Finland in New York

Either I was deliberately searching for them or I just happened to bump into these things. Little traces of Finland in New York, in places I did not expect to see them.

Nokia. I know, it's global, but where else do they have a whole theatre sponsored? NOKIA Theatre Times Square is according to its webpage "New York City's finest concert venue featuring the hottest rock shows in Manhattan". I dare to doubt this, however - for example, I'm not sure how hot or rock is LL Cool J, one of the upcoming artists there. Nokia just can't be cool - Apple is cool, Nokia is just...well, you know.

Teuvo Tulio. Yes, our very own Latvian-Persian-Turkish-Polish film director Theodor Antonius Tugai, born in St. Petersburg but later grown up in Finland and known as Teuvo Tulio (1912-2000) was consecrated a 4-movie series called "Master of Melodrama" in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in November. I went to see two of the movies which were very cute and nostalgic to me, with their countryside portrayals and music scenes but which might have left some part of the audience perplexed...there was a long article on Tulio in Village Voice, among others. A favourite of the movie freaks, if nothing else!

Moomins. I saw the whole Moomin series translated into English first in a bookstore, then at my (Finnish) friend's (American) landlady's home. No explanation for Finnish / Swedish / Japanese readers needed on the Moomins.

Kaiku. A "Finnish world music" band, with two Finnish singers residing in New York, Jaana Kantola and Paula Jaakkola. I had read about them in Time Out or some other up-to-date publication, and was then asked to see them live in Zebulon, a very nice live music joint in Williamsburg. It was weird hearing songs in Finnish (and partly in English, French and Spanish, I believe) performed in a bar in New York. Most of the crowd was not Finnish - that much I could gather by the way they looked like - and thus did not understand the lyrics at all. You can have a look at Kaiku on their website and listen to them in MySpace. Another musical discovery including Finns was a vinyl record in a record store in Williamsburg, Academy Records: they had a recording of the Helsinki University Chorus (Ylioppilaskunnan laulajat) from the 1970s, including some "famous Finnish songs". It cost something like 3 dollars and if I had had more space in my luggage, I would have surely bought that one...sigh.

Finnish candy and make-up. The vodka-filled chocolate candies by Fazer were received with great enthusiasm in my office at the UN. I was surprised to see Finnish candy a bit all over New York: I saw Halva liquorice at Duane Reade's (a big pharmacy chain, everywhere in New York: pharmacy meaning here a store in which you can find almost everything from food to beauty care to medicine) and Fazermint in many general supermarkets. Well done for marketing! The same goes for Lumene, the biggest make-up brand in Finland - they were also everywhere, competing with the big French brands. Nordic beauty sells...

Scandinavia House. From the official side, there is the all-Nordic cultural center Scandinavia House where I sadly never went to, just went past it when walking from the UN to the Penn Station to take the train for my Thanksgiving holiday trip. They have art exhibitions, musical evenings and film screenings - maybe I just wasn't homesick enough to go there yet.

Besides these phenomena that I noticed myself, I got following remarks on Finland from New Yorkers:
"Oh, it's a very metal country!" (clearly from a metal fan)
"Isn't it really dark there?"
"Don't you have a lot of suicides there?"
"Didn't you win the Eurovision song contest a few years ago?" (from an Israeli, no American would know the Eurovision...)

All of these are pretty much true. Except that the suicide rates have gone down the last few years, nothing to boast about anymore. Seriously, which other country would be sick enough to be so proud of their high suicide rates? Maybe it's just our morbid sense of humor. When I was asked to describe my home country, I told something like: "It's quite boring and a bit like Canada, lots of forest and lakes." At some point I also added "but we have free education and health care" which brought about a great awe in the US. Welcome to Finland...

Bye-bye New York City!

Wow, how quickly can one week pass by? I'm leaving New York City tomorrow, for those who did not know. I had so many things I was supposed to do this week - some of them I did, most not. I was hoping for more time to sit, enjoy New York, to read and to relax, but instead I slept late, went around Brooklyn, tried to pack my things in my bags and failed (until now, with a new bag) and just...didn't feel like I was leaving at all.

