No nothing to do with the Olympics - sorry. I haven't followed the Olympics whatsoever with the exception of the death of an athlete prior to the opening ceremonies - that's about all I know.
Oh and one Canadian curler is over 5 months pregnant. That's it.
And right now as I type this Canada has scored 2 goals against the US during the Gold Medal Hockey game. Thank goodness for Facebook.
May as well explain why I'm not following the Olympics and get it all done and over with before I get heckled later on.
A) I have a baby that is in the phase of "I'm bored of you - where's Daddy?" and if Daddy's not home - it's a scream fest. On top of teething.
B) While we do have a television - we have not bothered setting up our cable as we haven't watched TV since we've been together (Tim and I)...about 4 years ago. I don't miss it and whenever there's something that's really HUGE that I really want to see - I resort to searching for it on Youtube. The television we have is primarily for the Wii console and the DVD player.
C) I am not a sports person. I prefer to watch hockey in person and love the hockey fights. This probably coming from my high school days and dating a hockey player that played defense...who knows. I certainly don't promote violence regularly - but a good hockey fight is enjoyable to watch as long as nobody gets seriously hurt or dies.
Now onto the reason why my title is "Finland Versus Canada".
I've been getting a lot of tips, advice and comments about feeding (or trying to) V�in� solids already at the age of 4 months. I understand in Canada the standard is 6 months no food whatsoever except baby cereal and go from there.
Here in Finland - they're a bit different. They strongly recommend feeding at four months mashed vegetables, berries or fruits. It's to help with their constant need for food, nutrients and to give the poor boobs a break. On that note - no I can't give V�in� a bottle of pumped milk as he constantly rejects it. He'll take a bottle of cold water for teething - but that's his limit.
In terms of allergy testing and figuring out what he'll like and not like - the nurses recommended trying a food for 3 days consistently before moving onto another mashed up food. Today probably wasn't the best of days to try apple sauce as he was cranky prior to trying it.
In regards to baby cereal - they do sell it however during our last appointment the nurse noted that any kind of cereal or porridge/gruel should be given at 5 months. So I'll hold off on the cereal for a bit and do it accordingly.
It's not that I'm knocking Canada's "how to raise your kids" system - I'm not. Do what you want - it's your kid and how you were raised is probably different than myself. Besides the different country of birth - I'm sure V�in� will be raised much differently than how Tim or I were.
I'm only saying that if you saw how healthy the Finnish people are here compared to Canada - there's obviously something they're doing right.
From day 1 since we've been here - we noticed many things about Finns that we didn't always see with Canadians. Such as regardless of age - they bike or walk. It doesn't matter what your bike looks like here - there's no judgement. If it works and gets you from A to B - they use it. In Canada I'm sure some of these bikes being used would be scoffed at because they look so old they shouldn't be able to work. But they do. Even though it's winter and we've had a bit of snow everyday since October/November - everybody is walking. Babies are pushed in strollers, teenagers and kids are strolling around and even the senior citizens with or without assistance (human or walker) are walking. It's not something I was used to seeing when we first arrived.
Maybe that's why they can afford physically - to eat all those baked goods I keep taking pictures of! The chips and pop section are always full. Doesn't seem like anybody eats them to be honest!
I tried giving V�in� a baby-sized spoonful of home-made apple sauce (sugar/salt free of course!) and he rejected it. Probably not used to something in his mouth other than a bottle or breast and I can't blame him. He only accepted the spoon once before and that was for liquid pain medicine during his teething in which nothing else was working to soothe the pain. So hopefully he warms up to the idea of a little spoon in his mouth. And the nurse only recommended at most a tablespoon worth then work your way up as the weeks go by. So no worries - I'm not pressuring him to finish a bowl of apple sauce (which was super easy to make and delicious by the way).
And there you have it. Finland versus Canada.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Prom Date and More random stuff from Jyv�skyl�
This morning when I took the dogs out to the woods it was -34C with the wind chill factor included. That was fine - I enjoy the cold as long as bundled up properly.
By the time V�in� was fed and the dogs were tired out - the weather had warmed up and I decided to head out on my own (too cold still to bring V�in� with me) downtown.
I had to return a library book and while there I found a few more that peaked my interest. Primarily Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts. Well I found 3 books and as I was scanning them the 3rd one gave me a message on the monitor screen saying I couldn't check it out. I tried again and still got the same message "Please go to the counter". So I took my receipt and library card and tried it again - still couldn't check out this 3rd book. I went to the lady at the counter by the machine and asked for some help. She took my card and the 3rd novel and tried to scan it and it didn't work. So she asked to see my receipt - turned out that it WAS checked out but for some reason the machine didn't list it on the monitor. She bluntly laughed at me and I smiled and walked away. How embarrassing!
On to the baby store "Juniorit" (not pronounced Junior It...J sounds like a Y) - in which I was hoping to find some cheap but serviceable soft plastic spoons for V�in�. He'll be able to eat mashed/soft veggies, fruits and berries next month - so I wanted to be prepared.
I found just what I was looking for and a non-slip bath mat for V�in� that I never thought to get before. I don't think Juniorit had it before - as it was in the same section as the spoons and bottles. Either way - we need one - as he loves to slip and slide in the tub - even with Tim holding him!
Found a Halti in the pet store and hopefully it fits. The last one Loki had broke.
As I was leaving and getting outside (as the pet store, post office and electronic shop is in a separate section from the other malls) I noticed young, pretty girls (high school aged) dressed up like they were going to the prom!
I'm still awaiting an explanation from a friend here- to see if it IS prom night... But it appears so. Lots of young guys with fresh hair cuts and the girls were dressed in big and bright dresses and their hair done up in various twists.
*** UPDATED*** Taneli says it's senior's night, meaning the 11th graders celebrate that they are now the most senior because on Thursday the 12th graders began their exam period thereby ending their seniorship.
On to the grocery store. I went to S Market and grabbed some roasted ribs for tonight's dinner and swung by the Elonen stand. Elonen is a cafe that has baked goods on sale in the store as well. The lady working there recognizes me and often coos at V�in� if he's with me. I said hello and was checking out the baked goods in the glass case and she instantly pointed to the danishes we normally get with jam in the center and white chocolate shavings. "2 of these?" she asked. Smart girl - she remembered my order.
This time I stumped her and opted for a different kind of danish that Tim had brought home the other night. It's square and covered in sugar crystals with fresh raspberries in the center. Mmm good. Then I saw a cheese cake of sorts with an orange-colored jelly topping cut in slices. She is quite the business lady, this Elonen representative. She looked at the cake and said, "Mango - you like?" Well how do you say "NO - I play Wii Fit everyday to make up for the beautiful danishes I consume on a near daily basis!" in Finnish?
So I said yes please. I can't wait to try it later.
Found some used Wii games at a local store (similar to Electronic Boutique) and picked up this mystery one called "Secret Files: Tunguska" - pretty good so far.
I finally figured out how to use the Picasa Web Albums last night after much frustration...but I'm okay now. Feel free to check 'em out: http://picasaweb.google.com/Domotos.zoomclick
By the time V�in� was fed and the dogs were tired out - the weather had warmed up and I decided to head out on my own (too cold still to bring V�in� with me) downtown.
I had to return a library book and while there I found a few more that peaked my interest. Primarily Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts. Well I found 3 books and as I was scanning them the 3rd one gave me a message on the monitor screen saying I couldn't check it out. I tried again and still got the same message "Please go to the counter". So I took my receipt and library card and tried it again - still couldn't check out this 3rd book. I went to the lady at the counter by the machine and asked for some help. She took my card and the 3rd novel and tried to scan it and it didn't work. So she asked to see my receipt - turned out that it WAS checked out but for some reason the machine didn't list it on the monitor. She bluntly laughed at me and I smiled and walked away. How embarrassing!
On to the baby store "Juniorit" (not pronounced Junior It...J sounds like a Y) - in which I was hoping to find some cheap but serviceable soft plastic spoons for V�in�. He'll be able to eat mashed/soft veggies, fruits and berries next month - so I wanted to be prepared.
I found just what I was looking for and a non-slip bath mat for V�in� that I never thought to get before. I don't think Juniorit had it before - as it was in the same section as the spoons and bottles. Either way - we need one - as he loves to slip and slide in the tub - even with Tim holding him!
Found a Halti in the pet store and hopefully it fits. The last one Loki had broke.
As I was leaving and getting outside (as the pet store, post office and electronic shop is in a separate section from the other malls) I noticed young, pretty girls (high school aged) dressed up like they were going to the prom!
I'm still awaiting an explanation from a friend here- to see if it IS prom night... But it appears so. Lots of young guys with fresh hair cuts and the girls were dressed in big and bright dresses and their hair done up in various twists.
*** UPDATED*** Taneli says it's senior's night, meaning the 11th graders celebrate that they are now the most senior because on Thursday the 12th graders began their exam period thereby ending their seniorship.
