Rural House in Spain

I Died

...and now I´m in Heaven

I Die a Little

Kiitos

After two years in Finland I know for certain that the experience has been overall very positive. I feel that I am more mature, more experienced and more prudent. I have met wonderful people and lived unforgettable experiences. I love my girlfriend, relatives and friends more than ever. To all of you, who have contributed to make out of me a better person:

KIITOS, THANK YOU, GRACIAS AMIGOS!!!!

Living abroad

By living in Finland I have learnt to love and hate Finland as I love and hate my own country: Spain. There is one reason why I have this mixture of opposite feelings: I feel Finland as an important place for me and enjoying the good things becomes as important as criticizing what you think is wrong. By living abroad you learn to appreciate those good things from your own country (that might have gone unnoticed for you so far) and realised those good things about the country in which you are living as a foreigner. Both countries (Spain and Finland) have numerous things to learn from each other. I have sometimes felt that a human touch is needed in some Finns. Nobody should be left behind and that usually happens in this country. It is not only receiving a pension from Kela: love, respect and dignity are more precious than money. Loneliness is so common that becomes sometimes a general rule. By living in Spain, Finns will find that Spanish hospitals are newer, cleaner and more comfortable than Finnish ones. The staff is in general kinder and everything is for free (totally for free: you receive prescriptions, never invoices!!!!). They might also find, to their surprise, that public transportation and some infrastructures in Spain are more advanced (Tv in metro, high-speed trains, more free high-way kms than anywhere else in Europe) while the cultural and gastronomic offer in this southern country is overwhelming. We have much more than beaches!!! And the state is not nicking us money in the form of extraordinary high taxes. Finns could learn that it is possible to work hard and become a good scientist in Spain. We are not dancing and drinking sangría all the time!!!! Finns could get used to smile more often, to not be afraid of showing feelings to their closest friends and relatives, to share, share and share, as a sign of generosity toward those you care of. Finns will find themselves like kings sorrounded by Spaniards who know nothing but creating generously a comfortable hospitality for the foreigner visitor.

Spaniards, on the other hand, would learn what is to have respect towards nature and every single living animal. We should learn from Finn's sensitivity towards mother earth. We have to learn that it is possible to enjoy natural resources without spoiling them (I have seen that in Finland! Believe me!). We have to learn that people's private lives are private and be respectful with that. In Finland, nobody is criticized because of the way they look, their outfit, their appearance, or their personal condition, whatever it is. A dose of honesty and sense of responsability is needed for most Spaniards and Finns can provide a bit of that to us. From Finns we could take that extraordinary ability for learning languages and still love their own language and culture. Finns should teach us how to live in peace and create a better country, without violence: a safe place like Finland. We have to learn from that: "take it easy". To find the beauty and the pleasure in the little things, like Finns know how to do. Spanish girls will be jealous at knowing that Finnish moms can dedicate full time to the new-born babies for three years without loosing their jobs. That the Finnish state takes care of children and their moms from the very beginning. A great part of the Spanish society is rotten and spoiled with absurd, disgusting and extremist ideas about nation, religion and unlimited greed. Finnish society is well-balanced and almost nobody knows what covet is. Nobody aspires to be rich and nobody dream of possesing mountains of useless things. In Spain that is usual and become rich by taking advantage of somebody else is not rare. Finns are enemies of taking what is not theirs and they show endless respect to other people's belongings and lives.

Mixing genes and cultures in a globalised world is the only solution for this puzzle.

Finalizing the Pox-MUSCLE project

Today it was my last working day in Finland. I am happy. I think I can look back in time and be proud of what I have done. Hard work anyway. And fruitful. 4 papers and 4 communications to congresses.

M. Estévez, P. Kylli, E. Puolanne, R. Kivikari, M. Heinonen. Fluorescence spectroscopy as a novel approach for the assessment of myofibrillar protein oxidation in oil-in-water emulsions. Meat Science, 80, 1290-1296, 2008.

