Finland?s
SixDegrees
english language magazine
Russia ,
the eu &
nato
The Ukraine
influence
Page 12
a lv i n
Yo u n g
blood
nils erik
forsgÅrd
The future of
Swedish in Finland
Page 8
h a r t
Blues pays a visit Page 18
Issue 3/2014 www.6d.fi
27.03.2014?23.04.2014
s to
group starting with cardio was
longer. The researchers hence
the researchers set a limit for
the combine exercise regimen:
position between the two
training orders??
Start your weekend
with news in English.
Why not add Helsinki Times
to your morning coffee?
Spring collection
near you
IMAGES: HSY / Jenni-Justiina Niemi
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.
Koulutuksia
maahanmuuttajille.
Perusopetus
? nuorille ja aikuisille, joilla ei ole peruskoulun
päättötodistusta ? hakuaika 20.4. saakka
? täytä hakulomake www.hdo.fi > Hakijalle
Valmentavat ja kuntouttavat
koulutukset
? suomen kielen opiskelua ? erityistä tukea
opiskeluun, jatko-opintojen suunnitteluun
tai työelämään siirtymiseen ? myös luku- ja
kirjoitustaidottomille ? hakuaika 20.4. saakka
? 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.
SPRING is almost here, and many residents of Helsinki are setting to work with the annual springcleaning of their homes and apartments.
However, what to do with certain items that cannot be thrown away in the regular bins each week?
A free service from 31 March until 26 May, touring collection vehicles are scheduled to arrive at a
location near you.
?Touring collection vehicles collect hazardous waste, scrap metal and electric and electronic
equipment,? explains Leif Bergström, Head of Hazardous Waste services at HSY. ?The service is
intended for small lots from private households. It is not a free transportation service for companies.?
Tailored for people who don?t own a car, this convenient and easy service enables you to dispose of
your waste in an environmentally sound manner that?s easy on the wallet.
Items which are collected:
1.
Hazardous waste from households. Energy-saving bulbs, paint, solvents, cleaning
chemicals, batteries and medicine. (not impregnated wood, explosives).
2.
Scrap metal. (Small lots ? full trailers to HSY?s Sortti-stations) Bicycles, wood-burning
stoves, hot-water tanks and metal containers and cans.
3.
Electric and electronic equipment (max. three pcs. of the same item). Refrigerators,
freezers, TV sets, coffee makers, washing machines, computers and food mixers, among
other things.
The spring collection service
is provided by HSY (Helsinki
Region Environmental Services
Authority). HSY provides water
services and waste management
services for Espoo, Kauniainen,
Helsinki, Vantaa and Kirkkonummi
and also produces information
about the Helsinki Metropolitan
Area and the environment.
Find out when and where you can deposit your hard waste (in Finnish):
www.hsy.fi/keraysautot
www.hdo.fi
www.hel.fi
HELSINKI TIMES
27 MARCH ? 2 APRIL
Customer service points
Rautatientori Metro Station
(by Central Railway Station)
Itäkeskus Metro Station
Pasila, Opastinsilta 6A
Monthly review
3
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
My HSL provides information about your preferred routes
LaUri erikSSon
The HSL.fi online service expands with a
new My HSL section, which provides all of
the information you wish to get in one place.
Up to 49 per cent of visits to HSL.fi in February were made from mobile phones or other hand-held devices.
Fare dodging decreased
In 2013, about 2.7 per cent of
public
transport
passengers
were caught fare dodging, while
in 2012 the figure was about 3.2
per cent. The highest number of
fare dodgers were found on commuter trains, trams and the Metro. HSL is responsible for ticket inspections on the HSL area public
transport services and on longdistance trains across the country.
In 2013, HSL?s goal was to increase the number of tickets inspected and target the inspections
in a certain way to reduce fare
dodging. HSL not only reached
the goal but exceeded it, as last
year HSL inspected the tickets of
some 4 million passengers compared to 3.4 million in 2012.
New technology has played a
key role in making the inspections more effective. In spring
2012, HSL replaced the old devices with new ones. The new devices clearly speeded up ticket
inspectors? work: in 2012, a ticket inspector inspected the tickets of 232 passengers per day on
average, last year the figure was
about 260 per day.
As HSL lost nearly 8 million euros due to fare dodging last year,
fare evasion still makes a significant dent in the public transport
finances.
The My HSL service is built
around the routes you use regularly. You can register for the
service at HSL.fi. Once you have
registered, you can select the
routes for which you want to receive traffic bulletins, news and
disruptions alerts. You can get
the news and alerts via My HSL
or you can have them sent to
your email.
My HSL comprises upgraded versions of Disruption Info
(www.poikkeusinfo.fi) and My
Departures (www.omatlahdot.
fi), which will be closed as separate services in early 2014 but
you will be able to use the familiar services by registering for My
HSL.
On the new website, Disruption Info and My Departures will
work without any hitches regardless of the device used, so
they are suited to mobile use.
This is particularly important for
passengers using public transport because up to 49 per cent
of visits to HSL.fi in February
were made from mobile phones
or other hand-held devices.
Park your bike
with a Travel Card
In My HSL you can also register
to use a new bike parking service, which works with a Travel
Card. The service is run by HSL
and HKL and it is first being trialed at Vuosaari Metro Station.
There are both sheltered bicycle racks with a frame locking
system and lockers which work
with a Travel Card.
HSL is collecting feedback on
the pilot with a view to expanding the service to other Metro
stations at a later stage.
My HSL is first released as a
beta version and the service is
further developed on the basis of
user experiences and feedback.
Myllypuro
station to be
renovated
Public
transport
gaining popularity
The Myllypuro Metro station will
undergo an overhaul in August.
The station will become even more
accessible, as after the work there
will be more lifts to the platforms
along with a new escalator access
to the ticket hall in the Myllyaukio
square.
Besides the paving, seating and
lighting, the roof above the platforms will be replaced and glass
walls added to protect passengers
from the wind and rain.
The surroundings of the station
will be improved by redoing some
of the surfaces, planted areas and
ramps. Existing areas for bicycles
will also be improved and new ones
added.
The work will be completed in
summer 2016. The station will be in
use throughout the renovations.
According to a study conducted by
HSL, residents of Helsinki spend 73
minutes a day travelling, making 3.4
journeys on average on weekdays.
For the first time in five decades,
public transport is gaining popularity faster than private motoring in
the metropolitan area. The share of
public transport of all journeys has
increased in all municipalities in the
area, on both commuter and leisure
journeys, among men and women
and in most age groups.
Around 80 per cent of residents
in the metropolitan area use a Travel Card or a similar public transport
ticket, while the corresponding figure for the entire HSL region is 30 per
cent. In Helsinki, 77 per cent of people
have a driving license, compared with
91 per cent in Nurmijärvi, Tuusula, Sipoo, Mäntsälä and Kauniainen.
Starters
6
Issue 3 2014
Top 5
things on our
mind this month...
On Ukraine and the ripple effect
Anyone who has lived in Finland long enough knows
that political unrest experienced anywhere in Russia
will always cause concern here as well. After centuries of mutual raiding and plundering in the border
regions, some 70 years of peaceful co-existence is
not enough to obliterate the bad memories.
The aesthetic of ugly random things
In addition to creating interesting patterns running
down the Tarmac, the melting snow reveals a display of contemporary urban art in the landscape:
cans, bottles, wrappings and other stuff that are
fascinating in a quaint way.
Amateur stages at the backbone of Finnish culture
Even though you may find it difficult to pick up the
dialogue in a play where the language is Finnish,
you will have a good time at your local amateur theatre. What deficiencies they may have in resources
and lack of cool professionalism they are largely
able to compensate for with the burning desire to
reach out and entertain.
Traditions and style councils
The recently retired Finnish alpinist Tanja Poutiainen inadvertently prodded some termites? nest
by publicly donning a combination of Sami apparel
and other clothing items; Sami handicraft specialists went out to strongly criticise her for this. But
isn?t it OK for you to look the way you feel, as long
as you?re decent?
The ability to set the tone is a big thing in life
As fast as our top-flight ice hockey has become,
what a privilege it felt to watch a player in the Finnish league pick up the puck at his team?s zone and,
instead of firing a ?wish you well? loop pass somewhere, slowly circle forward in gyro fashion for a
better passing angle. And that?s the thing ? many
times the speed at which we do things can be as
uncomfortable or comfortable as we make it to be.
Mika Oksanen
Word on the
street
What is the best way to get
into shape for summer?
Elina
By working out. Just by doing something simple on
a daily basis, like jogging. And you don?t have to go
long distances and super fast, light exercise is a
good way to start.
Mari Juntunen
First of all, clean up your diet and start eating
healthily. After that it?s easier to get going. Get your
bike back out after the winter. I also find it a great
combination to do yoga and jogging.
Kati Blomqvist
Just get active, by walking and jogging. It?s not
about having a gym membership at the best gym
in town, a workout at home will do just as well.
Oona Ahonen
I?d say by mental exercises to start with, as it?s so
hard to stick to an exercise regime! After you get
into the routine, it gets easier. I don?t think it really
matters what you do, as long as you make sure you
do a little bit every day. I go on dance classes and
I?d recommend that to anyone as it?s so much fun,
you don?t even realise doing your hated exercise.
Compiled by Mari Storpellinen.
Cycling season is upon us.
(hopefully!)
James O?Sullivan
W
HILE the arrival of takatalvi has predictably come along to
take the wind out of the sails of springtime celebrations,
nonetheless it?s soon time to dust off your neglected bike
from your basement storage and gets to enjoying the multitude of
bike tracks that weave their way around the country. Finns love
to cycle, and in the Capital Region alone there are around 1,000
kilometres of well-maintained cycling paths intersecting the city.
In fact, when entering even the most remote of cities, towns and
villages around the country one can find a well maintained path for
two-wheelers alongside the road leading in and out of town.
However, the joy of taking your bike out of storage this time of
year is often met with the disappointment of having forgotten you
still have to take it to huolto (maintenance). Now, although it may
seem to be too much of a financial hit to shell out around 80 euros
for someone to merely tighten brakes, oil your chain and align up
your gears, you?ll be grateful later in the summer when your bike
is still rolling smoothly.
But brace yourself for another whopping disappointment after
being slugged for maintaining your two-wheeler: getting a flat tyre.
Now, with all of the rubbish that has been accumulated under the
seasonal snow, it?s only a matter of luck if your path is not met by
a stray piece of glass or nail. Also watch out for the well-preserved
thawing dog turds that abound this time of year, lest you have the
misfortune of riding through the middle of a deposit and have it
sprayed across your back by your rear tyre.
Actually, speaking of which, a Swedish company has developed the appropriately named Ass Saver, which works a treat in
this context. A small piece of plastic that can be easily attached
underneath your seat, here all matter of springtime junk is prevented from decorating your tail in spectacular fashion, acting
as a cheap and easy alternative to arriving at your chosen destination looking like you have soiled yourself.
Otherwise, before you head off, be on alert for the unfortunate
prevalence of mopeds when you cycle, typically driven at breakneck speed by teenagers who have been given the legal green light
to use the bike paths for their vehicles. And finally, be aware that
around 4,000 bikes are stolen each year in Helsinki alone, so be
sure to carry a securely lock up your steed!
Phew, after all of this, you are ready to go?well, almost. One final
thing to keep in mind is using a helmet. Sure, it looks a heck of a lot
less siistii to cover your scone and deny the summer breeze blowing
in your hair as you pedal, but take a moment to consider the devastating damage caused by relying on your skull to take the brunt of
impact should you fall off your bike. BTW, what?s up with the usually
sensible people of Finland have not enforcing helmet use as a law?
For those short of cash but still seeking to keep the insides of their
head on the inside in the Capital Region, helmet hire has previously been available from Virka Info inside Helsinki?s City Hall.
Finnish After Dark
Learning the Finnish they don?t teach in school
Suomeksi: Kärähtää
A BL E
AVAIL ATED
W
O
N
TR
ILLUS
AS AN ERBACK. tores
ooks
PAP
ajor b .fi/fad
rom m
.6d
Buy f line: www
or on
English translation: To get burned.
Having your food burned is one thing, getting burned yourself another entirely. In this sense, the
getting burned refers to the court system and punishments handed down from the bench. As you
might guess, this is almost always a very bad thing, so try and avoid both getting burnt, and telling your mates you?ve been burned
? at least if you only mean the toast.
?
?
Kuulittekste? Milla käräti ratista? Sen ajokortti joutu hyllylle.
Eihä? No, onneks ei kärähtäny mistään pahemmasta! Mä oon kuullu, et sillä on kaikkia hämärähommia meneillään.
?
?
Did you hear? About her getting burnt for drink driving? Lost her licence for it.
Really? Well, lucky shea wasn?t burnt for anything worse! I hear she has all kinds of shady deals going on!
David Brown and Mimmu Takalo
SixDegrees
Starters
7
SixDegrees
Tell me about your
city...
To fee or
not to fee
?
Constantine
Will Finland pay the cost
of charging international
students for tuition?
Tijana Stolic
F
inland is currently the only country in the EU that does not
charge tuition fees, but this may change as Helsingin Sanomat
recently reported that the Ministry of Education and Culture
is preparing a report to be discussed in budget talks. The report
proposes that tuition fees be charged to students from outside the
EU/EEA who undertake courses in languages other than Finnish
or Swedish.
A disclosure ? as an international master?s student, my opinion
may be slightly biased, but here are some points to consider when
discussing the implementation of tuition fees.
Should tuition fees be implemented, it can be expected that the
number of international applications, and therefore the number
of international students accepted to Finnish universities, would
drop. The same has happened in other Nordic countries. According to a study commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers
and conducted in 2013 by Oxford Research, the number of international students significantly dropped in Sweden since it implemented tuition fees for undergraduate and master?s students
Tomasz Sienicki
Beer glass
soon half
empty
in 2011, as well as in Denmark, which started charging tuition in
2006. Both countries have since increased marketing campaigns
and scholarship initiatives to boost the numbers.
