tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252746622024-03-14T22:36:31.920+09:00ROSA PahkalaROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-957623646138714272009-10-25T11:32:00.001+09:002009-10-25T11:35:11.835+09:00Starting New BlogWe decided to start a new blog, which should be easier to use than our old blog. Posting something in our old blog always required HTMLtweeking by Samuli, but what we really need is something where even Aura can send an email and THAT'S IT!Email title = blog post titleAttached pictures = nice picture galleryurl = embedded videoetc.And Posterous is just that!We also transferred Oskari's blog to ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-80127704804935552262009-10-09T19:02:00.004+09:002009-10-09T19:09:50.596+09:00Hiking at YatsugatakeAfter admiring the mountains for four years from Finland Village, I finally did the hike I had been dreaming of - go to the highest peak and stay overnight at one of the cabins at the top (at 2750 meters) . It was better than I could have ever expected! Total elevation 1200 meters from start to Akadake + quite a lot of climbming and descending along the way. 5 hours on Saturday, 10 hours on ROSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05962891170160015073noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-4451320821902677892009-10-08T23:03:00.002+09:002009-10-08T23:08:44.276+09:00After the typhoonA powerful typhoon passed by Tokyo last night and I was walking the streets with my camera this morning (and during lunch time). The typhoon did not hit Tokyo, but caused damage elsewhere in Japan.ROSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05962891170160015073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-13477610097387116542009-10-01T21:49:00.003+09:002009-10-01T21:55:37.454+09:00Autumn is here (in Helsinki)Maple outside our balcony in autumn colors.Hertta and fallen leavesOctober 1st - 1st frost during the night"They should fix our garage door pretty fast!"ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-91884493565304954072009-09-27T19:51:00.002+09:002009-09-27T20:26:28.288+09:00KamakuraI escaped the endless concrete jungle and crowds of Tokyo, and spent 7 hours walking 33 kilometers on the outskirts of Kamakura visiting several remote Buddhist temples.ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-49218038851295911542009-09-22T11:36:00.005+09:002009-09-22T11:47:40.986+09:00Mt Fuji 21.9.2009Samuli had a fantastic hike to Mt Fuji - sunrise was nice, clear blue skies all the way down where great, but the night sky was absolutely breathtaking - Saturday was new moon, so there was no moon light, just perfectly clear black sky with thousands and thousands of stars,... which I was admiring for hours and hours.Samuli koki aivan mielettömän vaelluksen Mt Fujilla - auringonnousu oli hieno, ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-83724917844492371942009-09-18T08:08:00.002+09:002009-09-18T08:13:26.696+09:00Two sides of TokyoSamuli is just getting ready for another day in Tokyo - Riikka and the kids are sound asleep in Helsinki getting ready for another schoolday in 6 hours.This video captures the duality of Tokyo, it was this duality that made me love Tokyo since my very first visit in 2004. Beautiful and ugly, old and new, back streets and high streets, calm and busy, shiny and rusty, commercial and zen ... and theROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-827878295481697992009-08-27T22:20:00.006+09:002009-08-27T22:32:30.206+09:00Samu takaisin TokiossaHuomaan usein samaistuvani oudolla tavalla Ismo Alangon teksteihin. Tähän päivään sopii parhaiten pätkä Hassisen Koneen ajoilta:Ja mä kävelen tätä tyhjää tietä taloon, jota kodiksi kutsutaan vaikka siellä ei ole minulle ketään olen yksin tällä tyhjällä tiellä olen yksin tällä tyhjällä tiellä tällä tiellä tällä tielläTällä TielläROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-12473645547773055082009-07-19T17:58:00.009+09:002009-07-19T21:58:48.421+09:00Nagoya castleI have been in Nagota today and visited the Nagoya castle. I met a 6 year old Japanese boy Tamon, who started interviewing me in fluent English. He was interested on where I came from and wanted to make friends. He is going to an international kindergarden, and already now speaks better English than most Japanese I have met.The Nagoya castle was built in 1610, around the time when Togukawa ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-58294311527822410482009-07-16T23:57:00.004+09:002009-07-17T00:22:32.216+09:00A tribute to MSTI just watched this amazing video and want to dedicate it to the people at MST who provided great education to our children during the past 3,5 years. A BIG THANK YOU to Pete & Mariko, Lynn, Jere & Lynn, James, Minako, Naoko & Nadine, Zach, Patrick, Laurie, Miho, Shukuko, Emi and others who supported them!See also:Square root of 646416 and counting 4132+4325 (in Finnish) Birthday Story: Aura ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-34212455272217174852009-07-13T07:52:00.006+09:002009-07-13T15:48:25.203+09:00Koira tuli taloon! - Dog in the house!Perjantaina haimme Mihan Pirttihirmun Porvoon Mihalasta Porin "varakotiin". Annoimme hänelle kutsumanimen Hertta (Heart, Hjärta) ettei olisi ihan liian hirmuinen nimi karvaisella vauvalla... Hertta on syntynyt 17.4.2009.Hakupäivä oli kasvattajan Saimi Niemisen nimipäivä, joten Saimi ja Ahti tarjosivat meille ihanaa mustikkapiirakkaa. Kahvittelun lomassa keskustelimme koiraan liityvistä asioista ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-22506150371101452282009-07-02T21:56:00.005+09:002009-07-02T22:51:47.784+09:00SayonaraIt's difficult to think what else to say than Sayonara when we are leaving Japan after four amazing years. We have experienced many new things, seen many new places and made many new friends. We will miss them all! Below the first and last family photo taken from us during these years. The kids have grown - Aura has spend more than half her life in Japan and Oskari quite exactly one third of hisROSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05962891170160015073noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-73298447713587077232009-06-27T08:27:00.005+09:002009-06-27T09:00:25.440+09:00Trip