Suzanne Takes You Down

This is a song I've been listening too non-stop this week. It celebrated its 40th birthday earlier this year. The river mentioned is le Fleuve St-Laurent, the river that surrounds the Island of Montreal. I can't help but feel patriotic to my beloved native city.

Suzanne
by Leonard Cohen

Suzanne takes you down to
her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body
with your mind.

And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body
with his mind.

Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body
with her mind.

Finland Outdoors Part 3: Snowboarding 101

Wow, so many events to blog about this week. I had a snowboarding lesson on Thursday, which seemed to have so much promise that I skipped one of my classes to attend it. It ended up being a quite mediocre event. It was a special free lesson (plus 5 euro rental) set up for the international students with no snow in their home countries (ha ha, suckers!)

But the lesson was only one hour long. There was hardly any time to learn anything. After this, the 10 instructors announced they were leaving. They left 35 promising members of tomorrow’s work force to dangerously fend for themselves on the bunny hill’s icy and intimidating incline.

Chaos pursued. People were crashing left and right. Others preferred to practice one of snowboarding’s more irritating techniques by sitting down in the middle of the hill, perched in a way that could only mean certain doom for anyone heading their way. ‘Ow’s’, ‘ouch’s’ and ‘damn-it’s’ (in various languages) could be heard all the way down the hill. That being said, I don’t think I will be trading in my skis for a snowboard anytime soon. There is just too much time spent falling on your ass and recovering from your fall on your ass.

Me catching some serious air-time

I Hired Joe Strummer To Star In My Movie

I Hired A Contract Killer (1990)
is a Finnish/British directed by Aki Kaurismäki. It's a melancholic story about a French man living in London. He gets fired from his monotonous job after 15 years of service as a result of downsizing and decides he is going to kill himself. After several attempts, he decides he is too big of a coward to do so and hires someone to do the job for him.

But as you can guess, something happens. Between the time that he makes the transaction and the time the man comes for him, he falls in love with a gentle beautiful woman who sells roses in the pub across the street from him. He has a change of heart about dying and spends the movie running from the man.

The plot is kind of dreadful. The course of action the man takes to escape the killer is simply unentertaining. The relationship he has with the woman is also a little strange. It seems to lack real chemistry. I didn't really get why a woman would help a stranger, who is running from his self-requested death, escape from dangerous killers, let alone sleep with him a bunch of times. Maybe her life was also boring.

But there were some cool things about this movie. The dialogue is very sparse. Most of the movie's sound comes from the film's environment; cars, pub noises, apartment sounds. When there is dialogue, it is very stiff. They do no use contractions (say that out loud to feel how stiff that is). The film also has a timeless quality to it. I was very surprised to find out that it was made in 1990. The cinematography was also interesting with cool camera angles and movement. I think the camera angles and the soundscape do most of the story telling.

But the thing I want to mention most, and the reason I'm even posting this is that the film features Joe Strummer, singer from the Clash. He appears in two scenes as a singer and guitar player in a bar, playing with a Conga player. It's really cool to see him in such a bizarre setting. He's plays the songs Burning Light and Afro-Cuban Bebop. While he is playing, the camera is fully focused on him and with very close angles of his hands playing the guitar. I don't know why he's there, probably a friend of the Finnish moviemaker. But I got a real kick out of seeing him. He even plays the songs in their entirety. It's like watching a musical act on Saturday Night Live or something.

I have to give this movie a 7/10 (with at least 3 of those points going to seeing a fallen punk-rock icon play some great tunes in an intimate setting).

Reggae Music

MUSIC MY ROCK

I realized today that this blog is supposed to include some "musical adventures" when really, all I’ve been doing is writing about lame Finnish outdoor activities with the occasional rant containing slightly objectionable subject matter. But I’ve changed my ways. Apologies to those individuals I may have used as fuel for my banter. From now on, the jokes on this blog will only be on me, and perhaps also Bank of Montreal employees.

What’s really on my mind is music. So I’m going to try to make these posts more related to music. Music is a major part of my life. I don’t mean to sound like it is a bigger part of my life than your life. But it’s quite big for me. I’ll elaborate on this later, but let me kick things off with a little story about how I came to like reggae music.

