And now some pictures from the start of our vacation in Copenhagen...*sigh*
(as usual, listed from top to bottom)
1. Rick and I posing in Nyhavn (the Old Harbor).
2. Hans Christian Anderson takes us on a walking tour of the Old City of Copenhagen. The building behind him is part of the old prison and judiciary complex. Back in the day, people who were convicted of a crime were walked over the archway from the courtroom to the prison.
3. Rick posing with the free bike we fixed.
4. Amalienborg Palace square with a view of a cathedral in the background. The royal family of Denmark spends most of the year at Amalienborg.
5. Rick takes a moment to pose with Hans.
6. The royal guard at Amalienborg Palace. Like their counterparts at Buckingham Palace, these guys don't talk.

Sorry its taken so long (again) for me to update my blog. I am almost a month behind now, and these past weeks were filled to the brim. I am going to hit the high points so if you want more details, you will have to get them from me in person. So here goes (again)!

Sunday morning dawned in Jyvaskyla and I was finally (yay!) on my way to meet Rick. After some complications, I finally reached Helsinki and had enough time to hang out more time in this beautiful city. And it was an absolutely gorgrous day. The highlight was watching a woman, her poddle and two cats preforming a street show. Before I knew I had to to get on the bus to the airport. I was a bit anxious about getting to my flight on time but check in and security were a breeze. I did a little tax free shopping and then got on the plane to Copenhagen.

I arrived in Copenhagen Airport about 20 minutes before Rick's flight from London was due to arrive. I had some difficulty figuring out where he was going to be and the terminal was incredibly crowded. After some deduction, I finally figured out. I got to Rick's gate just as the plane was pulling in. I cannot even tell you how happy I was to see him! We finally made to the baggage claim area and have to ask four different people where I could find my luggage. We were both wiped and decided to take a taxi to the hostel. Once there, we settled in and began discussing what to do for dinner. We eventually asked the receptionist at our hostel and she recommended a chinese restaurant in the main part of town. The food was good but I think it helped that we were both starving. We were so exhausted that we were dead asleep before 9.30pm.

The next morning we were up and walking into town about 10am. After a visit to the Useit office (a young person's tourist office), we took the Rick Steve's sef guided walking tour of the old city of Copenhagen. Copenhagen is such a beautiful city. The central vein of the Old Town is the Stroget, which is the largest (and oldest I think) pedestrianized street in the world. In our five days there, we walked down this street at least two dozen times. The cobble stoned streets that run off this main thourghfare are really charming, with houses painted in bright pastels and people lunching in cute cafes. In the following days, we got to know the Old Town very well. We took several walking tours (led by an American man who dressed up as Hans Christan Anderson). Needless to say we did a lot of walking!

Did I mention the bikes? There are a ton of people who own bikes instead of cars. And no wonder! The Danish government charges 180% tax on all new cars. So essentially, when you are paying for the car three times. And the gas is incredibly expensive. We think we have it bad at $3/gallon. Yicks... Anyways!! There are bikes everywhere in Copenhagen. The tourist board has even developed a rather successful free bike program for visitors. There are 200 free bikes scattered around the main city which you can take by depositing a 20 kroner piece in a coin holder. This releases the chain keeping the bike from just being obscounded with and away you go! When you are done using the bike, you just find a designated free bike rack, connect the chain to the bike, and out comes your 20 kroner piece. Its fabulous. Except that there never seemed to be a functional bike anywhere Rick and I were. It was really hilarous because we would see all these OTHER people riding around on these bikes. Finally, after about three days we come upon one bike that is in complete working order. We walk past, lamenting the fact that there were not two that we could use. And then we found another one!! Its chain had come off however, but with another functional bike so close, we decided it was time to get our hands a little dirty. Ten minutes later we had another functional bike:) After washing the grease off our fingers, we went to get the bikes. I went to the bike we had seen earlier, hoping that it was still there. Indeed it was, however we had not noticed that someone had tried to jimmy the coin mechanism and now there was a melted and twisted coin that would not come out! Rick, meanwhile was riding toward me triumphantly on his now functional bike. We both thought it was hilarious that after all the work we did on the one bike, the other was found completely useless. We each took turns on the repaired bike and then locked it back up next to the defunct one. We didn't find two bikes that both worked until the last night of our stay in Copenhagen. We rode them around for an hour or so and then went home!

to be continued...

Two weeks later, and some 9000 miles travelled, my journey is over. Since my last post, I have gone from Jyvaskyla to Copenhagen to London to Ireland and finally back to NYC. I am exhausted but so glad to be home and among all my friends and family. Alas, there is much to tell and I know all of you are eager to hear all about it. Because there is so much, I am going to break it up into several posts. So let me begin with my last few days in Finland....

