torstai 6. syyskuuta 2012

TGIF

Alrighty! My laptop is not feeling any better but I'm gonna try and do this here in the IT lab.
Now, to the point.

J-A-P-A-N! Boo-fucking-yah!
It's been some two weeks here and the honeymoon period is still going strong. I mean, the language barrier (which by now is slowly but surely breaking down) is definately there and the inevitable culture shock is hitting me harder every day, but none of that has stopped me enjoying my time here.

I've met tons of new, amazingly exciting, people and gotten around Akita-shi (oh yes, I said it in japanese) a bit. The uni is very small, rich and located in the middle of nowhere. Somehow, all of these qualities seem to make it so that it feels like we are living in a small village with people who all share the same interests, thirst for knowledge and, especially, dance fever! Haha, that was probably the lamest sentence ever written.

As you can see, my head is quite effed up right now so to save me and you some time and sanity; it's picture time!



First things first; the white supremist club! Eh. Anna, Robert, Chris and Brandon waiting anxiously for the 50cm tall ice cream!


Omagari fireworks festival about to begin. Over a million people gather to see the pretty lights in the sky.

 The lights were real pretty.
 We were pleased with the lights. Or with the sake at this point I guess.
 Aimee looking cute as a cotton ball!
 Akita city park. Awesomeness. Temples, tea ceremony rooms, shrines. Even old asian people doing tai chi.
 Early birds catching the bus to lake Tazawa and the Samurai village of Kakunodate! Yasser and Tasha representing.
 Tazawa, deepest lake in Japan.
They said a little prayer.
 Loan's too cool for that though.
Chilling w/ Ryoko and Andrea after some hard core paddle boating and swimming.

 Samurai mansion's garden. Is this for real? Have I actually been to a Samurai mansion? Oh my.
Let's not get too crazy though. Classes started this week and to succeed being fluent in japanese (and beating Brandon's ass in our little competition), the library has become a friend to be fond of.
TEDDDY! Sitting right next to me, right at this moment is my Mongolian superstar.

































A more comprehensive update is coming, but now I gotta make my way to lunch and to prepare for the dance party tonight. Happy bday mum, I'll dance the night away for your sake!

And yeah, I do miss home. In Finland and in Scotland.


Love, Sonja

FML

Yes, it's still mediumlarge. Yes, it's been a while. Yes, I am having the best time in Japan and I will tell you all about it as soon as I get the chance. Yes, my laptop is broken. Fak dis shiit.


















Love, Sonja-san

lauantai 11. elokuuta 2012

adventureland

I'm iiiin spaaacee. Or not.
Since I truly am bored and tired right now, this is gonna be one efficient update. A few weeks ago I decided that my summer can't be all work and no play, since everyone knows Jack becoming a dull boy isn't exactly a joyous event. The plan was to take every opportunity to do something new, even the little things I always wanted to do while in Finland but never found the time or the energy to actually do.

So here goes, my top ten day brighteners in Oulu during the last few weeks. Photos included whenever possible/not too energy consuming.

1. Bird watching. So far my luck with the actual ducks or so has been quite poor, but the journeys to the bird watching towers have been adventures by themselves. I've seen all sorts of mammals from bunnies to cows and yet not even the slightest peek of a swan. Maybe I want to consider actaully looking up every once in a while?

 Where 'em birds at? Thank god I am one fly chick myself. Eh.





































2. Day time drunkeness. Proved to work most marvellously with my working schedule with the 5 a.m. alarms. Best case was the punch and board games with the girls, saddest one probably me drinking leftover wine at home with my dogs in the afternoon. What can I say, it was raining too hard to go for a run.

 Challenge accepted.
We're not messing around here boys.
 Game face.




































 3. Dark knight rises. E-P-I-C! Need I say more?

No, you need not.






















 4. Day time cinema. As a category of it's own. Drama, horror, thriller, american, finnish, good, bad. Anything goes.

 The perfect companion for crappy, over priced movie!

















5. Flee markets. It's been slim pickings but I finally found the perfect denim jacket! It's some how very ejoyable to imagine yourself as a completely different person while combining all the items found on flee markets, that you never buy, cause that's just not you. But could it be?

Luckily the young lovers here had better luck with the actual shopping. They even spend the tremendous amount of money that is 1,20e!
























6. Maxi dresses. Oh yes, I did it. Apparently, I am considered too short to wear them. See if I care!

7. Horse back riding. The Olympic fever has gotten me in every way but especially this. Even went to a live show for the first time in years. Sceadufæx, lord of all horses, be mine?

8. Water melon. Omnomnom summer times!

Alright, there's no melon here. But there is summer and omnom!


























9. Tiny little incredibly beautiful gardens full of old ladies talking about different kind of seeds and bulbs. I guess I should also add that I went to a city garden fair the other day with the lovely woman who gave me life. It was ah-mazing!

The cutest little blurry summer house right in the city area. The finnish need their nature!

















