I should probably mention something about the olympics?.. Well the traffic's going to be a nightmare and the word CROWDED won't even describe the whole picture what's happening in London. I'll keep you updated in my next blog writing. 

Pictures tell more than a thousand words. Here's a few pictures of my daily routines from breakfast to Battersea Park run. 

London's parks are a necessity to anyone living in London. Human evolution hasn't yet gone so far that we would survive without a little bit of nature around us to charge up the energy levels  to face another day of work etc. I have a thing for trees. Especially with big and old ones. Ise thinks it's a sort of fetish but seriously... those trees have seen already more then I will see in my entire lifetime!

 Ise's my piggy-bag! (I so need a pair of running trousers like that.)

BTW It's actually smarter to make your grocery shopping after your evening exercise. For some reason you never buy anything that you don't really need like cookies etc.

AND you end up meeting interesting people. A dark fit guy approached me in the shop (Ise somehow sensed the situation and run around the corner..) and asked "Oh you have done some working out?..."

In my mind: "No... I just love to be seen publicly as a sweating pink girl without makeup etc. in her training outfit 24/7 just to make the best impression possible."


We had a small chat about training etc. and he told me that I look good. Apparently he wasn't a "normal" guy making a moves on girls because he stopped to chat a really extremely fit guy talking about sports again. It seems that he had a thing for sports and gym?

That's another strange thing for me. In Finland no-one approaches you without a good reason. Over here you get these random people talking to you every now and then.

Like to day on my day of I was on my  "the huge  white whale has landed"-mission in Battersea Park and worshipped the sun in my hungoverish bikini glory when this older gentleman passed me one time and commented that I have found a lovely spot in the sun. A few minutes later he approached me again telling that he found some  plums and offered me one. The same time he told me to be careful with the sun because I might get burned. I explained that I have put some sun lotion so no worries. The third time he brought me more plums.

He was quite harmles and lovely BUT I wouldn't have been surprised if he would have come the fourth time and brought some sun lotion offering to massage it on my back...

Just to inform you they Gay genre is really hot in London. Amazing bars and karaoke! We  hit the town last night me, Ise and Josephine and and found ourselves singing Abba - Dancing queen in the middle of guys dancing and partying wildly and looking amazing. I swear god that one of the guys had a better and tighter behind that I do and looked amazing in make-up and high heels.  Afterwards we wen't to this nightclub that surprisingly was apparently a gay club. (Ise has this weird ability to found herself and lead others to gay clubs.) So there we were. Three single girls having the time of our life! And then the next morning you again think why you're single... wonder why. Fun night anyway and we got the change to dance till our feet hurt and enjoy a drag queen show. Which is btw much MUCH  more colorful and full of passion and the way they performed their roles was sometimes even a bit over the edge for my taste. (I'm a girl of small gestures that tell more than  you can reveal by saying things straight away.)

Some people shovel junk food and watch junk programs in their hangover. I cooked some fish and potatoes and spend my time watching a documentary about the color gold and how it's symbolism has changed through out the centuries. One thing that has been a mark of glory and symbolized something bigger in life (belief, paradise, glory, love..) is now an everyday product and only symbolizes money and material gain. Is this how low our values of life and what really matters has become?

I saw the strangest dream. The documentary continued in my dream and ended in words. "Next is time for the color GREEN. Make your own Green statement!". A kind of logo of the green man was shown with the end texts and a R&B song playing in the back ground.  The green is a political liberal party in Finland and states for human rights and green values. So it doubles the strangeness of this dream. It seems that it's impossible to switch my brains off even in a hangover. 

I took it all back by eating all of this chocolate and reading some gossip magazines...  Huge thanks to my big sis Mia! (WINK WINK to all you folks back home.) There's absolutely no chocolate like the one back home!  So goooooooood...

Let me tell you about my routines and especially about my travel to work. Because I'm in retail work it's really important to look presentable. It only takes max 40min. for me to actually literally hang around in the shower for 20min to wake my self up and then getting ready starting from blow drying my hair ending with adding some eyeliner.

And actually all of that feels like a total waist of time!  Every day for some reason I end up spending too much time on the computer finding that one song I heard somewhere and you know the result of that way too well:  "Oh s***! My train!".

