Category Archives: Life

Back to work and exercise routines

Last week has been so freezing in Kuopio, all over Finland I guess. The days are gorgeous though – bright, sunny and the landscape is covered by tons of snow but it’s sooooo cold. A couple of hours in the afternoon feel pretty ok after the sun has been shining all morning but as soon as it goes down again, the cold hits really hard. So it hasn’t been a real pleasure to spend much time exercising outdoors although I’ve done a few Nordic walks.



Since I came back from Australia, I’ve been getting back to my normal routines. The last three weeks I’ve exercised pretty intensively at the Functional studio and really enjoyed myself! Lots of Kinesis and Functional training but also Zumba, for the first time in my life! I’ve missed so much aerobic exercise that I was quite miserable until I realized that the Zumba classes work at least as well as a run. And it’s so much fun to dance and sweat to the holiday rhythms of calypso, salsa and reggae!

Do you remember when I wrote last autumn that I want a hybrid bicycle? Well, I’ve just bought one! Yes, it’s a bit crazy but I’ve thought about it so much that I’m convinced that this was a good investment. The sad thing is that it has been so cold that is has been practically impossible to ride much but I’ve done a few short tests and I love it! My bicycle is Merida S-Presso 700 with hydraulic disc brakes, beautiful matt black and sleek design.

Now that I have the bike, I realize that I also should have all kinds of gears to be able to take full advantage of it but I have to take it slow. I can’t possibly buy a whole set of wind stopper cloths, gloves, cycling bags and shoes etc. all at once! I’ve bought a helmet, for the first time in my life, and that’s pretty much what I can afford at the moment. But to be able to cycle to work on a regular basis, I need to get these Ortlieb panniers. I really love the white line!

About work

Some of you know that I’ve started to work with the support of the Arts Council of Finland’s three year artist grant in January. This year I will not be producing any new performances or shows but I’m doing a lot of research as well as touring and performing Twirling World and Acts of Clothing. I’m working on an international collaboration with Rebecca French from FrenchMottershead and I’m very very excited about it! The downfall has been that I haven’t been able to raise much funding for the project which is to premiere in 2012 and not this year. I find it rather disturbing and I’m not really sure how to proceed with the project. We’ve got 2 000 € from the Regional arts council of North Savo but you might be able to imagine that it isn’t much of anything for an international collaboration. So we’ll see how that goes and what the rest of the foundations say.

Tomorrow I start rehearsing Twirling World with Sonja and we have shows coming up in Kuopio in March. I’m a bit scared to return to that work which as a performer, was quite challenging for me. So I’ll see how I feel next week.

I’ve been also really really shocked by the City of Kuopio cutting ANTI Festival’s funding. We have a tenth anniversary of the festival and a lot of special programme planned to celebrate that in the city of Kuopio, a book coming up by a national publisher and the fourth year of A Space for Live Art project going on. So WTF???? I don’t really know what to think.

Johanna

good gig in Oulu

I’m sitting on a train from Oulu to Kuopio. Last night I performed Acts of Clothing in Oulu to a full house and left feeling quite happy and satisfied. Here’s a link to the interview in Kaleva. I love performing that show although it somehow takes a lot out of me. A lot of energy, lot of strength, a lot of layers, emotions, feelings. The performance was perhaps a bit more emotional than usually as yesterday would have been my sister’s 32nd birthday. And there were some relatives in the audience, too, which is always a bit scary. But they loved the show and afterwards we had a dinner in an Indian restaurant – the same one where I last saw my sister exactly a year ago.
It was great to see Pirjo, my old time friend, teacher and collegue. I shared my pains and pleasures of performing, of donating my body to a certain imagery and the emotions and questions it has raised. The questions of being scrutinized by anybody, being viewed by the critical eye, the perhaps ‘evil’ eye. Why do I do it? Why do I set myself in the scenes that cause me so much emotional pain? Of course I know why – as the choreographer and director – but it’s yet again a different thing to experience all that as a performer, as a living and breathing and feeling human body. Not easy.
I’m longing for my exercise routines that have been a bit lost during the last weeks when I was in Sydney and now in Oulu. I’m dreaming of Pipsa’s Kinesis sport and functional training sessions and I wouldn’t mind a Zumba class on Saturday morning either! How weird is that?

