Which Harry Potter Character Are You?
	You are Fred and George. You're a joker at heart, but when push comes to shove, you know what's important.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Pixar Character Are You?
	You are part Nemo. Your are the rebel in the group. You do things differently, not because you think they should be done that way, but because your Mommy told you not to do such "bad" things. This is cool if you ask us, and we are pretty sure your friends agree.
	You are part Dory. You are naive and gullible. Wait, that's a good thing. Your ability to trust any stranger is a trait not many people have, but be more cautious next time a stranger offers to buy you lunch or you might find yourself in a fishy situation.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Which Heroes Character Are You?
	You are part Jessica. You are a two-faced bitch most of the time. Friends are friends, and enemies don't want to be your enemies. No one messes with you.
	You are part Claire. You're naive and still getting used to your abilities. Some more experience and assertiveness would be good for you.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

RANTASALMI


I am heading to Rantasalmi this afternoon, where my sister and brother-in-law have their summer-cottage by Lake Saimaa, the biggest lake in Finland. The twins had their 6th birthday yesterday and this evening they are having a party. So this weekend is filled with fresh strawberries, swimming, sauna, boat-rides, fishing, trampoline-jumping (keep your fingers crossed, that I do NOT break my neck!) and giggling. I have been knitting like a maniac, but I am afraid, that the sweaters (black for Antti and purple for Ada) won't be ready :( All the parts for the two sweaters are ready, but I do not have the time to put two sweaters together (maybe one, but that would be unfair).

Good news is, that I finally got my camera last Tuesday ! I've been waiting for it since last March. So I am the official B-day photographer :)

Here is a clip from Antti's and Ada's favourite movie "My neighbour Totoro". After they got this movie, I've had to play Totoro with them. I am the biggest Totoro and they are the smaller one's :)

THE HELLACOPTERS in HELSINKI JULY 12th

What a night ! I'm still on cloud nine ! I have seen the Hellacopters at least 20 times, but it still is a treat to see them live. I could not wipe the smile out from my face during and after the show (well, I am still smiling, it is starting to feel like I am turning into the Cheshire Cat...). And it looked like the band enjoyed playing to a sold-out Tavastia crowd, too. I have to continue cleaning; my friend's from London are staying over for a couple of nights.

Here is "Carry Me Home" from "By The Grace Of God"-album:

MY SIGNATURE CITY



Your signature city is New York

Whether you like to have lots of options at your fingertips or you like to be in a metropolitan environment that's buzzing with energy, the Big Apple is the perfect place for you. Maybe you like to mix and mingle at some of the edgiest restaurants, shops, and clubs in the world. Or maybe you like to be in the middle of it all — in the bright lights and big city.One night could be dinner and a show on Broadway, a stroll through Central Park the next, or a trip to the Met the next. From Grand Central Station to Greenwich Village, New York's got some of the biggest and edgiest things to see and do anywhere in the world. No wonder a trendsetter like you would be right at home in the Big Apple.


What's Your Signature City?

Brought to you by Tickle

THE KILLERS SHOW

I went to see The Killers yesterday, despite the fact that my head is full of space-snot, I had a little fever and was feeling like crap :) I had bought the tickets months ago and wasn't going to be paralyzed by a stupid summer-flu. Thanks to Ibuprofen and a yummy cranberry-mojito (I bet it was yummy; I really couldn't taste it), that Mika and Tania forced me to drink, I was able to enjoy the show. At the moment I do not feel like million bucks, but I do not care.

The show was excellent and they played all my favourite songs and it felt like they were playing just for me and my friends (the gig was at Helsinki ice stadium, so there were few other people, too...) Or then it was just the mojito doing it's magic :) They played TWO encore's, I do not think that I've ever experienced that. Believe me, I've seen hundreds of gigs. The sounds were really massive and they had nice blue and red lights on the stage. It was really sweet, that they played Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". OK, I'm not that naive, that I would think, that they played it only in Helsinki, but it was a sweet, sweet gesture.

And here is one of my favourites, For Reasons Unknown, please enjoy:

Midsummer

I took the bus last Thursday to my grandparents summer cottage by lake Lummene (yup, the Finnish cosmetics company Lumene took it's name from our lake). The bus-ride wasn't as bad as I thought it would be; it only took 2,5 hours to get to the "city" of Kuhmoinen (population 2805...). I thought I would be stuck at traffic for hours and hours, after all most Finns left for their summer cottages on Thursday. My brother, sister-in-law and niece Aino had already left on Wednesday. Which was good, cause I could ask them to heat the sauna and was able to go to sauna straight from the bus. I love that sauna !!! My Granpa and Dad built it in the late ´60 and it gives the best löyly (=heat) ever, very soft and pleasant. It is an old-fashioned sauna, which is heated by real wood (no electricity) and that gives a nice smell. And I love swimming in the lake during my sauna-rituals (after all sauna is a sacred place for Finns). Your skin and hair gets extremely soft in that lake. The lake is full of ulpukka (=yellow water lilies), imagine yourself swimming there at night (well, we have the midnight sun at the moment, so it doesn't get that dark).

The cottages (we have three: sauna with a small room, where I sleep, kitchen hut and aitta (=shed, where my brother's family sleeps) are very basic and simple; we do have electricity, fridge and radio, but no tv, no shower, nor a modern toilet (we have a "outhouse" in the middle of the forest). I have spent most of my childhood summer's there swimming and exploring the forest with my family. It is so much fun to spend time there now with Aino and "teach" her about the forest :) Well, kind of, after all she is just nine months old, but she is VERY interested in the conifers; she loved to touch the mänty (=pine) and kataja (=juniper). I have to get myself a book about the Finnish wildflower's,me and my sister-in-law got really frustrated, cause we could not identify the half of them. But I was very proud to recognise vanamo (=linnaea). And if Aino takes after my brother, we are going to be in serious trouble in a few years, 'cause she starts asking about the flower's, trees and birds. My brother had a severe "mikä tämä on" (what's this)-phase (well, so did I) as a kid.

So we spent a lovely couple of days there, but on Saturday Aino got really sick, her temperature was 39 C (102.2 F) and she became a little delirious. She still wasn't crying (that munchkin smiles all the time), but you could tell, that she wasn't feeling good at all. When she started refusing to eat and drink, we decided it was time to get her to see a doctor. We packed our stuff and drove back to Helsinki and took Aino to ER. It turned out to be an ear-infection, she got her antibiotics and she is feeling OK now. But I'm not... I have Aino's flu now... I have a day off from work (I went to see The Killers yesterday). Thank heavens, I do not have a high fever (only 37.3 C), but it still feels like somebody beat me up really badly :) But the Killers show was worth it !

I'll post pics from Lummene after I get the cd from my brother.

First Flip-Flop Day of the Year

Hooray for the first flip-flop day of the year ! It is + 16 C (= 61 F) and I just wore my flip-flops (the monkey flip-flops that I got from Anniina last year). I still have to decide my toe mail-polish colour... I'm feeling baby-blue or maybe light green...