Itinera mundi mentisque

Itinera mutantur – aut ab Vulcano aut ab aliis

2010-05-05T21:22:00.005+03:00

Let me try and revive this itinera blog, at least for a while, as there are some big ones coming shortly. I actually wanted to post this a bit earlier, but have got plenty of pretexts (such as ‘work’) not to have been able to compose an entry. This sudden, divine blogging inspiration was given by Vulcanus or Hephaestus or, if you prefer, Eyjafjalla.

These musings are, of course, a bit past the momentum. How many of you still remember that volcano that erupted in Iceland and stalled air traffic in Europe for several days? I allow myself this delay; after all, the biggest impact of the event might have been a realisation how fast paced our modern life is, and that it is possible to survive at a bit slower speed – at least for a few days. And, in fact, the beauty under glacier is still spewing ashes to the atmosphere and the Irish and Scottish airspaces have been closed for some hours yesterday and today.

Several days without air transportation options caused not only annoyance and changed plans but also a wealth of cute stories about politicians and other big shots driving in minibuses through Europe, businessmen taking a taxi from Düsseldorf to Stockholm (about 1400 km), booze cruise ships between Finland and Sweden filling up with men in suits carrying their laptop bags, and many other similar tales. Most striking perhaps was to see how widely this affected us all, personally.

I was supposed to fly for a weekend to Copenhagen, to spend some time with my wife who was there for professional reasons. Obviously, I could not go. And my better half was supposed to fly back on Monday, but the ash clouds continued to cover the skies … actually, not really cover; people outside Europe were inquiring about the scene, and the only things I could report were a bright blue sky and a beautiful sunshine. Nevertheless, we had to organise my wife back home by train to Stockholm and with a ferry to Helsinki – a journey that took pretty much exactly 24 hours.

In addition, I counted at least eight people among my Facebook friends who reported that they were stuck somewhere or prevented from travelling according to their original plans. That means about one out of 25 was directly affected, let alone all those who were waiting for somebody, or anxious about friends or family members. The tone in the status messages varied, but the implications were quite similar to everyone. Here are some picks that I am blatantly quoting without telling the sources (well, they are all people from my Facebook friend list)… some are slightly edited for anonymity, or translated into English from other languages.

‘I always knew that one day I'd be trapped in Chisenau by a giant cloud of Icelandic volcano dust.’

‘Happy that I booked my train tickets on time… might be a bit crowded tomorrow’

‘My flight to Dublin is cancelled… The nature is trying to teach me planning is no use?’

‘Flight cancelled, stuck in Atlanta. Trying to get re-routed through DC or NY but still waiting a looooooonggggg time to speak to airline agent…’

‘Now it looks like I might be back to Finland for Wednesday night’

’By flying I’d be there already’ [this is twisted from a Finnair marketing slogan]. Journey from Inari to Helsinki [about 1200 km] took 31 hours.’

‘The water is wide, I cannot get o'er, and neither have I wings to fly...’

Aut ab aliis?

There are other things than volcanoes that may affect travel plans of big groups of people – such as … other big groups of people. We like to visit Greece regularly (and bring suitcases full of aubergines and olive oil with us…). At this time, we hadn’t got any upcoming trips there planned, which might be good as the people there are storming the streets and there have been even violent confrontations. Instead, we should have Bangkok in the itinerary soon. Or more precisely, I should go there for a conference which now may or may not take place either in Bangkok or somewhere else… who knows. Cannot do much but wait and see.

Testing...

2008-04-25T18:13:00.001+03:00

Aha, apparently it is now possible to integrate blogger blog through a facebook Blog It application. Perhaps this will increase my update frequencey a bit. Still have to figure how exactly this works...

End of civilisation as we know it?

2008-04-16T12:04:00.000+03:00

I can hear Sir Humphrey’s words echoing in my ears: did yesterday mark the end of civilisation as we know it? Not only did the Italians do it again but also the present Finnish ADHD Government has come up with yet another splendid idea. This time, the Ministry of Education is preparing a programme that would cut the number of university students in Arts and Humanities by half in just five years.

The reasoning is all too familiar: job market requirements. Finnish people are proud of PISA studies results, top-rankings in global competitiveness surveys, innovation industries… to the extent that it sometimes makes me blush. Yet, these same people fail to give any credit to the existing education system in achieving all the glory. It should not even require an advanced university degree to be able to see a link between free thinking and creativity or innovativeness. That is what academic pursuit should be for, ultimately. University is an institution where able individuals learn to think out of box and expand their world view.

It is very considerate of the Ministry of Education to be concerned about the job market opportunities of future students. However, my anecdotic experience is that few students of humanities choose their field of study for the excellent labour market prospects it offers. On the contrary, they are fully aware about the insecurity associated with the choice. And yet, most find a job, eventually. Whilst there are certainly professions that require very specialised skills and knowledge, a fair share of jobs today call for ability to think, adapt and apply existing knowledge to new, sometimes surprising context. Humanities should be at least as good a ground for this as any other academic field (Sir Humphrey studied Classics in Oxford).

A deep-seated idea among the policymakers nowadays seems to be that the business life would be the most competent quarter to ask for the future needs of education. Whilst this kind of thinking may have some credit in terms of vocational labour, it is naïve and extremely short-sighted at best if applied to academic field. Why would the industry have the best idea about what kind of skills and knowledge is required in, say, 20 years from now? Nobody knows that with any significant level of certainty. However, we can be quite sure that ability to think and a comprehensive all-round education will always help to cope with whatever challenges tomorrow will present.

I'm engaged!

2007-10-07T10:21:00.000+03:00

Right... a spontaneous but not unconsidered engagement. Yesterday, we were having a nice lunch in centre of Delft town and discussing various life-related things more like 'hypothetically' (though now that I think about it... were there subtle hints? ... ). Anyway, it was just bound to happen sooner or later, as it was perfectly clear we'll stay the rest of our lives together, married or not, so I thought, why not ask right now.

Then we ordered some champagne, and after finishing it, went wandering about town aimlessly for about half an hour and noted that we should buy rings ... We got to a jewellery shop, which then turned out to be closing in 15 minutes, but they were very kind to even make them fitting and engrave them immediately.

New Job

2007-10-01T18:08:00.000+03:00

I started a new job today, at the Government Institute for Economic Research (Valtion taloudellinen tutkimuskeskus). This is a three-year project on Nordic energy markets. Despite the disturbing fact that I now have to get up early on mornings to make it at the office by 9 o’clock, I’m still quite happy with the situation. The project seems interesting, and I’ve agreed an arrangement to have some time off for continuing my PhD studies.

Family Art

2007-08-22T19:44:00.000+03:00

Yesterday, we had a dose of family culture. My father has a little exhibition of his wood sculptures at Haukkavuori Look-out Tower Café Saga, in Kotka, and while visiting my parents, we also went to see the sculptures and other exhibitions in the Tower. And the view from the top, too. The exhibition is still there, open until the end of the month (Tuesday to Sunday 11:00–18:00, Mondays closed.).

Summer Otium

2007-08-19T18:33:00.000+03:00

Summer has gone in a blissful otium.

