Category: Memes & Asks

Image from Pixabay. Because pretty.

I totally forgot to answer to Jo’s weekly September questions So here’s the whole month in one go!

1. How important is it to you that people remember, spell, and pronounce your name correctly? Why?

Very important! Because one is my name, the other is not to quote Data from TNG.

My real first name (Piia) is spelled with two “i” letters, and all through my school years I had to specify that, because it can also be spelled with one “i” and all the teachers tended to assume that the one “i” was the correct form for me too, not the two “i”s one. To confuse the matter further, another girl in my class had very nearly the same name and that name (Mia) could also be spelled with either one or two “i”s… but her name was spelled with one “i”. So we both had that problem, just in reverse! Teachers were always confused about our names! My parents apologized so many times for giving me such a troublesome name – it hadn’t even occurred to them that the one “i” spelling would be also an option and often assumed. Probably because the one “i” version is a foreign/Swedish version, and the two “i”s version is the Finnish one. But both spellings are probably both used as much so one isn’t more common than the other.

Even now, when I have to give out my name for a new doctor or a nurse, if they don’t have my information on their systems yet, I have to make sure they catch it’s with two “i”s, not one!

Pronouncing is always correct because no matter if it was one or two “i”s, it is the same.

2. Are you a hugger or a non-hugger? Why?

When I was growing up hugging wasn’t really a thing in except in the immediate family (so children and parents, sometimes grandma), at least in my family, and I’ve lived alone since I was 17 so I’ve never got used to hugging most people. My friends, cousins and I don’t ever hug, it’s just not something we do except in exceptional circumstances like when somebody died or something like that. I don’t see them hugging their friends when we meet as a group, only their kids and SOs and parents. I do sometimes miss hugging/physical closeness with someone while living alone like I do.

That said, I have liked the “stranger” hugs I’ve received when my Dad died so I’m not categorically opposed to it or anything. It’s just not something my circles normally do. I normally only hug my Mom. And my Mom’s best friend and I sort of half-hug each other these days. It’s nice. Continue reading Jo’s Weekly Questions – September, 2022

Answers to today’s questions at The Friday Five @ Dreamwidth.

1. How many stars can you see in the sky at night where you live? (Not looking for an exact number here, just a general description.)

Too many to count! On a typical clear winter night, the sky is full of stars!

In the fall when it starts to get dark earlier and then in the winter when the nights are long, you can see lots and lots of stars as long if it’s cloudless. The skies are often cloudy though.

Even in the biggest cities the light pollution isn’t so bad that you can’t see the stars if it’s dark out and clear weather. I love that! Most of the summer, the midnight sun night makes the night skies too bright so if you’re looking to stargaze in Finland make sure to come here between September and April or thereabouts. Northern Finland/Lapland is probably the best place for stargazing because all the bigger cities are in the south of Finland but even in our biggest city starry skies are normal due to less light pollution than in say New York or Paris and unpolluted air! Because our biggest combined cities, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area only has about 1 million inhabitants so even our big cities are tiny compared to metropolies of the world (and our entire country has only about 5,5 million people) so our skies are much clearer pollution and light pollution wise. As an example, I live about 20 minute bus ride from Turku city center (about 5 minutes by car), one of t ihe biggest cities in the country, and only have to step out my front door and see all the stars just by looking up if the sky is clear! In the mid-winter a day’s dark time is about 20 hours so plenty of time to observe the sky.

My favorite time of day is in the late fall and winter, when it’s at least almost freezing and the air is crisp and clear and it’s dark and quiet because it’s late, or early, and people are in their homes so the traffic is less than during the day, and you can see all the stars. That’s my favorite time to go for a walk, it’s so peaceful!

2. What is your favorite constellation?

I don’t care about the constellations. But my favorite nebular is Carina Nebula and this is one of my favorite photos of it that I’ve found:

I have so may images of Carina Nebula that I use as my laptop wallpaper!

3. Are you able to see and identify any planets in the sky? Which ones?

I think they can be seen here, but I can’t identify them.

4. Have you ever seen a satellite orbiting above the earth?

As far as I know, only on TV!

5. Have you ever seen a rocket blasted off into space?

Nope, only on TV! It’s my understanding rockets in general including the Finnish rockets, satellites etc. and ones Finland is involved in the creation and use of are blasted off into space by NASA in USA and/or ESA in French Guiana? In locations that are always in the Southern Hemisphere while we are almost at the top of Northern Hemisphere. I’ve never visited those places.