Danny and Lucy from UK (CS) were visiting me shortly. They will stay in Helsinki some more days, but I am going to Faces today. I promised to host them while I totally forgot that yesterday was a gig of Stereophonics (UK). So I was a bit sorry that I couldn't be a good host for them. They just relaxed a bit yesterday: watched TV and read travelling books while I was on a concert.
Danny and Lucy are on a way to St. Piter, Moskva and through Siberian express to Mongolia and China. 9 weeks in total. They left UK right after graduation. Nice guests, I just hope I could have get to know them a bit better.
Now Faces, before that a bit of No Shame band singin' Nothing left to believe.
perjantai 27. heinäkuuta 2007
tiistai 24. heinäkuuta 2007
Shopping with Credit Cards
Yesterday I met Verena (CS), from Munich, Germany. She was using cs for her first time and I was lucky to be her first host. It came out that she is funny, joyfull person in a similar sense with me, I enjoyed her company from the first point (though we both were tired of works or walks). We got some food from Stockmann store, just because I needed also a tv-antenna-cable and I knew that there will be food + cable at same place in Stockmann. And besides, Stockka has also good variety of food, which is a good thing... hmmm... cheeese. ;)
After those we came home and made a delicious dinner with fresh baked bread, tomato-mozzarella salad and spinach pancakes with cranberry jam and most of all: Oiva cider, which is a one of the best Finnish ciders. We talked about basises of hospitality: how many nights is easy to spend with other people, do you need to offer something else than a place to sleep, what if you have some problems with your guests.
I told her that I prefer 1-3 guest who are staying 1-2 nights, in special cases even more (like if I already know a bit of that person). I will offer them food if I am making for myself and a tea if they come later. On a morning I try to offer coffee or tea and bread with butter and cheese, if I have time to eat also. But mostly I kick the guests out for the time I need to be somewhere else than at home. I hope that my guests will understand that I am not available 24/7 to talk, that I need also own time. I told for Verena also about a small problems which I have had and also a good people whom I have met.
Later on the evening we were thinking about possibility to go to the bar, but we decided to skip it, because we were too tired. We made a bed for Verena just after Simpsons ended at TV (21:00) and were watching Surface and Sex and the City. While watching we talked about studies and universities, we found out that we're studying both a cultural studies: she just graduated for Cultural Anthropologist and I hope some day I will graduate for Ethnomusicologist (or Music Anthropologist) Right after that I decided that I am too tired and started to sleep.
Today we got lazy morning with breakfast and then went to shopping to Itäkeskus. Verena spend A LOT money to things and I bought just some crappy shower gel. Well, It was nice to see what there is to offer. We hurried back, and then she left with a lot of new clothes and shoes in her bag. Thank god for sales.
I've had a lot of HC and CS mails lately. I am hosting 1-3 persons in a week. Right now it feels correct, I don't need to think about my own life...
After those we came home and made a delicious dinner with fresh baked bread, tomato-mozzarella salad and spinach pancakes with cranberry jam and most of all: Oiva cider, which is a one of the best Finnish ciders. We talked about basises of hospitality: how many nights is easy to spend with other people, do you need to offer something else than a place to sleep, what if you have some problems with your guests.
I told her that I prefer 1-3 guest who are staying 1-2 nights, in special cases even more (like if I already know a bit of that person). I will offer them food if I am making for myself and a tea if they come later. On a morning I try to offer coffee or tea and bread with butter and cheese, if I have time to eat also. But mostly I kick the guests out for the time I need to be somewhere else than at home. I hope that my guests will understand that I am not available 24/7 to talk, that I need also own time. I told for Verena also about a small problems which I have had and also a good people whom I have met.
Later on the evening we were thinking about possibility to go to the bar, but we decided to skip it, because we were too tired. We made a bed for Verena just after Simpsons ended at TV (21:00) and were watching Surface and Sex and the City. While watching we talked about studies and universities, we found out that we're studying both a cultural studies: she just graduated for Cultural Anthropologist and I hope some day I will graduate for Ethnomusicologist (or Music Anthropologist) Right after that I decided that I am too tired and started to sleep.
Today we got lazy morning with breakfast and then went to shopping to Itäkeskus. Verena spend A LOT money to things and I bought just some crappy shower gel. Well, It was nice to see what there is to offer. We hurried back, and then she left with a lot of new clothes and shoes in her bag. Thank god for sales.
