Graduation Day

"Funny how things change.
Life goes on,
graduation day,
oh, graduation day."
- Chris Isaak





I guess it is a week of "graduation" here in Helsinki. We have graduated to vests and our winter coats are in the closet...at least for now. The scarves and mittens are also put away. There is very little snow on the ground and the sun shines most of the time now...a sign of spring? That leads to my next topic "Vappu."

Vappu, from what I am told, is the day when all of Finland is drunk...followed by May Day, 1st of May. Vappu is the memorial day of Saint Labor, the celebration of spring, and many university graduates and alumni parade the streets with their caps. Vappu has been celebrated in Finland since 1890. During Vappu people drink mead ("honey wine") and eat May Day fritters (funnel cakes). Big festivals crowd the streets and the market places are filled with balloons. Statues are decorated and the party is said to continue all weekend, plus Monday. Can we say Mardi Gras in Finland?

Video Killed the Radio Star

"Rewritten by machine and new technology...
Pictures came and broke your heart..
Oh-a-a-a oh...
Video killed the radio star."
- The Buggles

...and internet killed the TV. Finland has a "TV tax". The license fee is 200.70 Euros per annum for a household with TV. If you choose this option you are able to get the local stations that are broadcast in Finnish. Our option would be to pay an additional monthly price for cable which includes a handful of stations that broadcast in English. I have been told by some subscribers these stations do air your common shows such as Desperate Housewivess, Law & Order, etc. but they are a few seasons behind. Coming from the states, I would be starting off with season 1!

Luckily having a "tech-y" husband, we invested in the "Slingbox - a groundbreaking piece of hardwired ingenuity that will literally transform the way you watch television. The Slingbox enables you to watch your TV programming from wherever you are by turning virtually any Internet-connected PC into your personal TV. Whether you're in another room or in another country, you'll always have access to your television." After purchasing the box (and a 27" computer screen), our only money out is what my mother-in-law has to pay for an additional TiVo at her house. With this amazing device we are able to watch Dallas TV, LIVE! Unfortunately, not many shows are watched live with the 8 hour difference. But I have stayed up-to-date on all the greatest shows and the boys can still watch American cartoons.

There is one drawback...seeing the forecast for the DFW area when you are living next to the Artic Circle!

Swingin'

"Yeah, and we'll be swingin,
yes, we'll be swinging.
just-a-swangin!"
- John Anderson





We spend most of our afternoons at any of the city's parks. You can find one on every other block offering a variety of slides, swings, playscapes, etc. So far we have discovered a new one everyday.

Differing from Texas, almost all playgrounds here include a large sandbox (20x20). I guess little critters such as pinworms do not survive the cold so they are considered much safer here.

Along with the sandboxes, the parks have a "community toy box" that is filled with plastic toys for everyone to play with. The toys consist of shovels and pails to dump trucks and scotters. It is quite nice that the honor system is a success here. I think if this idea was tried back home, the toys would disappear the first night.

Peter Cottontail

"Here comes Peter Cottontail,
Hoppin' down the bunny trail,
Hippity, hoppity,
Easter's on its way."






This past weekend we celebrated our first Easter here in Finland. Their traditions vary here, so carrying out the typical American Easter was a challenge! Lamb is the choice of meat for the main meal so I spent an entire day searching for a "bone-in-ham." Unfortunately, there is not a Honey Banked Ham on every corner. I was unsuccessful and we had to settle on sliced ham purchased from the deli.

The morning visitor is the Easter Chick/Hen/Rooster, not the Bunny. It only makes since to me since Bunnies really do not lay eggs! But the Easter Bunny did find our home and hid many eggs filled with M&M's along with leaving their basket filled with toys.

On Palm Sunday you may well see quaint little characters walking around. Children with sooty faces and scarves tied round their heads go begging, carrying broomsticks, coffee pots and bunches of decorated virpovitsa willow twigs. Little girls and sometimes even boys dressed as witches go from door to door, reciting good luck poems in return for money and sweets. We did not have any of these visitors knock on our door, but did see some in the neighborhood.

