How about some Blues for tonight?

I'm in, just like I know so many other Blues fans in Espoo, Finland and around the world! No, I don't believe there are many fans out there who are not Finns but still...

The #1 and #9 of the season go head to head in Finnish ice hockey semi-finals, JYP from Jyväskylä and Blues from Espoo. It will be an extremely tough job but I trust you guys can make it a great one!

C'mon Blues!!!



Horror Story - Part 11

Sorry guys, this is only in Finnish, but if you wish to entertain - or shock yourself with pics, go here.

On se niin kamalaa mitä ne tekevät... Oikein olet yksityiskeikalla strip-laulamassa ja sit vielä kehtaavat flirttailla. Olethan sinä naimisissa ja kaikkea. Ethän sinä kuitenkaan maksullinen nainen ole.

Paitsi että laulat rahasta.
Ja tanssit.
Ja riisuudut siinä samalla.
Ja kerrot kaikkea elämästäsi julkisuuteen.
Sekä poseeraat.
Ja menet naimisiin.

Niin, muun muassa näistä olet sanonut sinulle maksettavan. Mutta eihän sinua voi ostaa, eihän. Tietenkään.

PS Kiitos Punavuoren Prinsessalle tämän ja muiden kamaluuksien vinkkaamisesta :o)

Still in winter + Horror Story Part 10

It is still winter and the horror couple is on their way towards exit strategy...

A week ago we had quite a lot snow in Finland: Helsinki 74 cm, Iisalmi 78 cm and Tornio up North 57 cm. I was expecting it all to melt away but in the past 2 days we have had again 5cm fresh stuff. Surely the old snow has melted during the days but as the nights have been way below 0C, it is not melting fast...

Still, it has been warm enough to play football outdoors. In Kauniainen there is a ski hill right next to the football pitch. And of course it was snowing when the game started.

Also a week ago the day and night on 21 March the day and night were equally long all over the globe. That means the sun moved from southern part of the Earth to the northern part. Hence up here North we are starting the spring and down in south the fall is coming.

For the fellow countrywo-/men living abroad, I recommend http://www.expatrium.fi/ that keeps you on track. Also some of today's info is from their newsletter.

Hyvää myöhäistä kevätpäiväntasausta!

Ja sama suomeksi; 21.3.11 yö ja päivä olivat kaikkialla maapallolla kumpikin lähes samanmittaisia. Tasaus tarkoittaa sitä että aurinko siirtyy eteläiseltä taivaanpallonpuoliskolta pohjoiselle. Kun pohjoisessa aloitellaan kevättä, siirrytään etelässä syksyyn.

Junioreiden verkkolehti Jippo kirjoittaa aiheesta.

A bit of a horror story to finish off for tonight;

The very crazy newly wedded couple has had a bit of a domestic violence. Sick.

As some have been predicting, the beauty princess admits in her dance group blog that without a contract related to the wedding she would have called it off. Yep, the same lady who had claimed earlier that she takes care of it all herself.

Perhaps this real pic from the sea ice - a heart shape track from peeing - is in relation to their wanna-have-love.

Well, perhaps I was foolish to believe in the potential love in this marriage by estimating it to end only before next winter. It seems it is completely over and done with before the snow is gone for this winter. And the fresh 5cm is not the reason for it - we have plenty even without.

Here are few images from this winter. One or two you might have seen - sorry if that happens. Too busy to dig back and check...

Here is my precious toboggan and my main man K who I went sleighing with. K is with a pulkka.

 

N watching towards Tallinn not that far away

Finally a view from Hietaniemi cemetery - quite a nice place to have a rest for the rest of your time. After the trip on the ground.

It's snowing!

We are in late March and it is snowing outside. It has been at daytimes above 0 C which means the snow has been slowly melting in the spring (or winter) sun, but the nights have been cold.

And tonight it will be even colder: -25 C expected in Northern Finland.


The snow is good and all, I still love it a lot, but the tricky thing is the icy roads - or walk ways like in the pic below - when they get a thin snow layer on top. You don't then really know where is slippery and where is not. No wonder the emergency rooms are busy...

 While driving I don't mind it otherwise, but the slid and salt combination makes the car damn dirty. It gets dirty again in 2 km after washing.

Well, I trust the summer will come eventually and I am glad we can enjoy the winter fun until then. The colder the winter, the warmer the summer will be as the average temperature won't change that much from year to year!

To finish off, I am happy to tell you that the Blues made Finnish play-off history by being the first team ever to make it from positions 7-10 (after first playing the so called pitty-play-offs) to the semi-finals.

