#monthlyfavorites September

I feel like September just rushed in and out. Days passed by so quickly. I can't believe tomorrow is October already! 

Like every month I have been loving some products more than others and I am here to share them :)

Thought: May you wake with gratitude - I love quotes and thoughts. In September I have been loving this one. Every morning when I wake up I try to think happy thoughts, be positive (even if I am super tired and would lovee to sleep longer!) and just be grateful for everything good I have in my life :):)

Book: Across the Universe - This is the first book of that trilogy. I absolutely loved that book! It was an easy read. I mainly read that in train on my way to work and back. I felt I really got to go into the story and I just couldn't put the book down! I am going to order two other parts very soon!

Treat: Fazer Pure Dark chocolate with roasted corn - mmm, I am enjoying the taste of this chocolate right now while writing this blog post. I love that the chocolate is dark (70% cocoa) and the roasted corn is a perfect compliment! The taste reminds me of something.. I don't know what, but when I eat it it just makes me happy and a bit nostalgic :)

Lip product: Rimmel lip balm Keep Calm and Party - I love purple lipsticks, but this purple sheer lip balm is the best! I like how it gives nice purple shade to your lips, but it's not like a lipstick purple. And it also keeps my lips moisturized. Only downside is the smell - doesn't smell good..

Activity: Finnish Course - In September me and my husband both started going to Finnish classes. It's twice a week and the beginners level. Even though I have already been through that level it's still nice to revise everything..and going to school with my husband is the best part of it! Plus surely getting new friends, learning more Finnish and being able to practice it!

Clothing item: Knee high socks - 2 years ago I got two pairs of knee high socks from my best friend for Christmas. She sent them all the way from Mexico. I have been wearing these socks like no other.. mostly in autumn and winter. When the weather got colder this month I dug up these socks again and have been wearing them so much throughout September!

Place: home - whenever it gets colder and darker I really enjoy being at home! I have been baking every weekend, burning candles, reading books and snuggling in my blanket while watching my favorite tv shows. Home is the best place to be at!

#monthly favorites: August

August went by so fast. Mainly because my work started in the beginning of August so I was working this whole month! But sure I did other things as well and most surely I loved some products :)

Here are my August favorites:

Book: Never Let Me Go - This book took me a whole month to read it :/ I just didn't have so much time and at first I wasn't so into it. But the story was still very interesting and the more I kept reading it the more I was hooked! I finished it today and if I think back it was such a good read! Very different from all the books I have read before!!! (while searching for a photo here of this book, I found out there's also a movie made after this book...and I just realized I have even seen that movie. I remember I started watching it while it had been on for about half an hour and I found that movie quite confusing..but not that I think about it I's much clearer now that I have read the book!)

Treat: Kingis Mint & Chocolate ice-cream - I don't want to think how many packs of this ice-cream I ate in August..Too much for sure, but I love the combo of mint and chocolate!!! It's probably my favorite ice-cream!

Equipment: bicycle - I have riding my bicycle every single day in August. I ride it when I go to work every morning, or just whenever I want to go somewhere fast! It's so good my bike has a basket in front because when I come from foodshop I like to put my groceries in there!

Lip product: Maybelline Baby Lips "Cherry Me" - I like this tinted lip balm. It gives just enough pinkish red tint to my lips, moisturizes and looks so natural! 

TV show: New Girl - This show makes me laugh and whenever I think of that show I instantly have a smile on my face! This show just makes me feel good and I always like to have something funny in my life!

As you can see I don't have so many favorites this month. I spent most of my days in August working, but I also enjoyed spending time with my family and enjoying all that the end of the summer has given me (especially apples!) :D

Why didn't I know about it??

Kui Rumal Ma Olen? Sain alles nüüd teada, et selle raamatu järgi, mida ma hetkel loen, on tehtud ka film. Teadsin, et "The Fault if Our Stars" on päris tuntud ja populaarne raamat, aga ma ei teadnud, et sellest ka film on. Juheii! Hetkel on mul raamat veel pooleli, aga tahan selle nüüd veel kiiremini läbi lugeda, et juba filmi vaadata. Raamat mulle igatahes meeldib. Praegu on mu lemmik mõttetera raamatust järgmine:

"Everybody should have true love, and it should last at least as long as your life does."