On to the grocery store. I went to S Market and grabbed some roasted ribs for tonight's dinner and swung by the Elonen stand. Elonen is a cafe that has baked goods on sale in the store as well. The lady working there recognizes me and often coos at V�in� if he's with me. I said hello and was checking out the baked goods in the glass case and she instantly pointed to the danishes we normally get with jam in the center and white chocolate shavings. "2 of these?" she asked. Smart girl - she remembered my order.
This time I stumped her and opted for a different kind of danish that Tim had brought home the other night. It's square and covered in sugar crystals with fresh raspberries in the center. Mmm good. Then I saw a cheese cake of sorts with an orange-colored jelly topping cut in slices. She is quite the business lady, this Elonen representative. She looked at the cake and said, "Mango - you like?" Well how do you say "NO - I play Wii Fit everyday to make up for the beautiful danishes I consume on a near daily basis!" in Finnish?
So I said yes please. I can't wait to try it later.
Found some used Wii games at a local store (similar to Electronic Boutique) and picked up this mystery one called "Secret Files: Tunguska" - pretty good so far.
I finally figured out how to use the Picasa Web Albums last night after much frustration...but I'm okay now. Feel free to check 'em out: http://picasaweb.google.com/Domotos.zoomclick
Monday, February 1, 2010
Riding a Bus - check!
So one of my many New Year's Resolutions for 2010 was to ride the bus.
Today was the perfect opportunity. It wasn't overly cold (about -15*C) so with V�in� strapped to my chest - we walked downtown and got everything done quickly without V�in� making a peep.
We received our Wii in the mail today so we had to get another controller, some re-chargeable batteries, another nunchuck, a power bar and I also needed some more small canvases.
We made a quick stop at the library in which I took the stairs - 2 flights of stairs to get a couple Danielle Steele books and return the ones I had.
On our way home I decided we should probably swing into the grocery store and pick up some fresh baked goods...an excellent idea!
So I picked up 2 of the short bread cookies with whipped cream in the center (Whew! I thought these were only a Christmas item!) and 2 apple cake slices...they're so delightful.
When we got on the bus - it costs 2,90E. I had some change on me and I handed the driver 3 Euros - as there was no box or container to drop my change. He pointed to a little circular counter that's beside him and I dropped my change on it. He than gave me my 10 Euro cents change AND a receipt!
In Halifax - you don't get change back. There was also a plastic pad to swipe your bus pass I think - and another machine that you insert your card (not sure what the difference was) and it beeped then would spit it back out.
Overall - we've been living here now for almost 6 months and I really enjoy it. It's super safe here and we're contemplating the possibility of living here permanently if Tim's able to get the fundings and projects.
Today was the perfect opportunity. It wasn't overly cold (about -15*C) so with V�in� strapped to my chest - we walked downtown and got everything done quickly without V�in� making a peep.
We received our Wii in the mail today so we had to get another controller, some re-chargeable batteries, another nunchuck, a power bar and I also needed some more small canvases.
We made a quick stop at the library in which I took the stairs - 2 flights of stairs to get a couple Danielle Steele books and return the ones I had.
On our way home I decided we should probably swing into the grocery store and pick up some fresh baked goods...an excellent idea!
So I picked up 2 of the short bread cookies with whipped cream in the center (Whew! I thought these were only a Christmas item!) and 2 apple cake slices...they're so delightful.
When we got on the bus - it costs 2,90E. I had some change on me and I handed the driver 3 Euros - as there was no box or container to drop my change. He pointed to a little circular counter that's beside him and I dropped my change on it. He than gave me my 10 Euro cents change AND a receipt!
In Halifax - you don't get change back. There was also a plastic pad to swipe your bus pass I think - and another machine that you insert your card (not sure what the difference was) and it beeped then would spit it back out.
Overall - we've been living here now for almost 6 months and I really enjoy it. It's super safe here and we're contemplating the possibility of living here permanently if Tim's able to get the fundings and projects.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The differences between S and K Market and other stores
I just pulled my lower back an hour ago, popped an ibuprofen, have an energetic baby at my feet in his car seat and decided to write something in my Finnish blog - as it's been awhile.
In Canada you can buy Tylenol, diapers, clothes and toys in Walmart. Heck - you can even buy food in some of them!
That is not the case in Finland. Each store has it's own "thing".
For example - you can only buy medical things (including vet medication i.e. flea treatments) at the pharmacy. Even simple things like Vitamin D (unless you go to a specialty shop I guess), ibuprofen and so on are only purchased at the pharmacy.
Things like Band-aids can be bought at Sokos (not sure about Antilla the other department store).
You can't buy diapers or wipes in the department stores - only at the grocery stores.
Dog/cat food is only sold in the grocery store.
Sokos in relation to a Canadian store is like The Bay. A bit more expensive and more "higher class". So S-Market is tied in with Sokos - as they also share the "S Card"program. With the S card you can get discounts in-store as well at some restaurants - usually 5%. I believe they also have a point system like Shoppers Optimum or Air Miles.
K-Market would be the other chain and has a "Plussa Card" program. I haven't seen any signs for discounts at restaurants if you present this card. However the discounts in the grocery store and in Antilla can be quite significant.
The differences I've noticed between the S-Market downtown and the K-Market near home are HUGE.
I suppose because of location - S-Market is larger, has a rotisserie, a deli, a fresh meat counter, a fresh seafood counter, sells sushi (which I finally tried - it wasn't too bad), and has a larger on-site bakery.
K-Market close to home rarely has good cuts of meat (if any at all because they're quite small), no deli/rotisserie/seafood/meat counter and a very small selection of "freshly"baked goods. I think it really depends on the time of day that you go to pick up bulk baked goods - as I've had some not-so-fresh items and was very sad. As well the variety doesn't change much.
One other huge difference between S and K market are their store-brand names. Similar to "Our Compliments" versus "President's Choice"- S Market carried a brand called "Rainbow" while K Market carries "Pirrka".
I like either brands for certain things. For example the Pirrka line carries a good loaf of bread that lasts longer than the expiry date stamped on the clasp and their Basmati and Jasmine rice has flavour. We no longer purchase the Pirrka branded maple syrup - far too watery. We just get the "Maple Joe"stuff which is a bit pricier but has a strong maple flavour and not as watered down.
Now obviously due to location - there are 2 bigger stores City Market (K-Market) and Prisma (S-Market) a little ways out of town. Definitely not walk-able distance like downtown is...I just need to get the courage to take the bus. We're hoping to find a cheap used/reliable big enough vehicle for the 5 of us (dogs included) - then we'll be able to make a trip once a week and get enough groceries to last longer. As well - we're in the process of looking for a larger apartment - preferably 2 bedroom and with a washing machine and a balcony to hang the clothes in the warmer seasons. Oh and preferably furnished - as the place we're in is furnished. So far we have found plenty - but they're all available this month or next. And that's not enough time to find someone to move us and to give a couple of months notice of our moving.
I don't WANT to move - however now that we have V�in� - we could use a bit more space.
In Canada you can buy Tylenol, diapers, clothes and toys in Walmart. Heck - you can even buy food in some of them!
That is not the case in Finland. Each store has it's own "thing".
For example - you can only buy medical things (including vet medication i.e. flea treatments) at the pharmacy. Even simple things like Vitamin D (unless you go to a specialty shop I guess), ibuprofen and so on are only purchased at the pharmacy.
Things like Band-aids can be bought at Sokos (not sure about Antilla the other department store).
You can't buy diapers or wipes in the department stores - only at the grocery stores.
Dog/cat food is only sold in the grocery store.
Sokos in relation to a Canadian store is like The Bay. A bit more expensive and more "higher class". So S-Market is tied in with Sokos - as they also share the "S Card"program. With the S card you can get discounts in-store as well at some restaurants - usually 5%. I believe they also have a point system like Shoppers Optimum or Air Miles.
K-Market would be the other chain and has a "Plussa Card" program. I haven't seen any signs for discounts at restaurants if you present this card. However the discounts in the grocery store and in Antilla can be quite significant.
The differences I've noticed between the S-Market downtown and the K-Market near home are HUGE.
I suppose because of location - S-Market is larger, has a rotisserie, a deli, a fresh meat counter, a fresh seafood counter, sells sushi (which I finally tried - it wasn't too bad), and has a larger on-site bakery.
K-Market close to home rarely has good cuts of meat (if any at all because they're quite small), no deli/rotisserie/seafood/meat counter and a very small selection of "freshly"baked goods. I think it really depends on the time of day that you go to pick up bulk baked goods - as I've had some not-so-fresh items and was very sad. As well the variety doesn't change much.
One other huge difference between S and K market are their store-brand names. Similar to "Our Compliments" versus "President's Choice"- S Market carried a brand called "Rainbow" while K Market carries "Pirrka".
