Classic American Diner - a Double Review...

Last week one of my girlfriends and I went to try out the newest restaurant in JKL - Classic American Diner.
I had heard wonderful things about the Tampere location and was eager to try this place out.
Well, if you can, make a reservation first...because we managed to grab a table after a 5-minutes wait and our waiter who cleaned off the previous table came to us and asked if we had ordered our food yet...so needless to say, it was pretty busy.
He kindly warned us that there was a 45-minutes long wait for food...not a problem, as we had a lot of catching up to do...and when you don't have children with you - you have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD - or so it feels like.

We waited over 20 minutes for our drinks - pop....so that was a bit disappointing...a nearby table had received some bowls of chips to munch on while they waited...maybe because they ordered alcohol and we didn't?  Not sure...

20 minutes later ...we got our wings.  We ordered 25 wings to share and the sauce was only medium (next time I go I want to try something hotter)...the blue cheese dip was nice and the carrot and celery sticks were thick and chunky.
The oddest thing about our wing order - no plates.  It was served in a big basket lined with paper, sauce and grease covering the wings (which were better than Food wings by the way)...but no little plates to put our bones...no wet wipes to wash our hands after...so we just used napkins to put our bones - instead of risking waiting another 10-20 minutes for any other service.

Another 20 minutes or longer wait for our burger platters and afterwards we were able to leave.
I had ordered a 200g (medium) burger platter but the wings and veggie sticks filled me up quite a bit so I didn't eat a lot of my meal unfortunately.
My friend had the Angus burger platter and I guess she liked it enough because she ate more than I did in comparison.

We DID get a free refill on our pops...not sure if that was an accident or not....most places don't offer free refills...

Overall?  We were stuffed but not terribly thrilled by the service or the food....

Now, I told my husband about this place and when he heard they had an ALL-DAY breakfast - he just had to try it!
So we went there yesterday and it was easy enough to find a table....we had our kids with us and while there are only 4 stairs - there is also the option of placing and using ramps for the stroller wheels.
The only problem with these is that you have to gauge how far apart to put them so your wheels fit on and they're quite heavy...so we just toughed it out and lifted our double stroller up those 4 stairs.
We ordered a Kid's Chicken Finger meal, a couple sodas and water, the All-day breakfast for hubby and I opted for a smaller burger (bacon) meal.
We asked the waitress if it was possible to get our son's meal first because he was quite hungry and it was just past 2pm...and he normally has a snack then...she said yep no problem.  Tim also asked for pancakes with his all-day breakfast and that was fine too.
We got our drinks fairly quickly (within 10 minutes) and meals came about 30 minutes or so after ordering...Tim and I took turns rushing V�in� in and out of the restaurant because he was so hungry and upset (and tired) that we didn't want to bother other customers by his yelling and attempts at running about.
Finally our food arrived and while V�in� refused the chicken fingers (even though I broke it in half and blew on it to make sure it was cool enough) - he pounded back the fries.
Tim's breakfast didn't have pancakes.  Apparently it was an extra add-on that Tim was really looking forward to - but maybe she didn't hear...
Ah well - oh and you should probably specify how you like your eggs cooked...these were kind of sunny-side up and Tim's more of a yolk-broken (over-hard) kind of guy.  Not that the waitress asked when taking our order....
My meal was fine and once our youngest woke up - I offered him the non-ripped up chicken finger which he happily ate, along with most of my fries.
When I handed him half of the other chicken finger (the meal comes with 2) I noticed that it looked a little odd in the center...

Chicken finger was a little pink in the center...it's a cell phone picture so it doesn't show the colour as well.

But then there's these awesome cardboard cars that kids' meals come in...and yes, you can totally take them home with
you.

Did I complain about the pink chicken?  Nope.  Why?  Because I don't know if the first piece was pink or not as it was devoured quickly...and all the fries were gone...
And no, this meal did not come out in 5 or 10 minutes...it came out with all the others...so why was it under cooked?  Not sure.

I don't think I will be going there any time soon - except for maybe the wings.  

Watch The Code!

Nope - not referring to some movie or Youtube video...
I'm warning all of you living in Finland to be careful when pressing the button at the grocery store when weighing your fruits, veggies or baked goods!
I was in a rush the other day and must have pressed the wrong button when weighing some Karelian pies for my kids (that rye snack topped with rice or potato and butter) because when it was scanned by the cashier - she said something about "koodi" and gave me a very stern and pissy look.
I was smiling like an idiot because my kids had stopped screaming for all of 5 minutes so I could pay for the groceries and I'm sure that looked like "GUILTY AS HECK".
She scuttled off and came back a couple minutes later with the proper code and price tag stuck on my brown paper bag...there was a difference of 20-odd cents.
I didn't even apologize because I had no idea what was going on - and was hopping from one foot to the other hoping she'd hurry up before my kids realized it was lunch time and they should be screaming as loud as possible for their food....again - looking antsy and guilty...and like a foreigner.  Go me...

I paid and left and when I told my friend this story - she warned ME!
My friend read in the local paper that some guy pushed the wrong button or didn't weigh his avocados properly and the Police got involved....and he was fined a ticket of 160 EUROS!!!
So be warned of what button you press - take that extra second to double-check...or you might end up with a VERY expensive grocery bill!

"He's Not a Finnish Baby!" - a Doctor Appointment...

I realized today that I don't blog a lot about my kids' experiences here...I suppose that's for a few reasons:

A) They still don't speak (3.5 years and 1.5 years old).
B) It's the same thing everyday - wake up, day-care, come home, playground, eat, pee/poop/shower, scream/fight, sleep....

But a couple days ago - we had quite the doctor's appointment - I cannot resist sharing this...and I'm sure my 1.5 year old won't mind...and maybe he'll laugh at this when he gets much older....

It took me forever to finally remember to get an appointment for Ahti - just his 1.5 year check up...I always missed the slim window of 1 hour from 12pm-1pm because I was in class at the time or the line was busy and I had to get to class after my lunch break.
Well, I got in - 2 months after that phone call.

June 26th - a few days after returning from our hectic Wales/London trip (still working on that London part of the post!) - we're lying in bed and sound asleep in the morning.
The kids were staying home from day-care because Tim's supervisor was visiting and wanted to have a playdate with all the kids some time that morning.
What a treat to sleep in!!!
Suddenly, my phone buzzes and I look at my screen - and it says:

"Ahti Doctor Appointment 8:30 am

In 3 minutes - Snooze or Dismiss?"

