Comes and goes

Snow came early this year.

Last Wednesday, we woke up to a scene of white. Temperatures had been near zero for a while now so the kids are already wearing winter gear. On this day, they switched from rubber galoshes to snow boots.

We love the snow. On the way to school, they talked about making snow balls, snow men, snow angels and hopefully some sledding too.

More snow fell that day but temperatures were rather warm. By warm, I meant 2 or 3ºC. The snow soon melted and we didn't have much left by Saturday.

It didn't matter anyway because the kids fell ill last weekend. Estelle started with a fever on Friday evening and then Jules on Sunday morning. The daycare centre has 3 confirmed cases of H1N1 by today, I'm told.

We went to the clinic this morning. My request to be tested was declined because apparently there is only one laboratory serving the Greater Capital region (meaning Helsinki and its nearby suburbs). It was expected to be swarmed with samples anyway so it seemed that only more severe cases will be tested.

Do we or do we not have the swine flu? Doesn't matter as long as we recover, the doctor advised.

We have 5 days left in Finland. The meteorological station has forecasted at least 10cm of snow by tomorrow morning. We still have a chance!

What do you get...

... when you put together snow and a couple of cars?

Loads of fun.

But seriously, any of these situations are possible in winter and it's no laughing matter.

We met with an accident last winter when our car spun out of control one morning on our way to school. The car slid and spun 180º and before we knew it, we had hit a lamp post.

Thank God we were all alright. The window on the passenger side (my side) was shattered and the door dented. My heart leapt to my mouth, not daring to scream lest I scare the kids. We were all quiet for seconds afterwards.

Then Jules broke the silence. "Mummy, your window is broken," he announced, as a matter of fact.

I don't like accidents. One can never be too prepared for an accident. That's why the term 'accident'. Still don't like them.

PS Woke up to -1ºC this morning and HG had to scrap ice off the car. The Farmer's Almanac predicts a cold winter (for the US) this year, contradicting global warming warnings. We'll see.

Cool winter outing

This is our final weekend before we leave for Singapore next Friday. Will Finland still be in winter mode when return in April? We've heard that spring comes in May...

We decided to make the best of this weekend by definitely not staying indoors.

Since our visit to Uunisaari last Sunday, we began searching for our next outing.

Uunisaari is a little island off Helsinki. In summer, it has a popular beach and one has to take a boat to get across, even though it is just about 100 m from the mainland. Unless you are Michael Phelps (and don't mind getting wet), you are less than a minute splash away.

On the website, we read that a suspension bridge is set up in winter. When we arrived, we realised that all we had to do was hop onto the sea. Yes, we walked on the sea again. Everyone else was doing it. Men, women, children, babies in prams, dogs...

We walked to Uunisaari, around it and on it. We also walked to the island next to it. Some parts of the sea just next to the coast was slightly wet so we had to be careful choosing our next step.

Today (Saturday), we visited Ooittaa. It has a camping site and a recreation centre where we can rent skis and other necessary equipment. There is also the quintessential Finnish sauna.

I asked a family from the children's school to join us. We had visited their home some months back and hadn't had a chance to invite them to ours.

Ooittaa is a nature site just next to a large lake called Bodominjärvi. The lake is frozen and a skiing track has been made out on the ice and leads onto land. Our friends told us that the area is actually a beach in summer and popular with Finns who come to tan. Today, we could not tell where the coast starts and where it ends. And even in summer, temperatures in southern Finland hover around 20ºC and don't forget sea breeze. Bbrrr...

The kids found a slope and sledded. A lump of snow which had somehow become a slide and had a hole at the base became a playground. They also had great fun playing on the slide and swings. Children need so little to be happy.

The highlight of this trip was our BBQ. The simple menu of sausages, marshmallows and hot Milo was really fun. The pit was open to all visitors and the centre provided free firewood. People just sat around the fire and placed their food on the grill. We may look like we are enjoying ourselves, but in reality, we were actually freezing. 

Sausages were the most popular food. The other kids looked enviously at our marshmallows so we shared our large pack with them. The Tohs seemed to be the only ones who know what to do with marshmallows at a BBQ. We are happy to transfer some technology.

The pit was tiny yet everyone was happy to share some space on the grill and seats on the benches. The area was generally clean because users tidied up after themselves. Very nice.

I told you Finland is a nice place.

Another Fun Sunday

After that great outing last week, we decided to find another place we haven't been to, to do something we haven't done before.

Scouring the internet, we found Paloheinän maki. The website says it's a good place for outdoor activities. So again, find the address, program the GPS and off we go.