So you run like a maniac down the stairs, to the train station just to realize AGAIN that the train has been packed full and you have to squeeze you self into the train. So there you are.

http://www.steveshowposse.com/news/harrys-top-5-top-10s-of-2009

All commuter fitted in like sardines in a can. Having your nose in someones arm pit: "Would you mind moving just a little bit please?..."  and someone else poking your head with her book and being totally unaware what happens around her. These people are so used to this that they are lacking the sense of surroundings. Black eye or two in a day?..  Just normal! When your wife finds lipstick on your collar shirt? Just normal dear! The train was packed like usually!

And this point I'm sweating like a pig! For you inormation: London has humid like in the tropical countries. For a finn like me from a rusty windy, cold (and oh so FRESH!) country it's like finding my arse from a steam room. And it doesn't end up here. When you get to the underground:

That's where the mother of humid can be found. Then 5 min in a  bus and when I finally get to my work and look in the mirror: Mascara on cheeks, hair all curly, all foundation and powder sweated away and the shirt on me? Wet! (That's why I usually keep my work uniform at work.)

And still I end up doing this all again day after day...

Maybe this is due to my hair color?

And being a blond doesn't help that much. Fact is that in Finland I'm not even considered to be blond. I'm mouse-dishwhather-light-brown-what-ever-that-becomes golden blonde in the sun. Just for your information northern people: That is blonde in here. And now when I'm going back to my natural hair color that would be more easily handled when you don't have to remember to dye every month but only highlighted occasionally (That is what my blondest of the blond sister does to brighten up the color 'cos we don't have much sun up there)  or wash the hair with citrus and honey  it's really interesting to face peoples reactions. What the hell is the big thing of being a woman and having blonde hair?!

Reactions towards high heels and pencil skirt have also been a bit amusing. For me that's a working uniform and that's a working uniform in company's manual too.  But some people have been trying to find a deeper meaning for my outfit. 

I haven't acknowledged it before that  even thought London is really multicultural city underneath it's surfice it still sometimes represents "they and us" positioning.  People don't talk about it. It doesn't exist and yet it does.

I've been brought up in Finland where we really don't have social class system and "us and they" positioning is really minimal. (Folks back home: Yep... M-I-N-I-M-A-L ). This is literally all new to me. Our working class is actually lower middle-class. Or is there a class structure in Finland?

I think that if your born in Finland you really have the change to get as high as you wan't! It's not about to which socio-economical level you are born in or cultural background. It's all about the education and when it comes to education Finland is at the top margin. And it's even FREE! If you have the right attitude you can achieve what ever you want.

Over here couples having a baby are actually looking to move near good schools and saving cash to get their kids to universities etc.

Is the education the key to solve this "class system-problem"? Do we need a class system just because we are gregarious animals? Why people are so willing to put them selves in to categories? Does it make your life easier to have other people determining what you are and where you belong to instead YOU determining what you are and where you belong?

It's just fascinating to realize that your approach to the world really is naive. People still live in cliché way of thinking and add you in to one of their little "boxes".

The question is will I put myself into one of these boxes?  As a blonde pretty girl people expect you to look pretty, be a bit bimbo, flirt 24/7, have a loose moral and shut up when people talk about serious matters.

Don't worry sweethearts. Luckily you still will hear me talking latin, arguing about anatomy and weird philosophical theories in the bar at 2am!

I just coudn't resist commenting on this one:

Women are brighter than man

Well DAA-A! We women have known this for centuries!

James Flynn  assumes that this is due to modernity OR  multitasking OR women may have slightly higher potential intelligence.

Let's just face it: University studies etc. became possible and acceptable for women around 1800. (Before that there are many good examples of women going far in the fields science like Hypatia mathematics professor (400AD), Laura Bassi (1731) physicist, Alice Hamilton (1897) professor of pathology and BTW officially the first women to have a medical degree in Germany!

Back in the history there has always been a big gap between women sciences and men sciences. Now when women have finally a change to study (actually in Finland there may be even more women studying a university degree then men?...) and also focus to a career with the society accepting it shouldn't surprise to anyone that such a thing as a "intelligence gap between sexes"  doesn't exist.

And no... sorry. I'm not a feminist. Just someone speaking out loud what I really think.

It's just good for mankind to finally question typical clichés and take advantage of the full potential of people.

