The Edited Editions: Coffee Sonnet 3

Due to the long explanation (which I can't always promise won't happen) I've put the sonnet first, so if you want you can ignore the editing process completely!

3.

Sat with a boy of the white fern, with black

Walls rising on all sides, and at our back

The ever present white seat of Luther.

Though it's here that I'll listen to my preacher

That bitter sable drink; harbouring me

From the blank sky and winds of Baltic sea.

And those who enter speak with low murmur

As we sedately relish in fervour.

From the cavernous street echo the screams

Of the graduates parading - in teems

Candy thrown from the hands of skin so fair,

Though demonic shrieks throttle the whiplashed air.

Interrupting the cramped space of inside,

So too the man with which I confide.

This weeks Coffee Sonnet caused a few issues; this is because when I read it through I thought it was terrible, there was no real focus and the imagery seemed to grasping at...well, not even strings.
  There were aspects that I enjoyed, a saving grace if ever there was one, and so this allowed me to concentrate on these parts and manipulate imagery to fit a different purpose.
  One of the main parts of this sonnet was actually that it was the first time I'd gone to a cafe with someone, I generally like to go alone and watch the world go by from a comfy seat. Whereas my friend Jeremy (a New Zealander, of importance later) in the original is introduced in the second stanza I immediately shifted him to the beginning - what this position allowed me to do was also introduce the consistent theme of black and white.
  To pick out the important parts of this theme also allows me to explain a few other choices made: firstly the little cafe we were in was predominantly black and white in design (HKI+), it also sits very close to the Senate Sq. where the Lutheran Cathedral dominates the skyline. The white cathedral also allows me to bring in a religious aspect to the black and white, though my intention is not to create HKI+ as an evil in comparison it is instead related to the warmth of both coffee and the cafe itself.
  We also seemed to pick a good spot for the end of school parade where students got in the back of trucks and were taken through the streets as they threw sweets. The reason hair is noted in the original is that this truck going by was all female and the stereotypical flowing blonde hair of Scandinavia was present - on reading this back I hated it, it is out of place and seems a bit too absorbed and so their character in the sonnet changes to the volta and they straddle both good/white (high up, fair skin etc) and evil/black (demonic shrieks).

  The third stanza is just s*** so I scrapped it.

Original

Cramped inside but with so much space to spare.

Black and white, screams echoing in the street.

Candy thrown by girls with beautiful hair,

The end of school paraded in a fleet. 

Sitting with a kiwi, men of the black

And white. The colour of HKI+.

The bitter sweet scent is taking me back:

Your soft touch, my senses lost to your musk

I cannot guess your usual clientele

But I am likely to frequent you oft'.

I imagine your summer, pray don't tell,

Under a parasol, loving and soft.

Next to politicians you stand astute,

But your modesty is beyond repute.

The Edited Editions: Coffee Sonnet 2

The second installment of my (hopefully) year long venture continues. I particularly struggled with the 3rd stanza and also what the volta would try and show. I think it is nicely summed up in the final couplet but I would right?
I still have issues with the final line of the second stanza though I like the imagery I'm trying to invoke, it may get reworked if a better line comes to pass. I also quite like the original end line in the second stanza but the perspective change from unreliable first to omniscient third required me to delete it. I also omitted the nominalisation of the brands for two reasons; first, so that all corporations can be seen in this and secondly, so as not to inadvertently mention them and therefore promote them subliminally.

Enjoy!

2.

Whore yourself to all and everyone else.

The cravings of a middle class custom, 

With faux leather seats and mass produced art

Across the city - but lacking in heart.

Chain corporations are one and the same,

Purveyors; of our materialism

Our addiction to their corporate crest.

We're never more than ten feet from this pest.

But even those with a discerning eye,

Who can taste the origins of Jamaica

Need the hit of the bitter morning start,

Even if from independence they depart.

Though soon again they realise their regret,

And the change in their pockets means much less. 

Original.

Whore yourself to all and everyone else.

Your prices seek a middle class custom,

Your abode with leather and song compels,

All over the city they'll err and um.

Do I enter at the door of low lights?

Watch out of your window, let life go past?

Let your thick warmth slip down my throat, tonight's

Not going to let me sleep, not so fast. 

A chain corporation you are to me,

Nothing special, you are far from the best.

People call you Robert's, but don't you see?

You're all the same a necessary pest.

Coffee, from Finland's own Starbucks like vein.

We will always need you, part of the grain. 

Life is Great.

6 months.
12 countries.
16 cities.

And now I find myself at home.
Not just Nottingham home but back in my sleepy town of Whitchurch.

I have been asked by many people how my time abroad was and I have struggled to say more than 'it was amazing' to each one. If you haven't studied abroad or travelled for an extended period it is really difficult to explain what the experience teaches you, gives you and how it makes you feel. If you have studied abroad or travelled then so few words are needed because you understand completely and so the explanation becomes irrelevant.

