https://www.ningningsun.com/contact-1 daily 0.75 2024-03-24 https://www.ningningsun.com/home daily 1.0 2025-10-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/6eb91136-0c08-4791-9934-89b5f8c63139/P1000687.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/94845318-8607-4f77-9418-08bdc2980512/strongest+aurora-small.jpg Home https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/bf383e1b-7a68-4811-a632-39318c231480/bonfire.jpg https://www.ningningsun.com/about daily 0.75 2026-03-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/eb180449-784b-424e-9d71-48fb3bd53ef8/Ningning+snow.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/8d2e5ba2-5294-4980-a9cd-70b40a60813e/IMG_1878.jpg https://www.ningningsun.com/past-exhibition daily 0.75 2025-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/81d7e690-d97d-492e-9c5b-d2524047c952/P1000672.JPG Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a273876e-5304-469b-b18a-9acdbd99a6d8/P1000700.JPG Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/716d7e4b-9be6-4c38-be33-5d98279c6710/P1000690.JPG Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/5e5cee10-b15d-4542-aa02-9a51608fb08f/P1000695.JPG Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/1676755959857-W71E525QT9UM0DFSGNFJ/P1000707.JPG Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/8b4c3b04-5c58-4f1d-a1bf-d76edfc1054e/P1000645.JPG Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North 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Past Exhibition | A Long Solo Walk in the Far North https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/779730dd-a83c-4547-969b-7c58109531de/IMG_7117.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/bdb983b8-5736-4d30-801d-73b7e08f1840/exhibition+statement+poster.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/45117c52-0598-4262-b813-c6dc51550c2f/IMG_6151.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/cacad5a9-4587-4b18-8f1b-60f360fc3439/IMG_6152.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/4c8b79c3-a09c-4699-ba9b-4f0e77f7805f/IMG_6153.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/216f007b-4dc3-4ec9-a84b-5f63b62059c7/IMG_1573.jpg https://www.ningningsun.com/projects-galleries daily 0.75 2026-01-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/3772a703-0ae4-42a2-bf47-825385b5f257/IMG_9382.jpeg 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Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/5a125186-ec81-49da-bf60-81e19fa57ebd/P1000149.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/0faae457-7bde-4dc3-82b1-845166a18b6b/P1000475.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/de649e7e-c8b7-4db6-ac88-2f0fec4a2645/P1000498.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/0eb78c30-7bcd-42fc-96ce-f29d28838e8c/P1000052.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/4e7348d8-f13e-42f1-8786-9c40ed98a8db/P1000493.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland 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Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/1410bef6-70aa-4000-ad28-241e9e0866ea/P1000041.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/5b691ebd-3a94-4553-8d6f-2f1016d80a49/P1000389.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/76d492bb-40db-427c-831e-f34d7748683e/P1000375.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/e29a07e3-a021-4d5a-9577-50fc95943c87/P1000407.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a68e792a-5e06-4598-94f2-b2957b2af0bd/P1000341.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/148679a5-f598-4902-bb97-70b2a2cf26b7/P1000399.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/60de0311-4af2-4838-b4c8-058fb47393a6/P1000478.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery | A Winter in Lapland https://www.ningningsun.com/projects-galleries/utqiagvik-where-the-arctic-winds-blow monthly 0.5 2025-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/234bbb00-871d-4548-9d89-8dc8b83a9234/IMG_5981.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow Quyanaqpak. "In all things, give thanks." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/01f064bd-1862-422f-8086-1140017be953/P1000684.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow Machines and Development. When I was facing the Arctic Ocean, I was standing between the Whale Bone Arch and this aerial lift, which was just a couple feet behind me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/49673127-3d06-46f9-83f7-2ed4b8ccadca/P1000719.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow USPS. Post Office in Utqiagvik. USPS is often one of the very few “chains” you can also see in remote towns in the North Slope as in more populated places in Alaska as well as the lower 48. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/381fd548-2a33-410e-a455-ca10a5d85e9c/IMG_5893.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow The Silver Moon over the Ocean. When the night started to fall, moonlight lit up a distant point on the arctic ocean. It was divine. Peaceful. Deep and profound. Still and calm. Vast. Humbling. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/3a83da47-9a4a-4322-b666-a57e9f8f7d7f/IMG_6081.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow Being Resourceful. People in Utqiagvik don't throw things away easily in case they may need them later, so you could see a lot of "stuff" outside one's residence. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/05406979-f5c6-43f7-948d-ceb7029c830a/P1000682.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow Cargos. Cargos right next to the Whale Bone Arch, symbolizing industrial development and shipping and their co-existence with subsistence livelihoods. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/c7c6a880-2c51-47d7-81f1-3037433b95ea/P1000728.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow We, Love. A lot of large cans in Utqiagvik had positive messages painted on them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/3c39458c-6e3e-48ce-9126-3588230768a0/P1000631.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow Solitude as Canvas. There were several dwellings facing the Arctic Ocean. Other than the vehicles passing by, the streets in Utqiagvik were extremely quiet, as in deep winter, vehicles were the most essential means of transportation and an essential part of modern-day life in the north. South of the shoreline was human voices and settlements; north of the shoreline was complete solitude. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/8a00870f-cfd3-4913-9a99-7ed68a3621c7/P1000712.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow Cash Economy. A take-out Mexican restaurant with green lights outside. Cash economy is also important in modern-day Utqiagvik, but subsistence is still fundamental to the Iñupiat Peoples and will always be here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/ad77786a-04de-4162-8d38-4844b2802fc7/P1000726.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Utqiagvik, Where the Arctic Winds Blow The Place We Eat. The food prices in Utqiagvik are very high, because everything needs to be shipped. However, the portion size is also the biggest you will ever get. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/10ba66a7-f0c1-4d96-9f5c-fe4d6e543441/The+Timeless https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/caa2e212-cc0d-4b2f-9c8f-56fbac67234d/P1000647.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/2f82542e-ef1b-4fe7-bf86-da31e191fef6/P1000703.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/5e5cee10-b15d-4542-aa02-9a51608fb08f/P1000695.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d20cdcb9-3aad-4b80-9d64-c1e153fb8da3/P1000686.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/716d7e4b-9be6-4c38-be33-5d98279c6710/P1000690.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/7b61f01c-3fcf-4c19-9ebb-e484e7221954/P1000707.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/9f695d00-e393-43d4-ad35-aab4e5471303/IMG_5898.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/83e56c19-e63a-4848-a37d-ce5e9f6d52de/IMG_5960.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/03ad44bd-86c9-497e-ad99-cea951858edf/IMG_5919.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/f38ffd59-d374-4bd6-a563-fc8f20bd6966/P1000656.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/ff3b9346-62bc-4fe3-9d09-9d0a66406ed0/P1000667.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/796b9993-03e3-4dd3-a3a7-30ee6707e7ca/P1000644.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/14382762-d51c-43f5-ab82-069964bb67ae/IMG_1881.PNG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/e42ef1b1-840b-4f86-9da4-dc8b6b4df4b1/IMG_1880.PNG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/8b4c3b04-5c58-4f1d-a1bf-d76edfc1054e/P1000645.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a273876e-5304-469b-b18a-9acdbd99a6d8/P1000700.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/81d7e690-d97d-492e-9c5b-d2524047c952/P1000672.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/5b7fbfd5-b73b-4768-9f57-150977a311ac/P1000665.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/fc7ed149-e413-48fc-864d-1ff9a8175cff/IMG_5890.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/5d6bed69-8618-4c6b-8c5d-e20680ea28c8/P1000669.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/07a7b0eb-6477-4415-b662-a80f9c56e233/P1000722.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d20cdcb9-3aad-4b80-9d64-c1e153fb8da3/P1000686.jpg https://www.ningningsun.com/projects-galleries/rovaniemi-memory-lane monthly 0.5 2023-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/f4a193ce-5463-4ebf-b4a7-98bde5489f8b/deck.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane At twilight, from the top of Näköalatorni (observation tower on Ounasvaara), you could see Kemijoki stretching to the horizon. On the east (left side) was the forest on the hill, and on the west were city lights, which lit up the sky together with the setting sun. More cities have been booming in the far north, and even though challenges of development still exist with all the remoteness and cold, modernization has brought these cities new blood and stories in different ways since the last century. // Back in that deep winter, the steps of Näköalatorni were all frozen and slippery, and the top was even more freezing with the wind. Näköalatorni is very special to me. We ran up the snowy hill on New Year’s Eve of 2021 having no direction, yet somehow saw the light from the bonfire giving us hope. We got there at exactly 12:00am. Then I saw northern lights for the first time in my life, at the very beginning of 2022, lighting up the sky with the fireworks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d9bc8d89-ba92-4121-afe3-a5cfa373931b/obs+tower+fire+n+people.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane One day last year in February, I was in the forest of Ounasvaara alone at midnight, moving wood to the bonfire to keep myself warm in deep winter. This time I met a German family traveling here and a Rovaniemi local. The mom of the family was really kind and shared some marshmallow with us. The local was amazed by a picture I took on the observation tower and saved it on his phone. "I have a car," said the local as he offered me a ride back to city center in the end knowing how far it was to walk there from my hostel. A kind act that reminds me of last year, when a local saw me lost on the snow-covered highway and drove me to my appointment at the optician's. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/0f446a74-db2c-4718-8ce9-f394f0b89406/florian+car+window.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane Some traditional Finnish houses could be seen outside the window of Florian's car as he drove us to Bruce's house for dinner (where I also cooked a reindeer dish as the main course). Yellow, red, and blue, the signature colors. // Florian, a professor at the Arctic Centre and also Bruce's friend, was someone that I only had a few conversations and interactions with but inspired me deeply every time as he told me stories. Both Bruce and Florian went to many places in the far north had epic stories, just like what the most experienced and wise nomads would tell you as you sit with them by the fireplace. Florian has profound experiences living with the Indigenous communities in the Russian far north (Yamal Peninsula) and has also worked with documentary crews. His car was old but big, perfect for traversing the Arctic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/bb637778-b87c-41c8-b23f-7e2c87580ace/karu.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane Karu, one of Bruce's two lovely Lapphunds, looked at me on the porch. Bruce is my amazing mentor and dear friend; every time in Finland, Bruce would invite me to his beautiful Finnish house in the snowy forest of Sinettä and have delicious dinner with his family and sometimes his friends as well. Cozy and wonderfully decorated, the house always gives me a feeling of family, love, and warmth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/8cf1b40d-7973-486f-b109-713d06e9126e/playground+on+tree.