i think it takes 2 weeks for a tan to fade, at least i hope so

reporting:
our new boiler seems to be a bit more efficient as expected, our gas use is slightly lower than before. but weather is a factor too so i will have to follow longer. the screenshot is old now but we were away for 2 weeks in thailand so that factors in too...

now, right after our holiday, doctor is off to a meditation retreat, without a phone, so i am at home keeping myself entertained. and that is something im good at. im really into this james bond podcast (James Bond A-Z podcast) atm and it makes me go back and look at the scenes they talk about etc - really very good podcast.

doctor is now a british citizen and i had my life in the UK exam last month. his process somehow propelled me towards the application too. its a weird mental process, i wasnt sure if i would ever feel like i want to do this. to become british. to say i am british and feel genuine about it. but then life happens. i feel like there is space for another identity in me besides finnish. for the exam, i did in the end devote several hours to studying (memorizing, really). wanted to make sure i pass. next would be the english exam. i think i wont have to study for that lol.doctor is waiting for his first passport and one thing is certain; he wont need to be embarrassed over his passport pic. cos i took it.

this is a week of foreign visitors. siettie from singapore was here so i saw her quickly, its been many years since we lasy (and first) met so it was fun to catch up. also a finnish friend Elina is in town to see theatre & related stuff. ill prolly visit a museum with her and have a few drinks.

thailand was great, soooo warm. especially the water. i love floating. and swim up rooms are my new favorite thing. we were in the south this time, Krabi and Khao Lak. went to some islands, jungle, cooking class (it was my birthday gift!) and muay thai match. and the rest of the time mostly just chilling and eating good food.

7000sqm swimming pool!

beach of course!

island!

more beach!

muay thai!

beach dinners!

swim up gold!

we cooked ourselves!

amazing food!

kind of beach!

nigh chilling!

ok maybe i overdid it with the exclamation marks, but once i started i had to keep going. 

on the 13h flights there and back i watched/enjoyed some films on board:
Torn 9/10
Invictus 8/10
The Accountant 6/10
Zootropolis 9/10 (it was about a bunny who wanted to become a cop! ok heres the trailer)
Kong vs Godzilla 7/10
Pornhub (on netflix) 7/10

i also watched bits ofs ome films like Justice League. there was something really funny in it; when newly recruited Flash gets into Bruce Wayne's car and asks "so whats your superpower?" and he replies "i'm rich". i mean, at least he has self awareness lol.

now im re-energised and busy at work.i was talking with someone (random) in thailand who said how 'bleh' it is to return to work after a nice holiday. while i sort of understand the sentiment...after all it would be nice if the fun could go on forever, i dont necessarily feel exactly the same. like yes, its bleh to wake up early, and it's bleh to sometimes be frustrated about something work related and so forth... i tend to be quite cheery when i return to work. i take it as a good sign, i trust my gut.

really good article on SBF/Alameda/Effective Altruism movement in Time.

saa pohtia vaikkei tiedäkään

tilasin longplay.fi vuoden vaihteessa kun niillä oli tarjous. olen joskus kaverin kautta saanut käsiini jokusen artikkelin, ja perjantaisin luen ihan vaan niiden ns. uutiskirjettä joka tulee spostiin ja ilahduttaa aina. siin on myös lopussa linkkejä hyviin artikkeleihin muissa lehdissä. mutta nyt päätin että ehkä voin tukea tällaistä tekemistä josta kovasti tykkään. Anu Silfverbergin kirja Sinut on nähty jotenkin vaikuttaa osaltaan myös taustalla. tänään sunnuntaipuuhien lomalla (palapeli, pyykkejä, mobiilipeli...) kuuntelin muutamankin artikkelin, tässä järjestyksessä;
Kaupallinen yhteistyö
Saksalaisia ilman vaatteita
Matka pään keskipisteeseen
Niin totta kuin osaamme

Kaikki tosi hyviä mutta jotenkin vielä parani loppua kohti, ja itsehän en omaa mitään akateemista tahi tutkijakokemusta mutta tuo viimeinen on silti sellainen jota olen itsekin pohtinut tai yrittänyt ymmärtää. artikkelin pohjalta päädyin tähän data colada blogiin joka vaikuttaa mielenkiintoiselta.

