| The Year 2003 |
| The Year 2003 December 31. New Year's Eve at Simon and Nat's place. Barbecue weather which becomes oddly cold. December 25. Christmas Day firstly at Mum's, then down the coast with Kerry's parents. December 13. Lunch with old university friends at a Mexican restaurant: Kerry of course, then Michael, Andy, Tracey, Steve, Warren, and Kay. November 11. I set foot in Australia for the first time in 8 years. November 9. I leave Finland for Australia. I'm going to visit family and friends and see if moving back is the right thing to do. October 11. Get-together with dinner and drinks with Nea, Marko, Kirsi, etc. at Copacabana. October 4. Ming's 30th birthday party, at the sauna in the Suomen Gallup building, Tapiola. September 16. Dutch Michael from Joensuu comes to visit. September 11. The last day of my notice period. I am now unemployed. September 7. I make first email contact with Kerry, an old friend from my university days in Australia. August 28. Night of the Arts: party at Eija's place. August 15. Fireworks over Helsinki harbour. Party at Leila and Jaakko's place to mark the occasion. August 12. I am officially fired. The management claims it is for "financial and operational" reasons. August 1-3. Weekend in summer cottage with Nea, Marko, and others. July 17. Stuart was back in Finland for a visit and we went out for drinks. July 14. The day I am officially fired from my job at Kudos. I am now on notice for two months. July 5. Paul and Natalia get married in St Henry's church in downtown Helsinki. July 1. I learn that I am to be put through the negotiation process for redundancy, or "YT process", according to Finnish employment law. June 25. I am so exhausted from not sleeping properly for more than a year, I start with a homeopath. June 20-22. Midsummer weekend. June 15. Stuart's going-away party at Manala. He didn't show up! But Eve, Geraldine, & co. did. June 14. Nea has a dinner party to celebrate the first occasion for Table of 6. June 13. Kudos summer party on Seurasaari. May 7. Cami celebrates her birthday with a small party at her flat. May 1. Vappu Day. April 24-27. Mandie comes to visit from London. April 18-21. Easter weekend. April 15. Party with former Nokia HR colleagues at the Belge bar in downtown Helsinki. March 28-29. Helsinki Beer Festival 2003. February 24. I resign as lead singer of the Bomb Shelter Boys. February 8. Nea and her boyfriend Marko celebrate a joint 30th birthday party at Hotel Korpilampi. January 20. My birthday. I'm one year older once again. January 18. Out to dinner with Cami at the fancy Lord Hotel to celebrate my birthday. January 1. New Year's Eve at home to watch fireworks, then Tenth Floor to meet friends. |