3BT: Random Days

1. Experimenting with pie-making (using two different recipes) and getting good results that even hubby claims as "good ones".

2. A few weeks ago, I met an old gentleman at the hotel. He opened the lift door for me and then before leaving the hotel with his wife, he came straight into the room where I was cleaning to give me a tip (although he could have just left it inside his room, but I guess he wanted ME to get it instead of my coworker). That really melted my heart!

3. Getting the phone call from the magazine to let me know that my non-fiction story will be published in my birth month and that I'll get some reward for it. :-D

4. Having made up my mind about the job offer and having told my boss about my decision.

5. Having bought some gifts for my family in Indo. 

6. Chatting with my MIL via Skype.

7. Hearing hubby said that we'd go to the cabin again this upcoming Friday and spend a night there. WHOOOPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!




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8. Seeing hubby's smile when I told him about preparing some meals for him before I fly to Indo (and putting them in the freezer for him to eat).


9. Waking hubby up in the morning with hugs and kisses on regular days during my training ('coz I have to work at 7 am and he has to work at 8 am).

10. Seeing a layer of ice on top of the hotel roof while cleaning some of the rooms. I can't wait to see snow piling up on top of roofs near Christmas!!!




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11. Giving hubby a back massage and touching his body brings me pure delight.

12. Hubby doing the dishes without being asked (I know some guys who help out while muttering and complaining, so I must cherish hubby's help).

Money vs Unpredictability

A few days ago the boss of my training place offered me a job for December and January. She said that the job would not only be about cleaning, but maybe it included something else (like a tourist guide). I have to admit that the first thing that came across my mind was the money. If I worked even for two months and I'd get salary, then I'd be able to save SO much money compared to the unemployment benefit I receive from the government.

However, after that moment was gone, I realized that I was actually looking forward to ending this type of physical training. First of all, it doesn't really help me improve my Finnish. I mostly do my job alone and even if someone else works together with me, we can't possible talk much while working, 'coz sometimes she's working other rooms or she's cleaning the toilet while I put the sheets in the bedroom.

Secondly, December (and I guess January) would be such a hectic period (otherwise why would they recruit me only during those months, right?). They've told me during the interview that they wouldn't pay any overtime money (instead workers are allowed to take some days off later on).

If the job is mostly cleaning job again (which I believe it'd be) and I'd definitely be doing overtime, I'll be DEAD exhausted and it's not going to help us in getting myself pregnant. We've been trying for 15 months now and I'll be gone for a month in November, so if I'm going to "lose" two more months 'coz of doing this type of physical job, then I'll be damned!!! After all, we're not exactly in our 20's anymore. R2 is going to turn 39 already next year, so we have to try our best every month.

Thirdly, I've been toying with the idea of opening my own online business. I know that this means unpredictability, especially 'coz the global financial situation is so bad these days, but it'll give me the freedom to do many things (other than become my own boss). I don't know yet what kind of things I want to sell in my online store, but I still have time to think about it and do some research. I figured that before my business grows, I'll have plenty of time to read Finnish novels and add my vocabulary and sentence structures (with the hope that in the future I'll be able to write stories to sell in Finnish - I have to admit that the phone call from the magazine people gave me the encouragement to pursue this option).

So, yesterday I declined the job offer, although I did thank my boss for offering me the job. I felt a HUGE relief wash over me after I made that decision. :-))))

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The thing is...I've realized that in this village, it's SO hard to find a job that suits me...the kind of job that I may enjoy (other than cleaning jobs). I'm getting tired of moving around from one training place to another without getting a job offer...or getting a job offer that doesn't suit me. Although I realize that I do learn many things from doing different types of training, but still...Call me an idealist if you want, but I don't want to work only for the money (not if I still have other options). I want to feel passionate about what I'm doing.

Anyway, it's hard to find a suitable job here 'coz naturally (understandably) business owners or bosses here don't really trust my abilities yet...I don't even know what kind of job would suit me here in this village (remember that there aren't any international companies here). It's just still so blurry. I applied for a job as a cashier a few months ago in a clothing store, but I never heard anything from them. I guess recruiting a Finnish person would definitely be more advantageous for them rather than recruiting me (plus they'd be wondering how well I can speak/understand Finnish).

