Learning about Finland

Just For the Ladies!

2012-02-14T03:41:00.001-08:00

Let's talk ladies about the best way to get free fabric to make yourself a fabulous skirt!

This February there are 29 days, as opposed to 28 - and it only occurs every 4 years.
Some know it as Leap Year (the year that the extra day occurs) and some know it as Leap Day.

What's the big deal?

Well, it's the day that everybody considers a little odd and backwards - so of course, the tradition of a man asking for a woman's hand in marriage is nixed and it's the woman who can propose to the man!
I know - it's not entirely a "Finnish tradition" but I'm getting to it!

So if the man says "Yes! Joo!" - great! Get planning and congratulations!

But what if....what if the man says "No thank you. Ei." ?!?!?!?!
That man has to buy you some fabric for a skirt!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know what you're thinking and hundreds of single Finnish women have done it too....
Start proposing to every single man you know - and you'll have a brand new wardrobe of skirts! (You only get the fabric - so you better be good with thread and a needle or have a very loving friend to sew it for you!)

Finnish women do this on purpose and I can't blame them!! If I could sew and was single - then I would definitely be sending out emails to random strange men and go wild with skirt patterns! HA!

Now, one hilarious thing that my friend told me about, was from 1956-1981 there was a man Finnish President named Urho Kekkonen and after his wife passed away in the 70's...all the ladies sent him a proposal request.
He denied all of them BUT he sent them all fabric and has never re-married!

There ya go...advice on a new wardrobe AND a love story (sort of)!
Have fun proposing!

*Huge thanks to my friend Arja who told me all of this so I could blog about it!*

Finnish Top 90 Problems!

2012-02-14T03:23:00.000-08:00

If you're on Facebook and you have a Finnish friend or two on there - then you may have seen this site, Finnish Problems.

They're all the same image - of an older man with long hair and a thick beard - probably portraying the ever-so-famous Väinömöinen - complete with a Kannel (an old traditional musical instrument) and a bottle of Finnish vodka.

I wonder if Jay-Z could write a new rap song, "Finland's Got 90 Problems (Thus Far)..."

#26

2012-02-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

For 2 weeks I'll be renting a table at Silinteri. Table #26 - which is near the front by the cash register :).

It's mostly baby clothing up to size 68cm (4 months or so), other baby things and cloth diapers! My baby is THAT huge that he's grown out of a lot of stuff and I'll be bringing stuff to the table everyday...it's just a matter of gathering it all together and pricing it etc.

Thanks!

Swamp Water?

2012-02-07T02:37:00.000-08:00

For those that were kids in the 90's...do you remember "Swamp Water"?

Swamp Water was a mixture of all the pop (or "soda" as Finns call it) at the party or wherever you were drinking pop.
Coke, Pepsi, Sprite/7-Up, Root beer, Cream Soda, Ginger Ale, Mountain Dew...whatever was there - you mixed it in together to create "Swamp Water".

Well, I found a mixture of orange and Coke-a-Cola....it's called Mezzo Mix and doesn't taste too bad.

So may this be a lesson to you - whenever you go out and ask for a "pop" - Finns will give you the "WTF?!" eye (unless they know the word).

It's not called "pop" here...it's "soda".

Or just simply stick with "a drink of ________". I often forget that "pop" is an odd-ball word here and then when I'm about to grab a cup at Subway, THEN the cashier is like, "OH you meant soda."

WOW!

2012-02-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

Restaurant Day was super fun and I can't thank you enough for supporting Hooked On Sweets!
I was mentioned in a newspaper article and thought I'd share that with you too.

Thanks a bunch and I can't wait for May!

YAY!

2012-01-31T14:48:00.001-08:00

Here's my Hooked On Sweets Restaurant Day advertisement!
I think before it was registered under my name - which explains why I couldn't find it when I searched for it for the last few days! :-)

There is limited seating - but take-away is definitely available!!!
See you there!

Possibly My Blondest Moment Yet...

2012-01-31T05:41:00.000-08:00

OH dear.....yep I had one of "those" nights last night. Not a binge-drinking one or stuffing my face with cake and ice cream while crying and watching chick flicks alone in the dark...no. I had one of those "DUH" moments and then acted on it which made it into a "super DUH" moment...

Ready?

I went out to meet my friends with our dogs on the lake last night and there's a new person there with a very tall dog that looks like a whippet but a bit thicker.
He wore a coat and a reflective vest and was very fast and handsome!

I introduced myself and asked what kind of dog he was.
"A police dog" she said.
"Ohhh cool. What are you training him to do?" -me
"To run in the fields".
I was thinking "What would be the point of that?!"
So I just simply nodded and said "Ahhh."

Later on, as we hiked in the woods surrounding the lake, I thought I'd be friendly again and asked her, "So are you a police officer or just his trainer?"
She looks at me and says, "I don't understand?"
So I repeated my question...and she looked so terribly confused.
Then I asked, "You said earlier he was a police dog right? Like he'll learn to sniff for drugs or chase down bad guys - right?"

(And here's the punch line you've all been waiting for...)

"Oh no! I'm not police! He is a POLISH HOUND DOG. I got him imported from Poland and he's a hunting dog breed."

Holy cow did I feel like an idiot.
Someone should just buy me a big box of blonde hair dye soon....

My Restaurant Day Menu!

2012-01-29T01:06:00.000-08:00

Finally! With less than a week to go - I have finally decided on a set menu for February 4th aka Restaurant Day!
I will write another post once I know exactly how much of each product I have available - probably late Friday night, early Saturday morning....or as I go along and bake things!

Domino Truffle Balls - 1€ each
Death By Chocolate Cookies - 1,50€ each
4 Cheese Cakes available (total 32 slices)

Chocolate and Vanilla Swirl (Lactose-Free) - 3€ / slice
Blueberry - 2,50€ /slice
Mixed Berries and Chocolate (Lactose-Free) - 3,50€/slice
Mint and Chocolate chips! - 3€/slice

** Nutella & Peanut-Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten AND Lactose-Free) - 1,50€ each
** Banana Bread (total approximately 33 slices):

Banana Bread with Chocolate chunks (Lactose-Free) - 2€ /slice
Banana Bread with raisins and walnuts - 2€/slice
Banana Bread plain (no nuts, chocolate or raisins) - 1,50€/slice

The Oatmeal Party Cookies! - Price to be determined once I know the finished size!
** Santa Cookies - 2€ each
Blueberry Muffins - Price to be determined once I know the finished size!
- (Possibly another flavour of muffin)

I think that is about it for now....anything you see with "**" means there WILL be samples available.
Not everything I make is easy to give samples of because of their shape, size or it would be too messy! :-)

I will be writing a separate post (or page) with all ingredients listed in the above mentioned items so you know what to expect when you arrive. As well, there WILL be ingredients cards listed in English and Finnish on site!

As well, there will be hot coffee, tea, hot chocolate and other hot drinks (i.e. cappucino etc.) available on site!

I will have a lovely translator with me, named Heidi! She's bilingual and very fun and friendly! (She's also tasted everything I have baked and can testify or describe flavours for you!)

So please come on by to Poppeli (Keskustie 18, Jyväskylä) next Saturday, February 4th and get yourself Hooked on Sweets!
Dominique

Made in Canada - What a Shame!

2012-01-27T23:27:00.000-08:00

I have been on a wild hunt for tall winter boots lately and haven't had much luck at the second-hand shops.

My needs are just like everyone else's when it comes to winter foot wear:

Good grip - I walk with the stroller and kids and don't want to lose my grip and fall...and same when walking the dogs and I'm being dragged around sometimes.
Warmth - yesterday was -18*C and it's supposed to drop to -26*C soon...
Water-resistant or even better, water-proof!
A fairly tall boot so my legs are warmer.

Pretty simple - right?

Well, because I didn't have any good luck at the second hand shops (they were either too big, mostly too small, made for skiing only or didn't have a price on them) - I thought I'd take a peek downtown.

I had to go to Antilla anyway to look for some rubber bands - so I thought I'd swing by and look at the winter boots section.

I was looking in the kids section - which typically goes up to size 39 European (about a 7.5 - 8 US size) and fits just fine.

Well, look what I found!!!!! There's even a sign above them announcing in Finnish that they were made in Canada!!! WELL, I can't go wrong with that, right?!

These were only 15€ and made in Canada apparently.
The white fluffy lining is only on the top to make them look warm... they're not lined like that on the inside.

You would think there would be better grips - since Canadians are no strangers to ice and snow...
The bottoms were very smooth.

The tag that comes with them....

But it was such a good price - I couldn't resist!

Don't buy them.

I hate to be all anti-Canadian when it comes to supporting my home country - but these boots are awful.

They fit well - which was nice, as I was wearing cotton knee-high socks and thick wool socks on top too....the laces seemed tight enough and they were just the right height.

But the lining inside was VERY poor....it wasn't warm at all. I am pretty sure my feet were dry - which is good...but it'd be nicer if they were just as warm as they were water-repellent!

I tested them out last night on the lake in about -18*C weather and was very disappointed. Let's put it this way...I can go out on the same lake (marsh/swamp whatever) with the dogs and stand there talking with my friends while our dogs run around and play in my RUBBER BOOTS (0 lining) and my feet were warmer.

Why don't I keep using those rubber boots? They're cracking with age - so I 've been on the hunt for new winter boots.

Didn't you BRING winter boots with you?!

Of course I did - don't be silly. But my husband has been wearing them (they're men's boots from Payless...best $40 I spent!) and they're kind of short - so they've been chafing my legs (hence the knee-high socks now).

Anyways, I'll be returning these boots to Antilla and asking for a refund to be applied to another pair of boots (will try them first like I did with this pair) made by Adidas that have way better grip, possibly lined better (I can't remember) but a steeper price.

They're black and pink and on sale for a little under 60€...normally double in price.

I hate spending a lot of money on things - but winter boots are a must for living and surviving a Finnish winter.

I'll try looking at other shops too if I can.

The typical return or exchange policy on items bought in Finland is about 14 days, provided you have the receipt and even better, the price tags still.

Just check with your shop to find out their refund policies!

He's Gay - Yep.

2012-01-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

So if you haven't been following the news outside of Finland - you probably didn't know that Finland is in the process of electing their newest President. A President can hold their spot for 6 years and only be re-elected once (total of 2 terms).

I typically do not write about politics (or religion for that matter) because it causes a lot of controversy, debate and sometimes some very nasty comments.
But this is something interesting.......

I found out that there is a Presidential candidate that is gay through Facebook (don't we all find out the juiciest stuff there?) and my friend had posted it from Perez Hilton's site.
Of course, Perez is a huge LGBT supporter and honestly - I support the their choice as well. I think it shouldn't matter who you prefer - as long as you treat them nicely and honestly. That's what you'd expect from a heterosexual partner - right?

Anyway, I continue...

I went to a knitting group last night - and we haven't met in ages! There were some new faces there - and it turned out the hostess had recently had a birthday and they were there with lots of lavish cakes and it was a mini celebration too.
There was a heavy discussion of Afghanistan because one of the guests has worked there for 27/30 years! Holy impressive!
And then they got talking politics (mostly in Finnish). I heard the word "homo" and while my ears perked a little out of curiosity - I remained quiet because frankly, political conversation is not my cup of tea.
THEN they turned to me and said, "Dominique, did you know that there is a Presidential candidate, Pekka Haavisto, he is a homo!"
"Yes, I am aware there is someone gay - I actually found out about it on an American website." - me
"What do you think of this homo running to be our President?" was the next hardball thrown at me.
I sipped my tea and weighed my words carefully...or as best as I could...

"Well, Finland has already made major headlines with having a woman as a President, Tarja Halonen....and it's clearly opening people's eyes to be more accepting of women and men as being equals...I mean, look at the US - they're finally getting around to accepting a black man as a President and Hilary Clinton could have been President...and she's a woman. I think that says a lot."
They all cheered and clapped at men and women being equal.
Then I threw the bomb.
"Now, when it comes to a gay man being President of any country - I think it's fine. I mean - who cares? He's a person just like anyone else."

And that's when the silence hit me like a tonne of bricks.

The lady firmly stated, "No, the homo will not make a good President."
That was it - my dismissal - no further discussion.
My friend and neighbour whispered, "She just means as a President he would not be a good choice"...(What - because of his sexual preference?!)
This lady then clarifies: "If we have a homo President - he'll never go anywhere. If you are in Afghanistan - and you are gay - you are killed!"
Okay, well why Finland's politicians are being sent over to Afghanistan - I don't know...and after some discussion with my husband that night - he said that foreign dignitaries' sexual preferences are not considered in a foreign country. Nobody would say, "Sorry President of the ____________ country - you're not allowed because you prefer ________ over ________."
And I would think that if you KNOW the country you're going to has some culturally strict beliefs - you would respect that country and not put on a huge display against their beliefs...it'd be a little rude to do so - especially if you're the President and representing your country. (Not just homosexuality but for examples: showing affection in public, if you're a woman - wearing t-shirts or shorts..you know what I mean.)

Anyways, I was clearly labelled a "Gay Lover" silently and from that point on, that lady had absolutely nothing to say to me and made sure to ignore me in every way possible...which was fine because I had some knitting to do.

And then to make the knitting night slightly MORE awkward.... the two ladies that were friends of the hostess decided to whip out the Bible and read passages from it in Finnish. I don't know what was being said and if it was their way of sticking it to the gay man or what....but my friend advised me later that they were saying, "If you feel like this you should read this one! If you're in doubt of that read this........"
Not that there's ANYTHING wrong with reading the Bible - but I was curious if it was in response to my acceptance of a gay Presidential candidate.
I guess I'll never know and I don't really care too much as I cannot vote anyhow.

With that all said and done, here's an article in English about the Presidential candidates and all the best to both of them.

(Finland also has a Prime Minister too! Try to get your head around that one!!)

*I sincerely hope I did not offend anybody as that was not my intention but merely to advise you of the current hot topic in Finland. I rarely discuss politics or religion and with that said - this post has been re-read several times and edited several times to show you simply my experience.*

Therapy

2012-01-23T03:15:00.000-08:00

One thing that can cost quite the pretty penny for folks in North America is therapy.
Whether it's physiotherapy, mental therapy or speech therapy (I know there are more kinds out there but cannot list them all) - it'll cost you.
Some employers offer their employees free therapy at certain therapist offices...which is great! And which I have used in the past to get over some troubling events in my life.

Never would I have thought that I would need to get my 2-year old therapy.
Well, in Finland - for children- therapy is free (so I've been told).
Why does my 2-year old require some therapy?

Well, Väinö is 2-years old and doesn't speak at all. Some relatives on my husband's side didn't speak until they were older than that...but we thought it was odd because let's face it: I talk a lot.
That and he's surrounded by languages...English and Finnish and a little Portugese!! (Good friends of ours are from Brazil and visit regularly).
But it's not just the lack of speech that had us concerned at first.
We noticed that Väinö may love his DVDs to the point of obsession...and he doesn't play with toys at all....he loves books though but doesn't look at them page by page either. Lately he hasn't played on any of the playground equipment either!! And he normally LOVES the swings! Perhaps it's because the swing seats are cold because of the winter...but still....
If you pointed at something - he wouldn't look at the item or spot you were pointing to..he'd rather look at your finger.
95% of people he sees on a semi-regular basis - he's terrified of. We can't figure it out...he just ignores them and if they try to hold him - he goes wild. And not the "I just won a million Euros!!!" wild either.
And the hardest thing is that Väinö doesn't listen. I'm positive he understands what we're saying - but if he's bouncing everywhere - no matter how many times I clap my hands, yell, sit him down on a time out - he just goes back to jumping as soon as my back is turned.
(The list could go on forever...don't get me wrong - there are plenty of wonderful things about Väinö too!)
This has all been very frustrating...I am willing to admit that it has sometimes put a strain on our relationship with our son and between my husband and I too. After much discussion we finally decided to be open-minded and realize that perhaps it's something a tad more serious than being a "spirited child" as we originally thought.

Thanks to having regular Neuvola appointments with my youngest, the nurse has been asking about Väinö regularly and back in December she recommended a speech therapist.
I was there again last week and advised her that nobody has called to make an appointment yet - so she got on them for me and this morning I got a phone call from a local speech therapist.
AND the speech therapist is going to request a young child-psychologist sees Väinö as well! This is great.

We are suspecting that Väinö may have some spectrum of Autism or Asperger's Syndrome and we're trying as hard as possible to get not only the help he needs but the advice we need to help him grow and be more sociable.
(Poking other kids in their eyes can be cute only for so long - right?)

I'll keep you updated on this journey - not that I enjoy spreading my personal life on the internet in this fashion, however, I hope this can reach other parents that perhaps live in Finland (or another country) and I want you to know how things go here. And that there's nothing wrong with getting some help when you need it.

Pinterest!

2012-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

I have finally gotten around to updating my Pinterest account...(Google + will come eventually...)

What is Pinterest? Well, from what I understand it's an online bulletin board where you can create boards (i.e. "Food", "Crafts", "Travels") and put "pins" (aka photos) on them.
Then the Pinterest online world can see them...

I know a long time ago, I promised to put photos of my trip to Paris, Estonia and Sweden online, but Blogger can be so slow...so if you go check out my Pinterest account (see that bright red button on the right side of this page?) there are some photos now "pinned".

You can like and re-pin photos to your boards...so many people I spoke with have said they've used it as a source of inspiration for crafts and whatnot....I think it's a fantastic idea.

Just be warned:

No hateful content is allowed
No nudity is allowed
No self-promoting

And that's pretty much it but if you sign up for it (you need an invite from someone already on it) then all the rules will be laid out for you in a simple and easy to read format. (AKA no fine print in teeny-tiny lettering that you wouldn't bother to read if you had a magnifying glass available).

Enjoy!

Well, well, well....

2012-01-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

This morning I got something in the mail.
Guess what it was?

If you thought, "a bill" - you're wrong.
But if you thought, "The baby's Kela card!" - Yes! You're right!

Funny how a little piece of plastic with some small writing can actually take 4-6 weeks...but if I go in and fight for it - I get it in what...less than a week?

Interesting how Kela works. (Don't worry - nobody understands how Kela works.)

Just Another Ride On The Bus!

2012-01-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

I recently took the bus to a friend's place and on my way back (it was over the bridge - in Kukkola area), I had THE craziest driver ever.
The roads were really slippery but this driver was a speedy one.
After I paid and got back to the stroller (I brought my youngest with me), we shot off into the lane and the back doors were still open for awhile until he came to a red light and realized that "Well, I forgot to shut the back doors". Then we zoomed off again into the darkness....

Every single red light - if nobody was coming - we drove through, by the time the lights turned yellow (they turn yellow then green), the bus was already half-way through the intersection.
I was feeling slightly nauseous prior to getting to the downtown stop...

We get to the downtown stop and we're behind the 25K bus (I'm on the 18 or 18K) and a couple people managed to get on. One lady and her spouse didn't have smaller change so the bus driver was getting frustrated counting out the change to give them.
Then he shut the doors and we zipped off....

The problem with this? Well, there was still quite a long line up of people waiting in the freezing cold to get onto this bus! (And the bus was on time and not very full - so plenty of space for people to get on!)
I thought we were just pulling forward a little, because the 25K had left and he perhaps wanted to line himself up with the bus shelter, as many drivers tend to do.
Oh no... we zipped off and continued on our way!
The people outside were clearly ticked off and waving their arms and the people on the bus were confused too.
And nobody stopped the driver...
(I'm kind of wondering if he was drunk to be honest...)

By the time I got home, I was retching...he just drove too fast and took the corners too hard too....my husband wondered why I looked sick and when I told him all this - he just shook his head.

