It's not far from midnight now but I still don't feel sleepy in the least. Well, I suppose this is all just part of getting ready for the trip - I mean, in London, it's not even ten yet. Still, that means that I have to leave for my first lesson at seven London time, so that's not a very nice thought. I started packing today, in a suitcase which Dea claims is hers, only hers and bought supremely for her and used only by her on countless trips. Well, that's all very well, but the very same suitcase has also been used by me on several trips, and anyway, it's only right that she gets to take a smaller suitcase this time, because she's not going to be staying as long as me.

The days are really nice and sunny now. My bus in the morning just didn't arrive, which is exactly what happened yesterday. This is strange, because I haven't heard of line 14 going on any strike or anything. Just to clarify things: I always take the tram to my lessons, but sometimes (every Monday and Tuesday) my first lessons are in another place, and then I take the bus. Anyway, so after my first lesson, I spent half an hour practising two pages of the piano (my ambition of going to school an hour earlier didn't quite work out). Then I had three hours of choral conducting, which was fun because Tuesday is when we have our group lessons and Saara (the most advanced of us five who study choral conducting) presented to us some modern Finnish choral music which we tried out and listened to. Then the photographer of Sulasol magazine came to take some pictures because there's going to be a story about us some time soon. Is that the rustling of subscriptions to the magazine I can hear on the other side of the screen?

I like lists, so I thought it would be nice to make a list of some very nice things. The list is of course subject to change and is not to be taken too seriously.

1. Grapefruit Juice (the best thing for a bad morning)
2. The Love Duet in Madama Butterfly's first act (for losing yourself in utter abandonment)
3. London (with its six-floor bookstores and fascinating Underground system)
4. Our choral conducting class (which might change radically next year when Mikko goes to the army and if Saara is accepted to the Academy and Kati stays home to take care of her baby)
5. Filing your nails and the powder which then stays on your finger-tips (however, having to sit next to someone who is filing her/his nails is torture)
6. Taking tram number 8 home from Ruoholahti (perfect way to avoid the chaos of rush hour-Rautatientori)
7. Living in Finland
8. Travelling far far away
9. This video Antti just sent me via MSN http://www.michalevy.com/gs_download.html ... Turn up the volume!

Okay, that's all I could think of just now :) Everyone, come to listen to Dominante tomorrow (Wednesday) at 21.30 in Tuomiokirkko. Free entrance, and a very nice program of Finnish choral music from Kuula to Kokkonen. See you there!
Good night!