Stockholm 9. - 11.12.2013

I visited Stockholm on December 2013 with my husband. We travelled there by Silja Serenade. In Värta Harbour security gard checked people carefully because there was distribution of Nobel prizes at the same time. 

We made some shoppings which we thought were good as Christmas presents. We visited famous Östermalm market hall and admired different kind of fresh fishes and crabs.

In the nearby nice bistro we ate healthy lunch, fresh salads.  After that we travelled to Liljeholmen because we read about one interesting exhibition there, but unfortunately it was closed already.

Stockholm is a good place to make some special shoppings. The food there is always tasty and more trendy than in Finland.

NK:s shop window before Christmas

                                       Östermalm´s special sausages with Christmas covering

ELLEN GALLAGHER : AxME

AxME, an exhibition of works by African-American artist Ellen Gallagher is open at the Sara Hilden Art Museum. Ellen Gallagher (b.1965) lives and works in New York and Rotterdam. The exhibition consists of paintings, washes and paper cutouts. Her subjects are the difficult past of African-American people, popular culture, fashion and the special quality of the vernacular language.

Ellen Gallagher's method of working is very physical, although she often uses extremely fragile materials such as sheets of penmanship paper and newsprint. Her tools include a surgeon's scalpel, plasticine, hair cream and other materials, both rigid and plastic. Gallagher´s art is characterized by layering, an inventive use of materials and multi-dimensional structure.

Go and see this unusual exhibition at the Sara Hilden Art Museum, it is open until 26 January 2014!

Venice 16. - 21.10.2013

I visited Venice for the second time in my life. This time I spent there five days and saw much more than last time. We flied to Marco Polo airport and continued to centre with water taxi. Venice is situated on one hundred islands, which are separated by one hundred and fifty canals. Three hundred bridges are built to go over these canals. Today there are living about 60 000 people in Venice. Young people are moving away because it is not easy to carry baby carriages there.  Prices are quite high because of tourism. We paid 25 € - 35 € for lunch, consisting pasta, a glass of wine and dessert. You can understand this because you must carry everything by boat.

La Fenice Theater

This opera house was burned down twice. It´s name reflects that it has risen from the ashes. La Fenice theater is one of the most beautiful operas in the world. We were sitting on the third floor and listening opera Madama Butterfly of Giacomo Puccini. The scene was very simple, they had used only white color and besides curtains there were two simple pillows and nothing else. The dresses of the singers were white, too. The singer as the main role was an italian singer Fiorenza Cedolins and she sang and acted very well.

Punta della Dogana

This house was former the customs house.  Renovation was done by architect Tadao Ando in 2009. Permanent exhibition comes from the Francois Pinault Collection. This is a spacious art museum just beside Canal Grande and Giudecca Canal. From every window you can see water. It is diagonal from the Piazza San Marco. The art there is modern and interesting. There is one room, which is full of lamps and the light is becoming brighter and brighter and in the end you look really pale. On the floor in the same room you can see parts of human bodies made from plastic.

We were walking quite a lot in the town looking shop windows and interesting piazzas.
After you learnt the central area, it was not so difficult to walk without map.

Sorry Guys!

We made a plan to write two posts each  in our blog before the next session, but I shan’t be able to do my share, because I’m in the middle of moving out of a big flat into a smaller one. In fact, my new home is only a quarter of the size of my present one. So you see I have to pass everything else, even the numerous Quizlet-lists you have sent to all of us.  Luckily I have time to move till the end of the year. I guess you don’t really understand what I’m going through, unless you have experienced it yourselves. A fair warning to those who don’t know what I’m talking about: Don’t gather and store stuff!

Now you two ladies have to do your best and double your share. The world is full of interesting topics, and I’m sure we all like to read your articles.

Of course, I see you all towards the end of November. I wouldn’t miss it.

Wish me strength and tolerance!

This is a record-player I’ll definitely drag along and the pile of old records as well.

Talent

Click this link to watch a video of one of the performers in the Dutch Talent Contest. If you haven't seen it yet, now is your chance to experience something extraordinary. Skip the beginning of the video, if you don't understand the language and wait till the 9-year-old Amira starts singing. And please, watch the members of the jury, because they are about to lose it completely!

Enjoy as much as I did and still do!

Exercises for the following four weeks 30.10 - 27.11.2013

1. Test the site: Breaking News English - different levels.
2. See exercises that the other groups recommend i.e. "Loistoharjoitus" in European Cuisine.
3. Write two new entries each.
4. Visit the site: Speak English.

Autumn Equals Melancholy

Some of us love autumn but I’m not one of them.  The sunny days we’ve enjoyed in the last few weeks will soon be over. When days get darker and shorter I find it more and more difficult to start my morning.  Bears are the lucky ones, because Nature has provided them with means of passing  the autumn and winter months hibernating.
It seems that even the newspapers are full of negative news. More and more employees are given notice or they are outsourced, which means that they lose their jobs eventually after having taught their skills to foreigners.
Public health care and other municipal services are reduced and elderly people neglected.
And Finland is in danger of losing the AAA-status, because we are deeper and deeper in dept.

Is this picture beautiful?  Perhaps but it makes me sad.

Any suggestions for positive thinking?  Anybody?
And remember: An optimist is a misinformed pessimist!

Comments are most welcome!