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane It looked like a wooden playground hanging high up among the trees on the way up to the top of Ounasvaara. There were no stairs or ropes - I still wonder how people would get up there, especially in winter. This unique and fascinating playground caught my attention back in the winter as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/258d060a-9efb-443e-9867-51f51cc7089d/rvn+mural.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane Mural could be hard to find in Rovaniemi, yet in this unknown street, I saw some beautiful drawings on a seemingly abandoned building about the northern way of life: snowmobiles, reindeer sledding, traditional Sami clothing, the intimacy with nature, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/97e83f2b-27c6-4f64-8f60-d4a36f044cf6/pink+sky+sunset.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane This is the top of Ounasvaara at sunset, when the clouds were pink and surreal. While I was living in a student dorm on Kuntotie ("-tie": "street" in Finnish) in winter 2022, I would often go to Ounasvaara late at night for a little solo hike since it was really close by. Whether it was clear, cloudy, or a large and endless snowfall, I always enjoyed the precious alone time, being in the middle of the forest with nobody around me. I had honest conversations with myself and also heard nature’s wise words. It was a very spiritual experience. One time I accidentally hiked to the top of Ounasvaara and stood in awe and happiness as I saw the sparse households on the other side of the hill extending to the hills from afar, the yellow lights glimmering under a pitch black sky. // Spring 2023. I saw the view from the top of Ounasvaara, for the first time in daylight. A year felt like forever; even though what actually changed was just one season, time seemed to pass so fast and changes seemed to be so dramatic after you left this place that you previously thought was timeless. The frozen time slipped away as the ice and snow melted, I guess. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/1684000698949-3UKPI2XEE6W544163MRJ/person%2Bon%2Bbike.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane The boy on the bike reminds me of those days when I rode my mountain bike every day - to the Arctic Centre and back, and to many adventures in the area. One day I felt energetic and biked to the North across the Arctic Circle and back. Another day I biked around Salmijärvi ("järvi": "lake" in Finnish). Growing up in cities, it was quite a drastic change to spend most of the night barely seeing anybody on the roads. // However, I do vividly remember one time when I fell off the bike as I tried to avoid a car and the tripped on an icy bump as I hit the brake, and came across a local who kindly helped me fix my chains. He wished me a good weekend. It is always the people and their kindness that warm you up in the remote far north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/66d067b2-13e1-4dc0-8ce4-ed45b8cf8015/running+up+the+hill+chasing+sunset.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane I ran up this hill chasing sunset. The same hill I would bike up to chase aurora borealis late at night. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a570d1dc-644b-4251-a9bd-8dc4578695e3/sunset+deep+colors.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane Snow melted from the spruce trees, and the sky was full of colors. Last year in winter, it would have already been dark. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d705eb0f-04f5-4fb2-a90d-e2aa2862e541/bridge+of+significance.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane This is what you will see on the east side of Kemijoki looking to the west. The river was still frozen in early April, even though it was obviously thinning, and the spruce trees were not covered by snow anymore. Back in that winter I would bike across the bridge every day, for almost three months. I remember pushing my bike through it in snowstorms as the bike always got stuck in new snow. Whenever I got back to my apartment, my cheeks would always be red and I would be still sniffling. The room was always warm and cozy though. I loved it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/0dc32598-7e43-4938-8bab-d9dff1a8f2f5/forest+snow+path.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Rovaniemi Memory Lane There are many snow-covered trails in Ounasvaara that cross each other. Back in winter I would bring a flashlight or use my own phone to light up the path ahead of me. I had never walked on those paths in daylight before until this revisit. In winter, the paths was full of the unknown (which brought extreme excitement and sometime pleasant surprises), but also danger. I do vividly remember how I fell off my bike while going down an icy section, how I almost got stuck by accidentally falling in knee-deep snow, and also the two hospital visits as I had both cracked and swollen skin from being exposed to extremely low temperatures for hours without wearing enough layers. Did it hurt? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely - but this time with more layers. Not the girl from the tropics who were put in the hard mode for her first experience of a real winter anymore. Learned my lesson the hard way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/9de8d2e5-ceb7-49ee-bed2-be9abe0d0e2d/pink+sky+sunset.jpg https://www.ningningsun.com/projects-galleries/troms-og-finnmark monthly 0.5 2024-01-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/58e3cacb-65f1-4914-97f6-672d6c44dbab/downtown+port.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Some small boats were at a port at downtown Hammerfest. It was a Saturday, yet the construction of the port on the other side of the water was still busy, with workers in neon green workwear. Some kids who came to talk to me were also friends with a worker who was doing measurements, so I had the luck to start a conversation with him about Melkøya. He said a lot of people in Hammerfest work at Melkøya, and some of them fish. When asked what he thinks about Melkøya, he said, “gas is so important to life here. And we get paid with money from gas, money from Melkoya, without the Melkoya money we wouldn’t have this [economic development]." