A slice of life

This week I experienced life as I always hoped it would be. As I had imagined it to be at its best, but always assumed that it only worked in movies. And this moment, which was only a few hours long, was truly a perfect piece of living.

I went to see a movie during the Rakkautta & Anarkiaa film festival on Tuesday evening. 'The Wackness' if you must ask, wonderful movie if you must ask again. The movie was showing at eleven in the evening at Café Engel, a small quaint café near one of Helsinkis great buildings - Tuomiokirkko (Helsinki Cathedral). The movie was shown on a small canvas with a rattling and whirring projector in the cafés picturesque inner courtyard. Complete with intricate light fixtures, small narrow staircases and small round parisian coffee tables. A wine shack was nearby to provide refreshements.

As the projector crackled to life, me and my friend Axel sat down at a table, set down our glasses of red wine and found ourselves some thick woolly blankets to shield us from the crisp late summer night. Sitting there watching this wonderful movie with a glass of red wine in front of me, in this utterly picturesque setting I couldn't help but thinking that I was in a movie. That these moments and places only existed in the fictional world. How wrong I have been.

This moment is what life is supposed to be. To me at least. And the evening was made complete with a midnight photography session wandering the steps of the church and my lovely city, listening to The Shins. All this made for a truly wonderful night on the town, and a moment I shan't forget.

Midnight Lights

I went for a walk. It was twelve at night. The city is very beautiful at this time of the day. And peaceful, though it was a Sunday night after all. I had my brothers camera with me. And some music. Never forget the music. Strolling around for the better part of an hour I took some pictures and listened to music. Sat by the harbour and soaked in the night. It was lovely if you were wondering.

I live next to Sweden. Which makes me an expert on Norwegian fjords.

I haven't been too political with my blog so far, but now I couldn't help myself.

Now you're all probably well aware of the ongoing race for the most powerful position in the world, namely the US presidency, probably even more so than me (getting most of my news coverage from The Daily Show and the Colbert Report). So you have undoubtedly heard the claims from McCain & Co regarding Sarah Palins credentials in foreign diplomacy; about how she has the experience and know-how, when it comes to foreign politics, to run the most powerful country in the world, because she lives (or has lived) close to Russia.

I'm going to assume you see what's wrong with this argument for the sake of my sanity. But how the fuck can any self-respecting political party *seriously* claim, in front of the entire world, that living close to Russia (the far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula mind you, which has a population density of less than 1 person per square km) somehow makes her proficient at coping with the increasingly complex foreign relations of our world. I'm not saying I know much about American foreign relations, but then again I *do* live next to Russia as well, and Sweden and Estonia for that matter, so I guess I'm three times the foregin expert of Sarah Palin. Awesome.

But you can't accuse the Republicans of not having balls, because releasing a statement as ludicrously ridiculous as that really does take some cojones. Maybe I've just heard the statement out of context or something, because the Republicans can't be that ridiculous now can they?

I wish I didn't sleep so late.

Do we have a choice? The never-ending philosophical question. Free will, free choice. I believe we do. But I wish I could believe in fate, that everything happened for a reason. I understand people who do. It would make life a lot easier, believing everything happened for a reason and that your choices had nothing to do with it. All the bad choices you make that cause pain and suffering for yourself and others would just be ways the world is teaching you. And that it all had some higher purpose, I guess this is what religion is all about, the comfort factor. Believing that everything happens for a reason would make one feel a lot more comfortable with all the bad things that happen in life, and believing that there is some ultimate goal/aim that your life is racing towards would really simplify things. Or so it seems to me. I would love to be a believer, but alas I am not. In fate, a higher power, anything to comfort oneself during the bad times. Well, that's what friends are for.

So I guess to me my friends are the higher power, the reason to do good, to be good, to strive to be better, the comfort when everything isn't going your way, the company when everything *is* going your way. I love you. Thank you.

"I wish that I believed in fate. I wish I didn't sleep so late." -Matt Berninger

The World is a Wonderful place.

I realise it often (although not often enough), but I dont say it often enough: the world is a wonderful place. Truly an amazing and diverse place full of challenges and countless rewards. The Earth as a planet and life as.. well life, are both unimaginably fantastic. The amount of small (and big) things that can put a smile on ones face are truly so numerous that it just makes me want to smile. There! Another one!

I love the intricacy of leaves (on trees), the complexity of the weather systems, the sun, sand, large rocks, a baby's smile, an elderly couple holding hands (one of the most beautiful things in the world [makes me sound like an agist, but i just think its beautiful]), water, waves, seas, lakes, oceans, water in every form, shape and colour, love, smiling for no reason, benches, balloons, a hug, a gentle touch on ones arm.

A bench. An ocean. A sunset. The girl. A hand.

Zach Braff is god.

A drifting view of the world.

I was riding the train to work today and i did the same thing i always do when traveling on rails - i stared out the window and listened to my music. And i realised that i find this extremely calming and wonderful. Somehow the passing scenery playing to an awesome soundtrack makes me forget all the troubles of the world and just ooze in the moment. But I wonder why this is? I have no answer to that, all I know is that its a feeling i enjoy immensly. And its not constricted to one feeling, depending on the music flooding your ears the mood can range from euphoric to mellow to outright melancholic.

Sitting in a train listening to really good music, seeing glimpses of peoples lives as you pass them by does something to me. It makes me realise just how great the world we live in is. I don't know how, but seeing all those people going about their business - children playing in the park, an elderly woman pushing her bike up a hill or a couple walking hand in hand, all these moments make me feel confident that the world is a good place after all.

Try it. Jump on a train, any train. Put some good music on and just watch the scenery and the lives of the people around drift gently past you.

Claire, the aptly named ghost.

"Boo!", shouted the friendly ghost Claire,
without ever really meaning to scare.

The results are in:

i decided to cut the poll short, why? because i can. so from now on my blog will be known as "Looking for Astronauts", the name that won the poll with 8 votes to 7. the fact that my vote was the swing vote makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like a benevolent dictator.

thank you for your votes and look forward to a bright future in search of astronauts with me.