Homecoming

Getting back to normal life in Finland is difficult again. Everything is familiar but somehow different anyway. Or maybe I'm different.

I have moved all my stuff to the new apartment that I'm sharing with my boyfriend but everything is still a bit messy and nothing has found their places yet. We also have to buy quite alot of things (couch, bed, shelfs, tv, tv-table, some plants...) to get the apartment look like home. I like the apartment anyway. It's spacious enough and has some room to ask friends over. It's not faraway from the university either.



I have also started going to university sports classes and I found a couple of nice ones. Also working in a student bar has started and it's nice to be back. I'll start doing my Master thesis project on Monday and I'm also going to give some chemistry and matemathics lessons for a high school student a couple of hours per week. So there's lots of things to do. Maybe this helps me to yet back to normal life.

I think I'll write maybe once or twice more to this blog about missing Ireland&people I met there, but I also think it's time to end this one period of my life. I liked it very much. Thank you Ireland!

Leaving feelings

Last two weeks have been a bit sad in the house. All of us are leaving soon (or already gone by now) and "summer" has ended. We had nice leaving "parties" anyway.

I have only one week more to go and I have been packing my stuff on and off for two days now. I just have to find out which things to take with me and which to throw away. I have also bought some souvenirs for my family and friends and some new clothes I didn't realize to take with me when arriving. So I need to find a place for them too.

The weather is also getting more autumn-ish and cold. I like autumn too, but only after a warm summer. This is now bit weird. We'll see if I need to book a beach holiday in some point of winter. I hope it's not too cold in Finland when I'm back (as here in the mornings).

I have one week at work and people tell me that I'm crazy because I'm going to work. Why??? It's still one week of work, you know. That means to me that you actually have to work. Otherwise I would love to go home right now. There's nothing to do in Ireland for me, if I'm not working. And I like the work place and the people in there. I'll miss them, that's for sure. At least I know I can always come back here. A Ph D. position is mine, if I want to return (and have my funding/grant).

This week was bit boring. I did the same reaction three times in row because I really need this product for the next steps. So, I think I need to do it once more on next week.
I was also bit bored, because I was sick the weekend before and didn't do anything or go anywhere and no one else seemed to be at home either. But now I'm better and ready to do some new reactions at the lab.

On Wednesday I was invited to pub to celebrate friend's friend getting PhD position (or something). I went there for just two beers, but the cake someone had made was awesome! I have to remember this idea ... So funny! :D (Beware if I promise to make your birthday cake :D)



I was at the Phoenix park on this Saturday and it's a huge park. I walked only to the middle of it, but I think I could have been there two days at one stay, just walking around. I saw some deers there. They were so beautiful! And so calm, until some stupid teenage girls started to chase them.


There is not much to tell you guys about now, but there is one thing: we got an apartment with my boyfriend in my home city, Turku, in Finland! I'm so happy! Finally this is actually happening. I've been waiting this since I came back from Stockholm. (If someone don't know, I was studying there last autumn for 5 months)

The apartment is quite near university and the city center. It has bedroom, livingroom, kitchen, bathroom and a balcony within 53 square meters. And my washing machine fits into the bathroom and in the kitchen we can have a kitchen table. And all this with less than 600 euros. How cool is that?!

Now I can't wait getting back to Finland. 5 weeks seems to be so long time.

Moment of love

My darling was here!
He came on Saturday evening (July 9th) and I went to get him from the airport. I felt like it was our first date. I was so excited the whole day. Then on Sunday we slept long and went for a little walk with my flatmates and the dog. Just 12km by the sea and to buy some beer for the dinner. After that we had a big dinner together and grilled some ribs, bratwurst, chicken, eggplant and ate that with some fried potatoes and salad. Everything was so tasty.

On monday morning we took the bus to Cork. We walked around Cork and saw English Market and St. Finbarre's cathedral. We also had dinner with Laura and Silvia and went to some pubs. I had really nice evening and it was nice to see girls before they fly back to Italy. We stayed over night at Sheila's hostel. On Tuesday we walked to Blackrock castle (even Matias though that it was too far away). It was really nice sunny and warm day. In the evening we took the bus back to Dublin.

On Wednesday I went to work in the morning to put a reaction on. After that we went to Guinness Storehouse and walked through Medieval part of Dublin. On Thursday I worked the whole day to keep up with that, but it was okey since I could take the other days off.

On Friday we were mainly at home because it was raining the whole day. But on Saturday we went to see some museums with one of my flatmates, Guillaume.We went to the National Art Gallery and The Elements excipition of Trinity College. We also went to see the National History Museum, my boyfriend and me, but it was just closing so there wasn't enough time. In the evening we ate dinner and went out to some pubs at Temple bar with Guillaume and Kirty.