ROOTS AND CULTURE

A little more than a week ago, I went to a great reggae show in the student union building bar, Ilokivi. Wow, it truly re-ignited my love affair with reggae, which had diminished greatly after 6 months in a country where the Rasmus and Nightwish reign supreme.

(Cue flashback sequence)

Ah yes, I can still remember the first time I heard Bob Marley. I must have been 16 years old. Of course, I had known who Bob Marley was for quite some time and had friends who listened to his music. The people whom I knew listened to him were mainly skaters and potheads. For some reason, I figured Marley was nothing but a poster boy for drug usage and teen angst. It just didn't seem that special to me. I had Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Beck and the Beastie Boys to entertain me. As if these groups weren’t poster boys for teen angst, but whatever…

One day, I was curious. My sister, like so many people around the world, owned a copy of Bob's Legend CD (actually it was a cassette tape). I put it on, and nothing was ever the same for me. The first song that played was One Love/People Get Ready. Within the first listen, I knew I had been completely wrong about Bob Marley and reggae music. It was simply the purest, most beautiful song I had ever heard. I guess it was no contest seeing as my previous favorite songs had included “Hey Mickey, you’re so fine you blow my mind”, by Toni Basil…

I never knew how chill pop music could be:


One love! one heart!
Let’s get together and feel all right.
Hear the children cryin’ (one love!);
Hear the children cryin’ (one heart!),
Sayin’: give thanks and praise to the lord and I will feel all right;
Sayin’: let’s get together and feel all right. wo wo-wo wo-wo!

Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (one love!);
There is one question I’d really love to ask (one heart!):
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner,
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs?

Let’s get together to fight this holy armagiddyon (one love!),
So when the man comes there will be no, no doom (one song!).
Have pity on those whose chances grows t’inner;
There ain’t no hiding place from the father of creation.

One love! one heart!
Let’s get together and feel all right.


I could not believe my friends were using this to symbolize their rebellion! The music was so pure and peaceful. This could easily be felt through its lyrics and rhythm. Surely the least offensive lyrics I had ever heard. At the time, I didn't know anything about Ras Tafari, the religion practiced by Bob Marley. I didn't realize smoking ganja was part of their doctrine. But I don't think any of my friends really understood it either. They just saw Bob Marley smoking weed and they thought it'd be cool if they did also. But for me, it is the music that has drawn me to the culture. When I started listening to Ska, I got hooked on original Jamaican ska music (Skatalites, prince buster, Laurel Aiken, etc.). So much that I played in a ska band for 6 years.

The band, Puppa J, that I saw last week, was awesome. The songs kind of sounded the same the entire evening, but the beats were sweet. They did a lot of dancehall breaks and had a few classic rocksteady grooves while keeping riddims coming all night. But even they had songs about smoking weed. Bob Marley almost never sang about smoking weed. He preached peace among man and respect for the black man. He, like many Rastafarians, wished that Jamaicans exit from Jamaica (which they thought was the modern Babylon) and return to the promised land of Ethiopia, the land in which the first people were created.

I'm currently reading a Bob Marley Bio. I'm on page 50 and have not learned anything about Bob so far. They story begins with the Ethiopian emperor, Emperor Haile Selassie I (born Ras Tafari Makonnen). Selassie, who reigned Ethiopia for a greater part of the 20th century, was said to be a direct descendent of the Biblical King Solomon. The Rastas believe he was a prophet, King of Kings, the Lion of Judah who would somehow save the black man from oppression.

So smoking pot is not something I've indulged in very often, least of all to associate myself to reggae music. I respect the Rastafarian faith but I don't feel any interest in joining it. But their music is simply inspiring. Nyahbinghi is a reggae form where the themes are based solely on Religious themes. It's like Rastafarian Gospel Music.

Last week, I hung out with my buddy Tuomas. He is the biggest Reggae music fan I have met so far in Finland. I went over to his place and we had a serious 3-hour listening session. He played me the best Finnish Reggae. I actually went back tonight for a second listening session. Next week, we may go to the music department and break out the Riddums on some instruments.

