Mobile Observations

Lightening the Load

2012-01-29T21:41:00.001+02:00

Lightening the Load, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Snow-removing crews have been busy again these last few weeks. Good thing they do it, though. Less risk of being hit by falling snow and ice if the roofs around here are kept clean of snow, plus it lessens the risk of water damage to the building itself.

Johan & Nyström

2012-01-25T21:55:00.001+02:00

Johan & Nyström, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

A new(ish) coffee roastery and cafe (or Concept Store, as express it) here in town which I have often passed when it's been closed, but today I managed to catch it open. Had a double espresso (great price of only 2€) of the day's coffee, which was nice and smooth. However, if the coffee's change regularly it's hard to know what you get next time. Place is a bit off the beaten path, so not the best for people watching, but come summer the boats out the window will offer nicer views. Unfortunately the opening hours are a bit short, with the place closing already at 18:00 on weekdays and 16:00 on Saturdays.

Finnish Designer Awards 2012

2012-01-25T21:47:00.001+02:00

Finnish Designer Awards 2012, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The annual internal pat-on-the-back event of the Finnish design world had its opening last night. Can't really say much about the winners, except they seem to make nice looking design. Like so many others do in this business. Still haven't figured out the criteria for this kind of competition. I do understand awards for lifelong or otherwise special achievement, though, but other than that it's just a matter of taste. Congratulations to the winners, anyway.

Almond Tofu @Empire Plaza

2012-01-25T21:41:00.001+02:00

Almond Tofu @Empire Plaza, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

One of the rare occasions that I've got a nice surprise regarding food display here in Finland. Tasty too. I'd say Empire Plaza is my favourite Chinese restaurant in town.

From China With Love

2012-01-22T19:56:00.001+02:00

From China With Love a video by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Fireworks for Chinese New Year here in Helsinki earlier tonight.

Presidential Faces

2012-01-21T22:25:00.001+02:00

Presidential Faces, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

First-round election day tomorrow. Some nice person had cleaned up the posters a bit after the night's snowfall.

Hello Winter

2012-01-09T22:51:00.000+02:00

Just uploaded footage from yesterday: Hello Winter on Vimeo.

-12°C

2012-01-08T22:56:00.001+02:00

-12°C, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Water does that at this temperature.

Primus Eta Express in Action

2012-01-08T22:55:00.001+02:00

Primus Eta Express in Action, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Borrowed Mikko's tiny Eta, better suited for solo trips. I was a bit apprehensive how well the gas would function in this temperature, but water for noodle soup boiled in no time. Solid piece of gear.

Frost

2012-01-08T22:52:00.001+02:00

Frost, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The GF1 performed really well, as usual. Even getting some ample sprinklings of powder snow from the trees didn't do it any harm, and the battery held out very well in the cold. The only downside is that I can't carry all my three lenses on the chest in the Ortlieb Snap anymore. The pattern has become to keep the 20mm and 45mm in there (one of them mounted), and the 14-45mm zoom in the top pocket of the backpack.

Orajärvi, Noon

2012-01-08T22:46:00.001+02:00

Orajärvi, Noon, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

First day of sun and snow this winter. Glad I had the time to escape to Nuuksio for the day to enjoy it up close.

Helsinki T2 Departures

2011-12-30T15:12:00.001+02:00

Helsinki T2 Departures, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Waiting for our Euro-tourer Mariko to arrive. Should be on the approach now. The good cafe for planespotting had been closed, so took refuge at the Congress Center balcony overlooking T2 Departures to do peoplespotting instead.

WDC2012 Preparations

2011-12-30T15:06:00.001+02:00

WDC2012 Preparations, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The day after tomorrow I'll be a designer living in the World Design Capital for a year. Will it mean a big change in anything? Probably not. Perhaps not even a small one. Invites to some design party which I'll be too busy to attend, or something? Anyway, glad they bring design into focus more and more. We'll try to live up to the expectations.

Seal Line Waterproof Phone Pouch

2011-12-23T21:09:00.001+02:00

Seal Line Waterproof Phone Pouch, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Yes, there is a Santa Claus, and apparently he's connected to www.hikinginfinland.com in some way.

