When it comes to writing...

I said I’d write about the fear of writing good,

But never did I write, or write it as I should

Have liked. No colours and no trees or wind or jazz,

My brain it ceased to give me metal juice…

I wrote and pulled my greying hairs; the sprouted stress,

And wrote a poem about the truth, and nothing less.

This week we've been lectured by Marianne Connor who's been a writer in Hollywood for about ten years. It's been truly helpful to have this amazing incite and as such we've been boggled with even more deadlines and writing assignments. We've completed a second draft of our thirty minute scripts and have already pitched a feature film to the class and have to complete a treatment by the end of tomorrow. It felt right to include a poem written in the midst of this stupor, which hopefully, at the very least, captures the way I often feel when it comes to writing.

Not much else to report this week, except for the belated Halloween party to come on Wednesday, although according to JP Halloween isn't celebrated much in Finland and the closest holiday is All Saints Day celebrated on November 5th, and so we technically still have an excuse (and an excuse to combine bon fire night with the Fin's tradition too!). One more week and then we have another two weeks of independent writing where we can finish out 30 minute scripts and treatments. Bring it on!

The Birds! and other shenanigans in Helsinki

After a long week of script writing and too much film analysis, me, Daniel and Sean decided to take up Minna's offer for a weekend in Helsinki. I'd always wanted to visit the capital and took up what would probably be my last chance for major expeditions during my time in Finland. All I can say is I'm glad to have visited and will be forever thankful to Minna for all the wonerful food and hosting she gave us for those two days and nights.

Once again we took the train but this time rode all the way to Helsinki where we were met by Minna We got our travel cards and headed down to the subway before taking a bus to arrive at Minna's place. I was already impressed with the city for the pure reason of being bigger and more bustling than Tampere - at least ten fold! Minna had prepaired a fabulous risotto which we enjoyed before heading to Corona , a bar owned by the director/producer Aki Kaurismäki. We met with Tinke and enjoyed a drink before moving onto another bar.

Helsinki main church

The Saturday was spent sightseeing. We first took part in a very Helsinki tradition. Brunch! It was the most bizare place. A nightclub by night, cafe by day sort of deal with a very dark enterance-way lined with graffiti.  It cost ten euros and we could have as much food and drink as we liked. The most bizare tradition was the breakfast champaigne, which a table of women in front of us enjoyed.

After brunch, the first stop was a protest against wall street, which was more of an information gathering protest although there were cameras filming. Sean decided to make a banner from a napkin and proceeded to stick it to a balloon he'd aquired in the shopping center. Eventually this was left outside a designer store on our walk through the town. We stopped by the main church and took many pictures and Daniel became distracted by the bride and bridesmaids that were parrading around.

The gang at the fortress

Eventually we reached a harbour where out boat to the Fortress would leave. We hung around for a while to help Daniel find his boat for Sunday and had a little look around the market that was there. The boat was covered by the pass we'd bought for the train and bus and took about ten  minutes to reach the island. We sat on the top deck and took many pictures of the seagulls that were following.

Finnish Vodka!

The fortress was beautiful. It's building began in the 18th century to defend Helsinki harbour and now a popular tourist destination. We wandered the cobbled streets and little houses where people actually live. We ended up at the top end where the old cannons still sit and wandered down a little path to sit on the cliff drinking Finnish vodka and watching the boats come and go. It was freezing and very windy but the vodka helped! We spent the majority of our day chilling out and afterwards were so tired that we had to take the bus back, with a short detour to the market to get wine and groceries for dinner.

Minna made some Finnish dishes as I'd been on about them the previous night. We had meat pies, which are effectively burgers in a doughnut like bread, and some Finnish meat balls. Both of which were lovely! We chilled out at the house, recovering from out day of sightseeing, before heading out again. The original plan was to head to a concert, but we decided to go and meet Petra at a bar and move on to the concert later. It was a lovely evening where much beer was drank and many film conversations were had. We ended up in a rock-bar with lots of goths and metallers! The night-bus brought us back and we attempted to stay up talking till about 3am.

