Sorrow

I am quite speachless now. I can't get the Tsunami disaster off my mind. It's so sad how many people who thought they were lucky having a holiday in the sun ended up being wiped off by a water mountain. I wish I was allmighty and could help everyone involved immediately. Thousands of people are dead and thousands of people are missing. And thousands and thousands of people are grieving.

I wish you all nice New Year's Eve inspite of this all. Life does go on.

Sushi Makes One Happy

This is how nice sushi you can buy from any ordinary food shop here. I'm a happy camper.


Sushi.

A Prayer to Greater Forces (what ever they are)

It breaks my heart to think how many people are suffering because of the tsunamis in Southeast Asia. Let there be hope to them who suffer and strength to then who are there to help.

Where Ever the Flow Takes Us

Today we ended up listening to a classical music concert for children. It was a very nice experience. We went to see how Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall in Shibuya is. There we were guided to a theater hall and we decided to follow the flow and see what it is they want to show us. There was a string quartet playing classical tunes - and - Vimme obviously liked listening to them. Yay. We go there next month again.

A Happy Immigrant

I like seaweeds. Here they put seaweed even on snacks. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, I love this country!

Happy Merry Christmas

Today is theeee christmas party day at least in Finland and in Sweden. Most people spend it with their families. They eat too much all kinds of christmas puddings, beetroot salad, salmon and ham. Drinking, of course, is included. So I wish "happy merry christmas" to all of you (that's the way they express it here on shop windows).

Treasures from Hokkaido

I have always been very picky about what I eat and what I drink. Everything has to be original and real: french cheese, italian coffee (well, an irish coffee too every now and then) etc. Look what I eat now! Plus I drink instant coffee. Japan makes me funny.

...and I like it.


Japanese Camembert.

A Phone Picture

I am testing here how pictures taken with my new phone - oh yes, I have a new phone - turn out to be when I publish them. This is how my kitchen looks like.


My kitchen.

A Strange Phenomenon

We don't have a huge flat, quite the opposite. Still I manage to loose things for good in here. Yesterday I bought something to tie my hair. It's gone now. I can't find it anywhere. But I know who causes these mysterious Bermuda's Triangle phenomenons here; he's quick, he's effective, his name is Vimme.

Radio Helsinki

I am listening to Radio Helsinki here in Japan. They play good music 95% of time. I haven't been bothered to find any good Japanese radio stations on the net and we haven't bought a radio yet. I am definitely going to buy one when I get that far. And then I find them cool Japanese radio stations.

Metro Air

Today we went to the city. After a walk in gasoline fumes in Ginza it was good to go underground to the fresh metro air.

Sizes

Today we found a new play ground which is actually closer to our flat than the one we've been to before. Another kid came there with his mother. The mother started to speak english to me - which I separately appriciated a lot - and asked how old Vimme was. I told her and she said 'he is tall'. I didn't have heart to say that her three year old was very short. I am tall here. And to be honest I am not tall at all.

Ha ha ha... I am big in Japan!

Twin Soul?

Another sunny day in Tokyo. And it's friday... which means weekend is soon here and Markus will be at home and I will propably have some moments alone. I really need that. The kid has been clued to me since we moved out from our flat in Sweden. Not that I would give him away for anything, I just need few hours by myself to prove that I exist as an individual.

Left Behind

We had to leave our good old dog in Finland. He is living with Markus' mother now. Today we called there to tell that everything is fine here in Japan and to ask how the dog is doing. M's mother said that the dog didn't eat anything during the first two days and he seems to be sad.

What kind of people abandon their pets? Bad people!

Do I feel like a piece of shit?

Illiteracy

I had another adventure in a food store. I had a list of stuff I need to make a nice miso soup, but I couldn't find any of those things because I wasn't able to read what was in packages. I am really looking forward to learn some of the language.

The 1st Monday

I think this is fantastic: I have two years time to explore Japan. Well, I do have the kid with me all the time. That means I won't become the queen of Tokyo's night life this time.

So far my bold adventure has taken me to a play ground and to a grocery store. Play ground was by a pond. We saw huge colourful fish in the water. The store got me confused. It's hard to guess what's in packages when you can't read. I'm looking forward to learn some Japanese.

Am I Awake?

I am all jet-lagged and I am trying to stay awake for another two hours to be able to catch the local time as soon as possible.

...Who am I kidding. I am going to bed now.

Sayonara

It's time to say good bye for a while. I'll be back blogging in the middle of December. Until then Sayonara.

Good Morning?

