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Thursday was independence day here in Finland, so I had four days of which I meant to use effectively. Unfortunately the flu attacked with a vengeance, so I haven't done much. I have four exams next week (I meant to use the weekend studying for those) so I might continue being quiet... But after that I'll try to stop whining about the flu and blog about more cheerful things!
Here are some photos from last Wednesday. It was a lovely day, a bit chilly and the sun even came out for a little while. Sadly the snow is gone now.
There are a lot of buildings in Tampere city centre which have formerly been some kind of factories or mills. Nowadays there's only one cardboard mill working. When I first moved here I found it really odd there's a mill in the middle of the city! I do like all the old industrial buildings though, I think they are really beautiful. I wish people would think of beauty when designing modern factories, too...
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'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.)
The view from university to the part of town I live in is nice now the trees are all colourful(the first photo is taken through a window, so it's a bit blurry...).
I seem to have nothing interesting to say these days. Not being able to blog at home when the mood strikes might have something to do with it... Today it's been a lovely sunny day, though I've spent most of the time inside - first sleeping late (good) and then procrastinating (bad). I should be studying for two exams. I am a big procrastinator, and the worst thing about it is that I decide I shall not do anything fun, so end up neither having fun nor doing what I should really be doing. Now I've got a prize for myself though - if I study hard enough tonight and wake up early tomorrow to study more, I'll get to take part in some student activity later tomorrow. We'll see what happens...
toast=comfort food
On Fridays I have only one lecture, but that's way too early in the morning for my taste - from 8:30 to 10. I know it's not early by most people's standards, but for me it is, if I have to be somewhere (see number 14). If I can stay home and have my coffee in peace, it's ok. (I know, this is probably the result of spending many years as a student and/or having a job that was in a walking distance from my home and I didn't have to be there until 9:30. I do realise I'll probably have to give in to the fact that most of the world lives at a different pace sooner or later.)
I'd gone to bed early enough but woke up twice feeling someone was in the room with me, after having a dream about a ghost* which came to tell me that my friend was in danger. I'm not superstitious, but that's still not the best feeling to have when you wake up.
*Or maybe it was more like a hologram of another friend, like Princess Leia in Star Wars...
Luckily, today's lecture was really interesting, and when I walked home the sun began shining. After a second, proper breakfast I felt much better. I am going to call the friend who visited my dream, though. (Fear not friends - I've had dreams about something bad happening to a friend before, and nothing has happened really.)
Last night it snowed! Well, maybe it was more like sleet, and mostly gone by noon, but still. Isn't it a bit too early for that?
My studies have started in earnest, and I`m trying to get my mind around the fact I do, in fact, live here in Tampere now. Not to say that`s a bad thing; it`s just a new thing, after seven years in Helsinki, and I wonder how long it`ll take until I stop feeling like I`m only visiting.
My tiny room is in the top floor of a 1940`s house. The neighbourhood is quiet, going from my place to the university (2.5 km - one mile) I walk mostly past houses as old or older, some with nice gardens. There`s also a fairly large park nearby. Unfortunately I live opposite a warehouse, and there are some more warehouses or industrial buildings (and not the pictoresque 18th century ones) behind that... But I try not to walk that way.
On the photo above is the house I live in. You wouldn`t believe there are nine flats in that house, would you? My flat is in quite a poor condition, I think nothing`s been done there in about 40 years, but that`s what you get wanting to live cheap, I guess... But it`s not as cute as you think by looking at the house! It wouldn`t be that bad if the guy who lived there had cleaned the flat even once while living there - it certainly looks like he never did. Let`s just say that I was close to tears when I first went there after I got the keys and saw the place without furniture hiding the dirt (yes, actual dirt). It is getting gradually better, but still a lot of scrubbing to do...
On the plus side: this photo is taken from my window. In the evenings the scent of apples greet me as I come home. Brings me joy every time.
My whole day was devoted to moving. It wasn`t as hard as I thought - I didn`t have that many boxes of stuff after all. Actually me and sis were mostly quick and efficient (thanks to P who helped us load the car!). The hardest part was putting together my new Ikea bookshelf ...I guess everyone who`s ever put together Ikea furniture knows what I mean! We also found a pizza/kebab place near the apartment, it was surprisingly nice - and the pizzas were huge.
ready to go...
The weekend will be devoted to some cleaning here in Helsinki and meeting friends. And taking time to think about the feet week photos - mostly I`ve snapped them in hurry to do something else. Like today. Sorry!
my feet in the morning light - and my jeans really aren`t as long as they seem!
I`m so glad this week is almost over. It`s been a very stressful one: the first days in the university (I`m very good at getting stressed about things like that and feeling like I`m doing the wrong thing etc.), moving, and something happening that made me worry about a friend - a lot. And because of/in addition to that I`ve slept too little, or not at all, most nights*. I even kind of began to hope I`d be a smoker, just to have something to calm my nerves while high on caffeine and adrenalin. I`ve tried crocheting instead, because smoking my first cigarette ever and choking on the smoke at this age would`ve just been too embarrassing! Oh well, life goes on, things will get easier with the time, even the extremely difficult ones.
*I blame my insomnia for the bad English in the last few posts - I better shape up before I have to write my first paper!
