More random things....

People are really into cross-country skiing here. So much that during nice and sunny days - you can see people walking with their ski poles. The more hard-core roller blade with their ski poles.

There IS a bowling alley here in Jyv�skyl�!!! Where exactly - I don't know. Tim read it in the tour guide book.

Prices vary in grocery bags (depends on the material it's made of) - from as low as 15 Euro Cents to 1 Euro.

For insurance purposes - when you are not using your washing machine - you have to shut off the water tap.

A "baby-sitter" is a baby's seat to occupy them...not a bumbo chair -but a chair that entertains the kid....I have no idea what they're called in Canada.... Here's a pic of one:

http://www.maternityandbabyshoppingmart.com/babybjorn/Bjorn-Baby-Sitter-BLRD-Lg.jpg

Only in Helsinki is the mother/care-giver with a child able to get onto a bus for free...this blows chunks.

Bus Fares and so on.....

So while we were waiting to find out if we could get our permits in the Police Station - I found a tourist book in English! So feel free to ask any questions (that I can try and answer)!!

Bus fare is 2.9 Euros "in the city flat-rate zone, beyond this dependent on the length of the journey". They offer travel cards - that are only valid for one day....adults are 7.50 Euros and kids under 12 is 3.80 Euros.

There is a Lost Property Office (aka lost and found), 1 library, 1 post office, and atleast 15 eye glasses shops (no joke). And I don't even see that many people wearing glasses to be honest!

Time to make supper - but as I skim through the booklet - I'll update the blog.

Orange-yellow mail boxes

Hey there:

So here's the scoop - our permits are a no-go right now. They've been approved in Canada but the police licensing department isn't allowed to put our permits in our passport. So they're mailing our passport to Finnish Immigration services. Hopefully it won't take very long. Yeesh.

Alright - the title. So the mail boxes here are honestly like 4-leaf clovers. Very rare to find and for some reason there isn't one on every block or two. There are no mailboxes near us whatsoever. The closest is about 10 minutes from Tim's office downtown at the University.
The mail delivery people (post-man/woman) don't carry the mail in bags on their shoulders. Instead they have an orange-yellow wheel barrow that is covered and they deliver the mail that way (so it appears when we walked by).

Hesburger changes up their menu it seems. When we first got here - I had the big-mac style burger (which is a regular item) and Tim had gotten the "Habenero burger". When we left the police - we went to Hesburger and there was no Habenero burger posted. Instead - it was an "Il Salsa" burger special this time.

Ok so I am uploading a virtual tour of our flat via FB. :) Enjoy.

I just walked home (without getting lost on my own) from Tim's office - and it started to rain. I think it's stopped now - yahoo. Time to shower and get back to my crocheting and maybe sneak in a nap :).

Go Big or Go Home!

I really am starting to wonder if that is the motto for Finland. Everything is big here - the people are fairly tall (I have met some short Finnish people - I'm 5'2")...the food portions are huge....the spread for family dinners is huge....you get my drift.

The burger I had mentioned yesterday (that I am secretly craving again - although I won't say it to the spousal unit) from Grilli 21 had wide strips of bacon. And the bacon doesn't seem to shrivel up into little itsy bitsy strips like it does in North America. Maybe they're from tougher/bigger pigs - who knows.

As well - I forgot to mention before - that the bathrooms here are labeled with a "WC" for Water Closet. I can only think of one restaurant in Halifax that has that and that is "North China" - now called "New Asia" on Hollis Street by the Trident Book Store.

Back to the crocheting....

4 hours later....

