SNOW SNOW SNOW!

You would think that because Finland gets a lot of snow - that everybody hates it.
But that's not true!
Because it's dark by 4pm...if not earlier...and the sun doesn't come peeking out until about 9-10am...it's pretty dark out!  The snow acts as a reflector of the street lights and it brightens up the area A LOT.

But at the same time, it has it's down sides too....like having to bundle yourself and your kids up in at least 3 layers....pushing a stroller with hard plastic wheels can be a complete pain when there's clumps of snow in the way (or the sidewalk has yet to be plowed)....oh and then half the side walk is usually gone too.

And a word of caution:

For some reason - Finnish drivers do not (doesn't apply to all) sweep the snow off the roof of their vehicles.
Can we say: DANGEROUS?!

• Scenario #1: Think of it this way...you're the driver behind the jerk who didn't sweep off their roof...a bit of warm air, a breeze or a sharp turn or brake - and POW!  You have tonnes of snow and possibly ice on your windshield...you can't see...it's a green light and you can't see.
  You're swerving...the people behind you are swerving...and the jerk up ahead is trucking along totally oblivious to the hazard they just caused you.
  
• Scenario #2: You're a cyclist (yes Finns ride their bikes in the winter) and you get a face full of snow....and then you fall and possibly get hit by someone else from behind or on the side.

• Scenario #3: Scenario 1 happens and your windshield cracks...it's totally possible with the weight of ice and snow and speed and other physics-related things...and 1 little tiny crack can cause you a huge-assed problem.  It'll spread and it costs a TONNE of money to replace your whole windshield!

So please, PLEASE, PLEASE...wipe the snow off the roof of your car.

Onto other Dangerous Snow-Related Accidents in Finland:

• Be cautious of walking under trees....they are heavy with snow and probably some ice because it's been raining....it hurts quite a bit when a chunk falls and smacks you in the face, head or neck.
• Be VERY cautious of walking near tall buildings...sometimes people are on the roof shovelling the ice and snow off and it hurts a lot if you get hit.  Normally there's someone below telling the shoveller when pedestrians are walking by....not always.
• Sometimes ice and snow just falls off the roof of buildings - the taller the building, the faster the fall, the harder it'll hit you.  So try to not walk glued to the sides/fronts of a building....

Many pine trees are so old that the weight of the snow is weighing down their branches and they are SNAPPING off...so be careful!

"How to Marry a Finnish Girl"

I confess if I were you (male OR female) - I would be curious as to how to accomplish that very thing....
I mean how hard can it be to propose to someone (regardless if they are Finnish or not), hope to heck they say "Yes!" and then begin your new journey together as (eventually) husband and wife?

Apparently - there's a book on how to get the Finnish woman of your dreams to say "YES!"
 My friend emailed me the link ages ago and it is now, over 3 weeks later (and at almost 4am - ARGH!) that I post it for you!

Don't believe me?
Check it out here.
And no it's NOT available on Book Depository.  I checked already (and again just now).

Good luck!
*And don't tell her I sent you to that site! It's totally legit by the way!  It's on Facebook too....took the author 9 years to convince his now-wife to say "yes"....so I guess he has experience...*


PS Any Finnish males - opinions?
PPS I do not plan on marrying a Finnish Girl...but perhaps you are - or you know someone who needs these expertise-like tips! (What a great stocking stuffer!)

BIG BIG News!!!

I am excited! Super duper excited!

I have 2 things to share with you all! (Especially if you're in Jyv�skyl�, Finland area...)

First of all - I will be setting up a cafe in Poppeli yarn store in downtown Jyv�skyl� for Restaurant Day on February 4th, 2012.
I met up with the owner, who is a good friend of mine, and decided that February is a pretty cold time to be outside to sell cookies and other sweets...and seeing as she has some seating area, a fancy kind of coffee/hot drinks machine and of course - yarn to sell - maybe we could team-up!

THEN she had a great idea...I'm so excited....she asked if I could bake once a week and bring baked goods to sell at her store!  She currently doesn't offer much in food - just some packaged cookies...but wouldn't it be nice to come in one day a week and be able to knit/crochet, have a hot cup of something to drink...and a freshly-baked treat????
Yeah, I think it sounds great too!

Starting next Friday (Dec. 2) - I'll be delivering freshly baked sweets over to Poppeli....I'll be changing it up every week too!
Cookies, muffins, cupcakes... anything sweet - will be available every Friday (unless it's a holiday - we'll have to sort something out for that) at Poppeli!!!
So tell your friends and spread the word!

And of course, they'll be available for take-away in cellophane bags...tied shut of course...with yarn (only near the holidays as I do not have any cellophane bags currently...so ziploc bags it is for now!).
By all means you can eat your treats and relax at Poppeli with your knitting or cup of coffee or tea!


Keep an eye out on this blog!  I'll be posting what I am baking the night before I deliver to Poppeli!

BANG!

So Sunday evening I had the pleasure of going with my youngest to a concert in which my friend's boyfriend was performing, along with Maria Lund and Timo Rautiainen and on the way home we decided to swing by the grocery store to get some food.
We were waiting to make a left turn because we didn't want to drive into a bus that would be driving past us in a few short seconds....my friend had the brakes on and the left turn indicator (blinker) on....we waited patiently - and suddenly BANG!
We were rear-ended by a fellow not paying attention.  No really, he told my friends, "Sorry I didn't realize you were stopped."
(I guess a couple bright red brake lights and a bright yellow left flashing light wasn't obvious enough....ah well...accidents happen!)