Hmm...Finnish Reggae falls into 3 categories. The first category is the kind that makes you laugh because you can't get over how lame it sounds to sing in Finnish with a Jamaican accent. The second earns your respect because they are not trying so hard and the music seems Jamaican influenced, but also firmly Finnish. And the third simply makes you think, 'this stuff is pretty damn good!!'

Anyway, Tuomas has most of the Trojan Record Box-sets. Trojan Records is a Jamaican/British label that specializes strictly in Jamaican styles. I don't know what it is about this little island in the sun that is responsible for such a rich and successful musical heritage. Reggae is just the tip of the ice berg; Ska, Dub, Rocksteady, Dancehall, Nyahbinghi and Sound-clashes are all great forms of music created in Jamaica. It is simply astounding.

Here are some pics of the show I went to. There were some Ratas there (the first I see in Finland). Notice one of them brought their own props to the show...pics coming soon.


I wonder what a Finnish Rastafarian living in a town with two reggae shows per year does on a Monday, 9 AM...oh well.

So I’m not pretending to be some great authority with Reggae music. I am still a student of its various styles and cultural idioms, but I am bound to learn more because reggae is actually a drug you get hooked on really quickly.

Finland Indoors

=>Uchu Kaijû Gamera!!!<=


Tonight I went to see a movie in the student union building. Once a month or something, they show a double header of a miscellaneous selection of films. I went tonight because the sub-titles were in English... And this movie kicked ass!!

Uchu Kaijû Gamera (Gamera: Super Monster) is a Japanese movie from 1980. Gamera is a giant saber-toothed turtle, not unlike Godzilla, who battles giant, evil outer-world monsters sent by an alien race that iis threatening to destroy planet Earth. Gamera is aided by the young boy who once owned Gamera as a pet when he was a tiny little turtle. Also helping out is a team of three Magic Space Women who own a pet store by day, but are protectors of the universe by night.

But look out, Gamera! The evil alien ship Zanon (which has an uncanny resemblance to the Star Destroyer in Star Wars), has sent an enemy spy to planet earth, also in the appearance of a beautiful Japanese woman. This woman attempts to control the mind of Gamera into doing evil deeds, such as destroying miniatures of the cities of Kobe and Osaka. Thankfully, the Magic Space Women save the day by knocking off Gamera's mind-controlling necklace!!

By the way, the three magic women drive around in an old Toyota van. At night, they shrink themselves into barbie-sized Space Women so they can sleep in a shoebox kept in the trunk of Toyota. There is so much going on in this movie, my mind is racing trying to write down all the details!!

Early in the movie, the little boy plays organ and sings for his little pet turtle. The mother explains to him that the turtle would be happier in the lake whence it came. The boy is reluctant, but after a mysterious comic book salesman explains to him that the turtle is destined to become a re-incarnation of the famed Giant Mutant Turtle Gamera, the boy decides to let the turtle go free and fulfill its destiny.

The Space Women have a Yamaha electric parlour organ that they keep in their apartment. Although it seems innocent enough (par example, the boy plays the organ to entertain the women), when the right chords are played, the organ opens up an intergalactic portal to their home dimension. They can travel through the portal (placed on their wall) or spy on their enemies.

My Favorite Line:
Little Boy: "You liar! You're a Bad Space Woman" (when he realizes the evil space woman is trying to seduce him into joining her alien race on the spaceship Zanon)

When I got home, I did some research and found out more about Gamera. There are actually many Gamera movies and in each one, he wrestles different alien foes. The genre is known as kaiju eiga (Giant Monster Movies).

The reason why 'Super Monster Gamera' is so mixed up is because it is actually a collection of stock footage from previous Gamera movies. But, it is supposed to be a stand alone feature with its own plot.

Some of the scenes are black and white for no reason, some are animated and some even go between day and night settings between shots. There are tons of special effects, but nothing you would see in the Lord of the Rings. Just good old camera tricks (strings are seen everywhere). The battle scenes between Gamera and the various giant sharks, birds are all taken from previous movies but are all VERY entertaining.

This is apparently a destested movies by fans because the previous Gamera installments had underlying environmental issues about how humans currupt nature by creating Giant Mutant Turtles, or something like that. This is essentially a kid's movie, but it celebrates Gamera's greatest fight scenes. In a way, it is a bit of a tribute to itself and to the genre.

