03.05.09

Japanilaisia näyttelyitä

Posted in Japanese, Outings tagged Ateneum, chadou, Hiroshige, Hokusai, näyttely, sadou at 12:46 by krause

Ensinnäkin, kävin siis vuodenvaihdetta ennen Ateneumin Hiroshige ja Hokusai -näyttelyssä.

Näyttely esitteli Hokusain (1760-1849) ja Hiroshigen (1797-1858), kahden Edo-kauden tunnetuimman maisemantekijän moniväripuupiirroksia 1830-luvulta 1850-luvulle (n. 200 kpl).  Näyttelyn tunnetuin työ oli Hokusain Suuri aalto (n. 1831), josta on tullut yksi Japanin taiteen tunnuskuvista. Blogissani onkin kuvia sen jäljennöksen painovaiheista museossa Japanin Kanazawassa, jossa alkuperäistä grafiikkalehteä (yhtä niistä) kävin viimeksi ihailemassa. Kyseessä oli jo kolmas kerta, kun kävin alkuperäisversiota katsomassa – ensimmäinen oli Retretissä 20 vuotta sitten!

Toisekseen, lisää visiittejä japanilaiseen kulttuurimaisemaan:

Auringonjumalattaren tyttäret – Japanilainen naisellisuus

29.1. – 17.5.2009 Sinebrychoffin taidemuseossa

sekä samassa talossa, kellarissa: Chadô – Teen tie 29.1. – 28.6.2009.
Bulevardi 40 00120 Helsinki; Vaihde: (09) 173361;                Avoinna  ti, pe  10 – 18  ke, to  10 – 20  la, su  11 – 17  Maanantaisin suljettu Lippujen hinnat 7,50/6 € tai 5/4 € alle 18-vuotiaat ilmaiseksi
Ilmaisilta joka kuukauden ensimmäinen keskiviikko klo 17-20. Alennuslippuun oikeutetut:
1. Eläkeläiset 2. Opiskelijat  3. Siviilipalvelus- ja varusmiehet/-naiset  4. Opettajat ja kuvataitelijat (silloin kun eivät lunasta vuosikorttia)    5. City-kortti ja Euro26-kortti

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09.05.08

Isle of Sheep [ I Love Sheep ]

Posted in Dance, Finnish, Friends, Outings tagged Adile, dancing, Isle of Sheep, Jakke, Lammassaari, Manne, Mikko, tango, tanssi, Timo, Vallilan Tango at 16:42 by krause

The one and only, legendary Isle of Sheep event hosted by Vallilan Tango was a success, once again. August 29th the evening started around 4 PM, when people took off to the trail through the marsh. We were invited to have juice, cookies, and candy, then to follow the signs to Lammassaari along the path.

[Photo: Jakke. Path to Lammassaari]

A short person, all I could see for 20 minutes, was grass. Halfway, there was a platform from where I could see the beautiful city skyline in the evening sun. After a while we heard a voice coming from the grass, reciting old thruths about social dancing in the olden days. The player was hidden so it was a surprise – an “experience”, as the organizers called it.

[Photo: Jakke. Pohjolan Pirtti / Koitto]

When arriving at the site we were greeted by Mustalaisprimas plays blonde, a blond violinist playing outside the century-old red villa originally a social club for a sobriety society. No alcohol was to be sold, but we were well prepared. There were some other performances, as well. A band called The Barn Sparrows (Musiikkia syvästä/-ltä etelästä) entertained us with music from the deep south or from deep … and as last year, also Granny (Mummo) had a word or two to tell us.

[Photo: Jakke. Antti the musician peeking]

[Photo: Jakke. Guests and hosts]

“Jyrki Katainen”, both a female and a male version greeted everybody and reminded us to make a deposit – to buy badges and neckties to support the band.

[Photo: Jakke. Mr. Playback Boy]

The show inside started with Mr. Playback Boy, the only Drag King I’ve ever seen. I’m soo in love with him (her). Mr. Playback Boy is Laura , a “theater and music professional” as she calls herself.

