Artsy Friday

We are having a heatwave at the moment and in order to have something else to do than sit at home eating ice cream and sweating I planned a movie night with my friends Heidi and Kristiina.

Since I was going to meet them at a cafe before the movie I thought to go city centre a bit earlier and see the Repin art exhibition in our National gallery before meeting them. I had to queue for about 15 minutes bc I didn’t want to buy the ticket beforehand as we have a thing called The Museum card here (you pay an annual fee and get to see as many museums as you like, to cover the annual fee you must visit about four exhibitions). I only took couple of photos of my fave paintings and walked through the exhibition in 30 minutes.

You can browse the other art works in the exhibition here: https://ateneum.fi/en/exhibitions/repin/

At the cafe we shared our latest news like that I got through my exams with flying colours (I was quite certain I had failed) and then we went to see Cruella. It was very good. I had expected something else so it was a very nice surprise. Of course great actors, i. e. Mark Strong 😎, and both female lead Emmas’ among others and the costumes, music and charming doggies. All in all a very good movie! Go see it it you can. We had great time and enjoyed greatly our first movie after November.

That was my artsy Friday. I had good time 🙂

Today we’ve had hottest day this summer, +31c degrees in shadow. Hubby has been driving me to swim in the sea and so far the blue-green algae is not yet bothering us. It’s been wonderful. As the beach doesn’t have boxes to lock one’s things into while swimming Hubby has been watching my stuff as he doesn’t like to swim in the ocean here 🙂

Birthday gifts and disturbing art

Last time I told about my birthday. Back then I hadn’t yet received the gift from my fandom friend Rachel and it was a lovely surprise when it came a week later (the Finnish postal services are really something these days..). Among other very nice things there was this perfect piece of art which found place next to my Lucius figurine.

A week ago Saturday I went mushroom hunting with my friend M and we found a lot of yellowfoot which is a delicacy I’ve never been able to find on my own. The day in the forest was lovely and weather was cold but clear and when it finally in the afternoon started to rain we were more than ready to go home with our catch.

This week has been hectic to say the least. Since I work some evenings too I had something every day, i.e. on Wednesday I went to theater which had been postponed on May. It was nice, two elderly Finnish actresses told about their lives and loves turning even hard experiences into dark comedy. The audience had all masks on and only half of the seats were filled with empty seats between groups of two. In May there was four of us at work going but now it was just me and my colleague since the other two felt a bit flu-ish and decided against taking part.

On Friday I had coffee with my friend Kristiina and before I met her I managed to see an art exhibition by Patricia Piccinini before it was closed. It was said to be kind of fantasy figures and the ad pics looked nice but when I saw all the pieces in the exhibit I don’t know… I know art is supposed to make people think and wake up questions but apart from the fantasy pieces and alien tunnels carved into furniture I found some these more on the pervert side and some of them made my skin crawl. If you want a closer look just visit her page I gave the link to.

Yesterday I went to my former workplace’s party with M. I was hoping to meet some of my old colleagues but with the situation here now there were just about 20 people of which I knew five (and M). Also it was supposed to begin at 5pm but when we got there there was less than ten people and only around 7pm everyone was there and the food wasn’t very interesting imo. I must say I was disappointed. M and I left round 8 pm and went to a nice restaurant to have dinner just between us which was a good decision.

I’m sewing a coat for myself, we’ll see if anything comes of it. I’d sew the outside on the inside today and then do the finishing but I think it may go on to the next weekend when I finally finish with it.

Well, here’s a movie trailer of the Moomin mom Tove Jansson expecially for Rachel. The scenes of Tove in her studio have been shot in her real atelier in Helsinki. Sorry for it being subtitled only in Finnish and spoken in Swedish.

Culture and cows

I was going to write this earlier, like last Friday evening but since I was so awed and also tired I try to write something now.

Last Thursday I met my friend Mirva. She lives north of Helsinki, in a city called Jyväskylä which is near our summer cottage. We first met and became friends some years ago when we were studying Information sciences in an Open Uni web course and met on the first live study group-day as I sat next to her and we begun chatting like old friends. Some people just are like that and it’s wonderful.

Mirva was here on a work business and we had dinner and then went to the AmosRex Museum to see the Ars Fennica finalists. Mirva had not visited the museum before and liked it a lot. The exhibition was awesome too, I especially liked the painting of a forest which took up a whole wall and also Aurora Reinhard’s little dolls were awesome. Afterwards we had coffee and a long and nice chat about all things at a nearby cafe and it was lovely.