And no, he wasn't young at all....AND he had his son with him in the front seat (about 8-10 years old I think).  Both drivers got out and agreed to meet in the parking lot of the grocery store and by that point, people were driving around us (and the rear-ending offender) and the bus had driven by.
(Air bags didn't go off in either car).

We got into the parking lot - my friend M was really upset and I was in adrenaline-based shock...and my 1 month old (who had turned 1-month that day actually) was asleep.


Thankfully the damage to both vehicles was minimal (yes the pieces that need to be fixed and re-painted will cost an arm and a leg) - both vehicles were drivable and nobody was seriously hurt.
My neck and shoulder was a little sore that night, but that could be due to carrying the baby for a 2 hour-long concert...and those Baby Bj�rn carriers aren't all that comfortable with an 11+ lbs baby! (5kg+)!!

The other driver rushed over to us and asked how we were doing and apologized a lot in Finnish and Swedish....or maybe it was English...
"Sorry" sounds quite similar in Swedish by the way....

My friend M and I went to get groceries with the sleeping baby and the guys began to inspect their cars.

I don't know if it's mandatory or not - but my friend's boyfriend had a document in his glove compartment in case of an accident....so I don't know if all Finnish drivers have to have this paper work on hand at all times or not...but anyway - I continue...(If I find out the answer - I'll update this post accordingly).

The guys came in to K Market and filled out their forms and there was a grid near the bottom of the sheet where you can draw how the accident occurred.  (It was clearly obvious we were not the guilty party that caused the accident).
So because I was involved - my contact information was also jotted down.

Then from my understanding, my friend M said they would take their car to be inspected to see how much work needs to be done to repair it - and then they send the claim to the guilty party's insurance.

A fairly smooth process (despite the bumps and scares) if you ignore the waiting time to get your car looked at!

*No police or paramedics were called to the scene because it was a very minor accident and nobody was bleeding or in severe pains*.

In Canada (at least in Nova Scotia), if there's a car accident - you cannot drive to another location (unless you're smack-dab in the center of a highway and occupying the whole space - even then you should probably stay put until police get there)...and you don't carry accident claim papers with you either.
You call the police and paramedics (911) if it's severe enough and your insurance company as well.  Damage on YOUR vehicle goes through YOUR insurance...I don't know if you can put claims through another person's insurance - I doubt it.
Although, I'm pretty sure you can take the guilty party to court (and claim compensation of some sort) if enough damage was caused and they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs...


Now that it's been 4 days - I feel fine - a little stiff here and there but probably due to having a newborn and lack of sleep!....I'm very lucky and I'm assuming my baby is fine too - as he's just peachy as can be any time of the day (once he is fed)....

It could always be worse!  And we were very lucky that there wasn't any ice (that was the next day) and nobody rear ended the fellow that hit us!

Gl�gi and Winter Tires

This is your annual reminder that there's now snow on the ground (at least in JKL) - so you should have snow tires on your vehicle.  It is mandatory to have them by December 1st or by the first snow fall.
The roads are slick too - so be careful.  (You may want to get some for your bike too if you can...)
If caught without winter tires on your car - there is a fine - how much, I don't know...but it can be pricey!

Now onto other pressing matters.
Red, White (well it's more like yellow/gold colored) or Blue Gl�gi....which do you prefer?
I prefer Valio brand over Marli...Marli is just a tad too sweet for my liking.

BLUEBERRY GL�GI?!
What is the world coming to?!

The burgundy colored carton is the "normal stuff"...the gold colored carton is the "white" Gl�gi (smoother and slightly nice taste)...
There's also sugar-free and vanilla-flavoured Gl�gi (I haven't tried the vanilla one yet)....

Then this year - Marli dug out the big guns and made a blueberry flavoured Gl�gi....

It's in English! (Blueberrish??

When I told some Finnish friends that I saw blueberry flavoured Gl�gi - there were some grunts of disapproval....but I think it tastes okay.  Not as fabulous as the red stuff...the white stuff is alright too....it doesn't quite scream "CHRISTMAS IS COMING!" but it's alright I suppose.  (My husband has yet to try it.)

Now as you can see in the bottom photo - Gl�gi is a drink that people drink hot.  They'll add raisins and almonds in the mug and stir it around and eat it with a spoon or drink all their Gl�gi and then eat the raisins and almonds...it's all up to you!  (Hubby prefers it without nuts or raisins).

I have a confession to make....*deep breath*

I like my gl�gi cold.  Not only that - but some times, as a "treat" for myself...um I like to add Sprite or 7-Up to my Gl�gi....like � and � of each...I suppose it's a "Sparkling Gl�gi"....

And all the Finns begin to shake their heads at that weird Canadian girl who drinks her Gl�gi cold and sometimes mixed with pop....

Neuvola

I was looking around today, while both boys were sleeping and realized there's a lot I can blog about.

This is the mother's card - or the prenatal booklet you bring with you when you're pregnant.  You get a new one of these for each pregnancy.

The inside opens up with your blood type, details of each appointment (i.e. blood pressure, weight, size of the belly, hemoglobin levels, pH levels in your urine, baby's heart beat etc.)

On the other side there's info about your labour.
You also get a copy of your labour chart before you leave the hospital and the mid-wife or nurse will go over it with you.

