Bumbo Seat Recall

I typically do not post things from North American news on this blog but because this item can be found in Finland regularly - I thought I should share.

If you have a child - you probably know of the famous rubber chair called "BUMBO".
Bumbo seats help promote a proper sitting position and keep the baby mostly upright (head and neck can still roll so be careful).
As well, they are in a wide variety of colors, a tray can be attached (an extra accessory) and they're light enough to toss in your car if you need it for your travels (not as a car seat - duh).

We've used one that I found online second-hand and it has been great.
One major issue is that it doesn't work well for strong wiggly children like both of my boys.
My first child was able to use it until he was almost 6 or 7 months old and my youngest could only use it until he was 5 or 6 months because he was able to fling himself backwards and almost pop out.  But we've always caught him in time.

Guess why I'm writing about this Bumbo seat?
They are currently undergoing a major recall.  There have been cases of skull fractures and other horrible things...but we have never had a problem with them and neither have several other thousands of parents.

One thing is that you should not use it on a raised surface - aka the dining room table.
Yes, it's super convenient than having to sit on the floor to feed your baby solids or to bend down from your chair....but safety first.  And Bumbo has warning labels all over their product and an info booklet on how to use their product properly...

Anyways, take this for what it's worth.  If I had a another child (not happening) or if my youngest was still small enough to fit into a Bumbo without any possibility of popping out - he'd still be using one.
This is just a major FYI.

Chicken Pox!

Have you ever had chicken pox?  Oh you must remember, that time you got to stay at home from school for a few days, you were itchy - so your parents spread calimine lotion all over you and you looked like a pink spotted giraffe....

Well, a friend's son has it and I asked my other friend who works in the Neuvola if kids in Finland are automatically vaccinated for it (like in North America).

Guess what?  They are not.  They are vaccinated against mumps (or measles?) if I remember correctly, but chicken pox must be rare because you have to ask for the vaccine and it's 78� a shot (per child).

Why bring this up?
Because I'm in Sweden currently, while the husband attends a conference and the friend's son is a good friend of ours and he appears to be showing signs of chicken pox.  He's 4 and born in Finland and was never vaccinated for chicken pox...and apparently, neither of my children have either.

Chicken pox is highly contagious causing discomfort and usually a fever...something I don't want to deal with right now while travelling!  It can be transferred without touching as well apparently!

Also, chicken pox can lead to shingles - a grown-up version of chicken pox...lots of pain and itchiness and it activates the dormant chicken pox in your body apparently!  Everyone reacts differently - some people can't get over the pains and so on, while others just feel a bit of discomfort.

*Please note, I am not a doctor or any sort of medical professional - just giving you the information I found online and through my Neuvola-care giver friend.*

Happy 3rd Finniversary To Us!

Today is the 13th and that means 3 years ago today:

• I was 26 weeks pregnant with our first child.
• We were at the Halifax International Airport and they didn't charge us for travelling with the dogs because they had no idea how to.  (Due to the delay in the American airport we had to re-check our luggage and dogs and then we paid...thankfully it was only once!)
• We were re-routed to Connecticut airport instead of JFK for whatever reason and ended up missing our remaining flights...
• We got on the wrong trains in Helsinki to Jyv�skyl�...
• We finally gave up and left our dog's kennel boxes at some random train station :(.  Which totally sucks because we have bigger dogs and they were quite expensive (even second hand!)...
• Some tall stranger with long hair was running towards us when we got to the JKL train station and I nearly peed myself because I thought we were about to be robbed...(typical Nova Scotian thinking) - turned out to be my husband's supervisor there to pick us up and help us move to our flat.

