Urban patterns and matters

Facebook

2012-01-29T23:09:00.000Z

I am not sure if Mark Zuckerberg is happy about this brand extension.

Spring awakening

2012-01-22T23:16:00.000Z

Backseat

2012-01-21T20:07:00.000Z

After sunset

2012-01-20T21:00:00.000Z

Atlantis

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000Z

To my own surprise, I actually came down that slide.

Dubai patterns, part 1

2012-01-18T21:30:00.000Z

At the top of Burj Khalifa

2012-01-17T21:34:00.000Z

Giant

2012-01-10T23:30:00.000Z

I visited one of the modern marvels, Burj Khalifa, world's tallest building in Dubai on Christmas Eve. The scale of the building is hard to understand. It is just huge with its 200 floors. Unfortunately the highest point tourists can visit is the 124th floor. That is still twice as high as the floor where I used to live in Singapore.

Vienna details, part 4

2012-01-09T15:00:00.000Z

Vienna details, part 3

2012-01-08T22:12:00.000Z

Vienna details, part 2

2012-01-07T20:16:00.001Z

Christmas trip 2011: Abu Dhabi

2011-12-28T19:43:00.001Z

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Christmas trip 2011: Desert

2011-12-25T19:48:00.000Z

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Merry Christmas from Dubai

2011-12-24T12:00:00.000Z

Vienna details, part 1

2011-12-21T12:23:00.000Z

Christmas trip 2011: Dubai

2011-12-19T17:00:00.000Z

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Cannot wait to shoot Arabic patterns!

Vienna patterns

2011-12-18T15:30:00.000Z

Christmas trip 2011: Vienna

2011-12-17T22:07:00.000Z

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It is the most wonderful time of the year again and I am on my traditional Christmas trip for two weeks. This year my first stop is Vienna where I am currently enjoying the atmosphere and patterns, of course.

A Finnish ad

2011-12-16T00:23:00.000Z

Berries of summer

2011-12-14T18:00:00.000Z

Lingonberry icecream

Flames

2011-12-13T22:30:00.000Z

13 years of bubbles and sparkle

2011-12-12T23:29:00.000Z

Window displays along Petticoat Lane

2011-12-10T01:30:00.000Z

Gift wrapping

2011-12-09T00:16:00.001Z

Could there be better gift wrap for a person who loves patterns? I found this lovely sheet of gift wrap paper from Liberty. Sadly, I will not receive any gifts wrapped in this paper.

Finnish Independence Day

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000Z

Screenshot from Google.fi

Google's Finnish landing page shows a tribute to the Finnish Independence Day. A nice touch.

A dessert

2011-12-01T16:00:00.000Z

I spent last weekend with my friends in Helsinki. They are great cooks. An anatomy of a simple, delicious dessert is pictured here. I just realized I do not have a photo of the result. Too much champagne, I guess.

Will she still hold it next week?

2011-11-30T23:14:00.001Z

Night lights

2011-11-25T17:00:00.000Z

Urban patterns

2011-11-24T11:22:00.001Z

This great time lapse video is made by Lobster Pictures.

Fog

2011-11-21T13:00:00.000Z

Islands in the stream

2011-11-20T12:30:00.001Z

The Adventures of Tintin world premiere in Brussels

2011-11-19T20:05:00.001Z

336 Sherlocks

2011-11-16T22:00:00.000Z

Patterned tiles at Baker Street tube station.

All that glitter

2011-11-15T22:20:00.000Z

Golden city

2011-11-14T22:17:00.000Z

Magnum

2011-11-13T22:12:00.001Z

This Islington based squirrel was enjoying the warming sun beams on a lazy Sunday afternoon. It had found a half eaten Magnum ice cream which it was carrying around.

Brussels details 2

2011-11-06T19:00:00.000Z

Poppy time

2011-11-05T18:45:00.001Z

Poppies can be seen everywhere in London now. I like them in their natural habitat.

