Inflammation

I have several reasons why I haven't been blogging, but the latest reason is that I've been having trouble with my wrist/hand/arm. First there was ganglion cyst, but it disappeared on its own after some rest and after I started wearing a thumb/wrist stabiliser at work. The stabiliser helped me at work, but apparently my wrist hasn't completely healed yet as the inflammation flared up again. So now I'm again banned from doing anything strenuous. Not sure how long it's going to take. I guess it's going to take as long as it takes. Definitely bad timing for me to have a long sick leave at work since it's near Christmas, but it's not that I want to experience something like this. 

The doc prescribed me a stronger dose of pain killer last Friday, but after taking two pills I had a allergic reaction to it, so I stopped taking it immediately. The pain has subsided a lot now, but I still don't dare do anything strenuous as the doc told me that I could only start gentle stretches in a week. 

This problem has made me realized just how often we rely on using our fingers/wrist/hand movements each day. And it also makes me feel awed at those people who've managed to live their lives with less limbs (or even without limbs). 

OK, time for me to rest up my hand again. I made this with an app on my mobile, so the quality of the photo was reduced a lot, but anyway, just want to show you a lovely pink sky that I saw sometime last week. This is a photo of semi-frozen river downtown.

 

3BT: Random Days

1. I managed to deal with the additional shifts even while I was feeling under the weather. Crossing my fingers that I won't get sick!!! 

2. The flower-giving grandpa came by the store to do some grocery shopping when I had just finished my shift, so I quickly went to the cashier, bought some flowers, wrapped them with some paper, taped the receipt there, told my coworker that I would give them to a grandpa (so that she wouldn't charge him for the flowers while showing the receipt that I had taped there), and then went to find the grandpa and told him that they were for his wife. Felt GREAT to be able to return his favors!!! He's been giving me flowers on many occasions already!  :-D

3. Taking these pictures made me feel happy...

4. A grandma complimented my voice! Ha! It's never happened before in my entire life he he he he...so I'm gonna cherish the memory hi hi hi hi...:-D

5. Finally getting a few days off in a row. Phew!!! Now I can catch-up with blogging and blog-hopping. :-)

6. Finding a suitable gift for someone as well as another souvenir for Ken's little brother. And having the budget to buy both is something I'm THANKFUL for.


7. Joululimppu (a kind of Christmas bread) with delicious smoked salmon made by Kiveliön factory, eaten with a slice of cheese and chili sauce! YUMMY!!!!



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8. Knowing that MIL's heart is working well (no blockage). She went for a check-up in Rovaniemi hospital last week and the result was OK. No need for surgery or anything. Phew! 

9. Have to teach a coworker to do something and I've finally finished writing down my list so that I remember everything I have to teach her. :-D

10. Finally exercising again after not having done it due to my busy schedule and being slightly under the weather. Felt GREAT! :-D


11. Almost forgot: A coworker asked me if we had kids and I said no. Thankfully she didn't pry whether we wanted kids or not or anything else. She just accepted the answer. YEEEEEEESSSS!!! :-D

3BT: Random Days

1. Had another invitation to have a free pap smear test at the local health centre about two months ago and the other week I received the result. Nothing wrong with me. YAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! Funny that without the test, I wasn't even thinking about the possibility of having any problem down there, but I did get a bit anxious when I opened the result via snail mail.

2. I told hubby that on my free days, I prefer to wake up later and sleep late. He said, "Sleepyhead!"


I retorted, "But it's a good way to spend my free day, don't you think?"

He asked, "Well, in my opinion it's good to spend your free day by doing something that you can't do at work."

