Head in the Clouds

This is probably one of those odd posts, that not many will understand.

Why? Because it’s about clouds. Literally.

No, I have not been smoking anything. No, I have not been eating any funny mushrooms. I just find the clouds in Texas to be fascinating. Big lol there, huh.

Well, the truth is that the clouds are different than what they are in Finland. And yeah yeah, I know, clouds are clouds. And yet they aren’t. I’ve been gathering some pictures on clouds, mainly when we’ve been driving to San Antonio or other places in Texas. The clouds here are sometimes really beautiful, both sunny weather clouds as thunderstorm clouds. Lately we’ve had a lot of rain and thunderstorms.

 

There are no rules of architecture for a castle in the clouds. ~G.K. Chesterton

 

But let’s start with some nice sunny weather clouds.

 

And continue with random dark floof clouds…

 

A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed… It feels an impulsion… this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know, too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons. ~Richard Bach

 

 

Beautiful sunsets in Texas.

Thunder is on it’s way…

And lightning strikes down!
The thunderstorms here are awesome, and scary! (But mainly awesome.)

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky. ~Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

After rain comes sunshine. Beautiful rainbow in the end of the street.

 

The sky has a lot to offer, doesn’t it?

CC

In the Jungle of Bureaucracy

This is merely an update on where I am standing with all the paperwork. There has been a lot, and even more waiting. And yes, patience is not my strongest virtue, as we all know, lol!

Workpermit – DONE

Can you believe it!? I got my workpermit. Jeij! I still need a social security number to be able to work, but still.

SSN (social security number) – waiting

Since I got my workpermit, I’ve applied for a SSN. It should get here in 2-3 weeks and then I’ll be fit for fight, i.e. ready to work!

My belongings – near future project

Waiting for my SSN so that I can ship my belongings. Can’t send my stuff from Finland before I have my SSN – I won’t get them out from customs without it.

Visa and Green Card – in process

No clue when I’ll get my green card.

Summer in Finland 

Didn’t happen this year, because I didn’t have a travel-permit. I mean, I was free to leave the country, but they wouldn’t have let me back in. So no long summer days in Finland this year. And now that I got the permit (it’s part of my workpermit), summers over and everybody’s back to work. Oh joy. Well, see you all next summer, huh?

Overall I have to be pleased with the way things are going. It feels like it’s taken forever to get all the paper work done, but, bit by bit, I’m getting there.

CC

Alien’s log: traffic

After living almost five months abroad, there are a few things that draw my attention as curious in the new homeland.

My point is not to judge or offend anybody, I merely want to elaborate on some things, that I, as an alien, find interesting.

Let’s start about traffic

Turn right on red

This is the best thing ever! Here in the States you are allowed to turn right even if it’s red. You naturally have to yield to any other traffic, but still. Jeij for that one!

Promised land of stop signs

I have three letters for this one. W-O-W. Never seen so many stop signs in my life. Instead of yield  signs (that we use more in Finland), you find stop signs in almost every crossing. Either the crossing road has stop signs or all roads have stop signs. So you drive. Stop. Drive. Stop. Drive. Stop. Drive. And so on…. I’m not saying that yield signs are better, but there’s less stopping.

Using the signal

The signal (fi: vilkku, sve: blinken) is used to indicate in which direction you’re about to turn. In a-d-v-a-n-c-e. Here, I’ve been in too-many-to-count-situations, where the person in front of me suddenly hits the breaks and turns. I mean, c’mon people. The signal is there for a reason. And it’s in your driving manual too – even I’ve read it, just so you know.

Road poetry in traffic signs

There must have been some poetic inspired person writing traffic signs, because some are just expressed in such a sensitively and emotional way, lol.

Awwww… Littering is awful.
That’s so cute.

Don’t mess with Texas.
Just don’t.
Ok.

If water on road
Turn around
Don’t drown
Got it.
Don’t feel like drowning anyway.

Click it or ticket
Seat-belts on at all time! Safety first.

Drink
Drive
Go to jail
Go directly to jail
Do not pass go
Do not collect $200
Monopoly? No?
Joke aside, stay sober in traffic everybody!

