Finland?s
Abdir ahim
?Husu?
Hussein
Assisting with
integration
SixDegrees
english language magazine
privacy and
civil rights
Are your details
safe in Finland?
Page 12
Page 8
TUOMO
Soul and jazz
for the people
Page 22
Issue 2/2014 www.6d.fi
27.02.2014?26.03.2014
Helsinki
maintaining the winter streets
Photos by Lauri Hanninen
Master of Business Administration
Degree Programme in Business Management
and Entrepreneurship (BME) 90 cr
The degree programme responds to the requirements of international
business communities and prepares students especially for challenging
development projects in international markets.
Requirements for eligibility:
? Bachelor?s Degree in Business Administration
(or equal academic degree)
? at least three years of work experience after the Bachelor?s Degree
Master?s Degree in Business Administration
? starts in Autumn 2014 ? part-time studies for 2.5 years.
? contact lessons in Hämeenlinna, e-learning, distance learning.
? Studies are conducted in English.
Application period: 3 March ? 1 April 2014
For more information www.hamk.fi/bme
Master of Health Care
Master of Social Services
Social and Health Care Development
and Management 90 cr
In co-operation with Lahti University of Applied Sciences
The objective of the degree programme is to provide students with the
competence to work in expert, leadership and management roles in
social and health care. The programme is especially focusing on the
development and management of eServices.
Contrary to what you may think when you look out the window, usually this time of the
year Helsinki is covered with snow. This has been the case the last four or five winters, and
typically has caused lots of problems for more or less everybody ? pedestrians, cyclists, car
owners, public transportation ? and the budget. Interestingly, Helsinki-Vantaa airport has
only ever been closed for for a maximum of 30 minutes after the heaviest snowfall.
?This year, however, it has been another case,? explains Dan-Henrik Långström, from the
City?s Public Works Department. ?Yes, we have had some snow, but not loads of it as in previous years. This has been good for both the people trying to make their way around the city,
as well as from the taxpayers? point of view. Compared to previous winters we have saved
millions of euro.?
All in all, winter maintenance is in very good shape in Helsinki. Contrary to many other cities
around the world, extreme weather conditions have never shut the city down, however much
it has snowed. ?Thanks also to the very snowy winters we?ve had over the years, we have
learned to be even more efficient, getting things done quicker ? and cheaper,? Långström
continues.
Whenever it snows more than 3cm, ploughs must go out to maintain the roads. Furthermore,
if it has snowed overnight, the main streets, bus routes and sidewalks will be ploughed by 7
o?clock in the morning ? and sanded, if the conditions are slippery. In the daytime, after 3cm
of snow falls the same streets have to be done and be in order within 3 hours, and secondary
streets in a further two more hours. This applies to the roads as well as the sidewalks. But,
what to do with all of the snow once it has been ploughed?
??In some parts of town the snow can just be left behind after ploughing,? Långström
explains.?However, in the inner city it must be loaded onto trucks and be driven to snowdumping areas. This is the most expensive part of the whole process ? when we put it onto
rubber wheels.?
In fact, three years ago, when Helsinki had the worst winter in many years there were
320,000 truckloads of snow driven to these snow-dumping areas. Last winter saw 190,000
truckloads.
?The annual budget for winter maintenance is, and has been for the last five years, approximately 21 million euro,? Långström states. ?Three years ago, it was overrun by 14 million
euro.?
Apps for checking where and when street
maintenance is taking place:
auratkartalla.com
hri.fi/fi/sovellukset/lumiaura (Windows Phone 8 only)
dev.stadilumi.fi/static/demo/index.html
Application period: 7 January ? 12 April 2014
For more information www.hamk.fi/shcdm
www.hel.fi
HELSINKI TIMES
27 FEBRUARY ? 5 MARCH
Customer service points
Rautatientori Metro Station
(by Central Railway Station)
Itäkeskus Metro Station
Pasila, Opastinsilta 6A
Monthly review
9
HSL Customer service tel. 09 4766 4000
(Mon-Fri 7am-7pm, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm)
Advice on public transport routes,
timetables and tickets, Travel Card
assistance and lost Travel Cards
HSL Helsinki Region Transport
PO BOX 100, 00077 HSL
www.hsl.fi
The Ring Rail Line to bring a train connection to the Airport
Finnish Transport Agency
Set to be completed in 2015, the Ring Rail Line will be
part of the city rail link network in the metropolitan
area, improving public transport connections to several
new residential and employment areas.
An illustration of the Ring Rail Line?s Airport tunnel station.
Tram network
to become more efficient
In future, the tram routes around
Helsinki city centre will form an
even more efficient transport network, thanks to their frequent
services. Trams will also provide
cross-town connections and passengers can continue to take direct journeys mainly on the same
routes as now.
High on passengers? wish list are
frequent services and a simple
and easy-to-use route network.
HSL has been planning the upcoming tram network reform since
last autumn and has collected residents? views at various phases of
the planning work. According to a
preliminary timetable, HSL?s Executive Board will approve the plan
on the new tram network in autumn 2014.
The network reform will be implemented stage by stage as the work
on the new tramlines progresses. In
Jätkäsaari and Hernesaari, the construction of the network is scheduled
so that the tram 7 may commence
running to Saukonpaasi in 2017.
The tram network in Jätkäsaari
will be completed by the beginning of the 2020s. The tram network should reach the end of the
Hernesaari peninsula by the mid2020s and Eiranranta possibly before this. Trams are likely to run to Ilmala in 2021 when the work on new
lines and the area surrounding the
Pasila station has been completed.
The 18-kilometre long Ring Rail
Line will connect the main line
to the Vantaankoski line. It will
diverge from the main line just
north of Hiekkaharju and run
from there to the Vantaankoski
line via the Airport.
To start with, there will be
five new stations: Leinelä, Airport, Aviapolis, Kivistö and Vehkala, of which Airport and Aviapolis will be underground, as
the line will run in a tunnel for
eight kilometres in the vicinity
of these stations.
The travel time from Helsinki
Centre to the Airport along the
Ring Rail Line will be around
30 minutes. The new connection will also make the journey
to the Airport faster and easier
for travellers coming from elsewhere in Finland. When arriving
from the north, passengers can
change from a long-distance
train to a train on the Ring Rail
Line in Tikkurila, from where the
trip to the Airport will take less
than 10 minutes. Passengers
taking the coastal line from the
west can change trains either in
Huopalahti or Pasila.
The Ring Rail Line
causes changes to bus routes
The bus route network in Vantaa
will undergo changes when train
services commence on the Ring
Rail Line. In future, the bus network will mainly provide feeder services to train stations and
the number of direct bus services between Vantaa and Helsinki
city centre will be reduced.
The aim has been to make the
new bus route network simpler
and easier to use. Some of the direct journeys will require transfers
in future, but, on the other hand,
the frequency of services will increase as routes will be shorter.
Thanks to the new rail link,
the public transport network
will improve significantly, for example, in the catchment area of
the Kivistö station. In addition,
cross-town services in Central
Vantaa will improve. Currently, there are several bus routes
between Myyrmäki and Tikkurila, the large residential centres
in Vantaa, but in future it will be
possible to make the journey by
commuter train, which will run
frequently throughout the day.
The new, more
sophisticated
mobile Journey Planner
HSL?s etiquette
campaign well
received by passengers
The new mobile version of the HSL
Journey Planner (m.reittiopas.fi)
makes searching for routes and
timetables on a smartphone even
easier than before.
You can now view stop-specific timetables created in the online version of My Journey Planner
in the mobile service. My Journey
Planner is a personal user account
where you can save your own routes
and stops and subscribe to disruption alerts for selected routes. The
service requires registration, which
is free of charge.
The new features of the mobile
Journey Planner include the use of
location information when searching for routes and timetables for
the closest stops.
Passengers often call for HSL to remind all passengers to mind their
manners on public transport. HSL
responded with a campaign, which
offers guidance in good manners
with the help of humorous pictures.
Ads displayed on the digital
screens on metro trains and trams
remind passengers that it is common courtesy, for example, to give
up your seat to a pregnant woman
or someone with crutches.
?We have received positive
feedback on the campaign from
passengers,? says Mari Flink, the
Director of Marketing and Communications at HSL. ?Riding public transport is a team sport and to
make it as smooth as possible, it is
important to be considerate of other passengers.?
Starters
6
Issue 2 2014
Top 5
things on our
mind this month...
Mild winter: pluses and minuses
One man?s ceiling is another man?s floor: as house
owners have seen their heat bills reduced over the
winter, power companies have suffered losses.
Councils around Finland have saved money on
snow-clearing, while many sports shops have struggled with ailing ski sales.
Matriculation, a step towards adulthood
During February and March, third-grade upper
secondary school students are rounding up their
studies by participating in matriculation exams. In
Finland this is a big deal to many, because stellar
grades are often required for the most sought-after
places of higher education.
Learning beats idling
If you feel you are down on luck in the job market,
do not forget or overlook the opportunity to improve
your mind. The application period for universities
of applied sciences is on in the month of March.
Another good idea might be to improve your competence of Finnish ? that will not hurt your chances
to land a job in this country.
Finns find a good example in moderation
One of the many things that native Finns can learn
from foreigners living in Finland is how to drink
moderately. Experts explain that Finns are used to
maximising the effect of the substances they use.
Many Finns would probably be a lot happier and
healthier, were they able to refocus in this.
If all words started with the same letter
In Vanuatu there apparently is a language where all
words start with the letter ?n?. Ages ago, a humouroriented Finnish rock band Sleepy Sleepers ? the
predecessor of ?Leningrad Cowboys ? wrote P-piisi
(?the P song?) that only featured words with an initial
?p? letter. If you are feeling bored, doing something
similar might help you to keep your grey cells (from
being) occupied.
Mika Oksanen
Word on the
street
How do you keep warm
in winter?
Arttu (17)
I like to sit next to the fireplace and hug my cats.
Oh, and drink hot chocolate with whipped cream!
Michael (30)
I go on vacation to Barbados in my imagination,
stick my arse in the oven and crank it up to full.
And I pay my heating bill.
Alexandra (18)
I hug people! And I hug the radiator, too!
Praveen (18)
Try your best to eat meat and get fat. Drink lots of
hot chocolate, stay inside and just sit down and
play games. Grow your hair a lot and your beard,
too.
Compiled by Catharina Satola.
?
Fasting
a way
Dieting fads are bordering on the ridiculous.
Tania Nathan
Notice how with every change of season or at the end of a major
holiday the buzz is all about the latest dieting trend? Every new diet
would promise to finally unlock the secret to losing 10 kilograms a
week (impossible) while living on food item X combined with food
item Y (yeah right) resulting in that slim physique you?ve always
dreamed about! Yeah, right. Meanwhile, long queues form outside
the latest fast food restaurant to hit our shores and we wonder why
we?re all getting fatter. But have no fear!
With Finns recently crowned the most overweight of the Nordic countries, the latest diet is here to rescue us all from our everexpanding waistlines and general pudginess. As 6D mentioned
already last year, it is the diet to end all diets. Because, with it, you
don?t eat. That?s right. The ?Fast diet? (aka the 5+2 diet), involves
eating normally five days a week and fasting for two days a week,
where calories are cut to the bare minimum.
Apparently packed with numerous health benefits such as improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, plus better insulin sensitivity, naysayers call it a stepping stone to disordered eating.
The jury is still out. But one thing?s for certain: this joins the likes
of the Baby Food Diet, the Blood-Type Diet, detoxing, the Atkins
diet, the French Woman Diet, the Paleo Diet and the Karl Lagerfeld
Diet, to name but a few of the calorie curbing options available.
But do any of these actually work?! Cutting out this, indulging in
that, with a pinch of whatever, is the final equation more of a matter
of just exercising more than you eat? And making sure that you?re
not going overboard with the burgers and fries?
Anyway, the proof of each diet?s success, as they say, is in the pudding. Which you typically don?t get to eat anyway.
Finnish After Dark
Learning the Finnish they don?t teach in school
David Brown and
Mimmu Takalo
Suomeksi: Sauma
English equivalent: A seam, a joint (literal)
No chance (figurative)
Any dictionary will tell you that a sauma is a joint or seam, but in modern times it more often means having some chance or
possibility?or at least having no chance. As such, feel free to remind your friends that they have no sauma of getting a PhD, a
decent job, or even a date this weekend!
?
?
Mä oon ihan lovet siihen eiliseen baarimikkoon.
Sori, mut ei sulla taida olla siihen mitään saumaa. Se on varattu.
?
?
I?m so in love with that barman we saw last night.
Sorry, but you absolutely have no chance at all - he is so taken.
Finnish After Dark, the book, is out now in stores.
SixDegrees
Starters
7
SixDegrees
Pranama pops up Tell me about your
Pay what you want yoga is here. city...
Giving a s**t for
cleaner traffic
?
Stool-fueled transport is a thing
of the present.
A filling station in Friisilä ? one of 20 offering an alternative in southern Finland.
James O?Sullivan
MUCH like the classic film Back to the Future, wherein the DeLorean is fueled by banana peels and trash at one stage, currently
hundreds of Finnish motorists are finding their ?1.21 jigawatts?
from human excrement as the source of their propelling force.
?Luckily we do not need to get our hands dirty in the fuel process as the raw material is sent to the fuel production site from the
comfort of our own toilets,? explains Erkki Rautio, who?s website
biokaasuauto.fi offers all manner of info on the power of poop to
drive your car.
Handling the sludge is the Suomenoja wastewater treatment
plant in Espoo. After anaerobic treatment plus purification produces fuel equal to natural gas, the (ahem) end product biomethane gas (biogas) can be bought from about 20 filling stations in
southern Finland.
?Biomethane is the cleanest possible fuel with very low emissions,? Rautio enthuses. ?As it is 100 per cent renewable, it does not
add any new carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.?
With 96 cents of biogas containing the same amount of energy
as a litre of gasoline, one can save both the environment and some
cash in the process.
?Any diesel or gasoline driven car can be converted to run on
methane gas and a number of factory made models are also available,? Rautio states.
Find out for yourself:
Tania Nathan
In this day and age when businesses are all about cost cutting and
economies don?t seem to be on the mend, there is an antithesis to
the whole austerity movement. Pranama yoga with its come-asyou-are, pay-what-you-want concept might seem revolutionary,
suicidal even, in these difficult times. All the money contributed
voluntarily by the participants at the classes go to directly to the
yoga teachers that hold the classes, for their ?education and wellbeing?. And business is booming ? Pranama?s pop up yoga studio,
located in a large airy space on the third floor of Helsinki?s Kluuvi
shopping mall is regularly packing them in. And everyone seems
to be contributing to the voluntary kitty as they sign in at every
lesson. What gives?
Pranama?s founder and ?mother? Satu Tuomela is characteristically sage about the success of Pranama. ?I?ve always wanted to do
something like this in the yoga scene in Finland. In 2012 in the
autumn, there was an international teacher coming to Helsinki and
then this space came up so... we started Pranama.? While Pranama
seems to be doing really well, the journey hasn?t been all smooth
sailing. There has been negativity from other studios about Pranama?s pay-what-you-want philosophy. ?Pranama?s not about making
money,? Tuomela states emphatically. ?We?ve wanted to get more
people doing yoga, but the biggest surprise has been how much
success is equated with money in Finland. I think success comes
when you stop thinking about the money and do what you love.?
And judging by the numbers of people that stream in to Pranama?s classes and the happy faces afterwards they seem to be doing
a great job. ?Who knows what the future will bring. But I like the
saying that don?t show people your perfections, show them your
imperfections. You can only succeed if at first you fail.?
Pranama pop up yoga?s timetable can be found on their Facebook
page and at their website. Some English-language sessions are held.
Donations are made in cash only. Yoga mats are provided. The
great attitude on the other hand is purely contagious.
www.pranama.fi
Tuomio (in blue top) leads the way for yoga enthusiasts.
www.biokaasuauto.fi
www.biogasnow.com
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW WINTER IN FINNISH?
1
2
4
5
6
6. sledge
2. scarf
7. shovel
3. snowflake
8. to
hibernate
4. blizzard
5. frozen
Lyght
Catharina Satola
Some folks who live in Orange
County refer to it as The
Bubble, for a few reasons.
One of the main reasons is
political; Orange County is the
most conservative place in liberal California. Another is wealth;
the area is one of the wealthiest counties in the USA. The last
reason is geographical: Orange County is built in the middle of
a desert. All of our water is imported through an aqueduct. All
of our trees, grass, and flowers are imported, too. Everything
green is planted by human hands; the natural landscape is
brown and dry, an easily forgotten detail.
Often thought of as a small, clean, pretty suburban area just
an hour?s drive south of Los Angeles -- perhaps because of its
safe streets with more family friendly entertainment options -Orange County is really a metropolitan hub of its own, home to
over 3 million people in just 2,400 square kilometers.
One feature most folks know of is Disneyland. Many people
who live in Orange County have year round passes, which they
take advantage of often. For those who don?t like long queues
or crowds, some tips to avoid these include using the free
Fastpass system, which allows you to bypass queues, or to go
when it is raining. It rains rarely, and most locals won?t go out
on rainy days, as it is seen as an inconvenience that ruins the
whole day.
The Irvine Spectrum Center is a massive open air mall, built
in a style inspired by Moroccan architecture, with many large
fountains. The Spectrum offers a wide range of shopping and
dining options to fit all budgets. Sometimes local musicians
play on small stages in the many courtyards.
