#Finnish beauty queens

[conandaily2022]

Sa Myer Oo biography: 13 things about Miss Suomi 2023 finalist from Myanmar

Sa Myer Oo (စန်းမြာဦး) is a Burmese-Finnish beauty queen from Vaasa, Finland. Her Karenni parents had to flee the Karen conflict in Kayin State, Myanmar, formerly known as Karen State, Burma. “They arrived at the Thai border,” Sa said of her parents in an interview with The Irrawaddy. “I was born while they were fleeing. There was no doctor. My mother told me that I only weighed 2 kilos when I…

[kingofreturn41]

[tuherrus]

adalminan helmi or adalmina's pearl is a finnish fairytale by zachris topelius about a princess who's given gifts by two fairies as she's born, the first one giving a pearl that will grant her ever-growing beauty, intelligence and wealth, though should she ever lose it then she'll also lose all those things with it until she finds the pearl again the second fairy's gift is that if she does lose the pearl she'll gain a kind and humble heart instead

it's another fairytale illustration and this was the one story out of finnish fairytales that i probably read the most, and it was a favorite of mine as a kid (it still might be, sometimes it's hard to decide) and i wanna summarize a bit more in detail what happens at least in the version i'm most familiar with under the cut, but there's some other variations of it out there too!

so the king and queen deem that the second gift is worthless bc they'll be having servants around adalmina day and night to make sure the pearl, now fashioned into a crown, never disappears or falls off in the first place (and that the first gifts are better suited for a princess regardless)

as she grows older, she does become more beautiful, intelligent and wealthy but also grows selfish, arrogant and even cruel to the people around her

she's resentful of anyone she thinks dares to be more beautiful, intelligent or wealthy compared to her, even stomping on flowers as "she's the only one allowed to be beautiful"

when adalmina turns fifteen she's grown bored of the castle walls and decides to venture out, coming across a pond upon seeing her own reflection she can't help but stop and admire it and do so very closely

of course this is when her crown with the magical pearl tips off of her head and falls into the pond, taking all of her gifts with it and leaving her with amnesia

now appearing as a poor peasant girl and not knowing who she is, a terrified adalmina runs into the forest and comes across a cottage where an old woman lives alone

she takes pity on the lost girl and decides to take adalmina in her care if she helps her with herding goats, and adalmina embraces her in gratitude and promises to help however she can

she's then described to be happier than ever before by living a simple life, now surrounded by a glow that's "not born from shine on the surface, but the kind that comes from the inside of anyone with a good heart"

three years pass by, and a prince comes across the cottage in the forest (i think in some versions he's searching for the missing adalmina specifically) and finds himself falling in love with adalmina as he sees her working from a distance he stops by a pond to have a drink of water and discovers adalmina's pearl in the water, deciding that he'll give the crown to the shepherd girl he saw (again this is different in some other versions where he brings the crown back to the king and queen and it's then tried on all the girls in the kingdom to see who it fits in order to find adalmina as the crown only fits her)

as he places the crown on her head she's revealed to be the lost princess, now restored with all the gifts she had before on top of the kind and humble heart

adalmina returns to the castle to her parents, taking the old woman with her and apologizes to everyone she had hurt

later on she marries the prince and the story ends with "adalmina and her pearl are lovely, but much more lovely is her kind and humble heart, which is more valuable than a pearl"

[andthisisdia]

Ever After High Character Nationalities Based on Their Fairy Tale Origins:

Rebels:

•C.A Cupid is Greek

•Cedar Wood is Italian

•Cerise Hood is French

•Darling Charming is French

•Ginger Breadhouse is German

•Humphrey Dumpty is British

•Hunter Huntsman is French/German (he is the future hunter in two fairy tales. Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. This is my headcanon but I give him a dual nationality)

•Jackie Frost is Northern European

•Jillian Beanstalk is British

•Kitty Cheshire is British

•Madeline Hatter is British

•Melody Piper is German

•Nina Thumbell is French

•Northwind is Northern European

•Poppy O'Hair is German

•Raven Queen is German

•Rosabella Beauty is French

•Sparrow Hood is British

•Tiny is British

Royals:

•Alistair Wonderland is British

•Apple White is German

•Ashlynn Ella is Greek

•Blondie Lockes is British

•Briar Beauty is Italian/French/German (the story has several versions in Europe)

•Bunny Blanc is British

•Courtly Jester is British

•Daring Charming is French

•Dexter Charming is French

•Duchess Swan is Russian

•Farrah Goodfairy is Greek

•Faybelle Thorn is Italian/French (fairies are born as origin in these countries)

•Holly O'Hair is German

•Hopper Croakington II is German

•Justine Dancer is Finnish

•Lilly-Bo Peep is British

•Lizzie Hearts is British

•Meeshell Mermaid is Danish

[chacolatepocky]

Twisted wonderland nationality headcanons

BTW NONE OF THIS IS CANON I DON'T THINK AND IT'S ALL MY OPINION FEEL FREE TO AGREE OR DISAGREE JUST DON'T HATE ON ME 💔💔💔💔💔

Heartslabyul:

Riddle rosehearts: British

Trey clover: British

Cater diamond: American

Deuce spade: British

Ace trappola: British

__________________________________________

Savanaclaw:

Leona kingscholar: Kenyan

Ruggie bucchi: Kenyan

Jack howl: American

__________________________________________

Octavinelle:

Azul ashengrotto: Danish

Jade leech: Danish

Floyd Leech: Danish

__________________________________________

Scarabia:

Kalim Al asim: Moroccan

Jamil viper: Moroccan

__________________________________________

Pomfiore:

Vil Schonenheit: German

Rook hunt: Ivory coast

Epel felmier: Sámi / Finnish

__________________________________________

Ignihyde:

Idia shroud: Greek

Ortho shroud: Greek

__________________________________________

Diasomnia:

Malleus Draconia: French

Lilia vanrouge: French

Silver: French

Sebek zigvolt: French

__________________________________________

Staff:

Crewel: British

Trein: French

Vargas: Italian

Crowley: French

__________________________________________

other characters:

Neige: Belgian / French

Chenya: British

Rollo: French

__________________________________________

Now for brief explanations:

I hc Most of heartslabyul as British because of Alice in wonderland (Set in Britain) and most of the characters are from the Queendom of roses. I Hc Cater as American because it just fits tbh.