I've had a lot of HC and CS mails lately. I am hosting 1-3 persons in a week. Right now it feels correct, I don't need to think about my own life...
perjantai 20. heinäkuuta 2007
Towards Heat Waves in Finnish way
Well, Jesse (CS) came two days ago and we've been talking about Finland. And Finnish music and Finnish food and we compared just a tiny bit US and Finland. He left today to Tallinn to party in nightclubs with next CS-host. I wasn't in the good party feeling on these days, so my guest had to content for couple hours in the Bar Loose and Corona. But it wasn't just normal average days either.
I had to meet Jesse in railwaystation around 2.30pm, but 2.20pm I was still in a hospital with iron sticks/needles inside my nose, so I had to call for help. Teemu (teema in HC) came to save the situation. He picked Jesse up from Railwaystation while I was getting flushing in my sinuses. I picked up Jesse from Wayne's Coffee and we went to mine's. I was on a heavy drugs so I couldn't do much. Whole face was hurting, but I was brave in the evening and took guest + Teema, Katia, R, K and their cavaliers to Loose to hear my ex-study-mate Ville Leinonen to perform a lots of different kind of songs. I think we all liked those, even foreigns, though Ville played mostly in Finnish. From Loose we stopped to Corona for one beer and then home to sleep. For me, day was really tough, and I needed to get rid of bad energy while sleeping.
Thursday was beautiful in sense of weather, we went to seek centre and tastes of Vanha Kauppahalli (The Old Market Hall). After that Jesse cooked for me and my flatmate H some egg-plant + zucchini -stuff and some teriyaki Tofu. We had food-conversation about differences of Finnish and American/Hawaiian kitchen and laughed for thoughts which finns have about American food. I learned that the people in Hawaii eat lots of fish, tofu and rice. Pretty healthy food. In the evening of Thu we decided to walk again to the centre to see Underwater Sleeping Society to play in Espan lava (Espa stage). Espa stage is good place to enjoy summer Helsinki. There is free concert every working day (mon-fri) from beginning of July to the end of August. On July there's Jazz-Espa and on August Etno-Espa.
I had volunteer-meeting on skype with BW people. So I had to be home around 21. Jesse was watching TV with my flatmates. I hope he didn't get bored.
Today we woke up late again and had breakfast and talked about Finnish weather - how it is that we consider "heat" from 25 plus celcius degrees and for other people that is just ok. Personally I know that I feel dead at 30 degrees. But hey people, come on to check out Helsinki with -20 degrees plus wind from the sea. For me its not cold yet. I haven't been well on last couple days. Feeling sick (on a sickness leave) and trying to stay as much home as I can. I hope I did not ruined Jesses opportunities to find Helsinki.
I had to meet Jesse in railwaystation around 2.30pm, but 2.20pm I was still in a hospital with iron sticks/needles inside my nose, so I had to call for help. Teemu (teema in HC) came to save the situation. He picked Jesse up from Railwaystation while I was getting flushing in my sinuses. I picked up Jesse from Wayne's Coffee and we went to mine's. I was on a heavy drugs so I couldn't do much. Whole face was hurting, but I was brave in the evening and took guest + Teema, Katia, R, K and their cavaliers to Loose to hear my ex-study-mate Ville Leinonen to perform a lots of different kind of songs. I think we all liked those, even foreigns, though Ville played mostly in Finnish. From Loose we stopped to Corona for one beer and then home to sleep. For me, day was really tough, and I needed to get rid of bad energy while sleeping.
Thursday was beautiful in sense of weather, we went to seek centre and tastes of Vanha Kauppahalli (The Old Market Hall). After that Jesse cooked for me and my flatmate H some egg-plant + zucchini -stuff and some teriyaki Tofu. We had food-conversation about differences of Finnish and American/Hawaiian kitchen and laughed for thoughts which finns have about American food. I learned that the people in Hawaii eat lots of fish, tofu and rice. Pretty healthy food. In the evening of Thu we decided to walk again to the centre to see Underwater Sleeping Society to play in Espan lava (Espa stage). Espa stage is good place to enjoy summer Helsinki. There is free concert every working day (mon-fri) from beginning of July to the end of August. On July there's Jazz-Espa and on August Etno-Espa.
I had volunteer-meeting on skype with BW people. So I had to be home around 21. Jesse was watching TV with my flatmates. I hope he didn't get bored.
