Things I love about my husband, Mikko:
- He encourages me to stay active and healthy through walks and exercise. He's not only incredibly intelligent but also very strong, fit, and healthy himself.
- He wakes up early when I have somewhere to go and helps me prepare food.
- He always makes any dessert I request.
- He follows the sidewalk rule, always switching to the side near the cars to keep me safe.
- He will watch a concert or movie with me, even if it's not something he's particularly interested in.
- He helps me achieve my goals.
October 2024
Learning little bits daily. Too bad Memrise doesn't offer Finnish—I like it more than Duolingo.
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I thought he was kidding, but Mikko made this meme, lol! We’re having trouble deciding whether to stay in Tokyo to visit all our favorite restaurants or travel to Aomori. Three weeks for our trip for next month (Japan, Siargao, and Cebu). Honestly, I feel like staying in Tokyo to potentially check out some akiyas. I want to jump on the bandwagon and invest in one akiya property (for now) that we could renovate. Does anyone have connections with structural engineers or architects in Japan, or any tips? I’ve been doing my own research too, of course.
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October 27, 2024
This is the only shampoo that keeps my hair dandruff-free. It’s quite expensive at 36.40euros a bottle (Lyko), and I’ve tried looking for other less expensive, sulfate-free shampoos, but they don’t work as well.
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October 26, 2024
We baked—well, actually, Mikko baked—ube pandesal to satisfy my Filipino bread craving.
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October 22, 2024
Just wow! I’ve only just learned about this. Another goal for me is to watch this live. I wasn’t surprised when Mikko mentioned this was in Finland. Finns, though usually quiet, can reach a crazy level—I’m married to one!
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In Finland, you can find companies that sell yarns and patterns for colorful winter tops as well. Some notable ones include:
Novita – One of the biggest yarn brands in Finland, Novita offers a wide range of vibrant yarns and free knitting patterns, including winter tops and sweaters.
Lankamaailma – This store has a variety of colorful yarns and knitting patterns, with options for winter clothing like sweaters and tops.
Titityy – Based in Jyväskylä, this shop offers high-quality, colorful yarns and unique patterns, including options for cozy winter tops.
These stores provide a mix of local and international yarns, often with a focus on high-quality materials for Finnish winters.
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The massage salon was just 16 minutes away by bus, so I didn’t drive and ended up dropping this on the bus :(
I was wondering if they had a broom and dustpan somewhere so I spoke to the bus driver, and he was really kind, assuring me that he would clean it up and that I didn’t need to worry about it.
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Chi: Chikyuu no Undou ni Tsuite
Orb: On the Movements of the Earth
It’s quite rare to come across new (and old) anime that Mikko and I haven’t watched yet. This is an old-style anime, but it’s very good and gripping, especially for those who are into science and astronomy.
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Went wild mushroom picking with the family. This kärpässieni should be avoided.
You could say that I’m quite an expert at mushroom picking now—we’ve gone so often. I love it even more than wild berry picking.
We went to the Turku Book Fair 2024, Finland's oldest book fair.
Here are our booked flights. It will be my first time in Croatia this weekend. Mikko went once for a programming competition when he was in high school.
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I got these 4 books for only 3 euros total.
And this costs 2.50 euros. Anthony Doerr is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book author. His book, All the Light We Cannot See, is definitely a must-read.
I'm a fan of travel-sized perfumes though I very rarely wear them.
Waterproof/windproof jackets are such an essential here that they are selling good quality yet flattering ones. I tried one (Danish brand @ilsejacobsen) in a store here, and Mikko liked it so much that he said it is in a different class than my current Montbell raincoat and recommended me to buy it; but the usual me had to check online to compare prices and saw it’s slightly cheaper even with the 14% tax, and I can get another 10% off on top of that (for first-time purchases online). So, wait and buy online I will. Fewer things to carry back as well. Too bad I can’t wear it during this Iceland trip, but maybe for Antarctica? ;) Though I haven't researched what people/travellers wear there.
Foods on Mikko's Craving List
Makaronilaatikko
Lihapullat
Poronkäristys
Piparjuurilohi
One of Mikko's friends whom we visited here has a nice house with horses and ponies. And I've never seen a more complete or wilder outdoor playground. It has seesaws, swings, sandboxes, and even a trampoline, among many other things he has personally built for his 2 kids.
He's teasing Mikko, saying, "Has it been difficult to manage the wife since her expectations got higher after seeing what she can also have?" And he's right, lol!