This nice and sturdy looking Seal Line pouch arrived by mail today, after I won day 4 of the advent calendar over at the previously mentioned site. Good first impressions. Even has a camera window in the back. And this will be needed if our winter will continue to be as wet as it's been up till now.

Ardbeg Family

2011-12-15T23:09:00.003+02:00

Ardbeg Family, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Ardbeg Tasing @Punavuoren Ahven

2011-12-15T23:09:00.001+02:00

Ardbeg Tasing @Punavuoren Ahven, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

A tasting of known suspects tonight. The only new experience was the Airigh Nam Beist, which apart from being a pleasantly smooth, sweet and flavorful version of the known Ardbeg style, had the added extra of already being discontinued. The best of the evening once again turned out to be the classic Uigeadail, however. Really suits me. Alligator worked well too, and the rear was brought up by the regular Ten and Blasda.

Sales Pitch

2011-12-11T19:58:00.003+02:00

Sales Pitch, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Blacksmith's Audience

2011-12-11T19:58:00.001+02:00

Blacksmith's Audience, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The 45mm, equalling a 90mm in film size, is such a nice lens for shooting people, even in poor light.

Warmth

2011-12-11T19:56:00.001+02:00

Warmth, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Almond Stand

2011-12-11T19:51:00.001+02:00

Almond Stand, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Took the Oly 45mm out for a bit of trials in difficult conditions tonight: The annual Chirstmas market here in Helsinki. Varying lights, lot's of stuff in the depth range and moving people pose enough challenges for a long lens as this, but combined with the tiny GF1 body it proved a most capable tool in the busy, cramped spaces. Surprisingly many of the shots were keepers.

And So It Begins

2011-12-08T21:50:00.001+02:00

And So It Begins, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

To be fair, the first snow here in Helsinki came the night between Monday and Tuesday, but tonight's snowfall was already a much better effort.

Evening Reading

2011-12-08T21:48:00.003+02:00

Evening Reading, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Academic Graffiti

2011-12-08T21:48:00.001+02:00

Academic Graffiti, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Spotted on the construction site fence of Helsinki University Library

Star of the Evening

2011-11-24T23:50:00.001+02:00

Star of the Evening, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Not your average Whisky, that's for sure. Someone mentioned a bottle like this goes for around 800€, if one can be found somewhere. Way too much for a layman like me to comprehend, but then again people spend a lot more on some other hobbies (guilty as charged).

Whisky Tasting @Punavuoren Ahven

2011-11-24T23:46:00.001+02:00

Whisky Tasting @Punavuoren Ahven, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The classic before shot.

A hard fought battle at the end between numbers 2 and 5: Buichladdich 1988/2003 and Ardbeg SC 1378 1975/2006. The Bruichladdich is an old favourite from previous tastings, and still held it's own, but in the end the sheer depth and complexity of the Ardbeg's taste range led me to pick it as my number one tonight. Hints of chocolate, gingerbread and perhaps some liquorice combined with the characteristic peatines of Ardbeg, and smoothened and lengthened by 31 years in a sherry cask just made it a fantastic Whisky. A privilege to taste.

A slight disappointment was the Caol Ila 25 yo, which didn't live up to the expectation of how good a +20 year old Whisky can be. Part of it might be due to the diluting to 43% from cask strength, which inevitably evens out the taste a bit.

The Menu

2011-11-24T23:39:00.001+02:00

The Menu, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

A rather old and distinguished lineup at tonight's whisky tasting:

Bruichladdich Infinity [3] Edition 3_10

Bruichladdich 1988/2003 Gordon&MacPhail Bottling

Caol Ila 25 yo

Laphroaig 25 yo 2009 Edition

Ardbeg SC 1378, 1975/2006

GF1 At Work

2011-11-21T21:39:00.001+02:00

GF1 At Work, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

As the GF1 is a pretty capable video tool as well, especially when using the 20mm and 45mm lenses, I decided trying it out a bit. Result:

First Frost from Mikael Leppä on Vimeo.

Locked Up

2011-11-20T23:40:00.001+02:00

Locked Up, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

First they build a really nice shelter, stock it with firewood for anyone to use, provide a fire extinguisher for when things get too hot, and lock up the aforementioned so that nobody can steal it. That's some nice design philosophy for public use right there.