Friday morning we woke with a downpour, it rained so heavily that the Main railway station’s underground stop flooded and still the lifts are unavailable. Helsinki got about 6-7 cm of rain. I had my red wellies and a raincoat plus umbrella with me so I didn’t mind. At my work we got some of it right inside at the 4th floor too, the caretaker guys were furious. Last time 4th floor was flooded in spring when the snow begun to melt on the roof.

2019-08-23 07.34.44
At home before leaving to work

On Friday evening me and my friends Heidi and Kristiina went to see the latest Tarantino movie ’Once upon a time in Hollywood’ and I must say it was very good. None of us is a great fan of neither Brad nor Leo but we all agreed that they did good roles and I personally think that Leo is quite a talented actor. The story was also very though provoking as in ’what if..’ sort of scenario.  I loved the little details and photography, and I really liked Margot Robbie ans Sharon Tate. I think it also shows how much Tarantino loves movies as an art form.

The weekend passed.. On Saturday I had terrible migraine. I haven’t had one in about six months and this one was really awful, I didn’t know if I should throw up or not or faint or not and it made me a cry-baby too. Not nice. Luckily after two pills I managed to even vacuum the house and read but I still felt dizzy and sweaty. On Sunday I felt all right and managed to sew new curtains to the kitchen, I really like them.

We are having a late summer and lovely nice and warm weather so on Monday morning I biked to work. My biking route is 14km from door to door and it goes via the University cow pasture which is quite nice. I really love cows 🙂 What I don’t like are the two or three hills I have on my route, they are loooong and slow and drag all my juices off.I almost fell at one point as I accidentally gripped the front brake and did a really short stop and now I have a deep bruise on my left calf from the pedal. I was lucky not to go over the handle bar.

Yesterday evening I finished reading ’Fools fate’ (Tawny Man trilogy part 3) by Robin Hobb and I think I need to have a short break of the Six duchies and River Wild for now since I tend to drown into them and forget everything else.

I took the bike also today and now I must say I’m exhausted now but I have biked 113 km which is good. Tomorrow We have the new teacher’s night at my work and I’ll do a longer work day and Thursday we have the all teachers meeting night.  They are always fun happenings and it’s nice to meet old and new people.

2019-08-26 07.39.36-1
The brown lumps in the middle are the cows

2019-08-26 07.39.40-1
Some crops coming and the Viikki suburb (middlest son’s high school is there)

2019-08-26 07.48.50-1
Vanhankaupunginlahti = the old city bay. This is where Helsinki was first located when Gustav Wasa established it. The technical museum is under construction but the rapid was lively. There were also some hook and line fishermen long the banks.

 

 

Wild things

I’ve been so tired every day during this first working week that I have only been reading in the balcony with the cat in the evenings.

I’ve had fun in the work too. On Tuesday we stood two hours on the street to give passers-by our new study catalogue and it was nice. Most were very eager to chat with us and some cyclists even made a de-tour to come and grab a copy. Luckily the weather has been good too, not too warm but a bit windy but not rainy.

On Wednesday as I was trying to find a seat in the underground train I spotted a young man sitting with both legs up on the bench so I went to him and said ”Take your legs off the seat and let us people sit” and he did. Maybe I sounded like a mother since he didn’t complain.

On Thursday I received an e-mail from the Finnish blood donor bank and since I had time I went there after work. I got a nice nurse and we chatted all the time I was laying there. here blood donors don’t get any payment but we get a nice cup of coffee and different sandwiches, cookies and ice cream afterwards.

Yesterday I met my good friend Kristiina at one of the City museum’s called the Hakasalmi Villa which used to belong to a lady called Aurora Karamzin. There is an exhibition about Helsinki during the 1920’s and it was very good, funny and charming. It was inspiring and I’ve always loved the 20’s, my granny used to show me how to dance Charleston.

Later we had coffee in a small cafe situated in the museum’s garden and a little wild something ran from behind us to the nearby flowerbed. Ladies next to us asked if we saw what it was and we said that we had just agreed it was a yellow-necked mouse and we all laughed.

Well, now I’m going to watch Downton Abbey since the movie comes out in September and I can’t recall anything of Seasons 5 and 6.

2019-08-16 07.37.03 - Copy
Sirius saw a new friend

2019-08-16 15.55.33 - Copy
The amusement park Linnanmäki. My workplace is almost next to it.