Already thinking about how some or all of my plants will survive winter here. There are too many now, with most on our balcony. I'll need full-spectrum grow lights and to bring my salad+spice growing container indoors.
It's been successful so far, not dead (yet)! I've been getting leaves from it every once in a while, and it's even growing new ones, which is nice. I thought I could fit in five types of plants, but this huge pot can only comfortably hold 3. I want to get a much bigger pot now. Then we can save €3 per type and won't need to buy any more salad greens.
Something very similar to lugaw but better and instant! I stock up on keihan and 'just add water' kinds of soups before leaving Japan, and I’ve only tried this just now—after 6 months, and oh my goodness-what a 'Happy thank you more please' moment! I’m pretty sure we got this from our usual supa at Yebisu Garden Place.
July 15, 2024
Mikko always chooses direct flights, especially for long-haul travel. We use ANA, JAL, and Finnair for flights to Helsinki, and this JAL card will be useful for earning miles for flying to Japan where we plan to go at least annually.
We can miss the Philippines but not Japan--Mikko ;)
July 12, 2024
I teased Mikko about what he will give me for my birthday next month, and he responded with 'our Iceland trip' lol! He wanted to give me the massage chair we saw at the Google Zurich office, but we just don't have the space right now in our temporary apartment. I know he will give it to me as soon as we have the space <3 For now, he's been asking me if I want a DSLR (since he knows I love our DJI and GoPro and use them regularly for our trips). I had my own DSLR, but I gave it to my brother when we left Tokyo since it was too bulky and we didn't really bring it on our trips. I can’t think of anything to request :)
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Mikko and I went to Skanssi today to visit the Partioaitta store and bought myself a new Osprey women's backpack, the Tempest 40L. It was originally 210 euros but was on discount for 147 euros. My old The North Face backpack, which I used during our trips both abroad and locally, is about 7 years old now, so it is the perfect time to change. I also saw this cute mini shoulder bag (Topo Designs) and just had to buy it.
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Also, can you believe that wagyu here in Finland, which is originally from Japan, costs 299 euros (approximately $326 USD) per kg? It's on discount now for 179 euros (already the discounted price, valid only until July 14), so I got two today. To compare, the cheapest type of steak here costs 25 euros per kg, while premium is 50 euros. I initially didn’t want to splurge on it and thought to wait until we get back to Japan, but my husband said it's fine, "we can afford it." So now I plan to have it at least once every two weeks and never have to order and then be disappointed with steak in restaurants here again lol! He sometimes reminds me to have a "rich mindset" because I tend to overthink and make so much effort to save money when it's not really necessary.
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I recently made sinigang, but it lacked pechay because the price was outrageous - about 3 euros for a tiny bag with only two pechays! I just couldn't justify buying it. Mikko noticed right away and commented that it didn't have the usual leafy greens of my sinigang.
July 10, 2024
I just found out a few days ago that with my 10-year US visa, I can easily go to Canada too. Getting visas with my Philippine passport is usually so time-consuming.
We saw the wife-carrying sprint today. Tomorrow, we’ll be competing in the main event.
Update: I think we did pretty well for first-timers. The competition was pretty tight, with participants from all over the world (50 pairs, 100 competitors in total). The champions were about 18 seconds faster than our ranking (14th/50). I think if I hadn't fallen in the water, we could have done a lot better. I'll practice 'fake drowning' if we join again lol, which I think we will ;)
You know you've been living outside the Philippines for a long time when you see the word 'kalikasan' and have to think twice about its meaning. These days, when people ask me for my 'äidinkieli,' I instinctively think of English instead of Filipino because, in reality, my English has become much stronger than my Filipino.
July 9, 2024
Our flights to Iceland are very basic, as usual – no checked bags, no assigned seats. Even though it's last minute (we fly next week!), flying with Icelandair for both of us only cost €623. Flights within Japan, especially to some islands, are definitely more expensive. Compared to that, traveling to other European countries is quite cheap for us. I can fly from here to Poland for as little as €15 and to Rome for €23!
Wild Blueberries in Finland
Most of the berries ended up in our tummies. On average, less than 10% of the available wild blueberries (also known as bilberries) are harvested annually in Finland, leaving the rest untouched. According to Finland’s “Everyman's Right” law, everyone is allowed to pick wild berries freely. Wild blueberries in the Nordic countries are smaller but much tastier and have a higher concentration of antioxidants than cultivated blueberries.
My mother-in-law gifted me a huge plant pot. Now I have five types of herbs and salad greens to plant in it, and I hope they thrive 🌿