My Battle With Kela...Part 2?

2012-01-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Alright...remember last year in the fall, I received a letter from Kela requesting I pay back the 349€ (and change) in rental housing allowance - because I now make "too much money" combined with Tim's income? (Because they realized that I am permanent residence and granted my first son stay-at-home-allowance since he's not in a day care).
So I forgot to update you on that. Well, I filled out that form and sent it back to them and within about 3 weeks - I got a bill for 50€ (the amount I agreed to pay per month).
Fast forward and I forgot to pay the bill and have since lost it. I was advised by a friend to bring a tough Finnish friend with me to help me in case the rep I get pretends to "not understand" or "not speak English very well"....I opted for my own little Game Plan.

So today I met up with my friend downtown and after our coffee - I realized "CRAP. I owe Kela money but still want to fight them....want to watch the kids while I go do this?"
She agreed and had to inquire about some information from Kela herself - so it was perfect timing as both of my boys were asleep.
I got a number from the Info desk and barely had any wait time...I walked in with my "Game Face" - sometimes known as a "B*tch Face".
I thought I'd play nice first and go from there.

I explained to the lady (KL = Kela Lady) that I cannot find my bill and I know I owe money. I provide my Passport and she says no problem, pulls it up and says she can print me a copy easily.
Great - "Now I have some more questions for you..." - me (insert Game Face voice)
"Yes! How can I help you?" KL (super perky and friendly - I'm thinking "Darn it - she's nice...well here we go...")
"I owe you a total of 349€ and some change...I fully understand you guys are not sending me anymore rental housing allowance money - but in all honesty - it's Kela's fault they didn't recognize my family's permanent residence status and therefor - I technically saved you approximately 1700€ in 6 months. Money that I will not be able to get back from this organization." - me
"Ohhh let's see...well (click click on the keyboard) - we never received your letter of appeal and sent you the bill." - KL
(My face is currently looking at her with a clear "WTF is a letter of appeal"?!)
"I'm sorry - but yes, I did write something appealing your decision and mailed it in...actually I brought it in person." - me
"Ohhh - no...(click click) that wasn't the letter of appeal. Wow this is a complicated situation! No, that wasn't a letter of appeal - this is what you sent, right? Yes well that was just a regular form. I will print you a letter of appeal and see what Kela decides. So fill this in and submit it as soon as you can. I can't guarantee anything because it's too late - but if you didn't know about the Letter of Appeal - they might be able to help a little more." - KL
(So I had filled out this form after getting it translated by a friend - that sounded like a lot of appealing and explain-yourself-to-Kela! for nothing.)
She puts a note in the system that I did not know about the Letter of Appeal (apparently most people don't) - but you can get one from your local Kela and she even kindly printed it for me in English. (Guess what? I'm writing the same thing in this one too....go figure.)

Then she makes me no guarantee but said she hopes this helps...anything else?
"Oh yes. My youngest son needs a Kela card as we plan on travelling outside of Finland and it's the only piece of identification he can have...how do I get one for him?" - me
"Well let's see....oh Ahti is not registered in the city's registration yet. And Kela hasn't made the decision on whether or not he qualifies for child benefits or not." - KL
My son was born in October and I submitted his registration form to the Magistrate IN person in November.
"It can take awhile to do these things and we've been so busy! I'm really sorry - when do you need to travel?" - KL
"Well, we are leaving in April and again in August." - me
"Oh okay well it shouldn't take too much longer- but Ahti needs a residence permit - so that's why there has also probably been a delay." - KL
"You're kidding me." - me
"No I'm not! He's born here, yes - but he's not of automatic Finnish citizenship..." - KL
"No I get that part. I mean - for my son to get a residence permit - he needs a Canadian Passport. In order to get the Passport - he needs his Kela card..." - me (eyes bulging out of my head as Väinö wakes up screaming)
"Ooooooh....well let me call - it'll take awhile. Are you sure you have time?" - KL
"Yes I definitely have time. I can walk around with Väinö while you're on the phone." - me
(I'm singing songs and carrying Väinö - she's on the phone).
"Okay, so they are going to work on your son's Kela card soon and you don't have to pay or apply. It'll come to you in the mail." - KL
"Great thanks! How long does it take?" - me
"Well it takes 4-6 weeks to get a card in the mail..."-KL
"That's not good. It takes about that long to get a passport from the Canadian Embassy in Helsinki!" -me
"Oh I will send some emails and get them to work on it faster...yes that's right...Okay. Well, the good thing is that it doesn't take long to make and send the Kela card!" - KL
"Oh thanks - have a good day."- me

Uh - if it doesn't take so long to make and send it - then why does it take 4-6 weeks normally?

And that - is a look into a system that benefits most and messes up with many... (Lots of people hate Kela - Finns included).
Don't get me wrong, I am really appreciative to have such a program and stay-at-home-allowance - but this whole scenario is getting out of whack.

Another example? My friend's been married 6 years this year...she is STILL waiting for her new Kela card with her married name on it.

*Not all quotes may have been direct or exact - but you get the idea.*

A Small Act of Kindness...

2012-01-11T00:28:00.000-08:00

Last night, I left my knitting group early because I stupidly forgotten the diaper bag and the baby needed a diaper change....and I had a dog play date to attend by 9pm. (Knitting ends at 8pm).
So I rushed to the grocery store downtown and picked up some things and headed to the bus stop.
I still had an 11-minute wait - so I took the baby into the Forum and decided to wait it out a bit (since it was super cold outside).
Then I headed out when it was closer to the bus arriving and within a minute - the bus came...Yay!
People got off the bus at the back entrance and I got my son in his stroller onto the bus - when a lady pointed out to me that my laundry soap fell out of the bottom basket. Oops.
I let go of my son, and grab the jug of laundry soap and toss it into the basket - and guess what?
The bus doors shut on my wrists.
HOLY FREAK OUT.
I managed to yank my hands out before the right-side door fully closed - and I stood there stunned and pissed off.
I knew the bus was going to leave really quickly but thankfully that same lady rushed to the front of the bus and told the bus driver to open the back doors for me.
I thanked her and hopped on, pushed the stroller into the proper area and parked him there...and magically made it home in one piece.
I'm sure the bus driver just didn't see me there pushing the stroller on...but most drivers keep the rear doors open for a bit so people like me - with a stroller - can get the chance to get ON the bus...
And it would have REALLY sucked if the driver left - because my son's brakes weren't locked yet - and he would've been rolling all over the bus I'm sure...not a nice way to wake up I imagine...

So if you read this, the lady who helped me out, - thanks a lot!! I really appreciate you pointing out that my laundry soap fell out (I didn't even notice) - and for yelling at the driver to open the back doors.

PS Yes, it DOES hurt having the bus doors shut on your wrists...if it wasn't for wearing thick mittens and a winter coat - my wrists would probably hurt a lot more.

The Russians Are Coming!

2012-01-05T03:02:00.000-08:00

Just an FYI tomorrow is a holiday (Friday Jan. 6, 2012) so most shops are closed...
However, if one is desperate - the grocery shops downtown are apparently open (although I am not sure of the hours) because "The Russians Are Coming!"
No really! Right now, Russia is having their winter holiday and a good chunk of them enjoy travelling to Finland.
So if you hear a different language that doesn't sound Finnish, English or even Swedish (although that in itself is rare in Jyväskylä anyway) - that's why.
So I guess to gain the most profit or financial gain possible with the short tourism boom from the visiting neighbours - some stores may be open...but it would be in your best interest to get your groceries and other necessities today.
(It's also common for people to take down their Christmas decorations and trees tomorrow as well - since it is a holiday.)

A New Year - A New Raise!

2011-12-31T04:22:00.000-08:00

Hey folks:

I happened to go downtown today for a few quick errands and noticed that the bus fees are GOING UP effective, tomorrow - January 1, 2012.
One way trip (within 9km) is going from 3,10€ to 3,20€...with that said, fees for bus passes are also going up...

My 40 trips bus pass used to be 64€ and now it's up to 87,20€!!!!
So I strongly recommend loading your bus pass today if you can before the shops close at 6pm....not sure if buses keep running regular hours today or not - but if you use your pass frequently - it'd be best to save yourself some €€€ and re-load your pass.

Cheers and have a good New Year!

UPDATE: Apparently if you live IN Jyväskylä, you only have to pay 67€...some friends told me this at a knitting group.

Dear Blonde Girl....

2011-12-30T19:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Blonde Girl:

Yesterday my husband and I thought we would go downtown with the kids in separate strollers and enjoy some sales without the frenzy of Boxing Day being the day before....we do this every year (well, this year being the first with two kids).

We were in the Game Store in the Forum, and you were there with your long straight hair and bangs cut above your eyebrows, possibly a facial piercing (that may have been a mole/beauty mark) near your chin, a brown huge purse that was supposed to look like an old school radio (by "old school" I mean way before you were born....me too) complete with metal knobs on it and you had a greasy-shoulder-length-haired boyfriend with you.
Anyways....I was in the process of leaving the Game Store because it was getting too crowded and almost bumped into you. I apologized sheepishly and began to spin my youngest out of the store in his pram and you decided to be cute and say, "Are you staying or are you going?!" in English with a frustrated tone in your voice. (This maneuver took all of 3 seconds for me to complete by the way).

I would like you to know a few things:

A) It's ridiculously difficult to do a 180 or 360 degrees turn with a stroller/pram that does not have rotating wheels. Borrow a pram and try it....
B) It's ridiculously difficult to do it in a tight space when people LIKE YOU don't make space and decide to just stand there and watch me try to not bump into you....you seriously could've backed up a whole 5 centimeters and none of this would have been posted on my blog....
C) I hope you read this and realize I did understand what you said but I said nothing and decided to write about you in this blog. (And it's not because of your funky bag either...)
D) You could have backed up to make space for me, kept your mouth shut until I was well out of ear-shot range (seriously you were less than 15cm/6 inches away from me) to make your comment or even better, walked around me (I'm not that big)...Sorry this is a slight repeat of "B" and "C".

I am assuming you're Finnish and you were practicing your English or assumed I spoke Finnish and didn't want to offend me...thanks for the hidden compliment.... I guess.

Sincerely,
A Pissed-Off Pram Pusher

PS I thought your bag was a cute idea but really hideous...just an FYI.

Happy Make Everybody Jump Day!

2011-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Formerly known as "Happy New Year's..."

Well, it's 5am as I type this...and it's New Year's Eve too.
WHY am I awake at 5am? Well, technically, I woke up at 4. And no, it's not because of the kids....at least it's not my youngest's fault for waking up....and it's not the dogs either (or their fault).

Some jerks decided 4am was a FANTASTIC time to set off fireworks in the back yard...we have a dark shade in the bedroom pulled down and our bedroom still lit up and it was fairly loud as the layout of the back yard has 2 buildings close together like an "L" shape - fantastic echo system--.

Now, just so you know....it is ILLEGAL to shoot off fire works any day of the year except on December 31st.
And just so you also know - it's still ILLEGAL to shoot them off until 6pm December 31st...and you have to stop by 2am January 1st.

So to the people who thought it was cute to pretend it was 14 hours later....huge thanks for scaring the crap out of me (almost peed the bed - no joke), waking my 2 month old and scaring my 4-year old dog into hiding under the bed....

Thankfully the dogs don't care if it's not too close by and they are inside...
Guess what pal? You were FAR too close.

On a much lighter note, Happy New Year!!
I hope you have resolutions you can stick by and are realistic (mine is to be tidier and to shop less...both which amuse my husband greatly)....
And the shops are closed by 6pm (grocery stores anyhow) and some shops downtown may close earlier or not be opened at all...and of course all day New Year's Day...

AND you can buy little metal horse shoes (1,15€ for 6 at my local S Market) for tonight.
You melt them individually in boiling water then drop one in cold water and whatever shape it takes - is a sign of your future in the New Year....

and please remember:

Don't drink and drive.

My Letter to North Americans....

2011-12-28T15:15:00.000-08:00

Dear Canadian, American or wherever you are from:

You have no idea how lucky you are to have the following stores available to you:

Dollarama (or any such kind of dollar store)
Bulk Barn (or any kind of store that sells ingredients in bulk)
Walmart
Costco/Price Club (or any kind of ware-house sized ingredients for sale - really for huge families or families that consume a lot!)
Big grocery stores nearby

Why am I telling you this? Because things change and they always change here without any warning....

What am I referring to?

Don't laugh - but I am referring to....chocolate chips.

I know, it's wild eh? You're thinking, "Chocolate chips are FOREIGN?! What?! I'm snacking on some right now....they're on sale for 1$ this week!....My Grandma just makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies in the world!!!"

Well, I'm serious....chocolate chips are not part of the Finnish culture here.

My friend P is on vacation this week - so we rounded up her kids (2 boys) and left mine at home (one has the flu and the other wouldn't fit in her vehicle) and we went to EVERY big grocery store possible today.

We started at Prisma in Seppälä (?) area because my friend mistakenly thought the Asian Food Store was there...it's not. It's at the City Market...so we went there.

They did not sell chocolate chips...and at the Asian Food Store - they only had 1 package of Chinese sausages....my husband nearly had a heart attack when I came home with only 1 package...

But I found wonton wrappers (frozen), BBQ pork buns and some other goodies...oh and when I asked for "Sesame oil" ("ses-ah-mee" is how I said it) - she told me she didn't have any.

BUT! She had "ses-um" oil...I asked the difference and she said she didn't know.

So she took me to the aisle and up above, I see a row of SESAME OIL.

(FYI in case you're looking for it too).

We move on to Prisma in Palokka area....no international section whatsoever (so the teenager guy working there said).

We then move to City Market (K Market chain) in Palokka....and here I am ecstatic. Because I usually buy chocolate chips here about once a month....

Guess what?`

NO CHOCOLATE CHIPS.

The spot where the chocolate chips are usually in the "foreign section" (not joking - chocolate chips are part of the "Foreigners section" or "International foods") was filled with other kinds of chips....like potato chips....The price tag disappeared (by the way they are over 4€/bag) and it appeared as if they didn't sell them at all.

And no, the chocolate chips are NOT in the baking section...they never are and probably never will be - because they are considered "foreign".

There's whole chocolate baking bars...but not chocolate chips.

Chocolate chips are made of semi-sweet chocolate and not of the Finnish milk chocolate that Finland is known for. (Finnish milk chocolate kicks butt and is way better than the garbage from North America...no funky after taste...no brown slime on your teeth....really a great chocolate!)

So if you know where I can buy "Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips" in Finland - PLEASE let me know.......as I would like to sell some baked goodies with chocolate chips in them!
And chocolate chips are totally different than chocolate chunks in a sense....because Finland doesn't sell "Semi-sweet chocolate"...and because - chocolate chips are chocolate chips!

I'd be soooooooooooooooooooooooo grateful!

Yours Truly,

A North American gal who just wants some freaking chocolate chips.

PS Sinelli has a great sale on their winter craft stuff...pretty much all of it for 50%!! (But then they won't stamp your "regular customer card" -discount card, points card, whatever, - because the stuff is so cheap...even if you spend more than 15€!...unless your other purchases aren't Christmas stuff and they add up to more than 15€...)

PPS I'll check out Behnford's again...but I don't think they have any in...

My 3rd Christmas...

2011-12-26T12:35:00.000-08:00

This is my 3rd Christmas/Holiday season in Finland and let's say it's a much different one than my previous 2.
How so?

Well, this year, we have a new baby (okay - he's 2 months old now and looks like a 3.5 month old in size) to add to the mix, a couple Brazilian friends who joined us for both Christmas Eve and Day....and NO SNOW.
One could argue that there IS some snow outside - but in general - it's a light dusting...or it's in clumps...oh wait - it's mostly all washed away.
In Finland, when there's a green Christmas (aka no snow) - they call it a "black Christmas". Same thing.

In previous years we have had lots of snow and last year we even went on a Christmas Day hike across the frozen lake.

It hasn't been cold enough recently to keep the lake frozen at all...which really sucks because it's so dark and depressing out (I've been stuck inside for about 2-3 days - quickly losing my mind) and the snow would REALLY help brighten the area up!
That and it's nice walking out on a frozen lake and watching the dogs run around and making other doggy friends...

Bah humbug!

On the flip side, there are 365 days until next Christmas (there's that extra day in February due to a leap year) - so once the snow and cold really settles in (hopefully soon?) then I can start next year's Christmas cards.
Sick I know! (And I have a few to finish...sorry if you don't receive one by New Year's Day!)

Oh right, back to Christmas.
Anyways, for Christmas Eve dinner - we agreed on a bigger meal then (as Brazil celebrates Christmas on the Eve of, just like Europe) and a slightly smaller meal for Christmas Day (I make my husband wait to open gifts until Christmas morning).

So for the bigger meal - we went for a leg of lamb! And for the smaller - we opted for a roast chicken dinner.
I hate turkey (sorry this is old news) and they weren't in favour of ham or pork at the moment....

Our guests made a banana pie with chocolate frosting on top!

Leg of lamb dinner with roasted veggies and cheesy garlic bread for Christmas Eve dinner...

Christmas Day dinner - toasted herb bread with EVOO, fried pepperoni, broccoli with garlic and oyster sauce (weird I know), cucumbers, and chicken with veggies and rice!

Christmas Day dinner - blueberry/raspberry cheese cake with white and dark chocolate on top!

I hope your holidays were warm, safe and happy!!

PS I totally forgot to add this before posting it on Facebook - but anyway I will add it now quickly:

I planned EVERYTHING to a "T" so that I would NOT have to go to the stores on Christmas Eve or Friday.
Guess what happened on Christmas Eve? My bathroom lights burnt out.
Not a big deal right? Well it was. Because we don't have a window in the bathroom, and I didn't want to use candles (our guest is allergic to scents and my husband hates it) and we also change the kids' diapers in there too.
So I hauled out my bus pass, rushed to Antilla, grabbed 2 light bulbs (they are the long fluorescent type) and rushed back home - because our guests were arriving a couple hours after I got back.
And of course, I got the right sized light bulbs - but two different shades of white.
So if you're in my bathroom and wondering why you feel like you're very calm on the right side of your face but feel like you're going blind on your left - my apologies.

Hoot!

2011-12-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

My friend's daughter is an artist. Her name is Lua Tuomi and she's a Helsinki-based artist and she makes owls.
Here's her Facebook page.
These owls are all 100% handmade without any molds and she also ships internationally!
Hand-painted and each comes with a little story or character profile!!

So I decided to ask her to make my friend one - who LOVES owls.
She also LOVES the color purple....and to knit and do other crafty things!

This was the amazing result:

Her name is Pearla and she loves to knit!

If you like what you see - you should order one too!!!

I would love it if my husband asked Lua to make me one...these are too precious for words!

HUGE thanks Lua for your amazing work! Pearla is perfect and my friend just adores her!

Christmas!

2011-12-22T23:43:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and if you didn't know already - shops are closed at 12pm sharp on the 24th.
So if you haven't finished your Christmas shopping (shops are closed from 12pm on the 24th and do not re-open until the 27th) or your grocery shopping...you may want to go out today.
It'll be busy, the line ups will be ridiculously long....but at least you won't go starving for 3 days.

Santa comes tomorrow evening to visit your kids (if you've arranged it with a friend, family member or paid someone)...and typically the big dinner is tomorrow!
(And if you're religious you go to Midnight Mass or Church Christmas Day).