2019-08-16 15.58.19 - Copy
Two old villa’s. The one on the left is called Villa Kivi, it’s the local authors working recidence. Hubby’s aunt had her wedding there since she is a poet, it was a very nice place. The Blue Villa has a very nice summer cafe.

2019-08-16 17.42.14 - Copy
The Caretaker’s house at the museum’s garden. Now it serves as the work rooms for the museum staff.

2019-08-16 18.01.56 - Copy
A bright Dahlia at the museum garden.

 

Finally

I’m at home again, have been since Friday morning. Hubby came to pick us from the airport at 1am even thou he had to go to work early in the morning. He is so sweet. Now I’ve been loading my batteries over the weekend and finished two books, an introvert after too much peopling so I decided to write something here too.

On Sunday morning we, me and youngest son and my friend Heidi, found ourselves in London. I almost lost Heidi when we changed underground trains in Green Park as the  train left before she managed to get on board. So she took the next one to Southwark (luckily the only possibility) and I spotted her sitting in the car and called her from the door. There was only one man so I didn’t quite die on embarrasment. After we had stored our bags to the hotel (LSE Bankside, a dormitory for LSE students with very cheap accommodation during Uni holidays) we took ourselves to the British Library. On our way there we popped by Forbidden planet, mine and youngest son’s fave shop, and then we walked to the BL via Russell Square which did good after all the sitting on the plane.

At the British Library we met Heidi’s daughter Mira who lives in London. She had got a bit cold and was sneezing all the time. Inside we saw the ’Treasures of British Library’ exhibition which had beautiful old manuscripts (poor monks in their cold cloisters) and also Beatles lyrics and so on, very interesting even on youngest one’s mind.

From there we went to the hotel to see if our room was ready (it was) and then we had some dinner and went to bed.

On Monday we visited the Science museum with youngest one, Heidi went to visit Mira for the whole day. When we were back on the street we noticed the Natural history museum’s ads and went in to see their exhibition of volcanoes and earthquakes, it was interesting but a video of the tsunami in Japan at 2011 reminded me too much of the Thailand tsunami on 2004 where my cousin lost his family and I just tried not to cry. Afterwards we realized we had been there over five hours, made a quick tour to Covent Garden where we watched a man ride a uni-cycle and jongleur with knives, he was very good. Then we had dinner and went back to the hotel.

On Tuesday we visited the National Gallery and especially the impressionists. Oh yes, the Monet paintings were wonderful and I recognized Turner’s art because of the RA-film.. so one can learn things watching good movies.

After that I went with Jimi to Science museum because he wanted to change a gyroscope he bought since it was keeping a noise it shouldn’t have. Heidi was going to Mira’s again. When we finally got out of the Science museum I called Heidi and she said she was going to Mira’s later since Mira was so feverish she was trying to sleep so we agreed to meet at Harrods. My phone died after I had sent a message to Heidi that we were going to the pet supplies (what a joke!) and finally we met Heidi there. As I had anticipated my phone to run low on batteries I had the charger with me and so we spent about an hour in a corridor in Harrods. Then we walked a bit around Knightbridge and went to eat fish and chips to a pub and then Heidi left to Mira’s and we went home.

On Wednesday we walked to Postman’s Park which is located near St. Paul’s Cathedral. I’ve wanted to visit it for years, I saw pics of it the net some time ago and now I finally got to see it and it was just lovely. From there we took a underground train to Baker Street. Oh yes, the famous detective himself. There was a bit of a queue but finally we got into the small house and it was lovely. The shop was just as lovely.. Then we had coffee and took a bus to Oxford Circus where we met Mira who was better. We did some shopping and walked to the Forbidden Planet where I bought some books and Jimi got three Funko figures. Well, actually two are his and I got Bucky ❤ Heidi and Mira left to have something to eat as Mira was feeling not so good. We took our shopping home and rested a bit and then went for dinner to restaurant Zizzi at Southbank. Oh boy the food was so good! and they were really busy too but very nice staff. Back at the hotel I tried to pack my suitcase and then Heidi came with Mira, who had gotten a huge migraine and fell asleep on Heidi’s bed. Heidi did some shopping and in a bit after Mira woke up she was feeling much better and Heidi walked her to a bus and her boyfriend was at the other end of the bus route to get her home.

