SixDegrees1

SIXDEGREES

Finland’s ENGLISH

LANGUAGE MAGAZINE

LAURA NÄRHI TALKS KEMOPETROL, INFLUENCES AND IDOLS

20

WE MET AAMU SONG & JOHAN OLIN 6 FINNISH PUNK IS NOT DEAD 11 YOU VS. THE CIGARETTE 13 PART-TIME PARTY PEOPLE 16 30.01 - 26.02 2009

Issue 1/2009 www.6d.fi

Greater Helsinki area schools are on winter holiday 16 to 22 February.

The City of Helsinki Youth Department organises numerous events during the week at different youth centres around the city. The week begins with a skating event with live music at the Kallio ice rink and ends with a youth disco in Kaapelitehdas. The programme also includes various workshops and provides a chance to try your hand at different sports and new board and video games, as well as various arts and crafts.

Information about summer jobs and upcoming events hosted by the Youth Department is also available.

All events are free of charge.

Jacek WalczakP

WINTER WONDERLAND When the thermometer drops below zero and the sun shines like never before, it’s time to dress warmly, pack a lunch and head out with family and friends.

Helsinki offers dozens of scenic and

well-managed

See www.nuoriso.hel.fi/reaktori

recreation

areas for winter sport.

Kati Hurme IF THE WEATHER is favourable with snow and freezing temperatures, the City of Helsinki Sports Department maintains dozens of ski tracks around the city. During an average winter the amount of tracks is about 200 kilometres. If there is not enough natural snow, ski tracks are maintained with artificial snow in Paloheinä, Herttoniemi and Laajasalo. You can check the daily conditions and tracks open to the public from the up-to-date ski track map at http://mski.wmdata.fi/helsinki/

SKATING RINKS There are six artificial outdoor rinks in Helsinki, the most central one being the beautiful Icepark in Rautatientori next to the railway station. This rink is reserved for skaters without hockey sticks and it offers music, events, a cafeteria and skate rentals. The other five rinks are located in Kallio, Käpylä, Oulunkylä, Lassila and Pukinmäki.

The three former ones have separate areas for skating only. The Sports Department also maintains over 50 natural ice rinks that are dependent

on weather conditions. As long as the thermometer stays below zero, there are several places to skate around the city.

SLEDGE HILLS AND WALKING ROUTES Laskiainen is one of the oldest holidays celebrated in Finland. It used to symbolise “sliding” into the 40-day fast before Easter. Nowadays the most important meaning of Laskiainen lies in freestyle hill sledging and enjoying some pea soup, hot cocoa and laskiaispulla (a traditional Finnish pastry filled with jam and whipped cream).

The most popular sledge hill area in Helsinki is Kaivopuisto, which offers plenty of suitable hillsides and a spectacular view of the sea. All you need, provided that there is enough snow, is a proper sledge (pulkka in Finnish) and some very warm clothes.

to dip into the ice cold water there are as many as 15 maintained swimming spots. The facilities vary, so it is advisable to check in advance whether the place has a sauna and heated change room facilities.

WALKING ROUTES & ICE SWIMMING Around 35 kilometres of walking routes are fully ploughed and maintained in the city during the winter months.

One winter hobby that isn’t dependent on snow and freezing temperatures is winter swimming. For those who dare

More information about the locations, opening hours and entrance fees is available from the Sports Department www.hel.fi/liikunta, Tel. 09 310 8771 Laskiainen is celebrated on Sunday 22 and Tuesday 24 February.

Welcome to the InternatIonal cultural centre caIsa! WWW. N OURVISI IO .F

Fri 6.2. 7-22 p.m.

AsiAvision Avision A vision Try-ouTs Mystical and spicy Asia conquers hearts.

Choose your favourite among the most talented singers of the east. The five best singers will continue on to the semifinals.

Cheer for your favourite!

Tickets 5 € at the door. (Hall) Fri 13.2. 7-10 p.m.