I instantly jump off the bed (which was a child's top bunk) and rush into the main bedroom screeching for my husband to wake up.  What are we going to do?!  We cannot possibly get there on time - without a car, a shower, waking the kids...lots of curse words were used by me....
I tried calling the Neuvola nurse we have and she was busy working - nobody answered.

I quickly messaged a different Neuvola nurse (an awesome friend of mine) and she gladly changed the appointment time to the next day...

PHEW! My heart was pounding like a horse race track!

So the next day, we kept Ahti home from day care and made it to his appointment 25 minutes early.  And he was asleep...alright - 25 minutes nap is better than none right?...WRONG.

We had a different nurse take his basic measurements and he freaked...full out screaming and fighting and throwing his soother and any toy across the room.  BUT!  She got his measurements.

We had a bit of a wait for the doctor - so he played with toys and ran up and down the hall and was quite happy.
Then we went into the doctor's office.
The thing with Neuvola doctors is that they are usually quite young (not saying they're not in-experienced!), don't have kids of their own (which perfectly fine too!) but you never get the same doctor when your child has their yearly appointment.
Well, the one I got was both very young and her patience was low...granted, it was near the end of her work shift and having another screaming child (and one that can run at that!) probably didn't make her day any easier.  (Sorry!)
She checked his profile and in that 30 seconds time span - Ahti discovered she had a cupboard of toys behind her desk...specifically - 2 trucks.
She tried to check his eyes and he sat still for about 20 seconds and was more interested in the cars...I was tired of getting bopped in the face with these chunky cars and she couldn't get the light in his eyes properly anyway.
Then he started to scream....so after 5 minutes (or was it more?!) of chasing him down - she suggested politely:

"I need a break and maybe Ahti does too...how about he goes to play in the play room and I will take another child in...then I will come back to you?"

Yep - fine.

We went back in afterwards and he was calmer and happier and instantly went back for her two trucks...she wanted to test his pinching reflexes...I jokingly pointed at my arm where I had a bright purple bruise and said "Oh no worries - he can pinch!"
She smirked a bit and wanted to see him do it with a bead on a short piece of string.  Of course, the trucks take priority and she got frustrated quickly that he wouldn't take it from her.
I suggested she put it in the dump truck, because then he'll give it back to her.  She was fairly skeptical but did it and ta-da!  Ahti picked it up (pinch-style of course) and said "ES!" and gave it to her...she did it again a few more times and was pleased with his pinching.

We tried the eyes again - because she was looking for a reflection of the light in his eyes - should be red apparently...and couldn't find it.

"Well, it's hard to find this red light - because you know...he's not a Finnish baby..."
"Huh?  Do you mean his eyes are really dark so you can't see this light?" -me
"YES!  His eyes - the pigment is so dark...I can't see this light...but maybe it's okay because he can clearly see - he's running around and driving the trucks.." (and not bumping into anything was my thought)
A part of me wanted to say "Oh but he is � Finnish!"  but his file probably says he has a Canadian dad... 

"So!  Let's look at his belly and I have to check his testes and everything..."
**Cue my 1.5 year old stripping....I told him we had to have a diaper change and POW!  He's wiggling and pushing his diaper down and running 100% buck-naked.**
"Well....um...I have never had this happen before!  He must like being naked!  This will make it so much easier to check his stomach!" -her
"Yes, well - you have to catch him...that part isn't easy.." - MY TURN TO SMIRK!
Between the two of us - we manage to tackle him down and she quickly presses everything and he is laughing and trying to smack her in the face with a truck....
Then while he's still running about (still have to check his little boy bits) - she's laughing at how fast he is...and he started to head towards her chair (you know - the office type with fabric...)...and I say, "Oh - by the way - he's not potty trained yet...so we should finish this quickly - just in case!"

Well, that wiped a smile off her face pretty quickly.
Nothing happened - but you never know!!

Anyways, the final verdict was that he's growing well for a boy his age (and probably for a non-Finnish kid) and the red light in his eye thing...well, she's going to e-mail some eye doctor and explain our situation...and see what they say.

"But I looked at his notes and the last doctor could sort of see a very faint red line....and it's obvious he can see....so I think he's okay..."

Such comforting words to end an appointment....

So this appointment started at 1:20pm...and we did not leave until 3:50pm....we should have been out within an hour maximum....or even 40 minutes!

Until next time!

Palapeli = Done.

It's been a tough two and a half months not being able to blog as much as I would like as I have been studying and taking Finnish lessons via Palapeli.

The exams were this past week and involved 3 days worth of tests.

Monday:  The speech test.  You are in a room with two teachers - one to ask you the questions, the other to mark your responses down.
Some questions I was asked and not necessarily in this order (translated English):

• What's your name?
• Are you married?
• Do you have children?
• Tell us about your family.
• How old are you?
• How long have you lived in Finland for?
• Why do you live in Finland?
• What is your profession?
• What do you like to do?  (hobbies)
• What would you like to do in Finland? (Long term goal or dream)
• What is your nationality?
• What country are you from?
• Where do you live?

Then - the describe the pictures session:

You look at a comic strip and describe the time and what the character is doing.

"They wake up at 6, they shower, they eat breakfast, then go to the bus then get to work ...etc."

Then the situation questions...this was brutal for me as the teacher who asked me the questions wasn't my regular teacher (she was marking my responses down) so I was just picking words and stringing them together and hoping they made sense...

• You're in a grocery store and want to know where the pepper is.  How do you ask for help and where the pepper is?
• You're in the grocery store and you found the pepper but it doesn't have a price.  How do you inquire about the price of it?
• You're waiting at the bus stop and when the bus comes - you need to ask the driver if this bus goes to the hospital.  What do you say?
• You get on the bus and your bus card (pass) is empty - what do you say or do?  

Then it was conversation time.

• "Huomenta!" - I responded with "Huomenta, mit� kuuluu?" (Good morning, how are you?)  Apparently that was the wrong answer - I should have just stuck with "Huomenta."  Why was this the wrong answer (sort of)?  Because her next question was:
• "Mit� kuuluu?"
• Do you know where the bathroom is?
• Can I borrow a pen?

That's all I can remember, considering it's been over 2 weeks since I started this post and did the exams.

The written ones were alright...mix and match, write a description of photos, label things, explain what's going on based on advertisements, write your profile out etc.