Fast-forward 3-years:

• We have 2 boys...and gave them super Finnish names since they were born here.
• I am a champ at looking for cloth diapers and love using them - probably not something I would have done in Canada to be honest!
• We still have our dogs!  One is 9 and the other is almost 5.
• We still do not speak fluent Finnish - but we're working on that...
• We have not been to all of Finland - especially the super tourist-y places like Lapland (Northern Finland) for example...working on that one too.
• I've been to Ikea only once (it's a Swedish company).
• We still do not own or have rented a car - no need for one really.
• I have had 1 piece of black licorice and still do not like it...and no, we haven't tried salmiakki - a very strong black licorice.  Despite being advised to have a piece every now and again to increase my blood pressure during the second pregnancy - I have some sort of fear and often think of it as "Salmi-yucky".
• I still do not drink coffee...but the hubby says it is better than the stuff in Canada...
• I have a K Plussa card and an S Bonus card but require a Finnish ID card (55� - thinking about it) to spend the benefits earned on the green S Bonus Card....working on that one too.
• I've fought with Kela and won some things and lost others and still have a love-hate relationship with them.
• I should probably get new glasses with my eye sight going down the drain...I've had the same pair for over 4 years and clearly my sight is crappy.
• I'm learning how to ride a bike here...yup.  That's work in progress anyway.
• I still order my book from The Book Depository and DVDs from Play.com - because it's so much cheaper than buying here sometimes!  And a wider selection of English books - that's for sure!
• I've had a wide range of experiences with meeting people, other dog owners and of course the local drunks...
• I have made quite a few friends - despite doctors or random strangers believe to be true.  It's not hard - well, some friends took a bit of poking and prodding but now we chat quite regularly now - even in person! (HA you know who you are!)
• I admit I'm pretty good at faking Finnish - or at least the cultural part where you firmly nod your head and say "Joo..." (yes) and nothing else after that.
• We love it here!  And we really do hope to make this a permanent home for us and our family - as it would make things a lot easier - especially when it comes to learning Finnish! :D
  
  Here's to another few more!

Duh Moment 5387

A few nights ago, I was riding my bike.  I only practice REALLY late at night to ensure that there's less cars, usually nobody out and no loose dogs running around.
(I'll put a "Night Rider" chapter on this blog soon - as I've had several "interesting experiences" since learning how to ride my bike.)

Anyways, I was slowing down while approaching my building and noticed in the distance, under the street lamp and by the dumpster in my back yard - that 2 people were totally having "fun".  Replace "fun" with another 3-letter word and you get my drift.
WHAT THE HECK is going on?! is what I'm thinking...as I get a little closer (so I can lean right and turn into the front yard and thankfully park my bike for the night) - they stop and stare at me.

OMG - they think I'm a Peeping Tom or something, I instantly freak and pedal super fast into my not that short drive-way and slam on the brakes, park and lock my bike and rush upstairs to tell the husband there must be a drunk couple going at it in the yard.

I sneak a peek from my bedroom window and see that the movement has slowed down as if they're rushing to get dressed and run away.  Good idea!

The only thing I could do was update my Facebook status to : "Eww, I think I just saw 2 people going at it in the backyard by the dumpster and under the lamp!" or something like that.

Well, while out with my dogs tonight, I saw something again.  Except there was no movement and again, no sounds.

Apparently there is a huge bush/plant thing with pink-ish kind of flowers hanging over the fence behind the dumpster (so it looks like faces beside the dumpster at a much lower level) - and that was the couple I saw the other night.

Yes I do wear glasses and yes, I need new ones apparently.

How To Waste Someone's Time...

As you can see by the subject title - this is not a happy post.

This is a post directed to 2 people who are buyers/sellers on a popular second-hand children item FB group.

I admit - I don't speak Finnish or write Finnish because I worry about confusing the written words and the spoken Finnish and then nobody understanding me.  It's more like Finnglish if I write something...
So anytime I try to make a purchase or a claim on an item on this FB group - I use simple English.

"I can buy, can you deliver to downtown?"  something like that - that hopefully translates to understandable Finnish...and if the person writes back in decent English then I go from there.

I've had people completely ignore (or they've been away to the countryside for their 5-weeks of vacation) my interest in an item (i.e. double strollers) and I'm the only one interested in that item being sold.
I've also had a few super awesome and fast purchases from sellers and those were things we really needed and are great experiences.