The oldest and no doubt the most unusual traditional Finnish dish is mämmi, a dark brown porridge made of water and sweetened rye malt. We decided to pass. Maybe next year.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

I Think We're Alone Now

"Children behave...
'cause what would they say
if they ever knew...
I think we're alone now.
There doesn't seem to be anyone around."
- Tiffany



Yes, the tale we have all heard about and wondering "is it really true?" This pram (aka stroller) is occupied with an infant and the mother/father is inside the store shopping. An unattended pram is a common thing to discover on the streets of Helsinki, only in the quaint neighborhoods though. And it is only acceptable if the child is asleep.

In my few weeks here, I have seen a variety of child rearing differences. A 4 year old consoled with a bottle is not an odd thing (at least from what I have witnessed). At home, bottle feeding should subside at 1 year of age due to dental reasons. And many children up to school age still eat out of baby food jars. I do not think there is any true recommendation for advancing to table food but I always had my children off mashed foods by 9 months. Leaving your child outside a store while you make a quick purchase...NEVER. The police and CPS would be at your front door before you are able make it home.

Ice Ice Baby

"All right stop, collaborate and listen..."
- Vanilla Ice





Yes, that is ICE still in the ocean down the street from our home. And yes, Easter is 2 days away and rumor has it the Dallas area has been experiencing AMAZING weather at 85+ degrees. But the skies have been blue for 2 days now! The Finns are slowly escaping their winter den along with other creatures of nature. The trails are full of runners & walkers and the parks are filled with young children making mud pies. Ours joined in today for the first time and loved it. With the temperature increasing, so are our spirits!

You Are My Sunshine

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. So please don't take Mommy's sunshine away."

http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/sunshine.htm

I have been singing this variation to the boys the past 2 1/2 years. Little did I know one day it would come true. I have not seen the sun now in 11 days, only grey skies, and they continue to be the only "sunshine" I experience on a daily basis. Today is the first day we have not had snowfall and the temperature high is increasing little by little. Forecast says Thursday will be BLUE skies and SUN...I will keep you posted!

I Will Survive

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified..."
- Gloria Gaynor

We have officially completed our first week of living in Helsinki, Finland! Besides a delayed flight, missing our connection in Frankfurt, and not-so-nice airline personnel...our trip here was a success. (I do recommend sticking with American Airlines rather than trying another as we did this trip.) The only baggage that was lost - and found - were the double stroller and our heavy duffel weighing in at 65lbs.

The apartment Daddy picked out for us is perfect. Large rooms, tons of storage, windows, windows, windows, bath tub AND dishwasher, and plenty of room for the boys to play. We have already encountered the blinking light on the dishwasher indicating a problem. Since the words are in Finnish...we are clueless. Thanks to camera phones, I took a photo and sent it to Daddy at work and he had it translated by a colleague..."needs salt." We also MELTED our converter the first time we used it with our George Foreman, too many watts! Have to get another to continue using our American appliances.

The weather remains on the cold and dreary side here. The snowflakes are huge, about the size of a quarter! We did see sunshine and blue skies for the first time on Thursday. We have discovered 2 nearby parks that the boys enjoy. Daily trips to the market is our escape from the apartment. The selection is sparse but most of the necessities are there. The few thing I cannot find (vanilla) are kindly being shipped to me already (THANKS!) There is an American grocery store due to open soon about a 5 minute walk from the house. I am sure for a pretty penny I can have all of the things I miss the most from home.

Thanks to Sling box I am keeping up with all the current TV episodes and the Today Show. This evening we will be testing out Skype and the web-cam when we talk with Grandma. Family and friends are already dearly missed...

To answer all the questions I am receiving: We are SURVIVING the cold. We are SURVIVING without a car. And we are SURVIVING each other!