Finland?s
SixDegrees
english language magazine
STand
up
turku
Comedy is
coming your way
page 17
bilingually
speaking
Swedish and Finnish
together
Page 12
eva & manu
Music for thought
Page 16
Issue 07/2013 www.6d.fi 29.08.?25.09.2013
Opening
up the regional
opportunities!
Staged between 29 August and 29 September 2013,
Helsinki Region Welcome Weeks is once again bringing
possibilities and opportunities to people through
interaction.
An annual series of events, Helsinki
Region Welcome Weeks aims to
provide information by bringing
relevant services closer and easier
to access, while serving food for
thought and chances for people to
meet.
Welcome Weeks serves as a platform
for dialog between all actors sharing
the aim of a genuinely international
region; the internationals, locals, city
officials, service providers, higher
education institutions, employers,
and many more.
Among the numerous events this year
is ?Talent Factory? on 17 September,
a forum for bringing together
international talent and Finnish
employers via mentoring, talent
matching and information sessions.
Staged in Helsinki on 21 September
and Espoo on 28 September,
?Education Path? provides relevant
information about the educational
system and how it works in Finland.
Meanwhile, ?Engage Yourself? aims
to open up the opportunities for
activities outside work and studies
by covering a full range of free-time
activities from civic engagement
to sports and hobbies and offers
thematic workshops challenging the
participants into thinking ?What can
I do for others??, ?How can we make
a change??, ?How can I explore my
passion??. A variety of NGOs, sports
clubs and other actors will be ready
to welcome you!
The key message of Welcome Weeks
this year is ?Let?s Open Up? and
focuses on ?Making Helsinki, Espoo,
and Vantaa accessible to all!?
For more information and the full programme visit: www.welcomeweeks.fi
Starters
4
Issue 07 2013
Top 5
Creative Commons / Kalle ID
things on our
mind this month...
Enjoy with caution: wild mushrooms
All autumn long, a great variety of wild mushrooms spawn in Finnish forests, available out
there for free. Many of them can be prepared for
food, but make sure you know what to gather to
avert the risk of food poisoning. It may be a good
idea to contact your local mycological society for
an identification course.
Human rights and law, are they
blasphemy?
If we accept Christianity as the moral backbone
of Western societies (whether or not we were believers), should we take a Finnish Cabinet Minister?s viewpoints on doctors? rights to refuse from
making abortions as a support vest, or another
Minister?s public waving of the ?Rainbow? flag as
a musculoskeletal disorder?
Visa-free
From rainbows to umbrellas
Think about Brits you know that live in Finland.
How many times have you seen them caught by
surprise without an umbrella when it rains? If you
know one, a strong suspicion may arise among
some of us as to the cultural authenticity of that
person. British people are exemplary umbrella
users, and always seem to have one they can
carry inconspicuously. Our admiration goes out
to them.
Place names that make you cry
?because of belly-ache from laughing so hard.
Deep in Savonia someone some time drove
through Pöljä, which the Americans could translate as palooka ? a close shave with Palokka, a
district in Jyväskylä. One might deduct that the
people of Palokka are indeed palookas, because
they cannot even spell it right?
Palokka is the place to be!
?but one refrains from so doing, because Palokka is in fact nice! The U.S. football teams of Jyväskylä play their home games before dozens of
spectators on the sports grounds of Palokka, on a
lakeside field with a pretty view over Palokkajärvi.
This may be the least dorky atmosphere in all of
Central Finland!?
Mika Oksanen
.
.
.
o
t
How
make the most out of
autumn?
Don?t let the weather set the rules for
you. Find the perfect soundtrack to keep
jogging outside - the more it rains the
faster you go! It?s the final countdown.
tinonino.tinoninoninoni.
Eva Blanco, editorial assistant
Don?t think too much about the past
summer and how long winter we have
ahead of us. Concentrate on the beauty of
autumn, enjoy movie nights with friends
under a big blanket, go for a walk in the
forest, go see gigs, theatre, exhibitions
and most importantly don?t forget to eat
well every day!
Eva & Manu, singer-songwriters
Leave the bloody country.
Rasmus Hetemäki, editorial assistant
to
Pieter
There are tons of rules and regulations to
overcome for potential visitors to St. Petersburg,
but don?t give up ? the struggle will eventually
be worth it!
Fabian Unger
I
N THE battle with Russian bureaucracy, every aspiring traveller
spoiled with the comfort provided by the Schengen area will
most likely come to the point asking oneself: ?Why so many
regulations? Wouldn?t it make more sense to simplify entering
Russia for harmless travellers like you or me instead of scaring them
off with complicated travel rules?? It is true; preparing your Russia
trip can be an unnerving matter. However, with St. Petersburg
being just a stone?s throw away from Helsinki, Pieter ? as the town
is nicknamed by locals ? is naturally the first-choice destination for
travellers seeking to spend a weekend in Russia. And it is worth the
aforementioned paper war.
But what do you actually have to consider before sending pictures
to your family and friends ?from Russia with love??
First of all: If you are a fairly organised EU-citizen and therefore
already know about your Russia trip at least a month before, you
just obtain your tourist visa from the local Russian embassy, which
takes around 10 days to process and will cost you 35 euros.
But certainly, this is not an option for spontaneous souls ready for
some last-minute booking action. Here, the visa-free rule comes
into play. Generally, you can stay in Russia visa-free for 72 hours,
if you arrive and depart by ferry, you have a confirmed place to
stay and you are part in some organised travelling package. For
independent travellers giving a sniff at organised tours, the
cheapest way to handle this rule is to book the shuttle bus service
(around 25 euros) together when booking the ferry trip.
Let?s move on now to the fun part: the paperwork. There are
basically five things that you have to bring along with you. Naturally,
there?s your passport, which must be valid still six months after your
arrival to St. Petersburg. Then you will need the arrival/departure
cards and the migration card, which you both will receive at the
counter of your ferry company at the terminal. At the border control
or the ferry counter, they might ask you for an invitation and a
hotel confirmation. The invitation will probably cost something
between 10-20 euros; hotels with a ?sense for business? to put it
mildly, might charge more. The hotel confirmation is basically the
document you will receive in your mail inbox after paying your
accommodation. Without accommodation, your trip to and from
St. Petersburg will then cost around 150 euros, with charges.
If, for any funny reason, you want to take a certain amount of
alcohol and cigarettes or any weapons ranging from a nail file to
your standard rocket launcher with you, you will have to declare
these for customs. Russian ferry border control basically passes off
like on the airport ? they will x-ray your luggage and find your
stuff. So better stick to the rules!
Finnish After Dark
Learning the Finnish they don?t teach in school
David Brown and Mimmu Takalo
Finnish: Hipsteri
English: Hipster
It may seem surprising that Finnish would have a word for hipsters, given most Finns are about as hip as chemistry. And yet amongst
the nerdy engineering students and drunken death-metal fans, hipsters do exist with their Globe Hope clothes, brown-rice diets and
aerodynamic hair-styles. Ok, Helsinki isn?t London, and there aren?t too many Armani-clad knights in shining Audis here, but maybe
it is possible to be cool, study IT, live with your Mum and travel by bus. Or not.
?
?
?
?
Nonni. Nyt Petja on ruvennut hipsteriks.
Mistäs sen sit näkee?
Se ei puhukaan muusta kuin Flow Festivaalin indie-esiintyjistä ja se hankki sellaset imagolasitkin.
Sis silmälasit? Eihän sillä oo edes huono näkö.
?
?
?
?
OK, so Petja has become a hipster!
How can you see that?
He doesn?t talk about anything other than the indie performers at Flow Festival, and he?s even wearing glasses for his image.
Like specs? He doesn?t even need glasses.
Starters
5
SixDegrees
Cleaning
out your closet
The 4th edition of Siivouspäivä on 31
August will again set an important
example on recycling.
Tell me about your
city...
?
ESPOO ADULT
EDUCATION CENTRE
The new study
programme
has come out!
Wels
STADT WELS
CC / PETTERI SULONEN
Enrolment starts
August 13, 2013:
www.ilmonet.fi
tel. 09 816 54455
Pop-up stands in Kallio during the last edition of Siivouspäivä in May 2013.
Fabian Unger
THIS year?s end of August will lie under the sign of recycling and
disposal, as the biannual Siivouspäivä (Cleaning Day) will again
draw thousands of bargain hunters looking for treasures to the
streets of Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and other major cities in
Finland. For the second time this year, flea markets and stands
will pop up around neighbourhoods in what will arguably be the
biggest recycling event in whole of Finland.
The idea behind Siivouspäivä is to facilitate recycling and at
the same time draw attention to waste issues. Anyone supporting
recycling or just generating a couple of bucks from the findings
of the last clean-up of one?s attic, basement or garage is welcome
to participate. As the Siivouspäivä is a decentralised event without
official organiser, each participant will act as seller and organiser
at the same time.
In Helsinki, where Siivouspäivä was held for the first time in May
2012, recycling stations supported by many major recycling and
disposal organisations will be set up to give people the opportunity
to get rid of not longer-needed stuff free of charge. Additionally
to stands selling second-hand stuff, participants are encouraged to
offer their expertise in repairing or customisation.
Anyone interested in getting
rid of one?s needless stuff in a
sustainable way can register
their stand on the Siivouspäivä
website. Volunteers are most
appreciated helping out in
recycling spots, setting up the
sales stands or spreading the
word about the event.
Siivouspäivä
31 August 2013
All over Finland
siivouspaiva.com
facebook.com/siivouspaiva
For more information:
www.espoo.fi/
adulteducationcentre
2013
ESPOON TYÖVÄENOPISTO
Criminal case?
If you are on a low
income, you may get
free trial.
We offer a wide range of legal services. Our legal specialities
include immigration law, criminal justice and family law.
Contact: Attorney-At-Law Asianajotoimisto Streng Ky
Lapinlahdenkatu 27, 00180 Helsinki
Tel (09) 7269 6730, mob 040 565 8146
joonia.streng@icon.fi, www.strenglaki.fi
How well do you know
1
2
3
4
1. Rainy
2. Cough
3. Cold
5
4. Autumn foliage
6
7
Test your knowledge of Finnish vocabulary by using the local equivalent.
Puzzle by Rasmus Hetemäki. Solutions on page 23.
5. Colourful
6. School
7. Wind
Fabian Unger
AT A FIRST glance, my hometown
does not seem to have anything to
offer to visitors to Austria. Apart from
being popular as a trade fair town, it hardly attracts any foreigners.
And although it has a long history dating back to even before the
Roman Age, Wels does not pop up in any travel guide.
So why would then anyone consider choosing this town over places
like Vienna, Salzburg or the Alps?
Let me tell you, there are gems that this town has to offer and
which are definitely worth visiting!
The town itself is located in the district of Upper Austria, along the
shores of the river Traun. If two persons would start walking from
Munich to the East and from Vienna to the West, they would meet
in Wels. Being located in the heart of Europe, it connects routes
from West to East and North to South, making it a major traffic
hub. The ancient Romans already recognised the ideal location
of this town and thus gave it Roman city rights, naming the town
Municipum Ovilava around AD 120.
Dating back from this time, Wels has been an excavation site for
Roman artefacts, which are displayed openly for visitors in the
local Roman museum.
The old centre of Wels is designed around the three major locations
of the city ? the Town Square, the Ring street and the Kaiser-Josef
Square (named after Emperor Josef II.) ? which run parallel to
each other. Lots of cafes, restaurants and shops line these streets
and invite locals and visitors to spend a relaxed afternoon. Night
crawlers might find their perfect place for dancing or a couple of
drinks around Town Square, the hot spot of nightlife in Wels.
At the west entrance of the Town Square, one can find the
Ledererturm (Tanners tower) ? the architectural town landmark.
Built in the 14th century, it is the only of originally four towers left
from the Middle Age town walls. Along the left parts of the old
town walls, there is the Minoritenkloster located, an old Capuchin
monastery. Walking through narrow alleys, one might find the
promenade along the stream Mühlbach, inviting visitors for a walk
or taking a break under old trees next to the town walls.
At the east entrance of the Town Square, the oldest church and
the remains of the former castle can be found. The castle was the
place of death of Maximilian I., former Emperor of the Holy Roman
Empire and patron of the town. Nowadays, a beautiful park with
a bronze sculpture depicting the Emperor is located in the castle
grounds, being a meeting place for young people especially in mild
summer nights.
As mentioned above, Wels has been a popular trade fair town in
recent years, hosting international fairs about cars, gardening or
horses ? Rolling Stones drummer and passionate horse breeder
Charlie Watts is a regular visitor of this event.
The town is also nationally renowned for its industry and its
developments in the IT and biotechnology sector with two
Universities of Applied Sciences researching in these fields.
If you begin to feel fed up with the city, the surrounding regions
of Wels provide lots of areas for bike or riding trips as well as
traditional country inns (Heurige), serving local cuisine.
The slogan of the town?s image campaign says ?Wels hat?s in
sich!?, which could be translated as ?Wels has it!?. So be welcome
and come and find out for yourself!
Stop studying, start speaking!
Language training
in small groups
and privately.
Next courses
starting
in September!
On-site or online
www.learnia.fi
info@learnia.fi
Tel. +358 50 595 80 30
We Met
6
Issue 07 2013
Svetlana
Bojkovi?
A Serbian theatre
legend in our midst.
Text Tijana Stolic, photos Eva Blanco
THE CAREER of Serbian actress Svetlana Bojkovi?
has spanned nearly 40 years in television, film,
and most importantly, theatre. She is the recipient
of the Lifetime Achievement Award Dobri?in
Prsten, and is regarded as one of the great ladies
of the Serbian cultural scene. She currently calls
Helsinki home, and is here not on an acting
engagement, but in a somewhat different capacity
? as the wife of the Serbian ambassador to Finland,
Slavko Kruljevi?. It seemed appropriate, then, to
take this opportunity to speak with her about life
and culture in Serbia and Finland.
You and your husband got married in 2011,
and since last year you?ve been living in
Helsinki. Are you enjoying life in Finland so
far?
Yes, especially because living here is as if you were
in two different places in one year ? there?s the
long winter, the spring that goes by very quickly,
and then the beautiful summer. Although I?ve
needed some time to adjust to the idea of living
in Helsinki, this is our second year here and
nowadays the atmosphere of the city seems to me
more intimate, beautiful, and pleasant, and I?m
really enjoying my life here.
In addition, since I have not taken on any
acting engagements, I now have enough time to
read and visit museums and cultural events. We
haven?t travelled around Finland yet, but we?re
planning on visiting some of the smaller Finnish
cities. This summer we won?t be hosting as many
guests as last year, so we will have more freedom
to discover the country.
How active is your cultural life in Helsinki?
When it comes to theatre, I?ve encountered a
language barrier, so I can only watch the plays
whose contents I am familiar with, which means
the classics. Nevertheless, I?ve seen the fabulous
performance of the play The Forest, last season
at the Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri. I also saw
two plays at the Svenska Teatern ? last season I
watched A Midsummer Night?s Dream, and this
season I saw Chaplin, as well as a play in English
called My Elevator Days by Bengt Ahlfors. It?s
a wonderful monodrama and the lead role was
performed by a Scottish actor, Alexander West,
who won an award at the Fringe Festival in
Edinburgh.
I also went to see Eifman?s ballet Ana Karenina
when it visited Helsinki, and I have visited many
exhibitions around the city. We recently saw
an Irish choir Anùna, which recorded some
traditional Irish songs for Riverdance albums.
The performance was organised by the Irish
embassy and took place at the Temppeliaukio
Church. We also saw an award-winning Polish
pianist there, who played Chopin and was hosted
by the Polish ambassador. It?s always a pleasure
to go to the Temppeliaukio Church since the
acoustics are remarkable.
This city is very rich in cultural activities, not
just in classical music, but all other genres
of music, like jazz. I recently went to see a
wonderful jazz band called Vi?egrad. One could
go to a cultural event every day in Helsinki, so
my days are filled with various activities, from
cultural events to nature walks.
As for my acting engagements, not long ago I
performed a sold-out performance in Stockholm
with two colleagues, and we eventually added
two more dates due to high interest in the play.
The name of the play is in Serbian, but it loosely
translates to Girl Talk. In the fall, we will perform
it in Gothenburg and Malmö.
The Finnish government offers a lot of
financial support to the artistic and cultural
sectors.
I believe that the budget for education and
culture is 12 per cent of Finland?s GDP, which is
a significant amount. My husband?s son is very
happy with the education here. He is doing his
Master?s degree in aerospace engineering at Aalto
University, and really likes the way that university
education is conducted. In fact, my husband
and I recently hosted the aide of the Serbian
Minister of Education who came here to study
the organisation of the Finnish education system
from primary to the post-secondary level. And
she, like people from many other countries in
the world, concluded that there is a good reason
why Finland is considered to have one of the best
education systems in the world.
Education in Serbia is quite different than in
Finland, how do you see these differences?
Unfortunately, that?s true. Serbia has a problem
with rampant poverty and the country is
experiencing a financial crisis, but regardless
of that, improving the education system should
become a priority to our government. What is
important to understand is that culture shouldn?t
be thought of as an entity that is entirely separate
from education, because those two spheres go
together. We truly need to work on improving
the collective spiritual being of our society,
because if the cultural and educational sectors are
strong, that will be reflected in the well-being of
the economy. A strong cultural and educational
background is essential to the healthy function
of a society.
I spoke about how impressed I am with the
education system in Finland, but it?s not just the
education sector that works well ? it is noticeable
in all organisational aspects of this society, even
the smaller ones. For instance, I am fascinated
by the snow removal system here. The snow is
collected daily, as soon as it starts to accumulate.
The workers have snow machines that look to
me like oversized toys, so the crews are well
equipped and, as a result, do their jobs efficiently.
What are the causes that you support in
Serbia? Are you an activist in a way?
