Friday 28 October 2011

27th Birthday, Best day by far!


So Tuesday was my birthday and I didn't expect much from it as I had classes 8.15am to 4pm with no break unless a class finished early! The day started well, I meant my new lab partner Navdeep who brought me chocolate as a gift! A great way to start the day! We finished the experiment quickly, which I was glad as I still felt like something the cat threw up from the antibiotics. The day before I had planned to meet Jussi about a few issues and questions and he said he maybe able to tell me about the job I applied for short notice the week before. 

Knowing the job offer went on a group email to the school, I wasn't particularly hopeful as it was a paid offer which always inspires people to apply, money talks where we admit it or not! I was quite amused walking to Jussi's office as Navdeep said "before you go in, tell him you can only get good news on your birthday", but I didn't say it when I got there I was too busy making sure I remembered all the questions I needed to ask. So, I got there and went to see Jussi, who offered me the job, so shocked to hear I got the job, I forgot all the questions I had planned to ask. Instead, I was told about the job and what I would be doing for the next 3 months. Basically, it involves re-planning and updating a course which is a nice job for someone now planning to teach at university! 

Happy, then after calling mom, dad then nan and granddad about the job... Even texted Eero who called back! I went to my course assistant class! I was there for my normal two hours and just as I was leaving Marlen and the class sang "Happy Birthday", somewhere between shocked and embarrassed it improved my day and off I went to my final class!

After, I got home I waited for Eero to come home as on Wednesday, my final wisdom tooth was being removed (good riddance!!) When he got home he had flowers, so Mr Romantic struck again! He waited until late to post on my fb wall so he would be at the top of the list! (boys... my boys I mean him!) 

I was also quite shocked that I had over 150 fb messages?!?! That's not normal even with my friendship group!! 

Wednesday, was an early morning... we had to be at the dentist by 7.50am. Tooth extraction was OK, bleed heavy for a few hours then it stopped! I look forward to the weekend when I don't have to eat mush! 

On the topic of food, I have received so many emails on fb and people asking me how to cook certain things I am starting a food blog for allergy people, like me with a lot of adapted recipes and experiments that I like. So watch this space!!!

Saturday 22 October 2011

Sewing, dentists and bad news!

 Sewing for mom, 24 hours in

Ear healing nicely

It has definitely been a week to remember... the original plan was to celebrate my birthday this week, as my last wisdom tooth extraction is the 26th, the day after my birthday... I was happy with that, seemed a nice way to end 3 weeks of intensive courses.

Tuesday, I woke up 3am, problem tooth, felt like it had fallen out, so painful I couldn't close my mouth, or sleep after. So, I lay there, counting sheep trying to sleep, it was so painful I didn't sleep but just thought it was another episode of it being "sensitive" as the UK dentist told me that was the problem with this tooth. hmmm. Anyway, Tuesday was a long day at school, 9am to 4pm no breaks, no set time to eat unless one class finished early. I took some paracetamol and left for school. Pain got worse, swelling started so I knew I had to go the dentist, annoyed as I didn't have any time for it in my week but no choice, pain and swelling something was wrong. So, after Tuesday evening still the same, I knew 8am when the dentist opened I had to call. I got an appointment at 12pm, emailed my lecturer said I would be late... I knew from June when the UK dentist replaced the filling after the same thing happened there, a root canal was coming. So in I went, I explained 2 years of agony with this tooth since it was filled in UK, and the swelling  I got June when UK replaced the filling.  Seems then it was infected and should of been root canalled and me given antibiotics but it wasn't picked up on and how was I to know? 

So, the Finnish dentsit, said 2 teeth are now infected, and both need a root canal to prevent infection coming back, we will do the most painful tooth. So I selected "problem" tooth, after the root canal she told me the tooth was dead, it had no blood, I know it did before they replaced the filling in UK, I remember her mopping the blood from my tooth a lot.  Alas, now it is dead, apparently it doesn't mean too much, well its not falling out so it's all good for now. I was so annoyed that the UK dentist didn't spot the infection, and didn't give me a root canal when I needed it as they said the filling they gave me wouldn't last. Then Finnish dentist gave me some peniclin, I was so tired and annoyed I didn't read the allergy ingredients and after riding 5km home, I noticed I couldn't take the tablets. Next day, I went back and explained and we found out 95% of penicilin contains mint, which I am allergic. It was sorted and I had expensive antibiotics and went home. It was a bad infection, I felt like death, cold but sweating, not energy and spent 3 days on the sofa with a douvet. Saturday, the antibiotics had kicked in, I am alive again!

Today, I made some coco cookies as I'm not allergic to coco but can't find any chocolate I can tolerate. Yum, they are awesome! This afternoon, we went to see Contagiion and it was a great film!!! Eero and me went to the book shop and we got two new cook books in Finnish, one on pasta and other baking. No points for guessing who picked which book!!!

We also picked out Alex's present after we brought the girls 6€ worth of reflectors and sent them, we got him a pig toy. It's so cute!!! 

Dad is having his first week of chemotherapy this week, so as a get well soon present, Eero and me got him a new jumper to give to him when we go back to the UK in December. Nan had her emergency prolapse womb surgery and now everyone is ok again. For me, the problem is not that they are ill, it's the crushing guilt surrounding it all, not being able to be there for mom when she needs me. Still makes me swallow hard to be honest. The week previous, I just shut down, still went to uni but the week was a blur, I missed one deadline that I didn't really need but then I got annoyed that it had affected me but then, it was going to.