Johanna

post holiday blues and travel preparations

There wasn’t much anything special about the holidays besides the luxury of time. The time to do things that in the normal everyday do not get enough attention, do not have enough peace around to be able to happen.
So I read books. I knitted. I made a lamp (pic to be appeared later).

I knitted a floor pillow. And not only the cover, I also sewed the pillow inside the knitted one. The carpet is Tempo 207 by Hanna Korvela Design.



Besides Australia & Sydney travel guides, I read quite a few books during the holidays. The best one was Raja by Riikka Pulkkinen and now I’m reading Luokkaretkellä hyvinvointiyhteiskunnassa which is quite thought provoking and inspiring.

I’ve made some preparations for the trip and finally bought a new suitcase! Love this Samsonite Aeris spin case:


And Sari from Visio cut & dyed my hair on Saturday. I think I’m slowly getting ready for the long journey to Australia…


Johanna

problems with my shuffle

I’ve been soooo annoyed by Apple for the last couple of days! Last year I bought an iPod shuffle from New York and now, a couple of weeks ago, the remote control of the headphones stopped working. First, I checked the exact date I bought the shuffle and realized that the one year limited warranty had expired, of course. As I was resetting the iPod and trying to find out from Apple’s website if this was a common problem that could somehow be solved, I found information that 3rd generation iPod shuffles with a certain serial number (made between 2009 and 2010) had a fault in the headphones and that Apple would replace them within 2 years of purchase. Hurray, I thought. My serial number fitted. I followed Apple’s guidelines on their website how to send a product placement request. The last page on their website said that my request had been submitted and that I will receive an email within an hour with the repair status information. But I will also have to FAX a proof of purchase to Apple. What the hell???? Anyway, I got really annoyed when I did not receive the email and I still haven’t. But even more annoying was the thought of having to fax my proof of purchase to Apple although I have an Apple ID and they very well and easily can see what and when and where I have purchased (I bought the shuffle in the Mac Store through my Apple account). So today I’ve set up a fax account to be able to fax the bloody receipt to Apple and there’s still no email from them. Should I make another product replacement request or what???? I also think Apple could have been in touch with the people having the shuffles with the headphone problem, at least the ones with the Apple ID… I wonder how many people have bought the headphones with the remote control without knowing that it’s not their fault that they are not working. 
Anyway, let’s see what happens!

Do you have a 3rd generation iPod shuffle with serial number:
xx909xxxxxx – xx952xxxxxx
xx001xxxxxx – xx004xxxxxx

Here’s what to do in Finnish: http://www.apple.com/fi/support/headphones/replacementprogram/
and in: English: http://www.apple.com/support/headphones/replacementprogram/

Johanna

weekend

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the long weekend with the Independence day as I performed Acts of Clothing on Saturday night. But the performance went well and was fun to do. The audience consisted mostly of people who don’t spend so much time with art and many of them were positively surprised, enjoyed themselves and asked me where they could see something like this more often. So that was nice. But yes, I’ve had two days off which has been more than needed. My flu is now finally better and I’ve managed to catch up some sleep. I just don’t understand why I couldn’t fall asleep tonight… Well, I do understand actually. I’ve so many things to do and finish, emails to answer, meetings to attend and arrange that they all just twirl in my head. And I’m also doing a little performance tomorrow so that worries me a bit.
Anyway, we had a lovely dinner tonight with sweet potato pie, crayfish paste and rye bread and grilled salmon. Delicious! I also had time to hoover and go for a run. Not bad.


Last week I had a few meetings in different café’s in Kuopio. I seriously don’t understand why Burts Coffee, Kaneli or Fado cannot make their latte’s or cappuccinos with skimmed milk??? Latte for example has a lot of milk in it and tastes completely different if they use the so called ‘coffee milk’ (which tastes awful) or the full fat milk. I don’t understand why the owners of the café’s don’t get this point. So I couldn’t have a coffee in Kaneli or Burts last week. They have seriously lost me as their customer which is a shame as it would be nice to support the small business as supposed to the chains.

Johanna

we did it…

…only twice but it was great.

I don’t want to give the show away and post too many photos…(by Pekka Mäkinen)

Some audience members were crying, hugging me real tight, saying very beautiful words. Some were very distant. That’s ok, too.

