On Monday morning we left to Rovaniemi to spend a night there. It was on a whim that we decided to spend a night there, so there weren't many options left to find a hotel room within our budget. We stayed a night at Lapland Sky Hotel Ounasvaara (you can google it to find out where it is). It's a simple hotel with no frills, but we got a room with a sauna and the price we paid (142 Euros for the both of us) included breakfast. The other hostels in the city were fully booked and the other hotels in the city were so expensive, so we chose this one.
I feel that I've been "culturally damaged" by having lived in this small village called Sodankylä. What are the damages involved?
1. Now I'm really noise sensitive when it comes to bedtime. In Indo we lived in a small alley where there were always plenty of noise around us and then I could sleep so well even with all the noise. Now after having lived here for 4 years, I find that it's getting harder and harder to sleep when it's noisy outside (except perhaps when I'm DEAD tired).
You see, when we were about to sleep in the hotel at around midnight, some guests just started coming back and the hallway was really noisy. Our next door neighbour just came back with the whole family and they were so loud. It was hard for us to sleep and I got frustrated 'coz in the past when I still lived in Indo I could go to bed so easily even with all the noise around me.
2. Here in Sodankylä I find that my personal space is SO WIDE due to the small number of inhabitants. Wherever I go, I've never found too many people around me so I can move freely everywhere. When we went to Rovaniemi the other day, there were so many people in the mall due to tourist season and the fact that they're having big post-Christmas discounts everywhere. I've found myself feeling like wanting to shout, "Stay away from me! You're in my personal space!!!"
This is not the first time I felt something like this. I also felt it when I went to Singapore and Indonesia two years ago and last year. Too many people disturb me so easily now that I've lived here in Sodankylä. I think the longer I stay here, the harder it is for me to feel at home anywhere else - of course if I HAVE to stay somewhere else where there are many people and where it's noisy, I can always adjust to it again, but all I'm saying is that it's hard to get used to all those things after you've enjoyed the beauty of plenty of space and lack of noise around you. For me it's MUCH easier to get used to plenty of space and lack of noise after you've been surrounded by lack of space and too much noise around you.
OK, enough rambling...even though we had to pay for the hotel, I felt that it was worth it 'coz we got lovely pictures from around the hotel area. Let me share some here first and I'll continue sharing more pictures in a later post...
1st pic: Taken at around 4 pm right after we checked into the hotel. We went up the roof/deck of the hotel (there were frozen benches and tables up there - I guess they used it to eat during summer to enjoy the view). It was on a 3-storey floor. Behind me down there there was a ski lift (maybe it's not clear but you can see it in another pic which I'll post in another post).
2nd pic: Yep, the sky was really dark orange. I was amazed when I looked at the sky when we arrived at the hotel (the hotel is located a little bit up on a hill) and yes, they put some green lamps around the area and I found it weird to look at green trees he he...
3rd pic: Another shot of the sunset.
4th pic: I took this pic after we had our breakfast, at around 10.00 am. The sun was just about rise. I went up to the deck again and I was amazed when I looked around me. I'll upload some videos later on, as well.
5th pic: Another shot from up the deck. You can see the ski lift operating room down there.
6th pic: I went down again and found a path leading away from the hotel and I took pictures from there.
7th pic: The actual sky didn't have purplish hue, but I LOVE this pic anyway. It was more blue and white, though the orangey/pinkish hue in the previous photo was real. I feel like the trees are "sighing due to the weight of the snow" he he he...
OK, I have to go to work soon, so to be continued. Not sure when I'll post again 'coz I have an evening shift today and tomorrow a morning shift and I may go straight to my MIL's place to celebrate New Year there together, but I'll be back (if God still gives me breath HA HA HA HA HA...). Take care, people, and have a BLESSED New Year!!! Hopefully next year is better than this year! :-D
1. My boss has read the note I made and said that in the new worklist, I'll get less hours. YEEESSS!!! That starts in a few weeks, so until then I'll still be a bit busier he he...but I'm glad I did decide to give the note.
