When the olympics finally were over I swear that the population in London seemed to cut down by half. It was time to get back in routines and focus on learning more about  London, making it my home and fulfilling my aims.

This Month I tried gluten-free sausages that were amazingly similar to finnish Siskonmakkara- sausages. Ise quickly made sure that I wouldn't be too exited about that when she commented that my sausages looked like little penises. (Thanks Ise. Now it will take ages for me the get rid of that image in my head.)

She haven't commented on my green breakfast fruit smoothie (yet) which makes me lucky I think. I can't afford giving up all my dishes due to Ise's comments. Spirulina, MSM powder, pia protein, banana, orange juice, pineapple, strawberry cocktail!

ODE TO YOYO'S
CROSS TRAINER

Alone in the dark.
Without any touch, without any love.
Only a faint memory of a sweaty palm on your handles.

So much hatred your physical clumsy form inspired among us.

Last goodbyes in Nick's arms on a boozy friday night.
We left you behind.
There you stayed,
next to used bottles, trash papers and binned life's.
Maybe someone will sweat on you once again?

We had a small renovating project to be done in the flat before our new flatmates would be moving in.  That meant a lot of painting, running stairs up'n down, making compromises with the furniture and storage space. (And throwing that damn ugly cross trainer to garbage Yo-Yo left behind when she moved back to Finland.)

Unfortunately we didn't have that much free space to "throw" the stuff out of the way so the next best thing was to pile up everything in the centre of the room....

       


Even thought my dad is a painter as well as my uncle (even my granddad was a painter) I'm not a painter.

 My motto worked pretty well in this project: "Plenty of liquids and everything will be just fine..." Such an amateur as I was I still did the man's work listening Ise advising me and pointing out the places where I missed a spot etc. 

Who needs a man when you have gluten free brownies and you can paint the walls all by yourself? HA!

Moving from a single room...

...to newly decorated double room with tons of space!

And the Scandinavian feng shui rocking!

One thing that I still can't understand is the lack of decorative sense in english peoples minds. When did the whole floor carpets in the bathroom become a good idea?! And no... it's not a good way to hide "the drops" and definitely doesn't save time from cleaning the "oops- drops" of the carpet. If your not blind you surely smell all those drops. And why to have laminates in the bathroom? Much better than carpet but have you ever heard of tiles?

I admit that I really hate whole floor carpets. They are hard to keep clean and I really have a bad habit to spill everything around. Coffee? On the carpet! Some red wine? YEP On the carpet already! The worst thing is that after my morning run I literally sweat on everything and if I don't immediately run to shower there is a pond around me ON THE CARPET.

And how about sense of colors? With what goes with what? Don't even ask.. I spent the whole friday last week trying to get rid of that "magnolia" (A.K.A. puke) color on my walls. Just like someone has been smoking decades inside and spilled some Ribena on the walls.

They even have IKEA in here and unfortunately it still hasn't improved the deco-sense of these people. They actually joke about IKEA furniture being so complicated to build that it's almost comparable with nuclear physics..

England surely knows how to make things so complicated that it must be some sort form of art by now. Everything from paperwork to daily living:

"No sir... you must fill the form YX98635672875298 before you can get the form 44475ABC."

"Why to use only one tab when you can exercise every morning by moving you hands around the sink  trying to make the perfect temperature water in your palms to throw on you face from TWO TABS?"

Like I have said before I don't really get too stressed about the England's complex logic with everything. The best feature in London is the multicultural atmosphere and I love it! In battersea we have plenty of churches, mosques and temples. But the real worshiping happens in the local supermarkets. They have dedicated a whole aisle for crisps! 

Aneta my work mate and me have decided to try something new every month. We had a trial in British Military Fitness in Hamsptead Heat park last tuesday. I still can feel the pain on my legs and have to admit that we really had some fun! Running around like kids, giggling, challenging ourself in group work and competing with others. Huge thanks to Ian for letting us test milfit.  We really had a good time and got plenty of inside jokes to cheer us up on our days at work.

Only thing that was the obstacle or kind of funny was my first reactions to the training. I'm really not that used to people commanding me or telling me what to do. Thank god I still didn't challenge Ian with my attitude "I'll show you who's the boss!"

