After yesterday's blunder, when we decided to go shopping and found all the stores closed (even though they were open two Sundays ago, when we arrived... odd), we agreed to go on a little outing today and do the shopping while we were at it. After all, there were some special offers at Lidl, which we couldn't pass (pair of salami pizza at 5 euros). So, I've decided to show you some photos I took on the way. Let's go sight-seeing through Valkeakoski!
This is what the road looks like, from the dorm to the centre of Valkeakoski:
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It looks pretty much like something out of Lord of the Rings. On the sides of the road, all you see is:
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Now, when you get to the centre of the city, there is this nice fountain, and next to it, three pyramid-like structures, which I believe represent the Egyptian pyramids, though I have no idea what the connection is with Finland, in general, and with Valkeakoski, in particular. Anyway, it's there, and of course you can't overcome the urge to climb it and take a snapshot:
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On our way back, we admired the peculiar architectural design of Finnish homes. They tend to blend in with the environment. Here are some photos, you'll understand what I mean:
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It pretty much reminds me of this:
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About 10-15 minutes from the city centre, there is Lidl, the place where we get our stuff. Blessed be Lidl, except on Sundays, when it's closed, then I curse it:
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We ended up buying too much stuff, so I followed my brother's example and kidnapped a cart:
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Also, there are some weird statues here in Valkeakoski, like this... something, which I have no idea what it represents, and this other very communist-looking worker with a pick:
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Also, Finnish people have a great sense of humour:
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This sign says it all, though I can't really find the humour in that, only after relating it to something I saw on the net:
As a sidenote, in the whole time during our way to the city centre and back, 22 good-looking girls passed us on bicycles. I think you have to be really special here in Finland not to look good. I just love this place!
7 comments:
te-ai te-ai te-ai ... tuns:(
"brother's" - genitive
"brothers" - plural
your english sucks! and don't even try to blame it on the typo fairy, she was with me all this time.
looks nice, hope you lice snow-covered forests as well.
anyway, i'm glad you're having fun. now go back to work!
I fixed it. It was the typo fairy. Honest!
hmm... why do this sound familiar to me? - i just wonder :D
now, during the summer and christmas time all the shops are allowed to be open on sundays(as it`s been regulated by law - so summer and christmas are exceptions) but you can still find small grocery stores open on sundays all year round because our law-makers think it`s fairer for them if they get at least a sunday advance... - ah, finland the land of many wonders :D
by the way i boycot lidl because i don`t like it`s policy.
-finnish bug
Which policy would that be?
like not respecting the working hour laws, the workers have to actually prove that the lunch they bring(like bananas) is not taken from lidl, weird, mysterious attitude towards publicity(like in kemi on the opening day the photographer's of the local newspapers weren`t allowed to the shop nor the yard) etc...
i watched a finnish document about finnish lidl(have heard worser stories from another countries like the workers aren`t allowed to go to the toilet except women who are menstruating and wear a red headband) couple of years ago so it might have changed but i still feel uncomfortable of supporting such an ideology.
besides how can they sell stuff so cheaply if it`s not produced in a very suspicious conditions...
"does this sound familiar", not "do this sound" 3rd person singular !!
boycott is written with double "t"
"photographers" you need the plural, not the genitive
i'm sure you hate me now quite a lot :p but i promise i won't do this again...for a while.
i liked lidl in france because there were 2 low-cost shops "ed" (the french one) and "lidl" (the german one). ed was closer and i would usually go there, but lidl had a wider selection of meat products.
it is true that the trade unions in many european countries have criticised lidl for mistreatment of employees, breach of european directives on working time and so on. a judge in savona, italy, sentenced lidl for anti-union policies in 2003.
regarding boycotting stuff of dubious origins, my finnish bug, have you ever considered that the cellphone you are using (the tantalum capacitors in it) might have been made from coltan ore (columbite-tantalite) mined in congo by underage workers and the smuggled coltan used to finance the armed conflict there?
sometimes companies that don't even seem to have anything to do with coltan are involved in this (like bayer pharmaceuticals). a united nations committee investigating smuggling of resources from congo found around 125 companies and individuals involved:
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2003/1027
(you can even read the report in spanish :) )
i was a bit taken aback when i've first read about this. it's rather disconcerting thinking that by buying a playstation i'm supporting an armed conflict in congo.
i wish people would all just lay down on the grass and be happy. and anybody who doesn't want to lay in the grass, we'll just nail them there (with 9" nails) and drive a wooden stake through their hearts just in case :) and then everybody will be happy; and i shall rule over all of them (in your name, of course). *this was an in-joke, people who didn't get it should refrain from commenting*
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