I support all causes I believe in, especially when
it comes to culture. On 22 June, I participated
via Skype in a peaceful protest named ?Stop
the destruction of culture?. It took place at the
Republic Square in Belgrade to protest the fact
that the budget of the cultural sector has never
been as low as it is this year. It is currently 0.62
per cent of Serbia?s GDP, and film projects
Date and place of birth: 14 December 1947, Belgrade.
Family: I have one daughter, Katarina, from a previous marriage,
and she is an actress who lives and works in Serbia. I also have a
stepson and a stepdaughter from my current marriage with Slavko.
Education: I attended the music school and played the piano for
10 years while I was in elementary school, high school, and during
my first year of university. I also have a degree in Acting from the
University of Arts in Belgrade.
When I was young I? wanted to be an actress, even though my
parents had hoped that this would be a short-lived ambition.
Unfortunately for them, it was my passion and I pursued it my
whole life.
Acting is? a spiritual discipline. Playing different characters has
allowed me to get to know the people around me, and ultimately,
this has led me to discover my own personality.
The theatre scene in Finland is? wonderful. The theatre
performances that I?ve seen so far, which have been mostly
classics, were very well done.
We Met
7
SixDegrees
?A
strong cultural and educational
background is essential to the
healthy function of a society.?
haven?t received any funding, which means that
all funding for film will have to come exclusively
from external grants.
One thing that illustrates the extent of the
problem is that the protest took place in front
of the National Museum, which is located at
the heart of Belgrade?s city centre. The museum
has been closed for ten years now, due to lack
of funding for reconstruction that is necessary
in order to reopen it. These issues represent
the long-term deterioration of Serbia?s cultural
sector, and are not the fault of the current
government, which assumed office ten months
ago. Nevertheless, we must find a way to bring
culture to the forefront again, and we could start
by introducing tax breaks to businesses that
sponsor cultural organisations.
Another issue is that all funds dedicated to
culture go directly into the budget, and funds are
then distributed at the discretion of the people in
charge of the budget, which is very problematic.
Still, I believe that something will be done about
culture and education, and it is our job as cultural
figures to give incentive and stay diligent.
I am by no means badmouthing our government
? they assumed power during a troubled time, and
are doing their best with what limited means they
have. But I do believe that culture and education
should be a priority and am not a proponent of
the argument that you can?t build on an unstable
foundation. Although there are sectors that
require more funds and attention, there is surely
a way to nurture culture as well.
What is the image of Serbia in Finland,
especially now that the EU negotiations have
commenced?
The Balkan region is quite far from Northern
Europe physically and economically, and I?ve
heard that Serbia had the image of the bad guy
during the Yugoslavian war in the ?90s. But it
seems that people?s attitudes toward Serbia have
started to change. Firstly, I was surprised that
Helsingin Sanomat agreed to do an interview
with me since I represent my country. It was
an encouraging experience, and the feedback
I received was very positive. For instance, a
retired Finnish professor wrote to me about his
admiration of Serbian authors, especially our
Nobel Prize-winning writer, Ivo Andri? and his
famed book The Bridge on the Drina.
I also recently read an article criticising the
acquittal of Ante Gotovina, a retired Croatian
lieutenant general, who was on trial at the
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia for crimes against humanity during
the war of Yugoslavia. That was the first time I
had heard people acknowledge that Serbs were
also victims of war crimes during that war,
especially in the Krajina region of Croatia, where
an exodus of Serbs took place during that time.
This signifies a great change in the attitude of the
international community towards Serbia ? better
late than never.
I am glad to hear that Serbia has entered
the conversation in a positive light, and that
you?re involved in promoting this positive
image. What kinds of events will you be
organising in Helsinki to showcase Serbian
culture?
Yes, it is important for people to know that Serbia
is a civilised place, and if we had the funds we
would certainly bring some quality musicians
and painters to showcase our cultural heritage.
This project is in the early stages, but we?re
working on an exhibition by Serbian designers
whose work has received awards around the
world. Some of these people don?t live in Serbia,
but are quite successful outside of the country.
We were unable to put it together this year, but
we will probably organise it in 2014, since Slavko
[Kruljevi?] and I will be here for three more years.
We are very eager to make this happen because
we want to see a cultural exchange between our
two countries and showcase the best that Serbian
designers have to offer.
Then there?s the Serbian Film Showcase,
organised by the Serbian-Finnish society. Slavko
and I will host a cocktail party at Katajanokka
in mid-October, to celebrate the event. The
Showcase will consist of several Serbian
films, and each film will be preceded by a
short documentary. The Film Showcase is an
important event for us, apart from the Helsinki
International Film Festival, where we?ve seen a
few Serbian films in the past few years. In fact,
I am part of the jury that decides which films
to nominate, and every year we choose films
that are representative of the current trends in
Serbian cinematography.
I am also involved in expanding the Serbian
book collection at the National Library of
Finland with Irina Jukka, who works there. I
have collected many novels and history books in
Serbian that I will soon be donating to the library.
The National Library of Finland has also received
many consecutive issues of various Serbian
magazines from the Serbian National Library.
One interesting event that will soon happen is
related to a book about the Hilandar monastery,
which is a 12th Century Serbian orthodox
monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. The book
will be published soon, and the book release will
be organised in two languages here in Helsinki.
Do you miss acting and Belgrade?
I visit Belgrade every three months, so I almost
don?t have time to miss it. As for acting, I don?t
miss it too much because I worked a lot during
my acting career, and have missed out on many
ordinary things in life. Nowadays I have time to
do all of them, and I satisfy my thirst for art by
being a consumer instead of an active participant.
Lifestyle
8
Issue 07 2013
cool
Flow Festival Jussi Hellsten
A closer look at the hipster subculture.
Yannick Ilunga
I
T?S OFFICIAL: Helsinki is now officially one of the
world?s coolest hipster locations. Eclectic haircuts,
clothes and thick-rimmed glasses have become
more of a familiar sight on the streets of the city,
with plenty of hipster-oriented venues and events
taking place throughout the year.
But who exactly is a hipster? Although it is wise not to
generalise too much, as every member of a subculture
has different habits and taste, it still possible to try and
list the things hipsters have in common.
An individual with a certain Bohemian lifestyle, a
hipster embraces independent culture, while rejecting
the ?mainstream? one. He or she may live in a young,
artsy neighbourhood of a major city ? like Williamsburg
in Brooklyn or Wicker Park in Chicago ? and has an
environment-friendly attitude (it is no surprise if a
hipster rides a fixed-gear bicycle or perhaps a hybrid
car).
An avid consumer of independent and foreign films,
books and magazines, he/she has a strong passion for
music. The hipster?s ?elitist? music taste may focus on
genres such as nu-rave (bands like The Klaxons, Cut
Copy, Hercules and Love Affair), minimalist techno
and independent rap, or perhaps on the so-called
nerdcore, or indie rock and punk. As for the favourite
band, it is very likely to be Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire,
Arctic Monkeys, The Libertines, or something of that
nature.
As for food, it is likely that a hipster enjoys ?chic?
ethnic food, prefers organic and Fair Trade fruits and
vegetables and follows a vegetarian, or even vegan, diet.
Often socially minded and ready to take up many
causes, hipsters are also, in several cases, ironic
individuals. However, it seems that it is clothing that
characterises the hipsters of today. Often oriented
toward a progressive, but retro, style, the male hipsters?
?dress code? includes items like t-shirts with ironic
saying and images, cardigans, colorful hoodies and
windbreakers.
Very popular among females, on the other hand, are
leggings, mini-skirts, sweaters, leg warmers and ?60s
dresses. Both genders frequently wear dirty-looking
jeans, large and thick plastic frame glasses, neo wayfarer
sunglasses, and are sometimes pierced and tattooed.
The Nordic countries, and Finland in particular, seem
to have launched fashion trends that have subsequently
become popular in other parts of Europe. Finland is
not a hipster pioneer only when it comes to clothing
though. In fact, it is now a destination that many
hipsters consider unique.
Hipster Helsinki
Recently, Helsinki seems to have become a city that
attracts hundreds of hipsters. Dubbed the World
Design Capital in 2012, it established itself as an
international, art and culture-oriented location with a
Bohemian touch.
The neighbourhood of Kallio, initially inhabited
by blue-collar workers, is now what many consider a
hipster haven. A Bohemian vibe, historical buildings
and a population of students, immigrants and artists,
combined with beautiful parks and buzzy nightlife,
have transformed the area into a real paradise for
hipsters. The neighbourhood, like the rest of Helsinki,
offers a little bit of everything, but it is only in Kallio
that one finds the city?s most eclectic antique shops and
ethnic restaurants, as well as some of the cheapest bars
and pubs.
The Design District, and the Punavuori area more
specifically, is another hipster-favored part of Helsinki.
The karaoke ?joint? Swengi is perfect for people who
want to enjoy a good drink, while having fun singing.
We Got Beef is a very popular hipster bar in the area,
while electronic club Playground and Hiutale Bar,
which features DJ sessions most of the evenings, are the
perfect places for those who like to stay up late.
At Flow, music flows
The summer season, in particular, is a very prosperous
one for music events in Finland. Among the bunch of
open-air happenings Finland has to offer, Flow Festival
is probably the one that stands out more as hipstersoriented. Organised in Helsinki?s industrial area of
Suvilahti, just a couple of minutes walk from Kallio,
it celebrated its 10th anniversary in August, with over
150 acts on offer.
Over 61,500 festivalgoers went on to spend a
musical weekend at this year?s festival. A diverse
line-up, which has been subject of criticism for being
too ?commercial?, offered the audience pop and rock
performances, as well as electronic music, DJ sets, rap
and jazz concerts. Amidst the jam-packed bill, one
could enjoy the sounds of Swedish electro duo The
Knife, local outift Minä ja Ville Ahonen, charismatic
?preacher-in-music? Nick Cave and his band The Bad
Seeds, Irish alt-icons My Bloody Valentine, American
hip-hop legends Public Enemy and the joyful indie
folk and pop Iceland?s Of Monsters and Men.
To say that Flow is a hipster event might be not
totally correct, for the fact that the festival welcomes
everyone without preferences. However, the happening
does indeed appear to have a sort ?coolness? in itself,
that echoes the hip jazz cats of the 1940s. Nowadays,
hipness seems to be more of a fashion trend, but it is
good to remember that it initially was a state of mind
characterised by open-minded individuals.
But if a hipster is someone that has an open and
eco-friendly mind, then isn?t there a bit of hipness
in all of us?
Lifestyle
9
SixDegrees
JUHA-PEKKA
In your opinion, who is a hipster?
Someone who wants to dress and look like
she/he is different.
What do you think ?being a hipster? means?
I don?t count myself as one, so I have no
idea what it means really. It feels that hipster
is a person who wants to see himself/herself
as a cool and different compared to others.
When it comes to Flow festival, I think this year there weren?t as many
as in previous years? Or maybe everyone is a bit of a hipster now, so
it is difficult to guess who is a hipster and who isn?t.
What kind of clothes and accessories does a hipster wear?
Colorful, different, for example short jeans that shows one?s socks.
Or they might even wear something retro. In a way I think you can
count everything that spots out from the crowd as hipster clothes.
What do you think of Flow Festival this year?
I think it was good. I was a bit disappointed about the main artists
performing on Saturday evening though. I think the food served
deserves a big plus, it was excellent and a lot better compared to
other festivals. All in all, there were not that many surprises, but the
festival had a good flow.
TUOMAS
In your opinion, who is a hipster?
To tell you the truth, I have no idea! The term
is being tossed around so freely that it has kind
of lost its meaning ? if it ever had one in the
first place. I?ve certainly been guilty of using
the word quite a lot in several occasions, but if
I?m being completely honest, I think the joke?s
become kind of tired now.
What do you think ?being a hipster? means?
I?m afraid I don?t have a clue of what ?being a hipster? precisely means.
What kind of clothes and accessories does a hipster wear?
I don?t know exactly, I wouldn?t like to give the classical stereotyped
answer?
What do you think of Flow Festival this year?
I think it was the best one yet. As far as festivals in Finland go, the
lineup was beyond awesome!
EEVA
In your opinion, who is a hipster?
A person who does not feel the need/urge
to state aloud of being one, but nonetheless
considers oneself as a hipster, lives up to
the expectations when it comes to being
one, and likes to hang out with other similar
people. Like in the case of metalheads
or geeks, for instance. From the outside
it seems like clothing/looks and music are the main areas where
hipsters are focused on and with what they label themselves as
different from the ?average Joes?. Also I guess that hipsters think
that it?s cool to be a hipster.
What do you think ?being a hipster? means?
I don?t know if hipsters commonly share any other ideology apart
from being different and distinctive even amongst themselves. They
seem to want to give the impression of not caring what other people
think of themselves, but still I reckon they spend quite a lot of energy
on appearing as a hipster, i.e. finding the right clothes, knowing
about new music and maybe food trends, perhaps being aware of
things like demerit of mass consumption, etc.
What kind of clothes and accessories does a hipster wear?
There is not only one style, but basically anything that?s second hand
and/or makes you stand out in the crowd. Often, I notice that they
wear clothes that I could hardly ever wear for work (i.e. prim office
and quite strictly business). To me it seems like hipsters are after
the most peculiar combinations of fabrics, figures and colours to
make their looks unique. What matters is both details and the whole
ensemble.
What do you think of Flow Festival this year?
This was my first time ever at Flow, so compared to previous years I
haven?t got much to say. In comparison with other festivals in Finland,
I must say that Flow is definitely the most urban-like and people
were less drunk. Also what really caught my eye were those small
places around the festival area with fascinating details of lightning,
decoration or even furniture that created a nice atmosphere.
Flow Festival Jussi Hellsten
RIA
In your opinion, who is a hipster?
My friends Elina and Mirva!
What do you think ?being a hipster? means?
I think hipsters are those who aware of the
best new bands, places and trends before
anyone else. In other words they know all
the ?hip? things. They might sometimes even
be the ones starting a trend.
What kind of clothes and accessories does a hipster wear?
Stereotypically what comes to my mind are Converse sneakers, tight
jeans and big glasses. However, I might be terribly wrong as well?
What do you think of Flow Festival this year?
It was my very first time at the festival and I thought it was great. The
food was really good and the atmosphere was mellow. It differed a
lot from the regular kind of music festivals.
Trend
Month
Bankruptcy
means that
somebody?s
broke
Mika Oksanen
D
o you know what precisely 1,628 Finnish businesses did
in January-June 2013, according to Statistics Finland? The
correct answer is ?filed for bankruptcy?.
The number sounds a lot for a relatively small country,
but the environment they reflect has been there for years
already. The corresponding figures have been at the same
level every year since the global economy took that oftdiscussed nosedive in 2008. Before that time, the rate of
bankruptcy in Finland was at a lower level for many years,
by roughly 20 per cent.
What exactly does ?bankruptcy? mean? According to the
English-language information on the website of Finland?s
judicial system (oikeus.fi), ?bankruptcy is a procedure where
the assets of the debtor are used all at once in order to cover
his or her debts, in proportion to the amounts of the individual
debts?. This can happen to debtors who are deemed incapable
of paying off their outstanding debts (excluding any temporary
circumstances to that effect).
Many of the filing businesses may already have been ?treading
on empty? (in animation character fashion) for quite some
time, and can have payments outstanding to many different
debtors, whether private or public. As a rule, companies
that are declared bankrupt cease to exist. The owners of the
business may or may not be liable to cover any remaining debts
with their personal assets after the company?s assets have been
liquidated, depending on company form.
By Finnish law, a natural person can also be declared
bankrupt. However, in Finland, any individuals heavily in debt
may not get rid of their debts through ?personal bankruptcy?;
instead, they will be subject to debt adjustment, whereby they
are provided a payment schedule, as a part of which some of
their income is used for debt repayment for a minimum of
three years. This system ensures that debtors can continue their
lives by and large in normal fashion while repaying otheir debts.
Society
10
Issue 07 2013
Column
Those
Net benefits?
The Internet has impacted every aspect of our lives during
the past 20 years, from grocery shopping to Google and
from Facebook to data collection. But for all of its impact,
there has been surprisingly little discussion about the
various positive or negative sides to the changes.
The positives I think are more obvious. We have access
to more information in fifteen seconds than was available
to previous generations in a week of library visits. We can
locate weather forecasts, stock prices, the name of the
guitarist on ?Station to Station? or the team sheet for HJK?s
latest debacle in the Champions League.
Along with that access comes the speed of response. We can
contact companies and hotels and organisations anywhere in
the world at almost any hour of any day. As consumers, we
expect answers within a day, and usually get them. Remember
when a simple letter took a week to reach the US?
There is also the aspect of competition. The sunglasses
you lust after are probably available online from a dozen
different outlets. You can compare prices, delivery costs and
the company?s reputation before making a decision, a far cry
from the days when retailers could offer a ?take it or leave it?
approach to customers.
?I
t has never been as easy for a
person to live their entire life in
their bedroom ? but with very
little discussion as to whether or
not that is a good thing.?
But the negative impacts of the Internet have unfortunately
been as great, starting with jobs. When a bank in Finland can
lay off 500 people in a profitable year, you can bet that most
of those redundancies are linked to technology. Companies
just don?t need people to answer phones, deliver mail, type
or take notes like they used to. The flow of information is
increasingly automated and anonymous.
out there
The inhabitants of Helsinki have an alternative
photographic census waiting for them...on Facebook!
Eva Blanco
H
AS somebody approached
you lately on the street
and requested to take
your portrait? If so, you are
already familiar with the online
photography project that has
been shaking up Helsinki since
its creation in early March. If
not, you should definitely keep
on reading and find out more
about this new daring initiative
that brings you closer to your
fellow citizens.
