Elise's World

Star Wars-Toys R Us!

2012-02-19T12:46:00.002+02:00

Yesterday was a day of trooping for Toys R Us, promoting the new Star Wars toyline from Hasbo. The toyline is from Episode 1 since it's coming out again in the cinemas in 3D.
It was a fun day, because there were so many kids (obviousely), and they are always the ones the troops are really for.

Unfortunately, we were only two troopers and one support, but we managed to have a really good time anyway, and the fact that we got free fast food from the shop lifted the spirits and brought back balance to the Force...for me.

The Stormtrooper has realized that the Rebels aren't that bad. He wants to be friends.

We trooped for almost four hours, and eventhough you always feel very tired and as if it's a full day of work afterwards, it's always worth it.

Tweet-tweet!

2012-02-19T00:49:00.000+02:00

I dislike Twitter. I do, I can't help it.
Sure, it's all great that we can constantly get update on news (which is really just another way of saying snooping in other people's business), and we can follow the lives of all these oh-so-important-people-and-stuff.
But what concerns me is this growing need of knowing everything all the time. I have to say that it loses all charm to me when I read about "Celebrity reverend" (as he is called) Al Sharpton actually tweeting about trying to talk to Bobby Brown outside the funeral of Whitney Houston, and even tweet the fact that he is returning inside the church because as he says: "This day is about Whitney". Well...? I have to say, that just seems like an obsession to me.
As if Facebook isn't addictive enough, we have the need to let the world know what we are doing at all time, and I guess it's a kick to collect events, written down, for everyone to see, as well as yourself. It's important to keep track of your eventful life.
However, with all that said, I'm sure there are advantages with Twitter as well, I guess I just haven't found the real need for it yet.

Another...

2012-02-19T00:19:00.001+02:00

Too many great ones has dies these past few years.
I saw Whitney Houston in 2001 when I went to New York to see Michael Jackson's concert at Madison Square Garden.
Unfortunately, she was so emeciated at the time, that it was hard to notice anuthing else but that, and I can't remember her beautiful voice.

She was so thin infact, that it was in all the tabloids the day after that she had died during the night.

I can't say that Whitney Houston made a huge impact on my life, but she certainly is a tiny part of my childhood and part of how I remember it.
And for that, I will post here a uplifting tune and video of hers.

New painting.

2012-02-15T20:14:00.000+02:00

I have just (well, last week) finished my latest painting called "Bedouine Woman". It's a self portrait inspired by my trip to Egypt.
The colours in this photo is slightly darker than the real painting.

Free popcorn, free film, free fun!

2012-02-11T23:09:00.000+02:00

It's been a long and busy, but fun day!
A group of 501st and Rebel Legion memebers including myself has been trooping the whole day, for a cinema promoting Star Wars Episode 1 3D.

After an early morning, going to the gym and getting back home in time, I was picked up by Leia and Obi-Wan to be taken to the Sello mall.
In started by adventure by buying 6 bottles of Sodastream Coke Zero forumla, since I'm addicted after all.
The troop started around 14.30 and it was fun, since we got to be by the doors of all the movies starting and register tickets with that "BEEP-machine". There was a lot of people, but not so many for the actual Star Wars screening.

Eventhough most of the children and adults were there for other films, we did our duty well, and got quite popular.

This troop left some backache after all the standing around, but it was one of the most fun ones I've been to in a long time.
And did I mention we got to see the film for free afterwords? AND got free popcorn and soda?

Speaking of the film in itself, I really don't see any point of the 3D version. I think that if you have imagination enough, you don't need 3D to help you get into the film, and basically for me, it just hurts my head and the glasses aren't that comfortable either. The only difference to me that made it really cool was that Yoda had been made better. And ofcourse it was great to see it on the big screen again!

Tickets in the mail!

2012-02-08T20:21:00.000+02:00

I've been staring at this letter the whole day, laying in the hallway as if it has the right to. Hm. Looks like a bill to me. They way it lays there; very flat as if with no important or at least pleasant content, the bill coloured-and-shaped envelope, impossible to ignore.
So after giving it the evil eye the whole day, I finally decided to give it Simo (since naturally, it had to be his right?). Hm. From Germany?
To my delight I discovered something nice for the first time in very long in an envelope: the tickets for the Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour with Cirque de Soleil that will be in Helsinki in November! Yay!

Star Wars Viral.

2012-02-08T10:36:00.001+02:00

So the day that I had taken off from work to troop for Star Wars Episode 1, the result of the viral we did in the metro became like this:
Personally, I'm happy with my own performance and I like all the shots with people in them, but I don't like the editing.
Check it out!

Viva la vida de Michael!

2012-02-05T14:02:00.000+02:00

I had a great time yesterday, with some friends over at my place for tapas and Michael.
I had bought the food the same day, and thought I had all the time in the world to prepare it. But as usual, the day just went by and I found myself slightly stressed in the kitchen one hour before trying to prepare 3 different dishes for 10 people at the same time, NOT including the rice and bread-cutting.
Simo was a true gentleman knight in shining armour however, and without him I would never have finished the food on time.
Oh, and if not all the guest were one hour delayed. YESSSS!!!

So with a table full of dishes and chips and candy enough to last a week, we sat down and watched "The life of an Icon", a new documentary about Michael Jackson.
I liked the fact that it was a positive documentary and I think it's perfect for people who are not fans and don't know that much about him. But personally, from a fans point of view, I DIDN'T like that the whole film started with his death, and ambulances and things, and only covered his childhood and recent years and trials and tribulations. It wasn't really about the music that much, and they had chosed to pretty much skip most of the 80's and 90's, except for the scandals.

We decided (or actually, it's sort of decided itself) to stay in and not go out, as it's bloody cold outside, and it seemed that we were in the mood to just talk and watch MJ. So we did, and we had a great saturday night staying in!

A day off to troop for Episode 1!

2012-01-31T21:35:00.000+02:00

Today I got a day off from work to be part of the trooping here in Helsinki for Star Wars Episode 1 that is coming out in 3D the 10th of february.
A donation was given to UNICEF, so it was important to do as good of a job as possible.
But this troop was a bit different than usual.
I got up at 5.45 in the morning and headed for a studio where we changed into our armour before going on the Helsinki metro line with a small team of sound and camera people tagging along.
We shot a small viral shortfilm to be used for PR, and I of course, being the only rebelscum had to be hunted down by Count Dooku, Darth Vader and a Stormtrooper, infront of an audience with cameras of theyre own.

After a repetetive small fight that seemed to be going on forever, it all ended with me with Force-choked by Darth Vader and taken away by a Stormtrooper.

After changing and hanging out at Jouku's place watching parts of "Star Warriors", I went to the center to meet Simo. We went to see my art teacher's exhibition that's going on right now, that I have to say is really good. Then we went to buy some art supplies for me, before continuing the day of trooping at the cinema here.
We basically stood around taking pictures with people and having a "Shoot-the-trooper"-game where winners got a free Episode 1 poster.
All in all a very good, but tiresome day.

Now going to bed.

The great one.

2012-01-27T18:15:00.000+02:00

Robert Downey Jr.

Youre first though might have been:
Sherlock Holmes
Ironman
or maybe even
Tropic Thunder.

For me it's CHAPLIN.

He is one of my favourite actors of all time. And not only because of his long eyelashes and extreeme acting talent, but because he is a person whith a REAL story. A person who has been as far down as you possible can, unable to get out of the swirl of drugs going all around you.
Only he wasn't unable. He did it.

Not only is he an actor, but he is also a singer and have given out one of my favourite albums "The Futurist". When he was in prison in the past he painted a lot too. I have to say his paintings aren't my cup of tea though.

But one of my absolute favourite films with him in it is not any of these new ones, the ones coming after he gave himself a second chance, it's "Chaplin" from 1992.
In my opinion he's perfect for portraying Charlie Chaplin!

Check out the trailer here:

Hitting the wall...

2012-01-23T22:12:00.000+02:00

I had a great time today with my friends Anna, Laura and Henna, practising our archery skills, that seemed to hit the walls, quite literally.
Laura has her own bow which is for more experienced people, and when I tried a similar to hers at the end of our time there, I shot it straight into the wall behind the target. The bow felt heavy and was difficult to control. It was a bit embarassing, but I guess I have to practise again soon - it's great fun!

David Nordahl!

2012-01-23T00:12:00.001+02:00

David Nordahl is probably my favourite painter.
I "discovered him" when I was about 11, and had bought Michael Jackson's poem book "Dancing the Dream". In it, there's many pictures of Michael of course, but actually it wasn't them that cought my eye, it was a beautiful painting called "The Storyteller". There were several art works in the book, but from the moment I saw that painting I had a great desire to be part of it somehow, and I don't know how many times during my childhood I dreamed that I could also sit under that tree.

Although he was Michael Jackson's personal painter, he has also done many other subjects, among them the Apache Indians.

Over the years I have become a great fan of his work and also lucky enough to form a friendship with him. I'm really happy to see his webpage up and running now, and I think you should all have a look and see more of his wonderful art!

www.davidnordahl.com

An unusual cinema experience.

2012-01-22T19:24:00.001+02:00

Yesterday, I went out to meet the Michael Jackson-gang here in Helsinki for an unusual cinema experience.
Michael Jackson's 1988 film "Moonwalker" was showing in a small cinema, and ofcourse we all had to go and see it.

First we met at a restaurant for the hungry people who wanted to eat, while I had a cheesecake that was delicious!

Before going to the cinema we decided to buy some snacks, since it's so old that it doesn't even have a vending machine.
I bought my Coca-Cola Zero and a bag of spicy chips imported from America and was ready for action.
Little did I know that the action would mostly be the burning in my mouth caused by the lying bag of chips that claimed it was "medium"!

It was fun to see Moonwalker on the screen, and a littlebit of screaming and "ooh"'s couldn't be avoided in a cinema packed with fans.
However I did feel that there was some unnecessary noise from time to time from fans who seemed to forget that there we other people in the theatre as well...

We left the theatre to go out for drinks after the film, and we had a great time out as always. So much infact that I completely forgot the time, and I thought is was really early still when I went home around 03.00

Congratulations grandmother!

2012-01-21T13:09:00.001+02:00

It's a bit late to write about now, but it was a great experience, so I'll do it anyway.
Last weekend I was in Norway for a really quick visit to my family and my town Gjøvik. The reason was that I already knew that my grandmother would recieve an award from the Mayor at the annual New Years Concert for her work for art and culture in Gjøvik throughout her life. She has driven the theatre for children for 24 years without taking a penny for herself, and the awards was well deserved!
Of course I wanted to be a part of that since it's a very important award, so Henrik and I came there for the event. After the concert we had a closed dinner with the Mayor and the people organizing the event.

It also gave me some time to visit my friends of course, who I miss a lot, and eventhough it was a short visit, it was a good one!

Sodamachine for addicts!

2012-01-10T22:00:00.002+02:00

So after some careful thinking ever since I visited my friend in Sweden who presented me to Aqvia sodamaker, I've been thinking about getting one of my own. Everybody who know's me (in real life) knows that I'm a heavy Coca-Cola addict.
I drink more of it that I'm proud to admit, and will probably continue to do so since I use the excuse that it's my only lodd in life...
BUT - the bottles pile up, and it costs quite a bit, so I finally decided to invest in this.
At first, as any Coca-Cola (or Pepsi) addict will agree on, I was like "hm, it doesn't taste right". But after only drinking the Sodastream Cola for about 24 hours now, I can see myself getting used to it.
Buying a REAL Coke from now of will be to let my hair down!