mutta mitä sitä alkais tekee isona? se mietityttää nyt. voi olla ettei tässä ole mitään vallankumousta sen suhteen tulossa, mutta joka tapauksessa aihe on kartalla ja oma tekeminen ja mielenkiinnonkohteet pohdituttaa. niinku toki monet muut asiat. aina on jotain mitä en ymmärrä eikä ole edes välineitä ymmärtää, koska en ole oikeen minkään alan 'superasiantuntija'. niinku et kuinka USA tuntuu yhtäaikaa yksilökeskeisyyden huipentumalta mutta myös jossain määrin perhekeskeiseltä. toki sielläkin on vanhemmat pääosin hoitolaitoksissa mutta ei tietääkseni siinä määrin kuin vaikka suomessa. uskoakseni USAssa on sen verran paljon tuoretta maahanmuuttoa 'oikeasti' yhteisöllisistä maista että se vaikuttaa. mutta miten voi olla samaan aikaan muka super individualistinen ja perhe-keskeinen? ehkei olekaan selkeää janaa jossa toinen olisi toisessa ja toinen toisessa päässä, vaan joku monipuolisempi 'avaruus' jossa molempia voi olla yhtäaikaa vähän eri tasoilla. tai ehkä olen yksinkertaisesti väärinymmärtänyt tai 'lukenut' näitä elementtejä siinä kulttuurissa, olenhan vain rando sivustakatsoja.

mutta tästä tulee mieleen finglismi ja suomenkieli, taas vaihteeksi. hesarissa oli taas sen yhden tyypin juttu joka on tyyliin joku kielentutkija ja joka aina paheksuu sitä kuinka suomen kieli on 'ihan kuolemaisillaan' kun englanti valtaa tilaa. laitoin sen tyypin seuraavan kirjan mun bookbeatin lukulistalla, se ilmestyy kohta. arvostan siis alansa asiantuntijaa mutta sitä suuremalla syyllä mulla on ristiriitaisia ajatuksia asiasta. tavallaan ei ole ristiriitaa koska edelleen koen hyväksyttäväksi sen tavan miten itse käytän kieltä, yhdistellen suomeen englantiin (tai jopa ruotsiin?) pohjaavia sanoja vapaalla tyylillä. toki ulkosuomalaisuus voidaan laksea lieventäväksi asianhaaraksi mutta tein sitä hyvällä omallatunnolla jo ennen suomesta lähtöä. ajatus siitä että jonkun maan rajojen sisällä käytettäisiin puritaanisesti sen virallista kieltä (tai kieliä, ruotsikin kun sellainen on suomessa) ei jotenkin kuulosta.... nykyajalta. mutta ehkä se ei ole sen kirjoittajan pointti. ja toki se jos ihmisten kielitaito heikkenee ja kielellä ei enää esim tehdä tai julkaisra tutkimusta tai mitään niin kuulostaa huonolta ja mietityttää. mutta itselle tuntuu luonnolliselta että esim globaalius ja maahanmuutto vaikuttaa kielenkäyttöön... pitää etsiä sen tyypin artikkeli. se oli Janne Saarikivi ja tämä teksti. Janne kirjoittaakin kyllä että maailmassa on kieliä aina käytetty sekaisin ja suomessakin aiemmin suomea ja ruotsia sekaisin. siinä on valta-asetelmat vaikuttaaneet tilanteeseen ihan niinkuin nytkin, nyt vaan pehmeämmin. milloin on aiheellista tai oikeutettua tai 'järkevää' huolestua kielen asemasta. ei suomi nyt vielä ihan mikään uhanalainen saami ole. vaikka Janne mainitsee että opetuksen kieltä on muutettu englanniksi ja se on monella työpaikalla käytetty kieli, yhtä vaan on suomea osaamattomilla usein todella vaikea löytää töitä. siis todella, pitää muistaa että IT-ala tai muu spesiaali-asintuntijaroolit on aika pieni osa suomelaisesta työelämästä. toki jostainhan kaikki aina alkaa. en oikeastaan yritä sanoa että Janne on pihalla, koska tietää aiheesta enemmän kuin minä, ja myönnän etten ihan ymmärrä kaikkia artikkelin kohtia tai mitä niillä yritetään sanoa. ymmärrän ehkä osan, ja en tiedä miten sovittaisin sen omaan ymmärrykseeni tai kokemukseeni tilanteesta. tämän kappaleen kanssa olen samaa mieltä: 

"Kielet ovat korvattavissa toisillaan niin kauan, kun tilataan kaljaa ja maksetaan laskuja. Mutta kun aletaan kirjoittaa romaaneja ja rap-lyriikkaa, nähdään unia ja vitsaillaan, kielet eivät vastaa toisiaan. Ne ovat erilaisia soittimia tai ilmastoja, joista syntyvät erilaiset assosiaatiot, kokemukset ja tunnelma."