Yet after saying all this I'm still going to tell you about my trip. Feel free to backtrack now, scroll down for the pictures or if you are interested you can continue to hear about the places I've been and the people I've met. I will try and keep it to the best bits!

On the 22nd of May I took a Viking Line ferry away from Helsinki for the last time (for now). It wasn't easy saying goodbye but I don't think I could have asked for a better day to sail toward the horizon - beautiful blue skies, a warm breeze and reading a book at the harbour back to back with my favourite Polish friend.
Arriving in Stockholm, the weather was even hotter. I only stayed for one night but I made the most of my time walking around the Djurgarden, the National City park, and visiting the Vasa museum (a recommendation that I too would recommend), the best preserved 17th century ship in the world - all thanks to it sinking on its maiden voyage...in the harbour. Seriously though, check it out, it's a beautiful ship.

From Stockholm I took a train, the first of many using my interrail pass, to Copenhagen. Once more blessed with gorgeous weather I made my way to the hostel, where I was staying in a 66 bed dorm! I loved walking around the city (a running trend throughout this trip) and one of the main port of calls was of course the little mermaid. You know, the thing you have to see to say you've been to Copenhagen and then when you get there you really wish that there was something else that said you'd been to Copenhagen. Let's face it, it's a bit rubbish. Yet in the immediate vicinity is the Citadel, a flower shaped military base which has a gorgeous walk around the perimeter and a war memorial which is designed in a beautiful and thoughtful way. There is also a large fountain and the only Anglican church in Copenhagen - which happens to have roof tiles from my home county!

There were so many other things that I got up to on my winding through Europe; Auschwitz deserves a mention as it is something that I think we all should do at some point. It is such a thought provoking place that seeps into you and leaves you in a difficult but I think essential place. I also walked in on a free organ recital in Vienna (the saving grace, as I found it quite boring on my own) in a gorgeous church, saw fireworks for a dragon festival in Krakow, a panoramic view of Tuscany from the top of Siena, got lost in Venice - countless times, did not see David in Florence but instead saw the sunset behind the mountains which turned the river into gold and to defile any cultured sensibility I thought I had...I took a selfie in the Pantheon.

The most important part of my trip however was the people I met. It was very strange going from constant company in Helsinki, where I could walk into my friends' rooms within minutes to having just myself for company in Europe. Luckily I was meeting a few Helsinki-ans on my way round and I couldn't have asked for better cities (Prague, Krakow and Paris) to have spent one last moment with them but it was the other people who I met for a moment or a day that made my trip so memorable.
Copenhagen, so shortly after leaving Finland, greeted me with 30 or so Helsinki university students watching the Ice Hockey final. They lost. This meant there was a not a crazy night out as planned - where they would 'try and find somewhere to get naked and swim, as we usually do' - but instead a night of chatting in the common room and finding out one had remembered me from a drunken rendition of 'I'll be there for you' and 'Drunken sailor' at a Sit-sit...oops.

Italy provided the most company however and what company it was. Most of the people I met were Australian, something I am more than happy with as they are a beautiful bunch. There were two in particular though; a girl, from Lake Macquarie, in Venice who showed me the best gelato in town and whom I spent an inordinate amount of time aimlessly wandering the beautiful streets with, the second was a guy from Melbourne who I met in Rome. We watched the opening World Cup game and on departure to the airport I thrashed him in a game of rock, paper, scissors - this is after him saying that he was actually pretty good at the game and so the accomplishment was even more satisfying (though I was skeptical as he called it paper, scissors, rock).
I met a Canadian guy on the train from Venice to Florence and immediately we clicked due to what were far too high brow conversations for a month out of any intellectual thinking. We wandered around Florence taking in the beautiful architecture and then together with a Londoner and German we watched the aforementioned sunset and found the best view of Florence imaginable...and then a rather lovely cocktail bar too.
Two girls from Dallas managed to keep me company throughout Italy as I followed the same route as them, this meant having drinks in Venice, Florence and Rome with a not-so-gruesome-twosome and generally having a wonderfully chilled time laughing and hearing about each other's lives and plans. Although now I am constantly updated with photos of their continued travels which makes me insanely jealous - so it's a good job more travelling is in the works.

As my adventure was a train adventure I think it also makes sense to tell you of my favourite train journey. This came in circumstances you would normally not expect to enjoy. My train back from Siena to Florence was delayed...then cancelled. We had no information as to what was going on and then proceeded to follow the crowd - as apparently some Italian women knew what she was doing. What this meant was that as a typical Brit I had something to complain about and luckily I wasn't alone in my feelings as a family from Arizona and grandmother and granddaughter from Indiana & Ohio felt much the same way. We spent the journey talking about anything and everything. After getting our second train for the final stretch I sat with the pair and talked classical music, life, plans and even more of anything and everything. It was a wonderful trip and the company was brilliant! I am still in contact with the granddaughter as we update each other on what we're getting up to. Again I am made to be jealous as she is on a beach in Greece drinking cocktails as I have a coffee, with the football, on a sofa.