[Photo: Jakke. Mr. Playback Boy = Laura Murtomaa]

(S)he was the slimiest latino ever, the playboy evergreen singer, the obscene pop star, a frustrated base vocalist in an acappella group, a pompous male choir member, and finally, a director of orchestra.

[Photo: Jakke. Vallilan Tango]

After a short while of dance instruction, the band started to play, and people floodedon the dance floor. Vallilan Tango is this strange but excellent band featuring among other things, a vocalist who sings in broken English or broken Finnish as I think he is Dutch. And, they excel in Finnish tango, although they play cha cha, waltz, fox, and even polka, too.

As the villa is old and has no heating, it was chilly when I first arrived. I had to change clothes halfway in the night, as I was soaking wet, and it wasn’t the slight rainfall we got that night.. The Youngest R had found me a pussikalja somebody forgot in the bus, so I drank my present – I was so thirsty I didn’t care what it was.

There are more pics and even more to come. All photos are taken by Jakke. To contact Jakke, leave a comment.

There are more photos of the event by Jakke. These require you to log in to Facebook.
These are in Picasa (Isle of Sheep 2008) / Reeta Viljakainen.
These are also in Picasa (Isle of Sheep 2007) / user: Christian
Also Isle of Sheep 2007 photos by Jungle/Arctic at Flickr

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08.10.08

Another Dome, the Hiroshima Atomic

Posted in Friends, Japanese, Outings tagged atom bomb, Hiroshima, Ishikawa, Kanazawa University, Komura, Nagasaki, Noomi, Ogoya, radioactivity, 　小村, 　広島, 　放射能, 　石川, 　野美市, 　長崎, 尾小屋 at 15:07 by krause

August 6th and August 9th are not and should not be forgotten, although this year they are left in the shadows of the Olympics. 63 years later, the artifacts collected in the cities are still somewhat radioactive, not to mention the suffering of individual people and the collective devastation of the nation. Estimates of direct casualties range from 90,000 to 140,000 according to Wikipedia. Some estimates state up to 200,000 had died by 1950, due to cancer and other long-term effects. The building on the left is the 原爆ドーム Genbaku Dome, Hiroshima Peace Memorial, a former industrial exhibition hall.

I had the opportunity to visit 金沢大学自然計測応用研究センター,　低レベル放射能研究施設 尾小屋地下測定施設 (尾小屋鉱山トンネル) Kanazawa University’s Ogoya Underground Laboratory of Low Level Radioactivity （ＬＬＲＬ） in Noomi shi, Ishikawa ken　（野美市　石川県）　with Professor Komura　小村先生　and his wife Komura san 小村さん.

At the time, Professor Komura was measuring radiation of a men’s pocket watch found after the Hiroshima A-bomb had been dropped.

Nature here is subtropical, like a jungle, and the road to the entrance is small.　Neareby there is a mining and railroad museum.　The temperature was around 40 centigrades, but inside the tunnel it’s so cold one needs a jacket.

Previously there was a copper ore mine, now the tunnel hosts a laboratory 300 meters inside the mountain. The tonnes of stone covering the tunnel makes Ogoya lab one of the most sensitive radioactivity labs in the world. Stone blocks cosmic radiation to its minimum and makes it possible to reach more exact results in measuring low levels of radioactivity found in, for example, items found in Hiroshima after the nuclear bomb was dropped.

An ore mine 100 years old, there used to be little artificial light. Now as there is electricity, wallｓ begin to get color from moss and other growth. Also pretty stalagtites grow from the ceiling, which is dripping water.

300 meters in, there is a small construction site trailer-like cubicle where the detector and other instruments are. The tunnel is damp, slippery, badly lit, wearing a helmet is mandatory, the lab, only a few square meters, is very crowded but the computers are state-of-the-art. What an interesting contrast.

Being a professor does not mean your work is purely white collar. Professor Komura needs to put in place and remove 300 kg of lead blocks every time he needs to measure the radioactivity level of an object.

