Garden Carnage

Bean stock carnage.

During our afternoon walk we made a quick stop by the garden to find the bean plants completely destroyed. What and/or who could have done this? We did some investigative work and first noticed that the pea plants (next to the bean plants) were trampled on and then...ah-ha…little droppings from Bugs Bunny and his friends lay next to the sad looking pea plants. The rabbits ate our beautiful and lush bean plants for dinner (those pesky little varmints!) and then pooped on our garden. Apparently, our friendly fellow gardener from Bangladesh knew what he was talking about. And, so the garden adventure continues…

If you look very closely, those round pellets are rabbit droppings.

Floating Pub

Our previous landlord invited us to join her for Friday evening drinks aboard the Gaia boat. In the Jyväskylä harbor there are two boats that also serve as pubs on the lake. It turned out to be a beautiful evening (with sunshine--a rarity these days). She told us stories about living in Argentina for the past 9 months (she took a journey similar to that of the eat, pray, love book) and she was curious to hear stories about our Finnish experience. It's always nice to find others who have taken the risk of living in a different country, because it is a unique (and sometimes much more intense) experience than traveling to a country for a couple of weeks. 

Strawberries, Skype & Smoothies

We bought another 5kg box of sweet Finnish strawberries today (20€)--the polka variety (which are sweeter than the honey variety I bought last time). My mom was with us (via Skype) as we spent our evening slicing strawberries and sharing stories of our day/week in Finland. It was almost as if she was there with us. Skype rocks, it makes the world a smaller place.

You may be asking what will we do with 10kg (22lb) of frozen strawberries? It's smoothie time! My new breakfast and snack item: a delicious fruit and veggie smoothie. Now that we have a freezer full of strawberries and a new blender (the benefits of moving into a fully-furnished apartment with a fully-loaded kitchen with *bling, bling* appliances). My little kid bro is a smoothie fanatic, so he has taught me a lot about proper loading of the blender and this photo is the incorrect way to load (shame!) Here is his brotherly advice:

"Dude, you should put the spinach in before all the fruit.  Liquids, semi-solids/powders, light ingredients, heavy ingredients, ice.  The order in which you should load your blender.  I leads to less blending time necessary (and thus heat) to fully blend all your stuff."

Taking a Break from our Computers...

Tervetuloa=welcome!

We sit on our bum a lot! Not a day goes by that we do not spend at least a few hours sitting with a computer (the joys of writing a dissertation [me] and doing statistics [Charlie]). We are in a computer world and it is kind of ridiculous the amount of time we spend sitting with our computers.

Serenity now...cafe time by the lake.

I am especially sensitive to this because I thrive on being active and experiencing the world (not through a computer, although I know that I need to be glued to my computer in order to complete this PhD).

Delicious salmon roll at the cafe.

An agreement between a local farmer and the City has put the farmer's sheep to work, eating the fields by the lake in the summertime.

Superhusband chillin' on the bike path.

So, when the weekend comes it is time to put the computers down and jump on our bikes for a long ride. This Sunday we rode to the lovely Naissaaren Cafe that sits next to the Vaajakoski lock on the Keitele-Päijänne canal about 8km (5 miles) from our house. Luckily it did not rain on us, as it has been raining almost everyday for the past month. We ate a lovely lunch at the cafe, hung out, and then got back on our bikes and rode around the lake. After riding about 20 km (12 miles) both of us arrived home with a smile on our face, our bums no longer as mushy as a couch, and we were ready to get back to our computers.

Operation Dissertation Lock-down: Writing My Days Away

Monday, July 2, 2012 will go down in history; it is the day I began writing my PhD dissertation. Thirteen days later I turned in a first draft of chapter two to my PhD adviser. 22 pages in 13 days=not bad. I have come to realize that the dissertation writing phase is a solo time for just you, your brain, and your computer. There is no prescription for writing a dissertation, as everyone is different and we all come upon our own writing rhythm. Sure, books giving advice on dissertation writing are helpful (I have about five of them bedside), but not foolproof. Here is what I have come to know in my short writing period:
1.) I need a minimum of three hours to really get "into" writing and then go loopy after about five hours of writing. Time for a break.
2.) Breaks need to include some sort of total mind-numbing/physical activity (running, riding my bike, yoga, watching a romantic comedy, cooking dinner, etc.)
3.) Writing everyday is good and it keeps you moving forward, but for me I need at least one day/every week that takes me completely away from everything and anything related to my dissertation.
4.) Sometimes it takes 10 minutes to get into the writing groove, other days it can take many hours of poking around the internet (Facebook, Gmail, blogs, etc.) before I am ready to write. I have come to accept this and not resist it. For me, it is how my mind gears up for writing.
5.) Focusing in on one chapter at a time is the only way I can think right now. When I think about the totality of the project it is overwhelming and self-defeating.
6.) Setting deadlines is important! My adviser told me straight up that setting deadlines is not her job, so it falls on me. I have set a tentative schedule (let's see how it goes). The first target has been met, (yeah for me!)
7.) It is important to find the right space to write. There are three places where I feel most comfortable writing: my office, the library, and our home office. Anywhere else--forget about it.