Ise came back from Sweden and now the flat feels again more like a home and it's just fantastic to have someone with whom you can eat chocolate, drool after gorgeous guys, borrow handbags, shoes and dresses, run around half naked etc. 

She makes my week more exotic sneaking behind my back while cooking etc. "Can I have some of that?...", "Oooh what's that! Can I have a bit?.." It's practical that both of us have to look after what we eat. Becomes more cheap etc. to partly unite the food budget.

Best part is to have these random SMS just like today: "I give up! I'm ordering take away."(She has stayed in the bed for 2 days being too tired to go to shops) At that moment I was at the gym preparing to get back home. My laughter echoed in the women's locker room.

We we're at the local pub listening some live blues and danced the night away. Odd thing was that even thought we had a few drinks it wasn't rationally thinking enough to cause a total black out. Luckily we apparently found our way back home with her coat being in my room, my coat in her room and both totally nauseous the next day. There we're at least two guys stalking us and we suspect that some-one putted something in our drinks but you never know... Better to be more careful the next time we go out.

50 shades of Grey really is THE book!

Half of the time I giggled and laughed other half I bit my lower lip cheeks all red. The electricity between Ana and Chris is touchable. No wonder the book is so popular. Easy text (you don't have to think too much), relationship drama and sex. Perfect cocktail! 

"To please a woman in bed, all a man has to do is a poetry course. They also have to learn that the Kama Sutra is not an Indian takesomething-away and that the mutual orgasm is not an insurance company."

I wouldn't say that this book have started any kind of revolution. Women has only been showed again what the power of their mind is capable of doing. I honestly feel that modern society pushes sexual images from the media etc. but still one night stands, lust-full women etc. are a tabu. A sign of a "bad woman". Good women stay home, are virgin when getting married and would never role-play in the bedroom and you can only have sex under the duvet in a locked dark room  etc. Besides... sex is still a tabu even in the all-open-minded-and-free western society. What are we so ashamed of? You heard me right! If a man has had sex with over 20 women his a stud but if a woman has done the same thing... why do we call her a whore? Something is really wrong in the way think about sex, random one-night stands and relationships. I believe that as well as men women have to same right to demand good quality sex from their relationships.  Everybody values different things in their life and of course people may think totally oppositely than I do. For me physical interaction in forms of touch, kisses, hugs, sex... is crucial part of relationships. If it doesn't work then what does?

The story in the books is mind stimulating and really wakes up the deepest sensations and senses of the body. Like literally having a hormone rush in your body just like spring time! This means I'll be having exiting weeks ahead of my trying to control all of my urges...

Meanwhile I just medicate my urges with Waitroses I Scream ice creams! Like orgia in your mouth! So gooood...

What is it about british women not sweating at the gym and having tons of make up and the best gold jewelry on them while they "exercise"? How is that possible that they don't sweat at all? All due to the water of thames or the nutrition? I feel like a pink pig next to them! And spending my valuable time 20min just to put on make up before going to the gym to me feels a bit ridiculous. 

I can already see the make up+ work out results in my mind... Oooh mama!

They also seem to have a totally wrong attitude towards weight training. It's something that men do, not women. WTF?! Like women could have any muscles without tons of steroids... healthy muscles YES and muscles on women look good. J'lo and that ass? MUSCLE! Madonna with her biceps? MUSCLES! Anna Kurnikova, Serena and Venus Williams etc. ALL MUSCLES!

Muscles give some curves and more muscles means more energy spent! Fat burns faster with "bigger" muscles. "Burn baby BURN!" Muscles mean more firm body that work well and possibly adds the quality of life. Especially if you're normally a office worker with only a little of physical work.

So it truly amazes me that british women consider chips and crisps to be a normal part of the food plate and salads are only eaten if you're on a diet. And when you go to the gym you do a little in a cross trainer and avoid weights like plague 'cos they immediately pump muscles on you and you and no-one wan't to look like a Swartzernecker ? And hey gyms are definitely the best place to perv others! (Ok I got to admit that after reading the 50 shades of grey my eyes have wondered around more then normally at the gym... and in the tube, shopping centers, on the streets... busses.. damn! There are just so many good looking guys around! Or maybe that book has really mind fucked me...)