BTW about working out:

I've found myself again from the sweet 80's. Who would forget the ultimate gym tune Survivor - Eye of the Tiger? And when you giving everything that you have and even more the song is Push it to the limit from the Scarface! And one of my favorites Amy Holland- She's on fire. One day I'll dress up like the real gym bunny in the 80's and pull a show at my gym!

Even thought it has actually been proved that nowadays all the music sounds the same let me introduce you to my gluteus and thighs workout song: Far East Movement feat. Pitbull- Candy. This is the song to company my mantra "J'lo's ass...... J'lo's ass....." which has also been changed recently because that mother of two has the most amazing abs too! So if you hear me murmuring "Jlo's ass and abs... Jlo's ass and abs.." at the gym don't call the police or white coated men. She's just one of the inspiring people I see as my idols right after Leonardo Da Vinci, Laura Bassi, Lara Croft and Einstein. 

http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/2682116/jennifer-lopez-casper-smart-ab-tastic-in-rio-23/

Year 2012 and olympics in London HOORAY! People are exited! the games are on EVERY DAY!  You got to have a ticket at least from some park with big screens. Everybody talks about the olympics! If there is empty seats in the games they write about on every magazine. "How they dare to do that?! The VIP audience?! How do they have the guts to do that?!" (Well if I would have the money and wouldn't really care about anything but the after parties...)

Anyway. The olympics are going on all wild and glory as ever and the olympics don't really effect my life a at all..... It's just nice to have free ice creams in the Waterloo station and Gosh I hate the tourists being on my way all the time.... Hey some of us have to work! I admit it! I'm lazy, ignorant, immigrant with a really selfish attitude!

Or maybe just bored at all the corruption and show the whole thing have woken up? All the stores in London have some kind of sales and promotions going on because of the olympics. "Buy Powerade! 3 for the price of 2!", "Tampax will keep you going!", "Wear Addidas and run as like Usain Bolt!"... These aren't official adverts and the companies mentioned don't necessary have anything to do with the corrupted marketing during olympics.

The other thing that kind of bothers me is the weird attitude that wearing/drinking/eating something that the sponsors say will make you the athlete him/herself is a bit strange. And how about approaching people you may like with the following sentence: "I work in the olympic..." and winking your eye? (Of course you forgot to mention that they pay you only £6/h and you actually sell hod dogs. But of course you wan't to make the impression that you work next to the real superheroes.

According to the legends Heracles and Zeus were the ones developing the "games" among the cities of agent Creese. The games were held every fourth year and were of a fundamental religious importance, featuring sporting events as well as ritual sacrifices to honor the gods. The ones lucky, strong, smart and fast enough to win the games were treated as immortal heroes (and today if you do the same: You get into a Pepsi commercial! WOHOO! )That ended around 393 AD. The olympic games were tried to bring back alive in the revolutionary France 1796 and the games as we know them now were established (in it's official glory) in 1896. The legends and history books mention  also that they were officially for men only and of course the athletes were naked. (How strange that that wasn't mentioned in wikipedia?..) and the olympics 2012 are remarkable and will make history at least in one sector: First time ever that women's boxing is included officially in the games. I couldn't believe my eyes when I red the news mentioning that side of the story. Really?! Are we still in the stone age?! Actually women's boxing was introduced around 1907 but wasn't accepted... In the name of equality! Lets take the nudity back! If that happens I promise you that I'll be all sharp and eyes glued to the TV during triathlon, swimming, running, football, tennis, handball, boxing, wrestling.....

I had a really nice conversation at work with elderly couple. They asked if I follow the olympics and did I see yesterdays games. It was a bit embarrassing to admit that I don't do that and explain that I just spend my free time at the gym.
 "Oh you too?! You should be in the Olympics then!" 
"Oh not really... it takes at least couple of years to get in really good shape and I'm not good in those sports... "
"How about swimming?"
"Yeah..maybe... but I hate water"
Laughing: "That may be a problem... running?"
"Yeah... actually I hate running too."

