It's a bag, Lady

In one of my classes, käsityö, we are designing and making a bag. I drew several, but this is the one I settled on. In my mind's eye, it is supposed to be very sturdy. In reality, the material is just really weak and flimsy. I should have just designed a simple kauppakassi. I am thinking I should buy some canvas material for the bottom just to make it sturdier.









This is the pattern I made. I am also, think I should get a different material for the strap. I would write it here but I don't really know what it is called. Well, I have ideas. I just have to go to a material (?) store to look at the fabrics and whatknot which I could add to it. I do not know anything about pattern making or using a sewing machine. I thought the patter was supposed to be a bit bigger than what one wants the finaly size to be. Oh well.










This is the design that will decorate the bag. Apparently, on Monday when I was sick and didn't go to school, the class was already printing their material. I was thinking that we would do that after it has been cut. Then again, what do I know about this kind of stuff.

We were also making big ass folders. I am not sure if they got around to finishing those up.

Forgotten Boat

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Originally uploaded by gema fova.

This was the second obviously forgotten boat I have seen this month. It makes me wonder who forgets their boat. Of course, this was just a tiny boat so perhaps it isn't very valuable. The obvious answer would be that the owner died and had no friends or relatives to haul her out of the water for the winter. That is one of the oddities about Finland.

People die and are not missed for weeks, months and even years. One of the first times I heard about this it was just a person in an apartment who had been dead for years. Then, I heard another story, a man died in his office and was not noticed for a few days. Another one was about a man dying on a long bus trip. It was several hours before he was noticed to be dead. A doctor from a local health center was dead and hadn't shown up for work, maybe it was a week or so before somebody realized something was amiss and they found her dead, I think, in her apartment. I find it both fascinating and entirely unsuprising. If it weren't for the person I live with and my classmates of pesky foreigners, I believe I could go months without having to utter a word.

Kampin Ostoskeskus

 The Kamppi shopping centre, finally nearly all of the shops are open. As we found out, though, Gray's American store is not yet open. It was completely empty inside. Now, why is it that all the buses to Espoo are inside that lovely building, while all the local Helsinki buses found outside in the cold and snow. 

World's Larges Puzzle Attempt

  Unfortunately, I am not so optimistic that it will happen. Apparently, Saturday was the last day, they were charging 2€ a piece and from the looks of it, it needed about a million more pieces to be put into place. The puzzle was there in conjuction with brain week. To raise awareness of stuff like alzheimers, asperger's, autism, migraines, stroke and other neurological disorders. It was in front of the Kamppi shopping cenre which is finally entirely open. So, I mean that for the longest time just a few stores were in place. Now, there are a ton. It is fabulous. 

Jane Fonda in Helsinki

 
For the last few days, American actress, Jane Fonda, has been promoting the release of the Finnish version of her new book, "Tähänastinen elämäni". In English it is, "My Life So Far",published April 2005. I saw her at Suomalainen kirjakauppa where she was interviewed by tv show host Bettina Sågbom. She gave really great answers and was very engaging. There was a sizable crowd in a very tight poorly arrainged space. It was really cool to see her.Unfortunately, there were no English versions of her book to be had. So, I didn't get anything autographed. A few people took the promotional posters and there was one left on a wall. However, I didn't have the stomach to peel it off. Besides, for the longest time I was too busy taking photos. Of course, I have known of her all my life. So, I was impressed by her. 

Harry Potter ja Puoliverinen Prinssi

 

On March 16th, the Finnish language version of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was released in Finland. I ended up at Academic bookstore where the translator of the book was interviewed. Also, present was the illustrator of the book. There was a few people wearing house colours. I took pictures. With the publication of this book, one theory was, I'd say, was conclusively proven to be true. At first, I had gone to Suomalainen kirjakauppa. They were having a HP quiz going on and giving away prizes. However, they were sold out of the actual book. So, I went to Akateeminin kirjakauppa where they did have the book and some goings on.

Finally, a speaker came on the stage. It turned out the be the woman who translated the book into Finnish, Jaana Kapari. She gave an interview and then she signed the book.
They pointed out that the illustrator, Mika Launis of the Finn version was there also. I was standing right next to him. So, people got his autograph, too.

I took photos of the whole thing and what the hell, I got my book signed by both of them. Now, I just need JK's signature. 

Yes! I finally got a new digital camera. The Canon Powershot A620. I am so excited about it. It had first come to my attention in December when a friend was looking into buying his first digicamera. We went looking around and examining two different cameras. The one we decided was better was this A620. It was the movable LCD screen that did it for me. Plus, you can buy componants for it like a wide convert, a tele- converter, and a high-power flash. It came with a tiny 32mb sd memory card. I laughed when I saw that, realizing i would fill it in 5 shots. So, I transfered my old sd card from my old Samsung and was suprised when I saw it was only 125mb. Of course, I will now have to get a bigger, faster card.

