Thursday, December 20, 2007
Finals
Exams... Three down, still one to go. They've been OK, tomorrows exam is going to be horrible. Two hours and 200 points. 100 points from the first two thirds, another 100 points from this thirds. So far we've had one hour and that's been just and just enough (or not), this time it's the 2 hours but there's no extensions to that :F And I've already used my learning capacity for this year, I simply can't stick any new info in my brain! But I'll pass. That's my goal.
So, after I see Paola, Meike and Kaisa, I need to go home and finalize my packing. I also need to burn my pictures and that's going to take whole night as I fought with my computer last night when I burned pictures for Paola.
1) My computer seems to have mental problems with opening the dvd thing (lost the word)
2) My computer seemed to be too tired to burn anything as it just shut off this morning twice (it just stopped working, even the clock stopped) when I was burning some pics for Melissa
3) It takes AGES to burn all my pics, even without all this problems above...
So, this night is going to be long, as I'm going to be home only around 7 pm. I also need to do some laundry, but I might leave that to tomorrow morning as I want pack only clean clothes. And I need to get rid of my furnitures. And all my closets need to be empty by tomorrow morning 8 am as Dez needs to check in and in order to do that I need to check out and I need to do that early so that I can still go through my notes before the exam. After the exam I'll go to have lunch and after that I'll be leaving! No need to say that I'm superbusy!!
But now back to neurobiology, still one hour time to go through... My brains will explode!
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Under 100 Hours!
Last lectures are over, all that is left is The Exams. This week was full of studying as usual, and the weekend was amazing. On Friday night we had a Farewell party for the international students and we baked some pie with Kaisa. It wasn't as good as it should've been but it was ok. After all the eating and gift things me and Kaisa decided to go and have one ciders at a Irish pub and they had ONE type of cider in there :D But we were happy, even I though it was apple cider :P After that we came back home and just hang out with some international students. On Saturday I finished my readings and packed my big suitcase! It's quite heavy and full, though I still should be able to fit my blanket in it. And all the rest of my stuff needs to go in smaller bag, I don't know yet how, but that needs to happen. In the evening we went to Cory's place (got invited by Nathaniel :>) and it was so much fun! We stayed there until 4 am and came home, but this time we went straight so sleep ;) I wasn't even that drunk so I feel just fine now :)
Sorry, still no pics as this connection is as usual slow and shit.
Oh yeah, and Ash straightened my hair! It's never been like this, sleek and smooth! I like it but I'm too lazy to do this my self :P
I have one review session this evening and I'm going to go through the notes before that with Kaisa. Luckily I don't have exams tomorrow but I need to go through some notes and call Miki. Next week I also need to go to the bank and do all that leaving stuff... Going to be busy, busy!
I've just been talking with Tarmo the whole day, he went to his parents yesterday. He'll be here in five days!!! Miss him so much...
I still need to try to concentrate on my exams... I'm not happy about the fact that the hardest and most important exam (Neurobiology) is on Friday, so I can't afford to let my mind slip...
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Fun Four Months
We finally went to sleep around 7 am :D The next day I didn't have as bad hang over as I thought I'd have but I really couldn't move much.
Meike came to do some analysis here but otherwise I was just laying in bed and surfed in internet.
And I've been here now over four months! Amazing! I can already say that I'll see my love next week!!! So excited!!!
We didn't have classes today as there was supposed to be an ice storm. But I got that e-mail only at 2:30 pm so it was already a bit too late for me but I went to library to do my lab report. And in the morning there was several power cuts so I read the rest of the Developmental biology... But I really don't get it, it's not even that bad now! It's only raining water! It's not even slippery as there isn't minus degrees outside! And it really pisses me as today I'd had the most interesting lectures ever :/ And it really isn't bad! I know it'll be slippery in the evening as the temperature drops...
And the funny thing is that here they don't use stud tires! Only chains :D And Cory laughed at me when I said that I even use stud tires on my bike during winter! :D And I laughed at the chains... But I don't get it, here it really is winter, why don't they use studs??? And then they use salt! LOTS of it. It's really annoying because your pants have white stripes on them and then the salt comes in and argh! Use sand! No wonder you can't even touch the Iowa River water because all the salt goes in there :F It's really bad for the environment!
We also had a fire alarm, again, last night. I was already in bed but luckily wasn't sleeping yet. Dezerae said that there's been more fire alarms during this semester than ever in a whole year! I don't get it, what's wrong with this years people?!
What else... I'm really looking forward to next week and the day I see my babe again! Missing him so much!
I also remember how I said two months ago that "Oh, two months has gone by, I guess it's going to slow down now..." But no, time really went by fast :) And I'm really happy that I came here, I've learned a lot. I've had great courses (though I still hate the exams...) and I believe this did good for my English as well :> Though I know I make more mistakes now as I don't pay attention as much anymore to what I'm saying. But I'm more confident and not as afraid to speak anymore. I've also learned to appreciate more for what I have and how thing are in Finland. And as I have said before, this was not easy but it was worth it.
