Parent Teacher Night

Tonight I went to my son's day care to attend a parent/teacher night where the staff review what the kids have done and any major changes to the day-care itself.
Tonight's meeting was actually for the groups of kids who are older but because there would be a translator, they recommended I go tonight and not next week -when the parents of the younger kids go.
The translator turned out to be the lady who helped us out when we were getting our son diagnosed with Autism and was fantastic tonight as well.

What was the meeting about?

• Please tell the day care if your child will not be there for breakfast or certain meals or snack times (i.e. your child goes later or leaves earlier) - because they order their food a week in advance and it would greatly help their budget out.
• There's a new technical communication system coming out so that way parents are able to communicate better with the teachers without wasting so much paper.
• There are some sort of alternatives for day care help if parents are still working during Christmas holidays (not actually ON Christmas Eve/Day) but only in super mandatory situations and may not apply to all day cares.
• Day-care will be now accepting payments based on a "how much does your child use it and when?" system.  Not sure how income affects it - but that's one big thing.   Some kids go to day care everyday, half-days, 10-days a month or on a need-it basis (depending on the family's situation).
• Something about attendance for kids - I don't think there is a sheet for the kids in my son's group - at least I haven't seen it.  Once again it's so they can budget accordingly for food.

Then the main lady looked at me and said because I am new, she would love to hear my experiences with the day care thus far (Um...it's only been a week and my first child!).

So I told her the truth.

"Hi, I'm from Canada and day care is not only very expensive but as soon as you find out you're pregnant - you have to put your name on a waiting list for a day-care spot for your baby.  There is no guarantee or promise of a spot so many people don't go back to work or have to wait a few years. Also because day-care is so expensive many people cannot afford it because it doesn't matter what your income is.  So...I am very grateful for the day-care system here."

I'm blushing like crazy because I was put on the spot and felt slightly embarassed to say so much in 2 minutes...when the director said (translated):

"Thank you for sharing this.  The law was passed in 1973 that requires every child to be guaranteed a spot in a day-care.  I guess because we are all so used to this law - we take it for granted sometimes and I'm glad this service helped you and your family."

The looks around the room were amusing to say the least.  As soon as I mentioned putting an un-born baby - without a gender, a name or a due date really- onto a waiting list for DAY-CARE - some women had their mouths hanging to the floor.  Some people snorted out of disbelief because a child not in day care and staying at home with a mother (or father) for YEARS until they start school just seemed so ridiculous.

Then we moved onto the children's group rooms and I left.

So...Canada - when are you going to catch up?  Finland has 39 years on you....

Just sayin'.

Popular Questions For Foreigners!

Whenever you move to another country - sometimes it is possible to blend in.
Then again - sometimes you stick out like a sore thumb...

I think I am a bit of both...physically I do not look Finnish or European at all.  Definitely not Swedish or Estonian...but yet Finns speak to me in Finnish all the time - which I take as a compliment.
It's an even BIGGER compliment if they understand when I speak Finnglish!

So, what are some super common questions asked of foreigners living in Finland?

• Where are you from?
• No, I mean where are you from REALLY? (I guess I don't look Canadian either.)
• Why are you in Finland?
• How long have you lived here?
• Do you speak Finnish?  Do you understand it at all?
• When will you learn to speak Finnish?  Do you find it difficult to get around without the language?
• Has any of your friends or family visited Finland?
• Have you gone back to your country to visit?
• What do you think of Finland?
• Do you have many friends here?  (If your response is yes, do not be surprised if they are stunned and then ask, "Are they all Finnish?!")
• What do you miss the most about your home country?
• Do you speak French?  (French is Canada's second official language.  No, I do not - despite the French first name.  Sorry.)
• Have you travelled to other parts of the EU?
• Do you live near Anne of Green Gables, on PEI?  
• Is the weather similar?
• Do you like Finnish food?
• Do you like the sauna?  Do you have saunas in your home country?
• What is the weirdest thing about Finland that you have noticed or experienced?
• How long does it take to fly here from your country and how many stops and where did you stop?
• Did you bring your pets with you?
• Why did you give your children Finnish names?  (Most Finns think it's interesting that we do not know if we're living here permanently but because our boys are born here - we gave them VERY Finnish names.)
• What do you think of the long winter and dark days and the long sunny days in the summer?
• Can you cross-country ski?
• Do you like hockey as much as Finns do?  (Personally - not really.  And Canadians in general LOVE hockey - even to the point there are brawls and total destruction of cities when a Canadian team loses.)
• Do you find it hard to sleep with almost 24 hours of sunlight in the summer?