I replied, "Yes, I can't sleep at work, so that's one of the things I love doing on my free days. Sleeping in." (roaring with laughter)

Hubby laughed along with me and he couldn't argue back HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

3. Last night hubby went to bed earlier and when I was entering the bedroom, I realized that it was so silent (I suspected that hubby was awake, because otherwise I'd hear his snore) and the second thing I realized was a bad smell. Yep, hubby had farted prior to my coming inside the bedroom. That set me giggling and hubby turned around to hold me and I said, "Honey, this bedroom stinks. Did you fart?" He laughed along with me...Ah, the joys of fart! :-D 
 

3BT: Random Days

1. A customer bought a few stuff but then realized that she had 30 cents less than what she had to pay. When I was asking her what item she wanted to take out, the guy behind her immediately said, "Don't take anything. Here, let me just give you 30 cents." The woman thanked him profusely. :-D

Sure it wasn't a big amount of money, but not everyone would do that and it's lovely to witness something like that. :-D

2. My first batch of summer holiday is coming soon and we're going on a week cabin trip. WOOOHHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Can't wait!!! :-D

3. Thankful that in this tough economy, we still have jobs and we're still able to do some budget trips on our holidays. 


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4. My BPPV symptoms have been much less and less severe in a short amount of time and I'm even thinking of exercising again. My body's itching for a real exercise. Here's to regaining health!!! :-D

5. A friend's dad's bypass surgery went very well and it seems that so far the recovery period has been well, too. HALLELUJAH!!!!

6. Reading this prayer that I found accidentally:

“Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess:

Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old. Keep me from becoming too talkative, and especially from the unfortunate habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and at every opportunity.

Release me from the idea that I must straighten out other peoples' affairs. With my immense treasure of experience and wisdom, it seems a pity not to let everybody partake of it. But thou knowest, Lord, that in the end I will need a few friends.

Keep me from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point.

Grant me the patience to listen to the complaints of others; help me to endure them with charity. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains -- they increase with the increasing years and my inclination to recount them is also increasing.

I will not ask thee for improved memory, only for a little more humility and less self-assurance when my own memory doesn't agree with that of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be wrong.

Keep me reasonably gentle. I do not have the ambition to become a saint -- it is so hard to live with some of them -- but a harsh old person is one of the devil's masterpieces.

Make me sympathetic without being sentimental, helpful but not bossy. Let me discover merits where I had not expected them, and talents in people whom I had not thought to possess any. And, Lord, give me the grace to tell them so.

Amen”
 

7.  Small epiphanies that allow me to understand some things even better than before. I cherish them with all my heart! :-D

8. Hubby for making me laugh a lot 'coz of his antics. :-D 

Addition: Just had a full blown exercise - sweating and all that. Now I feel VERY VERY fresh. WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Feels WONDERFUL to be able to exercise again. :-D 

BPPV

Last Friday was a rough day for me. Felt like I was having an extreme case of sea-sickness (I do have bad sea-sickness so I'll probably never go on a voyage trip). My head felt like floating over the waves. I could walk and move around freely, but if I moved my head quickly or if I moved it to certain positions, the dizziness started (or the room started spinning around) and I'd feel nauseated. I threw up five times that day.

On Saturday I was scheduled for work, so I called in to say that I couldn't come. Had an appointment at the health centre, but there were emergency cases that day, so I had to wait for almost 3 hours before I could finally meet up with the doc. The doc asked me questions and then ran some tests on me (mostly I had to do things like move my arms or legs certain ways).

The dizziness (the feeling that the room was spinning around) had actually started a few days prior to the crazy Friday. I went to bed and turned around on my stomach and it started. Just once, though. The next day I was brushing my teeth and again it happened and I had to hold on to the sink in order to keep my balance, but nothing else happened (didn't feel any sea-sickness-like symptoms other than that) so I went to work like usual and it went fine. Until Friday happened.



The doc then gave me my diagnosis and printed it out for me. It's called "Hyvänlaatuinen asentohuimaus" in Finnish or "Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" or BPPV in short. Basically speaking it's really a benign form of vertigo, induced by certain movements. I wouldn't need any medication other than some anti-motion sickness medication in case I got too nauseated.

