Spring, where are you?!

I want to share something with you that I've learned about the spring in Berlin. 

"April, April - der macht was er will."

Translation - April does what it wants. In regards to the weather. And oh, is this true or what.

The weather was incredible the first week of April, temperatures soared up to 20°C and the sun was shining! Just like the Finnish summer! (When it's nice, I mean.) But sure enough the tables turned and the weather was right back to pretty s****, which lasted for a while, with rain, thunder, the works. And this Monday?

Snow.

Well, they say summer is just around the corner.

They say.

But I'm not complaining, could always be worse! At least we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that is the cold, weary, dark winter time, that lasts WAY too long every year. Can you tell that I'm a summer kid? ;)

Besides, everybody keeps telling me about summer in Berlin. No matter who I ask, it's supposed to be THE. Best. Thing. Ever. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see for myself...

I love the summer in Helsinki and I think it's (obviously) the best time to be in Helsinki since everything is green, everybody is outside and the sun is shining. Since the Finnish summer is an inspiration for all Finland jokes due to being so short (which it is) and cold (actually not unless you're really, really unlucky), us Finns have an unstoppable urge to be outside when the sun is out. Like the urge is so strong that you feel guilty for staying inside!

And just to give you an idea of what I mean;

http://www.memecenter.com/fun/3448651/summer-in-finland-is-disaster

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/62896264.jpg

Feeling an urge to visit Finland yet? You should!

However, recently I've noticed that Berliners are not so different - once the sun is out the streets are full, no matter how cold it is. Kind of feels like home. :)

Well, I don't know about you, but I'm SO ready for the summer!

Reconnecting with My Roots

I enjoy living abroad, encountering new experiences, learning new languages and meeting new people with interesting stories. However, sometimes I do get a little home sick and I want to talk Finnish and connect with Finnish people. You know, sometimes it's just fun to share your expat experiences and compare stories of culture shocks that you have encountered in the new country with people who know how things work back home.

Recently I discovered a perfect fix for the homesickness; Populus Café in Neukölln. It's owned by Finns and the best thing; you get to order in Finnish! And also chat with fellow Finns!

But oh my God... Talking at least two languages on a daily basis that are not Finnish and then trying to switch to my native language... Whoa... Not talking it for so long, my speech started out so slow, I forgot words... So embarrassing. Like trying to learn a new language again!

So, I guess the only solution is to go there more often. ;)

Also because the coffee is good and their filled sandwiches - absolutely delicious! 

Culture Shocks - Part 2

In January, shortly after moving here I wrote about culture shocks I've experienced here in Berlin. After writing the post I've encountered a few other interesting things that I'd like to share with you.

Women's parking

Spoiler alert, this is brilliant!

The other night when I once again hitched a ride to figure skating training from a friend, I noticed that the skating rink had a couple of parking spots for 'Ladies' parking. What, separate parking spots just for women? How are they different from normal ones, wider so we can actually hit them?! As you know, women drivers and all... Which I strongly disagree with!

But these spots are actually a great invention! They are always located near the entrance minimizing walking distance to increase safety and be convenient in case you are carrying heavy shopping bags, etc. I can totally understand minimizing the distance for safety since this particular rink is located in a little bit of an isolated, industrial area with very little traffic and a lot of dark, scary corners. Way to go Germany!

Feierabend

Which translates directly into 'party night'. But Germans have Feierabend every night after work?! I haven't see THAT many people drunk on the streets on a given week night... However, I discovered that this is just a term for the night after work.

I just wish someone would tell that to the crazy drunk outside our building every night...

GIANT Pillows

As I might have mentioned before, I've previously worked with home decór and am quite passionate about it... Being familiar with the standard bedlinen sizes in Finland and Eastern Europe, I was shocked to see the size of the pillows people have here!

Compared to the standard size of 50x60cm I'm used to, it seems crazy that the pillows here are usually 80x80cm... I mean how big are your heads?!

However I do have to admit they are quite comfortable for just laying around in bed (which I rarely do, if a few Sundays don't count) but for sleeping I prefer a pillow that fits my head, NOT my whole body!

Radio in the Bathroom

A while back I noticed a radio in the bathroom. Okay, someone might be storing the radio there because there is no room anywhere else? No, actually turns out people actually use it. I mean, if you shower for 10 minutes in the morning do you really need music?

Apparently yes. I hear it saves time if you listen to the news while you shower. Hmm.

But it's cool I guess, properly waking up in the shower while listening to your favorite beats. I just need to get a tutorial from someone on how to connect it to my Spotify account so I can blast Särre's Hesan naiset for a throwback to last summer.

