Welcome to my everyday life / Tervetuloa arki

 

Here I am again! By here I mean back in Finland. Hot, wonderful and sunny summer changed to a chilly finish autumn in a few hours that we spent in the plain. I was shivering the whole trip from Helsinki to Kuopio in my shorts and sandals- saying hello to knits and woolen socks! It's just so unfair that the rest of Europe has the privilege of enjoying the warm summer atmosphere so much longer. They even have all the same four seasons of the year so what do they really miss? Nothing. We on the other hand can make ourselves believe that the halogens are the only light that this planet has to offer for a few months.

Täällä ollaan taas - nimittäin takaisin Suomessa. Kuuma, ihana ja aurinkoinen kesä vaihtui muutamassa tunnissa pilvien yllä viileään alkusyksyyn. Hytisin shortseissani ja sandaaleissani matkan Helsingistä Kuopioon onneksi autossa- Hei villapaidat ja villasukat mä tulin! On se vaan epäreilua, että muu eurooppa saa vielä nauttia lämmöstä pitkään ilman, että jää kaunis ja värikäs syksy tai luminen talvi välistä. Valoakin siellä piisaa keskellä talvea. Me voidaan puolestaan muutaman kuukauden ajan uskotella itsellemme, että loisteputkivalo yliopiston ja työpisteen katossa on se ainut valonlähde, mitä maailmassa on.

This trip we made back to home to the area of the former Yugoslavia (this time it included Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia) and Italy really was good for us. We could relax, laugh and have fun, make adventures and feel like home the whole time. Small talking, good company and the best food and drinks on this planet - those calm moments spiced up with the more outgoing ones.

Tämä reissu kotiin entisen Jugoslavian alueelle (tällä reissulla niistä valtioista käytiin Bosnia-Hertsegovinassa, Kroatiassa ja Sloveniassa) ja Italiaan teki taas uskomattoman hyvää. Rentoutui, sai nauraa ja iloita, seikkailla ja tuntea olevansa koko ajan kotona, small talkit, hyvä seura ja maailman parasta ruokaa ja juomaa - rauhallisia hetkiä niiden villeimpien maustamana. 

I had also a chance to think my life and how I want to spend it during the trip. I have always known that Finland is not the place I want to stay. I have a lot of reasons and I won't even start to list all of them down here. One of the most important to me is the possibility to "charge my batteries" somewhere else more often than it's able from and in here. I want to be able to say that is is a day even on winter and I want more to be happening around me. I want to live somewhere between my both homes north and south. That's because I want to be able to travel wherever I feel like going when ever I want and my heart desires. That is just not possible thing to do as often as I am planning if I'd stay living in Finland. You just couldn't fit a weekend abroad while working at the same time or having kids.

Reissussa heräsi taas niitä ajatuksia koskien sitä, missä haluan elämäni viettää. Aina olen sen tiennyt, etten Suomeen haluaisi jäädä. Syitä on monia enkä jaksa niitä kaikkia tähän edes luetella, mutta päällimmäisin syy itselleni on tuo akkujen latauksen mahdollisuus muualla muulloinkin kuin vain lyhyinä kesinä. Tahdon nauttia päivistä myös talvisin, tahdon nauttia entistäkin värikkäämmästä vilinästä ympärilläni. Tahdon kotieni pohjoisen ja etelän välimaastoon, jotta kumpaankin suuntaan olisi hyvä ja helppo tulla käymään kun pää ja sydän niin vaativat. Suomesta niin tiuha matkustelu on näillä riistohinnoilla ja etäisyyksillä mahdotonta- viikonloppureissut kun ei vaan täältä mitenkään työssäkäyvän ihmisen arkeen enää mahtuisi. 

Thank god I already have one plan that's cheering me up all the time! Evi is moving to Graz in Austria for the next five months and this girl is going there for a few weeks in the middle of the winter! Of course we are also planning to travel a little around and even go to Bosnia and Croatia to see for the first time in our adult life what it looks like in there during the winter. That's going to be awesome! This summer trip was so good for us in many different ways and it really loaded our batteries for the dark period in Finland. With all this energy I am having now I will be able to study this year at the university and complete my first year of masters degree in biomedicine! I could also finish up my Bachelor's thesis and press the final send button. I have so many plans and even more stuff to do. I had set myself new goals and it is time to switch the buttons from PLANNING TO DO to DOING position.

