Christmas must be one of my favorite holidays. On my previous post I
wrote about things that has uplifted my Christmas spirit... The final thing,
which I didn’t even dare to say out loud before I was absolutely sure it would
happen was that my brother came to spend the Christmas with us for the first
time in four years. Since he moved to another city, it has been rather
difficult to assemble a Christmas together. But, that was the final thing that
sparked up my Christmas spirit, which had been missing to the very last days
that preceded Christmas Eve.
We had some plans what to do, but instead we sat down and talked for
hours and hours – something we hadn’t have the opportunity to do face to face
in years. We literally talked through the whole days!
On Christmas Eve, we slept late and later we made a lot of food, something for
everyone. In fact, making food and eating was the only time we were rather
quiet. Every other time we just talked and talked.
For an appetizer before the Christmas dinner I had ryemeal bread with
fake fish roe mousse and dill.
Like every year, I made a seitan “ham” in a place of regular ham. It is
a big part of my food on Christmas.
For my big surprise, my brother said that he will taste everything on
the table – even the traditional casseroles which he said he doesn’t really
like that much. I was prepared for him starting to joke about my diet and foods
but instead, he even tasted the seitan I had made. His reaction made me smile;
he was very careful how to say it out loud, for he is a meat-eater to his very
core but even he did say that seitan isn’t his thing he didn’t hate it. That meant
a lot to me, for he must have had the image of my very first attempt to make
seitan in his head so he must have waited it to be as horrible as back then.
We hadn’t really prepared to bake anything but out of an impulse my
brother decided to make a chocolate cake out of everything he could find and it
turned out to be one of the best cakes I’ve eaten.
On this year there were not many gifts but as I’ve gotten older I don’t really
feel like needing any, even it is nice to get something, but it’s not a
necessity anymore... What is even more important for me is celebrating Christmas
together with the people I love.
The cats were a bit shy at first for they hadn’t seen my brother in such
a long time, but then they got accustomed to him and acted like he has never
been gone. All the food got our cats curious and they even tried to be rude in
order to get it, stalking on the chairs, near the table, staring at us with
their gleaming eyes... With cats you feel never alone – someone is always
watching.
I must say I had one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had – if not the best!
I must say that my Christmas spirit has been quite missing lately, even
we go towards Christmas... Some of the reasons I know, but some of the reasons still
stay unknown to me.
Even Christmas has become very advertised holiday, I still kind of enjoy the
endless Christmas commercials coming from the television – not because I’m a
perfect target to buy everything for I do not think Christmas is all about presents,
but it creates some sort of atmosphere. I’ve heard my share of Christmas songs in
the shops and markets, but I haven’t really listened many of them myself...
Maybe that’s one “symptom” of the missing Christmas spirit I’ve had lately.
But! I found it. I finally found it! The lost Christmas spirit I had been
looking for!
We went to a Christmas Market which is held every year at downtown. It
lasted 18 days this year and the time went by so fast that we went there on the
last day, which was today – but the market was still far from empty! We
strolled through the whole market and then we left to a near church to listen
to a men’s choir singing Christmas carols.
The men’s choir was the same which I went to listen at Tampere-talo at
the beginning of December but it is always so good that it is worth listening.
I knew that if anything, it would lift my Christmas spirit – and I was right...
After the concert I felt so, so good and my feelings felt so uplifted. It was
just what I needed!
There is one other thing which would definitely lift my Christmas spirit if
everything goes well and tomorrow I will know will it happen or not...
But for now I wish you all very peaceful Christmas waiting!
Today we celebrate our independence day in Finland – which, I must say,
I one of my favorite holidays when going towards Christmas and New Year!
Over the years, it has become a tradition for me to go to the
Tampere-talo to "Patriotic Festivities", to listen men’s choir
“Mieskuoro Laulajat”, which is a day before the Independence Day. Going there
has become a huge part of my celebration of Finland’s Independence Day!
I woke up early and got myself ready and I still had time! What a rare
and remarkable feeling... I was at Tampere-talo earlier than arranged, but soon
I started to find familiar people.
This year the choir had a new conductor, less singers and the whole concert
was a bit different – but I think it was better in its own way!
For the last four songs a senior choir group ”Seniorikuoro Konkelot”
came on stage to sing with the other choir. Both of the choirs’ voices matched
so well with each other! Finally also the “Eagles Brass Band” (Tampereen
Kotkien Puhallinorkesteri) came to play the song ”Finlandia”” which is one of
my favorite songs of all times and is an important piece of my own celebration
of Finland’s Independende Day!
I had not received any kind of invitation to upstairs for an after party that
takes place after the concert, but one thing lead to another and there I was
sitting at the table chatting with the other people. It felt so good to see
people I still remember from my childhood and catch up with them!