Not Your Typical Hair-Cut

A few days ago, I realized that I have not made a hair appointment in over a year.
Since then, I have had awesome and thick pregnancy hair - then after the baby came - well, my hair was falling out in massive handfuls (seriously).
Fast forward and I realized that yes, it's from the hormones of still nursing my little guy and lack of proper care for my hair!
Yes, I wash and condition on a regular basis - but sometimes it need more than that.  Especially since I lacked any kind of shape or style by this point.
I looked like the girl from the Grudge and a mop...just to give you an idea.

So I went to the lady I normally go to and she's not open on the weekends unless you book by appointment - fair enough.
I had made an appointment yesterday when my friend was getting her hair cut there and I popped in this morning and it was so nice to not have the kids with me....

Okay - onto the hair cut.

She skipped washing my hair since I just did it and as she was figuring out what style I wanted (just layers and maybe side-swept bangs but not sure at that point) she started to snip away.
Then we started to chat...you know how you chat to your hair stylist or barber...typical conversation normally includes some or all of the following:

• The weather
• Recent vacation or holidays
• Children
• Pets
• How long I'm living in Finland
• School or work
• Sometimes politics
• General news or worldly news events

So we tackled the weather, the lack of sunshine this past summer, the lack of vacation and then we got onto the children part.

"How are the boys?  I haven't seen them in a long time (snip, snip, comb, snip, snip)" - her

"Oh they're doing great.  V's starting day care on Monday - very exciting...and I'm a nervous wreck!" -me

"Oh is he speaking yet?" - her
I thought she knew through mutual friends about V's diagnosis of autism but I guess they stopped going to her for their hair appointments - sooooooooooooooooo...*insert awkward moment*.

"Nope - but we're working with a speech therapist.  He'll have an assistant at day care and he's been diagnosed with Autism." - me

"OH that is too bad!  When was he diagnosed?.." - her
Me jabbering about appointments while she's snipping and assessing her work /my head...

"Well, have you ever considered a miracle?  I mean taking him to a prayer meeting or gathering - the power in a miracle has no explanation and no scientific proof..."

Once again, I am NOT knocking down anyone's beliefs or religions - this is purely my random experience while living in Finland that I am writing and sharing for all of you readers to enjoy.  Take it for what it's worth.

I pause and think carefully before speaking and I am hoping that my face doesn't have a "WTF where did that come from?!" look on my face because my glasses are off so she can cut my hair without having to work around them.

"Well, no I haven't to be honest.  Have you had one of those experiences?" I politely ask.

"Oh yes!  I went to a prayer gathering because my skin was so painful and my neck was so sore...so I went to a Church and I was a bit late but they asked me what I wanted to pray for.  So I told them about my neck and they touched it and there was heat - a lot of energy and I fell (she looks at me sheepishly) and felt instantly better!  The pain was gone and my son could NOT believe it!" - her

"Ohhhh - so just like on TV??  It really works - how interesting.." I try and end the conversation at that.

She continues on for a bit and then here's the kicker.

"Well, maybe the prayers could help to get rid of the autism or ease it in some way...Because the doctor told me I would always have this thing on my neck and it's gone.  Miracles DO happen you know." - her

I was stunned and shocked and a little hurt.

Yes there are a great deal of people who are following or practicing a faith and that's fine.  And I KNOW she had only the nicest intentions by that speech/comment...but I just felt like she stabbed me in the neck with those scissors.

Almost like, "Your child has a disease so ask God to help out and if you really believe - then he'll grant you a miracle and you'll have a normal kid like everyone else."

Anyway, I just nodded and said I would think about it and left it at that.

A blow dryer, no bangs (my choice) and 30� later and I was out of there.

Probably for good.  She just lost a customer - which is quite unfortunate because she's really nice, gives me great hair cuts and is chatty enough that I am not bored sitting there.  AND she speaks perfect English...and so does her American husband (whom I've met briefly once) - who is ALSO a hair stylist.
And yes, she attends Church (Salvation Army) quite regularly from what I understand and has suggested I go to some event the last time I got my hair cut...I politely declined and thought nothing of it until today.

And the hunt for another hair stylist will probably commence in another year and a half when I finally realize how awful my hair looks....

The Neatest Festival Of the Year!

First there was Restaurant Day...and now there is "Siivousp�iv�" - aka CLEANING DAY.
No, it is not a huge party where you clean or have others clean your home - sorry.

