Dunkkaa Positiivisuutta - Stink Positive!

Tässä positiivisessa henkessä luettavaa viikonlopun iloksi.

http://www.positiivarit.fi/tassa_v__x___kilometrikorvauksia

...ajatukset ohjaavat sanoja ja sanat tekoja. Jos menee väärään suuntaan, vaihdetaan ajatuksia :o)

Loistavaa viikonloppua meille kaikille - Have a fabulastic weekend!!!

Hola Guapas y Feos!

I've been around Europe and a bit outside in 3 other continents. Not enough, if you ask me, but still I've seen some bits and pieces of the world. Again, not enough as I have less than 30 countries ticked off.

One of my favorites in Europe is Spain, that I had again a pleasure of seeing, feeling, tasting, and enjoying. 

I've been there both for business and pleasure and I love it - and have done my best to enjoy it every time.

You also get to see new things when you move around. This is something I didn't expect to see;

It's a bike that moves by pushing the mini skateboard -type pedals down. A bit like you would climb the stairs at a stepper you have at some gyms. Never seen one before...

This is from a toilet of a Spanish restaurant. I don't know why it had not made it's way up to the wall.

I'll share with you some more stuff later on so stay tuned. To check some of the older stuff, you can get to Spanish blog posts from here. Now I'll get ready for a basketball after a nice summer break. I know I'll be exhausted, but that's part of the fun!

Saludos!

Enjoy life! I know I will!!!

PS We've had quite warm in Southern Finland past days, even up to +25 C. Now it seems we go for +16-18 C... At nights the temp is going to be below +0C. For the US guys, that is the freezing point of water...

21 syytä ottaa perisuomalaiset...

Nyt kun monet ovat joko pitäneet lomansa tai lopettelemassa, on hyvä muistuttaa yhdestä perusasiasta:

Känni.

Kuumin sesonki on ohi, mutta jos joku haluaa jatkaa, olkaa tarkkana. Luin juuri kirjan lehtikeisari Urpo Lahtisesta ja voin väittää meistä valtaosan olevan amatöörejä. Hyvä niin!!!

Jos siltä tuntuu, ota mitä haluat ... tai sit vaikka känät!
Minä  en.

Compliments by Hesari. Tuplaklikkaamalla kuvaa, sen pitäisi suurentua.

Hölökynkölökyn - Kippis!

Helsinki - Stadi!

A short(?) while ago I had a chance to visit a penthouse terrace at Helsinki. The weather was not the greatest - I'd rather say it was grayest. Still, I gotta say Helsinki, Stadi, is fabulous.

As we don't normally get a chance to go to this place, I'd recommend to visit the terrace of Hotel Torni, the tower at Kalevankatu. Take the lift up and climb the narrow stairs up. I've written about it also earlier, remember to visit the toilet...

Regards from Andalucia, I'll talk to you about that and other stuff more soon. It's been too much fun to sit in an Internet cafe ;o)

Hasta la proxima, amigos... The Olympics still have some great stuff to come, I am myself waiting for the Sunday basketball final, where I expect to see Espana and USA!

Holy Olympic Business Heat is ON!

The opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games 2012 is on Friday, but the holy Olympic business has been going hot already for months. And now the heat is getting higher. So high, it has made the news all around the world.

The commercial side = Olympic business has become so important, that accomodating the "sponsors'" business objectives, the customers = all of us and particularly the ones who go on-site to London will need to compromize in many ways. While one would expect to have different services and products available for purchase, the "sponsors" have got a strong foothold around the games. These are the few examples that - without further deep-dive - I've heard & seen;

• In the Olympics area you can pay only cash or Visa card, no American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard or so. Only Visa or cash. 
• Only Coca Cola company products available.
• McDonalds health ;o) food sold to millions of kids, teenagers and adults around the world with sports image assosiated with it - just like Coca Cola
• Nothing related to the Olympic games or words like "Winning", "Gold", "Silver", "Bronze", "Medal" or so can be used by non-official companies in London. For example a pub called "THE OLYMPIC" had to use some paint and is called "THE _LYMPIC" during the games.
• To enter the Olympic Park, you must pass through a mall / shopping centre

Yes, I fully understand and support the commercial rules - heck, I have made a living out of them for 20+ years - while I'd like to question the term "sponsor" used about the companies that invest some millions of Euros/Dollars to the Olympic games.

Let me say it again: They INVEST the money, they do not sponsor or donate to support a good cause. The main difference between an investment and sponsoring then???
...Well, an investment is expected to pay you back the money with extras, while sponsoring is a cost that is not expected to pay back the money.

NOTE: If I have violated the Olympic rules, I apologize. This blog is not an investment, it is a cost of time & other secondary things - sponsoring for you guys and me, to keep us entertained. With the true Olympic spirit.

Continuing that thought: Could it be that the USA basketball team has got the athletes closest to the Olympic idealism: They all have no need for any extra money, sponsors, media publicity or so. They are there to win.

