May Day in Finland: Vappu!

Vappu in Finland is a big spring celebration commemorating May Day on May 1. But, (in true Finnish style) the celebration does not only take place on May 1, a lot of the partying occurs on vappuatto (eve) April 30. We invited our Finnish mate, Ilkka, to our house on vappuatto and he made a huge batch of homemade munkkis (the Finnish doughnut): flour, yeast, sugar, cardamon, fried them up and dusted them in sugar. He made about two dozen munkkis for the five of us to gorge ourselves on...and that is exactly what happened. I think I ate four munkkis that afternoon (OMG, ass growing as I type this...) But, they were delicious! Then, we made our way to the Minna Canth statue in the central park where the university students "hatted" Minna at 6 p.m. with the typical white graduation hat.

The "Hatting" of Minna Canth.

That night (some) people dressed up in costumes and partied like rock-stars. Lots of drinking was had by all. The next day we joined the Greek contingency for a picnic at Harju, the place to be! There was a live band and tons of people with amazing picnic spreads. We devoured Greek dishes and spoke English amidst a sea of white graduation hats and the sing-songy sounds of the Finnish language.

Final Stop: Helsinki with my NEW Hubby

We arrived in Helsinki and my face and heart lit up when Charlie met us at the apartment--whoa, I am married to this hot dude. Lucky me!

We rented a funky apartment in Helsinki for the weekend with great views of the city. The weekend was fun with lots of sightseeing, walking around the beautiful city of Helsinki, visiting the Suomenlinna Sea fortress, cooking excellent meals, playing UNO, and drinking beer and wine. My dad's highlight of the weekend came after he bought two beers for him and Charlie for 12 euros. Okay, buying what he claims to be the most expensive beers he has EVER bought was not the highlight, but when the bartender came with two more beers (for free) my dad could not stop talking about it. Buying the most expensive beers (EVER), only to be rewarded with two free beers later. (The bartender explained that they needed to empty the taps for some reason, hence the need to giveaway free beers.) This never happens in Finland.

My parents visit to Finland slowly came to an end when we had to catch our train back to Jyväskylä at 6 p.m. No matter what the circumstances, these days I always have a sinking feeling in my stomach when I say goodbye to my parents for a long extended period of time. They are so dear to me and living so far away makes the heart grow fonder.

Next stop: Tallinn, Estonia

Bus ride to Tallinn.

A 4-hour bumpy bus ride on the LuxExpress toured us through the Baltic countryside  to Tallinn, Estonia. We had one day to explore the old town area and visit a few churches. We experienced the humble St. Olav's Church, built in the 13th century, and the mammoth St. Alexander Nevsky Russian Orthodox church, built in 1900 as a symbol of the Russian's empire regional power. Even though I am not much of a religious being, I do enjoy visiting European churches as they are filled with local history and the architecture is very unique compared to the modern U.S. churches. These two churches could not have been more different from one another, as the Orthodox church was gaudy as ever with gold trim, mosaics everywhere, and no where to sit. My mom asked, do they stand for service? Yes. St. Olav's was a little more rugged (and humble): white walled with wooden pews, yet a mature grandeur beckoned from floor to high ceilings.

The Russian Orthodox Church in the distance.

UNO on the ferry.

After enjoying our day walking around the old town area, we grabbed our bags from hotel Braavo and began walking to the ferry terminal just in time for the rain to come (ick!) Despite getting wet, we managed to find the right terminal and settled into our seats in a loud bar area. We later moved to a quieter area, as our fierce UNO game needed a little more focus with less drunks in the area. Remember, this ferry from Tallinn to Helsinki is considered to be the drunk ferry (oh, heck...any ferry between the Scandinavian countries is considered to be a "drunk" ferry). But, especially this one, as the Finns love to cross the Sea for more affordable alcoholic beverages. Sitting across from us was what appeared to be a mother (about 60 years old) and her son (maybe 35) and they were both drunk enough to stumble as they walked. Oh yeah, good entertainment there!

