After Finland and meeting some ex-Erasmus students, I also wanted to meet some other people. So we decided to meet each other in Poland. There was not a long discussion about the location.
All together we would have been Bonzcek, Szimon, Chris, Michael, Arno, Gosia and I. First I wanted to go by train, because the flights were already too expensive on that short notice. But the day before departure I found a flight from LOT at the price 199€ two ways.
I bought it and was quite happy to fly 1,2 hours and not to drive 8h by train. Thursday was coming and after working (in Vienna headquarter) I headed home to get all my stuff and to pack. Finally I started my ride to Vienna Airport, and guess what, near Amstetten, my engine "exploded". Probably I had too less water or oil in it, whatever, it just stuck and stopped.
I had to call the car breakdown service. They would need 30mins to get to me and after that 1h to get my car back to my hometown. As I had no time left to get to the airport and also I needed to arrange me some ride (i need a car to get to work - 120km) I decided to use the rest of my "holidays" to look for an alternative.
I was really pissed and still I am, we waited a long time for this meeting, I'm really sorry guys, would love to meet you some day, BUT I will not give up !!!!
Miss you and hope we soon get another opportunity.
For now, I have no new car yet, my car is not repairable (3000€+), and I'm still looking, actually I have no idea what I want... that's the bad part of being single, you have to make your own decisions *g*
regards
Samstag, Mai 16, 2009
Finland Lappeenranta Vappu Meeting
Last but not least it is time again for a blogentry, I'm a bit lazy but I try to catch up a bit.
There was this idea of some Ex-Erasmus students to meet in Lappeenranta (Finland). First of all to meet each other and otherwise to celebrate vappu.
What is vappu? A question I heard often these days. Some say vappu is the nearest thing, that Finland have regarding the carneval. Some other say it is the Finnish version of the American Spring-Break parties, and there are others who say that it is just another day off. Whatever kind of definiton you are choosing, vappu is worth going and celebrating.
Paul, a German ex-Erasmus student, started the whole thing, and a lot of people thought that this is a great idea. In the end, we were just three guys, who really were ex-Erasmus students. Paul, Benjamin and me. Thats sad, but fun is all that matters and we had already some friends in Lappeenranta.
My flight went on 27.4 to Helsinki (169€ both ways) and from there I drove with the train to Lappeenranta (39€ one way). I didn't arrange any room with friends, so I booked myself a room in a hostel/camping-place. You know, I don't want to bother anyone, and sleeping on a friends floor is maybe not the best choice anyway. However, next time probably I will arrange something else, because the rooms are not really cheap. (Hostel 60€ per night incl. breakfast, Hotel 80€ per night ex breakfast) There would have been cheaper places, but the student houses are open starting from 1.5 and the Karelia Park hostel from June - August. It was holiday, and I'm not a student anymore, so why not spend some money.
When I started this trip, I thought, hey looking forward to see Finland in spring time. HAHA, guess what, spring has not arrived there yet. Maybe two or three weeks later, but at the time I was there, it was like this:
Everything grey, and yes, the fucking lake was still frozen !!!
What did I do?
I walked a lot ... The weather was, except one day, very nice and sunny. The warmest day was 17°C and the coldest (night) was 0°. Actually the 0° night was the vappu night ^^
On Tuesday I met with Mahesh in the city centre. Mahesh was one of the exchange students who settled in Lappeenranta. He has quite a success story to tell, he is running his own company now, and it seems that it is very successful. Informations on that you can find on his homepage http://www.redsolution.fi .We enjoyed the sun at the coffee house and talked for some hours. Good Luck to you and your company Mahesh!!
The funny thing when I sat there, Benjamin walked by (at this moment I didn't know that he is in Lappeenranta too), so quite funny *g*.
In the evening I met with Paul, who cycled the way from Helsinki to Lappenranta in two days, grazy guy. Even more grazy is, that he cycled back from Tallinn to Germany. First night he slept in my hostel room, because his sleeping strategy was not really well planned ;)
On wednesday, another day in the center, I did a lot of shopping, and again walking, sitting in the harbour, reading, enjoying myself and my free time. Actually I do not remember what I did the rest of the day *g*.
Thursday was the official start of vappu. At noon the students met at the city center to start vappu. Therefor they do that:
They put the student hats on the statue, just like in Helsinki, only a bit smaller.
After that they walk, in order (color of the faculty guilds) to the harbour, where the new students get there baptism.
For the baptism, the new students, in there overalls, have to slide into the lake. (remember, lake was still frozen *gg*). As you can imagine, it was cold. Here are some impressions:
A nice experience, .. and NO I didn't do it *g*
After that we spent some hours in the sun and having a beer.