Soon after my last post, I went to London for a week. This was the trip I was originally supposed to meet Karen first time – but that meeting got advanced by nearly four months, luckily… Anyway, we decided to stick to the London trip after all. We had plenty of nice time. The latter part of the trip was spent mostly reading – or almost exclusively, to be honest – as we got Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows at the midnight release. The ending of the book series was even better than I had expected. The important parts were very much as I had expected, though the frequency of killings first seemed surprisingly high.

We then came together to Finland and have enjoyed sunny Helsinki and occasional visits elsewhere, like my parents’ summer cottage at Ängvik island (in Pyhtää). Here’s a picture of me and Karen (or almost) over there:

Now it’s our last week together, and I’ve already started some work with several PhD courses, trying to write my research paper, and on top of that studying some Latin… And there’ll be wven more to do for the coming weeks.

Seneca matkustelusta

2007-07-05T20:54:00.000+03:00

Jokin aika sitten käänsin latinan kurssia varten Senecan kirjettä 28, joka käsittelee matkustelun hyödyttömyyttä hoitona sielua vaivaavaan tyytymättömyyteen. Ensin säikähdin, että pitääkö minut nyt lopettaa matkustelu, mutta pidemmälle lukiessani havaitsin, että Seneca on, taas kerran, täsmälleen samaa mieltä kanssani. Kyllähän matkustelukin sopii, kunhan mieli on kunnossa.

Kirjeessä on Senecan tyylille ominaisesti – ehkäpä tavallistakin enemmän – viljalti sananlaskun tai lentävän lauseen omaisia elämänohjeita. Alkuperäinen latinankielinen teksti on kokonaisuudessaan Classics Libraryssa (sivua pitää selata alas XXVIII:aan asti). Tässä joitakin otteita suomennettuina

Hoc tibi soli putas accidisse et admiraris quasi rem novam quod peregrinatione tam longa et tot locorum varietatibus non discussisti tristitiam gravitatemque mentis? Animum debes mutare, non caelum.

Käännös:
Arveletko näin sattuneen yksin sinulle ja ihmetteletkö ikään kuin uutena asiana sitä, ettet niin pitkän matkustelun ja niin suuren paikkojen monenkirjavuuden jälkeenkään ole hälventänyt mielesi murhetta ja raskautta? Sielu sinun täytyy vaihtaa eikä ilmastoa.

Magis quis veneris quam quo interest, et ideo nulli loco addicere debemus animum. Cum hac persuasione vivendum est: ‘non sum uni angulo natus, patria mea totus hic mundus est’.

Käännös:
Enemmän on väliä sillä kenenä menet kuin minne menet, ja siksipä meidän ei pidä jättää mieltämme minkään paikan valtaan. On elettävä tämän vakaumuksen kanssa: »En ole syntynyt yhtä maankolkkaa varten, isänmaani on koko maailma.»

Nunc non peregrinaris sed erras et ageris ac locum ex loco mutas, cum illud quod quaeris, bene vivere, omni loco positum sit.

Käännös:
Nyt et matkustele, vaan harhailet ja liikuskelet sekä vaihdat paikasta paikkaan, kun taas tuo mitä kaipaat - hyvin eläminen - on mahdollista jokaisessa paikassa

Dissentio ab his qui in fluctus medios eunt et tumultuosam probantes vitam cotidie cum difficultatibus rerum magno animo conluctantur. Sapiens feret ista, non eliget, et malet in pace esse quam in pugna.

Käännös:
Olen eri mieltä niiden kanssa, jotka menevät aaltojen keskelle ja pitäen arvossa myrskyisää elämää joka päivä suurella uhmalla painiskelevat olojen vaikeuksien kanssa. Viisas sietää tuon, muttei valitse sitä ja on mieluummin rauhassa kuin riidassa.

Quid interest quot domini sint? servitus una est

Käännös:
Mitä väliä on herrain määrällä? Orjuus on yksi ja sama.

Valete!

Mundo menteve?

2007-07-05T19:39:00.000+03:00

I was recently studying and translating a letter by Seneca (Epistulae Morales 28) as required for a course, and it evokes some thoughts about this blog… I’ll post some pieces of my Finnish translation separately, but here are some general comments in English. The complete original Latin text is available at the Classics Library (you have to scroll down a bit until XXVIII) and an English (old-fashioned) translation by Richard M. Gummere in the stoics.com The letter begins:

Hoc tibi soli putas accidisse et admiraris quasi rem novam quod peregrinatione tam longa et tot locorum varietatibus non discussisti tristitiam gravitatemque mentis? Animum debes mutare, non caelum.

Translation:
Do you suppose that this has happened to you alone, and are you surprised, as if it were a novelty, that after such long travel and so many changes of scene you have not been able to shake off the gloom and heaviness of your mind? Your must change your soul, not the climate.

At first, I was afraid the letter contained criticism to me, but reading further just confirmed that Seneca is channelling my own thoughts, a feeling not unusual to me when reading his works:

Magis quis veneris quam quo interest, et ideo nulli loco addicere debemus animum. Cum hac persuasione vivendum est: ‘non sum uni angulo natus, patria mea totus hic mundus est’.

Translation:
More important is as who than where you go; for that reason we should not make the mind a bondsman to any one place. One has to live in this belief: ‘I am not born for any one corner; my fatherland is this whole world.’

Valete!

Timor -Leste Counting Votes

2007-07-04T20:45:00.000+03:00

I only wrote the elections commentary in Finnish, as I believe information in English is widely available elsewhere. Once again, the most up-to-date information seem to be available at http://timor-online.blogspot.com/ (in Portuguese mainly). The official National Electoral Commission page also provides some information, but in less stylised formad.

In any case, a very interesting result... Does not require lot of fortune telling skills to predict that the negociations on composition of a new government cabinet is not going to be easy.

Itä-Timorissa lasketaan ääniä

2007-07-04T19:57:00.000+03:00

Aika mielenkiintoiselta näyttää. Parlamenttivaalithan olivat lauantaina, ja äänistä on nyt laskettu suurin osa. Jossakin määrin virallinen väliaikatieto lienee kansallisen vaalikomission sivulla, mutta sitä on hieman vaikea lukea. Timor Online - blogissa on havainnollisia kuvia, kuten tämä (Lähde: Timor Online - Em directo de Timor-Leste: Resultados Nacionais Parciais (406.480 votos apurados)):

Itä-Timorissa on siis vaalien jälkeen yhden selkeän valtapuolueen (vallankumousrintama FRETILIN) kaksi kookkaahkoa ja kaksi keskisuurta puoluetta tai vaaliliittoa. FRETILIN:in haastaja on virkansa hiljattain jättäneen ensimmäisen presidentin ja vallankumoussankarin Xanana Gusmãon elvyttämä akronymi CNRT, joka tässä tarkoittaa "Congresso Nacional da Reconstrução Timorense", eli suunnilleen "Kansallinen Timorin jälleenrakennuskongressi". Tämä vaikuttaa pieneltä nostalgisoivalta mediatempulta, sillä kaikki timorilaiset varmasti muistavat itsenäisyystaistelun aikaisen CNRT:n, jossa "R" oli lyhenne sanasta Resistencia, eli siis vastarinta.

