oh! the light today.

2011-10-31T03:56:00.003+09:00

first october in finland where i didnt see snow falling.

2011-07-25T05:12:00.002+09:00

spring was so busy that i didn't even have time to reflect on what happened. visited istanbul twice and both time came back with nasty flu. that however, did not spoil my impression on this charming city. i would love to come back there with more time for sightseeing. there is so much to discover there. istanbul, i might have a crush on you.

2011-05-03T04:46:00.002+09:00

i ain't lost, just wandering.

2011-01-19T05:54:00.002+09:00

there has been a lot of things going on around me hence i've been silent for a while. i will try to make a proper update soon but in a meanwhile i'd like to introduce you to a new exciting project that im a part of: WOWSAN.com. please stop by and take a look!

2010-09-06T04:42:00.002+09:00

i exchanged summer for another winter making this year a summerless one. but came back and now im enjoying the late summer days which are full of beautiful light. it's good to be back.

2010-05-16T18:50:00.002+09:00

i've been a busy bee recently without much time for blogging. i follow quite a few blogs and after reading those i don't have time anymore to make an update myself. things have been rather good. may consists mostly of packing and unpacking but i don't mind that at all. i have spent a few days in helsinki with best friends and meeting friends that i thought id not see in the near future. it's funny how life sometimes makes nice surprises.

more travels ahead. at the end of this month i'm going to travel to south africa for 3 months. i've never been to africa so i'm looking forward to going there. i hope to meet elizabeth who has been so helpful answering all my questions about her homeland. it will be exciting to witness world cup as well. oh and the wild animals! tanzania, zambia and staying at the beach are in plans too.

but. first im going to sweden. next week i will travel to gothenburg. im going there to spend time with friends but any tips on that city are appreciated.

on the side note, ever since i moved to finland i keep on talking about weather. in a country where nothing really happens, weather is an important subject to talk about. i really can't believe how suddenly it got warm. last week i was wearing hat, scarf, gloves and swearing on the 7°C and this week i switched to sandals, shorts and enjoying 26°C. hello summer, what a surprise!

2010-03-28T04:52:00.004+09:00

she made me miss singaporean food but since im too far away to have some i have to settle for what i can get/cook in finland. some of the food i enjoyed in march:

semolina porridge with blueberries and raspberries. cereal latte.
im one of those people that do not leave home without having breakfast. it gives me energy to start a day and quite often it is the biggest meal i eat during a day.

apple juice.
there is always apple juice in my fridge.

spinach soup with finnish barely flatbread.
when i was a kid i ate a soup every single day. i hated it. now i eat soups quite seldom but i enjoy it quite much. oh and that bread is my fave finnish bread.

carrot citrus juice.
if you know me well enough, you know im crazy about carrot juice.

polish pickled cucumbers.
in poland we eat a lot of pickles. every summer my mom makes several kinds of cucumber pickles, paprika pickles, mushroom pickles and cabbage pickles. i miss those a lot. don't get me started how awful finnish pickles are.

mac&cheeze.
tried to make it for the first time last month and now it's one of my favourite dishes.

onigri with self marinated tofu.
perfect food for lunch box. so easy to make!

apple crumble with vanilla sauce.
there is still some left in the kitchen ^____^

this month i have been trying to eat a bit more healthy. i eat 5 small meals a day, drink a lot of water and i try to resist eating after 6pm. i can see that my skin is already getting better!

some of my favourite food blogs are:
vegan yum yum
have cake, will travel
orangette
101 cookbooks
eating asia
chocochili (in finnish)
maangchi (korean food)

what food blogs would you recommend?

2010-02-18T03:54:00.002+09:00

today while cleaning my hard drive i stumbled across photos from my trip to japan back in may 2008 that i took with film camera. they made me miss japan, traveling, world without snow and film.

2010-02-14T20:31:00.002+09:00

in finland the valentine's day is actually called friend's day. i must say that i like it this way more. im thankful for every single friend i have in my life. those that are near, far and not here anymore. they surely deserve a celebration day. thank you for being who you are. ♥

hope everyone has a nice sunday. im curing my flu with some tea and cookies.

2010-02-14T03:13:00.002+09:00

two thousand and ten has been quite a rough year already and not even two months are through. today is the lunar new year and i hope it will bring change for better. to celebrate the new year i made a korean rice cake soup. according to tradition eating a bowl of this soup makes you one year older. happy lunar new year everyone!

ps. im so happy to have so many new readers. im excited to read all your blogs. ♥

2010-01-13T23:41:00.002+09:00

it's the time for hoar frost.

