Deja Vu

This has happened before.
The same old story goes here, but the excuses improve day by day. Yesterday's excuse (as told by the embassy) was that they ran out of stamps. I knew it I knew it, I expected it, and it has been dead silent today, when I am desperate to hear from them. I could see the funny side of it yesterday, but the situation is very annoying today. How many can live with uncertainty, not knowing what is going to happen, and when. I am running out of money, fast, and not keen on staying in London even one more day.
My bedtime was early as usual yesterday evening, and it did not end until 9am this morning. A small wave of relief came upon me when I heard I MAY BE ABLE to fly to my desert destination on Saturday. Once I got up, the doubt returned.. that I am not going anywhere, not Saturday, it is all talk, no action there and worst thing is that I cannot do anything to help the situation.
It is cold here, all we miss is the snow. White Christmas- perhaps in Finland, the land of Santa Claus!

Waves in the sea

I have discovered Daniel Silva's books and have read three of them; Death in Vienna was fab, the best of them so far.
Still waiting... flight tickets booked, ready to go, but where in the HELL is my passport? At the embassy, probably in the secondary rubbish pile, where all non-urgent items go. Including my non-important visa application.
I am just going to say this once: Please give me back my passport right now TODAY. It is obvious that someone or something has not bothered with their homework (moi?, non, impossible...).
On Wednesday Dec 20 I will check out of the hotel, and God knows where I will be sleeping then. Green Park sounds like a very good option that I will keep in my mind. The whole situation is like a galloping horse that no one can control. This has made me very very angry INDEED and when I get angry, I get sad and tearful too. What to do, where to go?
It is so freezing cold in London. All I want to do is curl up and stay in bed and not face the world, not today.
Any suggestions? Worst case scenario? Hmmmmm... there isn't one.
Do I have any friends left?

I'm FREEEEEE

It is just a realization of this morning that I am free.
Free to forgive, forget, free to be humble, assertive, kind, compassionate, judgmental. Instead of just thinking of myself and MY needs, it's been exciting and uplifting to notice that there are others, who need certain things more than I do. My attachment to material world has been a hard habit to break, but I have successfully donated a lot of my belongings to people who need them more than I do. At least I'd like to think so.
On my daily walk I walked through Hyde Park, Green Park and St James' Park. The wildlife is most exciting part, and the vast open spaces, like the lungs of London. I also saw one of the most beautiful sunrises that colored the sky red, pink and orange. The parks are an incredibly beautiful and essential part of London. There were many summer days that were spent in the park in good company; picnics, sunbathing, ice cream..
I am still waiting for the confirmation of the departure date- whether it is Dec 20 or later (or earlier..?!), it is undecided. The prospect of spending Christmas alone here is terrifying me, but if that is what I have asked, then universe will provide it. But secretly I will be thinking 'WHAT A JOKE' if that happens. My life, my mind, my thoughts- what can I do? The answer is let the thoughts go, give them a vacation, permission to stay in the background but do not listen to them. I am going to the movies, to the London Zoo, to sell my Tag Heuer watch, to enjoy my last days in London.
All is forgiven.

Uneventful events

The amount of luggage I have is incredible. I am supposed to get an excess luggage voucher worth 50kg but not an extra kilogram on the top, which is good, otherwise more and more stuff would pile up.

This morning I went for breakfast in the hotel where I am staying (here's hoping it is a temporary stay) and one of the waitressess bumped into me. No of us were carrying plates full of food or drinks or anything else, I was speechless! She was looking straight ahead, and I am not exactly a small person, so can't believe how she missed me. OOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. At least she said sorry.
During the first night at the hotel, there was a group of noisy schoolchildren, some of them teenagers. The noise, screaming and shouting went on all night. I'm not sure I slept at all, and those moments of sleep I caught were very brief. I mentioned about this at the reception in the following morning, all I got was an apology and explanation that the teacher responsible of the group had told them to be quiet..#
I'll be moving to another hotel tomorrow.. Report back from there then..

