Mandarin Duck spotted in Helsinki

Today, I went to school and was standing in line to get my lunch, when my teacher came up to me and informed me that we wouldn't have class today. Actually, he said what are you doing here yesterday i said we won't have class. Oh well, at least I was able to eat my free school lunch. It was lasagna. No worries, because I had planned on walking around Töölö Bay to get some more bird shots. I had been there last week and shot some footage and wanted more.
As soon as I got there, I saw that there were mallards (sinisorsa, Anas platyrhynchos) and gulls (naurulokki, Larus ridibundus) about. Soon, two swans (kyhmyjoursen, Cygnus olor) came swimming towards me. I didn't know if they were expecting food or if they were bothered by my standing too close to the shore.

Finally, I continued on my way. There is a road on the side close to the railroad tracks which goes past some huvilat and over a bridge. It comes down by the duck wintering place. Then, I followed a footpath close to the shore among the reeds. There are these red strips of cloth hanging from the birch trees. It was giving me the blair witch project. Last time I was there, a week ago, maybe, there was still ice on the surface. Today, it was completely melted away. Last time, too, there were way more black-headed gulls about. I was trying to get shots of them flying around. Later, when I got home and looked these birds up in my Kotimaan Luonto-opas, I saw that there were a few shots of the lesser black-headed gull (selkälokki, Larus fuscus). Since there were pigeons (kesykyyhky, Columba livia) around, I got a few shots of them. Well, whatever birds I saw I took photos of.


Finall, I made my way around near Finlandia talo and saw a gathering of various fowl, including the swans. There were some women taking photos of them. That is when I noticed these two beautiful birds. I had no idea what they were. So, of course when I got home I looked them up but they weren't in the book. We tried the internet and after awhile we finally found out what they were.

Behold the mandarin duck (Aix galericulata). These were two drakes, or male ducks. In Ilta Sanomat they were called a poikapari. How cute. They were really beautiful. Wouldn't you know it. By the time I arrive there and took a few shots, my memory card became full. This was actually my second memory card that I had put in. The first one which is 512mb was already maxed. This back up was only 125mb. I really need to get another one. The batteries ran out too, but I had a second set ready. Unfourtunatly, nearly all of these shots were taken with 16x digital zoom. Most sucky of all was that as I was running out of space, I had to delete some earlier photos and I had to bring down the file size to 640 x 480. Blasted. Well, I can't make any large prints of these but they look pretty good on an internet page. 

A Tale of Two Comidas

Well, the first meal should be obvious, no? It is a steak and avocado burrito. Note to Finland. It is NOT a wrap. Its name is burrito. Sen nimi on burrito. Kuutsu burritoksi! Ok, so I am sure I spelled something wrong there. You have your tortilla. However, when you put food in it and wrap it, it becomes a burrito. If you fold the tortilla different way or if it is fried then there are other names, like taco, tostada, or taquito. Anyway, I made my own flour tortillas. I mean, I would really love to have that cast iron tortilla press which would make them perfectly round. Alas, I don't and rolled my own, so to speak. I remember my first year here, my mother sent me this article ripped out of the pages of Latina magazine which said that they were going to build a tortilla factory in Finland. Come to think of it there are, I am not sure, but around 10 differnt tortilla brands out there. El silenzia, old el paso, indian, pirkka, santa maria... I am sure I a forgetting half of them, but you get the idea. And how about that, avocados are cheaper here than in California. Verdad!
The other items here are Carelian Pies, or Karjalan piirrakat. They are made with rye flour. One can use rice porridge as a filling. However, I prefer to use mashed potatoes which were instant as opposed to an actual boiled potato. On can also top them with something called munavoi which is egg butter. However, I just chopped an egg and stuck it there. That is nice to eat when it is fresh. The next day, if any are left one can stick a slice of cheese and ham on it. I had tried these before and didn't like them. I suppose it was because they were store bought and they just didn't have the same nice taste as fresh ones do. I tasted fresh ones one time in class. They were so good, I decided to try to make them. The Finn gave me a Hyväksy. That is to say, a stamp of approval.

Easter Birthday

Alas, Easter has come and gone and with it my latest birthday. I grew grass, I tried to place little chicks in it, the Finn made me a Betty Crocker cake and I ate all the mämmi I could. I really like that stuff. It reminds me of raisin bran cereal. Last time, we were in California, I made sure to bring back a few boxes of BC cake mix, because I just prefer them to whatever concoctions the Finn was making me before. One can find it in Benford's. However, it is very expensive. We had gone to Chef Wotkin's the previous day to buy entrecote. I was disappointed at the tiny sales area and the price of the meat. It was actually really good steak, though. I noticed that at the newly remodled S-market below Sokos has started selling Chef Wotkins meat. I suppose it is just easier to stop by there rather then going to the factory. The dog and cat were happy the sun was shining and found warm and cozy patches of sunlight to lie in. In the afternoon, we went to take a walk in the forrest near Paloheinä. However, as is our habit, we got lost and ended up parking by the Vantaa river and walking to this farm. It was actually pretty nice, despite the anxiety the dog caused. She just doesn't get Finnish dogs.