We're having our wonderful friends from Brazil (well, they live down the road from us) over for dinner tomorrow and we're having a "big" Christmas dinner. We decided to get a good chunk of our groceries yesterday and I'm glad we did. Other people had similar ideas (especially those travelling), so we quickly went downtown just to get the meat (better cuts and more choices) and got the vegetables etc. at the stores closer our home! (Less to carry/push in a stroller).

Then Christmas Day - we plan on opening gifts then...(I really should be working on finishing one! EEK!) and having a smaller dinner (but still considered big to some I guess....roast chicken and veggies).

Of course the guys plan on playing lots of video games....ha.

Happy Holidays - wherever you are and however you celebrate! (In Finnish: Hyvää Joulua!)
All the best in 2012!

My New Bus Pass!

2011-12-20T00:08:00.000-08:00

Winter is a hard time typically to get around in Finland if you don't have a car, don't have a bike (or can't ride one yet), live far from downtown or have a stroller to push.

I don't have a car, don't have winter tires on my bike (and still have yet to ride it), don't live very far from downtown and often have a double stroller to push...

There are hills as well, and the last time I walked downtown with the kids - there was barely any ice and I was sliding backwards with the weight of the double stroller and kids pushing me back easily. Thankfully two people came over and helped drag the stroller up the very small hill - so I wouldn't slide into a popular intersection.

However, the other options are buses and taxis. Taxis are ridiculously expensive - so I was taking the bus pretty frequently!
Especially if I only needed something quickly downtown, I could pay 3,10€ and use the same slip to get back on the bus home within the hour.
However, with all the stops we make - it takes 10 minutes to get downtown and 10 minutes back. So in reality, I have 40 minutes at most to get whatever it is I need and to hop on the bus back.
But I am one of those people who hates carrying cash around. There's no fear of pick pocketing or anything like that in Jyväskylä!! It's just because then I have to dig around for the exact or similar change to give the bus driver, hope I don't drop it...and if I run out of change - then I have to withdraw 20€ from the bank machine and carry more change after.
The less cash I carry - the better I feel honestly.

So I decided to get - a bus pass.
In Nova Scotia (this may not apply to all of Canada as each province has it's own public transportation system), there are bus tickets that do not expire and can be used once and you can request a single transfer.
And their bus passes are monthly (students, adult and seniors/children) and you just sign your name on them. No electronic system...
I recall in Hong Kong (or possibly China - I can't remember), their transportation passes were multi-functional. You reload them at the corner stores and can use them as debit cards to pay for lunch at certain places too!

There are different kinds of bus passes depending on how much you travel.

There is one that can be used as much as you want for a whole month, as much as you want for a whole year, ones for students and then there's the one like I have.

The blue one is for 40 or 10 trips. You cannot put "5" trips...

At first I filled it for 10 trips - thinking this would motivate me to not use the bus as much and encourage me to walk more.

I ended up actually needing it quite a bit because I often was running behind for things (appointments and meetings etc.) or having to quickly pick stuff up downtown...and once again - not wanting to use cash.

I can't quite remember, but I believe I paid 3€ for the card itself (it's electronic by the way - so keep the card in its sleeve!) and the 10 trips was 27€ (I think!)....so it was 30€ I believe in total!

Well, once that was zapped and as we kept getting snow and rain mixed together (aka lots of ice and slush) - I decided to keep the kids at home more but to help give Tim some peace and quiet to do work - I'll take the kids out and downtown....

Well, I better slap on 40 trips onto my card.

That costs 64€. Which may seem like a lot at first - definitely! - however, the cost per trip is now down to 1,60€. Even if I do use the card twice and with more than an hour in between, I still save 10 Euro cents!

Where do I get a Jyväskylän bus pass?!

Easy peasy. Go to Sokos downtown and go up to the first floor near the back where there's a lottery booth and S-Pankki assistance (near the escalators). Press the button for the "other services" like Western Union Transfers or bus passes....and someone will be able to assist you there.

You DO NOT require ID to get a bus pass or any paper work.

So how do you use a bus pass here?

It's simple! Keep the card in it's sleeve because the white sleeve holds the electronic piece needed to deduct your trips from your pass.

When you get on the front of the bus, there's a black square pad, with a lit up blue circle and a little digital screen there.

If the circle is lit up in blue, then you can press your pass on it (doesn't matter which side is facing the electronic pad) and it will beep once and turn green. You'll be able to see the date and time it removed a trip - no receipt will be printed, so try to remember the time if you plan on using another trip in less than an hour! and how many trips you have left. It's pretty quick - so look quickly!

If it beeps several times and the circle turns red - it means you're out of trips. You'll either have to reload it on the bus or pay in cash.

And if you're using the bus pass twice in less than an hour - either to transfer to another bus or to go back the way you came...it'll beep in green again and you'll see "1/1". So you used one "whole trip" with two applications of your bus pass to the electronic pad.
It's the equivalent of paying in cash, then using your slip to get on the bus again in other words.

You can put your pass right on the electronic pad, or slip it in your wallet (as long as it's not too thick) and near the outer edge of your wallet - the electronic pad should be able to read it....or in your mitten! I have a coin purse for a wallet - so it's fairly thin and I just press my "wallet" onto the pad and BEEP!

Representing Finland....

2011-12-19T23:26:00.000-08:00

So awhile ago, one of my best guy friends who lives in South Korea told me about a huge Youtube project for the holidays.
All I had to do was record a video of myself stating my user name, my location and send out a holiday greeting in 10 seconds or less and email it to someone by December 10th (I think).
So - I did it while the kids were napping...complete with dishes in the background....real attractive I know.

AND I spoke Finnish. Pardon the Canadian accent and probably slight mis-pronunciation...

My super big Youtube debut in Finnish!

This is really neat as there are people from all over the world - and hopefully more people join up next year (especially from Finland and other EU countries)!!

Oh and I'm at 6:48....right before the Yoda guy...yeah I'm serious.
My friend represented South Korea with his students (there may have been others in S. Korea but he represented Gangneung anyway) and someone else I know represented Singapore!
Check it out!!

On that note however - Hyvää Joulua, Happy Holidays and have a wonderful New Year!!
All the Best in 2012!!

The 1 Non-Trustworthy Finn...

2011-12-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

I have lots of experience shopping second hand and lots of positive experiences making purchases from Finns - either in person or online...or at the second hand store Silinteri.

The kids were dead asleep this afternoon and with it raining out and looking quite gloomy, I took advantage of being indoors (but not at home so I couldn't "see the mess") and went into Silinteri to walk around.

One of the first great things I find is a cute pink Samsung S1070 digital camera for 15€.
I'm always hesitant on buying "major electronics" (DVDs are one thing - a camera is another!) - and I noticed the lady was setting up her table.
I asked her if she spoke English and she said no.
I said "Oh..." and was going to leave the camera on the table but then I remembered my current digital camera is literally falling apart (screws and all) but still works pretty well.
Then I got brave and pointed at the camera and asked her slowly, "Does this camera work?"
She looked at me.
"Is it okay?" I ask and give her a thumbs up or down sign.
She smiles and responds "Oh! Yes it works!!!"
Fabulous! It takes 2 AA batteries and my memory card fits in it just fine (SD one) and I am literally tickled pink by this new digital camera. The screen didn't have any scratches and the camera was in pretty good shape.

I walked around some more, found a toy phone for Väinö (those Fisher Price heavy duty ones are pretty tough!), a couple DVDs and a novel (okay - I admit it...it was "Eclipse" by Stephanie Meyer).

After a quick trip to the grocery store for some things, I head home and quietly try some charged batteries into the camera.

IT DOESN'T WORK.

Why the heck would anybody sell a BROKEN digital camera for 15€?!
Further more, why would she point-blank LIE to me about it working?!
It's almost Christmas - it could have been a gift for someone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be, giving someone a broken camera for a gift?! Perhaps that someone who doesn't have funds to buy their own digital camera or has never had one before?! Thank goodness I checked it! (And no it wasn't a gift for anyone else thank goodness....it was just to replace my Pentax for major trips we have coming up next year).

SHAME ON YOU LADY!

**PS It's table 53 - and my friend told me I can file a complaint with the Silinteri staff...I plan on it tomorrow.**

Introducing my newest (and hopefully final) blog!

2011-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

I have decided to make a separate blog for the baked goods I'm selling on Fridays.
So if you are interested in custom orders or seeing what is available at Poppeli on Fridays - just go to "Hooked on Sweets!"
I will no longer be posting about the baked goods on this blog anymore.

Thanks for your support!
Dominique

Tomorrow's Mystery Cookie Is...

2011-12-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the last time in 2011 that I will be providing baked goods for Poppeli!! Simply because the 23rd is a shorter day for them - so I will continue the baking in 2012!!

Here's what I have available for tomorrow:

With Christmas around the corner, a popular traditional Christmas cookie is called "Shortbread Cookie". It's buttery and soft and melts in your mouth!!

6 mini hearts (3 normal, 3 drizzled in dark chocolate) = 1,20€!!

1 regular sized cookie (round) ½-dipped in dark chocolate = 1€!!

Tea biscuits are quite popular in the UK (often known as "scones") and in North America. They're buttery and wonderful with soup, warmed up with some jam and extra butter, used in place of bread slices for a sandwich - and of course, with a hot cup of tea!

I just baked the regular butter flavour today - but in future there may be raisins and cinnamon, ham and cheese, cheese, and fresh blueberries mixed in there! :)

1 tea biscuit = 1.50€

I will have some samples of the cookies available (without chocolate) and some samples of the tea biscuits as well!!

Available while supplies last!

Poppeli is open from 10am-5pm tomorrow!!

Thanks so much for your support!

Hooked on Sweets!

2011-12-14T07:36:00.000-08:00

So for my restaurant name for Restaurant Day - I've decided to call myself "Hooked on Sweets".
It's a bit of a play on Poppeli because it's a yarn shop and I also thought of a crochet "hook"!

Anyways, just an FYI - this Friday (16th) will be the last time I am baking for Poppeli for THIS YEAR!
Poppeli IS open on the 23rd - but the store hours aren't the regular ones...so we decided I'll sell this Friday and start again in 2012!!!
I will also be hosting monthly contests if there is enough interest - where YOU can win FREE cookies!!!

It's simple - go to my Facebook Page for Hooked on Sweets, "LIKE" it before January 1, 2012 and share it with your friends and get them to "LIKE" it too!
The more people who "LIKE" Hooked on Sweets - the more contests I can hold!

And for those without Facebook, I can post the contest in the store and possibly through Poppeli's blog (we'll see about that...I have to check).
And of course, through one of my blogs...I may have to make a new blog just for Hooked on Sweets...we'll see!

Anyhow! The first contest will begin January 1st, 2012!
A winner (must be living in Finland) will be chosen at random.

Oh and this week - I'll be baking something sweet that melts in your mouth...and something baked but not sweet! There's a limited supply - so be sure to pop into Poppeli Friday between 10am-5pm to get your goodies!!
Check back Thursday (or Friday morning) to see what I will be selling!!

If you live in Jyväskylä and are interested in having some goodies baked for yourself for Christmas - orders MUST be in before December 22nd!!
What a GREAT gift idea for the last minute person you forgot to shop for...or your neighbour...or for a stocking stuffer!
Just send an email to: hookedonsweets(at)hotmail(dot)com
I offer cellophane packaging and a wide variety of ribbons or stickers to seal the bag closed.
Prices may vary.

Thanks again for all of your support!

More Photolicious stuff!

2011-12-14T06:19:00.000-08:00

A sweet friend of mine, Sarah Reid, is going to be in Nova Scotia, Canada on January 2nd and (possibly) the 3rd.
She's incredibly patient, funny and nice - probably one of the nicest people I know of! She has 3 darling little children, a wonderful husband, musically talented and very smart. Oh and she doesn't smoke and is a very flexible person.
Why am I telling you this?

Well, Sarah is an amazing photographer and is accepting bookings in NS during those two days only!
Check out her website: www.sarahreidphotography.com
She has a great visual portfolio on her site and photos of a wide variety are available to you, her clientele!

Family (She's a proud mommy of 3 - so she has TONNES of patience!)
Wedding (She has some wonderful black and white photos on the site!)
Pin-Up (That's right!!!)

Whether it's a Valentine's Day gift, extremely late (or early) Christmas gift, anniversary or birthday....give the gift of a memory!

She also offers her services regularly to Ottawa-area clientele (where she currently resides - as far as I know!)...contact her for more information!

Sarah Reid Photography is also on Facebook as well!

My Photo Order!

2011-12-14T03:57:00.000-08:00

For Christmas every year that we've been here - I order photos and mail them in Christmas cards. It saves a lot on shipping a gift (although I do have some things to ship but they're tiny) and it was so expensive - that I only did it once a year.

Then I discovered www.ifolor.fi. The site is available in English too which is great...and it was much cheaper than downtown!

Well, I got an email yesterday advising me my order was ready. Fabulous!
Then I got a card in the mail advising me to go to the post office to pick up something that wouldn't fit in my mail slot. Great!

Then I opened my packages this morning, found the one with the baby announcement cards in them and addressed them all and sealed them...Excellent!

Then I opened the other packages with the photos in them and began to organize them into piles (many are duplicates) so I could pick and choose which ones went into who's card....easy!

Then I realized something awful.

All the photos are 10cm along the tops and bottoms of the photo...but the lengths varied...so not all of them fit in envelopes....and I already mailed off cards...and I had already sealed (with glue) the baby announcement cards into their envelopes (which would be able to hold the taller photos)....

Oh how annoying! But be warned!

**It says on the site that photos can be 10.2cm x 10.2cm-15.3cm** They don't want to crop the photos - so if you cropped them using your photography software - then the photo will come out looking as such.

Stain Remover

2011-12-11T02:51:00.000-08:00

I had mentioned before I would list things around Finland that are handy to have at home or try to anyway...

One thing I had a really hard time finding and deciding on - was stain remover for clothes.
There is a third option - some sort of bar soap from Ekolo - but I haven't been there to buy it yet...although I heard it is also wonderful....

I also have a stain remover for furniture that I bought at the fabric shop, Eurokangas....works wonderfully! It's a spray! (Photo to come later).

This stuff is pretty fabulous! It's free of perfumes, and has a little scoop and has "extra hygiene" - I'm assuming that means a little tougher power for germs and bacteria.
It's expensive (6,40€) but well worth it!
I use about ½ a scoop in my son's poopy diaper bucket with some water and let the diapers soak thoroughly and most stains come out pretty well!
You can find this at any grocery store in the laundry soap section.

This stuff isn't too bad but isn't as strong (in my opinion) on poop stains on cloth diapers...worked great on a coat I bought at the second hand shop however! And it's also much cheaper...under 4€!

Oh and a friend of mine recommended soaking your clothes with blueberry stains (the fresher the better) in VERY hot water (cold water sets stains) and some Fairy liquid dish soap! I haven't tried this - but perhaps next year...

BRRRING BRRRING!

2011-12-10T11:45:00.000-08:00

What song are you thinking of?

Well when I hear "BRRING BRRING!" I think of "Bicycle" by Queen.

And speaking of which, I just bought my first bike today...I found it secondhand online...thankfully the person selling it lived down the road from me...
Why?

Because I actually cannot ride a bike.

(You can stop laughing now...I'll explain!)

Once upon a time, I was 14 years old and still did not know how to ride a bike. BUT! I wanted to learn!
(I also lived in an area where a nice bike easily gets stolen, there were lots of huge hills and drivers aren't always the friendliest towards cyclists...)
So my family hit up the local flea market and my Dad found one for me and it was pink and white...and a pretty good bike. Not a mountain-all-terrain thing...just a basic bike with pedal brakes.
I ended up falling a few times, getting scared and hurting myself (girls can get hurt too - if you know what I mean!)......so I said that's it. I'm never biking again.

However, I live in Finland...where biking is part of the norm and is pretty fast...and free compared to taking the bus.

So tonight - I'll try and bike a little nearby...I'm terrified honestly. And I have to find a bike helmet for my jumbo huge head....
And my tires don't have much grip so I'm stressing that I'll fall over or slide on the ice...and of course I found one bike with 3 gears and winter tires on it for 10€ more than what I paid...AFTER I committed to buying this girl's bike...*sigh.

But then again, now that we have two children - I doubt I'll be able to use it much in the winter anyway!
(And for 40€ - I really can't complain).

Brrring brrring!

Tomorrow's Mystery Cookie Is...

2011-12-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

I know - I should be posting it early tomorrow morning - but that means less sleep!
So I bring to you today (and going forward every Thursday evening) - tomorrow's Mystery Cookie being sold at a local yarn shop in Jyväskylä (Poppeli).

This beautiful cookie is called "Santa's Cookie!"

Santa's Cookie contains:

Crushed almonds
Dried cranberries
White AND dark chocolate chunks
Cinnamon
Eggs, flour, vanilla and baking soda

They are only 2€ a piece - and are quite large!!

Perfect for dipping into a hot cup of tea, snacking on - or sharing - if you can spare a bite!!

These are being sold between 10am-5pm at Poppeli (Keskustie 18) Dec. 9, 2011 - while supplies last.

AND!!!!!!!!!!! I will have a couple cookies on hand (broken in pieces) for you to try them before you buy one!! (Also while supplies last...)

So please tell your friends about some fresh baked North American goodies or come swing by and pick one up for your friend!! (Everybody loves a cookie on a cold and snowy day!)

Thanks for your support! :)
(Check out "Hooked on Sweets" on Facebook and you can find out more about what I'm baking!)

How to Ruin Someone's Day...

2011-12-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

This is not particularly "Finnish" but yet again, a situation that happened at the local S Market...
(I'm sure if you've read my previous odd experiences they're a hoot and I'm glad they entertain you. No really - I am!)

I was having a pretty decent day - considering my oldest son screamed for an hour at 2am and again at 4:50am...stomach pains or teething - not sure.

Anyway - we had gone downtown to do some shopping - the grocery shops were packed because tomorrow is a holiday (Finnish Independence Day) - and of course, we needed to get some groceries....

So we walked back from downtown and headed into the local S Market and I was checking off things from my mental grocery list (milk, meat, bread, coffee etc). when the Chinese lady saw me and said hello.

What Chinese lady? Oh, well the one who tried to give me her cat awhile ago...

She stopped me and started chatting with the boys and Väinö was in a pissy mood to begin with - so I told her "Oh don't mind him he's in a bad mood - he has new teeth coming."
She smiles and nods and apologizes to him for making him scream more...she's touching his dinosaur fleece hat and under his chin...and she pulls it back and sees a HUGE black bruise on the bottom of his chin.

Rewind to last Saturday...Väinö jumps A LOT. He's a spirited kid (more energetic and more demanding etc.) and doesn't have very good aim sometimes. He jumped from one couch to another - missed and caught the couch frame (bottom part where the cushions rest) with his chin.
It's black....Tim nor I have never had a black bruise before..anyway.
(Fast forward)

So she looks at the bruise and shock is all over her face and she looks at me and is about to yell "WAHHHHH" or something else - who knows.
I cut her off before she could out-loud accuse me of beating my child and said, "He fell off the couch."
She THEN continues to stare at the bruise and at me...and this is the part that ruined my day...

"Why you not watch him?!"
"I do watch him - he's very fast and ..." me (NEVER MIND the fact that I also have a new baby in the house - well he's almost 2 months old... and that I MIGHT be home alone when this happened and my husband could be at work...Anyways...)
"Why you let this happen?! He hurt!"
"IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!" I say firmly
"Oh you bad mom letting him get hurt!"
(Count to 3 before I slap her silly)
"Look - I'm going to leave now before I really yell at you. Good bye." and I walk away.

THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In true Chinese-fashion - she laughs really loudly and starts smacking me in the arm...
"A HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAA" (smack smack smack my arm)

I guess she didn't get my hint that I was super pissed about her comments either.
I wasn't joking about yelling at her - and perhaps she wasn't joking about calling me a bad mother and silently accusing me of beating my kid.

When in Finland...

Now if that was a Finn instead of a Chinese lady - oh wait. That wouldn't happen if it was a Finn because they do us the kindness of keeping to themselves. Perhaps if it was a friend that is a Finn - I'd laugh it off a lot more...but a person I barely know (whom I am pretty sure doesn't have children) borderline accuses me of abusing my kids and being a crappy mother - that makes me mad.

Pizza!

2011-12-04T22:13:00.000-08:00

If you come to Finland - you'll be able to find many pizza shops and kebab houses (shops).
Well, there's one nearby called Sebastian and we were told from some pretty reliable sources that their pizza was HUGE and amazing.

Lately neither my husband or I have been getting a lot of sleep - so we thought we'd go and get a pizza from Sebastian's and I was excited! (I normally do the cooking...so a night "off" was a great thing!)

When ordering a pizza there - there are two sizes. "Normal" or "Family". We opted for a larger size and got a "Sebastian Special Pizza". It cost 17€ and had the following toppings: Bacon, salami, ham, minced meat, kebab meat and house mayonaise.

You read correctly - MAYONAISE on a pizza!!!
Finns seem to like to take a walk on the wild side with pizza here...

Some other ingredient options?

Reindeer (usually smoked and crumbly like ground beef)
Peaches
Eggs
Curry mayonaise or garlic flavoured
Blue cheese
Sour cream
Leek
Capers
Taco sauce
Asparagus
Olives
Banana

And of course there are the regular toppings like: pepperoni, bacon (real pieces of cooked bacon), mushrooms (usually canned unless you order from Rosso's - a chain located downtown), bell pepper etc.

So what did our pizza look like?

It was folded to fit into the box...yup.

And it was pretty tasty - although we skipped the mayonaise....and there were plenty of left-overs afterward too!

The staff are pretty nice there - especially the fellow with the bald head and HUGE smile...he also speaks English (most of their staff do).

I also got a "pizza" card - so every time we buy a pizza we get a stamp. Family sized ones get 2 stamps...buy 9 get the 10th one free (normal size I assume).

Skype.......

2011-12-04T05:42:00.000-08:00

Skype, MSN, Facebook and other places that have video chat - to me, are fantastic!
Internet is more affordable than long distance calls...and if the other person isn't there- no big deal! You didn't waste anything more than time.
Internet chatting with a web cam is fabulous for a variety of reasons:

You can have a very long-distance interview! (Even celebrities do it!)
You can meet new people!
You can be at the event without being there in person (if you're un-able to make it or you're ill) - like a Baptism party (my friends have done it) or other private ceremony.
You have a business meeting of sorts...
You can see the other person(s) - which is nice because you can't do that on a phone really...some phones you can - and I'm sure in the future it's possible to have video phones....
You can teach things via webcam!
You can craft or work together via internet video chatting (I am planning a card-kit exchange with a friend and we'll do the card kits together and open them together via Skype!! I'm so excited!)...think literally "stitch and bitch" just many countries apart!

Now we get to the point of this post...

There's a mall in Toronto, Ontario (Canada) that now offers Skype with Santa.

You can meet him and see him and his elves hard at work in the North Pole (a Finn would scream "LAPLAND!!!!" right about now) via a huge TV screen. Lovely.

NOT.

How do you get your photo taken with him??
How do you whisper your deepest secrets and wishes into his ear via Skype?!

How does your child, who's been gathering courage and a list a mile long for about 360/365 days of the year SIT ON HIS LAP?!

I can understand from Santa's point of view some things like:

His lap gets pretty sore from all kinds of children of various sizes sitting on him all day long for a month and a half... or so...
His ears ringing with screams of babies and children....
His face hurting when children yank on his facial hair or beard to see if it's real....
His face hurting from smiling all day...
His fear of having a child who might recognize him and wrecking it for their friends and other people in line....
His worries of getting sick from one of those kids who dragged their parents to see him and having to go to work the next day anyway - because that's what pays the bills...and let's face it - Santa has to shop too you know!
His need to use the bathroom or eat when there's a massive line up of kids dying to see him...

But SKYPE WITH SANTA?! Seriously?!

(Some parents were interviewed in the above clip and I agree with them...it takes the fun and magic out of Christmas if your kid has to Skype Santa...and I'm thinking - what happens when they get home and see that blue button with a white "S" on the computer screen (or your cell phone)...they'll be wanting to call Santa 24/7! But for the parent who complained that she came to Toronto and was mad about the Skyping Santa bit...listen lady. I'm pretty sure you're IN Toronto and that Toronto has at least 3 other malls with real-live-in-person Santas available for your kid to sit on....okay I'm done.)

You better watch out...you better not cry...

2011-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

If you're new to Finland - welcome. I hope this blog provides useful and fun information for you.
One thing that you should probably know now - (especially since Christmas is in about 23 days) is that Santa is from Lapland, Finland.

Don't believe me? Of course not - unless you're a Finn.
He's from your own country....or perhaps he resides in the North Pole (popular location known by the North Americans).

Every year we gather with our friends (or try to) during the holiday season and we discuss family traditions, country's traditions (or typical ones anyway) for the holidays.
I'm ALWAYS asked about the Man in Red.

Well, let me break it down for you. (Sorry if you've been following my blog way back in the beginning and this is slightly repetitive...)

North American View of Santa

Blue twinkling eyes, white bushy beard, a nose like a cherry, red suit with white trim, black boots and black belt with a buckle....a jolly laugh and a large round belly!
Depending where you're from in the world - he has a different name!:

Santa Claus (or just Santa)
Père Noel (French)
Father Christmas
Kris Kringle
Saint Nicholas
Papai Noel (Portugese)
That scary man in the red suit...ha. (He's not meant to be scary but quite often to children - he can be).

You can often find Santa in the malls around November and have your children sit on his lap - have a small chit chat and get a photo taken - and maybe he'll give you a candy cane!

Or in the case of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)....you can SKYPE WITH SANTA!! I think this is totally ridiculous and takes the fun out of everything....but I'll blog about that later too.

In Canada - you can write him a letter and expect a response (I haven't tried it outside of December...). Here's his address:

SANTA CLAUS
THE NORTH POLE
HOH OHO
(Volunteers respond at the post office - it's super sweet.)

Drives a huge sleigh with 8 reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen)...9 if you include the red-nosed one who can light the way - Rudolph....

They land on your roof top or outside your door if you don't have a big enough roof....

Delivers gifts silently while children sleep on Christmas Eve - to be opened Christmas Day in the morning - via your chimney. Don't have one? He has a key to your door....and can sneak in and out pretty quietly for a big jolly guy!
Leave him cookies you've baked and a glass of milk...his reindeer enjoy carrot sticks...It's hard work magically flying and pulling a huge sled with a huge sack of toys and Santa plus a couple helping elves...
If you're good - you get a nice toy and he'll fill your socks/stockings that are hung by the chimney with care....

If you're bad - you get coal. (Better get a good stain remover for your stocking! Actually...I'll blog about an excellent stain remover another time!)

My first year here - I told one of Tim's colleagues (now one of my friends) all this and she looked at me stunned.

She then explained quite firmly that Santa is from Finland...specifically Lapland, Finland.

There's even a Santa's Village! So - there.
And I kid you not - she said something along these lines:

"Santa does not deliver gifts to kids while they sleep and drink Coca-Cola!"

(Thanks Americans for that one).

What does he do in Finland?

Finland's View of Santa

In Finnish he's known as "Papai Noel" (I think - this is Google Translate talking...)
He's from Lapland, Finland...cut the crap about the North Pole...it's not true!
There is a Santa's Village in Lapland! Check out their website!
Santa delivers toys to children on Christmas Eve...in person and while they are awake! (It's typical in Europe to open your gifts Christmas Eve and have your big dinner then).
His reindeer don't fly...or have the above names. I don't even think he has reindeer that assist him in delivering gifts...
(Although in Helsinki there is a parade of sorts when Santa arrives....)

So there you have it!

There is even a Santa Convention every year...and one year the Finnish Santa disagreed with where they stated Santa came from...so he refused to attend..or something like that.... (Hello Hardcore Santa!)
And if you have a suit and can be jolly and speak Finnish - you can probably be hired as Santa.

(Kids are smart enough to pick out their parents, neighbours and uncles).

So...post an ad about your skills as Santa and you'll probably be gobbled up quickly with requests!

Some finer points you should highlight about yourself in your ad (and it has been done!):

If you like kids at all.
Whether or not you smoke (aka will you smell or cause some poor kid an asthma attack)...
If you will be sober or not (FYI sober Santas are a huge hit and can sometimes be hard to find!)
If you are reliable and honest....timing is everything!

Good luck and HO HO HO!

In your opinion....Where is Santa from?

All info is as correct as possible with only 2-3 hours of sleep and a busy memory...feel free to correct anything I may have said in-correctly! :)

How TOUGH are YOU?

2011-12-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

Finns love saunas....there's no shame in the naked body (I'll post about that separately) and there's nothing "odd" or taboo about seeing someone else naked at all!

However, in the video I'm about to share with you (not made by me - found it on Youtube while searching for something else) - they wear bathing suits because it's being filmed internationally and there are hundreds of spectators....

Did you know - there are such things as "SAUNA CHAMPIONSHIPS"??!?!?!?!
For real!
So the point is to sit in a sauna with other people and see who can last the longest without passing out, covering your face or eyes, leaving/chickening out or dying. (Apparently in a sauna championship there was once a Russian and a Finn...the Russian died and the Finn was the champ. No joke!)
And someone is increasing the temperature by adding water to the stove, which causes more steam...higher temperatures and less oxygen in the sauna for you to breathe.
People have been forced to leave (a judge looks in while another judge tracks the time) and given immediate medical attention (and cold water of course).

Don't believe me? Check out this video...

Well, may I also remind you from one of my much earlier posts (I can't find it right now but I'll quickly explain again) - that in the winter - Finns (not all but some) enjoy sauna...near a lake?

They go in the sauna and to cool off - if they choose not to use the shower (why bother since it's winter outside and dry?!) they stand out in the snow or outside of the sauna building...yeah I've done that before (in a towel outside).

And sometimes..........they jump into a hole made in the lake!
And sometimes....they jump into the hole made in the lake and then -

ROLL IN THE SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah...and they still live to tell the tale. (And rush back into the sauna after to warm up then put their clothes back on if they're done).
I spoke to a friend's husband and he told me he did it all the time before GOING TO SCHOOL! It was a great way to wake up and start the day fresh...yeah no kidding.
I asked about frost bite or hypothermia (or is it hyper...anyway) - and he said if you're in the lake for a couple of seconds then jump back out and rush back indoors - you're fine.
You're at higher risk for frost bite and other dangers if you stay in the water too long.

So in case you're wondering - no I have never and will probably never ever roll in the snow or jump in a lake.
Partially because the lake is too far away, the sauna's in my building and I am too much of a chicken.
(And we lack snow right now too...the rain melted it all!)

House for Sale!

2011-12-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

No, not ours - we don't have a house. We're renting.

However, our friends are moving to the other side of the world and need to sell their house!

You can find information here (in Finnish sorry)...but it's a cute little house with lots of space and 2 floors and a sauna house that's outside.

Located in Jyväskylä, Finland.

Friday's Cookie is...

2011-12-01T15:11:00.000-08:00

Domino Truffle Cookies topped with crushed Marianne candy!

Available while supplies last from 10am-5pm at Poppeli! (Dec. 2, 2011)

I have made 10 packages - 3 cookies in each one for 2€/package!!

YUMMY!

SNOW SNOW SNOW!

2011-11-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

You would think that because Finland gets a lot of snow - that everybody hates it.
But that's not true!
Because it's dark by 4pm...if not earlier...and the sun doesn't come peeking out until about 9-10am...it's pretty dark out! The snow acts as a reflector of the street lights and it brightens up the area A LOT.

But at the same time, it has it's down sides too....like having to bundle yourself and your kids up in at least 3 layers....pushing a stroller with hard plastic wheels can be a complete pain when there's clumps of snow in the way (or the sidewalk has yet to be plowed)....oh and then half the side walk is usually gone too.

And a word of caution:

For some reason - Finnish drivers do not (doesn't apply to all) sweep the snow off the roof of their vehicles.
Can we say: DANGEROUS?!

Scenario #1: Think of it this way...you're the driver behind the jerk who didn't sweep off their roof...a bit of warm air, a breeze or a sharp turn or brake - and POW! You have tonnes of snow and possibly ice on your windshield...you can't see...it's a green light and you can't see.
You're swerving...the people behind you are swerving...and the jerk up ahead is trucking along totally oblivious to the hazard they just caused you.
Scenario #2: You're a cyclist (yes Finns ride their bikes in the winter) and you get a face full of snow....and then you fall and possibly get hit by someone else from behind or on the side.

Scenario #3: Scenario 1 happens and your windshield cracks...it's totally possible with the weight of ice and snow and speed and other physics-related things...and 1 little tiny crack can cause you a huge-assed problem. It'll spread and it costs a TONNE of money to replace your whole windshield!

So please, PLEASE, PLEASE...wipe the snow off the roof of your car.

Onto other Dangerous Snow-Related Accidents in Finland:

Be cautious of walking under trees....they are heavy with snow and probably some ice because it's been raining....it hurts quite a bit when a chunk falls and smacks you in the face, head or neck.
Be VERY cautious of walking near tall buildings...sometimes people are on the roof shovelling the ice and snow off and it hurts a lot if you get hit. Normally there's someone below telling the shoveller when pedestrians are walking by....not always.
Sometimes ice and snow just falls off the roof of buildings - the taller the building, the faster the fall, the harder it'll hit you. So try to not walk glued to the sides/fronts of a building....

Many pine trees are so old that the weight of the snow is weighing down their branches and they are SNAPPING off...so be careful!

"How to Marry a Finnish Girl"

2011-11-28T17:48:00.000-08:00

I confess if I were you (male OR female) - I would be curious as to how to accomplish that very thing....
I mean how hard can it be to propose to someone (regardless if they are Finnish or not), hope to heck they say "Yes!" and then begin your new journey together as (eventually) husband and wife?

Apparently - there's a book on how to get the Finnish woman of your dreams to say "YES!"
My friend emailed me the link ages ago and it is now, over 3 weeks later (and at almost 4am - ARGH!) that I post it for you!

Don't believe me?
Check it out here.
And no it's NOT available on Book Depository. I checked already (and again just now).

Good luck!
*And don't tell her I sent you to that site! It's totally legit by the way! It's on Facebook too....took the author 9 years to convince his now-wife to say "yes"....so I guess he has experience...*

PS Any Finnish males - opinions?
PPS I do not plan on marrying a Finnish Girl...but perhaps you are - or you know someone who needs these expertise-like tips! (What a great stocking stuffer!)

BIG BIG News!!!

2011-11-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

I am excited! Super duper excited!

I have 2 things to share with you all! (Especially if you're in Jyväskylä, Finland area...)

First of all - I will be setting up a cafe in Poppeli yarn store in downtown Jyväskylä for Restaurant Day on February 4th, 2012.
I met up with the owner, who is a good friend of mine, and decided that February is a pretty cold time to be outside to sell cookies and other sweets...and seeing as she has some seating area, a fancy kind of coffee/hot drinks machine and of course - yarn to sell - maybe we could team-up!

THEN she had a great idea...I'm so excited....she asked if I could bake once a week and bring baked goods to sell at her store! She currently doesn't offer much in food - just some packaged cookies...but wouldn't it be nice to come in one day a week and be able to knit/crochet, have a hot cup of something to drink...and a freshly-baked treat????
Yeah, I think it sounds great too!

Starting next Friday (Dec. 2) - I'll be delivering freshly baked sweets over to Poppeli....I'll be changing it up every week too!
Cookies, muffins, cupcakes... anything sweet - will be available every Friday (unless it's a holiday - we'll have to sort something out for that) at Poppeli!!!
So tell your friends and spread the word!

And of course, they'll be available for take-away in cellophane bags...tied shut of course...with yarn (only near the holidays as I do not have any cellophane bags currently...so ziploc bags it is for now!).
By all means you can eat your treats and relax at Poppeli with your knitting or cup of coffee or tea!

Keep an eye out on this blog! I'll be posting what I am baking the night before I deliver to Poppeli!

BANG!

2011-11-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

So Sunday evening I had the pleasure of going with my youngest to a concert in which my friend's boyfriend was performing, along with Maria Lund and Timo Rautiainen and on the way home we decided to swing by the grocery store to get some food.
We were waiting to make a left turn because we didn't want to drive into a bus that would be driving past us in a few short seconds....my friend had the brakes on and the left turn indicator (blinker) on....we waited patiently - and suddenly BANG!
We were rear-ended by a fellow not paying attention. No really, he told my friends, "Sorry I didn't realize you were stopped."
(I guess a couple bright red brake lights and a bright yellow left flashing light wasn't obvious enough....ah well...accidents happen!)

And no, he wasn't young at all....AND he had his son with him in the front seat (about 8-10 years old I think). Both drivers got out and agreed to meet in the parking lot of the grocery store and by that point, people were driving around us (and the rear-ending offender) and the bus had driven by.
(Air bags didn't go off in either car).

We got into the parking lot - my friend M was really upset and I was in adrenaline-based shock...and my 1 month old (who had turned 1-month that day actually) was asleep.

Thankfully the damage to both vehicles was minimal (yes the pieces that need to be fixed and re-painted will cost an arm and a leg) - both vehicles were drivable and nobody was seriously hurt.
My neck and shoulder was a little sore that night, but that could be due to carrying the baby for a 2 hour-long concert...and those Baby Björn carriers aren't all that comfortable with an 11+ lbs baby! (5kg+)!!

The other driver rushed over to us and asked how we were doing and apologized a lot in Finnish and Swedish....or maybe it was English...
"Sorry" sounds quite similar in Swedish by the way....

My friend M and I went to get groceries with the sleeping baby and the guys began to inspect their cars.

I don't know if it's mandatory or not - but my friend's boyfriend had a document in his glove compartment in case of an accident....so I don't know if all Finnish drivers have to have this paper work on hand at all times or not...but anyway - I continue...(If I find out the answer - I'll update this post accordingly).

The guys came in to K Market and filled out their forms and there was a grid near the bottom of the sheet where you can draw how the accident occurred. (It was clearly obvious we were not the guilty party that caused the accident).
So because I was involved - my contact information was also jotted down.

Then from my understanding, my friend M said they would take their car to be inspected to see how much work needs to be done to repair it - and then they send the claim to the guilty party's insurance.

A fairly smooth process (despite the bumps and scares) if you ignore the waiting time to get your car looked at!

*No police or paramedics were called to the scene because it was a very minor accident and nobody was bleeding or in severe pains*.

In Canada (at least in Nova Scotia), if there's a car accident - you cannot drive to another location (unless you're smack-dab in the center of a highway and occupying the whole space - even then you should probably stay put until police get there)...and you don't carry accident claim papers with you either.
You call the police and paramedics (911) if it's severe enough and your insurance company as well. Damage on YOUR vehicle goes through YOUR insurance...I don't know if you can put claims through another person's insurance - I doubt it.
Although, I'm pretty sure you can take the guilty party to court (and claim compensation of some sort) if enough damage was caused and they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs...

Now that it's been 4 days - I feel fine - a little stiff here and there but probably due to having a newborn and lack of sleep!....I'm very lucky and I'm assuming my baby is fine too - as he's just peachy as can be any time of the day (once he is fed)....