Pictures and videos from Egypt!

2012-01-08T15:00:00.001+02:00

Before I leave Egypt completely, I will post some more pictures and videos here.

There was a man weaving in our hotelgarden.

On Christmas Eve would could enjoy good food and entertainment at the party that our hotel hosted.

We visited the El Gouna library quite a lot for cheap internet.

Simo reading in the El Gouna library.

We enjoyed a Egyptian Folklore dance that's called Tanoura. It was amazing! Have a look!

Hard Rock Cafe in Hurghada.

Our pool at the hotel we stayed at: Rihana Inn in El Gouna.

Happy to be in Luxor!

Coming home to weekend!

2012-01-06T22:55:00.002+02:00

This day has gone to absolutely nothing except writing here, taking Milla out and eating pizza. Oh, and peeing. Yes. That covers it.
We came home yesterday, late, after our plane was delayed already in Egypt. We waited there for over and hour and spent the time well; haggeling prices. I found a perfume that is out of production in Europe. I had given up looking for it (for over two years) until I saw that they had other out of production perfumes in a different store there. I found mine later; Femme de Lacoste.

I hated the Hurghada airport.
When we arrived the lines were so long that they started outside the building. When we came in, the x-rayed all our luggage including the cargo luggage. On the x-ray they saw something weird in Simo's suitcase. They asked if it was lots of medicine, but its was three big bags of different types of nuts.
They asked him to open it so they could see. Then then put their hands into the bags and grabbed a handful of nuts each. Simo just stood there, a bit shocked.
- "Do you mind", they asked.
With this corruption you just don't say no.
- "Sure", Simo laughed, "but don't take all". They chuckled and waved him on his way.
Wow.

We went through 3 differend passport controls before we came to the gates and shopping area. We managed to kill some time with looking at all the shops and and so on, and I found my perfume of course. When I was in the line to pay (and at that time we were in a hurry since we were gonna board soon), in what I thought was a proffesional perfume shop, one of the workers there and the cashier were trying to force a really old russian man to buy a perfume. He could barely stand and certainly not speak well english, and he was gonna buy something completely different. When he payed the cashier gave him some perfume samples and said "Here, it's a gift from me". Then the other worker went away and came back with a perfume and said "here, you need this also!" The old man tried to explain that he didn't need it, and showed so clearly. When the cashier took the perfume and was about to scan it to be bought, the man took it away again and said that he didn't want it. Then the cashier said "but I gave you gift, now you have to buy it".
All this happened when I was in the line waiting to pay. In the end I just had to say "excuse me, but can I pay now?" When I payed I noticed that they had put the price 5 dollars over the amount it really was. They said that it was the price for...I can't even explain it. For them being there. "Doing their job". For me. What a joke.
That is the one thing I REALLY don't like with Egypt. Except for at the hotel, it seems like almost anywhere you go, nomatter what kind of store you're in, the people there will ALWAYS try to screw you over, and it's exhausting.

Safe in the plane, a sanctuary with set prices without a chance to bargain, the pilot tells us that we have 9 minutes to settle down and nothing more, or we will lose the take off slot that is given us. Since we were already late, people moved in speed that I have never seen on a plane before. We took off on time (the new one) and arrived tired, but happy at home and to Milla.
And weekend.

Visiting Luxor!

2012-01-06T20:24:00.006+02:00

After visiting the Karnak temple we could all feel (and hear) the rumbelings of our stomachs and headed for the hotel where we would eat our lunch. The food was a mediocre buffet, but the company at the table was very nice as we we sat with a young travel-happy couple.
We went to the Valley of the Kings after the lunch, and I had no idea what to expect there, since you're fobidden to take photos there.
It was quite a trip into the mountains in the desert, and it is located under a mountain that looks like a pyramid. That's why the Ancient Egyptians chose the place.
We walked through a bazar on the way to the burial places, and were told that there would be no sellers after that point. Except for the sellers who might know somebody who might bend their law slightly...and that must be many of them. The place was loaded with sellers and at this place they were actually HARASSING the tourists!
An unfortunate Finnish lady in our group had made a big mistake which was basically glancing at the item one seller had and ended up being harassed by him for the whole duration of our guide's informationbriefing.
It didn't help ofcourse that the lady AND her husband seemed so terrified of not being nice and polite...you have to learn not to give a shit about that if your gonna survive in the Egyptian Bazar-jungle.

With our ticket we could visit three tombs of our choice except Ramesses VI and Tutankhamun, which costs extra.
After visiting our selection of three, we decided that it would probably be worth paying about 6 Euros each to see Ramesses VI which was said to be spectacular. The first hallway of the tomb wasn't so special, but as soon as you got further in, the artwork was absolutely beautiful, and the icing of the cake was the top of the actual outer sarcophagus laying in it's natural resting place, battered and broken - but still royal.

This is a picture I found of the tomb on the internet.

After some tomb-headache and some rude-arab-teenagers-with-no-respect-for-their-elders-or-infact-actually-DEAD-so-why-not-scream-in-tombs-headache, we went on to the Hatshepsut temple.
Simo in particular was looking forward to this, 'cause he really like mathematical structures.

It was an amazing temple, because it's built at the base of a mountain and the feeling you get when walking towards it is that the mountain will consume you and the only escape is to run into the temple and pray pretty much.
Hatshepsut interessts me, 'cause besides Cleopatra, she is the only female Pharaoh, and she ruled for 22 years. She came to the throne after her husband and brother Tutmosis II died. While his son and her nephew Tutmosis III was to young to rule, she claimed that she was the daughter of Amun-Ra (the main God) who had impregnated her mother. Since the Pharaoh were the closest incarnations of the gods, she claimed the throne.
When she died, possibly in her 50's and probably because of diabetes or/and bone cancer, Tutmosis III who became Pharaoh destroyed many monuments that she built and especially her faces on her statues, and even painted over her names in her buildings. He hated the fact that she "stole the throne from him" and even more that she was a woman.

It was a really cool temple actually, and sadly we didn't have enough time there. But we managed to see the most important parts of the place.

There's rows of majestic statues of Hatshepsut lined up all across the temple. Some of them has been detroyed.

Visiting Luxor: the Karnak Temple.

2012-01-06T17:09:00.006+02:00

On wednesday, the day before we went back home we went to Luxor. I was really exhited 'cause I've never been there and it's been a dream for a long time to see the Karnak temple, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple.
So we got up around 3.00 in the morning and took one of two busses packed with Finnish tourists and headed for Luxor.
It took about five hours or so, and the first thing I noticed when we got closeer to the center of Luxor was how green it was. It was much nicer than Cairo in many ways, eventhought the poverty was still as visible.

This trip would offer many historical sights, and we started with the grandest of them: the Karnak temple.

It was built during the Middle Kingdom, but most of it's famous buildings are from the New Kingdom. It's a HUGE complex with statues, pillars and art that has been sanded out by time, and it's easy to get lost there, especially in time. The artwork is beautiful, and it's important to have good time to really look at it.

The entrance is guarded by sphinxes.

Ramesses II has contributed a lot to the art of Ancient Egypt. Here a statue that shows him dead, as in the afterlife. If the Pharaoh has his left foot forward and the arms down on each side, it shows him as living.

The big coloumns inside the temple.

Simo telling a bit about the Lake in the temple.

And a little good old superstition doesn't hurt does it?

The thing that I really liked about this place was that the temple was closed off with guards at the enterance, so there was no sellers of any kind allowed into it. Outside there was a bazar that you had to go through to get to the exit, so it was a win win solution for us all. We got the chance to really enjoy what we were there to experience, and they got the chance to try to sell us some stuff in the end.

The thing about Cairo...

2012-01-02T17:45:00.004+02:00

I think that if you expect an adventure similar to Indiana Jones or The Mummy when you book your trip to Cairo, you've got it all wrong.
Cairo is NOT a beautiful mystique place, with cobras lurking in every spice basket or an interessting beduin man around every corner asking you to help him with an ancient secret. And I have to say, there's no jumping from one shiny white rooftop to another in escape from scary men once you've agreed to join his quest!
Sorry.
Some people that were with us on our trip there seemed to think so. A father with two teenage childen were constantly complaining, and when we were driving through the ghetto (which is by the way everywhere) HE, a grown up man who has seemed to have travelled quite a bit said to his children "This is the most terrible place I've been to, we're NEVER going back here"!
"Was it worse than the other terrible places you've been to", the daughter asked. "Yeah", he answered.
There you have a parent stopping his children's joy of travel right there.

Yes, Cairo is an ugly city. In fact, probably the ugliest place I've ever seen. However, if you let your own cynisism go for just one minute, you might be lucky enough to be reminded of something we forget way too often.
How lucky you are.

Thank you Cairo, for reminding me. I love you.

A trip to Cairo!

2012-01-01T21:52:00.000+02:00

Yesterday we went to the forbidden place of Cairo.
Ever since I told people that we were going to Egypt, I think most people have waved the news infront of my nose with a DON'TGOTOCAIRO attached to it. Well I DID go to Cairo and I can proudly say that I'm here! And I'm ALIVE!

The trip started extreemely early (or late, whichever way you want to put it...) at 02:45 in the morning actually. We were a group of Finnish unentuastic people travelling by bus, and starting with a visit to the Egyptian Museum, which is the one thing I think I looked the most forward to. I'm a complete museum-nerd AND an Ancient Egypt-nerd so it's perfect. First we weren't supposed to go there because of what has been and is still going on on the Tharir Square, but it's relatively calm there now, so the guide didn't see any problem in it. I was very happy.

After the museum (and a small dissapointment finding out that their shop was being renovated...) we went to eat at a restaurant in a boat on the Nile. I have to say that the food was sort of boring, but the atmosphere was nice and the place was cozy.

Happy and full, we continued through the shitty (seriousely) streets of Cairo, on our way to the Pyramids, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
I was there eight years ago, and eventhough I've already been there, I can't express the awe you feel when you walk through the ticket area, and the Cheops pyramid is right there in front of you, on top of the hill, massive.

The only negative thing about the experience this time though was the amount of seller in the area. Last time I was there it was only a couple of beduins offering rides on camels, but they kept their distance and wasn't at all imposing. Now, as soon as you walked through the tickets gates sellers horded around you so fast that you saw them before even seeing the pyramid, and that sort of killed it a bit for me, I have to say.

Even the guards there that have weapons and everything made it hard for me to take them seriousely when they offerend to take your picture for money.

However, it was a wonderful experience, and I would gladly return another time. It's one of those places that brings you inspiration. If you let it.

See you later, Cairo!

Hello tourists!

2011-12-30T14:57:00.000+02:00

Both tuesday and wednesday has been those kind of days that don't have any interessting happenings other than that Simo has gotten slightly sick, and because of that we've taken it very easy and just stayed at the hotel.
We have gotten a couple of new friends though, with fur, that lurk around the restaurant in the El Gouna Downtown area.

A cat that I felt needed a name, so the bartender named her Cleopatra.

