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.

Aurorae

You might be wondering whether I’m aware that there is nothing in these pictures. Don’t worry. I know they're black.

Should you be one of those who wield endless good will and eyes of an eagle (although I don’t know how well eagles can see colours) you might be able to see a dim, greenish area in these pictures. You don’t? Then my eyes are creating visions to please me. The reason why I’m posting these pathetic ‘photos’ (note the scornful tone) is that we had northern lights here last night. Here comes the great question: why am I in the city the one time aurorae can be seen in southern Finland? Due to massive light pollution the aurorae seemed quite dim but I’m nevertheless thrilled I saw them. I find it curious that I've lived 22 years in Finland, well above 60°0’ N and still haven’t seen northern lights until now.

Even though I like photographing I don’t know much about it. I’d love to be able to photograph stars, northern lights and that kind of things but I lack both the technical and the artistic skills.  I accept my limits but still want to mention a couple of excuses: a) the aurorae were dim because of the unnaturally bright lights in the town and b) these pictures were taken with a cellphone. Forgive me.

Since the pictures are as miserable as they are it might seem weird I’m putting them here in the first place. My absolutely cheesy and sentimental explanation is the following: What really matters isn't what the photos look like but the moment when I took them. As I said last night was the first time I saw aurorae and it felt so surreal that I thought I should have at least something to convince me the next morning that I actually saw them. It felt unbelievable. They were so beautiful and seemed like fleeting veils of light spreading pale emerald shine that alternated between haze and brightness. Seeing them was both strange and familiar; somehow I felt as if I had been looking at them all my life.

Yep. Sparklers. On a lark? Absolutely.

P.S. I was on the countryside the other weekend and spend a lot of time gazing at stars now that I still can – soon enough the nights will be too bright. I think I recognize at least Ursa Minor and Major, Perseus, Cassiopeia, Auriga, Corona Borealis, Boötes, Cepheus, Orion and the Pleiades. The only stars I think I know for sure are Sirius, Arcturus and Spica. I almost wish our summer nights were darker so that I could both see the stars and smell the wonderful scent of summer. (And pretend to be an elf. Laugh if you please.)