I hc Leona and Ruggie from Kenya because that (allegedly) where the lion king is set in. I hc Jack as american because it fits (x2)

I hc all of octavinelle as Danish because of the little mermaid statue in Copenhagen and the little mermaid movie itself is set in Denmark.

i hc Scarabia as Moroccan because Aladdin is set in a Arabian country (Not said which one specifically) but i chose Morocco because it just felt like it fit.

I hc Vil as German because 1( The evil queen is German 2( Schonenheit is a German name. I hc Rook from ivory Coast because he's canonically from sunset Savanna but I wanted to choose a African country that speaks French as the main language so I picked that. I Hc Epel as Sámi, because I saw a post about how his hometown models a lot after Sámi culture, I hc that he is Sámi from Finland.

I feel like ignihyde is very self explanatory, Idia is based off Hades (Greek god of the underworld) and the Isle of woe resembles Greece

I hc Diasomnia is French only because Sleeping beauty takes place in france.

I hc Neige as Belgian mostly because He's supposed to be snow White (German princess) but his name is in French, And Belgiums main three languages are German, French and dutch.

I hc Crewel as British because he's from the Queendom of roses

I hc Trein as French because it feels right idk

I hc Vargas as Italian because Vargas is a Italian last name (i think)

I hc Crowley as French because im pretty sure he's a fae and probably from briar valley

The others are pretty explanatory I think...?

[deusvervewrites]

Wildcard AU: reading through this, I realize not many personas were discussed for the Dekusquad, and so, I wanted to give my two cents on who would own which hero, and maybe what their persona does.

Iida: Pheidippides, the one who ran from Marathon to Athens to tell of the Greek's victory against the Persians at the battle of Marathon (where the sport gets the name from) before dying of exhaustion. Wind element with accuracy Debuffs.

Todoroki: Merlin, know for being the advisors to the "Main" hero of the stories (Uther and Arthur Pendragon), with magical powers from an unnatural birth. Magic Damage buffs and single-target elemental spells.

Uraraka: Princess Kaguya, daughter to bamboo cutters (commoners), who grants wealth to her parents from her presence, only to be later out of reach by her own desires. Light element attacks (assuming light can do damage like P5) and Ailment inflicting skills.

Asui: I'd like it to be Jiraiya, but that's been done in P4, so I'm not sure. Electric damage skills and accuracy/evasion buffs.

Yaoyorozu: Boudica, Queen of the Inceni Brittish people and "Lady of Victory" who led an (unsuccessful) uprising against the Roman empire. Navigational (as stated prior)

Inko: Lemminkäinen, Finnish hero who dies in the rivers of the underworld, who's mother fished his remains out with a magic rake, before putting him back together. It would have been the mother instead, but I cannot find her name anywhere. Healing and ailment/debuff neutralizing.

Bakugo: Achilles, one the other most known heroes of Greek myth (mirroring Midoriya), who was a great warrior and invincible in battle, save for a fatal flaw. Physical attack and fire skills with Amps, resistant to physical damage, but not immune.

Eri: Deirdre (as stated), Irish heroine who's beauty was prophesized to bring bloodshed that would kill the three greatest warriors of Ulster. Healing and Ice element magic.

All Might: Samuel Steele, Canadian Mountie and "Lion of the Yukon" who kept the peace between Canadian settlers and the First nation people, and made the Klondike Goldrush into one of the most organized goldrushes in history. Physical attacks and defensive buffs.

Interesting choices. I mentioned Uraraka having Atlanta once but I'm flexible on that if I like something else better. I should also note that not all of Midoriya's social links will end up with Personas of their own.

It hasn't come up but I did decide that Bakugou's eventual Persona is Mwindo

[bunny-heels]

finished the Night Springs DLC. im so fuckin happy. thoughts under cut. spoilers of course

ROSE'S EPISODE WAS SO FUN I WILL NOT HEAR ANY SLANDER FOR IT. her dialogue was so silly and all the lil fanfic cliches were so fun and cute i was losing it SO Bad. the whole rose-tint effect over everything and her romanticizing Alan just uses her. Rose sweetie you poor girl. but god i love her enthusiasm so much. she's a misguided sweetheart. i need more of her forever. also her being the one to swoon Alan lowering him while covered in blood. Queen behavior.

Jesse's episode is what made me realize these probably take place WAY before the main game. at least Jesse's episode does. i loved her interactions with Tim and all the lil creepy moments with the brainwashing and bring just, in a weird dark place version of Coffee World. the math problem was a lil hard for me only cause i got so confuses cause i havent done math in so long. i also dont know what was up with the messages in the stash boxes??? i hope they mean something, i mean they definitely do but i just have no idea what. her ending was so weird tho. Alan being her brother instead of Dylan was huge whiplaah and i fully didnt expect it. but i did love it.

but Tim's episode. holy fuck. what the fuck was that. first of all Sam is adorable and i love that he's able to perfectly replicate the level of autism he has for his real games onto his character self's fake games. secondly, the different mediums, oh my god. the comic killed me with the panels of multiple Sam's, Shawn's and Illka's. i was out of my mind. AND THE QUANTUM BREAK REFERENCE WITH DOOR FINDING THAT SHIT IN THE CAVE? SAM THERE ARE MICEOSOFT SNIPERS OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE THEY'LL KILL YOU!!!!!! the fucking tango song im so happy it made a comeback. THE FINNISH POSTER FOR DEATH RALLY BTW???? WHERE ZANE IS ACTING AA THE MAIN CHARACTER???? IM CRYING FOREVER???? and that text adventure ending. oh god that ending made me insane. the wording of the situation was beautiful. and i loved ASCII art Alan. so cute.