2010-01-13T05:58:00.002+09:00

hello in 2010. i had a pleasant end of 2009 and i think im still stuck in that year. i visited berlin which was a lovely city. i want to go back there when it is warm enough to be outside without freezing your fingers each time you want to press shutter button.

2009-12-14T08:03:00.002+09:00

suddenly the temperature dropped to -15°C (=5°F) which also made the clouds disappear. being outside in such weather makes me feel alive and fresh.

2009-12-14T07:59:00.002+09:00

best snack in 2009
goes to purely decadent ice creams. can't resist them. there were days that i even had them for breakfast. i love trying new food and when i travel, visiting supermarket is equally (or even more) exciting than seeing the sights.

what do you eat when you crave for something sweet?

2009-12-07T05:14:00.002+09:00

hello december. i've been waiting for you. i want to use this month to reflect on 2009. i was thinking of making one big post about 10 best things that happened this year but instead i decided to take this challange. i won't do it all but for sure i will answer some.

best trip in 2009
i still have two trips coming this year but i think they won't be able to top the road trip i did with my husband in june in korea. we traveled for a few days in jeollanam-do which is south of south korea. driving in seoul is one big nightmare but as soon as you leave seoul vicinity roads are empty. my favourite part was driving through the mountain tunnels. being inside a mountain is quite a thing.

what was your best trip in 2009?

2009-11-16T06:11:00.003+09:00

in one month i am going to travel to poland to spend christmas holidays with my family. i can honestly say that i love my hometown, wroclaw, to the bits. today a friend sent me a link with some photos of wroclaw before wars. i will post more recent ones after my trip.

2009-11-09T06:02:00.002+09:00

it was a nice weekend. and im ready for next week (and more snow)!

keep warm.

2009-10-30T06:36:00.002+09:00

busy days. in a good way though. i promised myself i will go to sleep today before midnight. i still have 20 minutes left.

i hope your day has been lovely. good night.

2009-10-26T02:27:00.002+09:00

it has been sunny yesterday which gave me loads of energy but it seems i used all of it for studying. im alone fore a week so i will use this time to organize some things and do all the items from my to do list.

for a lovely autumn evening i recommend AnnaEmilia's new website and blog.

2009-10-23T23:30:00.002+09:00

it's finals time so i'm going to spend my weekend in books. but that's okay. i'm also making a list of things i want to make after exams are over. there are some overdue packages to be sent and bday gifts to be made. making plans is always good.

2009-10-12T05:04:00.001+09:00

sunday on my own at home. trying to fight my flu with tea and raspberries.

2009-10-08T16:01:00.002+09:00

i don't dare to complain about crappy weather this autumn because my summer was so nice that it's enough that i think of it and i feel warm.

i know that photo blogs are dominated by girls but there are a few good guys blogging as well. some of my faves are: Aron, Brian and Johan.

2009-10-01T06:44:00.002+09:00

i spent whole day procrastinating. i wanted to do one school assignment today but just couldn't get myself to do it. then at 10pm i suddenly started doing it. i think i work better under pressure. tomorrow i will try to be more productive.

totally by surprise, the first snow has fallen down today. a bit too fast i'd say.

2009-09-21T02:44:00.002+09:00

yesterday i made with a friend steamed buns with red bean filling. i also went to a club concert which was really nice and reminded me of my late teen years when i was going to gigs very often. today i slept until noon which is really unusual for me. the day is way too short if you wake up so late.

2009-09-14T14:56:00.002+09:00

Mondays are the longest days at university: 11am - 9pm. Therefore, I make sure that the morning is lazy :) There is a cute fog and only 9°C outside. Time to dig out wrist warmers, scarf and a hat. Have an excellent week!

Oh, and this is my 100th post.

2009-09-02T22:48:00.002+09:00

hello september. today was really sunny and warm. perfect for a walk with my sister who is visiting me. it's last week of my holidays so i'm just being lazy and getting ready for university.

i'm waiting for autumn, thick cardigans, wrist and leg warmers and apple pies!