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take my tests home (so I could give you a slightly better description) because they re-use the tests every time it seems.

The final markings are based on A-C levels - based on comprehension, reading and speech - so if your percentage (out of 100%) was a bit low - do not stress.

Mine were 82 and 76% respectively (there were two written exams plus a listening one) but my A levels were A 1.2-1.3 - so pretty good for a beginner studying Finnish!
And if you're wondering (sorry I don't have the descriptions of levels with me right now) a C-level is pretty much a native to Finland who speaks Finnish as their mother-tongue.
So if you're not a C-level...don't worry.

I have learned since that Palapeli is not available anywhere else in Finland - just in Jyv�skyl�...but I'm sure if you live in a different part of Finland - your city will have something similar to offer assistance to foreigners to learn the language!

And afterwards - there is another couple classes then there's some group outing...then perhaps a massive potluck - I wouldn't know because I left early to travel to Wales.

Good luck!

Wales Trip!

Hubby has 3 conferences this month and they're all in England.
We decided we would join him for the second one because one of his colleagues from Canada was planning on being there, but at last minute he wasn't able to get there.
The conference we went to was only 4 days long and in Cardiff, Wales.
I have never been to England before, with the exception of a stop over in Heathrow Airport (London) - so this was super exciting for me!  (And what if I saw a Royal?!)

Well, Wales rains everyday for at least five minutes and multiple times a day...sometimes it's drizzle, sometimes it's a lot of rain and sometimes - it's a downpour.
I'm sure the babies there are born with rain coats, splash pants, rain boots and an umbrella!

The signs in Welsh were amazing...they were a mix of letters that made absolutely no sense to me (thankfully the English translation was included!) and I now understand why people say Welsh can be a tricky language!

What to pack when traveling to Wales:

• Rain boots or sandals if you don't mind your feet being wet!  If you intend to do a lot of walking about - good foot wear is a must!
• A good rain coat that is not only water proof but warm!
• A good camera - mine finally kicked the bucket while I was there, so I don't have many photos and had to resort to a cell phone while there (blegh).
• UK plug converter...no, your North American/EU one (or other country) will not fit :).
• An empty suit case for all the goodies you buy at Pound Land or Pound World...and it's not full of things that will fall apart after using them once or twice!! There were brand named items and even the non-brand name stuff (i.e. children socks as we forgot to bring some!) were pretty decent quality!

We stayed at the Church Guest House, which was a nice 10-15 minutes walk from the downtown area.  The host, Andrew, was very friendly and nice and gave us lots of tips on where to visit while we were there.

However, there are some pit falls to the Church Guest House that maybe one travelling with little family members should know about:

• There is a continental breakfast included (cereal, fruit, nuts, yoghurt and hot toast with jam/butter, and tea/coffee or juice) but they do not have high chairs or booster seats...(yet they have a play pen? Keep reading...)
• We stored our stroller in the breakfast dining room and just kept our children there while we had breakfast the first morning.
• A hot breakfast is available at extra cost, but we found it cheaper to eat at local pubs/caf�s for breakfast.
• It's ideal to let the staff know that your child has any kind of condition that may cause them to be louder "than the average child".  Guests above us had complained that our son was too loud - and yes, he did yell quite a bit, and we tried our hardest (covering his mouth, letting him watch Cars a million times, playing his favourite Youtube channel all night, Simplynoise.com - ANYTHING to calm him down) to keep the noise to a minimum at night time - but sometimes crap happens.
  When I advised Andrew that our son has Autism and that we are trying our hardest - he understood and I assume - advised the guests above us - so they knew we weren't trying to make their vacation a horrible time...we didn't have any more complaints after that.
• Hot water in the shower didn't last long - hubby took a 10 minute shower maximum - and I didn't have any hot water after him...and when you turn on the hot water, you have to wait a bit for it to kick in...like brush your teeth then the water is hot enough.
• Bring your own shampoo and body wash - or pick some up at the Pound shop - the samples in the bathroom were kind of small for 4 of us and my hair just didn't feel clean after...but that's personal choice!

• The mattresses are approximately 2 weeks old (as of our travel dates of June 12-17, 2013) and they are not protected by mattress protection covers.  
• We found this out the hard way, when our 3.5 year old leaked out of his diaper due to stress of a new environment and travel (he is Autistic) - and despite peeling the blankets back, the smell of urine and the wet hand towel (that we used to soak up his mess) left on the bathroom floor intentionally so it could be changed - it wasn't.  We ended up stripping the bed the next day and putting ALL the towels on the floor with the bed sheets and were happy to see everything was changed the following day.  (We also did not file a complaint in person in case you are wondering - but did find it quite gross - even though the bed sheet and mattress were dry that night).
• When we did strip the bed, the host advised us that the mattresses were less than 2 weeks old and that they would have to be cleaned.  Of course, I agree and would be willing to pay the fee (but we were never advised of any additional fees - despite seeing the host every day at some point) - but I am curious if the mattresses are so new - why aren't there protection covers??  I mean - mattresses are expensive and these were super comfortable ones too!  I would want mine to last a long time - especially when a new person sleeps on it every day or week...
• We were issued a play pen for the child who peed (since we have two - I guess they assumed it was the younger one who did it?) the bed and we just kept it folded up in the corner - because there was no way a 3.5 (almost 4!) year old was going to fit in that play pen...let alone stay in it without making a fuss.
• Some things to also consider when having people sleep on a mattress (with a bed sheet) and no protection covers: 
• Sweat can soak through and stink up a mattress easily.
• Dirt - enough said.
• Flu/Viruses/Colds - think coughing, snot, leaky nose, sweating from chills...usually happens when one goes on vacation!
• Pee - not just little kids that wet the bed.
• Poop - same deal.
• Blood - nose bleed, menstrual cycles, miscarriages, scrapes and bumps, cracked feet...
• Sex - let's face it - it's a B&B and people go on honeymoons and vacations and anniversary trips and if the mood strikes - well...sex is just as dirty as pee.
• Bed bugs...

Those are just some things to consider as I said - but really, the Church Guest House (it's not religious inside - no worries if you're not religious yourself) is a lovely place, the staff friendly and the place in a good location (there was a big playground about 10 minutes the opposite direction from downtown).
We would definitely go back - without children (mostly because they are fighters and travelling with kids can be quite difficult for us!).

Onto the rest of Wales.

