Previous two months

I have been in hell and in heaven last two months. It has been really difficult days, uos and downs and paranoias and depression (a bit) and I have felt I was substituted, like a player who is doing shit in game and gets substituted when only 30 minutes of the game have passed.
No one said living in Finland was easy. It is not, besides that I have adapted quite well, there is always something where I still feel a foreigner.
Also my future, now that I got one more extra year to finish my PhD I am quite more relaxed about it and not thinking much, just focusing in my job and in getting the manuscripts done. It is also hard but I will manage in this time.
I guess in a way it is one more year of agony, one year living in a place I love to live at, but knowing that probably I will need to go further away without the certainty that I will ever return to my beloved Joensuu.
I know at first was difficult but when you get used to it and having a job (difficult these days) it is one of the most marvellous places to live at.

After sauna....

Well, as always it means just to adapt to possible new situations that may come and hope for the best, look for the best. I am sure it will be the best possible for me.

Sometimes the nowadays situations makes you think what will be your future life for you, when and where will you establish, will you form a family? And it is hard. Moving and moving and moving. That is what scientists require but sometimes what they do not want when they have reached a certain age. Traveling without a family is great, the greater with the younger you are, but at some point to belong to a place is a damn necessary feeling. Otherwise it feels like if you are just a traveller. Anyway, time will tell for good. And remember that you are able to decide. So do it!

That language...

Living in a foreing country

Is hard.... yes it is.
You may adapt well, very well, even look like a local, and kind of speak the language until levels that can even surprise you. You can learn the culture, the habits, how to treat people, etc.
But the most difficult part is to learn how people think, and why. And adapt to that is one of the challenges that a foreigner confronts when coming to another country.
It may take forever. You may not learn that in your whole stay. You'll think your way, and they'll think theirs, the problem is acting and what it looks like. You will act according to your thoughts, that possibly are very different thatn the locals'. And still, even if you are adapted perfectly and so on, they will not understand. And you will not understand them. or maybe after some years.
Also, to understand people's feelings is hard. They may not express them as in your country. They may not express them at all. Or hide them.

So damn long time without posting anything... my apologies and a picture as a compensation.
Busy times and lazy too....

I had forgotten these feelings and emotions

If I remember right, if it is the only European final Atletico has played since I was born, it was one day when I was a child, if people say 24 years ago I was then 9 years old, at school and I clearly remember the ABC cover. Three spansih teams went into their respective final: Real Madrid in UEFA, Atletico in Cup Winners Cup and Barcelona in Europe's Cup. Only Real Madrid brought their Cup home but it was an historical day for Spanish football anyway. When football was real football and not a business.
We (Atletico) lost that game against Dinamo Kiev 3-0. I did not even watch the game. Better like that because it would have been painful. Besides, I was not so much into football at that time. i was Atletic fan already, that I remember. School mates mock at me because all of them were Atletico supporters. I guess the fact that I was like the "weirdo" in my classroom has also built my character. I don't care. I was happy to be almost the only Atletico fan among Real's. And I am happy now that I am not supporting Barcelona, when everybody has got into "their marvellous play".
Anyway, 14 years later, like in 1996, we have the chance to win two Cups: Europe League and Spanish Cup. I hope we bring them both to Madrid. We really needed this. We almost had forgotten about it.

I am sorry that it was Liverpool the team we needed to beat to pass through. It is a team I really like and a spirit many other teams would like for them. It is my team in England, but well, i think we were better overall and deserved to pass. We should already had left the play off 3-0 in Madrid, but only a1-0 was making me nervous.The second leg was a really hard game to play. I consider that we shoul not had got into extra time, but we did and it all happened in there. Forlán scored ours and we will face Fullham for the title. A night to enjoy, a night to dream, although at the end is only football.

Gol de Forlán (Liverpool 2-Atlético 1)

We are the Champions!

Me and The Cup behind

Last week, just seven days ago tuesday 23rd March, we were celebrating Jokipojat's third victory agains DTeam that gave them the final victory in Mestis playoffs. Was kind of rmotional to feel the center of ice-hockey at least in Finland. These guys deserved it so badly after the last year loose against Vaasa Sport.
Jokipojat made the perfect playoffs, winning quarter finals, semifinals and finals by a 3-0. Besides, our great goalie, Mikko Rämö was declared as Most Valuable Player pf the playoffs.
We attended the games of the final in Joensuu. Exciting, at least the last one, where D-team really forced Joensuu players to put their best into the ice. Some of Jokipojat's goals were just amazing. The 3-2 just made me jump from my seat, what a goal by Jarkko Malinen, pass by Scott Matzka, one of the two foreigners we currently have. The last one, 6-3 for us was also a really beautiful goal by Scott.
The first two legs of the finals were quite tight, we beated them in Mehtimäki 4-3 and 2-3 in Jyväskylä, but were able to crush them in the third leg 6-3 making really beautiful hockey.

Then, celebrations, the delivery of the Cup, the players came to the same bar as we were and we saw them very close, also the Cup (see picture above).

Anyway, something again special that I have lived in this marvellous city, Joensuu. It would be stupid, but if ice hockey opens the city to the rest of Finland it would be awesome. Tampere Ilves already leads the battle for promotion 1-0 but they will sweat blood to stay in SM Liiga. Welcome to Joensuu!!!

Jokipojat

Jokipojat is the ice hockey team from Joensuu. When I got here I thought it would be a very small team, not so important anyway. But I proved to be wrong, at least partially.
Jokipojat is an important part of the city, at least in terms of hockey. Ice hockey is one of the national prides of Finland and sometimes even a religion. And indeed it is cool to have your "own" Ice hockey team in the city I am living in. Do you like ice hockey? Yes, sure. So which team do you support? Maple Leafs? Tampa Bay? Anaheim maybe? Well, hell yeah, I like Anaheim because Teemu Selänne, one of finnish legends plays there, but I like Jokipojat... and no, it is not a NHL team. Not even SM-Liiga. Hopefully next year. Yes We can!!!

Last year we lost the finals against Vaasa Sport, a team that has become one my "hated teams" and this year we are involved there too, with more possibilities.

Today they play the third leg (best of five) of the finals of Mestis (Finnish second division) against D-team. We lead it 2-0, so if we win today, we are Champions. Then, promotion to get into SM-liiga against Tampere Ilves will be played. But that is another thing.

And some videos of their win against LeKi 7-1

GO JOKIPOJAT!!!!

Trio of aces

Not so long ago, less than a month, I took a look at the recommendations that last.fm “calculates“ based on the music that you have been listening to during your “scrobbling life”.

Lucky me, I got the names and went to Grooveshark, my latest discovery in web-based free and legal music players. And it was (it IS) amazing how those bands sound. Straight to my “Best of 2009” without any doubts. Two songs each band and already between 100 and 200 plays in my library. Maybe in a month. It is true that I usually get very excited with new bands at the beginning, but this time is one of these times that the band really stays and ends up being a classic or entering your cd collection. And they have not entered it yet because I have a very expensive priority I want to buy, so they will need to wait.

Their names are “The Boxer Rebellion”, “Red light Company” and "The Joy Formidable”, and I copy here some of their videos and links to their songs through Grooveshark (they are not in Spotify I think).

Red Light Company "Meccano"

Red Light Company "Scheme Eugene" .... I love this song

Yellow!!!

My new YELLOW Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 came on Saturday.I just have to say that I love them, here some pictures.