Greetings from the other side.
I didn't sleep very well last night. First I couldn't sleep at all and found myself getting a bit frustrated about it. I am normally a person who will fall asleep fairly quickly, but last night I just couldn't. Honestly I have no idea why either. Once I had finally managed to fall asleep I was plagued by nightmares. I wish I could remember them, but I can't. I just know that I had them. Unfortunately my girlfriend didn't sleep too well last night either, so we are both a bit out of it today. She probably a bit more than me, unfortunately. Hopefully we will both be sleeping better tonight. Especially since we need to pick up my parents at the ferry terminal when they arrive from Sweden at 11:30 pm local time. My girlfriend isn't much of a night owl, so normally she would be in bed by that time, but I need her to guide me to the ferry as I have only driven there once, or rather from there, as it was when I arrived here in Finland 2½ months ago and we drove from the terminal to where we now live. Since then I have learned to find my way to various places, but I have not had a reason to drive to the ferry yet, so it's at times like this that I get a chance to learn.
In preparation for their arrival we have been shopping for groceries and other things today. It is amazing how much stuff you need to feed 4 people for 4 days, and then also enough stuff to last us after they have gone back home again until we go shopping again at the end of next week. It feels good to have it done though.
I have found a couple of apps for my cell phone now that I can use to help me learn some Finnish words. I am not expecting any miracles though, and I know they will only teach me words. Grammar and actually forming sentences beyond very simple ones like "My name is...." and ""How are you?" is probably beyond the scope and capabilities of these apps. They are better than nothing though, and hopefully over time I will at least be able to learn to understand some of what is said to me. It is an interesting challenge, I think. Especially since Finnish is so different from any other language I have studied in the past. My previous languages being (apart from Swedish, because that is my native tongue), English, German, Icelandic and Japanese. As far as German goes, I understand it pretty well, but it has been years since I had any training in speaking it so my ability to find the words and forming sentences will most likely be very rusty. As for Icelandic and Japanese I only studied that for a short while and haven't really been using them since, so beyond a few words I wouldn't expect much.
See you all on the other side!
Visar inlägg med etikett Language. Visa alla inlägg
Visar inlägg med etikett Language. Visa alla inlägg
onsdag 19 oktober 2016
torsdag 6 oktober 2016
Autumn Reflections & some other bits
Greetings from the other side.
Autumn has really painted this place in a lot of beautiful colours by now. Sadly the leaves don't stay on the trees for very long, but the ones that fall instead cover the ground in a beautifully coloured carpet, that rustles so gently when one walks through it. Autumn feels like a great time for reflection and inner soul-searching. If you are an artistic person I am sure you can find a lot of inspiration in the beautiful natural scenery and colour-palette that the world around you is painted in. For someone like me, who loves writing as well as creative and philosophical thinking, autumn is a time for reflection and philosophy. Granted, I think each season has its charms, and they are all beautiful and wonderful in their own way. My advise to anyone is to go outside, preferably away from the city to a place where you can be in natural surroundings, and just take a deep breath of cold, crisp autumn air. Let the clouds, the sky, and the colours of your surroundings fill your senses. It is a very serene and calming feeling. Just let go of your troubles for a little bit and enjoy the moment. It is very important to take moments. Moments of relaxation and serenity. Moments of introspection and meditation. Take a moment to realize just how beautiful our world really is. Regardless of whether you believe that it is God's creation or not, one thing I think we can all agree upon is that it is a beautiful place and we should all try and take care of it as best we can. It is our home, and currently the only world we have. It is our responsibility to look after it. :)
In other news pertaining more to my life here in Finland:
My knee is still aching. I have pushed through at work this week however, rather than calling in sick. If I did, none of my work would get done. At least if I am there I can do SOME of my work, if only at a slower pace than normally. At least I am not in constant pain, but the knee still feels stiff, sore and swollen. It looks a bit swollen as well. At least I am getting today and tomorrow off plus the weekend due to only working 60%, so that is very useful when I have these issues. I hope my knee will get better before Monday. Otherwise I might have to go and have it checked out.
My girlfriend and I went shopping earlier today and we had some errands to run as well. My knee wasn't too happy, but we got everything done. We are now set for having some of my girlfriend's family and friends over for engagement coffee on Sunday. Too bad none of my family are able to attend, but with the ferry out of the water for a two week period, that wasn't going to happen anyway. My parents will probably come over for a visit towards the end of this month anyway, so we'll get to celebrate with them then. :)
My knee seems to have survived all the walking between shops, etc, but my calf is really tender and tense. I think the poor thing has been taking the brunt of me limping around. So now I will let it rest as much as possible together with the knee. I am noticing that the knee usually feels best when I wake up in the morning, probably because it has been resting all night and not had any strain put on it for a few hours.
