First Day on the Job, Tuesday, 2 Jun

Thankfully I slept well, nearly 8 hours. That should preclude any weird jet-lag... I started the day with a little yoga to see if I could "un-stiff" what 14.5 hours inside an airplane had done to me. It helped. About 8:00 I walked the short distance to the main building. The day was essentially spent meeting old friends, filling out paperwork, getting my key card (the Finns can do this in 2 hours; I'm still waiting after months for my new Forest Service card) and starting discussions about what exactly I'm doing here.... oh yeah, and having coffee breaks. The first one is at 9:00, along with some real breakfast goodies. No sugary donuts! Just some hard bread, a slice of cheese, and some fresh veggies (tomatos, peppers, and cucumbers). Most of the staff attend. Then, lunch at 11:30. Again, served up hot and fresh. And if you feel the afternoon grind taking its toll, don't worry. There's another coffee break at 14:00! My office is on the second floor. When I came back from lunch, they had put my name on the door. These Finns are a class act. About 16:30 Risto Rikala, one of the researchers I'm working with, took me into Suonenjoki to get groceries. I love buying stuff by only looking at the pictures on the label. A real adventure! More adventure at the check-out line... my credit card wouldn't work. Fortunately I had some Euros left over from last fall; just enough to get me out the door. I found out that Deb had used the card in Moscow, and then I tried it shortly thereafter in Suonenjoki--a big red flag to the credit card company! Hopefully by tomorrow they will have found me a bicycle so I have some mobility and can go purchase what I forgot today... it's about a 5 km ride to Suonenjoki.

Birds of the day: Coal Tit (and a nest with 4 just-hatched chicks), Common Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, House Sparrow.