How can the kid be always in so good mood when he wakes up in the morning?
Since he was born I have been forced to keep my morning bad moods to myself. It wouldn't be fair to start yelling at the kid. (Yelling at the partner is ok). And I have actually noticed that I am not at all so angry in the mornings anymore, though I still don't like waking up early.

Oooooooh, I am looking forward to those days when Vimme is a teen and sleeps until noon if you let him.

Pack and Polish

Tomorrow our landlord will come to check what is the condition of this flat. I know we have to pay for a lock change; we managed to loose a key... erm... about 5 years ago. Everything else should be ok. The last proper cleaning will take place next saturday when we have packed the van M gets from Finland. So, if you have nothing else to do then you can always join us to pack and polish.

Pros of Leaving

Nice thing about leaving is that everybody comes to see you before you go. Past few weeks have been really intensive socializing with friends. I like being busy this way. I have a feeling that coming six weeks in Finland will be very social too. I am looking forward to that.

Tops

Oh those happy days when I was young and didn't understand english pop song lyrics. Some of my old favourite songs sound so stupid now. And I hate the fact that I can't stop liking AC/DC though their view on female matters is terrible. Ignorance is a sweet state.

Georgia and the Skull

Georgia O'Keeffe

This is one of my favourite pictures of Georgia O'Keeffe. She looks vital though she obviously is very old.

I once copied the skull on the background on a paper with a pencil and took the drawing to a tattoo shop and got it printed on my skin. It's my praise to Georgia. People who see it might think that I'm a member of a suspicious secret sect or ambassador of death. I don't care. I think it's beautiful. And I like giving new meanings to old things.

Listing is Hard

I made a list of music I like on my profile. Boy, it's difficult. When you have written your favourites down, the list suddenly looks so plain and boring.

What would I like to write on it then? Bands that no-one ever heard of? Would that make me look - what - cooler? Or fooler? What about hooler? (Finglish rules!)

Another problem is, that there are certain albums I listen to from certain bands and nothing else from them. Like 'Point of No Return' from Kansas or 'It Still Moves' from My Morning Jacket or 'The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion' from Black Crowes... If I say that these are my favourite bands, that would be lying, because I practically haven't listened to anything else from them, but still I like these particular albums a lot. Life can be so complicated sometimes.

Ambivalence

We had a "sayonara-going-away"-party on saturday. I wonder where we will have our next house warming party. Propably not as a first thing in Japan - unless we three want to party on our own. We don't know any other people there yet. And Vimme would be there with us. A party with Vimme wouldn't be a wild one, though he tends to drink a lot, act wild, be loud, and pass out after a while.

Now it starts to feel sad to leave. It definitely is still exiting to move as well and I am looking forward to live in Tokyo, but it is so sad to leave all these people behind. Sniff.

Party Party

Last night I was out with four other mothers. We had a nice dinner and few drinks at a restaurant. Half past nine we were all ready to go home. Toddler's mothers don't party all night long.

Today's News

Maybe I told you about the Scandinavian Children's book Competition we participated with my mother-in-law. Now the result has been released and we didn't win. But we still have a chance to be published. Keep your fingers crossed.

Who Does and Who Doesn't

Vimme, Markus and Piko's tale.

Here's how our morning walks look like. Piko doesn't need his leash anymore if we are in a park. He has no intention or energy to run away from us or attack other dogs or children (his former favourite hobbies). He has become too old for that. Vimme does the running now - though he hasn't started the attacks yet and he doesn't mark his territory - yet - he propably will be doing that in some 20 years after a night in a bar.

Good Person

I feel like I was such a good person: I clistered Vimme's photos to a photo album last night. Another little step forward in this packing project.

It's amazing how fast the kid has grown and that's something you see when you look at photos taken a year ago. Or a week ago. Sometimes it feels like he'd grown miles longer over a night. Oatmeal can obviously cause wonders.

Welcome Winter

It's getting cold here. Cold and dark. I remember sometimes in my life I got quite heavy minded when winter came, but not anymore. I have started to like it. I like litting candles when it gets dark. I like wearing layers of clothes. I like how it looks like when everything is covered with snow. But I haven't got that far yet that I would like cross country skiing - if I ever say that I like it, you can call them to get me.

Socially Busy

This weekend has been and will be socially busy. And the next one too. The move is coming closer and closer - everyone wants to meet us before we go and we want to meet everyone. It's nice to meet people.

Last night we had a nice dinner at friend's. It is just fantastic to sit down and get a ready gourmet meal served to you and eat it in a good company. Though Vimme took care of creating havoc during the dinner and while I ran after him, I missed most of the conversation.