B&W

2011-11-20T23:36:00.001+02:00

B&W, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Nice sunny day, and still being able to get a moody black & white shot.

Best of Autumn

2011-11-20T23:35:00.001+02:00

Best of Autumn, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Straws on Ice

2011-11-20T23:33:00.001+02:00

Straws on Ice, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The new 45mm lens doing one of the things it does best.

Ice Patterns

2011-11-20T23:32:00.001+02:00

Ice Patterns, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The lakes had received their first coating. Not there to last yet perhaps, but making a good show while it lasts.

First Frost

2011-11-20T23:30:00.001+02:00

First Frost, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Today might have been the best day of the rest of the year for taking the camera out for a daytrip in Nuuksio National Park, so that's what I did. Felt good.

Wacom Cintiq 24HD

2011-11-12T11:34:00.001+02:00

Wacom Cintiq 24HD, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Our new office toy. Whenever I feel that the 12" screen of my Lenovo tablet PC is too small for current sketching needs, I can plug it into this to get double the screen size to doodle on. Nice!

Boombox

2011-11-05T19:56:00.001+02:00

Boombox, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

As far as cool audio gear goes, Hi-fi Expo was full of it. Spreading out around several hotel floors might have been good for quiet listening experiences, but didn't help finding stuff at all for novices such as us. Exhibition layouts can be slightly intimidating and confusing, depending in expertise level in the exhibited subject.

Archipictor @Skiexpo

2011-11-05T19:52:00.001+02:00

Archipictor @Skiexpo, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Skiexpo time again. Not really there for the exhibits anymore; Got a solid pair of planks to slide downhill on, and little to no knowledge of possible holiday time in winter, so not much of interest this year either. The event is more for catching up with some old friends who manage to spend a lot more time in the mountains than me. And since they've combined it with camera-heavy Digiexpo I managed to pick up a 16GB SDCH card for the camera cheaply as well.

Ossi's fine magazine illustration was all over the place as well, of course, which was nice.

N8 Doing AR: Nokia Live View

2011-10-26T21:58:00.001+03:00

N8 Doing AR: Nokia Live View, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Downloaded the Nokia Live View app for the N8 today. It's still in beta, and downtown Helsinki isn't perhaps where I'd be in need of this kind of app, but a quick test here tonight showed pretty good UI logic, layering and nice integration to maps and navigation. The direction and location of items were sometimes a bit off, but I guess that's still acceptable in a beta app. Overall a positive experience, and I see plenty of potential here.

Seasonal Pumpkins

2011-10-23T12:36:00.001+03:00

Seasonal Pumpkins , a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Excellent pumpkin sales trick at our local supermarket.

'Shroom

2011-10-16T22:12:00.001+03:00

'Shroom, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Happy to notice that the 45mm does a nice job with close-ups too. It's no macro, though, but not needing that much anyway.

Healthy and Nutritious

2011-10-16T22:09:00.001+03:00

Healthy and Nutritious, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The kind of outdoor lunch to make when you can get home in the evening to wash the dishes.

Rocks

2011-10-16T22:08:00.001+03:00

Rocks, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

45mm in the Forest

2011-10-16T22:07:00.001+03:00

45mm in the Forest, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The Panasonic 14-45mm zoom has been my standard outdoor lens for as long as I've had it, but for today's daytrip to out local national park I decided to try out the new Olympus 45mm f1.8 glass in hiking conditions. Overall I was pleasantly surprised how versatile it is. Didn't feel I missed any shot because of the restricted focal length, and in today's cloudy weather and flat lowish light the bright f1.8 and narrow depth of focus kept things interesting. The autofocus was not quite foolproof, but in thick forest with plenty of branches and stuff to fool it I'd call the results good enough, and there's always the possibility to use manual focus too. So, the lens is a good piece of outdoor glass too, it seems. Not perhaps the only lens to take on a hike, but certainly good enough to bring along.

45mm Doing Portrait

2011-10-12T21:58:00.001+03:00

45mm Doing Portrait, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Thank's to Mikko for being the unsuspecting victim.

