Monday, January 31, 2005
This is a little out of date, but a while back, during the Oulu Music Video Festival I got backstage and had a nice little chat with Lordi, he of the monster metal band with the same name. Today I received an e-mail with this photo. I am really glad to have this picture, because it can really say a thousand words, and then some.
Me and Lordi
I had just asked Lordi what his mother thinks of his music. He is about to bite my head off. Just foolin, he's a lot of fun.
Yesterday was the absolute worst weather I have ever been in, hands down. (Hands Down is a phrase that needs some explaining here in Finland. I have had to go into detailed explanation of that phrase more than once, and I don't really know what the hell it means.) Back to the weather, we had our Sunday basketball game, which takes place at a school across the river, which means I have to cross the bridge - normally a non-event. Of course it was snowing, but it was snowing like that montage in Forest Gump when he is explaining all the different ways it would rain in Vietnam. This had all those ways and then some and this was no montage, it was all happening in the same moment.
Snow was falling from the sky, being whipped by winds that must have been at least 25 m.p.h. These winds were also whipping any and all snow off of trees, buildings, the piles of snow that the plows shovel into various corners of the paths, the powder snow resting on top of the icey river, and the snow on the street. In other words, snow was hitting me from above, below and from the sides. All this was ok, while I was in the forest, but in order to get to this damned basketball court I needed to cross the bridge and this is where things got a little nasty, well a lot nasty. The snow was thick on the ground, making it harder to bike. The wind coming off of the river was blowing me around like a feather and that wind was also 10 degrees, which, in the span of 30 seconds began to freeze the right side of my face, literally. I've written about ice in the nose, but this was a nose of ice. My right nostril froze completely, while the left nostril was just fine and still I was not but halfway across that bridge. By the time I actually got the the basketball game, I was wiped out and covered in sweat, and melted ice. And the whole time I was playing I kept thinking about the fact that I would have to do that f--king trip again. Well, for balance sake I guess it was the right thing to do. No sense in temporarily freezing the right side of my face, without letting the left side have some fun too.
Today saw a continuation of the blizzard and I mean blizzard. This is so much worse than the blizzard we had when we were living in Brooklyn. That one was a delight. Everything shut down, but the mood was jovial. The mood here was violent and accursed, other planetary and to make matters worse, nothing is closed, these idiots clear the snow every 20 minutes. Almost every 5th car on the road is shoveling snow. My bus stop was completely filled with snow, so we all had to wait outside while the snow fell furiously. The only good thing was that it wasn't too cold on top of it all. There was no way I was taking my bike to work today. No freaking way.
Snow was falling from the sky, being whipped by winds that must have been at least 25 m.p.h. These winds were also whipping any and all snow off of trees, buildings, the piles of snow that the plows shovel into various corners of the paths, the powder snow resting on top of the icey river, and the snow on the street. In other words, snow was hitting me from above, below and from the sides. All this was ok, while I was in the forest, but in order to get to this damned basketball court I needed to cross the bridge and this is where things got a little nasty, well a lot nasty. The snow was thick on the ground, making it harder to bike. The wind coming off of the river was blowing me around like a feather and that wind was also 10 degrees, which, in the span of 30 seconds began to freeze the right side of my face, literally. I've written about ice in the nose, but this was a nose of ice. My right nostril froze completely, while the left nostril was just fine and still I was not but halfway across that bridge. By the time I actually got the the basketball game, I was wiped out and covered in sweat, and melted ice. And the whole time I was playing I kept thinking about the fact that I would have to do that f--king trip again. Well, for balance sake I guess it was the right thing to do. No sense in temporarily freezing the right side of my face, without letting the left side have some fun too.
Today saw a continuation of the blizzard and I mean blizzard. This is so much worse than the blizzard we had when we were living in Brooklyn. That one was a delight. Everything shut down, but the mood was jovial. The mood here was violent and accursed, other planetary and to make matters worse, nothing is closed, these idiots clear the snow every 20 minutes. Almost every 5th car on the road is shoveling snow. My bus stop was completely filled with snow, so we all had to wait outside while the snow fell furiously. The only good thing was that it wasn't too cold on top of it all. There was no way I was taking my bike to work today. No freaking way.
