TOMAS WHITEHOUSE

Once again my families visit has come and gone, the time rocketed past even faster than last year. They flew home yesterday and I already miss them very much.

The morning we were due to collect my folks from Vantaa airport was all fun and games to say the least. Two trips taking some of our belongings to our new home, leaving us 20 minutes to pack our bags and my photo gear for our 2.5 week excursion to the summer cottage in the east. I forgot just about everything that would have a detrimental effect on pretty much everything – laptop charger, wallet, AA battery charger, the list rolls on.

This years hired wheels came from an Estonian gentleman, who supplied us with not only a car that was the farthest possible opposite of road worthy, but also a car that’s child lock permanently locked the trunk open as soon as we picked everyone up from the airport. (This kind of tune has been our accompanying theme music since the spring, right through the summer.
The unravelling series of unfortunate events are as follows: a compulsory renovation that our absent minded landlord failed to inform us of, giving us two weeks to move out, then raising our rent beyond realistic figures, Tuuli’s parents divorcing, being temporarily homeless having our stuff spread out over three separate locations, and trying to find a new home in a market that can easily justify 1600€ per month for a 35m² apartment that doesn’t allow pets.)

Still, as always, things could have been far, far worse, couldn’t they?

Back in the airport carpark, a length of chain and a few padlocks later, were on our way. We also replaced the rear view mirror which fell off upon collection, a sign that maybe we should have hired something more substantial, like a penny farthing for example.
Of course, during the drive, one of the windshield wipers fails and we realise that the right rear shock absorber is shot to hell, every bump a back breaking smack. The arm rest on the centre row of sheets is also missing, in it’s place, a razor sharp hunk of broken plastic, lacerating a rear cheek every time one clambers in or out of the side door. Quality.

Anyway, we arrive at the cottage in one piece and have possibly the most well deserved, comical, relaxing break yet with plenty of time for merriment, rejoicing and photo opportunity.

The tools I didn’t forget were a Nikon D3, a Profoto AcuteB 600R and D4 head. A 90cm softbox and 170cm octabox, Avenger boom, a handful of Pocket Wizards and a few Nikon SB speedlights. Ben also brought his new D300s which was a superb little machine. HD FTW!

We also experienced a heavy storm, the likes that Sulkava town has not experienced for 50 odd years:

A little behind the scenes, the later half of the video was shot in HD from Ben’s D300s and the first half Dad kindly shot with my iphone 3GS.

YouTube alternative.

Also some family footage but be warned it’s very, very silly:

There was plenty of snaps too:

I still can’t get the hang of adjusting to city life, I miss my morning, afternoon and evening swim, the savusauna (smoke sauna) and having drams at sunset on the little cottage terrace.

I do not miss Paarma. A Finnish delight. Vicious horseflies that circle around you in the same way a vulture circles a carcass, then lands on you and stealthily makes a lateral incision before drinking your blood. Raving.

Upon returning to Helsinki, the ‘nimble’ and ‘sturdy’ rental car, with perfect timing, broke down on the pavement outside our new place during the load in. Was it a bad alternator? bad starter motor? bad contact? empty battery? We’ve yet to find out. Definitely the most mangled perception of ‘roadworthy’ I’ve encountered to date.

As I type, I’m surrounded by boxes of things, kitchen utensils, clothes, lighting gear, computer parts and furniture. We haven’t quite moved in and the process will be a slow one, still, we owe a huge thanks to Merja and Risto for renting us a fantastic apartment, one which the private market wouldn’t allowed the likes of us even a sniff of.

Anyway, despite adjustments to city life being a little jarred, I am looking forward to some very exciting assignments next week, more on those to come.

Thanks to my family, both English and Finnish. Ya’ll know I’m a grumpy arse, but I do hope you know that I love you all so very much.

Related articles:

Family Trip III

A Cottage Story, October 2009