Chilling out on the island

The last day was very relaxed. We stayed in all morning and watched Finnish TV as Minna made us a lovely breakfast of bacon and eggs. We took a stroll from Minna's apartment which was only a stones throw from the sea. Finally we went for coffee in a trendy, traditional cafe.

It was a shame the weekend was over but we all had to get back to our writing assingments. I've now finished my thirty minute film, but have a sea of other assignments to try and get through before the week is out, before we take classes again with a new lecturer who will undoubtedly have a new set of assignments to dish out. Lovely! With only six weeks left till the course breaks for Christmas, it's time to start enjoying every last detail and thinking ahead to the second part of our adventure in Salford.

Something very Finnish

The lake at dusk

I debated several titles for this post. I toyed with 'Back to the Outhouse' or 'The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears' all of which reflected some aspect of the weekend, be it a reunion with natures finest bathroom or bleeding hands, sweaty Fins and drunken tears. Still, the title which beat the rest were the humble words of our host, Petra, who proposed a weekend that would be something very Finnish. After waking with a banging headache, remembering my nude sauna session and having danced around a fire for several hours, I knew I'd experienced my Finnish goal and set about putting the pieces back together...

This weekend we took a trip to Petra's summer cottage in Kotkajarvi, a small town near Hämeenlinna. Me, Florian, Satu and Sean met Petra, Minna and Borin via train and I joined the Flo and Petra shopping crew to stock up on food and beer before taking the final leg to the cottage.

Flo and Petra at the sauna house

The road became smaller as we left Kotkajarvi behind us. We passed several lakes and wondered if they could be ours. We knew we were getting close when Petra turned down little more than a single track road lined with trees and bushes. I almost thought I'd see Little Red Riding Hood on her way to Grandma's house, but instead we found the edge of the lake where the summer cottage awaited.

My first impressions were jaw dropping. A little path led down to the steps where the lake-side sauna house sat and where the jetty strutted out onto the crystal clear lake. There were poisonous mushrooms and hundreds of trees. The summer cottage was actually a set of summer cottages, both of which were lined with cosy rugs. It took a while to take the shopping in as we kept stopping to take in the beauty. 

View from the decking

Me and Florina prepared sandwiches for the oncoming army as Petra went back to the station to pick up those we left behind. In the mean time, JP's car arrived, bringing another set of troops to the cottage.

The evening was amazing fun. Florian cooked burgers with the help of various assistants which went down very well. He cooked cheesecake and spoiled everyone with offers of beer and his special whiskey. It was a house-party much like others I have been to, until JP and Kalle ventured out to set up the sauna!

Being a prude Brit, I was nervous at first, but where there was a space in the first batch of guys, I couldn't resist the opportunity to try something very Finnish. I changed in the house on the lake, just next door to the sauna room, before venturing across. I realised how hot it was as soon as I got inside. Instantly I could feel the sweat starting to drip off of me. JP kept applying water to the coals which, with a burst of steam, sent the heat to soaring temperatures. I remember it being 80 degrees at one point. I soon forget we were all naked and started to relax, until the guys ventured out and dove into the freezing cold lake! Not being the biggest fan of water I simply watched on in horror before joining them back inside.

Tribal dancing

After the soothing sauna, I joined the others round the fire I had started earlier. Petra and Sean were a little worried when I started chopping kindling with the hatchet, but luckily, I remembered what I was doing from Wild Spirit, and soon had a roaring fire going.  This was a primal sort of experience and over the next few hours as the rest of the guys and finally the girls took sauna we sang songs and danced like cave-men until we couldn't possibly dance anymore. Flo took a stumble into the fire and was unsurprisingly the first man down, followed closely by Sean, whom we all know shouldn't mix wine with other random spirits.

The evening died down around 4am where we sat in the second cottage talking until it really was time to go to bed.

Last night in cottage one

It was an awesome weekend and didn't end there. When everyone but me, Flo and Petra left on the Saturday, we had a relaxing day unwinding lake-side, followed by an evening of shooting stars and movies. The final day was spent cleaning up and taking a train back to Tampere. It was nice to get out of the city and gave me a little perspective, realising how familiar I'd become with Tampere, and how much I missed being out in the wild. Good thing the week would go quick and end with another sightseeing trip.

