Spring Things.

This whole eternal winter thing seems to be finally coming to an end. It's been really Springy for the last week or so - something i realized the other day when i stepped into some dog crap that had resurfaced from underneath the melting snow. On a more pleasant springtime note, it's not long until you can bring out the sunglasses, sneakers and head for a pint outside in the sunshine. Hells yeah. While we wait for the last of the snow to disappear (and conversely, all the dog shite to reappear), i compiled some stuff into a Spring Wish List.




Like this Marimekko dress, which i fell in love with the other day. 
 



And this one. Both are priced at a little over 100 euros, which isn't too bad. Now if only i had some sort of party coming up as an excuse to buy one (or hell, both!). Like maybe the Opening of Terrace Season. I'm sure that warrants its own dress.




I think i own about six pairs of Converse All Stars (and hey, i like 'em as much as the next guy), but let's be honest: they freakin' fall apart like no one's business. All of mine are in varying stages of decay due to festivals, extensive winter wear and the less than awesome combo and quality of rubber, canvas and glue. Most of my Chuck Taylors have been bought for pretty cheap (Thailand, Camden Market thrift store, Boston outlet, discount sale, etc.), so paying over 100 bucks for these kiddos seems a little steep. They are pretty, though, and i am digging the whole Converse <3 Marimekko thing. And shucks, nothing screams spring like a new pair of sneakers.

Costo from here

Hats. Awesome. Bobble hats. Even more so. This might have to be the Spring that i finally get me a Costo hat. So should i lose all self control and end up buying all of the above things, can someone come buy me a pint when it's finally terrace season? I'll be the kid with all the springy clothes and no money. 

Sick as Balls.

 This being sick thing blows. I'm convinced the way to overcome this sickness (which isn't pneumonia anymore, by the way. The doctor has now re-diagnosed it as being sinusitis and strep throat with a side of pink eye. WTF, right!?) is to make myself feel better in any way possible. So for the last couple of days, i've woken up, transferred myself from bed to couch (blanket in tow) and indulged in movies (some really crap ones), tea (seven different kinds in the last three days) and ice cream (hell yeah) for breakfast.

 Things are looking good on the ice cream front: i found this new Ben & Jerry's flavor. On the side of the pint it says: sweet cream ice cream with chocolate cookie pieces, chocolatey peace signs and chocolate fudge swirls. Uh huh. They say 0.15 euros of the price of the ice cream goes towards saving the Nordic Sea. I doubt whether ice cream will save the Nordic Sea, but i'll admit it is damn yummy.

As for the movie front; in the last couple of days i've watched Inception (yeah, not as good as i thought), Letters to Juliet (painful. i thought with Vanessa Redgrave and Gael Garcia Bernal it might be worth it. It's not.), The Kids Are All Right (loved it. Julianne Moore and Annette Benning are awesome), Into The Wild (wow, beautiful), Shrek Forever After (yeah they should stop making these) and Shortbus (which is awesome). If anyone's got more good recommendations as for what to watch, do drop me a line.

And last but not least, here's a selection of the meds i'm currently on. Antibiotics, flu meds, cough syrup, lemsip, ketamin, finrexin, codeine, strepsils, keep-out-kids'-reach-meds, don't-operate-heavy-machinery-meds, cold meds, knock-you-out-cold-meds...i've got the whole cornucopia here. So if you're looking for a buzz (or alternatively to contract one of my contagious diseases), you know where to find me.

Baby We'll Be Fine

Goddamn. So i went and saw The National. I'm not even gonna try and describe it, or write an epic post about it. All i'm saying is, those of you who were there, you know what i'm talking about. Those of you who weren't: how could you be so foolish? Personal highlights include Matt making his way through the audience, taking an empty seat, sitting down and singing Mr. November; getting to touch him as he made his way back to the stage and passed right by us; hearing Slow Show; ending the whole show in a singalong of Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks...Yeah, all i've got is 'goddamn'.

 

<3 <3 <3

New Favorites: Kippo and The Ounce

Frozen yogurt has finally made it to Finland, huzzah! Kippo, a dinky little hole in the wall on Iso Roba, opened shop a week or so ago. The place is tiny, the frozen yogurt is home-made to a special recipe, and it's all organic. And tastes damn good, too. The idea is to get a cup of froyo and choose from a selection of toppings ranging from nuts to berries to chocolate. I opted for the dark chocolate chips, but i could have just as well eaten the frozen yogurt topping-free, cause it's that good on its own. A small kippo of froyo with one topping will set you back a little under four euros. A little pricey, but it's not something you have every day. (who am i kidding, i'd eat frozen yogurt every day if i could). Come June, this place will be the shit; muggy heat, flip flops, frozen yogurt on your way to the park...the shit, i tell you.

In the past few years, tea shops have been popping up around town, which is good news for coffee-shunning tea addicts. Up until now i've mostly done my tea-shopping at Thehuone on Eerikinkatu, so for a change i decided to check out The Ounce on Freda. Compared to the classy, minimalist decor of Thehuone, The Ounce is like the set of a period play; it's like you've set foot into Ye Olde Tea Shoppe, complete with a shop assistant who looks like Little Bo Peep. I guess it's kind of endearing. In any case, the place smells delicious and they have a nice tea selection, in little brown bags with hand-written labels. I ended up going for some flavored black tea, most of which have curious names. But i'll admit, sipping on a mug of 'Alice in Mirrorland' or 'Lolita' is admittedly a more exciting start to the morning than a cup of the old Earl Grey.

Back with a Vengeance.

It's been a million years since i last wrote. I'd love to say the reason for this has been a decadent, extended vacation in the tropics, as plentiful in cocktails as it is lacking in computers. But no. Quite the opposite, to be honest. I've been AWOL because the amount of work i've been doing lately has been verging on the incredible. Having said that, it's all been awesome, but what with all these events, projects and plans, there's been precious little time for anything else. Like blogging. Or sleeping, for that matter.

So here's what's happened during all the blog silence. A running theme has been me, spending a lot of time on the floor (and no, it's not all because of drunken blundering). Yours truly attended a JV-course and got certified to work as security. Said course consisted of two weekends of early (mostly hungover) wake-ups and a lot of time being handcuffed, strangled, or pinned to the cold concrete floor of Nosturi by people who were all bigger than me (and seemed nowhere near as hungover).

Photo courtesy of Hopponen

The other reason a big chunk of the last months has been spent on me hitting the ground is Roller Derby. The difference is that for this i've been sober, and the people responsible for flooring me have all been girls on wheels. Which, to be honest, is a lot more fun. Thanks for all the bruises, battering and good times go out to all the lovely ladies (and dudes!) at Helsinki Roller Derby.

Photo of November's Freshmeat by Dagger

The most recent thing that floored me, however, occurred this past weekend, and has little to do with sobriety. I'm talking about Femmagaala. In the myriad of work projects i've been meddling in these past few months, this one manifested itself last Saturday in the form of a raucous party at Henry's Pub. Complete with lipstick on mirrors, artists not being able to get in at the door, and a mean gig from Pertti Kurikan nimipäivät, this was the most hazardous, backwards and kickassest awards party i've seen in a good while, as the footage below depicts. 

The party was awesome, the aftermath almost as much so: pneumonia and doctor's orders to stay in bed and dope up on some serious meds. Speaking of which; said meds are making me happily delirious and wildly dizzy. Hey, it might not be a vacation in the tropics, but passing out on the floor of the bathroom in a chemically-induced swoon is quite the trip in itself.