Hmm. Just hmm. Work. Read 6 chapters of psychology so that I don’t need to bring the book that looks like a brick all the way to Finland. Travel. To Finland. Run four times. Stretch. Stretching is important. Walk the dog. Try not to get hit by crazy Spanish drivers. Go to the beach for an almuerzo on Thursday. Enjoy the rain. Buy one of these things that suck water. And a bottle of J&D for my almost 19-year-old brother.
Yay.
Last night I went for an amazing run: great music and the chilly breeze turned an easy run into 45 minutes of "run until you drop": it’s experiences like these that get you hooked! Today I walked the same route to get some nice morning exercise... and photos for you! 
List of relaxing things to do on a Sunday afternoon: napping, snacking, taking a walk, watching telly, translating Russian poems... Last night I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and started translating one of my favourite poems. This one was written by Sergey Yesenin in 1923, and it describes the feeling of homesickness quite well.
The translation is mine, so you’ll have to excuse any odd not-so-English-sounding phrases I have managed to squeeze into the poem. If you want to read more of his poems (with English translations) you can visit this site!
*************************************************************************************
This street is familiar to me,
and so is this little house.
Above the window the blue straw wires
have toppled down.
During years of severe disasters,
years of violent, mad force,
I remembered my childhood in the village,
I remembered the blue colour of the countryside.
I did not seek fame, nor peace,
for I know the vanity of glory.
And now that I close my eyes,
I only see my childhood home.
I see the garden covered in blue speckles,
silently August lies down at the fence.
The hubbub and the twitter from the birds
are held in the lindens’ green palms.
I loved this wooden house,
in the logs the menacing might heated up,
Our stove, seemingly wild and strange,
howled in the rainy night.
A loud voice, a sonorous wail,
as if mourning someone dead, alive.
What did he see, that brick-red camel,
in the roaring rain?
Apparently he saw distant countries,
other dreams and blossoming times,
the golden sands of Afghanistan
and the translucent mists of Bukhara.
Oh, I too know these lands -
my journeys took me there more than once.
Now I would only like to return
closer to my native land.
But this gentle slumber has faded,
all has vanished into blue smoke.
Peace to you, fields of straw,
Peace to you, wooden house!
And the original looks like this:
Today is not a good day for blogging, because today is being a bad day in general. The only thing worth mentioning is my Great Discovery. You see, the following situation: girl + bad day + empty fridge requires quite a lot of imagination if complete disaster is to be avoided .
Thankfully the cupboards weren’t completely empty.
You just need crispbread, nutella and lots of blueberry jam to get back on track again.
Autumn is here and it’s time to fill the wardrobe with lovely things: clothes, bags, shoes, other accessories. Magazines are telling us how we should dress in order to be trendy, and the shop windows try to tempt us with fabulous outfits. Buy. Buy. Buy. Many of us like to be pretty, shopping is considered therapy, and planning our outfits before going out is almost as fun as actually going out. So we buy a little more. For some people, fashion is a way of expressing themselves. Others just participate in the race like headless chicken because they think that they should look like everyone else. Or because they would like to look like someone else. Originality is not a sin. And the ability to re-discover one’s own ´closet is a true skill. Think of all the clothes you already own, the things you’ve only worn once or twice. Because really, how much clothes does a human being actually need? Lately I have been realising something: shopping is not as much fun as it used to be, and at the end of the day: there’s little meaning in it. Instead of spending my money on stuff that I sort of like, I’d rather challenge my barely existing creative streak and start combining the clothes I already have. Then maybe on rare occasions I can treat myself to something that I really love.
The clothes are horrible, but I really adore Isla Fisher’s hair! The photo is borrowed.
An old classmate found me on facebook the other day, and she mentioned right away that I had changed a lot and that I looked happy (now, who would not change in ten years?).
But it made me think. And yes, I’m a very happy person, and that’s something I should never forget. I’m surrounded by great people, I’m doing something I enjoy a lot AND I have found some kind of inner peace. My mistakes and experiences have taught me well, so there is very little in this world that scares, meaning that I can spend all my energy on focusing on happiness and the future.