Huntington and Laguna Beach are so popular that it can be
extremely difficult to find parking. Many locals know to park
their cars on the streets in the nearby neighbourhoods. At
night, Laguna Beach is a favourite spot for bonfires. While the
air feels hotter in Huntington, Dana Point Harbor has a cool
breeze. It?s also nice to go fishing off the rocky jetties that
protect the harbour.
3
1. cold
Orange County
7
8
9
Be sure to sample food from the many family owned
restaurants that dot the county. I recommend S&W Seafood
BBQ in Irvine, a Chinese restaurant with a misleading name
and hundreds of items on the menu; they offer their superb
dishes for half price at lunch time. San Juan Capistrano
offers fine French food at L?Hirondelle, which can be enjoyed
outside on a lovely patio, or for a unique local experience, try
El Champion, a small, authentic Mexican restaurant where the
food is served cafeteria style.
9. cocoa
Test your knowledge of Finnish vocabulary by using the local equivalent.
Puzzle by Eva Peltonen. Solutions on page 20.
Contact james@6d.fi if you
want to share the inside word
on your town.
We Met
8
Issue 2 2014
Images: Tomas Whitehouse
Leading
front
Abdirahim ?Husu? Hussein is intent on creating a
positive relationship between Finns and immigrants.
James O?Sullivan
H
AVING arrived here as a teenager in the mid-?90s from
Mogadishu, the environment Abdirahim ?Husu? Hussein
was greeted with was vastly different to the one he lives in
now. This was a Finland that had rarely opened its doors to immigrants since gaining independence from Russia in 1917. This was
a Finland that had no immigration policy, no concern over their
aging population; there was no fear from the fringes about losing
their jobs, women or culture to a wave of newcomers.
From these beginnings, Hussein and his fellow Somalis set about
settling into the vastly different way of life here, and have strived
ever since to overcome persistent negative perceptions of their culture. His path to doing this has been in politics with the Centre
Party, on the radio with comedian Ali Jahangiri in Ali ja Husu, and
through the immigrant community as chairman of Moniheli. And,
if he didn?t have enough on his plate, he and his wife have four children under the age of seven. Time is clearly of the essence.
SixDegrees sat down with him at Moniheli?s Sörnainen office to
hear about the Somali community in Finland, speaking the truth in
politics and being the scapegoat of jokes on the radio.
Tell me about Moniheli. How did it come about?
It is an immigrant-started organisation that commenced as a
project in 2008. When it ended in 2011 the member organisations decided that it should become an NGO. The basis of the
organisation is to take care of the wellbeing of immigrants. Not
only physically, but mentally. Our main goal is to empower them.
We try to promote integration and migrants themselves within
the Finnish society.
We Met
9
SixDegrees
At the moment we are the largest multicultural
organisation that is run mostly by immigrants
themselves. We have more than 30 different nationalities in the organisation representing more
than 70 organisations. Our board is made up of
13 men and women from nine different nationalities. One of our initiatives has been ?iCount?.
It is a three-year project that aims to make immigrants more aware of their rights in this country, in order for them to participate politically,
socially and economically in society.
How effective has it been?
In 2012, when the project started, we wanted to
make immigrants aware that they could vote in
this country. There were only three out of every
ten immigrants who voted around the whole
country. Seven out of ten did not know they
had the right to vote, or didn?t care because they
didn?t feel that they belonged here. Through the
?iCount? project we increased the number from
three to five.
We are trying to bring together people who are
working on issues regarding immigrants and immigration policy around the country in order to
have more effect. We are growing rapidly. There
are several ministries which are interested in this
network organisation.
Why is this?
They can see that immigrants are trustworthy
and are putting their energies and their minds
together under one network. This network deserves to be recognised and supported. The network has been receiving steady funding by the
national lottery, RAY, since last year. It is a very
good sign that they see it is a working concept.
How has the landscape changed for
immigrants here since you arrived in 1994?
In the ?90s, when most of the immigrants started
to come here, Finns were still getting used to the
idea. Even though people say that those times
were worse as an immigrant, I disagree. People
didn?t know much about immigrants in the ?90s.
We were still exotic. People wanted to touch you,
ask you why you have this colour, why do you
look different. It was a positive way of being interested.
They were not sure how to help us, what to do
with us. A lot of us came and started to be part
of the system that existed, in every way possible.
Some of us became passive, because of many
different things: the cold weather, lack of study
places, work, all that kind of stuff. This mostly
pacifies people.
Now it?s a different situation, if you look at the
past five years, before the financial crisis, Finland
was a beautiful country. Things were going well;
there was work for almost everyone who wanted
to work. Unemployment wasn?t nearly as high as
it is today. People didn?t care so much about how
you looked. Nine out of ten didn?t care who you
are and where you come from. However, there?s
always been that one per cent of the population
that is a very loud. They get in all of the tabloids
and the news.
Comparing the immigrants now with the ones
that came back then, I would say that they are
luckier than those that came before them. Now
the Finns know how to advise you and help you
better. Also, the immigrants themselves who
came earlier know exactly what you need, and
how to help you in the best way. There?s more
awareness between people and immigrants. And
the number of immigrants has increased rapidly
? we are almost four per cent of the population.
With the first wave of Somali refugees
coming here in the early ?90s, how do you
think their integration process has been?
[Big sigh] For the Somalis it has always been a
challenging situation. When you have a different
language, a different culture and different beliefs,
there are so many differences. When you come
here there?s a system that exists and nobody tells
you about the system and how it was built and
what it expects from you. You are just told, ?this
is the system, be part of it?. It?s expected for you
to blend in, even if you have some mental problems and wouldn?t know how to deal with them.
In one culture it?s okay to tell all the problems you
have, while in the other one you have to hide it.
You can?t help someone who is hiding his or her
problem.
It?s been a challenge for both sides. Most Finns
want to change you, and tell you to be different
?F
or the past 20 years, 97 per cent
of the Somalis of this country
have been going to school, working,
living their everyday life, normally.?
from whom you are. Then the Somalis are saying,
?I don?t want to be different; I want to be the person I am. If you want to help me, help me for who
I am, not by changing me to become something
that you want.?
For the past 20 years, 97 per cent of the Somalis
of this country have been going to school, working, living their everyday life, normally. But we
still get mentioned a lot in the tabloids. You have
to remember that within a number of 15,000 people, 52 per cent are under the age of 20. We have
almost 8,000 who are children. Then from the
7,000 remaining, I would say that 60-70 per cent
of them are working. Then from the other 30 per
cent they are mothers taking care of their young
ones, students and, of course, the unemployed.
The worst thing about statistics is that you can
use it the way you want. It?s kind of the half full,
half empty glass. If you want to use it negatively
you can, or positively. The Somalis have been
easy to target because we look different, we dress
different, we act different, especially the women;
you can see a Somali woman when she walks
down the street from the way she dresses. When
you can spot the person from very far it?s very
easy to blame them, and all that kind of stuff.
As a Somali I would say that we have done a lot
more good than bad in this country, but we are
not angels. We also have those bad guys and girls.
Some of them are trying to be what they are not,
and because of their identity crisis, some of them
self-destruct and harm others. This destruction
affects others too.
How about the second generation of Somalis,
how have they emerged as a group here?
I don?t see them as a group that exists differently
from the rest of the country. The second generation, the ones that were born here, or came here
when they were young, they have adapted to
Finnish culture. They have also learned how to
be a chameleon. When you are at home you are a
different culture and acting a different way. Then
when you are out in society you are a different
person. Either it breaks you or makes you. I?d say
it is eight out of ten who succeed. They become
very rich in culture and very close to being perfect citizens. They have the same problems as the
Finns, and challenges with work, apartments and
school. But then you have the other two out of
ten who can?t balance between the two cultures,
at home and society. By trying to imitate one or
the other all the time it puts them in trouble.
Then they fall out of society and become harmful
to themselves and the rest of the community.
I am very proud personally of the second generation Somalis as they are starting to realise that
they need to study. In the last five to six years I
would say that the message that you need to study
to become something has really been sinking in.
Now we have 30 Somali students who are going
to university in Romania to become doctors.
They couldn?t get into universities in Finland so
they went there to study. We have two who got
into medicine in Finland for the first time three
years ago. We have students who study law, but
because they don?t get into universities here they
go around the world. Now we have students in
Estonia, Russia, England and other Englishspeaking countries.
As I am a journalist some of them contact
me and say that I need to tell the Finnish media about this: ?Society needs to understand we
are not only problems in this country.? I?m very
proud that we have six-to-ten Somali doctors
working in the metropolitan area. This number
will multiply many times in the next five years.
The second generation Somalis are going to be
the builders of this country. This will not be possible if the society wants to look at them only as
a problem. They reflect the two bad ones on the
rest of the eight. This is demoralising the youth
and is making harder for people like myself to
help, since this negative portrayal is getting to
them. Some of them are really disappointed and
sometimes angry about why society doesn?t talk
about the eight that are good. I hear comments
like ?We are the majority, why are we not getting
any coverage?? But the bad ones are getting the
coverage. It doesn?t interest many people to say
that a Somali guy like me is leading an organisation working with 400,000 euro, or that a young
Somali boy and girl got to study medicine in this
country. It doesn?t interest many. But if a Somali
young man were to stand out there and mug a
grandmother, or shout at someone in the street, it
will interest everyone. You can see the dilemma.
Is that frustrating?
Very, very much. Especially for the youth.
How do you work through that, on a day-today level?
If it doesn?t kill you it makes you stronger. When
you get frustrated five or six days of the week,
then you talk to someone who cares for you, who
knows something to say about it. Then you start
to use it in a positive way. Once again nine out of
ten are coping with this in a positive way. Then
you have that one who gets angry and wants
to share their bad feelings with others and this
sometimes causes problems. Then they go to jail
become another one who the system has made
angry. Of course, there are also those bad individuals also.
I would not say it is the system?s fault. I would
say that we all have to hold ourselves accountable and we all need to be supporting each other
and telling each other that violence is never an
answer to anything. It?s the same with the Finnish youth; there is no ethnic group that is perfect.
Everyone has its own share of problems and success stories. We are one of the many.
You are also involved with the Centre Party
since 2005 as a vice counsellor in Helsinki.
Why the Centre Party?
In the beginning when I started it follow Finnish
politics, there were two types of political affiliation. Firstly were those against people like me,
immigration and integration; and on the other
side there are the ones who want to speak on my
behalf, like I am a small child. When I looked at
the Centre Party, it didn?t fit into any of these two.
No words. Not for or against. I was very interested to know why there is a political party in this
country that wasn?t interested in this issue. Such
a significant number of immigrants are coming
here; Finns are getting older and not having as
many children. Demographically this is a country that is going to have much less people in the
next 100 years.
I went to the Centre Party and told about my
visions and ideas on immigration and integrations issues. I was surprised to see most of what I
said was recorded and put in the party statue on
this issue. The party representatives were listening to what people like myself were saying, and
were willing to use the information that we had.
So, why not work with this party! I spoke to one
of the Centre Party veterans in 2009, who told
me he didn?t know anything about immigration,
integration and immigrants. He was a 60 yearold man and had never worked with immigrants
here. But he said, ?I know you, you are a great guy,
I believe you and trust you. Why don?t you work
with these issues and we will support you.? This is
exactly what I was looking for all my life: acceptance and that I am part of this society. ?You are
part of this country, you can contribute and your
contribution is appreciated.? It gave me this sense
of belonging for the first time.
That?s why I decided I was going to be a member of this party. Even though in 2011 the party
lost like it has never lost before, I decided that
I?m not going to turn my back. This is my time
to make history in this country. I?m going to do
everything possible, not only to bring the party
back to its glory days, but take it to the top ? and
be one of its effective members.
I keep on hearing from different ministerial
levels that Finland is now not only for Finns, and
we have the new Finns. I?m asked my opinions
about how things should be on many different
levels of society. I then keep finding my points on
their statues, how best to run things. My belief
is that we should solve immigration and integration problems together, immigrants and Finns.
People shouldn?t go and do for others what they
don?t know about. They should do it together, by
involving immigrants on the process of issues
concerning them. This is the fundamental thing
with the Centre Party on this issue.
With politicians people always say one thing
and do another, but it?s my one priority to make
sure that we, the Centre Party politicians, do
more and talk less. If this is not done, then I?m
going to hold them accountable
Let?s talk a little about your YLE radio
programme, Ali ja Husu.
Ali ja Husu is a national radio talk show. It has
been on air since January 2013 and has been
received very well. We have more than 100,000
listeners each week. I am our biggest critic, because I see it as two immigrant guys talking about
what?s happening in Finland through their own
perspective. But, this is a perspective that Finns
have never heard before. Now they get to hear it,
feel it and almost touch it. In the beginning they
expected us to talk about immigration issues, but
we talk about everything that is happening in
Finland. There?s nothing to compare with it. It?s
the first and only programme so far run by immigrants speaking in Finnish.
Everyone who?s interested in integration and
immigration listens to the programme. They
send us feedback, asking about this and that.
Lately we?ve been getting a lot of invitations to
speak about these issues in different parts of Finland. Ali is a stand-up comedian so he?s already
promoting his message around the country. Some
of his punchlines are me, so it?s good for him to
have a Somali guy there. [laughs] We have mutual understanding and respect, but we disagree on
everything in life. That?s why our producer likes
us. Even if I am close to the truth, Ali disagrees,
just because he can?t agree with anything I say.
We are both very stubborn people.
Date and place of birth: 1978, Mogadishu.
Family: Wife and four kids.
Education: Social Sciences at university.
My political inspiration is? the need of
change and update in life.
When I think of Somalia I? think of home.
Finland is? my second home.
10
Lifestyle
Issue 2 2014
Pet Love
The ins and outs of animal
ownership in Finland.
Tania Nathan
T
he figures are staggering ? of the 500,000
human inhabitants that call greater Helsinki
home, the number of animals kept as companions are in the tens of thousands, according to
a report by the City of Helsinki. Pretty amazing,
when you think about space constraints and the
responsibilities involved with being a pet owner
? not to mention the considerable cost. Yet pet
owners are undeterred. Helsinki dwellers are
great fans of furry family members, regardless
of their working hours and living in apartments.
So, what drives people to share their lives with
animals?
Simply put, the City of Helsinki pet ownership
guide states that a pet is ?a close family member, a
part of nature that is near us and an irreplaceable
friend?. Could it be the desire to commune with
nature that motivates city dwellers to cohabitate
with an animal? Luckily, Helsinki is a city that
has many fenced dog parks dotting the cityscape,
with separate parks for large and smaller breeds.
Dog parks are not only valuable spaces for Fido
to run free but also provide chances for dog owners to meet and socialise. Many dog parks also
provide valuable information about dog sitters,
dog walkers and even doggy day care services
that you might urgently need for your beloved
furry family member.
All this love and care lavished on four-legged
friends can befuddle some foreigners. Recently,
an African student (who declined to be named)
looked on incredulously as a lady pushed a pram
containing three merry looking Chihuahuas
inside. Turning to look at me he said, ?Only in
Finland,? before bursting into laughter. When
stopping to chat with the lady, she smiled and acknowledged the ridiculousness of the image she
was presenting but explained, ?When there?s this
much wet snow on the ground it?s impossible for
my little dogs to go for a walk easily. That?s why
they sit and I push. I get exercise and they get
fresh air, so it works for both of us!?
Pet store growth
Musti & Mirri, a local pet store released their
profits as of September 2013 and it showed a
growth of 105 per cent from the earlier quarter,
staggering numbers considering the economical
slump that has hit Finland hard. Why is it that
in every other industry there has been negative
growth but in pet care such remarkable numbers? Perhaps it?s because pet owners don?t hold
back when it comes to their animals well being.
Take Pirjo and Arja Neväläinen, twin sisters
that own a little dog called Pikku Ukko, or ?Little Man?. To say that Pikku Ukko has a good life
would be quite an understatement, as the sisters
lavish him with a special raw diet for his stomach
ailment, take him on hour long walks daily and
don?t think twice to eschewing public transport
for taxis if it meant an easier time for the dog.
Why all this effort?
?It?s definitely a lifestyle thing,? Pirjo answers.
?Nowadays it?s a pleasure to come home knowing that there is such a happy creature waiting for
you. Not to mention how much healthier we both
are because of the daily hour long walks, not to
mention the two shorter ones we take with him.?
But has having a dog benefitted them in other
ways? ?Certainly, other dog owners stop and talk
to you, and of course its easier to start a conversation with strangers when you have a dog as a
go-between.?
Sharing lives together
With all the benefits of improved socialisation,
better health and having to get out there with
your dog it starts to make sense why many Helsinki dwellers choose to share their lives with
an animal. But dogs and cats are not the limit.
There is also a growing popularity for keeping
exotic animals such as ferrets, hedgehogs, rats,
salamanders, fish, tortoises, lizards and even spiders as pets. Owning such creatures, which might
require less effort in terms of walks and grooming, is surprisingly pricey.
