Greetings from the other side.
It's been a while, hasn't it? Since my last blog entry, I mean. I have been meaning to write, but things have gotten in the way or the energy just hasn't been there at the time to write something. Then again, it is Christmas time. Hopefully I will get the writing back on track soon again! :)
So, what's been going on since last time? Well...
We went over to visit my parents in Sweden over the weekend a couple of weeks ago. It was good to be back in Sweden again. Strange feeling coming home again after 4 months living in Finland, and a strange feeling going back to Finland again. I've always felt at home here in Finland, so it was a bit like leaving home in order to go home. I can't really describe the feeling any other way, and it wasn't like any other feeling I have felt before.
My fiancee and I also got to visit a couple of friends while we were there. It was good seeing them again. They had recently moved to a new apartment, and it was nice seeing their new place for the first time as well. :) I wish I could have visited more friends while I was there, but sadly there wasn't enough time. I guess there is always next time though! :)
As of December 15th I am done with the 4-month trial-period for my job and I am now a regular employee! :) In practice this doesn't really change anything. The trial period is only there to give the employer and myself a period to try each other out. It feels good that it is over though, as I am quite enjoying my job here. :)
Speaking of my work and the people I work with, we went out for Christmas lunch together last week. We went to a place where my father-in-law used to work. He can even be found on a painting there, together with 3 other chefs who worked there at the time.
Last weekend my fiancee and I, together with her parents, went for an hour-long drive to listen to a Christmas concert with my fiancee's brother's youth choir, which he is heading. It was really nice, with a live band and some really good singers. It was a really beautiful church as well. :) Well worth the long drive to get there.
My knee is finally well enough again that I have been able to roleplay (tabletop roleplaying) with my friends again! :) See, in order for me to do that I need to go upstairs since we usually play late in the evenings and my fiancee needs her sleep. So I can't really sit downstairs and play. But now that my knee is better I have been able to go upstairs and play again. For those who don't know, we play over the internet, using Skype to talk and a program called MapTools for maps, tokens, dice-rolling, etc. Works a treat when we are all scattered across the globe. Anyway, it is really good to be back playing again. I've missed it.
Time for me to head outside now and help bring in the Christmas tree. I hope you all are having a wonderful Advent-time and if I don't write again before Christmas I want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS! :)
See you all on the other side!
Visar inlägg med etikett Christmas Music. Visa alla inlägg
Visar inlägg med etikett Christmas Music. Visa alla inlägg
tisdag 20 december 2016
måndag 28 november 2016
Advent Sunday weekend adventures
Greetings from the other side.
The past weekend was a calm one, and really relaxing. Today though, I am feeling a bit 'off' for some reason. Hopefully I won't come down with anything. A cold is the last thing I need right now.
We've had snowfall in the last few days. It started Saturday evening and on Sunday it was a full-blown snowstorm.
Saturday, my fiancee and I ate warm sandwiches (or is it called toast... my brain isn't fully functioning today, so am a bit uncertain) rice porrige for dinner with her parents. Then we went to spend some time with her friends and celebrate Little Christmas (lilla Jul in Swedish. I wrote a bit about it in a previous blog entry which you can find here). It had started snowing for the drive home though, and the winds had begun to pick up.
On Sunday the snowfall and winds were even worse. At one point we had 26 m/s winds and heavy snowfall. The power went out about half-an-hour before the Advent Sunday service was scheduled to start at church. We managed though. It actually turned out quite nice with no lights and only the lit candles to light up the church. Very atmospheric. There was a children's choir there to sing and an adult one too.
After church we went back to my fiancee's parents place for a bit of lunch. After a while her sister and her husband and youngest son came by as well for a visit to see the two new kittens before we all headed over to celebrate my fiancee's niece's 9th birthday.
There is something special about Advent and Christmas music, I think. For some reason it always feels more atmospheric. Granted, that could partly be because you only really listen to it for about a month every year. Still though, I like it and it is always a special time for me. This year I will be spending Christmas and New Years here in Finland with my fiancee's family. I am looking forward to it and towards seeing how they celebrate. I will however also miss being with my family back home in Sweden, of course. This is the first time that I am not celebrating with them, so it will definitely feel a bit different. They will be in my thoughts though.
See you all on the other side!
The past weekend was a calm one, and really relaxing. Today though, I am feeling a bit 'off' for some reason. Hopefully I won't come down with anything. A cold is the last thing I need right now.
We've had snowfall in the last few days. It started Saturday evening and on Sunday it was a full-blown snowstorm.
Saturday, my fiancee and I ate warm sandwiches (or is it called toast... my brain isn't fully functioning today, so am a bit uncertain) rice porrige for dinner with her parents. Then we went to spend some time with her friends and celebrate Little Christmas (lilla Jul in Swedish. I wrote a bit about it in a previous blog entry which you can find here). It had started snowing for the drive home though, and the winds had begun to pick up.
