Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Back from an 8 day trip that felt like a month. I am so tired of living out of suitcases. I think it must add an additional day or two to any trip taken anywhere. Let me think back to when it all began. Just a few days ago really, in Helsinki where we attended a Finns love New York night, complete with even a few real live New Yorkers. It was a pretty boring time to be frank. Whenever conversation died and it died often, we would all resort to talking about how wonderful New York is and how much we all miss it. Which is fine, it is and I do, but when the conversation is forced, and it was, it takes away from the nostalgia of it all. Although one thing that made the whole event worth it (well maybe some of the event worth it) was the real cheesecake that they served and not the Finnish imitation.
The next day I made an early trip out to the airport and found my way to Glasgow, Scotland where I stayed in a hotel, just outside the city for almost the entire time. It rained a lot, they served horrible, really, really horrible food and we never left the hotel. It felt as if we were on a boat for several days. Until, finally we left the hotel to have dinner on a nearby boat.
Accommodations aside I gained a lot from the sessions and listening to other, more experienced people speak to one another. Finally, Markku, Piia and I decided to play hookey and take a wee tour of Glasgow. A Hop-on Hop-off tour that included a wee Scottish man who told the story of the town. I use the word wee here because everyone used wee in Scotland, everyone. "You just take a left in that wee alley and go a wee distance and it'll be a wee door on your left." The town was beautiful in a really old and dirty city kind of way. The stone buildings were gold, brown and mud colored and everything had a bit of moisture attached to it. That's because it rained all the time. So much so that the Scots don't bother carrying umbrellas with them, they just take it. Similar to Finns in that way. You live where you live, get used to it.
Finally after many nights of provided food some of us were able to escape and have a proper dinner. Indian food, that was out of this world and decently priced. Other than that it was haggis and haggis and more haggis, which is like eating a perverted attempt at chopped liver, and sometimes rolled into balls and fried. I think each chef cooks their own version of it and we seemed to have happened upon some of the worst chefs around.
The last day we went on a bus ride to visit Loch Lamond or some other sort of national park. Where we were for 30 minutes, even though it took 90 to get there. All that was there was a crappy view of a lake, a good view cost money, and an enormous shopping mall. Then we were off to Stirling Castle, which was wonderful. But since we spent so much time getting to the mall-park and then onto the castle, we could only stay there for an hour, which was a shame.
Side note, on the way to the castle we passed by herds of dairy cattle. When we arrived at the castle there was an ice-cream truck selling local ice cream. What great advertising, having the tourists see the milk on the way in. It hit the spot, considering we had been driving for hours and had only haggis to eat for lunch.
Finally the trip ended with a traditional Scottish party, where some of the guys were talked into wearing a kilt. I admit I had my reservations, but now I wish I had purchased one. They were really comfortable, with and without the underwear. I chose with, it was a rental after all. The only thing that was not comfortable was the little man-purse that hung down from the belt - see attached picture. With every step or dance it made sure my steps were not that quick or long. Speaking of the dancing, it was easily the most violent dance floor I have ever experienced and filled with sweaty men in skirts. No wonder the dancing is so violent, considering the tour bus was filled with facts of whose head was chopped off where and where was is put afterward.
Eventually we left Scotland and I found my way to Turku. The travel was about 12 hours in the making and Karoliina had one of my favorite meals waiting for me when I arrived. Soon afterwards I was asleep and ready for the next day's event. A wedding in a tiny little Finnish Swedish town, Skaftung. I had been at the bachelor party with the guys and was not looking forward to a repeat. Fortunately the guys behave much differently when their girlfriends and wives are with them. Still though, I snuck out at 2:30 to avoid any late night craziness.
And now, here I am in Joensuu, with only a day left before I make my first trip to Helsinki for school, and I still have to write my column for the Joensuu University newspaper. I guess I should be writing it now, but I believe I mentioned that I am a procrastinator.
The next day I made an early trip out to the airport and found my way to Glasgow, Scotland where I stayed in a hotel, just outside the city for almost the entire time. It rained a lot, they served horrible, really, really horrible food and we never left the hotel. It felt as if we were on a boat for several days. Until, finally we left the hotel to have dinner on a nearby boat.
Accommodations aside I gained a lot from the sessions and listening to other, more experienced people speak to one another. Finally, Markku, Piia and I decided to play hookey and take a wee tour of Glasgow. A Hop-on Hop-off tour that included a wee Scottish man who told the story of the town. I use the word wee here because everyone used wee in Scotland, everyone. "You just take a left in that wee alley and go a wee distance and it'll be a wee door on your left." The town was beautiful in a really old and dirty city kind of way. The stone buildings were gold, brown and mud colored and everything had a bit of moisture attached to it. That's because it rained all the time. So much so that the Scots don't bother carrying umbrellas with them, they just take it. Similar to Finns in that way. You live where you live, get used to it.
Finally after many nights of provided food some of us were able to escape and have a proper dinner. Indian food, that was out of this world and decently priced. Other than that it was haggis and haggis and more haggis, which is like eating a perverted attempt at chopped liver, and sometimes rolled into balls and fried. I think each chef cooks their own version of it and we seemed to have happened upon some of the worst chefs around.
The last day we went on a bus ride to visit Loch Lamond or some other sort of national park. Where we were for 30 minutes, even though it took 90 to get there. All that was there was a crappy view of a lake, a good view cost money, and an enormous shopping mall. Then we were off to Stirling Castle, which was wonderful. But since we spent so much time getting to the mall-park and then onto the castle, we could only stay there for an hour, which was a shame.
Side note, on the way to the castle we passed by herds of dairy cattle. When we arrived at the castle there was an ice-cream truck selling local ice cream. What great advertising, having the tourists see the milk on the way in. It hit the spot, considering we had been driving for hours and had only haggis to eat for lunch.
Finally the trip ended with a traditional Scottish party, where some of the guys were talked into wearing a kilt. I admit I had my reservations, but now I wish I had purchased one. They were really comfortable, with and without the underwear. I chose with, it was a rental after all. The only thing that was not comfortable was the little man-purse that hung down from the belt - see attached picture. With every step or dance it made sure my steps were not that quick or long. Speaking of the dancing, it was easily the most violent dance floor I have ever experienced and filled with sweaty men in skirts. No wonder the dancing is so violent, considering the tour bus was filled with facts of whose head was chopped off where and where was is put afterward.
Eventually we left Scotland and I found my way to Turku. The travel was about 12 hours in the making and Karoliina had one of my favorite meals waiting for me when I arrived. Soon afterwards I was asleep and ready for the next day's event. A wedding in a tiny little Finnish Swedish town, Skaftung. I had been at the bachelor party with the guys and was not looking forward to a repeat. Fortunately the guys behave much differently when their girlfriends and wives are with them. Still though, I snuck out at 2:30 to avoid any late night craziness.
And now, here I am in Joensuu, with only a day left before I make my first trip to Helsinki for school, and I still have to write my column for the Joensuu University newspaper. I guess I should be writing it now, but I believe I mentioned that I am a procrastinator.
// posted by Howard @ 12:18 PM 
