Stories from Finland

Hello!

Guess what? I have a new favourite song! I really wanted to share it with you.

This song is by a new Finnish band called Sallan ja Miron matka maailman ympäri, which means “Salla and Miro's trip around the world”. These two young Finns make their own music – Miro composes and writes their songs and Salla sings. Miro also plays instruments and sometimes sings. There are also two other members in the band – the boys, Aku and Aarni sitting on the bench in the video.

For a moment I had thought there was nothing worth listening to coming from Finland these days. My favourite bands had either quit or started a long break. But then I discovered this band! And they haven't even released their first album yet.

I also think that this music video is fantastic. It has all of my favourite things in it! Finnish summer, planes and holding hands. To be fair, I like everything about this video. It's different in an ordinary way, and it's cute and happy!

I don't listen to music very often anymore. And when I do, I mostly just want to hear happy music. I have heard enough angry and depressing music already. I probably could listen to something like that, if I was angry or depressed at the time – but these days I just want to be happy. And it's a lot easier if there is happy music playing in the background.

In this song, Tarinoita - “Stories”, she's singing about how she's not sure if she wants her to tag along. She's asking her to tell stories – and it's irrelevant whether they are true – in order to get to know her better.

She asks three questions:

1. Can you ride a horse?

2. Do you believe in God?

3. Could you save me?

In the end she concludes that it's pointless to beg the world for love or forgiveness – and that she does want her to tag along.

When it's summmer in Finland, I like to sit in a cage with a cat.

Did you like the song?

Glasses, きき and pink nails!

Hello, nice to see you here!

Remember when I mentioned that I would get new glasses? Well I did! 

Also notice my funny socks that I got from my
ex-flatmate, Louise, as a birthday present!

What do you think of them? I quite like them, but my girlfriend thought at first that they are too hipster. They are big, but I've secretly always wanted big glasses, and since they are in fashion now, this seemed like too good and opportunity not to get them. I can also see a bit more comfortably with these than the old ones, although these felt heavy at first.

This week I also joined a new society! It's called Nippon Connections, and they are the university's society for people who are interested in Japanese culture and language. They had a film night on Friday, and I went along. We watched two Japanese films. The first one was an old Japanese film called Rashomon by Akira Kurosawa.

I don't know if it's because it was Japanese, or because it was released in 1950 or because it felt like a play - but it was a very weird film. It's refreshing to see something different though! After Rashomon, we watched an anime called Kiki's Delivery Service -　魔女の宅急便。

きき！

It was a great film! I mean, it was probably aimed for kids... But kids' films are happy, and I like happy films! There was a 13-year old witch, Kiki, who leaves home in order to become a successful village witch somewhere. Except Kiki has always dreamed of moving to a big city. So she takes her cat Jiji, and her mum's old broomstick and flies away to start a new life. And when she finds a perfect city, she's determined in settling in and starting her own business. I wish I had seen it earlier! I think it may have become my new favourite kids' film*.

In other Japanese study news, according to my phone and it's useful hiragana trainer app, I now master 97% of hiragana. And the morning after the day I congratulated myself for that, I turned on my computer and there was a little surprise for me. Erm, I wasn't really sure if I was ready for this.

My laptop screen.

For some reason my laptop was in Japanese. Presumably, some sort of error happened when the Japanese keyboard was installed for my computer. I had wanted to be able to write hiragana with my laptop, but my Japanese definitely is not good enough yet to have my whole computer in Japanese.

But fortunately, you can google anything these days. It is very useful in this sort of situation to be able to just ask google to translate things like "shut down". Being able to do that definitely made a traumatic experience like this more comfortable.

Thank you, Google Translate for helping me shut down my computer.

So yeah, my language learning is going well. I also received my Japanese Textbooks today! I now have a Basic Japanese Kanji book and Japanese for College Students. I hope these will be useful books when I try to learn vocabulary and grammar. My girlfriend is clearly threatened by my enthusiasm to language learning and signed up for a Mandarin Chinese language course at uni. Soon we can have competitions which one can read more kanjis. Doesn't that sound like a fun freetime activity?

