Christmas Shopping at TOKYO

It's that time of year again. People become hordes of cattle rammed through shopping centres, grannies sharpen their elbows to make up for their small size and delicate build, and you hear 'last christmas' thrice an hour, which is enough to send a mass of people (already at the very end of their tether) straight over the edge, into yuletide massacre mayhem. All in the name of Christmas shopping. Ho ho ho.

 

Luckily, it doesn't all have to be shopping centres (or grannies or carols, for that matter. not that i have anything against either). Which is why last Friday i trammed it through the frosty afternoon to Arabia and TOKYO's Christmas sale, in the hopes of finding presents for my nearest and dearest. 

These necklaces are made using a picture or photo, and you can get them with your own pictures, which is kinda nice. As would be giving one of these to your best friend with that pic of her passed out on the floor next to a puddle of vomit.<3

An advent calendar you can happily hang on your wall. None of that Disney-themed plastic crap with fake chocolate in it for me this year!

 

How can you not love these? A perfect gift for anyone. Especially your Grandma. And her sharp elbows. Nutty Tarts, i'm a big fan of your work. 

After all those christmas parties, going for the brown-paper-bag-over-your-head look might start seeming like a pretty bright idea.

 Lots of cool prints, too. I almost bought one daintily titled "Up Your Butt in 80 Ways".

 And pretty cards, too. Couldn't find the ones with the elf flipping the bird, tho. (a pic of which can be found from last year's post on this topic).

And then i saw this. The tentacled bunny had me enraptured from the get-go. It's like The Mad Hatter and Cthulhu made babies. Tea-drinking, totally looney, world-destroying demi-god, semi-lapine babies. Set me back 35 euros, which is not bad at all. And it goes nicely with the print i bought last year, of two girls having a macabre tea party wearing masks, seen behind the rabbit in the above pic. Similarly to last year, i sort of ended up buying lovely things for myself, and failing at getting presents for others. I guess i can always resort to baking, wrapping and lovingly giving out gingerbread vaginas.

Which is what i might do right now, accompanied by the four hour xmas playlist (!!!) i put together on Spotify last night at two in the morning, and an industrial-size mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Have a rockin' weekend y'all!

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
 

Libraries & The Smell of Old Books.

I like libraries. Having said that, i hadn't been to one in Finland since i moved back from Paris a couple of years ago. And to be honest, in the last five years, visits to the library have been exclusively academia-related. Hours of essay-writing and crappy vending-machine tea, armfuls of textbooks, journal hunting in the dusty recesses of research rooms...you get the drift. 

Well, i decided to make it right and head to the library with the sole ambition of borrowing some entirely academia-unrelated reading. And so i traipsed off to Rikhardinkadun kirjasto. And quite the bibliophile's wet dream that place is, too. The library was founded in 1882, and the building retains a lot of its original features. The coolest of which is the book tower, which is the highest point of the library. A spiral staircase leads up to the very top floor, which houses English Fiction. You can see clouds sailing above you, looking up through the skylight at the top of the tower. It's old, charming and eerie in equal amounts. I wanted to find a corner, build a fort and sit there with a blanket, flashlight and a thermos of tea and spend the night reading books. It's kinda awesome.

I spent an hour browsing the bookcases (and smelling the books - yeah, i'm one of those sneaky, old-book-smell-loving library pervs), trying to figure out what i wanted to borrow. i realized i'm a complete library-noob, continuously marveling at the fact that i could just pick out any books, and they'd let me take them home to read. I had to remind myself several times that that is, indeed, the premise a library operates on. And they didn't have to be bricks of books that dealt with the consequences of modernity in regard with self identity, or critical essays about the role of media as the fourth estate. (Which are the kinds of books i've come home with on my most recent, academia-heavy library visits.)

So there i was, like a fat kid at an all-you-can-eat buffet, hoarding books. In the end, i didn't take out all the ones i wanted (they'll still be here next time, i told myself - another great thing about libraries), and got out the following: Factotum by Charles Bukowski (a marvelous account of women, booze and chronic unemployment in America during WWII), The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (absolutely fantastic reworkings of classic fairy tales; dark, erotic and always wondrous) and Filth by Irvine Welsh (i thought Trainspotting was brilliant, but this was better. Mental problems; genital rashes; substance abuse of all sorts; the misogyny, racism and corruption of the Scottish police force in the 90s and intestinal parasites. The shit, in other words.)

Having vicariously drunk myself into oblivion, killed Bluebeard and hosted a particularly observant and intellectual tape worm, i need something new to read. If you've read something awesome lately, do leave me a recommendation (and it doesn't have to involve intestinal parasites - although that would be a bonus, of course). And if you haven't, i recommend you drop by the library and pick up one the aforementioned reads (and smell some old books while you're at it).

 

Autumn: Mushrooms and Movies

It's September. Today i saw determined looking bar staff packing away terrace tables and chairs, probably to be seen next some time in May. On my walk home from a bar on the weekend i didn't see a single person sprawled out in the park, leisurely whiling away the hours between last calls and brunch next morning; a sight that has been a decadent affirmation of summer, and the happily ambivalent attitude to real life that goes with it. I refused to agree when someone stated it with conviction on the last night of Flow Festival, but now i can't deny it any longer. Summer's finally over.

