According to lunar calendar today is 중복 (joongbok), the hottest day of the year. Well, the second one of three of them. On this day Koreans eat 삼계탕 (samgyetang), chicken soup with ginseng to fight against the heat. The vegan me just had some 팥빙수 (patbingsu) and 콩나물비빔밥 (kongnamul bibimbap). Still (or because of that?) had to shower three times today.

Lunch, cold noodles with young radish and hot pepper paste

and potato pancake

Snack, red bean bun & pear juice

Dinner, vegetable burrito with avocado

Dessert in the park:

My favorite ice-cream in the world!

It’s 4am as I write this. Sitting in the dark, I only hear some cars driving outside and a fridge humming. I’m exhausted but awake and can still very well remember my sleepless nights is this city. Same house, different room. I have stayed on 4th floor, 2nd floor and now on 3rd floor. At the end of the month will move to another room across the hallway.

So I arrived yesterday, everything is familiar yet confusing. A thick, humid air greeted me at the airport, I grabbed aloe drink from Family Mart and arrived home. Friend was waiting and after some rest we had a delicious lunch provided by no other than Supreme Master. On a way back home had ice-cream (found it, yay) & soy latte. Met more friends, went to market to buy some melons & peaches, a knife, slippers and of course 양갱 (red bean jelly). Later on experienced a traffic jam on our way across the river (better to take subway next time), had dinner, got home and passed out.

And woke up after 3am. Now I just finished eating bean jelly and will try to get some more sleep tonight. I’m looking forward to more sleepless nights in Seoul.

There’s not much of Finnish summer left for me this year. Just few days and nights. For me Finnish summer is sunrise at 3am, bike rides and the sweet scent of clovers and strawberries. The scents I always miss from home are fresh rye bread, sauna and tar. No more sunsets at 11pm, no nightingales singing or bunny rabbits running around. Soon saying hello to crickets, city life and unbearable heat. Summer is not over yet.

This little monkey was waiting for me today at the fleamarket. She has a monkey friend from Japan here at home.

Rainy Sunday evening in Helsinki, scent of pine soap and warm apple pie.

I’ve stayed home. Cleaning, eating oat cookies & sewing. Today I got a beautiful surprise package from Japan. As I write this it’s raining and I can hear the thunder far away. Come closer!