April 20th in a couple of paragraphs.

Okay so here are a few questions...

I'm getting a haircut on Thursday and I want a change... but I haven't had bangs since grade 5 so I'm really doubting that's the kind of change I'd go for... but regardless: it's in my facebook status.

Otherwise, I think I'm craving this change due to recent events over the past few days. Actually, this volcano even affected my mood! I'm pretty envious of those long journeys that most people have up ahead. Don't get me wrong, prices are insane right now as people are struggling to find their ways home BUT it's still an adventure. And these adventures are pretty much priceless... granted, I may not want to venture all alone but that might be part of the fun too. So that's one reason I've been reading papers none-stop. The other reason is that my parents are supposed to be flying into Helsinki from Toronto on Saturday around noon and there's no word yet on what the situation will be like then.

Moving on, I called the company I was waiting to hear from today. The woman I've been speaking with over email informed me that my test was received but she was still waiting to get the results back. And hour and a half after we got off the phone, I got an email. Good news or bad news first? I'll keep you in suspense with good news first. The results of the test were good [and since she bothered, I guess I passed the background check as well] but bad news, there were no more positions available. Still, she saved my CV in their system for a rainy day. I guess I may also have a leg up on the competition considering that fact that I've been interviewed and tested already. I'm basically groomed and ready to be called upon. But yeah, I'm not overly optimistic about getting a call anytime soon.

Later on today, I went to the bookstore in search of an exercise book I was hoping to pick up. I got a text this morning from the bookstore saying it had arrived so I rode my bike down this afternoon to pick it up. I really like this texting system... and I don't have to bother with phone calls, awkward pauses and cues. I'm actually becoming and very reserved person. Anyway, I went to flip through the book and pretty much decided to buy it upon seeing that the friend who suggested it to me also was the one who provided the English translation! I got home hoping to jump right into it but the winds were taken out of my sails a bit. I watched some TV instead.

So... I'm looking for a new project. I've been searching job sites regularly but the biggest one, I had trouble navigating. I should figure that out soon though. I've been thinking about doing some writing over the summer but, as our British friends would say, I just can't be bothered. Or at least that's how I feel right now. I don't mind blogging about my day so much, but writing a book!? Or structuring my work?... I'm obviously being super lazy. It helps a lot when you have things to keep you busy... and when you have things to keep you busy, you're under the illusion that if only you had less things to keep you busy, you'd be better off and doing 100000 more things. Oh but alas, that's not how it works my friend. Luckily I had to jump on the cooking and baking band wagon recently. And although I do feel that my recent discovery of culinary arts has been distracting, I want more! I want a project I can follow from start to finish [har] and that will keep me distracted for days! Maybe I should start going to the library to get things done... it's only a 3 minute bike ride away... I might just do that tomorrow...!

Andy and Steffy update!

The pair have reached Stockholm as planned! The next leg of the journey involves picking up a car and driving it to Copenhagen. I'll post here once I hear word of that.

Meanwhile, I've been reading absolutely every article available on the ash-situation throughout Europe from:
www.globeandmail.com
www.lefigaro.fr
www.bbc.co.uk
www.yle.fi

I have to say, this article caught my eye...
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/ottawas-coolness-angers-stranded-canadians/article1540027/

Come on Canada, you can't be this lame!

Romania Picture Post.

I'll let the images speak for themselves. Thank you to all those who were there for making our little adventure so wonderful!











And now moving on to the greatness that once was... I give you Bucharest...



















And the restaurant where we ate that night, with the 3 Bubus, Ana and Dragos.

Latest News!

Here at the "Tampere crisis center", Andy and Steffy are ready to take off on their Volcanic Journey across Scandinavia. The first leg of the journey includes the train ride from Tampere to Turku, leaving at 4pm today. Tonight, they'll be boating across the Baltic Sea. After a quick view of Stockholm, starting at 6am tomorrow morning, the Python Clan will pick up a car and drive to Copenhagen...

The remaining legs of the journey will have to be decided in real time. There's no telling how this will end...

Jopo from Juha!

The pictures will be slowly trickling in but for now, here's my brand new, shiny, yellow Jopo! Which I'll be riding around town all summer since the airports might stay closed forever...voi, voi.

Stuck in Finland.

This whole ash cloud is causing a lot of excitment and displacement and worry all around. I'm excited about travel plans... but I don't have to go anywhere. Whereas, Andy and Steffy are here visiting and trying to find ways to get from Tampere/Turku/Helsinki to Manchester and Mannheim, respectively.

We've read about poor bastards stuck in Istanbul traveling to Copenhagen and much luckier travelers going from Berlin to Riga (boo).

The first leg of the journey will most likely involve a train ride over to Turku where, if possible, Andy and Steffy will jump on a ferry to Stockholm. They have a car waiting to Stockholm which they can drive to Copenhagen in. The rest remains to be determined, likely as they travel.

I'll be in touch.

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!