Vappu

Everyone warned me about this extremely popular Finnish holiday. They warned me that you were expected to drink until you couldn't stand up, that everyone in Helsinki would be out and about and totally wasted and that it would rain on the picnic day.

It didn't rain anyway...

It was a great weekend! Beginning with a night of dancing with Cat at Tavastia. Her partner "Slick Ray" is the guitarist in a very popular Helsinki funk band called Eternal Erection, so we went and boogied all night long (well, for a couple of hours anyway). I had heard about this band for months, but they play publicly so irregurarly that this was the first time I'd seen them and I was impressed. Decked out in pin striped suits, playing a mix of choice covers and P-Funk influenced originals, they had energy and charisma and they funked. As I felt my feet sticking to the beer covered floor I was transported back to days of Funk Fiction at the Evelyn... oh, back in the day!

Then Saturday produced wonderful weather, despite the gale force wind, so Frida and I took a long walk around Seurasaari and I was amazed to see how different it looked without the snow. It is amazing how quickly Spring appeared. It was literally over a weekend! I left work one Friday and it was snowing then I went back Monday and I needed sunglasses! Crazy!
Then Saturday night was pretty chilled. Hanging out in Oujee (pronounced Oh Yeah), listening to some cool music, trying not to drink (failing) and having conversations about Melbourne hippies and hanging pictures.

So I woke on Sunday feeling fresh and good. N and I braved the S-market in the city to gather supplies for my Thai influenced noodle salad and to stock up on more alcohol. What normally would've taken maybe 30 minutes ended up being about 3 hours! There was a buzz in the city. People carrying helium balloons, drinking already, kids going nuts... I was beginning to feel a little nervous.
We bussed out to Kannelmäki (almost in a forest!) with our supply of booze, three kilos of salad (I got a little carried away) and our makkara to grill. The party was great fun. A great mix of Turks, Spanish, French, Czech, Aussie, Italian, American and I think there were a couple of Finns there too. It was so nice to be in such a multicultural group, particularly as they are all totally mad! There was dancing, there was strange explanations of dangerous sounding games, there were arguments about Aussie rules versus every other ball sport and there was a shit load of eating and drinking.
Makes me wish Vappu happened every weekend.

And then on Monday, May Day, we headed off to Kaivopuisto with half of Helsinki for the traditional hungover picnic. And there was sun! So much sun I have freckles now (and a slightly red nose)!
I can not believe how many people were there! I didn't actually think there was that many people in Helsinki altogether!!
And there is this weird tradition where everyone wears their high school graduation hats for the day. Not the Amercian style ones, but sailor style caps. I've got to say, it looked really weird!!!
We met up with the Turks as well as almost everyone else we knew in this city, ate more food, drank sparkling wine and generally chilled out in the sun.
The Turks demonstrated the dangerous sounding game they had been describing the previous night... and it doesn't just sound dangerous, I was surprised no-one left in an ambulance. It basically involves one guy standing against a tree and the others forming a rugby scrummage style line in front of him... for those who can't imagine, they stick their heads inbetween the others legs. Yes, I know, it's weird. And then when they have this line, someone vaults on to the top of their backs and lands as hard as they can in an attempt to break the line. Then someone else, then someone else... I will be posting photos at a later date! I can imagine that next Vappy this will be the official sport!

So, I am no longer a Vappu virgin and I think I did it in style. I didn't throw up in the street (or anywhere for that matter), I made it to the picnic and I even found some streamers to string around my neck at some point!
Next year, however, I will get myself a sailors hat.