Kone Helsinki: U05 and
Natural Collection: Crystal Clear.

Another thing I've been practising recently is something I've always found very difficult: varnishing my nails. My nails are short, but I think they look a lot more cheerful when they are painted a bright colour.  I used to like coloured nails in secondary school, but I was really bad at it even then. There was always colour on my fingers as well, and the surface of the varnish was never smooth.

But I bought these cheap nail varnishes so that I could practise. And I think I am getting a hang of it. Instead of one thick layer, I've been painting 3 thin coats and letting all of them dry before adding the next one. And because the pink nail varnish has some glitter in it, I've finished my nails with a layer of clear varnish on top of it to get a smooth surface, and also to make the varnish last longer. Ha, I have learned something new!


* I definitely think that the films I refer to as "kids' film" are suitable for adults too. I'm an adult and I enjoy watching them too! But because I have other favourite films from other genres, I wanted to specify that this is my favourite without an age limit.

Last Friends

Happy autumn everyone!

It must be autumn since they've started selling advent calendars in shops.

Today, I wanted to tell you about something I realised recently after watching a Japanese TV series called Last Friends. But first, I am going to tell you why I was watching Last Friends!

ラスト・フレンズ

A long time ago, I set myself a life goal to visit all the continents. I've so far visited several European countries, and set my foot in North America, but there are still five to go. So since I've been enjoying Asian food recently, and because Asia is not as far away as some of the other continents, I figured it could be my next destination.

My next thought, however, was that I've never visited a country where I haven't been able to understand the local language at all. After studying Swedish, English, German and French it wasn't difficult to understand most of what I needed to understand when I visited the Netherlands and Spain. I have even managed to have a conversation with Tennesseans.

I think, being able to understand the local language - even a little, gives you some valuable insight in the culture that you're visiting. It allows you to understand the things that are not specifically aimed for foreigners and therefore written in English, but also the things that are there for locals. I also don't expect there to be signs written with latin alphabet in countries that don't use the alphabet, and being unable to read anythging sounds like a very scary thought. You also get a lot more respect from the locals if you try and say even a few things in their language instead of just assuming that they will speak English to you.

But I don't understand any Asian languages! Not even a word! I've only studied Indo-European languages before and would be very interested in learning a language that belongs to another language group. Fortunately, my mother tongue is Uralic so that should give me some perspective and make my language learning a little bit easier.

Thanks, Wikipedia.

But there are so many Asian languages to choose from!* I wish I could study them all, but that's impossible. It's better to start with one.

First, I decided that I would want to choose a living, lively language! With a lot of speakers, so that I wouldn't spend a lot of time learning a language I could not actually use in real life. I've spent some time over the past years doing some background investigations in languages such as Sami, Mari, Inuktitut, and Old Norse, but those are not really good choices for me, if I actually want to speak to real people.

I used to want to study Russian. There were a lot of language courses available in my country, but while I was living there, I was focusing on French and German. But now, I haven't started learning a new language for over 8 years, and I feel like it's time to pick a new language in order to improve my language skills. Unfortunately though, because of the current political situation in Russia, I no longer feel inspired in learning that. And I already decided to pick a non-Indo-European language.

I own a book in Thai. I can't read it. But when my dad and brother went on a holiday in Thailand in 2007 and asked me what I would like as a souvenir, I asked them to bring me Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in Thai. And they did! I treasure it in my book-case and enjoy how cool the writing in it looks. So, I considered learning Thai, but because of its tones, I would probably be really bad at speaking it, with my very mono-tonic language background. I'm not brave enough to try and learn it quite yet.

I also did not feel particularly inspired in studying languages of countries where they would be likely to kill or arrest me just because of who I am, so that cut out some options. Then on the basis of the food I enjoy the most, I ditched Indian and Chinese. I may have eaten slightly too much Indian and Chinese take-away recently and am not really feeling it anymore.

Lately, I've been really enjoying sushi and Korean cosmetics. Because I know some people (such as the two I live with) who also study Japanese, it felt like a better decision than Korean. Being able to practise a language with other people will make learning it a lot easier and definitely more fun. But if I decide to learn Korean later, Japanese will still be helpful, because they are from the same language family.