A series of shorts

After being slowly introduced to the course during the week one, it's safe to say that week two, and three and four, came as quite a shock. One fateful weekend, after being lulled into a false sense of security, and expecting a nice relaxing weekend reading books and watching films, we received out first batch of deadlines, and as such, I've not blogged in a few weeks.

Since the last post, I've completed two drafts of a ten minute film and am currently working towards draft three. I've pitched an idea for a feature film to the class. And I've written the first and second draft of a thirty minute film treatment, in which I have 23 days left to write. We've been given film analysis assignments, one due in November and the other in December. And if that wasn't enough, it's about time we really thought about the feature we want to write over Christmas, and think about completing our development logs. But I'm not complaining. This is why were here, and it's awesome!

The first two weekends were spent writing my scripts, and I didn't exactly sleep either. I felt like a paranoid insomniac, aka, a writer.  But now we've reached a natural lull, where the first few drafts are in and we have a few weeks without lectures to get them written and to get our films analysed. I've been doing my own analysis too and reading lots of scripts. My personal favourite so far has to be The Visitor, written by Tom McCarthy and How to Train Your Dragon. The best part of the course has been helping each other out. Reading each other's scripts and giving feedback. Without this feedback and constant re-writing the scripts would never develop to their true potential and I'm glad to have these guys in our own little (or actually rather big) writing circle.

Down by the lake

Still, we've found a little bit of time to unwind. Last week it was Anja's birthday, and so we all decided to humiliate her by singing happy birthday in the bar followed by lots of beer and karaoke! Not a bad way to spend Wednesday night! I've also managed to get out and about and explore a little more of Tampere. I reached the lake at the North of the city and found a nice spot to sit and watch the world pass by. This weekend, we're heading out to Petra's summer cottage (in the autumn, of course) and are set to spend much time in sauna and lake. Too bad there wont be any snow to roll in, but I'm sure there will be plenty of beer and much fun to counter the intense weeks gone and intense weeks to come.

The Forest in my Garden

When I first heard I was heading to Tampere, I worried that I wouldn't get to see all the beautiful Finnish countryside. I researched the countless wonders of the national parks and dreamt of wandering and picking the berries and mushrooms within them. The reality was, I didn't have a car, and public transport didn't cut it when delving to the middle of the wilderness. Never mind. This weekend, I discovered a forest in my garden.

The Evil Squirrel

OK, not literally in my garden. I mean, I don't technically have one. But in the surrounding areas, just past the shops, off a busy main road, and even a short walk from the city centre. On a typical, busy day after my initial arrival, I took a walk to find the stop I needed for the bus on Monday. I strolled slightly further down a wooded path and soon realised that the undergrowth had grown denser. The bushes rubbed at my elbows and the distant pathway moulded into dangling branches. The path slopped downhill. I wondered where it might lead and how far I should go. I'd barely walked ten minutes from the busy main road that led to TAMK main campus, and was already lost in the wilderness. I thought against my childish impulses to venture onwards and turned back. I was lost in thoughts of lectures and financial difficulties when a rasping sound on wood caught my ear. I gazed about me. Dense woodland and a distant stillness were all I could see. A squabbling sound rose from above. I looked up, and saw the culprit. Mr Red Squirrel. He gazed down at me, angrily. I sensed I'd walked into his house uninvited and made for a quick exit. Who knew that a stone’s throw from my prison, I'd find a wild forest lair? There were even mushrooms. 

This first week has been brilliant. I've met all the people on my course, and what a group we are! It seems that between us, we have the whole industry covered: Writers, actors, producers, directors. I think it's great and will be a big help when we come to writing and pool our strengths together to learn new things. The lectures have been fun, but I think, and I may be wrong, but I think that most of us cannot wait to get stuck into the scripts. It's not been easy adjusting. Many times I've found myself sick with worry over something. Sadly, the main worry has been a financial one. I've punched numbers in so many times, but I think I’ve finally figured it all out, although I will be restricted on food and drink. Thankfully, I'm not the only one, and suggestions of nights in have started becoming popular. It's a challenge to find activities that don't cost 5 Euros a pint, but this weekend we made a cracking start with a walk to Pyynikki Park.