First time I tried a proper 1,5h astanga yoga session in years. I was quite surprised to find myself in a really acrobatic asanas when even the teacher in the beginning told me "You look fit and healthy but people here are in different levels. Some stretch a bit more than others..." Don't judge the book by it's cover! I may look a bit amazonish here compared to more lightly build british women but I stretch! HA!

I have a background of a bit more straight forward sports with the following kind of comments from the coach: "Keep your hands up when hitting the right hook or next time I hit you..", "No pain no gain!",  "If you don't hit him he'll hit you!", "...and you run! You run and jump and do push ups as long as I tell you to do so or until you puke!" There fore some of the instructions in yoga we're a bit exotic like "Focus to your 3rd eye... and now we OOOOOMMMM a few time after the inhale to replace the exhale...now inhale with left nostril, exhale with the right one.." 

Thank god there weren't any mirrors in front of me. Thinking about the image of me blogging one nostril or releasing a calm peaceful OOM out my mouth.. hmm.  Not with this sense of humor!

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In the end I felt light and relaxed. I've always had a problem with my shoulders and upper thoracic region always being tense and locked. After 1,5 of yoga I feel like a new human being. 20min sauna afterwards was the icing on the cake.

BTW: I have noticed a small signs of home sickness. We have free landline calls to EU countries and I called my granny who's complained about everything being so expensive and difficult nowadays and now I'm not in Finland to change her curtains or helping her to clean the flat... All that raised a smile on my lips. My granny is one of a kind.

It's weird how in a short time period you also loose the easiness of finnish language. Finnish words felt like strange blocks in my mouth and it took a couple of minutes to find right way to build up proper intonations and sentences. Soon I'll probably demand 5 o'clock tea everyday, speak snobbishly  to everyone, use words like "please, how do you do, do you mind.."  24/7, and dress only into Union Jack bikinis?  

I hate trains and trains hate me.

My week started in a spectacular way (as usual) by getting "lost" due to the commonly known effective and always trustworthy public transportation. The train I was in suddenly decided that it won't stop in West Croydon at all! (That's where I was about to have my 4 day training for adapting company's ways of dealing things). What a way to give the good first impression: "sorry... I'm 25 min late because the train system hates me!"

Well at least the journey with the beautiful views was quite pleasant. Thank god the rest of the week went all pleasantly and there were no problems to get from Battersea to West Croydon. 

I've been living here now for a few weeks and I must admit that I've learned to appreciate Finland in a completely new ways. The raw beauty, fresh air/water, rusty nature and sometimes melancholic characters of out culture. The best feature about us is the honesty.

We are so honest that we rarely use the finnish word LOVE (Rakkaus) nor do we say I love you (minä rakastan sinua) that often like they do in english culture. We may say I like you (pidän/tykkään sinusta) or I mis you (kaipaan sinua) but never I love you if we don't mean it. Even the word Love (rakkaus) is ugly and complicated to pronounce. Here's a finnish song  Love is an ugly word.

How about complicated relationships? We are famous of not talking or showing our emotions. But no worries! If you wan't to learn more about the inner life of a finn there's plenty of songs to  help you to understand the wordless communication...

Sentenced - Killing me killing you
Sonata Arctica - Paid In Full
Jukka Poika - Silkkii (english subtitles)
Here's a few songs in finnish that are sometimes understood as love songs but if you understand finnish listen carefully and you'll see the other side of the story.
CMX - Kultanaamio (in finnish)
PMMP - Pariterapiaa (english subtitles)

And my absolute favorites Kotiteollisuus - Tämän taivaan alla (english subtitles) & Kaija K - Vapaa (english subtitles)

I really do hate that feature in finns The feature that WE DON'T TALK but why to use words without real meaning? Just to fill the empty gaps in conversation so no-one would feel awkward?

This doesn't mean that I now stop my parrot like talking just because I have found my inner finn again... Just thinking out loud!

I realized that I may seem to be reserved and sometimes even rude in here London. I just find it a bit hard to be so "happy" and exited to "really know" how people are doing and that cheek kissing thing? With complete strangers? "Just to be polite I spread my saliva on you cheek!" WTF?!

Just kidding mates!

After the 4 day training I made some friend and we had a few pints in the local pub. That pub had amazing ladies room.

The fact that they sell tampones and condomes in the loo is understandable and even the possibility to use hair straightener for a £1 but vibrators?!  And only with £5? "I suddenly feel like I need some relaxation... YES! They sell vibrators! The luckiest day of my life!" And cannabis inspired condoms? Why? 

