August 09. 2004 13:24

To Helsinki for a visa

Today, when I rode the bike in the cool, fresh morning air, with a hint of autumn in it, I felt the first drop of homesickness. (Yes, I haven't even left yet.) I bet Japan smells different.

The story of today is a sudden trip to Helsinki. I noticed my train pass expired today, so I decided to go get my visa today. It's such a drag, the embassy is only open from 9 to 3 on weekdays and I have to be there personally to apply for the visa. Imagine if I had a regular 9 to 5 summer job! What should I do, take a day off? And they even warn that if there's some other urgent matter the embassy needs to take care of, getting the visa might take more than on day!

Thankfully, I only had to wait for about 20 minutes. The embassy was a bit unnerving with all the form filling and metal detectors and formal speach. But soon a few other people arrived, so I felt a bit more relaxed.

There was a girl who looked, by appearance, like someone who hangs around in the same circles as me. With her was a boy who was wearing the same kind of "Animate or die" T-shirt I've seen on the animators at our school. I didn't dare talk to them, though, even though I really wanted to know if the girl was going to Japan for exchange ^_^ (I heard her ask for a visa and she seemed to be the type.)

After I received my visa, a pretty sticker plastered in my passport, I went for a walk in the city. I only had about 40 minutes so I didn't get to wander far. I ate a hamburger and briefly visited Backstreet, about the coolest clothes store in Helsinki. If you've ever seen the Fruits magazines or books about Japanese street wear, that's kinda like what Backstreet clothes are like. I so want that Cryonic Angel jacket! (Only 80 euros... yeah, that place is expensive.) There was a new discovery right next to the Backstreet store, too, a place with real Japanese/Asian or influenced clothes and accessories. (There were Emily products too.) It was a cool place, lots of cute stuff and BoA on the radio. If I wasn't going to Japan so soon and woul've had a little more time for shopping, I surely would've walked out with some pencils and notebooks and a mouse mat, and maybe a shirt, too. But as I'm going to the home of all this and a lot more, shopping here seems like a waste. But it sure was a cute mouse mat... (And I need one, too.)