I've gathered a small photo collage here to show some of the things I did this week:

Snow. It had snowed before, too, but the flakes had always melted when hitting the ground. Yesterday (Friday) it snowed the whole day, and last night New York was one big slush zone. Today it has been more icy snow and freezing - colder than in Helsinki at the moment. It was funny to see people's reactions to snow: in the Bronx, where I visited the arts museum and just had a look around as Otto did when he was here, people were filming their children throwing snowballs. As always, children were the ones who were most thrilled about the snow, whereas adults were grunting when their shoes went through one-feet deep slush/water muddles by the pedestrian walkways. This photo is outside my last apartment, I moved (for the third time!) to Washington Heights, 171st Street in uptown Manhattan for my last week.


Christmas lights. I was being offered a tour in Brooklyn, one of the highlights being Dyker Heights, a neighbourhood famous for its totally, outrageously extravagant Christmas lights. The photo taken in the dark, without a tripod obviously cannot transcend the totally glittering surreality, house after another, and the feeling of being Alice in the Wonderland, but...just have a look. The swirling carousels also played music. A bit scary, really.




A view from the Empire State Building. I had to go there, because the highest point to see New York had been 'only' the 26th floor of the Beekman Tower, a hotel bar near the UN. After a long, but not agonizing wait in three different lines (luckily all of them inside!), I finally got up to the 86th floor. I'm glad of going there during my last week and not my first, because now I could actually relate to places and recognize buildings, also non-famous ones. Brooklyn-side was hazy, unfortunately, but I could see pretty much the whole of Manhattan - this photo is towards the Midtown East, such as the Chrysler Building or the UN buildings.

Green-wood Cemetery. Instead of going to Ellis Island, to see the immigration museum, I decided to head to Brooklyn, to a famous cemetery near Prospect Park. The traces of immigration were very visible there as well - many stones had birthplaces marked outside the US, majority in Europe though, this being mostly the cemetery for 19th century graves. Partly because of the snow and partly because of the hilly landscape it was extremely relaxing to walk there in the silence, in one of the most beautiful cemeteries I have ever seen. Except for the cars: I've never had to worry about cars in other graveyards, but this is America, meaning that you drive everywhere, including cemeteries! I was even offered a ride by another visitor when I was entering the premises...

Last thing I did today, my last whole day in New York City, was a very quick one-hour visit to the Brooklyn Museum. It was near the cemetery, cheap (suggested donation for students was only $4!) and I had wanted to go there anyway. I just wish I had had more time, because I only managed to see the African Arts section and run through the Gilbert & George special exhibition (photo) on two floors. Something left for the next time!

Yes, that is the question - will there be next time? I hope so, although so far the only place I have returned to after living there has been Paris. It is a pity that just now when
a) I don't need a map every time when walking around (at least in Manhattan, in most parts of Brooklyn I'm still lost),
b) I have learned to reply relatively cheerfully to people's "Hello, how are you?" greetings
c) I have become accustomed to use words such as "douchebag" or "schmuck" (well, I don't really use those words, but I could...)
- I'm supposed to leave?

It took one month to get used to the initial shock and to adjust to the culture, two months to learn to love this place, and three months to find the New York I love most. Like loads of bookstores and record shops, cafes and bars, in a warmer weather also parks and other green areas around the city. I would want to see the lights of all the different bridges again; to see amazing concerts and shows for almost free or for a small fee; to wander in the streets and discover things by chance; and to enjoy the most Newyorkish foods, such as the slice of Junior's cheesecake I just finished. See you soon, then, maybe (in New York English that might mean anything from tomorrow to never...)?

Live Tonight with Conan O'Brien!

I went to the taping of the Conan O'Brien Show this afternoon. The tickets had to be reserved something like 6 weeks in advance, today being the first date with available seats. Since the maximum amount for one person was four tickets, I booked them all and advertised the extra ones on our UN intern Googlegroup. To my surprise they were all gone in about 20 minutes - and I thought that Conan O'Brien is famous only in Finland...

