The worst storm in 25 years. Even the hurricane is not that bad they said.

Many people lost their companies and everything here. I now see things from a different perspective and I really respect those people more than anybody.

On Monday the storm was at its worst. Everyone was asked to leave Encuentro the beach where my surf school is located.  The sea took off the surf schools and restaurants. The beach owner looked at the sea and looked sad and I saw from his eyes how fucked up he was.

I asked who would take care of the animals on the beach? He told me the nature will take care of her owns.  The sea came all the way around us and the most of the buildings collapsed. I know I should not have been there. I promised my parents and teachers that I’ll stay out of there!!!!

I was scared but at the same time I have never seen anything so powerful and beautiful to cry about sorrow and also about its beauty.

Only me and the surfing school owners stayed on the beach. I wondered if they were disturbed by my presence. At the same time, I saw a girl who tried to steal surfboards that had been taken to concrete blocks from the sea. I said to the beach owner and the security man of matter and they got the boards back. I’m angry that people have no respect, surf school owners have already lost their buildings and some asshole tries to steal their boards as well!!! Where is humanity and respect??? People are so selfish!!

I thought they wanted to stay undisturbed on their own and look and mourn in peace, but even though they welcomed me, they said it would not be safe here. For some reason I could not just leave and leave all the animals there so I stayed on the beach. I know, I know I know stupid!!!

In Finland, in conditions like this, everything is locked in. Here, they tried to save buildings from the creeping beach so that boards, loose material and everything would not enter the sea. This made me fall in love with them more and more. These people will always stay in my soul and heart for respecting animals and nature.

I am learning to understand the sea and how waves always come in cycles. Bigger waves do not come to the shore, but after the big ones they get smaller and they hit the beach and over. In the dark you cannot see anymore because the waves are so pig that come to the shore but you also learn to listen to the sea and the sound of it because of the rush to leave. A few times I ran into a dog in the back. I slept on the beach with dogs and ducks. I was scared, but I’ve never slept so well that night on the beach. I was thinking that if the wilderness has decided today is my last day, I cannot help it.

In the morning I woke up when the rooster crowed, and I discovered I’m alive and the sea has calmed down a little bit. I went home, changed clothes and went to the grocery store and bought them pineapples, chicken, biscuits, lime fruit salad and, of course, food for dogs and chicken and went to help people rebuild in the buildings and clean up the trash. They were so grateful to me and they told me how much they all respect me. They said there are people and hundreds of surfers all the time, but whenever they need help there’s nobody except me. I was grateful to them that I was welcome to their big family. I really respect those guys.

I have a free day from my work on Tuesdays so I had the opportunity to help people on the Encuentro beach. My job is at Kite beach in Cabarete, about 5 km from Encuentro beach. I went to check what the storm had done but my work place was spared from the biggest destruction, even though the sea had destroyed the terrace. I returned to Encuentro beach after a few hours and EVERYTHING was already rebuilt; the new cafes, restaurants, schools and everything. Every year there is a storm, but this was the worst for 25 years. I told them that I wrote about this and they were very grateful that people would really understand that even in Paradise life is not always easy!

In the evening we sat and ate fish and there was a beach owner and his manager and people from other companies. I asked them is it certainly ok that I’m here. They all said they like me, that I am really helping them when no one else cares, and they respect me for bringing them food and for all the help. At the same time, I felt like a VIP that I had the chance to see the fury of the sea. In fact, not many people in their lives can see and learn to understand the sea. Something so beautiful with the turquoise colour. Of course pictures and videos never show the reality, but my eyes will never forget that beauty.

I must tell a sad thing, one little boy, the ocean ate the little boy which is so sad. Even in Cabarete, there are big damages in companies I do not know if there are any more casualties there.

This is my most valuable post and I am dedicating my greatest respect for these people. And for once, I’m proud of myself that I could be helpful to someone who really needs it. The storm is now calmed down and maybe tomorrow I can go surfing again <3

RESPECT CABARETE <3

BUT STILL HAPPY WHITE GIRL IN CARIBBEAN

 2.3.20018

How grateful can it be?

So fucking grateful that I cannot even tell how grateful I am <3

I want to hug my school teacher Sari and the headmaster and of course my parents who look after my babies Tyyne and Helga. I miss them more than words can tell. And a special hug to my boss Tracy who gave me the job <3

Every morning I wake up and think this is a dream. This place and people here are so different compared to Finnish people who always are angry and have negative vibes. Here everybody asks every day “what’s up”, “how are you”, “hola”, and they talk to me even though they don’t know me, so nice! I’m scared to go back home and see all those negative people. I feel lucky to still have plenty of time left here 😊

I really like my job, my boss is awesome and so is the manager Camilla. They are the kind of people that I like. And I love it that they trust me and give me free hands. In every posting I keep saying the same thing but that’s how I feel.

I really miss my dogs but I know they are in best hands at home, my mom and dad are taking good care of them <3 Everytime I go home here it’s so quiet which is strange. At home in Finland when I go home the dogs always arrange carnival and circus but I love that they show me how much they love me and I love them.

My dad will come to visit me here next week. It is so nice that he comes. Of course my dad goes to the beach to worship the sun 😀

This morning I am going to surfing again and how cool that will be, I am so excited. This all is so cool, I think too nice. I am always here so happy and positive.

