Through Fulbright's "buddy" system, my wife, Rachel, & I had dinner last night with Päivai Rannila and her husband Sami. As we were leaving, Sami mentioned that by law, every door in Finland needs to open outwards. That's a safety measure, to ensure that people know which way to push in an emergency; but I'm taking it as a metaphor for my time here--an invitation to look outwards, to see new possibilities, and to venture ahead. This is only my 3rd full day in Finland, but already I see so many possibilities here, even as most of my time so far has been spent trying to make sense of the offerings in the grocery stores and struggling to bring some order to my sleep schedule (a complete mess at this point). One of my goals is to understand the place of museums in the life of the city, and I stumbled onto a startling example on Friday. In freezing cold, people lined up for blocks--a 3-hour wait!--to see the newly opened Amos Rex art museum (https://amosrex.fi/en/). What were they seeking behind those doors and what did they find? How can we tap into that eagerness and energy? I'll carry questions like these--and an open mind--as I begin touring the area's museum offerings and start work with my partners in the Helsinki City Museum (pictured above) and the University of Helsinki. I'll share updates and thoughts on this site.
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