BUT!  It's more of a flea-market kind of day.  You are able to "set up shop" and sell your items from your home that you no longer need or give them away for free.

I don't know about you - but since my local second-hand shop closed down, I am bogged down with TOO much stuff.  And it's a bit of a pain in the neck to take photos of everything and post them in albums on Facebook that nobody looks at...

This is MUCH easier.

Sell on the streets, from a certain point or from your home!!

I will be participating because I have too many strollers, too many cloth diapers and too many baby clothes and so on that NEED TO GO.  (Plus we're looking at moving in November - so the less I have to pack - the better.)

Why is this such an awesome idea?

• No rental fees required.
• No reservations required.
• You'll probably find free stuff.
• You get RID of stuff and have more space!
• This is a great way to help the environment by not buying more things that usually are encased in plastic and other packaging that simply does not break down at all.
• You can save money by buying things at a fraction of the cost -second-hand!
• You're helping someone else by buying their used items or helping someone else by selling/giving it to them.

So if you're interested in more info - in English - check it out here!
And you DO NOT have to live in Finland to participate!  It's totally international!!!

September 8, 2012 - WATCH OUT!

A Drunk Versus A Doctor

You're probably thinking that the title of this post is some sort of bar-fight kind of joke in Finland.
No it's not - sorry.

A couple of days ago, my husband returned from Germany and I instantly rushed to catch the bus so I could go downtown and relish in my freedom from the children and the dogs and pick up groceries for everyone.  Exciting - I know.

As I rushed to the bus stop nearby an older gentleman was standing near and backed up - perhaps out of politeness or perhaps out of pure fear of the crazy lady speed walking with a strong look of determination on her face.
He then decided to sit beside me and I had about 7 minutes to kill, so I began to crochet.
DM (Drunk man) didn't smell too badly of booze but his bag he had contained empty bottles and eventually he struck a conversation up with me.  I think he was asking if I was from Japan.
I apologized and said I don't speak Finnish.
"Ohhhhh you speak English?" he says in a rusty voice that has been abused by too many cigarettes and booze.
I nod, smile and get back to my crocheting.
He starts another conversation, asking if I was knitting a "pipo" - a winter cap or "toque" as Canadians know it...(This was in Finnish).
I shook my head and said hesitantly, "Ei.  Takki?" (No. Jacket?)
He nodded and smiled and I think asked if I had kids or was expecting one (gee thanks) and I said, "I have kaksi poika" (I have two boy).  He nodded and smiled (I was crocheting a pink sweater for a tiny baby so obviously it's not for me he figures) and asked how old they were.
"Uks poika on kaksi vuotta (one boy is 2-years old) ja uks poika on kymmenen (and one boy is 10)".
He looked me strangely because it's odd that I have a 2 and 10 year old - then I motioned low to the ground and said 10 again in Finnish and said "vauva (baby)".
Months is a hard word for me to pronounce but he figured it out.
He then decided to show off his new sneakers and talk a bit and the same story to some other lady waiting.
Unfortunately, he didn't have enough money to get on the bus so I never saw him again.

Fast forward a couple of days and I finally get the call from the doctor about V's knee x-rays.
I managed to make out her name (Helena) and that's it.  She is literally waiting for me to tell her why she is calling me.
In the mean time, V is out the door and rushing through the parking lot...and I'm on the phone trying to get V to a speech therapy appointment...and bring the stroller and make sure he doesn't get killed.
"Are you a doctor?  I asked for x-ray results." -me
"Yes.............................................(about 5-10 seconds pause) I am a doctor............where did you have x-rays?" -her
"At the hospital!" (DUH?!) - me
"Oh......................................I don't see you visiting or having x-rays....."
"NOT FOR ME!  My son! (insert name)" - me
"...............................................What is his number?" - her

This is the fun part.   Everyone in Finland has a social security number made up of their birthday and some combination at the end.  This identifies you and is used for EVERYTHING:

• Kela card
• Application papers (even day-care)
• Insurance
• Residence Permits 
• Bank accounts
• Cell phones
• Etc.

So - it's pretty simple - first numbers are 03.

"Zero, three (insert remaining numbers)" -me

"...................zero................" -her
"Yes, like "oh" or 'zero'" - me

"............................................................zero.....................hmm............Ok I say 1,2,3 you stop me.  1..........2...................3........." - her

"Nalle!" me desperately trying in Finnish - Nalle is Winnie the Pooh...it should have had a more "o" sound instead.