Today we woke up late again and had breakfast and talked about Finnish weather - how it is that we consider "heat" from 25 plus celcius degrees and for other people that is just ok. Personally I know that I feel dead at 30 degrees. But hey people, come on to check out Helsinki with -20 degrees plus wind from the sea. For me its not cold yet. I haven't been well on last couple days. Feeling sick (on a sickness leave) and trying to stay as much home as I can. I hope I did not ruined Jesses opportunities to find Helsinki.
maanantai 16. heinäkuuta 2007
First Guests on This Blog
I've hosted 4 persons in one week. I'm not sure what my flatmates things so dense tempo of guest, but for me this has been quite nice. I've had some free days and most of all, some free time.
All started while there was a Lithuanian guest Donaldas (HC) who came on friday evening to Finland. I had settled already some meetings with my friends for the evening, but I agreed to host this guy who was on a small trip to north. Donaldas is a student of history, he was interested about visiting sites like Cathedral and Suomenlinna Fortress. We walked around the city, from my flat to Kauppatori, where we saw old American cars, I think they have a meeting in Central market every friday evening. From there we walked through Design District to Fredrikinkatu and Loose, where I had to settle up a meeting with my friend M. Other friend K was on a trip from her home to meet me as well on that bar, so we stayed some hours there.
Donaldas drank one finnish beer (offered by me) and we talked really interesting topics, which we didn't quite share the opinnions, but still - he made me to think, that life is not everywhere like we have in Helsinki. Donaldas wanted to take some more night photos of Helsinki, so he left the bar and we met again at my home in the night. He had to left back to Estonia (visiting Saaremaa) on next morning, I bet before that he visited Suomenlinna. I was on a hurry to the works and from there to my friends wedding.
Next guests were a couple Auli and Cengiz from Turkey. They came on Thursday evening. The girl was finnish and a guy turkish, not quite common couple, and Cengiz was my first Moslem guest. I learned lot about Istambul where they live, and I genuinely enjoyed their company. We had a talk at my place, continued to bar-hopping (1 beer/1 bar). On a way to Corona (which is a quite known bar in movie-business) I met 5 friends who were going to see Hellacopters on same night in Tavastia. I was sad a bit, because I didn't have tickets to see that. Later on the evening I met some more friends and acquaintances who were going to see the gig as well. Cengiz saw a turkish restaurant (Pasha's) opposite of Corona and went say hi to the workers there. After that we continued to Loose (once again) and even later on to UKaleva on Kalevankatu to hear melancholic finnish songs, mostly about love. We felt tired all, and went back to home to sleep a bit.
Next morning we shared a nice breakfast (coffee, bread, cheese, tomatoes, juice) and during the night som of my friends (E, N and J) had came from to sleep on my couch. We did had a bit more conversation about Moslim-culture, Istambul and finnish culture until we went for shopping. Cengiz and Auli left on Friday to Tampere with shared ride to HC-meeting, where they never made.
During weekend I just met HC-couple Svetlana and Semeon from Russia (she's moldovian and he's russian), who were staying in the hostel. Still they ended up to my party (for closest friends) and after that to the bar(s) Loose and Stage. I didn't have much energy to sosialize much, but I learned where they came from and what they have found in Helsinki. They burned theirselves on a sun on friday in Suomenlinna.
Last guest came yesterday. Pekka (HC, finnish) came to see Metallica -concert to Olympic Stadium. We had met fastly in HC/CS/JD/BW-meeting in Turku, though he didn't remember it. I promised to host him, though he told he would come around 23-00 and leaving next day. Normally I consider heavily what kind of guest I will have (mainly calculate: do I have time, do I get some information what I would like to know, do I want to sosialize with person asking, do I really help person who is coming to visit and do they get something by meeting me -- not just staying on my floor), but this time it was ok to host someone I've met fastly. He came 23something and I offered him some bread. We talked something about music mainly and rested over the night. On monday we cooked together/separately (because I don't eat meat, just fish) and offered food also for my flatmate Suvi. He left to hitch-hike to Tampere. I don't know whether he made to Tampere or stayed somewhere in a middle on a motorway.
While all this week + couple of days, I've hosted my own friends too. They've used to use my facilities as an oasis in the middle of Helsinki. But well, they're using my hostel and paying back in friendship, which has lasted already years.
