Thursday, February 17, 2005
Holidays & Helsinki
Hi Everyone,
Time for another update, and it’s been a busy week.
We saw the Finnish flags flying last Saturday, and learned that it was a national holiday dedicated to the poet Juhan Runeberg. A pastry called Runeberg's tart, first made by the poet’s wife, is always eaten on this holiday, and special readings of his poetry are held. You can read more about Runeberg and even get a recipe for the tart at http://www.finnguide.fi/calendar/feb.asp.
We celebrated another holiday last Tuesday. Laskiainen formally celebrates Shrove Tuesday, but we prefer to call it “Eat Pea Soup and Go Sledding” Day because children are let out of school to spend the day playing in the snow. Traditionally, pea soup with a dollop of spicy brown mustard and a special pastry called laskiaispulla are served on Laskiainen. Since Finnish kids don’t have “Snow Days” because a foot or 2 of snow is no big deal, I suppose a designated national Snow Day, disguised as Shrove Tuesday, is apropos!
So we could fully experience this holiday, Roy’s group at the university (who are all in their 20s and 30s and not far removed from enjoying this holiday as school children) arranged for all of us to go to a beautiful state park near Oulu to celebrate. First we ate lunch in the lodge, which of course featured pea soup and laskiaispulla. The lodge looked like it belonged in the Rocky Mountains, with pine logs and stuffed wildlife including a troll. Then we all hiked up the hill to sled. Roy and I had borrowed what Roy dubbed “Butt Sleds” – a 12 inch piece of heavy plastic with a handle grip. You sit on the plastic oval, hold onto the handle, and down you go. They proved so efficient that we’re bringing some back for glacier sledding in Colorado.
Thursday we headed to Helsinki for a Fulbright orientation meeting. Roy’s sessions didn’t start until Friday, so we went sightseeing in the afternoon.
On our trek, we saw advertisements for what we thought was a European circus called “Un Cirque Tout Juste” so we found the ticket vendor and headed off that evening in gale-force winds and blinding snow for the circus. But when we arrived at the tiny 30-seat avant-garde “black box” theater, we determined that elephants and acrobats probably were not going to be part of the show.
Instead, we were treated to a wonderfully droll one actor play done completely in mime, in which the “circus” was a kind of spontaneous backyard production that children might do, taken to a sophisticated, post-modern level that featured handmade moving toys, a concertina, and balls juggled with a rug. Hard to describe, but absolutely charming. It seemed to sum up what we had learned so far about the Finns – self-deprecating, low key, making do with less than state-of-the-art implements if need be, and creating stylized art forms that are at once simple and complex. I had puzzled over the translation of the title of the production until mid-way through the play when it dawned on me that “Un Cirque Tout Juste” translated (again in a stylized way) to “An OK Circus” which summed up the evening perfectly!
Friday while Roy attended meetings, I went on a quest to find “The Witch’s Drum” at the National Museum of Finland. These Lappish, or Sami, drums were used by shamans before Christianity arrived in Finland in about 1200 A.D. Only a few of the drums still exist, and we learned about them while visiting with Arja (note the spelling correction) and Juha the previous weekend. The face of the drum is covered with symbols, and when a ring is placed on the drum and it is played with an antler beater, the future can be told through the movement of the ring on the drum face.
I have been reading the Kalevala, the epic mythology of Finland, and so along the way to the Witch’s Drum (which is also described in the Kalevala), I loved learning about the early history and beliefs of the Finnish people – that bear claws kept under the pillow would ward off bad dreams and kept in a maiden’s pocket would encourage suitors, and that water poured through “Wind Nests” – the mistletoe we call “Witch’s Broom” – would cure eye ailments. And in a tribute to lawyers everywhere, it was thought that all the snakes in Finland gathered in a single circle in the spring, where a white snake, standing in the middle and wearing a crown, spewed out smooth stones. If early Finns were lucky enough to find one of these stones, their appearance in court (where they had to represent themselves) would go in their favor.
I didn’t get further than the 12th century – approximately one-quarter of the museum’s offerings – but I had a wonderful time! My only nod toward the modern was near the museum café where I had lunch. There they presented a thought-provoking exhibit of newly acquired objects which were quite contemporary. The commentary posted with the exhibit questioned what was appropriate for a national museum to collect, and invited visitors to write down suggestions.
In the late afternoon I went with Roy to the Fulbright Center for a concert by an a cappella group. The director was a doctoral candidate from Yale who had spent his Fulbright year at the Sibeleus Academy in Helsinki. The program was a beautiful collection of Finnish and American songs, and their rendition of “Shenandoah” was the best arrangement I’ve ever heard. Following the concert there was a reception which even the American Ambassador to Finland attended, along with many other high level dignitaries. Very impressive!