There was a buffet where also I, as a vegetarian, could find something
to eat. That is always nice... There were music, singing and dancing and the
time went by so fast! Too fast. The clock was near midnight when my dad
escorted me into a taxi and I went home. I had such a great feeling from the
whole night and I was so full energy that I could not even think of going to
sleep just yet!
Today I slept late and later on the evening we started to watch The
Independence Day’s reception and drank sparkling wine.
We didn’t make anything fancy for food but even it was just pizza, it
was self-made and that made it so damn good... After that we watched the after
party of The Independence Day’s reception. I’m very proud to be Finnish and
even I’m happy about our independence every day it is always great that on one
particular day is dedicated to celebrate it!
Today it happened! The flakes of the first snow came down!
You have no idea how much I wait for the first snow every year after
trying to bear through the rest of Autumn which is not a glory of bright colors
of red, orange and yellow anymore but only dead leaves rotting under my high
heels...
Today, I left from a clothing store downtown and when I stepped outside
I noticed that the wind was blowing tiny, delicate snowflakes. I love the
contrast when the white snowflakes attach to my black jacket and faux fur
collar.
I can be extremely happy for the little things in life! For example when
I got out of the bus and I saw my high heels melting my footsteps onto the thin
layer of snow as I walked.
The first snow always brings the memories of my favorite place back to
me. I was on a certain photographing project when I was younger where we were given
an assignment to photograph our favorite places. I had this one place near the
place where I used to live and I absolutely loved it! I was the last one with
missing a picture so I was hurried to take it already. I had waited for the
Autumn to color the leaves with bright colors and went to see were the last
green leaf turned to red almost every day, just waiting for the right moment to
take the picture... But instead the leaves just fell off from the trees before
they could show their colorful side. So, as I have always loved winter and
especially the first snow, I was waiting anxiously for it to come down because
I didn’t want to take the picture with half rotten leaves on the ground. The
deadline of the project came to its final point so I had to go to take the
picture... But then something magical happened! The first snow came down just
on that very day I went with my camera to take the picture. I have always loved
my favorite place especially on Winter, so to me the picture came out perfect
and I can not thank Mother Earth enough for that...
Today I was at TV show shooting with my dad.
It was a music game show thing called “Tartu Mikkiin” (or “Grab the Mic”
in English)... The concept is that there are four Finnish singers and they are
competing for points and who wins by trying to recognize a song from a karaoke
clip.
It was really fun to watch it live. The filming process was kind of dull
between the takes and I noticed it is not a one-take-thing. I had always
thought it was a live show but they shot this for the beginning of next year!
This was the last episode ever of the show so it was kind of historical as they
said... But they have been doing the show from 2006 so it’s understandable that
they wrapped it up.
Most of the guests were actually good ones! They were Pate Mustajärvi
(from “Popeda”), Vesku Jokinen (from “Klamydia”), Olli Lindholm (from “Yö”) and
Costello Hautamäki.
After the game show there was an aftershow where the host interviewed
the artists asking about their career, albums, songs, how they came up with
their band’s name, etc. It was really interesting... Between interviews the
artists performed songs either alone or mainly in duet. I personally think the
aftershow was better than the actual game show, but that’s just me...
After the show was over, everyone were swarming on the stage trying to get a
picture with the artists... Me too, heh. I managed to track down Vesku Jokinen
and Pate Mustajärvi.
Filming the show took about four hours plus the breaks, which lasted
about an hour... So we were there about five hours – a lot longer than I first
imagined. But the time was well spent at least from my point of view and I had
a really nice day!
There has been a silence in this blog, since the
end of September. I have been taking time for myself and getting forward with
my life... Recovering, as one might say! And preparing future blog posts for my
other blog, but also for this blog. Since I’m now balancing between these two
blogs, it might seem unfair to leave this one without attention, but I’m trying
to blog whenever I can!
I have been shopping and gone out more. I’m not sure if these are as related to
each other as I think they might be, but maybe... I’m also preparing Halloween!
On Wednesday I went out to eat with my mom.
Nothing fancy, just burritos... This one restaurant in downtown had got my eye,
which served mainly burritos and out of curiosity I decided to find out do they
serve vegan burritos. And they did. And it was good! I always love to get
somewhere else to eat than the corners of my own home. It’s always a nice
change whenever it can be arranged...
The restaurant had a comfy atmosphere with dim
lights and its decor may look odd to the outside, because I believe it all has been
recycled in one way or another, but once you go inside it all just fits
there... The place didn’t have its walls covered with regular paintings (or ads
of foods they serve like the major food chains does) but had peculiar artworks
hanged on the walls as well as different lamps. I liked it!
On Thursday I went to see a movie, which was also
a nice change to the ordinary weekdays... And I had a purchased movie ticket
that needed to be reclaimed for a chosen movie so I went to see a comedy “Let's
Be Cops” (or “Valekytät” in Finnish as the ticket say). I thought the movie was
very funny, so the ticket didn’t go to waste.
In some days I haven’t been up to much and some days I have. But that’s just
life.