Friday, January 28, 2005
One of the drawbacks to having my opinions written for any and all to see is that any and all can see them. The paper does not have an online version so I have pasted my first column below. Already I have had people come up to me and ask me if they were the inspiration behind one of the winter games.
Winter Games
As the winter malaise creeps its way into my life I am constantly on the look-out for something that will keep my mind off of the inevitable minus thirty degree brain freeze that is sure to strike Joensuu sometime within the next few weeks. I try to find some diversion, real or imagined that will make the time go bye a little more quickly and a little less painfully. And so, I play a couple of games.
The first game I like to play is called “Who Will Break First?” which is played everyday on the bike trail from my home to my office. The premise behind “Who Will Break First?” is a test of will, or rather, the human thermometer. In order to declare victory a contestant must show high levels of bravery and stupidity. The motto is simple, “If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not cold.” The winner is the person who waits the longest before switching to full winter gear: furry earmuffs, extra large hat, extremely thick mittens, or a coat that should only be used for space travel. Admit it, we all have these things, but feel a little silly wearing them, until it becomes absolutely necessary.
During my first winter in Finland I was trying to learn the local customs and I decided that I would partake in this silent competition. It took the first real snowstorm for me to give up, but I was able to find comfort in my victories over the old ladies and young babies who populate my bike trail. I was amazed to see how seriously some of the locals took this competition. Lasting until the temperatures dipped into the minus twenties, these red-faced freezer freaks would look at me with an expression that I just couldn’t place. Did they think I was a wimp? Did they want to kill me and take my coat? I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Now beginning my second winter in J-town I have decided to abandon this crazy game. The temperature has been rather mild and already I am pulling my ski pants over my jeans on my way to work. Next week I will switch to my leather mittens and I am looking forward to pulling up my new pair of long underwear. I have decided that “Who Will Break First” is a spectator sport.
The other game I like to play begins when I arrive at work and it’s called “How Long Can You Wear It?” The motto is, “If it’s not dirty, wear it again.” The object of this game is to wear the same outfit to work as many days in a row as possible before changing to the next outfit, when the game begins again. Right now I am averaging two outfits per week. I sometimes mix it up and wear one outfit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or just go for it and wear the same thing all week long. It depends on mood, really.
I admit I was shocked when I was introduced to “How Long Can You Wear It?” This is a far cry from my last job, in New York, where I made sure that I had a two-week cycle of outfits to choose from so that I would not wear the same pants, or shirt too close together. But when I saw my Finnish colleagues wearing the same thing three days in a row I decided to give it a shot. Now I am a regular participant and often find myself in the winner’s circle, much to my wife’s dismay.
Still, the advantages are plentiful: I save untold fortunes on clothes shopping; laundry day is always light and I am able to hit the snooze button two extra times in the morning. But where and when do you draw the line? For me, I draw the line sometime in April, when the sun begins to shine and snow begins its long melt. Until then, I just try to play it sane, anyway that I can.
Winter Games
As the winter malaise creeps its way into my life I am constantly on the look-out for something that will keep my mind off of the inevitable minus thirty degree brain freeze that is sure to strike Joensuu sometime within the next few weeks. I try to find some diversion, real or imagined that will make the time go bye a little more quickly and a little less painfully. And so, I play a couple of games.
The first game I like to play is called “Who Will Break First?” which is played everyday on the bike trail from my home to my office. The premise behind “Who Will Break First?” is a test of will, or rather, the human thermometer. In order to declare victory a contestant must show high levels of bravery and stupidity. The motto is simple, “If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not cold.” The winner is the person who waits the longest before switching to full winter gear: furry earmuffs, extra large hat, extremely thick mittens, or a coat that should only be used for space travel. Admit it, we all have these things, but feel a little silly wearing them, until it becomes absolutely necessary.
During my first winter in Finland I was trying to learn the local customs and I decided that I would partake in this silent competition. It took the first real snowstorm for me to give up, but I was able to find comfort in my victories over the old ladies and young babies who populate my bike trail. I was amazed to see how seriously some of the locals took this competition. Lasting until the temperatures dipped into the minus twenties, these red-faced freezer freaks would look at me with an expression that I just couldn’t place. Did they think I was a wimp? Did they want to kill me and take my coat? I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Now beginning my second winter in J-town I have decided to abandon this crazy game. The temperature has been rather mild and already I am pulling my ski pants over my jeans on my way to work. Next week I will switch to my leather mittens and I am looking forward to pulling up my new pair of long underwear. I have decided that “Who Will Break First” is a spectator sport.
