200

Well, I made it to 200. And because it's my 200th blip it's also a special blip in many ways. This weekend I've been taking part in the 64th Karelian ceremony of the town of Kurkijoki. Kurkijoki is a part of the Ladoga Karelia which in turn is a part of the Lost Karelia which was extradited to the Soviet Union in the Paris Peace Conference in 1947.

The ceremony lasts two days and is held annually to foster the Karelian traditions and culture and to prop up the Karelian spirit. There has been lots of speakers, music and folk dance presentations every year. For me, the most important thing is to meet other Karelians and get to know the lost world since I'm a descendant of evacuees and a fourth generation Karelian immigrant who still thinks that it's important to know where you come from.

I chose this photo for my 200th blip for few reasons. The two cranes on the left symbolize the town of Kurkijoki (kurki = crane; joki = river). The lower coat of arms on the lectern is the whole Karelia and the upper one is Kurkijoki. The man on the lectern is the ceremony speaker. The black curtains behind him symbolize the loss of Karelia.

So, it seems like that 300 is going to be the next stop. I wanted to link you this old Karelian song which tells about evacuees - a song that makes me very sad. It's in Finnish but the tone is beautiful. You can check it here.