Tag: Finland

Success? What is that?

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Made in Canva by me.

When someone says the word “success,” it reminds me that I have not had much of it. I don’t remember them. I don’t really know what that means.

I only remember negative things. I haven’t had success with friends, my career, or the things people usually do. But I don’t need to. I want to be different. For me, success is in small things. Such as.

I learned a lot, and I’ve experienced things that some people haven’t. And I mean good things. For example, I know how they make movies. I’ve studied screenplay writing, and we filmed a movie scene from the scripts we wrote. There was no time for mine, but it was fun to film.

I succeeded in not falling into bad habits like drinking alcohol, smoking, and doing drugs. I haven’t seen a point in it.

I succeeded in learning English. I know more English than I did when I first learned it. I was in 3rd or 4th grade. It was then that we began to learn English in Finland.

I succeeded in traveling with my parents. So far, I’ve been in at least 13 or 14 countries. All in Europe. Now that they have passed away, I go alone. But traveling is expensive, so I’ve only been on cruises to Stockholm. After my dad passed away two years ago, I went to Stockholm overnight. It was the first time I’d traveled abroad alone. The last time I went was on my birthday, June 2. Some people never go anywhere, like my next-door neighbors. Poor kids who never see the world. Not even the city they live in.

I succeeded in finding an occupation that I was looking for. It took years, and when I finally did, I didn’t get a job. No clients to start a business. And no money is coming in.

I succeeded in going to live concerts. When I was younger, I never went to concerts. I didn’t want to go into crowds. But then in 2017, I went to see Robbie Williams. And after that, I got the bug to go to concerts. My dream is to go abroad to see a concert, but I don’t have the money. Duran Duran is in Stockholm in the Autumn, but that will remain a dream.

Small successes like that. But success that other people might think is. A good job, a family, or fame and fortune. If you have no respect for others, including those who are different. Think you’re above others because you have it better than they do; success doesn’t matter.

Even if you don’t have big successes, small ones should be enough.

The best concert I have ever seen

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The best concert I have ever seen
Made in Canva. Photos: Mia (me)
Daily writing prompt
What is the best concert you have been to?

I never went to concerts when I was a teenager in the 1990s, but I’ve been to some as an adult. I don’t have a favorite concert because they’re so different from each other. Different music genres. The concerts have been in Finland. I can’t afford to go abroad.

The first concert I was ever in was in 2017, when I saw Robbie Williams in Finland. I’ve been to several concerts since then.

I’ve seen Robbie Williams, twice. Toto, twice. Duran Duran, twice. Bryan Adams, twice.

Once with Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys. And the Finnish rock band, The Rasmus.

Last year I was at 5 concerts, but only 2 this year. Those were Finnish artists, and they were on a cruise ship.

If I had to choose one concert I’ve loved the best, then it must be Duran Duran. They are my favorite band. In both concerts in Finland, I was close to the stage. The first one was in 2022. It was outside, and the weather was rainy and chilly. But it didn’t matter because it had been a long wait, 40 years since they were here. The concert was on my birthday (June 2), so it was even better.

The 2nd was last year (2025). It was one day after my birthday. That one was inside. It was a bit unfortunate for me because I slipped in my hotel room and had to go to the emergency room. I thought I would miss the concert because I had to wait for so long to get treated. I managed to get to the concert, but I only saw half of it. I was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t fully concentrate on the show. I was in the pit, so I could move around. I forgot my discomfort for a while because their music and presence are a good cure.

All the concerts I’ve been to have been great. But the best ones are the ones where you can see the band or artist as close as possible. Not too close because you see best a little further away.

Sometimes the sound is so loud that you hardly hear what song is being played. But you go for the atmosphere and seeing your favorite in real life. You fold experiences into your memory, and you remember them for a long time. If not in your mind, at least in the photos you take.

I prefer concerts to festivals. I’ve never been to a festival because there is always some band or artist I can’t stand. I would rather spend money on music I like than on something I don’t. So long live concerts.

A voyage of 9 years on Grammarly

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Nine years in Grammarly
Happy Grammarversary!

I don’t belong to a book club. Never have. But I have been using Grammarly for 9 years. There’s a voyage of learning English. In Finland, we start to learn English in the 3rd or 4th grade. It depends on which school you go to or which year. It was in 1987 or 1988 when I learned English for the first time. I was at least 10 years old, so it’s a long time. I even got a diploma for my improved English. I’ve learned a lot since then.

In Finland, we have English-language subtitles for movies and TV shows, so we learn from them. English has almost become my 3rd language, besides Finnish and Swedish. I listen to English music and read English books. I don’t belong to a book club, but I do belong to a Grammarly club.

I’ve used the Pro version, but I had to cancel it for a while. But now I have it again. The Pro version gives so much more. It checks the spelling and grammar. It’s a good way to learn English. Grammarly is not only useful when writing this blog, but it also works on mobile (Android, iPhone, iPad), Windows, and Firefox. It’s really useful, and it has helped me a lot.

I didn’t realise I’d already been using Grammarly for 9 years. I could almost put it in my resume 🙂 I know more about English than I did 10 years ago. If I hadn’t learned English, this blog would not exist. Not other writing in English, for that matter. I only wish I could learn other languages as easily as this. Those lessons don’t stick in my head as well as English does. And I thought I was good at learning languages, but I guess it’s only English. So far, I’ve managed fine. My dad didn’t speak any language other than Finnish, so my mother and I were guides when we were abroad.

The voyage to another level of English continues.