Tuesday, December 06, 2005
A nice update has just occurred to the blogger software that will allow me to post pictures in a much easier fashion. I am very happy about this and will do my best to take new pics. Although not too many more of Joensuu, considering we are leaving in less than 2 weeks. So here's my first contribution. Hard to believe that 30 minutes prior to this picture I had to deal with this...
And I think I should add a couple more now that I'm at it...
It is obvious I need to learn a little more about formatting, but anyway.
It's hard to describe the feeling of the impending move. We've been waiting for this move for so long, the fact that it is just around the corner is just hard to fathom. It still feels so far off in the distance, but the boxes are in the house and this weekend we will go to Helsinki to paint and clean up our new place. Also fumigate the thing. Apparently old flats in Helsinki are infested with these bugs that love wool. Which is just perfect considering Karoliina could open a small boutique with her collection of sweaters. So now all the sweaters are going into ziploc baggies, but the problem with the ziploc baggies here is that they don't zip lock the way they do in the States. They're not even colored - no yellow, no blue and therefore, no green. So anyone who can't think of anything to get us for Hanukkah, you can send the largest zippered plastic baggies you can find. Luckily for me, I have only 6 sweaters that need protection.
So today is Finland's Independence day and no, there are no bbq's or any type of party that I could see (at least not here in the country). The big event is the President's party, where everyone who's anyone is invited, waits in line to shake the president's hand and then her husband and the whole thing is nationally televised and commentators comment on who the person is and what they are wearing. I have a feeling it is the most watched event of the year on television. My goal is to be invited to that party before we leave this country, or at least sometime in the future.
Another thing about the Finnish president, who is up for re-election, she has found a supporter in Conan O'Brien. He is amazed at how popular he is in Finland and also how much he and the president look alike and so he has given her his support, and even done a spoof commercial in Finnish. It's pretty hysterical. And I've found myself becoming more and more of a Finn, especially when watching his show. All I care about is whether or not he is going to mention Finland. It's so much of a big deal when Finland or a Finn is on US TV it makes the front page news. Not the real news, but more like the NY Post or something. One of the biggest film stars in Finland, Peter Franzen was going to be on CSI Miami and it was a huge thing. It was announced weeks in advance. And when the show came on and we were waiting to see who he was, he was the dead guy. Unreal.