The other game I like to play begins when I arrive at work and it’s called “How Long Can You Wear It?” The motto is, “If it’s not dirty, wear it again.” The object of this game is to wear the same outfit to work as many days in a row as possible before changing to the next outfit, when the game begins again. Right now I am averaging two outfits per week. I sometimes mix it up and wear one outfit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or just go for it and wear the same thing all week long. It depends on mood, really.
I admit I was shocked when I was introduced to “How Long Can You Wear It?” This is a far cry from my last job, in New York, where I made sure that I had a two-week cycle of outfits to choose from so that I would not wear the same pants, or shirt too close together. But when I saw my Finnish colleagues wearing the same thing three days in a row I decided to give it a shot. Now I am a regular participant and often find myself in the winner’s circle, much to my wife’s dismay.
Still, the advantages are plentiful: I save untold fortunes on clothes shopping; laundry day is always light and I am able to hit the snooze button two extra times in the morning. But where and when do you draw the line? For me, I draw the line sometime in April, when the sun begins to shine and snow begins its long melt. Until then, I just try to play it sane, anyway that I can.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
I cannot remember the last time I saw the sun. I think it may have been in Dallas. It is quite possible that the sun has not shone in Finland yet this year! It really does have an interesting affect on the mind and the body. It takes an extraordinary effort to stay motivated, to battle against the clock in the body that says: Dark = Sleep. If that were the case I would be the most well rested person in history, but as it stands I have been busier these past few weeks than I have been at anytime since I left Nederlander. The big difference is that now I am virtually my own boss without an overbearing voice yelling at me from inside his office.
My quest to get this tax incentive initiative off the ground has put me in front of some very interesting people. I was just given the contact information for Jörn Donner, who won an academy award while in a partnership with Ingmar Bergman. I am really hoping that this effort will be rewarded sooner rather than later. Sure, it has its rewards right now, but I am thinking bigger and a little further away from J-town.
Yesterday I filled out my VISA application for an upcoming trip to Russia - Petrozavodsk. I will be joining a group of musicians and concert promoters while they are there for the RockBridge music festival - that tries to bridge the border through music. During that time I will meet with the Ministry of Culture there in order to create a relationship that can be utilized, if necessary, in the future. Admittedly, I have mixed emotions about this trip. It will be very interesting, but the thing about interesting is that it can take on a good connotation or a bad one and I am not going to know which one until I have returned.
The application was extremely detailed. It asked for my two previous employers before my current job, the countries I have visited within the past 10 years, if I have ever taken part of a revolution, and so on and so on and so on. Truth be told, if my Visa request is denied I will not be too upset. But then I start thinking about my friend Kelly, who is currently in Antigua, and I think that I can manage to be in Russia for 2 days, with a caravan of people, all staying in the same hotel - that even has a toilet in the room!
My quest to get this tax incentive initiative off the ground has put me in front of some very interesting people. I was just given the contact information for Jörn Donner, who won an academy award while in a partnership with Ingmar Bergman. I am really hoping that this effort will be rewarded sooner rather than later. Sure, it has its rewards right now, but I am thinking bigger and a little further away from J-town.
Yesterday I filled out my VISA application for an upcoming trip to Russia - Petrozavodsk. I will be joining a group of musicians and concert promoters while they are there for the RockBridge music festival - that tries to bridge the border through music. During that time I will meet with the Ministry of Culture there in order to create a relationship that can be utilized, if necessary, in the future. Admittedly, I have mixed emotions about this trip. It will be very interesting, but the thing about interesting is that it can take on a good connotation or a bad one and I am not going to know which one until I have returned.
The application was extremely detailed. It asked for my two previous employers before my current job, the countries I have visited within the past 10 years, if I have ever taken part of a revolution, and so on and so on and so on. Truth be told, if my Visa request is denied I will not be too upset. But then I start thinking about my friend Kelly, who is currently in Antigua, and I think that I can manage to be in Russia for 2 days, with a caravan of people, all staying in the same hotel - that even has a toilet in the room!
