Hyvää Uutta Vuotta 2025!

 Aika muistella hieman kulunutta vuotta. Tänä vuonnakin teen sen standardimalliin kyselyn kautta englanniksi. Mennäänpä kysymysten kautta vuoden kulkuun...

Aikaisemmat vuodet blogissa:

• 2023

• 2022

• 2021
• 2020
  
• 2019
  
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011 - Past this blog in Livejournal! (Had to actually try to remember my account... But it's still there!)
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008
• 2007

So that's how far back it goes!

Muistelutapani on vuonna 2007 kehittelemäni standardimeemi 40 kysymystä viime vuodesta. Tänäkin vuonna vastaan niihin englanniksi. Mutta sitten asiaan: Uuden vuoden viettomme on vakiintunut, ollaan jälleen ystäviemme luokse menossa rakettien ammuntaan ja lautapelailemaan...<3 Toivon kaikille mahtavaa uutta vuotta 2025!

 

Summing up my year of 2023, once again in English. I do this every year.

1. What did you do in 2024 that you’d never done before?

 

I set up a limited company and hired people as a private employer.

We took an exchange student for 3 months.

I also bought two apartments at once. Twice! So four in total.

I travelled to Southeast Asia. I've been to China 10+ times and 3 times in Japan but never any other countries in Asia. I also attended and presented in my first ICIS and at the same time my first AIS conference. About time!

And I visited Ostan Asuntoja podcast which you can listen to here:

2. Did you keep you New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

As usual I made many and I did keep many of them, the biggest was to get 10 apartments to Airbnb.
 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

None of my closest friends or family.
 
  4. Did anyone close to you die?

Iguess I am at that age where people around me are dieing. One of Finland's SK Branch Masters died and also one of the chairs of my apartment societies died:( But no one at the really close proximity.

5. What countries did you visit?
Greece, UK, Lithuania, Germany, Azerbajzan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia

6. What would you like to have in 2025 that you lacked in 2024?
I want to do more sports.

7. What date from 2024 will remain attached upon your memory, and why?
 

There was probably not one date. Some of my favourite times was being at our summer cottage shooting an amateur film with friends and family.

 8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Buying four apartments total. My goal was to get 10 apartments in airbnb this year and here is what I achieved:

I now own 10 apartments total. We currently have five of them in long term or mid term rentals. Overall I have had 10 apartments/cottages this year in airbnb, including our own home, the summer cottage and one that I have rented from my investor friends. On top of that I have hosted total of six apartments for other people occasionally. The business was certainly my biggest achievement.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Well I failed in keeping very good care of myself. That's something to improve. Also I failed to get my son off the bottle.


10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No.

 11. What was the best thing you bought?
My four apartments and my car and a trip to the Far East.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

This year I manifested many things and one was an incredibly efficient trainee.


13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

There was an incident where I think I was put down for no good reason. But I dont need to name by who. 

14. Where did most of your money go?
Apartments, their equipments, car, travels and BITCOIN!
 
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about
Growth


16. What song will always remind you of 2024?
No Rules!? I dont have a good candidate for this year.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
I. happier or sadder? I am very happy
II. thinner or fatter?  Fatter!
III. richer or poorer? Richer indeed

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Taken more showers

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Rushing or being too time optimistic

 20. How did you spend Christmas?

At my mother-in-law's and my mother's


22. Did you fall in love in 2024?
No

24. What was your favorite tv programme?
Maybe House of Dragon, but actually I really enjoyed Summer I Turned Pretty
    
25. Do you hate anyone now that you did not hate this time last year?
No

26. What was the best book you read?
I read (listened) only 3 books this year... That's very bad:( The books were: Start with Why, The book of Realestate Investing with No (Low) money down and The One Thing. I have also been listening to Never Split the Difference
 
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
I didnt really discover music, even Eurovision was not memorable.

28. What did you want and get?
My airbnbs.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
I watched very shit films on the long haul flights, the options were bad. I went to the cinema zero times!

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was 43. I went to birthday breakfast with the girls and then spent some time with Juha at home.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Well same answer as last two years, I want the war to end so that Finnair could fly over Russia again. And well, I hope Trump can pull it off. Not just for the flights but overall healing of Europe.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2024?
Anything that has holes in it or falling apart.

 
34. What kept you sane?
Sleeping more finally as our 3-year old mostly only wakes up one time per night anymore.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
As I get older, I have less celebrity crushes, I feel. People who inspired me in the world of internet/real life were women and men who are good at realestate business like Netta Eskola, Jenny Nyman, Ronja Roms, Sanna Latvala, Jesse ja Annika Parviainen jne.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
US Presidental election was I guess important

37. Who did you miss?
I missed the kids when I was travelling without them.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Erika my trainee

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2024:
Why buy just one apartment when you can buy several at once.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
 
On pakko painaa pitkää päivää

Vain siten hommat hoituu.

