New blog layout!

There you go!
A new blog layout.

Winter is dark enough and so I decided to get rid of the old, stuffy and too dark layout and bright it up! So now it's white and clear and the text and pictures really come up in a better way, I think. The blood splatter turned into a moth (which I like) and I still kept the blog pretty much black and white with blood red links to brighten it up. I had also thought of changing the background to a brocade background but I just love stripes so they stood. I also made a signature at the end of every blog entry to come.

I had a bit of problems with the new layout so someone might have seen some absurd and weird layouts in between the old one and the new one if they got in my blog at the moment of madness, heh.

Hope you like it, here's a moth for you!

It's Christmas!

Oh, It's Christmas Eve!!

Like every Christmas, I like to "split" the Christmas: I go to my dad first and the I go to my mom. Like last year I went to my dad the day before Christmas Eve and stood there over night. I went to sleep quite early and woke up earlier than in a long time. I watched "Santa Claus Hotline" where kids can call and sing and talk with Santa. I laughed so hard.

On every year there's one program in particular which I wait the most, "The Snowman" - we decided to watch it later for it's a tradition to watch it together, but I couldn't help myself and watched it a little bit...

I called my twin brother and friends to wish them merry Christmas and asking how they are doing. We went for a walk with my dad and talked about everything. We had gotten the newest Batman "The Dark Knight Rises" and we were supposed to watch together but for some reason the damn DVD didn't work at all so we resort to a good nature documentary for the rest of the time. I went home by six and we started to prepare food right away and I opened my first present of the day...

For starters I had a bread with "sour cream" and fake fish roe made from sea weed. Ah, so good!

For the main course we had carrot casserole, sweetened potato casserole, sweet potato casserole, mixed beetroot salad, peas, seitan "ham". On this Christmas we introduces ourselves to a Rutabaga casserole again and really go into the mixed beetroot salad, which last year was only just plain beetroot. We were supposed to do Mushroom salad but we just didn't had enough time to do it on Christmas Eve.

Like every Christmas gifts are not important. It's still always nice to get them and this year I got only the ones I really wanted and a little bit more. I opened my presents slowly and waited an hour to open the next one to make them last longer. The few things I got and liked the best were a black tea pot (which I've been looking for for over 4 years), a bottle of red wine with a beautigul necklace (which I held on me all night) and good headphones (for I've been trying to look for them for a long time also). But every gift is equally precious to me.

I always want Christmas to be good! It started out splendid but then I heard some sad and unfortunate news on the very day but didn't want to let it ruin my day which I have been (and always will be) waiting for the whole year. The Christmas went very well but it felt that the hours didn't last as long as they should even I was woken up on early morning. But in conclusion the Christmas went well and I'm already looking forward to next Christmas - and now the New Year's Eve!

 

It Didn't Happen

So. Apocalypse. It didn’t happen.

I was actually scared about it to be honest. I was more scared earlier but as the date came closer I didn’t really realize it and so I didn’t have the time to get as scared as before. Still I wondered what might happen on that day. Everyone were posting funny pictures on Facebook like they didn’t care and I wished I would feel like them. But still I was a bit scared. I actually thought the earth will split and fire balls would come down from the sky - so silly.

I once read the news that the science men had found another Mayan calendar and it will take up to 7000 years from now. And thought it seemed foolish then to think about the world coming to an end then and I even blogged about it, it now felt somehow more difficult to handle.

The end didn’t come and now I don’t have any date to stress about it. I don’t know when the next “end of the world” is supposed to be coming (even they are foretold all the time) but NOW I will sleep my night much more better...

The 69 Eyes / 21.12.2012

Today we had a “The 69 Eyes” gig with my friend. We had arranged and got tickets about a month ago and I had waited eagerly to go there.

We had decided to go there just when the doors would open so we don't have to stay in line waiting in the cold air. I put on my makeup and clothes and left (a little bit in a hurry again). We meeted in front of the Pakkahuone and went in, giving our bags and coats in the coat check and headed to the ladies room to powder our noses. Then we went to the bar area and ordered drinks while waiting for the warm-up band which was "Baby Jane". We got to the second row and I was quite pissed off I had forgot my camera at home for we were in such a good place for a great photos. But when I didn't have to take photos I could enjoy the gig 100%. It was nicely loose in the crowd and nobody pushed. We didn't had to wait for long until the warm-up band came and the band was actually really good.

We went to order another drinks and went to second line again. As they took off the Baby Jane posters the 69 Eyes' logo came in sight and it was sure that the next band was sure "The 69 Eyes". There was not a long wait until I already noticed they had came to the stage and started playing. I was on the bar at the moment but hurried next to my friend after noticing they started already playing.

They played songs from their new album "X" and also the good old hits. From the old songs, "Lost Boys", "Perfect Skin" and "Never Say Die" ALWAYS get me. The gig was quite long and oh, so awesome. They left the stage but came back for encore. At the end of the gig we got our coats and went for a cigarette outside and talking about the gig. We didn't have time to wait for the band (and besides, I wouldn't have had my camera anyway) and went straight home. What a great night!!


 

Almost Christmas

Oh my gosh it’s almost behind every door and behind every window! Christmas it is!!

