New outfit for the blog!

This one was called Mr. Moto.

I. Could. Not. Resist.

Mr. Moto much humor!

*cough*

... heh.

Babbling about fantasy...

I’ve had a few days off now from most of the usual work we do here daily, so I’ve had the chance to draw, write and get utterly, utterly bored. I don’t have a scanner at my disposal, so can’t scan the few doodles I’ve done so I could work with them on the computer. So I’ve been trying to write something. Unfortunately my mind is too preoccupied with other things to actually concentrate on anything creative. So I’m trying to unwind here a little. Get the writing juices flowing again. All that icky stuff.

I think I was just turning twelve, or maybe thirteen; it was Christmas, most likely Christmas eve after all the presents had been opened, stomachs full of food and sweets, and the world outside dark as it could possibly be, when I sat down in front of the telly to watch a premiere movie from the film channel we had back then. The Neverending Story II. Some weeks later I would see the first movie, and later on come to realize how poor the second one was, but back then, it changed my world.

Thinking back, it must have been the day before Christmas eve, but that’s not important here and now. As soon as the holidays were over and the library bus running again, I found and borrowed The Neverending Story as a book, and fell even more in love with it. It was the first actual book I bought for myself a few weeks later (and I still remember how horrified I was at how expensive it was! Over 130 Finnish marks!). And after they showed a Finnish theatre production turned TV series of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings, I was a goner. I was utterly lost in the worlds of fantasy. I would follow Taran and Eilonwy in Prydain, go through the wardrobe to Narnia, learn of the (endless!) travels of Garion & al, sail the Earthsea and have adventures in Krynn, and many many other worlds as well. For years I read and loved fantasy, and of course it affected my long-time dream of becoming a writer.

I think I was already in school before I learned to read, but after that I had a book with me everywhere I went. I could read for hours, and wanted to become a part of that world. Wanted to write a book of my own one day. My greatest fear (after everything regarding death) back then was that I wouldn’t have what it takes to be a writer. I do believe that anyone can write, of course, but I’ve also always believed that it takes a certain something to be able to write things that people want to read, stories that will catch them by the imagination and transport them to another time, place or even a world.

That was my dream, and fear. But I digress (I like writing that, makes me seem all sophisticated and shit.). I was thinking about fantasy while just taking the dog out for a walk in the spring rain. As said, for years I loved fantasy, grew up with it from a child to a teenager, from grade school to the end of high school. Of course my tastes of it developed as well, I grew to dislike some old favourites while others (The Neverending Story!) still remain close to my heart to this day. I began to look for more realism in the books I read. Realism in fantasy? Heh. But you know what I mean. To put it simply: someone dies, and they stay dead. That kind of thing. I must have been about 18 or 19 when I fell out of love with fantasy, got bored with it because of one series of books, which lacked severely in this realism-department. They were just silly, and not in a Terry Pratchett –way. This didn’t last long, though; just a few years later I got my hands on Robin Hobb’s Liveship-books and the love was on again. Her Farseer-books had been the last good books of fantasy I’d read before the break-up, so it wasn’t surprising that hers were the ones which brought me back to my roots.

Anyhoo, by then I had moved away from home, had my heart broken by my ex, and even traveled the world a bit. I was older, and my tastes had refined further. I still feel nostalgia when I think of those books I used to love, and even when there is sometimes a passing fancy to read some of the more important ones again, I don’t want to, because I think I’d dislike them now, and don’t want to spoil the good memories. That is not to suggest that I hate everything I once liked, not at all. Things and tastes change, that’s all. I still love fantasy, enough to reread some favourites and look for new ones. Enough to go back to the world I created at the age of 13, to visit those characters and to start writing about them again. Even though I now much more prefer urban fantasy to epic, preferably with a touch of cyberpunk (and steampunk seems pretty shibby as well!), there’s still something about fantasy… how, even when trying to keep a touch of realism (again with the death-thing and all that stuff) in it, there still are so many opportunities to go absolutely mad with it. And when normal life with its routines, long numbing days of work get to be too much, there’s nothing like going absolutely mad in your own little world, you know?

Right. Let’s see if all this gets me somewhere with writing some fiction...

Oh the wind, the wind is blowing...

Brothers. Sisters. Countrymen. I have seen the light. I have tasted that which is the sweetest thing ever:

Pour a bit of juice concentrate of your choice into a mug or glass, as if you were making a normal mug/glass of juice, but instead of water, fill it with MILK. Heaven, I tell you. Mmm-mm! It's like a milkshake, and takes about five seconds to make. Might be upsetting to the tummy, though, so drink with caution and not too much of it.

