I've found the bins......!

I went for a walk tonight, partly because after a drizzly day, the evening turned sunny and I was back at my apartment in reasonable time. The other reason was to try to find where in this block the bins (= trash cans) were stored. I thought I had looked everywhere. I've found storage rooms, the garage, the elevator switchgear (I couldn't actually open that door) but until now, not the bins. Tonight, behind a fairly anonymous door, (it says JÄTEHUONE on it, but I don't read Finnish...yet) there they were. I can hardly contain my excitement!

I also got the chance to look around the area. Out of my window I can see some sea, but from the waterfront it looks lovely. I took this photo around an hour ago. It is the bridge between the area I am living in and the next island, Lauttasaari.

As I've mentioned before, the apartment I am living in temporarily is owned by my employer and is in one of their former cable factories. This photo shows how it looks from outside. If you click the photo you can see it full size; my apartment is shown in the red box and I am typing this at my desk behind the window on the right as you look at it.

My first visitors

Our long standing friends (we don't use the word old any more) Graham and Barbara are on a Baltic cruise this week and after being soaked in Copenhagen and scorched in Stockholm, they arrived in Helsinki this morning amid the drizzle.

We met at Karl Fazer café on Kluuvikatu for a quick cup of coffee. Despite the gloomy weather, they had managed to see the cathedral and Stockmann and were off afterwards to the old market hall.

It sounds as though they are having a more exhausting week than me!

Return to Basingstoke

On Friday 22 June I returned to Basingstoke for a final drink with my former colleagues. On the way from the station to the pub in the taxi, we passed the former IBM building on Alencon Link. I started on the tenth floor in in 1984 as a software product marketing specialist. The building is now being re-skinned and turned into apartments.

Afterwards at the Chineham Arms, I was very pleased to share a beer or two with friends and former colleagues. My thanks to them all for turning out on a Friday.

Pack up your troubles....

Today is Midsummer in Finland, a public holiday, so I came home to spend some time with the family and pack up some items for the removal company.

The guys have just left with the stuff I'm shipping over to Finland. Not much, I thought, just a few clothes, pictures to remind me of home, some kitchenware, my PC and, of course, a brand new trouser press. (You can take the man out of England, but you can't take England out of the man!).

It was 19 separate packages. It nearly filled the van. Thank heavens I'm not moving the whole house. I don't know how my friends who relocate their whole family manage!

Tonight is my leaving drinks with my friends and former colleagues in Basingstoke. I'm looking forward to catching up with them. Perhaps I'll post some pictures next time.

Party time

Today was my new employer's summer party, for employees in the Helsinki metropolitan area. It was held at the Kaisaniemi park in Helsinki and the programme included performances by Nokia´s own bands as well as the Nokia House Band 2007 from the Pop & Jazz Conservatory. Jari Sillanpää and Idols finalist Katri Ylander also entertained at the party, with MC Jone Nikula. Several thousand employees attended and it was great fun, I did enjoy listening to the tributes to Queen and other classic bands.

Back to school

So, today was my first day at the new job. It felt remarkably like my first day at secondary (=high) school when I was 11. I am pleased to report that the new "school", though bigger than the one I am used to, is easy to find your way around. My new classmates all seem friendly and my new "teacher" is great. A more detailed school report will follow, but I would like to thank "head prefect" Maija who has showed me around and helped my first day go well.

Oh yes, the school lunch was pretty good too! My former classmates at my old "school" know just how important that will be.

A weekend away

Before starting my new job, I had a chance to take a couple of days off and visit Florence in Italy with our friends Jim & Linda and Graham & Barbara. A great time was had, the photo shows Stephanie and I enjoying the first glass of wine (or maybe the third) of the weekend! The photo was taken using the 5 megapixel camera on my new Nokia N95 (excuse the plug, but I think it is only fair on my new employer to mention it).

We had one of the best, rustic Italian meals ever at Il Latini. Well worth a visit if you ever make it to this beautiful Italian city.

Saying goodbye

One of the things I'm going to miss while I am out of the UK will be The Old Alresford Dramatic Society - TOADS - which I have been a member of since we moved to the village nearly five years ago. Tonight I was given a surprise party by TOADS and we watched the recording of our most recent production, a tribute to some of the best Broadway musicals.

Cathy organised the party and made a delicious cake; even more enjoyable since I've been back on my diet this week! She is off to compete in an Ironman (or should that be Ironwoman?) event this weekend, so good luck and thank you, Cathy!

Somewhere to live

I had a busy day in Helsinki scouting for apartments. After some initial disappointment, I had the choice of two in the Kruununhaka district of Helsinki. I will be living on Snellmaninkatu, which was named for J.V. Snellman, one of the most influential architects of Finnish society. My Swedish friends Lasse and Gunnel will be interested to know that he was born in Stockholm!

The apartment is right on the numbers 1 and 7 tram lines, close to several bus routes and less than 1km from the railway station.

Thanks to Kati from Finland Relocation Services for her help in finding the apartment and helping with my education about J.V. Snellman.

Now I can't wait to start shopping for furniture and furnishings - shareholders in Ikea should be very pleased!

Summer comes early in Helsinki

What a great city Helsinki is turning out to be. I've just had a couple of days there, hunting for an apartment, but the weather was sunny and warmer than usual for the time of year.

I had a beer in the bar at the top of the Palace Hotel on Eteleranta. Here is a picture of the view over the harbour. The photo was taken using the panorama stitch mode on the Kodak V570 digital camera, joining three images to give a 180 degree view.

Where to live?

I'm off for a couple of days apartment hunting in Helsinki. I want to be close enough to the city centre to enjoy life there at the weekends, but not too far from airport and the office in Espoo. Any advice from locals gratefully received! More news on my return.