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
There are some places in the world where someone walks down a path, maybe a dirt road or even a sidewalk, finds a little rock and passes the distance by kicking the rock down the path. Well, not here in Joensuu. In Joensuu that path is elevated due to the three or four inch layer of ice and snow on the sidewalk, which is sandwiched in between two cliffs of snow that reach up to my waist and instead of rocks, there are frozen chucks of ice, that have remarkable staying power, probably because they are frozen solid.
That's what I did last night when I missed my bus stop. I was caught up in the middle of a game of backgammon - on my phone - and I missed my bus stop. Normally I wouldn't take the bus because it has been very warm here pretty much all winter - I probably just jinxed myself - and I like to ride my bike. But yesterday was a Monday with Markku and that meant beer. I'll admit that riding a bike in this weather after a couple of beers can be a real fun time, but I there is a lot of snow on the ground and you never know.
It's really a trip talking with Markku. Here is a guy whose latest film is up for 3 Jussi's - the Finnish Oscar - and he and I are talking about our childhoods, our opinions on all sorts of movies, his opinions of his own films (he admits that he has made a lot of crap and can only watch 3 of his films without feeling awkward), the pond that he is constructing at his new home, so that he can go ice swimming. We just chat.
Man, I just got really tired. It's almost midnight. I usually have some trouble getting to sleep early on days when I play basketball, which I did today. These guys are crazy that I play with, they're maniacs. No rest in between games. I watch the pro's play and they rest more during their games than we do, and they get paid to play ball. These guys finish up, drink some water and are ready to go again. Literally, they rest like 2 minutes in between each game and we usually get 4 games in in 90 minutes. So that's 82 minutes of ball and 8 minutes of rest. And they don't stretch before hand either, they just show up and go and go. It's funny, I am referring to them as them, but it is really us. Only I get there 30 minutes before everyone else so that I can stretch. Really, these people are nuts.
One more bit of news, my column for the University newspaper gets published and put out tomorrow. It's called the J-town Journal. I am doing my best to coin that name. We'll see if I have any luck. We'll also see if anyone likes it. I could get a lot of strange looks tomorrow. Which is par for the course, because if you haven't guessed, I don't look like the other people here.
That's what I did last night when I missed my bus stop. I was caught up in the middle of a game of backgammon - on my phone - and I missed my bus stop. Normally I wouldn't take the bus because it has been very warm here pretty much all winter - I probably just jinxed myself - and I like to ride my bike. But yesterday was a Monday with Markku and that meant beer. I'll admit that riding a bike in this weather after a couple of beers can be a real fun time, but I there is a lot of snow on the ground and you never know.
It's really a trip talking with Markku. Here is a guy whose latest film is up for 3 Jussi's - the Finnish Oscar - and he and I are talking about our childhoods, our opinions on all sorts of movies, his opinions of his own films (he admits that he has made a lot of crap and can only watch 3 of his films without feeling awkward), the pond that he is constructing at his new home, so that he can go ice swimming. We just chat.
Man, I just got really tired. It's almost midnight. I usually have some trouble getting to sleep early on days when I play basketball, which I did today. These guys are crazy that I play with, they're maniacs. No rest in between games. I watch the pro's play and they rest more during their games than we do, and they get paid to play ball. These guys finish up, drink some water and are ready to go again. Literally, they rest like 2 minutes in between each game and we usually get 4 games in in 90 minutes. So that's 82 minutes of ball and 8 minutes of rest. And they don't stretch before hand either, they just show up and go and go. It's funny, I am referring to them as them, but it is really us. Only I get there 30 minutes before everyone else so that I can stretch. Really, these people are nuts.
One more bit of news, my column for the University newspaper gets published and put out tomorrow. It's called the J-town Journal. I am doing my best to coin that name. We'll see if I have any luck. We'll also see if anyone likes it. I could get a lot of strange looks tomorrow. Which is par for the course, because if you haven't guessed, I don't look like the other people here.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Monday with Markku proved to be very enjoyable in more ways than one. First and foremost, he's a real cool dude and we had a lot of fun. His English is just fine, but like most Finns he feels that it is not that good and wants to improve it - fine by me. It'll be Monday's with Markku for the foreseeable future.