FRETILININ ylivoiman kutistuminen ensimmäisen parlamentin 63 prosentista 31 prosenttiin oli sinänsä odotettua ja demokratian kannalta ehkä toivottavaakin, mutta epäselväksi jää, millaisia konkreettisia muutoksia CNRT ja muut puolueet sitten aikovat toteuttaa. Tulivatko äänet vain karismaattisen johtajahamon ja anti-FRETILIN-retoriikan myötä? On kyllä huomattava että myös perinteisten sosiaalidemokraattisen puolueiden ASDT:N ja PSD:n koalitio yli tuplasi ääniosuutensa 8:sta 17:ään prosenttiin. Toivotaan parasta, mutta hallitusneuovotteluista tuskin tulee helpot.

Vanhan parlamentin kokoonpano.

UpDating

2007-05-28T20:36:00.000+03:00

It has been quite some time since the last update - I guess that's what happens when one starts to date... which has been going on now for two months... very nice.

However, I have now made some backdated entries to fill in the gap.

I also upgraded for new Blogger Labels, but as you can see, haven't managed to remove the old tags yet. If somebody knows how to do that easily, without need to edit each post separately, please tell me.

Italy 18-24 May 2007

2007-05-24T23:08:00.000+03:00

Here are some pictures from our Italy trip.

Verona

Bologna

A cool archaeological site, an Etruscan city in Marzabotto near Bologna.

Parma

Bergamo

Happy Wappu

2007-05-01T22:57:00.000+03:00

This is not to wish you happy Vappu, or 1st of May, since it wouldn't be timely, as the post is backdated. The title rather implies that this was very happy time indeed, as Karen (my wonderful girlfriend) was here for over a week around that time.

Here's a photo from Havis Amanda getting the Cap on 30th of April.

Home via Holland

2007-04-15T22:49:00.000+03:00

From Japan, I flew first to Holland to see my girlfriend for a weekend, and then took a complicated route back to Helsinki, because I had originally booked the Tokyo flights cheaply from Tallin, and hence had multiple stops on my way. Here's a photo from Raekoja Plats during my stopover.

Onsen, Sento - Bath in Ikaho

2007-04-11T21:31:00.000+03:00

Last couple of days I spent taking on average four baths a day in Ikaho, a small Onsen resort two hours from Tokyo. The town is on slope, and the main street on stairs.

On the top of the stairs, there's a little Shinto shrine, and lots of prayers.

Whilst the ryokan I was staying in had excellent out door hot pools (rotenburo), I decided to try the Sento, Japanese public bath. Only this time, it was rather private, since there were no other bathers at the time, so I took the opportunity to get some photographs inside.

Phone Power in Japan

2007-04-10T09:13:00.000+03:00

As you can see from the previous post, I did manage to get my phone battery charged. If you want to use your phone in Japan, don'tleave your charger home! And get a traveller one that works with different currents. For in Japan, they have their totally own system for mobile phones, and not compatible with anything else in the world, so you cannot by normal chargers, at least not for Nokia phones.

However, if you did bring your phone, but not the charger, or the charger you brought doesn't work, there might be one rescue: At least if you have a Nokia phone, go to any SoftBank outlet. They don't sell you a charger, even though they've got some Nokia phones in they selection, but they are happy to charge it for you while you go for a lunch for example.

Castles

2007-04-09T22:30:00.000+03:00

The last two days, I've been stationed in Osaka. Apart from enjoying the famous Kansai food, I have visited a couple of Samurai Era castles. Osaka catle is of course a fake, reconstructed after being destructed a couple of times, so I only had a look from outside yesterday. Even if not genuine, it is still a truly imposing sight. Let alone the cheryy blossoming around it.

Today, I made a day trip to Himeji, where lies the biggest and best maintained remaining original castle of feudal Japan. The sight is breathtaking, and there were even more cherry trees...

Shinto wedding

2007-04-07T20:19:00.000+03:00

Congratulations to Maiko and Adam
And lot of happines to your marriage!

No pictures, as I was afraid, but perhaps I'll be able to send some a bit later. Funnily, last time I visited Nara, I was among the tourists that were taking pictures of the wedding couple and guests from a distance at the shrine... now I was there at the site myself, but didn't have a functional photo equipment.

The shinto wedding ceremony was something I'll probably never forget - and that's not because of the legs that were rather hurting afterwards...

Nara, Japan

2007-04-06T15:59:00.000+03:00

Been a while since I updated the blog... well now there's a reason, since I'm currently in Japan. Tomorrow I'm going to attend Maiko's and Adam's wedding. Unfortunately, my phone battery died and I dont seem to find a way to recharge it, so I may not be able to take pictures (but I'm sure there are other people who will). Here are some I managed top take today.

The Finnish Society of Economic Research Annual Symposium

2007-02-02T20:38:00.000+02:00

This year the annual event, organised by the Finnish Society of Economic Research (Taloustieteellinen Seura) took place in Lappeenranta.

When coming back, the train was 20 minutes late. This is a photo from snow-covered Lappeenranta Railway Station.

Itinerary

2007-01-30T23:59:00.000+02:00

This is my complete 5-week itinerary (without transfer airports)

From: Great Circle Mapper

HEL	AIP	Helsinki [Vantaa], FI
WAS	city	Washington [Metro Area], DC, US
SAP	DAFIF	La Mesa (San Pedro Sula) [Ramón Villeda Morales Intl], HN
UII	unreliable	Utila Island, HN
LCE	DAFIF	La Ceiba [Golosón Intl], HN
TGU	DAFIF	Tegucigalpa [Toncontín Intl], HN
SNA	FAA	Santa Ana [John Wayne-Orange County Airport], CA, US
LAX	FAA	Los Angeles [Intl], CA, US
SFO	FAA	San Francisco [Intl], CA, US
DPS	DAFIF	Denpasar [Ngurah Rai - Bali Intl], Bali, ID
DIL	AIP	Dili [Presidente Nicolau Lobato Intl (Komoro Intl)], TP
SIN	DAFIF	Singapore [Changi Intl], SG
CMB	DAFIF	Colombo [Bandaranaike Intl], LK

Home, cold home

2007-01-30T23:58:00.000+02:00

So, the journey finally came to its end (accompagnied with yet another set of lost luggage...) It was sunny in Helsinki, but the temperature was freezing. Here's a picture taken when I came out of the airport bus, at Hakaniemi square next to my home.

The Blinking Buddhas

2007-01-29T22:47:00.000+02:00

Ok this post is backdated as it took some time for me to get organised...

So, this is a short vide of the blinking Budhha reliefs at the front of the bus (or maybe they are Hindu gods, I'm not sure). You should also hear the sound of the 'entertainment system' that was on. As the coach was moving, the picture is not quite stable...

Sri Lanka

2007-01-29T09:48:00.000+02:00

The trip is almost over. In about an hour, I am to start the homeward journey from Colombo, where I'm right now waiting at the airport.

