Thursday, February 08, 2007

I felt warm at -20º

I flew to Finland last Saturday, 3rd of February. When I left Barcelona it was quite sunny and around 10º. I was sitting next to a Catalan woman, who apparently had been working in the election campaign of the current FC Barcelona president. She also told me that they (they were to couples) to visit their offspring in China. Well... I was entertained during the flight at least.

When we were flying over Finland already everything seemed so white to me! But not everything... oh, the trees. It was really sunny, over the clouds, so with the feet on the ground was really cloudy, but around 0º, so it wasn’t really cold. And then the feeling, the thing that I feel in my stomach, the special sensations I have when I meet her again.

Espoo snowy-looking

Another shocking thing for me is how warm the Finns keep their places. My sister, who has been in Denmark, was telling me the same about Danish people. The question is... is it a Scandinavian thing? Is it a latino thing? Anyway, during winter is much colder inside a Spanish home than a Finnish home. I think I already told about the non-wearing shoes inside a Finnish home too. It is nice to be surprised for cultural differences.

Parking lot and sea view from Otaniemi

On Sunday was a sort of the same weather than Saturday; Monday was cooler and then...

On Tuesday was really sunny. The snow (it is white, as you probably know) reflects the light of the sun and it is really cool! And then let’s check the temperature... around MINUS TWENTY degrees! The Finns could be used to it, but they still recognize that is freaking cold. Good people. But that’s not all.

We went to Otaniemi and Emma showed me the sea, the Baltic Sea. The sea is frozen! It is not a bit icy, or kind of maybe frozen a bit: it is frozen. People do activities there, like skiing and a mix of skating with a sort-of-parachute.

The frozen Baltic Sea from Helsinki's Westend

I spent five amazing days in Finland and I hope I’ll go there soon; actually I just want to meet Emma soon. And after those five days...

I am going to start working on Monday. I have got a job as a consultant at Everis. Is a Spanish consultant company and... I hope that I am going to have time to tell you guys more about it soon.

Take care, and enjoy the good moments. They are worth to wait for.

Friday, February 02, 2007

I have a job!

Hello everybody!

Well, I am really glad to inform you that I do have a job! A Spanish consultant company hired me. After some tests and two interviews with a manager and someone in a higher rank than a manager, they sent me the offer. And today I said yes. So, I'll work as a consultant in Barcelona.

Of course that I would rather work in Finland (the reasons are well known), but it was becoming too difficult. Now I am having a job here in Spain, I can get some experience, I can save some money, I can learn a lot and I am going to be busy. I’m starting with it in the 12th of February.

Before that, I’m flying to Finland to see my girlfriend Emma, who I’m missing so much. It is going to be so cool to meet here just before start working, my energies will be ready to rock! I’ll stay in Suomi for five days, and then I have four days to get ready to begin working.

And if you want to hear something nice about my university... The company which hired me are asking me to bring them some documents (id, taxes, ...) and a copy of my degree (or a paper saying that I’m done). But, oh my god, I’m not done. How come? Well, as you know I did my thesis in Belgium and I defended it on the 22nd of June. I have the Belgian mark of it, but they have to check it again in Spain (or something like that). In Spain, they have my thesis since October, and they don’t have my marks yet... I already paid the credits of the thesis (around 500 euros) but I don’t have the papers. Since mid-December they keep on telling me something like: “next week it is going to be done”. Fortunately I can give some other documents to the company until I don’t have the proper ones. Does the Belgian administration sucks? The Spanish does!

Hey, I’m going to start packing, because in 23 hours the plane is landing at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport!

Take care and... patience, everything need patience!