Brussels details 1

2011-11-03T22:07:00.000Z

Brussels patterns 3

2011-11-02T21:50:00.001Z

Brussels patterns 2

2011-10-31T23:43:00.004Z

Fancy a pill?

2011-10-29T09:24:00.003+01:00

Since Brussels, I have been battling with a nasty flu that is now starting to fade away. I have been helped by Sudafed, those brightly coloured flu pills.

Last week before all the sneezing and coughing I visited White Cube's new gallery in Bermondsey. They have on display a must-see piece of art for all pill lovers by Damien Hirst. A piece of it is on sale, too.

Belgium for Dummies

2011-10-26T22:18:00.000+01:00

Brussels patterns 1

2011-10-25T23:01:00.000+01:00

Atomium

2011-10-24T22:18:00.003+01:00

Under a loupe

2011-10-21T17:31:00.001+01:00

Näytä suurempi kartta

This weekend important decisions about Europe's and Euro's future will be made in Brussels. Naturally, I will be there too - taking photos. It remains to be seen how many politicians I will spot or do I need to settle for patterns and architecture.

Turku patterns

2011-10-18T21:54:00.003+01:00

Stamped eggs

2011-10-12T19:57:00.001+01:00

First time

2011-10-09T23:01:00.003+01:00

There is a first time for everything. I lost my virginity for Georgian food at Iberia restaurant today. The name of the restaurant might fool one think it offers Spanish cuisine. But it does not. There is another Iberia. Read the full story here.

I loved the food; earthy and rich, simple and unconstrained, yet delicious.

Buzzer

2011-10-08T22:48:00.000+01:00

Wanted

2011-10-07T22:45:00.000+01:00

London patterns

2011-10-05T23:37:00.001+01:00

Frescoes

2011-10-04T23:17:00.001+01:00

Windows

2011-10-03T23:11:00.002+01:00

Building patterns

2011-09-27T23:07:00.000+01:00

Funambol

2011-09-26T22:49:00.002+01:00

Patterns in the dark

2011-09-22T23:42:00.001+01:00

Ready, steady..

2011-09-21T22:50:00.004+01:00

Playful light

2011-09-20T07:41:00.001+01:00

Sunday patterns

2011-09-18T11:08:00.001+01:00

Thursday patterns

2011-09-15T05:18:00.000+01:00

Reason for tube problems

2011-09-14T05:55:00.000+01:00

Happy Mid-autumn Festival!

2011-09-13T06:00:00.000+01:00

Saturday brunch

2011-09-11T22:51:00.001+01:00

Mansion patterns

2011-09-08T06:15:00.000+01:00

Let's play apple!

2011-09-07T06:10:00.001+01:00

Hunting, shooting and fishing

2011-09-05T22:39:00.000+01:00

I spent a lovely long weekend in the countryside at Four Seasons Hampshire. It was such an amazing place just an hour by train from central London. I will share some glimpses of my time here on the blog.

Nature walk, part 2

2011-09-02T05:36:00.001+01:00

Nature walk, part 1

2011-09-01T06:21:00.000+01:00

Weekend in Helsinki

2011-08-27T06:02:00.000+01:00

Leafy hideaways

2011-08-26T05:58:00.000+01:00

Manhattan in motion

2011-08-24T14:46:00.003+01:00

This video by Josh Owens summarizes in a brilliant way what New York is all about. I want to go back!

Hampstead patterns

2011-08-23T07:43:00.001+01:00

Late summer harvest

2011-08-22T06:16:00.000+01:00

Demolition

2011-08-20T05:43:00.000+01:00

Cheers!

2011-08-19T06:25:00.000+01:00

Laundry day

2011-08-18T05:44:00.001+01:00

Street jungle

2011-08-17T05:46:00.000+01:00

One would think this picture is from tropics. But it is not. This is a street view from City of London. The geographical location can be figured out of the taxi.

