i heart in November.

Oh my, it's been a while, hasn't it. I'm gonna go ahead and say that a month worth of blog silence has much to do with the fact that i find myself currently juggling four different job projects (and nothing to do with the fact that my leisure time occasionally renders me incapable of typing and forces me to put aside days solely for recovery purposes). It keeps a girl busy, i tells ya. In any case, here we are, with the most lovable things of November.

1. TOKYO Christmas Sale. Takes place next weekend. Wondrous things, creative talent, a small way of supporting your local artists. I've been delighted with my findings in the past, which have included some neat Ex Libris stickers (with pics of bird fetuses), cupcake magnets and undies with pubes printed on ("Look what Santa got you this year!").
2. My birthday, fast-approaching. Okay, it's in December, but the anticipation is at least 54.3% of the fun. Even more so because it's (once again) an excuse to beard up (wonder if that's ever gonna catch on, like 'suit up' did? Probably not.) Be that as it may, the theme is facial hair. Oh yes. I'm looking forward to seeing the stuff of legend; the obscure, elusive but ever-so-enchanting eyelash-beard. On at least three guests.
3. The Sleep Cycle app for the iPhone. The app measures your sleep patterns, tells you when you hit a deep sleep phase and lets you know how much shuteye you're averaging per night. Yeah, i didn't think this was gonna be interesting data either, but it's actually pretty cool comparing a sober, good night's sleep to the fitful, haggard tossing and turning of drunken slumber. 
4. Jeavestone. Saw this band at Semifinal last Thursday. Prog rock featuring a melodica, flute and some serious stage presence, among other things (like cool stage names and seriously sweet merchandise).They had a Thursday night crowd hot, sweaty and sporting a semi. 
5. Megazone. It's been close to a decade since i've last fired laser beams at people in dark rooms full of smoke and ultraviolet lighting. Which would explain why i've forgotten how awesome it is. Why discuss things with your work colleagues when you can stalk them in a dark alley and hide in the shadows, cackling, after shooting them in the back three times in a row? Rather satisfying.
6. Delay Trees at Bar Loose on November 24th with Black Twig. Make my November Wednesday, why don't you?
7. Roller Derby. I think this is something you hear from all roller girls, but i just dig the shit out of Derby. Seriously. Watch out Old Meat, the Fresh Meat are almost done with their training period, and they're coming out to play with the big girls. Oh yes.
8. Poetry. Yeah, saying you write poems is still kinda like saying you cry every time you have a wank, while simultaneously slitting your wrists. Whatever. I wrote a poem this week. It was about the irony of writing poetry. How postmodern and clever of me.
9. Arttu Harkki's cake. I was watching Neljän tähden illallinen (As i do. P.s. How good is this show?), and the chocolate cake he made looked delicious. Haven't tried it out yet myself, but the recipe is super simple. Think i might give it a whirl in the near future.
10. The Ugly Lamp. I spotted this curious porcelain seal at Urban Outfitters when i was in New York. It was half price (it's a blue porcelain seal, who the hell is gonna buy one of those?), and without stopping to think about transport (how the hell am i gonna fit that into my suitcase?) or electrical currents (this won't plug into my socket at all!), for twenty bucks, i made it mine. The Ugly Lamp came through victorious through both the transport and electrical conundrums, and now sits on my desk, where i admire it daily. And others shake their heads disapprovingly. 

Musiikki & Media: American Kitsch

Music and media professionals from Finland and abroad have once again made the annual pilgrimage to the hippest, most happening music city (err...) in this neck of the woods, otherwise known as Tampere. An extended weekend of seminars, talks, networking, gigs and generally approved intoxication in the form of Musiikki & Media 2010 kicked off last night.

As M&M first-timers, we rock up to Tampere in good time, decide to get the lay of the land and grab some lunch. I persuade Aleksi into checking out Classic American Diner, a place i've wanted to visit for ages. Now, i'll admit right here that i have a serious thing for all things kitsch and Americana. Which is why i can happily overlook the superficial, plastic pseudo-nostalgia of this 'roadside diner' situated in the middle of a shopping center in Tampere, and love it despite all its goriness. And the spicy veggie burger, fries and mint chocolate milkshake i had weren't too bad either.

 

 

the mint-chocolate milkshake

Later last night, we decide to delve deeper into the depths of this Americana experience, and go check out some rockabilly at Klubi. Turns out it was an awesome idea, cause they have a three band lineup of rockabilly ranging from the toe-tapping, bass-slapping gusto of Relentless to the sombre, cinematic melancholy of Last Calls, topped off with Fatboy from Sweden. Contrary to the diner experience, there was nothing pseudo or plastic about the music. 

Relentless

Last Calls

Last Calls

We wander home in the early hours, in good spirits, and decide that Tampere is, indeed, a great city.

