Between Two Cities

Today I came back from Helsinki where I was for four days to see my brother. I had already packed my bag the day earlier I left because I tend to forget things when I’m in a hurry...

Arranging my beauty box was another thing... I had not touched it for months! Lara was more than willing to help me sort out everything in it.

On Friday I left with a bus to Helsinki and the bus was officially full! But luckily I had taken my tablet with me from which I watched a movie during the trip so it went by fast.

When the bus came to its destination, I waited at the inner city for my brother who was meeting me there, because to this day, I have never learned to travel inside Helsinki with all the endless busses, trollies, subway and trains... And I had way too many bags to carry on my own.

We went to my brother’s home – I loved how much effort my brother had put into this, for he had cleaned his whole home from floor to ceiling. So, we are twins and have always been close and I always feel we continue our things just where we left them when we have seen each other last time. Of course we call almost every day and chat with each other but that is not nearly the same thing than seeing each other in person.

During the weekend we played a lot! We played mostly a game “Beyond Two Souls” and a bit of “GTA V” and “Portal 2” – I let my brother to play the last one all by himself because I can’t just figure that game out no matter how hard I try! We tend to play well past the midnight every night... 

We went to a grocery store in the middle of the night because the days were spent to everything else but going there. And we made food even later. And stood up even later – gaming and gourmandizing, of course!

The mornings were the best; we slept late and usually my brother got up before I did to start of the day with his playlist of music while I was laying on the bed.

Then the day started off with coffee and a “healthy breakfast” which could be almost anything from sweet to savory. My brother had bought me vegan strawberry cheesecake flavored cookies and as much as he makes fun of my diet (always with humor!) I appreciated that so much for I thought it was so thoughtful thing of him to do. 

On Saturday we took a day off from making food ourselves and went out to a restaurant to eat. I loved to get myself ready for the night. My brother is also very pedantic about how he looks, even though it still takes him less time to get himself ready than me.

We ordered burgers – I ordered an ultimate veggie burger with so many fillings the burger was separated in half. The food came after the last call signal and I was starving but it was more than enough to fill the void. Ha!

When we got back to my brother home, we continued gaming. We got in the middle of “Beyond Two Souls” but the days went by so fast, we didn’t have time to finish the game to even see one of its 24 possible endings! So we decided to continue the game next time we would see each other... Yes, we already thought about the next time we would meet.

I was supposed to go there for only for the weekend but because we had such an amazing time, I decided to stay there for one more day. We also had time to watch some movies – deciding a movie which would suite for both of us is always a struggle because our preferences about movie genres are so, so different!

On this morning and our last morning, we were both tired because we had played so late. I had to wake up before my brother did, so I could pack everything ready. We left to the bus stop early so I would not be late, so we were there half an hour early and we had time to talk some more before the bus came. I had promised to myself that I would not have cried but tears came into my eyes when we hugged and said goodbye (until the next time). 

I always love to see my brother, because it’s not too often we got to see each other even though he is not that far away. I also love to see his cat, Mr. Morrison, which I’m as fond of as to my own cats... He was so full of energy right from the start I arrived that he wore out and slept the whole day today. 

Then I went on the bus, which was not nearly as full as the one which I went to Helsinki. I killed the time by calling people and watching the rest of the movie I started to watch when I first left towards Helsinki... The trip back home went much faster than the trip to Helsinki!

I arrived home at 9 p.m. and as always when I’m coming home from somewhere, I unpack my things immediately. I can’t leave the bag laying around still packed... It’s kind of my coming-home-ritual.

To be honest, I have never gone to Helsinki alone so I was very nervous to go there. But if I would have given up to my own fears I would have never gone to Helsinki in the first place and I would have been missing all the greatest time with my brother. So I was beyond overjoyed that I went there!

Spring Trip to Helsinki

This weekend we went to Helsinki again. Not everything was supposed to go as we had planned at first so we thought about not going but in the end we did and I was so glad. It was for me and my mom at the first place - it was our Spring trip and changing of the scenery.

I had woken up at 10 a.m. and been with the same eyes the whole day but I tried to take a nap before we started packing but in the end I was just resting my eyes for a while. Then we packed everything and got everything in the car before we went to get the cats last. They were stressed in their carrying boxes. We had decided to let them out of them but first we got pizzas on the way for we would be in Helsinki so late and we didn't know any place to grab some food near the hotel.

After that we let the cats out and they started to wonder at the back of the car. They were a little bit stressed for about half an hour but then they calmed down and stood at the back window. The sunset and the dark helped them to calm down and get some rest.

 

The car trip to Helsinki went very well and we finally got to our destination at 22.30 p.m. We checked in and took the cats to the room first and let them out to let them check out the room and settle in. Then we took our luggage to the room and got settled in ourselves.

  

I got the laptop on and internet working while drinking dry apple cider. Then I went to midnight shower and went on the bed reading "Alice in Wonderland".

 

After that I went on the laptop and started to watch the movie "Yes Man" and drinking some white wine - I needed something light and funny to watch. After that I went to bed with a cat between my legs. I couldn't believe that I was still up at that time with the same eyes I had woken up with early that morning.