Paloheinän maki was crowded. The car park was full and the hills were alive with the sound of sleds.

Are you dizzy after watching the movie? Some of the slopes were really steep and slippery so we went rather fast. Some parts are so icy and slippery that you can't help yourself but slide downhill.

We saw kids as young as a few months old sledding. Their parents chose gentle slopes and they either go down with them or put them in baby sleds - kind of like a potty, except with ski bottoms.

Sledding is a great work-out. We climbed up-slope numerous times and sometimes, we slipped a few steps and crawled upwards. And every time we go down-slope, there's the rush of adrenaline. This went on for over an hour.

The outdoor temperature this afternoon was around -3ºC. We felt a little cold when we arrived but some rounds of sledding later, we warmed up. Throughout the outing, we didn't perspire nor felt hot and sticky. 

As much as the kids look forward to sunny Singapore and putting on shorts and sundresses again, I suspect humidity might be an issue.

If Jesus can walk on water, so can we

Last Sunday, we decided to go somewhere we haven't been to before and do something we've never done before.

We've noticed a nice park along a highway towards Helsinki. On Saturday night, HG looked up Google Earth, found the stretch of water and identified a landmark. Sunday afternoon after Estelle's dance class, we followed directions given by the GPS and made our way to Laajalahti.

We walked along the coast and crossed a couple of wooden bridges that linked a couple of little islands. We thought we were going for a stroll in a park but little did we realise that we were going to embark on an amazing adventure.

From afar, we noticed people walking on the frozen water. Then we took the "plunge".

The water had frozen over so you could walk, ski, skate or even para-glide on it!

Estelle realised that she was going to walk on water and was hesitant about stepping in. After 2 brave steps holding my hands, she was moving on her own. What an exhilarating experience it was to walk on water! OK, technically, we were walking on the crystallised form of H2O but you've really got to try it for yourself.

Mandated by law, shops in Finland are closed on Sundays. Small proprietors can open on Sundays but supermarkets and department stores, including whole shopping complexes, are shut. Some shops in Helsinki open to cater to tourists but the city is quiet after 6 pm.

Since we arrived in June last year, we were at a loss what to do on Sundays. In Singapore or Beijing, we would spend Sunday mornings in church, followed by lunch, maybe walk the mall and finished with dinner. We would have spent the whole day out. 

In Finland, we are kind of under house arrest on Sundays. Since shops close at 6 pm on Saturdays, we would have stocked up on food to last us until Monday morning, at least. This means planning our menus in advance and racking my brains on activities to occupy the kids. 

If we go out for a walk around our home, the roads are quiet and we hardly see other living beings. Worse in November and December when the sun set at 3.30 pm. Not fun to go out when it's dark AND cold.

Last month, we met up with a family from school and went to visit a local skating rink. The outdoor grounds were filled with people of all ages, skating at various skill levels. We saw a little girl about 4 years old holding her daddy's hand as well as adults sparring with their hockey sticks. All having a good time. 

Yesterday, Laajalahti was like a giant playground where anyone can play. I'm estimating the area is around 4 sq km. Lots of space for everyone to do their thing. People came in their skates or skis or like us, just a pair of walking boots.

In my movie, you might have noticed the skating track where we took a break. There was a long skating track made out in the middle of the frozen sea! I don't know who or how they did it but the sea is turned into a free sporting facility.

Did you realise we were on the "wrong" side of the jetty? I was wondering why they kept a small circle of water fluid and placed barriers around it to warn people against dropping in. We never noticed the hut up the slope, which is actually a sauna. The sea is kept liquid so bathers can dip in. This certainly gives my entry on our own sauna experience a genuine Finnish perspective.

The walk on the sea is our most awesome experience in Finland so far. The icing on the cake is that it was totally free. F-R-E-E. 

We indulged in the wonders of nature, worked out our muscles and spent quality time with the family at no cost. The rewards: priceless.

To enjoy life in Finland requires a change in mindset. We were bored because we couldn't shop or eat out. Now, we discover that some of the best things in life are for free. 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

You might have heard by now that London and its surrounding areas have ground to a halt in the midst of a heavy snow storm. 

As we look at pictures and videos of London snowed in, HG remarked: "哎呀，家常便饭嘛." Regular dishes for dinner.

Southern Finland had our first snow as early as December. Imagine a salt shaker turned upside down - that first week of December saw snow fall continually for more than 48 hours. That weekend, we rode a train to Helsinki, took a walk around town and had dinner. The snow-covered train platform in the BBC slideshow looked just like the one in Helsinki.

