Monday, 24 December 2012

A Christmas Greeting

Today is the day the we celebrate Christmas in Finland. Not tomorrow, you English fools, today. I don't feel very christmassy even though I've got the world's smallest and cutest real Christmas tree, and the one present underneath it (thank you Kersa) is bigger than the tree itself. That might the problem. I should go to bed soon as I'm going to watch some traditional Christmas stuff live online in the morning (I'm really too tired to explain what "Joulurauhan Julistus" and "Joulupukin Kuumalinja" are, my apologies). One thing is for sure — it's going to feel weird. I'm a bit disappointed because my friends and family still haven't received the cards I posted 11 days ago. 11! Anyway, my Christmas will be very multicultural this year: Finnish-English-Polish-Spanish-Brazilian, something like that. I'll get back to you later, most likely after all the Christmas hustle at work is over. We've got a long week ahead here!

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

This is my favourite festive tune this year, enjoy.



Monday, 17 December 2012

I'm Not Done Travelling

Only 14 days left of this year. My goodness it's gone fast. I'm in the middle of my time here now, and if the rest it about to rush past at the same speed... well it's a bit frightening. I am so grateful to myself for being so sensible and deciding to stay for six months instead of four. I'd be in trouble having to go in three weeks. Many of the others are leaving soon, which is sad. In no time I will have turned from the newest waiter into the oldest one. The oldest and the wisest. (Wise my arse; sometimes I still have no idea what I'm doing, the only difference is I just do it.) It feels strange to picture myself back home. Lying on the sofa. Walking the dog. Seeing the people. Like nothing's changed, like I never was away. But I might as well quit thinking about it now, I'm still here! I've still got plenty of time to do plenty of things. This week we all have a lot of time off, because next week is going to be super busy. Tomorrow Yago and I are going to the Isle Of Wight. It'll be interesting to see the island again after two and a half years.

Now let me take you back a couple of weeks. One Saturday night after work I was sitting on my bed scrolling down Facebook when after seeing people's party-related statuses I suddenly realised what day it was. (This happens to me every weekend.) But this time it was different. It was Saturday and I'd be off on Sunday, and I thought WHY AM I NOT OUT? The thing is, unfortunately you don't get many chances to go out in the weekend unless, of course, you don't mind going to work after two hours of sleep or no sleep. The idea isn't exactly very tempting. People do it, though. I marched upstairs with the intention to knock on Marika or Jatta's door, but to my surprise I ran into Jatta in the corridor. She was on her way to ask me whether I'd like to go to Brighton with them, to have a night out. You can't just ignore such coincidence, can you? So we jumped on a double decker. I like sitting in the front of the upper floor even though every time the bus turns it looks like the vehicle is about to hit the street lights, traffic signs, and buildings. Even people. Exciting! We stayed in Brighton all night and took the first train back to Worthing. We had to wait on the station for over an hour, and it was freezing cold. We all almost fell asleep on the train, but somehow just when it stopped at our final destination my eyes opened and "Where are we??? In Worthing! OUT!". I was back in my room at 08:04, went to bed, and woke up at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It sounds bad, but here it actually feels rather natural to sleep that late on a day off. To stay up almost till it gets light, and to get up when the sun is starting to set. Even on a normal day without the nightclub factor. Yeah, it messes up the whole routine but then again, what routine? One morning despite the fact I was off and could have slept long I got out to see the sunrise as  it was absolutely gorgeous the day before, and all I got to do was admire it through the window between serving customers. Well, all I can say is bloody clouds.

I can't remember what day it was anymore, but for it was a very sunny day I took a walk on the beach. The tide was low so I could walk quite far. I was listening to Christmas songs and it felt extremely strange. It could've as well been summer when I closed my eyes, the sun was so hot. I'm not kidding. And it doesn't look like winter anyway. Some people still go out in shorts (mad people they are, but still). You can actually find all kinds of interesting clothing combinations here. Like shorts and a winter coat. Or flip flops and a winter coat. That's my favourite actually. And what's the point in wearing a winter vest on the top of a t-shirt? Some things I'll never understand. But back to the beach — I found what I think was a dead shark! It's not what you're thinking right now. It's not a 10 feet tiger shark. It was little, about 1 foot, but very shall I say sharky. (I've spent endless hours watching nature documentaries when I was little so trust me, I know a shark when I see one.) There were also three people riding horses along the beach. The sound of the hooves against the wet sand was quite funny. Funny isn't the right word. I can't think of any good word to describe it. Hollow and smooth. Yeah it was both hollow and smooth. If you know what I mean. No? That's probably my bad.

