Our Town

In my university days, we got to do one English play on our third year of studies. The play was chosen by the drama lecturer (I suppose) and we had to "audition" to get the parts. Those of us who weren't chosen to be in the play would help out in other ways, such as being involved as make-up artists or helping out with the stage. 

That year, 1999, the chosen play was "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder. In the audition we only had to say certain English sentences in front of our lecturers. Guess which part I landed? One of the dead!!! I'm seriousss...I only had to stay still and have this deathly make-up on and among with my other friends who played the dead, we only had a few lines to say ha ha ha ha ha...

The whole experience was very interesting, though. We rehearsed without using any props or lighting, even though the stage was already built during the last few rehearsals. Nowadays in our university there is a spanking new, real theatre-like room for this purpose, but back then during our days, the stage was really simple.

What I didn't expect, though, was how glaring and powerful the lighting would be. I had teary eyes and I never knew that such powerful lighting could feel THAT hot. But I couldn't really wipe my eyes because I played the dead - so I wasn't supposed to move a muscle he he...But anyway, we all had fun. We invited people to watch - they had to pay a small sum of money for the tickets.

Anyway, here's a pic of me and the others with our stage make-up on. Guess which one I am? I know the pic isn't that clear 'coz it's scanned from a regular photo and the photo itself isn't that clear.

Oh yeah, before I forget...I'd like to share my blogger friend's book. I've always admired her writings and she's been a dear friend to me. I've just bought her e-book through Kindle store. Mind you, I don't have a real Kindle reader, but you can download a free Kindle reader for PC and there are always free books to download in the site and so far I've downloaded at least a dozen books. I still prefer real books compared to e-books, but in terms of space, having e-books is handy 'coz they don't clutter the house ha ha...

Anyway, here's the trailer of her e-book entitled "First Light" by Michelle Frost. If you're interested, you can also buy it in a regular book form through amazon. I've only started reading a few pages but I'm absorbed already!!! :-D As a matter of fact, after publishing this, I'm gonna go back to reading it he he...can't wait to find out what's going to happen!!!! :-D

Whaddup

For the past few days I've been trying WhatsApp for PC because some friends wanted to chat with me using that program. I only have 7 trial days, but I don't think I'm going to pay 15 USD to use this program because of several reasons.

So many people nowadays are connected all the time, but not me. I don't know if I want to be connected 24/7. Even my bro once said how cool WhatsApp was (he uses Android), but I was hesitating. I once downloaded WhatsApp to my mobile, but because I don't have an ongoing internet subscription for my mobile, I realized that it kept on trying to connect even though I'd turned it off, so I decided to delete it. Plus I can't possibly use my mobile during work (always put it in a locker), so what's the use of getting 24/7 internet connection for my mobile if I don't have to travel a lot for work anyway? (Because I can still use my PC to connect at home when I don't have work)

What about WhatsApp for PC? Well, first of all due to the fact that I'm not connected 24/7, I find that chatting via WhatsApp is so...fragmented. Another part of the reason is also 'coz of my random work schedule as well as time differences between me and those friends in WhatsApp. So whenever I log in online using my PC, I've found tons of messages already going back and forth between a few friends and it feels...surreal.


 
I mean in the past none of this could happen. I felt as though I had entered a room filled with a few friends that had stopped talking (and sometimes they've already gone entirely from that room by the time I log in), but I could still view their WHOLE conversation if I wanted to ---> This also takes a lot of time if I log in after a few hundred of messages have been recorded. And moreover, commenting on their conversation felt like "lagging behind" because it had happened already.

I do feel that way sometimes with emails. Sometimes after a summer vacation with hubby when we don't check emails regularly, when we go back home then there are tons of them to read and then I have to think of which important emails to reply to first, but it's not as bad as the feeling of being "left behind" in this kind of WhatsApp chat program. I felt confused, not knowing where to start after being "left behind". Should I start babbling about another topic altogether?