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/39174851-024f-4eff-98a9-351405567209/bench+by+sea.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark On my way walking from the hotel to the town by the only major highway, I stumbled upon this little house and a bench facing the ocean and the fjords. I sat on it for a while, trying to enjoy the afternoon sun. The feeling of relaxation is mixed with a really mild, lingering sense of unfamiliarity. The sense of place and connection has not formed for an outsider like me with extremely limited time in the town and no memories whatsoever. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/88f6eb54-0312-4bcb-99d3-36525c98fde7/lighter+color+terrain.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark I stood there for a long time, shivering even with the parka (I guess it's because I was only wearing one layer of pants), watching the colors of the sky, the lands, and the waters change as the sun went down and the night came in closer. I thought I would also be able to see northern lights in Hammerfest if I stood there for long enough, yet hours passed, the sky would not fall into pitch black even towards midnight; at the deepest into the night, it was at most dark blue. Yet I was blessed with the expansive and calming views of the Norwegian far north, with the splash of the industrial presence unique to Hammerfest. Gas ship resting from afar yet eye-catching with its uncommon red color, and of course, the lights and sounds from Melkøya. People who chase the pure natural views of the fjords and mountains may not choose Hammerfest as a destination, yet it was appealing to me as the stories behind this special view may be quite unknown yet captivating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/7b31ed29-f679-4d6b-acdb-86aab930770b/%28add%29+town+lights%2C+dark.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Settlements in Hammerfest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/0772006c-2f44-41d0-b367-be22652733ba/compare+Melkoya+before+lights+and+after.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Before the industrial island Melkøya lit up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/b78002d4-82f8-43db-9dda-a2fb5c1df8b8/IMG_8608.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark I wondered what this lighter shade of ocean color meant. It didn't look as intense as eutrophication, but it was quite different that it caught my attention. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/60cf3741-69d9-4cb4-8512-c56058b5968f/IMG_8680.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark The fact that I needed to walk very far to get food and necessities made me think about Utqiagvik. Hammerfest was more connected and more diverse, however life in the far north seemed to be quite challenging without a car or sufficient income and infrastructure. And speaking of infrastructure – it’s essential to life in the far north. That’s why oil is so important, when traditions and spirituality are not involved so much? But for Indigneous Peoples, for whom culture and life and worldviews are so different, it’s important for people who are accustomed to “modern world” and globalized economy to reconcile varying views regarding development, different priorities, ways of life, and visions for the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/b329e95e-2257-468f-91c7-a35f9580beef/melkoya+sunset.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Melkøya could be seen from afar. Bright yellow lights from the industrial island were mixed with the last hues and lights of sunset. It was really cold. Being in an unfamiliar place, immersed in unfamiliar local culture, and the multifaceted interesting encounters with local kids and teenagers, made me realize again that fieldwork is never supposed to be comfortable. It can be difficult and it requires you to jump out of the comfort zone. And you need to keep thinking and making adjustments. There were also amazing and heart-warming moments: girls who said "hei hei" to me as I was trying to shoot a photo, the taxi drivers who told me their story of growing up or moving to Hamemrfest, the early days of fishermen there, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/fd4c9b38-c2af-481b-afe1-6e267cfb05ed/bunker+oil.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark After sitting on the bench for a while, I walked to a harbor where everything I heard about Hammerfest being an “industrial boomtown” came into life. “Bunker Oil” and a few establishments such as oil stations for cars and ships at the bay, I could suddenly relate to what people in Utqiagvik mentioned about how oil and gas help with subsistence, although in Hammerfest oil and gas themselves constitute a large part of local people’s livelihoods. // From that point onwards, the industrial vibes of this small city in Finnmark kept lingering. This town was so centered around industry - the buildings embraced the bay, and the bay was full of docks and ships and machines. Equinox and Melkoya along with other industrial companies had a big presence in the city, whether it be physical establishments such as plants or office buildings, or employees walking around wearing company uniforms and lanyards. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/91985a88-57a6-4e50-bd61-a5c559dc1bf9/%28add%29+town+lights%2C+light.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Brighter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/ea6851db-9446-4172-a351-a58599c13a3e/can+use+to+compare+this+melkoya+feature+pic+with+pre+lighting+up.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark After. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/38874e21-be29-45e0-97fa-7bc395b4fe1b/IMG_8617.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Fish farms. I heard about this industry for the first time from the experts that I talked to, as it is distinct from fishery and was also considered "extractive" along with oil and gas as well as mining (even within fishery, there is the difference between commercial fishery and subsistence fishery, as the former is more extractive as well due to its scale and the corporate nature). It wasn’t until I spotted such “groups of circles” in the air that it struck me those were the fish farms that I always heard about. One after another, some in the fjords, some a bit outside. Suddenly I was able to visualize and comprehend what I heard about the scale and impact of this extractive industry, and its prominent existence in the far north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/2a5a39b8-f02d-4575-b586-c96b8796b889/IMG_8683.