I haven't ever kept track of how long I've had this little blog of mine, but I think it is turning two whole years this week. Feels weird, because I haven't really ever committed to it truly, since it has been just a place for me to write my random thoughts to, a bit like a diary I guess? So many of my friends have lately been telling me that I should get my act together and make something proper of this (especially now that I've had 4 free months to do just that...). So I thought, why not start now? Next week this time I am starting a whole new chapter in my life, so why not start a whole new chapter for my blog as well? Even though I'm terrible at committing, I think it would be useful to learn that skill at this stage of my life... Right? Anyway, here goes nothing;

1.  Are you named after anyone? 

Well, not exactly but my second name "Rosalla" (pronounced by a non-Finnish person it sounds like Spanish, but no I don't have any Spanish ancestry) was inspired by the musician "Rozalla". But I still suck at singing. 

2. When was the last time you cried?

A few weeks ago when I saw my parents at the airport in Milan. 

3. Do you have kids?

No.

4. If you were another person, would you be a friend of yourself?  

Well yes of course! ;) haha, but in reality it's easy for me to make friends, but hard to maintain the friendship cos I've just gotten so used to moving places all the time. But the good friends I have made in Singapore are for life. Or at least now it feels like it. 

5. Do you use sarcasm a lot? 

This is one of the things you can't avoid when having a conversation with me. Period. I use it in both good and bad, it just makes the world a better place. Or not ;)

6. Will you ever bungee jump? 

Yes. No. To be honest I don't know. Maybe with someone whom I trust more than myself?

7. What's your favourite cereal? 

Cheerios. The multigrain ones. I like it simple. 

8. What's the first thing you notice about people? 

Their style. I know, shallow, but hey I am studying Fashion Marketing! I have a reason to ;) Other than that, I've been brought up to the power of a good handshake when I meet someone for the first time. No one will take you seriously if you are like a dead fish. 

9. What is your eye colour?

It depends on the lighting. I'm serious! Sometimes blue, sometimes green, sometimes green/blue, sometimes green/grey, sometimes... I think you get it? :D

10. Scary movie or happy endings?

Definitely happy endings. I am a hopeless romantic. I mean yeah I really like the sound effects on "Stab" after "watching" it behind of a pillow at my friends birthday party when I was like 10? NOT. 

11. Favourite smells?

Clean laundry, home and dark chocolate. 

12. Summer or winter?

SUMMER. And spring. I don't hate anything as much as I hate that period in Finland when it's cold, there's this weird disgusting mix of water and snow and everything is either grey or brown. And it's dark. And everything feels dead. I mean EVERYTHING. 

13. Computer or television?

Computer. I think you all know why? Everything is on it. Even television. BTW! I find it so shocking that the shops that rent movies are closing down here in Finland, anyone else that agrees with me? It's sad that the kids growing up now won't have that argument with their siblings on a Friday night of which movie to rent, and that "hmm which candy should I get this week?". 

14. What's the furthest you've ever been from home? 

This is a funny one, as the ones of you that have read my stuff for a while know. I don't really know where my home is. BUT, they say that home is where your heart is, but I feel that half of it is here in Finland and half is Singapore. So.. I guess this summer has been it? And for sure when I move next Tuesday to Italy that WILL be the furthest. But again, that is my future home? Anyone confused? I am haha :D 

15. Do you have any special talents? 

Adjusting to new places maybe? And situations. And some would say languages but I'm not too sure about that. 

16. Where were you born?

Finland.

17. What are your hobbies? 

Gym, photography, cooking, listening to music, online window shopping and makeup (I don't know if that is truly classified as a hobby, buuut I use a lot of time to play with my collection).

18. Do you have any pets?

No, because sadly I am allergic to all those fuzzy balls of fur :( I would looove to get a French bulldog someday. Desensitization maybe? Hahah!

19. Favourite movie?

Letters to Juliet. Like I said; hopeless romantic. 

20. Do you have any siblings? 

Yes! A younger brother whom I miss a lot a lot!

21. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Happy. Happy with my job, happy with my financial life, happy about my health, happy about my family and the people around me. 