AmericAvision Avision Try-ouTs A North against south! Singers from North, South, and Middle America meet at the Americavision try-outs, and the five best will make it to the semifinals.

Tickets 5 € at the door. (Hall) sat 14.2. 2-4.30 p.m. vAlenTine’s DAy A celebrATion Ay Union of Friendship Associations in Finland 30th Anniversary Speeches, panel discussion about the future of the Union of Friendship Associations in Finland, and music.

Organised by the Union of Friendship Associations in Finland and Caisa.

Free entrance. (Hall)

www.caisa.fi

sat 14.2. 7-10 p.m.

The Queen oF heArTs 2009 inTernATionAl beAuTy conTesT AnD vAlenTine’s DAy A celebrATion Ay POWWE’R and Caisa invite you and your friends to an unforgettable Valentine’s Day in an international atmosphere. Beauty and talent unite on stage, as we crown the Queen of Hearts to represent Finland’s international women as a goodwill ambassador to promote intercultural dialogue. Enjoy the magnificent performances, live music, and an exotic Valentine’s Day dinner! Starring Baby Joe, hosted by Adedoyin Awosanya (Dublin, Ireland) and Ehi Enakimio (Helsinki, Finland). More information: www.powwer. org. Organised by POWWE’R and Caisa.

Free entrance. (Hall)

Fri 20.2. 7-10 p.m. miDDle eAsTvision Try-ouTs Yalla! Yalla! Gold glitters and the singers glow, as they compete for a place in the semifinals. Hear the songs of a thousand and one nights, and vote for your favourite!

Tickets 5 € at the door. (Hall) mon 23.2. 4-6 p.m.

Women’s inTernATionAl living room Theme: Women’s Political Activeness in Finland - Why Vote?

The Living Room gives immigrant and Finnish women a chance to meet. Discussion, cultural programme and food are always included. Free entrance. Welcome!

Registration: oge.eneh@hel.fi or (09) 310 37508. (Living Room)

www.ourvision.fi

the InternatIonal cultural centre caIsa mikonkatu 17 c, 00100 helsinki / tel. 09 - 310 37500 open weekdays from 9 am to 6 pm.

Wed 25.2. 6-9 p.m.

Where The PePPer groWs mulT ul iculT ulT icul urAl culinAry AnD cook book Publishing evenT Welcome to a culinary journey on five continents! The event is all about the recipes in and the authors of the “Where the Pepper Grows” cook book. Funny multicultural performances and food samples from the Vietnamese, Chilean, Russian, Somali, and Kurdish kitchen are on the menu.

“Where the Pepper Grows” introduces five immigrants living in Finland, as well as their life stories and best recipes. Through the fascinating life stories of the people in the book, the audience can both get in touch with the culinary cultures of their countries and familirialize themselves with the everyday lives and thoughts of immigrants in Finland.

Tickets 10 €, including food samples from five countries and musical performances Organised by Caisa and the Schildts publishing company. (Hall) Fri 27.2. 7-10 p.m. euroPevision Try-ouTs European singers from the cold north to the warm south showcase their talents. Will Russian folk songs or Spanish pop rule the continent? Hear songs from all over Europe.

The audience can vote for their favourites, too. Tickets 5 € at the door. (Hall)

www.infopankki.fi

Contents WeMet

Issue 1 2009

in this issue February 2009

16

PART-TIME PARTY PEOPLE

Independent club promoters often work 24/7 to enrich the cultural scene for us and themselves, but doing what you love doesn’t always pay the bills.

SixDegrees met a few young and enthusiastic club organisers, as well as a few seasoned ones, to get their opinion on the current state of Finnish nightlife.

4 STARTERS 15 SOCIETY

Walking in your sleep

19 CULTITUDE

Chef recommends: Gran Delicato

Stand up and riot!

22 TV GUIDE AND REVIEWS

What’s on TV during February

Movie premieres, latest CD and book reviews

24 OUT & SEE

Where to go and what to see in Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Jyväskylä and Oulu.

