December 09, 2009

first impression is hazy

so im not quite sure yet what i think. traveling makes me a bit emotional always, and the extensive work and lack of sleep past couple days is affecting me too.

i arrived at 4am, and the flight was ...interesting. Malev personnel didnt care much for the überstrict take off/landing -rules (seat up, seatbelts fastenened etc) and it might have been useless anyway because people had their own rules on this flight... somewhat chaotic. and the airport interrogation... listing my friends names, numbers, explaining which train im taking and where... they were suspicious that i didn't have a travel guide book and couldnt name a single place i would like to go see. finally upon asking for my business card and seeing it, they let me in. the train from airport to 'my place' (which is a skyscraper on top of a train station) was mere 15mins so i got settled quick after the airport hassle which took an hour.

i saw the first friendly face today at a coffee shop. that was what i needed. so far id been sensing a bit hostile attitude. i am thinking we have a culture difference here... i often wonder if finns seem very cold and distant to foreigners because they are not very smiley nor talkative? anyway, im waiting to see Yuval tonight and hopefully that helps with my slightly lonely feeling. Gil and i were supposed to meet up earlier but he had to cancel. sort of good, because after the long day&night, i doubt 5 hours of sleep totally fixed me. so i had a good afternoon nap and then went out to look at the surroundings.

surroundings: more skyscarpers, business area. built for cars. which i have been told goes for the whole city. unfortunate for me. theres coffee shops and kiosks... and then banks and diamond-something and more diamond-something. so if the neighbors got oil, israel has diamonds?? odd.

i should have my route to work figured out for tomorrow. the bus leaves from next to train station which i see from the window and i can get off at the last stop, which is next to our office. surprisingly handy considering its a car-city. also i might be meeting Daphna - Lihi's best friend - tomorrow.

the view from the windows (nice corner flat, almost all walls are glass) is quite impressive, im at the 23rd floor. big city, lots of lights....lots of life. nice flat too, very ikea like mine.

talked to Lihi in FB too, they just arrived to Helsinki a few hours ago. in fact we passed each other by minutes as i was leaving the train station and they arrived. but so we missed each other :(

i need to remember to close the drain valve after shower or cockroaches come in! lol. that would be interesting. but wont do so on purpose.

1 comment:

Jim said...

"i often wonder if finns seem very cold and distant to foreigners because they are not very smiley nor talkative?"

One has to be careful w one's signals. You & your buddies have been most friendly towards me (I esp. enjoy communicating w Ruska), but of course you don't do the tactile thing which is very common in Poland and the 'West'.

But on the other hand, as educated, creative people who are distinctly 'non-standard' in appearance, dress and employment, you are (I guess) all far from being typical Finns, so I wdn't judge yr whole nation on the five or six of you who I met while I was there, nor on the five or six other Finns I've met in my life.

PS Thankies for blog comment :*