Suomi!

well, i'm in finland. in finnish, finland is called 'suomi'. where someone got 'finland' from that is beyond me. anyway, it's been about four days now, and i think i've adjusted to the time change (+7 from the east coast, and i was actually on mountain time when i left the u.s.).

it's cold here! it rained the first two days, which was pretty unpleasant, but the last two it's been clear and cold. this morning you could see people's breath as they waited for the tram. nonetheless, i have gone out running twice and enjoyed it.

i take a tram and a bus or a tram and a train or just a bus or just a train to work. the commute is about an hour if i walk to the train station, but i think when winter comes i'll probably stick to the tram. my coworkers are hard-working yet quite cheerful and so far i'm enjoying it.

things i wish i had brought:
several pairs of my shoes (my rain boots, my keen shoes, my new balance classics, etc.)
more casual clothes (people don't dress so fancy at my office and i feel sort of weird in what i have)
a well-fitting black zip-up fleece (this would be good to wear to the office)
a network cable (i had to buy one and shit is pricey for an american)

things i wish i hadn't brought:
my phone (international roaming is ridiculous for a long-term gig)
a couple of my thinner pairs of pants

i'm staying in helsinki, in a hotel set up for long-term stays. here is my bed:

and my bathroom:

and my kitchen:


oh! those of you who were in burkina will understand my delight at finding both Omo and Lotus in the grocery store. the lotus package has an elephant on it, and my finnish isn't good enough (yet?) to understand why. now if only i could get a biiga to do all my labor for me...