I spent the weekend in Unawatuna in southern Sri Lanka with a few friends. The place is not very far from Colombo, but the ride took about four hours in a bus fully packed with passengers who were 'entertained' with high-desibelic local music. I got a short video recording of the music and blinking Buddha-figures that were probably meant to give protection to the bus. Protection may indeed be a good idea provided the driving habits and the facts that the Tamil fighters sometimes set bombs t0 these vehicles (though much less so in the souther part of the country). There was also a guy selling protective amulets prior to the departure.

I cannot upload the video right now, so have to wait for later. I also haven't got any other photos, because the phone went out of battery and I didn't have the charger with me. So, you have to take my word that the place is truly pleasant and beautiful. It was somewhat hard to believe this is the are that was worst hit by the Tsunami in Sri Lanka. To get an idea, you can have a look at the Sri Lanka Travel Guide photos.

Dili for a change

2007-01-23T15:38:00.000+02:00

At the same time, Dili is the same and different compared to nine months ago. On the surface many things look like nothing had happened, but the IDP (internally displaced people) camps quickly make it clear that there is a difference. On the way from the airport on Friday, I was 'greeted' at Comoro bridge by a gang fight that was being handled with tear-gas by the international police forces.

On the other hand, lunch and swim at the beach side made me feel as if I never had left.

I had really great three days meeting many old friends and I realise I had missed this country despite all the work-related stress that I used to complain about.

Just before leaving today, I had a luch at my usual table 9 at Hotel Timor and again, it felt like I didn't ever really leave...

San Francisco Mandatory Sites

2007-01-13T19:30:00.000+02:00

After the breakfast, I visited some of the mandatory sites in the city. After a cable car ride to Fisherman's Wharf I could see the Alcatraz prison and the famous Sea Lions at Pier 39. As you can see, the weather is really sunny (though still cool).

A view from Chirardelli Square, a short walk from the Fisherman's Wharf.

Of course, any San Francisco touristic itinerary should include the Golden Gate. I walked a little bit on the bridge, but didn't cross it to the other side.

San Francisco Breakfast

2007-01-13T10:58:00.000+02:00

It's a bit chilly here, but the Sun is shining.

And, they have proper cafés here that serve proper Italian coffee in proper cups!

Los Angeles

2007-01-12T11:34:00.000+02:00

Two days is not much to see a big city like LA. On Wednesday, the weather was still warm, so I was walking around Downtown areas.

Yesterday was a bit chilly already. I went to see Old Pasadena and had lunch there. Not really anything spectacular, but it was interesting to note that almost nobody was using a fast and clean public transportation - and LA county alone is supposed to have 8 million inhabitants.

Then my intention was to visit some museums, but when I got out from the metro station, I realised it was clearly not the right one. I then just hopped into the next train and continued all the way to the Universal City.

Today the temperature has gone further down, so I chose some indoors activity instead and took a tour in the Walt Disney Concert hall. This is a view from the roof garden.

Orange County

2007-01-09T22:10:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, I arrived in Orange County to spend a couple of days with my Uncle Ilkka and his wife Pirjo. Some pictures from today:

Mission San Juan Capistrano:

Pier at San Clmente:

View from New Port shopping centre:

Return to USA

2007-01-08T10:40:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, I was mostly familiarising mysef with different types of lines and waiting. First line was at Tegucigalpa airport; Everyone seemed to have chosen this day to return from holidays. It took about one hour to reach the American Airlines check-in counter. Then, a much shorter line to pay the airport tax.

The flight to Miami was delayed almost by an hour, so we had to wait in the terminal that didn't feature enough seats for all passangers.

At arrival, surprisingly, there wasn't any line to passport control. This was, however, compensated by another hour's wait at the luggage belt (as 'customs clarance at final destination airport' is an unknown concept in the US).

Then, when we were supposed to board our flight to DC, they announce that they are still looking for some crew members... Good things for the rest of the trip:

They finally managed to find some flight attendants for our flight, which ended up only about half an hour late.
50% of the luggage did actually arrive with us - it is of course understandable that the Miami airport could not make the transfer, since there were only four hours between the flights. So for the final touch, some standing in the line to claim missing luggage.
There were taxis at the airport so we didn't have to walk in rainy DC.

Valle de Angeles

2007-01-07T15:17:00.000+02:00

Half an hour drive from Tegucigalpa lays Valle de Angeles, a small village full of artisan shops. Though a bit touristic, the village is very pittoresque and offers great vatiety of good buys. I would have bought a richly decorated chest if only it hadn't been so difficult to carry...

On the way back, we stopped at another little village, Santa Lucia, which offered a stricking night view to illuminated Tegucigalpa, which reminded me of Rome viewed from the hills after dinner time.

Tegucigalpa

2007-01-06T12:30:00.000+02:00

We flew yesterday from La Ceiba to Tegucigalpa with an Atlantic Airlines flight operated with an Avro 748 that was probably the oldes aircraft I've ever flown.

Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, is located in a scenic valley between mountains at an altitude of about one kilometre. The weather is sunny but pleasantly cool. At night it gets almost chilly.

La Ceiba

2007-01-04T10:28:00.000+02:00

We managed to get back to La Ceiba just a couple of hours late last night. The boat was waiting for another temporary licence from Tegucigalpa until the very last moment, after which the sail woudn't have been possible the same day any more. We were supposed to go to visit some hot springs today, but they have been sweapt away, or rather destroyed by a mud slide during big storms a week ago. So I'm just going to read a book under the palm trees. Not a bad option.

Here are some more photos from Utila, including the empty dock where the boat was supposed to leave from.

Stuck or not stuck in Utila?

2007-01-03T12:17:00.000+02:00

I guess this morning has been the mandatory chaos part of any trip. We were supposed to take the 14:00 ferry back to La Ceiba after a lazy breakfast and morning at Bundu Cafe, clearly the most comfortable place on this island. Getting to the docks for bying the tickets in advance, there is a total bazar. Apparently the paperwork for the boat was not in order, and it had no permission to leave for today, but they were trying to get a temporary licence sorted out (the morning ferry was supposed to have left at 6:30).

The second discuovery: Bundu cafe is closed on Wednesday so good bye for a nice cappucciono for breakfast. After breakfast we go back to the harbour to find out that the boat is justr about to leave. So I rush with the golf car to pick up the luggage from the hotel and check out. Alas, the vehicle is not very fast, and we miss the boat by some 10 minutes. They also say the boat is not coming back today in any case.

Off we go to inquire about fligts, and are told that it is possible to charter a small plane this afternoon, but the booking wouldn't be possible until after luch. We go for a coffee and come back just to double-check that it's possible to book on aftrenoon. You guessed it probably already: the plane is completely booked for the rest of the day. For Elsa it is essential to be at La Ceiba tomorrow morning, since she has some work-related stuff there. So, we book a plane for early tomorow morning.

Coming back from the flight agent (whom we already paid), we see people gathering around the docks with their luggage - miraculously, the boat has got it's licence and is going to leave as scheduled at 14:00...

