cinnamon rolls

Baking time

Saturday- its baking night, what else?

My floormates and I decided not to go out because we already went out to many times that week. Instead we determined to bake traditional Finish cinnamon rolls. While 80-ties music was played on my laptop we mixed the ingredients with fancy movements. During the baking time in the oven we started a karaoke session and had a lot of fun! We ended up with nearly 40 cinnamon rolls- delicious! I translated the recipe in English, because they were exquisite.

Cinnamon rolls

You need: 50g barm, 5dl milk 2 eggs 2dl sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon kaardemumma  about 16dl of wheat flour 150-200g butter For the filling: 100g butter 1dl sugar 2 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Warm the milk, so it’s as warm as your hands are. Melt the Hefe to the milk.

2. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, kaardemumma and few dls of flour.

3. Keep adding few dls of flour, until the dough is quite sticky. Add the melted butter.

4. Add flour until the dough gets of from your hands. It’s important to kind of like roughly mix the dough for a little while.

5. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, or until it has doubbled it size.

6. Put the dough on the table and roll it till its big, wide and thin

7. You can either mix the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon and pour it on top of the dough, or you can but the melted butter first and then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon

8. Roll the dough and cut it into pieces. Let the little rolls rest for 10-15 minutes

9. Put rolls into oven (225 degrees, second level from the bottom) and let them be there for 10-15 minutes, or until they are beautifully browned

Buss system

Public transport

In Switzerland the most common public transport is by train. Even in a small village is a train station. Of course we also have buses, but they are not as often in use as the trains. When I first came here I was surprised that in Turku or should I say in nearly whole Finland are buses more common.

I think the bus system in Switzerland is easier to use than the system in Turku, but that’s maybe just because I am used to it. Whatever, when I first used the bus I couldn’t figure out where I had to leave to bus, because nowhere in the bus was written where we were and what the name of the next bus stop was. 

So I was sitting in the bus, and at some point I just got out and found myself in the middle of nowhere. Thanks to my offline map app, I was able to find my way back to my apartment. Now that I know how my bus stop looks like, I am up to get off at the right place. 

But when I want to go to a new place, I am still struggling with the system. I usually use the Fölli web page to figure out which bus I have to take and where to get off. I figured out, that the bus stops have numbers, so whenever I can, I try to count how many stops I have to pass till it’s mine.

And the craziest thing is that you have to wave for the bus. That’s very uncommon. In Switzerland the bus stops at every station where people stand.

"seight seeing tour" Naantali

Visit Naantali

Francois, my French friend asked me if I want to join his floormates to Nantaali. Due to I didn’t have another plan, I agreed.

We met in the morning and took the bus to Kauppatori. After changing the bus we were heading to Nantaali. Nobody really knew where to get out of the bus, so at one station someone shouted that we should get off.

As soon as we got of the bus we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere.

Fortunately we all have smartphones. So with the help of google maps we were able to find a nice way to the sea and to the small islands. We walked for about 4 hours and it was pretty cold. By the time we found a small coffee shop at the harbour. There we took a warm coffee and a cinnamon roll.

Because it darkened already (3pm) we headed back to the city centre and split up.

I don’t know how long I was taking a shower, but it was amazing to finally feel my toes again.

gym love

Craving to work out

I am sportive. No, I am hyper sportive. In Switzerland I used to work out 5- 7 times a week. In a very lazy week it happened that I just worked out 4 times a week. But that happens rarely.

To be honest, that was my biggest issue: Is at my campus an adequate gym for me? All of the sudden I couldn’t work out the first few weeks. Well, I tried, I went out for a run a few times. But with the chilly wind and the slippery floor it was nearly impossible to work out properly.

As soon as I got the possibility to try out the campus gym courses, I went there. I tried the “Hiit” à Hight intensive interval training. I have to admit, the course was quite exhausting but one intensive work out a week is not enough for me. After I checked out the gym I decided to search for another one. There were just a view machines in a not so good condition. I asked a finish guy for an advice, to which gym I should go to.

The day after I visited the gym 2000 and I fell in love. The gym is amazingly huge with a lot of different courses and modern machines. The price was quite high, but I already expected that. Just five minutes after I arrived there I signed the contract.

Since then I go there 5- 6 times a week. I love it!!

orientation day and bartour

Orientation day

On January fifth we were supposed to have an orientation day. I was very excited because I couldn’t wait to start with my studies. Not that I was looking forward to it, but I was just too bored to hang around all the time.

I met the two girls from Switzerland in the morning to pay for the starting package (contains some dishes, a pillow, a blanket and curtains). After getting rid of our money we decided to head to the ICT building for the orientation meeting.

As soon as the “lesson” started we were divided into smaller groups, which meant a group of four. We had to present ourselves. It was very nice, I met a Swiss girl from the French part, Melissa and a Canadian whose name is Tylor. We’re still in touch and meet sometimes!

After the little group exercises we got view information about Turku and Finland itself. Unfortunately we didn’t get any infos about our school timetable and so on.

Later on we met at Kauppatori (city centre) for a bar tour. We were 5 people and Tylor, the Canadian guy was again in my group. In the first bar they all went for something with alcohol while I started with a cappuccino. Unfortunately the milk was adulterated, but I was too shy to tell anyone. So I forced myself to drink it. In the next bar I ordered a beer and the guys convinced me to try a mintu (alcohol shot). After these two drinks I felt a nice warm feeling in my stomach. Due to it was already so late and I desperately wanted to catch the last bus I said goodbye and went home.