So, what has happened recently that is causing this huffy post?

1) I'm selling a double stroller (3-wheels, ABC Design brand, basket below is ripped up and one buckle cracked but everything else is working fine) for 50�.  I've used it for less than a year and bought it second hand over 100�.  Why am I selling it?  Because the bar across the children's laps is not removable and causing us a great deal of strain to pull the kids out and to put them in the stroller.
One lady is interested and says, sure, she'll come and pick it up - can I hold the item for her until July 26th.  Sure, why not?  Then I can make more space in the storage and basement area.  Okay - unless there's another faster buyer - then it's hers.
Two days before - she tells me she's not sure what time she's coming by but she will.  Fair enough - I give her my number and that is that.
The day of - I'm waiting until about 10-11am - no message, no call - nothing.  So I send her an email telling her I'm heading out with the kids but to let me know 30 minutes in advance and I can rush back home no problem.
She responds she can't come now because her car is broken and fine, sh*t happens, but can I hold it again until August 7th and then the car should be ready.
I advise her that I am not available after the 10th of August - so August 7th is the FINAL date I am willing to hold and sell it to her.
She writes me something in Finnish and I write back in Finnish and she thanks me and that yes, she'll come by with the car August 7th.

Tomorrow is August 7th.  I emailed her today to remind her to come pick it up but to avoid a certain hour due to an appointment.
Now, she is advising me that cannot come to pick it up as the car repair ate up quite a bit of money.

BEFORE YOU START BITING MY HEAD OFF and suggest that I am a horrible, sh*tty-arsed person for being so un-kind and heartless...please bear in mind - the car repair was awhile ago and she would have known awhile ago that she would not be able to afford to pay for the stroller or pick it up even.
I consider that rude and in-considerate.  There's nothing to be ashamed of in having a broken car or not having enough money for something you really want or need of course, so I think that she could have contacted me on her own in Finnish or English to tell me this.
I'm sure I'm not the only person she did this to because I noticed she commented on other people's photos asking if they could reserve items for her...SO.

2) A seller posts a pretty awesome swimsuit in blue - it's not a Speedo style (sooooooo common in Finland - on men too) and it's not a trunks/shorts style..it's like a full body one (well stops at the knees I guess).  It gives great UV protection and perhaps would encourage my little man to go into the water a little more if he wasn't feeling so cold etc.
Well, I exchange a few basic comments with the seller, asking if she'll sell it to me and if she could deliver to downtown (price is 15� normally 50� for a new one - what a deal!).  She said she was able to deliver it to downtown on certain days...okay - great!  I forward her my phone number and have been waiting for over a week to hear back from her.    She said she's able to post it to me for an extra 4�.  I HIGHLY doubt it costs 4� to ship to me from across the bridge...what a rip off - so I told her I can meet downtown.
No response.
In the mean time, she's been posting new items and no response.
Today, she drops the price down to 10�...THANKS A LOT LADY.
So I left a comment asking why we're not meeting and that I was still very interested in purchasing this item (hint hint, I was the first one to comment and nobody else has said anything).

She JUST emailed me now asking for my mailing address because she doesn't have a car.  She'll send it to me and is only charging 2� for postage.  Great!  (And she couldn't tell me this before because.....?)
Hallelujah.  Now my son will get his swim suit just in time for NEXT YEAR.

Marimekko in the USA

Marimekko is a huge Finnish brand of fabric, clothing, accessories and home decor...

And Anne Hathaway (actress: "Princess Diaries", "The Dark Knight Rises", "Bride Wars" etc.) has just made Finland super proud...how?

Photo from People.com.

By using a Marimekko umbrella.
Those poppies on her umbrella are one of THE most popular designs created by Marimekko.

Cool, huh?

(It's funny that living here after awhile makes little things like this photo - make me very proud to be living in Finland!)

Rally!

