Wednesday, March 23, 2005
To all those worrying about the thickness of the ice in the lake, I have one thing to say, "Where is it exactly that you think I live?" Have you seen the pictures I just took? The high for the day will be approximately 33 degrees F. That may be warm in relation to the low - 15 degrees F, but it is not warm. Certainly not warm enough to melt ice that has been freezing for the past 4 months. I give you this little nugget from the Finnish Weather Serive:
"Permanent snow falls on open ground about two weeks after winter begins. The snow cover is deepest around mid-March, with an average of60 to 90 cm of snow in eastern and northern Finland and 20 to 30 cm in southwestern Finland. The lakes freeze over in late November and early December. The ice is thickest in early April, at about 50 to 65 cm. "
We are right now in mid-March and there is about 3 feet of snow piled everywhere and in some places there are dunes that reach way above 10 feet. It's not going anywhere. This is the time of year when people can actually enjoy the snow without losing a toe.
We didn't buy the snowshoes yesterday - they are really, really expensive. I think we are going to borrow them from the school and see if we want to spend the money for next Spring, because they are really, really expensive. Starting at 100 euros. Maybe we will wait and get them in the States, sounds like a plan.
I'm moving along with the State film Commission strategy. I've made my first attempts at communication with the Finnish Tourism Board, which has an enormous budget. Hopefully they can extend a little my way.
K and I will be in Turku this weekend. We leave on Thursday and return on the night-train Tuesday morning. I cannot wait to live somewhere that isn't sooo far away from everyone we know, well everyone we like. We know a lot of people here in J-town, but don't like too many.
I am meeting with Lou today after work. He's an American playing basketball for Kataja. I'm excited about it, the more people I get on board, the more likely this will happen.
Also, I was invited to take the entrance exam at the University of Helsinki this June. I have to get the books that the exam will cover this weekend so I can begin studying as soon as possible. There is a chance I will also gain admittance via the direct channel and not be required to take the exam, but I won't hold my breath. I'll be studying for the exam like a maniac, because 10 days before the exam is given, Karel and Aaron will come to Finland and they don't leave until the 6th of June, the day of the exam. My goal is to be completely ready by the time they arrive, so I will not stress out too much while they are here. It could be good to relax a little bit before the test, but not too much.
"Permanent snow falls on open ground about two weeks after winter begins. The snow cover is deepest around mid-March, with an average of60 to 90 cm of snow in eastern and northern Finland and 20 to 30 cm in southwestern Finland. The lakes freeze over in late November and early December. The ice is thickest in early April, at about 50 to 65 cm. "
We are right now in mid-March and there is about 3 feet of snow piled everywhere and in some places there are dunes that reach way above 10 feet. It's not going anywhere. This is the time of year when people can actually enjoy the snow without losing a toe.
We didn't buy the snowshoes yesterday - they are really, really expensive. I think we are going to borrow them from the school and see if we want to spend the money for next Spring, because they are really, really expensive. Starting at 100 euros. Maybe we will wait and get them in the States, sounds like a plan.
I'm moving along with the State film Commission strategy. I've made my first attempts at communication with the Finnish Tourism Board, which has an enormous budget. Hopefully they can extend a little my way.
K and I will be in Turku this weekend. We leave on Thursday and return on the night-train Tuesday morning. I cannot wait to live somewhere that isn't sooo far away from everyone we know, well everyone we like. We know a lot of people here in J-town, but don't like too many.
I am meeting with Lou today after work. He's an American playing basketball for Kataja. I'm excited about it, the more people I get on board, the more likely this will happen.
Also, I was invited to take the entrance exam at the University of Helsinki this June. I have to get the books that the exam will cover this weekend so I can begin studying as soon as possible. There is a chance I will also gain admittance via the direct channel and not be required to take the exam, but I won't hold my breath. I'll be studying for the exam like a maniac, because 10 days before the exam is given, Karel and Aaron will come to Finland and they don't leave until the 6th of June, the day of the exam. My goal is to be completely ready by the time they arrive, so I will not stress out too much while they are here. It could be good to relax a little bit before the test, but not too much.
// posted by Howard @ 10:47 AM 