We enjoyed "proper English breakfasts" (my photos from my phone will be transferred to Pinterest at some point this week...) which consisted of:

• Fried eggs
• Toast
• Baked beans
• Tomato and mushroom (depends where you go)
• Hash browns (so greasy and crispy and delicious...)
• Welsh bacon (not the skinny pieces you get in the shops - but nice wide chunks of bacon...salty and smokey ....and doesn't have a parallel chunk of blubbery fat attached to it)
• Sausages
• English tea of course!

We managed to explore Wales a bit and got on a train to Caerphilly to explore the castle there.  It was nice and big, lots of landscape and geese!
But in the shop - no post cards...tsk tsk.

One restaurant we ate at was "The Golden Corner" in Cardiff.
Food was tasty but there were a couple pit falls to eating there:

1. Cash only.
2. The menu said we would get 3 sticky rice (wrapped in lotus leaves - a Dim Sum specialty) and we only got 2 for some reason.
3. I asked our waitress twice for a glass of ice water (since I planned on eating some dumplings with chili sauce) and she never brought it.  So I ended up going to the counter and asking for it myself...

Definitely check out The Works book shop!  They had a huge 80% off sale when I was there and I ended up scoring 2 knitting books for 3 and 2� each...and it turned out they were a lot more expensive on Amazon or Book Depository!

So if you ever get the chance - definitely pop into Wales!

Finland and The Box...

Finland is quickly making the news again and it's in reference to a BBC article: "Why Finnish Babies sleep in cardboard boxes".

I'm sure the concept of sticking your new baby that you waited MONTHS for into a cardboard box sounds absolutely dreadful but when you think about it - a crib is a type of box.  Putting your baby in your own bed with you and surrounding them on all four sides so they don't fall off - is boxing them in...
Remember, you need the sleep and if you don't have a crib yet or haven't decided if Junior will sleep with you in your bed (pretty common in Europe) - this box is MEANT for being a bed!
And you're not shipping your kid in this box... :)

What are the other benefits of this box?

Well, everything that comes IN the box is pretty sweet.
I've already written a blog post about what comes in the Kela maternity box - which can be found here.

Every year the prints change a bit but the basics are all the same.

Yes, we did end up letting our newborn sleep in that box and it was fantastic.  He slept soundly in it for about a month or so and it was handy because it didn't take up as much space as a traditional crib.  Nor was he in our bed, which was nice too.
Oh and if we had to move rooms and worried about not being able to keep an eye on him or hearing him when he woke up - we just picked up the box and moved him easily.

And when he was too big for the box - we used it to hold A LOT of dishes when we moved to our current flat!  It's a very tough box.
And you can apparently buy covers for the box to make it look nicer - about 35� from what I've seen online!  (Or you could get all scrapbook/crafty on it and go to town decorating it yourself!)

What does the 2013 box look like?  Check it out here - and wow is that box nice!  It appears to have a Family Tree design on top....

My Restaurant Day Menu!

Hi everyone!
I will be participating in Restaurant Day again as "Hooked On Sweets!" and will be sharing space with a new pop-up Restaurant, called "Kuma Sushi".

Here's my menu!

Pick Up JKL: A Review

I assure you that this blog post is perfectly safe to read for anyone of any age.
I am not writing a review about an escort service or any other in-appropriate service one may think of when they hear the words "Pick Up".
I'm also not writing about blind dates or designated drivers either.
Feeling better now?  Keep reading!!

Last night was one of those exhausting nights where the kids were hyped up, I had forgotten to put potatoes on the stove so they were happily sitting in a bag on the table ...or maybe the floor...and I was getting stressed about my up-coming Restaurant Day (which is tomorrow...and here I am blogging while hubby helps empty the dishwasher!)...and decided let's just order take-out.

We normally order pizza on Friday nights to go with out sauna night - a nice way to end the work week and the kids are used to it and it's a good rhythm.  But it was Thursday...and it was so close to 8pm that many restaurants stop delivering at 8pm.  I got online and checked with a friend of mine who suggested "Pick Up JKL" - she hadn't eaten there before and wasn't sure if it was good or not - but why not?
Pick Up Pizzeria not only sells pizza - but they also sell Chinese food.  Had I not been to New York before and seen something similar in one restaurant, I would have thought this was an insane idea.  For Jyv�skyl� - it kind of is...but with so many pizzerias around - it's a unique concept and I'm sure that's why they have survived so far.
Here's how the order placing conversation went:

"Hi, are you still delivering?" -me
"Well, where do you live?  Yes well, we can deliver but depends how much you order!"  - her (please note she was screaming into the phone and the background noise was minimal...)
"Oh well, we just wanted two dishes...for my husband and I." - me
"Well, my car is broken...so you need to order at least three - then I can deliver to you.  AND there is 3� delivery fee." - her
So I agree to order a pizza for the kids (and to try it out myself) and I gave her the address, she confirmed they accept bank cards and she'll be there in an hour.

I rushed around finishing up some cheesecakes for tomorrow (I haven't even started anything else really!) and pedaled my bike (I walked beside it while my lovely bike handles carried the cheesecakes) to my Restaurant Day location (Laajavuorentie 5B)...I got some posters and had a quick chit chat with my friends when suddenly my phone began to vibrate and ring...
"I'M LOST!  I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO!  WHERE ARE YOU?"
Very professional lady....so I advise her where to turn and how to get to my building...2 minutes later...
"I DON'T SEE YOUR NUMBER!  I SEE 34!!  HOW DO I GET THERE?! I CAN'T DRIVE PAST THE SIGN!"
I said I'll be there in a jiffy but I can't ride and talk on the phone at the same time AND cross the street safely...
I get there and she found my door after all.  She had a huge Styrofoam box and when I apologized for keeping her waiting, she asked where I was looking for her at.  I told her that I was at a friend's house PRIOR to her coming over and was on my way.
"Why did you go to your friend's home when you knew I was coming here?!" - and the lecturing began....
Finally I lock up my bike, she digs out the food and as I'm digging for my bank card she said:
"So where are you from?"
"I'm from Canada." -me
"Well, you look Asian!" - her  (Apparently Canadians cannot look Asian...fantastic.  Hello stereotypes.)
"Yes, I get that all the time." I managed to say this with a straight face and no hint of humour at all - because let's face it - I'm sweaty, grumpy at her for numerous reasons and hungry.
Eventually I "confess" she's right, I have a Chinese-Malaysian genetic background...then she wants to know if I speak Chinese or Malaysian...nope....
"So, your husband is Finnish?" - her
"No, he's also Canadian." -me waiting for her to go so I can rush the food upstairs...
"Why you live here then?!"
Apparently it's a crime to leave one's home country...? 
"My husband is studying here."
The conversation continues as she asks if it's my first time ordering from her and I said yep and that was that.
"CAN'T YOU SEE THE INTERNATIONAL LOOK OF STARVING ON MY FACE?!" is what I wanted to ask her...
Finally, she is satisfied with my answers and payment - then she leaves happily...in her vehicle that clearly works.   A friend suggested perhaps she borrowed her boss's car - but I think she IS the boss...anyways...