Something else I've probably mentioned before but never posted photos of - was the kids' Neuvola booklets.
You're given one booklet per child at your child's 1-month Neuvola appointment.  Don't lose it and remember to bring it with you every time you go to the Neuvola.  It's a record-keeper of their vaccines, measurements and weight and any other notes that the doctor or care-givers (I refer to them as "nurses" personally but it's not the actual term when translated in Finnish) may need to make.
They do record everything on the computer as well - but if the electricity ever went out (which we have yet to experience) or if you went to the hospital - they may not necessarily have access to the Neuvola records immediately.
(I just keep mine in the diaper/every-day bag personally....)

The Neuvola provides little plastic booklet holders for your booklets.

The Neuvola booklet

A list of vaccines near the back ("KK" means months and is referring to the age of the child on the left-hand side).

The newer booklet holder

Only has 2 pockets...

The inside of the booklets are different too!
Left is the newer version and the right is the old one (2009)...first page is completely different.

In Canada - we don't get such things.  We just bring the child in (or your pregnant belly) and they have folders with all the information there.

The doctors and nurses do NOT have computers in their office to in-put your information and book your next appointment either...at least mine didn't.  I had to make my next appointment with the receptionist at the front desk.

Play.com...darn you!

We order from Play.com a lot.... well within reason!
Things like cheaper DVDs, video games for the husband, books (if they're cheaper than the Book Depository) and this year, we opted to get 1 toy for each child for Christmas.

Our oldest is almost 2 and doesn't speak yet....he says something that sounds like "�iti" (mom in Finnish) and "Bubba" and "zzzzzzz-ah!" - that's it.  And it applies to everything - so there's no consistency with his language yet.  Probably because he's exposed to Finnish and English equally (the Finnish courtesy of the Teletubbies and our friends).

I thought of a great educational gift to get him that would hopefully encourage him to speak (in English at least) and remembered that it wasn't sold on Play's site last year.
They've since, increased their inventory of Leap Frog toys and I was ecstatic!

So what did I order?  An alphabet magnet set that speaks and pronounces the words (up to 3 letters)! YAY!
And for the wee one, a caterpillar who opened up into a book and could be tied to the crib and read the stories out loud in a soothing voice complete with a soft light....YAY!
Both toys were under 40� in total....excellent!  I'm not complaining!


Unfortunately they only shipped it to the UK.  BOOOOOOOO!

So I swung over to  Amazon's UK site and they had the magnet set...but not the caterpillar.... *sniffles*.
I found an alternative toy that was slightly cheaper and because it was over 25� - FREE SHIPPING! YAY!  Thanks Amazon!

Now here's the funny part about that magnet set:

What else can your child learn with this alphabet set??









Give up?

Yep - how to have a British accent!  LOL

If my boys both end up liking this toy and speaking with a British accent - they'll be charming little girls world-wide...ha.  Except maybe in the UK.

A Free Concert!

Sunday I went to a concert that was held in downtown Jyv�skyl�, in the building called, "Aalto Sali" located around the corner from the pedestrian area (closer to the Memphis end) on V�in�katu.

I was invited by my friend who was a performer in the band, Kajastus (formed in 1891), as it was their 120th anniversary - sort of a celebration concert!  It was free to enter and there was free cake and coffee/tea during the intermission.

The band itself played a lot of concert pieces and jazz - it was a great location for a concert and the dynamics were great.
However, my ears did burn (and my heart cried a little) whenever there was poor tuning, which was common with the clarinet players (of which there were only 3!).  I haven't been involved with music heavily since 2005, I am not a pro by any means...but the tuning was bad.
There weren't any warm ups as a band....nobody played the concert pitch and have everybody try to match it...
However, the music selection was varied and I appreciated that immensely.  I do not remember everything played, however there was a march, a jazz piece or two, a compilation of Les Miserables (lovely memory from when I played it many moons ago!), a piece from the Sound of Music and some other pieces as well.

The band comprised of all men except a female flute/piccolo player.
Most of the musicians were older men and based on the tuning of the clarinets - perhaps hard of hearing.
(No offense to any musician there - but the tuning of the clarinets was a little hard on the ears when the higher registers were played!)

Maria Lund is a Finnish actress and singer, her parents are both opera singers (Tamara Lund is a soprano and her Romanian father Alexandru Ionitza is a tenor) and she's been on Dancing With The Stars in 2008 and won! (It's an old article - but at least you can read it in English).

This is Timo Rautiainen and he is a very famous Finnish singer in the metal music industry.
Guess what?  He's also a teacher! My friend informed me that he resides in Jyv�skyl� and is a teacher specializing with children of special needs.
Here is the English Wikipedia link for him.  (Unfortunately an English Wikipedia link could not be found for Maria Lund).

Above is a video of Maria Lund singing "My Favourite Things" from the Sound of Music in Finnish.  I apologize I missed the first few seconds!  (I have never uploaded a video to this before - so I hope the quality is semi-decent!)

A video of Timo singing (he actually sang first - then Maria got on stage...)

A duet by the two from "Romeo and Juliet".

Timo and Maria with their last minute gift and flowers....