In November 2010, after
losing his job at the Chicago
Board of Trade, photographer
Brandon Stanton decided ?it
would be pretty cool? to create
an exhaustive catalogue of the
Big Apple?s inhabitants. He
started to walk down the streets
of the city taking portraits of
strangers and listening to the
life stories of those posing for
him. Soon after he realised that
by adding to the pictures some
of the personal testimonies
he had been collecting, the
final outcome was much more
captivating. And thus, the blog
Humans of New York (HONY)
was conceived.
Having attended numerous
press events where he noticed
that everyone tended to
photograph the same kind
of extreme people, Stanton
decided to present a more
diverse
and
balanced
representation
with
his
images. For instance, in one
of the images he posted at the
beginning of August, a young
woman appears sitting behind
an open door in a long, sheer
red dress; her curly brown
hair and pale skin giving
the impression of delicacy.
The caption underneath the
portrait reads: ?I?m an actor, a
plus-sized model, and a boxer.
But for the next four hours I?m
a hostess. Because I need 100
dollars.?
Three years after the blog
was launched the site has
gained more than one million
followers on Facebook. A
book gathering Brandon?s 300
favourite portraits and captions
is set to be published in midOctober.
The beginnings
Amidst the huge knock-on
effect of the project literally all
across the world, from Sydney
to Buenos Aires, the Finnish
capital now boasts its own
version as well. Humans of
Helsinki (HOH) has arrived
in town, run by a group of
ten camera lovers with quite
varied backgrounds ? and
nationalities!
?Here in Helsinki a bunch
of people had been talking
about it for a while, but it was
a big commitment just for
one person to do,? explains
Donny McCracken, one of
the photographers. ?One day
somebody suggested working
collaboratively on it and
a group of photographers
were interested in giving it
a try. We have followed the
same philosophy since the
project started back in March.
There are things we think
are ordinary but, when you
actually take the time to stop
and look at them, you realise
there is always something
Secondly, the availability of products on the Internet has lead
to a kind of fascism-by-technology. As much as clicking on the
?flight information? tab on a travel website can cause the price
to jump. Your IP address is recorded, and next time you return
to that site, the prices will be higher. It used to be that regular
customers received better service ? now we get worse.
I also think the general standard of service and services
available has declined. There are no music stores anymore,
and bookstores will be next. As publishers produce less
and less books and magazines, so self-published books and
blogs moves to replace them ? 99 per cent of which are dire.
The media of the current generation is a media without
standards, ethics or quality control.
It is entirely likely that five years from now, our shopping
centres will be empty shells. Bars and restaurants may
survive, but will appliance or fashion stores? What will
replace the empty shells in our inner cities?
It has never been as easy for a person to live their entire
life in their bedroom ? but with very little discussion as to
whether or not that is a good thing. I don?t think it is. We
are social creatures. We do our best work, think our best
thoughts and are happiest when we interact face-to-face.
As more of us work from home, I fear many companies
forget the value of putting people together. Sure, people
working at home probably work longer hours. But are they
as productive, as dynamic, as dedicated as when they work
in a close-knit team? I think we know that they are not.
Increasingly, the fact that we choose to shop or work
or communicate at all in a face-to-face method is unusual.
But for all of the immense benefits brought to use by the
Internet, we must ensure that the virtual world never
entirely replaces the real one.
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.
The many faces of
Helsinki can now be
found online.
Putting the shoe
on the other foot
for a minute, we
took McCracken´s
portrait and put to
him some of the
most interesting
questions
we
have found on
the HONY and
HOH websites.
What was the happiest moment of your life?
I was camping in a farmer´s field in Ireland when I was 22. There
was just a great feeling of freedom and independence. It was one
of those moments in your life that for no great reason you always
remember as everything being absolutely perfect? I could wake up
the next day and do exactly what I wanted. I felt like I had everything
that I possibly needed.
If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people
what would it be?
That thing that you have been thinking about for years and years but
never quite done it? Why not do it?
What kind of feeling does taking pictures bring to your life?
For me taking pictures is similar to the feeling you get every once in
a while when you are playing football and connect with the ball so
sweetly that it just does exactly what you saw in your head.
Is there a particular memory that represents childhood for you?
Yes, one of my strongest childhood memories is one time I was
playing table-football with my dad at the age of eight. Suddenly my
mother rushes into the room and says Ronald Reagan has been
shot. As she switches on the TV and I turn around to look at it, my
dad loudly shouts ?goooal!?. So I turn back and tell him ?You can?t
do that!?, and he answers ?Why not? You have to play to the whistle?.
Society
11
SixDegrees
Minority Report
SixDegrees takes a look at the ethnic minorities here in Finland.
special going on. We intend to
highlight the diversity of a city
like Helsinki.?
Originally from Scotland,
McCracken was travelling in
Finland as a young man back
in 1994 when one day he met
somebody at a train station. A
family and a long professional
career in a foreign country
came as a result of that
fortunate encounter. So, who
knows, maybe that?s when he
decided talking to strangers
was worth the attempt.
?Every picture I take doesn?t
come from a rational idea, but
rather from a connection I get
with somebody,? he explains
when asked about what he
looks for in those people he
photographs. ?There may be
something in that person that
could make a great picture,
or maybe just the way the
light is falling across. I don´t
think you can be too rational
and say, ?today I am going to
take a picture of a bus driver?,
and, since there are ten of us
in the group, you don´t have
to worry about not covering
enough.?
Inspired portraits
Given Finns? reputation for
keeping to themselves, the
website offers an intriguing way
to get to know the people on the
streets.
However,
according
to
McCracken, breaking through
social barriers is just one of the
many things to consider when
approaching strangers.
collapse [laughs]. Finland has
the stereotype of people being
very shy and reverted, so you
might think they wouldn?t
want to be photographed
because they would see it as an
intrusion. However, with this
initiative we have been able
to prove that, on the contrary,
almost everybody is very happy
to get a portrait taken and to
have an opportunity to tell their
stories.?
While McCracken has met
many people during his time
snapping photos for HOH,
there was one encounter in
particular that stands out.
?I especially remember one
woman, who started to tell
me about the old times. She
had always lived in the same
street and was on her way to
meet some classmates she had
known for 60 years. In my
picture I tried to capture the
dignity of a human being that
has walked through the latest
stretch of the way ? together
with the idea that, even if she
had lived locally, there was a
whole world inside her.?
On either side of the pond
For the time being, the main
difference between Humans
of Helsinki and its older
cousin in New York lies on
the fact that the latter bases its
approach on more in-depth
descriptive captions, digging a
bit more into the feelings and
anecdotes of the people that
decide to share. But again, in
Finland we are just warming
This month:
Egyptians
Sarrah Kassem
It is not easy to imagine Finland as a travel destination that is
too common for the sun-loving Egyptians, who are unlikely to
have experienced temperatures colder than 15°C. It is probably
easier then to picture a Finn tanning or snorkeling under the
sun of Egypt at a Red Sea resort. In fact, it seems that the first
Egyptian who entered the Finnish sphere was through Finnish
Mika Waltari?s 1945 bestseller entitled The Egyptian that is set at
the time of the 18th dynasty ruler Akhenaten of ancient Egypt.
Since then Egyptians have stepped out of Waltari?s historical
novel and set on their own journey to the Finnish lands. What
then has inspired around 400 Egyptians to leave the sun for the
larger portion of the year behind to come all the way up to the
country of the second most northern capital in the world? The
answer is simple: love and the hope of a better career.
Around the 1960s the first wave of Egyptians arrived at the
ports of Finland to expand their business work to the lands of
Scandinavia. A few others turned to the state system and have
taken on jobs as bus and tram drivers. In subsequent years,
some Egyptians have continued here their careers in medicine,
while others have been more interested in bringing the Oriental
flavours of the Middle East to Finland by owning and running
restaurants in the heart of Helsinki such as Habibi? All these
Egyptians seem to have shared a ?European dream? in which
Finland is imagined as the safe haven that will provide for a
better standard of living.
Not all Egyptians, however, have come to Finland for purely
economic reasons, but rather as a result of love. For many who
have worked at tourist beach resorts in Egypt, Hurghada and
Sharm El Sheikh have become the place where they have met
their future Finnish wives, who were either traveling or working
there. After living for some time in Egypt, these families packed
up their lives in Egypt and set out on their trip to Suomi. The first
thing these Egyptians then seek out upon arriving, is to learn the
Finnish language to then be able to integrate into Finnish society,
get a higher education and ultimately find a job here.
These Egyptians now living far from home seek to keep the
feeling of their community alive here in Finland. In Helsinki
many Egyptians meet for instance on Fridays for a fun game of
football and on other occasions they do not hesitate to organise
dish parties. During the holy month of Ramadan, in which
Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, weekly iftars (dinners) are on
the calendar of many Egyptians. The ingredients of such iftars
are collected upon a grocery shopping trip to Arab markets
such as the Iraqi owned ?Ararat? that has produce rarely found
in northern Europe like Okra, Molokhia (a kind of leaves that is
minced into a soup) or vine leaves. They then collect their meat
from the butcher at ?Halal-lina? that serves halal meat to many
Muslim communities here in Helsinki. All these ingredients are
then cooked to make a beautifully Oriental-scented dinner that
brings Egyptians together. In case you want to get a closer taste
of this food, community and culture, then do not hesitate to take
any year round trip to the land of the pharaohs in which the sun
never stops shining!
Legal Immigrants
6D gets to know what it?s like to be a regular immigrant in Finland.
Contact james@6d.fi if you?d like to share your thoughts for a future issue.
What line of work are you in?
I am a trading strategist at a bank in
Helsinki.
How did you get to where you are
today? Was it difficult to find a job?
The most important thing when
looking for work is to build a network
and I built mine through summer jobs.
It is the easiest way to enter a company.
The professional community is quite
small here, so it is essential to have a
good reputation. In Russia, if you lose
a job in a bad way, you move to another
big city with a clean slate, but here, it?s
different.
Tijana Stolic
?It can be pretty challenging!
You have maybe a minute at
the most where you have to
approach the person and try to
explain what you are doing. So,
on the one hand you are talking
with them and looking for
something to pick up on and
explore in the conversation, and,
on the other, you are thinking
of the actual picture [the light
or the composition]. At the
beginning it was exhausting?
but great fun as well.?
And so, now that he enjoys
such a unique scope of
society, how has McCracken?s
perception of Helsinki changed
since the project was initiated?
?All stereotypes are supposed
to contain some grain of
truth in a general sense, but
when you start to deal with
individuals, stereotypes always
up to the first steps of the
initiative ? so, in that sense,
some pleasant turnarounds
may be waiting for us further
up on the road.
Far from being a temporary
trend, McCracken considers
that the project is here to
stay for the long haul. ?We
are aware this is a database
that we are building together,
and in 50 years time it would
be nice to look back at the
different fashion styles and
the funny mobile phones that
people had [laughs]. I am
convinced the project will
keep going even if after some
time there won´t be any of the
10 of us working on it.?
www.humansofhelsinki.com
www.humansofnewyork.com
Vladimir is a St. Petersburg native
who moved to Finland 10 years ago. He
completed a Bachelor?s and a Master?s
degree in Linguistics in St. Petersburg,
and then moved to Jyväskylä to do
another Bachelor?s and Master?s degree
in Economics. He currently calls
Helsinki home.
Did you know Finnish before you
came to Finland?
Yes, I studied it at the university in St.
Petersburg. I chose it because it seemed
exotic, not because I thought I would
ever live in Finland. Then, when I came
here, it still wasn?t easy to understand
everything. You think you know Finnish,
but then you come here and there are all
kinds of local expressions, people, and
ways of talking that you?re not familiar
with, so it took three more years after
I arrived to understand fluently the
language.
Has knowing Russian helped you with
your career?
Merely knowing the language isn?t as
much of an asset as knowing about the
Russian customs and culture. It is an
additional asset, apart from the necessary
professional qualifications.
Did you experience culture shock
when you arrived to Finland?
Yes, a few. The first one I remember are
the long taxi lines on weekends! Apart
from that, I found it strange that Finns
change extremely much when they drink.
Russians do silly things when drunk, but
Finns alter so much; they talk and laugh
much more.
Why did you decide to stay in
Finland?
I started my career here, and built my
professional network. In 2008, during
the European crisis when there weren?t
good opportunities anywhere else I just
stayed.
Do you have any concerns about
Finland?
They are mostly professional. I am
concerned that the Finnish society is
ageing, there aren?t as many people
working to sustain the social state in the
future. I expect some problems in the
next 10 years, especially since the boom
that happened after the bank crisis is over
now. My other concern is the change in
values. If you do not invest in a proper
education, it is hard to find a well-paid
job, and many people who have never
experienced hardship ? mostly due to the
benefits of the social state ? aren?t willing
to work for minimum wage because
they get paid the same amount in social
benefits if they stay home. Although
I believe that education and health
care should remain free for everyone,
something needs to change.
What do you like about living here?
The everyday life is easy. Public transport
works, there are plenty of places where I
can do sports, and the urban life is great.
For working routine, a city this size is
better than say, Moscow, Berlin, or Milan.
I?ve travelled a lot, so I know that, when
things are good, it is easy to take them
for granted. It is difficult to start a career
from zero in a new place, and stressful
to work in mega cities, and I am happy
where I am now, so I wouldn?t change
anything.
What is your favourite word in
Finnish?
I like the word ehtoo (evening). As it
sounds poetic and somehow ancient I
see magic in it. I like very much Finnish
poetry and such words belong there.
Feature
12
Issue 07 2013
Bilingually speaking
Searching for Suomenruotsalainen.
Rasmus Hetemäki
S
o, here we are, a country with two national languages. On
the one hand we have Finnish, spoken by the majority
of the population. On the other there is Swedish, the
mother tongue of our national hero Carl Gustav Emil
Mannerheim and currently around 300,000 people (5.5 per
cent of the population; including). Scattered around the south,
southwest and west coast of Finland, Swedish is also the language
found on the autonomous group of rocks situated halfway to
Sweden, also known as Åland, or Ahvenanmaa.
Many have attempted to put their finger on whom exactly the
Swedish-speakers in Finland are, and many have failed. Take
the Swedish-speaking comedian Andre Wikström for example,
who tried to capture the essence of the Finland Swedes in a
Facebook post:
?There are a lot of prejudices against us Finland Swedes. For
example, that we are all very rich, live longer than the Finnishspeakers and during summer we only sail and sing schnapps
songs.?
Well the explanation, according to Wikström, is that each
time a Finland Swede is born, a star falls from the sky and when
reaching the earth?s atmosphere it turns into a good fairy which
brings the newborn a silver coin? well, long story short, after
turning 18 the young Finland Swede sails to the Island Kökars in
Åland/Ahvenanmaa, where the silver coin can be traded for an
enchanted squirrel, from a troll called Lill-Mattsson, but only
after amusing Lill-Mattson with 17 schnapps songs. Drowning
the enchanted squirrel in camomile tea will then result in a long
and healthy life, with a nice start-up sum of around 950,000
euros, which can be collected from the Aktia bank, but only
from Aktia!
Feature
13
SixDegrees
I can personally relate to Wikström?s theory in quite a few
ways: I?m a Swedish-speaking Finn. I used to sail with my
family when I was younger ? never to Åland though. I?ve been
to Åland, but never to Kökars and I have a bank account, but
it?s not in Aktia. I?ve also drank camomile tea at some point or
another, but I don?t think there was a squirrel carcass floating
around in the teapot. So if Wikström?s theory doesn?t apply to all
of us, what is it then to be a Finland Swede? Is it simply sharing
the knowledge of a language or is there an enchanted squirrel
hidden there somewhere, maybe inconspicuously dropped in
the teapot when I wasn?t looking?
Professional standpoint
Well, dazed and confused by these philosophical questions and
theories, I contacted Kjell Herberts, a researcher of multilingualism
and minorities at the Åbo Akademi University in Vaasa, whom I
hoped could clarify this issue for me.
Herberts has been researching Finland Swedish society for
years now, using different opinion polls and questionnaires as
his instruments. These include his own ?barometer? which has
been distributed among Finland Swedes yearly since 2000, and
the ?language barometer? ? in
collaboration with the Ministry
of Justice ? which follows
the Finnish and Swedishspeaking minorities in bilingual
municipalities, to see how well
the language law applies in
practice.
By using blocks of questions
related to the attitudes, values
and lifestyles of Finland Swedes,
the barometer attempts to put the Swedish-speaking population in
a national, Nordic and European perspective, Herberts explains.
?But, in recent years, it has been mainly about trying to get a
more longitudinal perspective of the Finland Swedes and Swedish
in Finland and seeing if there are any differences between Swedishspeakers and Finnish-speakers.?
The results imply that it?s not always so easy to distinguish between
the two, according to Herberts. Some Finnish-speakers tend to live
very ?Finland Swedish? while there are Finland Swedes who live
rather ?Finnish?. Furthermore, the surveys and questionnaires don?t
even reach the registered Finnish-speakers who have moved and
assimilated to a Swedish-speaking region, he tells me.
In a way, I always knew it was difficult to pick the two apart, as
there are no physical characteristics that give us away, except when
we open our mouths and some unintelligible attempt at Finnish
follows. But now Herberts says that there are native Finnishspeakers among us. How deep does the rabbit hole really run, I
wonder, as perspiration begins to materialise on my forehead.
Then I remember Bero Persons, a student at the Swedishspeaking business school Hanken, whose dad is American and
mom is Finnish-speaking. When I confront him on the subject he
replies:
?I don?t identify myself as an American even though my father is
from there, as I?ve lived here (in Finland) my whole life. But I feel
quite lucky to have three languages from home and I would say that
I?m in between Finnish and Finland Swedish, as in all my friends
are Swedish-speaking and I have a strong relationship with the
Swedish-speaking community, but I also speak Finnish at home.
So I think I?ve seen both sides, but I would maybe say I feel more
Swedish-speaking than Finnish-speaking,? Persons contemplates.
