Jevin's Eurotrip

Bar-B-Que and Poker: When one is immersed in the cold tundra-like atmosphere of Finland, it often leads to unimaginable or drastic reactions. It was on the 2 of march 2008, core winter, that this insane group of IMMIT Erasmus Mundus students decided to have a Bar-B-Que - in the snow! We were so missing the days of France where the weather was warm and you can do these activities without worry. Plus, we had a BBQ shed here made just for us [facilities which weren't available to us in France], so we decided to test it out!

After having gone in search of coals to several stores, groceries, and supermarkets, and being rejected, met with faces of utter amazement, and comments that "are you crazy to have a BBQ in winter, we don't have coals, and Finnish people don't BBQ in winter.", Wasiq finally found some wood that we could use as fuel. So we set out to do what no Finn has done before; we are IMMIT and we do what we want, when we want, after all "without dissent there can be no democracy". So there we were, Wasiq, Jose, and I, trying to spark up a flame in minus 5 degrees weather ;), but in the end it was a success, the fire kept the food [and us] warm, the snow kept the beers cold, and we kept the party going. After the BBQ, the guys gathered in the common room to play some very addictive poker, we even have the "chips". [more pictures of Sun-deficient Sundays: IMMIT BBQ].

Caribia: Two days after, on the 4th of March 2008, longing and craving even more for the SUN, and FUN, and the warm beaches of the Caribbean, being sun-deficient as were were, and stressed from the partying, i mean studying life, we decided to go to Caribia. "Holiday Club Turku is a spa hotel near the center of Turku. It is built around a pool area with a genuine

Caribbean atmosphere - no wonder the spa hotel is also called the Caribia. The exciting pool section and pampering spa treatments guarantee that both children and adults have a memorable holiday." [source].

eight pools
three water slides
warm outdoor pool with caves
junior pool and children's pool with small water slide
16.7 metres (55 ft.) fitness pool
cold pool beside the warm outdoor pool

Now that's a resort! Of course it wasn't really the REAL Caribbean, it was just a touristic stereotype, but none-the-less, it was an enjoyable time, since this is the closest [8618 km away] you can get to warm home in this cold country. The Finnish really treat their people right, offering services and facilities such as these so we don't get depressed and kill ourselves. So we had a fun, relaxing, afternoon in this spa

[which Trinidadian goes to a spa man!?], for just 8 euros [quite cheap for all this]! Also interesting was the signs they had with the various Caribbean island and the distance and direction from Turku, it's always amazing to see something about Trinidad in Europe, since most people don't know that it exists.

There was even an out door [heated pool] and a freezing one, where you can run out dive into the freezing one and come back to the warm one...Finnish and their traditions...I'd say, this craving and desire for the sun is going to kill me... The sunsets here, however, do get to be quite beautiful sometimes. [more pictures of Sun-deficient Sundays: Caribia].