Last Saturday I was at the Jools Holland Show in the Brighton Centre. I got the day off! Now I've seen KT live, she's really real. Though her appearance was only a brief one (I knew it would be, she played three songs) it was worth every penny. Otherwise the whole show was like a huge party full of middle-aged people who after a pint of beer got in a serious groove, got off their bums, and ran (yes, RAN) in front of the stage to twist with the other middle-aged people who'd done the same. I thought perhaps it's their only opportunity to ever dance since they're too old for clubbing. The only difference being the music was rhythm and blues, not dubstep. I was comfortable in my seat. Sitting. But it was fun to watch.

I've been really popular these last few days receiving parcels and cards all the time. Thank you!







Laura Marling - Not Done Traveling

Saturday, 1 December 2012

Oh Christmas Lights, Keep Shining On

I am sorry, my lovely readers, for having been absent for so long. Somehow the days have just gone floating by springing nothing specific to write about to my mind. I'm not saying it's been boring or that nothing has been going on (there's always something going on in this place). 

Finally this morning I started to feel a growing urge to get some text out of my system. Looking out of the window at 06:30 the grass in the Steyne Gardens was frozen — something I haven't seen here before. It was so calm out there. Crispy but calm. Everything was still, no wind, no people, nothing. Only the rising sun, clear sky, and the glittering frosty grass. It was so beautiful, and I think it is about time it starts getting more wintry. It's December, which equals Christmas. It's December, so I can listen to Christmas songs (how I've been waiting for this day to come)! It's December, which means I'm seeing my family this month. Is it really this month? It is. It's December, which makes me think about what to get everyone for a present. Back home I often have the problem I can't think of anything. It's simply because there's nothing nice enough. Well, here the problem is the opposite: what NOT to get. Everywhere I go there's an endless sea of nice and even nicer things. I was very excited at first, but now that I think about it, I don't know which is worse! Posting huge parcels to Finland isn't free, you know. Don't get your hopes up, friends... Oh and I managed to get myself a real teacup, can you believe it, no more drinking from the old yoghurt pots!

I love the Christmas lights on Warwick Street. They keep changing colour from red to purple, from purple to blue, from blue to turquoise, from turquoise to green, from green to yellow, from yellow to orange, from orange to red. Now read that again, please. Just kidding, you don't have to. I also decorated my own room with £5 colour lights to make the nights a bit warmer and brighter. I didn't know it gets dark so early here as well, I've always thought it's some kind of a North thing. Because Christmas is well on it's way, I had really started to long for the seasonal drink we have in Finland. We call it glögi. I had assumed they wouldn't have it here, and had my family post me some. (Googling "posting liquids" made me feel rather desperate, by the way, so to save you from that feeling let me just tell you it IS possible.) And they sent me a pair of brand new, granny-made woolen stockings, too. However, I found something that's very very close to glögi, they call it mulled punch. I believe that's the non-alcoholic version of mulled wine. I bought a bottle to see whether it would be anywhere near to glögi — and it was! I opened the bottle, smelled it, and almost cried. Then I invited my Finnish friends over to have a mug. Now with the real thing I have to be really careful about who I'm going to share it with. Not to say, Jatta and Marika, that you two wouldn't deserve it! I'm sure I've got some for you. My kettle isn't too happy with this, though.

A couple of days ago I did something totally on impulse. I had already given up on the thought of doing it once, but then, I just did it. I bought a ticket to Jools Holland Show in Brighton to see my biggest-idol-ever-all-time-favourite artist KT Tunstall. I've been listening to her music for ages, I've learnt so much from her, I've been singing and playing her songs over and over again. I can't put down in words how big a deal this is for me. Even before coming here I used to say that during those six months in England I'm bloody going to see her, no matter what. I know what this probably sounds like, at least to someone who isn't that into music. A concert, how is that a matter of life and death? It fucking is. So I've got a ticket. Now I need the night off, and that's where the problem lies. For now I've been told no, although it wasn't the final answer. The night happens to be the busiest of all nights, and everyone should be working. Which means that most likely no one will be able to cover me. If she tells me no, I seriously don't know what to do. I might have to call in sick (though I know how see-through that would be) if my personality lets me. I'm not the kind of person to rudely skip work just for fun. I'm not the kind of person who lies to people like that. But let me just say it would be absolute torture to be working that night knowing what's happening only a couple of miles away at the very moment. UNBEARABLE.

Alright. I'm going to end with a weird thing that happened to me a while ago. One morning I was hit by a sudden hunger for marmalade and butter on toast. Orange marmalade. I don't even like orange marmalade! So what can you do, I had that for breakfast, and was very pleased afterwards.

So here's me, alive and well, hope to get back to you soon! :)


Coldplay - Christmas Lights