Secondly, he is one of the most prolific filmmakers in Finland and the fact that he and I will be meeting regularly can only help me in the future and I got the first example of this while in Helsinki this week. Markku and Petri - the head of the production at the Finnish Film Foundation, basically the guy who decides whether or not a film gets any money - are close friends. I was in Helsinki for a meeting with Petri to follow up on a meeting we had a few months back. Well, now that I am running in a circle that I never thought I would be running in, my meeting with Petri went as good as it could have possibly gone. I didn't know it until the end of our meeting that he and Markku had talked about this past Monday. I have a feeling I will begin to receive a lot more support for the initiatives I am developing.
This week in Helsinki was really crazy. I was hobnobbing with some big celebrities but since I have no idea who they are or who they aren't, it makes no difference to me and I think that that attitude shows and so I stick around and have some conversations.
And speaking of really crazy, when I got back to J-town today I checked my email and I received an invitation to speak at a Roundtable Discussion of Eastern European Film and Media Financing at the Berlin Film Festival next month. As luck wouldn't have it, my flight arrangements were made before I received this invite and those arrangements are pretty hard to change. But I feel like I simply have to change them so that I could join this discussion. Here's a list of the people who will be involved:
1430-1500 WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
Chairman: Alain Modot, CEO Partner, The Media Consulting Group, France
1500-1630 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Invited participants
• Maria Silvia Gatta, Head i2i action & Evaluation, Media Program, Brussels
• Balázs Zachar, Head of AV Department, Ministry of Culture, Hungary
• Zuzana Mistrikova, Director General Media and Audiovisual Department, Slovakia
• Jacek Fuksiewicz, Films Department, Ministry of Culture, Poland
• Delia Mucica, Films Department, Ministry of Culture, Romania
• Howard Brodsky, Project Planer, East Finland Commission, Finland
• Thierry Baujard, CEO, peacefulfish, Germany
• Juliane Schulze, Senior Consultant, peacefulfish, Germany
So, which one of these is not like the other? Well, screw it, I know what I'm talking about and only have to sound smart for a few minutes which is something I think that I can do.
Secondly, he is one of the most prolific filmmakers in Finland and the fact that he and I will be meeting regularly can only help me in the future and I got the first example of this while in Helsinki this week. Markku and Petri - the head of the production at the Finnish Film Foundation, basically the guy who decides whether or not a film gets any money - are close friends. I was in Helsinki for a meeting with Petri to follow up on a meeting we had a few months back. Well, now that I am running in a circle that I never thought I would be running in, my meeting with Petri went as good as it could have possibly gone. I didn't know it until the end of our meeting that he and Markku had talked about this past Monday. I have a feeling I will begin to receive a lot more support for the initiatives I am developing.
This week in Helsinki was really crazy. I was hobnobbing with some big celebrities but since I have no idea who they are or who they aren't, it makes no difference to me and I think that that attitude shows and so I stick around and have some conversations.
And speaking of really crazy, when I got back to J-town today I checked my email and I received an invitation to speak at a Roundtable Discussion of Eastern European Film and Media Financing at the Berlin Film Festival next month. As luck wouldn't have it, my flight arrangements were made before I received this invite and those arrangements are pretty hard to change. But I feel like I simply have to change them so that I could join this discussion. Here's a list of the people who will be involved:
1430-1500 WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
Chairman: Alain Modot, CEO Partner, The Media Consulting Group, France
1500-1630 ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Invited participants
• Maria Silvia Gatta, Head i2i action & Evaluation, Media Program, Brussels
• Balázs Zachar, Head of AV Department, Ministry of Culture, Hungary
• Zuzana Mistrikova, Director General Media and Audiovisual Department, Slovakia
• Jacek Fuksiewicz, Films Department, Ministry of Culture, Poland
• Delia Mucica, Films Department, Ministry of Culture, Romania
• Howard Brodsky, Project Planer, East Finland Commission, Finland
• Thierry Baujard, CEO, peacefulfish, Germany
• Juliane Schulze, Senior Consultant, peacefulfish, Germany
So, which one of these is not like the other? Well, screw it, I know what I'm talking about and only have to sound smart for a few minutes which is something I think that I can do.