They will have a huge challenge ahead by trying to kick a strong team of JYP from Jyväskylä.

Good luck guys, you can do it!!!

Thank you for the extra shows - but please finish it now!

Ok Blues, I wish to thank you for letting us enjoy the game even more than it looked like earlier. Now you have let the Ässät to come to 3-2 in game wins so you can finish the series in the next home game. That way you will have some time to rest and prepare for the semifinals.

C'mon guys, shape up and play! Trust yourselves and score!!!

I guess it's jazz night

I can't hear the blues tonight as the Blues is losing 0-4 in 2nd round. Well, as said they have 3-0 lead in wins and need that one last win but it ain't coming tonight.

Click here if you wish to follow the result development online. Unfortunately I again was / am too busy to go to the arena but I trust I still can make it this season. They will play at home at least once, hopefully several times which would mean they make it to the semi-finals.

If you wish to check out the clips from the games, you can check them out from here.

Hyvä Blues!!!

Blues feelings

Gotta say I feel the Blues - only in good as my hockey team Blues from Espoo, Finland leads 3-0 against the Ässät, Aces of Spades from Pori. Tomorrow they can nail it - or as an option get another game to try to send Ässät for summer holiday.

Go Blues - Hyvä Blues!!!

An attitude model for some laim sportsmen/women?

Have you heard about an 18 years old swimmer Tanja Kylliäinen who has got double citizenship, Finland and USA? Neither had I before I spotted the article in Helsingin Sanomat some time ago.

No wonder, she is young and has lived all her life at east coast Baltimore, US. Despite of that, she has already made some Finnish records so the swimming future is looking good for her.

She speaks poorly Finnish but perhaps that is only positive as she has adopted the American attitude. When she was asked about how will she go to the World Championships at Shanghai next summer, she didn't give the laim Finnish reply "I will go there to do my best and let's see where it will take me" but instead states "I am going to perform well when I represent Finland"!

That's the attitude, go girl!!!

Today's points for an attitude goes to Kaisa Mäkäräinen - or Maekaeraeinen as the no-dots-people would write;
She won the Biathlon World Cup, you know the one where they ski and shoot. Apparently Kaisa is the best shooter as she had hit all the skiers in front of her and was able to make it to the finish line first...

The attitude points come from her open statement wanting to party tonight! There is nothing bad in celebrating success, so go for it!!!

PS Blues won yesterday and are leading 2-0 in games at best-of-seven series!

I love this game!

The reason why I love basketball is not because of the stunts in the video, I love the game itself! However, these spice up the fun...

Congratulations to my basketball club Honka for the new arena at Espoo, it will surely give better facilities for the juniors!

And also some late night hours for us seniors...

 PS The Blues made it to the play-offs in Finnish ice hockey league and won the first game! In an hour the game is on again, c'mon Blues!!!

PSS The ones who wish to follow online events, go here. And this is on Sat eve 18:30 Finland time (+2 hrs time zone).

Horror Story - Part 9

This is getting better and better day by day this week;

Monday: Johanna files for divorce, but pulls it back the same day.
Tuesday: Arto files for divorce, but pulls it back the same day.
Thursday: Johanna files for divorce.

However, the latest news on Finnish MTV3 site is from noon today, so I'm not sure if there has been a turn during the afternoon...

And honestly, I hope there has not been and they will leave each others - and us - leave alone as soon as possible.

PS 101 countries have visited the blog, thank you for that!!! Still I must wonder who is it that came from the Isle of Man...

Horror Story - Part 8

Oh boy, now the Finland's national public service broadcasting company has thought it is important enought to talk about our horror story. It is so sad we don't have enough proper news to tell...

http://blogit.yle.fi/elava-arkisto/tuksu-ja-arto-voisiko-tata-kukaan-keksia

Sorry folks, only in Finnish but you can always try translate.google.com

According to Mrs Johanna Tukiainen, the reason for her wanting a formal marriage settlement is that her property at Jollas, Helsinki is "worth a lot more than Arto's reindeers"... Show me a Lappish man who has announced the real amount of reindeers to the tax authorities and I'll show you Elton John's girlfriend!

I say it again: Before the snow comes for next winter, this show is over.

 

PS C'mon Blues, show is on tonight and we expect nothing but a win and a place in the play-offs!!!

 

More of Helsinki Tourism

I was rightfully asked for a link for Helsinki or Finland tourist info pages;

• Here is one for Helsinki
• And a Finland one in here
• For Lapland, click here

Enjoy!