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark "Unnatural" industrial structures right in front of the mountains and fjords of Hammerfest would not be considered an attractive presence. Yet Melkøya was constructed at the other end of Hammerfest that you barely feel its presence in downtown Hammerfest. I saw this because I intentionally searched for it out of curiosity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/23e49c08-0fe7-45c0-a71d-e48516eb28c7/hft+playground.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Playground in Hammerfest on my way to the hotel. The ground was still covered by snow in April. A receptionist at the hotel said to me, "I just moved back three years ago, yes [development] brought all these industries, and all these industries improved the economy, but there’s more that still needs to be done." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/26701232-d921-42f0-a5a8-7b52678db472/circle+k.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark In remote places in the north, I always felt fascinated whenever I see structures that give me a rare sense of familiarity, always ringing a bell in my heart as I felt places that were so distant and different from each other start to magically connect. This sense of familiarity was oftentimes brought by companies or organizations that have a extensive network across the world. I was not aware of the existence of Circle K in Hammerfest; starving from a failed supermarket run due to its hours different from those shown on Google Maps, I instantly felt relieved as I was so certain I would be able to get a sandwich from that little convenience store at the gas station. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/ddce15fa-0b47-437d-85eb-76775a3b3df7/IMG_8625.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Spotted the first LNG-related entity on this commercial flight: a big ship. / Again, I thought of Florian, and what he told me more than a year ago when he was telling me his stories in the Yamal Peninsula and talking about the importance of on-site research, immersive experience, and a genuine intent: “as researchers, we start to ask different questions when we experience these impacts ourselves. When you migrate through a reindeer sledge with those people, you know how the reindeer react when they move over the pipeline, you get a different perspective about the questions.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/830e75e6-ddc5-4a8a-97ff-8c9afbabd52c/IMG_8684.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Giant gas ship resting right by Melkøya. The sightings of gas ships – with its notable presence and its distinct colors that are a big contrast against the natural landscape of Hammerfest – became the most prominent thing that represented the notion of "industry" or "industrial development" during my visit to Hammerfest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/19a7b0f3-98b0-47d6-9ede-d283cd78cc35/snowmachine+in+spring+hft.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Snowmobile by house. Even if it was already in the middle of spring and most of the snow in Hammerfest already melted, these signs of the northern way of life still signals you that you were in a very remote town in the far north where snowmobiles are necessary for essential living in winter and one of the tools people use to overcome the challenges brought by coldness and remoteness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/af571c92-92c4-4f5c-a0d4-41f48f64ee56/houses+and+biker+on+hw.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark A researcher told me about the housing crisis in Hammerfest. It's hard to feel it as a short-term visitor, especially in such a remote place; without thinking too much, we could easily conclude "just build more houses!" However, it's not so easy; resources and materials, electricity, connectivity, water supply, land rights, transportation, and more potential factors may need to be considered. Social issues in the far north are not as visible to the general public, yet it doesn't mean they are less important, and their impact on individuals is also not smaller. / Housing crisis was also brought up by an expert to be an issue in Utqiagvik. Though having different laws, culture, and history, some communities in the far north do share many similarities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/1702946034255-2D3HXFH7COSMDR4PIMFZ/can%2Bmention%2Bthe%2Bindustrial%2Btouch%2Bkinda%2Babrupt%2Bin%2Bnature%2B-%2Bugly%2Bhouses%252C%2Bbare%2Bstones%252C%2Betc.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark The sky and the sea were so blue. Sitting alone in silence and looking at the fjords along the horizon and the town from the other side of the bay, I felt so peaceful. On that bench, Melkøya was not in sight, and except for the two big gas ships that I saw before walking to that spot of the town, nothing reminded me of industry or pollution. It's just an ordinary, pretty, and peaceful nordic town with very little presence of tourism, unlike some other Norwegian towns that gained fame resulting in hundreds and thousands of tourists going there to chase northern lights. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/76e7afe0-222e-4d69-b190-32774b611978/IMG_8626.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Zooming in from the previous view, you may clearly see the ship over the vast, pure blue, pristine ocean. If I say it seems like the visualization of an oxymoron, I might be risking letting my prejudices mislead me, as there might be some measures that people employ to promote sustainable co-existence of industrial development and environmental protection. I really hope to learn more and strive for the truth and the stories behind development. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/1b220a02-e821-49c1-a74a-cd42cd2a709a/IMG_8676.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark The sky was grey, the rocks were scattered, and the shore of Hammerfest was way more unfiltered and truthful compared to the popular tourist destinations in Norway with magnificent fjords and landscapes. Yes, Hammerfest was a small Norwegian industrial boomtown, yet it is also part of Norway, a country with images and an international presence way different from this town. Yet Norway was not just about expeditions and winter sports and fjords and northern lights. In the less visited places, there are less known stories worth being heard – stories about development, about the dynamics between different groups, and about life in the far north – one of the many ways of life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/02259539-11d1-46ac-9c1e-ff47869b8914/tromso+birdview.