The photo (above) was taken on the bridge just before you get into the centre of town.
Lind and Paul trying out the "water bench"...we found it odd that the bench was situated IN the lake...
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Sping in Oulu!
We have had some wonderful warm spring days in Oulu. All the lakes have defrosted and Oulu has changed into a green city. On out way into town last week, i took some photos of the park and lake nearby...it is especially nice to walk into town on such a beautiful day when the sun shines and one can here the birds singing and see the ducks swimming.
The photo (above) was taken on the bridge just before you get into the centre of town.
Lind and Paul trying out the "water bench"...we found it odd that the bench was situated IN the lake...
The photo (above) was taken on the bridge just before you get into the centre of town.Lind and Paul trying out the "water bench"...we found it odd that the bench was situated IN the lake...
Monday, May 7, 2007
Amazing weekend with my Kuumi family in Kuusamo!
This weekend I had a wonderful weekend away in Kuusamo with my kummi family at their cabin. Milla taught me how to ski on Saturday...my first time and i LOVED it!! I think i'm hooked, something i plan to do again in the near future (i hope!)...one more reason to come back to Finland;) 
We ended up skiing for almost 4 hrs, first we started on the kiddies slope for our beginners practice, but soon Elissa and I had gotten the hang of it and was "promoted" to the normal proper slope. To be honest, when i first looked down the proper slope, my heart gave a skip as i thought i would never be able to ski down...
but i took it slow in the beginning and found it not that bad and for the next 3hrs we skied non-stop!
Me, looking a it worried when i saw the much steeper slope ahead of me...yikes!
When we arrived back to the cabin we made some pancakes on the open fire...Finnish style...YUM!
We also went for two walks, one on Friday and one on Sunday...we were lucky to have wonderful sunny weather with the occasional fall of snow and a few drops of rain!
The view at the lake...beautiful!
We ended up skiing for almost 4 hrs, first we started on the kiddies slope for our beginners practice, but soon Elissa and I had gotten the hang of it and was "promoted" to the normal proper slope. To be honest, when i first looked down the proper slope, my heart gave a skip as i thought i would never be able to ski down...
but i took it slow in the beginning and found it not that bad and for the next 3hrs we skied non-stop!Me, looking a it worried when i saw the much steeper slope ahead of me...yikes!
When we arrived back to the cabin we made some pancakes on the open fire...Finnish style...YUM!
We also went for two walks, one on Friday and one on Sunday...we were lucky to have wonderful sunny weather with the occasional fall of snow and a few drops of rain!
The view at the lake...beautiful!
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Pancake Party - new record...117!!
A new all-time record was made...117 PANCAKES!! Our previous record, a rather dismal 69, even more impressive was that it was achieved by our two "first-timers", Paul and Amy...
The Pancake Party started officially at 7pm, but at 6pm Petra, Amy, Paul and I got together to start making the pancakes. Both Paul and Amy were "beginners" with regard to the art of pancake making so it was up to Petra and I to teach them the skill of Pancake frying.
Paul was a natural from the beginning, however did need some practice to get the wrist action 100% correct...and by the end of the evening he had progressed from making funny square shaped pancakes to round pancakes.
We ended up feeding 16 people. Everyone had to bring one filling too! We had everything from jam (4 different types), to grapes & bananas, ice-cream, to coconut cream filling and chocolate spread!
I was given the challenge of trying all fillings at once on one pancake, of course i HAD to try it!
The pancake after i had added all the fillings..YUM!
Me, eating my "all-fillings combo pancake"
During the pancake making, there was always someone to keep count on the number of pancakes being made (as can be seen in the picture below).
The Pancake Party started officially at 7pm, but at 6pm Petra, Amy, Paul and I got together to start making the pancakes. Both Paul and Amy were "beginners" with regard to the art of pancake making so it was up to Petra and I to teach them the skill of Pancake frying.
Paul was a natural from the beginning, however did need some practice to get the wrist action 100% correct...and by the end of the evening he had progressed from making funny square shaped pancakes to round pancakes.