I m off for a walk in Hyde Park. Can't believe days are numbered, just five more days in London and God willing I will be on my way to Dhahran, KSA next Wednesday.

Leaving

If all goes well, I'll be gone next Wed 20 december. Well, let's hope so. Saudi Arabia here I come.
I moved out of the house of pain, it turned out that my food had indeed been eaten by Mrs B. Long live the neighors. Perhaps she would like to return to the jungle, the little shed she came from in Latin America. Never mind, I am no angel either, this kind of problem can be forgotten and eventually forgiven (no better moment than the present moment, so it IS forgiven, I have no energy for time-consuming issues like this). Another housemate of mine said that Mrs B had thought it was all 'their' food. Ok. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, so are the other fridge and kitchen cupboards- isn't it the human nature that one goes and has a look into housemates property? In seach for enlightment, bombs, potential fire hazards.. Well, any of the above really.

Speaking about forgiveness... more to follow, as I begin my work on this. God,life looks so much brighter when certain issues have been resolved, at least the anger is dissolving.

There is a enormous police investigation in Suffolk, England, where a serial killer(s) has been striking five times now, and killing prostitutes. Poor women. Rest in peace. My prayer is that this killer/killers are found, and that their souls will not find peace that easily. This is like a Patricia Cornwell book turned into reality, shocking.

15 December

Finally some good news; 15th of December may be the day when I fly out to Saudi Arabia. It is just a question of waiting for that date, enjoying the remaining days in London (in a windy, rainy atmosphere!). Some sightseeing might be a good idea, I cannot claim I have seen it all yet. HMS Belfast, Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament.
On Tuesday dec 12 I will be moving out of the house, that I have called 'home' since Dec 10 2005. That is almost a record breaker, that I allowed myself to settle in for a year. No doubt the best area in London, I have always been fond of SE London, but this time my departure is final. Return..? Over my dead body. It wasn't all torture and pain, many many moments of happiness. Those moments will stay with me, the rest is all forgiven and forgotten.
I will miss the people- those who made my stay worthwhile, brought a smile into my face, were there for me when I needed help. I am glad our paths crossed.

Independence Day

It is the 6th of December, the independence of day of Finland. Congratulations, mabrook, onnittelut.
As for me, back at the old Internet cafe, life carries on. I'm back on the yoga mat again. Slowly does it, this time I do not want any injuries or the newly found motivation to run away.

Live and let live

Monday morning.. it is sunny, somewhat windy for a change. Checking my e-mails here in an internet cafe in central London. There is no sign of that hopeful e-mail giving me the news that the work visa is here, no date when I could possibly be traveling. Nothing. No bad news either.
I'd like to go to the movies, but I have already seen the latest films, the ones that I wanted to see.

My mood is no longer as dark as it was yesterday, it is more contemplative.

Give me a date when I can travel to Saudi Arabia, or tell me it will not be for a while (=weeks, months, years..????)
I have been blessed never to have to experience hunger, have never had a day without a meal. Always had a roof over my head. Blessed! The prospect of running out of money or not finding a place to stay, that does scare me. All I need to do now is go home, call work, ask them if any work is available tomorrow.. and the rest of the week.

