I will miss Finland!

To all of my Friends from Erasmus 2008 in Helsinki Finland this is for you. You will all be missed but not forgotten. Special thanks to Russel for inspiring me with his post.

So the things I will miss from Finland:

Crazy nights at Redrum and Rose garden Ending too Bright.

My roommate's Anka, Noudie, Eric, and Antti.

Mental issues at the cabin.

Lunch at Arcada, yum gruel.

Random Finnish drunks harassing us every party.

Free sauna nights.

Jumping in Freezing water naked in Between the sauna.

Chilling with Julian.

Watching Eric dance and say delicious.

Peter Milden's Classes.

Al of my friends at Vaino and Majstranden.

Crazy parties where the neighbours complaining at 10 15 pm.

Visiting the Islands.

Talking smack with Frank.

Dieter's obnoxious laugh.

Sitz parties.

Strangely Fissu and Salmiaki shots.

Cheep watery Finish koff beer.

Hagalslaf with Noudie.

The moustache brothers.

Cleaning parties at my flat.

The Finnish "Ish"

Joking with Eva.

Watching Adrian meet all the ladies.

Kick the Soccer ball with Julian and Christoph.

Martin being Martin.

My South African friends, Natasha, Russel and all the rest.

Jeanette Dancing on the table.

Everyone telling me to shave my moustache.

All the great times we had traveling laughing and Joking.

Crossing the street in Moscow.

My little sister Petsko.

My tutor Lotta.

All the "Good times we had"!

This is what you all really think of the Mustache, caught on tape in London.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly/ Lost in Translation

Here is a mishmash of the good, bad and the ugly as well as things that get lost in translation From Europe. I saw all of these things in Finland, Russia, Estonia and Malian Italy . You may want to look closely at each so click to enlarge the pics . Enjoi!

3 to4 am super packed in Helsinki.What they have in Milan.

Probably more funny if you know that this Milan restaurant would basically translate to toilet in the UK.

Prosciutto Shaved right off the leg in Milan. yum yum!

This is actually in West Vancouver but was too funny to leave out.Surprisingly not in the UK.

Big or small whatever you like to snack on.

Sorry, what exactly are you selling?

My favorite Indian Restaurant the Namaskar express in Helsinki has a good senses of humor and great cheap food.

Strange, but it exists in Helsinki and all around Finland, Luckily not associated with the "KKK" from the US.

Hey little Jimmy wanna have a trip?Look closely at the desert menu. Hum Spotted Dick anyone?

What happens in Finland.

We went to see Santa, too bad he is a profiteer and charges $50 CAD for a picture.

Helsinki's Balancing Superman.

A bit hard to see but it's a grandma drinking Cider at 730 am before getting on the boat to Estonia. She and everyone 17 to 70 start drinking at 730 am before the boat to Tallinn.

Helsinki railway station at 11pm.

A race to explode the condom on the way to a school ski trip.

Chichester.

Mom In Helsinki.

Me in Helsinki Just like when we were 15.
Russian Promo staff.
Edible Russian biblical art.

A Russian Vodka in the supermarket.
Russia.
RussiaWhich would you like little Jimmy: Mikey, Mini, a spiked bat or the pump-action-pistol-grip-shotgun?
St Petersburg, Russia.
St Petersburg, Russia.



Carefull crossing the ten lane roads in Moscow.

Learn English (don't watch if you are shy to swearing)

Partying In Finland

Partying in Helsinki Finland is pretty much required if you are a student and want to have a social life and meet people. Almost all Finnish celebrations revolve around getting drunk. The clubs and bars are fun and expensive, the scene gets played quickly so enjoy the novelties of the bars then you probably wont go there again, unless it's 1 euro beer night.

The Club Dance floor, (the actuall name of the place is the Club).The Ice Bar.

Me and My Hottie chillin, Literally.

Dieter says: "I'm always looking good in pictures."


Onnela Night club.
An always interesting ride home on the buss.
Me, Alicia, Eve, and Frank at Aussie Bar.

Dancing on the Go-Go podium at Rose Garden.

Ankatrine, My roomie.

Crazy Music @ Rose Garden. It's Nôze two French DJ's playing singing and whistling. Alicia was loving it as we all were. Check it!

Dieter, the crazy Austrian, always a good time.
Noudie and Vicky. Fun girls from Holland.
Random Finish People
Nacho Grande senior.
Sunglasses party!
12 beers you can cruise with, ah Finnish design.
The Illegal Student club Weket. Unfortunately the club was evicted from the building a few weeks later, after 10 years of operation.


Randomly the Finns loose their shirt for this random song, They love naked Traditions.

Lapland (Northern Finland)

I recently went on a week trip to Lapland in Northern Finland. Lapland is only the Finnish area of Sápmi that crosses over Russia, Sweden, Norway and Finland. This area is still inhabited by the Sami people, the indigenous of northern Europe. Mostly the area is supported by tourism and Reindeer farming. It was a great trip, my first in the arctic circle, we did a lot of outdoor activities and the people were great. scroll down to see the fun.

Me and Luca.
Transport.


Rovaniemi, Just outside the arctic circle.Miko Our fearless leader and tour guide.Cruzing in the Buss, Deluxe style.

First stop the Santa Village.Octavian and me.

The only pic I got of Santa, the Profiteer wanted $50 or 30 euros for a pic.

I thought I would build a snow man to teach Santa some good spirit.
Inspired By Shaun.


Reindeer: "Why is this camera so close to me."
This was the big rein deer, but not the boss of the farm.
Maggie and Martin.

Octavian.
"Silly Canadian" thinks Bert.
the view from our cabin in Inari.

Skiing on the lake.
The hole in the lake to cool off at after a good sauna.
Oh it's gonna be cold but refreshing.This is how you chill in Finland at the sauna.
Dieter chilling.



Arctic Ice swimming after the Sauna.

Post sauna party.

What are we eating again? How should products be labeled?
Ice Fishing.
Snowshoe orienteering.Maggie and Martin's snow woman.
Our snow cave.


Talking to Alicia in the snow cave, she called and amazingly it worked in the arctic circle in a snow cave in the forest.

Skiing in the Arctic at Saariselka.

Advertising on the run.

Duncan "Yo, how do you do this again?"
Dieter "This is how it is done, Euro racing style!"

An oldie but a goodie Finally found it!

I new I wanted to find this song but had no luck for so long. I just stumbled upon a remix so enjoi! Also check the Feist Remix.

Our first Sauna Evening!

This was an ASK ESN (student union for Arcada) event for any one who wanted to be involved. Basically we just rented out this Sauna cabin by a campground. We took the metro there went in the sauna and cooled off outside and in the FROZEN LAKE It was quite invigorating. It was mostly authentic Finnish style except we didn't go naked as the Finns always do(apparently it's more hygienic??? I don't know what they think Hygienic is. Enjoy the Pics. See more of this and other adventures here http://picasaweb.google.com/zanni.fabio/SaunaEvening courtesy of Fabio.

The Metro By the lake.

The dock has a pump attached so the water doesn't freeze by the ladder.

Ice cold just like cliff jumping in BC, except it's winter not summer.

Me and Petra before the Sauna.

Me and Christoph. Ready.

Set.

Oh It's cold! Get back to the cold dock.

Flying Fabio and An-Katrine.

Me, Christoph, An-Katrine, Fabio, Dieter, and Bianca.

Me and Fabio. It's foggy in the sauna.

Time to go Jump in again.

Susanne and Jeannette take the Plunge.

Loving it like a good Canadian should.CYA I'm Freezing time to go back to the Sauna.