It doesn't take much...

“Let us always meet each other with smile,

for the smile is the beginning of love.” 

- Mother Teresa

The guy grabbed my arm, gave the camera to his wife, uttering something in Japanese...the content of which was a complete mystery to me.

I had been sitting in front of the Helsinki Scandic Continental hotel in the early morning light – okay, it had been early morning light since midnight.  By now it was quite bright.  Twenty-four hours of 'day' creates the most surreal of settings.

It was cool (52 degrees F/11C) when I slipped out of the hotel at 4:30AM.  I hadn’t slept well, and decided it might be nice to head to the small lake (called Töölö) across the road from the hotel to greet the day and work on the coming week’s blog.  In spite of the fact it had not gotten dark, there was a layer of dew on the bench by the water.  I thought about sitting down anyway, but because of the temperature, and my experience with wet bottoms ( a persistent itch for a good part of the day)  I let discretion be the better part of valor, and decided to come back to my temporary home and sit on one of the dry benches along the circle drive.

The thing about a tourist hotel…there are A LOT OF TOURISTS!  It appears this place is on the bucket list for the Japanese.  The distance from Tokyo to Helsinki is about 4,800 miles (7,800km) over Russia…a considerably shorter distance than coming from San Diego I might add.

I was writing away, at 5:30, when a couple of middle aged women returned from a morning walk.   They had cameras, and since the sun was at their backs, they took turns taking pictures in front of the hotel.  I gave hand signs indicating I would be happy to get them both in the frame if they would like that.  They were delighted and stood rather somberly in front of the hotel entrance.  I lowered the camera, pointed to my face and put on a goofy smile (the only one I have, actually).  They grinned from ear to ear and giggled out loud.  That is when I got the picture and they were delighted.

Over the next 20 minutes or so small groups of these folk emerged from the hotel to take pictures of one another as a reminder of their visit – I repeated the ritual several times.  I could not get everyone to smile, but my success rate was well into the 90^th percentile!

Finally a group of four came out, with one of the men taking a shot of his wife and the other couple.  I gave, what had become by now a smooth signal that I could help.  The man taking the picture, however, refused and went into the hotel leaving the two women and the other man.  That’s when the remaining fellow grabbed my arm and pulled me in front of the door.  He was quite animated, saying something to his wife.  She took the camera as he pulled me beside him.  He looked up at me pointing to my head, laughing.  I suddenly realized he wanted a picture with this tall white man!  I had become the morning novelty act. 

After this day’s starting event, it became clear the nearly finished blog about how I learned to play guitar, slipped out of focus.  

In the next 30 minutes, a large tourist bus backed into the hotel circle and like ants emerging from an anthill, the tourists came out.  Their suitcases were quite large making the people look even smaller.

The tour driver came over for a cigarette while the bus was loading and told me there were daily flights from a number of Japanese airports year round.  In the summer they come for two weeks in Scandinavia, spending a week in Helsinki and a week in Copenhagen before heading home.  In the winter, when it is dark almost all the time, they come for the Aurora Borealis, which by his account is simply spectacular!

It was time to go when the first two ladies I had photographed came hurrying out of the lobby door for their bus.  They looked at me and smiled.  Then one said something to the other, and came quickly over to me.  She pointed to the bench and sat down as her friend aimed the camera.  It was clear I was going to have more than one shot at Japanese celebrity. 

I put my arm around this tiny lady as we both smiled for her friend.  Up she popped and was replaced immediately by the other woman, who snuggled in beside me.  I repeated the arm around her shoulder, as my recently departed companion snapped a picture of what looked like an online dating service gone horribly wrong!  The two of them thanked me bowing and saying, “ありがとう” (Domo Origato – or thank you) several times as they giggled all the way to the bus, and with a wink and a nod, they were gone!

As the sun continued to make its way slowly through the leaves of the trees across the road by the lake, I was reminded how good it feels when people find a rhythm with one another…the little things…the smiles…the small efforts that take so little...really. 

Some time in the coming weeks I will become part of the story of their journey to Helsinki, as they have become part of mine.  Each time they show these pictures and tell this brief story they will smile at the giant on the bench typing away on his laptop computer…the giant man who took their picture and made them smile.  Each time I tell it I will smile at how quickly we connected and shared a moment of pure, unadulterated joy.

I find that it doesn't take much to entertain me, or help me to appreciate life.  I'm guessing, it didn't take much for them either...

- ted