Hi everybody, down there in the rest of the world!

It's Tuesday night by now in Oulu, Finland; I'm starring into darkness just in front of my room's spacious window. So well: today was the day I finally got my internet access so today I will also start to inform you about life up here.

What happened so far: I flew to Helsinki on September 3 and stayed two nights with a local couchsurfer (Max) in quite a kewl neighbourhood named Kallio, just north of the city centre. Coming right in time for the annual firework championships we were having some drinks at the southern tip of the city.
On Saturday (September 5) I eventually made it up north to where I am living right now: Oulu in the same-called Finnish district, which took me roughly eight hours by train. It would have been shorter, but at one stage the follow-up-driver had been at least half an hour late, but he excused himself repeatedly so everybody will have forgiven him by now.
So well, here is where I'm exactly living now, right between the city centre of Oulu (to the south) and the University campus (to the north):

View Larger Map

The orientation week of us students (we're about 400 all together) started yesterday and tomorrow we'll have the first courses - however, there had been a lot of stuff to arrange yet, e.g. buying a desk-lamp since the one in my room is way too dark, opening a bank account, getting a monthly bus-ticket, filling out lots of formulars and various papers on all kind of subjects, but all that is nearly done by now. Before this all started we had the time to get an idea of how the area looks like and of course I've already taken a whole bunch of pictures. You might simply stop reading and just look at them. And don't worry, I won't overload you: you all got stuff to do and nobody likes watching too many of other people's photographs... :D
The follow-ups are just a tiny fraction, though (if at all). I had to put the pictures on facebook.com since blogger isn't exactly the best platform for it yet.

HELSINKI.


Helsinki Fish Market and harbour.




OULU.




Just some 2 kilometres outside the city centre - Oulu is located right behind some gorgeous little islands, we even have some nice sandy beaches up here!




UNIVERSITY (OULUN YLIOPISTO).




Spacey toilets! For obvious reasons our uni is happily coloured... XD