if I can find one!)

Now, buying a ticket is another story.
I don't know how it works in Canada, as I've never purchased a train ticket before...
You can purchase a ticket on VR's site. (I linked it to English for you!)  Here's the catch - your online purchase must go through between the hours of 6am-1130pm.  There are usually people available to buy tickets from on site, but typically after 8am....
When I had to get a ticket to go to Helsinki for that Arnold's meeting, I was submitting my phone number and about to click "SUBMIT" and then the clock turned 11:31pm.  The ticket could not be purchased.
How frustrating!
I looked on the website and found out that I am able to buy tickets from the electronic machines on site (they are green and look like banking machines sort of), as well as at the R Kioski (corner store) located at the train station.  Whew.
The next morning, I was at the train station by 6am, as my train left shortly after and I tried using the electronic machine and had no luck.
WHY?! Because the machine is completely in Finnish or Swedish.  There isn't an English option available! And you can buy bus tickets from this electronic kiosk as well!  Holy confusing!
The worst thing, was the label on the machine..."For technical support please dial..." IN ENGLISH!

I ran to the corner store and asked if I could buy a ticket from her and she said no, but to go to the conductor and he'll sell me a ticket.  Great!

I get on the train, pick an empty seat (hoping that nobody had a ticket for that seat) and waited for the conductor to enter our cabin.  He asked for my ticket and I explained the internet store closed before I could hit submit and the machines aren't in English!  So I handed him my Visa Electron, and they don't accept Visa Electron payments. (Cash and major credit cards I think are accepted....)
What in the WORLD was I going to do?!  The conductor had a loud and deep rumble kind of voice and didn't speak a lot of English either.  Great.  So thankfully, a younger person sitting nearby translated everything for me....
When I got to Helsinki - I had to go to the train station and purchase the ticket from Jyv�skyl� to Helsinki, and my return ticket there....then it'd be okay.  PHEW!

When I told some of my Finnish friends this wild story - they said I was very lucky I didn't get kicked off at the next stop!  (Plus there's an 80� fee for being on the train without a ticket).

However, the cool thing about buying your ticket online is that you can get a text message to your phone with a bar code.  This bar code can be scanned by the conductor, so you don't have to worry about losing your paper ticket :).  How environmentally friendly!

Just make sure you have proper ID if you're a student purchasing a student ticket...you should have it on you just in case you bought a ticket online with your name on it anyway.

And just in case you're thinking, "If I don't buy the ticket like the conductor suggested, and get on the train a few hours later...what are the chances they are working the opposite route, different train...?"
Answer: VERY LIKELY.  So don't be cheeky!

Summer Life in Finland

Another wonderful warm day in Finland...and where it is much drier than Nova Scotia...it's not humid!  I love it here!
With the exception that it can get quite hot and dry, as we're on the top floor and the sun aims itself into our flat regularly....

So how does one "Survive" a Finnish summer?
Seeing as this is our second summer...let me explain what we've been doing.

First of all - there's about 20 hours of sunlight a day now...wild eh? ("eh" is a Canadian thing...just a filler but sounds like "ei" which means "no" in Finnish)
Don't believe me? Check out this video of a time lapse I found on Youtube (through Facebook) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTjyt-6hJQw&feature=youtu.be

Where it's a drier summer - I don't recommend wearing contacts.  And nose bleeds tend to be common if you're not used to this dry, hot weather (think Alberta, Canada)...to help prevent nosebleeds - use a Q-Tip and some vaseline and put some into your nostrils.
Sounds disgusting but my brother and I grew up with awful nosebleeds (think 2+ hours)...this is the only thing that helped after our parents hunted around for a remedy for us!

Okay! So back to Finnish summers, because there is a tonne of sunlight- you need super dark curtains.  Or you will not get much sleep! Especially if you're sensitive to light!
Even at midnight, the sun sits on the horizon for a couple hours then comes back up by 3 or 4am!  My husband often takes the dogs out at this hour - to avoid other dogs and he also brings books with him so he can do some reading while the dogs run around.  That's how light it is outside.
One could do crafts outside at that hour...it's that light enough!

Mosquitoes aren't as bad here as NS but I suppose it depends on what part of Finland you go to.  The more Northern parts of Finland have swarms of them....like in Lapland!
Wasps and ticks are common...liquid flea/tick treatments for dogs run about 44� for 3 months and can be found at the local pharmacy "Aptekki" or at your vet.  Pet shops do not sell this medication but they do have flea collars.  Some grocery stores carry the flea collar as well...

