Tuesday 26 October 2010

Katen Elämäkerta

Elämänkerta

Kate syntyi Englannissa, mutta muutti Suomeen 25 vouden ikäisenä.  Hän on kotoisin Dudleysta.  Nyt hän assuu suomenkielisessa Jyväskylässä.

Kate ja Eero ovat olleet yhdessä toukokuusta 2008 lähtien.  Kate on asunut Suomessa joulokuusta 2009 lähtien.  He asuvat Tampereella, mutta hän on asunut Jyväskylässä elokuusta 2010.  Kate asuu Ristonmaalla nyt, mutta muuttaa Keljoon marraskuussa poikaystävän kanssa.

Joulukuusta elokuuhun Katella ei ollut töitä.  Elokuussa hän alkoi opiskella suomen intensiivi-kurssilla Jyväskylän Yliopistossa.  Syyskuussa Kate alkoi uusiutuvan energian maisteriopinnot ja jatkoi suomen kielen opiskelua.

Katen äidinkieli on englanti mutta hän puhuu myös vähän suomea.  Hän ymmärtää suomea hyvin, mutta hän ei puhu sitä vielä paljon.

Yksityiselämä

Englannissa hänellä on äiti, isä ja kaksi identtistä veljestä.

Hänellä on ruoka-allergia ja ruoka-intoleranssi.

Vapaa-aikana hän lukee dekkareita ja katsoo elokuvia.  Hän harrastaa lukemista, kävelyä, kiipeilyä ja opettelen hiihtoa.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Life is too good!

So, after a crazy week at school I have never seen so much work! Every time I finish one piece of work there are 2 more to replace it (or so it seems). I am slightly ahead now... Finnish work done and checked by Eero, Marlen's class work completed and I have done the work for the rest of the week so it will just be posting on people's work now and that won't take long. I have an exam Friday to prep for so I have a lot to do!

I should have a little more free time this week as one of my courses is ending even though it another course starts with a very erratic timetable and gives me some more clashes.

Overall, I have had a great week! some really exciting things have happened this week which I am not willing to divulge in on a blog! but new doors open maybe and if not then I have a foot in the door to a proper career at the end of it all or the means to get there! Other good things happened this week too!

Mom seems sad this week as it will be my first birthday from home without her, bit of empty nest syndrome I think. Eero has always come to the UK before to see me.  Instead this time he has brought me more things than I care to sit here and list... proof he listens heehee

Thursday, Eero drove to Jyväskylä after work, we had late lunch with Pekka and Katri in the city.  Then we went to view the new apartment! Which is great, very different to the one we are in now but it is good! We have a sauna which beats the sauna turns we currently have! Then he took me back to Tampere...

Saturday, I had to work on finishing some university work, then we went to city... were they didn't have what I wanted so we went to äiti's (Kirsti's) for coffee and cake. Had a good gossip then went to the shop to find some new stuff for the apartment (any excuse). However, we didn't find anything we wanted so we went home and ate.

My bike in Jyväskylä also has a flat tire which is annoying as it slows down doing anything but I do enjoy the walking! It snowed in Jyväskylä the weekend but we had none of it in Tampere.  I have a few things I need to go and sort in city next week too.

K <3's E

xXx

Monday 18 October 2010

Autumn Days

As exam week's fast approach again, all I seem to be doing is studying or on the train... Saturday's I am doing as little as possible but nothing is never achievable! All is going well though I have 4 presentations to do, 1 essay, 3 exams... and whatever else I get from the course that hasn't started yet. Then I have my Finnish reading, grammar, speaking and listening exams... then 3 final exams in December.