If the number of international students drops here in future, what
kinds of consequences would this have on the internationality of
Finnish universities? The University of Helsinki, for example, is
continually on a mission to increase its world ranking, but if it can?t
boast a high number of international students, will this help its
goal? Moreover, should the number of international applications
drop, the pool of quality applications would diminish accordingly.
The rationale for introducing tuition fees is, of course, saving
money, but what saves money in the immediate future, may not
do the same in the long run. Investing in a bunch of young, smart,
ambitious, culturally diverse people might certainly be financially
beneficial for Finland in the future. Let us not forget that Finland
is currently experiencing difficulties with economic growth and
needs all the taxpayers and job providers it can get. And although
many international students come to Finland for the free education, many decide to stay. After all, Finland is a great place to live
with an equal society, a welfare system, and free education for all.
James O?Sullivan
T
HE sale of alcohol in Finland continues to be a delicate matter for both
sides of the argument of moderation.
While wine lovers have to plan their consumption in light of Alkos being closed
around the country on Sundays, Helsingin Sanomat reports that mid-strength
beer may next on the list of restrictions in
order to curb the enthusiastic consumption of alcohol around the country.
Amongst a number of proposed new
measures, the Ministry of Social Affairs
and Health is pushing for beer sales at
grocery shops, kiosks and service stations
be outlawed after 6 pm on Fridays and
Saturdays, as well as on Sunday mornings.
Aside from the cut in hours of availability on shelves, it has also been proposed that beer?s alcohol content be
diluted from 4.7 to 3.5 per cent by volume. Furthermore, a gradual tax hike is
proposed in the coming years, as is the
restriction of late-night sales of alcohol
in pubs and restaurants.
How this all advances, it remains to be
seen. However, with vehement opposition already gathering voice, the debate
will continue to rage on for some time.
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW Easter IN FINNISH?
1
2
3
4
1. Bunny
6. Basket
2. Yellow
7. Colourful
3. Good Friday
8. Decorate
4. Chocolate
9. Daffodil
5. Egg
10. Tulip
5
6
7
8
9
Test your knowledge of Finnish vocabulary by using the local equivalent.
Puzzle by Eva Peltonen. Solutions on page 21.
Raouf Sifour
I
n Finland you have this saying: a beloved child has many
names. That is Constantine, the City of Knowledge, the City
of Bridges, and the City of Warriors. It is one of the biggest
and wealthiest cities of Algeria, as well as the commercial
centre of the region, and therefore a place where many people
come in their search for a better life. The official number
of people living there is around one million. During daytime,
however, the population doubles as people come to the city for
work and study. Poor people around the area gather there to
try and earn some money.
Constantine has a very distinctive geographical position. The
city was originally built on top of a stone mountain. Later, an
earthquake split the mountain in two. Therefore, Constantine
is now divided in two separate parts that are connected by
bridges. Between the two parts runs a river down in the
gulley. There is also an airport, considered as one of the
most dangerous in the world as the plane needs to go round
along the mountainside to get to the airport in the relatively
narrow gulley. In Constantine, you are never far away from
an incredible view. It is not a place for someone with fear of
heights. The suspended bridges over the gulley are hundreds
of metres long and not supported by any pillars.
Constantine is the Arabic capital of culture, known as the
City of Knowledge. Most of the rulers and thinkers, the highest
educated people of Algeria come from there. On 16 April the
whole of Algeria celebrates the Day of Knowledge. Constantine
is the centre of that. There is no nightlife in Constantine, no
bars and clubs, and people eat out mainly in the daytime. Taxi
is a common way of transportation as it?s very cheap. There are
also cable cars and an elevator for transporting people from the
bottom of the mountain to the top.
The weather conditions in Constantine are quite extreme.
Winters are very cold, and summers very hot. Normally, there
is always snow in the wintertime. In the summertime, the
temperature might go up to 50 degrees Celsius. It is often
windy in Constantine but even that doesn?t help in the summer
temperatures because it feels like a hair dryer directed at your
face. Springtime is best for visiting. In the autumn, there are
often thunderstorms coming from the Sahara. After the storms
the city is red-coloured because of the sand brought over from
the desert. With the heat and the post-storm humidity there is
steam everywhere. You feel like you were in a sauna.
Currently, Constantine is going through big changes. The
city is overcrowded and because of its geographical situation
it is impossible to expand the borders. That is why they have
started building a new city next to the mountain. Currently,
there are a lot of Brazilian workers.
Constantine has always been a bit of a melting pot of different
cultures. In the ?70s, it attracted a lot of immigrants, among
others Finnish fishermen. At the time, Algeria was doing very
well economically and it was easy to make money there. During
the terrorism time in the ?90s many industries suffered, tourism
being one of them.
Now tourists have found the city again, and the hotels are
fully booked all year round.
Contact james@6d.fi if you
want to share the inside word
on your town.
8
We Met
Issue 3 2014
Tomas Whitehouse
An opportunity in Swedish
Nils Erik Forsgård believes it?s time for the Finland-Swede community
to stop acting like a hedgehog and open their culture to change.
James O?Sullivan
S
ITUATED near the corner of Helsinki?s Annankatu and Boulevardi, the interior of
the Swedish-language think tank Magma
offers some remarkable contrasts. A large window frames the office of Magma?s director Nils
Erik Forsgård, overlooking the graves scattered
around Ruttopuisto (aka Plague Park). A glance
into an adjacent room reveals a wall adorned
with a disturbing photo of a woman, completely
submerged by water.
Spending a few moments studying the complexities of the image as I wait for Forsgård to join
me, I wonder if this is a bold statement reflecting
the state of the Swedish language here in Finland:
perceived by some as drowning in a Finnishlanguage bath that is filling at a rapid rate, coupled with an influx of immigrants arriving here
choosing to integrate in Finland.
Given the presence of other, less confronting images hung on walls throughout the office
space, it remains to be discovered exactly what is
meant by this provocative image. Is this a deeply
symbolic representation of the current status of
the author and historian?s culture in Finland, as it
drowns and gasps for air? Or is it, to put it simply,
art for art?s sake?
Having just returned from Berlin earlier this
afternoon, a city where he lived between 2001
and 2008, Forsgård is catching up on emails and
paperwork in the few minutes before our agreed
interview time. Apologising for keeping me waiting, he takes a seat across the table. The elephant
in the room ? the photo that looms behind me ?
is the first thing on the tip of my tongue.
I couldn?t help but wonder about this photo.
So do I, still. Every time I look up from my computer I see a drowning woman. I?m not sure what to do
about it. There is an art institution called Pro Artibus, which, among other things buys art and sculptures from young artists. They also have a system
where you can borrow these paintings from them
for a year or so, to cover your white walls. These
motives and photos were brought here without my
knowledge. More or less. I?m the boss, so it tells a lot
about me being in charge. [laughs]
You have been working here at Magma since
returning from Berlin in 2008. What were you
doing in Germany?
I was a guest professor in cultural sciences at
the Department of Northern European Studies
at Humboldt University. Berlin was a great time
and place for me, and still is. I taught societies,
politics, culture, movies and literature. I soon
realised that many of the students had a pretty
romanticised vision of the north. They could also
tell me stuff, like, ?I met a guy from Stockholm,
and he was very much like an Ingman Bergman
character.? What I also noticed was that many
people had a notion of the north based on Astrid
Lingren?s stories for children, Pippi Longstocking, and so on. It?s actually a very interesting fact
is that Lindgren?s stories were used to ?denazify?
the German people after the Second World War.
The whole concept of an idyllic small village with
red small houses, with good-hearted people living there was something they tried to establish
among the German young people after WWII.
How did you own culture as a Finland-Swede
inform your lectures?
When I would introduce myself at parties it was
a very common understanding of the FinlandSwedes that I belong to a posh culture. ?You come
from a culture that is slightly better than the Finn-
ish speaking Finns.? I don?t know where they got
this idea. But I know that many Finnish-speaking
Finns also have this idea of us Swedish-speaking
Finns, that we feel superior to them. Sure, there
might be some Swedish-speaking Finns who
have this vision of the world, but you find strange
and posh people anywhere. In general so many
of us are very normal, regular people living our
lives, trying to make end meet.
But it is still difficult to know what to say in response. You can?t start lecturing people to look
at statistics and median income to see we are just
like you are. We have a Swedish-speaking culture
in Finland and that?s really all that makes us different. So many traits of the majority Finnish-speaking
culture are in the Swedish-speaking culture, and the
other way around. People don?t see these traits and
elements in their daily life. And they don?t understand ? in some cases don?t want to understand
? these elements. But if you go to a small village
close to where I come from, 100 kms inland from
the coast, you will find villages where people speak
a kind of dialect that is a high mixture of Finnish
and Swedish. They use very many Swedish words,
which they don?t even think about. They have been
implemented in the language andused over many
We Met
9
SixDegrees
?T
he dimensions of the Swedish-speaking
population here can be likened to the
same demographic problems that we
have in Europe: we don?t fuck enough.?
So Magma is confiscating all of the condoms
around the country?
That?s our basic strategy. [laughs]
Published works
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
I det femte inseglets tecken
(dissertation, 1999)
Alias Finkelstein. Studier i
antisemitisk retorik (2002)
10115, Berlin. Nedslag i en
europeisk huvudstad (2005)
Heartlands. Anteckningar från
en resa genom USA (2007)
September 1808 (2008)
Maktbalans och stormaktskrig
1721-1814 (2008)
Hannahs gåta. Texter
1989-2009 (2009)
Hemingway - En betraktelse (2011)
Himlar över Alabama (2012)
Ingens herre, ingens träl. Radikalen
Anders Chydenius i 1700-talets
Sverige (forthcoming, 2014)
generations.
We, as Swedish-speaking Finns, also consider
ourselves to be Finnish. We don?t want to make
a big fuss that ?we speak Swedish?. We just want a
society where some fundamental rights are taken
into consideration: healthcare, schooling. Otherwise we are just the same as the others.
How does Magma work for Finland-Swedes in
Finland?
We are not so concerned with Swedish-speaking Finns, actually. This is not the object of our
work. The element we work with is the Swedish
language. We consider Swedish to belong to all
of Finland. It is not only here in Helsinki or in
places where you can speak Swedish that it exists. It exists everywhere in Finland. It is part of
Finland and our history.
Magma is definitely not some kind of propaganda institute for Swedish language in Finland.
We consider ourselves to be more of a research
institute. We don?t belong to any political party,
we consider ourselves to be neutral. We don?t
have any agenda. What we are interested in and
want to see is how the Swedish language can survive in Finland.
How can we legitimise the language as a living language when considering the fact that the number
of Swedish speakers continues to stay the same, or
grows a little, but not fast enough? As a percentage
of the population it is diminishing all the time.
The culture is not going anywhere, but the relative importance is diminishing, due to the fact
that we have immigration and that the Finnishspeaking population grows much faster.
The dimensions of the Swedish speaking population here can be likened to the same demographic problems that we have in Europe: we
don?t fuck enough; we are not having enough
children. This is one of the problems. Swedish
speakers should start making love.
How do you preserve the language?
We can?t really do anything. What we can do
is to observe any challenges or perhaps dangers when it comes to the circumstances where
Swedish is spoken. One basic thing for keeping
the Swedish culture alive is that there are solely
Swedish-speaking schools. Without the Swedish
educational system here and possibilities to go
to school and study in Swedish, there would be
no Swedish in Finland. Everything would erode
and disappear within 100 years. The basis for the
whole Swedish culture is the school system.
On the other hand it is very important that
Swedish speakers learn Finnish and that at least
some Finnish speakers learn a decent amount of
Swedish. We made a report last year about bilingual schools. There?s a Finnish-French school,
a Finnish-German school, all kinds of bilingual schools existing in Helsinki. But there is
no Finnish-Swedish school, a school where you
could use both of the official languages of Finland. This is partly because there is a sensibility
among the Swedish speakers that we need those
monolinguals schools where you can solely speak
the language. And that is undertstandable. However, there is room for bilingual schools for Swedish and Finnish at the same time without risking
the Swedish-speaking school system, or, for that
matter, the Finnish-speaking school system.
Of course the minority is much more vulnerable
than the majority. We are approximately 290,000
Swedish speakers; more or less the same amount
as the Icelanders. Formally we are not even a minority. Swedish is the second official language
in Finland and Swedish speakers in general certainly consider themselves to be Finns. But we
are still in a minority position. Our challenge
is this: European minorities, in general, can be
found clustered together. But when you look at
Finland we have one people, 5.5 millions Finns,
living all over the country speaking Finnish and
partly Swedish, with a certain tendency on the
west coast and in the south and Åland Islands.
We also have these language islands of Tampere,
Jyväskylä and Lahti and so on, where you have a
few thousand Swedish speakers.
Another dimension that we focus on here in
Magma is the growth of immigration and integration into the Swedish-speaking culture.
Are there currently enough opportunities for
this?
There are so many problems linked to this question. First, why learn Swedish if you come to Finland? Everything works in Finnish. Of course,
if you go to Vaasa or Osthrobothnia you?ll hear
Swedish spoken, but Helsinki is eroding. It used
to be a very Swedish-speaking city. Things have
changed very rapidly over the last two decades in
Finland.
The other challenge is that the more immigrants we have, the smaller the Swedish-speaking
minority gets. And, as Finland also has a shared
history with Russia, can the Russians eventually
say that Russian should be an official language of
Finland? ?If you say you have a shared history
with Sweden, and that?s why Sweden is an official language in Finland, we also had 100 years
with Finland. Shouldn?t Russians have the same
rights as the Swedish-speakers when we move
here?? Actually, in the 19th century, many Russians immigrated into the Swedish-speaking
community. Many old Russian families here are
Swedish-speaking.