Whether Japan’s history as the only nation being attacked with atom bombs has impacted the radioactivity research in the country, I don’t know. I do know that Ogoya lab is one of the most sensitive labs in the world, and that they have a world wide cooperative network. I have never met a person who has been to the Antarctic before, but professor Komura has – measuring radioctivity, of course.

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08.03.08

Flea market vs. free market

Posted in Japanese, Outings tagged flea market, recycling, secondhand at 18:12 by krause

In Japan people do not see value on used, second hand, or especially old things, unless it is antique. Much to my surprise, I spotted some Japanese women behind a “counter” at Hietalahti. I purchased red ヘアカーラー(hea kaaraa),　or hair curlers at the flea market yesterday for 二ユーロ (ni yuuro) or, €2. In Japan, flea markets are not only rare, they are also free The Japanese often mispronounce “l” as an “r”, thus giving flea market a new meaning, free market. Oh well, sometimes it is free, as I came to notice. Also, oftentimes the Japanese part with their used stuff asking a considerably lower price for the item than would their Finnish counterparts. The idea in Japan seems to be getting rid of exess stuff. Here it is becoming more and more a living for a certain segment of people, and sfuff will cost 10, 20, or even 50 to 100 euro. I don´t care whether the item is new, old, mint, unused, used once, or something else. Asking loads of money for stuff at a flea market defeats the purpose, in my mind. Hey, once I drive this year’s model out of the car seller’s, I can’t ask for the same price I paid for it. That’s how it is. It is a fact I do not have the same selection to choose from, not the same range of sizes to choose from, I do not get a guarantee, I do not even know the seller’s name, in case I find out there is something wrong with the item, and I would need to exchange it, let alone it causes some kind of harm to the user. No refund, no nothing. And they think it is ok to ask for as much as for a new one? It isn’t. But, I guess it’s not stupid to ask, it’s stupid to pay.
Japan produces 50,441,000 tonnes of householdwaste annually (1992 figures) . This makes 411 kg per person, each year. For comparison, Finland produces (produced) 3,100,000 tonnes, with 624 kg per person, a year.

If you want to compare the figures with the GDP per capita, here is the list of Wikipedia. Finland, on 8th place, does not lag far behind with its income per capita, which is %27060, compared to Japan, %34180, on place 4. Both countries are in the sharp tip of the statistics.
Still, according to my experience, the Japanese throw away stuff far more than we do. Finland’s ugly stats are, sadly, explicable through Japan’s more advanced recycling system. All plastic is recycled, also in households, metal, glass etc. sorted and so on. BUT, in the garbage, you can still find, among the metal waste, a musical brass instrument or two, as good as new, in a case, clean, ready to be played. In Finland, it would be sold, not dumped. As I understand it, the Japanese in general, do not want secondhand anything. Used instruments, yikes. Last year’s model of blu-ray? Sorry, very undesirable.

Anyway, as I respect the attitude of getting rid of stuff contrasted with making as much money as possible (and maybe telling invented truths about stuff on sale) AND as I also take a liking in the good manners of the average Japanese: more sellers of Japanese origin to the Finnish flea markets! Free markets, solly.

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02.18.08

Umeshu, japanilainen ravinteli

Posted in Japanese, Outings at 03:26 by krause

Töölössä, Pohjoisella Hesperiankadulla, on avattu uusi japanilainen ravinteli, Umeshu. Helsingin Sanomien mukaan omistajat ovat samat kuin viereisellä Töölö Gymillä, ja täytyy sanoa, että se sekä näkyy että tuntuu.