Right now I’m sooo excited because I just found the timetable for my Hungarian classes. The first semester we will be doing grammar and conversation, whereas in the second semester it’s time to focus on Text Analysis (wonderful, I can’t wait for that one to start) and Hungarian literature.
Now I still need to fix the registration for psychology, after which the paperwork should be done. More or less (still need to get books, usernames, etc.)
After work I’m also supposed to go for a little run, fingers crossed than I won’t boil to death out there.
One of the greatest things about autumn is that it’s SHOPPING time. Yes, I’m a girl, and hence I keep on collecting massive amounts of clothes that I only wear once. Or twice. Or nil times.
Anyhow: this year I want to keep it a) simple and b) cheap, so my knight in shining armour will probably be H&M.
There’s another fashionable lady in this house (probably the only one, at least in this flat). She’s visiting us again today, and as usual we have entertained ourselves by scaring the neighbours and taking naps. She’s now sleeping under the bed, and I’m sitting next to the fan in complete darkness. Today is one of those days when you feel like you’re in an oven, and you just want to keep all the light and hot air outside.
Now: work!
Today was the last day of summer. Maybe not for you, or for the meteorologists, but for me it was, and I celebrated it with good food, tasty wine, and the best company a girl could wish for. Plus some socialising with old and new friends on facebook.
It was a summer of feelings: hospital visits, funerals, moving flats, trips, dancing, drinking wine, running in the forest, talking late in the night, skinny dipping, sleeping late, cuddling with the cat, spending quality time with my brother.
The one memory I will keep in my heart is the lunch that turned into "a couple of glasses of wine", that in turn became a crazy night of laughter, freedom and drunken cycling. Impulsiveness really is the key to a great night out with amazing people.
Life is beautiful, and it will only get better.
Welcome Autumn!
En pojke reser till månen One boy travels to the moon
En annan, siktar mot solen Another one aims for the sun
En tredje, kommer aldrig iväg A third one never gets anywhere
Han viskar: När natten faller, He whispers: when the night falls
och du, känner dig frusen, and when you feel cold
då lever, då finns jag här för dig then I will live, I will be here for you
Det är över nu It’s over now
Men jag kommer ihåg alla dagar med dig But I remember all the days with you
Dom är över nu They are over now
Hör ett bom bom bom som kallar på dig Hear a boom boom boom that’s calling for you
Ibland ser jag dig gå på bussen Sometimes I see you on the bus
Ibland ser jag dig på nån gata Sometimes I see you on a random street
Och alltid verkar du vara på väg And every time you seem to be going somewhere
Och dom säger, att du lever ensam And they say, that you live alone
Och dom säger, du lyssnar på Elvis And they say, that you listen to Elvis
Och målar, med sorg i varje färg And paint, with sorrow in each colour
Det är över nu
Men jag kommer ihåg alla dagar med dig
Dom är över nu
Hör ett bom bom bom som kallar på dig
Det är över nu It is over now
Men jag kommer ihåg en helt annan tid But I recall another time
Den är över nu It’s over now
Det hörs en kall, kall vind som sveper förbi There’s a cold, cold wind passing you by
Här kommer solen Here comes the sun
Här kommer en sol som säger: Here comes a sun that says:
Aldrig mera regn, No more rain,
aldrig mera regn no more rain
Det är över nu
Det är över nu It’s over now
Men jag kommer ihåg alla dagar med dig But I remember all the days with you
Dom är över nu They are over now
Hör ett bom bom bom som kallar på dig Hear a boom boom boom calling for you
Det är över nu It’s over now
Men jag kommer ihåg alla stunder med dig But I remember all the moments with you
Dom är över nu They are over now
Hör ett bom bom bom som bankar för dig Hear a boom boom boom banging for you
Det är över nu
Det är över nu
By: Gyllene Tider
This can be quite funny if you are Finnish, and feel the need to ask for help through the intercom:
You’re about to experience one of the most useless blog posts in the history of mankind.
TT’s mother was happy because she got a new DVD-player. TT’s sister was even happier because she purchased a supercute new laptop, but happiest was Zsuzsi because she found this:
Next time I need to have a serious word with my cravings, because Ben&Jerry’s is SOOO much better.