August 1-4th marks the Neste Oil Rally happening in Jyv�skyl�.  This happens every summer and I still have not gone to see it.
Race cars or bikes are not my thing - sorry.

But if you're thinking of visiting Finland for the Rally - you may want to consider or note some things!

• Hotels are expensive so if you are able to find someone renting out their flat - try that!  There are TONNES of posts on the University "Tori" site - however, you now have to be a student in order to sign in.  This is due to the recent flood of spammers - thanks a lot jerks.
• You don't tip at restaurants here.  Nope - not even at caf�s.
• Taxes are included in the price you see.
• An individual bus fare is now 3,20�.  Cabs are super pricey too.
• Most restaurants are downtown - or if you're renting a flat or a room, perhaps you can hit up the local grocery store and cook your own food.
• When shopping at the grocery store - you require ID (like a Passport) if you use a credit card to make a purchase.
• You bring your own bags or pay for plastic bags here...ranging from 18 Euro Cents to 1� for the sturdy re-usable ones.
• You weigh most of the fruits and vegetables on a scale, print the label and stick it onto the food or onto the plastic bag so it can be scanned.
• There is a Forex Exchange Shop (to get local currency) located downtown.
• If you use your Visa card (and probably any other credit card) from your home country while visiting here - you will be charged an extra 2-3% (depends on your bank's conditions and terms) for the conversion to be printed out onto your bill.  
• If you intend to rent a car while in Finland - please note that MOST vehicles here (as in about 95% or more) are manual/standard driven.  NOT automatic.
• If you are in the downtown area and are looking for some places to eat that is "not a burger joint" - I'll list some recommendations and the approximate prices you'd be spending.  
• (� = Dirt Cheap, �� = Average Pricing, ���= Expensive)
• Harald's Restaurant ��� - a Viking Restaurant with huge portions of food and a wide range to suit almost any appetite!  (i.e. boar, reindeer, vegetarian, etc.)  This is located downtown across from Sokos Department store and up the hill a bit. 
• Lunch is quite nice and much more affordable than dinner.  You should probably call and book a reservation for any evening dining.
• Subway �� - Instead of 6 inches or a "Foot Long" - it's 15 centimeters or 30 centimeters.
• Shalimar Indian Restaurant ��-��� - the ONLY Indian-based cuisine in JKL is located in the train station with 2 separate entrances.  One through the train station and one outside leading directly into the restaurant.  Lunch is served from 11am-3pm and is quite reasonable in prices and just as delicious. (I linked their Facebook page for you).  They also offer 10% discount if you order take out (often known as "take away" here).
• Grilli 21 � -  There are 2 located downtown and serve typically greasy food.  One is by the market square downtown near V�in�katu and the other is closer to the University campus (and Sowhi bar).
• Sowhi �-�� (about 10-20�) - it's a bar and located near the University and they have seasonal items on their menu.  They also offer an English menu.
• Ban Thai Deli �-�� - This is located downtown and there IS an elevator inside the Forum mall that goes to that floor if you have a stroller or require an elevator.  Their lunch buffet is great and very spicy.
• Muang Thai �-�� - This is another Thai restaurant and they are located behind Antilla.  They also have a lunch buffet but theirs includes sushi!  
• Pizzeria Maria �-�� - Located on Kauppakatu and apparently outside of pizza their other foods are pretty good (got this information from someone else).
• Lounge � - This is a fairly new coffee shop and some packaged snacks are also available for sale.  The owner of this caf� also runs the tattoo parlour next door, Simply Tattoo.

There are many more restaurants in the downtown area - but I have not eaten at all of them - so I also cannot list them all!  But by all means, enjoy yourself and try to stay out of trouble :D.

Tampere and a very famous Blue and Yellow Store...

I recently went out of town to a bigger city between JKL and Helsinki, called Tampere.
It was amazing walking down the street and seeing so many people of different cultures that were perhaps not just students studying there!
Also there was a lot of great food to try - we however, only stayed for the day and it was a fast trip because we limited ourselves to some craft shops and................IKEA.
That's right folks - it was my first time at Ikea and it was amazing.

