Finland?s
SixDegrees
english language magazine
joel
willans
A way with words
page 6
frozen
foods
Delicious? Nutritious?
page 8
The local gaming
industry takes off
page 12
GAME ON!
Issue 02/2013 www.6d.fi 22.02-28.03
Mistä löydät tietoa Helsingistä
ja sen palveluista?
Var får jag information om Helsingfors
och stadens tjänster?
Where can you find out information
about Helsinki and its services?
Mistä saat palvelua suomen-, ruotsin- ja englanninkielen lisäksi lähes
10 muullakin kielellä? Tule käymään Virka-Infossa kaupungintalolla,
idsähköpostia.
you know
Virka
InfoHelsingistä
has been
soita tai lähetä
Voit myösthat
varata
ajan
palveluneuvojalta,
Mistä
löydät
tietoa
jos asiasi koskee
maahanmuuttoa.
sen palveluista?
located at City ja
Hall
for the past four
D
years? Here you can receive service in
och stadens
tjänster?
Finnish, Swedish and English,
as
well as nearly
Where
can
you
fi
nd out information
10 other languages ? all free of charge.
Tervetuloa ? Välkommen ? Welcome ? Bienvenue ? !"#$"
%"&'(")'*+
Soo dhawow ? Ho,geldiniz
? -'%")./'0*1
Var
får jag ?
information
om Helsingfors
Käyntiosoitteet:
Avoinna:
Puhelinpalvelu:
Sähköposti:
Virkaosoite:
Sofiankatu 1
Pohjoisesplanadi 11?13
ma-pe 9?19, la-su 10?16
09 31011 111 ma-pe 9?15
virkainfo@hel.fi
PL 1, 00099 Helsingin kaupunki
Besöksadress:
Öppettider:
Telefontjänst:
E-post:
Postadress:
Sofiegatan 1
Norra esplanaden 11?13
må-fr 9?19, lö-sö 10?16
09 31011 111 må-fr 9?15
virkainfo@hel.fi
PB 1, 00099 Helsingfors stad
Visiting addresses:
Opening hours:
Information service:
E-mail:
Postal address:
Sofiankatu 1
Pohjoisesplanadi 11?13
Mon-Fri 9?19, Sat-Sun 10?16
09 31011 111 Mon-Fri 9?15
virkainfo@hel.fi
P.O. Box 1, 00099 City of Helsinki
about Helsinki and its services?
The number of people visiting, calling and sending emails to us is
continuing to increase. In fact, we served more than 4,000 people in 2012,
representing an increase of over 30%. Most of our customers are of working
age, 25-44 years old, and the most popular language of our clients is
Russian. Interestingly, in Russian culture it is usually women who take care
of paperwork, and thus 60% of our Russian customers are women.
However, in Arabic countries it is men who take care of such matters,
representing more than 80% of our Arabic clientele. The next most popular
languages of our customers are English, Arabic and Somali. The number
of our Chinese speaking clients is growing, fitting with our growing Chinese
population here in the Capital Region.
Aside from receiving advice via email or phone, you can also book a time
with one of our service advisors at Virka Info, who will then sit and discuss
the issues relevant to you. This service is available Monday-Friday.
Virka Info is also a public information service for all the citizens of Helsinki.
We have six computers and free wireless Internet for everyone to use.
Furthermore, there is also a reading corner with a selection of newspapers
and magazines to browse, and you can enjoy free exhibitions in our lobby.
Make yourself at home here in Helsinki ? get in
touch with us!
Mistä saat palvelua suomen-, ruotsin- ja englanninkielen lisäksi lähes
10 muullakin kielellä? Tule käymään Virka-Infossa kaupungintalolla,
soita
tai lähetä
Voit myös
varata ajan palveluneuvojalta,
For
moresähköpostia.
information:
www.virka.fi
jos asiasi koskee maahanmuuttoa.
Avoinna:
Puhelinpalvelu:
Sähköposti:
Virkaosoite:
Sofiankatu 1
Pohjoisesplanadi 11?13
ma-pe 9?19, la-su 10?16
09 31011 111 ma-pe 9?15
virkainfo@hel.fi
PL 1, 00099 Helsingin kaupunki
Besöksadress:
Öppettider:
Telefontjänst:
E-post:
Postadress:
Sofiegatan 1
Norra esplanaden 11?13
må-fr 9?19, lö-sö 10?16
09 31011 111 må-fr 9?15
virkainfo@hel.fi
PB 1, 00099 Helsingfors stad
Visiting addresses:
Opening hours:
Information service:
E-mail:
Postal address:
IT?S ALWAYS BETTER
TO BE BETTER.
Study in English at Metropolia!
Bachelor?s Degree, evening studies
? Information Technology
Master?s Degree
? Business Informatics
? Emergency and Critical Care Nursing
? Health Business Management
? Industrial Management
? Information Technology
Specialisation Studies / Non-Degree Programmes
? Construction and Real Estate Management
? Industrial Management
Tervetuloa ? Välkommen ? Welcome ? Bienvenue ? !"#$" %"&'(")'*+ ? Soo dhawow ? Ho,geldiniz ? -'%")./'0*1
Käyntiosoitteet:
IN THESE TIMES
Sofiankatu 1
Pohjoisesplanadi 11?13
Mon-Fri 9?19, Sat-Sun 10?16
09 31011 111 Mon-Fri 9?15
virkainfo@hel.fi
P.O. Box 1, 00099 City of Helsinki
Studies begin in the autumn 2013
Application period
4 March ? 9 April 2013
metropolia.fi/apply
Business, Culture, Health Care and Social Services, Technology
Starters
4
Issue 02 2013
Top 5
Miika Saukkonen
things on our
mind this month...
Fish beware ? or just relax?
The high season for ice fishing is unravelling.
Besides warm clothing, start-up anglers need a
small and light fishing rod and bait, a hand auger
and a foldable stool. As the band Wet Willie put
it in Country Side of Life: ?No matter what fish
I get, I only want to rest my mind?. On the lake
or sea ice, you can almost hear the winter?s back
breaking; just watch out for open water, thin ice
or cracks on the ice.
Yearning? for something bitter? Try envy
A young woman in the Helsinki region got
dismissed from her job at a day-care centre after
some parents had complained about her openly
sexual blog writing. One does not require a law
degree to point this out as a blatant violation of
the Non-Discrimination Act. When it?s ?between
consenting adults?, it?s OK to do it and, if
necessary, talk about it ? that?s our law.
It wasn?t me, it was the gavel!
False economy part I: A number of cities in
Finland have decided to reduce the financing
for informal care (omaishoito). A Jyväskylä
councilman explained on the TV that ?the council
was unaware of the nature of the proposal in
question when making the decision?. Oops?
sounds like some of those guys might need better
looking after as well.
Lives wasted getting wasted
False economy part II: If an intoxicated young
man walks in and out of a grocery store, every
time trying to conceal a can of beer inside his
coat, and keeps returning after every thwarted
attempt, the question is not ?why do they let
him loose? but ?what could we do to help him
straighten things out?. Here are a couple of
tips: replace drinking with other activities with
someone who has an issue, and don?t buy
alcohol for under-aged persons.
A taste of Roman steel
In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was stabbed to death
on the ides of March. As that time is upon us, we
can choose to commemorate the emperor by the
eponymous salad and, even outside Canada, a
couple of Bloody Caesars.
Mika Oksanen
.
.
.
o
t
w
Ho
promote equality in
day-to-day life?
?People aren?t born racist, they learn to
be racist. So, the best way to promote
equality is, in my opinion, to have kids
from different cultures hang out together
from as early an age as possible.?
Joel Willans, writer
?At the individual level people should break
down their racial prejudice and intolerant
attitudes by educating themselves enough
to understand what is going on in the
world around them. Intolerance is fed in
many cases by ignorance.?
Eva Peltonen, 6D intern
?Contemplate and experience that before
we are Finns, foreigners, Sunni, Shiite,
black, white, male, female, protestant,
catholic, etc., etc., etc., WE ARE HUMAN!
Rejoice in the differences, shrug off the
tendency to judge.?
John Millar, enginner and musician
21 March is the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Azonto
going
global
Miika Saukkonen
A
zonto, a style of dance that comes from Ghana, is
gaining worldwide attention. With new club nights
dedicated to urban African music around the globe,
the dance craze is tipped to be landing soon in a
major way also in Finland.
Azonto dance is full of humour and expression. One of its
key features is the use of gestures that mimic different daily
activities. You can come up with all kinds of moves as long
as you stay in the rhythm and look confident doing what
you are doing. Often music styles help create and name new
dance moves. This time it was the other way around.
?Azonto started as a dance among the youth, and then
the dance made us come in with new music,? explains
Albert Ayeh Hanson, better known as Ball J, one of
Ghana?s most hardworking azonto music producers. ?We
picked a little bit of highlife and fast pop music, and fused
it with something new that sounds real afro. We didn?t
have a name for it, but as people were dancing azonto to
it, artists like Kwaw Kese and Sarkodie started endorsing
it as ?azonto music?.?
Ghana?s azonto beat is being increasingly enjoyed around the world.
During the last three years, azonto music has exploded in
Ghana and within Ghanaian communities abroad. More
recently, azonto has been gaining worldwide attention
thanks to YouTube dance videos and popular azonto songs
like Antenna by Fuse ODG. Last year was a big year for
the azonto movement in UK. Could this year mark its
breakthrough in Finland?
?I wouldn?t call it a movement here yet, but definitely
it?s getting recognition and a growing fan base,? Riina
Asamoa, the promoter of Club Obama, a new monthly club
night dedicated to urban African music. ? I can certainly
see it in clubs and parties in Helsinki as a part of the growing dance scene. I especially love the humour in
azonto, and the fact that
the music is in English
FURTHER
and I can understand the
LISTENING
lyrics helps too. Urban
African music is uptempo,
energetic, and danceable There are at least two
radio shows pioneering
in other words, great club
in the playing of
music!?
Try your hand at azonto at:
Club Obama
Club Roba 10
Iso Roobertinkatu 10
Helsinki
urban African sounds
in Finland: ?Boom
Shakalaka? and ?Radio
Ouagadougou? on Basso
Radio ? www.basso.fi
Finnish After Dark
Learning the Finnish they don?t teach in school
David Brown and Mimmu Takalo
Finnish: Lihatiski
English: Meat market
While definitely for carnivores, a real lihatiski is no place for chickens. The meat should be ideally be around 18 or 20 years old,
and dressed in an extremely short skirt and transparent top. Sigh. From the female perspective, the only real downside to places
like Helsinki?s legendary König is that too many of the men are overweight nerds in bad shirts ? and too many of the girls sheep in
wolves clothing.
?
?
?
Taas uus yökerho avattu. Mennäänks tsekkaan se viikonloppuna?
Emmä tiä... Se on varmaan taas samanlainen lihatiski ku kaikki muutkin. Mä en nyt oikein jaksais hätistellä äijiä pois ympäriltä.
No, mennään sit tohon alakerran pubiin. Saadaan olla ihan rauhassa.
?
?
?
Hey, that new club is opening. Should we go and check it out this weekend?
I dunno, it?s probably going to be a total meat market like all of the others. I?m so over swatting guys off me all evening.
Well, we can always go to the bar downstairs instead. That?s always a bit quieter.
Tell me about your
city...
Starters
?
Vilnius
rope
the hear t of Eu
A short introduction
to the quick loan
controversy
Jenni Toriseva
We have all seen some news about problems caused by quick
loans in this country, but if you happen to have a steady income
it is likely that you have never actually taken one.
Firstly, what is a quick loan?
Also known as a payday loan (or pikavippi in Finnish) it is a
smaller sum of money ?usually between 50 and 3,000 euros ? put
on your account almost instantly by one of the over 80 quick
credit companies in Finland. So, how does a quick loan differ
from a regular loan?
On the first glance it sounds like a good option to take, especially if you are unemployed or have a payment default; in such a
case it is likely to be the only loan you can get. If you do happen
to be eligible for a bank loan, keep in mind that banks aren?t
fond of giving loans smaller than 3,000 euros and to get that you
have to visit the bank, have your credit details checked and show
your ability pay it back. All this while a quick loan is only a text
message away.
Another major difference comes in the interest rate; quick loans
are given with a yearly interest of 300-1,500 per cent. There have
been some cases where the yearly interest has been as high as
10,000 per cent, whilst only the two-week interest of 300 per cent
was mentioned to the borrowers. Banks keep their yearly interest
at the lower tens.
Quick loans have been a frequent topic in tabloids due to the
growing amount of people that find it hard to keep up with the
payments of their debts; these are usually young adults with
little experience in handling their own finance. People would
often take quick loans during late hours while drunk to pay for
their night out. Night lending (from 23:00-07:00) has since been
banned.
Since the arrival of quick lending in Finland in 2005, legislation
has tried to keep up with the problems they have caused. This
has been done by installing mandatory registration for credit
companies, who must declare clearly the true yearly interest of
the loan, in addition to checking the loan taker?s identity and
withholding lending during the night.
Some credit companies have been under police investigation
due to claims of usury. According to Helsingin Sanomat the
owners or heads of at least six quick lending companies were
linked to debt collecting agencies, through which they could
make a higher return. Some companies have also been taking
additional collection fees, which are against the law.
At the moment the parliament is processing two initiatives
concerning quick loans; one proposes to tighten the regulation
surrounding these loans, while the other seeks to ban them
entirely. One feasible solution can be found on the other side
of the pond; in Sweden quick loans are not available for people
under 30 years of age.
?
Feeling
the cold
Jenni Toriseva
Many may already be contemplating their spring (or even summer?) time plans, but let?s face it, it?s still winter and it can still get
mind numbingly cold out there. Here are some tips to keep those
precious toes and fingers of yours intact:
1. Avoid covering your mouth and nose with any type of cloth-
ing. The water vapour released while breathing dampens
the cloth, consequently freezing it ? on your face. If you still
feel like covering your face with something, consider ? carefully ? a bank robber-style face sock that has separate holes
for your ?facial openings?.
2. Use mittens rather than gloves. Mittens allow you to keep
your fingers together, letting them keep warm company to
each other. If it is very cold draw your hands into fists; this
minimises the surface area of your hands and therefore the
loss of heat.