I often think I cannot trust myself. I always think that whatever I’ll do I’ll screw up everything. But I should trust me even a little bit. Here people tell me every day how nice it is to come here because I always smile and give them happy vibes and inspire people. Why couldn’t I trust myself? Many many people tell me this every day but still I think I am a looser.

Five years ago doctors told me I would die. And if I survived I would never walk again. Now I surf, ride a horse, snowboard and do many many other things. Whatever I do, I still tend to think I am a looser. Now, surrounded by this paradise, it’s fucking time to stop those thoughts and start thinking I am a SURVIVER! And I really must start trusting myself, isn’t that true?

PEACE LOVE ROCKENROLL  RESPECT AND POSITIVE VIBES !! <3 <3 <3

26.2.2018

BUENOS DIAS

My first week is done. A few things that I have learned to respect in such a short time are FRIENDS and FAMILY. I’ve never travelled alone, and this is and will be a very instructive journey. I didn’t think that six hour time difference compared to Finland would be bad but it is, I don’t really have time to communicate with my friends in Finland since they go to bed when I’m still at work and I am sleeping when they go to work in the mornings. I miss them and speaking Finnish with them.

I’ve had to do real jobs here. In many places, trainees do what nobody else bothered to do. In my experience, this place and Hirvikartano are model examples of how students are treated. You can never learn if you cannot do anything besides cleaning up. My boss is a great gal, really robust and outspoken. The kind of person that I like, similar to me. I find it easy to talk about things directly, and not to make everything difficult by going around and act as it should be. She gives me tasks and gives me the freedom to explore and to finish them, without all the time breathing behind my back. I appreciate that she trusts the company’s business for a Finnish idiot 😀 We even discussed that in future I could start organizing travel packages for people from Finland to come surfing here. That is, I probably have not fully fucked up my first working week 😀

Last Tuesday I had a free day and I used it by getting to know places. How cool the rented scooter can be to allow me to easily get from one place to another. The public “bus” or whatever Corolla is handy and cheap, but somehow not my thing. Taxi works, but it costs over longer time. The scooter is such a spectacular vehicle here. It really works !! I rented it for a month. Yesterday evening aired home, I felt alive and was burning with happiness, it was so cool  <3

I also went surfing last week and how cool can it be? Coolest ever, I am so happy and I will use all my possible free time to continue learning it. Many people told me I couldn’t do it, it would be too difficult. I got to stand up on board on the third trial which is well done from the first time beginner. THAT’S ABOUT IT!! I also want to try kitesurfing and I will try it. I will take all the pleasure out of this.

FREEDOM is different compared to at home, but it has been my choice. Having animals limits your life surprisingly much. People always say “they are just animals” but for me they are all my life and my family. And they are a big responsibility. They cannot be left alone for 12 hours. So they always require me to spend time with them. I love to do it, but this feeling of freedom is awesome too. I did not experience it until I was on holiday here in paradise with my soul friend in December.

Writing a blog once a week was said to be enough to at least know that I’m alive and well. This has also been a good way to open up by typing my ideas and thoughts. If not being compulsory, this would not be done, but now that this is a part of my international work I really enjoy it.

All this has been more than awesome, I have met new people from all around the world and hey I even saw three Finns 😀

In this place the sense of time is completely lost, I don’t even know what day it is. I find it difficult to concentrate myself to writing even in Finnish not to mention in English, but in full silence and peace I try my best – the success is another thing.

XoXo <3

19.2.2018

Yesterday was my first day and I am delighted. I would like to spend free time here, but look forward to more than everyday life, or is it a paradise for everyday life? If I was on vacation here, I would lie on the beach all the time. Instead of holiday, now I work on the beach so I’m wondering is this really true or am I dreaming?

Dreams can and must be. In the past I thought that dreams are dreams and they can be dreamed of, but they never meet the reality. But now it feels like living a dream, although I would have never thought that I would end up in the Caribbean, and besides everything, into a surfing school. It feels like this is not true, although it is a little bit too much to start believing that it is true. In my apartment I write a blog and see how the palm trees swing in the wind on my balcony, this is the unrepeatable beauty.

The first working day started with a little bit of confusion. I got tasks that I was not immediately aware of, a little time lost, panic and pressure while I tried to assemble myself. As I was a student working for the first day, I could not automatically complete everything. Besides, in Finland we are doing things in a bit different way. For a while I pulled myself back together and thought I’d swallow Annika’s pride and try to know but knowing nothing.

The girl who is working on the side of the restaurant came to tell me not to worry and she encouraged me to do my job well and with dignity. On her first day, she told she was crying. I thought in my mind what soup I put myself in? After a while, I began to understand what I was supposed to do and I worked and in the end of the day my boss came to me with an encouraging feedback.

So this is how my first day at work went and everything ended well. Eight hours went by and I learned a lot, made price comparisons from other companies and invented new product ideas. On days when we do not teach surfing, we offer our customers trips for snorkeling, riding, rock climbing and everything possible.

My first day of work was good and I even continued working at home and wrote a blog. My brain hardly ever had to think so much, HAH: D

All the best to you, my beloved Finland, I write after I have slightly beacon lived this dream more

P.S. I give the boss Finland present  Sibelius cd, Iittala candle cups, chocolate and Finnish flag and of course GRADIA fabric bag