to HiroshimaWe had a great trip to Hiroshima where we wanted to take the kids before we leave Japan.We spent most of day 1 at the Peace Memorial Park and Museum.To rewind from the shocking museum exparience we enjoyed great weather and outdoors on day 2 at Miyajima island near Hiroshima.On day 3 we spent several hours relaxing at Shukkeien garden, had a late lunch and some ice cream down town before heading ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-48182979792822237112009-06-21T15:16:00.004+09:002009-06-21T15:35:39.641+09:00About free educationThis morning I read from the front page of Daily Yomiuri that:The Democratic Party of Japan likely will include a policy of raising disposable household income by 20 percent in its manifesto for the next House of Representatives election...The party plans to achieve the proposed increase by reducing the cost of living through means such as making high school education free. It also will increase ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-58143453951380516132009-06-18T08:38:00.004+09:002009-06-18T20:58:34.655+09:00Hello Kitty morningMom bought me Hello Kitty cocoa and I was so excited to taste it I gathered some of my Hello Kitty stuff on the table. The Milkitty drink was not cocoa but milk tea which I did not like at all. Luckily we had normal cocoa to save the day.ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-14676198146178658682009-06-11T19:40:00.002+09:002009-06-11T19:49:32.536+09:00Oranssit vyöt - Orange beltsSee them in action earlier this spring.ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-87786160996691529032009-06-08T17:18:00.012+09:002009-06-09T05:03:49.482+09:00ミセス Magazine, July issueFor those of you who read Japanese: ミセス Magazine published a 34 pages special section about Finland in their July issue. It covers wide range of topics like landscape and living, famous composers, architects and designers, design and shopping in Helsinki. It dedicates 6 pages for the Finnish school and library system, including an interview with Riikka.ミセス July 2009, 7月号フィンランド45 年前、ピアニストとしての将来を思いROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-74153729276206231782009-06-03T03:39:00.006+09:002009-06-03T04:00:43.359+09:00Koirakuume nousee - Dog fever risingKävimme tänään Porvoossa Mihan kennelissä katsomassa huhtikuun lopussa syntynyttä snautseripentuetta. Meille on varattuna yksi narttupentu. Kuulimme että "meidän" pentumme nimi on Mihan Pirttihirmu - lasten mielestä juuri sopiva koira äidille!Koirat ovat saaneet kasvaa kauniissa maalaismaisemassa Saimi ja Ahti Niemisen hyvässä hoidossa - aika eri olosuhteissa kuin koirat Tokiossa.Today we visitedROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-56497933917636360882009-05-30T22:49:00.003+09:002009-05-30T22:53:55.864+09:00Hot and humidTokyo summer is approaching, it's not yet too hot, but the humidity is really high. You can not avoid getting sweat just by being outside.There is so much humidity in the air, that you can not see far. But better that than the grey skies in Korea I saw during the past couple of days.ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-30072645882695305382009-05-27T21:48:00.005+09:002009-05-27T22:18:10.718+09:00Sayonara Old FaithfulShe took us to places like Odawara, Disneyland, Finland Village, again, again, again, again and again, and Hakone. She never let us down - in town, on the highway, and not even in the toughest conditions! She had plenty of room to transport furniture or bicycles. She had two extra seats to fit our friends to take them places like Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa, Finland Village and Mt Fuji ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-44654409109740495822009-05-17T12:37:00.003+09:002009-05-17T12:40:50.203+09:00Harmaa sunnuntaiSunnuntaiaamu on ollut sateinen ja näkymä ikkunoistamme on varsin harmaa. Viime viikon muuton jäljiltä olemme kaikki uupuneita ja päivän suurin ponnistus on sunnuntailounas jossain lähiseudun ravintolassa.ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-56289501322430006212009-05-12T21:04:00.004+09:002009-05-12T21:12:29.973+09:00Muuttopuuhissa osa 2 - Moving out day 2Kirjahylly purettu - Book self taken apartOlohuone melkein pakattu - Living room almost packedAuran huone melkein pakattu - Aura's room almost packedMakuuhuone pakattu - Master bed room packedOskarin huone pakattu - Oskari's room packedVain keittiö ja kellari jäljellä - Only kitchen and basement are leftROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-15397915849387130072009-05-11T20:16:00.005+09:002009-05-11T20:55:32.901+09:00Muuttopuuhissa - Moving outOlemme asuneet kohta neljä vuotta Tokiossa ja on aika palata kotiin. Muuttokuormaa alettiin pakata tänään, jotta se ehtii Suomeen ennen kuin koulut alkavat syksyllä. We have been living in Tokyo for almost four years now and it is time to return to Finland. The moving company started packing today in order to get our belongings to Finland in time for the new school year in August.ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-37130183441774195532009-05-02T19:53:00.005+09:002009-05-02T20:09:01.802+09:00Run and Walk around the Imperial PalaceWe participated the 10th TELL Charity Walk and Runathon! Samuli ran two laps around the Imperial Palace (10 km), Riikka walked one lap with the kids. It was +24C and we really enjoyed it!!Samuli going along his own path.Downhill in the beginning.Imperial palace gate."I am thirsty!""I am flying!"Aura finishing the race (Oskari finished 15 minutes earlier).We did it!We all did it!ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25274662.post-84540428802245216932009-04-24T06:31:00.003+09:002009-04-24T06:40:00.450+09:00Riikka's lectureRiikka will have another lecture about Finnish education tomorrow. Here is a link to a report (in Japanese) of her earlier lecture. And attached are some sample slides she uses.She starts with "During my stay in Japan for almost 4 years now I have been asked many times about the Finnish schooling system. Everybody seems to know the OECD’s PISA tests and their results, in which Finland has scored ROSA Pahkalahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05810215872160564327noreply@blogger.com1