The doc said that it wasn't dangerous, but bothersome, because on average it'll go away by itself in TEN weeks. TEN?!?!?!?! I sure hope it'll go away faster because at work, I need to be able to move my head around freely and fast, especially during rush hours. In the meantime, though, I've asked R2 to buy me some anti-motion sickness medication in case I need it at work 'coz I'll only start work tomorrow after this diagnosis and I still feel that every now and then I get dizzy/nauseated.

I don't really know what caused this, but I think it may have something to do with genetics, as well. My Mom started suffering from vertigo after she got older (over 50), though it isn't a frequent incident. I also read that lack of sleep and stress can induce it. And head trauma may also make you more prone to it. I fell down head first when I was young, so maybe the combination of different factors make me more prone to experience something like this at an earlier age.

One thing I'm now wondering about is...how can I exercise before I get over this? I want and need the exercise, but I can't really do vigorous exercises that'd move my head around too much hmmmhhhh...we shall see about that then. I've already done the exercise written on the link above to help speed up the process of healing, so we'll see about that, too.

3BT: Random Days

1. Enlightenment. The other day I felt something that bothered me and I found the answer(s) soon enough. Felt totally relieved!

2. Hubby didn't have to go to another town in the middle of the night (cancelled job task).

3. Finding some books that resonate so much with what I've been thinking/feeling for the past year or so. I feel like nodding and nodding and nodding when reading them. And they give me more reflective passages, too! It's AWESOME to feel understood by someone you've never even met! :-D

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4. Genuine smiles from customers.

5. A little girl who's barely able to talk calling me, "Täti" (Auntie) a few times when the mother had finished paying and the mother laughed in glee.

6. My Mom's health, which was problematic a while back, is now improving slowly but surely.

7. Listening to a certain addictive song over and over and over again. *GRIN*

8. Soon it'll be our 5th wedding anniversary and the surprise gift that I've ordered arrived today. I've packed it and put it right on his computer desk and I can't wait for him to come home. I LOVE teasing him like this!!!! :-D I'll let him choose between opening it today or later on November 3rd hi hi hi...



9. Craving for the same food at the exact same moment as R2. :-D

10. The light therapy lamp has really helped me in dealing with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) 'coz for the past few days, I've felt that SAD has struck me full-force again.

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11. Going to visit a friend whom I haven't met in a few months. YAAAAYYYY!!! Girl talk!!! :-D

Bad News, Good News

Haven't been feeling too well. Not too bad, either...but just a little bit weird. Autumn is coming for sure and flu bugs are everywhere. I asked hubby to coin my back just now and it feels GREAT!!!

Update on my parents' health: Mom seems to be OK now, though she has to be careful with what she eats. Dad went to the lab again for a second check-up and this time my bro took him to an internist instead of a GP. The lab results were all fine (no more protein leaking in the urine, glucose level is OK, blood pressure is OK), BUT the internist said that his left lung's capacity has down gone down to 31% only and his right lung is swollen, so he's on medication and he's told NOT to get too tired.

The good thing is that he's NOT stressed about it. He even said to my family, "Look, all the other results are good, though." However, my bro and wife are worried that my Mom might worry too much about Dad and that might cause her blood pressure to peak again...so I still need your prayers for my parents, THANK YOU!!!

Another piece of bad news is that my camera's flash isn't functioning. When we go to Rovaniemi sometime soon, we're going to try to find a place where I can get it fixed. I browsed online and someone said that we only need to replace something, but it's better if the pros do it. So we'll see about that!

Photo taken from here

Now on some good news...my poster has arrived and I think next time I'll know better, 'coz a little bit of two of the pics are cut off, but other than that I'm pretty pleased about it. However, I think next time I should use Photoshop or something like that to maximize the color contrast - 'coz it's not printed as a photo, so it seems to me that the better the color contrast is, the better the end result would be. We're going to take it soon to my in-laws' place, so we'll see how my MIL likes it. ;-D

Today I got a VERY nice surprise. You see, the other day I was thinking of buying a pot of flowers from my workplace, but I restrained myself from doing so due to my shopping budget. Today when I worked at the cashier, a customer said, "I've got a surprise for you." I was scanning the pot of flowers (the type that I had wanted to buy for myself: Celosia Caracas) and then he said that it was for me, "for my good service" - that's what he said.