I have also made huge progress with mom's sewing she wanted me to do! that's what 24 hour's of cross stitching looks like. Nan wants me to do her the same pattern too. It is beautiful though, but I am not making us one, I don't think my sanity could stitch three of the same pattern!!! I will keep adding photos when I make some progress!! =)

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Ähtäri Zoo

My birthday came early and one of my early gifts was a trip to Ähtäri zoo! It was awesome, go if you get chance!!! We are going back in the winter to see the animals in the snow and I am excited already!!


 Wolverine 1.10.2011 Ahma
 European Bison 1.10.2011 Visentti
 Reindeer 1.10.2011 Poro
 Wild Boar 1.10.2011 Villisika
 Owl House! 1.10.2011 Pöllöjä Talo!
 Elk 1.10.2011 Hirvi
 Pine Martins 1.10.2011 Näätäelämiä
 Wolves 1.10.2011 Susi

Bears!!!! 1.10.2011 Karhu 

Later in the evening, I went to see Victor and Graham in Muurame, it was a forest and lake summer house and I left after dark but found the place OK! I had an awesome night, gossiping and eating =)
Must be done again soon!

Languages, Finnish and Swedish

Finnish... so it has been 14 months of learning. I got all pissed off with uni teaching at Suomi 3, basically I was told I didn't understand and needed to resit the course (which was rubbish). Well, I didn't believe this or listen and went on to the next level course, at a paid course from another school... I got grade 4... so my stubbornness overuled and it seemed like carrying on was a good idea. I know have a lot more confidence in Finnish again so whohooo! I have these extra evening courses until June 2... exams every 5 to 6 weeks so we are tested often in exams that are not easy!

I am happy again, practicing where possible, I have a class, well intensive course taught in Finnish for two weeks so it is cool!

Swedish, is coming along very quickly! Already we try to speak as much Swedish in class as possible, it's very promising and I am happy at the rate of learning. We have handed in two letters yet and we have a mid term exam tomorrow. Haven't had much time to prepare anything but this is about practicing and finding out what we need to learn for end of term exam!

me = happy bunny =)



VTT course, Increase Forst Fuel Supply

This course was awesome! We don't normally get to see any theory in practice and this course had fieldtrips every afternoon so I got to see things people don't normally!! I was the only student on this course which was a training course for foresters... interesting! I remember, that once upon a time I loved forestry but courses weren't so popular in UK so I turned to environmental protection technologies.. not a bad move.. but it did have those "what if?" thoughts...

Also networking is something hugely important with an impending thesis, maybe PhD or work! Jobs are hidden market in Finland, so here it's not always what you know but also who. Being social, I find this networking easy... I love to talk and I am pushy. You gotta walk the walk, if you can talk the talk!

This was a long course, started 8.30pm on Monday, was often after 7pm when I got home, Thursday was after 8pm (but I did get a lift home), Friday was the final day and we left around 12pm. Such a good course, very interesting lectures and good sites to visit. GREAT!!!


Wished I could take this course again! or work for VTT... still we will see if one day dreams can come true!!



 Prepared earth for replanting
 Harvesting
 Chipping in the forest
 Storage a year to two under waterproof paper
 Plant in Muurame
 The furnace!
 These two small pipes are the district heating pipes!
 Thinned woodland
 Woodland waiting to be thinned
 High quality wood chips!
 Residue harvesting
 Stump harvesting

Piles of stumps






In the path of the skilled, barriers will disappear?

http://2ndgreenrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/2803890_370.jpg
So, I haven't posted for a while, basically as life has been busy and uni has been annoying to say the least. To be brief, I had a course cancelled 5ECTs, was told for one subject I couldn't sit the exam as the course was done, even though I had wisdom teeth extracted on the exam days, wasn't like I couldn't be bothered to turn up... another 5ECTs gone- bad thing is this subject only runs every 2 years and is a must on my course so graduating could be a bitch now but I am taking a similar course to replace it. Hell shall have no fury if they don't accept it... I mean, come on... who puts must take courses every two years... bad planning, in my opinion anyway. I have so many clashes again, even within my own major.

Last 3 weeks, have been rough just like I am banging my head against a brick wall and wasting my own time. But I did half complain by writing a review of my course, that was very honest and I felt a lot better after handing that in. My tutor has been great trying to help me plan and cover my timetable as I originally planned to graduate with 20ECTs extra, now I am just about going to break even. Not at all happy about that... I also agreed with my tutor, that as a native English speaker, I would take some writing courses in Finnish to prove competence of another language, of course everything clashes with these courses and I know have an intensive course for 2 weeks which clashes like a MOO cow with my other subjects.

I hate clashes, I hate missing classes unless I am ill. Enjoy lectures and it causes me great stress that I can't study the course I want completely as I have to miss something. Also, I was lucky that one course a core subject that was only running in Finnish this year, I got an intensive week course from VTT to compensate. So that didn't annoy me as I got an awesome course but it worries me that others who only speak English are missing out... alas the problem is not mine and these people should learn to complain or just stick with bad choices and situations.

I also have had great frustration with a research course, it took like almost 3 weeks to reply to me by email. Just to say people have to apply and one person will get the course when it gets offered. So now I have to compete to get ECTs... Gradation is now delayed from May until September next year. As with my thesis next semester I have 52ECTs... it is going to be hard, I know almost near impossible but I have faith in my own ability to plan and conquer the near impossible. To me, impossible doesn't exist, there is just the things we succeed in and things in which we fail. I will not fail this course therefore, I will succeed.

There are 24 hours in a day and I don't need many to eat, wash and exercise! On the plus side, Eero has be awesome last 3 weeks as I doubt I have been in a good mood with all this stuff in the background. I am glad he is my port in the storm. I am annoyed that I had to juggle my timetable a bit more than I wanted too and now I have a heavy load of studying this semester and it gets worse as it goes but let's face it, it's a master's degree and no one ever said it would be easy! but all this stress will be worth it this time next year!!! *end rant*