200 Kilograms...

I confess that I don't read the news a lot.
I know most things that are going on back in our native Nova Scotia and sometimes, if I remember - I will skim through the Helsinki Times.  And of course, I am so on top of all the celebrity gossip via People or some other similar sites.
We don't even have a radio...yet!

So needless to say - we don't read the Finnish tabloid papers and do not order the local newspapers either.
But one of my friends does and she was visiting and brought a copy over and asked if I had been watching or listening to the news lately.
"Nope, why - what's going on?" I asked.

"Well, there was a fellow with 200-kilos of explosives in his home and they did not know where he was going to set them off or what kind of attack he was planning!"

Turned out this fellow is a chemistry student at the University and he lived approximately 16-kilometers away from our neighbourhood (or downtown - not sure - anyways - too close for comfort!).
The only reason he was caught was because he was abusing his girlfriend or violated her in some way and she called the cops.
And of course, he didn't bother hiding any of his explosives....

"Why of course you can take a look at my collection!" is what I visualize him saying to the cops...

Now, the interesting thing about this article (wish I took a photo of it!) is that there is a large photo of the man and his face was blurred heavily.
I asked why it was blurred and due to the heavy privacy acts in Finland - they have to blur his face out until he is proven guilty.
Once proven guilty - then they can remove the blur editing and everyone will know what he looks like.

In Canada, if someone is under the age of 17 commits a crime - they are protected to the point no photo is printed and no name either.

And in case you're wondering how much 200 kilos weighs - it's ALMOST 441 pounds (440.925 to be exact).

"Romeo & Julia"

THE DANCE MUSICAL ROMEO AND JULIET
*This was provided to me by Heta, one of the dancers in Romeo and Juliet.  Huge thanks to Heta and I hope you're all able to see the performance before they are done for the summer!!*


This summer Kramppi has conquered Ainola, the stage of Jyv�skyl� Workers' theatre, with the dance musical Romeo and Juliet. With Romeo and Juliet Kramppi wants to go far. The performance is an unbroken river of music, singing and dance. As far as music is concerned the performance combines both new electronic and pop/rock music alike classical music and soundtrack. The choreography on the other hand gains ground in new dance styles mixing modern dance, parkour, acrobatics and dance styles in music videos.
Kramppi has produced the dance musical Romeo and Juliet together with The Jyv�skyl� Workers' Theatre. It is rewritten, composed and directed by Antti Viitam�ki, a local inhabitant that has made over 20 years' career in a theater and music field. The head choreographer is Laura Lehtinen who is doing her choreographic studies in the Theatre Academy Helsinki.

Trailer, teaser and some music clips
- http://kramppi.f/romeojulia/romeojulia/naytteita.html
Photo gallery
- http://kramppi.f/romeojulia/romeojulia/lehtikuvat.html

WHEN?
Wed. 20.6. at 19 p.m.
Fri. 22.6. at 19 p.m.
Sun. 24.6. at 19 p.m.
Wed. 27.6. at 19 p.m.
Thu. 28.6. at 19 p.m.
Fri. 29.6. at 19 p.m.
Sun. 1.7. at 14 p.m and at 19 p.m.
Wed. 4.7. at 19 p.m.
Thu. 5.7. at 19 p.m.
Fri. 6.7. at 19 p.m.
Sun. 8.7. at 14 p.m. and at 19 p.m.
Wed. 11.7. at 19 p.m.
Thu. 12.7. at 19 p.m.
Fri. 13.7. at 19 p.m.
Sun. 15.7 at 14 p.m. and at 19 p.m.
Wed. 18.7. at 19 p.m.
Thu. 19.7. at 19 p.m.
Fri. 20.7. at 19 p.m.
Sat. 21.7. at 14 p.m. (sold out)

WHERE?
The Open-air Theater Ainola in Ainolanranta, a beauty spot near Jyv�skyl� city
center
Address: Rytmikuja 8, 40520 Jyv�skyl�

TICKETS?
Lippupiste, call 0600 900 900 or visit www.lippu.f (search "Romeo ja Julia")

KRAMPPI IN A NUTSHELL


Kramppi is a dance theatre from Jyv�skyl� and was founded in 1996. Kramppi is
known for its impressives full-length performances. These are for example Liisa
Ihmemaassa (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) in 2005 in Jyv�skyl� City
Theatre, Kalevala in 2006, Montparnasse 0522 in 2008 and the horror musical
Dracula in 2010 executed in an old and large factory building. All these
performances have been a success.