THE LIL MEMORIAL THING FOR JAMES ALSO. ugh idk how i didnt cry. that was so sweet. i miss that man so fucking much. i really hope if they ever bring Casey back that the next guy who voices him does it justice.

god i loved this whole DLC. it was so fun and i had such a good time. i cant wait for Lake House to come out, i'll lose it so hard

[raikkonenvettels]

Makkinen <3

aaaaah ximm!!! thank you so much for the ask, i love my beloved old men <333

who hogs the duvet

it’s alway the germans that do it!!! i imagine michael visiting finland for the first time and he he freezes his ass off with like 3 blankets on meanwhile mika is ok just cuddling him without a blanket on wkdnen

mika teases the fuck out of him (“didn’t know THE michael schumacher’s weakness would be a little cold weather”)

who texts/rings to check how their day is going

idk why but mika? i think michael is way more reckless so mika is worried skdjej

who's the most creative when it comes to gifts

i have no idea but i think mika is one to give small but meaningful gift while michael goes ALL OUT

who gets up first in the morning

mmm maybe in this case they get up together? or even mika gets up first and michael follows suit!

who suggests new things in bed

michael. he is a kinky shit you cannot tell me otherwise

who cries at movies

micheal but he doesn’t want to admit it (he just doesn’t look at mika as the movies progress. mika is concerned™️ but when he notices the tears he just smiles fondly and lets it go)

who gives unprompted massages

i seriously have zero idea for this one ngl 😭

who fusses over the other when they're sick

michael 😭 he is a drama queen and he gets so worried!!! mika is always really calm about most things and he knows michael is going to be fine anyway (even if he is dramatic about it)

who gets jealous easiest

in this case i think both bc ofc mika gets jealous bc duh his husband is a 7 time world champion and he is one of the most charming people alive, even if he knows michael loves him like no other

but michael… listen we all know mika is super pretty and handsome and michael has always been jealous when people other than him flirt with him skdksks

who has the most embarrassing taste in music

i have no idea tbh but i will say mika from vibes alone akdjsj

who collects something unusual

i have no idea why but i feel like mika collects things like stamps aksnsk

who takes the longest to get ready

it’s micheal akdjsj (they always arrive late because mika has to shoot down at least 3 outfits choices from michael because they are not appropriate for the place they are going to akdjsjs)(“no michael, the fur coat is not a good option for the gala, stop bringing it up!!!”)

who is the most tidy and organised

definitely mika AHAH

who gets most excited about the holidays

i think both actually!!! they both love spending time with family and being together doing silly christmas stuff i think :)

who is the big spoon/little spoon

michael is the big spoon and mika the little spoon i think (not saying this just bc michael has beautiful arms and mika 100% loves being held in them or anything ofc not…………)

who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports

i want to say both but it’s deffo michael aodksk mika is way too chill these days to care that much

who starts the most arguments

i also think they don’t argue much, they can usually communicate pretty calmly (the one who is most heated in the beginning of the arguments is deffo michael)

who suggests that they buy a pet

MIKA HE WANTS ALL THE TURTLES THE STORE HAS TO OFFER!!!

what couple traditions they have

i feel like their anniversaries are always extremely special and they always celebrate them in special ways

what tv shows they watch together

is modern f1 considered a tv show bc they wpuld watch that and laugh akdjsj

what other couple they hang out with

i know i’m biased but SIMI. they are their mentors and i love to think seb and kimi always manage to go and visit them once in a while to catch up

how they spend time together as a couple

idk why but they give the vibes to be one of those could that just spend their time being retired together just enjoying the quiet and looking at the finnish landscape

who made the first move

you cannot tell me michael’s bold ass didn’t just confess his undying love for mika when he knew the finn was retiring it’s canon to me

who brings flowers home

micheal i think!!! i think he is one of those people that is like “i saw them and i thought about you”

who is the best cook

i think mika? i just know michael would have so many talents just… not cooking akdkssk

[soitamulle]

i tought we might take a moment to appreciate the striking cover art of finnish translations of the first 3 vampire chronicles!

the artist is hannele vanha-aho.

this is how the books looked like when i dragged them home from a local library some 23 (?) years ago. i still love these covers!!

interview with the vampire was first published in finnish in 1992 as "veren vangit" ( = prisoners of blood), translated by hanna tarkka, who also translated the following ones ->

the vampire lestat, "vampyyri lestat", published in 1993, and ->

the queen of the damned, "kadotettujen kuningatar", in 1994.

two decades later these three remain the only books in whole vampire chronicles that have been translated in finnish. (other works by anne rice haven't been published in finnish either, except for: the beauty books. makes me wonder about finland's publishing houses' priorities 😒)

so of course, after finishing these three, i had no other option but to pick up my first ever book in english, the tale of the body thief, when i was 14. which basically means it was lestat who taught me english (thank you monsieur de lioncourt!). and it warms my heart to have recently learnt that a few other of my friends have actually had this exact same experience! truly some life-altering literature.

[beauty-and-passion]

Eurovision 2023: more about the true winner because I said so

Hey, guess who is not over Eurovision 2023 yet.

It’s me, I am who.