I like either brands for certain things. For example the Pirrka line carries a good loaf of bread that lasts longer than the expiry date stamped on the clasp and their Basmati and Jasmine rice has flavour. We no longer purchase the Pirrka branded maple syrup - far too watery. We just get the "Maple Joe"stuff which is a bit pricier but has a strong maple flavour and not as watered down.
Now obviously due to location - there are 2 bigger stores City Market (K-Market) and Prisma (S-Market) a little ways out of town. Definitely not walk-able distance like downtown is...I just need to get the courage to take the bus. We're hoping to find a cheap used/reliable big enough vehicle for the 5 of us (dogs included) - then we'll be able to make a trip once a week and get enough groceries to last longer. As well - we're in the process of looking for a larger apartment - preferably 2 bedroom and with a washing machine and a balcony to hang the clothes in the warmer seasons. Oh and preferably furnished - as the place we're in is furnished. So far we have found plenty - but they're all available this month or next. And that's not enough time to find someone to move us and to give a couple of months notice of our moving.
I don't WANT to move - however now that we have V�in� - we could use a bit more space.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Region 1 Versus Region 2, bath time, washing machine soap and blasted bacon.
We got a DVD player at a store downtown and I scored us a 28" Samsung Television off the Tori site for super cheap - and they delivered it. I'm pumped!
We asked the fellow while purchasing the DVD player if it would play North American DVDs and European - he had no idea. That's okay.
My colleague advised me on how to hack the DVD player and set it on Region 0.
Region 1 = North America
Region 2 = Europe
So! I was in a dilemma as Taneli lent us their massive DVD collection which contains both Regions.
Unfortunately the Region 0 option would not work - however now we know how to program it to either Region 1 or 2 - and be able to have the best of both worlds!
I was also advised my colleague that Blu-Ray doesn't contain Regions - so they're universal!
So tonight may be an Indiana Jones fiesta - as I haven't seen a full Indiana Jones movie - EVER.
We've watched Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou? and the original Austin Powers.
I'm also going to try and bathe V�in� twice a week - on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. Since our last bath time was so successful without a single tear - I am going to tempt fate and see if he can handle being bathed twice a week. It's not like we expose him to many people or visit anyone (now that Taneli and his family are gone for awhile) - but with the dogs licking him all the time and licking themselves - well it only makes sense.
V�in� seemed to enjoy the freedom of being able to look down at the water - or up at us by standing in the tub (with Tim's assistance of course).
Still plenty of snow in Finland and for those of you that read about the shooting in Espoo (pronounced Es-poh not POO) - it does not happen very often! And Espoo is nowhere near us.
The other day - I did a massive load of laundry which mainly consisted of V�in�'s cloth diapers. Those get washed everyday or every second day - depending on how many he went through. I think this was a 2nd day washing - well I forgot to add soap. I was so sure I did - but I must've emptied his bucket of diapers into the washing machine and put laundry soap and water into the diaper bucket...and not the washing machine.
I was so upset as the clothes started drying in the living room on wire racks - and the living room started smelling like dirty diapers. I lost it. So - we were already on our way out the door to pick up the DVD player and so on - so when we got home I re-did the load...making sure to add an extra capful of liquid soap.
Today - I did a load of laundry and I did put soap but the clothes still came out smelling a little like dirty diapers. I was so confused! Tim looked at the washing machine and there's a little blue strip of plastic that acts as a bit of a trap door for the detergent. So if it's pushed down then the soap has no where to go. Or if it's properly lifted up - then the soap is dispensed properly.
The instruction booklet is in Finnish by the way. Anyways - so we figured that it must've jiggled closed from the spin cycles - as I have never touched the blue plastic trap door before and Tim rarely touches the washing machine.
I'm going to cut out nuts for awhile - which makes me very sad as Jessica cleaned out her cupboards and gave us bags of nuts (Tim can't eat them at all due to digestive issues)...as well good-bye cheese (even though it's lactose-free - I'm still getting contraction-like stomach cramps)....and good-bye bacon.
This afternoon - I threw a tantrum. I got splattered on the face again but I didn't even cook the bacon! I got Tim to, and I cooked the eggs. Then when I went to drain some of the fat out after his eggs were safely on his plate - I got a shot in the face of bacon fat. I was livid. I refused to eat the 4 strips that Tim put aside for me and refused to cook my eggs in that pan - despite the fact that Tim drained the remaining bacon fat into a tin can.
If I didn't wear glasses - I'd get a shot of bacon grease in the eye...every time I cook bacon - even if I wear a long-sleeved shirt and long PJ pants - I still get splatters on my hand and face. Which hurt a lot. And no- I'm not hanging my face over the pan.
Probably a good thing I'm saying good-bye to bacon - I mean yes with breast feeding - I'm burning 500 calories a day so I'm not concerned about the weight gain part - as I was only allowing myself no more than 3.5 strips. But I had a single strip of bacon yesterday morning and V�in� has had an upset stomach ever since.
Someone suggested the microwave - I am not one for bacon cooked in the microwave. Just tastes weird - maybe it's me. Or the texture isn't right.
I prefer to cook bacon on the George Foreman...which wouldn't work here unless we had an extra converter. That and I gave it to a friend as a gift.
There's no splatter, the fat is all drained away into the little plastic tray...it's crispy....and nobody gets hurt.
We asked the fellow while purchasing the DVD player if it would play North American DVDs and European - he had no idea. That's okay.
My colleague advised me on how to hack the DVD player and set it on Region 0.
Region 1 = North America
Region 2 = Europe
So! I was in a dilemma as Taneli lent us their massive DVD collection which contains both Regions.
Unfortunately the Region 0 option would not work - however now we know how to program it to either Region 1 or 2 - and be able to have the best of both worlds!
I was also advised my colleague that Blu-Ray doesn't contain Regions - so they're universal!
So tonight may be an Indiana Jones fiesta - as I haven't seen a full Indiana Jones movie - EVER.
We've watched Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou? and the original Austin Powers.
I'm also going to try and bathe V�in� twice a week - on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. Since our last bath time was so successful without a single tear - I am going to tempt fate and see if he can handle being bathed twice a week. It's not like we expose him to many people or visit anyone (now that Taneli and his family are gone for awhile) - but with the dogs licking him all the time and licking themselves - well it only makes sense.
V�in� seemed to enjoy the freedom of being able to look down at the water - or up at us by standing in the tub (with Tim's assistance of course).
Still plenty of snow in Finland and for those of you that read about the shooting in Espoo (pronounced Es-poh not POO) - it does not happen very often! And Espoo is nowhere near us.
The other day - I did a massive load of laundry which mainly consisted of V�in�'s cloth diapers. Those get washed everyday or every second day - depending on how many he went through. I think this was a 2nd day washing - well I forgot to add soap. I was so sure I did - but I must've emptied his bucket of diapers into the washing machine and put laundry soap and water into the diaper bucket...and not the washing machine.
I was so upset as the clothes started drying in the living room on wire racks - and the living room started smelling like dirty diapers. I lost it. So - we were already on our way out the door to pick up the DVD player and so on - so when we got home I re-did the load...making sure to add an extra capful of liquid soap.
Today - I did a load of laundry and I did put soap but the clothes still came out smelling a little like dirty diapers. I was so confused! Tim looked at the washing machine and there's a little blue strip of plastic that acts as a bit of a trap door for the detergent. So if it's pushed down then the soap has no where to go. Or if it's properly lifted up - then the soap is dispensed properly.
The instruction booklet is in Finnish by the way. Anyways - so we figured that it must've jiggled closed from the spin cycles - as I have never touched the blue plastic trap door before and Tim rarely touches the washing machine.
I'm going to cut out nuts for awhile - which makes me very sad as Jessica cleaned out her cupboards and gave us bags of nuts (Tim can't eat them at all due to digestive issues)...as well good-bye cheese (even though it's lactose-free - I'm still getting contraction-like stomach cramps)....and good-bye bacon.
This afternoon - I threw a tantrum. I got splattered on the face again but I didn't even cook the bacon! I got Tim to, and I cooked the eggs. Then when I went to drain some of the fat out after his eggs were safely on his plate - I got a shot in the face of bacon fat. I was livid. I refused to eat the 4 strips that Tim put aside for me and refused to cook my eggs in that pan - despite the fact that Tim drained the remaining bacon fat into a tin can.
If I didn't wear glasses - I'd get a shot of bacon grease in the eye...every time I cook bacon - even if I wear a long-sleeved shirt and long PJ pants - I still get splatters on my hand and face. Which hurt a lot. And no- I'm not hanging my face over the pan.
Probably a good thing I'm saying good-bye to bacon - I mean yes with breast feeding - I'm burning 500 calories a day so I'm not concerned about the weight gain part - as I was only allowing myself no more than 3.5 strips. But I had a single strip of bacon yesterday morning and V�in� has had an upset stomach ever since.
Someone suggested the microwave - I am not one for bacon cooked in the microwave. Just tastes weird - maybe it's me. Or the texture isn't right.
