johnl.org » travel http://johnl.org Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:16:52 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Allotment gardens in Helsinki at the end of summer http://johnl.org/2010/12/19/allotment-gardens-in-helsinki-at-the-end-of-summer/ http://johnl.org/2010/12/19/allotment-gardens-in-helsinki-at-the-end-of-summer/#comments Sun, 19 Dec 2010 22:58:00 +0000 johnl http://johnl.org/?p=802 In the cities of Finland, you can find allotment gardens, green spaces divided into little packages of land. Some are given over to vegetables, but most are full of flowers, and the majority include a small colourful building. This functions as a summer cottage where the owner can get away from it all.

Originally, these allotments were created for the poor who could not afford their own summer cottage out in the countryside and to allow them to grow their own vegetables. In the way of things, these allotments became highly sought-after by the rich as well and there are long waiting-lists in each city.

I spent a few hours walking around one of these allotment gardens, while the weather was still warm.

Vallilan siirtolapuutarha Viisikymmentäkuusi Räjähdys Sata ja yksi Kasvihuone ja kellotorni Riemu Saniaiset Syvyysvaikutelma Hiljainen Keltainen Puurtarha polku Savupiippu Vanha pyörä Violetti Suomen lippu Piilossa kanna Seina kukkia Valkoinen ja vihreä Pieni Omavaraistalous Hiipivä harmaahaikara Kaiho ]]> http://johnl.org/2010/12/19/allotment-gardens-in-helsinki-at-the-end-of-summer/feed/ 0 No light at the end of the runway http://johnl.org/2009/09/01/no-light-at-the-end-of-the-runway/ http://johnl.org/2009/09/01/no-light-at-the-end-of-the-runway/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:05:21 +0000 johnl http://johnl.org/?p=148 Caravans on the runway

Caravans on the runway

Airline jobs once inspired respect and envy. But at Los Angeles International Airport about 100 airline employees - from mechanics to pilots - are living in mobile homes parked just yards from one of the busiest runways in the world.

BBC News link here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8186690.stm

This story of mechanics and pilots living under the planes they fly is really quite depressing, and quite Ballardian. The article details how the dream of flying, the mystique and chic, have been stripped away. These men who followed their dream have found nothing at the end of the road.

Bob Poster, airline pilot, even looks like a Ballardian hero/anti-hero:

Bob Poster, airline pilot

Bob Poster, airline pilot

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