So, was this a bad movie? It is the worst movie I have ever seen. But it was so bad, it was good!! Very Good! I recommend it highly for its camp value, also the music soundtrack is awesome!! Great sound effects when the portal opens, and an adorable child "actor".

Forget Godzilla, Gamera Rules!!!!!!

If you would like to find out more about Gamera, please check out: IMDb Gamera

There are also various fan-sites of this classic lesser-known friendly mutant turtle.

Finland Outdoors: Part Two

The alpine skiing in Finland in now way compares to the alps or the rockies, or even Mont-Habitant. But what it lacks in elevation and fresh snow, it makes up for in, well, ok...Elevation and fresh powder has a lot to do with quality skiing.

But there is a certain charm to Laajavuori and Riihivuori, two hills in and around Jyväskylä. I mean, sure you probably get the same quality skiing on Mont-Royal in Montreal...Look, i don't really know where i'm going with this. But all I know, is that it's nice to get outside in the fresh air and see an overhead view of the city.

LAAJAVUORI

Laavuori is a hill located about a 20 minutes bike ride from my place and about 2 minutes from those students who live in the Official Student Village (I live in a privately owned student residence). It has four trails and lots of snowboarding jumps. The stable temperture and infrequent snowfall creates never-ending granular conditions.

Plus, you get to see the only ruins in Jyväskylä. No, it's not the ruin of a Medieval Cathedral like the ones cousin Nick showed my in Scotland, it's an old ski jump that isn't used anymore. Jyväskylä is home of a famous Olympic ski jumper. He was very popular a few years ago, but a less than stellar 'music career', problems with the law and general drunkeness have made him a national laughing stock - much like the ski jump.





I've been to Laajvuori twice so far. It was my first time using a T-bar lift in about 15 years.



RIIHIVUORI

This past Tuesday, I went skiing to Riihivuori with Dennis and Jaan from my program. We left one of our lectures early so we could be on time for the happy hour. I gave Rafael and Vasilis (the infamous greek guy who lives on top of me) a big grin, knowling full well that they would soon be heading off to their Finnish 2 course; a class i had dropped two weeks ago, those suckers!

The price was a little more than Laajavuori (26 euro for 4 hours). But then again, there are seven trails at this hill and the two of them are single-black-diamond. Amazing.






I am supposed to go back tomorrow to Laajavuori. I think I'll switch up a little and rent a snowboard. Never snowboarded before. Should be interesting...and hilarious.

Finland Outdoors

In one of my previous posts, I was a little nervous that I wasn't integrating into this culture as I should be. What I have realized since then from my own observations and talking to people is that Winter Life in Finland revolves around doing things outdoors. If you're not into going outside in the cold, you're not having a happy winter.

Thankfully, March in Finland beckons the arrival of very long, sunny winter days. I have to admit, winter here is much more stable than in Montreal. In Montreal, you have to face a wider range of temperature (mild to -30) in the span of one or two day, it's more humid, the streets are full of slush, more snowfall. In Finland, everything is very consistent. I've been alpine skiing three times in the last two weeks and every time the conditions were identical, granular with very little ice.

So yes, outdoors is the way to go. I bought skates and get to enjoy the large Jyväsjärvi (Grain-Lake). The Student Union, or someone with organization skills than I've got, sets-up all sorts of activities on the lake, including snowman, or snow sculpture building and all-day winter sports day where you can try out curling, funny long skates and build igloos.


SNOW PICTURES

Some sculptures were easily identifiable while others needed a little imagination. I did my best for describing what these things were. Below those ones, are some the activities set up for this Sports day. They gave curling lessons using kitchen pots as rocks and built these Finnish-type igloos in which some students spent the night. The latter sounded tempted to to me but I kept thinking how terrible I might feel the next morning after having slept in a small space with ten other people where the only heating was a result of other people's breath. It was surely a recipe for getting a cold. Plus I snore alot...

Oh yeah, notice the little bit of pee beside the Snow Bowl. Even in the snow guys can't aim properly. I'm guessing it was a guy because girls have more sense than to pee on outdoor snow made toilet bowls. Proove me wrong ladies!