Sunday, July 15, 2012

Jyväskylän Kesä (Jyväskylä Summerfest)


This week was the Jyväsklyä Summerfest.  
Anyone walking through the city center would have seen some pretty exciting stuff.  Like…



 A stage.


With very excited performers (like Katja!!) about to wow the audiences with Finnish folk dancing and other performances.


A farmers market with vendors selling…


Snow peas.  Summers are short on snow (unless you’re in Lapland…it snowed two weeks ago…) but long on sunshine…which makes for very happy and healthy snow peas.  :)



Which were the perfect snack for watching a thunderstorm roll in.

 
I can’t get enough of the view from my place.  It’s been raining all week.  And my camera must have been even more excited about what the rain does to light than I am about what it does to the viewBut, back to the city center adventures this week…


Friday the 13th is my favorite day of the month.  Perhaps that’s because my Gpa was born on a Friday the 13th and my G’ma was born on the 13th, too.  Well, this Friday the 13th I got word that my first article was published!!  Feels great to have one down.   Just three more to go to qualify of my dissertation defense!


Seat 210.  Just like the area code in San Antonio!!  :)  :)  Arttu, one of my friends from the university, suggested a few interesting performances at the local theatre as part of the Jyväskylä Summerfest.  We ended up seeing an upscale street performer/small scale Cirque du Soleil performance.  It was impressive!  I realized ½ way through that I wasn’t breathing because I was so worried that one of the performers would fall or that the balls, hats, and huge Frisbee-like rings they were tossing here, there and everywhere wouldn’t behave.  Definitely a nail biter.  Kiitos Arttu!


Later that evening, I ran into Eija.  She and Tiina (her sister-in-law) were enjoying the evening out on the town (read: in the city center).  It was great to be able to visit with them before calling it a night!


I was asked to give a talk at church today on repentance.  This is Hanna—my Finnish voice.  :)  She translated for me.  And she did a stellar job.  I love her smile in this picture!!  We were both grateful that it was over.  Kiitos Hanna!!  Oot mun super tulkki!!  (Grammatical errors aside, this is a true statement!)



This is Tarja.  She spent time with us at Girls Camp.  It was towards the end of the week when she asked me, “So, are you 19 or 20?  I know you have to be older than 18 to be a camp mom.”  Um, she is my hero.  All I can say is that I hope I look as young and fantastic as she does with 5 kids!!!



Reetta came into town this weekend!!  Katja was so kind in hosting us for a scrumptious lunch at her pad.  After a reindeer salad with feta cheese and grapes, grilled chicken and pork with veggies, and potatoes at her place, we headed over to Otto’s place for dessert.  A traveling meal!  :)  What a great way to spend the afternoon—with dear friends and delicious food.

I love Finnish summers.  And I love enjoying the Finnish summer with friends.  I could live here!   
Oh wait.  
...
 I do live here!!  

 Lucky, lucky me!

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