A workmate who was getting her daughter a pet
terrapin confided that the price of the whole set
up would come to close to 600 euro! When asked
what her motivation was for getting her daughter
such a pricy pet, she shrugged and said, ?That she
could watch and care for something living and
have company I guess.? A noble enough reason,
to teach responsibility to children, but with the
lifespan of terrapins being a healthy 20-25 years,
that is quite a long requirement of care. Perhaps
for this reason the City of Helsinki?s pet ownership brochure also cautions would-be pet owners
that ?prospective owners should carefully weigh
whether they can provide a good and responsible
home for the animal. Ultimately, it is the adults
who bear the responsibility for the welfare of the
animal.? At least with a terrapin there would be
no walks in the rain involved.
A serious endeavour
Pet ownership is definitely taken quite seriously
in Finland. Have you noticed how pet stores
here do not sell puppies or kittens, as you might
find in other countries? That?s because in order
to buy a particular breed of dog or cat you must
find a kennel. And only after several visits where
the kennel owner finds out what sort of hours
and living space is available for the dog or cat
that you?re after, might you be able to purchase
an animal. This is a far cry from puppy mills
that are commonly operating across the border
where a purebred puppy, kitten or even ferret
could be had at a fraction of the price, and with
far dire consequences. When your purchase a
pet from a kennel in Finland, the kennel owner generally is responsible for the lineage and
health of the animal sold, as well as its mother.
They provide you with information, contacts for
groomers, vets and helpful advice for minor ail-
?H
ave you noticed
how pet stores
here do not
sell puppies
or kittens,
as you might
find in other
countries?
Lifestyle
11
SixDegrees
Trend
Month
Useful links and information
to dog adoption
Pet ownership in Finland /
general information:
www.hel.fi
www.petguidefinland.com/
Viiki animal shelter:
www.loytoelaintalo.fi/
Homeless animals looking for new families:
www.kodittomat.fi/lemmikit
Retiring and
volunteering
Offering help for re-homing:
www.tunturisusi.com/koiralinkit/rescue.html
ments your pet may be suffering from. The kennel owner will
also be the person to tell you whether pet ownership may not be
the best idea for you.
James O?Sullivan
At the same time however, there are a growing number of Finns
that choose to adopt or rehome pets that have fallen on hard
times, with animal shelters like Viikin Animal Shelter in Helsinki
and Tunturisusi that even links you with homeless dogs in Spain
looking for loving homes. Finns are very active in taking in such
animals that are often suffering psychologically and physically
from a number of ailments that may require long term care and
a great deal of patience. Why all this care and effort? Perhaps because of the strong ties many Finns have to nature and to caring
for the environment. A well-known Finnish saying goes like this:
?The best feature of most human beings is their dogs.?
Yet it?s worth bearing in mind that while a pet is a wonderful addition to the family and an important part of the family pack, it still
is an animal. A news report by YLE carried this statement: ?A dog
cannot feel empathy or love humans as another human being can.?
As much as we want Fido or Fluffy the cat to understand what we
are pouring out to them after a tough day, he or she might just be
wondering when we?re going to feed them dinner. Still, this doesn?t
mean that we love our animals any less. Owning a pet makes life a
little more chaotic, but in a good way. Perhaps a quote by Charles
F. Doran sums it all up best:
?Folk will know how large your soul is, by the way you treat
a dog.?
A
fter enjoying a long and fruitful career, what could be
better than kicking back, knocking the top off a beer and
surveying all of the good things you have contributed to
society and the world at large. Right?
Well, this doesn?t seem to be the case for everyone. Increasingly, many are putting their hands up to volunteer their hardwon expertise around the globe, in places where it is needed
the most.
Initiatives such as Doctors Without Borders have already
garnered press for their philanthropic pursuits. While already
in action globally, Teachers Without Borders is a new initiative locally that is currently in its pilot project stage.
Organised here by Finn Church Aid, FCA. Six volunteer
teachers are to be sent to Liberia, Jordan and South Sudan in
order to offer educational assistance.
Sound interesting? This is just one of a multitude of initiatives whereby retired folks are sharing their skills with the global community. See how you can help!
Tell us about your own experiences spending your
retirement as a volunteer: james@6d.fi
SPORTS-RELATED HOBBIES
In the first of a five-part
series, we take a look at
? Information and guidance for immigrants
? Information about integrating in Swedish
? Mentor program FIKA
? Courses and events
UPCOMING EVENTS IN MARCH AND APRIL
Peer support group for unemployed immigrants in Helsinki
March 3rd- April 7th, Mondays at 3-5 pm
Do you need help exploring employment possibilities?
Do you want to share your experiences with people in
the same situation? Would you like to learn more about
the Finnish job market and explore alternative pathways
to employment?
Job search with Academic Work
12 of March at 3-5 pm.
Need help with your job search? Academic Work gives
useful information and advice for students, graduates
and other professionals.
English - Swedish Baby and Toddler Café at Luckan
March 19th at 10.30-12.00
Welcome to join the English- Swedish baby and toddlers
group at Luckan! The program lasts approximately
30 min. and is followed by coffee/tea and discussions.
Arranged in co-operatin with Luckan Integration and
Kvinnoförbundet i Sörnäs.
Swedish Language Café
Thursday 27.3 at 5 pm.
Practice your Swedish in a welcoming and informal environment at the Swedish language café in Luckan. We
will discuss everyday situations and adapt the evening
according to the participants levels.
Food Hygiene - training and testing (50 euro)
April 16th, 5.00- 8.45 and April 23d, 5.00- 8.45
This course consists of two parts: training course (April
16th) covering all subject areas of food hygiene proficiency and the test (April 23rd). The course is organised
by Arbis (Swedish Adult Education Centre of Helsinki)
and Luckan. Please note that you need a photo ID for
attending the test.
for more information and registration visit our webpage integration.luckan.fi !
All events are held in Luckan, Simonkatu 8 in Helsinki
and are free of charge, unless otherwise mentioned.
game officials.
Would you like to get to know more about Finland, Finnish culture and working life? Join the FIKA-mentor program and get your own personal mentor, a guide to the
Finnish society. For more information see fika.luckan.fi
Mika Oksanen
FIND US ON FACEBOOK:
Facebook.com/LuckanIntegration
I
t is a Friday night in late January. At the ice hall in Hippos, Jyväskylä, an ice hockey game is looking to com?Just-off-the-ice? officials busy at work during a league game in
mence in less than an hour. Two off-ice officials, Marko
Jyväskylä.
Paassilta, 49, and Jenna Junkkarinen, 25, join 6D for an
interview at the back office, donning their black down officiating jackets. They will assume positions beside the rink ten
minutes before first face-off, but have agreed to shed light on their fascinating hobby before it.
Off-ice officials have a big role in keeping things together in an ice hockey game. ?Our main tasks are timekeeping for
game time and penalties, recording the necessary statistical events ? such as individual playing time, shots taken, saves and
face-offs, and obviously the official scoring, today in real time as well,? Paassilta explains. ?We also provide assistance to the
referees and linesmen on the ice in scoring details and other matters.?
How does one become a game official? ?For me, it started nine years ago. An acquaintance of mine was involved in it
and talked me into trying it out, and I still keep coming here,? Junkkarinen says. Nine years is a long time. Have you ever
considered quitting? ?Not to this date, I still feel pretty keen,? she replies.
?This is my eighth season on board,? Paassilta recollects. ?I was looking for a nice leisurely activity to balance out my
intense work life, browsed the website of the regional ice hockey referees? club and contacted them based on that. They told
me there was a course for newcomers, and that?s how it started.? A key point is that neither of them are ex-hockey players ? a
background on skates is not a prerequisite. One big plus is that you can make yourself available for games during the season
as it suits you, taking a month off when your life is busy, for example.
What do you get out of it, what is it that keeps bringing you back? ?The love of the game, you literally get a rink-side look,
hear all the talk about the local clubs? developments, get to talk to the main actors,? Paassilta lists and Junkkarinen concurs.
?One big thing is the great social context,? Junkkarinen adds. ?It is always great to come to the stadium.? At this point, from
behind the ajar door, another official Jarno Ulkuniemi breaks out in his trademark raging laughter at the comment; these
guys appear to have a nice touch of self-irony in what they do.
LUCKAN INTEGRATION
Simonkatu 8, 00100 Helsinki
integration@luckan.fi
040 485 0636 / bridge.luckan.fi
12
Feature
Issue 2 2014
From
COINTELPRO
the war on privacy and civil rights
Feature
13
SixDegrees
O to PRISM
Sustaining the security of personal
and sensitive information has been an
ongoing issue over the years.
Johannes Hautavirta
T
he US National Security Agency (NSA) and its global surveillance apparatus has attracted vocal criticism. The scale and
nature of the surveillance, exposed by Edward Snowden, has
elicited much discussion of the relationship between intrusive government mass-surveillance and civil rights and the right to privacy.
This discussion is nothing new.
Between 1954-1971 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
ran a clandestine programme, called COINTELPRO (Counter
Intelligence Programme), the aim of which was to ?disrupt?, ?discredit? and ?neutralise? political organisations and dissidents. The
programme was aimed at the civil rights movement, the anti-war
movement and the New Left in the US.
The main target of COINTELPRO was pastor Martin Luther
King, Jr. In August 1963, King gave his historical ?I have a dream?
speech. In his speech King called for equality between the AfricanAmerican and white populations and the end of racial segregation.
The day after the speech, William Sullivan, the head of COINTELPRO, wrote: ?In the light of King?s powerful demagogic
speech... We must mark him now, if we have not done so before,
as the most dangerous Negro of the future in this Nation from the
standpoint of communism, the Negro, and national security.?
Six weeks after the speech FBI placed King under 24-hour electronic surveillance. The FBI proceeded to blackmail King threatening to publicise audiotapes of King?s sexual behaviour. Referring to
the sex tapes, FBI wrote King:
?The American public... will know you for what you are ? an
evil, abnormal beast... You are done. There is but one way out for
you. You better take it before your filthy, abnormal fraudulent self
is bared to the nation.?
Antiwar disclosures
In 1971, a group of antiwar-activists broke into the FBI?s field office in Media and stole more than a thousand secret documents
and leaked them to the press. These leaked documents revealed
the existence of COINTELPRO. As a result of the disclosures, the
programme was disbanded the same year.
The identities of the activists had remained secret until January 2014 when they decided to go public. One of them was John
Raines, Professor of Theology at Temple University, who said: ?I
think that what we were trying to do back in 1971, Snowden is trying to do right now. And that is to give the information that citizens
need to decide, as citizens, what their government should do and
should not do.?
The documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the scale and nature of the NSA?s current clandestine
surveillance programmes. The leaks verified that not only does the
NSA occasionally use Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Skype, YouTube,
Microsoft and Apple to collect information on specific users, but
has direct and inbuilt access to their servers as part of a programme
called ?PRISM?. It allows NSA officials to collect material such as
search history, the content of emails and chats without warrant.
It effectively gives the NSA the ability to monitor and store most
activity and communication made over the Internet.
The top-secret documents reveal that the NSA collects information on the Internet activities of political activists and their visits to
adult entertainment websites. The document states that the collected
material is intended to be used to weaken the ?authority? of activists.
According to Glenn Greenwald, the national security journalist
who covered the Snowden leaks, ?the objective of the NSA is literally the elimination of global privacy: ensuring that every form of
human electronic communication. . . is collected, stored, analysed
and monitored.?
Jameel Jaffer, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, echoes Greenwald?s assessment: ?It?s important to
remember that the NSA?s surveillance activities are anything but
narrowly focused... the agency is collecting massive amounts of
sensitive information about virtually everyone. Wherever you are,
the NSA?s databases store information about your political views,
your medical history, your intimate relationships and your activities online,? he concluded.
Implications for the press
All of this has had serious implications for the freedom of the press.
On 10 October, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued
its first ever report on press freedom in the US. The report details
how journalists and their sources, such as government officials, are
increasingly afraid to communicate in fear of being surveilled.
According to the CPJ, the Obama administration has subjected
six government employees and two contractors, including Edward
Snowden, to ?criminal felony prosecutions... under the 1917 Espionage Act.? This is more than twice as many prosecutions as during all previous US administrations combined. Leonard Downie,
Jr, former Washington Post executive editor and the author of the
CJP report concludes:
?The administration?s war on leaks and other efforts to control
information are the most aggressive I?ve seen since the Nixon
administration, when I was one of the editors involved in The
Washington Post?s investigation of Watergate. The 30 experienced
Washington journalists at a variety of news organisations whom
I interviewed for this report could not remember any precedent.?
For security, or control of the population?
?Security? against terrorism is universally invoked to justify increasing state surveillance and secrecy. At last month?s senate hearing, James Clapper, the head of the US intelligence community,
stated that Snowden has severely undermined US national security.
Regardless of what one thinks of Snowden, it must be acknowledged that it seems quite hypocritical for the US to invoke the issue
of security from terrorism while it not only consistently undertakes
actions that increase the threat of terrorism, but itself carries out
arguably the biggest terrorist operation in the world, namely the
global assassination campaign. The effects of these policies are well
understood in US intelligence circles, which anticipated that the
invasion of Iraq in 2003 would increase the threat of terrorist actions against the US. This is also the case with the Obama administration?s assassination campaign. In Pakistan alone, the US has reportedly killed between 2,534-3,642 Pakistanis, including between
168-200 children, in drone strikes executed almost entirely under
Obama?s presidency.
The Obama administration has defended the right of the executive branch to without democratic or prior judicial review or
oversight assassinate individuals suspected of being ?terrorists?. On
top of the issue of unreliable intelligence, which has resulted in the
killing of unknown individuals, the US terrorist watch list ought
to be regarded as an international scandal. In 1988, the US listed
Nelson Mandela and his party the African National Congress as
terrorists. Mandela was removed from the US terrorist watch list
as late as in 2008.
Putting that aside, and looking at what Snowden revealed, it?s difficult to see how it could have harmed US security. In the same
way as Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971
and the activists who put an end to COINTELPRO the same year,
Snowden merely informed the public about what their government
is doing behind closed doors. The concern seems to be less about
security and more about the control of information to protect the
state from public scrutiny.
This is also evident in the treatment of Chelsea Manning by US
authorities. Amnesty International?s Senior Director of International
Law and Policy Widney Brown said in July 2013, commenting on
the verdict against Manning, that ?[t]he government?s priorities are
upside down. The US government has refused to investigate credible
allegations of torture and other crimes under international law despite overwhelming evidence... Yet they decided to prosecute Manning who, it seems, was trying to do the right thing - reveal credible
evidence of unlawful behaviour by the government.?
Finnish Intelligence: we need to bolster our surveillance
capabilities
The chilling effect of mass surveillance also has broad, but less obvious implications for human interaction and communication. As
our personal and professional information and communications
are increasingly stored on the servers of a few giant corporations,
such as Google and Facebook, it becomes nearly impossible to
communicate privately.
In his statement before the European Parliament Committee on
Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Edward Snowden said
that the ?surveillance of whole populations, rather than individuals, threaten to be the greatest human rights challenge of our time.?
Many violations of privacy go unnoticed or unchallenged because
they are seen by the public as natural. It seems likely that voluntary
subjection to and even support for the ongoing invasion of privacy
is more common among young people who have grown up using
Facebook and Twitter. There has been a cultural shift in the last
decades and for many young people it feels natural to expose much
of your private life online. This might make it more difficult to resist the attack on individual privacy.
Local securty reacts
Following the Snowden revelations, Finnish authorities reacted by
saying that Finland should bolster its surveillance apparatus. Both
the head of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (FSIS) and the
Chief Director of the Police Force demanded more intrusive surveillance capabilities for the FSIS. This attitude is also reflected in
Finland?s cyber security strategy, which states that ?[a]ny possible
legislative hurdles, restrictions and obligations related to data protection, as well as those arising from international obligations, that
impede the obtainability, disclosure and exchange of information
useful for effective cyber defence purposes, will be taken under
review.?
In September 2013, WikiLeaks released Spy Files 3 ? a trove of documents shedding light on the magnitude of the global intelligence
industry. The documents include memos and trade brochures of private intelligence contractors. They also contain information on the
travelling schedules of the companies? representatives.
Spy Files 3 reveals that Rudolf Winschuh, Partner Sales Manager
of Utimaco Safeware AG (Utimaco) made a visit to Finland in June
2013. The visit was made one week prior to the statements by the
Finnish authorities demanding more surveillance capacities. Utimaco has been implicated indirectly in the build-up of the surveillance apparatuses of Middle Eastern dictatorships.
Utimaco is a private intelligence contractor which provides interception systems for mobile operators and Internet service providers. Utimaco?s technology has been used by Bashar al-Assad?s
regime in Syria and the former Tunisian dictatorship. In both of
these cases, the company provided technology that enables the
interception and storage of telephone and email communications.
In January 2014, the Finnish authorities were given the legal right
to insert spying programmes on a criminal suspect?s computer.
These programmes are marketed and sold to intelligence agencies,
state authorities and others by private intelligence firms.
After the passing of this new legislation, the police can ?contaminate
computers?, according to Mikko Hyppönen, Chief Research Officer at
F-Secure. ?Internet service providers can be forced to install a spying
programme,? which is disguised to the customer as a ?software update?.
In October 2013, the Finnish police requested the Punk in Finland
chat forum to turn over the information of some of its participants.
The police requested information on individuals who had participated in a conversation regarding a demonstration to be held in Tampere
on Independence Day. The police refused to reveal why the request
was made. ?It?s classified,? commented inspector Ari Luoto.