When it comes down to the big question of identifying the
Finland Swedes, Persons thinks that, ?it is a strong community.
It?s a heritage that a part of the population carry on and I believe
it?s really important as it?s a big part of our history. Because there
is the language that unites them, the community is stronger and
people know each other better, so it creates a belonging of some
sort,? Persons reflects.
Okay, so now Americans are Finland-Swede also? It?s getting hard
to keep up. Thus, I return to my conversation with Herberts, and
ask him if he thinks there?s anything that characterises the Finland
Swedes.
?Well, it has often got to do with what is connected with culture,
the culture which is a bearer of the language. It is here where the
Finland Swedes meet, which is in the mass media, in the industries,
institutions and organisations of different kinds, and there you can
probably see some differences as the cultures can differ somewhat.
But otherwise I think you have to be very careful to draw these
divisions between Swedish and Finnish in Finland, because we
have so many who float over this, many times, artificial language
border. When you live bilingually, sometimes you are more Finnish
and sometimes you are more Finland Swedish,? Herberts says.
?Just look at how bilingual families live their lives, which part
of their internal culture is Finland Swedish, and which part is
Finnish? It becomes quite preposterous a lot of the times,? Herberts
points out.
This is more like it! Finally something I can draw upon from my
own experiences.
?T
Suomenlinna, a 15-minute ferry ride from mainland Helsinki,
where Finnish was chiefly spoken. This meant that most of my
conversations when outside the refuge of my house ? in day care,
during evenings in the park playing football and with all my friends
? were in Finnish. At home, however, Swedish dominated as it was
the language I spoke with my mom and brother, while resorting to
Finnish when I spoke with my dad.
There is nothing unusual about this, Herberts offers. ?After
interviewing hundreds of bilingual families, it became very clear
that if the family attempts to find a balance between the languages
and the parents are consistent in their communication, it is clear
that you can grow up bilingual. But then I think that the choice
of school language is quite decisive, when it comes to identity and
consensus building.?
Jackpot!! The first time my bilingualism even became an issue for
me, was when I was about to begin elementary school. When I was
younger, instead of being sent to the Finnish-speaking elementary
school in Suomenlinna with all my friends, as I had hoped, I soon
found myself at a Swedish-speaking elementary school on the
mainland. I wasn?t too pleased about this turn of events, but after
much kicking and screaming I soon found that I rather enjoyed
my new surroundings and my
new Swedish-speaking kaverin
(mates).
However, this is also when my
first experience with the historic
language strife in Finland took
place, in a local candy store
and video rental ?kiosk? where
the older kids from a nearby
Finnish-speaking school would
throw around the word hurri
whenever they referred to us (I still don?t know what it means), and
in any other way make our lives a tad more miserable. Well, years
and countless snowballs thrown later, the language question doesn?t
seem so dramatic anymore. Apart from a few heated football games
and some mud slinging at the snägäri (hot dog stand) after the
pub, I only tend to encounter the language rift in politics, where
the Swedish People?s Party and the (True) Finns Party are at each
other?s throats, and in the media coverage that follows.
But recent headlines have also emphasised the ongoing language
debate once again, with a citizens? initiative calling for the end of
obligatory Swedish in schools being signed by over 50,000 people,
officially bringing the issue to parliament.
Whether Herberts thought that Swedish?s status as a national
language would be in jeopardy if the obligatory Swedish was
abolished in schools, he says, ?I do think it would be the next
discussion in that case, and other solutions would be sought-after.
It is clear that in some parts of Finland it is very important and
natural to use both languages, but not in the whole country.?
he first time my bilingualism even became an issue
for me was when I was about
to begin elementary school.?
On an island of bilingualism
A little of my backstory: I was brought up on the Sea Fortress
Map of Finland-Swedishness
Herberts, who has lived almost throughout Swedish-speaking
Finland at some point or another, helps explain the difference
between these regions by drawing a mental map of some of them.
?If you consider the whole south coast, you could say from Lovisa
(Loviisa) to Hangö (Hanko), it has been imprinted by a very strong
Swedishness, but simultaneously, also by a, at times, rather strong
Finnish occupancy. For example, Eastern Nyland (Uusimaa) has
experienced that even though the population base has been the
same, the majority has still turned into the minority. I think that
has an effect on the mentality and maybe some people feel like
living on an ice floe,? he illustrates.
?Then you can say that in Middle Nyland (Keski Uusimaa) they
have learned to live in two languages and the threat there might be
that Swedish is becoming a language used at home but not in the
public space. I sometimes say that Finland Swedishness is strong as
there are strong Finland Swedish institutions you bind the identity
with, but the Swedish language?s viability is diminishing all the
time in the public space,? Herberts continues.
Then you can look at Ostrobothnia, ?where there are milieus
which are fairly bilingual and the Finnish is strong. But at the same
time Swedish is strong in, for example, Vasa (Vaasa), where you
can comfortably live your life in Swedish. Of course you should be
bilingual when working in the private or public sector, but there is
a sense of security at least, when Swedish is not seen as threatened
on the local level.?
Herberts also thinks that the figure 5.5 per cent that you so often
encounter when talking about the Swedish-speaking Finns can
be quite misleading. ?The milieus are so very different that the 5
percent doesn?t mean anything if you live in Korsnäs and belong
to a majority of 97 per cent or live in Vanda (Vantaa) where you
are a minority of 5 per cent. They are completely different living
conditions when it comes to language,? he says.
?So I think that the local situation characterises considerably
more than we often realise. There are many who live in a Finland
Swedish bubble without experiencing that they actually live in a
bilingual milieu, and then there are those who want to join the
Finland Swedish bubble because they finally want to get to speak
some Swedish.?
Around a third of Finland Swedes feel like they are functional
in both languages, according to Herberts. ?This is especially
The word
(or two) from
Swedish-speaking
Finns
Alexandra Frisk
I?m a Finn with Swedish as my mother
tongue, so a Finland Swede. I feel
strongly Swedish-speaking because of
my mother tongue, both my parents have
had Swedish as their mother tongue,
I?ve attended Swedish-speaking schools,
Swedish-speaking hobbies and for the most part Swedish
has been spoken within my friend circle. I?m a Finn who
lives her everyday life almost completely in Swedish.
Bero Persons
If I marry someone who speaks Finnish
I?ve decided to speak Swedish with my
children, and if I marry someone who
speaks Swedish, I?ve decided to speak
Finnish with them. Just to make it easier
for them.
Niklas Gahnström
Growing up in Finland, speaking
Swedish, but having a German mother
makes it quite hard to tell what I actually
am. I guess I could describe myself as a
?half-German-Finnswede? if there is
such a term?
Simon Hellström
I?m from Kronoby and I study in Vasa.
In Finland I identify myself as an
?Ostrobothnian?, in other words a hard
drinking, hard working guy. Finland
Swedishness in Ostrobothnia means that
you only talk Swedish and not a lot of
Finnish and in Nyland it means that you?re richer. I speak
Finnish at work and when I accidentally try to pick up a
Finnish-speaking broad at the bar.
somewhat younger people and people who live in the cities in
Southern Finland. Then a bit more than a third, maybe 40-45 per
cent who think they can manage more or less to have a discussion
in Finnish, and then there is a diminishing group, maybe around
20 per cent who don?t think that they could manage an elementary
discussion in Finnish. But the Åland residents are included in this
number.?
At the end of our conversation, Herberts closes by saying, ?I
think there are many who grow up bilingual and live bilingually,
and don?t understand why you have to discuss these questions
and speak about identity like you have to pick a side. A very good
model is this double identity, that sometimes you?re simply more
Swedish-speaking and sometimes you?re more Finnish, and there
shouldn?t be any conflict in that,? he finishes.
In a good place
As I say goodbye to Herberts over the phone, I sigh from relief as I
now feel content of not having to literally ?move back to Sweden?
whenever someone tells me to do so. I can also keep on cheering
for the Finnish ice hockey team and won?t have to swop my lifelong heroes Teemu Selänne and Saku Koivu for Mats Sundin and
Peter Forsberg. Phheeeeww?!!
I don?t even think I would feel very much at home in Sweden
because each time I go there, some locals are wondering: ?why is
this Moomintroll-sounding guy speaking so good Swedish!?? And
after explaining for the 550th time that we are Finland Swedes who
happen to have Swedish as our mother tongue, the next question
rings: So you are Swedes living in Finland, right!?
At this point I usually suppress an impulse or two before
correcting them politely, ?No, we are Finns who talk Swedish, a
legacy left by our countries? mutual history.?
This tends to raise some eyebrows on both sides of the Gulf of
Finland, but what can you do? Oh well, hejssan svejssan and thank
you for your time, I got myself a troll to find. Ahoy!
SixDegrees
14
?Joel Willans?s stories are both thought
provoking and hugely entertaining.
Spellbound is a great read.?
Vanessa Gebbie,
winner of The Telegraph?s Novel of the Year
Get your signed copy of Joel Willans?s prize winning
short story collection at www.inktank.fi/spellbound
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I nstitute of Adult Educ ation in Helsink i
Helsingin aikuisopisto
Tö ölöntullink atu 8, 00250 Helsink i
A touch of Vienna
in the heart of Helsinki
Tastebuds
15
SixDegrees
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Sibriina Kinnunen
Genuine Viennese
coffee house culture
Lounge
and international
Fabian Unger
food combined in a
?Lounge is not just your average
café, it combines coffee, tea and
tasty toasts for affordable prices and
an area, which feels more like a living
room where you can hang out for hours with friends
or just study. It is a café, tattoo shop and art gallery
at the same time,? says Anna Koivu, Organisational
Communication student at the University of Jyväskylä.
cosy atmosphere.
Coffee and more on offer indoors and out.
not that easy, as many Finns tended to be quite sceptical about
foreign food back then. But this has changed in the last 10 years.
Our café soon got accepted by the locals, since we offer something
quite special ? affordable quality food, a genuine atmosphere and
good service combined with top-notch traditional cakes and coffee
representing the Viennese coffee house culture.?
The enterprise imports many products themselves. Beer and wine
come from small suppliers from Austria and are usually not offered
in Alko stores. The coffee is from Julius Meinl, a well-known and
long-established coffee brand from Vienna.
Fabian Unger
J
Customers requested a café
Just as we finish our main courses, owner Oliver Krulla arrives.
Vienna-born Krulla moved to Helsinki 11 years ago because of
relationship reasons. Even before that, he already had a strong
connection to Finland, having previously been an exchange student
at the then-Helsinki School of Economics.
?We first had just the bakery and the catering service. But ever
since the beginning, we got asked by our customers why weren?t
selling our products in a café. These requests lead to the opening of
the Krulla Wiener Kaffeehaus,? he explains.
How did the Finns react to the venue? ?In the beginning, it was
Krulla Wiener Kaffeehaus
Lönnrotinkatu 13, Kamppi
Helsinki
Mon-Fri 8.00 am ? 3.00 pm
Sat 8.00 am ? 3.00 pm
Tel.: 09-497 530
www.krullas.com
LOUNGE
Kauppakatu 2
Jyväskylä
www.lounge.simplytattoo.net
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
HTM
UST a stone?s throw away from Kamppi is a small enclave of
traditional Austrian bakery art combined with international
cuisine. Situated in a relatively calm neighbourhood away from
all the city turmoil, the Krulla Wiener Kaffeehaus offers a calming
haven for stressed city dwellers and culinary treats for hungry
visitors.
One should not be led astray by the unimpressive façade of the
building. It?s the inner value that counts. As photographer Eva and
I enter the venue, we are carried back to the 19th century. Heavy
chandeliers scatter light; the well-upholstered furniture in the café
compartment and the elements held in dark wood constitute a
genuine Viennese-style café/restaurant. The venue is not busy. In
summertime, there is generally less work as a result of people going
on holidays.
Since we both are already quite hungry, but chef and owner of
Krulla, Oliver Krulla, is not here yet, we decide to have lunch and
take pictures while we wait. The menu card is not too packed ?
there is a daily changing lunch menu and a few permanent à la
carte dishes and summer salads. A full lunch menu, consisting of a
starter, a main course and coffee/tea, costs ?10.50.
Upon recommendation, we decide to go for the Boeuf
bourguignonne with stewed potatoes and the spinach-feta lasagne.
For starters, there is a self-service soup and salad bar at the front
counter. I go for the soup of the day, which turns out to be a
wonderful, creamy sweet potato velouté.
15 minutes later, our main courses arrive. The portions are decent.
The beef is so tender that it nearly melts in your mouth. Also, the
spinach-feta lasagne is tasty and balanced, as the strong feta taste
does not cover up the spinach. My main course is accompanied
by a glass of Austrian Grieskirchner 5.1 per cent ABV, unfiltered
wheat beer ? something that you would usually not find in any
Alko store in Finland.
Going international
The decision against serving only traditional Austrian cuisine
and for a more international menu was clear for Krulla: ?Some
dishes from the traditional Austrian kitchen would not be too
well received among Finns and international guests, since there
are often entrails used. The acceptance for ingredients like these
is not given in Finland.? Nevertheless, he always looks to get more
appetising dishes - like Wiener Schnitzel - on the menu, giving the
selections of meals an Austrian touch.
Like the dishes on the menu, the staff is also very international ?
Krulla tells us that they have had staff members from all around the
world. Thus the working language among the employees is English.
?It is simply easier to praise or cavil about your staff members? work
in English,? he says with a smile.
The café has several offers for guests at different times a day.
Breakfast on weekdays is offered from 8:00 until 10:30. The
popular weekend brunch is served on Saturdays from 9:00 until
14:00. Lunch meals are offered from 11:00 to 14:00. During
opening hours, according to the brochure we receive, ?[they] offer
handmade personally designed cakes, warm strudels, the original
Sacher-Torte, delicious European breads, petits fours and much
more.? Furthermore, their products are also offered in the newly
renovated Swedish Theatre (Svenska Teatern) at Café Thalia.
The Krulla family has been in the bakery and café business since
the 19th century and Oliver is upholding this tradition, as many of
the recipes used today originate from that period of time. Legend
has it that the Viennese coffee house culture dates back from as
early as 1683, as a result of the second Siege of Vienna by the
Ottoman Empire. The unsuccessful invaders left their coffee sacks
as they retreated, and thus unintentionally introduced coffee to
Central Europe.
We end our lunch with coffee and cakes. The mango-raspberry
cake (?5) is just the right choice for a summer day ? fruity and
light with mango pieces. Nevertheless, it is topped in taste by the
Orangerietorte (?5), a deliciously rich combination of chocolate,
oranges, Cointreau liqueur and real marzipan topped with an
orange slice. Naturally, our cakes are accompanied with fantastic
Austrian coffee (espresso ?2.90, cappuccino ?4.50).
To summarise our tasty experience in the Krulla Wiener
Kaffeehaus: we left with full stomachs and a smile. Recommended!
?With a student card, you can get an enormously sized
coffee for the price of a small one and the menu has
stuff for every kind of taste ? from traditional cheese
and ham toast to the ?heartclogger?, which combines
everything from peanut butter, Twix, to crisps and
cheese, stuffed between two slices of bread.?
Game
With the moose hunting season kicking off in
municipalities in Northern Lapland at the beginning of
September and the reindeer season approaching fast as
well, game meat starts to be on plates here again. While
sometimes a bit tricky to find in restaurants, hobby
hunters might well enjoy their traditional poronkäristys
(Sautéed reindeer), sided with mashed potatoes and
lingonberry jam. Hirvipaisti (moose roast) with carrots,
onion and garlic combined in a sour cream sauce
should be a culinary delight for every game aficionado.
16
Cultitude
Issue 07 2013
Eva
Manu
Bond without
ambiguity.
The Finnish-French duo are coming into focus both here and abroad.
Eva Blanco
?We travel fast, my voice and me; one penny in the pocket, penny
in the pocket.?
(Feet in the Water)
B
ACK in 2008, while they were both studying at the Berklee
College of Music, Frenchman Manu Laudic was among
the audience at a concert that Finn Eva Louhivuori was
giving in Boston. After her performance, he decided to
reach out and thank her for the show. He started to tell that
he remembered her from the school auditions in Paris, where
he had been struck by her voice for the first time. Despite his
long flattering speech, in the end she was sorry to inform him
that she was actually somebody else. ?Ah?well?anyway, you
sounded great tonight,? Manu replied. Oops.
One year later, places are switched, and Eva is among the
audience at a concert being performed by Manu?s band. When
the show ends, she heads over to talk to him. Soon after, they
realised they were very similar: sharing common life principles
and enjoying the same kind of music. That is when it all started.
After two-years in Boston, the duo began to feel homesick
and returned to Europe in 2010, to help out on the farm Manu?s
father in the South of France. With the duo wondering what
their next step would be, Laudic senior soon suggested they
should do something else; travelling maybe, meeting new people
and writing songs about it.
Soon they had a 30-year-old Mercedes camper van in their
possession and were volunteering at numerous organic farms
across Europe, dubbing both the concept and its resultant blog
?travelling in music?. Releasing a song each week online as way
of illustrating their life on the road, nine of these were eventually
gathered together to form their debut album Eva&Manu in
August 2012.
Eventually swapping the van for planes, and the farms for the
stages, their gigging has seen them hitting stages in Holland,
Hungry, Switzerland, and Germany, among other places. Of
course, Finland remains the ?home base? for their band, and
unusual is the month that they don?t step in front of an audience
somewhere. Furthermore, with the incorporation of Jooel Jons
on the drums, the duo has now become a trio. From E&M to
E&M&J.
SixDegrees sat down with the two vocalists to hear about their
?journal de voyage?, their sources of inspiration and what lies
ahead.
Could you name some of the aspects you draw inspiration
from while travelling? How does it influence your music?