So, back to the flight agent to cancel and get our $150 back. The office is closed for lunch. Call to the lady there, and she tells it's no problem, we can get reimbursed at 13:30 when she'll be back from lunch. So, apparently we are leaving with the boat in an hour and a half.

But I'm not counting on it.

Belated Happy New Year

2007-01-02T16:46:00.000+02:00

I haven't (at least yet) managed to make the wap work in Honduras, so the comments are coming with a delay. New year's pictures are all too dark, so at least without manipulating or before getting Elsa's or Miwako's photos there is not much to show there.

I went diving today and we have also rented a golf car, a popular means of transportation in the narrow paths of Utila.

To Utila

2006-12-31T19:27:00.000+02:00

We took a modest boat to the small Island of Utila, where our booking at Relax Inn resort had been cancelled without reason. Fortunately, despite the island packed with people coming for New Year's celebrations, we managed to find very nice accommodation elsewhere (Margarita Villa).

Lunch in San Pedro Sula

2006-12-30T19:10:00.000+02:00

Miwako and Elsa at lunch shortly after arrival in San Pedro. We missed the flight to La Ceiba, and istead took a taxi that took us there in 2.5 hours.

Airport congestion

2006-12-30T15:34:00.000+02:00

Someone's flight (not ours) got cancelled... Now ready to board to Miami and then San Pedro Sula.

Moblog via Picoblogger

Mobile test: Dupont circle

2006-12-30T01:19:00.000+02:00

This post is merely to test whether mobile blogging works.

Moblog via Picoblogger

Washington DC Pics

2006-12-29T18:00:00.000+02:00

I now have a new camera phone at my disposal, and I have taken the first few photos with it. Oblivious as I am, I didn’t notice the thin plastic cover protecting the lens – it obviously should have been removed. That’s why these first photos are a bit fuzzy. They are all from the war memorials area, which I hadn’t visited during my last visit to DC.

Blog around the world

2006-12-28T06:05:00.000+02:00

I have now begun my escapade from darkness and cold for five weeks. Yesterday, I flew to Washington through Frankfurt, arriving early afternoon. The flights were pleasant and arrival at Dulles airport smoother than I expected. The lines to the immigration were much shorter than some other times I've been to the US. I then took a shuttle to down town, found Elsa's place without any problem, and settled down.

Today I've been mostly shopping and arranging some practical things for the rest of the trip. Whilst it is not much warmer in DC than in Helsinki, the sun was shining all day, and the day is many hours longer, too. Once we get to Honduras, the temperature issue should also be fixed.

It's been quite a nice day, actually. I had almost forgotten about some funny aspects of the American life style - such as over-sized portions of food... For breakfast, I had ordered a 'small' cappuccino, which was about 3dl. However, the coffee shop lady either forgot what the order was or wanted to give me a treat, and served a 'medium' cappuccino instead, which was at least half a litre. I also found slightly amusing the 'security tips' signs advising for example not to use escalators with a wheelchair.

I don't have any photos to post yet, as acquiring a functioning camera is one of the practical arrangements still on my list.

Hyvää Joulua!

2006-12-25T00:40:00.000+02:00

Natal Diak!
Joyeux Noël!
Boas Festas!
Buon Natale!
Merry Christmas!
Fröhliche Weihnachten!
God Jul!
Häid Jõule!

Unsuccesful shopping - productive lunch

2006-12-03T23:50:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, I thought it was finally time to acquire the missing furniture and perhaps start some Christmas shopping. So, I went to Itäkeskus, a big commercial centre conveniently reachable by metro. I'd rather prefer the more traditional small shops and classic department stores at the city centre, but as the weather is so dreadful, I didn't want to expose myself to the streets that much.

Anyway, as soon as I got to the shopping centre and started to feel hungry. Therefore, I went to a Greek restaurant for a lunch for one, and it turned out a most excellent meal - with a glass of retsina I also got another new idea for my research paper and I think I have finally figured out how to present an idea that has been incubating in my mind for quite some time already. But then, didn't feel like shopping at all any more, so I went back home. Cannot get everything.

Dementor weather

2006-12-02T12:31:00.000+02:00

I’ve been neglecting the blog and need to take corrective action immediately. Let’s have some weather talk first.

Those who’ve read Harry Potter know what a Dementor is. Even though I generally wasn’t very impressed by the Finnish Harry Potter translations, this is one where I must give credit to the translator's ingenious 'Ankeuttaja', which rather than 'Dementor' literally translates back to 'Gloomer' or 'Depressor'. At least it describes this current weather most accurately.

Quite seriously – and what else than serious could anyone be in these conditions? – what sort of winter is this supposed to be? It has been a grey sky, nasty rain and chilly weather for past few weeks. I really haven’t seen the Sun for a month! The few hours it’s supposed to be there during the day, i.e. from the sunrise at 9:00 and sunset at 15:00, the Sun is invisible behind a thick, depressing layer of dark clouds.

Conspectus Rerum Latinus in Press - Part 2

2006-10-24T19:12:00.000+03:00

BBC NEWS | Europe | Finland makes Latin the King:

BBC News has turned its interst to Latin in Finalnd. Along from other phenomena such as Dr Ammonds Elvis in Latin recordings, the news article discusses the EU Precidency news service broadly. Here are some quotes.

The opening paragraph sets the tone:

Finland is one of the quieter members of the EU. But now its turn at the EU presidency has thrust it into the spotlight - and exposed an unusual passion.

After the precidency website editor has told the site is available in English and French:

But they have their secret language: Conspectus rerum Latinus, or "Latin News in Brief".

The British cannot help picking on the French, can they?

Lurking within the world of EU Latin, which is only marginally more difficult to comprehend than EU English, is one delightful statistic - more people subscribe to the newsletter in Latin than to the one in French.

The article then concludes:

Perhaps Finland wants to dominate the global news agenda in the same way Elvis once dominated the music scene.

Happy United Nations Day

2006-10-24T12:44:00.000+03:00

It is the 24 October again, which means we are celebrating the UN Day.

I wish courage and strenght to my former colleagues and all other people working with the Organisation in quest for making the World a better place for everyone!

Independent Special Commission of Inquiry

2006-10-17T12:56:00.000+03:00

I meant to post this earlier, but forgot to publish. Anyway, the official report of the 'Independent Special Commission of Inquiry for Timor Leste' is finally out.

Read here

Rauhan Nobel oikeaan osoitteeseen

2006-10-14T00:23:00.000+03:00

Vaikkei Suomen Euroviisuvoittohuuma saanutkaan jatkoa Nobel-hypestä, Norjan Nobel-komiteaa ei ole syytä mennä heittelemään mädillä tomaateilla. Minusta Muhammad Yunus on todella erinomainen valinta palkinnon saajaksi. Tällä tavoin Nobel-komitea tuo näkyvästi esiin sosiaalisen ja taloudellisen hyvinvoinnin tärkeyden konfliktien estämisessä. Sen sijaan että palkinto olisi perinteiseen tapaan mennyt konfliktien ratkaisijoille, tällä kertaa tunnustuksen sai henkilö ja instituutio, jotka toiminnallaan edistävät rauhaa puuttumalla niihin perussyihin, jotka synnyttävät ja ruokkivat tyytymättömyyttä ja konflikteja.