8.) Oh yeah, you must save your work and back it up. Very important! Dropbox (an online share folder for documents, photos, etc.) is rocking my world right now. Every day I save the newest draft to dropbox which I can access from all three locations where I write. I back it up every so often on my laptop and my work computer.
9.) Tracking progress...for me every little word gives me steam to keep moving forward. So, I have found that tracking my word count every day gives me a sense of accomplishment. Yeah, excel spreadsheet and all--I am a nerd!
10.) Having a superhusband who went through the same process makes the experience so much easier. In his words, "Just keep the ball moving forward" (he is a football nut and it comes out when he offers words of wisdom.)

Gotta go! Time to get back on the saddle...

Marketplace Joy!

Kyssäkaali=Kohlrabi cabbage.

Our new apartment is about two blocks away from the summer farmer's market. Everyday I ride my bike to campus I pass by the market checking for new vendors and scanning the prices on strawberries. This morning before Charlie went to work we stopped by the market to grab a little breakfast: for me a crepe with fresh strawberries and tea and for Charlie a "pulla" (Finnish pastry with cardamon) and coffee for Charlie. Besides the lovely breakfast today we SCORED! A visiting German vendor (who now lives in Italy) was selling his Tuscan lemon olive oil  and the delectable Finnish strawberries (that are all the rage in the summer months) were on sale. Yes!

Our Finnish friends educated us to watch the prices on strawberries and when they dip under €20 then it is time to buy, slice, and freeze. I kissed Charlie goodbye and bought a 5kg (11lb) box of honey strawberries for an affordable €19.90 (and a 1/2 liter of blueberries, lemon olive oil, kohlrabi cabbage, and peppers).

Strawberries ready to freeze!

I asked the strawberry saleswoman if I needed to wash them before eating/freezing them and she said, "Oh no! Finnish strawberries are natural and you never need to wash them." Nice! On this Finnish summer evening, we ate and sliced strawberries until the box was empty.

Our New Home!

We LOVE our new apartment, the natural light, sauna and washing machine in the bathroom, and the office with a proper work space makes it feel like home. One week after moving in and we are finally unpacked and settling in. Here are some photos:

Front door and plenty of hanging space for our coats and a shoe rack. The hallway leads to an extra bathroom and the superawesomesauce office.

Our big kitchen with one freezer and one refrigerator, and a dishwasher (this is a luxury item for us), oh and I cannot forget to mention the Marimekko tablecloth. We love how it opens up to the living room--even though you cannot tell from this photo.

Spare bedroom for little kids (and our visiting friends). Wanna visit?

Living room and one superhusband chillin' on the couch.

The main bathroom with washing machine, shower, toilet, sink, and sauna (yeah!)

Sauna! Ah...

Shower and sauna. Do you think I took enough photos of the sauna?

The tranquil bedroom with a piano (chopsticks anyone?)

Office and yoga studio all in one. A great space for dissertation writing!

A Night Out on the Town...

Yep, this photo was taken at 12:56 a.m.

Last night we ate a super spicy dinner at a local Thai restaurant and then met up with Anne & Timo in the city center. The men drank like Finns (which means they drank A LOT). We were out until 1 a.m. and darkness never came. Here are a few photos that capture two happy men and the "white night".

A Small Island with a Sauna

A few of our friends told us about this special little island, Lehtisaari, in Jyväskylä that comes alive during the summertime. The island was bequeathed to a local church and now the parish runs and maintains the island, everything is FREE to visitors! We went to check it out with our adopted Finnish family and it was the epitome of a Finnish summer experience. Truly.