So I did it. I walked down to Grilli 21 (a take out/fast food joint near the university - about 15 minutes walk) - and had the biggest burger in my life. The patties are pre-cooked (which usually disgusts me), cooked up again and wide strips of bacon are sizzling on the grilli. The girl then cooks up the patties again (one thick one - think 2 inches thick?)stuffs them between a warm and toasty bun and proceeds to ask what kind of condiments. There's ketchup, dijon mustard, lettuce, raw/chopped onions, relish (not the watery stuff like North America) - this was amazing and had thick chunks of pickles and finally tomato mayonaise - which I skipped on thinking she meant a slice of tomato. All this for 5.50 Euros. Not impressed? It is so large they give forks out with them...and smart thing too! No need for fries or a sundae afterward!
After that - we walked downtown (another 10-15 minutes) and I found some envelopes, some stamps (80 Euro cents each - good for anywhere to send the mail) and we found plain white paper. We've given up on trying to find a note pad with lined paper (as opposed to grid paper style) - either its in a small booklet or not available at all.
So now I will have to work harder at writing letters that are straight across...which I'm terrible at. I couldn't draw a straight line with a ruler in high school - I was always off by that little bit.
After venturing around downtown and getting the cable for the internet (problem is we both have Vista on our computers) - we got some groceries and picked up Tim's new bike from a couple who have moved to Ohio for a few months.

Now I'm sitting here and working on a crocheted baby sling...I have given up on the baby booties I desperately wanted to make - as I followed instructions as best as possible - and I still cannot figure out why they do not have a bottom and why the hole to insert the foot into is so tiny. Could be the size of my crochet hook and yarn (I haven't picked up new supplies yet - but soon!) So instead - I have decided to try and crochet a baby sling - which seems to be going good so far (I'm only on row 3....)!!
My friend Shannon had introduced me to ravelry.com - I'm liking it so far - most of the patterns make sense (I'm fairly new to reading patterns as opposed to following what someone's doing)!
I also am thinking of decorating (permanent marker style for now) our re-usable bags. They sell them for about 95 Euro cents - just plain beige cotton bags with handles....and I want something more funky. I'll have photos on my FB up for once I get started!!!

Ahhhh internet!

How I missed thee!
OK - so cheesiness aside - I have finally connected wireless-ly to the internet. For how long - I don't know. Its been at least an hour - so that helps.
Good news is we finally heard from the Embassy in Ottawa and they've given us information as to how to get our permits in our passports. Monday we'll go to the Police and get that sorted.
It rains here in spurts. Like once a day (every few days) and not a torrential down pour that lasts all day either (like Halifax).
Internet banking is very weird here: You don't sign in with your bank card number - but with your ID# and then you have your password....and after that - you're given a code of numbers...and you have to refer to your plastic card with various codes and keys - find the matching ones and then in-put that key! Super security.
We got our "Visa Electron Cards" today - we got to pick our own images - I went with the national bird of Finland - and Tim went with an old comedian who is dressed like a homeless person sitting on the beach with no teeth.
Sorry so short - not sure how long this connection will last!

August 28/09

August 28, 2009
10:29 AM
Dear Blog:
Well I am presently sitting in bed typing this and quite exhausted. Yes it�s only 10:30 in the morning but the spousal unit decided to try out a trail and let the dogs roam free in the woods behind our building. It was a success � the three of us are tired and Tim has gone to school to work on his research. I had contemplated going downtown today by myself (which is probably a 40 minute walk or so) and picking up a notepad, some envelopes and some stamps � but decided against it. I�ll go tomorrow � I get easily distracted when left to my own devices. Not that I wouldn�t make it downtown � but I would find it very difficult and tiresome to get back via foot. (Or the # 11 bus as my parents called a pair of legs and feet).
I do have a load of laundry going and took out some meat to defrost for tonight�s supper. The Finns are very big on marinated meats and mixed meats as well. When we went to the huge grocery store last week � I noticed they sold (and had sales frequently) for marinated meat. We tried these pork chops that were marinated in an orange-red curry like paste and it was delicious! It was very messy frying the slices of meat � unfortunately our balcony is too small for a barbecue � but it was well worth the clean up afterwards.
Tonight we�re going to try some chicken pieces marinated in some sort of yellow sauce�no idea � but it was on sale and looked good! I�ll probably fry those up as well, as I am terrible at remembering the proper temperatures for baking chicken safely and thoroughly. I usually refer to the internet for that kind of information � but alas � I am still waiting. Also we keep forgetting to pick up some aluminum foil � which would help keep the pans in good shape.
Alright � so is food here different than in Canada? Yes. It�s official.
I finally managed to find a jar of peanut butter (not Kraft � I don�t think they sell it here) and it�s different. You can still taste the peanuts but it�s a weird texture�very hard to describe. It�s a bit darker in color and the taste is thinner. It�s not roasted peanuts I�m thinking. Also it�s not that thick that the peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth and you�re dying for a glass of milk to help wash it all down.
Maple syrup�well we bought the Pirkka brand � which is similar to �Our Compliments� by Sobeys or �No-Name� by President�s Choice. It�s awful. It�s edible but having had it this morning on our French toast � it clearly is not maple syrup. You can barely taste the flavor of maple; it�s very watery-thin and just tastes �wrong�. They do sell Canadian made maple syrup � but not at the store that�s closest to us. Note to self � get the real deal or at least Aunt Jemima shipped up.
On to the good stuff! I love the Laktosfri (lactose-free) milk � it doesn�t taste odd like Lacteeze or Dairy-land does back home. Yoghurt here is great as well as the cheese. The ice cream tastes different here too � we�ve only had vanilla so far� my husband hates vanilla ice cream with a passion normally � but here- he likes it more and more.
Meat seems to be quite tender � ground beef/pork is just as greasy as back home but drains easily. They sell cubes of beef and pork in the same package here and you can also buy mixed ground beef/pork too.
I love the tap water here � I keep a plastic bottle in the fridge and just constantly re-fill it.