So, I had been going on and on about this camera since December. The Finn just said we had to wait. Once, in a crummy or crumsey mood as she says, she said not to make any plans to get it as it wasn't in our budget. Well, I knew better. Something told my I'd have it by my birthday. I replied back to her, that well, it will go on sale in February and if it is a good deal, I am going to get it. I smiled to myself. Then, in February, the catalog from Stockmann came showing the camera on sale.

Yesterday, we went to Jumbo. That is a shopping center in Vantaa, Finland where they have many stores. She had been sullen after we had been debating going skiing versus going to see a movie and going to a museum. We went to drop my watch off for a new battery when we found ourselves next to Stockmann with a few minutes to spare. So, I said let's go there, I want to peek. We walked there and started browsing, a tv screen was showing there bargains of the month. There was a picture of the camera. Finally, the Finn called me over and said we could get it if I really wanted. The catch was that I had to deal with the salesperson and do the deal. In Stockmann, the sales people have little flags on their name tags which indicate which languages they can speak with the customers. That was what she thought, that I would just grab a clerk with a British flag and deal with it in English. However, in my enthusiam, I forgot both my loathing of talking with strangers and my low confidence in speaking Finnish. I grabbed the first person I saw, some boy who only had a little Finnish flag on his name tag. So, I overcame two of my issues and suprised the Finn by completing the whole transaction in Finnish. Happy! I saved almost 82€ off the regular price. I am so excited. I was shooting all night with it and didn't get to sleep until 4am.

This is my latest movie. It is called Bunbake Morning. It was shot one morning, at my new school Helsingin Diakoniaopisto. I am in the talouskoulu maahanmuttajille. That is to say, I am in a sort of home-ec type of class for immigrants. Anyways, one day we baked pulla, or buns and pasteija, which are some sort of filled pasteries. Anyhow, here is the journey.

Would you love a monster man? Well, people, Finland has its entry for the 2006 Eurovision song contest which will be held in Greece.
With like, 54% of the final vote, the winner is Lordi. Check out their website.

More about the Finnish final, can be found on the YLE website. Suprisingly for me, because I have usually watched the 3 or 4 shows they have in different cities around Finland. I guess, I have been too occupied to notice.

They lyrics to their song, Hard Rock Hallelujah and more, can be found on this other YLE webpage.
Honestly, I was pleased with this winner. Most of the other the other contestants were ok singers, but I thought the songs were boring. Nice song, Tommi, but why are you singing in Italian? Annika your Shanghai Valo was a bit dim. Jennie if you are French why are you trying to be Finland's contestant. I know, I remember Geir was from Norway or something. Jane, the song was plain, definately not a v.i. song. Kilpi, you just sucked, but hey, that's only my opinion and at least you followed a dream.


So, the Eurovision song contest started in 1955 and evolved to what it is now. Last year, the contests was held in the country of the previous years winners, the Ukraine. The winner of that contest was Helena Paparizou of Greece. That means, this years contest will be held in Athens,
Greece. Read more about the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 on their website.

2006 will mark the 40th time Finland has competed in the Song contest. Sadly, Finland has never won the contest. Originally, contestants sang in their own language. At some point, they began allowing contestant to sing in a language other than their own. So, nowadays, many artists sing in English. The Finnish band, will sing in English. Many other competators continue to sing in their own languages, also. As I noted earlier, one contestant this year, Tomi Metsäketo sang a nice Andrea Bocelli-sounding song sung in Italian.

Reportedly, the format of the Eurovision Song Contest has been sold to an American company. So, it might appear there at some point in some form. Maybe, each state will have their own contestants.

Laskiaispulla

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Originally uploaded by gema fova.

So, after we went sliding down the hill. We went home for some pea soup and these laskiaispulla. The Finn made them from scratch. The pea soup was from a can and quite tasty. I mean, I was never much for pea soup but in the last few months, I have really started to crave it. My earliest memories of pea soup come from driving from L.A to San Francisco and passing through Buellton. Or just driving to Solvang from Santa Barbara and stopping at Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant. Then, on my first trip to Finland 6 years ago, some friend of the Finns made pea soup for me, since it was a traditional Finnish food. I supposed I could have posted a photo of the soup we had but these buns were prettier than the green soup. This website, Finnguide, calls Laskiassunnuntai "Shrove Sunday". Shrove means,

1. To hear the confession of and give absolution to (a penitent).
2. To obtain absolution for (oneself) by confessing and doing penance.

Archaic

1. To make or go to confession.
2. To hear confessions

Laskiaissunnuntai 2006

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Originally uploaded by gema fova.

I spent some time with the rest of the neighborhood sliding down the local hill. Although, I was worried about mowing down some local children. Fortunately, I was able to steer the little blue plastic sled away from wayward pedestrians. I think I actually only went down the hill 3 times. However, that was enough to help me feel each bone in my spinal column crunching against its neighbor.