Nowadays, the new Russians coming to Finland tend to build their own Russian-speaking
communities, rather than integrating with the
Finnish-speaking population, or the Swedishspeaking population. So we have a new situation
compared with what it used to be 150 years ago.
The Russian-speaking minority is growing, just
like many other minorities, and many Swedishspeakers would like at least some of these newcomers to integrate in Swedish. That would, of
course, also boost our demography. Is this possible? Why should they have to learn Swedish?
Why would they need to learn Swedish? The big
problem is that you still need to know Finnish in
order to make a decent career in Finland.
But the Swedish networks are pretty tightknit aren?t they?
Yes they are.
Certain doors might open a little quicker in
the Swedish-speaking community?
They might. But I?m not too sure about that either.
It depends. Even though you would know Swedish, there is no certainty in you getting a good
job anyway. You will still have to learn Finnish. I
think that?s a problem: a situation where people
could easily apply for good jobs is missing. On the
other hand we have all of the other Nordic countries nearby. Some people argue by saying that you
learn Swedish in Finland and you can then always
move to the other Nordic countries, as there you
can be understood and can use the language. But
then again, why did you move to Finland in the
first place? At least not to move away immediately.
Anyway, the immigration policy of Finland sucks
badly.
Why do you say that?
When we look at Sweden, a lot of the power in the
Swedish economy is due to the fact that they have
a lot of immigrants that have created their own
business, who are doing their own thing, contributing to the Swedish economy in a very positive
way. We should have the same, but we don?t have
it as yet. In Finland we have a lot of people from
other countries who make pizzas and drive taxis.
It shouldn?t be that way. A doctor from Lebanon
should not have to drive a taxi in Helsinki. We
have not adapted to the new world in the right
way as yet. We need to see the possibilities. It?s
the same within the Swedish-speaking community; it?s not only the Finnish speaking community. The possibility to advance, fulfil your life
and dreams, whatever they may be ? Finland is
still not good at that.
How can this be rectified?
I?m not sure. We should at least make life better
for people who were not born here and come
to this country where people are sneezing and
freezing and it?s cold and dark half the year. Still
they are brave enough to come here.
Here at Magma we have recently been looking
closely at the integration of immigrants. How
does it work? How can Finnish society boost careers for small businesses? What is the right way,
what information is needed by newcomers in order to make a new life, to be more productive,
more successful? How can we open up our own
Swedish-speaking community for newcomers?
How can we be welcoming? What is the way to
do it without being pushy, or too eager? Just give
people the opportunities.
I understand that the focus of your latest
book, Finnish priest and a politician Anders
Chydenius (1729-1803), had some innovative
ideas on this issue.
He said something already in the middle of the
18th century that can be applied to the way that
society could be today: take away the obstacles.
People don?t ask for much, but they ask to be
happy, earn a decent living. Make it happen. That
was his basic message. He lived in a well-regulated society, to put it mildly, where the state was
really intrusive and tried to check everything. His
vision was to open up society. Open the gate. Let
foreigners come here, Catholics and Jews. People
today who consider themselves to be liberals find
ideas in Chydenius? writings that are applicable
to their own way of looking at the world.
We at Magma consider ourselves to be a liberally
minded think tank. So, open up this country, for
God?s sake. Make it attractive for people coming
from other parts of the world. We can afford it. It?s
not a big deal. We should be more open-minded,
and generous in general. What happened in the
200 years since Chydenius died up until now? This
is the big question in Finnish history. What happened to his legacy, the spirit of entrepreneurship,
taking away obstacles of living? It is a message that
he shouts from the ages, coming from deep down
the well of history.
You are also working on a book about Europe
at the moment. As the foundations of Europe
continue to wobble with issues such as
immigration and the economy, how do you
see the situation?
The problem with Europe right now is the European Union. What we see in so many countries is
a tendency to oppose the doctrines of Brussels.
So-called populism in Europe is a strong reaction
to the centralisation of powers and the bureaucracy of Brussels. It?s also a mainstream thinking
about Brussels today. It is not only Brussels that
is thinking that Brussels is not a functioning system. Also normal politicians everywhere tend to
think that Brussels is not working right now.
This is the red thread in Europe; from south
to north we have a view that people look upon
Brussels as a dysfunctional system. Something
has to be done to fix Brussels. In the United
States they talk about fixing Washington. In
Europe we have Brussels. But do we believe in
a restructured and reformed Brussels? Can we
believe in it? What should be the method, the
medicine? There is none. I haven?t seen anyone
with a written paper saying that these things
should be fixed in Brussels. A lot of people are
criticising Brussels for the bureaucracy and for
the money swallowing. What we don?t see is a
clear agenda to fix these things.
What is interesting is that Marine Le Pen in
France and Geert Wilders in Holland used to be
critical of Muslims; now they are critical of Brussels and Europe. This has changed in the last five
years. This is a tendency I am writing about in
my book: of seeing the monster in Europe, rather
than the monster coming from abroad. Now we
have the monster amongst us. What does this
tell us? Why is it so? We are our worst threat
ourselves according to these French and Dutch
populists. The concept of populism is losing its
edge, its meaning somehow. So many people that
would never consider themselves to be populist,
are thinking in the same way that the populists
thought five years ago. So, where the populists
go, we follow. Is that the kind of thing happening in Europe? That seems to be the tendency. If
we want to know what Europe will be like in ten
years, listen to the populists now, what the are
saying. Then we will know what will happen in
future in Europe.
While you are looking ahead, how do you see
the future for Swedish language in Finland?
That?s a difficult question. I am optimistic and do
not see any immediate and dramatic changes. But
one thing that could affect us is things happening in Russia right now. What if we get a sudden
influx of 50-100,000 political refugees from that
big country?
You could see that as a threat to the whole nation perhaps. Nothing will happen with the Finnish language as there is a huge stable majority
speaking Finnish as their first language. Finnish
is a difficult, but very beautiful language. What
will be needed for the Swedish speaking community is generousness, to be open-minded, inclusive. It is important to protect certain things
such the Swedish-speaking school system. But we
should also be generous to people coming here
and seeking the Swedish-speaking culture.
I can see tendencies among Swedish speakers
here; the need to protect their own culture makes
us into hedgehogs. That is not the old way of the
Swedish-speaking people in Finland. We cannot
close our culture. It would be the stupidest thing
to do in a world that is changing all the time. I
sometimes feel we don?t have the ability to adapt
fast enough to a changing world. It?s a slightly
conservative culture.
Even though we have many excellent artists and
writers, radicals in that sense. We call ourselves
liberals, but many of us should also try to be liberals in real life.
Date and place of birth: 1968, Uusikaarlepyy
Family: Currently I am single, but I am
seeing someone that makes me feel fine and
comfortable.
Education: I?m a PhD, a docent, in the history
of ideas.
Finnish history includes? conservatism and
liberalism.
Finland-Swedes are? just like people in general.
In future, Europe will? change.
Lifestyle
10
Issue 3 2014
Peliko
All a-board
the enduring allure of boardgames
While video games have entered the mainstream
and mobile games are bringing gaming to new
audiences, boardgaming also continues to attract
new enthusiasts.
Teemu Henriksson
P
LAYING games, once seen as children?s pastime or a hobby
for the adolescent, has silently become a mainstream activity.
The launch of the latest Grand Theft Auto game was a cultural
event comparable to a new James Bond film, while mobile games
are popularising the concept of gaming to those who have no interest in actual game consoles. And when the majority of Supercell,
the Finnish mobile game company behind Clash of Clans and Hay
Day, was sold to two Japanese companies for a reported 1.1 billion euros, everyone should have got the message: there is nothing
childish about this industry.
In the shadow of mobile and video games, also boardgaming is
winning over new audiences in Finland, and more and more serious, high-quality games are being released. Everyone knows about
Supercell?s hits, but what has received much less attention is that
one of the best-received recent boardgames by the international
boardgaming community, Eclipse, was designed and published in
Finland.
?Looking back, the crucial year was 2004, which is when both
Carcassonne and the Settlers of Catan were released in Finnish,?
says Toni Niittymäki from Lautapelit.fi, a boardgame seller and
publisher. These games, among other titles such as Ticket to Ride,
have been key in introducing boardgames to adults, many of
whom wouldn?t have thought of boardgaming as an activity for the
grownups. Now, it is becoming increasingly likely that board and
card games are brought out also during a get-together of adults.
One simple reason behind the continuing ascension of
boardgames is that games have simply gotten better at engaging
lik
o
the classic
among Finnish
boardgames
Grand designs
While the heart of the global boardgaming industry is clearly in
Germany, where most games are designed and published, Finland
is by all accounts a rather active boardgame country. For example, the Finnish company Tactic is a significant publisher of massmarket games in the European market, while Lautapelit.fi, which
focuses on games targeted at gaming hobbyists, has gone on to become an internationally known publisher, says Mikko Saari, who
has written several books on board and card games and is the editor of Lautapeliopas.fi, a website dedicated to boardgames.
Lautapelit.fi was founded in 1996 and has retail shops in Helsinki
and Tampere. In addition to localisations to the Nordic market,
Lautapelit.fi has now also expanded to publishing its own games,
among them Eclipse, which has made waves among the global
boardgaming enthusiasts (see the adjacent story for more information).
There are few designers that have come out of Finland however,
although the situation has started to change over the past few years,
Saari says. Even fewer make a living out of it, as most designers are
Pe
Afrikan tähti:
grown ups. Niittymäki says that in his experience, few people who
try more modern games feel like returning to the games they remember from their childhoods.
?These games have a head start of 30 to 50 years, and they became
known when there were fewer games in the boardgame market to
choose from,? Niittymäki says. ?I?ve often said that if Monopoly
were released now for the first time, I doubt it would catch on. I
don?t think it would be a competitive product without the reputation it has.?
hobbyists and freelancers with day jobs. But trying game design is
relatively easy: there is no single way of becoming a game designer,
and neither are there any specific skills that one needs to acquire in
order to dabble into it.
Niittymäki from Lautapelit.fi notes that his company is always
looking for solid concepts that could be developed into games.
?If the idea sounds like a clone of an old classic, we know pretty
quickly that it?s not for us. But if there are new ideas or it brings a
new vision into an established game type, we?re always interested
in trying them out.?
In a recent interview, Touko Tahkokallio, the designer of Eclipse,
said that the most important thing when crafting new games is that
games are something more than just a way of paying the bills. ?I
can?t imagine a good game designer who isn?t first and foremost a
passionate player,? Tahkokallio said to Yle. His view is that creating
a game should start with deciding who the target audience is, and
the rest should be designed from that starting point.
Social activity
As for more modern ways of playing games, Niittymäki doesn?t see
video and mobile games as competing with boardgames. ?They encourage people to play, and many people go on to try boardgames
too. Many successful boardgames are also later released on the
iPad. There are also mobile games that have been transformed into
a card or boardgame, so there is some exchange between the two
types of gaming.?
Boardgames have an obvious quality that differentiates them
from virtual types of gaming, as it is a social activity, a reason for
a group of people to get together. ?Personally, it?s the sociality of
boardgaming that appeals to me,? Niittymäki says. ?Especially
when you have a group who like playing similar types of games, the
games can become a tool for a kind of an intellectual battle.?
The likeliest obstacle that a would-be boardgamer needs to overcome is finding the right group of people to play with. Niittymäki
says that most people start by introducing a game or two to their
friends, and hope that also some of them get bitten by the gaming
bug. ?Sometimes we receive two or three separate orders for a specific game from the same small town. Clearly it?s a situation where
a group has been introduced to a game for the first time, and many
of them end up buying it.?
It?s a slow process, but the word on boardgames is gradually
spreading through the grapevine.
Take a look at the selection of boardgames of any Finnish family, and you?ll be fairly certain to find African
tähti (?the Star of Africa?) among them. Although mostly unknown abroad, Afrikan tähti is a genuine hit
in Finland ? since its release in 1951 almost 4 million copies have been sold, according to the publisher
Peliko, over half of which in Finland (the game has also been released in other Nordic countries).
What?s remarkable about the game?s success is that Afrikan tähti is, to put it kindly, hardly a favourite
among boardgame hobbyists. The game mechanics are very simple, and winning comes mostly down to
chance: the players throw a dice to move around the map of Africa, racing against each other, and flipping
over tiles they encounter to look for the eponymous ?star?(a large diamond) and hoping not to discover a
money-stealing robber.
A sequel to Afrikan tähti, called Inkan aarre (?the Treasure of the Inca?) was released in 2005. Set in
South America, the game is mostly similar to its predecessor, but failed to reach comparable success.
Lifestyle
11
SixDegrees
Lautapelit.fi
Trend
Month
Eclipse:
conquering hobbyists? hearts
worldwide
Ethical
consumption
James O?Sullivan
O
ne of the biggest boardgaming titles of the last
couple of years, Eclipse is a local product through
and through: the game was released in 2011 by
Lautapelit.fi, a Finnish boardgame seller and publisher,
and its designer Touko Tahkokallio is also Finnish (and
has a day job as a game designer at the mobile gaming
company Supercell).
Eclipse is decidedly a game for boardgaming hobbyists:
it?s a so-called 4X strategy game (explore, expand,
exploit, exterminate), in which players build civilisations,
trying to become the galaxy?s dominating race. The
amount of tiles, spaceships and other pieces included in
the game?s box is impressive ? you need a decent-sized
table to play this game. You also shouldn?t expect to get
through a game in less than two hours.