For dinner a bunch of Fulbrighters and their spouses went to Garlic, a restaurant guaranteed to make you an olfactory pariah in genteel circles, where we enjoyed smoked salmon topped with lemon mousse and roe, and reindeer shish-ka-bob (and you all know our partiality to reindeer although one of our correspondents pointed out that it would be hard to tell the grandchildren that we ate Donner and Blitzen!) The insights and experiences of the other Fulbrighters who are stationed all over the country were especially interesting. Some had brought teenaged children, and they said the kids were attending Finnish school and having a super time. One of the kids is planning to stay and attend university here in an international business program that enlists well over half its students from foreign countries, so the experience truly prepares graduates for an international career!
The following morning we had a crash course in the Finnish language designed more to assuage any guilt we felt for not attempting the spoken word than for actual instruction. A tour of the Presidential palace was also planned, but Roy and I opted to leave early and enjoy a relaxing train ride back to Oulu so we could attend the National Craft Show held in Oulu on Sunday.
The craft show had a definite Scandinavian style in everything from embroidery to woodwork and emphasized simple forms and great practicality. Because it is so early in the trip we didn’t buy too much, but got several business cards so we could follow up on things we liked. A highlight of the show was meeting Eija Sivonen, a fellow doll maker from Oulu with whom I’ve been exchanging e-mail messages. She is a lovely person, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with her over the next several months. Her soft sculpture dolls have been selected for display by the Bothnia Design Group, a juried national organization, and feature the flowing stylized lines that mark so much Finnish art.
One last entry: our romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. We went to the local pizza place near our flat – think Jack-in-the-Box with a menu in Finnish. We’d been spoiled by Finnish restaurants that cater to English-speaking dummies, so after contemplating a list of 35 combinations and recognizing maybe 3 words, we picked the “Quatro” assuming that it was the Big Four of pizza ingredients – probably sausage, pepperoni, and a couple of others. Well, we were right on one word. It had “Four” ingredients – ham, mushrooms, shrimp, and tunafish. Canned tunafish. Another culinary adventure!
Guess that’s all my news for this week. I’ll write more soon.
Cheers!
Sarah
Time for another update, and it’s been a busy week.
We saw the Finnish flags flying last Saturday, and learned that it was a national holiday dedicated to the poet Juhan Runeberg. A pastry called Runeberg's tart, first made by the poet’s wife, is always eaten on this holiday, and special readings of his poetry are held. You can read more about Runeberg and even get a recipe for the tart at http://www.finnguide.fi/calendar/feb.asp.
We celebrated another holiday last Tuesday. Laskiainen formally celebrates Shrove Tuesday, but we prefer to call it “Eat Pea Soup and Go Sledding” Day because children are let out of school to spend the day playing in the snow. Traditionally, pea soup with a dollop of spicy brown mustard and a special pastry called laskiaispulla are served on Laskiainen. Since Finnish kids don’t have “Snow Days” because a foot or 2 of snow is no big deal, I suppose a designated national Snow Day, disguised as Shrove Tuesday, is apropos!
So we could fully experience this holiday, Roy’s group at the university (who are all in their 20s and 30s and not far removed from enjoying this holiday as school children) arranged for all of us to go to a beautiful state park near Oulu to celebrate. First we ate lunch in the lodge, which of course featured pea soup and laskiaispulla. The lodge looked like it belonged in the Rocky Mountains, with pine logs and stuffed wildlife including a troll. Then we all hiked up the hill to sled. Roy and I had borrowed what Roy dubbed “Butt Sleds” – a 12 inch piece of heavy plastic with a handle grip. You sit on the plastic oval, hold onto the handle, and down you go. They proved so efficient that we’re bringing some back for glacier sledding in Colorado.
Thursday we headed to Helsinki for a Fulbright orientation meeting. Roy’s sessions didn’t start until Friday, so we went sightseeing in the afternoon.
On our trek, we saw advertisements for what we thought was a European circus called “Un Cirque Tout Juste” so we found the ticket vendor and headed off that evening in gale-force winds and blinding snow for the circus. But when we arrived at the tiny 30-seat avant-garde “black box” theater, we determined that elephants and acrobats probably were not going to be part of the show.