tuo on hyvin sanottu. en mitenkään koe että tiettyjä asioita voisi hyvin kääntää toisille kielille koska ne ovat kulttuurisidonnaisia ja sanoilla on merkityksiä mitä ei toisen kielen sanat tavoita. ja se on harmillista koska se tarkoittaa että joita asioita ei ikinä voi jakaa... puolisoni ei voi ikinä ihan ymmärtää kun selitän jotain suomikappaletta ja sen sanoitusta. mutta sitä suuremmalla syyllä voi sekoittaa kieliä jos keskustelukumppanikin niitä ymmärtää. Jannella on pointti siitä että miksi laittaa sipsipussin kylkeen "salted" kun voisi kirjoittaa "suolattu", siinä tuskin on haettu mitään nyanssia joka ei suomeksi taipuisi. tuosta olen aika samaa mieltä. siinä on mielikuvaviestintää että olemme moderneja globaaleja kansalaisia. ehkä vähän turhaa? ja siinä on sipsipussin printtaajilla kuitenkin olli aikaa miettiä kun taas minulla on sekunnin kymmenesosia aikaa etsiä sopivaa sanaa ja haluan niitä ulos suht tiivissä tahdissa enkä halua jäädä jumittamaan sanan puutokseen joten käytän mitä hyvänsä tai keksin finglismin. vaikka sitä sanojen unohtamista tapahtuu enenevissä määrin...  (sivuhuomautuksena olis ollu kiva jos jossain olis joskus varoitettu että tälläinen on yleistä ja normaalia perimenopaussi/menopaussi oireilua, eikä tarttis pohtia että onko mulla joku alzheimerin outo versio). mutta siis Janne mainitsee myös esimerkkinä ravintolat joissa ei vältsisti saa palvelua suomeksi. näitä on kai oikeasti helsingissä joitain, onko sen ulkopuolella yhtäkään? mulla on mielikuva että ainakin osa (Aussie Bar?) on syntynyt siihen tarpeeseen että voitaisiin työllistää maahanmuuttajia, mitä en oikeen voi nähdä ongelmallisena. ajatus siitä että esim. ravintolan konseptiin vain 'kuuluisi' englanninkielisyys, siitä viis osaavatko työntekijät suomea, kyllä tuntuu oudolta ja teennäiseltä. se jos ravitsemuslaitos olisi ns. epävirallisen kaksikielinen siitä riippuen mitä henkilökunta osaa, olisi tosi ok.

musta tää ravintola-alan esimerkki nyt overlappaa(lol) maahanmuuto-asian kanssa ja mietityttää siksi enempi. voisi kuvitella että suomeakin oppii mukavammin työpaikalla vaikkei sitä koko ajan tarvi käyttää, kuin että pitäisi istua intensiivikurssilla  kuukausi-tai vuositolkulla muiden ulkkisten kanssa, JOS työpaikka löytyy muutenkin. toki monesti ei näin ole ja monissa töissä ihan oikeasti tarvitaan suomen kieltä, mutta ravitsemusala on ehkä yks niistä harvoista missä ei tarvis joten musta se on hyvä vaan jos siellä olis enempi mahdollisuuksia suomea osaamattomille. jos saa käyttää englantia niin se voi hidastaa haluja oppia suomea, mutta toiseelta integroituminen on han oikea juttu ja sen hyötyjä on toki vaikea mitata.

ruokalistaesimerkeissä olen vähän jossain sipsipussiesimerkin ja kielen vapaan käytön välimaastossa. kun sanotaan macaroni & cheese, moni tunnistaa ehkä ruuan populaarikulttuurista amerikkalaiseksi halpiskotiruuaksi, kun taas juustomakaroni saattaisi jäädä mietityttämään. eikös alkuperäisnimiä annoksista ole kuitenkin käytetty aina? onko se huono asia ettei pizza-sanaa ole suomennettu?

Jannella oli myös pointti siitä että englantia tuputetaan vaikkei se olisi se x:ksi yleisin kieli alueella, eli esim. vantaalla jotain aktiviteettitoimintaa aiotaan järjestää englanniksi. kuulostaa kyllä äkkiseltään hölmöltä. mietin että onkohan siinä oletuksena että kun on niin monenkielistä porukkaa että englanti voisi olla aika montaa yhdistävä, paremmin kuin suomi... mutta onko asia edes niin, jos vantaalla kerran on enimmäkseen (suomen ja ruotsin lisäksi)  venäjän, viron, arabian, somalin ja albaaniankielistä väestöä? onko tehty joku selvitys jonka perusteella ei-kantasuomalaisten toiseksi yleinen osattu kieli on englanti? ehkä on ehkä ei. se mikä kuulostaa äkkiseltään hölmöltä voi olla ihan perusteltua, asiaan perehtymättömänä vaikea sanoa. Janne kirjoittaa kyllä että

"Maamme kasvava monikielinen väestö ei itse asiassa hyödy englanninkielisistä palveluista paljoakaan. Suurin maahanmuuttajaryhmä ovat venäläiset — ja Venäjällä englantia osaa monien lähteiden mukaan alle 10 prosenttia väestöstä."