Honeymoon...with my parents?! First stop: Riga, Latvia

Since my parents flew all of the way to Finland for our wedding, we decided to make their 10-day trip into a fun family travel week. Plus, there is only so much you can see/do in Jyväskylä (it's a small university town in Central Finland). My new hubby, however, could not take off much time at work--so we both decided to postpone our honeymoon for a more exotic location when he is able to enjoy more holiday time. Boo! My parents and I flew to Riga, Latvia for a Baltic country tour on a tiny EstonianAir aircraft (which by the way is now flying out of the petite Jyväskylä airport). For three nights, we stayed in a great little apartment in the Art Nouveau district right next to the parks and old town area (lovin' the airbnb website). Riga is known as the "Little Paris" of the Baltic region...it is sweet with the narrow cobblestone streets and open plazas. During our time there, we began to see old town transform into an outdoor European cafe with ubiquitous outdoor seating and even a stage and beer garden. (Unfortunately, it was still a little too chilly to enjoy it all.) We also enjoyed the local rhythm at the big market where fresh produce, meats, cheeses, breads, and even clothes are sold. My mom and I bought fresh walnuts in the shell with a wooden nut-crusher (Charlie will love this!) and wool socks, while my dad searched for the cheapest Latvian beer he could find. We did manage to plan a picnic in the park (that I never showed up to, because I was at the wrong end of the park--boo) and we did enjoy a beer (and tea) at the medieval restaurant, RozenGrals and a delicious meal at Fazenda (highly recommended!)

Post-wedding Weekend

With people still in town from the epic wedding celebration we could not let another social opportunity pass us by, so on Saturday night we hosted a Mexican fiesta for our parents, a lovely couple we have met through the Fulbright grant program who are actually from Colorado--Ken and Nancy, and one of our spectacular wedding photographers, Joan. By the end of the night, we had pulled out all of our European liquor (balsam from Estonia, genièvre from Belgium, lingonberry liquor from Finland, and fig liquor from France) and a taste test ensued. Nancy thanked us with the statement, "This just felt so natural." Yes, sometimes when you live in a host country feeling "natural" with familiar cultural cues, foods, and family can be oh so wonderful.
 
Sunday was a beautiful and sunny day...the perfect day to tour my parents around Jyväskylä. But first, a Sunday American brunch (eggs, potatoes, and pancakes) while my dad played tennis with the Finnish professor that we work with. Then a nice leisurely Sunday stroll. Since Charlie and I do not have a car we are used to walking and/or biking everywhere. We walked my parents up Harju (the ridge that overlooks the city), showed them the apartment we will move into July 1, walked through the city center, and then down by the lake. When we got to the lake I realized we had been walking A LOT. Despite the fact that my parents were still going strong (even though they live in a car-centric U.S. city) they welcomed the lakeside pit stop for a cold beer and cider.

Yo, I do!

If you watched the wedding ceremony video below, you may be wondering why the heck I answered the question, "Do you, Leasa Weimer, take Charles Mathies to be your husband?" with a hearty  "Yoo! I do." While I love rap and hip-hop music, that is not the reason I said "Yo", before the customary "I do". "Yo" is actually "Joo" in Finnish, which is an informal way to say "Yeah!" So, there you have it...it was my way of honoring the native language (and country that was marrying us) and answering the question in an affirmative Finnish way. Hence, the giggles that followed "Yo"...

A Wedding Day Fairy Tale

I was never one those of those little girls who dressed up like a bride and dreamed of my fairy tale wedding. Yes, I did love to play with Barbies, but they would go on ski vacations rather than get married. As I have grown older, I have attended and/or been intimately involved in a good number of weddings, both big and small. Most have been wonderful and beautiful, while others have been stressful, and a few have lasted no more than the newlywed year. I suppose all of this wedding "experience" has served me well, because for my own wedding I knew not to lose perspective and get caught up in the little details (like bridezilla) and expectations for the "perfect" wedding. With all of this being said, our wedding was perfect and rather fairytale-ish in a Charlie and Leasa kind-of-way (without gnomes, fairies or trolls). The entire day was incredibly fun and perfect in so many ways:

1.) We got married in a different country (now I have to admit that was probably a little dream of mine).
2.) At no time did we feel stressed.
3.) We were smiling and laughing a lot (according to the candid photos).
4.) A small group of people that love and care for us attended the events, which gave us the luxury of enjoying everyone's company.
5.) We made time to breathe in each others kisses and escape for a few special Charlie & Leasa moments.
6.) Our favorite Finnish yogini gave a Buddhist blessing at the ceremony (epic!)
7.) I got to smash cake on Charlie's face, while he nicely fed me (How did I find such a nice dude? Well, I should not speak so soon...my time is coming.)
8.) We had a cultural saunapaloooooooza and hot tub party. At one time, we fit 10 people in the hot tub as the water overflowed.
9.) The food was surprisingly delicious (we were unsure of the caterer).
10.) The photo shoot with all of our Fulbright buddies was more fun than expected...jump, jump, jump.

A Wedding Ceremony to Remember

As soon as we arrived at the court house we were invited into an office where we signed a few more papers and they talked us through the (short) ceremony proceedings. My father walked me into the small court room and gave me away to one smokin' hot dude, as everyone (about 12 people--Americans, Finns, and Greeks) hummed the tune, "here comes the bride." The woman officiating the succinct three minute ceremony was very soft-spoken (sorry, her voice is hard to hear in the video), yet every word she spoke was deliberate. For a Finn, she was rather expressive and a few of our guests mentioned that they thought she was getting emotional as she spoke. Following the ceremony, my mother and Terhi read beautiful poems and messages sent from across the Atlantic Ocean from my sister and brother-in-law and Charlie's parents, respectively. Paula, our friend from Tampere, then gave an incredibly moving Buddhist blessing. The funny part came as we were taking group photos at the end, one of the glass candle holders was shattered (accidentally) and together everyone exclaimed, "Mazal tov!" We all signed the court house guest book, drank champagne, and we were out of there in 35 minutes (oops, 5 minutes later than we were scheduled for). Certainly, a wonderful and memorable 35 minutes of our lives.


Charlie is such a sweet and ethical dude that he emailed the court house about the broken candlestick...this was their response, "Accidents happen, so you don't have to worry about the broken candle holder and there's really no need for you two to buy us a new one. As long as you had a great ceremony and a day you will remember for long, it's just fine."

The Parental Units Arrival...

Today my parents arrived from Colorado. I guess this means the big day is tomorrow! My parents are true travel warriors--they took three flights, one bus, and two trains to arrive in Jyväskylä. Let's hope the jet lag does not get the best of them tomorrow.

Wedding Details

Today was a big day in the wedding planning department. This morning I stopped in at the neighborhood flower shop, two blocks away from our apartment. I walked in and it was as if the bucket of pink calla lilies beckoned my attention from across the room. I wanted something very elegant and simple, perfect-- two calla lilies with some greenery and lace.

Now, how do I explain this to the flower shop owner who did not speak or understand spoken English? Hmmm...what creative juices can I use to explain that I need these flowers for my wedding on Friday? I took the calla lilies and held them close to the base of my rib cage and slowly began to meticulously step forward while humming the tune, "Here comes the bride." After a few steps I looked up at the very confused woman and the expression on her face told a funny story, "What is this foreigner doing? I think she might be crazy!" Ha ha. So, I stopped my little day dream and pulled out my day timer, pointed to Friday, and wrote: 13:00. All of a sudden another woman walked into the store, as if sent by an angel she helped translate. Flowers ordered!

I told Charlie this story and he was like...we really need to write down all of these stories. True, as if wedding planning is not crazy enough, we have an added international element and language barrier as part of the planning shenanigans which adds a whole new dimension to the wedding adventure. But, with that being said...I would not change the experience for the world.

In the afternoon I met Charlie at the Drama dress design shop. I needed to try on the dress since the alterations had been made. WOW! I love it.

Thursday my parents arrive from the U.S. and then the festivities begin! Woohoo...

Brussels!