We are big fajita/taco fans and so far we�re doing alright. For us it�s a healthy meal (meat, veggies, grain) and a quick one to make and consume. And only requires one pan (unless I was to make my own guacamole). Now � speaking of guacamole (avocado dip) � they have �guaccamoledippi� which translates to guacamole dip � and it comes in a small glass jar like a cheese dip or salsa would, and it lasts forever. I don�t think it�s made with real avocados � that or they put a ton of preservatives to keep it fresh�ours has been opened, closed and in the fridge for a couple of days and the dip is still green. But it�s the flavor and the thought that counts � right?
Pizza in restaurants can come with any kind of ingredient on it and comes on pita-like bread as opposed to a thick disc of dough. So far we�ve had it once and bought some frozen �Tahiti� pizza which is great! They come in pairs in a box for under 5 Euros and all you do is pop them in the oven (separate racks and trays as they are quite large individually) and 8 minutes later � voila � done.
I apologize if all this talk of food is making you hungry!!! I had a huge breakfast and am contemplating a nap after this entry is complete.
Now � onto the important stuff � dessert! Finns are great at the art of pastry. We�ve had pastries stuffed with rice and ground beef (?), slivers of ham and rice, rice patties baked into a rye crust, a long flat piece of bread with chunks of sugar on top (flavored inside with vanilla and toffee) and possibly baked with saffron (?) and last night we had picked up some small logs of cake. It was amazing � it was a small rolled up log filled with berry, drizzled on top in chocolate and had a chocolate coating on the bottom half. Now � we were never the type to have dessert with supper every night of the week � usually only on special occasions, as I tend to over-cook for two people normally. When I brought this up to Tim � he stated it was because the desserts in Canada are nothing in comparison � unless you went to an actual European bakery or to a fancy restaurant. I personally cannot wait until we visit Germany and try the bakeries there. We have a German bakery in the valley of Nova Scotia � and it was amazing. I chickened out and had only gotten a molasses cookie � but Tim went nuts and I managed to try a bit of each thing and the different style in baking is amazing. The baked goods here are light and flaky � you don�t feel like you ate a whole log of cake � you feel like you only had a couple small servings. Yet you�re filled to the top!

