"fuck the system"

Interesting title? Well... sorry to disappoint you, but I don't have anything special against any specific system. I just saw this cheerful statement across the street and thought it would make a fine title for this pointless post.

 

"last exit to Noljakka"

Meh, I know I just blogged yesterday and I don't have anything special to write about today -- just wanted to write something because it's Leap Day, so next year I won't be able to blog on 29th of February! ;-) 

Take care & see you around,
yours truly -

aftermath

Yay, I'm alive..! o/ Okay, first I had bronchitis, then I had migraine for 2 days, and now I have a cold sore on my lip (L0L). Anyway & overall, now I'm finally feeling like a humanbeing again. Still coughing my lungs out (did you know it's perfectly normal that bronchitis symptoms last up to 2 months?), but I can manage. Hopefully I don't get that sick any time soon again, because it really sucked, a big time. Looking for a silver lining? I'm now officially addicted to The Simpsons, I've watched almost 2 seasons in less than a week! The Simpsons has always been my more or less guilty pleasure, and now I've challenged myself to watch all the episodes - that's more than 20 seasons and 500+ episodes! OMG. Erm, well, time to move on, let's say me having bronchitis is now a closed case.

Yesterday was the first day I really felt better, and Emilia made my day even better by dropping by for a coffee. In case you've forgotten / don't know, Emilia is a friend of mine who used to be my flat mate, and after she moved out, we became friends instead of flat mates. We're both pretty busy in general, so even we live in the same city, we only meet maybe once a month or so, but every time we do - even if it's only for a quick cup of coffee - we have a good time together. She's the only one of my friends who's into photographing, so sometimes we go photographing together - eventhough she's a Canonist and I'm a Nikonist ;-) Anyway, yesterday Emilia came over for a nice little C&G (Coffee & Gossip). Damn it was great to have someone around after laying in bed for a week!

I also spent almost on hour on the phone yesterday, taking care of everything that got postponed because of me being sick last week. In the end I was very pleased with myself, this is everything I took care of yesterday:

• cancelled TOEFL (taking the test now doesn't really make sense, hence my changed plans about the next year)
• informed Itella that I want my mail delivered to Luumäki till the end of August (I won't be much in Joensuu from now on, hence the US and then summer job in Luumäki)
• called the boss of my boss and asked if I can come to work at the cemetery again next summer, and he said YES! :-) I'm so happy about this. I mean, I kind of knew I would get the job back, after working there for so long and all, but still it was great to hear it out aloud, you know. So, now my life is sorted out till the end of October.
• booked a hairdresser for tomorrow (my bangs are so long I can barely see!) 
• booked a cosmetologist for tomorrow (eeeeeep, I'm going to get my bikini line and legs waxed, which is pretty damn scary idea, L0L. Already had a nightmare about it last night xD but I'm sure it'll be worth of pain, I mean, ladies... who's up for shaving all the time while being on the road for month?)
• booked a massage for Thursday - it'll do me so good, I'm pretty damn sore after laying in bed for a week... besides, I think I'm addicted to massages.
• (and I also download like 10 albums - I'm building my very own USA road trip soundtrack)

So, things are looking pretty good right now. Now I only need to buy a sleeping bag and a new swimming suit for the US... Oh yes, and do laundry. Then I'll be ready to go! :-) I hope I'll get to leave for Luumäki by the end of this week, then I'd have a week for chilling out there before leaving for Helsinki and the US. I miss Luumäki so much... I just realized it's been over 3 months since my last visit which was in November after I got back to Finland from the Baltics tour. So I guess it's not a wonder I'm missing all my Luumäki people... On the other hand, now that my summer job is confirmed, I'll spend more than 4 months in South Karelia during the summer, and sooner or later I'll be whining how I'm sick of Luumäki and all its nosey people.

One more thing about yesterday - NORTHERN LIGHTS! We don't get to see much northern lights here in North Karelia (lol too much 'north' in that sentence) but last night the sky was lit up by the most beautiful northern lights I've ever seen. Took some photos too, but they aren't too good -- have you ever tried to photograph something that lingers in the sky, is constantly moving, fading away and reappearing somewhere else? Yeah, not too easy, especially because I was too lazy to use the tripod... Anyway, take my word - it was amazing, one of those rare moments which make think "Damn, this is worth of living up here in North - being able to see something like this from my own balcony."

yours truly -

Botanic Garden of the University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu Campus

So, here's some photos from THE BOTANIC GARDEN :-)

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Joensuu Art Museum

Since Abby left yesterday, and I'm home, sick as a dog with a nasty cold, I decided to collect some photo posts about our recent adventures... This first one is from my hometown's ART MUSEUM :-) I like the local art museum and visit it at least three times a year, so I added some photos from past exhibitions as well.