Another Erasmus Mundus Alumni & Student Association meeting in Brussels means good beer, yummy waffles, Belgium chocolate, crispy fries, and a weekend with an amazing group of international friends. In addition to hanging with my Erasmus Mundus buddies and discussing the future of Erasmus Mundus, I also got to visit with my dear Flemish friend, Marijke, as she drove me to the Brussels airport. We managed to miss each other at the Grand-Place on Sunday, but then she swung by my hotel and picked me up just in time to drive me to the airport.

What Have U Been Up 2?

Jyväskylä through the lens.

I wish I could respond to this question with a one-line response, but it is more than one line...but all very good!

1.) Not sleeping much these days, as poor Charlie has bronchitis and the cough keeps him (and me) awake throughout the night. Pesky influenza bug! (Okay, that's not good...we will get the bad out of the way!)
2.) Working on a project with the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council, with continuous deadlines fast approaching through the end of May (neglecting the dissertation, but not for long...)
3.) Traveled to Helsinki for two days to present the aforementioned project findings to a Ministry working group (very cool experience).
4.) Charlie and I are looking for an apartment to rent come June.
5.) Tax season...blah! Someday I need to sit down and figure out the taxes for owning a house in one state, receiving income in another state, consulting in another country, and receiving two grants.
6.) Planning a post-wedding sojourn, not with my soon-to-be-husband (sad face--he has to work), but with my parents (happy face--they will have traveled a long distance to see the Baltic region). We are going to Riga, Tallinn, and then meeting Charlie in Helsinki.
7.) Wedding planning--the Finland party plans are almost done, I just need to order flowers. Next up: party planning in Colorado.
8.) Planning our summer travels: Greece in July.

Built-in bike gloves.

9.) Getting ready for a trip to Brussels where I have agreed to create a video of all of the Erasmus Mundus chapters around the globe. Why did I volunteer to do this? Oh, right...it gives me time to be creative (okay, keep telling myself this.)
10.) Writing a conference paper with our Finnish friend and Charlie. Deadline fast approaching.
10.) Neglecting my blog--just not enough time. Sorry.

Did I tell you? We are Staying for Another Year!

Beautiful roses grown at the local greenhouse.

In the midst of many epic adventures in our life, I have been remiss in sharing some important news! Charlie and I have decided to stay in Finland for another year. My data dude was interviewing for a job in London, but was also offered an extension on his work contract here. This job in Finland is very good for Charlie's career and the Institute that I am affiliated with is happy to host me for another year. For me, it is a great academic location to write, write, write the dissertation (that I have been neglecting). For Charlie, it is the perfect place to step up the career ladder and develop a new office of Institutional Research. Added bonus: in Finland a work week is only 36 hours long and he will also reap the benefits of the social welfare state holiday leave: seven weeks of holiday!

Wedding Planning...Leasa & Charlie Style!

A simplistic wedding invite: Evite!

This past week was a BIG wedding planning week. I have to admit, I am very happy we decided to go for the 4-20 date because I would not want to be sucked up by wedding planning details for a year of my life. Since there is a pressing deadline and my super-fiancé is good at making decisions, there is no reason for me to sit and ponder (and get lost in) making the most rational decision (which I have been known to do). Which equals=no bridezilla here!

Actually, the wedding we have planned is perfect in true Leasa & Charlie style. We wanted something special, low-key, yet FUN! This past week we saw a groupon coupon for a venue, Lutakon Leidi, that was suggested to us. We went ahead and risked purchasing the coupon without checking out the venue, but we figured if we did not want to use it for our wedding celebration we would use it later. The coupon was for a sauna party for 15 people. Perfect! On March 29, we checked out (and booked) the venue: an old yard house from 1912 turned into a party house with a Finnish sauna, hot-tub, showers, and a fireplace room. Perfect! We sent out our evite invitation (text below) on Friday and now our wedding has guests, including our lovely adopted Finnish family we met through the universities family friendship program, my friend and yoga instructor who I met in 2007 when living in Tampere, a handful of Fulbrighters, the professor we work with, a few work colleagues, and my parents...yes, my parents are making the trip across the pond! Woohoo. I just love that our wedding story grows increasingly unique...my man proposes to me in a Finnish sauna, we use a coupon for the wedding celebration, and who knows what other adventures will come our way...seriously, I love it!

Drama Dress Gallery.

