immigrants in books

 

I just finished two books about moving to a new country. Tracy Cevaliers The Last Runaway tells a story of an English woman moving to America. The main caracter is missing the exact things that take me time to get used to here in England; the rainy mild weather and the subtle manners of people´s approach. 

Zidaine Lindans Letters from Japan  two Russians immigrants in Finland and in Japan are having a dialog about their new home coutries. This book made me laugh of the ways of the Finns; the silent treatment and the obsession with Arabia tableware. 

walking in the marshes

 

Virvon varvon

 It is Palm Sunday and we made Easter Branches.

My sons Easter decorations where little bit more unconventional. 

He made a parrot egg and a king egg.

We brought Easter Branches to friends dressed as wizzards and witches.

We recited childrens poem Virvon varvon to them to wish happy Easter.

diaries

I write in my diary very often. I write mostly to overcome a bad mood or to plan ahead. My son started his own diary. There is something I can learn about his positive self image. He writes: I like drawing, because I am so good at it. More sentences like this in my diary!

We ate spinach pancakes again. I bought special lingon jam from IKEA for it. My son made me try them with banana. It was a good combination.

happiness is...

Happiness is sailing faraway with a good friend.

(in Prinsess Diana Memorial Park)

Happiness is playing for real.

(in V&A Museum of Childhood)

afternoon tea at Selfridge

 

It was a rainy day in London,

perfect for shopping and afternoon tea.

 

My good friend dr. M had come to visit me from Finland. 

Here she is setting us up in social media.

Cakes looked almost too pretty to be eaten.

snowdreams

This was taken on our Christmas holiday in Finland. 

My son was crazy about these snow hills. 

I could not make him leave even though I was freezing. 

 Since Christmas I have been busy just surviving everyday life. The men have been in Finland now for a week. This week I have had time to think and do things I wanted for a long time, like write in my blog. I was doing the dishes the other day and realised that this is my life here in London. I was happy about it. 

But still sometimes, I wake up from a dream of a snowy landscape or after my talk with my mom in Skype, I get an ache to go back. For now spring is almost here in London. I am buzzing with ideas for art and for life. I am also waiting for my super long Finnish summer holiday.