I prefer to cook bacon on the George Foreman...which wouldn't work here unless we had an extra converter. That and I gave it to a friend as a gift.
There's no splatter, the fat is all drained away into the little plastic tray...it's crispy....and nobody gets hurt.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
It's New Year's Eve in Finland...
I'm going to be on a bit of a rant while the baby's entertained by his play-mat.
WHY THE HELL are people setting off fireworks since 6pm?! I don't understand...it's not New Year's Day - aka MIDNIGHT in Finland - so why do this since 6pm??
I can't see any of them unfortunately because they're not professional fireworks - they're just the small ones you can buy at the stores. That and the trees are heavily blanketed with snow presently.
Very annoying - constantly hearing booming and not the show :(.
Okay - onto other things...I'm supposed to pay my orthodontist bill via internet banking. Which is fine. 2 nights ago - I saw this bill and thought "Okay - due date is coming up - I MUST pay this." I no longer can find the bill...OR the date of my next appointment with the orthodontist.
I need the bill for my invoice # and his business bank account number to transfer the funds...
This guy is going to hate my guts by the time he removes my braces...sigh.
The first meeting - I was 10 minutes late if not more (I got lost)....the 2nd one - still no word from my Canadian orthodontist....3rd one - well we'll see. I know the DAY - but not the time. I know it's after 5pm and a 40 minute appointment as he has to apply a bracket onto my back top molar.
I've already e-mailed him today apologizing about the late payment...then I remembered that I can't remember the time of my appointment. AFTER I emailed him. Classy I know.
In other news...I've finished the 1st comic book of "Moomin". Moomin is a character created in Finland by a cartoonist by the name of Tove Jansson. He looks like a hippopotamus - but he is not. He is Moomin. I'll post pictures later. He's a popular character here with the kids - and in Japan too. He's like the Finnish version of "Hello Kitty" I suppose.
I am done ranting. Thanks. I'm presently eating lactose-free pear ice-cream with apple crumble cake.
WHY THE HELL are people setting off fireworks since 6pm?! I don't understand...it's not New Year's Day - aka MIDNIGHT in Finland - so why do this since 6pm??
I can't see any of them unfortunately because they're not professional fireworks - they're just the small ones you can buy at the stores. That and the trees are heavily blanketed with snow presently.
Very annoying - constantly hearing booming and not the show :(.
Okay - onto other things...I'm supposed to pay my orthodontist bill via internet banking. Which is fine. 2 nights ago - I saw this bill and thought "Okay - due date is coming up - I MUST pay this." I no longer can find the bill...OR the date of my next appointment with the orthodontist.
I need the bill for my invoice # and his business bank account number to transfer the funds...
This guy is going to hate my guts by the time he removes my braces...sigh.
The first meeting - I was 10 minutes late if not more (I got lost)....the 2nd one - still no word from my Canadian orthodontist....3rd one - well we'll see. I know the DAY - but not the time. I know it's after 5pm and a 40 minute appointment as he has to apply a bracket onto my back top molar.
I've already e-mailed him today apologizing about the late payment...then I remembered that I can't remember the time of my appointment. AFTER I emailed him. Classy I know.
In other news...I've finished the 1st comic book of "Moomin". Moomin is a character created in Finland by a cartoonist by the name of Tove Jansson. He looks like a hippopotamus - but he is not. He is Moomin. I'll post pictures later. He's a popular character here with the kids - and in Japan too. He's like the Finnish version of "Hello Kitty" I suppose.
I am done ranting. Thanks. I'm presently eating lactose-free pear ice-cream with apple crumble cake.
A bunch of random things from V�in� to the importance of "112"
*As usual - nothing is in order...I'm just bloggin' it all out of my system.
Been in Finland now for over 4 months already...today is New Year's Eve - wow! I had no idea as yesterday we spent time with Sulevi to keep him entertained while Jessica and Taneli ran errands and did some major packing. I only noticed it's NYE because of my Facebook friends' statuses about cooking, drinking, and finding something to wear and meet up.
I got some more cloth diapers and thankfully they're the pocket style - you slip a liner in the back and velcro up the sucker - and you're done.
We are hosting T/S/J's DVD collection presently - which is uber fabulous as there's so many!!! I'm presently on the hunt for a cheap TV and DVD player (hopefully with delivery included) on Tori. So far we saw the Big Lebowski - enh is what I say.
V�in� is growing like a weed....he doesn't get any formula or baby cereal or anything else but breast milk - which I'm glad I'm able to produce...but wow he has the gut. I've decided to cut out bacon from my diet to test my stomach and to test V�in�'s. Whenever I have an upset stomach from something - either one too many slices of bacon or in general too much of anything spicy etc - V�in� seems to get a reaction too. Which usually doesn't kick in until 2-3 AM.
Presently Tim is cooking the bacon - so I won't be tempted to sneak a piece...I've been bacon-free for about a week now - which is okay...I'm not addicted or anything. Then I'll cook the eggs - as he doesn't have confidence in doing so. Nor does he enjoy it.
Jessica suggested I cut out dairy for a few days - just to see if it'll ease his upset stomach and whatnot - but I really don't think it's the dairy...I drink about 1-2 tall glasses of milk a day- but not always everyday as they only sell lactose-free milk in 1L cartons - nothing bigger. And definitely not in bags. I'll try it maybe when I'm done this carton I just picked up a couple days ago. I really love my milk.
Something I also haven't eaten in ages are nuts. Primarily because of my braces - and my orthodontist always warning me not to eat nuts, skittles, M&M's or Smarties (I do have a friend who broke a bracket clean off with one), nachos etc. Well - Jessica kindly emptied out her cupboards while packing yesterday and sent us home with a bag full of every kind of flavoured tea you can imagine along with a bag of dried goodies. Gluten-free wafter bits, cashews, pitsachios, biscuits of various types, beans etc. I'm so excited to try some of these things - like the lentils - as I've never cooked them before.
I plan on making another batch of chicken soup - with lentils added!
Yesterday I went d/t to meet a lady for diapers and saw a great trailer - by the creators of the Matrix trilogy...some Asian movie - opening up scene with two little kids sparring practically to the death - and they get older and bigger - looks good. I forget the title unfortunately - and there were Finnish subtitles but the volume was muted on the TV.
Anyways - I went on the hunt for stuffing after that - so I could finally finish up the amigurumi (Japanese "cute" crochet) - and no such luck. I'm very frustrated as I'd love to keep making toys for V�in� - but can't complete individual projects for some reason or another.
I suppose I should've asked Jessica and Taneli this question when we first got here - but I just asked yesterday: "What is the equivalent of '911' here in Finland?"
It's 112.
Been in Finland now for over 4 months already...today is New Year's Eve - wow! I had no idea as yesterday we spent time with Sulevi to keep him entertained while Jessica and Taneli ran errands and did some major packing. I only noticed it's NYE because of my Facebook friends' statuses about cooking, drinking, and finding something to wear and meet up.
I got some more cloth diapers and thankfully they're the pocket style - you slip a liner in the back and velcro up the sucker - and you're done.
We are hosting T/S/J's DVD collection presently - which is uber fabulous as there's so many!!! I'm presently on the hunt for a cheap TV and DVD player (hopefully with delivery included) on Tori. So far we saw the Big Lebowski - enh is what I say.
V�in� is growing like a weed....he doesn't get any formula or baby cereal or anything else but breast milk - which I'm glad I'm able to produce...but wow he has the gut. I've decided to cut out bacon from my diet to test my stomach and to test V�in�'s. Whenever I have an upset stomach from something - either one too many slices of bacon or in general too much of anything spicy etc - V�in� seems to get a reaction too. Which usually doesn't kick in until 2-3 AM.
Presently Tim is cooking the bacon - so I won't be tempted to sneak a piece...I've been bacon-free for about a week now - which is okay...I'm not addicted or anything. Then I'll cook the eggs - as he doesn't have confidence in doing so. Nor does he enjoy it.
Jessica suggested I cut out dairy for a few days - just to see if it'll ease his upset stomach and whatnot - but I really don't think it's the dairy...I drink about 1-2 tall glasses of milk a day- but not always everyday as they only sell lactose-free milk in 1L cartons - nothing bigger. And definitely not in bags. I'll try it maybe when I'm done this carton I just picked up a couple days ago. I really love my milk.
Something I also haven't eaten in ages are nuts. Primarily because of my braces - and my orthodontist always warning me not to eat nuts, skittles, M&M's or Smarties (I do have a friend who broke a bracket clean off with one), nachos etc. Well - Jessica kindly emptied out her cupboards while packing yesterday and sent us home with a bag full of every kind of flavoured tea you can imagine along with a bag of dried goodies. Gluten-free wafter bits, cashews, pitsachios, biscuits of various types, beans etc. I'm so excited to try some of these things - like the lentils - as I've never cooked them before.