According to Finnish law, a police officer has the right to ?obtain information that is necessary to prevent or solve a crime? without regard
to corporate, insurance or bank secrecy. It seems there is no oversight or
prior judicial review of this practice, which is very widely used, according to the police. The request by the police also comes with a gag order,
which forbids the recipient from revealing the existence of the request.
We know about this specific incident because the PiF-forum ignored the obligation to maintain secrecy and publicised the letter
from the police on its webpage. The police is currently investigating the PiF-forum for breaching the secrecy clause. This practice
has some striking similarities with the infamous National Security
Letter system in the US.
The Finnish authorities have also proceeded, against the ruling of
the European Court of Human Rights, to collect the fingerprints of
all its citizens. The authorities have indicated that they would like
to use this register in future criminal investigation. In Finland there
has been a massive increase in the deployment of security cameras.
In 2008, it was reported that Finland has the highest proportional
amount of security cameras out of all European countries with the
exception of Britain.
Legal History Professor Jukka Kekkonen (University of Helsinki)
is concerned over the increased government surveillance of all kinds
in the Western world during previous decades. ?There has been a
general tendency towards tightening control. Historical experience and research - indicate that what lies behind this development is the
growth of inequality in wealth and power.?
Personal info
for all
Here in Finland personal information is a little more accessible
than in many other countries. Everything from an individual?s
income and tax records, to the source of the phone number that
just contacted you, can be found easily. Oh, wondering who?s the
owner of that car parked across the street? No worries, you can
find out using the registration plate. All of this potentially sensitive
information is freely available to any member of the public.
In fact, such accessibility was used recently in the robbery of
peoples? houses when their car registration was noted by thieves
as they boarded cruise ships to Stockholm. The thieves then
took advantage of the info at hand and robbed the passengers?
apartments whilst the residents were out of town.
Society
14
Issue 2 2014
Column
The Divided
Society
Across the developed world, people are enjoying better
food than the world has ever known. Regardless of where
you live, how you live, and almost regardless of your income,
you are able to access the recipes and ingredients for anything you could possibly imagine.
Some are inspired by Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver, some
by friends or family, and some just love cooking entirely for
what it is. Whatever the reason, we live in an age where dinner at a friend?s house may well feature a perfect pasta puttanesca, delicious Finnish pastries or a classic reindeer stew.
What this does not explain is why so many people live off
Kotipizza, turnip casserole and McDonalds.
For although 10 per cent of the population eat better food
than anyone could possibly have imagined 30 years ago;
the other 90 per cent of the population eat worse. Worse in
terms of nutrition, of value for money, and particularly in
terms of flavour.
?C
hildren
are
growing
up in homes where
an enthusiastic interest in
anything at all may not be
welcomed as much as it is
ridiculed or ignored.
This does not only apply to food. Ten percent of the people
in the Western world are more highly educated than any
generation in history. For the first time, many of us can
study in whatever country we feel suits us best, in whatever
language, city or faculty we choose. There are no longer barriers to education.
And yet a visit to any discussion forum reveals that even
greater number of people exist in a haze of poor literacy, ignorance and prejudice. This is perhaps particularly true in
the US, where knowledge of geography, politics and grammar seem to be in a perpetual tailspin.
Income is not the issue here. Takeaway food is almost always more expensive than homemade. Nor is it about class,
at least not in Finland, where education is available to everyone, anywhere, always.
Society seems to be dividing along lines less defined by
class or income than by parenting. Many Finnish children
are lucky enough to grow up in humble homes in which
they are taught to read, think, cook and perhaps most importantly, to imagine.
Next door to them live middle class families in which very
little knowledge is passed from one generation to the next.
Too many children leave home at age 20 unable to wash
their own clothes, let alone produce a basic meal or change
a set of winter tyres.
Children are growing up in homes where reading is not
encouraged, and where an enthusiastic interest in anything
at all, be it fashion, poetry, yoga or architecture, may not be
welcomed as much as ridiculed or ignored. Worse, parents
are not always teaching their children the skills and traditions that they were raised with.
This is a global trend, but one that surprises me less in cultures that have long been divided by class, as in Britain, or
by income, as in the US. In Finland, parents do not have
the same excuses. While Finnish schools remain as good
as any in the world, it may be Finnish parenting that needs
to do better.
David Brown is a language consultant and journalist, regularly
covering stories in Africa, Asia & the Middle East. He has lived
in Finland for over 10 years.
Open data
an untapped resource?
Public administration produces scores of data, but most of it
tends to stay closed in the archives. Now more and more of this
information is being opened to the public, who are finding new,
innovative ways of harnessing the data.
Teemu Henriksson
M
OST people living in the Capital Region are likely to be familiar with Reittiopas.fi, a journey planner for Helsinki?s
public transport. Yet the website is only one of the many
ways of accessing the information behind the service. In 2009 the
Helsinki Regional Transport Authority (HSL) made its route and
timetable data freely available for anyone to reuse. Currently about
40 mobile applications, created by the public, utilise the data, and
an estimated sixth of the data?s use is through these applications.
Public transportation data is only one example of the different
types of information that has been lately opened to the public, with
more to follow, as various public offices will also open their data
in the near future. A key driving force for this development have
been open data enthusiasts, who promote the idea of releasing data
produced by public officials. Many of them also use this data to
develop new applications, arguing that exploitation of open data
could yield significant benefits for the society overall.
The champions of open data typically give three reasons why releasing public administration?s data is beneficial: first, it increases
transparency and people?s ability to participate in the democratic
system; second, it fuels innovation and creation of new markets
in the society; and finally, it improves efficiency between different
public offices. To what extent the promise of open data holds true
remains to be seen, but there are already some positive early signs.
Some public offices have already followed HSL?s example and
opened parts of their data reserves: In 2012, the National Land
Survey of Finland opened its topographical datasets and the Finnish Tax Administration made available its data on corporate tax.
Early in 2013, the Finnish Meteorological Institute opened some of
its weather data. Statistics Finland has also made some of its data
accessible, with more to follow, and several smaller offices and museums have released some of their information (for example the
Finnish National Gallery, which has released the metadata of its
collections).
However, releasing data is only a first step, as the concrete benefits of such data are revealed only by its use. One way of seeing
data is to think of it as a resource, whose full value will be determined by additional refining. What is therefore needed is different
services and applications, created by the public, that exploit public
data and offer user-friendly ways of making sense of what can be
exceedingly vast amounts of information. Curious and skilful programmers and developers may come up with useful and engaging
uses of data that public administration wouldn?t have thought of,
for example by combining two or more separate datasets.
Beyond geekery
One way in which the benefits of open data are promoted is the
competition Apps4Finland, which challenges developers to come
up with innovative ways of exploiting open data. 2013 marked the
fifth time the annual competition was organised, and over a hundred applications are submitted annually.
According to the organisers, the applications have become more
and more thought-out and practical in the latest years, showing
an increased understanding of what open data resources permit.
?Previously we received more undeveloped ideas. Now many more
concepts include a complete roadmap for turning them into fully
realised applications,? says Sami Majaniemi from Apps4Finland.
Majaniemi says that Apps4Finland is also aiming to reach out
to people who come from outside programming or data handling
Society
15
SixDegrees
circles. Some competition challenges require expertise in several
fields, which means that you may need more than just code-savvy
geeks to reach useful solutions. ?For example, some competing
works in 2013 that related to location data required collaboration
between IT and geoscience experts,? Majaniemi says.
The organisers also aim to develop Apps4Finland towards functioning as a bridge that connects societal problems with people
with the required skills and tools to find solutions to them. This,
in turn, would contribute to the development of a wider ecosystem
around open data. Such ecosystem could see data brokers, analysts
and software developers, among other actors, making use of open
data for different applications and establishing themselves between
data suppliers and end users.
When the National Land Survey of Finland began releasing its
data in 2012, they saw a distribution network appear very soon.
?It definitely seems that there is a community forming around our
data,? says Kari-Pekka Karlsson from the National Land Survey of
Finland. ?Some of the distributors of our data had been its retailers
also before, when we offered it as a paid-for product, but some are
entirely new.?
Benefits and potential risks
The government has now committed to the concept of open data,
but the notion did face a degree of resistance initially, and some
worries over the idea are still heard from time to time. The main
points of concern relate to privacy and security ? for example,
could a malicious party take some seemingly harmless data and
find unexpected and harmful ways of using it?
Yet the types of data that have so far been released had been available also before, albeit in another, less accessible format, and possibly for a fee. If someone with hostile intentions wanted to access
such information, they could have done so already before. ?Holding on to such fears as a reason not to move forward with releasing
more data is more likely to obstruct the good guys, who could use
the data to do something useful and beneficial, than to stop the bad
guys,? says Majaniemi. ?The pros and cons of releasing data should
be weighed against each other in the case of every data type.?
One category of information where questions of privacy are particularly relevant is health data. Majaniemi notes, however, that
ongoing, open discussion is needed also because the conception of
personal privacy is changing, and information that is now generally considered as private may be perceived differently in the near
future.
Some argue that giving the public ? especially programmers and
developers ? unrestrained access to data could also yield commercial benefits, or at least give support to existing services that could
utilize newly released data. Yet it is too early to determine the extent to which open data can be monetized, as thriving commercial
applications are few so far. Karlsson points out, however, that even
though the National Land Survey?s data is only used by a handful of
commercial applications, the data?s use went up tenfold when it was
made available for free. From the point of view of dissemination,
its release has thus been a great success.
The internet is often described as a disruptive force, and this certainly holds true in the case of public data: information that used
to be impossible (or impossibly expensive) to be made accessible to
the public can now be released with relatively few resources. What
the future holds depends largely on the enthusiasm of data activists to keep looking for new, creative ways of employing data, but
it seems safe to say that the most compelling and beneficial uses of
open data are still ahead of us.
In December, Apps4Finland awarded the
most creative and inspiring concepts and
applications that used open data in 2013. Here
are some examples of the winners, chosen
from among over 100 contest participants.
Stormwind Simulator: A boating simulator that combines data
from the National Land Survey, the Finnish Forest Research
Institute and the Finnish Transport Agency to visualise over
30,000 square kilometres of the Finnish archipelago. The
application aims to encourage learning navigation and improve
safety at the sea.
Open Ahjo interface: An application programming interface
(API) created by the city of Helsinki that automatically collects
documents from Ahjo, the city?s electronic policy-making and
case management platform. The interface gives citizens a new
way of following the city?s decision-making processes.
Asthma self-care: An application that supports asthma patients?
self-care by featuring, for example, information on medication,
local information such as the weather and air quality, and
reminders for annual check-ups.
Vehicle inspection data: A service that allows users to examine
data on vehicle inspections, compare the data on different car
models and check online car sales websites for desired models.
Its database is provided by A-Katsastus, the largest vehicle
inspection company in Finland, and contains information on
830,000 inspections.
Legal Immigrants
Minority Report
6D gets to know what it?s like to be a
We take a look at the ethnic minorities
regular immigrant in Finland.
here in Finland.
The
Indonesians
Sarrah Kassem
S
wiss Travis Finneran moved to Finland in 2010. Like
many immigrants, love is the reason he came, and also
his reason to stay.
What do you do here in Finland?
I?m a sushi chef at sushibar+wine. I help design the menus
and do research on developing new plates. My fiancé and I
are also starting up a dog training school, Home School Dog
Training, for rehabilitation of dogs that need special care, as
well as basic training. Our school is a bit different because
we don?t just train the dogs, we also help dog owners to understand their pets better. The bond between a person and
their dog is crucial. Later on we hope to do rescue training
as well.
When and how did you end up here?
I came to Finland the day after Vappu in 2010. My wife at
the time wanted to move here, and after we got divorced, I
thought about leaving, but realised I had it pretty good here,
so I stayed. Then, in early 2012, I met my current fiancé at
a dog park.
What attracts you about the Finnish culture?
I love the strong character of the Finnish people, and I appreciate the respect for nature that Finns have. The Lapinkoira
is now also one of my favorite dog breeds. You have to give
credit to the old time Finns for raising such an intelligent
and hard working breed.
What culture shocks did you experience when coming
to Finland?
I?m very talkative and outgoing and friendly. In Switzerland
we say bonjour to everyone on the street. The refrained interaction of people surprised me.
Have you been able to settle and integrate in to Finnish
society?
I think I?ve been able to. My Finnish is getting pretty good,
though there are still a few hang-ups. Being here I am playing by the Finns? rules, but I?m OK with that.
What were/are your worries?
When I first started working, a few people made my life hard
because I was an immigrant. I was worried things would always be that way, but it has changed and things are much
better now, and I can count Finns among my friends.
What are your future wishes for your life here?
I want to keep working at sushibar+wine. I have climbed
the ladder and want to see the company thrive. I also have
high hopes for starting up Home School Dog Training, and
someday I want to help create a Helsinki dog training and
rehabilitation center.
What is your favorite Finnish word?
Lämpimämpi (warmer). When you say it, it sounds so silly.
The Finnish language sounds mostly strong and masculine
to me, so lämpimämpi just seems so silly by comparison.
Contact james@6d.fi
if you?d like to share your
thoughts for a future issue.
Finland is not the first place that many Indonesians here
have moved to, with some coming directly from countries
such as Argentina. Once they have arrived in Finland, they
insist however on maintaining a sense of Indonesian community. Today, the 350-400 Indonesians that now live in
Finland gather regularly, as some move between cities such
as Helsinki and Turku on business matters, while others
spend their time in Jyväskylä for educational purposes.
Compared to several other minorities in Finland, Indonesians have a well-organised community. On the one hand
there are religious clubs such as the Muslim Indonesians in
Finland (IMMI) and the Christian Indonesians (macro.if),
of which both have monthly events. The IMMI regularly invites a sheikh to its Islamic styled sessions, while the Christian community organises events around occasions such
as Christmas at the embassy. On the other hand there also
exists culturally oriented clubs, such as the one for young
Indonesian students in Finland (PPI). The PPI focuses more
on exposing Indonesian students who have spent their lives
in Finland and grew up here, to their Indonesian culture and
heritage. A student often comes in and introduces, for example, an instrument he/she plays to the rest of the group,
which is then followed with a discussion around dance,
music and Indonesian culture in general. All of these clubs
should not be mistaken for dividing up the Indonesian community as a whole, since the Indonesian Embassy invites all
Indonesians to come together on special events such as the
Indonesian Independence Day on 17 August.
These clubs are also not isolated from the public in Finland. An Indonesian group named Banyu Pethak regularly
teaches music and dance from Bali. The teacher, Ketut Sudaneyara, has passed on the traditions of Indonesian music
to many of his nationals, as several Indonesians have then
performed under Sudaneyara?s expertise in a series of events
across the country and in Estonia that even the former Estonian president attended! Attending one of these events is all
it takes to get a glimpse of the Indonesian community and
culture in Finland!
Start your
weekend with
news in English
Why not add Helsinki Times
to your morning coffee!
Stay informed about news and current affairs in Finland
by subscribing to the weekly Helsinki Times.
To subscribe, e-mail subscribe@helsinkitimes.fi
Visit www.helsinkitimes.fi for a daily Finnish news update in English.
16
Tastebuds
Issue 2 2014
Street food for the
masses in town
James O?Sullivan
Noodles and tea eggs. (left)
Mr. Wong prepares the tea.
(below)
Capturing the flavour
Authentic Chinese tea in downtown
Helsinki.
Text Tania Nathan, Photos Kai Kuusisto.
T
ucked away in a quiet corner of Aikatalo on Mikonkatu is the
quiet and unpretentious Natural Flavor Tea House. The ever
smiling and serene Mr. Wong bids myself and 6D photographer Kai welcome to Helsinki?s first and only Chinese tea house
and invites us to take our places at a low table carved out of wood.
?Would you like to try some special Red Tea ? China Golden Monkey?? It seems like a rhetorical question. Of course! As we watch
Mr. Wong set out the tiny teapot and almost thimble sized tea cups
he tells us his story.
?The idea behind drinking tea in China, or the ceremony of tea
drinking is called cha dow ? and Chinese tea culture is all about
drinking tea with friends while relaxing,? he explains as he pours
an exact amount of hot water into the pot, adds the reddish tea
leaves and after closing the pot and swirling it around, he pours out
the tea into the three cups. But instead of offering it to us, he then
pours the tea out over a metal frog set at the end of the table!
Mr. Wong smiles and explains, ?The first step of the ceremony
is the rinsing. It is done to awaken the flavour of the leaves and
to help develop the tea?s aroma.? The metal frog, with a coin in its
mouth is merely a Chinese symbol for good luck and prosperity.
He then brews another pot of tea just as fluidly, and, presenting the
cups to us, invites us to taste. The tea is soft to the palate and almost
sweetish, and as the name suggests, has a reddish hue.
?This tea is particularly suited for drinking in the wintertime, as
it is warming,? Mr. Wong explains. The Chinese believe that foods
have qualities of either being warming or cooling and certain types
of teas are believed to have warming properties ? and are best
drunk during winter to keep one in optimal health. As we sip on
our tea, appreciating its lovely scent and mild fruitiness, Mr. Wong
explains how Natural Flavor Tea House came to be. ?My passion
has always been tea ? the Chinese tea culture and cha dow has not
been introduced to Helsinki, which is how I got the idea to open
this place two years ago.? Besides tea, there are also a range of Chinese dim sums, dumplings, won tons, noodles in broth, tea eggs
and Chinese savory buns and sweets to choose from.
