Gossip girl

If only this blog would be anynomous, the posts I cold write and gossip that could be here... But I am very aware of the fact that anyone can read it and do self-censor myself. So in case you've been wondering of the scandal freeness of this space (which I'm sure has never crossed anyone's mind but amuse me) it's due to my megalomaniac tendencies and a consequence of my desire to rule Europe and pre-prevent any tabloid headlines. ;)

Above is a picture of Silvia, Kalina's flatmate. She's Italian and studies in Trento University. The same one Triin was on exchange at and I visited last November. Small world. Anyway, their house is amazing. The people living there, all eight international students, are really cool. Can't wait for the exams to be over so I can go there more often and they can feed me. ;)

Not that there's much happening. The Big Exam is next Monday and everybody is studying for it. I'm even on a self-imposed no-drinking-or-partying ban until then. So I just spend my days pretending to study. So far it's actually pretty limited, I get tired after one article and then just tune in to MTV and watch quality shows such as Made or Pimp My Ride.

Also, I'm desperately looking for a word in English for myötähäpeä. It's such a good word, let me know if you know of it.

Uuuh, and I have decided to visit Newcastle before Christmas. I'm taking Kalina with me and Triin will be showing us around Ncl nightlife. Yey, dancing!

Lately

As you can tell from the frequency of my postings, I've been busy lately. Nothing major, just meeting friends and studying. The latter hasn't truly occupied my time as much as it should have but I'm trying to make up for it by cramming in as much as possible during the weekend.

Thankfully there are some lovely people here to keep me sane. The academic side of Maastricht hasn't improved. It is - so far - below par. I've had lectures that felt like high school, lectures that started by the lecturer saying that what he says isn't going to be examined, begging the question why we are there (and no, it wasn't educational or fascinating on its own right) and the most recent lecture was held by a person who spoke bad English, clearly had stage fright and lectured about such a boring and insignificant topic that several people, including me, left during the break. To add to the overall suckyness, the core readings are horrible. Mostly written by people who I've never heard of (and I have studied politics for three years in two different universities in two different countries) and who are mostly Dutch, the texts are occasionally so badly written that even people like me who are perfectly fluent in English struggle to understand anything...

But I'm not despaired. The economy may be failing and studies suck but so far parties keep on coming and I can still rely on having such an amazing group of people here so overall I'm content.

Past events

A lot happened during past week. Firstly the awful event in Finland came as a bit of a shock. My sister goes to that school, just a different branch 40km away. My reaction is actually something like anger at the shooter, disbelief that this could happen again in Finland, sadness for the victims and shock and fear for my sister. I think gun laws in Finland should most definately be tightened now, I don't care if they take the right to carry arms from everyone except the police.

Obviously the day it happened I wasn't my most productive moods but still managed to work on our presentation. We finally held it on Thursday and it was really good, I think we might even get a really good grade for it.

Then I invited some people over on Friday and that was really nice. I love having people around and we just drink and chill and have a laugh. So I might repeat that soon.

On Saturday Marttiina asked me to go to Brussels with her and so we did. It was cool to just decide to go there, it only cost 18 euros for return. To put it into perspective, it cost less than a return trip from Lohja to Helsinki... And so there we walked around, did some shopping. We met up with Tuomas who I know from Copenhagen times and he had a friend with him, Eeva. So Tuomas went to sleep and we took Eeva shopping with us. Good times.

On the way back the border control came to check our passports, I didn't have mine so I just game my driving's license... And then the police started to argue that it's not enough so I gave my Finnish sickness insurance card (because it is also official and has my name and picture). I also explained him I live in Maastricht and go to the university here and also showed my student card. By this time another policeman had come over and he saw my driving's license and was all like "Hey, it's Finland. It's okay". So it felt nice to be Finnish at that point...

Thankfully I made it home and today I intend to go to the city with Ginta and Kalina and have some hot chocolate. Apparently Kalina knows this place that has really good variety of different hot chocolate flavours and it got all us girls drooling over it. Kalina also invited Per but said regretfully that they don't serve any beer there to which Per said that he does drink other stuff as well...

So all is well and I'm happy, not the least because I now have a decent pair of flat shoes to wear to the shoeheel-killer streets of Maastricht.

Inside jokes

So I'm doing this presentation with Ginta and Jonathan. Since we spend so much time on it, we're also spending a lot of time with each other. And believe me, eight hours in the library working on a presentation about a topic you don't quite know if you know it will blur the mind of anyone. So far I've established that we're called "team well ahead" because I keep encouraging the others by saying that: "no worries, we're still well ahead of the others". It's my mantra these days. Also we found out that if Ginta doesn't get enough sleep she turns hysterical and everybody will have some fun. She was even flying at some point. Then Jonathan is not the prim and proper German he looks on the outside, actually he's Jonathan from the block, from the hoods of Berlin. Yo!