2009-08-29T02:28:00.002+09:00

those of you who know me in real life know that i'm rather a tomboish girl. i choose flats over heels and hardly ever put any make up. on top of that, i've never been friends with many girls and i haven't had girlfriends. until recent. it is new experience to me to have gf's with whom i can have make up evenings, cook delicious food, giggle about cute boys, take photos in shopping bag and sing the most cheesy songs in karaoke room. i only wish they would live closer. i can't complain though as from tomorrow we all three will live in neighboring countries :)

2009-08-25T17:13:00.003+09:00

august 4th, wandering in seoul with S on a hot and humid afternoon.
in korea it is easy to take pictures. almost everyone carries some sort of camera and people don't really care why and what you're taking picture of. it is sort of like a trend over there. in finland, on the other hand, it is the opposite. whenever i pull my camera out to take a photo i feel like everyone around stares as if photography was reserved only for tourists. i wonder why it is like that.

2009-08-20T20:28:00.002+09:00

i'm back in finland. the last two weeks in south korea have been amazing. i'm tired and i have no power to unpack.

i have two weeks before academic year starts. i should get my pens and notebooks ready :)

2009-08-01T14:41:00.003+09:00

i've always liked august. the heat is calming down and days are more enjoyable. the evenings are still warm yet you can feel that autumn is coming soon. i have two weeks left in korea. i will make sure to get best out of them.

2009-07-27T23:44:00.002+09:00

today was one of those days when nothing really happened but i was in a good mood and smiling all the time.

in eleven minutes it is going to be already tomorrow. hopefully as good as today. good night.

2009-07-26T19:32:00.002+09:00

oz's kitchen. randomly picked pizzeria in samcheong dong that turned out to be fully vegetarian (vegan by request). what a luck! the place was really cozy. i had mushroom spaghetti. yum.

2009-07-26T10:48:00.002+09:00

i've never lived in a dormitory until this summer. i was quite excited about it and i imagined i would have the best roommate ever and we would become bff. the reality turned out to be quite the opposite. im really thankful to sony for their noise cancellation earphones. despite all the downsides, i enjoy this experience (especially now when my roommate moved out). my favorite part of dorm life are night talks on the roof with quite a nice view over suwon city.

welcome to my room.

it's very small and there is no intimacy whatsoever. my bed is on the left.

the other side of my room. two beds, two desks, two closets. that's it.

the kitchen. my room is right opposite to it. i don't get people that cook at 2 a.m. and don't bother to close the door.

the fridge is always full.

all the food has to be labeled or otherwise it will be thrown away by cleaning ladies.

the washroom.

next time i would choose 4-bed-room. the rooms are bigger and it sounds like more fun.

2009-07-20T08:56:00.002+09:00

my new hobby is to wander around on streets of seoul and discover new places.

there are a few areas in seoul which i truly love. one of them is samcheongdong. the place is full of little cafes, art galleries, boutiques and street vendors. perfect place to spend your sunday afternoon with friends.

2009-06-29T09:43:00.002+09:00

last week i took a road trip to the southern part of the south korea. i was surprised how different it was compared to seoul. the sky was everyday blue, the traffic was okay and there was much less people. and mountains. there were mountains everywhere! in one village where i stayed overnight, at 4 am a song was played to wake up everybody. the day starts there a bit earlier. people had much darker skin and often didn't cover themselves from the sun as much as in seoul. they were also very friendly and kind. it was a really nice experience.

2009-06-25T20:31:00.002+09:00

the first 10 days in south korea has passed so fast. it feels good to be back here but i needed some days to readjust. there are so many people here. only in seoul there are 3 times more people than in whole finland. im eating so much! the food is just too good here. last four days i spent traveling around in the small cities and villages. it was really good experience. more about it in the next post.

(im trying to catch up with reading everyone's blogs but my google reader still says that i have over 380 unread blog posts...)

2009-06-14T13:50:00.002+09:00

tomorrow i'm going to south korea! it will be my third visit. i'll spend there 8 weeks traveling and studying. i'm excited to see old and new places and to be an exchange student. it will be my first time living in dormitory. i hope i will have nice roommate(s). but foremost i can't wait to see my friends. i've missed them too much.

this will be a tremendous summer.

2009-06-05T01:47:00.002+09:00

yesterday i spent half of my day reading blogs of people who have left their jobs and homes and went to travel around the world. their stories were amazing but at the same time i felt a bit sad. i felt like they are living their lives to the fullest and i'm just at home sitting and studying. my life is so static right now.

the above pictures are from my last year travels. last year i have visited 10 countries. this year none so far. but that's about to change in two weeks.

2009-06-01T21:26:00.002+09:00

resolutions for summer:
-spend more time outside
-move more
-do all the things i wanted to do but i didnt have time for
-eat more healthy

i'm a bit sad because this year i will totally miss strawberry season. -.- i will eat plenty of melons though :)

2009-05-29T15:10:00.002+09:00

this has been a really hard working week. this weekend is going to be full of sun, friends, planning, holga, good food, swimming in a lake, and unfortunately good byes as well.

happy weekend.

