Most people seem to take pictures only at their holidays, and at birthdays and when someone marries. That makes for an odd archive of your life, doesn't it? Likewise most news, and a huge portion of blogs focuses on accidents and large disasters. No, i don't think we should pretend there aren't problems, but this hung-uppedness of the tragedy of life makes for a very odd archive of our lives, doesn't it?
For years i felt like i belonged to some other place. I was born and grew up in Göteborg, on the west coast of Sweden. My father is Swedish, my mother is Finnish. I grew up with my mother, and i always identified with her Finnish roots. Every summer we went to Finland, i learned some (not much) Finnish, and felt like i belonged there.
Turning 20 i decided to move there. I went "home", or so i thought. I quickly discovered that they did not much care for me there. My family relations there were not especially happy to see me, nor did they keep much in touch. The swedish speaking minority was not very open, to put it mildly. I thought we would through a common language be able to communicate, but i soon found out that there was not much in common there.
In short, it would take years to adapt. Hence i have done exactly that, and found a place for me. Now having lived in Helsinki for close to 18 years i consider it "home". But as i walk these streets i realise i am no
Comments
sally
it has been almost 2 months since i enjoyed the soft sand of the little beach in lauttasaari, the one below the path towards little mokki houses.. one evening i was there alone and took my sandals off, feeling the sand between my toes, when a lady walked by and asked if i have lost something..her dog was also looking at me and wanted to play. I told her what i knew to say in finnish: Ei. Kaunis and pointed to the horizon. I think she understood and smiled. I miss that so much, the view, the wide sea separating me from my country and making me believe one day i will stay in Lauttasaari forever.
Thank you for deciding to write, and i have noticed you have put photos in your blog, and when i looked at that sunset it made me feel so sentimental..
Please write more, tell me when the leaves begin to fall off the trees and the first rain beings, it will make me cry because i am not there to see it, but tell me anyway..
Sally