But now after trying WhatsApp for a few days, I begin to understand more why those people in Indo who use BB (Blackberry) chat or WhatsApp to chat are ALWAYS online, because it can be addictive and once you start, it's hard to stop because otherwise you'll miss SO MUCH - logging on every once in a while will only cause so many fragmented conversations. On the other hand, it bothers me to remember the annoyance I felt at being around people who are always checking their mobile and typing stuff and updating the latest photos while they're spending time with me. I also have the fear of turning into those people who have to be "connected" all the time, because when I am spending quality time with my hubby and relatives, I want to focus on them instead of cyber world. And I want them to focus on spending time with me, too. 

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In Indo, we have this term called "eksis" (yeah, based on the word "exist", though it doesn't really mean the same - I think it means "being active in cyber world"). Some people, if they haven't been active in some type of online group/site, consider themselves as "they don't exist". If they're so active in those groups, then they "eksis". It's kinda ironic to think of the pressure to "eksis" these days in Indo, because you DO exist even though you don't "eksis" in cyber world. 


I don't know about you, though...any POV? I do like technology and as you all know, I found love through the internet, but sometimes I feel that we're going into "uncharted territories" (boy, do I feel old/old-fashioned writing these words HA HA HAAHHHH...) and I'm not talking merely about cyber world, but the advance of technology in general. I read an article the other day that the impact of this "online world" can only be researched after a decade or two (if I'm not mistaken), because the current generation (Generation Z ) has spent their entire lives surrounded by the internet. 

Note: Maybe in the future I may feel differently about WhatsApp - dunno. But for the time being I just want to record this here for future reference.

Thought Mixes

Ummm...I have so many different things to say, so I'll just write them down in a list.

1. I do love face-to-face conversations, but I tend to thrive more on one-on-one conversation than a group conversation (this can also apply to phone calls/chats). That doesn't mean that I don't like group conversations. Not at all. It's just that one-on-one conversations have a different depth and focus compared to a group conversation. I've always felt like this from ages ago.

I have so many fond memories of group hang-outs with my closest friends back in Indo, but the thing is nowadays it gets harder and harder to match up the schedules, so I find that cyber talk with them is more effective in sharing our lives with one another. I know that some people who don't really like cyber talks and with them, it's by far more effective to have a face-to-face conversation.

2. I have a hate-and-like relationship with Facebook. There were a few times that I was considering stopping the use of it, but it's getting so hard these days, because most of my close friends and my brother and SIL find it easier to share the latest photos there. And it's also easier for me to share my photos with my bro (and Mom will be able to see them too) through Facebook rather than just bombarding his mailbox with so many pictures.

3. Yesterday we went to Kelujärvi with BIL and MIL because MIL wanted to plant some potatoes there (among other things that we did there). It was a gorgeous day. Had a morning shift and then after work the sun was shining hotly (almost no wind) at around 20'C. I got to sunbathe and at some points it even felt too hot for me that I had to go hide in the shades ha ha ha ha...

Walked down to the cabin area near the lake and take some pics. Watched two wild ducks far away in the middle of the lake and wished I had a better zoom to be able to take better pics of them. At one point they were calling each other and then they met in the middle for a little while. It was a lovely sight, though I could only see two black shapes without being able to see their original colours. There were SO many mosquitoes, though I was safe enough after spraying myself all over with Off (mosquito repellant). We ended the eve there by going to their wood sauna. Lovely! :-D

Here are some pics...first pic: Hubby busy preparing the ground to plant some potatoes.

Next pics are pics of the ducks:

Then pics around the lake area:

And other random pics:

Real World Talk vs Cyber World Talk

Yesterday I had great fun meeting friends and then afterwards some of us continued "chatting" through Facebook. Comparing the real life meet versus the cyber world "chats" (may be in the form of emails, the use of any type of messenger to chat or through Facebook messages) is interesting because time and time again I'm reminded of how "effective" cyber world communication can be compared to real life talk.