3. When it comes to the torso and legs, go for layers. Start with
soft layers against the skin and finish with a nylon material that protects you against wind and rain. Avoid wearing
cotton, which traps moisture against your skin. Layering
yourself like an onion makes it easier to remove and put
back clothing as you move between indoors and outdoors.
4. Keep a flask of hot tea, chocolate or coffee in your bag.
When it?s below freezing point the air will draw moisture
out of you. It is harder for your body to keep warm when it?s
dehydrated. The warm beverage has obvious added value!
You?ll see.
5. Move! If you find yourself freezing after trying out all the
aforementioned tips, this one is bound to work. Exercising
warms up the body because heat is released as a by-product
of the metabolic process that moves the muscles.
How well do you know Spring in Finnish?
(Yes, it is actually coming!)
1
1
1. Garden
2
3
4
2. Chick
3. Kite
4. Ladybird
5
5. May Day
6. Blossom
6
7. Lamb
7
8. Easter
8
9
9. Mead
Test your knowledge of Finnish vocabulary by using the local equivalent.
Puzzle by Eva Peltanen. Solutions on page 22
Au?rin? ?ilenskyt?
I am here to invite you to my wonderful city Vilnius. It is wonderful,
not because it is mine, but because most of the people who visited
and knew how to approach this mysterious place have told me so.
Vilnius reveals most of its beauty if visited from early May to mid
October; nevertheless, Christmas time is also extremely bright in
the capital of Lithuania. It is particularly great place to go if you love
history and its fascinating stories: on each corner of the city you
will find something amazing and unique. For this reason Vilnius old
town is included in UNESCO world heritage list. However, I would
advise to visit the city with someone who knows it well, because
there are many hidden places, inner yards, narrow streets, parks
and exotic places which might be difficult (but not impossible) to
find on your own.
Vilnius is of a moderate size, but is a very vivid and vibrant
city. Even if the Baltic countries have been traditionally called
?Eastern Europe?, the geographical center of Europe is just beside
Vilnius. Vilnius has medieval vaults with cozy restaurants and
crazy modern open-air museums; you will find groundbreaking
nightlife and enormous numbers of art galleries, churches, and
high-level cultural events. We also have the Republic of U?upis
? the area in the old town famous for its artist community with a
funny constitution where everyone can give the oath with their
left hand! Every June we have the Night of Arts which is growing
more and more international every year and John?s Day celebrated
in traditional pagan way when river Neris turns into the floating
stream of candles on the flower crowns.
Early spring we ?scare? the winter with the festival of U?gav?n?s
wearing frightening masks of witches and devils and baking
pancakes, which resemble the sun. Huge shopping malls are
almost in the center of the city. There you will find skating-rinks,
cinemas, bowling and other entertainment. Try Lithuanian beer
?vyturys (white beer might be particularly interesting for you) as
well as some national specialties ? Cepelinai, Plok?tainis (Kugelis),
?altibar??iai, black bread, Lithuanian chocolate and other national
beverages like Gira, ?epkeli? trauktin? or Midus.
Don?t miss Trakai Island Castle in the middle of the gorgeous lake
and don?t forget to make a wish before you leave on the ?miracle?s
stone-block? in front of the main cathedral. Let?s hope your wish
will be to come back to Vilnius!
6
We Met
Issue 02 2013
Spellbound
by words
Author Joel Willans is never
short of a sentence, neither
on paper nor in person.
We Met
7
SixDegrees
Text James O?Sullivan, images Adam Monaghan.
S
ITTING with Joel Willans is somewhat of an exercise
in keeping up with the pace of conversation. Moving
swiftly from topic to topic, pausing midway through a
thought to embellish something he was saying a moment
earlier, Willans remains engaging company, with heavy dollops
of humour and self-deprecation punctuating his flow.
Arriving on the dot of our agreed meeting time in downtown
Helsinki, Willans plonks himself down on the couch and adds a
dash of milk to his coffee. Having recently returned from time
spent in Spain and Portugal, his first port of conversational call
is about the English retirees who move to Southern Europe to
live. ?They?re a funny lot. You?ll often hear them moaning about
the Spanish ? then the next moment, without any sense of irony,
they?ll moan there?s too many immigrants in England.?
Soon we are taking in a description of his home, a converted
mental hospital in Jokipuisto, Sipoo. Willans has enjoyed his
time there, however, after three years spent indulging in fresh
country air ? and running out of things to do in the evening once
the winter darkness sets in ? the Willans family is moving back
to Helsinki.
With his first collection of short stories, Spellbound: Stories of
women?s magic over men now published, the English author has
lots to say about love, life and Finland.
Why did you come here to Finland in the first place?
Surprise, surprise, I followed a girl. I originally met my wife,
Anna Maria, in a club in Brixton. I was dancing when she tapped
me on the shoulder and asked me if I?d buy her a beer. Clearly
when a beautiful blonde girl in a dazzling silver dress asks that
question, you?re going to say yes? although I did wait until the
tune finished. Later, I asked her back to my house for a cup of
tea. She politely declined, but a year later we were living together.
Then, in 2001, we went travelling for a year. When we retuned to
a British summer of battleship grey skies and drizzle, I thought,
?Screw this! Let?s head over to Finland?. Happily, it was the hottest
summer in something like 300 years. After a few glorious weeks
of swimming, biking and hanging out on terraces, I had no desire
to go back to England. So we stayed. Other than spending a year
in Peru, I?ve now been here nearly ten years.
What was your first impression of Finland?
I really liked it. It?s always exciting to get to know a new place
and Helsinki?s a beautiful city. Of course it was the honeymoon
period, when you feel like an explorer. Plus, it?s an easy place to
be English. I think Finns quite like English people in general and
they like to speak English, which made things easier.
How has your opinion of Finland changed over the years?
Although I?m still a big fan of Finland, I?m inevitably a little more
critical. Take the intrusive bureaucracy ? Finns have a different
relationship with government. They?re more trusting of it, which
I understand, but I still find it annoying that institutions like the
naming committee have the power to veto my choice of name for
my child.
I?ve grown to love Helsinki even more though. It?s now a truly
European multicultural city, which makes it infinitely more
interesting. When I first came here in 1996, it was very much a
monoculture. Now it?s a lot more culturally rich? there?s loads
more bars, restaurants and theatres. Regarding the country in
general, I really like the way people are looked after by society.
It?s unfortunate that political parties like Kokoomus are trying
to change that. I was brought up in Thatcher?s Britain and taught
greed was good and wealth brought you happiness. It doesn?t.
People do.
What about Finnish people?
My perception of Finnish people hasn?t changed as much. I still
admire their honesty, and the way they?re so comfortable with
silence and nature. I like the fact that once you befriend them
you have a friend for life. One thing that has really saddened me
in recent years, though, is the rise of the True Finns. The idea
that they truly represent Finnish people is laughable, but clearly
they?ve struck a chord with some. I?ve been appalled by the casual
acceptance of racism, both in the press and in general.
When I lived in Peru I discovered what it?s like to be distinctly different from the locals. Even though I spoke pretty good
Spanish, it was really tough to integrate. It?s human nature to
be wary of difference, but as far as I?m concerned, anyone who
comes to live in a country that?s dark for four months of the years
and freezing for five should be given a medal, not abuse. But
despite the sickening rise of petty nationalism, I still very much
sing Finland?s praises when I?m abroad.
What about raising your kids here? If you were raising them
in the UK would things be different?
Absolutely, Finland and the UK are two very different types
of society. School is a great example of that. I remember being
amazed that kids here don?t start school until seven, have very
short school days and massive holidays. Yet despite this, Finland
always comes top, or thereabouts, in UN rankings of worldwide
education.
I first got a clue to why that is when I started taking my son,
Eliot, to day-care. It really struck me how, when kids walk in
the door, the first thing they do is take their shoes off. It?s a
small thing, but basically it makes them feel like they?re at home.
Clearly kids study harder when they feel comfortable and happy
in their environment. In the UK you never take off your shoes
at school. Everything is much more regimented. You wear a
uniform, you call your teacher ?Sir? and ?Miss? rather than ?Pekka?
and ?Outi?. It?s much more geared toward competition. I loved
school, but it can be a cruel, heartless place if you don?t fit in.
I think this is also reflected in the work place. People in the
UK are often amazed that Finland scores so highly in research
like the World Economic Forum?s Global Competiveness Report.
This year I think Finland was ranked third, despite the fact it?s a
social democracy, and not an über-capitalist corporate paradise
like the UK or US, which both ranked lower. It just shows that,
despite what the right wing economists say, when people are
treated with respect they learn better and work better.
So, I?m very happy for my children to grow up here. They visit
England quite often but they are clearly more Finnish than
English, and I don?t think that?s a bad thing.
So, they must be comfortable with silences then.
Ah no, they are not actually very silent at all. In fact, sometimes
I wish they were a bit quieter [laughs]. But then neither my
wife nor her family are very traditionally Finnish in that sense.
Dinner at her parents? house can be like eating at a debating club!
?I
?ve always liked the
idea of sneaking my
words, my characters
and my ideas into
people?s heads.?
Tell me about your time in Peru.
It was my wife?s idea to go. We were both working for advertising
agencies as copywriters, and she wanted to do something more
worthwhile. I saw it as a great opportunity to help some people
out and focus on my writing. We volunteered to work for an NGO
and were sent to small Andean town called Andahuaylas. It?s on
the way to Cusco, the old Inca capital, and was very central to
the fighting between the government and the Maoist rebels, the
Shining Path, in the ?80s and ?90s. It?s really beautiful, but hardly
ever visited by tourists. We lived there for a year, teaching kids
art and English.
So, you?re an artist also?
I wish! I love drawing and painting, but wouldn?t call myself an
artist. The kids were very young, so mainly we did things like
finger painting, collage, papier mâché masks and potato prints.
I tried to write most of the time, too, but the trouble was that
Andean Peruvians are very, very sociable. We?d get invited to
picnics and lunches, dinners and parties every day. They found it
very strange that I wanted to be alone. Some even asked my wife
if I was a bit loco. I loved their lust for life, but drinking Cuba
Libre until 6am just isn?t very good for your muse or your head.
So how was it when you then returned to Finland? How did
this experience inform your life here?
When I first went travelling I realised how lucky we are to live
in Europe. Living in Peru simply reinforced this. Lucky in the
sense that the vast majority of us don?t have to worry about going
hungry, or having access to clean water. We get free healthcare,
education and we often have the chance to follow our dreams.
That said, in Peru, family is very important, and there seems to
be endless fiestas. Most don?t have the material wealth or enjoy
the comforts we take for granted. Yet in many ways their lives
seem richer and in some very human ways, happier.
I tried to write about this while I was there, but never really captured it properly. Probably because the indigenous culture mixed
up with Catholicism made the everyday so strange to me. One
day I could be at a cock fight, the next getting hammered with the
local medicine man who?d just read my future from coca leaves.
Trying to write about this somehow made my Peruvian stories
feel about as authentic as an American daytime soap opera.
Why did you start writing in the first place?
I?ve always written stories. My first attempt at a book was when
I was about 14. I remember sitting in the forest at the back of my
garden and writing, in incredible detail, about the movements of
a ladybird. This was all to set the scene for a great battle featuring elves, dwarves and other fantasy creatures. Nothing very
original, I?m afraid.
I started to seriously write fiction when I studied creative
writing at the London School of Journalism, a year before Peru.
I began with short stories because I wanted to lean the craft of
writing without dedicating myself to a novel. I churned a lot of
stuff out at the beginning. I actually felt guilty if I wasn?t writing.
And it was a challenge. Writing fiction is a lot, lot harder than
I ever imagined. Other than that, I?ve always liked the idea of
sneaking my words, my characters and my ideas into people?s
heads. It?s probably an ego thing [laughs].
How did Spellbound come about?
In the last few years I?ve had dozens of stories published in magazines and anthologies. I?ve won literary prizes and had a couple of
stories read on BBC radio, so a collection of my own was a natural
progression. When my publisher Route invited me to meet them
in Leeds, they asked me what I thought were the unifying themes
in my stories. I suggested the evils of materialism, culture shock,
the obsession with careers. My publisher, Ian Daley, shook his
head and said, ?No, it?s a lot simpler than that. It?s girls.?
That was a real epiphany for me. But he was right, practically
all my stories revolve around women, hence the subtitle, Stories
of women?s magic over men. Interestingly, the most heroic
characters in the book are Finnish women, while two of the most
unpleasant characters are English women.
Why would Finnish girls come out so well? Is there a major
difference in your mind between Finnish and English women?
That?s a good question. I?ve got nothing against English girls.
I like them and in the past I?ve loved them, but if you were to
generalise, I suppose English girls are a bit more superficial,
more into appearance and shopping. But that?s British culture for
you ? the idea that buying stuff will make you happy, the worship
of celebrity, the obsession with bling. The English women in the
book tend to be unhappier with their lives, more materialistic
and money obsessed, while the Finnish girls are wiser and more
grounded, more worthy of respect. I didn?t consciously write
them like this. It?s just how they came out. It?s probably my wife?s
subtle powers messing with my head.
What does Spellbound mean to you, now it is published and
in people?s hands?
It feels brilliant! It?s something I?ve dreamed of my entire life.
The best thing is having people tell me how much they?ve enjoyed
reading the stories and reading some fantastic reviews. What?s
surprised me is how my many men have said that they really
loved them.
?I think short stories have something of a reputation of being
a genre read by women, even though historically some of the
greatest male authors have been short story writers: J.D. Salinger,
Philip Roth, Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Stephen King all
wrote them. Raymond Carver only wrote short fiction. I?d love
to see short stories make a comeback. They?re perfect for the fast
paced life most of us live these days. What better way to start the
day than with a short, sharp shot of fiction!
What lies ahead for you?
Well, in terms of fiction, I aim to finish my novel. It?s about 75 per
cent done and now Spellbound?s out I can really focus on it. It?s
been a lot of fun to write. I?ve really learnt to love the characters.
