Ok, by now I know where the boy's school is, the library, the grocery stores, some of the houses of the boy's friends, the lake, the dry cleaners and so on. But I still managed to get lost.
Arttu, Valterry and I went to the lake on Wednesday last week. We took Teemu (on of their friends with us). Before we started, Teemu was brought to our house by car and that's why I didn't have to bother with looking for his place. But on the way back, all the boys wanted to be dropped off at Teemu's place. From Sari I knew that it wasn't far, so I was willing to try to find his house. Well, the boys speak some English, but they don't know the words for left and right. So, on the big gravel road, they would say "no" to every crossroad or drive-way where I didn't have to turn. When I had to turn, they said "yes" and just pointed into the direction. Well, I had to concentrate so much on their "yes" and "no's" that I completely forgot to memorize the way we came from. When we finally arrived at Teemu's place, I only knew that there was a big gravel road and then a small gravel road with lots of forests on the sides. However, all of rural Finland looks like that! So, I made my way back alone and of course, I took a wrong turn and ended up on an endlessly long gravel road. When it finally crossed with a normal street, I saw a sign saying "5 km Veikkola". I know where Veikkola is and how to get home from there. So, I took the road to Veikkola. But after 15 minutes in the car with no town in sight, I was so lost that I decided to turn around and try the gravel road again. Luckily, only going straight on the gravel road brought me back to the street to our house. So, how did I manage to not even memorize one single turn? My brain is all weird!
Samstag, 4. Juli 2009
The Machine that gets too much Attention...
...is our dishwasher!
Well, there are families (or couples) who argue about the way the tooth paste should be squeezed out of the tube, if the toilet seat and/or lid should be up or down, or how the toilet paper should be placed into the holder. However, my host family does not argue about any of those things. They don't care how you squeeze the tooth paste out, the toilet lid is up or down (according to mood) and the toilet paper is not even in the holder most of the time. But there has to be something to argue about in every relationship or life would get boring. And here it is the dishwasher. I could have never imagined how much a dishwasher could amuse me.
The here is the story: Most of the time, I load and unload the dishwasher. And I actually enjoy that, especially if the plates are still warm when you unload it. But once in a while, Tommi loads the dishwasher and that's where it gets funny. He opens it and starts complaining: "It's all wrong. The bowels should be down there, so that you can put the glasses on top." After that he will go through the trouble of touching all the dirty dishes, getting them out of the dishwasher to reorganize the way I loaded it. It sometimes takes up to 10 minutes. Of course, he thinks he can get much more stuff in it than I do, but I doubt that. To realize how funny it really is, you'd have to be here! But I let Tommi rearrange the glasses as much as he wants, as long as it makes him happy! :-P
Well, there are families (or couples) who argue about the way the tooth paste should be squeezed out of the tube, if the toilet seat and/or lid should be up or down, or how the toilet paper should be placed into the holder. However, my host family does not argue about any of those things. They don't care how you squeeze the tooth paste out, the toilet lid is up or down (according to mood) and the toilet paper is not even in the holder most of the time. But there has to be something to argue about in every relationship or life would get boring. And here it is the dishwasher. I could have never imagined how much a dishwasher could amuse me.
The here is the story: Most of the time, I load and unload the dishwasher. And I actually enjoy that, especially if the plates are still warm when you unload it. But once in a while, Tommi loads the dishwasher and that's where it gets funny. He opens it and starts complaining: "It's all wrong. The bowels should be down there, so that you can put the glasses on top." After that he will go through the trouble of touching all the dirty dishes, getting them out of the dishwasher to reorganize the way I loaded it. It sometimes takes up to 10 minutes. Of course, he thinks he can get much more stuff in it than I do, but I doubt that. To realize how funny it really is, you'd have to be here! But I let Tommi rearrange the glasses as much as he wants, as long as it makes him happy! :-P
Sonntag, 28. Juni 2009
Too much oxygen?
While we were in Häkkilä, Tommi got to drive the tractor of one of Sari's brothers and I guess, he really liked it because the next day he wanted one himself. Sari and I were a bit surprised and asked him for what he would need it in Tervalampi since they don't have potatoe fields or anything else of that kind. But Tommi explained that he could do the snow work with it and get the wood for the fire places. Well, they already have a machine for the snow work which is kind of a snow blower and they usually get their wood ready made in little pieces which can be transported in a trailer. However, Sari had a good explanation for Tommi's idea: There is too much oxygen in Häkkilä's air and that makes him get funny ideas. I agree and think he should go back to his little office at Nokia and Siemens networks as soon as possible! :-P However, Tommi could not be persuaded to not have a tractor and that's why he bought one while we were in Central Finland. I'm sure Tommi would love to drive the tractor home to Tervalampi himself which would mean a 10-hour ride.
And I end with something Sari always tends to say: The older the boys, the more expensive the toys! How true!
And I end with something Sari always tends to say: The older the boys, the more expensive the toys! How true!
Abonnieren
Posts (Atom)