On Thursday we checked out and left our luggage to the hotel to wait and went for a walk. First we visited Tate Modern and took the lift to 10th floor and also browsed the 4th floor free exhibition. I have always walked through the Tate Modern’s ground floor because it has good shops. This time I found just a fridge magnet. We walked to the Blackfriars bridge and had coffee and watched a pair of swans and enjoyed the sun. Then we got our luggagge from the hotel and walked to the Waterloo station, did some window shopping there too and took a train to Heathrow where we were in really good time. We did some shopping, had dinner and I and Heidi found ourselves in Cath Kidston sale and bought handbags for both of us.

Our flight was a bit late but we managed to get home nicely, hubby drove us home via Heidi’s so she got home too with ease.

Nice trip and I love London.

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibitions

I’m writing an another entry just about two exhibitions I’ve been to lately.

Last week I went to see Frantisek Kupka’s works in the Finnish National Gallery. As a matter of fact I had almost never heard of him but I had seen some pics of his works and liked them. So on Wednesday after I had given my donation at the local blood bank I went to the art museum to see them myself.

While there I also walked through the basic collection which has some of my fave articles. I’d also tell you that my brother’s ex-wife’s granddad was one the Finnish impressionists but it’s like the game ’almost related to a celeb’ so I’ll just keep quite about that 😉

2019-05-15 17.38.29 - Copy
Albert Edelfelt: Luxembourg park in Paris. One of my all-time faves.

2019-05-15 17.42.16 - Copy
Bibliophile by Kupka

2019-05-15 17.43.31 - Copy
Frantisek Kupka: Way of silence

2019-05-15 17.46.31 - Copy
Frantisek Kupka : Surfaces of color series

2019-05-15 17.47.03 - Copy
Surfaces with color

2019-05-15 17.48.35 - Copy
The deep reds were awesome, this pic doesn’t show them well enough.

2019-05-15 17.49.56 - Copy
One of my faves in the Kupka exhibiton. I’d just stare at this painting for hours.

2019-05-15 17.52.13 - Copy
And this one. So sunny.

Yeah. I really loved most of the paintings there. I used to paint porcelaine when kids were small and as I know how hard it is to make deep reds like the one above makes it even more beautiful.

Today I visited a game exhibition with my friend at the Finnish National library. Our ex-workmate was one of the people who put the exhibition up and he showed us around.

There was all kinds of boardgames starting from the 19th century and it ended to the Nintendo and SuperMario played with a C-cassette thingy. It was fun too.

2019-05-21 15.44.19 - Copy
A historical boardgame based on Finland’s history, a fictional character Ensign Ståhl by our national poet J.L. Runeberg.

2019-05-21 15.55.46 - Copy
Kids playing a boardgame in 1950’s. The colorful back is from the most famous Finnish boardgame of all times called the Star of Africa.

Almost free Friday

Since I do 4-days-working week during wintertime due to the problems I have at work with our a/c I had my last (for now) almost free Friday today. I only took part to my labour union’s stewards meeting in the morning and then I was free.

I went for lunch with my DH, he works in the city centre and so I met him near his work place at a restaurant called Backyard Picks which has a very good lunch buffet. Afterwards hubby went back to his work and since I was free and I hadn’t yet visited the new AmosRex museum I went there.

There’s a Magritte exhibition now and also a Dutch art group Studio Drift’s exhibition and then as a permanent display they have Finnish late impressionists pieces. I really liked everything and as I’ve long since accepted that I get easily emotional I wasn’t surprised to find myself crying over Magritte’s surrealistic works.

2019-04-12 12.30.09 - CopyThe Curse2019-04-12 12.43.43 - Copy

Faraway looks

2019-04-12 12.38.02 - Copy

The Drifter

2019-04-12 12.39.51 - CopyFiskar’s Scissors

2019-04-12 12.41.19 - CopyFragile future III

2019-04-12 12.50.37 - Copy

The Teletubby land, as we call it, is actually the museums roof windows

The first one is Magritte’s ’The Curse’ and the two-faced woman is called ’Faraway looks’ (that’s the one that made me cry). The there’s the floating concrete box ’Drifter’ and Materials exhibitons ’The Fiskars scissors’.  Fragile future didn’t want to turn upright but it’s made of dandelions and led lights which makes it awesome.

And last pic is of the museums windows. On their place used to be the long-distance bus terminal when I was a kid and teen. I remember many Scouting travels and also going to my granny’s place and waiting for the bus to arrive here. The low yellow building behind them used to be an old army barrack during the Russian reign but now there’s some City exhibitions about the city plannings.

Then I came home and saw that my darling Freddie had arrived finally! I’m so happy!

2019-04-12 14.55.03 - Copy