Notice anything new...?

...yes, some of you may guess what has happened now from this yellow fellow ("Daruma").

2 days ago I became officially graduate student of Helsinki University of Technology...which means that this friend with one eye is going to stare me until I put the doctor hat on my head. On that day his efforts will be rewarded by giving him the second eye also. (^_^)b Let the journey begin...

New Year's Sumo Tournament

Here some pictures and videos from the tournament as I promised. I'll add some text later...now want to sleep. ZZZZzzzzZZzz

Exam period

Hehe, "exam period" starting soon...more precisely on Tuesday. Not funny. Two exams on that day. After that I'll have all my courses for credits done here. So rest of the time is for research (and of course have to write a thesis...again...what a pain in the ass those are). At least I didn't leave everything for the last evening... xP

Lots of videos and pics will appear here from the grand sumo tournament after I have time look trough them. And now nose back into the books!

Train line down

Luckily I have two ways to get home when the main way to school and especially to judo dojo is down. The Den-en-toshi line, which takes me everyday to school, was not working tonight. I was not the onlyone using the secondary route...

Was late from judo so that I had only 40min. for training, including warm up. But feel great now! Full of energy again! xD

oh btw, doctor took today 10ml liquid out from my knee and it felt...mmmmrrgh...let's just say that ordinary blood sample taken from arm is like eating candies compared to this. (>.<)

Chanko keeps you going

Ate just chanko, the daily food of sumo wrestlers. 美味しいです。 How many bowls of this meat and vegetable soup they have to eat every day...?!!

Time to take a nap.

SNOW is staying for the night!

Hehee, incredible! The snowing turned into a rain this afternoon but still there's snow on the ground. ＼(^_^ )／

Wonder if Israel would like to experience some snowfight at this hour...

Welcoming party

Today there was welcoming party for new international students of Tokyo-Tech. It was held in our campus and naturally all 'old' international students were invited. Hehe, timing was perfect. Dinner time and just after gym training. My stomach is still full from all delicious sushi. Njam.

Now on my way home...working hours are growing and days in the lab getting longer again...BUT no worries, tomorrow I'll make it up and stay out from the lab the whole day. Have to get the brace from the clinic and see some sumo finally.

...Although it would be economically wiser to stay in the lab as much as possible. In these months our gas and electricity bills are 3 times higher than usually. o(>.<)o

Knee injury

Good and bad news. The good news is that it wasn't either of the injuries the doctor suspected (LCL or meniscus injury) and the bad is that it may be even worse. At the moment only 100% sure are multiple bone bruises (healing itself in 2 months). Not clearly seen from the pictures but highly suspected are partial or full ACL rupture and cartilage injury (which both need a surgery from where the recovery takes at least 6 months).

The doctor gave me two options: 1) immediate surgery or 2) waiting for 2 months to see if the surgery is really needed. He said that surgery is not in a hurry and can be done later as good as now. After he promised me a good brace for the knee, which would aloud immediate training, I selected the latter option. Tomorrow I'll get the brace and I'll be back in the dojo tomorrow evening. Cross your fingers that it's not the ACL injury and will see after 2 months how is my knee. (^_^)b

One of the MRI pictures from my left knee.

Snow

I've seen more snow here in Tokyo since I woke up this morning than in Finland during my Christmas vacation. Hee, all the trains are late today...

MRI and Nightwish

On Thursday I went to show my knee to an orthopaedist. Walking (and even running) is ok but still there seems to be somenthing wrong. He send me right away to take MRI-pictures. Cool machine...quite strong magnet there...almost took my belt. Hehe, the nurse there told me to empty my pockets but didn't tell me to take of the belt. At least it gave me some picture of the power which we are dealing with in this machine. After 3 nights I'll here what is wrong with my knee. Hopefully only ligament (faster healing) and not the meniscus.

On Friday night we went to see Nightwish playing here in Tokyo. The gig was GREAAAT. Anette really rocks!! Hehe, but you can only try to imagine what happened when she happened to mention that the Marco's vodka bottle on the stage was swedish...haha. (>_<)/


Nightwish in Liquid room, Ebisu, Tokyo.

After party in a familiar rock bar in Shinjuku was quite an...-better not tell more...lets just say that still hurting upstairs-

Public holiday...

...and here I'm sitting in a train on my way home from the lab. How did this happen even though I promised to myself not to work on public holidays or weekends anymore?! Ok, for sure, I'm going to take one day off for this. Today there would have been lots of girls wearing kimonos! Last year we happened to be in Kioto on this day.(^_^)b

Was tired after last week (first week working again) so no writing in blog. What's going on now around here,hmmm...have to write a paper, 2 reports and make 2 exams in this month. One of the exams is japanese test. It'll be hard o(>_<)o ...でも そんなのかんけんねー

Oh and btw, the Sumo Grand Tournament is here again. Time to go to see big guys fighting!

