Official summer season has begun. We took the summer furniture from the cellar and placed them to our terrace. Yesterday's weather was amazingly warm. A very good day for a baby visit. Our quest was Milla, a four-month-old beauty.
We learned what it means if a child is shy of strangers and how hungry a little thing like that can be. We know now how you do baby gymnastics and that she likes to hear some old regional folk songs.
And I quess this was her first encounter with a dog...
23/05/2005
20/05/2005
Visiting but not "visitera"
I started my morning with a company visit. It seems to be a big trend now, inviting journalist for breakfast, brunch or lunch to company premises.
How nice it is, depends of the quality and quantity of food and drinks. Rest is propaganda.
You have to be careful with the verb "visit" in some countries. Especially in Sweden, where "visitera" doesn't mean visiting but doing a body search. The wrong use of the word could of course cause some puzzled looks...
How nice it is, depends of the quality and quantity of food and drinks. Rest is propaganda.
You have to be careful with the verb "visit" in some countries. Especially in Sweden, where "visitera" doesn't mean visiting but doing a body search. The wrong use of the word could of course cause some puzzled looks...
New Ibiza
Our trip to Tallinn and Saaremaa, Estonia last weekend went just fine. We met our friends and had nice time together.
Saturday evening we had dinner in restaurant called "Paat" in Viimsi near Tallinn. It's pretty unusual, like a ship turned upside down. I ate butterfish with cooked potatoes. Very good!
Later we went to wine bar, which in Tallinn are real unlike in Helsinki (In Tallinn you can actually buy bottles from there - in Helsinki, no way!).
There was some big growds of young British men walking around the city and making big noise like it was somekind of new Ibiza for them. This was something quite new. We heard that it's been happening ever since Ryanair started flights from London to Tallinn. The Estonians don't really like Finnish "beer" turists. They called us "poro" which means reindeer. However we were told that it might be that they nowadays dislike the British lads even more. In some restaurant windows it was written that "no big growds allowed" - I quess it means no Brits please.
Sunday we left with a bus to Saaremaa island to meet our former Estonian teacher. She had a lovely small villa and beautiful garden in Kuressaare, which is the principal town in Saaremaa island. We visited the local castle, which I would call in Finnish "Linna linna" - a real castle, where you could imagine some knights in armours and ladies in distress.
Well, after some fun comes work and no play. I have had quite much to do this week at work making the supplement about real estate. Producing means doing it all by yourself this time.
Afterwards I ended up searching some web sites and ended up in CB Richard Ellis web page. It's
the world's largest commercial real estate services firm. I noticed that their current CEO Ray(soon to be changed for a younger man called Brett) has a Finnish last name Wirta. It would be nice to find out if he really has some Finnish roots.
Saturday evening we had dinner in restaurant called "Paat" in Viimsi near Tallinn. It's pretty unusual, like a ship turned upside down. I ate butterfish with cooked potatoes. Very good!
Later we went to wine bar, which in Tallinn are real unlike in Helsinki (In Tallinn you can actually buy bottles from there - in Helsinki, no way!).
There was some big growds of young British men walking around the city and making big noise like it was somekind of new Ibiza for them. This was something quite new. We heard that it's been happening ever since Ryanair started flights from London to Tallinn. The Estonians don't really like Finnish "beer" turists. They called us "poro" which means reindeer. However we were told that it might be that they nowadays dislike the British lads even more. In some restaurant windows it was written that "no big growds allowed" - I quess it means no Brits please.
Sunday we left with a bus to Saaremaa island to meet our former Estonian teacher. She had a lovely small villa and beautiful garden in Kuressaare, which is the principal town in Saaremaa island. We visited the local castle, which I would call in Finnish "Linna linna" - a real castle, where you could imagine some knights in armours and ladies in distress.
Well, after some fun comes work and no play. I have had quite much to do this week at work making the supplement about real estate. Producing means doing it all by yourself this time.
Afterwards I ended up searching some web sites and ended up in CB Richard Ellis web page. It's
the world's largest commercial real estate services firm. I noticed that their current CEO Ray(soon to be changed for a younger man called Brett) has a Finnish last name Wirta. It would be nice to find out if he really has some Finnish roots.
16/05/2005
Tallinn and Black Heads
Mustpeade Maja, Tallinn, Eesti
House of the Brotherhood of Black Heads, Tallinn, Estonia
Photo taken 14th May 2005 by RK
10/05/2005
Trip to past - Estonia here we come!
I have an exiting weekend ahead. We are going to Estonia to meet old friends. We lived for a year in Tallinn (1998-1999) and I'm sure travelling there will bring back some good old memories.
You begin to see and sense the city differently when you actually live there, not just visit it as a tourist. You know where to shop, where's the best gym and which taxis are the most loyable and priceworthty. You know where to go and not to go.
I remember I used to watch the local police tv frequently, and I must admit I became a bit paranoid and afraid of potential thiefs and robbers. Nothing ever happened, not even in Kopli area, but I was still very cautious.
This time we are going to spend some time in Tallinn and then we are going to visit Saarenmaa island, where our former Estonian teacher lives. Let's see if I still can speak some Estonian, it's pretty close to Finnish language but has it's difficulties as well.
Before we go, I should buy some kind of gift to our teacher. Buying souvenirs or gifts to someone you haven't seen in many years is truly a difficult task.