Mitä esimerkiksi on sashimi tai kara age ilman riisiä?? Riisiä ei ollut – ei listassa – mutta ei todellisuudessakaan. Tämä paljastui niin, että – tietenkin – halusian ja varmuuden vuoksi ääneen tilasin riisiä yhteen sashimi- ja yhteen tataki-annokseen, ja kun sitä ei kuulunut, peräänkuulutin sitä. Ja mitä tulikaan? Etikalla ja sokerilla maustettua sushiriisiä isossa keramiikkakulhossa, ilman ottimia, ilman pikkukulhoja. Oliko riisi kenties tarkoitus käsin syödä kolhoosikulhosta??! Pyydettyäni puuttuvia tarvikkeita tuli pieniä keramiikkakulhoja, joita ei kuvittelisi yhdenkään japanilaisen käyttävän sellaisina. Useimmiten kulhothan ovat muovia tai lakkatyötä, siis puuta, koska japanilainen haluaa nostaa riisikuppinsa ilmaan, ja keramiikka olisi raskas pidellä. Ja siis, ei mitään vesiriisiä, vaan sushiriisiä. Joopa joo.

Sashimista on tosin pakko sanoa, että vaikka en ole asiantuntija,  olen sitä aika paljon Japanissa syönyt. Se oli ihan hyvää ja oikeanlaista. Mukana oli daikon, wasabi ja shizo, kalaa oli jos jonkinsorttista, äyriäisiä kahta lajia ja simpukkaakin löytyi. Kaloista olin erityisen ilahtunut, sillä täällä raaka kala on lähes vain ja ainoastaan lohta. Nyt oli vaikka mitä.

Misokeitto oli ihan ok, sieniä ja wakamea. Samanlaista kuin Japanissa. Tee tuli valitettavasti pussiversiona pöytään asti. Mikä oli kivaa oli se, että keramiikka saattoi olla suomalaista. En kyllä katsonut, mutta fiilis oli oikeanlainen. Plussaa tuli myös puikoista, jotka olivat bambun pintakerroksesta veistetyt ja solmukohta jätetty koristeeksi. Käsipyyhe kyllä olisi tehnyt säväyksen, kertakäyttöinen tai froteinen.

Kaikenkaikkiaan ihan ok, jos halvalla haluaa päästä eikä kaipaa riisiä. Tämä tosin on kyllä mahdoton yhtälö. Ymmärrän, että nipistetään teen laadusta, kun kyseessä on ruokajuoma.Ymmärrän, että sisustuksesta ja tunnelmasta voidaan karsia huokeuden tähden. Käsitän, että samasta syystä astiat voivat olla mitä vain, ja käytinkin sujuvasti soijakuppia puikkotelineenä, kun sellaista ei oltu katettu eikä puikkojen paperinauhasta sellaista pystynyt taittelemaan, koska se oli pieni tarra. Soijaa sentään oli pöydässä. Mutta riisiä, oikeaa riisiä pitää olla ja paljon, ja pyyhekin olisi aika kiva.

Miinuksena mainittakoon myös se, että pöytäseurueessa tilattiin ainakin kolmea, ellei neljää sellaista annosta, jota listalta löytyi, mutta tarjoilija möi eioota. Koska lista ei alun perinkään ollut mitenkään mittava, jäi jäljelle muistaakseni kaksi liha-annosta, joista toinen oli raakaa nautaa – ei siis ihan kaikkien ruoka. Kypsennettyä lihaa oli siis yksi vaihtoehto. Vaikka ollaankin japanilaisessa ravintolassa, ei voi olettaa, että suomalainen söisi kaiken raakana, tai vain kalaa. Jopa tavallisessa japanilaisessa ravintolassa Japanissa on lihaa tarjolla monena versiona. Ja olihan täälläkin, mutta vain teoriassa.

En sano, etten voisi mennä uudelleen, mutta en minä sinne japanilaista ihmistä veisi. Tarjoilu ei vastannut minkään suomalaisen oikean ravintolan tasoa. Se oli ystävällistä, mutta hapuilevaa. Toivottavasti kokemus kohottaa tasoa.

On täysin ei-japanilaisin voimin sentään saatu minulle kelpaavaa misoa ja sashimia. Mutta se riisi oli paha juttu.