But it's not the right time yet to say these goodbye things. I'm just starting to realize that it really is over soon... But I have a whole life waiting in Finland and I really need and I want to go back. I'm happy to go back :)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
My Dear Finland
My mind has been in Finland the last two days. I've been planning my spring and next Fall... If I'm hard working, I should graduate during/after summer! Cool! I'm also planning to go to elsewhere to do my Ph.D. though I'm going to stay in Finland... but nothing more on that, that's going to be the spring issue I have to deal with...
I'm waiting so much for the next two and a half week to go by! Then I'm going to see my babe!!! Missing him so much! Now I've gotten myself in a point where I'm just waiting to go back home... Or to be more specific, waiting to see my love. Waiting, waiting and waiting.
Finals are coming soon, I've lost my motivation to read properly but my goal is to pass all the courses, I'm going to take only passed for them, not any grades as they'd lower my average. But even though my motivation is low, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't read. I still need to study to keep my mind happy ^^ I can't just do nothing, I'd feel bad about myself.
I'll go and "celebrate" one of my friends leaving on Saturday. So I get some social life again! Last weekend I just enjoyed my peace and tried to sleep and relax :) Then it's only one more week of studies, then it's over. Well, then it's finals and then it's really over!
I already packed stuff away that I don't need and tried to estimate how much space do I have and that if I need to panic how I get all my stuff back in Finland :D It seems to be ok. Though I still need to think what to do with my blanket, I paid a lot for it, too much just to give it away so I need to see if I could take it with me if no-one is going to buy it... Luckily I've been reasonable and haven't bought A LOT stuff. And I'm going to send some christmas presents to my parents so that the could at least think that I'm with them.
Ashleigh came from NYC and told it's really beautiful. I'm looking forward going there with Tarmo! Oh I just said to Kaisa today that I love him so much, I love that he just brainstorms with me (about the future) and stuff... The nearer I get to The Day, the more enthusiast I get! Oh please let this three weeks go by fast!!!
By the way, it snowed. Or actually it rained ice during the weekend and the ground is still white (and slippery). And I'm starting to be too goofy, I forgot my keys to the store downstairs last night :F
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Breakthrough
I also got C from the (again) impossible Neurobiology exam (46% God I just love stupid people again!!) and I'm happy, it should've been D at most... Also had my last midterm yesterday ^^ So now it's just two weeks plus final exams!!! And I thought that if I would work hard this and next week, I can have the last weekend off ^^
I had something else in my mind too that I had to mention...
Oh, you must've heard the new breakthrough in the field of stem cells??!! SO COOL! Though it still isn't efficient method enough to abandon embryonic stem cells, it's certainly a way towards that! Which means that some religious people can stop whining :> I don't need to be cruel, just wanted to say something... stupid. And it was so cool to have a real conversation about this yesterday at the Global Buddy meeting and I noticed that hey, I really know something as Cory asked some quite hard questions :) Few years in University not in vain! Yey! Though I still need to rehearse some words as I get excited, I forget how to pronounce some words... Not that I do that only in English, I can't speak in Finnish either :D
Ashleigh left to NYC for the weekend, so I got the "house" ^^ That means that if my neighbors mind to be quiet, I can read upstairs ^^ Oh but I really should read some Developmental Biology but I decided to find some old friends from Facebook and to polish my nails (haha) and then I needed to wait for the nailpolish to dry so I couldn't read :> Well, I could read but can't take notes... Anyway, there is no good reason not to read now, so I guess I need to do something...
Early morning tomorrow, I got a permission to go and listen one of Kaisas classes where they study cancer now :) And as my thesis has something to do with cancer and as it's not taught in our university (!!!) it can't do any harm to go there :)
ps. I miss Tarmo. A lot! Three more weeks!!!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Getting Ready
And this week was ok, I got 20/20 from my cricket lab report and some quite young guy called me ma'am :D I also had fever of Wednesday, was in a wrong place drinking hot chocolate and bought some wine and cheese. We were supposed to be at T-spoons but we were at Java Juice but Kaisa and Suzanne was there and we wanted our smoothie so it was ok :) though I just wanted the hot chocolate as I felt awful... But when wouldn't chocolate make you feel better?? ;)
So I'm just doing my laundry, then I need to pack and read 10 pages of endocrinology to get that done so that I don't need to even imagine to be worried about anything study things in our trip :) The I'm going to Kaisas place to see Memoirs of Geisha in the evening and then I'm going to sleep and then I need to wake up at 5.30 am to get to shower and to call my parents and at 7 am we're leaving!!! Our flight leaves at 9 amish...
Just to inform you, I won't be available in a week, will be back on Saturday 24th... ^^
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Three Months
And as you probably can hear (read) I'm in a better mood :) I worked hard this weekend and got some work done and noticed that I got my spontanious nature back :) Last night I went to movies in a 2 minute warning time :D (Saw4, wasn't scary, only gross)...