2. The kind old guy who once gave me flowers gave me another pot the other day. I almost couldn't contain my happy tears from flowing (PMS mode) and believe me, it was SO hard to control myself when I still had other customers to serve. Some of them probably saw my wet eyes and wondered what went wrong HA HA HA...I don't know why the old guy is so nice to me, but I THANK GOD for having customers like him.
Before he came, it had been hectic hours at work and I was feeling tired, but after he gave me the pot of flowers, nothing else mattered and I felt SO refreshed. ;-D It felt like drinking fresh water in the middle of a very hot day in the desert.
3. A little girl who's been very friendly to me has been asking about me whenever she and her parents go out to buy groceries. I'm SO touched that another person's child remembers me, even though I don't really know her, but she's SO cute!!!
4. A male customer asked me the usual stuff (where I come from, etc.) and after that he said, "You're brave for moving here." I thanked him, though I don't really feel brave, but I TRULY appreciate people who give others encouragement. They're angels on earth.
5. Christmas holiday is coming soon. Dinner with family, playing cards and drinking some cider and eating chocolate...just the thought of that brings warmth to the soul, 'coz we'll never know how much time left we have with one another.
6. We're going on a short trip to Rovaniemi sometime. YAHOOOOOOOO!!! It wasn't exactly planned - sort of just on a whim and I'm glad I found a hotel with a good price (and the room price includes breakfast). I'll write about this later on when we get back. YEEESSS!!!!
7. Taking these pictures make me happy:
Decoration behind a bed and breakfast in Sodankylä:
Saw pink sky again the other day, so I had to grab my camera to take some pics...
How flexible you should be when it comes to work? I'm still trying to figure out the balance here. I've stated to my superiors that I feel like I've done too much work and they say that they're going to reduce my hours ('coz I've done MANY more hours than what is stated in my contract) when the new workers they hire start working next month.
I don't know if I'm lazy or not, but I feel that I don't want to work too much 'coz I want to live a balanced life. First of all, even though I DO appreciate being able to get the extra money by doing overtime, but I appreciate MORE having spare time to do other things I want to do 'coz we've got more than enough anyway even when I only do a certain amount of hours per week.
Secondly, if I can help it, not being burnt out is better 'coz then I can do my best when it's time for me to work (remember that I have to communicate in Finnish and that takes mental effort to do, esp. 'coz I have to count money when I'm at the cashier). After all, when I signed up for the job, it was for a part-time job only, not a full-time job. The other week was really rough and I felt like my brain wasn't working well anymore and I wouldn't be able to give the best when I'm like that.
Anyhow, enough contemplation. Now on to some more wintery pics...
First pic: Another attempt at taking panoramic pics. Click to view a bigger size. I cropped out a bit of the right side of the pic he he...
2nd pic: As we were about to leave the place, the reindeer came to the field to find some food. The leader of the pack is busy digging for food in the pic below...
The two other reindeer in the herd:
Trick of the eye pic that I took of the cabin window that reflects the lights from the oil lamp and the candle inside the cabin he he...
I'll go blog-hopping now while I have a free day he he...
Because I have this weekend free, I told R2 that I wanted to go to the cabin on Fri after my evening shift ended. We almost cancelled it 'coz the weather prediction said it'd be -22'C and I only finished my shift that day at around 9.20 pm, but finally we had a solution: R2 went there straight after work to warm it up and then he'd go back home and pick me up. I'm SO grateful for R2 'coz he had to do the tough work of driving back and forth and warming up the cabin and the sauna when it was that cold outside (FYI, he had to get the water for the sauna by making a hole in the ice in the frozen lake).
Turned out it was -28'C that night and it even went down to -30'C when we both arrived there at around 10 pm. The stars were shining on a cloudless night and we both had sauna first before we had supper (hamburgers and sausages) while listening to the radio.
We were already so dead tired after that, so we just lay down in each other's arms while listening to the radio for a while and then we brushed our teeth and slept. Due to the cold weather outside, R2 had to wake up twice during the night to burn more firewood to keep the inside of the cabin warm enough.