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12.17.07

Sally Mann and “This is not porn, but serious art :0″

Posted in Gender, Outings, TV and movie at 16:01 by krause

I don’t know what to think. Art or not? But this is the never-ending question. Sally Mann’s exhibition in Helsinki makes the news in a not-so-positive way.

I realize people, also and maybe especially children need media literacy and critical social thinking, and this can only be achieved by (in this case) looking at pictures – without forgetting the discussion and critique. But how many H&M ads are enough to achieve media literacy of that kind? How many thousand naked ladies do I have to see in order to get it – of is it possible that at this stage I am not only well-educated, but totally fed up, brainwashed, and – unfortunately – used to all the public female nudity around me? I am overeducated. My sons and daughters will also be, in just a few months after I take them outside the home. They will soon make notions of how “the lady is naked” and “a man drives the car.” There are two things to see here: the verbs “is” and “drives” and “naked” and “car”. If you can see the disturbing part in the two latter, ok, but how about the previous ones? “Is” is a static, “drives” is dynamic. But you’re right, “naked” was the issue now.

I do not wish to raise children to be illiterate, without no possibilities to practice criticism, reverse reading, without the possibility to become socially aware. If I “protect” them from everything they grow up tu use no judgement. But how many Sally Mann’s photographs, commercial ads, fan service movies are enough? When does it become exessive, even for an adult? At around 20 I thought I already had enough. And now? Just very, very annoyed, and able to educate others and able and willing to boycott just about anything.

I saw the Salvador Dalí exhibition at Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA at WeeGee) and must say that it only made me remember Teemu Mäki and the Lynching of the Cat and Whacking Off Video and on the other hand,  ARS95 body secretions. Is this art, may one ask.

In the past, pictures or other visual representations had to be made by painting, drawing, sculpting, and later, by woodblock printing etc. There were no photographs, no video, no movies, no TV. What was on a man’s mind back then? The same as now, nude women – well, it’s true. In ancient Greece also nude men, beautiful and perfect, of course, as always, when depicting the object of desire. In Greece men were considered more desirable partners than women, and so ancient Greek art is six pack after six pack – in other cultures and especially towards modern days it seems that the objectified body is that of the female. There are nude women in frames all over the western world on walls of dining rooms, drawing rooms, lounges, and museums. The nude female body in all variations of seductive, innocent, hinting or straight forward positions is probably the most captured  form on canvas or paper. But because the medium is oil colour and canvas, pastels, charcoal, pencil or water color, it is art.

Then came the camera, celluloid, and hardwear. Female nudity became the most captured form on the monitor screen, too. Even if Playboy claims to be art, most people seem to regard nude ladies on paper, film, or as bits, as someting else than art. I’m no exception. But contrary to most others, I sometimes articulate my view on framed or sculpted nudes. I tend to think that they represent the porn of their time. Mind you, a dress showing too much – no, not cleveage – ankles was was not socially accepted, let alone nudity. No reputable woman would expose too much, undress privately or publicly, or in any case have a picture painted of her and displayed. I don’t think models were average mothers, reputable women, elite or middle class – nor are they today. Has anything changed? Oh yes, the medium and how efficiently the “artwork” can be spread and copied.

What Dalí has on his mind (at least accirding to the photos)  is probably what many male (and presumably mostly heterosexual) painters and other artists have and have had on their mind. Sorry for being a bad sport.

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09.23.07

Cirque de Soleil: Delirium

Posted in Dance, Outings at 22:25 by krause

Kaksi tuntia sunnuntai-illasta Hartwall Arenalla. Deliriumin videotaide oli hienoa. Valot olivat kohdallaan. Vaikuttavuus katoaa televisioon varrattuna paikan päällä, mutta erikseen kannattaa ehkä nostaa esiin ilmatanssinumerot, joissa roikutaan joko yhdestä kädestä tai kainaloista liinoissa – joka ei enää ole uutta, mutta entä paritanssina? Vain toinen tai kummatkin tanssijat, tässä tapauksessa aina ryhmästä kaksi miestä tai lopulta nainen ja mies kiipeilivät ilmassa toistensa päällä, pyörivät sekä symmetrisissä ja epäsymmetrisissä asennoissa, roikkuivat käsistä, jaloista ja vaikka miten. Yllättävän tanssillista siitä oli saatu, ja jännitystä riitti sopivasti jos toisella ei ollut liinoja ollenkaan.