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HELL

Haha, one of my favorites! I don't remember who painted it, but it's called HOLIDAY.

 

sketches by my favorite artist, Oscar Parviainen

super creepy painting!

by Oscar Parviainen

me & a weird sculpture...

DON'T BLINK. BLINK AND YOU'RE DEAD! ;-)

not 100% sure I was allowed to do that but come on... an empty ballroom and a piano - who could resist?

super creepy painting #2: HEAD

Virginie!

LOL this photo... I thought I was taking a photo of me & Abby, but later noticed the girl in the background was NOT Abby! xD

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stay tuned, next I'm going to do a photo post about the botanic garden (don't you just love being sick enough not to go out, but well enough to stay online all day?)

xxo

Closed Case: 2011

Generally, I have always loved the whole concept of New Year. Every year around Christmas I get anxious, like I couldn't wait to get rid of the old year and start a new one. For me it has always been all about rebirth, a chance to start all over again, a tabula rasa to be filled with new experiences and adventures.

However, this year I feel sad when I realize that this really is the last day of 2011. Tomorrow 2011 will be history, it will be the "last year" and we'll have the whole new 2012 in front of us. Like I said, usually I would find this idea very comforting (even liberating), but 2011 in my life has been so different than any year before, that I'm finding it hard to let it go. If I could decide if I'd like to get a new year, or start 2011 all over again tomorrow, I wouldn't hesitate - I'd live 2011 again, each and every day and hour of it.

2011 was perfect.

I feel I could write a three volume novel about 2011, and still right now I have difficulties finding the right words to describe my year. After studying 16 years (elementary school, high school, boarding school and then university) I finally had a chance to take a year off and do whatever I wanted. Time to get to know myself and find out what I really want to do with my life. Time to travel, read, photograph... time to think. This year has really changed me, and I think right now I'm happier than I've ever been.

Because pictures speak more than words, let me show you some of my favorite memories from 2011...

 

I fell in love with Barcelona, and started studying Spanish.

I met Jeniffer in São Paulo, Brazil.

I took a new tattoo as a souvenier in Brazil.

I saw my favorite band 30 Seconds to Mars in Barcelona, São Paulo, Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius.

I worked at the cemetery for 4 months during the summer, and I still love the job & the team so much! This is a photo of Abby (my boss) and me at our gravedigger's (in the middle) farewell party when he retired.

I spent almost 5 months of the year in South Karelia. I finally had a chance to spend a lot of time with my nephew Shan. He's the coolest kid I know.

While in South Karelia, I also spent a lot of time with my sister Miia. I think we haven't been this close since the early childhood, and I love it. I love her so much (eventhough sometimes she's such a jerk, of course) The time I spend with her this year made me realize how much I've missed her, and I won't let us drift apart again.

The paradox of studying literature is that when you're studying, you don't have time to read. In 2011 I wasn't studying, so I had time to read A LOT, mainly modern American classics.

I bought a new camera, Nikon D3100.

I got the cutest car...

...and fell in love with the idea of a road trip. For starters I drove the car all alone from South Karelia to North Karelia - I think I've never felt more free. I simply love cars & driving.

I spent an awesome weekend in Tallinn, Estonia with my Echelon friends...

...and we took a friggin' limousine to the concert venue when we went to see 30 Seconds to Mars (Tallinn IS the Vegas of Europe, you know that) xD

I went for a holiday in Vienna with Abby, and that's where I really got into my hobby of photographing cemeteries.

I drove aimlessly around North Karelia, visited Koli national park and learnt that I don't always have to travel abroads - Finland is a pretty nice place too, and here's still a lot for me to discover.

...I could add a thousand photos and a gazillion stories, but I think this will give you a picture of my year. It was great, and I will never forget all I've seen & experienced in 2011. I'm thankful for everything I've got. This year has taught me that I really can do whatever I want, and that in the end the only thing that matters, is that I'm happy and in peace with myself. Yes, I'm sad this adventure called 2011 is ending, but I'm also excited to see what happens in 2012. There will be some major changes in my life, but I'm confident it will all work out. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR ❤

yours truly*