In the morning at around 10 am, I woke up to pee in the outside toilet (turned out during the day the temp. went up to -16'C only) and I realized that the sun was just about to rise, so I went back inside to get my cameras - yeah, I brought both the Panasonic and Sony to compare and contrast the pics taken with both cameras ha ha ha...While taking some pics, I heard some kling-klong-kling-klong (bell sound) so I knew some reindeer must be nearby 'coz sometimes they put a bell on the neck of a reindeer. I waited but couldn't see any...After taking some pics, I got hungry and I realized that R2 had woken up and he had started warming up some hamburgers HE HE HE...He knew I'd be hungry again. ;-D
After that, I went back outside to take more pics and I saw a reindeer standing alone on the frozen lake. It must've been a young one 'coz it had no horns yet. It stood still as I took pics of it and after a while the parents came to the spot and the dad took the lead to guide the way towards the forest. 'Coz I didn't have time to take good pics of the parents, I went to chase them. Thankfully they walked slowly, so I managed to catch up with them, but when they realized I was chasing them (we were only about a few metres apart - they were on the forest, I was on the path leading to my in-laws' place), the dad decided to turn back towards the lake...
I followed them again and then they turned back again towards the forest HI HI HI...I followed them again, but this time I stopped near a clearing 'coz I knew if they passed by the clearing, I would be able to take some pics of them there. The dad hesitated before he crossed over the clearing 'coz he was probably afraid I'd do something bad, but at last he led the way and I took some pics. After that I left them alone he he he...I had bothered them enough that day HA HA HA...
So here are the pics...
1st pic: the kiddy.
2nd pic: Staring at me while I took pics, not knowing what to do.
3rd pic (taken by Sony, thus difference in hue): Daddy led the way to the forest...
4th pic: This was taken after I followed them toward the forest and then they turned back towards the frozen lake. Daddy was wary of me hi hi...
5th pic: The clearing I mentioned in the post. Even though it can be REALLY cold here up north, but usually it means I've got more chance to see beautiful pink skies like in this pic. It's just breathtaking...
Below are two group photos...
And last pics of the day: the gorgeous sky and frozen lake at around 10.30 am. If it hadn't been cloudy, the pink area would've been even wider he he...
OK, now I have to cook and dunno if I have time to blog-hop today or not. We'll see. Take care, everybody!!! Hope you've had a blessed weekend! I know I have he he...
About a month ago or so I was feeling sick and tired. Of what? I guess the correct answer would be "the fallenness of mankind". I wasn't sick and tired of mankind per se, but just that part of mankind, including that part in myself (or maybe especially 'coz I know that part exists in myself).
I guess the trigger was when I read this online forum that talked about two different people from two different cultures and the heated debate went on and on and on. There were at least 100 "commentators", but I only found about 1/10th who were the voice of reason. Some of the commentators made me feel sick and disgusted.
It's so easy when I look at that fallen part in myself that for example if I'm struck by someone, my instinct would be to strike back. If I'm hurt, my instinct would be to fight back or to have my revenge. Maybe for different people, the "fallen" parts are different than mine. But still the fallenness exists.
I don't mean to say that I'm giving up on mankind, but I'm just saying that there are times when I just want to get away from humans 'coz the fallenness of mankind makes me sick.
I talked about this topic today with a friend and she said she thought she was the only one going mad ha ha ha...she also experienced this and she said that she also wanted to get away from people in order to "reduce" the amount of possible "negative thoughts/feelings/reactions" that come from dealing with other human beings.
However, at the other end of the spectrum, after feeling so disgusted and sick like this, I wonder why God still loves us just the way we are, despite ourselves. I mean logically thinking I know that God is love, but my human brain is wondering that after all the wickedness and ugliness that humans can do, isn't it beyond AMAZING that He still loves us? That He's sent Jesus to die for our sins? I still can't comprehend the depth of His love for us...it's WAY beyond what my human brain can understand. Having billions and billions of "children on earth" behaving the way we are many days a year...I'm THANKFUL that God is God.
Just some pictures that I've taken these past few days...bought a set of sticker to cheer up our kitchen window yesterday. Some of the pics were taken with my mobile phone 'coz I didn't have my camera with me.
First pic: somebody else's Christmas light. Taken by mobile phone.
Again taken by mobile phone at around 12.30 pm yesterday. The temp. was only around -5'C.
Taken yesterday by my new Sony camera at around 2.30 pm. For some reason the camera took it with Twilight mode and it made it purplish. The actual colours should be white (for the foreground) and dark blue for the sky (except the pink part).
