The Ruby Slippers have scuff marks

 

Never thought this day would come……

 

Been gone for 7 months and even though I had such a great time and was opened to so many new experiences as well as opportunities, I realized that you learn to miss what you have gotten tired of so many times before.

 

Traveling is probably the hardest part of the trip. Eating lamb shawarmas is probably a close second.

 

I got to the airport at 3:45am this morning. Planned on leaving the apartment at 4:15, we were just too anxious to get the day started and have a relaxing flight. (Alarm one sounds).

 

Susie and Leslie have the same flight so they leave me to SpanAir. I begin waiting in the line of nothingness which is about 40 people waiting in a closed line to the check-in counter. The teleprompter moved us to this location but it wasn’t until 5:45 did someone show up at the counter. Two lines formed quickly from the massive large one and of course the ones in the back make it to the second line quicker because of their spunk. This sets off a domino effect of squawking in Spanish; attitudes soaring. At this point, I am just standing in the midst of it; mind you, I have lost my voice on this important traveling day, and wait till the crowd dies down. Moving the lines through the other is the next logical step and is performed twice while I patiently wait.

 

Traveling fact: When two lines migrate through one another and one is stationary, where does that put you? Make sure you know that anyone that approaches the line hours after you do and run into the line perpendicular, they are automatically in that direct spot.

 

My turn in line reveals that this was the wrong line but since no one switched on the TV above the line it was easily appointed to my misdirected psychic abilities in the early morning. Moved to line 5 at 6:15 am still leaving me 30 minutes before the plane actually flew away.

 

Line 5 leaves me astray but line 6 puts my bag in professional hands. For some reason, this is what I believe to be the last time I see that bag….

 

6:35 am I run to security and run to Gate 59….last one, one floor down; naturally. I get there and of course am ridiculed by the gate operators. 6:45 am they bus (!!!!) me to my plane and I get on at 6:50 am.

 

No problems on the plane and have a seat open next to me. Creepy guy stands up to watch out my window. Tempted to close the window on the Alps to move him along.

 

Zurich’s airport offered a mall atmosphere that I missed even though the thought of shopping as well as another denomination of money upset me. I almost got tricked into buying a magazine (English, mind you!!!! Very rare to come by the last 2 months) which was 13 francs aka 9 Euros aka 13.50 U.S. dollars. Really??!! Marie Claire could just wait.

 

When checking into the flight desk I was informed that they MAY loose my bag. THEY ANNOUCNCED THEY ‘LOST MY BAG’ BEFORE IT WAS ACTUALLY LOST. Reassuring…….

 

Most of the trip was predictable….I knew I would run across C14 sometime in my life; especially on this trip.

 

America has treated me well since I have been here. Haven’t had a ‘culture shock’ but still trying to get a good night’s sleep since the time difference is almost opposite. Still looking for my bag……. Hopefully the Cosmopolitan story in Britain’s version doesn’t become too familiar. Glad to be home but ready to pick up my stuff and shift again….back to STL and finish my last 2 semesters of grad school.

 

Next mission: finish up putting some cliff note pictures of my trips on the blog. Barcelona’s semester was more condensed and the blog was pushed to the side. “Dear Diary……sorry it has been so long…..”

 

Look forward to some pics in the near future and a new STL address.

 

Glad to be back!

Many of you have been curious to my mad-patriotism for my journey back to America.

 

As you know, I put together a play list that would pump me up (ha, like I needed it) for my descent to the motherland. Each song on the play list was hand selected with care as well as placed in an order to mimic my journey as it was taking place. So here it is:

 

1. Coming to America: Neil Diamond

An old classic that takes me back to the Busch Gardens’ ice show days. With Lyrics suggesting “Everywhere around the world….they coming to America….” I just couldn’t resist this man’s over-loaded sequin personality and place this song at the top of the list. The dramatic entrance warms me up to the fact that I will be coming home; light shows and all.

 

      2. Leaving on a Jet plane: John Denver

 

Another oldie but duh; explains my situation perfectly. “I’m leaving on a   jet plane; don’t know when I will be back again.” Ain’t that the truth?!

 

      3. Been Around the World: Puff Daddy and the Family Feat. The Notorious BIG

 

                    Had to represent the O.G.