Abandoned Cart

2011-10-09T22:53:00.001+03:00

Abandoned Cart, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Tried out the new Oly 45mm lens after dark tonight. Good results all-in-all, and would have been even better had I bothered to dig out the Gorillapod from my bag. The AF wasn't always spot-on in the darkest places, but that's what manual focus is for. With conditions as dark as tonight I wouldn't expect to catch moving subjects well with this gear anyway.

Alligator Tamer

2011-10-08T22:23:00.002+03:00

Alligator Tamer, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Taishin -kun has grown a lot since I last saw him in 2006. These days he's a fearless explorer of the animal kingdom (especially if the animal is made of wood and thus won't bite).

Snow Leopard

2011-10-08T22:18:00.001+03:00

Snow Leopard, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The new Olympus 45mm f1.8 in action at the Helsinki Zoo. Liking it a lot already!

New Glass: Olympus 45mm f1.8

2011-10-06T22:37:00.001+03:00

New Glass: Olympus 45mm f1.8, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Fresh arrival from Japan. I'm kind of liking the contrast to the black GF1 body, and both AF and manual focus seemed smooth and quick at the first trials. Looking forward to trying it out properly over the weekend.

Relandersgrund

2011-10-04T21:07:00.001+03:00

Relandersgrund, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Took the camera out for a walk tonight, and here's one of the more presentable results. Not used to how quickly it gets dark these days, so had left my Gorillapod at home and had to use any railing or lamppost available to get steady shots with the 14-45mm lens. Well, by the end of the week I should get some new optics hand delivered straight from Tokyo, and then I'll have more room to play with in low light situations.

Helsinki Herring Market

2011-10-02T16:29:00.001+03:00

Helsinki Herring Market, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Herring Tasting Judges @City Hall

2011-10-02T16:28:00.001+03:00

Herring Tasting Judges @City Hall, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Overheard from the judge's table: "Hey, taste number 16. They haven't been cheap on the rum in that sauce!"

Herring Tasting Competition Entries

2011-10-02T16:27:00.001+03:00

Herring Tasting Competition Entries, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

One of the many traditions surrounding the annual Helsinki Herring Market: Competition between various makers of herrings in sauce.

Kilchoman Family

2011-09-22T22:50:00.001+03:00

Kilchoman Family, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

On the left the future Kilchoman bottle design, in use for the Inaugural 100% Islay Release, next the Spring 2011, Spring 2010, Inaugural and New Spirit, which is only available in tiny 5cl bottles.

Kilchoman Tasting @Punavuoren Ahven

2011-09-22T22:48:00.001+03:00

Kilchoman Tasting @Punavuoren Ahven, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Just back home form spending a nice evening with a new single malt acquaintance: Kilchoman. Being the newest distillery on Islay, only opened in 2005, they have been making quite an impression on people who know about these things, and based on tonight and a few times before I think I see what it's about.

We had Inaugural and Inaugural 100% Islay, Spring releases 2010 and 2011, and to top it of a taste of New Spirit. The last one is technically not a whisky, just a distilled product, but surprisingly tasty already, and a great privilege to be able to taste the origin of Kilchoman whisky. That's something impossible for pretty much any other distillery in Scotland, it seems. The others showed great potential for such young bottlings, the Inaugural Release suiting my taste the best, and it will be interesting to follow this whisky well into the future, now that we know where it's beginning is.

To A or to B? Habitare 2011

2011-09-18T22:57:00.001+03:00

To A or to B? Habitare 2011, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The big interior design fair has turned into an annual event, apparently. Still having a bit of an identity crisis between displaying and selling, like so many other public fairs here (cough, SkiExpo, cough). Still, the thing that feels most left out in my perspective are the actual designed spaces. Sure, each manufacturer makes a good effort of showing off their products in a nice setting, but interior design is combining various elements, and that is still sadly left for the viewers imagination in Habitare.

Pictured: One bathroom fitting manufacturer that shan't be named thought apparently it would be a good idea to let the public play design manager. If it only were that easy.

Rabbit Carpet

2011-09-17T16:26:00.001+03:00

Rabbit Carpet, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Actually it's called Silence, and designed by Studio Permafrost in Norway. Spotted at the To Declare design exhibition last night, along with some other refreshing stuff.

