It feels like I have been over here for ages, when in fact it has only been two whole weeks when we left Finland. Weather had changed from sunny to stromy and back to sunny now again.
The shipping in Finland I was waiting for, finally came. But would it had been come at all, I wonder, without a certain activity.
The firm I trusted my books, my bike and some other items, had promised they would call us the day the goods would arrive Torrevieja, our nearest city. And that the trip from Finland will last about seven days. When I sent the goods fourth of october, I naturally started to wait for them as soon as we arrived. I then sent email to their main office, which is in Malaga. -They will contact you as soon as the goods are there, they assured me. But if I was anxious, I could call them. And I did. Well, it turned out the goods had been in Torrevieja longer than us! -We did not know if they were ment to delivere to your place or should you get them from here, the lady said. On every goddam box and also my bike there was my Spanish phone-number! Well then they arrived in two hours, but I wonder should I be one of those meek Finns who just wait and wait, would I ever have got them! You might now think that this is typically manana-behaviour. Yes, but these people were all Finns. Some of us who have always been regarded as punctual, efficient and reliable!
Before our boxes arrived, Emilio, our white car had arrived and waited for us the first Monday evening we were here in front of the car shop. Hubbie learned about him immediately, he had to since it was him, who took Emilio home.
Yesterday was my turn to get accustomed in the wonderful world of automatic gearbox. Not so difficult, you only have to forget you have got a left foot. I didn´t and when stopping in a crossing, the car stopped a little bit too hard, since I had used a wrong foot to a wrong pedal - the breaks!!!! Before that I nearly killed a biker, but he was in a wrong place at a wrong time anyway. Other than that, I will drive Emilio today again. Pray for me, cross your fingers, whatever you do! I so have to start driving Emilio wholly.
maanantai 31. lokakuuta 2011
perjantai 21. lokakuuta 2011
Emilio and getting our tv back
Today I have been back in Spain exactly one week. So much has happened, we have got our tv-antenna re-installed, our broadband installed and before that we got our new car.
We went to Torrevieja to get our brand newe vehichle on Monday. There he was, waiting for us, all white and innocent looking. And why not, he has only been driven about 3 kilometres. We were introduced to him and learned that he saw the day´s light in 30th of September exacttly 14.34. We then checked the Finnish calendar and learned that it had been the nameday of Emil. So Emilio he is, Emilio Yeti Skoda. You might think it is crazy to give a name to a car, but since it our first for us tailor-made car, he has to have a proper name. Slowly but surely we drove him home, Hubbie did, that is, I haven´t yet touched his precious little what- nots, but will soon.
I mentioned that our neighbour stole our tv-antenna. I don´t know if this can happen anywere else, suppose it can, but coming from thru and thru earnest Finland, it was a shock for me.
In August, when we came for a ten days stay here, we realised that something was hanging down from upstairs neighbours´balcony down to us. Coming closer we saw that it was our tv-antenna´s cable, that was cut off.
I then went upstairs, meeting for the first time our new neighbours, who rent the place. I asked about the antenna and they told me to call the Rental Agent, which I did. It turned out that the upstairs people hadn´t have tv, so the Agent had decided (without informing us anything), to cut off our antenna and move it so that the neighbours could get their tv- channels. When I, very upset as I was, called the Agent, he said that our antenna must have been illegal, since the company that was selling the channels had gone bust years back. I then told him that we didn´t have had any pay-channels and also that taking somebody else´s good is called a theft from where I come from. This fellow, called Steve then said:" But this is Spain, madam."
Now, when we came back, I asked my lawyer could I sue this Steve fellow, but he said, as illegal his action was, there´s no point, since the legal procedure can take years and lots of money.
Soooooooo, we called the company which had used our antenna to the neighbours´purposes, they came, installed a new antenna to same place the old one had been, charged us 75 euros and left. We now have our tv back but I still wonder, who had been made the fool of this story.
We went to Torrevieja to get our brand newe vehichle on Monday. There he was, waiting for us, all white and innocent looking. And why not, he has only been driven about 3 kilometres. We were introduced to him and learned that he saw the day´s light in 30th of September exacttly 14.34. We then checked the Finnish calendar and learned that it had been the nameday of Emil. So Emilio he is, Emilio Yeti Skoda. You might think it is crazy to give a name to a car, but since it our first for us tailor-made car, he has to have a proper name. Slowly but surely we drove him home, Hubbie did, that is, I haven´t yet touched his precious little what- nots, but will soon.