I’ll reply to your comments soon and tomorrow I might even make it all the way to the post office.
There are days that I wish I was in Finland, where life is easy and the supermarket is filled with all the things you want/need/crave. At 5 p.m. today I decided that I felt like having an ice-cream (a specific one, Magnum Gold to be more precise), and at about 5.30 p.m. I left the house. Two hours, one hysterical fit and six supermarkets later this is what I got:
Now. This is good too, no doubt about that, so I shouldn’t be complaining. And the good thing is that I probably don’t need to feel so guilty about eating the ice cream since I spent two hours running around like a mad person looking for it. AND: after finding it I had to run home as fast as I could so that it wouldn’t melt in my bag. Life can be so hard sometimes.
Now time for tea and something silly on telly.
Just because I’m so excited (or, more precisely, scared!)
Decision and Risk in Theory and Practice. Measurement Theory and Philosophy of Value. Introduction to Psychology. Cognitive Psychology. Hungarian Grammar II. Spoken Hungarian II.
Next step: find the course books, which will be really easy as always (or not). Sigh. I need to do some exercise now to clear my head.
Sleepy. Headache. Stomach gone mad. Odd feelings. I feel like going back to bed (or drop half dead on the sofa), but there’s no time for that! What’s fun about days off is that there is so much to do. Today’s plan is to sort out some uni things, as well as write a few e-mails in Hungarian. Yesterday I received all my Hungarian books, so now it’s time to start repeating the grammar before the classes start. (and no, in true Zsuzsi fashion I have no idea when they are starting).
Yesterday I went running again, at the end I managed to do 25 min running and about 10 minutes walking. Meaning that I really need to get back on track again. The run itself felt great, although it was still slightly too warm outside. My plan is to run again tomorrow, and twice in the weekend.
Something that I find a bit odd is that although there were lots of people running, more than 95% of all the runners must have been men. Where have all the women gone?
Last night sleep refused to show up, so inspired by yesterday’s discussion about my thighs, I spent an hour or two contemplating in bed. What is beauty? More specifically, what does beauty mean to me? In my opinion, a beautiful woman is she who lives in harmony with herself and the rest of the world. It’s a person who has seen life, laughed a lot, and who has loved and been loved. She probably isn’t perfect, but she’s happy with herself, having accepted all her imperfections.
Today’s happy song- some Russian pop from the 80s. Enjoy.
Same song but in Polish. In case anyone feels like comparing these two languages :)
Mondays are always overwhelming at work, so thank god it’s over once again. At the end of my shift I usually want to throw the laptop out of the balcony because... well, just because.
So hello to you all! Hopefully your week has started well.
I haven’t had time to think yet so today’s musings are still on the scarce side...
First I’m going to complain about my scales: as you know, I did a detox sort of thing and yes, it sort of worked. My skin does indeed look nicer and I feel lighter. But the weight doesn’t change, even if the measuring tape indicates that I’m a bit smaller once again. I have been blessed (or cursed) with a rather feminine body (depends on whom you ask, though. My boyfriend insists that I’m flat-chested, whereas the tape claims otherwise), which leaves me with a 90-61-91 body. Not completely symmetrical, but then again, who would want to be perfect? However, I hate my thighs and my tummy could be a lot flatter. So what do I do now? Does anyone have any good advice?
Apparently I should be in Stockholm next Friday at 10 am. WHAT THE F**K?? Now, how on earth will I manage to arrange that? Note to self: check uni timetables BEFORE booking plane tickets.
Anyhow, have a nice Tuesday everybody!
Ok. I know where Ender lives, and Satu too (unless you’ve changed your address?), but could knickknacks and PorkStar please send me their addresses to sasucaaa(at)gmail,com so that I can send you some Spanish surprises in the post?