I was SO touched (still am)!!! It was really thoughtful of him to do that and said that ON purpose. I TRULY appreciate it. He really makes me feel encouraged to know that at least in his eyes, my service is good enough.

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3BT: July 30, 2010

1. Hubby running to welcome me from work today 'coz I had an evening shift, so we hadn't met at all today 'coz I was still asleep when he got up to work and when I left to work, he wasn't home yet.

2. Watching a TV series together right after I got back from work. This was a surprise for me 'coz I thought he would be gaming with his buddies as usual, but no, he spent time with me this time and I TRULY appreciate that.

3. After work, I sent an SMS to Mom to ask about their health. Mom had just done a blood test and she went to the doctor again. Everything was OK except her cholesterol level, so she has to really be careful with her diet. And oh, she's feeling MUCH better already! ;-D

4. Mom told me that Dad looked better and now it seems Dad realizes that he has to be more careful with his diet, as well - considering that he has diabetes and he has to keep his glucose level normal. I hope he keeps on remembering this and I hope he won't be upset whenever my Mom or bro or SIL reminds him not to eat too much food that contains sugar.

5. Found out that we've got some Tiger Lilies at the side of our house and one of them has just bloomed. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!



6. Watching my mustasilmä susanna or Black-eyed Susan vine or Thunbergia alata growing bit by bit...it's intriguing the way the branches grow...here, you can see it yourself!



7. Seeing familiar faces at work today (regular customers) who have smiles on their faces.

8. Seeing MANY more täpläsievikki flowers blooming. At least 40 of them. :-D Here's a pic of two of the buds...


9. Remembering to leave a love note for hubby before I went to work today. :-D

10. Had a nice, long chat with a close friend before I went to work. :-D

Silenceeeee...

Yeah, been lazy blogging and blog-hopping again. I've spent my days reading and exercising, preparing my body for our summer vacation next month he he he...That's also why I've been tired so easily, 'coz I exert energy by exercising and by forcing myself to read more Finnish every day - besides watching TV series with hubby.

Yesterday hubby told me that our niece will turn 5 tomorrow and they're going to throw a party for her, so today I went to the bookstore to find a gift for her. I figured that buying her a book would be better than buying her a doll. However, the tricky part is that I don't know what kind of books they have already he he he...Well, I know that they have so many DVDs and video tapes and some books and CDs, so I hope that she hasn't got the book I chose for her. It was hard to pick something for a 5-year-old. Ummm...

GOOD news is that while browsing for a gift, I found out that the book that I'd been wanting to buy for a while was on a 50% discount, so I grabbed it right away HI HI HI HI...I also found Winnie the Pooh stickers on a discount, so I bought a pack for the birthday girl. I figured that little kids love stickers, don't they? Don't they? At least I do know that she likes Winnie the Pooh he he he...

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Anyway...my training at the library will end on 27th this month and I'll then try to find a part-time job. We'll see how it goes. Someone tells me that there might be a job opening somewhere, so I'll try applying for a job there. Wish me luck!!!

I've actually never worked for a long time in an office or stores. This training at the library is the longest time I've ever spent in an "office". When this training ends, it means that I'll have been there for 6 months! :-D When I was in Indo, I could only stand working in an office for 7 weeks hi hi hi hi hi...

A few weeks ago my Mom got sick and it seemed that she didn't get well easily, so my bro took her to a specialist and she had to have proper blood tests. Everything came out fine except for the cholesterol level and another thing whose term escaped my mind right now...anyway, at least now she knows what to do. She's changed her diet intake and she's lost 2 kgs already. GOOD for her!!! :-D

My slight worry is my Dad. My Mom said that he's getting thinner and thinner, 'coz sometimes he forgets to eat. If he stays home, it's much easier for them to notice whether he's eaten or not...but 'coz he loves playing chess outside of the house, it's hard to make sure that he remembers to eat. Uhhhhh...I sure hope he won't get sick. I think he was already too thin when I met him last October!!! Ah well...such is life...at least my brother and his wife and his wife's family will be there for them. :-D

OK, I'll end this rambling post. I'll blog-hop on Sunday 'coz now I'm dying to continue reading the new book I've just bought he he he he he he...