Us four atop the tower

Me, Anja, Daniel and Janis headed to Central Square for a sightseeing tour. I'd heard about this park and we agreed it would be nice to take a look. It was amazing! A short walk past the main library, which against the famous Näsinneula tower, looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, and we started ascending a tree lined road. We took a footpath next to it, and soon found the forest closing in as it had before. The lakes on either side of us were hidden by the many branches. At the top of the path, we found a small, brick observation tower. The smell of coffee and doughnuts from its café seemed very appealing. There was an easy option to take the lift, but we decided to be hard-core and take the stairs. I was deceived over the towers height, as it took many exhausting steps to reach the top. But, an amazing view of Tampere and its surrounding lakes were well worth the climb! And it was a beautiful summer’s day. It's hard to come to terms with the fact that the country I once assumed to be a constant winter could have such wonderful days! We stayed a while and took in the beautiful view, and later we even found a beach where Janis took a swim! It was a lovely day and I am very excited about being able to visit the other, larger park on the other side of the city.

Beach!

So, it may be expensive in Finland, but with such great company and beautiful aesthetics, I think I'm going to have a great time. I'm not sure what to expect for the coming weeks. I've promised to cook dinner for all those interested at Florian's place next week, and several other seeds have been sown. I have a lot of screenwriting texts and movies to plough through, and at some point I shall have to let myself go on a brainstorming mission to create my ten minute script. Although no deadlines or projects have been set, I'm keeping myself busy in the hope that all this extra reading and watching will inspire me along the way. It’s fun, and I've started to feel those old surges of creative energy. I can only hope that this course gets better and better. And, you know what? I think it will. 

Living like a Spartan

I wondered what I was doing in Finland when I finally arrived at my accomodaion. It was less halls, more prison. I should of known from the 'Cell 2' part of my address. But I was glad to be there, especially as half an hour ago I was stranded at Tampere Pirkkala Airport.

Keskustori - Town Center

Everything went well with my flight. It was a singe in comparison to New Mexico. I continuosly stared out of the airplane window as we came into land. Vast forests and lakes as far as the eye could see. It was absolutley beautiful. There were no problems with secuirty either. I only had to flash my passport and I was in Finland. I picked up by bag and headed out into the pick-up area. Lots of faces stared past me, but no-one appeared to be looking for me. I watched as people slowly recognised their relatives and embraced them with welcoming hugs. I felt a slight concern when most people had left, but I decided not to panic. Instead, I set about calling the International Incoming Students office. The number didn't work. I may have entered it wrong, but the automated Finnish voice didn't make a lot of sense. I looked for a pay phone. None. There was a tourist information desk, so I tried there. The lady called the number for me on her mobile, and eventually got through to someone on my course. The real concern came, when the lady from the university couldn't get hold of my tutor. It wouldn't of mattered so much if my tutor didn't have my house key! I wondered what to do. Sure I could catch a bus and stay in a hostel, but what about getting my key? It felt like the worst case scenaro had actually happened. I paced patiently as I waited for a call back. Evetually, whilst deep in thought, I heard someone call my name. Turns out, my tutors boyfriend was sent in her stead, and had the time of my flight wrong! I breathed a sigh of relief. I had now officially arrived.

Entrance to Finlayson

So here I am, in Tampere Finland! I was given a tour and had a little explore of my own. It seems very picturesque. There are parks springing up all over the place and the rapids run strait through the middle of the city. The area in which I'm studying, Finlayson, has lots of museums and restaurants and I think I'm going to enjoy exploring them over the coming weeks. It does feel however, that I'm living a little like a Spartan! I was glad when I finally got to the store to buy food and the all important, curtains. My first night without them was a little awkward to say the least. But, although the building I'm in is the ugliest I've seen in Tampere yet and lacks in anything close to character, I have a roof over my head for the next three months. I started my course today and the people seem really nice and there are lots of events on offer. I have checked out my first books from the library and am already pouring over all of the resources and getting my head around a few concepts and some ideas of my own.