2009-05-18T04:28:00.002+09:00

oh dear. that was a weird weekend. loads of ups and downs. surprisingly, it seems i got my motivation back. so maybe next week won't be full of procrastinating.

i've seen three movies during last four days: sideways(usa), lovers&leavers(fin, kuutamolla) and peppermint candy(kor, 박하사탕). from these three i liked the finnish movie the most. i would like to see more finnish movies.

2009-05-15T21:30:00.002+09:00

recently, lack of money made me think a bit more creative. i like doing things with my hands but perhaps i'm not that good at it. lately, i also lack ideas and motivation. the other day i went for a walk and took the camera with me and felt totally blank. i really wanted to take good pictures but nothing seemed right.

today i made too salty lunch. luckily, it was just for myself.

2009-04-29T01:16:00.001+09:00

days are getting longer and so is my hair. the sun shines stronger too.
making summer plans makes me really happy.

2009-04-21T16:17:00.002+09:00

i woke up at 7 am and went for one hour walk, came home and was about to start stretching when a postman brought a bag full of lollipops for me. life is sweet sometimes.

2009-04-16T14:59:00.002+09:00

good morning. have a nice day.

2009-04-15T18:20:00.000+09:00

me&satu heart this.

2009-04-14T00:46:00.003+09:00

two good movies i have seen this weekend: into the wild and the visitors. made me think a lot.

2009-03-21T23:50:00.003+09:00

What is your current obsession?
F4.

What are you wearing right now?
Grey hood, grey tshirt, red sport pants.

Do you nap a lot?
I used to.

Who was the last person you hugged?
Minhye.

If you were a tree, what tree would you be?
Ginko tree.

What's for dinner?
Buckwheat with veggies.

What was the last thing you bought?
Groceries: salad, tomatoes, apples, tofu, soymilk, pasta, weetabix, porridge, bread, juice, nuts.

What are you listening to right now?
The humming of my laptop and wind oustide the window.

What is your favourite weather?
Like on a summer evening after a hot day.

What's on your beside table?
Humidifier, book, envelope and bday gift for a friend.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?
Somewhere in mountains.

Favourite vacation spot?
I like to explore new places so somewhere where I haven't been to yet.

Name the things you can't live without.
My hubby, my family and friends, food. I'm pretty sure I'd do just fine without anything else.

What is your favourite tea flavour?
Recently, I drink a lot green tea. Omijacha is good too.

What would you like to get rid of?
Snow outside the window.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Pretoria, South Africa.

Who would you like to get stuck in a lift with?
Lee Minho.

2009-03-19T03:26:00.002+09:00

today i took a book and went to read it in cafe. it felt good.

2009-03-13T19:33:00.002+09:00

it's already mid march and i'm still hiding at home. sporadically going out. before the month ends, i want to sew curtains, make a book, plant some plants, frame posters and photographs and cut my hair. in fact, all i really need to do is to stop procrastinating.

song for march: Feist - One Evening.

2009-03-02T00:51:00.003+09:00

yesterday i learnt how to make my ever favourite finnish food: karjalanpiirakka (karelian pies). the pies are made with rye crust and rice porridge filling. i could live in finland just for them.

2009-02-16T05:07:00.002+09:00

one thing i don't like about school is homework. it ruins my weekends easily.

2009-02-12T04:30:00.002+09:00

today my cancelled classes resulted in a winter walk. suddenly, i have noticed that it is not dark at 3 pm anymore. im longing for sun and blue sky though.

i feel like i have been neglecting everyone and everything. i haven't been writing much comments nor sending emails. i blame it on studying a lot and watching korean dramas~~

2009-02-01T21:12:00.001+09:00

i love stationery. sometimes, if i don't control myself i can really end up spending loads of money on it. south korea is the obvious winner as for the design and availability of nice stationery. some of my favourite korean brands include: o-check, mmmg and ssba. i also appreciate hand made stationery made by small companies such as lovelydesign. for last christmas as a gift for myself i bought the above journey book. it is really precious and i'm planning to use it as a travel diary. i wish i could own a stationery shop or company!

2009-01-30T20:46:00.002+09:00

blueberry vanilla pancakes made my lunch today. it's sunny and i wish it was +13 and not -13 degrees. im overloaded with school work and pretty stressed about it. february will be even more busy at school. i hope this weekend i will have a bit of free time and try to learn cross country skiing. i think i would enjoy this sport a lot.

january seemed really long and february is hard to pronounce.