mutta eiks tuossa oo sellainen harha että suomeen tulleet venäläiset edustaa keskivertovenäläisiä...  mikä tuskin on tilanne? veikkaan rohkeasti että suomessa asuvat venäjää äidinkielenään puhuvat osaavat keskimäärin paljon enemmän englantia kuin tuon 10%. kyseessähän voi olla myös kaksikieliset ihmiset jotka on asuneet suomessa lähes koko ikänsä, työn perässä tulleet jne jne. toki luku voi olla vaikka "vain" 30%, mutta jos se olisi sama luku noilla muillakin ryhmillä niin motivaatio englanninkielisen ohjelman tarjoamiseen lisääntyy. olettaen että suomenkielistäkin on tarjolla, tietysti.  toki suomenkielen oppimista pitäisi kannustaa silti myös, en tiedä mitä nyt tää esimerkkimme vantaa tekee sen eteen, jos mitään.

no, mulla on taipumus jumittaa asioissa joissa saatan olla eri mieltä tai joita "epäilen"... eli tyypillinen nihkeilijä. artikkelissa ilahdutti kuitenkin muun muassa se että Janne huomautti suomen kielen oppimisen "vaikeuden" olevan suhteellinen asia, turkkia tai japania osaavalle se ei yleensä ole niin vaikeaa kuin englantia puhuvalle. tämä on yksi syy miksi itse aloin opiskella japania, paitsi että se "vaan kiinnosti" niin  turkin samankaltaisuus ilahdutti minua niin halusin jatkaa sillä linjalla. lisäksi minua miellytti toki Jannen näkemys siitä että voisi olla hyvä opiskella koulussa muitakin kieliä kuin englantia, esim. "isoja kieliä" kiinaa ja arabiaa. siitä en voisi olla enempi samaa mieltä. suomen kouluissa jumitetaan kai edelleen englannin lisäksi lähinnä pakkoruotsia ja saksaa plus ranskaa... englanninkieltä suosittelen lämpimästi mutta sen lisäksi olisi kiva jos voisi tarjota vähän laajempaa palettia. ja tietty se on pienille kouluille vaikeaa ja budjetit ja ihmisten ASENTEET. arabiasta ei tule keskivertokokkolalaiselle ehkä sellaisia positiivisia mielikuvia kuin ranskasta, mikä on sääli.

tämä oli myös hyvä pointti

"Tällä hetkellä alaluokkien maahanmuuttajat integroidaan suomeksi ja yläluokkien maahanmuuttajat englanniksi. Kielellä on siis Suomessa luokkaluonne, hieman samaan tapaan kuin 1900-luvun alussa, jolloin herrasväki puhui ruotsia ja maalaiset suomea."

tuon yhteydessä Janne tuntuu vaativan että ulkomaalaisilta yliopisto-opettajilta vaadittaisin myös suomenkielen opiskelua ja käyttöä. jos ymmärsin oikein. en voi olla samaa mieltä. vaikka tuo quote on hyvin selvä ja ajatuksesta olen samaa mieltä ja uhkakuva siitä että suomi taantuu "kotikieleksi" kuulostaa pahalta... en ole varma onko se todellienn uhkakuva. no, näihin mietteisiin.

burning through the paycheck

i got this grey dress (Sweaty Betty). its pretty basic and not my usual style but nice for everyday use. its just too long maybe cos im short... so maybe worth taking to seamstress to cut off 10cm and it would fit similarly as on the model there...  not because it should but just cos it really would look better i think.

in november i got Sheertex tights. after maybe 2 years of thinking. black friday was finally the time. i was already sufficiently convinced they're unbreakable, a 90 day guarantee helps with that, but the steep price and risk of a poor fit were holding me back. anyway i took the plunge and have been veeery happy. its nice to pull on tights 'carelessly' and wearing  them on wooden benches and wherever without a worry in the world. also i was worried they'd be entirelly matte but they have some shine which is nice. ive been so pleased i got another pair in another denier. with the 2 i think im set for a while.one thing that majorly annoyed me with my first order though was compulsory "express shipping" worth 8£! 8 pounds for the shipping of a flat pack of tight that weighs like 100g. was it like "next day by 1pm" via courier? nope, just your regular royal mail 1st class. it coincided with royal mail strikes so took like 5 days, but thats nobody's fault, so i can assume normally it wouldve been next working day or the one after that. when you order on a friday though and pay 8£ it really should bloody come the following day, shipping is so cheap in UK and most retailers include it in product prices. anyway i wrote them a snappy email about it, i didnt ask for anything but they refunded the shipping, so that was nice. i guess im a karen now. but i decided i wont buy another pair as long as they have this 8£ "shipping policy". now that they had a birthday sale i was reaaally happy to see they also had free shipping. so that was an easy choice then.

im looking at acoustic wall panels for our guest room. the guest room is small but has perhaps a bit of an echo or sound problem... there is one large mirror on the wall but maybe thats not enough? or maybe im imagining the issue, like perhaps it cant be helped. but we'e been considering these acoustic panels on the opposing wall (from the mirror side) and maybe that would help. and if they look nice then thats sorted too. 

and new rings...

