Uppsala

Uppsala, a home of Swedish botanist Carl von Linné and the oldest university of Nordic countries. The city has approximately 190 000 inhabitants of which roughly 40 000 students. This forth biggest city in Sweden is located about 70 km north of the capital Stockholm.

The Nordic Africa Institutet, a research, documentation and information centre on modern Africa for the Nordic countries. Since its foundation in 1962, it has promoted research and studies on Africa in the Nordic countries and co-operation between African and Nordic researchers.

These two have made a grand part of my life during past two weeks. Most of the time here I have spent at the Institute working long hours on my MA thesis. Working to that extend I'm starting to be sick and tired of gender, women and HIV/AIDS. And yet I'm sad this experience is almost over - will be heading home on Friday.

It has been great to been able to concentrate entirely on the work without worring about anything else. Of course there's distractions at the Institute as well but mostly they have been those of the nicest kind; Wednesday's joint breakfast, coffee breaks with lussekatter (Swedish saffron buns), seminars with interesting topics.

And even though some of my friends have been forced to put up with my constant moan of a lack of social contact (read pints at the local pub) people here couldn't be nicer. It's great to be surrounded by people who share your interests if not entirely but to the certain extend. At least no one is wondering why on earth I want to work with issues related to Africa. And the weirdest thing must be the fact I have to travel here in order to be able to discuss my thesis in Finnish!

There has been so many great things happening here that only complaint I have (beside that lack of social contact outside the office of course) is related to the weather - most of the time it's been quite terrible. I miss fresh air...But all in all, when I consider the time spent here I really don't feel like going home next Friday!

Manners, people, manners!

When was the last time you didn't bother to call back to someone who called you earlier? Did you just "forget" to answer to that sms you received an hour, a day or a week ago? Or stood someone up without a warning? Was that you who simple stared back without greeting to that poor person brave enough greeting you at the street? Or perhaps you just arrived late and let other people wait for you once again?

A list like this could go on and on. I'm so sick and tired of people who seems to be lacking all the basics of good manners. And with good manners I mean responding to other people's greetings and other means of social communication whether it's done f-2-f, by phone or email. It's a polite way to communicate and it shows you respect other people; they matter to you.

Of course there's different codes of behaviour depending on the situation you're on, and also my own behaviour is altered by the circumstances e.g. how well I know the person I'm dealing with. For example, I don't expect a certain friend of mine to call me back since he assumes others to call again if they have something important to share with. I also know better than expecting another friend of mine to arrive anywhere on time - she's pathological.

But these are exceptions and restricted only to people I know. In my book, it's more unpolite to e.g. arrive late if you don't know the person too well or at all. It might have something to do with me being a control freak (just ask my flatmates and I think they will agree with this to a certain extend) but mostly it's because I think people should respect others.

I really don't see how it's so difficult to answer that sms or call or simply greet back to that stranger at the street. What's the harm done there? It would only take a few minutes of your time. Sometimes it takes even more time and energy to try and avoid things - e.g. some of the people I went high school with rather cross the street in order to avoid the situation where they have to communicate others. Strange, right?

I dunno whether this problem is more to do with Finland and the Finns or is it the zeitgeist of the times we're living. Are people so wrapped up in themselves they couldn't care less about anyone else? Is social communication really that difficult? I would like to believe it's not a Finnish thing to do, not to mention the way people in Helsinki communicate. Since if it is I might have to start considering moving abroad or worse, stop communicating altogether...

Municipal elections

Just a quick note on municipal elections which are held in two weeks time. Like everyone knows, the local elections are the most important ones for regular citizen. All those issues their are dealing with in the municipality will most likely have some kind of effect on your. So voting in these elections count - at least for me.

I have always have a biased view on elections and voting. On one hand I consider voting as every citizen's responsibility: if you don't even try to make a different and vote, don't bother to complain how everything is wrong. Then on the other hand, there's very little visible change and progress going on in politics and the way things are done, whether it is on local or national level. So this leads us to the conclusion that I vote so I can freely whine about the cost of public transportation and the condition of local health care :P

The only question left is who to vote? The Internet is full of different kind of polls and devices which are trying to help us to decide to whom to give our vote. Though one thing is missing: a LOVE calculator. As a teen we used to calculate the love percent for a certain couple by using the letters of their names. You count together every L, O, V, E and S letters and then eventually you have the percentages. Like this:

Matti Vanhanen (our dear PM)
Jutta Urpilainen (young chair of the Social Democratics)

LOVES
10110
1121
233
56 %

Their percentages are quite high considering the fact they just had a row in the Parliament about the finance of public health care ;) But still I wouldn't see them voting one another...I know it's a silly way to decide which candidate to vote but so are most of the other ways as well. Depending on which service you use you'll most likely to get completely different candidates each and every time.

Well, based on the system I shouldn't vote the candidate I gave my vote last time since we got only 1 percent! But whether I follow the system or not I'm not that sure I'm going to vote him anyway. He made it to the Parliament last spring and though he has behaved himself quite nicely there he still managed to be a part of the election finance scandal we had after the parliamentary elections.

So I'm keeping my eyes open for every option available. Any suggestions, anyone?

PS. Almost forgot to whine about a certain newspaper's policy on publishing running candidates' opinions on the Letters. It really ruins my morning to find them in every single paper. Do you really have to give them an opportunity to advertise their views for free? They have campaign ads and web pages for that, for heaven's sake!