Diet Pills Consumer Reviews

Are you on a weight loss program and you're thinking of using pills to help you, such as Cheap Phentermine? Well, before you decide on taking any pills, you should click on the link to read what other people have to say about their experiences in taking those pills.

The website provides consumer reviews on different types of diet pills. A friend of mine once used some type of diet pills to help her lose weight prior to her wedding, but she got the prescription from her doctor and she continued seeing her doctor for a check-up to make sure that everything went well. She has stopped taking them, though, but it did work for a while.

I've never taken any diet pills, so I can't share any experiences, but health is indeed very important and we should make sure we eat a healthy diet, we exercise regularly, and we get enough sleep every day as best as we can. Other than that, if you're over 30 years old, you should probably consider taking a multivitamin every day to stay fit.

Cheers to health!!! ;-D

Supplies for Diabetics

My Dad has had diabetes since he was around 40 years old. Ever since then, he has to be careful about his food intake and he also has to use blood glucose test strips to make sure that his glucose level isn't too high. If you also suffer from diabetes, I've found a website that offers free blood glucose meter if you buy some of their blood glucose test strips.

Other than that, they also provide different types of diabetic supplies, including diabetic skin care, diabetic snacks, etc. They also give out some important comparison charts on glucose meter and urine strip.

Back to my Dad...he's been doing pretty well for someone with diabetes. When he was first diagnosed with it, he was crushed! He had to undergo a strict diet since his glucose level was VERY VERY high at that time. However, I'm glad that he's managed to take good care of his health by continuing the diet scheme and not eating too much sweet stuff. Boy, he used to LOVE eating sweet stuff so much!!! Anyway, I hope my Dad will continue enjoying his health until the day he dies...

3BT: July 8, 2008

1. I'm VERY impressed with Paypal. Last month I won a bid on ebay, but the seller never contacted me nor sent me the item, so I filed a dispute after waiting for some time and after trying to contact the seller a few times. It's said in Paypal that it usually takes about a month to process a dispute. Today I received a decision already. They said that they'd refund the money fully in a few days. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYY!!!!

2. Visited a store with my Thai friend after our class and bought three T-shirts and two shirts and only paid a grand total of €25 HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE...Two of them are for my Dad, two for my brother, and one of them is for R2. I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE saleeeeeee!!!

3. Finally I've had time and energy to do Tae-bo again. My stamina was not as bad as I had thought (I hadn't been exercising for a few weeks now), though it feels SO GOOD to be able to exercise again HO HO HO HO HO...

4. I bought some marmer cake today from Lidl HO HO HO HO HO...I LOVE its chocolaty flavour MMMMMMMMM...

5. Stealing a kiss from hubby again HO HO HO HO HO HO...As you probably know, our classroom is situated right next to his office. YEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!

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6. Tomorrow the class starts at 10 am again. That means I can sleep longer again tonight. ;-D This Sleepyhead LOVES the idea of sleeping long. *WINK*

7. Lots of beautiful plans for this week and next week...so I'm TOTALLY excited! Feeling excited is a good sign of life, don't you think so? ;-D

8. Getting back my health after coughing and feeling out of sorts for about 10 days. CHEERS to health!!!

Life As Is

Just wanna give you a quick update on everything he he he...

1. HEALTH:

I'm still coughing, but otherwise fine. However, almost every night I have trouble going to sleep, as whenever I drift off to sleep, the coughing fit starts. I can sleep for a few hours, but then the coughing fit wakes me up and it happens again and again every few hours, so you can imagine how I feel in the morning he he he...BUT I'm getting better, though it happens gradually.