 

      4. Homecoming: Kanye West ft. Chris Martin

 

From Kanye’s Graduation recording…..”Do you think about now and then……do you think about me now and again…….now I am coming home again…”

 

     5. American Baby (Dave Matthews Band)

 

Probably the least favorite of my songs on the play list but I figured this would be when they would be serving drinks and I would have to turn down the music anyway. 

 

    6. American Boy (Estelle feat. Kanye West)

 

                    Head-bopper. Sky Mall magazine music fo’ sho’.

 

    7. American Idiot (Green Day)

 

                        Don’t mind being an American idiot…. So let’s sing it!

 

    8. American Woman (Lenny Kravitz)

 

                        Oh, Lenny. Got to get back in the mindset of an American Woman.

 

    9. White America (Eminem)

 

Despite his hardcore rapping, he is actually a proud American and so am I.   Thought it would be a good balance between Neil Diamond and John Denver. Who knows, Eminem might have sampled from them……

 

   10. American Pie (Don McLean)

 

Who really knows what this song means but it had the word ‘America’ in the title so it was a keeper…….not to mention it would take up 8 minutes and 32 seconds of my 2 leg of my 8 hour flight.

 

   11. A Whole New World (Disney’s Aladdin)

 

Don’t judge me. This one, reminds me of Florida, the world of Disney and two, the lyrics explain the bridge between the two continents. (Not to worry, there was no video on my iPod and TWO DIFFERENT people sung it!!!)

 

  12. I Believe I Can Fly (R.Kelly)

 

HaHa, somewhat of a joke. “I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky……” FIREWORKS. Hopefully at this point, the plane is still up high and on the right track.

 

  13. Fly Like Me (Chingy ft. Amerie)

 

“Been around the world and seen a lot of girls but you’ve never seen a girl look so fly like me……” Good beat; Chingy sings it how it is.

 

14. A Moment Like This (Kelly Clarkson)

 

Again, not a fan but thought I needed a song for spot 14 and figured I would get a sappy song out of the way. A good fist-pumper. Man!!!!!- I am going HOME!!!

 

15. Home (Chris Daughtry)

 

Another sappy, but this one I can handle. “I’m going home, to the place where I belong, where your love has always been enough for me…..”

 

16. America, F*** Yeah (Team America)

 

(Earmuffs). Parental advisory but probably the BEST song on the entire play list. From Team America which is a bunch of puppets dancing around. Gets into your head and pumps you up. Singer mentions random stuff that is in America and is answered with “f*** yeah.” They mention everything from Taco Bell to Bed Bath and Beyond. This song is so good it is featured in Guitar Hero.

 

 

So that is the “America” play list. The flow is awesome. Listening to it non-stop will only put me at 12 and ¾ times before I make it home…..minus the delays and layovers. If this architecture thing doesn’t work out, I think I can use my DJ abilities to take me places……just as long as I stay in the country.

Barcelona has treated us well so far. However, our studio director mentioned that it never rained and we shouldn’t bring any warm clothes because it is always cold; it of course has been rainy and a little on the cold side.

 

Our apartment is great; however, there are 3 beds and 4 of us. Do the math. Since I am used to no privacy due to my last rooming situation I am cuddling with Hala in the master bedroom. I look forward to my own bed and bedroom on my return to the States. So don’t ask for any slumber parties. They are only opened to Ruby. Trying to get an additional bed out of our landlord but that might be as possible as pronouncing the roads that are around our area. No dryer. The public knows what kind of underwear we wear. Flushing toilets, turning on the sink, or bathing, we always get an interesting firework sound.

 

Barcelona reminds me a lot of Paris. Same kind of urban fabric. A large mixture of shops and etc. The food that I have had so far is quite good. Glad to find meat here that I am not scared of like in Helsinki. So far I have had some ‘Doner’ meat. Not sure what that is and please don’t write me about it. I will play dumb until it is a needs-to-know-basis.

 

Studio started today. It is about a 15-20 minutes walk (aka .8 miles) from our apartment which will get us in shape and walk us by some awesome fresh produce markets. Tried some new fruits but not even sure what their name is. Should be in studio 5 days a week which gives me access to internet since naturally there is no internet connection in the apartment; another wonderful American amenity that holds a place in my heart.

 

Bike tour on Saturday with the class. I sense many accidents.

 

Finally found black beans.

 

 

 

    Accepting mail. Please write!!!