So! The food quality?
Hubby ordered Beef Szechuan sauce and deemed it, "It's okay..." which translates to: Not really the best and I've had way better.
I ordered the Beef with Mushrooms and Bamboo...it was a bit peppery - which is fine...the mushrooms were from a can - big pet peeve as I love fresh white mushrooms...the sauce - not so amazing.  The bamboo was in excessive amounts and that's all I remember about it.  For the amount of bamboo that was in it - they could have cut back by about 1/4-1/2 and added a bit more beef...which tasted weird to me...can't put my finger on it.
I also tried hubby's food and it wasn't very spicy and missed that Szechuan taste I'm used to from every other Asian restaurant I've ever eaten at.
It was pretty late so I didn't bother trying the pizza - but it had real pieces of chicken (various sizes and looked shredded nicely), not the cubed stuff you buy in the grocery store...the kebab meat was probably frozen and the ham was the little match stick pieces of ham that looked more like salami (dark red) to me...I tried some the next day and it wasn't amazing.

My general opinion? 1/5

- Customer Service is quite sad...I felt bullied into buying the 3 dishes when I really only wanted 2 - and then on top of that she was going to charge me the 3� delivery fee anyway.  If you have a minimum order amount to match the 3� delivery fee - then why not list that on your site?  Slightly misleading if you ask me.  Maybe it was my phone - but the screaming has to stop...I held my phone away from my head a good foot and a half and still could hear her perfectly fine.  (It really may have been my volume on maximum...)
- Food Quality - portion size was good for both the Chinese and the pizza, but the flavour was quite bland.  Could have been more meat on the pizza I think...not so spread out so that the pizza toppings look even thinner (less) than what there was.
I have gotten better taste and quality at Sakura Gawa for my money's worth.

ONLY BONUSES:  Our food was piping hot - despite her being late...that Styrofoam box did wonders.  And they accept bank card as a payment option at the door.  And they use real chicken pieces on their pizza...

Would I order from there again?
No.  I'm sorry but I was quite disappointed overall and would not recommend Pick Up JKL.  Perhaps eating in the restaurant would be different - but the take-away service was blegh.
Sure there's "Well, it's better than nothing!"
Honestly, had we known this experience could happen like this - we would have just had grilled cheese sandwiches for supper.

How to Say "Hei Hei" to 30�

Do you ever have one of those days you think, "It can't possibly get any worse....but maybe it will?"
Yep - one of those - right here.

I was un-usually crabby today and was internally wanting to beat myself in the face with my little Finnish-English dictionary during what felt like a long day in class and was super happy when I got to the day-care that V�in� was napping in the double stroller.
Fantastic!

Ahti (youngest) was able to enjoy his snacks and a different movie other than Teletubbies in Finnish, while I started laundry, a load in the dish washer and did some tidying up.
Unfortunately, due to all this noise and the inner door of the flat being closed as well - I didn't hear V�in� scream when he woke up downstairs in the building's lobby.
Thankfully a neighbour from below came up and rang my bell and I rushed out - clumsily closing the inner door and hoping the outer door would stay open a bit so I could get back in (my neighbour looked pretty mad) quickly with V�in�.
No of course it couldn't be that smooth.
The outer door slammed quickly with the rush of air between the doors (Ahti opened the inner one) and I was locked out with an Autistic, screaming 3 year old...in my shorts and long-sleeved shirt - no socks and no shoes...no phone or keys.
Hubby wasn't due back for at least another hour or so...and I actually was calm about my 1.5 year old alone in a flat with the two dogs....the kitchen door was shut (=no knives, dishes or stove access) and the balcony door was closed (=reduces chance of a cold and eating dirt blown onto the balcony)...and a movie was playing....the dog's water bowl was the only thing I worried about actually!

I grab V�in� and start ringing doorbells of my neighbours - hoping SOMEONE would answer and speak English or understand my horrible Finnglish.
The neighbour beneath us did and kindly lent me her phone - so I tried calling my husband twice - no luck.  He wouldn't answer because it was a strange number and thought I was a telemarketer...I even called him once after another.  I didn't want to send a message and abuse the courtesy of my neighbour so she called the maintenance people and they came within 15 minutes to un-lock my door.
The flat lay-out is the same, however it was not home and V�in� was hungry and angry.
I thanked my neighbour profusely for her patience and help and believe it or not - her daughter got upset that we were LEAVING....shocker I know.  So I'll be leaving her some cookies tomorrow for her help.  She looks like the jogging/exercising type...hopefully she likes cookies though!

Signs I am possibly learning Finnish (in English):

Then the maintenance guy opened the door, I thanked him and thought he would leave.  He ended up walking into my flat - which was a total mess (I was working on that while V�in� was asleep!) and  stood there.  Finally he said the one word in English he knew after I asked him if he could speak English..."MONEY."
Well, how much because I don't carry cash and there was none to be found in my husband's desk...
30� (I'd be even happier if I mis-heard and it really was 13� - guess I'll find out later)...Okay well I don't have that amount and can't you send me the invoice? (I'm making square gestures by this point) and apparently that was a no-go.
So I told him flat out I don't have cash, I just have my bank card and he just stands there and stare at me waiting for me to pull the money out of my arse I suppose.
I figured out how to ask him if he could come tomorrow morning for the money and that I would have the cash then.
He understood and I double-checked everything and he finally left me in the peace and squalling of a 3-year old and a 1-year old retaliating against him with screams of his own.

It really depends who you rent from and the organization that provides the building maintenance because others in the Foreigners in JKL group have mentioned different prices and their companies DO provide an invoice...
I mean once you're in, would they actually ask you to leave since you can't pay in cash???