Although this realization is often coupled with a sense of nostalgia and romanticized reminiscing of that far too short season, i don't mind autumn - in fact, it's quite welcome. I'm not gonna launch into that whole spiel about this being the time for some post-summer introspection, regular exercise, new projects and lighting candles when the rain pelts on your windows on a dark and dreary night. Nope. I'll leave that to womens' magazines (seriously, they tell you the same thing every year, WTF?). Instead, i'll tell you what i think is awesome about this season. In two words: mushrooms & movies.
 

The former were found in copious quantities in a rainy forest in Nuuksio over the weekend. First time in my life that i found torvisienet, which is why i was particularly excited upon spotting the curious looking fungi hiding under a fallen tree trunk (my mushroom book warned me one may easily mistake a torvisieni for a fallen leaf or other decaying plant material on the forest floor. You don't say? Luckily, that's not the case with any other mushroom). In any case, i reckon heading into the bush for some dinner ingredients is something everyone should have a go at. And there's still time, too, as the mushroom season extends until the end of October, at least (according to the aforementioned mushroom book, anyhow).

On the movie front, there's Helsinki International Film Festival, Rakkautta & Anarkiaa. Choosing which ones to see is the hardest part; there are so many movies it's confusing. I reckon your best bet (if you haven't got your tickets yet, that is) is to get a festival pass (11 films/70 euros), leaf through the catalogue, and pick your favorites. Unless you're on the ball with this and getting around to it early, you'll probably not get tickets to all the ones you wanna see. But i reckon this is a good thing, cause this way you can spend your remaining tickets on movies you wouldn't normally choose to see. It's nice to be taken out of your comfort zone and field of interest every once in a while - even if it is only cinematically. Personally, i'm quite looking forward to seeing Heartbeats, All That I Love, Dharma Guns and L.A. Zombie, among others. As well as spending most of my evenings this week in the comforting darkness of a movie theatre. 

Back at the ranch, the fungi was about to meet its end. The 'shrooms were thrown in a pan along with some onions, soy cream and a good handful of spices and herbs, and ended up on a plate with some wholewheat spaghetti, topped off with some parmesan. There's something awesome about eating food you've foraged yourself. Even if it is from a stretch of forest crowded on all sides by houses and infested with other urban foragers, and even if that thing moving on the sizzling frying pan happens to be a slug that's crawled out of one of the mushrooms, seriously wishing it wasn't gonna end up as the protein constituent of your next meal. When this amounts to too much excitement for autumn, i recommend you light those candles and invest in some knitting needles.

Eating Italian at Vaelsa Pasta & Co.

Some time ago, a little Italian restaurant took over the tiny space that used to house Subway at the Iso Roba end of Annankatu. While i quite enjoy the occasional sub, the presence of a new, non-chain Italian is a welcome addition to the Helsinki restaurant scene. So last Friday my mom, my brother and i decide to try it out.

They've done a nice job with the place. Gone are the harsh lights, clinical tiles and potato chip stands of the Subway days. In their place are low-hung, softly lit lamps, wall-to-wall carpeting and Italian music. They've turned the tiny space into a cozy, intimate restaurant. 

We skim the menu, which is versatile enough to offer a nice selection, while being condensed enough to make choosing easy. I opt for the Insalata Caprese for a starter (9.70e). The tomatoes are juicy and the mozzarella melts in your mouth. The pesto, of course, is home-made. 

My brother goes for the Bruschetta al Pomodoro (6/10e), which, he affirms between mouthfuls, is just as it should be. I sneak a bite; these flavors are why i love Italian food. Simple, straightforward, fresh ingredients. I wouldn't have minded the bread being a little more toasted, but apart from that, the starter was delicious.

The Risotto ai Funghi Portobello (15.50e) is the one of the three vegetarian mains on the menu; i choose it over the Pasta al Pomodoro (10e) and Pasta al Pesto (12.70e). Our mains take a while to get to us (the charming owner apologizes for this, as they're currently catering to a party of twelve that arrived just before us), but it's worth the wait. I'm a big fan of risotto, and i couldn't live without mushrooms. This is comfort food at its best, and i'm not disappointed.

I'm stuffed after the main course, but ordering dessert is the best part about eating out, so i decide i can manage the Sorbetto al Limone (5e). It's frothy, icy and very zesty, and in its lightness, a great way to finish off a big meal. My brother (who is on weekend leave from the army, and looks increasingly more like Skeletor every time i see him) goes for the Tiramisu (9.70e). I dig into it too, and it's gorgeous. I let Skeletor finish it, though. All in all, dinner was delicious, made all the more brilliant by the splendid company (this praise has nothing to do with the fact that my mom was awesome and picked up the bill). As far as i'm concerned, i say support your local Italian. 