PHEW! I think that's it... and even if it wasn't, I think you get the picture of who is behind these lines :) I've been stuck on that smell question so badly this whole time that I strongly think that I will wrap myself up in my new blanket, open up Netflix and have a few pieces of chocolate! ;)

Dress / Pull and Bear // Sandals / Cotton on // Earrings / Bijou Brigitte

So, I've officially spent the first extremely hectic week in my future home town! And you know what? I still can't believe that I'm moving there :D Not that I didn't like the place though the traffic is unbelievable and  I can say good bye to walking to uni with my headphones on for real... I mean if I wanna survive there in one piece. In a way I felt at home, because of the amount of people walking around town and the noises and the fact that all the shops that I loved in Singapore are there. The mission was to find a shared apartment for me, and I couldn't have found a better one. All and all, the week was great though I needed to spend last two nights gaining back some of my lack of sleep.. Oh! And the food was great ;) of course it was great it's Italy duh. I was surprised how "cheap" the food is, so money saved there instantly! SO HAPPY.  

But now, I'm going to continue gathering my list for things I need to buy for my room and so forth... one month to go!

Jacket / Zara // Shoes / Converse // Jeans / Pull and Bear 

Earrings / BikBok // Necklace / Tiffany & Co.

Have you ever felt like your life is paused? Like there is this enormous rusted pause button in your head and your life, that no matter what you try or do it never goes down and switches to play? That's exactly how I've felt this entire summer, which seems to have no end at all though the leaves are already turning yellow.. I just feel that uni and my moving is a lifetime away and I still haven't quite realised that I actually am moving to Milan... I mean I don't even speak Italian, and I've been there once?! Plus my friends have been making fun of the fact that I can't eat pasta or potato or rice and I am moving to Italy... BUT I know I'd have regretted the choice of not accepting my uni place there, and hey at least I'll have a thick skin in three years time? 

Anyways, what comes to here and now, I am in Porvoo, South of Finland until Wednesday (going to Milan for a week to look for a shared apartment and a room for myself with my parents!). This summer has been non-stop travelling for me and I really am getting enough of living out of my suitcase. Just can't wait for October and to be able to call some place a home. 

 Yesterday the shops were open till late (10 pm.. which is the normal time for Singapore for shops to close so I'm finding it kinda hard 'cos the shops seem to close so early here) at the old part of Porvoo, so we went and walked around and visited some of the small stores which btw should try and have a bit better air con, it was boiling hot inside! Might have been also because of the people though.. made me feel actually at home 'cos of the crowd! I hate the fact that I can't really buy any house decor stuff, except for textiles, from here since they'd all get broken anyways... But the good part is that I know exactly what I want to buy now, and I won't waste money on nonsense.

x

Everybody has a place that is closer to their heart than any other place. The place that instantly makes your heartbeats blur into the background and makes you realise how wonderful life is and how lucky you are to be living the life you are living. It might be your childhood home, or it might be just a random place like a gas station, that other people see as a forgone conclusion. What matters however, is the memories you attach in your thoughts to the place. Personally for me, having born in South-eastern Finland, Koli is my "place". And not just because of the fact that it reminds me that hey Finland is your home, but because it is the most beautiful place I've ever been in. Trust me Bali and its white sand beaches and crystal blue waters are nothing compared to the sound of the loon (bird) in the middle of complete silence that opens when you climb higher to the mountains of this National Park. It feels like the only colours in the world are blue, white and green there. It feels like there is 10 times more air than you'd ever need. So if you ever get a chance, GO! (there is no place in Finland that would ever showcase the nature as well as Koli does, and nature is a part of the Finnish culture, or at least that's how I see it. Plus it makes you feel purified in a way.. you get a sense of serenity I guess?). Even if you are not the hiker type of a person, you can still go the cafe at the Sokos Hotel and have a rye bread with salmon. Doesn't get much more Finnish than that I think. 

The ones of you that have ever edited photos and especially the ones of you that have a blog, know the pain of keeping your photos crisp and clean on your blog (I can't surely be the only one having this dilemma?). Well that's pretty much the reason why I haven't been posting for this whole entire summer, not that I wouldn't have had things to share, but because I've been just so mad at myself for being so wonderful at using technology (NOT!). I want my photos to look nice because what is the point of even posting them, if they look like a snowy tv screen? I even tried out a whole new website but that didn't work out either. I had pretty much lost all my motivation and was going to close this blog down, until I decided to give one last go at it this morning by typing "how to remain photo quality on blogger" onto google (thank you god for google) and guess how many how to's I found?  How can a person be so relieved but so frustrated at the exact same time? Well, it's all in the past now, and from now on you can expect a post every single Monday from me! But I will do some catching up this week though...

