Happy to be back. Last couple of weeks.. Wonderful, busy, lifechanging, exciting. Old and new people, new sides of them, new places, old things with new people, new sides of myself.
I have exactly one months left. Kind of I'm excited to stabilize my life and to be able to enjoy of these things I'm living now with more stability and for longer periods of time. Then again I am not looking at all forward to returning to Finland because I fear my opportunities will partly seize existing, that I wont find this thrill or passion in people over there. I fear things will be more bland. I know it's mainly up to myself but here it is easy to jump on the stream of neverending adventures and enjoy the ride. In Finland I am the wagon, I am the motor that brings me forward.
Probably the Finns understand me when I say that despite the cold, the darkness, the drunks etc what I most fear returning is the grayness. Day in and day out we work, fill our duties as taxpayers, follow the rules, comply with our duties, do what we are supposed to do on our free time and complain about how life is boring. How easy it is to fall in that trap. How will I notice if I do fall in that trap? Is it actually a trap? Am I maybe better off there, secure, controlled, with little surprises but little drama as well. Or do I want more?
Well, thoughts. This does cross my mind every now and then though. Am I living the most exciting years of my life and the ones that follow will be completely horrible? I surely hope it's not like that. At least for now home is wherever I lay my head. Lets just hope it brings happiness too.
tiistai 1. toukokuuta 2012
tiistai 17. huhtikuuta 2012
Flashback
Last night I was watching the new episodes of Game of Thrones. A flashback hit me when I heard the opening song. You see, I watched the entire season one of Game of Thrones during my second week in Brussels last september. That was my first week with Mhamed (for my new readers who don't know about the adventures I had with my flatmate Mhamed, check out the posts in September - November 2011).
I don't think too often about Mhamed these days. I got out safe, no harm done except for the money lost but in the end that's just money. So all good. Nevertheless, every now and then I get reminded and I get the chills, even though I consciously never thought that it had a negative impact on me. Some people have similar ways of talking, similar eyes, same pitch of the voice, similar body structure.. Especially similar gestures make me slightly uneasy. Not much but just enough that I get reminded.
How do I feel about it now? It was a very funny time. The one month I spent in Mhamed's home taught me a lot about the human mind and about the conflicts of the modern world and Islam. The fact that I didn't have a key to my home made my settling down in Brussels much slower. Mhamed despite being nice to me was a ticking bomb. Two more months and I would have seen another, an even darker side of him. Then it would probably have been dangerous to stay there.
All in all, it was an interesting experience. I got to live with a homosexual drunk middle-age muslim who had severe psychological problems added to the problems with law and the regular prostitution he was practising. It's not every day that one gets to live in a soap opera.
I don't think too often about Mhamed these days. I got out safe, no harm done except for the money lost but in the end that's just money. So all good. Nevertheless, every now and then I get reminded and I get the chills, even though I consciously never thought that it had a negative impact on me. Some people have similar ways of talking, similar eyes, same pitch of the voice, similar body structure.. Especially similar gestures make me slightly uneasy. Not much but just enough that I get reminded.
How do I feel about it now? It was a very funny time. The one month I spent in Mhamed's home taught me a lot about the human mind and about the conflicts of the modern world and Islam. The fact that I didn't have a key to my home made my settling down in Brussels much slower. Mhamed despite being nice to me was a ticking bomb. Two more months and I would have seen another, an even darker side of him. Then it would probably have been dangerous to stay there.
All in all, it was an interesting experience. I got to live with a homosexual drunk middle-age muslim who had severe psychological problems added to the problems with law and the regular prostitution he was practising. It's not every day that one gets to live in a soap opera.
perjantai 13. huhtikuuta 2012
Photos!
It's photo time! No, I'm not uploading photos here, the ones I want to share reach the random public better on Facebook. If you're not registered, click this LINK so you get access to the photos. Sofar I've uploaded photos from a trek and the photos from my recent trip to central Chile and Mendoza in eastern Argentina.
Overall it was a wonderful trip. I spent 18 hours in bus getting to Valparaiso in Chile, stayed there 3 nights, then back to Mendoza in Argentina. Chile was notably different to Argentina (that's what also the Argentinians say). It's more organized, people respect the rules more. It's "colder" litterally but also in the sense that there isn't as much of the warm lifestyle that is almost adorable in latinos. The man I sat next to in the bus said that Chileans want to work whereas Argentinians try every trick to avoid working. Well, Chile is going strong and together with Brazil it's said to be the leading star of South American economy. Maybe it's culture, maybe it's politics.