Even though the sauna is hot - Finns love their sauna.  Remember in the winter, I mentioned that the "really crazy Finns" like to go in the sauna then come out, roll in the snow and then jump into a hole in the lake?  Well summer version is apparently just hang out in the breeze and/or jump into the lake to cool off and repeat.

Cottage! Jyv�skyl� is a University kind of town - so when it's summer time - it can be a ghost town downtown....it doesn't have the tumbling bales of hay - but it's pretty empty in comparison to the school year. That, and a lot of people go to their summer cottage for a month or two and spend time with their family and relax.

BBQ! I love barbecuing...or "grill" as Finns refer to it...I love it so much!  That's one less pot or pan I have to clean!

A friend of mine suggested to keep all the windows closed and the curtains down throughout the day so the warm air doesn't blow inside...then once it's cooled off a bit - then open up your windows and you'll get the cooler breeze....

Swim, visit family and friends...and just enjoy all the sunshine you can because when winter comes...the sun comes up by 10am...and goes down by 3 or 4pm!

When Travelling to London Heathrow Airport....

If you are not planning on staying in London and have another flight to catch  please ensure you have at least 4-5 hours between flights.


Why? Well, here's our trip home...(So much for that previous glowing review Air Canada!)

We were flying from Halifax to St. John's, Newfoundland and then to London...THEN to Helsinki.
Simple right?  We checked in our luggage and got our boarding passes and the Air Canada rep at the desk notified us that we have to pick up our luggage in London and re-check it in AND THEN go through customs and security again.
We had less than 2 hours to connect to our next flight...FYI Heathrow is a monster-huge airport...


We looked at this girl like she was nuts and she said yes we definitely have to go through customs.

Our flights were smooth and easy and for 30 minutes we hovered in the air in circles (you could see the little white plane and green line going in circles literally on the map on TV) above Heathrow.  Why? Probably because all the lanes were booked!  So we went from having almost 2 hours to having less than 1.5 hours to get on the next plane.
Thanks to this delay, we missed our flight entirely.  We had to wait 45 minutes in a SUPER huge line up (as we have Canadian passports and are listed in the "All Other Passports" line up in which there are less than 6 reps clearing customs)....The staff doing customs and security both asked us "Why are you clearing customs?!  Don't bother rushing - you aren't gonna make it."
Funny...we were thinking the same freaking thing.
 We were not impressed and went to British Airways to get our new flight.  They said we had to go to Air Canada and get them to re-book us....

1st Trip
We go to Air Canada and the young fellow books us in and says, "Well, I don't know if you're flying with British Airways or Finnair.  Go check Finnair and if not - go to British Airways. There's a flight at 1020am...you still have time to get in there."  (It was 8:15am or so....)
(Insert death look but with a happy voice).

We go to Finnair who has 0 record of us being there and march over to British Airways.
They have Tim registered and printed a boarding pass for him (flight is not at 1020am...but now at 1230pm)...
Nothing for me and our son, V�in�. (Insert not impressed look and stern voice).


2nd Trip 
I go back to that young man and give him a death stare that would make Darth Vader proud and a voice of a reprimanding teacher...and he says, "Oh I'm terribly sorry Miss.  I just got a call - there...*twenty minutes of me standing there he types* now you're booked.  Go back to British Airways and they'll print out your pass."

I go back and British Airways says, "You are here with a reference number but your son is still not listed as infant and doesn't have a reference number."
(I am threatening to choke the Air Canada rep in front of the British Airway reps and they smiled calmly and said, "We'd recommend flying through to Toronto with Air Canada next time then BA all the way to Helsinki in future...you wouldn't go through this garbage if this was us!" Thanks - good to know.)

3rd and final trip
I stand there with our Passports in hand (Tim and V�in� are patiently waiting by British Airways and I think, at this point, my husband is terrified of me) and the reference numbers for myself and my husband...
I have a look on my face that screams "I am so kicking you in the nuts if you don't get this straightened out..." and my voice is so cold I think Lord Voldemort might be proud of me...
"Listen.  This is my 3rd and FINAL trip to see you to get this straightened out.  This is what needs to be done and I am beyond fed up with having to run back and forth and hope I catch the 1230pm flight to Helsinki." (it's almost 11AM by this point!)
He explains that he doesn't understand why I need a reference number or whatever, because V�in� is an infant and would be in my lap anyway.  Fine - I get that.
THEN HE SAYS: "Here - take the ticket to them..that should make them happy.  And I hope we don't see each other again and I mean that in the kindest of ways Miss."

