Visa Interview

I had my visa interview yesterday and it was quite scary! Not really. The security protocol there was the scary thing.

So I left on Monday to Tampere, missed the train I was supposed to go by, got late at my parents house, went late to bed and slept about three hours. At 3.30 am I woke up to make coffee and our bus to the train left 4.50 am and the train left 5.33 am. Too early! So we were at Helsinki at 7 am and walked to the embassy area. It was beautiful and when we reached our destination, the US embassy, there was right away a policeman (quite handsome one) questioning us, who were we, what were we doing there and I had to show my applications and passport. Then he said that we should go to some cafe to wait until it's 9 am. So we walked to the beach (harbor actually) but the cafe was open only after 9 am. And mom got a call from her cousin who told that their other cousins husband had just died. So she cried and was really sad. And she said I shouldn't comfort her or she will just cry. So I gave her a big hug and tried to cheer her up.
Then we walked back to the embassy and I got in exactly 9.05. I went through a security check, got escorted (by other handsome policeman) to the interview place and waited there for an hour! There were three desks and the interview people were all behind this glass and you talked with them via microphone (just like in prisons... or in movies, muaha) and everyone could hear what you said to them and what they said to you! The first desk checked my application and took it in. After about half an hour the second desk asked my finger prints (the device looked just like the ones which removes your fingerprints!) and finally the third desk asked me three questions: where will you study, what will you study and how long have you studied in university. And then I got escorted back (by the first handsome policeman), got my bag back and then it was it. It was quite fun (with my imagination).

After that we went shopping. And it was... exhausting. We had this list but finally we got only half of the things (and the list wasn't long!). We sought for FIVE hours a shirt for me for the funerals! There weren't ANY nice and conservative, black shirts anywhere!!! Well there were but then they cost like 100 €. Finally we found this nice dress for me (it was quite expensive though in sale). Then we tried to find some quiet pizza place but couldn't find one (mom wanted a pizza) so we went to some chicken fast food place, ate nuggets and tried to use our last hour finding the last things we were supposed to buy. But still we didn't get all. Then the last train left and I read a cosmo with a BIG cup of coffee in front of me, changed train in Tampere (which luckily waited our late train) and got home 10 pm. And I was so exhausted!!! I couldn't even go to shower and I'm still tired. But my things to do -list is now one thing shorter. Visa in order, it should be here by tomorrow or Friday.

Last week on Sunday we had our anniversary and we went to eat to Banthai (surprise surprise). The food was (as usual) delicious. After that we went to home and just relaxed the rest of the day.

Tomorrow I'll have hard day again. I need to do hundred different things and I hope I can keep all of them in my head so that I'll do them also! I will.

And on Saturday we'll go to the funerals.

Rough week. Luckily it's already Wednesday, halfway through the week.

We'll go soon to downtown and find Tarmo a dress shirt and a tie for the funerals and some other things and then we'll go to Waynes Coffee for a chocolate coffee and big chocolate muffin!

TOEFL and other things

The TOEFL is over. It was harder than I expected but I believe it still went ok. I didn't first realize that the time was for the reading AND answering the questions so I was out of time when I had to answer but I was rushing and made it but I hadn't much time to think. And the speaking section was hard. There wasn't enough time to think what to say. I lost my thought in one question and mumbled. And I didn't understand some of the texts fully (they were considering history and business) and when I was supposed to listen and then speak I heard other people talking and it disturbed me. It was hard to concentrate when others were speaking and you could hear it and you should've been thinking what to say or write. But still I hope it went well enough. I always have after all exams my doubts but I quickly stop depressing my self and stop thinking such a things. Instead I start being disappointed in my self when I get results. Or proud. It works that way too.

So it was really quick visit in Helsinki. My mom came with me and we got some coffee after we arrived, I did the test (it really took the four hours), we went to pizza and left back to Tampere. The whole trip took almost 12 hours if one counts the traveling to the railwaystation too. I was tired after that. Especially my eyes were. They didn't have flat screens there so my eyes started hurting after the first hour. The screen kept flashing all the time. Not so nice. And as I already mentioned the headphones let all the voices in so I heard what other people were talking about. Moan moan moan. Just excuses if I fail it. But of course I don't think such a things. And of course I'll success. I hope.

On Wednesday we went to Ideapark and it was nice once again. Mom bought new book shelves and a bed for her. She has planned for a while new book shelves to their livingroom because she hates the ones they have now. And since dad and mom sleep now in different rooms and the bed she (used to be mine) doesn't fit for her back, she bought a traditional bed for herself. She already had a good mattress from the twinbed. And dad got a motorized bed from Olavi. His shoulder was operated last week so it's better for him. And mothers back doesn't like that bed either. It first felted odd that they sleep in different rooms but why not. They both snore BADLY and mom can always push dad to be quiet but if dad pushes mom, she wakes and gets angry and doesn't sleep anymore on that night. And dad still needs to go to work early on the morning so he really needs his sleep. And there was one sparse room left.
I felt how they had both slept better than for a while. They were happy. And dad haven't been drinking this year. Maybe he will keep his promise. It felt good to be there. They spoke to each other and joked around. It's amazing what good night sleep can do to people.