I have never been so invested and still so obsessed over this year’s Eurovision. I mean, I am always hit by the post-depressive phase of Eurovision, but that lasts a couple days - during which I usually go through all the beautiful moments and listen to all the songs on repeat - then I’m back to my regular schedule of stupidly long analyses and fanfictions.

(By the way, sorry for all the Americans who follow me and have no idea of what I’m talking about or what happened in this year’s Eurovision. Just bear with me, I will come back to posting Sanders Sides stuff. Just not today)

This year... well, this year was truly something. And if the last year and the one before I was like “aww, what beautiful moments, I miss seeing these people having fun”, now it’s all mushed into one ball of feelings. I look at those artists having fun with the eyes of someone who saw how things went down. I look at them celebrating the true winner after the finale and I have this strange mix of nostalgia and heaviness.

I am not mad anymore for the result. Or better: I am and I will always be because 200 people stepped over the will of millions. But what this loss caused is just so fascinating and so unique, I want to keep exploring it - and maybe talking a little bit more about the true winner of Eurovision 2023 will help me process my feelings too.

Or I just will satisfy my need to ramble more about this incredible Finnish man, either way.

______________________

The sheer power of charisma

When you watch the entirety of Käärijä’s journey on this Youtube channel (and I suggest you do it, because it gives you a lot of food for thought), you notice a lot of interesting details.

From the moment he won the national competition and knew he had to go to Eurovision, Käärijä knew his only rival would’ve been Loreen. He said right from the start that it would’ve ended up with a confrontation between Sweden and Finland. He liked other songs and thought they could’ve been good opponents - but it’s pretty clear he knew the only one who could’ve opposed him was Sweden.

And he knew that Loreen was good. Even though I do not like her songs, even I have to admit she has good vocals. Sure, the vocals are the only thing I understand because she mumbles the rest of the song, but the vocals aren’t bad.

Käärijä knew she was the favorite to win. He praised her performance and called her “queen”, so he has been the first one to recognize her as a worthy opponent. He wasn’t so naive to think “I can easily beat her”.

However, he had some tricks up his sleeves. He knew his song was perfect for Eurovision, he basically designed it for that. He knew his performance would’ve got people’s attention. And he knew he had a lot of charisma.

You can say anything you want about him, but you cannot deny this man is charismatic. And this is a lot interesting, because charisma doesn’t have an exact definition and it’s not the same for everyone. And yet, we can all recognize and identify it as “charisma” when we see it.

The definition Wikipedia offers is that charisma is “a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects”. And it’s undeniable that Käärijä has it. He has that genuine, simple honesty we see in childrens only and this activates our protective instincts, because we feel the need to protect him too. He is funny and makes us smile and everyone loves to smile and have fun. He is simple and humble and that makes him look more approachable and friendly than a superstar.

And his presence on stage is very, very good. He’s eye-catching and he knew it very well. He was the flashiest and the most interesting to look at - both because of his clothes and his appearance. Just compare him to the Cyprus guy: I don’t even remember the Cyprus guy’s face, but I doubt I will ever forget that iconic neon green bolero.

And I am sure he knew that very well. He knew the public would’ve loved him. He knew he would’ve gotten a lot of points because of the public. He knew he would’ve connected with them and not with the jury.

And so it was. The numbers are clear: he was and still is the public’s favorite. His result is the second highest in history right after Kalush Orchestra’s. The entire arena sang with him. During the voting portion, they kept calling his name. Everyone called him “winner”. As the Estonian singer Alika told him: “you had the public when they announced Loreen won”.

And by knowing that, I can understand why he was so bummed. He literally had everything: the perfect song, the charisma, public’s support. And I am pretty sure that, if the public gave more points to Loreen, he would’ve accepted his defeat easier.

But it wasn’t like that: he got more points than her in both the semifinal and the final. He has always been the public’s winner, right from the start. And even if he would've gotten the theoretical maximum of public votes from Europe (432), he still would've ended up behind Sweden.

Losing because 222 people gave your opponent an unbeatable lead isn’t something easy to digest. I mean, it’s been days and I haven’t digested it yet! And I am definitely not a singer, nor I did take part in the competition. However, I voted for him and, well, I am quite pissed that my money got wasted because of a stupid unfair system. The EBU should really refund everyone who tried to vote, considering there was no way to defeat the sheer power of the jury.

So, well, the competition ended with the public’s favorite losing the piece of glass. I will get over it, everyone will get over it. Käärijä himself will get over it - now he’s still rightfully sad about it, but as he said, life goes on.

And he will soon realize that losing the competition turned him into something more than a simple winner.

______________________

The birth of a legend

If Käärijä won, he would’ve been just the winner of Eurovision 2023. People would’ve loved him like they love Kalush Orchestra or Maneskin. Everyone would’ve been happy, a little bit of post-Eurovision depression as always and we would’ve forgotten it.

But losing had an even bigger impact, because Käärijä didn’t step down to second place, but over the first place. Being so spectacularly wronged in front of the world made him ascend to the status of legend and the public went crazy for him. Cha Cha Cha reached the top of Spotify's top 50 global, people from all European countries called him “the true winner” and I’ve seen more than one American, who knew nothing about Eurovision, watch his performance and protest for the result as well.

Even Tumblr was affected by this: the tag Eurovision trended for 3 days after its ending and, after it stopped trending, Käärijä kept doing it for days. And he’s still doing it, so good job people, let’s keep the party going on for a little longer: we all deserve it, after all. You know, as a little FUCK YOU to the jury.

What about Youtube? His grand final performance reached ca. 9 mln views in three days and if you check the comment section, is full of people calling him the true winner as well.

Heck, the Eurovision channel made a video specifically about his journey, like the usually do for winners only (in fact, they did one for Loreen. And Käärijä’s video got more views than Loreen’s in one single day).