I am excited to be going home with Eero for Christmas. Excited I go first so I can decorate the house and hugely excited that I get to see most of my family but not all with the short time I will be there.  With luck I can go home again Easter and see everyone else though it is anyone's guess whether Eero will go then.  I am also happy that I will get to do a bit of Christmas shopping. Also hoping to set up a ox or two to be shipped to Finland as I am running low of supplies here! lol

I am hoping to get a letter to see an allergist and be referred to a dietician by the end of this month.  During summer and autumn I planned to drop around 9kg through exercise and healthier eating as much as the allergies would allow.  However, my allergies are wreaking havoc and my diet is heavily restricted without trying I have lost 7kg... whoopes. I am far from wasting away though but I am sure my mother would disagree. I just can't get good enough replacements for some of the things I had in the UK and appear yo be having problems with milk and milk products here.

Winter, is close here by feels but a month away still calendar wise. November here direct translation is the mud month so it will be cold and wet by definition.  The clocks go back next week so it will be dark at 5pm.

My birthday is a week away and I have had some textbooks and some boots that I am aware of =)

Eero is coming to Jyväskylä so we can see the new apartment on Thursday and that means I get a free ride back to Tampere but have to get the train back... cant have it  all ways xXx

I have been here almost 11 months and it is scary as it doesn't feel like that long! but I am happy with progress. I don't have time for the job I would like I hardly have time to sleep and eat but I still will try for a internship for my dissertation, I think... Language is coming along nicely... we are now advanced beginners which is good. I understand a lot more than I did before August and finally I am starting to learn how to learn anther language!

 

 

Winter Speed Limits in Force

This has to be the sign that winter is upon us =)

Winter Speed Limits in Force.

Tuesday 12 October 2010

A post of First's

So yesterday was a very productive day for us we had the apartment confirmed so at least am I not homeless and sleeping on Jenny sofa. This has brought a whole new world of excitement to Jyväskylä for me. Probably the opposite for Eero unless it goes well with getting transferred... but it is far from bad at the minute so we smart to enjoy the good times!

Eero also booked our flights to the UK last night, we fly there separately but come home together as E can only get 3 days off as he has no holidays left =( but still he seems excited about his first Christmas in thee UK and my first Christmas there for three years... Hope I don't miss the snow too much but it will still be here a good while when we return =)

E is still looking at what car we should get next, I like VW and ford focus but we will see what we end up with... just hope it is not white! lol As I don't have anywhere to drive anymore it is not that much of an issue for me =(

Today (12 Oct) we have seen the first snowfall of this "winter" here, it is still snowing now and my proper winter clothes are in Tampere... but I have enough to improvise and I have my waterproofs so my jeans don't get wet... I can live with looking like an idiot so long as I don't have to sit in 4 hours of lectures cold and wet =) .  However, it is still snowing quite heavy here and there won't be any let up in it either, clouds are low, dark and full of snow!

 

Sunday 10 October 2010

Musical Post (youtube)

Well, as normal whenever I walk my headphones are possibly deafening me I don't trust myself enough to ride my bike and listen yet! but I have been listening to a lot of older music this week! Poets of the Fall and Apocalytica are the two best bands out of Finland and neither are as big as they deserve to be!



































First Snow Falls in Lapland

First Snow Falls in Lapland.

My first Finnish taught class and Eero's second visit

It's still so very pretty here and the trees in the UK don't go so many shades of orange but you can feel winter biting at autumn now, night frosts and cold days.

Last week was chaotic first four hours of my day were in a Finnish taught class, though I wish I could tell you I understood  perfectly I probably only understood 40% but lecturer was happy that I was using the lecture to improve my Finnish... it worked somewhat as  I have more confidence speaking even knowing that what I say isn't always correct but people seem happy that you are trying to learn so I continue. My Saturday lecture was a mistake on the system I found that out on Friday...later on Friday evening I also found that all my Monday classes had been cancelled and I have no classes on Thursday.  I wished I could be excited about this free time but there is too much to do in it to enjoy it!

I walked to the train station on Friday to get Eero but I went early hoping to buy a jumper a little thicker than the one I have now as it's a bit cold in one lecture room.  I also went to the post office as I had 3 parcels to collect (that's right my waterstones books have finally started to arrive and mom sent me some chocolate!) then I went down to the train station to wait for Eero, his train was delayed.  Then when we got home we found out about all my cancelled lectures.  I am used to being alone now and have made some more friends over the last few weeks which is all good.

