Hello from my home in Helsinki! This is NordLetter #126, a weekly newsletter on living and walking in Finland.
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One of our close friends turned forty this month. To celebrate, she took a trip to Hong Kong with her family. After returning, they had a party at the Park Hotel (around five minutes from our home). The party was a smash hit - Bollywood themed, women only. After the party, they called us over - they had bought something for Savya from HK.
It’s always fun to guess what. Prerna guessed a toy, I guessed something clothing. It turned out to be a Spider-Man Croc. Not a “Croc” croc. But a croc croc. Savya loved it.
Savya sometimes does and sometimes does not sleep at his daycare now. On the days he does not, you can find him sleeping on the sofa, or on the ground, or on my things, and so on.
On Tuesday he did not take his customary nap at his daycare. We tried to get him to sleep for an hour or so, so that he would be up and about when we reached their place. So that he could have his playtime with their daughter.
Of course, when you want your toddler to do something, they don’t do it. I took Savya for some grocery shopping instead. I took him to Tokmanni and got him a Hot Wheels.
Savya had fallen asleep by the time we had left our parking lot. He slept for a good hour or so while we were there. He only got up after we had chai, some snacks and then our dinner. He spent the rest of the time playing with their daughter, who ate the roti and yogurt Prerna had wanted Savya to eat.
By the time we returned home, Savya did not have anyone to play with and so he had gotten hungry. We were tired. There was no batter for his cheela. I tried to find something else he could eat. There was nothing. For a moment, just a moment, I thought, yeah he’s not super hungry, he had had something to eat before going there, but then, I just got up - put upma sooji in a steel bowl, then some yogurt, grated some paneer in it, then added the veggies (capsicum, carrots, beans), added salt to taste, and whipped it into the batter that Savya loves to eat as cheela.
No matter how tired you are, if your child needs something, you do it.
We had not originally planned to go to their home on Tuesday. Prerna was sick. She was tired. I was starting to get sick, with a mildly sore throat. I went to the gym on Monday, and have had no workouts since then, not even walking around the neighbourhood. On Friday I had a severe headache, but continued working through it.
Even in weeks when we are not sick, we are tired. I think I wrote about this earlier - but our friends are our family here. We went and had dinner with our friends on Tuesday and Friday. The dosa on Friday had felt extra special.
Maybe we care too much about food?
I wrote about Obsidian quick capture earlier in the week. It has transformed the write page on my phone.
I am back into reading poetry. I finished Native Guard and am reading Obit now.
I think poetry is better read than listened to. You can linger on the words more. Like these lines from a poem in Obit -
His favourite was to write the world in black and white and then watch people try and read the words in color.
This does not matter as much in prose. But it does when reading poetry.
I was sitting with a friend of mine, while our kids played, and he asked me what was the difference between prose and poetry, if it does not rhyme. All I could say was, “Some poetry sticks with you, reminds something. It’s ultra compact.”
Not a great explanation, but I don’t know how to explain poetry to you. Or anyone else for that matter. Just read it. It’s concentrated wisdom and beauty, like the blueberry concentrate we have in our fridge, which is wasting away, as I type this.
Other than poetry, I finally picked up Inside the Box this week and also Just for fun, which is about Linus and Linux. All hardcovers. I really do love hardcovers. Though I prefer my book - a year of mornings in paperback.
Also, Hugh Howey (of Silo fame) replied to me on Threads!
I had dropped him a message about Neo and how he used it. I had not expected him to respond. But hey! Among other things, I love his definition of being a successful writer (from his writing insights series).
A successful writer is one who finishes what they start while striving to improve their craft.
That’s it. I want to be a successful writer.
I am starting to use Neo, though I haven’t finished writing anything in it. Neo is cool.
Helsinki is so beautiful right now. The fall colours are out on full display wherever you look!
If you enjoyed reading this, and know someone else who might, please consider forwarding this to them. It would help this grow and make me happy. 😄
Until next week.
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