Food Challenge: Detox Week

During next week I will concentrate on two things:

1) Regular meals. That means breakfast, lunch, maybe one snack and dinner. Try not to eat after 8 p.m.
2) Eat "proper" food: wholegrains, veggies, fruit, fish, tofu, beans, nuts and some lean meat. Alcohol is a no-no, and so are sweets, ice-cream, cakes, other treats and red meat.

We'll see how this goes, if I find any yummy recipes I'll share them with you

Så din dröm är att skotta snö från ett hustak medan flaggan sakta svajar i vinden?

Sometimes it might be extremely inspiring to jump around in the snow, with your ears and hands freezing in the cold breeze while listening to great music.

It gives you a silent moment to think about ideas, the future, life and friendships. These moments spent on your own are precious for the soul and they fill you with new energy.

Next time I'll put more clothes on, though.

The rest of the evening will be dedicated to translating Hungarian children's songs, pilates and good food.

Heels

These heels are a MUST, not only are they high and red, but they are also named Valencia. Perfect with a pair of dark jeans and a white tee. They are available from Nelly.

Yes yes, goodbye "No Shopping Until May"!

Wisdom

“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.”

   - Tao Te Ching - 

Learning Vocab

Grammar is a fun jigsaw puzzle, listening and reading are easy, pronounciation and spelling don't require too much of an effort. But words, oh those words! Everyone has their weaknesses when it comes to learning a foreign language and mine is definitely memorising vocabulary. The words just don't stick.
As you, dear readers, might know, I'm in the process of learning Hungarian, and I have spent this morning mixing up words: kevés (small), kerék (wheel), kedves (dear), kérdés (question), kerek (round), kérek (I ask)... you get the point.

After a quick search on the internet, I found these tips that might be worth a try:

• Flascards: flashcards are good because you will repeat the word until you remember it, and it's also easy to bring the cards with you so that you can practise anywhere. That way you can take advantage of all that time that you spend doing nothing (going somewhere, waiting on someone) and do something useful instead.
• Post-its: stick a post-it onto every item you can find, with the name of the item in whichever language you are trying to learn. The names of the objects will stick quite quicly. However, the question is if the people you live with are as interested as you in learning some random language.
• Repetition: it might be boring, and it might take time, but repetition is the key.
• Learn words in a context: there is no point in knowing 2000 words if you don't know how to use them.
• Use the words: same as with repetition really. If you use the words you have learnt, your brain will not forget them.
• Games: some people learn by playing (I don't), and there are lots of word games you can use; hangman, puzzles, etc. 
• Definitions: look up words in a dictionary, write them down in a notebook together with their definitions, synonyms etc. This one sounds like fun!!

Mornings are good

Having a good morning is essential for the rest of the day. For me it means lingering a while longer in bed before turning on the computer, then drink a big cup of tea while checking my mail and reading all the blogs. Good music is also a must!

After a bit of relaxation it's just that much easier to confront those boring and difficult tasks that life tends to throw at us.

What is your perfect morning like?

Yesterday we met a man...

Yesterday we met a man who had gotten himself into deep trouble. He had been thrown out from the ferry (for some dubious reasons) and arrested, all his money had been stolen. He was stuck on this island and nobody would tell him how to get out of here or where he should go to get help. Nobody would stop on the street to talk to him. The police treated him very badly (someone who would not lie is a witness), when he asked for help in a polite manner, they almost attacked him physically. They did not want to give him his things (credit cards + mobile phones), although they were rightfully his and he was no longer under arrest. They also pretended not to speak Finnish.

We entertained him for a couple of hours, witnessed very bad behaviour on the behalf of the local police, gave him a ride to the ferry terminal and bought him a ticket so that he could go home.

This man's only mistake was that he was a member of a minority that has been inhabiting Finland for the past 500 years. A minority that has never been considered as part of society and that still receives a lot of crap from everyone. He was a gypsy.

Visitors

Look who came to visit us this morning:

Friendship

The last few weeks I have noticed that I'm surrounded by a bunch of wonderful people who seem to care a lot about me. To be honest, I find it quite surprising because I have always been one of those people who prefers to do things on her own. Anyhow, my heart is filled with gratefulness, and I hope I will be able to give back a lot of love to all these people who have supported me. Thank you all!

