rememeber that @cybette
& @constantine work
at Nokia - home of the multimedia computer (mobile phone to the
rest of us :)
Don't knock 9500, they are really useful self defense - pull one
out and if the mugger does not run off due to your
awsome dsiplay of strength, they you can use it as
an effective weapon
This is turning into stefan's cellphone spyku. @jukka well, i have 3 phones (one of
which is an e90), let's hope that's enough. There is free wifi at
the hotel though...
Step 02: all checked in, the security spotted something in my
hand-carry they wanted a closer look at, turned out to be my nail
clipper instead of my 3 handsets :)
@constantine: No, I'm
not going out with a 17 year old. :) She's one of my flickr friends
who I'm meeting up with to talk photography when I'm in Rio.
She just had a birthday so I figured I'd bring her something
little, like a case for her new camera. (Found some cute ladies'
styles at http://jill-e.com/
!)
Coming to her flat in the morning and seeing me drink orange
juice out of the carton naked with one hand scratching the ass
check with whip marks from the previous night, how is that for
scary?
I hate to correct @map (nah,
who am I kidding :P ) but there is no exact phoneme in standard
Finnish that sounds like the English /g/ because the distinction
between voiced and unvoiced stops is not phonemic. This of course
does not preclude a native speaker from code switching mid-sentence
and pronouncing a word with foreign inventory of phonemes. This is
how voiced stops are articulated by "educated" people as some of
you may very well know. :) Finnish inflections can be added to
foreign words with various levels of ease, the biggest hurdle being
to apply the vowel harmony and consonant gradation rules when the
vowels and consonants don't fit the Finnish system.
As to the letter/grapheme "g", it exists in native words only as
a digraph "ng" which represents the palatal nasal which is normally
geminated or double in length. This is due to "ng" being the weak
consonant grade of "nk" -- kenkä : kengät being
the perfect example like @map
mentioned.
Finnish does show a tendency of voicing intervocalic stops into
spirants or approximants not unlike how you pronounce spanish "b",
"d" and "g". This happens in lax speak and at the end of words
where the stress is at its weakest. The varieties of spoken
language that are most urbanized and affected by English and
Swedish show this phenomenon the most IMO.
Step 08: took me over an hour to get up, feeling cold with a
sore throat. Breakfast with french pancakes and hot chocolates
helped. I think stefan is suffering from laptop withdrawal, he got
up at 6:30 and kidnapped my e90 for more than an hour.
Step 09: been walking around all morning, Riga is
gorgeous! Now taking a break in "Salt n Pepper
bar" with a couple of beers. @ymb i think he was just interested in
using the browser and gmail on the big screen. Not thorough enough
for a full review but we'll see :)
Step 10: having lunch at Soraksans, a korean restaurant. The kim
chee was not bad, the pot stickers too oily, and the sundubu spicy
but otherwise short on real taste. A bit disappointed but still
nice to have korean after more than 7 months without
Step 11: tea at Goija. Interesting place. Stefan's "tie guan
ying" is really good, and my "green pagoda" is pleasantly sweet
once the tea leaves opened up after the second round. The hippy guy
has 4 nice black hoop earrings as well
lol. Jukka, we have been walking ALL day taking in numerous Riga
sights (and bonus for stefan, sights of lots of hot women) and the
tea thing was great for a relaxing break. Speaking of clubs, i
might retire early and let S do his thing to see if he gets
lucky
Step 12: dinner at Staburags (traditional latvian restaurant). I
had pork chops stuffed with apple and red bilberries (sounds weired
but totally delicious), with a side of grandma style potatoes
(mmmmm....). S had a bloody steak with a side of sauerkraut(?)
which i stole a big portion of, because it's really good!! I don't
usually like sauerkraut, and he says it tastes like home. We are
now just chilling with a bottle of spanish wine.