And after having written this I'm sure nobody will show me how it works just to be spared of having to wake up to Finnish music... :D

Well, that's about everything that comes to mind right now, although it seems like I do encounter funny situations on a daily basis!

On a slightly unrelated note, one thing (among many others) I absolutely love here, that you don't see much of where I come from, is the street art. The quality, the variety and the amount is amazing! You see something on almost every corner and they are real works of art usually.

Till next time! 

Change of Scenery for Easter

So I am finally feeling alive after the exhausting day yesterday. Somehow travelling really did a number on me; I was feeling dizzy all night... But anyways, I am now home in Switzerland and spending Easter here with family.

Well, this morning, to balance out all the Easter eggs I (already ate and) will be eating, I decided to go for a run and I have to say I definitely prefer running in Berlin. I mean here you have more nature and fresher air BUT in Berlin you can go for miles before finding the tiniest hill. Bern is a liiiitle different. And by a little I mean you're lucky if you have straight ground. So needless to say, it was a little bit of a struggle but I'm happy I made it through. Alive. Mostly.

Funny thing I've noticed here, passing total strangers on the street, they wish you good morning?! Yup, I'm definitely not in Berlin anymore... Bern has a really cute, cozy, small town feeling to it, which is nice to have once in a while.

But let's talk a little about prices here in Switzerland. After arriving here yesterday, we grabbed lunch to take away from my favorite veggie place here; Tibits. If it was Berlin, two normal sized lunch portions from the buffet could have maybe cost 15-20€ in total. But here, they amounted to 40€. Fourty. FOURTY Euros. Take away lunch from not even a fancy but a quite normal restaurant.

Yeah. Welcome to Switzerland!

I mean don't get me wrong I'm not complaining at all, Switzerland is an incredibly beautiful country and I love it here! I'm just trying to remember to hold on to my seat when I get the restaurant bill...

And talking about expensive, today we took a trip to Gstaad, which is a popular resort where the, let's say the more well-off, and the jet set like to spend their vacations. Apparently Elizabeth Taylor went there. And sponsored an artsy fountain.

This tiny, tiny town was really one of a kind, with only a couple of streets but despite the size, still had all the luxury brand shops like Louis Vuitton and Hermes. Have you ever even seen anybody in a Louis Vuitton shop, except for the security and the sales personnel? I haven't. But in Gstaad the shop was full. Like so full you couldn't fit in there. And it was a big shop. So I take it this is not going to be my Top 1 ski destination on a budget...

And yeah, umbrella weather. Here's to hoping tomorrow's forecast will hold and it won't rain!

Happy Easter!

What Is This Thing Called Home?

Sitting at the place where this blog first started, the airport (not the one in Helsinki, sadly) heading to visit family in the south, got me thinking about the meaning of home.

Home is a concept that can have a very different meaning for all of us.

Home can be the house you grew up in, the city you were raised in or the country that you come from. Some of us have such a strong feeling of home in the city they grew up in that they could not imagine living anywhere else. As for me, I've never felt such a strong connection to one specific place due to moving around in Finland and Europe. I have to admit that I do sometimes envy those people who have such a strong connection to their home town that it has become a part of their identity. But in the end I know that that's who I am and that's okay.

Home has become quite a flexible concept for me; I define home by where I live and where I feel I belong to. And right now Berlin is home. I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now and after a time of feeling lost in life, I can tell you that it's a pretty great feeling!

The biggest reason why it has been so easy for me to feel at home in a new city is probably the fact that I adapt to new situations quite quickly. Also, having good people around you that you can share not only your happiness but all the difficult times with makes all the difference.

Skating is also something that helped me find my place here as I could connect with other people who share the same passion and help me feel like I belong. Although I was a little worried joining the training at first since I only everything in Finnish and wasn't sure if the trainers would talk English at all since my German is not nearly perfect yet... But as it turned out I was worried for no reason! Although I had some minor challenges in the beginning (who doesn't in a new country?!), I'm now learning the German terms AND have striven to speak only in German during the sessions.

Being able to feel like home in a new city doesn't mean that I don't miss my friends and family in Finland and I do still consider Helsinki home as well. I love the city and I feel at home there, being surrounded by my fellow Finns and a lot of my best friends. However, I don't think the strength of friendships is defined by your geographic location; I know that when I go back home and I'm reunited with my friends, it will be just like old times. I know that they're there for me when I need them and they know I'm here for them, whatever the case.

And this feeling is what makes it so easy to feel like home here. It's a good feeling.

How do you define home?