Back to School

So the intership is over and I'm back to Uni. Some of you might think I should have graduated by now but sadly I'm still there and my dissertation is still incomplete. Actually I'm thinking of postponing my graduation to the next autumn - this would make it possible for me to get student discounts for the year to come :P

However, today I had my first lecture in ages and it felt so weird. First of all since I'm there voluntarily (meaning I won't actually take the exam, I'm just listening for fun or should I say for mere education) but mainly cos it's been ages since I have met such an enthusiastic teacher. Our new professor Axel Fleisch is actually being interactive instead of having an hour and an half long monologue in front of the class. He's asking people random question along the lecture and giving people assignments to do for the next time.

This sounds great alright unless you're in my shoes. I thought (obviously wrong) that I would mainly sit there, take some notes and that would be the end of it. But now I'm finding myself in a situation where I actually have to study before attending the class. Shocking, I know! :o Today I found myself being presented to the class as "an expert of South African history" (well, it was a joke obviously) and the next thing I noticed was I couldn't even answer a simple question (which was Who's Jan van Riebeeck? - the answer being the founder of Cape Town). A little embarrassing ;)

Beside the lectures it's taking time to get used to the life at the Uni otherwise as well. After three months of early mornings I no longer have to rush into the office every morning which means I have all the time in the world. So I'm using it...for lounging about. Also the time spent at the Uni doesn't feel as merry as before. Majority of my friends have either graduated or travelling around the world and most of the time I find myself facing completely strangers. In any other time it would be totally ok and I would make an effort to get to know them but now I just feel myself old. One more reason to graduate a bit faster...

Nevertheless, I'm at the Uni to stay. Especially after I'll manage to get my act together and start working on my dissertation again. So please, if you happen to be around, just pop into Topelia library to say hello. Or text me to ask for a coffee or lunch. It would make me feel like at home again :)

PS. Since I'm once again addicted to Grey's Anatomy I have considered giving a nickname to our dear professor. What do you think of Professor McInteractive? :P Oh, and check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5NlRmlsmZc :D

Let's rock!

I took the funniest tram ride ever today. We toured around Helsinki in this tram rented especially for the record release party of Kiki Pau. The event was pretty much perfect: sun was shining and we were drinking beer while guys were playing :D You should have seen people's faces when we were driving by tram stops. Some of them were literally staring their mouths open and pointing the tram covered with Kiki Pau posters. Turists were taking pictures and every time we stopped people were curious to see what's going on inside. Don't think I'll ever get a change to do this again so thanks guys for the unique experience :)

Sadly enough I had to leave before it finished. I also missed their in-store gig in Stupido Shop. But I'll get a compensation at Korjaamo on Saturday where Kiki Pau is playing with Risto. I'm planning to dance the night away and I strongly recommend you to do the same!

I have some pics and a video I'm hoping to put up here - that's if I ever manage to figure out the Bluetooth function of my phone...Meanwhile you can entertain yourself with Kiki Pau's very first video Your Bedroom.

Death and Guilt

I lost my great-grandmother today at the age of 97. As elderly she was it didn't come as a huge surprise. But I was taken aback by the feelings following the news. Cannot really say how I feel right now - been a bit confused - though the topmost feeling must be guilt.

It's amazing to find out how death and guilt go hand in hand. My first thought after the news was what if the funeral are in two weeks time? Then I wouldn't be able to go this festival I really wanna go. And an immediate response to this thought was guilt. I felt guilty of having thought such an absurd idea.

I was never that close with my great-grandmother. I saw her very rarely but still what I remember of her was her spirit. She was a witty fighter til the end. And always on a good mood - my dad told me it was only this morning she was laughing with nurses. Well, at least she went smiling :)

Now I just keep wondering whether I should go to the funeral. And if I'd go, whether I'd do it just out of guilt? And what good that would do? And then yet again, if I don't go, how that makes me look in the eyes of relatives? Guilt and social pressure, what a combination!

Girl Power!

It must have been almost two months ago when I started writing a post titled like this one (though I never managed to finish and publish it). That was the day a very dear friend of mine, Marsu moved back to our flat and another flatmate of mine, Kari left for New Zealand. Since then, a lot has happened and many merry occasions have brighten up my life. And now it's nearly over: Within a week Marsu will be back in Kouvola where she's studying.

Like the whole spring, these two months have flown by without even noticing it and now are our days of girl domination are almost gone. I will be going back to the same old - living with two blokes. Though Kari won't be back until 10th of May so I still have almost a month period of tranquillity left :)

So beside the fact Marsu is a girl, what is so special about living with her? Well, first of all, we go way back. We met the very first year I started Uni and I actually recall her from the first party. We have also had a blast in Italy (though the weather was trying hard enough to destroy the vacation) and then later in Helsinki when living together in Töölönkatu. A year and a half ago she moved to Kouvola to become a renovator but still she has dropped by every now and then.

I'm not saying it is not nice to live with Kari and Tapio (the other flatmate of mine) but it's completely different to share a flat with someone you know so well...Especially when you're growing old and grumpy like me and would prefer to do things your own way ;D Also, when it comes to living with Marsu I just love all those lazy mornings we have spent beside our kitchen table playing tavla. I'm gonna miss that a lot!

Well, at least I am no longer sharing a flat with three guys :) That's one thing I should be grateful for...So now I'm just waiting Marsu to make a comeback...Or me to get my own flat.