Rakvere

The day I learned that buses leave Tallinn! Har-har. I really needed to kick off with this totally random joke (unless you're from Estonia, because then you might get it alright).

Anyhow, couple of days before Christmas (I did my Christmas shopping in November, so like über-relaxed!) we decided with a friend to have our small holiday coffee&cake moment an hour and half away from Tallinn - in a small town called Rakvere. I really insisted 'cos I wanted to see the famous Christmas tree in person. Totally worth it!

I had only ever been to Rakvere once and seen the famous castle, so it was a good chance to wander around a bit more. We were super lucky with the weather - it was sunny! Must say that dry cold sunny weather is the best for some random touristing around 'cos it usually means there are no other people to distract you, because no-one in their right mind travels in winter to places with potentially ghastly weather and Estonia is for sure one of those places.

I fully intend to use more of the opportunity of buses leaving Tallinn and (re)discover my homeland. Dare I say challenge accepted! ;)

P.S. You can find more photos on Flickr - just click here.

Best of 2015

Before making an escape and leaving year 2015 behind and be all like yeah-hello-there-new-year it's only appropriate to give credit where credit is due. So here we go. In no particular order.

MUSIC

• Mas Ysa "Seraph" - Gun feat. Nicole Migalis was the song that caught my attention first. I had it on repeat a lot. While in New York I stumbled upon the album at used CD stand and the rest is history as they say. Well, there's no history as such. I bought the album knowing this one song and in consequence fell in love with the whole album. Love the raw feelings in it.
• Will Butler "Policy" - Because Pony Macaroni is my favourite food. 
• Father John Misty "I Love You, Honeybear" - You should get physical form of this album, because it's so cool. Also, I suspect against all odds Father John Misty gets me. On occasion. Also, as any girl ever I am constantly (not just 24/7, but like 25/8 to cover all possible metaphysical time slots) looking for The Ideal Husband. 
• Foals "What Went Down" - Foals is like... it's Foals! That video you have to experience on the right browser! 
• EL VY "Return To The Moon" - Matt Berninger! Need I say more?! I probably do. Anyhow, since The National's music has been part of my blood system for the past couple of years then anything Matt does gets extra attention from me. Clouded judgement all the way and I couldn't be happier about it, all the way to The Moon.
• Gaz Coombes "Matador" - Supergrass used to be one of my brit pop era faves. Also, that album cover.

CONCERTS

I saw Future Islands live (Helsinki, Flow Festival). Front row! That's really all that one needs. So there's a winner here! Runner-up being Beck (same festival) - maybe so 'cos I guess the waaaaay younger me wouldn't have in a million years believed that one day she'll be singing and dancing along to "Loser" live! More memorable moments:

• Metronomy (22 March, Tallinn)
• Elephants From Neptune (12 May, Tallinn)
• East India Youth (Positivus Festival, Salacgriva)
• Ghostpoet (Positivus Festival, Salacgriva)
• Jack Garratt (Positivus Festival, Salacgriva)
• St. Vincent (Positivus Festival, Salacgriva)
• Motorama (27 Nov, Tallinn)

ART

• MoMA - Two absolute highlights there (apart from it being my first ever visit). Firstly, Björk exhibition and especially the screening of her videos. I had never realized there were so many. And I loved the idea that you can just lie on a mattress at an art museum and watch/listen for hours (the weather was ghastly and I was exhausted). Secondly, by accident ending up at a guided tour at the photography exhibition there. 
• The Whitney Museum of American Art - There isn't much American art in Europe (while there seems to be more European art in America than in Europe), so I was curious and my curiosity paid off. Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist and Frank Stella: A Retrospective being the highlights. 
• The Bushwick Collective - Street art is the future. ;) The freedom and the fresh air only being a bonus.
• Henri Cartier-Bresson at Ateneum Art Museum - If one loves street photography there can never be too much of Cartier-Bresson. 

MISCELLANEOUS

How smug was I thinking I could also make a list of miscellaneous best of moments/events/things?! (Because that's mission impossible alright!) See, I first drafted the titles for the lists and then started filling them up and I really wanted to add the reference to Narnia and it didn't fit music and art. Narnia being the snowy spring day I (almost) got lost in Central Park and a stranger asked me to take a photo of her 'cos it was her first time seeing snow and she felt like she's in Narnia. It was surely not my first time to see snow and my feet were a bit wet, but now I have this whole Narnia thing and a life lesson (ah, for the love of big words) - have a little faith (and talk to strangers), always! :)


Ps. My web hosting expired over Christmas and for several reasons I decided to return to free blogging services for the time being. Homepage is somewhere (right here, at my finger tips to be more exact) offline, safe and sound. I still own kaisaphoto.com and intend to keep it that way. It'll direct you to this very blog once I get some technicalities sorted out.