Celebrating Easter in Jakobstad...

...is not really a celebration of anything. Except maybe eating chocolate Easter-eggs. When it became Easter Monday, I felt a little empty. As in, all we did was eat ( :P ) and because most of it was starch, my stomach reminded me once again why it hates me when I don't listen to it. Especially because I had to drink coffee. (I love Micke's paternal grandmother, she's so lovely and sweet, but a visit at her place dictates 3 cups of coffee and 14 slices of cake EVERY time.) Hence the "empty" feeling: because I got agitated and depressed from the pains in my stomach already on Saturday. And on top of that we didn't get much sleep, mainly because we had to drive all over the place all the time, and stayed up too late in the evenings just to unwind/relax before being even ABLE to sleep. Especially after that trip to Karleby.

               *sigh*

Despite all of the thing that were "bad" or "went bad" on this trip, I did have a good time. I got to speak with Micke's "fammo": we talked about crocheting (and I got some tips and outlines for some laces from her) and looked at old family pictures in her photo albums. Mainly, I just let her talk. I think she feels lonely, and it's sad that Micke's family up north is so scattered and don't do things together.

Me, Tina and Mona (Mickes sister and mom) took this mini-trip to Fäboda while the guys watched the ManU vs. Chelsea football match on Saturday. In summer Fäboda is thriving with "summer-people", but in winter it's just empty. I took a video of it, if you want to see :)

I also took a video while we were in Bennäs - the people behind the Community Center of Bennäs are getting together and creating this "miniature Bennäs" model from scratch, and they're renting a part of Micke's dad's old bakery as their workshop.

Okay, I also have some pics to show you :)

When you look inside the small houses you can spot many

details you would otherwise miss - like wall paper and stairs.

Look! Old style wallpaper!

There will be at least one windmill, and the propellers

will have a small rotor in them, so it will work properly too!

What do you drink on a bad stomach in Karleby?

Pineapple juice, of course. And the driver had a regular coke.

Testing how well 3G-surfing works in Visa Grande.

Really good I must add, since the bartender had forgotten (!)

the password to their customer-WLAN.

Fäboda. Mist out at sea. Cold.

Putting up your feet for a settle, and watching the Big Bang-marathon

on TV, before heading home to Turku. These are Micke's feet.

Lessons learned this time:

1. People in Jakobstad don't know how to park their cars. Hence, they park it all over the place, as close to the "reason" they're parking for. Most often, this is the place that annoys the majority of the other people with cars. Especially at Bennäs train station.
2. People in Ostrobothnia drive around aimlessly, doing their Friday night "yo-yo rounds" with their gasoline quaffing cars and really stepping on the gas/brakes all the time. And then, they leave the engine running and sit inside. No one wants to acknowledge either "eco driving" or "eco thinking". Here, it does not exist.
3. People in Jakobstad don't know how to stand and queue properly. Especially at the only late-night fast food joint (Korv Göran) at 4 a.m. No wonder they resort to violence a bit too eagerly.

Conclusion: 

In Ostrobothnia, it's everyone for themselves, and although they might at other times seem helpful, they're mainly faking it. Apparently, only "family" and some "friends" are good enough.