tiistai 10. elokuuta 2010

Good morning, Finland!

Dear folks, I have returned. I am sitting dead tired on my bed in Pori and feeling extremely happy. If I'm honest to myself, I wont make up for the pause from writing last month (tragedy in my family, comedy in my private life and fantasy in my mind kept me distracted) but here are some of the notions of my last few days.

As a word of warning, airplanes can still be hellishly late. Our flight Hanoi-Paris was 9h late. Our plane had broken down so we waited for a replacement to arrive from Frankfurt. Although Hanoi is a capital of millions, the airport closes its gates at midnight so nobody could get out and we all were forced to spend the night at the airport. Rich and poor, side by side on the airport floor, sleeping and waiting for good news. The airline compensated us 45usd per person for the night spent at the airport but you can imagine how happy people were.

I managed to get fairly tanned in Vietnam. Or judged by the color, roasted. So I meet this friend on Saturday and greet her. After several long seconds she "woke up" and said Hi. She begged for forgiveness, she had been distracted by my tan. In a shop on Monday a couple of old ladies was discussing, clearly wanting me to overhear. They contemplated about the superficiality of the youth these days and the amount of harmful chemicals, e.g. self tanning creams, people use. Hey, I'm brown, not orange!

Thankfully the first weekend back home was very warm. Unfortunately not everybody had apparently noticed that. The Finnish mind works with the calendar. August = beginning of fall = cooling climate = more clothes. August 6th 2010, + 28'c, the pedestrian street of Pori = incredible number of people wearing jackets and long trousers. Didn't they bother to check the temperature or what?

The Finns showed their funny sides also in another aspect. We did a small road trip with my mum and my brother. When driving in a city, my brother amused himself by shouting "Good day!" to pedestrians his head out from the backseat window. Fingers are more than enough to count the people who actually replied anything. It was mainly amusing for us but it was sad to be reminded or the simple truth - we are suspicious, almost fearful of people we don't know. We don't talk to them, we don't touch them. Heck, we don't even touch the people dear to us. Should I declare a new mission for me and a challenge for all: spread the love! Touch, hug, embrace, smile, wave and wink. Let life flow loose!

Don't you just love these little bursts in the midst of the wee hours?

You'll hear from me again, most likely when I'm yet on another adventure. Where, when, with whom - I don't know but more is to come. Did you really think I would stay put from now on? :P