Sunday, April 10, 2011
All packed and ready to go!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Restaurant service
Even though I don't necessarily understand the american way of tipping (you tip at restaurants but not and McDonald's which is arguably much more stressful and demanding job and you are given the option to tip at coffee shops if you want) I think they might be on to something. Major portion of the salary of a wait staff in USa comes from tips. It's supposed to be between 10 and 20% of the bill and should vary according to the level of service. You get bad service, you show it in the tip. You get good service, you show your appreciation with the tip. And people expect good and fast service. You don't like your food/drink you send it back. Americans appreciate good service and they know how to demand it. And they're not shy to show if they are not satisfied. Us Finns...we're a different breed. Just like americans are loud and opinionated, we are quiet and sit in the corner without complaining. We don't like to make a scene. And we wait patiently.
We went to the chinese restaurant in town today. They relocated and opened at the new location 2 days ago. It's bigger and closer to the center so it gets more traffic. Or that's the theory anyway. If that's the level of service they are providing, I think it's not gonna last too long. If it was in USA, it would be bankrupt within a month! We got there little after 2pm, our order was taken at 2:30 and we got our food at 3:15. I was hungry, starving really and had waited for chinese for almost a week when Arttu called me and said let's go to the chinese on Saturday. I only had a yogurt the whole day beforehand so you can imagine my stomach was eating itself inside out. You would have thought they had run some kind of dry run before opening to see if there were any glitches but I guess not. Or maybe they had a problem with the kitchen and they were definitely understaffed but BOY it took a long time for anyone even acknowledge our presence. I am a huge fan of american service, I tell you that! Should we tip in Finland they're tip would have been VERY small... But it's been over 4h since I ate and I'm still not hungry! Weird because I always get hungry pretty fast after eating chinese. I have high hopes for this place since it's right around the (american) corner from me! So hopefully next time will be better.
I also voted so now I'm done. I hope the election were done too! I am sick and tired of the campaigns and politicians lip service and would love it to be next Sunday and over and done with. But to continue my tradition I voted a local and I voted a woman. If we want the area to grow and develop we need locals in the parliament and no man will look after MY rights so woman it is. So as you can see, my vote didn't go to Päivi Räsänen. I'm sure she's sad about that.
Have a great weekend! Later!
We went to the chinese restaurant in town today. They relocated and opened at the new location 2 days ago. It's bigger and closer to the center so it gets more traffic. Or that's the theory anyway. If that's the level of service they are providing, I think it's not gonna last too long. If it was in USA, it would be bankrupt within a month! We got there little after 2pm, our order was taken at 2:30 and we got our food at 3:15. I was hungry, starving really and had waited for chinese for almost a week when Arttu called me and said let's go to the chinese on Saturday. I only had a yogurt the whole day beforehand so you can imagine my stomach was eating itself inside out. You would have thought they had run some kind of dry run before opening to see if there were any glitches but I guess not. Or maybe they had a problem with the kitchen and they were definitely understaffed but BOY it took a long time for anyone even acknowledge our presence. I am a huge fan of american service, I tell you that! Should we tip in Finland they're tip would have been VERY small... But it's been over 4h since I ate and I'm still not hungry! Weird because I always get hungry pretty fast after eating chinese. I have high hopes for this place since it's right around the (american) corner from me! So hopefully next time will be better.
I also voted so now I'm done. I hope the election were done too! I am sick and tired of the campaigns and politicians lip service and would love it to be next Sunday and over and done with. But to continue my tradition I voted a local and I voted a woman. If we want the area to grow and develop we need locals in the parliament and no man will look after MY rights so woman it is. So as you can see, my vote didn't go to Päivi Räsänen. I'm sure she's sad about that.
Have a great weekend! Later!
Friday, April 8, 2011
Congratulations to the new parents!
Heidi and Tero welcomed a baby girl on Sunday morning, April 3rd. Congratulations to the parents! The princess looks really cute!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Mythical tales
"...And on the 7th day they realized they couldn't survive without her and called her and begged her to come back. And so she did"
I was gonna go all bible on your asses but just couldn't do it. But from the two mythical stories, creationism and the one just told you, which one do you think is true? Mine? You are wise my friends!
Gotta phone call today from HAMK asking me to come back for the duration of the month. I said ok but that if I get the job in Tammela, when they want me to go learn at the end of the month I will need to go. They said ok so I will be going back to Hämeenlinna next Monday. So if all goes well I'll be there for few weeks and if all goes little less well, I'll be there until the end of the month. Now this means that I can do a little shopping in USA as well. YAY for shopping! It's been awhile! I also might buy a washing machine...