Noisy b***d

One of those fun-filled days at work, and this time I mean it. My shift was at the ER and I enjoyed it. Still, as I know that this is not going to last forever I can handle it, but my steps were heavy in the morning and with great reluctance I took the train and went to work. In the course of my 12 hour shift I realized it was not so bad at all, not that busy, I could complete my work too. It was a day that I enjoyed. The minutes, hours passed- I had met an interesting bunch of people, both staff and patients, who once again have taught me a lot. Some positive attitude, being grateful and tiny bit happier than I was when I began my day.
Once again then at home it all crashed down; I had two hours or so of peace and quiet, but then my 'drug dealer' housemate came home, decided to play latino music in full volume, and that did the trick. In the other hand, she probably did not realize no one was at home, but it was 11pm and the walls are not made of bricks and cement. Cardboard walls you idiot! Consider this.
I paid a visit to the restroom, considering whether I need to confront the junkie.. then decided against it and swallowed a Valium 5mg and picked up the earplugs. What a stormy night, not just this sudden latino music night, but the weather! Gale force winds on the coast, some of them reached London too, I woke up in the early hours of the morning, had to shut the window and sleep. My sleep was troubled by violent nightmares- and yet another headache in the morning. The new day dawned, I awoke to sunshine and the sound of wind and bad taste in my mouth.. and the feeling of hunger. But, WHO has eaten my porridge???!! Mandarins and turkey ham slices were missing. The 1st thought that crossed my mind was that I have been sleepwalking and eaten them myself. Or perhaps I have forgotten that I had them for lunch the day before. Or.. what's the alternative thought? Once upon a time when the 'junkie' used to live in our house, the official role of hers being another housemate's wife (NB she was not employed as 'a drug abuser or a thief' as far as I know), she practiced the fine art of stealing food. Her previously nice sexy curvy frame became size 20 UK size, lard and fat, not much muscle there. Now that my food begins to disappear again, I am unsure whether to report it to the police or just at the Tesco noticeboard. Either way, what goes around comes around.
This incident nearly made me jump off the cliff. I began to ponder- in a kind of crossword style, the words 'anger', 'hatred', 'evil', killer', dominating it. Is a human being capable of growing his anger into such dimension that their world could be destroyed for the entire time they still have on this planet? How are Hannibal Lecters and Ted Bundys and Myra Hindleys shaped that they became the way they have are today? I have seen and experienced war, violence and hatred, and that is never the way to go. I read the following sentence "When you take someone by the hand, you must let your head fall before you let that hand drop." If I am not wrong this was said by the beloved Yogiji Siri Singh Sahib. He also said "If you don't see God in all, you cannot see God at all".
Hate and anger and violence are never the way to go, but is love so long-reaching that one can love each and every human being and animal in this world? I know I need to explore my feelings regarding this housemate.. Maybe my departure is delayed for this reason, that I need to deal with this issue before leaving..
The fact that I have just 9 days to deal with whatever needs to be dealt with- Dec 12 DeAdLiNe is approaching and I will be Homeless. No permanent address, no broadband access..

Rainy windy cloudy London

I was standing at the bus stop and the wind got so strong that my hair was flying all over the place. Not to worry, my hairstyle did not suffer- I have no hairstyle of any kind :)


Had to take my laptop for repair yesterday (I was told it is 'corrupted'). Yes, it could very well be. It does not switch on or off, has a stubborn mind of its own. Now I will end up losing most of the data, but as long as Fujitsu returns home safely tucked in his bag, I am happy.
The repair may take up to 2 weeks.

I will be homeless from the 12th of December.
My options are: sleep under a bridge, stay in a budget hotel (earplugs..), stay homeless, sell my jewellery, continue working as often as I can, go back home and couch surf at my brother's place.. None of those are tempting, I don't actually like my temp work, but there is nothing else I can do.. I think.

Still not work visa.. I wonder who is hiding and withholding information? I certainly feel like I have fallen off the wagon and don't really know what is happening and what has already happened.

Once the title of one of these postings changes, e.g. ' Sunshine', 'Desert' etc, then only you can be reassured I have reached my destination.

Nightmare

Oh no...After such a good start for the day everything went bad when I returned from work. A Nasty nasty surprise; my housemate's ex-wife (AKA thief) was in the house. How did she get in? Not likely through the window.. So so upsetting. I thought the September 5 was the last time I saw her, but somehow something manifested her (perhaps it was my sincere wish that our paths would never ever cross). Mrs B might be here to collect her personal belongings and then off she goes again, but she also might be here to stay. Still can't believe my eyes. Oh no... Why now. I have never ever met anyone like her- yes, in many ways she is a treasure, a truly unique person. She ain't my favorite though. She frequently ate my food items, left the evidence around, with a clear intention to be found. Once she had to be reported to the police for assault. Why don't they screen these people any better, turn them back at the customs.. I feel like I am exaggerating, but I am not. I wished I could send her through a meat grinder, when I realized she'd helped herself to my food... How selfish of me, but I never agreed to share my food when I moved into this house. So there you go. Got it off my chest, feeling thousand times better now.