M. Estévez, P. Kylli, E. Puolanne, R. Kivikari, M. Heinonen. Oxidation of skeletal porcine myofibrillar proteins in oil-in-water emulsions: interactions with lipids and effect of selected phenolic compounds. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56, 10933-10940, 2008.

M. Armenteros, M. Heinonen, F. Toldrá, V. Ollilainen, M. Estévez. Analysis of protein carbonyls in meat products by using the DNPH method, fluorescence spectroscopy and Liquid-chromatography-Electrospray Ionisation-Mass spectroscopy (LC-ESI-MS). Meat Science, in press.
M. Estévez, V. Ollilainen, M. Heinonen. Analysis of protein oxidation markers α-aminoadipic and g-glutamic semialdehydes in food proteins by using LC-ESI-Multi Stage Tandem MS. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 57, 3901-3910, 2009.

I expect to write another two and probably a review about protein oxidation. I did all this with efficient contributors. They were helpful and in some cases (Mónica Armenteros) made good part of the experimental work. In the picture you can see some of them.

The lady in the middle is the group leader. Marina has been a wonderful supervisor. She comprises, from my point of view, all kinds of good skills for supervising research work: intelligent and full of expertise, helpful and eager to help, patient, kind, prudent, generous and reasonable person. She trusted me by giving me the freedom I needed to develop my own ideas. She contributed by giving wise advice and logistic assistance. Just perfect for me. She's a big name in Food Chemistry worldwide and she deserves it absolutely. The other ladies, Riitta (Senior researcher), Tuuli (PhD student), Marjo (Postdoc), Hanna and Johanna (Research students) have been nice colleagues at work. Amongst the men (not invited to the above picture), Velimatti was my guiadance with the LC-MS; Miikka Olin the skilful technician every researcher would dream of and Petri Kylli my closest collaborator at the beginning in the lab who is now looking for a more profitable life in Orion company. Kirsti and Maija assisted me in the lab while Ritva, Anna-Liisa, Taina and the cheerful and smily Hillu helped me with the boring bourocratic issues. But perfect is nothing and I might comment a couple of tricky issues. To be classist/snob is an endemic disease, not only at University but actually everywhere in this country. They might not even know about it if some roles are common and in a way, well established in the Finnish society. But it appears very clear to me. I hate talking generally cause I have met people who are the opposite to that...But that is my feeling: too much talk about that "everyone is the same (no ranks)" but the social status is noticiable quite often. I personally hate titles when those are used to put yourself in an upper position and look down on somebody else. I never said I was a postdoc while working in the lab and I worked myself as a PhD student doing every single experiment and cleaning every single test-tube (that is not always common for postdocs). Usually, those who know less, think they are much better that they actually are while advanced minds (like my supervisor aforementioned) are usually modest and prudent. Both situations are found here. But this is the same everywhere. Finns and Spaniards who think that Finland and Spain are the best countries to live (respectively) usually consider that they have nothing to learn abroad. They should travel more to realise that they are totally wrong.

I will miss all of them but maybe, particularly, the youngsters because of the social life we shared outside University and the last person I mentioned: Hillu. I wish you the best and the doors of our house in Spain are fully open for you whenever you want. Your kindness and endless attention will be forever remembered and appreciated. It is just that I cannot forget a single thing you did for me. Like, for instance, when you did not bother to call and find out everything about my health insurance in Finland when I did not even know where to go or whom to call in case of emergency. In Finland, a sincere and naive smile like yours is sometimes as wonderful as finding shelter under the hard rain. Never change!

Farewell party

Thank you for coming and to all those who participated in the wonderful presents we recieved: YOU ARE SUPERB!

Kesän Pikku Joulut

The world economical crisis was the reason why we had not pikku joulut last year. But a broken refrigerator (it is a very long story to explain here...) gave to us a second chance to enjoy a social event with our colleagues from University. We went to visit the House-Museum of Eliel Saarinen, the architect who drew and built the Central Railway Station in Helsinki. After that we spent the day in a cottage, grilling makkara, doing pancakes, chopping wood, having sauna...ain´t that Finnish????

