(Cross-posted on the Chaff Blog.)
The sun shone brightly today. As I stepped out into the garden, Annikki's flowers on those old steps were truly magnificent.
As I drove through the city, a pony and buggy parked, with children buzzing around, certainly told me that there was a feeling of summer here.
And as I went further, the Doggy offering sweets and a balloon to an old lady outside of the Fleamarket run by the Red Cross set the atmosphere for a great day.
I picked up Dr. Sebastian and Tingting from the University. Tingting cooked us a great Chinese meal at the Pailin Restaurant as she continues to teach Pailin how to make good Chinese grub. Tingting had to rush off as she was flying to China in the afternoon, but not before she picked my brains clean to sort out the next stage of her fast upwardly mobile career!
I took Dr. Sebastian around the City Centre which was alive with activities. It was the day of the Oulu Marathon which was run around the City starting and ending near the Market Place at the City Library. Thousands of watchers lined the route. The car parks were all full, and I was very lucky to get a parking place right in the city centre.
Running past the Oulu City Library.
There was an event organised in the Youth House in Oulu called NUKU. It was called "Marketing of Possibilities" and several Non-Governmental Agencies (NGOs) had small stands to explain what there goals were to the public.
Fumi is the tall Japanese lady on the left of the picture.
The Amnesty International table was well manned and of great interest to many. I met several friends around the table including Ville and Fumi. Dr. Sebastian was taken aback to know that he was well known as so many people who met him knew him as he had been featutred on this blog.
As we walked around we met several friends, but sadly, with each of the NGOs cramped together in such a small space, it was certainly not very possible for them to be demonstrative of their work and their achievements. I was happy to note that the Women's Empowerment group had a large and well organised and captivating show and I had the chance to meet Mervi Heikkinen, something which should have happened many many months ago!
World Comics of India is having an exhibition at the NUKU, but with all the NGOs stands plastered against the walls, it was not possible to have a view of what was on display, although we did see some Hindi comics splattered around. I managed to paste Dr. Sebastian against a poster of the Indian Express newspaper!
There was so much going on. It seemed totally confused with all the hubbub. I hope that future events will have more order so that visitors, like me, can get more out of the event.
From there we went to the CHAFF meeting at Pailin Restaurant and met with Kerstin.
Soda was there and he had just learnt a very serious lesson to listen to what his parents tell him. His cycle had been robbed - because, despite their several warnings, he had not bothered to lock it. His mother was very distraught. I reassured her that Soda would have learnt a lesson through this incident. I told Soda that now he had no cycle, he would now have no option but to jog to his training sessions and around the town.
Soda is certainly going to miss his cycle, but then, as they say you live and, hopefully, you learn!
Soda managed to catch this picture of Dr. Sebastian and me relaxing in the great sunshine which crowned most of this day. Although, the minute the sun went behind the clouds, we were all rudely reminded that summer was not quite here, as all had to rush to don their coats to keep warm!
As I drove Dr. Sebastian back to the University, after Pailin had armed him with a special Thai Sweet Chilli Wrap for his dinner, coming out of the Oulu Cathedral were finely togged people. They had just finished taking part in the convocation for Doctorates. They were certainly dressed in a lot of finery!
And so ended another great pre-summer day!
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