I mentioned that our neighbour stole our tv-antenna. I don´t know if this can happen anywere else, suppose it can, but coming from thru and thru earnest Finland, it was a shock for me.
In August, when we came for a ten days stay here, we realised that something was hanging down from upstairs neighbours´balcony down to us. Coming closer we saw that it was our tv-antenna´s cable, that was cut off.
I then went upstairs, meeting for the first time our new neighbours, who rent the place. I asked about the antenna and they told me to call the Rental Agent, which I did. It turned out that the upstairs people hadn´t have tv, so the Agent had decided (without informing us anything), to cut off our antenna and move it so that the neighbours could get their tv- channels. When I, very upset as I was, called the Agent, he said that our antenna must have been illegal, since the company that was selling the channels had gone bust years back. I then told him that we didn´t have had any pay-channels and also that taking somebody else´s good is called a theft from where I come from. This fellow, called Steve then said:" But this is Spain, madam."
Now, when we came back, I asked my lawyer could I sue this Steve fellow, but he said, as illegal his action was, there´s no point, since the legal procedure can take years and lots of money.
Soooooooo, we called the company which had used our antenna to the neighbours´purposes, they came, installed a new antenna to same place the old one had been, charged us 75 euros and left. We now have our tv back but I still wonder, who had been made the fool of this story.
keskiviikko 12. lokakuuta 2011
About work moral
Today I have been confused; what to do now, when there´s only one day ahead before our leave. Yesterday we met my Mum and some other familymembers, I had a bag full of food from our fridge for them.
We had very nice chat but coming home we could not find tv-channels or any of the programmes we had put on tape (still using the old phrase). They changed something oddily with the channels and all and Hubbie had done all his magic before the odd changes, but apparently the other end did not react to his magic, so we had to watch Emmerdale re-run this morning.
I hardy ever watch tv daytime, it just is not my thing. I also try to do "real" chores all day long and if I fall into playing games at the computer or sitting with light reading, there must always be an explanation for me for that. I often feel quilty.
I have to start to remind myself: Hello there, you are allowed! You are on pension now, so you can enjoy of your life!
Easily said than done.
I have to do our washing, prepare food, re-prepare food, iron clothes - or write. Writing to me is not idlesness, writing is real work.
If only I could make myself to do the real writing, too. I have given myself an agenda of five manuscripts to be ready before I die.
The first one is on it´s way. 93 pages. But only 93.
Why is it so difficult to me to be lazy but equally difficult to do the only task I feel a calling for?
We had very nice chat but coming home we could not find tv-channels or any of the programmes we had put on tape (still using the old phrase). They changed something oddily with the channels and all and Hubbie had done all his magic before the odd changes, but apparently the other end did not react to his magic, so we had to watch Emmerdale re-run this morning.
I hardy ever watch tv daytime, it just is not my thing. I also try to do "real" chores all day long and if I fall into playing games at the computer or sitting with light reading, there must always be an explanation for me for that. I often feel quilty.
I have to start to remind myself: Hello there, you are allowed! You are on pension now, so you can enjoy of your life!
Easily said than done.
I have to do our washing, prepare food, re-prepare food, iron clothes - or write. Writing to me is not idlesness, writing is real work.
If only I could make myself to do the real writing, too. I have given myself an agenda of five manuscripts to be ready before I die.
The first one is on it´s way. 93 pages. But only 93.
Why is it so difficult to me to be lazy but equally difficult to do the only task I feel a calling for?
tiistai 11. lokakuuta 2011
"What will you then do, when you live down there?"
Many people have wondered how we will spend our time in Spain, when we move there. Do we just sit or lie in the Sun and drink alcohol day in day out? Is there really so much to do?
The answer is, of course we live normal life there. Of course, wheather being lovely most of the time where we live in Spain, we spend more time outside. I don´t remember us having dinner indoors during these two years but on Christmas Eve and day and maybe New Year`s day, as well.
What do two retired persons do if you count out washing, ironing, shopping, cleaning, taking care of the garden and all that jazz? To begin with ours is relatively old apartment, more than ten years, so there´s fixing and repairing going on all the time. We have a wonderful British handyman Shane, who always comes when we need something more difficult to do, like electricity, plumbing problems and such. But all the little chores Hubby does happily himself.