Step 13: we DID Riga today. I think we must have done 8 hours
worth of walking throughout the day. We didn't take any bus, trams,
taxis etc., the hotel is 2+ km from the city center, and we just
covered Riga on foot. Now we're passed out in the hotel, listening
to a latvian rave across the street. Stefan failed to find
something for his 17 y.o. girlfriend, chocolates too ordinary,
underwear too exotic, and everything else too lame (according to
him). Some help for him anyone?
No need for bling-bling, I've been in Riga once and only thing I
bought was amber ear-rings (am I bling-bling :-)?). Key-ring? Or
paper weight? Or Riga Balsam?
Step 14: we received a warning that if stefan consumes any more
cottage cheese they're going to call the cops on us. Anyway, after
a hearty breakfast, we are almost ready to start day 2 of our "Riga
on foot" tour, if only we can get our asses out of bed (again).
Step 15: more walking around Riga, weather is sooo good today.
Had lunch at Planeta Sushi, miso soup and eel was yummy, and
according to S the sushi was quite good too. Probably going to shop
around now and see if we can find that elusive souvenir for S's
girl.
Step 19: kicking myself for not calling my mom earlier today.
Just tried the house phone and her 3 cell phone numbers and all no
answer. Almost midnight there, guess i'll just have to wait till
tomorrow to wish her happy mother's day :(
@kiroshafeek hehe,
not exactly. She's a business woman and travels frequently and has
sims from different countries. I wasn't even sure which country
she's in now. She has one of those dual-sim phones as well. But
other than that she's quite non-geeky
Step 22: no passport control for this trip at all, interesting.
Hopped on bus with 3 minutes to spare. Walked a lot on this trip,
but also ate a lot. Feeling hungry again. Not looking forward to
going back to work tomorrow :P
Step 23: in keskustori. Omg we met S's "friend" while waiting
for our bus!! She's really pretty and they look soooooo adorable
together! Now i want a girlfriend too! Oops, i mean boyfriend
:P
Great to know that both of you back home safe and sound. Yeah
Carol, can't wait to know that you have a nice Finnish bf... :0)
hehehe, hmnnn @constantine must be in cloud
nine now... :)
128 comments so far
Step -01: still stuck at work trying to finish this last bit up before i can leave
1 week ago by cybette.
Argh, a bit jealous-ku..
1 week ago by jukkaeklund.
YAYYYYYYYY!!!! Cool......Carol, have a great and safe trip! U know that I will be follow your tripku!! Have all the fun, girl! You deserve it! xD
1 week ago by chelx.
Yay, Riga-ku! Do tell your experiences, ok? :)
1 week ago by jkniiv.
@cybette: Have a great trip! I'm off to Tijuana tomorrow!
1 week ago by Bishop.
@bishop: Just remember to report the Tijuana-ku, ok? Inquisitive minds want to know ...
1 week ago by jkniiv.
@jkniiv: You betcha... always an interesting time South of the Border...
1 week ago by Bishop.
And using that phrase does make me wonder, if we have any Mexicans (i.e., in Mexico) on Jaiku... trying to remember if I've seen any...
1 week ago by Bishop.
Step 00: finished packing in 15 minutes, now shopping for tampons :p
1 week ago by cybette.
Have a good time.:)
1 week ago by whiteg.
@cy, need your input: http://bugabundo.jaiku.com/presence/3426...
1 week ago by BUGabundo.
Have a nice trip, both of you!
1 week ago by map.
have a nice trip
1 week ago by geovoltoss.
Love breathing in the post rain air.
1 week ago by constantine.
I spy a black n73, silver 6500 slide and a 6555
1 week ago by constantine.
Step 00a: convincing stefan not to bring any laptop was one of the hardest phone conversation i've made
1 week ago by cybette.
Thanks everyone! @bishop enjoy your trip as well!!
1 week ago by cybette.
@cybette: how can you live 2 days without laptop(s) :>
1 week ago by jukkaeklund.
I spy a 9500, it is HUGE!
1 week ago by constantine.
9300i is so sexy, I wish I had one. My 9300 is lost in the bowels of a mess that is my flat.