Bowling at a breakneck speed

Come on, people! Let us just pay per game instead of per hour. The Finn & I went to meet some friends for bowling. We rented a lane for an hour. I was told that I had to get there early to be ready. Here, I was thinking, what is to get ready for? You put the shoes on you bowl. I was the last one to arrive but just barely. Anyway, we walked in together as a group. We picked out our shoes and waited for the lane. As soon as the screen went blank for those players, I noticed them rushing to put their balls on the thingy and getting ready to roll. One right after the other, my fellow players were taking their turns. I suddenly realized that the same rush to roll was taking place on the other lanes. Nobody, was doing the courtesy wait till your neighbor rolls, thing. Folks were lined up on the lanes balls in hand in a funky synchronization of tossing. What the fuck was the rush, I wondered. Nobody had time to laugh or joke or drink a beer it was roll roll roll. I never had time to concentrate much less find my mark. To top it off the balls were way to greasy. Later, I realized that we were all playing against the clock, not each other. I got my lowest ever score in my playing history. I thought longingly of the lazy lanes in California, where you could pay for the amount of games you wanted to play and you could take your time. Granted there were at least 22 lanes, if not more compared to the measly 12 found in the place I was. Bowling isn't meant to be played fast, it isn't meant to be played without a plan. One needs time to stand there, staring down the pins for as long as it takes to make sure you get the ball to where you want it to go.

The grass is always greener

...if you expose it to a lot of sunlight. So, first a shot from the 9th then from the 12th. The Finn says the chicks can be placed on the grass now. However, it is midnight and no time for clipping grass

New Ferris wheel at Linnanmäki

The wheel was brought from Italy. One day I looked outside of the classroom window to see that it was, well, looking just like that. I went to the window and took a picture. That day, I never saw any more progress on it. However, the next day or so the seating carts were put on it. For some reason, I hadn't photographed it. I must have been in a rush to leave the campus.

 

Bag Update

The latest state of my bag. It has been designed, pattern made, material cut. It was supposed to be printed but I was absent that day. Now, all is left is the sewing. Learning to sew in Finnish sucks. Ok. I suck at learning to sew in Finnish. At least, the sewing machine is just that, a machine which can be understood, especially because the instruction guide has pictures.

Useful vocabulary:
käsityö = handicrafts
ommella = to sew
ommeltu = needlecraft
ompelukone = sewing machine
huolittelu = trim, neaten
sauma = seam
päättely = the sewings begining and ending
from päätellä = to conclude
päärme = hem
tikkaus = stitching
tikata = to stitch
tikki = stitch
poistaa tikit haavasta = to remove the stitches

Pääsiäinen on tulossa! Or, Easter is coming.

...and what do they do in Finland for Easter?

Well, they do a few different things. No, that isn't a plate of mämmi either. It is a plate of dirt and grass seeds.

Why the grass seeds? Well, it is for the little baby chicks to stand it. After the grass grows.

I don't know don't ask me. The Finn just brought them home one day saying, look I've got a suprise for you. I said, oh how nice, marshmellow chicks and some pumpkin seeds?

Can I eat these things?, I asked. Noooo!, replied the Finn totally aghast at the suggestion.

I was then told that it is just a traditional thing to do in Finland. It is for decoration. Well, a good thing. No worrying about lintu influenza in this household and also, no worries about counting calories when there are no marshmellow chicks to eat.

Alas, I piled dirt on the plate, watered it down, ripped open my bag of seeds and sowed them.

They looked quite unappetizingly like little maggots. I was reminded of the deer carcass my father left in the garage one year with its rotting flesh and squirmy little white diners. Uh, do I cover these up?, I questioned. Yes, put more dirt and water., replied the Finn.
Awwww, look at the lil' uns. I started opening the box to take them out of their container and place them on the wet dirt, when I thought better of it and asked if I should do so.

Scoffingly the Finn told me resoundingly to not put them on the muddy plate. I was told that I should wait until the grass has grown.

You know, from a distance, these little suckers look kind of tasty. 

Go, little fella, go!

I was walking the dog when I saw this little thing crossing the road. After the walk, I ran out with my camera to see if I could find it and it was still there a little further on. I took a few shots of it. It seemed like it was looking at me. My bus came. I was going the immigration police station in Malmi to apply for my permanent residence permit. After all the trouble I went through today, I didn't feel unlike that tiny caterpillar trying to cross a big ass wet road full of big ass obstacles.
I suppose the commotion started last night when I went and got my photo taken. Stupidly, I went right before my class started and when the photo came out with my head looking like I'd had an encephalitic allergic reaction. Well, my face was just too big in the tiny photo. I didn't have time to argue as I was now running late. After class, with the Finn in tow, we went back and straightened it all out. I walked out of there with two new smaller headed photos as well as the others.
So, I walked into the station took my number sat down took a piss had a nutrition bar read a magazine the heard a chime and looked up to see my number was up. I handed in my papers waited while she eyeballed them typed some stuff into the computer photocopied my passport and told me it would be 100 euros. I never remember paying that much before. I suppose I was confused by the fact that the websites say that spouses of European Union citizens pay only 40€€. Funny, I was under the impression that Finland joined the European Union and that they were its EU citizens. However, further investigation led to the it doesn't matter to the authorities.
Well, fees go up. Finns are treated differently than other EU citizens and eventually, the caterpillar gets across the road. Oh yeah, as I sat in the waiting room, I looked up and saw that they now require 2 color photos while it didn't say that on the website. Good thing, I still had those big headed photos in my bag. I gave them those, they only kept one. I had to run to Otto to get the cash as they only take bank cards and I have a silly Visa Electron. At least that is all taken care of. After that, I had to get a pankkivekseli and mail my passport to the stupid embassy. They suck ass. I mean, it is so ridiculous that one cannot just pop in there and take care of their business. It makes me feel like I am not even a citizen. What is the point in them even being here. Apparently, the Finnish government treats me better than my own country's government.