You begin to see and sense the city differently when you actually live there, not just visit it as a tourist. You know where to shop, where's the best gym and which taxis are the most loyable and priceworthty. You know where to go and not to go.
I remember I used to watch the local police tv frequently, and I must admit I became a bit paranoid and afraid of potential thiefs and robbers. Nothing ever happened, not even in Kopli area, but I was still very cautious.
This time we are going to spend some time in Tallinn and then we are going to visit Saarenmaa island, where our former Estonian teacher lives. Let's see if I still can speak some Estonian, it's pretty close to Finnish language but has it's difficulties as well.
Before we go, I should buy some kind of gift to our teacher. Buying souvenirs or gifts to someone you haven't seen in many years is truly a difficult task.
06/05/2005
Jekku, today's birthday hero
I have already written quite much about my dog, so I thought I must show him to you. Besides, it's his birthday today.
He was born 6th of May in Hämeenkyrö, Finland.
I remember well the day when we drove to take him home. The car trip was so difficult for him, we had to stop several times. We tried to avoid the highway and the trip, that normally would take us about 3 hours, took 6 long hours.
He hasn't been so fond cars ever since. One could say that he is pretty reluctant.
I just might buy him a nice bone today...
Are rooks evil?
It's quite late and I should be getting to bed. I just finished something I had to do for tomorrow. I could have done it earlier, but you know, when it's boring and for work - well, delaying is what you do. Mañana...
I think I hear some birds singing outside. They have their season of fun and games. I saw fieldfares (räkättirastaita) and some yellowhammers (keltasirkkuja). I live quite near the sea, so we have gulls and mallards as well. I'm not very good with this bird watching thing.
Few days ago I saw some crows. Or actually it was three of them and I quess there were two males competing over a female. Here are few jackdaws (naakkoja) as well, they look a little like crows.
I know a place where there are always a lot of rooks (mustiavariksia). It gives me the creeps. It's somehow like in some Hitchcock movie, rooks seem a bit evil.
I think I hear some birds singing outside. They have their season of fun and games. I saw fieldfares (räkättirastaita) and some yellowhammers (keltasirkkuja). I live quite near the sea, so we have gulls and mallards as well. I'm not very good with this bird watching thing.
Few days ago I saw some crows. Or actually it was three of them and I quess there were two males competing over a female. Here are few jackdaws (naakkoja) as well, they look a little like crows.
I know a place where there are always a lot of rooks (mustiavariksia). It gives me the creeps. It's somehow like in some Hitchcock movie, rooks seem a bit evil.
04/05/2005
Handkerchiefs and a slight cold
I resent working when I'm sick. I feel like I'm placed in the midst of a heavy cloud.
Well, I only have a slight cold, sore throat and that sort of things. Still, it's making me ineffective. And who dares to be ineffective in these days?
I sometimes wonder how things used be in the good old days. Was there a constant rush, did everybody had to-do lists which are almost immense? Or was it quiet and unhurried? Did the chief said that just take your time with this or was it "I want it yesterday".
I'm going to see my mother next weekend. We have a mothers day. I can't decide what to bring her. Maybe she would like a pink or light blue hydrangea (which we in Finland called "Hortensia"). Or then I could buy her a rhododendron. Let's see what I find.
Well, I only have a slight cold, sore throat and that sort of things. Still, it's making me ineffective. And who dares to be ineffective in these days?
I sometimes wonder how things used be in the good old days. Was there a constant rush, did everybody had to-do lists which are almost immense? Or was it quiet and unhurried? Did the chief said that just take your time with this or was it "I want it yesterday".
I'm going to see my mother next weekend. We have a mothers day. I can't decide what to bring her. Maybe she would like a pink or light blue hydrangea (which we in Finland called "Hortensia"). Or then I could buy her a rhododendron. Let's see what I find.
02/05/2005
Brown hare makes the dog cry
This photo was taken last summer on our back yard. You can see the brown hare in front of the rose bush. They somehow went away for the winter. As I understand it, the hares don't really fly to Africa for the winter :-) But, anyway, they were gone.
Well, now the hares are back again. Safe and sound.
The only problem is that the dog goes bezerk when he sees Mr and Mrs Hare. First it's the masculine "wuff" but then starts the wining and crying as if he were saying "I waaaaant to go there, pleeeeease let me go". Obviously he cannot.
Brown hare, last summer
So, the weekend went just fine celebrating Vappu - the 1st of May. It was chilly outside but so incredibly hot in the Himalaya restaurant. On Saturady evening we took a cab from the railway station and said "to Himalaya please". The taxi driver was a bit amused. Evening ended "almost singing" karaoke in the Old Skipper's. On Sunday we went to see what was happening in Ullanlinna hill and had some picnic with friends. It was cold, but we had coffee and hot chocolate.
Well, now the hares are back again. Safe and sound.
The only problem is that the dog goes bezerk when he sees Mr and Mrs Hare. First it's the masculine "wuff" but then starts the wining and crying as if he were saying "I waaaaant to go there, pleeeeease let me go". Obviously he cannot.
Brown hare, last summer
So, the weekend went just fine celebrating Vappu - the 1st of May. It was chilly outside but so incredibly hot in the Himalaya restaurant. On Saturady evening we took a cab from the railway station and said "to Himalaya please". The taxi driver was a bit amused. Evening ended "almost singing" karaoke in the Old Skipper's. On Sunday we went to see what was happening in Ullanlinna hill and had some picnic with friends. It was cold, but we had coffee and hot chocolate.
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