I did also traditional couchsurfing for the first time in a long time. Usually I just meet people through CS but in Valparaiso I stayed with a guy named Francisco. He had a huge house all to himself so we were 3 surfers staying at his place. The great thing was that we all hit it off really well and I was reminded of the grandeur of peoples hospitality. Couchsurfing really represents a great ideology and brings together likeminded people. If you don't know it yet, check out this link.
Now I'm off to dance a little, tomorrow it's my turn to cook at work. Also our workshops will finally start so he have people representing the press and the cultural scene visiting La Ribera. Plus my flatmate will get a tattoo :P
Overall it was a wonderful trip. I spent 18 hours in bus getting to Valparaiso in Chile, stayed there 3 nights, then back to Mendoza in Argentina. Chile was notably different to Argentina (that's what also the Argentinians say). It's more organized, people respect the rules more. It's "colder" litterally but also in the sense that there isn't as much of the warm lifestyle that is almost adorable in latinos. The man I sat next to in the bus said that Chileans want to work whereas Argentinians try every trick to avoid working. Well, Chile is going strong and together with Brazil it's said to be the leading star of South American economy. Maybe it's culture, maybe it's politics.
I did also traditional couchsurfing for the first time in a long time. Usually I just meet people through CS but in Valparaiso I stayed with a guy named Francisco. He had a huge house all to himself so we were 3 surfers staying at his place. The great thing was that we all hit it off really well and I was reminded of the grandeur of peoples hospitality. Couchsurfing really represents a great ideology and brings together likeminded people. If you don't know it yet, check out this link.
Now I'm off to dance a little, tomorrow it's my turn to cook at work. Also our workshops will finally start so he have people representing the press and the cultural scene visiting La Ribera. Plus my flatmate will get a tattoo :P
maanantai 9. huhtikuuta 2012
We see the same moon
A couple of nights ago the moon was full and bright. I was trekking with my flatmate and our guide in the Andes. The days had been warm so the night wasn't too cold up in the mountain. There is very little vegetation so the light reflected from the moon was bright. In the middle of the night it would have been possible to read a book outside. I had a visible shadow behind me and a fascinating view in front of me.
Standing there, outside and alone, I thought about an album by Mr. Presidents called "We see the same sun". We see the same moon, too. You saw that same moon even though you were probably several thousand kilometers away. The moon, the mountains, the sky, everything exists and keeps on existing with or without us. We are ants. We work, fill our purpose in life and then die. All our joys and sorrows, albeit significant for us, are only drops in the ocean, insignificant parts of the big picture.
When did we stop being humble and instead started acting as lords of the universe?
Standing there, outside and alone, I thought about an album by Mr. Presidents called "We see the same sun". We see the same moon, too. You saw that same moon even though you were probably several thousand kilometers away. The moon, the mountains, the sky, everything exists and keeps on existing with or without us. We are ants. We work, fill our purpose in life and then die. All our joys and sorrows, albeit significant for us, are only drops in the ocean, insignificant parts of the big picture.
When did we stop being humble and instead started acting as lords of the universe?
lauantai 31. maaliskuuta 2012
Action pack
Very busy days at work. March 24th was the anniversary of the latest coup d'etat in 1976. The dictatorship that was established is the reason why today hidden detention centers are open as museums and why hundreds of thousands of people live in poverty with friends and family disappeared. The dictatorship made the blooming industry of Argentina hit rock bottom. The dictatorship of the 70's is actually partly the reason why my life is the way it is here in Argentina. What a curious thought...
On Saturday the 24th the memory centers in Cordoba (meaning former detention centers, Campo de La Ribera being one of three) organized a concert of Leon Gieco, a long time superstar in Argentina. We had 15 000 people present that day. Later in the evening a peaceful march was organized in the center. Without any official number to present, the people participating in the march filled the lenght of 8 blocks of the avenue. Thousands.
On Monday in the tribunal of Cordoba 3 ex police officers got condemned for crimes committed during the dictatorship. More specifically what happened was that 3 politically active students were kidnapped in 1976. They were forced into a car (one was shot in the back already then). They were driven to a remote location where the police killed these people with 172 bullets in total. The defence alleged that these students had driven to a check post where they had started shooting at the police, which means that the 172 bullets were shot in self defence. The court sentenced these police officers for life in prison, in Argentina equaling apparently around 20 years. It was beautiful. People were hugging eachother, laghing, crying, jumping together. It was a day of justice.
For the ones interested, what they're doing here with accusing people over 30 years later is actually quite clever, look it up. Plus there's no international tribunal, it's all Argentinian work.
On Thursday a group of students came to Campo de La Ribera for a volunteer day. Wall painting, cleaning, planting flowers, stamping books... We had choripanes for lunch and in the afternoon a discussion and a tour. In the evening I was given a very appreciated class on how to barbecue the Argentinian way. Five kinds of meat, salads, potatoes, bread, eggplants, drinks and later on coctails with condensed milk, fruits... All this for 7 euros per person! And now I have some tricks up my sleeve.
