Club Day at the Sauna

Yesterday we took advantage of the public sauna that is only about 5 minutes from our house. For two Euros one can take advantage of one of the most civilized activities known to man- alternating turns between a really a hot room and freezing cold water. You start in the sauna itself where there is normally an older woman constantly pouring water over the rocks. This results in a more intense heat in the form of huge steam clouds that pour the heat down your back and into your nose. Every time, there is a brief five second panic that consumes you, ‘can I make it out of the room in time or will I die right here, should I make a break for the door or will I pass out before making it’. It literally feels like you are breathing fire, and you wonder if she has forgotten what she is doing because she is so engaged in conversation. Once you have reached your boiling point, you make a dash out of the sauna, swimsuit required in this case, and down the dock and into the water (remember that as of last week the bay was frozen over). Both of us started with only attempting a half body dunk, but as we got more comfortable we got up to our shoulders. It can be a bit scary if you swim out into the water and return to the ladder as the lower part is covered in algae and you can make a few useless grabs as your muscles start to freeze. You return to the hot box and beg for more water on the rocks and start the whole process again. This time our experience was topped off with free Finnish sausage because the club was having their spring celebration.

We created a google map which we will continue to edit as our adventures increase. For now you can see our home and the short walk to the sauna. Click the link below the map and select the blue place markers to see our location.

View Rauma Finland Blog in a larger map

Forecast…

This weekend we are heading to Helsinki to experience Vappu, which is a cross between Marti Gras and a New Year's celebration. We are scheduled to interview a number of foreign residents that live in the city. We hope to start our language project next week. We just learned that we received a grant from the Finlandia Foundation to support that project, so we are very excited!

Recipe for Finnish breakfast or snack

*Either very dark bread or rye crackers (Wassa is a good brand you can find in the US)

*Butter

*Rich cheese (Havarti or Gouda is found easily internationally)

*Cucumber (sliced thin)

Butter your bread or crackers and put thin slices of cheese and cucumber on top. Enjoy!

Ron and Mackenzie Vs. The Volcano

Lately one of Mackenzie's favorite mantras, "one must be flexible and adaptable", has characterized the beginning of our residency. Ron arrived in Finland successfully last week, while Mackenzie, who was scheduled to fly out last Friday night, is still in NYC. The volcano in Iceland which we will refrain from mentioning the name, not only because it has become a bit of a curse word around the world, but also because the spelling is just ridiculous.

So far, Ron's observational list from his first few days in Rauma include:

1) An abundance of all things white and blue, road signs, business logos, buses, and of course flags

2) That he is not blonde

3) That the trees in Finland grow completely straight

4) That almost all the houses in rural areas are red

5) That it is not done snowing (on Saturday after dropping one of the bikes off in old town to have its snow tires removed, it began to snow clumps the size of ping pong balls)

Already he has had the opportunity to purchase some traditional Rauma food from the market. We are in luck because the director's husband is a chef, and he only sells this meal twice a year at the local market. Also, he has also been overwhelmed by the vast amount of left over art supplies from previous residents. Stay focused, Ron.

Mackenzie, stranded in NYC, is so thankful for her dear friends who have been putting her up for the past few days. The minute she found out she was going to stay in NYC a bit longer she has been trying to fill her time with useful things. Seeing old friends, eating dumplings in China Town, working a bit with New York State TESOL. However, she really can't wait until she can get over to Finland and get to work!

More Community Dialogues

So, even though the Community Dialogue Series has nothing to do with Finland, the process is achieved by melting water-based pigments, so I thought it was fitting considering that 'melting' is precisely what has been happening since I've arrived in Finland. Besides, like the last post stated, this is a body of work that I began a year ago, practically abandoned it, and then found new inspiration with only a week or so before leaving the country, a SOP that I have to embrace.

The body began as a way of introducing myself to Elmira, NY while at the same time continuing my exploration in latent processes in painting and social sculpture. During the 2009 Elmira Street Painting Festival, I collaborated with many locals of all ages to create large paintings. I would place some of the pigmented cubes on the painting surface, and others would follow suit, or vice versa. When finished, lets just say the paintings scared me...

Only recently did I finally understand what I was doing. It was never about making paintings. It was about the line of communication I opened with new people, some who have never had the opportunity to experience art, let alone be a part of its process. The beauty is in the detail. Individual interactions are seen through the mixing of individual colors.

Community Dialogues Series #2, 2010

Community Dialogues Series #3, 2010

Community Dialogues Series #4, 2010

Community Dialogues Series #5, 2010

This project was made possible, in part, with the funding from the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and The Finger Lakes' Quickarts, administered in Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben Counties by the Arts Council of The Southern Finger Lakes. Additional thanks to John Ferrell from the California All Natural Pet Foods for supplying the fish-shaped trays.