I plan on making another batch of chicken soup - with lentils added!
Yesterday I went d/t to meet a lady for diapers and saw a great trailer - by the creators of the Matrix trilogy...some Asian movie - opening up scene with two little kids sparring practically to the death - and they get older and bigger - looks good. I forget the title unfortunately - and there were Finnish subtitles but the volume was muted on the TV.
Anyways - I went on the hunt for stuffing after that - so I could finally finish up the amigurumi (Japanese "cute" crochet) - and no such luck. I'm very frustrated as I'd love to keep making toys for V�in� - but can't complete individual projects for some reason or another.
I suppose I should've asked Jessica and Taneli this question when we first got here - but I just asked yesterday: "What is the equivalent of '911' here in Finland?"
It's 112.
Friday, December 25, 2009
"S" is for Sauna
Alright - I'm officially 95% "Finnish".
I have a reflector tag on my coat, the baby's pram and Tim's getting one for Christmas. I've eaten the fish here, eaten reindeer stew and reindeer pizza and eaten a tonne of baked goodies. Oh and I've picked blueberries in the woods too.
So I don't know what's left to do in the 5% - maybe a trip to Helsinki or something or dye my hair blonde and get some blue contacts for the eyes - however! I finally went in a sauna (Pronounced - sow-nah...not sawn-ah).
I never went before because I was pregnant, it was summer outside (I hate the heat as a general rule especially while pregnant) and presently rocking the stretch marks ("badges of honour", "Tiger stripes"....not Tiger Woods.)....so needless to say - I am shy of my body presently when viewed by others.
Maybe I should go in more depth.
You go in the sauna NAKED. No towel, no bathing suit, etc. So me puting myself out there in front of some strangers (females go together and males go separately together)...yes everybody has the same bits and pieces - but with all my scars from my operations I've had as a newborn - it can cause some eyebrow lifting.
Anyways - I caved. I went as it was just Jessica and I. And with Jessica being at the birth of V�in� - there's not much to hide.
So the sauna was in a separate little building and when you walk in - you take your clothes off and then turn right and you're in the bathroom/shower area before the sauna room. Generally one would give themselves a quick rinse and the sauna itself takes an hour to heat up. Then you go inside the sauna room and there's a bucket filled with water with a large spoon to splash onto the hot coals...which increases the heat greatly. At first when Jessica first poured some water - the heat increased so quickly - it was a rush - similar to that of an asthama attack. But it was fine. So there's a patio with benches to sit on that go along the walls and you have a wooden step to step up onto the patio/platform. And every so often - we got up and left to cool off and we grabbed our towels and stood outside on the snow. I was too chicken to roll in the snow. I could've gotten away with it - as it's a very Finnish thing to do. I wouldn't get charged with indecent exposure - the street is too quiet. HA.
And you just go back and forth - we didn't go outside each time - but just in the entry way to cool off.
It was great and after we each showered and voila.
Now - for those of you that may not know this - DO NOT wear contacts in the sauna. Thankfully I brought my contact stuff with me and my glasses in anticipation of going into the sauna for my first time.
Now another tip - it took me 4 trips into the sauna before my gold necklace (the one with the little gold ball on it) started to heat up and leave red burn rings around my neck. Jessica was talking to me and I started getting a burning sensation around my neck and couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. Finally I interrupted her and said "OW!!!" We couldn't get it off in the sauna - so I went in the bathroom and took it off. Apparently pure gold melts pretty easily. It was 80 degrees inside the sauna.
Oh and I brought my glasses in there too - to see if they'd fog up while wearing them. They did - so I left them on the bench and they became malleable (plastic frame) and now fit much better on my head. They were getting a wee bit crooked for awhile...haha now you know some tricks.
Re-shape your glasses in the sauna and don't wear pure jewelery.
I have a reflector tag on my coat, the baby's pram and Tim's getting one for Christmas. I've eaten the fish here, eaten reindeer stew and reindeer pizza and eaten a tonne of baked goodies. Oh and I've picked blueberries in the woods too.
So I don't know what's left to do in the 5% - maybe a trip to Helsinki or something or dye my hair blonde and get some blue contacts for the eyes - however! I finally went in a sauna (Pronounced - sow-nah...not sawn-ah).
I never went before because I was pregnant, it was summer outside (I hate the heat as a general rule especially while pregnant) and presently rocking the stretch marks ("badges of honour", "Tiger stripes"....not Tiger Woods.)....so needless to say - I am shy of my body presently when viewed by others.
Maybe I should go in more depth.
You go in the sauna NAKED. No towel, no bathing suit, etc. So me puting myself out there in front of some strangers (females go together and males go separately together)...yes everybody has the same bits and pieces - but with all my scars from my operations I've had as a newborn - it can cause some eyebrow lifting.
Anyways - I caved. I went as it was just Jessica and I. And with Jessica being at the birth of V�in� - there's not much to hide.
So the sauna was in a separate little building and when you walk in - you take your clothes off and then turn right and you're in the bathroom/shower area before the sauna room. Generally one would give themselves a quick rinse and the sauna itself takes an hour to heat up. Then you go inside the sauna room and there's a bucket filled with water with a large spoon to splash onto the hot coals...which increases the heat greatly. At first when Jessica first poured some water - the heat increased so quickly - it was a rush - similar to that of an asthama attack. But it was fine. So there's a patio with benches to sit on that go along the walls and you have a wooden step to step up onto the patio/platform. And every so often - we got up and left to cool off and we grabbed our towels and stood outside on the snow. I was too chicken to roll in the snow. I could've gotten away with it - as it's a very Finnish thing to do. I wouldn't get charged with indecent exposure - the street is too quiet. HA.
And you just go back and forth - we didn't go outside each time - but just in the entry way to cool off.
It was great and after we each showered and voila.
Now - for those of you that may not know this - DO NOT wear contacts in the sauna. Thankfully I brought my contact stuff with me and my glasses in anticipation of going into the sauna for my first time.
Now another tip - it took me 4 trips into the sauna before my gold necklace (the one with the little gold ball on it) started to heat up and leave red burn rings around my neck. Jessica was talking to me and I started getting a burning sensation around my neck and couldn't concentrate on what she was saying. Finally I interrupted her and said "OW!!!" We couldn't get it off in the sauna - so I went in the bathroom and took it off. Apparently pure gold melts pretty easily. It was 80 degrees inside the sauna.
Oh and I brought my glasses in there too - to see if they'd fog up while wearing them. They did - so I left them on the bench and they became malleable (plastic frame) and now fit much better on my head. They were getting a wee bit crooked for awhile...haha now you know some tricks.
Re-shape your glasses in the sauna and don't wear pure jewelery.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Bills, Bills, Bills and CHOCOLATE
Once again it's been awhile since I wrote in my "Learning about Finland" blog.
Here we go:
Remember when I said I got some hospital bills that should be covered by the Kela insurance program - as I was technically covered but there was some delay with getting me my card?
Well - apparently all Finnish citizens pay for their hospital stay in the hospital after giving birth. Thankfully I didn't stay too long! I still had to pay for V�in�'s stay as he was in the baby ward after delivery for a few days.
According to Kela (I had to visit their office to ease my confusion) - depending on where you live determines how much you actually pay. So the amounts that I had to cough up - were quite minimal compared to some people. The Kela rep had said something about it being based on the community in which you live in. Not quite sure what that means - however I live across the street from the hospital...so it can't be that bad!
Alright - onto better things - CHOCOLATE. WOW. Before pregnancy - and while Tim and I were first dating - he thought I was a weird girl because I didn't like chocolate. I still am not obsessed with chocolate honestly. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate but love my white chocolate. Or chocolate with stuff in the center - such as nuts or a fruit filling.
Well - I had purchased some Karl Fazer chocolate bars for folks back home and had one left over as we figured Tim's mom and brother wouldn't be able to eat the massive bar I picked up. So I snuck myself a piece this afternoon - and yummy. It DOES taste different than North American chocolate...not quite sure what it is - but delightful. I've had several chunks since. The after-taste isn't as strong as North American chocolate - I think that's why I've been able to consume so much without brushing my teeth yet. (Don't worry I fully intend on brushing my teeth.)
I believe that was my old complaint about N/A. chocolate - was the after taste that followed and the scuzzy/sticky/slimy feeling on my teeth and tongue. But I don't have that now. I may have to eat more to test my theory.
Here we go:
Remember when I said I got some hospital bills that should be covered by the Kela insurance program - as I was technically covered but there was some delay with getting me my card?
Well - apparently all Finnish citizens pay for their hospital stay in the hospital after giving birth. Thankfully I didn't stay too long! I still had to pay for V�in�'s stay as he was in the baby ward after delivery for a few days.
According to Kela (I had to visit their office to ease my confusion) - depending on where you live determines how much you actually pay. So the amounts that I had to cough up - were quite minimal compared to some people. The Kela rep had said something about it being based on the community in which you live in. Not quite sure what that means - however I live across the street from the hospital...so it can't be that bad!
