During my free-time I do many things. Not that everything can be considered a hobby or free-time. Volunteering in various associations is a way of life, and organizing traveling can be a full time job.
You can read about how I spend my free-time (everything I don’t get paid for) below. Some old and new things have their own page listed on the side. The links-page has a collection of more or less useful things.
The picture above has two muntjacs. Muntjacs are tiny moose. The picture was taken at a zoo in Benalmadena, Spain.
Lifetime learning
My habit of learning new things exhibits in participating in various courses. My university studies included languages, communications, women’s studies and other unnecessary courses. I have also studies playing a keyboard, drawing, community management, digital design and project management. Right now I’m doing a degree in entrepreneurship, and another on creative writing in the open university.
I have always read a lot and m bookcase takes up one wall. In addition to novels there are books on history, writing, design, crime, and quite a lot of other topics. Online I read all sorts of stuff as well, and learn useless things.
I also like to watch documentaries on almost anything. I have watched Time Team through (all 20 seasons), and I gues cooking/sowing/pottery/glass blowing shows can be educational.
Organizations
Volunteering in associationsis indeed a way of life. It does entail more than baking cookies, even that’s been important part oft he work at times. I have also organized raffles, chaired big meetings and negotiated collective labor agreements.
My parents have always been more or less active in small associations. Especially the local muscular disorder association was a familiar place when growing up. When my sister worked atKynnys ry, I learned a lot about disability activism. I also learned not to go to the bar right after a rally, in case someone wants to give your organization a large cheque. I was the one not at the bar.
After turning 18 I’ve been a member of various associations, and actively volunteering in most of them. Local muscular disorder associations and the national version Lihastautiliitto have been with me all these years. SMA Finland came to picture, when someone developed treatment for my diagnosis.Hengityslaitepotilaat is for all the breathing related issues.
At this moment, the biggest cause for me is personal assistance. As the Vice Chairperson of Heta-liitto I’m doing things to improve the situation in Finland.. I’m also the admin of the unofficial Facebook group for employers of personal assistants. I’ve heard many interesting cases, in both good and bad. There is a lot of work to do for a properly working personal assistance system.
Gaming
Gaming here is everything from board games to computer games. My first memories of Tetrisare from the 80’s. After that it was platforming games and minesweeper.
Doom and Wolfenstein 3D were the must have 3D shooters. I played throughMax Payne in basically one sitting. Different GTA-games are very familiar. I’ve always loved their immersive world.
SimCity made me love building simulators. Of course, I had to get the newer versions, and my latest major game purchase has been Cities:Skylines (many years after it’s launch). The Sims was something complately different. The Sims 2 caused many updates on my computer’s components, and it’s still in my playlist after 17 years. For some reason I always end up building more than playing.
In the 90’s I also found driving games. F1, motorbikes, rallycross. After those Trackmania, The Crew and Euro Truck Simulator 2.
The downside of Facebook and moder phones are addicting small games. I’ve tried too many puzzles to count (Bejeweled, Nibblers, Angry Birds Dreams, and so on).
