Introduction to Studying Multimedia Authoring Systems

This course is introduction to MULTIMA study program. I expected something more complex, but the course is quite easy. You can acquire 3 ECTS credits for some work with Moodle and Blogger. Truly I'm enjoying it.

For passing I must do:

• to be present on 3 classes (see my timetable);
• to write an opinion to Information Networks Usage Policy at the University of Vaasa;
• to find out and to discuss about some blog about studies (I chose this one);
• to create blog about studies here in Vaasa.

As you suspect, this is that blog. I can't let you here links to discussion about usage policy or founded blogs, because there are on Moodle and you need university account.

Bed Betatesting

I finally buy my new bed! It's because we want to share one of our (mine) room with Arthuro (exchange student from Mexico). He will pay for my room and I with Slado will share the other one. It's because of prices. Lot of people do it that way here in Tekla. I hope that's not such a big secret.

I buy inflatable model. It is very big like you can see on the pictures and it have even built-in electric air pump. Price for all that fun was 60€. Plus 15€ for that stylish cover with dog. PIMP my bed is not cheap thing. But it is still cheaper like paying for whole room.

Introduction to Multimedia and Hypertext

This course is about history and technologies concerning to multimedia. Everything important is on lecturer's page. But if you want to read the notes you need password. I don't understand why this documents aren't on Moodle like stuff related to Introduction to Studying Multimedia Authoring Systems. Whatever it is...

This course is for 3 ECTS credits and we must pass through 2 writen assigments and exam.

This is main topics of this course:

• basic terminology, history and fundamentals of hypertext;
• GUI, www;
• Hyperfiction.

Finally snow

After all catastrophic visions of global warming, after tangible sad of Finns, after cold darkness in the north... finally it's here. The Snow! It came with promis of light and fun.

Today weather was even ideal for taking pictures. Sun was shining and red sky maked Finland prettier. Most nearly to my imaginations before this stay. So let's enjoy the short seizures of beauty.

Finnish course

Today we had first lecture of Finnish. This course is only for 2 ECTS credits, but it serve for survive in Finnish. (Like it's name says - Survival Language Course for Exchange Students.) It shall learn basics of Finnish language needed in everyday life. The benefit of this course is that we have to only active participate in lectures. But we decided to write final exam for grades. As you can see in my timetable Finnish course will be every day in the morning (but finnish mornings are really like nights) for two weeks. We might choose with two variants: this intensive 2-weeks program or longer (and not so full-range) alternative. I chose the first one.

The rising was surprisingly quite easy, but this was only for the first time... Course was in Tervahovi and it takes 2 hours. Interestingly, lessons here starts 15 minutes later. Next time I will sleep longer :). Our lector - Anne Ahlqvist is accurate a very kind. She have experiences with teaching of exchange students, but Finnish language isn't easy. It deffers from Indo-European languages a lot. Finnish belongs to Finno-Ugric language family. Finnish is a synthetic and an agglutinative language. This means that words in Finnish have many parts inside them that make up meaning. In Finnish there are 15 cases. A case is an ending added to a word that helps describe its purpose in the sentence.

And this is some text written in Finnish:

Kaikki ihmiset syntyvät vapaina ja tasavertaisina arvoltaan ja oikeuksiltaan. Heille on annettu järki ja omatunto, ja heidän on toimittava toisiaan kohtaan veljeyden hengessä.

And it means:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

It's a fragment from Declaration of Humans Rights. As you see, the text looks difficult. And I don't even mention that Finnish language have different spoken form.

Sunday surfeit

Today was right time for another kind of sin. We decided to celebrate this Sunday by cooking and feeding our uncared-for stomaches. Today menu is garlic soup and grilled broiler with potatoes croquets.

And this is Slaďo's recipe of garlic soup:

Ingredients (for two people)

• 1/2 garlic (peeled or cutted into small pieces)
• 1 beef-tea (we used Euro Shopper Chicken Stock Cubes)
• 1 litre water
• 2 middle sized potatoes (cutted into cubes)
• Sunflower oil
• Salt

Preparation

Warm up oil in a pot. Add smashed garlic and fry for very short moment. Then add water, beef-tea and bit of a salt. Wait for boiling and then add potatoes cutted to cubes. Simmer slowly until potatoes will be tender. Serve with slices of bread eventually with cheese.

Another dish was even easier. Everybody knows how to do chips, but only for sure.

Ingredients (for two people)

• 1/2 kg potatoes (cutted into croquets)
• Sunflower oil

Preparation

Warm up oil in a frying pan. Add potatoes and fry with rotating until they will be little coloured. You can use same oil more than once.

And what about chicken? Go to mal and buy it :). We bought it in Minimani because it's closest to Teklas. This grilled broilers are pretty cheap and you don't need to warm it up because there are selled in thermopackages.

Foreign attendants

We are social creatures (especially Slaďo), so we does some actions in our apartment. First was small group of alcohol fans on Tuesday - Januray the 9th. It was evening full of little shy conversation (about school systems and another crap). We used vodka, whiskey and beer for courage increasing. In the crew belongs Polish girls Ania and Magda. Then Slovenian girls Lea and Staša, Frank and Florian from France and in the end Ilaria from Italy. And don't forget about handsome boys from Slovakia - Slaďo, Cuni and of course me. As we saw not only Slovak teenagers are identify with positive effects of ethyl alcohol. Everyone was skilled veteran but there was not enough of wonder potions and party ended early.

Enlighted from first try we organized another party on Sabbath - January the 13th. We used our free room to make place for visitors. There was circle from chairs, table with some snacks and music from laptop. Everyone brought also liquid spirit risers. Staff was little bigger. Again Ania and Magda from Poland, Lili from Slovenia, Teresa from Spain, Arturo and Fernanda from Mexico, Nathalie from Belgium and me, Slaďo, Cuni, Michal and Lucka from Slovakia. Our trust obtained the Czech beer Velkopovicky Kozel and some another distilled treasures. We talked mainly about Polish guys. Strange, I know. This experiment again expose on the lack of alcohol. Student's consumption is bigger than expectations. Yes, we are definitelly future leaders of this world.