"..........zero..........." -her

"LIKE NOTHING!" - by this point I have captured V and strapped him in his stroller and am hoofing it down the road to the therapist's office.

"OH!  Zero - yes I understand!"

She tells me after that she will call the nurse and call me back.

By the time she does, the phone reception is bad in the office but I manage to hear her say the x-ray results are okay.

I just wanted to know if it will affect him in the future but I guess that's out of the question because she called from a central number in the hospital and they never called me back.

So, in short - the drunk understood my Finnglish (excuse the poor spelling above!) and the doctor did not know the word "zero".  A friend pointed out that everyone knows "zero", especially "Coke Zero" - but if she's a doctor, she probably doesn't drink it.  And YES I realize English is not her strong point but most doctors here DO speak SOME level of English...

And this is just another one of those "experiences"....

Oh Mama Mia...!

I ordered pizza tonight because it's Friday night and because my friends have been awesome at helping me watch the kids and even putting them to bed for me while I'm out with the dogs...and because I wanted a break from cooking.
I went through pizzaonline.fi (blog post is in progress!) and found Mama Mia's and submitted our order at about 6:40pm.
It can take up to an hour to be received, made and delivered - so my goal was to get the food within an hour or so.  (No cars to pick it up).
That didn't happen.

Mama Mia's internet banking portion was not working so I was not able to make a payment.  I then clicked Cash, Card or Meal Ticket (all in one click) and submitted my order anyway and decided I would email them afterwards that I have both bank card available or cash if necessary.  I wrote this in English and Finnish (thanks to a friend who translated) and never got a response.
I figured all was good and my starving self would get fed SOON.
So by 8:17pm with no sign of pizza showing up, I put on my big kid pants and called them.
They confirmed they spoke English and I asked calmly about "Order 86" and that we have not received it, we ordered it awhile ago...I got an email telling me to "ship the payment to their address or the food will not be delivered" and that I have cash or card to pay.
"Oh it's fine - it doesn't matter if you pay either one with delivery!" the man says nervously to me.
Then where is the pizza I ordered over an hour and a half ago? was my instant thought.
He managed to rattle off my address super fast and I confirmed it and he tells me that it will be delivered in 15-20 minutes and he was sorry for the wait.
No offer of a discount - delivery was free anyway, since it was over 12�...gee thanks.

Please note that Mama Mia's is about a 20 minutes QUICK-paced walk from my door...so if they're delivering by car - it should take about 5-7 minutes including red lights.

The clock continues to digitally go forward and my friends and I begin to get restless...and hungry.
8:50pm my door bell rings and a nervous looking teen (?) has my pizzas and thanks me after I pay.  No coupons, no offer of a discount, no apology for being late on top of being already ridiculously slow/late with delivering my pizza since I ordered it at 6:40pm.

We quickly dig into our pizzas once he's gone and they're hot and fresh.

So, CLEARLY this means they did not even have our pizzas made when I called them and they never called me to ask me about directions or payment methods or anything.  No emails or text messages.  Thanks for losing my order...and I'm super glad I wasn't hosting a party with YOUR food - because it probably wouldn't have came if I didn't call you.

Mama Mia's - please fix your system so that the automatic email message doesn't threaten me with "we're not going to deliver your pizza until payment is received.  Please send money payable to this address" and also your internet banking system too.
And I'm sure I'm not the only one that has to deal with your crappy service and I hope this blog post reaches you - because I think 2+ hours to wait is a heck of a long time considering it only took you 30 minutes to get my order confirmed, make it and deliver it once I called.

"Please make your check or money order payable to:

Mammamia

Mail your payment to:
Voionmaankatu 34, 40700 Jyv�skyl�

Your order will not ship until we receive payment." 

Copied from my E-Mail... nothing like CONFUSING THE CUSTOMER!

Think twice before ordering from Mama Mia's online..although I must say 29 and 30 are really tasty.

Domestic Aids

One of the most amazing things/people I have experienced while living in Finland are the "Domestic Aids".
Finland really seems to care about the families that live here and they offer a wide variety of different support.
Every time I went to the Neuvola for my oldest son's check-ups, the care-giver (nurse) would ask how I was doing because V was giving us such a hard time most of the time.  (We found out almost 2 years later it was due to Autism but anyway, extra frustrating when you DON'T know!)
"I'm tired...I'm frustrated that nothing is getting done in terms of cleaning...I can't take him to play dates because he screams so much and I am embarrassed because it doesn't stop!" were my frequent responses.
She suggested that I get help with the cleaning or with the baby-sitting through the city.
I kept saying that I would look into it but honestly, I never did.

