uimastadion

summer. why do you leave me? we were getting along fine...

mokki

a majority of Finns own their own summer cottage. many of these cottages, or mokki as they're called here, don't have electricity and some have outhouses. most of them are quite simple... and at the same time very luxurious. ella's mokki is quite typical. it's in the middle of nowhere, faces a lake, and has a sauna. and it's the sort of place that makes me wonder about my priorities. why do i work so hard? do i really like big cities so much? what's the meaning of it all?

after a hard day of berry picking and a gorgeous dinner cooked by a special guest from brooklyn, ella led the way to the sauna. after 10 minutes of warming up in the wood-heated sauna, she told me to get my bikini on for a quick dip in the "lovely water."

the water was so cold i let out a few screams, but after a few minutes of frantic doggy-paddling it began to feel good. then we went back to the sauna to warm up again, and had a can of karhu beer to finish off the day.

i must do this again.

picking berries and mushrooms with ella

lesson 1) if a Finn ever invites you to their summer cottage, accept.

lesson 2) when you find a berry bush, make sure you pick it clean before moving on to the next bush. that way the next berry picker will have a better time.

lesson 3) if you meet anyone while out mushroom picking, try to keep a distance and don't ask where they're going or where they've been. everyone is very secretive about their favourite picking spot.