Tuesday patterns

2011-08-16T06:17:00.000+01:00

Street art

2011-08-15T05:41:00.000+01:00

The moment of the wolf

2011-08-14T18:31:00.001+01:00

Little boxes

2011-08-12T05:46:00.001+01:00

The perfect form

2011-08-11T05:50:00.001+01:00

I love simplicity and minimalism, to a certain extent. Here are three simple things I have acquired lately.

Pirkka stool by Finnish designer Ilmari Tapiovaara. I also have a bar stool and a dining table from the same range. All bought from twentytwentyone.

Villeroy & Boch's tea set from the Anmut collection

My new hairdo. Effortless, yet thought. Sculptured at Tony&Guy Regent Street, maintained with this.

Where are the manners?

2011-08-09T06:05:00.000+01:00

Topless in the city

Meeting with an elk

2011-08-08T06:36:00.000+01:00

Nature patterns

2011-08-07T06:30:00.000+01:00

Patterns

2011-08-06T06:11:00.001+01:00

Facades

2011-08-05T05:50:00.000+01:00

Juthbacka mansion, Uusikaarlepyy (linked page in Finnish)

Kuddnäs, the birthplace and childhood home of famous Finnish writer Sakari Topelius

The birthplace of Johan Ludvig Runeberg, the national poet of Finland

Lapua townhall

Summer in Finland, part 2

2011-08-04T05:57:00.000+01:00

Summer in Finland, part 1

2011-08-03T06:27:00.000+01:00

Holiday

2011-07-15T15:20:00.000+01:00

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Sea Salt Spray

2011-07-14T06:28:00.000+01:00

Picture from Amazon.co.uk

I had my hair cut last week at Tony&Guy Regent Street. My hair stylist recommended me a product I had not heard before: Sea Salt Spray. I was told it would leave hair like I had just come from surfing in the ocean. And it is true, this product gives my hair a nice and non-heavy texture, unlike wax or gel. Label.m Sea Salt Spray can be bought at Tony&Guy salons and from Amazon.

Wiring and plumbing the London way

2011-07-13T06:26:00.001+01:00

Monday patterns

2011-07-11T21:37:00.001+01:00

Sunday stroll

2011-07-10T22:31:00.002+01:00

Follow Urban Patterns and Patterns with your smartphone or tablet

2011-07-09T20:56:00.002+01:00

I made it a bit easier to follow this blog with a mobile device today. I changed to blog logo as a QR code. It can be pointed with a smartphone or tablet QR code scanner and the blog will open in a mobile device browser.

House hunting

2011-07-06T21:41:00.002+01:00

After a year of tenanting I am ready to move forward on the property ladder and buy my own apartment. For a long time, I was looking at flats in new high rise buildings in Canary Wharf, but now I have different thoughts. My next and own (!) home has to be a proper Victorian or Edwardian house or a maisonette ... or at least raised ground floor. I am not going to live in the basement as so many Londoners do.

Everything is possible in London

2011-07-05T22:28:00.000+01:00

Centre for Possible Studies

Monday patterns

2011-07-04T23:24:00.002+01:00

Playbook time!

2011-06-30T10:44:00.002+01:00

Even though I work with digital design, I tend to be slow to buy the latest gadgets. For long, I disliked tablets as I thought they are too chunky to carry around i.e. not very portable which they are meant for. I still think Apple's iPad is too big. And the Android devices I do not find appealing at all. For some strange reason I have a crush on Blackberries. That is why I have been waiting RIM's Blackberry Playbook tablet with excitement.

Again, I did not rush to buy at when it first hit the stores a couple of ago but read several reviews and then decided to invest in it. My first reactions are very positive. I like the look and feel of the device, and the size. For me, it is perfect size to take with me anywhere. Unlike iPads, Playbook supports Flash and all the other important web technologies which make it a versatile companion. Playbook lacks the plethora of applications at the moment, as the Guardian put it "Welcome to the Soviet App Store". That does not bother me as I do not see the point downloading dozens of apps. I use the internet instead. Connectivity wise Playbook is superb as it can be used with WI-FI and with an existing Blackberry's 3G connection so there is no need to make different models for different uses as Apple does.