Things have been busy as hell here lately (and the net wasn't working for a while there...), but I can't complain that the work isn't versatile. Besides the usual stuff I have been a gardener, a metal worker, a carpenter and even a locksmith, and that's just the last week! I've built two trollies out of wood, dexion and wheels for large toolboxes (the size that two strong men could barely lift them, without the drawers in), and can now easily replace a broken lock spring into a door lock that is approximately 200 years old. Go me. ^^

What else is new... well, there's a bit of a storm going on here. Luckily no flooding around the house, just strong gales and rain. Although the skies are blue right now, it was raining heavily just a little while ago. Hopefully the worst of it is past us now.

A week from now I will have been here for three months. Crikey. Really does not feel that long. Halfway through the six months. I'm still completely lost with what I shall do once I go back to Finland, there are so many options. But there's still time to panic about that, and I have some plans forming. And right now I have other things to panic about, like learning to operate and record on a digibox-thing... I can barely manage a VCR!

Right-o. Off to work that out. Take care, everyone! Missing you... =)

Bloody nice Sunday to you too!

Just got an e-mail from my landlord back in Finland saying that he needs the apartment (where my brother is currently living in whilst I'm here) for himself and that we got six months to move out. Oh, it's enough time, until the end of August, and I'm sure I can find another place (maybe even a nicer one!) but I'm still pissed off about it.

Bah.

Math is confusing.

Today I have been here in England for exactly eight weeks. That's two months, innit? So I counted that 8 down, 16 to go. One third down!

Except that, half of 52 is 26. 26-8=18. So, 18 weeks to go. Ok, that's due to the fact that a month is not exactly 28 days long. Not even February this year, the bastard!

So did I mention last time that a new worker was coming here? She arrived last Wednesday. Seemed all right, smart and calm, got along with the dogs and everyone. She also left back home yesterday morning. Lasted less than a week. Bah. Said that she had this feeling in her stomach that this wasn't the place for her.

Anyway, while she was here, the bosses took me along to shopping and driving a couple of times. They have pretty much the nicest and coolest cars I've ever been in. And driving through small English countryside villages in a Daimler while the sun is setting in the horizon and classical music is playing in the stereos... sweet.

That's all for now I guess. The weather is trying to get colder no matter how much I tell it not to. During the days it's been +15 Celcius or so, but it drops down to freezing as soon as the sun goes down. It should be warm!

Daffodils!

The first daffodil of the spring spotted yesterday evening. A yellow one. ^^

Today I've learned that when it comes to chopping wood, I am like ze lightning. Not as fast, mind you, but I never hit the same spot twice. When trying to chop wood, that isn't such a good thing.
But I am gosh darn good at making piles and piles of splinters!

Spread your wings and fly away

My third month here has just started. Well, considering that I came here in December. But in weeks, it will be seven next Tuesday. Heh. Sometimes the individual days go on forever, but the weeks seem to fly by. Seven down, 19 to go, if I stay the full half a year. We'll see!

The new girl left a week ago, didn't settle in all that well. More work for me again, but the peace and quiet is worth it. Heh again. She was humming or talking or singing all of the time. People have been applying here all the time, and the next candidate is supposed to come next week. Hopefully she'll settle in better. And doesn't put on such a show all of the time...

What else... the weather has been chilly for a few days, despite it being sunny. But at least there isn't snow! In Finland I think I would miss snow, but here it's so springy that if it were to snow now I'd hate it. It's enough that the ground is white with snowdrops (see above picture). And it looks like daffodils will open any day now!

Oh! I'll get to go to London soon! Looking forward to that! The bosses need something from Harrods. Which is on the same street where a group of us stayed on a school trip back in 2003, and the same street where one very famous singer lived and died, and where I shall go on a pilgrimage again. Hee he hee! Hyde Park is also nearby, and many museums on the same street, but I don't know yet how much time I'll have to wander about.

It was March when we visited London back in 2003, and I remember that it was very warm and springy then as well. I guess autumn and spring kind of just slide from one to the other without much of a winter in between. A winter like it is in Finland, at least. It gets dark around five in the afternoon here, despite all the warmth and sunshine. Can't say what time it gets light in the morning since I don't usually get up before ten or so. Hee. That's because we're usually up until the wee hours of the morning watching TV and movies. Last night we were watching one where the latest James Bond was kissing a man who reminded me of Bilbo Baggins. Made me giggle, but I must admit I was very tired by then.

Had a spell of homesickness this morning after calling home and talking to my dad. Also, I dreamed of home last night. Otherwise homesickness doesn't bother me all that much; there's no time for it! ;) The first few weeks were the hardest, but once I got used to being here it's been ok. That's not to say I don't miss everyone. I do, and feel lonely a lot, not having the irc in front of me all the time, or anyone my age to talk to. But for now, my belly is full of pizza, it's warm here in the computer room, and all work is done for tonight. I'm babbling, aren't I? Tired. ;)

See you later alligators!