Comments on the International Crisis Group Report

2006-10-13T15:10:00.000+03:00

I finally managed to read through the whole report. Definitely an interesting read, but I somehow feel it's credibility is compromised by the selectivity of sources used. It mainly draws from CAVR report and a couple of interviews, but many other possible lines of investigation are cut short, resulting in a rather simplistic analysis. The report basically implies that the conflict is a direct result of the rivalties inside the resistance movement.

There is probably a lot of truth in what the report says, but by being selective with the use of available sources, including people who were interviewed, it leaves a lot of room for dispute. Apparently Alkatiri has already done exactly that - he issued a statement completely undermining the whole report. The report also completely ignores the socio-economic conditions that are conducive to such petty rivalries to escalate into a large-scale open conflict.

International Crisis Group Report - Resolving Timor-Leste’s Crisis

2006-10-11T07:48:00.000+03:00

This is certainly an interesting read! I skimmed through it very quickly, and it seems to be using very direct language. I'll comment the contents later when I have managed to read it properly.

International Crisis Group - Resolving Timor-Leste’s Crisis

Alternative account from France

2006-09-14T13:48:00.000+03:00

Oops, some time has passed since my last post. I have plenty of references to Conspectus Rerum Latinus in stock, but I shall come back to those a bit later. Now, I am just giving two links to Miwako-san's blog, which present a competing view an the France trip that I reported here earlier.

MEP questions Conspectus Rerum Latinus

2006-08-17T22:18:00.000+03:00

The German language issue in the EU doesn't seem to be resolved; and Latin is brought into the battle again. German Member of European Parliament Ingeborg Gräßle has filed a written question (E-3647/06) to the Council regarding the Conspectus rerum Latinus. The text of the written question reads as follows:

The Finnish Presidency of the Council is publishing the latest news from the Presidency in Latin under the title 'Conspectus rerum Latinus'.
How many readers does this newsletter have?
What are the costs of translation?
Who is paying for the costs of translation?
How does the Finnish Presidency of the Council assess this measure in terms of a cost benefit analysis?

The Council's answer is expected in the September part-session.

Conspectus Rerum Latinus in Press - Part 1

2006-08-17T19:56:00.000+03:00

As I warned yesterday, here comes the first part of the review of the commentaries that Finland's EU Precidency site's Latin language news report has received in international press and blogsphere. Let's see what the press reported in early July.

Guardian Special report: Finns turn jargon of Unio Europaea into poetry with weekly news bulletin - in Latin

The rather long report by Nicholas Watt on 4 July presents the news service as a dream-come-true for all hard-line classicists. Written in positive, humorous tone, the article gives examples that prove how much better the EU sounds in Latin and urges eurocrats to get their dictionaries ready. Due credit is given to the distinguished Finnish tradition of classical scholarship, and reference is also made to Nuntii Latinii weekly radio broadcast. Several people, including author Dr Reijo Pitkäranta and British a classics scholar Dr Bruce Gibson had been interviewed. The report suggests that this initiative can turn opinions more favourable towards the Union, as demonstrated through the example of British Conservative MP and ardent EU-critic Boris Johnson, also interviewed for the article, who was truly impressed and hopes everybody will read the Latin news report.

Reuters: Finland opts for Latin in EU communications

This is a short news item telling that New EU president Finland is having some fun and publishing news in Latin to remind Europeans of their roots stretching back to ancient times. The Reuters and Guardian reports spread to several publications all over the world, including Taipei Times, Sydney Morning Herald, Qatar-based Gulf Times, and Turkish Daily News.

Les Echos: Quand l'Europe renoue avec le latin

This is a fairly recent article by Karl de Meyer, published in the French business daily Les Echos on 11 August. The article 'When Europe revives Latin' presents Finland as a delight for all nostalgics of Gaffiot (French distinguished Latin scholar), Petronius fans, and opponents of the English linguistic hegemony. Flavoured with a number of Latin expressions, the news story makes reference to Nuntii Latinii, the previous conspectus in 1999 and the German language dispute. Subsequently, the continuing demands of Germans for they language are discussed in the more general setting of the EU working language policy and its complications.

Finnish EU Presidency: Conspectus Rerum Latinus

2006-08-16T21:39:00.000+03:00

As I was writing the opening post and trying to figure out what Timor-Leste would be in Latin, I got sidetracked in exploring the current state of blogging in dead languages in general. I noticed many have commented on the Latin language news report Conspectus rerum latinus on the Finnish EU Presidency site. I'm thinking of reviewing some of the comments on this subject in the press and other blogs, but first I think I should explain my interest a bit further.

The last time Finland held the EU presidency, i.e. 1999, a similar news report was also introduced and got quite a lot of attention in the international press. However, it was often erroneously associated with the dispute over the German language interpretations in the meetings (on this subject, see e.g. BBC News account 'Santer backs Finland in language war' on 2 July 1999). I then wrote a little press review to the Classics Students' quarterly magazine Rostra right after the Finnish Presidency had ended. I've just translated this old article into English, and you can find it in the previous post in this blog

To my surprise, the old language issue seems to still be alive. At least according to the AFP report 'Finnish EU presidency to snub German language' on 7 April this year. I haven't seen any connection made to the Latin news report this time, though, but many other interesting comments about the conspectus rerum has been made, and I'm going to review them here as I write it.

[Special thanks to Roz for proof-reading!]

When the EU spoke Latin

2006-08-16T21:36:00.000+03:00

[This post is a (slightly adapted) translation of my article 'Kun EU puhui latinaa', originally published in Finnish in Rostra issue 1/2000 (pp. 15-17 ; link points to a pdf file). I have added links to original articles that can still be found in internet. For explanation why the translation is here now, see the next post.]

When the EU Spoke Latin

Finland held the Presidency of the European Union during the latter half of 1999. On the Presidency Internet site a news report in Latin, 'Conspectus rerum latinus', edited by Dr Tuomo Pekkanen and Dr Reijo Pitkäranta, was published weekly. The news service drew quite some international attention, though many commentators mistakenly interpreted the use of Latin to be related to the dispute over the status of German language in the meetings. Reijo Pitkäranta tells that the production of the Latin news report was agreed long before the language dispute broke out. The initiative had came from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs: the father of the idea was Mr Yrjö Länsipuro, the Director General at the Department for Communication and Culture, who had requested Ms Liisa Ahtiluoto, the editor in chief of the Presidency site to contact Pitkäranta on Spring.

The press especially in Germany and Italy was eagerly reporting the issue. A German daily newspaper even published its editorial in Latin. The sympathies of the highly dramatised articles in Italian news papers were clearly on the Finnish side, though the stories did not always have too much to do with the reality. Moreover, the use of Latin in Finland was even made a domestic policy weapon in Italy.