I came back home early. Tarmo had been drinking yesterday and I messed my thoughts and said I'd come half twelve but I meant I'd be in Jyväskylä 12.30. So he was in a hurry and was in the station an hour before I was there! I felt bad about it but he said it was ok, he had something to do there anyway and he had a ride from his friend since it was really cold and that the driver was also supposed to come to city anyway. He said that he knows that I'd start feeling bad and he knows that I didn't mean it. He said that he knows that I hate when people need to do thongs for me and I don't like to bother people. And a tear almost came to my eye when he said that. Once again I realized how well he knows me and how much I love him. And of course I told it to him.
And we had to walk to home. Tarmo didn't have his bike with him and my bikes lock had been frozen and I couldn't open it. We'll get it on Monday.

Ah, and on Tuesday we had a girls night again. It was fun as usual. We gossiped, healed the world and did all the other usual things.

And I got new shoes! Boots!!! They're really nice! I would've had my mothers brown shoes with heals (they didn't for for her) but I walked with them two hours in the Ideapark and my feet started to hurt so much that I almost couldn't walk. So we went to buy new ones (she promised she would've anyway got me new shoes). And I tried these boots I've always wanted to try but I've always doubted if I'd like them. And I love them! They look good on me and feel good! And they have heals! Not THE Heals but that kind of heals I can walk with. And they weren't expensive. I also found a new jacket. It's original price was 70€ but we got it in 15€! It's nice too.

Tarmo has a hangover and I feel sympathy hangover too. I'm tired and I don't feel like doing anything. Tomorrow I have to finish my application and on Monday I have to get some documents for it. And on Tuesday my courses will begin.

I believe I've written enough (if not too much) and I'm going to sleep.

But before that, here's a picture on our Pimp My Lab Team. Sira took this picture so I had to edit her to be in this too (I did it really quickly and I don't have a proper program to do it, sorry Sira!)

Riikka, Reija, Sira, Piia, Saara, Emilia and me
The Pimp My Lab Team

Muaha! I still need to tell why we have this Team. During our laboratory courses we've came up few ideas we'll do if we don't succeed in our own field. We'll start this enterprise and start to Pimp Labs. We are already started to develop the piko-pipette and we're thinking to start cooperation with Marimekko. We'll print their flower patterns on the objective glasses (so one can invidualize ones own things) and on the microscopes, of course. We have also developed a color coding for the pipettes (baby blue and pink for the smallest and adult colors for the biggest) and for the microscopes (if you roll this purple button it will do this and that, no-one has to learn difficult names for the microscope parts!). And these are only the few ideas we've come up with. SO THESE WERE OUR IDEAS, IF SOMEONE IS USING THEM BEFORE US, WE'LL SUE YOU!

Feelin' good

Uah. It's over. The neurobiology's exam was quite easy. But I'm not sure if I found everything crucial for the questions. Or if I picked up the right things. I really hope I did so. I also returned the book and went to x-ray my teeth. I'll have an appointment next week with the hygienist, she/he will take away my toothstones. And the same time she/he will say if my wisdom teeth will need something to do.

Yesterday it was snowing. A lot. I had some difficulties to go to school on the morning since I really couldn't ride a bike well since I had the book with me and the bag I was carrying it was so big that I had to keep it on the handlebar and it hit all the time to my knee. I bet I'll get huge bruises for that. And there was so much snow that it was hard to ride a bike even though there had been ploughed already. But it's really nice weather now. Sun is shining, it's white and few degrees below zero. And I feel fine since the exam is over and I can do the exchange applications and rehearse for the TOEFL (it's on Friday!). I just hope I can get to their webpages since they haven't been working so well... And maybe Tarmo would loan me his headphones so that it would be easier to practice.

But I'm now so hungry that I have to go to do something to eat (pasta with tuna) and then I'll start to write my personal statements and other exchange stuff. Tomorrow I'll go to some kind of course meeting (about courses I've already done a year ago) with a friend (who asked me to go to there) and on the evening we'll have a girls night! We'll eat and gossip and have fun. Though I can't go to bar, I drunk my money already last Tuesday... And on Wednesday I'll go to Tampere and on Thursday I'll go to Ideapark with Mom (she said there could be some sales which means I can get new clothes and maybe new shoes!) and on Friday I'll go to Helsinki to the TOEFL test. Mom will come there with me too, so I have some company and she'll take my phones etc since one can't have them with you there! And we'll go to eat there and maybe shop more (the test takes about four hours so one really gets hungry there).

But now I'm really hungry. I feel like listening music loud, making food and enjoying the freedom I feel right now. Luckily my courses will start only just next week.