The stickers I bought for the kitchen window...
The details:
Okay, now it's time for me to blog-hop a little and then exercise. I haven't had time nor energy to exercise due to the busy days at work. I bet I'm still going to be super busy until New Year at least.
Had a lovely birthday even though I had work that day. What made it sad was 'coz on Sunday my MIL went to visit FIL at the hospital and he didn't remember her anymore. He did, though, say that her voice was familiar. Other than that, FIL became upset at everything easily - probably 'coz he can't remember anything much, so he's probably so scared and confused. Ugh...So prayers please...
It's hard to see your loved one like that and it makes me think of serious stuff on my birthday, such as how fleeting life is and if I ever live long enough to experience mind degeneration, I hope that everything I've done beforehand could "make up for it". It seems that the doctor has told MIL that she doesn't have to burn herself out and that he can stay in the hospital, but she wants to be with him as long as possible. So hopefully FIL's mood gets better so that MIL doesn't have an even harder task to take care of him.
Anyway, on a positive note, I got the birthday present that I wanted - 'coz I kept on insisting that R2 bought it for me HA HA HA HA...I mean, rather than "expecting" him to buy it for me, it'd just nicer to tell him straight away what I want so that in the end, we're both happy.
What did I want? A new wedding ring that fits my left ring finger perfectly. The one I have is now on a necklace 'coz it's a bit loose (even though I've gained 6 kgs ever since I moved to Finland, but my finger size stays the same). Wanna see the ring? Here goes...
We asked the jeweller's to engrave Arttu's name and our wedding date, but she said that for a wedding ring, we should put both our names, whereas for an engagement ring, you'd just put your future spouse's name and the engagement date. Interesting!!! We didn't even know it!
Anyway, I think the most important lesson of all that I've been getting over and over again so far is letting go and letting God (and finding out when to let go and to let God instead of keep forging the battle on my own). However, lately I feel that I should learn to say "no", to stand up for myself, and also to set boundaries for myself. I was actually thinking of writing a serious birthday post, but things have been hectic at work and it's going to get even more hectic 'coz Christmas and New Year are coming soon, so I may not get much free time until after New Year. So maybe the serious post can wait until then he he...
I haven't had time to blog-hop, either, but I have a free day tomorrow (AT LAST!!!), so we'll see. Take care, everybody!!!
1. Hubby warming up my side of the bed before I got to bed (usually he goes up first before me), so even though it's cold outside (-20 or even colder during the night), my side of the bed is blissfully WARM the first time I lay my body there. MMMMMHHHHH...And he has to endure the cold side of the bed once I go to my side of the bed, so THANKS SO MUCH for that, Bunny! HIGHLY appreciate your thoughtfulness!!!
2. Getting a surprise early gift bag for my birthday he he he he...You know who you are. THANKS SO SO SO MUCH!!!
3. Getting another package from a friend who has too much extra Indo stuff (spices, snacks). REALLY thankful for this!!! :-D
4. Listening to this beautiful duet...
5. Sleeping for 11 hours HA HA HA HA HA...
6. A customer telling me that I fit this kind of job I'm doing and that she likes me. THANKS for the encouragement - 'coz there are times I wonder if I really fit for this kind of job or not.
7. Someone told me about the mistake I'd made at work and I'm THANKFUL for that. Can't undo my mistakes, but I can always learn to do better. :-D
8. Hot tea with honey on cold days. Mmmmhhhh...
9. Pink sky always cheers me up. :-D
10. Frozen trees. For some reason when it's SO cold, they seem to be frozen solid - they have a different consistency of coldness than when it's been snowing all day, for example. It's hard to describe, but there's this kind of lovely undisturbed hush that permeates the air...mmmm...
No time to write long 'coz gotta go to sauna soon. Just wanna share some pics that I took with my mobile on the way back home on my bike at -21'C.
First pic: Yep, that was how the ends of my hair looked like after being outdoors for about 15-20 minutes (I stopped a few times on the way home to take pics).
The lovely sky at around 12.30 pm...
Cycled back to the old neighborhood and took a pic of one of the houses I've always loved there...
