It is all here!

THOUGHTS FROM THE END OF MARCH

People, this entry has grown some length. Some people tend to mind it, and some do not. As an author of this blog, I want to bring up the thoughts I have seeded in my mind, that this could be the last entry ever posted to this blog. The timeline of every blog has an end. Some sooner, some later. I may not have the time. I enjoy writing these little posts now and then, but nowadays I feel that my entries lack the things that used to keep my blog interesting for the readers. I have less anxiety, depression and problems to write about.

My blog has grossed nice amounts of traffic, and some people have developed reading my blog as a daily or a weekly routine, from which I'd like to thank the people reading. Perhaps this is the goodbye or not, but farewell for the moment.


I'm spending quality time back at home. Mostly dancing and reading, chilling out and listening what the life brings and typing down these little observations. And looking stars. I love the pitch-black sky and the stars bathing in the athmospheric disturbances. I love seeing the ring of our galaxy, dimly, but clearly visible with a telescope. When I grow roots someday, I will most definitely invest on quality telescope, and start this hobby for real.

Stars I love, and I love the planets. Everything above us, the sky and things that in there lie.



SET I

The world has finally set, and I feel like fitting the picture.

I have began to sell my stuff. My PC workstation has to go; I already found a buyer for that: my folks. My sister is taking my old laptop, as I am going to get a new one. I'm also selling my amplifier. If I can't get a buyer for that, I'm storing it for use *when* and *if* I come back. My personal stuff I'm going to store at my parents' place. Four or five bulky boxes will do, and a pair of spacy black plastic bags for the clothes I'm leaving here. Of course I'm annoyed to do this again, back up my belongings and relocate. I just got here! But life's full of compromises, and I will adapt to them.

I'm going to write about my relocation below, in more detail.

ARRANGEMENTS PART I

I started the preparations quite early; as soon as I got the news and came back home.

The first thing is to declare myself free of service, meaning the Finnish Defence Forces, which still seem to want my services, which I aren't too keen to provide. I don't miss the Finnish Defence Forces, and I have this odd feeling that they won't miss me either. I'm going to have a medical check-up soon, and I guess I can't go even if they accept ("take") me in. Moving abroad for a timeframe 'unknown' is definitely going to be a problem for them. They'd just better to let go of me.

The second issue is to free me from the Finnish social security system. I read that I'm going to be transferred to the Irish system. I'm also part of the Irish pension system, I believe. My mother has worked in Sweden, and she has went trough the same thing. Basically Finland won't be paying my medicare anymore, this is because of the EU labour legistlation, and my would-be status as an Irish employee. Where I pay my taxes, from there I get my social security.

I also checked the fares for plane tickets and how often there are flights enroute. I believe that wherever I need to go, I just fly to London, either Stansted or Heathrow, and take a plane forward from there than just taking a direct flight. This is more cost-efficient. Ryanair, I believe the company is Irish based, has many routes within Great Britain, and routes from London to Tampere, from which I can take the train to Oulu or Helsinki. Tampere is Ryanair's hub in Finland. The largest hub is in London's Stansted. They won't fly from Heathrow because of the greater costs involved. The cost of airfield operations, such as catering, field services, plane parking space and etchetera, are more expensive there, at Heathrow. Instead of that, they use the more remote field, Stansted. It's a bit further from the city, but that is a minor point when you're travelling with a budget like mine. I think London will play very important role for me. It's the place where all the cheap flights depart.

Obviously I'm going to need a decently priced flat in Dublin. I'm expecting to get help from the hiring company with this matter. My salary is okay, as well are the working hours, holidays and my benefits.

Hopefully everything works out and I'll enjoy my time there. I think the chances for this are laid before me. I just need to take the right passage. I believe my career there won't leave on this step. Quite the contrary. But still, wish me the best luck.