Dirty Design Work

2011-09-14T19:42:00.001+03:00

Dirty Design Work, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Footwear spotted after user interview day at the LINK office.

Toshiba Mini NB550D

2011-09-14T19:39:00.001+03:00

Toshiba Mini NB550D, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

And that's the business side of it. Liking the keyboard knock-and-feel, and internals are upgradeable as need arises.

Green Machine

2011-09-14T19:37:00.001+03:00

Green Machine, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The bronze version would have been slightly more stylish, but not 30€ more stylish, so green it is.

Toshiba Mini NB550D Unboxing

2011-09-14T19:35:00.001+03:00

Toshiba Mini NB550D Unboxing, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

After seeing a few Apple products unboxed, the experience here is decidedly more rough, but so what. It's what's inside that counts.

Inside is the reason of a little gap in the blogging. Got myself a highly untrendy netbook for freelance work and blogging. Handles web, photos and writing more efficiently than a tablet. That's basically my excuse.

Timed Drying

2011-09-14T19:31:00.001+03:00

Timed Drying, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The little extra of the humble hand dryer: Timer on the left, showing progress.

Big Heart

2011-09-09T21:48:00.001+03:00

Big Heart, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Some buildings have soul, this one's got a heart!

Inside there seemed to be some designer party going on, which makes sense as the annual Helsinki Design Week is about to begin again.

Power Tool

2011-09-08T19:11:00.001+03:00

Power Tool, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Because sometimes big IS better.

Spent this afternoon at the fascinating Maxpo work machine trade fair in Hyvinkää. Beats the office any day!

Midnight Runners

2011-09-04T13:15:00.001+03:00

Midnight Runners, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The Midnight Run is a good spectator sport! Awards for best dress brought out the creativity in many, and for 10km you can still suffer in something a bit uncomfortable, it seems.

Helsinki Midnight Run

2011-09-04T13:13:00.001+03:00

Helsinki Midnight Run, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Last night I finally had to admit that the limits of the GF1's otherwise great performance were reached. Catching runners in only sparse streetlight and candlelight wasn't just happening. Luckily some other people had pretty big flashes around, which I managed to catch a free ride on for a few frames.

How to Stop a Runaway Train

2011-08-31T22:33:00.001+03:00

How to Stop a Runaway Train, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Because Helsinki Railway Station has had it's share of those over the years.

Erosion Laboratory

2011-08-30T22:10:00.001+03:00

Erosion Laboratory, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Our nearby street has been the site of a less successful central heating pipe installation project pretty much all summer, and the recent rains have not been helping much; Water constantly flows into the dig, eroding the compacted sand that should cover the pipes, and forms a nice dirty pool at the bottom of the slope where the connection to the grid should be done sometime before winter, hopefully.

Beatbox Duo

2011-08-27T11:22:00.001+03:00

Beatbox Duo a video by Rollofunk on Flickr.

One of the many cool and seemingly ad-hoc gigs we stopped to watch. Others included a bagpiper (in Kilt), some Hare Krishnas, several guitars and a very funky all-girl brass trio.

Audience

2011-08-27T11:17:00.001+03:00

Audience, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Modern Folk Music concerts at the Esplanade Stage

Humongous Bubbles

2011-08-27T11:16:00.001+03:00

Humongous Bubbles, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

For one night only: Dark, warm and all of downtown seemingly a big picnic place/party/live jam/art event. Helsinki was living up to the title of being the most livable city in the world, as Monocle Magazine claimed recently.

Ad-Hoc Crêpes Stand

2011-08-21T18:10:00.001+03:00

Ad-Hoc Crêpe Stand, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Today it's been Restaurant Day here in Helsinki, meaning anyone can create a pop-up restaurant of personal choice for one day. These guys made a big hit with their Crêpes stand in Kaisaniemi.

Happy Campers

2011-08-21T18:08:00.001+03:00

Happy Campers, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Burger Barbecue party in Teemu's garden last night. Perhaps the last garden party for this summer. Getting dark already at night.