PPTC445 Versus PPTC116

Do you know what the title is talking about?

Ask me a few days ago and I'd tell you, I have no clue.

If you're a Canadian living abroad and happen to have children with your spouse (let's say they are Canadian too for example) - and you need a passport for the child - well, you need to now fill out a PPTC116 form.

This is all based on a very recent experience and involves the Canadian Embassy in Helsinki - all possibilities are endless depending where you live and your personal situation.


Okay now that I have that little "disclaimer" out of the way - let's chat about those forms.

When our first son was born, we did not have to fill out either of those PPTC forms.
We did however, have to make sure that the first page of his passport application said it was for a child born ABROAD.

This year, after realizing we have a trip planned for next month outside of Finland - we decided the youngest needs a passport ASAP.  Oh and his residence permit application will have to be submitted soon too!  Oops.
I sent in the Passport and the Canadian Citizenship application for him and got a phone call from the Embassy stating that I need to fill in a PPTC form and send in my Passport and birth certificate, along with my husband's.
Oh - no problem.
I then get the emailed copy of the form to fill out - asked a friend to print it for me and the following day was advised that the form has been updated (magically over night of course) and I should fill out the new one.

Both of them were labelled PPTC445.  Fine.
My friend printed the "updated" version and I filled it out and noticed that it asks for the "Certificate Number"  from both parents.  What number is it referring to?!
So I called the lovely Canadian Embassy - and they advised me that the actual Consular is away at the moment but the one in charge (whom we've been in regular contact with) is available.  Fine - let's get this thing figured out!

She advised me that there should be a "PPTC116" written somewhere on the paper.  I advised her no there wasn't.  My friend checked her email and both emails had an attachment stating "PPTC445"...she suggests I must be able to see it and I read her the form title and she said it must have been the other email.
Well, after bickering a bit and firmly telling her that NO I do not have the appropriate form - she advised me she'll send it right away and that the "Certificate number" only applies if we, as parents, became Canadian Citizens after immigrating to Canada for some time.
Considering me and the husband are both born in Canada - this clearly did not apply.

I was un-sure of our actual dates of travel so I put down "August 1" and she asked if I could send her the flight information...we're not flying - we're taking a boat to Sweden some time - and have yet to book the tickets.
Well, because we left this sort of last minute (yes definitely our fault - I admit that!) - the Embassy requires we prove we are travelling or require a Passport for the child for residency purposes.


Yeah - I know.  How dumb is that (2nd) part?!
OF COURSE we need a Passport for our child who is technically a Canadian born abroad and if we (including the first child) need a residence permit to live here - he would too!
When I pointed out the stupidity in that statement (as politely as possible) - she suggested I go to the Police to get a written document from them confirming this to be true.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
I told her flat out that it's obvious any child with an automatic tie to their parents' home country's citizenship would require a passport - she said it might be possible for me to write something.
This just keeps getting un-professional every single time she made a suggestion.  Of course anything I write (without any sort of legal or professional status other than "Mom") is not going to be justified as an acceptable piece of proof that my baby needs his passport so he can continue living in Finland.
UGH!
So I just told her - we'll book the tickets and we need the passports by this time - end of discussion.

I love how our CANADIAN Passports and Canadian birth certificates are not enough - you have to waste our time (both actual and processing time for the passport to be made) with this silly piece of paper.  Thanks for doubting not only us but Canadians everywhere....and of course - your own system...
Way to go Canada.

Hope this helps you Canadians living abroad with babies!