As I said at the beginning, it is so hard to explain these thoughts, feelings and experiences. What you have here is the smallest amount I could possibly give you and on reading it back it's not really enough to give you a small idea of what my last 6 months have been like. What I can say though is that I now have a global family; USA, Canada, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Czech, Poland, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland, Russia, Belgrade, Australia, New Zealand and back home; Holmfirth, London and Reading - all these have people residing within their borders who I consider a close friend and I find that an incredible thing.

Helsinki has been the best thing I have decided to do, so far, in my relatively short life. Not because I have managed to see more of the world but because I have these friends. If you ever get the chance to travel, do it. You will then understand why when asked how everything was I will say three words (with thanks to my Australian) - "Life is great".

The nicest church square ever.

Urban Outfitters you're doing this right.

Flowers in the sinking sun of Stockholm

Parliament Building Stockholm

The Botanical Gardens in Copenhagen is basically the Garden of Eden

Prague Castle 

Auschwitz Berkanau 

[not real gameplay footage]

Ezra Pound's grave on Venice's Cemetery Island

One of few Italian photos without scaffolding

The view from my friend's apartment.

On Coming Home

A home from home
But home all the same.
Nothing has changed
But the season.
Looking on from a familiar seat,
Absent for months,
Though I was here yesterday. 

Helsinki Ending

I think this shall be my last blog post of my time here in Helsinki. Although I do not leave until the 22nd I will be handing over my laptop Friday morning to my mum to take back to the UK safe and sound.

Since the last update I have mostly been settling down with work. I have now only one exam, one presentation and one essay to complete (all within the next 5 days, eek!) until my education at the University of Helsinki comes to a close.

Both mother and father came out to see me, which has been lovely! I managed to squeeze out a very fancy meal from dad's wallet and have since been pottering around with mum when I can - although a family friend also hopped over from Oslo and so has been her company whilst I revise/write/present. Oddly it hasn't made me miss home-home much but it has made me miss Nottingham - especially as their coming out here signalled the final stages of my adventure in Helsinki. It isn't long now until I will be back and catching up with my friends back home (I'm hoping there is a sofa I can kip on somewhere!) and then also seeing my nephew for the first time. Baby Zach has been a source of many smiles and squeals of delight - from myself and my friends here (but mostly me...definitely almost all me) - and I cannot wait to give him a cuddle.

Some plans have also been made since St. Petersburg. I am now headed to Sardinia, Dubrovnik and Ljubljana with my new friends in July and I am hoping to take a post university gap year in Australia. I hope with all my heart that this is not a plan of mice and men and will in fact become a reality - I have caught the sickness that is the travel bug and I don't want to stop moving across the world. More shall come in regards to that so keep your eyes on this space                             .

So that brings me to the now. This experience has been incredible, I am so grateful that Nottingham gave me the opportunity and so happy that I got my head down when others were saying 'but you only need 40%!'. Coming here has meant new friends and a new outlook. It's cliche, I know. I may still be in Europe but Helsinki is a far cry from anything I've encountered in the UK and spending the last 5 months with people from countries across the globe makes you appreciate everything so much more.
We have already had to say our goodbyes to some. Goodbyes to people who have been the most amazing, funny and interesting (amongst weird, unreliable, terrible at timing, silly and beautiful) companions on this exchange.

In 5 months I have visited the oldest city in Finland, seen the Northern Lights in Lapland, swam in the Arctic Ocean, drank in 27 different coffee shops (with more to come), eaten far too many korvapuusti (cinnamon rolls), walked across a frozen bay, been to the old town of Estonia, seen Swan Lake in St. Petersburg and planned an adventure through Europe.

And now it isn't long until I will be saying goodbye to it all. Others go before me and others after but it won't change how difficult it will be to turn around and go our separate ways. However, Finland has inspired me to write. Poetry has flowed non stop and I am incredibly eager to continue writing my thoughts and feelings in the hope that someone likes it enough to put it in a pretty binding. What this means is that I will almost certainly be staying in touch with these, my fellow stewards of the earth but, I hope, in a way that is much more in keeping with the relationship we have forged...yes we will still talk on the multitude of facebook group messages that have been created but I cannot wait to sit down and hand write letters, because who doesn't enjoy receiving an envelope that isn't a bill?!

I shall have to stop with this emotional spiel as most people will probably be either throwing up from its sickly nature, crying from the realisation it ends soon or laughing at me for writing such drivel but I have to say this has been the best thing I have chosen to do in my life. I have made eternal friendships, shared laughter and tears, drunk my own weight in coffee and most importantly...saunaed naked.

My adventure shall continue through Europe until mid June: Stockholm, Copenhagen, Prague, Krakow, Vienna, Budapest, Venice, Florence and Rome are all now awaiting my presence - it will go unnoticed by the majority but I will try and let you know how things are progressing.

But for now, I must revise for this exam!