In real life when you meet friends, you get distracted by so many things and sometimes when you want to talk about certain things, those things get pushed to the sideline due to many factors. Maybe it's because the other engaging topics dominate the conversation or before you have time to address the things you want to talk about, time has run out. 

I find that when two or more people are focused in their cyber conversation, it's really much more efficient than real life chats when they meet. I guess the same thing applies to blogging, as well. When you have a "conversation" with other bloggers, you can read everything peacefully (provided that you're not in a hurry, that is) before you respond to the blog post (again, provided that you do want to respond to that post). However, in real life talks, esp. in a big group of people, sometimes even before you get to respond, something else comes up that distracts you, so you never get a chance to share your POV. 

I also find that sometimes it's easier to share things through blogs or writings (emails, text chats) compared to face-to-face talk. Maybe the topic is so tender or tough to broach upon or maybe you're worried about the other person's reaction before hearing the WHOLE story (which that person can read in peace without being able to respond in the middle of the story). 

I still prefer "chatting" through emails/blogging compared to chatting in chatrooms or any tipe of messengers. Facebook messaging system is quite handy, too, for those who are active there (it's also handy to send invitations to different events - provided that all the participants log in to Facebook regularly). Chatting in chatrooms (or via some type of messenger) is kinda hard to do when there are so many people involved who are really active because sometimes someone's internet connection may be slower than the rest, so it makes it harder for that person to follow the conversation in real life 'coz of the delay in getting the messages from the other participants. 


I can imagine those who are more people-persons would prefer real life meet much more compared to "chatting" via the internet (emails, chatrooms, messengers, Facebook, blogging, etc.).

I think cyber world talk has its own merits that real world talk is lacking, esp. when you have friends who are really busy juggling family life, career, friends, hobbies, etc. I'm THANKFUL for the cyber world who has allowed me to:

1. Meet the love of my life.

2. Keep in touch with my closest friends who live in different cities/countries.

3. Get to know so many lovely blogger friends.

Btw, yesterday was the first time I grilled on my own 'coz R2 was out of town. Here's a pic of the pork satay I made (they were not done yet):

And here's a pic of the blue sky above me (the temperature was about 18'C with cool wind blowing at around 4 pm):  

We still haven't had really hot days like last year. There was one year when it got as hot as 26'C at the end of May or early June, but this year they say it's the regular Lappish summer (it seems)...but I hope there'll be more warmer days later on. :-D Have a wonderful summer, people!!!

3BT: Random Days

1. Looking at these breathtaking pics of Hang Son Doong cave. Just amazing!!!!

2. Raking the leaves together in the yard while it was rather warm and not raining.

3. Talking about old crushes with my closest friends and laughing so much in the process.



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4. A hare eating right in front of our yard. It hasn't completely changed into its summer fur yet, though I can see some brown spots here and there.

5. Laughing till it was so hard to breathe and my cheeks/jaw became so sore in the process.

6. The temperature at the moment showing close to 20'C and there is some sun despite a cloudy morning.

7. Being verbally appreciated.

8. Restful sleep.



9. Flower buds in our garden. :-D


10. Triple chocolate ice-cream, eaten with fresh strawberries. :-D

11. The first part of my summer holiday is coming SOON and I'm SO excited!!! :-D :-D :-D

One Photo Only

Was going to share some hare pics that came by to our yard a few days ago, but they turned out blurry. :-((( So I just want to share with you this pic I found in Facebook. An acquaintance's name was tagged on the photo, so I could see it via her wall even though I didn't know the photographer himself. I contacted him to ask for permission to publish the pic here and he's graciously given me the permission. THANK YOU!!!!  

I hope you enjoyed the pic as much as I did...and here's the Facebook link to the photographer himself: Jose Hamra. The photo is entitled: Over The Bridge of Kuta Lombok. Click the pic to see a bigger size.

BBQ Time!