But nothing new in here... Just studying all the time so that I don't need to give any thoughts to studies on vacation... I'll have an exam on Tuesday, report to write for Tuesday, article to analyze for tomorrow (well I did that already) and neurobiology questions to be done for Tuesday. Plus I need to read endocrinology for the week after Thanksgiving as I don't want to read it on Thanksgiving.
And we need to construct the gift basket for Melissa's Uncle and his wife too... So we're going to buy some wine and cheese...
And we planned our Thanksgiving trip today, was supposed to do that last night but I didn't know Paola was coming and I left to the movies... What else?
I don't know why I was so depressed last week... I just wanted to run away from every social event that was ahead of me. I just wanted to be under my blanket and not to get up at all... I missed Tarmo so badly.
But even though this is hard (not that I ever assumed this to be easy) I'm still happy that I left here. This has made me stronger and taught me to be independent. At the same time I know now more than ever that I love Tarmo and he's the one I want to be with. I've learned that I need him. For my sanity. I need him physically and mentally. With him I'm calm and whole. At least if I'm not calm he'll make me calm :D
It's amazing that you need to leave your familiar environment to see these things. I appreciate more than ever what I have and where I live. And that's good.
As I said to a friend of mine, this was probably the worst time I could've picked to leave. But this was my last and only chance. So I just need to deal with it and be happy for what I've learned.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Don't Know What to Think
So I was supposed to have Endocrinology exam week ago but as we waited it to start the lecture room filled with strange people and eventually there was no space for all. It turned out to be some other exam and our exam was canceled. It was supposed to be today but the lecturer decided to put half of it to next exam and half on final. Which is good because I had Neurobiology exam today... But the weekend first. On Friday I was home early and went to Kaisas place to see some movie (Mean Girls) and drank bottle of wine (was one glass only because the bottles are small... :P) with sparkling water. On Saturday I had really lazy day. I watched the game (again at Kaisas, and we won!), after that we watched Devil wears Prada (rented it on Friday but didn't watch it and it had to be returned by 5pm). After that it was too late to do anything (not that I really had any motivation to do anything...) so we just watched tv (Pirates of the Caribbean I). And talked with Tarmo <3 On Sunday I got some work done and ate pancakes which Kaisa made for us ^^ They were soooooo good! And of course on Sunday it's Desperate Housewinves day too :) I also heard that dad lost his job (though we knew to expect that, they had a new boss and they had to let people go, and he actually wanted to quit but it's not good to quit your job on your own or you don't get any money). So now he has no job but he still gets money. But he's too old to get any job anymore and he's been sick a lot so I hope that he retires... Or that he can retire. We'll see...
On Monday it was my birthday!!! So I'm 22 :> In the morning my parents called and I even got a card from Ashleigh! (A cat card and it was red! Am I really THAT obvious??? :D) I got a funny power point from friends from Finland and many congrats via Facebook. On my first lecture Meike gave me a smoothie and a Birthday Girl badge I had to wear the whole day :D It was fun and quite embarrassing, especially when I was alone :D At Burge a girl who swipes our ID said Happy Birthday and a group of exchange students started to sing but I quickly left :D After my lectures I came home, talked with Tarmo and Saana (haven't talked for so long time!!!). Meike and Paola invited me to their place in the evening and I had such a big surprise waiting for me! The second I stepped inside there was Seminaarimäen Mieslaulajat - Taina playing, there was a birthday cake on the table, red lights and Happy Birthday band hanging on the couch!!!! OH MY GOD! I was so touched that I had to cry! It still gets my eyes wet :) I can't say how touched I was... I did know to expect something but not anything like this... Oh... It was so nice! And I got beautiful earrings and a Hello Kitty towel :D And when I finally came back home I had a packet of Finnish chocolate and Salmiakki waiting for me from my parents :)
And on that night I had a dream where I was sleeping next to Tarmo and it felt so warm and nice, and Pollo walked there too <3
And something about the weather has to be mentioned too... it's been really windy and in the mornings (and nights) there is already minus degrees! Trees have lost most of their leaves but the grass is still green. Still feels like Finnish Spring.
Today I had my Neurobiology exam (no more night exams!!!) and the professor said that the exam is harder than the last exam was... I don't know how that's possible... There were couple of questions I didn't know but I answered to everything... I did all I could, it didn't go well but then again that doesn't tell anything. As I have said so many times, even though you get bad points, you can get a good grade... Last time I got like 66/100 and I got B... So stupid...