Some tastes with tea
As we enjoy the serene atmosphere of the tea house with its traditional wooden carved shelves with tea pots in porcelain and glass
the food starts to arrive. First are some beautiful shrimp har gow,
wrapped in its translucent wrappers. Small enough to be eaten in
one bite, these little beauties go down a treat dunked in a touch
of soy sauce provided. The shrimp filling is juicy and tasty and
the wrapper has just enough bite. The mixed four dumplings are
also beautifully presented in a bamboo steamer lined with paper,
and contains an assortment of four dumplings. Another bamboo
steamer revealed a presentation of jiao je-style dumplings crimped
beautifully, and yet another a set of kimchee, or Korean pickled
cabbage dumplings. The rose vegetable dumplings though, neatly
crimped in a ?nurses cap? style
was a clear winner, with its cabbage, corn, peas, water chestnut
and carrot fillings.
Mr. Wong humbly smiles and accepts our praise at the delicious
dumplings, and says ?The dim sum is really only secondary to the
teas. Those are my passion, the core of the business you could say
? but I?m glad you enjoy the food!? He then presents us with a
bowl of Shaan Xi style soup with pork dumplings and Chinese cabbage, a speciality he says, from his hometown. The broth is very
tasty and redolent of ginger and black vinegar, lovely on this cold
winter?s day and generously studded with dumplings and cabbage.
We enjoy the soup as the next bowls of noodles and tea eggs start
to arrive.
Light but hearty
The gluten free rice noodle soup with tea eggs and Chinese pak
choy is fresh and slippery and the tea eggs are lovely, full of smoky
flavor and delicate to the tooth. The other bowl of spinach ?pasta? noodles are hearty and delicious, with fresh bean sprouts and
greens and tea eggs as well. We heartily enjoy it all, sadly leaving
Mr. Wong?s highly recommended ice tea to another time, as he had
only began to brew it. The display cases start to fill up with tempting fluffy white Chinese buns called bao with roasted pork filling
or chicken, and all manners of little snacks traditionally eaten with
Chinese teas but we have to call it a day ? being stuffed to the gills.
While the food is light and refreshing in flavour as well as with lots
of vegetables, it is surprisingly hearty.
Mr. Wong promises that in the summer there will be a variety of
blooming teas in stock. Called so because the tea leaves and flowers
are packed into a ball and unfurl in the hot water, they provide tea
lovers with a sight and taste sensation. Meanwhiles, there are many
tea treasures that line the walls in single sachet packets to ensure
freshness to small pouches for several servings. Ranging from Jasmine teas to white teas, there are also tempting sounding cherry
senchas and red teas.
Natural Tea House was a real treat, for all the senses.
Natural Flavor
Tea House
Mikonkatu 8
Aikatalo (street level)
Helsinki
Tel. (+358) 45 138 2600
www.nfteahouse.com
Street food is the name of the game towards the end of March
in the Capital Region, with Streat Helsinki on offer 21?22
March.
Reaching out to food professionals, amateurs and foodies
alike, the festival might just catch the eye of anyone interested
in urban development, trends, start-ups, and service design.
Three events are on offer: TALKS, EATS and PARTIES.
TALKS is organised in conjunction with Gastro Helsinki fair,
and is being held at the Helsinki Exhibition and Convention
Centre on Friday 21 March. Bringing together hundreds of
street food ambassadors, doers and supporters from around the
world.
Meanwhile, EATS and PARTIES take over the flourishing
culture districts and street food hubs of the Tori Quarters
and the Abattoir. PARTIES - takes place after on Friday 21
March from 7 pm until 2 am at Helsinki?s food culture brewery, the Abattoir.
Friday night at restaurant Kellohalli is a celebration of local
street food complemented by Streat Helsinki?s international
guests, good music and a drink or two. Heading the culinary
revelry are Helsinki-based chefs and food culture promoters
Sasu Laukkonen and Richard McCormick.
Finally, rounding out the trio, EATS invites everyone to try
out pioneering street food at the Tori Quarters on Saturday 22
March, with dozens of Finnish and international vendors
producing street food. In adStreat Helsinki 2014
Street Food Event
dition to food, and a festive atmosphere, EATS also features
21-22 March
performances and other prostreathelsinki.com
gramming.
Fun Finn
food fact:
Wondering what
percentage of
all raw
ingredients used
in the local
food and drinks
industry originate
from
Finland?
Answer:
85%
SixDegrees
Q&A
17
SixDegrees
Hassan
Katja Bohm
Blasim
Risking it all to
have a voice.
Andy Kruse
I
was apprehensive to meet this mysterious man who 16 years ago
had fled Iraq in fear of his life. Before we met I wondered if there
would be many difficult walls to break down when we tried to
have a conversation together. Would he be as dark as his gruesome
stories with no such thing as a happy ending.
Hassan Blasim is an Iraqi author and filmmaker who lives as a
refugee in Finland. He ran from his home because he couldn?t live
as himself. He couldn?t speak his thoughts or beliefs, or things he
questioned. In order to live there, he had to keep quiet. And he
as himself, couldn?t keep quiet. So he risked his life on the run to
continue writing and creating, to bring the world a story that is all
too common, but all too commonly kept hidden.
As he came in the room and shook my hand, I could see he was
kind and open to talk about life. A natural connection instantly
opened between us and I never even had to start the interview; it
was simply a long interesting conversation. I sat wide-eyed listening to the story of a refugee straight from the source; from an intriguing Iraqi man full of hidden scars, but brave enough and with
enough trust in himself and human kind to keep his art flowing.
?I
am always suffering because
I am not there doing my
work back home and fighting
to make a difference.?
What led you to be seen as an activist figure in Iraq?
I wasn?t free to be myself there. You must be quiet and not speak
your mind. At a young age I was reading and questioning things
about society and religion. I became angry at the oppressive regime
we lived under with Saddam Hussein, always being the one talking
about the problems while my friends said to be quiet. So I started
writing and making films to spread these ideas.
What do you write that gets Western attention? Do you format
your creativity for Western tastes?
All the writers and filmmakers that produce work about Iraq are
Americans, not insiders. So Westerners don?t get a real Iraqi perspective. But I?m not thinking about getting the attention of anyone or
influencing anyone when I write. I?m an artist just writing literature
about my own country?s problems, not trying to appease to anyone.
Why did you flee the country?
I was making these movies while studying film in Baghdad. My
film Gardenia won best film in the Iraqi Arts Academy film festival
and Saddam?s Baath party did not like this.
I came to be seen as an activist and the secret police began questioning me, and scaring me saying, ?We are going to send you after the
sun.? Or in other words, they were going to kill me. So I fled Baghdad
in a car and then paid a smuggler to lead me through the mountains
into Kurdistan, which was independent from Saddam at the time.
What is the source of your writing? What do you draw upon?
It comes from many things; problems in life or in my country, personal experience, seeing people die in the streets as a kid. It comes
from age and my imagination. It comes from other books. I fell in
love with literature first. I love books. They saved my life. I was
often with my book instead of around the violence. It?s hard to say.
It just comes. I just want to write. I want to write. I want to write.
And this is when you made the film Wounded Camera. How
did this get you into trouble?
Yes. I was living there making films and teaching filmmaking under the pseudonym Ouazad Osman, which means ?free man? in the
Kurdish language. I made this film against Saddam about millions
of poor people fleeing the Iraqi army to the border. After this it became unsafe for me there as well, so I fled again on foot to Turkey.
Then to Bulgaria. And then further on up into Europe. I ended up
in Finland in 2004 when an Iraqi friend invited me to come stay
with him.
What is it like to live as a refugee in a foreign country?
It?s not easy to live as an immigrant, especially when you carry bad
memories from your past. It?s especially difficult in Finnish society as a refugee, coming from such a terrible life to serve pizza to
a generation that has had it so good and not seen this sort of death.
They are in a different rhythm altogether.
Do you regret your path having to live in exile and do you
plan to go back to Iraq?
I am always suffering because I am not there doing my work back
home and fighting to make a difference. But I had a friend with the
same feeling who went back to film a movie. They killed him. So I
can?t go back, not now. I?m not trying to be a hero.
You natively write in Arabic, but your work is translated and
published only in Western countries. Why is this?
Arabic publishers refuse it because I talk about taboo things and
use dirty language. I mix Arabic languages instead of just using the
holy language. But actually recently, after receiving good reviews
and prizes in English, one Arabic publisher is printing my work.
But only after much cutting and editing.
Blasim takes some time out from creating his acclaimed prose.
Then in the story The Madman from Freedom Square, you
write of two godlike men called ?the two blonds? that start
coming to an Iraqi town everyday. And since their arrival
good things come like electricity, pavement, telephone lines,
better schools, ect. But then the book also speaks of a loss of
history, heritage, and religion. Do you see the US invasion and
occupation of Iraqi as a positive or negative thing?
It?s very bad and was a big mistake. With a dictator life was secure,
safe, and clear. We knew how to be. Kids could go to school safely.
Women could go to work safely. Now you can?t even go shopping
safely because car bombs are everywhere. When people leave their
homes they pray they will make it back alive. It?s very difficult to
live with this kind of stress.
Saddam was a very bad dictator that did terrible things. But we
didn?t need the US to take him out. We should have done it ourselves through revolution. And we were on the way. It was taking
hold in writing and films and people talking. Democracy is not
a medicine. If the US really wanted to help the Iraqi people, they
should have let us keep our oil.
Much of your stories have an atheist tone. In The Reality
and the Record, a particular line of the Professor is striking.
?Man is not the only creature who kills for bread, or love, or
power, because animals in the jungle do that in various ways,
but he is the only creature who kills because of faith.? How
do you see the role of religion in the Mid East?
The world would be better and more peaceful without religion. I
was born Muslim, but during my teenage years began reading philosophy, talking to people, and questioning. Now I?m an atheist. I
believe in nature.
But I?m not talking bad about religion in my fiction writing. I?m
playing when I write fiction. It?s not real. It?s not real to go to the
market and a car bomb takes your family. It?s not real. They plan
violence from a cave or it comes in an American missile. I make
humour from violence because I don?t understand it. It?s scary and
it makes me boil inside.
Does your new collection of short stories Corpse Exhibition
reflect or overlap the work in your prior books, Iraqi Christ
and The Madman in Freedom Square?
Yes. It is a collection of stories from both.
In this same story a hostage is held and sold between
various political factions and forced to make propaganda
videos confessing crimes committed by rival groups.
Is this really happening and does this man represent
something larger?
This story is a critique of the media. People think they are getting
the truth, but many videos like this are fake, yes. It?s a good business
for the average person to do this type of media.
When 6D spoke with you earlier, you didn?t foresee yourself
living in Finland in the long run. Has this changed? What lies
ahead?
As I said before, life is like a hotel room for me, nowhere is really
home. But for now, yes. I am happy here. I have roots here and people that are important to me. In Finland I can be free. I can write
what I want in peace. I can sit here and talk to you in a nice coffee
shop without fear. This is a big gift for me.
So like in The Corpse Exhibition you tell the story of a man
getting hired to murder and display bodies. Are you telling
us that a lot of the atrocities such as car bombs and such
are really independent paid acts, not even made by actual
members of the groups who lay claim?
Yes. The average person can get paid a lot to help plant a bomb.
They don?t care what they are doing to hurt the country. People just
do anything to survive.
Why do you never bring your reader a happy ending?
I don?t like happy endings personally. They?re too romantic and not
real. There has been no happy ending in Iraq, only war.
Where has your work been published and where can people
get it?
My books have now been published in English, Finnish, Italian,
Polish, Arabic, and soon in Spanish and Bulgarian. You can get them
at most bookstores here and major online dealers like Amazon.
Hassan Blasim?s work has received many awards, including one
of English Pen?s four Writers in Translation Awards for 2012 and
has been written up in The New York Times as well as The Wall
Street Journal.
More info: www.hassanblasim.com
2
21 ? 27 FEBRUARY 2013
Reviews
Q&A
19
HELSINKI TIMES
SixDegrees
Forthcoming flicks
Game Review
Nick Barlow
Fable Anniversary (Xbox 360)
Resurrecting an old classic from a decade ago might seem like an odd decision given that the 360 is currently being superseded, but Fable: Anniversary still impresses, whether or not you played the original. The most
obvious improvement of course is the graphics, which have been beefed up
and look very pretty indeed even on ye olde 360. The main draw of Fable has always
been the story, however, and this at least has lost none of its charm from 2004. Admittedly it?s not an
Not every Finnish girl dreams of living in Ethiopia, Tunisia, Benin and Nigeria,
but after
a childhood
all-enthralling
masterpiece
but it?s certainly charismatic. The gameplay is a nicely structured blend of
growing up in Lagos and a career spent working for the African Development
Bank
and World
RPG
elements
and Food
thoseProof a more action-orientated persuasion ? mixing up your gear and employgramme, Johanna Maula got to crisscross Africa and the world ? with occasional
periods
in of
Finland
in is an important consideration as challenging moments do occur. All in
ing a decent
array
weaponry
between. On the publication of her memoir, My Jasmine Years, David Brownallsat
down
for awell
chatand
with
it has
aged
it?sher.
a good-quality port, offering something for veterans and newcomers to the
series. 8/10
Out of Africa
you see, it?s everything that
you experience: the heat, the
humidity, even the colour of
the earth and sky.
How did you ?rst come to wonder why there were so As a white person living in
live in Africa?
many beggars in Africa, but Africa, did you ever experiMy father
got(L)
a job
not
in aFinland.
it was in- their
ence
racism yourself?
Bradley
Cooper
andlecturing
Christian Bale
take
momentAnd
to contemplate
awards-season
chances
atAmerican
the University
teresting that I noticed my No, never. And perhaps this
for
Hustle.of Lagos in
Nigeria, from 1968-1970. It son going through the same has also been a motivating
was an overwhelming
expe- (K12)
process when we lived in Ethi- factor for me, because I have
Inside
Llewyn Davis
Time
for another
of the
Coen brothers,
afterprocess
the brilliance
of 2010?s
western
Here, in
rience,
becausedose
at that
time
opia ? this
of trying
always
felt True
veryGrit.
welcome
idealistic
folk singer
Llewyn Davis
(Oscarsense
Isaac)ofstruggles
to make aAfrica.
name for himself in the Big
Finlandyoung
was such
a different
to make
those differApple?s
Greenwich
Village
scene of
the early
1960s. Punctuated
country
from what
it folk
is toences.
Undoubtedly
one of thewith folk tunes crafted with regular
cohort
T. Bone
again thereasons
brotherswhy
haveI assembled
an intriguing
Carey
Mulligan,
day. It
was Burnett,
such a once
contrast
became a social
Andcast.
how
about
theJohn
othGoodman,
Murray
and even
a bearded
Timberlake
for people
this outing.
from theF.cold
andAbraham
dark Finnscientist
was Justin
because
I want- takeera bow
white
youEarly
lived
word
has it that
thestraight
film playstomore
than previous
Coenabout
efforts ? around?
not that it What
matters
much,
theatish winter
to go
a serious
ed to understand
more
were
their
reviews
have
beencity
stellar.
Just
in casedifferent
their oeuvre
hasn?t been diverse enough
over
the years,
next up
hot and
dusty
with
sevcultures.
titudes
towards
Africa
and
for
themillion
brothers
is Hail Caesar, with George Clooney. One can hardly wait.Africans?
eral
people.
What did it feel like
I think the worst I saw was in
Premieres 28 February
Growing up in Nigeria,
to come back to Finland?
Tanzania. There were a few
did you miss Finland?
American
Hustle (K12)There were many things that other Finns there, and I was
Ensembles
again feature
in the Ilatest
fromfrom
director
DavidIO.was
Russell.sometimes
Following upappalled
his acclaimed
As youngonce
children,
my sismissed
Africa.
by the
Silver
Linings
Playbook
fromeaslast year,
Christian
Bale, that
Bradley
Cooper, and
Amy
Adams
comeabout
together
ters and
I adapted
very
always
hoping
I would
way
they
talked
Afritoily
telltothe
tale
of alife
reckless
FBI agent move
who recruits
con manI and
his partner
take partknowing
in a scheme
our
new
in Nigeria,
back a there.
studcans,towithout
much
together.
Ofof
course,
not just any scheme, mind you. Set in 1970s New Jersey, now it?s time to
although
coursethis
weismissed
ensnare
corrupt from
politicians
and gangsters
their web,
for thefor
benefit
our entertainment.
All this
and in
many things
Finland.
I
I?d inbeen
away
15ofyears,
and was
now
more
thrown
themy
mix,
in one of the frontrunners for this year?s Oscars.
had get
wanted
tointo
bring
best
East Africa for the first time, but my childfriend with7 me
to Africa, and
Premieres
March
hood memories came back to me so strongwas very upset when this
wasn?t allowed!