Ma ei taha rohkem selle raamatu ega filmi kohta praegu kirjutada (sest raamat on pooleli ja filmi vaatamist ma pole veel alustanudki). Küll aga teen nende kohta postituse siis, kui olen mõlemaga lõpetanud :) Siis panen pilte ka ja lisan veel mõningaid lemmikuid mõtteterasid! :)

//How Stupid Am I? I just realized that the book I am reading has made into a movie. I knew that book was pretty popular, but I didn't know there was a movie about it! Now I am even more eager to finish it up quickly so I could see the movie. I must say that I  really enjoy the book. So far my fav quote from the book is:

"Everybody should have true love, and it should last at least as long as your life does."

 I don't want to write more about the book or the movie here (I haven't finished the book and I haven't even started with the movie). But if I have finished with both of these I'll definitely write a review with my thoughts and maybe some more fav quotes :) //

book review: Minu Jaapan

Lugesin eile läbi raamatu "Minu Jaapan", autoriks Maret Nukke.. Mõtlesin, et kirjutan nüüd kohe ka oma emotsioonid ja mõtted, mida selle raamatu lugemine tekitas. 

Esiteks, mulle väga meeldib selliseid erinevatest rahvastest, kultuuridest ja maadest rääkivaid raamatuid lugeda. Eelkõige seetõttu, et mul on omad vähesed teadmised mingi maa või rahvuse kohta, kuid eks see ole rohkem eelarvamus. Sellepärast ongi huvitav lugeda ja avastada midagi hoopis uut ja kummutada sellega enda eelnevad arvamused.

"Minu Jaapan" avas mulle ukse täiesti teistsugusesse Jaapanisse. See pole üldse sarnane sellega, mida mina Jaapani kohta teadsin..või arvasin. Kõige enam just muutus mu arusaam jaapanlaste kohta. Nimelt kumas raamatust läbi jaapanlaste kollektiivsus. See on neil tõesti tugev. Sellest tulenevalt käituvad jaapanlased väga kindlate reeglite alusel, sest selles kultuuris pead sa meeldima inimestele, muidu võib sinust saada heidik. Ja heidik ei taha keegi olla. Isegi pered, kus laps näiteks on end muust maailmast eraldanud ja end oma tuppa lukustanud, varjavad seda tuttavate eest, et neid ära ei põlataks. Ühesõnaga, ühiskonna heakskiit on ääretult oluline Jaapanis. 

Jaapanlased planeerivad oma tegevusi viimsete minutiteni. Näiteks tõi autor välja, et kui nad külastasid Jaapanit välismaalt tulnud jaapani keele õpetajatega, siis nende päevad olid tõesti nii ära planeeritud, et enda mõteteks või tegevusteks aega ei jäänudki. Kusjuures see, et sa ei taha mingit monumenti näha, oli jaapanlastele arusaamatu ja isegi ebaviisakas (olgugi, et monument tekitas vaatajas lihtsalt halbu emotsioone). 

Mida ma tegelikult ka enne Jaapani kohta teadsin, on nende värvilisus - poed on värvilisi nipsasjakesi täis, samuti on noorte riietus väga värviline. Jaapanis on koolis õppimine ka hästi oluline ja õpingute suhtes ollaks väga range. See on ilmselt sarnane Hiinaga, kus vanemad utsitavad lapsi õppima, võttes selleks ajaks neilt ära isegi mobiilid ja Interneti. Selline õppimine ja hariduse tagaajamine tekitab õpilastest tohutut pinget. On ju teada, et igal aastal teevad Hiinas eksamite sooritamise ajal väga paljud õpilased enesetappe - siis kui eksam ebaõnnestus või juba enne seda..õppimise pinges. Usun, et Jaapanis on olukord sarnane. 