Yup, that’s right. This was a draw where everyone wins something :)
Life is a Dream (1931) is Gyula Krudy's magical collection of ten short stories. Creating a world where editors shoot themselves after a hard day's brunching, men attend duels incognito and lovers fall out over salad dressing, Life is a Dream is a comic, nostalgic, romantic and erotic glimpse into the Hungary of the early twentieth century. Focussing on the poor and dispossessed, these tales of love, food, death and sex are ironic and wise about the human condition and the futility of life, and display fully Krudy's wit and mastery of the form. http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141193038,00.htmlThe next time, however, I’ll buy the books online, it'll be cheaper that way.
You tell me what’s wrong with the Battery map before tomorrow, and I might send you something nice from Spain :)
How’s the weekend coming along?
Have I ever mentioned that I’m a lucky person? (knock on wood). Today is a rainy, chilly day (wohoo, autumn is arriving): and how do people usually like spending their rainy, chilly days? Under a blanket, listening to good radio while drinking hot tea. Does that sound tempting?
Well, I’m lucky because I can do just that. While I’m working. And it’s ok. Nobody is shouting at me, all the people I’m working with are friendly. And I choose how loud the music is going to be.
By the way: if you could spend 500 quid (euros) on anything electrical, what would you buy?
Friday the 13th
Food: Mexican
Drink: Aloe Vera-tea with loads of lemon.
Music: Ukrainian Kiss FM playing lovely trance <3
Feeling: sleepy but satisfied.
Activity: work and laundry. Watching the rain and talking to the dog.
Plan: to drink wine and philosophise with friends.
Happy Weekend Everyone!
Hey you and happy Thursday! I had a nice e-mail waiting for me in the inbox this morning: my boss was giving me some good news so now I’m all energised and inspired, which means that I’m going to clean my wardrobe, because that always requires an extra dose of both energy and inspiration (the wardrobe has been waiting to be tidied up for over a week now).
And while we’re at it (speaking of energy, that is): can anyone guess what’s wrong with this map? (as a clue I can tell you that it shows the availability of my beloved battery). And to make it more fun: I’ll have a little draw so if you answer this correctly you’ll have the chance to get something nice from Spain. Deal?
Hint hint: if anyone from said company reads this- I think you should start sponsoring me because I’m giving you loads of free publicity :)
Inspired by the great Jessica, I decided to write (yet another) "life list" with big and small things I’d like to do before I die (or turn 30). I actually wrote one of these earlier this year, but managed to lose it somewhere and I’m too lazy to search for it in the blog. This time I’ll save it as a separate page, though.
Visit all European capitals.
Visit Kamchatka.
Get back to my „Russian” weight.
Try pole dancing.
Discuss current affairs in 10 languages. (Finnish/Swedish/English/Spanish/Russian/Polish/Hungarian/Czech/Dutch/German)
Read a book in above mentioned languages + French.
Read Camus and Sartre in the original.
Manage doing a split.
Match my clothes, at least once in my life.
Kiss a girl.
Own a Finnish Lapphund and name it Frunze.
Get married.
Run the Budapest marathon.
Run the Prague half-marathon.
Have my own library
Throw out a TV or a laptop through the window in true rock'n'roll style.
Invent my own cocktail.
Get an advanced university degree, or three.
Get visible abs.
Stand on my hands.
Translate a book from Hungarian.
Lie on a beach in Dubrovnik.
Cycle through a country.
Fix my nails.
Buy an unnecessarily expensive bag,
Go skinny dipping.
Grow my own herbs.
Talk to a stranger on the street.
Learn to dance. Anything.
Survive a week of serious detoxing.
Invite friends over and make them a Georgian meal.
Walk the „Camino de Santiago de Compostela”
Learn to drive a motorcycle.
Go hiking in the Tatra and Caucasus mountains.
Swim in the Black Sea.
Write a book, it doesn’t even have to be a good one.
Throw an “exotic food” party.
Visit Allie (and anyone else who wants to be visited) in the US.
Travel through South America on a motorcycle à Che Guevara.
Sip on a Pina Colada under a palm tree in the Caribbean.
Have my own company.
Study the Tao.
101. What does happiness/joy feel like physically? Butterflies in the stomach, and it also makes you want to jump up and down.
102. List five people you love starting with the one you love the absolute most. I’m not going to list the people I love.
