A Scandinavian Boozing Day

I made myself a MySpace page. Have a look and if you have one, become my MySpace friend. Hey ho!

Today is a huge drinking day both in Sweden and in Finland. I am going to avoid crowds and will cook some Thai-food at my friends. I am sure there will be some drinking ahead too, but not so heavy that I wouldn't be functional tomorrow.

Last friday was an opening at the gallery where I sit every now and then. If you happen to be somewhere around Gothenburg, go to see the exhibition. It's worth seeing.

It's All About Me Again

1. PICK OUT A SCAR YOU HAVE, AND EXPLAIN HOW YOU GOT IT

This is my right knee. I rode my bicycle on a cold winter morning about 23 years ago, took a tight left turn and soon found myself lying on the icy road with a bleeding knee. I was in hurry so I didn't have time get stiches, hence the scar.


2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS OF YOUR ROOM?

My room is in Finland and it is usually occupied by two males; my son and my husband. They have a periodic table on the wall. Where I stay now walls are white and I haven't been bothered to put anything on them; I'll be moving soon anyway.


3. WHAT DOES YOUR PHONE LOOK LIKE.









4. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?

Right now, at this very moment, I am not listening to anything, but I have listened a lot to Sahara Hotnights, a cool Swedish group. Their "Difference Between Love and Hell" has been my favourite song this week. I love the guitar riff in the song and the singer's half whining voice.



5. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT DESKTOP PICTURE?

Vimme in Tokyo. I like this picture a lot. The kid looks so calm and Tokyo skyline is nicely in the back ground. From Northern Europe my whole time in Tokyo seems so distant and dreamlike. And so does motherhood... God, I miss my kid!!!



6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?

Well, just look at the last sentence before the sixth question and you will guess what I want the most at the moment; to be with my kid.


7. DO YOU SUPPORT GAY MARRIAGE?

Yes! All the people should have an equal right to get a divorce.


8. WHAT TIME WERE YOU BORN?

01:00 am


9. ARE YOUR PARENTS STILL TOGETHER?

Yes.


10. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

Erm... nothing. Should I be listening to something? A strange question. If I am writing I usually don't try to listen to other than music at the same time and that music question we already went through. Oh well - I should make my own meme then.


11. DO YOU GET SCARED OF THE DARK?

Sometimes. Twin Peaks used to scare the poo out of me in 90's. I had to have toilet company after seeing an episode (I had to see them all of course). I was sure someone else than me would stare at me from the mirror if I entered the loo alone. That feeling was usually gone by the next morning.


12. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?

I drank wine with a good friend and we talked about all kinds of emotional stuff. I did shed a tear or two, but she wasn't really the one who made me cry. I guess I am easily teary now that I am so faaaar away from the kid.


13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?













14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOUR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?

Erm... what difference does it make?


15. DO YOU LIKE PAIN KILLERS?

When I am in pain I do love them.


16. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?

Shy? No, but I don't ask people out for dates... or raisins. Yeah, I know; I should go to sleep.


17. FAVOURITE PIZZA TOPPING?

Blue cheese.


18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Nothing. I am not hungry.


19. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?

It must have been my kid. He doesn't like "No!"s. Or then it was M and for the same reasons.


20. IS ANYONE IN LOVE WITH YOU?

Anyone? Go on then, just confess!

Grandmother

Here is a picture of my already late grandmother. The picture is taken sometimes in 1910's in Helsinki. I think she looks unbearably cute in this picture.

Many of her generation's women, she included, lost their men in war and they had to rebuild their lifes alone, without husband's support. Her life wasn't easy.

I have inherited her handicarft skills and like her, I have only one child and I have her nose.

A Doer

Here's an old technical drawing I have worked with today. It is fun to DO things instead of listening lectures about how to do thing in case you do something. I like to get things done.

I have also started a cautious try to teach myself a habbit of running again. (I haven't that for a year now). Cautious in that sense that I won't be saying: "yes, running is my hobby" before I've done it for a month. Or for a year. Let's see what happens. Maybe I get tired of the whole process on the first rainy day.

I guess I don't understand today's respected Finnish male painters

We were at the Nordic Watercolour Museum with my class mates yesterday. We listened to few minor lectures and saw the present exhibition at the museum. The exhibition was mainly about the dualism of flesh and spirituality in us humans; can these both aspects dwell in us at the same time (the guide told us this). The Finnish chap's (yes, a fellow Finn) works "..explore masculine sexuality with a cynicism and honesty rarely seen." Numerous painting of ugly penises in other words. I was told that he is very respected artist in Finland today. My next thought was: do I have to live in a country where respected male artists paint mud coloured ugly penises for their living?

The pictures is taken close to the museum. A cute little town it was.

Back in Sweden again

Here's my lovely kid ruling the world from his throne. It was - again - so very sad to say good bye to him. It doesn't seem to get easier, no matter how often I do it.

So, I'm back in Sweden, back at school. I am living at my friends who are away from the town most of the time, so I can pretend that I am actually living somewhere on my own.

Tomorrow I'll be listening to lectures about what to do with all the valuable museum and archive object after a catastrophy (fire, flood etc.). My first reaction would be to throw all that crap away, but that can't be a good attitude for a future conservator. Maybe I will think differently tomorrow.

Home Sweet Home

I am at home! Soon I will go to get the boy home from his day care. I would have gone there already, but I know kids are napping at the moment, so I wait for a bit more and rush then to get the boy home.

We had a nice week at school: we made some salt paper and cyanotype prints. I used pictures I've taken in Japan & after Japan; some of them looked really good. I am secretly planning to do more prints at home on some bright future day. That shouldn't be a problem - I do have a personal chemist to provide me the chemicals I'd need.