And at that
Saving
Mr. Banks
(K12)
ly: the sights and sounds, the feeling of sun
The
Mary
story were
has already
shone on the big screen, so, why not revisit, reboot or replenish
time
thePoppins
differences
so
onitsmy
the
as was
is Hollywood?s
backskin.
catalogue these days? Well, taking a slightly different
bigclassic,
? there
no emailwant
or with
approach,
here
tells the
of how Walt Disney courted P.L. Travers into letting him option the rights
texting or
Skype,
of story
course,
toand
hereven
beloved
Mary.a phone
With Tom
Emma
the leads,
of course,
she eventually
making
callHanks
iedand
here,
butThompson
I always as
knew
about
the history
or culture.
relented,
butdif?
how?cult
These
acting heavyweights
bring
the story
to life,people
with Thompson
rewas very
andtwovery
that I wouldinevitably
go back,
and
Maybe
from other
freshingly
seenSo
without
a glass in hand,
as iswhen
seemingly
at every awards
ceremony.
expensive.
the distances
then
I washer
26 want
I gotthese
the days
countries
were just
as bad,
They
are joined
by Colin
Farrell, Paul chance
Giamatti,toand
Schwartzman
co-starring
roles.
felt very
big, and
you couldn?t
go Jason
to Tanzania
and inbut
the Finns
were so blunt
just call or14goMarch
back for short carry out research for my ? especially when they were
Premieres
visits.
doctoral dissertation there.
drunk.
Only Lovers Left Alive I?d been away for 15 years,
Indie
Jarmusch
directs a and
vampire
single AfrisentenceHow
will be
to tweak
the
But director
was it aJim
good
experience
wasstory.
nowThat
in East
didenough
your son
feel about
interest
of mostFinnish
film buffs.
Throw in Tom
Hiddleston
as time,
a bloodsucker
has beenup
making
a living as
for a young
girl?
ca for
the ?rst
but my whogrowing
in Ethiopia
and
a Itreclusive
musician, and
as a fellow
vampire who
leaves her
home abroad to live with
was wonderful
? I Tilda
haveSwinton
childhood
memories
came
Tunisia?
him
the parents
downtrodden
Detroit,
is thrown
even
widerinpotential
auditoldinmy
sinceMotor
that City
it ofback
to and
me the
so net
strongly:
theover an
He?d
lived
?ve different
ence.
over the
centuries,
things
going well
the fanged
duo, until
sister he
(Mia
was Longtime
the bestlovers
decision
they
sights
andaresounds,
theforfeelcountries
byEve?s
the time
was
Wasikowska)
to payI them
Three?s
forever
a crowd,
it seems.
ever made decides
as parents!
ex- a visit.
ing of
sun on
my skin.
Africa
12. He adapted very well to
perienced 21
many
totally new is such an overwhelming ex- our life in Ethiopia when he
Premieres
March
things, and really started to perience. It is not only what was small, but as a teenag-
of Islamic extremism ? what so much easier!? but really it
are your thoughts on that?
is the people that I miss when
Of course there are elements I?m away. On the other hand,
we should be concerned about living outside your own coun? like Al Qaeda. But when I try, you also learn to apprecithink of Tunisia, the people ate things like the education
that I knew there were main- and healthcare systems, the
ly very moderate and tolerant. status of women and the soMany have family in Europe, cial welfare system.
The images we see of Africa and they are familiar with the
I?m always hoping that I
on TV always seem to be war Western way of life. It?s hard can settle more permanentand poverty. How do you feel to imagine that the majority ly in Africa, and perhaps afabout that?
could ever become extremists.
myshould
son graduates I?ll look
Want to know ifteryou
We only hear about war and
The biggest problem eve- into that again.
compliment
famine, and those issues are rywhere is young men,
who your girlfriend
on
being
or paksuna?
important, but countries are often well-educated butplösöWhat
do you think Finland
like Finland have never real- can?t ?nd work. Particularly could learn from Africa?
ly understood that Africa is in countries where Sick
theyofcan
Their your
attitude towards life
not knowing
changing very rapidly. There clearly see the corruption
and your
and
their friendliness. We
Kossu from
skumppa?
is a sizable middle class in the wealth being controlled Finns ? myself included ? so
the big cities, and now some by one family or clan, as hap- often seem to get upset about
sure whether
tothings: neighbours leavFinnish companies are start- pened with Ben Ali inNot
Tunisia.
little
ing to wake up to the potenthe laundry or
käydä vieraissaing
or tothings
käydäin
vierailulla?
tial, but they are a long way How did you come
something. In Africa I so often
behind even the rest of Eu- to write the book?
had such great neighbours; so
rope. Nokia has been very ac- I think I?ve always wanted to kind, and helping us in many
tive, but you don?t see many tell people about Africa, ev- ways. There is something
other companies there.
er since my childhood. It?s from us all to learn from that.
It?s also interesting when been a dream that I?ve always And the ?exibility of people,
we think of aid. Some Perus- had. There are so many mis- the way they can ?nd humour
suomalaiset politicians have conceptions, because peo- and show generosity even in
claimed that Finland gives a ple have so little real contact very modest circumstances.
After
is herebut
to help, with
lot of aidFinnish
money
toDark
Africa,
witheverything
Africa.from
Of course people
cool
slang
to
chat
up
lines,
tips
on
how
to
avoid being
that is not really so. Ethiopia have heard
of Kenya and Tan- And what is next for
up inoftaxiour
queues
and the latest
excuses
why know very litis said tobeaten
be one
major
zania,
butforthey
you after The Jasmine Years?
you
are
late
for
work.
?partner countries?, but I once tle about French-speaking I?ve already started writing
After Dark is a humoristic
at various
Finnishsaw a listFinnish
of international
do- look
Africa
and
North Africa. So my next book, about great
language terms
phrases that are
nors to Ethiopia,
andandFinland
faralmost
the impossible
only comments have Ethiopian women from the
to translate.
did not even
make the Top 15!
been positive, which is lovely. Queen of Sheba through to
are the don?t
spices ofreallate night conversation among
PeopleThese
perhaps
modern businesswomen. InFinns, which
are almost
always missed
by foreigners.
ise that every
African
country
Where
is home for you?
creasingly, women there are
has its own
character.
Even
Even
away from Fin- becoming entrepreneurs and
The book
is based on the
Finnish After
Darkliving
series pubinternally,
there
can beover
huge
land
soThemuch
role models, and it?s an interlished
in SixDegrees
the past few
years.
series I never realdifferences
within
the excellent
coun- feedback
ly miss
the country as such. esting contrast from the imcontinues
to receive
from readers.
tries, with dozens of different It?s people you miss; family ages of poverty and ?ghting.
languages and cultures.
and friends. Of course in Af- So my next trip to Africa will
Buy online: www.6d.fi/fad rica the bureaucracy can be be to Ethiopia, but this time
or from
majorofbookstores.
There?s been
a lot
talk re- so frustrating that I think to interview people for the
cently about Mali and the rise ?Oh, in Finland this would be next book.
er he got quite fed up with
all the travelling, and didn?t
want to move to any more
countries. I had to respect
that, so we are here now, but
I hope that as an adult he will
look back on it and ?nd that it
has been great for him.
Finnish
After
Dark
You?ll love
the way we print it
www.iprint.fi
Out&See
SixDegrees
Greater Helsinki
20
Issue 2 2014
Music _ Clubs
27 Feb. Kahden Miehen Galaksi //
Jazz. Koko Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3.
Tickets ?15/20. www.kokojazz.fi
27 Feb. Jaakko Laitinen & Väärä
Raha // Echoes from of Balkan gypsy
rhythms and Finnish schlagers.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?12/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
27 Feb. Sid Hille Film Collective //
Jazz. Sello Hall, Soittoniekanaukio
1A. Tickets ?10/15. www.sellosali.fi
28 Feb. Daniel Bell (USA) // Techno.
Kaiku, Kaikukatu 4. Tickets ?9.
www.clubkaiku.fi
28 Feb. Indica // Pop. Bar Loose,
Annankatu 21. Tickets ?12/14.
www.barloose.com
28 Feb. Amaranthe (SWE) // Heavy
rock. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8. Tickets
?20. www.elmu.fi
28 Feb. Amoral // Metal. Virgin Oil
Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?8/10. www.virginoil.fi
28 Feb. Getawaycab, Cassie, Wildfire
// Indie rock. Korjaamo Culture
Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets
?6/8. www.korjaamo.fi
28 Feb. The Brains (CAN) //
Psychobilly. On
The
Rocks,
Mikonkatu 15. Tickets ?13/15.
www.ontherocks.fi
28 Feb. Stam1na, Cherry & The
Vipers // Metal/rock. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?18.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
28 Feb. Siinai & Antero Lindgren
// Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13.
Tickets ?8. www.kuudeslinja.com
28 Feb. Soiva Ensemble // Kalevala
Day
concert. Music
Centre,
Camerata. Mannerheimintie 13.
Tickets ?10/20. www.musiikkitalo.fi
1 Mar. Yo! Kuudes Linja Raps 8 Years
// Antwon (USA) live. Kuudes Linja,
Hämeentie 13. Tickets ?18/20.
www.kuudeslinja.com
1 Mar. Black Twig // Indie pop/
rock. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?10/12.
www.korjaamo.fi
1 Mar. Dave Lindholm // Legendary
Finnish
singer,
songwriter
and
guitarist.
Sello
Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?17.50. www.sellosali.fi
1 Mar. Club Ghettoblues //
Panssarijuna + Lauri Arno Ankerman
& The Ankermen. Juttutupa,
Säästöpankinranta 6. Free entry.
www.juttutupa.com
1 Mar. The Milestones // Rock.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4
? 6. Tickets ?6/7. www.semifinal.fi
1 Mar. Amorphis // Metal. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?24/27. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
1 Mar. Planningtorock (UK /GER),
Phantom, rROXYMORE (FRA) //
Interesting electronic. Ääniwalli,
Pälkäneentie 13. Tickets ?18.
1 Mar. Bullet For My Valentine (UK)
// Metalcore/hardcore. The Circus,
Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets ?42.
www.thecircus.fi
3 Mar. Koko Jazz Club // A New York
Big Band Monday. Koko Jazz Club,
Hämeentie 3. Tickets ?13.50/16.50.
www.kokojazz.fi
3 Mar. Blacklisted (US), Lighthouse
Project, New Waters // Hardcore.
Bar Loose, Annankatu 21. Tickets
?12/14. www.barloose.com
5 Mar. Battisti Fest // Luca Gargano
Band con Luca Sturniolo & Luca
Cannavò (ITA). Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4 ? 6. Tickets ?9.
www.semifinal.fi
5 Mar. Austin Lucas and The Bold
Party (USA) // Folk punk-influenced
country and Americana. Le Bonk,
Yrjönkatu 24. Tickets ?10/12. www.
lebonk.fi
5 Mar. Rytmihäiriöklubi // Jori Huhtala
5 live. Juttutupa, Säästöpankinranta
6. Free entry. www.juttutupa.com
5 Mar. Dalindéo // A fascinating
combination of jazz, surf guitars,
Finnish tango and more. Sello
Hall, Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?14.50. www.sellosali.fi
6 Mar. Hyvä Klubi // Shine 2009 and
Aves live. Le Bonk, Yrjönkatu 24.
Tickets ?5. www.lebonk.fi
6 Mar. Teemu Viinikainen trio //
Jazz. Koko Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3.
Tickets ?10/15. www.kokojazz.fi
6 Mar. Powerwolf (GER) // Power
metal. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu 4-6. Tickets ?20/23. www.
tavastiaklubi.fi
6 Mar. Earl Sweatshirt (USA), Noah
By Anna-Maija Lappi
Kin // Rap. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8.
Tickets ?28. www.elmu.fi
6 Mar. ?HoL Stripped? // Young Male
Spinsters, Polar Motor. Semifinal,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4 ? 6. Tickets
?6. www.semifinal.fi
6 Mar. Sanni // Pop. Sello Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?19.50. www.sellosali.fi
7 Mar. Tuomo // Soul. Sello Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?17.50. www.sellosali.fi
7 Mar. Lydia Lunch Retrovirus (US),
Baxter Stockman, Fate Vs. Free
Willy // Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?18.
www.korjaamo.fi
7 Mar. Iisa // Electro pop. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?12/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
7 Mar. ?Mental Alaska? Cosmo Jones
Beat Machine, Kometa // Semifinal,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?6.
www.semifinal.fi
7 Mar. Sister (SWE) // Metal. On
The Rocks, Mikonkatu 15. Tickets
?8/10. www.ontherocks.fi
7 & 8 Mar. Tusovkarock 2014 //
Talmud Beach, Batiskaf 14 (RUS),
La Minor, Alamaailman Vasarat
etc. live. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?8/15.
www.korjaamo.fi
8 Mar. Supersuckers (USA) // Rock´n
roll. Virgin Oil Co., Mannerheimintie
5. Tickets ?20/22. www.virginoil.fi
8 Mar. Hoffmaestro (SWE) // Ska,
reggae, country and funk. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?24/26. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
8 Mar. Pariisin Kevät // Pop. Sello
Hall, Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?19.50/22. www.sellosali.fi
8 Mar. Club Ghettobilly // Texas Oil
live. Juttutupa, Säästöpankinranta
6. Free entry. www.juttutupa.com
11 Mar. An Cafe (JPN) // ?Visual
rock?. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu
4-6.
Tickets
?39/43.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
12 Mar. Say Lou Lou (AUS/SWE)
// Dream pop. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?18/20.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
12 Mar. Rytmihäiriöklubi // Eliina
Mäkiranta Quartet. Juttutupa,
Säästöpankinranta 6. Free entry.
www.juttutupa.com
12 Mar. Anna Järvinen & Lyran //
Unique choir concert. Korjaamo
Culture Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B.
Tickets ?22/24. www.korjaamo.fi
13 Mar. Eeppi Ursin // Jazz. Koko Jazz
Club, Hämeentie 3. Tickets ?10/15.
www.kokojazz.fi
14
Mar.
Metsatöll
(EST),
Kuolemanlaakso, Soulthrower (EST) //
Metal. On The Rocks, Mikonkatu 15.
Tickets ?13.50. www.ontherocks.fi
14 Mar. Egotrippi // Pop. Virgin Oil
Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?15. www.virginoil.fi
14 Mar. The Man, Oaklyn, Dolla
Lova // Soul/pop. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?7.
www.semifinal.fi
14 Mar. Roope Salminen & Koirat //
Hip-hop. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13.
Tickets ?8/10. www.kuudeslinja.com
14 Mar. Kaveri Special, Maria
Gasolina // Interesting Finnish
afrobeat
and
South-American
rhythms. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?10/12.
www.korjaamo.fi
14 Mar. Olavi Uusivirta // Pop/rock.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?14/16. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
15 Mar. Scandinavian Music Group
// Pop. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu
4-6.
Tickets
?20/23.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
15 Mar. Happoradio // Rock. Virgin
Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?16/18. www.virginoil.fi
15 Mar. Soul Kitchen Club // Lossi
T & Juoksut, St.Rasta. Kuudes
Linja, Hämeentie 13. Tickets ?8.
www.kuudeslinja.com
15 Mar. Club Ghettoblues //
Corey Harris (USA). Juttutupa,
Säästöpankinranta 6. Free entry.
www.juttutupa.com
15 Mar. Ricky-Tick Big Band &
Julkinen Sana // Korjaamo Culture
Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets
?24.90/27. www.korjaamo.fi
18 Mar. Anna Calvi (UK) // Interesting
singer-songwriter. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?27/30.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
19 Mar. Nadja (CAN) // Unique Berlinbased duo. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?11/13. www.barloose.com
19 Mar. The Grammers, Deepwater //
Rock. Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu
4-6. Tickets ?5. www.semifinal.fi
19 Mar. Toxic Holocaust (USA),
Exhumed (USA), Cantilena (EST)
// Metal. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8.
Tickets ?18. www.elmu.fi
19 Mar. Soundeja Solidaarisuudelle
(?Sounds for Solidarity?) // Samae
Koskinen,
Ville
Leinonen
&
Pikku Kukka live. Kuudes Linja,
Hämeentie 13. Tickets ?13/18.
www.kuudeslinja.com
21 Mar. Notkea Rotta 3-Pack
(Atomirot t a),
Aivovuoto,
Tuuttimörkö // Rap. Virgin Oil Co.,
Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets ?10/12.
www.virginoil.fi
21 Mar. Sammal // Rock. On The
Rocks, Mikonkatu 15. Tickets ?6/8.
www.ontherocks.fi
21 Mar. Under bar Himmel Taivasalla: Maans - Kalaniemi
- Antila Trio // Soulful folk music
concert. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?15/20.
www.korjaamo.fi
22 Mar. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
(UK), The Oath (SWE/GER) // Heavy/
psychedelic rock. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?18/20.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
22
Mar.
Radiopuhelime t,
EU-Vostoliitto // Rock. Semifinal,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?12. www.semifinal.fi
23 & 24 Mar. Cheek // Rap. Savoy
Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets
?32/36. www.savoyteatteri.fi
24 Mar. Architects (UK), Stray From
The Path (USA), Northlane (AUS),
More Than Life (UK) // Metalcore /
post-hardcore. Nosturi, Telakkakatu
8. Tickets ?20. www.elmu.fi
24 Mar. Dead by April (SWE), Beneath
My Feet // Metalcore. The Circus,
Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets ?35.
www.thecircus.fi
26 Mar. Von Hertzen Brothers // Rock.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?20/23. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
Theatre _ Dance
27 Feb. Leo? Janá?ek: Jen?fa // Finnish
top soprano Karita Mattila as the
young conflict-torn Jen?fa. Finnish
National Opera, Helsinginkatu 58.
Tickets ?37-125. www.opera.fi
27 Feb.-2 Mar. Agit-Cirk: Blood Under
Fingernails // A meld of classical
scripted clownery and animation.