2. TRAINING:

I've been taught to be the cashier at the shop where I'm training. The first time I did it, I was a nervous wreck! I bet my nervous vibes were SO strong that even the customer could feel it HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Now I'm getting more used to doing it, so I can be pretty calm. The shop also provides gift-wrapping the goods and I don't think I'm able to do it as wonderfully as my trainer, who's already such an expert at doing that he he he...but somehow I've managed, even though I have made mistakes here and there ha ha ha...

The tricky part is that sometimes the customers are foreigners and if they don't speak anything at all before paying for the goods, then I naturally speak to them in Finnish, which in return made them confused HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Last week I was also asked to design the goods in the display window. That was my first time doing it, so that was fun, even though I was slightly worried since I'd NEVER been good at designing things HE HE HE HE HE HE...

3. SUMMER HOLIDAY:

Yesterday hubby told me that he'd done a week's worth of overtime, so he's thinking of taking a week off sometime this month. We've talked about it and he's going to take it in 2 weeks' time. He told me that we could go somewhere. WOOOOHOOOOO!!!! I wasn't expecting any trip other than my trip to Indo, but just the idea of having him for myself for a WHOLE week sounds SO YUMMY, esp. since by then my training and course will have been over already he he he he...

However, when I asked him where he wanted to go, he didn't know yet HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...We'll see then! ;-D

4. KNIFE IN HAND:

A few days ago someone from the firm that organizes the Finnish course came by to the shop to check up on me (actually he came over to check up on all the students in their respective training places). Such bad timing! I was holding a KNIFE when he came by, can you imagine that? HI HI HI HI HI HI...

I had to open a box of goods to put price tags on them, so when he came by, I tried to hide the knife behind my back. When I came home, Arttu asked me, "Why didn't you act as if you were going to kill him?"

YEAH, RIGHTTTTTTT!!! Bad booyyyy LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!

5. WEATHER:

I noticed that many people are also coughing (the customers who come to the store), so I guess it's a pretty normal thing these days. After all, the weather's been wacky. In the morning it can be sunny and then it starts raining a few hours later and then it turns cloudy and then it gets sunny again at night. Or the other way around. Or sometimes it is just plain cloudy all day. But it has certainly been warm these days. Summer has finally come. I can see many many many blooming flowers everywhere...mmmmmm...

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Okay, I'll blog-hop a bit now and then continue tomorrow then. ;-D Can't wait until everything's over 'coz I MISS cooking and baking and trying new recipes he he he he he...

3BT: Random Days

1. Hubby got headset for free from one of the computer stores he frequented due to his job and he gave it to me HUE HE HE HE HE HE...

2. Today I found The Undomestic Goddess - Sophia Kinsella on a discount in a bookstore here (they're having summer sale). It was supposed to cost €10.90 but I bought it for only €3.90. WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I spoke in Finnish there even though I knew one of them spoke perfect English HE HE HE HE...Good practise! ;-D

3. When I walked home, a boy on a bike greeted me and I greeted him back with a smile. Yesterday two boys greeted me, but I was too shocked to greet them back as it all happened too fast he he he...

4. I've begun to see more flowers blooming here and there. Summer's heerrreeeeee!!!

5. I've got a date with my new friend this Friday. Since hubby's going to have a boys' only night out, then I can have this date with her HO HO HO HO HO HO...

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6. God's PERFECT timing. Upon reviewing my past, now I understand more why He wanted me to wait and wait and wait. Some things in the past that were as clear as mud have become crystal clear now and I'm THANKFUL for His open and closed doors and for His temporary blocked doors.

7. Talking to my Mom via Skype again. I always HAVE FUN talking to her, listening to her stories of my relatives so that I know how they're doing these days. ;-D And hearing her say that she'd stock up some of my fave food prior to my visiting Indo made me SO HAPPY HE HE HE HE HE HE...