Someone who read the first ten chapters told them me it seems
like a cross between The Beach and Bright Lights, Big City. It?s
a pretty good analogy. I suppose you could call it a 21st century
quest, a road trip that takes the characters from London to Peru
to Finland,
How do you balance all of this with the work you do with your
own communications agency, Ink Tank?
It?s a challenge. Ink Tank?s really growing at the moment. We
have six people writing for us, as well as myself and my wife.
Currently, we specialise in writing blogs, which generate sites
lots of traffic. Our own blog at www.inktank.fi gets over 400
thousands visitors a month. Ultimately the aim is the same as in
fiction though, to write brilliant stories.
Fiction, unfortunately, has to take second place to work at the
moment. But it?s nice way to chill my mind out. There?s no need
for self-editing, I can just make let my imagination go crazy. It
feels invigorating after a day of blogging.
Finally, how much of an influence is Finland having on your
writing?
A lot more than I probably realise. Nearly a third of Spellbound?s
stories are set in Finland or have Finnish characters, and the
novel?s final section is set in Finland. I?ve lived here for nearly ten
years, so it?s inevitable that Finland has changed the way I think
about the world and how I write about it. Happily, I think Finland
is also interesting to an English speaking audience. The Nordic
countries, with their intense winters, their strange customs and
blonde populations, have an exotic allure for English people.
Spellbound: Stories of women?s magic over men is available
from Inktank.fi, Amazon and Helsinki?s Luckan.
Date and place of birth: 1972, Sudbury,
Suffolk.
Family: Married, to Anna Maria, with
two wonderful children, Eliot (4) and
Lotte. (1.5)
Education: University of Greenwich, BA
in History.
My favourite author is?David Mitchell.
Finland is very?beautiful, often very cold
and sometimes wonderfully weird.
The pen is mightier than the
sword because?it enables
you to get inside the heads
of generations of different
people.
Lifestyle
8
Issue 02 2013
Frosty tasties
Frozen food may not count as haute cuisine,
but is its inferior reputation entirely deserved?
Teemu Henriksson
T
HE USEFULNESS of frozen food products should be
evident to anyone who has ever added frozen vegetables
into a wok, sprinkled frozen berries onto their morning
porridge ? or discovered a forgotten ready-made pizza in
the freezer when thinking that there?s just nothing to eat.
And the benefits of a freezer do not stop there: Finns are particularly fond of freezing foodstuff, whether self-picked berries
or game meat, as a way of preserving food. For example most
berry-pickers freeze a major part of their crop, to be enjoyed
when the season for berries has long passed.
There is, however, a persistent suspicion that frozen ingredients
are notably less healthy than when bought fresh. In fact, the difference between the two is not as great as some imagine, and in
some cases it can be that the opposite is true: frozen ingredients
sometimes contain better nutritional value.
?If vegetables are frozen when fresh, their nutritional value
tends not to drop much,? explains Kajsa Härmälä, development
manager from Marttaliitto (the Martha Organisation), a home
economics organisation that promotes the quality and standard
of life in the home. ?This is especially true when vegetables are
quickly processed and frozen after collecting, using an industrial
freezing system.?
The key here is industrial freezing, which differs greatly from
freezing at home. ?Home freezers freeze the food slowly, leaving
water molecules big which, for example, changes the consistency
of fish. Industrial freezing is immediate, and water molecules
are left small and thus don?t have the same effect,? says Timo
Partola, marketing director at Findus Finland Oy.
Moreover, in order to retain maximum nutritional values,
many frozen products are processed as quickly as possible, and
farmed close to the factories. For instance the contracted farms of
Apetit are located within 100 kilometres from the factory. ?Many
consumers are not aware of this, but frozen food is actually
fresh,? says Riikka Haarasilta-Suutarinen, product group manager at Apetit Suomi Oy. ?Peas are a good example: our domestic
peas are frozen within two hours after harvesting. In some cases
such vegetables retain their nutrients better than vegetables that
are stored and unprocessed for long periods of time.?
Lifestyle
9
SixDegrees
Finns as consumers of frozen
food
Though frozen food sections
in supermarkets are these days
quite extensive, the Finnish
market for frozen food is in
some ways different from those
of other Nordic countries.
According to Partola, the per
capita consumption of frozen
food is the lowest in Finland.
?You can see a difference just
by comparing bags of frozen
vegetables: in Sweden they are
much bigger, up to a kilo, as the
Swedish use as much as they
need at a time and save the rest
for the next time. In Finland
the bags are typically sized for
single use,? Partola says. This is
partly explained by the longer
history that frozen food has in
Sweden (Findus was founded
there already in the 1940s).
Another difference is in the
consumption of fish, which on
the whole is very popular in
Finland. ?Even globally speaking, Finns eat a lot of fish.
However only 10 per cent of it
is frozen fish, a much smaller
portion than in Sweden, for
example,? says Partola, ?You
could say that the benefits of
cold chain are better understood in that it?s better for the
fish to be frozen soon after
catching, compared to freezing
at home.?
What also stands out to a
foreign visitor is the fact that
most ready-made meals are
kept in the fridge in Finland,
and not in the freezer, unlike
in many other countries.
For many Finns, the freezer
is more for preserving food
over longer periods of time or
saving the leftovers from own
cooking, and less for the storing of everyday ingredients or
convenience food.
Given this background, it is
not surprising that frozen food
often carries connotations that
are more negative than it usually merits. Also Partola notes
that frozen foodstuff is sometimes seen as low-end items
in the supermarkets? range of
choice. However, its popularity and the size of selection
have grown over time, and the
departments for frozen food in grocery stores are relatively big
these days. ?The most common way of using frozen food is as
vegetable accompaniment, or in soups and casseroles,? estimates
Haarasilta-Suutarinen.
Good for you
As a proof of the nutritional values that their products include,
Partola refers to a recent study into frozen vegetables that an
independent research group conducted for Findus. It found that
in some cases, depending on the vegetable, frozen vegetables had
more nutrients than those that had been stored and transferred
to grocery stores fresh.
Relating to the healthiness of frozen food, it is also worth it to
address a misconception that many have ? namely, frozen food
does not include any added preservatives. ?According to our
research, 30 per cent of consumers believe the contrary. ? says
Partola. In reality, the cold chain that reaches from the factory to
the consumer?s freezer is sufficient to preserve the food.
Part of the picture is also the way the frozen food is defrosted,
which has an impact on the foodstuff. When making kiisseli
(berry soup) or having berries with porridge, it?s a good idea to
add the berries frozen as they soon melt in the food. For other
uses, the defrosting method that retains most nutrients is the
microwave, says Härmälä: ?Using the microwave?s defrost function is a better solution from the point of view of nutritional
value than leaving the product to defrost in the fridge or room
temperature. However, you should only defrost the food, not let
it heat up, so this requires you to be careful with the microwave.?
For those concerned by the recent news regarding meat in
certain frozen food products abroad, the good news is that
the selection in Finland is closely monitored, and no products
have been found compromised (see the attached story for more
details). So, good for you and simple to use ? what?s not to like
about frozen food?
Ethics
of frozen food
In January, some frozen food products that were advertised
as including only beef were found to include horse DNA in
the UK and Ireland. Later, also some products in Sweden
and France were discovered to contain horsemeat. When
SixDegrees went to press, the source of the meat was
yet to be confirmed, but a Romanian meat producer was
suspected.
However, no products sold in Finland have been found
to contain horsemeat. A probable consequence of the
incident is that production chains of meat products, which
are sometimes unclear to the final consumer, are likely to
become more closely monitored in the future. Timo Partola,
marketing director at Findus Finland Oy, says he would
welcome this development, noting that the quality of food is
a number one concern for Findus, some of whose products
were discovered to contain horsemeat.
To maintain high quality, Partola mentions a couple of
programmes aimed at ensuring ethical use of meat in
their products. Findus has a scheme that aims to make
sure that overfishing doesn?t take place for its products.
Furthermore, the company also follows MSC, a certificate
and ecolabelling programme for sustainable seafood in
which also WWF participates.
TOP 5 FINDUS FROZEN PRODUCTS
?
?
?
?
?
Different wok vegetable mixes
Saithe (fish)
Pyttipannu (hodgepodge of food)
Breaded fish
Pulla
I N T E G R AT I O N
Luckan´s Integration service Bridge provides information
and advice to immigrants in order to get started in the capital region. As a Finland-Swedish organisation we are specialized in giving information about the Finland-Swedish
society. We also arrange events for immigrants in English,
mostly focusing on job seeking courses.
The integration service is open:
Tuesday 11-19, Wednesday 11-16, Thursday 11-16. If you want
advice on a certain issue, please book an appointment in advance by filling in the form on our webpage:
bridge.luckan.fi or e-mailing: bridge@luckan.fi
BRIDGE PROGRAMME FEBRUARY-MARCh 2013
How to write a CV for a job in Finland?
February 27th, 3-5 p.m.
Is your CV up to date? Tony Eichholz gives you tips on how to write a CV for the Finnish job market. Register by February 23th.
Swedish for Beginners I (in Russian) 44 euro
March 11th- May 27th, Mondays at 5-7.30 p.m.
Learn to communicate in everyday situations, starting from scratch (A1). The teacher speaks
Russian. You can register through www.hel.fi/arbis or by phone 09 310 49494. The course is organised by Arbis (Swedish Adult Education Centre of Helsinki) and Luckan. Course price: 44 euro. The course books will be provided by the organizers. For more information visit bridge.luckan.fi www.arbis.hel.fi/. Venue: Luckan, Simonkatu 8.
Trend
of the Month
E-Invoicing
a cheaper, greener
and faster way to
pay your bills.
invoices
Eva Peltonen
A
S direct debiting will be phased out in Finland in its
current form after the end of January 2014, Finns are
increasingly encouraged to use electronic invoicing
(e-invoicing). Direct debit has enabled the creditor to draw
money from the account of debtor on a regular basis.
According to Turun Sanomat, only half of Finns know
very little, if anything, about e-invoicing. Currently only
one third of Finns use e-invoicing, whereas 64 per cent of
companies use e-invoicing according to the recent research
made by the Federation of Finnish Financial Services
(FKL).
Unlike paper-based invoices, e-invoicing provides all the
necessary data in digital form and has many benefits for
both consumers and companies.
There are considerable cost savings which can be realised
by using e-invoicing. Pirjo Ilola, head of development
from FKL, stated in Turun Sanomat that, ?Receiving
and processing a paper invoice costs 30 euros, whereas
e-invoice costs ten euros and if it is automated the cost is
only one euro. Most of the economic benefits therefore
arise from the full process automation and integration
from order to payment between trading parties.
The use of the e-invoice is also environmentally friendly
in terms of reducing paper consumption and energy
costs for transportation. In addition, e-invoicing allows
for shorter payment delays and fewer errors. E-invoicing
is also a flexible and convenient way to pay bills, as it is
irrespective of time and place. The European Commission
would like to see e-invoicing becoming the predominant
method of invoicing in Europe by 2020.
Basic Computer Skills
March 1st -22nd, Fridays at 10 a.m. - 12.30 p.m.
Learn the basics of how to use a computer, create an e-mail address, use the internet, social media, Microsoft Office etc. The course is aimed for beginners. Venue: Arbis, Dagmarinkatu 3, Helsinki. You can register through www.hel.fi/arbis or by phone 09 310 49494. The course is organised by Arbis (Swedish Adult Education Centre of Helsinki) and Luckan.
Swedish Language Café
Monday 4 of March, 5-7 p.m.
Practice your Swedish in a welcoming and informal environment at the Swedish language café in Luckan. We will discuss everyday situations and adapt the evening according to the participants levels. A great way to both activate and improve your Swedish! Register by March 1st.
Information session: How to start up a business in Finland?
March 7th, 3-5 p.m.
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 etc. Register by March 5th.
Food Hygiene ? training and testing (33 euro)
March 11th and 15th, 5-8.45 p.m
The training course covers all subject areas of food hygiene proficiency. Those who passes the
test are provided with the card and certification (so-called hygiene passport) issued by the
Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira. Lecturer: Marja Laukkanen. Venue: Arbis, Dagmarinkatu 3,
Helsinki. You can register through www.hel.fi/arbis or by phone 09 310 49494. Please note that
a receipt of payment must be presented at the course. The course is organised by Arbis (Swedish Adult Education Centre of Helsinki) and Luckan.
CV Clinic and Fun Club for Children
March 14th, 3-5 p.m.
Do you need tips on how to write a professional CV? Bring your CV (in Finnish, Swedish och English) and let us help you improve it. We can also help you with creating a CV in case you don´t
have one. During the CV Clinic we organise a creative workshop for children (drawing, storytelling, drama). Register by March 12th.
How to prepare for a job interview
March 27th, 3-5 p.m.
What to think about when preparing for a job interview? During the lecture we will discuss how
to prepare for and what typically happens during a job interview. Lecturer: Tony Eichholz. Register by March 25th.
All events are held in Luckan, Simonkatu 8 in Helsinki and are free of charge,
unless otherwise mentioned.
Please register to bridge@luckan.fi if not mentioned otherwise in the
event description.
During spring 2013 we continuously plan new activities and events, to stay
updated please follow our webpage bridge.luckan.fi
Would you like to sign up for our electronic newsletters with upcoming events?
Please e-mail bridge@luckan.fi
You find us on facebook http://www.facebook.com/LuckanIntegration
LUCKAN
Simonkatu 8, 00100 Helsinki
Contact: bridge@luckan.fi / 040 485 9636 / www.luckan.fi/bridge
Society
10
Issue 02 2013
Column
The land that
taste forgot
Can the
David Brown
A strange thing happened in the US sometime during
the 1980s ? Americans discovered food. While Mexican,
Italian and Chinese immigrants had been producing
wonderful food since their arrival in the US, it was only in
quite recently that ordinary people began to embrace and
recreate what their neighbours were eating.
Universe
As ethnic cuisine blossomed and morphed into so-called
fusion cuisine, the concept took hold and spread around
the world to such an extent that cities like Toronto, Sydney
and Auckland came to be as famous for the innovation
and quality of their food as they had once been for its
blandness and mediocrity.
exist without
Thus far, this trend has largely passed Finland by.
