Helsinki-Vantaa,
16:23 (UTC+2)
So here’s what I’m
wondering: how did I get here?
Let me explain. I’ve
heard, multiple times, people who did a term or a year abroad tell
how great it was, and you should definitely do it, and that
especially all the people are amazing. And I was like sure, it might
be nice, going abroad for a while, but I don’t really have the time
‘cause I’ve already used way too many of my student allowance
months so I’ll run out before I graduate, and doing exchange would
postpone graduating even more, and besides, I’m not a social
person, and if people is the great thing about exchange, then it’s
simply not my thing.
But the thought kept
nagging at me, and then a year ago I just threw the idea of actually
going around a bit, just to see what it would feel like. And now,
suddenly, I find myself at an airport, baggage dropped off and an
hour before my boarding starts for my half a year in South-America.
So yeah, I have
absolutely no idea how I got here.
(Well, technically I
got here by sitting in a train for four hours.)
I also have no idea
what’s happening in general. I figured I can start figuring things
out once I get to Brasil. It’ll be fine.
In other news, my
camera told me to change the battery when I tried to take a picture
of these sleeping pods. Is a thing I also don’t understand. Last
time I used it it had charge. Sure, that was a month ago, but I
haven’t used it since then. Which means it shouldn’t have
used up all the battery. Or at all. Because it was off.
I have no idea.
Frankfurt, 20:32
(UTC+1)
I’m so tired.
Approaching
Frankfurt almost got me awake, though. The city stretched out for
about forever. In the dark it looked a lot like the whole city was
built on islands, with bridges in between, but I figured that can’t
be right, since Frankfurt is nowhere near the coast. (Right?) Maybe
this city just has a lot of forest? Or parks? Or… something. That
looks simply black with some solitary streets running through.
And seriously, this
airport is enormous. I had to take an inter-airport train to get to
my gate. And then there was a second security check for some reason
to get to this gate area, and I forgot I had filled my water bottle
after the first security check in Helsinki. So that went great. My
thinking was basically that I already went through one of these so
I’ll just dig out the same stuff at that time. But nope. I had
filled the bottle in between.
Honestly, what I
really want right now is a bed. Instead I’m going to go sit in an
airplane for twelve hours.
Rio de Janeiro, 9:11
(UTC-2)
I don’t like this
airport.
It took me over two
hours from when the plane landed to go through customs, take out my
baggage that and then take it back in. That’s fine, because even
after all that Is till have two hours before boarding starts, but it
was exhausting, and irritating and I got confirmation to the fact
that despite understanding written Portuguese alright, I have no idea
what people are saying when they’re talking. So that’s fantastic.
(Also, if you work on an international airport in a city as big as
Rio, how about learn some English.)
They have wifi here,
so that’s nice, though my laptop battery will only last for maybe
15 minutes more and I haven’t seen a single place to recharge. Oh,
well.
It’s raining here.
Or actually it’s not, it’s just foggy. And cloudy. I was a little
disappointed when we were getting close to Rio and all I could see
was white. I would’ve liked to see the city, even if only from a
plane. Also especially from a plane.
My knee hurts.
Apparently it didn’t like me sitting in weird positions on a
cramped airplane seat for like 11 hours straight.
The good news is I slept surprisingly well, considering I was on a plane and there was only about six hours of sleep-time between the meals they gave us. So I'm significantly less tired now, though how it's possible to be less tired after two terrible nights of sleep than after one, I have no idea.
Manaus, 16:57
(UTC-4)
Well, I can tell
you, it’s warm in the tropics. (Who’s surprised?) I have made it
all the way to the place I will be living, eventually, for at least
some amount of time. Before I get go get settled here, though, I will
go stay at another place, because there’s guests coming here, so
they don’t have room for me until next week. So I’m staying at
another person’s place until then, and only after that moving in.
I don’t know what
more to tell you. I’m tired. My room is tiny. I don’t think I
have yet internalised that I will actually be here for a half a year,
because it does not feel like it. Maybe I’m going to realise that
in a month when the courses start. Or maybe not. Also, I have no idea
what I’m going to do for the next three weeks until the courses
start, because I know literally no one and, as I’ve learned today,
only understand a word here or there when people talk to me. So. I
don’t even have any kind of idea where in Manaus we are.
I have no idea. About anything.
I'm tired. I don't have more to say today. Just give me a week to figure out what's happening.
~matu
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