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark I took this photo after getting to the top of the Storsteinen mountain after through the cable car "Fjellheisen," getting a bird's eye view of this vibrant and modern city in the far north. Tromsø has a very well-developed cityscape, with modern infrastructures and settlements in the middle of the icy mountains and fjords that remind you how remote this modern city is. Even Fjellheisen itself is a demonstration of the booming tourism industry and economic development in the far north. Though above the Arctic Circle and geographically remote, being in the city of Tromsø didn't give me any sense of desolation; the feeling that I was in the far north only came when I went further out of the city and saw its snow-covered mountains. "You don't need to fish to live in Tromsø," Gunhild, a Professor at UiT, said in my interview with her, mentioning how people in Tromsø are quite well-off compared to many other places in the far north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/cdbcc5c9-c18c-4bd8-9bf8-ad4d887a43f5/hammerfest+skole.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark This was a local high school that I passed by every day on my way from the hotel towards downtown. The name of the school was written in two languages, both in Norwegian and in the Sámi language. This practice was quite common, such as on buildings and offices in Hammerfest, yet less so in Tromsø. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/9e4cdef5-946d-4887-b159-d9087ec4fe17/fishnet+trash.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Pieces of waste such as fishing nets could be spotted by the highway. Hammerfest is truly unfiltered, and traces of various industries and human activities can be seen everywhere. It is not utopic like many would romanticize the far north to be, yet it is truthful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/39f4b06f-ec58-479a-9ad3-e115cd19bc77/need+to+adjust+angle%2C+but+highlight+this+person.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Taken when I was observing Melkøya at sunset, waiting for the night to fall so the industrial island will light up. There were two other people on that little hill by the ocean, who lit up a little bonfire. They were at the bottom and far away from me so I could not really hear their conversations, nor could they sense my presence. Towards nightfall, they got up and left shortly after one another. Even though it was getting increasingly colder and I did not have enough layers, I still stayed there, with a strong curiosity, staring at the industrial island from afar to light up. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/b7cc56b0-cdc9-4eac-9f52-3417f2eed7c1/nighttime+tromso.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Many houses in Tromsø were built on the hill, constituting a beautiful cityscape at night that encompasses both subtlety and magnificence. On my way up the hill to Prestvannet, I could see the lights of this colorful and vibrant city in the north; though it didn’t have the big crowds as seen in those big cities south of the Arctic Circle, and did quiet down a lot into the night and further out of downtown, the notion of “wealth” and all the elements of a highly developed country could all be found in this place. / When my conversation with Gunhild touched upon challenges faced by Arctic communities in Alaska and Norway, she mentioned how the context could be drastically different. Even though disparities between different groups still exist, people are generally more well-off in Norway. “You don’t have to fish to live in Tromsø,” she said. We both looked outside the window next to her bookshelf. It was a rare, sunny day, and vehicles rushed through the bridge to different parts of this lively city, one after another, uninterrupted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/ce83ec4a-e4ab-4f8b-95e6-11e4b98febeb/melkoya+sign+horizontal.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark The sign that points to the direction of Melkøya was very prominent as it used a different color. It is the first thing I knew about Hammerfest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/fd7293b5-0f1b-4234-8ca5-fb38450cb552/ladder+and+sea.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Stairs that lead to the water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/7d0fc0af-0308-46bf-8c86-a10465918d88/IMG_8633.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Approaching Hammerfest, the plane was preparing to land and getting lower to the surface. It was a clear day in the Arctic, and the shadow of this small plane could be seen on this desolate part of the land covered by thick ice and snow. Magical. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/61f75730-d8e1-4155-a58b-10b54802d72e/IMG_1542.PNG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark As I tried to take in everything I saw on this short flight, blessed by the sunny weather and the great visibility, I spotted a small-scale wind farm on an uninhabited icy island. It really intrigued me – how was this location selected? What impacts does it have or does it help to mitigate with its remote location? How is electricity transmitted? Curiosity really kept my eyes open and my mind active. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/2e519fea-ea72-408a-baa9-c1ac27344c79/tromso+ship.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Tromsø is a busy port, and there were ships and boats everywhere. A decent amount of them were for tourists, while the others were for fishing or other commercial purposes. It reminded me of the other nordic coastal towns I have visited, especially those in Denmark a few years ago. // As I walked to the bay and sat down on the deck to have lunch, I saw a big fishing boat, with both Norwegian and Sámi flags. In the background are the snow covered mountains, the fjords of Tromsø, and the flickering waters with waves in soft breezes from the sea, and the sounds of the seagulls. A man was working on the boat on some machine. There were fishing nets and a small steamboat. It was at that very moment, looking at the flags, when I suddenly had a deeper understanding of fishing lives in Norway in real life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/534b50a4-6543-4e61-8dc7-e9cf2f694917/port+in+construction.