Winter Update

Arctic morning, January 5. Photos by Teisuka.
(Click the pictures to see them bigger.)

Hello again, my friends! This is my winter update. First of all, I want to wish a Merry Christmas to my dear Russian friend Nika. Again, thanks for your lovely Christmas gift (a video on YouTube)! Let this winter article be my little Christmas gift to you. С Рождеством Христовым, мой Снегурочка! （＾—＾）／

Just for information to all, Christmas in Russia (Рождество Христово) is celebrated on 7 January and marks the birthday of Jesus. Christmas is mainly a religious event in Russia. 6 January is the Christmas Eve. A Russian Christmas is so "late", because the Russian Orthodox Church use the Julian Calendar. The Finnish Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas on December 25. Thanks to my Russian friend, I have two Christmas (or one very long). Ура! ヘ( ^.^)乂( ^.^)ノ

During the long Christmas holidays, I've been watching old cartoons: Disney classics and Soviet animation films. I love them both. Here is one of my favorite – I found it through Nika: Umka, an old Soviet animation film from the year 1969. A length is only 10 minutes, and it has the English subtitles. (Click the video below.)

Umka, the little polar bear, and his mom.

The last few days, I have met my friends Mr. Doyle and Mr. Proletarian (both are nicknames, because they are shy and suspicious guys, haha). Seriously speaking: thank you, guys – we had a lot of fun together. :)

Yesterday morning, I was walking with my camera and I took some pictures again. Thank God, we have a real winter here. Right now, air temperature is -17 °C (1.4ºF) and snow depth is 15 cm. I really like this kind of weather.

By the way... if YOU like winter and snow, I would recommend you a great novel called Winter's Tale written by Mark Helprin in 1983. It is one of the best books I have ever read! The book is also translated into Russian and Finnish. Winter's Tale is very imaginative and fabulous novel, and wonderful love story as well. Genre is "magical realism". The film adaptation was released in 2014. Here is a description of the book, which I found from the web:

Set in New York at the beginning and the end of the twentieth century, Winter´s Tale unfolds with such great narrative force and beauty that a reader can feel that its world is more real than his own. Standing alone on the page before the book begins are the words, I have been to another world, and come back. Listen to me. In that world, both winter and the city of New York (old and new) have the strength and character of protagonists, and the protagonists themselves move as if in a vivid dream. Though immensely complicated, the story is centered upon Peter Lake, a turn-of-the-century Irish burglar, and Beverly Penn, a young heiress whom he encounters in robbing her house, and who eventually will die young and in his arms. His love for her, and a gift of grace, will allow him after the most extraordinary and painful explorations and discoveries to stop time and bring back the dead. To follow him, his predecessors, his inheritors, and his companions is to experience one of the great stories of American literature.

Again, a Happy New Year to all my friends! ＼（＾ ＾）／

Best greetings from cold and snowy Finland,

Teisuka

This is one of the best books I have ever read.

A winter moment in the park.

The old water tower in my neighborhood.

A view from my balcony.

Frozen trees.

OMG, one of these is my bike! Maybe it's better to walk. :D