Moi moi. x

The prettiest of all the korvapuusti

This is us - Domus

View from the rooftop, late evening

It's not all just snow here - ending on a high (of 15 degrees)

Helsinki update: St. Petersburg and work

Although it is now some time ago, I went to St. Petersburg.
We'd heard a lot about the Russians before heading out there, that they would be unfriendly to English speakers and that they would quite happily push you out of the way if you were in their's.
Far from it.
The city is beautiful, the streets vast and so too the buildings. Anyone we met, even if they couldn't speak English tried their best to speak English...even if that was still in Russian. An odd experience but quite funny too.

Myself, a fellow Brit and an Italian organised the trip ourselves so that we could go at the same time as our other friends who were going with ESN (Erasmus Student Network) and the Aussie, who was going with her mum (who is BRILLIANT!). We stayed in a rather dodgy looking area, it seemed to be the only place which was made of red brick - and was called the red brick territory - but the hostel was actually very nice. We bunked in a 12 bed dorm and were told the sights we should see and how we should go about seeing them by one of the hostel workers.

Cathedrals and Palaces are abound in St. Petersburg, even if they don't much look like them yet there is one feature which links them all...gold. My word it is everywhere!
So we did all the sights we should see and I also saw Swan Lake at the Mariinsky theatre. The lead was a Bolshoi dancer and the evening was fantastic - finishing with a few sparkling wines and then getting locked out of the hostel but that was all soon resolved.

One of the places we visited was the Hermitage and you could go to St. Petersburg just for it. The museum is vast, a 3 story Palace which has a vast array of everything. To put it in numbers only 5% of the exhibits are on show at any one point, I was there for 4 hours and didn't see everything. My friends were there close to 6 hours and I saw things that they didn't. If you were to look at every exhibit without a break it would take 3 years! The place was truly amazing and I got to see Seurat, Sisley, Monet, Matisse, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Reynolds and Picasso...I somehow missed the da Vinci.

I had a brilliant time there and I thoroughly recommend it as a place to visit. I would certainly like to go back or maybe further in to see what 'real' Russia is like, considering are Russian friends said it was very European.

It was a whistle stop tour of the city however, as we can only be there for 3 days visa free so it was back on the long ferry trip back to Helsinki and to work.

That work is suddenly piling up. I have just, at this moment, finished my Finnish Literature essay - although I am awaiting some feedback as it undoubtedly needs improvement. I have one more essay to write on Australian literature and its portrayal of Aboriginals, four exams (two of which are next week...on the same day) and two presentations. I will however be finished by the time my friends back in Nottingham have returned from their Easter break, as it is only an extended weekend here in Finland.

Tonight we will see Via Crucis, a promenade performance which culminates in the crucifixion of Christ infront of the Senate Sq. Cathedral. By the looks of photos and experience of Finnish-ness I imagine it will be excellent and quite graphic, what is more who cares if it is in Finnish as I know the story well enough to narrate it to myself - perfect!

Mum and Dad are in the midst of planning their trip over at the beginning of May, I must admit that I got quite excited when telling Mum what we could go and see. I'm also excited to show Dad the liquorice chocolate which is the best chocolate I have ever tasted, much to everyone else's amusement and confusion. It is a saddening thought that they will be coming though as it marks the last part of my time here in Helsinki. When Mum leaves on the 9th I will have only 10 days left in this city which I have already grown to love; I guess it is bittersweet however as it also signals the start of my interrailing home. My procrastination yesterday involved working out a plan and so I plan to visit: Sweden, Denmark, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovenia and Italy with a hope to be back in England for a World Cup game or two and possibly a cheeky night out at Crisis.

There will probably be one more update, a final update, before my laptop is passed over to my mother to take home but until then I'll leave you with photos of St. Petersburg and love to all you guys reading who I miss ever so!

St. Isaac's, Patron Saint of Peter the Great

Inside the Cathedral on Spilt Blood (best name ever) which is all mosaic

The beautiful exterior of the Cathedral on Spilt Blood

As with any city, especially those with waterways, it looks so much better when sunny!

I have no idea what this is but damn look at it!

The Hermitage, opposite the above 'damn look at it' structure.

Coffee Haiku

Unicafe I sit
Good god your coffee's ghastly
But I need the hit.

Helsinki; Lapland and a few extra bits.

I realise I haven't posted an update for some time and that is mainly due to me wanting to experience a Finnish Sitsit before hand. It turns out the International Sitsit I attended was not like a 'proper' one due to the lack of organised drinking - particular complaints came from the Germans...funny that.
A Sitsit is a formal dinner which often has a theme, there is plenty of singing and plenty of rules (although it is true that many of these were disregarded). You may request a song but you must stand up and be 'interrogated', which was the easiest interrogation I have ever experience! With my voice already gone 30 minutes in due to singing ridiculously loud I stood up and requested Drunken Sailor.  I thought it perfectly apt for my voices current state and my intoxication level; which was not yet at its peak.
In all honest I don't remember much of the night, we had quiche for starters and risotto for main, we sung I'll be there for you (a passionate rendition on chairs by all those in our accommodation) and some other songs. I left before pudding came so I can't tell you what delight I missed. I can't tell you much else in fact, I was taken home by my lovely American friend who mothered me and the next day saw 603D graced with a superb hangover!