2009-01-16T01:40:00.002+09:00

im always excited to start new semester. mostly because of new notebooks and pens. it is like starting a new chapter. things are unknown and i'm anxious to learn what will happen. this semester started quite fine but also really fast. i already have plenty of assignments and projects. i have fridays off and i plan to use it for homeworks so that one day of the weekend is purely for relaxing.

i have also started black and white photography course. i had only one class but already i heart darkroom. my hands were really shaking when i had to mix the chemicals but i managed quite well. i can't wait the next class.

i know that everyone is wishing for a real winter but i wish the spring comes soon. like tomorrow.

2009-01-05T04:04:00.002+09:00

new year, new wishes and new hopes. i hope that this year i will be less lazy. i have a couple of things on my mind and i hope i will have enough inspiration to implement them.

+ great friends near and far
+ sunshine and -15 degrees
+ new calendar
+ raspberry vanilla jam

- dry lips
- muscle ache and cramps
- not being able to travel

2008-12-15T19:50:00.004+09:00

i miss studying in cafes in seoul. i really loved the atmosphere in them and i could easily switch off and focus on what i was supposed to do.

im two assignments away from holidays. i cant focus and i lack of inspiration. it makes me frustrated.

i need glasses. my eyes are sore almost each day.

2008-12-01T22:22:00.003+09:00

im happy that december has started. everyone keeps saying that time flies. i don't agree. for me this year has been the longest of all. i feel like i lived five years during this year. i'm exhausted but in a good way. i hope in december i can rest a bit.

oh, and there is something nice to look forward to each day. thanks to hanna's advent calendar.

2008-11-17T21:14:00.004+09:00

We often go out pacing
When all I want to do is stay inside and lookout the window...

i'm having an ordinary monday but it feels so good. i have been studying finnish, watching the snow, listening to seabear. i cooked udong for lunch and drank cranberry green tea. nothing special but oh so nice.

2008-10-24T19:59:00.002+09:00

2008-10-10T20:19:00.002+09:00

last weekend i ate too many sweet things so i decided that this week is totally sugar free week. since monday i haven't eaten anything that contains sugar (not counting natural sugar in fruits). it is hard to believe though, how many things do contain sugar. for example it was impossible to find some cereals that don't contain any kind of sweetener. finding a juice without sugar was also challenging but i did manage to find such. i feel so much better being sugar free. i don't think i will stay like this forever but for sure till the end of the week or even month! so yeah, next saturday is not a candy day.

on the other note i was pretty sad when i woke up today and opened the curtains just to find out that all the leaves have fallen down. it reminded me of the same view that i experienced in korea in december (photo above).

2008-10-05T00:58:00.001+09:00

saturday is a candy day.

2008-09-30T21:42:00.002+09:00

just came back from university. i drank cereal coffee with soymilk and ate some nuts with dried fruits for energy.

yesterday i went to book store to find a birthday gift for my god daughter and among all children's books i found the above book with illustrations by Katja Tukiainen. i already have some of her books so it will be perfect for my collection. besides children's finnish is my level of finnish.

2008-09-29T01:54:00.002+09:00

i used to have a plan. it didn't work out. the back-up plan wasn't as nice as the real plan. i'm stucked in the back-up plan and not sure what to do. if i plan and it doesn't work out i will be disappointed again. these days i think and rethink too many things.

2008-09-24T19:03:00.003+09:00

my today's lunch.
ginger-apple-carrot soup.
so simple to make, so delicious to eat.

the post was inspired by lolo's tutorial on food photography. i have still loads to learn but it was fun playing (my soup almost got cold).

2008-09-17T17:47:00.003+09:00

today i gave up and stopped pretending that it is still summer. i wore proper jacket, scarf, hat and mittens. i still felt chilly while biking to the university though.

things i like about autumn:
- fog in the morning
- freshness in the air
- blue sky (i don't experience it in finland though)
- apples and carrots
- mittens
- thick tights and skirts

2008-09-02T20:39:00.002+09:00

the above picture is taken by my brother. he is turning 30 years old today. until i was 15 i shared the same room with him and my sister. we fought quite a lot and couldn't find a common language. luckly we grew up and realized how neat it is to have sibilings.

i think he takes amazing pictures. you can see them here

2008-08-30T03:56:00.002+09:00

i had a nice time in helsinki but now im back in joensuu. it's so cold. today it was only 11 degrees and the trees are already turning yellow. i should enjoy this time before the dark days come. i think i will go to pick up mushrooms this weekend. hmm my life in finland is much different than in korea.

