helsinki, finland. many many memories from this place. since i first got here some 6 years ago and found the social centre siperia, and then by chance got involved in the squatting action at töölöönkatu... that was my first, but by no means last, run-in with the helsinki pigs. now i am back again. and staying at the wooden house at vellomankatu, at aleksi's place.
him and alex i met a few years ago... again by chance, i was at the right place and the right time... they had just squatted a new place in katajanoka... 'karkku'. so i helped out there with the bar and stage and barricades, and cooking etc. and we had a gig with a band called banda madrugada... it was one of the best small gigs i ever had the pleasure of being at, and also participating cos alex gave me the djembe and i played along with them on our 'stage'. everyone was dancing like mad... so much so that we were afraid the floor would give way! and we hung onto karkku for ten days before the pigs came... and took two hours to break through our barricades and arrested the ten of us holed up in there. but it was a great action, and the energy and friendliness of the young activists impressed me a lot. i stayed for a month altogether... we squatted another place at piritta, for a gig and party... and just as i was finishing off the stage, the pigs came and arrested us... and this time kept the four of us overnight. again we squatted another place after this, but this time i kinda kept a lower profile.
yeah, helsinki... and the busking has been as good as ever despite a slow start. when the sun has been out, it has been like summer... but when the wind hits, it's freezing cold and no chance to play the drum. time to look for something else to do. and yeah, nice to enjoy the soya ice-cream again!
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