"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship." - Cicero

Today: studying, sports and unpacking suitcases

Today is the first day back in Finland, and I'm not really going to do anything too interesting. First things first, this morning will be dedicated to writing a short essay for our class in Hungarian history (and it's freaking difficult because it's the first essay I'm writing in Swedish in 7 years), and I will also have to attend said class today in the evening. Apart from all this fun, I will also need to do some exercise (finally, summer body 2010 here we come) and arrange my stuff.

With a bit of luck this blog will turn more interesting soon!

Hasta luego, España!

When this post is published, I will be sitting on a plane to Stockholm  (in reality it is written on a rainy Monday afternoon in Paterna, Valencia when suitcases should be packed and all papers that are not that important thrown away).
It is not the first time I will sadly try to catch a last glimpse of palm trees from up above, but it is indeed the first time that I have no idea when (or if) I will be coming back.

A very big part of me is sad and disappointed: because things didn't go the way they were supposed to, because no matter how determined we all are that this is a "see you" rather than a "good bye", you never know when you will see all those people who came to play such a significant role in your life, some of them even being like family.

At the same time the excitement is bubbling inside like a volcano: I cannot deny that new and unknown adventures have always fascinated me. They are like a light bulb to mosquitos. The feeling of not knowing where I'm going (although in all fairness I have a pretty good idea in this case) makes me thrive.
And there is guilt. And happiness. Guilt because it feels like I shouldn't be experiencing all these contradictional feelings at once, and happiness because there is a big bunch of people waiting for me.
Of course I have an idea of how I want things to pan out, but I'd rather save all that information for some other time. However, I'm already planning a visit to Valencia in the spring to visit friends and enjoy the sunshine.

I don't like.....

.. Spanair!! I don't have much time for explanations, but said airline is driving me completely nuts. Somehow they always manage to mess things up (although, to be fair they might have a good reason this time!). Never again.

Debo estar loca pt. 2

Finland against Sweden tomorrow at 6 a.m. We are talking about ice-hockey of course and this is a game that no Finn with even an ounce of patriotism (or self-respect for that matter!) should miss.

So tomorrow at 6 a.m., see you in front of the telly.

Stuffed Peppers

Today's lunch was by no means very colourful, but it was tasty anyway.

For one person you will need:

1 big green pepper
Couscous (abt 1 dl)
Olive oil
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
30-40 g feta cheese
Herbs (I used oregano and mint)
Black grounded pepper
And now that I think of it, it could have been a good idea to add some tomato.

If your plan is to eat a lot of strawberries for dessert, I'd recommend you to eat only half a pepper :)

Anyhow, you leave the pepper in water for a few minutes before cutting it into two pieces, then you fill it with the mix consisting of all the other ingredients. Leave it in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Paterna 20/02/10: debo estar loca

Will they or will they not?

Saturday mornings are made for reading relationship gossip. Now Sweden is debating whether the youngest princess will get married after all, apparently her fiancé is a workaholic who doesn't spend enough time on their relationship. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are another example, the world has been expecting them to break up ever since they got together.
Why am I reading about this? And more importantly, why am I blogging about it? I don't even believe in the value of royal families or other celebrities. They are individuals who belong to a certain group of people because of their families, talents, money or good looks. Maybe because it's sad that some evil journalists have nothing better to do than speculate about people's personal lives. The rest of the world might consider it entertainment, but it's unlikely that the situation is easy on anyone of those involved.
In general people spend too much time worrying about celebrities. Sex and misery sell magazines, and we eagerly buy them. But do we really fail to see that our interest in these matters leads to a vicious circle that affects the lives of real people: the celebrities? We buy the magazines to read about them, and because of this they have to live with stalkers and paparazzi controlling every step of their lives, just to mention a couple of things.  
I sincerely hope that one day people will learn to focus on more important things.

Perfect Start

Finland - Belarus: 5-1

It's the perfect start for the Finnish "Leijonat" (Lions). I have a feeling that the ice hockey in Vancouver will be a very interesting business. Finland isn't the brightest favourite for the gold, but... it ain't over 'til the fat lady sings.
And there are quite a few great games left before she will sing on February, 28.
Fingers and toes crossed that the Finnish players will give their supporters lots of wonderful moments in the next couple of weeks!

Happy!