 

Cr. Nou de la Rambla 144, pis 4 pta 3

08004 Barcelona Spain

 

 

Helsinki is behind me…….

 

Meet the group at Paris...with some drama of course.

 

Day 1

 

1. Arrived at Paris airport from Copenhagen.
2. Waited to see if Susie’s delayed flight came in.
3. After an hour discovered that Hala’s flight came in at another terminal 20 minutes away.
4. Ham and cheese sandwich.
5. Had no way of finding Hala.
6. Opened a bag of peanut M&Ms and Hala appeared.
7. Headed back to the original terminal to find Susie.
8. Went in circles. Floor 1 not 5. No need to say more.
9. Hotel expected 3 to sleep in a twin. Moved rooms.
10. Saw Piano’s Pompidou Centre- what was he thinking?
11. Ham and Cheese sandwich.
12. Saw Notre Damn and ate the ‘best chocolate crapes’ in Paris via Megan’s suggestion.
13. Explored Paris in the rain.
14. Fell asleep at 9pm.

 

Day 2

 

1.   Hackled by hotel staff saying that we were 3 in a room for 2.

2. Opera House.
3. Taxi to Eiffel Tower with mad man.
4. Ham and cheese sandwich.
5. Spent 3 hours in line at the Eiffel Tower.
6. Laid on ground to take artistic pictures. People took pictures of us taking pictures.
7. Man pretends to stick finger in my mouth while I yawned in line.
8. Ham and cheese sandwich.
9. Louve and Arch d’Triumph.
10. Goofy pics.
11. Crossway of death aka arcade Frogger.
12. Ham and cheese sandwich.
13. Bus wrong way. “Scenic route.” 
14. Ate dinner while watching the Eiffel Tower light up.

 

Day 3

 

1. Ham and cheese omelet.
2. Metro to Versailles.
3. Lost me, phone less, at the station. Acted as train station monitor. Gained friends.
4. Found the girls. Made history. People brought me up days later when they asked the group if they found their friend.
5. Waited in line at the bathroom for 25 minutes at Versailles.
6. Walked around the gardens and posed like the statues. Obtained many interesting looks.
7. Hotel and went to Eiffel tower at night time.
8. Was hassled by trinket salesmen. Offered to stick the Eiffel tower somewhere.
9. So hungry ham and cheese was an option.
10. Wine.

 

Day 4

 

1. Ham and cheese omelet.
2. Saw Hala and Susie off to the Metro.
3. Bloom, Leslie and I walked around Champs Elysees.
4. Watched movies and got Bloom’s infamous ice cream stain that he is still rocking a week later.
5. Started hailing at cab at 7pm.
6. Finally received a cab at 8:45pm.
7. Ham and cheese sandwich at train station.
8. Forced to lie down in a heat trap for 9 hours.
9. Made it to Barcelona during a rainstorm.

(written May 9)

 

As it usually goes during this time of the semester, I have lost contact with the outside world and begun to concentrate entirely on studio. There is only 12 days left until the final review which is unnerving but also anticipated. My studio project is progressing nicely but at a slow pace because of all of the trips that we keep going on as well as the large May Day Holiday.

 

Since the last blog entry, the group of us has gone on a 4-day excursion of Central Finland to visit some historic and influential architecture. Cleverly enough, in order to keep track of us all, we counted off using P Mac’s application sentence: “Finnish architecture is well built and well designed. Studying architecture in Finland will make me a better architect.” It was such a successful trip that I wish that we would have taken it at the beginning of the semester however, we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the beautiful weather which gave us our first taste of Finland’s spring. There were a lot of Aalto buildings that we ran across and honestly, not too sure if I am a fan of his work. The layout of some of his designs made sense but when you came across an Aalto, boy did you know it. Italian piazzas curved tiles, mixture of garden and interior and curved forms got old after a while. However, all of the buildings were a good thing to see in person which I didn’t think that I would be able to run across them ever in my lifetime.

 

May Day, celebrated on April 30^th and May 1^st, was amazing. The weather was beautiful and we celebrated as the Finns do. The 30^th is a day of drinking where most people gather on the steps of Senate Square and wear their jump suits that represent the different academic departments of their colleges. Along with the colorful jump suits, everyone that graduated anytime during their lifetime wore their graduation caps which looked like ‘Popeye’ and sailor-like hats. It was neat to see the different variant colors of the whites: the more yellow ones were obviously from the more distant past while the white ones were fresher out of college. It was adorable seeing older men and woman wearing their hats and strutting around the city. On the first, you are supposed to go out to the park and enjoy a picnic. Fortunately, the weather was perfect and there was a group of us that sat up near the water and enjoyed people watching. This was a pretty big-deal holiday because many of the stores were closed as well as schools. Lucky us. 