One of the things we managed to get for me today was a new phone! Yes. I finally have a finnish phone number. I still need to actually put the SIM card in, etc, but the fact that it is here now feels great. I didn't have much hope considering how things have gone previously when we have tried to get a cell phone for me. Happily we were more lucky this time around. Hopefully this means the end of overly expensive phone bills for my girlfriend when she tries to call or text to me.
I have not been able to go home to Sweden for a visit since I moved here some 2 months ago or so. It's a shame, but it is the way it is. I am feeling quite at home here, and I know I will get to go home soon enough. :) Now that I am not working so much I have more time to take a trip across the water. :)
I am also making slow progress with the finnish language. Due to a busy schedule and other things getting in the way, as well as me not having found a good app or other thing to help me study the language, I have only been able to take small steps so far. Learning a word here and there, and my father-in-law gave me some great tips on finnish pronunciation. I am not setting my sights too high, or aiming for impossible things, but I am hoping I will be able to at least understand it in the future, and make myself understood as well, even if I perhaps won't be able to hold too advanced a conversation. :) We shall see how it goes!
See you all on the other side!
Autumn has really painted this place in a lot of beautiful colours by now. Sadly the leaves don't stay on the trees for very long, but the ones that fall instead cover the ground in a beautifully coloured carpet, that rustles so gently when one walks through it. Autumn feels like a great time for reflection and inner soul-searching. If you are an artistic person I am sure you can find a lot of inspiration in the beautiful natural scenery and colour-palette that the world around you is painted in. For someone like me, who loves writing as well as creative and philosophical thinking, autumn is a time for reflection and philosophy. Granted, I think each season has its charms, and they are all beautiful and wonderful in their own way. My advise to anyone is to go outside, preferably away from the city to a place where you can be in natural surroundings, and just take a deep breath of cold, crisp autumn air. Let the clouds, the sky, and the colours of your surroundings fill your senses. It is a very serene and calming feeling. Just let go of your troubles for a little bit and enjoy the moment. It is very important to take moments. Moments of relaxation and serenity. Moments of introspection and meditation. Take a moment to realize just how beautiful our world really is. Regardless of whether you believe that it is God's creation or not, one thing I think we can all agree upon is that it is a beautiful place and we should all try and take care of it as best we can. It is our home, and currently the only world we have. It is our responsibility to look after it. :)
In other news pertaining more to my life here in Finland:
My knee is still aching. I have pushed through at work this week however, rather than calling in sick. If I did, none of my work would get done. At least if I am there I can do SOME of my work, if only at a slower pace than normally. At least I am not in constant pain, but the knee still feels stiff, sore and swollen. It looks a bit swollen as well. At least I am getting today and tomorrow off plus the weekend due to only working 60%, so that is very useful when I have these issues. I hope my knee will get better before Monday. Otherwise I might have to go and have it checked out.
My girlfriend and I went shopping earlier today and we had some errands to run as well. My knee wasn't too happy, but we got everything done. We are now set for having some of my girlfriend's family and friends over for engagement coffee on Sunday. Too bad none of my family are able to attend, but with the ferry out of the water for a two week period, that wasn't going to happen anyway. My parents will probably come over for a visit towards the end of this month anyway, so we'll get to celebrate with them then. :)
My knee seems to have survived all the walking between shops, etc, but my calf is really tender and tense. I think the poor thing has been taking the brunt of me limping around. So now I will let it rest as much as possible together with the knee. I am noticing that the knee usually feels best when I wake up in the morning, probably because it has been resting all night and not had any strain put on it for a few hours.
One of the things we managed to get for me today was a new phone! Yes. I finally have a finnish phone number. I still need to actually put the SIM card in, etc, but the fact that it is here now feels great. I didn't have much hope considering how things have gone previously when we have tried to get a cell phone for me. Happily we were more lucky this time around. Hopefully this means the end of overly expensive phone bills for my girlfriend when she tries to call or text to me.
I have not been able to go home to Sweden for a visit since I moved here some 2 months ago or so. It's a shame, but it is the way it is. I am feeling quite at home here, and I know I will get to go home soon enough. :) Now that I am not working so much I have more time to take a trip across the water. :)
I am also making slow progress with the finnish language. Due to a busy schedule and other things getting in the way, as well as me not having found a good app or other thing to help me study the language, I have only been able to take small steps so far. Learning a word here and there, and my father-in-law gave me some great tips on finnish pronunciation. I am not setting my sights too high, or aiming for impossible things, but I am hoping I will be able to at least understand it in the future, and make myself understood as well, even if I perhaps won't be able to hold too advanced a conversation. :) We shall see how it goes!