I got some work for today, it made me happy. Off to bed then, ear plugs, good book, radio on to mask off any background noise.

'Nothing to do' - day

It is better this way sometimes.. sleep late, take it easy, but I can't help it that I am getting bored. So I am sitting here, updating my blog with most useless info, watching season 2 of CSI New York.
The local market was full of Saturday shoppers as usual and now that Christmas is so near they are all there looking for Christmas presents. My luggage allowance will not stretch above 70kg when I finally fly to Saudi Arabia, but I still keep on buying stuff and then end up selling my yoga books, when there is no more space for them. Who would like to buy them anyway? My advert in a website has not produced any results. I am going to keep on trying.
I have eaten two sausage rolls- they tasted.. hmmm, not delicious, not good but not bad either. The taste of chicken was the one I most craved when I was vegetarian. WAS. Indeed. Everyone has the potential to be a vegetarian, but for me it was not the way to live. At least in my household no one else is and it is rather challenging to sit there watching the others enjoying fish, chicken nuggets and real steak. My vegetarian life lasted more than two years, but then it ended abruptly.. That is another story and it will be told one day.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Crime Scene Do Not Cross


Death is not procedural or casual, not when it is someone you know.
- Michael Mann

Accident

I was in an accident this afternoon, but not hurt I hasten to add. My travel from Central London to my place in South East London is often by bus, and today was no different. Not far from the destination the bus had to brake suddenly to avoid crashing into a small blue car in front of us. Typical, this guy was on the phone, did not even think of having a look around before driving on to the main road, green light ahead, but for some reason this lunatic stopped! An elderly gentleman fell and hit his head, not seriously, no blood in sight, nothing dramatic like that. But this being London, big city, it took 25 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. Luckily the bus driver thought he'd seen the registration number and perhaps this careless idiot could lose his drivers licence, go to jail for a month or so, and pay a fine (£300 would be good :) for reckless driving. The EMT's checked the injured passengers, no one was seriously hurt so it was a lucky escape for all of us. My prayers are with this reckless driver, who happily turned his back to us and drove away, that he'd come into his senses and get his bloody brain working again. At least when he's driving.

Average extraordinary day

It has been a nice day here.. nothing out of the ordinary, apart from the new Casino Royale film at the local cinema. The film was fine, my type of film, no matter what critics and journalists say it was not disappointing in any way. It was an advantage to be off from work today and see the film, go to post office- and avoid the rush hour.
My next door housemate obviously does not realize that EvErYtHiNg can be heard through the quality 'papermash' walls. Is this the typical British architecture, keeping costs so low that wall thickness is less than an inch... And is it so necessary to telephone people in the middle of the night and not even consider turning volume down? I am not talking about the same housemate, who goes to the bathroom and leaves the door open. This is a very unorganised household, rubbish bins don't get emptied, bathrooms are superficially cleaned, but the smell of pee still remains in the downstairs toilet. Kitchen.. well, it can be left unexplained.. it can stay as it is. My sincere wish is to get out.. Hey, this dwelling has been my home for a year now- it is time to move on. I don't know why I stayed, paying an enormously high rent and the bills.
I realise now that my monthly wages must have been more than adequate, about the average- but the rent swallowed a good portion of it. Now that I have been looking for a temporary job, all I am qualified to do is my own job, and the rest that I could potentially do are just paying the minimum wage. So that is that, loud and clear.
Oh yes, and I found out that my body mass index is 26 so I am officially overweight. Hooray, I'll drink to that.

What do you do ..

