Reminder of the reasons

A quick reminder in the spirit of last year about the nice climate we have here in Finland:



I know that it is the rain season in South-East Asia as well but if the amount of rain is same but the temperature is ten-fifteen degrees warmer the choice still isn't that hard... :)

Spark of hope

Well, I finally got through with a telephone and would you believe the coincidence: they mailed it just yesterday! I will believe it when I am holding the paper in my hands...

Avoid Siam University

Okay, maybe the title is a bit overkill but as of now I have nothing positive to say about the institution. Here's the story:

I applied for exchange to Siam University. I was accepted. I got the confirmation in April and that is also when I requested the Admission letter. I need the admission letter to get a student visa to Thailand. Sounds fairly simple, right?

• On April 3rd our International Relations co-ordinator was asked to confirm my participation. She forwarded the message to me and I confirmed.

• On April 7th our International Relations co-ordinator sent the email confirming that I accept the place.

• On April 16th I was requested to send some additional documents that I emailed to them in the same evening. In his email he said that "I hope to have the students' application processed by next Friday." (Which would have been the 24th).

After that I started waiting but a month passed and nothing happened.
In May I started to worry a little bit so I checked from my school if the papers would have been delivered there. Unfortunately, no.

• On May 29th I sent email to Siam Uni and they were really nice to let me know that they won't send the invitation letter before I had booked some accommodation at their campus. So if you want to go to Siam, be prepared that they will blackmail you with the admission letter to get some money from you staying at their dorm. Well. That was fine with me, the location seems nice and it was a worry-free alternative. So I made a request to book me accommodation on the same day by filling out a form in their website. Never heard back from them.

At the end of June I was starting to worry because I had planned on leaving at the end of July but I can't do that before I get my student visa.

• So on June 25th I asked again about the status of the letter and also let them know that I have reserved the accommodation.

• On June 26th I got the following message:

"Thank you for your interest in joining the exchange to Siam University.
My staff will confirm your apartment booking today.

My invitation letter will allow you to get an educational visa to enter Thailand for 3 months with possible extension only if you present evidence of class attendance within the initial 3 months."

Well, they confirmed the booking all right. But maybe I was kind of naive to think that him talking about the letter meant that he would have actually done something to send it.

• On July 3rd, a week after the email, I wrote them to confirm if they have actually sent the message. I never heard back from them.

• On the 7th I politely asked again if they have sent the letter already. No answer.

• On the 9th I asked again if they have sent the letter already. No answer.

• On the 13th I let them know that I haven't received it and asked when have they sent the letter. No answer.

• On the 14th I stressed that I really need to get the letter asap and inquired if they have sent the letter already. No answer.

• On the 15th I asked if my messages are getting through. I also asked if they have sent the letter already. No answer.

• On the 16th I asked them to send it immediately so that we wouldn't need to use FedEx to get it to me in time. No answer. I also tried calling them, no answer.

• Today, on the 17th I sent them an email saying that I can even participate in the costs of priority shipping just to get the damn paper to me in time. (35 euros is a small price for the possibility to start my travels already).

Guess what they answered? Oh yeah. They didn't.

So pardon me for being totally fed up with the whole institution but as an university specializing in business and administration, you are not portraying yourself that well.

Bollywood debut

As I told you back in November, we were a part of a Bollywood movie and it has finally come out. The opening day was the seconf biggest in the history of Indian cinema so that should give some clue about the scale of the production. In total I have about two seconds of screen time with Kareena Kapoor. :)

In other news: still waiting for the invitation letter and not getting any replys to my emails. Yippie-ki-yay.