The next day, Friday, Tanunya came to take her stuffs which were deposited in my room when she went travelling and with very much emotions, we parted. :( Andreas also left Denmark for Zurich in the morning. After all the emotional moments, I went to Christiania which is a region free of EU control, located in Christianhavn, 2 stops away by Metro from Noerreport. It was exotic to see the huge difference between Christiania and Copenhagen. Just outside the walls of Christiania is a modern, clean city of Christianhavn but enclosed within the walls are slumps, muddy roads and chaotic world. I was not able to take many photos there, because once I took a photo and 3 men shouted to me to delete the photo and threatened to rape me if I don't! It's extremely unsafe if anyone is thinking of going there at night. I left the place quickly before sun sets because it's really quite a scary place, much more scary than I thought. I never thought that such slumpy place exist in Scandinavia.
Today, I went to Roskilde with Justyna and we saw the 5 ancient Viking ships and the oldest church in Denmark. I will talk more about them when I upload the photos of Roskilde (I hope I have time, I know I owed my blog many many photos). I bought 5 more keychains in Roskilde and I gave one to Justyna as memory of our last trip together in Denmark. I also bought 4 more of my favourite keychains and 2 magnets. So, at the moment, I have 18 keychains and 3 magnets ready to give my good friends in Singapore as souvenirs. :)
Alright, now about Helsinki... We arrived in Helsinki from Tallin on 24th Dec and Kirsi invited us to stay at her home in Kirkkonummi, which is about half an hour by train from Helsinki main train station. Her parents were very hospitable and I'm very grateul for that. Her mum prepared for us Finnish dinner on Christmas Eve when we were there. After dinner, Jon and myself were 'commissioned' by Kirsi to decorate the Christmas tree in her house. She says it's the first time her Christmas tree was decorated by Asians and so it was exotic for her. :) The tree was actually cut from the forest near her house. Actually, Kirsi's house is really exotic and Finnish in style. It's located in the countryside, away from the bustling, modern Helsinki city and so I enjoyed myself very much there. Kirsi told me that Kirkkonummi was once 'rented' out to the Russians by the Finnish government in the 1940s (I hope my date is correct. =.=) and so her house used to be occupied by some Russians. This makes it even more exotic!
On 25th Dec, which was also Christmas day, we had a huge breakast, prepared by Kirsi's mother. Then, her dad drove us to Helsinki center and then Kirsi and her family left for their friend's place for Christmas outside of Helsinki. We gave her parents each a Chinese calligraphy from Singapore as souvenirs. This left us alone to explore Helsinki on Christmas! Haha... It was not fantastic at all, everything was closed, the streets were empty except for a few Asian touristx who were loitering around just like us. No restaurants were open, not even fast food restaurants. As a result, we were forced to eat instant pasta from the vending machine. What a sad Christmas dinner....
On 26th Dec, it was much better, we found a supermarket which was open and so we could buy some food. Kirsi also came to meet us in the afternoon and brought her mum's Christmas gift for each of us-a pair of socks knitted by the hands of her mother. I felt so touched and I will treasure this beautiful socks dearly. In the evening, we parted in Helsinki train station as we went to Rovaniemi, Lapland. I was extremely emotional and sad then, tears were streaming down my face as I have to say goodbye to my dearest 'ang moh' friend. Kirsi was also crying and later she told me in a message in facebook that she was extremely sad having to part with us and she was wiping away tears from her face as she walked away from the platform. She said this made her more determined to return to South East Asia. She will apply for NUS phD program and I really hope that she will get it and go back to Singapore!
Here are the photos....
arriving in Helsinki from Tallin by Viking Express
Indonesia vs Finland. lol
we saw few rabbits running in Helsinki city. It is not natural, we don't know why this is happening. But this photo is my favourite. :)
the opera house. Kirsi said it's ugly. Haha....
Ajaya
lunch at the student union o Helsinki University. We got student discount and so we only paid 2.60Eur for the meal. Cheap Cheap!! haha...
Christmas market
the main shopping street in Helsinki
Kirsi and her parents made the dolls with their own hands! So sweet.
Kirsi's hometown. :)
Kirsi and her mother in the kitchen
Finnish Dinner
myself with Kirsi in the kitchen
Kirsi made the wooden knife herself when she was small. Amazing
Kirsi and her father
Jon decorating the Christmas tree
Finnish flags
the tree after Jon and me decorated it. :)
Jon, myself and Kirsi's parents
the 3 dolls, each made by Kirsi, her mother and her father.
scenery taken from the window of Kirsi's home
huge breakfast
Kirsi said this is traditional Finnish pastry and they were made by her mother
Fruit cake, made by Kirsi's brother's girlfriend whom we met shortly when we first arrived
traditional Finnish Christmas drink, the Golgi. very thick and sweet. :)
Kirsi's home
Kirsi's home compound
Kirsi's dad's car. She told me it is antique already. lol
the church which lends its name to Kirkkonummi, which means Church on a field. (If I didn't remember wrongly.)
the town library
guards at the cemetry outside the church on Christmas day. Kirsi said it's only for Christmas
cemetry behind the church
presenting souvenirs to Kirsi's parents.
the 2 travellers
the man who ran and put Finland onto the world map, said Kirsi
the Olympic stadium
Instant pasta for Christmas. :( Everything was closed on that day. 
singing the opera. lol
Jon asked me to act cold but I just cannot stop smiling
Felt guilty that I ate so much chocolates during my Scandinavian and Estonian trip
Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
our Christmas gifts from Kirsi's parents
in Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
in Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
rehearsal or the night performance in Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
Jon acting cool
Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral
the president used this pool, if I remembered what Kirsi said. Ahhh...my memory is failing me
Our train to Rovaniemi. Santa Claus Express. :)
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