 

Our design/build portion of the semester is also behind us. We just returned from the small island of Utö which we visited back in February for the first time and installed our pavilion projects. Surprisingly enough, without any Building 101 before we got there, they were still standing when we pulled away from the dock and hopefully will stand until they are taken down in the late Fall of this year. Both groups did a great job and we invited the islanders out to celebrate our job well done with a champagne toast. 'Video-ography' was an important part of this trip and between the flip book of the pavilion going up and the rigged up video on the flag pole, being worn out from the manual labor wasn’t enough. Tim has made so many great videos which we can hopefully grab from him. Coming back to Utö gave us another chance to do our marshmallows over the campfire as well as take another look at our site for our sanctuary studio projects.

 

My plan for the next 12 days is to work non-stop. There are a lot of things that need to be done before I move onto Paris and Barcelona. Designing needs to be wrapped up today or tomorrow, onto sections and elevations, and then of course the dangers of model building will naturally follow. Hopefully I can post some pictures of some trips and projects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hands down best Spring Break that I have experienced.

 

 

A small group of us that are studying abroad decided to make a trip to Lapland for Spring Break this year. Twelve-hour train ride and four-hour car ride got us there to our cabin that was nestled in the woods in Saivomuotka. Being sustainable architects, well, really being student-budget conscious, we opted for a solar-powered cabin with no running water or electricity. Our cabin was located by the frozen Muoniojoki River which separated us from Sweden. We were neighbors with Jamie, Jen, Nanette and Christina for a night which would make the late Mr. Rogers jealous.

 

When not tending the fires, shoveling snow, or being creative when washing dishes, the Little-House-on-the-Prairie lifestyle didn’t stop us from having a great time in the 3 feet of snow. Anton, Maureen, Kirsten, Bryn and me lived it up eating snow cones and gourmet meals of Lapland-inspired pancakes, went Husky-sledding, visited an ice castle, saw the location of the big man himself in Santa Village, and experienced the Northern Lights just north of the Artic Circle. In order to deal with the -5 Cº, we 'sauna-ed' each night (with birch leaves) and all slept upstairs in the loft of our cabin.

 

Artic Knife became our favorite local hangout, one) to get water, and two) to get our fix of indoor plumbing. We had a great English-speaking woman, Nina, (finely decked out with the latest H&M fashions) who helped us out with the life in Lapland. Our group probably purchased most of the mittens in the store and kept Lapland economically sound for years to come. Uno, the large dog that assisted the store, kept an eye on the visitors as well as the two pet reindeer in the back. I tried reindeer jerky as well as smoked salmon on the trip and also picked up much needed cooking training.

 

The Aurora Borealis, aka the Northern Lights, were the most amazing sight to see. We lucked out and had two great nights for viewing them, the first night giving us a kaleidoscope effect of white lights that swirled continuously, almost like cream in coffee, and the second night produced a green glow with more straight and concentrated lines. The hardest part of viewing these celestial phenomenas was actually believing that I was standing in the Artic Circle in Lapland and taking in the moment.

Enough sappiness. Overall, we came out pretty well on the trip besides a few causalities that were compiled between all of the teams: a pair of burned socks, a jammed finger, a burnt arm, burned soap in the sauna water (darn fish!), a chocking dog (no animals were harmed on this trip), and a fall down the stairs (all I remember is my foot in between the slats (drum roll) and a bang of pans (cymbal)). For some reason we split into teams: Red, Blue, Purple, Orange and Pink and kept a point system tallied. Michael (pronounced meek-el), our dog sled host, also racked up some points for being good eye candy (Ha).

 

We all had an awesome time on the trip and I think faced numerous once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. MTV Spring Break Beach Party doesn’t have ANYTHING over this!!!