Kaakkois-Aasia

  

Kaikkien Kiinan ja Japanin vuosien jälkeen olen vihdoin päässyt Kaakkois-Aasiaan. Laskeuduimme muutamia päiviä sitten Bangkokiin ja tarkoituksena on vierailla muutamassa lähialueen maassa. Syksy menikin kokonaan Suomessa, koska meillä oli hetkellisesti seitsemän henkinen perhe yhdellä vaihto-oppilaalla höystettynä.

Thaimaa on Bangkokissa kuin Kiina, erot ovat ainoastaan kielessä ja temppelien ulkonäössä… Tuntuu todella kotoisalta. Asumme hieman ränsistyneessä massiivisesta hotellikompleksissa, jossa on kuitenkin kaikki mitä tarvitsemme: iso huone isolla parisängyllä, ilmastointi ja ravintola uima-altaalla. 

Näkymät tältä terassilta ovat superkauniit suurkaupungin skylinet ja iltaisin paikallinen Bob Marley soittaa kitaralla euroviisuja, Take Thattia yms crowd pleaser biisejä. 

Kolme vuotiaan kanssa on periaatteessa helppo matkustaa. Hän on kokenut reissutyyppi ja saa melt downeja yleensä vain kun on tosi väsynyt tai nälkäinen (niinkuin kuka tahansa aikuinenkin). Meillä on potta matkassa ja siihen on tehty suurin osa pissoista. Pöntöllä hän ei vielä uskalla käydä kotonakaan saati sitten vieraissa aasialaisissa vessoissa. Tämä on erilaista kuin Kiinassa - täältä löytyy vessat pontöllä! 

 L puhuu ja ymmärtää englantia, koska on ollut reilun 2v Pilke Playschoolissa. Hän vastaa rohkeasti ”I am fine ” hotellihenkilökunnan ”how are you” kyselyihin. Hänellä on monia oma leikkejä, oma pikku reppu täynnä autoja, pesusieniä ja ”kouria” eli kreikasta valitsemiaan suurikokoisia pyyhepyykkipoikia. Näillä saa aikaiseksi monet leikit. 

Äidin kanssa iltauinti auringonlaskun jälkeen on suosikkijuttu myös. Eniten reissulta oltiin varmaan odotettu ruokaa ja onhan se hyvää: Satay vartaita, Phad Thai paistettua nuudelia yms. Toistaiseksi parasta on ollut Thai Green Curry! 

 Olen ”lomalla” mikä tarkoittaa sitä, että teen vain n. 1-3h töitä/päivä. Teen vain aivan pakollisia juttuja siis. Seuraavaksi matka jatkuu Kambodzaan.

 

After all my years in China and Japan, I’ve finally made it to Southeast Asia. We landed in Bangkok a few days ago, and the plan is to visit a few neighboring countries. I spent the entire autumn in Finland since, for a while, we had a seven-person family, including one exchange student.

Thailand feels a lot like China here in Bangkok; the main differences are the language and the appearance of the temples. It feels very much like home.

We’re staying in a somewhat rundown but massive hotel complex that has everything we need: a big room with a large double bed, air conditioning, and a restaurant by the swimming pool. The views from the terrace are stunning—city skylines of the metropolis—and in the evenings, a local “Bob Marley” plays guitar, performing Eurovision hits, Take That, and other crowd-pleasing songs.

Traveling with a three-year-old is, in principle, easy. They’re an experienced traveler and usually only have meltdowns when they’re really tired or hungry (just like any adult). We brought along a potty, which has been used for most of their bathroom needs. They’re not yet comfortable using a toilet, even back home, let alone strange Asian restrooms. This is different from China—here, there are toilets with seats!

L speaks and understands English because they’ve been in Pilke Playschool for over two years. They confidently answer “I am fine” when hotel staff ask, “How are you?” They have many games of their own and carry a small backpack full of cars, sponges, and “claws,” which are large towel clips they picked out in Greece. These keep them entertained for hours. Evening swims with mom after sunset are also a favorite activity.

We were probably most looking forward to the food on this trip, and it’s as good as expected: satay skewers, Phad Thai noodles, and more. So far, the best has been the Thai Green Curry!

I’m “on vacation,” which means I only work about 1-3 hours a day and only do the absolutely necessary tasks.

Next, the journey continues to Cambodia.