I slept past the breakfast for I had gone to bed quite late. After noon my mother left to see my brother and soon I called for them to pick me up and we went shopping. We went to get some coffee and I started to wander around the shopping mall myself. As usual I went to the same gothic clothing store I always go to see if there was anything new. I tried some clothes on but this time I didn’t find anything – my wallet sang Hallelujah!

After a few hours of shopping we went to my brothers home and listened some music and talked while our mom tidied up his home. I pet the cats which I’m always happy to see, they are adorable.

My brother gave me my birthday present he was supposed to give me a long time but hadn’t had a chance to. It was a glass rose with an inscription “Congratulations Rebecca on your birthday 27.1.2013!” – I have to admit a few tears rose into my eyes when I read it. I was extra careful with the glass rose so I wouldn’t brake it and planned to put it in my vitrine when I got home.

We hang around at my brother’s till 8 p.m. and then we left back to the town to go to eat. We all had the same idea where we would go and I looked the menu from the internet to find out if there was something for me. We found the one and only parking place nearby and my mom squeezed her car into it – she is a master of parallel parking. We got into the restaurant and went to the last available lodge and ordered drinks. I had already made my choice before we even went there and didn’t change it. I ordered soya steak, cold-smoked tofu, pineapple and chilli compote, balsamic vinegar, spinach, roasted vegetables and Chico-potatoes and changed béarnaise sauce to salsa because there’s egg yolk in béarnaise sauce. We talked about everything while waiting our food which wasn’t a long wait at all. And oh the food was so good!

After we had done and every plate was empty we left and took my brother back to his home and went back to the hotel to relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. I went on my bed and started to watch “Grey’s Anatomy”. Then I continued my book from where I had left off the last time. Soon I had to put it away for the tiredness took over and I fell asleep with my light on and wine glass untouched.

I slept well and this time I went to breakfast. We went quite late but still found something to eat. I gathered a damn good sandwich, some bean-pea-corn mix, orange juice, black coffee and fruit salad. A good breakfast is gooooooood.

After the breakfast we went back into our hotel room and put the “do not disturb” sign on our doorhandle and went back to bed. Lara hadn’t move at all from my bed during we were gone.

We had asked to let to keep the room till 2 p.m. otherwise the checkout would have been at noon. I’m quick when I need to so I set my alarm 15 minutes before 2 p.m. to get as much of sleep as possible. Even I had drank coffee I actually fell asleep for a while. My mom got up earlier than me and started to get everything in the car. Only my things were left. When the alarm rang I got up and dressed up and got everything in my bag.

Lastly we put the cats in their carrying boxes. Lara was sleeping on my bed so she was easy to get but as always Pikkunen (translation “Tiny”) had suspect that something was going on and had vanished. She was hiding under my bed but this time it was easier to catch her. We took the last luggage and cats and left.

We went to pick up my brother and went to his earlier home to tidy up the balcony which was absolutely filled with trash and big black garbage bag and boxes and big cardboards. We let the cats out in the bathroom while we cleaned up the balcony. The cats were very confused to be taken from one place to another with all new scents and meowed all the time.

It took us two hours to clean up the balcony and the one-room flat and sort through the good stuff from the trash. After we had got the house and the balcony tidied up we let the cats out into the house and left them look around as long as we would get them and head back to Tampere. We left to the grocery store and after that we went to my brother’s home again to enjoy the well earned break. We made coffee, ate cake, pet the cats, listened music and talked. And our mom was again arranging the one-room flat unable to sit down more than a few minutes. We couldn’t stay long and we headed back to get the cats.

After getting the cats in their carrying boxes and to the car we went to grad thai food for our trip home. I ordered green curry tofu with rice.

We dropped my brother back to his home and took everything remaining things inside. We said goodbye and we left. Then we let the cats out of their carrying boxes again. I couldn’t wait to get home so I started to eat while driving back. The cats were much calmer this time back home and went to the back window again – at the end of the trip Lara had a meow-meow attack and started to climb on the seats and were behind my mother’s neck while she was driving. Soon she calmed down and went to the back window again with her little sister.

I was feeling languid but happy as we were driving back home. I looked up every sign announcing the remaining distance to Tampere. We were home at ten p.m. I called my bother to tell him we were home safe. First we got cats inside and then we got the other luggage. The cats were curious after finding out we were back home. After they had eaten they found a nice place and exhausted from the journey they fell right asleep. Like always I unpack my bag right away – I like to be organized. After that I unloaded the pictures from my camera and looked them over.

I had a wonderful weekend and I got so much to do. The weekend  felt like a week and it was kind of a culture shock to get back to a calm home after a hectic weekend. But as we were driving I couldn’t wait to be back home – it is always great to be somewhere else but it is always good to be back home.

I can’t wait for the next time. We didn’t have time to see my grandparents or my friends for we had dedicated this weekend to my brother and ourselves. It felt like three days wasn’t enough. And as a twin I would like to spend more time with my twin brother so I was already planning a sleepover to his home. Let’s see when that’s possible.

Now I will be awake for a little while and then I will go under my clean Batman sheets and start a new week with a good night sleep. Good night!