I have been packing here like a madwoman, having arrived home and then accidentally knocking my printer too.. At least I am ready for tomorrow- most of the stuff ready to go in a flash, into the container... But am so annoyed with the printer. I have not had it for long, and I was just about to print another page.. and print few photos too, and write a letter to the embassy. They'll receive a handwritten note.. Printer refuses to work, instead of bashing it one more time I left it in peace. I have mastered the skill of wrecking more electrical equipment than I thought ever possible.

This could be the one and only opportunity to let it all come out.. but I could be barking the wrong tree.
But could I just share it with you that it annoys when my neighbor goes to the restroom for whatever and does not bother closing the door. Gee, I do NOT want to hear it all, and definitely do NOT want to see it all. He has no shame at all and obviously no need for privacy. I know I have opted to live in a houseshare, but this goes too far.
I am counting my blessings that I may well be on my way outta here soon, the sooner the better, cant wait yessss ;)
From tomorrow I am officially unemployed, but not too concerned about it yet. Once tomorrow arrives, I may be.

Snow....

Back in London, but it is nice to see the photos and remember what the snowy landscape was like.. Good old snowman, I wonder what became of him.

Thursday-Torsdag

It is already Thursday and I have been waiting with the vain hope for a letter to arrive.. all week. No sign of it though. It came into my mind that I need to check if the letter has been delivered; the letter that contained my precious degree certificates. They were delivered on October 27.. and let me see, what's the date today... 16 November!! Hah. HOW long can it take to stamp TWO certificates, I ask. Just another certificate tragedy I guess. They had to go to an embassy for a legalization procedure, which involves stamping them. It takes less than a second to stamp those two certificates- that is if the stamp is functional.. hehe :)
The week in the land of Santa Claus flies by, as time always does when you are having fun. The highlight of the week has definitely been becoming an aunt, and seeing my grandma. And the rest of the family members.
When I return to London next week the waiting game continues.

What else could I do?
Become a legal secretary? Prison officer? Pathologist? Secret agent?

Wise words and good advice

We went to visit my old wise grandmother today. She is 95 years old! This amount of life-experince is certainly not to be ignored, but respected. She lives in a nursing home, in a small village- it actually gave me a good impression and the elderly citizens are well looked after. Still, it'd be ideal if they could live in their own homes.. but sadly this is not always possible. My grandmother used to remember the good old days, when she went to feed the farm animals, and old habits die hard, so she kept doing the same, leaving the house in the early hours of morning, expecting to find the cows, chickens etc.. who were long gone. We could not allow her to do that in below 32F temperatures, freezing cold winter mornings so there was no other option for her apart from the nursing home.
She is as entertaining and unassuming as always, and eager to give advice. The fact that I am not married is a constant cause of worry for her, and probably disappointing as well.. and in a way, fascinating. She grew up in a farmhouse, got married, had three kids.. something that I have not done yet. But she told me to look after myself, get married, enjoy what life has on offer and then there is more than enough time to think about it all when one reaches the old age. True. That is what she is doing now, surrounded by calmness, a beautiful view of snowy fields and forests.. she was not being negative or moaning even for one second- even though she expressed the feeling of loneliness (her husband passed away less than a year ago). She told me to get married, bring that potential husband candidate home, just to give her enough notice so she can think about the wedding present!
The entertaining part in the conversation was when she asked whether she needs to take her tablets and pills with food or water, or coffee. And maybe "coffee might not be good after all as it contains cocaine"- my mum and I had a good laugh- asked her if she means "caffeine" instead :)

My life has come to a junction, knowing I am the only one responsible of my life, I need to decide what to do. A feeling of uneasiness crawls into my mind when I think about long-term commitments, and things that I'd like to avoid.. Right now I am free, no work, no yoga, but just about enough money to survive doing pretty much nothing for a month or so. Right now I am doing what I REALLY want to do, which is I am on VACATION at my family home, no one there to tell me "do this and then do that" and harassing me. Mind you, Finland is not such a bad place in small doses.. and I even let a tiny idea into my mind of buying a house here.. By the lake..