Eva: The first aspect that comes to my mind is the people we
meet. We were staying at different farms and met some couples
that came from really far off places. So, it was really inspiring to
hear their stories, how they ended up where they are now. For
me, that was proof that you can do things the way you want,
nothing is set. For instance, one of the families we met had gone
through bankruptcy in their home country, so after that they
decided to leave everything and move to the middle of nowhere
in France. Now they have a very nice farm there.
Then, another inspirational aspect is related to the travel
itself, being on the road, having the freedom to do plans on
a daily basis, being out of the comfort zone. At the same time,
you realise you don?t need so much. While travelling, all the
things I usually enjoyed buying, like clothes and such, meant
nothing to me.
Manu: I agree with Eva. But we couldn?t give a concrete
example of how these experiences influence our music, because
we don?t feel it?s up to us to explain what the songs are about;
each one has to make its own interpretation. People experience
music and lyrics differently. The listener has to decide what the
meaning of our songs is, and how they can relate them to their
own life. Songs are universal.
What has been the best time you have had on the road?
Eva: For me one of the best memories goes back to one of the
last farms we visited in France. The owner was an animal rights
protector, and so when people suspect some kind of animal abuse
they ask him to go and carry out an undercover investigation.
Actually, he even came to Finland a couple of times and stopped
two very bad dog-fighting circles. So he goes and pretends to be
one of them until he gathers enough information as to expose
them. It was really inspiring. Then, we almost got to meet
everybody in the small city they had the farm. Just before we left
we had a big party, we played a concert, we made great food...
this is probably the best memory.
What can you tell us about busking? Have you tried it
sometime?
Manu: We have lots of friends busking in Helsinki. But the
problem I have with it is that I feel like you have to take people
away from what they are doing. It?s not for me. I like to play gigs
because people decide to go and see you, they buy the tickets and
organise their night around it. However, if you are playing on the
streets and somebody is doing shopping you have to stop them
from that and drag their attention to you. I love when there are
people busking on the streets, it?s just something I don?t enjoy
doing myself.
Eva: Well, it depends. I think that sometimes the role of a
busker is exactly entertain and surprise people ? and stopping
them for a little bit. A song that you like and weren?t expecting to
hear can bring a spark to your day.
Manu: A couple of the best people you can see busking in
Helsinki are the guy that plays the wine bottles (he is really cool),
and then our good friend Lauri Wuolio who is playing a metal
hangdrum. His music gets into your head.
Manu: For instance the single, Feet in the Water. Eva wrote it in
Paris, where we spent one month before coming to Finland, and
looking at it, we realised that this is the song that puts the whole
trip in a box. Some lines are about finding new grounds and
speaking other languages; about adapting yourself to different
situations, and even changing the way you live and the way you
see things?getting into different waters. Keeping the travel as a
precious experience that defines you.
The idea of encouraging some kind of ecological activism
both through your songs and lifestyle seems to be highly
recurring when it comes to you. Could you tell us about the
green initiatives you embrace while travelling?
Manu: We are not green activist, we don?t believe in telling
people what to do. We just think that being eco-friendly is
something that works for us, but we are not trying to push it
on other people. We were raised like that, and we will teach our
children to be like that. But when we did the travel we were
green because it was mostly cheaper, and not only due to ethical
reasons. Then, after the trip we decided to pay back for our
carbon dioxide footprint by spending two weeks planting trees.
How has social media contributed to your success?
Eva: It has been very important for us to use Facebook and
YouTube. It was an easy way for everybody to have access to our
music and to share it with their friends. The concept of ?sharing?
itself was key for us to keep on growing. People message us
privately via these online platforms, and we are very happy to
answer them. The world becomes a very small place when you
count with these tools.
Manu: There are many ways to promote your music nowadays.
Our generation is the one that started Facebook, so it is part of
everything we have seen. And the same goes for YouTube.
What lies ahead for you? Will you try out different styles of
music?
Eva: If trying new styles feels natural, then definitely. We will be
releasing our second album in 2014, and it is going to sound like
us today. Hopefully, people will be happy about it.
What does your blog ?Travelling in music? consist of?
Manu: The idea was to connect with the people that were already
interested in our project. We wanted to keep them updated about
each new step we were taking. Our goal was to upload a video
each week releasing an original song. We would film the best
moments of the previous week and make a collage with them,
while, in the background, the new song was playing. So the idea
was for everybody to follow our journey while listening to our
music. After the trip we moved to Finland to start the band.
Our debut album [Eva&Manu, Warner Music Finland, 2012]
contains all those songs we composed on the road.
How would you define your style?
Manu: Well, people can think about it as folk, pop, indie music,
acoustic?again, it?s not for us to decide. We have never thought
about it and I don?t think we will ever think about it. We write
songs about the people we meet and the things that happen to
us, we don?t try to be any more complex than that. Our style can
change at any time, everything can happen.
Could you pick out one of your songs and explain to us how
the melody and the lyrics were influenced by the place
where you found yourselves at the time of composing it?
Eva & Manu On Tour
31 August. Espoo-päivä, Sellosalli, Leppävaara
5 September. Savoy Theatre, Helsinki (+ Yona)
13 September. 45 Special, Oulu
14 September. Lutakko, Jyväskylä
20 September. Pannuhuone, Kuopio
Cultitude
17
SixDegrees
comical
One of themes this year involves children, but the event isn?t just for kids!
James O?Sullivan
C
elebrating comics here in Finland and abroad, the 28th
Helsinki Comics Festival is being staged in the capital on the
first full weekend of September. The largest comics festival in
Northern Europe, the festival features a comics market, Small Press
Heaven, artists, exhibitions, discussions, presentations, live drawing
performances, competitions, animation, kids? events and clubs.
Under the banners of ?comics for children? and ?North American
comics?, fans of comics and professionals are encouraged to
participate. Having evolved from their traditional position of
Helsingin kaupunginmuseo/Sakari Kiuru
being children?s entertainment into an
independent field of art, the festival ponders
the notion whether this process has seen
the younger audience being forgotten. Thus
the festival seeks out the different kinds
of comics that are published for children
today, as well as offering younger punters a
specifically-themed workshop programme.
Meanwhile, this year?s festival sees a
range of guests from North America, the
birthplace of comics. Guests from across
the pond include both established and upand-coming stars Patrick McDonnell, Lilli
Carré and Michael DeForge.
Lasipalatsi Square is the focal point
once again for the festival, with the main
Festival venue tent and the Small Press
Heaven located there. MBAR acts as the
official bar and terrace for the festival
main event, also hosting an interview
stage featuring live music.
Kirjasto 10 is getting in on the act, hosting
two thematic afternoons focusing on western
comics and comic books meet rock music.
On Friday 6 September Dubrovnic Bar and Lounge and Andorra
Theatre host a number of lectures, discussions, music, live drawing
and a film matinée. A comics and poetry jam night is being held on
Saturday evening at Mascot, and a variety of exhibitions are being
presented in different galleries around town.
Helsinki Comics Festival 2013
6-8 September
www.sarjakuvafestivaalit.fi/in-english
James O?Sullivan
O
No need to pony-up, the
exhibition is free entry!
Mad about
Helsinki
Live Nation
FFERING a cross-section
of the capital city?s history,
Helsinki City Museum
is currently Mad about Helsinki,
hosting an exhibition celebrating
the capital city stretching until
the end of the year.
Having surveyed the public
concerning their favourite
places around town and the
stories within, the exhibition
takes a look at the various
phases of the city over the
years. Summarising the roughly
1,000 responses to the survey,
the most significant places
articulated for visitors to enjoy
include the many sites that
frame the historical context of
Helsinki, such as Senaatintori,
Suomenlinna and Kaivopuisto.
Alongside these lie mentions of
numerous remote and intimate
places, such as deserted shores,
quiet streets, and respondents?
own abodes.
Charting the development
of the city from the 16th
century to the present day, the
exhibition exposes the variety of
perspectives and shared history
of Helsinki . Thus, alongside
the voice of the 2013 resident,
12 people from different eras in
Helsinki have been chosen for
the exhibition. Visitors to the
exhibition can enjoy the tales of
Mayor Lars Michelsson from
the 16th century, the colonel?s
wife Aurora Karamzin from
the 19th century and bed maker
Kalle Kärkkäinen from the
20th century. These archival life
stories and eyewitness accounts
of particular periods in time
enable sculpt a picture of how
Helsinki developed from a small,
wood-built town into its current
status as a European metropolis.
Mad About Helsinki
Until 31 December
Helsinki City Museum
Sofiankatu 4, Helsinki
Back with the
Sound
James O?Sullivan
A
LWAYS somewhat of an awkward inclusion into the
Grunge genre, Seattle?s Soundgarden were lumped in
more on the basis of their geographic origins, more
so than on the basis of their ?70s influenced rockmetal hybrid.
However, as is the want of most bands these days, the
quartet regrouped a couple of years ago, after a hiatus of
some 15 years. Last year?s King Animal was proof that while
the band still retained its power of early days, they were
content to let the songs breathe, in between flurry?s of odd
signatures and guitarist Kim Thayil?s unpredictable riffing.
Bursting onto the scene in the late ?80s, it was with
1991?s Badmotorfinger that the band truly arrived, with the
banning of single Jesus Christ Pose?s startling video on MTV
only adding to their mysique. Singles Outshined and Rusty
Cage, however, saw heavy rotation. This was merely a sign
of things to come, with follow-up Superunknown seeing the
band scaling the heights of superstardom, with singles Black
Hole Sun, Spoonman and My Wave just a few of the many
strong cuts on offer.
However, the band began to lose traction, with 1996?s
Down on the Outside failing to meet commercial and critical
expectations. After disbanding, singer Chris Cornell went
on to enjoy moderate success as both a solo artist and front
man of purveyors of jock rock, Audioslave. Drummer Matt
Chamberlain perhaps enjoyed the most publicity of the
quartet post breakup, joining Pearl Jam in the late ?90s, a
position he has retained to the present day.
Last seen in Finland towards the end of last century,
in 1996 to be exact, the
band arrives on a wave of
anticipation. Recent gigs
Soundgarden
on their global jaunt have
4 September, 19:00
proved that they still have
Tickets ?61.50-69.50
the chops. See what you
Harwtall Areena
think at Hartwall Areena on
Areenankuja 1, Helsinki
Wednesday 4 September.
Stand Up Turku!
Standing up from around the
James O?Sullivan
i
nternational
comedy
stars from Iceland and South
Africa join the line-up at
this year?s Stand Up Turku!
festival at various locations
from 25-28 September. Being
held for the eighth time, local
acts such as the laconic genius
of Ismo Leikola appear on
the bill alongside these fresh
imports from overseas.
Recognised today as one
of the country?s pioneering
black comedians in the
country, Kagiso Lediga has
worked hard to earn the label
of being a South African
comedy legend. For over a
decade this multi-talented
comedian has entertained
audiences on the live stage,
on the small and big screens
and also now from behind the
screen producing some of the
most groundbreaking comedy
content his country has ever
seen, heard and laughed at.
Fellow countryman David
Kau started his career as the
first black stand-up comedian
in the 1998 Smirnoff Comedy
Festival in Cape Town ? the
only black person on stage
out of 44 comics, mind you.
Co-producer of the biggest
comedy brand in South Africa,
the Blacks Only Comedy Show,
he started this initially as a
one-night-only event in 2004.
Hugely successful, it is now
enjoying its eighth year.
Heading north, Iceland?s
own Hugleikur Dagsson has
a number of strings in his bow.
Known for his comics, he has
participated in dozens of art
shows, where he has exhibited
drawings, photographs and
video
pieces.
Alongside
receiving
recognition
for
his talents as playwright, he
recently entered the stand
world
up stages in Iceland and is
performing in Finland for the
first time.
Meanwhile, Iceland?s leading
stand-up
comedian
Ari
Eldjárn returns to Finland
once again. Not only does he
run a comedy club in Reykjavik,
but he has performed stand-up
in Denmark, Norway and the
UK as well as here and in his
homeland.
The full festival programme is
available online.
Stand Up Turku!
25-28 September
standupturku.com/english
Kagiso Lediga adds a dash of humour
Reviews
18
Issue 07 2013
Forthcoming flicks
Anarchy
on screen
Cate Blanchett comes under the direction of Woody Allen in Blue Jasmine.
Blue Jasmine (S)
Woody Allen returns from his adventures abroad, after the mixed results of previous effort To
Rome With Love, heading to the West Coast of the States for his latest addition to his oeuvre.
Here Cate Blanchett?s troubled former Manhattanite finds herself dumped by her wealthy
husband, and moves to the Bay City to live with her sister. Under the effect of powerful antidepressants, she attempts to put her life back on track, with the assistance of a typically cracking
support cast including Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K., and Bobby Cannavale. Critics have fallen
over themselves in praise.
Premieres 30 August
Perfect Mothers (K12)
Retiled from ?Adore?, which in itself may have been streamlined from something akin to ?Friends
and Cougars?, here Naomi Watts and Robin Wright are two mothers living in a sleepy seaside
town, putting their lifelong friendship to the test when they fall in love with each other?s sons.
Steamy. An adaptation of Doris Lessing?s 2003 novella The Grandmothers, things are kept
on the hush-hush as they attempt to keep the relationships secret. But what to do when the
community catches wind of their antics? Keep an eye out for Animal Kingdom?s breakout star
James Frecheville as one of the corrupted youngsters.
Premieres 6 September
Rush (K12)
Yes, according to the tagline, everyone?s driven by something. And thus here we have the tale of
Formula One drivers James Hunt Chris Hemsworth and Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) during the
1970s, at the peak of their heated rivalry. Butting heads during their career, their approach to life
and the track remains at polar opposites, with Englishman Hunt?s showy public persona clashing
with Lauda?s reputation for tightly-wound perfectionism. After a horrific crash during the 1976
Grand Prix at the Nürburgring that nearly claims Lauda?s life, a bromance begins to flourish
between the two. With Academy Award-winner Ron Howard at the helm, screenwriting duties
are performed by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon, Hereafter).
Premieres 13 September
Jobs (K12)
Just in case The Social Network wasn?t enough tech-genius back-story, here we have the intriguing
notion of Ashton Kutcher suiting up as computer mogul Steve Jobs. Tracing the Apple cofounder?s career from his early years in that Palo Alto garage to his rise as one of the computing
industry?s most admired innovators, Swing Vote?s Joshua Michael Stern takes the reins. Backed
by a supporting cast that includes Matthew Modine, Lukas Haas, and Dermot Mulroney,
advance word has been perhaps more positive than you would first think.
Premieres 20 September
Games reviews
August 2013
Company of Heroes 2 (PC)
The new instalment of Relic?s WWII
RTS transposes the action to the Eastern front as the Soviets struggle to
overcome the Nazi onslaught. If you
played the previous game you?ll feel
right at home as the action is pretty
much the same as before, albeit with
different units, upgrades and abilities.
In that sense CoH2 isn?t particularly
James O?Sullivan
T
HE 26th Helsinki Film Festival will be
staged once again in the capital city
from 20-30 September. Known more
widely under the moniker of Love and
Anarchy, the festival is an eagerly anticipated
event for the city?s cinephiles.
Founded in 1988, the festival gradually
expanded from two theatres to 12 screens
and established itself as an 11-day homage
to cinema. During its first year the festival
screened 26 films. Nowadays the programme
consists of in the vicinity of 180 feature films
and 80 short films. The screenings take
place in the fine theatres and traditional film
sanctuaries of Helsinki. Last year?s festival had
over 57,000 visitors.
The list of guests of the festival over the
years is long and impressive, with numerous
important filmmakers being guests of
HIFF, discussing their work and meeting
both audiences and industry professionals.
Previously, the festival has hosted the likes of
Danny Boyle, John Woo, Gaspar Noé, Tilda
Swinton, Jan Kounen, Aleksandr Sokurov,
Baz Luhrmann, Philip Ridley, Nicolas
Winding Refn and Jacques Audiard.
The films on offer this year once again scale
the various heights and diversity of cinema.
Wong Kar-Wai?s hotly anticipated latest The
Grandmaster, Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi
star in the biographical drama based on the
life of legendary martial artist Ip Man, best
known as a mentor to Bruce Lee.
Gus Van Sant?s Promised Land offers the tale
of Hal Holbrook?s small-town teacher who
stands up to a pair of drilling representatives
(Matt Damon and Frances McDormand)
determined to exploit the local resources.
Noah Baumbach?s Frances Ha sees Greta
Gerwig?s 20-something Brooklynite barely
making a living as an apprentice with a
dance company. Her greatest happiness is the
friendship she shares with Mickey Sumner.
groundbreaking, but it?s still an engaging and addictive experience,
and the Havok engine is holding up nicely. A few nice new features
like true line-of-sight also add more believable tactics to the title. Be
warned though, it?s also a very challenging game even on normal, so
with the skirmish and multiplayer options ? complete with uncertain
matchmaking tools - as well as the single player it?ll keep you going
a while. 7/10
Tales of Xillia (PS3)
The latest PS3-exclusive JRPG has much to recommend it to even
non-fans of the genre like me. The art direction is great, and although the storyline is rather convoluted, it?s fast-paced and interesting with enough political intrigue to give Game of Thrones a
run for its money. Also worthy of note is the combat system which
Things go pear shaped with haste when they
are separated, however,
Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine
Cynn?s documentary The Act of Killing
explores the rationale behind the mass
killings of Communists in Indonesia during
the 1960s. Here, former death squad leader
Anwar Congo is presented with the unique
opportunity to reenact his crimes in the
style of his favorite Hollywood films for the
camera. He is also given the opportunity
to speak candidly about his memories and
motivations for committing mass murder.
In a packed bill, other films of note this year
at HIFF include Claire Denis? Bastards and
Dome Karukoski?s Heart of a Lion. See what
you can find.
More info from the HIFF website. Full
programme is available on 6 September.
