There are a couple of yikes factors. I entered this Gurushots photo challenge by mistake. As always, I was only supposed to participate in the challenge and not enter the exhibition. The entrance fee for the photo exhibition was about 9 euros. But what was done is done. I entered with 4 photos, and this got the most votes. So now I’ve been selected to be one of the over 1000 digital photos to be displayed in the exhibition. I got an invitation to the opening night in November in India. But of course I won’t go. I’m just happy to be part of the photo exhibition.
Photo: Yours truly, 2025. Taken with Canon EOS 40D
The other yikes factor is that my birthday is around the corner, on June 2. How time goes fast. In two years, I’m turning the big 5 0. That’s even more yikes, but I prefer not to think that far ahead. Age is nothing but a number anyway. I won’t be celebrating that day, but the next day. I will see Duran Duran in concert for the second time. This time, it’s indoors, so there won’t be weather problems like it was in 2022. That was a wet one, but I still had a good time. I can’t wait for this one. I’ve got a good seat. Or it’s standing since it’s on the floor.
The most yikes factor is the Kylie Minogue concert on June 23. It’s in a more difficult place to get to. First, I need to drive to Espoo, Finland, to the hotel and then take the tube from the hotel to the concert hall. I have never been in that part of the country. It’s close to Helsinki, but there was too much hustle with public transport from there, so I decided to go by car. At least then I don’t need to go by schedule. That’s going to be another travelling adventure.
There are many ways to travel to places. Besides going by bus and by car, I’ve mostly travelled by train. The problem is that it isn’t cheap. It’s a faster way, but if the bus is cheaper, I rather take that. No matter what way I travel, I can never sleep very well. Unless I’m exhausted. It’s the sleeping sitting up, even if you can turn the seat a little. The first time I travelled alone by train was when I was 17 when I went to study in another city. Or it was in a small town. It wasn’t fun to travel there the first time. I had no numbered seat, so I had to move to another one. The train was full, and I had things with me. I had to walk around on the train, trying to find an empty seat. I had to stand for the rest of the trip. Carrying all those things and then trying not to fall. Those trains weren’t as steady as they’re now. Luckily I always found a seat when I went home over the weekend. It was the 1990s, so you had to buy a ticket from the train station. Since I was a student, I had a series ticket, and if you wanted a numbered seat, you had to reserve it by phone. I didn’t want to do it since I didn’t like talking on the phone, so I rather sit where it was free. Today there are mobiles and apps to do all those things, so it’s much easier. I don’t use apps when it comes to buying tickets. I don’t really trust them. If I go somewhere, I buy the ticket via the computer and print it out on paper.
The best about taking the train is watching the view pass by. I’ve travelled by train early in the morning and seen the sunrise. Seeing it feels different on the train. I’ve seen a misty morning. The fields look like they’re cooling down, and smoke rises up from the ground. It’s a beautiful sight that is difficult to describe if you haven’t seen it yourself. You can’t really get the same feeling when you’re going by bus. My least favourite thing about trains is when they are crowded. Once when I studied in another town, I had to change trains. They were usually quite empty in the morning, so I thought it was strange that many people were in it. A moment later, I realised I was on the wrong train. I had to get out of it on the next station. Luckily the right train came behind the wrong one. If I hadn’t noticed I was on the wrong train, I would have got late for school and been in the wrong place. That was quite an adventure that time of the morning. I didn’t make the same mistake again.
I haven’t used the train for a while. If I had gone somewhere, I’ve taken the bus, because it’s cheaper. Next time I might take the train is when I’m going to see Elton John concert next month. The problem is, will it be moved to next year again? If you buy a train ticket, you can’t get your money back. Or it will be difficult to. If the concert will be on, they should inform about it as soon as possible, because the earlier I get to buy the train ticket, the cheaper it is. When it comes to public transport, the schedules are the concern. That day, the last train leaves after 8 pm, and the concert will be much longer than that. There won’t be any buses going either. Maybe I should stay at a hotel, but that isn’t cheap either. I won’t be driving there, because of different reasons. Whatever I chose, I rather go by train than a bus. Sitting on a bus for two hours isn’t good for my legs. I need to have them straight from time to time, or I will feel uncomfortable. So choo, choo train it is.
Being unemployed is not really a vacation. You constantly worry why no one hires you or how to update your resume. Then it’s the money thing. You have to live on someone else’s money. A.k.a the government’s money. But then when you think you won’t get anything, things change completely. That’s what happened to me today (Feb. 14). I went to a job interview and guess what, I got the job. It’s part-time and it’s pay subsidy. It’s still government money but I get more money than I do now. I will work as a media assistant and it contains what I’ve studied (e.g. photography and web design) The job begins on March 2. I mean my vacation is over. No more late evenings and sleeping until noon or longer. At least for 8 months. I don’t need to search for jobs and I get more work experience in my own field. Which is the most important thing. So in your face, employers.
The work is in an activity centre for the unemployed. I’ve been there before as an intern but the experience wasn’t fun. It was years ago and things have changed since then. I have to get up early because it’s a long way by bus. I could cycle there but the traffic can be a pain so I rather take the bus. It’s more convenient. Since the job is part-time I can do something else too. But I will probably be too tired after waking up early every day of the week so we’ll see. Now I don’t need to apply to jobs outside my field. I won’t get any of those and I don’t really want to. I’m both excited and nervous about this new adventure but at least I do something instead of waiting for something to happen.
In my world 