YES, THE DYING POPE GOT MY ATTENTION

Let's talk about the Pope. He is there in Vatican --- not-quite-so-alive-looking. This note is interesting because I have been reading Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code". It's quite ingenious piece of literature. I bought the paperback from Helsinki. The English version cost me only three euros, so it was a real bargain! Well, anyways. The book presents the church in a new angle. Although it is a fictious thriller (and they're making a movie from it - someone already bought the rights!), it has a point there. Just take from my heed and try reading the book if it passes by. Grab it. Violently grab it!

I bought these weights many weeks ago. Two 2 kg handweights. They have done the trick. I can feel the power surging through me! Well, not so, but I have developed a routine, a sort of fitness program. Maybe I should begin to use the gym. I have increased my time spent on exercise and the results are positive, seen everywhere on and in me. I think the most natural thing I can do is to continue this, or even better: increase the training.

I did look at the map of Dublin. The innercity is about the size of Helsinki. About half a million people. Counting the suburbs and satellite towns, there lives 1.1 million people. The official rating in charts for the city of Dublin says 1.1 million people living in the city. It is supposed to be double of what Helsinki. The pictures tell me it's a modern city. A hybrid combining new and old. I think I will like the city. I think I will have to. I would hate to live in a city which I don't like.


SURELY WE WILL MEET AGAIN?

Next weekend, something really nice is supposed to happen.

I'm having a date! Yes, indeed! I hope it goes alright. I'm not nervous, maybe I should be, but I am not. I think I know the person well enough to trust. I'm smiling, letting my imagination run wild, as the weekend gets nearer. I wish that we both enjoy the time we are sharing with each other. I hope there will be more occasions like that. I wish it all proves worth the work we both, I think, have done. No one knows what the evening brings. I think we're both a bit shy and introvertic souls. I think I sort of like this combination. I have no ideas, yet, how we are going to spend the evening. My best guess would be a movie, perhaps pizza in between, and then going to a bar and see some live performance. What happens after that, well ... I think I'll leave something for the imagination, and some things aren't just proper to write here! Probably we will apart and both head to home for a good night's sleep, seeing nice dreams. Probably.

___


THOUGHTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF APRIL


ORDEALS AND VOCABOLARY EXPANSION

I've got about twenty days to deal with things here. Because then I'm gone. I've got so many practical things to think about! You people wouldn't believe the amount of things I need to deal with before jumping to the plane! Not only that - Imagine the mess at the destination. - I need to get a new bank account, find a flat, fill the flat with mandatory household stuff, sign gas & electricity deliveries and such. And in the mean time, do some work, study, socialize and climate myself to the local ropes.

I'm not sure whether I should get a passport or not. It is supposed to be EU and my current identification should be enough for the officials in Ireland. I need to get into this matter in more detail, and soon. Perhaps you can tip me out?


COMPUTE, MR. ROBOTO

I'm going to get this ADSL line I've been waiting for over a month or so. Now it will open and I will be able to enjoy it for a week. Possibly two, if I get lucky. I can't have everything, can I?

I think I've got a buyer for my Philips amplifier and speakers. My 19" monitor is still waiting a buyer. I'm also planning to sell my IBM laptop and buy new one. I'm avoiding to take too much of electrical appliances with me there, because I have this faint memory that the power cords, the plugs, are different there. The voltage is supposed to be the same, so I only need cheap adapters.


AIRLINE EXECUTIVE SPEAKS BOLLOCKS

I'm thinking to take the train to Tampere, fly from there to London Stansted, and take a plane from Stansted to Dublin. The plane will take a short land in Stockholm or Copenhagen and then continue to London. Ryanair has quite cheap route from Tampere to London the only negative side being the departure will take place from Tampere. I might be faster to take Blue1 route to Helsinki, take some cheap route from Helsinki to London, Heathrow, and from there to Dublin. I really don't have to bother about the costs, because the hiring company will reimburse my costs. However, because I get the money afterwards, I need to be cautious not to take too expensive route. Finnair seems to have the most expensive route, costing way over 1000 euros. If I use the lower-fare carriages and use one to two extra hours for the trip, I can get to Dublin for 300-400 euros. I would say that looking and comparing the different airlines is good for one's wallet. Finnair has overpriced itself. Scandinavian Airlines is more like an option. Ryanair is cheap, but has the oddest airfields it's operating from. The company cannot afford to use larger fields because of the costs. It would not be able to provide such low prices if it would be operating from Helsinki or Oulu, I guess.

