Sunday, January 10, 2010

Helsinki vs Sodankylä

1. I found out that -26'C in DRY Sodankylä feels BETTER than -13'C in MORE MOIST Helsinki (esp. when it's windy, too). Why? Because in Helsinki it felt that the cold air just seeped inside my jackets straight into my bones. Even R2 said it was cold!!! So I'd rather have cold weather in Sodankylä 'coz at least the coldness stays "outside" your body provided that you have enough layers of clothing.

1st pic: There are some Christmas lights left in Helsinki.



2. One thing I forgot about the big cities is the travel time to go from one place to another (plus the cost to travel from one place to another). Here in Sodankylä whenever I have to go "downtown", it takes but a few minutes (either walking or by bike) he he he he...

3. LOVE the fact that there are so many bookstores in Helsinki with an incredible collection of books (including English books) HA HA HA HA HA...whereas in Sodankylä there's only ONE small bookstore. Ahem.

2nd pic: More Christmas lights downtown Helsinki.




4. In Helsinki, everywhere you hear English and different languages spoken daily, whereas in Sodankylä you'll hear mostly only Finnish. They're definitely two different worlds apart!

5. Went to two museums in Helsinki (Kiasma Art Museum and Tennispalatsi Museum). In Kiasma they displayed contemporary art and we felt that many of them were way too contemporary for us ha ha ha...but we were both SO impressed with one particular art form.

This art form is located in one corner of the huge display room. The corner is VERY dark and it's an L-shaped. So from outside, you can't see anything but a plaque stating the title of the art form, the artist, etc. Anyway, the title of the art is: Foam. Then you have to walk inside the L-shaped corner (which is REALLY dark - I had such an ominous feeling when I entered) and then about 2 metres ahead of you there's a huge screen. When I entered the site, the screen showed a round-like figure (which is actually a red balloon) and some foam (like when you've spread some foam to shave a guy) and then you notice someone starting to shave that round-like figure, but before you realize what it's about, the balloon pops out (obviously) with a LOUD bang! I was SO shocked ha ha ha ha ha...so I told R2 about it and told him to go see it. And he was also SHOCKED by the loud bang HI HI HI HI HI...

We both agreed that it was the best display in the whole museum, though we also like two others. The other one is a gorgeous picture which I can't describe (believe me, it's just GORGEOUS!) and the other one is a replica of a WAVE. It's SUPER cool! :-D

In Tennispalatsi Museum there are two displays, but we went only to one of them. It displayed mostly Russian paintings. I LOVE many of them, though I found that there were too many melancholic faces portrayed there. In some pics they look SO real (like photos instead of paintings) so that we had to get as close as a few centimetres away to find out whether they were paintings or photos HA HA HA HA HA HA...We just had to make sure!!! ;-D

3rd pic: Light display which changes colour every errr...few minutes or so?




6. We also went to watch Avatar 3D movie in Helsinki, but alas...something horrible happened. My eyes couldn't take them. The special effect of the movie was such (hard to explain, but those who've seen it must understand what I'm talking about) that 10 minutes into the movie, I started feeling dizzy and SUPER nauseous already! I had to shut my eyes for almost the rest of the movie (which was about 2,5 hours long, imagine that!) so that I wouldn't puke. Note: Even R2 said that in some scenes he felt a bit dizzy 'coz of the way the movie was made.

I wanted to go to the toilet to puke, but we were sitting in the middle of the row and I didn't want to bother other people. So the only trick I could do was just shut my eyes - the nausea subsided only after 45 minutes of doing this, can you imagine that? It felt like a HORRIBLE case of sea-sickness. Ugh!!!

I wonder if anybody has experienced something like this? Or am I just the weird one out?

7. What did I buy in Helsinki? One Finnish novel on a discount (only €2), one Finnish Exercise book, and some chocolate he he he he he...

4th pic: The Indian food we had at Tandoor Resto in Salomonkatu (near the Tennispalatsi Cinema). We had lunch buffet for €8.50 each - the red meat is chicken and that's the BEST thing ever! ;-D



OK, I'll blog-hop either later today or the day after today 'coz I'll be busy tomorrow. My new passport is done and the Indo Embassy employee even sent it to our hotel the same day, can you believe it? I'm REALLY impressed and thankful for their help! ;-D But tomorrow I have to go to the police station to move my residence permit to the new passport and I need to cook and clean up the apartment, as well.

8 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had fun in Helsinki! =) I'd really love to see that baloon popping thing..hehe. Oh, and yes! your 'seasickness' while watching 3D Avatar, I've heard a couple of people complained about that too. So don't worry, you aren't the only one! =P

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  2. Contemporary art and super loud or super bright effects in movie theatres may be too much for sensitive people like me, and perhaps you, too?

    I remember one contemporary art exhibition that had so many disturbing works of "art" I almost had nightmares afterwards :D

    Once I had to stuff cotton wool in my ears at the cinema because the film was so loud :(

    Have a nice and quiet week in Sodankylä :)

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  3. Shinta: Yeah, we had fun in Helsinki! :-D It's always much nicer to go on a trip with hubby 'coz we get to share many things together and talk about what we see/eat/do later on in the future he he...Ah, so I'm not the only one with a bad case of sea-sickness when watching Avatar he he...

    Rita: It was the first time I went to a contemporary art museum, but I think I prefer going to a regular museum filled with paintings (but no Picasso or other types like that 'coz they give me a headache, thank you very much) - I LOVE landscape paintings and portraits. :-D

    Nightmares 'coz of an art exhibition? Ouch! That must've been quite an experience.

    Well, when I was young I had motion sickness very easily whenever we went anywhere by car (at that time we had no car, so whenever we took a ride in someone else's car, I threw up a lot so we had to bring plastic bags)...then the motion sickness subsided when I travelled more often by car...but I still can't stand seeing wave movements in the sea/ocean 'coz it'll ALWAYS make me have sea sickness in just a few minutes. Ugh...

    THANKS for the well-wishes! It feels GREAT to be back home! :-D

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  4. Glad you are back and have a wonderful short trip. :-) I haven't watched Avatar yet, but most of my friends have watched them and some in 4D, and I haven't heard any single complain except compliment?? I'll only know the experience when I go and watch it and share with you what I'm feeling.

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  5. i love to buy books, too however i stack them on the drawer. how are u friend?

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  6. I can't see the movie with 3D effect as well :D Lovely pics, Amel.

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  7. I dont like 3D films much either. No special glasses to wear though?

    J saw it in Rovaniemi this weekend, but it was just the regular format. Sorry you seem to have missed what is apparently otherwise a good movie!

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  8. Choc Mint Girl: Yeah, if you happen to watch it later, tell me how you feel in the movie theatre, will you? He he...

    Imelda: I'm doing great, THANKS for asking. :-))))

    Jul: You can't, either? Ahhhh...we're the same then he he...Glad you enjoyed the pics.

    Mrs. Rainbow: Yep, we had to wear special glasses (I think it was dark greenish). Yeah, I just have to watch it in 2D later on, I guess.

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