Yesterday we went to the center of Hurghada. Since Simo hasn't been feeling well, we put if off for a few days. We should have left earlier though, since the sun goes down very early here and we only got a couple of hours in Hurghada before going back to El Gouna. But at least I found a nice shirt and we got to train our ways of NOT getting tricked into the shops.
Sometimes it can be extreemely tiering just to walk around. You can see in the corner of your eye that somebody JUMPS up from a chair and hurries towards you to ask if you want to come and have a look at their shop. One seller even yelled "tourists!" to us and Simo just answered "local!" and we went on our way.
Sometimes I want to explain to them that it is when they let us look at their shop in peace that we might buy something and not the other way around. At least for me.

Dinner in the desert.

2011-12-30T14:39:00.000+02:00

On monday after visiting the library for some needed internet access, we went to an organized dinner event called "Oasis party" in the desert. It was lots of people attending, and we didn't really know exactly what to expect. I've really wanted to do another Beduin camp thingy that would be much further out in the desert with less people, which would also include some star watching, but Simo though it was a good idea to check out this one first.

Eventhough they had said that it was a BBQ dinner, I can't say that it was. Some of the food was grilled but I don't think it can qualify as BBQ though. Still it was decent, and the entertaiment was cool, with Egyptian folklore dancing and bellydancing.

I got to ride a camel, and Simo tried it for the first time as well. I love camels. I want one when I grow up.

All in all it was a nice evening, and worth the 15 Euros it cost. However it should have ended a bit earlier, I felt like the show was going on and on and turning more and more into a "WECOMEFROMBELGIUMANDWE'REGONNASCREAMOUTASMUCHASWECAN"- party in the end. Because we didn't realize that the hotel we're staying at is hiding a TINY little "A touch of Belgian hospitality" inder their logo...makes feel a bit left out at times.

Relaxing and celebrating.

2011-12-26T12:14:00.001+02:00

Eventhough I like to be up and about when I travel, even to a place like this, we decided to take one more day of pure relaxation. I can start to feel restlessness coming to the surface, but I think I can do that...
We spent the whole morning and midday in the sun by the pool and it was very nice. I got a slight headache though, and it feels a bit like I have some sort of a mild cold as well. I am pretty much all the time a bit chilly, and if I knew, I would have brought another hoodie.

The local bus in El Gouna (that we still haven't used).

In the evening we celebrated the fact that we have been engaged for 5 years now. We had booked our time for a dinner in Downtown at a restaurant called Hedra Upstairs. They served us turkey which was their christmas speciality, and I have to say it was the best thing we've eaten here so far!

When we got home, I spent some time looking like a pure silly person trying to make out the star patterns on the sky as the complete nerd I am. (Yes, it's an absolutely BEAUTIFUL nightsky here!)

Merry christmas!

2011-12-26T11:48:00.006+02:00

I can't really say that if feels like waking up in the morning of the 24th here, being all exhited about eating christmas porrige, and watch cozy christmas shows while the christmas tree stands proudly decorated in the corner of your eye. But that's all right - I was exhited indeed, by going into the sun and just read and think of absolutely nothing else in the world.
The plan for the day is basically just that, before having a christmas snack at the hotel and then attending the party that the hotel along with another one has prepared in the evening.

Eventhough it's not as warm as I thought it would be here, and the locals here actually wear winter jackets and things with fur (!!!) the sun can still really get at you when you live in Finland, and haven't seen it for about 2 months, so naps are very much a must.

In the evening we got dressed up and went to the HUGE tent that was put up for the guests. We had no idea what to expect once we were inside, and I have to admit that I was pretty stressed about finding the nearest exit. Not so much because I thought something would really happen, but just because I noticed that there were none.
I managed to relax though, once the program started, and we got placed at "the Norwegian table" with two women from Bergen. The food was beautifully presented, and they had lots of interesting dishes to chose from.

Is bread just boring?

The evening was really nice, with lots of good food and Arabian Nights entertaiment.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

First day in El Gouna, and a better impression!

2011-12-26T11:24:00.001+02:00

There's nothing like a breakfast with food of all sorts and an information meeting to get the spirits up before exploring the new area around you. We have an "all-inclusive" reservation which means you can pretty much have whatever do drink for the bar, and eat whatever and how much you want at the restaurant here. So far it has payed off actually, and we've spent surprisingly little money.

Also, in the light of day we got a much better impression of the whole hotel area, and it's very cozy actually. It's a big hotel with many areas. and we live in the most quiet one I believe, which is very nice, and my idea of a vacation...

And they even have a hotel-camel walking the grounds! I'm a happy puppy!

We spent our first day exploring a bit, and went to the harbour area called "Abu Tig Marina". It's very beautiful there, but a bit fake in a way...I've been to Egypt before and this just doesn't feel like it, as it is WAY too clean and proper, not to mention the prices in the stores, which are even too high for even the sleeziest bargain seller. But lovely for the eye? Yes.

Finally in Egypt!

2011-12-26T11:05:00.000+02:00

We arrived in Egypt on thursday the 22nd of December, pretty early actually, by travelling standards. However, going through the passport control was a bit of a wait, and I think we waited for over an hour. We saw on the side of the line that there was a V.I.P. booth, but didn't think any of it, as society tell's us that we're no V.I.P.'s. In Egypt though, you're V.I.P. if you've got 30 dollars to pay. Darn. 30 dollars would have VIP-ed us traight to the front of the line. Ah well. Instead we stood like cattle next to a guy from Holland and his very pushy backpack.

We drove through Hurghada and entered the VERY tourist made El Gouna area, but by the time we came to our hotel, it was already pretty dark, and getting a good impression of the place was a bit difficult. Instead we were left with a bad impression of the place, and we're not sure why really, but firgured that we're comparing too much with Thailand, which is a very bad idea, if you want to be happy on holiday.
Some sleep would probably do good.

I'm packing my bags...!

2011-12-21T23:44:00.001+02:00

So apparently it wasn't just me who got sick in Sweden, a total of 8 people at the convention had gotten sick. From the hot dogs that I also had.
So with a fresh memory of how it is to be foodpoisoned, I can't say I'm trilled to say that I have completely forgotten to take Lactose tablets before going to Egypt. But at least this time I have all the shots I need, unlike when I was there in 2003 and got really sick.

So today we've been packing like crazy, before we leave tomorrow morning. It's gonna be a really wonderful and needed holiday! I can't wait to share it with you here.

Stockholm Sci-Fi Convention 2011 Day 2.

2011-12-12T00:40:00.003+02:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while! I was gonna write about Stockholm right after returning home, but there you go...

The second day didn't start so early...since we had already taken R2 (completely normal) there, we could sleep a tiny bit longer.
As expected, it wasn't that many people there on sunday, atleast not in the morning, and that meant it was the perfect day to get the autographs I wanted from the actors there. Most importantly Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian in Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi).

I felt completely fine this day, eventhough I had been sick on saturday. It all seemed to have dissapeared as quickly as it had come.
We had our parades ofcourse, which as I've understood, we're quite famous for there...they even advertise for it on the convention site. And true enough, as you can see in this picture, it's sort of a bit of a paparazzi moment.

I had been looking forward to meet Billy Dee Williams since I learned that he would be at the convention. Before the parade, I decided to go and check out the pictures that he had to be autographed and I talked a littlebit with him. But he seemed distant, tired and not very interessted, and I figured out that it must be because of the jetlag or something like that.
But as I talked to other people, some of them told me that he's always like that, and it seemed that he had a littlebit of a negative reputation as I've heard it even before the convention from someone else also.

However, I decided to get my autograph after the parade and went over for it. I told him that I loved him as Berry Gordy in "The Jacksons; An American Dream", but he sort of looked at me as if he had no clue what that film was at all. It made me very insecure, and hell, I've met Michael Jackson and wasn't nervous, but this guy made me nervous!
As I gave my name to the person next to him after picking out the picture I wanted, he must have gotten it wrong, 'cause he wrote "Ellie" on the note and handed it over to Williams. I didn't notice it, and not even when he asked; -"Ellie, is that short for a longer name?" I was sure I heard "Elise" and said: "No, that's my name".
Then he gave me the signed picture and said: - "A pretty name for a pretty girl."
I KNEW there was some Lando in him! *nerd*

Tom Skerritt, the actor from Alien and Contact was really cool though, and I talked with him quite a lot. He's that kind of person who seem to know a lot about everything and started talking about my hair and how women in a Native American tribe has similar hair when they're single.

Michael Shanks from Stargate was also really nice, but very business like and straight to the point sort of.

Later on I went back to Billy Dee Williams to get an autograph from a friend who couldn't be there. I didn't have the money for it the first time around, otherwise I would have gotten it then. I already felt like quite a stalker. Trying to laugh a bit of the whole thing I said: "Don't worry, I'm not a stalker", when I came up to the table "this is for my friend."
He answered: "You can stalk me anytime you want!".
And that's pretty much my communication with "Lando".

To my absolute horror, I discovered later on that he had written "Ellie" on my autograph, and wondered what to do. Should I crawl back there, like the stalker I really was? Or should I have that and be forever irritated by it?
Crawl.
- "Back for more, huh", he asked. Hehe.
After getting a new autograph with MY name on it, I was pleased and went on with my life. My real life. You know, in science fiction reality.

Again, this convention was a lot of fun, and I stayed with good friends and met new ones as well. Looking forward to next time already!

Oh, and

Stockholm Sci-Fi Convention 2011 Day 1.

2011-12-09T00:11:00.001+02:00

So last saturday, we hit the Stockholm Convention centre again, with a great stand and lots of 501st and Rebel Legion troopers.
I was really exhited about this troop in particular, because it was the first time I would meet an actual actor from the Star Wars saga: Billy Dee Williams who played Lando Calrissian. Which is also one of my favourite characters...

Matti and I slept over at another troopers and hiw wife's place, and he is a really good builder. He has built a full scale R2-D2 and we had to bring it to the convention. It's all fine and dandy, but it's HEAVY, but R2 managed to get there, not whole though and not with grace, but still alive.

There was't actually that much to buy this year I felt, atleast not for me. But that is probably a good thing. I concetrated on getting the autographs and maybe some small stuff.

For some mysterious reason I got really ill later during the day. I had already felt a slight headache in the morning and gotten a Paracetamol to ease the pain. But as the day went on I started feeling ill and nauseous. First I though I was hungry, so I bought some food, but that only made it worse. In the end I got so ill that I had to lay down on the floor for quite a while, before I threw up. I was sick for a while and had to go back to Øyvind, Tia and Tiia's hotel room to lay down for a while so that I could maybe join the others later on for the dinner we had planned.
Itb was ofcourse quite a surprise when I discovered that one of the troopers had been filmed and interviewed earlier, and the crew hadn't discovered that I was in the background, puking into the trashcan. Oh the joys of trooping!

It's good to be a senator. You don't even need to tie your own shoelaces.

In the end I got better, and even went to eat with the rest of the gang and had a lovely lobster soup. The evening continued in the bar, and I had so much fun I completely forgot how tired I was!

Eventhough I didn't get my Arena battle outfit finished in time, and I even got sick, it was a great day! (Yes it was.)

Sweden!