And all over Europe people are still protesting and asking for the voting system to change. The Norway delegation asked it first and I fully support them, because they are constantly robbed by the jury. I liked Duncan Lawrence’s Arcade in 2019, but KEiiNO was a completely different level. (And if you loved KEiiNO too, please check their Youtube channel because they have made a lot of other songs and OH MY GOSH THEY ARE ALL GREAT)

Käärijä united Europe with his music and his energy and I understand why Finnish people are so proud of him: there are very few artists who are able to connect people so well. And he did it by using his mother tongue, not English! That’s an even bigger win imho, because it proves that if you have a great song, a strong performance and incredible charisma, people will appreciate you and go past the language barrier without any problem.

That’s why humankind loves music, after all: because it doesn’t need to be understood word by word, to reach people’s hearts.

______________________

The hero’s journey

There are many reasons why people fell in love with this funky green man and they all differ: someone loves his bubbly personality, others were touched by his genuinity, others just fell on the ground laughing and who doesn’t love someone that makes you laugh? And yes, there are some who are just horny for him and you are valid too, because he’s a good-looking man.

However, I think that the main reason why so many people got so invested, it’s because he had the perfect hero’s journey.

He already had a story perfect for a movie, even before starting Eurovision: when he was younger, he was diagnosed with colitis ulcerosa and the disease almost took his life (this post has an interview with all details). But because of that experience, he realized life is short and he should’ve pursued what he truly wanted - i.e. singing. I mean, this alone is perfect material for a movie already.

But now he got another story, and it’s even more like a movie: the story of the young man no one knew, who left his city in his small country, to reach the big European stage. A man with a funny spirit, who connected with everyone despite his broken English - and he wonderfully improved it along the way. Just look at how much more confident he became! Truly a masterful example of how we should just talk and make mistakes, in order to get better in another language.

So we followed the adventures of this funny man and of the friends he made along the way. We had fun and cried for the beauty of his friendship with Bojan (he literally called Käärijä “my new brother” and a small part of my heart that was broken got immediately healed). We got involved in his climbing to the top, we saw him face the behemoth that was opposing him and hoped for him to overcome it.

And he got the tragic conclusion of a hero’s journey: a hero who won and yet still lost.

People love this shit. We have always loved the story of the little one against the unbeatable enemy, the nobody who got the recognition he deserves, the kind heart defeated by the corrupt system. Those are all things that touch people and all aspects of the hero’s journey. And people naturally hope for a happy ending, so if we get a sad, bad or unfair one instead, we tend to feel even more empathetic towards the protagonist. And if your protagonist is as lovable as he is, the feeling is 100x stronger.

I really don’t know if the national juries expected this to happen, when they knew who the public’s favourite was and yet decided to award a different artist. But by doing that, they became the perfect enemy to close Käärijä’s journey and build a legend.

So, well, thanks for sucking so much. You built the legend you didn’t want to.

And yes, Käärijä’s enemy IS NOT Loreen. Loreen did her thing, she didn’t bribe the judges to give her votes. The problem is the jury’s power. So, for all the people who are still harrassing her: please stop hating this woman, she just did what other artists did too.

And since we’re talking about her, please stop saying shit like “She shouldn’t have participated!” too, because this is both very stupid (everyone is allowed to participate in Eurovision) and very disrespectful towards Käärijä himself. It’s a bit like saying that sure, he was good, but, like, you know, not enough good.

And this is totally wrong because this man has been able to defeat Loreen twice, both during the semifinal and the final (at least according to the votes that matter). So stop undermining his ability: he is a good artist. Actually, an artist so good only Loreen was able to compete against him.

And if you still think it’s right to hate Loreen for whatever reason, then I would like to bring this to your attention:

The king literally proposed to Loreen. And, considering how accurate was his foresight about the whole competition, I think it’s time we start to think about when it will happen and how many children they will have.

So if you are still harassing her: stop protesting for the piece of glass and ask her when will they get married, instead. We need to know.

Also, wouldn’t that be an even more perfect ending for Käärijä’s hero’s journey? Not only the great evil (aka the jury) will be defeated, but he will marry the only woman strong enough to oppose him. 100/10 I want a movie now.

And yes, I know Käärijä also proposed to Bojan and they are fathers of a baby sea lion. But what’s the problem? Doesn’t Käärijä have two hands? With one hand can hold Bojan, with the other Loreen, duh.

(Then he will probably need another hand for Selena from Austria, because I think she developed a little crush on him but hey, that’s the life of a hero I guess.)

______________________

Have you listened to his other songs yet?

I just want to confirm they are bops and you should listen to them immediately. Also, do not forget his concert on Saturday that will be available worldwide. Let’s show love to the king.

And yes, that means another post will come out. I mean, there are still so many things we need to know! I want to see the photos of that mural people are doing for him in Vantaa, I want to see the music collaboration between him and Bojan, I want to see them visiting little Edgar at the zoo. And I can’t wait to hear about his future European tour, because he has to do one. And maybe that will fully convey him how big his impact has been indeed.

As people told him in the after party, he conquered the world. Now he just needs to see it for himself.

