A tail of my own...

Hello from a winter-spring Wednesday in Helsinki!

The weather apparently can't make up its mind whether to tell winter goodbye or cling to it a bit longer in hopes of squeezing from it the snow storms that never came! Seriously, while worldwide this winter was the coldest in 14 years, here it was the warmest we've had in a long time! This morning I ate a few falling snowflakes on my way to work (hahaha, try to do that without looking like a weirdo!), and now I'm seeing blue skies and sunshine in the mix! Moody, that's what the weather is.

We have Easter break, both from school and work. This means I'm going to Heinola for a few days of reading, rest and rescheduling (ok, plenty of lolling around with the cousins as well). I have to read sources for my thesis, rest from the busyness of the past week while gaining energy for the craziness to come, and paint the broad strokes of travel plans that are looming in the near horizon. The week after Easter will be my last here at the Embassy and I am very excited about what will come after it! (First and foremost, a trip to POLAND!) We've been interviewing candidates to replace me, and there have been a few excellent ones among the many very qualified applicants.

I learned a new colloquialism yesterday. To have a fox's tail in your arms (ketun häntä kainalossa) means to have an ulterior motive. The reason I tell you this random bit of information (other than the enjoyment of conjuring up an image of a fox tail--perhaps slyly and absurdly twitching from somebody's armpit--in your mind's eye) is because I'm looking forward to dinner with my dear relatives at the Fox&Chicken this evening. And I must be hungry to be thinking of that already!

Hah, ok, this will conclude this random post from the mixed-up files of Yours truly. Receive my cheerful greetings and pass 'em on!