Maria was lovely and posed for a photo with a little girl who thought she was a princess.  :)

In terms of organization - well, that's another story I suppose but I'll squeeze it in here while the video is uploading and the kids are asleep.
From the casual observer's view of the concert - you wouldn't know that the sound-check person was asked literally last minute to be the sound-check person.  (I only know this because my friend's boyfriend was the sound-check person at the very last minute).
However, as a casual observer - you would notice that the flowers given to the musicians and to the singers - were completely forgotten about in the schedule.  (Oh wait, there wasn't one!)
After the last piece was performed (Timo and Maria had done a duet together which was lovely) - everybody clapped a lot, they came out for another encore to bow and then people quickly began to leave.
That's when the person giving the most speeches (I'm awful with names, let alone Finnish ones) - realized, "OH! I have flowers I am supposed to give and a small speech to thank the musicians!" and decided to turn on the microphone quickly and toss flowers at everyone on the stage.  People stopped and clapped again - but a good chunk of people had already left or were literally half-way out the door...
Good job.

On a more positive note - you can find better photos from my friend's blog (scroll to the bottom to read it in English).

I hope you can view the videos properly!

Old Colleagues Say The Oddest Things...

I had made a Chinese friend last year...I still cannot remember her name....I met her in Silinteri and we chatted and she even made me pork dumplings from scratch!  (Yes I know - from scratch and I can't even remember her name).

She lived in Finland for the last 12 years (probably 13 by now) and still didn't speak ANY Finnish...okay - I'm not feeling too bad now! Ha.

She was studying in Finland piano and other music-related things and offered to teach me Chinese and piano..excellent.

I lost her email address....and she ended up leaving for China.

Fast forward a year (almost exactly - now that I think about it!)- I saw her yesterday at Silinteri again - and wow!  She remembered me (not my name either - so I don't feel too bad.  I think we're on the same boat here...) and was shocked as heck to see me with not one but two kids.
She asked if I had a girl and I said no, two boys...then she told me I should try again.  WHAT IS WITH PEOPLE WANTING US TO HAVE MORE?!
I said nope two is enough and she just laughed me off...

I thought she moved back to China permanently but I guess not.

She asked how I've been and I apologized profusely that I lost her email and furthermore - lost the coat that had the piece of paper with her address on it (in the pocket).  She totally expected me to remember her address (where she lived - not the email) and said I should come over some time.
I remember she lived in the student village and got the wrong building letter when I guessed.  Oops.  (She gave me a look like, "It's so easy - how you not remember?!")
Anyway, she wrote her email down again....and went on her merry little way after inspecting what I was potentially buying.  (And asking me how much the items were....nosy nosy.)

Tonight, I went for a walk with Loki to S Market to get some diapers and stuff I had forgotten earlier and guess what?
Yup, she saw me again.  She was shocked at how big Loki is (he's a medium-sized dog...about 60 lbs/32 kg) and asked me if I had a big flat to have such a big dog.

**Insert thick Chinese accent for her part**

"Well, sorta - it's big enough but we actually have 2 dogs!  My older one is a bit bigger than this dog." I responded.
"WAHHHHHHHHH!! You have 2 big dogs?!  You like cats?!" - her (shying away from Loki who was trying to sniff her bag of groceries)
"Yes, I like cats and dogs.  We actually have four cats but they live in Canada." - me (pulling Loki away and making him sit)
"WAHHHHHHHH!  You like cats?!" - her
"Yes I do." - me
 "You want one?  I have one and I give it to you!"- her

(Please note:  It was about -2*C, dark and snowing and the store was about to close in 30 minutes...and I am stunned.  And not because it was cold!)

"Uhhh - no sorry I can't take the cat.  I don't have THAT much space." - me (and I also have a 2-year old that would probably LOVE to throw cat litter everywhere and experiment with a clay-based/semi organic and smelly diet...eww.)

"Ohhh that's a too bad! Okay, bye bye!" - her

Now, let me say what YOU are probably thinking....
"She's Chinese and didn't want to eat the cat?"
Yep - I said it.  Not to her!  But I couldn't stop laughing after she left and I was tucked away in the store aisles replaying the conversation in my head.
My husband just smacked his face and walked away when I told him this story when I came home.
(He would've freaked if I adopted her cat - in case you're wondering...and I have far too much yarn kicking around to have a cat!  A 2-year old is difficult enough!!!)

(Before you get your panties in a knot - I am Chinese and make fun of myself all the time....it's just a joke.)

Restaurant Day!

Something that is relatively new in Finland is something called "Restaurant Day".

I have never participated or heard about such a thing until this morning, when I checked my email at about 630am.... a friend sent it over and suggested I participate and set up shop next time Finland has a Restaurant Day.

What is Restaurant Day?  Well, based on this link my friend sent me, in English, it's a day that is organized online, and people can set up a little "cafe or restaurant" on that specific day without any regulations to sell food they have baked or cooked.  (Think like a bake-sale!)

This is a great way to try new food and to educate others about your country, especially if the food is not of the Finnish variety.
(And also a fabulous way to make some cash under the table!)

You have to go to the above link to register your Restaurant name and location and when the day arrives - you set up shop!  It can be anywhere!  There was such a wide variety of food too!!!

Some examples of what people did were:

• Serving outside
• Serving from their kitchen window (bottom floors)
• Serving from upper floors via basket and pulley system
• Serving inside their home or bringing the food to yours
• Serving smoked BBQ ribs
• Serving "greasy American food" (perfect for the Finnish hang over)
• Serving soups, baked goods, Finnish food, food from Japan...
• One Restaurant donated 1� from each meal towards breast cancer research!

