Carpe Diem: Bojan / Käärijä

Restaurant

When we arrive to Liverpool for the Eurovision Song Contest, I feel giddy and excited. All of the waiting and late nights in the studio have come down to this. As we are going to our hotel from the airport, I am looking out the window. Liverpool looks amazing as always. In the car, I post a picture of us at the airport to our Instagram stories. Jere immediately answers.

"Welcome to Liverpool, Jokerman!"

"Haha, thank you, Jere. Can't wait to see you!" I text back.

He likes my message.

The first few days in Liverpool are busy. We have many practices so that we can get the sound, camera angles, lights, and overall performance to our liking. Between the practices, there is no time to rest and we are pulled everywhere to do different things, interviews, and stuff. I walk past Jere a few times and we wave and smile at each other but we don't have time to talk. Luckily after a couple of days, we have some days to rest so I decide to ask Jere to come and eat dinner with me.

I am walking in the streets of Liverpool. It is windy and I am wearing a light jacket. I am trying to find the restaurant where we agreed to meet. I can't see it as I'm looking around. I check my phone and notice I have already walked past it. I turn around and walk back in the direction where I came from. It's been a while since I have talked to him and I'm nervous that it will be awkward. I finally see the restaurant. Jere picked out the place and it is an Italian restaurant. I walk in.

I look around and try to find Jere but I can't see him. It's really crowded. Then a waitress spots me.

"Hello, welcome to Amalia. Would you like to sit down at a table?"

"Hi, I am here to meet up with a friend and he is already at a table but I can't see him."

"Did you have a reservation?"

"Yes, my friend has one," I explain to her.

"Okay perfect, what is the name of the reservation?"

"Um, Jere Pöyhönen," I say poorly, but she remembers the unusual name.

"Oh yes, he just sat down. Let me walk you to your booth."

"Thank you," I say.

I am walking behind the waitress to the table. It gets nicer and calmer in the back of the restaurant. Then I see him sitting in his booth going through his phone.

"Here is your table, I will bring the menus in just a second," the waitress says as she gestures for me to sit down.

Then Jere looks up and smiles. "Hello Bojan, how are you doing?"

"I am doing well, it has been a little bit stressful but today I am chilling."

"I am stressed too, but now I relax with you. I am very hungry." he chuckles.

"Yeah, me too," I say as I sit down and take off my jacket.

The waitress is back with menus in no time.

"There you go. Would you like something to drink?"

"I take some water. What about you Bojan?"

"Yeah, water is good."

"Perfect, I will bring you some water."

"Thank you," I say.

Jere also thanks the waitress. "So what are you planning to eat Bojan?"

"I was looking at that pasta carbonara, it looks delicious"

"Yes, very tasty like you," he says.

"What?" I look up laughing.

He laughs at me as I look at him confused, also chuckling a bit. We order our food and talk more while we wait. He tries to teach me some Finnish but I doubt that the things he teaches me are what they actually mean since he is laughing so hard. Or maybe it is my pronunciation. I also teach him how to say some basic things in Slovene. The awkwardness is wearing off and I get more comfortable. The food is really good and when we are done we ask for the cheque.

"Thank you, it was really good," Jere tells the waitress.

"Oh thank you, I will tell the chef. Have a nice evening, goodbye!" she says and leaves.

We get up, put on our jackets, and then I follow Jere out of the restaurant to the street.