I definitely wouldn't starve in Asia.

To be fair, I don't know much about Japan. I know where it is and what the flag looks like, but that's about it. I don't even like manga or anime (which is why I never even considered studying the language before).  Apart from Pokèmon, of course! Sometimes I walk around town with just Pikachu in my backpack. It makes me feel like I have a friend.

Sometimes we go out for drinks.

Sometimes I feel like I probably should have grown past this stage 15 years ago. But maybe they will understand me in Japan. I've heard that they have a lot of weird things in Japan. I look forward to learning more about Japanese culture while I study Japanese.

I started learning hiragana (the Japanese phonetic symbols) last Friday, and am about to start learning katakana (the other phonetic symbols). I've also been watching the Japanese TV series Last Friends -  as I mentioned earlier in this post - in order to get used to hearing Japanese and to learn about the Japanese culture.

I really like the TV series! There are 5 friends who live together in a share house and face problems with life, love, work and relationships. They are there for each other. I don't like watching sad TV series, but this kind of reminded me of Gilmore Gilrs or Friends.

Last Friends!

Although there is a lot of dark things in this TV series, such as, domestic violence, manipulating, threatening and stalking - I enjoy watching their life in the share house. They are happy together and that makes me feel happy too.

But what I realised when watching the series is that: it doesn't matter how miserable some people might make you feel - when you're with the right people you can be yourself. And when you can be yourself - you will be the happiest. And those people who make you feel rubbish don't matter anymore. There's nothing they could do to take that happiness away from you.

It probably sounds simple, but this is actually the first time I've really thought about it. I've always focused too much on the people who don't like me, and it's made me feel like I'm not worthy enough to be happy. But when there's a happy place - like the share house in Last Friends - none of those people aren't there. And none of that feeling should be there either. The friends in the share house protected the house from all bad things getting in. That's how it always should be in life. I wish everyone could live in a happy place. When you're feeling miserable - you're not really yourself. But when you're happy, you can do the amazing things you're capable of doing. And you will be able to shine that happiness to other people.

Giraffe, Aberdeen.

Anyway, smiling is the easiest way to spread happiness around us. There's no language barriers there either.

Is there a language you would like to learn?

* I understand that many of the "languages" I mention, are actually not single languages but larger language groups that contain several languages. At this stage, however, I was only intending to choose a language group that I could choose a language within.

Keeping boobs close to heart

Two days ago I got really excited about a new bra I found online! In this blog post I will tell you why a piece of underwear made me so excited. So bra-talk coming up! I've meant to write about this topic for a long time, but have always decided not to. Last time I posted about bras online it got judged by a group of my classmates as "fucking stupid".

But today, I decided not to care about my fears and people who judge talking about these things as "too personal". This is actually a fairly important topic because for many people this particular piece of clothing might be the most important part of their outfit. It prevents unnecessary pain, allows us to move smoothly, makes us feel more confident, and some of them can be really pretty too. In this blog post I will provide some bra-fitting advice and explain how the sizing works, which might help some of you, if you're struggling to find comfortable bras.

If you are over-sensitive about this topic, you might want to skip this blog post. Or if you really must, you're welcome to leave an angry comment.

Made in Preston Blog.

So, the other day, I was online and noticed a link to Made in Preston's website on Thin and Curvy blog's Facebook page. Made in Preston is an UK store that makes "fitted fashion for bigger boobs". They sell tops, dresses, swimming costumes and underwear. They have three different shapes of all their clothes to fit different size boobs. That's really brilliant! And they make bras in 26-back size! Now they only have two different styles available: Winter Punk Lace and Winter Brights. They make both styles from 26DD to 26J (and up to 38GG, but that's not the big news here).

Why do I think this is great news? Because I have never seen bras in 26 back size sold anywhere. And I've often wished they'd make it when I've had to leave a bra in the shop because the band wasn't tight enough for my ribcage. There really is a market for 26 back size bras. I'm sure if Made in Preston keeps making these bras, they will sell worldwide.