Last night in bed, I was thinking about the stuff that I missed. I am not homesick which is surprising since I get attached to things and places easily; I was just noting what I haven't been exposed to here in Nordic country. So here is the list that I have thought about:

 

My family, my Ruby, my friends from all over the States, a vehicle to drive along with loud music without head phones, exchanging rates, eating out, cliché Starbuck visits, owning a cell phone, receiving calls, Target, laser cutter, the taste of Dr. Pepper, a door to my bedroom, large pillows, plugging in electronics without adaptors, a library system that makes sense, pickle chips, figuring out time zones on one hand, Art Mart, and cheap chipboard.

 

On the other hand, despite the people that I miss terribly, Finland offers some awesome perks:

 

Free color printing in the studio, obtaining a decent amount of cash for recycling, tram/bus system, not worrying about ‘small-talk’, heated floors, doughnuts with chocolate frosting on the inside and out, a dual-flush system, a large cheese selection, naked neighbors, Kismet bars, good quality foam core, the safety from sun burns, the get-out-of-jail card for being an ‘American’, being under the rule of someone that looks like Conan O’Brian, and residing in a country that actually notices architecture.

 

I am having a great time here. Finland is actually a very easy place to visit as well as in live because the population also speaks English. Studio has begun to pick up and we are all working on our Sanctuary of Silence complex. We just had our first pin up yesterday which was proven helpful with the design process. This project is a little more difficult since we are expected to fit the program into existing 1970 buildings that were erected on the island.

 

There is a studio trip planned for the last weekend of April for 4 days that will take us to some Northern parts of Finland to see some additional Alvar Aalto buildings as well as Pietila’s works. Spring break plans are still getting worked out but it looks to be a good time. Anywhere where they rate the cabin experience in pine cones sounds like an adventure!

 

 

For some reason every time I plan to write a blog, I start it, but then never finish it up. I guess I will aim to write smaller, shorter ones that will get the same job done.

 

Actually, nothing really new has been going on. We have finally gotten started in what we know as 'studio' but not as hard-core. Working and concentrating on our design/build project which will be presented this Thursday and from that point on the group will decide on an idea and morph it from there. Not only do we have to decide on a concept, but we have to be able to build the thing, keep it standing, and work together. Our other porject, the one that is not getting built, is on the back burner for now but will quickly be moved to boiling once the other review is over. Working with metrics for the first time so still a little iffy about that change.

 

It has been snowing for a couple days now. We have two more on the way. There is finally accumulation on the ground which makes me happy. It is always nice to walk out of class with new snow.

 

Can't believe that our Spring Break is in 3 weeks. Doesn't even seem like we need a break quite yet. There is a group of us planning on going to Lappland to see the Northern Lights and possibly make our way to Norway or Russia. Kinda just going with the flow.

 

Have only gotten one card in the mail here so far, so just in case (hint, hint):

 

  Vironkatu 3B 28

       00170 Helsinki Finland

 

 

Note to self:

 

Two pairs of socks is heaven.

One full day left on the island.

 

 

We have been through a lot here: memories of slop, scissor kicks, swinging ghosts, exploding campfires, Kismet bars and a (almost) day of silence. There has been a lot of goofing off during our site visit and it is almost time to head back to the real world.

 

I finally realized today that I need to make a concrete decision where I want my Sanctuary of Silence to reside on the cliffs of Utö. I have taken a closer approach to making a decision and have it narrowed down to two possible areas. Both have been documented to my fullest ability but I am sure it will follow the same pattern as past site analysis and I will want to have some additional information when I get back to Helsinki. Always a scary thought since the site is 8 hours away and not down the street from the school or next to a Starbucks.

 

We have had some tours of the old buildings on the island which include the lighthouse, the pilots’ quarters, and the first stone building. We have been in and out of saunas, whistled at by the ferry passengers, and rocked in the kitchen thanks to my dj-ing and grilled cheese delegations. I think we have all had a great time on the island and there is a mixed feeling about leaving. The good news is we will be back in May to build one or two of our pavilions that we have designed with a larger than expected budget of 2-3,000€.

 

Tomorrow night we have our last sauna adventure (remind me not to sit in the hot seat) and dinner in the lighthouse. We are also planning on getting a boat ride to a small neighboring island. I have realized that there is a limited amount of space on my page to post pictures each month and I have easily already reached my max. I will have to figure out a way to get around that. 

