This mural is found in the Sea Horse restaurant in Helsinki and this image is their own, as they don't even allow photos of it. It was painted by Alvar Aalto back in the 30s and has been maintained since then, as has the rest of the decor. The food is straightforward Finnish - fish and meatballs and such, and we first found it in the late summer and had a nice meal with slightly surly service, as was the case at the beginning of our second visit with Claire and Kaliecia in December. The visit was turned around by a happy-go-lucky customer at the next table who decided to buy the entire restaurant Irish coffees. I then had a nice chat with a woman at his table who was somewhat embarrassed by his grand gesture, as they'd already had their fill of champagne. The buyer was a gold dealer we think, and so we toasted him with our coffees and he interrogated Claire about all the people he knew in New York - but believe or not - she didn't know the same people. Claire and I suffered a bit of caffeine insomnia as a result but it was worth it for an unusual night among the much more usually reserved Finns.
We sometimes laugh at the cliché of the quiet Finns as they can be very talkative, especially once they get to know you well. But there is some truth in it, especially in public spaces. I'm actually also prone to this trait so I'm very comfortable with the non-communicative style of public transport, for instance, and sometimes, if I'm in the front of a train heading to our stop at the end of the metro line, I cannot tell if I'm alone on the car or not, just by listening. I find it rather peaceful. Easy to get lost in thought. I do imagine it can be disconcerting for more gregarious types. Although when the transit cops come through checking everyone's tickets, it's intense. They travel in packs and all wear the same jackets and seem to enjoy their collective and domineering power. The 80-euro fine is definitely incentive to stay legal.
This past week the senior students celebrated the day before exams by parading through town standing in back of large open trucks and throwing candy out to passersby. Neither Gerald nor I had candy hurled our way but I did see a truck of them go by as I rode a train to a class. Now they are all buckling down and studying. It was also Valentine's Day, which is celebrated much less here and is instead called ystävänpäivää or friend's day - so Gerald and I agreed to be each other's friend here in Finland. And a belated hyvää ystävänpäivää to you all!
Potatoes - that's what Gerald has to share. They are everywhere. The main dish we have often is pyttipannu - a diced potato and beef or ham or sausage dish that is total comfort food. I can get bags of it frozen for an easy and quick meal after busy teaching days, though I feel compelled to add vegetables to it for nutrition (the Finns might not approve).
I'm glad that my teaching and our apartment location has given me a new appreciation of the maritime industry. Several of my classes are with a power company that builds BIG engines, for ships, etc. As I write, one of the big coal boats is sitting quietly across the canal on this Sunday afternoon after unloading yesterday. It's the one in the last post pic. And I few weeks ago I had a tour of the power plant factory floor and it was fascinating. There are engines as big as a small house, and then there are also parts that still need the care of hand work by specialists. I hope the best for these skilled tradespeople, considering the paper industry's mass layoffs just north of here, causing the same economic chaos of Detroit up in those factory towns. While Finland has some of state-of-the-art tech and design industries, it also has relied on some classic trades in wood and paper that are going through downturns. I do have to say my dad would have been very familiar with the strong work ethic here. This coincides nicely with the strong appreciation for the need to take time off to travel, or have kids, or just retreat to the mokki (cottage) and bake in the sauna.
There is a general sense of keeping a healthy balance in life here - and I hope the Finns can sustain this as the global market brings other pressures to bear. We are looking forward to our first summer when at midsummer, everyone basically checks out for a full month at least. We have to start saving our euros now to gas up the Z and explore!
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