Then we tried to find a suitable sport for me in the olympics and football, gymnastics and boxing were the only solutions. But I am a bit too old and not that technically good in football, not that flexible (nor tiny) for gymnastics and I really enjoy more kickboxing then boxing and the lady admitted that it's much more beautiful then boxing..closer to dancing but no worries my readers: As long as they don't have crazy improvised table dancing or high heel running you won't see me in the olympics. Maybe in the "support" team looking after some athletes gluteus muscles as a personal osteopath?... Just kidding!

I would be totally professional in my work and make sure that my athletes would be all ok for their challenges!

 Essi visited me for a couple of days and was so thoughtful that brought some finnish chocolate, salmiakki and good quality sports supplement. We did the odd-all-ready-a-routine-round- at the local pub and have a splendid evening.

The next day was dedicated for the miracles of nature and the wonders of the anatomy. Natural history museum and Bodies revealed it is!

  

 

There was hundreds or thousands humming birds in that vitrin!

I found a solution for unwanted approachers in the bars: "Let me introduce you to my friend..."  and then pull this out of your handbag...

 

They have a really good collection of jared creatures in the Natural history museum.

In the evening we prepared ourselves for a big night in the bars of Camden.  We ended up in the Enteprise and stayed there all night speaking to these italian fellows and dancing like we never danced before. Unfortunately someone stole my handbag...

There went my old Nokia x6 that I used for my english mobile number,a  few pounds, travel card and Dior compact powder (all the rest I got back including keys, cards and lipgloss.)  Travel card wasn't a problem. I could lock it easily and got a new one in couple of day free of charge and the Nokia X6 is clumsy anyway but who would steal someones used compact powder?! Worth only around £30?! It's disgusting (like borrowing someones used tampon..) and you must be really desperate! The guys were laughing to my reactions about the missing powder (talking about priorities..) but were really helpful in that situation. 

The night ended with style when Essi the sweet, small girl turned in to a fierce woman all ready pissed of because of my stolen handbag and when some jerks from a passing car threw an raw egg on our shoes. She shouted like a werewolf and went to the closest fast food place demanding some tissues to clean her shoes. Such a sweet girl! <3

On sunday we wen't shopping and ate again the best veggie food you can have at InSpiral lounge Camden. Veggie gluten free lasagna is the absolute best and you never stay hungry after eating that. Huge meal!

I'm not alone anymore!  I met it in many shops and finally couldn't resist it's charisma. The third time I was all over it with this funny expression on my face and glow in my eyes Essi told me to take it.

I have now decided to test my limits. I'm such a perfectionist personality that before specializing to sports people (one option) I really have to understand them. And because it's been years since kind-of-serious training I try to get back to that level! Just in general sports: Fittest, fastest, strongest, the most flexible and the best endurance levels as possible! It's all about having goals, pushing your own limits not just physically but also mentally.

I have to get to a normal level when it comes to setting goals and really look what weights I'm using how long I'm running and how many km etc. Because at the moment I run as a typical route in the morning that "doesn't feel too long or make me bored" and use weights/make reps "that are challenging and don't get me bored". And the main measurement technique I use for my workout and running at the moment is: 

First you always feel like you die. Then you're afraid that you won't die and when you feel all ok and alright you can finish the workout! (In the morning the exercise takes only 15-25min and evening from 45min to 2,5h.)

Smart isn't it? But does it take you far? Well...

So I prepare myself with more knowledge by studying some extra and finding the style that suits me and check the nutrition etc. Of course not forgetting having occasionally too much fun and taste a little bit sinful life... 

And always remember the biggest rule of them all: 

Yesterday I had a fantastic evening out with my colleagues eating indian food and due to forgetting my nowadays even more sensitive gluten intolerance/allergy I got to pay all day today for it. First not getting out of the bed, then spending fun time in the toilet and when trying to workout in the evening: after 10min workout and 30s kickboxing sparring almost puked and fainted on the gym floor. 

Not that nice for my selfconfidence. Crappy punches, kicks and running.

Well everyday can't be a good day! (and this will probably continue a couple of days..)

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!

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg67MmtsYigatqKm7DqaDtzgwQN8m52uYn_yBL8KmDDPLicYoQYiUqv2CoDCA0ctONajSjm7yCUVjWKhk1DjGevYgMcmlgk2_ubHubCbLCRD3L6zq3OqgybZVRbWAouxwpycRHkEPJi2F-n/s400/yoga.jpeg

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!