Maasmaas

Douwen. Trekken. Dank U. That's my knoledge of the Dutch language thus far. But here I am. Currently residing in a hotel but have taken most of my stuff to my new flat. The flat is amazing. The location is fabulous! It's right by the river so that you can actually see it from the livingroom. It has two floors, bedrooms are upstairs and it has these really cool exposed brick walls. Notice the difference to Newcastle, bricks on the wall vs. bricks flying through the window.

Also had the introduction day at the university. Might be that my eagerness to socialise with people is interpreted as alcoholism so from now on I really should be more careful with how I articulate my thoughts... When I said for example to my flatmate's brother that I'd like to have a few friends over he got the impression that I intend to hold a massive party.

I did bring some wine with me but that's mainly because I have this absolutely amazing rose wine that I love (Beringer Zinfandel) so obviously I brought some with me. Then I also took some champagne bottles we have lying around at home because of the recent trip to France and some of the gift bottles that my parents have accumulated over the years. And so on. Why buy new ones when I get some for free?

But anyway, I met a Bulgarian girl. How amazing is that? I don't think she fully understood my love for the country but I am so excited. I get to discuss Bulgarian politics with someone! Yey! Go Bulgaria.

On a sadder note, none of the people in my table at the reception seemed interested in Eurovision. That will change.

Everything always works out

First I should probably knock on wood for saying this, but it's funny how everything always seems to work out for the best. I was preparing to go to Maastricht with no place to live and then out of the blue I get an email saying that I've got a room from a flat that has a view of the river (it's one of the ones showing on the background of the picture. I think...). So basically perfect location. And then after some email exchanging it seems that I'm sharing it with a very nice Dutch guy so not only do I need to share it with only one person, he seems really nice. And I might learn some Dutch. Currently my impression of the Dutch language is a mix of Danish and hissing sounds that a snake makes when it's attacking...

Now I only need to get the money for it, Newcastle sent me the diploma so late that I won't probably be able to get the official letter from Maastricht in time to send it to KELA in order to get my grants and loans in order. Which is crap, but I'm hoping I'll be able to sweet-talk my bank into giving it to me somehow.

Had another IB-reunion few days ago, it's nice that we still bother to meet up. Though there were all the girls from my class and only one guy; it seems reminiscing isn't for the fellas.

Also spent the entire last week travelling around Finland interviewing people for the project I'm doing at work. It was really cool, I love the job I'm doing. The travelling not so much. I counted that it was the 22nd aeroplane I've been on since January...

Today is the only day I haven't got anything major booked. My friend Riikka is leaving to Sweden so we're holding a farewell party but that's in Lohja and later tonight so I've got the whole day to just chill and learn to play the new Heroes V we got. Next weekend I'm getting a good start on EU stuff when I attend Eurooppanuorten Linnaseminaari. It should be good, they've got former foreign minister, MEP and a minister for EU coming there to hold talks. There's also a EU-simulation, I've been assigned to a position that's pretty much perfect but I'm sensing it was assigned to me because they thought it less important and not knowing me decided to just let me do something. It's going to be like Bulgaria all over again, you never saw it coming. ;)

And then on the night of August 26th I leave to Maastricht. We're driving there with my mom so I get to take lots of stuff with me. And since we're driving through Sweden we also get to go say hi to Riikka since Norrköping is on the way to Trelleborg anyway. :) So yay, all is ready for my grand arrival to the Nether-Netherland.

Summer so far

So I'm back in Finland for a revolutionary period of a whole month. Had our little trip around Europe with my parents and Minna, drove over 7 000km and got to see nine countries. It was a really nice trip and I'm now a fan of France. Amazing place, really friendly people and beautiful cities/towns/villages. I'm especially taken by Metz in north of France and Périgueux near Bordeaux.

Nothing major has happened. I'm starting work tomorrow as a project assistant at Finland's largest realestate agency, it should be really cool, it involves interviewing people so interaction, yey!

I've been desperately trying to get a room/an apartment in Maastricht but so far have drawn a blank. All the places seem to go within a day and I get the feeling that as a person out of the country I'm on the bottom of the list of desirable tenants. But now I'm checking my email nonstop for possible new places and intend to watch over them like a maniac.

Minna, my sister, got a place at a applied sciences university, studying industrial furniture design which is really cool. She even got her own place already. She gets a whole place all for herself! I'm probably doomed to live with flatmates till I retire no matter how hard I try to grow up and get my own place.