Saturday, September 19, 2009

promises unkept

Busy little bee, where have you been?
Yesterday was a good day, as I chatted with hymypoika, we had a substitute lecturer in maths (so I didn't have to use all my concentration on trying to understand the mumbling and extract the important words from it), I understood the physics' exercises, I got my student card (one thing less to worry about) and then went to play badminton with Nikke. From now on we'll go atleast once a week, it's so cheap.

Also I just read an update on this random blog I found. It's some girl talking about her explorations into buddhism http://purplezephyr.wordpress.com/ . She talked about how yoga (literally means unity, the linking of the mind and the body btw) makes her feel, and I was hit with such a wave of longing...I could always do yoga whenever I want to, but especially to a semi-beginner like me, I can't just snap my fingers and be in the right mind set to do yoga well. Going to class helps, because the routine of going there (taking the bus etc.) helps you prepare for the upcoming session. Also the class rooms are quite empty, emptied out of any possible distractions and things that have nothing to do with yoga... waking up in bed after 12h of sleep on a saturday, or sitting at the beach of your summer house after swimming and a sauna are nothing compared to the feelings you get from a succesfull meditation. I have no problem admitting that the first time we did meditation instead of the end-of-class relaxation I ended up with just a sore back, because I'd been subconsciously tensing my muscles. But the time after that I took care not to repeat that mistake again. And then during the summer (2008) I just had this epiphany, corny as it sounds, when I went to do read, do yoga and meditate in some park in helsinki. I have no idea for how long I stayed still, just sitting there with my eyes closed, soaking in the surrounding sounds, the slight breeze, the grass under my toes. Then even those things slowly faded to the background and my mind was just blank. Time lost meaning and the connection between my mind and body was streched to its thinnest. This might sound contradictory to the idea of yoga as unity between mind and body, but yoga is more about the pair influencing each other through various ways. Meditation also is not the same as yoga, although they overlap in many ways. Meditation is perhaps the unity of a person's mind (and body) with the surrounding universe, linking to the ideas in zen buddhism and other ideologies (not the corect word to use here, but you catch my drift) about the unity of the universe, of everything being part of a One. So as not to go way too far out there, yoga and meditation to me means a deep sense of contentment within that moment.

I know I said in my last update that I would try to update more frequently, but it's so hard! I mean so many things are happening, so I have way too much writing material and way too little time for writing. Also, writing is a skill. Explaining your thoughts without using too many words but in a comprehensible manner is quite challenging sometimes. I've always dreamed about what kind of discoveries could be made, if people could share thoughts, pure thought processes without the hinderance of speech and it's limits, without the limits of time and the deeply-rooted western idea of linear thinking (you know when your thoughts are going so fast, because you don't have to use any time to refer to things or explain concepts, because they are there in your head? and when you simultaneously think about several things, their past existence, their momentarily state and possible future? Yeah, that's what I mean.)But then again it really is just a crazy dream, and doesn't have any possible base in scientific facts. We have to use carefully determined concepts and linear thinking, because otherwise individuals wouldn't be able to communicate. It is a nescessary evil, and it would take more than science to be able to overcome it.

I just went shopping for kitchen utensils and the like. I bought a 5cm high cheese grater, so cute <3. Dunno if it will actually be of any use, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to buy a termosmug, but the only one I found was just crap (I was in Stockmann). It was supposedly "termal insulated", but it looked like it was made of fucking clear plastic! Instead of believing it was some new awesome material made with nanotechnology, I'm just going to keep looking. I really do need one though, I'm planning on making my own robert's mochas for morning lectures (double espresso, chololate sauce/powder, milk, vanillasugar and maybe cinnamon) from now on.
Also was going to buy some room plants, but forgot, so the citrus basil will have to suffice for now.

Now I've got to start doing my programming homework. To motivate myself I'm going to eat toast with tomato and cheese, seasoned with the basil, oregano and olive oil. And grapes and chocolate pudding for dessert.

Hugs and kisses,
Kata.

P.S. I don't think any outsider might have stumbled on my blog, but just so everyone knows, I sign the updates, because this (and several other) blogs were started by me and my friends so as to keep track of each other's lives now that we've all moved to different unis.

P.P.S. www.textfromlastnight.com is amusing. And now I'm going to watch Inglorious Basterds.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Mitä teekkarius oikeastaan merkitsee

I could post pictures of my cosy student room, but my camera is in Brussels. Along with my guitar, the rest of my clothes, shoes, books and other stuff. Most likely though my dad and/or mum will bring some of my stuff, when they'll come to visit during October/November.
But my room is nice, way too big for only the bed and desk&bookshelf I have at the moment, so I'm going to buy a small armchair or sofa, and maybe a separate table for my computer. And when I talked to my dad, he said that he might invest in a small fridge or me (we have 9 people sharing a kitchen, and there's only 3 fridges and one freezer) :D This place already feels quite cosy, but it will feel like a home in about a year, I reckon. Home is where you make it.

The first week here at HUT was hectic. On Monday I had to wake up at six to get here for eight o'clock (I was still staying with relatives, I g
ot my key on Tuesday). I latched onto Panu, but then after the regular welcome speeches (interrupted by some spirited and excellent and some not so excellent music and dance/theater performances), we were separated into guilds (us into the physics') and then went our separate ways. Then we were told some more important/semi-important/useless information, and then we were again separated into small groups, that were led by ISO-people; older students (most of then 2.years). Then we toured the campus, got to know each other a little better etc. Our groups name is nanaa.rar. Sauli has refused so far to tell me where the name comes from. Sauli is one of my iso-people, they're awesome <3.
Then for the rest of the week we had some lectures introducing us to the information systems they have here (how to link up with the school computer from home, the programs used etc.), and then the evenings were filled with parties. On Wednesday we went for almost the whole day/night to Kiljava, for the annual physics' guild trip. There we had tons of entertainment, including beer-pulling. It's the same as rope-pulling, but you can use only one hand to pull, until you have emptied the drink can/bottle (has to contain alcohol) in your other hand. The new girls won again the ISO-captains, I'm proud to say :D.

But now I'm going to go to bed, I've got my first maths', physics' and programming lectures tomorrow, starting at 08:15. I had loads of other stuff to write about, but I forgot it. I'll try to update more regularly, so I don't have to try to strain my brain trying to remeber all the details and events of a whole week/month/year.

Yours faithfully,
fyysikkofuksi Kata