A Rainy Day

Hello all.
Andrew started work today, so it's weird for him not to be around. I'm sure we'll get used to it quickly though. It's disappointing that he had two weeks off and we never even got to unpack our stuff, but it's out of our control.

Today is a weird day because it's my first day at home with Maddy by myself but it's also our last day in an empty house. Those two factors combined, I had these huge expectations of being outside all day and possibly exploring a large part of the area on foot with Maddy in her stroller. Well...it's pouring rain outside today so that's a big bummer. I may possibly take her on the bus today, we'll have to see.

The bus system here is quite amazing. There is a website on the bus system, where you can put your starting address and where you want to go and it tells you which bus to take, which bus stop to get on, how long it takes, distance travelled, etc. And since there are a million busses driving around, there are actually several different options presented to you as well. Andrew had to take the bus today to work since we don't have our car yet, and he knew exactly which bus stop to get on, including maps, and where to get off and how long it would take.

Another cool thing about the busses is that you can buy a bus travel card and swipe it like a debit card to pay for your ride. No worrying about carrying change or anything like that. Just swipe your card.

But, perhaps the best part is the bonuses for parents with children. All kids under 7 are free. However, if you can fit your kid into a stroller, then the parents are free too!!! So that means that I could take the bus every morning to Helsinki, explore the city with Maddy, and then take the bus back home all free of charge!!! Neat, huh? The funny thing about that is that parents around here squeeze their children into strollers just so that the parents' ride is free! Jussi says that you'll see 7 year old kids (who clearly do not fit into their stroller) get shoved into strollers merely to save the mom two bucks. Who am I kidding, I'd like do the same thing.

The food here is pretty good, we can't complain. There are actually a few things that are better here than in Canada. The first obvious one is ice cream. The ice cream is amazing over here, so creamy, and it's not very expensive. I actually may enjoy this ice cream better than the gelato we bought in Italy. The pizza is better, the crust is tastier and their toppings are better quality. The hot dogs are tastier too. And I've already talked about the candy. I'm sure as we learn to broaden our horizons and expand our menu a bit more, we will discover more food along the way that we can enjoy for the next couple of years.

Ooh, the rain stopped. Perhaps we can squeeze in a walk after all. Or perhaps I'll just need to go for a bus ride.

Have a good day, everybody!!!!
Kim