HB COLD

I met two very different Finns tonight and fortunately I met the better one last. The first Finn was Mikka and damn was he a character. He spoke about as much English as I do Finnish which led to an extremely long and tedious conversation. He works as a border patrol officer on the Finnish-Russian border. We talked about this and that, and certainly not in any depth whatsoever, until a black dude came walking bye and then it seemed as if his English took on an educated, if not Klan inspired type of vocabulary. He asked me point blank, "What do you hate about nig--rs?" I wasn't too sure that he said what he had just said until he reiterated the question again. I laughed and grew abit uneasy and replied, "I think that in the States it's a bit different and I don't dislike black people at all." To which he responded that he didn't understand what I said and asked again about my hatred towards the nig--s. Again I laughed at the uneasy directness of his question until I then turned the question around and he told me that he hated them because they were all criminals. It was at this time that I thought about leaving the International Party because it seemed as if the whole idea of the gathering was lost on this redneck. I was glad that I didn't.

The next person I met was Marku, a Finnish documentary filmmaker who had just completed a short about a man who lost both legs and still overcame adversity to become a dancer. This was a guy who liked to learn and listen to others and to understand their unique perspective on life, regardless of race or gender. He has a girlfriend who is currently in Singapore singing in a touring opera. Not too sure if the Finnish language is conducive to an opera but here's my benefit doubt, take it and run with it.

He and I talked for two too many beers about his ideas and about how I could help him out. It turned out to be a productive conversation and perhaps a friendship will come of it. It did however lead to a very loud and curvy ride home, but I gotta have some fun sometimes. It was like that episode of Seinfeld when Kramer adopts the highway and turns three lanes into two and later on Elaine is driving bye and soaks in the new and improved lane size. Well that was me, singing very loud and swerving like mad. I suppose I could have my license suspended but fortunately I was on a bike and there wasn't any forest patrol out and about. For that matter there wasn't anyone out and about. I did think that my loud voice could arouse a moose, but I was pedeling so fast that I could have outrun it, unless it got the angle on me and then I would be SOL.

So the International Party didn't really lead to any International meetings, but it was a success nonetheless. Thank you and good night.