So this was my week. The next days I'll be in Chile and Mendoza in western Argentina. I have to renew my visa which makes a perfect excuse. Hectic but fun days.
On Saturday the 24th the memory centers in Cordoba (meaning former detention centers, Campo de La Ribera being one of three) organized a concert of Leon Gieco, a long time superstar in Argentina. We had 15 000 people present that day. Later in the evening a peaceful march was organized in the center. Without any official number to present, the people participating in the march filled the lenght of 8 blocks of the avenue. Thousands.
On Monday in the tribunal of Cordoba 3 ex police officers got condemned for crimes committed during the dictatorship. More specifically what happened was that 3 politically active students were kidnapped in 1976. They were forced into a car (one was shot in the back already then). They were driven to a remote location where the police killed these people with 172 bullets in total. The defence alleged that these students had driven to a check post where they had started shooting at the police, which means that the 172 bullets were shot in self defence. The court sentenced these police officers for life in prison, in Argentina equaling apparently around 20 years. It was beautiful. People were hugging eachother, laghing, crying, jumping together. It was a day of justice.
For the ones interested, what they're doing here with accusing people over 30 years later is actually quite clever, look it up. Plus there's no international tribunal, it's all Argentinian work.
On Thursday a group of students came to Campo de La Ribera for a volunteer day. Wall painting, cleaning, planting flowers, stamping books... We had choripanes for lunch and in the afternoon a discussion and a tour. In the evening I was given a very appreciated class on how to barbecue the Argentinian way. Five kinds of meat, salads, potatoes, bread, eggplants, drinks and later on coctails with condensed milk, fruits... All this for 7 euros per person! And now I have some tricks up my sleeve.
So this was my week. The next days I'll be in Chile and Mendoza in western Argentina. I have to renew my visa which makes a perfect excuse. Hectic but fun days.
lauantai 24. maaliskuuta 2012
Fall is here
Now it is officially fall. How do I know? Because this is the first night I keep my windows closed? Because there is rainfall? Because it's chillier? Nope. I know we're experiencing fall because we passed March 21st.
Apparently in several countries seasons of the year are defined by exact dates, dictated by the equinox. So, fall starts on March 21st, winter on June 21st, spring on September 21st and winter on December 21st. The 21st of this month Facebook-updates were mainly about the fall. On the radio the hosts talked about how warm the climate will be during the first weeks of the fall. It was a given fact. Summer was gone.
In Finland they're experiencing now a wonderful weather. +5 - +7'C, sunshine, melting snow... How do we know that it's spring? Because the sun is shining. The climate is getting warmer. It's unlikely that it will snow anymore. Spring comes when it chooses to, usually in February, March or April. (As a sidenote here - Usually temperature in most places in the world stays above zero. Therefore there is no need to stress the fact that the temperature is above freezing point. On the contrary we Finns do stress that difference. Usually we say that it's "plus 10 degrees", "plus 3 degrees" and so on.)
So now the upper and the lower hemisphere have stepped into the next season. A wonderful and beautiful season with soft sunlight, colors and more agreeable weather, whichever season it may be.
Apparently in several countries seasons of the year are defined by exact dates, dictated by the equinox. So, fall starts on March 21st, winter on June 21st, spring on September 21st and winter on December 21st. The 21st of this month Facebook-updates were mainly about the fall. On the radio the hosts talked about how warm the climate will be during the first weeks of the fall. It was a given fact. Summer was gone.
In Finland they're experiencing now a wonderful weather. +5 - +7'C, sunshine, melting snow... How do we know that it's spring? Because the sun is shining. The climate is getting warmer. It's unlikely that it will snow anymore. Spring comes when it chooses to, usually in February, March or April. (As a sidenote here - Usually temperature in most places in the world stays above zero. Therefore there is no need to stress the fact that the temperature is above freezing point. On the contrary we Finns do stress that difference. Usually we say that it's "plus 10 degrees", "plus 3 degrees" and so on.)
So now the upper and the lower hemisphere have stepped into the next season. A wonderful and beautiful season with soft sunlight, colors and more agreeable weather, whichever season it may be.
tiistai 20. maaliskuuta 2012
Oh no..
... I'm trying to fight it but sometimes it escapes me. I'm involuntarily starting to do the countdown. "Only XX days left in Córdoba", "only XX weekends left to spend with nice people and explore beautiful places", "only XX tango classes left"... For god's sake, I'm staying here for 3 months, not 3 days. Let go, relax, enjoy the ride.
There's one thing that is making this worse. I'm starting to like it here.
There's one thing that is making this worse. I'm starting to like it here.
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