We sent three boxes of un-read books beforehand and have to buy larger bookshelves.
We make long walks, we meet people in the village, we read newspapers. Hubby starts with his golf now, we found a Scandinavian group of golf-players nearby. I am busy with my writing, the aim is to write five books before I am too old.
And we will be learning Spanish, of course. I cannot think of living in a country too long without reading the language and the ways of life. Because I am interested in how the society ticks, there is a very exciting period going on right now when we move; the General Elections.
We will also keep contact to our friends all over the World by Skype, Facebook, email and also by writing this blog.
And since our new car is already waiting for us there, when we go, we will make all sorts of excursions in Spain and it´s neighbours. Later we will widen out our travel-territory and when we next come back to Finland, the plan is to drive through Europe and stop where we find it interesting.
Well, here´s some of the answers. And yes, we will consume alcohol, too. Good wine at dinner and some good brandy before going to bed. An odd beer every now and then in order to keep our neighbourhood bars in business when it´s quiet in Wintertime.
The answer is, of course we live normal life there. Of course, wheather being lovely most of the time where we live in Spain, we spend more time outside. I don´t remember us having dinner indoors during these two years but on Christmas Eve and day and maybe New Year`s day, as well.
What do two retired persons do if you count out washing, ironing, shopping, cleaning, taking care of the garden and all that jazz? To begin with ours is relatively old apartment, more than ten years, so there´s fixing and repairing going on all the time. We have a wonderful British handyman Shane, who always comes when we need something more difficult to do, like electricity, plumbing problems and such. But all the little chores Hubby does happily himself.
We sent three boxes of un-read books beforehand and have to buy larger bookshelves.
We make long walks, we meet people in the village, we read newspapers. Hubby starts with his golf now, we found a Scandinavian group of golf-players nearby. I am busy with my writing, the aim is to write five books before I am too old.
And we will be learning Spanish, of course. I cannot think of living in a country too long without reading the language and the ways of life. Because I am interested in how the society ticks, there is a very exciting period going on right now when we move; the General Elections.
We will also keep contact to our friends all over the World by Skype, Facebook, email and also by writing this blog.
And since our new car is already waiting for us there, when we go, we will make all sorts of excursions in Spain and it´s neighbours. Later we will widen out our travel-territory and when we next come back to Finland, the plan is to drive through Europe and stop where we find it interesting.
Well, here´s some of the answers. And yes, we will consume alcohol, too. Good wine at dinner and some good brandy before going to bed. An odd beer every now and then in order to keep our neighbourhood bars in business when it´s quiet in Wintertime.
sunnuntai 9. lokakuuta 2011
Why cooking is important for me
It´s half past two now, after going trough several cook books I decided to improvise. I often do. And I also decided to ask a little of help from my friends in the freezer.
Now a break with a glass of red wine.
It will be pork noisettes with green pepper cheese tops, onions cooked in balsamico and herbs, baby carrots, Italian style potato and broccoli gratines as a main. Cambas con aioli and French country bread as a starter. Ben and Jerry`s Cookie Dough ice cream as a dessert.
I have often wondered why cooking and good food is essential for me. Maybe one of the reasons lies in my childhood, when first there was not so much food - I was born after the Second World War and food was simple and scarse.
My mom was a good cook, so was my stepmother. My father, though, was unemloyed quite often, which ment very very simple food. And very small portions, since we were six in the family. Scool provided something horrible called macaroni in milk with hard bread, or we had to collect our own lingonberries for the porridge the school cook then made out of rye dough, water and lingonberries. From those days I have an in-deep reluctancy in going to the forests or picking anything up. I prefer markets.
When I grew up and started my wandering life in Scandinavia and Europe, I found a new world when meeting people from different cultures; often we ate. Also even food in Sweden was full of surprises for me - their bread, their sausages, the way they made pea soup, all that was different from what I had learned home in Finland. Even their coffee was different.
Later, living in London, I learned from different cultures by having friends from India, China, Latin America, the Carribeans. And we ate.
