Palm Sunday

It's a week before Easter and Passion Week starts. The name Palm Sunday refers to the day, when Jesus was riding to Jerusalem and people were spreading palm leaves in his path. As a reminiscence of that day people in Finland decorate willow wigs. Do you see a connection between palm leaves and decorated willow wigs?

We don't have palm leaves so it's understandable but the roots for the traditions are deep in pagan culture, not in Christian culture.

Even I wanted to dress my girl as a little witch so she could make our old neighbors happy by visiting them. She knows the magic verse; "Virvon, varvon, tuoreeks, terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle, palkka mulle". With this magic verse little witches and wizards wish you and your household good health and a good year. They will then hand you a willow twig, and as a little reward, they expect you to put a few sweets, little Easter Eggs or a few coins in their basket or pot.

My little witch didn't want to were a scarf or say the magic verse out load. She was too tired so we skipped it this year. This is she last year.

In olden times the reason for using the magic verse was to chase away demons and the rhyme varied from area to area. In the countryside children could say; " ...and if you don't promise me eggs, hawks shall take your chickens". In those days children got real eggs for Easter and they did not receive them until Easter Sunday. It is still a common tradition like Halloween in USA. 

Scientific Fairy Research

My daughter and I have been a little sick. I have been too tired to play with her but she's never too tired to play! I decided to show her Disney Fairies movies so we could at least be together. She's been watching Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings and Tinker Bell: The Great Fairy Rescue sitting on my lap or next to me.

It's better to show your children movies you like to watch too!

In The Great Fairy Rescue a little girl, Lizzie, captures Tinker Bell and takes her to her home. Lizzie and Tink become friends and they record their information on fairies in a research book.

I was fascinated by the idea of Scientific Fairy Research. I want to make it too! I haven't met Tinker Bell and unfortunately I don't recall my past.

Our Fairyland

 

No, that's not a a fairy in Fairyland nor me as a child. That’s my dear daughter in a Tinkerbell costume in Botanic Garden of Helsinki. Isn't she adorable?

The reason I wanted to become human was to live and witness the miracle of life. Before her - her birth remains my milestone to measure time - I truly lived and experienced the world. Her birth was the greatest thing I have and will ever experience.

I wanted my husband to takes photos of our daughter in Botanic Garden for a reason. It's not just a pretty place, it's also a place where we got married. Every now and then we visit there to escape the coldness of Finland.

My daughter is the most precious thing in the Universe.

Mother tongue

This is my tongue and I am a mother.

English is not my native language, it's Finnish. I decided to write in English so more people could understand me.

At first my ideas have no shape. They are tacit sensations, feelings and knowledge that live in my mind. Then they get forms that are still unclear. I take a pen or my computer and write them down. Usually I write it in Finnish first. I try to think in English but it doesn't come naturally yet. I try to come up with English phrases which best describe my Finnish thoughts. Even when I think I'm ready with my writings I can't be certain that my English is sufficient to understand. I have asked my friends who live in England and Australia to tell me if I'm too impalpable. (Impalpable - is that even the right word?!)

The word for translate in Finnish means also to turn or to twist. It's a lot of twisting and turning before I have formulated my ideas in English phrases.

The more comprehensible I want to be, the more I have to modify my ideas. A paradox of communication.

Commuting

Twice a week I drive through the black veins of Helsinki-Lahti motorway. I can relate myself with the crows who eat the corpses of dead animals. At least I love my job.

Today.

In the autumn.

In the beginning of the school year.

Coincidence

I changed my address. It was amisfairytales.blogspot.com but I didn't want to keep it. I accidentally typed http://www.amisfairytales.blogpsot.com/. I guess I don't need to explain more.

Vanitas of Tonight

Have a nice weekend!