Cirko, Kaasutehtaankatu 1. Tickets
?17.50/22.50. www.cirko.fi
28 Feb.-5 Apr. Javier Torres: Beauty
and the Beast // Ballet version of the
charming fairy tale. Finnish National
Opera, Helsinginkatu 58. Tickets
?24-115. www.opera.fi
1 & 2 Mar. Hanna Pajala-Assefa:
History of a Love // A duet based
on movement and rhythm by the
artist couple choreographer Hanna
Pajala-Assefa
and
musician
Abdissa ?Mamba? Assefa. Stoa,
Turunlinnantie 1. Tickets ?9/13.
www.stoa.fi
6-9 Mar. WHS: Discussions //
Juggling and magic interweave
with video projections and music.
Cirko, Kaasutehtaankatu 1. Tickets
?17.50/22.50. www.cirko.fi
6- 22 Mar. Giuseppe Verdi: Don
Carlos // Verdi at his finest. Finnish
National Opera, Helsinginkatu 58.
Tickets ?15-91. www.opera.fi
7-19 Mar. Katariina Numminen & Co:
Zoo // What sensations does a human
convey when looking at an animal?
Zodiak - Center for New Dance,
Tallberginkatu 1B. Tickets ?14/22.
www.zodiak.fi
11 & 12 Mar. Aho & Lundén Co.
and Katja Lundén Co.: Alfabeta & Machina Flamenco // Top
Finnish flamenco. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu
46-48.
Tickets
?28/32. www.savoyteatteri.fi
13-20
Mar.
Clunker
Circus:
Wonderfully Much of Everything // A
van full of junk and surprises gets a
new life. Cirko, Kaasutehtaankatu 1.
Tickets ?17.50/22.50. www.cirko.fi
13 Mar-12 Apr. Joona Halonen: Kuka
pelkää tappajahaita // Contemporary
dance. Helsinki City Theatre, Pieni
Näyttämö. Eläintarhantie 5. Tickets
?18-24. www.hkt.fi
13-20
Mar.
Haapalainen
&
Suutari-Jääskö: Double // Dance
double bill. Alexander Theatre,
Albertinkatu 32. Tickets ?29/38.
www.aleksanterinteatteri.fi
21 Mar.-3 May. Giacomo Puccini: La
Bohème // One of the world?s most
beloved operas. Finnish National
Opera, Helsinginkatu 58. Tickets
?24-115. www.opera.fi
22 & 23 Mar. Kira Riikonen: Suden
huuto (?Cry of the Wolf?) // ?Dancers
disguised as wolves bring out the
sense and senselessness, as well
as the tenderness and fierceness
of human nature.? Zodiak - Center
for New Dance, Tallberginkatu 1B.
Tickets ?14/22. www.zodiak.fi
Phile Deprez
Exhibitions
Until 2 Mar. Rafael Wardi //
Retrospective exhibition of painter
Rafael Wardi. Ateneum Art Museum,
Kaivokatu 2. Tickets ?0/10/12.
www.ateneum.fi
Until 2 Mar. Esko Männikkö: Time Flies
// The long-awaited retrospective
includes both classic works and new
photographs. Kunsthalle Helsinki,
Nervanderinkatu 3. Tickets ?0/7/10.
www.taidehalli.fi
From 8 Mar. The Hunters Group: Heart
Side Up // Works by Heini Aho, Sirkku
Ketola and Tamara Piilola. Kunsthalle
Helsinki, Nervanderinkatu 3. Tickets
?0/7/10. www.taidehalli.fi
Until 9 Mar. Dorothée Smith //
French artist´s melancholy and
haze images exploring the themes
of absence and presence. The
Finnish Museum of Photography,
Tallberginkatu 1 G. Tickets ?0/5/8.
www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi
Until 9 Mar. Tuija Lindström: In The
Beginning There Was Everything //
The retrospective exhibition takes
the viewer on a journey through Tuija
Lindström?s career, from the 1980´s
black-and-white vintage prints to the
2010´s large, colorful works. The
Finnish Museum of Photography,
Tallberginkatu 1 G. Tickets ?0/5/8.
www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi
From 14 Mar. Tove Jansson // Major
centenary exhibition presenting
Jansson?s impressive career as
an artist, illustrator, political
caricaturist, author and creator of
the Moomin characters and stories.
Ateneum Art Museum, Kaivokatu 2.
Tickets ?0/10/12. www.ateneum.fi
Until 20 Apr. Ars Fennica 2014
// Exhibition by the 2014 Ars
Fennica candidates - IC -98 (Patrik
Söderlund and Visa Suonpää), Riitta
Ikonen, Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver
Kochta-Kalleinen, Leena Nio and
Pauliina Turakka Purhonen. Kiasma,
Mannerheiminaukio 2. Tickets
?0/8/10. www.kiasma.fi
Until 11 May. Designer of the
Everyday ? Rudolf Steiner // Nearly
400 objects, from artworks to
furniture and scale models. EMMA
? Espoo Museum of Modern Art,
Ahertajantie 5. Tickets ?0/10/12.
www.emma.museum
Until 11 May. Henrik Vibskov // A
pioneer of contemporary Danish
fashion design and a boundless
inventor.
Design
Museum,
Korkeavuorenkatu 23. Tickets
?0/5/8/10. www.designmuseum.fi
Until 13 Jul. Chaplin in Pictures //
The incredible life and career of the
mythic artist told through pictures.
Helsinki Art Museum Tennis Palace,
Salomonkatu 15. Tickets ?0/8/10.
Others
28 Feb. & 1 Mar. Helsinki Burlesque
Festival 2014 // Kitten De Ville
(USA), Jett Adore (USA), Perle
Noire (USA), Scotty The Blue Bunny
(USA), Cherry Typhoon (JPN) and
more. Gloria, Pieni Roobertinkatu
12. Tickets ?37-64.50.
21-23 Mar. Helsinki Ink 2014 // 20th
International Tattoo Convention.
The Cable Factory, Tallberginkatu
1.
Tickets
?16.50-25.50.
www.kaapelitehdas.fi
The event listings in the Out&See sections are based on the available information at the time of printing the issue.
SixDegrees is not responsible for possible changes, mistakes, cancellations
or lack of information concerning the
events mentioned.
Cirko, Kaasutehtaankatu 1. Tickets ?17.50/22.50. www.cirko.fi
Wonderfully much of
new circus
Cirko, the center for new circus, situated in the historically unique
area of Suvilahti, welcomes the early spring with interesting and
unique contemporary circus performances from classic clownery
to freshly graduated artists´ surprising experiments.
Between 27 February and 2 March, the stage will be taken by
Agit-Cirk´s performance Blood Under Fingernails. The piece, directed by Sampo Kurppa, is a mosaic-like performance consisting of four classic clownery scripts and four animations.
On 6, 8 and 9 March, WHS brings its enchanting piece Discussions to Helsinki. The piece premiered in 2006 and, since
then, has been touring the globe. Discussions is a (tragic)comic
exploration of two artists, magician Kalle Nio and juggler Ville
Walo, who are intrigued with communication and difficulties in it.
The piece combines juggling, magic and video projections to the
atmospheric music composed by Kimmo Pohjonen and Samuli
Kosminen.
Clunker Circus´ Wonderfully Much of Everything, on stage
between 13 and 20 March, is a surprising contemporary circus
performance made by recently graduated young circus artists,
Saana Peura, Jori Reunanen, Rasmus Witikka. In Wonderfully
Much of Everything, everyday objects are given an unexpected
new life.
Solutions for
crossword on
page 7
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
kylmä
kaulaliina
lumihiutale
lumimyrsky
jäätynyt
6.
7.
8.
9.
kelkka
lapio
talvehtia
kaakao
Out&See Tampere
21
SixDegrees
By Jutta Vetter
Music _ Clubs
27-28 Feb. Paappas Group // Jazz
music in the heart of the city centre.
Paapan Kapakka, Koskikatu 9. Free
entry. www.paapankapakka.fi
28 Feb. Mar.ko Meronen // Live
music, showtime at 00:15. Rock
& Kitchen Jack the Rooster,
Satakunnankatu 13 B. Tickets TBA.
www.jacktherooster.fi
28 Feb. Soul Power // DJs Kallio and
Okapi. Telakka, TullikaMar.in aukio
3. Free entry. www.telakka.eu
28 Feb. Idiomatic // Live on the
Guinness Stage, showtime at 21:30.
Irish Bar O?Connell?s, Rautatienkatu
24. Free entry. www.oconnells.fi
1 Mar. Funky Kingston with Paleface
// Live music on the Telakka stage.
Telakka, TullikaMar.in aukio 3.
Tickets ?10. www.telakka.eu
4 Mar. Blacklisted (USA) // Support
by Lighthouse Project and New
Waters. Klubi, TullikaMar.in aukio 2.
Tickets ?10/12. www.klubi.net
6 Mar. Scott Kelly & The Road Home
(USA) // Support by Antero Lindgren.
Klubi, TullikaMarin aukio 2. Tickets
starting from ?14. www.klubi.net
7 Mar. Glenn Miller 110 years! // A
tribute to Glenn Miller: almost 3
hours filled with his timeless music!
Tampere Hall (Main Auditorium),
Yliopistonkatu 55. Tickets starting
from ?51. www.tampere-talo.fi
7 Mar. Pikku Kukka// Live music
on the Telakka stage. Telakka,
TullikaMar.in aukio 3. Tickets ?6.
www.telakka.eu
8 Mar. Cosmo Jones Beat Machine
// Live music on the Telakka stage.
Telakka, TullikaMar.in aukio 3.
Tickets ?6. www.telakka.eu
8 Mar. UK Dance Classics // DJ?s
Mark Joseph and Venkari. Gastropub
Soho, Otavalankatu 10. Free entry.
www.gastropub.net/soho/
9 Mar. Supersuckers (USA) // Support
by Elephants from Neptune (EST).
Klubi, TullikaMar.in aukio 2. Tickets
starting from ?16. www.klubi.net
11 Mar. Apocalyptica & Avanti:
Apocalyptic Symphony // Worldfamous
heavy
cello
music
meets classical chamber music.
Tampere Hall (Main Auditorium),
Yliopistonkatu 55. Tickets starting
from ?44. www.tampere-talo.fi
12 Mar. Angélique Kidjo // The
queen of afro music is known for her
unique style of combining different
musical genres. Tampere Hall (Main
Auditorium), Yliopistonkatu 55.
Tickets starting from ?40/48. www.
tampere-talo.fi
17 Mar. St. Patrick?s Day // Band
of Shysters. Irish Bar O?Connell?s,
Rautatienkatu 24. Free entry.
www.oconnells.fi
20 Mar. Robert Dahlqvist // Former
Hellacopters
guitarist
Robert
Dahlqvist touring Finland with his
new band. Yo-Talo, Kauppakatu 10.
Tickets ?8/12/14. www.yo-talo.fi
21 Mar. The White Barons (USA)
// Support by Hero Dishonest and
Speedtrap. Also music by Bettie
Blackheart. Klubi, TullikaMar.in
aukio 2. Tickets starting from ?8.
www.klubi.net
21-22 Mar. Telakka, TullikaMar.in aukio 3.
Tickets ?12/20. www.telakka.eu
SÄV/SAN
International Singer &
Songwriter Festival
Arranged for the very first time this year, SÄV/SAN ? International
Singer & Songwriter Festival is a music event especially concentrating on songwriting. The progamme presents songwriters of different genres and different backgrounds, and focuses more on
melodies and lyrics instead of band arrangements. Most performances are solo, which gives the artist the opportunity to bring the
song close to the audience, and challenges listeners to explore
the actual core of the song.
This event? brings together shows of internationally renowned
artists such as Mirel Wagner, Risto, Nicolas Kivilinna, Emily Portman (UK), Yona and Arto Järvelä. The SÄV/SAN festival provides
a unique chance to get a peek behind the scenes of how music
is born.
22 Mar. Dalindèo // An interesting
combination of jazz, surf guitars,
Finnish tango and schlager, and
much more. Tampere Hall (Small
Auditorium), Yliopistonkatu 55.
Tickets starting from ?24/29.
www.tampere-talo.fi
23 Mar. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
(UK) // Support by The Oath (SWE).
Klubi, TullikaMar.in aukio 2. Tickets
starting from ?17.50. www.klubi.net
Theatre _ Dance
6 Mar. JadaJada Improv // Improv in
English, starting at 20:00. Irish Bar
O?Connell?s, Rautatienkatu 24. Free
entry. www.oconnells.fi
9 Mar. Tero Saarinen Company &
The Boston Camerata: Borrowed
Light // One of Tero Saarinen?s
most popular choreographies,
performed by eight dancers to the
music by The Boston Camerata.
Tampere Hall (Main Auditorium),
Yliopistonkatu 55. Tickets starting
from ?28/40/48. www.tamperetalo.fi
20 Mar. Comedy O?Connell?s // Stand
Up in English, starting at 20:00.
Irish Bar O?Connell?s, Rautatienkatu
24. Free entry. www.oconnells.fi
Exhibitions
Permanent exhibition Moominvalley
// The unique and internationally
renowned Moominvalley is a museum
devoted to the original moomin
themed works of Tove Jansson.
Tampere Art Museum Moominvalley,
Puutarhakatu
34.
For
more
information and ticket prices, see
www.muumilaakso.tampere.fi/en/
Permanent
exhibition
Media
Museum Rupriikki // This museum?s
exhibitions portray the history of
mass communications, and the role
of the media in our everyday lives.
Media Museum Rupriikki, Väinö
Linnan aukio 13. Free entry. http://
rupriikki.tampere.fi/in-english/
Others
6, 9, 12, 14 Mar. Food Gallery //
A surprise buffet with a selection
of Tampere Hall?s finest specialties.
Tampere
Hall
(Café
Soolo),
Yliopistonkatu 55. Tickets ?25,
including a presentation of the
menu. www.tampere-talo.fi
The event listings in the Out&See sections are based on the available information at the time of printing the issue.
SixDegrees is not responsible for possible changes, mistakes, cancellations
or lack of information concerning the
events mentioned.
STUDY BUSINESS IN ENGLISH ? APPLY NOW!
VOCATIONAL QUALIFICATION IN BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION
Customer Service and Sales, 120 credits, 3 years
Tampere Vocational College Tredu offers vocational upper secondary education
in Business. The studies are entirely in English. This program based on basic
education is for you to develop your skills into an international vocational expert.
Applicants with good command in English language and who have completed
basic education are welcome. No high school graduates can be accepted.
Application period: 17.2.-14.3.2014 (interviews 24.-25.4.2014)
Application e-form: www.tredu.fi
Interested? Further information: Merja Helin, merja.helin@tampere.fi
www.tredu.fi
Färi Shop
Asematunneli, railway Station, helsinki
ASiAn Food mArkEt
kirstinmaki 5, Espoo
SAikou S S CAmArA
Eerikinkatu 35, helsinki
AStErA
iskoskuja 3 A, myyrmanni, Vantaa
hAkAniEmEn LihAkAuppA
Viherniemenkatu 1, hakaniemi
dogArS pALVELut oy
Sulankuja 4, tuusula
indiAn mArkEt
hakkaaniemen torikatu 2 L, helsinki
ShErryS oriEntAL
insinöörinkatu 27, tampere
tAj mAhAL AFro ASiAn mArkEt
hämeentie 5, hakaniemi, helsinki
ShAn Food mArkEt
kyllikinkatu 11, tampere
mughAL
hämeentie 5 B, hakaniemi, helsinki
Som-Shop
yliopistonkatu 7 A, turku
thE Look SALoon
hämeentie 17E, helsinki
mir kEBAB
Verkatehtaankatu 6, turku
ArArAt FoodS
Vanha talvitie 13-15, kalasatama, helsinki
AFro ASiAn Food
kauppahalli 63, turku
FinnChoiCE
City-jätti, itäkeskus, helsinki
niiLin poikA
pitkäkatu 46, Vaasa
Q ExprESS onLinE (gL-Shop)
kastelholmantie 2 As 21, itäkeskus
kEidAS Food Shop
kauppakatu 5 B, kotka
SomA oriEntAL / BungA tAnjung mArkEt
keinulaudankuja 4, kontula, helsinki
AFriCA/ASiAn Shop
rantakatu 13, kokkola
monExi dESign
kaupparaitti 13 Lt 5, malmi, helsinki
rAmCiEL oriEntAL Shop
pitkansillankatu 33, kokola
tAj mAhAL AFro ASiAn mArkEt
Läkkisepänkuja 3, Leppävaara, Espoo
ruokApAikkA Lori
Linja Autoasema, kajaani
StAr oriEnt Food
Leppävaarankatu 3-9, Sello, Espoo
AFriCA QuEEn
torikatu 25 m, oulu
tALk Shop
Asemakuja 2, Espoon keskus, Espoo
AL noor AVoin yhtiö
Linnankatu 23-25, oulu
Out&See Oulu
22
Issue 2 2014
By James O?Sullivan
Music _ Clubs
1 Mar. Satellite Stories // Oulu hiphoppers hit the stage. Club 45
Special, Saaristonkatu 12. Tickets
?12/14. www.45special.com
4 Mar. Salsa Party // Every Tuesday,
Never Grow Old is turned into a
tiny Cuba, where the dance floor is
taken over by salsa dancers starting
at 8 pm. Everybody, from beginners
to experts, is welcome. Never Grow
Old, Hallituskatu 17. Free Entrance.
www.ngo.fi
6 Mar. Turmion Kätilöt // Industrial
metal band with a great live show.
