"The Points of Pleasure." On music and running.

What is Donald Fagen reading? I am so trying to see.


I have some personal updating to do. Remember when I told last spring I wish I could run? (Even though I did not considerate myself a runner.) I could not find that post – at least I had not labelled it under "Stupid things".

But I started running in mid-August, five times a week (not when I travel, however. But even then three time a week, at least. And I run only 2,5 kilometres, but yet I am getting better and better. Now I do it with 2 X 500 g weighs around my ancles.

Even in the stormy weather last week I ran, and it's getting easier and easier nowadays – I don't mean just because I am getting stronger and faster (oooooohhh I love the sound of these words: stronger and faster, stronger and faster...!). But I was given a present: an iPod! It is so cute. Lovely red colour, and even with my name carved onto it.


When I run I listen to it playing my favourite pieces in random order. I have started to give them The Points of Pleasure: the more points the faster I get. Almost anything my Joni Michell (Shadows and Light): 5 points. Except God Must be a Boogie Man, 10 pts. Almost anything by or with Donald Fagen: 10 pts, except My Old School, What a Shame About Me, Godwhacker, Morph the Cat, Ruby Baby and Nightfly: 20 pts. My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) by En Vogue: 25 points (No necessarily, and normally, would I say it is a better piece than Maxine, for example, but when running, much much better!).

And before (the the combination of iPod & running) I had not noticed how perfect a taste in music Quentin Tarantino has. What a shame; I have underestimated the power of Johnny Cash, too. Since having the Jackie Brown soundtrack in my iPod I see the world differently.

I am still really looking forward to some snow. Would add more challenge and spark, you see...!

And I have a strong but unproven theory according to which the weighs prevent me from falling on a slippery icy surface. (Either I'm really clever or just a maniac.)

******


Santa is a Finn and won't move elsewhere, no matter what kinds of suggestions the nasty and envious Swedish scientists come up with. Take a look at this:

"Santa's best location: Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan could be the optimal location for Santa Claus

Santa Claus should leave the North Pole and relocate to Kyrgyzstan to optimise the delivery of Christmas presents, a Swedish engineering firm says.

The Sweco consulting firm found Kyrgyzstan was the most logical base to avoid time-wasting detours.

It took into account main population centres and the Earth's rotation."

The story is here as a whole, so please see these BBC pages.

But if, for centuries, he has been able to deliver the presents so well from Korvatunturi, the Finnish Lapland, he should continue doing so.

Love and Anarchy. Paprika. About being a Rock God.

The annual Love and anarchy film festivals, or Helsinki International Film festivals, as the other name goes, are starting tomorrow. Mr HP and Miss Funnybunny are going to go to check out the datcha premises in western Finland, so I get to see some films!!!!!!!!

Well, there are some articles on the urgency list I have to write. But. Not a big deal, I have started them long ago.

I have to confess something weird: After wondering for so long, I have started to run every day, Monday–Friday. Five times a week. That has taught me some discipline and planning. You see, I run in the middle of the day. (Not much, only 30 min. But I run! Never would I have thought...)

Back to Love and Anarchy. I have chosen to see this one (and the only reason why I dare to reveal my plans here in IStori is that I already have the ticket!!!!):

Paprika

With its brainy scientist heroine, and surreal, super-kitsch imagery, above-average Japanese anime sci-fi pic Paprika has a better chance than most Nipponese toons of breaking out of the specialty ghetto by appealing to femme auds as well as the genre's core constituency of fanboys.
– Leslie Felperin, Variety

Director Satoshi Kon – – makes an art of Japanese anime in this tale of technology as an invader of dreams. Fiercely provocative, Paprika shames Hollywood's use of animation as a kiddie pacifier.
– Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

And then I was thinking about this one (as the whole world knows, and knows well, the Air Guitar World Championships of take place in Oulu. Annually.):

Air Guitar Nation

"You’re Jimi Hendrix, you’re Yngwie Malmsten, you’re anyone you wanna be. You just feel like a rock God!"
– David ”C-Diddy” Jung

With equal measures of showmanship, patriotism and irony, hundreds vie at NYC's Pussycat Lounge for the East Coast Division of the first-ever nationwide air guitar championship for the right to eventually represent the U.S. at the world championship. Meanwhile, back in Finland, the current world champ frets that the influx of Americans could corrupt the form's purity. Alexandra Lipsitz's often hilarious documentary won the audience award at SXSW and is spawning a cult following that could snowball in release.
– Ronnie Scheib / Variety

*****

Tomorrow evening, after the festival press conference, and loooong after Miss Funnybunny has left for her grandparents' (when I have already started to long for her) I will get the G&T sent to my Facebook page by VK. Thanks!

Carnivals. "Finland upsets Russia." We love the Finnish lions.

Finnish Lions (Leijonat), our national ice hockey team won today in Moscow their though and hair-risingly overexciting game. That was something! Mikko Koivu, we love you.

The following is from Canadian CBC pages:

Finland upsets Russia

Finland has won in shootout and overtime in its two games in the elimination round.

Minnesota Wild forward Mikko Koivu scored at 5:40 of the extra period in the win over Russia. It was the first time a Russian team had lost on Moscow ice at a world championship since 1957.