1 week ago by constantine.
Woman in front of me has a Nokia 6300, silver, and as i was typing this i bumped into a teenager with a black 6500 classic.
1 week ago by constantine.
rememeber that @cybette & @constantine work at Nokia - home of the multimedia computer (mobile phone to the rest of us :)
Don't knock 9500, they are really useful self defense - pull one out and if the mugger does not run off due to your awsome dsiplay of strength, they you can use it as an effective weapon
1 week ago by ymb.
This is turning into stefan's cellphone spyku. @jukka well, i have 3 phones (one of which is an e90), let's hope that's enough. There is free wifi at the hotel though...
1 week ago by cybette.
Yeah, i had a 9500 for a while, it was great (for its time)
1 week ago by cybette.
Step 01: having a drink in scandic coz we're early for the ryanair bus
1 week ago by cybette.
There are no g's in Finnish, Riga is Riika.
1 week ago by constantine.
The Finns had to give up the 'g' in exchange for all the extra vowels that they use.
1 week ago by Bishop.
There is "g" in Finnish, but usually when bending words. Kenkä > kengät (shoe > shoes).
1 week ago by map.
@cybette @constantine Have a great trip!
1 week ago by virbana.
Carol is studying the topography, I'm studying the airport bar.
1 week ago by constantine.
Step 02: all checked in, the security spotted something in my hand-carry they wanted a closer look at, turned out to be my nail clipper instead of my 3 handsets :)
1 week ago by cybette.
And stefan is sms-ing with his little girlfriend. Soooo cute!
1 week ago by cybette.
What do I get a 17 year old girl while I'm in Riga? Last female I had to shop for was well into her 30s and I ended up just getting a card.
1 week ago by constantine.
Aww how cute, I'm getting something for a 17 year old girl too to bring when I meet her in Brazil next month. :)
1 week ago by Bishop.
And what might that be? You're going out with a 17 year old?!
1 week ago by constantine.
I'll ask the girl I'm babysitting for you ;)
1 week ago by munkimatt.
Step 03: saw the tail end of a rainbow on the other side of the runway! So pretty
1 week ago by cybette.
Nice, love rainbows!
1 week ago by Cityrat59.
You know Matt you could just give me your sister's number directly and you wouldn't have to be the intermediary.
1 week ago by constantine.
@constantine: No, I'm not going out with a 17 year old. :) She's one of my flickr friends who I'm meeting up with to talk photography when I'm in Rio.
She just had a birthday so I figured I'd bring her something little, like a case for her new camera. (Found some cute ladies' styles at http://jill-e.com/ !)
1 week ago by Bishop.
she's 22 mate, way too old for you
1 week ago by munkimatt.
Think a 17-year-old girl might like this camera case?
http://jill-e.com/wristlet.html
1 week ago by Bishop.
Don't be cockblocking, you can be my bro, bro.
1 week ago by constantine.
I can't think of anything scarier mate ;)
1 week ago by munkimatt.
Coming to her flat in the morning and seeing me drink orange juice out of the carton naked with one hand scratching the ass check with whip marks from the previous night, how is that for scary?
1 week ago by constantine.
@bishop i'm not 17, but i would probably get that for a friend or relative who is around that age
1 week ago by cybette.
Step 04: on plane ready for take off. Riga, here we come!!!
1 week ago by cybette.
About to pass out, the oxygen level is so low, I feel like a retard.
1 week ago by constantine.
@cybette, cool, I thought it was cute. :)
1 week ago by Bishop.
Step 05: nice landing into the sunset. Cab driver seems lost, not good.
1 week ago by cybette.
architecture is amazing and the women are stunning
1 week ago by constantine.
@constantine: Shorter skirts and higher heels than here, I guess.
1 week ago by map.
And older buildings.
1 week ago by map.