[discolesbo]

Fairytale character names in Finnish

Snow White = Lumikki (lumi = snow)

Cinderella = Tuhkimo (tuhka = cinder)

Sleeping Beauty = Prinsessa Ruusunen ("Princess Little Rose")

Rapunzel = Tähkäpää ("Spike (!botany!) Head")

Prince Charming = Prinssi Uljas ("Prince Valiant")

Hansel and Gretel = Hannu ja Kerttu

Snow Queen = Lumikuningatar

Little Mermaid = Pieni merenneito

Humpty Dumpty = Tyyris Tyllerö, Lilleri Lalleri

Jack = Jaakko (for example, Jack and the Beanstalk)

Puss in Boots = Saapasjalkakissa (Boot Legged Cat)

Alice = Liisa

Goldilocks = Kultakutri (kulta+kutri)

Tooth Fairy = Hammaskeiju (hammas+keiju)

Thumbelina = Peukaloliisa (peukalo = thumb)

Rumpelsiltskin = Tittelintuure, Käppyrähäntä ("curved tail"), Hopskukkeli, Rompanruoja... A man of many names

Pied Piper = Pillipiipari

Man in the Moon = Kuu-ukko ("Moon (old) man")

[conandaily2022]

Paula Joukanen biography: 13 things about Miss Suomi 2023

Paula Susanna Joukanen is a Finnish tennis player and beauty queen. Here are 13 more things about her:

[kingofreturn41]

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

3,9,35 for the marine ask! :)

Do you have a favourite aquarium? Yes!!! I have not been to too many aquariums in my life but my very favourite one is Maretarium located in Kotka, Finland! It is an aquarium focused on showing fishes and other aquatic animals found in Finnish waters and the Baltic Sea, both native and introduced species. I counted on their website that they showcase about 47 species of fish, (though I know for a fact they house even more), which is most of the 60 reoccurring Finnish fish species! It's not much compared to grand aquariums with warmer climate-focused tanks, but it is phenomenal, my friend. Maretarium is home to the biggest tank in Finland, the Baltic Sea tank which holds 680 000 liters or 179 636 gallons of water! The Baltic Sea tank is open at the top so the fish experience seasons naturally, it has Siberian sturgeons, Russian sturgeons, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon, European perch, common rudds, asps, roaches, and others if I recall! One of the Siberian sturgeon is leucistic, even. Not all of those are native fishes, the aforementioned sturgeons and rainbow trout are introduced species in the Baltic, but they do occur there hence why they're in the aquarium. I think that's pretty nice! Instead of only focusing on native species, they also show a more full range of what you can find out and about, and they educate what species are invasive and what invasive species can do.

Maretarium is also very interesting because they had the first and so far only case in Europe where a European eel naturally produced roe, in 2019! European eels only reproduce in the Sargasso Sea (not an aquarium mimicking their non-spawning grounds), and never before has a European eel produced roe without any hormonal stimulation. They're trying to look into why that could be! And wow, look at me, talking so much about Maretarium. I just love that place so much xO I'm visiting another aquarium at the end of the month with my friends, but I really really want to go to Maretarium once more.... it's a trip, but a trip worth making, I'll tell you!

If you could keep any aquatic animal as a pet, with all the space they need and perfect care, what would it be? Imagine how amazing it would be to keep sturgeon in your home A whole massive school of cardinal tetras would be a dream, like a hundred or more fish. Imagine the shining and glittering! Also, crayfish and lobsters. Love those guys, would love to keep them. I'd house them alone and give them the nicest hiding spots and so many places to dig in.

Most beautiful fish? This is cheating, but here's two fishes I find very beautiful but for different reasons: queen parrotfish and starry sturgeon!

[cymorilcinnamonroll]

And Lilith Sewed the Seam - Sapphic Short Story

The frost came early that year, the year the Queen of Night came to Karelia. We lived in Sharon, a little shtetl in Grand Russe on the Finnish border that was known for its beautiful alpine aerials and lakes like beads of blue glass. The ocean, too, was refreshing to swim in – provided one went to the banya afterwards. I was a young lass in the rime-laden harbors and forests. We Jews of Sharon were a sailing, seabound lot, making our living off fishing and the waves. But mama, bubbe and I? We were seamstresses of the finest caliber. Some would say we were magick. They called us, and our shop, The Weaving Wives.

The boyars ordered traditional kaftans straight from bubbe’s shop, woven with the earth goddess Mokosh and her lovers Veles and Perun on the breast. I had grown up toeing the line between two faiths. I learned both the myths of Baba Yaga eating unworthy children and the Night Howler Agrath screech-dancing on the roof to mark a house that her husband, Sammael, would strike down as dogs bayed at his twelve-winged flight. Sometimes, late at night, I could hear them.

Or perhaps it was only a storm…

Word of bubbe’s and mama’s and my craftiness spread. The year I turned sixteen, the tsarina herself ordered a fashionable cape from us. It was based off the tale of Father Frost’s granddaughter, Snegurochka the Snow Maiden. A tale I had always loved. It was the first project over which I was given complete ownership.

I embroidered white, pale pink and dove gray pearls on the powder blue cape in little clusters of wings shaped like snowflakes, then stitched eiderdown into the golden seams. Bubbe dusted it with malachite flakes to bless it from far off Azov, the riches of the earth piling high upon the tsarina’s head.

Mama, bubbe, and I were the treasures of Sharon. We were married to our thread, the men and women of Sharon said, and they—from the hunters to the midwives to the rabbi, to my own father, a ship captain and whaler—guarded our secrets with their very lives.

We Weaving Wives were a protected, cherished lot. And our craft was our very soul. There was a deep magick in that sewing. For in truth, we were good witches. We could summon sunlight to make yellow fabric like a peach. Melt down rusalka hair in our oven to create the finest threads. Our secrets were the stuff of legends, and we were glad not to tell the rabbi about them, or even dear papa. And the menfolk knew better than to ask, but the women always wondered.

The cape was the talk of the kingdom.

No wonder, the tsarina was pleased.

As fame of our clothing grew, the Weaving Wives gained esteem. Through charitable works we lifted our community up and filled the synagogue coffers to the brim. Our family did good works in Adonai’s name. All so that Peniel – the Face of God – might shine down after the three of us wrestled long with a hill of fabric, like female Jacobs and a needle-bound angel.