This is a FIRST since moving here that I've been 100% locked out...an experience not worth repeating or paying for - in case you were wondering.

How To Help And Offend...AT THE SAME TIME!

A couple weeks ago (I know - total slacker with my blogging...), Jyv�skyl� was a sheet of ice.  I'm not just referring to the lakes either!
The sidewalks were horrendous to walk on but as the sun peeked out more and more  - most of the side walk ice began to melt - yay!
But there were still a lot of rough and icy patches I assure you!  I have the busted up bruised knees to prove it.

Anyways, I decided to get my hair cut after my Finnish lessons one day and then grab the bus to head to a knitting group.
While waiting for the bus, I dug out the latest Sookie Stackhouse ("True Blood") novel and was enjoying trying to figure out who killed so and so...and what will happen with Eric and Sookie...or Bill..or Tara's pregnancy!
Sorry, did I get side-tracked?
This little old lady came walking over and there was a huge patch of ice in front of the bus stop and I noticed she had a cane with a rubber bottom - she didn't use the metal pick attachment.  Brave lady.
I kept an eye on her to make sure she got to the bench safely and she did.
After a couple minutes she asked me a series of questions in Finnish - I don't dare to try to write them down IN Finnish but my guesses in English instead, along with my responses in Finnglish.
*Please note:  When I hear Finnish now, I pick out the words I DO know and try to string them into a sentence to figure out what is being said/asked!  Also, please excuse any poor spelling in Finnish or Finnglish.*

• What book are you reading?
  "Englangtia!" - me so proud of myself...
• Oh English.  I have 2 boys and one lives in America and married an American (amerikkalainen) and they have children.
  "Joo.  (Me being super brave and thinking "maybe I'll use some of the Finnish I learned today!")
  M� olen kanadalainen."  (My inner Finnish-learning goddess does a happy dance since I repeatedly said this at least 20 times that day in class).
• "MIN�!" she screeches at me.
  *BANG*  There goes all my confidence...a quickly deflated balloon floating to the patch of ice on the ground...
  "Oh.  Min� olen..." I whisper meekly...but I double checked with other Finns later and they think it depends where she's from and perhaps "Min� olen" is the old-fashioned way...and my schoolwork still says "M� OLEN"...so there.  (Perhaps it's an issue of written versus spoken..anyway - clearly I'm still learning!)
• "Is your husband Finnish?"
  "Ei, kanadalainen." (Confidence slowly building...)
• "Does he live in Finland?"
  "Joo, asun Laajuavuoressa!" ("Yes, I live in Laajuavuori!" WAHOO - I'm getting there!)

Insert some quiet Finnish silence...then I dip my toes in the water again...
"Mulla on kaksi lastaa." (I have two children.)
She then continued to converse with me and all was fine in the world.

THEN the bus came.  

I flagged down the bus and she dug out her bus pass in her right hand and held onto her cane with her left.  I shuffled on the ice then turned back to help grab her RIGHT elbow to help her across the ice.

Well, she clearly thought I was going to rob her of her bus pass...because she had a look of fear on her face.

SERIOUSLY.

So I pointed to the ice and the bus and showed that I was trying to help her - not steal her freaking bus pass.
She then snootily told me that she did not need my help.

Fine - I got on the bus and that was it.

After sharing this experience on Facebook, some Finnish friends advised me to not take it too seriously or to heart that I was rejected to help her NOT break her bones because older Finns tend to be pretty darn un-grateful at times of need.
One friend mentioned that she helped this elderly lady carry her groceries X flights of stairs and made sure she got into her apartment safely and the lady didn't even thank her.  Just slammed the door in her face and that was it.
Not that my friend expected anything more than a "Kiitos!" (Thanks!) which takes all of 2 seconds to muster the courage and say it...and is free.

Thankfully, I do not use that bus stop very often - if at all.

The Palapeli Experience!

Sorry I haven't been writing much...first it was the flu...then the ski holiday - where I didn't actually ski...and then my kids went back to day-care only to end last week with a nasty case of Noro Virus which hit all of us in some way or other...and since STARTING this post over a week ago - my oldest kid got hit with ear infections in both ears...
Anyways, pretend with me that you're reading this the beginning of March!

I had been prepping for the Palapeli Finnish language assessment week.
A friend of mine had already completed this 5-days long assessment so I sort of knew what to expect.
There would be some basic math, writing components, learning a bit and some tests at the end to see what you know.  Both a spoken test and a written one.
In Finnish.

Hmm - well then.

I arrived there last Monday (4th of March) and the group of people were divided based on language spoken, as there were translators available from English to Chinese, Spanish to Persian, Russian to Swedish...
We were treated with a slide show explaining why Palapeli exists and what will be done in the assessments.
Here's the quick version of it (my words):

• You're separated into the 2 or 5-days assessment.  
• 2-Days assessment (I didn't do this one) is for people who:
• Speak multiple languages (not necessarily Finnish)
• Have graduated college or university. 
• Have studied Finnish in the past.
• 5-Days assessment (I did this one) is for people who:
• Recently moved to Finland.
• Do not know any or very little Finnish.
• Have not studied or completed post-secondary education.
• Have not studied Finnish before.
• I'm sure there are other criteria to distinguish the two but really - you're all on equal grounds by the end of it!
• Everyone is an equal in the long run.  (This was emphasized a hundred different ways in a span of 40 minutes...)
• Once you've completed your testing then you return for your results or you can call and get them over the phone.
• This assessment determines not only your Finnish language skills (if any and I assure you - many people DON'T have any!) but your basic math skills, memory and writing/reading skills. 
• If you are not very good at any of the above - do not worry or stress about it!  The big thing is that they can find you the help you need so when you are ready to look for a job in Finland, you will be employable.
• This is NOT a test of your IQ - but to see what is the best Finnish language course for you to be placed in and if you require any other help in the other areas they cover.
• Bring a pencil and an eraser and your exercise booklet when you go there.
• Don't be late because if you are - you may not be able to get into your classroom and you'll have to start over at the next assessment - which is every 2-3 months.  (Not sure how true this is because one fellow was late and he still got in on the 4th day...and this presentation was due to start at 9am and did not start until almost 9:30....so...take it for what it's worth?  Besides, it's polite to be on time/a bit early!)

Day 1

I was placed in group 1 of the 5-days assessment group (which there were 2) and there were no translators - we all spoke and understood English to some degree.
However, the teachers did not speak English when teaching us - it was all in 100% Finnish, which is a good thing!

