Bits from that day in Helsinki

The later a recap of an adventure is held off, the fuzzier it becomes. So here are some bits of my adventure to Helsinki:

I took the train (Tuesday, Jan. 24) from Tampere at 2:07 p.m. and arrived at 3:53. It was a smooth ride, and my eyes followed the scenery.



Traveling from Tampere to Helsinki, I realize that Finland is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Tree after tree is covered in a soft jacket of snow, inviting me into the forest, a place I once saw as closed and foreign. The sun peeps through the leaves until there is no more than an open ground of smooth untouched snow; the trees move to the background and they unapologetically outnumber few simple red and brown cottages, tranquil in their loneliness. The full golden ball is awake and present, bursting with the utmost radiance of life. To find such beauty is to open yourself to the nature and wonders of the world. To hide from it is to miss out on numbness you get from breathtaking landscapes, warmth and energy from the brilliant sun, and humbleness and satisfaction from all the great things around. It's all here and thank god I finally saw it.

Upon arrival in Helsinki, I went to the starting point of DocPoint 2012's opening day walking tour, right in front of the Cathedral.



Here is something of a sketch of the event:



(Click to enlarge. The top is cut off a little.)

In a nutshell, we were taken around to six different locations, viewing short films on snow, in malls and on walls. It was a fun event with quite a large gathering. Helsinki is a vibrant city, with lots of places and streets and conversation and movement. People are hurrying to meetings or to the train station.

I met a woman who had just moved to Helsinki from Germany. She and I decided to go to the DocPoint 2012 opening night at Virgin Oil Co., a landmark in Helsinki with a restaurant, bar and club. Lada Nuevo was playing, a Balkan-influenced, Finnish band.

Here is a short clip from their performance.



As the night continued, more people came, more alcohol was consumed, more bodies were moving... I turned around and saw my professor, who had won the DocPoint Apollo Award for his contribution to Finnish documentary. People seemed to flock around him, so I waited until the end of the concert to say hello.

Fifteen minutes before 1, I said goodbye to my new friend, to my professor, and to Helsinki, and boarded a bus with only three other people. It was two and half hours before I arrived in my familiar quiet, white, cold city, and then I walked 35 minutes back to Lapinkaari.