6 Fingers & 2 Thumbs

Today is the 27th of December and for many that means waiting in massive line ups for all the wonderful Boxing Day sales (Boxing Day is the 26th of December and way-back-when rich people would box up their gifts they did not like and give them to their servants/hired help) and returning the gifts they didn't like or had duplicates of already.
Today my family got to hang out for a few hours at the police station so we could renew our residence permits (3/4 of us) and apply for a Finnish ID card for the husband so he can get a loan here.
After a lengthy wait and once my husband was finished his share of the process - it was just me and the officer in a cozy office getting my share of the paper work completed.

What's new this year is that the Finnish Residence Permits are no longer pieces of paper with your photo and  some info on it glued into your passport.
This time the Finns are going all high-tech!
The Finnish R.P. look like an ID card of sorts (we won't get ours for awhile so I'm sorry I can't describe it properly) but is not an official piece of identification.  It's merely a permit saying yep we live in Finland.
In this RP there is a microchip and that contains a copy of our finger prints and our signature along with other stuff I'm sure.

A child under the age of 6 does not have to have their finger prints taken.  (Thank goodness!)

And it's all digital....there's no more ink and paper and rolling your fingers this way and that on the ink pad.
Your prints will be taken from both hands - right hand first and beginning with the thumb and each finger is printed twice (you lift your finger between prints) to "ensure quality prints" for their records.
Now because it is winter time and I am TERRIBLE at moisturizing my hands - the scanner was not able to pick up some of my prints.  So I had to rub my fingers onto my skin to get some oil to help make the print clearer.
Good thing I had an apple and lots of peanut butter for breakfast at least 5 hours prior (and nothing else since)...my face was a little oily...not that you care or needed to know that!

Oh!  You're wondering why my title is "6 Fingers & 2 Thumbs"?
My pinky fingers couldn't leave a print because they were "too small".  Alright - not sure if he'll put on my file "She has small baby fingers - no prints available...but she DOES have all 10 digits!" or not - but I found it amusing but didn't ask if he felt the same.

Oh and some friends of ours had to fly to Ottawa to access this machine to get their RPs before moving here - because Ottawa had the only Finnish Embassy that contained a digital finger print scanner...GO CANADA!

Then came the interesting part.

It turns out that my oldest son's RP had expired back in September.  Why it was a different date than ours - I don't know.  Ours typically expired in August but because of this new system - we were advised they would extend the date on our RPs and we had to renew it before 2013 and that we could renew the child's at the same time.  So maybe they didn't extend his??
I apologized profusely and said that I thought we could renew the 3 RPs at the same time and that our expiry dates were all the same - oops - seriously.  That and the lady that we normally dealt with was in the next room - I didn't want to point fingers and play the blame-game...anyways...
He informed me that this was illegal but because he is an under-aged child (he's 3-years old) there won't be any fines.
I advised him that if it was such an issue to be a little late on a RP renewal - why weren't we contacted??
"Well, we don't send notices like that."
"Obviously a 3-year old is not a major threat if his residence permit application wasn't submitted on time and nobody contacted us about it..." - was my grouchy thought...
BUT!  I have received notices - FROM THE POLICE/IMMIGRATION SERVICES in the past - when a residence permit was due for renewal or past due because we were waiting on a proof of contract renewal etc.
Interesting!

THEN!  I realized that the youngest one doesn't have a RP in his passport because we only applied for it in October and it was the first one for him - so it's still being processed in Helsinki at the Immigration's office there.  I informed Mr. Officer this and he asked if we had been in contact with the Immigration's Office - I advised him no, they're probably waiting to see proof of us getting our RPs renewed before they send it back to us or finish the process.
NOW I'm looking like a sneaky suspect because it sounds JUST like something that would happen in Finland and because I sound calm yet like I have experience.  I mentioned that it had happened in the past with our first son - so that is probably what's happening.
And why would the Immigration's Office contact us about submitting OUR RP applications when they/the Police cannot contact us inquiring about an expired "under-aged child's" residence permit??? HMMMMMMMMM!

After showing his paper work to a colleague and coming back to see if I still had that "WTF" look on my face - he then decided to play good cop and ask me why I gave my boys Finnish names...and if my Canadian friends/family can pronounce them....

And there you have it.  My first taste of illegal activity in Finland.

MANTELE!

"Oooh a new post - and it's technically Christmas DAY in Finland...I wonder what is going on..."

Why thanks for your worries!  I assure you all is well - some gifts are wrapped, stockings are stuffed and hung on the book shelves with care, the dogs are sleeping and the kids are dreaming about sugar plum fairies (HIGHLY doubt it - but you know...).

I've mentioned before several times (it IS my 4th Christmas here now - WOW!) that Santa comes from Lapland, Finland (according to the Finns)...he sings and gives gifts to the kids when they're awake on Christmas Eve...the big dinner is usually on the 24th...and you relax and enjoy a bowl of hot rice porridge on Christmas Day morning.
What goes in the rice porridge?  Kaneli usually - ah ha!  I DO know some Finnish (if I could double/triple underline I would)!! Kaneli = cinnamon by the way.  Of course rice porridge smarty pants!
And a single mantele.

At first glance - it probably means nothing to you if you don't know Finnish.
At second glance - you might have thought I was swearing - given the capitalized title...
By third glance - you don't care and know I will tell you what it means in a moment....

Anyways a mantele - is an almond.  (Some Finns know it as manteli...but Google Translate say both spellings are acceptable...and the dictionary says it should be manteli...GOOGLE TRANSLATE - get your act together!)

As per Finnish tradition - a single almond is placed in a pot of rice porridge and whoever scoops that up and gets it in their bowl will be VERY lucky and have good fortune in the new year!
I only learned about this tidbit recently as I had my first bowl of Christmas rice porridge at a pikkujoulu ("[Little]Christmas Party") I attended.

I have never personally cooked it before as it can be quite time consuming and burns easily if not attended to - and with two mobile children and a husband that probably won't eat it either - it'd be a waste of time and ingredients.
Maybe next year...

Anyways, Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas/Hyv�� joulua to all!

Bullying.

All around the world people are being bullied.
It's not nice and it's usually over petty things like:

• Weight and size
• Accents and pronunciations of difficult words in another language
• Fashion sense or clothing worn
• Sexual preferences
• Being smart or deemed not being smart at all
• Financial status
• Race

The list goes on as you know, but one new "trend" going on here in Finland is making fun of children for wearing REFLECTORS to school.

Finland gets really dark in the winter time - to the point that the sun doesn't come out until about 9-10 am (depends where you are located) and is gone between 2 and 4 pm. 

It is SUPER important to wear a reflector when outside because it's very hard for drivers to see you - let alone anyone else - bikers etc.

Perhaps it's because of the shape of them can be deemed "baby-ish" like shapes of rubber ducks or hearts or ghosts...but the point of them is to be seen so you don't get hit by a car, bus or anything else that can hurt you.

The police of Finland are noticing a growing trend with bullying about wearing reflectors in school and children are starting to not wear them and becoming higher risk of getting hit by cars.

Here's the article in Finnish.

Of ALL things to be made fun of...

A Great Act of Kindness

Someone had commented recently that I haven't been posting a lot of happy things on my blog lately.
I thought that me writing about every time someone held the door open for me while I pushed a double stroller would get old - so I haven't written about much lately.  You're right.

But today, I experienced a wonderful act of kindness and thought I would share.

After the whole husband travelling to Helsinki (en route to Istanbul) to find out that he was lacking his passport - he finally got a new ticket last night and left before midnight to take the late night bus to Helsinki.  YES he has his Passport - I acted like an officer from a border crossing point and refused to let him out of the flat until he showed me he had it and that it was his - and not mine or the kids' in error...