Moving on. Lapland. So worth it.

I could stop there, I mean most people will have seen the photos. There have been specific comments on my lack of dress in a few and all I can say is that when in Finland, do it the Finnish way! We arrived at our cabin after a 24 hr journey from Helsinki, including the stops along the way which included a 'zoo' and a visit to Santa. Santa is a mean capitalist machine, he may well know most languages to say 'hello, how are you?' when you enter his 'grotto' (sorry for all the apostrophes but they all are really needed), but for 5 photos - which is the minimum you can buy - it'll cost you 30€. If you want the whole experience on a USB, which gives you extra photos and even a video of your 1 minute and 28 second encounter with the man himself...at least I think he is, I mean I'm pretty sure they have more than one Santa on the payroll and I saw quite a few more Santa Offices on our travels. Sketchy to say the least. For me, if you believed in Christmas before you arrived you wouldn't when you left. The presence of constant Christmas music across the village was enough to drive anyone insane luckily though a friend and I decided that we would ask a rather pretty Elf for a picture, as we 'weren't really interested in a photo with Santa'. So I guess it wasn't all bad.

One of my favourite things about Finland so far is the sauna culture and that obviously continued in Lapland. Where instead of a one lane pool we had a lake to jump in to! This is where the naked photos come from, after steaming for about 10 minutes we run out and jump into a little ice hole which is 50 yards from the sauna building. Cold is an understatement, especially when you decide to roll in the snow after as well, but it feels incredible when you get back inside. You feel completely energised and alive, your skin tingles and all you want to do it do it again...so you do.
We also got the chance to swim in the Arctic Ocean when we went up to Norway, a crazy lady named Elsa runs a tourist sauna in the town of Burgoynes (slightly odd as she was complaining about people who travel extensively due to the impact on the environment) but hey you gotta live right? Elsa was brilliant however, a character if ever there was one, exemplified by her opening remarks to us; " I fell over there, on the beach, on a knife and that is why I have not teeth...but hopefully I'll have some new ones soon!". GREAT.
It was a rather short trip to Norway but to say I swam in the Arctic - which hadn't frozen in the bay due to a gulf stream - is a pretty cool thing I guess.

I also did some Xc skiing, snow shoe orienteering and downhill skiing before we headed back home; a diversion in our Xc skiing also saw me enhance my credentials in tree climbing and jumping into snow from a height. A video is available.

Obviously, the one thing that people come to Lapland for is the Northern Lights. My friends who had gone the week before missed out on the chance - a real kick in the teeth as we discovered they had been seen in the UK...IN THE SOUTH, typical - but we were lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Although the intensity wasn't incredible they were still a beautiful thing, ebbing and flowing across the sky and making everyone stand still.

It's safe to say then that I am having an absolutely wonderful time still in Finland, for all those who questioned it I wouldn't change my decision for the world. I have met the most amazing people and done some awesome things. I am setting up to go to St. Petersburg in April - and to see Swan Lake with a Bolshoi dancer - and I am getting the chance to do courses unavailable in the UK; such as Mesoamerican Writing Systems, a master's level course which is only the second of its kind in the world and the first in Finland.

It isn't just Finland though which is making my life just a little bit better every day. I am running for the committee of the English Society back home and I have had a few people say that they are backing me, which is really gratifying. Not only that but I have been talking about applying for a role in a brilliant organization which would give me a great opportunity in my final year at Notts.

Not only that though... I am now an Uncle! As on the 21st of March at 6:30 my sister gave birth to Zachary David Christopher Boddy, at 7lbs 14oz. It's quite a scary thought that I am now in a position of some responsibility for a tiny human being but I have seen a photo and my god he is so cute. I cannot wait to get back to the UK and hold him in my arms!

I think I should end on that note and so I leave you with some photos for you to be jealous of!

Belonging

I feel like I belong no-where,
Everywhere too.
Wherever I venture I can call my own.
Home then is living in the world, I swear. 

Northern Lights

We saw spirits dance
On our icy moonlit shore.
Eager eyes consumed.

Cultural?

We are in Lapland,
Yet pasta is all we've ate.
Is this a problem?

Freese Inspiration

Today the adventure I took - as noted in the poem below - was to Freese Coffee co. I read about them after a friend posted a link to the owner's blog about the best coffee in Helsinki. I obviously had to try this place out, as my time here is centered around exploring the city through its coffee scene. 

Freese Coffee co. serves some of the best tasting coffee around but not only that, as I had the best company too - in the form of a beautiful barista and a magical manager! Not only did they tell me about their Frespresso but offered me coffee tea (made from the fruit pods which the beans are held in) and told me a bit about themselves. They were full of life and made it one of the best coffee experiences I've had so far and I will, without a doubt, go back to try the brunch which they pride themselves on. 

