Introduction:

"This blog is not necessarily for lovers of art, it includes a variety of topics and whatever. I'm a painter who likes to know what's really going on in the world today. So you might find anything from Shamrocks to Salmiakki mentioned here on my blog. There will of course be some boring, factual and informational posts, but I'll keep them to a minimum, I promise!

And I might get a bit nostalgic now and then.

So you have been warned!"


- Alan Hogan



Showing posts with label nokia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nokia. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

My Finland 100 : 91- 100







Finland became an independent state on 6 December 1917. Already there have been numerous events staged throughout the country to celebrate this centenary year. The theme of the centenary year is ‘Together’. 


As I have been a resident of Finland for the past ten years I wanted to do a little something. For this I decided to post 100 images to my Instagram account on social media with the hashtag #finland100_igchallenge .




Anyone familiar with the Instagram application will be aware of the vast amount of wonderful photography posted every day online. There are so many amazing images to be found featuring Finland's stunning nature and landscapes. I imagine my photography may be lack lustre in comparison and as a result may not be noticed. So I decided to simply look closer in and around my new home for another approach. I have posted a variety of images found around my own house and neighbourhood. I didn't know much about Finland before I moved here, so I view this as an opportunity to show others a few things I discovered about or associated with Finland and it's culture. I have included everyday items, nostalgic items, locations, food and also some Finnish-themed artworks which I painted myself while living here. In other words, a bit of everything!!




The images are in no particular order of importance or preference, and now I'll finish with 91-100!






91/100
...a much aquired taste, Salmiakki is a salty liquorice sweet/candy from Finland which I tend to keep well away from.🍬 . Instead I prefer it's alcohol-infused cousin in liquid shot form (served cold!)
πŸ·πŸ˜€ ...'bottoms up! .. Have a good Saturday!!!


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




92/100
...Sunday sounds! Hailing from Kitee in Finland, Nightwish have to be the most successful Finnish band internationally ever. The ultimate in symphonic metal! ..Play extremely loud!!! πŸ‘ŠπŸ˜Ž
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




93/100
'Pohjola' is the Finnish word for North. This and many other soapstone sculptures were made by Finnish artist Hilda Flodin for the facade of the Pohjola Insurance building in Helsinki. Her sculptures were inspired by Finnish folklore and blend in perfectly with the wonderful art nouveau style seen throughout the city. They're one of my favourite features in the capital. I painted one of the sculptures with a little 'tongue in cheek' addition of some mobile phones. I called it 'Holding for Hilda'. 

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





94/100
'The Snow Tree' (acrylic-on-canvas, 2009)
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





95/100
..this is the Joulupukki in Finland also known as the Julbocken or Yule goat, a very old Christmas tradition in northern europe which won't be found in my old country Ireland. The joulupukki can even be found on some Christmas beers up here. ...so cheers!!! 🐏 πŸΊπŸ˜€ (ps. Santa Claus is also called Joulupukki in Finland)

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on



96/100
...fakenews and ad-free technology and my favourite era of mobile phone evolution. Nokia have now moved on to creating smartwatches amongst other things. A long way since kiddies' shoes! (see 15/100).
A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




97/100
.. Vodka Veekend! #finnishvodka #tgif πŸ˜€ 🍸

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on



98/100
Postcard from Karis!
...The best little town in Finland!

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




99/100
... Christmas in Finland means glΓΆgg with vodka!! ..kippis! ..skΓ₯l!! πŸ·πŸ˜‚

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on







100/100
Merry Christmas from the home of Santa Claus! ...HyvÀÀ Joulua!! ...God Jul!! ...Have a good one!!πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸ‘

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on


Click below for more:

1- 10

11- 20

21- 30

31- 40

41- 50

51- 60

61- 70

71- 80

81- 90

91- 100


















Share this blog!







Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.








- Alan









 

Thursday, December 7, 2017

My Finland 100 : 11-20







Finland became an independent state on 6 December 1917. Already there have been numerous events staged throughout the country to celebrate this centenary year. The theme of the centenary year is ‘Together’. 


As I have been a resident of Finland for the past ten years I wanted to do a little something. For this I decided to post 100 images to my Instagram account on social media with the hashtag #finland100_igchallenge .