See you all on the other side!
måndag 26 september 2016
An update
Greetings from the other side.
This will probably be a short update, as I am a bit short on time and energy today.
The last few days have been eventful. I proposed to my girlfriend on Friday, and I got a yes! :) YAY! We went out and bought the rings and now we are settling into our new, engaged, life together. It feels wonderful!
Not sure what is wrong with me today, but I am severely lacking in energy, and have been all day. I hope I am not coming down with something now. :-/ Will probably make an extra early night tonight and hope that I feel better tomorrow.
This is my last week working 100% at my current job. Starting next week, and for the coming 6 months, my job is at 60%. I will be able to work extra in other places to make up for it, but it still feels like a bit of a hassle. Oh well. It could be worse. At least we are healthy, happy, and we know we'll survive on the lower income.
I am starting to feel very much at home here in Finland now. :) My biggest hurdle is still learning the finnish language. Considering it belongs to a different language group than Swedish, that I haven't studied any language like it before, and that I am somewhat limited in when I actually have time to study, I have a feeling it is going to be a slow process for me. I'm still going to try though! :)
I think that will be all for now. I'll return with a better post later when I have my energy back.
See you all on the other side!
This will probably be a short update, as I am a bit short on time and energy today.
The last few days have been eventful. I proposed to my girlfriend on Friday, and I got a yes! :) YAY! We went out and bought the rings and now we are settling into our new, engaged, life together. It feels wonderful!
Not sure what is wrong with me today, but I am severely lacking in energy, and have been all day. I hope I am not coming down with something now. :-/ Will probably make an extra early night tonight and hope that I feel better tomorrow.
This is my last week working 100% at my current job. Starting next week, and for the coming 6 months, my job is at 60%. I will be able to work extra in other places to make up for it, but it still feels like a bit of a hassle. Oh well. It could be worse. At least we are healthy, happy, and we know we'll survive on the lower income.
I am starting to feel very much at home here in Finland now. :) My biggest hurdle is still learning the finnish language. Considering it belongs to a different language group than Swedish, that I haven't studied any language like it before, and that I am somewhat limited in when I actually have time to study, I have a feeling it is going to be a slow process for me. I'm still going to try though! :)
I think that will be all for now. I'll return with a better post later when I have my energy back.
See you all on the other side!
måndag 5 september 2016
Creativivity & Everyday Life
Greetings from the other side.
Another work week is under way, starting out with a 9 hr work day. The weather was nice though, and the day went by fairly quickly. Feeling tired still despite having had a very calm weekend. Hopefully I am not coming down with something. Need to stay healthy now that I have just started my new job.
The new blog is working out well so far. Only three blog posts on it as of yet, but there will be plenty more. :) Not really had much issue keeping up with two blogs either. I know I am not able to update every day, but I am trying to update about every 3 days or so at least. Keyword there might be "trying" on occasion, but for the most part I will try to keep that up for both blogs.
I have been working more on the map-making for the world-building project. I have some of the major land-masses outlined, but still need to fill in the details. I am still learning, and I don't really want to fill in the details until I have learned the program better. It is a process, but I am learning a bit every time it feels like. I have also tried working on the writing, and I have been brimming with ideas. :) It's just been a matter of actually getting it all down on paper.
Football (soccer for my north-american blog-readers) season is underway, but sadly I have not been able to watch any games yet as I don't yet have the required TV channels to do so. Will need to get it soon, but honestly with the expenses we've had in the first month of my stay here I would not have been able to justify it. Things should calm down soon though on that front, so it is definitelly up there on the list of things to get. Another thing is a finnish phone so it is not so expensive for my gf to call my swedish phone. A big problem for her has also been that whenever she sends me a text message, her phone seems to send me 3-5 copies of the same text message. An example: Day before yesterday she sent me a short message to let me know she was on her way back home. I got that message 7 times, including one the following day. We'll need to talk to her service provider about that, and if it is not on their side then we'll need to see what can be done about the phone.
On a more positive note, life is moving along quite well over here. :) I am enjoying myself, work is going well, and I am surrounded by wonderful people. I am trying to get around to learning a bit of finnish, but after an 8 or 9 hr work day of hard work, I'm not always in the mood to do some studying when I get back home again. Hopefully I will pick things up as I go along and learn a bit at a time.
See you all on the other side!
Another work week is under way, starting out with a 9 hr work day. The weather was nice though, and the day went by fairly quickly. Feeling tired still despite having had a very calm weekend. Hopefully I am not coming down with something. Need to stay healthy now that I have just started my new job.