If you're in Helsinki, whether you're on exchange with me now or you happen to find yourself here - go to Freese Coffee co.; they'll invite you in warmly and make you leave with a smile on your face and in a world that flies by, where moments of solace and interesting company can be so often amiss, I think it is an incredible thing. (You may even get sprayed in the face with water if you're lucky!)

And as promised to those two wonderful woman - how apt on International Women's Day - here is the extract from Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, which inspired some of my Sonnet today and is now one of my favourite passages in literature: 

"When I'm playful I use the meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude for a seine, and drag the Atlantic Ocean for whales! I scratch my head with the lightning and purr myself to sleep with the thunder! When I'm cold, I bile the Gulf of Mexico and bathe in it; when I'm hot I fan myself with an equinoctial storm; when I'm thirsty I reach up and suck a cloud dry like a sponge; when I range the earth hungry, famine follows in my tracks! Whoo-oop! Bow your neck and spread! I put my hand on the sun's face and make it night in the earth; I bite a piece out of the moon and hurry the seasons; I shake myself and crumble the mountain! Contemplate me through leather - don't use the naked eye! I'm the man with a petrified heart and biler-iron bowels! The massacre of isolated communities is the pastime of my idle moments, the destruction of nationalities the serious business of my life! The boundless vastness of the great American desert is my inclosed property, and I bury my dead on my own premises!" Ch. XVI 

Thank you for making today match the expectations the Sun gave it!

ps. The rugby match is Ireland VS Italy.

Helsinki Part 4: Why so serious?

I reckon I just about have enough time before my 10AM to let you guys know what's been going on in Helsinki the few weeks. (I didn't).
The most important is that, from The University's point of view, my first exam is looming. In fact, it's a week on Wednesday - holy ****. I'm reading and taking notes each day on my book and so hopefully it shouldn't be too bad but when you are faced with a 4 hour exam period it can be quite daunting!
Apart from the nerves surrounding the exam I have otherwise been keeping up with my work and enjoying it; which is crazy, although important given a disappointing set of results from last semester.

Lots more has been happening away from the University though, as you'd expect.
A group of us here in res (residence) have been cooking traditional meals for one another, often followed by a GoT sessions before the 4th series comes out! So far we have had Czech and Polish, both were gorgeous and completely different to anything you'd get in the UK. They both involved a soft dough with filling which was then boiled - effectively a dumpling but in different styles. We have a Dutch meal to come this week and then German, Swiss and British. I think I'm rounding off the Come Dine With Me-esque dinners and so shall be putting in my best efforts...although in a room which consists more of bed than any other type of furniture.

I have also been ice fishing, obviously. Two people (man & woman, although unsure as to whether they're a couple) allow anyone to come along and use their ice fishing equipment for free every Friday. The fish are not large, when filleted (or fillayed if you're pronouncing it like an American!? I may have chuckled and teased about this) the size was probably close to that of a thumbnail. I did catch 3 though! and Ohio (or Danny as she is actually named but we have 3 so it's good to differentiate) caught 2, maybe a career in the making? I doubt it.

What has struck me recently though is how much I love the cafe culture here in Helsinki. Almost round every corner you will find an independent coffee shop, there is only one chain (Robert's) which is really successful and only one Starbucks - which I am refusing to go in. Some of these cafes can be expensive but generally they are on a par with what you'd find in Costas and Bucks and safe to say they are so much better, especially as many give you a free chocolate with your latte. If you follow me on Twitter you may know that in each coffee shop I am writing a sonnet, aptly hash-tagged as #CoffeeSonnets. Hopefully by the end of my stay here I shall have a sequence that is somewhere around the 40 mark, each time I write I find new inspiration and it is becoming easier to play with words and to get the sound I want. Who knows whether they are any good but I am enjoying writing them and they are making me explore the city too.

HKI+ one of the many coffee shops in Helsinki, although this one has only two tables and a 1€ discount for students!

The MASSIVE cinnamon rolls from Cafe Esplanad and yes I did eat it all to myself.

What has come from this is that I now have a craving to own my own cafe in Nottingham. There isn't really a great many cute cafes around and I feel that what I have in my head would be perfect for the area, especially for students. It is probably a dream of mice and men and I should probably concentrate on the degree and a secure job but right now I am allowing myself to dream and it does get me excited when I think about it.

Planning for travelling is taking more shape now too. It isn't long before I head up to Lapland - a post exam celebration - and I think I will be travelling to St. Petersburg in April before my terminal exams. At the moment my mum is coming in the first 10 days of May, which may mean she has to go about on her own for a bit as I may have two exams in that time! After this there is opportunity to go to one more country before I head round Europe on my inter-railing adventure. If any of you guys know somewhere that I must check out please let me know.