But why would someone spend so much money on bras, when you can get some in Tescos? Well, the most important thing about bras, is not to cover our boobs. Some of them - for some reason it sometimes feels like that most bras available in my size - are see through, and really don't. For instance, Freya's Lyla bra.

Freya Lyla Lingerie.

But what do Freya bras do then? They fit and give support. As long as you pick the right size. And based on my personal experience of the world, most girls wear the wrong size. And no, I did not go and check what the bra labels of people that I meet say, I have just gone bra shopping with some of my friends. I really enjoy going bra shopping. And seriously, one of the best things that ever happened to my boobs was, when one of my friends took me bra shopping for the first time. Having a supportive bra makes such a difference!

From what I've seen, people seem to be very shy about underwear and would rather buy it without needing to try them on, but unfortunately you can't do that if you want to make sure that the bra you're spending your money on will be worth any of that money for you. To make this even trickier, most high street clothes stores, such as, H&M, New Look, Primark, etc. only do a very limited range of bra sizes. Some lucky ones are able to buy their underwear there (it's cheaper!), but many unlucky people believe that they can get bras that fit them but in fact their size is something completely different. Some places offer a "bra fitting service", but they are unfortunately not reliable, as they most of the time will only offer you the closest fit from the bras that they have. Cheryl from Invest in Your Chest blog undertook a High Street Fitting Challenge, where she visited several high street shops and tried out their bra fitting services to see what bras they would suggest her. The results where shocking, as most fitters appeared to have no clue of what a well-fitting bra even looks like.

When you go looking for a bra that fits you perfectly, you can start anywhere that sells bras and has a fitting room, but your best bet is in a store that stocks a wide range of sizes. And no - a shop that does cup sizes from A to D, is not one of them. Even if you're used to wearing a bra sized 34B, like I used to, it doesn't mean that a shop with that range has a bra that will fit you. Most people need a tighter band than they wear, and when you go down in a band size, you need a bigger cup size. Cup sizes are not "static", they are dependant on the band size. 30D looks completely different from 38D.

Band size is represented with a number. It's the measurement you get when you measure the circumference underneath your boobs. It's a good guideline if you have no idea what you're correct bra size is, but you still need to try on bras to find out which one fits you best. 

If you're using a measuring tape in inches, the number you measure is the actual band size. If you're measuring tape is in centimetres, you need to take 12 centimetres off the measurement you get.

Cup size is represented with a letter. The letter is calculated alphabetically, and it's the difference between your band measurement and bust measurement. If the difference is 1 inch, you're an A cup, if it's 2 inches, you're a B cup. In different countries the cups are calculated slightly differently, but commonly in UK they are counted: 

AA, A, B, C, D, DD, E, F, FF, G, GG, H, HH, J, JJ, K, KK, L. 

There are doubles for some letters, and I is skipped completely. AA is the only cup that is smaller than A, all the other doubles are bigger than the single.

If you're measuring in centimetres, you need to compare the original measurements - don't use your band measurement to compare the cup sizes. Instead of 1 inch, each cup size is 2cm bigger than previous one. Note that, 1 inch is not the same measurement and that when you get to bigger cup sizes, European cupsizes don't respond to UK sizes well.

Freya Lingerie.

Trying to find a bra that fits perfectly can be challenging if you've never owned a bra that fits before. It's easiest if you have a friend who help you, but as the above example shows, shop assistants might not be trustworthy. But if you follow this guide, you can check whether the bra you're trying on fits or not.

1. Hook the bra to the loosest hook, and check how many fingers you can get underneath the band. If it's more than 2, go and get a smaller back size. 

If this is the first time you're trying on a bra that size it will feel very tight. You will get used to it, but if you wish you may buy the next size up - but buy only one because soon you will probably want to buy the smaller band size.

2. Once you're band is tight enough, look at the band and wires between your boobs. They should rest tightly against your ribcage. This time you should not be able to get any fingers underneath the band (in the front). If the wires are not resting against you, you will need to go up a cup size.

3. To check whether the cups are the right size, you first need to make sure that all of your breast tissue is in the cup. Then make sure you're not bulging out from the sides or from the top. No part of the cup is meant to dig in to you. 