In the Stockmann's underground parking lots there were special spots for electric cars to plug in.

Plug the car in here!...Somewhere...

A stop at a waffle house...

Taito Shop sold these local map underwear for kids and men!

From across the way...

Entering the parking lot and I was grinning like a 5-year old about to meet the Tooth Fairy, Santa and some hot boy-band member all at once!

Just some friendly advice that buying stuff from Ikea and shipping it out yourself via vehicle is much cheaper than getting it shipped to you.

I could hear angels singing by this point...

Finnish flag on the left, Swedish on the right

My friend wanted an ice-cream cone (the restaurant options are super cheap) and they give you the cone and  a token and I was so confused.
"Where's your ice-cream?!" I asked.
"Oh I have to build my own.  This IS Ikea..."

The lever lifted your cone up and it squirted ice-cream onto it and lowered it for you.  I must say - this was incredibly handy in preventing massive line ups at the cash register!

There was a HUGE canvas with a super large world map on it and I quickly found NS on it.

For 4,95� I got 10 meat balls with gravy, my choice of potatoes and some lingon berry sauce...and a glass of water.
Apparently these Ikea meat balls are FAMOUS.  Well, they were certainly tasty!

So - tips on how to shop in Ikea?

• If possible, know what you want to buy before you go in.  Get a catalogue or look online.  HAVE A LIST.
• When you enter Ikea - you'll probably enter the display floor.  Here you'll find all the Ikea furniture assembled and even layouts of rooms - completed decorated with Ikea items....so it's nice and much easier to imagine what this and that would look like in your own home.
• Pick up a YELLOW bag for your little items - it's not for keeps - it's for shopping with and you'll return it at the cash.
• You can also find a YELLOW cart - not like a shopping cart but for carrying tall and heavy boxes - maximum weight was 33 kg (or about 66 lbs) - so it says.
• Every item has a price tag and beneath it, each item has a code number.  It was on a piece of red paper in the plastic sleeve.  So, write that 4 digit number, "18  35" down (for example) because you'll need it to find that piece of furniture from the warehouse.
• Go to the next floor (I feel like I'm giving you cheats to a video game!) and you'll find all the smaller stuff that you can pick up right then and there.  
• Once you're through - you'll enter a giant warehouse and that's where those little special numbers are much needed.  Because there are not always displays of what the item is at each section.
• Look up - WAY UP and you'll find the first number set marking each aisle.  Go to that aisle and then look around and you'll find the second number set and see your item.
• DOUBLE CHECK THAT IT IS THE PROPER ITEM.  I was picking up some planks of wood for the inner bed frame for a friend and we ended up grabbing the wrong size.
• If you forgot to jot down the number (they even provide pencils and pieces of paper) - there should be computers nearby and you can double-check what that number was and go on your merry little way to find it.
• When you go to pay, you can buy those ever-so-famous BLUE Ikea bags and the smaller ones are 40 Euro Cents and the bigger ones were 1� and they hold A LOT!

I would strongly recommend following the arrows on the floor - so you don't get lost.
Also, you probably should not go too close to Christmas or immediately after...just imagine the line ups....

And make sure you have had lots of rest!

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!

In case you get lost...

While celebrating Midsummer Eve with some friends the other night, on our walk back home we noticed these boxer briefs in the Taito Shop window downtown!

I don't know if they are available in other city maps depending what shop you buy them from...but you have to admit - they'd make a pretty awesome gift for the guy that simply has everything!!!

Also they would help the one who is ALWAYS lost....

And they're "only" 29� a pair!

Hyv�� Juhannusta!! Happy Midsummer!!

Living in Finland is great.  There are a tonne of holidays here that do not get celebrated in North America.
One of these holidays happens to be Midsummer.
It's always placed on a weekend, the Friday being the Eve of Midsummer and everything closes by 12pm on the Friday.  Buses stop running by 1pm and everything is closed on the Saturday.