Toinen mainitsemisen arvoinen oli pimeässä hohtavia hulavanteita pyörittelevä matonainen. Täytyy myöntää, että ennen en ihan tuollaista motoriikkaa ole nähnyt. Suurimmat suosionosoitukset taisi saada neljän lähes alastoman muskelimiehen akrobatiashow, jossa yhdistyi erilaisiin staattisiin asentoihin perustuva koreografia ja hulppea akrobatia, jossa ei valmistella, varmistella, hengitetä syvään tai toivuta hypystä, vaan homma jatkuu saumattomasti asemien vaihtoon, täpäköihin loppuasentoihin, jotka eivät ole kovin konventionaailisia… mutta miten tätä nyt kuvata sanoilla.

Hartwall Areenan järjestysmiehelle ei tosin kerry minulta ruusuja, vaan painettuani hänen yksilöllisen numeronsa mieleeni taidan pirauttaa ylemmälle taholle. Kun kyseessä on kohtalaisen kallis, täysin emootioihin vetoava esitys, on olennaista, ettei mielialaa pilata heti ensimmäiseksi. Perättömät syytökset väärällä paikalla istumisesta, taskulampulla osoittelu silmiin kesken esityksen ja niin edelleen ei ole omiaan takaamaan täydellistä taidenautintoa. Kaikkihan on kuitenkin hyvin heti kuin väli-insiddentti on ohi, eikö vain? AMnesia iskee välittömästi, ja sitten voikin taas napsauttaa hyvän mielen päälle ja sammuttaa huonon, kuin taskulampun valon. Joo.

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09.02.07

Isle of the Sheep!!! Ohjelmallinen iltama

Posted in Dance, Friends, Outings at 23:18 by krause

Boy (Girl??), what a night!

I wasn’t going to go. People called me, even tried to extort me (”My younger brother would like it, if you came”) … but I wasn’t in the mood. After the numerous attacks I gave in, and wow! Did I have a good time! After a laborous hike through the marsh and high-growing rush on wooden walking boards, after coming into close contact with native Finnish abusers of canned heat (= deekuja) along the way, we arrived at this romantic red wooden hundred-year-old villa, that was built by and for a sobriety society called Koitto.

The “Isle of Sheep” event, the title being inspired by the island of Lammassaari outside Helsinki shore in town district called Arabia is this amazing evening of odd music, well-played, though, happy people and – strangely enough – booze at a sobriety society, and NOBODY is drunk. Not at least according to Finnish definitions. No rähinäviina, mean drunk people, only happy faces. Totally unbelievable. I wish I’d find a photo of the small boat they had filled with cold water and ice cubes, carts of beer and cider… What a neat way to improvise a refrigirator. Next year: Be there.

Vallilan Tango, probably the “best” ensemble in the social dance scene in Helsinki at the moment, ensured aching abdominal muscles from laughing (out of joy, not, say, shared embarrassment or to ridicule the band. The band was without rival, as odd as it were. Everybody had a rage, and We, the Dancers, we promised to be there again next year. More pics by Jungle / Arctic

The place is so beautiful, the atmosphere so unique: the old villa is jammed with young, happy people, interested in dancing regardless of style or “level” – the band vocalist, Hans, singing in English or his wonderfully broken Finnish calling for some input on belhalf of the spectators – everybody rushes to the dance floor once Hans asks us to join in the Jenkka (a rowdy dance) and everybody knows at least the basic steps – and almost nobody is a serious dancer. Cool! This is how it should be, basic dancing skills are a part of common good manners. (IMHO) So we more serious dancers tried to keep our feet to our selves, not kick anyone, and not ruin the reputation of partner dancing enthusiasts. Hopefully we succeeded :-0

If someone finds more pics I am most definitely interested. Keep me posted. Bäää (that is bleating in Finnish: baa-baa) and see you there next year.