I am interested in trying out this and setting up shop somewhere (since my Finnish friends seem to really enjoy the baking and cooking coming from our kitchen) - so perhaps I will sell in Jyv�skyl� some day!
And there is also a Facebook Page too!  Just look up "Restaurant Day"!

(Did anybody sell in Jyv�skyl� or know of anyone who participated in Restaurant Day here??)

VROOM VROOM!

No I did not buy a car.

However, parents (and children) can rejoice because today is THE BIGGEST DAY OF THE YEAR (next to Christmas and birthdays etc.) for them.....

Today is November 18, 2011...I have been waiting for this day for a very long time!!


Today, Cars 2 comes out on DVD....Antilla has some sort of offer with your Plussa card you can get the DVD, a poster and a Lego set for under 35�....yeah, I even remembered that part.

I may have to bundle the kids up and push them to downtown just to get this movie.... (I'm also curious and want to watch it myself!)

Why did it take so long to come out in theater and on DVD in Finland?
Two words: voice dubbing.  They have to get the story translated and then find Finnish (and usually Danish and Swedish too) actors to voice them, re-record it all...add Finnish/Danish/Swedish subtitles too....and THEN they can sell it...(maybe Norwegian too!)

Even on Play.com - it's not available to Finland until Nov. 20 or 21....which is silly because there's no option for Finnish subtitles or dubbing (at least none of the previous Disney Dvds had that option!).

It's Quiet This Weekend...Because.........

It's probably going to be pretty quiet this weekend, wherever you live in Finland.
Unless you live in a huge major city like Helsinki (in comparison to Jyv�skyl� - it's huge)....or unless you're going to be in Tampere.

Tampere this weekend is hosting THE largest craft exhibition in all of Finland this weekend!

And I'm not going. (*Insert sad face).

I didn't find out about it until a couple days ago - and by then, I had accepted an invitation to hang out with a friend I haven't seen in awhile (with the rest of the family) and eat pan cakes! SCORE! (*Insert messy pancake happy face!)

That, and I don't even know where exactly in Tampere the craft exhibition will be held.  So I'd probably get lost anyway.

I felt really sad and upset that I couldn't go and because I didn't know about it in advance...and sort of left out I suppose.
(Which should be a motivator to get my ass back into learning Finnish I know!...)

However, I'm glad I do have plans with good friends and food....and I should clean, make cards, do laundry, fold diapers, blog, knit etc....
And I know my husband hasn't realized it yet - but his bank account is safer with me not going to Tampere this weekend! HA.

Are YOU going to the Tampere super-huge-once-a-year craft exhibition?

Reindeer Cream Cheese!

Sorry Rudolph - this stuff is pretty good.

Just to clarify: "Reindeer Light" means less fat content...my husband for some reason thought this was hilarious (and possibly confusing).

This stuff is quite similar to cream cheese with crumbly little bits of reindeer meat (like crumbled ground beef) mixed in.  It's more creamier and I thought it was great on crackers or bread!

I ended up using it on my sandwich today as the spread instead of mixing up olive oil or using mayonnaise.

Baptism Party in Finland

Yesterday we had the honour of attending our friend's son's Baptism at their home.
Normally it's done in a Church but given that the Baptism was being held on a Sunday (and Father's Day) - they requested the priest come to their home if possible....and that was the only day available she had.

I haven't been to a Baptism or a Christening in Canada before, but from what I understand from my friend's photos - it's pretty similar.
However, this one was conducted completely in Finnish - so we really have no idea what was said but I can guess at some parts!

We brought a small gift - just something I made (a bib and wash cloth set with a card) and I'm glad we did bring a little something.  Lots of people had brought gifts for him!

There were lots of passages read from the Priest and the members of the family and Godparents - it was lovely.
The mother is part of a choir - and WOW I was so happy they sang a few songs...it was so nice!!
The choir group also held a hand out above the baby's head and said a prayer of sorts (or a blessing) for him and when the father released the name - it was very magical!

I know that may sound corny because "it's just a name"....but while everybody knew the first name - nobody knew the second!  Definitely a moment of suspense!

The baby wore a white gown as well, and slept through the whole thing!  So did my oldest- thank goodness...or else he'd be running around everywhere!

The Priest did put some Holy Water on the baby and dried his head off when she was done and that was that!

Then we ate all kinds of wonderful food!

There were a set of twin girls (2 years old) there and they wanted to know what you do at a Baptism party.  The mother asked them, "Well, what do YOU think happens?"
Their response was, "We dance?"

This isn't all the food either!  There was a smoked salmon, roast beef and lots of veggie casseroles and savory pies with mushrooms and salmon etc.

Some Baptism Etiquette:

• Dress nicely
• Don't touch the food until after - no matter how delicious it looks!
• Bring a small gift for the one being Baptized (it's not necessary but always warmly welcomed)
• Keep quiet during the ceremony

Pretty obvious - but just in case you were wondering.

An Email address?!

I finally decided that I needed an email address for this blog....
Especially if you're interested in taking my survey about Finland!  This way you don't have to leave your email out in the open in the comments section.

learningaboutfinland                        @                 hotmail.com

Just remove the spaces and that's the email address.  This is to help prevent spam mail.

So if you're interested in giving your opinion of what it's like to live in Finland - send me an email and I'll send you the questions!  (Finns or Foreigners living in Finland!)

I check this email once a day or every couple of days!

Any spam or un-related messages will be deleted and ignored!

All About YOU...and Finland!