WELL I was wondering what that weird giggling and buzzing noise next to my toilet was..

Fifty shades of grey is a "new" book trilogy and described as women's porn comparable to mens magazines. Every now and then there has been news about this book in  the evening standard, metro etc. Apparently this book has started a sexual revolution. Women want and demand quality passionate sex. Sex is no longer a tabu in this country that has been brainwashed by medias sexual images  and now it's ok to actually have reality sex? Whoooooaaaah.... Lust full women attacking their men and begging for sex due to a book?  They have even predicted a baby boom for next year! 

This was THE centre of the gossiping among my colleagues today and that's why I decided that I really need to read this book. What makes it so special? Is it soft porn or a beautiful story telling about complicated relationships? It's time to find out the truth! 

I'm going to put the book to a test and report you shortly what reactions it awakens in me. Will the chocolates be enough or will I get crazy and so horny that I'll sneak upstairs to visit my hot neighbor and introduce myself to him with a bit more wilder approach? We'll see that in a couple of days!

Sundays are holy days and therefore perfect days to worship my body... To the gym!

Previously this week I had the Nuffield health MOT taken and to be honest with you. I hated the results! Blood pressure, sugar levels, cholesterol and heart rate all excellent but when it comes to BMI... TA TA TAA! Way too big and waist to hip ratio.... slightly better. In conclusion there's a lot to do to improve these numbers.

Funny thing is that I have always been into sports, worked out quite a lot and never been in that bad shape but hey... figures are figures!

Besides the guy who measured these was a lot of fun. He laughed at my reactions and stupid jokes like me pointing at my tummy and shouting "You BITCH!". Because I'm not that into running he suggested me  some "robe workout" to cover my cardio workout lack. Not in the bedroom guys... but apparently he's going to show me on sunday what it's like. You an imagine what kind of lasso etc. jokes I threw about his robe exercise.

It's always much more fun when you get along with the people in you gym. The gym is smaller and it has everything I need. (including kettle balss, jacuzzi+sauna!) The best part of it...

My workout won't look like this:

I have nothing against you men but when I workout I wan't to do it in my own peace ok?

First things first and take thou direction towards ASDA to do some grocery shopping for the week ahead! All of this £28!  (Would've been even cheaper without all the gluten free stuff and eco friendly washing powder.)

I haven't eaten fish fingers in years. Literally.. IN YEARS because you can't get these gluten free in Finland. Probably you can imagine my reaction when I found this?... They even have some breaded chicken etc.  I'll try those later!

Later on sunday

I think that lately even thought it has been financially tough I've been pretty lucky. Possibility to move to London, a flat in a good area, good and challenging job, amazing gym, place in a college and today the best personal training ever. He maid me a cardio program that doesn't piss me off at all like typical running. Who need a ferrari when if you got some gluten free fish fingers and a fantastic cardio training program?

Interval training with intensive workout and rest breaks. First some kickboxing about 20min (with breaks: 2X3min 1 min break and times get smaller and more intensive), then running "up" the hill with the same interval idea (20 min) and finally some intensive rowing. You should have seen me laughing and smiling to myself when doing some kickboxing. It has been now about 1,5 year break from martial arts because of the cervical prolapse. It all is still there! Skills don't disappear! ( Ok my left legs kicks at times were pretty weak examples but anyway...) Humans muscle memory and it's capacity is amazing. 

(Maybe it would have shocked me more if I wouldn't have known what I'm doing after 3 years of training Muay thai and previous random boxing and Han Mo Do classes).

It all felt so good! And that cardio program was actually challenging but not insurmountable. Then 20min sauna session and heading back home.

The weather here has been pretty weird for the last few days. Sunny, rainy, sunny, windy, rainy, sunny, rainy.... and so on. (Maybe it's sympathizing my PMS's?.)

Feeling all relaxed and mind in euphoric state I headed back home and what did I see...

You'll find your treasure at the end of the rainbow: There's no place like home! "Somewhere over the rainbow..."