******

As you see, we have carnivals here! But the main reason is not Finland qualifying to the ice hockey finals, but the Eurovision Song Contest.

International artistic co-operation at Kolmen Sepän aukio, by the Statue of Three Smiths, in front of the Stockmann department store.


The Senate Square was full of people already in afternoon, because of the concerts.


Miss Funnybunny, Mr HP, all these people and I were listening to Värttinä. See a good video here.


One did not have to go near the stage. You could see the artists everywhere. And hear.

****

See you there tomorrow, HG and PH with your kids, and PG, and everybody: Den glider in! Vi ska kämpa, vi ska ge allt det vi har, vi ska ta guld igen!

Before the End: Revival Of The 1980's. (Sporty, sporty me.)

There is a number of IStori readers who think that I have started yoga lessons, or that I have been practising yoga for a long time, or that I am a yoga guru.

Sorry to cause you unbearable dissapointment, but I have never been interested in yoga. I just thought "Hot Yoga" sounds weird and dynamic enough for me to try. Or actually, I once was interested, it was three years ago, or maybe two... (This is very rare, I can't remember if it was b.F. or just p.F. = before Funnybunny or post Funnybunny.)

But I went to a yoga lesson in a place the teacher was supposed to be very qualified and oneoftheabsolutebest and so on.

I could not concentrate in breathing (they make a terrible fuss over that), but instead, the troubles at work – believe me, I have had my share of those, and it has been a BIG share – kept occupying my mind.

The most irritating thing was that when the teacher came to correct some bad position of mine, and doing a good job, most likely, I was all puzzled and angry because he had interrupted my precious process of... thinking.

So the major thing I learned that evening: in order to get rid of mundane worries I must do something that occupies my mind completely. My favourite kind of excercise, in addition to the ones listed before, is something that requires a lot of energy, but is not too challenging so that I don't need to have lessons for decades before I can move from the beginner's level. (= includes all the Japanese martial arts, for example.)





My cup of tea:

*** Swimming. Including water gymnastics, everything in water, or jumping into it! Swimming in natural waters. With dolphins and sharks.
*** Badminton.
*** Squash. Hello, 80's again!
*** Cross-country skiing. (It's true, I have always loved it, always.)
*** Skating. (Good rink in the centre of Helsinki nowadays, on Rautatientori.)
*** My favourite kind of dance excercise used to be called "jazz ballet", but it is difficult to come by any more.




*****

Fish fingers, WHAM and Walkmans. Past tense, say hello to IStori. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.

But what if really good things never vanish. Soon all of you will be jogging – my having been the trend guide.

Or maybe the world will come to its end before that. Mane the mean has found The End Of The Internet.

Get out of here, do something useful.


*****

Mane the Mean is going to a boxing match! That must be something. I have never been, but I wish I had. It is my favourite spectator sport at the Olympic Games. Plus all the sports with horses.

Push ups. No attachments.

Spring has come. You can tell from listening to people talking about sports. Everybody wants to do something, energy is rolling, and papers are full of articles about obesity, cellulite, diets, or the usual bikini stuff. The Canary Islands holiday season will be starting – not that it concernes us, no, we are so not going.

I see that Petite Anglaise goes to gym – I can't, I find it SO boring. Or maybe, how if I took some good book with me? (I usually tend to read back-volumes of women's magazines while suffering in leg-press. SEE, I have been at gyms.) She seems to hate it, too, but she keeps "bearing with it", as for her gym is a "necessity".


Well, good for Petite Anglaise and I wish her best of luck (and do not understand how she, a single mother and a writer, will find the time for gym three times a week!)

I am not at all anti-sport, and I do not feel at all embarrassed when sweating. I like running, cycling, dancing. All that aerobic stuff that is far from fashionable any more. But I don't like modern techno aerobics. I hate the music and usually, it is much too loud. Have to wear earplugs, terrible.

For me, doing sports must be easy. What I mean is, the place where to exercise must be near (preferably, at home or close.) And, I don't want to pay for classes beforehand; neither do I want to buy ridiculous one year long memberships. No attachments, no fidelity.

But I like push ups: I do 50 every day. Started last Christmas. And now that I am stronger, I do them just like men are supposed to, not the ladylike ones with knees on the floor.

I see that a. has tried yoga. The Bikram yoga ("hot yoga") place is very near where I live. But I am NOT going there without a. Especially not at 7.30 a.m.



So why blog about sports, in the middle of important political developments, surrounded by deeply philosofical books, and when excellent documentaries are shown at DocPoint festivals, in Helsinki?

No. Sports it is now, because

a) being fit is important, too, and not at all useless.
b) Makes one's brain active, too, and
c) adds quality of life. And,
d) because Miss Funnybunny is having a cold again there's very little I could tell you about the on-going film festivals. I wasn't able see many films, unfortunately. (But managed to see two! That was something!)

Also, you see, the sports I prefer – home gym, push ups on the living room floor, and walking, playing and dancing with Miss Funnybunny, and occacional running (not now, it's winter here!) – they don't cost anything.

Though, sauna and swimming pool at Yrjönkatu cost occasional 4,20 euros. But I can manage that.

*******

I will soon blog about a film in particular. First I just have to do some reading and thinking. AN, just wait and see.