Are you living in Finland and you're not originally from here?  Maybe you're a student or a worker here...
Or perhaps you are a Finn and want to give your opinion on things in Finland?  Maybe you've moved away from Finland or have moved around Finland...

I'd love to hear from you!

I want to put a fresh spin on this blog and interview all kinds of people.
I'll be writing up a list of questions to suit you - the foreigner or the Finn....and will post your answers and responses on this blog once a month (or more if there are enough responses!).

I've decided that since I've been here for over two years and my readers have read pretty much everything that's happened to me and my family -  it's time to see what other Foreigners and Finns have to say!!!
I get asked a lot of questions about Canada - so I thought, maybe I could use those same questions and ask them of you but about Finland!

Some topics that may be covered (but not necessarily have to be answered if you feel it's too personal):

• Education 
• Work life
• Family life
• Struggles and triumphs of all things Finnish (food, language barrier etc.)
• Comparison of Finland to your home country
• Comparison of Jyv�skyl� to your hometown
• Opinions: health care, Magistrate, Kela, Finnish culture and food, anything that's on your mind about Finland!
• Funny experiences (I know I've had a few...)

Please send an email to: learningaboutfinland       @       hotmail.com
(Removed spaces and that is the proper email address.  This is to help eliminate spam. :) )
Your personal information (true name, exact work location, address, email etc.) will be kept confidential.
If you wish to go by an alternative name that is perfectly fine!!  (Or I can use just your first name if it's common enough and if you give me permission).
I would be fine with using (for example): "George, 31, is a worker at the University" as a basic introduction and will note if an alternative name has been used to protect your true identity.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing what you have to say!

Thanks so much! 

Need Photos Printed?

Live in Finland and hate the prices in the shop for printing photos?
Yeah - me too.

I typically print photos only once a year, near Christmas time and put them in cards to be mailed to Canada...well, now I can print a little more frequently!!

www.ifolor.fi (there's an English site available here)  is where my friend printed out lovely baby announcement cards!

Right off the bat - they're 19 cents a print (not the photo cards) - way cheaper than downtown...6 cents extra or MORE!  And I know 6 cents doesn't seem like much - but when you have to print well over 100 photos for Christmas cards - it adds up.

My friend who had baby announcement photo cards done on this site said it was a great price (she had 3 photos with text of both children's date of birth and full names with a cute animal print in the background on each card) of about 7-8� for 10 cards, including mailing envelopes and they mail it to you (for a low price of 2.95� per order - not bad!)!

Oh here's the price list - just for you! (For the photo greeting cards anyway!)

Enjoy!

First Frost! Oh and Father's Day!

Yesterday in Jyv�skyl�, it was -3*C when we woke up in the morning and there was a frost that lasted all day long.
The sun isn't out very often in the month of November - and the temperature was pretty consistent all day...so everything was a sparkly white!

On my way to the playground, I quickly snapped a photo of some frost on the ground.

Oh and just a friendly reminder, Father's Day is this coming Sunday!  On the 13th!
Father's Day is not celebrated in June like in North America but rather, 6 months after Mother's Day.  So the 2nd Sunday in November - it's Father's Day.
A couple years ago, our son came home from the hospital on Father's Day and the staff had made cards and taken a photo of all the children born around that time, so the parents could take it home as a gift.  It was such a nice and kind gesture!

It's not an actual "holiday" like Mother's Day is in Finland, with shops closed and whatnot.  

Some ideas for Father's Day gifts?

• Bake his favourite cookies, cake or pie!
• Knit some wool socks - he'll need them soon enough!
• Knit a hat!  (They say it'll be a nasty winter this year in Finland...)
• Some re-fill on his favourite pen, pencil leads or ink for a printer
• A new coffee (tea) mug stuffed with a package of his favourite flavours!
• Movie tickets
• Breakfast in bed!
• Clothes
• Some sort of gadget for hunting, fishing or his office
• A nice photo frame with a family photo in it

We'll be attending our first Baptism of a friend's child on Father's Day - so I am looking forward to that.  It's not being held in a Church but at our friend's home.  We are not the Godparents but invited as guests and are very honoured to be there!

I think that Baptisms are pretty universal - a Priest or Minister, a screaming baby, some Godparents and some Holy Water to bless the child - but seeing as I haven't been to a Canadian Baptism (or Christening) either- I'll have to rely on my Canadian friends to tell me if there are any differences compared to a Finnish one (once I blog about it).

Have a lovely weekend! (I know - it's only Thursday...)

Got (decorated) Milk?

In the US, there is a saying, "Got Milk?"
It's a popular advertisement with a wide variety of celebrities (not just actors but athletes and musicians as well!) who sport a sour-cream moustache that is supposed to look like a milk-made moustache on their upper lip and with a tall glass of milk and some health facts near the bottom - explaining the benefits of drinking milk.

As of last week, I noticed my milk carton did not sport a little cow riding a bicycle, or jogging with a music player of some sort....instead the milk carton was wearing a leather jacket.
Don't believe me?

That's right - Rock 'N Roll Milkshake....

I guess they're wanting to jazz up the milk cartons - although I've only seen it on the fat-free, light-blue milk cartons so far - and they're hiring new and up-coming designers to come up with something for the carton!

I like that new designers are able to display their works of art on things - I just wasn't expecting it to be on milk cartons...

And yes, the milk still tastes the same.

A Rumor About the Post Office...