Besides the casual meetings for classes, the new restaurants (a nice Indian place), and the Chinese New Year Celebration in the middle of the city, Ryan and I have been having some exciting times at the apartment. We have completed a couple loads of laundry for the first time: figuring out where the coins go for the machine (on the wall about 3 feet over from the machine in a hole that is covered by a strip of metal), how to manually turn on the water, and the strength not to push the running man button to avoid MC Hammer pants. We have also had to fix the shower MacGyver style with knives, bent nails, and a hair tie. I took the shower on its maiden voyage this morning and our handiwork tested out.

 

Studio is still not developing as quickly as I thought it would. Studio is losing its negative connotation due to this semester. As a group, we have discussed our personal religious views since our program for both the design/build and complex are entitled ‘The Sanctuary of Silence,’ where it is to be ‘a non-confessional sacred refuge where anyone has a chance to satisfy his or her need –personal or collective- for worship, for meditation, or for mere silence –regardless of his or her religion.’ We have talked about our stay on the Island, Utö. There is only one grocery store on the island, 50 permanent inhabitants (increasing the likelihood of the earlier inbreeding theory), and apparently has a wireless internet connection. I still foresee myself scratching my head with three coconuts and some palm fronds trying to perform the Professors’ job on Gilligan’s Island, but realize it won’t be that way. We plan on staying in hostels and are cutting a deal with the hosts with an included breakfast and 7 € lunch each day. Juonni, the studio professor, is providing movie night each night we are there but is also allowing a night where we are going to perform our own directed skits. Understanding the group that we are, this is probably going to be the highlight of the stay as long as it is followed through.

 

We are starting a little research for precedence studies which will keep me out of trouble. Some of us are planning a trip to Estonia for Saturday. Pretty cheap trip for a visit to an additional country. Not sure if we are going. Other options are going to Töölö.

 

Off to a party at the ‘Ladies’ Lounge,’ an endearing name for the 4-girl-apartment. Hello Nefertiti!

Had a good past couple of days. Much of the time was ‘free’ time so no classes got in the way. Saturday was the day of the sauna and dinner. Wasn’t too sure about the sauna so I skipped out but plan to hit up the next one when it happens after hearing how great it was. We all meet our new studio professors at dinner and were joined by some native students, Maiju and Tiina, and our language guru, Matillania. This was the dinner were the reindeer surfaced and I actually tried some…..surprisingly tastes like chicken…haha….just joshin’…..it actually tasted like beef. I also had lamb for the first time which wasn’t awful as long as Mary’s pet didn’t come to mind, guinea fowl, and fish, which I hoped was a white fish: muikku (MOO˘IK-koo) because I knew the word for that because it happens to be the loving name Ryan and I gave the fish soap in the bathroom. Pretty impressed with my efforts. After the meal, we headed out to a bar to celebrate Anton’s birthday…..Happy Birthday, Kid! The cider was good…..named Perry…can’t resist that. The professors came out with us there too which was different since our STL professors pretend not to know us outside of studio. They held their own and stayed up past midnight which defiantly earns them a gold star for effort.

 

On Sunday, a group of us decided to go to Suomenlinna, a sea fortress located about 10 minutes by ferry away from Helsinki. The name directly translates to ‘Castle of Finland.’ (Arthur Frommer keep your guides to yourself……I’ve got this one!) This trip was the event that made me realize that I was actually in Helsinki and away from everything that I grew up around. The views were amazing and despite the chillier and windier climate near the water, exploring the island was inspiring. The pictures do the island no justice. There was so much to explore on the island including ‘hobbit holes.’ The boys were quite entertaining and demanded our attention when jumping around the bunkers. What can you do…..if you can’t beat them…..join them! Too many architectural delights on the 80 hectares: we all ended up with an average of 200 images a piece, including ‘tourist traps,’ Ryan! Good material. (In retrospec, it brought the best out in all of us, including Christina with her Gate A17 skit. Classic.)

 

Still eating those 2 € lunches but possibly may want a change of pace soon. (Anton, you owe me a café visit.) Ran across something called ‘Digestives’ in the grocery which always sound like a good time. The rumor is they were for….well….aid in digesting….didn’t help really, then marketed them as ‘biscuits’ but luckily kept the stellar and unsuggestive name. 

 

Had the first Building System II class on Monday. I am getting tired of hearing about their accomplishments over hours of time. We get it…..you have done stuff. Anyway, all the professors sound impressive. No assignments yet. Today was the first day of studio. Got the program and are going to work on a complex and a design/build project which will be a permanent installation on the island that we will live on for 10 days: Utö. More about that later on.