2008-08-27T06:32:00.002+09:00

whenever i go to poland i rethink what friendship is. 6 years ago, i left all the friends here and moved to finland. it was really difficult to lose such wonderful people. i didn't know how to keep up long distance friendship and i did some stupid mistakes. however, each time i'm back, i meet my old friends and we have brilliant time together. we talk, laugh and cry... just like nothing has changed. now i know that you can have real friends and you don't need to be in constant contact with them.

above picture presents the district my parents live and i used to live.

2008-08-22T19:52:00.002+09:00

spending a few days in poland and eating fresh berries. thinking a lot and perhaps even too much. it feels weird to understand perfectly what people say around you. i think i'd prefer not knowing those conversations.

2008-08-18T02:58:00.002+09:00

i wanted to post something about coming back to finland but nah. my thoughts are unorganized and i don't know how to feel right now.

instead i will write a little about pop bands in korea. they're young, pretty, temporary with a couple of english words here and there. last fall there were two bands that made a breakthrough namely wonder girls and big bang.

big bang - 빅뱅 - is 5 cute boys which are 17-20 years old. they like to say that they're hiphop band but i think they don't have much to do with it. the most known song of big bang is called lies.

wonder girls - 원더걸스 - are the female version of big bang but just a little bit younger. they are very pretty and i guess they already have some plastic surgeries behind them. honestly speaking i can't distinguish the girls. to me they all look the same. the most known song is called tell me. all my students knew the dance from the video.

they have a newer song with their new more sexy image called so hot. the new image of wonder girls causes a lot of discussion as the girls should still be in high school...

it's not my kind of music but lies and tell me will always remind of me fall 2007.

2008-08-13T01:32:00.002+09:00

one year in korea is over.
i can't believe this is it.
it is unfair to say goodbye.

2008-08-04T22:07:00.002+09:00

hi hello from hong kong. it is almost the end of the trip and i feel so sad about it. i dont want to face the reality. im having great time and i love traveling to the bits. today i bumped into a swedish couple that we met in cambodia. the world is tiny.

tomorrow i will meet my long time lj friend/penpal for the first time in real life. im so excited.

2008-07-07T19:15:00.004+09:00

hello from phnom penh. it is humid and sticky. just a moment ago we had a rain shower but it didn't help much. cambodia is definitely different than any other country i have visited before. angkor temples were the most impressive thing i have ever seen. s-21 museum was very shocking and reminded me of auschwitz. the difference is that it was done by cambodians to cambodians.

we have plenty of fun and try to enjoy every moment of it. i want to live in a country where 1kg of mangos costs 1 USD (if you haggle you may get it cheaper)!! so far we had mostly good experiences. the bad experience was only when an evil monkey tried to bite teemu's leg! oh, and i fell from the stairs in one of the angkor temples which ended up in small wounds, bruises here and there and slightly broken lens.

tomorrow we are going to vietnam. i hope we will spend some more time in nature there as im dreaming about diving into the ocean.

random highlights of the trip so far:
-fresh and cheap fruits! so far i like dragon fruit the most
-fresh juice
-cheap accommodation (so far we didn't pay more than 7$ per night for a room)
-unfortunately, this means you have to sleep with lizards in your room
-if you leave any food open in your room it will be full of ants
-public aerobic in front of shopping mall, everyone can join, i didnt
-food is so good
-however, vegetarian food contains oyster and fish sauce
-riding tuk-tuk (motor trailer taxi?) is fun
-foreigner cannot walk for 5m without being asked if she/he needs tuk-tuk ride
-you can haggle for everything and you can get more than a half discount on everything (im shy to haggle but teemu is so good at it!)

2008-07-01T00:21:00.002+09:00

it's time to move forward. tomorrow we start our over one month trip to south east asia. on the list there are thailand, cambodia, vietnam, laos, malaysia and hong kong. we have no specified plans and arrangments. all we have are our backpacks and open minds.

see you later.

2008-06-16T08:45:00.004+09:00

being vegan makes me more aware of what i eat. i like food. i like trying out new things. i like dining out but i also like to cook. the above pictures are from Jeombongsan Mountain Vegetable Village in Sokcho, South Korea. i think it is the best meal i have had in korea. it consisted of various mushrooms and plants that grow in mountains. the most interesting mushroom was black mushroom that grows on stones. i have also liked the pickled garlic leaves. on the pictures you can see only half of the food that was served. for desert there was omija tea. this all costed only 8 euros per person.