Come with us on the adventure:
Get on your bike. Ride about 10 minutes to the Viitaniemi beach. Queue up on the dock and wait for your transportation to the island: a row boat (they come every hour). Put on a life vest. Step carefully into the boat. Young Finns row the boat to the lush green island. Step out of the boat and onto the dock. Walk up onto the island, spot a sign that reads, "No smoking, alcohol, or drugs on the island."  Up ahead you see a red wooden house that proudly stands in the middle of the island, volleyball net to the right. To the right side of the house you come upon a fresh dirt pile labeled, "matopaikka " (worms for fishing). Walk under a handmade wooden arch and come upon a beautiful and peaceful walk to the end of the island with a hammock, wooden benches, and scriptures posted intermittently on both sides of the path. Turn around and spot the swimming beach located behind the big red house. Stroll towards to beach, pass by the red wooden outhouses, kids playing darts on the side of the outhouse, and see kids fishing with poles made from tree branches. To the right is the glistening lake and people happily grilling sausages and pancakes (griddle irons are located in the wood hut to the left). A little further to the right is the dock with smiling and happy Finns swimming in the cool lake water. After the wood hut, a small red hut on the left houses the 10-person sauna that is about 90C (194F). If you continue to walk straight ahead you run into another bbq area with wooden benches and then the shimmering lake. To the left there are four row boats and two kayaks for anyone to use.

And, did I tell you the best part? It is all FREE!!! There is no running water on the island and everyone is expected to pack in and pack out their food and trash. We went with Anne and Julia and had a lovely evening. It was the perfect warm and summery day to experience the island. We packed in a big picnic dinner, with the famous Finnish strawberries, and a birthday cake for Julia. The ambiance, the weather, the sauna and lake swimming allowed us to fully enjoy the visceral experience of summer in Finland.

Garden of Weeds...

We have discovered that if left unattended for more than two days our sweet little garden plot quickly turns into a garden of weeds. Yep, those pesky weeds love to root in and take over. So, these days we spend most of our time in the garden weeding and then watering (oh, and mosquito swatting). The mosquitoes are also getting thick these days. The garden plot is very close to a lush creek bed, so it is the perfect place for mosquito love making and breeding.

Woohoo, lettuce!

We have both named an old pair of jeans the "garden jeans" and we wear long sleeve shirts to combat some of the biting. But, there is nothing better than spraying some of that deet bug juice (our chosen garden cologne...mmmmm, smells yummy--not!)

Superhusband chillin' and weedin'!

I know, I know you do not want to know about the weeds and mosquitoes (even though they do suck up the majority of our gardening energy these days). What about the veggies? Right, well, we do have some positive growth in the lettuce region (see photo) and also in the dill section of our garden. Oh, and the beans and peas are growing like weeds. Although one of our fellow gardeners stopped by to admire our plot and said, "Oh, the rabbits really like those!"  We will see how long they last before Bugs Bunny devours our beautiful curly green peas. In the fail department: arugula, mint, and spinach (oh well, it was worth a try!)

Packing up and Moving in...

Packing up our old apartment.

Superhusband cleaning the fridge (in our new apartment)...in the midst of stuff.

Happy Birthday, Anne.

Moving is always an adventure. Packing up is not as fun as moving and settling into a new space. Since we were only moving our clothes, books, food, alcohol, etc. and not furniture, the actual move itself was quick. We had about 6 suitcases, 3 boxes, and 12 bags (Ikea bags, paper bags, and a few plastic bags) filled with all of the stuff we have acquired in the last 9 months, plus the stuff we brought with us from the U.S. Our adopted Finnish family, Anne and Julia came over with two cars and we packed up and made two trips to unload at our new home, about 1 kilo away from our old apartment.

Chillin' on our nice deck.

A member of our moving crew, Mama Anne, had a special birthday.
So, after 1.5 hours of moving we sat down in our new home to celebrate with friends and a birthday cake!

National Healthcare

Charlie received a 6-page letter in Finnish from Kela (the national social insurance and healthcare system) and two days later I received a 3-page letter. We tried our best to translate the documents via Google translate (a long and painful process that always results in crazy translations that hardly make sense). We decided to pay the Kela office a visit and (YEAH!) we were both accepted to Kela. This means that we do not have to pay for travel insurance for another year. We also found out that we are eligible for the EU health coverage scheme and will receive another ID card for that. Wow, once you are in system you are taken care of in Finland. Since we, as Americans, do not have experience with national healthcare I will be sharing some of my experiences on this blog. Our acceptance to Kela came right before the historic day of June 29, 2012 when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld "Obamacare" (which is a long ways from national healthcare, but a positive move in the right direction at least.)

Czech us out! Another Erasmus Mundus Meeting...

Charles Bridge

All GA attendees (200+).

