APOcolocyntosis

It’s done. Well, I have to survive here other 40 days, maybe something more. Then it will be time to flight back to Italy, where I’m missing since last 31st of December. Except these 10 days at the end of the year, I’m out of Romagna since the 20th of october. It was a monday, after Cesena-Pro Sesto 3-1 (Motta, Preite, Chiavarini, Giaccherini).

This evening I’ve finally booked the flight. I’ll leave Oulu on the morning of the 28t of July, and I should arrive in Guglielmo Marconi Airport of Bologna at 14,35. That means that in other 3 hours I can be in Carpineta City, Cesena, where Nadir and the other guys are waiting for me.

It’s too early to star to summarize this experience. Up to know I can say that I’m quite happy of my work, after a fucking hard beginning, even there’s still much to do. But I’m a good way, at least. Even survining in Oulu now it’s not only easy, but it’s also a pleasure. I still miss italian food, but I can find essential stuff in supermarket to cook and to pretend to have italian dinners.

There’s only one main problem left. This summer is horrible, it’s always raining, and while at home they’re boiling with more than 30 degrees, here’s cloudy, with temperatures from 5 to 15 degrees. Ok, at home during the winter there were zero degrees or something and now 30 degrees more, here’s basically the same. There were -20°C, and now there are 30 degrees more, so +10°C. Ok, for me, after such a winter, it’s not cold. And for this reason this morning I’ve gone to the university only wearing a tshirt and nothing else.

Just a stop to the postal office to send a packet, then Valintatalo to buy something to drink and then to the office. Some guys just arrived here, coming out from a taxi, looked at me thinking probably that I was crazy only with my tshirt. They were wearing jackets. I felt sooooo finnish inside. Doh.

Now, where is the sun?. I just wanna a weekend with sunny days, more than 20 degrees (oh, 22 or 25 is enough), and to stay at the beach (yes, even at 65 degrees north they’ve beaches), organize a bbq and something like that. No way.

Later I received an email. Let’s quote it for a while:

This weekend Finland ”shuts down” to celebrate midsummer. Take notice of the exceptional opening hours and bus timetables etc.

Midsummer, or Juhannus, is celebrated on a weekend close to the summer solstice. Its origins go back to pagan celebrations, but the current name refers to the feast of the John the Baptist. However, for the majority of the Finns, the celebration of Juhannus has no religious connotations what so ever, it is simply a celebration of the summer and the midnight sun.

The official day of Juhannus is the Saturday between June 20th and 26th (this year June 20th). But as with most festive days in Finland, the celebrations are already starting on the Eve i.e. Friday (this year June 19th). Juhannus Eve is not an official holiday, but most work places give the day off and shops close at 1pm.

And finally, the more amazing part

Before Juhannus, the sales in Alko stores rise with 70%. Unfortunately this also means that there are relatively many accidents during Midsummer, especially drownings.

Well, let’s see. My last forty days (for this time, I hope) in Finland.

Technorati Tags: Alko, bbq, bologna, erasmus, finland, flight, Juhannus, misdummer, oulu, phd, yliopisto