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If every day I tried to leave work were this eventful, I would probably get home an hour late each day.
Today as I exited the building and walked towards the bus station, I could smell a distinct, vaguely familiar and yet completely bizarre scent in the air. It was something burning.
"What is this? Weed? Is someone smoking weed in the graveyard? Huh?" I sniff-sniffed, looking around, and saw no one smoking although there was this weird guy staring right at me. I carried on, shrugging, and yet the smell persisted.
After a little while of walking, there it was. Firetrucks in the distance, a policecar in front, and a much more dominant smoke smell. The policewoman directed the traffic away from the smoke hovering from up ahead.
I cursed as I tried to get my malevolent camera to work. After about five minutes of turning it on and off with an error constantly showing, I gave up and started to take the detour to the bus station, but a few meters in, it finally turned on properly and I started snapping away.
So here, for your viewing pleasure, Helsinki burrrrns. I also recorded a very shaky, poor video. The most exciting part is probably when the helicopter flies right overhead. Please admire our strong-looking policeman as he explains things to people.
(If the video's not working yet, give it a few mins, I just uploaded it.)
I have no idea what was burning, only where was burning.
Incidentally, here's a shot from my town when I got home. This time it only took me about 3 minutes to get the damn camera to turn on... The sky was so dark and the leaves were so bright.. :) It was a different kind of fire.
04:51 - 8.10.2007 -
 MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!
Serves Helsinki right! Booyah!!
 Hey,
Everyone except whoever was in the building, whoever was fighting the fire, whoever was paying the insurance, and the police probably enjoyed the fire. Little crowds were gathering along all 3 angles of the fire.. :) About a fourth had cameras.
A little bit of excitement in the life of a Helsinki-er! (Still so damn glad I don't live there)
annmi - 05:21 - 8.10.2007
 Smoking!
Hm you say it smelled like weed? As a dutchy I would think right away it was a litttle illigal weed producing greenary that was burning.
With all the warm lamps and bad wirring that come with such illigal activity's it isn't that strange it catches fire.
But then again it was burning in Helsinki not Amsterdam or Rotterdam XP so perhaps it was just a innocent kicthen fire.
Alex aka Lexius - 11:29 - 9.10.2007
Fire water burn
Apparently the fire was caused by something going wrong while they were doing some controlled detonations underground in the rock of the earth. (Yes, pretty much of Finland is built on rock. Means regular explosions from building work.)
So anyway, something went wrong and the cover they make from used tires (tyres, you Brits) caught fire. There is debate whether something illegal took place because these covers obviously don't catch fire usually.
Oh yeah, and it turns out that smoke I was inhaling was poisonous. Cool. I can feel my 3 braincells have been reduced to 1½ already.
annmi - 09:17 - 9.10.2007
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Yes, most of Finland is built on rock... and then there is Turku, which is mostly built on soft clay and soiled toiletpaper.
It really is amazing to think that 4000 years ago the Egyptians built pyramids and vast cities of stone, and 2000 years ago the Romans built an empire on granite and iron, and then, just 750 years ago, some Finnish blokes came across a place so muddy you could almost grow rice there, and said to themselves "Yes, this is where we shall build our city".
..
Haha :D I didn't know that, but then, my knowledge of Finland is truly abysmal.
annmi - 09:38 - 9.10.2007
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No joking, for the past 5 or 6 years, many of the older building in Turku central area have been going through heavy reconstruction that is not visible on the street level. The old massive logs that were used to create a steady building floor have rotted in the mud, and have to be replaced. Imagine, they are literally digging up the old foundations, keeping the building still while they replace them with new steel ones, and in some cases they have even raised the building an inch or two, because they have begun to sink in to the mud. I really do live in a wonderful city...
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That sounds like Lisbon. There's this one section of the city that kind of sank *blup*
annmi - 10:37 - 9.10.2007
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Damn, Alex stole my comment.
thebigp - 04:56 - 10.10.2007
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Sorry BigP.
And about building...here in Holland we build everything on soft ground...have to bang iron poles in the ground before building a house here as well. BANG BANG BANG BANG! That's the typical noice you hear when they building houses here.
Reason everything is soft here is because most of holland used to be the bottom of some sea. Anyway we need poles too otherwise our houses sink just as those Turku one's.
Alex aka Lexius - 12:19 - 10.10.2007
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No! Save the Moomin Shop! I hope it wasn't anywhere near it??
bitzky - 06:21 - 10.10.2007
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No, nowhere near.. plus, they just opened a new one at the airport that sells goods only available at that particular airport shop. :o
annmi - 07:34 - 10.10.2007
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Ooooh! How convenient! :D
bitzky - 12:45 - 11.10.2007
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