Although ethnic restaurants operate in all mid-size
Finnish towns, the quality is generally so poor that 90
per cent of them would fail in any other market. Almost
no restaurants are serving genuinely authentic food, but
instead rely on sad imitations designed for the Finnish
palate. Much of what is passed off as Chinese or Italian
food is unrecognisable from anything served in Beijing
or Rome, and food from Korea, Malaysia, South America
and Africa is still not available at all. What Finnish fusion
cuisine there is too often seems to have been created on
the basis of halving the portions and tripling the prices.
?A
lmost no restaurants
are serving
genuinely authentic
food, but instead rely
on sad imitations.?
If Finland is a generation behind in producing innovative
cuisine, the situation is possibly worse when it comes to
breweries.
It has been thirty years since microbreweries sprang up
out of nowhere across the US, often one-man operations
that grew into major brands thanks to risk taking and
innovation. Unable to compete with them on quality, the
megabrands were forced to either buy them, or poach the
staff who could recreate the products on a larger scale.
While this seems to have happened in every developed
country on earth, somehow Finland has bucked the trend.
The Finnish market is still controlled by two corporate
behemoths, neither of whom have any interest in creativity or quality.
Although it is easy to blame restaurants for failing
to keep up with the trends, there are genuine reasons
why Finland lags behind. Firstly, we lack immigrants.
Cities like Melbourne and Birmingham began producing
stunning Vietnamese and Bengali food to serve their
own ethnic communities. Finland simply does not have
those communities. That situation may slowly change,
particularly as the success of several small Thai cafes does
suggest Finns are increasingly ready to try new and different dishes, but it does also require restaurants to compete
more on quality than they currently do.
With coffee, the issue is clearer. While local producers
may argue that the absolutely dreadful standard of coffee
here simply reflects Finnish tastes, consumers can only
buy what is made available to them, and at reasonable
prices. As Europe opens up, so hopefully will our options.
David Brown is a language consultant and journalist, regularly
covering stories in Africa, Asia & the Middle East. He has lived
in Finland for 10 years.
God
As we find ourselves already
two months into the year,
it?s as good a time as any
to contemplate the bigger
questions.
writings on theological matters are still regarded with interest
by the Catholic Church, explained this back in the 13th century
in his Summa Theologica: Everything in the world around us
has a cause; but the chain of causation cannot extend back into
infinity; therefore, there must be a first cause, and this is God.
Add to this list the work of German philosopher Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz or the so-called kalam cosmological argument
canonised by the Christian Apologist William Lane Craig, who
holds that:
1.
2.
3.
Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
The universe began to exist
Therefore, the universe has a cause.
Using this framework, which is drawn from Islamic theology,
many believers have found plenty of truck in the idea that if the
universe had a beginning then it must have had a creator in God.
Dr. Gareth Rice
Many Finnish Lutherans told me something along the lines of,
?Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try ?this must have been so astonishing and we cannot accept it as a
to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the brute fact.? They also accept that they may never know why and
universe exist. Be curious.? Professor Stephen Hawking, scientist how such creation took place. This is consistent with what it says
in the Bible. ?It?s the glory of God?, said Solomon, ?to conceal a
ou may have chosen to ignite your bones with a glass of thing.? ?No man?, said the Preacher, ?can find out the work of
glögi and complete the tradition by eating ginger bread God.?
This, however, is to cantilever our question into territory where
during the past Christmas season. You perhaps also caught
a glimpse of a nativity scene: that familiar depiction of it is more difficult to test, but it doesn?t avoid the major difficulty
the birth of Jesus as described in the Bible. For the majority of in making clear how a being outside of space and time, as God is
Christians the nativity scene has an especially high credit, because conceived to be here, could stand in an intelligible relation to our
it is a reminder that Mary miraculously received Jesus by way of universe, whether as its creator or as the author of events within
the Holy Spirit. The so called Christmas Star revealed the birth it. Working in the tradition of Aristotle, Kant and Wittgenstein,
of Jesus to the ?Three Wise Men?, who followed it to Bethlehem the philosopher Bede Rundle contends that a personal agent
to visit the son of God in his manger as depicted in that world (God) cannot be the first cause because intentional agency needs
famous Christmas carol. Many Christians believe that the same a body and actions occur within space-time. Rundle argues
God created the universe and also laid down the laws of nature and that to claim God as creator is even more problematic than the
continues to let them run like clockwork. For non-believers, by universe which he is called upon to explain.
The cosmological argument, and Craig?s version of it in
contrast, the nativity scene is part of a larger fabrication of events,
a welter of fraud, to sustain the illusion of monotheism that God particular, has been attacked vehemently and rejected utterly by
created the universe and all life within it. As this inquirer explains the modern scientific perspective. In his best-selling book, God:
below, when asked the question ?Can the universe exist without The Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows that God Does Not
God?? we should not rush to fill gaps in our knowledge with God, Exist, the American particle physicist Victor Stenger shows that,
by accepting that quantum events ? probabilistic causes ? are
by default, but rather be grateful that scientists are so curious.
caused in a non-predetermined manner, Craig destroys his own
case for a predetermined creation. Other scientists have gone
Where does the buck stop?
The cosmological argument is a broad church of claims that further and argued that there was no first cause, or singularity,
all attempt to prove that the universe needed a supernatural, at all. In A Brief History of Time, a popular science book, Stephen
or divine, first cause to come into existence. This is rooted Hawking uses quantum mechanics, the theory of atomic process
in the idea that something cannot come from nothing. It that was developed in the years following Einstein?s theories of
follows that anything that comes into being, like, say the ?Big relativity, with great precision to conclude that, ?there was in
Bang? ? the cosmic explosion that marked the origin of the fact no singularity at the beginning of the universe.? In sum, the
universe approximately 13.75 billion years ago ? must have had science suggests that, our universe had no beginning ? it existed
a cause. Philosophers from Aristotle to William Lane Craig for all previous time.
have suggested that God ? a transcendent, immaterial being of
unimaginable power beyond space and time ? was the first cause Everything in its rightful place
and creator of our universe. This is part of a longer tradition Francis Collins, the geneticist of Human Genome Project fame
nested within organised religion. As St. Thomas Aquinas, whose and former atheist, recounts how one crisp Autumn afternoon,
Y
Society
11
SixDegrees
the ?watchmaker analogy.? Here we encounter the person who
stumbles across a ticking watch. They may not know what it
is, but they know that it is not a rock or vegetable, and that
it has been manufactured, and even manufactured for some
purpose. In 1802, Paley equated the complexity of the watch
with the complexity of the universe and argued that the latter
must also necessitate a designer. Until he returned from his
legendary voyage on the Beagle, the great evolutionary biologist
Charles Darwin thought that Paley?s analogy made sense. This
was mainly because living beings showed complexity and were
exquisitely fitted to their places in a world where everything
seemed to be in its rightful place.
In 1859, however, it was soon clear that Darwin had changed
his mind. His On the Origin of Species essentially laid the foundations of evolutionary biology. Darwin convinced many people
that evolution by natural selection was the key to the existence
of complex adaptions. From his worldly travels he had gathered
a vast wealth of evidence, from an impressive range of scientific
disciplines, which clearly showed that humans, like all living
things is the result of evolution, and was descended from some
apelike ancestor, and certainly not the product of intelligent
design.
Paley?s complacency and wrongheadedness are also well caught
by Richard Dawkins, another biologist and contemporary
of Darwin. In The Blind Watchmaker he explains how the
watchmaker analogy is a self-refuting argument: if complex
things must have been intelligently designed by something more
complex than themselves, then anything posited as this complex
designer, say God must also have been designed by something yet
more complex. As Dawkins puts it: ?Those people who leap from
personal bafflement at a natural phenomenon straight to a hasty
invocation of the supernatural are no better than the fools who
see a conjuror bending a spoon and leap to the conclusion that
it is ?paranormal.?? The journalist, polemicist and author of God
Is Not Great, ?Christopher Hitchens is just as sceptical: ?...creationism, or ?intelligent design? (its only cleverness being found
in this underhanded rebranding of itself) is not even a theory. In
all its well-financed propaganda, it has never even attempted to
show how one single piece of the natural world is explained better
by ?design? than by evolutionary competition.?
whilst hiking in the Cascade Mountains, he was struck by how
finely tuned everything looked. While taking in the symphony
of the surrounding landscape he came upon a beautiful frozen
waterfall with three prongs that he believed was intended to
represent the Holy Trinity. He describes the experience in his
2006 book The Language of God:
?...the majesty and beauty of God?s creation overwhelmed my
resistance. As I rounded a corner and saw a beautiful and unexpected frozen waterfall, hundreds of feet high, I knew the search
was over. The next morning, I knelt in the dewy grass as the sun
rose and surrendered to Jesus Christ.?
Collins?s experience (or attack of piety?) relates to the second set
of arguments used to support the notion that the universe cannot,
and therefore does not, exist without God: intelligent design or
creationism. This claims that the complex ways in which everything comes together in equilibrium proves the wisdom and
omnipotence of God by His works. Here we are to believe that
the firmament is in some mysterious way ordered for our benefit.
A God filled or Godless universe?
Modern science tells is that our universe is not irreducibly
complex. In other words, everything can be explained, or at
least it will come to be, without having to resort to cosmological
arguments or the illusion of some intelligent design by God.
Granted that our universe and all life within it did not come
about by chance, but this should not be taken to mean that
purported improbability is evidence of design: all good scientific
explanations to those who wait. In the words of a certain Indian
man, who writes under the pen name ?Ibn Warraq?: ?Indeed, to
explain everything in terms of God is precisely not to explain
anything ? it is to cut all inquiry dead, to stifle any intellectual
curiosity, to kill any scientific progress.?
So, if after the copious amounts of glögi consumed towards the
end of last year made you plan to follow the Christmas Star, or
contemplate about the inner workings of your wrist watch, take the
advice of Stephen Hawking: ?Be curious.?
The watchmaker analogy: The blind leading the blind?
It was the English Christian Apologist and philosopher William
Paley who famously summarised the design arguments using
Legal Immigrants
In this new series 6D gets to know what it?s like to be
a regular immigrant in Finland.
Beth Morton
THIS month we caught up with American Daniel McMullen,
who has been enjoying the Finnish way of life here for 11 years?
What do you do here in Finland?
I work for an American telecommunications vendor company
in a global support function.
How and when did you end up here?
I met my Finnish wife in the USA and, after living there
together for about two-and-a-half years, we decided to come
to Finland to live for a while. It was never quite clear how long
the ?for a while? meant, but we?ve been living here since 2001.
What attracts you about the Finnish culture?
Believe it or not, the quiet! There?s also this kind of honour
system in Finland and the trust that you will pay for public
services. Another attractive thing that I can appreciate now, as
a parent, is the education system ? it?s wonderful!
What culture shocks did you experience when coming to
Finland?
Again, the quiet, and the seeming ?rudeness? of Finns. Over
time, I learned that it?s not rudeness at all ? it?s just how things
are here. No one wants to be imposed upon or impose upon
others.
Have you been able to settle and integrate into Finnish
society?
Yes and no! I think I have a pretty good handle on how things
work here, though there are times I feel a little lost. Having
a family here has really helped in further integrating, as I?m
able to be involved in more things and see how people grow in
Finland. Even though I?ve been here a long time and can get
into the flow of most things, I still feel like an outsider at times,
Minority Report
In this new series, SixDegrees takes
a look at the ethnic minorities here
in Finland.
This month:
Afghans
Teemu Henriksson
AMONG the immigrant
groups in Finland, the
Afghans are somewhere in the middle
when compared in
size: according to the 2011 figures of the Population
Information System, there are fewer than 3,000 Afghans
living in Finland.
The Afghan populations in other Nordic countries
are markedly greater, however. This is mostly because
Afghans have been arriving in Finland only for about ten
years now, says Zakir Ehsani, a 19-year old Afghan living
in Tampere, and one of the people running the Facebook
group Suomessa asuvat afganistanilaiset (Afghans Living
in Finland).
Though modestly sized, the group is evidently active:
celebrations for Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and other
events are organised in every major city in Finland. The
role of Suomen Afgaanijärjestö ry (the Finnish Afghans?
Association) as a nation-wide association is important in
putting on cultural events and seminars all across Finland.
In addition, there are smaller, local associations for different tribes (there are four major tribes in Afghanistan), but
all Afghans are welcome to their events.
Many of the happenings are cross-cultural, organised in
collaboration with other associations, and showcase food,
dancing and other cultural activities from Afghanistan
and Finland. The young Afghans integrate into Finland
easily, says Ehsani, as they go to school and learn Finnish
there and through friends. According to him, the challenge
of settling in is greater for the older generations ? Finnish
is typically more difficult to learn for them, especially as
most lack education because of decades of war that have
afflicted the country, and cannot read or write even in
their own language.
The principal reason why Afghans leave their country is
insecurity. In fact, Afghanistan has the biggest migration
rate in the world: according to UN records, in 2011 every
fourth refugee in the world was from Afghanistan, and
over 5.7 million people have left the country in the last 10
years as refugees.
What undoubtedly helps in settling in a new society is the
support of fellow countrymen, and Ehsani says that there
exists a real sense of community
among Afghans in Finland. ?When
I came to Finland with my parents
three years ago, already in a few
days we had got to know some local
Afghans!? he says. ?Generally speaking the Afghans in Finland are welcoming, stay closely in touch, help
each other and inform one another
of events.?
Zakir Ehsani
no matter how much of the culture I learn.
What are/were your worries?
The continued rise in the cost of living in the Helsinki
Metropolitan area is a concern and I?m worried that the government will, one day, decide to charge tuitions to universities.
I?m also curious as to how my USA pension will be combined
here in Finland?if at all.
What are your future hopes and wishes for your life here?
To continue improving my Finnish language skills, especially
the slang, so that I?ll understand what my children are talking
about! Also, to get off my backside and become a Finnish
Citizen, and to live happily ?for a while? longer in Suomi.
What is your favourite Finnish word?
Löyly (the steam and heat of a sauna). It took me years to finally
pronounce it correctly.
Feature
12
Issue 02 2013
Many
expect
Finland?s
burgeoning games industry
to fill the colossal boots
of Nokia.