Summer Helsinki from the sea

Midnight sun

Midnight sun in summer Lapland

Ice fishing 10 km from Helsinki city centre

Logistics provider Santa Transport on the road

Rudoph on summer holiday

Country of 1000's of islands - Finland

If you have a chance, make an escape for one of the lakeside saunas!!!

PS Don't forget the sauna trip you should do. And no, we Finns do not share the liberal sauna dressing code as the Germans. That normally means separate saunas for men and women or as an option swimsuits / towels. Unless you are with your family or good friends...

PSS Don't forget to cool down your feet after the sauna

A reminder of older Finnish winter thoughts with pics in an old post over here...

Helsinki Speed Tourism

This one is for the three fantastic lady musketeers that are currently visiting Helsinki. Since you are in the same position as so many others when coming to Helsinki - that is you have only short time to explore the city - here are some tips & tricks how to get a feeling.

ATTN: At the same time I challenge my fellow country wo-/men to help out with your own favorites. On the other hand, this challenge also applies to the regular readers who have visited Helsinki.

It’s best to explore the city centre area by foot. Ask tips also from your hotel, friends or the Tourist Info at Esplanade Park, next to the Market Place (both worth visiting).

Here are for winter time some key tips that I picked from a longer list I have put together;

• Market Place and Old Market Hall at the harbor, end of Esplanadi (this is a must on a summer day). You can also take one of the sightseeing boats from Market Place.
• Temppeliaukio Church – an extraordinary architecture, built in a rock
• Walk around Töölönlahti, Bay of Töölö, next to City Centre. ~1 hour walk via Linnunlaulu (Bird Sing) area with old villas, pass by Finlandia House(concert/conference) and Opera House.
• Easy and cheap city tour ; Take a tram 3B or 3T that rides a circle around the city for ~1 hour. You can also take a sightseeing bus from the centre.
• If possible, go to one of the 2.000.000 saunas in a country of 5.000.000 people, if at all possible a lakeside sauna in a summer cabin recommended!

Shopping

• Market Place and Old market hall at the end of Esplanade Park, or similar ones at Hakaniemi (walking distance or tram). Hakaniemi is more local while particularly in summer time there are quite many tourists around...
• Department stores Stockmann and Sokos as well as Forum and Kamppi malls at Mannerheimintie.
• Shops at Mannerheimintie (up to Kiasma art museum), Aleksanterinkatu and Esplanade Park.
• Smaller shops in the city area south from the end of Mannerheimintie.
• Old Market Halls at Hakaniemi and Hietaniemi (at the end of Lönnrotinkatu) market place have many small handicraft shops. You can walk back to Esplanad Park via Bulevardi street, passing by on the left side e.g. a modest Old Opera House and "Plague" Park, or walk back via Kaivopuisto, the larger park by the sea side (stop by for a coffee at Cafe Ursula or Carousel).
• Female shoe lovers should check out Red Shoe at Fredrikinkatu nearby Kalevankatu corner.

Wining and Dining
It is not cheap to wine and dine in Finland, but you can find several great restaurants around the city. Here are few tips;

• Ravintola Lappi (Lapland), Kalevankatu: Lappish cuisine and atmosphere in the city, 2 blocks from Stockmann’s
• Mexican food in the City: Cantina West, Kasarminkatu 23 (next to Esplanade)http://www.cantinawest.net/ or Santa Fé at Aleksanterinkatu
• Zetor, Mannerheimintie: Finnish dishes, stop by for a beer and sit on a Zetor-tractor, see a moped hanging from the roof... Same designer as in Cantina West
• Kappeli at Esplanade Park: Oldest restaurant still operating in Helsinki. Nice building, environment, terrace at summer… Pop in for a coffee, drink, lunch etc. Not the cheapest but nice!
  
  Hyvää ruokahalua!

If you have an extra day, I recommend to take a ferry over to Tallinn, Estonia. It takes only a few hours one way so you will have time to enjoy the city during the day. I've also earlier written about Tallinn.

For the ones with a bit more time and who wish to get some extreme, go up North to Lapland or get a visa and go to Leningrad --- sorry, St Petersburg in Russia. For Russia, prepare for the worst and wish for the best...

All and all, Helsinki has got a lot to offer, particularly in summer time but you can get a lot also in winter time.

What ever you decide to do, have fun!!!

Horror Story – Part 7

Wedding aftermath;

In the unfortunate TV-program about the wedding of the Tuksu-show, the poor groom was trying to follow the traditional by carrying the bride to the honeymoon suite. Unfortunately it failed a bit as he ran out of power…

In another TV-show the lady said she will not change her name as long as she is in bad relations with her newly wedded husband. This was live one or two days after the wedding and she also said that she had no idea where her husband was.