I have a friend who lives nearby who used to work for one of these agencies and she was telling me all kinds of things about her job, like:

• Sometimes the mother is so tired from being awake all night - I just play with the baby so the mother can sleep.
• I got to play with some little ones today so the mother could go out and get groceries...we went for a walk or I took them to the playground...
• Today I cleaned for some senior citizens...
• I just read a magazine because the baby I was watching slept the whole time - but at least the parents did not have to worry about the baby and they could rest and spend time together.

 Surely I wasn't at THAT stage that I needed someone to watch my child sleep so I could get groceries?!
I was totally in denial and you would be too.
Day-care is expensive in North America and finding a baby-sitter last minute can be hard too - and we have dogs as well that are super friendly but can come off as intimidating until you meet them and give them a chance (aka 2 seconds of your time).
And V was clinging to me for 9.5 months before finally I realized - we hadn't had a date in that span of time!
AND I am a naturally messy person anyway....so why pay someone to clean my mess?  I'm in my 20's - not 4 years old anymore.  I should be more responsible and CLEAN more - maybe embrace it so I can fully appreciate the results!

I continued to deny the help offered - even when I became pregnant with the second child and even after he was born.

Then one day a psychologist told us (it was during V's assessment for behaviour and Autistic traits), "There is nothing wrong with asking for help.  You pay them based on how many hours you need, they only work during the day and not on weekends and I'm sure we can find you someone that speaks English and doesn't mind bigger dogs.  It's not considered charity or welfare or anything "bad" to get them to help you with what you need to do."
So finally I made a little confession in that room and I whispered, "I can't call them because my Finnish sucks and my home is constantly a mess because I never can clean it..."

Within a couple hours of leaving that office - I got a phone call from an agency made up primarily of 3 young women who literally LOVE their jobs and kids and didn't mind if our home was a mess, loved dogs and spoke English to some level.

Your total household income determines how much you pay and if a certain amount is not made per month (also have to divide this income by total amount of family members living in this household) - you may be eligible for free services.
Bear in mind there are limits - you can't have 4 hours away from your children everyday kind of thing - but your agency you deal with can give you more information.

How has this affected us as a family?

• I'm so much calmer and relaxed - even though I do not sleep while the kids are gone.
• I am doing much better at cleaning and laundry.
• My husband and I had a lunch date and did some shopping together without ANY stress other than the pouring rain...
• I was able to do a bit of reading or some crafts...
• The dogs got some attention without us having to dash quickly to catch our oldest from climbing a book shelf or desk...
• The husband was able to get a lot more reading and writing done as well.

And if you're wondering, this was based on 3 hours a week.

Thankfully because the husband was in Germany, I asked for some more time - just an hour or two a day so I could take my dogs out and they happily obliged.

The agency cannot automatically give you whatever hours you want - it has to be approved first by the city (or someone...).

The ladies have all been fantastic (3 women run the particular agency we are with and have extra workers) with our boys and patient with us as we come to terms with leaving our children with complete strangers so we can clean and catch up on work-related things....and we did lose our chart once!

Every time a sitter (or cleaner) comes to help you out - they have to sign a form with the date, their names and how many hours they provided.  Once this is complete (based on how many hours you were given) - then you sign the form and they take it back to their office.

TRY NOT TO LOSE IT.  Thankfully, we are not the only ones!

So if you feel overwhelmed with your new baby or your children and chores and lack of time to just chill out - PLEASE get help and do not be scared or ashamed.

This can make a huge difference between losing your mind and having a whole cranky household - to having a few hours to catch up on sleep, bills, work, studies, cleaning - and having a more relaxed atmosphere in your home and relationships.  Not just with your partner or spouse but also with your children...

Hope this helps.

X-Boy

The husband was off to Germany late Monday night for a conference and considering the last time he went away (a month ago to England) I was super sick and this time - I was feeling pretty good.
What could POSSIBLY go wrong?!

The first day was hectic trying to sneak my oldest meat - so I thought I would bake some croissants (full of gluten- oh well he's used to a bit everyday from when we were in Sweden...) and chop some ham slices and he'll never know.
I was right.
Unfortunately a few hours later he had a stomach hard as a rock and vomited everywhere.