Today we went to see a Christmas performance by a choir group “Mieskuoro Laulajat” which was at Tuomiokirkko. We haven’t gone there before but this time we decided to go. And, oh, how wonderful the performance was! It sure brought up a Christmas spirit even more! I sure hope this will become another great tradition and I hope to go there next year also.

Our Christmas cleaning is in progress but we are planning to get it completely done by Christmas. We have been planning foods and I still have my recipes from last year so I don’t have to worry about that. But I’ve been trying to think something new on the Christmas table and I’ve been trying to make my seitan ham even better. But I still have time.

I’ve been listening a lot of Christmas songs, buying presents, already given presents and trying to lift my Christmas spirit even more. I called my dad and we arranged that like every year I would be coming there a day before Christmas. I can’t wait!

One thing what has been without is a Christmas calendar! As a vegan it is hard to find a Christmas calendar which is vegan. It takes a little effort to find even chocolate without milk. I’ve noticed that not every dark chocolate is automatically vegan. Sure I could have eaten a candy every day but I also discovered this kind of idea for a calendar, which is kind of funny, I think:

 Oh, I’m just kidding!! … or am I?

As it comes closer to Christmas, I’ve been declining every treat that is even a little bit Christmasy (is that a word?) like star-shaped Christmas pastries and gingerbread cookies. I’ve been pawning them just for Christmas so I can then enjoy them like for the first time in a whole year.

I love Christmas trees but since reading they can contain over 10 000 spiders and other bugs I’ve been bouncing whether to take a tree or not – at least not inside the house! But it is always lovely to decorate a tree beautifully and garnish it with a star on top of it. It is left to be seen whether we would buy a Christmas tree or something else instead. Still, I would not be crushed if we don’t have a tree... And besides cats would love it too much, they would climb on it, possibly even knocking it down and destroy it. They just would like it as much as everyone else in their own style!

But! Only days until Christmas and there’s still work to be done. But four days still remaining until Christmas Eve and we are getting there! It has snowed outside, it’s white, it’s beautiful, I feel good, listening to more Christmas songs. Meow!

… guess who else is behind every door and behind every window?

Hockey & Movies with Good Company

I've been trying to do more and see more people more often. That has been my goal. Even if some days earlier a doubt has struck me and I'm bouncing whether to go see or do something or not. But usually when I just go and do it it's always (oh) so rewarding.

For example I went to see a hockey match with my dad a week ago. It was Tappara vs. TPS and Tappara won 3-1. We went to one drink before the game and when the game started, we cheered when Tappara scored goals.

I went to see my friend yesterday so we could see before Christmas for he would be out of town then. We talked, watched “Sherlock Holmes” and “Casino Royale” and played “Assasin’s Creed II” and “Skyrim”. The night prolonged in the early morning until he took me home. We had a wonderful day. Later that night I still watched a movie “It's Kind of a Funny Story”. I’ve been medicating myself with movies again…

I’m going to have more of these events and for example I’m going to Helsinki soon and to “The 69 Eyes” gig with my friend next Friday.

Hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää!

Which means happy Finland's Independence Day.

What has already become a tradition, on every year we go to ”Patriotic Festivities” (Isänmaallinen juhla) at Tampere-talo. It's a day earlier than Finland's Independence Day. I’ve been there on many years. There were choir group ”Mieskuoro Laulajat” and with them were “Eagles Brass Band” (”Kotkien puhallinorkesteri”). My own father and godfather are on the choir.

I started to get myself ready too late and in the end I was in such a hurry. We left in a hurry and I was really anxious in the car. We got there right on time and I got to see my dad before the show and we drank champagne.

 

”Mieskuoro Laulajat”

Senior choir group ”Seniorikuoro Konkelot”

Then the show was about to start and we went to sit right in front of the stage, in the middle of the row. First there were only the “Eagles Brass Band” and then came ”Mieskuoro Laulajat”. At the end came senior choir group ”Seniorikuoro Konkelot”. The show was exellent. The song ”Finlandia” is always breathtaking and sends chills all the way to the back of my neck. It is so important to me on Finland's Independence Day and I always wait it the most. When it came I just closed my eyes and listened. At the end of the concert we all stand up and sing the Finnish national anthem, “Maamme”.

 
So, today was the Independence Day. We made food and like every year, we were watching the "Castle Ball” (Finnish: “Linnan juhlat”), the Presidential Independence Day which is held for approximately 2000 invited guests at the Presidential Palace. On this year it was particulary interesting to see the Ball for this was the first time our new president, Sauli Niinistö, would host them and it has been on the news also what he would do there. We ate and commented the gowns the guests were wearing.

Roasted vegetables, seitan steak and pepper sauce.

Like on every year the movie "The Unknown Soldier" (Finnish: "Tuntematon sotilas") is broadcasted on TV. I heard that this time some idiot has complained that it is show on TV at time when kids are watching and because the movie is centred around war it is not suitable for kids. It is a tradition that the movie is shown particulary on Finland's Independence Day and if someone doesn't want their kids to see it take the remote away - It's that simple! Dear concerned parents: don't ruin our traditions! Thank you.