It's been eight years.

It's been a long time since my last post. Since then I've moved countries, changed camera and started a whole new job. Let's hope I can start blogging regularly again. I'm in Korea at the moment teaching English. Here are some photos from life so far.

Night flights and strong lights

Vappu - What a strange and wonderful evening. The whole of Helsinki, it seems, out of their beds and running from place to place. Some people while away the hours drinking, some eat with family and friends. As part of the obligatory student experience we were sitting atop a hill a park in the old part of town. Relaxing while the sun dipped lower and lower at a snail's pace I have never really had the chance to observe.

The next morning I take my camera with to survey the disaster area and find the buildings where I live looking like they've had a fairly wild party on their own. The floors are covered in sticky and streamers and as we open the elevator we see the remnants of someone's 'lift party' it smells of smoke.

It's like New Years eve in the middle of the year, I suppose that makes sense since New Years is the height of winter here. And no on can go outside. Planes seem to always leaves streaks across the sky here, like carvings, I've no idea why. I thought maybe it was something about the cold?

Momta! Concept Rap Art

Momta! is a concept rap art group made up of two artists who take their shit very seriously. That is Mark Middlewick (rap name Kotkamaa) and Samantha Nell (rap name Mokola). Album is called Bossie Proppo dropping truth bombs this Summer.

Word yo.

 

 

 

 

The last one is just an awesome photo of Mark I took in the lift. I really think it's rad.

I Climbed Into The Belly Of The Great White Bear

The end of week two is here, and we're off to join in the Vappu celebrations in a bit, when the whole of Helsinki is going to get as drunk as they can. These shots are from the "braai" (it was a fish braai which isn't the real deal as far as I'm concerned, but they tried) just some shots of everyone whiling away one of the warmer afternoons in Helsinki. Getting to know new people, reconnecting with old ones. This week's been about getting closer to everyone else on the programme. And we've discovered that we're actually all a tight-knit family. Sadly, Mark and I are saddled with parental responsibility, but it's okay, we've already spoken about our divorce, and letting the kids move out. So I think we'll be joining the party soon.

Missing you all

 

 

 

Help I'm Alive

The first week in Helsinki went by at a strange kind of Finnish speed, because time here is backwards and inside out all in the same moment. It was both excruciatingly slow and way too fast in the same moment, and it's hard to look back now at where things ended and where new things began. All I know is that after only one week we've seen a bit of the city. Spent a little too much money. Been bemused by Finnish drunks. And marveled at yesterday buns. And I think I've lost my body clock somewhere along the way, sleep never seems to be around enough, and when it is I don't seem to want it.

I've been walking around a lot in this city and, like a good European, been living my life with my headphones glued to me with Metric's Fantasies blasting loudly and colouring the whole experience a different shade of cynical. But in the good way. You need a little bit of cynicism in any first world country when you come from one that isn't quite up to this scratch yet. We're so exotic here we even got interviewed for a Swedish-language radio station about the recent elections, in which we couldn't vote, but you can listen here if you want to hear us trying desperately to make people understand how much we love our home.

 

 

 

A Day at the Zoo with Ruthie and Sophie Paloma

Some of the last South African photos I took before I came to Helsinki. Found them still on my camera when I got here. It was kind of an awesome surprise.

 

 

 

 

Friends for the Cold

Recently trekked down to the Free State with some friends to my best friend Oliver's 21st. It was such a cool little excursion, even if we had a flat tyre on the way. Here are a few I'm gonna have fond memories of when I'm freezing in Helsinki on Friday.