Drive sober
or
get pulled over
Pure poetry.

Nice ones Shakespeare-of-the-roads!

CC

 

 

Organic cosmetics

I’ve been using organic cosmetics for some years now. I don’t always pick the organic brands, but I strive to it. The good part about organic products is that they are environmental friendly, they’re better for your skin – less toxins, and most brands are against animal testing. On the downside, they can be very expensive and not that easy to find in your local store – especially in a small town, like Del Rio. None the less, I have found some here! I want to write about my previous experiences and my new conquests here so far.

My skin is very thin and sensitive, so I want to use products that are less heavy on it. The sensitiveness also goes for my mouth, which means I can’t use regular toothpaste. They literally burn, not only do they give me a sensation of burning, but within a few days of use my skin peels off. Nice huh? So after talking to the dentist years ago, I switched to Elmex, which is a more skin-friendly brand. The only one that works for me is their Elmex Sensitive – the regular is even too heavy for me. Unfortunately it’s not organic.

 

Certifications

              ECOCERT – organic certification, E.U.

                  NaTrue – natural cosmetics, E.U.

           Vegan – vegan ingredients, International

                     Cruelty Free – non-animal testing, International

               Leaping Bunny – non-animal testing, International

                      ADA – dental health, U.S.

 

 

Brands I personally like

     Mádara

Country of origin: Latvia

This is by far my number one brand! It is also a bit more expensive. I love their Purifying Foam – it’s perfect for removing make up and grease, it can even be used for eye make up, which is usually hard to find and it feels good on the skin.

I also love their Herbal Deodorant, which is aluminium-free. Aluminum is an ingredient that I prefer to live without in my deodorant, because science is making strong claims that it might be a reason for the high number of breast cancer in modern days. The only downfall about this deodorant is the price, ~ € 12.50.

Certifications:

Animal testing: none according to the company.

Price comparison for Mádara Purifying Foam
$ 26.12 Amazon
$ 20.09 from €18.00 Mádara Latvia website
$ 22.89 from € 20.50 Finland Sokos Webstore
$ 20.99 from €18.80 Finland Hyvinvoinnintavaratalo Webstore

 

          Lavera

Country of origin: Germany

I’ve been mainly using Lavera’s Gentel Facial Toner, Illuminating Eye Cream and Firming Day Cream. I’ve also used their hand lotions and some other products. I like the brand, especially the toner, the eye cream and the hand lotions. The prices in the U.S. are horrible, so I’ve ordered mine on Amazon (which means they travel all the way from Britain or Germany, lol).

Their Aluminium-free deodorants vary in their efficiency. I’ve tried the Basic, Wild Rose and Orange Sea Buckthorn. The Wild Rose has worked the best, while the Orange Sea Buckthorn was poor. When it comes to organic Aluminium-free deodorants – I prefer other brands.

Lavera’s hair care products didn’t really work for me. The shampoo works well, but the conditioner doesn’t really do anything for my hair – it’s just a big tangel-mess. So I stopped using them.

My husband has been using Lavera Men’s facial products and he is very content with them. So I guess I can recommend them to any male reader! lol

Certifications:

Animal testing: none according to the company.

Price comparison for Lavera Illuminating Eye Cream
$ 33.47 Amazon
$ 59.00 Lavera US website
$ 23.33 from € 20.90 Finland Sokos Webstore
$ 24.00 from €21.50 Finland Hyvinvoinnintavaratalo Webstore

 

Brands I’ve tested so far in the U.S.

 

               Tom’s of Maine

Country of Origin: U.S.

I’ve used their Long Lasting Deodorant and their Fluoride Free Antiplaque &Whitening Toothpaste.

The deodorant has been working good, but I wouldn’t say it’s long lasting. It won’t hold for 48h (do any deodorant for that matter?) nor 24h. The problem you have with Aluminium-free deodorants, is that they are not always as effective as brands with Aluminium (and other toxins). But if it means that I sometimes have to wash my armpits during the day, then that’s the price I’m willing to pay for less toxins.