But the frost came early the year I turned eighteen, and it stole my bubbe away. Crying tears like glass beads, I looked into my mirror after shiva was over and found myself a changed maid: my long black curls were winsome, I was plump and rounded to please men, and my cornflower eyes could break hearts. I needed a husband. Only… the village maidens had always been far more winsome.

Fair Shayna, with eyes like silver coins. Comely dark Miriam, with a heart like a thorny rose. And Delilah, the marigold of my garden. I had tossed and turned with all of them in the fields and furrows on Ivan Kupalo, what the Western countries called St. John’s Eve, as we searched for fern flowers together to promise bonds of eternal love. Shayna’s lips were soft. Miriam’s grip on my hot hips was hard, determined, just like Malakh HaMavet striking only holy blows.

But Delilah? She was mother-of-pearl dissolving in Cleopatra’s wine. A beauty wrapped in a carpet, delivered to Marc Antony.

I wanted Delilah more than life itself. But Shayna and Miriam had already taken husbands. We were eighteen, after all. Only Delilah, with her red hair, pale skin, full form, and freckles, was left, and to me, she was more holy than any synagogue, a word on the tongue of G-d that would make Chava take an apple all over again, but this time, a blessed fruit. Delilah was a pearl of great price that could redeem. A benediction and wonder that would lighten the load of the Azazel goat on Yom Kippur and set the Temple right.

So, that night in my anger and mourning over losing bubbe too soon, I looked into my mirror, in the flickering light, and I cast a magick spell. I made a wish on bay leaves and some goldenrod I had dried earlier that year for Delilah to be mine. As I was threading the bay leaves through a needle, to string them over my dresser, I pricked myself on my thumb.

A bead of red delicious blood bubbled up. Suddenly, the mirror swirled into a gorgeous Ashkenazi royal woman with long black ringlets of hair done up in silver bands, a purple wine-dark dress with gold threading, yellow-green eyes like parched grass, and pale, ghostly skin. Her bruised pink lips were bloody, and there was hunger in her eye.

“Pu pu pu!” I said, warding off the demon, frightened. I clutched the red thread always tied to my bandeau and threw salt at the mirror. It sizzled as it hit the candle, putting it out. Then, silence.

I had not a day before the Queen of Night came to Sharon. She was the talk of our little shtetl, rumored to be disgraced Romanian royalty who had bathed in maiden’s blood and newborn calf spittle to retain her youth. She was old, she was young, she was invisible, they whispered. Dressed head to toe in a black veil, riding in a carriage like a hearse. It was pulled by black bulls, and scarlet, bloody-colored ribbons were woven round the black bulls’ necks.

Just like the blood from my thumb.

Lailah, she was called. I was so lost in fear of her, I did not hear the clinking of bells at our shop. Bubbe was gone, Delilah was not mine, and I was haunted by a ghost.

I was manning the shop till, daydreaming about the demon. She… had been beautiful. Lailah was said to be hideous. To be virginal and pure. To be a vampir or dhampir or G-d knew what! Only, this Romanian countess or ghost or queen had come to my shop, now, smelling of lavender and patchouli. She had been watching me, and I felt like I was drowning.

A musk radiated off her that reminded me of eating dinner between Delilah’s thighs.

Suddenly, Lailah let her veil and robes fall, and the demoness from earlier in the mirror stood naked before me, perfect as a pale statue of Dark Venus, brimstone the farthest word from her.

Her eyes were a poisonous, mesmerizing yellow. Her pubis was lightly thatched with slashes of black, her sex an enticing pink wound. She seemed to be carved from alabaster, her legs ending in owl’s feet, great sooty wings on her back, and a night storm cloud of ebon ringlets framed her sharp, small and upturned nose and wicked ruby-grapefruit lips.

“Lilith?” I squeaked. I did not have it in me to “Pu pu pu.” To reach for metal or iron or salt. To even clutch my red thread.

I knew immediately that if this beautiful, treacherous Queen of the Night asked, I would be her slave. I would be a dog in her yard, licking fruit off her feet, honey off her lips. All to taste… majesty. The divine.

She demurred, smiling to reveal needle teeth that only heightened her beauty. “You have grown beautiful, Jael.”

“Oh. No. I, Lilith, with all my pleading, please, flee this place. We are holy. Adonai shall smite you. And you are too beautiful to suffer,” I said, rambling, not making sense, soaking in Lilith’s beauty, her temptation, her smirk, the way her thick hips and ripe breasts swayed as she walked towards me slowly, like a leopardess stalking its prey.

“But, if I flee, you will be nothing. An adamant bloom plucked too young to thrive. You have all the talent of your bubbe Abigail, and all the strength and industry of your mother Bina. There is a reason our faith is passed on through women, Jael. You are the perfect vessel.”

I froze. “You mean to possess me?”

Lilith narrowed her yellow eyes at me. Oh, how I wanted to reassure her I was not scared. And yet, I was. Highly terrified. The Witch of Endor was in my shop, and darkness filled the corners, Sheol the depths of the yard; the windows were blotted out by the realm of husks. It was only Lilith and I at the axis mundi of the worlds.

“No, I mean to pay you,” Lilith laughed in a sultry tone, then quickly softened. “I have need of a dress for a ball Ashmedai is throwing. Ashmedai and Sammael are both my husbands, but they are at war as of late. I need to dress for battle. For the manner in which I fight, and who I choose as consort, shall determine the course of Kingship in Gehenna.”

My jaw dropped. “Like the Maid of Orleans?”