Due to lack of time (or a two-hour lunch today, last office lunch with my colleagues in a nice Spanish restaurant) and forgetfulness, I didn't even check tonight's guests online. I was happily surprised to hear that Hugh Laurie was the other guest to be interviewed, whereas the other's name I still don't remember. But besides guests and the show itself, even more interesting was to see the big machinery working behind it. Probably a dozen employees were just guiding the audience to our seats, counting and re-counting us and giving us orders. Half a dozen of 30-40-something men with nerdy or trendy glasses were shuttling around Conan during every little break, apparently going through last minute checks for the script. A few security guys and few other men and women were watching that the audience was behaving properly. During the warm-up jokes with Conan, one guy was even removed from the first row and put into the back row because he was a bit too spontaneous, getting up and hugging two other guys who Conan told to hug each other. Too dangerous to keep in the first row!

Also the reactions of the audience during the warm-up comedian were funny to us, reserved Europeans (Finnish, Polish and German). Everybody wanted to have their little moment in the spotlight, proudly yelling wherever they were coming from or just being overtly extrovert in general. One Canadian guy was putting himself forward a bit too keenly during the warm-up and the beginning of the show: standing up, doing hand gestures, cheering and laughing very loudly (faked laughter). He was also - luckily! - silenced very quickly. I would imagine that the security man told him to shut up or to be removed from the audience completely.

You can see the show live tonight on NBC (also online?), in Finland probably some night this or next week. I'm there, high up on the second last row in the middle of the audience, if they happened to shoot us at all. But it was fun to watch, I didn't have to fake laughter, guests were entertaining and the finishing rock band from New Jersey didn't suck too bad. All this for free, unlike many things in the US!

Kulttuurien kohtaamisia Kiitospäivänä.

Viime viikolla Amerikassa juhlittiin yhtä vuoden suurimmista juhlapyhistä, Kiitospäivää eli Thanksgivingiä. Ainoan täysamerikkalaisen kollegani mielestä Kiitospäivä on ehdottomasti paras juhlapyhä, koska se ei ole uskonnollinen, sillä on hieno ajatus ja yleensäkin, on vain mukavaa syödä yhdessä ja kerätä ihmisiä pöydän ääreen. Hän kysyi omista suunnitelmistani ja ehdotti illallista ystäviensä kanssa, vaikka olikin itse pois kaupungista tänä Kiitospäivänä - olin kuitenkin sopinut jo suunnitelmia, joten sinänsä houkutteleva tarjous täysin tuntemattomien ihmisten kanssa illallistamisesta jäi käyttämättä.

Matkustin keskiviikkona töiden jälkeen Metro-North -radalla Hudson-joen länsipuolella pari tuntia pohjoiseen, Otisvillen asemalle. Alunperin tshekkilainen, 1970-luvulta lähtien amerikkalaistunut perhe otti minut lämpimästi vastaan, tarjosi kanagulassia ja valkoviiniä (kalkkuna odotti varsinaista Kiitospäivä-ateriaa seuraavana päivänä) ja matkan lähimpään isompaan kaupunkiin, Port Jervisiin baarikierrokselle.

Kiitospäivää edeltävä keskiviikko vastaa jokseenkin Tapaninpäivää Suomessa: se on pikkukaupungeissa vuoden paras päivä mennä baareihin tapaamaan vanhoja tuttuja yläaste- ja lukioajoilta, koska kaikki kerääntyvät kotiseuduilleen perheidensä luokse. Huomasin, että pikkukaupunkien baarit muistuttavat toisiaan kaikkialla, sillä baareista keskimmäinen tuntui erehdyttävästi Varkauden Rock Cafelta. Paitsi että Port Jervisissä kaikilla miehillä oli lippis päässä, joko oikein päin tai takaperin, ja siellä oli biljardipöytä ja jukeboksi. Jälkimmäistä laitetta käytimme varsin ahkerasti illan aikana - Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash, Pink Floyd ja Depeche Mode saivat kukin runsaasti soittoaikaa, jota koetimme vallata mahdollisimman paljon muilta, huonomman musiikkimaun omaavilta jukeboksin käyttäjiltä. Illan aikana puhuimme aseista, autoista, Metallicasta, Obamasta ja suomalaisista, muun muassa. Lopultakin kohtasin New York Cityn ulkopuolisen maailman käsinkosketeltavasti, sen "todellisen Amerikan" (ks. valokuva), pikkukaupunkien Amerikan, josta McCain-Palinin presidenttikampanjassa puhuttiin. Mielenkiintoinen kulttuurinen kokemus, vähintäänkin.