Sunshine, the smell of spring. Amazing music. Delicious food. Fresh air. Good hairday. Moving. Exercise. Laughter. Smiles. What else could a girl ask for?
I hope everyone is enjoying this Wednesday!

No good at sharing

I thought I'd give away some of the clothes that I don't need anymore.

Left pile: clothes that I'll never ever give up. We are talking about dresses that have been worn once (or never), minis that hardly cover the bum... and two pairs of trousers. Silly? Yes. I am the first to admit that it's completely insane.

Right pile: about 5 pieces that are extremely unflattering for my body type. It's taken me about three years to realise that I really don't need these clothes while shipping them around Europe.

Does anyone feel like evicting the evil materialist demon that have possessed my brain?

Goodnight and Good Morning [Hyvää yöta ja huomenta]

Täksi yöksi jää Stay for this night

Jokin koettaa sua täällä viivyttää Something is trying to keep you here

Luodinkestävää sydäntä ei oo vielä keksittykään A bulletproof heart hasn't been invented yet

Jos sulla kerran on taskussasi suuri unelma So if you have a big dream in your pocket

Niin tämä hetki jää Then this moment will remain

Ja vain se mitä teet nyt on tärkeää And only what you do now is important

Hyvää yötä ja huomenta Goodnight and good morning

Ehdit myöhemmin nukkua You'll have time to sleep later

24 tuntia 24 hours

Toivottavat sulle onnea Are wishing you luck

 Hyvää yötä ja huomenta Goodnight and good morning

Älä vielä luovuta Don't give up yet

Kaikella on hintansa Everything has its price

Mut mikään ei oo vielä mahdotonta But nothing is impossible yet

Sitä sanotaan It's said

Mennyttä ei takaisin voi saada that it's not possible to get back the past

Eikä tulevaa kannata jäädä oottamaan and that there is no point in waiting for the future

Jus sulla kerran on joku josta oikeesti välität So if you have someone you really care about

Niin pidä siitä kii Then hold on to them

Älä usko kyynisiin lauseisiin Don't believe in cynical sentences

Hyvää yötä ja huomenta Goodnight and good morning

Ehdit myöhemmin nukkua You'll have time to sleep later

24 tuntia 24 hours

Toivottavat sulle onnea Are wishing you luck

Hyvää yötä ja huomenta Goodnight and good morning

Hei älä vielä luovuta Hey, don't give up yet

Kaikella on hintansa Everything has its price

Mut mikään ei oo vielä mahdotonta But nothing is impossible yet

Luodinkestävää sydäntä ei oo vielä keksittykään A bulletproof heart has not been invented yet

Turha pelätä laukausta, It's needless to fear a shot,

Sillä yksinäisyys saman reiän nakertaa Because loneliness will gnaw the same hole

Lyrics and music: Don Huonot. The translatation from Finnish into English is mine.

Tea cures everything

Today is one of those days that I can only sleep or harass my surrounding with neverending complaints. I'm freezing (wearing two layers of clothes and spending most of the day under two thick blankets and STILLbeing  really cold) and my body temperature is quite below the normal. My stomach is sore and my head is aching. Even chocolate doesn't help (tried that, and all it did was unsettle the stomach a little bit more), so I think that bed will be calling once I finish the huge cup of green tea that I just made.

Time: or the lack of it

I'm not doing anything special but still it feels like time is running away from me. Today I have only been doing some Hungarian, walked the dog a couple of times and bought some food. Grr.

So, it might be a good idea to make a little list of things that I need to do this week so that I won't spend it on the sofa thinking about silly things that will not improve my life nor the world in general.

• Classes (just today in the evening).
• Study: catch up in Hungarian conversation, write the remaining exam and do the text analysis. 
• Wash all clothes.
• Buy plane tickets.
• Pack.
• Clean the house.
• Go to the hairdresser.
• Go to the post office to buy some boxes.
• Go to the post office to send the boxes. 
• Go to the bank. 
• Follow the exercise plan.
• Arrange a flat for a friend of mine who is coming from Poland. 
• Walk the dog whenever she is here.

Sounds like fun!

What tarot card am I?

You are The Sun

Happiness, Content, Joy.

The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.

Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.