Many girls wear too small cup sizes in order to get a "push up" effect. Please don't do that. It actually only makes your boobs look smaller. Get a bra that is the correct size and just stick silicone cushions in there that are meant to make the effect. Or socks. Everyone has socks. It will be a lot more comfortable, you will look better and your boobs will thank you.

4. If you're bra otherwise fits well, it's time to adjust the bra straps. You may have had to do this a little bit before this step, because it's impossible to try on a bra with super tight bra straps. Now it's time to make sure they are snug, but not too tight.

Many people who wear the wrong bra size, believe that the support in the bra comes from the straps, when it actually should come from the band. When you're band is tight enough, you don't really even need the straps. If you're bra does not stay where it should be when you take the straps off, you're bra is not the right size.

5. Does your bra still not feel right? You might be trying on a bra that's the wrong style for you. There are loads of different bra styles such as full cup, demi cup, balconette and plunge. Depending on your boobs' shape, some of them might not fit you, but most likely something will. You just need to be brave and actually try on different styles!

I visited Tallinn like I said I would!

I hope this helps someone, because finding out how bras are supposed to feel has really changed my life and improved my self-confidence. The sad part of finding out my actual bra size was that there actually are very few bras made in my size, which is exactly why I wanted to share the Made in Preston bra on Facebook, so that other thin and curvy women, could find out about it as well.

Snails and bunnies

Hey!

So, moving house happened. Life's looking a lot brighter now! About a week ago we packed our bags and moved to our new place. Instead of broken glass on the street and seagulls screaming outside that we had at the old place, we now see snails on the road outside our house and there are bunnies jumping around in our backyard.

Our fellow resident.

Moving house was really exciting. Unfortunately all of our stuff did not fit into a suitcase. We did a few trips with bags and suitcases, but last weekend I hired a van, so that we could move rest of our stuff. I miss driving. I would like to be able to drive more. Then I might get better at it and stop worrying about it so much. But having a car made moving a lot easier than shifting all of our stuff on a public transport. I'm not an expert house-mover, and I actually kind of hate moving. But it's probably because I have more stuff than I would like to. But I own too many things that I don't want to throw away. Having my own museum would be useful. All the things, I don't actively want to have in my life could go there. Like weird presents and old school books that might come in handy one day.

Waiting for a bus to take us home.

But now when the move is almost done, I like knowing exactly what I have. Some things have gone missing, but I've found things that I didn't know I had. I didn't know I had 10 toothbrushes or chopsticks! Okay, the chopsticks look kind of disposable and I have probably nicked them from a Chinese restaurant when I ended up using a fork and decided that I should really practise using chopsticks at home before I end up in an Asian restaurant the next time. I have since then realised that you can just stab the food with one stick and use the other to pretend that you are eating with them sophisticatedly.

Eating cereal is a lot easier than eating Asian food.

Since moving to the new place, a thought has occurred to me. I realised that some of my headaches and migraines might be caused by my sight. I went to see an optician, and my sight hasn't actually changed too much, but enough to get new glasses. So now I'm going to get new glasses too! My girlfriend thinks they look too hipster. But she's going to get glasses I won't like, so it's all even. That's what relationships are about - compromises and making sure all the feelings are mutual.

I have also been wondering about how I don't know when to come out to people. When should I and when shouldn't I? Does anyone know? Because I am really not sure. 

Is it appropriate to tell strangers that I have a girlfriend? For instance, when an optician asks about my week, is it acceptable to talk about putting furniture together with my girlfriend? For some reason, I feel that she might not want to hear about it – that she might see it as something too private. But if it was a boyfriend I was putting furniture together with, I maybe would not feel that it would be too much information to the poor optician. But why should homosexuality be more private than heterosexuality? And what about when she's just assumed to be my friend? When, for instance, a waiter asks me about “my friend's order”, should I tell them that she's actually my girlfriend? Or would that be rude? Should I just settle for people assuming that I'm out with a friend? I mean, girlfriend is still a friend, right? 

This is probably something that is not only a problem same-sex couples have. – Or at least I hope that people don't assume anymore that when a boy and a girl are seen together that they are automatically a couple. But what do you think?