Outlandish

I knew when I moved here that people who come from other countries don't tend to stay much longer than a year. I wasn't planning on staying longer than a year or two either. Nonetheless now that the people who moved here around the same time as I did are starting to move on again I'm feeling a bit moody. Even though, thank goodness for the weather, my moodiness is under control most of the time.  I know that they are hiring new people all the time here but still I doubt that, whoever turns up, I won't have the same connection with them as I have with these people here now. I've encountered some amazing people and made absolutely wonderful friends. On the other hand I wasn't expecting to find such good friends anywhere else after leaving Scotland, but I was wrong. And for once I'm happy to say that :)   There's one thing I've noticed lately all around that I have NEVER seen in Finland and I can't imagine ever seeing there. Here...

My long-time dream has been to go see a classic ballet performance. And what would be a better place for it (after Russia maybe) than the Slovak National Ballet performing Swan Lake. I had proper clothing crisis before going there and I had about an hour after work to figure out my hair and what I could wear. Eventually I had to be very happy for the blazer I found in Zara earlier this year because it makes any outfit look good, with high heels obviously. What I really like about Slovakia is that Slovak people want to look good and they understand the unspoken dress codes in different events. For ballet people dress up. Maybe not in a ball gown but people had definitely put some effort in their outfits: men wearing suits and women cocktail dresses or office chic outfits. I approve! When in London we went to see the Phantom of the Opera I thought that the dress code would be similar to what I saw this Wednesday at the ballet. I can't describe how horrified and disappointed ...

Summer has officially started in Bratislava and it was welcomed with last weekend's theme: Bratislava for All. It means that all museums, public transport and such are free for public and there are street markets and happenings all around the city. Well, it turned out that this promise of everything being free was once again a Slovak white lie. It was more a way of encouraging people to go to places but none of them were actually free. Thank goodness there was no ticket patrol on the tram in the morning because I, as a Finnish person who always thinks that promises can be counted on, traveled without a ticket.   Our plan was to go to a Coffee Fest in a fancy hotel next to Eurovea shopping center but it was sold out. So, we drowned our sorrows into white wine and brie cheese up at the castle garden sunbathing big time. It is insane how happy a person can be for a bottle of wine, cheese and sunshine. I was close to bursting.  After the picnic we wanted to go chec...

My favourite place in Turku (in addition to the river side, but that's only during summer) is the castle.   Couple of reasons: it's a beautiful place surrounded by a lovely park (even though at the moment it isn't so lovely with all the flowers and leaves missing from the trees) and it has an  interesting history . Also it's in the harbour so it goes well together with my obsession with sea. You can see it and smell it from the castle. Turku Catle was founded in the 13th century and it is the oldest medieval building in Finland. It was built as a governing entity in the Eastern part of the Swedish Kingdom. The most interesting resident it ever had, in my opinion, was the Queen Kristina who was raised to be a queen, became one when she became an adult and who gave up the throne when she converted into a Catholic. This year there are exhibitions about her life in the castle and around the museums of Turku. There is also a movie about her coming out this year a...

Summer has arrived in Bratislava. Or at least it did for couple of days. This week we've enjoyed absolutely wonderful weather with Sun every day and temperatures between 20 and 26 degrees. As a person who cannot handle cold and cloudy climate I can honestly say I fit here quite perfectly.  Even though I have totally enjoyed myself when it comes to weather I have also been putting a lot of thought on a simple thing called helping. Something that in Slovakia can almost be taken for granted but which can't be expected from almost anyone in Finland.  I have received help a LOT in my life time especially in my travels. Whether I took the help that I was being offered is a different thing. But even if, while struggling in the tube in London with two huge suitcases I said I can handle it on my own, I've always appreciated the fact that people at least offered to help. In Finland there was never any need for refusing help because nobody ever offered it. There...

Back in Bratislava again. Seemed like I brought the gray clouds with me but thankfully they were gone by Thursday. It was great to be home, especially because the month was very action-packed, but it is also nice to be back in Brati. The trees here are full of flowers and pushing new leaves and there's the smell of fresh grass everywhere.  My last weekend in Finland was the Easter weekend, which provided us with enough time to go to see one of my favourite girls up in Kajaani. It takes between 7-9 hours to drive there so going there for only one day doesn't make so much sense. In addition to spending the weekend with my best friends it was also the perfect distraction for me; I didn't think about the fact that I was leaving again on Tuesday at all. My friend and her husband had bought and renovated a house in Kajaani and now they had a little baby-boy. I thought that going to Kajaani would not leave me with enough time to pack and get ready to go, but the fa...

Parliamentary elections are approaching in Finland and living in Slovakia has made me look at our right for a vote from a new perspective. There is no such thing as democracy. There are good attempts at it, but true democracy is nonexistent on this planet. Still, what we in Finland call democracy is a lifeline that we wouldn't exist without. I live in a country that has the lowest voting percentage in Europe. People in Slovakia simply don't vote. One reason is probably that being able to influence stately matters is still a very new thing. There are still a lot of people (mainly elderly) who think that communism was the best thing that ever happened. Another reason is that in such a corrupt country people have completely lost faith. They don't think that their vote counts at all because it's just that, only one vote. And here's a perfect example for all those Finns back at home who think along the same lines: when there are enough of yous the country ...