1. Went aurorachasing two days after the previous post's big aurora, but that time the aurora wasn't as strong, so I couldn't capture the photos too well even though I had my camera and small tripod with me. However, I did manage to see reddish colour and I could see the progression of when the aurora started dancing right above the horizon before it moved further up to above my head. Here's a collage of the not-so-good photos (but at least you can see the crazy shapes the aurora can make).
2. Hubby managed to take a day off, so we went for a weekend trip to Levi and had a relaxing time there.
3. I've booked a massage for preparation to go back to work. Work is going to be super hectic during the first two weeks of the store being re-opened after the renovation, so I feel that I need a fit body for that.
4. I'm planning to send my mom to Finland next year for a visit and this thought is really exciting for me. The only thing we both need to secure first is a permission from our bosses to have the holiday at the same time as my mom's visit he he he...since she can't handle the cold, it has to be in summer.
5. Finding ginger candies at a supermarket in Levi. They're exactly like the ones I like from Indo, so even though they're expensive, I bought two packs of them HA HA HA HA...
P.S. Here's another one of the aurora photos taken with my camera (I don't have any wide lens, so can only capture bits and pieces).
Two nights ago as I was going to turn off my computer and go to sleep, I noticed several aurora notifications from the local meteorologist site (I'm subscribed to get the notifications). When I noticed the high numbers, I realized that the Northern Lights must have been strong ones, so I ran outside and yep, despite the fact that our place was surrounded by street lights here and there (that dampened the colour and brilliance of the dancing lights), I could see their movements very clearly across the sky. I had seen them a few times before, but they were much weaker and then they were gone in a few minutes, so I never tried taking photos of them. So I ran back inside and grabbed my mobile phone as I wouldn't know how long they would last. Unfortunately my camera's battery hadn't been recharged, so I had to be happy with my mobile camera, though I doubted that it would be able to take any decent photos at all.
I tried taking photos using different modes. Fireworks: nope, night mode without tripod: nope, videotaping: nope. Just black, black, black. So I did the only thing I could do: automatic mode with flash. The first few photos were blurry, but I could see some green, so I learnt to hold my mobile more steadily and in between the photo taking session, I had to learn to hold my breath as well. You see, if I had breathed out when I held my mobile upward to the sky, my cold breath would go up and cover the camera LOL!!! If I had breathed in, my hand would shake a little. But I must say it was worth all the holding back of my breath HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...
The Northern Lights kept on dancing around the whole sky for hours, though I only stayed there for about half an hour. Amazing, though I couldn't see the green that clearly (more like very pale green/whitish) due to the many street lights around me. I didn't want to bother going farther away to find a darker place as I didn't want to miss it at all. My neck was sore after coming back as I had to look up the whole time I was out. They say that tonight there will be another strong show and I'm recharging my regular camera at the moment, wishing that it won't be cloudy tonight. We shall see how it goes.
In the meantime, here's a collage I made of the few decent photos I managed to take with my mobile. They aren't good enough to be printed, but at least you can see how they keep moving around and changing shapes. FYI, the ones on the second row are vertical photos.
Here's one vertical photo in its original size (notice the street light below as a guide to let you know just how long the aurora is):
If you want to see other more amazing photos from across Finland, here's the link (click on each photo to see a bigger version): Aurora.
1. Hubby had a game night with his coworkers last night and I had an evening shift, so we couldn't meet, but he left me a lovely Post-It message. Not only that, he remembered to send me a good night SMS in between partying with his coworkers. PLUUUUUSSS when I woke up this morning, I found out that he had bought me a hamburger in the early morning at the kiosk and he left me a note to tell me about it (in case I woke up before he did). My heart just meltsssss he he he...
2. There's a piece of rather sad news about one of my regular customers. I've written a few times about a cute little girl who has taken a liking to me over the course of my working years in my current job. Anyway, the daddy came over the other day and he said that they were moving somewhere else, so he informed me just in case it was the last time we'd meet again.
I was too shocked to comment too much and there were other customers waiting in line already, so we couldn't chit-chat too long, but I'm sure gonna miss them. Mind you, I don't really "know" them. I only know the parents' names and the little girl's name and sometimes I buy her and her little sister some chocolate, but I still felt touched that he made sure to tell me about it. I still hope that they'd come back here every once in a while and that we'd meet again, though (because the grandparents live here). We shall see about that...
3. The grandpa who asked me to translate his book came over today and he bought me some flowers again!!!! BLESS HIIIIIMMMMMM!!!!! (Trying to think of any gift idea to give him on Christmas hmmmm...) :-D :-D :-D Ahhhhh...the perks of having a job like this he he he...
4. I've been enjoying the new tasks given to me at work. Funny thing was that before I knew that I was going to be given the new tasks, I had been feeling rather "stumped" already at work. I didn't want to go up in rank, but I wanted to do something else, as well. And boom...the new position (not a higher rank) with new tasks filled the need very well, even though in the beginning I was VERY nervous about whether or not I was capable enough to fulfill them. THANK YOU, Lord, for knowing my needs even before I knew what to ask!!!
5. The other day I saw aurora borealis again thanks to my friend's message through my FB wall he he he...The temperature was only about 2-5'C. What I saw wasn't nearly as lovely as what you can see in this page: Aurora Borealis, because it was rather cloudy here in Sodankylä at that time plus I didn't wait for hours outside. Plus there were lots of street lamps all around us and they were really bothering me from enjoying the auroras fully. I really wished I had had a button where I could switch off all the neighbouring street lamps for half an hour, you know? HE HE HE HE HE...but anyway, click on the link to enjoy the BRILLIANT photos!!!
