Bang Bang I'm leaving town (but I sure as h*ll will be back!)

Hey what a totally amazing feeling to be excited about leaving for a monthlong (or more, or less) tour to see all your friends around the world, but on the same time being totally excited about coming back to Jakobstad, since you have goddamn adorable friends here, a pub which is alredy giving you staffdiscount even though you haven't even done your first shift yet, a local paper which awaits columns, parents who literally walk through fire for you, and a Viking in Vasa. Liiiiti Läscsht!!

My last day in Jakobstad was a totally amazing one, I would say that except last Sunday yesterday was maybe my favourite day of all times. It's definately a close second. This is what I did;

1. I woke up feeling great and excited, so I packed my bags for my tour, listened to music and realised I can wear jeans for the first time in over 2 weeks (I f*cked my knees up whilst drunkbiking - take that as a lesson please kids!)!!

2. Took my little Terhi into town. Beautiful morning!

 3. Ms. Ena and Mr. Nyman Juniour came and picked me up in their car, so we went to After 8 for lunch. Kåldolmar, mmmmmmmm!

 Liiiti snyggan kaffedejt!

 Liiiiiti bussi!!

 4. After seeing Heidi & Kevin off I walked wellknown streets in Björnviken to get to mommo & moffas. A trip down memory lane!

 5. Heidi decided to GIVE ME a lovely pink top and purple bra, liiiiti läscht! Who does not love free stuff? And especially stuff which one of your best friends have worn, it feels like recieving a little piece of their heart and I will treasure it forever!

 6. I wore my new shoes for the first time ever! I popped their cherry with red shoelaces and a happy smile! (Also, JEANS!!)

 7. I got to mommo and moffas and sat down for a chat with them. They had missed my column so I digged it out for them...

 mommo reading the column

 moffa reading the column

8. Mommo drove me into town before her hairappointment, and after a bank visit I walked home. My poor feet who have enjoyed two months of barefoot adventures were sorely confused by the new restrained environment, and they demanded attention!!

 9. So I decided that the only right thing was to release the poor buggers. Thankfully the grass was wet and cold and I could almost hear my feet sing a thankful hymn as I released them!

10. As I live by the sea both at the cottage and the flat I decided to chillax my feet in the water before continuing the day..

 HAPPY FEET!

 HAPPY ANNA-KARIN DANGLING HER FEET IN THE WATER!

11. I sat for a while just enjoying the serenity of the scenery, and looking at my beautiful little Terhi with a lot of maternal love in my fastticking heart!

 

 Terhi! 

12. Whilst my shoes also had a well earned rest and also admired the scenery I think....

 13. Investigated my tattoo when I got in, and decided to cut the back of my neck hair so that it would be more visible. It got kinda wonky but at least the tattoo is more visible!

 Before cutting the neck hair, it's healing well!

14. Took Terhi to the car park for a well needed rest and got motorstopp half way!!! Nice one Captain Jylhä, next time check your bloody gas before going out!! Had neither phone nor camera with me so I had to row the rest of the way. Good exercise I reckoned and laughed at my own stupidity whilst rowing.

15. Went to pappas garage with mamma and pappa, and found a TREASURE CHEST of memories!!! All my old cd's, books, photos etc. I lauged, I cried and I mused. And I brought pretty much all cd's home, it was like seeing old friends after a longass holiday! SWEET!

16. Mommo and moffa called to say that the column was great and that they're proud of me. It meant the world!

17. Then I headed to O'learys to paint my nails, have a drink and await my gorgeous cocktaildate Heidi. Whilst waiting or her I chitchatted, read teenage poetry (which I found in the garage!) and had long lovely conversation with Vasa's finest..

18. Heidi arrived and I was happy! I decided that Heidi needed drinksticks, and we found some muscly men which were A LOT of fun!

 Heidi armwrestling the drinkman!

 Anna-Karin happy over the beautiful drinkcompany! (and a little over the drinkman armwrestling!)

