Greetings from a lazy writer

Shame on me, what a long break!

The truth is, there hasn’t been much to write about lately. I’ve spent the past months in the lovely quiet idleness of the aging year. These months truly are my favourites, first the barren and grey and yet so stunning autumn, then the first snow and crispy days. The colder the better! I can’t get enough of the brightness and whiteness (as long as it lasts, that is: it should be above zero soon again) and the clear winter nights. So I’ve been absorbing all that divine beauty lately – I have time to because I’ve finished my studies for this year. That includes finishing my master’s thesis which is both good and bad, sweet and bitter: I am glad to get things ready and done but somehow I wished for that work to last forever. I really enjoyed the process and am a bit melancholic about letting it go. Well, what’s done is done.

Apart from studying (I also completed basic-level studies in Latin – half accidentally, I started taking classes for fun and out of pure interest) I’ve read a few interesting books. I finally finished Crime and Punishment. I don’t know what it is, I can’t put my finger on it but for some reason it really felt like hard work to get past some parts. The story was interesting and so were the characters but something about it made me easily distracted and not properly focused. I had the same problem with Anna Karenina a couple of years ago. Then again I absolutely devoured three of Tove Jansson’s novels. I haven’t read much in Swedish but I’d really recommend Tove Jansson to anyone, her books are the perfect place to start. The language is fairly easy yet very rhythmic, witty and figurative. There is something deeply soothing and reassuring about those books. The ones I read were Farlig Midsommar, Pappan och havet and Sent i November, the last one being my all-time favourite.

I always make the same mistake, reading two or even three books at the same time. I’m now reading David Copperfield and then, of course, The Faerie Queene is still there waiting. I’ve had a break with that one but I’m determined to finish it. Slowly but surely, as they say.

P.S. I’m going to spend Christmas in Germany. That should be interesting.

Concerning Winter

On Monday I attended a very fascinating lecture about winter. We had a guest lecturer from Montréal – and he specializes in the images of north, winter and arctic! I had very high expectations and I’m glad to say they were exceeded. I was thrilled about the topic and the new points of view professor Chartier introduced. He discussed winter and nordicity as cultural, social and aesthetic phenomena instead of merely defining them as something climate-related. What struck me the most was the way Chartier talked about winter as something we adapt to, something exceptional, something that disturbs our routines and everyday life – especially since winter and north are often defined by people to whom they seem exotic.

There’s one particular thing about the presentation that keeps bothering me: winter is seen as an inconvenience, something socially and practically troublesome. From my perspective it’s always been the other way around. Summer is the time of year I need to adapt to, winter and autumn feel normal and natural to me. I do like all of our four seasons but the cold ones suit me best. The only inconvenience I see is the excessive effort I must put my poor car through when it’s -25C° and the road both looks and feels like a glacier.

Be it as it may, I’m really enjoying this time of year and looking forward to the long dark of polar night.

P.S. The lecture made me think about Svalbard and the wonderful trip there last year. Man, it was great...

Movable Sanctuary

In Finland 254 people died in road accidents last year. Given the size and population of our country, not to mention the unthinkably low speed limits, the amount seems high. Therefore it’s perhaps odd to say that for me my car is a safe haven.

I can’t really explain the weird chain of thoughts behind this all-too-tight bond with a vehicle but somehow a car represents personal space to me. Just knowing that my car is there, outside the building ready to take me away from a certain place or a certain situation is so comforting. Sometimes I can just sit in the car for a while, perhaps not even intending to go anywhere. It’s an ideal place to think, no distractions, no interruptions. Car is freedom; car is safety (assuming one drives in a safe manner). And yes, I talk to my car. Since I used to spend a lot of time with horses when I was younger (and hope to do so in the future as well) I’m sort of used to communicating with my vehicle. Of course driving is not the most ecological way to get from one place to another, that I realize. At least I’m ashamed.

My beautiful Citroën Xsara is an old lady already but I wish we still have many years and miles left together.

Paradise Lost

Such a long break, again…

In my previous text I said something about the tiny little crack in my otherwise fine summer. I’d be repeating myself far too much if I ended up writing about it again – but it does deserve a mention. It’s been two years since our summer cottage burned down and I strongly doubt I’ll ever get used to that. That simple, modest place was the closest thing to a paradise I’ve ever known. Every time our white, tiny boat reached the bank I was filled with deepest tranquility. I used to sit on the porch for hours watching the sun go down, listening to the night, I used to go for a swim early in the morning when the world was just about to awake. I’ll never have that again. What kind of constancy is there to believe in if even paradise isn’t eternal?

Well, there are paradises of another kind.