Club 45 Special, Saaristonkatu 12.
Tickets ?14/16. www.45special.com
7 Mar. Samuli Putro // Former
Zen Cafe frontman continues
his solo career. Club 45 Special,
Saaristonkatu 12. Tickets ?15.
www.45special.com
8 Mar. Yö // Classic rock legends.
Nightclub Tähti, Pakkahuoneenkatu
19. Tickets ?15. www.nightclubtahti.fi
12 Mar. Metsatöll, Soul Thrower//
Estonian folk metal band pay a
visit. Nuclear Nightclub, Uusikatu
23. Tickets ?14. www.nuclear.fi
13 Mar. Oulu Sinfonia Oulun
Musiikkijuhlilla // Terem Quartet and
conductor Jaakko Kuusisto perform.
Oulu Music Centre, Madetojan sali,
Lintulammentie 1-3. Tickets ?8-24.
www.oulusinfonia.fi
14 Mar. Iisa // Artist formally
known as Regina. Club 45 Special,
Saaristonkatu 12. Tickets ?10.
www.45special.com
15 Mar. Timo Rautiainen & Valtteri
Tynkkynen duo // Hard rockers team
up. Nuclear Nightclub, Uusikatu 23.
Tickets ?12. www.nuclear.fi
15 Mar. Juha Tapio // Hugely popular
bebop and rap fusion. Nightclub
Tähti,
Pakkahuoneenkatu
19.
Tickets ?24. www.nightclubtahti.fi
20 Mar. Profane Omen, myGrain
// Heaviness hits town. Nuclear
Nightclub, Uusikatu 23. Tickets ?12.
www.nuclear.fi
21 Mar. Olavi Uusivirta // Local
rock/pop singer and actor makes a
welcome return up north. Club 45
Special, Saaristonkatu 12. Tickets
?10/12. www.45special.com
21 Mar. Ricky-Tick Big Band &
Julkinen Sana // Hugely popular
bebop and rap fusion. Nightclub
Tähti,
Pakkahuoneenkatu
19.
Tickets TBA. www.nightclubtahti.fi
Exhibitions
Until 16 Mar. Tapani Kokko ?
Kummitustalo // Inspired wood
sculptures and paitings. Oulu
Museum of Art, Kasarmitie 7. Tickets
?4-6. www.ouka.fi/taidemuseo/
Until 16 Mar. Aki Roukala ? Leena
// Intimate photographic portrait
of a friend dying of breat cancer.
Oulu Museum of Art, Kasarmitie
By Anski Auramo
Ville Malja
28 Feb. Club 45 Special, Saaristonkatu 12.
Tickets ?12/14. www.45special.com
Tuomo
Local soul and jazz great celebrates the release of his latest fulllength, The New Mystique, stopping by Club 45 Special.
Having starting out playing piano at the age of seven, Tuomo
quickly grew to become one of the most exciting new faces on the
local soul and funk scene. Nicknamed the ?Duracell Bunny? for
his prolific work ethic, being involved in 10 different albums from
seven different outfits between 2002-2006 did little to dampen
his enthusiasm for work.
Releasing his first solo album, My Thing, in 2007, he soon
found himself riding high on the local charts and touring Japan
and Europe, with sales of the record going gold in the process.
His third album, My Own Private Sunday, dropped in 2010 to further acclaim. Last year saw the well-received collaboration Tuomo
X Umo. Hopes are similarly high for his latest effort.
Music _ Clubs
28 Feb. Band Night // Performances
by Yournalist, Koria Kitten Riot
and The Reed Fags. Klubi (LIVE),
Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets ?6/8.
www.klubi.net
28 Feb. Kovasetti Presents:
Amorphis // Popular Finnish band
performs death metal, progressive
metal and folk metal. Logomo,
Köydenpunojankatu 14. Tickets
?22.50/27.50/30. www.logomo.fi
1 Mar. Samuli Putro // Former Zen
Café frontman plays alternative rock.
Klubi (LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8.
Tickets ?14/16. www.klubi.net
7 Mar. Band Night // Rock music by
Supersuckers (USA) and Elephants
from
Neptune
(EST).
Klubi
(LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets
?17.50/18. www.klubi.net
7 Mar. Metallihelvetti vol. 19 // Metal
music by Saattue, Veivi and Avra.
Klubi (ILTA), Humalistonkatu 8.
Tickets ?7. www.klubi.net
14 Mar. Stam1na // Popular
Finnish progressive metal band
from South Karelia. Klubi (LIVE),
Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets ?17.50.
www.klubi.net
21 Mar. Happoradio // Finnish rock
band from Kallio, Helsinki. Klubi
(LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets
?17.50. www.klubi.net
21 Mar. Robert Dahlqvist (SWE)
// Guitarist known from The
Hellacopters and Thunder Express.
Klubi (ILTA), Humalistonkatu 8.
Tickets ?11.50. www.klubi.net
22 Mar. Maiden uniteD (UK) // An
acoustic tribute to Iron Maiden,
performed by musicians from
different bands. Klubi (LIVE),
Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets ?13.50.
www.klubi.net
24 Mar. Band Night // Performances
by Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
(UK) and The Oath (SWE). Klubi
(LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets
?16/18. www.klubi.net
Theatre _ Dance
7. Tickets ?4-6. www.ouka.fi/
taidemuseo/
2-23 Mar. Susanna Seriola-Vesa //
Paintings. Neliö-galleria, asemakatu
37. Free Entrance. www.neliogalleria.
com
Until 16 Mar. Elina Maalismaa:
vaneri- ja paperiteoksia // Exhibition.
Galleria 5, Hallituskatu 5. Free
Entrance. http://galleria5.artoulu.fi
From 19 Mar. PROTOn kutsunäyttely:
Vilma Riitijoki // Exhibition. Galleria
5, Hallituskatu 5. Free Entrance.
http://galleria5.artoulu.fi
Sports
1 Mar. Kärpät ? Blues // National Ice
Hockey League. Oulu Energia Areena,
Teuvo Pakkalankatu 11. Tickets
Out&See Jyväskylä
28 Feb. Kaucas, OG Ikonen // Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?8.
www.jelmu.net
4 Mar. 40100 Afrikko-orkesteri //
Local outfit bring the Africa sounds.
Poppari, Puistokatu 2-4. Tickets
?8/5. www.jazz-bar.com
7 Mar. Ben Granfelt Band // Longstanding local progressive bluesrock band. Red Neck, Asemakatu
7. Tickets ?6. www.punaniska.com
8 Mar. The Dick Hawks // Costumeclad female quartet. Red Neck,
Asemakatu 7. Tickets ?6.
www.punaniska.com
13 Mar. Antti Heermann 4 feat.
Marian Petrescu // Local quartet
teams up with local jazz great.
Poppari, Puistokatu 2-4. Tickets
?8/5. www.jazz-bar.com
14 Mar. Rekami, Läskit Lokit & The
Pandas // Ostrobothnian artist with
rap outfit. Poppari, Puistokatu 2-4.
Tickets ?8/5. www.jazz-bar.com
15 Mar. Orkidea & Friends On Tour:
Orkidea, Heavyweight DJ?s, Royalties
Of Sound DJ?s // Local rave legend
still brings it after 20 years. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?15.
www.jelmu.net
Out&See Turku
19 Mar. Maiden United (UK) //
Classic Iron Maiden Songs in new
acoustic arrangements.
Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?8.
www.jelmu.net
20 March. Stammtisch // Traditional
exchange student party Stammtisch
at the Student village bar Rentukka.
Party is organised by the Erasmus
Student Network and The Student
Union of the University of Jyväskylä.
Ravintola Rentukka, Taitoniekantie 9.
Tickets ?2/1. www.rentukka.fi
20 Mar. Offroad Club: Nadja (CAN),
Vuolla // Canadian drone metal.
Lutakko, Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets
?8. www.jelmu.net
22 Mar. Pariisin kevät // One of
the most popular pop/rock bands
will rock the house! Freetime,
Kauppakatu 30. Tickets TBA.
www.ravintolafreetime.fi
22 Mar. Elias Kahila Band // Funk/
pop cellist and his band. Poppari,
Puistokatu 2-4. Tickets ?6/4.
www.jazz-bar.com
22 Mar. FM2000 // Local metallers
celebrate 15 years together. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?8.
www.jelmu.net
?7.50-21. www.oulunkarpat.fi
8 Mar. Kärpät ? Pelicans // National
Ice Hockey League. Oulu Energia
Areena, Teuvo Pakkalankatu 11.
Tickets ?7.50-21. www.oulunkarpat.fi
11 Mar. Kärpät ? Ilves // National Ice
Hockey League. Oulu Energia Areena,
Teuvo Pakkalankatu 11. Tickets
?7.50-21. www.oulunkarpat.fi
The event listings in the Out&See sections are based on the available information at the time of printing the issue.
SixDegrees is not responsible for possible changes, mistakes, cancellations
or lack of information concerning the
events mentioned.
Première 13 Feb. Jesus Christ
Superstar // Andrew Lloyd Webbers
classic rock opera. Åbo Svenska
Teater, Eerikinkatu 13. Tickets ?2548. abosvenskateater.fi
Première 14 Feb. The Emperor?s
New Clothes // A classic fairytale
unfolds through the medium of
dance. Aurinkobaletti, Itäinen
Rantakatu 64. Tickets ?9/11/13.
aurinkobaletti.com
Première
12
Mar.
Mieletön
Turun Tulevaisuus // A comedy
performance about the future of
Turku. Linnateatteri, Linnankatu 31.
Tickets ?23/29. linnateatteri.fi
Première 16 Mar. Robin Hood // A
bilingual (Finnish and Swedish)
play for the whole family. Directed
by Jussi Järvinen. Turun Nuori
Ralf Strathmann
10 Mar. Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu 14. Tickets: ?45.50. www.logomo.fi
Apocalyptic Symphony
For the first time in its history, the world-renowned cello metal
group Apocalyptica is touring with a classical orchestra. This cooperation with the chamber orchestra Avanti! has been long in
the making, and its fruits can finally be witnessed in concerts
throughout Finland, Russia, Germany, Poland, Belarus and the
Baltics. The concert includes music Apocalyptica rarely performs
live, with arrangements for an orchestra of 25 musicians made by
Jaakko Kuusisto. Originally a Metallica tribute band, Apocalyptica
was formed in 1993 by three graduates of the Sibelius Academy.
Teatteri, Ursininkatu 4. Tickets
?13/15/17.50. nuoriteatteri.com
Sports
1 Mar. SM-liiga: TPS ? Lukko //
Ice hockey game between Turku?s
own TPS and Rauma?s Lukko. HK
Areena, Artukaistentie 8. hkareena.fi
6 Mar. SM-liiga: TPS ? HPK // Ice
hockey game between Turku?s
TPS and Hämeenlinna?s HPK. HK
Areena, Artukaistentie 8. hkareena.fi
11 Mar. SM-liiga TPS ? Pelicans // Ice
hockey game between Turku?s TPS
and Lahti?s Pelicans. HK Areena,
Artukaistentie 8. hkareena.fi
Others
14 ? 16 Mar. Meri Kutsuu // The first
step towards the sailing season,
this fair exhibits all the most
important nautical products under
Until 2 Mar. Live Herring ?14
// Bringing machines and robots
together, this exhibition offers a
series of media art exhibitions.
Galleria Ratamo, Veturitallintie 6.
Free entry. www.jyvaskyla.fi/ratamo
Until 5 Mar. Merja Nykänen //
Exhibition.
Galleria
Becker,
Seminaarinkatu 28. Free entry. www.
jkltaiteilijaseura.net/galleria.htm
8-26 Mar. Sanna Haimila // Exhibition.
Galleria Becker, Seminaarinkatu 28.
Free entry. www.jkltaiteilijaseura.
net/galleria.htm
Opens 15 Mar. Pasi Rauhalan
Kotimuseo// The lifestory of the
Graphic and print maker. Jyväskylä
Art Museum Holvi, Kauppatu 23.
Tickets ?4-6. Free entry on Fridays.
www.jyvaskyla.fi/taidemuseo
Until 6 April. S P A C E _ M A N _
T E C H N O L O G Y _ O R D E R //
Works from Kaisa Lipponen, Ron
Nordström, Stefan Nyström, Sari
Palosaari,
Thomas
Westphal.
Jyväskylä Art Museum Holvi,
Kauppatu 23. Tickets ?4-6. Free
The event listings in the Out&See sections are based on the available information at the time of printing the issue.
SixDegrees is not responsible for possible changes, mistakes, cancellations
or lack of information concerning the
events mentioned.
Sony Music
By James O?Sullivan
Exhibitions
one roof. Turku Fair and Congress
Center, Messukentänkatu 9-13.
turunmessukeskus.fi
22 ? 23 Mar. Turku Arts and Antiques
Fair // This cornucopia for collectors
includes entertainment, evaluation
services and an abundance of
collectible for sale. Turku Fair and
Congress Center, Messukentänkatu
9-13. turunmessukeskus.fi
22 ? 23 Mar. Handicrafts Fair //
A fair featuring inspiring design,
exquisite materials and true
artisans. Turku Fair and Congress
Center, Messukentänkatu 9-13.
turunmessukeskus.fi
entry on Fridays. www.jyvaskyla.fi/
taidemuseo
Sports
27 Feb. JYP ? Jokerit // National
Ice Hockey League. Synergia arena,
Rautpohjankatu 10. Tickets ?5-30.
www.jypliiga.fi
7 Mar. JYP ? Kärpät // National
Ice Hockey League. Synergia arena,
Rautpohjankatu 10. Tickets ?5-30.
www.jypliiga.fi
13 Mar. Dec. JYP ? Blues // National
Ice Hockey League. Synergia arena,
Rautpohjankatu 10. Tickets ?5-30.
www.jypliiga.fi
The event listings in the Out&See sections are based on the available information at the time of printing the issue.
SixDegrees is not responsible for possible changes, mistakes, cancellations
or lack of information concerning the
events mentioned.
16 Mar. Lutakko, Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?15/12. www.jelmu.net
Hevisaurus
While the concept of ?rock dinosaurs? was originally a derogatory label attached to rock bands in the 1970s deemed irrelevant by the emergence of
punk, nowadays in Finland exists ?metal dinosaurs? ? something altogether
different. And so, with Hevisaurus, everyone?s favourite costume-clad dinosaur metal outfit rolls into town once again.
The idea for the band was originally hatched in the mind of drummer Mirka
Rantanen, a veteran of the local heavy scene known for his work with Thunderstone. Drumming under the guise of Komppi Momppi, Rantanen was
joined by Herra Hevisaurus on vocals, Milli Pilli on keyboards, guitarist Riffi
Raffi and Muffi Puffi on bass.
After playing their first gig in September 2009, the same year also saw their
debut album Jurahevin kuninkaat (Kings of Jurassic Metal) making an impression on the Finnish Album Chart. Although behind the scenes the band
has since endured significant line-up changes, their popularity has nonetheless gone from strength to strength. 2012?s Kadonneen Louhikäärmeen Arvoitus (The Mystery of the Lost Dragon) reached the top spot on the local charts.
Koulutuksia
maahanmuuttajille.
Kotitalousopetus, talouskoulu
? suomen kielen opiskelua ? kodinhoitoa
? arkielämän taitoja ? kesto viisi kuukautta
? yhteishaussa 24.2.?14.3.2014, opintopolku.fi
Valmentavat ja kuntouttavat
koulutukset
? suomen kielen opiskelua ? erityistä tukea
opiskeluun, jatko-opintojen suunnitteluun
tai työelämään siirtymiseen ? myös luku- ja
kirjoitustaidottomille ? hakuaika 3.3.-20.4.
? täytä hakulomake www.hdo.fi > Hakijalle
Valmistava koulutus, MAVA
? suomen kielen opiskelua ? tietoa erilaisista
ammateista ja koulutuksista ? tutustumista
suomalaiseen työelämään ? kesto yksi vuosi
? hakuaika 16.6.?25.7., opintopolku.fi
Koulutukset alkavat elokuussa 2014. Opetuskieli on suomi.
AaltoAlvari
PHOTO: ILKKA PIETARINEN
www.hdo.fi
PHOTO
: JO
UN
IK
AL
L
IO
A WONDERFUL SETTING
FOR WATER SPORTS
www.jyvaskyla.fi
www.humantechnology.fi
Water sports centre AaltoAlvari offers a splendid setting
for various forms of water exercise, relaxation at a spa
and competitive swimming, thanks to its 50-metre pool
that is suitable for both competitions and exercise.
also has a gym, a fitness centre for seniors, a room
with a fireplace, and a café. AaltoAlvari is located
within walking distance from the city centre.
In its older section, the centre also has a 25-metre pool
with a diving platform, designed by the architect Alvar
Aalto. The modern spa boasts a large children?s pool,
water flumes, pools with a wave machine and countercurrent jets, and massaging showers. AaltoAlvari
Water sports centre AaltoAlvari
Address: Pitkäkatu 2, 40700 Jyväskylä,
Tel. +358 14 266 4296
www.jyvaskyla.fi/aaltoalvari