I was trying to get the database for the calendar dispatch ready when Soda called at 9:55 am. His football game was at 10:00 am and would I be coming to watch him. He was going to be wearing his 88 Shirt which we had gone together to get on Friday evening.
I rushed to the Oulu Dome. The game was already under way and Soda's side was 2 down. But, they played well there on and levelled the score. Then Soda scored a wonderful goal from over 40 metres out which slammed into the net.
The opponents levelled. As I had to rush out for our Oulu Chamber of Help meeting, I said goodbye to Soda who was off the field for a moment. I later learnt that Soda's side won the game 4-3.
Our Oulu Chamber of Help meeting was supposed to be at the Internet Cafe, but as the owner, Saikou, called in sick, we moved the venue to Pailin's Thai restaurant.
I picked up Subramaniam Paneer Selvam from his house across town. After picking up Kamu and Kannan from the Internet Cafe, we assembled at the Thai restaurant.
We were later joined by Ilari Sohlo, Pentti Paakki and Bill Zhang. We were also joined by Kenneth from Kenya who had dropped in to give a small Christmas gift to Soda.
We had a great meeting.
Unnop and Pailin served up some good pizza and kebab, to everyone's satifaction. We welcomed Paneer, who felt quite at home and he told us about the tsunami experience when he was helping handling bodies soon after the disaster with 3 days of no sleep. He was also relieved that he did not have to spend another Sunday locked up alone in his flat.
Paneer also gave Kamu a lot of leads and personal experiences about Gobar gas. Kamu is keen to introduce Gobar gas plants in Zambia so to save the destruction of the forests.
After the meeting, Kannan and Paneer came home and met Annikki, had a cup of tea and some coconut chocolate cakes. They were soon chatting away as they had been friends all their lives, sharing experiences about cobras, scorpions, deadly green snakes and water snakes and harmless grass snakes.
I dropped both Kannan and Paneer off at Paneer's flat so the two bright youngsters from neighbouring villages in India, now thrust together in this cold north near Arctic location, could continue their bonhomie.
It was a great Sunday again.
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