Week in review

(Cross-posted on the CHAFF Blog.)

This is getting to be a habit as I just do not seem to get any time during the week to update my blogs. So here again I try to review past events. You will have to wait another week to get to see the saturday Puzzle!

Nang is the lady on the right holding the child.

First, I give news of our latest addition to our Oulu community. Nang and Sami had a baby girl on Saturday evening. The possible name will be Hilla, as that was yesterday's name for the day and also because Nang and Sami want a real old fashioned name. However, the baby will have 3 names, including possibly Sami's mother's name.

The baby is 50 cm long and weghed 3.8 kg when born. Labour was long but at the end of it, when I spoke to Nang, she was happy to hold the baby. Sami gave me the details when he arrived at the Pailin Restaurant to pick up some Thai food for Nang!

Congrats to both of you from all our CHAFF community.



Last week Soda had a football match which was played in almost impossible conditions. Heavy mist made visibility almost zero. Soda was tried in a new place and he played extremely well. The Oulu Blacks won quite easily 3-1.

Yesterday was the last game for the football team that Soda plays for. They had lost a game at Tornio, but the coach of the Oulu Blacks discovered hat the Tornio team had used overage players and not paid the required fees to the organisers. So the result was overturned and the game was awarded to the Oulu Blacks 3-0.

So they went to their last game waith a 8 straight wins. And the minute the game ended, Soda sent me a text message and then called to say that they had won 3-0 and that he had scored a goal - with the left foot.

That was stupendous news, as Soda has played in many different positions, most of them hampering his style of play. He needs place to move and it was in the last week's game that he was played in a position, outside left, which game him a chance to show his real skill. He had several shots at the goal and was unlucky not to score, so yesterday's goal was one long overdue.

Great work Soda.

On Wednesday evening I was called to the Walda Youth Centre as Ilmi had got a new music mixer for the Centre and he had asked the Thai Boys, Kim. Soda and Yut, to give a performance of their style of Thai music. The music was superb and the small Walda audience was stomping. As the window was open, I saw several passers-by stopping to listen to this unusal rhythm and sound.

(Photos from my evening at Walda are not yet ready. This one is from a report I still hacve to publish!)



The only problem is that the boys have not learnt stage body language. Soda is a natural performer, but the other two were not making the important eye contact with the audience. They were expressionless. That is not what a hit group does. But the group is so young that there is tremendous potential to develop a great group out of them.



Saturday was also Rugby day. I missed last week where they turned the tables on the Helsinki side who had whipped them just a couple of weeks before. This time Oulu won and won comfortably.

But this week the story was different as injuries cramped the Oulu side again and they were not up to the mark against the side from Tampere. There were occasional flashes of brilliance as a long run try by the Oulu Captain.

I got a shock this last week when I went to the Wholesale shop and saw this kilo price for mangoes.



Euro 2630 for a kilo of tinned mangoes - but closer inspection found it was an error!

Ildi and Ilari are back and I am glad to say that Ildi has connected with Gina. Already as she was driving in from Jyväskylä, Ildi was on the line to me to get Gina's phone number. I am sure the two of them will do some great work in Monika.

Let us hope you do not have to wait till next week to get an update of this blog!