Third time is a charm! The annual Erasmus Mundus Student & Alumni Association General Assembly (GA) meeting was held in Prague this year. This was my third GA, as I attended two other annual meetings; the first in Perugia, Italy in 2006 and last year I attended the GA in Budapest, Hungary. Each year I had an amazing time and met incredible internationally-minded individuals from across the globe. But I always thought we could do more to highlight and celebrate the cultural diversity of our group, which is one of the pillars of the Erasmus Mundus degree programs.

My coordinating partner-in-crime, Pavan.

So, this year I decided to become more active in the GA planning committee and wow...we made this a memorable meeting. I serve as the President for the North American chapter of Erasmus Mundus and am therefore very involved with the other 12 regional chapters. We asked each regional chapter (e.g. China, Latin America, Africa, etc.) to dress in their national costume and present a cultural song, dance, etc. as part of their chapter presentations (which in the past were formal--and boring--powerpoint presentations). The chapters rocked the house! The African chapter brought traditional drums and danced to "Waka Waka, This time for Africa", the Eurasian chapter sang a traditional Ukranian song, and the European chapter performed a Czech polka dance. We also coordinated cultural booths (during the coffee breaks) where each chapter brought food and other items from their country/region (the Mexicans served up shots of tequila!)

Hangin' out with our neighbors--the Mexicans.

Then, a small group of us met everyday to practice a flashmob! We pulled it off and it resulted in the entire auditorium dancing...awesomeness.

Finnish Residence Permits X-tended!

Good news! Our residence permits were extended until June 2013. Woohoo. That means we can legally live and work in Finland for another year. In June, they began a new permit system where you receive a card (with fancy holograms and the Finnish coat of arms) rather than a paper permit in your passport. We found out very quickly that this new card does not serve as an ID--as discovered when the bank clerk told us that we needed a "real ID".

Finnish Summer Cottage Adventure

As a wedding gift, Terhi (one of our co-workers) gave us a weekend trip to her family's summer cottage. Saturday afternoon we jumped on a bus and headed southeast. We met Terhi and her father, Arto, at the bus stop in Kangasniemi and drove to the summer cottage (about 20 kilometers away). The weekend was filled with so many adventures I do not know where to begin. Perhaps the best way to highlight our weekend is by listing out the top 10 experiences:

 
1.) A wood-fire sauna with vihta: Every night we indulged in the wood burning sauna to relax and to wash the dirt from our bodies (there is no shower in a traditional cottage). Terhi was brave enough to go swimming in the lake, Charlie and I chickened out as the entry/exit into the lake was a little too rocky for our comfort.We also experienced the long-awaited birch tree branch beating that Finns lovingly call vihta. Arto cut some young birch tree branches and tied them together, in the sauna we moistened them in water, then lightly warmed them over the sauna coals and energetically beat our bodies with the branches (starting with the legs, then the arms, and moving to the heart center). The smell of birch permeated the air--nice! It is said that this ritual opens pores and increases circulation. While it does sound a bit masochistic...it felt almost as good as getting a massage.
2.) Outhouse: A red wooden outhouse served as our throne for the weekend. I was convinced that mosquitoes were waiting for me every time I had to go to the bathroom and attacked my bum as soon as pulled down my pants.
3.) Row-boat: Charlie was a pro at rowing and toured us around the lake. I, however, rowed us in one BIG circle.
4.) Mosquitoes: In Finland, there are over 30 varieties of mosquitoes and I think every variety loves to suck my blood. We joked that the summer cottage cologne was the smell of Off bug repellent. Despite having mosquito netting at each door those pesky little blood suckers managed to break into the cabins.We did, however, have fun zapping them with an electric bug zapper in the shape of a tennis racquet (poor squitters!) 
5.) A rainy (and very relaxing) day: Sunday was a rainy day, so we napped as the calming sound and fresh smell of raindrops comforted us in our dreams.
6.) Barbecue: Saturday night Charlie was in heaven as he was handed the barbecue tongs and quickly embodied his master bbq skills. 
7.) Chopping wood: This is therapy! Once we got the hang of it we were splitting wood like a hot knife goes through butter.
8.) Finnish swamp adventure: Terhi took us on an adventure to the nearest swamp area which had a sweet smell (unlike the icky swamp smell in Florida). Many berries and plant species live in the swamp area which gives it the ambrosial smell. During our walk we swam through thick waves of mosquitoes trying their hardest to find any exposed skin for a little blood sucking action.
9.) Excellent food: We ate amazing meals and to our delight we had plenty of vegan options to choose from (kiitos, Liisa!): nettle soup, couscous salad, fennel salad, veggies, veggies, and more veggies. 
10.) Caves: We visited caves that were used by the locals to hide out from the Russians during the Great Wrath, 1714-1721.