The walk home (or at least to the nearest street) was fascinating in the dark – yes, fall fell early this year – and we almost fell, too. The planks of the walking board crossing the marsh and swamp had frozen, so they were extremely slippery. Luckily someone had read the instructions and brought a flashlight. Otherwise we would have been forced to crawl back, on our hands and knees, feeling the way.

No buses in the desired direction, so a shared taxi home, and sweet dreams of a party to remember!

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08.25.07

Taiteiden Yö / Night of Arts

Posted in Dance, Friends, Outings at 20:08 by krause

Helsinki: Aug. 24, 2007. Some of us dancers went window shopping for art and events on a slightly gray, but later beautiful night. We met at the main Post office, where my fellow Tango Argentino dancers had a stylish show. The only band playing Argentinian tango music that has a vocalist also performed. We then headed out for the swaying Australians; Strange Fruit. Six dancers on 4 meter plyable poles, secured by straps around their thigs and some concrete weights on the ground, swayed back and forth, closer and further away, bending themselves in strange positions, suddenly spinning, turning themselves away from eachoteher, flirting with the audience far beneath them, speeding to bend the pole enough to reach out to someone in the audience in order to hand her a flower… The statives were carefully positioned so that it was barely possible to reach the next dancer, hold on for a while and then let go, suddenly flying in the opposite direction. Three women and three men, in their tails and hoop skirts, looking like wooden dolls of some game, reached out to eachother, taking distance, holding on, pushing eachother away… just like people do in real life. It was, at the same time, hilarious and sad, and it did touch me, although the event had popularized the performance. With so few elements, restricted by their anchors, the group managed to convey a message and a feeling that was strong untill the end. I think the show was about 45 minutes, and every minute was filled with either the soothing beauty of swaying figures, or strong emotions, most of the time wrapped in slight comedy. But the Tears of a Clown…

Later, we saw a fire performance in the dark, and before that we danced to a band doing almost swing on the green in front of the Helsinki City Museum, Hakasalmen huvila.  The last art stop we made was a female choir singing Finnish folk songs and modern ones in the spirit of old ones. Sadly, I had no-one to dance folk dances with, so we headed to Manala (The Underworld) to dance, and sure enough, met some dancers there. The girls/women were happy to dance with our guys, so everybody thought it was a perfect end for an artsy night out in the town. Pics will be coming…

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08.17.07

Akemi-san at the flea market

Posted in Friends, Japanese, Outings at 03:21 by krause

It is quite possible to speak Japanese in Helsinki during the summer. There are tourists that are interested in personal communication, that need help or the like. It is up to oneself to just make contact. For a Finn it is hard, but is it any easier for the Japanese? And a foreigner gets so much more of a trip when a local drops a few inside hits. This is Akemi and her friend, shopping for Moomin pins in Hietalahti. Maybe I should become a city sherpa? At least I speak a few languages… and I do know historical Helsinki a bit… that is always an idea, too.

Akemi lives in Kyoto, which is the place to be for someone interested in traditional arts, like me… not bad if I get a personal sherpa over there, if I ever have the chance to go. The experience is indeed very different if locals are taking you to do everyday things or invites you to their home. (Here I could have used his/her, but I put in plural instead, and got rid of the problem.) It is something money can’t buy. I am SO thankful to all that have helped me abroad, or showed me something not intended for tourists, invited me home, guided me or just talked to me. I want to pay something back. I asked my senseis in Japan, what I could do to repay them. They urged me to establish a culture center or some organization that would provide foreigners what I have received. I must admit a Japanese cultural center is often in my mind with some ideas already forming, and I’d very much like to promote the idea. I should have some of the qualities needed for the job, too, I think. Other japanophiles, how do you think?

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