Big-ish Update.

Note to self: Do not leave your blog un-updated to the point where you have to go back and check what you last wrote and upon doing so, you realize that you don't really remember what the next chronological event was and thus have to settle for the things you can remember...

So since my last post, I've:
- practically severed my toe [that is a gross exaggeration... but it was gross...]
- traveled home to Romania [Bucharest and Galati]
- purchased a painting
- wrote out a test for a company I applied for
- celebrated my 22nd birthday
- got a brand new, yellow bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- bought 2 purses... and by the end of today, make that 3 purses
- been working on putting together a summer Finnish language course taught by a friend
- found Spelt bread at the Ideapark shopping center in Lempäälä! [Yes, this made the news because I ate bread for the first time in 2 months and a half yesterday!]

Imminent events include:
- the arrival of Steffy and Andy!!!! [today!]
- the end of my Finnish language course :( [tomorrow!]
- the arrival of my parentals in 2 weeks!!!!


Anyway, let's delve right in to the stories.

So right before leaving to Helsinki on Thursday, April 1st, we were cleaning up the apartment because it had gotten a little out of hand and needed some showing-who's-boss. Simultaneous packing was taking place! I was helping Juha look for his battery charger, which we later found but realized he'd left the researchable batteries at home :(, when I hit my toe against a very pointy edge of a mirror we'd left on the balcony. It hurt like a bitch but I didn't think it was any worse than a normal cut... AT FIRST! I hopped to the bathroom only to lead a trail of blood along the way [ok they were small drops, but still]. So blah blah blah, it bled for 3 days and I kept hitting it against stuff. It's slightly deformed but I'm sure I'll make a speedy recovery. I can wear normal shoes now at least! I wore Birks for like a week after.

So that same night, we left for Helsinki with Wok Wok in the car and smiles on our faces! We awoke early around 5am the next day, caught our plane to Budapest and had a 3 hour layover there. We ate lunch and headed off! Before we knew it, Juha had stepped foot in the motherland for the very first time. Bubu, Crina and Bianca picked us up at the airport with flowers in hand! It was super warm and beautiful outside and we headed to Casa Romaneasca [a traditional Romanian restaurant] to introduce Juha to some good food before driving to Galati. Once in Galati, about 5-6 hours later [lunch time + drive time] we installed ourselves in the apartment below my aunt's place, Relu's apartment, excited to be there! Our time in Galati was very relaxing and my aunt even took us shopping the next day. I got a new pair of Converse shoes, although not the classics, mind you, and a pair of jean shorts. Juha got a new cologne and a belt. Otherwise, we enjoyed coffee on a terrace, listened to Bubu's stories [yes, I was actively translating them all to Juha the entire time] and celebrated Easter. I'll have a separate picture post for Romania after. All in all, I think it was the best time to visit because the weather was great and Juha got to experience an authentic Romanian easter... and we have a lot of traditions: hitting eggs, going to to church at 12am, eating cozonac, eating lamb... okay it's mostly a lot of eating but regardless, all delicious!

Monday morning we took the train back to Bucharest with Bubu de la Galati. Bubu3 picked us up from the train station and took us to Bubu de la Bucuresti's apartment. I kid you not, there were 3 Bubus! But none of their real names are actually Bubu. Point being, Bubu, Ana and their son Dragos [good family friends of ours] took us out on a speedy but really complete tour of Bucharest in about 3 hours. We saw all the beautiful buildings there are, all the massive communist buildings that are not so beautiful and all the buildings that used to be beautiful but have in some way been run down because of communism. Our first stop was Casa Poporului, the world's second largest building after the Pentagon. Bubu has meetings there from time to time and he says it takes about 15 minutes to walk to someone's office!


This isn't my picture but it's my favourite picture of the place so I'll post it here. I got it off Google... my own pictures will follow in a different post.

That night we went out to Caru' cu Bere, Bucharest's best restaurant! It was soooo wonderful... I love food!!! They had musicians and magicians there and the food was... perfections. Sadly, we didn't have too much time to spend in Bucharest so Tuesday morning we went for a walk in the rain in Lacul Tei, just like I used to do with my grandpa when I was little, and then went to the airport.

That's it for the really exciting Romanian-trip related stuff... I'll post pictures today as soon as I upload them onto my computer, and then I need to post pictures of the other, not-so-verbal, exciting stuff!