29.1.10

Bao Bei Brasserie













The elegant, and heartwarming actualization of a friend's dream.

28.1.10

Vancouver: Part 2








A mishmash of astounding natural beauty, city grit, and a whirlwind of amazing cuisine, Vancouver will always have a piece of my heart. To die for sushi, izakayas, Indian dosas, pho, dim sum, and all the rest make for a place where you can dine like a king without breaking the bank.

Tomorrow the elegance of Bao Bei, Vancouver's Chinese Brasserie.

27.1.10

Vancouver: Part 1








-20 degrees this morning and feeling well rested and eager to start the day. Mikko and I have decided to make a move to Vancouver this summer. Big news! He'll attend school and I'll get to enjoy the freedom to work without worry of visa restrictions. Until then, I'll be on the lookout for more work experience, and taking advantage of Finland's wealth of good things. Thrift shops, black licorice, printed textiles, rye bread, lonkero (a gin drink), and best of all sauna. Of which I'll enjoy tonight in a beautiful old swimming hall.

25.1.10

Talvi






Finnish winter.

After many years favouring the mild climate of Canada's West Coast,
it was a revelation to stroll atop a frozen sea
blanketed in crystalline flakes.
Sharing a beautiful day with those out enjoying it.
Basking in the stillness, the setting sun.

20.1.10

Heading Home




Feeling rejuvenated and excited,
I'm flying back to Helsinki this evening.
Back to Mikko and the heat of sauna.
I can't wait!

These photos are from last summer,
deep in the woods picking wild blueberries
from the forest floor.

14.1.10

Ease Up










Life has improved immeasurably
since I've been forced to stop taking it seriously.
Hunter S. Thompson

Illustrations by Julie Morstad

12.1.10

The Double RL Ranch
















Ralph Lauren's Colorado getaway
is a verdant vision of the romance of rural life.

Just once I'd love to sleep in a teepee
under a sea of stars,
surrounded by a crisp breeze
scented with the notes of meadow grass.

8.1.10

Fred Herzog














The Kodachrome rich representations of Vancouver's
working class and urban life.

6.1.10

Illuminate

Live out of your imagination, not your history.
Stephen Covey

3.1.10

To A New Year

The holiday season has come and gone,
full of visits with family and friends,
strewn across numerous cities.
To be remembered fondly.

Yet two weeks of travel still remain before I return home to Helsinki.
Vancouver is bustling making ready for the Olympics,
and a great friend is preparing for opening night at her
Chinese Brasserie, Bao Bei.

Here's to a year of:
focus and dedication,
exhilaration,
and fresh eyes
for taking it all in.