Aleksi Teivainen
T
he Finnish games industry is growing at a
rapid rate. Game developers ? spearheaded
by the Angry Birds creator Rovio ? revel in
rave reviews and are raking in rocketing
profits, while clinging firmly onto the top slots on
the App Store and Google Play.
Yet, the task for local companies to compensate
for Nokia?s recent nosedive is a daunting one. The
plight of the mobile phone manufacturer has seen
its market share plummet considerably, to the extent
that Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is targeting a six per
cent share of the smartphone market by year-end.
Last year alone, Nokia laid off 3,700 staff members in
Finland, while ? in sharp contrast ? the entire games
industry employed approximately 1,500 workers.
With an overall turnover of 250 million euro,
however, the fledgling industry remains relatively
insignificant to the national economy. Growth over
the past decade has nevertheless been impressive.
As turnover soars at an annual rate of 50 per cent,
the games industry has emerged as the largest
contents and cultural export industry in Finland,
claims Tekes, a national Funding Agency for
Technology and Innovation. From the industry?s
viewpoint, this is only an overture: its projections
show a ten-fold increase in annual turnover, to 1.5
billion euro, as well as a notable increase in jobs, by
the end of the decade.
According to Kari Korhonen, a senior technology
advisor at Tekes, the objective will be met if the
current growth rate is sustained. ?We already have
150 companies, 40 per cent of which were founded
between 2009 and 2012,? he observes. ?It may even
grow beyond that. Then, we are talking about an
industry with significance in terms of the national
economy.?
In fact, the success of local game studios has
bolstered the confidence of Finns in the national
economy. ?Of course, these are the few positive
signals amid a rather bleak and pessimistic economic outlook,? Korhonen recognises. ?Wholly
export-oriented and competence based, the games
industry has grown. And this encourages other
export-oriented sectors. Finnish companies can
compete and succeed.?
This positive outlook on growth is shared by
Tony Manninen, the CEO at the Oulu-based game
studio, LudoCraft. ?There is room for games in the
world,? he confirms. ?There are so many platforms
and genres, not to mention the indie games scene,
that every Finnish game firm can find its niche and
be a part of the cutting edge.?
An industry that?s not only Angry
Roughly half-a-dozen game studios account for the
majority of the Finnish games industry?s turnover,
Korhonen reminds. Propelled by the worldwide
popularity of its Angry Birds franchise, Rovio
looks poised, yet again, to post vastly improved
annual results. Elsewhere, the Helsinki-based game
developer Supercell has taken the world of mobile
gaming by storm. Its hit games, Clash of Clans and
Hay Day, are currently the top-grossing iPad games
in 77 and 32 countries, respectively. Supercell was
also recently named the Finnish game developer of
the year at the annual DigiExpo exhibition.
?The industry is a bit polarised at the moment,?
Korhonen acknowledges. ?But the growth of new
firms is definitely an indication of further expansion.?
Interestingly, the industry?s growth in not restricted to recreational gaming. In fact, one emerging,
corner of the market set to enjoy healthy growth
in future is in serious games. The demand for
gamified applications [the introduction of gamedesign features in other sectors] and tailor-made
games in education and elderly care, for example,
is expected to increase substantially. ?Games and
playing are vital to people and culture,? Manninen
says. ?Games can challenge and reward you, and
promote interaction with others. In that light, we
believe games will diversify and expand further.?
The popular educational iPad app, Wild Chords,
designed by Helsinki-based music gaming company Ovelin provides a fitting example. ?It?s a game
that teaches you how to play the guitar ? not one of
those guitar controllers,? Manninen explains. ?The
division [between real-life and games] is blurring.?
Let alone Shadow Cities, a location-based
MMORPG (massively multi-player online roleplaying game) which transforms your neighbourhood into a backdrop for a perennial struggle
between two clans of (techno)mages. The groundbreaking gaming experience, available on the App
Store, has been touted as ?the future of mobile gaming? by the New York Times and has established its
Helsinki-based developer, Grey Area, as one of the
world?s most conspicuous game studios.
Tekes at the core
Tekes remains one of the key drivers of the industry in Finland and launched its Skene ? Games
Refueled programme last year to encourage the
development of budding game studios. The programme represents the agency?s third venture into
the industry, which first began to show signs of its
global potential in the late 1990s, Korhonen reveals.
Over the past decade, the recipients of Tekes?
subsidies include Remedy, the creator of the
acclaimed Max Payne and Alan Wake franchises,
and RedLynx, the studio behind the Xbox Live
Arcade hit, Trials Evolution.
Feature
13
SixDegrees
Top
10
Finnish
start-ups
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
www.dealdash.com
Supercell
?L
laid off 3,700 staff
members in Finland, while ?
in sharp contrast ? the entire
games industry employed
The early success stories revealed the industry?s unrefined
potential, but one also should not understate the role of Nokia,
its competence in programming and understanding of the
mobile platform, Korhonen stresses.
LudoCraft has also contributed to Tekes? programmes, as
both partners and participants. According to Manninen,
the benefits offered by Tekes? programmes have recently
improved substantially, as Tekes officials develop a genuine
interest in, and understanding of, the games industry. ?The
subsidies are typically quite a small part of the total effort but
foster the developer?s confidence.?
No lone wolves in Nordic skies
LudoCraft is one of today?s most promising Finnish game
studios. In December, its lauded aerial multi-player battle,
AirBuccaneers, became the first Finnish-crafted game to be
hand-picked by fans for release on Steam, the world?s largest
digital games distribution platform. ?For an independent
studio, getting your product on Steam can be tricky,? says
Manninen. ?It?s such an exclusive distribution channel.?
AirBuccaneers was voted by the Steam community in the
Steam Greenlight System, where fledgling developers vie for
the gamers? approval. ?That is pretty much the best feedback
a developer can get.?
An outline of the extravagant game, which pits Finnish
buccaneers against Swedish Vikings on lumbering blimps,
was drafted already in 2003, when LudoCraft was still a
research unit at the University of Oulu. The actual 18-month
development process, however, did not begin until 2011. The
game was eventually launched on 5 December, a roughly year
after the first alpha versions were put out, the LudoCraft CEO
recalls.
Although it was granted a Tekes subvention, the roughly
one million euro endeavour was financed primarily with the
sales of tailor-made applications. ?It is our largest production
to date. It is also the first multi-player game that genuinely
requires team play. Of course, there is an abundance of co-op
games, but most of them still condone the lone wolves.?
approximately 1,500 workers.?
Mobile prowess
Naturally, most game studios are eager to embark on the
triumphant road paved by Finland?s leading games developers. After a year when the Angry Birds clung stubbornly onto
the top slot on App Store?s top paid apps list and Rovio was
consequently granted an Internationalisation Award of the
President of Finland, many seem to believe that Finns have
discovered the secret behind hit games.
?That?s a question they keep throwing at Ilkka Paananen
[the CEO at Supercell],? Manninen chuckles. ?Sometimes he
says it?s the drinking water, sometimes it?s the four seasons.?
In particular, Finnish game studios have embraced ? and
thrived on ? the mobile platform. Korhonen attributes the
success essentially to two factors: ?First, the production costs
of mobile games are restricted. The other reason is, naturally,
that there is an abundance of mobile know-how. Surely, that
is reflected in the orientation of the firms.?
?You must be able to understand and foretell changes in the
market and in gamer behaviour, to grasp the possibilities
of new technologies, console generations and the relevant
global trends,? Korhonen continues, identifying the agility
needed in such a constantly evolving landscape. ?The Finnish
continues on next page
Tuxera
www.tuxera.com
Sumopaint
www.sumopaint.com
Jolla
www.jolla.com
Vaadin
www.vaadin.com
Web of Trust
www.mywot.com
Despite an intriguing premise, the unique concept may
present challenges for sales and marketing, Manninen recognises. ?We enjoy creating new gaming concepts, because we
believe gamers ? as well as the gaming culture ? are maturing
and developing, and will demand gaming experiences that
are a touch different. The commercial potential may also yet
to come.?
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of gamers prey the
Scandinavian skies, captivated and fascinated by the odd
reference to Kalevala and Scandinavian mythology.
Rovio
www.rovio.com
ast year alone, Nokia
Deal Dash
Sports Tracker
www.sports-tracker.com
Thinklink
www.thinglink.com
10 Picosun
www.picosun.com
Supercell
LudoCraft
Feature
14
Issue 02 2013
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companies are first and foremost agile teams ?That?s the dream, but days go by crawling in
trenches, like in other game firms,? Manninen
of experts.?
In a similar vein, the success of a particular concludes.
game hinges on a number of factors, which
range from timing and luck, to design and Bridge over troubled times
production. ?Both Clash of Clans and Hay Day Of course, not every former Nokia employee
are savvy designs, also from a commercial pursues a career in gaming ? nor is the fate of
viewpoint,? Manninen states. ?Yet, they have the national economy solely dependent on the
obviously been produced on the games? terms; burgeoning industry. Some explore entirely
the process was not governed by economic new horizons. Earlier this year, Helsingin
arguments. There is also a lot you can?t quite Sanomat reported of former Nokia Research
Center employee Antti Rönkkö, who, after
put your finger on.?
Despite the swarms of talented game develop- being laid off by the mobile phone maker in
ers in Finland, fierce domestic rivalries remain 2012, fulfilled his lifelong dream and founded
rare. Instead, game studios collaborate closely Rönkkö Watches, an artisan shop devoted to
and encourage one another by sharing resourc- crafting exclusive, hand-made watches.
Others venture not so far from their roots.
es and experiences. ?Rovio and Supercell attend
the same events, challenge one another and A group of former Nokia employees involved
share knowledge and experiences. Lately, also in the development of MeeGo, the operating
employees seem to transfer from one firm to system of Nokia smartphones until the comanother, ensuring that competences are passed pany hopped onto the Windows bandwagon in
2011, have established the boutique smartphone
on to others.?
firm, Jolla. Its anticipated devices feature the
unique MeeGo-based Sailfish platform and are
A game for workers
A shortage of labour force ? particularly of expected to hit the shelves some time this year.
Jolla is also among the most-recognised
game enthusiasts with a commercial orientation
? is cited as a potential deterrent to the growth sprouts of Nokia?s incubator programme,
of the industry in Finland. ?Sales is the greatest Bridge, unveiled in 2011, as the repercussions of
bottleneck,? concedes Manninen. ?If only we the strategic shift on personnel began to dawn.
could train or recruit guys who understand Since its launch, Nokia Bridge has granted seed
sales, the market and productisation. We would funding to over 300 start-ups, established by
hire half-a-dozen in an instant. We could do one to four former Nokia employees.
The incubator programme has begot, for
with a few Peter [Westerbacka] clones.?
In order to sustain the current growth rate, example, Tellyo, a social platform to enhance
the Finnish games industry will require 150- your television experience; Sports Tracker, a
200 new workers every year. Although study health and fitness app that turns your smartprogrammes have been launched across the phone into a GPS sports computer; and TreLab,
country, game studios, particularly in the a Tampere-based firm developing a next-generHelsinki region, struggle to find skilled labour ation wireless measurement solution.
In fact, Finland is swarming with promforce, and ? as a result ? recruit increasingly
ising start-ups that utilise the country?s
from abroad.
?Conversion training is another possibility,? programming capacity. The crowd-sourcreminds Korhonen, suggesting that the redun- ing platform for news photos and videos,
dancies at Nokia may in fact alleviate the labour Scoopshot, strives to revolutionise the way
shortage. ?At least in theory, the situation looks media outlets and freelance photographers
quite good. However, whether the skills cor- interact. Elsewhere, Tinkercad offers sophisrespond is another story. There are bags of ticated 3D-modelling on your browser, while
Sumopaint promises a more intuitive image
potential.?
Korhonen therefore calls for more invest- processing experience.
While the high-tech sector may dominate the
ments in conversion training and the education
system, in general, in order to optimise the list of the most recognised Finnish start-ups,
education machine. ?Thereon, we can mull over there is more beyond. BT Wood, for examnew study programmes. The demand is not ple, responds to the soaring demand for more
only for programmers and technology experts, ecological building solutions by developing
but commercial professionals of the games and marketing innovative wood treatment
chemicals. Magisso contrives award-winning
industry.?
?If you were a top-notch programmer at Nokia functional home products that renounce the
and have some sort of interface with games, you imperfections of more traditional designs. They
can become a top-notch programmer in the may not bask in the media limelight as the most
auspicious start-ups of the games industry do,
games sector,? Manninen believes.
If all goes according to plan at LudoCraft, in but their emergence is nonetheless an indicaa few years the game studio will employ ?a few tion of the same enterprise ? a feature underlyhundred? personnel, instead of the current 30. ing all success stories, past or present.
shadowcities.com
Requirements for eligibility:
!" Bachelor?s Degree in Business Administration
(or equal academic degree)
!" at least three years work experience after the Bachelor?s degree
?
The Finnish games
industry?s overall
turnover is ?250 million.
Application period: 4th March ? 3rd April 2013
?
According to the
National Funding
Agency for Technology
and Innovation Tekes,
there are 150 local
gaming companies,
40% of which were
founded between
2009 and 2012.
?
Projections show a tenfold increase in annual
turnover, to ?1.5 billion,
as well as a notable
increase in jobs, by
the end of the decade.
INFO
Further Information: ylempiamk@hamk.fi
Tastebuds
15
SixDegrees
r
e
d
a
Re
Kynsilaukka
Cherishing traditions, yet still open-minded
for experimentation.
ds
n
e
m
Recom
Korea House
Eva Peltonen
Banafsheh Ranji
Evgenie Bogdanov
T
HERE are not many restaurants
with a long history in Helsinki.
Kynsilaukka ? also known as ?the
garlic restaurant? ? is among these
rare exceptions. ?Some people like it, some
people try to find more trendy places, but,
definitely, there are not so many restaurants that are as old here,? claims Rasmus
Berg, Kynsilaukka?s owner. ?There are few
places that have been here for at least five
or ten years.?
Boasting an old-fashioned interior, the
restaurant instantly transports its customers into the calm ?70s and?80s, giving
the impression that the space has always
housed an inn or place of dining. ?Well,
there used to be another restaurant here, a
pizza restaurant,? Berg confirms, continuing with a smile, ?But before that, it was a
bicycle repair shop.?