Anyone familiar with the Instagram application will be aware of the vast amount of wonderful photography posted every day online. There are so many amazing images to be found featuring Finland's stunning nature and landscapes. I imagine my photography may be lack lustre in comparison and as a result may not be noticed. So I decided to simply look closer in and around my new home for another approach. I have posted a variety of images found around my own house and neighbourhood. I didn't know much about Finland before I moved here, so I view this as an opportunity to show others a few things I discovered about or associated with Finland and it's culture. I have included everyday items, nostalgic items, locations, food and also some Finnish-themed artworks which I painted myself while living here. In other words, a bit of everything!!

The images are in no particular order of importance or preference, so I'll continue with 11-20...


11/100
Moomin troll is off on a trip today!


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




12/100
So up goes the big midsummer pole in Bromarf and midsummer (Juhannus/Midsommar) celebrations can begin. 

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




13/100
Midnight photoshot, well 12.15am to be precise. 'Could be a bit warmer though, had to wear long trousers tonight!

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




14/100
Tap of the morning!


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on





15/100
...old Nokia - original footwear! πŸ‘ŸπŸ‘Ÿ (click right side of photo for more images)


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




16/100
Old window in Finland.

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




17/100
'Turku Cathedral'


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




18/100

'Taking a break' (acrylic-on-canvas)

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




19/100
Yum! 😘🍯 ...'not the runny kind of honey you find back in Ireland, this finnish honey is solid and tastes great in a hot coffee!!

A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on




20/100
'Raseborg Castle' (Raaseporinlinna, Raseborgs Slott)


A post shared by Alan Hogan (@alanhogano) on

Click below for more:

1- 10

11- 20

21- 30

31- 40

41- 50

51- 60

61- 70

71- 80

81- 90

91- 100






More of my Finland 100 coming soon, but for now I want to share this video I found online which asks the question "What do Finns think about the Finland 100 Years of Independence?" 








Share this blog!



Thanks for reading my blog and please feel free to share it with any of your friends.



- Alan


 

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Mobile Mumbo Jumbo!



Firstly, I have been lazy once again with my blogposts here. I sometimes wonder why I bother really. I suppose it started as simply a hobby, and I've never really stuck with many of the hobbies I started in the past. Unless it's something I might get some kind of satisfaction from or 'a buzz' as they say in Dublin, I quickly get bored! I attempted to make up for my lack of posts by pimping up the design of my blog. I've dumped the dark layout in favour of something a bit brighter. Call it updating if you will, I call it medication. Maybe it's a reaction to the ever-increasing dark evenings here in Finland.  Latest I looked, it was already getting dark at 15.30. 'My way of cheering myself up I suppose. My neighbours have taken the easy approach of switching their Christmas lights on straight after Halloween! 

Another reason for my blog absense has been the changeover of my old Nokia mobile phone for a new Samsung smartphone. Yes folks, I've joined the land of touchscreen goblins and geeks. It feels unusual not hearing the famous Nokia sound anymore. 



The Nokia sound been a part of my life for so many years and was once the only connection I had to Finland when living in Ireland. Little did I know it would take me back to live in it's homeland. A part of me feels like I've betrayed my little friend (or five little friends to be precise!). 
But Samsung are now the top phone on the market (pre-iPhone 5), and I have felt for a long time now that the average Nokia phone was becoming less dependable. Yes, it's nice to see the Lumia edition doing so well, but I would never pay so much for something I could easily let fall down the toilet on a fun night out (for the record, I have never dropped a phone down a toilet!) The casings on my last two phones were nowhere near as sturdy as my previous Nokias from the beginning of the millenium. Now they were indestructable phones full of Finnish Sisu! I even had one which survived a trip in a washing machine. Here a reminder of the faithful Nokias through the years, mobile soft porn for the Nokia connoisseur! (Click images to enlarge)





This was meant to be a post about an art exhibition I attended last week, but I got side-tracked by my newly found geek excitement. So that post will follow separately tomorrow!
For now it's goodbye Nokia, hello Samsung. Until Nokia bring back a more economical and sturdier phone (with a holster), I won't be changing back any time soon. Samsung is perfect for now, but I'm only a novice to the smartphone world!





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-Alan 





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