Side Note about my Language

I would like to remind that English isn't my native language. It's second or foreign language depending how the way it's counted. I have very high proficiency level in English and I studied English language in university but I only started learning it when I was 9. I sometimes use more English than my native Finnish and I've got lots of friends who I speak in English and some native English speakers as well. But I do get confused with idioms sometimes and correct prepositions. But to be fair I get them confused in Finnish as much as I do in English. I can never remember which idioms are in which language! Some are very similar and sometimes I translate one into the other and I get really confused because it sort of sounds right but not quite. And my pronunciation is pretty good as well! People often have hard time believing I'm Finnish because I don't have the normal signs to say so. People often expect us to sound like Kimi Räikkönen or Mika Häkkinen. Not all of us do! And I have gotten quite a few questions on how long have I been in Britain. I apparently have at least slightly British way of pronunciating words.

Me and Weird Experiences with ADHD

I had to take off a week from ADHD meds. I was feeling a bit weird. I get like this when I have an infection and I thought I had something, but my blood test came normal. I did have slight cold but not bad enough for this kind of reaction. But it was an experience! I definitely noticed the difference. Doing normal stuff took so much more time than with meds. Preparing dinner was a nightmare! I would constantly forget things, go back and forth between kitchen, computer and forgetting the timer. Forgetting to put right things in right places at the right times. I don't think I used ANY seasoning on my food! I forgot half the ingredients in the store. Using lists never helped me since I kept forgetting to do the list, take the list with me or check it. The chaos in my life and head was a lot worse. I like a bit of chaos, but now with the meds I've grown used to less of it.

Another thing: I don't count any of my health issues as bad things or curses. I know many people feel even having one of these is horrible. Especially with ADHD. So many feel that it's a curse. I don't know if it's how I was raised or my own personality, but I don't think it as a bad thing, nor a good thing. It just is. It gives and takes like anything in life. Nothing is perfect but the attitude towards everything and anything is the thing that matters the most. There are days when I curse having diabetes or hypothyroidism or ADHD, but those are just bad days and they go away on their own. Then there will be a good days! I've had diabetes so long that I don't really actively think about it anymore. Most of the processes are automatic, like counting carbs and correcting for them, taking insulin, and staying consious on how I feel. I've had it so long I can recognise signs, ok now I*ve got high or low blood sugar. And I can have some fun with it. One of the funniest things for me is BS. It's short for blood sugar. I think getting diabetes at such young age really affected how I think about health malfunctions. My body hasn't worked like most people's since I was 8. So getting different diagnoses isn't too shocking for me. I get the initial shock yes, but after that it's just, ok I've got this, lets go back to normal life! I'm glad I'm like this. It makes my life so much easier! I do worry about some normal stuff, but I rarely get hang up on them. I refuse to let myself get that way. Life is very stressfull as it is, I don't need to create more stress. So much of that stress is created by the person. I can choose to let it go on, or think and worry about it. I'm not perfect in that aspect. There are certain things that I can't get over just like that, especially things that involve other people or waiting. I'm hopeless at waiting! And I always listen to people who have problems, but my patience runs out when they come to me about the same problem several times a week expecting me to fix it, when it's their thing. I'm their friend, I offer advice and any help I can give, but fixing big issues is their responsibility. Unfortunately there are people like this..

I got bit off track again! What attention problem?

Environment

This time this is gonna be bit different. Well I'm always writing what's on my mind and I've been thinking about this a while. Especially since I hang out with international students quite a bit and sometimes they aske me things because I'm Finnish. This has come up few times.

Sometimes people get amazed about my environmental consciousness. I recycle. I don't use one particular shop because they move some of their merchandise across the world. If I can, I buy Finnish foods. It's not possible with a lot of fruits and I love fruits but vegetables are always Finnish. I sometimes buy slightly more expensive Finnish items, rather than Swedish one. I love food market in the summer! I have my own bags for carrying groceries. We Finnish tend to know a bit more about recycling, but most don't bother too much with it. If the recycling place is close then yeah. But my apartment building only recycles cardboard, mail type papers, bio, and regular garbage. For glass, clothes, dangerous material and metal, we have special places but they are a bit far off, and some items weight a lot!

I've been raised in a school that was part of something called Globe. It later become ENO, Environment Online. There is a bit of a joke in there, because it was created in a small town called Eno. Anyway. It's about taking environment. We took readings, like lake temperature, how much rains in a day, the air temperature, this sort of thing. Well at least back in my day we did those. It was part of my summer homework! I think it's changed a bit in the last 15 years. We were also taught how to make our carbon footprint as small as possible. I liked all those classes and that it stuck with me. A lot of us haven't been keeping up with this. I like knowing I'm doing my part in this world.

Carbon footprint is about small choices. Walking or biking small distances rather than going by bike. Taking public transportation. Buying local foods. Even growing some yourself. Lowering the room temperature by couple of degrees. Donating or selling old stuff. Recycling, especially bio material.