The global boardgaming public has warmly welcomed
Eclipse, and the game has gone on to become a very
successful title in its genre: Eclipse has been localised
for six languages in addition to the original English,
and currently it is ranked at number 7 out of all the
boardgames ever released by the readers of the website
BoardGameGeek.com. Last year, an iPad version of the
game was also released.
The recent hoopla regarding Scarlett Johansson and her
conflict of interest as both an ambassador for SodaStream
and Oxfam has given many pause for thought regarding their
choices as a consumer. Such was the scope of the public?s attention, given Johansson?s Hollywood celebrity status, that the
situation with the West Bank was considered by many whose
orbit the issue would typically never encounter.
Furthermore, in light of Russia?s invasion of Ukraine, consumers have considered boycotting certain Russian products
along with hindering the sale of Russian oil.
The issue of ethical consumption, of course, is nothing new.
Animal rights activists have been touting their stance on the
various vulgarities of the meat industry and animal products
for decades, and lovers of chocolate have had their pleasurable
experience of indulging their sweet tooth to be dampened by
the often harsh realities of cocoa industry.
However, such high-profile incidents such as Johannson and
Russia?s invasion of Ukraine have resulted in a spike in the number
of those considering the implications of ethical consumption.
Meanwhile, the Fairtrade label continues to gather steam,
offering an easily identifiable option for ethically sound purchases. While the label has received some flack over the years
with questions raised regarding the distribution of its profits,
it still is the fastest growing group dealing with ethical trade
in the world. And that can hardly be perceived as a bad thing.
Nonetheless, it all boils down to a simple question: What
choices will you make in future regarding your consumption?
SPORTS-RELATED HOBBIES
Tappara
In part two of a five-part series, we take
a look at game fan gear.
? Information and guidance for immigrants
? Information about integrating in Swedish
? Mentor program FIKA
? Courses and events
UPCOMING EVENTS IN APRIL
Accessible Children´s Party ? ?Up in the air?
Saturday 12th of April at 12-4 pm.
Welcome to an afternoon of workshops, theatre, dance
and much more easily accessible fun for children. This
event focuses on all our senses and is suitable for children
no matter language or special needs. Organised by several Finland- Swedish children and culture organisations
and Hilma. Venue: Annantalo, Helsinki
Pathways to employment in the cultural field
Wednesday 16th of April at 3-5 pm.
Welcome to an information session for newcomers
looking for work in the cultural field in Finland.
How to start up a business in Finland?
Wednesday 23rd of April at 3-5.30 pm.
Are you planning on starting your own business? Elie
El-Khouri, Enterprise Helsinki, will give you information
on entrepreneurship, forms of enterprise, business idea
and plan, financing, profitability, taxation, VAT and
prepayment of taxes, start up-grant and insurances.
Food Hygiene - training and testing (50 euro)
April 16th, 5- 8.45 pm. and April 23d, 5- 8.45 pm.
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. Venue: Helsingfors Arbis
English ? Swedish Baby and Toddler Café
Wednesday 23rd of April at 10.30 am.-12 pm.
Sing a long with Daniela Fogelholm). Welcome to
join the English- Swedish baby and toddlers group at
Luckan! This babycafé is arranged in co-operatin with
Luckan Integration and Kvinnoförbundet i Sörnäs.
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 mentioned oterwise in
the text.
Mika Oksanen
I
n today?s world, fan gear is a pretty big deal to most sports fans, allowing them to be identified as true supporters.
There may be sports fans out there with a desire to also be involved
in creating merchandise representing their favourite team. Someone
may look at a piece of clothing and say, ?Man, I?d have that with my
team logo on it? ? such visions can be meaningful. Since someone has
to produce the gear, it is hard to imagine a set-up without a business
angle, whether it be on a hobbyist basis or not. And as a fan, you?d hate
to learn the expensive way, by trial and error.
6D got some firsthand tips from a pro by the name of Mika Lehto,
the man in charge of fan gear production for Tamhockey, the company
behind the ice hockey club Tappara. Judging by the pre-game swarming of fans in the club shop, their fan gear products sum up a successful
formula.
?You need a team to support, and to expect anyone to wear its colA Tappara fan jersey featuring the famous hatchet logo.
ours, you need the right kind of design,? Lehto says. Tappara?s logo ? the
two-bladed hatchet ? was designed in the 1950s by Kimmo Kaivanto, a
designer of international acclaim. To defy time over generations is remarkable. In fact, this may be the most important aspect
of fan gear: creating something that has genuine appeal.
Who creates the product designs and on what basis? ?Mainly it?s me together with a colleague of mine. We decide on the
products and the designs, based on knowledge on what sells at given times of the year, considering it?s a winter sport,? Lehto
explains. ?You need good relationships with product manufacturers to quickly get in new gear based on how your team is doing and which players are hot.? Who sells the gear then? ?We have some people doing the sales at game events, and they are
paid by the hour.?
How important is fan contribution? ?Fan feedback is always welcomed. Giving feedback is something that anyone with ideas
about the gear can do. An example of fan contribution is a T-shirt model, based on a competition we arranged for our fans in
Facebook last year. The winning entry is still in production and available for sale,? Lehto says.
For hobbyist gear designers, a more low-key approach may involve just drawing up a whole new design, going to one of them
shops that print images on apparel and placing an order. Just remember that the intellectual property rights of clubs must be
respected. You cannot simply go and have gear manufactured using existing team colours without proper authority for this.
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
FIND US ON FACEBOOK:
Facebook.com/LuckanIntegration
LUCKAN INTEGRATION
Simonkatu 8, 00100 Helsinki
integration@luckan.fi
040 485 9636 / bridge.luckan.fi
Feature
12
Issue 3 2014
NATO
the
EU
and
Russia
The struggle
for influence
in Ukraine.
Johannes Hautaviita
T
here are roughly two, interconnected ways to approach the
current crisis in Ukraine. The first is through the history and
domestic politics of Ukraine and the second via the broader
geopolitical dimensions of the crisis. While it seems clear
that the first is more relevant for analysing the roots and dynamics
of the popular uprising, the role of the Ukrainian neo-fascists, and
the legitimacy of the ousting of the democratically elected president Viktor Yanukovych, the second is instrumental in sketching
out why there is an ongoing, destabilising battle for influence in
Ukraine between the EU, the US and Russia.
Russia reacts to change of power in Kiev
In response to the Western-supported ousting of its ally, Yanukovych, Russia threatened Ukraine with the use of military force
and assumed control of the Crimean peninsula. This is in violation of the UN Charter, which bans the threat or use of force in
international relations. On 16 March, the pro-Russian parliament
of Crimea, in dubious circumstances, organised a referendum on
whether to join the Russian Federation. Whatever one thinks of the
referendum, it was in violation of the Ukrainian constitution and
the Budapest Treaty from 1994, which guaranteed Ukraine?s territorial integrity. This notwithstanding, the referendum had the sup-
port of the majority of the population in Crimea, many of whom
view the new government in Kiev as illegitimate.
The threats against Ukraine have obvious negative effects on the
internal developments in the country. Some of the planned anticorruption reforms have reportedly been put on hold because of
the crisis. It seems probable that the move by Russia will only serve
to further strengthen the nationalistic sentiments as well as the
neo-fascist groups in Ukraine, which served on the vanguard of
the uprising that ousted Yanukovych and were among the winners
of the change of power in Kiev.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has come out criticising the
Russians for violating international law. Referring to Russian actions in Crimea, he lamented in a Reuters article that ?you just
don?t in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pretext.? Kerry?s
statement, unfortunately, has zero credibility and moral authority.
Kerry supported the illegal US invasion of Iraq, which has
claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands, perhaps even a million, Iraqis and consequently inflamed the Middle East in a sectarian bloodbath. The war was ostensibly justified with the ?trumped
up pretext? of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was Kerry
who, in January 2013, violated the UN Charter by reiterating the
US military threats against Iran: ?We took the initiative and led
the effort to try to figure out if, before we go to war, there actu-
ally might be a peaceful solution.? In contrast to the widespread
condemnation of Russia?s illegal threats against Ukraine, illegal and
routine US and Israeli threats against Iran are a non-issue in Western public discourse.
And when Russia went about its merry way destroying Chechnya
in the 1990s and 2000s, killing tens of thousands of Chechens and
committing egregious war crimes and crimes against humanity,
there was far less coverage and outrage in the West compared to
Russia?s current actions in Ukraine, which have so far resulted in
one Ukrainian military casualty.
Kerry has also supported the Israeli annexation of parts of the
occupied Palestinian West Bank in violation of Security Council
resolutions and the advisory opinion of the International Court of
Justice, the highest judicial body in the world. The current Middle
East peace talks are a continuation of this policy as Kerry, who is
brokering the negotiations, is expected to give Israel what it wants:
to annex the major settlement blocs on the West Bank.
We shouldn?t be fooled to believe that commitment to the
sanctity of international law and opposition to annexation is at
the heart of Western condemnations of Russian threats and actions against Ukraine. Nor should we simply be content with
blaming the Russians for the entire crisis. This makes sense only
if we disregard everything that happened before the Russian actions in Crimea.
Feature
13
SixDegrees
Similarly, Markku Kangaspuro, Deputy Director and Director of
Research at the Aleksanteri Institute of Helsinki University, asserts
that the main concerns for Russia in Ukraine are security and military policy. ?The new government in Kiev has called for Ukraine
to join NATO, taken a critical position towards the Russian military base in Sevastopol and tried to limit the linguistic rights of the
Russian-speaking minority.?
In 1990, the Kremlin agreed to allow a reunified Germany to join
NATO in return for the George H.W. Bush administration?s explicit assurances that NATO would not expand ?one inch to the
East?. Mikhail Gorbachev was naive enough to take the US administration at its word. Under the presidencies of Bill Clinton and
George W. Bush, NATO proceeded to expand all the way to the
borders of the Russian Federation.
NATO is now planning to install missile defence systems in
Poland. The officially stated purpose is to protect Europe from
Iran. Even if Iran had a nuclear weapons program or nuclearcapable delivery systems, which it does not, this pretext is utterly absurd even according to the Pentagon and US military
intelligence, both of which say that Iran?s military doctrine is
?defensive? and ?designed to deter an attack on its territory?. As
US foreign policy analyst Noam Chomsky put it in an article by
Z Magazine, the chances of Iran attacking Europe with missiles
?are perhaps on a par with the chances of Europe being hit by
an asteroid, so perhaps Europe would do as well to invest in an
asteroid defence system. Furthermore, if Iran were to indicate
the slightest intention of aiming a missile at Europe or Israel,
the country would be vaporised.?
As missile defence systems also enhance first-strike capabilities
by eliminating your opponent?s deterrent, one can only imagine
what the US reaction would be if Mexico joined a hostile Russianlead military alliance and installed ?missile defence systems? aimed
at Texas and California.
NATO also has a long-standing interest in Ukraine, which was
praised by Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO?s former Secretary
General, as a ?unique partner? in the field of military co-operation. ?An association pact with Ukraine would have been a major
boost to Euro-Atlantic security, I truly regret that it could not
be done,? commented Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO?s current
Secretary General in a Reuters article. ?We have real differences
and real issues?, Rasmussen continued, ?it?s obvious that Russia?s
attitude is clearly hostile to the (NATO) alliance opening to the
east.? The hypothetical example of Mexico should provide an answer to this mysterious attitude. Another answer is given by Jack
Matlock, former US ambassador to Russia, who asserts in an article on chomsky.info that Russia might have tolerated NATO?s
absorption of some of the former Soviet satellites ?if NATO had
not bombed Serbia and continued expanding. But, in the final
analysis, ABM missiles in Poland, and the drive for Georgia and
Ukraine in NATO crossed absolute red lines.?
EU?s Eastern Partnership ? a road towards confrontation?
In 2009, the EU initiated its ?Eastern Partnership? policy intended
to pull the post-Soviet states out of Moscow?s orbit. The idea was
to establish free trade areas between the EU and the countries in
question, while at the same time keeping them out of the EU. The
countries were discouraged from applying for EU-membership,
and visa liberalisation, which would make it easier to travel to the
EU, was blocked. The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement would
have come with further structural adjustment programs opening
up Ukraine?s markets and cutting down on government subsidies.
In other words, there was little incentive even for the Ukrainian
neoliberal-minded leadership to sign the agreement with the EU.
It finally turned down the agreement because Russia?s president
Vladimir Putin offered a better deal: a massive economic subsidy
with no similar strings attached.
The agreement between the EU and Ukraine, which Yanukovych
rejected, excluded an economic alliance with Russia, thus forcing
Ukraine to choose between the two sides. As Ukraine?s economy is
as much linked to the EU as it is to Russia and with the country?s
public opinion deeply divided between pro-Western and pro-Russian sentiments, this was a dangerous situation for the government
in Kiev ? even more so than Yanukovych could have predicted.
Stephen Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Russian studies and politics
at New York University and Princeton University asserts in The
Nation that the trigger for the current crisis was ?EU?s reckless ultimatum, in November, that the democratically elected president of
a profoundly divided country choose between Europe and Russia.
Putin?s proposal for a tripartite arrangement, rarely if ever reported, was flatly rejected by US and EU officials.?
Echoing Cohen?s analysis, Fyodor Lukyanov, Chairman of the
Council of Foreign and Defence Policy, pointed out in the Financial Times that ?Ukraine?s economic success is possible only if the
country preserves access to both Russian and European markets.
This requires tripartite consultations and co-ordination. Russia?s
President Vladimir Putin proposed such an approach last autumn,
but the EU showed no interest.?
NATO?s expansion to the East
Prominent analysts and scholars of contemporary Russia have
voiced the opinion that Putin?s reaction to the change of power in
Ukraine is connected with the perceived threat of the eastern expansion of NATO. According to Cohen, ?the most crucial media
omission is Moscow?s reasonable conviction that the struggle for
Ukraine is yet another chapter in the West?s ongoing, US-led march
toward post-Soviet Russia, which began in the 1990s with NATO?s
eastward expansion and continued with US-funded NGO political
activities inside Russia, a US-NATO military outpost in Georgia
and missile-defence installations near Russia.?
