Political Monday Panorama

I live on an island, the biggest one in Helsinki. This is a pretty good area to live in. Not a place for the filthy stinking rich (perhaps few), but one does see some pretty expensive cars around. There’s about 17000 of us here.

Last Friday evening refugees were moved to a course center called Vuorilahti (Mountain Bay). I often walk my morning walk with the dogs in front of Vuorilahti. Usually there’s no one there. The place has been empty for 3 years! Last Friday I was walking with a friend and I said to her that look, there’s no one ever here. This could be used for the refugees to be safe. She agreed with me. Later that evening she sent me a text linking to a news headlines that on that Friday refugee families will be taken to Vuorilahti. I was so right!

Saturday morning we walked the same route with my husband. We saw some very polite refugees on the bus stop with their toddles. We exchanged smiles. At that point I had not read the news that the refugees had already settled in. I just thought they were polite individuals. We walked right pass the Vuorilahti course center and I saw more little kids riding bikes in the parking lot area. That’s when I understood that they were refugees. That’s when I started swallow my tears. I just felt so blessed for them to be safe. And it breaks my heart that so many others aren’t. There were cute little innocent biking around with their dads looking over them.

This morning another walk with the dogs by Vuorilahti as usual. Before I reach the center a SUV Mercedes drives passed me and then comes back. The road is a dead end (see the map of this picture). It leads to the sea shore and to the walking paths. About 65-75 year old man rises from the car and asks me if he can ask me a question. Sure I say.

What’s going on here he asks. I tell him that these refugee families with little kids moved here last Friday. He looks disgusted and tells me that now this neighborhood is also ruined. I got furious. I asked him if those people should have been left in the midst of the war? He tells me that he’s experienced war. I tell him that so have these people. I asked him how he dared think about that way. I told him to be ashamed for thinking that way. He drove off, I continued my walk and was about to start to cry again in front of Vuorilahti…

When an adorable little boy around 5 to 6 drove next to me with his adult size old bike and asked me Dogs? I told him Yes. (We really used English as a mutual language.) He got off his bike and wanted to pet the dogs. I showed him how to put his hand out and let the dogs come to him. He petted them for a while and said Thank You. I told him was Very Welcome. We went our separate ways and he then drove after me and yelled Bye and waved to me. Bye Bye I yelled back. He restored my faith in humanity. I’m so happy these kids don’t understand how some people think of them…

Which one do you think I wanna meet tomorrow on my morning walk?

Todays picture is about 300 meters from Vuorilahti course center. In the extra is a picture of what it looks like. I would have wanted to take a picture of the little boy getting friendly with the dogs, but you know I couldn’t do that. Think of that image.

In the extras is the “ruined” area. This is what Vuorilahti looks today. I wouldn’t say that much anything has changed. Adding 2 kids riding their bikes to the landscape. Nothing else.

What I wrote about yesterday before Blipfoto ate my words was about more politics.

Next Friday we’ll have a general strike in Finland about the cuts in benefits, salaries ect. I’m not taking part of it. I don’t believe in it. Also have a day off then. Luckily since there is no public transportation. But if people wanna tell how they feel this way, it’s their right of course. I just wish they would remember that few months back when the Greeks did the same thing, people here said that they should just suck it up. If you don’t have the money you can’t use it. We don’t have the money so we shouldn’t use it, right?

I wonder if these people understand that they held double standards for themselves and others, or don’t they just make the connection? Put your money where your mouth is!

I’m so ashamed of what’s going on here. I know there are loads of good people too, and there’s even a movement that gathers people who will not go on strike on Friday. But mostly I’m just so ashamed of these polarization. We should use the energy to build, not tear apart.