2 weeks in Finland

August 26, 2009
9:27pm

Dear Blog:
Because we do not have internet in our home as of yet � I am resorting to writing in a Word document for now and will copy/paste this into my blog/Facebook notes later.
I cannot believe that in 24 hours it has been 2 weeks that we have been living in Finland. Sometimes it feels like more � sometimes less.
We got a couch yesterday from Erika and Elijah as they are moving to Ohio for about 9 months while she studies and works in a program there. It�s comfortable and the dogs love it naturally. But as you can imagine � no better place is more comfortable � than a bed in which the humans need to sleep in.
Presently Blue is snoozing beside me occupying Tim�s pillow and curled in a fetal position. Loki is below him laid out comfortably also.
Today we went to the University and met many people in the same office building as Tim. They are mostly history and philosophy students but all were there for a good time and to say good-bye to Erika. She provided us with a business card which Tim can get as well if he wants. He was pretty stoked by the idea of having his own business card to pass out � as it�s not common at all to be a ph.D student handing out your own cards, in Canada!
The baby has been kicking and doing well I can only imagine. The other day for breakfast, I am ashamed to say � I consumed 10 grapes, a ham/egg sandwich with olive oil vinaigrette mix (I mix up the spices randomly), 2 pork chops (thin � but still!), a glass of juice and a bottle of water. Oh and 2 slices of bread with some peanut butter and honey spread on it. All in a time frame of about 30 minutes. I felt so guilty yet very content once that meal was completed � however it took about 20 minutes walk to find the grocery store so I�m sure that compensated for it in some way.
A couple days ago we thought we lucked out and found a grocery store just down the hill from our flat � so we hurried the dogs home, picked up a reusable grocery bag and headed back�only to find out it was simply a sign of sponsorship for the local sport arena! Oh I was so upset. Ah well � when Elijah dropped off the couch he kindly drew us a map (since we do not even have a phone book at this point) of the local grocery stores.
We are hoping to have internet this weekend if all goes well. I had mentioned to Erika that we have a TV cable set up in the living room but we were not sure if it was strictly for television or if it was for internet also � and she said she had an extra box set for that cable and we should be able to set up the internet this way. Worse comes to worse � she said the University has a way of setting up students/staff with wireless internet for free �but now that I think about it � I think she said people were abusing the system so she suggested we sign up for a wireless internet stick (slowly coming out in Canada) and it�s about 20 Euros/month � which is quite reasonable here.
Tim has internet in his office but only one chair. The office is nice � it�s a very large room shared among colleagues and everybody has their cubicles to themselves. Compared to Tim�s old office � this place is great! There�s a kettle in the office area (Tim consumes a lot of tea so this is a blessing not having to lock his office and run down and wait for the water to be boiled) and the way the cubicle is set up � everything is quite near. They even have door bells for each office as it seems all doors automatically lock here in Finland.
Many doors do not have door handles or door knobs on the outside � so if the key sticks (like it did with the apartment we were first residing in) � it can be quite difficult to get in. Thankfully our apartment key isn�t sticky at all and we�ve managed just fine getting in and out of our flat.

10:19 PM
I just spent about 20-25 minutes organizing the photos in my computer. I labeled folders for the first time in awhile and organized my Finnish photos according to �Scenery, Food, dogs only, New Flat� etc. I feel like a loser � but I am also getting tired � so maybe it will be time for me to sleep soon.
I finished The Devil Wears Prada today and it was quite funny. I cannot imagine working for someone that crazy but whatever pays the bills right?
Last Saturday, once Tim and I moved in � Tanelli kindly took us to the local discount shop (a Finnish Wal-Mart I suppose) and we shopped for all of our necessities for our new flat. After that we went to the biggest grocery store I have ever been in. I kept telling Tim we needed a grocery cart but he insisted on 2 baskets instead. Well everything fit for the most part and Tim was concerned that the baskets may break before he got to the register. HA! They reminded me of a mega-version of a Superstore from back home. They had food, a butcher, a cow (not a real one � but a statue of a cow WITH a ringing cowbell hanging from her neck in the dairy aisle), clothing and all sorts of other things. They had a stroller for 99 Euros � and another version for about 140 Euros. The more expensive one naturally had the cup holder near the push-bar and a bit more space beneath the stroller. I am very tempted to shop for baby things now but will continue to wait until its closer to mid-October.

I guess in Helsinki � the caregiver with the child or baby is allowed to board the bus for free. They want to promote healthy lifestyle and use of public transportation � so they have that option there. Unfortunately not in Jyv�skyl�!

It's been a week already...! (Among other things)

Holy cow! So it's been a week since living in Finland and I cannot get over how quickly time flies.
I decided to read on the Finland Forum about cloth diapers and used items for sale and it's quite impressive what people have experienced.
There's such things for sale from "Snoop tickets (snoop dog? not sure)" to "Madonna tickets" to an "Emma baby sitter". I feel really silly for mentioning this - but I posted a reply asking what a baby-sitter was because it was originally purchased for 35 Euros and was being sold for 20. The original receipt is still handy and it's "brown in color." I really did think it was a person named Emma being sold as a baby-sitter. After a quick search on Google - turns out it's a baby-seat.
Oh the terminology.