Back in the land of Santa Claus

It is amazing how air travel works in these modern times. From A to B, almost in an instant, blink of an eye; from one country to another. Armed with a 20cm x 20cm plastic bag for 'liquids', some hand luggage and 18kg suitcase, and all other pertinent info in the form of passport and tickets I headed to the airport... This morning at 3am I woke in London and three hours later found myself in the winter wonderland- Finland. It is cold, not as cold as I thought it would be, but 32 F or so, and icy slippery roads and sidewalks!
I like aircrafts and am fascinated by airports (and not just duty-free shopping). Flying is a delight, take off and landing are the most exciting parts. Breakfast in the aircraft- especially today was a disappointment. Sausage, omelet, beans.. No thanks. A small bread roll and muffin were edible though..
I don't like sailing in the sea, I am scared of submarines and deep deep parts of the sea. Oh I could say I am not fond of aircraft meals, spiders, Comodo dragons and Brussel sprouts either..

First I went to greet my brother and his family, including the dachshund- and then took a train from Helsinki to Lahti. Incredible speed, and well within an hour I was back at family home. No need to mention that I failed to find my seat, and ended up sitting on my suitcase in one of the bike and suitcase compartments.. Tomorrow I will attend my brother's baby's Christening, and then the rest of the week's off!

The last journey

Early morning in London, when I was on my way to work for the last time. Half an hour to gather my thoughts, contemplate.. when did I fall off the wagon? The time passes, years pass, it is like a blink of an eye and I wonder if these years truly existed. What new have I learned and what will I pack with me? This beautiful scenery is not easily forgotten, nor are my friends. From one continent to another, all in a day. What a change; it is incredible, exciting.. The day itself passed so quickly, that the only memory that remains is laughter and fun, teamwork, and saying 'see you again' to a number of people. By God's grace we all will continue our journeys.

Party time

Party time, as the title says. We had fun, me opening the gifts and having chicken curry and chocolate fudge cake with some sort of 'wasabi' spice.. If anyone can translate that, it would be much appreciated. And as always I am the palest ghostlike person of all (has my anemia improved at all..?), but I am kind of used to it, and being 'white' does not bother me. Well, at least the picture of me and the cake tells a story of its own! The cake was delicious!
This was my leaving party at Wagamama restaurant in London- it made me realize the time has come and I've got one more day at work- and then my work has been done.. time to move on. Those people who could not make it on this occasion will hopefully join me for another dinner party next week- how often does one have an opportunity to say good bye twice? This was a fun night.. need I say more.

Happy Endings

It is Tuesday, and it is nearly over. Three more days at work. The prospect of a brief unemployment worries me. Worry, concern, panic, help! The word 'worry' might not be appropriate, but againt all advice that's THE word of choice today. Depending on how visa application progresses, and how everything else falls into its place.. I am looking forward to a break in Finland next week- I will take it easy there. Apart from some work in the garden. No shopping though. Maybe some dog-walking in the early morning. But then I will return to London, and the waiting game begins. By God's grace I will reach my destination.. one day.

Elephant size legs and Borat films

I went to movies last night- the film I chose was not something I'd normally watch but I was told it would be fun. It was the new Sacha Baron Cohen's film Borat.. whatever.. jounalist from Kazakhstan. There was a funny side in it, some hilarious scenes, but some were just tad too much. So, I can't be sure it can be recommended. It was a good decision to go by myself- I could selfishly enjoy my film without a commentary, and could have eaten popcorn too all by myself. This time I had a bottle of water, nothing else, and had I eaten anything I think I'd thrown up.. on a scale 1-10 the film was very close to 2.
After work today I arrived home, realised my legs had turned into elephant size legs, as always. First few minutes are then spent on the floor, in a 'dead sheep posture', arms and legs up in the air. This is an every day phenomenon, my work is done standing- and by the time 5pm approaches, I know my legs have turned into giant tree trunks.

