final countdown

i'm almost gone & my nerves are kicking in. i finally found a place to stay @ only 250 e/month (approximately $330). now, for communication....how will all of you who want to contact me be able to do that? see the list below for the various ways i have set up.

1. you can comment on my postings & i'll comment back....
2. e-mail: jaqalthehybrid@yahoo.com
3. cell phone: i have rented a cell phone to use in finland (my current service doesn't have service there). for anyone calling from the u.s. or canada dial: 011-44-787-224-0942. i'm not charged for any incoming calls, but am for outgoing, so i probably won't be making too many of those....
4. free calls through skype.com: i have setup an account on skype. any call made through skype is free & can be used anywhere w/ internet access. for those of you who don't already have skype, go to skype.com, download the application, & setup your account. there will be instructions on how to call, search for skype users & add contacts. search for me (full name: janna piper, skype name: janna.piper, or e-mail: above) & add me as a contact. you can even purchase a headset through skype if you don't already have one (or equivalent - i.e. a microphone in combination w/ your computer speakers). when we're both logged in, we can call each other.

keep in mind for any phone call, i am 9 hrs. ahead of pst.

alright...back to more loose ends to tie...

preparing for finland

in only 17 days i fly to finland. i still don't have a place to stay & i still have a lot of loose ends to tie up here. taxes, packing, business plan for my housesitting business, hand off my boxing class to the sub, & more things i just can't wrap my head around. money is still an issue, but, for some reason, i'm not worried about that at all; it'll work out. hopefully fred can get me a fight while i'm over there; i'll be paid in euros & won't have to worry about the conversion or being charged for it....i've already chatted w/ a fighter over there (lucio linhares - he's on m-1's finland team) & he's being really helpful in "finding" gyms for me train at while i'm there. it's been more difficult getting help on the music side. but, one musician i've talked to, who lives in tampere, gave me a link to a website that has instructoral material on finnish folk music w/ music samples, sheet music, theory, & more. i'll be spending a lot of time on that site while i'm there & i'll see if the instructors @ sibelius academy will be willing to informally help me. i'm also going to stop by finnvox (recording studio) & see about an internship. since i don't have a full-key keyboard, i'm also going to ask the 7th-day adventist church i plan to attend if i can practice on their piano.

i can't wait & i'm so excited to spend 3 whole months w/ my only focus being music & fighting. and...since i'll be right there, i hope to visit germany, russia, sweden, & maybe even denmark & norway (they are further away & would take more planning...).

dates i'm gone: feb. 1 - may 1. despite many "nay sayers", i will be coming back. i'm sure i'll love just about every min. i'm there, but portland is my home. (oh, & i won't be falling in love & getting married either - if i haven't even come close in the last 29 years, it won't happen in 3 months.) :D