We had our math test that morning and were given a piece of paper with 50 mixed math equations that had to be solved.  Multiplication, division, addition and subtraction...and you had 4 minutes to complete as many as possible.  When the timer went off, the teachers/assistants marked on your sheet where you finished and then we were given an extra 10 minutes to finish the test.
Yes, one girl in the group finished all 50 in 4 minutes...I made it to question 42 by the time the first timer went off - thanks for asking! :)

Day 2
A test of memory.  We learned some bits of Finnish and had to do a memory test.  As well, we learned how to say "My name is ____".  Along with some other super simple phrases.

Day 3
We learned more Finnish..."I'm married/I'm not married", "I have __ child(ren)", "I have __ sisters, __brothers, mother/father..."

Day 4
We had a speech test.  We were taken individually into a room with 2 teachers - one using the computer and typing your answers I guess, while the other asked you the questions.
Everything they ask is stuff you covered....but if you've lived in Finland for awhile or have studied prior to that assessment, they'll throw you some curve balls.
I was asked, "Kuinka vanha olet?"  I stumbled big time.  I apologized in Finnish (Anteeksi?) and she repeated it again.  My little brain fairies went through every filing cabinet in my head regarding the Finnish language and I recognized that "kuinka" meant how many or how - something!
But what?!
Finally I gave up (this was all in a span of 20 seconds) and she said in English,

"How old are you?"

Insert the brain fairy pulling out the image of Homer Simpson screaming, "D'OH!"
I quickly responded my age in Finnish and then they asked me (in English):
"What else do you know in Finnish?"
Well, that's not really a good question considering I've been here almost four years.  So I quickly said I knew mostly food, baby-related things and some conversation and craft terms.
That was that.

Day 5
The written test day....
We were allowed to correct our exercise book that we had been using for the past week, with one of their correct-answers-already-filled-in copies - so I had assumed the test would be a blank copy of our exercise booklet.
No - not true.
The first half I understood easily and flew through it...the second half was more challenging and that was a good thing for me.  I was able to push myself and see what I could answer.  I admit to using the process of elimination multiple times until I got the proper answer (so I hoped).

Once that was done, I had to wait about a week to go back (or call) to get my results.
I opted to go in person to get my results because the un-employment office had no idea I finished the assessment and they wanted a copy of my results and proof that I did it all.

It took a few minutes to explain to the person working in the office that SHE had the results and I was there to get them and that SHE needed to send a copy of my tests to the un-employment office...but after 5 minutes of blank stares and me pointing and making weird gestures and speaking repeatedly slowly...she got it.
And I found out that yours truly will be learning Suomea (Finnish) as of April 2nd for a 2.5-months long course!!  I'm excited and will be in the "Beginners Fast Paced" program.

I'll keep you updated as I struggle with all the joys of learning Finnish!

**Kortepohja Flasher!**

Hey folks:

This is a pretty serious post, especially for those that live in the Kortepohja Jyv�skyl�-area!
There have been reports of a man going around showing children dirty videos and flashing himself (dropping his pants or un-zipping them) to girls ages 7-10 years old.  He is described as a small man, a foreigner with a tanned complexion and is most active in the afternoons.
Not sure if it's the same fellow but a friend of mine has also seen a man shooting videos at a nearby school...

The police have not caught this man and do not have a firm description unfortunately - due to the cold weather - I'm sure this fellow is quite bundled up too!

Anyways, please keep an eye out and warn your children about this guy and for them to call for help and try to remember anything about him that may distinguish him - so the police can catch him!

In Finnish:
Kortepohjan itsens�paljastaja on taas liikenteess�. Olkaa vanhemmat ja lapset valppaana ja soittakaa poliisille havaintonne!

This is very sad and unfortunate that someone wishes to do these things in public and to children  (or do it at all)!!  I hope he's caught and I sincerely hope that Finns do not think all of us foreigners/expats behave in such a disgusting fashion!

Fig-a-no.

Recently I went on a date with my husband, which was fantastic as we haven't had a date in ages.  By ages, I mean at least 6 months.
It's not easy finding someone that is able to care for our children but we lucked out with a couple of friends and happily rushed to downtown to eat somewhere.
In previous years, we've gone to Harald - the Viking-style restaurant.  But since Tim has been to a few other restaurants with work-related meetings, he thought we could try something new.
We had looked online at some different places and opted to go to Figaro.

Figaro is fancy and fairly high in price but we figured an anniversary date/valentine's date/my birthday dinner all in one - justified a fancy place...that and a date for the first time in over 6 months - yep let's go!

We were greeted by servers dressed in black and advised them that we do not have a reservation.  They quickly found us a table, we were handed large black (single-sided) menus, served water and after a few short minutes took our order.
We started with the "Overcooked Lamb Shank with Allspice Ice Cream".  I advised the waitress that we could share this and she nodded and left with our order of Grilled Wild Boar and Beef � La Figaro.  We also ordered two glasses of wine and decided we would have our wine with our meal.
The waitress must have misunderstood because she showed up with two identical appetizers.  Of course the food could fit into my hand, the portion was so petite and the plate was rectangular and large.  Go figure - fancy food.
We didn't say anything about the mistake in ordering once we realized how small the portion was.  There was a TINY piece of lamb, a small brick the size of my pinky finger, a tiny blob of mustard, a bit of greens, a slice of a tortilla and a small scoop of this Allspice Ice Cream.  I honestly had no idea what to expect with this ice-cream and when you hear the word "ice-cream" you usually think of something sweet.  It looked like chocolate..with black specks...that's right - pepper.  And it tasted different - like spicy and soya sauce or Worcestershire sauce mixed in there...you really couldn't taste anything "dairy".  A very odd combination and not something I would eat again - and I'm pretty open to trying new things!

After we were served our meals, I decided to wait a couple minutes to see if our wine would arrive.  Tim began eating his meal right away and suggested I do the same before it got cold.  We ate our delicious food and I noticed that the wine probably won't be arriving any time soon, despite the fact that our waitress was still working and our table was beside the bar.
When we were more than half-finished with our meals, we managed to get a different server's attention and asked if we could have our wine that we had ordered.  He was surprised that we had ordered wine and immediately got us our glasses.
The server never asked us how our food was during our meal - which I figured would have been a good idea and a good oppourtunity to see if we needed anything - like our wine...
And the female waitress that we had at the beginning no longer served us after we got our main course - I'm not quite sure why because our table location never changed and she was still working the other tables - so who knows.  Perhaps she was a hostess but she didn't wear anything that distinguished her as different than a waiter(ess).