In the evening there was a festival at the university. The bad (organizational) mistake was, that the entry fee was 20€ and that you can't bring your own drinks. As you can imagine, Finnish students weren't that happy about that, so inside there were 40 people and on the outside there were some hundreds ^^, so was I, together with Teemu and some Polish girls. Was a nice evening, even with 0°.
On Friday was the official vappu day (Mayday), where traditionally all Fins make picnics and barbecues with family and friends. At the harbour there was a market with stalls, an everywhere you can see the students making the picnics.
It was a very nice, sunny day, which I enjoyed a lot. Relaxing is always the best on holidays ;)
Saturday was already time to leave, so I went to the Railstation, back to Helsinki, there I spent some hours of shopping, and after that my flight brought me back to Munich.
There was this idea of some Ex-Erasmus students to meet in Lappeenranta (Finland). First of all to meet each other and otherwise to celebrate vappu.
What is vappu? A question I heard often these days. Some say vappu is the nearest thing, that Finland have regarding the carneval. Some other say it is the Finnish version of the American Spring-Break parties, and there are others who say that it is just another day off. Whatever kind of definiton you are choosing, vappu is worth going and celebrating.
Paul, a German ex-Erasmus student, started the whole thing, and a lot of people thought that this is a great idea. In the end, we were just three guys, who really were ex-Erasmus students. Paul, Benjamin and me. Thats sad, but fun is all that matters and we had already some friends in Lappeenranta.
My flight went on 27.4 to Helsinki (169€ both ways) and from there I drove with the train to Lappeenranta (39€ one way). I didn't arrange any room with friends, so I booked myself a room in a hostel/camping-place. You know, I don't want to bother anyone, and sleeping on a friends floor is maybe not the best choice anyway. However, next time probably I will arrange something else, because the rooms are not really cheap. (Hostel 60€ per night incl. breakfast, Hotel 80€ per night ex breakfast) There would have been cheaper places, but the student houses are open starting from 1.5 and the Karelia Park hostel from June - August. It was holiday, and I'm not a student anymore, so why not spend some money.
When I started this trip, I thought, hey looking forward to see Finland in spring time. HAHA, guess what, spring has not arrived there yet. Maybe two or three weeks later, but at the time I was there, it was like this:
Everything grey, and yes, the fucking lake was still frozen !!!
What did I do?
I walked a lot ... The weather was, except one day, very nice and sunny. The warmest day was 17°C and the coldest (night) was 0°. Actually the 0° night was the vappu night ^^
On Tuesday I met with Mahesh in the city centre. Mahesh was one of the exchange students who settled in Lappeenranta. He has quite a success story to tell, he is running his own company now, and it seems that it is very successful. Informations on that you can find on his homepage http://www.redsolution.fi .We enjoyed the sun at the coffee house and talked for some hours. Good Luck to you and your company Mahesh!!
The funny thing when I sat there, Benjamin walked by (at this moment I didn't know that he is in Lappeenranta too), so quite funny *g*.
In the evening I met with Paul, who cycled the way from Helsinki to Lappenranta in two days, grazy guy. Even more grazy is, that he cycled back from Tallinn to Germany. First night he slept in my hostel room, because his sleeping strategy was not really well planned ;)
On wednesday, another day in the center, I did a lot of shopping, and again walking, sitting in the harbour, reading, enjoying myself and my free time. Actually I do not remember what I did the rest of the day *g*.
Thursday was the official start of vappu. At noon the students met at the city center to start vappu. Therefor they do that:
They put the student hats on the statue, just like in Helsinki, only a bit smaller.
After that they walk, in order (color of the faculty guilds) to the harbour, where the new students get there baptism.
For the baptism, the new students, in there overalls, have to slide into the lake. (remember, lake was still frozen *gg*). As you can imagine, it was cold. Here are some impressions:
A nice experience, .. and NO I didn't do it *g*
After that we spent some hours in the sun and having a beer.
In the evening there was a festival at the university. The bad (organizational) mistake was, that the entry fee was 20€ and that you can't bring your own drinks. As you can imagine, Finnish students weren't that happy about that, so inside there were 40 people and on the outside there were some hundreds ^^, so was I, together with Teemu and some Polish girls. Was a nice evening, even with 0°.
On Friday was the official vappu day (Mayday), where traditionally all Fins make picnics and barbecues with family and friends. At the harbour there was a market with stalls, an everywhere you can see the students making the picnics.
It was a very nice, sunny day, which I enjoyed a lot. Relaxing is always the best on holidays ;)
Saturday was already time to leave, so I went to the Railstation, back to Helsinki, there I spent some hours of shopping, and after that my flight brought me back to Munich.
Abonnieren
Posts (Atom)