My 30th Birth DAY & NIGHT

BIRTH DAY 4/24

Late Night Conversation

The day literally began at midnight still at the Kalliokoski residence, conversing with Jukka and Ella in the kitchen. Eriikka and Emil are not night owls like the rest of us. Conversation continued as if we all did not want to have to say goodbye.  I know I did not want to.

Well, Jukka if you read this post, I hope to see you next April in Los Angeles before the Mustang Club of Finland goes to Las Vegas.  Eriikka, hope you join Jukka! Emil will most likely be in Finland's compulsory military service and Ella still in Germany studying at that time, so I understand if I do not see them.  Ella, thanks again for dropping me off at the Musta Kissa Hotel; it was a pleasure meeting you.

From the USA, with Love
 

In checking my emails before I went to bed, I was happy to see the following message from my boyfriend of 9 years, Michael Molina: http://www.egreetings.com/view?i=477068178&m=7245&rr=y&source=eg999 Thanks for the thoughtful e-card Love! I went to bed missing "home", but in the best of ways as I am happy to be in Finland.

Morning Coffee With An Attorney

At 8:30am, for the second time, I met with Jukka and Eriikka's attorney Perttu Ryynanen with Ernst & Young. Our first encounter was too brief.  Ironically, so was our second due to a schedule change from 9:30 am to 9:00am the morning before. 

Recalling the schedule change, at 9:00am I told Perttu I needed to go, but you know attorneys...we conversed past that and I was late 15 minutes.  I knew I had to immediately leave when I could see the GSE team outside the Musta Kissa from Perttu's office on the 6th floor about half a block away.  My apologies again to driving Rotarians Sten and Pekka for my tardiness and to the team and team leader Steve for my intermittent "Michelle Time."  Thanks for the bday wishes Teresa, fellow April b-dayer!

Champagne in Jyvaskyla 

 

We arrived at the Sokos Hotel Alexandra to have lunch, share our PowerPoint presentations, and get to know some of the Jyvaskyla-Laajavuori Rotarians.

 

 



While there, champagne was passed out as you can see from the following photo taken by Dani:

Following such, Klubi Presidentti (club president) Antero (Andy) Halinen announced to the club that today is my birthday, made a toast, & led the club in singing Happy Birthday in English to me. 

 

I swear I must have turned beet red.  The act was so sweet!  Kiitos to all attending the meeting!

 

Jyvaskyla's City Hall

Around 1:15pm we walked to Jyvaskyla's City Hall for a presentation, consisting of the following information: With a population of around $134,000, Jyvaskyla is a municipality and city in Central Finland at a distance of 270 kms from Helsinki and 147 kms from Tampere, near the Keitele and Paijanne lakes. The city is the center of Jyvaskyla region and being the place of many educational firsts of Finland, it is known as the City of Schools. The city is also popular for its several buildings that Alvar Aalto designed.

Shopping!

The girls and our lovely Rotarian Heidi, who gifted the team Jyvaskyla University memorabilia,

walked from City Hall to the City's shopping area,

from which we could see the school pictured below.

At the mall, I FINALLY bought myself a pair of black ballet flats: H House size 38. :-)

 

"Free" Time 



Harjun Linna + Natural History Museum (see WeiPING's blog for pics) Up on the Hill

Panoramic View of the City from the Tower Up on the Hill.

BIRTH NIGHT 4/24

 

A Lion

After viewing a multitude of taxidermy animals, none of which were killed for display, we went back to the Sokos Hotel Alexandra where I met a Lion, Attorney Erikk Urtti (www.urtti.fi), who though not a Rotartian, nevertheless graciously agreed to host me at his lovely "farm" home that has been in his family for many generations.  I was so excited to stay with a family that had a German Shepard until I found out she's quite the guard dog.

Warning: Beware of Dog.  Looks Cute, But Is Ferocious

 

Another Attorney

Speaking of fierce, there was a total of 3 attorneys in the Lion's den: me, Erikk, and his daughter Elina Saari.  The son/brother is in law school, which makes me wonder about Nature vs. Nurture.  Other professionals included Ms. Urtti, a physical therapist, and her other daughter, a biologist. 

 

PRESENTS

 

Dinner & Comedy Club;

The Asian-fusion cuisine of (1) stir fried reindeer with pineapples, red bell peppers, and other veges; (2) sauteed wild mushrooms and onions; (3) Greek salad; and (4) homemade bread was a feast. Mrs. Urtti can sure cook!  This was coupled with lots of laughter, including a few chuckles at the fact that Erikk told the other's stories to me while driving in his vehicle before I had met the rest of them. Additionally, the following Finnish jokes, courtesy of my first host family, were shared at my third host family's dinner table:

 

- There once was a Finnish man who loved his wife so much, he ALMOST told her. 

 

- A Finnish man only tells a women he loves her once. To this Mr. Urtti, as all the rest of the Finnish men I have encountered that know this joke, said: If something changes, the woman will be informed.

 

- Two Finnish friends went to a bar.  After one drink, there was no conversation.  After two drinks, there was no conversation. After three drinks there was no conversation.  Upon the fourth drink, one friend tells the other friend, "Some weather we are having." Friend replies, "Are we here to converse? Or are we here to drink?"

Horses & Reindeer;



The Uritti sisters invited me to horseback riding.

I rode the American "nipper" named Artu (in the background).

When we returned, my host mother gave me a Finnish-flag blue magnetic reindeer-shaped bottle opener. How kind of her!  Kiitos also for the stuffed animal reindeer dressed in a Christmas sweater.
 

& an Array of Desserts 



 

With More Enjoyable Company (Erikk, Elina, and othe Urtti Sister) 

Conclusion

Although I could not celebrate the big 30 in person with my family and closest friends, I thank all of my "new friends" who helped make my birthday a memorable occasion. Kiitos!!!