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June 14, 2006

The Land of Plenty

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I'm way too late with updating my blog, but I should be forgiven. I've traveled half way around the world since last week. Besides different time zones, jetlag, important things to do, one always encounters other unexpected obstacles while traveling. In my case it was lack of standards when it comes to electricity plugs and, yes yes... the Finnish prices.. Maybe I'm spoiled by the vibrant Leijonakaupunki economy, but I couldn't imagine paying 39 euros (!!!) for a simple adaptor!!!

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Yes yes, prices of everything was the first thing that almost knocked my off my feet. 3.6 euro coffees and 3.6 euro city bus tickets.. Hmmm.. My savings will melt in weeks time.. :( Should spend more time in the mokki and start some self-substinence project, such as planting potatoes, collecting berries, etc.

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I was also surprised by the lack of people in the streets, everything felt just too empty, even at the most crowded moments. I remember the times when Saturday afternoons in Stockman department store seemed to be a complete madness, now it feels slightly more "lively". Well, considering that in Leijonakaupunki we used to have 6500 people/sq km, the Finnish 15 people/sq km is an interesting and refreshing concept.

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Maybe everything felt empty last weekend, because the whole city was in Senatintori, watching the event representing Karjala region?

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There were people dancing and singing, and of course there was food, this salmon cooked at the open fire was NAM!

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Ice cream is another national feature of the Finnish summer. We've been frying our arses in tropics for 2 years, but I have to say that I never really had that much of ice cream there (unless as a desert at home). So you can't say that people eat it because of the heat. In Finland you just have to have ice cream from a kioski, as soon as the first signs of spring/summer appear. Its an ultimate summer food (unthinkable in winter though..). If its sunny, you eat it every day. I ended up having tons of ice cream.

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In general, it didn't feel at all that I've been absent for 2 years. Nothing has changed, really. Except that children have grown. Its crazy, last time I saw Luna, she was a tiny bundle and now she walks and talks and has her own opinion. I think I also changed, because of Luca and other children around in Leijonakaupunki, I don't freak out anymore when I'm handed one.. :)

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I spent a lot of time (actually all the time in Helsinki) hanging out with people, visiting places (such as Media Lab, wow, it was full of great people that I haven't seen for the longest time! :) going for walks, sauna, lunches, bbq, dinners and coffees. So its been really good. But I'm getting suspicious that if I'd hang around for longer time, my novelty would wear off and I'd have much harder time convincing people to sit (or walk) with me for hours, talking nonsense and having liters of tea/coffee. But I'll try... :)

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Leijonakaupunki seems ages, lightyears away. It was extremely nice to go there again and meet all the friends, I wish I could have spent a bit longer time. Once you're just visiting and not living/working there, Leijonakaupunki becomes a very pleasant place to be without all the nonsense and pressure related to work/politics/long term lifestyle. I'm happy to recognize places, people, language, food, understand some social norms and somewhat I think I really love the place, especially because of the people that I met and that still live there.

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I bought couple of Leijonakaupunki movies and I have to confess that I've been watching bits and pieces of them while in Helsinki. Being here is very easy to forget that there are other places in the world with their own realities. I somehow don't want that to slip away.

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And here are some of the last pics from Leijonakaupunki vs NZ, guess which sign comes from which country?.. :)

Right now its my first morning in Lithuania after 2 years away. Stay tuned and we'll see what I find here.. :)

Posted by gkligyte at June 14, 2006 07:28 PM
Comments
you stupid girl... of course you can always spend hours sipping tea here. COme back soon, I mean you are somewhere around now. Call! Posted by: abc on June 29, 2006 03:53 PM
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