Ukraine in the Finnish context
From Putin?s perspective, ?the United States hardly looks in retreat.
To the contrary, the post-Cold War period has brought one long
march by America and its allies closer and closer to the border of
Russia itself ?, as Peter Beinart, former editor of the New Republic,
emphasises. When some Finnish media commentators and politicians are more or less subtly pushing for closer integration with
NATO, it is also useful to recall the words of the eminent Cold War
historian John Lewis Gaddis. He wrote that, ?historians ? normally so contentious ? are in uncharacteristic agreement: with remarkably few exceptions, they see NATO enlargement as ill conceived,
ill-timed and, above all, ill-suited to the realities of the post-Cold
War world.?
Kangaspuro emphasises that the obvious interpretation is that
Russia?s actions in Ukraine are tied to the expansion of NATO.
?The only reasonable conclusion for Finland, if we want to preserve our security and stability without military tensions along
our borders, is that joining NATO is certainly not the right
choice. The NATO accession of the Baltic states have generated
tensions with Russia. We are not members of a military alliance that threatens Russia. Joining NATO could cause us to drift
towards a conflict with Russia and involve us in a policy that
is against our interests. Why should we persist with involving
ourselves in this conflict, over which we have little influence,
but a lot to lose??
Kangaspuro asserts that Finland is currently in a good position. ?Finland is not a threat to Russia and can?t be compared with
Ukraine. We have never been part of a military alliance with Russia
and there are no Russian military bases in Finland.?
On a broader scale, the current situation is volatile and underscores the dangers of NATO?s expansion to the East. During the
current crisis, the US has increased NATO?s military firepower in
Eastern Europe. While it?s unlikely to lead to a military confrontation, sudden escalations and mistakes are not out of the question especially during a crisis and heightened tensions. During
the Cuban missile crisis, a nuclear war was probably avoided only
thanks to the decision of one single Soviet submarine Second
Captain Vasili Arkhipov, who, while under fire from US Navy
pursuers, aborted his Captain?s order (who thought that the war
had begun) to launch a nuclear warhead in response.
It remains to be seen just how this latest piece of history will
play itself out.
Society
14
Issue 3 2014
Column
Foreigners
Socially
responsible ?
ethically bankrupt
on the bus
Many companies genuinely
care about greenhouse gases
and slavery, but it is hypocritical
for any company to claim to do
so without looking at how their
own staff are treated.
to integration
Never in the history of capitalism have companies cared
so much or so vocally about social issues as they do today.
Almost every major corporation promotes its vision of
environmental awareness; reducing their carbon footprint,
recycling raw materials and building a more sustainable
business model. Major brands promote equal opportunity
employment, support everything from local sports to new
children?s? hospitals, and generally do a fine job of appearing
to care.
As the percentage of
immigrants working
in public transport
grows larger, 6D
takes a closer look at
the pros and cons of
the profession.
You could be forgiven for thinking that 21st century
capitalism is a far softer version than that promoted by the
likes of Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
How wrong you?d be. As adept as today?s corporations are
at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and heralding the
results; the same attention is not lavished upon their own
staff. In fact, there has probably never been a worse time to
work for a major corporation than today.
In 1965, the average US CEO earned 20 times as much as
the average worker in his company. By 1990 that ratio was
58:1. Today that ratio is 273:1, meaning that a worker who
earns ?2,500 per month is likely working for someone who
earns ?682,500 per month.
Research conducted in the US last year found that the
average CEO?s salary across the 350 largest firms was
US$14.1 million. Although few CEO?s in this country make
anything like that, the imbalance between executive and
?normal? salaries is sliding ever closer towards the American
model.
Consider for a moment the amount of people who lost
their job last year. Stories seem to surface about this on a
daily basis ? a hundred jobs cut here, another thousand
there. Not only are companies constantly downsizing, they
are loading more work on to the staff who remain. Shouldn?t
those workers then receive more than they did before the
cuts?
I meet workers everyday who are exhausted and
overworked ? and who often find that their bonus plans
have been suspended because the company had a bad year.
Worse still, the same seems to happen when the company
has a good year.
The ethics of a CEO taking home a half million euros
every month while slashing incentive schemes he claims
the company cannot afford is unethical. Worse, it is bad
business. It gnaws away at motivation and work satisfaction
? the real glue that holds teams together. It engenders a
culture of disloyalty and greed, an ?I?m alright Jack? attitude
quite the opposite from that driving genuinely sustainable
business models.
While I am sure many management boards genuinely do
care about greenhouse gas emissions, slavery and money
laundering, it is hypocritical beyond belief for any company
to claim to do so without also looking at how their own staff
are treated.
Are their staff rewarded, motivated, challenged and
genuinely cared about? If the answer to that question in
your firm is ?no? ? try to sneak a look at the CEO?s salary.
It might make his speech on social responsibility seem a
little flat.
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.
Thomas Poole
?W
hy don?t you become a bus driver?? my girlfriend?s
mother suggested to me over
dinner upon first moving to
Finland a year ago from abroad.
?What do you mean become a
bus driver?? I asked. ?All the
bus drivers in Helsinki are foreigners now days,? she replied.
Immediately I became intrigued.
I romanticised the idea of cruising through avenues lined with
snow-capped trees. The glistening bright orange sunlight
would bounce off the clouds in
the outer districts of Helsinki, as
those long, dark winter nights
finally drew to a close.
But how realistic was this
view? Fast forward to the
present day and I have since
found other means of gainful
employment, but this thought
lingers whenever I step aboard
a bus.
Who?s in the driver?s seat?
Four main companies are responsible for the functioning of
public transport in the Capital
Region, namely Helsingin Bussiliikenne, Nobina, Veolia and
Pohjolan Kaupunkiliikenne Oy.
According to Helsingin Bussiliikenne?s HR manager, Jussi
Mertanen 47.6 per cent of
Helsingin Bussiliikenne?s 550
bus drivers are foreigners.
In fact, altogether there are
currently well over 1,500 foreign bus drivers in the Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo regions
alone, of which Mertanen estimates approximately 50 per
cent are foreign nationals.
?We are looking for people
who we think are able to do this
very demanding duty,? states
Mertanen. ?They must have
skills relating to transportation,
good customer service and behaviour.?
However, not all staff is sourced
locally. Estonian Toomas Lants,
a bus driver for Helsingin Bussiliikenne, was recruited whilst
driving buses in Cambridgeshire, UK, in 2011. Approached
by the then desperately understaffed company, the only requirement was the possession of
a D-Class driving license and a
basic understanding of Finnish.
Seppo Kaksonen
Lants recalls that the company
helped him find an apartment
within three days of moving to
Finland. He was immediately
put to work driving between
35-to-40 hours per week, with a
starting salary of between 2,300
and 2,600 euros per month.
Why go in a foreign
direction?
Given the growing prominence
of foreigners in the sector, one
begins to wonder why Finns
don?t want a job with free training, a starting salary that?s more
than double the minimum
wage and nearly four times as
much as the regional unemployment grant.
Mertanen feels there have
been a number of trends contributing to the decline of Finns
working in what can be categorised as ?service industry? jobs
as a whole. One of the most
significant has been the generally increasing entrepreneurial
spirit amongst Finnish youth
of starting and managing their
own businesses. ?They don?t
want to work for the same company for 30 years,? he observes.
International studies have recently revealed a similar global
trend in the increase in entrepreneurship, which sees more
and more people choosing versatile careers where they are free
to travel, work from home or
apply their skills internationally.
Others have a different opinion.
?It is a low threshold, highearning job that you can do
without real Finnish language
skills and very little training,?
explains former bus driver
Samuli Saren. ?I know many
drivers who I can?t communicate with in either Finnish
or English. Lots of drivers are
foreigners so it is also easy to
blend in.?
Saren was first attracted to the
job by the good pay for a relatively short amount of training. ?All it needs is six months
of free schooling,? he states.
?Training took me six months
at Työ Teho Seura?s Aikuiskoulutuskeskus (TTS adult schooling centre).?
Feeling like he was his own
boss and enjoying the relative
freedom once on the job was
Not all transport systems
are created equal
Contrary to the opposing views shared by bus companies and
former employees, the situation for tram drivers seems to be different altogether. An article in IIta-Sanomat last year stated that
applications for Helsinki tram driver positions were more competitive than doctor positions. With a starting salary of 2,931
euros per month, only 12 of the 400 applicants ended up being
selected for training ? a mere three per cent, for those reaching
for their calculator. To put this into context, the admittance rate
for a law degree is six per cent and is apparently even higher for
medical school.
SixDegrees
Society
15
SixDegrees
Tapio Mäkinen
Legal Immigrants
6D gets to know what it?s like to be a regular immigrant in Finland.
Minority Report
We take a look at the ethnic minorities
here in Finland.
P
ortuguese Tiago Ferreira loves sarcasm and engaging in deep conversation. That is why
he likes life in Finland.
What do you do here in Finland?
I study tourism and work part-time in a bar. In my spare time, I do a bit of photographing.
When and how did you end up here?
I came here for love ? but it didn?t last. I moved over in June 2008. Since then, I?ve been in and
out the country but keep coming back. Due to my studies, I?m pretty settled here now. Being
in Finland allows me to save money for my travels and to challenge my views and opinions on
things, which I enjoy.
key to his job satisfaction. ?I
also just loved to drive,? Saren
recalls. ?I drove anything and
everything I could, it didn?t
matter if it was a lawn mower, a
moped or a tuned up car, I just
wanted to drive it.?
However, Saren soon felt that
the job lacked perspective and
vision.
?After I got behind the wheel
that was it. There was plenty
of negative feedback from customers and bosses, with no
good feedback no matter how
well the job was done. It is also
a highly stressful job where
the driver has to monitor what
happens inside and out at all
times. The driver is responsible
for up to 100 people, including
those inside the bus and others
on the road. One mistake may
cost people their lives.?
Tendering change
Saren also points to the tendering that commenced in the
mid-?90s began to erode the
job?s benefits and good atmosphere.
?When tendering came the
whole system changed. Workdays were constructed by computer programs in order to
save as much time and buses
as possible. This lead to such
things as bosses timing how
long it took to walk from the
registration desk to the furthest corner of the yard, to see
how long it took for driver to
get there.?
But for now, as the unemployment rate remains high
among the immigrant community here, regardless of the
perceived pros and cons of a
job in the public transport sector, it still puts food on the table for many newcomers here
in Finland
What attracts you about the Finnish culture?
Well, I?ve mainly just been in Helsinki, so whatever I say about Finns is based only on the people
in the Capital Region. But judging by them, Finns love to have meaningful conversations about
anything and everything, there are no forbidden subjects or taboos, and for that I am always
happy to return here. I love the way Finns use sarcasm. When you say something really obvious they reply with sarcasm, as if a reminder that they expect you to be a bit smarter than that.
What culture shocks did you experience when coming to Finland?
When I first came here, I was always late. Finnish people are very punctual. Although I?m usually on time these days, I still tell people when agreeing to meet them that I will be 5-10 minutes
late as a precaution. In the beginning, the use of alcohol also shocked me. But I must admit that
I have integrated into that part of the Finnish culture now quite well myself. I started to enjoy it,
drinking beer when going to sauna and all that. It can be fun. The best way to learn to know the
Finnish culture seems to be through alcohol and national celebrations.
Have you been able to settle and integrate into Finnish society?
Yes-ish. I feel like after three-and-a-half years here, I should be able to speak Finnish fluently.
And I can only manage the small talk part. I?m quite strict with myself in that regard because I
think it?s arrogant if you live in a country and don?t bother learning the language. Apart from
the struggle with the language, I think I?ve settled in quite well. I like living here; I like how the
Finnish society allows me to follow this lifestyle. I?m not the type to actively seek the company
of other foreigners and get into groups with them. I attempt to blend in as a regular Helsinki
citizen. I?ve set myself goals that I go towards, for example when I go to Kela I want to be able
to sort my things out using Finnish.
What were/are your worries about life in Finland?
Coming here, I was worried about achieving a better level of living. And, of course, I worried
about the relationship with my fiancée at the time, wondering if we could make it. But I didn?t
really know anything about Finland before so I didn?t have so many expectations or worries
either. Now I worry sometimes when meeting girls here if they really like me or just the idea
of me as an exotic foreigner. You definitely get more attention from women over here than you
would back home in Portugal. After a while, it gets boring. You feel like a piece of meat sometimes. People tend to draw conclusions when they hear you?re a Latino working in a bar, and I
don?t fit into that stereotype.
How has Finland changed you?
I think that Finns, as many faults as they may have, are good at listening and talking. In that way,
they affect your views on things. To get in talks with the Finns, it?s essential to get their sense of
humour. After that, you can talk about anything with them.
What are your future wishes for your life here?
First, I want to graduate to gain the feeling that I?ve achieved something. After that, I?m not sure
what my plans will be. But I?m definitely not going back to Portugal. The country is being led by
sex, football and crooked politics, and it?s not an environment that I aspire to be in.
What is your favourite Finnish word?
I?ve got two: punainen polkupyörä (red bicycle). Because those are the first Finnish words I?ve
ever used in a real conversation. I?m also very fond of the word mahtava (great, awesome).
Contact james@6d.fi
if you?d like to share your thoughts for a future issue.
Venezuela
Lia Lezama
B
eautiful women and oil are the things that most
foreigners associate with Venezuela. However, there
is even more about the Venezuelan character, which
is symbolised by the colours of the flag. Yellow, which
represents the sunshine we have during the whole year
and which we try to display anywhere we are; blue, which
represents the paradisiacal beaches, and red, the passion
for life. And why not? We will need more than eights
stars to represent the 18 crowns that beautiful Venezuelan women have brought from different beauty pageants.
