Hunting

I'm now back to my hometown in Central Finland where I'll spend the days before going to Japan. Seeing again the documents, passport etc. that I need on the trip made me remember the journey that I made at the end of July to Helsinki to get the visa.

It was like a hunting-trip in the prehistoric times. Ok, I have no idea what a hunting-trip could have been in the prehistoric times but whatever it was like, my experience had surely something to do with it.

I was like Frodo. Trying to take the very important documents (couldn't wear them around my neck, I'm sorry) to the final -far far away- destination that would determine my future. My final destination was not exactly Mt. Doom but in any case I felt some deep connection with the poor hobbit. I could have that connection for some other reasons, too, you could say... heh.

I went to Helsinki by train after reaching Jyväskylä by bus. I arrived to the capital at noon and I immediately noticed something new and strange for me. It was warm! Hot, I could say! And I also saw something else: tourists. But not some tourists, or even many tourists. There were LOADS of tourists there, all packed in the small capital with the locals, which was something very surprising to me. I could hardly fit in the city!

I stopped seeing the tourists as invasive orcs and I really started to enjoy the beautiful weather and the fact that I was visiting the cultural heart of Finland. I went to see art exhibitions in Ateneum (they were about Lapland, what a coincidence!) but soon after that I searched the embassy.

So white as usual

The Japanese embassy was very easy to find. I liked that part of the city because it was cleaner than other areas and it's next to the sea. The embassy is located in a posh bulding with ebassies of other countries. I was told to take the lift to the fifth floor, and so I did.

I must confess that I was quite surprised when the door of the lift opened. For some seconds I thought that I had accidentally entered some closet for cleaning equipment. But I found the right hole in the wall to get into the embassy and I finally reached my destination. Any hobbit would be proud of me.

Near the harbour

They were very friendly at the embassy and I even saw the ambassador! So I got the visa in the end! So happy!

Really.. I thought this was funny...

I spent four hours in Helsinki that day. It was a long day altogether, but it was worth it. I had spoken on the phone with a lady from the embassy a week before going there, and she strictly told me not to nag and whinge when I go to their office. "Complain", in the polite way of speaking (she didn't use the polite way). I promised her not to do so. And I kept my promise... because there was nothing to complain about there! :D

So my visa-hunting is over now and I'm just waiting to fly to east!

Oh, and a special thank-you for those who read my blog! It is so much nicer to keep a blog when you have even a few reades. Thank you! Kiitos!  謝謝! Gracias! Merci! ありがとうございます! Спасибо! Rahmat!