...looks like a lot of shopping going on. is that to distract me from more important things?

this Wired article on Telegram was a good read. ive occasionally been annoyed when friends have been keen on usng telegram as a 'more secure' alternative to whatsapp. at least whatsapp has end-to-end encryption as the article points out. but sure, telegram wont share my contacts or times i was online with anyone (probably, who knows these days lol). so i guess we can all choose what kind or type of privacy we want. and sometimes theres no perfect option. im happy using signal though aside whatsapp as it's end-to-end encrypted, has a desktop interface etc. but i have an accout on most social platforms so obviously im not too bothered about the tracking and algorhitms.  but i am annoyed at how twitter is now showing me all kinds of right wing BS. i know everyone was complaining about twitter being toxic for years but honestky for me, in my little bubble, it was fine. now im bing shown all kinds of aggressive rubbish, crazy people and its turning me off. 

i started going to salsa classes with Elmor. not sure if it will become a thing actually, i dont have a big attraction to salsa specifically, i just wanted to do and try something different and its an easy way to have fun, especially with a friend.

some cool art i found (Laurent Gauthier) 

i should visit vagina museum! 

our date night about a week ago.

 

"life in the UK"

doctors citiznship application was finally processed and now he just needs to go to the ceremony to make it official and then he can apply for a passport. and then, finally, traveling will be a bit easier. ok a lot.

inspired by this, i figured maybe i should do the Life in the UK test, and then i'd have it ready for when i want to apply, as it doesnt expire. so right now the working assumption is that i want to apply. citizenship application itself is expensive so i find it hard to justify, but im also risk averse and think it might come to use one day. and, since we seem to be staying for the foreseeable future, i think it could help me in growing roots here in a way. 

now Life in the UK test though... it's worth its reputation. a multiple choice test that those born here would struggle with just as well. here are some of my favourites, i have no idea of the right answer;

when did people learn to make bronze?
6000
4000
10000
8000 years ago

who mapped the coast of australia?
sir francis drake
admiral nelsonsake
dean mahomet
james cook

what was the population of the UK in 1901?
60m
50m
27m
40m

who won gold medals in rowing in 5 consecutive olympic games?
sir chris hoy
sir roger bannister
sir steve redgrave
dame ellen mcarthur

by 1200, the english dominated the Pale region of Wales surrounding Cardiff?
true/ false

where did the ancestors of the first farmers come from?
north-west europe
north europe
north-east europe
south-east europe

under which king did the people unite to defeat the vikings?
king william
king alfred the great
henry I
harold

some more fun questions;

what percentage of the population has a grandparent born outside the UK?
15%
5%
10%
20%

what does the UK offer to its residents?
freedom of belief and religion
free TV license
untaxed income
luxurious life

what did the first farmers build in britain?
hospitals and roads
houses and monuments
tombs and stadiums
theatres and houses

not to be too whiny, when doing a mock exam i can get 50-65% correct fairly easily. even the passing rate, 75%, once. so i just need to memorise a few things to make sure i get above the threshold. some of the easier questions include:
who invented the world wide web? tim berners lee
where does fringe take place? edinburgh
what does the tv license money pay for? bbc
when do pubs usually open? 11am
whre does the prime minister reside? 10 downing street
which of the following nations is NOT a commonwealth member? malaysia/togo/ITALY/singapore
who designed the new St Paul cathedral? christopher wren
what is the capital of wales? cardiff
when is halloween celebrated? ....

fail.

pancakes

i have received compliments on my pink glasses, friends think they suit me. i agree.

something i wonder is why dont food delivery apps like uber eats and deliveroo include a simple personal note field for self, so i could make a note afterwards "prawn pho soup great, cold rolls not so much". or "best sarma beyti kebab". it doesnt sound like it would be too expensive of a feature to make. so they must just think it wouldnt bring much added value. i dont order take away super often but when i do, its hard to remember which place i liked or didnt like. one of the apps i think shows the stars ive given, but it doesnt tell the whole story and i'd really just like to make some small notes. also, just noticed uber eats now has 2 options, tip 12.5% or don't tip at all. i would call that "asshole design". ive seen them change the tipping system around a couple times, i guess they are trying to optimise it but i surely don't like this way.

i needed something lighter to read and got Humble Pi by Matt Parker. its simple enough for a 'math challenged' person like myself. okay i still dont really get everything and i dont need to, its amusing enough anyway. 

this article about an Irishman working in england as a police officer was interesting, he mentions some of the same things that i find troubling in the culture/behavior/beliefs of the people.

i had brunch with Raissa & Aleks at Where The Pancakes Are today. 

