Archive for January, 2008
Next comes Monday, the 31st. That’s right, New Years Eve. Well if you naïve Americans reading this thought fireworks were only for the Fourth of July or the Whop Hop at the Point, then you are about to learn something. Fireworks are for New Years. And it is not only for professionals…even though it should be. To give a little peak into where this is all going, in the cab (well before midnight mind you) there was a story told over the radio about the first house that was burned down by a drunken Finn. FIRST?!?! Are you kidding me? It’s not even when you’re supposed to be celebrating yet.
So we start our evening at The Dog Hut (of course) making sure all the little buggers have pooped and peed in the proper places before heading out to Annette’s flat about 20mins drive away for a pre New Years dinner. Turns out there was a larger gala that got canceled last minute, so there were a few over dressed party goers with no place to go. Not to mention a LOT of food. Good food. J
So we arrive around 18.00 to find we are the last to arrive. And WAY underdressed. When they said a gala, I just assumed they were exaggerating. Nope. Well actually it wasn’t all that bad, there were only six of us in total and really only one woman was wearing an extremely formal gown. And her reasoning behind wearing it was, “I dragged this damn gown all the way from London and I’m wearing it one way or another!” Well we had a great time comparing travel stories and other related items as two of the women there had both been in the States among other places. We sit down to a killer dinner and proceed to start the New Year’s celebration early. Well, we weren’t the only ones. Remember the fireworks? Well apparently there’s a Finnish law that from 6pm New Year’s Eve until sometime in the morning fireworks are legal. And I don’t mean sparklers and spinners. Oh no, not at all.
Before we left for the dinner party, I heard a few ‘gunshots’ here and there. At first I didn’t really think much of it, electrical transformer blew, a container truck dropped it’s container a bit too hard in an area that had an echo. Who knows, plenty of reasons but they all would’ve been wrong. Turns out it was a few Finns a bit too anxious to wait for their 6pm warfare allowance. Exaggeration, right? Not this time.
Now I’ve lived in New York my whole life. Travelled here and there, but have no idea what a war zone feels like. Sure I’ve watched Saving Private Ryan and all the bad 90’s movies covering the Middle Eastern conflicts (Navy Seals come to mind), but never experienced it. As it turns out, Helsinki on New Year’s is much, much worse. Bombs going off left and right, nonstop. Sitting down at dinner was a constant barrage of explosions and flashes. See Finns don’t care much for the pretty, flashy stuff, they focus on the noisemakers. Flying M80s and the like. I was in awe. I mean literally, the windows were rattling and everything. As I read back over this I realize I’m not doing a good job conveying what it really was like, so I apologize. Just watch the opening scene of Private Ryan where they storm the beaches at Normandy. Just turn the volume way up and sit on the subwoofer.
Well anyway, after we finished dinner and all, we all hop into cabs and head towards Eastern Helsinki into an area called Sipoo. It’s very similar to where Maria’s parents live in the fact that it’s mostly summer cottages, not many year round occupants. At Sipoo Petra, one of the dinner guests, has a family house that has been taken over by her siblings friends for a rather large party. Everyone gathers outside at the main house, which is sitting on top of a large hill with views all around. Quite beautiful, especially with the leaves off the trees because you can see for a good distance. The Champagne bottles get popped and everyone grabs a glass for the final countdown. Now during all of this, the fireworks are still being shot off all around. The standard 10second countdown applies and at the stroke of midnight the real show begins. The skies just light up with a spectacular show of explosions and light! But the crazy part is that it wasn’t all in one place. It was from every direction. Hundreds of private parties all around celebrating the New Year with their own private show lighting up the sky. It was beautiful. Truly breathtaking.
Afterwards we head down the hill to an old barn that the kids converted into a party room. With the DJ DJing, and a table of booze off to the side, it turned out to be a great time. So good, that I really don’t remember how we got home.
Just after we arrived Maria’s father Raul walks in with a freshly cut Christmas tree and a sheepish grin on his face. Apparently this year they decided to cut down their own tree…from around the corner! No, this is not typical here. It’s just their first official Christmas celebration in this house and they decided it would be a great idea. The tree ended up being the perfect size, albeit a bit thin of branches. But once decorated, it was definitely the centerpiece of the room.
So the rest of the Christmas weekend was filled with deep traditions of Finnish and Swedish cultures including a visit to the graves to light candles, a grand feast on the eve and followed by a magical evening of present exchanging, drinking and just good feelings. A great Christmas it was.
The following day everyone wakes on their own schedule and once all are awake, the lounging begins. A day filled with leftovers, pajamas and movies. It’s like a hangover recovery day built right into the holiday. These people certainly do it right.
We head out on the evening of the 25th to go and prep for Maria’s first set of clients, two huskies, one Jack Russell and one little ankle biter that looked like a dirty mop. One would have thought this to be a momentous occasion being the start of the business, rather it was quite the opposite. Coming from a relaxed and tranquil lazy environment to a cold, hard and loud one was not very momentous. It was downright brutal. After struggling with getting a proper rhythm, we head to bed, a mere 15feet from the kennels we just built. Not exactly the REM sleep one would hope for.
The following day Maria started getting her routines in place and getting a feel for how to run the show. That evening there was a traditional family gathering for dinner and drinks. Every year it rotates to a different family member, and this year Raul’s cousin who happens to live near The Dog Hut, had the honors. We get ourselves all dressed up again and head over. After a lovely meal and a few drinks, Maria heads back to work as I stay and hang out with Maria’s brother Rasmus and her cousin Tommi. We stayed for another couple of hours at the family party drinking, talking and drinking. (have you noticed any patterns yet?) We leave the party and head out for a night of even more of the previously mentioned drinking, talking and drinking. All I can say is thank God there is an elevator in our building, because if I had to climb the four flights up at 5am in the condition I was in, I probably would’ve slept right there in the lobby.
The next day was miserable. Beyond miserable. Hangover city. And I had agreed to play in a poker tournament that day at 17.30 (5:30pm). Which when you get in at 5 in the morning, is only a few hours after you wake up. Five minutes before Tommi comes and picks me up, I finally get off the couch and get dressed. Considering my condition, I did quite well. The tournament was a Texas Hold ém poker tournament and was hosted by a group of guys my age that started their own poker league. It was a two table tourney where I ended up taking fourth overall. I should’ve won the damn thing, but this kid who didn’t even know how to deal, got lucky on the river to beat me. I was pissed. But I at least received a consolation prize, a free entry into a larger tournament at the end of January. The organizer hands me my certificate where I see Tommi has given me the lovely nickname Puuha Pete (Bob the Builder in Finnish). We leave the bar where the game was played and head off to the only casino in Helsinki as I watch Tommi gamble for an hour or so before I make him take me back home so I can go back to sleep.
Hmm, so much for a summary. I suppose I need to work on this.