One child kept me up from 1:30 am-4 am...he confirmed that I was not Daddy and neither was his baby brother.
Baby brother is teething like mad and decided waking up every 20-30 minutes all night was totally acceptable (I know he can't help it and he had a flu shot too!) and a very cool thing to do..despite pain relievers given!
So I barely slept...at this point of the day - my husband should be extremely grateful that he's in another country.
I rushed my kids out the door in an attempt to be at day care for 9am.  We got there about 9:15 - which is a record...really.
The speech therapist was there and I didn't know if she was coming or not - so my lip started to tremble because I HATE being late for appointments.
*Insert awkward break down in front of the therapist and assistant involving coughing, a leaky nose and too many tears and puffy eyes...May I also note that I was wearing 2 totally different socks and looked like a slob because I thought I was JUST dropping him off...*
I toughed it out and stayed for the therapy appointment and my youngest got to sit in his stroller and watch the other kids play outside - wow thanks so much teachers!!
After some errands, the little guy finally napped so I was able to pop some laundry in the wash (3 loads!!) and do a load of dishes too (3 of those too!).

I made it my ULTIMATE goal today to be there for 3 pm to pick up the older one and I did it.
I was there by 2:57 pm - WAHOO!  (Another record since we've moved and since the snow has stayed on the ground...)
And guess what?  They were dressing him for me so that way it saved me 15 minutes...I was in awe and thanked them a lot and they said they can do this for us while hubby is gone if it helps.
IT SURE DOES!
Then they suggested keeping him from 9 am - 4 pm so I don't have to rush around to be there on time and I could maybe have a nap myself they suggested...wow.
I was stunned...this was fantastic news.
Why?

The kids go out again to play after 3 pm and stay out until 4 (if it's not too cold out)...so over the next couple of days I will be able to save more time and just leave with him already dressed and ready to leave day care.

Words cannot express how much this means to me and I cannot recommend Kortesuo P�iv�koti enough!!
They knew I was in a tricky position having two children (one Autistic and one that can walk - but not in his snow suit and boots) - neither of which can dress themselves or do a lot for themselves...and a dog that needed his share of attention and exercise.
I'm deeply touched by their massive act of kindness and I know it's not easy to re-arrange everyone's schedule so there are enough teachers to dress the 10-13 little kids in a group and make sure they're layered enough and pottied before they get dressed - just so one parent out of at least 25 doesn't go insane.

Paljon kiitos.  Paljon kiitoksia (MANY thanks!)
*Correction made over a year later thanks to a comment below.  Still learning Finnish...please don't shoot me! :)

Angry Birds Are From Finland - Drunk Birds Too...

Today was an eventful day - one I will never forget.
I swear I am not pregnant, didn't secretly deliver a baby whale, didn't surprise anyone in Canada with a "I'm here on your door step ringing your bell while calling you from my Finnish phone" and I did not attend a Finnish wedding or a funeral.

Why was it eventful?
Today is the 11th of December and my husband was going to Helsinki then to Istanbul (Turkey) to attend a conference in which he will be presenting a paper that he slaved over for the better part of a week.
It's a 5-day trip due to the once-a-day flights out of Helsinki (direct) to Istanbul.

I was prepared.
I had a back-up plan for the dogs in case one friend couldn't take both - one other friend could take a pooch.
I had bought enough food for the week for my friends who were helping me out with the kids at night so I could cook supper and actually eat 1 decent meal a day...and take the other dog out.
I even had "Don't lose your sh*t/Cheaper than a therapist food" - which helps to keep me calm when hubby is away...you know what I mean.  When you count to 10 because your kids are driving you insane and you sneak off and take a sip of your flask or in my case - a trip to the pantry to nibble on chocolate or a scoop of ice-cream...or chug a glass of Pepsi for that extra kick to keep going.
My oldest would be in day care in the day time so it was just a matter of getting the dog out for a long walk while the little one napped in his stroller...
I was SO prepared.

What I was not prepared for was my husband advising me that his passport was missing and if I could check all his usual spots for putting important documents...and then go into storage and look into the coats and blazers stored away...and then go back and check this spot and that.
I was fuming because our everyday record of being late dropping our son off at day-care was about to be broken by ME!...ah well - tomorrow I'll try and surprise the pants off of them by showing up by 9...

So, I ended up doing my errands (one kid at day care, the other gets their flu vaccine) and asked where Tim was on his return trip...he advised me he'd be back soon.
We ended up all going home together and on our walk back home I noticed a ball of grey on the side of the path - which is all downhill by the way.  PERFECT for sledding, slipping, biking, falling on my butt - you know - perfect for fast transportation.
I walked over to this ball of grey and discovered it was a bird who didn't flinch at all when I went up close to it.
After dropping off the little guy and the husband, I rushed out with a piece of bread and my camera.
(Still have to upgrade my photo storage then I can post photos I took of the little bird.)
I decided to pick up the bird and try to get it to eat food from our yard...no luck.

So I didn't want the poor thing to freeze to death - so I got a shoe box, lined it with an old receiving blanket, plopped the bird in with some bread and a small lid of water...and left it on my balcony.  It wasn't showing any signs of flying or even chirping...so I felt confident I could pick it up without losing an eye.
I posted the photos on my Facebook and discovered from a friend that it was a "Bohemian Waxwing" - related to the Cedar Waxwing but anyway.

After chatting with a friend - he advised me that these birds eat a lot of red berries hanging off of trees.
Okay - well, they have to eat something because they eat insects in the summer...so that Wikipedia link tells me.
And apparently those red berries act as an alcohol when too many are eaten...or they are turned into alcohol somehow in their system.  (I'm not a scientist - just a blogger...)

You getting what I'm trying to say?
I "saved" a drunk bird and let him get over his hang-over on my balcony in a nice little shoe box with bread and water and a towel to block the wind...
He left me a message in the snow too - some foot prints that were definitely NOT in a straight line.
And no bird poop!  I call that success!

(In Finnish they're known as Tilhi - which means "Waxwing").

How To Survive Winter and Things To Do!

I try and blog about this every year for those that are new to my blog and I hope this provides some useful information!
If you've never seen snow before - well, people in Helsinki are (supposedly) expecting 50 centimeters of the white stuff relatively soon...
This year (similar to last year too) the snow has been slow getting here and staying on the ground.
So I am enjoying it as much as possible - although snow helps to brighten up the darkness and it's fun!
(Also it makes it a lot easier to spot and avoid dog mess when playing in the snow...)

SO!

How to survive winter and the darkness of Finland...

