Hei Mitä kuuluu?

I am a despondent little lady while I write this blog; but I know it must be done. My reason for depression? Well, that I am no longer here, Helsinki, with all it brings. And my reason for getting it done now? Only more good things are to come - and soon! (in the form of long lost sisters, unexplored lands, Expo 2010 and my last month in China) - so before they do I must grin and bear it while reminiscing on the last few weeks without buying a ticket onto the next flight from PEK to HEL.

This is the view South from the tallest (11 stories) building in the city; which just so happens to have a bar at the top - I'll be back just for that!


So where do I start then? I need to somehow tell you all how cool it was (in more ways than one) and at the same time not get too wrapped up in my love, for fear I will ask Bonnie and all other travel agents to cancel hers and my flights for the next months, and close my eyes and wake up in the place in which I write of.
I'll be back in 6 weeks, I'll be back in 6 weeks, I'll be back in 6 weeks.... and will work on gathering some really geeky facts (like did you know the Finns drink more coffee than any other nation?) and history (such as the 4 wars fought over the last century) for you then. For now, here is just a preview/review of my first time both into Scandanavia and la ville de ma blanc poubelle prince.

It snowed while we were out running one morning (hey, no place is perfect) and speaking of which, it costs 7USD for a beer at the grocery store, let alone at a bar. That and the fact that it doesn't get dark until 10pm already this time of  year would both take some warming up to. But the architecture is gorgeous; every building is a different colour and both interiors and exteriors have so much culture and attention to detail. And the air was so damned clean it almost made my head spin!

The Finns are not all tall, blond and gorgeous (just mine is). In fact, most are small, with brown hair...so I fit right in. Oh, except for the minor fact that I cannot speak either of the two official languages (Finnish and Swedish) and therefore am completely incapable of simple things like buying cheese or reading signs. For this reason, and possibly this reason only, I was relieved when I got back into Beijing, in that I understood everything around me again - how backwards is that?
Speaking of backwards, get this -- they don't drink vodka in Finland! Instead, it is essential to start each day with Champagne. Or is that just your family, Bastian? Either way, it is yet another thing I could get used to there.

On the topic of family, if my family were to welcome someone even half as warmly as his welcomed me, I would be very proud (and mildly shocked). Is that saying something about my family or his? Maybe both. Either way, it is yet another thing I am missing now, and another thing I realize I miss so much in my life here in China. Oh that reminds me, my curious cough went missing within days in Finland, and has curiously returned after 3 days back in BJ. Mmmm, crisp air and warm people...is that too much to ask?

I am not the first and certainly not the last to say this church was my favorite building in the capital.


I just happened to visit at the time which coincides with Vappu, possibly Finland's biggest annual celebration and somewhat of an equivalent to Canada Day, but with a few more unique traditions. Vappu is a great excuse to get drunk for many Finns. Actually it's the traditional celebration of workers and students. We started ours on the church steps at 9am with a beer breakfast. You can imagine what the rest of the day was like.

Those Popeye caps are not navy hats, but old traditional graduation caps. From the downtown 9am beer we made it up to Bastian's mum's for a bbq...yep, that IS snow behind them. Friends to the left, brother to the right,

Wikipedia tells me that The current festival is, in most countries that celebrate it, named after Saint Walpurga (ca. 710-777/9). As Walpurga was canonized on 1 May (ca. 870), she became associated with May Day, especially in the Finnish and Swedish calendars. The eve of May day, traditionally celebrated with dancing, came to be known as Walpurgisnacht. Walpurgis Night is associated with dancing and bonfires.


I'll pretty much associate it with crazy overalls, weird hats, lots of champagne and a love for a country with no laws forbidding drunkenness in public (on special days, like sunny days, anyways).

During Vappu I was introduced to some of the more local foods in the mix of the festivities. Finnish food - much like it's political leftivism, harsh winters, and strong character - is a lot like Canadian food: mainly based on fish and potatoes. But there were a few little tid-bits I'd never seen before like the broiled rice in a half pie crust type of thing with buttery hard boiled egg on top (woulda been heaven with hot sauce) and the black licorice.

OK so I could pretty much live on potatoes, black licorice, and champagne....can I.... please?

Over my week and a bit in Finn-land we also went to a few other cool things like a living museum, a Swedish concert, a military defense island, the contemporary art gallery, and this cool old town called Porvoo.

Additionally, fresh off the flight and on the second day of jet lag, we took "The Booze Cruise" from Helsinki to Tallin, Estonia. It was basically identical to the ferries from Van to Vic but with alcohol, gambling, dancing, and very, very few children.... BC government take note.

Estonia was by far my favorite 'place' during this first visit, and so I can't help but bore you with some cool facts. The group I went there with were more into the social aspect (read: boozin') as they'd been there countless times, but over the last 10 years they've seen this place metamorphose. And I got some pretty cool history lessons from them during beer breaks, on a part of the world I didn't really know existed until a few weeks ago.

Known as one of Europe's best preserved medieval communities, Old Town Tallinn was mostly built in the 13th century and put the 900 year old churches (see last August's post) to shame. There are 1.5 million people in Estonia, of which one third live in Tallin (which says a lot since the country is the size of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) and includes over 1,500 islands in the Baltic Sea.

"The city fuses medieval and cutting-edge to come up with an ener- getic new mood all its own - an intoxicating mix of Gothic church spires, glass-and-chrome skyscrapers, wine cellars inside 15th-century basements, lazy afternoons soaking up sun and beer suds on Raekoja plats, and bike paths to beaches and forests - with a few Soviet throwbacks in the mix, for added spice.".



Mmmmhmmmm and I thought I loved Chinese alleys. The alleys in Estonia have a whole new flare...



Go Finns!