Lilith smiled. “Dear Jael, I have been at this for millennia longer than any Frenchwoman. Now, this I must ask you: can you make me a ballgown the color of a mirror, that reflects all it touches, that can withstand hail and hellfire? If you do, you will be wealthier than the tsarina. As you know, the Shekinah often rests with Sammael, and as the Shekinah’s Handmaiden, I ascend to G-d in turn. He lets me do what I like, you see. The world, for me, is freedom. As I mean it to be for all women, Jael. Your namesake certainly agreed. We had plans, Jael and I.”

“The girl who drove a tent spike through her enemy’s head?” I piped out, voice squeaking yet again. I nervously chewed my hair, then spat it out. “Yes, I can make a dress like that. But I do not need riches. Just Delilah.”

“Lilah. Delilah. She is similar, yet nothing like me. A seal, then, of our bargain?” Lilith leaned against the counter and kissed me, deep. “Yes, you taste just like Jael as well. She was one of mine, you know. Perhaps… but no, Jael. Let sleeping Judges lie.”

With that, Lilith disappeared, and the pale, ghostly light of winter trickled into the shop.

I reached for the red thread on my bandeau and snapped it apart, welcoming the demoness in.

For the fabric, I captured moonlight in a jar. I made it slitted at the train, so Lilith could stride across the burning floor of Ashmedai’s ballroom like the Queen of Sheba did to win Solomon’s heart. I wove the bodice of form-fitting silver silk, loose and dyed from rain under the morning star. Do not ask how the Weaving Wives work our magick. We simply do. It was in bubbe’s blood. It is half in mother’s blood. And I?

I surpass them both.

I wrote Delilah a letter that night. A letter to come room with me. It did not say much other than “bosom friend” and “bubbe’s room is empty” and “mama and papa are leaving for America, so it shall be just us, and I could use a shopkeeper.” But I sprayed perfume from Moscow on it, kissed it thrice, and slipped it in a pink bow and thick sturdy envelope into our hiding tree. An alder.

Delilah wrote me back: “If your gown for this cursed queen goes through, then you will have proven to me that a woman can love a woman, like a man loves a woman, and Jael, I do think… I must not write it.”

There were tear stains blotting her delicate signature.

I cried that night. I stitched Lilith’s seam. I used bat wings boiled down to the finest veins to protect the dress from hellfire. Then I crushed the bay leaves of my witchcraft, when I met Lilith in the mirror, into the fur capelet of mink. It was my heart’s treasure. My greatest wish of all.

And finally, a hilt for a dagger, bejeweled with malachite from Mount Azov. It was sacred in Russia, from one Mistress – the Mistress of Copper Mountain – to the Queen of Night.

Lilith came the day after Sabbath.

She tried it on, the silk bunching around her in pleasing, curvaceous angles, the embroidery and pearls and malachite and mink sparkling, and she shone like the tsarina’s silver tiara.

Lilith smiled in the mirror: “It’s perfect, my Jael. Come walk with me.”

Into her dark midnight carriage with the four red-banded black bulls I went. We rode to Gehenna. What I saw would frighten Enoch himself. Dumah, at the gate, with his poisoned sword of gall. Hazarmavet, the Court of the Dead, where new souls ate meat and drank wine in perfect silence. The winnowing of souls in the fire of Sheol with the punishing, purifying angels. A glimpse of Gan Eden and the Silver City where the angels lived, attending the Promised Messiah. It was all like a crack in the sky.

Finally, Ashmedai’s realm. A realm of exotic desert fruit and pleasure girls and winebearer ephebes. Hot searing heat, simoom winds, oases and belly dancers. It was scandalous.

Sammael’s forces of death, poison and decay camped at the door. I waited in the carriage as Lilith walked on French heels to the forefront, her dagger held high, her dress that I had painstakingly, feverishly sewed gleaming under the hot desert sun.

Lilith’s beauty sparked Sammael’s shedim and lilim and seirim into frenzy. They descended on Ashmedai’s forces as the demon king emerged from his glistening sandstone palace with his forces, dates and palm and rivers of jewels surrounding us on all four sides.

I watched as Lilith turned the tides of the battle, flirted with Ashmedai, lured Sammael. In the end, Lilith took both Ashmedai and Sammael’s crowns as they kneeled and kissed her hands off their heads. She melted the coronets down with fiery breath from her beautiful lips, then formed two gold arm bands for her pale limbs.

It seemed Gehenna had a new ruler.

I am old now. Delilah is my bosom companion. I talk to Lilith in the mirror, late at night, I am aged, Lilith is ageless, and she tells me tales of the world: the invention of electricity. War in America. Discoveries in Asia. How her plans are in motion to free women, so one day, we are not so tied to the cycles of our womb, forced to labor in birth pangs like Chavah.

Delilah and I adopted three girls, and we teach them the secrets of weaving, sewing, and stitchery. We are bringing the crafts of our shtetl into a new age. My parents died in America and seemed to have prospered. I have no intention of leaving Karelia. We are the exclusive gownmakers for the new tsarina.

It is a good life. It is a small life. Lilith and Adonai shower riches upon our community – not too much, but enough that Sharon is known as blessed. The Shekinah still roosts with Sammael, and will until the Temple is set right, and Her people ascend.

I am happy all my days. So is Delilah. When we die, we will be led by Lilith the Perpetual Regent of Gehenna to be her personal weavers and outfitters, and our daughter’s daughter’s daughters will know true freedom in the modern age.

And all because Lilith sewed the seam.

[crosswordgf]

the world is sooooooo sad what are we doing to our beautiful queens 😔 i went to a sauna place with 2 friends and i felt soooo embarassed and awkward being naked in front of them cause of i didn’t shave my pubic hair besides the bikini line. like isn’t that the saddest thing you’ve ever heard……….. hiding ur bush is really not in the spirit of a sauna either like do u think the finnish grandmas would do that. of course not :(