But now to serious things. I heard this morning some awful news from Finland. About the massacre in Jokela high school. Oh my god... I feel so bad... And the most shocking part of this is that it was in news even in here! I really don't know what to think! And I've been thinking about it the whole day! I don't know why it touches me this much. I didn't know any of them, it was far away from where I live but still I feel awful. Maybe it's because it was even in here in news and it was said in news too, that schools have always been considered as a safe place in Finland and I myself have always felt that when I'm in school, I'm safe. Lucky me that I'm not in school anymore, I don't know what I'd do... I'm afraid of mentally unstable people, have always been, but somehow I'm even more afraid now... I can't understand how no-one saw this coming??? Please do believe that when a young people say that they feel bad, they do feel bad and it's not just a puberty!!! (That's what it was considered when I was in high school...) We really need to take some serious actions... Oh I still can't believe this happened! I don't know what to think... I'm mad that he died and he don't need to face his action, he got away from this too easily! He killed young people who had their whole life ahead and a woman who possibly had children! This is so unfair! Then again it's good that he died so that the government doesn't need to take care of him (which costs a lot money). And even though I don't believe in God, I want to believe that he won't get away from this this easily. There's got to be something waiting for him. Hell or something as bad. This is stupid, stupid, STUPID! I feel so sorry for all the parents and friends. As my worst fear is to lose my loved ones, I can only imagine what they feel like if I feel this bad :(
I don't know what to say about this anymore... I don't know what to think. I'm so glad no-one asked my opinion about this today. I might have bursted into tears...
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Halloween
On Friday we went to carve some pumpkins and of course me and Meike decided to take the most difficult one, we need some challenge for the first pumpkin carved ever :D We had only 1,5 hours time and we run a bit out of time so we just had to do some short cuts... But it was beautiful! And quite well done for the first pumpkin ;) After that we went to Loris place to eat some pizza and pumpkin pie (it was warm and one piece was enough... I can't decide if it was good or bad...). And after that we headed to Frightmare Forest in Cedar Rapids! It was so fun, FUN! There was this forest where they had set up some "haunted house" though it was in a forest. And as it was night we went there, it was dark and there was this dimly light path we had to follow. Me and
The next day I had ticket to the football game
This week I have two exams, so I'm quite busy...
We had fire alarm again few weeks ago, someone kept some stuff under the oven... Really smart. And on Monday our endocrinology professor moaned to us that we should be prepared to the exam in time (we had a review session on Friday, the exam is tomorrow) and ask questions on the review session, not after that or worse, a day before exam or even worse, after exam! I was like WTF??? How am I supposed to have time to read all the things that early?? The weekend was only coming and that's when I really have time to read... And I can't always realize everything that early and if you go and ask questions after exam, doesn't that just say that you're really interested?? So weird..
And today Kaisa said: "Taina knows everything, the thing she doesn't know, you don't need to know" :D And that was because I knew what to do with banana flies :D
Tomorrow is Halloween officially. I don't know yet what we're going to do, though I have exam until like 6 pm and I have exam on Thursday too... But we need to wear our bunny ears!
And Oh I haven't written anything about our prank!
I heard I think in the middle of last week at night some laughter and running on the corridor but was too tired to get up. On the morning someone knocked on our door but I had only just woke up so I didn't open the door. As people were walking past our door I heard giggling. I was like oh my god what's wrong there?? (I suspected something in the night too...) I thought that I need to finish my morning coffee before I dare to open the door. So when I finally opened it, there was this huge pile of Daily Iowans that just flooded in :D I was laughing so hard that Ashleigh woke up. We've had before like 3-5 Daily Iowans (we have this white board that says No Daily Iowans, please, and someone wipes the No off and puts random number in it and correct number of Daily Iowans). And on our board, it said 169 Daily Iowans, please :D It was so funny :D
So, something has finally happened :D Though my days still include mostly studying. I've started to miss Tarmo really much. And I mean really much! And I'm ready to go back Finland too, though not that badly as I know that it's so dark in there in this time of year and in here it's like Spring :D I miss our daily routines and I'm starting to be ready to write my Thesis. And for some reason I've planned what kind of courses I could keep and what kind of teacher I'd be :D Not really but only a bit ;) But enough about missing, I don't want to think about it, it makes me only sad.
I should take a shower but I think I'll do that in the morning, I'm too lazy now...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Back to ER
Luckily I made some work from todays readings yesterday so I'm still in "schedule"... And I made the doctor laugh, I helped Kaisa when she was going to get X-rayed:
"Well, this is the first time I'm opening someone else's bra..."
"Interesting..." (Also the nurse couldn't help it but bursted into a laugh.)
Some random thing:
"What's your name?"
"Taina."
"How do you say that?"
"Taina."
"Like vagina?"
"Not quite, though I have one..."
I've been trying to get a ticket to Saturdays game, and I might have one finally... And tomorrow I'll go and carve some pumpkins, eat pizza and pumpkin pie, watch bonfire and go to a haunted house! And on Saturday I might go to the game and on Sunday I'll go and see some soccer (Meikes team is having the last game in here). So enough to do for the weekend, I still need to find some time to read... I'll have two exams next week!
And I finally found some time to do my laundry! Now I just need to wait for my towel so that I can go and take a shower...
Weather is beautiful. Sun is shining and the air is fresh and crispy. Reminds me of Finnish Spring. And I'm still smiling because of the letter :) What else? I'm quite tired so this is just brain streaming, I should eat something (been just drinking coffee) and I try to kill time so that I get my laundry ready...
Under two months! That's eight weeks!