Monday, January 17, 2005
A few firsts occurred this weekend. The first first, I changed the tires on Karoliina's bicycle for the winter. She now has those life saving little spikes on her tires so that she can ride her bike through the ice, slush, sleet, freezing rain, and yellow snow free from disaster. That is, of course, provided that I did a decent job and those newly placed tires don't suddenly fall off.
I'll tell you what, this was no easy task. Contrary to what everyone else told me, and I mean everyone, replacing the tires on a bike takes some time. Sure, I did it, but for a few minutes there in the beginning I had my doubts. Now? Well, now I feel I could easily accomplish the job in much less time than the 90 minutes I spent doing the job on Saturday.
The second first, I painted my black dress shoes black, in order to cover up the blemishes that occurred while living in New York. Yep, that's about it. Next comes a shine and they are good as new. I never said that all these firsts were exciting.
The third first took place yesterday at the Kataja basketball match. A place where, in my little section of seats, I am a bit of a celebrity. The old folks three rows in front of me smile at me and now bring friends who smile at me, waiting for me to erupt with chants of, "You Suck! Miss It!"and yesterday's specialty for the player from Baylor, "Go Back to Waco!" So the first that happened was when the 10 year old boy who has been booing right along side me for the past few weeks, decided it was time to heckle the Americans in their own language. At one point in the game an American named Kissner was shooting his foul shots. The game wasn't close and so I decided to save my breath, when all of a sudden the kid went wild. He began to shout, "Miss it Kissner!" in heavily accented English. Well I can't let this kid do it all himself and so I joined in the fun and together we yelled and screamed throughout the game. All this is in preparation for the big night in March when the game will be on national television and I will be as loud as I possibly can throughout the entire freaking game. And now I have a sidekick.
The fourth first will take place tonight in Pub Palaveri, when I will meet with Markku Pölönen for the first of our (hopefully) many meetings where we will talk in English about whatever. I have come to the conclusion that this meeting can go one of two ways. It can either go well, with the two of us hitting it off and enjoying each other's company, or it can go bad, with the two of us sipping our beers slowly, quietly, awkwardly, waiting for the appropriate and polite amount of time to pass before we run home crying.
I think that's all the firsts for now. Karoliina and I will be in Helsinki from Wednesday night until Saturday. We are going there for a movie premiere, a documentary about Cuba and their fascination with American cars from the 50's and 60's. It should be quite enjoyable, except for the fact that it will most likely be in Spanish with Finnish subtitles. Which means I will be trying my best to remember something visually spectacular before falling asleep so I can talk about the film at the after party - which is the real reason we are making the trip.
I will also be meeting with the Production Manager at the Finnish Film Foundation in order to figure out how in the hell to arrange a meeting with the State Authorities regarding the formation of a Finnish Film Commission and the further development of the tax incentive initiative I am working on. I will also be meeting with the International Advisor at the University of Helsinki in order to discuss my application process.
Speaking of the Finnish Film Commissions, we have just completed the first ever joint marketing effort, which will be placed in the Locations Magazine 2005. You can check it out here, Adobe reader required.
http://www.rasamaki.com/effc/15_01_effc_ad_locations_cmyk.pdf
So I think that's all for now.
I'll tell you what, this was no easy task. Contrary to what everyone else told me, and I mean everyone, replacing the tires on a bike takes some time. Sure, I did it, but for a few minutes there in the beginning I had my doubts. Now? Well, now I feel I could easily accomplish the job in much less time than the 90 minutes I spent doing the job on Saturday.
The second first, I painted my black dress shoes black, in order to cover up the blemishes that occurred while living in New York. Yep, that's about it. Next comes a shine and they are good as new. I never said that all these firsts were exciting.