And what comes to these photos here, I was finally able to celebrate my graduation here in Finland with my relatives in this bea-uti-ful place in Mikkeli called Tertti Mansion about a week ago. We always stop by there on our way to our summer house, and I couldn't have thought of a better place to celebrate (food played a big role.... ;) ). And hey reds to my brother I didn't honestly expect him to take such great shots! 

I have a few months left in Finland, and this fall is sure going to be an exciting one let's just hope that  I get through it without too many bumps and bruises!

I'm so happy that I'm finally allowed to publish this post! Few months ago this year, I made a favour to a friend of mine called Mark Lim , as he asked if I could model for his new movement/apparel line. Of course I said YES! The experience was amazing and we both had the best time we've ever spent together (the fact that we both do photography really helped, because of me not having done any modelling whatsoever, he was able to give me a bunch of directions). Also, I feel that I really fit into this brand, because well, I am an international student and as sad as it sounds, I don't really consider my home country Finland as my home anymore. Yes, it is a place for holidays like christmas and summer, but nothing else. It's a place where I can escape the reality and responsibilities. 

So, in order for you guys to understand what 'DONT BELONG' is all about have a read of this quote set by Mark himself:

How often do you question if and where you belong? For many in a rising generation of "stateless" people, that alien feeling is both the foundation for their constant searching and of their global success. 

'Third culture kids', though the world may be sick of hearing them lament, are a growing population of people raised without a singular home and without permanent sense of sticking. "TCK", a phrase used by sociologists and teens alike, is now decades old but no less generalizing. With such a wide network of people scattered across the globe, some made by their mixed ethnicity, some a product of foreign education and global companies, where is there a medium to express their stories?

We call it 'DONT BELONG'. Because the truth is we (as members of the "TCK" club) don't belong to any one place. We're global citizens and being abroad is just as homey a place as any. 

So how don't you belong? We want to know. The aim of this safe space is to create a community of people who feel mismatched and unrepresented in their surroundings.  We're sending out a beacon for all of you: international students, expatriate workers, or people who just seem to stick out.

We are a lifestyle movement, new and expandable. Our first two topics to cover: 1. Apparel (clothes, stickers, tanks..you wear it we want to see it), and 2. Art, (thats me, the ominous writer you've been reading) I'll be doing a set of 3D illustrations that scream DONT BELONG. 

Have a look around, and help us grow!

If you got interested (and even if you didn't!) just go and check out his works on Instagram ; @Markelim and make sure to follow him for more to come on 'DONT BELONG'!

It's been about 10 years since I first stepped into a classroom with my brand new fancy backpack and a pencil case as a 7 year old mini me. And now, 10 years later, having attended school in Finland, Germany and Singapore, I ended that journey yesterday receiving my high school diploma. Oh god, this one is going to be a tough one to write because I'm already tearing up.  I feel so grateful that I have had the opportunity to live abroad, because I don't think that I would be at all the kinda person I am now. I was so shy three years ago, and every time at school or anywhere where I had speak English, I got anxious because everyone was so much better than me, and I was scared that I will say something wrong. Now however, I am almost too social sometime and having attended OFS, with 70 nationalities amongst students, I have learned so much about different cultures, about different perspectives. So if you have an opportunity to go and study abroad, DO IT. You will only gain good things from it in the end even though at times it might seem hopeless. 

Anyway, yesterday was probably the most important day in my life so far, but it felt so surreal the whole day, and I still haven't quite realised that I actually did graduate (or then it's just because of the fact that we rehearsed it so many times this week...). It's just so crazy to think that yesterday I saw some of the people in my class for perhaps the last time ever? And that we are now being thrown into the deep end. And I can assure you that at least I am terrified. But then again, if you want to grow in life, you have to face challenges, but life shouldn't be all about that though. Sometimes staying on your comfort zone is good, because you get better and better at what you enjoy doing, and of course you can always ask for help. None of us will be left alone, nobody will have to face the first challenges alone, and I know I will take in every single advice my parents give me. 

The humorous part is, that since I did the IB diploma (oh how light it sounds... trust me it's not, got me paranoid because I still feel like I have an assignment or something undone), I won't know whether I have actually passed till the results come in during the summer. So cross your fingers for me will ya? Not that I need to get a straight row of 7's, but that I do pass which I'm sure I will, since I already got into university. So yeah, next step is moving to Milan, and having a fresh new start there, cannot wait what those three years will have in store for me!