Oh yeah, almost forgot! I'm so smart that I even surprise myself! :D Last night Kaisa got some medicine for the nausea and it made her twitch. I told her that it's because the drug effects the dopaminergic neurons, like in Parkinson's disease. I meant what I said but I never thought that it'd be THE reason. And today Kaisa gave me this:
Metoclopramide (INN) (IPA: [m?t??klopr?ma?d, -?kl?-]) is a
potent dopamine receptor antagonist used for its antiemetic
and prokinetic properties. Thus it is primarily used to
treat nausea and vomiting, and to facilitate gastric
emptying in patients with gastric stasis.
So I actually knew it!! I'm so smart!!! To bad that it comes and shows itself only occasionally :D But I really need to get something to eat...
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Not So Good Week
But I feel a lot better, we figured out the fight and hopefully that was the last time... And I think I had some fever last night too... But I feel a lot better in that field too. Today we cooked with friends in my place (and I had to clean the kitchen, again :F). It was fun and refreshing. But I still need to read something for Animal Behavior, I'll have exam on that on Tuesday. And then I'll have exams every week again until December.
So no rest for this girl until Thanksgiving week.
And it's two months even to see Tarmo!
My roommates were out last night and brought some friends with them but luckily they were here only about an hour. On Saturday I went to bed already at six! I didn't sleep but I felt so bad. And on Friday I tried to go sleeping early too but my roommates went shopping and came back and wanted to show what they had bought :)
Eight weeks... I've been just studying and living inside my thoughts. Tarmo said that our home doesn't feel like home because I'm not there :) I feel quite weird too. I feel like I'm here only like a week or so but the week is never ending week. This feels so temporary (though it is that :D)
But I don't have much to write. Just wanted you to know that I'm still kicking :)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Better Tuesday
But now I've visited ER in US! No, my godmother didn't die here (can't believe I make a joke about this, but laughing has always been my method to hide from sorrow...) but I took Kaisa to there instead. She had some abdominal pain again and I tried to get her to see a doctor on Sunday but she refused to go. On Monday while we were having our lunch I said, OK, now lets go to the ER! And I'm glad I took her there, even though they still didn't know what's wrong, she got some antibiotics, painkillers and she needs to see the doctor soon again. And if the pain is not gone by tomorrow, I'll make her to see the doctor again :> And even though I missed two lectures, I'm happy that I had something to do yesterday. I was too sad to read and listen during the lectures (almost bursted in tears when Meike said that I look so tired...). And I can go to other lecture on Thursday so I actually missed only one lecture and Endocrinology isn't that bad to miss... Not that I'd want to miss my lectures but it's the easiest course I have. We were at the ER like three hours, waited only 20 minutes to see the doctor! And it was quiet and surprisingly nice there. There was even an aquarium at the waiting room (in Finland all the drunk people would brake it...). Then we went to get her medication and bought some dye for our hair! So my hair is now dark brown (and the color was supposed to be light brown though I knew this...) and I bought two lipsticks too... Beauty things make me feel better, always!
I should buy some of those everstay lipsticks for my mom too, they're so cheap in here!
So it was pretty long and exhausting day yesterday... I was so tired when I finally got back home!
Today I've been studying and I had lunch with Judith. Though I needed three cups of coffee today and even still almost fell asleep during neurobiology lecture! So I think I'm still quite sad... I laugh and sleep my sadness away... My dad sleeps also if he's sad. I believe I got the same thing. But oh my god how stupid people can be! We had our neurobiology discussion today and there was this one question about photoreceptors and something about yellow receptor... And people were so confused... I was like "RGB system people, RGB system!" And I think (and want to believe) that I eventually did well enough on my neurobiology exam, I got B! Though I didn't get good points, but the average was 66/100 and to get A you had to have 74/100... So it was pretty hard exam!
It's getting cold in here. And people dress up so weirdly! There are people with shorts, flipflops and t-shirts (though not all these combined together) and then there are people with winter jackets! So funny...
And sorry, no new pics...
And oh, I just realized, I'm half way done! I've been here 2 months and 6 days and I still have 2 months and 5 days! Or lets say this way, 2 months and 5 days until I see my darling! But that sounds too long, I prefer thinking in weeks because they go by faster than months :> But at the same time I don't want to leave all these wonderful people... And that makes me confused!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Wannabe European Guys
We went last night to Piano Lounge to listen this guy play piano and he was so good. And I had one glass of white wine, so elegant! Though before going downtown we drank one glass of Kaisas white wine :) And we missed the first bus because we couldn't fit in. So we waited for the second one and because the bus ran on "wrong direction" (i.e. it when to other side of the river first) it was empty. And the bus driver had some candy for us and he played music really loud. He also drove really fast and because the benches are quite slippery, Kaisa almost fell on the floor because she didn't hold on :D I had such a good laugh! And the funny thing was that I imagined myself falling on the floor because if I hadn't had a hold of the edge of the bench, I'd have been on the floor because my feet aren't long enough to stop myself on the opposite benches :D It was funny.