I hate to correct @map (nah, who am I kidding :P ) but there is no exact phoneme in standard Finnish that sounds like the English /g/ because the distinction between voiced and unvoiced stops is not phonemic. This of course does not preclude a native speaker from code switching mid-sentence and pronouncing a word with foreign inventory of phonemes. This is how voiced stops are articulated by "educated" people as some of you may very well know. :) Finnish inflections can be added to foreign words with various levels of ease, the biggest hurdle being to apply the vowel harmony and consonant gradation rules when the vowels and consonants don't fit the Finnish system.
As to the letter/grapheme "g", it exists in native words only as a digraph "ng" which represents the palatal nasal which is normally geminated or double in length. This is due to "ng" being the weak consonant grade of "nk" -- kenkä : kengät being the perfect example like @map mentioned.
Finnish does show a tendency of voicing intervocalic stops into spirants or approximants not unlike how you pronounce spanish "b", "d" and "g". This happens in lax speak and at the end of words where the stress is at its weakest. The varieties of spoken language that are most urbanized and affected by English and Swedish show this phenomenon the most IMO.
1 week ago by jkniiv.
Step 06: found hotel at last, checked in, pretty nice for 40€ i'd say. Smallest TV ever.
1 week ago by cybette.
Oh, I'm a bit envious now. Riga is great! I was there five-six years ago and had a great time :)
1 week ago by lemonad.
@jkniiv: I was so sure you correct that :-)!
1 week ago by map.
@jkniiv: I am speechless
1 week ago by TheBlueNile.
Step 07: free wifi ftw! Oh well enough surfing, time to zzzzzz. Good night from Riika!
6 days, 23 hours ago by cybette.
Good night, bunny! Sleep well and have fun tomorrow!
6 days, 23 hours ago by map.
good night!!!
6 days, 21 hours ago by whiteg.
Good night and good morning everyone! Me'z gonna sleep-ku -- baaii!
6 days, 16 hours ago by jkniiv.
Step 08: took me over an hour to get up, feeling cold with a sore throat. Breakfast with french pancakes and hot chocolates helped. I think stefan is suffering from laptop withdrawal, he got up at 6:30 and kidnapped my e90 for more than an hour.
6 days, 14 hours ago by cybette.
stefan just emptied the hotel of their cottage cheese supply, says it's so good they must have a cow in the back (did i just hear a moooooo?)
6 days, 14 hours ago by cybette.
I can see you are having fun there with Stefan, wow the cottage cheese must be really good, huh?
6 days, 14 hours ago by chelx.
"kidnapped my e90 for an hour"
does this mean @constantine is going to write a reveiw of the e90? :)
6 days, 14 hours ago by ymb.
Have a great vacation @Cybette and @constantine !
6 days, 12 hours ago by LonelyBob.
The girls here are even taller than Finn's and multiple times as hot, something I thought was impossible!
6 days, 12 hours ago by constantine.
I think @constantine is having a lot of girls fun there! LOL!
6 days, 12 hours ago by chelx.
hey folks enjoy your time in Riga! i tried giving @cybette a few hints but don't i was too useful. been a while since my last trip :)
6 days, 11 hours ago by cervus.
Step 09: been walking around all morning, Riga is gorgeous! Now taking a break in "Salt n Pepper bar" with a couple of beers. @ymb i think he was just interested in using the browser and gmail on the big screen. Not thorough enough for a full review but we'll see :)
6 days, 11 hours ago by cybette.
the girls are indeed beautiful here, the guys are....just ok. I'm partial to finnish men ;)
6 days, 11 hours ago by cybette.
@constantine: Did you get laid?
6 days, 10 hours ago by matiasm.
Step 10: having lunch at Soraksans, a korean restaurant. The kim chee was not bad, the pot stickers too oily, and the sundubu spicy but otherwise short on real taste. A bit disappointed but still nice to have korean after more than 7 months without
6 days, 8 hours ago by cybette.
About to drink some tea at this hippy place, guy has dreads and must live on chai since his veins are scary pumped.
6 days, 5 hours ago by constantine.