 19. A spontaneous armwrestling fight broke out between the green and the yellow drinkman, Heidi and I acted photographers, referees, commentators and audience!

 it is close, but I think Yellow Man has the lead! (he was in fine shape after last years injure whilst armwrestling purple man. He is finally back on the scene after a long holiday in Barbados whilst only swimmning in champagne)

 Heidi!

  

20. We took the armwrestling championships highly seriously, and accepted NO cheating! (oh and we found some food and free chocolate, SCORE!)

 

21. After finishing the drinkman armwrestling championships (Blue Man came back on the scene and robbed the victory after Yellow Man was disqualified for obvious alcohol abuse reasons) we headed to my future workplace, Friends, and was greeted pretty much like regulars, which was sweeeeeet!

 This is how happy we were at getting staff discount even before starting working there!

22. Then we had some more (cheep) drinks and that was pretty much it! NOT A BAD DAY!

OVER AND OUT, BIG BIG SHOUT!

Sex(ism) in the City? - My first Column!

I have always enjoyed writing, and loved writing essays, novels, poems and diaries (I have a suitcase full of diaries!). However, I have never had the confidence to actually try writing for a career, or for some extra money, even though plenty of people have told me I should give it a go. But thanks to new found confidence and a brilliant friend and Culture journalist I decided to give it a go, and found it amazingly stimulating, it was fun, creative and therapeutic! I talk so so much, and putting my erratic thoughts onto paper rather than words every now an again saves both the outside world from crying in agony over my verbal diarrea, as well as gives my over strained voice a little rest. My first column was published last Sunday in the local paper, and I am SO very proud and happy about it! For the first time in a long long time I read it over and think 'Damn girl, this is pretty good!'. Unfortunately for english speakers it is in swedish, and translating it would just be way too much effort....

Sex(ism) in the City?

Är det endast jag som blir hemskt provocerad av faktumet att medlemsskap i vissa klubbar och organisationer hänger på din biologiska anatomi? Jag talar nämligen om exklusiva finlandssvenska herrklubbar som vägrar mig klubbmedlemskap pga att jag är kvinna. I ordningsreglerna omnämns visserligen inte könskraven, men det nämns att “styrelsen eller klubbmästaren äger meddela vid vilka tillfällen fruar, fästmör och eventuellt andra personer får medtagas till klubben”. Så det framgår alltså med klar tydlighet att jag endast är välkommen som fru eller fästmö. Ibland.

Så vitt jag har förstått består inträdeskraven av att du A.) kan spela biljard (spelar gör jag, huruvida duktigt kan diskuteras) B.) är finlandsvensk (japp) och C.) kan dricka whiskey som en hel karl (dricka kan jag, och med mångårig erfarenhet bakom baren kan jag till och med räkna upp rätt många scotch och irish whiskeyn på rak arm).

Sen har vi ju den här lite trixigare faktorn, att du ska ha 'rätt' biologisk anatomi och kromoson uppsättning, och det är där jag ryker i kvalningsprocessen. Jag har bestämt försökt hävda att på de sex veckor som tillbakaflyttad Jakobstadsbo har jag lärt mig att; köra båt, armera, gjuta betong OCH skjuta luftgevär – och det tycker jag borde vara karlakarligt nog för att i alla fall få bli hedersmedlem! I ärlighetens namn är jag inte så hemskt sugen på att diskutera whiskey sorter i mer än fem minuter, det är nämligen inte medlemsskapet i sig som lockar så mycket, utom faktumet att jag inte KAN bli medlem. Det är en princip sak helt enkelt. Och är det något jag tycker om så är det principer! Jag har fått motargumenten att “ni [läs människor av det kvinnliga köner] ju har Martha föreningar och syjunttor”, men det gills inte riktigt för mig. Inget ont ord om vare sig Martha eller syjunttor, jag tycker både låter rätt trevliga, men tänkt om jag mycket hellre vill spela biljard och röka cigarrer?