The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Tomorrow...

forget all other plans: tomorrow at 18:45 pm I will make myself some drinks (Finnish vodka, what else?) and watch ski-jumping. Viva TVE1 for showing this. There is still hope!

 

Fingers and toes crossed that this man, Janne Ahonen, will jump far enough to get a medal (hoping for gold, of course). The man has won 19 medals in the world championships and the olympic team hill, but he has never managed to stand on the podium in any of the individual competitions in the Olympics that he has participated in.

The photo is borrowed.

A little comment on Czech

As a comment to my previous post, I would like to inform you that the headline wasn't entirely correct. The incorrect part was the Czech word český (meaning Czech). Basically it is wrong to use this adjective for both the language and the noun "music".

In the case of Czech, the name of the language is čeština, whereas the adjective used to describe something Czech is either český (masculine), česká (feminine) or české (neuter), depending on the gender (actually, there are several more endings but let's just stick to the ones in nominative singular). The word for music, hudba, is a feminine noun. Therefore, Czech music in Czech would be česká hudba.

Language and Music of the day: český

Love the music video, it's soo funny!



Czech is definitely on my list of languages to learn one day. Actually it was number one when I was still in 6th form, but then I somehow ended up in Poland instead.

Today: Love the Curtains

I have a feeling that I'm running horribly late. First stop: to the bank, although I'm not quite sure what papers I need them to give me. Second stop: lunch with a friend, but unfortunately I can't remember what time we were supposed to meet. The house is a complete mess as well.

Well, well. At least it's sunny outside, so there's no reason to stress too much. Just smile and go with the flow.

I hope everyone else will have a nice day as well!

Skipping

A few weeks ago I was asking for tips for some serious exercise that would not take too long to do. One of my personal favourites that I like to do from time to time is skipping.

 

The benefits of skipping are similar to those of running: it burns a lot of calories, it's cheap and can be done anywhere, and it improves cardio-respiratory fitness. It is also beneficial for flexibility and co-ordination, and unlike running, skipping is also a fairly effective workout for the upper body. And it's a lot of fun!

Blogging from Barcelona

Well, I wish I could tell you something amazing about Barcelona today, but really, being stuck at an airport and watching the rain is not very eventful. 
Anyhow, a lot of good things have happened: the colour returned to my laptop (thanks again Sebastián for your advice, next time, surely there will be a next time, I'll know what to do :)), I found some mags in Russian (ridiculously expensive but oh well), there have been some Poles and Hungarians around offering me some entertainment and there's only one chapter left in the book about the history of Hungary. Not too bad in other words.

Stockholm Arlanda 00.53 am

things you can do if you're stuck at an airport in the middle of the night:

feel sorry for all those people whose plane will depart 5 hours later than planned: bad for them but good for you, this way there are more people to watch
read about immigration and Spain in the Economist   and wonder if all of that applies to yourself
drink ridiculous amounts of that certain something that gives you wings so that you wont black out before getting on the plane

send a thought of gratefulness to a certain american provider of hamburgers because they give you internet for FREE.
you can also try to catch up on all those things you should have done during the past month but you didnt do because you were too busy eating

WTF?

This is what my computer is doing at the moment:

It's gone BLACK and WHITE on me (and a bit grey)!! HEEEEELP!

Swedish Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan

Yesterday two Swedish soldiers + a local interpreter were killed in Afghanistan. It's horrible, yes, but when a country sends any type of soldiers (including peacekeepers) to a war zone, everyone involved must be aware of the consequences. The big question, however, is what the soldiers (not only the Swedes but the Finns as well) are doing there in the first place?
Aren't peacekeepers supposed to maintain peace? How can peace be maintained in an area suffering from war? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't peace achieved after the war has finished?
And why Afghanistan? How do the Nordic countries justify sending soldiers to a country (in war) that far away? Fighting for NATO? Well, in that case it might be a good idea to join the alliance first (something that, at least in Finland, the majority of the population opposes). Promoting human rights? Somehow it feels that combining human rights and war is a somewhat tricky entreprise. Does anyone remember Iraq? They should not be imposed on unwilling subjects. Democracy cannot be forced upon anyone, it's something that must come from within the population itself. Instead the enlightened western countries could consider supporting local grassroot movements and supporters of democracy. They could also try something called diplomacy.