WHY DIDN'T HE GIVE ME THE TICKET THE FIRST OR SECOND TIME I SAW HIM?!
And it's not like he was waiting long for it - he calmly walked to the printer and it was already sitting there...because he avoided talking me and looking at me when he saw that I was in the line again for the 3rd time and decided this was his prime time to type like mad...

So...if you travel via ANY AIR LINE and they tell you - you have to stop in London and you have less than 5 hours to get to your next flight - fight it!

The reason why we're so upset is because we have 2 dogs at home with a dog sitter and obviously the airlines aren't going to pay for the extra time the dog sitter has to be with them if we kept missing flights.
As well, we're travelling with an infant who is very sensitive to time differences..he was accustomed to Canadian time and London is 2 hours different from Finland.  THEN we were late leaving by 4 hours...so jet lag was a major concern for us - seeing as Finland has 20 hours of sunlight now...

Gossip.

Finns love their gossip magazines as much as I do! Except I don't dig the Finnish ones....I'm all about Perez Hilton (he's really changed compared to before) and more legit gossip sites like People.com.


So - let's gossip!


Finns often ask me what I know about Finland now, versus prior to moving here.  Answer is still: not much.  Then they ask if I follow Finnish celebrity gossip - same answer - not really.
But! Ask me anything about North American gossip and I am on top of it!


So to enlighten those of you that may be Finnish (or non North Americans) - I will let you know who is Canadian...

• Celine Dion ("My Heart Will Go On" is one of her famous tunes from the Titanic soundtrack)
• Justin Bieber (yes it's true...he's from Stratford, Ontario)
• Pamela Anderson (although ask any Finn and they say she's more Finnish because of her family history)
• Wayne Gretzky (most Finns are familiar because he played with some Finnish hockey players)
• Sidney Crosby (not many Finns are aware of who he is)
• Ellen Page (she was the actress in Inception!)
• Jay Manuel (the guy with silver colored hair on America's Next Top Model)
• David Furnish (Sir Elton John's husband)
  
• Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters)
• Neve Campbell (Scream 1-4)
• Jim Carrey (The Mask)
• Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future)
• Victor Garber (Alias and as James Cameron in Titanic)
• Ryan Gosling (The Notebook)
• Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek)
• Rachel McAdams (The Notebook)
• Barenaked Ladies
• Alanis Morissette
• Bryan Adams
• Burton Cummings (The Guess Who)
• Nelly Furtado
• Michael Buble
• Shania Twain
• Our Lady Peace
• Chantel  Kreviazuk
• Nickleback
• Gordon Lightfoot
• Sum 41
• The Moffatts
• Treble Charger
• ME!

And there you have it!

What's Your Status?

No it's not Facebook related or a bad pick-up line...I really mean it!
What is Your Status?

The reason for me finding out what my status meant, is because I recently had an offer for a potential job with Arnold's as a franchisee.
How in the world did I get this offer? Remember that review I did awhile ago, of Arnold's in Turku and in Jyv�skyl�? (Click the above link to read it again if you wish!)

Well, I was requested to contact someone, who turned out to be one of the co-founders of Arnold's and is the current Managing Director.
After a meeting and several discussions via phone and email, I was offered a potential position as a franchisee of the Arnold's location downtown Jyv�skyl�.
Nothing is official or has been signed.


So after all these discussions, we realized one important factor: "Can I even work here in Finland?"
Off to the Finnish Police station I go! There's the Police station and there's the separate building across from it that's for licensing...and they have foreign assistance.
After a quick review of my current residence permit - there was confirmation that yes, I CAN work in Finland! AND there's no restrictions.

Why?  Because my residence permit status starts with an "A".  If my status started with a "B" - then it would've been a no go.  (It was "B" status my first year here and is now an "A" status).
So by "no restrictions" - I was advised that I can work as many hours as I'd like and make as much money as I wanted....

I'll keep y'all updated on everything!  Thanks for the support!

Some photos of Nova Scotia,Canada

Another cloudy day....this is the clock tower near the top of Citadel Hill (Halifax, NS)

Bud The Spud has new owners (previous ones retired) and is a fry stand!  They're parked along Spring Garden Road, closer to Barrington Street -outside of the Library

Public Gardens is a popular spot for formal photos (i.e. prom, weddings etc.) and is nice to walk around and also has a duck pond.

Part of Public Gardens

Bologna and Kraft Dinner

This is sort of what a poutine looks like...It's not the best (go to Qu�bec for that!) but it's alright!

Where I'm from...this sign is new (it wasn't there in October) and the funny thing about this sign is that the North End of Dartmouth is known for its violence, drugs and crime. (Homicides too -but hey, that's another story.)

I wrongfully called this a zoo...The husband jumped down my throat...