Art, Medicine, and Ghosts

June 4th and 5th, 2023

Tallinn, Estonia

Today, we woke up early to leave Helsinki. I found myself extremely excited as Mary had told me that Tallinn was exactly what you’d see when you imagined a fairytale.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know that in order to do so, we’d be boarding a ferry. Now, I’ve been on ferries before, small ones like the boat that goes to Isle Royale or even Madeline Island. Which, I never really minded boarding. But, those were nothing in comparison to the 10 story boat we boarded to get Estonia. The journey took about 2½ hours, but by the time we were done. I knew that I hated large ferries. Luckily, the city of Tallinn was gorgeous and the residents. (Although, they were much different than the Finns I had grown used to while in Helsinki.) Were kind and very welcoming.

Our tour guide was a young Estonian woman named Berit with the most beautiful amber earrings I had ever seen. (Which she delightfully told us could be found near the sea.) Our guide educated us on the current and past Estonia. She taught us the origins of the country, about the language, (and to my surprise and delight) she went in depth on the history of the architecture of the city. Including the beautiful colors that decorated just about every building, and the careful upkeep the citizens had done to keep the historic city intact. From each building’s shingles to the shade of paint used to decorate.

She also humored us with the tales of the old ghosts that haunted the city walls and plagued Old Town. At one point, Tallinn had been voted one of the most haunted places in the world. The statues pictured, were apparently put in about 15 years ago in a location called, “The Danish King’s Garden.”

These stoic monks keep the ghosts from the maiden’s tower ( a former jail for prostitutes) and the ghost of the tired executioner at bay. While in Estonia, I happened to be browsing channels and noticed that there seemed to be more than a few ghost hunters who traveled through Estonia. (Which I will definitely be watching later.)

The next day was our free day in the city! Mary and I had spent the day exploring, taking in the sights and enjoying the city. We had gone for a brief scenic walk, and I found myself extremely relaxed while we traversed some of the parks fairly close to our hotel. They were full of rich plant life and flowers that I had never seen before.

After our leisurely still through the gardens and past the historic wall that separated the old town, we ventured deeper into the city. Where we headed to the apothecary. I was ecstatic to see the history of the apothecary, from the ancient remedies to the symbols and traditional medicine still in use. I found it incredibly funny that the Apothecary in Old Town is also a still functioning and serving pharmacy. We spent a little more time investigating the city that night. (I walked until my feet hurt), but I will never forget the beautiful sight of the sun setting against that old castle wall while we walked back to our hotel.

A New Hello

June 3rd, Helsinki Finland

Throughout my life many things have changed, but the one constant is a question I’m always eventually asked.

“Who are you?”

Throughout the course of my twenty years of life, I’ve given a myriad of answers to that question. I am Neegonagiizhick, or Kara Laramore. I am my mother’s daughter, I’m a proud Ojibwe-Finn. I am someone, who grew up in the Upper Peninsula. I am a queer writer, an artist, a teacher, a student and an adventurer, and I want to one day see all of the world that I can. Despite my gallivanting through the states there remains many things I have yet to see in this world. Being accepted as a Paloheimo Fellow is the chance of a lifetime, and being the last “new” Paloheimo Fellow is a bittersweet moment. But, I am honored and will do everything in my power to make this trip a good one.

My first morning in Finland after a rather grueling 30 hour trip here, started with my good friend Mary. I had decided to engage in my favorite activity whenever I travel. Which I affectionately call getting “Lost”. 

We wandered the city, not with any particular direction but with the hope of seeing all that we could. Luckily, since Mary had been to Helsinki before, she was capable of steering away from any potential mishaps. But, I had gotten excited at the smallest differences I noted, between Finland and home. 

From the small lip of metal on each door, (that I tripped over more than once). To the variety in architecture throughout the city. I saw Neoclassicism, Finnish ‘Art Nouveau’, and contemporary architecture that I was able to identify. The fact that Finland seems to have a very lively art scene present in everything from the museums to the streets, left me with a sense of wonder and awe that only increased during my day there. 

The city is rich with art, and I couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous everything was around me. 

Our walk through the city was brief before we had to meet up with Dr. V for breakfast and to discuss our plans for the day. When we walked into the café for breakfast, I was a little intimidated. I didn’t know the proper social customs for ordering in Finland, and I was terrified of making a fool of myself. Thankfully, Dr. V and Mary had been quick to fill me in and help me with my nerves. After a delicious breakfast, and a quick stop to our hotel. We ventured further into the city of Helsinki where we visited the Art Museum Ateneum. 

I was blown away by how gorgeous the exhibits were. The museum was full of beautiful sculptures, textiles, and paintings. I found myself frequently moved near tears from some of the pieces on display. Dr.V explained to Mary and I that they had recently renovated and rearranged the gallery and I am glad that they did. 

The rearranging of the museum placed various pieces together that I would’ve never associated as having a similar theme or message that caused me to pause and think. I was especially blown away by a lot of the color and brush techniques used in these paintings. (It was also fun to see how many pieces of art I had recognized from pop culture or one of Dr.V’s classes.)

This was followed by a visit to Kiasma, The Museum of Contemporary Art. I fell in love with two of the exhibits. They had one exhibit, titled “Dreamy” that I found myself drawn to. It was a commentary on queerness and sexuality and I found it very thought provoking. Especially since those are topics that are still considered fairly taboo in The United States. The second was Tom of Finland.

To see such freedom in the art displays regarding sexuality, especially when it came to exhibits like Dreamy, or like the Tom of Finland exhibit (both of these exhibits are available during Pride month!). I find myself fascinated and overjoyed. Art, although expressive, still tends to be censored and carefully curated in The United States. To see that Finland not only supports these artists, but that it goes out of its way to uphold and provide an open space for them is wonderful and comforting.