Out of 30 millions Venezuelan people, 120 of them have
chosen to come to Finland. The Venezuelan community
is small and scattered throughout the country. But what
brings Venezuelans to Finland? Antonio Hourné Rodriguez, Consular Assistant in the Venezuela Embassy
in Helsinki, explains that approximately 60 per cent of
Venezuelans come to Finland because they are married
to Finnish partners.
Another 20 per cent are found at the University of Helsinki, Åbo Akademi University, the University of Vaasa,
Turku University and other institutions of learning. The
third group of Venezuelans is here for work.
Despite the different reasons for people coming to Finland, the community gets together at two specific events
during the year. One is the Christmas party and the
second, the Venezuelan?s Independence Day on 5 July.
Recently, the last two Venezuelan national elections provided an opportunity not just to reunite Venezuelans, but
also to organise and help to mobilise voters from further
places in Finland to the Venezuelan Embassy in Helsinki.
Those experiences invigorated relations and increased
the need to organise and discuss the common problems
that are affecting our home country, the nostalgia of being abroad and the uncommon and exciting experiences
in Finland.
The Finland Venezuelan Association (Asociacion Finlandia Venezuela) has coordinated the promotion of the
culture and friendship with Finland since 1996. However, today not many activities are planned.
Nonetheless, the Facebook group from the Association
is a good way to keep in touch with the ongoing activities
independently organised by Venezuelans, such as Zumba
classes.
The annual Latin American Film Festival in Helsinki
also offers the opportunity to get an essence of Venezuelan culture and society through the movies projected.
Other organisations such as the Association of Friendly
Countries (Asociación de países amigos) include Venezuelans in their events. Basically, this association coordinates events and activities that promote the Spanish
speaking cultures.
Although integrating into Finnish culture is not always
easy, Venezuelans have adapted well to the Finnish lifestyle without losing their original roots and essence.
16
Tastebuds
Issue 3 2014
,
s
i
h
t
s
i
t
Wha
exactly
The weird and
wonderful
tastes of your
local Asian
grocery store.
E
Oh Mama! Kidney beans
cooked in a coconut and
jerk seasoning sauce, with
red cabbage, carrot and
red pepper. Yum!
One love: great flavours
Jamaican restaurant helps to keep things
relaxed and tasty in Helsinki.
ntering an Asian grocery store can be a
nerve wracking experience. The shelves
pack the walls, and more often than
not block the windows, casting a gloom not
aided by the fluorescent lighting that paints
everything grey. Packaged food with garish
text and faintly alarming text do not beguile
the buyer ? ?Fast express mouse tail noodle!? says one, and the freezer section looks
even more distressing. But fear not, gentle
reader, for here is 6D?s complete survival
guide to Asian / Afro-Caribbean / Indian /
African grocery shopping. Prepare to have
your taste buds blown.
This month ? Chinese condiments
It?s tough to pick somewhere so let?s start
from the middle ? the middle Kingdom
that is ? or China. Featuring cuisine that is
as variable as Muslim influenced cuminlamb kebabs to fish head noodles cooked
Leekumkeeusa
in ginger and milk, Chinese cuisine refuses
to be pigeonholed. But the main condiments or sauces are a
good a starting point as any.
Oyster sauce
Read the label, not all contain actual oysters but rather oyster flavouring. Used in stir-fries, oyster sauce is rich, salty
and is full of umami flavours. Add a pinch of sugar and
chopped chillies to round out the taste.
fried plantains that are served with the meal give a little body to the
dish. We both wipe our plates clean, and Valérie, who had declared
that she didn?t like plantains at the start of our meal, marvels at how
delicious they were ? and how delicious everything was.
Text Tania Nathan, images Valérie Brun.
P
HOTOGRAHPHER Valérie and I find our way to Jamaican Mamas on a brilliant spring afternoon. The sun is blazing down
and highlights all the Rastafarian colours of the little café that
founder and proprietor Mama Hazel has established on Hameentie. Occupying the corner of an Asian store, the café/restaurant has
just enough tables and comfy chairs to give it a spacious ambience
but still keep the cosy vibes going.
Greeting us with a hug, we?re invited to help ourselves to the buffet as we wait for our vegetarian lunches. But before we?re able to
even orientate ourselves we?re brought two ice-cold mango-ginger
ales, homemade and full of fresh flavours. The Caribbean starters
buffet features a modest but tasty array of treats, a big bowl of pasta
salad, mango and melon, traditional dumplings and fried plantains
as well as an array of sauces and oils if you like. The dumplings are
a revelation, light and crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside
yet completely greaseless. The plantains, made from a green variety
of banana which have been sliced lengthwise and fried till golden
brown are also excellent, and it?s a struggle not to stuff ourselves silly.
Our vegetarian mains arrive and it?s a side of fluffy white rice
alongside kidney beans cooked in a coconut and jerk seasoning
sauce, with red cabbage, carrot and red pepper. On first glance it
looks rather unassuming for a restaurant dish but upon tasting,
we?re both blown away. The heat from the floral scotch bonnet
peppers is there, but is balanced nicely by the traditional flavours
of the islands ? cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and just enough salt.
The sweetness of the coconut milk balances everything out and the
Mama be praised
Praising Mama Hazel for the excellent meal, she is modest yet
delighted that we enjoyed everything. ?I love feeding people,?
she states, ?which is how this whole café started.? Starting with a
reggae-dancehall music school, Hazel used to occasionally cater
parties and special occasions. But as word spread of her delicious
island dishes, she found herself cooking more and more. So what
are the specialities from Jamaica that customers really enjoy? Jerk
chicken, cooked over coals is a customer favourite, as is ackee and
saltfish. Ackee, which is actually part of a fruit, is cooked with
salted cod and this is served alongside dumplings, fried or boiled
plantains. Another customer favourite is Hazel?s goat curry, made
from tender goat meat, simmered on the bone for many hours with
spices until tender. We?re told that it sells out rather quickly, even if
goat is a rather exotic menu item here in Finland. Jamaican patties,
which are pastries filled with meat and spices are also on the menu
and are very popular among patrons.
Jamaican Mamas is open six days a week and the famous goat
curry and ackee and saltfish is available as part of the weekend
menu on Fridays and Saturdays. Bookings are recommended, especially if you?re keen to sample the goat curry. We leave Mama
Hazel with a full belly but also a warm feeling of having eaten a
great meal that was cooked with love and great vibes by someone
who really enjoyed having us there.
I only wonder would it be too soon to go back tomorrow?
Fermented chilli bean paste
A rich, funky sauce that looks a lot better than it tastes, this
condiment works if you wake it up by sautéing with garlic
and onion in oil before adding your proteins. Spicy. Not for
the faint hearted. Or neighbours with allergies.
Mushroom soy sauce
A richer, thicker sauce than your average soy sauce. Use
when making fried noodles for that extra kick.
Black vinegar/Chinkiang vinegar
Rich, malty and smoky, black vinegar is excellent for toning
down the fattiness in pork dishes and to add a sour kick.
Black vinegar is a must as a dipping sauce for dumplings and
in hot and sour soup. And don?t forget to use it in marinades.
It?s magic.
Stay tuned: next month, we look into the world of spices.
Tania Nathan is a Chinese-Sri
Lankan Malaysian who loves
her food and is often to be
found rummaging through
a freezer somewhere in
Hakaniemi. Come say hi!
Jamaican
Mamas
Hämeentie 16, Helsinki
Mon-Tue 11-19.00
Wed 11-21:00
Thur 11-19:00
Fri-Sat 11-21:00
Tel: 050 566 8158
Spedona
The price of food
potatoes declined by 45
per cent last November,
compared to November
2012. Agricultural Statistics
SixDegrees
Q&A
17
SixDegrees
Antti Peltola
Robbie Hill
The
Blue 62?s
Carrying on the tradition of
old school blues.
Mari Storpellinen
I
T sounds like the set up of a well-worn joke: a Scotsman, a Finn
and an American walk into a bar. Yet, for Robbie Hill & The Blue
62?s, their punchline is that their unlikely ingredients together
create remarkable, authentic blues. Based in Helsinki, the band
consists of Robbie Hill, the front man, singer and guitarist; Tatu
Pärssinen, the drummer and also an architect; and Jesse King, the
bass player who also manages a surf shop in Helsinki.
One might wonder why the guys have chosen Finland?s capital
from all the places they could have sprung from. Well, there are
a couple of reasons. First of all, they all are more or less country
boys: Pärssinen is from Ruukki; King from a small village in Oregon where, he says, everyone is related; and Hill from a small town
on the east coast of Scotland that nobody has ever heard of. So, in
fact, in their eyes Helsinki is the ?big smoke?. Secondly, as they point
out, the blues scene here is distinctive from anywhere else.
We meet in Bar Mendocino on a Wednesday evening. The location where the trio first met, the small room is a must-visit for
those into retro rock, blues, country, soul and western swing. A
small stage wedged in the back corner of the bar has hosted various
bands and randomly thrown-together musicians over the years,
jamming together with a shared love of music.
First things first: how did the band start out?
Hill: It first started when King and I met. They have these open
stage jamming sessions here on Mondays, and we ended up playing together on stage on one of those occasions. We actually played
together before we spoke. It was early summer 2012, and I had only
been in Finland for a few weeks. When I first said something to
Jesse in English, I was speaking very slowly as I assumed he was
Finnish. We just clicked straight away and then got to talking that
maybe we could start something together.
King: I knew Tatu before as he was in a band that had asked me to
play bass for them. I hadn?t played for years so I was a little bit sceptical. Then there was this festival where Pärssinen?s band had been
booked to play but their second guitar player suddenly couldn?t
make it. So Robbie stepped in.
Hill: And then I just basically stole Tatu.
How did you all end up in Helsinki?
Hill: I came here purely for the music. I heard that there was a good
blues music scene in Finland. It was Otis Grand, my mentor in
the UK, who gave me the courage for this. We had become friends
after I once went to see him play and got a chance to actually join
him on stage. He did this walkabout in the audience and handed
me his guitar. At the end of his show, he called out ?Where?s Hill??
and invited me on stage. We were playing together, and then he
just walked off stage and let me close the show. After some time he
told me to go to Finland. He mentioned a few other places, too, but
when I started to look into things, Helsinki just seemed like such a
cool place. I?m glad I made this choice.
King: My story is much more boring: I just had nothing better to
do. I came to Finland in search of my roots 11 years ago. Members
of my family four, five generations back come from here. They were
jewellery makers and goldsmiths, so presumably followed the Gold
Rush. I really needed a change of scenery at the time and a friend
of mine suggested I came to Finland. I was first in Turku, working
as a chef, and then Hans Välimäki asked me to come to work in
For upcoming gigs see Robbie Hill &
The Blue 62?s Facebook page or the
band?s website: www.robbiehill.net.
(l to r) King, Hill and Pärssinen.
his new restaurant in Helsinki. I had played some guitar, some bass,
but had no idea about the great music scene here. I came to this bar
a couple of times just to listen, and then just caught the music bug
again and finally climbed on stage to join in with other musicians.
It all fell into place when I met these guys; it?s been really nice to
find the spark to play music again.
Pärssinen: I graduated from music high school and then the University of Oulu as an architect. I feel that I just have this alter ego of
a drummer. Ultimately, I would like to make a living out of playing,
if it?s possible. I actually had four years off music after moving to
Helsinki but soon realised that I can?t live without it.
How do you find it here?
Hill: The blues scene here is really small, but also very active. I really
like how Finnish people embrace their certain cultures when they?re
into something. The rockabilly scene is a good example ? Finns really go for it. It?s the same with the blues scene; it?s almost like a small
family. I can just walk into certain bars here and they?ll be playing my
favourite music. You?d never get that in Scotland, anywhere. There
are some good players over there but they?re more dotted about.
Pärssinen: Yeah, I like Helsinki. There?s this semi-underground
thing going on here.
Hill: Coming to Finland is the best decision I?ve ever made. And
not just for music ? my whole life has changed. I?ve made such cool
friends here.
How did you come up with the name of the band?
King: Robbie Hill is obviously our Rob. 62 refers to a guitar, a Stratocaster, which is one of the most recognisable shapes when you
think of a guitar, an iconic shape. Things started to happen to us
really fast so we didn?t have much time to think of a name. Robbie Hill & Blue 62?s was my idea, and it?s proved to be impossible
for people to remember. We?ve been introduced as everything from
Robbie Hill & the Beatles, to Blues 52?s.
What kind of people listen to your music?
Pärssinen: Some fans of Erja Lyytinen have started following us now.
Hill: Our music appeals to a lot of different age groups. I think
the old blues fans are going to like our style because we play old
school blues. At the same time, we?re a young band so hopefully
that will attract young people who may not be familiar with blues
music before.
King: People think that they don?t really know blues music, or get
to hear it anywhere nowadays, but that is actually not true. You
hear it often in the movies and on television. But it?s true that blues
is, in a way, old music. A lot of those people we draw inspiration
from are dead now.
Hill: So we?ve got a long way to go! The thing is, the popularity of
blues music has come and gone in waves but it?s still always there.
King: In the blues world, there are actually very few people who
can fill the gap between the old masters and the young people, as
the blues kind of died out for a while. There are not very many who
carry out the old traditions anymore. Not to take anything away
from people like John Mayer, he?s widely successful, but there?s this
pop aspect in his music. It?s somehow missing the essence.
Who inspires you then?
Hill: All the old style blues musicians who have been here before
us. Otis Grand, he is proper old school with a lot of integrity ?
doesn?t mince his words, either. I admire him as a person as well.