2011-12-07T21:59:00.000+02:00

Last friday I got the day off from work so that I could go to Sweden a day early before the Stockholm Sci-Fi Convention.
I took the plane with Matti, and was at the airport in good time. His bus from where he lived broke down though, and he came to the airport in the nick of time. I was already a bit stressed because he had his lightsaber with him, and I wasn't sure how it would go through the customs, but everything felt much better when a guard saw that we were in a hurry and let us to the front of the check in line.
I made sure that the woman and I understood eachother and true enough, there were no problem to bring the lightsaber onboard. When we came to the security however, they didn't let us pass through with it, because it was too long to fit in the cabin. So already late, we had to rush back to the check in and after a slight argument with the woman there she almost sent off the open lightsaber box on to the belt! I managed to stop her and said - "But you SAID you were gonna tape the box! It's open!"
- "Well, you have to take care of that before sending it yourself", she answered.
I got furious. " But we had to open it in the security check! Besides you told me a minute ago that you had tape when I asked you for it!"
She almost threw me the roll of tape and said "There. YOU tape it!"
I'm just wondering where she got her training.

Well in Sweden we met up with some other tired troopers before some of them went to sleep and Matti, Øyvind and I went to shop. We did a little sightseeing before heading to the Convention Centre to help building the stand for the weekend (well, they were building, I was looking).

Mediveal christmas celebration of independence!

2011-12-07T00:16:00.000+02:00

Today was Finland's Independence day, and since most people don't celebrate in a huge way that we are used to in Norway, we decided to take it easy and clean a bit and put up the christmas decorations around the appartment. We also started the very important rituals of getting into the christmas spririt which is basically watching Home Alone. Simo had made some authentic mediveal food from a cookbook he got when we were in Estonia, and it was really tasty. It's been a really nice and cozy day at home.

Velasquez reproduction.

2011-12-06T23:17:00.000+02:00

Right now there's an exhibition where I take my art courses with art that all the students have done there. I have hung my Fransisco de Zurbaran reproduction there as well as my latest painting which is also a reproduction, but from Velasquez called "The Waterseller of Seville".
I'm still wondering if there's a few tiny things that I need to fix before I put varnish on it, but otherwise I'm happy with it, and it's been a big learning experience to paint it.

Trooping for BR Toys! (And Santa...?)

2011-11-29T00:22:00.001+02:00

On sunday I went to Turku, with 3 501st troopers (should be scary, I know!) for a troop in a mall outside a BR Toys store. It's about 1 1/2 hours to get there by car, and since we started pretty early (TOO early), we arrived so early that we had a lovely breakfast at Mc. Donalds. Of course the fact that I was dressed in a Jedi costume all the way to save space in the car, made every stop on the way an amusing start on the day.

The troop went very well, eventhough the actual space we were in was not so good. Right in front of the store was a huge slide complex for children, and if they weren't hanging around US, they were sliding there, making it look busier than a Ewok party!

It was decorated in a beautiful christmas "Winter Wonderland" scene near the store, so we got to take some cool photos from there as well. Little did we know that it was for Santa, that would later come on stage (and ask to join him at some point), and also sit with the children and ask them their christmas wishes.
We got to take a picture with him also!

When we had a very needed lunchbrake, and went to a sort of fast food restaurant that pretends not to be by disguising itself as an italian restaurant.
I was served a salad with peices of glass sprinkled over it last time I was in Egypt, so I can hardly complain when I get rocks in my soup. Right?
Ah well...I wish it would have been Darth Vader complaining instead of me, that would have tought them.

It's a very MJ christmas.

2011-11-28T21:50:00.000+02:00

This has been a very busy weekend, and so it will be it seems, pretty much up to our trip to Egypt over the holidays.

On saturday I went to a Michael Jackson christmas party with some other fans. It was outside Helsinki, so I was lucky enough to get a ride, and eventhough we were a bit late to the party, we weren't late enough for the beautiful cakes that were awaiting us there. One of the girls there had her birthday at the same day, so I think that was the occation for the Heal the World cake.

Most of the guests had bought a little Michael Jackson gift (we love you eBay!), and wrapped it. Then we all got to take one of them from a bag without knowing which one, and I got a wallet that I've actually wanted!
We watched a film that some fans had filmed in LA and had a great evening!

SNOW, HO, HO!

2011-11-28T21:29:00.000+02:00

Christmas has officially opened it's doors and windows, and there is nothing else in the minds of the people. The christmas streets finally has their lights, trees and windows full of music and gift. However, the christmas spirit is hard to get when theres no snow.
I know that many of you are probably use to that, but this is Finland. Snow is required.

There's fake snow in the shop window. That will have to do for now.

Stupid hair.

2011-11-21T22:30:00.001+02:00

Yesterday was a pretty frustrating hair-day.
Worst of all, the hair wasn't even mine, OR real!

I was at a Star Wars armour party (kind of nerdy get-togethers where we fix parts of costumes), and I was gonna work on the hair for my costume. It soon showed to be a pain in the ass.
Everything went smooth until the time to actually put the hair peices in my own hair. They just seemed to fall out nomatter what I did.

These pics don't have the hair around the hose like it's suppose to have, so it's hard to get the idea.

Luckily I got some tips from some fellow troopers on how to resolve this, so I'll try again tomorrow.

Ribs and games.

2011-11-20T10:19:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I was planning to work on my costume, but couldn't decline a invitation from Simo's sister to come over for dinner and a game evening. We had been talking about having a Carcasonne evening the whole summer, and anyways, she makes the best food...so after getting help from Simo's mom to buy enough food for Milla from a BARF store to last a year (it looked like we own a kennel!), and driving it all back home, we went to their place.
We ate delicious ribs with simple vegetables and got a really good cake for dessert as her husband had just had his birthday.
Simo's brother was there also, and he has brougt Carcassonne also, because you can bring many games and put them together. With the extra peices you get a HUGE area of game space. We actually ended up playing for 3 hours with 5 with 2 sets and 3 add-ons.
It was a lot of fun, eventhough I lost...

Girls' night out!

2011-11-20T10:08:00.001+02:00

On friday, a gang of 5 eager Michael Jackson fans went out to party on the town. Uh-oh.
So we all went to a restaurant first, to fill up our stomachs before hittinG the dancefloor, which might not always be a great idea. However, the food was so mediocre and the pasta I got had so little pasta, that it wasn't a huge risk of overeating. So that meant dessert.

We went to the nightclub called "Kalle" I believe, and ofcourse it was a backthought to this: they had a Michael Jackson tribute there that night. That place has a lot of themes and stuff like that so we were eager to see what it was like. We weren't impressed though.
I've been there once before, and this time just proved what I already knew: it's a place full of 50 year old married women and men waiting to cheat on their spouses, young people who asks straight forward for oral sex, and a tiiiiiiiny bit of "normal" people (from the Normal Valley).
Then a even tinier group of Michael Jackson fans who are neither of these.

Theres many rooms in this place with different music and so on, and we found to our dissapointment that the MJ tribute was to be in a really small place that had no dancefloor and looked more like a pub than anything else. So when the lazy-looking band that were gonna honour our hero came out on "stage" we decided to MAKE dancefloor. The whole tribute kicked off with Billie Jean (of course) and we had to prove to the guy who could barely sing or remember the lyrics how it was done by singing as loud as we could, not to mention try to sing over him so that we couldn't hear it. He tried his best to dance though - that he shall have, and should maybe have sticked to the dancing part and left us with the singing.
But it was fun none the less and we got to show off with Thriller and Beat It.
And I think he knew, but Michael Jackson got the hottest fans! AOUW!

Chainsaw massacre?

2011-11-14T09:36:00.001+02:00

There's been lot of weird things going on in Norway lately. Murders "without motivation", terror and a rape-wave beyond belief. And in the middle of all these articles that have sort of become normal I'm sad to say, came a pretty unusual story.
A man had taken a chainsaw and sawed himself (I guess you can say that? After all, it's not a term often used...) into an appartment. The man in the appartment jumped out of the second floor window, hid in the forest and called the police.
When the man came into the appartment he discovered that he had gone to the wrong one and simply walked out and waited for the police. Then he explained that he was gonna threat someone he had some unfinished business with.
What a way to wake up from your sleep!

Shawl finished!

2011-11-11T23:31:00.000+02:00

So finally I have my first WHOLE peice of the new Star Wars costume - Padme's Arena Battle outfit, finished. It didn't take long at all, since it's just one peice of fabric, cut into shape and sewn in on the edges. However, I have searched for the right fabric for it since before the summmer holiday, and I finally found it in Estonia on sale.

For those who don't know, it's a sort of cloak that goes around the neck and thrown back. Here's the original.

Me, myself and my body.

2011-11-08T21:37:00.000+02:00

The other day I got my body in the mail.
Or lets say, my double. Or well, but double after some adjustment on my hips and such. Seeing it like this it looks a bit like it's gonna burst, but I'm sure I did all this after a meal and a Coca-Cola too many.

Well, atleast now I can put needles in this one intead of me when I do my sewing.

JUSTICE for Michael Jackson!

2011-11-08T12:55:00.001+02:00

It will never bring Michael Jackson back, but it's satisfying to see that "Doctor" Conrad Murray will never kill another human being again with his work.
Nomatter what the circumstances were, you can not neglect another human being so that it will cause their death and walk free from it.

Sickling...

2011-11-05T12:30:00.000+02:00

I am sick.
Just on thursday I was braggin' to my co-workers that I had managed to escape this sickness that was going around at work, and that I NEVER - OH, NEVER get a fever. I started feeling some signs of something going on the same evening and the next morning I took my temperature. Sure enough - I had a fever. I went to work anyway, since I was the one opening and there very little other choices to be made, but as soon as I could I went home. Slept for hours and babbled silly stuff while watching basketball with my man.
Today I have the same temperature but I feel a littlebit better.
I'll see what kind of weekend this will turn into.

Destination: Egypt!

2011-10-31T22:29:00.000+02:00

After some looong discussions about where to travel this christmas, we decided after much back and forth to go to Egypt.
I'm REALLY excited! I've been there once before, in 2003, and eventhough I got "Pharaoh's Revenge", I LOVED it! I can't wait to go back!

And this time I'm gonna see Luxor, as we're going to Hurghada and take a day (or two) trip there. I love Egyptian history, so I'm really looking forward to that.

Two weeks in Egypt? Yes please.

Zombie-spiders!

2011-10-31T19:03:00.000+02:00

I was gonna make these for the halloween party, but I didn't have time to do it. Since I had already bought all the ingredients for it, and didn't know when I would get the chance to use them, I decided to bake them yesterday for my colleagues at work.
Just a normal chocolate cupcake recipe, and licorice strings for legs and eye-lookin' licorice for eyes.
I think they're kinda cute!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T18:52:00.000+02:00

On saturday, after Thrill the World, I organized the afterparty at my place. We ended up being about 20 zombies eating brains as if it was candy and watching Michael Jackson (yes, if you haven't noticed, zombies like Michael Jackson).
Before the party though, I had already been too late for Thrill the World because I was stressing around with the pumpkins. I had never cut any before and decided to go straight to the most difficult type; a "human" face. I did one with the "Thriller" text and another with a Michael Jackson zombie face. I think it turned out pretty good for the first time, but it sure was difficult.

After I went to Thrill the World (and missed the show), we all went to the store to buy some goods before going back to my place. I have to say that I was a bit nervous at first with so many people at my place, I don't think theres ever been that many, but there were no complains. I guess the neighbours must have seen the faces of my guests. I wouldn't complain either.

(Milla didn't complain either. In fact, she was a very good dog. What else to be when a zombie is keeping its eye on you?)