And back on our way home there were these three guys and we kept teasing them with Kaisa while waiting for the bus (45 minutes, after that we decided to walk back home) :D They tried to pretend to be from somewhere else (from Europe) but somehow we knew they were from US :D
But today I was sleeping too late, I missed the first 30 minutes of the game! And that means that I slept until 11 am! I can't even remember when I did that last time! So I made some coffee and went to see the game (and we won, finally!) and after that I went to HyVee to do some
But now that I'm done with my statistical analysis (I'm too lazy to continue on writing them on the report) and my laundry is done too, I'll go and do something not so useful so that I can be all energized tomorrow.
And I'm almost half through my studies in here! And we rebooked our flights, we'll be back in Finland in 5th January. We didn't get any place to stay in Nashville so we decided that we'll leave earlier. We can't afford to pay for any hotel for three weeks!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Two Months
AND, I did something radical today! We didn't get any place to stay at Tennessee so we're going to leave two weeks earlier than we were supposed to leave. I just changed our flights from 18th to 4th January! We still need to book a hotel... But anyway, we're going to save quite a lot and I get home earlier!
AND, my connection is working!
AND, I had exam today and I will not have exams for two weeks!
Oh happy day!
So, connection problems solved and I can relax a bit. Though I talked with my parents this morning using Ashleighs computer. They were a bit concerned already... And I got yesterday this wonderful reflector from my mom! It's so cute ^^ What else has happened? I had long day, just got home and I'm quite tired... Oh yeah, I saw my global buddy, I haven't seen her for such a long time... We had fun time :)
ps. Tarmo said something wonderful to me this morning and I was one big smile for the whole day ^^
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Chicago Baby!
Our weekend was so amazing, I had such a good
time!
The city and our hosts welcomed us warmly with hot weather and a cold glass of wine. We were at Chicago at eight and after some chatting we went to downtown to Hancook Center to see Chicago at night time. We were there just in time because it closed just after we were ready with our tour. After that we spent some time trying to find some place to eat and finally went to small pizza/bar place and ate traditional stuffed Chicago pizza and were back home about at one am. We were supposed to get up at seven on the next morning but finally got up at eight and had some breakfast. After that we headed to the Shedd Aquarium, missed our stop and walked all
through Millennium Park back to the aquarium. And it was huge and so beautiful! We spent there like four hours, went through all the displays and watched a dolphin show. And I loved the sharks! The wall of that aquarium was curved so that it was on you too! And the sharks were BIG!
After that we walked again through Millennium Park and got to Navy Pier. There we ate good ice creams and continued our trip to the NHL hockey game! Chicago Blackhawks against Detroit Red Wings. And it was so easy to yell "GO HAWKS!" :D Oh we were so excited about the game with Kaisa, there was Tuomo Ruutu playing too! And he made a goal too! And of course we won (though Iowa Hawks didn't win, they had game too that day). The
game had some different rules from Finnish hockey, after first 20 seconds there was a fight between two players and the judges didn't do anything! And of course there were all kind of shows in American style. But it was fun to yell PERKELE! And to see hockey, which is kind of the only sports I get excited.
After that we went back home and it was again after midnight and we were so tired after all the walking. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot!! Before the game we went to the beach and took some really nice pictures from there! I just have to get them from Meike first.
On Sunday we got up at nine and had some really good breakfast our host family made (stuffed pancakes) and at 11 am we left again to downtown just to walk around and see the Chicago marathon. There were a lot of people and the weather was hot. We browsed some souvenir shops (and the only thing I bought from Chicago was a Chicago magnet where you can put a pic or card...) and headed back at 2:30. And finally left back to Iowa City at 3:30. So I was in time to see Desperate Housewives!
And the host family was so nice! And oh my god their apartment! It was so beautiful and big! We're going to get some gift basket for them. I really felt welcomed!
So the weekend was really nice, I'm glad we went there. But back to reality, I have Endocrinology exam on Wednesday and I really haven't had time to read for it yet, so I'll have to live at the library again for a few days. And then I need to start to catch up everything else. But then it's no exams in two weeks! And on Tuesday morning I have the appointment. Blah. But I really hope that we can figure out things so that I could talk with my parents again!
On our way back home I listened to Poets of the Fall and dreamed about Tarmo. When we were at Savolinna for the first summer we dated, he took me to a rides and showed me all the pretty places there and we listened to Poets of the Fall then. So it always reminds me of our first summer ^^ And when we were at the beach, I drew his name on the sand <3
ps. I'll post the pics when I get them out from my camera... I was lazy now, sorry! And here's an article about the marathon, someone actually died (there were ambulances running all the time...) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071008/ap_on_sp_ot/run_chicago_marathon
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Working Hard
morning I talked with Tarmo before leaving to my class. After my first class I went to the library to read for my Neurobiology exam and Kaisa came there too. We were supposed to go to Kalona Fall Festival later that day (at 6 pm) but Kaisa said that she'll go with the earlierOn Friday I had the most hectic day ever. In the group (3 pm) to there so that she wouldn't miss the homecoming parade. Meike had already said that she'll change the group too but
I put my eye pads on my eyes so that I could sleep late the next day.