And the fact that she supported my wish to go to Singapore (if we have enough money) even though that meant that I'd be having less time to be with them meant THE WORLD to me. She's always SO supportive!!!

8. Meeting an old friend in YM and being able to chat with her for a long time. WHOOOPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I truly missed talking to her as she'd been too busy to catch up via emails, so that was really a WONDERFUL opportunity to catch up with her. ;-D

9. Took a nap for 2,5 hours yesterday. Boy, I definitely needed that!!! Having PMS makes me feel tired so easily. (Unfortunately, just like the image below, I also drool while sleeping LOL LOL LOL!!! But I have no shame in admitting it hi hi hi...)

10. Peace of mind, a nice bed, a nice apartment (albeit slightly dusty due to my laziness HA HA HA HA HA), health, and a funny, wacky, loving husband who ALWAYS makes me laugh (even when he's not trying to do so HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...)

Talk, Amel, Talk!!!

Life has a funny way of giving you the lessons you "try" to avoid ha ha ha...When life's determined to shape you in a certain way or when you're still not learning the same lessons over and over again, then you'll face a similar problem again. And perhaps again.

I've told you that I've found a place to do my training after the course ends in mid June. The problem is that I still have to meet the boss to work on the training contract. And I also need to ask about my working hours and when my lunch break is and stuff like that.

Yesterday I went to the store again to do that, but alas, the boss was talking on the phone and there were some customers there. Plus I saw another guy restocking the place, so they must've been busy. So I went home and decided to go back to the store today.

Today I went there after the course, hoping to find the same woman I talked to last week that told me that I could do the training there. Alas, there was a different person near the counter and I didn't see the boss there. I did talk to her, though, in Finnish. I explained to her about what I wanted to do, and then she replied in a "normal" pace in Finnish, which sounded in my ears like "blrblblrrlkbbbklllrrrbbbllrlrlblblrlblrbbblrrbbbrrlkllkkllllbbbrrr".

So I smiled and asked her politely to say it more slowly. She smiled and decided to change her words into simpler ones (I know it for sure since at first she said SO many sentences!!!). THANK GOD for that hi hi hi hi...I LOVE it when Finnish people try to explain something to foreigners in a simpler way. I TRULY appreciate it!!! She said that today was her first day at work and that I should talk to the boss instead so that everything would be clear. She said that the boss would probably come either the next day or the day after, so I should come back later.

Phew!!! I actually still "dislike" talking to new people in Finnish, since I don't know whether I can understand them or not. I can prepare at home whatever it is I want to ask or say, but I have NO idea whether I can understand what the other person is saying to me or not. I guess my self-confidence is still so low hi hi hi hi hi...Plus I'm not really a people person. I'm getting better at practising Finnish (read: forcing myself to speak), but still I'm not nearly as chatty as people who are born chatty, you know what I mean? *wink* If I don't really have to talk, I prefer still not to talk HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Anyway, speaking of health, I've been doing MUCH better though my nose's still runny and every morning for the past few days I've been able to blow out some YUCKY stuff out of my nose. I described the yucky stuff in detail to Arttu and he asked me, "Do you have to describe it to me?" LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!

Ahem...what can I say? I AM a gross girl sometimes HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...You can ask my closest female friends and they'll all say the same thing hi hi hi hi...

And speaking of MONEY, remember when I said that last week I got more student money than I thought? WRONG!!! It was actually the accumulation of unemployment money. You see, I didn't know that I could have applied for unemployment money since I had NEVER worked in Finland. When I applied for the student money right before the course started, the government sent me so much paperwork to fill and they asked me to explain why I hadn't applied for unemployment money when I first moved to Finland.

Today I received the notification from them, stating that I was actually eligible to get unemployment money starting from last June, but since my application came so late, they only paid me unemployment money starting from last December.

