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.

Kallio snow globe

Kallion kirkko yesterday

   

It's a bit strange writing about summer (see lost posts - like you can miss them) when even in Kallio it is like being in a snow globe recently.

Same old same old

Not the view from my window: From Favourites

Like the UK, we are also having an early cold and snowy winter in Finland and looking to last another week at least... -33°C in Lapland last night and -16 forecast here for the weekend. Even in Helsinki we have about 10cm of snow on the ground, which we've had for a couple of weeks now. Our newly purchased thermometer tells me it has warmed up a few degrees and now is only -10.6°C outside. After last winter it all seems pretty common place now (not having a picturesque view from my window, makes it all seem a bit wasted somehow) but good news for all those enthusiasts who got excited and bought new skis last year I guess!

I really must buy a proper winter coat this year...

Mysteeri

Interesting tracks in Mellunmäki

Winter is fantastic time for detectives...

You can see has anyone left the house before you in the morning & figure out has it been a woman or a man, or perhaps a child with a toboggan or someone with a long tail. You can easily see how intoxicated your spouse was when arriving home judged based on the trail left behind...

You can also trick people believing in things; granny used to wear granpa's large rubber boots to make tracks in the deep snow on a narrow country road (in the middle of nowhere) - You might wonder, why was she in the middle of nowhere in my grandpa's boots... and the answer is: she lived in a small cottage alone... in the dark winter time she thought that the big steps would keep potential unwanted guests out of the estate. Soon after she was persuaded to move to the nearby town to live in her own flat (with running water, electricity & central heating).

Can you detect a rabbit hopping in the snow - How about the smaller tracks?

On top of the standard beautiful marks on the snow, one can not pass without noticing the yellow & brown tracks on white background. Unfortunately it kind of gets worse when the snow starts melting... but hopefully it's not time for that yet, although the first migrating birds have started to return to Finland... The winter has been fantastic; beautiful and snowy - perhaps Mr. Snow greets us at the end of the drive way for a bit longer?

Night shift

"The Hour of the Wolf" is the hour between night and dawn. It is the hour when most people die. It is the hour when the sleepless are haunted by their deepest fear, when ghosts and demons are most powerful."

... It is also the hour when the flipping snow ploughs have a gathering underneath the bedroom window in order to take away the snow pushed aside the streets during the day.

Please let us know who has designed the piiping device activated by reversing - can it not be turned off during the hour of the wolf?

Sumu ja jää

lumi polku: From More snow days

Saturday was a bright, clear day, with almost no wind, although still -14ºC. Almost perfect for walking in the snow and maybe venturing on the ice to take some photos. This of course meant we woke late, then spent the rest of the five short daylight hours in supermarkets and shopping centres. So looking at similar sää enuste (weather forecast) for the next day we decided we would go out before 10am to enjoy some hyvää ilmaa.

Sunday was white. Not from snow, but from fog; and from the covering of white stuff, a hoare frost on steroids, on all the trees left by the freezing fog. Like tiny leaves or blossom, a thick covering of delicate feathery white ice crystals had grown on the skeletal winter trees, so that even our view of Citymarket car park and the Shell bensiiniasema became almost magical. We took our walk anyway, and instead of low sun, glittering snow and impossibly long shadows, we had a sugar frosted world in shades of white disappearing into the dim mist, and where a gust of wind in the tree tops brought down a shower of frozen powder.

On ice, in fog: From More snow days

feathery ice crystals blossom: From More snow days

From More snow days

More photos here

Deja vu

Balcony sunrise

Like this, but better...

Grow your own frosted glass

Sugar frosted privacy

Enjoy a tasty new 'acid etched' look to your balcony. (Please note you should take a good look at the view before using this recipe as you won't be seeing it again for a while...)