Finally today the sun was shining for a few hours, so we went out to try our bigger grill. Last year I bought a small baby grill, but it was tough to use to feed many people. It was good enough for the two of us, but when my Indo friends came over last summer and we had a BBQ party, it took a long time to cook the food ha ha ha ha ha...

While enjoying the food and the sun, I noticed a squirrel high up on a tree nearby. It was rather small, so at first I didn't even notice it, so I ran inside to grab my camera and managed to take a few pictures. However, soon enough it realized that I was taking pics, so it ran away. :-( I miss the brave squirrels in my in-laws' barn when they still lived in Kelujärvi 'coz they dared to be near us without running away he he...Oh well...

Here are some more old squirrel pics/videos taken in Kelujärvi: 

The Squirrel + The Reindeer

Video Clips: Squirrel and Reindeer

Squirrel Video Clips

First pic: the salad, waiting for the sausage to be done he he...

Second pic: The squirrel before it started noticing me and then ran away. Boooohoooo!!!!!

Anyway, it got cloudy after 3 pm but now it seems that it's getting sunny again. :-D I hope this week will be better than last week's rainy and cloudy weather, 'coz I have a busy week full of activities!!! :-D Have a blessed weekend, people!

An 8-Year-Old

Been busy again, so though I have so many things I'd like to write, I haven't had time. Yesterday was the roughest day for me, because on Wednesday I had to work from 13.30 until 22.15 and then yesterday work started at 06.00 until 11.00. It was much shorter than Wed's shift, but on Wed night I had restless sleep and I couldn't fall asleep right away, so I ended up sleeping for only about 4 hours. Felt like a zombie he he...

And then I came back home after doing a little grocery shopping, checked my email, had lunch, and was preparing to take a nap when hubby's cousin's daughter rang the doorbell and asked if she could play here with me until her Dad came back from work. I didn't have the heart to tell her no, because a few months ago she wanted to play here but at that time we were both in my MIL's place, so she couldn't come.

The first time I met this girl was when she was about 2,5 years old. Here's a post I wrote about it: Where Did Who Go?


 
Anyway, the last time she came by to play here was sometime last year and I noticed some differences to then. This time she asked me many more questions and she paid more attention to some details in our house, whereas in the past she didn't pay attention to them. One thing for sure is that I'm now more equipped to handle her on my own, whereas in the beginning it was REALLY hard for me to be alone with her, as she didn't speak English and my Finnish was really limited he he...



There are some things that I found interesting coming out of her mouth, for examples:


- Are there cars in Indonesia? ---> This makes me wonder what kind of place Indonesia she thought Indonesia was ha ha...so I asked her what she had in my mind about Indonesia.
- I think Indonesia must be similar to Japan. ---> So I asked her what she thought existed in Japan.

- Well, I think there are camels in Japan.

- Is Finland a small country? What is the biggest country on earth? Is Indonesia a big country? 

- What kind of food do you eat in Indonesia? 

- Do you have children? ---> She meant if I had had my own children before marrying R2 (she knows we don't have kids).

These kinds of questions never came out of her mouth before. That's why I find it interesting. :-D I laughed when hearing that she thought there were camels in Japan (suddenly an image of a desert with lots of camels appeared in my head when I heard that) hi hi...then she said, "Camel (kameli) sounds similar to your name." Well, yeah, that's very true. :-D 


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And then we talked about school and holiday plans and we played Wii for a while (FYI, she said her fave "subjects" at school were recess, sleep time, and Finnish language he he he he...Anyway, while playing Wii, somebody called her mobile and I could tell that she was confused. I could hear a grown woman's voice talking so much...and I knew it must be a phone saleswoman. The girl kept on saying, "I don't think I'm interested."

When I asked her who had called her after she hung up the phone (it went on for a few minutes!!!), she said she had no idea. She also said she had no idea what the woman was jabbering about because she talked so fast and all she could pick up was "make-up this, make-up that" he he he he he...