So the money they sent me last week wasn't my student money. I'm REALLY HAPPY to get that extra sum of money, though, since I didn't even expect it!!! Every cent of it goes RIGHT into my "untouchable" account HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE...Pretty soon I'll be able to get back the amount of money I want to keep safely in that account. HALLELUJAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

glitter-graphics.com

Okie dokie, I think I may exercise right now so that tomorrow morning I don't have to wake up too early he he he...I tried to take a nap, but unfortunately sleep didn't come over me, so better make the most of the time then he he...I'll blog-hop again either tonight or tomorrow, OK?

8 Things I'm Grateful For Meme

Crystal tagged me to do this one. THANKS, Buddy!!!

Here are 8 Things I'm grateful for:

1. Being loved. God loves me the way I am with all my brokenness. My hubby and family and closest friends love me the way I am and they always support me. And my blogging friends have also made me feel loved and supported he he he he he...

2. My family, hubby, hubby's family, closest friends, blogging friends. I'm SO rich beyond belief!!! :-D I can share many things with them and I can learn so much from them, as well.

3. Health. Self-explanatory.

4. Random acts of kindness. I've found so many different types of random acts of kindness around me that really makes me feel that this world isn't so broken after all.

5. Sense of humour. Thank GOD for sense of humour! I feel that I can stay forever young he he he he he...

6. Having the opportunity to get some income online by blogging. This is something that never crossed my mind before, so it's a wonderful surprise for me. Plus I wanna thank my fellow blogger friends who're understanding about my need to get some income online - thank you for bearing with me!!!

7. Having the chance to write my heart out to my parents and brother (and hubby, too, during our long-distance relationship) so that if I die today, I won't regret anything.

8. Being able to live my biggest dream, which is living abroad. Plus I don't have to do it alone. I'm accompanied by my sweetest, wackiest, most understanding soulmate. :-))))

I'm tagging: Juliana, Blur Ting.

What Does 2007 Mean to Me?

Juliana tagged me to do this meme. Let's see what I have to say he he he...

~ Start Copy ~

Rules :
1. Copy from "Start Copy" until "End of Copy".
2. Before "End of Copy", share your best memories of 2007 include your name and your URL blog.
3. Share this tag to your friends.

For me, the year 2007 had a lot of happiness (and hope for 2008). Happiness because i see my son, grow and grow day by day. I have a great husband. I met lots of new friends from around the world via blogging ^_^ - Juliana RW

~000~

For me, the year 2007 is a year of BLESSINGS and LESSONS. First of all, after battling with bureaucracy for months, I finally got my residence permit so I could at last move to Finland to be with my hubby. Secondly, an evening Finnish course started at the right time and in the right place (6 months after I moved to Finland and it was near my house). Thirdly, I get to enjoy marital bliss with my hubby (WAY better than I thought it could be). Fourthly, hubby found a permanent job miraculously!!! Last but not least, I've also started earning some money online since last month plus I've got SO MANY friends around the world now. And my in-laws are VERY warm and welcoming and considerate. Plus my brother's just got married and his wedding was smooth. And my parents are healthy (Dad had a mini stroke not long after I moved to Finland, but now he's healthy again!).

THANK GOD for everything I've been given this year. THANK GOD for every miracle He's performed in my life, for every door He's opened.

Moving to Finland also means challenges. You can read a list of lessons I've learnt and re-learnt since I moved to Finland here and you'll see why I said this year is a year of lessons. - Amel

~ End of Copy ~

I'm tagging:

Max
Fish Without Bicycle
Blur Ting
Michelle

3BT: June 13, 2007

1. Considering my Dad's health, I'm feeling grateful for my own health.

2. Reading a good book on a cloudy day while leaning on my sofa. I started reading Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" yesterday. There were some sentences that stood out like an elephant in front of my eyes: No life is a waste. The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone. There are no random acts. We are all connected.

Those sentences reminded me of Six Degrees of Separation and made me feel grateful for the internet. Lives intersected, shared, connected in cyberspace. How MAGNIFICENT!!!

3. A hot mug of tea with 3 teaspoonfuls of sugar plus milk. Hot Milk Tea, sipped while reading the above book when the temperature is cold outside. :-)))