So I woke up today at 9.30 am when Ashleigh left to the game. I went to watch the game at Kaisas place (we lost). After that I came back home, talked again with my mother in law (they showed their new home via webcam!) and took a nap because I was really tired and my head ached. I really appreciate the Finnish bars now, the smoke makes my head ache, I drank only one drink and it took 2 hours for me to finish it so I didn't have a hang over! :D But after napping I felt better, made some food and actually managed to read some Neurobiology ^^
I had a dream few nights ago that my mom cried a lot. I need to ask if she's okay when we talk next time.
And I've been missing home. Sometimes I feel like I would just like to crawl in my bed, go under the blanket and be there in warm. I feel like I would like to be alone, curl up in to fetus position and be in my own thoughts. But I know that's not a good thing to do so I don't do that. Instead I study hard and try to be social. Though being perfectionist (and not so sure how much I need to study to get good grades), studying takes now time from my socializing. But I heard that local students don't take many science courses at a time because they require a lot work (which I've noticed) and that the basic courses are harder in grading so that the people that are not smart enough will drop. But luckily working has always been my way to "grief". If you can call this grieving :D
82 days and I see my baby again. And two days for our half a year anniversary (from our engagement)... Kalona was hard place, there were babies all over! And they all were behaving and so cute :> I need to write an e-mail to my professor and ask about my graduation... I need to ask if I need one course and when do I need to apply for the PhD place... I am beginning to realize that I am actually going to graduate. That's quite scary! I remember the time it seemed that I would just study forever... Though after graduating I will still study :D But at least I get some money.
I love the peace in here. Everyone is partying after the game.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Expressing Mother Genes
I read the whole weekend to the developmental biology exam (and not to the behavior exam because developmental biology is more interesting, though I had the behavior exam today...) and learned the major things we've gone through so far. And I learned those things so that I really understood them but then I saw the last years exam and I got depressed and angry! The exam was full of details! And only details! Well okay, mainly details but still! You can't measure your BASIC knowledge by asking questions about little details, the course is INTRODUCTION to Developmental Biology! Details are for more advantaged people (and obviously for smarter people than me...)
But anyway, that was the thing blogger.com decided to delete last night... And so I had my Animal Behavior exam today and it actually went better than I expected (because I lost my motivation for reading because of the detail questions). Though I didn't answer for two questions (I just couldn't remember two terms and I had absolutely no clue about C. elegans
And yeah, in here you write only your student number on the exam, no names! And you don't need to show any ID when you return the exam...
And I started menstruating today! Two days earlier than normally! I think it's because of my mother genes are expressed more actively than normally (yes, I've been reading genetics :D) No but really I think it has something to do with my mental disorder I've had lately...

I talked with my mom today and she sounded a bit worn out... I wonder what's wrong... It might be because of the water damage that stresses her and it starts to get dark in Finland now and people get depressed... I hope she'll get better! It was raining the whole day today and when I came back home, it was already dark and the streets were wet and full of yellow leaves, Fall, just like in Finland! And it was quite cold!
I need to start to go through my notes for the damned INTRODUCTION to Developmental Biology exam... I have the exam on that on Thursday, then I have to start go through my Neurobiology notes and read the chapters and after than exam (next Wednesday) I need to catch up everything and then (or even before I finish catching up...) it's time for Chicago! We even bought tickets for a ice hockey game there! And we're going to stay at Melissas relatives :) and on this Friday we'll go to Kalona Festival! It's kind of Amish festival that's near here. And on Friday night we'll go to see Minus Six again!
And I got a letter from my niece today! She's like 12 or something (I'm sos bad with ages, I can't even remember how old I am!) and asked what's my favorite food and when am I coming back ^^
Monday, September 24, 2007
Stupid Introduction
(part of post deleted because blogger.com didn't know how tho handle my pic and decided to erase half of my text and ARGH and I'm too tired to do that again... So it just continues from here and no pics this time :P)
...