On mulla onneksi talven varalle myös hihassa pieni piristysruiske! Evi lähtee nyt syksyksi Itävaltaan Graziin vaihtoon puoleksi vuodeksi, joten tänkin tytön tie tulee viemään sinne pariksi viikoksi. Tehdään tietenkin sieltä reissuja etelämmäs kotiin myös. Ihanaa ja piristävää! Irtiotto Suomesta ja pohjolalta teki niin hyvää - akut on ladattu ja olen entistä kuplivampi ja iloisempi. Kyllä nyt jaksaa puristaa taas seuraavan yliopistovuoden ja ensimmäisen täysin englanninkielisen maisterivuoden purkkiin. Kandin tutkielman voisin myös viimeistellä ja palauttaa vihdoin. Paljon on suunnitteilla ja sitäkin enemmän tehtävää. Olen asettanut itselleni muutamia tavoitteita ja on aika vaihtaa nappulat vihdoin ja viimein asentoon DOING nykyisen PLANNING TO DO :n sijasta. 

- Herminica

June

Evi had her 21st birthday, we celebrated it by making a cheesecake, drinking some champagne and  eating a dinner. This is the real silver necklace she got as a present from our parents. It was a nice and sunny, just perfect Tuesday :) /

Oli vihdoin ja viimein Evinkin vuoro räjäyttää potti ja täyttää 21. Juhlistettiinkin syntymäpäiviä sitten juustokakulla, yhteisellä hyvällä päivällisellä ja skumpalla. Kuvassa näkyvä aito hopeinen kaulakoru kuoriutui vanhempien antamasta lahjapaketista. Keli oli onneksi mitä mahtavin, mikä teki päivästä täydellisen :)

Banana, blueberries, cardamom and milk... :) / Banaania, mustikkaa, kardemummaa ja maitoa... :)

Spending my pre workout time on the sunny balcony reading... :) / Ennen treenejä voi lukea dekoa ja napsia pastilleja ruuan laskeutuessa masuun :)

There you can see my new friends! Bourbon vanillapowder from Krav, organic peanut butter (no salt no palm oil, no sugar) and sugar free raspberry jam from Meridian + Truvia to sweeten up my food :) / Siinä on muutamat uudet kaverit tän tytön ruokakaappiin Kravin Bourbon vaniljajauhetta, Meridianin luomu maapähkinävoita ja sokeritonta vadelmahilloketta sekä Truviaa makeuttajaksi :)

This entire month has just passed by so quickly! Actually so quickly that I haven't even noticed June to start in a first place... and we have even lived one week of July too? I really have to admit that those moments in between my work shifts are just passing by in a blur. It feels like I'm living in this small bubble all the time. I'm so glad that I worked through 15 work shifts in a row (and it contained morning, middle, evening and night ones heh)! Now I'm having few days off, lucky me :). It means that I really have to make sure that I take all this summer has to offer, no matter if it rains or shines. I have to pick up the grill here, go swimming before going to bed, blow those real soap bubbles, eat fresh food, visit the "hoods" we lived when I was younger, work out and meet my friends. That list could be continued with sunbathing, picnics and hanging out in the harbour, the best organic ice cream and beach volley... :) and finally with the top things... 1. we are going to the Pipefestival and 2. We bought one way tickets to Pula Croatia through Stockholm! This two weeks long  vacation is gonna be needed and wanted in between job and school/moving back to Kuopio! I'm so excited :)! /

Onpas koko kesäkuu sujahtanut ohi nopeasti! Niin nopeasti etten ole edes tajunnut missään vaiheessa sen edes alkaneen... ja nyt on jo eletty jo viikko heinäkuutakin? Pakko myöntää, että töiden lomassa vietetyt vapaat hetket menee itselläni osittain ohi. Tuntuu että eläisi pienessä utuisessa kuplassa koko ajan. Onneksi nyt on suoriuduttu esimerkillisesti mm. 15 päivän työputkesta (aamu-, ilta-, väli- ja yövuoroja sekaisin miten sattuu heh)!  Nyt on onneksi muutaman päivän loma... Täytyy siis nauttia nyt tästä vuodenajasta satoi tai paistoi, hakea se grilli tähän ja lähteä yöuinnille ennen uniaikaa. Puhallella niitä oikeita saippuakuplia, syödä tuoretta sapuskaa, käydä lapsuusmaisemissa retkellä, kuntoilla ja nähdä kavereita. Ihan ehdotonta on kuitenkin auringonotto, piknikit ja laiturilla hengailu satamassa, maailman parhaat luomujätskipallot ja biitsilentis... :) Ja sitten ne kesän kohokohdat... 1. Ollaan menossa tänäkin kesänä Pipefestivaaleille ja 2. Menoliput Tukholman kautta Pulaan (Kroatiaan) on takataskussa! Tulee ihana ja erittäin tarpeellinen reilun kahden viikon loma onneksi töiden ja muuton/koulun väliin! Oon niin innoissani :)!

