Taxis Tales...from Helsinki to Munich

0100700, Helsinki

089423438, Munich

My usage of taxis of late has increased - especially given my official trips to Germany. Conversations in a taxi are always interesting.

Whenever I get back to Helsinki, on my way home from the airport, I usually ask the Taxi drivers, how the weather has been - and most often than not, I hear what I consider a fairly Finnish response - an accurate representation of the truth, overladen with a generous helping of acceptance of the same. "Oh its been about 14 degrees this last week and rained yesterday. Could be better, but its the way it is." :) Another thing I do, is usually engage in conversation. Most of the taxi drivers in Helsinki shy away from conversation...and it's again what I consider a fairly Finnish response - succinct and to the point, with absolutely no interest in being gregarious. There are a few exceptions however ...and it makes quiet an interesting 'telling'. It gives me an insight into how people live and feel in Finland... their attitude to Work and indeed to Life itself.

For eg...on one of my trips, I engaged a Taxi to take me to the airport. It was an afternoon flight and I was quiet early, so I was in no rush and wasn't asking to go faster. The lady driving the taxi already seemed quiet chatty (which by itself was quiet unusual), but I picked up a conversation with her.

The conversation veered around her schedules and work routines, and I found out that this is 'her other job'. It turned out that she runs her own little Graphics Design company...where she does print designs and translations for restaurants - menus and such- speaking Russian, Swedish, English and of course Finnish!

And she worked in this taxi company to help her brother out; her brother runs this little taxi company with one car on the fleet, and two drivers in shift...and when one of them can't make it - she takes his place. "My other job (designing) gets me to think too much, and my mind is always occupied" she said. "And driving is so less complicated - sure you have to be aware - but not the same way when you have to be creative to design". It works out just fine for her - as she said 'I help my brother, I enjoy the break from my work, and make some money and its fine for all of us'. :)

Another interesting person I met was this gentleman with an obviously English accent - a native Englishman. Apparently, he had come to Finland following the woman he loved... and had stayed on for the last 20 years! We talked of fishing and how the old Candle Factory up the River Vantaa had once burned down, with all the wax flowing into the river...killing much of the fish. And how it took a whole 3 years to clean it up and to get the fish to get back to normalcy... :)

And of course, the inimitable conversation about drinking. You can never go wrong with that - a Finnish taxi driver will always have good advice on what to drink, and where...and where all the nice eating spots are!

Germany was quiet interesting as well...and I met few interesting drivers in Munich and Frankfurt. Like for example, the Italian driver in Munich. Apparently an ex devotee of Rajneesh, he mentioned that he had been resident at the Pune ashram many years ago...and that he had long ago given up that kind of life style! Of course, he did try to give me advice about women (considering that my lady-colleague M sitting in the same car) "Never trust a woman - even the Indian woman... her dark eyes are always very dangerous!" He said.

Sage advice from an Italian, ex-resident of Osho's Pune Ashram :)

And the Un-Discovered Musician. After a particularly good dinner.... we were driving back, when I remarked about the music and asked the driver what CD he was playing. Turned out that it was his - he was a composer of sorts...and had been making music for several years now! And yes, he did have some Indian influence as well. Still waiting to be discovered, he drives a taxi to get by in life.

Love, Hope and the Good Life - its all there in a taxi driver's conversation! Here's to more interesting people and conversations! On a whim, I started to search around for similar blogs and stories ...and ran into several. For eg - blogs, photos and sites by taxi drivers! 1.Taxi Tales -Tales of the life and times of a taxi driver - Taxi Drivers Blog - this one was quiet interesting - and even has a link to the www.worldtaximeter.com

2.Taxi Drivers in Italy Say the Darnedest Things A funny article about a woman's experience of the Italian Cab Circle :)

Youtubing for kitsch videos in Helsinki!

There's so much of interest out there - good art, singing and photography and bad art, singing and photography! Well, art can never be bad - but it sure can not have harmony of colour, shape or sound - perhaps some people find that interesting! :) Here are a couple of videos I found and quite liked.

Don't miss the lyrics on Guiding Light!

XL ki kudiyan Again - the lyrics - goes out to all the girls I know from XL; Actually just a couple; But I can tell you this -the song is quiet accurate :D

Classic Mississippi Blues: Listening to the Blues in Helsinki

Its a glorious Sunday Morning in Helsinki. And I have had my 8 hours and here I was - YouTubing for Blues Music. Soon, I was bouncing around links listening to Mississippi John Hurt , Sonny Terry and Lightnin' Slim and of course, the inimitable Howlin Wolf.

Here are a few classics...Louisiana meets Helsinki? :)

Mississippi John Hurt Listening to John Hurt makes you feel good - and thats a great thing about his kind of blues! His deep voice and nonchalant smile makes you feel that 'wellll....this is life, all's well and i kinda feel good' Here's a song called 'Satisfied' which embodies this spirit

Robert Pete Williams And just on the other side - Pete Williams - dark and angst filled. He was discovered in the Louisiana State Penitentiary where he was serving a life sentence for shooting a man dead in a local club in 1956, an act which he claimed was in self-defense. His music is much about the time spent in prison - which he always claimed was unjustified.

Howlin Wolf And then there's the Holwin Wolf - the blues is about no money, but i dont care a damn! "when you ain't got no money , you got the Blues,when you cant pay your rent, you got the blues"

By River Vantaa, Helsinki

2 km run 1 km walk 1 river 1 beautiful sunset 1 McBurger 1 thoughtful head and 8 hours of sleep and rest (hopefully)

A Frankfurt hotel room on a Saturday morning

Its' 7 in the morning on the 17th floor of a hotel in Frankfurt. I leave for the airport in an hour.

Here I am

watching video's of Susan Boyle and Davy Graham

whimsically thinking about my crushes

mentally making a list of errands - like that pile of travel-laundry that needs to get done

visualising that run by the stream in this new spring weather

Sigh

The coming of Spring, Helsinki Apr '09

The Winter has all but gone away. Spring is starting to make Her way through. And I am just discovering the beauty of Vanhakaupunki ! After days of lethargy I found myself singing 'Life is a Highway, I wanna ride it all night long' hoarsely, loudly and completely out of tune. And I knew it was time to invite Spring and say bye to Winter.

I decided to get out and fetch my cycle Dhano Rani from Ruoholahti.

And on my way back - decided to take some pictures. :)

The River Vantaa has been frozen since the time I got here >> This picture was taken in Feb '09. >>

So, it was extremely cool to watch the transformation over the last few days - and now - its almost in spate! And if I now open the window or stand in my balcony - I can hear the roar of the river! And the woodland near the mouth of the river - (Vanhankaupunginlahti) constitutes a natural conservation zone. The area is largely marsh like and has large tracts of grassy marsh area - with patches of wooded land.

However, for purposes of walking amidst the reeds, the City of Helsinki has graciously constructed small wooden duckboards.

Apparently, there are at least 280 species of birds in the vicinity. (Though I spotted only about 5 or 6 including the obvious duck and swan.) Unlike other 'non-protected areas', visitors are not allowed to move or fish within the marshy foliage. Even the inimitable cycle or the dog is prohibited.

And did I mention that it literally is my backyard! :D All these photos are of locations not more than 5-8 mins by walk from my apartment.

(More pictures on my Picasaweb location) Here's to Spring!! life is a highway I wanna ride it all night long...