Sugar Ray and the Bluetones is great, too. In Finland, there are also
lots of great blues players, such as Tomi Leino and Erja Lyytinen.
What is your greatest achievement as a band so far?
Hill: We have managed to cause a lot of damage in a short time...
Pärssinen: We have actually achieved quite a lot when you think
about it that we have been around for only a year-and-a-half.
King: For example, we?ve already played at Järvenpään Puistoblues. There are bands that have been waiting for years to get on that
stage. And we?ve played at a blues festival in Haapsalu, Estonia ?
there were like 2,000 people in the audience. We thought that we?d
be playing in a small park with maybe 200 people listening. People
were actually singing along and knew some of our songs. It was
weird because, at the time, we barely knew them. Since releasing
the album, I think we?ve done about 50 gigs.
Hill: That is a lot, especially considering that we?re not with any
booking agency.
King: Other bands come and ask us who?s booking our gigs. We?ve
got around six to seven gigs a month, and they?re not at small venues either.
Hill: But we?ve got a long way to go still.
What are your plans for future?
Hill: We?re currently planning a tour in Europe. So far, we?ve got
Belgium and Poland booked. I would like to go back to Scotland.
That would be the first time I?ve been there in two years. Generally,
I would just like to get to a point where we can be touring all the
time and pay our bills with music. I would like to keep in the tradition of blues, turning new people on to that. We?re also looking
forward to our next album.
King: The first one had to be thrown together pretty much in a
weekend. I didn?t even know we were going to record an album, I
thought we?d be making another demo.
Hill: It received great reviews, however. One European radio
named it as one of their top ten albums of last year. And it was
great fun recording it.
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www.autokoulusafiiri.fi
For more information by phone 020 766 9171
or email matinkyla@autokoulusafiiri.fi
Cultitude
18
Issue 3 2014
C. Kola & Mischa Scherrer
Youngblood of
the blues
Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead stands alone in the Nazi zombie sequel subgenre.
Weird &
wonderful
Visions
James O?Sullivan
T
Wetland offers something to laugh about, maybe.
James O?Sullivan
H
OSTING another rousing collection of the best weird and
wonderful cinema going around, the Spring Night Visions
Festival is hitting Helsinki from 9 to 13 April.
The biggest and the oldest festival in Finland to focus on horror, fantasy, science fiction and action cinema, previous years have
offered up some genuine classics of the genre, along with the appearance of many international guests on offer over the years.
Among the many delights on screens for the first time in Finland this year, Gareth Evans? hotly anticipated follow-up to The
Raid sees The Raid 2: Berandal kicking its way onto the festival
programme. Throwing on an extra hour to the original?s taut
90-minute running time, initial word-of-mouth has been ecstatic.
If you haven?t had enough zombie action, given the zeitgeist?s
current fascination with such, then Tommy Wirkola?s zombie
adventure Dead Snow 2: Red Vs. Dead might top up your levels
of flesh-hungry beings for the immediate future.
German flick Wetland sees director David Wnendt tackling
Charlotte Roche?s 2008 bestseller. Receiving praise at the recent Berlin Film Festival, South Korean filmmaker Bong JoonHo?s sci-fi dystopia Snowpiercer is also headed to Night Visions.
Meanwhile, Sion Sono?s Why Don?t You Play in Hell offers some
Kill Bill-esque madness.
This year?s edition calls for a change of venue, with proceedings moving to one of the oldest cinemas in Finland, Orion.
Coupled with its Halloween edition later in the year, the annual lineup of the festival consists of a total of roughly 60 feature
films. The special guest of this edition is Lloyd Kaufman, he of
the highly popular Troma moviehouse. Toxie awaits!
Spring Night Visions Festival
9-13 April
www.nightvisions.info
James O?Sullivan
A
DDRESSING ethnical issues in an innovative
manner, the work of Chilean artist Alfredo
Jaar is being featured at Kiasma from 11 April
until 7 September.
Currently based in New York, Jaar seeks a
different approach to humanitarian crises,
collective memories left behind by dictatorships
and the concealed racism found in some media
imageries.
Jaar?s perspective takes a look behind the focus of the media, revealing the story of an individual in the midst of whatever fresh situation
has its gaze. Military conflicts, political corruption and imbalances of power between industrialised and developing nations all form the basis
for his subject material.
His work has been shown extensively around
the world, including the Biennales of Venice, São
Paulo, Istanbul, Kwangju, Johannesburg and Seville. This is Jaar?s first major solo exhibition in
Finland. His work has previously been on display
at the ARS 95 and ARS 11 exhibitions.
One Million Finnish Passports, 1995.
Alfredo Jaar
11 April ? 7 September
Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma
Mannerheiminaukio 2
Helsinki
Tampereen taidemuseo
innish National Gallery / Central Art Archives / Antti Kuivalainen
Passport to
Chilean art
OUTED as the cosmic American love child of Howlin
Wolf and Link Wray, local blues fans can judge for
themselves when Alvin Youngblood Hart performs
around the country in April.
Dropping his outstanding debut full-length in 1996, Big
Mama?S Door, containing such tracks as covers of wellknown folk songs like When the Boys Were on the Western
Plain and Gallows Pole, Hart has gone on to release a handful of albums to varying levels of acclaim.
Scooping up a Grammy in 2004 for his contribution to the
compilation Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster,
his most recent solo release, 2005?s self-produced Motivational Speaker saw him strap on a rock guitar. This change of
axe was no surprise to his many followers. Strictly adhering
to the ?no barriers? approach championed by the likes of
veteran performers such as Gatemouth Brown and Doug
Sahm, Hart continues to delight the masses and also challenge the expectations of so-called blues purists.
Subsequent years have been spent working on soundtracks,
accompanying Bo Diddley on his final US tour and forming The South Memphis String Band with Luther Dickinson and Jimbo Mathus.
Known as a ?musician?s
musician?, Hart?s praises
Alvin Youngblood Hart
have been sung by every11-20 April
one from folk legend Bob
Helsinki, Lahti,
Tampere, Turku, Vaasa,
Dylan to British guitar luOulu, Kokkola
minaries Eric Clapton and
Mick Taylor.
Century of
a Finnish
favourite
James O?Sullivan
T
HIS year marks the 100th anniversary of
Tove Jansson?s birth. Forming the centrepiece of a busy year of celebration, Ateneum is
playing host to an exhibition showcasing her
career as an artist, illustrator, political caricaturist, author and creator of the Moomin characters and stories.
On display until Sunday 7 September, the exhibition covers the diversity of Jansson?s work.
Moving through the decades, her surrealistic
paintings of the 1930s, modernist art of the
1950s and the more abstract works of her oeuvre in the 1960s and ?70s are all represented.
Furthermore, satirical anti-war illustrations
for the magazine Garm, and significantly sized
works for public spaces find themselves situated amidst the diversity. It almost goes without
saying that her enormously popular Moomin
characters and stories also feature prominently.
Paintings of landscapes, interiors and still lifes
Tove Jansson: Varhaisia muumeja (ajoittamaton).
feature prominently, infused with themes of the
sea and islands. Jansson?s own life, real events
and people informed her work, which also included numerous portraits and self-portraiture.
The exhibition at Ateneum is part of the
official programme of the Tove Jansson centenary year. More information pertaining to
the various events on offer can be found at:
www.tove100.com
Tove Jansson
Until 7 September
Ateneum
Kaivokatu 2, Helsinki
Reviews
19
SixDegrees
Game Reviews April 2014
Forthcoming flicks
Nick Barlow
Thief (360, X1, PS3, PS4, PC)
It?s hard not to feel a bit let down by this title, as it does a great job of drawing you in to an interesting world, and then does an even better job of
reminding you you?re just playing a video game. As Garret the thief you?re
provided with some nice gadgets to negotiate a plot that begins promisingly. Unfortunately, the storyline loses focus and the gadgets can?t make up for the irritating bugs or oft-hilariously
bad AI. There are some great moments involving sleight of hand and crafty manoeuvres but there are
more moments when the atmosphere is interrupted by another loading screen, of which there are
many (at least on the 360). Not terrible, but could be better. 6/10
Dark Souls 2 (360, PS3)
For a game that is essentially based around a single event, Dark Souls 2
is surprisingly engaging, especially given the fact that the event in question is your repeated demise. There?s nothing wrong with being wary of
this game. If you don?t like the idea of constantly getting killed then it?s
not for you ? and that?s OK. But for those who played the last in the series
the idea is basically the same. If I may quote Samuel Beckett: Ever tried.
Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. Amazing monsters
await you in exotic and incredibly atmospheric locations, and DS2 also
introduces a few gameplay changes that, for the most part, improve the
experience. A must buy for fans of the previous titles, for sure. 9/10
Going up? The world of director Wes Anderson expands once again with Grand Budapest Hotel.
The Railway Man
Trainspotting this aint as Colin Firth stars as a British Army officer who was tormented as a prisoner of
war at a Japanese labour camp during World War II. Decades down the track, he discovers that the
Japanese interpreter he holds responsible for much of his harrowing treatment is still alive and kicking.
Setting out to confront him, and come to terms with his haunting past, the film is based on Eric Lomax?s
best-selling memoir. Firth is supported by the likes of Nicole Kidman, Stellan Skarsgård and Jeremy
Irvine in the thespianage department.
Funking up
Helsinki
Premieres 28 March
James O?Sullivan
The Lunchbox
THere?s no denying that 20 years
is a long time, but for the local soul,
funk, hip-hop, jazz, reggae, Afrobeat
and world music scenes in Finland it
might as well be a lifetime when looking at its evolution. Setting the trends
and slowly garnering influence over
this time, the Funky Elephant Festival
celebrates the arrival of the end of its
second decade with a suitable decked
out extravaganza from 3-6 April at
Helsinki?s The Circus and mbar.
With previous line-ups featuring
the likes of Sharon Jones & The DapKings, Tony Allen, Joe Bataan, Roy
Ayers, Bonobo and The Coupin, the
international roll call this year is impressive once again. Among the big names
are the Afrobeat musings of Ebo Taylor and
jungle music guru Congo Natty. If Middle
Eastern electro Afrofunk is more your styling then Syria?s Omar Souleyman is serving
up lashings of the good stuff. Meanwhile, the
many colours of the Brazilian flavours are on
offer with Maria Gasolina.
The domestic scene has always been well
represented in the past two decades, with the
likes of Jätkäjätkät, Don Johnson Big Band
and Jukka Poika on the bill. 2014 offers up
Offering one of the rare Indian films to make it on wide release her on the big screen here in Finland,
this acclaimed tale is set amidst the endearing chaos of Mumbai. Focusing on the city?s famously efficient tiffin (lunchbox) delivery service, a rare mistake sees a bond form between a young housewife
and an old man in the autumn of his life. Setting about building a fantasy world together through notes
exchanged in the tiffin of the title, as the lunchbox goes back and forth, their fantasy becomes so elaborate that it threatens to overwhelm the realities of their lives. Featuring internationally acclaimed actor
Irfan Khan (Life of Pi, The Amazing Spider-man), advance word has been very positive.
Premieres 4 April
Grand Budapest Hotel
Time for another Wes Anderson adventure, it seems, after his wonderful and whimsical Moonrise Kingdom a couple of years ago. This time around the director shifts his focus to Europe. The usual faces
are all there (yes, including Bill Murray) along with new recruits Saoirse Ronan, Ralph Fiennes and Jude
Law. In fact, the cast list is positively bulging with famous names. And so, set at a legendary hotel situated in the Alps during the 1930s the film focuses on Fiennes? Gustav H., the hotel?s famous concierge.
Cue the theft and subsequent recovery of a priceless Renaissance painting, along with the battle for
a significant family fortune, as Anderson?s joyful filmmaking patchwork of pastel colours shines again.
Premieres 11 April
Transcendence
Cinematic history has thrown up a few cinematographers who have in turn become directors in their
own right. Here Wally Pfister, longtime cinematographer for Christopher Nolan steps up to make his
directorial debut. And with this sci-fi adventure starring Johnny Depp, one can?t help but be intrigued.
Throw in the likes of regular Nolan cohorts Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy and things begin to
look very enticing indeed. Here Depp is the foremost Artificial Intelligence researcher, seeking to create
a machine that brings together the collective intelligence of everything ever known and the deep well
of human emotions. Toss a clutch of anti-technology extremists into the cinematic mix and things turn
prickly in no time.
Premieres 18 April
Congo Natty is bringing his jungle music sounds.
another phat collection. Regular cohort Paleface will be seen in many incarnations, teaming up with Eternal Erection among others.
Tuomo?s fourth album gets an airing, with
the soul and jazz maestro infusing his sound
with electro influences. Yona and Orkesterin
Liikkuvat Pilvet are also a welcome addition.
Funky Elephant Festival
3-6 April
Tickets ?11-47
funkyamigos.fi/20
Annual look at European cinema
Nikola PredoviÃ
James O?Sullivan
O
NCE again the European Film Weeks are being staged in Helsinki. With 2014 seeing European
Elections being held, this year?s theme is ?Act.React.Impact?.
Here 29 inspirational and courageous films from around Europe showcase various examples of
the collective and individual actions of people seeking to make a difference. The subject matter reflects
the sheer variety of cinema being currently produced in Europe today. Everything from Sweden?s The
Pirate Bay, to the Troubles in Ireland and African refugees in the Canary Islands shares the spotlight.
The event is organised by the European Commission Representation in Finland and the European
Parliament Information Office in Finland, in cooperation with Embassies and cultural institutes of
EU member states and candidate countries.
All films are being shown at Kamppi?s 100-seat Eurooppasali. With each screening free of charge,
tickets are available one hour before each screening. See what you can find.