Long Journey Ahead

Car: 30 mins
Ferry: 2 hrs
Bus: 1, 5 hrs
Bus #2: 40 mins
Sitting at airport: 10 hrs
Plane: apr. 3 hrs
Sitting at airport #2: apr. 7 hrs
Plane #2: 45 mins.

Doesn't that sound like fun or what?

Miss Lazy

This must be the happiest creature on earth!

Nordic Hiphop

This isn't your typical American boasting about sex, money and cars. Instead many Scandinavian artists (not all, mind you) put a strong emphasis on social issues, religion and normal day to day life.



Outlandish is a Danish trio whose music is inspired by various backgrounds (South American, Arab, Panjabi etc.). Furthermore, although the group mainly sings in English, they also use Spanish, Urdu, Danish and Arabic in their songs. 



Redrama is a Swedish speaking Finn who raps in English about contemporary issues and life in general.



Redrama together with Avain (also known as Asa), a Finnish artist who is famous for his left-wing sympathies and criticism of war, politicians and social and economic inequality.

Pomoc!

Dear whoever reads this, I need your help! I need to find a way to get rid of all the excess energy in my body so I'm looking for some sort of physical activity that will bring me to the brink of blood, sweat and tears. HOWEVER, as an extremely restless person, I am not prepared to spend hours in the gym. I want something that is fun, fast and changing. What would you recommend me?

Hyped

Because it's summer soon and because you can do anything you set your mind to. Life is to be lived, to be filled with hugs, sunshine, laughter and lots of adventures. La vida es así.

Taistelu alkakoon: fight the boredom

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of boredom is "the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest". The reasons for boredom may vary, and some people are more prone to it than others.

Well, guess what. I'm bored to death by bored people. People who sit and complain about being bored. Yes, I admit that I have committed the crime myself on several occasions, but I will try to stop now. Why? Basically, life is too short. There are lots of things out there that we miss out on because we are too bored to leave the house. Sometimes one might need a little push in the right direction, but at the end of the day it is up to each and everyone to take responsibility for their own lives. The cause of the boredom might be deep and the roots may lie in an illness (depression) or other problems, then it is time to ask for help. The annoying people are those who are bored for the sake of being bored, wanting to draw attention to themselves and have others solve all their problems, not making the slightest effort to be happy.

Fighting away boredom is not difficult. You just need to set your mind to it, think of something pleasant to do and just do it as a certain company would put it. Here are a few tips of things that people could do when they feel ready to jump through the window because they are bored:

• read a book: preferably one that makes you laugh. Or watch a film, go to the cinema.
• do something you have never done before. If you hate sports, go to a football game. If the name Kandinsky doesn't ring a bell, go to the art museum. Try dancing tango.
• use your creativity: paint, write, cook, knit. Everyone has hidden talents. 
• go for a run. Those who exercise say that it gives a big kick. 
• dye your hair pink. At least it's not boring.
• jump on a train and see where it gets you. 
• laugh with friends. 

"There's no excuse to be bored. Sad, yes. Angry, yes. Depressed, yes. Crazy, yes. But there's no excuse for boredom, ever." [Viggo Mortensen]

 What do you usually do to get rid of boredom?

No meat: how did that go?

A while back I challenged myself to no meat for 2 weeks. How did it go? Actually it was surprisingly easy: except for one tired Tuesday when I ate whatever was on the plate that I was given.
I didn't notice any big difference: no change in energy levels or physical wellbeing. However, not being allowed to eat meat increased my creativity in cooking. Sure, I could have done that thing that is so typical for me, i.e. eat rye bread with cheese and cucumber (which is the most delicious meal in the world), but it was fun to try making something new as well. This, in turn, meant that I enjoyed both cooking and eating a lot more.
I cannot say that I've turned vegetarian, but I'll definitely eat less meat and, more importantly, try to hold on to that newly found creativity.

Was tut sie?

She is eating pancakes, reading Dostoevsky and drinking tea. Listening to music and escaping the world. No thinking, just being. She is alive and feeling fine.

Äiti, kaikki on oikeesti ihan okei. Olen elossa ja tulen pian kotiin.

And last but not least: how come I suddenly have so many readers? Please, be so kind and leave some comments.

Break Continues

My little break from the blogosphere is still on. But in the meantime we could all listen to this fantastic Schiller Remix of Ohne Dich by Rammstein.