The weather at the moment is rather uninteresting, a warm 2 degrees seems to be the standard at the moment and so it's very almost time to get my British tan on. What it does mean though is that going out to a club does not involve being wrapped up in 6 layers before shedding them at the compulsory coat check to the annoyance of all the Finns that watch on at the foreigner. My attempts at learning the language so far have been dismal, when surrounded by English speaking people as it is the most common mutually intelligible language and when studying in English it becomes difficult to pick up such an odd language. Instead I am making efforts at re-acquainting myself with French but I think I need to put in a bit more time before it'll be worth it!

So as it is, Helsinki is great. It keeps providing opportunities to go out and see/do new things (like Restaurant day, where we were welcomed by a couple of artists who opened their home to anyone and everyone. I had lime and cardamon ice cream...it was incredible). The weather isn't horrid and neither are my lectures. Everyone here continues to be brilliant and beautiful and what I think is making it such a worthwhile experience is that it has inspired me to write.

My little book of poetry. 

Restaurant Day; some artists opened their flat for anyone to come and buy their food, Rosemary ice tea is definitely a thing.

Helsinki: Part 3

As I haven't written in a while this shall be full of lots of things! Aren't you excited already?

We headed over to Tallinn once more, this time with my tutor group rather than people I've met where I'm staying. We only had a few hours over there and so I didn't head to the Old Town for more than 20 minutes at the end of the day. I stocked up on alcohol once more and also found a coat from Zara for 69€ which is like the £159 one I found in Nottingham...I obviously bought it. It's beautiful.

I've been making a lot of bread over the last week or so, it seems to be appreciated and people are willing tasters when I try something different (bacon and mushroom bread...delicious! Although my dough was a bit heavy as I had been guessing weights). Hopefully I'll acquire a bread tin soon and then I can make some actual loaf looking loaves and experiment a bit more.

As for academia, my Learning Agreement has been signed and sent off so all that is done! Erasmus grant should now be pending. I have also sent my Nottingham Essays back and now only have an essay in lieu of exam to complete, which I shall sit down to sometime this month. I have an exam in a month on Postcolonial literature, currently I have no idea how the exam is structured which is a bit disconcerting but I shall get in touch with the professor and see how much he can divulge. Lecture diaries have started for my Finnish Literature course and we must have an essay abstract by the end of this month so I need to start getting my thinking cap on. I also have to create a presentation with 2 others on a crime novel for next week so reading shall be intensive this week. As for the thinking cap - it has already been stretched by my Grammar module which you would think would come easily to an English student but it is something with which I am not wholly confident. I don't think many people back home would be actually, it's just something we have never truly looked at. Hopefully it will mean my analysis of texts will help and also improve my essay writing but who knows.

Enough of work though! Quite a number of us went out to Espoo and checked out Red Bull's Crashed Ice event, which is like BMX Cross in the Olympics or Snowboarder Cross, where 4 competitors skate down a tight winding track - rather aggressively at times. I wasn't sure what to expect but I felt like it wasn't 'pumped' up enough, especially considering they had their own DJ but we had a good time and got some great photos. And thank goodness as it took us 2 hours to get there...this is very odd however as it only took 25 to get back (not counting the time spent 'queueing', which was more like a mosh pit for Iron Maiden). Oh well.
I have also booked my Lapland trip, where I shall get to see the northern lights (I hope & pray)! I will also be husky sledding and taking part in a survival course...which may well be needed because I haven't really got clothes for the weather we'll be expecting.

A group of us also went to Turku, which was the old capital of Finland before the Russians moved it so it was closer to them than the Swedes. It was a pretty poor day weather wise and although the city was pretty there wasn't as much beauty in the architecture as we've seen other where. I did get to go to the Sibelius museum though. It was a very well put together museum and unfortunately we weren't there on a Wednesday where they put on live performances in their auditorium space. They have a great collection of musical instruments - from the very old to the new - and the specific space for Sibelius was lovingly put together with very well chosen quotes. Maybe more important for the student however was a recipe for quite an alcoholic punch.

The weather today has become negatively British. Dull. Damp. Nondescript temperature. I want it to be -8 and clear blue skies as it has been. Not this horribly warm 1 degree. I shall live in hope although I think the days are now getting longer and warmer...which isn't saying much considering the days were about 5 hours long when I got here.

In other news I have a friend who gets through a toothbrush a week. I thought people may appreciate the oddness of this. Sorry Daniel...but what do you do to your teeth!?

My favourite photo from Turku

Walking across the water to some islands!

Fazer chocolate is delicious and this is the family's coffee shop. Everything in their looks incredible.

Harpsichord you are able to play at the Sibelius Museum

My first, quick, sketch in Finland. The Sleeping Kiwi

Bacon and Mushroom bread...tastes great but you can see the dough is too heavy

This is the petrol station round the corner. That snow is compacted and still an inch thick in places. They just do not grit in this place and if they do it's with gravel so that just gets frozen into all the snow and is useless!