Alright - onto better things - CHOCOLATE. WOW. Before pregnancy - and while Tim and I were first dating - he thought I was a weird girl because I didn't like chocolate. I still am not obsessed with chocolate honestly. I'm not a fan of dark chocolate but love my white chocolate. Or chocolate with stuff in the center - such as nuts or a fruit filling.
Well - I had purchased some Karl Fazer chocolate bars for folks back home and had one left over as we figured Tim's mom and brother wouldn't be able to eat the massive bar I picked up. So I snuck myself a piece this afternoon - and yummy. It DOES taste different than North American chocolate...not quite sure what it is - but delightful. I've had several chunks since. The after-taste isn't as strong as North American chocolate - I think that's why I've been able to consume so much without brushing my teeth yet. (Don't worry I fully intend on brushing my teeth.)
I believe that was my old complaint about N/A. chocolate - was the after taste that followed and the scuzzy/sticky/slimy feeling on my teeth and tongue. But I don't have that now. I may have to eat more to test my theory.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Free Lunch!
It's been awhile since I wrote in my Finnish Blog - so here I am!
I previously mentioned that elementary school starts at the age of 7 up until they are 19. So there are still the standard 12 grades and the education system here is quite excellent I've been told.
Well get this - students (during elementary school straight until graduation of high school) get free, nutritious and HOT lunch. Everyday until they graduate high school. That means - no purchasing of lunch bags, ziploc bags, thermoses or having to remember to pack a lunch for your kid everyday- Monday through to Friday. This also means not having to find mold in a forgotten lunch container, missing lids to plastic containers or having your child starve because they forgot their lunch bag on the bus or on the counter.
WOW. In Canada there's presently talks (if it's not done already) of having to pay for supervision in the lunch rooms.
Oh I got my hospital bills for when I delivered and stayed there. Including V�in�'s ICU visit. Per day worked out to be approximately 30 Euros (1 Euro = ~ $1.50 CDN)....these bills should be corrected tomorrow when I go to the Neuvola as I finally got paper work from the Kela stating that I was covered since August.
As well - hurrah! I finally got my Kela card!
Today I went to the S-Market downtown and Tim had requested "Finnish Danishes"on the grocery list. The running joke being that danishes are a food as well as the proper term for someone from Denmark. However these "danishes" (the edible kind) are baked by Finnish people.
Anyways - I got a bag with a couple of freshly baked danishes (mine is sitting near me on the table waiting to be gobbled up) and just noticed that the label says:
"PIKKUWIENER"
The Finnish language is a tricky one...many multiple words are combined into a single word. For example a street in English might be: "Tulip Street"
However in Finnish - it's all one word. The street I live on is "Valajankatu".
"katu" being the "street" or road.
Which makes it quite difficult while trying to translate documents in Finnish (presently working on that now) as the word on the paper may not be written as is, in the dictionary!
I may have to learn Finnish fairly soon.
I previously mentioned that elementary school starts at the age of 7 up until they are 19. So there are still the standard 12 grades and the education system here is quite excellent I've been told.
Well get this - students (during elementary school straight until graduation of high school) get free, nutritious and HOT lunch. Everyday until they graduate high school. That means - no purchasing of lunch bags, ziploc bags, thermoses or having to remember to pack a lunch for your kid everyday- Monday through to Friday. This also means not having to find mold in a forgotten lunch container, missing lids to plastic containers or having your child starve because they forgot their lunch bag on the bus or on the counter.
WOW. In Canada there's presently talks (if it's not done already) of having to pay for supervision in the lunch rooms.
Oh I got my hospital bills for when I delivered and stayed there. Including V�in�'s ICU visit. Per day worked out to be approximately 30 Euros (1 Euro = ~ $1.50 CDN)....these bills should be corrected tomorrow when I go to the Neuvola as I finally got paper work from the Kela stating that I was covered since August.
As well - hurrah! I finally got my Kela card!
Today I went to the S-Market downtown and Tim had requested "Finnish Danishes"on the grocery list. The running joke being that danishes are a food as well as the proper term for someone from Denmark. However these "danishes" (the edible kind) are baked by Finnish people.
Anyways - I got a bag with a couple of freshly baked danishes (mine is sitting near me on the table waiting to be gobbled up) and just noticed that the label says:
"PIKKUWIENER"
The Finnish language is a tricky one...many multiple words are combined into a single word. For example a street in English might be: "Tulip Street"
However in Finnish - it's all one word. The street I live on is "Valajankatu".
"katu" being the "street" or road.
Which makes it quite difficult while trying to translate documents in Finnish (presently working on that now) as the word on the paper may not be written as is, in the dictionary!
I may have to learn Finnish fairly soon.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
"K" is for Kela
Kela as previously mentioned is the social service system here in Finland. Such things are covered by Kela: maternity/paternity leave, compensation, un-employment, the massive maternity package with the clothing in it etc.
The big thing also covered by Kela is the health insurance as well. You get a little card with your name on it and the pharmacy (Aptekki) only bills you what is remaining to be owed that the Kela does not cover.
I was not covered until now. I will be receiving my documents some time next week - but it has been an ongoing battle with them because at first we were both (Tim and I) rejected. I was able to deliver V�in� without charge and stay at the hospital without charge - but the specialist appointments (while still pregnant) I later found out, cost me 25 Euros and some change. Got the bills in the mail. We were rejected at first because Kela didn't understand Tim's position at the university. He's doing his phD program here in Finland - however he's technically doing research for the university and therefor deemed an employee of the school too. So that's where the confusion was.
Then Tim got his lovely Kela card in the mail - and I did not. We thought for awhile maybe we were supposed to share. But that wasn't the case - I was still on the chopping block for coverage. I ended up paying full price for my inhaler anyways - as I was in desperate need of it prior to V�in�'s arrival. Thankfully they have forms that you can fill out and the Kela can credit your bank account once you file a claim. And I won't have to pay those bills from the clinic - just show them my Kela stuff and I'll be free!
OH and best part - the orthodontist gets covered by the Kela too (not sure of exact amount)!! I had no idea. We were under the assumption that Kela wouldn't cover braces - because how many insurance companies in Canada actually do?! Blue Cross does, Great West Life covers a portion and so does Sunlife (military). That's all that I know of - and braces in Canada were 205$/month or about $6000 over a span of 2-2.5 years. And the above mentioned companies only cover up to $1500.00.
The big thing also covered by Kela is the health insurance as well. You get a little card with your name on it and the pharmacy (Aptekki) only bills you what is remaining to be owed that the Kela does not cover.
I was not covered until now. I will be receiving my documents some time next week - but it has been an ongoing battle with them because at first we were both (Tim and I) rejected. I was able to deliver V�in� without charge and stay at the hospital without charge - but the specialist appointments (while still pregnant) I later found out, cost me 25 Euros and some change. Got the bills in the mail. We were rejected at first because Kela didn't understand Tim's position at the university. He's doing his phD program here in Finland - however he's technically doing research for the university and therefor deemed an employee of the school too. So that's where the confusion was.
Then Tim got his lovely Kela card in the mail - and I did not. We thought for awhile maybe we were supposed to share. But that wasn't the case - I was still on the chopping block for coverage. I ended up paying full price for my inhaler anyways - as I was in desperate need of it prior to V�in�'s arrival. Thankfully they have forms that you can fill out and the Kela can credit your bank account once you file a claim. And I won't have to pay those bills from the clinic - just show them my Kela stuff and I'll be free!
OH and best part - the orthodontist gets covered by the Kela too (not sure of exact amount)!! I had no idea. We were under the assumption that Kela wouldn't cover braces - because how many insurance companies in Canada actually do?! Blue Cross does, Great West Life covers a portion and so does Sunlife (military). That's all that I know of - and braces in Canada were 205$/month or about $6000 over a span of 2-2.5 years. And the above mentioned companies only cover up to $1500.00.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
P.S. "PC" is for Pocket Change - not just Personal Computer!
I forgot to mention in my previous post "O is for OW and Orthodontist"....that one should always have pocket change when in Europe.
Why? (Because if I haven't mentioned it before - I apologize if this is old material) In case you need the bathroom. Or "WC - water closet" as it's known here.
When in public - whether it be Grilli 21, Hesburger, the mall or a public independent porta potty - you need to pay to use it. That's right. It can cost upwards of 50 Euro Cents (or more? I don't know). I suppose it's for the independent cleaners that come in and have to scrub and sanitize the washrooms - so it makes sense.
Thankfully in the hospital there is no charge, or in the library or majority of restaurants. I used to go into Tim's office and use the public washrooms there when I was still pregnant and V�in� was bouncing on my bladder.