Sounds like you all are having a great time! I'll throw out a few mobile-kus from Mexico after I get to Mexico today. :)
6 days, 5 hours ago by Bishop.
Step 11: tea at Goija. Interesting place. Stefan's "tie guan ying" is really good, and my "green pagoda" is pleasantly sweet once the tea leaves opened up after the second round. The hippy guy has 4 nice black hoop earrings as well
6 days, 4 hours ago by cybette.
You went to Riga and all you're having is some tea? :)
6 days, 3 hours ago by jukkaeklund.
But it's Riga tea!
6 days, 3 hours ago by Bishop.
Right :) Maybe try some Riga clubs?
6 days, 3 hours ago by jukkaeklund.
lol. Jukka, we have been walking ALL day taking in numerous Riga sights (and bonus for stefan, sights of lots of hot women) and the tea thing was great for a relaxing break. Speaking of clubs, i might retire early and let S do his thing to see if he gets lucky
6 days, 2 hours ago by cybette.
Go Stefan go :)
6 days, 2 hours ago by jukkaeklund.
Step 12: dinner at Staburags (traditional latvian restaurant). I had pork chops stuffed with apple and red bilberries (sounds weired but totally delicious), with a side of grandma style potatoes (mmmmm....). S had a bloody steak with a side of sauerkraut(?) which i stole a big portion of, because it's really good!! I don't usually like sauerkraut, and he says it tastes like home. We are now just chilling with a bottle of spanish wine.
6 days, 2 hours ago by cybette.
dude, how long is a plane trip from london to Riga? i'm hungry ;)
6 days, 2 hours ago by overpills.
@overpills my guess is around 3 hours? Might still make it for a late dinner/supper!
6 days, 2 hours ago by cybette.
Step 13: we DID Riga today. I think we must have done 8 hours worth of walking throughout the day. We didn't take any bus, trams, taxis etc., the hotel is 2+ km from the city center, and we just covered Riga on foot. Now we're passed out in the hotel, listening to a latvian rave across the street. Stefan failed to find something for his 17 y.o. girlfriend, chocolates too ordinary, underwear too exotic, and everything else too lame (according to him). Some help for him anyone?
5 days, 23 hours ago by cybette.
What she said, and she isn't my girlfriend!
5 days, 23 hours ago by constantine.
A book?
5 days, 23 hours ago by map.
Want something memorable, but doesn't scream I want to spend 36 hours rolling around in bed with you.
5 days, 23 hours ago by constantine.
Is some jewellery too much? Riga is famous about amber.
5 days, 23 hours ago by map.
Didn't even reach third base yet and I'm not a bling bling kind of person.
5 days, 23 hours ago by constantine.
No need for bling-bling, I've been in Riga once and only thing I bought was amber ear-rings (am I bling-bling :-)?). Key-ring? Or paper weight? Or Riga Balsam?
5 days, 22 hours ago by map.
@map: Riga balsam?
5 days, 19 hours ago by TheBlueNile.
Yep, see here.
5 days, 14 hours ago by map.
Step 14: we received a warning that if stefan consumes any more cottage cheese they're going to call the cops on us. Anyway, after a hearty breakfast, we are almost ready to start day 2 of our "Riga on foot" tour, if only we can get our asses out of bed (again).
5 days, 13 hours ago by cybette.
@map well we only have carry-ons and can't bring liquids so probably no balzams :(
5 days, 13 hours ago by cybette.
Only if you buy it from airport.
5 days, 12 hours ago by map.
Thanks @map. And it's good?
5 days, 10 hours ago by TheBlueNile.
If it's good I'll buy some, she really likes coffee so this might be a perfect thing.
5 days, 10 hours ago by constantine.
Taste is similar to cough medicine. Quite bitter, like Gammel Dansk or Unicum. You figure out if it's a good thing :)
5 days, 9 hours ago by jukkaeklund.
