Doubleback kickback!

Last week was crazy again with gazbillion business related things. As a grande finale, we met with Mr Ilkka Immonen, the dude who hangs out with almost everybody in Finnish game business. I had to wake up at 6am, do-this-do-that, drive off to Rovaniemi to meet Mr Ilkka.

I had the most interesting mindspace about going to Rovaniemi. The previous night, I noticed that it has been exactly 20 years since I, as a youngling, threw my crayons and pens on the back seat of an old Volksvagen Golf and drove out from my home town to study a bit of Japanese on a two months course. I remember I left my atari ST behind on purpose so as to not to code or do anything computer related.

The plan worked, after two months I was perfectly capable to get frustrated with my japanese. Then in september, our sensei, Mr Kina, asked if i'd like to come over to his family home in Okinawa for a while. Said yes, fast forward 20 years and i'm still perfectly capable of getting frustrated with my Japanese. I was thinking of the wild ride Japan has been for me (turned my life over a number of times) and got a bit emotional too.. one of those things.

Anyway, our meeting with Ilkka was really great, lots of good information and advice about what to do next and so on. The drive was well worth it. While I was waiting for the man, a reporter from local radio station paged me and said she'd like to do a small feature about Camp Hastur. I said yes! Also Ilkka asked me if I'd agree to be included in an article about startups in Lappland (the northernmost and biggest part of Finland is called Lappland). Another Yes! So Camp Hastur is getting some groovy publicity, fantastic.

At the camp we've had the Kulttuurivoimala group gathering, that one is about building a space for artists and creative enterpreneurs here in Tornio inside an old beer factory. Very guerrilla, very exciting.

Team Voimala! Johanna brought a lovely plant to Camp Hastur =)

KristaMaarit soundcheck city at 3"

After a week of hard pushing with a number of things, it was time to drive down to Oulu, pick up my friends who were playing a live in Raahe that night. Lots of driving, free food, being a roadie/stage tech/sound engineer, going places to drink vodka, waking up early to go and set up the next venue followed. The gigs were really great, 3" kuppila in Raahe was a really nice venue and the reception was awesome again. Our co-op musician Olli plays bass in the band (called KristaMaarit) and the stuff is totally awesome. Go see them live if you're around Oulu or Rovaniemi this summer.

Another fun little thing is that for the opening of the culture power mill (voimala) we're continuing the tradition of HASTUROCK rock festivus. It's vol2 this year and the date is 31.8.2013. Yup, KristaMaarit will be headlining there. So, that's the time to discard any nerdiness and hop on a train to Tornio to feel the noise. There Will Be An Osuuskunta Hastur special afterski lounge! Ping us at our facebook page and tell us you're coming, special arrangements will be made for our guests.

This week, back to filling forms and riding the moped. The finnish midsummer, Juhannus, is closing in and we're trying to find a secluded spot in the forest to go skinny dipping. Finland, Finland, Finland, the country where I like to be. ;P

Have a nice midsummer folks!
Sami
Hastur