Now cloth diapers - whoa. There's actually people addicted to finding the perfect cloth diapers for the wee one. I can understand wanting to buy a good one so there's no leakage when visiting your family for tea and whatnot - but there are people that actually confessed on the forum to being addicted to cloth diapers.

My opinion on cloth versus disposable - should one be interested as I do not have children presently - not until November anyways....
I'm going to go with the cloth diapers and the plastic outer pants/diaper covers (or whatever they're called here) or the leak proof cloth diapers - (depending on cost between getting separate leak protection or all in one) for day time and for home.
In terms of sleeping at night and for travelling - I'm going to use disposables for the sake of convenience. For example - a ferry to Germany from Helsinki can range from 24-36 hours... not exactly the place where I'd find a washing machine and a clothing line to hang the diapers to dry.

I was reading on this Forum that people were worried about getting their washing machine dirty and full of bacteria... yes a genuine concern -I agree. Luckily I have a book I got in Canada by Reader's Digest - full of handy household tips. The biggest tip of all was the various uses of vinegar and lemons (among other things).
Vinegar is very cheap in Canada (and I can only assume in Finland as well - haven't looked yet) and they say to pour 1 cup of vinegar into your final rinse cycle to disinfect the washing machine and diapers and to help brighten the colors. Also it's very mild and safe to use compared to bleach for example.
To empty the diaper prior to washing (some people thought you tossed the whole soiled diaper in the washing machine immediately) - just shake the stools out into the toilet, squeeze out the wetness if it is excessive and then put in the washer.
I fully plan on having a pair of rubber gloves handy just in case it gets nasty. I figure if I have 2 medium-large dogs (Husky/lab mix and Lab/border collie) and am able to pick up after them with a thin plastic bag - then a diaper shouldn't be an issue with plastic gloves. Besides a child is bound to barf, spit up, pee or poo on you at some point. Once you've hit this point - then it's smooth sailing from there (so they say).

And isn't that what anti-bacterial soap is for anyways?

And I thought Canadians were TOUGH...

At dinner last night at Tim's professor's home - we met a lovely couple named Erika and Elijah. They were the ones who told us about the homes having names and that sometimes when you mailed an envelope you wouldn't even put the person's name on it!
Anyways I had mentioned to them that in NS - there is something called the "Polar Bear Swim/Dip" every New Year's Day....in which people are brave and jump into the ocean to celebrate a "New Year" and everything else that comes along with this. It's televised and many people of all ages do this. I suppose to "cleanse yourself" of all the old memories from the previous year.
Well didn't I look silly. The Fins apparently do this ALL winter long! They swim in lakes in the winter and go to their Saunas to heat up. Apparently the saunas are usually 20-50 meters from the hole in the lake so to get to the hole - one should wear wool socks. Because the air is so cold and the water as well - if you were crazy enough to go bare foot - your feet would stick to the ice. (Think tongue to metal pole or lips around a frozen Popsicle!!!)
And the "really crazy Fins" go for a dip, go in the sauna and roll in the snow after they're too hot in the sauna. I think that's a little much.

Most homes have saunas in their backyards - in a separate small house like a shed (but not quite as small). Some of the more modern or fancier apartment buildings also have saunas - either tiny ones per apartment or communal ones for all tenants to share. Then you would just sign up for whatever time you'd like to have the sauna for (say 1/2 hour) - and you could invite your friends. The sneaky way to get more sauna time was to have all of your friends plan and sign up for their saunas in their buildings - and just have a sauna party everyday of the week if you wanted.

