What habit has been sustaining you lately?
Ukrainian folk singing. To my own surprise, I recently joined a choir group. It is so therapeutic and relieving! I go there on Friday evenings and let my emotions out. We sing, yell, twang, and make all kinds of strange sounds — without anyone judging. And I love it when my voice blends with others and creates a melody from my home and childhood.
What time of day do you feel most like yourself?
Before bed, when I’m too tired to be anything but myself.
When recently did you feel out of place?
A week ago, I went to a fancy photo exhibition opening in ski pants. I did not know about the event beforehand and did not have time to dress up. The choice was either to miss the whole thing or to arrive as I was. I did not want to miss it, so a little discomfort was the price I paid.
What are you still holding onto even though you know you’ll eventually have to let go?
Life, I guess. I love to live, and I’d like to live forever if it were an option. To travel to every town and country, try every profession, engage in every hobby. Life’s finiteness is still hard for me to accept.
What scares you more today: change or staying the same?
Frankly, the way the world is changing does scare me. It feels like the old rules or principles no longer apply. Freedom, peace, and human rights are no longer guaranteed; they have become something to fight for. If there is anything positive about it, it is that we’re living in historic times.
Recommend a movie, an album, and a book.
Movie: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
Album: Two Colors from Kvitka Cisyk
Book: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Aloha Ramenin Tampere. The hot chicken ramen is so comforting in the cold Finnish winter.
Which friend have you admired lately, and why?
Ville Kangas is mastering black-and-white film photography and capturing Finland in its minimalist beauty.
Dev/Scan at Photostella