Yesterday I did a little Skype "aunting", or maybe we should call it babysitting...or just talking with Noah and Avery. Since I'm no longer part of the family aunting might be too much. It was good to see them and I can't wait to see them and their little brother Wyatt. Candice also sent me a message on FB and said that most likely she can take me to the airport on Sunday. Great news! Now I just need to get this job and I can start looking for cats!
Later!
I was gonna go all bible on your asses but just couldn't do it. But from the two mythical stories, creationism and the one just told you, which one do you think is true? Mine? You are wise my friends!
Gotta phone call today from HAMK asking me to come back for the duration of the month. I said ok but that if I get the job in Tammela, when they want me to go learn at the end of the month I will need to go. They said ok so I will be going back to Hämeenlinna next Monday. So if all goes well I'll be there for few weeks and if all goes little less well, I'll be there until the end of the month. Now this means that I can do a little shopping in USA as well. YAY for shopping! It's been awhile! I also might buy a washing machine...
Yesterday I did a little Skype "aunting", or maybe we should call it babysitting...or just talking with Noah and Avery. Since I'm no longer part of the family aunting might be too much. It was good to see them and I can't wait to see them and their little brother Wyatt. Candice also sent me a message on FB and said that most likely she can take me to the airport on Sunday. Great news! Now I just need to get this job and I can start looking for cats!
Later!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Guess the celebrities age as well
It must be true even though it doesn't feel like it. I was reading about "Dancing with the stars" and how Maksim and Kirstie Alley fell last night. That's not the shocking part as I'm sure it happens to the best of them. I remember Kirstie from Look who's talking movies and I realize that I was a bit younger and so was she but what made me take a double look and then triple is her age. She's 60? SIXTY???? When the hell did that happen??? She doesn't look like she's 60. I had to google her to make sure...and sure enough, she is. WEIRD!
60???
SIXTY?!?
SERIOUSLY?!?!?!
Oh your god!
60???
SIXTY?!?
SERIOUSLY?!?!?!
Oh your god!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
I'm having my 30's crisis
And I'm pretty sure it's brought on by the divorce. And my life not going the way I planned it. I'm sure you've all heard me talk about my former class mates being married, having 700 kids, 3 cars, mortgage, 7 dogs and 5 cats by now...having jobs and lives. It's hard connecting when you seem to have nothing but the past in common. I thought I was heading that direction but universe decided otherwise. And even with all the uncertainty regarding my legal status in the USA, I still thought somehow we'd end up settling down, having kids and family and all the things that come with that. And now I feel kind of lost. Where do I begin? Where am I going? What am I doing?
Marriage has been in the news a lot lately, both in USa and here in Finland. We have parliamental election coming up in 16 days and the topic of gay or gender neutral marriage has been discussed a lot. Both the KD's and persu's are against it. There's been a youth oriented campaign to convert gay and bi teens. And they base their values and opinions on a book from 2000 years ago.
In USA the discussion has been on the possible repeal of DOMA and how that might affect both the american gay couples and the binational couples. For a day the immigration services put the green card applications on hold instead of turning them down, but that changed quickly. Marriage, that sacred union between a man and a woman is under attack by the sinful gay community. That sacred institution that ends up in a divorce 50% of the time. It's so sacred that there is a whole industry built around in in Vegas. But it's a heterosexual privilege and cannot be shared.
Why is it that a church wedding is considered the only real form of wedding by so many? People in Finland still baptize their kids and send them to confirmation so that they can have a church wedding even if they never go to church or pray or do anything else religious. And I will bet my salary that most of them do it JUST for the church wedding. If the wedding ceremony privilege was taken away from the church, I bet the number of kids baptized would drop considerably. In a recent episode of Grey's anatomy the main couple was asked when they are getting married. Few seasons ago they were about to do the whole massive church wedding route but the plans changed and instead they wrote their wows on a post-it and that was it. It's not legal but it fit them perfectly. Now why do people feel the need to unload their believes and expectations on other people? WHY is a church wedding the only real one? Why are you supposed to walk down the church isle and get blessed by the priest and church? Marriage with all the responsibilities also comes with privileges afforded to the couple by the law. It's about the legality, being recognized by the authorities and the society as a couple. And ultimately, marriage is about the love between those 2 people willing to make a commitment to each other for the rest of their lives. Those who do not approve gay marriage can stay in their own homophobic heterosexual marriages and stay out of other people's. It's as simple as that. Mine will not affect yours. Yours will not affect mine. Every marriage is different and is defined by the 2 people in it.
Marriage is obviously not in the cards for me anytime soon but it relates to my age crisis. Since coming back to Finland I've connected with some old friends which has been amazing. I put so much of my focus on my relationship that I neglected my own friendships. It was obviously not easy to maintain friendships while across the pond but I am trying to make up for the time now. But what I can't wrap my head around is when did we become old enough to be step parents? And when did we become old enough to go through a divorce?
