I've been feeling sporadically nostalgic lately. In three months, I'll be finishing up my second degree, but sometimes I feel like I'm betraying the historian in me by becoming a librarian. Being a historian isn't anything I could expect to make a living of, but for six years I lived and breathed history, and in a sense I have the feeling I'm now saying goodbye to it.
The six years studying history in Åbo were, in many ways, the clichéd years of my life. Coming from a small town, where I never felt liked or accepted, being introduced to a group of people who shared my main interest was a real eye opener. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who liked me and who wanted to be my friends. And I loved every minute of it. Now, two years after I left Åbo, I miss it terribly. I'm very happy with my life, and don't want to imagine life without my beloved husband, but at the same time I miss the friends I made at the Department of History in Åbo. The friends I thought, at the time, would remain mine for the rest of my life. Of course relationships would have changed, even if I'd stayed, but the distance of being in another country is a strain that even the most solid of friendships won't survive forever. That is something I will have to accept.
Saturday 12 March 2011
Friday 15 January 2010
Tuesday 24 February 2009
Tuesday 27 January 2009
Where did all my time go?
Well, I've started working. I'm in my fourth week, and the enthusiasm of the first week ("Whoee, I've got a job!) is starting to wane. It's not that I don't like it, but going from 0 to 9h/day is starting to take its toll. It doesn't take long to start appreciating week-ends, to dread Monday mornings, and to set up a daily budget for buying lunch. It does, however, take some time to get used to the fact that my new bedtime is at 10.30, if I want to get up at 6.30 and still get enough sleep. And I must say, I miss being able to knit for hours on end.. Watching daytime television :)
But, working does have its perks, too, and even though I don't make a lot of money, hopefully it will soon be enough to splurge on a pair of new shoes...
But, working does have its perks, too, and even though I don't make a lot of money, hopefully it will soon be enough to splurge on a pair of new shoes...
Sunday 19 October 2008
Blue eyes and sunshine
Well, new blog posts are likely to be even more scarce in the future, as the handy internet connection we've been using at home, courtesy of some unknown neighbour, isn't working anymore. It suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago, and now I have to go to the Uni or (as now) to Mike's office to get on the Net. Cumbersome, but our finances won't allow an Interet connection for some time yet.
Mike has started his work as a lawyer and, as a direct result, is stressed, tired and almost depressed. He is still working at Coop for two more months, and that's our only source of income at the time - and our expenses now include rent for Mike's office. Which is about the same amount as the rent for our appartment. I've got a job interview in one week, but it's for an internship that wouldn't even pay for my part of the rent. However, it's the best offer I've had since I came here, and only my second interview so far in four months. So I'm ready to give it my best effort, and at least pretend like becoming a "documentalist" (=nice word for librarian) is what I've always wanted.
So, our financial situation at the moment is more than dark. The weather, however, has done it's best to keep us in a good mood. It's been unusually warm and pleasantly sunny the past few weeks - so warm that you could sit outside in a T-shirt, or even (like Mike today on our balkony) topless. That's unusual for mid-October, even here.. And I'm not complaining. Although in the past week, I've been staying at home as much as possible. That has nothing to do with the weather. Four days ago I collided with Mike, and in the meeting of his forehead and my cheekbone, his forehead won. I've been looking like an information poster about domestic violence all week - swollen and blue. I didn't want to start any rumours, so I stayed indoors.
This blog post sounds very negative, but it's not - every day brings joy as well as trouble. Mike is growing radishes on the balkony, and treats them like pets - talks to them, worries about them, even pets them when he thinks nobody is looking.. And looks so sweet while he's doing it :) I've been knitting a lot, and I love it and love the things I do. If I could just find a job, there wouldn't be much to complain about.
Mike has started his work as a lawyer and, as a direct result, is stressed, tired and almost depressed. He is still working at Coop for two more months, and that's our only source of income at the time - and our expenses now include rent for Mike's office. Which is about the same amount as the rent for our appartment. I've got a job interview in one week, but it's for an internship that wouldn't even pay for my part of the rent. However, it's the best offer I've had since I came here, and only my second interview so far in four months. So I'm ready to give it my best effort, and at least pretend like becoming a "documentalist" (=nice word for librarian) is what I've always wanted.