It could always be worse! And we were very lucky that there wasn't any ice (that was the next day) and nobody rear ended the fellow that hit us!

Glögi and Winter Tires

2011-11-23T04:47:00.000-08:00

This is your annual reminder that there's now snow on the ground (at least in JKL) - so you should have snow tires on your vehicle. It is mandatory to have them by December 1st or by the first snow fall.
The roads are slick too - so be careful. (You may want to get some for your bike too if you can...)
If caught without winter tires on your car - there is a fine - how much, I don't know...but it can be pricey!

Now onto other pressing matters.
Red, White (well it's more like yellow/gold colored) or Blue Glögi....which do you prefer?
I prefer Valio brand over Marli...Marli is just a tad too sweet for my liking.

BLUEBERRY GLÖGI?!
What is the world coming to?!

The burgundy colored carton is the "normal stuff"...the gold colored carton is the "white" Glögi (smoother and slightly nice taste)...
There's also sugar-free and vanilla-flavoured Glögi (I haven't tried the vanilla one yet)....

Then this year - Marli dug out the big guns and made a blueberry flavoured Glögi....

It's in English! (Blueberrish??

When I told some Finnish friends that I saw blueberry flavoured Glögi - there were some grunts of disapproval....but I think it tastes okay. Not as fabulous as the red stuff...the white stuff is alright too....it doesn't quite scream "CHRISTMAS IS COMING!" but it's alright I suppose. (My husband has yet to try it.)

Now as you can see in the bottom photo - Glögi is a drink that people drink hot. They'll add raisins and almonds in the mug and stir it around and eat it with a spoon or drink all their Glögi and then eat the raisins and almonds...it's all up to you! (Hubby prefers it without nuts or raisins).

I have a confession to make....*deep breath*

I like my glögi cold. Not only that - but some times, as a "treat" for myself...um I like to add Sprite or 7-Up to my Glögi....like ½ and ½ of each...I suppose it's a "Sparkling Glögi"....

And all the Finns begin to shake their heads at that weird Canadian girl who drinks her Glögi cold and sometimes mixed with pop....

Neuvola

2011-11-23T03:50:00.000-08:00

I was looking around today, while both boys were sleeping and realized there's a lot I can blog about.

This is the mother's card - or the prenatal booklet you bring with you when you're pregnant. You get a new one of these for each pregnancy.

The inside opens up with your blood type, details of each appointment (i.e. blood pressure, weight, size of the belly, hemoglobin levels, pH levels in your urine, baby's heart beat etc.)

On the other side there's info about your labour.
You also get a copy of your labour chart before you leave the hospital and the mid-wife or nurse will go over it with you.

Something else I've probably mentioned before but never posted photos of - was the kids' Neuvola booklets.
You're given one booklet per child at your child's 1-month Neuvola appointment. Don't lose it and remember to bring it with you every time you go to the Neuvola. It's a record-keeper of their vaccines, measurements and weight and any other notes that the doctor or care-givers (I refer to them as "nurses" personally but it's not the actual term when translated in Finnish) may need to make.
They do record everything on the computer as well - but if the electricity ever went out (which we have yet to experience) or if you went to the hospital - they may not necessarily have access to the Neuvola records immediately.
(I just keep mine in the diaper/every-day bag personally....)

The Neuvola provides little plastic booklet holders for your booklets.

The Neuvola booklet

A list of vaccines near the back ("KK" means months and is referring to the age of the child on the left-hand side).

The newer booklet holder

Only has 2 pockets...

The inside of the booklets are different too!
Left is the newer version and the right is the old one (2009)...first page is completely different.

In Canada - we don't get such things. We just bring the child in (or your pregnant belly) and they have folders with all the information there.

The doctors and nurses do NOT have computers in their office to in-put your information and book your next appointment either...at least mine didn't. I had to make my next appointment with the receptionist at the front desk.

Play.com...darn you!

2011-11-23T03:10:00.000-08:00

We order from Play.com a lot.... well within reason!
Things like cheaper DVDs, video games for the husband, books (if they're cheaper than the Book Depository) and this year, we opted to get 1 toy for each child for Christmas.

Our oldest is almost 2 and doesn't speak yet....he says something that sounds like "Äiti" (mom in Finnish) and "Bubba" and "zzzzzzz-ah!" - that's it. And it applies to everything - so there's no consistency with his language yet. Probably because he's exposed to Finnish and English equally (the Finnish courtesy of the Teletubbies and our friends).

I thought of a great educational gift to get him that would hopefully encourage him to speak (in English at least) and remembered that it wasn't sold on Play's site last year.
They've since, increased their inventory of Leap Frog toys and I was ecstatic!

So what did I order? An alphabet magnet set that speaks and pronounces the words (up to 3 letters)! YAY!
And for the wee one, a caterpillar who opened up into a book and could be tied to the crib and read the stories out loud in a soothing voice complete with a soft light....YAY!
Both toys were under 40€ in total....excellent! I'm not complaining!

Unfortunately they only shipped it to the UK. BOOOOOOOO!

So I swung over to Amazon's UK site and they had the magnet set...but not the caterpillar.... *sniffles*.
I found an alternative toy that was slightly cheaper and because it was over 25£ - FREE SHIPPING! YAY! Thanks Amazon!

Now here's the funny part about that magnet set:

What else can your child learn with this alphabet set??

Give up?

Yep - how to have a British accent! LOL

If my boys both end up liking this toy and speaking with a British accent - they'll be charming little girls world-wide...ha. Except maybe in the UK.

A Free Concert!

2011-11-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday I went to a concert that was held in downtown Jyväskylä, in the building called, "Aalto Sali" located around the corner from the pedestrian area (closer to the Memphis end) on Väinökatu.

I was invited by my friend who was a performer in the band, Kajastus (formed in 1891), as it was their 120th anniversary - sort of a celebration concert! It was free to enter and there was free cake and coffee/tea during the intermission.

The band itself played a lot of concert pieces and jazz - it was a great location for a concert and the dynamics were great.
However, my ears did burn (and my heart cried a little) whenever there was poor tuning, which was common with the clarinet players (of which there were only 3!). I haven't been involved with music heavily since 2005, I am not a pro by any means...but the tuning was bad.
There weren't any warm ups as a band....nobody played the concert pitch and have everybody try to match it...
However, the music selection was varied and I appreciated that immensely. I do not remember everything played, however there was a march, a jazz piece or two, a compilation of Les Miserables (lovely memory from when I played it many moons ago!), a piece from the Sound of Music and some other pieces as well.

The band comprised of all men except a female flute/piccolo player.
Most of the musicians were older men and based on the tuning of the clarinets - perhaps hard of hearing.
(No offense to any musician there - but the tuning of the clarinets was a little hard on the ears when the higher registers were played!)

Maria Lund is a Finnish actress and singer, her parents are both opera singers (Tamara Lund is a soprano and her Romanian father Alexandru Ionitza is a tenor) and she's been on Dancing With The Stars in 2008 and won! (It's an old article - but at least you can read it in English).

This is Timo Rautiainen and he is a very famous Finnish singer in the metal music industry.
Guess what? He's also a teacher! My friend informed me that he resides in Jyväskylä and is a teacher specializing with children of special needs.
Here is the English Wikipedia link for him. (Unfortunately an English Wikipedia link could not be found for Maria Lund).

Above is a video of Maria Lund singing "My Favourite Things" from the Sound of Music in Finnish. I apologize I missed the first few seconds! (I have never uploaded a video to this before - so I hope the quality is semi-decent!)

A video of Timo singing (he actually sang first - then Maria got on stage...)

A duet by the two from "Romeo and Juliet".

Timo and Maria with their last minute gift and flowers....

Maria was lovely and posed for a photo with a little girl who thought she was a princess. :)

In terms of organization - well, that's another story I suppose but I'll squeeze it in here while the video is uploading and the kids are asleep.
From the casual observer's view of the concert - you wouldn't know that the sound-check person was asked literally last minute to be the sound-check person. (I only know this because my friend's boyfriend was the sound-check person at the very last minute).
However, as a casual observer - you would notice that the flowers given to the musicians and to the singers - were completely forgotten about in the schedule. (Oh wait, there wasn't one!)
After the last piece was performed (Timo and Maria had done a duet together which was lovely) - everybody clapped a lot, they came out for another encore to bow and then people quickly began to leave.
That's when the person giving the most speeches (I'm awful with names, let alone Finnish ones) - realized, "OH! I have flowers I am supposed to give and a small speech to thank the musicians!" and decided to turn on the microphone quickly and toss flowers at everyone on the stage. People stopped and clapped again - but a good chunk of people had already left or were literally half-way out the door...
Good job.

On a more positive note - you can find better photos from my friend's blog (scroll to the bottom to read it in English).

I hope you can view the videos properly!

Old Colleagues Say The Oddest Things...

2011-11-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

I had made a Chinese friend last year...I still cannot remember her name....I met her in Silinteri and we chatted and she even made me pork dumplings from scratch! (Yes I know - from scratch and I can't even remember her name).

She lived in Finland for the last 12 years (probably 13 by now) and still didn't speak ANY Finnish...okay - I'm not feeling too bad now! Ha.

She was studying in Finland piano and other music-related things and offered to teach me Chinese and piano..excellent.

I lost her email address....and she ended up leaving for China.

Fast forward a year (almost exactly - now that I think about it!)- I saw her yesterday at Silinteri again - and wow! She remembered me (not my name either - so I don't feel too bad. I think we're on the same boat here...) and was shocked as heck to see me with not one but two kids.
She asked if I had a girl and I said no, two boys...then she told me I should try again. WHAT IS WITH PEOPLE WANTING US TO HAVE MORE?!
I said nope two is enough and she just laughed me off...

I thought she moved back to China permanently but I guess not.

She asked how I've been and I apologized profusely that I lost her email and furthermore - lost the coat that had the piece of paper with her address on it (in the pocket). She totally expected me to remember her address (where she lived - not the email) and said I should come over some time.
I remember she lived in the student village and got the wrong building letter when I guessed. Oops. (She gave me a look like, "It's so easy - how you not remember?!")
Anyway, she wrote her email down again....and went on her merry little way after inspecting what I was potentially buying. (And asking me how much the items were....nosy nosy.)

Tonight, I went for a walk with Loki to S Market to get some diapers and stuff I had forgotten earlier and guess what?
Yup, she saw me again. She was shocked at how big Loki is (he's a medium-sized dog...about 60 lbs/32 kg) and asked me if I had a big flat to have such a big dog.

**Insert thick Chinese accent for her part**

"Well, sorta - it's big enough but we actually have 2 dogs! My older one is a bit bigger than this dog." I responded.
"WAHHHHHHHHH!! You have 2 big dogs?! You like cats?!" - her (shying away from Loki who was trying to sniff her bag of groceries)
"Yes, I like cats and dogs. We actually have four cats but they live in Canada." - me (pulling Loki away and making him sit)
"WAHHHHHHHH! You like cats?!" - her
"Yes I do." - me
"You want one? I have one and I give it to you!"- her

(Please note: It was about -2*C, dark and snowing and the store was about to close in 30 minutes...and I am stunned. And not because it was cold!)

"Uhhh - no sorry I can't take the cat. I don't have THAT much space." - me (and I also have a 2-year old that would probably LOVE to throw cat litter everywhere and experiment with a clay-based/semi organic and smelly diet...eww.)

"Ohhh that's a too bad! Okay, bye bye!" - her

Now, let me say what YOU are probably thinking....
"She's Chinese and didn't want to eat the cat?"
Yep - I said it. Not to her! But I couldn't stop laughing after she left and I was tucked away in the store aisles replaying the conversation in my head.
My husband just smacked his face and walked away when I told him this story when I came home.
(He would've freaked if I adopted her cat - in case you're wondering...and I have far too much yarn kicking around to have a cat! A 2-year old is difficult enough!!!)

(Before you get your panties in a knot - I am Chinese and make fun of myself all the time....it's just a joke.)

Restaurant Day!

2011-11-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Something that is relatively new in Finland is something called "Restaurant Day".

I have never participated or heard about such a thing until this morning, when I checked my email at about 630am.... a friend sent it over and suggested I participate and set up shop next time Finland has a Restaurant Day.

What is Restaurant Day? Well, based on this link my friend sent me, in English, it's a day that is organized online, and people can set up a little "cafe or restaurant" on that specific day without any regulations to sell food they have baked or cooked. (Think like a bake-sale!)

This is a great way to try new food and to educate others about your country, especially if the food is not of the Finnish variety.
(And also a fabulous way to make some cash under the table!)

You have to go to the above link to register your Restaurant name and location and when the day arrives - you set up shop! It can be anywhere! There was such a wide variety of food too!!!

Some examples of what people did were:

Serving outside
Serving from their kitchen window (bottom floors)
Serving from upper floors via basket and pulley system
Serving inside their home or bringing the food to yours

Serving smoked BBQ ribs
Serving "greasy American food" (perfect for the Finnish hang over)
Serving soups, baked goods, Finnish food, food from Japan...
One Restaurant donated 1€ from each meal towards breast cancer research!

I am interested in trying out this and setting up shop somewhere (since my Finnish friends seem to really enjoy the baking and cooking coming from our kitchen) - so perhaps I will sell in Jyväskylä some day!
And there is also a Facebook Page too! Just look up "Restaurant Day"!

(Did anybody sell in Jyväskylä or know of anyone who participated in Restaurant Day here??)

VROOM VROOM!

2011-11-17T21:51:00.000-08:00

No I did not buy a car.

However, parents (and children) can rejoice because today is THE BIGGEST DAY OF THE YEAR (next to Christmas and birthdays etc.) for them.....

Today is November 18, 2011...I have been waiting for this day for a very long time!!

Today, Cars 2 comes out on DVD....Antilla has some sort of offer with your Plussa card you can get the DVD, a poster and a Lego set for under 35€....yeah, I even remembered that part.

I may have to bundle the kids up and push them to downtown just to get this movie.... (I'm also curious and want to watch it myself!)

Why did it take so long to come out in theater and on DVD in Finland?
Two words: voice dubbing. They have to get the story translated and then find Finnish (and usually Danish and Swedish too) actors to voice them, re-record it all...add Finnish/Danish/Swedish subtitles too....and THEN they can sell it...(maybe Norwegian too!)

Even on Play.com - it's not available to Finland until Nov. 20 or 21....which is silly because there's no option for Finnish subtitles or dubbing (at least none of the previous Disney Dvds had that option!).

It's Quiet This Weekend...Because.........

2011-11-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's probably going to be pretty quiet this weekend, wherever you live in Finland.
Unless you live in a huge major city like Helsinki (in comparison to Jyväskylä - it's huge)....or unless you're going to be in Tampere.

Tampere this weekend is hosting THE largest craft exhibition in all of Finland this weekend!

And I'm not going. (*Insert sad face).

I didn't find out about it until a couple days ago - and by then, I had accepted an invitation to hang out with a friend I haven't seen in awhile (with the rest of the family) and eat pan cakes! SCORE! (*Insert messy pancake happy face!)

That, and I don't even know where exactly in Tampere the craft exhibition will be held. So I'd probably get lost anyway.

I felt really sad and upset that I couldn't go and because I didn't know about it in advance...and sort of left out I suppose.
(Which should be a motivator to get my ass back into learning Finnish I know!...)

However, I'm glad I do have plans with good friends and food....and I should clean, make cards, do laundry, fold diapers, blog, knit etc....
And I know my husband hasn't realized it yet - but his bank account is safer with me not going to Tampere this weekend! HA.

Are YOU going to the Tampere super-huge-once-a-year craft exhibition?

Reindeer Cream Cheese!

2011-11-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

Sorry Rudolph - this stuff is pretty good.

Just to clarify: "Reindeer Light" means less fat content...my husband for some reason thought this was hilarious (and possibly confusing).

This stuff is quite similar to cream cheese with crumbly little bits of reindeer meat (like crumbled ground beef) mixed in. It's more creamier and I thought it was great on crackers or bread!

I ended up using it on my sandwich today as the spread instead of mixing up olive oil or using mayonnaise.

Baptism Party in Finland

2011-11-14T03:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had the honour of attending our friend's son's Baptism at their home.
Normally it's done in a Church but given that the Baptism was being held on a Sunday (and Father's Day) - they requested the priest come to their home if possible....and that was the only day available she had.

I haven't been to a Baptism or a Christening in Canada before, but from what I understand from my friend's photos - it's pretty similar.
However, this one was conducted completely in Finnish - so we really have no idea what was said but I can guess at some parts!

We brought a small gift - just something I made (a bib and wash cloth set with a card) and I'm glad we did bring a little something. Lots of people had brought gifts for him!

There were lots of passages read from the Priest and the members of the family and Godparents - it was lovely.
The mother is part of a choir - and WOW I was so happy they sang a few songs...it was so nice!!
The choir group also held a hand out above the baby's head and said a prayer of sorts (or a blessing) for him and when the father released the name - it was very magical!

I know that may sound corny because "it's just a name"....but while everybody knew the first name - nobody knew the second! Definitely a moment of suspense!

The baby wore a white gown as well, and slept through the whole thing! So did my oldest- thank goodness...or else he'd be running around everywhere!

The Priest did put some Holy Water on the baby and dried his head off when she was done and that was that!

Then we ate all kinds of wonderful food!

There were a set of twin girls (2 years old) there and they wanted to know what you do at a Baptism party. The mother asked them, "Well, what do YOU think happens?"
Their response was, "We dance?"

This isn't all the food either! There was a smoked salmon, roast beef and lots of veggie casseroles and savory pies with mushrooms and salmon etc.

Some Baptism Etiquette:

Dress nicely
Don't touch the food until after - no matter how delicious it looks!
Bring a small gift for the one being Baptized (it's not necessary but always warmly welcomed)
Keep quiet during the ceremony

Pretty obvious - but just in case you were wondering.

An Email address?!

2011-11-14T03:08:00.000-08:00

I finally decided that I needed an email address for this blog....
Especially if you're interested in taking my survey about Finland! This way you don't have to leave your email out in the open in the comments section.

learningaboutfinland @ hotmail.com

Just remove the spaces and that's the email address. This is to help prevent spam mail.

So if you're interested in giving your opinion of what it's like to live in Finland - send me an email and I'll send you the questions! (Finns or Foreigners living in Finland!)

I check this email once a day or every couple of days!

Any spam or un-related messages will be deleted and ignored!

All About YOU...and Finland!

2011-11-13T00:51:00.000-08:00

Are you living in Finland and you're not originally from here? Maybe you're a student or a worker here...
Or perhaps you are a Finn and want to give your opinion on things in Finland? Maybe you've moved away from Finland or have moved around Finland...

I'd love to hear from you!

I want to put a fresh spin on this blog and interview all kinds of people.
I'll be writing up a list of questions to suit you - the foreigner or the Finn....and will post your answers and responses on this blog once a month (or more if there are enough responses!).

I've decided that since I've been here for over two years and my readers have read pretty much everything that's happened to me and my family - it's time to see what other Foreigners and Finns have to say!!!
I get asked a lot of questions about Canada - so I thought, maybe I could use those same questions and ask them of you but about Finland!

Some topics that may be covered (but not necessarily have to be answered if you feel it's too personal):

Education
Work life
Family life
Struggles and triumphs of all things Finnish (food, language barrier etc.)
Comparison of Finland to your home country
Comparison of Jyväskylä to your hometown
Opinions: health care, Magistrate, Kela, Finnish culture and food, anything that's on your mind about Finland!
Funny experiences (I know I've had a few...)