After a while we decided to go out. I was really close to staying at home though, afther going out with the Norwegians the night before and stressing to get the party going I was pretty tired. But I was so happy I went 'cause I had the best time I've had in ages! We went to this place called Amarillo. I've been there before, but I actually thought it was a restaurant only. It was a great place to party and the DJ was pretty good, except for playing a bit too much Finnish pop music for my taste. But he played MJ for us also, and when Thrille was put on zombies rocked the floors for sure!

Thrill The World 2011!

2011-10-30T15:40:00.000+02:00

So yesterday was the annual Thrill The World again, where participants from all over the world dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller at the exact same time. Luckily, this year it was a 17.00 in Helsinki, instead of in the middle of the night like last year, so there was a lot more audience, and no drunk people flashing their penis in an attempt to be funny like last year.
Unfortunately I missed the dance by 5 minutes, but I got to see the video!
Check it out:

It's a small, small world!

2011-10-30T15:05:00.002+02:00

On friday one of my best friends from Norway came to Helsinki, for some sort of work seminar. He told me about it a while ago and we had already planned to meet then and go out to dinner and maybe a club after.
So when I asked him how many people we would be and he said about 4 or 5, I was pretty surprized that we ended up walking in a group of 15 trying to find a place to eat on friday evening.
Not only that, but since the place I've grown up in Norway is pretty small, it's safe to say that I knew (or they knew me) pretty much half of the people there in one way or another.
We went to Santa Fe, one of Simo and my favourite restaurants and had some good food, before continuing to a drink bar.

Then the people that were up for it headed to Apollo Live Club to continue the drinks before ending the evening listening to a pretty bad band that were playing.

But I had a really nice time out with the Norwegian Gang, and it was great to see a friend from home.

Helmets for pedestriants?

2011-10-25T22:10:00.000+03:00

On the way to work today - minding my own business, I was almost run over. By a bike. Yes yes, I KNOW I've written about this before, but I keep wondering just how much space the bikers really need on whatever journey their taking?
Again I'm standing on the pedestrian field, waiting to cross the street, and again a nervous-looking wobbly biker is driving straight towards me eventhough the WHOLE field is free including the actual bicycle field on the side. He suddenly stops, right infront of me and in time to not run me over. He almost falls off the bike, and I'm not sure if it is because of the lack of orientation he obviousely has, or the fact that I'm waving my arms and hitting my head with my tongue stickin' out in the attempt to do some early morning communication with this being.

One hour in the world of Charles Fazzino.

2011-10-19T22:12:00.002+03:00

A few days ago I got invited to a gallery showcase that I've been waiting to hear about for a while.
In Helsinki we have a gallery dedicated to the 3D master Charles Fazzino, and since I discovered his fun art, I've been a visitor there quite often. The person working there mentioned once that Fazzino would come to Helsinki for a show in this gallery in september/october, and I practiacally MADE him write down my e-mail so that I would be invited.
When I didn't hear anything until a few days ago, I was sure that they had forgotten or lost it.
But no - today I got to meet the master of 3D art.

Most of the art that was there had been there for a while and I had seen it before, but Simo and I were the first guests to arrive, so we got some time to talk to him. He was really nice, and I tried to get hold of his tricks. Simo says that he likes to talk to artists, 'cause they "don't talk no bullshit". I tend to agree. I always feel easy around them and on a level sort of.
He was really nice, with this layed back (but still busy) aura and just down to earth.

His art is usually about one certain theme, very often New York, where he lives. He has portrayed many cities around the world and sports events and celebrities.
I love his art not only for the obvious; the 3D effects, but it's bright colours, details and pure fun.

To Estonia...and back in no time!

2011-10-16T14:14:00.002+03:00

Yesterday I have to say have been one of those days where I've done so much that the weekend seem to be over already. Yeah, I've been to another country. Just like that.
In Helsinki, it's not uncommon to take the ferry over to Tallinn, the capital in Estland from time to time, especially to do some sorely needed cheap shopping. Since I'm working on my new Star Wars costume, I thought it was a good idea to try to find some material there after Simo's mom told us that the fabric stores there were pretty impressive compared to Helsinki.

The first impression that I got of Tallinn wasn't that great. We took a taxi from the harbour to the first fabric store as we had NO idea where it was. As we drove there, I couldn't believe how poor it all looked, at least in the neighbourhood we were in. The fact that it was early saturday and pretty much no people anywhere didn't exactly help on the grey impression.
But the fabric stores were indeed impressive! The first one we came to had more buttons, ribbons and ding-dongs that you'd ever need and the stuff was everywhere! However, they didn't have any of the fabric I needed.
The next places was a bit the same, and I basically found only small parts that I might need later on, but not the exact fabric I wanted. A small shop called "Solveig" (like my granmother) had some really beautiful fabric! I will definately come back there at some later time and get something to make a dress of!

At the end of our hunt we found a HUGE shop that had all the fabrics on sale! I was lucky, 'cause I actually found some there that I might be able to use.
We went to rest a bit in a cafe after that and to splurge on Coke and brownies. Everything in Tallinn seemed to be so cheap compared to Helsinki and that made it a bit too easy to fall for temptation.
Since we had already been to most of the shops we wanted to see, we decided to be real tourists for a while and went to the "Old Town" area, and my impression of Tallinn changed just like that!

It's a beautiful area of the town whish is surrounded of a wall and towers in each corner. It has a charming feel to it, with old houses that are kept with their original look, and restaurants that serve old fashioned foods and treats. Even old fashioned drinks.

We went to a restaurant called "Olde Hansa". The whole place was decoraded as a old tavern and you FELT as if you had stepped into a completely different time. The fact that all the staff was dressed in convincing medieval costumes and there were no lights exept by candle anywhere helped. Even the toilet had a sink made of a tray and a pot of water.

I ordered a rabbit to eat, and Simo ordered a wild boar. He had never tasted it so he was really excited. Beer with honey was served as well, and as I wasn't allowed to have my dose of Coca-Cola but had to settle for home made applejuice I understood how authentic it really was. Like, where can you find a place that sacrifices their Coca-Cola serving for authencity anymore?!

After what was the best dinner I've had in a long time, and after making sure that we left there with a medieval cookbook in our hands, we continued our tour in the Old Town, up to the highest spot.

We had such a great time that we completely forgot the time and pretty much jogged the way down again and hailed a cap to get back to the ferry.
I left with a good impression of Tallinn after the visit to the Old Town, and I would definately go back there, and especially in the spring or summer.

We arrived back on the boat and Helsinki just in time to catch the beautiful sunset.

Where to go?

2011-10-12T23:35:00.000+03:00

We are going to travel again this christmas. We really need it this time.
Last year I worked during the whole christmas, and summer was pretty much NADA for me due to flu or just the daily terror attack that goes around. So we need a 2 weeks vacation to somewhere warm and far, far away. (Maybe another galaxy?)
If you have any ideas or advice, please don't be shy.

United Nordic.

2011-10-02T19:42:00.001+03:00

I'm a drama queen. No doubt about it.
Yesterday was a work day for me, with a scheduled seminar for people with my work. We had a great seminar with a woman who talked about how to stay postive at work, and about how to create positivity through giving out the positive energy instead of negative. She had lots of funny stories, and although she must have talked for about 3 hours, I didn't notice or look at the time once.
Before the lunch brake she started talking about the three countries that are very close together in the North; Norway, Sweden and Finland. Although we all make fun of eachother from time to time, and has a past of occupying eachother, we share a bond of caring that is hard to brake.
She said that each country is know for one single word each;

Norway: Heart.

Sweden: Brains.

Finland: Bravery.

I can understand the thought behind this.
She asked if anyone in the public was from Norway, and I politely raised my hand as the only one (eventhough I later found out that there were a couple of others as well). She started to talk about the terror that happened in July in Norway (while keeping her eyes on me) and how Norway had reacted with more love and no hatred or violence.
Then I said that phrase that one surviving victim of the Utøya shooting said a few days after: "If one man can show so much hate, imagine how much love we can show together".
And then, if I hadn't brought enough attention to myself, I managed to cry. Not just a tiny tear - OH NO - a SOB infront of aaaaaaaaaall the 200 people in the public. Great.
But apperantly, I didn't have to feel alone, when I took my hands from my face and looked around 20 percent of all the people there were crying as well.
When the lunch brake started the woman told me that she thought it was brave of me to show the feelings there, a woman from the public told me that she hadn't really been able to react, and that the whole thing helped her to. In a later brake, another woman from the public came up to me and told me that all of the Nordic countries were so devestated by what happened, and that she hoped I felt the love from all the public in that room. I sure did and it inspired me.

I haven't felt this good and light spirited in a long time.

Gorillas at the gym!

2011-09-28T20:30:00.000+03:00

Actually, this is not just a headline, it's a fact! Well, sort of.
Yesterday when I was at the mall where my gym is, the background music suddenly stopped and an alarm came on. I noticed that nobody gave it any thought really and just continued with their business. As the natural paranoid person that I am, I had to ask the people working at my gym when I went there, but they didn't know what it was either, it was probably a fault in the radio or something. Ah well.
But when I was on the treadmill consumed in my rhytm and music, I saw in the mirror some weird figures approaching from the far end of the gym. I got really startled, because it was two gorillas! Not the type of gorillas on steroids, but the type that is on the outside of a human being.
It seemed to me that the packed gym kind of went into slowmotion as the sweaty and exhausted people tried to focus and understand what was going on. Had they been working so hard that the other people in the place ahs started growing fur?!
Ah well, I guess the Gainomaz Recovery drinks that they got from the gorillas helped them get back to normal.

Christmas is here!

2011-09-26T00:01:00.000+03:00

Yep, you heard me.
I have already seen christmas decoration magazines, christmas sewing magazines and even commercial for christmas gifts.
It's not even october yet. It really DOES seem like it comes earlier and earlier every year.
I wonder when the Coca-Cola christmas commercial will hit the TV screen.

Sembalot troop!

2011-09-20T17:24:00.001+03:00

This weekend I've been busy trooping and hosting guests. And getting sick.
Øyvind came to our place on friday and stayed until monday for this weekend troop called "Sembalot". It was at a huge mall a bit outside Helsinki, and Sembalot is basically a crazy sale weekend. We were there trooping for Unicef, and we even got troopers from Norway and Sweden to join us!
It was a lot of fun!

The best part of the whole troop was probably that Cubic at fixed so we got everything for free! Dinner at a really good restaurant, cinema visits if we wanted to and snacks and drinks!

During saturday I started feeling sick. Theres been sickness going on at work for a while and I've already had it, but I guess it never really broke out fully. On sunday though I felt so bad that I wasn't even able to troop until the end. My throat was hurting so bad and I had a splitting headache.

Otherwise I had a really good time! It was fun to troop at a shoppingmall and eventhough most of the children were pretty shy, we got lots of attention when we happened to have the two people who constantly announced the days events over their microphones right next to us.

HIAA exhibition 2011!

2011-09-13T18:57:00.000+03:00

So the yearly art exhibition with my art club Helsinki International Artist Association is over.
I've been painting like crazy for this, and I've actually been quite stressed. The vernissage was yesterday, and today I've been SO tired at work I've felt like a walking zombie in what have felt like a endless sea of children.