Today we'll make sushi with friends. They have a small kid too - we parents will be all running after them with raw fish and vinegar smelling fingers.

An Evening Sip

I am reading John Bradshaw's 'Healing the Shame That Binds You'. (Thank you Chris). Everyone should read that book. It's revealing and puts at least my thoughts into words. Especially anyone who is parenting ought to read the book.

Read it!

I am a bit tired today. I was out last night. I had promised to help a friend at an opening of an art exhibition. There I sold wine and beer to guests and towards the end of the evening I strated to sip wine myself too... Now I am tired. No head ache though. There is always something to be happy about.

Book versus Film

Now I am finally reading 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'. I am amazed how much film makers had added their own details to the film. Book's Tom Riplay is tougher than film's and he planns killing Dickie - in the film it was almost an accident. It was a good film. Still I think the book is better.

Full Booked

M's away for two days now. I am home alone with the kid and the dog. I bet I don't have to think twice what to do with all my time.

...what time?

Define 'Cool'

I saw this film on a video the other day. Oh boy it was a heavy story. Every character in the film was a naive looser on his or her way to his or her total destruction. On the video's cover there were quotes from Swedish film reviews and one said "The coolest film of the year". There wasn't anything cool about the film. The story it self was so sad and heavy that I felt sick. How can something like that be cool?

Bad Education

La mala educación

I saw a very good film today - Almodóvar's latest. I have been his fan since I saw "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown". Just when you think you have seen the best film from him, he makes another better one. I am looking forward to see his next film.

Testing, testing

Let's see how much I can write Vimme sitting on my lap. So far so good. Now he decided to run away to see the dog who is sleeping under the stairs. Actually I should go out with the boy right now and I may as well do it.

Welcome to the World

Congratulations for a baby girl Canadians! Well done! I can't wait to see the little person.

Meanwhile in my everyday life - I seem to be full of aggression right now. I wonder if someone has put a curse on me or if this is hormonal or am I just becoming nuts? What ever it is, I hope it will go away. My beloved spouse will propably hit the road soon if I don't stop acting like this.

Options

Dishes to wash, two books to read, telephone calls to make, letters to write, mess to clean, things to pack, a dog to take for a walk... The kid is sleeping and I have to decide where to start.

Valhalla

I had a nice bath today at a local swimming hall, Valhallabadet. They have a department which they call "A Roman Relaxation Bath" (bad translation, but you get it). That's where we went today with my friend. We stayed there for two hours sweating in a steam sauna and a dry sauna, having a shower, sweating again etc. A Finn can't survive too long without a good bath in a sauna. That's what I have found out after moving away from Finland.

Fortunately they have so many onsens in Japan. I'll be fine there too.

Oblivion

If you are in an acute need of healing here is a site to get it.

I have gone through old letters. I am throwing out piles of them and saving just the dearest ones. In some letters there are photos too. It's both nice and strange to see faces from the past, situation and meetings I have already forgotten. We forget SO much. Or at least I do. And I think it's not only negative to forget. Mind's defence mechanisms are there for reason.

Ms Hoover

Let's see if my alter ego, 'cleaner lady', pays a visit today. This flat needs her badly. The closer the move comes the less I have energy to keep dust balls away. Tonight friends are coming over and though they know us well enough, I still don't want them to see our worst possible mess. So - cleaner lady, please come.

Let's See Auras

I found a book called 'Auras, See Them in Only 60 Seconds' at library. Let's see if it works.

Our beloved neighbours keep on listening to their (not at all) sophisticated music with bass (and our walls) bumping. Boy am I glad to get rid of them! Let our future neighbours be the kind that are easy to love.

Rubber Boots

In western Sweden life can become quite uncomfortable if you own a dog and don't have a pair of proper rubber boots. It rains a lot in here. Fortunately we both bought a pair of Nokia's rubber boots before we moved to Sweden. That was six years ago. They are still like new, though we've both used them regulary. I am going to drag them with me to Japan too - I'm sure they become handy when the first Tsunami hits our spot. (Nokia boots have super powers.)

We in this case is me and Markus, the man I live with.

David and Viking Body Parts

I'm glad I didn't go to see David Coverdale in despite of his old-woman-looks. Today's paper told that he had made comments of "Viking women's breasts" on stage. I don't usually jump up and down out of joy and happiness when I hear sexistic comments. I'm sure I wouldn't have done it this time either.