I heard that the Post office (Posti) at S-Market (Savela location in Kortepohja) was closing...not sure when!
But a friend heard this while at the grocery store and I'm very worried!

The S Market and Post office are less than 2 years old at this location and the Post office is always packed, especially around the holidays...and the nearest post office is downtown!!
Very inconvenient if this is true and the post office closes!

Nothing against the downtown location, however, there's not a lot of parking (if we had a car), it's quite cramped in there and you take a number (which is fair) and wait your turn - which can take forever when you're in a rush, crammed in a small area or have a crying child! (Or you have to rush to catch your bus home with your new package!)

Let's hope it's not true...

**Update: A Finnish friend advised me he read something similar and that they do plan on closing it down however it you can still send and receive packages from that location....but it won't be offering full postal office services (not sure what that entails).  They are looking for a partner for other postal services there - perhaps with UPS or some other delivery company?
And it won't be in effect until some time next summer!

Bank Card Blues

Oh it's not my card I'm having issues with anymore!  Thanks to the bank's fast and speedy service - I got a new one in the mail (slightly different in numbers) within a week as promised.

I'm referring to my husband's bank card.  He had forgotten it at the grocery store and they attempted to call him last night - however, because he didn't recognize the number, he ignored the call.  (Caller ID is included on all phones free of charge).
Then he got a text message from the grocery store advising him that his card was left behind and that he had to pick it up and bring ID as well.

I am assuming the grocery store contacted either the bank for his phone number or the police...seeing as it was a Sunday night - I can't see them being able to reach the Magistrate for his information!

AND the text was in English! YAY!

Thanks S Market!

In Canada, if a bank card is found - it's either returned to the cashier and they hold onto it for the owner to return.  Occasionally a cashier might contact that person's bank but most banks won't give you the information to call the customer to pick up their card.  By the time the customer realizes their card is missing - they often call the bank to cancel anyway and to order a new one.  (Or if they remember where they were last - they might be able to pick it up at the shop, with proper identification of course!)

No Gift Receipt? No problem!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting our big guy's 2nd birthday party and our little one's Naming Party!
It was super fun and there was enough food for everybody and barely any left overs!!
And there were many lovely gifts - wow!  We are so blessed with such lovely and thoughtful friends!!  Our Finnish friends are our family while we live here and we're so grateful for every single one of them!

Well, one thing we were advised during our party, was that Polarn O. Pyret, a clothing shop (downtown near Elisa in the Forum), has a black label on the price tag.  So if we needed to exchange the gift due to a duplicate gift (thankfully there weren't any!) - then we don't need a receipt or gift receipt - and we could just bring it to the store and make the exchange then!

Just keep the tag attached and the store will happily exchange the item!  Then they can re-sell it and nothing goes to waste!

Just to clarify: The difference between a "receipt" and a "gift receipt" is what's listed on it.

Quite often (at least in Canada - not sure about Finland) when you buy a gift for someone and worry it may be given more than once, you can ask for a gift receipt to include with the gift.

A gift receipt does not include the price on it or your payment methods on it.  Just simply that it was paid for, the date and the item that was purchased.  This is handy for when you're sending gifts in the mail and the same store is located in their part of the country (or town) - so there's no need to send things back and forth!

A regular receipt does include the price and method of payment on it.

While we did get 2 gifts that were the same (although not from Polarn O. Pyret) - we've decided to keep them because now the kids have matching mugs!

Pyh�inp�iv�n - aka stores closed Saturday Nov. 5

I've been running around today like a chicken with its head chopped off!
Tomorrow's the big Naming Party for the newborn and my older boy's birthday party - so I'm going wild with preparations....and should have posted this sooner!

Tomorrow is Pyh�inp�iv�n - aka All Saint's Day.  Nothing is opened in terms of shops...not sure about restaurants - so check in advance before heading out!  The odd small grocery store might be open - but take a look.

Some Things From The Pharmacy

**Please note - I am not a nurse, doctor or pharmacist or any other kind of medical adviser.**

I thought I would show you some things from the pharmacy (over the counter aka no prescription required) that we have in our home - so you can see what is available in Finland.

Bepanthen - the equivalent of Polysporin! Good for cuts, mild burns, dry skin, eczema - very handy to have!

Canker-sore gel - good for little ones too (double-check with your pharmacist to see how old a child has to be before administering this!).

Ibuprofen

Pain-relief for little ones.  1 tablet mixed with a tablespoon of warm water until dissolved and feed with a spoon or syringe.  I find this stuff works faster than the liquid Panadol.

Liquid Panadol (more pain relief for little ones and for fevers too - over the age of 3 months and based on weight).  The one on the left is the old label and the one on the right is the newest design - no difference otherwise.

Breast feeding and want contraceptives?  Your doctor will give you the 1st three-months for free.  These are called Cerazette contraceptives or "mini-pills" by some people.  After that, you do need a prescription and have to pay. (Applies to most who have the Kela card and is covered by Finland's health benefits).

It's November! That means lots of clouds and no sunshine....here's some Vitamin-D3 drops for babies - there are also tablets for those that have teeth!  (It's also strongly recommended adults take Vitamin-D too!)

Aspirin....

Nose Frida is a snot-sucker for babies and kids - since they're not capable of blowing their nose at such a young age.

Don't worry - you won't get any snot in your mouth...that's what the blue sponge piece is for!

If I happen to need more things from the pharmacy - I'll try and remember to take a photo for you!