So yesterday I had the day off, and I went REALLY early to the gym to release some tension and stress. Then I got home and got everything ready before I was picked up by Susan and we drove to Sanomatalo where the exhibition is. We got really good spaces for our art, and I was really happy to see that, after we've had some locations before that haven't been great.
When I had hung my art I met my granparents who came from Norway to see the exhibition and we went to eat lunch and shop a little.

The vernissage started at 18.00 and I was exhited and a littlebit nervous, but it went really great and so many people came! It was fun that so many of my friends that I had invited came to see my art.

FINALLY the new painting is finished.

2011-09-13T18:23:00.000+03:00

It's been finished last weekend, but now it's official and on display at an art exhibition. I have been working on this painting since 2007 when I started on it. I planned it and scetched it, but then I took a brake from it. In 2009 I started in it again and I have been working on it on and off since then.
It's huge, I don't have the dimentions right now, but it must be 100 cm X 150 cm.
It's called Michael and Dancer's Victory and is inspired by the trial in 2005.

9/11 - where was I? In New York.

2011-09-11T20:52:00.002+03:00

Today is 10 years since the attack on the World Trade Center in New York, the story we all have heard so many times. The clip on TV that we've seen over and over again with one airplane after another crashing into the towers.

I saw it it with my own eyes. I was there. This is MY story.

I went there with a bunch of people, to see two tribute concerts celebrating the 30th anniversary of Michael Jackson's career. There was no question in my mind why I shouldnt' have gone - after all, he was gonna perform as well, and not only that, but with his brothers THE JACKSON 5! It was a historic event that I just couldn't miss. Little did we know that we were gonna be part of a less joyful historic event also...

So most of the time before that date had gone to do some sightseeing and hang outside Michael Jackson's hotel. Fans? Naaah.

It's probably hard for many to understand, but it's a lot of fun, and it brings people together. You see a LOT of crazy people and you get also lots of new friends. Michael lived at The Palace Hotel, and the rest of his family lived at The Plaza. One of the days we met his brother Randy outside The Plaza, and I was the only one to recognize him at first. We were on the other side of the street, and I ran towards him. He wasn't entirely prepared for the gang of fans jumping out from the bushes like some hungry hyenas, but he was polite and took pictures with us.

The concert was GREAT, and probably the best one I've ever been to. The atmosphere was special. Completely wild and you could notice that the public were amazed by seeing the Jacksons together again for the first time since the 80's!
Here's a video:

Or course we sat kinda far in the back...but we enjoyed it none the less!

We got some time to see New York also. Not just hotels and concert halls, and we all knew that we had to go to Ellis Island and see the Statue of Liberty. So on the 9th of september we went there among other places, and Carl Philip and I posed for a photo:

The second concert was on the 10th of september, and we had the day after free for whatever we wanted, before we would fly home on the 12th.
We had already planned that we were gonna go up in the World Trade Center to get THE view over New York on our last day, but after a long concert and lots of good time we overslept. I woke up by a loud sound and realized that the time was already almost 9 in the morning. I tried to call my family in Norway for a quick chat about our events so far, but couldn't get through. I decided to get dressed and go outside to get some connection on my phone. As I stood on the treet, trying to call, I realized that something was different. Why were people running? I could hear the sound of sirens everywhere, but after all, that was pretty normal in New York. With my phone by my ear I turned around and saw World Trade Center Tower 1 on fire.
How I sort of remember it was that I didn't really realize what it was. There was so many fires all around the city so I just though "Hm, another one". But as I watched, I saw a plane coming at full speed and a huge explosion in the second tower. I thought that the plane flew past the tower and that the explosion was connected to the first one.
I went back inside and we all started the day and headed towards the World Trade Center. We took it easy and wanted to shop along the way. Inside a Virgin Megastore we saw what was really going on on big TV screens all around the store.
Police told us to go back to the hotel right away and we did so. But when we arrived there we were evacuated and had to take all our luggage with us, and headed for the only place we could think of: the Norwegian Embassy.

When we arrived there it was closed, and a person who happened to see us in there told us to go to the Norwegian Seamen's Church.
On our way there we saw a different New York from what we'd seen, people throwing clothes and items down from their appartment windows, TV's placed in the middle of roads with people surrounding them, people dressed in the US flag, and a new helpfulness that I hadn't noticed before. A random guy helped me a really long way with my suitcase that was broken when he saw how much trouble I had carrying it.
When we arrived at the church we were taken in right away and got food and the penthouse appartment there. We could stay there for as long as we needed. We finally got to call our family that we hadn't been able to reach, 8 hours after the attacks! Man, were they glad to hear from us! They knew that we were planning to go to the WTC that day and were terrified.
The way we coped with all this on the first evening was that we went to a film rental place and rented 3 Disney films and watched them one after the other.

It was a trip that I will never forget, in more ways that just one.

Teaser!

2011-09-11T18:46:00.000+03:00

You're NOT gonna see my painting before tomorrow!

A day well deserved.

2011-09-07T21:44:00.003+03:00

Today Simo and I went to Linnanmaki, which is Helsinki's amusement park. We had gotten a free entry ticket from my work, which included all rides for free. It's usually free to get in, but inside it cost for each ride, or you can buy different types of wristbands with numbers of rides included. I have always thought it's very expensive there.

It was nice though, we went there after my work and the first thing we took is a ride I call "Mini Space Mountain". It's sort of like Space Mountain from Disneyland, but much less action basically.
After taking the stuff we wanted and discovering that it was far too long lines for the ride we "kinda wanted", we left. It was a very nice evening, it's been a long time since I was there.

But I have to say that I'm spoiled. By Disneyland. After you've been there as many times as I have, and love it like I do, nothing else really goes. Simple as that. Every other amusement park becomes mediocre. Americans are the best at creating theme parks, no doubts about it.

Remember me?

2011-09-05T17:18:00.001+03:00

Not that I have this idea that if I don't update this blog all my wonderful readers have NOTHING TO DO, and sit infront of their computer with my blog open on the screen, crying from the bottom of their souls that are starving for the ever so smallest news of my never ending eventful life.
No.
But I still have to update from time to time so that you remember that I'm still alive and kickin'. Sort of.
However, today I've been sick and home from work. Clearly something is going on there, a kindergarden always gets some sort of disease running around.
Events are coming up this month though, that I'm very exhited about, so keep stopping by!

My little art corner.

2011-08-31T20:53:00.001+03:00

I paint in out livingroom, so sometimes it can look a bit cluttered in our place. But it's a cozy little corner, and I like to be able to talk to Simo if I want and listen to music and even have the TV on. For now it'll have to do.

As you might know, I'm part of an art exhibition in september, and I'm painting like a crazy person to be able to finish it time. My goal is to finish the painting at the end of this weekend.

Happy birthday King!

2011-08-29T23:02:00.000+03:00

Eventhough I already celebrated it, I had to point out that my idol, Michael Jackson's (what would had been) 53rd birthday was today.
I celebrated it in a small way, wearing a t-shirt and with Arnold's cupcakes! Simo watched some MJ videos with me like the good sport he is. (Thank you!)

To celebrate even further I will share some of my absolute favourite pictures of him here.

Miss you.

Celebration!

2011-08-28T14:46:00.001+03:00

Yesterday I had a great time celebrating what would have been Michael Jackson's 53rd birthday - two days early (it's the 29th of August).
I went to the gym in the early morning before I met a friend at the food store by chance. We went together to the harbour to meet up with the rest of the fans and head over to Suomenlinna, an island in Helsinki. We had all bought some snacks and drink, but it didn't take long before we discovered that we needed MORE and headed to the store on the island, and ended up with more than we could eat.

One girl had even baked a MJ cake that looked great! However, seeing that all the goodies slowly started to melt in the beautiful weather wehad to try to eat in a hurry. We stayed there for a while, and went for a stroll on the island as well. It has very high tourist factor and when it's a beautiful day like we had yesterday, it's a must for people who haven't been to Helsinki.
We ended up going to the hotel of some fans after that before we went to Memphis to eat.
My food wasn't great I have to say...I had ordered steak with wok and shrimps, but the steak didn't taste anything really and the wok was too salty, and the shrimps didn't have anything else than pepper on them. But the pecan cheese cake I ate for dessert was GREAT!

After the restaurant, we went to Molly Malone to dance and have a good time. It sure was crowded and hot, and after going through the place for what seemed like an eternity, we came to the end of the club, a place I didn't even know existed, eventhough I've been there many times.
We were there for a while, bumping into most people around us, and at some point I realized that I seemed to bump into a person behind me quite often. More than normal I would say. And not the whole body, which is usual, but only the butt. Hm.
So I turn around and see that this guy is not just dancing, but searching for butts to bump into! Obviousely with some sort of butt-fetish, he stuck his ass out and hoped for the best, glancing behind him from time to time scouting for butts and started navigating towards them.
After trying to avoid him I discovered the only way to deal with it, and I started dancing this crazy african inspired ass shaking dance, smashing into his butt! I think I scared him, 'cause he seemed to slowly dissapear from our butt-zone.

I had a great night out! Thanks MJ-girls!

Root'n toot'n saturday!

2011-08-21T23:24:00.004+03:00

This weekend was great! A friend of mine from work and her boyfriend had their joint birthday party that Simo and I went to.
It started out at a restaurant where we had raindeer pasta and a really nice time with new (and old) friends.
My biggest concern was the fact that we were supposed to GO to a night club after the dinner to DANCE. I had put on my fabulous shoes - but had forgotten that there is no life in those shoes without Compeed (yes, here you have some commercial)! Of course I already realized this on the way to the restaurant, but what to do? I managed to avoid every single crack between the cobble stones, and altough Simo carried me (yes) a tiny bit, I arrived in an almost elegant fashion.
They had rented a few tables in a part of the nightclub. Obviousely I was sitting most of the time, but I had to move pretty fast as some middle aged women stared to dance on OUR table. Apparently it's a "thing" there that just HAS to happen, but I knew what WOULD happen in time. And right enough - BANG! Fist women on the floor. Thankfully, not on me. We decided to move after they placed their drinks right above our heads on a shelf. That just couldn't end well.
I encountered a pool of puke in the toilet sink also, and I realize that I have to get out more, concidering that I got really shocked. But I DID have a really nice time out.

R.I.P. Jackie.

2011-08-21T18:12:00.000+03:00

Our dear family dog Jackie died last thursay. She was old and loved. In our family our animals ARE family. She will be missed, the greatest and proudest hunting dog ever.

Stereotypical Facebook friends.

2011-08-18T20:42:00.002+03:00

We all have them. Most of us are one (or more) of them. And if you have many of them that you don't see any point of having, how long would it take you to delete them? If you would.
Some of these examples happened to me, and some of them my (real) friends have told me about. For example "The old idiot" and "The hopeful bride or groom" a friend of mine experienced.

1. THE TRUE FRIEND.
You usually talk to this person quite often, and they gladly contact you. This is a person you spend time with "in the real world" and that you might share several hobbies with.

2. THE OLD FRIEND.
When you find this friend on Facebook, or they find you, you're like "YES!" and you're SO happy to finally build back an old friendship. But as time goes on, and the first conversations has long ago gone flat, you're starting to realize that you have nothing in common and nothing to talk about. Sometimes you experience that you are the one taking contact and you haven't found any response that suggest that they're really interessted in you.