I recently got back from the grocery store by myself (a very dangerous thing to do as a pregnant woman - I'm sure you females understand) - and picked up a package of Kaakao minidonitsi (Chocolate Mini donuts). I am not one for chocolate to be honest - white chocolate is fabulous - milk chocolate occasionally and any kind of chocolate with a fruit center or nuts is great! I didn't think that these mini donuts would be good - but whoa - they're amazing.
I am a Maritimer and that means we have a Tim Hortons on every busy street if not 2-5 of them. Tim Hortons needs to learn how to make these puppies! They're amazing! And light!
They are plain donuts and just lightly coated in milk chocolate. I figure a little treat for the husband since he was busy at school all day researching - but if he can do his research on Arabic Philosophy - then I am in my right to do my own!!
Thankfully I have been walking like mad everywheres and do not feel any guilt (not that I did before pregnancy anyways) about having one mini donitsi and a bowl of yoghurt.

Why Are a Couple Canadians in Finland?

Ok so here' s the scoop - this is going to be my first real post that was not copied from my notes from Facebook!

My husband and I were often asked "Why Finland?" Two Canadians and two medium-large dogs and no furniture or relatives. My husband is doing his phD in Arabic Philosophy here and applied to be part of a particular program (Classics is not really my thing to be honest - so please excuse me for my lack of details) and was approved and accepted.
We are from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada - where presently the humidity index has been atleast 60% - the temperature hovering around 35 degrees Celsius. And I just read about a Hurricane of sorts coming to NS quite soon. (Hopefully it's just rain and no severe damage).

It's absolutely amazing here and I strongly recommend anybody to come here. If it had not been for my husband getting into this program - I'm sure neither of us would've been able to have the opportunity to travel Europe.
Finland is quite safe in terms of violence, drugs etc. If a child goes missing - apparently it would make headlines in Helsinki (the capital).

We are presently living in a University-town called Jyv�skyl�. The population is approximately 100,000 with majority being students. It reminds me a lot of Halifax in the sense that there are buses and everything is within walking distance. However there are more lakes and rivers, plenty of outdoor activity (more people bike or walk/run here than drive to be honest) and barely any panhandlers.

I'm learning so much everyday - such as: (sorry if it's repeated in previous posts)

-Bike helmets are mandatory but not enforced. So if you are biking in Jyv�skyl� and do not wear a helmet - the police would not give you a ticket. A fine in NS is $25.00 (corrected from previously being labeled as $250!)

-Children typically do not start school until the year they turn 7 years of age. They still have the 12 Grades system and the child graduates at the age of 19 - which could be another year of maturity. I imagine if this was to happen in Halifax - there would be more drop outs or a higher level of absence as 19 is the age of majority in most of Canada for consumption of alcohol and purchasing of cigarettes as well.

-Pre-school would then be for children of 6 years of age unlike the age of 4 in NS.

-Anybody who has residence permits (or citizens of Finland) is covered for day care and pre-school.

-They do not have actual recycle depots here - instead you bring your recycables to the Supermarkets and put your bottles/cans into a machine and it calculates how much you get (each bottle or can is labeled with how many Euros you would get in return). We have yet to do it (we're big on drinking tea and water) - but I believe the machine either gives you your change or prints you a receipt and you would then bring that to the cashier to get your cash. I find this interesting as Quebec has always had this system in place from what I remember as a child visiting.

-At "Hesburger" - the local burger chain - they do not salt their fries and they do not contain as much grease. Maybe it was luck of the draw - who knows. They sell burgers similar to a Big Mac and there are so many condiments on the burger they come wrapped in wax paper as per normal and the burger is held together with a circular piece of cardboard.

-Whether property is private or public - you are allowed (with all due respect and common courtesy/common sense) to cross that property in Finland. If there was a blueberry bush in your neighbour's yard - you are allowed to pick them. The same to say if you wanted to go and put up a tent in a school field or in the woods - you could do so. I say common sense in the way that one shouldn't pick from a person's personal garden patch.

-In some older villages and towns the family has a name "Smith" for example and so does the house. That way they can distinguish exactly which family lives where. So the house could be called "Rose" and still to this day, you could label an envelope with the name of the house, the town and the postal code. The postal code system here is different than Canada greatly - as in they cover more kilometers. As opposed to each street having an individual code - one postal code in Jyv�skyl� could cover up to 100km! Especially in the smaller areas of Finland.

-Majority of homes have hardwood floors or tiles to help with the reduction of humidity.

-There is rarely any humidity here whatsoever!

