I guess the theme this time is books that are kind of a little bit sort of really quite depressing in some respects. These are books that I’d probably classify as various shades of grey. I guess I should try to maybe make this series somewhat thematic in nature, though what I do tend to read follows certain patterns – often I’ll read in the same genre or theme for a while before moving on.
Primo Levi
Survival in Auschwitz – Primo Levi
I suppose what this book reminded me of a lot is One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Solzhenitsyn. The barbaric pointlessness of the camps is echoed in that book, though perhaps not as strongly. While Denisovich is not directly biographyical per se, Levi’s book is, in my mind, more about bearing witness and recording the events that took place in Auschwitz in time – it was written shortly after the end of the War. It is a fascinating and horrifying book – the matter of fact tone hammers in the reality of what happened.
The Road feelings
The Road – Cormac McCarthy
I probably shouldn’t have started and finished reading this in one night before I went to bed. I found it a relatively quick read due to McCarthy’s concise writing style, which I’m still not sure if I like. It’s an efficient vehicle for telling a story, but I suppose I do crave for more detail sometimes, but that’s more in my nature than anything else. It has a compelling world, somewhat familiar, faded grey. The world in The Road is a terrifying place. I probably wouldn’t make it, though to be honest, it doesn’t seem like anyone will – the world is unforgiving. The book is stark in prose and in setting.
Essentially Winter’s Bone
Winter’s Bone – Daniel Woodrell
Another grey book. I read most of this on the train to Toronto when I went with dad this week to see the Alex Coleville retrospective. I liked this book quite a bit because mysteries appeal to me greatly, as well as foreign settings so to speak. The language in the book is interesting to me in its foreignness to my person – I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone from the Ozarks. The book too focuses on women, and Ree is a strong character. All in all I enjoyed it, though I’m not sure if I’ll see the film or not, since I already know how it ends.
I could lie and say this is in Norway or Sweden like in the book, but it’s actually in Helsinki, at the harbour.
My Struggle Book 2 – Karl Ove Knausgaard
I bought this book back in January along with Book 1, and while I managed to get through the first book relatively quickly, I stopped and started Book 2. I think it is because I am closer to the character Karl Ove in the first book but in the second, he’s at a different life stage. I do enjoy this kind of odyssey and I don’t regret reading it. I’m now on Book 3. I think I like boring books, to be honest… I heard an interview with Karl Ove on the CBC and thought it was interesting, though it did really strike me that character Karl Ove and real Karl Ove are very similar, and he sounded exactly how I imagined. I relate really quite strongly to him and his awkwardness… Maybe I’ll write a post once I finish reading all six volumes.
So I went to Finland and it was pretty swell. I saw Kimmo, my best friend forever and ever and ever, who is like the same person but with different hair. Subtle Frances Ha ref….
I took Finnair, the friendlist of airlines, where they give you probably the grossest looking sandwich ever that actually isn’t really that bad in the end.
Seriously.. gross. I think it was chicken??
I ended up arriving in Vaasa, the best city in Finland, at around 1:00am, since I had probably one of the last flights out of Helsinki there at 23:59. I drank two beers while I was waiting for my flight and loving the free wifi at the airport – Finland, land of ubiquitous free wifi. Those two beers cost about 17.00 euro ($23.40). They were pretty good though. I had some nuts (1 euro/$1.35) as well, because I couldn’t face eating anything substantial. I had arrived in Helsinki airport at around 20:45 (early! All of my Finnair flights were early…) and everything pretty much was already closed – even the pubs and the bars. The only thing left open was the café – where I met the first of my loves of my life in FInland, Matti, the barman.
He looked at me awkwardly without making full eye contact and seemed to be conflicted as to whether to say “moi” or “hello” or anything really. He chose “moi”, and I awkwardly said “moi” back (there’s a theme here). Then I asked for a beer and his face looked like he’d made the biggest mistake of at least his hour, if not his day.
Awwwwkkkwwaard
It’s always weird for me to ride trains or planes through the night, because when I look outside the window all I see is complete darkness – it’s impossible in a sense to see which way you’re going or even if you’re going at all.
I got to Vaasa and Kimmo had come get me in a taxi. We then proceeded to eat, drink, and stay up almost all night. The next day we woke up at a reasonable(ish) time and went out for sushi, then walked around Vaasa.