Oh right, the food - so Tim said the wild boar platter was really tasty and he seemed very happy with it all.  I thought it looked kind of plain sitting on a top of a puddle of sauce but he was super happy about it so I'm glad!
My steak was cooked perfectly medium, the bacon was nice and smokey and the jalapenos really complimented the steak, bacon and aioli.  The potatoes were fantastic and had a strong garlic flavour - so if you order this dish, make sure you have some gum or a mint afterwards!
And the Italian wine that went with the meal was fantastic and much easier to drink with the food!! (I'm not a huge wine drinker and can't have wine without food...)

So in short?  Figaro's food is impressive but the service is lacking.  I'm not sure if it was because we didn't dress to the nine's for our date or because we weren't much older than our first server that she decided to ignore us (not looking in our direction either)...but take it for what it's worth.  And yes, there were people dressed more casually than us - more suitable for a house party or club...but anyways!
If you don't care about excellent customer service during your meal but you care about fancy, expensive food of (slightly) odd combinations - definitely try Figaro.

Oh and another example of Figaro's poor service (based on a friend's experience) - my friend went there for a Christmas work party one year and they had pre-ordered their food, had a reservation and so on -  and when they arrived, nothing was available except water for at least an hour.  Then they were asked what they would like to drink, alcohol-wise, and then the food arrived almost 2 hours after they arrived.  My friend was quite disappointed by the whole experience and I can't blame her!

Next date night will be held elsewhere...same with next anniversary date night too.
Sorry Figaro - but it was more of a Fig-a-no.

Yet Another Restaurant Day!

Yesterday was Restaurant Day (Feb.17th) or in Finnish - 'Ravintola P�iv��.'
The point of Restaurant Day is to sell food of your making or to experience little pop-up caf�s/restaurants for 1 day.  Restaurant Day occurs four times a year and I think it's a great way for people to share food from their culture - especially if they are foreigners!  In a small city like Jyv�skyl� (compared to Helsinki or Tampere), the amount of foreign food is very limited at restaurants and we do not have a North American-style bakery!  

Yesterday was my "one-year anniversary" of selling for Restaurant Day as "Hooked On Sweets" and I hosted it outside for the first time.  Normally I set up my shop in a yarn store (permission required) called Poppeli.  

But recently Restaurant Day has been alternating between Saturdays and Sundays and because yesterday was a Sunday - Poppeli was closed!

What was I going to do?!

Well, I decided to set up on a long red bench located in downtown Jyv�skyl�!  There was no permission required and the police didn't swing by until the last 10 minutes of my selling!   They sat a few meters away facing me in their super-obvious-it's-a-ghost-vehicle (aka solid grey and same shape as their vans) and didn't leave until I did!

I drew a sign clearly stating that it was Restaurant Day and people have been very welcoming of me selling at a downtown location.

I offered take-away only - although the bench was so long, anyone could have sat there to enjoy their goodies!  However, sitting on a metal bench during a windy February day might not be ideal!

I get asked a lot of questions during my times of selling and they're all pretty good questions, that you as a foreigner probably experience all the time!

1. How long have you lived in Finland for?
2. Why do you live in Finland?
3. What part of Canada are you from?
4. Did you bake this all yourself?
5. Do you make any profit off of this?
6. How do I set up a caf� myself?
7. I bought ___ pieces - can I have some thing for free?

1-3.  I've lived in Finland for 4 years and moved here because my husband is studying to do his phD here (also a Canadian).  We're from Nova Scotia - home of Ellen Page (actress - Juno and Inception) and Sidney Crosby (a hockey player that no Finn seems to know of but is supposed to be the next Gretzky), the blueberry capital of Canada, home of Jost Winery and we have a lot of humidity too.

4.  Yes I baked everything myself - I take about 2 days to bake everything and try to make it as fresh as possible for Restaurant Day.

5.  It is possible to make profit depending on what your prices are like.  As a stay-at-home mother currently, waiting to study Finnish intensively, this is my only source of income that I can make independently.  I also think that asking if profit and how much of it is being made is quite intrusive because it's really no different than asking, "How much do you make?"  It's not something I would ask another person - let alone a pop-up-caf� owner.  Then again, curiosity killed the cat...

6.  You can set up a caf� yourself once every 3 months and you must register on the Restaurant Day site (listed below) in advance.  I strongly encourage it because it's a great way to educate others about food from your country and if there aren't any regular businesses that sell food from your country - it's a great way to see if there is potential to open a business some day!!

7.  I don't know why this is becoming a common trend and the people asking me this have been Finns.  I don't think it's fair to ask for free food because this certainly would not work at a restaurant or any shop..."Can I have a free pair of sneakers since I bought a pair and some socks for my kids?"  Yep, sounds ridiculous as you asking me (or any other Restauranteur) for free food because you chose to buy X-amount of food.  Not that I do not appreciate your business - but I certainly don't enjoy being asked for my hard work to be given away.

One thing that was pointed out to me several times by customers - both new and regular visitors to Hooked On Sweets - was that there were not many restaurants set up yesterday in Jyv�skyl�.  And there wasn't - perhaps because of the colder weather or because it was on a Sunday - I'm not sure why.  In fact, there were two places that were registered that were already restaurants/caf�s prior to Restaurant Day.

Yes, they were promoting new foods or discounts for the special day but a lot of comments received from my customers were that it was not fair to the one-day restaurants that were open because they are open everyday of the week (minimum five days) and Restaurant Day is not like that at all.

Looking at the Restaurant Day map now, the day after, those two registered businesses are no longer listed on the map even though the other pop-up caf�s are.

As long as you respect the property you're selling from and clean up after yourself - it's pretty much a green light to sell anywhere.

For more information and rules - check out Restaurant Day's site.  They are also listed on Facebook but you register yourself via the website.

So take advantage of this oppourtunity, have fun and share your culture and love of food!!

Restaurant Day! :)

Tomorrow is Restaurant Day and I will be set up in downtown Jyv�skyl� between Sokos and Forum.  There is a long red bench if you start walking down the hill towards the bus stops and I'll be there from 12 pm-4 pm.

Here's my menu and prices.