Vaelsa Pasta & Co. Annankatu 4, 00120 Helsinki

Culture in the City: Pecha Kucha & Kiasma

September is looking like an interesting month. In addition to it seeming as if we're coming out of a scorching summer and plummeting towards winter faster than you can say 'global warming', it seems as if we're falling (if not quite as fast) towards sobriety. Or i am.

And i'm not alone, either. A group of us decided that after a summer of perpetual inebriation, it was time for some enforced alcohol-free quality time.

So not being drunk or shivering on the floor of the bathroom feeling the after-effects thereof, leaves time for doing a whole lot of other things things. Like getting cultured. Which is why on Thursday night i found myself at Kaapelitehdas for Pecha Kucha Night. Organized as part of Helsinki Design Week, the night saw 12 speakers from around the world giving design-focused presentations. The idea of Pecha Kucha (for those yet unacquainted with it) is that each speaker puts together a presentation of 20 slides and has 20 seconds to talk about each slide. This amounts to six minutes, forty seconds and a succinct, dynamic presentation.

Topics ranged from education to architecture, with a curious addition of a presentation focusing on architects' haircuts (probably my personal favorite). I hadn't been to a Pecha Kucha Night before, but i came out of there thinking that was 7.50 e well spent (all this stimulating knowledge for the price of a very expensive pint!), and i'd definitely go again.

A sober weekend is a curious thing. This hardly means i've never experienced one (i have. probably not recently, but it's been done), but perhaps i'm paying more attention to the difference now that abstinence has become this month's norm. In any case, this sober Sunday started off with brunch at Primula (who have upped the price of brunch from 10 to 13 euros!) and was followed by a visit to Kiasma, which has been free of charge to go to all week as part of the 20th birthday celebrations of Valtion taidemuseo.

This museum visit's highlights included these bubbles, entitled ILMA, by artist Hilda Kozari, in which she has captured the signature scents of Helsinki, Paris and Budapest. I like the idea, and there's something surreal about standing in a bubble that attempts to trap the scent of an entire city into a little, opaque, echoey orb. I can see how Paris smelled like Paris (heavy on the perfumed, refined scent), while Kristine, Anna and I all agreed that Helsinki smelled of man. Does Helsinki smell like a man? I don't think so. Unless the characteristic smell of the city is a club filled with peach-fuzz mustache-sporting barely-legals who think that when it comes to aftershave, more is more.

Ei, by Pekka Syrjälä. This reminded me of thoothpaste.

The biggest highlight, though, was Jacob Dahlgren's The Wonderful World of Abstraction. This jungle of ribbons suspended from the ceiling was the best thing about the exhibit. You walk into it, and the flowing wall of color envelopes you and screws up your depth perception, so it's as if you're walking through a dreamlike, trippy, vertical rainbow.

i was also feeling these mismatched, stitched-up frankenstein toys. Endearing.

There's also a wall to which you can stick your own personal message on a post-it. A lot of them are from international museum visitors. Like this one, from Barney Stinson. Culture and sobriety are awesome.

i heart in August

1. Soap. In cupcake form. Or cupcakes in soap form. In any case, they're handmade in Finland using natural ingredients, they look amazing and they smell absolutely edible. Coming to a shop near you in the near future, but soon you can get your hands on them here.

2. Ahne '10 Art Festival. The exhibition is in Suvilahti, and showcases work of art students from Aalto University, among others. My personal favorite was the bra display. Also, it's free of charge. Bonus.

3. Naps. The good people of Juhlaviikot and Helsingin Sanomat are letting you nap at the Central Railway Station and Ruttopuisto Park for a couple of days; they provide the beds and blankets, and they'll even watch your stuff while you get some midday shuteye.


4. Rain. Finally. It's seriously pleasant after this hot as balls summer. Although that Apocalyptic Storm (pretty sure i saw some horsemen rolling around in the sky too) a couple of weeks ago was piss-my-pants kinda scary.

5. My new bike. A shiny black Jopo, named Nakkimankeli 'freebird' Makkonen (naming help was had from some brilliant minds - thanks for that), that rides like a dream. And on the same note: I hope you're enjoying my rickety, rusty, stolen one with the flat tyre, you bicycle-thieving nut sack.

6. Angela Carter. I went to the library the other day and borrowed The Bloody Chamber, where she refashions and reworks classic fairy tales in a brilliant way. i can't believe i've never read any of her stuff before. At times it's like a female Gaiman counterpart. Captivating.

7. Cookies. Bought Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar from NY, and baked a batch of Chocolate Fudgy Oatmeal Cookies, which were the shit.

8. Midlake. And the fact that they're coming back to Finland in November.

9. iBeer iPhone app. Turns your iphone into a pint of beer for 0.79e. This enables you to pretend you're tipping back the brews, with the beer sloshing and frothing around your phone/pint. I don't see how this could be satisfying; i do see how you'd look like an absolute twat drinking your phone at a bar, tho. What the hell is it doing on my list, then? see #10 below.

10. Sober September. That's right; it's as good a month as any to grab yourself by the neck and give yourself a good, solid, smarting slap of sobriety. The reason why it's on my list of things to love now is because it's still August. Cheers.