What will I do with my long weekend in Finland? Well, I do my best to be at home as much as I can, now that I am finally at home.

A Hot Date

It's another sunny day in Gothenburg. M was over for a long weekend. He had a job meeting here and he decided to stay two extra nights, so we had a chance to spend some time together - just two of us - for the first time since the boy was born (4 years). We stayed in a small hotel. It was quite weird, but in a nice way.

I will see him and the kid again on thursday when I'll travel to Finland for easter.

Piko 1990-2007

Last saturday I was in Finland to be there when our old dog was taken to his last walk. He walked on his own wobbly feet, sniffed some bushes and even did some territorial markings before arriving to the vet. Me, M and M's mother were there and stayed close to the dog until he was gone. It was utterly sad. But I am glad I had a chance to be there on his side when he died. He lived a long and eventful dog's life, of which he stayed 14 years with us and the rest with M's mother, where he got totally spoiled, which - I think - was a perfect way to spend a retirement years for a good dog like him.

Rain or Shine or Both

This morning we had heavy snowing and in the afternoon a beautiful sunny day. If we'd had some rain and a good thunder storm too, I would have been able to say: an ordinary Gothenburg day - weatherwise. If you want to be prepared for all possible weather option while being in Gothenburg, you better take your whole garderobe with you, any season.

The picture is from Linnestan. A nice part of G. The broken bike has been there at least since I came here in January. Let's see if it still there when I leave in June.

Saturday Morning in G

I seem to be able to move pictures from the previously mentioned memory card to my computer if iTunes is not on. Computers work in mysterious ways. So, just because I can I give you this picture of the cat I live with right now.

Yesterday I browsed "The Optimistic Child" while I sat in the gallery. In spite of the fact that some terrible 60's animal tests were described and half end of the book was basically just forms and tests, there were some essential thoughts put in words. The main idea was that optimistic view to life helps a child to cope with dissapointments (life) easier than a pessimitic view and that parents pass their views to their children. I have to watch myself - I have a tendecy for occational pessimism, which I have tried to get rid of.

Other than that: I think zits should stay away from a face that begins to have a fair amount of wrinkles on it.

Good News and Bad News

I took the memory card out of my camera and put it into a hole on a side of this little laptop of mine and the computer shut itself down immediately. The function has worked so far like an angel and now suddenly it stopped co-operating. That means: no recent photos on this blog until I know whats going on.

Today I've had a day off from lectures. I have done some school work too, but mostly I have just waisted my time doing nothing productive.

Yesterday I heard that I will get the practice place in Finland I applyed for. The practice will be in autumn - the whole semester - and I will be able to live at home when I do it. That is ultimately fantastic!

Our ancient dog will be taken to the better lamppost sniffing realms on the 24th of this month. I have booked a ticket to Finland so that I will be there when it happens. Sad, sad, sad.

Weaker Option

Today is the first real spring day here in Gothenburg. Fantastic!

We had lectures on archive blah blah blah this afternoon and will have some more until thursday. I guess one has to have some boring lectures sometimes, otherwise it isn't real studying.

Weekend went by. On friday I went out first with my class mates and later with my Finnish friends. In sweden they sell both "strong beer" and less strong "between beer" (terrible translations, I know) and so far I've always ordered the strong option at bars and had a headache next morning. This time I ordered the weaker beer and felt great the next morning and still had beer after another the night before. Long live the "between beer"!

Otherwise I spend my weekend missing the kid. It's terrible to be away from him, in case I haven't mentioned that yet.

Talking is Difficult

I guess all people who in daily bases use another language than their own have met the situation where you tell a person about a topic and after a while you see a look on listener's face showing that she (or he) doesn't get a word from what you are saying. It's frustrating.

I saw The Queen tonight. It was a good film. Go and see it.

Pain Goes, Pain Comes

The worst pain of saying good bye to the kid has eased a bit for now. Though today's report from home told me that he has a fever. Let's hope he gets well soon.

Today I had a chance to repair some old leather covered books. Before that I repaired a well read Moomin book, which appeared to belong to one of our teachers and she was happy to have the book back in a good condition.

The home exam keeps annoying me. I tried to talk to M about how frustrating the whole thing is and what my attidute towards the exam is and I ended up feeling stupid and shit about the whole thing. Never expect a scientist to object a fellow scientist in a cost of compassion for an accidental student.

New Week

Oh god it was sad to say good bye to the kid.

M's and the kid's way home went well and the kid spent today at my parents. My mother went to a food store alone with the kid and says that she won't do that again. I must have warned her sometimes about not doing that, but I guess she has to see to believe.

Here are some books I made last week. This week we'll be focusing on book conservation, plus we have a "home exam" to do before friday. Sounds like lots of work, which is good, the more I work the less I think about sad absence of the kid in my life.

Congratulations

Happy birthday my lovely son!

Only in Japan

I'm sure you can't find dog yoga in Sweden, like you can't find a place to rent a puppy for few hours - at least not legally - but in Japan you find all this. So, you bored North European dog owner: do yoga together with your pet.

Fun at School

The kid is coming here tomorrow!!!

At school I've been busy bookbinding. I had never tried that before and it is now officially something I'd love to do more. How will I combine all my favourite things to do into a profession that would also bring money to my household? Time will hopefully tell.

I have a slight feeling of an arriving cold/flu in my bones. Let's hope this one will decide to skip me. I don't want to get sick.

Puffy Eyed Printer

Never watch a sentimental two-out-of-five-stars Hollywood film about mothers, children, and family issues when you happen to be a longer time apart from your own kid, unless you want to have extreamly baggy, puffy, and pink lined eyes the next morning.

Other than that, we did have printing lessons this week after all and it was all very intresting and fun. I am developing a serious urge to make more fine art prints with my own originals.