same same

january was tax return time. its just tiring. its not that complicated really but for a taxman fearing finn who wants to be honest its dreadful. just the terminology and foreign concepts that i forget in a year and have to google again every time. plus currency exchanges and all that. but taxes were the least worst part of january. its been dreadful since i reached a point where im content with the situation and now im..not content at all. im unhappy and very frustrated. when finland and many other countries banned flights from UK, it was psychologically heavier than expected i think. there was no escape even if i wanted to. it's like being on tracked parole or house arrest where u can only go a limited distance from your house, and can't even have visitors. i think now that flights to finland started again a couple days ago, i will go there soon. i dont mind the quarantine and testing hassle anymore, if it means i can actually MEET PEOPLE and go somewhere afterwards. and im certainly beyond caring about the common good in the sense that i'd feel guilty about going to finland, and going to a restaurant there, if i get the chance. i absolutely need it at this point. the potential of going to finland is that light at the end of the tunnel, that i dont feel like i otherwise have. im very pessimistic about things getting better here. i foresee a song&dance with the virus and its variants and the vaccine for going on a year or two... we can forget about nice summer holidays. but i need to have something to look forward to.

some new books i got an immediately started (im probably in the middle of 12 books now - far easier to start than to finish)

Douglas: Purity and Danger
DiAngelo: White Fragility

also in my book club with Arttu we are reading a finnish book Sinut on nähty (You've Been Seen) by Anu Silfverberg. 

i balance reading with good old reality tv. Married at First Sight (US), RuPaul's Drag Race (UK, US), Shark Tank, The Voice (UK, FI), Million Pound Menu.... 

matching set! (Marimekko)

it snowed a week ago. melt immediately of course. i dont share oohs and aahs of snow, it IS pretty and can be nice change i suppose, bring some light into the darkness but mostly it just becomes wet slush in the city and it also means its cold. and i dont like cold. ANd im just generally negative right now. someone was talking about how dark winters are depressing but F that, almost a year in lockdown is depressive!! i'd spend my winter in greenland right now if it meant normal life...  but sure, the darkness does not help.

i ordered finnish pastries and carielian pies and things from a finnish home bakery (Cafe Nort). maybe its not home based, just seen the fb page and it looks like it. nice to get

we ordered sushi and stuff on our lunaversary. maybe it was a bit extensive tbh.

Starbucks pandemic setup. u order and pay at the door.

 

 

i started playing a mobile game that is absolutely addictive, Township. I guess its Farmville-ish. although i never played Farmville so how would i know. both have farms and u need to feed cows and stuff? but the goal is to grow it bigger, make it more efficient etc. kind of market economy exercise? and the game wants u to spend money on coins and stuff but i just play it free and slow.i think im mentally at a place where such addictive brainfree thing just works really well.