Because of these disadvantages I started thinking about opening my own online business. I figured that opening an online store won't cost me as much money as opening a real store here where I have to rent a place etc. I know if I truly open my online business in the future, I'll have to deal with so much paperwork and I have to do my own tax report and that's going to be tough, but at least I'm doing it for MYSELF.

Anyway, it's pretty scary for me just to think of the possibility of opening my own online store, 'coz it's SO unpredictable, but it gives me some sort of freedom, you know? Well, we'll see how I fare in this country. :-D

It'll Be Published!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just wanna share my JOY JOY JOY...or EUPHORIA? HE HE HE HE...

Today while working I got a phone call from a Finnish number that I didn't know. When she told me her name and her company, I didn't recognize them at all. Then she asked, "You sent us an article a while ago."

Then it hit me. It was the themed article that I sent in the beginning of this month!!! So she must be working for the magazine. She said it was a very good story and they'd love to publish it.

HURRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

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I couldn't believe my ears!!! She thanked me for participating and explained to me that I'd get a form which I had to sign and also I needed to write my bank account there so that they could send me the reward. And also that I'd get a copy of the exact edition where my article will be published. And guess when it'll be published? NOVEMBER! My birth month!!!

Is that a coincidence or what? It's like I'm getting an early BEAAAAUUUTIIIFFFUUULLL birthday gift HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...

Anyway, I didn't really have a high hope for it to be published, 'coz I knew that my Finnish was still so basic, but I figured, "I have a story to tell and I think it may make people smile. Even if the people working for the magazine are the only ones who smile while reading the story, I'm happy enough."

'Coz I'm having my PMS now, I just couldn't control my emotion after I hung up the phone (after thanking her, of course). I cried for a few minutes and just couldn't continue working. I just couldn't believe it!!! ;-D

I was in a daze, thinking of how many people would read the story and that I HOPE the story brought them smiles. :-))))

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I'm kinda busy right now (cooking and baking), but I just can't wait to write this post. I'm gonna blog-hop again this weekend, OK? THANKS for everybody who's been supporting me!!!! :-D Also MANY THANKS to hubby who's corrected my grammar mistakes in the article.

Shopping Ideas

Nope, I haven't actually written down a Christmas list yet, but a gift idea came to mind when I realized that my in-laws' coffee pot can't keep coffee hot too long anymore. What if we buy them a new coffee maker? I'm not sure what brand we should buy, though. I have to browse to compare and contrast first. Their current one is Philips coffee maker.

Speaking of kitchen appliances, I've also been thinking that we might need a blender one day, especially if there are kids later on. It will always be healthier to make some blended fresh fruit juice for them, don't you think so? I'd especially love to make avocado juice mixed with chocolate milk. Yum yum...

Speaking of shopping, the other day hubby has also mentioned to me about how nice it'd be to have a dishwasher. I understand why he wants to buy one, though I don't necessarily think we need one yet. After all, we've survived without one pretty well so far, but the idea of not having to wash your own dishes sounds tempting sometimes (especially on days when I've cleaned so many rooms in the hotel and I come back home not wanting to do any housework!).

Do you have your Christmas wishlist? Or have you started thinking what to give some people on Christmas? Or do you think it's still WAY too early to talk about it? He he...Call me crazy, but I just love planning ahead if I can so that I can avoid being stressed out when there's only a little bit of time left to think before the D-day. Everybody's different, though.

Holi Holi Holiday!

Haven't had time to blog 'coz I had to work on Saturday. BUT that means I have today off HE HE HE HE HE...I first thought that we couldn't visit my in-laws on Saturday, but turned out I finished my job quickly, so we did manage to go there (albeit a little bit later than usual).

However, I forgot that on Saturdays they don't serve breakfast or lunch at the hotel, so I was DEAD HUNGRY when I went back home. That was also one reason why I worked as fast as possible (like a maniac, actually, running from room to room) - because my stomach started feeling painful. Ugh...oh well...