Day 2 started out kind of rough because my youngest was teething and screaming a lot.  Yay.
As I was dressing him for an afternoon out with the baby-sitter (from the city - Finland provides these kinds of services when needed), my oldest climbed onto a coffee table and somehow managed to pull down a 40-50-pounds television onto the floor.
He's not even 3 years old yet and I can barely lift the thing because of it's big and awkward shape...
Shockingly, he did not land under it but he obviously got hurt in the process and was limping.
"DING!" went the door bell - great timing.
I advise the sitter what happened, we look him over - he screams a lot when we touched parts of his leg, knee and ankle but he was DETERMINED to go to the playground.  What a nut.
So I let him go since it was only about 30 minutes and when they came back - the baby-sitter said nothing changed - let's get him to the hospital.

I had thankfully stuffed myself with a quick lunch while they were out and had made arrangements for a baby-sitter to stay with the baby and my dogs...and my other friend offered to drive us and translate if necessary.
We get to the hospital and the nurse that checks us in thankfully understands that my oldest is Autistic and assures me that it can get better and turns out he has a son with Asperger's Syndrome (high functioning Autism).  It was super relieving to know - but was not going to help me if he needed X-rays.

We got a "D" circled onto our paper which means it wasn't a life or death emergency, so we waited for all of 5-10 minutes (kids get put in a bit faster I guess) and the doctor could not determine was hurting the most for him - so we have to get x-rays.
Insert screaming "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" in my head.

We have a bit longer of a wait for the X-rays and by the time we walk in - "V" is already having a melt down.  He HATES doctors....
There's a tiny nurse in there and then there's a bigger nurse and between the three of us we managed to get only 3 photos...one was a clear shot of the knee (I think), one had the bigger nurse's fingers in it and the third was a blur.
Why?
Because pinning him down just does not work.  He's a fighter and super tough...which makes medical situations very difficult!
We had him wrapped in a blanket that was to cover his chest during the x-ray and he was biting, kicking, twisting and screaming...while the tiny nurse was moving the bed to try and align his knee and ankle with the camera above.
Let's put it this way - the stronger nurse was not pleased and probably ran outside to smoke a few packs of cigarettes and the tiny nurse was probably drowning herself in wine that night.

The doctor reviews the x-rays but cannot confirm ANYTHING.  So she tells me to call my local nurse in the afternoon and the x-ray specialist will have gone over the photos in the morning and I can surely get the results when I call.

Yesterday I woke up to V running, jumping and climbing - even onto the television that is still on the floor (for now)!
I guess he's feeling pretty good then.
When I got through to the doctor's office (they called me back as they were so busy and have such a tight time frame for receiving calls) they advised me a doctor will call me back next Tuesday.
Unless it's life or death - you have to have patience when it comes to getting results from doctors here.
The whole calling every day, twice a day just does not cut it and it will be honestly a waste of your time.

The husband gets back late tonight - KNOCK ON WOOD that nothing else could possibly go wrong.

Modern Religious Recruiting

Usually if one wants to attend a Church - you go with your friends or family or you find a pamphlet or poster and attend an event and become a regular (or a semi-regular) from then on...
Sometimes there are people that stop you on the streets (i.e. Mormons) or they come and visit you at your home (i.e. Jehovah Witnesses).

But what do you do when one tries to recruit you with dumplings?

SERIOUSLY.

Way back in May, my oldest had a nasty ear infection and after a night trip to the hospital - we swung by downtown to get his prescription and some take-out since cooking supper was out of the question by the time I got home.
I got on the bus, parked the stroller and my son in the center, paid my fee and waited.  Nearby on a seat was an Asian girl about my age (I guess?) and she was staring at me.
I mentally thought what could possibly be on my face or in my teeth but decided I don't care.  I sneak a look at her from the corner of my eye and she is grinning wildly at me - I turned to look at her and realize that no, I don't know her.  So I give a light smile and turn away from her and look out the window.
We have a bit of a wait before we leave the bus stop and I notice that she is STILL staring at me and grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I quietly say "Hello."
Well, she explodes with chit chat asking me a wide range of questions like:

• Why are you in Finland?
• Where are you from?
• Are you Chinese - do you speak any?
• Why were you downtown - getting some shopping done?
• Why does your son need medicine? 
• What do you do for a living?
• What did you do in Canada?

Well, you get the idea - there were A LOT of questions in a span of 10 minutes.  Because I took the first bus that came, I ended up not getting off near my home by behind it - about a 5 minutes walk away.  And guess what?
She was getting off at the same stop.

It started to rain a little so she kindly popped open her umbrella and shared with me.  WOW that's super nice.