With few exceptions like Usain Bolt, Ryan Giggs, Roger Federer, the rest of the participants are there doing their very best to win - and via that also try to get as much media attention to get sponsors interested and cash in to support their sports or future life after sports.

Or am I wrong...?

The Olympic heat is ON!

PS The image borrowed from a blog around the money, sports, media etc

Suomen Turku - Turku of Finland

I was in Turku - Turku of Finland, Suomen Turku!

A looooooong time ago Turku was the capital of Finland. As most of us know, the capital has been in Helsinki since 1812.

This one particular trip - I've made multiple of them - included work and a planned lunch, that was a bit delayed. Since I had spent most of the day in an office, I wanted to have a quick bite outdoors in the sun in as pleasant surroundings as possible. If the food would be good, even better.

I succeeded;

• Car park by the route, free one
• Between the car and terrace in 30 meters, a lady was sunbathing in a bikini
• Terrace was on the dock, main restaurant onboard an old sailing boat
• Food was fried anjovis, muikku, a bit like boquerones in Spain
• Price was surpricingly cheap for Finland, if I recall right it was 6 Euros for quite a big box
• I got a seat in a sun bead

Not bad at all...!

If you are around, it's on the other side of the river - tois puol jokke - next to the föri.

One can not finish off without mocking Turku: here is a Turku version of V12 engine.

Sorry...

...for being silent for a while. Have been too busy, lazy and focusing on other stuff. Like job and family. I promise to be a bit better with writing. It seems I will not need to be busy enjoying the sun as this year the summer in Finland was at the later part of the Midsummer week.

Well, next year again...!

Loistavaa Juhannusta - Have a fabulastic Midsummer - Trevligt Midsommar 2012!!!

Thousands of Finns hit the road yesterday to reach their or friends' summer cabins. I didn't. I came home and I'm happy!

Some people are fine without the modern facilities, but some members of my family are not. That is I would be perfectly fine to spend time in a summer cabin without electricity, running water or indoor water toilet. But as you can imagine from previous, that does not apply to all family members. At least to the ones who have not been or are not like likely to go to the army for the military service.

Yep, the Ladies :o)

Still, I'm happy to have again a bit different Midsummer in the city. This is our 3rd Midsummer after returning back to Finland and all of them have been City ones. It's become a habit to visit down town market place for the fresh season potatoes, fresh carrots, peas and of course a munkkipossu or lihapiirakka - jelly-donut-type-of-goodie / meat pie - at the market place coffee place.

The funny thing in Finland is that there is no genuine threat in security and hence the Mayor of Helsinki, Mr Jussi Pajunen was having his cup of coffee with whatever at the next table. And no security guards needed. The guy with these bath slippers was happy to talk to him and give a pat on the shoulder. Points to Mr Pajunen for being so positive in the situation.

 This is the town hall that in normal days is open to public - and has got the best free toilet in the corners, just in case you are in a need for it.

 The office of Mr Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland, is under construction work for a while now. After the Independence Day party on 6th December it will be closed so that 2013 the party need to be held somewhere else.

 If you are into a zoo trip in Helsinki, take a ferry from the Market Place. The trip including the entrance fee is 16 Euros for an adult and kids up to 17 yrs are half price...

 The Senate Square, Senaatintori, is changing it's for and even the seagulls have taken over the statue in the middle.

 They are building the facilities for the opening ceremony of the European Track & Field Championships that start in Helsinki next week.

Welcome to summer Helsinki, I love it!!!

Loistavaa Juhannusta - 

Fabulastic Midsummer - 

Fantastic Midsommar, 

Hölökynkölökyn!!!

She's Beautiful!

She is not a car, she is something else! I just wish they would make something like this today. Yes we have Nissan Juke, the old version of Ford Ka, Fiat 500, Mini, VW Beatle, Chrysler PT Cruiser etc, but still...

Ladies and Playboys, may I introduce Mrs De Soto.

...so let's not talk about the sexy beast Fiat Punto at the back...

It's Culture Time - Football and Dance...!

The EuroCup 2012 in Football is on in Poland and Ukraine.We have already seen few surprises; Greece that was expected to be the weakest link played 1-1 with Poland, while the BIG BANG was from the red and white Danish dynamite that took 1-0 win against top 3 winner favorite Holland! I didn't see that coming...

Italia's Balotelli failed bad in his premium chance to score, while the substitute for him, Di Natale, scored a great goal against Spain only few minutes after he came in. The joy was short as Silva beautifully served Fabregas. For some reason the coach took Silva to the bend right after...

Great game with 1-1 result, but not as great as my son's game today ;o)

It has been a pleasure to follow him and the team develop in the hands of a great coach and supporting team. Today their good work was awarded with a rise to a higher league. I'm really looking forward to the upcoming games in the tournaments and the league.

Since life is not only sports, one should balance the culture with music and dance. Or what do you say?

...not bad at all.

By the way, who said a country boy is not pretty in pink...?