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Well, I happy to inform you all that am set for my first return back to the good ol' U.S.ofA. Just in time for Thanksgiving. My stomach growls as I write this thinking of all the dishes that Thanksgiving brings (this being the most important part of the holiday);

• turkey
• cranberry sauce
• stuffing
• dressing
• honey-baked ham
• devilled eggs
• sweet potato soufflé
• sweet tea
• pecan pie

Naturally the list goes on and on. But I will leave it there for now as you get the idea. Second in importance to fulfillng my appetite is seeing my family and friends again. It will have been almost 4 months since I last saw my family and I am looking forward to seeing them all again. As far as where I will be on Thanksgiving, I will be spending it this year with my folks in Charlotte, NC. I'm sure my older sister and brother will be there too with their respective families, which seem to just be getting bigger with each year. This will be my first Thanksgiving with my new niece Rebecca (my older brother's daughter). I will be traversing the southern states of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia between November 20 through December 5. I will be coming to your beloved towns of Charlotte, Athens, and Atlanta.

I am also looking forward to seeing my long-time, and one of my closest friends, Jesse Alexander get hitched in the country-side of the great state of New York on the second Sunday of November. In time for the spectacular fall colors. This will sure to be a historical event! ...followed by a great party!! If you're going to be in NYC between Halloween and November 14 look me up. I will be staying in Williamsburg.

In addition to these trips and perhaps against better economic judgement, seeing as I am living on a fixed income, I have booked myself a ticket out to Portland to visit my brother Sid and many friends I still have out there. So, all you peeps out in Stumptown get ready for my return coming November 14 through November 20. I'll be bringing you that delicious Finnish chocolate you so desire, and that salty licorice you love (salmiakki). I will be drinking up the wonderful beers of the northwest (Finnish beer sucks) and hording fresh pounds of Stumptown coffee to take back with me. Until then, take care and...

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More Going Ons...

Hello again everyone. I've realized adding hyperlinks to my blog will make it cooler. So follow the rabbit down the rabbit-hole, perhaps to an even more interesting use of your time.

Since my last post I've spent most of my time in Helsinki, not travelling much like previously. However, I've been busy with lots. I finally completed and submitted my application for a residence permit. I had to travel (I went by bike) to another town Malmi and submit it to their police station. In fact I had to go twice, since the first time around I didn't think to bring Elina's passport which they needed.

So, what else have I been up to? Umm... I made an apple pie (my first ever!). Yes, I made the crust bottom and top myself. This picture is proof of my pride. Well it came out great. I mean, just look at it sitting so stereotypically cooling on the window sill, tempting outsiders to follow that delicious scent of cinnamon and apples. This is my new calling. One I had to travel thousands of miles to discover. I don't know what's next to go in the oven, perhaps some tarts.

Elina's been volunteering with this art supermarket Pikasso, which is really this artist's own art project, where they sell art off the shelves like butter, cereal, and vegetables at the supermarket. Well, we've been meeting some folks lately. One of which was through a friend Erno we we're hanging with after the opening of Pikasso. His name is Ville and he's the singer in this Dungen-esk band. His band (Kevin) was having a party for the release of their new album, so he invites us and we went and had a good time. The party ended with a game of BINGO (but is was dubbed KEVIN), from which our friend Erno won the grand prize. It was a vacuum-packed pound of coffee signed by the band. Erno says it's traditional that coffee be the grand prize in BINGO (probably relates back to war-time rationing of food). Some things are just like the U.S. and then you win a pound of coffee at a rock n' roll party.

The Helsinki International Film Festival: Rakkautta ja Anarkiaa (love and anarchy) is happening now, so we're busy catching a number of good films lately. So far we've seen two American films: Art School Confidential and Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Both are excellent.

I have also been making use of my time helping Elina's aunt Ulla, along with some men from her neighborhood, build a storage shed for her. Building things is good for the mind.

I've also applied for a job with a company that trains business people English. I haven't heard back yet, but I'll keep you updated. All else is fine and right. I'm enjoying the fall and discovering more and more about Helsinki through bike rides and extended walks. I will be coming to visit in New York, Portland, Charlotte, and Atlanta in November. I hope to see as many of you as I can. Take care everyone.
I've added some links to my previous posts as well, mainly for my own benefit for when I go back and read this blog someday down the road. But some of you might find them interesting.

Bike Ride in Hel

Well it's been another long while since my last contact with many of you out there. Thanks again for the comments you left, Mom, Kak, Giovanna, Arianne, Jesse, and Ken.

Below is a movie of my bike ride to the market I made yesterday. There was a beautiful russian mandolin for 20 euro that I didn't buy because I thought, without checking my wallet, I had only 5 euro. Later that afternoon I noticed I had 25 euro in my wallet. I went back to buy it, but it was gone. So I refocused my energies on this short movie.

Bike Movie

So what else have I been up to besides putting my digital camera in jeopardy? I visited one of my best and longtime friends Jesse in Antwerpen. We had a great time as we hadn't seen each other in over a year. I met his beautiful and lovely fiance Reika. And we drank too much excellent Belgian ale. Thanks for inviting me Jesse.

Here's a picture of the house we stayed in. We didn't just stay in one room of this building, but the entire building was the house. All of it. It even had a small backyard with a porch. Very cush.


I also spent some time in Kuopio, Finland which is in the more eastern region of Finland and much further north. Elina's mother's family comes from this area of Finland. It is one of the few hilly areas. For me it was a different landscape of Finland than I had known. Here's a picture of one of the lakes we visited.



Here's a picture of an older building in the town of Kuopio.



Here's a picture of the lake that surounds most of the city of Kuopio. It's almost like a sea.



Life in Helsinki is quieting down. Elina's parents were here in Finland for the last 4 or 5 weeks (the last week in our small one bedroom apt.), but they flew back to Atlanta on the 31st. They are great and I loved spending time with them in Finland. School has begun for the students and all the families are back from their summer holidays and returned to work. And most of the tourist have left too. The summer has left and the fall has set in. Trees are already beginning to change colors and the sky is brisker. Elina is teaching some art classes at Espoo International School and I'm still completing my application for residence. I believe my summer holiday adventures and travels are over. Things are settling down at our apartment, with no more guests to entertain. I probably be spending more time at home now, updating my blog more frequently with less interesting material (sorry). I will enjoy reading the comments you post.

Hello to my family: Sid, Will, Kakyn, Mom, Dad, Rebecca, Ella, Ty, Cindy, and Andrew.
Hello to everyone at Trillium: Stephanie, Polly, Rob, Zach, Earenya, Kerry, Yoko, Kirk, Beth, Raina, Nick, Ken, Elizabeth, Andrew, Eddie, Arianne, and all the students.
Hello to my friends in different placesJuan, Jabo, Wes, Falco, Digital Don, Ratface, Lar L, Mat G., Jenna, Marlea, Mr. Sellsmanburger, and many others.