Finnish Christmas is somewhat different than Christmas observed in USA and most other countries. For starters, packages are not handed out on Christmas Day, but on Christmas Eve. Reason for that is probably due to the fact that Santa lives in Finland, so he delivers our presents first, but I'm sure you all knew that already.
There's also another piece of Finnish Christmas that is not sadly that much observed anymore. That is the "Nuuttipukki", which is like the evil twin of Santa Claus (Joulupukki). Nuuttipukki used to visit households on January 13th. As opposed to being a jolly old man, Nuuttipukki was/is a scary-looking old man with horns, who sings/performs in exchange of offerings (often alcohol).
No, I'm not making this up.
I wish we still had these old traditions. I guess the problem here is that Nuuttipukki is not really marketable idea that could be turned in to a commercial venture.
2009
Happy new year everybody! Call me crazy, but I have always liked odd years more than even years, so here's to hoping that 2009 will be even better than 2008 was (global economic meltdown permitting....).
I tried to take pictures of fireworks for the first time, and the attached pics is one of the results. The location was not ideal (those damn trees), but it's not too shabby in the end.
Well,I'll be damned
They released "Sim City" for the iPhone. I just installed it yesterday, and yes, it seems to be the real deal!
This is the first time I wish that I had longer commute...
This is the first time I wish that I had longer commute...
I'm not dead. Really
It's been a while since i said more than two words here. It's just that... I haven't had anything that interesting to say. I don't live THAT interesting life. But I don't really mind it that much. As the Chinese curse says: "may you live in interesting times". Well, I live pretty sedate life. I'm the kind of guy who dreams of going home after busy workday, putting some fire in the fireplace (if I had one that is), grabbing a good book, and enjoying a quiet, stress-free evening. That's my idea of paradise. Crackling fire and slowly-ticking clock, that is what I want.
The winter I reported about in my previous post has been so-so. We had loads of snow, then it all melted away. Yesterday we got more snow, and it hasn't melted so far. I'm not the biggest fan in the world when snow is concerned, but I dislike black winter even more. There's no sunlight, and the fact that the ground is black just makes everything more miserable. Snow might be cold and wet, but at least it looks pretty and it lights up the surroundings.
I still wish it was summer, though.
The winter I reported about in my previous post has been so-so. We had loads of snow, then it all melted away. Yesterday we got more snow, and it hasn't melted so far. I'm not the biggest fan in the world when snow is concerned, but I dislike black winter even more. There's no sunlight, and the fact that the ground is black just makes everything more miserable. Snow might be cold and wet, but at least it looks pretty and it lights up the surroundings.
I still wish it was summer, though.
There are no shades of gray
I live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. I have a car, a nice home, computers, gizmos and all the other things that define "modern western lifestyle". And I do like that lifestyle.
But on the other hand there is part in me that dreams of giving all that up. That dreams of simple life far away from the crowded cities.
Few months ago I saw a story on TV about this Norwegian man, who quit his job, and moved to a remote location in northern Norway. He built himself a house that was similar to the old Viking-dwellings. He had no electricity (well, he did have a generator for cases when he absolutely needed electricity). And he didn't have any clocks. It was peaceful, stress-free existence.
I could see myself doing something like that. But the thing is that it's the two extremes that appeal to me, the things in between do not seem appealing at all.
I couldn't really see myself making _some_ cutbacks to my life. If I do "cut back", then it needs to be all the way. Either I live this lifestyle, or I live the complete opposite lifestyle. But no half-hearted attempts somewhere in between.
I guess that I see the middle ground as combining the worst of the two extremes. If I make some cutbacks, I sacrifice on the material wealth, but I don't really gain that much in the lifestyle. I would still have to go to work, and it return I would have less of the modern luxuries. So it has to be all or nothing.
But on the other hand there is part in me that dreams of giving all that up. That dreams of simple life far away from the crowded cities.
Few months ago I saw a story on TV about this Norwegian man, who quit his job, and moved to a remote location in northern Norway. He built himself a house that was similar to the old Viking-dwellings. He had no electricity (well, he did have a generator for cases when he absolutely needed electricity). And he didn't have any clocks. It was peaceful, stress-free existence.
I could see myself doing something like that. But the thing is that it's the two extremes that appeal to me, the things in between do not seem appealing at all.
I couldn't really see myself making _some_ cutbacks to my life. If I do "cut back", then it needs to be all the way. Either I live this lifestyle, or I live the complete opposite lifestyle. But no half-hearted attempts somewhere in between.
I guess that I see the middle ground as combining the worst of the two extremes. If I make some cutbacks, I sacrifice on the material wealth, but I don't really gain that much in the lifestyle. I would still have to go to work, and it return I would have less of the modern luxuries. So it has to be all or nothing.
When the Wind Blows
I just noticed that the "When the Wind Blows" is on youtube. It's the anumation from the eighties about an elderly couple and nuclear war. It's based on a graphic novel of the same name.
It's just so sad and touching. No happy ending, no joy, no hope.
It's just so sad and touching. No happy ending, no joy, no hope.