An interesting year

A lot could be said of 2006, but for me it has meant a lot as it was the start and end of many things. It hasn't always been as great of course but which year has been? As always there have been many doubts, times when I wished things would be easier or moments when I just wanted to move on.

Then there were too many moments when people I love were feeling bad due to different circumstances and when it seemed impossible to make them feel better. Also for that reason I hope the next year could be a new start for many.

But maybe now is more the time to remember all the good things that happened here and at other places, so now I will focus on them. :) I can't really speak for other people, so forgive me for focusing on myself again, but personally I have to admit it hasn't been a very bad year. The start of it was rather boring, as my thesis wouldn't write itself. But it wasn't in vain, as this year I finished my studies and became Master Kat. :) Furthermore I found myself very quickly an enjoyable job, so also this went really fine. Professionally I could definitely say that 2006 has been good for me. :)

But the best thing about the past year must have been that I was abroad so often and arranged 5 holidays. In total I was travelling for 39 days, an absolute record in my life so far. :P Of course I was more abroad during my Turku year, but that doesn't officially count as 'holidays'. ;)

I was able to see a few people back who I miss very much also now and meet and get to know some people even better. It all comes back to me wanting to travel more and visit these friends again and again, but let's see what 2007 brings. And which amount of free days my bosses are prepared to give me. :P

March '06 - June '06 - July '06

Me in snowy Oslo, with my sister in beautiful northern Norway, my two Spanish supermen in Málaga

September '06 - December '06

My other Spanish macho in Burgos and Pablito and Petra in beloved Turku

Presents!

The true Christmas spirit came to life yesterday evening, some time between the main course and desert... Presents! I still behave like a little child when it comes to that, I whine the entire night about when we will start with the unwrapping and giving, until they all give in to me and we can begin with it. It's not just my own presents I am eager to see, also the reactions of the other people is what makes it great for me. And I am too curious and impatient. :)

This year some of the presents still were a surprise to me, which is kind of a surprise as my mother can't resist to give as many hints as possible for me to eventually find out what I will get. I also managed to surprise the others though, by having my ears pierced for the third time in my life. The first time the holes infected, the second time I forgot to put earrings in them after a while, so let's hope that I will be able to keep them open at an age of 23. :P

Apart from a couple of earrings I also received perfume, a DVD, headset and gloves. Nice soft black ones to match the black scarf and hat I got for my birthday. ;)

Showing off the gloves...

The past two days at work however have been so incredibly dull. The difference to the weeks before Christmas is huge, as I now really have nothing to do and back then no time to do nothing. So today I've spent the hours by chatting to people, getting drinks for everyone every 15 minutes and eventually even playing limbo under the extendable wires of our office badges. This lameness will probably continue throughout the week, so maybe I can bring my Spanish course with me tomorrow. I haven't worked with it since I got my job, so now maybe my job can put new life into it. ;)

In spite of earning money by sitting at a desk feeling bored, it does feel weird to have to work these days. In the mornings the roads are almost empty and more than half our office has holidays. But only two days more and then three days off again. Then four more days of work, weekend and then another three days off for me to explore Belgium together with Pablo. And get him poisoned by cooking for him. :P

Monotony and mouse issues

Christmas is only a few days away and Kat still hasn't bought a single present. I blame it on my work of course, not me waiting to the very last moment for such things. ;) I have a decent idea of what I will have to buy, but what scares me the most is the idea of the immense crowd that will fill the city centre this weekend.
Due to the work, I have the impression that the end of the year has come much faster than expected. It's hard to really await the holidays, as they are rather speeding towards me. People tend to say that time flies when you are having fun, but personally I disagree in some way. When I compare my ten holiday days to my last two weeks at work, it feels as if the latter have speeded more. During holidays you do so many different things or at least things you enjoy, so that creates memories. At work however you do the same kind of stuff each and every day, which in the end leaves you with no specific memories at all. If you ask me what I did in Finland I could talk for hours, but if you ask the same about the past two weeks, all I could say is 'work'. :P

Swedish for 'the most piggish or swinish', the way the former owner of mouse nr 3 must have been like. The main shopping street of Stockholm is full of such weird phrases. :)

Well that and an episode which included me and three different computer mice. :P After coming back from holidays I had moved desks and gotten another seat with another computer. Unfortunately the mouse didn't work very well, so I decided to complain and demand another one. Bad plan, the replacement still didn't work properly. So on to mouse number three, which was attached to a computer that is never used. One minute with that mouse made me wonder what on earth had been done with it anyway. The scrolling thingy looked yellow-greenish, with little hairs sticking to it and totally sticky. Absolutely horrible! I was disgusted and even more so when my Spanish neighbour came up with several reasons for why the mouse was in that condition, all just as sickening. And probably even true, which made me shiver even more about having touched it in the first place. :P

As I referred to the shopping street in Stockholm just before, I remember that I tomorrow will go Christmas shopping. Probably on the busiest day of the year. :P What makes it even better is that I don't really know which gifts to buy, so destressing from this work week will not happen tomorrow I think. ;)

Nice empty street in Stockholm...

Ten unforgettable days

All great things seem to have to come to an end and so has my trip to Stockholm and Turku. I can hardly find words to describe what an incredibly good time I have had there and how much I miss the people and the places again. But I am also really happy to have experienced it all and to have so many new memories now. And pictures! So what better way to describe what I did and who I was with than to post loads of pics. :P

Sofie in Stockholm, Pablo at the Student Village and Petra in our flat

My trip started two fridays ago when I drove back from work around noon. Of course I still had to pack stuff, so it was not surprising that I was running around as a chicken without a head as we would say here, trying to grab all necessary things before leaving. At least I didn't forget to take my bank card this time. ;)

In Stockholm I met up with Sofie, who is currently working there. I really like that city, although it was incredibly dark and gloomy while I was there. After loads of talking, window shopping and eating I eventually took the boat to Turku on saturday evening. I honestly HATE that ferry, when I am on it it's just for transportation. You can be sure that you will wake up at 4 in the night due to drunk Finns, screaming and singing in the corridors long enough for you not to fall asleep again.

And then there was Turku... It hasn't changed a bit, ony several people were missing. But two great people were there and made my week to the unforgettable one it was. First Petra, the best ex-roommate ever, who was so kind to stay living in my old flat. :P It felt so natural again to spend time with her and live with her to some extent. ;) She cooked, I was lazy. I made a mess, she an even bigger one. Nothing has changed. :P

And Pablito. We started talking to each other about one year and a half ago and met for real this summer. In the past months we got to know each other better though and therefore I was really looking forward to seeing him back. And it was great. :) We all went skating, shopping, had parties, went swimming and watched movies. Quite normal things, but that's what I wanted in Turku, to feel at home again, rather than being just a tourist. One week was too short in my opinion, as there was so much more I would have wanted to say and do, but I am incredibly happy to have had it. And I won't forget this week, I am sure of that.