Fed Up With Winter.. Longing For Summer Even If It Is Cloudy And Rainy. Took These Last Year In Kuopio

International Women’s Day ♀

Getting to know my new home city vol2. 

And...more!

17 things that change forever when you live abroad

If you've ever lived abroad ortraveled for a long time, you probably know what these 17 things are all about.

Simply divine piece of text, which every word is true! 

Wonderful as it is...

Happy One-month-in-Canada- Anniversary to me! Holiday is officially over and I'm back to everyday duties. Sorry guys, pics could be better but haven't taken any "cool" ones lately :)

Job hunting has started quite nicely. I was super-afraid of the language barrier in my French skills cause I knew that if there’s a quebécois speaker I’m screwed! But so far things have gone well and I’ve got some positive vibes from the places I’ve stopped by.  I’m waiting news during this week but I’m still gonna keep looking just in case the “positive vibe” wasn’t as mutual as I thought. Coming from Europe where jobs are dying out as we speak I find it positively refreshing to see “hiring” signs. In general there are a lot to choose from if you’re not too picky.    

Otherwise the language situation is going allright. I find myself knowing more French than what I give mysef credit for. Writing and reading I can manage and depending on the accent I even understand what people are saying to me. But still gotta admit that québecois accent is a tricky one! I’m counting on that future job of mine to improve my comprehension orale.  I won’t take any classes though cause I feel that all I need is just practical training.

(Palais du Congrès, MTL) 

Building my social circle has been a more complicated process than what I originally planned.. not that I’ve been lonely but breaking through the friendship zone has proven to be more difficult than what I expected. During these weeks I’ve met lots of people, every time different ones, mainly through Couchsurfers, Facebook and Meetup-groups. Every time it’s been definitely interesting, sometimes even fun and more importantly rewarding especially when you happen to meet someone you’re on a same level mentally. Though it is getting exhausting to tell your story and explains the same things over and over again.

 I tend to end up with “outsiders” (tourists, people outside of Québec and Canada) like myself mainly because is natural to meet people who are or have gone through somewhat same things as I am now. Even the locals I’ve met have been originally from somewhere else. Slowly but surely I guess. :) 

I’ve also started going to the gym again. The one I go to, is a bit far, 40min by metro but it’s really cheap 140$ for a year incl. most of the group classes they offer as well. And the best thing is that there’s a separate sections for men and women. Lots of different equipments, not the newest ones I gotta admit but I’ll definitely get my work out done there. Here’s the website if anyone’s interested http://www.aerobieplus.ca/fr/

Not that I’m exactly suffering from a homesickness but while paying the rent a few days ago I started suddenly appreciate the online banking system we have in Finland. It might have been also me but online paying didn’t exactly work out so I had to write a cheque – the very first in my life! And I had to google it how to write one cause I’ve never even hold a such piece of paper in my hand before. The things you learn while living abroad! :)

Within a week I’ll be moving to my new room! Finally. It’s a bit bigger and there’s a proper window. My current room is okay, but it’s too small and especially now when it’s been so hot, the skylight window isn’t exactly my thing. Besides when it rains, the sound is is super loud and it could wake even the dead up from their graves. I have to change the building as well but it’s just at next door so I won’t mind. I still consider finding this place as an incredible stroke of luck. The location, price, interior and everything has been perfect so far.

I’m so looking forward to the fall which I think is finally coming :)

One of the most intagrammable place in Portugal, Costa Nova can be reached by bus from Aveiro. I believe these houses are air bnb use but not many locals live in these. 

This is definitely one time visit thing. The houses were cute and it was more than just a couple houses (surprised by the amount) but they didn’t feel real and everything screamed for touristic in my opinion. 

Visited my hometown with a friend and a camera. This is what I got in black and white.

Time is a Purchase

Allô!

How people do this five-days-working-week I'll never know! Been super busy again.. Pics aren't really great since they aren't mine but haven't had the time to go through the ones in my camera yet... #nextpostpromise

At work things are going well. Obviously since I haven't had the time to write this post earlier. Still tons of things I don’t know… but within time I guess. Despite of the fact that I’m on call employee shifts have been coming in every day Mon-Fri almost for two weeks now which I’m super happy and relieved about. The shifts vary between 7AM to midnight. But I have nothing against that cause I’m used to not to have a nine-to-five job. The change suits me.

Done a lot of just basic game testing but also some translations. Both have their pro’s and cons. But the coolest or the nicest thing at this job has nothing to do with the video games but with the people who work there.  Even being one of the hundreds of employees I can still feel like being a part of a team. People are super friendly and helpful and even thou they might not remember your name but they say hello to you while passing by and ask how you’re doing or which project you’re working on now.  Gotta say that, one of the best working atmospheres I’ve ever worked in. So far. 

There are obviously a lot of Canadians/quebecois but also people from all over the globe. Making friends happens pretty naturally. English is used more as a “working language” but French is terribly common too. So far I’ve been the only Finn in the house but there should be a couple of more starting soon which is nice as long as that doesn’t affect on my working hours. Hoping that the things keep on going the way they have so far.

(Tubing!! - Pic from VisitezMTL)

Meanwhile when I haven’t been working, I’ve been doing all sorts of super fun canadian winter activities which could easily be finnish winter activities too I guess. So far been on a ferris wheel, eaten maple-syrup-taffy-pops (check the pic in my previous post), done tubing and skating which the later was the first time for a decade! And I did not even fall! Winter outdoor stuff has been more fun than what I remembered. Those of you reading this and being afraid of northern winter weather, I can assure you that the snow and cold have their moments! As long as you dress up properly.  

Also despite of my lack-of-enthusiasm for ice hockey I dared to go out and watch the match CanVSFin. I gotta admit that there was a quite nice and inspiring atmosphere. Three finnish girls against the entire sport bar full of canadians. Finland didn’t win but I still had a great time and the closest experience I think I’ll ever get to the canadian-hockey-mania. #mtlmoments

(Damn..... )

For the first time during my stay here in Montréal, I finally feel like I belong in somewhere and that I’m a part of something. That my existence matters for someone or something.  I’m so glad that after all the struggles I was stubborn (read: crazy) enough to stick around and be patient. Not that I’ve been having the crappiest time of all, over here but everything feels quite right at the moment.

Even at the gallery where I popped in last Saturday for helping out with a short event, people were like “Where have you been??” since I hadn’t been in for three weeks. This feeling is a result of perfect combination of going to a work you enjoy going to and having great friends to enjoy all the fabulous things this city has to offer. And I know that there must be people out there, reading this and thinking that she must have found a boyfriend… but noup. I’m perfectly happy without one. In my opinion, there are lots of great things in life that don’t include a man. #justsaying

(Pic from VisitezMTL) 

Speaking of.. all the fabulous things that MTL offers.  Montréal en Lumière (in light) is one of the most praised events in the city. It’s been going on now for a week and its program includes everything from performing arts, gastronomy to free outdoor activities that will all culminate to La Nuit Blanche this Saturday. “The white night” will be an entire night filled with awesome activites, many of them free, all over the city – it’s seriously difficult to choose where to go! Pure AWESOMENESS!! http://www.montrealenlumiere.com/nuit-blanche-en/

I don’t know which one I’m more excited about, La Nuit Blanche this Saturday or Laura Pausini concert (this time I'm really going!) almost one week from now, which the later one I’ve decided to go after all! #futureMTLmoments

Just can't stop praising this event! #igloofest #mtlmoments