So what have I been doing today? I cooked spicy shrimp soup and then went to the open market nearby. Bought some chocolate/candies and some clothes and some winter socks. Yep, I spent a lot of money today, but at least I got plenty with the amount of money I spent ha ha ha...

Here are some pics of the open market:




Funny thing was that when I was at the chocolate/candy stand, I tried to look at the price first before choosing, and the guy talked to me in English HI HI HI...On the other hand, when I was going to buy the clothes and socks (in different stands), I asked them the prices in Finnish, so they talked to me in Finnish.

Here are some pics I took yesterday at my in-laws':

Me and dino egg HA HA HA...




And the other day I got more pics of Ken. Here they are (now he has 6 teeth!!! He'll be one year old next month):







My brother said that Ken loves taking a ride on the motorbike every day when my bro goes to work. The first time they did it, he had to be taken away at the end of our small alley and he cried. However, now he understands that he can only take a ride that far. Amazing how fast kids learn "patterns" he he he he...

OK, time to blog-hop nowwww...

Adult Post: About Vaginismus

Today I was let off work 3 hours earlier, 'coz there was simply nothing else to do. How could that happen? Well, yesterday there were two young male trainees (perhaps only around 15-16 years old) who came to help us, so we managed to clean up so many rooms. Today there were not many people leaving, so we only had to clean 5 rooms altogether. After that we asked the boys to clean up some other parts of the hotel while we cleaned other parts. Tomorrow's going to be a LONG day 'coz a group of people came today and they'll leave tomorrow. I HOPE they're not going to leave too late - otherwise we'll be in HUGE trouble!!!

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Anyway, about the title of this post...the other day I saw a talk show concerning vaginismus. Click on the link to find out more about this.

One couple in the talk show had only succeeded to do intercourse ONCE during their 7 year of marriage. Yep, just once, but you know what? THEY GOT A CHILD as a result of that (yeah, yeah, I know it only takes once to have a child, but for someone who've tried for over a year, it is a "miracle" to do it just once and be pregnant because of it"! ;-D

Anyway, the wife said that before marriage they were both virgins and her mother had been telling her how painful sex was and that it was ALWAYS going to be painful and that if the husband wanted it, she had to "please him". I guess that also affected this woman's conscience. Plus she was diagnosed as having the worst level of vaginismus: level 4. Yep, before watching the show, I didn't even know there were levels of vaginismus!!!

So every time they tried to have sex, she would scream and they had to pile up several pillow on top of her to block the sound. That was why the husband couldn't "continue", because he felt like he was doing something bad to her. What about that one time, you wonder? Well, that day the wife was feeling a little under the weather and the medicine she took made her feel half "out of this world". So that was the only time they could do it.

Another couple had a breakthrough with Botox injection. The wife was molested when she was a child, so when she got married they couldn't do intercourse. After being shot "down there" several times by Botox (in several parts), they could finally made love and they stated that they had been making love every day after that. *grin*

Anyway, problem comes when women who experience vaginismus are told by the doctors that "it's all in your head", whereas the problem may be clinical. From the site I put here in this post, I found out that there are also two types of vaginismus: primary and secondary.

It's always good to learn about things we don't know before, don't you think so? I don't even know why I'm writing about this. I guess I just want to share what I found out he he...I'll blog-hop either later or during the weekend. Until then, stay safe, everybody!!!

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Busy Saturday

Saturday was a busy day for us. We went to my in-laws' place and heard the whole story from MIL. So on Friday morning she went to the room connected to the stairs towards the attic room, but she didn't smell anything. A couple of hours later, she went there again to do something and she smelled the smoke this time. I'm SO glad that she did and that it didn't happen when my in-laws were asleep.

Anyway, the bottom of the stairs had a door, so she opened the door and noticed black smoke coming from the attic room. She went up, opened the door's room and realized that everything was BLACK there due to smoke and soot. She quickly closed the door again so that if there were fire, it wouldn't spread.