the beginning (of 2023 at least)

we went to Morocco for xmas and NYE with Can & Burcu. a chill beach holiday in Agadir. the pool and sea both were too cold for me (no surprises there) but i had a good time anyway. it was nice to have friends for extra company and we ended up doing more than usual maybe. doctor learned to surf. now im keen on going somewhere with warm water and him teaching me too. im not thinking it would become an actual hobby but i'd like to try and have fun with it. 

 doctor surfing

 pool of the hotel

a pottery factory & shop

moroccan style meal

new year's dinner with local entertainment

hotel cat

the beach in front of the hotel

this spring we are hoping to go to thailand. really destroying the climate here...  BUT trying to balance it by never buying new clothes (outside underwear and such), eating very little meat etc. but for sure flying a lot is not great... Greta and future generations would not approve. 

my dad drove some supplies to Ukraine in december, generators and food and such. i was a bit concerned first but he was only driving to Lviv near the border. anyway it all went well and i am proud of him for doing such a thing. 

UK is going from one strike to another. actually no, its multiple at the same time. u cant just count on going to post office or taking the train anymore, gotta check first if they are striking that day... im not criticising the strikes themselves, i assume they have good reasons to, just commenting on how it affects daily life. nurses, ambulance drivers, border force and other groups are striking too. and junior doctors are voting next week i think regarding possible strikes as well. meanwhile, its estimated that due to staff and bed shortages as well as other problems, up to 500 people a week are dying (in related to emergency care). its all just going to shits, it seems. doctor is going back to work on thursday i think, and im just imagining what a chaos it must be. the post has not really been the same since the strikes started either, deliveries have gone missing and delayes of course... today i went to pick up a parcel that arrived while i was away, and i had the reference code etc but what did they have? this hadwritten list with the names of recipients, several pages of them. and to top of it off, i was not listed, so he just had to go in the backroom and search "blind". eventually found it but im not surprised now why the queue almost reached the front door. 2023 and they are dealing with this... sad.

i picked up a christmas gift from my employer... lotsa chocolate, some coffee and candles.

ive been thinking of us getting a new electric toothbrush as the 5+ years old one was requiring charging more and more often. also, i HATE how loud toothbrushes are. not from "outside" but when its in my mouth... similarly i hate vacuum cleaners and hairdryers. the latter ones i can avoid and the first is made tolerable by Dyson. i went on to read about quiet toothbrushes and then do some comparing on features. doctor wanted a pressure sensor and i wanted the quitest possible brush. in the end i was so divided between the options we decided to get both of us our own. that would also eliminate the need to always change brushes between uses. in the end i got Oclean. it has a lot of unnecessary BS like cleaning modes and an APP(!)...no way am i installing that. but as a brush itself it IS fairly quiet and theres the 2min timer and thats all i need. 

i listen to a good amount of podcasts these days but all the TW type of notifications in the beginning are getting a bit much. it's like when they added warning to plastic packaging for parents to not let their kids suffocate. maybe the podcast description could contain all the "this podcast deals with distressing subjects such as money, suicide, violence, sexism, life, anxiety, eating disorders... please take care if listening, this podcast is not suitable for young listeners. if you experience suicidal thoughts, please seek help from 999-000-111 or your local hotline, alternatively, you can go to website.com for more help...." and so forth. cos like that in the beginning of every bloody episode...thats what makes me distressed. and most of the podcasts are NOT about muders or anything extreme, maybe money laundering or a deranged plastic surgeon or something.... but the warnings are excessive. im worried they'll just keep getting longer.

i just finished listening to The Baron of Botox (the title is annoyingly yellow press-y i think)next one on my list is  The Cost of Happiness: Tony Shieh (about the Zappos founder)

also got new books! English Speaking Justice by George Grant, and What Money Can't Buy - The Moral Limits of the Markets  by Michael J. Sandel

on holiday i was reading (again) Watching the English - The Hidden Rules of English Behavior by Kate Fox, which i hadn't finished before although i find it very insightful and interesting. now it's done - check. to understand english people u really do need a book or two, i mean..  they're complicated. nothing in their behavior is direct. its a constant guessing game. and the class system. ugh. aaaaand now is a good time to add i am considering applying for citizenship later this year. just in case, kind of. i dont need it now but if the time comes that i do, it would be nice to have. it is expensive as F tho, so it has to wait. also, i want to see doctor get his first.

i dont have any new years resolutions, im just gonna try my best.

not too christmassy christmas

i recently started listening to a podcast called Dead Eyes by Connor Ratliff/Headgum. its a sort of mundane but yet entertaining feelgood story. i like those lately. i also watch a lot of documentaries these days. they are often less feelgood... like the one about FIFA corruption, or Killer Sally... 

i ordered some new glasses, 2 of them arrived. ive had the same frames for 6 years and finally felt like i could use some change. i went for a large retro look. the clear ones are for home use (=watching tv).

my guilty pleasure is mama noodles (shrimp). when im home alone and feeling extra lazy... i make myself the very non-nutritious noodles in a few minutes. palm oil and carbs and blah blah, but it is so tasty. 

another puzzle done.

