Wow, it’s been ages since I’ve had the chance to write anything and quite a bit has happened since last time!

On July 11th I officially started working at McMaster and so far it’s been good! I have to say that getting off to a start has been challenging but I guess that’s the way it goes. My first week at work was spent fighting with the IT department who come off as semi IT-illiterate, and since we’re living in the age of computers this isn’t particularly promising! I was issued an ID which is linked to everything at the university but unfortunately having so many double vowels in my surname meant that the ID (and email etc.) was spelt incorrectly and so the fight started. Not only me but my boss and the head of our HR department called the IT department to explain the situation and together we spelt out our surname at least 30 times and the respsonse was always the same: ’Sorry how many i’s?’, ’was that a n or a m?’, ’what was the email address again?’, ’who is she?’ and the questions went on and on. So finally after a week and a half they figured out my name and I was able to get my email working and get a Mac employee card which, despite my best efforts, is now equipped with an absolutely horrendous photo of yours truely. Great! I was also gived a spot to sit in the same office as the majority of our research group which is really nice since it’s helped me get to know everyone better. Our research group is crazy! We have such a fun bunch of people in it and what’s best is that there is a personality for everyone.

In addition to working really well as a team at work and supporting each others research, the group does alot of fun stuff together outside of work as well. In the four weeks I’ve been at work we’ve had four parties – more partied than i’ve been to in the past four years 😛 The first of these was a birthday celebration for two of our group.. we went to play minigolf and then we went to the horse tracks to watch the races. Not being a huge fan of minigolf I was really happy that Joonas talked me into going since it turned out to be alot of fun! The next event was the annual BBQ that my boss hosts each summer, there was about 100 people there and everyone bought something to eat/drink (also known as a potluck – a term I’ve learnt since moving here) so there was alot of food and drinks along with the hamburgers. It was an all-around fun evening which was top offed by the funniest and more absurd water melon eating contest in which Joonas made it to the finals even though he apparently doesn’t like watermelon 😀 The week after we then had a surprise party for our boss who was awarded tenure this summer. We got together at one of our colleagues places and waited for our boss to show up on the pretense that she was going out to dinner with said colleagues wife while the guys were to go golfing. It was a really fun evening with really good indian food, a crazy hundreds-n-thousands cake and a hilarious game of Headbands inclusive of getting string cheese thrown at us by the neighbours kids. And if all these parties weren’t weird enough, we had another birthday celebration for one member of our group, the theme of which was double denim (in other words we all dressed up in Canadian tuxedos – google it, it’s shocking!). Double denim day consisted of breakfast at a pancake place near school and then a group photoshoot. 

Outside of work there’s been alot going on as well! Like Joonas said we had a bit of an issue getting an apartment but thankfully that finally worked itself out and now we’re moving into our own place in the beginning of September. Getting to this point was a bit of a struggle though.. we’d originally booked the Airbnb that we’re staying in unti August 1st since we naively thought we’d be in our own place by the beginning of August. So, afraid we would have to rent a car just to be able to live somewhere, we started looking for temporary accommodation until Septermber. First we check Airbnb and found out our current place was booked so we started checking out other Airbnb possibilities which, it turned out, there were none at least none that would allow pets. We then resorted to Craigslist and Kijiji (sort of like tori.fi but with absolutely everything!) and after a frantic search found a place in Oakville which was avaible for sublet for August but would have required a us to move out and find another place before our own place was to become avaible. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures and we went to check the place out – honestly it was the first and only time since we got here that I wanted to pack our bags and fly home. But having no other option we decided to take the place and make the most of a bad situation – Joonas kept trying to reassure me that we would make it homey and everything would be okay, it was just a month after all. Well, you guys know me… it was definetely not going to be okay. Thankfully though, as has seemed to be the case with our whole moving here, the stars once again aligned perfectly and at a dinner with our Airbnb host family we found out that the place we are staying was not infact booked but that the family was going away and didn’t want anyone in their house while they were gone but were more than happy to have us stay for August. To top it all off, we are allowed to look after Ziggy while they are gone! Ziggy has now been with us for over a week now and it’s been so much fun having him around! They have become really good friends with Bugi and were one goes, the other follows 🙂 

We’ve also had the chance to make some new friends here! Our Airbnb hosts turned out to be some of the nicest people either of us have ever met.. we’ve been spending quite alot of time with them since we’re always out in the yard together but we were also invited to their son’s 2nd birthday party! I was a bit nervou about going since we didn’t really know anyone but once again, it turned out better than expected! Weirdly enough, Joonas has made friends with one of our host’s father who lives up the street from us and is an avid guitar collector/builder. As you can expect him and Joonas have ALOT to talk about and Joonas has even spent one day at their house geeking out on all of this guys music equipment. They have another music date this week… I’m starting to notice a trend in Joonas befriending elderly gentlemen over music, I’m not sure whether I should worry or not 😀 We’ve also hung out with a couple of friends I have managed to make at work, and with them we’ve had lunches, gone to the farmer’s market and spent a day sunbathing at a lake in one of the conservation areas nearby. It’s such a contrast to Finland where it can take up to a year before you are friends with someone enough to actually go out and do something together! It’s a nice change, I have to say! 

Other than socializing we’ve been getting to know our local supermarkets and shops. Joonas is completely fed up of me dragging into every single dollarstore and pet shop we walk past and then showing him every item on every shelf! Some pet stores here also have an animal or two on display from a local animal shelter to increase their chance of being adopted and so we obviously also have to stop to say hello to each and every one of them and pet them if it’s possible. I’ve also discovered a store called Old Navy which has so many nice clothes in it… I think my wardrobe has about doubled in the time we’ve been here! But you can never have enough shirts, right?, especially when it’s 33 degrees outside and humid as sh*t. Apparently we’ve moved to Canada during a record breaking heat wave.. it has been over 30 degrees every.single.day, even on the days it has rained! Honestly, winter couldn’t come fast enough.. I’m really sick of drowning in sweat. 

On a more serious note, although it’s been a fantastic ride so far, this week has brought about the realization of how far away we really are from everyone. We received some very upsetting news from back home and for the first time it hit me that we’re half way across the world from the people we love most. I know being somewhere in person won’t stop bad things from happening nor can we affect the outcomes of certain situations by being present but it’s heartbreaking not being able to hug a loved one when they need it the most. For us right now though, being here is the biggest thing that has ever happened to us and we’re over the moon about it but of course not being there for the big stuff happening at home is difficult. Being here means we won’t be in Finland for family emergencies, my godchildren’s birthdays, for defenses and karonkkas of people we struggled through our phds with, the upcoming birth of our precious nephew (I say our, but officially he will be Joonas’ nephew but I have decided he’s also mine!) nor a multitude of other important occassions, but that’s not to say that we’re not over here living the occasions with each and every one of you, we’re just doing it from a distance! <3 

Well I think that’s all for now. Hope you’re all doing well!
Missing you all loads today,
Elli