The Friday Five for 12 May 2023
Posted on
May 11, 2023

The Friday Five for 12 May 2023

Answers to tomorrow’s thefridayfive questions!

1. What was the first album you ever bought?

Wicked Game by Chris Isaak is the first one I remember buying with my own work earned money. I had also bought like a dozen vinyl albums from a second hand book shop and new cassettes with my weekly allowance or birthday money before, but I don’t count them as first anything for some reason.

2. What format was it? (cassette, CD, other?)

A CD.

3. How old were you?

My Mom bought me a stereo tower for my 17th birthday, and I bought the CD soonish after that. So I’d have turned 17 a few weeks or a few months earlier, can’t remember exactly. I only know for sure that it was before I moved to Helsinki Metropolitan Area for the library studies, and that move happened in the fall about three months before my 18th birthday.

4. Where did you hear it?

Home.

5. Did your parents approve?

My Dad had just died a year ago, but my Mom was fine with it! She also enjoys the CD in question. I first made her a cassette copy, and then when computers came along, made her a CD copy. I still have it and it’s still one of my best favorites ever.

Jo’s Daily Questions – May 1-16, 2023
Posted on
May 9, 2023

Jo’s Daily Questions – May 1-16, 2023

Jo over at Dreamwidth put together a list of daily questions for 2023 again  😀 Here’s my answers to first batch of May questions.

1 – School Bus Drivers’ Day: When you were young, did you have to take a school bus to get to school?

I went to school by bus on grades 7-9, but it was regular bus. School bus doesn’t exist here as a major phenomenon. Students who live far enough away from the school get free bus tickets and use regular busses, and the counties/cities arrange mini busses or a taxi if bus routes don’t go by where they live and certain conditions are met… these are a minority; the vast majority use regular busses.

2 – Bike Month: Do you cycle? If yes, do you do it mostly for fun/occasional outings, or is it your main mode of transportation? Does your municipality have good cycling infrastructure? Do you cycle year-round, even in winter (and in the snow if you get snow where you live)?

I don’t bike, I don’t own one anymore. I used to bike until I was about 20. Biking is encouraged here, and it’s a common form of transportation both for work and leisure. A lot of people cycle year around now that the winters aren’t proper winters anymore, but I’m not sure whether they have to change the tires to winter ones like for have to cars do. I sort of regret stopping cycling, if I wanted to re-start now I’d have to buy a bike which are terribly expensive like everything here. It’s too much money to put into something that I don’t whether I would keep doing after the newness wore off. Continue reading Jo’s Daily Questions – May 1-16, 2023

The Friday Five for 28 April 2023
Posted on
Apr 29, 2023

The Friday Five for 28 April 2023

Answers to this week’s questions at thefridayfive @ DW

1. Would you ever go “under the knife” (or laser, or dental pick) for cosmetic purposes? What and why, and would it really be worth it?

I’d so much love to get a breast reduction! Although in my case it’d be most likely categorized as a medically necessitated, not entirely cosmetic, as it would relieve my back pain and make things like running more easy and simply just not having boobs in the way would be so much easier to do pretty much anything. But any other surgeries for purely cosmetic purposes… nope. not interested.

2. Describe your dream home, including location, design, and who/what’s in there with you.

I don’t have a clear image of what my dream home would be like, or the location. But it’d be a lot bigger than my current home – I’d have a guest room so I can have my Mom or closest friend stay overnight without problems, a living room, a craft room, a home movie theatre/tv room, an office, a library, a gym, a pool, a patio, a utility room and a well-equipped kitchen. And effective air conditioning in every room considering summers are getting unbearably hot for longer and longer even here in Finland. Ideally it’d be situated on the outskirts of a city, so I could get into nature within a couple of minutes by walking, but also only about 30 minutes from the city center by bus. Public transport must be good and the stop close by (no more than a minute or two walking, ideally not even that like I currently have). And also, no neighbors within seeing distance.

I’d also have a few staff: a cook (because I don’t like cooking!), a cleaner and if I had a garden, then also a gardener. The interior design would include a lot of wood and be rustic looking, and recently I’ve been admiring the jewel colors a lot of UK tv series show in characters homes. It’d be elegant, harmonious and calming. And things like couches and table and carpets would all fit each other, instead of a random collection bought when absolutely necessary for the least amount of money. I also might have rooms following themes – so maybe living room is rustic, library sort of Ancient Egyptian, office futuristic sci-fi or something!

3. You have one month to travel the world, all expenses paid. Where do you go and what do you do once you arrive?

London, Egypt, Paris, the Grand Canyon… Although a month is such a short time, I’d probably choose one place and stay there for the month and just make short trips around there.

4. What scares the bloody heck out of you? Would you face it down if someone paid you? What’s your price?

There’s nothing that scares “the bloody heck out of” me. But there aren a lot of things I wouldn’t do no matter how much you paid me such as handle exotic poisonous snakes, wresting with alligators or go on reality tv show or whatever.

5. And of course, you’re stranded on an island. What five simple items do you have with you? How do you survive? Anyone in particular you’d like to be stranded with? What would they bring to the table?

I’d have to have my eye glasses so I can see, and also my medications to keep me functional – that’s more than five items already! I would hope I have a knife, but I never carry one with me so I can’t imagine I would if I got stranded by surprise. I’d also better have some person with me knows knows flora and fauna because I don’t except for some local berries. Frankly, I don’t think I’d fare well at all if I was alone and had to survive on my own for more than a day or two. In theory I know how to make a fire without matches, but whether I’d get it to work in practice is anyone’s guess.

Jo’s Daily Questions – April, 2023
Posted on
Apr 12, 2023

Jo’s Daily Questions – April, 2023

Jo over at Dreamwidth put together a list of daily questions for 2023 again  😀 Here’s my answers to April questions.

1 – International Firewalk Day: Have you ever done this strange practice? Would you like to try it?

Nope, never done it. Maybe?

2 – Peanut Butter & Jelly (Jam) day: do you like this typical American sandwich? What flavour jelly (jam) do you favour?

I don’t like peanut butter – it’s much too sweet so I never buy it. And don’t like most store bought jams, I rarely buy those. I’ve never even tasted the two together just seem like disgustingly sweet plus I don’t think I’d like the textures of them together. Peanut butter & jam sandwich is a thing here at all.

3 – Fish Fingers and Custard Day: to celebrate Doctor Who’s strange culinary experiment this day was declared fish fingers and custard day. Would you ever try this? What odd combinations of food do you like?

I don’t think I would try it. Doesn’t seem like a appealing combination of flavors and textures to me.

Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved dipping mettvurst in either banana yoghurt or strawberry yoghurt. These days I prefer to dip it into strawberry yoghurt by a slight margin. Continue reading Jo’s Daily Questions – April, 2023