Back by Popular Demand (aka. harrassement from 1 person)

This post is dedicated to my loyal fan Sandra Shakespear.

So, it's been a while again. School started so I've been busy with a lot of things but none which have been worth mentioning. I still can't believe it's already my 4th year! I guess I should be about finished by now but I figured what's the point in stressing.

Other than school I'm taking two photography courses. One in portrait photography and the other one seems to be mainly theory. The former course is a lot of fun and I've been one it 2 years ago and the guy who does it is really awesome. The second course I'm taking is really really sucky. The woman who does it is so annoying. You have no idea how much I would like to just...grrrr... ARGH, well you get the point. So, anyway not only has the course been just talking about photos, but it seems the only photo opportunity I'm going to get will be a... scary/embarassing/disturbing (?) one. You see 99% of those attending the course have been doing so for the past 2-3 years or so i.e. they're good buddies. They also decided last year that they would like to have a specific theme for this year, and the theme is... NUDE photography! OK, if you know me at all you'll know that nudity for me isn't really an issue, I'm a pervert. But just the idea of being in a room with a bunch of 50+ year old guys (and some ladies) and 1-2 naked people and attempting to get a good (NON-PORNO) picture is scary. I mean that lady doing the course has spent about 10 hours lecturing us about how nude photography is an art and she will kill anyone who takes a pornoish photo. Man, I'm SO DEAD.

Other than being scared shittless in case my pervertedness should come out we haven't really done much around Tampere City. Although we did end up at a cat show one weekend for a laugh. There were some really freaking hideous cats:


And some cute ones too:


On Saturday it was Oona's 1 year birthday party, you know Oona, Samuli's cousins baby girl. I still can't believe that it's already been a year! I swear it feels like Elina just told me she's pregnant... well, maybe because I just did hear that she's pregnant. She's pregnant again!

Oona and her mummy opening presents.

Anyway Oona's birthday was fun. It was a pity that her daddy had a show and couldn't be there (he plays the trumpet... or some other blow instrument...)

Oona and Elina blowing the candle out on the ice cream cake.

Oona playing with the push cart that her godmother (Samuli's sister) got her.

We got her a hat (above), a skirt and a skull t-shirt her grandmother did not approve of *hehe*

All in all it was a fun party and I'm not so scared of her anymore. She liked my camera, I can't be scared of someone who likes my camera now can I? However babies in general still scare the hell out of me.

Oona and her Mum

I have a new addition to the weird roadside attractions of Finland. On the Tampere-Lahti road there is a church with no roof.

See I did kid you not, no roof.

It's one of the 14 or so stone churches built around Pirkanmaa between 1480 and 1550's.

I'm not usually the type to stop at churches but this one was pretty neat. I mean seeing as it's so old... oh and the fact that there is no roof (also notice that it does have seats).

Samuli pretending to give a sermon.

Other than those things nothing else is going on in drab, cold, rainy Finland.