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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