Oh, and the most exciting news of the week...I found an incredible dress! I did not want a traditional wedding dress, rather I wanted something unique and funky. I found it! My Finnish friend, Terhi, suggested I go to a local designer, Drama. Saturday, Charlie and I stopped in and the next thing I knew I was trying on 10 beautiful, totally sassy dresses. (I now know what it feels like to choose a wedding dress--in the non-traditional sense.) There were two dresses that I loved, both were dark pink. But, I could tell by the look in Charlie's eyes which one was the winner. Dress purchased!

Text from the Evite:

To share in our happiness, join us for a wedding celebration coupled with feasting, merriment, and a traditional Finnish sauna. You are welcome to join us for any and/or all of the festivities:

2:30 p.m.Wedding Ceremony:
Maistraatti, Yliopistonkatu 28, Jyväskylä 40101

After ceremony cocktails & hors d'oeuvres:
Leasa &Charlie's home
Löylykatu 2B 14
Jyväskylä 40700

6 p.m. Finnish sauna and casual dinner in one of Jyväskylä's oldest buildings (towels provided, but bring your swimsuit for a co-ed sauna and hot tub adventure):
Lutakon Leidi Juhlapalvelu
Schaumanin puistotie 2 C
Jyväskylä 40100

**All venues are within walking distance to the train station (city center).

Let us know if you have dietary restrictions (we will be ordering vegan options for those who are interested--let us know.)

The gift of your company is all that is desired.

Berlin: Fulbright Conference

The annual Fulbright conference for student and scholar grantees living in Europe is hosted by the German Fulbright Commission in the amazing city of Berlin. Nice, a great excuse for more European travel! So we packed our bags (yes, Charlie tagged along as Fulbright "spouse"), boarded the AirBerlin flight, and next thing we knew we were sitting in a trendy tapas restaurant located in the funky hipster neighborhood of Friedrichshain. This area used to be East Berlin or the Soviet sector of Berlin from 1949 to 1990. Since the wall came down in November 1989, many neighborhoods in "East Berlin" have been gentrified and are now they are the place to be! We rented a studio apartment in the neighborhood through only-apartments (highly recommended!), which meant we had the opportunity to take public transportation (train, trams, buses) to attend the conference sessions. All the better; taking public transportation and living in a local's neighborhood allowed us to experience the local rhythm of Berlin life firsthand.

Berlin wall painted by Fulbrighters in '89.

The conference was great, but I was pulled in many directions because I was working on a project for the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council, with a tight deadline, and I was still fatigued from the bad-ass influenza that zapped Charlie and I. Oh, AND we were in the stunning city of Berlin--so much to see! We did, however, manage to attend a good portion of the conference, hang out with our fellow Fulbright crew from Finland (love them!), and celebrate 60 years of the German-Fulbright relationship. Very cool! (It is also 60 years of the Finland-Fulbright marriage.)

The Finnish Fulbright crew with the Executive Director of the Fulbright Association.

During our down time we toured a lot of the city, Charlie more than me, but I managed to get out from underneath my computer and research duties to enjoy the city and sunshine. Highlights, for me, included the Holocaust Memorial (a.k.a. Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe), 2711 slabs of concrete forming a maze-like, yet somber, visual depicting an ordered system that lost touch with human reason. Of course visiting the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie, with the golden arches (McDonalds) serving up Big-macs on the same street (no joke), all topped the list of my highlights. While I was working at a local cafe Charlie went with a group of Fulbrighters from Finland on a tour of the bunkers--from his stories and photos I think the tour might hit his list of highlights. Finally, on our last sunny day in Berlin we went on a boat trip on the Spree River (with groupon coupon--oh yeah!) and we toured the German Parliament building, the Bundestag and Reichstag building. I have to say the tour of the Reichstag dome was fantastic--imagine 360' views of Berlin on a sunny blue sky day. Plus, the dome itself was so cool, especially if you are a photographer. We had to register on-line prior to visiting the dome (for free). The visit came with an audio-guide in English that walked us through the dome one level at a time and gave history on certain landmarks throughout the city. If you go to Berlin, you gotta DO THIS!