So yea, very intellectual this MA. I just had to write about this somewhere and rather here than on my facebook status which would only leave people wondering what drugs I'm taking.

Happy again

After much ranting over the past months I'm now in a happy place (so corny of me!). Things are going well here, I've gotten over the problems with the university and all the necessary documents are now on their way to Kela. My group project is going well and I must say I'm so happy about my group, Ginta and Jonathan are both very smart, efficient and professional, basically perfect people to work with.

And then to the best part, the social side of all this. I really love the people I've met here. Kalina for example is just the sweetest thing ever. Yesterday for example we had a party for all the MA European Studies students (though only 20% showed up) and Ginta and Kalina were at my place before we went there together. We drank champagne and talked, I love having my apartment where I can invite people over all the time. Then the party was a lot of fun as well, got to know some new people doing our program whom I've never even met. To appease some questioners, there are some really nice boys here as well...

In an hour I'm meeting again for the group project so should really get back to work. But before I just want to express my enthusiasm that Triin finally got her driving's license! Yey! After all these years she's now allowed to drive... :D On that note, till the next time I find the time to reflect.

Spinning around

I suppose hangover days are always a bad time to reflect on life and then post them online but here I am going against my own good advice. I just looked at one of my friends' list of friends on facebook and he has doubled the amount in a year. I remember this because we started in pretty similar figures, but I've only increased mine by 50%. So now I feel like I should've gotten to know more people but on the other hand I feel like I can't even manage the current figures. I've got so many nice friends that I should keep in touch with but still I find it goes months on occasions before we meet or even converse. There's nothing really to be done, we've all got out respective lives across the world but take this is a shout-out to all my lovely peeps. If only I could some day get them all into one city and we could meet up for drinks whenever we want without having to set dates months in advance.

On a more current note, yesterday I had Kalina, Anna, Deborah and Per over at my place and it was really nice. Such a nice group of people. We even managed to talk about Bulgarian politics and I got them to drink some Koskenkorva Mint vodka which was a definate crowd pleaser. Now I've got the washing up waiting for me at home...

I've also got some pets. Our balcony (that you can't use because of some damp problems or something) is the home for two pidgeons. I don't know whether they've got some mating ritual or turf wars going on there but they sure do bite each other and wave their wings a lot. Sometimes they throw each other down from the whatever airconditioning pipes and boxes that are there and you hear a loud thump.

But yeah, my life here in Maastricht has started without much drama. I kinda miss having a big culture shock, I get more irritated by the small complications here because I think they are so small that they shouldn't matter but they still do but if I would be just thrown into something completely different at least I'd be justified to be annoyed. If you get what I mean.

Off to studying now. If the world stops spinning that is.

Spiderwebs

I've been quite boring company lately. All I've managed to talk about for the past week is the amount of spiderwebs in our house and the damned washing machine. I was a bit of an idiot and tried to open the washing machine before the minute that I was suppose to wait was over. So I managed to break the whole handle. The plastic handle split in half. Otherwise it wouldn't be a problem but it only opens manually, and despite my desperate attempts to somehow wiggle it open with a screwdriver I can't get it open. So my laundry is still there. The embarassing part of it is that it has my flatmates towels in there. I had to wash them because while I was cleaning the bathroom I spilled some of the washing liquids on them and I thought I'd be a good girl and wash them. Big mistake.

Then on to my second pet peeve, spiders and their webs. They are everywhere in the house, I had to vacuum every wall, ceiling and corner to get rid off them. I've done my best but I'm sure the little devils will come back to haunt me. I can only hope they're not clever enough to stage a joint attack on me.

But otherwise things are fine here in maasland. After my fourth visit to the front desk I got a letter that proves I'm a student here so that I can finally apply for student grants and loans in Finland. Now that the house is clean I can actually start living there and possible leave the house on occasions.

As to studying, I've done very little so far. I attend the lectures though yesterday we had a refresher lecture on European integration and an hour of the lecture was spent informing us that theories are useful and that we need to use them. This made me question what kind of people do they accept here if we have all completed our bachelor degrees and written a dissertation without ever hearing or, heaven forbid, using theories...

Uuu, one more thing. At yesterday's skills session (don't ask what it is, I don't know) a girl recognised I was Finnish just by appearance and way of speaking. She was Latvian and had studied in Tallinn so she had had experience with Finns before. So I guess I do look Finnish. Damn.

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.