Oh and while I was knitting/waiting for my turn at getting stabbed with the H1N1 - there were some senior citizens ahead of me and when the nurse called out a number (in Finnish) one elderly lady jumped up (literally JUMPED) from her seat and had her sleeve rolled up and her number in her hand like it was the winning lotto ticket. We all had a good chuckle - I think because A) she looked awfully excited to be getting stabbed in the arms and B) she was at least 70 and very spry.
I had a Hesburger combo today (Kerro-sateria the equivalent of a Big Mac Combo but messier) before my Orthodontist appointment and remembered to pack my tooth brush and tooth paste so Juha wouldn't be offended by any bits of burger stuck in my brackets. Well I also remembered to bring a 50 Euro Cents coin, and some little coins (about 40 Euro cents) with me so I could use a washroom to brush my teeth. I went to a bathroom in the mall where H&M is because I've been in there before and it's clean. I wasn't sure how clean the Hesburger one was. Well the 50 cents didn't fit in the slot and the door handle ate the rest of my change but wouldn't open up! ARGH! So maybe I was short some change - and of course with my luck - nobody was coming out of the bathroom! Ugh - needless to say - I was quite embarrassed to finally make it to the Orthodontist Office and not have minty-fresh breath.
On that note- I am going to quit my habit of going downtown and having a Kerro-sateria. NO MORE HESBURGER - maybe once a month. But that's it. V�in� had a really icky diaper last night and today he had 3 in a row. I'm blaming it on the Hesburger as I did have one yesterday (not a Big Mac style just a regular plain burger) and then I had my monsterous Kerro today. Let's see if me kickin' the Hesburger-can will help.
Thankfully my next appointment with the orthodontist is after 3pm - so I won't be eating by then!
Why? (Because if I haven't mentioned it before - I apologize if this is old material) In case you need the bathroom. Or "WC - water closet" as it's known here.
When in public - whether it be Grilli 21, Hesburger, the mall or a public independent porta potty - you need to pay to use it. That's right. It can cost upwards of 50 Euro Cents (or more? I don't know). I suppose it's for the independent cleaners that come in and have to scrub and sanitize the washrooms - so it makes sense.
Thankfully in the hospital there is no charge, or in the library or majority of restaurants. I used to go into Tim's office and use the public washrooms there when I was still pregnant and V�in� was bouncing on my bladder.
Oh and while I was knitting/waiting for my turn at getting stabbed with the H1N1 - there were some senior citizens ahead of me and when the nurse called out a number (in Finnish) one elderly lady jumped up (literally JUMPED) from her seat and had her sleeve rolled up and her number in her hand like it was the winning lotto ticket. We all had a good chuckle - I think because A) she looked awfully excited to be getting stabbed in the arms and B) she was at least 70 and very spry.
I had a Hesburger combo today (Kerro-sateria the equivalent of a Big Mac Combo but messier) before my Orthodontist appointment and remembered to pack my tooth brush and tooth paste so Juha wouldn't be offended by any bits of burger stuck in my brackets. Well I also remembered to bring a 50 Euro Cents coin, and some little coins (about 40 Euro cents) with me so I could use a washroom to brush my teeth. I went to a bathroom in the mall where H&M is because I've been in there before and it's clean. I wasn't sure how clean the Hesburger one was. Well the 50 cents didn't fit in the slot and the door handle ate the rest of my change but wouldn't open up! ARGH! So maybe I was short some change - and of course with my luck - nobody was coming out of the bathroom! Ugh - needless to say - I was quite embarrassed to finally make it to the Orthodontist Office and not have minty-fresh breath.
On that note- I am going to quit my habit of going downtown and having a Kerro-sateria. NO MORE HESBURGER - maybe once a month. But that's it. V�in� had a really icky diaper last night and today he had 3 in a row. I'm blaming it on the Hesburger as I did have one yesterday (not a Big Mac style just a regular plain burger) and then I had my monsterous Kerro today. Let's see if me kickin' the Hesburger-can will help.
Thankfully my next appointment with the orthodontist is after 3pm - so I won't be eating by then!
"O" is for OW! and for Orthodontist
Today I got my flu and H1N1 shots. Not sure if they have the adjuvent or not unfortunately - but at least I have it should I come in contact with a sickly person. That being said - once it fully kicks in my system - I'll be able to pass the antibodies on to V�in� via breast feeding. H1N1 is in the left arm and it hurts a lot! Hence the "OW" in my subject heading. Because I didn't have my Kela (insurance) card - I got to hang with the senior citizens while waiting for my shot.
I did a bit of shopping today - picked up some bones for the dogs, stamps for Christmas cards, printed some photos at a photo lab (that is closed during the month of December)...it's 50 Euro Cents for your first print then 30 Euro Cents for each print after that. Not too bad and done in an hour. It's a FujiFilm shop. Oh and I got a couple cute things for friends who had babies recently (can't say what in case they read this on FB).
I got lost going to the Orthodontist. The address I was given by a dental student (who kindly responded to my ad in Tori about needing these services) - was the street parallel to where the Orthodontist's office actually was and a couple numbers wrong.
I'm sure the receptionist hates my guts by now - I called 3x to figure out where the heck the office was. She even went outside to try and find me. Then the Orthodontist, Juha, actually called me and asked if I knew where I was. Thankfully - he does speak perfect English.
For those of you that have Dr. Christopher Baker for a dentist in Dartmouth (Dart. Shop Ctr.) - my orthodontist looks like him. Glasses, sandy blonde hair, nice teeth (but not as blinding white) and maybe not as tall or as many children. Very nice.
During my consultation we discussed my previous treatment in Canada and everything seems okay with him. He put a wire on my bottom teeth as they were spreading and thankfully put nice/clean/new elastics on my top teeth - as they were "very yellow". Yes it's been awhile. I was supposed to see an orthodontist by the end of September - well that didn't happen.
So he gave me an estimate of cost and it's cheaper than Canada. How sad is that?! For the next few months - he figures I'll have the braces off during the early New Year (so by March I'm hoping!) - including the cost of the permanent wires/bites (retainers) - it's about 500 Euros. SWEET. It was costing me a little over $200/month for my braces back in Canada. My consultation cost was supposed to be 16-17 Euros - but they didn't charge me....she said next time?
This would never happen in Canada. BTW my consultation fee in Halifax was $70 - just so you can compare 16 or 17 E against 70 Canadian DOLLARS. OW.
PS I got a reflector tag in the shape of a butterfly (it was slim pickings!) - so now people can see me before they hit me. It's dangling on a string on my knapsack...it gets pitch black (think midnight darkness) by 3:15pm now - if not earlier. Thought I'd share this. I feel like a "true Finn" now.
As Finnish as a Canadian can get.
I did a bit of shopping today - picked up some bones for the dogs, stamps for Christmas cards, printed some photos at a photo lab (that is closed during the month of December)...it's 50 Euro Cents for your first print then 30 Euro Cents for each print after that. Not too bad and done in an hour. It's a FujiFilm shop. Oh and I got a couple cute things for friends who had babies recently (can't say what in case they read this on FB).
I got lost going to the Orthodontist. The address I was given by a dental student (who kindly responded to my ad in Tori about needing these services) - was the street parallel to where the Orthodontist's office actually was and a couple numbers wrong.
I'm sure the receptionist hates my guts by now - I called 3x to figure out where the heck the office was. She even went outside to try and find me. Then the Orthodontist, Juha, actually called me and asked if I knew where I was. Thankfully - he does speak perfect English.
For those of you that have Dr. Christopher Baker for a dentist in Dartmouth (Dart. Shop Ctr.) - my orthodontist looks like him. Glasses, sandy blonde hair, nice teeth (but not as blinding white) and maybe not as tall or as many children. Very nice.
During my consultation we discussed my previous treatment in Canada and everything seems okay with him. He put a wire on my bottom teeth as they were spreading and thankfully put nice/clean/new elastics on my top teeth - as they were "very yellow". Yes it's been awhile. I was supposed to see an orthodontist by the end of September - well that didn't happen.
So he gave me an estimate of cost and it's cheaper than Canada. How sad is that?! For the next few months - he figures I'll have the braces off during the early New Year (so by March I'm hoping!) - including the cost of the permanent wires/bites (retainers) - it's about 500 Euros. SWEET. It was costing me a little over $200/month for my braces back in Canada. My consultation cost was supposed to be 16-17 Euros - but they didn't charge me....she said next time?
This would never happen in Canada. BTW my consultation fee in Halifax was $70 - just so you can compare 16 or 17 E against 70 Canadian DOLLARS. OW.
PS I got a reflector tag in the shape of a butterfly (it was slim pickings!) - so now people can see me before they hit me. It's dangling on a string on my knapsack...it gets pitch black (think midnight darkness) by 3:15pm now - if not earlier. Thought I'd share this. I feel like a "true Finn" now.
As Finnish as a Canadian can get.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
After-Labour in Finland + a funny nurse appointment
So after you deliver a baby - you get a diaper bag in your room. The diaper bag is by the Libero brand and it's packed with goodies. It's lime green by the way. Each year they come out with a new color I was told.