And here's a little cooking tip for all you folks back home! Take the minced meat-onion-what ever- that has been standing in the fridge for 1,5 weeks out of the fridge. Chop one big fresh onion and some garlic roughly and stir it up with some olive oil on a pan. Add some chopped mushrooms and chili. (Make sure that you handle the chili with bare hands and afterwards rub your eyes and the side of your nose just to make your evening even more exiting!) Then it's time for the meat and some tomato puree. Chicken buillon adds all the salt you need because you did the spicing all ready a weeks a go with your meat dish right? Just for some taste and funkiness add any herbs you got at home! After 30min braising serve with rise, a pint of organic whole milk and a simple avocado-tomato salad. Nom nom...

It's always worth to improvise!

This idea should also be brought to the free Metro magazine in Helsinki. 

Imagine! 

"You girl whom I met at the Bakers and whos dress I ruined with my beer last friday. I really liked your boobs... Fancy a drink?" -Juho tha man

"The cute blond guy I fucked at least 2 times in the Aussie bars toilet and the rubber broke... Twice! You're a daddy now and probably also got a chlamydia! Contact ASAP 'cos you're behind the child support by 5 months!" - Misse86

"That hot sexy wild red head wearing a pink short dress and cute lace nickers at the Club Tigers dance floor. I'm the guy in the dark suit who accidentally dropped knockout drops to you drink and then took photos of you in the ladies room. Can't get you out of my mind... Give me a call!" Mr. MmmK

And just to make sure that my black sense of humor doesn't effect your week. You never know what you face in the tube!

WHAT LIFE IS ABOUT?...

FOOD
Some cultural conflicts are always expected when adapting to a new culture. Surprisingly in the culinary fields.

I always make a salad for my lunch breaks. Well apparently berries and vegetables don't belong together. Or the meat and cheese. Put some nuts and balsamico/olive oil mixture and vola!  This has been one of the juicy gossips at my work place: "...Always eating so healthily.. And can you believe... she put some berries in it!..."

If you mostly eat salads for lunch in London it means that you're on a diet. Even thought you can buy fruits and veggies from any corner with only a few pounds markets still burst with produced and junk foods. Best part is that it's normal to have some chips with bloody hell everything! Like healthy wraps. you eat them with chips! Pizza? WITH CHIPS! Like there're no calories and trans fats all ready...

With the food allergies and special diets the situation has come a bit better in the last few years. You can actually have all you need from your local market. Gluten- and wheat free products are a must! I can finally find some bread etc. from everywhere! The problems is in snack foods. Only fruit salads and yoghurts, nuts, dried fruits and some muffins etc. (which really aren't a nice snack to have everyday)  ... shushis, most of the salads, all of the sandwiches/wraps/pies etc. include gluten! Most of the produced foods: Same thing!  How people can survive without the wheat?  And people tell me: "Only a little amounts of wheat...OF course you can eat one sausage (in here they include wheat flour)  take a cupcake! One can't hurt you!"  Just for your information: It can! Stomach cramps, upset stomach, a rash on my forearms, I'll look like I'm pregnant, all that swelling, pain in my joints and I''m still trying to recover from the accidental gluten including cereal eating in Belgium! Nor funny! In long term it makes me chronically ill: Asthma, sinusitis every month... That's what happens when the biggest protection (your stomach) stops functioning. Do I have any choices? Not really..

That's why it sometimes pisses me off to explain myself over and over again to people that I really don't have a choise. I have to cook everything from a scratch myself so I can be sure there's no gluten in my food.  I really love food and cooking! There fore London food market are one of my wet dreams... MmmMMMMmmm... Avocados, cheese, berries, wines, fresh coffee, veggies, meat. What ever you can desire!

PEOPLE
I really don't mind and it seems that my colleagues are getting used to my weird finnish habits. Actually I feel more like I blend in to the team. People are now more aware what I'm capable of doing and I already got a change to help our contact lens optom. and teach first time users. I love my job as an optical assistant as much as I love osteopathy. (Or maybe I love osteopathy slightly more..)

When you really open your eyes there's so much to see.

Customer service, complicated cases, how people react... over here it's all more colorful! For some reason in London it's allowed to make a scene. With that I really mean a SCENE!  Adults people behaving like little toddlers in a negative age!  All I can think is that it's really rude to other people for someone to behave like that. But maybe that's the direction where our culture is going. Some elderly people in the bus stop first looked me with a slight suspicion in their gaze but when I let them get in the bus first they smiled me like I gave them the heaven! WTF?! That's just a part of the polite manners I've learned as a child!

