Oslo Report. Part I

Approaching. The Turku Archipelago and the most polluted sea in the World, the Baltic.


A Must-See. Not because you must, meaning should, but because all (my) routes seem to circulate this: The Royal Castle. (Don't ask me who live in this. I always fail to remember names of the Royals – except Diana.)


One of the main streets and blooming trees.


That's the guy we can thank for annual excitement (and the surprise of giving the main prize for Al Gore!): Alfred Nobel.


Aschehoug Villa. Nice. If I will have a second life after this one, I would very much like to become a Norwegian publisher.


...and part of the Villa from the inside.


Interesting crossroads. There is a fountain in the middle of tram tracks! (Thanks, Iris, for pointing that out.)


Look, It's Winston! Norwegians wanted to build a statue of Churchill after the war. Interesting.


Tram and part of the harbour. Right outside the Nobel Peace Center. I will go there soon.


Travel book store Nomaden. Very impressive. They do not sell only travel guides and books, but also various kinds of gear: clothes, backbags, ooth bris covers, disposable urinals for men, women and kids...


...and sleeping bags, made of silk. Ever seen these, anyone?

On Ignorance

A scandal in Finland: The Parliamentarians (especially representing the Center Party and Coalition) are not interested in who has financed their campaigns (before the last elections).

Needless to say, they have not published the sources of the money flow. According to the Finnish legislation, they should give public the name of the briber, sorry, the name of the benevolent person or company, if the sum exceeds 1 700 euros, but according to the same law, since there is no punishment for an MP for not making it public, "what's the point?", they seem to be thinking.

"Not interested", not even when that have received thousands of euros from the "private sector", who of course, "have a right" to spend their money "however they wish.

That's crap. Not the right to spend, but the lack of eagerness for knowing. Of course they are both interested and very eager to know. (What if they received money from porn industry or drug trade?)

And later on these bought politicians will enthusiastically support the wishes of the certain "private sector".

Among these ignorant servants of the public is our Prime minister Vanhanen.

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Another thing, this one being from Helsingin Sanomat, too:

"Citizens of Finland, Sweden, and Estonia are very worried about the state of the Baltic Sea. According to a poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and conducted by Suomen Gallup, 94% of Finns, 91% of Estonians, and 83% of Swedes see pollution of the sea as a problem that urgently needs to be addressed.

In Finland and Sweden about 40% of respondents feel that the problem is extremely serious, and are calling for immediate action on the matter. More than a third of Estonians feel the same way."

But when some Moscovites were interviewed – well, they do live far from the sea, but nonetheless – they seemed to be most worried of the fact that the Baltic is so cold.

Having a life. Fake monks.

I have now finished with a huge writing task. (Let's see how that will do...) I will start having a life again.

Now here comes a short list of things occupying my mind, and what we have been discussing with Mr HP. (Sorting these out would perhaps put things in some kind of an order in my mind.)

1) Mothers' Day. The best day during the year, besides my birthday, which is looooong ahead... We rode 15 kilometres by bike to the recreational area of Pirkkola in the Central Park of Helsinki, and back, and swam in the Pirkkola pools. Lovelylovelylovely.

I really feel it in my thighs – yesterday I rode Icelandic horses again, at Mintzun tallit. We were nine people, and went to a two hour ride in the woods, sort of. (Very industrial woods, but for me, living in the centre of Southern Helsinki, it'll do.) With saddle, this time. (Tomorrow I will add here a photo of the horse I rode, Aira.)

2) Burma. How will the suffering get the aid? Who are to blame of the ongoing humanitarian crimes of not letting the aid be recieved or distributed further: The junta of Myanmar, or China, or both?

3) Tibet and China. There are rumours the Chinese military orchestrated the monks' protests themselves. Not surprising. But is it really so?

If it is, I will have no more Olympic spirit left. And I usually love watching the games, no matter how dirty the biggest sports business is..! Nothing can bet the pleasure of watching top boxing or weigh lifting or canoeing or gymnastics or almost whaver there is on, between 3 and 5 am, you know. (You do know, do you...)

The picture below is spreading over the net, so here's my contribution:

The Chinese military police being disguised, changing into the fake gowns of the Tibetan monks before the so-called riots.



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His Holiness Dalai Lama, on political pursuits for freedom:

For thousands of years people have been led to believe that only an authoritarian organization employing rigid disciplinary methods could govern human society. However, because people have an innate desire for freedom, the forces of liberty and oppression have been in continuous conflict throughout history. Today, it is clear which is winning. The emergence of peoples' power movements, overthrowing dictatorships of left and right, has shown indisputably that the human race can neither tolerate nor function properly under tyranny.

Please read the rest of Buddhism and Democracy on his website.