Day 128 & 129: Stunning Views

Day 128
Date: 7 JAN 2009

I took the morning ferry to Sweden, Stockholm. Finland was susppose to be my last stop of The Cold Journey but still dont feel like going home yet. Please dont get me wrong. I do love home but I still want to see more of mother earth.

At the port.



I know it may sounds crazy but having been above the arctic circle for so long, minus 9 centigrade now feels alittle warm to me. Haha.



A warm welcome on this curise ship.



Even though this was a cruise ship, I did not get a room for myself and so I spent most of the time sitting around or lying down on the floor at one little corner where noone sees me. No choice, I am on a budget trip you see.

Anyway, I have been thinking about this on this ferry ride. About after seeing so many places, where do I want to make it my home? That particular National day song kept playing in my mind. The one that goes something like been to paris, seen river kwai, blah blah blah but there is still no place like home. I cant agree. Even though there are so many wonderful places in the world, my home is still my home. It is where I grew up and where all my friends and family members are. I dont mind living and working in another country for a couple of years but still I will want to go back to Singapore one day. Thats where I BELONG. I am proud to be a Singaporean.

Ok, enough of my emotions. This is a 12hrs ferry ride from Turku, Finland to Stockholm, Sweden. Though it was a long ride, it was filled with stunning views. Views that were so mesmorising. See it for yourself.













































Nice right? Than I got to Stockholm at night and I made my way to Supriya's place. She is the indian girl I meet at taina's place. I had some difficulties locating her place but swedish were as friendly as finnish. A guy help me ask around and eventually took me to a pizza shop to borrow a phone to make a call to surpriya and that got me to her place.

Then at her place, she made me dinner, What must you try when u come to Sweden? The swedish meatballs ofcourse!!



And then I also had this funny jam as well. It is much thicker than juice but so much thinner than jam. Its called kram.




Day 129
Date: 8 JAN 2009

I spent the whole of the day at home, online, trying to look for a new host. Supriya is going away for the weekend and so she cant host me. After a 6-7 hours of hard work, my effort did paid off.


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Day 125-127: Turku

Day 125
Date: 4 JAN 2009

The kids have gone home. Even Rodrigo, Tania and Lacko had left this morning. The place is now quiet. I hang around till afternoon and me too left this amazing house. I was sad to leave though but there is always an end to everything. All I have now with me are good memories that I will remember for the rest of my life. And I will turn them into wonderful stories to share with all my friends and whoever I met. It will be legendary! Goodbye all, I love Finland, I love Rovaniemi and I LOVE ALL OF YOu, all of you who were present in this house. Surely will miss u guys. BIG HUG & KISSES!! *MUAKZ*

A last look at this place,



And a photo with the house number so that I will recognise my way back here again if there happens to be a chance.



And so I hitched my way out back into rovaniemi city with Edmund, an aussie guy who is also taina's guest. We were quite surprise to get a lift within 15 minutes cause not many cars pass by this place. We were lucky. the finnish were just so friendly and hospitable. The guy who picked us up even drove us all the way to the train station even if it was not on his way.

Back in Rovaniemai, it was still freezing cold. Just look at the cold mist that was formed above this river. Its like a huge freezer.



Even the tree branches were wrapped up in ice.



And so we took an overnight train back down south. Ya, I had decided to head south instead. I am going to Turku, going to stay a few days there and then catch a ferry over to Sweden. :P I just go anywhere I feel like. haha...

We bumped into Tania again at the train station and we took the same train back south. And it so happens that we have got to change train at the next same train station even though we are heading to different destination. But as there are at least 2 hours of gap in between, we rested at the closed train station chatting the minutes away and with Edmund playing his guitar.





Then we bid goodbye to each other as our trains came one after another. Not knowing when we will see each other again, but we were glad that we did had the wonderful memories together.


Day 126
Date: 5 JAN 2009

And so I arrived at Turku in the morning. Drop my stuff at my new host, Katja's place and went out sightseeing the town again. Turku is a very small town and I managed to see most of the stuffs in one day. Here are the pictures.











This is one of the most beautiful sunset I had ever seen in my life. Orange sky with floating ice on a river and snow coated ships. Amazing!












