Better laugh or cry?

Today I was at a housewarming party with some AIESECers. Also the new trainee from Russia (Olga) came with me to the party. So we met Jukka and took the bus together to the party (also we met Thomas in the bus). At the party many AIESECers already have been and even more were coming throughout the evening. And when the evening went on, I really had fun with them... but at some point Olga and I wanted to go back to Hervanta, since we both were tired and then the time came, that I really turned quite sad. I mean, I really look forward to Germany and to see Christian again, but meanwhile it seems to be harder for me this time to say Goodbye to Tampere this time, as if I know deep in myself that I won't come back here for a longer time now since I have to really continue my studies here. So this is the reason, why I want to show you how nice it actually has been for me in the last few weeks.


This is near Keskustori (the city center) at the barrage. It wasn't the best weather to take pictures, I guess, but it definitely was a really nice day. It was my first sunday back in Tampere and I was going to meet with Marianne, one of my friends (she was the tutor of the German friend I came to Tampere with). We met at Café Europa, which is a fancy place especially for internationals to meet at. It really is comfortable with all the different sofas and armchairs in there. There isn't any furniture suiting the next one. So we sat there some hours and talked a lot about different stuff. It really was so nice to see Marianne again. She is a very cute girl and amazing person. :)



This place is at the end of Hämeenpuisto, where I went to find Ulla, who kind of hosted a stand for a city run. It took me ages to actually find her (and I wasn't even near her when I took this picture), but this way I at least saw this place and the park belonging to this fountain. When I finally found her (I searched her over an hour and found later that I walked past her twice already), she and her friend served me special hot chocolate - with mint liquor! I didn't know how much those two girls already had but I guess it was not little. We had lots of fun together there. In the evening I wanted to go to Klubi with them to see a Pink Floyd Cover Band, but I felt so tired and shaky when I went back by bus, that I decided to stay at home that evening. I continued shaking in my bed as well.




This place is really close to the place I stayed (I moved today, since Olga arrived and she got my place in the flat share) at and looks gorgeous! It is just a small lake compared to typical finnish lakes but still it looked so nice! The weather was awesome and I fed ducks and squirrels (we have loads of them here!). I want to have a similar lake in Chemnitz as well! :(
And also the squirrels are really tame here. They come very close to you and want something to eat. I tried to get some pictures of them, but they are amazingly fast! But you will see it later as well.



These are the two crazy friends of Marianne (actually the one in the back isn't one of them - the second one is hidden behind the one in the front). I don't remember what they were doing here, but I guess, Niko wanted to tickle Markus.
I took this picture at an Italian Dinner. Except of the three I was coming with, I didn't know anyone and since I wanted to be polite, I didn't eat much at this Dinner (also there wasn't really much to eat: some toast with ham, two bowls of pasta (one with pesto, the other with some minced meat), and some fruits with Nutella on top). But in the end I had to pay 3.50€!! It really was just little food and for many people - I guess, we were about 20 - and still it was this expensive! And think, what could they actually have prepared with 70€!? Italians are exploiters!




I took those pictures at university. Since autumn already arrived in Tampere, you can see the most amazing colors everywhere. I never know where to look first.



This was at Pakkahuone, when there was the Welcome to Tampere-Event for new students in Tampere. AIESEC also had a stand there and I was there as well for about 2 hours. I kind of liked the gorilla incidentally standing around there.



Here I was at a DVD evening with my former tutors, Jenni and Tiina. Both of them speak German, so this was a German day for me (I already met Tomasz - who is from Chemnitz as well - for lunch and Markus - my former tandem-partner - for coffee), just talking in my native language all the time. :) The day was a really nice one. Lunch in Pinni b, in university, is almost always good, but unfortunately of all things we caught exactly one of those rare days. For coffee Markus and I went to Aamurusko, which is one of my favorite places here in Tampere and where you can have a brilliant hot chocolate and fantastic Munkkis. In the evening we had some really good food and a cute movie (Kiki's Delivery Service) and although I felt a bit ill before at home, my batteries were woken up again at Jenni's place and we really had a cool evening.



Ok, I already told you that squirrels are amazingly fast. I want you to play this little game with me. The game is called: Find the squirrel!




So, just for the case, the game was too tough for you, here a successful picture as well. :)



Well then... I will go to sleep now, since I am really tired. Let's see, when I am going to write again. Maybe the next post is already written in Germany. :/
But still, I really look forward to see my boyfriend. :D

There and back again.

Ok, back in Tampere. After 3 months in Germany it feels weird to be back. But maybe it is still so unreal because the journey was so uncomplicated. It started already on tuesday, when I went to Hesse again, to stay two more days at my boyfriends family. On thursday I first went to Darmstadt by train, then to Frankfurt Hahn by bus and went to Tampere by plane and in the end I was picked up by my scottish flat mate. All worked out just as it was planned and I dodn’t have any problems. I didn’t have to pay extra money because of too heavy bags, I didn’t have annoying seat neighbours (quite the difference... some nice and crazy guys from another organisation called „Round Table“ going to some kind of a conference. They entertained me the whole flight and even invited me to something to drink. All the other times I had some really fat people sitting next to me squeezing me into the very last corner), our plane didn’t crash into any houses (since it was 9/11), and so on. So altogether I had a nice (and a little bit exhausting day).
The place where I am staying the next 3 weeks is really nice. The first night here I slept extremely well and I hope it will be the same today. ;)
Today I went to Keskustori – the city center – to meet Tiina, my former tutor and Germany-loving friend. We had some real good food in a Mexican restaurant called „Pancho Villa“ and afterwards we met Jenni (my other tutor) for a coffee. I didn’t think beforehand that the weather would be so cold already. It is mittens-time!! And after I got a running nose I thought it better to stay home and have some tea. I don’t want to risk a cold in the short time I am here. ;)
So well, let’s see what will happen the next few weeks.

Adventures and new friends

The last week of august I visited the family of my boyfriend. We stayed one week there (in Hesse) together and had some really nice trips to Darmstadt, Aschaffenburg, Frankfurt and several other smaller places. And guess what... it is a cool region. I got to know my passion for figs, we have been hunted by flying aunts and dung beetles, we saw some funny clothings of people in a metal club and got squeezed in between thousands of people during the so-called Mainuferfest in Frankfurt.
And also I found a new good friend, called Gustav (nickname „Gustl“).


Let me intruduce you to Gustav. :) He is a lion!


Flying aunts as far as the eye can see.
This was at the donjon of Breuberg. The have been quite nice there, but at the Otzberg they were quite nasty. Christian had to fight them.




We tried to behave in the churches. Sometimes it was hard to resist.


He tried to eat my ear!


Another lion in Darmstadt. He was really cool.


:) Isn't this nice? A fantastic desktop background, I would say.


They didn't attack us, but the dung lying around.


Miltenberg - a wonderful little town in Bavaria having a picturesque Old Town.