Dessutom har jag funderat på hur pass strikta de genetiska inträdeskraven är? Det finns ju faktiskt en hel drös människor som av olika anledningar inte identiferar sig med varkendera könet, utan väljer att vara 'queer' istället för 'man' eller 'kvinna'. Och dessutom finns det en till drös människor som är mer eller mindre 'trans'- biologiska 'män' och 'kvinnor' som inte identifierar sig med sitt 'biologiska kön' utan har gått varierande långt i metamorfosen att 'bli' det motsatta könet.  Könsopererade eller inte, får en biologisk kvinna som identiferar sig som man bli medlem? Och hur är det egentligen med en man som gillar att klä sig i kvinnokläder? Är det obligatoriskt att könsoperera sig? Frågorna är många.

Så pimut, vad gör vi för att kväsa detta outlidliga könsförtryck? Demonsterar? Bryter oss in i klubblokalen och grafittar sexistiska slogans på väggarna? Lär oss spela biljard? Eller ska vi ta till fiendens triumpkort och bilda en egen klubb? En damklubb så exklusiv att ingen ens vet adressen till klubblokalen, och med en stor biffig bouncer i dörren (som vi inte vet var finns) som kontrollerar självidentifierad könstillhörighet. Inträdeskraven är enkla – du bör kunna lacka dina egna tånaglar, samt vid namn (och efternamn) kunna nämna minst tre av de fyra Sex and the City tjejerna. Dessutom kan tilläggas, för att inte utöva åldersförtryck, att du bör ha stickat minst en tumvante i ditt liv (de obligatoriska vantarna i lågstadiet gills dock inte). Kravet är att du definerar dig som kvinna, men den biologiska anatomin är det inte så kitsligt med. Vi dricker sött rose' vin och diskuterar den bästa tekniken att locka håret, Välkommen!

Nåväl, könsoperation är lite väl drastiskt så jag fortsätter att försöka bli hedersmedlem i herrklubben, och tills det lyckas raljerar jag som Groucho Marx; “Jag vill inte vara med i någon klubb som släpper in en sån som mig!”     

Anna-Karin Jylhä 
21 Augusti 2011

So long lovers and strangers! (who are only lovers we don't know as of yet)

Anders & Måns

Oh det här är så klassiskt, tidpunkten i ett förhållande då nån hittar ens 'lista', eller frågar en om den. Måns har ett snyggt sätt att klara sig ur den härvan;

So long lovers!

Tap of the Marning to ya!

Tap of the maaarning to ya!

It's 06.07 and customary I woke up at 6.00, for no apparent reason other than my very punctual body clock which has decided that waking up at 6.00 is a wonderful idea. Oh well, I am getting used to it. So I though I would use my morning time for something 'productive', such as blog writing!

Maybe a small presentation of some kind is 'needed', as some people who find there way here might not know me or of me. Let's go;

(The list is freely stolen from some kind of christian website, and has been liberately amended, as I most certainly is not 'free from all bondage', nor do I want to be!. Check in the original though for humour value;
http://www.savedhealed.com/iamlist.htm )


I AM - A child of love, truth, my parents and grandparents, honesty, creativity, music and the world.

I AM - Simultaneously 5 and 80 years old. I thoroughly enjoy the life wisdom, humour and stories of my grandparents generation, but I likewise love the honesty, creativity and limitlessness of 5 year olds, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!

I AM - Forgiven (Colossians 1:13,14)- Because I have forgiven myself!

I AM - LILLA MY! (Or at least I would like to think so...but is it possible when you are 182 cm tall? I have amended the old 'saying' "pieni mutta pippurinen" to "iso mutta pippurinen", that's about the best description of me ever.

I AM - Newly tattoo'ed. I have 3 tattoo'es so far, a star on my right shoulder, three stars on my right foot, and the newest addition to the family; second wave feminist symbol in my neck! I am so insanely happy and proud of it, it makes me stronger seeing it every day!

