As annoying these two guys are, we also have much fun together. It feels that Mauro hasn't been eating with us in ages (and it suits me kinda well) and it has mostly been just me, Sanny and Beppe. Few mental notes.

* Do not tell to Beppe that "Sanni" is actually a girl's name in Finnish. Now he thinks Sanny is a transvestite. (But it's OK since as we go to see the Santa Claus in Finland (of course, we'd be traveling with reindeers) Sanny can be our prostitute and earn us some money on the way. Yeah, Beppe really has planned our whole trip through. )

* If there's some woman's name shown at TV (mostly at Cultura Moderna, my favorite Italian program), do not ask who she is. If Beppe knows her, it is most likely to be someone who's been on Big Brother, and after that done few calendars. Or just done calendars. (YEP. That kind of calendars. )

* But if you skipped the previous one and asked anyway, do NOT look at her picture (which he most likely has in his phone). Even though she might have something to wear does not mean that you couldn't see her breasts as clearly as if she hadn't got anything on her.

* If Sanny says hello, it's just better to say hello back, otherwise he'll scream it at your ear.

* Do not try to tell your opinions about using salt.

* If trying to take a daynap, remember to use some earplugs as they come home from work at midday. Is there more horrible way to wake up than hear they're screaming your name (just to tell that they're at home) or hear them singing Tiziano Ferro-songs?

Other mental notes.

* Do not touch at boss's coffee. Hello, is there some coffee in this cup of sugar?

* While drinking the last drops of water from the bottle, do NOT squeeze the air out of it at the same time, it's suicidal. 

Btw, love the song "Hold on" from KT Tunstall. The video is good, too.

TUSKA!

Somehow I managed to get my ass in Helsinki and to Kaisaniemi. Since this was my first time in Tuska-festival, I didn't know where to go.. but then I just went ahead and saw everyone wearing black. BINGO.

Then just rolling around. Until I remembered that there might be autographing session with D'espa. DAMMIT!! It had ended bout 5 minutes ago as I found the place and the next band there would be Stratovarius! I kept myself calm UNTIL I found Moony-chan (we saw each other for the first time few weeks ago in Solitary-meeting, so I recognized her easily) who told me that she had pics and the autographs. And I think she also had hugged the guys. Shit, shit, shit. I knew this was coming but..!! SHIT.

As the band was playing in one hour or so, we went to take our "places" with Moony and her friend (whose name I can't remember). There was face that looked kind of familiar to me. Next to her was girl, whose face I couldn't see, but I was quite sure still. I waved at the first girl, who said "hello?" back to me. Then I knocked the other girl on her shoulder and she DID recognize me. Actually she screamed and came to give me hug. She was Bianca, and the other girl (at this point she also remembered me) was Fefe. We were at the same queue to see D'espa last winter at Tavastia :D People you only met at special occasions.. Also Heli was there, obviously, and in the first row. Lucky lucky lucky. And Caitleen too.

Then.. the.. gig.. started! The first song was - surprise to anyone? - Damned. There was an intro absolutely toooo loooong! (Not really but it felt like that.) And oh my goddesses Hizumi looked so mind-blowing in his leatherjacket and leather gloves. I was standing between Hizumi and Karyu, about the third row. We all screamed and jumped. Go figure? They played just the new songs. Which kind of a sucked. AND besides that, not even Kogoeru.. / Closer to ideal! Everyone agreed with me about this: just one Garnet, or maybe Born..

Which surprised me was HOLLOW. I've never liked that song that much, but at the stage it ROCKS!!! Second to "Damned" it was one of the best moments of the gig! Hizumi asked us to sing it with him, and oh yes we did. It was awesome.

After the gig we walked to Kamppi with Moony and her friend. At the busstation I started to listen few girls talking about Tuska. I stalked them for few sentences until the magic word "Hizumi" popped out. And so I started talking to them.. Other one introduced herself to be 

direnwe

This is the next best thing with jrock-gigs. You never know how many friends you can make!

RUISSI!

After horrible morning I arrived to Turku busstation, without makeup and feeling tired. I didn't have a clue (or there were maps, and I decided to read them wrong..) where was the center: so I just started walking. I found UFF by accident, actually I already passed it - until something drew me there. It could do no harm just to have a look at the leatherjackets there, right? Right. Five minutes later I walked out with my new, knee-long brown leatherjacket. Only 70 euros, or 68, because I got some discount since I wrote my name on a paper and they gave me a member-card of UFF. Only 'cause it gave me the discount.

It wasn't that hard to find a bus to Ruissalo. I had read about it, but still it pissed me off to walk 2 kilometers to the area. After all, managed to do it.. where I immediately went to buy myself D'espa-t-shirt. The last one. Size XL.. Haha! I can SLEEP on it! Niiiice. Then I went to harass tattooing & piercing-people, asking about a tongue piercing. The woman talked with me, but wasn't sooo into the talking so I left her be and decided to look for the stage. It was early morning, and only few people there. I enjoyed it.

At the stage was Rubik playing. Poor Rubik! Nice gig, I think, but all the D'espa-fans on the front rows! I joined and in minutes managed to see Katrin, as I already knew she'd be on the audience. She was with 

_pavla_

This time the first song was Mirror. Or I believe it was. The songlist was slightly different but in a good way. First we went mad for Closer to ideal. And in some point, when everything was as quiet as ever, Hizumi whispered in the microphone.

Garnet.  Go figure, everyone started to scream and scream and scream and we were near to tears. It was sooooo goooood that I have no words.

After the gig they announced.. oh my goddesses.. an autograph-session!! Goddammit!! Thanks to Katrin, Caitleen and whoever was involved, we got the autographs in Mirror-booklets. Hizumi was third on the table, and I was just shaking!!! And then I hugged him. He was so small and cute and handsome and so adorable. Quite a contrast to his stage-appearance. Which is just full of sex. /SORRY. It has to be said!/ And then we just sat on the grass, and watched them. (Soon after me the huggind was forbidden.) Hizumi gave some looks to Katrin. CCCCCCCUUUUTTTTEEE!!! Katrin and Caitleen went to backstage to get their interviews, and I listened to Sonata Arctica (later I saw their bus at the busstation. The bus, and the driver, not the band.) while eating some chinese. As I was finding myself out of the area, I passed "Hevikaraoke". Mmhn, someone is singing quite good.. and that singer happened to be Ari "Idol" Koivunen! Must admit, he's good.

D'espairs Ray (some girl whined at me at the IRC-gallery that it should be spelled D'espairsRay, without space between the words.. I couldn't care less.) did it again. There is NO BETTER BAND!!!!

Some pictures. 



Ruisrock. Ah if I just get my hands on you. (BUT I DID!!!!!!)

Ruisrock. Or maybe Tsukasa is the cutest of all? 



Ruisrock. And Karyu: twelwe points. 



Ruisrock. This is for 

virania