 




10. Reading classics. It's been the summer of a life time in the 17th century Russia (Tolstoi), excluding the days when it's too windy even for Captain Ahab to come out of his cabin (Melville).

 Suddenly, I don't want to learn how to fish anymore.





































Allrighty, this was officially my last post on mediumlarge. Change is inevitable.

The big white is coming..


Love, Sonja

sunnuntai 8. heinäkuuta 2012

now i'm at a payphone

Helloo!
Oh god, I can't even remeber when I did this the last time. Well, here goes. In English, as you all can see. That's for my lovely guys and gals out there in France and where ever. I'm gonna have to wake up in a few hours for work, so this is gonna be real short.
Here's a few pictures of the last month in Finland. It's been weird and a little sad, all the while still being strangely familiar and effortless to be home. And naturally, we've had loads of fun hitting the streets of Oulu again!

 "Kolee iltama" with the cremè de la cremè of Oulunsalo the first night back. How gay.
 Family ties!
Midsommer's night drinks with mah gals!
 Oh the joy.
 The fun continues.
 Emma otti kantaa/ fuck da police?
 Hot stuff.
 Haha how did we end up? Drunk on the corner of the street? Definately not (free style rapping contest going on).
 Wedding fever!
<3

 Dance partner 10 - Sonja 0.
Omnom! Destination summer house!
 Oulujärvi tanning saloon, sweating out all the poisons from last night.
 Henna's pretending she knows how to read. Not convinced.
 Sexy time.
 Even sexier time. Hyötyliikunta!




































I can't believe it's been a month without Aberdeen. Sometimes it hits me hard that I'm back here and not going back for a while, but I guess that comes with the territory. Missing everyone so much it hurts. 


Love, Sonja

sunnuntai 27. toukokuuta 2012

through thick and thin

Heei! Tiiän et oon ollu vähä M.I.A muutaman viikon, mutta siihen on hyvä syy; loppukokeet. Plus vatsaflunssa. Plus kuume. Hehe.
Kokeet alko siis hyvin ko 6 tuntia ennen ensimmäistä löysin itteni vessan lattialta melkee tajuttomana hikoilemassa ja oksentamassa. Fun. No, kaikkiin kokeisiin oli pakko kuitenki mennä, koska uusinnat on syksyllä ja sillon suunnitelmissa on olla Japanissa. Paitsi etten pääse Japaniin, jos en mee kokeisiin. Eli siis pakkopakkopakko. Menin ja selvisin hengissä, en ees oksentanu kenenkää päälle. Victory!
Jälkitautina iski kuume ja yskä ja silleen, mut se oli suhteellisen mukavaa edelliseen verrattuna. Torstaina oli psykan koe ja sen jälkeen vapaus! Kesäkuussa on vielä saksa, mut koska oon nykyään niin mestari sen kanssa ni siihen ei tarvi ko kertailla vähä. Nyt on siis eessä, ja osa jo takana, viikko hauskuutta!

Skotlantiin tuli kesä. For real. Palaneet olkapäät ja selkä täynnä pisamia todisteena. Pistän tähä kuvii mitä ollaan hommailtu, koska yksityiskohat voi olla vähä pitkästyttäviä. Viikon piknik-saldo: 2, leffa-saldo: 3 ja ruoka-saldo: perfection.

Tuun 8.6 Suomeen kaikkia moikkailee! Kesä on täynnä työtä ja 23.8 näillä näkymin suuntaan sit Japaniin. APUAAA! Onneks katon just Mulania et saan vähä vinkkei kaikkii kulttuurihommiin.. opettelen täs samal laulaa esi-isille oikeella tavalla et mua siunataa hyvällä avioliitol. Everything's gonna be alright.

En voi uskoo, et kahen viikon päästä lähen Aberdeenistä, enkä tuu takas yli vuoteen. Eeeei, haluan lisää aikaa. Tää vuosi on ollu nii uskomattoman mahtava, et pahoittelen jos ekat kaks viikkoo Suomes nyyhkytän nurkassa. Tiiän et tuun tänne takas, mut niiiiin moni kaveri lähtee kotii&ympäri maailmaa ennen sitä, et ei mikää tulee olee samaa enää. Mut niin kait se on aina. Ei silti oo kivaa. Hmm, viimeset kaks viikkoa yritän nähä kaikki kamut ja pitää niin paljo hauskaa et on fyysinen mahdottomuus itkee ainakaa vuoteen!
Tää masistelu saa mut mietteliääks, eli nyt kuviin.

 Seaton Park  AKA "the hoodz".
 Sun screen, where were thou?
 Meri! Meri on tullut takaisin!
 Tanning saloon.
 Happy feet.
 LET GO TO THE BEAC - EACH, LET'S GO GET AWAY!
 Sure-I-can-see-straight fun @Siberia Vodka Bar. Piti sitä juhlii Ruotsin viisuvoittoo.
 Bday piknik! Liucija's big two-o! Mentii Union Terrace Gardenille shamppanjalle ja mansikoille. Ah, nam.
 Tulevaisuus. I'm screwed.

































Love, Sonja