I AM - Yogafied! I bloody love yoga, it calmes my irratic hasty thoughts and my way too fast breathing, thinking and activity. I have been practising Yiengar Yoga for about 2 years (give or take) and find it works miracles with my mind and body!

I AM - Less and less scared every day

I AM - In love with life at the moment, and all the things in it!

I AM - Creative, very much thanks to meeting this beautiful and übercreative girl again after faaaaar faaar to long! <3

I AM - Strong

I AM - Weak

I AM - Happy! (and have realised that you create your own happiness. Only when you start taking responsibility of your own life, actions and situation can you truly be happy). Leaving my job, moving from everything I though was security and settling myself squary down in the nature made me happy. It gave me perspective, soul rest and made me find my way back to creativity and quiet thoughts.

I AM - Slightly Manic. I enjoy it to some extent, it makes me insanely creative and high on life, but it also makes me forget 12 meals in a row (slight overexaggeration) and sleep 2-5 hours a night, which is not conducive for a healthy life.

I AM - Getting All My Needs Met by Life (Anna's Book I 1:1)

I AM - A Vegetarian since 12 years back. I tried smoked fish for the first time in 12 years this summer, thankfully I didn't like it so I can continue not eating it

I AM - Childish

I AM - Mature

I AM - Quite fond of stealing silly stuff, such as bar merchandice (they get it free anyway), small furry objects and lighters

I AM - A music fachist, which means that I have very strong opinions of what is good and what is not, and only my opinion counts, everyone else is just plain wrong!

I AM - Very very fond of Truckar! There's just something about them, their strenghts, colourfulness and usefulness, which talks to me;

I AM - Pretty optimistic (but it's a very new character trait, I used to be the biggest pessimist, hiding it in 'realism'). I find serenity in the little saying; Everything will be ok in the end, and if it's not ok - It's not the end.

I AM - A neewly published freelance culture columnist - And bloody proud of myself!!!

I AM - On my way for a month long (probably) tour around Europe to see my friends in various places, I am soooooo excited!

I AM - Insanely unmusical, although I can play the triangel like a god and I am not tooooo crappy on homemaid drums

I AM - Plagued by a shitty immune system, it sucks!

I AM - Far more addictive as a personality than I have though myself. My current addictions are;

 Dancing AND my friends!

 

 Picking at scabs!

 Taking pictures of my own feet - cause they follow me around wherever I go!

 Showing one, two or more fingers in pictures!

 MY FRIENDS!

I AM - Being Transformed by Renewing My Mind (Romans 12:1, 2)

I AM - Passionate! Easily angered, easily sweetened. (Theory; Make love not war. Or make small guerilla war and then make even sweeter love)

I AM - The Light of the World (Matthew 5:14) (Haha, I'd wish to think so!)

I AM - OVER AND OUT!

Hi Folks, 

I'm Anna-Karin Jylhä, a slightly chaotic, creative, lost and found individual currently living in Jakobstad, Finland (which is a tiny but oh so beautiful town on the Finnish coast).

I have only really started to blog as (some of) my friends complain about my excessive facebook posting (links, videos, pictures, status updates), but hey I say If you don't want endless Anna updates, DON'T BE MY FRIEND ON FACEBOOK! But, some other friends have asked me to blog about my oh so interesting life, and I am not one to dissapoint people so hey here I am!

I am getting ready to go out for a little Europe tour (Stockholm-Örebro-Stockholm-London-(maybe Berlin)-Stockholm-Åbo-Helsinki-Vasa), and will most likely be back in Jeppis town in October or so. So follow me around Europe on my blog, or check out my endless pictures on facebook (they are oh so exciting!)

And I feel the need to kick the blog off with a proper nineties classic which I have borrowed half of my name from (the other half 'vilsevals' which is a self-made up word which means something like 'Lost Waltz' and comes from a poem I wrote when I was 15-16....);

See u later suckers!! x x x