We ended up feeding 16 people. Everyone had to bring one filling too! We had everything from jam (4 different types), to grapes & bananas, ice-cream, to coconut cream filling and chocolate spread!
I was given the challenge of trying all fillings at once on one pancake, of course i HAD to try it!
The pancake after i had added all the fillings..YUM!Me, eating my "all-fillings combo pancake"
During the pancake making, there was always someone to keep count on the number of pancakes being made (as can be seen in the picture below).
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
1 May celebrations in Oulu town center
Today on the 1st May is official Vappu day and Amy, Petra and I walked into town as we had heard that there would be an outside market and some other events happening in town.
Amy, Petra and I in the market center posing with Oulu's famous Policeman...
We visited the market, where they were selling a lot of local food such as Makkara (Finnish sausage) and fish and chips...
There was also an orchestra performing outside in the centre of town...
Amy, Petra and I in the market center posing with Oulu's famous Policeman...
We visited the market, where they were selling a lot of local food such as Makkara (Finnish sausage) and fish and chips...
There was also an orchestra performing outside in the centre of town...
Monday, April 30, 2007
Vappu!
Vappu-Finnish party week!!!
This week is Vappu week, the biggest carnival-style festivity that takes place in the streets of Finland's towns and cities and the student traditions are also one of the main characteristics of "Vappu". Today the students of Oulu university paraded in town and then at 2pm the first year students were "dunked" into a large container filled with water and ice-cubes and afterwards had to swim in the lake in town.
A group of us walked to town at 12:30 to join in on the festivities and spectate the event.
It is also traditional to eat tippaleipa (funnel cake) and munkki (sugar coated donuts) so we bought some and enjoyed them while sitting at the lake. There were hundreds of people gathered around the lake to watch the swimming and join in the festivities.
Us girls (from left Barbora, Petra, Amy, ME and Lind) enjoying our Tippaleipa and Sima which is a sweet mead that one is supposed to drink during Vappu.
Pauly, enjoying his Tippaleipa!
A first year students being "dunked"
After we saw the first few students being dunked we decided to warm up in our favourite hangout - Hemingways, for some coffee and hot chocolate as it was a rather windy and cold day!
Farewell to Andrea!:(
When we came back from town, Andrea came over to say goodbye as she is sadly flying back to Austria this evening...
The farewell party: Marko, Paul, Petra, Andrea, Becky and I
This week is Vappu week, the biggest carnival-style festivity that takes place in the streets of Finland's towns and cities and the student traditions are also one of the main characteristics of "Vappu". Today the students of Oulu university paraded in town and then at 2pm the first year students were "dunked" into a large container filled with water and ice-cubes and afterwards had to swim in the lake in town.
A group of us walked to town at 12:30 to join in on the festivities and spectate the event.It is also traditional to eat tippaleipa (funnel cake) and munkki (sugar coated donuts) so we bought some and enjoyed them while sitting at the lake. There were hundreds of people gathered around the lake to watch the swimming and join in the festivities.
Us girls (from left Barbora, Petra, Amy, ME and Lind) enjoying our Tippaleipa and Sima which is a sweet mead that one is supposed to drink during Vappu.
Pauly, enjoying his Tippaleipa!
A first year students being "dunked"
After we saw the first few students being dunked we decided to warm up in our favourite hangout - Hemingways, for some coffee and hot chocolate as it was a rather windy and cold day!
Farewell to Andrea!:(
When we came back from town, Andrea came over to say goodbye as she is sadly flying back to Austria this evening...The farewell party: Marko, Paul, Petra, Andrea, Becky and I
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Pulla-baking!
Today Petra, Amy and I got together to have a pulla-baking session. Pulla is a traditional Finnish mildly-sweet dessert bread flavoured with crushed cardamom seeds and occasionally raisins.
Petra, me and Amy busy at work...Daffodils and teabags
Elena (my italian flatmate) added a new member to our family in our flat...a Daffodil plant...spring is in the air! Elena has also started a collection of used teabags (from the help of her her flatmates), as she is on a mission to create a curtain made just of used teabags...after seeing an art exhibition displaying this...
Friday, April 27, 2007
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