Been a busy day today. I cooked, I baked, I washed the dishes (actually the dishwasher did most of it, but I did wash some utensils that couldn't fit in it), I did the laundry, vacuumed the house and mopped it. Plus I also exercised just now. Now fresh from shower. I think the lamp therapy is working HA HA HA HA HA...
Before I had my lamp and kaamos (the dark winter days) started coming, I felt lethargic and I just didn't want to do anything. I didn't even feel like cooking. I bought some ready-made food from the store and just heated it up. I didn't want to exercise nor did I want to do anything much. My brain was like half empty and it didn't feel nice.
The lamp arrived a few days ago. R2 took it 'coz it was too big for me to carry on my bike (or on foot). I ordered Philips HF 3319 (you can google it up if you want to) and the first day I had it, I used it at around 4.30 pm. It made me energetic enough that it was hard to fall asleep at night HA HA HA HA HA...
So I learned my lesson!!! The next day I had a morning shift, so it was a perfect time to use before I went to work. I sat next to it in the kitchen while eating my breakfast and reading Donald Duck (Finnish version, mind you) for about 20 minutes and it felt nice. I didn't crank it up to its full "brightness", though, 'coz I couldn't stand it if I had to sit too close to it, but it was no problem. It helped even though I didn't turn the knob to the full brightness level. I've been using it for 4-5 days now and I must say that it makes me feel normal again. I go to work with my full brain capacity instead of just half of it. I feel more enthusiastic and energized to exercise.
So I guess I can safely say GOODBYESAD!!! I sure won't miss ya!!! HE HE HE HE...
Nothing much happening here. Work, enjoying free time, work, enjoying free time he he...The other day I cooked frozen duck from scratch. In the past, the frozen ducks I had bought had already been spicy, so I only had to put them in the oven. This time, though, I had to think of what to do with it. A recipe I found mentioned using some lemon juice, salt, and pepper, but I wanted it to be more spicy. Good thing I had this package of Bak Kut Teh spice mix, so I boiled some water with the spice mix and pour it all over the duck and shove the baking pan into the oven along with the "broth". I also added sliced garlic and onion all over and inside the duck.
I baked the duck at 160'C for about two and a half hours - in between I turned the duck around and around. The last 20 minutes, though, I took out almost all of the broth so that the duck could get a bit crispy on the outside and I turned the heat into 200'C. I should've probably let it sit there for a little longer, 'coz it wasn't too crispy yet, but it didn't matter 'coz I took out all the skin anyway 'coz R2 wouldn't want to eat skin or fat he he he...
And while trying to prepare the duck, I accidentally burnt my arm (it touched the oven) and cut my finger. Even in my workplace I sometimes bump into things accidentally and R2 keeps on worrying about me. Oh well...at least they are only minor "accidents". I've never really hurt myself so badly he he he...
I'm TRULY looking forward to this evening 'coz we're going to do a movie marathon tonight. We haven't been watching any movies in a LONG time. Due to my work schedule, we've only been able to watch TV series and we still have to catch up on them. So we have more than 10 movies to watch (the first we're going to watch tonight is Inception) besides the TV series. YAHOOOOOOO!!! Usually today is the day when R2 plays computer games with his buddies until morning, but now he's going to spend HOURS with me HE HE HE HE HE...YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!!! ;-D
Other than that, I've been doing fine. Been sneezing the past few days, but I hope it's nothing serious. Today I cooked beef teriyaki. Haven't eaten it yet, but I can't wait to eat it with chili sauce HO HO HO HO...Take care, people, and have a blessed weekend!
2. Beautiful wintery pinkish sky (two days in a row) with a half moon hanging SO LOW above the horizon (it looked SO huge) when I rode my bike to work. Too bad I didn't have time to take a pic of it, but it was just AMAZING.
3. My trusted bike (which is perfect for my height). Without it I wouldn't have been able to do many things in a practical way.
4. Discounts, discounts, discounts for food products!
5. Belgian chocolate with lovely fillings (would have never tried 'em if one customer hadn't told me how delicious they were). Mmmmmhhh...