-They do not have "snow storms" but it just snows plainly.

-There are brushes on the outside of most buildings for people to scrape their shoes off before entering a building - quite handy once the snow does fall!!

-There is a period of cold winter weather but no snow for about two months (up until November but not entirely sure).

Terms we're learning (excuse the spelling - I'm going based on phonetics):

*Hissi - Elevator
*Mooka - come with
*Kiitos - thank you
*hai - hello
*hai hai - Good-bye
*khana - chicken
*riisi - rice
*Jyv�skyl� - you-vask-yu-la (the town we're in)

Funny and Interesting things we're learning

For nap times - many parents bundle their babies/children up and let them sleep on the balcony (i.e. in a stroller) - as long as it's not colder than -10*C. Apparantly it calms the child down and soothes them.
And it's great for getting the floors cleaned and any other cleaning done.

-CELL PHONE PLANS ARE SO CHEAP! Finland has the cheapest of all of Europe as of right now.
You're looking at about 66 Euro Cents per month as your "monthly fee" and then 6 cents a minute. And if you call only people within the company you're with - it's even CHEAPER! Like 2 cents a minute. Not sure how much it actually costs for phone - we need to get our permits first before we can get phones or library cards.

-We're 6 hours ahead of Nova Scotia, Canada

- The electric bill is only charged once a year

-Water bills work out to be about 14.5E per person (in an apartment setting)

-Dryers are considered a waste- everyone hangs their clothing

-You need a permit to get your international drivers license, a cell phone, your Social Security # (an ID card) and a library card (among other things)

-It took us forever to find garbage bags because they're not sold in boxes or plastic packages - they're rolled up and sold in a roll. It was 1.50 Euros for 10 VERY large bags.

- Hesburger (the other burger chain besides McDonalds) - doesn't put salt on their fries and they're not as greasy! They sell burgers like Big-Macs and they come wrapped in paper like normal - and a cardboard ring surrounding the burger to keep it together :)

-Dog bags are relatively cheap as well 40 bags (black and with handles - my favorite) were about 1.99 Euros

-Diapers ARE OH MY GOSH CHEAP HERE!!! Canada has nothing on these prices. I think it was something like 45-50 diapers for about 13 Euros. And something like 85 diapers for 18.95 Euros!!! (the all natural but not cloth kind)

- There isn't a dollar store or dollar store equivalent here. I do not know how I will survive.

We Got the Apartment :)

GREAT NEWS! We got the apartment and will move in this Saturday afternoon.
I do not have photos yet (the girl still hasn't packed her stuff) - but it's on a quiet side road, very safe area and surrounded by woods and forest. The girl we're renting from has 2 dogs (smaller than ours) and said she goes in the woods all the time by herself and never has a problem and lets her dogs off leash also.

We're on the top floor (3rd) - above us is a storage unit and a "dryer room". We thought dryer for clothing - but it's just a large airy space with clothing lines to hang your clothing.
There's a small balcony out back (no bbq's allowed because it's small - however there's a sand-pit on the ground to bbq in) - and there are built in metal racks for hanging your clothing there too. It's a very safe balcony in the sense that there's chain link fence instead of just vertical bars where someone could get their head stuck between.

Size works out to be 51m2 (squared). Which seems small - but the girl renovated it - and it's better than anything we've had before!!!
Hardwood floors (which is the common flooring here), a MASSIVE stainless steel fridge and freezer on the bottom. A lot of counter space, drawers and a dresser when you walk in. Bedroom is a great size and has a very nice sliding closet.
Living room is massive and the girl will be leaving us a lot of furniture such as:

* Massive bookshelf (it's in cubicles)
* Tall dresser at the entrance
* Bed (smaller than a double but bigger than a twin - they're weird here)
* Washer (it's in the bathroom)
* Table and two chairs
* Possibly her computer desk and chair (not sure)


Heat is included in the monthly rental fees - however the electricity bill is charged once a year. (Which Tim's professor said shouldn't be nearly as much as she made it out to be because heating is included - should work out to be cheaper than Canada per month).
Water works out to be about 14.50 Euros per person per month.
And there's French doors going into the kitchen from the bedroom. Everything's connected - which allows a lot more open space.
And the best part of this apartment is that it's literally down the road and across the street from the hospital where we'll be delivering!