There was a 10 pack of diapers, a package of wipes (64), a little hat, a few coupons and pamphlets, a change pad, a hardcover children's book (Ratatouille - in Finnish), a pair of disposable breast pads, a little bottle of oil for cracked nipples...and a soft toy that rattles that you can clip on to something. I think that was all! It was crazy! I don't think you get that in Halifax.
When we left the hospital they didn't inspect the car seat like we were expecting them to.
The standard stay is 2-3 days after deliver depending on the health of your child, your stitches (or c-section) and your general health as well. I checked out early after 2 days because V�in� was put in ICU - so even if I did stay in the hospital - I'd still have visitation hours between 8am-9pm. Or I could go home and use the bathroom in private (I had a room mate my 2nd night there) and eat my own food. Not that the food wasn't good - as it was really good. But I usually ended up missing their tea/snack times and breakfast as I would be nursing V�in�. Everybody got the same food - you just had to go during a certain time frame to get it and then put your dishes away afterward. Breakfast (the one time I had it) - was oatmeal and an apple. Lunch is usually a bigger meal (i.e. fish, potatos, veggies) and supper was always a soup. BLEGH. I'd prefer soup for a lunch personally - but that's alright. It was all delicious - considering it was hospital food. It's really amusing seeing a bunch of women in these robes, socks and sandals with their hair all messy and looking like they walked out of the gym (aka tired)...shuffling into a line up for food. Almost like a weight-loss club atmosphere. Haha.
Even the restaurant/cafeteria that was attached to the hospital (yet had it's own entrance as well) - didn't look like a cafeteria. Unless you counted the people eating that were wearing scrubs or some sort of medical-looking outfit.
We had an appointment at the Neuvola the other day and the nurse, Katri, asked how the labour was and so on. I told her all things considering - it went very well. 5 hours isn't a big deal compared to some women who go for at least 20 hours or more!
She smiles and says, "Do you think you will want another baby soon?"
Once I managed to scrape my dropped jaw off the floor - "Definitely not. I only want one right now. The pain was just a little too much for my liking."
"Oh but it gets easier with the 2nd labor and multiple labors after the first one. The first one's the hardest but after that - it just gets easier."
SHE TRIED TO SELL THE IDEA OF HAVING ANOTHER 9-10MONTH PREGNANCY/X-AMOUNT OF HOURS LABOR TO ME. This being an issue as she's not going through the pain for me. HA.
I just told her - oh well maybe in 5 years.
"So you'd like to start contraceptives soon then?" Katri
"Oh yes - as soon as possible. I don't want another baby any time soon. Thanks."
There was a 10 pack of diapers, a package of wipes (64), a little hat, a few coupons and pamphlets, a change pad, a hardcover children's book (Ratatouille - in Finnish), a pair of disposable breast pads, a little bottle of oil for cracked nipples...and a soft toy that rattles that you can clip on to something. I think that was all! It was crazy! I don't think you get that in Halifax.
When we left the hospital they didn't inspect the car seat like we were expecting them to.
The standard stay is 2-3 days after deliver depending on the health of your child, your stitches (or c-section) and your general health as well. I checked out early after 2 days because V�in� was put in ICU - so even if I did stay in the hospital - I'd still have visitation hours between 8am-9pm. Or I could go home and use the bathroom in private (I had a room mate my 2nd night there) and eat my own food. Not that the food wasn't good - as it was really good. But I usually ended up missing their tea/snack times and breakfast as I would be nursing V�in�. Everybody got the same food - you just had to go during a certain time frame to get it and then put your dishes away afterward. Breakfast (the one time I had it) - was oatmeal and an apple. Lunch is usually a bigger meal (i.e. fish, potatos, veggies) and supper was always a soup. BLEGH. I'd prefer soup for a lunch personally - but that's alright. It was all delicious - considering it was hospital food. It's really amusing seeing a bunch of women in these robes, socks and sandals with their hair all messy and looking like they walked out of the gym (aka tired)...shuffling into a line up for food. Almost like a weight-loss club atmosphere. Haha.
Even the restaurant/cafeteria that was attached to the hospital (yet had it's own entrance as well) - didn't look like a cafeteria. Unless you counted the people eating that were wearing scrubs or some sort of medical-looking outfit.
We had an appointment at the Neuvola the other day and the nurse, Katri, asked how the labour was and so on. I told her all things considering - it went very well. 5 hours isn't a big deal compared to some women who go for at least 20 hours or more!
She smiles and says, "Do you think you will want another baby soon?"
Once I managed to scrape my dropped jaw off the floor - "Definitely not. I only want one right now. The pain was just a little too much for my liking."
"Oh but it gets easier with the 2nd labor and multiple labors after the first one. The first one's the hardest but after that - it just gets easier."
SHE TRIED TO SELL THE IDEA OF HAVING ANOTHER 9-10MONTH PREGNANCY/X-AMOUNT OF HOURS LABOR TO ME. This being an issue as she's not going through the pain for me. HA.
I just told her - oh well maybe in 5 years.
"So you'd like to start contraceptives soon then?" Katri
"Oh yes - as soon as possible. I don't want another baby any time soon. Thanks."
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Do YOU use snow tires?
So it's been awhile since I've written in my blog (10 days) - I was previously writing about V�in� by simply using Facebook Notes.
Now let's talk tires. Here in Finland it is mandatory to have winter tires from December 1st until March 31st. Some people test their luck and wait until November 30th and sometimes get lucky because there hasn't been any snow. Some "All-season" or "All-weather" tires do qualify as "winter tires" but Finland has a particular criteria or rating the tire has to fulfill before it is accepted.
Yesterday we experienced our first "snow storm". Because it's not overly windy here - it just looked like "snow". The trees weren't on the verge of falling over, the power lines are all underground anyways - so no lights flickered...it was really nice and pretty.
I will take many pictures later on and post them. From our balcony the trees are coated in a thick white layer of snow and it's sooooo pretty looking!
I got V�in�'s documents from the Public Registar (Mastraati)'s office yesterday. We had it translated by Taneli during supper last night and V�in� is considered born "out of wedlock". Yes- they still use that term here...for those of you that don't know what that means - it means a child born to a parent(s) that are "not legally married". Not sure what the procedure is in Canada and how it affects a child - however here for us, it is a major issue.
As the mother - I am the legal guardian. As of right now- Tim has "nothing" to do with V�in� as he's not considered a parent or legal guardian until a paternity test is taken - either via court order or by him volunteering. Or by us proving our marriage - which we're still working on.
So if a father is not a legal guardian - does he have to provide for the child? No - he doesn't. From what I understand and have read (hospital provided tonnes of pamphlets) V�in� or I cannot accept any sort of monetary support from Tim given his birth out of wedlock scenario.
It's a fairly interesting system to say the least - however in terms of proving our marriage - that's stupid and a very lengthy process (which has been mentioned in previous blog posts).
On a lighter note - today we have an appointment with Katri, our Neuvola nurse (building behind us), to see how much weight Mr. V�in� has gained and so forth. Should be fun!
Now let's talk tires. Here in Finland it is mandatory to have winter tires from December 1st until March 31st. Some people test their luck and wait until November 30th and sometimes get lucky because there hasn't been any snow. Some "All-season" or "All-weather" tires do qualify as "winter tires" but Finland has a particular criteria or rating the tire has to fulfill before it is accepted.
Yesterday we experienced our first "snow storm". Because it's not overly windy here - it just looked like "snow". The trees weren't on the verge of falling over, the power lines are all underground anyways - so no lights flickered...it was really nice and pretty.
I will take many pictures later on and post them. From our balcony the trees are coated in a thick white layer of snow and it's sooooo pretty looking!
I got V�in�'s documents from the Public Registar (Mastraati)'s office yesterday. We had it translated by Taneli during supper last night and V�in� is considered born "out of wedlock". Yes- they still use that term here...for those of you that don't know what that means - it means a child born to a parent(s) that are "not legally married". Not sure what the procedure is in Canada and how it affects a child - however here for us, it is a major issue.
As the mother - I am the legal guardian. As of right now- Tim has "nothing" to do with V�in� as he's not considered a parent or legal guardian until a paternity test is taken - either via court order or by him volunteering. Or by us proving our marriage - which we're still working on.
So if a father is not a legal guardian - does he have to provide for the child? No - he doesn't. From what I understand and have read (hospital provided tonnes of pamphlets) V�in� or I cannot accept any sort of monetary support from Tim given his birth out of wedlock scenario.
It's a fairly interesting system to say the least - however in terms of proving our marriage - that's stupid and a very lengthy process (which has been mentioned in previous blog posts).
On a lighter note - today we have an appointment with Katri, our Neuvola nurse (building behind us), to see how much weight Mr. V�in� has gained and so forth. Should be fun!
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