• Wear safety reflective vests, reflective bands, clothing and dangling reflectors ALL over!  Well, you don't have to blind anyone but definitely at least 1 on each side of your body!  Especially if you are walking a lot and crossing the road - it's not easy to see the other side of you from a driver's point of view!!  Many roads are poorly lit and many pedestrians like wearing black for some reason here (yes it goes with everything and blends into the darkness and is a slimming "colour" or shade...but you won't be thinking that if you end up in the hospital!).   And it's not just cars you have to worry about but cyclists as well that ride on designated bike paths or on the side walk.
• If you have a vehicle - it would be smart to pack a couple safety reflective vests in the trunk - should you need to pull over and check something under the hood.
• And you should probably pack a shovel in the trunk too - in case your car gets plowed in with snow!
• If you're walking a dog - please put some sort of light on them or reflective coat too...
• Wear a head lamp or have a good lamp on your bike! It's hard for YOU as a cyclist to see where you are going on a dark road - let alone for pedestrians and other cyclists to see you too.  A non-blinking lamp is probably best so you don't give someone a migraine or a seizure...
• Wear LAYERS!!!  Layers are necessary once the temperature begins to drop and depending where in Finland you live - the more Northern you live - or near the coasts - the more necessary layers become!  Aim for relatively light-weight layers so you are not instantly sweating by the time you are tying your boots!  This also helps you to move comfortably too.
• Here's some information about frost bites and hypothermia!
• Take your VITAMIN D!  Without a lot of sunlight - you'll be feeling extra sleepy and this can help perk you up a bit!  Or you can get one of those special lamps that radiate vitamin D and fake sunshine to get you going in the morning.
• Get MOVING! No, don't pack up your belongings...but just get outside and enjoy the weather as much as possible and the fresh air too!  It can be sad and lonely indoors - so definitely invite your friends over or meet up for coffee somewhere - just for the sake of having a social life outside of the internet or cell phone world.  
• Sign up for some courses like Zumba, yoga or Tai-chi!  Or perhaps go rock-climbing (indoors), play sports or join a craft group or reading circle!
• Pick up a new hobby or new project involving a hobby you're already familiar and interested in!  (I.e. Ravelry is fantastic for knitting and crocheting patterns...)
• Volunteer!
• Keep warm!  Yes that was hinted with the "Wear LAYERS!!!" above - but even indoors - keep warm.  Some flats and old homes can be quite drafty so definitely wear some layers at home if necessary, drink lots of hot beverages (i.e. coffee, tea, hot chocolate - or do you call it cocoa?) and become BFs with your sauna.  
• Remember, some Finns are hardcore sauna fans and they'll not only roll in the snow once they're hot enough but they might even take a dip in the freezing nearby lake.
• "BF" means best friend not 'boy friend' in this case.
• Wear sunscreen on sunny days! Many people have been fooled by the idea that they cannot get a sun burn on any exposed skin during a cloudy day but that is not true.  If you plan on going out for a long period of time - you may want to dig in your summer bag for a blob of sunscreen just to be safe.  The sun does peek out a bit in the winter and it is possible to get a burn...combined with dry air (if you live in a dry area of Finland) - the results are not pretty!
• MOISTURIZE!!  I live in Central Finland which is nice and dry - if you do too - you'll definitely want to moisturize your skin - body lotions, lip balm and so on - so your skin doesn't crack.  Trust me - it hurts like a you know what!

Things to do during a Finnish Winter...

• Ski - down hills or cross-country!
• Skate - or play ice-hockey!
• Craft - knit, sew, crochet, make cards, scrapbook, pottery, carpentry, weave...
• Travel - you'd probably want to go somewhere warmer for a bit - or travel to Lapland for the Northern Lights...or perhaps to Santa's Village?
• Study!  Sorry I reminded you...
• Work...sorry I reminded you about that too.
• Do a polar dip after sauna (then run like crazy back into the sauna!)...
• Bake and cook popular holiday goodies!
• Read or write....
• Take photos or write a blog about your life in Finland!
• Join Postcrossing!  (I am not an employee or volunteer - just a member and love it thoroughly).
• Have movie marathons with friends...
• Learn Finnish!
• Thaw out and clean your freezer and fridge!  Your food can go on the balcony which should be cold enough!!
• Stock up on ice-cream - this is a prime time if you don't have a car and have to walk quite a bit to get home!
• Drink gl�gi...sorry egg nog is not sold here.
• Make snow angels, build snow people, have a snow ball fight...
• Shovel snow or pump up the snow blower!
• Sleep?

PostCrossing Meet Ups!

I am super new to Postcrossing but am becoming quite addicted to hunting around for post cards these days!
Especially this past weekend, there was a vendor at Paviljonki Christmas Exhibition selling them for 30 cents a piece!! Which is way cheaper than 1� each at the book shop downtown...although none of them were of Jyv�skyl� specifically - anyways!

So I've also recently discovered that there are gatherings of people involved with PC in various countries...so I dug around and perhaps you are interested in when your city PC members are meeting up!
You can find a list of countries here then once you click on the country you live in - then you can find your city and find out when the next meeting is!
The next Jyv�skyl� meeting is listed here.  It'll be held at the post card/stationary shop Harjun Paperilla on December 15th at 4:30pm.
I wish I could go but unfortunately I'm booked that week with the kids!
I'm definitely looking forward to going in the future!!!

You Either Can or You Kant(ele)!

I have been hunting (not very hard) high and low for a Kantele.
What is a Kantele?

It's a Finnish harp - usually made with 5 strings...although there are variations!
(Unfortunately I have exceeded my photos limit on this blog so I cannot post photos of my own turquoise coloured Kantele I bought recently!)
And if you happen to be a self-learner - there ARE English Youtube videos on how to play this beautiful instrument!

Why in the world would I want one?
My oldest son is named V�in� which is short for V�in�m�inen - who is famous in the Finnish Epic, The Kalevala, for being able to play the Kantele extremely well...along with being awesome as magic and so on.

Recently, I was at a craft fair held at the University of JKL last weekend and there was a Kantele maker selling them!
It was a bit pricey but I don't know when I'll ever get the chance again!  It also came with an extra string and a tuning key...

This instrument is still being taught in Finnish schools today!!
So if you ever get the oppourtunity to test one out - definitely try it!!

Arts & Crafts & Baked Goods!

Hello all!

If you're in Jyv�skyl� and happen to be going to the Arts & Crafts Exhibition going on at Ilokivi - perhaps you will see me there!
I will be selling freshly baked goods (INCLUDING dog biscuits!) and there will be other vendors involved too!
One person is selling Vietnamese food, some people are selling cards and who knows what else!
It should be lots of fun and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Cheers! :)

Real Mail...You Want Some?

Do you remember life before the internet?
Before speedy emails and funny forwards...a life before chat-rooms, MSN, Skype and video chats?
Before Myspace, www. some website . com, Google and Yahoo?
A life before FACEBOOK?

I do and I miss it some times!  I now hate talking on the phone but I do love writing letters!
The problem is that I don't always have time to write nice, long letters!!
So what is the alternative? Post cards!
They are small, limited space to write in and you can find all kinds of different designs!  They're affordable, available pretty much anywhere in the world and light-weight to send.

And if you want to send a post card to someone at random - there is a website that can help you do so!

Postcrossing allows you to send up to 5 post cards at a time (with free registration) to a completely random stranger in the world!
Once your card is registered (you have to write your code on the back of the post card) then you are able to send more cards!  The number of cards does increase over time.

So far I have sent cards to Germany, Poland, Taiwan and the USA!
And I just received my first one yesterday from Poland!!

Enjoy and have fun Postcrossing! :)

Got Kala?

A couple nights ago, I had to do a MASSIVE grocery shopping trip in preparation for Restaurant Day.
I ended up missing my bus back home and opted to eat my sandwich and smoothie at the little dining area of Sokos (bottom floor).
Munch, munch, munch was me and happily enjoying my sandwich and my new knitting projects I started.
I noticed someone else was enjoying his meal but I could feel him staring at me from a couple tables away.  I looked up at him to see if I recognized him - nope.
So I took my phone out and checked my email and Facebook and continued to enjoy my late night supper.
When I was finished, I still had some time to kill so I just sat there and returned some emails and this man (older fellow) who had been eating and staring at me decided to pay me a visit.
I instantly wondered what I could have done wrong and if there were any signs of my supper in my teeth...
He decided to say hello and tell me that his piece of fish was fantastic.  It was so good that he decided to try and get me to go and buy some (despite my 3 massive and fully packed grocery bags - the re-usable kinds not the smaller plastic ones).
He even gave me his price tag sticker so I would know exactly what to ask for and he was just so excited about his fish (kala in Finnish) being tasty that he knows I would love it too.
How did I respond?

I nodded, grunted a bit (I did have some food still in my mouth when he first popped over to see me) and nodded some more.
I then smiled and said, "Hyv��!  Kiitos - ja heippa!"  (Good/great!  Thanks and bye!)
This was deemed a very respectable response and he merrily went on his way.
I don't think he was drunk at all - just wanted to get courage to perhaps talk to someone - maybe he felt lonely or maybe that fish was to die for.