The dining area is divided into three
sections, garnished in a retro style of big
windows, spacious dining booths, barrels,
forged lamps, wax candlesticks and a wide
variety of furniture. ?Most of our decorations are over 40 or 50 years old,? Berg
proudly exclaims.
The signs of cherishing traditions can
also be found with a glance at the menu
(in four languages), with many of the traditional and most-popular dishes remaining on offer for the last 25 years. ?Lamb
stew is one of the popular, if not the most,?
Berg explains. ?And then bouillabaisse
has also been here for 25 years. There are
many people who don?t want to check
the menu and they just want a specific
already-known dish?.
Would you like garlic with that?
Berg feels that Finnish cuisine has really
developed in recent times to allow experimentation with cooking. Interestingly,
most of the items on the menu contain the
word ?valkosipuli? (garlic) in the description: garlic vodka, snails in garlic butter,
garlic cream soup and even ? wait for
it ? garlic ice cream.
?The founders of the place, my father
and his friend, wanted to establish a restaurant,? Berg explains. ?They just came
up with the idea of garlic ? that was exotic
in Finland back then.? With an eagerness
to experiment, Kynsilaukka changes some
items in its menu from time-to-time. But
as with every experiments some of them
are successful, some are not. ?Last time
we changed the menu we took our chicken
dish away, but after few months we had to
put it back because there were so many
requests for it.?
However, one of the most popular
changes over the years has been the introduction of the restaurant?s famous garlic
ice cream. ?We served everything with
garlic except the deserts. Once we decided
to try it. And, you know, we have many
tourists, and Finns as well, who want to
try our garlic ice-cream!?
The success of service
Nevertheless, it is not all about garlic;
it is about ?listening to what customers
want?. So, what then is the biggest secret
of the restaurant?s success for Berg? ?Many
people just come here because they think
it?s a good restaurant, it is not about the
garlic. We have been here for 25 years, so
it is not a new thing?.
?T
he restaurant has used
58,000 kilos
of garlic during
its 9,000 days
in operation.?
A good restaurant, in the reckoning of
Kynsilaukka?s owner, is to maintain good
service: ?We want to have a good service
culture, even in lunch hours. In many
places you go, get the food and you leave.
You get a ?hi? and a ?bye?, and I hate it.
If you go to a restaurant you have to get
some service, at least it is one reason to go
to a restaurant. Some people just want to
eat and some people want to be served. Of
course if you have different expectations
about a restaurant; and you are trying to
go to a really cheap place you won?t find
what you are expecting here. It is not a
high-class dinner experience, but we try to
keep it somewhere in between?.
After so many years in operation,
Kynsilaukka naturally has a number of
regular customers. A couple from Spain
visit the restaurant twice a year ? on
the way to and from their kesämökki
in the countryside. Also there are many
older Finnish clients: ?Some days ago a
couple, who have not been here for many
years, called and she mentioned that her
husband would like to eat the lamb from
old menu in our restaurant once again,?
Berg recalls.
The restaurant is also well known
among tourists. There are two impetuses
behind this: the fact that the establishment serves traditional Finnish food, and
people?s willingness to try the various garlic experiments. ?We are open every day
even on Christmas Eve and days around
Midsummer, as people still visit from
abroad when there is nothing happening
in Helsinki and only a few restaurants
are open?.
And finally, one can?t help but ask,
?Where one can get such a huge amount
of garlic to add to everything?? Berg lets
us in on the restaurant?s secret: ?We try
to work with local farmers, but we have
to get garlic regularly and therefore some
of it comes from Spain.? And he certainly
isn?t joking ? according to the blackboard
on the wall, the restaurant has used 58,000
kilos of garlic during its 9,000 days in
operation.
Breath mint, anyone?
The only Korean restaurant in Finland, Korea House,
offers varied, fascinating and delicious Korean dishes.
Korean cuisine derives its flavours and tastes from
various combinations of sesame oil, soybean paste,
soya sauce, garlic and most importantly, chilli pepper,
which gives it its distinctive spicy taste. ?Tasty, exotic
meal and excellent service,? states Ulla Lehtinen. ?The
marinade was something original, totally different what
you find in Chinese restaurants?
Mariankatu 19
Helsinki
www.koreahouse.fi
In this series, 6D readers tell about their local favourite
place to grab a coffee, sip on a beer or enjoy a bite to eat.
Send a brief email to james@6d.fi, and let us know what
you recommend!
What Finns
are eating
this month
Banafsheh Ranji
Fazer
Mignon Easter Eggs
Kynsilaukka
While consuming mountains of chocolate eggs is a longlasting Easter tradition in the most countries, Finns offer
their own take on festivities with Fazer Mignon eggs
by. The eggs have been produced since 1896 (with a
brief break during war time), when Karl Fazer bought
the recepe to his Finnish factory. The concept is a
54-56 gram solid-milk chocolate egg filled with almondhazelnut nougat, and placed in a real (!) eggshell.
Fredrikinkatu 22
Helsinki
Mon-Fri: 11:00-23:00 (last orders taken)
Sat-Sun:13:00-23:00 (last orders taken)
tel. +358 9 651 939
www.kynsilaukka.com
This procedure is delicate, time-consuming and fully
hand-made. This is why Mignon eggs were a popular
fad among rich Finns and Russian Tsars. For the time
being, only 2.5 million eggshells are designed with this
aim annually. Hurry up to be among the fortunate one
who try them!
A garlic experience awaits you.
Cultitude
16
Issue 02 2013
Banafsheh Ranji
John
Millar
ic
Where mus
rical
t
c
le
e
s
t
e
e
m
.
engineering
Annika Rautakoura
A
researcher and lecturer in electrical engineering at
Aalto University, and a freelance musician who, among
other things, plays in a Turkish band called Nefes, New
Zealander John Millar originally came to Finland in the
late 1980s as a street musician (busker), and permanently moved
here in the 1990s. Just your typical Kiwi who plays Turkish
music and lives in Helsinki, John hails Finland as a wonderful
place in terms of its welcome of a street musician twenty years
ago, as well as a model of social wellbeing, and he draws cultural
comparisons between his two home countries.
Why and when did you move to Finland?
Well, that?s opening a can of worms. I used to be a busker. When
I was playing in Canada another street musician said that when
I?m over in Europe, I should play in Denmark. In England I
looked at the map and noticed that a car belonging to a friend
of my cousin was going through Denmark to Finland. My idea
was to go all the way to Finland and hitchhike back through
Denmark, but I found that Finland at the end of the ?80s was
one of the best countries to busk in. That drew me back - every
summer I would come here for about three months. The woman
I came here with eventually moved back to Finland. I used to stay
with her when I came here, and now we?ve been living together
for more than twenty years.
I?ve had an address in Finland since 1993 because I figured
Finland was a place that just seemed to fit me. One thing and
another fell into place. In the early ?90s house prices crashed in
Helsinki, but I had a bit of money from NZ and so I could buy a
small flat with my partner. I kept playing on the street until the
late ?90s when I realised I needed to go back to a more regular
kind of lifestyle. Basically my parents were getting older and I
wanted to have the ability to travel to New Zealand if I had to.
That prompted me to go back into engineering. I did a Master?s
Degree at Aalto University (formerly Helsinki University of
Technology). They offer Master?s Degree programme in English
in electrical engineering. I had a Bachelor?s Degree in mechanical
engineering, but I had worked most of my life as a musician. I
switched to electrical and did a Master?s Degree and then a
Doctorate. I have been working there ever since.
It?s not all roses, but Finland really impressed me as a place
to live. Maybe it?s not so different culturally from New Zealand
? they also have the strong and silent male, or is it the highly
repressed male [laughs]. Geographically it is as far as you can
come, but culturally maybe not so far. I realise that adjusting to
Finland can be a lot more challenging for people from only halfway around the planet! The fact that you have four seasons here
is also nice. New Zealand may be in some ways more beautiful
? the scenery changes dramatically if you move from one place
to another, but it doesn?t have the clear seasonal shifts that give
Finland the magic which also has those elements in abundance,
as well as mountains and an ocean with real waves. I?m damned
lucky to have been born in a place like NZ and end up living in
a place like Finland!
How has your opinion of Finland changed over the years?
In a way Helsinki is not quite so special as it used to be. It?s now a
much better place to live, I think ? if you are lucky enough to have
a job ? but if you came to Finland 20-plus years ago, Helsinki
was noticeably different. The place used to be very quiet. If you
played on the street it was almost like playing in a cathedral. Now
it?s got more
razzmatazz and
commercialism,
canned music
and things like
that. It?s still, I
think, unique,
but it?s not quite
as unique as
then.
Some things have changed, such as eating out, which was a
disaster 20 years ago, but thanks partly to migration it?s now
really wonderful. As one of the foreigners who came here more
than 20 years ago, we were sort of exotic. It was almost a golden
age for being a foreigner. That time might have gone. There
wasn?t a sense of being a threat. It was a bit of a honeymoon for
migration. The books have to balance, but I think the relentless
drive in the name of efficiency and competition is deeply flawed.
I?ll be sad if Finland introduces student fees for foreigners ? the
next thing will be student fees for Finns. But as a street musician
that?s seen life from a variety of perspectives, I can say that the
Nordic/Scandinavian model is really one of the most evolved
living models in the world and should be further developed, not
abandoned. I hope that Finns can appreciate it, and not abuse it.
?F
inland at the end
of the ?80s was
one of the best
countries to busk in.?
Do you have any advice for buskers?
Probably to get another job unless they are really good and can
still make a decent living from it! For me it was a very positive
choice at that time. It was a bit elitist. It was before the Cold War
had ended and before a lot of the borders opened up. We were like
a privileged middle class that didn?t feel the need to live the Joe
Average kind of life. So the people you found on the street were a
really interesting cross section of humanity, and it was a positive,
philosophical choice to live that way.
What?s happened in recent years is an understandable economics-driven movement of people from the developing world.
Certainly when communism ended in the East we were getting
really good classical musicians coming over from Russia. They
were fantastic musicians. Some of them looked as miserable as
hell to be playing on the street, although some of them were just
like me, happy to be able to explore the world! It?s a bit sad if
people play on the street because they have to ? I did it because
I wanted to. If somebody?s performing on the street and they?ve
got something that?s a positive offering and goes down well, then
it?s a fair trade and an honest way to live, I think. But if they?re
just doing it out of suffering - well, my thought is to keep street
performance as far away from begging as possible.
It?s also worth finding unusual places to play. It seems to me
that people are always playing in the same places. I tended to
look for new places, not always places with the most people but
good acoustics, and people would just come. Also, to have respect
for other street musicians and shops is important. It?s been more
than ten years since I?ve played on the street, so my five cents of
advice is a little bit out of date.
Busking and electrical engineering are somewhat polar
opposites. What parts of your personality cater for each?
As I went back to studying, I felt I had to sort of prove myself.
I had been an average student in New Zealand, but was born
on the right side of the tracks and felt I could re-enter the
mainstream work scene whenever I felt like it. It shocked me
that when applying for jobs that I was in a way treated as a leper.
When I was turned down for a job teaching technical English,
the guy who turned me down ? who was clearly ?turned off? by
my history as a busker ? suggested I get some real education in
Finland. This angered me. Like Finland, I guess NZ is proud of
its education system ? actually like Finland, NZ is sometimes full
of itself, and sometimes the opposite.
But the return to studying was an exotic time. At the university
I had to sit down and focus, and I could feel the analytical part
of my mind light up. I knew from my studies in NZ that I could
pass with minimal effort, but in Finland I was motivated to see
what I could do with serious effort. It involved using a different
set of skills, but working as a researcher does require thinking
?outside the box?. Sitting in front of the computer all day does have
its challenges for me, as it doesn?t fulfill the ?whole? being. I don?t
feel I have particularly great skills in any particular area, but the
experience in various fields gives me something to offer.
Does Finland feel like home?
Yes, it does. I?m at the age when people are dying. I have lost
both my mother and father recently. This meant visiting New
Zealand four times last year. It was a dislocating feeling to go
back to Auckland and live for a few weeks in the old family home.
Coming back here was also an adjustment, but those feelings of
being uprooted can open us to a deeper awareness of our humanity, rather than being stuck in such accidents of birth as being a
New Zealander or a Finn, or of this or that ethnicity or religion!
Cultitude
17
SixDegrees
Suomen Kansallisoopperan / 2013 Sakari Viika.
James O?Sullivan
THE work of George Balanchine, William Forsythe and Ji?í
Kyliá comes together at Finnish National Opera until 14 March,
under the title of Bella Figura.
The title piece of the evening is one of Kylián?s best-known
works, utilising a backdrop of slow, hypnotic Baroque music
by composers such as Vivaldi and Pergolesi, as it embraces the
beauty of the human body.
Radek Polak
Meanwhile, Balanchine?s The Four Temperaments exists as one
of his first experiments in combining the movement of classical
ballet with a simplified setting. Taking its inspiration from the
Medieval theory that there are four principal human personalities dominated by each of the four elements, here Balanchine is
responsible for the choreography, the costumes, set design and
lighting. Composed by Paul Hindemith musical accompaniment is found in the shape of strings and piano. Ollitapio
Lehtinen brandishes the conductor?s baton.
Finally, Forsythe?s In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated is widely
considered one of the masterpieces of modern dance. Having
been performed by numerous dance companies around the
world, Forsythe?s work is accompanied by the electronic music
of Dutch composer Thom Willems.??
Bella Figura
Balanchine-Forsythe-Kylián
Tickets ?12-77
Until 14 March
Finnish National Opera
Helsinginkatu 58
Helsinki
English-language
Kansallisteatteri
Time to break out the
English at the Finnish
National Theatre.
explosion
explains Finnish National Theatre?s Eva Buchwald. ?This is also
a rare chance to see a play by one of America?s leading contemporary playwrights, moreover, one of her most popular plays. What
the audience will enjoy is the modern twist on classical drama.?