On my way to work I always tend to see this old man working in northern line side in Waterloo station. He's attitude is something to look up on. He whistles like no-one other and has really relaxed attitude towards his work. Calm, relaxed, clear...  Seeing him working with that attitude makes my day much more better right from the beginning. If he could give a fracture of that attitude to everyone in this planet I guarantee that the world would be much nicer place to live.

At my work my supervisor has the best jokes: Just like today he suggested to one of the managers that the manager should change outfits with me to get some more customers. A black pencil skirt on a bigger guy? Grrrnnau! Or some one should open the zipper behind my skirt a bit more open ( I have a black skirt with golden zipper going all the way down)... just to attract more customers! His a person with a sense of humor but the with the most calm and polite customer service skills.

And on my way back home this lady with a pencil in her hair sits quite often in front of me gossiping on the phone. She's a fun character to follow. I have become so regular customer to the fruit seller outside the Finchley Road tube station that he calls me darling with some warmth in his voice and taps me on my shoulder.



MOMENTS
One day at work I was serving a customer when my manager came to me with a serious face. "There has bee a complain about you!" The blood froze in my veins and I felt a lump in my throat. He showed me a printed paper which I red with shaking and sweaty hands. ... then my manager started laughing and shacked my hand congratulating me. One customer had sent a email to head office praising my service and knowledge which had helped him enormously.  You always hear about the complaints and the all the shit you've done... Never any good feedback. That guy made my day. At that moment I just kept thanking him over and over again and I still do 'cos after that moment my colleagues have started to believe and see that I have a strong background in the optical field. Just like some one just gave me a lift ride a few floors upwards to ease my work load.

Today I almost lost my focus for a moment when this man walked in the shop. His features were somehow so familiar ...and so was my reaction to his presence. Fit, relaxed outfit, amazing blue eyes, stubble, the voice... my men type in flesh and blood...right in front of me! OMG! (And in that moment I suddenly paid attention to my Tina Turner hairdo due to the rain and humidity in the air, all smudgy make up and a few giant pimples on my chin. Great! Thank you for visiting here today when I'm definitely not looking my best at all!) All I could do was to keep a poker face with a slightly bigger smile. And his sense of style! Looking for frames that looked like frames and suited him well! Even the RayBan sunglasses a bit roundish retro ones that don't suite many men were fantastic on him!

I left work today with a big smile on face and headed to Waitrose to buy my friday treats. Some light cola, chocolate cake, crisps.. (Susanna you were right. British natural crisps with a bit seasalt are really good. Better then Pringles. I admit! Not all of the english crisps are total schaiba!) The cashier apparently noticed my lonely treat-myself-friday night plans 'cos with a big knowing smile she wished me a splendid weekend!

Susanna visited me this weekend. I got 4 days of from work and oh la laa! I loved it! We had so much fun! We visited my local pub The magic garden which is just a stone throw away from my flat. Good music, beautiful decoration and what a spectacular garden! Dancing swing and charleston. Amazing how drunk you get drinking only 4 pints but it must be due to the music and that pub.  It was good to have a good friend here and unload all the stuff that has been happening lately. Those nights with a friend having an odd class of wine and the long hours of conversation include the essence of life.

The best way to get rid of a hangover  is to do saturday morning zumba in your local gym.  The zumba instructor was so gay. "So ... it's one, two, three.. jump jump... sexy lady! This is a sexy hot dance MMmmkayy?" I have never seen any man moving like that!   Halfway through the class he turned around and pointed the only guy in the class (apparently forced to come there by his girlfriend) and said: "I'm watching you!" and the guy replied exhausted: "And I'm watching you!"..  The instructors seem to be a bit crazy in that gym. previously in the week I attended Pilates class and there this eastern european man with a rough high pinched voice shouted commands: "Back in a laSER shape! And then Rrrrrainbow shape! Verrrrrry good!". I couldn't keep a pokerface. The absolute best core workout!