Helsinki: Orientation

So we've now had our Orientation, which was over two days. This was just getting to know our tutor group and then sitting through an orientation talk...it was slightly painful and there were definitely some heads beginning to loll. The one highlight was TJ, the IT guy who reminded me of almost any and all of the characters from 'Allo 'Allo! We now also have a variety of different cards and reams of paper which are actually relatively important and so they are just taking up space as I'm not entirely sure where to keep them. It's a 'too important to throw to the back but not vital enough to have on my desk' kinda sitch.

We've also signed up for modules now, I'm a little anxious as to the work load I will have as I am taking 8 of them. Eight. EIGHT. At Nottingham I've managed to avoid the literature courses, I thought that the options would be more interesting here in Helsinki. It turns out I was correct but from avoiding them in Notts I am now having them fly at me as I do 5 different literature courses this semester. So I'm set up to study: Mesoamerican writing systems (looking at Aztec symbols), Global and Regional Variation, Structural Analysis, Introduction to Finnish Literature, American Lit, Post Colonial Lit, Australian Lit and British & Irish Lit. I kind of get the idea that I'll be doing a lot of reading. 

Out of academia, which is obviously the place to be right now, we have all been doing quite a bit...although mainly in the evening. LUX was an exhibition across the city based on light which we were taken around by a couple of tutors. There were some really interesting installments and some odd but what else would you expect from art? After the tour we went for a drink and it cost 7€ for a bottle of IPA. I don't think I've ever been upset about my spending with regards to alcohol but I feel like it may well begin here. With 5€ probably being an average amount for a half litre (which is annoying in itself because we get a pint glass which doesn't have a pint in it. God bless imperial!) From this nice but expensive bar we headed to Amarillo. I think it's likely to be the home of the exchange student because on a Wednesday and Thursday past 9 a half litre is only 1.80€. The music however sounds very similar to Forum's playlist, just outdated enough to question whether it's acceptable to be played but hey I danced! It was good. 

Last night was a different story though. First a few of us went to Alhalla (downstairs) which is the name of one of our common rooms. Walking in I was greeted by new faces and then they just kept coming. There are so many names and nationalities to remember! Nations represented, as far as I can remember, are: Canada, America, Peru, Brazil, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Holland, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. I'm pretty sure there are more though and it is incredible hearing all the different accents. I feel like that stereotypical Brit though who is speaking English and hoping that everyone else can speak it too, I think it's pretty clear that myself and the language system in the UK is a failure because almost everyone else has at least one other language in their repertoire. Finnish seems particularly tricky to pronounce and so picking up even the most basic of words I think is going to be a struggle. We shall have to wait and see.

After Alhalla we went to Adam's (recommended by two Greek girls who leave soon) and had an incredible night. I am a dancer, I don't think I'm any good I just love to do it. Once I start it seems it is quite hard to stop too but last night it didn't matter. I think we stayed until about 4 and despite the club not being that full I did not care. It was one of my favourite nights out because I danced in a ballroom/club style (which I didn't know was possible but I loved it!) with beautiful people and I didn't feel ridiculous in the slightest. 

Put simply the adjectives are endless. They are all positive. And I presume they'll keep on coming. 

Helsinki: Arrivals

I have arrived.
It's official.
After a 4 o'clock alarm after a 12 o'clock bedtime I caught the 7:30 flight out to Helsinki.
I'd tell you about the flight but I slept through it (see above sentence for why).
Touching down in Helsinki and it was if I was at home. Cloudy, dark, cold and quiet. I waltzed through customs...there actually wasn't anyone there which was odd but I used that new fandangled technology of biometrics.
I took the 615 bus into the city centre where I then waited by the pop-up ice rink for a tutor to come and meet me. I was glad to see that the level of ice-skating had not improved in comparison to Nottingham's Christmas Market - apart from one girl who was doing pirouettes whilst on the phone. Saana came after a latte had been consumed and some DH Lawrence had been read, she took me through the info I was being given and then preceeded to tell me that the literature courses in Finland are hell and she's been trying to avoid them for as long as possible - great start Peter.
I was directed to the Tram which would take me to my new digs and after a lovely Swedish girl let me in to the hostel - which is more like student accommodation than any hostel I've ever been too - I proceeded to my room.
I am the first to arrive of the two and so have taken the bed by the window and more importantly...the radiator! I have nothing of any use apart from clothes at the moment and so currently I am drinking water out of a hip flask and eating a Double Decker that was given to me by a friend for the journey. I've had to use the bathroom in my neighbour's flat as we have no toilet paper and I am going to see if I can also steal some food off him later because my god I am hungry.
Saana had told me that the weather at the moment was quite warm (2 degrees instead of the -10) and so H&M are having clearance sales of their cold weather gear! I also need to find the Ikea so I can get a plate and bowl and glass/mug AND I need to re-find the Lidl which I passed so I can buy some supplies. This will be my job tomorrow.
As for now I'm going to see if anyone else is around and if not get down to those essays which have been my Christmas holiday.