Yes, I’m a bookworm and enjoy books as such but I’m also an escapist. Some of the places I yearn for aren’t real, and here are the ones I hold dearest:

1. Gardens of Lórien in Valinor.

‘Irmo the younger is the master of visions and dreams. In Lórien are his gardens in the land of the Valar, and they are the fairest of all places in the world, filled with many spirits. Estë the gentle, healer of hurts and of weariness, is his spouse. Grey is her raiment; and rest is her gift. She walks not by day, but sleeps upon an island in the tree-shadowed lake of Lórellin. From the fountains of Irmo and Estë all those who dwell in Valinor draw refreshment; and often the Valar come themselves to Lórien and there find repose and easing of the burdens of Arda.’ (Silmarillion, 19.)

Spend the weekend admiring the Perseids. Always so wonderful.

2. Lothlórien

‘He saw no colour but those he knew, gold and white and blue and green, but they were fresh and poignant, as if he had at that moment first perceived them and made for them names new and wonderful. In winter here no heart could mourn for summer or for spring. No blemish or sickness or deformity could be seen in anything that grew upon the earth. On the land of Lórien there was no stain.’ (The Lord of the Rings, 359.)

3. Ramandu’s island

Alas I don’t have the wonderful Voyage of the Dawn Treader with me right now so my plain description will have to do. Ramandu, an old man once a star that grew too old, landed on earth and dwelled on an island far in the east. This island was the last one of all, the last place before the end of the world. The song of the old man and his daughter is believed to cause the sun to rise, and every morning white birds from the valleys of the sun visit the island. I’ve always been particularly fascinated by islands, especially those associated with world’s end. Remote and unreachable, they preoccupy my mind and make me ache for the nonexistent, places not even real in the world as we know it.

I'm so happy to see this time of year arrive. I am fond of summer

but autumn is still my favourite.

The wonderful Midsummer Night's Dream

Last weekend I went to Suomenlinna open air theatre to see Midsummer Night’s Dream. That was so good! The surroundings were perfect, the set was lovely and the Finnish translation of the play witty and rhythmic. I also loved the costumes and makeup. In some of the reviews I read it was claimed that the acting was a bit plain and unsuspenseful but I don’t concur; I enjoyed the play very much. One or two characters remained slightly flat in my eyes; it is a shame because I’ve always found the characters very well written and I would have loved to see their whole potential on the stage as well. Be it as it may, most of the time I was thrilled with the performances (not that I’d know anything about theatre or acting, I just know I enjoyed it). The way the actors used their stage was amazing: the play took place within the stone walls of the old sea fortress and they really utilized every hallway, arch, passage and tunnel. Also the lighting was done very well. Suomenlinna was the perfect place for this particular play: it has the feeling of being both inside and outside, in the past and in the present at the same time.

Taking pictures was forbidden during the play so these are mostly from around the island. Lovely Suomenlinna, I hope to go back there soon.

P.S. I’d imagine Suomenlinna could be a wonderful place for LARPing in case you’re interested in that. Just saying.

P.P.S. One of the reasons I love these islands is that they remind me of Stonehaven. Of course the rocks and ruins aren’t quite as impressive but there’s something about the atmosphere.

Lingering Light

We celebrated Midsummer last weekend – ‘we’ referring to whole Finland. For me Midsummer is more or less a sacred thing and I like to spend it quietly, taking long walks in the nature, being outside at night, abandoning reason for a while letting myself believe there is more in this world than that we see and sense.

This year Midsummer felt even more significant than usually; perhaps due to Shakespeare’s 400^th anniversary. I must admit I haven’t read Shakespeare all that much: I’ve only read some of his best known plays but shamefully his sonnets are still a new thing to me. However, the proper way to celebrate Midsummer this year was obviously to re-read Midsummer Night’s Dream. Oh how I love that play! Since I’m a devoted fan of Tolkien one might say I cannot embrace both Shakespeare’s and Tolkien’s version of faerie – but I do. As different as they are they’re both dear to me and very fascinating. In July I’ll go to Suomenlinna open-air theatre to see the play. Suomenlinna is a former sea fortress which nowadays is inhabited and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is a part of Helsinki and consists of several islands. If you ever come to Finland it’s worth seeing.

As much as I enjoyed the most magical time of the year (also great time for spotting bats, I saw quite a few of them) there was something missing. I think I’ll write more about it later since it will be quite a lament.

This cloud kind of looks like a galloping horse. Or then it's just

my inner horse girl dreaming once again.

Meetings Ere Twilight

A few nights ago I got company on a walk. Dusk had already fallen and suddenly I heard strange noises from the woods. Then I saw them: two adorable fox cubs, staring at me curiously. I think there were more of them; the entire little forest was ruffling softly. It really was one of the most pleasing encounters I’ve had this summer. I apologize for the poor quality of these pictures – I only had my cellphone with me.

It was summer solstice last night. It was full moon, and magically beautiful too: it was barely above horizon and seemed very large. There is something very peculiar about summer solstice, as well as midsummer. The latter is yet to come and I’m looking forward to it.