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark A harbor that was being constructed. Several workers with neon green vests could be seen working there, and maybe because it was a Saturday, they didn't seem particularly busy. I had a brief informal conversation with a worker building the harbor there who was taking some measures, thanks to the kid that was talking with me. He told me that the harbor is used for cruises and not fishing. The two-weeks-on, two-weeks-off work schedule also reminded me of that of the oil workers I interviewed in Utqiagvik. When asked about people's occupations in Hammerfest, he mentioned that a lot of people work in Melkøya or the fishing industry. I asked him, "did Hammerfest get bigger because of Melkøya? Do people like Melkøya? It brought income to Hammerfest?" He said, "yes, gas is so important to life here, and we get paid with money from gas, money from Melkøya. Without the Melkøya money, we wouldn’t have this." He was referring to both the harbor and the development of the local economy broadly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/70401bd8-aaaa-42b9-9443-5e16f1a8bca6/IMG_8636.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark The first sign of industry and human presence that I saw were the transmission towers. Symbolizing modernization, development, and connectivity, these are essential to the life and future of communities in the far north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/507f484f-8ef1-488a-9051-8fb9f21bcc22/tromso+city+port.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Nordic coastal towns always fascinated me. When I saw the port of Tromsø, memories of Løgstør, Aalborg, and several other towns that I went to in Denmark in the summer of 2017 surfaced in my mind; even though they had different views and personalities, the ports in these cities were quite alike – there would always be countless sailboats resting peacefully at the port, and a few out on the waters. The masts of the boats themselves constituted part of the unique and beautiful landscape of these port cities, and would always be one of the first images that pop up in my mind whenever I think of the north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/264744b1-d451-4ab5-ab0b-b3260fd8ae14/hammerfest+taxi+center.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark I was wandering around in downtown Hammerfest and then stumbled upon this taxi center. I went in to ask for a taxi to take me back to the hotel at the other side of the city, and it was so great because it saved a lot of time. The taxi driver was really friendly and told me about salmon farms further out from downtown and a village on the other side of the island where I could see northern lights. I was not able to get there at the end due to lack of transportation, also because daylight still lingered towards midnight and clouds creeped in. Still appreciated his kindness though. / Downtown, there were not that many people in the middle of the day, but I got used to that quietness whenever I was in the north. It was like this in Rovaniemi as well; remote communities are just not as densely populated as the big cities that I am familiar with. It gives me a sense of distance too; I am not sure if it's because of the drastic cultural difference, the language that I don't speak (I don't feel this way in the US or England), or anything else. This cognitive "distance" is not a bad thing; it allows me to ponder and to really detach myself and think about a place and its people from multiple perspectives, and to make connections between a specific place and other locations and experiences. And another benefit of being somewhere entirely different, culturally, geographically, and demographically, is that every interaction and every conversation I had, every sight caught by my eyes, and even every second that passed by, carried meaning and significance to different extents. I learn new things from even the smallest event or observation. It sounds scary but it is incredibly rewarding and character-building. It leaves you with stories and reflections, and expands your senses and perspectives. And when you draw connections between these places, ideas, and experiences, your life becomes non-linear. Like in math and chemistry, these moments are not just simple summation anymore. They multiply, form reactions, and produce something entirely new, even beyond our understanding at any given moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/612cc0a2-12e7-4452-b8c6-c55671a97cd3/museum%2C+Niklas.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark A Sámi leader lived in a beautiful and historic part of Tromsø. At the end of the interview, he thanked me for being accommodating of his schedule as he was going to the other side of the mountain to herd reindeer. That stood out to me. Even though many Sámi went to work at that modern city, listening to them talk about their nomadic lifestyle brought my mind to the imaginary pastures in the remote parts of Fennoscandia that I have not yet had the chance to see, where the Sámi reindeer herders have been practicing their traditional livelihoods for centuries. It will always be part of them, of those who try not to lose their traditions. // Tromsø was welcoming, yet whenever I am on fieldwork somewhere so remote, the feeling of being an “outsider,” someone who would leave so soon, would strike me once in a while. The unfamiliar language, the history and culture that I didn’t have enough time to learn and absorb, the customs and stories of a place that I didn’t get to hear from the locals… getting to know all of these requires spending an extended period of time in a place and building meaningful relationships with the people of that place. To become part of the community, to learn their ways… Florian spent years in Yamal, Craig spent decades in the North Slope, and they become part of the community whom people trust and respect. And in the conversations with them that felt like beautiful mellow tunes from the far north, the respect and humility that they embed in their interactions with the local communities over the years were part of the gentle forces that added to the harmony of those northern tunes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d0a3afd9-9983-4632-9bc9-68d5af9fc8a9/compare+with+utqiagvik+AHH+and+also+compartive+doesn%27t+only+exist+in+lit+but+also+art+AHH.