 

Jamie got weirded out by a drunk on the Tram during our walking tour. I would like to see that again sometime during the trip.

 

Ready for an early day again tomorrow and school supply shopping!!

Things are getting a little more comfortable. Yesterday was our planned walking tour of the Senate Square. Pretty interesting stuff. Walked around a lot, naturally on a walking tour, and grabbed lots of pictures. Hopefully I can remember what all the buildings are since they are all painted yellow and look very similar! Ryan and I think that Finns are inbreeding since it seems like all the history everyone is related to everyone else. It seemed like every guide that we have had knew of someone and could easily related themselves to that family tree. We are calling it the Louisiana of Scandinavia. Haha.

 

Last night the group went to a dress rehearsal of La Cage aux Folles which is the musical that brought to life the movie The Bird Cage. It was in Swedish which made it fun but you really couldn’t miss the idea of transvestites dressing up in women’s clothes. It was a good laugh and was a different and FREE pastime that we all seemed to enjoy.

 

Today we had two Finnish History lectures. They started at 9:15 which meant getting up at 7 and getting to the bus station at 8:30 for departure. That process is seamless thanks to walking with people. I know from past experiences that I am not good with directions and I am having a particularly hard time in Helsinki since many things look alike and landmarks are similar on each corner not to mention non-pronounceable street names. Also, I tend to watch the ground while walking to make sure that my feet stay beneath me and not behind my head because of the amount of ice. I need to study the map or at least practice the route a couple more times before I will feel comfortable direction wise.

 

I obtained a transportation card which will save me Euros in the long run but almost made me scream because of the price. Each way to school costs us 3.80 €, so each day, that racks up to be 7.60 €. The 4 month card cost 314 € but will be a lot easier without dealing with cash or coins everyday. Went down to Eliel Saarinen’s train station to get the ticket and got to ride the tram back to the end of my street. This I can get used to!

 

Had another 2€ lunch today at the cafeteria. I keep going for the vegetarian options for some reason. Some sort of taco meat was offered today…..I know from lunchrooms in the US that that is a no-go so I am glad I remembered my roots.

 

Speaking of food, they have a lot of licorice candy here. Do not try it. I like licorice and always grab the black beans but this is not the same. They are big into gummy licorice but the ‘cake batter’ tasting candy egged on by my peers tasted like wet dog. The bottle that I bought that I thought looked like soda, “Fun”, was in fact pure syrup that the consumer is supposed to put a small amount into sparkling water.  A deer option as well as an ox option is coming up in the near future. Probably will have to say ‘No Deal’ for that one.

 

Planning on staying in for the rest of the night. It started snowing early this afternoon and there is accumulation!!! Should be fun for tomorrow. More snow to be expected. Now THIS is what I signed up for.

 

 

January 29

 

We visited the school today, Helsinki University of Technology, and signed up as International Students which was a different feeling all together. We toured the studio spaces which were a lot more open than the ones back in STL: no boards to hang your stuff on. May be a little distracting at some times but also may be good to check in on people. Much of the campus and surrounding buildings are designed by Alvar Aalto which the lecture hall is quite amazing. (Pictures will come in the near future. It is too hard to download them on a spotty internet connection in the apartment.) And a little side note: he did design a strip mall for those that are interested. It is located on campus with a grocery store and bank and some other little stores for the students.

 

We ate at the cafeteria which provides a 2 euro all-you-can-eat lunch that is a pretty good price for what you get. Haven’t really had anything yet all so different but when the moose opportunity arises I will be sure to blog it.

 

The group walked around a lot and there is a lot of ice that is on the ground making it hard for people like myself from Florida to gain their penguin legs but I just take it slow and get there on my own time.

 

Yesterday our group met with the famous architect Juhallana Pallasmaa (he looks just like the pics from the Concepts’ Powerpoints) and two former Ambassadors. Not really sure why we got to meet them besides PMac’s connection to them. We had wine and cheese and chatted. They all live within 2 blocks of each other which placed them about 8 blocks away from my apartment. Nothing like rubbing elbows with the rich and famous.

