Shrove Tuesday Part 2

The sledding ended at about 4.. but we were only going to Gravitaatio (will explain later) at about 9.. so we had lots of time on our hands =)

We decided not to travel to Otaniemi (by now i expect you guys to know that's where my school and apartment is) and back so as to save on transport.. so we decided to visit the Sibelius Monument.

Finnish Info (FI):
The Sibelius Monument is dedicated to Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957). He was a Finnish composer whose music played an important role in the formation of Finnish national identity. The music he wrote portraying the history of Finland was a rallying point for national sentiment at a time when the Russians were tightening their grip on the Finns. One of his works: Finlandia, was of immeasurable importance in terms of Finnish self-awareness and national identify .

The monument itself was designed by Eila Hiltunen and was unveiled on September 7, 1967. It originally sparked lively debate about the merits and flaws of abstract art. The purpose of the artist was to capture the essence of the music of Sibelius. The monument weighs 24 tons and measures 8.5 × 10.5 × 8.5 meters.
(thanks to wikipedia.org and finland.fi)

An effigy of Sibelius

emo park bench shot =)

Sibelius Park, where the monument is located..

i love taking photos of park benches =)

Still having time to spare we decided to get warm and treat ourselves to a nice hot drink.. so we went back to Kamppi and settled in at Coffee House..

And since it was Shrove Tuesday.. we had to try Shrove Buns.. Nothing spectacular..Take a simple bun that has cardamom (a spice) in it.. cut it in half.. open it.. add whipped cream and jam.. close it.. eat it..

Now let me explain what is Gravitaatio.. It means Gravitation and its the first of 3 big parties of the year. It was held at Royal Onella.. apparently the biggest club in Scandinavia..
I'm not really the clubbing kind.. but since its supposed to be really happening i decided to go.. so bye bye 12 Euros..

The place is really huge.. like a 3 story club with like 5 (or so) rooms playing different music.. So it was really loud and crowded.. Had only 1 cider drink called Perry (?).. in case u guys think i'm like a heavy drinker.. (Hor Juls hor? Trying a few beers in Germany over a few days doesn't make me a heavy drink ok? haha) And i can't dance to save my life.. so it was just for fun la.. but i'm sure someone definitely had more fun than the rest of us did.. u know who u are.. hehe..
Didn't really take pictures in case u guys are expecting wild pictures of us.. =)..

Anyway what i really wanted to say was that i finally got my life band fix.. Pei Joo, Shu Shan, Ri Hao and Antonia left earlier (12.30am bus).. but i wanted to get my money's worth.. so i stayed on for the live band.. and i wasn't disappointed! Even though the songs were in Finnish.. music is universal.. =) Its a bit heavier than what i like.. but i can definitely appreciate it when the vocals are good.. the musicians are tight.. the lighting is awesome.. and when the band can get the crowd going.. They played 1 softer rock song and i thought that was the best.. If i had to pay 12 Euros just to listen to the band it would be worth it (almost!) =).. oh ya.. 1.50am bus was packed to the brim..