Another Reason To NOT Go With Sampo!

"Dear Sampo Bank (Jyv�skyl� downtown branch):

Please put someone at the front desk who knows how to do their job.
By doing their job - I don't mean a pretty face who just sits there and directs people here and there without a care.

Today I walked into the bank at 10:15am with a baby (thankfully asleep) and advised you I needed to deposit a cheque.
Your staff looked at me as if I was wasting his time by asking him this and directed me to the teller line up.
I in turn, gave him a weird look because I have never deposited a cheque with the teller before but always with a personal banking officer (PBO) because there is always some lengthy sort of process required.
I thought maybe there is a new procedure, as it has been awhile since I've made a bank deposit (cheque-wise) and patiently waited 15 minutes.
I got to the teller and handed him my Finnish ID card, my phone which has my bank account number written in it and the cheque.
The teller tells me immediately, "I'm sorry you have to go over there (gesturing to the PBO area) to deposit this."
(I knew this was going to happen....a part of me just knew it.)
I informed him, "Well, your staff at the front desk told me to come wait here.  It is in Euros and from the Nordea bank in Helsinki..." I point at the bottom of the cheque.
He rushed over to his colleague at the front desk who confirmed that yes, I should be waiting for a PBO - please note he didn't even look in my direction because he knows he f'd up.
But because it was written up in Canada - it was deemed an "international" cheque and I had to get a number and wait.
So I waited another 20 minutes to see a PBO and may I point out that had I been directed to go to the PBO area to begin with - I would have been out almost right away.  Because numbers 002-005 weren't present. They were probably tired of waiting for the 1 PBO who happened to be actively working with customers - since the others were doing paperwork of some type.

The main point of this complaint?  Aside from your staff giving me poor directions and wasting over 45 minutes of my time - he seems quite under-educated.
Why would I suggest this?
A) I spoke in English and I look like a foreigner and was mentioning the word "CHEQUE".
Why should it have been SUPER obvious that I am depositing an "International" cheque?

B) Because Finland hasn't used cheques in over 20 years.  So it's obviously not from Finland...

I sincerely hope someone in your organization reads this and perhaps you can give a crash course to whoever sits at the front greeting desk.

Sincerely yours,
A Pissed Off Customer"


______________________________________________________________________________

If you are making a deposit to your own account - yes, you do need identification.  Seems silly I suppose but I believe it's for the safety of the bank and your account.
Just make sure you bring your ID - either a passport, driving license or a Finnish ID card to make your banking transactions in person.
Do NOT bring your Finnish Residence Permit Card as it may not be accepted as proper identification.

Good-Bye English?

As you probably already know, I am a member of the "Foreigners in Jyv�skyl�" Facebook Group, where we are able to exchange information about local events (i.e. sales, shops being closed, events and so on) and have monthly meet-ups.
So one SUPER hot topic that is going on in Jyv�skyl� right now is the possibility of shutting down ALL English-speaking programs and classes in Jyv�skyl�.

Why is this bad?

• Some families don't stay in Finland for very long - so continuing their education in English would be SUPER important for them (and make life a heck of a lot easier).
• The oppourtunities for foreign families to move here would drop significantly and that means less money for local businesses and less enrolled students.

Want to help and try to DO something about this?

Kirsti Earl started a petition that can be found here and there are only 9 more (digital) signatures required!!!

So PLEASE sign if you live in Finland or know someone who lives here that benefits from having English-speaking programs!!!

And spread the word!!

Get Your Snow!

Snow has officially fallen a few days ago but didn't stick around long enough and there wasn't enough to make snow angels or snow balls and definitely not enough for snow men or women.

While enjoying a tea downtown, a bird wanted to see if I had any food...

A couple quick shots from my balcony - we're moving today so this is it!

So now that there's black ice under the snow and the snow is light and slippery - you need to get your winter tires put on your car and perhaps on your bike too if you bike a lot in the winter!!

If you do not get winter tires and you are caught - they will give you a ticket.

The great thing about (JKL) Finland so far is that when it snows - it's usually not blinding white-outs where you can't see your hand in front of you, which CAN and quite OFTEN happens in Canada...which makes for treacherous driving conditions and causes a lot of deaths and harm.
It's usually flurries that can go on for days if not weeks and it adds up surprisingly!  Of course later in the winter, there are times that you see bigger and chunkier looking snow flakes and there can be the odd "snow storm" but it all eventually melts...usually by the end of April/early May.

A Brown Card For A Green One

I have been trying for what seems like ages to get an S-Pankki card.  You can only get these through Sokos locations it seems - or S-locations like S-Market for example if there is someone set up trying to promote them.  (Maybe there are other ways to get one too - like the internet - not sure!)

The difference between the first S card you get and the one that says "Visa" on it, is that one collects the bonus money and the other is an actual bank/credit card.  (By bank card I mean "debit", the money is linked to an account and you can shop with it.)

When I first went to Sokos to ask for a S-bank card they said I didn't have enough ID.
I had my Kela card, my green bonus card and my Passport and thought that was pretty good.  Apparently not.
I was advised I had to get a Finnish ID for Foreigners.  It's brown, not overly attractive and supposedly is brown to represent the poo that Finns might think of us Foreigners (I'm pretty sure this was sarcasm/a joke in the 6 Degrees paper months ago.  No your Finnish friends don't think you look or smell like poo!).
I'm JUST KIDDING!!!
Although, I did read that article - anyone else see it too?

Anyways, I found out it was 55� and thought it was a bit steep considering I can't use it for much.  But, considering I had over 350� sitting on my green bonus card - just not DOING anything - I figured it was a low price to pay to be able to spend my money I've been racking up by shopping at S-chain places (mostly groceries).

I went to the Police station, pushed that lovely "ASSISTANCE FOR FOREIGNERS" button and waited...and I waited and waited and waited.  In fact, I waited almost an hour, and when I walked in - I saw Mr. Prince Charming Police Officer and advised him that there weren't any applications for me to fill out so I could get my Finnish ID card.
Well, he apologized deeply and said, "That's because there isn't one.  I'm so sorry - is that what you waited so long for?"
As my Facebook status said that day, "Thank goodness he was hot."
So apparently, I just bring in a photo, my Passport and 55� (I paid with my bank card).

I finally went in and waited about 2 HOURS last week with my youngest - thankfully HE fell back asleep, mostly out of sheer boredom - and submitted his Residence Permit application (or he won't get a new Kela card) and asked to get my Finnish ID card too.
I got that all paid for and submitted and the "I know your family name and your kids first names too because I think it's kinda neat and super weird that you gave your kids SUCH Finnish names just because they were born here" officer (who is super nice) said I would get a text message advising me to pick up my ID card at the front desk.

Excellent - well, I got that text message today.
"From 16435
Tilaamanne lupa-asiakirja on saapunut.  Noutopaikka on Jyv�skyl�n p��poliisiasema.  Urhonkatu 2."

All I honestly could pick out of that was "Nouto" meaning pick up - how do I know this?  I apparently order pizza online too much.  And "Poliisi" is police (no, I have never been in trouble with the law).
The last sentence was the address for pick up.

I walked in and didn't know which button to push for a number.  I compared the text message to the buttons (there are only 3) to the machine and ended up going with one that said something about "Asiakirja" (translates to "documents") and figured it was a safe bet.
Especially when I let a fellow go ahead of me and it looked like he was picking something up and it was at the front desk!! :)

Fast forward a few hours later and I was in Sokos planning on opening a bank account so I could spend my precious 350 (and counting) euros.
I told the lady what I would like and she said fine and asked for ID.  I dug out my green bonus card, my Kela card and as soon as she saw my Passport she apologized and said she couldn't help me.
Well, I whipped out my Finnish ID card and she saw it and said, "Oh, you DO have ID- yes I can do that for you!"
(Because everything else just DOES NOT count these days...)