Let the work begin

Tomorrow it's time to start working again. Friday I went to lab for the first time since I arrived. Mostly organising stuff and etc. Yesterday we went out of town and relaxed one day in onsen. Weather in Hakone was perfect. Unfortunately I forgot to download the pictures from Vitaly, who is on his way to Moscow right now.


Got this from near to a temple. I'm supposed to paint one eye for him after I start my PhD studies (after they have accepted me in HUT) and the second after I finish it someday. So I'll be carrying this guy with me the following years... (^_^)b



My work station for office work for this year...hopefully I'll be spending most of the time in the lab...haha.

I downloaded lots of pictures from my cellphone today and I'll posting them here when ever I have time...some catch up what has happened at the busy end of last year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!!!!

5 days since I returned to Japan. Great to be back. Missed the sunny days and rice in all meals. This year I try my best in updating this blog. Just updated the end of last year. The end of last year was really busy with finishing the thesis and everything. The holiday came to in right place.

So how about this year? First of all it seems that I'll be returning to Finland on next September. Secondly, I have been neglecting my training for too long time. Time to get back in good shape before returning to Finland. Unfortunately no judo before 10th of this month. However, last 3 weeks I haven't done anything except eating, sleeping, drinking and sauna. So I have now some time to prepare myself for real training again. Started jogging (40 min. every morning so far) and it feels great. The injured knee is not totally healed but at least wearing supporter the running is ok. Found a good place to run near by our house (10 min. by bicycle), outdoor "park" next to Tama river.


My breakfast here...believe or not but I was missing rice in breakfast. (^_^)/

Trip to Finland

Made Christmas trip to Finland between 7th and 27th of December. Had great time with my friends and family. Couldn't meet all of my friends even though I tried my best. Sorry to all who I missed. Finland was quite dark this time of year. No snow during my stay there. So no cross-country skiing for this year either...hehe, which I still don't mind. ;P Winter time it seems that the Sun is broken in back home. This time I saw the broken fire ball maybe 3 times during my trip...was a bit cloudy weather...or I slept over...

Oh by the way, garaduated during the trip. 18th of December I became M.Sc. (Technology). Phooooh, finally it's done. No more writing for a while. (^_^)b

Few highlights from the trip:

(1) drinking with Jari & Vesku, traditionally one weekend in every summer is for these good friends from the army. This year was exception and the weekend was taken from December. Hehehe, this didn't stop us grilling sausages (or eating mämmi).

(2) graduation sauna-party in Otaniemi...can this be counted as a last student party for me...as a student...öööö? Thanks and deep bow to everybody who joined it!!! Nobody lasted until sunrise...but the Sun rises so late this time of year, if raises at all.

(3) Eating Christmas pork. Gained only 3 extra kilos this time.

(4) Christmas. Santa Clause seemed to have remembered that I missed one Christmas while being here in Japan. Double amount of presents this year. (^_^)/



Hee. Graduation sauna-party.


Ooops. Sorry, didn't mean to wake up anybody.


Family's dogs. Left: Ruska (brother's dog), middle: Sara (mother's dog), right: Milla (sister's dog).


The Christmas pork (~12kg).


The Christmas eve (don't believe camera's date...still in Japan time). Father Christmas comes to visit us on 24th in Finland.


Our most eager volunteer for Christmas tree decoration.

Trip to Hakone

On 3rd of November we went Hakone for small hike and relaxing in onsen. At the same Saturday there happened to be some kind of matsuri (=festival). Here are some pictures from the trip.


Our merry group of hikers. Starting from left Janny, Fujita, Sebastian, Tomoe, Emi and uncle-Al.

Ok, next there is many pics from the carneval. Happy people with colorful clothes.































After passing everybody we continued walking up hill for some time. When it seemed that soon it'll be dark we turned our noses 180 degrees and started to come down. On the way we stopped eating, or was it only me who was eating...? Well, after that we headed to onsen (the part of the trip which I was awaiting most). Body and mind relaxed it was time to make empty stomach happy with a big dinner. Stomach full it didn't feel right to continue walking so we took taxi to the station. Train to Shinjuku where I met Antti and it was time for traditional rock-night (which doesn't end before sun rises).


Heheh, nice invention.


She was always the bad girl in my childhood animations.


Small waterfall...or somenthing close.


Hakone, mountain area.


Antti, scared of dark...music.