I personally don't agree with the "fact" that scandinavians don't know how to shake their hips 'cos I'm a pro shaking my hips but Johanna says it's due to my russian-gypsy heritage.  I strongly believe that the finnish culture is behind all the stiffness in Finland. Including the hips! It's better to blend in and be all neutral! Not to be seen, heard or smelled... gush! The culture won't allow any color to be added. (only after 5 bottles of Finlandia Vodka some color is OK..) I'm not saying that the finnish culture is completely agonizing and a bit restrictive but all of us know about those rules that everyone should know. For example we never start conversation with a stranger without a "proper" reason, there must be at least 1,5m private invisible area around every individual and it's not ok to show your true emotions publicly. It's actually a bit funny that in here London I'm considered to be quite neutral person who doesn't talk 24/7 or make a show of herself unlike in Finland I heard all the time how loud etc. I was. You who decided to move to Finland from another culture, I sympathize you. Got to give my respect because you surely need huge balls to do that and find your place in the finnish civilization! 

The english have this really odd habit to ask from everyone how they are. Like they would really give a shit about it?.. Hah! In a really finnish way I wan't to straightforward to business and talk about things that have been bothering me but nooo,  no way. First you have to spend 10min talking about some mambo jambo about how you're doing. Wonder how they would react if I would start telling about my period pains or weird seizures I keep having without my daily medication.. just kidding. But that would be something worth to see.

I was pretty sure that my heart would explode but after the zumba class and some traditional sauna session (Yep... there's a proper finnish sauna at my gym not to mention a jacuzzi! But they have nothing to do with my decision to join that gym or the fact that there's a fantastic spa upstairs that does pro waxing or the guy in reception is so hot..) 

I couldn't have felt any better. Before the evening party we decided to have a picnic and at the same time check the Battersea Park (Read: the MEN playing cricket and football). Susanna has the best Aussie attitude ever: "Fuck off clouds!" What a pro sun worshiper! 

One luxuries of being a woman is to have these pampering moments. I try at least once in a month to use about 4h just to prepare to go out clubbing or to the theater etc.  First some facial beauty treatments, mani-pedi, some chocolate strawberries and some bubbly, deciding what to wear... then shoes and handbag... maybe some jewelry?  Johanna's fairway party gave a good excise for that special moment.

"Let me just sit down and put it between my legs and pull really hard..." This phrase isn't from a porn movie but out of Susanna's mouth and the situation didn't include anything questionable... only a Champaign bottle that wouldn't open. 

 Just the people in London are definitely worth the move to England. In a pub an older guy tried to teach me how to dance properly because as a stubborn woman I have a really bad habit to lead in a dance when guys should do that. I met this traditional english indie rock type of guy Basil who danced with a groovy touch and every now and then threw his head a bit to get his Beatles hairdo of from covering his eyes.  He probably couldn't see much. 

We ended up to Barfly club and that night we truly felt like teenagers again. Dancing with every guy in the bar and having so much fun! The Music! Indie,  proper rock... I actually ended up dancing with this gay guy the whole night. (but have to say that I still doubt was he gay at all..) He was so much fun! Swing type of dancing and shaking! After the last song Susanna, I and the guys had some junk food and I felt like a seagull taking chips from Susanna's tray and eating the onions out of someones baguette . When we came back home and I took my shoe of I noticed that there was dried blood everywhere and my toenail was cracked to two pieces. That was some wild dancing I must say! (Last time I had my nail injured was in muay thai 2 years ago..) But hey: There's no gain without some pain!

As in a proper London visit we wen't to the British museum. "surprisingly" my sense of directions was totally blurred and we had to ask some help from the locals. (Hey seriously... who would get lost while trying to reach that museum?!) And of course in a hangover you get these really "funny" and good ideas like flirting with the Lindow man  (just to cover up not so lucky hunt last night)  "How you doing my love... it looks like you have slightly stiff neck. I may have a few tricks in my pockets for that..."  

A must in London especially in a hangover: Pub meal.

Talking about sometimes my a bit questionable brain function:

Who the hell would accidentally buy porn sheets to her bed?! At the moment I'm sleeping in black satin duvet set. (quite comfortable actually) I must have been a high class courtesan in my previous life and now these old memories and urges are trying to take hold of my actions. 

There's no end to my honeymoon with London. Everyday I fall harder in love with London and it's many faces. The people, unpredictable weather, absolutely best parties,  history, all the possibilities, my neighborhood...  All the doors are open and there for you if you have the wits to work hard to reach your goals. I'm sorry guys but it looks like I'm never moving back to Finland again...