I got my future pin code to be sent to my future address (since I am really moving there in less than a week now..yet blogging when I should be asleep!) and she advised me that there are NO fees on this account at all.
None for withdrawing, spending - nothing.  Not sure about depositing because I just planned on spending what I collect from the S Bonus card.
Once I get that all set up (aka get the S Bank card) then I can destroy my S Bonus card and when I shop - if I am at an S-location, it will automatically calculate the bonus onto the account if I am spending with my bank card.
If not (or if I am at a regular shop that does not accept S cards) then I have to insert my card and press "BONUS" when it shows up on the machine, then remove it and then pay in whatever method I planned on using.
If I want to spend with it - I just put it in the machine and (it has a chip card) use it like normal.
She asked what would be the maximum daily limit on the account that I would withdraw from.  I advised her and then she asked if I was interested in having it as a credit card too.
I told her nope just bank card and she got me to sign some forms.
Their internet banking site is only available in Finnish.

Also, if you lose your internet banking ID number - you have to pay 20� to get a new one.
And if you lose the pin, it costs you 5� if you need a new one set up.

Ah, you want to know what I plan on buying?  A small washing machine for the future flat.
Running between buildings to do my laundry is no fun, especially with colder weather coming up and my youngest can walk already...so there's no such thing as "quickly getting the laundry" anymore.

Oh and most Finns have never seen this Finnish brown ID card for foreigners - so to REALLY get a party started, pass it around if you like!
For some reason, there are 4 identical photos of myself on the card.
3 on front, one has a hologram partially on it (the larger photo), my date of birth is written on the 2nd photo - to the left of the largest one (which is interesting because there is my DOB on the card already) and the back photo is just a mirror of the 3rd identical photo.

I guess Finns want to make sure people cannot forge them!

In my Home Flea Market!

Hi folks - Jyv�skyl�-area only!!

I am currently having an indoor flea market to try and get rid of as much stuff as possible!

For sale?

Imse Vimse Diapers - 1�each (20 for 15�)
Imse Vimse Covers - 1,50� each
Other Diaper Covers - 1� each
Fuzzy Bunz with Liner - 5� each
Cuddle Bunz diaper - 5� each
Carena Walker - 10�
Baby Blue Bouncing Seat - 3�
Emma Play pen (small hole in mesh) - 10�
Wooden High Chair 20�
Craft Magazines (English) - 1,50� each
Baby body - 0,50�-1� each
Baby pants - 0,20� each
Baby T-Shirts - 0,25� each
Baby Sweaters/Dress Shirts - 1�
Baby Pajamas - 0,50�-1� each
Baby GAP Hoody - 4�
Baby brown sandals - 1,50�
Baby Car Seat (NO car accident) - 4�
Breast Milk Storage bags - 2�
Breast Feeding Pillow 9�
Donut Maker (Used once)- 12�
Silicone bowl/steamer - 4�
Silicone baking sheet (Never used - orig. 14�)- 10�
Forever Aloe Face Mask - 2�
French Fries Cutter - 1�
Recipe Books - 0,50� each
Frog Decoration - 3�
Music Light Up Toy (needs new battery but works) - 3�
Maternity Jeans (XS) adjustable - 2�
Maternity Denim Capris (M) - 4�
Women Shirts - 0,50�
Women Sweaters - 1-2�
5x Flower Pots (new) - 4,50�
Blue Halti Coat - 8�
Reima Blue coat - 10�

And that's not all!  I have Party Lite candles, 2 double strollers, a single stroller (strollers are downstairs in storage) and so much more!

My hours today are from 10am-2pm.
Also, if it's not all gone today by 2pm - I will have more hours available this weekend based on appointment.

I am located near before the student village and the grocery stores in Kortepohja - near the 1st bus stop on that road.

15D, Apartment 47

If you need better directions or would like to book an appointment - please contact me at:

                                          learningaboutfinland     (at)    hotmail                         (dot)     com

Appointments are available this weekend and up until October 24th.

(All spam or un-related emails will be deleted.)

**Dog friendly home and smoke-free!!**

The Drunker The Finn - The Braver They Are!

Now this is not a story that happened to me - very unfortunate and you'll see why soon.

My husband had to go pick up a visiting scholar from the train station and take him out to dinner then drop him off at their hotel last night - as they had never been to Jyv�skyl� before.
Afterwards he decided to go for a beer with a colleague and they were having a good time chit-chatting when a couple of Finnish drunks asked if they could join them.  There was plenty of available seating but because they were speaking in English - the drunk Finns were VERY interested in their conversation.
After some basic discussion about where my husband is from and why he is living here (I assume that's what they asked because that's what we ALWAYS get asked - ask any foreigner!) one of the fellows says to my husband:

"You have pretty eyes."

The hubby just said thanks and one of the other drunks said: "You're very handsome."

Now, I'd like to point out that these are 2 very drunk Finnish men.  They are straight according to Tim but when I asked why in the world would they pick that sentence to practice their English with, he responded to me with: "I think they just tried to use every English word they knew."

So if you ever encounter a drunk Finn - you're probably quite safe as they just REALLY want to speak English to you and learn about your culture and where you are from!
Alcohol in large amounts encourages Finns to do what they normally wouldn't do if they were sober and not in a party/put-on-the-spot kind of position...like talking in a different language and to a foreigner!

Pretend Your Bike Is a Human

Do you have a bike in Jyv�skyl�?
Well, if not - and you are able to ride one - you should probably get one!  There's lots of advantages of riding a bike!
Let me, a terrible and not so experienced cyclist tell you the awesome benefits of biking around Jyv�skyl�:

• It's exercise and with all the hills in JKL - it'll BURN at first (unless you have a super awesome bike with gears - which I do not) but you'll feel empowered and perhaps terrified as you zoom down the hill...
• There are lots of FREE parking places for bikes - just make sure you don't park your bike where you're not supposed to (look for a sign).
• You don't need insurance to ride a bike - unless you're a terrible cyclist...or just learning...then it might be recommended!
• No drivers license required - although one should know the hand signals...and actually use them.
• You don't have to wait for your bike to warm up in the winter, like you would with a car...and yes - people DO bike in the winter!
• You have a perfect excuse for NOT giving your friends a lift as you only have 1 bike seat...nobody enjoys sitting on hard, cold metal while you hit every rock, snail, stick and curb possible on your way to school or home.  Only crazy teens do that...
• No speed limit - as far as I know....
• You can store a bike inside your apartment building - can't do that with a car, unless you have a garage spot....which usually costs more.
• You don't wait for your bike like you do a bus, a cab or for a friend...
• It's often faster to travel because you can ride in the bike lanes or on the street beside cars, or in front of cars with the traffic or on the sidewalk.
• You can buy them easily and more cheaply than a car brand new or second-hand!
• Bicycles are eco-friendly because they just need some air in their tires every now and again...and some light maintenance regularly...they do not take gas or oil...Nobody gags over your bike fumes - because there are none! 

WOW - what a bunch of great reasons to get a bike!!!

Now you should probably give your bicycle a name...something more human-like...not "THE BEAST", "THE SPECS SMASHER", "Speedy" - you know..something like:

• "Tuomas" - Thomas
• "Juhana" - Johnathan
• "Petrus" - Peter
• "Olli" - Oliver
• "Pauliina" - Paulina
• "Helmi" - Pearl (or beads when referring to crafts)
• "Sohvi" - Sophie
• "Marita" - a form of Mary

And don't forget you should feed your bike, care for your bike and blah blah blah...

WHY am I writing such nonsense?!