So, our financial situation at the moment is more than dark. The weather, however, has done it's best to keep us in a good mood. It's been unusually warm and pleasantly sunny the past few weeks - so warm that you could sit outside in a T-shirt, or even (like Mike today on our balkony) topless. That's unusual for mid-October, even here.. And I'm not complaining. Although in the past week, I've been staying at home as much as possible. That has nothing to do with the weather. Four days ago I collided with Mike, and in the meeting of his forehead and my cheekbone, his forehead won. I've been looking like an information poster about domestic violence all week - swollen and blue. I didn't want to start any rumours, so I stayed indoors.
This blog post sounds very negative, but it's not - every day brings joy as well as trouble. Mike is growing radishes on the balkony, and treats them like pets - talks to them, worries about them, even pets them when he thinks nobody is looking.. And looks so sweet while he's doing it :) I've been knitting a lot, and I love it and love the things I do. If I could just find a job, there wouldn't be much to complain about.
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Yes yes, I'm still alive..
So, I've been neglecting my blogging duties lately. Don't say I didn't warn you, though. It's been a hectic couple of weeks, and I haven't had much time.
The wedding has been and gone. It was stressful and beautiful at the same time, but in the end, it's the beauty that will be remembered. My sister and her husband know what they want, and they don't settle for anything but the best, so the results of all their planning were magnificent. I haven't seen or spoken to my sister since, as they went away on their honeymoon the following day, but they sent a card from Colmar and seemed to be having a very nice time.
Closer to home, we've also had some changes. Mike passed his exams (as I always told him he would :) ), so he's in the process of setting up his own law office. He is renting a room from a bigger agency, in an office suite that will hopefully one day be filled with other "freelance" lawyers. But so far, he's got the place to himself. We've been scrounging for stuff to put in it - he's got a big desk and two bookshelves that were left behind by someone who was hoping to do the same as him, but didn't pass the exams. They are ugly as hell, but after a good scrubbing they are, at least, clean. In addition, he'll get an old wooden office chair from his parents, and yesterday we boght a small round table and some chairs to put in a corner, for client meetings. I got him a table lamp at a flea market, and yesterday we found a beautiful old hanging lamp, also at a flea market, which has replaced a lamp we already had in our hall, and the old one will be hung in the office.
I tried to find a picture of a lamp similar to the one we bought - this is as close as I got. Ours isn't that delicate and shiny, though. But you get the idea. It looks very nice with the tile floor.
The wedding has been and gone. It was stressful and beautiful at the same time, but in the end, it's the beauty that will be remembered. My sister and her husband know what they want, and they don't settle for anything but the best, so the results of all their planning were magnificent. I haven't seen or spoken to my sister since, as they went away on their honeymoon the following day, but they sent a card from Colmar and seemed to be having a very nice time.
Closer to home, we've also had some changes. Mike passed his exams (as I always told him he would :) ), so he's in the process of setting up his own law office. He is renting a room from a bigger agency, in an office suite that will hopefully one day be filled with other "freelance" lawyers. But so far, he's got the place to himself. We've been scrounging for stuff to put in it - he's got a big desk and two bookshelves that were left behind by someone who was hoping to do the same as him, but didn't pass the exams. They are ugly as hell, but after a good scrubbing they are, at least, clean. In addition, he'll get an old wooden office chair from his parents, and yesterday we boght a small round table and some chairs to put in a corner, for client meetings. I got him a table lamp at a flea market, and yesterday we found a beautiful old hanging lamp, also at a flea market, which has replaced a lamp we already had in our hall, and the old one will be hung in the office.
I tried to find a picture of a lamp similar to the one we bought - this is as close as I got. Ours isn't that delicate and shiny, though. But you get the idea. It looks very nice with the tile floor.
Tuesday 9 September 2008
One more thing..
.. you can now leave comments, even if you don't have a blogger or google account. Of course, comments would make me very happy :)
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