Uus teadmine minu jaoks oli see, et Jaapanis on ametikoht peaaegu et igavene. Üldiselt on nii, et kui sa lähed ühte firmasse tööle, siis oled seal elu lõpuni, st pensionini. See omakord võib kaasa tuua ka selle, et kui sulle seal parasjagu tööd pole (nt on mingi kriisiaeg), siis pead lihtsalt seal passima või tegema mingit "nähtamatut tööd".

Eriti meeldis mulle selle raamatu juures jaapanlaste naljakate või meie jaoks harjutmatute elukorralduste kirjeldused. Näiteks kannavad nad toas alati susse..paljajalu käimine on imelik. Vannitoas tuleb aga jalga panna teised sussid. Tihti on nii, et kui vannis käiakse, siis käivad kõik pereliikmed samas vees. Aga vannis vaid leotatakse end ning siis pestakse seebiga end vanni ees. Nii ei lähe ka vannivesi seebiseks ega väga mustaks. Seda tehakse vee kokkuhoiu pärast. 

Kui meil 1990.aastate alguses veel eriti suur prügisorteerimine ei toimunud, siis jaapanlased olid meist ees. Nimelt neil käis see seal juba siis väga-väga hoolikalt ja kindlate reeglite järgi: pappkarbi pealt pidi isegi tähed välja rebima, kui need olid sinna trükitud materjalist, mida ei saanud ümber töödelda. Ja erinevad prügid pidi viima kindlal nädalapäeval kindlal kellaajal (nt kl 5 hommikul) kindla posti juurde. Kui viisid eelmine õhtu enne magama minekut, siis hiljem said naabritelt pureda. 

Autor kirjutas oma lugusid Jaapanist ja elust seal väga värvikalt ja lõbusalt. Palju oli ka kirjeldusi erinevatest pühamutest ning väga meeldis mulle ka see, et raamatus oli mitmeid jaapanikeelseid sõnu :) 

Üleeile, kui Helsingis jalutasin ja jaapanlasi nägin, siis vaatasin neid kohe teise pilguga. Mõtlesin, et kas need on tõesti need samad jaapanlased, kes teretamisel käe surumise asemel hoopis kummardavad (et mitte kehalises kontaktis olla). Imestama panev, sest varem, kui mõtlesin kummardavast jaapanlasest, tuli ikka silme ette mingis kloostris elav munk või muu pühakutele pühenduja. Aga ei, kõik jaapanlased kummardavad. Kusjuures kummarduse sügavusel on ka erinevad tähendused ;)

Ühesõnaga, põnev ja silmaringi laiedav lugemine!

//I read a very good book yesterday. It's called "Minu Jaapan" (My Japan). Author writes about her life in Japan. It's very interesting to learn more about Japan, the culture there and about the japanese. Some things made me laugh, some things came by surprise and overall I think now I see Japan and japanese differently than before. But in a better way! //

Raamatut saab endale osta ja selle sisututvustust lugeda SIIT.

that's how I roll..

Täna oli jälle selline kahtlane ilm. Päike paistis, aga taveas olid tumedad pilved. Johannes oli täna tööl 12 tundi ja ma olin üksi kodus. Tegin süüa ja lugesin raamatut. Eile õhtul avastasin, et ma olin kevadel ostnud endale "Minu"-sarjast raamatu "Minu Jaapan", aga polnud seda lugenud. Mul täiesti ununes, et see riiulil lugemist ootab. Eile ma ta avastasin ja täna lugesingi. Nii huvitav on Jaapani kohta palju uut teada saada! :) Mõnusalt ladusalt kirjutatud!

Kui Johannesele töö juurde vastu läksin siis klõpsasin mõned pildid ka :)

PS! Tegin täna endale hommikusöögiks riisiputru, mis on minu puhul midagi uut, kuna mulle pole kunagi riisupuder eriti maitsenud. Kuid täna hommikul oli selle isu, tegin ja nautisingi. Maitsed muutuvad :P

//It was such a weird weather outside today. Sun was shining, but there were dark clouds on the sky. Johannes had a long day at work today and so I was home alone. I was cooking and reading mostly. I found a book that I bought in spring but never got chance to read. It's called "My Japan" and it's very interesting. I have learnt pretty many new things about Japan from that book ;) 

When I went to Jay's work today I took some photos on the way.//