exams & goodbyes + random stuff

...and heat. But now I seriously don't wanna complain about that because in two weeks, I have to adjust to huge temperature difference. So, I need to seize the last times of this heat before going to Finland (= to freeze..).

These two weeks have been more or less confusing and mixed. I have been quite stressed... okay, stressed as h*ll. that's why it's so weird now that I don't actually have almost anything to stress about. The situation is unfamiliar :D Well I still have one exam left, English for business, but there's not much to study for it. Of course I'm also a bit nervous about passing my exams or not - waiting for the results - but there's nothing I can do but wait. So let's wait.

the last day of studying for Spanish economy... well, no-one can say that i haven't tried!

Tuesday was a weird day. I've told you about the Spanish economy course, the one that was far too difficult for me because I don't have the basic economic knowledge for that. I've been afraid of that exam for this whole spring and Tuesday was the day. Seriously, on Monday evening and Tuesday morning before the exam, i was so nervous. so so so nervous.. but I did my best in the exam and if it's not enough, at least I can honestly say that I tried my best and I did everything I could. But the feeling after the exam? Empty. I didn't know how to feel, what to do or what to think. The thing I had been nervous about for many many weeks was over. that was so weird! I came home and I didn't know what to do because I didn't have anything to study or write notes about. I just sit in my room, staring at my computer and thinking "what should i do?". Then, I packed my stuff, put on some sun spray and took a bike to the beach. Ahh how relaxing is was, just to lie on the beach and not stressing about any exams. The water was warm and the waves were high. That's what I call freedom.

And Tuesday evening was about the second word in the heading - goodbyes. It was the last night in Valencia for one of my friends. At 10pm I met some friends and we headed towards the beach with drinks and some snacks. It was a bit windy on the beach but it didn't matter - we had so much fun. I was tired (because I hadn't been able to sleep well the previous night due to the exam) but I still just wanted to stay there, to seize the last moments with some of the best persons I've got to know during the spring. Well I still have time to see most of them - but those were the last moments I could spend with the one who was leaving. She was actually the first person I got to know better at the beginning of the spring. She was the first foreign person in Valencia that I could call "a friend". Along the spring she has been in the Spanish economy classes with me, witnessing my frustration and helping me. That night I tried not to think about the fact that I seriously don't know when I'm gonna see her again. But when we were walking home after 3am and it was the time to say goodbyes, it was hard to avoid thinking about that. I honestly hate goodbyes, especially if the situation is such that you can't be sure about the next time you see each other. Thank god we have all the facebooks and systems nowadays so we're able to keep in touch... And I will definitely go to Poland one day, it's not so far away from Finland!

hahah the most exciting swing ive ever tried!

as you can see, formulas are coming to the town!

After Tuesday, these two days have been more or less the same. I've been lying (= almost sleeping) on the beach, swimming in the warm sea, enjoying the sun, not-enjoying a young boy who - well - "harassed" me and well. just relaxing!

Yesterday I sent a job application and today they called me to set up an interview, for the next week after I go back to Finland. I'm quite happy! So, if they're content with me, I will most likely get some working shifts already in July. And the firm is a "labor-renting-firm" that delivers workers to their customer companies. And for workers that means that they offer them shifts in various firms (my field would be hotels, restaurants and events - mainly catering and waitressing) and then the workers can either accept to do the shift or turn down the offer. I decided to send an application to that firm because of the flexibility and variability of the shifts and the fact that I'm able to decide myself how much I want to work and which kind of shifts I want to take. And that kind of job is also quite easy to combine with the studies. So, I hope that the interview goes well!

University campus

Tomorrow is a big day as it's finally time for UEFA EURO 2012 TOURNAMENT! I've bee waiting for it for a long time so I'm excited about the fact that the day is finally here!

VAMOS ESPAÑA!

from weheartit.com

random stuff + nervousness!

(written yesterday, I just didn't get it published)

Just to avoid school work (French oral exam tomorrow - I'm gonna die), I came to tell some random things. Just to ramble something.

