Friday 4 February 2011

Mistä olet sinä kotoisin?


Great Eng..Brit..UK-land Isles (jne) by C.G.P. Grey via Holy Kaw and @stephenfry


One of the first things you learn in Finnish language lessons is the simple question 'Where are you from?'
What people don't always understand is that may not be as straightforward a query to answer as you might think... now all I need to do is translate the video* into Finnish. Or maybe make a t-shirt of that Venn diagram.

[suomen kielien kurssissa]

  • Opiskellija 1: Hei 
  • Opiskellija 2:  Moi
  • Missä sinä asut?
  • Asun Helsingissa. Olen asunnut suomessa noin kolme vuotta.
  • Mista olet sinä kotoisin? Oletko englantilainen?
  • Olen englannista, mutta myös iso-brittaniasta ja brittein saarista ja u.k:sta
  • Mitä!?
  • Olen britti ja englantilainen kyllä. Mutta minun passini kertoo 'United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'
  • Kirja vain sanoo 'maa: englanti, keili: englantia,  kansalaisuus: englantilainen - englannista...
  • Tiedän, mutta on monimutkainen maa. 
  • Sitten... oletko irlantilainen myös?
  • En ole. Ihminen voi olla irlantilainen ja iso-brittanista, mutta ei aina.
  • En ymmärrä sinun maa!
  • Määt - monikko. OK. Sinun vuoro. Mistä sinä...
  • Opettaja: Oletteko valmis seuraava harjoitus?

I wonder if there is a video to explain London, Greater London, Inner London, Central London, London Boroughs and City of London...


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* Arguably there are still a few inaccuracies in this video. Or possibly sarcasm. See the comments on 'Holy Kaw' here.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Non-Angry Birds

Sorsa X Tööllönlahden lähellä sunnuntaina: 'En ole vihainen lintu'

If you live in Finland or read any 'tech'/games media (or own an iPhone) you probably don't need me to tell you about Angry Birds (Vihaiset Linnut) the hit game developed in Finland by Rovio (and no. 1 downloaded paid app just about everywhere).  Over Christmas Konna and I discovered the phenomenon and quickly became addicted. I even had to get the Mac version for her to play while I was away so she would let me take my iPod with me... I'm convinced that even though the birds and green pigs (don't ask) only make nonsense noises, you can tell they have Finnish accents. And just to rub it in on one level the linnut are attacking a 'tank' manned (pigged?) by said vihreät siät flying a ruotsalainen lippu (thats the blue and yellow flag of the country just to the left of us in case you were wondering).

On Sunday we went for a four hour walk around across Hakaniemenlahti and Töölönlahti (just getting used to taking winter short cuts after three years).  The sky was gloriously clear and blue, though the wind was fierce, so ideal for a few (dozen) about a hundred photos.  Stopping to look at the ducks and snow sculptures, we then headed past the Olympic stadium, where traditionally clad skaters were flocking for the first ever public access to the temporary ice rink, and then through Sibeliuksenpuisto to the my favourite, the fantastically unorthodox Cafe Regatta - only to discover we had the sum total of eight euros* between us for a lunch. We settled for freshly baked korvupuustia and a shared coffee...  and luckily coffee refills get a five cent refund making it a bottomless cup. As I said - unorthodox.

Crossing Töölönlahti


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* Not enough for two drinks and two pullaa, let alone lunch. And Regatta isn't particularly expensive.