Instead, we were treated to a wonderfully droll one actor play done completely in mime, in which the “circus” was a kind of spontaneous backyard production that children might do, taken to a sophisticated, post-modern level that featured handmade moving toys, a concertina, and balls juggled with a rug. Hard to describe, but absolutely charming. It seemed to sum up what we had learned so far about the Finns – self-deprecating, low key, making do with less than state-of-the-art implements if need be, and creating stylized art forms that are at once simple and complex. I had puzzled over the translation of the title of the production until mid-way through the play when it dawned on me that “Un Cirque Tout Juste” translated (again in a stylized way) to “An OK Circus” which summed up the evening perfectly!
Friday while Roy attended meetings, I went on a quest to find “The Witch’s Drum” at the National Museum of Finland. These Lappish, or Sami, drums were used by shamans before Christianity arrived in Finland in about 1200 A.D. Only a few of the drums still exist, and we learned about them while visiting with Arja (note the spelling correction) and Juha the previous weekend. The face of the drum is covered with symbols, and when a ring is placed on the drum and it is played with an antler beater, the future can be told through the movement of the ring on the drum face.
I have been reading the Kalevala, the epic mythology of Finland, and so along the way to the Witch’s Drum (which is also described in the Kalevala), I loved learning about the early history and beliefs of the Finnish people – that bear claws kept under the pillow would ward off bad dreams and kept in a maiden’s pocket would encourage suitors, and that water poured through “Wind Nests” – the mistletoe we call “Witch’s Broom” – would cure eye ailments. And in a tribute to lawyers everywhere, it was thought that all the snakes in Finland gathered in a single circle in the spring, where a white snake, standing in the middle and wearing a crown, spewed out smooth stones. If early Finns were lucky enough to find one of these stones, their appearance in court (where they had to represent themselves) would go in their favor.
I didn’t get further than the 12th century – approximately one-quarter of the museum’s offerings – but I had a wonderful time! My only nod toward the modern was near the museum café where I had lunch. There they presented a thought-provoking exhibit of newly acquired objects which were quite contemporary. The commentary posted with the exhibit questioned what was appropriate for a national museum to collect, and invited visitors to write down suggestions.
In the late afternoon I went with Roy to the Fulbright Center for a concert by an a cappella group. The director was a doctoral candidate from Yale who had spent his Fulbright year at the Sibeleus Academy in Helsinki. The program was a beautiful collection of Finnish and American songs, and their rendition of “Shenandoah” was the best arrangement I’ve ever heard. Following the concert there was a reception which even the American Ambassador to Finland attended, along with many other high level dignitaries. Very impressive!
For dinner a bunch of Fulbrighters and their spouses went to Garlic, a restaurant guaranteed to make you an olfactory pariah in genteel circles, where we enjoyed smoked salmon topped with lemon mousse and roe, and reindeer shish-ka-bob (and you all know our partiality to reindeer although one of our correspondents pointed out that it would be hard to tell the grandchildren that we ate Donner and Blitzen!) The insights and experiences of the other Fulbrighters who are stationed all over the country were especially interesting. Some had brought teenaged children, and they said the kids were attending Finnish school and having a super time. One of the kids is planning to stay and attend university here in an international business program that enlists well over half its students from foreign countries, so the experience truly prepares graduates for an international career!
The following morning we had a crash course in the Finnish language designed more to assuage any guilt we felt for not attempting the spoken word than for actual instruction. A tour of the Presidential palace was also planned, but Roy and I opted to leave early and enjoy a relaxing train ride back to Oulu so we could attend the National Craft Show held in Oulu on Sunday.
The craft show had a definite Scandinavian style in everything from embroidery to woodwork and emphasized simple forms and great practicality. Because it is so early in the trip we didn’t buy too much, but got several business cards so we could follow up on things we liked. A highlight of the show was meeting Eija Sivonen, a fellow doll maker from Oulu with whom I’ve been exchanging e-mail messages. She is a lovely person, and I’m looking forward to spending more time with her over the next several months. Her soft sculpture dolls have been selected for display by the Bothnia Design Group, a juried national organization, and feature the flowing stylized lines that mark so much Finnish art.
One last entry: our romantic Valentine’s Day dinner. We went to the local pizza place near our flat – think Jack-in-the-Box with a menu in Finnish. We’d been spoiled by Finnish restaurants that cater to English-speaking dummies, so after contemplating a list of 35 combinations and recognizing maybe 3 words, we picked the “Quatro” assuming that it was the Big Four of pizza ingredients – probably sausage, pepperoni, and a couple of others. Well, we were right on one word. It had “Four” ingredients – ham, mushrooms, shrimp, and tunafish. Canned tunafish. Another culinary adventure!
Guess that’s all my news for this week. I’ll write more soon.
Cheers!
Sarah