Step 15: more walking around Riga, weather is sooo good today. Had lunch at Planeta Sushi, miso soup and eel was yummy, and according to S the sushi was quite good too. Probably going to shop around now and see if we can find that elusive souvenir for S's girl.
5 days, 9 hours ago by cybette.
How many days you guys gonna be there? Is it just for holidays?
5 days, 8 hours ago by merajchhaya.
Step 16: we just walked past a group of drunk germans, dressed as characters from the Flingstones! Lol
5 days, 8 hours ago by cybette.
Why do all the hot young girls hang out in front of the McDonald's?
5 days, 8 hours ago by constantine.
Just like in Tampere :)
5 days, 6 hours ago by jukkaeklund.
Step 17: last meal (snack) in a Lebanese restaurant. After this we'll be heading to the airport. Short but memorable trip...
5 days, 6 hours ago by cybette.
Step 18: at airport, waiting in line to check in. Hearing Finnish around me again, almost feel like home
5 days, 4 hours ago by cybette.
Ahhh, trip is end soon?! Safe journey back home... :)
5 days, 4 hours ago by chelx.
Step 19: kicking myself for not calling my mom earlier today. Just tried the house phone and her 3 cell phone numbers and all no answer. Almost midnight there, guess i'll just have to wait till tomorrow to wish her happy mother's day :(
5 days, 4 hours ago by cybette.
your mom has three cellphone numbers?! No wonder you turned out to be a geek! Wish I had your mom's genes! Could have been the geekest of all geeks
5 days, 4 hours ago by kiroshafeek.
@kiroshafeek hehe, not exactly. She's a business woman and travels frequently and has sims from different countries. I wasn't even sure which country she's in now. She has one of those dual-sim phones as well. But other than that she's quite non-geeky
5 days, 3 hours ago by cybette.
Step 20: on plane, ready for take off. See you back in finland!
5 days, 3 hours ago by cybette.
Step 21: On the ground.
5 days, 2 hours ago by constantine.
Welcome back, both of you! Did you find good souvenir for S's g..., ooops, friend?
5 days, 2 hours ago by map.
Teddy Bear made of Linen and a bar of chocolate, both made in Riga.
5 days, 1 hour ago by constantine.
Welcome back!
5 days, 1 hour ago by whiteg.
Step 22: no passport control for this trip at all, interesting. Hopped on bus with 3 minutes to spare. Walked a lot on this trip, but also ate a lot. Feeling hungry again. Not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow :P
5 days, 1 hour ago by cybette.
@constantine but i thought you said chocolates are too ordinary?
5 days, 1 hour ago by cybette.
Great! Chocolate is always good choice!!! And teddy bear is probably cute :-).
5 days, 1 hour ago by map.
You do realize that when she finds this thread...
5 days, 1 hour ago by dst.
Step 23: in keskustori. Omg we met S's "friend" while waiting for our bus!! She's really pretty and they look soooooo adorable together! Now i want a girlfriend too! Oops, i mean boyfriend :P
5 days, 1 hour ago by cybette.
I think Made in Riga makes the chocolate not so ordinary.:)
5 days, 1 hour ago by whiteg.
What a fantastic way to end this trip, bumping into her while waiting for the bus home, Finland really is a magical place.
5 days, 1 hour ago by constantine.
@cybette get yourself (at least) one boyfriend in Finland!
5 days, 1 hour ago by whiteg.
Step 24: reached home, relaxing with a cider and planning my hunt for a boyfriend (or a few)
5 days ago by cybette.
Wow. Quite a trip you had there. I'm looking forward to hearing more depictions of the delights of Riga when we meet and dine next time in Tampere.
4 days, 21 hours ago by jkniiv.
Oh, and of course: Tervetuloa takaisin!
4 days, 21 hours ago by jkniiv.
Great to know that both of you back home safe and sound. Yeah Carol, can't wait to know that you have a nice Finnish bf... :0) hehehe, hmnnn @constantine must be in cloud nine now... :)
4 days, 16 hours ago by chelx.