She went downstairs to tell FIL and asked if she should call the fire department and FIL said yes while running upstairs to check it. The fire department asked how many people lived there, what type of house it was, what it was made of, and then told them to stay as far away from the house. Just as they were about to get out of the house, my BIL arrived (THANK GOD!!!). MIL said that he came just as if he was already "booked" to come at that exact time. His presence brought a HUGE relief for MIL. FIL joked to me the other day, saying that now he daren't go anywhere 'coz something always happens he he he he...

Anyhow, the fire truck came and they realized that there were no flames, so they didn't have to use the water. It was actually great, 'coz had there been flames and they had to use the water, it would have been SO SO SO messy. So they took out the culprit: the portable electric heater and opened one window to let the smoke out.

Here's a pic of the heater:


So yesterday R2 and BIL had to get most of the things in the attic room out and MIL had to sort out which could probably be saved and which that needed to be thrown out. Good thing that one window was open, so they didn't have to go up and down the stairs so much. They could throw many things out from that window. :-)))

Then they cleaned up the room and SIL and I helped MIL clean up some blankets and the three of us moved the blankets and mattresses to the shed. Many things would be thrown out of the house (or burnt later).

Anyway, in between I managed to take some pics...here they are...

What kind of flowers are these?



There they are, this time the pic was taken from a regular angle he he...



And here are some autumn colours...I didn't take many pics 'coz it was a cloudy day. I'm going to take more pics later (hopefully when it's sunny when I visit them again).



For comparison, here's a view of almost the same spot at the end of May (notice how windy it was):


OK, time to blog-hop. :-))))

Rather Shocking News

When hubby got home today from work, he told me there had been some fire in my in-laws' house, on the second floor (the attic). I was SHOCKED, so I asked him what had happened. Apparently his brother went for a visit today after work and while he was about to arrive there, the fire department truck was just leaving their house, so he was the one who called hubby to tell him the news. When he arrived, naturally my in-laws were shaking still.

I then sent messages to MIL via mobile phone and Skype and turned out that the heater upstairs was on. Anyway, after asking questions to MIL, it seemed that nothing was burnt except the electric heater, so there were so much smoke and soot up there that they had to open the window and the door to let it out. Phew!!! At first hubby said that everything was ruined inside that room, so I had this image of the whole room being on fire and I was scared that it might fall down on the first floor or something. Scary!!!

Can't wait to go visit them tomorrow. I hope nothing like this ever happens again.

Anyway, work-wise I've survived another week, though there was a day when I thought I wouldn't make it (good thing my boss told the office woman to help me out!!!). So only 5 weeks left. :-))))

I've told my MIL also that I want to learn knitting from her. Dunno if I have what it takes to do it 'coz one friend told me that she tried it and didn't manage to do it well (though she's more of a handicraft person than me!!!), but I'm going to try anyway. :-)))

Now time to blog-hop. Have a blessed weekend, everybody, and stay safeeeeee!!!

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3BT: Random Days

1. Watching a woman riding a bike on a rainy day with one hand holding an umbrella. :-))) Quite a sight!

2. Reading this inspirational story online (thanks to Michelle Frost for putting the link in Facebook!): Armless Painter's Amazing Story of Hope.

3. Wearing the tossut that MIL made me HE HE HE HE...

4. Cooler weather 'coz it means I won't sweat too much during my training at the hotel. :-)))

5. Sleeping for 12 hours on Sunday.

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6. Hubby waking me up after that LONG sleep and we ended up cuddling and kissing in bed first HO HO HO HO HO...Felt just like honeymooners! :-D

7. Surviving these past two incredibly tiring and rather stressful workdays.

8. Rowan trees' leaves are changing colours as well as other trees, but my fave is still those rowan trees 'coz they may have three colours at once. Pretty, pretty, pretty!

9. A sense of accomplishment 'coz I've finished what I've been wanting to do for the past few months: writing a real life story on a certain theme in Finnish and submitting it to one Finnish magazine. They always try to find real life stories each edition (not a long one, max. 1,000 words) and this time I finally found a good story to write that suits the theme of the month and the diligence and courage to do it (even though I know my Finnish is still very VERY simple). :-)))

(side note: If the story is published - usually there are 2-3 stories published per edition, I can get some money!!! *fingers crossed* But even if it's not published, I'll consider it an exercise in writing Finnish he he...)

