Joensuu, the Second Narnia

As the days grow longer, the snow drifts grow taller.  While biking to school, I am pleased to find that the sun peeks over the horizon a little past 8am and does not dive below again until 4pm.  Solid eight hour days.  Eight hour days with snow cover that rises to waist level and snow drifts that surpassed my height weeks ago.  Such is life in Joensuu—a sort of Narnia-like winter delight.  These wintery overtones have proven to be a great stimulus package for hobby development.  In what follows, I'll introduce you to a few of my new favorites.

First up, we have ice skating.  With free skate rentals at the Student Union and several community ice rinks a stones-throw away from my flat, I have enjoyed wobbling around on semi-sharp blades.  At first, I was about as graceful as a cow on skates; but with each passing attempt, I find that my legs are growing increasingly accustomed to the physics of ice.  I have to admit, I also like watching the Zamboni cruise around the rinks.  It's kind of like the winter version of a lawn mower (a summer sport I am quite fond of).

For Christmas, my lovin' bro thought maybe I needed a bit more light to illuminate the dark Finnish nights.  One of his gifts was a light-up frisbee that glows different colors—fire engine red, sour apple green, frosty white, plum purple, corn husk yellow and icy blue.  Needless to say, my friends and I have had great fun passing this saucer back and forth.  However, it's not just the colors that make this game so interesting, but the terrain on which we play also adds to the excitement.  Remember how I described the waist-deep snow we have?  Well, for this reason, running and throwing in the snow can be a bit of a challenge.  Instead, we have taken to the ice rinks where we slide and slip in gallant attempts to catch the lighted disk.  Thanks James!  It's a huge hit!

After acquiring a few bumps and bruises from my previous two hobbies, I find that it is nice to sit down with a cup of tea and ball of yarn.  While knitting technically is not a new hobby for me, it has been a while since I picked up the needles.  Currently, I have made a mitten and a half.  Their color is orange in honor of the orange trees growing on my desk.  In addition to the practical side of knitting, I've also found it to be a fun excuse to get together with friends at the university's new knitting club.

So, there you have it.  Gliding across ice, through air and into stiches.  Skating.  Frisbee.  And knitting.  My Narnian hobbies.