2008-06-12T10:20:00.002+09:00

summer in the city. it's getting really hot and humid. we escaped for a few days to seoraksan national park and east sea. the water was a bit too cold to swim though. i think it was one of the best times i had in korea.

2008-06-04T22:57:00.002+09:00

my day today.

6:30 am. the day started sunny and warm. taking bus from suwon to seoul.

7:16 am. arriving to gangnam station in seoul.

7:20 am. taking metro.

7:31 am. arriving to seollung station.

7:48 am. arriving to work.

12:03 pm. going for lunch with youngdoo. i had barely bibimbap.

2:47 pm. brainstorming with juni and youngdoo on work project.

4:32 pm. it started to rain.

5:03 pm. leaving work and taking metro to gangnam station.

5:34 pm. meeting teemu and hyojin in gangnam for dinner.

5:57 pm. having dinner in tofu house.

2008-06-03T11:10:00.003+09:00

i have a huge red pimple on my forehead and it is my biggest problem right now (well i have some other serious problems but i refuse to deal with them). i tired to apply toothpaste on it for a night but it didn't help much. my skin got so much worse during last 10 months due to heavy pollution and spicy food.

in one month im homeless and jobless but im going to be a traveler so i guess it is okay. i made a list of places i want to visit before going back home:
- Seoraksan national park and east sea (june 6-8)
- DMZ (june 14)
- Namsan tower (i can't believe i haven't been there yet)
- SOMA and LEEUM museums
- Insadong (i went there once on sunday but there was too much people. i have to go there on a week day when it is less crowded)
- Carribean bay (just because it was so much fun two years ago)

oh, and finnair was selling on a weekend return tickets to seoul for only 399 euro! i was tempt to buy it as a christmas gift but i should really go to poland then. :)

2008-05-30T14:18:00.002+09:00

i love the cafe culture in korea. in seoul there are plenty of nice little cafes with a cute interior, nice music, good light food and drinks. i find them really relaxing. i like to go there with friends but also i like to go there alone and study or read a book. each cafe has an own personality. they feel warm, comfortable and cozy. it seems like the life slows down when you're there.

one day i would like to own such little cafe with the best teas, self made pies, wooden tables and mismatching chairs.

2008-05-28T08:51:00.002+09:00

oh no! my computer is broken. -_- i have not included in my budget to buy a new laptop now but it seems like i might be forced to do it. the good thing is, that suddenly my evenings are not that short and i managed to do quite a few things.

the summer is here and so are the first mosquitoes.

2008-05-18T19:49:00.002+09:00

4 things i did today today:
-i walked in the rain
-i cooked fresh potatoes
-i made travel plans
-i bought bran flakes

2008-05-15T13:36:00.001+09:00

Japan was mountains, vivid green, breathtaking views, dreaming, wandering around, sun beams, sea, island, onsen, lovely friends, taking silly photos, breakfast in a park, evening walks, little streets, houses I want to live in, hidden temples, walking till feet hurt, fast trains, flavored soy milk, dears, making plans, delicious vegan food, hiking, ice creams at midnight, onigri, sunshine at 5am, interesting architecture, craft books, discovering, laughing, forgetting problems, enjoying, loving.

2008-05-02T10:16:00.000+09:00

"Memories make the world home"

Brian Andreas
Traveling Light

2008-04-30T22:27:00.006+09:00

korea has some of the nicest people in the world. being a westerner with blond hair is sometimes challenging as i always stand out. i cannot just blend into the crowd. everyday i meet strangers who say hello to me or come to talk with me just because i look different. they are curious where i am from and why i chose korea as my destination. most of the time it is a pleasant experience and i always try to be nice even if im having bad day. however, i do refuse to speak with men who offer me "a free" lift in their fancy cars.

here are some pictures of nice people that i met one april saturday in hongdae. lovely people.

this post just made me realize that i do not have enough pictures of my korean friends. i have to take more pictures.

2008-04-29T22:20:00.003+09:00

I did it. I booked the tickets to go back home.
The Korean adventure ends on August 13th.
I have mixed feelings about it.