Finns lost their minds irrevocably assessments in German press

On 17 July 1999, Die Welt published its editorial 'Latinitas et ordinatrum portabile' entirely in Latin, though accompanied with a German translation. In the beginning of the article, the Latin news report is considered to some degree as an attack against Germany. In the end, the author Thomas Schmid notes, however, that the Finns have managed to demonstrate how a modern information society rests on dignified tradition.

In turn, Hamburger Morgenpost published on 17 July 1999 an article titled 'Die spinnen, die Finnen' (approximately: 'Crazy, the Finns '), according to which Finland stakes the new stage of the language dispute with the Latin language. To avoid diehard reputation, the Precidency is now offering news in classical Latin language on its internet site.

Berlin-based Der Tagesspiegel points out in an article published 20 July 1999 that this is the first time in th EU history that the Presidency regularly publishes news in Latin. The paper believes that Finland thereby responds to Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's claim that it would not be doing enough for the linguistic plurality of the Union.

Finns chew Latin like chewing gum - Italy rapt

Rome-based La Repubblica tells on 9 July that the EU President Finland is sending 'messages in the language of antiquity as protest'. According to Repubblica, the internet service reveals to those understanding the language of Caesar and Virgil that Finland's six-month presidency has begun. The author Nello Ajello asks: why this, and other things too, must be told in Latin? He thinks the answer is obvious: for revenge, to strike back.

With reference to the Winter War, Ajello also notes that the Finns are by no means necessarily going to be smashed by the Germans renowned by they military tradition, in this 'new anti-imperialistic war'. The Finns are not launching their counter-attack from scratch, but 'armed to the teeth'. The author thinks that to us Finns, Latin is the second language, which we 'chew like gum' and not only study but also vigorously spread to the world.

It seems that not only the origins of the Latin language news service, but also the phonetics of the Finnish language remain obscure to the reporter; videlicet, he states along the lines 'We people of the third millennium, in our desire for comfort, easily tend to think that better Latin than Finnish - at least Latin has less consonants'.

Still in the same article, there is an anecdote from 1952 Helsinki Olympics, claiming that during the Games, Italian journalist Gianni Brera would have interviewed Paavo Nurmi in Latin, which would have been the only common language for the two.

In Italy, the position of Latin at schools has long been under dispute. The local school reformers have been complaining that the share of Latin in teaching is excessive. Milan-based Corriere della sera discussed the issue on 16 July 1999 under title 'Latino, per fortuna c'è la Finlandia' ('Latin, fortunately there is Finland'), smoothly transiting from the EU language dispute through the Finland's Presidency site's Latin news service to the Italian education policy. To conclude, reporter Luciano Canfora wonders if the Italians truly need to wait an external signal from Finland to appreciate the importance of Latin.

A week later, 21 July 1999, in Corriere Riccardo Chiaberge interviewed President Ahtisaari, the subduer of Milošević. 'Gutta cavat lapidem', Ahtisaari begun his reply. A moment later the President is thinking back the beginning of his secondary school Latin book: 'Italia est insula'. As the reporter is puzzled by the sudden change in the geography of his homeland, Ahtisaari perceives his error, it was of course 'Sikilia est insula' (orthography by Corriere). Then Latin is left a side for a while, though the reporter does know that Finland wants for annoyance of the Germans to make Latin the official language of the EU. Untill the end of the interview, where Chiaberge induces President and the Finnish people to declare: 'Cives finnici sumus. Semper ad maiora!'.

France 5-13 August 2006

2006-08-15T20:36:00.000+03:00

And here comes the promised brief report on the trip. The original idea was to meet up with some friends and former colleagues from Dili somewhere in Europe, and it ended up a nice journey in France.

Almost as planned, I met up with Miwako-san at Charles de Gaulle airport on Saturday; she just had to wait for her luggage for two hours so we got off a bit delayed. We picked up a rental car, which had been a bit of a challenge to find as she refused drive one without automatic gear, and the available models all tended to be either for handicapped persons or in extravagant luxury categories.

Anyway, we headed towards South-West, stopped at Chartres (1st photo) for coffee and little sight-seeing, and then stayed over-night in Tours (2nd photo). On Sunday, after breakfast in Tours (3rd photo), we drove along Loire valley and visited the castle of Langeais. We were supposed to have picnic lunch on the way in Chinon, but as it was Sunday, we couldn’t find any open boulangerie. It was also past normal lunch time, so we ended up getting some sandwiches from a vending stall.

Early evening, we arrived in Marans and met up with Agnès and Seb at Seb’s parent’s place. Apart from good company and food (do I have an obsession with food??), two days there included a visit to la Rochelle (4th photo), a late night light& audio show at nearby ruins of the mediaeval monastery of Maillezais (5th photo), and country side tour to get some oysters and mussels (yummy!) for lunch (6th photo).

On Thursday morning, we headed back to north and got the beautiful costal town of Pornic by lunch time. Then we continued along Loire towards Anjou, and chose an idyllic riverside village of Montjean-sur-Loire for stopover.

Rest of the trip was dedicated Paris, after returning the car in le Mans and taking a TGV from there. Apart from a couple of mandatory sights (the previous post has a photo of Sacré-Cœur) and – of course – several meals, until Miwako’s departure on Saturday, it was shopping time, of which I spend most in FNAC.

Rest of the Saturday I spent in Louvre, which I had never visited before. I had a quick look at Mona Lisa (but I couldn’t bother standing in the 100-metre queue for a closer view) and then headed to Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities sections, which were fortunately much less crowded. After five hours, my feet were already hurting so much that I had to skip the Egyptian section and leave it for next time.

For evening, I found an excellent little Breton crêperie near Montparnasse station ('la Bigoudène', 62 rue Montparnasse), and after a nice galette and very good cidre (Bolée d'Armorique Brut) I went to listen Mariko Uchida play cembalo in a small chapel located at the railway station.

It was raining on Sunday, so I intended to visit more museums. I had chosen the Musée d'Orsay, but when I came after lunch, there was an incredible queue of people waiting to get in. As I was not excited about the idea of standing in the rain (without umbrella) for possibly hours, I simply continued wandering around whenever the rain stopped and read Stendahl's 'Ernestine' accompanied with countless cups of coffee.

La France, c'est magnifique !

2006-08-14T20:55:00.000+03:00

Quand on m'a proposé une réunion des anciens colleagues de Dili en France, je n'ai guère hésité une seconde. Ainsi suis-je revenu à l'Hexagone après cinq ans. Ah, j'avais oublié combien j'aimais ce pays, ses gens, sa langue, sa cuisine; il faut bien que j'y aille beaucoup plus fréquemment.

Aujourd'hui, je suis rentré chez moi, en Finlande. Or, les dix kilos supplémentaires me rappelleront aux delices de la visite pour longtemps ...

Going to France

2006-08-04T17:55:00.000+03:00

I'm going to be travelling in France from tomorrow for about ten days. As I haven't set myself up for mobile blogging yet (maybe for the next trip), there are not likely to be any new posts here until my return.

Belated Welcome

2006-08-04T10:39:00.000+03:00

Welcome to my new blog, which is to continue and complement the flow of conciousness started in my Timor-Leste blogs earlier. Now that I am permanently in Finland, and as I intend to continue blogging, I thought it would be appropriate to write under a more wide-ranging title.