As a child of a divorced parents I can safely say that me and my mom are both happier for the fact that my parents got divorced. I wouldn't have the best little brother in the world had they stayed together so for that reason alone... My views on being a step parent are complicated. My mom remarried and my step dad has a daughter who was my best friend at the time. She turned out to be a major nightmare so a lot of times it was us against them. My mom and step dad had both had previous relationship before entering this one so my "logical view" is that both parties will have children. But what if that's not the case. What if you fall in love with someone who has kids but you don't? What if your situations and views on what the life in front of you will be or should be? But as a 30 year old recently divorces lesbian I am wondering when did we become old enough to have partners with kids?
Yesterday I heard that a friend of mine is getting a divorce. After 2 years of marriage and plenty more together they are ending it. When did we get old enough to get a divorce? Have failed long term relationship(s)? She may get an official paper as her marriage was legal and all and I might have a little bit of the white paper left on my passport that held my immigration status but it's still equally devastating. When did I turn 30 and become old enough to have these things happening to me and around me? I feel like I was just 25 5 minutes ago, so in love and heading to NYC. When will it end?
I'm a planner, I need to have plans and goals and things to look forward to. This flux isn't my cup of tea.
Marriage has been in the news a lot lately, both in USa and here in Finland. We have parliamental election coming up in 16 days and the topic of gay or gender neutral marriage has been discussed a lot. Both the KD's and persu's are against it. There's been a youth oriented campaign to convert gay and bi teens. And they base their values and opinions on a book from 2000 years ago.
In USA the discussion has been on the possible repeal of DOMA and how that might affect both the american gay couples and the binational couples. For a day the immigration services put the green card applications on hold instead of turning them down, but that changed quickly. Marriage, that sacred union between a man and a woman is under attack by the sinful gay community. That sacred institution that ends up in a divorce 50% of the time. It's so sacred that there is a whole industry built around in in Vegas. But it's a heterosexual privilege and cannot be shared.
Why is it that a church wedding is considered the only real form of wedding by so many? People in Finland still baptize their kids and send them to confirmation so that they can have a church wedding even if they never go to church or pray or do anything else religious. And I will bet my salary that most of them do it JUST for the church wedding. If the wedding ceremony privilege was taken away from the church, I bet the number of kids baptized would drop considerably. In a recent episode of Grey's anatomy the main couple was asked when they are getting married. Few seasons ago they were about to do the whole massive church wedding route but the plans changed and instead they wrote their wows on a post-it and that was it. It's not legal but it fit them perfectly. Now why do people feel the need to unload their believes and expectations on other people? WHY is a church wedding the only real one? Why are you supposed to walk down the church isle and get blessed by the priest and church? Marriage with all the responsibilities also comes with privileges afforded to the couple by the law. It's about the legality, being recognized by the authorities and the society as a couple. And ultimately, marriage is about the love between those 2 people willing to make a commitment to each other for the rest of their lives. Those who do not approve gay marriage can stay in their own homophobic heterosexual marriages and stay out of other people's. It's as simple as that. Mine will not affect yours. Yours will not affect mine. Every marriage is different and is defined by the 2 people in it.
Marriage is obviously not in the cards for me anytime soon but it relates to my age crisis. Since coming back to Finland I've connected with some old friends which has been amazing. I put so much of my focus on my relationship that I neglected my own friendships. It was obviously not easy to maintain friendships while across the pond but I am trying to make up for the time now. But what I can't wrap my head around is when did we become old enough to be step parents? And when did we become old enough to go through a divorce?
As a child of a divorced parents I can safely say that me and my mom are both happier for the fact that my parents got divorced. I wouldn't have the best little brother in the world had they stayed together so for that reason alone... My views on being a step parent are complicated. My mom remarried and my step dad has a daughter who was my best friend at the time. She turned out to be a major nightmare so a lot of times it was us against them. My mom and step dad had both had previous relationship before entering this one so my "logical view" is that both parties will have children. But what if that's not the case. What if you fall in love with someone who has kids but you don't? What if your situations and views on what the life in front of you will be or should be? But as a 30 year old recently divorces lesbian I am wondering when did we become old enough to have partners with kids?
Yesterday I heard that a friend of mine is getting a divorce. After 2 years of marriage and plenty more together they are ending it. When did we get old enough to get a divorce? Have failed long term relationship(s)? She may get an official paper as her marriage was legal and all and I might have a little bit of the white paper left on my passport that held my immigration status but it's still equally devastating. When did I turn 30 and become old enough to have these things happening to me and around me? I feel like I was just 25 5 minutes ago, so in love and heading to NYC. When will it end?
I'm a planner, I need to have plans and goals and things to look forward to. This flux isn't my cup of tea.
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