Love & Anarchy Film Festival
19-29 September
www.hiff.fi
does away with traditional
turn-based action in favour
of a more exciting, beat-emup style which allows you to
combine with AI characters
for crazy joint attacks which
become ever more spectacular as you upgrade your character. If you?ve always fancied
giving a JRPG a go but have
been put off by their oft-cumbersome mechanics, Xillia
might be worth a punt. 8/10
Nick Barlow
VISITING?
The day ticket is the official and best travel
card for getting around the Helsinki region.
Have a lovely stay.
You can buy the day ticket from R-kiosks, HSL?s service points
and the Helsinki City Tourist Information. Choose the zones you
want to travel in and how long you want to use it (1 to 7 days).
Locate the sales points closest to you with the QR code.
Out&See
SixDegrees
Greater Helsinki
20
Issue 07 2013
Music _ Clubs
29 Aug. Timo Lassy Band // Jazzy
grooves. Huvila Festival Tent,
Tokoinranta. Tickets ?32.50. www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
29 Aug. Koko Kesä Kalliossa // Jazz
club with top Finnish musicians.
Koko Jazz Club, Hämeentie 3.
Tickets ?15-20. www.kokojazz.fi
29 Aug. LBRNTH 2000 // Huoratron,
Proteus, Rico Tubbs, Aids-3D, Cup,
Juuso Malin, Drugz & Customs
DJs. Ääniwalli, Pälkäneentie 13.
Tickets ?19.50. www.facebook.com/
Aaniwalli
29 Aug. Royal Concertgebouw
Orchestra Amsterdam // One of the
world´s top symphony orchestras.
Music Centre, Mannerheimintie
13.
Tickets ?38-139. www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
29 Aug. Kuukumina // Afro-Cuban
rhythms. Juttutupa, Säästöpankinranta
6. www.juttutupa.com
30 Aug. Loner Fin // Rock. Semifinal,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?6/7. www.semifinal.fi
30 Aug. Darkroom // DJ Lil Tony.
Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13. Tickets
?0/7. www.kuudeslinja.com
30 Aug. The Flaming Sideburns
// Legendary Finnish rock group.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu
4-6. Tickets ?14.50/15. www.
tavastiaklubi.fi
By Anna-Maija Lappi
30 Aug. Pikku Kukka // Pop. Korjaamo
Culture Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B.
Tickets ?9.50/10. www.korjaamo.fi
30 Aug. Festival Club: Love music
? Love Records // Rare treats and
popular classics from the legendary
record label. Lavaklubi, Läntinen
Teatterikuja 1. Free entry. www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
30 Aug. Lo´Jo // Chansons with North
African flavor. Huvila Festival Tent,
Tokoinranta.Tickets ?39.50. www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
30 Aug. RSO / Kent Nagano /
Viktoria Mullova // Shostakovich?s
Violin Concerto No. 1 and
Stravinsky?s The Rite of Spring.
Music Centre, Mannerheimintie
13. Tickets ?22.50-48.50. www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
31 Aug. 100 vuotta Rock and Rollia
vuodesta 1963 // The Montesas
(GER), The Dangermen, The Fanatic
IV. Dubrovnik, Eerikinkatu 11.
Tickets ?21.50. www.andorra.fi
31 Aug. Insomniacs with Darius
Syrossian (UK) & Dirty Culture
(ROM) // House. Venue, Pohjoinen
Rautatiekatu 21. Tickets ?10.7020.70. www.clubvenue.fi
31 Aug. Pää Kii, Räjäyttäjät // Punk.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu
4-6. Tickets ?13.50/14. www.
tavastiaklubi.fi
31 Aug. HPNB, Oaklyn // Soulful
grooves. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?7.50/8. www.barloose.com
Kotiteollisuus
7 Sep. Tavastia
Reptile Youth
20 Sep. Bar Loose
THE HANKEN PHD
PROGRAMME
Pikku Kukka
30 Aug. Korjaamo
We support your journey to the PhD degree with
personally tailored guidance, a high-quality research environment, and excellent international
networks.
?Hanken encourages international mobility of its
PhD students. I got financial support for several
conferences abroad and a six-month research
visit to New Zealand. It was the most workintensive period of my doctoral studies and also
great life experience.?
Tamara Galkina
PhD, Hanken Alumnus
APPLY SEPTEMBER 2 ? SEPTEMBER 30, 2013
HANKEN.FI/DOCTORALSTUDIES
31 Aug. The 69 Eyes // Metal/rock.
Virgin Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5.
Tickets ?15/17. www.virginoil.fi
31 Aug. António Zambujo (PRT) // Critically
acclaimed contemporary fado singer.
Huvila Festival Tent, Tokoinranta.Tickets
?39.50. www.helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
31 Aug. Festival club: Django
Collective Helsinki // Cheerful, old
school gypsy swing. Lavaklubi,
Läntinen Teatterikuja 1. Free entry.
www.helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
31 Aug. Around Bartók // Matthew Barley,
cello & Viktoria Mullova, violin. Sibelius
Academy Concert Hall, Pohjoinen
Rautatiekatu 9. Tickets ?17.50/37.50.
www.helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
31 Aug. Espoo Day Concert // Eva &
Manu and Viitasen Piia. Sello Hall,
Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Free entry.
www.sellosali.fi
31 Aug. Hoedown // Country, blues and
rock. Juttutupa, Säästöpankinranta
6. www.juttutupa.com
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in En
2 Sep. Popular classics for the guitar
// Janne Lehtinen, guitar. Club
Agricola, Tehtaankatu 23. Tickets
?12. www.ainoacktenhuvila.fi
4 Sep. Svenska Talande Klubben //
Darin (SWE) live. Korjaamo Culture
Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets
?10/12. www.korjaamo.fi
4 Sep. Soundgarden (USA) //
Legendary grunge group. Hartwall
Arena, Areenankuja 1. Tickets ?65.
www.hartwall-areena.com
4 Sep. Tomahawk (USA) // Rock. The
Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?37/42. www.thecircus.fi
4 Sep. Ken Hensley & Friends, Crazy
World // Benefit concert for The
Helsinki University Central Hospital´s
intensive care units. Tavastia, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?25/30.
www.tavastiaklubi.fi
5 Sep. Pagan Altar (UK) // Metal.
Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13. Tickets
?18.50. www.kuudeslinja.com
5 Sep. Q.Stone // Bluesrock. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?25/28. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
6 Sep. Antero Lindgren // Singersongwriter. Le Bonk, Yrjönkatu 24.
Tickets ?7.50. www.lebonk.fi
6 Sep. Elastinen // Finnish rap. Tavastia,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?15.50/16. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
6 Sep. Mind of Doll // Hard rock.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?7.50. www.semifinal.fi
6 Sep. Surviainen // Roots reggae,
ska and urban rhythms. Korjaamo
Culture Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B.
Tickets ?5/7. www.korjaamo.fi
6 & 7 Sep. Perkele Deathfest //
Sotajumala, Death Destruction
(SWE), Six Feet Under (USA),
Torture Division (SWE) and others.
Virgin Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5.
Tickets ?15/20/30. www.virginoil.fi
7 Sep. Eevil Stöö, DJ Kridlokk &
Koksukoo, Tuuttimörkö, Paperi T &
Khid and Ameeba // Rap. Korjaamo
Culture Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B.
Tickets ?10.50-12. www.korjaamo.fi
7 Sep. Xe-None (RUS) // ?Dance
metal?. On The Rocks, Mikonkatu 15.
Tickets ?11.50. www.ontherocks.fi
7 Sep. Kotiteollisuus // Rock/Metal.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?21.50/22. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
7 Sep. Handlingnoise // Sounds from
metal to electronic. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?7.50.
www.semifinal.fi
7 Sep. Clublife & Monday bar Black
XL Presents: Headhunterz (NLD) //
Hardstyle DJ/producer. The Circus,
Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets ?16.50.
www.thecircus.fi
9 Sep. Paradise Lost (UK) // Metal.
Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?27.
www.elmu.fi
10 Sep. Elina Orkoneva: Miss
Fool // Interesting young singersongwriter. Music Centre, Black
Box. Mannerheimintie 13. Tickets
?5/10/15. www.musiikkitalo.fi
11 Sep. No Smoking Team // Rap. Le
Bonk, Yrjönkatu 24. Tickets ?9.50.
www.lebonk.fi
11 Sep. Edith - The Show // Jil Aigrot
? Voice of Piaf. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets ?49/54.
www.savoyteatteri.fi
11 Sep. Helsinki Philharmonic
Orchestra // Jukka Linkola´s piano
concerto Serenades and the Cabaret
Dances premieres. Music Centre,
Concert Hall. Mannerheimintie 13.
Tickets ?6-25. www.musiikkitalo.fi
12 Sep. Dead Shape Figure, Supreme
Court // Metal. Semifinal, Urho
Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets ?6.50.
www.semifinal.fi
13 Sep. Tuomo Prättälä & Markus
Nordenstreng Duo // Talented Finnish
jazz/soul musician. Le Bonk,
Yrjönkatu 24. Tickets ?9.50. www.
lebonk.fi
13 Sep. Hidria Spacefolk // Space rock.
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?Twins? / Société Industrielle de Photographie / Paris, 1917
Until 15 Dec. Surreal Illusionism - Photographic Fantasies of the Early
20th Century // The Finnish Museum of Photography, The Cable Factory.
Tallberginkatu 1. Tickets ?0/6/8. www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi
Surreal fantasy world
of postcards
The autumn season at The Finnish Museum of Photography
starts with a fascinating exhibition presenting photographic fantasy postcards from the early 1900s. The exhibition, curated by
Harri Kalha, takes the viewers on a journey to this unmapped,
surreal world of mysterious dreams, imaginative role-play and
glamorous divas with nearly 500 works in a variety of experiential
settings.
The late 19th and early 20th century saw a boom in popular
art and technology. Emerging concurrently was one of the most
transcendent phenomena in the history of art, as the recently
invented medium of photography met the novelty medium of the
postcard. Photography became a vehicle for the popular imagination, and vice versa. The professionally manufactured photographic postcards soon spread around the world in their millions.
Today, these little pieces of art are coveted collector?s items.
Back then, in a time without ?photoshopping? technologies,
everything was done by hand. The impressive photographic
postcard imagery was created by making stage backdrops, multiple exposure, cut-and-paste collage, hand tinting, and mixing
drawing with photography, appearing fantastically beautiful and
bizarre at the same time.
Bar Loose, Annankatu 21. Tickets
?11.50/12. www.barloose.com
13 Sep. Au Revoir Simone (US),
Sarah Kivi & Non-Orchestra // Indie/
electro pop. Korjaamo Culture
Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets
?23.50/24. www.korjaamo.fi
13 Sep. Septeto Santiaguero (CUB) //
Grammy nominated son group. Savoy
Theatre, Kasarmikatu 46-48. Tickets
?32/34. www.savoyteatteri.fi
13 Sep. Vocal Ensemble Kumo: Listen!
// A concert in the dark. Music Centre,
Black Box. Mannerheimintie 13.
Tickets ?5/10/15. www.musiikkitalo.fi
13 Sep. Finnish Radio Symphony
Orchestra // Verdi´s Requiem.
Music Centre, Concert Hall.
Mannerheimintie 13. Tickets ?1040. www.musiikkitalo.fi
14 Sep. Fumble // Punk. Semifinal,
Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6. Tickets
?7.50. www.semifinal.fi
14 Sep. Riverside (POL) // Heavy
rock/metal. Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8.
Tickets ?23.50. www.elmu.fi
14 Sep. Small Houses (USA) //
Charming folk pop. Korjaamo Culture
Factory, Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets
?6/8. www.korjaamo.fi
16 Sep. Heart In Hand (UK) // Melodic
hardcore. On The Rocks, Mikonkatu
15. Tickets ?8/10. www.ontherocks.fi
19 Sep. Fabulous (USA) // Hip-hop.
Nosturi, Telakkakatu 8. Tickets ?3540. www.elmu.fi
19 Sep. Fiamma d?amore - Flame of
love // Angelika Klas & Ensemble
Recordanza.
Club
Agricola,
Tehtaankatu 23. Tickets ?15. www.
ainoacktenhuvila.fi
20 Sep. Jonne Aaron // Rock. Virgin
Oil Co., Mannerheimintie 5. Tickets
?16.50. www.virginoil.fi
20 Sep. Image-klubi // Atlético
Kumpula. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?7/8.
www.korjaamo.fi
20 Sep. Reptile Youth (DNK) // Post punk
/synth pop. Bar Loose, Annankatu 21.
Tickets ?6/8. www.barloose.com
20 Sep. St. Felix // Funky pop rock.
Semifinal, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?7.50. www.semifinal.fi
20 Sep. Cock Sparrer (UK) // Punk.
The Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3.
Tickets ?25/27. www.thecircus.fi
21 Sep. Reckless Love // Glam metal.
Tavastia, Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6.
Tickets ?13.50/14. www.tavastiaklubi.fi
21 Sep. Children of Bodom, For The
Imperium, Lost Society // Metal. The
Circus, Salomonkatu 1-3. Tickets
?35/37. www.thecircus.fi
21 Sep. The Real Group + Rajaton
= LEVELELEVEN // Two of the most
successful a cappella groups in
the world have joined forces. Sello
Hall, Soittoniekanaukio 1A. Tickets
?42.50/44. www.sellosali.fi
24 Sep. Verneri Pohjola & Aki
Rissanen // Two jazz virtuosos. Club
Agricola, Tehtaankatu 23. Tickets
?15. www.ainoacktenhuvila.fi
www.autokoulusafiiri.fi
For more information by phone 020 766 9171
or email matinkyla@autokoulusafiiri.fi
Out&See Turku
21
By Anski Auramo
Theatre _ Dance
25 Sep. White Hills (USA) // Space
rock. Kuudes Linja, Hämeentie 13.
Tickets ?15. www.kuudeslinja.com
29 Aug. Festival Club: Diamonds and
sequins // Enchanting ballet ensemble
Wannabe Ballerinas. Lavaklubi,
Läntinen Teatterikuja 1. Free entry.
www.helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
29 & 30 Aug. K. Kvarnström & Co:
come back (to me) // Three dancers
and two musicians dressed in black
take to the stage. Alexander Theatre,
Albertinkatu 32. Tickets ?27.5046.50. www.helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
29-31 Aug. Walkapolis // Surprising
artistic
sidetracks.
Tickets
?17.50/27.50. www.walkapolis.fi
29 Aug.-1 Sep. Cie Non Nova
(FRA) : L? après-midi d?un foehn
// Magical contemporary circus
performance.
Cable
Factory,
Pannuhalli.
Tallberginkatu
1.
Tickets
?15.50/24.50.
www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
29 Aug.-1 Sep. Cie Non Nova (FRA):
Vortex // Fierce performance
by Phia Ménard. Cable Factory,
Pannuhalli.
Tallberginkatu
1.
Tickets
?22.50/37.50.
www.
helsinginjuhlaviikot.fi
29 Aug.-1 Sep. Kallo Collective &
Krepsko Theatre Group: Edgar?s Echo
(Paraphernalia of E. Cuthwellis)
// Contemporary circus. Cirko,
Kaasutehtaankatu
1.
Tickets
?15/20. www.cirko.fi
4-14 Sep. Haapalainen & SuutariJääskö: Double // Jotos- Sudenpolku
& LQ Revisited. Alexander Theatre,
Albertinkatu 32. Tickets ?29/38.
www.aleksanterinteatteri.fi
5-10 Sep. Simo Kellokumpu, Aurélie
Pétrel, Vincent Roumagnac: Reset
(Zodiak Helsinki)
// Exhibition and performance side
by side. Zodiak ? Center for New
Dance, Tallberginkatu 1B. Tickets
?14/22. www.zodiak.fi
6-22 Sep. Kivinen-Klemola: Death
of Man // Surprising dance theatre
performance on a new kind of human
being. Korjaamo Culture Factory,
Töölönkatu 51 B. Tickets ?1527.50. www.korjaamo.fi
6-24 Sep. Seven Brothers // The
riotous brothers of Finnish lore collide
with the world of ballet. Finnish
National Opera, Helsinginkatu 58.
Tickets ?19-105. www.opera.fi
7-25 Sep. Carmen // Bizet?s eternal
classic. Finnish National Opera,
Helsinginkatu 58. Tickets ?19-91.
www.opera.fi
13 Sep. Circo Aereo & Thomas
Monckton: The Pianist // Top
clownery.
Alexander
Theatre,
Albertinkatu 32. Tickets ?19/24.
www.aleksanterinteatteri.fi
14 Sep. Pole Art 2013 // Artistic pole
dance competition. Savoy Theatre,
Kasarmikatu
46-48.
Tickets
?32/37/42. www.savoyteatteri.fi
18 & 19 Sep. Fall For Dance // Two
contemporary dance pieces by
young European choreographers.
Zodiak - Center for New Dance,
Tallberginkatu 1B. Tickets ?14/22.
www.zodiak.fi
20, 21 & 25 Sep. Dance United // The
Finnish National Opera opens its
doors to two visiting Finnish dance
companies. Finnish National Opera,
The Almi Hall. Helsinginkatu 58.
Tickets ?12/23. www.opera.fi
Exhibitions
Until 1 Sep. Eija-Liisa Ahtila:
Parallel Worlds // Interesting
video
installations.
Kiasma,
Mannerheiminaukio 2. Tickets
?0/8/10. www.kiasma.fi
Until 1 Sep. Treasure Islands //
Exhibition presenting the secret
islands of the Finnish Defense
Forces. Virka Gallery, Sofiankatu 1
/ Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13. Free entry.
www.virka.fi
Until 22 Sep. Light Houses - Young
Nordic Architecture // The exhibition
presents inspired approaches in
young Nordic architecture. Museum
of Finnish Architecture, Kasarmikatu
24. Tickets ?0/3/6. www.mfa.fi
Until 22 Sep. Design Museum 140
Years - Parallel Histories // Parallel
stories of Finnish design.