Is this blog in Latin?

Occasionally, yes, but I'm going use whatever language seems most appropriate for each post, depending on the subject, intended audience and my mood. Most posts are probably going to be in English.

Confused when this started?

The first post to this blog was made on July 31, 2006. However, I have since posted some stories about my past trips (in accordance with the blog title) backdated to where they actually occured. I may continue this practice as I get my photos organised.

Latinaako?

2006-08-03T01:15:00.000+03:00

Tervetuloa tähän uuteen blogiini. Toisin kuin kahden ensimmäisen sepustuksen perusteella voisi luulla tarkoitukseni ei ole kirjoittaa tänne pelkästään kuolleilla kielillä. Saatan kyllä vastaisuudessakin käyttää mielialastani riippuen kaiken maailman kieliä (etenkin latinaa, jolla bloggaamista olen jo pitkään vatvonut), mutta suurin osa tekstistä ilmestynee tänne nykykielillä. Epäilen, että käytännöllisistä syistä englanti saattaa tännekin vakiintua valtakieleksi, koska tarkoitukseni on kommunikoida myös melko suurilukuiselle joukolle ystäviä ja tuttavia, jotka eivät taida suomea, latinaa ja muita sivistyskieliä.

Aiemminhan olen kirjoitellut lähinnä Itä-Timor -aiheisia tarinoita blogeissani Tarinoita Timorista ja Dili Days Decrease. Nyt nuo joutavat eläkkeelle, kun ole jo kotiutunut takaisin Suomeen.

Innostuttuani harjoittelemaan latinaa noissa edellisissä kirjoituksissa eksyin vähän sivuraiteille tutkimaan bloggamisen ja uutispalveluiden nykytilaa kuolleilla kielillä. Kirjoitan aiheesta ehkä vielä lisää myöhemmin, mutta nyt huomasin, että Suomen EU-puheenjohtajuussivuilla on viimekertaiseen tapaan latinankielinen uutiskatsaus Conspectus rerum latinus. Viime kerrallahan (vuonna 1999) tämä palvelu herätti laajahkoa huomiota ympäri Eurooppaa - tosin virheellisesti yhdistettynä kiistaan kokouskielistä. Tuolloin kirjoitin aiheesta pienen katsauksen otsikolla “Kun EU puhui latinaa”.

Timoria orientalis appellatur!

2006-08-01T13:30:00.000+03:00

Ergo questio illa responsa est. Timoria orienatlis a Nuntiis Latinis Radiophoniae Finnicae Generalis appellatur, et his confido. Fragmentum subiunctum (conservatum hic) in conspectu rerum ante diem quartum Nonas Octobres anno p.Chr.n MMII emissum est.

De historiae Timoriae orientalis
Timoria orientalis, parva res publica in Asia inter meridiem et solis ortum spectante sita, membrum Nationum Unitarum centesimum nonagesimum primum cooptata est. Agitur de civitate omnium recentissima, quippe quae abhinc quattuor menses sui iuris facta sit, cum diu contra Indonesianos pro libertate pugnasset. Inter saeculum autem sextum decimum et annum millesimum nongentesimum septuagesimum quintum (1975) illa regio colonia Portugallorum fuit, donec Indonesiani eam occupaverunt.

Initium novi commentarii

2006-07-31T23:54:00.000+03:00

Hoc commentarium meum nomine Itinera mundi mentisque de omnibus rebus (et quibusdam aliis) in linguis quibuslibet narrat. Primum maximam partem itinera mundi referam cum ad fabulis illis scribendis vacam. Has dum expectas, fortasse tibi folium domesticum meum aut commentaria de commoratione mea in Timorine orientali libeat.

At vos lectores questiones de vocabulariis linguae latinae novae duas rogo, responsa cum in Tela Totius Terrae googleni non reppererim:

Blog: blogis -is aut blog -is aut blogus -i aut commentarum telanum aut telantarum (cf. web log -> blog) aut aliquod aliud?
Timor-Leste (vel East Timor): scilicet Timor orientalis, sed res publica hac novissima non est timenda! Interim hoc verbum utor sed declino: "Timor o.- Timorinis o.".

Summer School in Alba di Canazei, 2-8 July 2006

2006-07-08T22:27:00.000+03:00

Resuming my doctoral studies after almost 4-year break, I though it would be a good idea to attend a relevant summer school to get into the latest discussion and kickstart the studies. And how righ I was! I found the Inequality, Poverty and Development: The Role of Markets and Institutions Summer school, organised by the University of Verona in Alba di Canazei, Trento. Excellent lectures by professors Pranab Bardhan and Dilip Mookherjee held in stunning Dolomites scenery and accompanied by delicious Italian food - and of course very nice company.

Apart from the classes, there was time to do all sorts of other things. Here are some sample pictures, but there are more in this gallery. There are also other photos at the official site.

The above picture is from Alba, so that's how it looked like just out of the lecture room or hotel.

On the right, Italian style 'line' to the ticket booth for the funicular. Below is a photo on the top of Pordoi. Pretty high, huh? And the thunder clouds made the air very electric.

A nice little Ladino style dinner was organised one evening in Lüch de Vanć, a small village, allegedly 45 minutes drive from Canazei. Our car group here has arrived after about 2-hour journey, and eating the table empty before the others would come.

Yemen 20-22 June 2006

2006-06-22T23:42:00.000+03:00

I had a rare opportunity to visit another spectacular country after my conference trip to Ethiopia. Vibeke, Andy and Maria had recently moved to Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, which was just an hour flight from Addis Ababa.

The old town of Sana'a is really like straight from the Book of One Thousand and One Nights. It is a quite large area, which as a whole is listed world heritage by UNESCO. Well, this picture taken on top of the main gate does have some modern features, but in some of the narrower streets the whole scene is totally medieval.

One of the most memorable parts of the 3-day visit was a day trip to a nearby attraction, the Dar al-Hajar 'Rock Palace' in the little village of Wadi Dhar. The palace, which the second last Imam had built as his summer residence, was amazing itself, but even better was the experience in the village.

While we were walking there, the locals got really curious, and finally we ended up being invited for 'tea' to one of the local houses. Instead of just tea, we got served a complete lunch. A genuine demonstration of the famous Yemeni hospitality! There are many more pictures from the village, palace, and Sana'a in the photo gallery.

Conference trip to Ethiopia 12-19 June 2006

2006-06-19T00:15:00.000+03:00

The 9th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis was organised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. All the conference related information can be found behind that link, so I am not going to details about that part. Instead, I say a couple of things about ither aspects of the trip. As you can see from the photo, the food looks delicious. And it not only looks so, but is very nice. On culinary criteria, I could definitely consider living in Ethiopia.

I went to two trips outside Addis: the pre-conference tour that was part of the programme, and another one that some of us organised after the conference. It made me feel somewhat nostalgic, since some of the sceneries and other things looked very much like in Timor-Leste.

More Ethiopia pictures in my photo gallery.

There is also a huge (really!) number of pictures around the conference at the GTAP site.