i heart in January.

1.   Snow. i refuse to complain when it comes to snow. Still looking for someone to come sledding with me in Koffari after a sparkling wine-saturated brunch at Fanny.

2.  Vanilla flavored milk. this nalle stuff is amazing and i've been using it in everything from cookies to tea.

3.  500 days of summer. i've liked joseph gordon-levitt since 3rd rock from the sun, and i love zooey deschanel. and i hate romantic comedies. but this one had me crying and laughing and going 'oh man, that's so true'. it also re-sparked a serious case of 'the smiths' addiction. 

4.  theatre. After seeing both 'kaikki isani hotellit' and 'odotus' in the space of two weeks, i'm convinced this is something everyone should do at least once a month. Thanks go out to my great theatre-going company. 

5.  not setting an alarm. Whether the reason is temporary unemployment or vacation, not having to wake up to a monotonous beeping in the pitch black morning is bliss. 

6.  new moleskine diary. i always thought these were a little pretentious, but when halfway through january i still didn't have a diary and came across this discounted one at Kiasma's gift shop, i had to take it home with me. And i'll admit i've quite liked it. if it' was good enough for Hemingway, it's good enough for me. 

7.   scones. The perfect thing to bake in winter time. Sweet, savory, hot & buttered. i love 'em all. 

8.   new speakers. I got these for xmas, and i don't even know how i've ever survived without them. Also, they're very cute.

9.   Being asked for a dance at a bar. This never happens anymore. Being twirled around the dance floor at ruma for the best part of an hour at two in the morning really put a smile on my face.

10. The toilet seat (pictured above) which was in a rubbish skip when i walked past on my way to a bar on friday night, and was prominently shattered and on display when i walked by the next morning. Urban art, mofos. 

Zombies, Psychos & Dead Girls Coming to a Bar Near You!

Fans of all things psychobilly will be rubbing their hands together in delight while inspecting the gig lineup for several venues around town for the next couple of months. And hell, there's good reason, with great shows arriving to bedazzle folk from at least January to April.

This year kicked off with a wicked bunch of bands at Yabba Dabba Do at Loose last Saturday. Having seen both Gun Molls and Gangsters and Atom Notes at Hela-torstai klubi some months ago (and written a note about it here), i won't go into that in too much detail. Let it be said, though, that the Atom Notes' playing was as furious as ever, and that Mika on the guitar was still as dashing as ever. My personal highlight, however, was seeing The Patsy Walkers. The ladies haven't played gigs in what seems like ages, so in their absence i've had to content myself with renditions of 'Wolfman' in the shower (occasionally elsewhere, too). Needless to say, i was thrilled to hear they were going to be back on stage. Also, this gave me the opportunity to rifle through my wardrobe to find the Patsy Walkers band shirt i had discovered at Hietsu kirppis last summer, and promised both myself and the girl selling it that as soon as the band took to the stage again, the shirt and i would be in front row. Which we were. Compliments for choice of clothing were received from both band members and jealous fans. Sweet.

Onwards into the year, February gets to a lovely start with Blues Trash Cabaret at Loose, featuring Russian surf and b-movie inspired band Messer Chups. After seeing them at Tavastia's Psychorama last summer, i took a serious fancy to the Chups. Movie-sample saturated instrumental music and a stage presence that comes across as fabulously indifferent somehow manage to root you to the spot and forget about that third pint you were going for. Or maybe its the enchanting Zombiegirl on bass. In any case, this is the life-soundtrack of choice i'd prefer to have play in my head. Not kidding, definitely one to see.

Zombie Noise festival sweeps over Nosturi on February 20, bringing to town old school psychos, Mad Sin. These dudes are old but notoriously tireless, and if one is in the mood for sweat, spit, and a whole lotta man, this is the place to be. Other festival bands include French psychobilly group, the Astro Zombies, and domestic talent Relentless. And for a host of more homegrown talent, one needs only to head down the stairs to Alakerta, where the T-bird gang, The Bullet Biters and The Black Magic Six take the stage. 

And last but definitely not least, Nekromantix. Ah. This is a band i've never seen live, but have always wanted to. Which will go some way in explaining why i'll be screaming like a little boy in the front row when i hear the chorus to Dead Girls Don't Cry. <3






6.2.Blues Trash Cabaret, Bar Loose
20.2 Zombie Noise Festival, Nosturi
1.4 Nekromantix, Nosturi

Raku Ya in January.