One of my boyfriends from that period came from a very wealthy family in Delhi. He, as the rest of us, lived in a commune in Earls Court. We had a party every Friday, when his Mum sent fresh food in containers brought by a driver from Heathrow where it had landed on an Air India plane. This is how I learned about Indian food, which I still love very much. Today I use fork and knife, though, not my fingers, when enjoying it!
I must admit that the English food for me then was what we had as breakfast, lunch or dinner where I worked, in a big London hotel first, later in a big London hospital. Staff food. Nutricious, not very delicious. I especially remember cooked cabbage, that looked very tired on my plate and had no taste. Like eating wash cloth.
Later, when I traveled more in England for my job, I ate in various country pubs with my friends and the food was/is delicious!
I especially remember those rides with Outi and Chris to Oxfordshire countryside and latest our fantastic "tapas" with Terri in Hop Pole in Bath!
Well, my break is about to end, so I finish my glass in the kitchen.
Now a break with a glass of red wine.
It will be pork noisettes with green pepper cheese tops, onions cooked in balsamico and herbs, baby carrots, Italian style potato and broccoli gratines as a main. Cambas con aioli and French country bread as a starter. Ben and Jerry`s Cookie Dough ice cream as a dessert.
I have often wondered why cooking and good food is essential for me. Maybe one of the reasons lies in my childhood, when first there was not so much food - I was born after the Second World War and food was simple and scarse.
My mom was a good cook, so was my stepmother. My father, though, was unemloyed quite often, which ment very very simple food. And very small portions, since we were six in the family. Scool provided something horrible called macaroni in milk with hard bread, or we had to collect our own lingonberries for the porridge the school cook then made out of rye dough, water and lingonberries. From those days I have an in-deep reluctancy in going to the forests or picking anything up. I prefer markets.
When I grew up and started my wandering life in Scandinavia and Europe, I found a new world when meeting people from different cultures; often we ate. Also even food in Sweden was full of surprises for me - their bread, their sausages, the way they made pea soup, all that was different from what I had learned home in Finland. Even their coffee was different.
Later, living in London, I learned from different cultures by having friends from India, China, Latin America, the Carribeans. And we ate.
One of my boyfriends from that period came from a very wealthy family in Delhi. He, as the rest of us, lived in a commune in Earls Court. We had a party every Friday, when his Mum sent fresh food in containers brought by a driver from Heathrow where it had landed on an Air India plane. This is how I learned about Indian food, which I still love very much. Today I use fork and knife, though, not my fingers, when enjoying it!
I must admit that the English food for me then was what we had as breakfast, lunch or dinner where I worked, in a big London hotel first, later in a big London hospital. Staff food. Nutricious, not very delicious. I especially remember cooked cabbage, that looked very tired on my plate and had no taste. Like eating wash cloth.
Later, when I traveled more in England for my job, I ate in various country pubs with my friends and the food was/is delicious!
I especially remember those rides with Outi and Chris to Oxfordshire countryside and latest our fantastic "tapas" with Terri in Hop Pole in Bath!
Well, my break is about to end, so I finish my glass in the kitchen.
lauantai 8. lokakuuta 2011
This morning I woke up for the first time at five and decided go to sleep again. It was not so easy; I was afraid to sleep too late, our family friend Jukka is coming for dinner today, beforehand it feels like Last Supper, since this is the first time ever, when we will be separated from him for more than some weeks.
And, devoted cook as I am, I want to give Jukka a treat and set the table nicely. Since he comes four o´clock, I need good time to prepare myself, which means several hours. I have not even found the recepie for my pork, yet.
For us, Jukka is family. He has been in our lives and especially in our childrens lives as long as all of us can remember. Jukka is one of those true friends, we have different life style, different opinions, he is single, we are married. His political views, if there are any, differ widely from ours.
But when we need him, Jukka is there. And he said he felt honored, when we gave him a set of spare keys to our flat in Finland, just in case.
One thing that Hubbie and Jukka share; football. And to those, who don´t get it; football is large than life for those who follow it.
It´s strange that you now want to meet friends as it would be last time. And you want to meet them all before you go. And you are torturing your liver drinking wine with them. As if you would be going to Mars or somenthing, not only to the other side of our continent, from where you fly back here in a couple of hours.
And, devoted cook as I am, I want to give Jukka a treat and set the table nicely. Since he comes four o´clock, I need good time to prepare myself, which means several hours. I have not even found the recepie for my pork, yet.