3. THE OLD IDIOT.
A person that you really have no desire to know, but you added them anyway. Maybe they have been mean to you in the past, and you think that they've changed. Chances that you have a lot in common now are small, and as soon as you've added them you instantly regret having them on your list.
The interessting twist is when you discover that they requested you out of curiousity only, and as soon as they have found out of you've gained weight, look different, have a baby, where you live now ot if your "still a freak", they've deleted you even before you got the chance to delete THEM.

4. THE CONNECTION.
Usually no real friendship, but simply a person you want to stay in touch with for your own benefit. Purely business. No more said.

5. THE ACQUINTANCE.
You know them, but not really. But that's OK. You hang in the same crowd normally or in certain hobby situations, and it would seem unnatural and rather rude to deny a friend request. Very good for the jungle drum.

6. THE FRIENDS, FRIENDS, FRIENDS!!!
This is a friend who has thousands of friends! They often claim that they are truly real friends with all of them, but you know that's not possible, because as soon as you try to make contact they don't have the time to talk or simply don't answer. However, this can be a person who still used unreal amount of time to update their status. You'll always know what they're up to, but they'll never know anything about you.

7. THE ONE YOU'VE NEVER MET.
Usually a Facebook friendship that has started because of a shared hobby or interesst. It seemed like a good idea at the time, and sometimes it is. Maybe you'll actually build a friendship, but most of the time it just ends up being another person on your list.

8. THE GOOD OLD FRIEND.
It may be true that you've lost most of the contact, and even your shared interessts, but it would seem completely unnatural not to have that person on the list, and you hope for a chance to see them again soon and set a new spark to that old friendship.

9. THE HOPEFUL BRIDE OR GROOM.
They contact you politely and introduces themselves. Who they are (?), where they come from, and that of course, for no particular reason but, "and oh - by the way! I'm single!".
They of course think you very beautiful and interessting and would like to get to know you better. Maybe they could even come to visit? Hm? Maybe you could help them with their Visa?

A painters silence.

2011-08-14T22:02:00.000+03:00

Yes. Very artistic. Very.
But the fact is that I'm too artistic to be anything else these days. There will be an exhibition in about a month that I'm part of, and I really want to have my painting done by then. So I'm pretty much painting during all my free time to finish it. This painting in particular is one I've worked on since 2007 I think, so it's about time to put it on a wall soon.
It's probably the biggest and most ambitious painting I've ever done, so I'm quite nervous about it.

Barbecue for my Star Wars gang.

2011-08-06T23:53:00.002+03:00

Today I've had a really good time with my Star Wars friends. Simo and I went to a 501st member's place for a barbecue and some fun. After a long debate back and forth between taking the motorcycle or not since it kept raining now and then, we decided to take it. On the way ofcourse it started to rain again, and without gloves, the raindrops felt like a chinese water torture on my hands! However, I was still able to walk, talk and eat when we arrived, and we got homemade burgers and I served my Star Wars cookies.

After the food we had some fun taking promo pictures of Darth Vader and Stormtroopers to be used with our trooping. When they were taking pictures, the kids in the neighbourhood discovered that they had THE Darth Vader in their backyard!!! Ofcourse they were like "WHAT?!" and started yelling and mkessing around, but safely from a distance.
When Simo started to walk slowly towards them with two Stormtroopers behind, I could see in their eyes that they were trying to figure our if it was a good idea to stay put or to get the hell outta there. They stayed. Ofcourse then they followed us and came into the garden and Vader had to show them who is boss.

August. Life.

2011-08-06T21:08:00.002+03:00

August is one of those months a year that MEANS something. Usually it's a new start, sort of new years. I guess this comes from all those years in school, the end of the summer and the beginning og a new semester.
August means many new things to me. A new semester in kindergarden has started, with new children and parents. I have to work hard on my painting to finish it for the exhibition in september. I have to make my new Padme (Star Wars) costume and finish it before november. I have to go to the gym to be fit for the costume.

Wedding pictures.

2011-07-31T13:12:00.005+03:00

Since Blogspot/Blogger is being ridiculous right now, and you can't post the normal way or edit pictures into a old post (don't get Blogspot!) I've made a new post with a couple of pictures from Nelly and Audun's wedding.
Here you go!

The gang.

Super 8.

2011-07-30T21:58:00.003+03:00

Yesterday Simo and I went straight to the cinema after work to see "Super 8".
I didn't know what is was about except for that it was a sci-fi and prodiced by Steven Spielberg.
That's two things that goes well together: Sci-fi - Steven Speilberg.

I wasn't dissapointed, the mixture was delighful and I felt like a child again after a good old fashioned Spielberg movie (it was very clear that he had a large hand in this), where the kids saves the family, alien encounters and a different time.

Go see it!

A light in the ruins.

2011-07-25T12:02:00.004+03:00

Despite all that happened on friday, there was a wonderful happy moment in all this unhappiness.
My dear friends Nelly and Audun's wedding was a joy to attend and be part of. Not only because I know that this is a great couple, but to meet people from all over the world makes some perspective during a difficult time. Nelly's family, some which came all the way from Africa for the occation, and african food made with so much love from a lively kitchen (they had SAMOSA!!).

Eventhough my best friend Ann-Iren (who was Nelly's maid of honour) and I sat on the bathroom floor the night before and did the final touches on her speech, which quite frankly she didn't think would work, it went very well! She didn't leave a single eye dry, including her own!
The party was a lot of fun, eventhough at some point I got a hoard of children after me. It's odd, I always do - I wonder if they can detect some sort of sign that no adults see that says that I love children, and they ALWAYS seem to find me. They were sweet eventhough I didn't have my arms and legs much free at all during the evening.

The night ended with lively dancing with African music, and I even got to show off my moonwalk. Go me!

(Pictures will come when I get back to Finland.)

Norway under terror attack!

2011-07-23T12:26:00.005+03:00

Yesterday, Norway suffered the biggest massacre done by one single person in the history of our world.
First a huge bomb went off in a building in the middle of Oslo and killed and wounded several people. The police is still looking for people under the ruins.

I arrived to Norway yesterday to be part of a wedding today. I first heard rumour about all this on the airport in Helsinki and thought nothing of it. But when we landed in Norway the reality hit us all.
Two hours after the bomb a man dressed in a police uniform had gone into a politics camp for youth and started shooting people. It was an island and difficult to escape. Some people hid, other fled by swimming, and 91 of all the 600 people that were there were killed.

Yesterday was a stragic day, but today I have to try to have a good time for my friends.

Back to Norway - again.

2011-07-22T16:33:00.002+03:00

So I'm on my way back to Norway. In fact I'm sitting on the airport now, by the gate, waitin to board at any time. Trying to focus and reading my book has shown to be difficult the flight to board before us here was to Rome. I knew italians were loud but i didn't expect grown people to act like a bunch from Jersey Shore. Without even knowing it, my eyes kept looking for Snooki shouting "Jersey Shore, I love you bitch!" but all I heard was a "shhh" from a Norwegian passanger.
With a mixture of Finnish and Norwegian travellers waiting patiently by the gate, and a woman sitting next to me with her bag in between us and still a HUGE space beyond that as well, (instead of the italien guy earlier, bouncing down next to me and picking his nose) I think I can get back to my book.

Disney-sunday!

2011-07-17T22:40:00.004+03:00

I started the day with Mickey Mouse pancakes. I had bought the pancake form in Disney World when I was in Florida, and so far I've only used it for eggs, which didn't have a Mickey effect at all.
After that I got inspired to hang around in Disney world once more and spent most of the day dreaming towards that place by going through my photos and such.
In the evening Simo and I watched The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy which was exactly as I expected it to be. OK.
It's been a Disney kind of day!

Back home.

2011-07-15T20:32:00.003+03:00

I'm home in Finland now, after what should seem to be a relaxing and long holiday. Eventhough I've had 3 weeks of holidays in Norway, I don't feel like it. I'm not rested and I don't really feel like I've had time off. I'm not really sure why. I think it's mostly because I've been sick pretty much the whole time, eventhough it hasn't really stopped me from doing the things I wanted to. However, I've had a good time with my friends and I'm happy that I got to meet as many as I did this year - it's an ongoing battle to make time for it all.
There was many things I planned to do that I didn't get time for, and stuff like that always stresses me out more than relaxing me for some reason.
Well now it's back to work and real life again.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 PREMIERE!!!

2011-07-13T10:57:00.005+03:00

WARNING! SPOILERS!!!

OK, I have to admit that I wasn't just excited about this premiere, I was also a bit sad. I have read all the Harry Potter books, and all of them more than once, and after weeping from the knowledge that I had just closed the last book and the Harry Potter adventure almost four years ago, I had the same dreaded feeling last night, when I went to the premiere.
It started slow, both the film and the atmosphere. Not being Norwegian, I thought I should ease the tention with at least an innocent "WHOOO!" when the Harry Potter title came on the screen. No response. Just eyes looking at me. Welcome to Norway.

Eventhough it's four years since I read the last book and I had forgotten some small details, it was pretty much just how I remembered it, and very accurate from the book. (As far as I know, I might have to read it again.) It's a worthy end to it all, maybe a bit slow in the beginning, but the fight between Voldemort and Harry was cool, like in the book, Voldemort could have died with a bit of a bigger BANG and not just the forever "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH" that seemed to be much of the dialogue from him. I think in the trailer that's actually the ONLY dialogue from him...

For those of you who will see it, look forward, but maybe see the Part 1 just before.
I'm a bit sad that it's all over, but it's been a great ride!

A wonderful brake at Son Spa.

2011-07-12T22:41:00.005+03:00

Ann-Iren, Nelly and I have had two wonderful days at Son Spa. My day started with going to the gym which quite frankly I've missed this summer. After eating a really great and fruity breakfast we took the time to relax a bit and take in the beautiful scenery before heading back home.

I have to say that having no idea what a Spa is all about I was surprised to find much nicer than I thought. With the beautiful scenery it was even better!

The kidnapping of Nelly!

2011-07-12T20:58:00.007+03:00

My good friend Nelly is getting married with my good friend Audun - HURRAH!
Of course this has to be celebrated with the gals in some way or another and since Ann-Iren is Nelly's maid of honour she fixed a journey for us to take Nelly with us on.

I think we have been scaring Nelly pretty much over the last week or so, and her being from Africa she had no idea what crazy stuff the Vikings do on these occations.
When we kidnapped her with our car and drover towards Oslo, she was pretty sure that's where we were heading. Passing Oslo she was pretty sure that we were heading to the themepark "Tusenfryd", and passing Tusenfryd she was pretty sure that she had no idea what was going on.

We ended up in Son, and landed our tired bottoms at Son Spa - the best Spa in Norway.
I think Nelly was happy with that destination.

After a nice lunch (and an overprices Pepsi Max) Nelly headed for a treatment, I headed for the gym and Ann-Iren headed for the terrace to take some sun before we all explored the many pools and jacuzzies that the place had to offer. I haven't really been to a Spa of this size before and I wasn't dissapointed.

After the relaxing spa we were so drowsy that we literally wobbled around the little village of Son to get something to eat. I think we went through every menu of every restaurant (which is about 5) before we decided to settle at Cafe Oliven.

Runaway dog!

