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I don't know if my body is trying to tell me it needs vitamin c boost, but whatever the reason, I've been craving clementines lately. I easily eat four a night if I sit on my computer working; right now they're so yummy (I also love oranges, but they're so messy to eat - you don't want to do it anywhere near your laptop). They feel like mini suns really with their orange colour, and like sun, they make me feel better too!
In the past few days we've also seen the real sun here. It's lovely, and I don't even mind it being cold (or colder - later in the winter -7 c would feel not-so-cold). I just have to get warmer shoes, and I'll be all set for winter. Well, December is right around the corner, so I guess winter is in time this year - let's hope this will last.
Have a lovely and hopefully sunny weekend! My weekend will be filled with studying, but I might be able to squeeze in coffee with friends as well.
I just noticed the other day that Christmas is just around the corner. Ooops. This is really strange for me, since I'm someone who usually begins Christmas plans in October. This autumn a lot has happened, though, with me moving and studying full time (indeed full time), so maybe that's why I hadn't given Christmas another thought until now.
I decided I'm going to be all relaxed about it though. I tend to spend lots of time finding the perfect Christmas presents for everybody (not that I always end up giving The Perfect Gifts, mind you), agonizing over which kind of Christmas cards I'll make, and even thinking about a theme / a colour scheme for wrapping paper. I don't know if the last sounds like fun to you or just like I'm strange, but it's fun to me. But this year I'm letting it all go. I'll even *gasp!* buy the few cards I'm going to send - I did have a few ideas for cards, but all things considered (like the fact I don't know whether I'd find the right supplies and I have an exam or two for every week before Christmas) I think store-bought is the way to go. Helps me stay calm and relaxed. I hope.
Don't get me wrong, I like agonizing over the perfect wrapping paper & ribbon combination, I don't stress about Christmas in a bad way (though last year I did have some anxiety attack symptoms just before Christmas - I don't think that had anything to do with ribbon, though). Although I'm afraid I'll have a nervous breakdown if I ever have a family and a home to decorate for Christmas. Or maybe I just won't have any time to stress about things like that if I have kids.
...That doesn't keep me from browsing The Nice Package! Flickr pool though. There's a lot of inspiration for gift wrapping (I think everything from red felt flower is absolutely beautiful), you can see some of my favourites up there.
After sitting non-stop at my laptop, taking breaks only to go sitting in class, I start to feel that my Jules chair isn't that comfortable, after all (but it was best of the cheap chairs, and ok really if you don't sit all day). One project down, and I-don't-want-to-think-how-many to go. As usual, I didn't start early, but I'm unusually relaxed about it all - maybe I'm finally embracing the fact I'll never do anything until I have to, and probably do better work under pressure. Or at least I do it faster. Maybe I could attend some 'Embrace your inner sloth' -course?
I hope I'll have a chance to go to Helsinki this weekend. I've got a gift certificate for a yarnshop in Helsinki, and I have to use it before December. Also got some other things to take care of there. And I miss this guy.
On the other hand, I know I'll probably get more things done for my classes if I stay here - we'll see.
Photos that have made me happy lately:
this by Jay Waldron (found him via Abby; I like so many of his photos... the light & atmosphere in this one)
and this by Sannah Kvist
Hope they make you smile too!
This is what I've been doing, so nothing special going on here.
I've also been getting Christmas food cravings - I already bought Annas Pepparkakor (they are the best store bough I've found) few weeks ago, and the other day I was craving for glög (kind of mulled wine) and the dish very close to rice pudding we eat in Finland usually on the Christmas Eve (or at least, my family does). It's less sweet though, no vanilla, and we eat it as the main dish, hot & sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. And we call it porridge. Must sound crazy to everyone who's used to rice puddings... Traditionally one almond is put in the porridge, and the one who gets it will marry in the next year / get lucky some other way.
Maybe it was the snow that got me thinking of glög and all. It's all gone now, though - well, I don't have to decide whether to get winter tyres for my bike or just stop cycling. But just today I was thinking of my nephew, who's going to be two in three months (already! can't believe that) and then I realized how near Christmas is. Better do something about it. No self-made presents this year at all, but maybe Etsy will come to help!
Now I'll stop babbling - here are some links for you to look at while I sip glög and try to get back to work:
I found Kris Atomic's blog just today. I like it even better because the first thing I saw was lyrics from a song I like. :)
And she reminded me (one of her posts did, that is) about Robert Ryan. I've been in love with his beautiful and amazing work for a while, but didn't knew he had a blog too. And here's his shop.