1. Working my ass off 2. Going jogging/power walking with Sabina 3. Trying if it is possible to put 7 elephant figures on a raindeer- it was but the penguin was too round to fit in :( 4. Reading a book out :) 5. Making some healthy pancakes 6. Going to meet my friends, love that dress! 7. Sweat! 8. Power walk! 9. Grilling yammmyy 10. At work... 11. More sweat 12. Breakfast ! / Hikee pukkaa ! 2. Sabinan kanssa lenkillä 3. Kokeilin saako pentikin poron päälle 7 norsua, kyllä sai! Iittalan pingu olikin jo sitten vähän pyöreemmässä kunnossa eikä mahtunut mukaan :( 4. Kirjan lukemista auringonpaisteessa 5. Terveysherkkuja 6. Menossa kahville kamujen kanssa ja tuo mekko ah! 7. Hikiherkku 8. Lisää lenkkiä luontopolulla! 9. Grillisafkaa nam! 10. Duunissa... 11. Vielä enemmän hikeä 12. Aamuinen pala.

Rainy week

Such a beautiful rainy week it has been. I really do enjoy rainy days. It's so nice to wrap yourself up in the warm sheets and fall asleep while listening to the raindrops, the air is so fresh to breathe and the hot chocolate tastes even better than normally. You can even see those amazing colors of the rainbow and that's such a privilege... so beautiful. Glazed balcony makes it even better and when you spice it up with a blanket and a good book, movie or a board game it gets perfect. Of course it depends on if you need a company or if you just want to be by yourself. I needed that quality time by myself so I watched one episode of Once upon a time and after that grabbed that book. I'm really glad that there is at least this way of being by yourself (of course hitting the gym at late evening or going jogging are great for that too) while living in Mikkeli. I'm just so used to being alone while living on my own for more than three years now. That's why I really have to "run away" to the other city like now. There's one thing though to admit. There should be less rainy days in finish summer, because if it continues like this it will be only a crappy one like the most of the summer months have been here. I would rather ripen my nectarines under a sun and lie on my blanket under the sunshine, in warmth. Though I'm feeling the warmth even now, thanks to my wardrobe's winter section. /

On ollut niin ihana sateinen viikko. Olen niitä ihmisiä jotka nauttivat sadepäivien pienistä iloista. On niin ihana kääriytyä lampimiin lakanoihin ja nukahtaa sateenropinaan, ilma tuntuu niin raikkaalle hengittää ja kuuma kaakao maistuu vielä paremmalta kuin normaalisti. On etuoikeus päästä näkemään kaikki sateenkaaren loihtimat värit taivaalla... niin kaunista. Paremman siitä tekee vielä lasitettu parveke, viltti ja hyvä kirja, lautapeli tai leffa. Riippuen toki siitä kaipaako sillä hetkellä seuraa vai omaa aikaa. Itse kaipasin tuota omaa aikaa, joten yhden Olipa kerran- jakson jälkeen uppouduin taas tuohon kirjaan. Onneksi on edes yksi tapa, jolla saa sen oman rauhan todella myöhäisten salireissujen ja lenkkien lisäksi täällä Mikkelissä asuessani. Olen jo niin tottunut siihen että tämän yli 3. vuoden yksinasumisen aikana saa olla yksin. Siksipä täytyy näitä toiseen kaupunkiin karkailuja harrastella kesälläkin. Pakko tosin myöntää, että sataa voisi vähän harvemmin. Suomen kesä kun on ainakin aivan kamala jos sataa jatkuvasti. Haluaisin mielummin kypsyttää syömäni nektariinit ensin auringonpaisteessa ja nauttia niistä ulkona viltillä maaten, lämpimässä. Tälläkin hetkellä on lämmin kiitos vaatekaapin talvi-osion. 