First sushi in months and months and months
After seeing all the sights, we determined that it was beer o’clock, and sat on a patio on the main square with some beer. Below: the sights:
We also accidentally drowned a beer in Kimmo’s beer. I feel pretty guilty about it.
Ooops
It was all OK in the end
We made a very good decision to get some cheese snacks (in both ball and stickish form).
We did a marathon of Ruotsin miljonääriäidit (Swedish millionaire mums), the first series. It is probably the best show on television. My favourite is Maria or the weird lady who goes on dates with old guys and then complains that they’re old.
we’ve made a huge mistake
or not
I suppose the most entertaining thing about unhealthy eating in Finland is what’s on the beer/cider cans. And it only entertains me. Because I’m childish:
It’s like the bilingual thing in Canada with English and French, but I think that some of the words are a bit closer than in English/French, so it sounds funnier like a repetition – Pantti-pant. Or elevator: Hissi-hiss.
me
I also saunaed, which was amazing. I love throwing the water on the rocks and just sort of soaking in the heat. Also the apartment has a really nice sauna:
Ooooo
We went to bed yet again at a reasonable(ish) time. In the morning we had breakfast and I was introduced to both Kippari (no pic) and Reissumies, my new mistress.
❤ Reissumies
Breakfast
Breakfast part 2
The best combination is Reissumies (the rye discs) + Kippari (the cheese) + salami + cucumber + butter or spreadable mushroom flavoured… stuff? I can’t remember what it’s called but it’s delicious, I love this sort of breakfast. I need to find a cheese like Kippari here or I’m going to be sad. I love Kippari (my husband).
I found a photo of the Kippari packet from the Valio website
We went to the bookshop and I bought Muumipappa ja meri (Moominpapa and the sea) to read. We wandered a bit more (and had a pint at Public Station, an amazing bar full of old, sad drunks who’d obviously started hours before us, plus a man with no arms playing on the slot machine –I wondered how he held his beer, but Kimmo noticed he only got bottles so he could hold it with his stump(s)) before returning home to wait for Kari’s return.
We decided that it was the night to go to Vanha Mestari for karaoke and longero (‘long drinks’ i.e. gin/vodka/etc + some other liquor + juice). I wanted to sing Mitä Kuuluu, Marja Leena, but ended up with a weird tango song, so I sung My Way awkwardly, since I can’t sing, and it’s a really slow song. Kari came and saved me at the end, probably for the best, so the drunks would remember me better.
Pre-karaoke with longero
Singing My Way like a tool
Karaoke spirit
After Kari sung a song (quite amazingly, might I add – I forgot what a good singer he is), we all went home and then stayed up a bit later. In the afternoon, Kimmo and I went to Helsinki. We stayed in the Scandic hotel Marksi, which is in the nice oldish bit of Helsinki. We left our stuff and went for a wander. I hummed and hawed in Stockmann’s, the big department store about presents for my mum and Nan, but in the end I decided on some things. We saw the sights, then ate some nice Italian food. Awkwardly, some old guys were leaving and said some weird comment about me and therefore not wanting to leave, thinking I wouldn’t totally understand and that Kimmo totally wouldn’t point it out to me (He did, and one guy totally turned and strained to look at me even though we were maybe 50-70cm apart…). After dinner (pizza!), we dropped off things at the hotel, and wandered around, regretting our not buying booze at the store we went to after riding the subway, where I bought about 5kg of salmiakki and one huge tube of FInnish mustard. We went quite far out to one bar that was “not a far walk” according to Kimmo, then we had a bit more on the way back, finishing with some at the hotel bar, then going to bed for about 3 hours before waking up to go to the airport – Kimmo back to Vaasa and I to England. I wished I could have stayed an extra day, but I was under the impression I was needed back in England on Sunday, when I really could have… sort of.
A sweet art installation (not really)
The square by the harbour
Dima and Papa – locks bridge?!
Helsinki Central Station
Kimmo on the subway
Trying to subtlely take a photo of the orange subway car but then just getting a sweet pic of this man’s bald head
We went to this station and came back
At the airport we each ate breakfast – croissant for me, sandwich for Kimmo. Then we chilled for a bit and I had to go to International departures, so we separated- but kept in touch on the free wifi because Finland is rad. I bought a magazine and a newspaper to study at home, and some sweets for my mum. Then I got on the plane and flew home.
I had this for eating during take off
Anyways, I swear I’ll catch up eventually with my life, since it’s gotten a bit slower now and I’m not jetsetting around the world anymore (yet).