Then she walked me home - that was creepy, because it wasn't raining that hard and I was sort of in a rush to give my son his medicine, our food was getting cold and I don't even know this chick's name!  And I don't live that near to her really...she went totally out of her way and I know - I'm sounding like an un-grateful person.

But there was just something odd about someone so attached to a stranger...and now I know why.

So I started to fire questions back at her on our walk to my place and it turns out that yep, she's from China and she's here to study and do some work with environmental studies (I can't remember but that sounds right).  And something about an internship at Metso.  Okay - good for her!

Then I asked what she does in her spare time and she only works, studies and goes to Church.
Ah okay - fair enough.

Then she asks, "Do you like Chinese dumplings?"
Chinese dumplings are bits of meat - sometimes veggies and wrapped into a soft pasta shape, boiled then fried.  DELICIOUS.
"Well, of course I do - why?" I ask enthusiastically (stupid me).

"Why don't you come to a party?  Me and my friends are making many dumplings for a going-away party for a couple friends that are moving back to China!" -her
"Oh well I don't know them so maybe I shouldn't.  And I don't speak Chinese, so that feels weird to me - that I'm hanging out with a bunch of native speakers and I just look the part.  Nah - it's okay." -me
"No worries - we all speak English.  It's at the Church - many Americans!!  It's a Church for everyone....it's international!" - her
(I'M NOT AMERICAN!) - No offense to those that read my blog...

In my mind, I'm instantly thinking "Oh F.  She's referring to Jehovah Witnesses and is recruiting me with DUMPLINGS.  WHO does that these days?!"
"Well, I'm not religious to be honest..."

She cuts me off with "No problem - everyone is very nice and it's downtown and you can make so many friends this way.  And you can bring your children - they can go to Sunday school!  It's the Evangelical Christian Church downtown!  And your boys can make lots of friends!"

"No they won't because my oldest doesn't speak.  He's Autistic actually." - me
"Well, what does that mean?"
(Insert mini description of daily life with my oldest and she's still somewhat clueless).

So I thank her politely for the offer and say no but let's maybe meet for coffee some time.

She wishes me a wonderful Mother's Day and we plan to meet at her place for tea the following week.

I go over there and her place could pass a few white glove inspections - neater than a pin.

Her room mate is out of town so I enter her bedroom and take a seat and notice a huge map - neat!  I then notice a bunch of letters and I can't see too well because the writing was so small - but she explains that sometimes she writes her thoughts down to God and also writes them down in Chinese and then she tacks them to her wall so it's the first wonderful thing she sees in the morning.

OKAY - NOW I AM TERRIFIED.

She ends up showing me all her Bibles and her Bible Study books and gives me a business card of the Church she attends and yet again, reminds me of the dumpling party coming up.

I told her I still don't think it's a good idea because I don't know anyone but her (and really, I don't even know HER) and she said we could walk down together and if I wanted - I could go and MAKE the dumplings too.
And we discussed why my sons have Finnish names and I told her well, the original plan for my oldest (if he was born in Canada) was Isiah Michael.
WELL!  Those names are both in the Bible and part of the Prophecy - so clearly - we are meant to be BFFs.

A few days later - she asked me AGAIN to go to the party - this is driving me nuts because I really have no interest and advise her that I'm glad she has found her purpose with the Church but it's really not for me right now and I'm quite busy with everything else going on.

She then wishes me a nice summer and doesn't talk to me anymore after that.

So the lesson here? Never say "Hello" to random strangers grinning at you like Cheshire cats.
(I have been thinking on and off about blogging about this - but now that I've deleted her from my Facebook - I feel it's acceptable to write about this interesting experience.)

Viili

Today I took my youngest to his 10-months appointment...I don't think it was necessary (normally) to have a 10-months appointment but due to his lack of weight gain - they wanted to double-check on him.
One major milestone about turning 10-months is the ability to try dairy products!
Things such as:

• Piima - it's a sour milk (regular milk is recommended at 1 year)
• Yoghurt
• Cottage cheese
• Viili

I had no idea what "Viili" was and the nurse said it was hard to describe but it's like "a sour-yoghurt".

Great - because that sounds SO delicious.

So I went and bought 1 container of it - it was between the yoghurts and sour-creams in my grocery store...

I open it after shaking it a few times and stir it with a spoon when I notice it...

It has a glue-like consistency!

Oh and if you get a fruit-flavoured one - you have to really dig your spoon to the bottom to get the fruit sauce to surface and mix in!