Last night I got a message from some friends to go check out the huge bonfire that was being lit across the lake - so I packed up one child and went downtown to see.

In order to get closer to the fire you had to pay for a ticket...but we did this last minute - so we didn't bother.

I was told that Midsummer is considered a very magical day.
If you hope to find true love - it's very traditional to pick 7 flowers and place them under your pillow before you fall asleep on Midsummer Eve and whomever you dream of that night is your true love.

There are some other methods but they usually involve being naked and running around or spinning in circles and such....

People tend to go away to their summer cottages for Midsummer and of course slap themselves (and each other) silly with birch branches tied together in big bundles.

Another thing that is pretty common (and is very unfortunate) is to drink quite a bit and go out on a boat and if you really have to pee - and can't make it to land on time, some people pee while standing up in the boat.  Unfortunately, if you're drunk enough - you might fall in and possibly drown.

It's one of the major causes of death during Midsummer celebrations...the numbers seem to have gone down - but still it can and still happens.

So don't drink and paddle!

A New Tab!

Hey Folks:

If you look near the top of my blog, you'll notice a new tab called "Events!"
I think it's important to know what's going on in a calendar month in terms of when the shops are closed and I found I wasn't always able to update it in time so you could get your groceries and errands done before the holiday!

Also included are events happening within the community - if I know of any - and as well, events for the "Foreigners in Jyv�skyl�" - in case you don't use Facebook!

Speaking of which, there is now available, an online used items page on Facebook for those that live in Jyv�skyl� and speak English!
It's called "Second-Hand Items In Jyv�skyl�" and was created because not many used-items sites are English friendly, Google Translate isn't so good either sometimes and some of the second-hand shops are either closing down/re-locating or are too far away to get to by foot!
Oh and if you're crafty and live in JKL - there's an album for you to upload photos of your handmade goods to sell on Facebook!
If you have several items that are hand-made and are similar (i.e. baby socks or cards) and don't want to put individual photos - it's perfectly fine to post 1-3 photos of the item and put a link to where you may have already posted individual photos - like in an online album or blog!

Good luck selling and I hope this all helps!

Just So You Know...

A few weeks ago, my Facebook Home Page exploded with people commenting about a particular Youtube Video.
In this video, a very upset father discovered that his Autistic son was being verbally abused (and not being treated very nicely) by his teachers.
You can check the video out here.

So why am I blogging about this?
There are some pretty heavy privacy laws in Finland - so just in case you tried what the father in the above video did - put a wire on his child to listen to his day at school - you'll be the one in trouble instead.

I know people who have been treated somewhat un-fairly (depends who's view you see it from) in their work place - and there's no way to record what had happened because employers make a point of speaking face to face so there isn't an email trail or a possible recording on the phone.

For the most part - Finns are very honest and stick by the rules but when it comes to you possibly not getting that promotion (or job) because you're due to have a baby soon (for example!).  It is entirely possible that they will simply just not call you or acknowledge your emails or phone calls, as a way of declining you that position.
It has happened to me (Arnold's) and it could happen to you - so please do not be overly offended - it's just how things roll here.

Another major issue as of recently (within the last 2.5 years we've been here) regarding privacy was Google Maps.
You're thinking - HUH?!
Well, when we first moved here, Google had started to go around in a vehicle with a huge camera on the roof filming all the streets and areas in Finland.  The point of this was to create a "Street View" kind of map - so if you're terrible with maps, like yours truly, then you could click on "Street View" when getting directions and see exactly which building you should be heading towards.
What's the problem then?
Well, Finns felt their privacy was being invaded and that it was not allowed - having their private property filmed and on the internet for the world to see.
Google fought back - explaining the reason for their filming and that they were not filming through people's windows or through the yards - but simply doing a cruise-by.

Since then, I haven't heard any complaints and of course, it's a very useful tool!!
I know it's saved me from being lost a few times already!!

Do you use Google Maps?