The new blog is working out well so far. Only three blog posts on it as of yet, but there will be plenty more. :) Not really had much issue keeping up with two blogs either. I know I am not able to update every day, but I am trying to update about every 3 days or so at least. Keyword there might be "trying" on occasion, but for the most part I will try to keep that up for both blogs.
I have been working more on the map-making for the world-building project. I have some of the major land-masses outlined, but still need to fill in the details. I am still learning, and I don't really want to fill in the details until I have learned the program better. It is a process, but I am learning a bit every time it feels like. I have also tried working on the writing, and I have been brimming with ideas. :) It's just been a matter of actually getting it all down on paper.
Football (soccer for my north-american blog-readers) season is underway, but sadly I have not been able to watch any games yet as I don't yet have the required TV channels to do so. Will need to get it soon, but honestly with the expenses we've had in the first month of my stay here I would not have been able to justify it. Things should calm down soon though on that front, so it is definitelly up there on the list of things to get. Another thing is a finnish phone so it is not so expensive for my gf to call my swedish phone. A big problem for her has also been that whenever she sends me a text message, her phone seems to send me 3-5 copies of the same text message. An example: Day before yesterday she sent me a short message to let me know she was on her way back home. I got that message 7 times, including one the following day. We'll need to talk to her service provider about that, and if it is not on their side then we'll need to see what can be done about the phone.
On a more positive note, life is moving along quite well over here. :) I am enjoying myself, work is going well, and I am surrounded by wonderful people. I am trying to get around to learning a bit of finnish, but after an 8 or 9 hr work day of hard work, I'm not always in the mood to do some studying when I get back home again. Hopefully I will pick things up as I go along and learn a bit at a time.
See you all on the other side!
onsdag 31 augusti 2016
Blog news & bits
Greetings from the other side.
Another busy day has passed and it feels good to be back home again. The weather has been good, though looking out the window I can see that the wind has picked up a bit again. Not too bad yet though. I am silently hoping that it won't get too rough. Tomorrow there might be some rain, so I will probably be doing most of my work indoors if that happens. The kind of job that I do tends to make me walk around a lot, so I have been seriously thinking about getting myself a stepcounter of some sort. Would be interesting to know just how much walking I do in a day. At least for me it would be interesting. :-P
I got recommended a language app called "DuoLingo", as I am thinking about starting to learn at least a bit of finnish. I figure I might as well if I am going to be living here. :) Sadly though, the app in question doesn't feature classes in finnish, so the search will have to go on.
Blog news! I have started up a new blog today, for my blog posts that relate to tabletop roleplaying and tabletop games in general. With all my other ideas for things to write about in this blog it felt like a logical thing to put that stuff in a separate blog. I probably won't be moving any of the stuff I have already written in this blog though. It isn't that much and some of it tends to be mixed in with other stuff. I will try to link to the other blog in the sidebar of this blog, once I have sat down and figured out how to do it. As I have mentioned before this is my first ever blog, so I am still learning all the ins and outs of blogging. Once that is done I will also post a link there to this blog.
I have not yet posted anything in the new blog. I will see if I have the time, or inspiration, to do that today, but hopefully I will have something there this upcoming weekend at the latest. That is what I will be aiming for at least.
I have not yet decided where I am going to be writing about my own world-building, and things that relate to that. A part of me figures it would probably fit best in the new blog. I am sure I will figure it out as I go along.
See you all on the other side!
Another busy day has passed and it feels good to be back home again. The weather has been good, though looking out the window I can see that the wind has picked up a bit again. Not too bad yet though. I am silently hoping that it won't get too rough. Tomorrow there might be some rain, so I will probably be doing most of my work indoors if that happens. The kind of job that I do tends to make me walk around a lot, so I have been seriously thinking about getting myself a stepcounter of some sort. Would be interesting to know just how much walking I do in a day. At least for me it would be interesting. :-P
I got recommended a language app called "DuoLingo", as I am thinking about starting to learn at least a bit of finnish. I figure I might as well if I am going to be living here. :) Sadly though, the app in question doesn't feature classes in finnish, so the search will have to go on.
Blog news! I have started up a new blog today, for my blog posts that relate to tabletop roleplaying and tabletop games in general. With all my other ideas for things to write about in this blog it felt like a logical thing to put that stuff in a separate blog. I probably won't be moving any of the stuff I have already written in this blog though. It isn't that much and some of it tends to be mixed in with other stuff. I will try to link to the other blog in the sidebar of this blog, once I have sat down and figured out how to do it. As I have mentioned before this is my first ever blog, so I am still learning all the ins and outs of blogging. Once that is done I will also post a link there to this blog.