Anyway, when she finally left, I was TOTALLY exhausted, so I went to bed right away and I slept for 3 hours (or a little bit over 3 hours). Woke up and still feeling like a zombie, so I decided to just watch movies and relax. Just didn't have the strength to do anything serious he he...

OK, now it's time to blog-hop...It's been rainy (at least no need to water anything in the yard HA HA...) and cloudy over here for the past few days and the temperature never rose above 15'C (actually it was more like 10'C max and during the night it's colder than that), but I'm sure it'll get warmer later on he he he he...

On My Current Job

Yesterday during the last few hours at work, I felt burnt out already. I'm not a people person, you see, and working 6 days in a row meant I had to meet so many people (two or 3 hundred a day depending on how long the shift is, but normally not less than 100 people a day) and it was just getting too much. I could feel my energy seeping out already during the last few hours and I just wanted to get out of there. Boy oh boy...

I love having my me time and being alone and recharging after spending so much time with people, serving people. Sometimes at work I wonder about my role in life - whether I'm really doing something useful by working at the till. I mean, how much can you actually do for other people by working behind a till in a busy supermarket? However, thankfully whenever I doubt my role in life at work, there's always a customer who states that what I'm doing means something to him/her. :-D And through their eyes, I realize how important attitude is. And that the power of a sincere smile is really underrated. 

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I've never really met tough/rude customers (luckily enough) and because most of the people here are older people (pensioners), so they've always been so relaxed and patient with me. :-D


One bad thing about working in a supermarket is that if a coworker suddenly gets sick, it's gonna be chaos all over because unlike other jobs where you can postpone doing things until the next day for example, in a supermarket you need someone else to tackle the job right away in most occasions. Otherwise all hell will break loose because things that need to be done that day must be done that day. And if the sick person is the one that's supposed to be at the till, then someone else MUST fill in the role so that the day's workload will go smoothly.


On the other hand, that "bad thing" is also good in a way that I don't bring home "homework". Of course there are things I need to check every now and then (like special offers so that when a customer asks if we have this and that, I'd know what to answer), but other than that, esp. because I'm the lowest in the career ladder (FYI I don't want to go up the ladder 'coz I know my limits and I'm not interested in going up the ladder anyway), I don't have to really think about anything much when I go back home from work. :-D Once a work shift is over, then that's that. :-D

When I first started working here, I didn't feel it was for me 'coz I'm not a people person and in the beginning language barrier was also an obstacle for me. I felt that I didn't fit in, but as time went by and the more customers validated my role at work, the more I realized that my initial thought was wrong. I don't know what will happen in the future, but for the time being I enjoy working at my current workplace and I like the fact that it's a part-time job 'coz I know my limits. I don't think I can serve the customers well if I work full-time because I did try adding more hours once and I ended up feeling burnt-out and it was getting hard for me to be the best that I can be behind the till. 


One other bad thing about working in a supermarket is being tempted to buy this and that and try this and that HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...I have to really curb myself and think first before buying things that are sold on special offers hi hi...

Busy Like A Bee

The lack of real posts this week is because of the fact that I've been so busy at work. Two coworkers got sick this week and another one has started her summer holiday, so this week I have to work for 6 days straight (the first 3 days were full-time). Today would be my 5th day and after tomorrow, I can relax for a bit 'coz next week shouldn't be that crazy. Phew! 

Just wanna share a video clip again here ha ha...I'm gonna write more later on when I have time. Introducing some Indonesian artists singing "Heart You": Glenn Fredly, Sandhy Sondoro, and Tompi...enjoy it! Make sure you watch until the end of the song!

FYI: I can't find any album videos 'coz I read somewhere that this trio has decided that they would mostly only do live shows 'coz they're fed up with people pirating albums and singers that lip sync in live shows.

 
 Actually here's another fun song to listen to by this trio (Trio Lestari), Malam Biru (Blue Night):