I just pulled my lower back an hour ago, popped an ibuprofen, have an energetic baby at my feet in his car seat and decided to write something in my Finnish blog - as it's been awhile.
In Canada you can buy Tylenol, diapers, clothes and toys in Walmart. Heck - you can even buy food in some of them!
That is not the case in Finland. Each store has it's own "thing".
For example - you can only buy medical things (including vet medication i.e. flea treatments) at the pharmacy. Even simple things like Vitamin D (unless you go to a specialty shop I guess), ibuprofen and so on are only purchased at the pharmacy.
Things like Band-aids can be bought at Sokos (not sure about Antilla the other department store).
You can't buy diapers or wipes in the department stores - only at the grocery stores.
Dog/cat food is only sold in the grocery store.
Sokos in relation to a Canadian store is like The Bay. A bit more expensive and more "higher class". So S-Market is tied in with Sokos - as they also share the "S Card"program. With the S card you can get discounts in-store as well at some restaurants - usually 5%. I believe they also have a point system like Shoppers Optimum or Air Miles.
K-Market would be the other chain and has a "Plussa Card" program. I haven't seen any signs for discounts at restaurants if you present this card. However the discounts in the grocery store and in Antilla can be quite significant.
The differences I've noticed between the S-Market downtown and the K-Market near home are HUGE.
I suppose because of location - S-Market is larger, has a rotisserie, a deli, a fresh meat counter, a fresh seafood counter, sells sushi (which I finally tried - it wasn't too bad), and has a larger on-site bakery.
K-Market close to home rarely has good cuts of meat (if any at all because they're quite small), no deli/rotisserie/seafood/meat counter and a very small selection of "freshly"baked goods. I think it really depends on the time of day that you go to pick up bulk baked goods - as I've had some not-so-fresh items and was very sad. As well the variety doesn't change much.
One other huge difference between S and K market are their store-brand names. Similar to "Our Compliments" versus "President's Choice"- S Market carried a brand called "Rainbow" while K Market carries "Pirrka".
I like either brands for certain things. For example the Pirrka line carries a good loaf of bread that lasts longer than the expiry date stamped on the clasp and their Basmati and Jasmine rice has flavour. We no longer purchase the Pirrka branded maple syrup - far too watery. We just get the "Maple Joe"stuff which is a bit pricier but has a strong maple flavour and not as watered down.
Now obviously due to location - there are 2 bigger stores City Market (K-Market) and Prisma (S-Market) a little ways out of town. Definitely not walk-able distance like downtown is...I just need to get the courage to take the bus. We're hoping to find a cheap used/reliable big enough vehicle for the 5 of us (dogs included) - then we'll be able to make a trip once a week and get enough groceries to last longer. As well - we're in the process of looking for a larger apartment - preferably 2 bedroom and with a washing machine and a balcony to hang the clothes in the warmer seasons. Oh and preferably furnished - as the place we're in is furnished. So far we have found plenty - but they're all available this month or next. And that's not enough time to find someone to move us and to give a couple of months notice of our moving.
I don't WANT to move - however now that we have V�in� - we could use a bit more space.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Region 1 Versus Region 2, bath time, washing machine soap and blasted bacon.
We got a DVD player at a store downtown and I scored us a 28" Samsung Television off the Tori site for super cheap - and they delivered it. I'm pumped!
We asked the fellow while purchasing the DVD player if it would play North American DVDs and European - he had no idea. That's okay.
My colleague advised me on how to hack the DVD player and set it on Region 0.
Region 1 = North America
Region 2 = Europe
So! I was in a dilemma as Taneli lent us their massive DVD collection which contains both Regions.
Unfortunately the Region 0 option would not work - however now we know how to program it to either Region 1 or 2 - and be able to have the best of both worlds!
I was also advised my colleague that Blu-Ray doesn't contain Regions - so they're universal!
So tonight may be an Indiana Jones fiesta - as I haven't seen a full Indiana Jones movie - EVER.
We've watched Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou? and the original Austin Powers.
I'm also going to try and bathe V�in� twice a week - on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. Since our last bath time was so successful without a single tear - I am going to tempt fate and see if he can handle being bathed twice a week. It's not like we expose him to many people or visit anyone (now that Taneli and his family are gone for awhile) - but with the dogs licking him all the time and licking themselves - well it only makes sense.
V�in� seemed to enjoy the freedom of being able to look down at the water - or up at us by standing in the tub (with Tim's assistance of course).
Still plenty of snow in Finland and for those of you that read about the shooting in Espoo (pronounced Es-poh not POO) - it does not happen very often! And Espoo is nowhere near us.
The other day - I did a massive load of laundry which mainly consisted of V�in�'s cloth diapers. Those get washed everyday or every second day - depending on how many he went through. I think this was a 2nd day washing - well I forgot to add soap. I was so sure I did - but I must've emptied his bucket of diapers into the washing machine and put laundry soap and water into the diaper bucket...and not the washing machine.
I was so upset as the clothes started drying in the living room on wire racks - and the living room started smelling like dirty diapers. I lost it. So - we were already on our way out the door to pick up the DVD player and so on - so when we got home I re-did the load...making sure to add an extra capful of liquid soap.
Today - I did a load of laundry and I did put soap but the clothes still came out smelling a little like dirty diapers. I was so confused! Tim looked at the washing machine and there's a little blue strip of plastic that acts as a bit of a trap door for the detergent. So if it's pushed down then the soap has no where to go. Or if it's properly lifted up - then the soap is dispensed properly.
The instruction booklet is in Finnish by the way. Anyways - so we figured that it must've jiggled closed from the spin cycles - as I have never touched the blue plastic trap door before and Tim rarely touches the washing machine.