Because in Jyv�skyl�, if you want to bring your bike onto the bus - you're now PAYING an extra 1,60�.
If you have a bus pass/card - then that is paying for you...then you have to pay 1,60� so your bike can take a ride with you.

Why the fee?
I don't actually know the official reason but I can think of some that make sense to me (and hopefully to others):

• Bikes are a form of transportation themselves.
• Bikes take up A LOT of space that people with strollers, walkers or large bags/luggage need to ride the bus safely.

But then there is the argument that if a bike is broken and in need of repair - the best way to transport it (without a car or bike rack to properly install it to the car) would be via bus.

OR if the route is quite far - then the fastest way to bring your bike somewhere by bus...

Or if the weather totally sucks and your bike isn't great in the rain, snow or on the ice...then bus it is!

I think charging to bring a bike onto the bus is a little much and the fee is quite expensive as well.  I think a better solution would be to install racks to the front of the bike like in Halifax and the cyclist takes full responsibility if the bus happens to damage the bike by getting rear-ended for example.

This way the bus has more space and the broken bike can get to a repair shop!!

What do you think of all this??
Do you get charged to bring your bike onto a city bus and if so, how much is it?

*Feel free to leave a comment if you know or have more information about this newest change!*

Finns Have Cold Feet?

I am not talking about a Finnish "Run Away Bride/Groom" kind of movie but really - Finns have cold feet.

I'm from Canada and yes, where I am from - it snows, it's cold, it's humid and damp and freezes you to the bone.
But until it hits a particular temperature or if it snows - I wear sandals.
Flip flops to be specific.
Why?

They are easier to take on and off, they go with most outfits (not that I care about that) and my feet are exceptionally warm when wearing a thin cotton sock and sneakers.
I HATE when my feet sweat!  It's disgusting and seeing as I dislike feet anyway - this is the perfect solution for me.
Also, if it rains - then I don't have a wet and soggy sock stuck to my foot or have to constantly stop to pull up my socks because they slipped down when I wore my rubber boots.

YES I wear proper socks and shoes when it gets cold enough but as soon as spring/summer peeks out - I am wearing flip flops.

Why the heck would I blog about this?

Because it appears that Finns have cold feet ALL the time except summer.  By August the temperatures have dropped and people are wearing thick sweaters, coats, gloves and so on.
I like having a bit of cool air on my feet...for the number one reason that I'd rather have cool feet than hot and sweaty feet (barf).

No, really, why blog about your feet?

Well, it seems that whenever I DO wear sandals - I get the MOST awkwardest and sometimes DIRTIEST looks from Finns.
First of all - I don't openly judge others by staring at them (perhaps if someone was naked and covered in piercings and tattoos while riding an elephant through the City Center of Jyv�skyl� in -30*C temperatures) for long periods of time...not even the drunks get that much attention or rude stares from me.
So why  are you judging me?
First of all, it's obvious I'm a foreigner... just take that for what it's worth, close your mouth please and stop staring at me like I am committing murder right in front of you.

Didn't your family teach you it's rude to S-T-A-R-E?!?!?!

And when Finns wear things that do not seem weather appropriate or in terrible taste - nobody looks at them.  Like the drunks, Finns just walk past and don't acknowledge their own "crazily clothed" kind.

Case in point?
The other day was a cool 4*C and in the grocery store I saw a fellow (I assume he is Finnish as he looked very much like one) wearing a long sleeved cotton shirt, Bermuda shorts (Hawaiian flower prints if you're THAT curious) that could have been swimming trunks...

And house slippers.

Not just ANY kind of house slippers but those brown plaid ones made in Finland and are targeted to the FREEZING toes of Finland...

And I just asked a friend and apparently they have a name.
The brown ones are called "Reino" and the salmon pink ones are called "Aino"...want to see more?  Check out their official site.

"Hi I'm Aino and pink!"
"Hi I'm Reino and brown!"

Anyways, the guy kept his feet warm and that's what made him acceptable.
Along with the crazy teenagers that run around in mini skirts and tank tops with light coats and stand shivering while attempting to look cool smoking and pretending to NOT feel the wind go through them...
But as long as they have shoes - it's not worth staring at.

Photo not taken by me but from another about Finland blog.

And apparently they have a beer and a cider (North Americans know them as "coolers") named after them....
And there's such thing as "Aino" ice-cream too.

And NO this is NOT targeted to my friends - I know you appreciate my crazy Canadian ways... :)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

For those of you that LOVE chocolate chip cookie dough ice-cream...I'm sorry.  They don't sell it in Finland, with the exception of Ben & Jerry's and it's super expensive.

A few of weeks ago, I received my Cookie Dough Lover's Cookbook...and had been experimenting with some of the recipes in it.
I brought some peanut butter cookies topped with double chocolate chip cookie dough (raw) and drizzled in dark chocolate for a card-making day with the girls and when I told them the cookie dough on top was raw - they were amazed.
But not a single person asked, "Are there raw eggs in these?!"
I told a friend of mine - who I feel is quite close to being an American with all the craft supplies she orders from the States...that I didn't use ANY eggs in the cookie dough (raw bit) and she said, "Yeah okay.  Well, you could have."
I instantly freaked out and asked about salmonella or other bacteria, and she said that the farms in Finland are very well protected by a wide variety of laws.

What did she mean?

Apparently if you want to visit a farm - you can't just pack up the kids and go to a farm to take a tour.
If you wanted to see where your eggs came from for example, it has to be arranged well in advance and to actually get in with the hens - you'd have to wear a head-to-toe suit to prevent contamination of ANY kind being transferred to the hens (for example).

She said, "Think Homer Simpson toxic protective suit."
Apparently it is this difficult even for camera crews who want to do any filming on a farm!

It IS possible to get salmonella in Finland but through the consumption of raw eggs - not likely.

*Please take this information for what it's worth ... I do not recommend eating raw eggs anyway (except the occasional egg nog - which is NOT sold in Finland) and after speaking to several other Finns - they have all confirmed that salmonella or any other bacteria from raw eggs consumption is very VERY rare.*

For more information on salmonella - check here.

Child Care Fees And Tackling Kela (again)

If you are living in Finland with children, you might be putting your child into day-care because:

• You have to go back to work or study
• You need a break every now and again from your child(ren)
• You are having a new baby and cannot take care of the older child(ren)
• You need to spend time with the other child(ren)
• Your child needs it for a regular schedule (like mine does with his Autism) - 

Then you probably have to pay SOMETHING.

Day care in Finland has so far - been amazing.
Why?

1. The maximum fee you pay per child is 264� and some change.
This is 5 days a week - full days like 8am-4pm (our son goes from 8am-3pm).
2. You pay based on what your total household income is.
3. Your child is GUARANTEED a spot in day-care...it may not be the closest one (especially if you have a vehicle)  but they do try to be flexible and get you somewhere convenient.  It's the law that your child is promised a day-care spot.
4. They feed your child breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack -depending how long your child goes for in a run of a day.

So how do you know what you pay?  Well, when you are confirmed for a location, you will receive an envelope filled with papers and forms in Finnish.
You need to fill out the form about yourself and your family and include a pay stub from each family member who brings an income to the household.
Then you will receive a decision advising you how much you should be paying and if you wish to appeal (if that is a possibility for you) - you must contact so-and-so within X amount of days.
The bill comes in the mail later.

Typically, if you and your spouse (or one spouse works and makes a lot for 2 people in their opinion) make a lot of money - I'm sorry I don't know the exact amount - you will receive a bill to pay the maximum fee per child.
Which is approximately: $334 CANADIAN.  (Based on XE site and current rates.)
I've been told via Facebook that in Victoria, BC (Canada) - one parent is paying $1715.00 per month and another parent in Vancouver, BC (Canada) is paying $1900.00!!
That works out to be:  �1355.00 and �1501.00 (respectively) per month.