 

PMac is heading back to STL Tuesday so that was the last time we would see him until Midterms. Even though he is awkward to be around it was nice to have him there just in case we needed anything. However, we seem to be left in good hands and are reassured that from the last group that went to Helsinki. I am excited for History class. Our instructor, who I can’t remember or let alone pronounce her name (I usually call them ‘Sue’ until otherwise corrected) seems to be concerned about us and will be ‘taking care’ of us at least for the rest of the week until we get onto a more predictable schedule when classes start.

 

Today we are meeting up on our side of town (finally) and taking a walking tour of the civic center and town hall. That should last about 2 hours. Should be some more photo ops but then again I have to wait to get a better internet. Emails are still the best way to keep in contact because I occasionally go over to Jen Jessee’s place and use her laptop and stronger internet.

 

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

 

 

I made it to Finland. The flights went well and I was especially excited to receive a turkey sandwich, carrots and Kit Kat bar (!!) on the short flight from Tampa to Newark, New Jersey. The second flight became long and tedious especially since Jen and I picked the winning seat that offered us a broken video seat back and a Call Service button above that would go off continuously. They feed us well and got a little bit of a preview of the smaller European sized meals on the flight.

 

There were 5 of us that flew together from Newark Airport: Ryan, Bryn, Kirsten, Jen, and myself. At Copenhagen, we meet up with 4 others. PMac was able to pick us up at the airport when we arrived and we rode in style in some nice taxis that dropped us off at one of the larger apartments.

 

Ryan and I are pleased with our apartment. We are on the 5^th floor and have an amazing view of the rooftops which I am sure will be even more spectacular with snow on top of them. We do have an odd bedroom layout which we decided was more of a 1 and a half bedroom rather than our 2 bedroom that we ordered. Ryan and I don’t think it will be too much of a problem and we both seem very easy going about the surprise.

 

The bathroom in our apartment is the absolute best. Looks brand-new with, get this, HEATED floors as well as a warming towel rack. After seeing the first apartment that the group stopped at, we defiantly got a good deal with our place. We have a laundry facility in the building that we get to by going through the courtyard.

 

Yesterday getting in, we meet with our landlord who is an 85 year old man who is adorable. His wife and he own the place and we hit it off because he visits Florida once a year. He bought Ryan and Me Coca Colas and a fruit basket (and 3 onions???) to get us started. He knows what us Americans like!! Barely making it through the lease meeting since I didn’t get to sleep at all on the plane, I napped for 5 hours and missed the meeting at 8pm with the group. I did wake up at 9pm and had lunch/dinner of crackers that I luckily brought. (Thanks Mom!)

 

Because we both missed the meeting, Ryan and I ventured out early this morning to look around. We are very close to the water which is frozen at this point but it really does not seem that cold outside. It has been alternating between a light rain and snow all morning and it seems like people do not get up before 10am on Saturdays. We found a grocery store where we got a few essentials. Surprisingly they had some recognizable brands but I mostly bought the Finnish brands because of the great price reduction.

 

There is no internet or TV in our apartment which will be a test for me. I already feel antsy that I don’t have the internet at the touch of a button but I am sure when I get to studio I will be able to get my taste of Facebook and Myspace.

 

Everything is going well. I feel like I am adjusting. Finland is not the ice cap that I thought it would be. I have noticed that a lot of the buildings are painted yellow and I believe it is to keep the citizens from being depressed during the cold and overcast days. Snow makes me happy so no problems. Despite the adaptor use, I might have already burnt out my hairdryer which I hear is the hardest appliances to get used to. But I know for sure that the universal sign for not working is smoke.

I begin my traveling abroad journey in 3 days. 

 

I have recently decided to produce a blog in order to keep people updated with my travels and adventures in architecture. Because I will not have a cell phone over in Finland, I hope that this blog will open up conversation as well as keep everyone informed (and Mom less uneasy). Please feel free to read and comment about the future blogs and photos (hopefully those are easy to add) as well as keep me updated with life in the States. I will love to hear from everyone.

 

Since I am new to this Windows Live Blog Space I may need some time to adjust. If you have a more personal message to write me instead of a quick comment you can always send me a message which is the option at the top right of the screen. Otherwise, my email: MorganP1@wustl.edu is still in operation and is checked daily, as well as my other duties on MySpace and Facebook. There are no excuses of loosing touch!!!

 

I wish you all well in the months to come and I am sure that these 7-8 months will go by quickly!