Vappu - Wappu - Walborg in Finland, Queens Day in Holland

Long Live the Queen - and as of today, the King of Holland!

Many thanks for the spectacular, or should I say fabulastic, festival in Holland - the Queen's Day on April 30th! I've enjoyed it only once while I can say it is veeeery much worth the visit. I believe even more today as the power in Holland is going to a King after over 100 years of Queen power.

Long Live Wappu, Vappu, Walborg!
Yes, the patio is clear from the snow for vappu bbq or what ever we choose to use it for. Also the standard stuff is ready.

We have about +10C in Helsinki area, rainshowers during the day and right now the sun is with us. Still some snow in the corner of the yard so natural cooler is ready :o)
Bucharest has got over +30C, enjoy it!

For the old stories about the Finnish carneval of the spring, check out the Wappu stories...

Kirkasta Wappua meille kaikille!

The Blue Oyster Club

Most of us - particularly the ones who appreciate a high quality movies with high end culture performances - link the title directly to the Police Academy movies.

I had a little issue yesterday, while it had nothing to do with the movie or blue - but a lot to do with the oysters;

As we are in Finland, you can not get fresh oysters from every store. There is also some good stuff with the social media ad: I found out that Stockmann's has got an oyster master presenting the stuff and Helsinki store has got an oyster + champagne deal in the bar. Well, I had pretty busy day and had no chance to enjoy the bar, hence I took a quick pit stop at Stockmann's at my hoods. For what ever reason at 09:30 on Saturday morning there were 14 people in line to get a service from the 2 sea food pros at the counter.

...the issue;
"As we are in Finland..." means a) we don't have an oyster farm next door and hence b) oyster consumption is not BIG in Finland. My home hoods Stockmann had them only in boxes of 14 and as I am the only one in the family to enjoy them, 14 is slightly too many (even if #14 is THE number - some of you know what I'm talking about...)!

When you need help, who're you gonna call?
Not Ghost Busters, but brother-in-law. I did also call my sister who polightly said thank you but no thank you. If they would have come, I would have bought 2 boxes :o)

Get oysters.

Open them (without cutting yourself (no, I did not)).

Get some bubbles, lemon and tabasco to go and enjoy them all.

ENJOY THE MOMENT (I DID)!!!

Bad weather can...

...also be seen in a positive light. Either that or the radio host at local YLE channel in Finland was high on something else. It requires something abnormal to describe today's weather as "romantic fall rain"...

Long gone the fancy natural cooler the teenagers enjoyed last weekend.

Good side is that the patio will be clear for Wappu!

Farewell dear Drill!

Dear Drill,

You have been a good companion in 4 generations. From 2nd world war veteran to son, from him to son-in-law and finally to son. It was only a day before the unfortunate death that I was happy and proud to use a veteran tool with hard core metal body. The body itself is still in good shape - the killer was a broken cord that caused a short circuit.

Farewell drill, sleep tight!

PS The drill has not yet been set in grave, hence it can be embalmed in a mausoleum if you have a place for it!

PPS Handy-Man Sakke (huom.toim.suom.: Kädetön Zacharias) suspected it was from the time before electricity supply

Change of the seasons

Seasons are changing.

On Friday night came the first rains in several months. The snow cover is now down to about 30cm in Helsinki area. Spring is coming, the coming week even up North in Lapland the temp is expected to stay above 0 C. Let's see if I can get the backyard deck cleared from snow by Wappu, May first carneval. Now there is about 1m of snow that has come down from the roof.

Football season has started and the players and teams can show what they have learnt during the long winter months. Some Finland top league games have been canceled due to pitches being covered with snow. Well, this is Finland so it should not be that much of a surprise if you schedule games for early April. My main interest team started with a win - the team didn't play that well, still getting the well respected 3 points with 2-0 win.

Basketball season is getting close to end and playoffs and finals are being played. Both another of my teams and my main interest team finished with a small disapointment, having still a good season. Question is how could I take a smoother attitude towards the games? With deep knowledge and experience combined with strong sense of justice, living fully in the moment with passion and temper, not shutting up if things keep going the wrong way". The good thing is that in the core of the moments is a BIG sense of caring about the good, right things to happen... If you have no idea what I'm saying - don't worry, some do have an idea.

It is about the time to change also from winter tyres to summer ones. I was hoping I would not need to do it for this car as I was supposed to get a new one already over a month ago. Well, the Belge went on strike as there are plans to close down the factory and I'm one of the ones suffering. Well, It will be quite easy one for me as I don't have job or business on the line - just one car.

Shoe season will also change soon. In some weeks I might be able to take out the leather sole shies and have an option for the subber sole shoes. Niiiiiice!

Same thing with winter jacket - that will change into lighter ones.

If I'd have the time and chance, it would be fantastic to go up to Lapland for skiing! I doubt the slopes nearby Helsinki will stay open for long.

BBQ season started already weeks ago - at least feels like it. That will continue for loooong.

Candle season is also in the middle of change. They are not that fancy for that many hours per day as the daylight sticks around longer in the evenings. Still, candle season lasts 12 months per year.

Have a great season - what ever season it is!

Ihmistyypit Facebookissa

Tää on aiemmin pyörinyt, aika hyvä analyysi Facebookin ihmistyypeistä, joihin ainakin valtaosaan kaikki rehelliset facebook-veijarit pystyvät tunnistamaan jonkun henkilön - "Facebook-kaverin".

IHMISTYYPIT FACEBOOKISSA:

1. Juoksin 10 000 km, nostin salilla penkistä 150kg ja illalla vielä bodycombattia!

2. Lapseni on maailman ihanin ja lutuisin ja nyt se oppi sanomaan ”kakka” ja tässä taas kuvia sen ilmeistä ja kaikkia varmasti kiinnostaa.

3. Vi**u sitä vi**u tätä, elämä on pers**stä ja vihaan kaikkia. Syksyllä tuulee liikaa, lumi on s**tanasta, kesällä liian kuuma ja keväällä nyppii allergiat. Vi**u.

4. Tein illalliseksi sipuliomenabanaani-cremeä ja viini vuodelta miekka ja kivi odottaa jäähtymistään kylmäkaapissa. Ai niin. Aamulla söimme punaherukkavillimarjainkivääriginoagojamarjahedelmävitamiini-smoothiet ennen joogahetkeämme.

5. Elämä on ihanaa! Sä oot ihana! Mä oon ihana! Vaahtokarkit on vaaleanpunaisia ja sydän.


6. Lukee päivittäin kavereiden päivityksiä ja syynää tarkkaan keskustelut kommentoimatta itse juurikaan mihinkään mitään ikinä. Tämä kaveri on kuitenkin eniten perillä siitä, mitä naamakirjassa tapahtuu. Kummallista.

7. FARMVILLE;CITYVILLE;VILLE;VILLE;VILLE.

8. ”Vaihtoi profiilikuvansa”, ”Vaihtoi profiilikuvansa”, ”Vaihtoi profiilikuvansa”…

9. Aina hauskaa sanottavaa -tyyppi (todellisuudessa vain 0,9% kavereista nauraa hänen jutuilleen, vaikka hymy- ja naurunaamoja lisäillään solkenaan)

10. Kertoo avoimesti krapulansa tason, pikkujoulukohelluksistansa ja kenen kanssa tuli baarissa sekoiltua. Facebookin viihdyttävin ihmistyyppi. Näytä lisää!