Running with Scissors
Although the independence day celebrations in Finland are usually a calm, quiet affair, the national holiday also makes it a very attractive date for many event organisers.
S and me have visited the Women's Christmas Fair for as long as we've known each other, and this year was no exception. The Fair has been in existence since 1922 for women to sell their arts, crafts and self-made food stuff, such as candy, gingerbread houses and cakes. I've always found something there, and this year I bought lollipops from the lollipop man (and his wife, this being a women's fair), a "snowflake" ornament made from silvery wire and a big crystal in the middle, and a heart made from yarn that has a tar scent to die for.
From the fair we headed to a dog agility competition. It was held in an unheated warehouse and after two hours S and me were positively freezing. But it was great fun, both for us and the dogs present. The incredible ruckus that only hundreds of dogs packed in a single space can make could be heard long before we entered the warehouse and the noise level certainly didn't drop when we did.
I used to enjoy watching horse show jumping when I was young but I grew bored quite quickly. The same fences over and over again, the only variation a dropped rail every now and then. In agility, on the other hand, the performance is completely dependent on the dog’s personality and level of enthusiasm. Some of them run in circles around their handler in their excitement, few are there clearly only because they want to please, many of them bark like crazy the entire time and most are enjoying themselves so much they’re barely even able to run a straight line.
All this excitement translates into very few clean performances, as the dogs on certain fences completely ignore their handler’s instructions and head for a wrong one instead or jump over a "contact patch" without touching it, and so on. It all makes for a very captivating show for the spectators. Especially the small dogs tend to make all go "aww" in their exuberance.
When we were finally cold enough, we went to get pizzas and I convinced S to stay and watch the Independence Day reception that’s aired from the Presidential Palace every year. It's the most popular TV show annually, netting roughly two million viewers (out of the 5 million people living here).
The ceremony is always the same. 1 800 people attend every year, from all fields. Mostly it's politicians but also the big names in military, religion, justice, trade, academics, unions, art, sports etc. Lately even celebrities or other people who've been in the spotlight during the year. All visitors shake hands with the president and her husband when they enter. The first to do this are the war veterans who get invited every year and whose entrance is accompanied by Sibelius' Jäger March. After that the order is free, based on arrival. The last people to enter are always the previous presidents and their spouses.
The arrival of guests is always the highlight of the evening, when the most viewers gather around their TV to judge dresses and hairdos. Most of the people were totally unknow to S and me but in addition to the celebrities and athletes I managed to recognise one of my English teachers from school! According to Google her husband is a bigshot in some trade union. There was also a politician from the Green League with his husband. I think that's kinda cool, even if it should be no big deal.
A good way to spend this particular day, even without fireworks.
S and me have visited the Women's Christmas Fair for as long as we've known each other, and this year was no exception. The Fair has been in existence since 1922 for women to sell their arts, crafts and self-made food stuff, such as candy, gingerbread houses and cakes. I've always found something there, and this year I bought lollipops from the lollipop man (and his wife, this being a women's fair), a "snowflake" ornament made from silvery wire and a big crystal in the middle, and a heart made from yarn that has a tar scent to die for.
From the fair we headed to a dog agility competition. It was held in an unheated warehouse and after two hours S and me were positively freezing. But it was great fun, both for us and the dogs present. The incredible ruckus that only hundreds of dogs packed in a single space can make could be heard long before we entered the warehouse and the noise level certainly didn't drop when we did.
I used to enjoy watching horse show jumping when I was young but I grew bored quite quickly. The same fences over and over again, the only variation a dropped rail every now and then. In agility, on the other hand, the performance is completely dependent on the dog’s personality and level of enthusiasm. Some of them run in circles around their handler in their excitement, few are there clearly only because they want to please, many of them bark like crazy the entire time and most are enjoying themselves so much they’re barely even able to run a straight line.
All this excitement translates into very few clean performances, as the dogs on certain fences completely ignore their handler’s instructions and head for a wrong one instead or jump over a "contact patch" without touching it, and so on. It all makes for a very captivating show for the spectators. Especially the small dogs tend to make all go "aww" in their exuberance.
When we were finally cold enough, we went to get pizzas and I convinced S to stay and watch the Independence Day reception that’s aired from the Presidential Palace every year. It's the most popular TV show annually, netting roughly two million viewers (out of the 5 million people living here).
The ceremony is always the same. 1 800 people attend every year, from all fields. Mostly it's politicians but also the big names in military, religion, justice, trade, academics, unions, art, sports etc. Lately even celebrities or other people who've been in the spotlight during the year. All visitors shake hands with the president and her husband when they enter. The first to do this are the war veterans who get invited every year and whose entrance is accompanied by Sibelius' Jäger March. After that the order is free, based on arrival. The last people to enter are always the previous presidents and their spouses.
The arrival of guests is always the highlight of the evening, when the most viewers gather around their TV to judge dresses and hairdos. Most of the people were totally unknow to S and me but in addition to the celebrities and athletes I managed to recognise one of my English teachers from school! According to Google her husband is a bigshot in some trade union. There was also a politician from the Green League with his husband. I think that's kinda cool, even if it should be no big deal.
A good way to spend this particular day, even without fireworks.