Kyltti New York Cityn Upper West Sidella sijaitsevan Ding Dong Lounge -baarin ulkopuolella.

Seuraavana päivänä, varsinaisena Thanksgiving-torstaina jatkoin matkaa Hudson-joen itäpuolelle Pleasantvillen hyvin keskiluokkaiseen lähiökaupunkiin, eteläafrikkalais-amerikkalaisen perheen vieraaksi. Odotukseni tarjotun ruoan suhteen jopa ylittyivät: kalkkuna karpalokastikkeella ja täytteellä ("stuffing", sen kummemmin määrittelemättä) oli suussasulavaa, lisäksi tarjolla oli bataatteja ja tietenkin kurpitsa- ja omenapiirakkaa. Nam! Suosittelen lämpimästi amerikkalaista kiitospäiväateriaa kaikille!

Tapasin kahden päivän aikana kaksi hyvin erilaista perhettä, omine karikatyyreineen. Toisesta löytyi ehta punaniska (häntä kutsuttiin lempeästi sillä nimellä): ronski rakennustyöläinen, joka keräili aseita. Ja nyt puhutaan siis useasta tusinasta erilaisesta mallista, tuhansilla ammuksilla. Toisesta taas kiukutteleva, super-nationalisti- ja siionisti isoisä, jonka puhe ruokapöydässä (jokainen kiitti jostakin) käsitteli USA:n ylivoimaista mahtavuutta kaikessa, sillä olihan se paras kansakunta koko maailmanhistoriassa. Lisäksi hän kiitti juutalaisia, ainoaa kansaa, jolla on yli 4000 vuoden historia. Pöytä hiljeni sen jälkeen hetkeksi, kunnes seuraava puhuja aloitti jostakin pienemmän mittakaavan asiasta, ja myöhemmin illalla minulle esitettiin anteeksipyyntö isoisän "juutalaiskommentista". Yleensä hän kuulemma esittää mielipiteitään vieläkin voimakkaammin ja käyttäytyy huonommin.

Kohtaamisia, sattumia - joskus ne johtavat uusiin kohtaamisiin, toisella mantereella. Ensimmäinen Kiitospäivä-perheeni oli seurausta kohtaamisesta Senegalissa, St. Louisissa. Martin sattui olemaan yötä samassa hostellissa espanjalaisten matkaseuralaistensa kanssa, ja päädyimme myös samaan hotelliin Dakariin, minun suosituksestani (ainoa budjettimatkalaiselle sopiva hotelli Dakarin keskustassa). Toinen Kiitospäivä-perheeni löytyi Nicolen kautta, jonka tapasin Sansibarilla expatriaatti-juhlissa (ks. Kotona Sansibarilla), ja myöhemmin asuimme samassa talossa kuukauden verran.

Vielä puoli vuotta sitten en olisi uskonut, että näkisin nämä jokseenkin satunnaiset matkaajatoverini New Yorkissa, mutta niin vain kävi, kiitos modernin kommunikaatioteknologian, joka tuottaa (hiukan avustettuja) sattumia jatkuvasti. Siskoni oli viime viikolla lomamatkalla Thaimaassa, ja sattuneestä syystä matka hieman pidentyi - luin lankoni, yhden satunnaisen matkailijan kommentin tilanteesta verkko-Hesarista tänään. Suomi-Thaimaa-New York: internet yhdistää ne kaikki!

Niin, mistä itse kiitin vuorollani Thanksgiving-pöydässä? Siitä, että minut oli kutsuttu vieraaksi minulle tuntemattomaan perheeseen, ja päivän hengestä ylipäänsä. Jokaisessa maassa tulisi olla vastaava juhla (eikä nyt puhuta siitä, mitä Kiitospäivän jälkeen tapahtui intiaaneille...), joka ylistää hyvää tahtoa ja vieraanvaraisuutta tuntemattomia kohtaan. Milloin itse viimeksi tarjosit ruokaa tai juomaa kohtaamallesi ihmiselle vain tuottaaksesi hyvää mieltä?