Umeshu

2011-08-14T12:22:00.001+03:00

Umeshu, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Put down some Japanese style plum liquor to mature. Not at all sure about the alcohol base we used and the proportions of plum and rock sugar, but we'll know if it works by Christmas perhaps.

Off-Trail

2011-08-10T21:45:00.001+03:00

Off-Trail, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

This year's route: Didnuelva (Norway) - Lossujärvi - Halti - Pitsusjärvi - Meekojärvi - Kuonjarjoki - Termisjärvi - Kilpisjärvi

Unreal Morning

2011-08-10T21:43:00.001+03:00

Unreal Morning, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

More like unreal week. Never had such good hiking weather before: Five days of warm and sunny, and a few rain showers on the last morning; Just enough to justify bringing some rain gear.

Home (For five Nights)

2011-08-10T21:42:00.001+03:00

Home (For a Night), a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Been a bit quiet here in the blog recently. Reason is I spent six days outside most networks last week up north of Kilpisjärvi hiking with the usual team. A bit of change in scenery when fresh off the Tokyo plane.

Evening Music

2011-07-25T17:53:00.001+03:00

Evening Music, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Soundtrack for the evening stroll around Shinagawa station. Revelation for tonight: A great tasting bowl of curry Udon a few blocks from the station was almost half the price of a Chai tea at a tearoom in the station shopping centre.

Shinagawa Reflection

2011-07-25T17:49:00.001+03:00

Shinagawa Reflection, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Touchscreen Vending Machine

2011-07-22T14:37:00.001+03:00

Touchscreen Vending Machine, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

One of the new drink vending machines at Shibuya station that does pretty much the same thing as the older ones: Spitting out drinks in exchange of coins or electronic signals.

Nature 1, House 0

2011-07-22T14:32:00.001+03:00

Nature 1, House 0, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The occupants might have forgotten to trim the hedge lately. Kind of fascinating how the artificial urban shapes still stand out among all that natural foliage.

Tsuru Included

2011-07-21T08:59:00.001+03:00

Tsuru Included, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Small personal touches and encouraging letters from school kids around the world went into some of the boxes. Hope they cheer someone up.

Food to Tohoku @2nd Harvest Japan

2011-07-21T08:57:00.002+03:00

Food to Tohoku @2nd Harvest Japan, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Hoping to do something more concrete for those affected by the March earthquake and tsunami I spent 3 hours this morning making and filling up food boxes with other volunteers at Second Harvest Japan. They had the goal of making 350 boxes today, and the afternoon shift is probably done with that soon. Later all will be loaded into a truck and driven up to Minami-Soma.

Omotesando Koffee

2011-07-20T13:50:00.002+03:00

Omotesando Koffee, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

If you find yourself around Shibuya with a craving for coffee, this is the place you should look up. Superbly smooth, yet flavourful double espresso (350 yen, a cheap price for that quality) in a great setting. The home baked cube-cakes (the cube theme is pretty prevailing) served out of a coffee filter were really good too. The only downside perhaps is that the location is very quiet, so there won't be much people watching to be done. Those who do find their way in probably are like-minded coffee fans.

Kunitomo -san of Omotesando Koffee

2011-07-20T13:44:00.002+03:00

Kunitomo -san of Omotesando Koffee, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Masterful Barista and owner of Omotesando Koffee. Very nice and talkative person too. Had a nice chat about the interior design, the branding of the place, his idea to make the counter into a pop-up café anywhere after the old house it's in now will be torn down at the end of the year, and a bit about the coffee culture in Finland

Omotesando Koffee Entrance

2011-07-20T13:39:00.001+03:00

Omotesando Koffee Entrance, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Behind this inconspicuous gate on a backstreet near Omotesando I found some of the best espresso I've ever had in Japan, and pretty much anywhere else that I can remember. And being located in a nice old house with a tiny garden to enjoy your coffee in is always a plus too. Great atmosphere.