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark These aerial lifts reminded me of the one I saw in Utqiagvik. Though halfway across the world, with very different cultures and population and history, these northern communities still connect in multiple aspects, especially when it comes to economic development, industry, and land use. And as human beings with a creative mind, while we walk in these place, draw these comparisons and connections, and think of the implications of these similarities and differences, we ourselves bridge the physical gap between these places and act as agents of change. The profound, complex, and multifaceted relationships between humans and the physical world are quite wonderful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/969dec78-7dc8-473b-8296-4625207f60aa/IMG_8671.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark That day, I walked to the direction opposite from the way to downtown, after buying coffee and protein bars from Circle K. I was going to get breakfast, but the store was closed and would only open on Monday. The presence of industry got increasingly more prominent along the way, with power-plant-looking structures saying "batteri" and warehouses along the way. There were also some parked vehicles carrying tools. Very few cars drove past me as it was a Sunday; I would imagine this road being way busier on a weekday. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a83ed504-e1c1-4a31-8bd0-cf07760c6ec7/IMG_8689.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Energy companies, their offices, facilities, and "branded" vehicles were a big presence in Hammerfest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/cf705ca8-54f3-4a44-9776-9e020071f464/IMG_8730.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark I had to squeeze most of my belongings to this one big suitcase and it was always overweight. It was always not only a physical battle but also a mental mind game whenever I need to pack everything within a few hours and leave again for the next destination. The taxi driver in Hammerfest who drove me to the airport commented that he has “never carried a suitcase that is this heavy” into the trunk for a passenger. I guess lifting heavy at the gym every day does have an unexpected perk when you’re traveling solo :) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/09d2e7f8-94b5-4b79-b0f6-41d604b27fb9/IMG_8718.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark Only one other person on this midnight plane from Hammerfest to Tromso. This entire flight had a few stops along the northern shore of Norway, and the other passenger was already there before me, probably from another small municipality (Båtsfjord or Kirkenes, if I remember correctly from curiously looking at the flight information screen at HFT while waiting for the plane to come). I was the only one who boarded at Hammerfest. It was an extremely different and even unreal feeling, being the only passenger at a small and empty airport. Growing up having lived in two very populous cities (Amoy, ~4 million, and Philadelphia, ~1.5 million) where the airports were always packed, busy, even chaotic, Hammerfest (~10,000) was like another world. I thought that the more drastic the contrast, the harder the feelings and reflections hit. It gives you perspective. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d01d9a5b-d546-4f97-80dd-077b7a78b9ad/IMG_8723.JPG Galleries & Fieldnotes - Project | Troms og Finnmark I looked outside the window as I tried to capture the last sights of Hammerfest, and overshadowing everything else under the night sky was Melkøya, still so bright at midnight. It was quite deceiving as it looked just like a bustling island city full of life, yet there were likely very few to none in the middle of the night. But when the lights dim and Hammerfest wake up again, it would be this very island that brought so much life, new blood, diversity, youth, and a brighter future to this small boomtown in the far north. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/621ce21b-2fa4-4064-9096-6352bc9afd45/strongest+aurora-small.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a12c7c86-8d67-406d-a8d5-f59102f150bf/_Y5A7594.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/0b05e4bd-4156-46d0-ad64-3ba96b799c1c/melkoya+sign+vertical.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/ef341b36-4fdf-4cb2-99ef-bcd0cb52c861/downtown+tromso.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/507f484f-8ef1-488a-9051-8fb9f21bcc22/tromso+city+port.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/39174851-024f-4eff-98a9-351405567209/bench+by+sea.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/83461c1a-ded6-426d-b38d-566f65ef284c/IMG_8577.JPG https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/621ce21b-2fa4-4064-9096-6352bc9afd45/strongest+aurora-small.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/e121dcb4-cf1a-48c0-9c97-937787a66b0f/aurora1-small.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d445a471-ca94-43c5-82b2-676724d4d857/%28add%29-aurora2.jpg https://www.ningningsun.com/projects-galleries/gallery-notes-altay monthly 0.5 2026-01-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/9ba7c5b2-3a88-4a12-adef-308898380952/749E8899-52E6-4747-BD67-68BEC717905E_1_105_c.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/72e6c492-6d70-4dd1-bcb7-a18222536723/907A1BB0-98B8-4309-B4FD-CD1F23FD4622_1_105_c.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/8959d24c-d1e5-48f9-97f9-ab16d5d41e0b/352EB052-8294-4795-8799-AFA1FA14B391_1_105_c.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/b5f60669-933d-4d11-88d7-fe06662e527e/2007ADBB-C571-42C7-A83A-3E5CCC2CA7C8_1_105_c.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/d414b057-25dd-4547-8b90-a0555a8ffed9/C8AAB702-E93C-4636-B01C-9C3AB56832B1_1_105_c.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/a2ec743e-19b2-47fb-99a2-182ec06fc3b0/CCA6C171-9615-4C5B-9B02-5C1725FD0EDA_1_105_c.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/2c418e77-d76e-4581-8d4e-1b7f4f7195ad/45DB5407-B48C-4962-98E1-6865ACC6AAB2_1_105_c.jpg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63e949580a26c23e4c33ed11/67e5d0c5-f3f3-450c-96aa-3c2a7c3118e2/_Y5A8368.jpeg Galleries & Fieldnotes - Gallery & Notes | Altay, Far and Near