Little Miss Karvinen born 11/06/08

Before... listening to the baby's heartbeat not many hours before the birth














After... the happy Karvinen family

Niina is a champ! She gave birth to a little girl this morning at 01.59am.
The princess weighs 4840g and is 56cm long.
Even the doctors were surprised about the size. Anyone who saw Niina's tummy wouldn't have been.. :)


I am so crazy happy that I can't stay home. I'll go see the new family right now! I should probably sleep because I couldn't last night (too excited) but can't I have to see my little niece now!

Congratulations to Matt and Alex - they got a boy!!!

Sun shine and happy toughts. It's a beautiful day here - perfect as I'm sure the little princess will be too.

xx

Summer holiday

Now that I have a job I can really relax and enjoy the Finnish Summer. Can't remember when I last had a chance to do that so it's almost like being in a new 'destination'.
Team Snanna left Friday mornign after a relaxing week in the countryside chopping wood, cyckling, hanging in the hammock, visiting my cousins farm (They have 3 cute little fluffy kittens! Anna was scared to stand in the middle of the cows & for a reason -they tried to lick her with their looooong tongues).
We played many games of mölkky - the roos beat the kiwi's and moose even left handed!
Every night we sat around the fire burning wood, sausages and dampers having a yarn for ages waiting for the night&darkness to fall... it didn't. Gotta love the midnight sun!

Of all the things we did the tent sauna was the winner, I reckon! I'm very happy that they came & I'll miss them heaps!

Cheers big ears!

Happy times

Last Sunday would have been the women's 10km fun run. Lucky I didn't have to be there to beat everyone but
got to spend the day enjoying Stockholm. I love the city.

Here are some more Stockholm images (not mine unfortunately but they are nice!)

I kept to the maritme theme and went to see the great VASA ship. Amazing ship and story!

The cruise on SV Joanna Saturna was also amazing. I loved every bit of it. I got to hoist sails, tie knots, relax, take photos and stare at the water and passing islands & ships for hours on. The archipelago is very beautiful and the sun very hot. I have a bbq sausage on the place of my nose :)
I'll put up some photos later on.

In Stockholm I thought that if I couldn't find a job in Helsinki would love to live there... well don't have to because

I GOT THE JOB!!!!

I'll be working here: www.visithelsinki.fi as a marketing manager for the international market (I've got Italy at least!! Will find out more today!)

PS.Sorry about the stupid layout! Me and this program are not on the same wave lenght. I better stop now before either one of us will have to leave flying through the window :) Happy Times!!!
PPS. Seems to be ok now but I can't trust the program....

Hirvi = Elk

Australian animals and birds are fascinating but so are the Finnish ones!
I saw some elks on a field next to the highway on Thursday. They are big!
So here's a story about elks it's old I know but still valid information even today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2340289.stm

Big day

Tomorrow will be the day, the we've all been waiting for, it's the Baltic Connections Cruise on SV Joanna Saturna's first departure! I can see your faces twisting into a question mark... I'm sure you all had to listen to my stories about it because for the last Months in Sydney I tried to sell the cruise. Didn't though. It's a great product - I espescially love the sailing vessel. I saw her today for the first time! Love!
It's much smaller (the cabins I mean) than I had expected but. Anyway I won't be departing with the rest of the group tomorrow because I'm going to go to a job interview (2.round) on Tuesday! (fingers crossed) If I don't have to start straight away I will jump on board Joanna Saturna in Hanko on Wednesday. I don't know which I want more. I want both to happen! If you want to look at the vessel www.joannasaturna.com

After the inital warm welcome the weather can't decide if it's Winter or Summer. I'm wearing gloves again after almost 2 years!! It'll be freezing on board Joanna because the sea is still very cold. Apparently it dind't freeze this Winter like it normally does but the water is still only +8C. If it freezes next Winter I'll definately try wind surfing on ice.

For now I'm happy just to peddle around with my hazard 'no brake' bike. You have to get your 'kicks' from something, don'tcha ?!?!? I had to start using my brother's bike though because I nearly drove into a car with ex-no brake- bike. Here's a photo from the old 'better brake days'- happy memories live for ever!

Finland - Suomi

Mölkky

If and when you come to Finland to visit me I'll challenge you to a game of Mölkky.














The idea is to throw a thick stick at these numbered 'Mölkky' (from 3m away) and knock down as many as you can. The one who reaches 50 points first wins. You have to get excatly 50 points if you go over your points will be reduced to 25. If you knock down only one you get as many points as shown on the mölkky. How ever if you don't hit any of the mölkky's three times in a row your game is over. Want to play?!?














Olli won the Mother's Day tournament, Niina came second, I kept missing the mölkky's but still managed miraculously to win Mum! Hurray!

Snowy and Anna

Team Snana are coming to Finland!
How excitign! They'll arrive on the 28.5 to Tampere (two hours north west from Helsinki).
They are the living proof that I've been somewhere.
Can't wait to see them and hear their stories. Mum and Dad are pretty excited about them coming too!!!

Crib for a bed

They want to put the new born babies in cardboard boxes?!?
As a Finnish mother you get to choose from a box full of great stuff for the baby and yourself or 400euro. No money could buy all that stuff. It all comes in a cute big box that has a little matrasse at the bottom so that people actually use it as the baby's first home.

I regject the idea so I helped my sister put the babys real crib together... well actually I did it and she slept on the sofa. Poor thing is so tired of being so massive... carrying the two of them.
Can't wait to see the little one!

I'm pretty happy I got to see Niina prego and help her out pre baby times and not only post.
Nickau got to see the bump too.. thank good for Skype and web cam's!

Miss you all in Australia!

Back in Tikkurila

You always think of the return many weeks before you actually leave. Nothing ever changes, everything's the same blablaaladidaa boring boring boring. Have to say I missed out on that. My mind had left Australia many days before the actual departure date 27April08. I reckon the mind prepares everything ready for when the body arrives.
It's a tough process though, oceans rise of all the tears. I left without having a massive going a way party - sneaked out the back door. It's heaps better. Save tissues = save the world..smaller carbon foot print.. and then fly away to far a way northern Europe! I don't feel that I left for good, despite the fact that half of my clothes are still at Allan's, I feel that I belong to Australia and Australia belongs to me.
That's why I wasn't in shock when I finally got home I know I can and will go back.
I made a 3 night stopover to see Kirsi in Bangkok. I wouldn't live there. It's an interesting but very smoggy city. Food is everywhere as is the King or at least his pictures and temples... and you can't almost see the sky of all the electricity lines and the skytrain. Was great to see Krisi but! She's a tough cookie.
I went a little mental on my second day driving all day in a tuktuk and inhealing all the beautiful healthy air car's and vespas produce (it made my mind go soft) I got a tailor made suit! I love it! High quality and they made it in 5 hours. Look out people of Helsinki I will get all the jobs available when I wear my magic suit. .. at least that is the plan and the purpose of it.

This day - DAY nr 7 (it's actully WED 7 MAY) - will be dedicated to cover letters and www.visithelsinki.fi website and a movie at Niina's later tonight. But first and foremost I will have to make my daily check up call to MrMan.
Bring it on!