Design Museum, Korkeavuorenkatu
23. Tickets ?0/5/8/10. www.
designmuseum.fi
Until 21 Oct. The Invisible Lady //
Four young Finnish artists ? Aurora
Reinhard, Pilvi Takala, Erkka
Nissinen and Hans Rosenström ?
have come together to build an
exhibition. Amos Anderson Art
Museum, Yrjönkatu 27. Tickets
?0/2/8/10. www.amosanderson.fi
Until 10 Mar. Nathalie Djurberg &
Hans Berg // A blend of fantasy and
nightmare created by the Swedish
contemporary artist duo. Kunsthalle
Helsinki, Nervanderinkatu 3. Tickets
?9/12. www.taidehalli.fi
Until 15 Dec. Surrealism and illusion
in early 20th century postcard
photography // The Finnish Museum
of Photography, The Cable Factory.
Tallberginkatu 1. Tickets ?0/6/8.
www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi
Until 31 Dec. Mad about Helsinki // A
unique overview of the city´s history
and beloved places. Helsinki City
Museum, Sofiankatu 4.
Until 12 Jan. Aesthete Extarordinaire
// Birger Kaipiainen´s ceramic
fantasies. EMMA ? Espoo Museum of
Modern Art, Ahertajantie 5. Tickets
?0/8/10. www.emma.museum
Others
From 19 Sep. Rakkautta & Anarkiaa
- Helsinki International Film Festival
// New films from well-known
filmmakers and fresh talents. www.
hiff.fi
The event listings in the Out&See
sections are based on the available
information at the time of printing the
issue. SixDegrees is not responsible
for possible changes, mistakes,
cancellations or lack of information
concerning the events mentioned.
Online Finnish
Courses for Beginners
Hyvää päivää! Hauska tutustua!
Kenelle?
Suomen kielen verkkokurssit on hyvä tapa opiskella,
jos käy töissä tai elämä on
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Suomea ei tarvitse osata
ennestään, opetus lähtee
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Vaatimuksena on jatkuva
oleskelulupa ja verkkoopiskeluun soveltuvat ATKtaidot.
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For who?
Online Finnish courses
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Prior Finnish studies are not
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Students must have a current residence permit and
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When?
Next course starts on August 26. Courses continue
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oulu
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Eiran aikuislukio ? Laivurinkatu 3 ? 00150 Helsinki
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SixDegrees
Music _ Clubs
29 Aug. Metallihelvetti ylpeänä
esittää med KRK: // Four metal bands
performing: Denial of God, Arsonist
Lodge, Black Feast and Urgamla
Klubi (ILTA), Humalistonkatu 8.
Tickets ?10/12. www.klubi.net
30 Aug. DJ Honeygroove // DJ
performing indie, rock and pop as
well as heavier stuff. Bar Kuka,
Linnankatu 17. www.barkuka.fi
31 Aug. Band Night // Three punk
bands: the wild performers of Hero
Dishonest playing hardcore punk,
Kuudes silmä dark post punk and
Kieltolaki hardcore-strunk-punk.
Klubi (ILTA), Humalistonkatu 8.
Tickets ?6. www.klubi.net
31 Aug. Barry Andrewsin Disko + DJ
Kid Kid Mexico // Jukka Herva plays
dreamlike music with the synthesizer
and guitar, followed by a Dj who
specializes in creating magical
atmospheres. Bar Kuka, Linnankatu
17. www.barkuka.fi
4 Sept. Band Night // Three bands
performing:
industrial
metal
bands Xe-None (RUS) and Fear of
Domination accompanied with dark
rock band Cold Cold Ground. Klubi
(LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets
?11,50/10. www.klubi.net
5 Sept. Korpiklaani // Folk metal
band plays music that resonates with
the dark Finnish woods and folklore.
Klubi (LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8.
Tickets ?16.50. www.klubi.net
8 Sept. Music of Ray Charles
// The timeless music of Ray
Charles performed by Turku Jazz
Orchestra, Severi Pyysalo, Dick
Holmström and Sauli Luttinen.
Åbo Svenska Teater (Stora
scenen), Aurakatu 10. Tickets
?20/25. abosvenskateater.fi
13 Sept. Maidenfest // A concert
put together for Iron Maiden fans,
featuring four performers: Pekka
Snellman, Luca Sturniolo, Erkki
Seppänen and Taage Laiho. Klubi
(LIVE), Humalistonkatu 8. Tickets
?12. www.klubi.net
13 Sept. Children of Bodom // Finnish
extreme metal band fronted by Alexi
Laiho. Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu
14. Tickets ?39/79. www.logomo.fi
14 Sept. Partiopop 2013 // A
fundraising concert for the Finnish
scouting movement, including
performances by Jukka Poika and
JVG. Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu
14. Tickets ?30. www.logomo.fi
17 Sept. Red Bull Flying Bach // A
break dance performance to the
music of Johan Sebastian Bach?s
The Well-Tempered Clavier. Logomo,
Köydenpunojankatu 14. Tickets ?49.
www.logomo.fi
20 Sept. My Brazilian Heart // Latin
jazz performed as part of the Flame
Jazz concert series. Åbo Svenska
Teater, Tiljan, Aurakatu 10. Tickets
?20/15/10. abosvenskateater.fi
21 Sept. Viikate, Kauko Röyhkä &
Narttu // Performances by metal
HELSINKI TIMES
band Viikate and rock musician
Kauko Röyhkä?s band Narttu.
Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu 14.
Tickets ?25/69. www.logomo.fi
TRAVEL
photo
16 Sept. Logomo, Köydenpunojankatu 14. www.logomo.fi
Tickets: ?68,50/63,50
Ian Anderson ?
Thick as a Brick Tour
For the first time since its release in 1972, Anderson performs live
the music from Jethro Tull?s legendary concept album Thick as
a Brick in its entirety. The album is a masterpiece of progressive
rock, telling the story of a fictitious child prodigy called Gerald
?Little Milton? Bostock. On this album, Jethro Tull managed to
combine rock, folk and classical music in a way that had never
been done before. The sequel to Thick as a Brick, Whatever Happened to Gerald Bostock?, will be performed during the second
half of the concert. This show is a fusion of theatre, music and
multimedia.
Theatre _ Dance
Première 30 Aug. Ouroboros // Sasha
Pepeljajev?s piece is performed as part
of the festival Manifesti. Watching a
dance performance can be done in
two ways; by observing the movements
and rhythms, or by reminiscing about
the moments already danced away.
Combining these two ways will lead
to discovering Ouroboros ? the symbol
that shows a snake biting its own
tail. Aurinkobaletti, Itäinen Rantakatu
64. Tickets ?22/18/13. www.
aurinkobaletti.com
6 Sept. Herr Emil?s Shock Circus // A
macabre, funny and ridiculously shocking
circus performance. Klubi (LIVE),
Humalistonkatu 8. www.klubi.net
Première 14 Sept. The Seret Lives of
Henry and Alice // David Tristram?s
successful and critically acclaimed
comedy seen in Finland for the first
time. A couple escape their boring
marriage into daydream fantasies.
Linnateatteri,
Linnankatu
31.
Tickets ?28/23. www.linnateatteri.fi
Exhibitions
Until 8 Sept. Greatest of these is love?
// A spectrum of strong emotions
is the substance of the summer
exhibition. Attachment, eroticism,
longing and lack of empathy are
all present in the works on display.
Wäinö Aaltonen Museum, Itäinen
Rantakatu 38. Tickets ?6/4/15,50.
www.wam.fi
Until 15 Sept. Max Walter Svanberg
? Outo lintu // Reality gets mixed
with dreamlike visions in the works
of this leading Swedish surrealist.
As an eternal mystery, the woman is
the focus of Svanberg?s work. Turku
Art Museum, Aurakatu 26. Tickets
?8/5. www.turuntaidemuseo.fi
Until 29 Sept. At the End of the Rainbow
? Treasures and Stories // This
exhibition brings together valuable
historical artifacts and folklore on
hidden treasures. Aboa Vetus & Ars
Nova, Itäinen Rantakatu 4-6. Tickets
?8/7/5,5. www.aboavetusarsnova.fi
Sports
31 Aug. TPS - JJK // Veikkausliiga football
match. Veritas Stadion, Hippoksentie 6.
Tickets ?13/19. www.fctps.fi
14 Sept. Turku Fight V // Professional
and amateur martial arts event.
Kupittaan urheiluhalli, Kupittaankuja
1. Tickets ?25/10. turkufight.com
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Out&See Oulu
22
Issue 07 2013
2
By Jutta Vetter
By Marko Kainulainen
Music _ Clubs
21 ? 27 FEBRUARY 2013
30 Aug. Xysma // Crindcore band
Xysma on their comeback tour after
many years of absence. Nuclear
Nightclub, Uusikatu 23. Tickets ?16.
www.nuclear.fi
31 Aug. The Scenes // Alternative
rock Nuclear Nightclub, Uusikatu
23. Tickets TBA. www.nuclear.fi
3 Sep. Salsa Party // Every Tuesdays,
Never Grow Old is turned into a
tiny Cuba, where the dance floor is
taken over by salsa dancers starting
at 8 pm. Everybody, from beginners
to experts, is welcome. Never Grow
Old, Hallituskatu 17. Free Entrance.
www.ngo.fi
6 Sep. Six Feet Under (USA),
Debauchery (GER) // Two metal
bands from the United States and
Germany performing. Club Teatria,
Rautatienkatu 24. Tickets ?26/30.
www.teatria.com
7 Sep. Barathrum, Ominous, Bonehunter
// Black metal band Barathrum from
Kuopio with two supporting bands.
Nuclear Nightclub, Uusikatu 23.
Tickets TBA. www.nuclear.fi
13 Sep. Findustry Northern Expedition
Oulu // Proteus Live, Khroma, Quake
The Earth and
Erilaz
performing.
Nuclear
How did
you ?rst come
to
Nightclub,
live in Uusikatu
Africa? 23. Tickets ?12.
www.nuclear.fi
My father got a job lecturing
7 at
Sep.
// Live
music.
theDisgrace
University
of Lagos
in
Nuclear
Nightclub,
Uusikatu 23.It
Nigeria,
from 1968-1970.
Tickets TBA. www.nuclear.fi
was an overwhelming expe17 Sep. Salsa Party // Every Tuesdays,
rience, because at that time
Never Grow Old is turned into a tiny
Finland
suchfloor
a different
Cuba,
where was
the dance
is taken
what
it isat toovercountry
by salsa from
dancers
starting
8
It was from
suchbeginners
a contrast
pm.day.
Everybody,
to
from the
cold andNever
dark Grow
Finnexperts,
is welcome.
ishHallituskatu
winter to17.
goFree
straight
to a
Old,
Entrance.
www.ngo.fi
hot and dusty city with sev18 eral
Sep. million
Children people.
of Bodom, For the
Imperium, Lost Society // Three
Finnish
metal up
groups
with Children
Growing
in Nigeria,
of Bodom as the headlining act
did you miss Finland?
performing live at Teatria. Club
As young children, my sisTeatria, Rautatienkatu 24. Tickets
ters and
I adapted very eas?33/40.
www.teatria.com
to our
new life
18 ilySep.
Swallow
thein Nigeria,
Sun //
although tour
of course
we missed
Anniversary
celebrating
10
many
things
from
Finland.
years
of the
Swallow
the Sun
debut I
had The
wanted
to bring
best
album
Morning
Nevermy
Came.
Nuclear
Uusikatu
23.
friendNightclub,
with me to
Africa, and
Tickets
www.nuclear.fi
was?15.
very
upset when this
20 wasn?t
Sep. allowed!
Radiopuhelimet
//
And at that
Acoustic
gig differences
from the cult
band
time the
were
so
Radiopuhelimet.
mainemail
library,
big ? there Oulu
was no
or
Kaarlenväylä 3. Tickets TBA. www.
texting or Skype, of course,
ouka.fi/oulu/kirjasto
and even making a phone call
20 Sep. Hidrian Spacefolk, Huminoita
was veryrock
dif?
cult
and very
// Alternative
with
a progressive
the distances
andexpensive.
psychedelicSo twist.
Nuclear
felt very
big, and
couldn?t
Nightclub,
Uusikatu
23.you
Tickets
?10.
just call or go back for short
www.nuclear.fi
Out&See Tampere
Ville Akseli Juurikkala
Q&A
Exhibitions
But was it a good experience
for a young Finnish girl?
Until
Aug.wonderful
Paavo Laine //?
Paintings.
It 29
was
I have
Neliö-galleria, Asemakatu 37. Free
told my parents since that it
Entrance. www.neliogalleria.com
was the best decision they
Until 1 Sep. Markku Siekkinen //
ever made
as parents!
I exExhibition
with photos
and installations.
perienced
many5. Free
totally
new
Galleria
5, Hallituskatu
Entrance.
things, and really started to
http://galleria5.artoulu.fi
Until 1 Sep. Great Loves ? Works
Live Nation
29 Aug. Band of Vipers // Live music.
Showtime at 23:00. Rock & Kitchen
Jack the Rooster, Satakunnankatu 13
B. Free entry. www.jacktherooster.fi
29 Aug. The Brains (CAN) // Support
by Flesh Roxon and The Shrieks.
Klubi, Tullikamarin aukio 2. Tickets
starting from ?10. www.klubi.net
29 Aug. Fun, Magneto (FRA),
Aortaorta // Live music on the
Vastavirta
stage.
Vastavirta,
Pispalan valtatie 39. Tickets ? 4/5.
www.vastavirta.net
30 Aug. Guest star: Taage Laiho
(Kilpi) // Live music. Showtime at
00:15. Rock & Kitchen Jack the
Rooster, Satakunnankatu 13 B. Free
www.jacktherooster.fi
Not every Finnish girl dreams of living in Ethiopia, Tunisia, Benin and entry.
Nigeria,
but after a childhood
30 Aug.
Stance
Live Promusic
growing up in Lagos and a career spent working for the African Development
BankJoand
World// Food
7 Sep. Toppilan Möljä, Pitkänmöljäntie 2. Tickets ?3.
in the idyllic
Mustalahti
harbour.
gramme, Johanna Maula got to crisscross Africa and the world ? with occasional
periods
in Finland
in
www.rockpolis.fi/nakrock
Showtime
atfor22:00.
Mustalahti
between. On the publication of her memoir, My Jasmine Years, David Brown
sat down
a chat with
her.
harbour, Paasikiventie 2. Tickets
?14/16. www.mustalahti.info
30 Aug. Walking Bass ? DJ Balttikoira
// Music in Soho, a genuine traditional
you see, it?s everything that
er
got quite fed. up
with
pubhe environment
Gastropub
you experience: the heat, the
all
theOtavalankatu
travelling, 10.
andFree
didn?t
Soho,
entry.
humidity, even the colour of
want
to move to any more
www.gastropub.net/soho/
the earth and sky.
countries.
I had //toLiverespect
30 Aug. The Hearing
music on
the Guinness
showtime
at but
21:30.
that,
so westage,
are here
now,
Oulu youth services presents this compact one-day festival with
O?Connell?s,
Rautatienkatu
wonder
why bands,
there very
wereaffordable
so
Asticket
a white
person
living in
IIrish
hopeBar
that
as an adult
he will
four rocking
prices
and energetic
24. Free
entry.
many
beggars in Africa, but
Africa, did you ever experilook
back
on www.oconnells.fi
it and ?nd that it
glam rock group Reckless Love as the headliner. Rising names
30 Aug.
Vita
Bossa Summer
not in Finland. And it was inence racism yourself?
has
beenDolce
great
for& him.
like
The
Blanko
and
Last
Panda
are
also
on
the
bill,
in
addiSounds:
DJ
Juissi
// Relaxed summer
teresting that I noticed my
No, never. And perhaps this
music right by the Tammerkoski
tiongoing
to two through
local groups
Ventura
The
son
the Disco
sameFiasco
hasand
also
beenHighway.
a motivating
The
images we see of Africa
rapids. Bar & Terrace Takomo, Sokos
Nakrockwhen
festival
alcohol
free andfactor
without
limits. IYou
process
we is
lived
in Ethiforany
me,age
because
have
on
TV always seem to be war
Hotel Ilves, Hatanpään valtatie 1.
can ?
enjoy
most of
likely
the lastalways
outdoorfelt
concerts
the yearin
opia
thishere
process
trying
very of
welcome
and
How do you feel
Free poverty.
entry. www.ravintolamasuuni.
Oulu. sense of those differtoinmake
Africa.
about
that?
com/ravintolamasuuni/takomo
ences. Undoubtedly one of the
We
only Jazz
hearNight
about
31 Aug.
// war
Live and
music
reasons why I became a social
And how about the othfamine,
and those
are
in the heart
of theissues
city centre,
scientist was because I wanter white people you lived
important,
countries
performed bybut
Paappas
Group.
from
Tuomo
Seppo?s collection
IV //
Paapan
Kapakka,
Koskikatu
9. Free
ed to
understand
more about
7around?
Sep. OPS What
? AC were
Oulu //their
Football
atlike
Finland
have
never realOulu
Museumcultures.
of Art presents works
entry.
www.paapankapakka.fi
at
the second
highestAfrica
level. Raatin
different
titudes
towards
and
ly
understood
that Africa is
from the collection of the Kajaani art
31 Aug. Parkanon
Komppi feat.
Noora
stadion,
Koskikeskus. Tickets ?5/15. changing
Africans?
very rapidly.
There
collector Tuomo Seppo, with items
// Livemiddle
music. Showtime
www.ops.fi
What did it feel like
I think the worst I saw was in
isLouhimo
a sizable
class in at
ranging from the beginning of the
00:15. Rock & Kitchen Jack the
14
Sep. Kärpät
? SaiPa
to come back to Finland?
Tanzania.
There were
a few// the
big cities, and now some
20th century to the 2000s. The 22
Rooster, Satakunnankatu 13 B. Free
National Ice Hockey League.