[ addon: I just watched the news and Ryanair has flashed the option to start using Oulu Airport 'its routes ]

The cheapest option is to take a hike to Norway and then swim over the sea, walk over Scotland and swim to Ireland. I bet I could socialize my grandpa's row-boat for good use.


I'M FEELING LIKE WRITING MORE

I just noticed that I crypted one of my directories. The thing is, I used this calligraphic system on my drawing pad. I have no idea what sort of signature I made for myself. Luckily the data I encrypted isn't too valuable. But that sort of thing qualifies me as an arse. What a stupid thing to do.

A friend sent me a lengthy email today. I was nice, the more there is text, the more I enjoy. I hadn't got the time to answer, but perhaps I could spare a penny or two to phone him.

My bank account show a balance over six hundred euros just a day or two ago. Then I paid my rent and all the bills, noticing the balance dropping to twenty euros. Not to mention, that I spent a lot of money (considering) in the city last night, when I met this person I earlier spoke about. But it was all worth it. Actually, I was spending in the city in two occasions.

The first night I spend with another friend, we went to see this Finnish group called Tiktak, and it was all fun. That night I also bought the most expensive beer of all time I have ever encountered. And the gig also cost. Then I went to my friend's place to sleep and hurried to my sister's place to wait for the mystery person to arrive and hook up with him in the city. As we did.

I'm afraid that I cannot carry on without any extra financial support. Before I start to get paychecks, the time between I need to rely on charity, basically. Luckily I have a financially-on-solid-grounds-being grandfather. But I have no intentions to get the money for free. I consider it as a loan, which will be paid back. I also got one other loan to pay to another friend. I have got some loan from a financial institute as well, some kilo euros of student loan. Well, enough of my finances.

GOOD COMPANY


I cannot get rid of this business concept I once generated. I took it a bit further, and scrapped it! But! I got a new idea! As I am unable to run business from now on the form I planned (being too time consuming), I decided to plan some small scale operations I can do beside my job.

The thing is, if you want success, the thing you need to do is to drop out the words "if" and "want" from the beginning of this sentence. It turns to "you success". I think that guideline can be used to generate wealth and some sort of happiness in short scale. I think the wealth itself isn't the thing desired, but nice addon that helps to cumulate the real thing, the right type of balance and happiness to one's life.

I beginning to be comfortable with the idea, that I have got plenty of immaterial property stored in my head that I can sell for a good price.


HEADACHE, THE PILLS CAUSE IT

I have a horrible headache. It is because of these damn pills. I need to change these soon.

How would I describe you how bad my headache is? It's always in my mind, the first thing on my mind. It is bad. I don't know what migrene feels like, but I bet this headache would disturb anyone.

(a pause)

I thought about this. Perhaps I'm overloading too much burden on me (yet again). I have many things going on at the moment. When I now think about it, it is no wonder that I'm having these occasional headaches. Makes me think. Well, I am a mental case anyways. I'd better to cope and leave the rest without any extra pondering. Accept whatever comes. Losing a battle is sometimes imperative in order to win the war. But it makes me think what I would have become without this shit I have went trough. Although, human beings are, as a complete, knit together from the gone and went-thru life, both in good and bad. Should I be enlightened, after this conclusion? I can conclude a lot. But it is sad that I write a thousand page book, and miss the point I wrote there. One can say things, even after having a serious thought, and not implementing the essence to the reality - getting a better grip to the world. Makes me think. The world's flooding on me. It can happen.