CAN YOU IMAGINE paying that for only 1 child?!?!?!  And many Finns have more than 2 children!!

Well, I got someone to translate my note I got in the mail the other day, advising me that I did not provide information - so we should be paying FULL price for V's day care fees.
Um, that doesn't sound right because I don't make "any money" other than the child benefit allowance which hasn't kicked in yet for my youngest child...and my husband isn't a millionaire or anywhere near it.
So I brought the form with me to the day care and the teacher kindly called this person and explained my situation.
I had filled in my financial portion as "stay at home mother"...they perhaps did not understand that meant "not rolling in money" mother.
They looked into things and decided I should pay about 30� or less...great!
And no other allowances could be find through the Kela system...hmm!
All I could think was, "WOW I am that rich and have no idea where the money went!!  I WANT TO DO SOME SHOPPING!!"

I decided a trip to Kela was in order because I noticed I had not been receiving any maternity money for awhile now, as I have not received any receipts in the mail!
I waited awhile and when I did get in, the lady advised me that my youngest will be qualified for the child stay at home allowance when he is not in day care.
"He's not in day care though - he's not even a year old yet and you stopped giving me maternity allowance awhile ago.  My oldest is in day care however."
"Ohhhhhhh....let me see..." she says.
We discover (after a phone call) that he needs the residence permit - okay fine.  I'll get on that and can back date as far back as 6 months in child stay at home allowance.
(I thought the maternity allowance went for a year...but it's for only 9 months.)

The interesting point of all this is that I submitted a "child stay at home allowance" application when I was still pregnant with him, the same time I was applying for my maternity leave allowance...the lady told me I didn't have to do anything else and it would be automatic...

So much for that one.

*It is possible to get day care for free for therapeutic reasons or due to very low levels of income - please contact your day-care provider and Kela for more information.*

Smelly Rugs

This is rare that it happens and I think it's rude enough to blog about.

In Finland if you have a common laundry room - you typically have to sign up for it.  Dryers are not common - so make sure you are able to hang your laundry inside your home or sometimes your building may have a "drying room" with clothing lines and maybe a fan or heater to help speed up the process.
Of course, in the summer - if there is an actual summer with warm temperatures and no rain - then your fastest option is to hang your clothing outside.

Well, time for me to complain.

This morning I signed up for the laundry from 9am-2pm.  Why?
It takes about an hour to wash a load (there are 2 machines) and the huge tumble dryer takes 2 hours to heat and dry properly one load of clothing (and I only put the light items!) - maybe it's an old machine - anyways.
The drying room is effective if you use it for more than 3 hours straight to dry your heavier items like jeans for example.

This morning I walked in there with my soap and basket of laundry and someone was in the drying room - I had assumed they were removing their clothing.
I walked by again and noticed he was HANGING stuff up and I had already signed up for the time.
Fine - I don't really need the drying room at all from 9-10 because the clothes are being washed.
I'm hoping he picks up his carpets and rugs by the time 10 comes around because I have laundry to hang that cannot go in a dryer.

I go by at 10 and not only are his carpets still hung up in the same spots (I moved them closer to the door so he wasn't taking all the good spots) - they FREAKING STINK.
No soap was used at all and in general, there is a regular odour of too much booze and lack of personal hygiene on his floor and daily in the elevator.

Now call me a bitch if you want but here's where I am pissed about this whole thing.
My now clean clothes will now smell like smelly carpets because there is a heater AND a ceiling fan to help circulate the air...

Well, I called my landlord and asked what I should do because I am pretty mad about this and having to probably wash my clothing AGAIN due to the stench and she said there is absolutely nothing I can do.  Unless I wanted to hang my clothes inside, use the dryer or hang it in the other room but someone had hung up their stuff in the other room - probably because they signed up for it properly.

There is some space for my clothing but as I wash more - I would like to hang them up and not having them smell of booze and so on.
I suggested that I fold them neatly and drop them off at his door or outside of the drying room - and apparently "that is not allowed".

So now you're wondering, why not hang it up in your flat?
I would however I have a crap load of laundry to do so not all of it will fit on the drying racks or on the doors AND I am trying to get a good chunk of packing done - so the less dancing around I have to do (without breaking my neck) around drying racks and so forth - the better.

This isn't the first time it's happened either.  Although last time it was only 1 carpet and it was fairly small and put on the far side of the room - so I have a feeling it wasn't the same person.

Phew, I am done bitching.
Thanks and good luck with your laundry adventures in Finland.

P.S.  Dear neighbour:
Thank F*ck I am moving soon because I have been on the verge of barfing every time I enter the elevator and it's embarrassing having guests over and having to explain why it smells so darn horrible.

Not Quite Sonic

I made a little friend yesterday in my other friend's yard.

He's not blue but he's sharp, chubby, pretty fast and not very shy!

I rarely see hedgehogs during the day but if I let my dogs loose in the woods - they can find the trails easily but never the animal themselves.  I always thought they were more nocturnal but this guy wasn't shy at all!
Hedgehogs and hares are the two most common animals you'll find running about - even in the cities of Finland.

I'll be adding a separate page for photos in Finland soon! :)

Are you a Finn - really?

Well, perhaps you have Finnish roots but were born and raised abroad?

Guess what?  You're needed in a study!!

Check this site out for more information and to participate.

I found this link courtesy of someone who posted it in the Foreigners in Jyv�skyl� FB group!
You can still join if you live in the JKL area and are a foreigner - or a Finn with a tonne of information to share!

Tsk Tsk Fazer.

Fazer Chocolate - it's not internationally known unless you know of Finland and know how tasty their chocolate is.
How it doesn't leave a horrible after taste in your mouth like the crap you can get in North America (i.e. Hershey's - my personal opinion anyhow), your teeth aren't slimy and brown after a small bite, they use pure ingredients and the Finns do love their chocolate!

But I am currently betting that the Fazer stocks (if any) and their sales and profits have dipped an all time low when reports have shown that their chocolate is being created by child labor and slaves.

This article is in Finnish unfortunately but if you take that whole link and copy and paste it to Google Translate, you'll get a rough idea of what's going on.

Fazer does not promise or guarantee that their cocoa is not handled or processed by children who are orphans, or under-paid (most not paid at all I am sure) or bullied into working at the plantations.

So what does Fazer do?
They decide to create an advertisement (now they regret it apparently) promising that they will take 5 cents of every Fazer chocolate bar sold and put that towards building a school in Africa (where the cocoa plantation is located) for children.
Aww, how wonderful and kind - they didn't have to do that! is possibly what you're thinking - right?

Well, many Finns weren't impressed and I can't blame them.
I'm curious when are the children going to go to school when they're working for the cocoa factory?  Would the school be beneficial at all if it's empty?
Why not pay the children (older ones that are finished their education) to work?  Instead of hiring brutes to haul them out of their homes and slash them with knives as a means of getting them to haul themselves to the nearest cocoa plant?

Oh and here's the best part: the cost of building the school is cheaper than the cost of the advertisements in a Helsinki paper.

And yes, I do realize this is only a small scale compared to other world-life crises - but for those who use Fazer products nearly everyday - this is shocking I'm sure.

Until you get your sh*t straightened out - I'll be skipping the Fazer chocolate too.

Saunalahti

According to Google Translate, "Saunalahti" translates to "sauna bay".
But I am referring to the phone company that is joined with Elisa (internet and television services).

A few days ago, I got my phone bill from Sonera and nearly passed out when it was again, about 45�.
I have decided that enough was enough - I'm moving on.  I no longer make any contracts with any company due to not knowing our future plans and am glad I didn't make one with Sonera.