2008-04-27T20:35:00.004+09:00

so yesterday was my birthday and the day was really nice even though it started with the visit to ER. i got an ear infection and the previous night i couldn't sleep as it was hurting a lot. i got some antibiotics (it seems like in Korea they give it for anything) and now the ear pain is almost gone.

then it was time for a little celebration. i had quite unsual bday cake which was made of rice and pumpkin. it was very delicious and it looked like this:

(im sorry that the picture is a bit unsharp but everyone was too eager to eat and i wasn't able to take a better shot).
i have also got too many gifts and i really felt spoiled. the celebration ended in jimjilbang.

thank you for remembering me. xoxo.

2008-04-26T18:19:00.003+09:00

happy birthday to my sister. she is simply the best sister in the world.

2008-04-25T08:54:00.002+09:00

gangnam at 7:30 am

friday has again suprised me with arriving so fast. in the morning i woke up before 6 because there was first spring thunderstorm. im so happy that hubby is back as otherwise id be scared to death. two days ago i went to stretching classes and they were so intensive that my body was so sore that i got fever. today i feel better and i plan to go to stretching again.

for lunch im having four grain porridge with fresh strawberries. yay!

2008-04-22T21:55:00.003+09:00

it's a rainy day and it actually suits my mood. im sad and angry that i blindly trust in people and in what they say. i guess i could only blame myself and it is myself that i should be disappointed at.

Pitäisi mennä nukkumaan
ulkona satelee...

2008-04-18T16:47:00.003+09:00

taken by YoungDoo. she is super talented and lovely person.

2008-04-17T12:55:00.004+09:00

i think it is above 25 degrees outside. the sun is strong and it just feels like summer. korean women are aready hiding under their sun umbrellas.

only 4 months are left in korea. that's very little. right now im focusing on doing things that i always wanted to do in korea but never got a chance to. so last weekend i bought some nice korean music. korean music is too much influenced by pop but you can also find some really good bands. i enjoyed the cds i bought a lot.

yesterday i made a mix cd for a friend of mine and i had loads of fun while making it. let me know if you'd like a mix cd from me too and i will gladly make it for you.

2008-04-16T08:06:00.002+09:00

do you know this feeling, when you go out early in the morning and the city is still calm, not much traffic or people around and it's a bit chilly but you can feel that it is going to be a lovely warm day?

i felt that today.

2008-04-14T21:43:00.003+09:00

street art, hongdae, seoul.

i'm tired today
+ㅁ+

2008-04-11T21:23:00.003+09:00

the thing that i love the most in korea is that everyday i discover and learn something new. not only i get to know the culture, places and people but also i get to know myself.

2008-04-05T22:07:00.009+09:00

today i went for a walk to suwon market. i think korea wouldn't be korea without its markets. you can buy there everything. literally.

bags, every shape, size and colour.

enamel shoes are a must in korea right now.

sun hats for ajumma(=old woman). not a single sun beam can go through them.

i like that in korea there are more butiques than chain shops where all the clothes are the same.

funny socks. they are extremely cheap. 1 pair costs 500 Won (=0,30€ or $0.50)

more pictures on my flickr.

2008-03-30T22:25:00.004+09:00

just to prove you that the spring is here.
taken by hubby.

2008-03-29T18:18:00.004+09:00

the spring is here and love is all around. the first flowers are already in bloom and the streets get prettier with every day.

meanwhile, i try to do and see as much as possible. i feel that i wasted some time here. the last fall was so difficult for me with being sick constantly for four months. if i could turn back time i'd spend it much different. i cant believe that in two days it is already april... from now on, im going to spend my time much wiser.

tomorrow i may buy myself a new lens for my digital camera. im thinking of buying a prime standard lens (nikkor 50mm/1.4). the brand new costs here about 160 euro while in finland it is over 300 euro. i have been thinking also of a zoom lens but i have never been a big fan of zoom lenses and they cost fortune. im really excited about it.

hubby most probably will go to finland soon for about 2 weeks. i will stay here on my own. when i found out i started thinking of all the things i want from finland but honestly there is nothing that id miss so much. so perhaps i'll ask just for porridge and some dried fruits as they're extremely expensive here.

okay, im off to meet some friends and eat dinner in traditional korean house. im going to have organic 순두부 (soft tofu soup).

2008-03-20T22:23:00.003+09:00

this week has been busy but nice. i met some friends that i haven't seen for a while. i have also discovered new places in seoul. i have been to the nicest cafe ever. i drank there raspberry tea.

today i have bought tights (just ordinary ones) and the package says (original spelling):
"You won't believe how comfortable it holds your hips up and reforms your body shape. It makes the line of logs look long and pretty. It makes your hips tightly without being seen the line of short legs."
don't you just love konglish??