Anssi - the complete and unvarnished story:

This, I believe, is the place to tell about myself in such penetrating detail that you will be properly bored before the bitter end. All the necessary - and plenty of unnecessary - details are provided below. Go ahead! Read on!

He:

One can but admire the marvels of modern technology! All that I needed was a bit of creative use of the scanner and even more creative use of PhotoShop and PaintShop Pro. After applying several filters, color correction and retouch pen, even I manage to look decent in a photograph! In real life the photograph was shot against a brick wall. The mountains in the background have been retouched heavily to look impressive. Voilá! An illusion is born.

	I am a 10th year student of English Philology in the University of Tampere. (My, my, look how the time flies...) Apart from several years of questionable literary exploits, I have also studied International Politics, Social Science and Nordic Philology. I swear to God and cross my heart that I finally manage to write my pro gradu thesis by the end of the first year of the new millennium. That will be the true beginning of the millennium. Not the erroneous millennium hulabalooza that was going on last year.
	I work as a project manage for Nokia Networks, steering the work of one of the system documentation groups in IP Mobility Networks. I feel privileged to be allowed to work with so many talented and "genuinely original" co-workers. My background is in technical writing, as I worked more than two years as a technical writer before moving to my current challenges.
	I come from Ylistaro, a quaint country place in middle of the flat Southern Osthrobothnia where people have "space to breathe". In case the explanation left you cold, Ylistaro is right next to Seinäjoki.
	Other skills: My better half has in one of her occasional weak moments praised my vispipuuro, as well as my pancakes. Those days are, however, long gone when I used to voluntarily manage something creative in the kitchen. Talk about the corruptive effects of a microwave oven. My other culinary exploits can be found on the pages of Konteksti. Check out the "Miehet keittiössä / Men in kitchen" column .
	Transportation: I chiefly rely on domestically produced transportation. During the snowy season, I put my faith in the "bluewhites", i.e. the State railways as well as the Tampere City transport. When the spring arrives, I dig out my bicycle as well as my Talbot Horizon. Both are domestic products from year 1982, so they are kind of vintage. However, since the colors match so nicely, I have not had the heart to sell either of these. Our later transportation exploits include a 12-year-old Fiat Uno with metallic blue color and almost all the extras you can think of. The fact that the electronic gizmos do not work most of the time add to the interest and keep my fingers greasy.

He and his master:

After four years of cunning and tedious work, my (definitely) better half managed to wear me out. I have to admit that I was, and still am a willing partner of "crime". We got married on June the 4th, 1998, and have been married ever since. If I were to describe our wedlock, I would say that I am usually, but not always, the one with the ideas. Pia, in turn, is the one who sorts out the practical side of my ideas. She is very good with maps, timetables, distances and all that sort of things. For that reason she is definitely my favorite navigator when we point the car nose towards our nation's capital.

What's he done?

Apart from getting married, I have done at least the following:

	I have spent a year studying in Monte Vista high school in San Diego. That gave me opportunity the see the beautiful and interesting Southern California. I was hooked. For life, it seems.
	Since I obviously did not get enough of the US of A, later in life I spent another year studying in the University of Oregon.The state of Oregon, the official slogan of which is "the Pacific Wonderland" truly lives up to its name. Go seek out! Follow the link!
	I spent four years in various duties that a student organization has to offer. Doing things in the philology students' organization LEXICA taught me a lot and helped me to avoid all those lectures that I really should have attended instead. Nevertheless, it was well worth the while, and I have to thank all the old and younger Lexicans for all those unforgettable moments. I promise the photographs will never leak out.
	I do not want to appear as a totally sad git. I do have hobbies as well - whenever time permits.

His weird photos:

I like to photograph old and abandoned places
that have something to do with industry or traffic.
This photograph of an abandoned mine up in
Lapland is one of my better shots.

How to contact him:

The most convenient way to reach me is
via the office phone:+358-40-750 4631

or via electronic mail:

f1anah@kielo.uta.fi or Anssi.Ahlberg@nokia.com

The magnificent concrete facade
on the right belongs to the house in
which we live. Imposing, don't you think?