Please send an email to: learningaboutfinland @ hotmail.com
(Removed spaces and that is the proper email address. This is to help eliminate spam. :) )
Your personal information (true name, exact work location, address, email etc.) will be kept confidential.
If you wish to go by an alternative name that is perfectly fine!! (Or I can use just your first name if it's common enough and if you give me permission).
I would be fine with using (for example): "George, 31, is a worker at the University" as a basic introduction and will note if an alternative name has been used to protect your true identity.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing what you have to say!

Thanks so much!

Need Photos Printed?

2011-11-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Live in Finland and hate the prices in the shop for printing photos?
Yeah - me too.

I typically print photos only once a year, near Christmas time and put them in cards to be mailed to Canada...well, now I can print a little more frequently!!

www.ifolor.fi (there's an English site available here) is where my friend printed out lovely baby announcement cards!

Right off the bat - they're 19 cents a print (not the photo cards) - way cheaper than downtown...6 cents extra or MORE! And I know 6 cents doesn't seem like much - but when you have to print well over 100 photos for Christmas cards - it adds up.

My friend who had baby announcement photo cards done on this site said it was a great price (she had 3 photos with text of both children's date of birth and full names with a cute animal print in the background on each card) of about 7-8€ for 10 cards, including mailing envelopes and they mail it to you (for a low price of 2.95€ per order - not bad!)!

Oh here's the price list - just for you! (For the photo greeting cards anyway!)

Enjoy!

First Frost! Oh and Father's Day!

2011-11-09T23:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in Jyväskylä, it was -3*C when we woke up in the morning and there was a frost that lasted all day long.
The sun isn't out very often in the month of November - and the temperature was pretty consistent all day...so everything was a sparkly white!

On my way to the playground, I quickly snapped a photo of some frost on the ground.

Oh and just a friendly reminder, Father's Day is this coming Sunday! On the 13th!
Father's Day is not celebrated in June like in North America but rather, 6 months after Mother's Day. So the 2nd Sunday in November - it's Father's Day.
A couple years ago, our son came home from the hospital on Father's Day and the staff had made cards and taken a photo of all the children born around that time, so the parents could take it home as a gift. It was such a nice and kind gesture!

It's not an actual "holiday" like Mother's Day is in Finland, with shops closed and whatnot.

Some ideas for Father's Day gifts?

Bake his favourite cookies, cake or pie!
Knit some wool socks - he'll need them soon enough!
Knit a hat! (They say it'll be a nasty winter this year in Finland...)
Some re-fill on his favourite pen, pencil leads or ink for a printer
A new coffee (tea) mug stuffed with a package of his favourite flavours!
Movie tickets
Breakfast in bed!
Clothes
Some sort of gadget for hunting, fishing or his office
A nice photo frame with a family photo in it

We'll be attending our first Baptism of a friend's child on Father's Day - so I am looking forward to that. It's not being held in a Church but at our friend's home. We are not the Godparents but invited as guests and are very honoured to be there!

I think that Baptisms are pretty universal - a Priest or Minister, a screaming baby, some Godparents and some Holy Water to bless the child - but seeing as I haven't been to a Canadian Baptism (or Christening) either- I'll have to rely on my Canadian friends to tell me if there are any differences compared to a Finnish one (once I blog about it).

Have a lovely weekend! (I know - it's only Thursday...)

Got (decorated) Milk?

2011-11-08T11:53:00.000-08:00

In the US, there is a saying, "Got Milk?"
It's a popular advertisement with a wide variety of celebrities (not just actors but athletes and musicians as well!) who sport a sour-cream moustache that is supposed to look like a milk-made moustache on their upper lip and with a tall glass of milk and some health facts near the bottom - explaining the benefits of drinking milk.

As of last week, I noticed my milk carton did not sport a little cow riding a bicycle, or jogging with a music player of some sort....instead the milk carton was wearing a leather jacket.
Don't believe me?

That's right - Rock 'N Roll Milkshake....

I guess they're wanting to jazz up the milk cartons - although I've only seen it on the fat-free, light-blue milk cartons so far - and they're hiring new and up-coming designers to come up with something for the carton!

I like that new designers are able to display their works of art on things - I just wasn't expecting it to be on milk cartons...

And yes, the milk still tastes the same.

A Rumor About the Post Office...

2011-11-07T02:29:00.000-08:00

I heard that the Post office (Posti) at S-Market (Savela location in Kortepohja) was closing...not sure when!
But a friend heard this while at the grocery store and I'm very worried!

The S Market and Post office are less than 2 years old at this location and the Post office is always packed, especially around the holidays...and the nearest post office is downtown!!
Very inconvenient if this is true and the post office closes!

Nothing against the downtown location, however, there's not a lot of parking (if we had a car), it's quite cramped in there and you take a number (which is fair) and wait your turn - which can take forever when you're in a rush, crammed in a small area or have a crying child! (Or you have to rush to catch your bus home with your new package!)

Let's hope it's not true...

**Update: A Finnish friend advised me he read something similar and that they do plan on closing it down however it you can still send and receive packages from that location....but it won't be offering full postal office services (not sure what that entails). They are looking for a partner for other postal services there - perhaps with UPS or some other delivery company?
And it won't be in effect until some time next summer!

Bank Card Blues

2011-11-07T02:21:00.000-08:00

Oh it's not my card I'm having issues with anymore! Thanks to the bank's fast and speedy service - I got a new one in the mail (slightly different in numbers) within a week as promised.

I'm referring to my husband's bank card. He had forgotten it at the grocery store and they attempted to call him last night - however, because he didn't recognize the number, he ignored the call. (Caller ID is included on all phones free of charge).
Then he got a text message from the grocery store advising him that his card was left behind and that he had to pick it up and bring ID as well.

I am assuming the grocery store contacted either the bank for his phone number or the police...seeing as it was a Sunday night - I can't see them being able to reach the Magistrate for his information!

AND the text was in English! YAY!

Thanks S Market!

In Canada, if a bank card is found - it's either returned to the cashier and they hold onto it for the owner to return. Occasionally a cashier might contact that person's bank but most banks won't give you the information to call the customer to pick up their card. By the time the customer realizes their card is missing - they often call the bank to cancel anyway and to order a new one. (Or if they remember where they were last - they might be able to pick it up at the shop, with proper identification of course!)

No Gift Receipt? No problem!

2011-11-06T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting our big guy's 2nd birthday party and our little one's Naming Party!
It was super fun and there was enough food for everybody and barely any left overs!!
And there were many lovely gifts - wow! We are so blessed with such lovely and thoughtful friends!! Our Finnish friends are our family while we live here and we're so grateful for every single one of them!

Well, one thing we were advised during our party, was that Polarn O. Pyret, a clothing shop (downtown near Elisa in the Forum), has a black label on the price tag. So if we needed to exchange the gift due to a duplicate gift (thankfully there weren't any!) - then we don't need a receipt or gift receipt - and we could just bring it to the store and make the exchange then!

Just keep the tag attached and the store will happily exchange the item! Then they can re-sell it and nothing goes to waste!

Just to clarify: The difference between a "receipt" and a "gift receipt" is what's listed on it.

Quite often (at least in Canada - not sure about Finland) when you buy a gift for someone and worry it may be given more than once, you can ask for a gift receipt to include with the gift.

A gift receipt does not include the price on it or your payment methods on it. Just simply that it was paid for, the date and the item that was purchased. This is handy for when you're sending gifts in the mail and the same store is located in their part of the country (or town) - so there's no need to send things back and forth!

A regular receipt does include the price and method of payment on it.

While we did get 2 gifts that were the same (although not from Polarn O. Pyret) - we've decided to keep them because now the kids have matching mugs!

Pyhäinpäivän - aka stores closed Saturday Nov. 5

2011-11-04T13:33:00.000-07:00

I've been running around today like a chicken with its head chopped off!
Tomorrow's the big Naming Party for the newborn and my older boy's birthday party - so I'm going wild with preparations....and should have posted this sooner!

Tomorrow is Pyhäinpäivän - aka All Saint's Day. Nothing is opened in terms of shops...not sure about restaurants - so check in advance before heading out! The odd small grocery store might be open - but take a look.

Some Things From The Pharmacy

2011-11-03T02:24:00.000-07:00

**Please note - I am not a nurse, doctor or pharmacist or any other kind of medical adviser.**

I thought I would show you some things from the pharmacy (over the counter aka no prescription required) that we have in our home - so you can see what is available in Finland.

Bepanthen - the equivalent of Polysporin! Good for cuts, mild burns, dry skin, eczema - very handy to have!

Canker-sore gel - good for little ones too (double-check with your pharmacist to see how old a child has to be before administering this!).

Ibuprofen

Pain-relief for little ones. 1 tablet mixed with a tablespoon of warm water until dissolved and feed with a spoon or syringe. I find this stuff works faster than the liquid Panadol.

Liquid Panadol (more pain relief for little ones and for fevers too - over the age of 3 months and based on weight). The one on the left is the old label and the one on the right is the newest design - no difference otherwise.

Breast feeding and want contraceptives? Your doctor will give you the 1st three-months for free. These are called Cerazette contraceptives or "mini-pills" by some people. After that, you do need a prescription and have to pay. (Applies to most who have the Kela card and is covered by Finland's health benefits).

It's November! That means lots of clouds and no sunshine....here's some Vitamin-D3 drops for babies - there are also tablets for those that have teeth! (It's also strongly recommended adults take Vitamin-D too!)

Aspirin....

Nose Frida is a snot-sucker for babies and kids - since they're not capable of blowing their nose at such a young age.

Don't worry - you won't get any snot in your mouth...that's what the blue sponge piece is for!

If I happen to need more things from the pharmacy - I'll try and remember to take a photo for you!

**Always ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you have any questions on how to use the above medications!! Never leave medication un-attended and within a child's reach!**

It's That Time of The Year!

2011-11-02T05:09:00.000-07:00

No silly, I'm not referring to Christmas (or the shopping)!

I'm referring to mushroom season! It's damp and grey out...and perfect for picking mushrooms!

My neighbour recently gifted us with a HUGE box of Funnel Chanterelle mushrooms! These are considered a delicacy in North America and are quite pricey! In Finland, I guess the restaurants charge a pretty penny for them too.
But if you have the time - slap on some rubber boots, rain pants, other warm layers and grab a bucket with a lid - and go get some mushrooms!

Wash and rinse them and you can use these mushrooms for soups, sauces or frying up! I'm in the process of freezing mine...

I just keep forgetting to buy little ziploc bags...

Oh and here's more information about these lovely, smokey mushrooms!

Remember That Arnold's Thing?

2011-11-02T02:34:00.000-07:00

So way back when, in March, we travelled to Sweden and on our way back to Jyväskylä, we stopped in Turku and ate at Arnold's. I wrote a review about it here and while in Estonia, I got a comment to contact someone that works at Arnold's.
That person happened to be Jussi Laurila, who stated he was one of the (Marketing?) Directors for Arnold's. Okay - wow!

So I met with Mr. Laurila in Helsinki the day before I was leaving for Canada (crazy I know) and this was something I had kept under wraps out of professional courtesy to him and the company of Arnold's.

However, seeing as it's been 6 months since being in contact with each other - I think it's safe to say that I did not get the position of Franchisee of the Arnold's in downtown Jyväskylä (by the movie theater) and feel fine with explaining what had happened.
(This is purely my experience - so take it for what it's worth).

While in Helsinki (back in May), I was 20 weeks pregnant or so and had advised him of this.
Apparently it's not common to notify a potential employer that you will need some time off due to a pregnancy here in Finland...well, I thought I was being courteous, as I didn't want to give any false impressions and wanted to be as truthful as possible.
I was given the grand tours of various Arnold's locations in downtown Helsinki and got to see how the food was prepared and what store locations were more popular than others etc.
I also got to sample many of the foods, at the time, there were grilled sandwiches just coming out only in bigger cities! How neat! And I gave my opinion on each sandwich as well.
I felt awful for wasting some of the food - but he only wanted us to sample the sandwiches and smoothies etc. - so that's what we did.

Oh and I was given an envelope packed full of coupons - how kind! (Now in retrospect, was this just to "keep me quiet"??)

Had I got the position, I would have been replacing the (at the time) Franchisee of the downtown JKL location because they were not able to continue working.
Mr. Laurila was very nice and very open about everything and I quickly filled out an application but could not complete it on the spot, as I needed some information from my husband.
The contract was only available in Finnish and while I notified him that I do have a few colleagues that are more than willing to read this over with me (one being a lawyer) - I was not allowed to bring the contract home with me. He suggested I notify him when to come to Jyväskylä and he'd bring the contract with him and go over it with my lawyer friend and myself in person. Okay - fine.

One thing you need to have to invest into a franchise with Arnold's is money. Being a stay-at-home-mother - that wasn't quite a possibility for me (100,000€ is the total cost for a brand new store location). I suggested making a much smaller investment (1-2,000€) and deducting future pay cheques by a certain percentage to put into an "investment" account for Arnold's.

Anyways, fast forward, and I brought my application with me to Canada to complete it and mail it back to him. However, Canada Post went on strike for more than a month during the time of our travels, so mailing the application would have been pointless.
I quickly emailed Mr. Laurila notifying him of the strike and that I have it filled out but will have to wait until I return to Finland to send it. As well, with or without a strike - Canada Post can be quite slow in the snail-mail department!
I did not include a photo of myself in the application, as it suggests - maybe that's why I am still waiting on a response from Arnold's? Who knows!

Anyhow, one sign that the staff lacked professionalism (in my opinion) at Arnold's - was one Franchisee I met gave me his email address and told me to ask him anything I wanted about Arnold's.
So I did. I sent off an email prior to going to Canada (or shortly after arriving) and have yet to hear a response back!

I was advised that Arnold's was started in Finland by Mr. Laurila and a couple friends back in 1991 who wanted to bring something American to Finland. However, all the advertisement I see, including on the paper tray liners, is that some American fellow started it in the USA. (And I was advised this wasn't true...Hmm.)

If Mr. Laurila is one of the Directors of Arnold's - why and how could he let this slide?

I have yet to hear back from anybody from Arnold's and am quite disappointed in this (and he has my number and email). I was seriously looking forward to bringing in an income and working in a customer-service position again.
A little common courtesy goes a long way Arnold's...you could have at least emailed me to notify me I did not get the position, instead of stringing me along.

(And no, I wouldn't suggest it has anything to do with the pregnancy - because you could have asked if I had had the baby yet.)

OH! And if you are ever in a position where you have to pay to travel to your job interview - I was advised by a friend that you have the right to ask to be compensated....
(I did not ask to be compensated).

**Update: According to the Finnish Wikipedia - my friend loosely translated it for me - that yes, Arnold's was started by a group of Finnish men in Switzerland and moved it over to Finland.
But it still doesn't explain why the advertisements don't state this and make strong implications that the Arnold's chain was started in the US...I'll have to go back to Arnold's and find the advertisement about the American and take a photo of it.
But anyways, take it for what it's worth! It was definitely an experience!

Free NCIS online!

2011-10-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you - but I miss American TV shows.
I'm not a huge fan of reality TV shows - but I do enjoy shows about cooking, animals and police shows...one of my favourites was NCIS!

(I don't have a digibox so I won't be a couch potato...and to save more money!)

Anyways, a friend of mine pointed out that there's this site that allows you to watch free episodes of some of your favourite shows online!

http://www.ruutu.fi/ is the site and it only displays an episode for so many days before changing it!

Enjoy.

It's My Favourite Day!

2011-10-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, aside from holidays and travelling - today is one of the best days in the year!
Daylight Savings Ends!!

Fall back an hour or Spring forward an hour is how I remember it.

Getting an extra hour to sleep in or to craft or (ugh) clean? Of course I want in! (I am more focused on the sleeping in part!)

And just in case you're not from Finland - I don't know if it applies to all of the EU (I think it does) but it definitely does not apply to the US or Canada right now.
According to my Canadian calendar - you can flip your clock back 1 hour on November 6th, 2011.

And here I thought I was so wildly brilliant for getting the newborn to sleep from 2am until 7am...turned out it was 6am.
Your cell phone probably didn't change back an hour....but my computer did - hence how I remembered.

Darn Chip!

2011-10-29T03:32:00.000-07:00

I have a chip bank card and my chip is starting to wiggle loose! Oh dear!
I'm going to try and go to my bank and order a new card soon.

Why bother telling you this?

If this should happen to you, your card may not be able to make purchases because the machine cannot read your chip since it's on the brink of falling out of your card. Even if you wipe it on your shirt sleeves a few times...trust me - I've done it a few times.

With that said, the magnetic stripe is still available to swipe but you need to provide identification AND your Finnish Social Security ID #.
Thankfully I've been carrying a larger purse and have my Passport and my Kela card in there...my Passport does not show my Finnish Social Security ID # - but my Kela card does.
So that's what I have had to provide the last 3 times I've made purchases downtown at the grocery store.
The cashier will write down your ID# on the receipt and then you sign it, like you would for a swiped card purchase.

FYI - hope this helps.

Neuvola "Etiquette"

2011-10-29T03:26:00.000-07:00

So in Canada when you take your children for their routine vaccines and check-ups (and if you're expecting) - you take them to the doctor.
Well, in Finland, you take them to your local Neuvola. They are mostly staffed by nurses - but if you call them that - they're not technically considered "nurses" because of the different education programs required to obtain that "status and title". A friend of mine is a "Health Care Provider" (or loosely translated to that) but I always think of them as nurses...they provide health advice, check blood pressure and provide vaccines....
You do and can see doctors at the Neuvola for your child and for you (during pregnancy and after you deliver) but it's not often.
Doctors can write your prescription and it would be best to make sure you have your previous copy of your prescription if you have it!

So when you enter a Neuvola - here's some things to keep in mind:

Leave your strollers/prams outside. The wheels carry a lot of germs and bacteria - so the Neuvola requests you leave them outside.

You can bring in baby car seats or carrying bags for little babies.

Remove your shoes and coat, and your child(s) as well.

If for some reason you do not want to remove your foot wear (i.e. it's too hard or you have a sore back etc.) - there is usually some blue plastic slip-on covers and just make sure to dispose of them before you go.

Disinfect your hands and your family's.

There's always somebody who is sick in the Neuvola - that's why they have it...so prevent your family from catching a cold and prevent yourself from spreading more cold-germs....
If your Neuvola has a play area - remember, kids pick their nose, and stick their hands everywhere! So make sure to wipe or disinfect little hands before you leave too!

If you are pregnant - weigh yourself and remember the number (remember it's in kilograms!) to tell your nurse.

As well, go to the bathroom and you do your own urine test (the pH level one with the white strips that change color). If there's anything odd - then you tell your nurse when you get in to see them.

When weighing a baby - as long as they don't give too much of a fight, they'll weigh your baby completely naked. So be sure to bring a clean diaper...you'll probably need it.

That's all I can think of and I hope this helps!!

New Color Scheme!

2011-10-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

I have tried several times to upload a photo of my own as a background with little success (okay, none) because of the size of the photos...so I stuck to boring old blue.
Then I thought, since fall is here - I'll post an autumn-like background and loved it. I was planning on changing the background according to season...but a reader kindly notified me that she had problems loading my blog on her computer because the background slowed it down.

So that's why it's back to a plain colored background....

One of these days I'll get a proper photo in the background and jazz it up a bit more!

Thanks for reading! (And hopefully you can read my blog without any technological issues!)

Another Example of the Trusting Finn (and cloth diaper stuff)

2011-10-25T23:32:00.000-07:00

This occurred in late June, however, will be posted after the baby has been born....

