General Discussion Thread

[Mélusine]

Yes, sending international parcels is quite complicated.

Usually, when I was doing swaps, it was in France or close, like Belgium. Nothing like what I had to do this afternoon ^^

you can't just mark it as gift? O: gifts are usually custom-free

"Gift" was one very small box in a lot of other boxes And my goal is to make this parcel travel well. So... what are ten minutes and strange questions ?

Gahhh I'm sorry that was such an adventure for you. Hopefully it didn't cost too much to mail it. D: I'm used to the forms, since I've sent a lot of international mail over time, but the first time I did it, I found it overwhelming.

And yeah, I usually don't look at the description details on the packages I receive, it's far better to be surprised. >3>

To every person who might some day receive something from me with similar conditions : please please please don't look at the descriptions and prices. Prices is really the most embarrassing thing I hate the idea of making persons think (including myself) they should answer by something with a similar value. I know, it's silly. But having to say it on these papers is too for me -__-

Laufey, I'm late but hope you're feeling better ?

[viola]

Guys, remember those finnish emojis? Turns out they are releasing one new one every day.
http://xmas.finland.fi/25-bus-stop/



(there's a finnish coffee emoji )

[Laufey]

Road conditions at the moment: no passage out of Reykjavík except to Keflavík area (and that road has warnings for ice). Times like this I get mildly homesick for south Finland...

[OrigamiOwl]

Oh my gosh, something really bizarre has just happened: I finished my secret santa gift. Early. I never finish anything early ever. O___O
Maybe it's a siiiign. D:

Also I went to the newly opened big...department(?) store in the city today. It was......good and horrible all at once. Horrible because it was full of people who just rubbed me up the wrong way, all scowling, scruffy, hoity-toity people who behave like animals. Also my favourite brand got majorly downsized to like, 5 racks. It used to take up half a floor! D: But, I tried on a lot of dresses today! With mum! I didn't really dig them 100% but I was kinda happy to try them on anyway because today was one of those rare days where I didn't feel like a giant fat pig all day. :/ The only dress photo I remembered to take was when mum picked out this really.....church-y ? outfit. It looks like I'm going to an easter mass in 1993 XD if anyone wants to see I'll upload it tomorrow XD
I didnt buy anything because i am seriously broke ;-; I've toyed with the idea of selling cakes! But I don't know where to sell them :O

[Róisín]

Owl, if you want to sell cakes, this is a really good time of year to try it. People want small gifts, something nice to bring to a pre-holiday lunch, or stuff for 'bring a plate' parties. Biscuits are good too. The person who has a stall next to my plant stall at the Farmers Market, selling fancy biscuits, reckons she makes plenty of money in the few weeks before Christmas.

Are you anywhere near the Salamanca Market? Or does your town have a market?

That said, it's hard work! As in my day today 1. Load plants and flowers into car. 2. go to Farmers Market, unload plants and flowers. Mind the stall for four hours, early morning. 3. Load remaining unsold stuff into car. Drive home. Unload heat damaged plants and put in shade. 4. Repack car with fresh plants. Drive to other end of town. Unload car and set up for street market accompanying town Christmas parade. Work the stall for 5 hours. Clean up and pack leftover plants in the dark. Drive home. Unload. Mercifully that isn't every week!

[starfallz]

Heh, conversely you'd have a hard time getting me to drive an automatic! They are a mystery to me, I don't think I've ever even seen one o_o How do they even work? What are you supposed to do when you're driving?

I had to give up my manual car last year. I've been driving automatics because they were available and free, but I miss manual.  :'(

[JoB]

To every person who might some day receive something from me with similar conditions : please please please don't look at the descriptions and prices.

Don't worry too much. In my experience, the recipient gets the carbon copy, which is way less legible than what you remember writing in the first place. And then there's the language barrier (I sometimes intentionally obscure the info by selecting whichever language - mine or the recipient's - offers the less specific or even outright misleading terminology).

[Ana Nymus]

My dad's old car (which is the one my brother and I drive) has both a manual and an automatic mode. You can flip a switch, and it'll go between the two. I personally could never get the hang of using manual on a regular basis, but it's extremely helpful in the winter when a little more control over the car goes a long way. I wonder if they still make cars like that: this one's I think about a decade old at this point...

[LordoftheThings]

all this talk of cars and I haven't even Begun to learn how to drive
tbh the thought of driving scares me- I'm too easily distracted and I get anxiety like crazy

Besides, I live in the California bay area and everything's public transit and a walk away if you're willing to put some mileage on your feet!

(technically you could also bike everywhere but I can't ride a bike either :'T)

[JoB]

My dad's old car (which is the one my brother and I drive) has both a manual and an automatic mode. You can flip a switch, and it'll go between the two. I personally could never get the hang of using manual on a regular basis, but it's extremely helpful in the winter when a little more control over the car goes a long way. I wonder if they still make cars like that: this one's I think about a decade old at this point...

If I understand your description correctly (still an automatic gearbox, no clutch (pedal) to operate, but you have the option to tell it "go to gear X, now", then yes, that's still available. But usually all you get is a second "plane" of the stick merely allowing one up / one down.

[Purple Wyrm]

all this talk of cars and I haven't even Begun to learn how to drive
tbh the thought of driving scares me- I'm too easily distracted and I get anxiety like crazy
Besides, I live in the California bay area and everything's public transit and a walk away if you're willing to put some mileage on your feet!

I hear ya! I've never learnt to drive and the idea of doing so scares the heck out of me.

Happily my city has excellent public transport. On weekdays anyway, it tends to be less great on the weekends but you can still get around if you're happy to wait a bit longer.

[Noodles]

I haven't learned to drive either; my city has pretty good public transit and pretty good bike routes.

[Curry]

hahahaha, I'm learning to drive, and I've already passed the test (lmao) so I could get my license at this point (I've waited two extra months) but....... am I going to? Nyahaha not now

[Ana Nymus]

If I understand your description correctly (still an automatic gearbox, no clutch (pedal) to operate, but you have the option to tell it "go to gear X, now", then yes, that's still available. But usually all you get is a second "plane" of the stick merely allowing one up / one down.

Yes, that's what I was talking about! Funny, I had forgotten it doesn't have a clutch pedal (I haven't driven it in.... a while...). It's a useful feature on icy/snowy roads

[Fimbulvarg]

Happy Independence Day Finland
Now I kind of wish they'd make a version of the movie Independence Day with the exact same plot but set in Finland in stead of the US.