In contrast to the Greek myth, the story is told from Eurydice?s
perspective, rather than that of Orpheus. ?Ruhl plays with
images of male archetypes in the lover, the seducer and the
father, who all play a big role in Eurydice?s life,? Buchwald
explains. ?The play?s language is contemporary, the characters
are from our everyday life.?
The international flavour continues throughout the production, with Russian born American director Yana Ross at the
helm, sound design by Lithuanian composer Antanas Jasenka
and set and costumes by American designer Zane Pihlstrom.
James O?Sullivan
IN an effort to broaden their audience, Finnish National Theatre?s
new production of American playwright Sarah Ruhl?s Eurydice
is providing subtitles in English and Russian.
?This is the first time the FNT is providing English language
subtitles for one of its productions in the main programme,?
Eurydice (subtitles in
English and Russian)
Until 17 May, 19:00
Tickets ?19.50-34.50
Finnish National Theatre
Läntinen Teatterikuja 1
Helsinki
Visit from the
Village Band
James O?Sullivan
ONE of Europe?s most fascinating world music groups, The
Warsaw Village Band brings their traditionalist sounds with
a modern twist to the stage at Helsinki?s Savoy Theatre on
Thursday 21 March.
Arriving to Finland for the first time, the band arrives on
the back of their sixth album, Nord, a collective of sounds
that seek to find common elements between the music of Slavs,
Scandinavians and the aboriginal peoples of the North. The
album achieved third place on World Music Charts Europe.
Having revived several musical traditions that had been
abandoned over time in Poland, the band incorporates the
use of various instruments that reach into Poland?s rich
history. Renowned for their live performances, the band has
performed in more than 400 concerts, in over 30 countries on
four continents.
The Warsaw Village Band
21 March, 19:00
Tickets ?25-65
Savoy Theatre
Kasarmikatu 46-48
Helsinki
Sculpting
Leading
Stray
James O?Sullivan
BREAKING out for the
first time on the Finnish
live scene, minimalist
drum?n?bass artist Stray
hits the decks at Jyväskylä?s
Ilokivi on Friday 1 March.
Considered by many to be
the latest prodigy of drum
and bass, the scene has been
quaking in recent times to
the stripped back sounds of
this native Londoner. After
dropping a couple of wellreceived releases via top
drum?n?bass labels Hospital
Records and Critical Music,
his latest musical endeav-
our is Ivy Lab ? a highly
acclaimed collaboration
with two other top-notch
producers Sabre and
Halogenix.
Representing the local
scene, Friday night will be
hosted by the renowned
stalwarts of Jyväskylä?s
drum?n?bass scene: Chris
Robin, Joe Loud and Ben
Kama.
Stray
1 March
Tickets ?8
Ilokivi
Keskussairaalantie 2
Jyväskylä
Sara Hildénin taidemuseo
the
female
form
James O?Sullivan
RESIDENTS in the Pirkanmaa region are privy to the works of
one of today?s leading sculptors, with Thomas Schütte?s latest
exhibition on display at Sara Hildén Art Museum until 12 May.
Featuring sculptures from the Frauen series (1999-2011),
ceramic figurines (1999) and watercolours from the Deprinotes
series (2006-08), the chief focus of the exhibition sees 18 different female figure cast in steel, bronze and aluminium.
Occupying the whole area of the museum, the larger-thanlife sculptures portray naked female torsos that have undergone violent metamorphoses. Each of them rests on a large iron
base, which constitutes an essential element of the sculpture.
With these twisted forms, Schütte seeks to make a statement
about the history of Western sculpture, albeit a powerfully
autobiographical and personal one.
Acting as Schütte?s first private exhibition in the Nordic
countries, the works are on loan from the artist?s own collection, Stiftung Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in
Düsseldorf and the Friedrich Christian Flick collection in
Berlin.
Schütte, meanwhile, continues to live and work in Düsseldorf.
Thomas Schütte ? Frauen
Until 12 May
Sara Hildén Art Museum
Laiturikatu 13
Särkänniemi
Tampere
21 ? 27 FEBRUARY 2013
HELSINKI TIMES
Customer service points
Rautatientori Metro Station
(by Central Railway Station)
Itäkeskus Metro Station
Pasila, Opastinsilta 6A
Monthly review
Screen shows when
tram or bus is coming
You can use the screen at the bus/tram stop to see how
many minutes you still have to wait for your ride. Many
stops offer real-time information about trams and buses.
When waiting at the stop, however, you should note that the
information on some of the
screens is not in real time. If you
see a tilde in front of the minutes shown onscreen, you are
not looking at real time information. The wavy line means that
the bus or tram in question is
not connected to the positioning
system for some reason. In such
a case, the screen will show the
scheduled arrival time.
The real-time information is
provided by a system called
Helmi. In addition to bus/tram
stops, the Helmi data is shown
on screens at terminals, hospitals and malls.
The system is also used in HSL?s
My Departures timetable service
where you can create a continuously updated schedule view of
the routes of your choice to use on
your mobile phone, for example.
Traffic lights give
priority to trams and buses
All the buses and trams included
in the scope of the Helmi system
have a positioning system based
11
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.?
on the odometer and route data
as well as a GPS unit that is used
to determine the locations of
stops. An onboard radio modem
in the bus/tram sends positioning data to the central system
that calculates the estimated arrival time and submits it to the
screens at the stops.
There is also a radio that gives
priority to the approaching bus/
tram at traffic lights. In practice,
this means that the bus or tram
orders a green light to ensure a
smooth ride without unnecessary
interruptions. There are a total of
260 intersections with such priority lights. Most of them are in Helsinki, but there are also several on
the Jokeri route in Espoo.
All trams and around 600
buses, most of them on routes
within Helsinki, are included
in the scope of Helmi. The entire Helsinki region public transport system will be included in
the scope of the real-time passenger information system in a
couple of years when HSL starts
using a new ticketing and information system.
Greener ferry
No lift at
Siilitie metro
station
Penalty
fare remains
at ?80
The ferry M/S Suokki was completely overhauled, and it is now
serving the route between the
Market Square and Suomenlinna Island in winter time. The
ship?s old engine was replaced
with two new ones during the
overhaul. The new engines are
equipped with catalyzers, and
their ?ne particle emissions are
only a fraction of the old engine?s emissions. In addition,
they consume clearly less fuel.
The larger engines allow the
ferry to handle even harsh ice
conditions. Other improvements include safety and operational reliability.
The lift at Siilitie metro station will
be unavailable until early March.
The old lift is being replaced with
a new one. The metro platform can
only be reached with an escalator
during the renovation, and thus
people in a wheelchair or travelling
with a pram are unable to use the
station.
Those requiring a lift should
take a bus to the closest metro station in Itäkeskus or Herttoniemi instead of coming to the Siilitie station. You can get to both of these
stations from the Siilitie station on
bus routes 58 and 58B. Bus 79 also goes to Herttoniemi station. The
buses on all of these routes are of
the low-?oor type.
The Finnish Ministry of Transport and
Communications recently decided
that the public transport penalty fare
will not be increased from ?80 this
year. People travelling in the public
transport managed by HSL without a
valid ticket are obligated to pay the
penalty fare plus the price of a single ticket or Travel Card value ticket.
Metro passengers must hold a valid ticket when entering the payment
area. This area starts at the card readers located at the top of the metro
station stairs. Passengers paying their
fare with their mobile phone must also have the ticket in their phone prior
to entering this area.
HSL?s ticket inspectors tour the
buses, trains, trams, metros and
Suomenlinna ferries to verify that
people have purchased a ticket.
Built at Suomenlinna dockyard in 1952, M/S Suokki, formerly M/S Suomenlinna-Sveaborg, recently celebrated
its 60th birthday. Over the
years, it has carried around
40 million passengers. The
ferry can carry 350 people at
a time.
In addition to Suokki, M/S
Suomenlinna II and a backup ship, M/S Tor, serve the
route to Suomenlinna in winter time. All three ferries are
in regular traffic in the summertime. HSL procures the
ferry services and is in charge
of designing ferry schedules.
Reviews
19
SixDegrees
Forthcoming flicks
What?s on at the cinema over the coming weeks.
Jazz it up!
Turku Jazz
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling offer another take on the classic 1940s potboiler in Gangster Squad.
Gangster Squad
Fancy a retread of Brian De Palma?s 1987 classic, The Untouchables? Well you are in the
right place as Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer gathers the likes of Josh Brolin and Ryan
Gosling together in order to bring down the scene chewing antics of Sean Penn?s gangster
Mickey Cohen in 1940?s Los Angeles. Based on Paul Lieberman?s seven-part Times series Tales
From the Gangster Squad, the film gained notoriety when it?s release date was shelved last year
in light of the Aurora, Colorado shooting. With one key scene reshot, cinema audiences can
now rest easy amidst the senseless violence, depicted onscreen.
Premieres 1 March
Ben Wendel ? Dan Tepfer Duo may even pack the kitchen sink for their gig at Turku Jazz.
The Last Stand
Seemingly needing no introduction is the return of Arnie Schwarzenegger this week.
However, after crashing and burning on the US box office upon its release last month, The
Austrian Oak needs all the help he can get. Sure he?s teamed up with ace Korean director Kim
Ji-woon, and brought in the motley crew that ,includes Forest Whitaker, Johnny Knoxville,
Eduardo Noriega and perennial faves Luis Guzmán and Peter Stromare, but the film sunk
without a trace in the States. Still, those who bother can enjoy the guilty pleasure of a creaky
action hero doing away with his political career and strapping on the artillery one more time.
Premieres 8 March
Oz the Great And Powerful
Arriving a month or two before the remake of his seminal horror classic Evil Dead hits
screens, here director Sam Raimi sets out to prove just how far he has come in terms of acquiring a big budget ? it remains to be seen how much more creative he is these days. Exploring
the genesis of author L. Frank Baum?s tales of Oz, here James Franco?s shifty magician finds
himself transported to the wondrous world of Oz, where he encounters three witches in the
not too shabby forms of Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. Fair enough, but
what?s a dodgy trickster to do once they challenge him to uncover the evil force that threatens
their kingdom, dubbing him the Wizard of Oz in the process?
Premieres 15 March
Soundbreaker
After such daring achievements as Nokia, Angry Birds, and, um, boot throwing, anthill sitting
and wife carrying, Finland once again shows how much it can punch its way above its weight
as a nation when the spectacular accordion skills of Kimmo Pohjonen are immortalised on
celluloid. Actually, scrap that ? we don?t really use celluloid much these days, do we! Anyway,
bridging the gap between experimental, rock, folk and classical music, prepare to ride shotgun
alongside the peerless creativity of one of the country?s finest musicians.
Premieres 22 March
GAMES
Aliens: Colonial
Marines
(Xbox 360,
PS3, PC)
The
Aliens
franchise
is
one of the most
recognisable
in the entertainment world, so
the lack of any great games
related to it has always been
puzzling. This new effort does
some things right but ultimately
it?s also a disappointing effort.
The initial thrill of battling
xenomorphs is still present
and correct, however low-xend
graphics and an unsatisfying
storyline don?t help immersion.
Nor does the fact that it?s
actually rather too easy ? you
can walk around carrying
all your weapons at once
meaning being tooled up isn?t
a problem. Not exactly a oneway ticket to Hell, this game is
still more a sharp stick than a
nuke. 6.5/10 NB
Anarchy
Reigns
(Xbox 360,
PS3)
First of all,
AR is almost
entirely
geared
towards
online
multiplayer, with a daft SP
storyline serving only as a
lengthy ? and necessary ?
Beth Morton
HANG on to your trumpets and get ready
for yet another explosive celebration of jazz
this March, as one of Finland?s oldest international jazz festivals, Turku Jazz, glides
into its 44th year. The hub of Finland?s
youth culture in the late ?60s, and during a
time of strong rhythmic jazz vibes, Turku
gave birth to this long standing institution
that has had jazz artists and enthusiasts
gathering from all over the world ever
since, and from here has seen the formation
of the Turku Jazz Society in 1970. Ever
growing in prestige and stature, the festival
has witnessed many stylistic changes and
developments within its music genre, and
promises yet another trendy and eclectic
offering in 2013.
Highly billed is the Danish jazz singer/
songwriter sensation, Mette Juul. Gaining
much admiration from her previous performances in Finland her warm, clear sound
range makes for stunning easy listening,
and her personal interpretations of works
by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Cole Porter
demonstrate her versatility of talent.
Finnish continental rhythm orchestra,
Aninkaisten Melody, will be taking to the
stage with their twist on classic ?20s jazz
mixed with a hint of modern dance and
popular music influence. On the Logomo
main stage you can see the Turku Jazz
Orchestra playing Nat King Cole, featuring
Pepe Willberg, in which 20 songs from
tutorial. It?s needed because
online is unforgiving at best,
meaning that this 3rd-person
brawler is only for the patient.
If you haven?t learnt the details
of your character?s gameplay
then you will get your behind
handed to you on a plate many
times. That?s not to say it?s not
fun, as the locations, silliness
and general, er, anarchy of
multiplayer are well worth
spending some time in. Practice
makes perfect. 7/10 NB
Cole?s back catalogue will be showcased, and
quartet symphony Liberty Ship contribute
their spontaneous free jazz and ambient
sound collages to the festival.
As well as group performers, there are
a host of dynamic duo?s set to make their
appearance. From the USA, Ben Wendel
? Dan Tepfer Duo will be venting their passion for the art of improvisation, combining
sounds of classical influence with rock and
electronic musical styles. For something
more serene, piano and vocal duo Jukkis
Uotila and Johanna Hollmén will seduce you
with their breathtaking piano arrangements
and Hollmén?s rare contralto vocal range.
Then, at the other end of the scale, something a bit different to get your feet tapping
is Two Men Galaxy with their drums and
organ cacophony.
So, if jazz is your thing then Turku is definitely the place to be in March. Some events
are free entry and can be enjoyed in relaxing
intimate settings, while others take the more
formal concert format in larger venues, with
Logomo hosting the jazz extravaganza on
the Saturday evening. The huge program of
concerts and diversity of performances, this
article naming only a few, should urge you
to check out the line up and make sure you
have your tickets in time.