2011-07-10T15:59:00.003+03:00

Milla is an active dog - we all know that. But she has ACTUALLY become much calmer lately, which is basically hyper for a normal dog. Last time she was in Norway was two year ago and she ran away. She got out of our garden and ran around, and we live right by a very busy street.
We really didn't expect her to do it again, but she did.
So yesterday she decided to go out for a quest in the neighbourhood, got out (God know's how) and ended up in some random persons garden, who didn't find it at all strange to get a dog visitor apparently. Simo went looking for her at one side of Da Hood, and Henrik on the other, and I was having Coca-Cola and watching Tangled at my friends house.
Pretty much everyone sitting outside had seen her for a brief moment, running around in her lost adventure, and as I said, she ended up in a garden.
When Henrik asked the people "Have you seen a small dog around here" and they answered "Oh yes, it's playing in our garden", it seemed completely natural that dogs run wild in our Hood. Why oh why spend money on a ID chip when nobody will even try to look at the collar?

When your friend is a chef...

2011-07-08T13:54:00.004+03:00

life is good.

Creepy ride home...

2011-07-02T13:53:00.003+03:00

After a really nice evening with my bestfriend Ann-Iren and the gang, after pizza, sushi and rock'n'roll, we left their place on our quest to get home safely.
We did, but not without contact with the police.

So we were driving minding our own business when we discovered a car driving really close behind us. We came to an area with 4 roundabouts after eachother and the car happened to have the same direction as us every single time. After turning to a street kinda fast it did the same behind us and we understood that we were being followed.
Eventhough we were close to our home we decided to drive past it and continue back to the center and possibly towards the police station.
After turning a few times which really made no sense, we STILL hadn't shaken off the car, but suddenly it drove past us in high speed and dissapeared. We turned in to a small street and decided to head home from there, but as I was turning, the car came back and drove past us back towards the direction we came from.
Probably they had gotten bored by it all, so we went home. But as soon as we we came to the street, the car stood waiting for us with the lights off in the shadows by the cemetary (yes it sounds very creepy, and yes, it was).
Of course it takes off again and follows us, and so we decide to head for the police station. On the way we notice police by a club and I park there to talk to them. The car silently drives by, but keeps driving by us a couple of times. However I think they noticed me pointing at them and talking to the police. Most probably just some poor teenagers without hobbies, but still you never know.

Desucon 6 Day 2!

2011-06-28T16:44:00.007+03:00

The second day of Desucon was a bit more relaxing since we didn't really have a shedule except which times we should be in the stands and have our photos taken.
Simo and Henrik came and helped out, but actually most of the time we got stuck in the audience of a Cosplay competition. Very interessting whith lots of amazing costumes!

The only thing you have to fear when you're on one of these kinds of things, is the variety of weapons you might encounter. Most of them are pretty harmless and made of safe materials, but that doesn't mean that they can't hurt.
Also, not all people have the same amount of respect for our costumes. A fellow trooper got hit pretty hard in the helmet and while somebody was talking to me about my costume her friend suddenly decided to punch me in side of the head. Maybe she wanted to check if my hair protected my head or something. It didn't.

Desucon 6 Day 1!

2011-06-28T14:26:00.006+03:00

One of the many things that I have been looking forward to, coming to Norway, was Desucon. It's a convetion that is every year in Oslo, and I haven't been a part of it before this year. It was different from any other convention that I've been to before, because most people attanding it is in costume, and it's a lot of manga, games etc. The big deal is Cosplay.

The day started early eventhough the doors didn't open before 12. Luckily Henrik came with me since I had no idea where it was held and quite frankly, the streets of Oslo mostly confuses me.
Anyway, after getting the costume in I noticed more and more that it was warmer than usual, and the fact that the place in itself had many corridoors and rooms didn't make it better. I didn't know that I was building up a fever, and managed the day quite well.

I also agreed a few days before the convetion to be autioned away (for charity) for a dance and a little date. Darth Vader would do the same and they needed someone for the guys also. I must admit I was a bit nervous, and seeing countless guys wearing bags over their heads with holes cut our for the eyes, scary masks and even full body furry costumes it didn't exactly help. But I was glad to have a very nice date in the end.

The auction part of it was a bit nervevrecking though, as I had to stand by and watch Darth Vader getting more and more bids. In the end he was autioned away for 500 camels. Then it was my turn. Since the girls in general screamed more than the guys, I didn't have very high hopes after Vader's auction was quite vocal from hundred of "fans". My auction went pretty silent (with one "Padme I love you", I believe), but I went for 800 camels! That was about 750 camels more than I expected!

With our dates.

In the evening we decided to go out and eat after a good troop.

2 AMJ.

2011-06-28T13:27:00.006+03:00

It's been two years since Michael Jackson died last saturday. I was lucky to have a busy day and not much time to think about it, but still he is always in my heart and thoughts.
I still have difficulty believing that he's gone, not to mention why. It hasn't made me a bigger fan, I already had 4 tickets for the This Is It concerts when he died.
I will continue to celebrate his life for what it was; magic, and mourn the terrible day on June 25th 2009.

Bicycle weirdos!

2011-06-21T21:49:00.006+03:00

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike...
BIIIIIIIIIIIICYCLE!!

Yes, that's all very fine and dandy, but you would you please try NOT TO KILL ME?!
Lately I've felt like the bicycle people of Helsinki has been on a mission to try to terminate my life.
I can see the steam rising from their bodies as they wait on the other side, getting high by the knowledge that soon, very soon they will cross that road. And there's a human being on the other side. Eyes flickering of excitement, squinting up towards the lights, one foot one the pedal and the other foot on the ground to keep the balance.
I am standing on the left side, where it is my right to stand, on the pedestrian field. So are they. They have a big area for bicycles to use, but they're not.
It's a battlefield.
It's a mystery.

Dangerous video unlocked!

2011-06-19T19:45:00.003+03:00

Here is the video fron friday's dance lesson. Apparently Google doesn't let us upload videos here anymore, so I had to upload them through my Youtube account.
Enjoy!

Dangerous dance course.

2011-06-19T13:52:00.004+03:00

On friday it was time again for something I had been looking forward to for a while: Michael Jackson dance course. We continued with "Dangerous" from HIStory tour Munich 1997 performance and we put all the bits and peices together to form a longer routine. I must say we nailed it and it's so much fun! I will practise for next time and hopefully eventually we'll learn the whole dance.
We were not as many as last time, probaby because of the timing, but actually it was kinda nice as we got much more space and maybe we learned a bit faster also.

After the course a group of us went out to eat at a Thai food restaurant and then for a beer. I had a great evening, and I hope there will be much more courses in the future.

I have a video, but because of the problem right now with uploading it, I will upload it later when it's solved.

Problems uploading videos.

2011-06-19T13:47:00.003+03:00

The reason why I haven't written her in a while is that I have some promblems with Blogger right now. For some reason I can't upload vidoes, I just get a error and a number that I should send to "The Administration", but there is no administration - at least that I can find and contact. If any of you out there has a blog here and can help me, I would be very thankful.

Perfect weekend for a visit!

2011-06-15T20:50:00.004+03:00

I haven't been blogging for a while, 'cause I've been busy. Actually. In the real world. Detail: when a blogger blogs ALL the time about different things means that they're not busy. When it's quiet, they are.

Anyways, I've had a really nice visit from my family in Norway. My aunt and uncle came here for the first time and I was a bit nervous. But I got the beautiful weather I ordered and they loved it here. On saturday we walked around in the center sighseeing before ending a perfect day with perfect food at a Mexican restaurant.

On sunday we had lunch on a sightseeing boat with Simo's family as well. It was really nice and we saw places that I never dreamed of. The lunch buffet was good too! We decided to go to the main beach here in Helsinki after the trip, and eventhough I thought it was freezing still, my granmother and uncle actually swam! We had a great weekend, and I can't wait to go to Norway now!

Summer in Finland.

2011-06-05T23:43:00.004+03:00

On saturday we went on a trip to the mainland to eat at a really cozy cafe. We had smoked salmon with vegetables and eventhough I'm not a huge fish-lover I DID love this one!

After the delicious meal we investigated the area, and if almost felt like another time. So quiet. I almost got tempted to move to a house there for sale. ALMOST.
In the evening we played Carcassonne again and just relaxed. Wonderful. But it sure is nice to get back to Helsinki too.

First trip of the summer.

2011-06-05T22:50:00.004+03:00

I'm back from a nice long weekend at Simo's family's summer cottage.
We arrived on thursday and though I was planning to DO all these things (why do I always do that?), it was so nice to relax and just enjoy the good weather. We made tacos and played Carcassonne for hours (a really cool board game).

Great night out!

2011-05-30T20:24:00.003+03:00

Last saturday was what I guess I can call my official birthday party. I invited some friends over to start out with some Michael Jackson music and videos as well as a home made cake that looked more like a dead smurf than anything else. I was super nervous about the cake because I didn't follow the recipe exactly and it looked a bit fishy and unreal (it was blue). But it ended up really nice and most important of all; GONE!

When we thought it was time we went to the center to dance and we had a really good time at my favourite club there. We didn't stop till we got enough and danced until we dropped. Pretty much. I had a great time!

I'm fine on this Judgement Day, thank you. How are you?

2011-05-22T22:04:00.006+03:00

I was walking around all day yesterday thinking that it was Judgement Day. According to the Bible it should have been 21st of may 2011. What the Bible failed to tell though, was that it was in America. Why it's not according to Israel or some other biblical place I don't know. Anyway. I'm still alive, and there hasn't been a global earthquake or anything else taking us all away to heaven or hell.

But I HAVE had a very nice day; out on a picnic with Simo. We decided to take his motorcycle and drive to a forest area to eat and hang out a bit. It was a while out of Helsinki, but it wasn't that bad. We made tuna sandwiches and had fruit and it was really nice to be out of the city a bit.

Can there ever be enough cake?

2011-05-19T20:23:00.002+03:00

I guess not.
So far this has been my day:

7:00: Wake up. Eat a piece of chocolate cheesecake.

8:00: Come to work. Eat a home made chocolate muffin.

11:00: Eat lunch. Eat two pieces of cookies.

12:00: Brake. Eat a muffin.

14:30: Snack time. Eat 6 big pieces of biscuits.

18:00: Come home. Eat a piece of chocolate cheesecake.

Why? Because I have my birthday today, that's why.

Bring. It. On.

Happy birthday Norway!

2011-05-17T19:01:00.004+03:00

Today is the Norwegian National Day - the 17th of may!
It's a big deal in Norway, with parades in every corner of the country and family traditions. Most people wear a "Bunad" which is the norwegian national costume, and every region has a few different ones, depending on where you're from exactly. The one below is similar to the one I have.

It's pretty traditional on this day to grill hot dog and eat ice cream, I know, not very exotic...and family get together is a must.

Congratulations Finland!

2011-05-16T13:12:00.002+03:00

The new World Champions of Icehockey 2011!

I have never been a sports person, and neither is Simo really. Buy I can't deny that I can get pretty into it if I start watching something that has a team closer to what I feel is home. So we have been watching the Icehockey World Championship and seen Norway do well and Finland of course even better! There were a couple (exactly 6I think...) high-pitched screams coming from our appartment I think, and when the results were 6-1 to Finland and the adrenalin couldn't get any higher, we decided to take Milla out for a walk along with a Finnish flag, waving and shouting to every car that were passing by. We could hear the car horns all the way from the mainroad going nuts, and I can't even imagine how it was in the center.
H