On Sunday the snowfall and winds were even worse. At one point we had 26 m/s winds and heavy snowfall. The power went out about half-an-hour before the Advent Sunday service was scheduled to start at church. We managed though. It actually turned out quite nice with no lights and only the lit candles to light up the church. Very atmospheric. There was a children's choir there to sing and an adult one too.
After church we went back to my fiancee's parents place for a bit of lunch. After a while her sister and her husband and youngest son came by as well for a visit to see the two new kittens before we all headed over to celebrate my fiancee's niece's 9th birthday.
There is something special about Advent and Christmas music, I think. For some reason it always feels more atmospheric. Granted, that could partly be because you only really listen to it for about a month every year. Still though, I like it and it is always a special time for me. This year I will be spending Christmas and New Years here in Finland with my fiancee's family. I am looking forward to it and towards seeing how they celebrate. I will however also miss being with my family back home in Sweden, of course. This is the first time that I am not celebrating with them, so it will definitely feel a bit different. They will be in my thoughts though.
See you all on the other side!
fredag 25 november 2016
Advent Sunday is a coming
Greetings from the other side.
As Advent Sunday approaches, the Christmas spirit is on the rise in this household. My fiancee has made gingerbread cookies, and Christmas music has slowly started to filter into the ambient atmosphere. Both of us are people who love this time of year. We have even got a bit of snow and frost outside today, which was a pleasant surprise to wake up to this morning. It isn't much, and you can still see blades of grass sticking out through the snow cover, but it is better than nothing. :)
I got calendar from Sweden in the mail today from EFS. For those who don't know, EFS is an independent organisation within the Church of Sweden, which focuses on missionary work, voluntary work, and every-day faith (according to the website. They can say it much better than I can. Though I had to translate it from Swedish, so hopefully my translation is acceptable). I spent two years at an EFS church in Umeå, Carlskyrkan, doing work-training, and even more time as a volunteer. It was a really good time in my life and I have a lot of fond memories. I met so many really good and wonderful people there, including the people I worked with. I am really thankful to all of them for giving me the opportunity to be there, and for receiving me with open arms! :)
I am happy that the calendar has arrived, because we were talking just the other day, my fiancee and I, how we needed one. :) It is now hanging on the wall above my desk at home.
On Sunday, which is Advent Sunday, I am scheduled to work at church at the service. I'm not sure what the job is called in English, but in Swedish we call it "Kyrkvärd". Basically, I make the preparations before the service, I make sure everything is where it needs to be, I handle the sound equipment, and just make sure everything is in order before, during and after. I've done it on a couple of occasions already, but I am still nervous because it is my first Advent Sunday and there is going to be a lot more people there. Wish me luck!
I've had to go back to my moving-boxes and rummage through them to find the Christmas CDs I brought with me from Sweden. I've only found two, but I am pretty sure there should be at least one more in there somewhere. Granted a couple of boxes at the back of everything could contain some CDs, but I didn't feel like bringing everything else out of storage just to get to them. Luckily my fiancee has quite a collection of Christmas music CDs that we can listen to as well.
See you all on the other side!
As Advent Sunday approaches, the Christmas spirit is on the rise in this household. My fiancee has made gingerbread cookies, and Christmas music has slowly started to filter into the ambient atmosphere. Both of us are people who love this time of year. We have even got a bit of snow and frost outside today, which was a pleasant surprise to wake up to this morning. It isn't much, and you can still see blades of grass sticking out through the snow cover, but it is better than nothing. :)
I got calendar from Sweden in the mail today from EFS. For those who don't know, EFS is an independent organisation within the Church of Sweden, which focuses on missionary work, voluntary work, and every-day faith (according to the website. They can say it much better than I can. Though I had to translate it from Swedish, so hopefully my translation is acceptable). I spent two years at an EFS church in Umeå, Carlskyrkan, doing work-training, and even more time as a volunteer. It was a really good time in my life and I have a lot of fond memories. I met so many really good and wonderful people there, including the people I worked with. I am really thankful to all of them for giving me the opportunity to be there, and for receiving me with open arms! :)
I am happy that the calendar has arrived, because we were talking just the other day, my fiancee and I, how we needed one. :) It is now hanging on the wall above my desk at home.
On Sunday, which is Advent Sunday, I am scheduled to work at church at the service. I'm not sure what the job is called in English, but in Swedish we call it "Kyrkvärd". Basically, I make the preparations before the service, I make sure everything is where it needs to be, I handle the sound equipment, and just make sure everything is in order before, during and after. I've done it on a couple of occasions already, but I am still nervous because it is my first Advent Sunday and there is going to be a lot more people there. Wish me luck!
I've had to go back to my moving-boxes and rummage through them to find the Christmas CDs I brought with me from Sweden. I've only found two, but I am pretty sure there should be at least one more in there somewhere. Granted a couple of boxes at the back of everything could contain some CDs, but I didn't feel like bringing everything else out of storage just to get to them. Luckily my fiancee has quite a collection of Christmas music CDs that we can listen to as well.
See you all on the other side!
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)