More information, and full programme can be found at:
ec.europa.eu/finland/pdf/2014europeanfilmweeksinhelsinki.pdf
A Stranger. (Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina)
European Film Weeks
28 March - 11 April
Eurooppasali
Malminkatu 16, Helsinki
Out&See
SixDegrees
Greater Helsinki
20
Issue 3 2014
By Anna-Maija Lappi
Music _ Clubs
27 Mar. Sarah Kivi & Non-Orchestra,
KXP // Full Steam Ahead launch
party. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13.
www.kuudeslinja.com
27 Mar. Hippie diktat (FRA) //
Jazzcore. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?8.50.
www.korjaamo.fi
27 Mar. Riitta Paakki Quartet // Jazz.
Koko Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3. Tickets
?11.50/16.50. www.kokojazz.fi
27 Mar. Saatanan Marionetit,
Nemeh?s OD, The Purifiction // Metal.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?6.50. www.semifinal.fi
27 Mar. D-A-D (DNK) // Rock.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?47.50. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
27 Mar. Kodo // Phenomenal
Japanese drum group. Savoy
Theatre,
Kasarmikatu
46-48.
Tickets ?45/49. www.savoyteatteri.fi
28 Mar. Deep Space Helsinki //
Max_M (ITA), Samuli Kemppi & Juho
Kusti. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13.
Tickets ?10. www.kuudeslinja.com
28 Mar. Profane Omen, Amoral,
Mygrain
//
Metal.
Nosturi,
Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?13.50.
www.elmu.fi
28 Mar. Drag Me to HEL 2014 //
Twisted cabaret night with Meth
(UK), Lou Safire (UK), Malvina von
Begemot (RUS), Lola Vanilla, Gigi
Praline etc. Dubrovnik, Eerikinkatu
11. Tickets ?22.
28 Mar. Samuli Putro // Pop rock.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?22. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
28 Mar. Gloria Morti, Whorion //
Death metal. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4 ? 6. Tickets ?8.50.
www.semifinal.fi
28 Mar. The Yardbirds (UK) // Rock.
Savoy Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48.
Tickets ?37/39. www.savoyteatteri.fi
29 Mar. Punkkirock // Teksti-TV 666,
The Splits, Seksihullut, Katujen
Äänet, J. Kiesi Grandes, WHC etc.
play punk. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie
13. Tickets ?8. www.kuudeslinja.com
29 Mar. Hopeajärvi, Suomen
Karvapääkuninkaat 1968 // Rock. On
The Rocks, Mikonkatu 15. Tickets
?7.50/8. www.ontherocks.fi
29 Mar. Funkdoobiest (USA) // Rap.
Virgin Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5.
Tickets ?16.50/17. www.virginoil.fi
29 Mar. MØ (DNK) // Unique
electronic pop. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?23.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
29 Mar. Andy Stott (UK), Demdike
Stare (UK) // Techno. Ääniwalli,
Pälkäneentie 13. Tickets ?8/15.
30 Mar. Canzoniere Grecanico
Salentino // Italian folk. Savoy
Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets
?32/36. www.savoyteatteri.fi
1 Apr. J.Karjalainen // Finnish
rock/pop legend. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?24/25.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
1 Apr. Erja Lyytinen: The Sky Is Crying
Tour 2014 // ?The queen of the slide
guitar.? Sello Hall, Soittoniekanaukio
1A. Tickets ?29.50. www.sellosali.fi
2 Apr. Samuli Laiho & Ystävät //
Finnish songwriter, composer and
guitarist. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu 4-6. Tickets ?11.50/12.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
2 Apr. Comeback Kid (CAN),
Xibalba (USA), The Greenery (USA),
Malevolance (UK) // Hardcore. The
Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?20.50/22. www.thecircus.fi
2 Apr. Oireklubi // Utu. Siltanen,
Hämeentie 13 B. www.siltanen.org
3 Apr. AR Quartet // Jazz. Koko
Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3. Tickets
?11.50/16.50. www.kokojazz.fi
3 Apr. Asta Kask (SWE), Stilett (SWE) //
Punk rock. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?9.50/10. www.barloose.com
3 Apr. KYPCK, Crib45 // Metal. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?11.50/12. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
3-5 Apr. 20th Funky Elephant Festival
// Omar Soleyman (SYR), Ebo Taylor
(GHA), Congo Natty (UK) etc. The
Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?11-50. www.thecircus.fi
4 Apr. Astor Piazzolla: Maria de Buenos
Aires // Martin Alvarado, Daniel Bonilla
Torres and Angelika Klas perform
the famous tango opera. Savoy
Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets
?25/29/32. www.savoyteatteri.fi
4 Apr. Niko Riippa Flying Circus //
Roots music from Ostrobothnia.
Loikka ? Dance Film Festival
3-6 Apr.
Mikko Hyvönen: Organic synthetic
8-16 Apr. Zodiak
Jenny Wilson
10 Apr. Tavastia
Kodo
27 Mar. Savoy Theatre
Sarah Kivi & Non-Orchestra
27 Mar. Kuudes Linja
Korjaamo Culture Factory, Töölönkatu
51 B. Tickets ?10. www.korjaamo.fi
4 Apr. Trip To Goa: OTT (UK),
E-Mantra (ROM) // Goa trance.
Venue, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21.
Tickets ?21/22. www.clubvenue.fi
4 Apr. Kaija Koo // Finnish pop legend.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?22/23. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
4 Apr. MONSP Club // Tykopaatti & DJ
Kridlokk. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13.
Tickets ?10. www.kuudeslinja.com
5 Apr. Gugi Kokljuschkin // Finnish
musician. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu
4-6.
Tickets
?22/23.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
5 Apr. Heavy Tiger (SWE) // Rock trio.
Bar Loose, Annankatu 21. Tickets
?11.50. www.barloose.com
5 Apr. The Bad Ass Brass Band //
Unique brass experience. Juttutupa,
Säästöpankinranta 6. Free entry.
www.juttutupa.com
5 Apr. Jätkäjätkät // Rap/folk/ska/
punk. Virgin Oil Co., Mannerheimintie
5. Tickets ?13.50/14. www.virginoil.fi
5 Apr. Risto, Death Hawks //
Rock. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?13.50/14.
www.korjaamo.fi
6 Apr. Help Jamaica Charity Dance
2014 // Jukka Poika, Raappana,
Ertsi Lion, Komposti, Pouta Sound,
Ceejay, Antzah and dj Miami Mika.
Kaiku, Kaikukatu 4. Tickets ?16.50.
www.clubkaiku.fi
7 Apr. Magnum (UK) - Escape from
the Shadow Garden Tour 2014 //
Hard rock. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu 4-6. Tickets ?32.50/33.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
7 Apr. John Mayall (UK) // Blues
giant. The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?46.50. www.thecircus.fi
8 Apr. British Blues Party // The
British Standard feat. Jukka
Gustavson,
Ilkka
Rantamäki
& The Bluesbrokers. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?13.50/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
8 Apr. Sick Puppies (AUS) // Rock.
Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8. Tickets
?29.50. www.elmu.fi
9 Apr. Lee Ranaldo and The Dust
(USA) // Sonic Youth guitarist with his
new band. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu 4-6. Tickets ?29.50/30.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
9 Apr. Sanni // Pop. Stoa,
Turunlinnantie 1. Tickets ?9/13.
www.stoa.fi
10 Apr. Kasperi Sarikoski Nuance
feat. Verneri Pohjola // Jazz. Koko
Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3. Tickets
?11.50/16.50. www.kokojazz.fi
10 Apr. Jenny Wilson (SWE) // Indie
pop. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu
4-6.
Tickets
?20/21.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
10 Apr. Hyvä Klubi // The Wrecking
Queens, Wedding Crashers, Retro
Station. Le Bonk, Yrjönkatu 24.
Tickets ?6.50. www.lebonk.fi
10 Apr. Jarkko Martikainen // Singersongwriter. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?13.50/14. www.barloose.com
11 Apr. Phønix (DNK) // Danish
folk music with exotic drumming
and swinging melodies. Sello Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?8/11. www.sellosali.fi
11 Apr. Alvin Youngblood Hart (USA) &
Fatboy (SWE) // Blues and rockabilly.
Savoy Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48.
Tickets ?35. www.savoyteatteri.fi
11 Apr. Jukka Ässä, Modernistit //
Pop. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?7.50/8. www.barloose.com
11 Apr. Freedom Call (GER), Heavy
Metal Perse // Metal. Virgin Oil Co.,
Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets ?24/25.
www.virginoil.fi
11 Apr. Red Fang (USA), Demonic
Death Judge // Metal. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?22.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
12 Apr. Mark Kozelek (USA) //
American singer-songwriter known
from the bands Red House Painters
and Sun Kil Moon. Kuudes Linja,
Hämeentie 13. Tickets ?20.
www.kuudeslinja.com
12 Apr. Cheek // Award-winning
Finnish hip hop. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?26.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
12 Apr. Neljä Ruusua // Rock. Virgin
Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?19. www.virginoil.fi
12 Apr. Heaven´s Basement (UK),
Glamour Of The Kill (UK), The Dirty
Youth (UK) // Hard rock. Nosturi,
Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?18.
www.elmu.fi
Phile Deprez
3-6 Apr. Loikka ?Dance Film Festival // Various venues. Tickets ?8-30. www.loikka.fi
From ?Suomibreikki?
to ballerina documentaries.
Loikka ? the annual dance film festival is here again! Between 3 and 6 April this unique festival, being
held for the seventh time this year, will be presenting cinematic dance works of any genre, style, or
technique, from short and feature-length films to documentaries and 3D dance films. In addition to
dance films, Loikka offers workshops, events and the famous Loikka festival club.
This year´s programme emphasises both the huge diversity of expression encompassed by the term
dance film and the interlocking streams of influence among the artists, works and styles presented, say
Loikka´s artistic directors Thomas Freundlich and Valtteri Raekallio.
Some festival highlights this year are Veden Perintö (The Heritage of Water), an impressive stage work
blending cinema, live contemporary dance and live folk music, Raymond St-Jean´s documentary A
Chair Fit for an Angel featuring the dance work Borrowed Light by Tero Saarinen and the selection of
3D dance shorts that literally take dance into a new dimension.
12 Apr. Stompin? at The Savoy //
Eric Bibb & The North Country Far
(USA/FIN), The Fried Okra Band
(DNK), Jimmy Burns (USA) etc.
Savoy Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48.
Tickets ?15/35. www.savoyteatteri.fi
16 Apr. Weeping Willows (SWE)
// Indie rock. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?27/28.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
17 Apr. Kantonen Camping // Jazz.
Koko Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3. Tickets
?11.50/16.50. www.kokojazz.fi
17 Apr. Jukka Poika & Sound
Explosion Band // Reggae. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?20. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
17 Apr. Gasellit, Heikki Kuula,
Pyhimys, Teflon Brothers // Rap.
Virgin Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5.
Tickets ?11.50/12. www.virginoil.fi
17 Apr. Chronixx & Zinc Fence Band
(JAM), Dre Island (JAM), Kelissa
(JAM) // Gloria, Pieni Roobertinkatu
12. Tickets ?27.
17 Apr. Hatebreed (USA), St. Hood,
Bolt // Hardcore. Nosturi, Telakkakatu
8. Tickets ?24. www.elmu.fi
17 Apr. Conan (UK) // Doom metal.
Bar Loose, Annankatu 21. Tickets
?14.50/15. www.barloose.com
18 Apr. Prince of Assyria (SWE) //
Melancholic pop. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?20.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
18 Apr. Black Light Discipline,
Omniversum // Metal. Bar Loose,
Annankatu 21. Tickets ?8.50/9.
www.barloose.com
18 Apr. Loct Society with special
guest Santa Cruz // Trash metal.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu
4-6.
Tickets
?13.50 /14.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
18 Apr. House of Lords (USA),
Estrella (UK) // Rock. On The Rocks,
Mikonkatu 15. Tickets ?13.50/15.
www.ontherocks.fi
18 Apr. Sparzanza (SWE) // Hard
rock. The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?29.50. www.thecircus.fi
19 Apr. Absoluuttinen Nollapiste //
Rock. Gloria, Pieni Roobertinkatu
12. Tickets ?10.50.
19 Apr. Pariisin Kevät // Pop. The
Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?18. www.thecircus.fi
19 Apr. The New Tigers, Delay Trees
// Pop. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?8.50/9. www.barloose.com
19 Apr. Olavi Uusivirta, Pimeys //
Rock/pop. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?15.50/16.
www.korjaamo.fi
20 Apr. The Haunted (SWE) // Death
metal. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu
4-6. Tickets ?22. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
20 Apr. Esoteric (UK), Isole (SWE),
Procession (SWE) // Metal. Bar
Loose, Annankatu 21. Tickets
?22/23. www.barloose.com
20 Apr. Ensiferum, Turisas // Metal.
The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?23/28. www.thecircus.fi
23 Apr. Gamma Ray (GER), Rhapsody
of Fire (IT), Dynazty (SWE) // Power
metal. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen
katu 4-6. Tickets ?37.50/38.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
23 Apr. Oireklubi // Älyvarkaat.
Siltanen,
Hämeentie
13
B.
www.siltanen.org
23 Apr. Mirel Wagner // Interesting
singer-songwriter.
Sello
Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?14.50/15. www.sellosali.fi
Theatre _ Dance
Until 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
27 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
28-30 Mar. Aki Suzuki Spirits: Aino ?
Kalevala // Aino?s story is told using
methods derived from traditional and
modern Japanese theatre and dance.
Stoa, Turunlinnantie 1. Tickets
?13/18. www.stoa.fi
28 Mar.-12 Apr. Joona Halonen: Kuka
pelkää tappajahaita // Contemporary
dance. Helsinki City Theatre, Studio
Elsa. Ensi linja 2. Tickets ?18-24.
www.hkt.fi