Song for girl

Willing to invite my girlfriend to a fancy and sophisticated restaurant for her birthday and you eventually find out that she's interested in having a big burguer. Surprise, surprise...

Wonderful 30 years!

You are so beautiful (Joe Cocker)

You are so beautiful To me

You are so beautiful To me

Can't you see You're everything I hoped for You're everything I need

You are so beautiful To me

You are so wonderful To me You are so wonderful To me Can't you see

You're everything I hoped for You're everything I need You are so wonderful To me

You are so beautiful To me You are so beautiful To me

Can't you see You're everything I hoped for You're everything I need

You are so beautiful To me

VAPPU 2009

According to the eldest Finnish traditions, we attended, astonished, to the coronation of the Havis Amanda statue by the students surrounded by a sea of people wearing the traditional white caps. For those who might not know, Vappu is the name for the celebrations taking place in Helsinki for the first of May. It is actually a mixture of workers and student's day together with a celebration of the spring (and the end of the winter) and a weird carnival. This mixture might result, ideologically and esthetically, a bit strange for foreigners cause you can meet within 5 minutes, an old lady with a huge red wig having a drink in Fazer terrace, an elegant family wearing the classical hats and drinking sparkling wine in market square, a group of renegade anarchy youngsters doing a small demostration in Esplanadi, teenagers in vampire and angel disguises, students with fraternity clothes (overalls) selling CDs and old guys with communist flags. Easy to assimilate as you can see. Last year a posted in this blog a picture of one guy (or girl, I was never sure of his/her gender) kissing me in the underground... But there's a general feeling of happiness and that's great. Also ourselves involved in such a lovely atmosphere joined the crowed and had some drinks. We eventually met Eero and Eila Puolanne who so kindly invited us to share with them a bottle of sparkling wine. All that happened the last day of april. Cause the following day the celebration is mainly taking place in Kaivopuisto. Everybody spend the day with family and friends doing picnic. We arranged the party with my friends from University. The weather was great, the food varied and the company very funny so we actually had a great time. It was really the starting point for a new season. While talking with some of my colleagues, I realised that I will very probably see some of them in Spain again. I presume that Tuuli would have a great and exotic experience while letting us learn from her and Miikka would turn Spanish in very few weeks. Marina will have to go herself to Spain to take him back to Finland.

Main difference between Obama and Sarkozy

GRACIAS MÁRRIA!

Back to USSR

In our last trip to Russia we visited Moscow. We were told that, in contrast to S. Petersburg, this city is a real example of a eastern city: nothing to do with European cities. But we found a elegant and modern city and yet again, quite safe in general terms. You have to be careful and watch those who can be really dangerous: the policeman. Nevetheless, we had no problems at all and we could enjoy the great capital city of Russia. It is simply one of the places to have to visit before you die. The Red Square in impressive and the elegant boulevards around it are nice to walk. It is a pity that only very few can get into those fancy shops. It is actually largely objectionable that some Russians wear all-big-trades clothes whereas most of the population find it hard to have a daily meal. If Lenin was alive he would tear his eyes to avoid watching the situation with the current russian "democracy". Something similar to what would happen if the so called Jesus Christ would have the chance to visit the place that was supposed to be built in his honour: the Vatican. Luxury inside and poor people sleeping outside. He would choose to sleep with the poor outside while thinking how to break in and burn Saint Peter's Cathedral. Equivalent to "Che" and the Cuban revolution. He would fill Castros' heads with bullets at watching what happened after he died. Now I am going off topic. Both cities, S. Petersburg and Moscow, are really worth to visit. I guess that it might have been considerably different some years ago. When Lenin was giving speeches to encourage workers to fight against the factic powers...but we cannot go back in time, can we? Now Lenin is sleeping forever in a chamber next to the Kremlim. At least, his right hand is tightly closed showing the renegade fist. That is something...