From my FB Notes Aug. 16/09

** I firstly apologize for the fact that my keys have been sticking so some words may be spelled in corectly *taps harder at keys

So we left Halifax on time and got diverted to Conneticuit Bradley Airport because JFK wasn't letting flights go due to fog? *Sigh.
So we wander around there for an hour and a half - get chatting with a bloke from England who was drunk and clearly switching flights....
Get on the plane and run like mad to the other end of the JFK airport to meet our flight - and they already boarded people and were done. So we wait 45 minutes for the dogs to come out - take them out for a quick stroll....get a guy to help us load their kennels on a cart...gave him a $20 tip...wait another 30-45 minutes to check in - to find out that the jerk left us at the wrong gate altogether! SUPER MAD.
So we get on the plane properly - our baggage was checked in - paid for the dogs to fly - and voila we're on our way! NOT.
We wait about 2 hours (or more - I was asleep) before leaving JFK on the plane.
Finally!!! 7.5 hours later - we arrive in Helsinki....for 50 Euros we get a mini bus to take us to the train station - very friendly people here. Clearing security was super easy - there were no questions asked - just a quick review of the documents for the dogs and voila - welcome to Helsinki.

Missed a few trains and got rid of the kennels at a train stop later....and we're finally in Jyvaskyla!

Grocery store here is very neat. Bring your own bags, weigh your own veggies/fruits (you push the corresponding code and a price sticker prints out) and bag it yourself. Very speedy process. Instead of yoghurt in a tub - they have yoghurt in individual cups (like Canada) but in a MILK CARTON TOO!!!!
Lots of lactose-free items and gluten free items as well. In restaurants everything is clearly labelled because Lactose intolerance and Celiac disease is very common in Finland!

They abolished cheques here 20 years ago! It is common to give out your SIN# and your account number so people can deposit money into your account at any bank machine or online as long as someone knows your account number.
There is no Walmart here but a store called ANTTILA - it is like the Walmart's cousin. And it has yarn. I will survive.

There is one poisonous snake - it's black....they have lynx and bears in the woodsier parts...but they're people shy. Hedgehogs are very common!!!! Like a NY rat I suppose. Or squirrels.
It's very dog friendly here - same basic treatment - leash and pick up after them. Cats are quite frowned upon apparantly.

There is a playground about 20 minutes walk away(between us downtown and Tim's professor's home) - and it's HUGE. Halifax has nothing in comparison. It has an indoor playground section, lots of toys during the day time, and has a cafeteria where they create meals for your kid for 1 Euro. Also they have a kitchen area so you can boil water or heat up your own food apparantly. I will take pictures next time we're there with Tanalli (Tim's prof)'s family.

Oh and the escalator between my Walmart's cousin and the grocery store "KKK Supermarket" (no joke) - are flat. As in no stairs and you're riding on an angle -I was quite dizzy afterwards.

We haven't tried reindeer/caribou yet. But tonight I'm cooking my first meal here - pork stirfry. Sad I know.

Basic terms (probably spelled wrong):

Kiitos = Thank You
Hissi = elevator
Mooka = Come with
laktosfri = lactose free


PS - dryers are considered frivoulous here - as things dry very quickly outside (even in the winter) - there's barely and rarely humidity here!
Instead of wipes - people actually hold their baby in a hold under their arm pits and wash the bare bottom with soap and water - as it's more economically and more environmentally friendly than wipes.

PPS Alcohol consumption is a huge issue here - so when we apply for permits - and they interview us - there's a whole segment about how much we consume. LOL.

The age of majority is technically 18.
You can be 15 to play the video slot machines in the grocery stores, and 18 for the bars. Booze is sold in the grocery store.

They have actual bike lanes separated from the sidewalks - they're really big on outdoor living here in Europe. Gas is about 1Euro.5 - similar to Canada - the prices go up faster here when it affects North America by an extra 50%.
Bikes stand free and most modern versions have an internal lock (we though people were just leaving them around).

Ovens are very small here - not wide at all!!! And majority of ovens are flat topped.