 Something I wore a few days ago. / Muutaman päivän takainen kinkunpeittokerrasto. 

1. As a surprise present along with the organic mango soap and Kaunis Kauris (from Marimekko) I got  also danish pralines 2. At my lunch break at work, my spinach-egg dish had to be destroyed before taking a picture! 3. Waiting for the train at Mikkeli station and my Daniel Wellington's Classic St. Andrews 4. Hanging out in a sunshine 5. Tell me something about that double rainbow! 6. Swimming at night after work, so refreshing! 7. Superhorses on the road! 8. One of the books I recommend deeply. It doesn't matter if you are not a vegan or do not really care about stuff you put in your mouth. I still do recommend it! This book explains why I eat the way I do. Why organic is the best choice, why you should not eat sushi from the places that are not certified as Eco- friendly, why not to eat all sorts of tuna, why it's better not to eat too much red meat and broiler meat, why the organic milk and meat is better than the other one etc... 9. After Sabina's graduation party- we went to my cousins place to hang out with these guys. 10. An evening walk  around Saimaa lake with Elina 11. My evening snack consisted from hot chocolate, curd and vegetable pie. 12. The best feeling after a leg day... you can't even walk but you still have to get home! /

1. Yllärilahjaksi luomu mangopalasaippuan ja Kauniin kauriin (Marimekko) lisäksi mm. tanskalaisia manteli-vadelma-suklaapralineja 2. Kahvitauolla töissä, pinaattikananmunapöperö tuhottuna jo heti kättelyssä! 3. Junan odottelua Mikkelin asemalla ja Daniel Wellingtonin Classic St. Andrews 4. Hengailua auringonpaisteessa 5. No se tuplasateenkaari! 6. Yöuinnilla töiden jälkeen, niin virkistävää! 7. Superhevosia tiellä! 8. Yksi kirjoista, jota suosittelen kaikille vilpittömästi olitte sitten mitä tahansa koulukuntaa ruokatottumuksiltanne. Ymmärrätte tämän avulla ison osan omista ruokavalinnoistani. Selviää myös miksi luomu on se parempi paha, miksei sushia kannata syödä niin usein kun tekee mieli- varsinkaan paikoissa jotka ei takaa ympäristöysävällistä kalastustapaa, miksei kaikkia tonnikalapurkkeja kannata surutta kiskoa ostoskoriin, miksi lihasyöntiä (nimenomaan naudan ja broilerin- lammas, hirvi, poro jne paljon kestävempiä valintoja edellä mainittujen luomuversioiden lisäksi) tulisi jossain määrin koittaa vähentää ja miksi luomumaito ja luomuliha on parempaa kuin se tehotuotettu jne... 9. Ylppärijuhlien jälkeen serkkujen luona leikkimässä koirien kanssa ennen baariin lähtöä. 10. Elinan kanssa iltakävelyllä Saimaan rannassa 11. Iltapalaksi kaakaota ja kasvivpiirakkaa ja maitorahkaa, nam :)! 12. Paras fiilis jalkapäivän jälkeen... ei voi seistä ja kotiin ois päästävä!

- Herminica

10.4

A early morning in no hurry, sun was shining in and I couldn't stay in bed after 9 am. Love feeling like this as soon as I wake up. 

My morning oats, sooo yammyy! To make them you need: Organic milk, a hint of salt, a hint of allspice (real name Pimenta dioica), 2 tea spoons of real cocoa powder (Fazer Cocoa Ögon, CocoVi etc...) and some organic honey! It's really good, and if you need more protein just add some protein powder in it OR smash boiled egg whites in it! ). 

Time to go to the Uni - we got our first real Lab notebooks for this course we are about to start next week. I would love to decorate it but it's against the policy... :( DAMN! I have decorating all notebooks, books, calendars...  