103. How many movies have you gone to see this month? To the cinema? One, Inception.
104. If you could have 3 wishes...but none of them could be for yourself, what would you wish for?
That people would learn to see past fear and accept each other.
That every human being would be guaranteed a decent life.
105. In what ways do you relax and de-stress when you are really tense? Exercise, or meditate on my "bed of nails". A long bath also does the trick.
106. How much money would it take to get you to drive to school naked in the springtime and get out of the car? Heh. I don't drive, so problem solved.
107. Have you ever killed an animal? Maybe some bug, but not on purpose.
108. Have you ever lost someone close to you? Not yet.
109. What do you think of cloning? Unacceptable. Nature should run its own course.
110. Do you read or watch TV more often? Read. I don’t really like watching telly
111. With all this talk of terrorism going around are you willing to sacrifice rights and freedoms for increased safety? No, because that would make a witch hunt all the more possible.
112. What is the punishment you would come up with for Osama Bin Laden if you caught him alive? Life sentence in prison. Life meaning all his life. And maybe make him listen to Britney Spears for the rest of his life.
113. Have you ever named an individual part of your body? No.
114. Have you ever been on the radio or on TV? No, but I have been running away from the cameras on several occasions.
115. Have you ever won a lottery, or sweepstakes? Hehhe. No.
116. Have you ever won a contest or competition? No.
117. Do you like to watch The Joy of Painting show with Bob Ross (check out this link if you don't know who he is. Also please note me if you notice the link is broken) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross_(painter)? I've never seen the show.
118. Do you know what your grandparents and your great grand parents did for a living? I know what my grandparents did (working class all the way), but not my great grandparents. One great grandfather died in the war before turning 20, so he probably didn’t work much in life.
119. Is there anything really interesting in your family history? Both grandfathers died under strange circumstances.
120. Is there anyone you trust completely? No.
121. Have you ever lost someone without having the chance to say goodbye? No.
122. How do you feel about women in politics? Politics should be gender-neutral. It doesn't matter whether s/he is a man or a woman, as long as the politician is doing a good job, respecting the wishes of the people who voted for him.
123. Would you rather have an indoor Jacuzzi or an outdoor pool? Outdoor pool, with someone else keeping it clean for me.
124. What things are you interested in that you study or read about on your own? Languages and psychology. Sometimes international and Russian politics.
125. Would you consider yourself to be intelligent? Not intelligent, but maybe clever, on a good day.
126. Would you consider yourself to be wise? No, wisdom comes with experience and age.
127. Have you ever given or received a lap dance? No, but I should probably practise so that I can give one someday (without falling over and hitting my head).
128. Have you ever spoken to a homeless person? Yes.
129. Would you ever creep into the subway tunnels to go exploring? No.
130. If you could add 70 years to your life but only by making some random person die 70 years sooner would you? No.
131. Can you finish any of the following lyrics?
A: Nothing to kill or die for...
B: Late comings with the late comin' stretcher...
C: I could make a film and make you my star...
132. Were you ever with someone while they died? No.
133. Would you rather be a world political leader or a rock star? Political leader, but I’d probably be quite bad at that as I always try to avoid conflicts.
134. Have you ever given someone a love letter that you wrote? Probably, when I was younger.
135. Have you ever sent someone a surprise though the mail? Mmm. Yes.
136. Are you looking forward to any concerts right now? No.
137. Of all animated movies, which is the best one you've ever seen? I don't watch them.
138. What are the best bands or songs to listen to while driving? I don't drive, but I can still pick the music: the bands and artists I listen to normally: usually rock in a strange language or dance.
139. What do you think is the most amazing thing that anyone has ever accomplished? Many people have accomplished amazing things, and there is no need to start comparing them, because it wasn’t just one amazing thing that got us where we are today.
140. What could a member of the opposite sex do to impress you? Have a cool accent, show interest in the things that fascinate me.
141. About how many emails do you get a day? 20-30
How many of those emails are junk mail? Maybe around 5
How many of them are forwards? 2-3
142. What's your favorite thing to do online besides write in your diary and hang out at this site? Work, especially when people are behaving themselves.
143. Do you believe Kurt Cobain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Cobain) killed himself or was it a conspiracy? I think he killed himself.
