Endings and leavings

Human is quite an uncomplicated animal. We don´t need much to be happy, not much to feel like home. Roof over your head, food and company of other people. A home, that is. Here in this random Norwegian town in this time of my life I´ve unevitably created another home in the world. I couldn´t help it. A universe emerged. Checking the mail, afternoon coffee, crisp sea breeze, friendly faces of the fish market ladies, sound of roadworks, countless laughters, warm light from the white wooden houses, speaking in doorphones, dry morning throat. Everyday life made me fall in love with it cunningly.

I find myself wondering how easy it is to grow fond of things, places. And people! This little universe was created with people who were here coincidentally and we shared literally everything from dinners to home sickness. Bunch of aliens in a foreign land stick together.

Endings are painful because that universe will never come to being again. You can experience something similar later but every experience is one of a kind. Maybe you´re now supposed to go back to your "old life"? But is is still the same? I find it that whatever happens after an ending is something completely new. The life as I knew it is gone as I have changed.

Afternoon coffee with a Norwegian twist: med en stor kokosbolle!

I´m short of words when I try to explain what kind of feeling of belonging and togetherness I´ve experienced. It seems that when people leave their comfort area they become more sensitive for other people´s needs as if hoping to receive same kind of treatment in return. Abroad it´s easy to become a better person: open, helpful, unselfish and caring.

Endings mean new beginnings with something that can be equally good. I will be doing some changes too, especially with this blog. I will have to reduce my writing because I have to channel my energy into other things. I´m planning to start a new blog with more focus on my comics and stuff. Stay tuned...

To end with (this month and this wonderful exchange study period), I´d like to express my greatest gratitude to everyone who´s been a friend to me and made me feel like home. A Finn doesn´t forget.

xxx

Lights in the dark

Darkness is really taking its toll on me. I went out to make peace with it and this is how beautiful our relationship turned out... Here´s some Norwegian music to go with it: Kim André Rysstad and "The long silence".

 

Raw power!

Fight against the bad reputation of “salads” is the toughest fight of all. In Finland "salad" normally means some lettuce, cucumber and tomato. No wonder people feel sorry for vegetarians because “they only eat salad”. Well, it´s time for a revolution. It´s time to pimp up salad onto a whole new level! Salad can totally be a full meal even without any meat at all.

Viidakkomies too writes about salads that are out of this world even though his ingredients sometimes sound like a chemistry lesson. But, the man has a good philosophy: don´t be afraid of flavours, just mix everything!

I found adding more raw vegetable into my diet excellent. It gives me heaps of energy and no need for that notorious after-meal-nap. I make my salad in three steps and the result is always mouth-watering. The best thing is that it´s ready in minutes. Also, there´s no possibility of failure, you don´t have to plan how to make it, just toss in whatever you got in your fridge. Some ideas for each level follow...

1. Base: lettuce (not iceberg, something better like lollo rosso or romaine), spinach, cucumber, tomato, courgette, carrot, pepper, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower...
2. Accessories: onion, chilli, garlic, shrimps, cheese, herbs, beans, seeds, nuts, olives, seaweed, corn, tuna, egg...
3. Dressing: virgin olive oil, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, turmeric, paprika...

Mix with care and enjoy sitting down comfortably. It takes more chewing ofcourse but you can find a nice tempo for your eating e.g. from Jamie Cullum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LU7leX9RCc

After some succesful climbing yesterday at the gym, I rewarded myself with this salad: spinach, pak choi, carrot, cauliflower, garlic, chilli, hempseeds and courgette.