I’ve been wanting to try Fluoride-free toothpaste, so I decided to try Tom’s Fluoride Free Antiplaque &Whitening Toothpaste. Unfortunately it didn’t work out, since it gave me that horrible burning sensation. The ingredient that does this is SLS or SDS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate), which is common in almost all toothpaste. What can I say, it sucks to be sensitive, lol.

Certifications:

         

Animal testing: none (leaping bunny and cruelty free certification).

Price comparison for Wild Lavender Long Lasting Deodorant
$ 4.99 Tom’s of Maine Webstore
$ 3.84 Walmart Webstore
$ 6,97 Amazon

 

                Alba Botanica

Origin of Country: U.S.

I’ve just started using this brand. I bought the Hawaiian 3 in 1 Clean Towelettes, the Hawaiian Nourishing Facial Wash and the Hawaiian Aloe and Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer. The brands website is currently not functioning, so I couldn’t link the products to the site.

So far I like all the products. The Clean Towelettes are smooth and sensitive on my skin, and they do not irritate my face nor the skin around my eyes. The same goes for the Facial Wash. Sometimes organic products can be less efficient in make up removal, but these seem to be working very well. The Oil-Free Moisturizer leaves the skin feeling smooth.

So far so good.

I’ve also seen hair care products at Marshals, and that’s the next thing I’m going to try.

Certifications:

Animal testing: none (leaping bunny certification).

Price comparison for Hawaiian, Aloe and Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer, 3 oz, Pack of 2
$ 16.94 Walmart Webstore
$ 17.70 Amazon

 

        Burt’s Bees

Country of origin: U.S.

I’ve tried their Facial Towelettes, both the Pink Grapefruit (greasy to normal skin) and the Cucumber and Sage (normal to dry skin). Unfortunately both towelettes irritate my skin, and not only my skin, but also my step-daughters skin. So this product won’t be found in our house anymore.

Since it doesn’t seem to have any organic certification, I will most likely not be buying a whole lot of their products.

Certifications: none, claims to be Earth Friendly, Natural Personal Care Company.

Price comparison for Facial Towellets – Cucumber and Sage
$ 6.00 Burt’s Bees Webstore
$ 5.18 Walmart Webstore
$ 4.99 Amazon

Conclusions

So far I’m good with the products that I’ve found here in Del Rio.

I do know that I will be asking for Lavera and Mádara products when people from Finland come for a visit, lol. There’s no way I’m paying the prices their asking for those brands here in the U.S. And ordering right now on Amazon is not the best solution, since the mail lays outside in the heat (100 F ~40 C) for I-don’t-know-how-long, which is not good for the products.

I will most definitely keep on looking for new brands. The main goal is to find good organic products for an affordable price.  If you have any tips or ideas, please let me know!

 

CC

 

 

The Olympic games

As we all know, the Olympic games have started. I want to elaborate on my home countries sport highlights, before people start asking me about it.

U.S. has a population of, what, roughly 319 million, and an amazing 554 athletes that participate in the Olympic games this year. Finland on the other hand has a population of about 5,5 million, with 54 athletes competing in Rio, which is quite a lot if you think about participants per capita.

So in which sports has Finland been successful ?

Athletics or field and track (48 gold, 35 silver and 31 bronze), with main focus on long-distance running.

The best Olympic athlete from Finland is Paavo Nurmi, who won 9 gold and 3 silver medals in the games in 1920, 1924 and 1928. He’s still ranked 3rd in multiple gold medal medalists in the Olympic games (both summer and winter games). That is quite cool.

 

Within athletics Finland has also been good at the Javelin thrust. We will be seeing several athletes competing in this sport in Rio.

Finland has also won several medals in wrestling, with 26 gold, 28 silver and 29 bronze medals.

In the winter Olympics, Finland has proven itself in cross-country skiing (no surprise there) and ski jumping (no surprise there either). Finland has most gold medals in ski jumping and is in 4th place in cross-country skiing.

 

How will we do in the Olympics in Rio 2016? I guess we’ll wait and see. 🙂

 

CC