A friend said it's amazing (the plain flavour) with cinnamon and a bit of sugar on top...or with apple jam apparently.

My 10-months old was a little cautious with the first bite but once I figured out where the flavour was hiding (duh) then he devoured it - both plain and with the flavour like it was the best thing ever.

If I ever get the courage - then I'll let you all know what it tastes like.

Canadian Passport, eh?

So this is not something old - but yes, I am a Canadian and carry a Canadian Passport.
That passport is going to expire next month - yikes!  So I began filling out the paper work and asked the Canadian Embassy if they have the "Simplified Renewal Application" available yet.  You'll notice the link is listed as "International" but through the UK.  The reason for this is because.......

It's not available in Finland until September 4th.
Which would be fine but we were hoping to go travel maybe to Norway or somewhere in the EU anyway....around mid-September-ish?

My son doesn't qualify anyhow - so I'll just submit them both at the same time.

And here's the lovely thing about my baby's passport.  The guarantor was contacted and questioned a lot because there was doubt that she was really a lawyer and who she said she was on the form!

WHY?!
Because I put a different date on the application when I signed it - and because of this one tiny little factor...they really questioned her.  Thankfully she didn't mind but she warned me when I filled out the big kid and my passport application - to put the same date.
I honestly didn't think it was a big deal because hey - I was signing it on a different date than her...I was just being honest and because of that - they questioned it.

So - FYI.

Uppsala's "China River"

No, it's not in reference to a real river!
Last night we were on the hunt for something to eat and had a craving for Chinese food.  We walked by the Golden China (or something like that) and it was quite small on the inside and we need a bit of space because of a single stroller and another child in a back-pack carrier.
We continued to walk around and YAY - the older one fell asleep in the stroller! FANTASTIC.  He's the most difficult in a restaurant and doesn't eat a wide variety of food - so this was great that he fell asleep first.

Then we came to the dilemma.  Do we choose "China Garden" or "China River"?  And they are beside each other!
Well, China Garden's menu looked fairly small - it was mostly a buffet restaurant from the looks of things.
So we looked at the menu of China River which was in English as well as Swedish and the prices seemed fair and walked in.  They also have an all you can eat buffet but it wasn't really what we wanted anyway.
Our youngest was on the brink of falling asleep so we tried to set him down in his carrier and of course, he woke up.  We bounced and jiggled him while ordering our food and when our wonton soup came (it was tasty and not available in JKL - except one restaurant and that has too many vegetables for my husband to eat) - the little guy was screeching a storm.  So the waiter put our soup down advised us to be careful as it was super hot and then said, "Let me."
He scooped my little banshee up and took him for a walk and said for us to not worry and to eat our soup while it was hot.

Uh - WOW.
So I quickly ate my soup as fast as I could - the husband finished his first and went over to take our baby back from the waiter (gosh I felt horrible but so relieved I could eat soup without burning him or me!) and they chatted a bit then the food came out.
I know what you're probably thinking if you're not used to the kindness of complete strangers - "How dare you give your child to a stranger - just so you can eat in peace for all of 3 minutes?!"
Well, I figured if he didn't want to hold my kid - he wouldn't bother offering and he obviously wasn't too busy because it was near closing time and he seemed very nice (and he was!).  Turned out he is a parent too of a 5-year old and remembers those awkward screaming phases during "date night".
Remember, in Finland, the thought of stealing a child is absurd and is rarely (if ever) done.  So I imagine this same philosophy is quite similar in Sweden.
Well, the food was delicious and they even had dumplings!  Not fried golden brown to the point they are tough to chew - but lightly fried....and tasty!  (This isn't something found in JKL as far as we know...well, maybe the Japanese version gyozas?  But that's it.)
We were so happy, although there was a serious fight for the 11th (and last dumpling)...odd numbers - how awful!  So we cut that sucker in half...and the baby gave me the evil eye for my share... 
(The dumplings are found near the back in the rice and noodles section...NOT in the appetizers section like I would have thought!)

Anyhow, the service was wonderful and we chatted with the waiter and found out that he's waiting for his second baby girl to arrive.
We didn't know if we should tip or not, because in Finland you don't and I never thought to ask anyone about it before coming here.  But I felt it was necessary because that was a great act of kindness - taking someone's screaming child and attempting to soothe and rock them to sleep so the parents could eat a bit in peace and quiet.
He was very humble and thankful for the tip and I felt great afterwards.

So if you ever go to Uppsala, Sweden - definitely check out China River...beside the China Garden.

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!