Anyways, I've been on the hunt for Imse Vimse cloth diapers second-hand, in preparation for #2 - and have been getting pretty lucky at finding them in excellent condition (no stains) and sometimes brand new - for a fraction of the cost. As well, I'm also on the hunt for the diaper covers as well (to help prevent leakage)....it's been excellent so far.
I figure I should get as many as I possibly can because if baby #2 arrives according to schedule - it'll be quite cold out - so I won't be taking both children outside often at all! And therefor not needing to use disposables except at night time or while travelling....what a money saver!!

Well, I recently contacted this lady from the University used-items site (like Kijiji)- who had those same diapers on for a wonderful low price and she had informed me that she had other useful items I may need.
What else does a pregnant woman need? Yep, you guessed it! Maternity clothing.
Because I was quite small in Canada during my first pregnancy (and was only there for ½ of it) - I didn't really shop around much for maternity-wear. I mostly wore bigger sizes or stretchy t-shirts, but I did invest in a couple pairs of maternity shorts, and a friend graciously gave me some maternity jeans.
This time, I am getting bigger faster and have lucked out at the second hand stores with some maternity clothes, or at least larger sized clothes easily.
I find it sometimes difficult to buy maternity clothes in the shops because they're rarely on sale, and those that are - are not quite my size or style I'd like....I know one shouldn't be choosy - but I would still like to look half decent while out in public!
And online - the maternity clothes are often sized XS or XL....

So! With that said, this lady met me this morning (June 29) and delivered some cloth diapers and covers to me, and also had a huge bag of maternity clothes and other useful items for sale. I didn't have enough money to cover the pieces she had with her (aside from the diapers) - but she said simply to try them on, go through the other items and let her know what I would like to keep and what I'd like to give back to her. Then she can come back and I can pay her in cash or forward her the money online.

I bet you're wondering what else was in that bag, huh?
2 maternity shirts, a pair of maternity jeans, a stretchy tube top, a pair of maternity underwear with the velcro strap (to aid with back pains), a set of baby monitors (brand new), a manual breast pump, a pair of black maternity tights, a pair of woolen panty hose and 2 cloth baby carriers.
WOW. Well, I thanked her kindly and raced upstairs to see what fit and what wouldn't.
Seeing as this lady was about the same size as me - I had a lot of faith that I would find something that I could make use of!
I ended up taking most of it - except the breast pump (already have one), maternity underwear (I'd feel so weird wearing a velcro belt!), the tube top and woolen panty hose.....oh and the baby carriers - no need for those either.
Once again - these things were at a fraction of the original cost online or in the shops! I was very pleased with myself and I was surprised the husband was interested in the baby monitors!
Not that our flat is huge or has multiple floors (it doesn't) - but he suggested it being easier to leave Väinö and/or #2 outside or at least down stairs if they're asleep...and if we have a double stroller (vertical or horizontal) - it won't fit in the elevator anyway!

So I bet you're probably thinking, "Eww second-hand cloth diapers! How un-hygenic!"
That's not true at all! If they were completely stained beyond repair - then no, I wouldn't buy them.
On the Imse Vimse site, you can simply rinse them off (flush the poop of course) and toss them in a bucket for up to 3 days...then wash them! I had no idea until I was doing a price comparison for a friend...Before, we were rinsing them, flushing away the poop and soaking them in a bucket filled with water and white vinegar (white vinegar is anti-bacterial - did you know that?!)...then tossing them in a wash on higher temperature (60*C usually does the trick).

However, cloth diapers are an investment at brand new cost.
For example - let's do some math and look at the cloth diapers on Imse Vimse (that are size based - not including the all-in-ones - which are also horrendously expensive):

Soft diaper covers - they're leak proof, don't stain on the inside (because they are polyester coated - kind of like plastic) - and are 11.95€ ($16.72 CAN) for one...I've been paying no more than 4€ ($5.60) a piece....
Flannel Diapers - These are the "actual diapers" as they do the absorbing...and in that link are listed as a 4-pack for 32,95€ ($46.16 CAN)...so on average for 1 of these would cost about 8.24€ ($11.54 CAN)....I haven't paid more than 2-3€ per piece ($2.80-$4.20)

Now these aren't the only cloth diapers on the market!

By all means, there are several people we know who have used the gauze-like material, folded it in some fashion and used those. They're much cheaper, come in a variety of colors and patterns and dry faster because they're so thin.

However, I am not very good at regular origami - so diaper folding isn't my cup of tea personally.

We also have several of those pocket-style diapers - where you have to fill the inside of the diaper (like a pocket) with a liner or thick pad - then you remove the liner, rinse the diaper and toss both pieces in the wash.

We've saved tonnes of money by cloth diapering our first born up until he was 11 months old....then he started out-growing them and finding used bigger sizes was becoming difficult....but I'll keep hunting around! They even sell pull-up style cloth diapers - so it can help with potty training!

Cloth diapering is what you make it - and it's not for everybody!!

For us - it's environmentally friendly, it's softer on baby's skin and we haven't had a rash yet!, it's inexpensive (in the long run!) compared to disposables, and once we're done with them all - we'll be selling them off too.

Update: August 15, 2011Since I cannot post this on Facebook without giving the pregnancy away, I will post it all here...
I went to Silinteri with a "feeling" in my gut and wow am I glad I did!
I found those Imse Vimse cloth diapers...someone was selling them in packages of 5 diapers + 2 covers for 3€. I cleaned her table.
I also found on another table, 2 brand new IV diaper covers (with tags attached) for 2€....and at ANOTHER table? I found 5 brand spanking new IV ORGANIC COTTON cloth diapers for 3€! I noticed it was re-tagged several times...the seller originally wanted 10€ for the 5 - which still would've been a steal but a little steep on my "don't get the husband mad for spending too much" budget.
So in total? 25 cloth diapers and 10 IV covers for 17€. And out of all those diapers...only 2 were lightly stained...and it wasn't even that bad!!!!
Oh and a bottle warmer in a box still...original price? 39€...paid 3€ for it.
Found some flushable rice paper liners - to help prevent staining....

And I had posted an advertisement seeking IV diapers and/or covers on the university's website - and someone contacted me the next day with 4 spotless diapers and 2 covers for 10€ (a bit pricier than what I paid today - but nonetheless...an excellent deal) and another cover that is organic cotton for 4€....

Finnish Name Calendar

2011-10-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I finally found a site that can show you what I'm talking about!

Let's recap: Finns don't name their kids right away or prior to the birth of a child. They have Naming Parties, which are typically tied in with the naming of God parents and the Baptism or Christening.
If you buy a calendar - any kind of calendar or agenda, you'll see little names written in pretty much every square (along with regular holidays etc.).

I didn't use a Finnish calendar this year, because a friend had gifted me with a calendar from Canada so I could be on top of Canadian holidays and so on.
(Canadian calendars are written out from Sunday to Saturday, where as Finnish ones are Monday to Sunday).

Anyways, I've been in the need of a Finnish name calendar as of recently and found this site for you - which demonstrates what I've been talking about before.

Some Finns pick the name that is on the date of the child's birth, some do not.

A Crafty Post

2011-10-17T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love doing crafts and thought I'd share with you (and feel free to share with others!) that I have created a group on Facebook called "Stamped Images Exchange!"

The point of this group is to make new Crafty-Pals (pen pals) and try out different types of stamped images by a variety of designers or to make requests for specific stamps - to help YOU save money.

So check out the group, tell your friends to join and have fun!!!
Anybody with ink, stamps and paper can join!!!

More Photos and Adjustments!

2011-10-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try and add more photos in this blog - so you can see Jyväskylä (or other parts of Finland) the way I do. Not the way that a professional photographer or city-promoter does. :-)

Below are some photos of Downtown Jyväskylä - the Church in the photos being the "Town Church" which is right downtown and quite hard to miss! It's about a 1 minute walk away from the pedestrian-only area - heading towards the University (on Kauppakatu).

I'm also re-adding photos and putting a water-mark on them too...

Please bear with me as I have recently discovered the gadget that allows me to put popular tags (labels) on the side of my blog.

So I am currently going through every post on each blog and re-labelling some things so you can find things better!!!

Thanks for your understanding! :-)

Autumn in Jyväskylä

2011-10-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

I haven't taken many photos - I really should take more! But here are some photos of my neighbourhood while walking around with my son this evening.

None of these photos were adjusted in terms of lighting or shadows - I did crop the last two photos, as I discovered a spot on my lens through the photos...so that's all that was cropped out. (You can see it in the first photo near the top...)

Believe it or not - these were taken at around 615pm on October 15 (today)...and it was completely dark by 710pm!!!

It's cold enough that our balcony is serving as an extra fridge or cold-storage area! Which is handy for baking that needs to be chilled...or extra bottles of pop or boxes of juice!!

So dig out your night-reflectors and your long underwear! It's getting colder (currently 4*C) and dark faster!!

Diapers

2011-10-10T01:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Pampers:

While I admit that the convenience of buying a large amount of your Easy-Up Pants in a big box with handles is nice - your claim on the box to have an "Extra Dry Layer" is utterly false.
My son is well within your size 5 Junior weight measurements (12-18 kg, 26-40 lbs) yet more than once - he has overflowed his diaper overnight. And he DOES pee before going to bed in the bathroom....he doesn't get a drink in the middle of the night...and I am baffled as to how he can leak out of the back of the diaper! The back of his pajama bottoms and shirt were soaked.

In example, last night, I woke up thinking I drooled all over the bed. Oh no - it was my son's pee all over the blanket and in my face. Great.

A diaper is a diaper and I don't think I should "have to" purchase diapers that are specifically made for longer hours in the night time - seeing as he sleeps about 10 hours per night.
Nor would we want to wake him up to change his diaper...

Even in a 2-3-hour time span in the afternoon - he can easily overflow a diaper... we ensure that he is "pointing south" and the leg cuffs are pulled out enough that the leakage should not happen.

We will no longer be buying your crummy diapers - and will go back to Libero brand - which has a smaller amount in their packaging usually - but who have yet to leak on us.

Sincerely,
Pissy Parents (pun intended)

Phone Switch!

2011-10-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

This is all about switching phone companies (cell phones).
IGNORE THE CURRENCY CONVERSION.... Yes Finland uses Euros - but for the sake of math - Europe has über cheap prices for cell phones compared to North America...which I've constantly been amazed with since moving here.

I came to Finland in 2009 and started out with DNA up until this past week.
The plan I had was pretty simple: 6 or 7 Euro cents per month for a monthly "system access fee" and 6-7 Euro cents per minute or text message sent.
It doesn't cost ANYTHING to receive messages. (It apparently costs about 5 cents per message received in Canada - what a shame! Not like you can control how many messages you are SENT.)
And receiving calls - you're not charged anything either - as far as I know...and you can call anyone anywhere in Finland with your Finnish cell phone - and it's not long distance (in the sense of costing extra)!

Anyways, I noticed as of recently that my cell phone bill has been going up because my text message usage has increased significantly.
Fair enough. I decided to shop around for different and hopefully more affordable prices.
My friend, who uses Sonera (and is the primary cause of my bill being up quite high - as we text each other A LOT) - mentioned that Sonera has a "friends program" called Kamu.
For 1€/month you can pick a friend and have unlimited text messaging and minutes with that person. I went to Sonera once my 2-year contract was complete and they said I can pick up to 6 numbers that have Sonera phone lines and it'd be 1€ per person! Fabulous!

But! What if someone I want to add doesn't have a Sonera line? (Aka my husband)
Only 1 number out of the 6 can be a "non-Sonera" number. Good enough for me!

The monthly fee is 1,99€, I have 3 "kamu"/favourite friends and I picked up a small internet package for my phone at under 4€/month. So about 9€/month...as opposed to my most recent bill of 46€...
Pretty great deal!
And individual minutes and messages were the same price - of approximately 7 E.Cents for each.

I was given my new SIM card and told my password to set it up and that in a week from that day - I could insert the new SIM card into my phone and everything would be switched over accordingly.
There is no fee for the new SIM card for a new customer...and I used my existing phone - so that saved me a lot too.

*There are other plans and other contracts that require a new phone set up - but I am on a month-to-month plan which fits my needs. This is just my experience!*

As soon as I was entered into the system as a new client of Sonera - my phone buzzed 8 times with 8 new text messages from Sonera, thanking me in Finnish for joining their company. Wow - that's really nice - but 8x was a little much.
AND - not to be outdone...I got a text message from DNA in English (may I note the first one in English since I've moved to Finland...hmm interesting how that worked out) stating they recognized I was ending my plan and suggesting I call them so I can be offered a great plan.

Well, I wasn't quite interested in DNA's offer as a friend of mine works there (I had no idea until I was hunting around on Facebook about other companies) and he had made me a great offer but it was still quite expensive....in the long run.
The plan I was offered?

For 6 months, I could have a plan that included a mix of 500 minutes or text messages (not 500 of each - just to clarify) for 50% off, at 9€ and some change per month....and 1€/month un-limited internet use. Not too bad - but that would require a 1 year contract - and while I'm confident we'll be in Finland for 1 year - I just didn't want another contract.

So the day after I signed up with Sonera, DNA called me twice. The first time - I didn't answer because I was in the middle of feeding my son and diaper changes etc....so I figure if it was important enough - they'd call back.
I answered the 2nd time - for the sake of getting it done and over with. The DNA rep spoke great English and offered me "a better deal" than Sonera. Turned out it was the same deal as what my friend offered - but for 1 year I'd be given 50% off the monthly plan and it would cost 2€/month unlimited internet....I declined it not once but three times.
I'm not the type of person that will be rude and snippy on the phone, because I've worked in a call center before with the bank - but when someone tells me "No thank you - I've decided to stick with the other company" - that'd be my cue to thank the client and leave it at that.

So folks, it's that easy to switch your plan - but make sure you do it after your contract is over - so you avoid paying any "penalty fees" - although the penalty fee with DNA was 100€ per phone line...much better than 400$ per phone line in Canada (who knows - maybe it's gone up again).

(Some companies mail you the new SIM card - just so you know).

Lack of Blogging

2011-09-29T04:48:00.001-07:00

I deeply apologize to all of you who follow my blog(s) that I have not been writing as of lately.

I have developed Carpel Tunnel Syndrome (aka severe pain in the wrists and hands) a couple of weeks ago and it's been getting worse everyday.

I haven't done any more than 5 rows (12 stitches per row) of knitting with a big, loopy yarn every 2-3 days...no crocheting...barely any coloring or card-making.
If I do color or make cards - I take lots of breaks between each color even or each step.

It's to the point I can't close my hands some nights when I'm asleep - so my hands look like old-lady C-shapes and are very numb. It went from one wrist to another and is primarily more of an issue in my right hand (I am right-handed) and has spread within the last couple of days, to my finger tips.
It's hard to cut a peanut butter sandwich, use chopsticks or even hold a glass of milk or a pen.
And as you can tell - I've been cutting back (or trying very hard to) on typing...

I'm hoping this will all go away VERY soon - as in within the next month...I had an appointment today with the doctor who recommended some gels etc. for the pains...but if it doesn't go away by end of next month, I'm looking at surgery to correct my hands and relieve the pain they said...

Thanks for following and I hope to be blogging and crafting (and filming!!) more SOON!
Dominique :-)

A Puzzle

2011-09-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

I was recently at Silinteri (2nd hand store nearby) and a table was selling these new wooden puzzles (brain teasers) for only 1 Euro a piece and I couldn't resist.

After showing "somebody" them - who is a huge puzzle fanatic - they decided it was messed up.

This puzzle shown below (with the solution blurred out) is called, "The Flea". The object of the puzzle is to exchange places of the two colors (wood and yellow) by only moving one piece at a time towards it's goal end, not going backwards and you are able to skip a piece if there is an opening available (think like Solitaire - not the card version).
The way it was originally set up - the empty space was not in the middle but off to the side - which greatly confused "somebody".

Well, we both looked at the solution and the instructions (which were in English), and it didn't say or indicate where the empty space should be located. So I looked it over after "somebody's" several attempts at solving the puzzle - and within 10 seconds, I began to solve the puzzle using the solution.

The reason for blogging about this particular puzzle is to inform you, in case you buy the same one, is to let you know that the empty space starts in the center.

Oh and the solution is written in 3 columns of 8 moves per column. The "somebody" who was confused - was reading the solution from left to right, like in English.

I read the solution from top to bottom - left column to the right, column by column. That made sense to me - like they were written out in bullet-point form!

And it worked.

That "somebody" wasn't overly impressed I figured out something before they did...points for the WIFE!! (ahem - I mean me...wouldn't want to ruin "somebody's reputation".) :P

The puzzle is created by (or at least distributed by): Oy Sloyd Ab - located in Helsinki.

A New Family Member!

2011-09-25T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's to the point that I can (not-so-proudly) say that we have a new family member.
Why would I not be proud of our second "kid"?

Well, this one has 6 legs, 2 wings, buzzes and just won't leave our home!

Yes, it is a fly. I don't know what it is with Finnish insects - but they just don't die. Perhaps it's something in the Finnish water?

I'm not exaggerating in the least bit either! Typically August and September - we have issues with wasps or hornets - I can never tell them apart - but that's beside the point. They are black, yellow, have stingers, buzz loudly and when you smack them with a rolled magazine or newspaper - they keep flying. There have been times, my husband has smacked a wasp at least 6 times - quite hard too - and the sucker keeps flying. A little stunned for a quick moment, then angry and flying as if nothing happened at all...
My dogs are beyond frustrated because they try to catch this fly and usually have success - but haven't been able to catch our little visitor at all! We've tried opening up windows and no luck there either.

Well, the wasp season seems to have past now - thank Heavens for cooler weather and lots of rain....but this one fly got in and doesn't feel like leaving at all! He's fast and a little too smart...
I don't want to buy a spray, since we have a child running loose in the home - oh and 2 dogs...I don't want to poison anybody...and I keep forgetting to buy a fly-swatter.
They're probably not even being sold anymore, now that it's dark by 8pm...
I'm tempted to borrow someone's cat - just to get this fly...

Maybe he can have a name? Any name suggestions? I think he's a he and hiding out in the kitchen.

Faking It.

2011-09-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's been over 2 years now that I've moved to Finland and up until recently - I was horrible at faking Finnish. One thing I was seriously lacking was confidence...the ability to look like I totally knew what you were saying in Finnish and being able to give the appropriate shrugged shoulder, facial expression or the right tone of "Uh-huh".
(Please note: I am very good at faking understanding a conversation in English. I do it quite often with my husband - once he gets going with political talk or philosophy.)

But! I am getting much better at it...
About a month ago - I started taking Finnish lessons in my home with my friend, M, teaching me and my husband. Tim has already taken Part 1 of basic Finnish through the University of Jyväskylä. However, after our son was born, he found he didn't have enough time to go to Part 2.
So right now - all these Verb Types and basic words to get around and "survive" are just a nice refresher for him - and slightly confusing for me.

We have lessons twice a week and an hour long per session - as I have a short memory and attention span when it comes to languages and remembering grammar rules etc....so 2 hours a week plus my homework (which I actually got done today prior to my lesson) is just the right length for me.

I'm realizing that despite my short memory for proper endings for verb types - I'm able to recognize and pick out more in conversations I overhear on a regular basis.
Things like numbers and food-related words aren't as foreign or as confusing anymore! Although, when spoken quickly - it still makes my head spin.