Have a good week, y'all! (As I'd say if I spoke with Southern American accent. That's what I've been studying about. [by the way, just last week I was told I write American English and speak with a British accent. Hmm.])
This tin is a flea market find, from Helsinki in October. It's really beautiful, with all kinds of butterflies round it (everyone's different, and there's also their species in Swedish and Latin), and quite large - about 22 cm in circumference. I probably found it only because my friend J was with me; he seems to have good flea market karma. Some people do, they always find something nice - like miss A, who is the queen of fleamarket finds - and some don't. I don't usually find anything special, or maybe it's also the fact that I want the stuff I buy be too special for it to come home with me, cheap or not.
On the lid it says 'AB Svea Choklad Norrköping'. Does Svea Choklad still exist, Swedes out there?
I still don't know what I'm going to keep there - but clearly that should be something really nice.
On my way to university, I pass a park with a small pond in the middle. I think the park is one of the best things of this neighbourhood. When I walked through the park on Wednesday, the pond had just began to freeze.
Today it was covered with snow.
I found this badge in Helsinki a while ago. It says something like the title to this post and ...that's me. In addition to being very good at procrastinating, I've got a really bad memory. So bad it terrifies me to think what I'll be like, say, 40 years from now, when I'm over 60. On the other hand, I can always blame not sleeping well as the reason for my short term memory loss (and it indeed is far worse when I sleep too little - how do you cope at all, mothers with little kids?).
We have winter now! Yesterday it was a lovely day, sunny and frosty, and today it snowed! Not much, but it's like everything's coated with icing sugar. And it's not so dark with snow all over. I better finish knitting the woolly hat I started on Sunday.
Another good thing, I now have working internet connection! First I put off getting one, and then it didn't work, but thanks to a girl in my speaking practice class, with I managed to make it happen without having to go back to the shop. Yay! It really makes things easier, and no more late nights spent at the university's computer centre.
...I'm trying to catch up with all the work. And phew there's a lot of it! Mostly the work's interesting, though, so it's ok.
I had a super social weekend (even more so considering that I usually spend my nights alone at home - don't know that many people in Tampere yet). Miss A, whom I've known for 21 years, most of my life that is, came from Helsinki for the weekend. Together we met two other friends who went to school with us, it was great fun!
A and I didn't have very specific plans for the weekend, but walked about town in a touristy way, and visited a couple of cafés. One of them was Café Europa, which I love for it's atmosphere and huge café au laits. It feels like I'm in some weird movie when I'm there (I'm thinking Jean-Pierre Jeunet). They've got old, mismatched furniture, walls painted in strong colours and comfortably dim lighting. A concept that feels really unique compared to all the sleek, modern coffee houses. (Liivia posted some photos from Café Europa recently.)
In November it's really dark in Finland. The days get shorter and shorter, there's no much snow yet and if the sky is overcast it seems like the day doesn't really break at all. This is the time I tend to weary of all the darkness and start hoping for snow - which in Southern Finland won't stay for a while (Though I love the sea in Helsinki, I hate the fact that living on the coast means there's less snow in the winter - in Eastern Finland where I grew up they often get the heaviest snowfalls of the country. Let's see if moving a bit inland helps...).
On the other hand this is the perfect time to stay put, drink hot chocolate or tea with honey, wear woollen socks and make yourself as cozy as you can.
This evening I will attend an exhibition opening in the Verkaranta centre for arts and crafts. I've never been there, but have always thought it looks great (the building's a former dying plant). The exhibition which opens today is by a group of seven young textile artists, Rajatekijät (link in Finnish only),two of which are my friends. I'm sure it'll be a fun evening! Plus, having no life in Tampere outside the university, it's exciting to get to dress up a little and meet people. Now I better hurry up!
The crazy matchbox is from Åbo bar in Helsinki - they have (or at least used to have) a mega-sized enlargement of the photo on the wall there. Should go see it sometime and get some new matchboxes.
memorial plaques in Malmi cemetary, Helsinki
Have a good week, everyone!
Today is the birthday of P,one of my dearest friends. Tomorrow there'll be party, I'm looking forward to it since P&M throw the best parties. Or maybe they just know the nicest people.
Happy colourful weekend to you all!