6. My homemade roast duck tasted HEAVENLY and we had mint-chocolate ice-cream and strawberries for dessert. Yum yum...
7. A friend has sent me a package filled with Indo goodies, so I can't wait to get it 'coz it's filled wish some stuff I haven't even eaten in a LONG time. WOOOHHHOOO!!! THANK GOD for angels on earth!
8. Hubby for warming up my legs and body at night and for scratching my back whenever I need it. :-D
9. I've ordered the light therapy lamp and I'm waiting for it to arrive. ;-D
10. Hubby greeting me at night with hugs and kisses whenever I have an evening shift. :-D
11. SAUNA is one of the GREATEST inventions EVER, esp. for a place like Finland HUE HE HE HE HE HE...
Yeah, been busy and tired a lot lately. I've read online about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and I think I'm suffering from it. Not the depression, but the weird fatigue (even though I've slept enough) and being unmotivated. Also my brain doesn't work as well as in summer. I've also read that working shift jobs also affects your body to suffer from SAD. When I was helping out at the library two winters ago, I didn't feel any SAD 'coz I had such a regular work schedule. But now every week I have different work schedule, so my body clock is all messed up now that it gets darker and darker in winter (in December there will be a few days when the sun doesn't come up at all).
I've been thinking of buying a light therapy lamp and I've been browsing A LOT to find out which one I should buy. It's hard to choose 'coz the best one seems to be Philips, but I don't want to pay that much for a lamp (esp. 'coz I don't know if it'll work as well for me or not) and I've been toying with the idea of buying another lamp (made locally) that is half as cheap, but I still haven't decided yet. Gonna browse a little bit more before deciding - plus I want to wait until I get my paycheck first before ordering anything he he he...
Other than that I've been fine. Went to my MIL's yesterday to celebrate an early Father's Day with my BIL and SIL 'coz R2 was having a pre-Xmas party in Levi, so he couldn't come. I walked to my MIL's place 'coz I wanted to get a ride from BIL/SIL HE HE HE...
1. Hubby's home safe and sound and I can BUG him again HA HA HA HA HA...It was boring without him here. Plus he wrote a very funny SMS that made me laugh last nite: "Bunny! Get me out of here! I MISS YOUUUUUU!" HE HE HE HE HE...
2. Watching the clouds today...
3. Noticing that some people have already started putting some Christmas lights outside (on the bushes/trees). They really cheer me up when I ride my bike to work in the mornings ('coz it's already SO dark now in the mornings).
4. A customer asking me if I felt at home already in Sodankylä and when I said yes, he really looked like he cared about it. THANK GOD for caring people! :-D
5. Having warm-hearted non-fussy in-laws that let us do our thing without interfering with anything, that accept me just the way I am.
6. A LONG WEEKEND!!! WOOOHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
7. Fast internet access that never gives us any trouble. :-D
8. Having a job (just when I thought that getting a job here would be close to impossible). :-D
9. Frozen duck (haven't cooked it yet, but it made me SUPER HAPPY to find it at Lidl's again!).
10. Sending an email to someone to say how much I appreciate that person.
11. I'll sleep with hubby again tonight! YIIIIHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! No more lonely bed!!! ;-D
12. Getting some free non-alcoholic cider from Lidl HA HA HA HA HA HA...;-D I LOVE cider!
2. Eating anniversary cake at my in-laws' place and then we played some cards. :-D
3. Taking these pictures:
3. Warm socks in different sizes and lengths so that I can wear a few pairs of them if needed.
4. The back warmer I bought is DEFINITELY useful for work purposes 'coz it can get pretty cold there, esp. in the warehouse and near the cold storage and my belly gets cold easily. Plus it doesn't get me too sweaty when I need to be more physically active there. Simply perfect for my needs!!!
5. Talking to my Mom on Skype and chatting with a friend on YM.
6. Finnair bulletin states that they're opening straight flightsfrom Helsinki to Singapore starting from May 2011. WOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
7. Hubby changing his pillow in order to try to reduce his snoring. He even bought a kind of "nose ring" that was advertised to be able to help reduce/stop snoring. ;-D
8. Hubby's hugs and kisses and tender touches. ;-D
9. A long weekend this week, which I'm going to enjoy thoroughly. YEEEEESSSS!!!!!