Cold weather makes me want to eat. Eating is something i like to do in any case, but these last couple of weeks i've found myself heading out for lunch/dinner/second breakfast more than usual. Having two weeks off before starting a new job also means that right now i'm at leisure to enjoy super late brunches, long lunches and late dinners. Here's to enjoying it while it lasts!

On my list of 'places i wanna eat', Raku Ya had been in the top ten for a long while, but for some reason (probably more to do with budgetary restrictions than anything else), i'd never managed to go there for a meal. So when an occasion for a post-xmas family dinner arose, i convinced the fam the Japanese izakaya-style restaurant was something we should go for. High-end both in terms of its central seaside location and standard of neighboring restaurants, not to mention head chef Masato Ikeda's reputation, i had some pretty high expectations for Raku Ya.

The interior is of the restaurant, while not as sleek as that of Hotel Kämp's Japanese restaurant Yume, is pleasant. Our party of five was shown to a curtained, wood-finished booth, where we were asked to take off our shoes and given slippers to wear. Content in our comfy footwear, we proceed to order, going for some Asahi, Sake, and several different dishes to share. In izakaya-style, food is served as soon as it's prepared, which means everything is as fresh as possible.

Our Special sushi platter (29.50 e, pictured above) received good reviews from the pescatarian's of the family, and i'd rate the inari nigiri as some of the best i've had in Helsinki. The Ebi Furai (13.90 e) - giant shrimp tail deep-fried in batter, served with lime mayonnaise and a chili soya sauce - was also a favorite, owing especially to the chili soya sauce.

The Ebi Udon (14.90 e, japanese wheat noodles and deep-fried shrimp in soy broth) as well as its veggie counterpart, my Yasai Udon (13.90 e), were just filling and hearty enough to satisfy the appetite. Plump noodles, tasty broth and fresh veggies. Not complaining, although i'd still rate Wagamama's Udons above these.

In terms of price, Raku Ya is above average, but then again, the food is too. For good Japanese in Helsinki, this is the place.


Raku Ya, Eteläranta 14, 00120 Helsinki

Swimming and Eating Helsinki in the Winter.

My sister and i decided to spend some quality time together yesterday. This quality time would commence with a leisurely swim at the swimming hall on Yrjönkatu, after which we would proceed to have lunch somewhere nice. 

Situated right in the center of town, down an alley from a street corner, hidden from view, the Yrjönkatu swimming hall is one of the oldest public pools in Finland. Built in 1928 and completely renovated in the 90s, it still retains most of its original character. In addition to the classical architecture and historical significance, a noteworthy fact is that the pool is open to men and women on alternate days, and most people swim in the nude. As far as i know, this is the only public pool in Helsinki (perhaps even Finland) where alternate dates for men and women and nude swimming are the norm. 

Neither of us had ventured here before, and both of us were slightly apprehensive about the whole explicit nudity thing. Which really is strange, considering the Finnish sauna and summer house mentality, which dictates that nudity is only ever a couple of beers away and never something out of place. It's just that this seemed so...public. Further investigation was required. 

And so it was that around midday we found ourselves outside the swimming hall, shivering in the cold and inspecting the sign by the door. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays are reserved for women. Glad we picked the right day. We pay the lady at the counter (this must mean that the entire staff also works alternate days) and head to our lockers. The interior is beautiful; there's a lot of light and the ceiling is high. Classical arches frame the pool, the saunas and showers are at one end, the elevated changing space (i won't say changing rooms, cause there weren't any - it's all one big space) and lockers surround the pool. 

Old ladies, mothers and young women glide through the water. Almost everyone is naked. It only seems strange for a while (like one of those dreams where you're naked, except that in this one everyone else is), then it just seems natural. We leave our stuff in the lockers and head for the pool. There's something of days gone by in the whole experience; it feels like a different time far away from the cityscape of commotion outside. Very serene. I was rather impressed. Enough so to maybe take this up on a weekly basis. 

Famished after swimming, we decide to head to Kallio for some Thai food. We tread through the freezing cold towards Lemon Grass, a tiny restaurant that serves delicious food at a very affordable price. Lunch is served between 11-15 and will set you back 8-10 euros. We warm our frozen digits with steaming cups of tom yum soup and slowly start to regain control of chilled limbs. We follow this up with a veggie & tofu green curry, which is a perfect blend of fiery spice and creamy coconut. Lunch is rounded up nicely with a plate of fruit and a cup of tea. We both agree that the food is pretty awesome and also really good value for money. 

Slightly sleepy, seriously well-fed and happy with the days activities, we pull on scarves, hats and gloves; venturing out into the cold to take on a city that is full of these great places. Helsinki, happy advocate of explicit nudity and provider of great veggie thai fare, i love you. 

