me complaining about my job and listening to great music

I'm tired of my job again. I only work a couple of days every week, but this just makes it more frustrating. Right now, in the summer, I'd have the time to do so much more, and I also know that I function better when I'm active enough. Of course, this gives me the chance to spend more of my time doing things that actually feel rewarding for me to do, and I am doing that - I focus on my health, my art, I train, I write... - but I would still want to work more.

Of course, I also dream about simply finding a new job, a different one, one that relates ever so slightly to my area of knowledge. Or something where I could earn more. I'll keep looking.

This month I will take only one day off my normal work schedule, for the Jakobs dagar- weekend in two weeks, when I'll be revisiting my hometown again, as every year. This year I can specially look forward to one more reunion with the girls (we did this last year and hope to turn it into a tradition!) on Thursday and of course the Party Of The Year on Saturday.

...and midst my complaining, I found this on the zenhabits blog: http://zenhabits.net/discomfort-ruin/
-an article on learning to cope with your discomfort. Great timing again.

Listening to: Electric six, David Bowie (Hunky Dory!)

on junk, work and vacation

I decided by the end of May that I would not even touch any of my academic work throughout June. Why? Because I really needed the break. Now that June is almost over (still have no idea where the whole month disappeared to?!) I still think it was the right choice, it's been very good for me to lower the pace a bit for a while and allow myself to focus on the simple things - like my home and my health.

I've finally cleaned my flat up (not completely, but getting there) and also moved stuff around a little, for more space - and  I love the result! And at the same time I've finally got to throwing lots of junk out. The only thing that hasn't happened yet is the flea market table I had planned for. I did go and ask at a place, but the owner just said it was fully booked and  took my phone number to contact me whether this would change... and I still haven't heard from him. There are, of course, other flea markets in Turku but most of them have ridiculously expensive weekly fees.

In my last post I wrote that i now "should have more time to focus on my art", and I've tried to do that, too. I have done a number of sketches, but the really good ideas are never there when you crave them the most, I guess. Anyway, I'm hoping that this will also be easier to focus on now, with the worst mess gone from my home.

Where did I want to go with this post? I don't remember. It turned into one if these...

course weekend and the return of art theory

Sitting here trying to finish things for the weekend. As I'll be attending a course this weekend, there won't be any time to finish more of my job applications, essays or other assignments, so that's what I'm trying to do now instead. It's not going too well, but I did finish one more job application. I need to go home soon, so I can clean up at least the worst of the mess in my flat (for the cat feeder).

One thing, or rather two things, that I'm working on right now are two courses of art theory that I'm taking right now, one mandatory and one out of interest. So, yes, I'm officially back studying art theory now. Even though I said earlier that I would keep it as my minor after the change to ethnology, until now for some reason I never touched it. Just didn't get myself to it. Both courses involve working on an online platform, in one case just to submit weekly assignments while the other one includes (mandatory) forum discussions. I like the idea of the discussions, but it is very hard and tends to end up first a couple of students writing long, essay-like posts and then most of the others just throwing in last-minute comments on these. Which is not really the same thing as discussing something. Of course not saying that I would be any better myself.

This weekend's karate course is in Iitti, the youngest of the Finnish clubs. The course theme is quite simply kicks. I'm excited about this, it's a bit of a favorite area of mine and also, as I'm instructing right now (plan to do that for two more weeks) any new ideas on the theme are specially welcome! Bring it on!

Yay! New post!

Haven't been posting in a while again, I know. Writer's block, been distracted, lack of inspiration and/or time... Choose any excuse, all of them are about as close to the truth. I've also simply had a lot going on. At university, I've had more lectures this past month than I had in the entire semester before. (And the deadlines. God, the deadlines.) Since I wrote last, I've also survived two karate courses - one in Turku, hosted by my own club, and one in Otepää, Estonia. And there's one coming up next weekend, in Pargas. Looking forward to that, too.

The Easter holidays have been nice, and given me a chance to catch up a bit, as well as breathe out. I seem to be back on my exercise regime, too! Of course not in the same shape I was before the superflu but it shouldn't have to take too long to get back there.

What else is new..? I have now started to instruct at karate practice. It's both exciting and frustrating at the same time, especially since I haven't been doing it for way too long, so I do feel more than a bit rusty. I hope for higher attendance next week, just as much as I fear the same thing... Also, I'm still waiting to hear about two possible new jobs. Applications sent, got the answer that they'll be checking the applications this week (hey! It's Sunday!) so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed now. Really want a new job. So bad.

Ok, too much time spent pretending to work now, I might as well be heading home. see you!

Sunday randoms

It's been a good Sunday today! I've both enjoyed the day and got things done. I started the day with a long walk, and so did apparently the rest of Turku too. The weather was just lovely (Finally, after so many months I could actually feel the warmth of the sun. This almost magical feeling can't possibly mean as much to people from other parts of the world, can it?)- and every street and path I walked was crowded with people. I walked for an hour and a half, and when back home made double chocolate-raspberry muffins. The muffins were ridiculously good, but I'll still have to work a bit on the recipe.

Now I'm at university pretending to do Important Things. Just kidding, I have got some writing done on an essay I'm working at, thrown some emails around and made a new profile on one of the job hunting-sites (had to, because I had forgot my username and/or password), amongst other things. Still, yes, most things I've done here have been slightly less important things. But I'll allow that on a Sunday.

Sadly, I'll miss practice again tonight. New attempt on Tuesday!