The aim of this blog is just to describe a bit what is life with intercultural communication, what do I do with these strangers from "outer space" and what kind stuff I do with guest and what I will show them in Helsinki. Not much though -- If someone feels offended with texts, I ask kindly to contact me and tell about it, so I can think what I will do for it.
Thank you, have a nice summer and be tuned for more guests. Next guest Jesse is coming on wednesday. And he's couchsurfer from USA.
All started while there was a Lithuanian guest Donaldas (HC) who came on friday evening to Finland. I had settled already some meetings with my friends for the evening, but I agreed to host this guy who was on a small trip to north. Donaldas is a student of history, he was interested about visiting sites like Cathedral and Suomenlinna Fortress. We walked around the city, from my flat to Kauppatori, where we saw old American cars, I think they have a meeting in Central market every friday evening. From there we walked through Design District to Fredrikinkatu and Loose, where I had to settle up a meeting with my friend M. Other friend K was on a trip from her home to meet me as well on that bar, so we stayed some hours there.
Donaldas drank one finnish beer (offered by me) and we talked really interesting topics, which we didn't quite share the opinnions, but still - he made me to think, that life is not everywhere like we have in Helsinki. Donaldas wanted to take some more night photos of Helsinki, so he left the bar and we met again at my home in the night. He had to left back to Estonia (visiting Saaremaa) on next morning, I bet before that he visited Suomenlinna. I was on a hurry to the works and from there to my friends wedding.
Next guests were a couple Auli and Cengiz from Turkey. They came on Thursday evening. The girl was finnish and a guy turkish, not quite common couple, and Cengiz was my first Moslem guest. I learned lot about Istambul where they live, and I genuinely enjoyed their company. We had a talk at my place, continued to bar-hopping (1 beer/1 bar). On a way to Corona (which is a quite known bar in movie-business) I met 5 friends who were going to see Hellacopters on same night in Tavastia. I was sad a bit, because I didn't have tickets to see that. Later on the evening I met some more friends and acquaintances who were going to see the gig as well. Cengiz saw a turkish restaurant (Pasha's) opposite of Corona and went say hi to the workers there. After that we continued to Loose (once again) and even later on to UKaleva on Kalevankatu to hear melancholic finnish songs, mostly about love. We felt tired all, and went back to home to sleep a bit.
Next morning we shared a nice breakfast (coffee, bread, cheese, tomatoes, juice) and during the night som of my friends (E, N and J) had came from to sleep on my couch. We did had a bit more conversation about Moslim-culture, Istambul and finnish culture until we went for shopping. Cengiz and Auli left on Friday to Tampere with shared ride to HC-meeting, where they never made.
During weekend I just met HC-couple Svetlana and Semeon from Russia (she's moldovian and he's russian), who were staying in the hostel. Still they ended up to my party (for closest friends) and after that to the bar(s) Loose and Stage. I didn't have much energy to sosialize much, but I learned where they came from and what they have found in Helsinki. They burned theirselves on a sun on friday in Suomenlinna.
Last guest came yesterday. Pekka (HC, finnish) came to see Metallica -concert to Olympic Stadium. We had met fastly in HC/CS/JD/BW-meeting in Turku, though he didn't remember it. I promised to host him, though he told he would come around 23-00 and leaving next day. Normally I consider heavily what kind of guest I will have (mainly calculate: do I have time, do I get some information what I would like to know, do I want to sosialize with person asking, do I really help person who is coming to visit and do they get something by meeting me -- not just staying on my floor), but this time it was ok to host someone I've met fastly. He came 23something and I offered him some bread. We talked something about music mainly and rested over the night. On monday we cooked together/separately (because I don't eat meat, just fish) and offered food also for my flatmate Suvi. He left to hitch-hike to Tampere. I don't know whether he made to Tampere or stayed somewhere in a middle on a motorway.
While all this week + couple of days, I've hosted my own friends too. They've used to use my facilities as an oasis in the middle of Helsinki. But well, they're using my hostel and paying back in friendship, which has lasted already years.
The aim of this blog is just to describe a bit what is life with intercultural communication, what do I do with these strangers from "outer space" and what kind stuff I do with guest and what I will show them in Helsinki. Not much though -- If someone feels offended with texts, I ask kindly to contact me and tell about it, so I can think what I will do for it.
Thank you, have a nice summer and be tuned for more guests. Next guest Jesse is coming on wednesday. And he's couchsurfer from USA.
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