There
were
many
things
that
other
Finns
there,
and
I
was
Finnish
companies are startartists represented include H. Ahtela,
entry. www.jacktherooster.fi
Oulu Energia Areena, Teuvo
I missed
from
was Pakkalankatu
sometimes 11.
appalled
by the
ing
to Atlético
wake up
to the// Presented
potenIna
Colliander,
Lea Africa.
Ignatius, I Väinö
6 Sep.
Kumpula
Tickets ?7.50-21.
always hoping
that I would
way they talked about Afritial,
butO?Gaea,
they are
a longat way
Kamppuri,
Aimo Kanerva,
Anitra
by Club
showtime
21:30.
www.oulunkarpat.fi
move back
there. I stud- 21
cans,
much
behind
the rest
of EuLucander,
Ernst Mether-Borgström,
Irish Bar even
O?Connell?s,
Rautatienkatu
Sep.without
Kärpät ?knowing
TPS // National
Arvo Siikamäki, Ellen Thesleff,
rope.
Nokia
been very ac24. Free
entry.has
www.oconnells.fi
Ice Hockey League. Oulu Energia
Rafael Wardi and Veikko Vionoja.
tive,
butLisa
you& don?t
see many
13 Sep.
Dern Babies
// Live
Areena,
Teuvo
Pakkalankatu
The exhibition is accompanied by
music companies
on the Guinness
there. stage,
11.
Tickets
? 7.50 -21. other
a catalogue of Tuomo Seppo?s art
showtime
21:30. Irish
www.oulunkarpat.fi
It?s alsoatinteresting
whenBar
collection. Oulu Museum of Art,
O?Connell?s,
24. Free
25 Sep. Kärpät ? Pelicans //
we
think ofRautatienkatu
aid. Some PerusKasarmitie 7. Tickets ?0-3. www.
entry. www.oconnells.fi
National Ice Hockey League. suomalaiset
politicians have
ouka.fi/taidemuseo/
19-21 Sep.
of Pop
Oulu Energia Areena, Teuvo
claimed
that Monsters
Finland gives
a
// Music festival at Klubi and
Until 22 Sep. Taruliisa Warsta //
Pakkalankatu 11. Tickets ?7.50-21. lot
of aid money to Africa, but
Telakka. For more info, please see
Exhibition by Proto ry. Galleria
www.oulunkarpat.fi
that
is not really so. Ethiopia
www.monstersofpop.net
5, Hallituskatu 5. Free Entrance.
29 Sep. AC Oulu ? Ilves // Football
ied
here,
but
I
always
knew
about
the
history
or
culture.
is
said
to
be one
our
major
26
Sep.
Swallow
theof
Sun
// Showtime
http://galleria5.artoulu.fi
at the second highest level. Raatin
that 22
I would
back,
and stadion,
MaybeKoskikeskus.
people from
but I once
at 22:00. countries?,
Klubi, Tullikamarin
aukio 2.
Until
Sep. go
Paula
Oksman
Ticketsother
?5-15. ?partner
when I wasNeliö
26 I-galleria,
got the www.acoulu.fi
countries were just as bad,
saw
a list
of from
international
doTickets
starting
?12. www.klubi.net
/ / then
Paintings.
chance to 37.
go toFree
Tanzania
and
but the Finns were so blunt
nors
to Ethiopia,
Finland +
27 Sep.
IMPALEDand
NAZARENE
asemakatu
Entrance.
carry out research for my
? especially when they were
did
not even
make the
15!
TYRANEX
+ Evil-Lÿn
// Top
Presented
www.neliogalleria.com
The event listings in the
by People
Bondedperhaps
by Metal.
Yo-Talo,
there.at
drunk.
don?t real7 doctoral
Sep. OPS dissertation
? Jippo // Football
Kauppakatu
Tickets
?10/13.
I?d been away for 15 years,
ise
that every10.
African
country
Out&See sections are based
www.yo-talo.fi
and was now
in East AfriHow
did
your son
feel about
has
its own character. Even
on the
available
information
at
Sports
5 Sep. JadaJada
Improv
ca for the ?rst time, but my
growing
upprinting
in Ethiopia
and
internally,
thereImprov
can be// huge
the time of
the issue.
in English. Irish
Barthe
O?Connell?s,
childhood memories came
Tunisia?
differences
within
counRautatienkatu 24. Free entry.
SixDegrees
the second highest level. Raatin
back to me so strongly: the
He?d
lived is
in not
?veresponsible
different
tries,
with dozens of different
www.oconnells.fi
stadion, Koskikeskus. Tickets ?5/15.
for
possible
changes,
sights
and
sounds,
the
feelcountries
by
the
time
he
was
languages
and cultures.
www.ops.fi
mistakes,
cancellations
or
of sun
on my
skin.
Africa
12.
He adapted
very well to
Theatre _ Dance
15ing
Sep.
AC Oulu
? AC
Kajaani
//
is suchat an
exour
in Ethiopiaconcerning
when he
There?s been a lot of talk relacklife
of information
Football
the overwhelming
second highest level.
perience.
ItKoskikeskus.
is not onlyTickets
what
was
small,mentioned.
but as a teenagcently
the12
rise
30, 31 about
Aug. &Mali
6, 7,and
8, 11,
Sep.
Raatin
stadion,
the events
Skywalker // A dance performance
?5-15. www.acoulu.fi
Out of Africa
visits.
Music _ Clubs
Nakrock 2013
I?d been away for 15 years, and was now in
East Africa for the first time, but my childhood memories came back to me so strongly: the sights and sounds, the feeling of sun
on my skin.
HELSINKI TIMES
of Islamic extremism ? what
so much easier!? but really it
20, 21thoughts
Sep. Dance
stage),
Hämeenkatu
25.when
Tickets
are your
onTheatre
that? MD (Hällä
is the
people
that I miss
?10/15/18.
www.tanssiteatterimd.fi/index
Of course
there
are elements
I?m away. On the other hand,
we should be concerned about
living outside your own coun? like Al Qaeda. But when I
try, you also learn to apprecithink of Tunisia, the people
ate things like the education
that I knew there were mainand healthcare systems, the
ly very moderate and tolerant.
status of women and the soMany have family in Europe,
cial welfare system.
and they are familiar with the
I?m always hoping that I
Basedway
on author
Lindgren?s
fantasy
book, Ronia
Western
of life. Astrid
It?s hard
can popular
settle more
permanentis a storythat
that the
concerns
both friendship
and determination.
Suitto imagine
majority
ly in Africa,
and perhaps afable
forbecome
the whole
family, this dance
adventure
with theI?llrobber?s
could
ever
extremists.
ter my
son graduates
look
The
biggest
problem
eve-its audience
into thatonagain.
daughter
promises
to take
a memorable journey
rywhere
is enchanted
young men,
who filled with wondrous little creatures.
through
woods
are With
oftenchoreography
well-educated
but
What do youthe
think
Finland
by Anniina
Kumpuniemi,
performers
oncan?tstage
?ndinclude
work. Milka
Particularly
couldSakari
learn from
Africa?
Laakso (Ronia),
Saikkonen
/ Joonas
in countries
whereand
they
can Hämäläinen,
Their attitude
Luomala (Birk)
Marjo
and thetowards
Tampere life
Conclearly see the corruption and
and their friendliness. We
servatoire 2nd year dance students
the wealth being controlled
Finns ? myself included ? so
by one family or clan, as hapoften seem to get upset about
pened with Ben Ali in Tunisia.
little things: neighbours leavin the
laundry
or
portraying time ? and whether it is ing23things
Aug-1 Sep.
Tampere
Architectural
possible
to learn
how to become a something.
How
did you
come
In Africa
oftenbeing
Week // The
main I so
theme
by Liisa had
toskywalker!
write theChoreographed
book?
such greatand
neighbours;
so this
Architecture
Resilience,
Pentti. I?ve
Dance
Theatre
MD (Hällä
I think
always
wanted
to
kind,
us in many
free and
eventhelping
offers something
for the
stage),
Hämeenkatu
25. Tickets
tell
people
about Africa,
evways.
is event
something
whole There
family. The
is now being
www.tanssiteatterimd.fi
organized
the 6thfrom
time.that.
For more
er?10/15/18.
since my
childhood. It?s
from
us all for
to learn
th World
13-15a dream
Sep. 7that
of Tango And
infothe
and?exibility
detailed programme,
been
I?ve always
of people, see
Festival
2013
// Everything
had.
There
are
so manyabout
mis-the thewww.arkkitehtuuriviikko.fi
way they can ?nd humour
enchanting world
of tango:peodance and
29show
Aug. generosity
& 6, 13, 19,
conceptions,
because
even27in Sep.
andhave
music
performances,
lessons, very
Café
Soolocircumstances.
Food Gallery // A
ple
so little
real contact
modest
workshops and partying. Various
surprise buffet with a selection
with
Africa. Of course people
venues. For exact programme and
of Kanresta delicacies. Tampere
have
heard
of
Kenya
and
TanAnd
what is next for
prices, see www.maailmantango.
Hall (Café Soolo), Yliopistonkatu
zania,
but they know very lityou
after
The?20,
Jasmine
Years?
net/site/index.php?page=home-2
55.
Tickets
including
the food
tle
French-speaking
started ofwriting
19 about
Sep. Comedy
O?Connell?s // I?ve
andalready
a presentation
the menu.
Africa
and
North
Africa.
SoBar mywww.tampere-talo.fi
next book, about great
Standup
club
in English.
Irish
far
the onlyRautatienkatu
comments have
O?Connell?s,
24. Free Ethiopian women from the
been
which is lovely.
Queen of Sheba through to
entry.positive,
www.oconnells.fi
The event
listings inIn-the
modern
businesswomen.
Out&See
sections
are based
Where is home for
you?
creasingly,
women
there
are
Sports
Even living away from Finbecoming
entrepreneurs
and at
on the available
information
land so much I never realrolethe
models,
it?s anthe
intertime ofand
printing
issue.
Trotting races // Horse
lyEvery
missTuesday
the country
as such.
esting contrast from the imSixDegrees is not responsible
trotting race at the Teivo track at
It?s
people
you
miss;
family
ages
of
poverty
and
?
ghting.
18:00, for driving instructions and
for
possible
changes,
and
friends.
Ofwebsite.
course Free
in Afmore
info, see
entry. So my next trip to Africa will
mistakes,
cancellations
rica
the
bureaucracy
can
be
be
to
Ethiopia,
but
this
time or
www.teivonravit.fi
so frustrating that I think
to lack
interview
people concerning
for the
of information
?Oh, in Finland this
would be
next
thebook.
events mentioned.
Others
Ronia the Robber?s
Daughter
You?ll love
the way we print it
www.iprint.fi
SixDegrees
Out&See
Jyväskylä
23
By Marko Kainulainen
Music _ Clubs
30 Aug. Natty // DJs playing dubstep,
house, techno, drum & bass, hiphop. Ruma, Yliopistonkatu 40. Free
entry before 11pm. www.ruma.fi
30-31 Aug. Canvas Festival // New
festival located at the old paper mill in
Kangas. Artists like Yona & Orkesteri
Liikkuvat Pilvet, Sin Cos Tan and
Jori Hulkkonen with his DJ set are
performing with few other names.
Kangas Paper Mill, Jyväskylä. Tickets
?10-30. www.canvasfestival.fi
31 Aug. Soulhealer // Melodic heavy
metal group from Kajaani, Finland.
Poppari, Puistokatu 2-4. Tickets
TBA. www.jazz-bar.com
?6 Sep. Stepa & Are, Aivovuoto //
Finnish quality rap acts Stepa &
Are and Aivovuoto starring Jodarok.
Lutakko, Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets
?8/5. www.jelmu.net
6 Sep. Paradise Lost (GBR), Outshine
(SWE) // Legendary British metal
band Paradise Lost formed in
Halifax in 1988 with supporting
act Outshine from Sweden. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?25.50.
www.jelmu.net
30 Aug. Mr. Frank // DJ Club
with hip-hop and breaks. Ruma,
Yliopistonkatu 40. Free entry before
11pm. www.ruma.fi
7 Sep. Waltari // Finnish alternative
metal pioneer Waltari taking the
stage. Pub Katse, Väinönkatu 26.
Tickets ?5. www.pubkatse.fi
Theatre. Theatre Miilu, Sammonkatu
7. Tickets ?10/5. www.kramppi.fi
7 Sep. Nancy // Local indie rock
group Nancy performing in English.
Musta Kynnys, Hannikaisenkatu 16.
Tickets ?5. www.mustakynnys.com
7 Sep. Blackout // Electronic Dance
Music Festival with DJ acts. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?10/8.
www.jelmu.net
7 Sep. Disgrace, The Muddies //
Two rock groups playing live. Musta
Kynnys, Hannikaisenkatu 16. Tickets
?5. www.mustakynnys.com
13 Sep. Antero Lindgren // Great
folk rock music in English language.
Red Neck, Asemakatu 7. Tickets ?5.
www.punaniska.com
13 Sep. Riverside (POL) // Polish
progressive rock band. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?17/15.
www.jelmu.net
14 Sep. Eva & Manu, Atletico Kumpula
// Finnish pop in both English
and Finnish language. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?10/8.
www.jelmu.net
14 Sep. Toot Toot // Live rock
music. Pub Katse, Väinönkatu
26. Tickets ?5. www.pubkatse.fi
20 & 21 Sep. Kotiteollisuus // Finnish
hard rock/metal band Kotiteollisuus
playing two consecutive nights
at Tanssisali Lutakko. Lutakko,
Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?16/14.
www.jelmu.net
25 Sep. Tanssin aika Festival // One
of the biggest dance festivals in
Finland concentrating especially
on modern dance starts on 25
september. Various venues and
ticket prices. www.tanssinaika.fi
Exhibitions
Until 1 Sep. Valon murteet //
Photography exhibition. Galleria
Ratamo, Veturitallintie 6. Free entry.
www.jyvaskyla.fi/ratamo
Opening 5 Sep. 11 kollektiivi
// Exhibition. Galleria Ratamo,
Veturitallintie 6. Free entry. www.
jyvaskyla.fi/ratamo
Until 12 Sep. Mayumi NiiranenHisatomi:
Kadonneet
muistot
äärettömässä ajassa // Exhibition.
Multicultural Center / Gallery Gloria,
Matarankatu 6. Free entry. ?www.
monikulttuurikeskus-gloria.fi
Until 18 Sep. Samuli Laurinolli
// Exhibition. Galleria Becker,
Seminaarinkatu 28. Free entry. www.
jkltaiteilijaseura.net/galleria.htm
Opening 21 Sep. Tiina Salmi,
Annukka Visapää // Exhibition.
Galleria Becker, Seminaarinkatu 28.
Free entry. www.jkltaiteilijaseura.
net/galleria.htm
Theatre _ Dance
Sports
30 & 31 Aug. Tanssiteatteri Kramppi:
Ehjät Sirpaleet vol 3 // Dance
1. Sateinen
4. Ruska
2. Yskä
5. Värikäs
3. Kylmä
6. Koulu
The event listings in the Out&See
sections are based on the
available information at the time
of printing the issue. SixDegrees
is not responsible for possible
changes, mistakes, cancellations
or lack of information concerning
the events mentioned.
7. Tuuli
Photo: The Brains (CAN)
31 Aug. Lutakko, Schaumaninkatu 3. Tickets ?25/15.
www.lutakkofestival.com/
Lutakko Liekeissä Festival
Traditional one-day festival with mainly punk and rhythm music
bands taking place both indoors and at the yard area of Lutakko
venue. A total of 14 Finnish bands in addition to two international
groups will perform on the two stages of the festival: The Brains
(CAN), TV Smith (UK), Xysma, Rytmihäiriö, Asa & DJ Polarsoul,
Wasted, Laineen Kasperi & Palava Kaupunki, Terveet Kädet, Lost
Society, Black Lizard, Flesh Roxon, Black Motor Hannibal, Ydinperhe, Baltimor, Neuroottiset Pelimannit, A Phantom Pack Of
Black Hounds.
PHOTO: PETTERI KIVIMÄKI
Solutions for
crossword on
page 5
6 Sep. JYP ? KalPa // European
Trophy ice hockey game. Synergia
arena, Rautpohjankatu 10. Tickets
?3-12. www.jypliiga.fi
12 Sep. JJK ? VPS // Finnish National
Football League. Harjun stadion,
Ihantolantie 1. Tickets ?4,5-20.
www.fcjjk.com
13 Sep. JYP ? Kärpät // National
Ice Hockey League. Synergia arena,
Rautpohjankatu 10. Tickets ?5-30.
www.jypliiga.fi
14 Sep.
Finlandia Marathon
// Running event where you can
choose to run distances from 10
kilometres to a full-length marathon.
Pohjanlahdentie 12. Entry fee ?3262 www.finlandiamarathon.fi/
?17 Sep. JYP ? Ilves // National Ice
Hockey League. Synergia arena,
Rautpohjankatu 10. Tickets ?5-30.
www.jypliiga.fi
21 Sep. JYP ? Jokerit // National
Ice Hockey League. Synergia
arena,
Rautpohjankatu
10.
Tickets ?5-30. www.jypliiga.fi
SixDegrees
Jyväskylä
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The largest age group of company founders in
Jyväskylä consists of people under 30 years old.
Educated individuals under the age of 40 already
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an attractive and interesting city with a population
growth of almost 1300 new residents each year.
Societies for young entrepreneurs in Jyväskylä:
? EXPA Jyväskylä game industry hub
? Fiksio, a social enterprise of international students
? JES - Jyväskylä Entrepreneurship Society
? Jyväskylä Junior Chamber International
? Young Entrepreneurs network Central Finland
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In addition, there are many entrepreneurship
programs and separate projects at the University
of Jyväskylä and the Jyväskylä University of Applied
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