Turku Jazz 2013
14-17 March
www.turkujazz.fi
CD
David Bowie ? The Next Day
After a heart attack in 2003
saw him seemingly enter
into an early retirement, the
pioneering sounds of David
Bowie return, in his first album
of new material since 2003?s
Reality. After the surprise
announcement of the album?s
impending arrival was made
at the start of the year, on
Bowie?s 66th birthday, the
reflective single Where Are
We Now? preceded this full
length release that sees him
teaming up with Tony Visconti,
producer of some of Bowie?s
most loved albums. JO?S
Out&See
SixDegrees
Greater Helsinki
20
Issue 02 2013
By Anna-Maija Lappi
Music _ Clubs
22 Feb. Fields Of The Nephilim
(UK) // Gothic rock. Virgin Oil Co.,
Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets ?32/35.
www.virginoil.fi
22 Feb. Yournalist // Pop rock with
metal attitude. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?7/8.
www.semifinal.fi
22 Feb. Erol Alkan // One of the
most remarkable figures in the
electronic music scene. Adams,
Erottajankatu 15-17. Tickets ?12.
www.ravintolaadams.fi
22 Feb. Showtek (NLD) // Dutch EDM
act. The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?18-33. www.thecircus.fi
22 Feb. One Morning Left, Beyond
All Recognition (SWE), Madcraft //
Crab-core, dub-core and pop punk.
Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?12.
www.elmu.fi
22 Feb. Digital Tunes Presents:
Bass Sessions Vol 2 // Seba album
launch and D-Bridge (UK). Kuudes
Linja, Hämeentie 13. Tickets ?15.
www.kuudeslinja.com
22 Feb. Steen1 Orkestra //
Combination of rap and rock.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?12/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
22 Feb. Pää Kii // Punk rock. On The
Rocks, Mikonkatu 15. Tickets ?6/8.
www.ontherocks.fi
22 Feb. Patrick Wolf (UK) // One
of the most intriguing pop artists
in Great Britain. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets ?26/28.
www.savoyteatteri.fi
23 Feb. Cody ChesnuTT (USA) //
Soul and R´n´B. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?22/25. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
23 Feb. Anna Puu, Pikku Kukka //
Acoustic pop. Korjaamo Culture
Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets
?12/14. www.korjaamo.fi
23 Feb. Inna (ROM) // Romanian pop
artist. The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?29-45. www.thecircus.fi
23 Feb. Ruger Hauer, Gasellit,
Kemmuru, Chebaleba // Rap. Virgin
Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?10/12. www.virginoil.fi
23 Feb. Modernistit // Pop rock.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?7/8. www.semifinal.fi
23 Feb. Claudia Aurora (PRT)
// Intense fado. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu
46-48.
Tickets
?30/32. www.savoyteatteri.fi
24 Feb. Matthias Georg Kendlingerin
& K&K Philharmoniker & K&K
Ballett // Wiener Johann Strauss
Konzert-Gala. Helsinki Music Centre,
Mannerheimintie
13.
Tickets
?86/96. www.musiikkitalo.fi
24 Feb. The Jacksons (USA) // The
legendary R´n´B group. Hartwall
Areena, Areenakuja 1. Tickets
EnterpriseHelsinki
Helsinki region?s joint service centre
for startups and acting entrepreneurs
?Become an Entrepreneur in Finland? ? project organizes:
Information sessions about
how to start your own business
Next information session held in English 28.2.
Later this spring - 21.3, 3.4, 10.4, 25.4 and 30.5.
Free of charge, but sign up first.
Business Counselling
Counselling is confidential and free of charge,
but only by appointment.
Possible in Finnish, English, Swedish, Russian,
Estonian, German, French or Arabic.
Before counselling please attend
information session first.
Evening courses for acting entrepreneurs
Popular evening courses start again in March.
Schedule available soon on our website.
Courses are also free, but sign up first.
Virtual Business Incubator Services
For innovative starting companies
with an interest and potential for high growth.
Call 09-310 36360
yrityshelsinki@hel.fi
Schedule for info sessions and courses in
www.enterprisehelsinki.fi
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?59/69. www.hartwall-areena.com
25 Feb. Dinosaur Jr. (USA) // Legend
of alternative rock. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?35/38.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
26 Feb. The Killer s (USA) / /
World-famous rock. Har t wall
Areena, Areenakuja 1. Tickets
?59. www.hartwall-areena.com
26 Feb. High On Fire (USA) // Stoner
rock. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?33/35. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
2 7 Feb. Yon a & Or ke s t eri
Liikkuvat Pilvet, Kari Tapiiri / /
Enchanting folk pop. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?12/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
27 Feb. Carmen Gray // Rock.
Kanneltalo, Klaneettitie 5. Tickets
?12/15. www.kanneltalo.fi
27 Feb. Sibelius Academy: The
Big Combo // Jazz and Film Noir.
Helsinki Music Centre, Black
Box. Mannerheimintie 13. Tickets
?5/10/15. www.musiikkitalo.fi
27 Feb. Ruber: The Light Middle Ages
// The concert resonates with the
echoes of Northern folk music and
the medieval aesthetics of Southern
Europe. Helsinki Music Centre,
Sonore. Mannerheimintie 13. Tickets
?5/10/15. www.musiikkitalo.fi
28 Feb. Biffy Clyro (UK) // Monumental
rock. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8. Tickets
?33. www.elmu.fi
28 Feb. Dave Lindholm // Legendary
Finnish musician and singersongwriter. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?8/10. www.barloose.com
28 Feb. Viljami Kukkonen // Acoustic folk
pop. Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu
4-6. Tickets ?5/6. www.semifinal.fi
28 Feb. Jukka Perko & Yona: Dances
with time // The nostalgia of old and
new Finnish songs. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu
46-48.
Tickets
?12.50/20/25. www.savoyteatteri.fi
28 Feb. Margit Tuokko: Aina laulan
laitettava // Kalevala Day?s recital
includes an interesting setting by
Finnish composers. Helsinki Music
Centre, Camerata. Mannerheimintie 13.
Tickets ?10/20. www.musiikkitalo.fi
28 Feb. Russian Army Ensemble //
More than 100 singers, dancers
and musicians. Finlandia Hall,
Mannerheimintie
13.
Tickets
?55/65. www.finlandiatalo.fi
28 Feb. Samuli Putro // Finnish singersongwriter. Stoa, Turunlinnantie 1.
Tickets ?9/13. www.stoa.fi
1 Mar. Night of the Flamenco
Guitar // A wonderful selection of
flamenco guitar music of all kinds.
Kanneltalo, Klaneettitie 5. Tickets
?10/15. www.kanneltalo.fi
1 Mar. The Crescent, Horna, Verge //
Black metal. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8.
Tickets ?12. www.elmu.fi
1 Mar. Las Kalmas // Post punk/
goth/synth pop. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?7.50/10. www.semifinal.fi
1 Mar. Omnium Gatherum //
Death metal. Virgin Oil Co.,
Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets ?10.
www.virginoil.fi
1 Mar. Goa 5y Anniversary with
Cosmosis (UK) // Trance. Club Venue,
Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21. Tickets
?16/18. www.clubvenue.fi
1 Mar. Cult of Luna (SWE) // Postmetal. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8.
Tickets ?20. www.elmu.fi
1 Mar. CMX // Legendary Finnish
rock
group. Tavastia,
Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?20/23. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
1 Mar. Maria Ylipää: Onerva // L.
Onerva´s poems adapted to songs.
Savoy Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48.
Tickets ?20/22. www.savoyteatteri.fi
2 Mar. Above & Beyond (UK) // Trance.
The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?20-45. www.thecircus.fi
2 Mar. The Music of Mikko-Ville
Luolajan-Mikkola // One of Finland?s
leading musicians. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets ?12/20.
www.savoyteatteri.fi
5 Mar. AraabMuzik (USA) //
Instrumental hip-hop. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?20/22.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
5 & 6 Mar. Ollaan ihmisiksi // The
performance celebrates the spiritual
inheritance of Finnish songwriting
genius, Juice Leskinen. Savoy
Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets
?22/25. www.savoyteatteri.fi
6 Mar. Gary Clark Jr. (USA) //
Acclaimed young guitarist. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?24/27. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
6 Mar. Helsinki Philharmonic
Orchestra: Poémes Pour Mi //
Concert full of feeling with Frank
Beermann as conductor. Helsinki
Music Centre, Mannerheimintie 13.
Tickets ?6-25. www.musiikkitalo.fi
7 Mar. The Raveonettes (DNK) //
Garage, shoegaze and indie rock.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?24/26. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
8 Mar. Amaranthe (SWE) // Power
metal/melodic death metal. Virgin
Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?15/17. www.virginoil.fi
8 Mar. Stone // Metal. The Circus,
Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets ?28/31.
www.thecircus.fi
8 Mar. Hanging Garden // Metal.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?6/7. www.semifinal.fi
8 Mar. Stratovarius // Melodic metal.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?20/23. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
8 Mar. Moderni Elämä // Rock.
Korjaamo
Culture
Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B.
Tickets ?5/7.
www.korjaamo.fi
8 Mar. AlaVala // Pop rock. Le bonk,
Yrjönkatu 24. Tickets ?8. www.lebonk.fi
9 Mar. Nok Nok, Dylan, Minttu & Olli
// Indie/folk/pop. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?7/8.
www.semifinal.fi
9 Mar. The Devil´s Blood (NLD) //
Occult rock. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8.
Tickets ?30. www.elmu.fi
9 Mar. Metsätöll (EST) // Folk metal.
On The Rocks, Mikonkatu 15.
Tickets ?8/10. www.ontherocks.fi
9 Mar. Eva & Manu // Folk pop. Gloria,
Pieni Roobertinkatu 12. Tickets ?8.
9 Mar. Jukka Poika & Sound
Explosion Band // Reggae. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?16/20. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
12 Mar. Swans (USA) // Post-punk.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?28/30. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
13 Mar. Kahden Miehen Galaksi &
Sylvaine Hélary trio (FRA) // ?An
original tribute to the Hammond
B3 organ.? Kanneltalo, Klaneettitie
5. Tickets ?9/13. www.kanneltalo.fi
13 Mar. Barbe-Q-Barbies // Rock´n´ roll.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?10/12. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
13 Mar. Ismo Alanko // Pop. Sello
Hall, Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?27.50/28. www.sellosali.fi
14 Mar. Club Törstdag: Kosmofon (EST) //
Electronic trio. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie
13. Free entry. www.kuudeslinja.com
15 Mar. Wednesday 13 (USA) // Glam/
metal/horror punk group. Nosturi,
Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?22. www.elmu.fi
15 Mar. Sakara Records 10 Years
// Stam1na, Mokoma, Rytmihäiriö,
Jarkko Martikainen and Nerve End.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?30/33. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
15 Mar. Back To The 90´s: Waltari,
Hybrid Children // Rock/metal. Virgin
Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?10. www.virginoil.fi
15 Mar. Marko Haavisto // Finnish
musician. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?15/17.
www.korjaamo.fi
Fullsteam
7 Mar. Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?24/26. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
The Raveonettes (DNK)
The Raveonettes, a Danish indie rock duo will be arriving for their first club
gig in Finland, as they play at Tavastia on Thursday 7 March. Known for
their stylish garage and shoe gaze rock, bringing to mind the likes of The
Jesus and Mary Chain and The Velvet Underground, the duo was formed
in Copenhagen in the early 2000s by guitarist Sune Rose Wagner and
bassist/vocalist Sharin Foo.
During the first years of the band?s existence, Foo and Wagner created a
set of rules that dominated their sound. For example, on their debut EP
Whip It On, released in 2002, every song was written in B-flat minor ? ?the
dark key? ? and each song had to be less than three minutes long. What
resulted was a set of cinematic songs with somewhat gloomy lyrics. Later
on, they have given up on the rules and broadened their sound towards
more versatile direction. By 2013, The Raveonettes have released six
albums and performed at many prestigious stages and international music
festivals such as at Lollapalooza (in Chicago), Roskilde and Osheaga (in
Montreal), just to name a few.
In September 2012 saw the release of their sixth album Observator by
Vice Records. The album, recorded in just one week in LA with producer
Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, The Go-Go´s), draws its inspiration from
people?s real life stories, from dramatic moments to everyday occurrences.
15 Mar. Younger Brother &
Prometheus (UK) // Electronic. Club
Venue, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21.
Tickets ?15/17. www.clubvenue.fi
16 Mar. Manowar (USA) // Heavy
metal. The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?75/87. www.thecircus.fi
16 Mar. Mariska & Pahat Sudet // Pop.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?12/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
16 Mar. Johanna Kurkela // Pop
with beautiful vocals. Sello Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?25.50/26. www.sellosali.fi
18 Mar. Steve Harris British Lion
(UK) // Iron Maiden´s bassist?s solo
project. The Circus, Salomonkatu
1-3. Tickets ?39. www.thecircus.fi
20 Mar. Heaven Shall Burn (GER) //
Metal. The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?20. www.thecircus.fi
20 Mar. Jemina & Selina Sillanpää &
Tim Ries // Folk-roots-rock. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?15/18. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
20 Mar. Caroline Street // Pop rock.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?6/7. www.semifinal.fi
20 Mar. Laura Närhi // Pop. Sello
Hall, Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?27.50/28. www.sellosali.fi
21 Mar. Walk The Moon (USA) //
?Indie-pop fiesta?. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?17/20.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
21 Mar. Warsaw Village Band (POL)
// One of Europe?s most fascinating
world music groups. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets ?25/28.
www.savoyteatteri.fi
22 Mar. Funeral For A Friend (UK) //
Melancholic rock metal. Nosturi,
Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?25. www.elmu.fi
22 Mar. Slip Inside This Club vol.
1: Conan (UK) // Doom metal. Bar
Loose, Annankatu 21. Tickets
?13/15. www.barloose.com
23 Mar. Ukkosmaine // Disco/
pop/electronic. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?11/12.
www.semifinal.fi
23 March. Example (UK) // Rap. The
Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?29/49. www.thecircus.fi
23 Mar. Antonio Placer & JeanMarie Machado Republicalma +
2/22/13 2:40 PM
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www.autokoulusafiiri.fi
For more information by phone 020 766 9171
or email matinkyla@autokoulusafiiri.fi