Yrjönkadun uimahalli, Yrjönkatu 21 B, 00120 Helsinki

Lemon Grass, Kolmas linja 12, 00530 Helsinki

Dansan Sushi Bar.

The most recent addition to Helsinki's gradually growing sushi scene opened its doors some weeks ago on the corner of Annankatu and Uudenmaankatu. Dansan Sushi Bar is a small venue with big windows, clean, simplified decor and a handful of tables. The place is open for lunch and dinner, and was fairly busy on a weeknight. 

Food-wise, the inari and maki veggie set i ordered fell short of delicious but was definitely tasty, a notch above average. My non-veggie dinner date was of the same mind. We both wondered at the seriously sweet soy sauce, though. The best part of dinner, however, was the miso soup, which  was hearty, slightly spicy and quite delicious.

 

Based on just one dinner time visit i'd say Dansan serves perfectly acceptable sushi, priced slightly above average due to the stripped down design image of the restaurant and its hipster-ish location i.e., across from Motellet, which will probably make it a favorite with said crowd as a pre-club dinner spot. If that's not your cup of tea, swing by at lunch time instead for the decently priced lunch sets, and be sure to try the miso soup.   

Dansan Sushi Bar, Annankatu 13, 00120 Helsinki                           

What i hearted in 2009

1. Cthulhu. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, this octopus does.
2. Bar Loose. I doubt this will change in the New Year.
3. Interrailing. Seriously the best way to travel and see places.
4. Summer. Simply. Hot days in Koffari, picnics, festivals, all-day drinking...
5. Ihmistulva. The coolest thing i've ever done.
6. My kitchen table and chairs. Who knew it would be turquoise vinyl diner furniture that stole my heart.
7. New York. It's where i'm living in my head.
8. Really awesome food blogs. Discovered lots of new ones, like this one.
9. City and Colour. I don’t know what it is, but these melancholy boys always do it for me.
10. My friends. Scattered all over the world, this year would not have rocked if it weren’t for all of you. 

Going out to Ugly.

A mere month ago, Tampere’s finest made its debut in Helsinki. Bigger, louder and lairier, Ruma-klubi took up residence in Helsinki nightlife’s central spot on Mannerheimintie. For a club known for its ambitious attempts at retaining the non-mainstream vibe that made it a favourite with anyone slightly left of centre, holding court at a venue that previously housed such meat markets as Den Kungliga Klubben and Opera is a bold move. Especially if your goal is to change more than the sign above the door.

Always on the lookout for some welcome disruption to Helsinki nightlife, I was curious to see what this newcomer had to offer. I first visited the place with some friends on a quiet weeknight after the club’s opening weekend. In terms of location and venue, the place isn’t far from ideal. The dance floor (yes, there is one. Bonus.) is centrally located and big enough to accommodate a fair-sized group of shameless drunkards thrashing about, and there’s enough seating space for you to usually find somewhere to rest your dance-wearied feet.

In addition to nice space, I like what they’ve done with the interior of the place; a row of porcelain toilets on display greet you at the coat check; you pass the framed, black and white cavalcade of Finnish presidents on your way to the bathrooms; and you sit on upholstered plastic beer crates. Wunderbaum air-fresheners grace the walls and the glass bar counters sport cracks made on purpose.

Another tongue-in-cheek feature is the smoking room, which is wallpapered with blown-up warnings from cigarette packs and images of filthy lungs. Despite that, it's always packed. Counterintuitive, but true. A special mention goes out to the ladies’ toilets as well; the insides of cubicle doors are plastered with gay porn magazine cut outs. Man-on-man gay porn. Being visually harassed by dozens of dreamily smiling dudes with gigantic hard-ons is harrowing when you’re trying to pee. I wasn’t surprised to find “what about porn for us lesbians?’ scribbled on the door on my next visit.

My first visit to Ruma was good for getting a sense of the place, and I was rather impressed with everything apart from perhaps the clientele, which seemed to consist largely of kids on the brink of their twenties. This notion was on the whole confirmed on visits number two and three, which took place during following weekends. It seems Ruma has found its psychographic pretty fast, judging from the way the club has been packed for the past couple of weekends. Strangely, it seems as if said demographic is made up of pretty much the same kids that frequented the meat markets previously occupying the venue. Maybe instead of anti-mainstream the club-goers at Ruma are representative of all-stream? Or perhaps this is once again an example of how anti-mainstream became the new mainstream. But hell, when a beer costs less than three euros, who can complain, even if it is watered down. 

Ruma Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 6 00100 Helsinki