ARRGGGHHH!!! So many things to talk about but I can't do it in one post ha ha...anyhow, the romantic getaway Friday was perfect!!! The weather was also perfect (around 0'C though it got to around -6'C during the night). R2 took half an hour off earlier from work (he could do that 'coz he had collected overtime) so we arrived at the cabin area already at around 3.30 pm. The sun was shining though it was cloudy in some parts, too (unlike Saturday where it was cloudy and dark and it snowed during the day). It was really windy, though, but it created a lovely effect on the frozen lake (you can see it in the video clip that I made below).
I had my snow shoes on 'coz I was thinking it'd be tough to walk past the frozen lake with such thick snow beneath me and I was right. R2's legs "sank deeply" in some parts and it was a bit tiring to get back up if that happens again and again 'coz you have to pull your legs up high before you can get out of the hole he he...And I'm glad I had my knee-high boots on so that my jeans stayed dry ha ha ha...
The trouble was that it was SO hard to get water for the sauna from the frozen lake. The lake's water had turned into ice and the ice was already at least 50 cm thick. R2 had a HARD time to drill the hole until he could get water. Here are some pics I took...Note: the huge tracks on the snow were made by my snow shoes. :-D
If you click on the pic to view it bigger, you'll see more clearly how the wind swept away the snow...it was like watching some kind of waves on a frozen lake...incredibly lovely...can't describe it...
Ta daaaa...finally could get some water. We needed at least 3 buckets of water for sauna. :-D
Some other pics I took. I'm gonna upload the rest in another post in order not to make this one too long.
At around 10 pm we were already so sleepy. After sauna we listened to the radio while lying down under the blanket in between talks about different topics. VERY relaxing...we went out to brush our teeth and then I saw Northern Lights above me!!! I was wearing my indoor slippers at that time and in my hurry to move to a different spot to get a better look at the Northern Lights, I slipped and fell down HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...But don't worry, I didn't hurt myself he he...
It was my second Northern Lights experience and again there were no other colours but white. At one point the lights moved about in such a way that they formed a HUGE white dove right above my head. It sent shivers down my spine he he he...A DOVE!!! :-D So lovely!!!
We lazed around on Saturday morning and we only left the place at around midday though I had already woken up at around 9.30 due to "nature call" HA HA HA HA...Would love to go to the cabin again someday mmmmmm...
This one is a real-time Northern Lights video clip. Usually I only find those with pictures of Northern Lights so it's hard to imagine their movements, but this one is really special, so let me share it with you:
Friday was the epitome of many wonderful things wrapped in one whole day. First of all, I got to end my shift earlier 'coz we had some extra help from young students/trainees who are getting to know different work environments, so I didn't have anything much to do. Thus they allowed me to go back home earlier. I mean, why would they want to keep me there and pay me extra for doing nothing, anyway?
The day just got better and better 'coz I then received my paycheck and I noticed online that I had indeed got the amount in my bank account, so I moved some of it right away to our savings account. Then I baked very delicious Mexican pizzas for us (bought the frozen ones from my workplace and they turned out to be the best frozen pizzas I've ever tasted). After that we took a nap together and after that I could catch up with some TV series I had not had time to watch earlier.
Then I got news from my Mom that it seemed that my Dad would definitely be back home again the next day (Saturday morning Indo time), so my heart got more and more relaxed. Then at around midnight, I got an SMS from a friend, telling me that Northern Lights were outside. I ran outside as quickly as possible 'coz I didn't want to miss the show (I had been told that the show wouldn't last too long). Nothing. A few years ago my other friend told me about this, but when I got out, I saw nothing, so Friday was the FIRST time EVER for me to see Northern Lights here (FYI, I've lived here for almost 4 years now).
Anyway, I waited and waited...still nothing...I ran back inside to the second floor to look outside from the bedroom windows, but I saw nothing much except a little light from the horizon, but I couldn't see it clearly 'coz there are so many tall trees around me and also some houses, so I ran back outside and waited.
About a minute or two later, the show started. I was expecting green lights, but they were actually whitish. I wasn't sure at first if what I saw were Northern Lights or clouds, but they couldn't have been clouds 'coz the form kept on changing (not moving the way clouds did, mind you). It was right on top of my head, so my neck got very sore after a while ha ha...The Northern Lights kept on dancing around, moving forms among the stars. There were SO many stars that night in the sky.
One time I saw this HUGE birdlike form that stayed that way for at least 15 seconds before it changed form again...and just as it was changing form, I saw a SHOOTING STAR!!! WOAAAHHH!!! It was just MY DAY!!!
I stayed for a while, admiring the dance of the Northern Lights, but I just couldn't stand like that too long anymore in the cold 'coz I wasn't really properly dressed when I ran out. Suffice it to say that I enjoyed God's work or art again: the starts, the Northern Lights, the shooting star. What more could I expect to end my already beautiful day? Nothing.
Then on Saturday I got an SMS from Mom again, telling me that my Dad has indeed got back home. They went to a nutritionist first to make sure that THE EXPERT told Dad on what NOT to eat and what to eat, 'coz whenever he hears my family try to remind him NOT to eat some things, he'd get angry/upset. BUT he is more obedient if a doctor tells him what NOT to eat. So my Mom felt it was worth it to pay the nutritionist to get an advice (they paid about 20 Euros). So now Dad's recuperating at home and yesterday we spent time with my in-laws and as usual we played cards and I won twice out of 4 games - the last game I won, I got the highest score of all time!!!! :-D :-D :-D :-D
Now here I am, starting a new week with a smile...Sorry I haven't been blog-hopping so much 'coz I've had a busy week at work. I may blog-hop properly only tomorrow 'coz I have a free day tomorrow.