Good luck to them, but my prediction about the length of the happiness can become real rather sooner than later...!

Can't believe this: A Swede is building up a Hero -character!

Daniel, my main man...!

A man who came from the bushes, was suspected to be a wanna-be, but apparently in one speech turned so many heads around and won the trust of the Swedish people. For the ones who are ignorent, I'm talking about the Prince Daniel from Sweden, husband of the Crown Princess.

At the moment we, the snow countries, have a World Championship battle for the winter sports in Oslo, Norway. Over there the Crown Prince of Norway and his - also from the bushes - wife hosted the future Queen couple of Sweden in the games.

Well, perhaps the love & hate battle that also the Norwegians have against the Swedes, just like we Finns, went too far and Prince D showed his balls to the neighbourg Princess M. Prince D on the right with his finger...

Many thanks to Swedish press for the pic.

Go D, you have a chance to come to a fraction level of the manhood status that your fellow countryman Lucas has got in my eyes. As both of you have been running a gym and come from a "common" family I will give you a chance to be in the Top 50 of my Swedish Heroes -list.

Still, as I said you have a loooong way to reach Lucas!!!

Restaurant tips for Fuengirola and Malaga

Tämä on erityisesti Neidolle, joka on juuri reissannut Euroopan halki Andaluciaan - nauti!!!

If you wish to eat good seafood in a local environment in Fuengirola, here is a jewel for a restaurant. Actually it is not only for seafood since they also serve good tapas and meat portions... Local enviroment, local staff and customers, local food & wine, local prices.

Goooooood - Buon apetito!

Bar Filemon

Especialidad en Pescados y Mariscos

C/ Boquetillo, Fuengirola

Tel 952 461 714

The owner, Antonio, is always there and the service is good. Just like the food. I can claim the boquerones fritos is the best in town, and I have had them in very many places. Same goes with the gambas pil-pil. The house wine crowns the meal and I can tell you the prices are not too expensive either. Or what do you think of these;

The raciones, that is the food portions = plates, cost between 5,50 and 7 Euros and we tend to order multiple that we like and share them. For four hungry people it is often 5 plates and we walk out happy and full. The house white wine is very nice, Spanish Rioja that costs 7 Euros per bottle. Also the red Rioja has been very nice.

I have also earlier written about the goodies;
http://withlovefromtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/food-in-spain-is-fantastic.html

http://withlovefromtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/again-some-spanish-food.html

If you go there, give my regards to Antonio!
And the ones who knew the family member who used to live down there, check out the pics on the wall and you might spot a familiar face.


Another tip for your Malaga day;

Bodega Bar el Pimpi

C/ Granada 62, Malaga

Nice, local bodega with good service. Great for a lunch break or for dinner. I liked particularly the salmorejo, a cold tomatoe garlic soup for a lunch snack.

...ja Suomi-pojat luonnollisesti ihastuvat kuppilan nimeen...

Next movie in plans

Before the King's Speech -movie I wrote about, it had been perhaps a year from the previous time.

Why?
Can't say - perhaps too much other things to do. Or what ever excuse you wanna hear...

We have now and then had movie night at home, but even if we do it properly and have a good movie to watch, you just can't make it even close to the real thing. There are always some interruptions, someone getting more drinks, sweets or going to the toilet. And the focus is not there enough. ...not to talk about the screen size, quality of the picture and the sounds.

The downside in the movies is that I seldom get a seat with a proper leg space (I am still close to 2 meters tall) but there seems to be also a way to guarantee the space;
I can book the seats myself in advance online and - based on this single experience - it showed properly the back row seats that were on top of the stairs.

So, gotta plan a proper movie to book a good seat - or make sure the event at home is arranged so that we have had a loo break and reserved a cooler next to us. No beer though to avoid another visit to the loo.

Let's see when is the next movie time, the King's Speech got 4 Oscars and also other movies we awarded so well that perhaps they are worth seeing.

But now I will have - instead of a moment of culture of mind - a set of culture of body.
Gym time!

Horror Story - Part 6

Congratulations to the newly wedded couple - apparently no problems with the wedding last weekend. Let's see if my previous pessimistic (or realistic) estimation of the length of the happiness will be correct or not.

When I saw a pic of the bride, you can not blaim me for thinking of another clear headed lady very familiar to many of us, or what would you say about this;

To amuse yourself even more, here is some more fun. Watch closely, you might recognize the Santa's babe from about 1 min 15 sec...

Have a great week!