The final week of Colourscape in Turku has begun. The end is near. Till Sunday the public has a chance to see Festival One and experience colours in a way, which will be memorable and for many an once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The beginning of this week was also memorable. The ground in Kupittaa Park and the team of eleven working on the structure were soaking wet. When we got to the site, the weather didn't looked so bad. But the thunder was waiting just around the corner. The flashes of lightnings lighted up the sky and we worked very hard to get Festival One up in the pouring rain. Now, the rain doesn't interfere us once the structure is up - we have a canopy to give us some shelter and water won't get inside. But when you put it up while it's raining, PVC plastic is wet and slippery. I'm surprised that none of us have hurt themselves when walking on a wet plastic. But then again, we are professionals and aware of the possible risks. We were, however, cold and wet - and all this before noon.

We weren't ready to open at twelve o'clock for the workshops, but in the rain there was no queue waiting for it either. We inflated Festival One and got inside with towels and mops. We started to dry up the floors and ceilings, only to become a little frustrated. You get one bubble dry and move on to the next one. Come back to the first one in five minutes and it's all wet again. When you have cleaned same bubbles three times, it does start to feel a bit hopeless. Especially since the rain didn't feel like stopping. That's just the way things happen with Colourscape sometimes. The Brits, who have worked years with Colourscape, said that they have never seen so much water inside. Well, there is a first time for everything.

While I was drying the structure inside, I listened to the rain pattering on the plastic. It was an interesting, yet quite menacing sound. The colours were very dark; I had difficulties just to see properly. Today was the first time Colourscape made me feel a bit scared. Colours were still very beautiful. Red made me feel a little dizzy. It's funny how many different emotions and mental states you can go through inside. The journalist for Helsingin Sanomat wrote last week that being in Colourscape feels like walking inside someone's brain. I for one don't have any experience of that sort, but you do get a trip deep into the mind - either your own or someone else's. Preferably the former.

We did manage to open our gate to the public today at three o'clock. The queue was quite long, and the last people got in at 17.45. I worked the whole time at the box office, letting people in and talking to them while they had to wait. It's lovely how understanding they were and not minding the waiting while we had a full house. I enjoy answering when people ask questions about Colourscape in general or some details about the structure. Last week someone actually asked how much it costs to manufacture the plastic bubbles for Colourscape. In case you're wondering, it's quite a lot.

During the past three weeks I have become even more confident in using English than I was before. I'm still a bit wary of it, since I am a shy person and everytime I open my mouth to say something in English, it sounds like I'm slurring; I prefer listening. Yet today I found myself saying things and using phrases I couldn't have imagined to use anywhere else than in my own private world. The use of English also requires politeness - something which in Finland is not so commonly heard. Dropping in "please" and "thanks" to your speech a lot - like "bitte" or "gern" in German - makes you sound kinder. I'm still learning it, but I'm getting there. My tea drinking habits, on the other hand, seem to be a bit unusual for some of the Brits. Milk and two teaspoons of sugar to the black tea, special teas like Darjeeling I prefer to drink without milk.

Today was wet and hard, tomorrow is something quite new. You never know what to expect from Colourscape in the mornings, but if you let it lead, you will be quite content to follow.

PS: I would have loved to attach some pictures to my texts, but unfortunately I haven't had anytime to take pictures. Maybe I get round to it on my day off. The pictures won't tell the whole story - not even a fracture of it - but they will a) give some indication of what to expect, and b) help me to remember these summer days and colours during the cold and dark winter.