For us, Jukka is family. He has been in our lives and especially in our childrens lives as long as all of us can remember. Jukka is one of those true friends, we have different life style, different opinions, he is single, we are married. His political views, if there are any, differ widely from ours.
But when we need him, Jukka is there. And he said he felt honored, when we gave him a set of spare keys to our flat in Finland, just in case.
One thing that Hubbie and Jukka share; football. And to those, who don´t get it; football is large than life for those who follow it.
It´s strange that you now want to meet friends as it would be last time. And you want to meet them all before you go. And you are torturing your liver drinking wine with them. As if you would be going to Mars or somenthing, not only to the other side of our continent, from where you fly back here in a couple of hours.
So many things to think about
We really thought it would be easy. No, no, not so. Easy was to buy the place two years back. Easy has been to stay in our place a month or so. Now, we aim to be in Spain for more than six months, take the residency and only stay in Finland for the warmest months of the year.
So many questions. Do we have to inform the authoroties in Finland about our move? How will we manage to get all the red tape made in Spain? The latter is easier to answer, we have our wonderful Hugo with the radiant Rory to take care of all our legal business.
Mail, magazines, what to close, what to take with us? We sent some boxes and my bike beforehand, the guy who collected them came with a baker´s van!!!!!! What the hell!!!! He was very glad and happy rabbit, not a care in the world, but oh my, when I asked is there any papers to sign he said, noooo, I don´t know where these are going to, they will know better in the garage. Really, so I sent my precious bike, a lot of books nearly all our Christmas deco with only trust. This might have worked in former Finland, where you could trust to a hand shake and man´s word, but this is 2000s! So I made some icy calls and got a patronizing answer from a young man for lady not to worry, since how was the baker´s vandriver to know where to go and collect, if he wasn´t in the right place. Yes, darling, what interests me more than where my things were send from is where will they be shipped to. He assured me they will come in time. Future will tell.
In the other end; I have ordered for a broadband to be installed on a certain date, as well as getting my tv back. Upstairs neighbour, or his agent, stole our tv dish for their own purposes, we had a long and entwiling debate over the legality of it all, but finally I decided to sort the legal part later with my darling Hugo and settle now only ordering a new dish and new channels when we will be there.
Now back to making lists of everything and starting to collect things to pack. These does not include so much of cloths and shoes but items like a good potato peeler, yarn for knitting socks, later in-laws nice bread basket and so.
So many questions. Do we have to inform the authoroties in Finland about our move? How will we manage to get all the red tape made in Spain? The latter is easier to answer, we have our wonderful Hugo with the radiant Rory to take care of all our legal business.
Mail, magazines, what to close, what to take with us? We sent some boxes and my bike beforehand, the guy who collected them came with a baker´s van!!!!!! What the hell!!!! He was very glad and happy rabbit, not a care in the world, but oh my, when I asked is there any papers to sign he said, noooo, I don´t know where these are going to, they will know better in the garage. Really, so I sent my precious bike, a lot of books nearly all our Christmas deco with only trust. This might have worked in former Finland, where you could trust to a hand shake and man´s word, but this is 2000s! So I made some icy calls and got a patronizing answer from a young man for lady not to worry, since how was the baker´s vandriver to know where to go and collect, if he wasn´t in the right place. Yes, darling, what interests me more than where my things were send from is where will they be shipped to. He assured me they will come in time. Future will tell.
In the other end; I have ordered for a broadband to be installed on a certain date, as well as getting my tv back. Upstairs neighbour, or his agent, stole our tv dish for their own purposes, we had a long and entwiling debate over the legality of it all, but finally I decided to sort the legal part later with my darling Hugo and settle now only ordering a new dish and new channels when we will be there.
Now back to making lists of everything and starting to collect things to pack. These does not include so much of cloths and shoes but items like a good potato peeler, yarn for knitting socks, later in-laws nice bread basket and so.
And the new era begins
I have for long wanted to start a blog, but since there has not been a real reason for it before now, I have done nothing for it. Now I retired and am starting a new era with moving to Spain and starting to experience what it really is to be a lady of leisure andI want to share my toughts with somebody.
The reason of this blog is to reflect a life of a +60 years old lady in the beginning of a new Era.
The reason of this blog is to reflect a life of a +60 years old lady in the beginning of a new Era.
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