because I felt that I should had learned only details and not the basics in detail...) Well I just need to see how it goes. And about the Animal Behavior course, since I spent so much time in developmental biology, I didn't have enough time to read for this course and I lost my interest because of the detail thing... Luckily I have some time to go through my notes tomorrow morning... And luckily I can take my classes as passed and not with grades... I just hope that I pass! I really prefer Finnish system. We have usually only one exam during the course and by knowing the basics you pass and by knowing details you get an A. But in here you have three to four exams in a course and they seem to ask mainly details... In Finland we have few questions where we have to define some things plus two to four essays (real essays, you need to write two to four pages!) and it usually takes two hours to complete the exam. In here you have ten pages of multiple choices, some defines and short essays (meaning sentence or two!) and you complete the exam in an hour. And did I already mention the details??? In my opinion you can't measure your knowledge by details, you need to know the basics and big concepts and by details you show that you are smart and interested in that thing... It might seem easy but it's not, you really need to understand the big concept before you can understand the details! And what's that about grading people with Gaussian function??? That does not measure knowledge, if people are stupid, they are stupid and still get A's! (I just chatted with my suite mate for an hour so I lost my thoughts.) But I think that was enough anyway. And I'm starting to miss home. I've chatted with my mother in law and she sent me nice pictures of their new house and I'd just like to visit there... I'm starting to miss my own bed, my own kitchen... And I'm starting to miss Tarmo so much that occasionally it makes me depressed. I really need to keep myself busy now so that I don't get time to think too much. I still love Iowa City and I don't want to leave yet but this is getting worse... Maybe it's because now I have only my courses and I really don't have time for socializing anymore, at least not as much as I'd like to have... My normal day begins at 7:30 am (and I really wake up without alarm clock), I get up, make breakfast and back my bag and get ready, then I come to talk with Tarmo and then I go to my classes, after that I study and I get home at 8 pm. And by that time I'm just so tired that I'd just like to sleep but I try to do things and get bed at 10 pm. I don't like being at home because I don't like this room as much as I like my own house and I have my computer in here so I really can't concentrate in here. And it's noisy. Moan moan. Not really. I got chocolate and salmiakki!! But now I got stuck with my mouth again. And it's late enough so that I can go bed again! I have the same thing my dad has, if he's sad, he sleeps. Maybe that's why I'd just like to sleep.. Though I love sleeping :>
I've been thinking about future a lot. I've kind of started to realize that I'm going to graduate next Summer. And then I get money, at least a lot more money than I get now, and then I'm able to save some money! I already planned that I'd get my drivers license next Spring. I just need to start saving which means that I need to save in here too, but that's not hard, I don't have the time to do any shoppings anyway! And I could ask some money from my parents as my birthday and christmas gift... And then I'm graduating and we need to start planning ti get a car because we don't get the discounts anymore so it'd be worth of buying a car... And then... some family things I've been thinking... Oh I hate this baby boom! And then again I love it :D I'm crazy, I know.
But the bed. It calls me.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Three Months
And I'm happy because Tarmo is much cheerier than he has been for a while. He got lots of food and some money :) Makes me cheerier too!
And I have to read the whole day for the Developmental Biology exam. I started yesterday and I got really interested. It's so interesting! I wasn't always interested in it because I didn't understand gastrulation etc, but now I do and it's so fascinating! But I have a lot to read for the exam and I have my Animal Behavior exam next week too. Luckily it doesn't have that much reading in it though I need to have few days to go through all the notes...
See, I got motivated again :) I was just tired. And I'm not in my best when I'm tired. But the funny thing is that I laugh all the time. As Paola said (about Kaisas jumpiness): "I always scare her and Taina laughs." :D Though that is true. (I love you too Kaisa.) And Sira actually said that she'll miss that she can't localize me at our university by my laugh for a six months :D So I'm quite known for my laugh, though I try to think that as a positive thing :D
But I'll go back chatting with my babe and then I'll go to my class and then I'll go studying... Luckily I don't have my endocrinology class today, I can study longer. I also plan to go out tonight though I plan not to get drunk because I need to read tomorrow too... :P
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Not in the Mood
Oh it's so scary to go through those book detectors in the library when you are listening music because you can hear them scanning you! (Because I just went through them...)
I'm so tired. I didn't sleep well last night and I still woke up at 7:30 am. I need a good sleep and them I'm motivated again. And my face is peeling still so I don't want to be in public places, I'd just like to hide somewhere to recover... Though it was my own fault so let the girl suffer!
I got such a funny messages from Josh today, I couldn't do anything but laugh!
Hope u r having a wonderful time staring at animal brains!
Remember. If u hear the brain screaming back at u it is time to switch ur major.
So funny! Like I would torture the brains o.O but if I now see nightmares of brains screaming at me I know who to blame!
I booked a hotel for me and Tarmo for the couple of nights we're going to be in Nashville before going to New York. This hotel is near a Mall so if we get bored, there's something to do. Because there weren't any cheap hotels in downtown. We still need to get a place where to stay after Christmas... I put note today on this market place and I'll keep it there until we get a
And by the way. I'm going to gain some weight in here... There are so many cheeses available when I go to my lunch every day and because I love cheese, I eat it and then I get fat! In Finland cheese is so expensive that we can't afford to buy it all the time, not to mention different kind of cheeses! (Today I had a salad where there was feta, cheddar and cottage cheese!) And I really need to start to go to the gym but I don't seem to have the energy for that! It opens too late during the weeks so that I can't go there before my classes, I study so late that I'm too tired to go there in the evening and on Saturdays I'm elsewhere or having a hangover and on Sundays I'm too busy with my studies because I didn't do anything during the weekend! Okay, okay, only excuses I know, but a good ones! Though I really need to start exercising again...
I don't get it. Why am I this tired? I study hard in Finland too, all my books have been in English for the last three years and it's not THAT different to study in here (except that the classes start late). Maybe it's because I didn't sleep well during the weekend and because here I HAVE to read all the time because of the exams. I'll have two exams next week so I have to start to go through my notes for them on the weekend...
And we should book our hostel for our Thanksgiving trip in Boston. I'll do that tonight.
But I just realized that I should do something and now that I'm not going to study anymore, I'll make this time useful and go to buy some software...