Sunday morning

This is the way I felt in the early hours of the morning. It took minutes and minutes to get up, find that painkiller and go back to bed. Sleep did not come easily, headache was constant companion. I think I may have overestimated my capabilities of digesting licorice, no doubt blood pressure shot right up to the roof and overdose of salt caused the headache. I've been snacking on licorice, thinking that it is not often I do that, but licorice in different shapes and sizes is available everywhere, so yes, it has become my daily treat! They even sell Finnish quality licorice here in the UK, yummy. So maybe that's the cause of the headache.. and whatever other symptoms I was going through yesterday. Yet another weekend almost gone, I am thinking was I productive enough.. was there something I forgot to do.. But then, it is my time, my life, and one unproductive weekend can be forgiven.

Headache

This morning I woke up with a headache. It is now 10.40pm and I have refrained from self-prescribing any paracetamol or any tablet shape stuff. Headache improved ever so slightly when I went out in the morning, but returned as soon as I got home. There is a new housemate- no one had courtesy of telling me anyone new was expected to move in, but I kind of knew something was happening. New neighbor stands there, asks me if I live here. Housekeys in my hand- what can I say.. I am a visitor, burglar (hah, I like that one).. It all began in a wrong way, both of us standing there and nothing to say. Huge embarrassment shining on her face, when she states " oh you must be x's girlfriend", and when I reply oh no, I am not, she looks like she is hoping for the ground to swallow her. So do I, in a way, thinking that it is incredibly rude for her not to bother introducing herself. She apologizes for all the "mess" in the corridor. I was trying to get out, but several suitcases stand in the way and I cannot get to the door. Give up and head back into my room and take shelter there. Headache is hanging on tight, not showing any sign of leaving me tonight.

Freezer like temperatures in London...

It is not long since the days were long and weather too was pleasant. This recent cold weather and colder than cold Northern wind seems to have no end in sight. Fall has not been my favorite season, it always seems longer than summer.. and never-ending. The clocks turned an hour back last weekend- daylight saving time.. well, I spend most of the daylight at work- funny enough, it has been extremely cold at work. Air-conditioning on fullest volume- it may have been colder inside than outside. Sore throat, bones and joints are aching (nothing to do with being unfit and overweight, haha :) but I have been Breathwalking to and from work and even though the wind is freezing I have still enjoyed the walks. Step by step and I have always counted my blessings.. and I have avoided yet another anxious train journey to work. That's probably the best part of the day, walking back home after work. Within a few weeks I will be leaving the snowy mountains.. for the desert! Well, there are hardly any snowy mountains in London, but you know what I mean.
I have known of this job opportunity in Saudi Arabia since June, but kept it secret for a while. Thought about it , it was a 50/50 situation, but it was then just the right thing to do, something I knew I needed to do. It is not my first time in Saudi Arabia- and ever since I left Saudi in 2003, in the back of my mind I knew I would like to return. That thought had to be stored on the shelf, until the time was right, and even now, God willing, the right time may or may not have arrived. There are about four weeks left in London, maybe less.
It is nearly the time to say Good Bye, arrivederci, auf wiedersehen, ma'assalama, nakemiin. But when the TIME is here, I never say Good Bye- I say See you later, God bless you all.

Pulttibois - Omituinen Höpöttäjä

Good old days when we have the two excellent hilarious comedians PPP and Aake Kalliala on TV..

To London and Back

The title of this blog is To London and Back. So that I would remember London and not forget some of the most important events that brought me here, I will take photos and log some of my thoughts here. I will most certainly miss my daily walks and cycling in South East London. The parks and walking routes are just beautiful, I love running through the ecological park and breathing the fresh air. The River Thames reminds me of that constant flow called life. It also has healing properties there and I could imagine sitting and watching the boats and the tide all day long if I was living in one of the riverside apartments.
I am returning to the desert, it was my home for six years after all.