Tag Archives: finland

welcome back…

These are my first lines after 6 months of absence from this blog. Simultaneously, these are my first lines writing in my new domain: caislas.name

Perfect timing without planing about it. This post emerges in a weekend where Finns celebrate their mid-summer, Juhannus. Changing times in a wonderful summer weather.

My view, over 10PM, towards the koko in Joensuu

My view, over 10PM, towards the koko in Joensuu

 

Beautiful flowers on my way home

Beautiful flowers on my way home

 

Enjoyable weather in this midsummer

Enjoyable weather in this midsummer

 

working and enjoying in Finland

Week 50
Joensuu, Finland

This is a post dedicated to our dear friend Marcus, who has inspired us to enjoy life at its maximum 😉

Let me explain. Often people that care about me tells me that I should relax. The comment arises because most of my time I dedicate it to work.  Nevertheless, I should confess that I have been lucky because what I do is what I like to do!  The only BUT is to  find a proper mechanism to be paid constantly for what I do 😉 that is work in process!!

In October 19th  while being at a summer cottage with my dear friend Kirsi, we were commenting about this: there is not one way to live life, and it is hard to find your own way. So, advices and suggestions are always welcome!. Marcus has encouraged us to enjoy more 😉  as both of us are perceived as kind of workaholic. Actually, it is common that we get together to enjoy time and work. So, this time we decided to document some of our hard work lives and share it.

1) First we need to drive some kms until reach out cozy summer cottage. Once there we discover there are still FLOWERS!!!!

Flowers in late autumn

Flowers in late autumn

2. Harvest some bio and unique carrots!

I confess this activity was new for me, and I did not help THAT much, however I did enjoy 🙂

Harvesting 1/3

Harvesting 1/3
Harvesting 2/3

Harvesting 2/3

Harvesting 3/3

Harvesting 3/3

3. After harvesting, one has to clean the carrots from all the dirt

washing

washing

4. Then prepare the carrots for WINTER. This work is done indoors by pealing and cutting the carrots.

preparing for winter

preparing for winter

5. Ready to get into the freezer

ready to go to the freezer

ready to go to the freezer

6. Maybe I am not dress in proper office dress code,  but in a cozy environment one gets ideas to do some writing…..

some writting as well

some writing as well

7. After so much hard work, SAUNA!!!!!!! 🙂

This part of Finnish culture is from my favorites! 🙂

sauna

sauna

8. After sauna, fireplace 🙂

fireplace

fireplace

9. Before the day is over, a toast for our friend!

toast for our friend

toast for our friend

It is an ART to balance work and pleasure, specially in this modern “knowledge society”, but the day was productive, we got food, enjoy nature, and start and finish and abstract, in addition to actualize ourselves…..So it was not difficult to have sweet dreams and see a new sunrise (ok, the sunrise below does not look as sunrise but it is a new morning on this trip!) 🙂

next day....

next day….

However, I confess I am in the process to balance work and pleasure.  Maybe, lately the relax part is expanding! 🙂 Perhaps the secret is in discipline and small production batches!

In any case, thank you for my harvesting teacher and our inspiration for this post Marcus 😉

Next post about: games and coincidences…

illuusio

Week 30, 2012
Wels, Austria

On July13 th and 14 th I was at the event called ILLUSIO. As far as I understand this was the second year the event was organized. ILLUSIO’s objective is to bring together people of the digital entertainment and game industry in Joensuu.

The team who organized ILLUSIO this years did a good job transforming the network Oasis facilities and creating a nice atmosphere for the event. I know network Oasis, and by default is an attractive location, but there is always space for improvement. Unfortunately, I did not take photos of the entire place, but here is one screenshot to give an idea of the transformation for those who know the location. This is on the orange room:

Orange room at Illusio event

Orange room at Illusio event

  (photo from the illusio’s facebook page)

In addition to the atmosphere, the organizers really took care of us. Networking, food and drinks were not in shortage. Actually the number of participants was good. In huge events it is harder to meet people than when the group is a bit smaller.

This might sound strange, but without any question the game industry and also game researchers have its hallmark, i.e. its personality. It is hard to describe in here, but in brief I can say they are passionate and fast minds, but there is something that intrigues me too, as it had happened in DiGRA, IGDA and Salmokohta or any other game event I had been. One day I will find out and write a post about it 🙂

The topic of the event: audio. It was refreshing for me. I know about the power of sounds and audio, but without a question I learned something, for example, now I have a clearer understanding of what a sound designer do.  Also I got inspire and revive some ideas for games 🙂 .

The talks were not academic. The speakers share some of their experience and facts of the game industry in Finland, which in itself is interesting. I prefer the presentations that shared ideas about budgets, assets list, and visions. Nevertheless, as it happens always in these events, the most important part was: the experience and the networking.

Thank you to the organizers!

Presentation at Illusio

Presentation at Illusio

 

bottom-up & up-bottom

Yesterday I joined an ISS research seminar. I have been out of the loop in so many things while writing my dissertation including what is happening in here. Yes, I lived in a complete volunteer exile. So, it was enriching and help me to actualize to hear  about the work of diverse colleges, such as what Hanna Vrzáková, Victor Gonzalo and Harri Karhu have been doing.

Also the seminar allowed me to realized new game developments. I knew about their existence, but to hear from the developers its more enriching.  Consequently, the session fed my energy on the preparation of my course on game design so that it can serve them 😉 Yes,  I know, it is A LOT of work but I know it is WORTH it!

Another special insight was given on the talk of Dr. Debbie Watson from the School of Policy Studies at the University of Bristol. In addition to remind my time in Bristol at the GSoE, thanks to STELLAR :), the talk re-enforced the reflection I am having lately:

As important is to understand the bottom-up situation of phenomena, as it is to raise one’s voice with police makers, i.e. pay attention to the situation from up-bottom.

Indeed very interesting after–seminar talk!

Thank you to all the presenters!

sr is back!

Week 3, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Sr is BACK! 🙂 . It arrived via Matkahuolto, complete and sound 🙂  The service of Kampus Data Oy was very good, and I transferred the last backed-up data that I had to Sr from the time machine. Still I have to do some hand work with some of the data we were able to rescue before send Sr to Jyväskylä, but step by step.  Here some photos of the story of re-activating Sr.

Arriving to Matkahuolto package in Joensuu

Arriving to Matkahuolto package in Joensuu to pick up Sr

That is Sr

Here it is, Sr is inside

Sr well packed

Sr well packed

 

The ONLY thing I want to highlight is:  Kampus Data installed Finnish OSX on Sr instead of English. Yes, I know how to change the language on my account, BUT I found interesting that apparently Macs have troubles dealing with languages.

Suomi - English

Suomi - English

 

In anycase I am HAPPY that  Sr. is back.  I want to acknowledge that I have learned a lot of time management with the HP compaq nx 9005 that I had for somedays. Thank you HP! Now it is time to go back to work! 🙂