I was in Helsinki last weekend visiting the annual comic book festival, because Neil Gaiman was there. He talked great things as always, and also managed to sign more books than I thought he could (as you can read in his journal). I got my Season of Mists signed. ^_^

I asked Neil about the scene in Neverwhere where Richard meets the Finnish girl at Trafalgar Square. I wanted to know why it was there, since it almost only says that the girl said something that Richard thought to be Italian, but was in fact Finnish. He told me that it was there 'cause he thought it was cute, and because "Finns are under represented in literature". So he wanted Finnish fans reading it to feel good. I sure felt good when, in his interview the next day, someone asked him about the Finnish name Lemmi Hautala in American Gods, and if he knew what it meant. He repeated the answer he had given me, and said that someone had asked a similar question from him yesterday, and that it had got him thinking that he thought he was actually the international writer who had visited Finland most often during the last years (because he likes Finland). And he does visit every 2-3 years or so, I think. But it was my question he was talking about. Yippee! (Yes, I don't have any better reasons to feel happy.)

Of course, lots of money was spent as well. I was more than happy to find Courtney Crumrin and the Coven of Mystics! I was even more happy when I realized that Viz had lowered it's prices so that Viz manga (Fushigi Yugi, Ceres) now costs no more than Tokyopop manga. I doubt that will leave me with much more money, because I will just buy more. That's just me.