This girl decided to go to the grocery store to buy more food... Hmmph :D It was nice to carry them and I didn't even use plastic bags :) I never use them- real shopping bags are much better, cheaper, better looking and an ecologic option! :)
 Ps. I´m really excited about testing that FAST Creme Caramel Pudding... :) 

Reading Coelho's book while waiting for Anni to go to the gym together... :)

Recovery drink after our arm-back day... We had a pretty good workout together!  Now I have to go to the shower and then eat a last meal :)

A bed time :)

At one point I decided to order a potential dress for Sabina's prom on June and new training tights from NELLY.COM. I can't wait to get the package! I still don't know which shoes to wear with the dress... Or even which bra because I hate wearing the ones you just stick on you as much as I hate having only one real and long training pants, these are definitely needed big time. :D

A wish post: day with me

Waking up at 9 am, smiling and going through my text messages, e-mails and HS while still wrapped in my warm Panda sheets. Make attention to my broken screen... but it still works :)

A smiling apple-cinnamon oatmeal makes me smile too! I love funny hömpänpömppä-breakfasts! + An apple, a yoghurt and Gefilus Hera-dink to balance my stomach :)

Getting myself ready if I´m going out, today I did. :) Sometimes I like to put some make up on even if I´m just staying home. Especially when I have fever- it makes me feel much more healthier because I don´t have to see a sick person looking at me from the mirror.

Having an apple as a snack, watching TV and relaxing on the sofa

Going to the Fressi Gym to make a good start to this day. I just absolutely love it. There´s nothing better than a good day which starts with a run or the gym session.

A lunch time ! Chicken-feta cheese sallad straight from the bowl!

A relaxing and refreshing shower and pampering time... :) Scrubbing, putting on masks and lotions and smelling like a butterfly at a flower field. 

Studying, luckily the nutrition courses are the easy ones and fun :) It´s one of my minors.

Time for a second hot chocolate in the candle light... I love candles.

...and a good book (even if it has too much religious stuff in it) before going to sleep :) I like his book The Alchemist the most. The next book I´m going to reed will definitely be "The story of Little Bee", I just have to get it in my hands!

I´m really sorry that it took this long to make this post somebody asked maybe a decade ago... Here it is now, I can do posts like this more often I you like them. I´m really grateful to Evi because she left her camera to me for a week :) Too bad that I have to return it back to her this evening... :( I should really buy one for myself too. Trust me I have tried to do that but it´s really hard financially... Every time I gather up the money for a camera something more important comes up and I just have to say goodbye to my "baby- still to be". Some day, yep some day... Now I need a new laptop... I mean this one works ok but it gets blue screens now and then- that can´t happen when I start writing my Bachelor's thesis... :/ I calculated also that I have to start paying a TV license fee next year too :( Too bad because those 50 euros could also be food and I don´t even watch Yle... I love it how students can´t earn the amount of money they could be capable of because of the all limitations! Ok now scroll up and look at that oatmeal again- let's try to stay in a good mood despite of the problems students always have :)! That oatmeal was definitely not a problem... :) I bet it smiles even now in my stomach... :)

ps. don´t think that I eat only two times a day :) I´m a hungry girl... trust me. 

Books, picnics and balcony

I came just back from work. I have to go back there on tomorrow morning. You can see what I´ve been doing theese days. It has been really nice, calm and rainy. Right now my legs are really sore and I should already sleep so that I could wake up early. I´m really excited because my parents and Sabina are going abroads on Friday. :) It will be really nice to live here together with Elvira and at the same time get ready for our own trip on August. :) My midsummer was little short... :D First I had to work, then travel and when arrived we managed to celebrate only few hours before falling asleep... :D I´m so sad that Saturday was so clowdy that we couldn´t even go to the beach :( At least we watced movies. Ok now I really have to go to greet my bed. Laku noch :)

Getting better with my new coelho

I had to wake up early to go to the hospital. I walked 2,5km with Minna and after that she continued the trip by running and I went inside to the hospital. I went to see the doctor and after that they took some blood to run some test. The woman who took it didn´t really knew what she was doing- she injected me like hundreds of times to both hands and now I´m having bandages around them. It hurt as hell and took 30 minutes for her to do the job- I was hungry and for the first time in my life I started feeling sick, my face was totally white and the only thing I could see was white. I had this cold sweat and really wanted to go home.. I had planned to go to the gym direct after visiting the hospital but I was not feeling like it... I had to walk 2,5km back home. On my way I went to the book store to buy this Coelho's book. I love his books and I hope this is going to be as good as previous ones I´ve red. I think I need some rest now...

I still have a lot to tell about my last week of 2011. and guys... Happy new year to you all! :)