The snow came and went, no thanks to climate change. Our latest round of snow has stayed with us for a couple of weeks now and we've had lots of fun. Like what you saw in the slideshow, cars were covered, people ski instead of walk, kids (and adults) have lots of fun with snow fights and sleighs. People taking their dogs for walks in the snow are a common sight.

The Finns come outdoors no matter the weather. Our families in Singapore think that we are cooped up at home all day because it's too cold. Little do they know that school kids come out to play twice a day for at least an hour each, rain or shine or snow. As long as they are properly dressed, the kids are unstoppable!

The kids and I tried to build a snowman last week. We were overly ambitious. Our second snow ball was so heavy we couldn't lift it up so we ended up with a pair of boobs instead. Estelle thought they look like a dumb bell. (They are on the left of the benches in the pic above.)

Driving in winter can be perilous. The vehicle might slip on icy surfaces or worse, swerve and spin. My friend Sunshine commented that I may be better at driving in winter since I obtained my license in Finland. I'm glad to say that my skills haven't been tested although an hour of practice on a slippery surface track was a compulsory module here. 

The Finnish authorities also make it mandatory for vehicles to change to winter tyres between 1 December to 28 February. Winter tyres are usually spiked with metal studs or have grooves of at least 3 mm. Snow trucks start as early as 5.30 am to clear the roads and workers shovel to clear walking paths.

So you see, the Finns - and I was told Scandinavians in general - are well-prepared for winter. Life goes on. 

HG is wishing for a national broadcast that schools and offices will be closed. He can go on dreaming.

Do you know that the speed limit on highways here is 100 km/h? Other major roads may be 70 or 80 km/h. Even exceeding 110 km/h, I don't feel I'm driving very fast, probably because the roads are longer, wider and have lesser traffic.

The past 3 days have been wonderful. The sun shone beautifully and I almost forgot we are still in winter. It's now -9ºC and white everywhere. The gloomy months of November and December are over and spring is coming. Finland is "liveable" again. 

Bonus: A wild rabbit has set up its nest under a tree outside our home! Just 5 feet from our window, isn't it amazing? I worry about the cold temperature (was down to -18ºC one night) and if it can find food. It's leaving a trail of poo-poo so I guess it's doing ok. I am also resisting the urge to feed it because it is, afterall, wild and should be able to survive on its own.

We visited Santa Claus

We really did. In Rovaniemi in northern Finland.

Rovaniemi is part of Lapland, which is an area at the Arctic Circle that is shared by Finland, Sweden and Norway. Santa Claus "lives" in Santa Claus Village and this is where letters and parcels addressed to the Man in Red will end up.

There is the Santa Claus Post Office where mail gets a special Santa's head stamp.

There is also the Santa Claus Office where one can seek an audience with the Man himself. At the entrance, an Elf showed us a catalogue containing a list of gifts we can purchase for Santa to present to the kids. We should be careful not to let the kids see us give orders.

Hmm... we ain't gonna pay €18 for a stranger to give a stuffed reindeer to our kids.

We then went through some exhibits and finally reached the Upper Room where the Old Man sat. After some small talk, we took a photo and said bye-bye.

Photography indoors not allowed. So we gave in to an 11R snapshot complete with Santa certificate at €25. No thanks though to €36 video footage.

Our kids were quite excited to see Santa Claus but they weren't so thrilled that they went speechless. We didn't bring any drawings or letters and the kids didn't have special requests. It was more like a "been there, done that" episode.

Estelle and Jules enjoyed Rovaniemi for 2 reasons.

Top of the list is the snow. They loved the snow slides. Jules started and ended each try with "Woo-hoo". Each of them went again and again.

They made snowballs and carried one each wherever we go. HG called them 七龙珠. They swept snow off fences and benches. They observed their footprints in the snow. Estelle sat on fresh snow and laughed at her bum print. We had a snowball fight while waiting for the bus.

The next best thing that we tried was the husky sleigh ride. It was a mere 500m but the speed and turns around corners were exciting.

We stepped into the sleigh with hesitation but the kids asked for more when we were done. Unfortunately, we ran out of money (cash only and €70 per ride for all of us) and the 2km route was inaccessible because snow was melting. It was 1ºC that day - too warm for the North Pole.

The kids loved the husky ride so much they chose husky stuffed toys as their souvenirs. Not elfish hats or Santa magnets, just huskies named Mini and Husky.