Hauskaa Vappua!

On tomorrow and monday we are celebrating Vappu here in Finland. I searched for some information in english about this fun event:

Today in Finland, Walpurgis Night (Vapunaatto) is, along with New Year's Eve, the biggest carnival-style festivity taking place in the streets of Finland's towns and cities. The celebration is typically centered on plentiful use of sparkling wine and other alcoholic beverages. The student traditions are also one of the main characteristics of "Vappu". From the end of the 19th century, "Fin de Siècle", and onwards, this traditional upper class feast has been co-opted by students attending university, already having received their student cap. Many people who have graduated from lukio wear the cap. One tradition is drinking mead, whose alcohol content varies. The festivities also include a picnic on May 1st, which is sometimes prepared in a lavish manner.

The Finnish tradition is also a shadowing of the Soviet Era May Day parade. Starting with the parties of the left, the whole of the Finnish political scene has nominated Vappu as the day to go out on stumps and agitate. This does not only include right-wing parties, but also others like the church have followed suit, marching and making speeches. In Sweden it is only the labour and socialist parties which use May 1 for political activities, while others observe the traditional festivities. The labourers who were active in the 1970's still party on the first of May. They arrange carnivals and the radio plays their old songs that workers liked to listen to. The labour spirit lies most in the capital of Finland, Helsinki.

The First of May is also a day for everything fun and crazy: children and families gather to market places to celebrate often the first day of the spring and the coming summer. There are balloons and joy, people drink their first beers outside, there are clowns and masks and a lot of fun. The first of May includes colourful streamers, funny and silly things and sun. The first of May means the beginning of the spring for many people in Finland.

New York at your screen

Ever since I found this website I've visited it many, many times. Sometimes I feel a little pathetic, missing the city, wanting to be there again.
But something really weird happened tonight while I was watching the cam; I saw a woman who looked just like me, wearing same kind of clothes, having same, blonde hair.
Maybe it was me, just for a second, traveling in time?

Exercising, anyone?

Very often before the rehearsals and actual shows we do some kind of exercise, it's good to sweat a little when you go on stage. Today I was doing the Silly Walk. Here's my mentor and my idol, Monty Python's legendary John Cleese and The Ministry of Silly Walks!

Good Day Sunshine!

It's a little past 9pm and I am sipping my cider, relaxing, trying to calm down after another heavy rehearsal at the theater. It's funny how tired you feel when you go there, almost like "oh no, here again, every damn evening..." and once you're on stage those feelings disappear instantly and you just forget about everything else! I was talking to our director today how I feel about being onstage, it's one of the few places I forget my sorrows and everyday life, for a while I can be someone else. Even if it truly is tiresome, it's so rewarding too. We've got a great play coming on, just a few more rehearsals and a pre-premiere is on saturday!!!
The "pre-premiers" are something between a show and a rehearsal, the actual premiere is in September.

The spring has finally arrived to our north country fair! Yes! The temperature reached a little over 15 today, making some people acting a little funny, some girls were out wearing just skirts and t-shirts, and a sure sign on a spring is when the hobo's return to the park with their bottles....Our little bay, which we kindly call "Paskalahti" "Bay of Shit" lost the ice in just one day! It's still a little windy and the ground is cold, but who cares, it's finally spring!!!

Octopus

They surely knew how to make catchy gigposters in the 60's!!! I just adore this one. For some reason I've always loved all the creatures below the surface...

Quote of The Day

A few wise lines from Bob Dylan:

"Every pleasure's got an edge of pain,
pay for your ticket and don't complain"

Hey You!

Hey you,
out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?

Hey you,
standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?

Hey you,
don’t help them to bury the light
Don’t give in without a fight.

Hey you,
out there on your own
Sitting naked by the phone
Would you touch me?

Hey you,
with you ear against the wall
Waiting for someone to call out
Would you touch me?

Hey you,
would you help me to carry the stone?
Open your heart,
I’m coming home.

Hey you,
standing in the road
Always doing what you’re told,
Can you help me?

Hey you,
out there beyond the wall,
Breaking bottles in the hall,
Can you help me?

Hey you,
don’t tell me there’s no hope at all
Together we stand, divided we fall.

- Roger Waters -

Tough Week

Well, it's been a tough week of high fever and nausea. This morning I noticed some nasty looking rash on my face and went to see the doctor, and the diagnosis was parvovirus B19!!! I just had to search for more information as I had never heard of it before! I am now doing a little better though, seems like I'm finally getting better. I hope I don't have to vomit in another 15 years, it's really awful.

We are anxiously waiting for the spring to come, it's late this year. We've still got snow and the temperatures are between -2 and +3. I've had enough of grey skies, feels like years since I saw and felt the sunshine.

Turku-Helsinki

I came home a while ago after visiting friends and family in both Turku and Helsinki. In Turku I was in a bar called Haarikka to enjoy a jazz-jamming night, held every month's last thursday. I liked the athmosphere and was pleased to notice that there were many young people both on stage and audience; not just old jazz farts!
Then, on friday, I took a 2pm train to Helsinki, where my brother has now lived for a couple of years. He lives in Kallio, definitely one of my favorite areas in Helsinki. We did some barhopping and I also met my friends Hanni and Mikko, who lives in Töölö, close to the Helsinki Opera.
Something funny happened while I was going to the trainstation last night, heading back to Turku. We ran to catch the tram and noticed a guy who was running to get it, some other guys kept the tramdoors open and he finally got in, breathing heavily and his thank you, a very finnish way, was "haistakaa vittu", "f**k you". All the people inside had a lot of fun. I guess it tells a little something about our sense of humour...