10. Singing or humming while doing my training at the hotel. :-))))

11. Making dessert for the lunch at MIL's house last Saturday. I just sliced apples, kiwis, bananas, and one mango and put them into a HUGE bowl and poured orange juice. Very fruity! :-D

Where Do I Start?

So many things to say, but I can't cram them in one post. Oh well...

First things first then. I've done 7 weeks of training. Only 6 weeks to go. YAAAAYYYY!!! I hope I can lose a little bit of weight before I fly to Indo 'coz I'm sure I'll gain weight when I'm there, esp. 'coz I haven't eaten any "real" Indonesian/Chinese food since last October. Yum yum...I'm drooling buckets already when thinking of all the food I can eat later he he...

Today my MIL gave me a pair of woolen "tossut" that she made herself. Here they are:


Aren't they cute? Maybe someday I should ask MIL to teach me how to do it. We'll see he he...


Here are two flower pics that I took two weeks ago. Last week and today rain came pouring down, so I didn't take any pictures. The good thing about the rain is that my MIL doesn't have to water all the plants she has outside, so she can rest. :-))))





One funny incident happened at work about a week ago. I had just finished cleaning one room when the boss walked along the corridor and spoke to me while walking towards me "bla bla bla bla bla...?" My brain was trying to absorb the "Finnish" words, but they sounded weird. Half a second later, I realized she was speaking ENGLISH!!! I was using my "Finnish brain", but she was using a different language, so I was flabbergasted for half a second.

She realized she wasn't speaking to me in Finnish when she almost finished her sentence, so she said to me in Finnish, "Sorry" and she translated her words into Finnish HA HA HA HA HA HA...Then I replied in Finnish, of course. I tried to speak only in Finnish at work, 'coz I really needed the exercise. One bad thing about this type of work is that I don't speak or hear too much Finnish, esp. when I have to work alone (there are days I work alone, there are days when someone helps me out).

Oh, and don't worry about my family who live in Indo. They did feel the earthquake, but fortunately nothing bad happened to them or my friends. Phew! I hope God protect them all and that help comes quickly for those in need.

Now I need to start doing something I've been wanting to do in a while. I'll blog hop tomorrow, OK? Have a blessed weekend, everybody! :-))))

3BT: Random Days

1. Tomorrow I'll be halfway through my training. WOOOHOOOO!!! It means I'm getting closer to going back to Indo. YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!

2. Listening to this voice singing this song...



3. Walking down memory lane by searching for old songs in youtube. Mmmmm...my, my...

4. We (me and my ex-elementary school friends) have found a good venue for our reunion in November and we've also found a good date, day, and time to make sure that the others who live outside of Bandung will be able to attend the party. YESSSSSSSSSSS!!! Can't wait!!!

5. Getting so much encouragement through emails that I get from different sources.

6. Hearing that a friend's bitterness has been lifted by God and knowing that she's now enjoying life to the fullest.

7. Seeing hubby's CUTE sleeping face in the morning. THANK GOD that He still gives us time together.

8. Being able to save on grocery budget 'coz I've been finding plenty of empty cans or bottles from the hotel rooms (and I've been selling them back to Lidl). WHOOOOOPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!

9. Looking back and knowing that I've improved in terms of reading Finnish texts. Now I'm on page 84 of a teen novel. Two years ago reading one page of a children's book (where there are only 10 lines per page) took me SOOOO long.

10. A an ex-elementary school friend who was also my campus friend told me that my self-esteem has improved SO much during the time when I was in elementary school versus when I was at the uni. THANK YOU for the encouragement, friend!

11. When hubby took a few days off (due to plenty of overtime), he was the one who cooked. :-D It feels nice not having to cook every once in a while, esp. when I'm doing physical work like now. :-D

12. Having a patient hubby who NEVER yells at me. (I know I've written this down many times before, but I don't want to take this for granted)

13. Hubby's hands. I LOVE those gentle, big hands! :-D

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