Safecast @Tokyo Hackerspace

2011-07-19T18:57:00.002+03:00

Safecast @Tokyo Hackerspace, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Had an inspiring and informative evening at the Tokyo Hackerspace tonight. Long discussion on radiation (not surprisingly) and introduction to the great citizen effort to provide independent and trustworthy info on radiation across the areas affected by the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. These weatherproof, GPS equipped radiation measuring devices made at the Hackerspace can be fitted to cars, taking geotagged measurements as volunteers drive around all of Kanto and eastern Tohoku. Readings are collected and visualized at safecast.org providing anyone with information on the actual situation on the ground in Japan.

Tokyo Sky Tree

2011-07-19T18:49:00.001+03:00

Tokyo Sky Tree, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

The Tokyo Sky Tree kind of looks lower than it's 634.0 meters would suggest, until the top section starts going into the rainclouds. Then you realize that topmast is actually way up in the air!

Good Evening, Tokyo

2011-07-18T16:02:00.001+03:00

Good Evening, Tokyo, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Hokkaido

2011-07-16T15:42:00.001+03:00

Hokkaido, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Driving to our onsen of choice earlier today. Just got back via the best kaiten-sushi place in this part of town, and now chilling with a cold beer and a stupid TV show that I almost understand (but not sure if I really want to). That's pretty much as good as a Hokkaido day gets in July

Today's Colour: Gray

2011-07-14T10:19:00.001+03:00

Today's Colour: Gray, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Alphabet Issue

2011-07-13T17:31:00.001+03:00

Alphabet Issue, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

I know that it's difficult to separate "R" and "L" around here, and have sort of become indifferent to the multiple examples of misspelling all around, but this one just baffles me. Did this Asahikawa shopping mall order it's banners and stands from different places with different AD's and Copywriters? The banner maker seems to have been better at English than the stand maker, in that case.

Paper & Engraving

2011-07-13T17:27:00.001+03:00

Paper & Engraving, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Dropped by Koji's friends glass engraving shop too. Mainly doing custom stuff for gifts and companies. Pretty impressive quality, and gave me some ideas for future use of this technique in product design too.

www.glasscreate.co.jp

Moerenuma Park, Sapporo

2011-07-13T17:20:00.001+03:00

Moerenuma Park, Sapporo, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

First time for me to visit, as it is quite off the public transport grid. Thank's to Koji for thinking of driving there. Nice open spaces and funny sense of scale. Plus some fine architecture and landscape elements by Isamu Noguchi.

Morning Coffee

2011-07-13T17:17:00.001+03:00

Morning Coffee, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Going to Sapporo yesterday morning. Standard issue Morning Shot coffee on the train.

Single Serving Coffee

2011-07-11T06:40:00.001+03:00

Single Serving Coffee, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

How to brew your individual morning coffee. Again, not the most ecological way perhaps, but then again there's no need to run a full on coffee maker for just yourself. Tastes much better than instant coffee too.

Yakiniku

2011-07-11T06:39:00.001+03:00

Yakiniku, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

More of a protein based dinner last night. There's some beef, chicken, onion, squid and shrimp frying here. Later lot's of other stuff was added, some of which you would never see in a Finnish barbeque setting.

Retro Electric Fan

2011-07-11T06:37:00.001+03:00

Retro Electric Fan, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

This thing might not be very eco, but it sure helps keep the room temperature sensible. Real 70's vintage too, and working perfectly.

Design Details

2011-07-06T12:27:00.001+03:00

Design Details, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Universal Design detail distinguishing Japanese shampoo bottles from treatments and conditioners: Line of small ridges up along the sides. Makes them easy to recognize if you're sight impaired, or the stores have turned off all lights in order to save electricity.

Mt. Fuji, Capped

2011-07-05T14:25:00.001+03:00

Mt. Fuji, Capped, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

Spotted the elusive Fuji from the plane window on our final leg up to Asahikawa. Fell promptly asleep again soon afterwards, and woke up well into the landing.

Tohoku Special Menu

2011-07-05T14:13:00.001+03:00

Tohoku Special Menu, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

A restaurant at Haneda airport had put together a full menu of Tohoku foods for support. They sure need it, but we were not really hungry enough to eat through it so opted for lesser stuff (Tendon and Udon)

In-Flight Entertainment 2

2011-07-05T14:10:00.001+03:00

In-Flight Entertainment 2, a photo by Rollofunk on Flickr.

That's more than enough for a 9.5 hours flight