Having by now almost recovered physically from the after-effects of yesterday's Americana trip, i can only guess what's gonna happen tonight. If we're feeling adventurous, we might ditch Uusi Fantasia, Jätkäjätkät, The Capital Beat, Iiris, Neufvoin and a whole host of other bands for another nostalgia trip, this time to the teenage era, and go check out revamped pre-teen idols Jimi Constantine (formerly Pääkallo, of Technicolor fame) and Jonna Geagea (formerly Kosonen, of Nylon Beat stardom) instead. Trippy indeed.

i heart in October

1. Girlfriends by Carol Ann Duffy. I found my copy of her Selected Poems at the bottom of a pile of books, opened it and didn't put it down until i'd re-read all poems. This one in particular is beautiful.

2. Thunderbaum. Who am i kidding, these boys are the dog's bollocks. Having seen them live five times in the last year, i know what i'm talking about. (Even though said gigs have been enjoyed in various states of pint-throwing wild drunkenness). Having said that, it's probably appropriate to be stupidly drunk when you're seeing the Morons of Rock.  

3. Roller Derby. I haven't been this excited about something since i discovered sex, alcohol and hard drugs. Just kidding. Seriously though, Freshmeat Training Period starts in November, and i can't wait to get rolling.


4. Etsy shopping. There are realms of enchanting things out there i could (and do) spend hours exploring. Like, i never knew i couldn't live without personalized, custom quad skate toe guards.

5. Mr. Nobody. Chaos theory, parallel realities, the opportunity cost of choosing, string theory, the nature of time...oh, and then there's that guy, Jared something.

6. Autumn. My favorite season. Clear skies, crunchy leaves and crisp, cold afternoons are what i'm all about.

7. Morrissey. The 20th anniversary reissue of Bona Drag has been blaring out of my speakers for days now. Loudly. I hope the neighbors dig the Moz, too.

8. Théhuone. At my house, it's tea time all the time. This place is a tea drinker's fetish house. Last time i came home with a little bag of Chai, which i can't stop sniffing. I'm like one of those Japanese underwear-sniffers, but with tea.

9. Bored to Death. I always feel anxious watching Jason Schwartzman in this show, cause he's got really bad hair and he's always seconds away from some sort of awkward encounter. Also, Ted Danson is perhaps the most awesome character. Right after Barney Stinson, of course.

10. Nightvisions. Halloween's a-coming! And so is the Mutant Girls Squad, apparently. Will go see them, and other gory, dark, frightening stuff at the epic scare-athon, armed with a thermos of black tea, a gigantic bag of candy, and someone whose arm i can dig my nails into when the going gets scary (or i hit a combined caffeine and sugar high and can't sit still). Whichever happens first.

Free Lunch? No. Delicious, decently-priced Lunch? Hell yes.

I found out today that there's a little known of secret when it comes to lunch venues in the city. The secret in question is located in what used to be known as Finnair Stadium (now Sonera Stadium) and it's called FreshCo. I'd never heard of it, until the good peeps i work with suggested we go there for lunch today.

Honestly, when it comes to any kind of food served at a sports stadium, i'm all set to have my culinary hopes shattered by mystery-meat masquerading as a hot dog and a pint of beer boasting a higher percentage of plastic flavor than alcohol.

Which is why i was baffled by the awesomeness of this place. (Which, as i found out later, might be explained by the fact that the man behind it is none other than Jyrki Sukula himself). The decor is a little office cafeteria, but the place is light, spacious and clean. The lunch menu has a meat, fish and veggie option (from around 10-12e), all of which looked tasty (well, as tasty as some sort of hacked steak can look to a vegetarian). Or you can go for the salad buffet (9.30e). Personally, i've always thought salad buffets can be the biggest ripoffs and downers of the buffet world (it's like, meh, dunno what to do with all this semi-frozen sweetcorn, wilted lettuce and 20kg bag of onions. We'll call it a salad and charge them 12 euros). Well folks, on seeing the salad buffet at FreshCo, i take back that nasty assumption.

Not only did this one feature huge olives, croutons, toasted pumpkin seeds, marinated zucchini and chickpeas in addition to the standard salad fare; there were also little veggie Caesar sandwiches and Jerusalem artichoke tarts. Not to mention freshly-baked bread with a herby spread. There's also mineral water on tap, which is awesome. The salad bowls are big, too, so this is no skimpy little salad you're putting together, either. And if all that weren't enough, your nine euros will also get you tea, coffee or hot chocolate, accompanied by the dessert of the day. Which, today, was a dreamy, chocolate mousse and red berry kind of affair. Forget breakfast of champions - this stadium-side lunch is where it's at.

 
FreshCo, Sonera Stadium, Urheilukatu 5, 00250 Helsinki