29 Jobs & Careers

6

WE MET: AAMU SONG & JOHAN OLIN Aamu Song fell in love with a bottle of shampoo while visiting Lapland. It was only later that she came to Helsinki to study arts and met her partner, Johan, with whom she nowadays shares a life and a business.

We met the design duet in their studio.

13 SOCIETY: IT’S YOU VERSUS THE CIGARETTE

20 CULTITUDE: INTERVIEW WITH LAURA NÄRHI

SixDegrees’ Team Editor Alexis Kouros Managing Editor Laura Seppälä Editorial team Kati Hurme Advertising & Marketing Bob Graham, Kati Hurme, Aiman Kaddoura, Stephen O’Brien +358 9 689 67 420 info@6d.fi

Cover photo by Sampo Korhonen.

Read the interview with Laura Närhi on page 20.

Emails in the form: firstname@6d.fi Out & See Helsinki and capital area outsee@6d.fi Out & See Tampere outseetampere@6d.fi

If you decided to quit puffing for good this New Year, you are probably one of the many thousands that did so. But what does it take to kick the habit permanently? And is life without cigarettes worth living? Our readers reveal their more and less successful experiences.

Out & See Turku outseeturku@6d.fi Out & See Oulu outseeoulu@6d.fi Out & See Jyväskylä outseejkyla@6d.fi Layout & Graphic Design Kirby Wilson / Moose Design&Photography Writers and other contributors in this issue Jan Ahlstedt, Nick Barlow, David Brown, Daisey Cheyney, Robin DeWan, Paul Dodson, Amira Elbanna, Luciana Ferreira, Ida Hakola, Roney Herrera, Paula Holst, Kati Hurme, Carina

Laura Närhi, the lead singer of Kemopetrol, is currently working on her new solo album. She took some time out to give us the lowdown on the new project, and some other stuff. What are her thoughts on music business. fame and everyday life?

Johansson, Sampo Korhonen, Matti Koskinen, Tuuli Matikainen, Sami Makkonen, Kaisa Mäenpää, Sini-Tuulia Numminen, James O’Sullivan, Sam Parwar, Miissa Rantanen, Tuula Ruskeeniemi, Anthony Shaw, Marina Sidyakina, Aleksi Teivainen, Ville Ukkola, Jenni Viitanen, Nicholas Whitehouse, Tomas Whitehouse, Yasmine Zein Proof-reading David Agar, Matthew Parry

Print house I-Print Seinäjoki Circulation 50,000 pieces Publisher Dream Catcher Productions www.dreamcatcher.fi 6° DreamCatcher Vilhonvuorenkatu 11B 00500 Helsinki tel. +358 9 689 67 420 fax. 358 9 689 67 421 info@6d.fi www.6d.fi ISSN 1459-5680

All articles, pictures and graphics are subject to copyright.

No reproduction or reprinting is allowed without permission from Dream Catcher Inc.© Dream Catcher Next issue is out on 27 February

SixDegrees

Issue 1 2009

Ethnic

product

of the month

From national defence Queen of Hearts to drug scandals Kirby Wilson

Vegemite Paul Dodson

MENTION the word Vegemite to just about any Australian and you’re guaranteed a passionate response - some hate it, most love it, but everyone will share their opinion.

Vegemite is a thick, black paste that has a consistency comparable to smooth peanut butter. It’s salty in the extreme, and to say it’s an acquired taste is to state the obvious.

Based on Marmite, its British predecessor, Vegemite dates back to 1922 when Dr. Cyril P. Callister developed a spread from one of the richest known natural sources of vitamin B — Brewers Yeast.

It was a staple for Australian soldiers during World War II and its popularity soared during the post-war, babyboom years that followed.

Today, no other Australian food product comes close to matching it in terms of brand awareness. Kraft currently produces 22 million jars of Vegemite a year, a number that comes very close to matching the Australian population mouth for jar.

