Ponderings on the past and the present

I've just spent a most delightful week with Petra & Paul in Eastbourne. Got to see people I haven't seen for way too long & got to finally see my beloved England again as well. I did loose my lip balm to the war on terror at Stansted, though. But that was because of my own stupidity, shouldn't have had it in my handbag.

Being on holiday in a country where I once lived was, in a way, a most bizarre experience. I went to look for my life and found plenty of familiar things: Silly hot & cold taps and electric showers, cheap and good pub food (yes, good as in tasty, all you mean people mocking the English cuisine!) & Boots' fantastic meal deals were still there, Ribena, Quavers and the never ending debate (at least in the British/Finnish circles) on whether Cadbury's Fruit & Nut's better than Fazer's purple hadn't gone anywhere either. Oh, and naturally, real ale tasted as heavenly as always (though, apparently, drinking it still makes me look like an old man). But I didn't find my life there anymore. I guess it moved to Finland with me in 2002. It felt odd.

As it always does, this time, too, time had done its job shaping the image of the place in my head & what it used to be like living there. I'd like to remember just the good & fun bits: all the happy pints at the Malt Shovel, the fun I had camping in Scotland and how amazingly well I did at the exams :). Last week I thought about all that quite a bit. In real life, I now remember, I was actually quite lonely in Coventry, especially after Heli & Titta went back to Finland. But enough about sad stuff.

All in all, it was a good holiday and it made me see how good my life is now - I guess that's what holidays are for. Also, Petra said something that made me smile (well, she said lots of things but that's another story). She's been following the blogs of e.g. Arto, Esa, Jukka, Katri, Jani, Sohvi, Linda & Piri (and all others, don't be offended if you're not mentioned). "I'm just so happy for you, you seem to have such wonderful friends!" is what she said. So don't be surprised if you get a comment on your blog from her one of these days :)