My last week at Suvimaki went much too fast. On Tuesday, I went with some friends from the clubhouse on a lake tour. We couldnt have picked a better day. Hopefully you all will be able to tell from my pictures just how beautiful the scenery was. The boat that tooks us around is 100 years old, though you wouldnt know it to look at it. I spent much of the three hour tour (ha) sitting on the back deck and watching the world go by. I dreamed about someday owning a house by the lake and sailing everyday in the summer. I love boats!

On Wednesday afternoon I sat in on my last English Only table. We talked about American cculture and what I had liked best about Finland (the scenery, the people, and SAUNA!). We had no trouble filling the hour, which is a testment of how comfortable everyone had become speaking conversational English. Practice makes perfect! Well done guys:)

On Thursday, I went out with a bunch of folks to the Harbour Festival, where we listened to the worst cover band ever (no really). Despite the atrocious band, I had a lot of fun. I was bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning though for my last day at the clubhouse. The morning was spent working and people were suspiciously absent from my presence. By lunchtime, it was clear something was going on that I hadn't been told about. In fact, the folks at the clubhouse had organized a going away party for me! Very nice things were said all around and it was probably the first time in my life that I really enjoyed being complimented and the center of attention. Shocking I know! I would like to take this opportunity to say hello to my friends at Suvimaki. Thank you so much for welcoming me like you did. I can't wait to hear from you all! Expect a note from me soon.

On Saturday, I went sailing with a few folks. It was another beautiful day. We took the boat out from the harbour and headed for an island in the middle of the lake. We would have gone farther but there was not enough wind and the engine seemed to be having some problems. But we managed to make the best of it still. The island we came to is one of many in this particular lake, and the type not uncommon in Finland. On the island are bathroom facilities, as well as a sauna, a reception hall, and a cookout pit-where we spent most of our time roasting sausages and drinking cider. The best thing about this island is that it is for public use and therefore FREE. I don't know if there are places like this in the States but if there aren't, there should be! It was absolutely wonderful.

I spent the rest of the day cleaning my apartment and packing. I went to sleep in my bed in Jyvaskyla for the last time. Although, to be truthful, there wasn't much sleeping going on as the sun did not really go down that night. Yeah...not really going to miss that!

Now here are some pictures:)

*to be continued*

Part Duex....(these pictures are older)








1. I am working in the kitchen! (everybody run!!)
2-4. Various views of the lovely SUVIMÄEN KLUBITALO (Suvimaki).
5. The typical Finnish dancehall.
6. The lake by the dancehall at "twilight."
7. People dancing in FINLAND! (notice how I am not in these pictures. Some humiliations are not for mass consumption yall)
8. This picture was taken at 11:30pm. 'Nuff said...

I was looking at all the pictures I have taken since I came to Finland and realized that I have not posted any on this blog in a couple of weeks. So here is a whole slew of them...










1. The Harju in bloom.
2. The center of Jyväskylä town from the viewing tower on top of the Harju.
3. Purrdeee clouds.
4. Some chick sitting in the sun on the Harju.
5. This picture was taken just hours before I would discover that the water was actually colder then it looked.
6. The beautiful setting for the jazz concert.
7. Anyone else think its funny that I am wearing a Amsterdam shirt when I am in Finland?
8. Boats going through the locke between two of Finland's largest lakes.
9. A sign in Finnish!! (rough translation: Fishing is forbidden beyond this point). Now try pronouncing it...
10. A lakeside beach (I don't even want to think about how cold that water must be).

This weekend was more social than usual. When I got back to my apartment on Friday afternoon, the sun was shining and I was eager to get outside. When I walked in the door, my cell phone started ringing. It was a friend of Kati’s who I had met before Kati had left for NYC. We made plans to meet later in the evening at a bar in the city center. Her boyfriend (was here in Finland visiting) is American and she speaks English fluently. We had a fabulous time…but sadly, that night had an ill affect on me all the rest of the weekend and into Monday. I feel so old! Saturday morning and afternoon was spent recuperating from the previous evening and gearing up for going out again that evening. I was going dancing!! As I wrote in my last post, I was going to a Finnish style dancehall with some folks from Suvimaki. The place we went to dance was typical of a traditional Finnish dancehall in that it was out in the country among plenty of birch and fir trees and situated next to a beautiful lake. There was even a dock for people with boats who wanted to come and dance in the evening. It had been raining off and on all day, but by the time we arrived at the hall, it had cleared up considerably. It turned out to be a beautiful night.

The live band was playing many traditional Finnish songs which sounded very Russian in tempo and style. As is the problem with many dancing establishments in the United States, there were too many women and not enough men to have as partners! What made it more difficult was the tradition that only men could ask women to dance. Women asking men to dance was generally frowned upon, unless directed by the band to do so. However, despite these obstacles, I was able to dance a few! I danced a humpa (Finnish polka) which was really fun, though I wasn’t very good at it. I also danced a tango, which I have never danced with any seriousness before. Most of the evening was spent watching the other couples dance. Most of the folks at this dancehall looked like they could have been professional ballroom dancers. It was really fun to watch. Around midnight, we all piled into a cab and headed back to Jyväskylä. I was finally asleep at about 2am.