 

finnish christmas party a couple weeks ago. 

 

Mnoo visited me this week, stayed a few days. she lives in cornwall and we hadnt met for a few years. this week i also received oculus quest 2 which i had thought about buying for a while. what i liked about it actually, after testing it at Arttu's place, was the "home environment" or lounge, whatever its called. the default place is so serene, and i found another one quite similar. palm trees, chill vibes and some sounds of birs and the clouds slowly moving on the sky. the perfect place to just relax and do nothing. im much more interested in that than the games. fairly expensive meditation device, yes, but i did get it 2nd hand. 

yesterday we also made some dinner and invited a few friends over (Can, Aziz, Elmor - some spouses were not able to make it). i made some finnish starters with salmon and roe and i'd bought nut roast as a main. then i did root vegetables in the oven as a side and doctor did a freekeh salad with feta...   and rum cake for dessert. all this with mulled wine for those wanted it. maybe i forgot something, but so in short some christmassy vibes although not the most traditional. we had a lovely evening and now theres plenty of leftover food to eat for a day or two.

my starters

 

funny but not funny with these gas prices

besides having a christmassy dinner i set up the tree with lights and have some other led lights around and candles of course... so im in a christmassy mood but thats enough christmas for me, i am not into presents or the music.

mostly food

usually people love the food they grow up with. like your home cuisine will typically always be one of your favorites, more less. makes sense, you grow up with it etc. but i wonder if you can grow up not liking the local cuisine? is it possible to not like thw food your parents cook, the food in school, the food at your friend birthday party...? and what if you lived there all your life and there was no variety available? im just not sure if its even possible, to widely dislike your cuisine in a situation where you don't have alternatives.

something i know about myself is that i learn things quickly, but i also forget just as quickly. this is especially frustrating with work and language related things. language learning requires repetition for anyone, but i feel like especially for me. its like i pick something up but tomorrow its gone.

i caved in and put this star on the window last week. its just so sad and dark! and then i bought this little christmas tree thing which was nicely potted with a spruce cone and all. add to that Yankee Candle's Home Sweet Home which is my favorite scent.

i found these shoes but they were the wrong colour...  dark brown. i wiped them with alcohol which made then...light brown. and then painted with a faux leather dye and got black laces... almost ready now. just the heels are brown but i dont think the shoe dye will woek on the rubbery material, i will wait until i dye my hair next week, that will stick on pretty well im sure.

this week has been tiring. just cos "life". everyones talking about the weather dampening the mood so lets blame the weather then. i finished work early today and went out for some mini shopping and a walk. walks have become a staple, i go at least once to twice a week. the park we live next to is perfect for that. the shopping was as exciting as getting a hose clamp to fix my office chair and some hair dye.

reading:
Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films by Matthew Field

listening:
History of Japan by RHP mason

(i didnt buy from the sevices i linked to, they just seemed easiest)

i started watching another reality show, Aldi's Next big Thing, where Aldi is looking for a new product to add on it's shelves. they make it sound big and grand but im pretty sure they give it a month or so and if it doesn't sell then its out like any other new thing they try. and supermarkets try probably hundreds of new products a month...   anyway they start by saying they want something new and exciting, not just the same old. there were "contestants" offering chinese sauces and cricket burgers etc. and the final two? frozen indian meals and some pies. like, the most bloody standard thing already on the shelf. whether i go to Sainsbury's or Waitrose or Iceland, it's all curry this and that, tikka masala and so forth. and then the pies, oh lord. im not a fan of indian food but to make it worse, they are all with meat... although india is famous for its vegetarian dishes, no?? some things have not changed i guess. anyway so nothing surprising about this show of course, this is how they are, i know. but im hoping to see bug/cricket products *somewhere* soon, would love to try. doctor said he is slightly skeptical but i guess he would be willng to try too. currently we are testing a receipt meal package from GreenChef. its similar to HelloFresh...tbh not sure if there is a difference, doctor found it and ordered. he likes to cook these things. for which i am grateful.


the park this afternoon. 

tapas bar Barsiro nearby. we went there for dinner tonight after a film (Knives Out 2).

the first GreenChef meal. the salmon is dark and crunchy cos thats how it was supposed to be done.

a week ago a Fat Pundit with my "reddit friends" Aleks & Raissa. the food was really good.

i also read youre supposed to eat 0.75g of protein for ever kilo you weigh. umm. does not seem realistic unless i ate like a whole salmon or otherwise ridiculous amount of food, or only protein, skipping veggies... i feel fine, so i think it cant be THAT crucial...