Once upon a time, I was with DNA and my phone bill once hit 50� (without internet usage at all - just text messages!) and their options didn't seem all that hot - so I  moved to Sonera.
I originally went to Sonera for their "kamu" program - which meant I could pick up to 5 phone numbers (Sonera based) and only paid 1� per number registered, for un-limited calls and text messaging.  And then I could also have 1 phone number that wasn't Sonera-based for the same price.

My bill was down to about 30� - which wasn't too bad (I don't talk a lot on the phone - I really avoid it unless necessary) - but suddenly it creeped up to 40 or 45�!!
I am thinking it's the fact that I was using my internet more often - and remembered Saunalahti (sister company with Elisa) offered un-limited internet with their fees.
A friend who is also with Sonera said that the fee shouldn't go up but the internet would just work slower on my phone...hmm.

I had previously gone to Sonera to ask for a better deal and they just adjusted my text message package - which added MORE to my bill and that was it.
They aren't very helpful (I've never called into their call center or anything before) and I knew the fellow spoke English - so I don't know what's up.
Also, Sonera offers discounts on their website when you log into your account.  However, my phone is in my name and my bank account doesn't show my name on it but my husband's as he's the primary account holder.  So I wasn't able to create a profile on Sonera's site either.

Then I went into Elisa and got a young guy who spoke great English and the customer service was FANTASTIC.
I quickly explained what I needed:

• I send about 700 text messages per month and was with Sonera for their Kamu program.
• I don't talk a lot on the phone - so about 1.5 hours per month (this varies - it really depends how many family members have birthdays or how many holidays are in that month so I should probably call them.)
• I use the internet quite a bit - nothing fancy.  Just Facebook and Hotmail.

The Elisa fellow quickly pointed out a plan for me (non-contract):

• 1200 text messages for 9,90� a month
• Mobile "Mini" internet package (unlimited usage) 4,90� per month (speed is average 0.5Mbits/s)
• Monthly fee is 0.66� per month
• Talking is less than 6 cents per minute too

So total is approximately: 15.46� per month.

And for the first month, I get 50% off of my internet fee....and for 12 months (aka 1 year) I get 50% off of my text message package too!

So I'm looking at about 10� and some change per month...for a year.
As opposed to 42-44� per month!

After that, he checked out internet options for me because we'll be moving in a month or so.

THEN he asked me if I would like my number to be listed or not and I opted for not - which I assume doesn't cost anything because he didn't advise me of any fee.

I kept my number the same too.

Thanks Saunalahti!

My Bus Mate

Today I had to do some errands and I sat near the back doors so I could access a quicker escape.
Little did I know that I was sharing the scene with another - creature?! for lack of a better term...
No, it didn't talk or try to recruit me to go to Church via home-made dumpling parties...it just sat there quietly.

However, I was disturbed...VERY disturbed.

Lucky for you (not so much for me), I had my camera in my pocket.

What IS this creature on the bus?

I believe it's a clump of hair...not sure if it is from an animal but I'm leaning more towards a human head produced these....that or someone decided to do some man-scaping/bush-trimming on the bus.  If THAT'S the case - I feel like barfing.

When I told my newly-made friend about this hairy-ordeal, he advised me that he once came across a naked man covered in bloody vomit once - on the bus - in Helsinki.

Surprisingly, that made me feel much better.

How Much Uff Is En-uff?

I know what you're thinking, "What the heck is she talking about NOW?!"

Uff.

Uff is the newest second-hand clothing (only) shop in downtown Jyv�skyl�!!

And when you shop - you're helping others in need.  Read more about it here.

Located beside the Post Office downtown.

With the exception of already priced items or smaller items like scarves and belts - here's the price list for every day of the week.
Monday - 7�
Tuesday-Wednesday - 6�
Thursday-Friday - 5�
Saturday - Monday - 4�

This is for the first opening 2 weeks and then they are individually priced items!

They are closed on Sundays after the first two weeks (they opened officially on September 17th).

Uff also re-stocks EVERYDAY with second-hand items for you to buy!

Parking is limited because you have to share with post office customers...but it's near the main bus stop downtown!

I brought a double stroller inside (one child in front of the other) and it was okay for maneuvering but I ended up leaving my sleeping child and the stroller near the front of the shop where there was a bit of space.  A double stroller side by side may not be so easy to push around indoors.

There's lots of women's clothing, some children and men's too.  

Today there happened to be a 5 for 20� sale - so I scooped up 3 coats, a couple of shirts and 4 scarves for 34� and some change.

I will try and brave the crowds this Saturday I think!! :)

And in Finnish, it's pronounced more like "oof" than an English "uh-ff".

Wave Your Arm!

I know what you're thinking.

"What in the world did Dominique do in Finland now?  I mean the title of this post - how odd...I must keep reading!"

Today I met up with some Foreigners in Jyv�skyl� for our monthly get together.  Last month was a bust I think - but this time some of us got together at Presso and had a great time.
Although, I must apologize - the Canadians totally dominated in numbers....

Welcome Faber kids!

Taken a couple weekends ago while hiking...and yes, that's my dog on the right digging in a cave...

You can check out Sarah and Adam's blog here.

Anyways, it was nice to meet another person that was a foreigner and we chatted politics, philosophy, weather, life-styles and so on.  

When it was time to take the Fabers on a tour downtown, my family and I rushed to catch the elevator and I had pressed the button (in Sokos) and the door opened.  My husband was weaving the kids in the stroller through some light "traffic" aka customers just standing there and not moving very fast...so I stuck my hand into the elevator door where the sensor was and continued to press the button.

Thanks to the arse-holes downstairs who kept violently punching the button - the door slammed shut onto my wrist. I quickly punched the button again and the door opened...of course.

Today's lesson folks (and the reason for the title)?

The sensor doesn't work if something is blocking it (i.e. my wrist or maybe yours) - you have to make sure you - wave your arm.

*Please do not test this theory as I cannot guarantee that the stupid elevator will recognize anything in time and may cause more harm than what I experienced today.

Crafty Therapy

Whenever I am stressed out - I tend to eat more "bad foods", shop a little "more than necessary" or just get cranky.
However, a friend suggested I take a rug-weaving course with her and she described using the loom as very therapeutic!  Why?  Because you pull this huge wooden "thing" towards you and it makes a big banging sound.
I apologize now that I do not know the terms properly because I haven't looked them up yet and the course I am taking is in Finnish.
Well, as long as I cannot break any of my fingers (or someone else's) - why not?

The course sign-up was back in August and it only started last week.
There were limited spots available because of course, there are only so many looms available.  It's only once a week after work from 5-8pm or so.
The course is held in Vaajakoski and can be reached by a variety of buses in Jyv�skyl�.  Like the 2M (fastest but only available during rush hour), 1,2 and 3.
Oh and it is above the library....

Here's some photos:

A loom!

From the weaver's side...

Some people's work in progress... (also known as "WIP")

Someone else's WIP

A rainbow popped out after it was done raining - so naturally we ran to the windows like little girls and said "OOOH" and "AHH" a bunch of times.

My instructor getting her weave on and helping me start my rug...

I accomplished a lot in a couple hours!!  Very addicting...just 1 more row...

I was doing a basic pattern but my friend Anna decided to follow a pattern (she already took a similar course and was merely there for the weaving time and to translate for me).

A room of looms!

In almost every Finnish home, I have seen a woven rug/carpet.  It is possible that you buy fabric (got mine at Poppeli in skeins and then I wound them in balls then onto the shuttles) or that you could cut up your old bed sheets...or other old clothing and use them instead!
Yes, it's also possible to buy them.  But this is so much fun and even though the course is in Finnish - it is well worth the time to learn!

And my friend Anna, who has experience making several of these - she has one for every part of her home pretty much.  And she can point out which parts of the rugs hold the most memory!  A favourite shirt that had worn out, a particular dress...a certain table cloth even!

The possibilities are endless!