Sunday dawned and it turned out to be a gorgeous day. I spent it reading (I finished rereading The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe and started The Mother Tongue, an unfunny but very interesting history of the English language by the usually hysterical Bill Bryson) and walking through the harju (meaning hill park in English) across the street from my apartment. At the top of the harju is an observation tower from which (on a clear day) you can see all of Jyväskylä and its surrounding lakes and countryside. The view was worth every step to the top, and there were may.

I can honestly (and a little reluctantly as well) say that my father was right. Digital is the way to go! I am completely addicted to my digital camera and have gotten used to taking all the pictures I want instead of just some. I have taken almost 1,000 pictures since arriving in Finland. You all have seen some of these and given me positive feedback. This has really encouraged me to continue developing my photography skills-something which I didn’t think I had the time or money to do. I hope to keep using this blog once I get back to the States to share with people my experiences living and working in the city. Certainly my pictures would play a big roll in this.

What do you all think? Would you keep tuning in when I am just writing about my dull, drab life in NYC? (Of course I am only kidding. My life isn’t dull…just drab!)

Hope you all are doing very well. Before long I will be back on American soil :(/:) But first, there is my last week in Jyväskylä and then 2 weeks traveling with some dude named Rick;) Love you and miss you all!

Until next time!


P.S. A word (or two) on Saunailta (or Sauna Night). Last night after work, a group of about 10 members and staff went to enjoy Finnish sauna, roast sausages, and play games in a cabin by a lake. It was Ladies First and we ladies really enjoyed ourselves. We sat in sauna and talked for about 25 minutes before leaving to “rinse off.” Since the cabin was right next to one of Jyväskylä’s major lakes, there were several women who planned to take a dip in the lake in lieu of the shower. Well, I just had to join them. We all giggled down the path, anticipating the shock of the freezing water. And the lake did not disappoint. While the Finns I was with commented almost mildly (relative to me anyways) about the chilly water, I started screaming as soon as one foot was in the water. “Oh God! Oh God! Damn it! Its cold!” Something to that affect anyways. The others later joked that I sounded like a bird caught in the clutches of a predator. Soon, my old swim team mentality kicked in and I fully submerged myself and immediately started treading water. I was numb all over and then I started feeling pins and nettles all over my body. When we finally got out of the water (we weren’t in for longer than 3 minutes), every inch of my skin was beginning to tingle. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins. It felt truly exhilarating! Sweating my guts out and then submerging my self in frigid waters meant nothing to me after this feeling. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

The rest of the evening was spent playing games and roasting sausages over a fire. It was a very Finnish evening. It was incredibly fun!

Ok, I am done now…again:)

The week is over (2 more weeks left!!) and I think I have spent it well. On the nice days I have sat and read in the park that is a few blocks from my apartment. The grass is very lush and together with the sun, often induces sleepiness. I love falling asleep outside...its a really fabulous feeling to wake up from a doze in the warm sun and hear everyone around you laughing and talking. Must do this more when I get back to NYC. Aside from sleeping, I have also written a lot of letters and postcards to you folks back home. I have even managed to finish reading several books (including Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which is hilarious...although youall would know this because I am apparently the only person in the world who hasn't read it yet). Anyways...

More news of the day...
*Apparently I know something about international hockey. In celebration of the Hockey World Championships this past month, some members and staff at Suvimaki put together a sort of hockey pool (like we do for the NCAA basketball tournement). You had to decide who would win each game and then in the end which teams would be the top three. I know hockey teams even less than I know basketball teams, and thats saying a lot. Therefore, I guessed my way through the pool. I guessed based on countries I would like to visit most, for instance, I would like to visit the Czech Republic more than I would like to visit Belarus. Sorry Belarus:(And it turns out that guessing works! I, along with two other members, took first place in the pool. Needless to say, I was astonished. Yesterday, the folks who had put together the pool gave the winners each a certificate saying they had gotten first in the pool and a bag of Finnish chocolates (yum!). Everyone is convinced that I was understating my knowledge of international hockey. Sadly, nobody has asked me to be a part of the World Cup pool yet. Now soccer I know!
*Also yesterday, I also finally got up the nerve to help lead the afternoon meeting. Everyone was so pleased that they all clapped everytime I wrote someone's name down correctly. And after the end of the meeting, they all stood up and cheered. Gah! I was really embarrassed. Fortunately for you all, there is once again documentation of my humiliation in the form of a photograph. Thank you Suvimaki!
*Tomorrow night I am going with a group from the Clubhouse to a Finnish dance hall. I will be tangoing and waltzing all night! More news (and most likely pictures) of that next week.

Hope you all are well! I love you and miss you all...

P.S. My friend is getting married tomorrow! Woot!! Congratulations to Shannon and John!! I am so happy for youall:)

P.P.S. Tomorrow is also the anniversary of the first day of the best year of my life. I love you...