And Sunday came too soon and Matias had to leave. I'm so sad and missing him already. I've 7 weeks more in Ireland to go before I'll fly to Finland. And I've been here 7 weeks now. This ended up a bit longer stay than I wanted it to be.

Visitors from Finland

Kaisa & Anna:
I met my dear friend Kaisa here in Dublin just after I had moved to Dublin. She was on holiday here with a friend. We went to Hard rock cafe on one evening and after that to a nice pub, Kehoe's on Anne's Street. The bartender there wanted even learn to say "Thank you" in Finnish. The next day we spent also together after I finnished early at work.

Heidi:
Heidi came to see me for whole week and slept at our house. She also spent one night and day in Cork (which was enough to see everything). At daytime she went on her own to see museums or other attractions while I was working. I bought her a 10 journey bus ticket and it was enough for 5 days. We went to eat in Wagamama (chinese/thai restaurant) on Thursday and out with one of my flatmates (Jenny) and some guys from work on Friday. We also saw some of the performances on Street Performance Championship festival on Saturday. I really liked that she was here with me! Thank you alot, Heidi! She also brought me some Finnish rye bread and chocolate <3
I'm sorry that I didn't have more time to spent with you because of working hard.

Last weekend was the Midsummer in Finland. They don't celebrate it here, so I felt really weird for whole weekend. But I had nice weekend anyway even it didn't feel like Midsummer. On Saturday we had farewell party for Jenny because she is leaving back to France tomorrow. Everyone made some food for dinner and we made white sangria for everybody. We ate alot and everything was really good! Thank you! There was: tunacake, tomato-mozzarella salad, smoked salmon salad, chicken curry&rice, pineapple crumble, red rice soup and strawberry cheese cake.

On Sunday we went with Jenny and her friend Aitor to see Bray beach and it was really nice, warm and sunny day. I got sunburnt really badly and now it hurts. But I was enjoying every sunny minute!

After two weeks (13 days!) my dear boyfriend is coming to visit me. I can't wait!I've missed him so much. Then I'll take some days off from work to be with him and to see places a bit myself too.

Moving to Dublin

I got a new training place from UCD, Chemical synthesis and Chemical Biology department.

UCD seems really nice and so do also the coworkers. I was there on last Friday to see the place before deciding anything. It's totally different to work at university than at a tiny company.
Now I just have to do all paperwork again for Erasmus&CIMO.

I took that place and came to Dublin on monday. I spent the first night in Isaacs hostel nearby busstation (Busaras). I tried to find a room close to city center, but I found out quite fast that I wouldn't have enough money to rent a room for my own neither near center. So I took the one I saw on Friday, quite nearby UCD and sea.

Sharing a bedroom isn't nice, but at least everyone in this house seems to be really nice. I think I'll like my time here. And friends are allowed to visit if they bring something to eat (like a cake) or to drink (like wine) for all of us.

My first week in this new house is almost over. Everything has gone okey and the work place is also quite nice. I just had alot of problems with bikes. One bike has broken front tire, second one a broken back tire, third broken brakes, fourth's seat can't be lifted up. So... Which one would be the easiest to fix? I decided to just to fix anything I can. And now I finally have a bike to use. All of them just could need some oil to the chains and gears maybe don't work properly.

Yesterday I was walking around Dublin center with Laura and Silvia, that I met in Cork before. We had a nice day despite of the cold and bit rainy weather. We even took a nap in St. Stephans Green Park. I spent whole day with them and in the evening we went to one pub in Temple bar area (Old Storehouse) to listen some live music and drink one beer/cider.

Next week I'll get Heidi here to visit me! I can't wait!

New internship place needed

I got fired for the most stupid reason ever in the world.
But now I'm looking for another training place and got all 3 universities in Dublin interested in me. I also got a place from Hannover, Germany, but I think it's better to try to stay here in Ireland if possible. I'm meeting tomorrow the most interesting research group in Dublin just to see if that place would be nice. So I think I'll decide tomorrow what I'm going to do for rest of the summer.
At least I'm not going home yet.

All my friends have been very supportive and some of them said that if this had happend to them, they would be on a plane to get back home. I guess just have been waiting this so long time now, that giving up wasn't even an option to me.

I've been "just hanging out" since Tuesday morning and seeing some places around. Today I went to see Blackrock castle, which is quite small castle about 5kms away from the house. I also walked bit along the river side and tried finally find my way back home without a map. It all went well and when I checked afterwards on map, I have walked about 13kms today! :D

We went to see University College Cork with Silvia last Sunday and Fitzeralds park happened to be near by the University. We are planning to go there this weekend for a picnic with some more our friends. Then I'll get you some nice photos of beautiful flowers. But here's some from University and around city
.
There are lots of bridges in this city. Beamish&Crawford as finished.

There are really old and new buildings at the University.

One of best parts in this city is that you can walk almost everywhere.