Ingredients:

• 1 x glazed in balcony
• 1 x micro-sauna
• Water
• 1-2 x humans
• Seasoning: baste with beer or cider to taste

Instructions:

1. Chill glazed balcony to around -15 to -20°C (if you can't fit yours in the freezer you may need to relocate to, say, Helsinki in the winter which has an over-abundance of apartment blocks with said items)
2. Pre-heat ridiculous micro-sauna to 70-90°C for 20 mins. If you don't have a micro-sauna an ordinary sized one will work fine (or as some would say, far better), although you should pre-heat for up to an hour.
3. Place humans in sauna. You may need to do this one at a time if you are using the stupidly small micro-sauna. Add water as necessary to give the bodies a good löyly - this may take between 2 and 20 minutes depending how well done you like them.
4. Quickly move the steaming bodies to the balcony - wrapping them in towels is usually recommended.
5. Allow to rest, occasionally basting with your choice of beverage.
6. After about 5-10 mins repeat stages 3-5 until a satisfactory layer of frost is achieved.
7. Rinse humans and store carefully for future use.

What to blog?

Minus Thirty! From Lapland - Winter 08/09

No, I didn't throw myself down the stairs (or go skiing) and end up in hospital for two weeks.  I was more serious about wanting to write amusing and interesting posts, but since I can't think of any it will have to be the usual rubbish...

We have also been busy post holiday: we have moved (temporarily), I've worked on portfolio, been to Europan 10 launch, started new Finnish course, applied for a job and had an interview (don't think I'll get it though).

Lappi was fun, although quite expensive.  Apart from getting to see my Mum and sister, my lasting memories will probably be seeing -32°C on the thermometer (and going out in -30°C to experience what happens when your nose hairs freeze..., walking across a lake, husky sledging, and meeting woolly hungarian pigs (Konna's favourite I believe). No northern lights though, so will have to try again sometime.

The whole thing was quite an adventure for my Mum, although she claims the most worrying experience thing wasn't artic temperatures, galloping reindeer, sauna habits or Kittilä airport's snowy runway.  No, it was me, driving in Helsinki in falling snow, and with 10cm on the ground. Thanks Mum! (Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned I'd never driven in the snow before setting off... hmmm.) 

8 - Olkilyhde

Somewhere in Viikki, Helsinki (by unknown photographer - if you know who took this photo, let us know!)

Leikatusta kaurasta valmistettuja lyhteitä käytetään lintujen ruokkimiseen talvella - Erityisesti joulun aikoihin. Talipallot on myös kuumaa kamaa kun linnuista ja 'roikkuvista' oravista on kyse. Oravien herkkua ovat myös pähkinät, joita ne syövät lintulaudoilta roikkuen puun oksilta takajalkojensa varasssa.

'Olkilyhde' pl. 'olkilyhteet' (=sheafs of wheat) are prepared for feeding the birds in the winter - especially during the Christmas time. Balls of fat are also hot stuff when birds and 'hanging squirrels' are in question. Squirrels also love various nuts which they get from bird feeders (re: Squirrels hanging from tree branches).

Finnish studs

so... what exactly is this a picture of!? nokian talvirenkaat

Well the title might have generated a few unusual search hits, and you may be worrying what exactly that aggressive and phallic looking thing is (especially if you were trying to get here), but don't worry it's nothing like that - nor is this post about a suomea remake of the 1970's film of Jackie Collins' book...   

Instead, ask yourself - if you could hear winter approaching what would it sound like?

Since the beginning of the month, walking alongside the roads as the evenings draw in, I have increasingly heard the winter creeping up on us.  That is the crunching-hiss of studded talvirenkaat (winter tyres) on passing cars, almost like a distant gravel drive.  Studded winter tyres are allowed from 1 November to the end of March, and winter tyres (not necessarily studded) are obligitory between 1 December and Feb 28th (or whenever weather conditions are considered bad enough to need them). I imagine if we actually had a car that tonttu creature would be complaining we haven't changed tyres yet...

Other essential winter items are engine block heaters, so the car will actually start (so that's what those posts in all the carparks are), and super anti-freeze in the windscreen wash (there is one called superpiss - I kid you not).  Passing the Finnish winter (ice) driving test helps too I guess. It is often said that the combination of snow, ice, lonely gravel roads, studded tyres, and the terrifying 'I was here first' rule for joining traffic, is the reason for Finland's unsurpassed output of rally and race drivers (well except this year). 

Luckily for us (admittedly occasional) cyclists there also studded winter bike tyres available (as shown in the picture if you hadn't realised) - and if you have ever gone down on a bike on ice or snow you will appreciate that.  I just need to decide if I am really going to take my bike out in the cold & dark before buying some... I mean there's lots else to do inside...