**Always ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you have any questions on how to use the above medications!!  Never leave medication un-attended and within a child's reach!**

It's That Time of The Year!

No silly, I'm not referring to Christmas (or the shopping)!

I'm referring to mushroom season!  It's damp and grey out...and perfect for picking mushrooms!

My neighbour recently gifted us with a HUGE box of Funnel Chanterelle mushrooms!  These are considered a delicacy in North America and are quite pricey!  In Finland, I guess the restaurants charge a pretty penny for them too.
But if you have the time - slap on some rubber boots, rain pants, other warm layers and grab a bucket with a lid - and go get some mushrooms!

Wash and rinse them and you can use these mushrooms for soups, sauces or frying up!  I'm in the process of freezing mine...

I just keep forgetting to buy little ziploc bags...

Oh and here's more information about these lovely, smokey mushrooms!

Remember That Arnold's Thing?

So way back when, in March, we travelled to Sweden and on our way back to Jyv�skyl�, we stopped in Turku and ate at Arnold's.  I wrote a review about it here and while in Estonia, I got a comment to contact someone that works at Arnold's.
That person happened to be Jussi Laurila, who stated he was one of the (Marketing?) Directors for Arnold's.  Okay - wow!

So I met with Mr. Laurila in Helsinki the day before I was leaving for Canada (crazy I know) and this was something I had kept under wraps out of professional courtesy to him and the company of Arnold's.

However, seeing as it's been 6 months since being in contact with each other - I think it's safe to say that I did not get the position of Franchisee of the Arnold's in downtown Jyv�skyl� (by the movie theater) and feel fine with explaining what had happened.
(This is purely my experience - so take it for what it's worth).

While in Helsinki (back in May), I was 20 weeks pregnant or so and had advised him of this.
Apparently it's not common to notify a potential employer that you will need some time off due to a pregnancy here in Finland...well, I thought I was being courteous, as I didn't want to give any false impressions and wanted to be as truthful as possible.
I was given the grand tours of various Arnold's locations in downtown Helsinki and got to see how the food was prepared and what store locations were more popular than others etc.
I also got to sample many of the foods, at the time, there were grilled sandwiches just coming out only in bigger cities!  How neat!  And I gave my opinion on each sandwich as well.
I felt awful for wasting some of the food - but he only wanted us to sample the sandwiches and smoothies etc. - so that's what we did.

Oh and I was given an envelope packed full of coupons - how kind!  (Now in retrospect, was this just to "keep me quiet"??)

Had I got the position, I would have been replacing the (at the time) Franchisee of the downtown JKL location because they were not able to continue working.
Mr. Laurila was very nice and very open about everything and I quickly filled out an application but could not complete it on the spot, as I needed some information from my husband.
The contract was only available in Finnish and while I notified him that I do have a few colleagues that are more than willing to read this over with me (one being a lawyer) - I was not allowed to bring the contract home with me.  He suggested I notify him when to come to Jyv�skyl� and he'd bring the contract with him and go over it with my lawyer friend and myself in person.  Okay - fine.

One thing you need to have to invest into a franchise with Arnold's is money.  Being a stay-at-home-mother - that wasn't quite a possibility for me (100,000� is the total cost for a brand new store location).  I suggested making a much smaller investment (1-2,000�) and deducting future pay cheques by a certain percentage to put into an "investment" account for Arnold's.

Anyways, fast forward, and I brought my application with me to Canada to complete it and mail it back to him.  However, Canada Post went on strike for more than a month during the time of our travels, so mailing the application would have been pointless.
I quickly emailed Mr. Laurila notifying him of the strike and that I have it filled out but will have to wait until I return to Finland to send it.  As well, with or without a strike - Canada Post can be quite slow in the snail-mail department!
I did not include a photo of myself in the application, as it suggests - maybe that's why I am still waiting on a response from Arnold's?  Who knows!

Anyhow, one sign that the staff lacked professionalism (in my opinion) at Arnold's - was one Franchisee I met gave me his email address and told me to ask him anything I wanted about Arnold's.
So I did.  I sent off an email prior to going to Canada (or shortly after arriving) and have yet to hear a response back!

I was advised that Arnold's was started in Finland by Mr. Laurila and a couple friends back in 1991 who wanted to bring something American to Finland.  However, all the advertisement I see, including on the paper tray liners, is that some American fellow started it in the USA.  (And I was advised this wasn't true...Hmm.)

If Mr. Laurila is one of the Directors of Arnold's - why and how could he let this slide?


I have yet to hear back from anybody from Arnold's and am quite disappointed in this (and he has my number and email).  I was seriously looking forward to bringing in an income and working in a customer-service position again.
A little common courtesy goes a long way Arnold's...you could have at least emailed me to notify me I did not get the position, instead of stringing me along.

(And no, I wouldn't suggest it has anything to do with the pregnancy - because you could have asked if I had had the baby yet.)

OH! And if you are ever in a position where you have to pay to travel to your job interview - I was advised by a friend that you have the right to ask to be compensated....
(I did not ask to be compensated).


**Update:  According to the Finnish Wikipedia - my friend loosely translated it for me - that yes, Arnold's was started by a group of Finnish men in Switzerland and moved it over to Finland.
But it still doesn't explain why the advertisements don't state this and make strong implications that the Arnold's chain was started in the US...I'll have to go back to Arnold's and find the advertisement about the American and take a photo of it.
But anyways, take it for what it's worth! It was definitely an experience!