The third first took place yesterday at the Kataja basketball match. A place where, in my little section of seats, I am a bit of a celebrity. The old folks three rows in front of me smile at me and now bring friends who smile at me, waiting for me to erupt with chants of, "You Suck! Miss It!"and yesterday's specialty for the player from Baylor, "Go Back to Waco!" So the first that happened was when the 10 year old boy who has been booing right along side me for the past few weeks, decided it was time to heckle the Americans in their own language. At one point in the game an American named Kissner was shooting his foul shots. The game wasn't close and so I decided to save my breath, when all of a sudden the kid went wild. He began to shout, "Miss it Kissner!" in heavily accented English. Well I can't let this kid do it all himself and so I joined in the fun and together we yelled and screamed throughout the game. All this is in preparation for the big night in March when the game will be on national television and I will be as loud as I possibly can throughout the entire freaking game. And now I have a sidekick.
The fourth first will take place tonight in Pub Palaveri, when I will meet with Markku Pölönen for the first of our (hopefully) many meetings where we will talk in English about whatever. I have come to the conclusion that this meeting can go one of two ways. It can either go well, with the two of us hitting it off and enjoying each other's company, or it can go bad, with the two of us sipping our beers slowly, quietly, awkwardly, waiting for the appropriate and polite amount of time to pass before we run home crying.
I think that's all the firsts for now. Karoliina and I will be in Helsinki from Wednesday night until Saturday. We are going there for a movie premiere, a documentary about Cuba and their fascination with American cars from the 50's and 60's. It should be quite enjoyable, except for the fact that it will most likely be in Spanish with Finnish subtitles. Which means I will be trying my best to remember something visually spectacular before falling asleep so I can talk about the film at the after party - which is the real reason we are making the trip.
I will also be meeting with the Production Manager at the Finnish Film Foundation in order to figure out how in the hell to arrange a meeting with the State Authorities regarding the formation of a Finnish Film Commission and the further development of the tax incentive initiative I am working on. I will also be meeting with the International Advisor at the University of Helsinki in order to discuss my application process.
Speaking of the Finnish Film Commissions, we have just completed the first ever joint marketing effort, which will be placed in the Locations Magazine 2005. You can check it out here, Adobe reader required.
http://www.rasamaki.com/effc/15_01_effc_ad_locations_cmyk.pdf
So I think that's all for now.
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Just want to recommend following along with Kelly Groves during his trip through Latin America. Right now he is in Guatamala and he is thankfully keeping a journal. You can read it at http://kellyboygroves.blogspot.com
He is a really good and humorous writer.
He is a really good and humorous writer.
A piece of advice I learned upon my return to winter - do not mistake the ski path for the bike path. Both paths are smooth and inviting, but both are specifically tailored. One the way to the Areena where I play basketball, the ski path and the bike path are easily mistaken for one another. I made the right turn towards the Areena and found myself grinding my way through at least six inches of snow. Yesterday I witnessed another hapless victim who had made the near fatal mistake of choosing the wrong path. Near fatal? Well maybe that's overstating it a bit, but you try biking in 6 inches of snow for more than 200 feet. It ain't easy.
K and I have been back in Joensuu for 5 days and it feels like we never left. The Texas sunshine feels half a world away. Maybe that is because it is have a world away. The only indicator that we were actually gone - aside from some wonderful pictures, memories and some extra pounds - is the enormous case of jetlag that seems to be harder and harder to overcome with each Trans Atlantic trip.
Monday night we were in bed by 8pm and up at 4:30 when we watched After Hours, an appropriate choice as it is the story of a man who is trying desperately to get home so he can finally get to sleep. The next day, K took a 3 hour nap, which totally screwed her up. She had a glass of wine at dinner and was asleep at 8pm. She was up at 2:30 and could not get back to sleep no matter how hard she tried. I had a little more luck. Finally, last night we were both up until 11:30 and slept until 8.
K and I have been back in Joensuu for 5 days and it feels like we never left. The Texas sunshine feels half a world away. Maybe that is because it is have a world away. The only indicator that we were actually gone - aside from some wonderful pictures, memories and some extra pounds - is the enormous case of jetlag that seems to be harder and harder to overcome with each Trans Atlantic trip.
Monday night we were in bed by 8pm and up at 4:30 when we watched After Hours, an appropriate choice as it is the story of a man who is trying desperately to get home so he can finally get to sleep. The next day, K took a 3 hour nap, which totally screwed her up. She had a glass of wine at dinner and was asleep at 8pm. She was up at 2:30 and could not get back to sleep no matter how hard she tried. I had a little more luck. Finally, last night we were both up until 11:30 and slept until 8.