I'm going to cut out nuts for awhile - which makes me very sad as Jessica cleaned out her cupboards and gave us bags of nuts (Tim can't eat them at all due to digestive issues)...as well good-bye cheese (even though it's lactose-free - I'm still getting contraction-like stomach cramps)....and good-bye bacon.
This afternoon - I threw a tantrum. I got splattered on the face again but I didn't even cook the bacon! I got Tim to, and I cooked the eggs. Then when I went to drain some of the fat out after his eggs were safely on his plate - I got a shot in the face of bacon fat. I was livid. I refused to eat the 4 strips that Tim put aside for me and refused to cook my eggs in that pan - despite the fact that Tim drained the remaining bacon fat into a tin can.
If I didn't wear glasses - I'd get a shot of bacon grease in the eye...every time I cook bacon - even if I wear a long-sleeved shirt and long PJ pants - I still get splatters on my hand and face. Which hurt a lot. And no- I'm not hanging my face over the pan.
Probably a good thing I'm saying good-bye to bacon - I mean yes with breast feeding - I'm burning 500 calories a day so I'm not concerned about the weight gain part - as I was only allowing myself no more than 3.5 strips. But I had a single strip of bacon yesterday morning and V�in� has had an upset stomach ever since.
Someone suggested the microwave - I am not one for bacon cooked in the microwave. Just tastes weird - maybe it's me. Or the texture isn't right.
I prefer to cook bacon on the George Foreman...which wouldn't work here unless we had an extra converter. That and I gave it to a friend as a gift.
There's no splatter, the fat is all drained away into the little plastic tray...it's crispy....and nobody gets hurt.
We asked the fellow while purchasing the DVD player if it would play North American DVDs and European - he had no idea. That's okay.
My colleague advised me on how to hack the DVD player and set it on Region 0.
Region 1 = North America
Region 2 = Europe
So! I was in a dilemma as Taneli lent us their massive DVD collection which contains both Regions.
Unfortunately the Region 0 option would not work - however now we know how to program it to either Region 1 or 2 - and be able to have the best of both worlds!
I was also advised my colleague that Blu-Ray doesn't contain Regions - so they're universal!
So tonight may be an Indiana Jones fiesta - as I haven't seen a full Indiana Jones movie - EVER.
We've watched Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou? and the original Austin Powers.
I'm also going to try and bathe V�in� twice a week - on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. Since our last bath time was so successful without a single tear - I am going to tempt fate and see if he can handle being bathed twice a week. It's not like we expose him to many people or visit anyone (now that Taneli and his family are gone for awhile) - but with the dogs licking him all the time and licking themselves - well it only makes sense.
V�in� seemed to enjoy the freedom of being able to look down at the water - or up at us by standing in the tub (with Tim's assistance of course).
Still plenty of snow in Finland and for those of you that read about the shooting in Espoo (pronounced Es-poh not POO) - it does not happen very often! And Espoo is nowhere near us.
The other day - I did a massive load of laundry which mainly consisted of V�in�'s cloth diapers. Those get washed everyday or every second day - depending on how many he went through. I think this was a 2nd day washing - well I forgot to add soap. I was so sure I did - but I must've emptied his bucket of diapers into the washing machine and put laundry soap and water into the diaper bucket...and not the washing machine.
I was so upset as the clothes started drying in the living room on wire racks - and the living room started smelling like dirty diapers. I lost it. So - we were already on our way out the door to pick up the DVD player and so on - so when we got home I re-did the load...making sure to add an extra capful of liquid soap.
Today - I did a load of laundry and I did put soap but the clothes still came out smelling a little like dirty diapers. I was so confused! Tim looked at the washing machine and there's a little blue strip of plastic that acts as a bit of a trap door for the detergent. So if it's pushed down then the soap has no where to go. Or if it's properly lifted up - then the soap is dispensed properly.
The instruction booklet is in Finnish by the way. Anyways - so we figured that it must've jiggled closed from the spin cycles - as I have never touched the blue plastic trap door before and Tim rarely touches the washing machine.
I'm going to cut out nuts for awhile - which makes me very sad as Jessica cleaned out her cupboards and gave us bags of nuts (Tim can't eat them at all due to digestive issues)...as well good-bye cheese (even though it's lactose-free - I'm still getting contraction-like stomach cramps)....and good-bye bacon.
This afternoon - I threw a tantrum. I got splattered on the face again but I didn't even cook the bacon! I got Tim to, and I cooked the eggs. Then when I went to drain some of the fat out after his eggs were safely on his plate - I got a shot in the face of bacon fat. I was livid. I refused to eat the 4 strips that Tim put aside for me and refused to cook my eggs in that pan - despite the fact that Tim drained the remaining bacon fat into a tin can.
If I didn't wear glasses - I'd get a shot of bacon grease in the eye...every time I cook bacon - even if I wear a long-sleeved shirt and long PJ pants - I still get splatters on my hand and face. Which hurt a lot. And no- I'm not hanging my face over the pan.
Probably a good thing I'm saying good-bye to bacon - I mean yes with breast feeding - I'm burning 500 calories a day so I'm not concerned about the weight gain part - as I was only allowing myself no more than 3.5 strips. But I had a single strip of bacon yesterday morning and V�in� has had an upset stomach ever since.
Someone suggested the microwave - I am not one for bacon cooked in the microwave. Just tastes weird - maybe it's me. Or the texture isn't right.
I prefer to cook bacon on the George Foreman...which wouldn't work here unless we had an extra converter. That and I gave it to a friend as a gift.
There's no splatter, the fat is all drained away into the little plastic tray...it's crispy....and nobody gets hurt.
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