Skiing near our home. This is my daughter, 16 years old.

I ran 10 km this morning. I will still go to the gym with my husband today and in the evening I will play floor ball (salibandy) with my team. This body is made for moving....

My running road. Just beautiful.

Life is good in Finland now. My husband came back from China last month and we are together again. Well´, we have been together all the time, but for 6 months he lived in China because of work. He visited Finland every month and we went to see him in October. But it isvery different when he is here all the time. We are so good together.

Enjoy the spring, we most certainly will!

                                                     -Jaana-

Merry Christmas Everyone!

                                              -Jaana-

Happy Independence Day Finland!

At 6 p.m. we will light these candles for Finland.

Have a good day and beautiful Christmas time, wherever you are my friend.

                                                                         -Jaana-

I have been running all summer. My plan is to run marathon next year. Half marathon would be ok for now, so I should have enough time.

We´ve been fishing, the lakes and rivers in Finland are so clean and pure.

The forests in Finland are full of berries. The cloudberry and blueberryseason is over already and now we are waiting for the lingonberries.

Lingonberries are my favourites!

Sauna means everything for the Finns. If you haven´t experienced the smoked sauna, you have not experienced the real sauna!

It is autumn now in Finland. The leaves in the trees are changing the colours and in October we should be expecting the first snow to fall. I have not seen that in 6 years, can´t wait!

This is the time to listen to the rain to fall and enjoy the warmth of the stone oven.

Still, sometimes I feel like someone is pushing my chest, when I think about China.

My trainer and my training friend. I learned so much Chinese when I was working out in this gym! And my trainer Jason was so good that I even won the Fitness Challenge that was held in this gym. And to think that 18 months ago, I was 20 kg heavier. I honestly think that my life is so much better after losing those kilos.

My hiking friends. I used to take my teacher colleagues to the hills during the weekends. I usually hiked 4-5 times a week and Hangzhou mountains were my favourite place in China.

We have a saying that the forest answers the way you shout and I think that it is absolutely true. I always met people who smiled and when they noticed that I could speak Chinese, they smiled even more.

Yes, I do miss China, but it also feels good to be home.

Enjoy your day, where ever you are!

                                       -Jaana-

At 00.20 a.m. 25.6.2011

Vaala, 100 km from my hometown Oulu. Very peaceful.

Kiiminki-river, where I go swimming every evening. Yes, it is me in the middle of the river.

At the moment I don´t miss China, just the people there. But I know that the fact that we are not living there anymore hits me at some point. After all, China will always be in my heart.

Now it is time to start planning our lives here in Finland. Children are going to high school, husband starts working here and I have to decide what I want to do when I grow up. No hurry yet though, now we will enjoy the Finnish summer!

Take care, where ever you are.

                                    -Jaana-

I discovered a new hike a week ago. Xiao He Shan-mountain. Breathtaking views!

No, we don´t actually do this, but there are places where you literally need to climb, using your whole body and your hands as well. I think I am quite fit and I burned 1812 calories on one 4 hour hike here!

There are lots of steps, but some parts of the hike are without them. You have to hold on to branches when you go down and crawl through the bushes.

Don´t look at the sweaty red faced woman in front but the view! Awesome, isn´t it?

We saw some bigger ones as well... Yes, we saw actual snakes, luckily they were more scared of us than we were of them. I hope...

I have done this hike now three times and it still feels amazing. Hard, but rewarding. Going again this Saturday and Sunday.

It is warm here in Hangzhou, during these hikes it was +35C! Yesterday it rained, so the air  is clearer and cooler. But it will be warm again soon.

Greetings from beautiful and sunny Hangzhou!

                               -Jaana-

Hangzhou is such a beautiful city and this time of the year is especially beautiful!

Magnolias are amazing!

I went for a walk in Xi Hu, West Lake one morning this week. I am so happy to be able to live here.

People are so talented and beautiful.

Teacher and her student.

But there are people doing other things as well, not just Tai Chi.

Wonderful art.

Lasts just a moment, but stays in my mind forever.

West Lake is huge and shows different sides every time you visit there.

And lastly something that always makes me smile. You just cannot be but happy when you see him:

Laughing buddha near the Lingyin-temple.

Spring is my favourite time in Hangzhou. Not hard to understand why..

                -Jaana-

Yesterday I hiked on the mountains with my friends. The tea bushes are very powerful and you feel so little when you are in the middle of them.

I love chinese food and my ayi can cook the most delicious stuff but these.. I am not so sure..

My ayi told me that you put these shrimp flakes in boiling oil and they are a very delicious dish. I suppose somewhat similar to Indian papadums.

I am not sure I want to know where they use the pigs head either.. Not my cup of tea.

But Chinese food is very delicious! Hangzhou is very famous of it´s food and my favourite is the eggplant with lots of chili, yum! Wai Po Jia is one of the many good restaurants here. Hmm, now I get hungry..

Eventhough the weather looks grey, I will still go for a run along the river. See ya!

                                             -Jaana-

Chinese New Year is colourful and noisy. Very noisy.

And in Hong Kong there are a little bit more people than in the streets of Oulu...

But here in Hangzhou there are quiet places when you know where to look. This picture just shows once again that even though your load feels heavy to carry, there are always people with heavier load. These workmen are carrying the bamboo tree trunks all the way up. The same steps that we hike without carrying anything. One should sometimes stop and think;  we are actually so fortuned. In so many different ways.

Have a good day everyone!

                                      -Jaana-

Cat, of course.

This one is adorable!

And this one placed in a flower pot.

Enjoy your day, I know I will!

                                            -Jaana-