Day 127
Date: 6 JAN 2009

Cloud berries can only be found in Northern europe and I am happy that I had some for breakfast.





In the afternoon, Katja and Jaakko took me for lunch at Jaakko's dad's place. His dad is a professor and works alot with NUS. So he knows alot about Singapore. Everyone present at this lunch were so highly educated. Except me. haha.

At night Katja took me over to her friends house warming party. Today is also the last day of Xmas and so we destory the gingerbread cookie house by eating it. hahahaa. We also had that Xmas drink again. It was the same interesting drink that I had at Taina's place.

Took a few shots on the way back home.





Then it was back to bed. I am looking forward to Sweden tomorrow. It will be a new page on this journey. Join me!



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Day 123 & 124: Drunk, Puke and Loss of Memory

Day 123
Date: 2 JAN 2009

Somehow Taina and Sandra managed to convince Rodrigo to come back to Rovaniemi. Great! So off we went to fetch him at the train station. Let see whats the temperature now. Its close to minus 20 centigrade.



Well, remembered that I still have an apartment waiting for me in Rovaniemi? The girl who lent me her apartment? So I went back to pick up my stuff. This is the sewing machine there in her apartment. I find it very interesting cause back home, most people used to have one but many had already threw it away as it was so out of dated. But here in finland, I still find it in many people houses. It sort of adds to the character i think.



And so the party continues. Karaoke, guitar hero, ski, snowboard, snowmobile etc.









These kids were so cute. You have to see these 2 videos. Can anyone guess what song they were singing? HAHA





Anyway, I wanted to make some singapore food for taina as an appreciation for her great hospitality and so I volunteered to make dinner for everyone in the house today. It was a huge task. There were closed to 30 people in the house and so everything had to be in huge portion. It was my first time making dinner for such a crowd. I was quite anxious about it and guess what? I ended up ruining it!!! Damn!!

It was so difficult to cook in huge portion. Most of the food I cooked were either burned or whatever. It just tasted bad. I was so ashamed. Yes I am. I tried to save the situation but there was nothing I can do. I felt even more ashamed and bad when everyone still had it for dinner. OH GOD!! PLease save me!!

So thats it. A burned and bad dinner for everyone. SO PAISEH!!! Dont know where to hide my face. Sigh. :(









Anyway, it was serious drinking tonight. You have no idea how much we drank. Gallons and gallons of liqour!















Then we went for our usual sauna session. Like I always said, everything happens for a reason. This was what happened in the sauna. If someone did not throw in tons of water onto the stones in the sauna, then the temperature will not raised till unbearably hot. And if it was not for the unbearably heat, we would not had rushed out from the sauna room quickly. And if would not had rushed out from the sauna room quickly, we would not have seen THE NORTHERN LIGHTS!!!

Yes, I saw it again, Much bigger this time, We got so excited that we shouted for everyone to come out and we just stood there in the cold in minus 20 centigrade only wrap in our towels to watch it!!





Where was it? It right there!!! yeah!!!



We got so excited that we even did a WOH video of it. Check this out. This was how excited we were.



But then we got so cold after awhile that we decided to get back in to put on our footwear and get a jacket. Then it was back in the cold to watch the northern lights. So cold till my wet hair freezed!!



Then we did our victory slide off the roof!!









After which it was more drinking and drinking.











We drank so much. Check this out. Cider, beer, vodka, cognac, wine, whiskey........ and the list went on



And then ofcourse, I lose my memory that night. I did not remember anything after that. only to wake up in the room half naked or with a change of top. I cant remember that either. But I was told that I went to sleep in the sauna room, and they pulled me out and put me in bed. Then I vomited on myself while lying down and so they changed me out. Yah, thats how wasted I got. HA.

And I was told that Rodrigo fell in the bathroom and got a bump on his forehead.

Day 124
Date: 3 JAN 2009

Oh my. I felt so bad for needing them to clear up my mess. Well, today is a rest and recovery day again ofcourse. and ya, having burnt the food yesterday, so were the pots. Had a hard time scraping the soot off. Opps.



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