I have not yet posted anything in the new blog. I will see if I have the time, or inspiration, to do that today, but hopefully I will have something there this upcoming weekend at the latest. That is what I will be aiming for at least.
I have not yet decided where I am going to be writing about my own world-building, and things that relate to that. A part of me figures it would probably fit best in the new blog. I am sure I will figure it out as I go along.
See you all on the other side!
måndag 8 augusti 2016
A slice of life on the other side
Greetings from the other side.
This is my second attempt at writing this blog post after the first one mysteriously disappeared somewhere into the ether. I blame my computer, though I am guessing the real answer lies somewhere between that and me still learning how this whole blogging thing works. Oh well, let's try this again! :)
Yesterday I took it upon myself to do some yard work around the house. A lot of that time was spent cutting down and uprooting rowans, which grow in abundance here. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against rowans, but they are so plentiful, especially the saplings, that I kinda need to keep their numbers in check a bit. After a few hours of work I have only gone through about 1/5 of the area I was planning to go through. There is really no rush though, as I have the rest of summer and autumn in which to do it in, so there's no use stressing about it. :)
Stress is one of those things that I take seriously. Having suffered from stress-related issues before, I have learned the importance of trying not to stress too much, especially over things you have little or no control over. I am only human however, so that doesn't always work according to plan, but what is important is that I try to affect the amount of stress when I can at least.
I have found that working outside, in this beautiful part of Finland, being surrounded by natural surroundings, is very calming and peaceful, and gives a sense of serenity in the midst of the, sometimes, hard work. It can sometimes almost be a meditative experience of sorts. Working outside in the sun yesterday for a few hours, really did wonders, and it was such a nice feeling of accomplishment afterwards. Not the kind you get after coming home after a full day's work, but something that comes out of knowing that what I do improves things around the homestead, for my gf and I. That is a very nice feeling. I find that, in general, working outside is preferable to working inside. You feel much closer to the world somehow, and you get to be out in the fresh air. Of course, it is one thing to say that now, in the midst of summer, and quite another one when winter comes. But in general I quite enjoy being outside.
Speaking of being outside, I have found myself realizing just how similar it is here compared to back home in Sweden. The natural scenery looks the same, and it is only really when you look at the prices of things, or see signs in finnish or hear someone speaking finnish that you realize that you have crossed the border. It is ok though. I like finnish, even though I don't speak it. I guess it comes from my love of languages in general. I also really like the dialect of the swedish-speaking population here. To some degree I think it brings out more of my own dialect from back home as well. :)
See you all on the other side!
This is my second attempt at writing this blog post after the first one mysteriously disappeared somewhere into the ether. I blame my computer, though I am guessing the real answer lies somewhere between that and me still learning how this whole blogging thing works. Oh well, let's try this again! :)
Yesterday I took it upon myself to do some yard work around the house. A lot of that time was spent cutting down and uprooting rowans, which grow in abundance here. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against rowans, but they are so plentiful, especially the saplings, that I kinda need to keep their numbers in check a bit. After a few hours of work I have only gone through about 1/5 of the area I was planning to go through. There is really no rush though, as I have the rest of summer and autumn in which to do it in, so there's no use stressing about it. :)
Stress is one of those things that I take seriously. Having suffered from stress-related issues before, I have learned the importance of trying not to stress too much, especially over things you have little or no control over. I am only human however, so that doesn't always work according to plan, but what is important is that I try to affect the amount of stress when I can at least.
I have found that working outside, in this beautiful part of Finland, being surrounded by natural surroundings, is very calming and peaceful, and gives a sense of serenity in the midst of the, sometimes, hard work. It can sometimes almost be a meditative experience of sorts. Working outside in the sun yesterday for a few hours, really did wonders, and it was such a nice feeling of accomplishment afterwards. Not the kind you get after coming home after a full day's work, but something that comes out of knowing that what I do improves things around the homestead, for my gf and I. That is a very nice feeling. I find that, in general, working outside is preferable to working inside. You feel much closer to the world somehow, and you get to be out in the fresh air. Of course, it is one thing to say that now, in the midst of summer, and quite another one when winter comes. But in general I quite enjoy being outside.
Speaking of being outside, I have found myself realizing just how similar it is here compared to back home in Sweden. The natural scenery looks the same, and it is only really when you look at the prices of things, or see signs in finnish or hear someone speaking finnish that you realize that you have crossed the border. It is ok though. I like finnish, even though I don't speak it. I guess it comes from my love of languages in general. I also really like the dialect of the swedish-speaking population here. To some degree I think it brings out more of my own dialect from back home as well. :)
See you all on the other side!
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