Today has been very slow for me. I’m down with a flu and don’t feel that good. But I’m performing tomorrow and on Saturday so I’m trying to gather my energy.

Somehow strange days, strange thoughts. Feeling the vulnerability of a live show. Donating my body.

Candles, fires, warmth, closeness. How wonderful to spend a day at home. Do some laundry, dishes, cook food, sit by the fire, set up Christmas lights, listen to the kids arguing. Thought about my sister, too.

Yes, death. Yes, time passing.

Johanna

on the way to and in Madrid

On my way to Madrid I did so me usual shopping at the Helsinki airport. I also had some time for a lunch and went to the new Deli at the gate 28. It was ok although a bit pricy. The interior design was nicely modern and it had a relaxing atmosphere. Anyway, it was much nicer than the old Pronto or what ever it was called.




I bought the new Lancome Teint Miracle products (so gorgeous!) and got a lovely goodie bag with some serum (I so need that!), parfume, lipstick and mascara. Hurray! I noticed that the bag was designed by Jasmin Santanen.





A short walk in the neighborhood in Madrid, near Matadero:




Off now! I have my ANTI talk today.

Johanna

on blogging

My friend Vilja stayed with us the other day and it turned out that she was having a conversation with someone about my blog. And more specifically, about my relationship to commodities. Vilja explained that trough my art, she had thought or interpreted that my relationship to commodities is more critical than it appears from my blog.

It’s really nice to hear something like that and I wish that she and people wondering about this blog would comment posts more actively. But Vilja hit a point in a way, as I’m struggling a lot at the moment with the blog. Those of you who blog, are all familiar with these problems, I’m sure, but for me there are so many concerns going on that I don’t really know what to write about. And as you know, I tweet, so I use Twitter for micro blogging, writing short tweets daily. And as I’ve wanted to keep this blog as a ‘life style blog’ as supposed to narrowing the theme into something like artist diary, a diary about the process of creating performances, or something specific like a fashion or a diet blog. So I write about my life as an artist and artistic director; about things that inspire me, what I’m busy with, what I’m working on or simply what is happening. So this could be anything.
And as a blogger, you have no control over your readers, and as I’m working somewhat publically, I’ve become acutely aware that there are certain things about my life that I don’t want for example the funders of my work to read. And this, strangely, has partly to do with my love and passion for design and some designers that inspire me and bring joy into my life.

But why is it, that design as a source of inspiration and joy, is often seen as more commercial and superficial than for example literature and music? We all know that creative industries are a big business and literature and music play definitely a huge part in that business.

So, a confession:
I love design. Some people, including Vilja, might think that I’m a brand junkie, but that is not true. I simply love good design where the genius of the designer manifests itself in a brilliant idea. So I don’t care so much about the brand or the designer, as long as the idea hits me, that’s enough. Of course there are some designers that I follow and who’s work I’m interested in, but unless they come up with something that turns me on, I’m just not going to buy their items just for the name sake. Their work has to inspire me intelligently, but of course it has to function well, appeal aesthetically and bring enlightenment to the every day. (Equally, there are designers I dislike or who represent something I don’t want to be associated with. )

A great design item could perhaps be compared to a gorgeous meal. You can eat and get all the nutrition you need from boiled rice, cooked veggies and a piece of tofu or fish or chicken but this all could also be brought to the next level and be eaten in a beautiful dish that brings joy not only for the belly but to the eye and the taste buds – and could be shared in a lovely social gathering of friends and loved ones.

Another confession:
I fancy certain commodities. These are at the moment
1.    a hybrid bicycle
2.    any kind of bicycle for my partner (he doesn’t have one)
3.    hiking boots
4.    iPhone
5.    an armchair (ok, one or two)

Ok, change of subject.
This week has been so busy that I’m not going to match my exercising targets. It’s a shame. But it hasn’t been a bad week. I went twice to Kinesis work out and once water running. And I’ve worked quite intensively although not very physically with Sonja, so I think it’s all ok. Next week I’m off to Helsinki with Sonja to do some background studies for the upcoming show… We’ll check out a Burlesque club and participate in two workshops by Miss Indigo Blue. Should be fun!!!

When I came home from the swimming pool today, this ermine was jumping and running in the backyard & forest.




Photos by Pekka Mäkinen.

Hope you’ll have a nice week. Let me know your thoughts and comments.

Johanna