and so we're in november

ive listened and watched plenty of true crime and come to a conclusion. especially the female victims tend to be the most wonderful people. their family, friends, coworkers and generally everyone is eager to share how amazing humans they were. how loving, caring, and how they made everyone's day, the person lighting the room up, etc... simply the most perfect beings. but this is good news. based on this, i am at no risk of being the victim of a homicide. i just dont fit that, at all. so, lovely? (and no, i don’t think im an asshole but im certainly not the sunshine that everyone loves, either) 

there was that day in september when i had to turn the heating on after having the windows open the whole day but i was able to turn it off right after and im really pleased we did not properly turn on the heating on until yesterday. making it to november is pretty well. it mustve been a cold night cos when i woke up and came to livingroom to start my work day it was 21c.

i was in finland for miss R’s wedding. i had the honour of being a best woman and i took it pretty seriously. i think the couple was happy with the party and that’s what matters. besides the wedding i also saw some friends, and even my father who himself was visiting finland. he was staying in Sysmä so we met halfway in Lahti. on weekdays i went to the office as usual. on my way to finland i stopped over in stockholm for the weekend. i have a friend there i hadnt seen in years due to her having kids, so it was good to catch up face to face. 

wedding photobooth stuff

i got this lovely marimekko vase from miss R as a maid of Honour gift;

i tried CBD oil tampons cos some friends were raving about them and i believe it genuinely helps some women with cramps. i was not too surprised but all the more annoyed when they did not help, cos id delayed taking painkillers wanting to see what and how much the CBD oil can do. and once cramping is in full swing it takes forever for painkillers to work. well, i can now say ive tried them. 

i started online japanese classes again. i had started them during lockdown and ended when it was lifted, but i kept occasionally going back to learning hiragana on an app and stuff. last summer we were interested in going to japan, but again our plans were thwarted as they were closed to tourism still. anyway, so im giving it another go, continuing with the same teacher. i had forgotten most but also like other languages i forget it was somewhere in the backburner and it's all coming back. im now at numbers and basic questions and that sort of, very elementary level. bloody hiragana though, i think im a visual person but i find the writing system incredibly hard to memorize.

what ive enjoyed watching:
Make Me Prime Minister (reality)
Drink Masters (reality)
Big Boys Go Bananas (docu)
Triangle of Sadness  (film)

ive been reading;
Lightbringers of the North by Häkkinen, Iitti (orig finnish version Valonkantajat)


new necklace

im not a beer drinker but the finnish drink market, beers and otherwise, is always impressing me. theres always new stuff,

i just finished this small wooden puzzle i got from doctor.

i wanna try this kimchi recipe. 

im slightly jealous of doctor getting the 4th covid vaccine but i try and trust that they are not giving it to us cos it's not that useful if you are young-ish and healthy?

god save the queen

today is the day ive turned heating on. much earlier than anticipated. but i assume its somewhat temporary as there are still warm days ahead. just this morning the flat was quite warm(26?) so i thought okay i'll open the windows in the hopes that it'll cool down while im out for a few hours. and well, it did. 22c. bedroom is a freezing 20. i managed for a bit but then thought f*ck it, i dont need to be uncomfortable. i'll try to survive in the bedroom as i know its healthy but i turned heating on and set the thermostat to around 23. "around" because its unfortunately not a very accurate one, gotta follow up and adjust accordingly. our regular temp is 24-25 but we decided to aim for 23 as a compromise to lower the gas bill. i guess its good for the climate too though i wonder how effective. 

i was out today cos i went to Sunday Assembly. doctor is in turkey so he couldnt join. i met people from the assembly last weekend at the park karaoke and got interested cos its a secular "church" sort of, for the lack of a better word. pop music, ted talk type of speeches and a fun atmosphere. ppl seem like generally more openminded and thoughtful than the average. i really liked it actually so i think i'll go back. while doctor is away im going to focus on myself and what i need and want in life. 

our pretty basic bebroom looks like a brothel with this new neon light on lol.  the change is really drastic but cool. turning on bedside lamps or anything else changes things immediately buts its pretty cool to see like this. we cant sleep in a light like this obviously, but...its nice to have.

although im not a royalist, Elizabeth was a cool, steady character in these uncertain times, it would've been nice if she just lived forever...    the very next day after her death the bus stops had these. prepared well in time im sure.

seeing operation London Bridge is Down go into full swing has been... interesting. the 8km queue to lying-in-state and everything else. what i dont approve of is closing health services like GP practises and cancer treatments, thats not really...ethical. someone died so now more people must suffer and possily die?
the little ways that the queens death has shown;

Tfl's journey planner

TfL email for funeral travel advice

local council advise re: funeral

pub

M&S

real estate

random tweet

book/paper shop

ebay

 

amazon

 

at the tube station(s)

at the movie theatre