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December 15, 2004

Suomi-girl again!

Long time since the last time! My last month in Tokyo, November, was busy. First with work and preparing for departure, then with more work, travelling and enjoying the last days.

Now I'm safe and sound again in good old Helsinki, Finland. I spent my first week in Finland in a hazy state of mind, landing from Tokyo bright lights into winter grim Finland.

Transitions

Central Tokyo to Narita airport, Dec 3 - Helsinki to Tampere, Dec 5.

Junasta silta.JPG


Hki-Tre 051204.JPG


Shibuya, Thursday Dec 2, 7pm - Helsinki main shopping street, Friday Dec 3, 11 pm.


Shibuya valot.JPG


YU Pe 041204 klo 23 Hki.JPG

Many things have made me smile since my return (yes, in the Finnish winter, it's an event.) One of my favourite snacks: Rye bread, salty Russian style sausage, Finnish cheese and sour milk.

Metwursti.JPG

The morning sun in my neighbourhood street.

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A piece of Tokyo in the centre of Helsinki. There's one in Hakaniemi market square, too. Wild!

IMG_1000.JPG

As I missed so many weeks of blogging in Japan, I'll return for a while. One of the highlights was finding a Heli-sensei note on a water bottle reserved for me at Waseda University. And almost any meal in Japan is a highlight in itself.

Waseda Heli sensei.JPG

Shinagawa Heli.JPG

Talking about highlights, taking the shinkansen has to be mentioned.

Shinkansen.JPG

I took it to Kyoto to discover Japanese traditions.

Kioto ryokan Heli.JPG

Then I took a slower train, a bus, and the ropeway to see what winter looked like in the altitude of 2200 meters in the Japanese alps.

Alpit talvi Heli.JPG

Then it was time to leave, and many of my dear friends, some of whom you see here, joined me in an izakaya, a joint for cheap eating and drinking. We had good fun, if you ask me. (Note how well I have learnt to pose the Japanese way.)

Uotami kamut.JPG

To finish with Japan, I'll leave you with some souvenirs.

This book is for haiku poetry.

Haiku kansi.JPG

Haiku aukeama_2.JPG

Sokerikukat.jpg

Metrovaroitus.JPG

Koma ratakartta.JPG

Koma kyltti.JPG

Uniqlo sukat.JPG

Daikanyama pompeli.JPG

Harajuku julkisivu.JPG

Yokohama kita.JPG

Yokohama maa.JPG

Thanks for your company in Japan. From now on, I'll fill you in with bits and pieces from Finland. You can look forward first for a pikkujoulu Christmas party, then a proper family Christmas, and then, a special treat, New Year's high up north in Lapland. Not quite like the mountains below, but hey, the real thing. (Although right now, I'd swop the real thing for Shinjuku any second.)

Shinjuku rekka luistelijat.JPG

Posted by hrantavu at December 15, 2004 06:26 PM