The weekend has been great though we have played around as normal, looked for some more apartments as I move out of halls the end of this month! yippeee! Also got some warm socks, jeans and other fun things.  Eero being all stressed about my allergies playing up got me some magic vitamin concentrated cranberry juice which to be fair is nice!

The doctor's is Tuesday and with luck I get a quick referral to an allergist and then we can fix me again and life can return to normal!

If all goes well this week I can leave for Tampere when I finish school at 6pm on Wednesday. So much to do yet to make that a promise but Thursday eveni[gallery]

Thursday 7 October 2010

Simonscat.com

This is my favourite from simon's cat... most of our four cats behave like this... but the closeness of the box and my fluffy cute Ebony... it's unreal!







 

Sunday 3 October 2010

Blog moved

I have moved my blog to another site. As it is currently a site i have to use for one of my uni courses so i am just keeping them together.


https://katesuominen.wordpress.com/

Friday 1 October 2010

Search, find, learn

We have been lucky with the weather last week, though it has been cold in the day (damp cold that aches your bones) it has been sunny.



Tuesday after school I went for an 8km walk to explore a few places around Jyväskylä I hadn't been to. Mainly because I go back to Tampere after school Thursday and don't return until late Sunday night. So now I spend my Tuesday afternoon's walking around looking for new walks and places while taking photos. I found two new nature walks and still haven't got to explore Harju park properly yet. Hopefully the good weather holds out as next weekend Eero comes to visit me in Jyväskylä so we can explore a few places.



I have an intensive course next week so I have lectures on Friday and Saturday until 12.30pm. Then I will eat and we can go explore some more! Friday I also got the call from Eero to terminate my student lease and we applied for a few apartments in Jyväskylä. Now we have to wait and see what we get as I am out of student halls from 1st November =) yay! Yes I did terminate my lease on the last day in the last few business hours but it saves us paying three rents in one month!

So from 1st November we should have an apartment here but Eero may not get here until late November or December but I will have my own space to clean, wash and do as I please. I am actually very excited about this change, it means it is real again. Then we can see about changing cars =) somewhat exciting even for me (secretly I like cars).

I love my course but it is intense even without the extra course running. Into the deal, I am actually picking up another book exam next week when I can meet my lecturer to discuss terms. I also have my first exam Wednesday afternoon... chemistry calculations it will hurt somewhat I think!!

Oh, I also started taking Marlen's class for academic writing, aim of the class to get yourself published. I am actually loving this class and wished it lasted longer than a few weeks.

Suomi class is going well though it can be a little frustrating as my other classes push for so much time and effort, I have less time and energy for the Finnish but good progress is still being made and I understand a lot more of what people say. Quite handy around town, banks, shops and even on the train. Also be happy when Eero moves and he can start helping me too.

Waterstones are trying for the 3rd time to deliver my books I ordered in May, I hope to anyone or thing that the third time is lucky as my patience is as dry as Antarctica (driest place on Earth).

I have also been forced to book a doctors appointment as my allergies are having random fits and I am sick of trying to second guess what the problem is and my diet is restricted again now (not healthy). Hopefully I can then get referred to an allergist with some speed. Doctor isn't until 12th October as the original appointment clashed with my intensive one week course *ho hum*

Dad also got another all clear with his cancer check up so nothing is spreading. Granddad also got his all clear on his cancer in the beginning of the week. Life is good. Though nan had a very bad fall and has bruised her face and hips but all is normal apart from that.

More Finns Tying the Knot with Foreigners

More Finns Tying the Knot with Foreigners

Waste Bill Aims for More Recycling

Waste Bill Aims for More Recycling

Research Grant for Project to Convert Sunlight into Fuel

Research Grant for Project to Convert Sunlight into Fuel