Happy New Years Rave!

This is the pre-rave situation at Ella and Glenn's:


Festive, yes?

Our 30m2 New Years Rave with Ola Bergman doing a live and DJs as well is on. The idea turned overnight into a fact, when we realized there was a mini-rave demand.

Glenn and I spent yesterday moving furniture around to create a nice space for the artists as well as a miniscule dance floor and places to sit.

We also put up the string shelf (let's see, that took us, what... two months?) and tucked away the TV. TVlessness is so far definitely an improvement. Currently I'm listening to Cocteau Twins' record Garlands, and there's also been a lot of Plastician and Sigur Ros going on lately. Ear love.

Oh, and welcome to my office the kitchen!
Or in the words of Glenn: Office slash wine cellar:

I've had to move my tango gear into the kitchen over New Years so I can keep working during the preparations. It's more tiny than quaint. Our backgammon brunches have been moved to the sofa, so "all is well in Squarie world".

Pirjo from my tango documentary says on the computer screen:
"Tango and love, love's tango or love between human beings..."
Beautiful. She would know.

While contemplating the shelving opportunities, I found my childhood collection of... I don't know the word in English for bokmärken?





My childhood way of collecting them seems to have been a lot more thematic rather than esthetic.

They are shot through the dried up plastic sheets that encase the bokmärken, that's why they look so funny. I find the motifs chokingly old fashioned and would have serious doubt exposing my child to these.

Gingerbread, cheese and a small glass of red wine.
Let's make a spectacularly good movie, shall we?

PS. Next Saturday Glenn and I are back Flexi Popping at El Mundo.
On popular demand...

Love, love, love, Ella.

From a Sunday

These are pics I took during a Sunday walk with the Glenn about a week before Christmas.

What are you doing for New Year's Eve?
Glenn and I are contemplating throwing a 30 m2 flat party with DJs and perhaps even a live gig. The good thing with a tiny space is the intimacy and crowdedness you get automaticly. I've had some really good parties in this flat, but never before a live... Exciting.

Alright little lady, make your coffee and get back to work.
There's a film to be made and applications to finish. Tut tut.

Pirjo ja Veijo

This is a pic I put together for the Nordic tango documentary I'm making. It's hard to translate moving pictures into stills, and since tango is all about movement I thought I'd make a one pic twirl.

Pirjo makes all of her own dresses, and this is actually what she wore the first time we saw them glide over the dance-floor, through crowds of stout bobbing Finns, like a pair of slender slightly surreal swans.

There is something about the meticulousness of this couple that thrills and inspires our tiny three person crew. They always try their best in every situation, no matter how hard or uninspiring the conditions might be. If they were stuck between a rock and a hard place, that rock would be mighty tidy and their do's a shiny perfect, Finnistyle.

PS. Have you watched the documentary The world's most important 6-sec drum loop? This is indeed good stuff. Thank you Glenn.

A white Christmas

This is the view from my mother's balcony.
Beautiful, yes?

This year was the first white Christmas in ten years time in my part of the world. The feast in itself was like it always is - with the exception that Glenn was with us. Lovely food, lovely wine, playing games and a few gifts. Sweet.

I'm looking forward to and dreading 2010. I hope for great things:
Lots of Glenn, perhaps a bigger flat, finishing the Nordic tango documentary and starting new creative projects and collaborations of various kinds. Perhaps a little Berlin and a little Iceland.

I'm a lucky girl it seems. Certainly not untroubled, but lucky.

* G * O * D ** J * U * L ** A * L * I * H * O * P * A *

Yestereve Glenn fixed my childhood Christmas church decoration, which is the dot over the i in Christmas for me.

Not only is it a lamp, it's also a wind up music box that plays Silent Night over and over, a little slower each time... I can't tell whether Japanese Little My likes or dislikes her holiday window company, but I like that she's dressed accordingly to the season. She's even wearing gloves, which I find very sensible.

God Jul - Merry Christmas - to each and everyone!

Childhood

Yesterday I was running like a fool through the snow in Tanto with my camera araised, chasing rabbits, children and leaking dogs. It was great I tell you. Snow is the best Christmas gift for me. I don't want to ever forget what it feels like.

Merry Christmas to you all.
God Jul till er alla.

From me to you

This year's Christmas card, from me to you, a-merry merry.

* * * * * * * * * * * S * N * O * W * * * * * * * * * * *

Yesterday I took my camera and transparent umbrella out for a walk around the block. The umbrella was actually purchased in Finland during the Nordic tango world championship so we could keep on filming in the rain, and sometimes it comes very handy, though it's no looker.

I realized that there are many sensations I've forgotten about snow. Like how everything - you, floors, everything you touch - gets wet when you come home, or the snively panting when you go from storm to the tranquility and warmth of your flat, or the pain in your forehead when you get hit by horisontal snow, or the funny, slanting, stiff walk you do over the snowdrifts.

I love it. I don't dare hope it will stay over Christmas, that would be too much, but I'm very happy it's here. Dear snow.