I met a fellow BDer!!

[Kath]

Is it me ... or does anyone else think that if you ever did plan to go to Finland and meet these nutters you'd have to lose your inhibitions pretty fast?!

[Lindale]

I think there's a bio major in my school who's a very rabid fan of BD. *off to cyberstalk*

Honestly though, I don't expect to meet too many here in this country that does not even know too much about British lit except Harry Potter.

[Nogrod]

Just looking at the old posts here from last year...

Originally Posted by Kath

Is it me ... or does anyone else think that if you ever did plan to go to Finland and meet these nutters you'd have to lose your inhibitions pretty fast?!

Says one who is coming here in a month... Be prepared! Or well, be prepared to not be prepared...

[skip spence]

A few days back Lommy, Aganzir and their friend - let us call her Goldberry* for she was, much like other two, fair as the river’s daughter - came past my neck of the woods. I first met them at the train station and then, after leaving their luggage, we went on a prompt tour of the city. I’m not sure how many sights the girls actually saw, because most of the time we were walking, walking and talking about a dizzying amount of subjects, from Downs gossip to world affairs. Since Goldberry had developed a caffeine addiction after too many cool and refreshing ice-lattes in the Southern sun I then left them at a local coffee-shop – outside of which Lommy found time for a quick rant about Starbucks - for some personal time.

Later in the evening we took off to what I’d promised to be a “Shire-ish place”. The plan was to have a modest BBQ there, but unfortunately the actual planning was all too neglected from my part, so I showed up with some of the gear required but far from all. We had to make do though and after a walk, rather longer than I had though, we finally arrived at the site.

Shire-ish or no, the hazy evening sun was shimmering over the land as Aganzir and Goldberry to their delight discovered several horses running free. As they walked up to the shapely beasts grazing the tall grass I reached for my camera, but alas, the battery was dead (fortunately Lommy was a hand to make amends). I lit up the 3 Euro use-once grill we bought at the supermarket and started with some veggies and shrooms – Aganzir insisted that mushrooms were a must in Shire – but before even the veggies were done, and with all the rest of the food still uncooked, the crappy 3 Euro grill started to die down. “Blasted!”, I says, and at the brink of disaster it’s decided that we need to start a fire. We all scramble for dry twigs and any other flammables and at the last minute a small bon-fire is achieved. Some minutes later the heat is sufficient to cook the rest of our food, but now there’s an ominous grey tone to the over-cast sky, robbing us of a fair sunset. Just as we start enjoying the food the first cool drops of rain hit our faces, and by the time we finish the meal it’s pouring down, leaving us little choice but to scramble our stuff together and head back under the cover of trees.

All and all it had been a very enjoyable day though. The girls were, much as I suspected, very pleasant to be around, and I look forward to delving deeper into many of the various subjects we only too briefly came around to discuss.

*if there is a member called that, she's not the one I'm talking about

[Aganzir]

Yes, it happened pretty much as Skippy told it. I would've walked right past him at the railway station had he not come and greeted us with a wide smile on his face, for he looked much younger (and also thinner) than in the pictures.

We spent the first half of the day walking around (yes, we also managed to see some sights - the town was beautiful). Skippy took us to a nice botanical garden so we could learn plant names in Swedish (I learnt one but forgot it already), and after a little persuading ("Come on, that tree is just asking to be climbed! And if someone calls the police, you can at least speak the language!"), climbed a tree. Then we went to a playground and sat there discussing gay rights (okay we also talked about other things but I can't remember them). And we entertained Skippy by telling jokes about Swedes, and he entertained us by talking Swedish.

Grilling was lots of fun (from left to right: Lommy - notice also her new, reddish hair colour, Ms Goldberry - who, despite being a non-Downer, has probably met more Downers in person than most Downers, & Skipper), especially as none of us had done it yet this summer, and the food was very delicious, especially the mushrooms. Skip brought us some magazines and books so we could improve our Swedish, and Lommy managed to read a whole article. It was funny when she walked around the place with a years-old National Geographic in her hand and asked Skippy about words she didn't understand.

In spite of the weather being against us, we had a very good time with Skip. He's a great guy with a wonderful sense of humour, plus he never once lost his patience because of our silly jokes (now Lommy will probably come and say, "You mean your silly jokes, Agan?"). I look forward to meeting him again (which happens, incidentally, in about a week).

Unfortunately most of the pictures taken that day (including all the good ones) were on Lommy's camera which mystically disappeared on the last day of our trip, which leaves me with the duty to post a group photo of us. Don't ask me what Lommy is doing. I don't know.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Skip, I'd merely like say: I love your shirt.

Oh, and I'm jealous, of course. Very, very jealous.

[Boromir88]

I like the shades, very nice...where can I get them? I only happen to have a pair of sunglasses I got from going to the Cleveland Clinic, that was odd.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

I only happen to have a pair of sunglasses I got from going to the Cleveland Clinic, that was odd.

Man, that's were I got mine too! No, haha, I'd give you my shades if I could. I won't, however, send them.

Originally Posted by Fea

Skip, I'd merely like say: I love your shirt.

Why thank you, dear!

Originally Posted by Agan

It was funny when she walked around the place with a years-old National Geographic in her hand and asked Skippy about words she didn't understand.

That's a great pose by Lommy haha. And I'm sorry about the camera, hope it shows up as mysteriously as it disappeared!

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

I like the shades, very nice...where can I get them?

From Sweden of course... didn't you know the Swedes are the most hip nation in the world? (Notice the Finnish attitude towards Swedes...)

But it sure is great to have you Skip here in Finland for a "return visit" next week.


And yes, I met a Barrow-Downer yesterday as well!

I had two pints of beer in Helsinki last night with Legate to celebrate his moving in. It was nice to meet him again - and we will be meeting him pretty regularly in the future as he starts his year as an exchange-stipendiate in the University of Helsinki...

So in the future we might not report it every time we meet him...