Firstly, it's weird how Spanish (and some other foreigners too) find it sooooo weird that I live on my own in Finland. For them it just doesn't make sense that I'm only 20 years old and I live alone. I always have to explain that no, I don't mean I have an own room, and no, I don't mean that I live in a student dormitory / residence because of school, and no, I don't mean that I share an apartment with my friends - I seriously mean that I live on my own, in my own (rental) apartment, only me living there. Usually that's enough of explaining, then they just look at me a bit weirdly. They can't see why people move out of their parents' apartments so early. One day I had this conversation going on again, with a Spanish guy. In addition to these basic questions and explanations, he asked "but who cleans up there?" and "but who cooks?" :D He just couldn't imagine that I would do also that kind of things by myself. hahah the astonishment on his face when I was like "ehhh... me?". And when it came to the fact that I also have a job and I also work along with the studying, that was far too much for him to handle :D "what! why!!"

So yes, foreigners, just to clarify that at least in Finland (a) it's quite common to live on your own at the age of 20, (b) if you live in your own apartment, you cook and clean up by yourself (no housekeepers or personal chefs, at least if you're not rich & lazy :D), (c) we do have domestic education at school (during the junior high school - basic education about housekeeping skills and knowledge, including cooking), (d) almost every student (at least at the university / academic level) is working along with the studies, just to earn some money for living (even though we also get some student allowance, of course).

Another thing I wanted to tell about is HOW IRRITATING IT IS THAT SOME TV PROGRAMS FINISH THEIR SEASONS WITH TERRIBLE HAPPENINGS AND THE WATCHERS ARE TORTURED TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT SEASON THAT IT NOT COMING OUT IN A WHILE. I'm sure that many of you agree with me on this one. And in this case, I'm talking about Grey's Anatomy - they have made it too many times. I shouldn't watch season final episodes before the next season has already started because I can't handle the waiting. On Friday I watched the season 8 final (that came out in the U.S. on Thursday, in Finland it's gonna come out in a month or so) and _they_did_it_again_. I warn you, be prepared if you're a GA watcher and you think you've already seen it all during the 8 seasons. You haven't. And now there are too many months to wait.......

 (written today)
As you can see, I was quite bored with the school stuff yesterday. I went out for a while just to clear my mind. I went to "Jardin de Ayora", a little park I had passed by a few times when cycling to a shopping center - every time I passed it I thought that I have to go there one day, so yesterday I did it. There were a lot of older people spending their Sunday :) The sun was shining when I went there - but just out of nowhere, the sky looked like this:

So I decided to go back home. The thunderstorm came but it took only 20 minutes or so, and then the weather was sunny again. wtf :D Later I got so stressed about everything that I though I was gonna blow up.

 
Today I've been just nervous because of the French oral exam. And I still am, I can't concentrate on anything right now. Me and my partner's exam is at 7pm, and we'll meet at the university at 6pm, so soon I have to get going..! Please, fingers crossed that everything goes well. I will probably come and update something after the exam - if I'm capable to do that and not too angry or disappointed etc because of not passing..... I will pass it! I WILL!

edit 19.45: WELL PASSED! i'm soooo relieved!!

not gonna give up

My university classes are cancelled today because of a protest / strike etc. But that doesn't mean "a day-off" for me - there are still too many things to do, such as a few presentations, preparing for the oral exam (French) or starting to study for final exams (panic!). Today I've spent some hours with the Spanish economy -course material (the course I'm most likely gonna fail). My feeling of failing the course only strengthened as the professor had uploaded some previous tests for us to see. I could actually answer to none of the questions. How encouraging... One example (from last fall's exam):

Question 4  
In  2008  and  2009  it  seemed  that  the  Spanish  banking  intermediaries  coped  well  with the  negative  impact  of  the  global  financial  crisis.  However,  starting  from  2010 important  problems  raised  in  the  Spanish  banking  system  which  have  led  to  a profound reform of the sector 
a)  Explain  the  reasons  behind  the  reduced  impact  of  the  financial  crisis  in  the  Spanish 
banking  sector  compared  to  other  banking  sectors  in  Western  economies  in  2008  and 
2009. 
b) Explain the nature of the banking crisis in Spain starting from 2010 and its impact on 
the real economy. 
c) What tools have been used to address the banking crisis?

Other questions included some tables and figures so I couldn't use them as an example. But now, you know what I mean? Situation would be completely different if I was studying economics or financing or ... but let me remind you, I'm studying hotel and restaurant management / tourism. I haven't had any courses of economics (macro-, micro-, international -, ..) so I have no basis for this whole course. I seriously shouldn't have chosen this course, or I should have dropped out of it in the beginning. But now, here I am. At least I can honestly say that I've learned a lot, even if I didn't pass the final exam. I don't believe in my chances to pass it but at least I know that I'm doing the best I can. I'm not a person who gives up so easily..!