144. Have you ever though about hitchhiking across the country? Depends on the country ;D
145. Who would you bring with you on this kind of a road trip? My friend Annica.
146. Of the following, which word best describes you: accurate, bold, charming, dependable? charming
147. If you are single, at about what age do you think you will be ready to settle down and get married? If you are married, how old were you at the time? I want to get married before I turn 30, but unfortunately I’m not making this decision alone, unless I’m going to marry myself or the cat.
148. Do you often wonder, when you say goodbye to people, if it is the last time you will ever see them? Sometimes, especially if it’s people I don’t seevery often.
149. What movie are you most looking forward to seeing when it comes out? No idea...
150. What is your quest? To live a long and happy life filled with adventures.
I was going to write about the beauty of challenges, but unfortunately today’s kitchen challenge is too big to be beautiful: cans are exploding left and right, my lunch is stuck in the smoothie maker and the pile of dishes is starting to look the size of Mt. Everest.
Sigh.
Maybe challenges are just a big pain in the bum.
So, it’s Monday again and after a bit of common Monday blues (ohmegodwhatthef***amireallydoingwithmylife), life is good again. There are still a few things to figure out, like do all the planning for this week (exercise +food+social engagements), but that I can do tonight after a nice dinner and a good film. Poor TT is being civilised with some Swedish cinema. Tonight’s repertoire consists of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.
Please Mr. Weathergod send us some rain!
What are the ingredients of a relaxing Friday afternoon? A delicious treat, some Ukrainian black humour (if you are into rather odd things, then I’d definitely recommend you the books by Ukrainian writer Andriy/Andrey Kurkov) and Finnish pop music from the 80s (the video is the English version of one of the greatest Finnish pop classics).
What are you doing today?
The first phase of my detox went quite well, with a bit of cheating, so now it’s time for phase 2, which will last for 3 days. Today I will be eating fruit, lentil soup and fish. Tomorrow different kinds of salads and on Sunday, while the rest of the world is having a barbecue, I will be sipping on gazpacho and eating fruit.
For the first time in a long, long time, I weighed myself this morning. Actually, I think there are better ways to check if you are reaching your goals than standing on the scales, but I want to know how much this detox affects the weight.
Now I also know what to aim for (even if the mirror, a measuring tape and clothes are the best indicators, and the weight really only is a number), and in pure numbers we are talking about 6 kg.
Well, well, we’ll see how this goes.
After walking in the sun for two and a half hours I’m staaaaarving. Boyfriend AKA TT will be here in about 45 minutes, and by then I should have some salmon waiting for him. In the meantime I’m having a little cheat treat in order not to go completely crazy.
Caffeine? Yes. Sugar? No. By the way, I’ve noticed that sparkling water is a good substitute for fizzy drinks (including energy drinks).
And completely off topic, back in Finland I found an old notebook from Poland. Not only is it good because it’s filled with notes about Polish grammar, but it also reminds me to stay focused.
Everything that I do- I do to the max. Reminders are good!
Let’s start with today’s lunch which consisted of one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten, or at least made myself. You will need: mixed lettuce, beetroot, chickpeas, garlic, chicken, parsley and balsamic vinegar. Goat cheese would also be more than perfect with this.
There is one thing that bothers me quite a lot: whenever you try to eat healthily, everyone around you panics. Suddenly people are trying to force you to eat hamburgers, or anything else that you are trying to avoid. I let people eat whatever they want, so shouldn’t they do the same? The problem is that neither my family nor friends are known for being excessively healthy (say hello to pizzas, pasta, processed meat and hamburgers) and whenever I try to follow a more healthy path (and yes. I also prefer "fresh" food because of the taste), they’ll just look at me as if I’m some sort of lunatic. What exactly is the problem? Isn’t it a positive thing if someone is trying to be healthy?
Sunshine that caresses your body. Laughter that fills you with bubbles. Lots of great music that takes your mind to another planet. Dreaming about the land on the other side of the rainbow. The world where anything is possible. Chill mixed with coolness and beauty. Philosophy and wisdom. Life that begins at dusk and goes on until the sunrise.