To prove my new-found confidence in "faking it"- I shall share a story.
Yesterday Väinö and I went downtown to Sokos to have lunch in their "S-Market" on the bottom floor. (It's not actually called "S-Market" but because they accept the S Card - I call it such).
Väinö sat beside me and happily ate his lunch while I happily ate my salad and pop. He decided to get up and stand in his chair - so I quickly put him into his stroller and he was satisfied snacking on a carrot muffin with me.
There was a lady watching us and was very hopeful to take over our table with her spouse - but once she saw me settle back down to eating my almost-finished salad - she decided to take the table ahead of us.
However, this lady was very un-impressed by the previous diners at that table - because not only did they leave their trays and dirty dishes (one was in a wheel chair and the other was her friend pushing her along - so I guess they felt they didn't want to or feel the need to put away their dirty dishes as a courtesy to others) - but they left behind quite a bit of food un-eaten on their plates.
Well! This lady who took over their table was VERY disgusted by all of this and voiced her opinion to me about it...she was waiting for a response so I just frowned a little and with a firm-looking face said "Hmm joo." (Hmm yes)
She nodded at my response and gave me a big smile.
BOO YA! I got a Finn's seal of approval.... I didn't need to elaborate anymore because that's what Finns do - they keep it super simple when it comes to responding to something.

So when it doubt - just say "Joo". (Sounds like Yo, as in yo-yo, but a longer "o" sound at the end).

The Rules of Naming Your Child in Finland

2011-09-22T04:48:00.000-07:00

That's right - naming your new baby is something a lot of parents are excited for - or are incredibly stressed about.
Our friends recently had a baby and upon leaving the hospital - you are given a birth certificate without the child's name on it. Finns typically name their child once they learn the child's characteristics and personality...it's not often that it's planned ahead - like North Americans tend to do.
So our friends had picked out the first name already - but it wasn't registered through the Magistrate yet.
The Magistrate sends everybody information about what is okay and not okay to name your child.

You're probably thinking, "It's my child - it's none of their business what I name my children!"
Yeah you're probably right - go freedom of speech. However, Finland has come up with these regulations of naming your child - so the child will not have "issues" or be embarrassed when they get older - and to eliminate confusion with other people who may have the same name.

Here's the rules (from what I can remember) - and I'll try and give the best examples that I can:

A last name cannot be used as a first name. (I.e. "Jameson, Ainsley")
Your children's first names cannot match each other within 1 family. (I.e. Siblings cannot be named "Paul" and "Paul")

Siblings can have the same middle (or "second name" as it's known here) name. (I know someone who has the same middle name as her two much younger sisters!)
It is possible to name a child after yourself, like "Olli's daughter" - Olli being the father. This is a very old Finnish way of doing things...it's not very common these days.

The name given has to be a real name - not an object or name of something else. (I.e. "Chocolate bars" or "Facebook". Facebook was done in Egypt!)
If the name is not approved by this council, when you register your child's name (and then can get a Kela benefits card for your child if you qualify) - you have to pick a new name.
You cannot "make up" a name. (I.e. "Nevaeh" is a popular name in North America...guess what it means? "Heaven" spelled backwards. And in case your'e wondering, yes Nevaeh is super popular!)
Your child cannot have more than 3 first names. (I.e. "Sarah-Jane -middle name- Smith" is acceptable - but not "Robert-Jason-Carl-Junior -middle name-Smith")
No foul language or swear words for first or middle names... (Thanks to "Dominique D." for reminding me!)
The name cannot embarrass your child when they get older or be overly foolish. (I.e. "Taluah Does The Hula While Sipping On Kaluah" - there was an instance of something similar to this and the courts in Hawaii (?) had the parents change the name...and that was just the first name!)
Boys cannot be given a girls name and vice verca (Thanks Pasi!). There are very few and rare unisex names.

Remember- the purpose of these regulations is not to offend you or limit you in any way - but to protect the child from humiliation and embarrassment as they get older.

Just bear in mind all the forms people have to fill out as they get older - and the limited spaces available on the paper...and all the times they have to pronounce their names or announce it publicly - and if it's a tongue twister - it's not fun for anybody to learn or say!

Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about:

Passport documents
Drivers License document
Bank accounts
Credit Cards or student loans
Travelling Visas
Booking appointments (in person or on the phone) for doctors, specialists or reservations at a restaurant
Registering for school or conferences
Applying for jobs and submitting resumes
Business cards
Giving speeches or presentations in front of groups and having to introduce themselves
Getting married and having to say their full name (and the spouse has to say it too!) during the ceremony

So - what will you name your kid?!

Chugga,Chugga, Choo-Choo! Problems

2011-09-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

While visiting my friend last night, they informed me to not purchase train tickets online for awhile.
Why? Well, their servers had been crashing left, right and center because VR has been offering discounts for trips closer to Christmas - if you are able to book well in advance. So people have of course, been going wild for cheaper ticket prices (especially during the holiday season - who wouldn't want to save a buck or few?) and therefor, crashing their website.

So if you know where you want to go for Christmas - buy your tickets in advance at the green electronic machines (THEY DON'T PROVIDE ENGLISH SERVICE ON THEM!!) or with a sales representative at your local train station... or with cash (or possibly credit card - NOT Visa Electron - read above link for my previous experience on a train) with the train conductor.

Happy trip planning!

Oh Kela....

2011-09-21T14:33:00.000-07:00

I got a letter (of course in Finnish) that was 2-3 pages long and had lots of figures (€) and our family members names (except the dogs of course) listed on it.

I had no idea what we did wrong - but they included a form for me to fill out, which looked pretty serious and formal, and a postage-paid envelope too.

I brought this letter over to a friend's home who translated what happened.

In Finland, you can apply through Kela for a wide variety of allowances (or benefits). Things like:

Rental Housing Allowance - if you have little combined-income and too high of rent - you can apply to have some money credited to your bank account to help you out with your rent.
Stay at Home Allowance - if your child(ren) are not going to a day care or are too young for public school and are staying at home with you - you can get compensated handsomely for this. (As opposed to only 100$/month in Canada and day care is well over 200$ a week! - for example).
Maternity/Paternity Allowance - if one parent is staying home after the delivery of a child - you can apply that one parent gets some financial compensation for staying at home etc.

The other allowances - you can find on Kela's website.

Everything regarding social services - goes through Kela. The application forms are available in English - but the response will always be in either Finnish or Swedish.

Anyways, the letter was in reference to our application for Rental Housing Allowance. My husband was the sole money-maker and we were approved a year ago for some money to be deposited to our bank account to assist with the rent.
Every year this is under review and if there are any changes - like change in rent or water fees - or change in family members for example, you must notify Kela.

We were under review because our year had come up and they wanted to see if anything changed. Yes, our rent went up and the water fees per person also went up quite a bit.
But that's not what this letter in particular was about.

Kela was requesting we return the money from as far back as January 2011 because our income has increased and they feel that the combined income is more than enough to cover rent and necessities. Fair enough - except - it wasn't our fault our income wasn't increased ages ago.
What increase in income?

Remember we had a dispute with Kela back in June? Well, they approved Väinö's stay-at-home allowance because we now qualified for it as we're listed as "A-Permanent Status".
That money we got from January to June (when I submitted the claim again) is considered income on my part and combined with Tim's regular income - is more than enough that we no longer require the Rental Housing Allowance.
Fair enough - however, it was not our fault that we didn't get the At home allowance ages ago - because Kela was not notified of our change in status - so really, we are still out 6 months of Stay at home allowance (effective August 13, 2010 we got the A-Permanent Status) but Kela will only retro-pay you for 6 months. (Which is still better than nothing! I'm not complaining!)

So this decision is not concrete -but they have cancelled rental allowance to the bank account and would like me to explain myself via that form.

So Kela - I will explain it all and I'm sure I'll get a response in Finnish.

All About: Television

2011-09-21T14:13:00.000-07:00

In Canada, you typically have to sign up for your cable channels through a variety of cable companies. Or perhaps you'll get a satellite so you can watch a wider variety of channels from around the world - which is particularly handy if your first language is not English and you want to see some Chinese channels or French ones etc.
Then there's Youtube and other sites online - where everything online is free in snippets but then you have to watch things in segments and risk not seeing everything - because the producing company of the show will request those clips be removed.
And then of course, there's the option of waiting until your favourite show comes out on DVD at the end of the season and you purchase it....

Now that you know your options - let's talk about the option in Finland.

In order to get channels in Finland - you just need to buy a "digibox". You just plug it in and POOF! You have channels!
Now, if you go that route, you're "supposed" to pay your TV fees.

You perhaps have received a letter from "Viestintävirasto TV-maksut" - and it was probably in Finnish the first few times. I know my husband has gotten one every 4-6 months since we've moved to Finland....and finally! It was my turn to get one.
Oh but this time - they wrote it in English.

Here's the short form of the letter:

"According to law (yes there's an Act on the State Television and Radio Fund (745/1998) - the television fees must always be paid when you are able to receive and watch tv transmissions... You have to submit a notification regardless of the channels you watch or how much you watch them - or which distribution network (analog, digital, satellite etc.)....PS If you cannot receive television transmissions or a television notification has already been made for your address, please ignore this letter. You need not notify us of this."

Then included in this little package is a form for me to fill out with all of my information etc.
Oh and because you're probably curious - here's the fees (you can pay it in 1 fee or in several monthly installments as follows:

" 1 month: 21,15€ 3 months: 62,35€ 6 months: 123,25€ 12 months: 244,90€"

Considering the costs Canadians (and Americans too I'm sure) pay per month for internet - average speed being about 80$/month plus free local calls (we get the average speed for free in our building!) - I'm sure this is a very good deal, and I don't want to know what North Americans are paying for television cable! (Even if you convert the currencies).

Anyway, so we do have a television - but no digibox. We haven't watched TV in about 5 years (since my husband and I were first dating...he didn't need it and I didn't want to be dependent on it all the time like many people I know) - so why start now? We're more into movies if anything.

So we don't have a digibox - but apparently if your computer has a "tv chip" - you're still expected to pay. I have no idea how to use this "chip" and don't want to know. Our computer is mostly Finnish anyway - so we have no idea how to do a lot with this computer - except for the basics and use of the internet. I don't even know if we have that chip!

Well, what happens if you don't respond to the letters? Occasionally, you may have a "TV Inspector" come to visit you. They'll ring your door bell (so instruct your friends and regular visitors to knock instead :P ) and introduce themselves. They'll ask permission to come inside and look for your digibox.
YOU HAVE EVERY LEGAL RIGHT TO SAY NO AND POLITELY SHUT THE DOOR. The only people you MUST let into your home are the Police.
And they're sneaky about it too - they'll listen to your door (they're kind of thin I suppose) to see if they can hear any "tv-like sounds".
This is getting increasingly harder because of the internet, DVDs and VCRs (yes some people still have those here) - and heck! Even radios!
My friend had recently moved into a different flat and she received a letter within a week - stating that she needs to register her digibox/television if she has one. And before that? She just ignored the letters, and once had an inspector come in and they look around in the bedroom, kitchen and living room...typical places for a TV. The inspector was suspicious because he could hear sounds from her flat - and it was only the radio...she doesn't even have a TV!!

I wonder if they have a little jingle tune like "Inspector Gadget"...?

Regardless of Size - a DOG is a DOG...

2011-09-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

I don't care what size your dog is... he or she is still a dog. They have natural instincts and it's hardly going to do them any good if you constantly scoop them up when you see a dog bigger than yours walking towards you.

Yep - I had "one of those" days and on top of it all - "one of those walks" where my dog was minding his own business, sniffing grass - praying I'd let him find that hedgehog or hare....and these two ladies saw me with their white dogs about the size of a baby's pillow - scooped up their dogs to shuffle past me.
I was sending a text message to a friend and looked up and when I saw they were up ahead and coming towards me, I tightened my grip on Loki's leash (just so he doesn't pull me) and put my phone away. I tried to smile until I saw suddenly your dogs were in your arms and you were both giving me looks of disgust for - what?! For having a bigger dog?! Shockingly - they do exist!!

I hate to be prejudice here - but what is with female dog owners?!?!?! I am one - and maybe I understand dog behaviour a bit better than you two - but honestly, the most my dog would do is sniff your dogs' rear ends. Because that's how they greet each other. You don't need a degree or any special education to know this information...it's just common sense.
Just because a dog is bigger than yours doesn't mean it'll bite yours...or kill it....
If my dog was the type to bite - he'd have a muzzle on and not a harness. And I probably wouldn't take him out around 10:30pm, when most people are getting their last walk of the night (and last pee-break for Fido) before going to bed....

I totally understand if your dog just had surgery (pretty sure they didn't) and had a cone on....or if your dog was vicious - well I certainly hope you have enough common sense to put a muzzle on your dog - regardless of the time you're out!

But seeing as you were about 100 meters away - if that, and nobody's dog growled, barked or got their fur lined up along the backs of their neck - I think it's safe to say - they would've been civilized and sociable.

I rarely have issues with male dog owners and their dogs - big or small....even with the language barrier. I just smile and say "Loki's Hyvää (good) ja poika (boy) and friendly!" - and my body language, and Loki's, is enough to encourage a man and his dog to come over.
But female dog owners - I have no idea what the heck is your problem. (This mostly applies to female dog owners of smaller breeds or puppies...)

I hate to break it to you small-breed owners (nothing against the breed at all!) - but they are still dogs. They have 4 legs to run away if they don't like Loki (or me), they have a voice to bark a warning and they have natural instincts to be curious and want to meet other dogs.

So if you see me and this dog (see photo below) - please don't treat him like he has a disease because he's wagging his tail and eager to meet you and your dog. Loki's one of the friendliest and most patient dogs I know ( he has to be to deal with our almost 2-year old who climbs and jumps on him regularly):

Loki is my younger dog (he turns 4 in December 2011) and is a neutered male. He's very friendly and only growls if your dog appears aggressive first. He is a mix of husky, labrador, Springer Spaniel (not sure) and collie.

And in case you're wondering what would happen if the tables were turned - I'd love it for a bigger dog to meet my little dog (if I had one). If there was an issue - then I'd step in between or keep walking by...if not - why should size matter?

It's a shame the Finnish attitude of "keeping to yourself" is smothered upon their dogs.

**Update: There is a possibility that these dog owners I bumped into tonight had good justification from running past Loki - as my husband informed me, after the fact, that Blue had growled and lunged at some "little white dog" - but we're not sure if it's the same owners or not. Loki was with Blue and only acts "aggressive" if Blue does - I guess to impress the older brother?
I apologize if that is the case- but still hold my belief that if the dog is not lunging towards yours in anger - you shouldn't be carrying your dog.**

Movie Theater

2011-09-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

I am so excited! My husband and I have plans on Friday evening to go to the MOVIES!!!

While this may not seem like a big deal, since having our son, Väinö, in 2009, we've only been on 2 dates while living in Finland.
The first one came when he was almost 10 months old - he screamed and cried 90% of the time, until our friend took him out in a stroller for a walk - then he passed out from screaming so much I guess.
The second came last March (2011) - we went out for our anniversary and he also screamed and cried 95% of the time and was super happy to see us afterwards, he wouldn't let us out of his sight for 2-3 days after.
We thankfully have found a baby-sitter (actually 2 of them!) that doesn't mind dogs at all and will stay here with Väinö in our home! PERFECT. He's a "spirited child" (look up the definition - if you think your kid is super hyper or super introverted - they're probably just spirited) and is incredibly shy when it comes to meeting new people or going to someone's home. So finding a sitter that is available (without their own children to worry about) and able to come to our home has been difficult.

Now onto the main reason for this post...the movie theater.

I've mentioned a very long time ago that when you purchase your movie tickets here - you are purchasing your "seat reservations" as well. So whatever seat number is on your ticket - is where you're sitting during the movie. In NS - it's "first come, first serve" for seating....
Tim and I prefer to sit in the middle of a row, in the middle or rear of the theater. I once got into a movie late with some friends - and we were stuck in the front row. Not only was my neck stiff as a board - I was nauseous as heck with all the action in the movie!

Okay - so I decided that since tonight is Monday - I'd like to take a look at what movies were out in theater and still in English in Jyväskylä. Most adult (non-cartoons in my book) movies are in English with Finnish subtitles beneath. The cartoon movies are like this too for awhile, then dubbed over in Finnish after a week or so.
So I headed on to Finnkino's website to see what was up and playing. Thankfully the site was available in English (as you can tell by clicking the above link) - and I started to pick "Jyväskylä" as the city theater and began to scroll through the dates.
Well, the dates didn't make any sense because they were not in order. And Friday was missing entirely. My husband and I cruised around the site and tried using the Finnish version of it too - with no luck.
I posted on my Facebook status that I needed help trying to find the movie times for Friday and within a few minutes, a friend of ours actually called me to explain this weird situation.
Newly released movies tend to come out on Fridays - makes sense, because it's not a school night and those that want to go to the movies late on Friday, can sleep in on Saturday. It's a good night to go to the movies - there's other people there, it's easier to get a group of friends to go...it's a good money-maker for the box office.
But! To ensure that they will have those new movies handy and set up in the theaters by Friday - Finnkino doesn't update their weekly schedules (to include Fridays) until TUESDAYS every week around 12pm or so.

And there you have it...I thought I was going crazy - and you probably did too...but now you know why you can't book a ticket or even see what's coming up on Friday night - until at least Tuesday.

** I strongly recommend the book the link is attached to in regards to spirited children - it saved my relationship with my son and with my husband once I figured out what kind of personality quirks he had!...

Dye-ing In the Country-side!

2011-09-18T02:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got to go about 25km outside of Jyväskylä to a friend's cottage and we dyed yarn.

You can read about that here in my crafting blog.

I just wanted to share some photos here of the very modern cottage...I didn't take many photos inside - but it was amazingly beautiful! And there was also a sauna house separate from the main house.
The neighbours were close enough if you needed help - it would take less than 5 minutes to get to them. However, it was a secluded enough area that it felt private and cozy.

Reindeer (or moose?) antlers....

A "summer house" - this is a VERY modern cottage...absolutely beautiful!

Some yarn being dyed...

The sun set in 20 minutes at most...it was quick and it was beautiful.
The sunset photos have not been edited, other than a crop.

For lunch we had a creamy reindeer and mushroom soup! It was lovely.

For supper our hostess made reindeer meat balls, shredded potatoes, salad and some other veggies. It was all very lovely and tasty!

A Great Deed!

2011-09-16T22:24:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I posted about a lady who is blind and wasn't getting help to get to the bus or off at the proper stop.
Well, I'm happy to let you know - that a couple of days ago, I noticed she was walking quickly towards her stop and a young man who was biking by, waved down the bus, then waited to make sure the bus driver would stop and wait for her!!!
I was so pleased at this genuine act of kindness - I admit - I teared up a bit.

Oh and in case you're wondering, regardless of your age or disability - you have to pay to get on the bus. (This applies to Jyväskylä at least).
In Halifax, those that are legally blind - do not have to pay to use the bus. And they may bring their guide dog as well, who also gets on for free.
No other pet (unless in a cage/kennel and is small, like a cat) is allowed on the bus.
I don't know if they've changed this rule yet - because I remember reading about people with other disabilities were disappointed they couldn't get on the bus for free and it wasn't considered very fair. (This was prior to me moving to Finland - I have yet to read anything else on the matter online).

On a funny note, because you're allowed bringing your dogs (on leash) on the bus in JKL, a young man brought his Australian Shepherd puppy (blue-eyed, brown and white patches - aka adorable!) and all 8 high school girls sitting ahead of me squealed/screamed "IHANA KOIRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (Lovely dog! - Ihana is like a "cutesy" term too.)
I'm pretty sure I may have lost a fraction of my hearing and the bus driver would've crashed had we not been stopped and pulled over.

And dude, just an FYI - it was written all over your face that you only got the puppy to use it as a chick magnet.