What I really wanted to say today was that I believe that one can choose what one thinks. Yesterday, when I had an irresistible urge to kick everything, because the world didn't act according to my plans, I knew, that it's all in my head. And I knew that I will feel content again if I am determined to think differently. We create our realities our selves. Maybe not all the aspects of reality like hurricanes and earthquakes, but we choose what we think and that what makes our existence to what it is.

There'll be more cheap pseudo-wisdom from this address - stay tuned!

Cogito ergo sum

It's one of those days when I seem not to be able to do anything I would like to do. There must be something good about this day too... let me think...

... still thinking...

... still thinking...

I am thinking, therefore I must be existing. Is that good?

Sharks

Today we went to Universeum. It's a science discovery centre. They have a great ocean aquarium, among other things. Vimme was impressed by sharks. Ever since he saw the sharks, he's said his own version of the finnish word for a shark again and again and again. I hope he won't get nightmares tonight.

Happy Birthday Piko

Piko

It's Piko's 14th birthday today. He will get his annual party pizza later today.

He is old, but he is still in a good condition and I wouldn't be surprised if he lived 2-3 years more. Long live the dog!

Word Lists

Yesterday I went through old papers from my Swedish course at the local university. The course was excellent. I have never had such a good language teacher in any language as what Lennart was. And now I see that I studied really hard: I found hand written word lists after word lists and then again some word lists.

I wonder if I will find Japanese word lists all over the place when we are finally packing our stuff to move back to Scandinavia.

Headstand

Headstand 

Sometimes even the headstand doesn't help.

Today Vimme had his worst tantrum ever and nothing helped. Nothing! I guess it's the same with tantrums and hang overs: you just have to wait that they pass.

Sunday

It's one of those days when weather gods haven't been able to decide what they want to offer us. So far we've had hails, rain and lovely sun shine. I am prepared to get some snow too... just in case.

An Old Woman - David

David Coverdale will sign records at a music shop next week. I am tempted to dig out my 'Saints and Sinners' LP and go there to have a look at the man. Few years ago I found a picture of him on a news paper. He looked like an old woman.

I wonder if I am supposed to buy a new Whitesnake album if I want to get a signature on my old LP. Do I want to have a new Whitesnake album? I doubt.

Underwater

Turtle

Underwater images have been recently on my mind a lot. I'd love to see Luc Besson's 'Big Blue' again.

An Expert

Yesterday we went to a library with Vimme and carried home a pile of children's books. Now I have read out loud some of the books approximately 20 times. I'll know every book by heart before I return them.

Ask me anything about Tomppa. Tomppa books have become my speciality.

Carol

Yesterday I finished Carol Shields' book 'The Republic of Love'. Today when I browsed sites about her I found out that she died last year. She had breast cancer. I had no idea. Only yesterday I was still looking forward to read her next book. Her latest book 'Unless' is one of the best novels I've read this year.

Why, why, why?

What happened in Beslan makes me feel so low and heavy. I don't understand what hostage-takers wanted achieve with their act. Independence?!? How can they think so wrong? You can only get whole world's hate on you by such an act. No one will feel sympathy for you or for your course. No one.

Finland-Sweden, Sweden-Finland

The annual Athletic Games between Sweden and Finland are held at the stadium next to us. Last night, right when the games were over for the day, we went to the stadium area with Vimme to create havoc (That's easy - I just let Vimme to run loose) and to feel the spirit of the games.

A House

Last night I saw Martha Rosler's video at gallery Yeans. I didn't expect much from it, but it turned out to be quite intresting. The video was about a huge building in southern France. The house was designed by le Corbusier and it was build after his death.

I have very ambivalent feelings towards 60's architecture and my first feelings about the house was, that it was plain ugly. But people who lived there seemed to like the house. Though one woman said it is almost impossible to furnish a le Corbusier. I guess there are more aspects to buildings than beauty and high quality of the construction.

Dreams of William

Oooooh, if I ever will hold William Blake's works in my hands when I am working as a conservator. It won't happen too soon: yesterday I got a paper from my school that I am allowed to have a break from studies until December 2006. That is when we return from Japan.

Bakery

To put a bread into an oven and start browsing Geisha Asobi's site at the same time is a BAD combination. The bread ended up being 40 minutes over-baked. God, I was mad at myself. Fortunately, this morning I found out the bread was eatable anyway. AND, it tasted good.

Geisha Asobi's site is full off weird stuff and surprises. I never knew there is tooth pick art. Or Virgin Mary urinals. Thank you Geisha Asobi for showing all this to us.

A Move

Sorry about this inconvenience. I got tired of mBlog and moved my blog to Blogger. I find this blog program easier to use. So welcome to this new site!!!