Ville

My three-year bachelor psychology studies are nearing an end. I feel that I have learned so much about psychology and science, friendship and love, cultures and countries, myself and others. Then again, I sense that I understand nothing and how much there is still to discover. I would say that the three years have taught me what life can be—that of what you want and make of it.

Almost three years has passed since I started studying psychology in Leiden University. I started this blog too around then. Yet, I have not blogged nearly enough about my undergraduate studies, life in Holland, my thoughts on Leiden University and psychology, and so on. In this post, I tell all what comes to mind.

I am making important life decisions: golden delicious, royal gala, fuji, or jonagold—or “just” a banana? This is an apples to oranges comparison because apples have statistically a better advantage: there are more types of apples than there are types of bananas in a normal Western grocery store. Yet the alphabet of apples grapple against a single banana not even a royal gala stands a chance in my stance. Banana is the king of the fruits.

I have lived in the Netherlands for two years now. I am ashamed to admit that I still don't know how to say anything more than my name. I even probably pronounce it wrong. “My name is” part I mean. Of course I know how to say my own name you bird-brain. On an another thought, I am the bird-brain, like the one in the picture.

In the summer of 2018, scammers, hucksters and bot spammers roamed Facebook housing groups. Many people expressed their desperation and even anger over housing matters. People's plans were getting squashed. And the situation has not gotten better. The housing situation in the Netherlands is tough, no doubt.

Imagine a Venn diagram of sunny weather, weekend, and summer vacation. A tiny intersection is all that is left. That tiny spot is where I should make the most of my summer vacation. But what should I do in those days?

I then saw the three circles crossing on the horizon. It was all coming together. I needed to act quick. And without hesitation, I seized the opportunity and decided to cycle around Åland.

I was five or maybe six-years-old when I begun to understand what money means. First we had Finnish markka and Estonian kroons. Then we had euros and kroons, and later only euros. I remember as a little kid thinking myself why the world does not have money that everybody would use: a global money. Well now there is. It is called Bitcoin.

Olin viisi- tai ehkä kuusivuotias kun aloin ymmärtää, mitä raha tarkoittaa. Meidän perheessämme liikkui ensin markkoja ja krooneja, sitten euroja ja krooneja, ja myöhemmin vain euroja. Muistan, kun joskus pienenä mietin itsekseni, miksi maailmassa ei ole rahaa, jota kaikki ihmiset käyttäisivät: maailmanlaajuinen raha. No nyt on. Sen nimi on Bitcoin.

As a habitual redditor, I follow the memes and schemes of the world. I've seen things some of you wouldn't believe. A day ago, I watched how a black man was choked to death coldblooded by a “police officer”. His name was George Floyd. His death and its aftermath is all over the news. This time the matter will not fade like tears in the rain. Time for justice.

Personally, my alarms went full nuclear when I heard the borders in Finland would be closing and airplanes are going to stop flying. It was at this moment, when I realized that the coronavirus is deadly serious. (A zoom into a grey, serious face of me.)