You wouldn’t be alone if you loathed the taste of Vegemite, even in Australia. It is a food that as a nation we’ve undeniably taken to heart in a cultural sense but one that steadfastly divides us when it comes to actually spreading it on our toast. Those who love it eat it daily; those who don’t are never likely to come around. For those who are yet to try Vegemite, when you do, please spread it thinly.

I’ve lifted the closing words on the topic directly from the Australian Prime Minister’s web site: “Vegemite is arguably the taste of Australia.”

There’s no argument from me.

Vegemite - you either love it or loathe it.

Nick Barlow

AS FAR AS quintessential winter pursuits go, cross-country skiing lies near the top of the list, somewhere between skinny-dipping in icy water and staying indoors with a nice cup of cocoa. People who enjoy this activity tend to proclaim its health benefits – cross-country requires the participant to use all her major muscle groups at the same

time, is low-impact and aids flexibility. People up here in the North also like it because it’s commonly referred to as Nordic skiing, which means we practically invented it, although the Norwegians do irritatingly well in competitions. Practically every household has skis for the whole family. It’s cheap and egalitarian, and is regarded as a great way to “enjoy” being outside in -15 degrees.

The actual technique takes some getting used to, however. You could do like I did on my first outing, and end up stumbling along, slipping and sliding while looking like a constipated penguin desperately trying to use the ski poles for balance before ending up face-first in a snow drift. When you know what you’re doing, however, you can become a graceful vision of angelic movement, making no sound as you swish through forest paths. It is partly for this reason that Nordic skiing has such a romantic place in the hearts of Finns, as during the Finnish-Soviet Winter War Finnish ski troops used the silent running capabilities of their chosen means of transport to excellent effect while fighting off the Soviet invaders in the eastern forests.

Unfortunately, these days the sport has taken a few knocks, professionally speaking. For many years Finnish sport has had intermittent problems with doping, and cross-country has generally been at the forefront of illegal performance enhancer usage. Just last summer, the former skiing coach KariPekka Kyrö admitted the use of drugs was widespread, and professional skiers are routinely banned for using them. It beats me why anyone would need more than a hot thermos of pea soup and a f lask of vodka to help their performance, but there’s no accounting for taste.

Schools are on skiing holiday on weeks 8, 9 and 10. See www.hiihtoloma.fi

The Queen of Hearts 2008.

Kati Hurme

POWWER is an abbreviation of the words proud of who we are and the name of the intercultural organisation which aims to promote empowerment and individuality. POWWER offers a wide range of cultural events and workshops, as well as a forum for discussion.

On Valentine’s Day, POWWER organises the fourth annual Queen of Hearts, a beauty contest in which inner beauty counts. “This year we received dozens of applications from very different yet fabulous women who come from different parts of the world. In fact, we received more applications than ever before. The event has grown year by year and this year it’s going to be more festive than ever,” says POWWER spokesperson Kaisa Kolari.

The winner of the competition will be representing international women in Finland and act as an intercultural goodwill ambassador. According to Kolari, the tasks and responsibilities are modified to suit the winner’s

Google’s Surprise yourself with a postcard Zeitgeist Daisey Cheyney

Paula Holst

IN THE AGE of electronic communication, do you ever miss receiving good old fashioned mail? Never mind bills and such, but what about postcards?

Although easy and quick, ecards can hardly replace those real paper ones with pretty imagery which you can then hang on a fridge door.

Apparently, quite many people do like receiving cards.

Post-crossing is a web community for enthusiastic postcard collectors and those curious of the world around them. The idea is simple: send a postcard and you will receive one back from any random post-crosser somewhere in the world. Till this day almost two million postcards have been sent by a good 78,000 post-crossers around the world. Finns seem to be particularly excited about this hobby as they make

up a mighty 12 per cent of all registered users. On the post-crossing website, where senders and receivers hook up, users are able to upload images of the postcards they have received and share their post-crossing stories.

But how much fun can it possibly be to send a postcard to a complete stranger? Believe me, it can be a lot easier than figuring out how to avoid the usual clichés when writing a holiday postcard back home.

A spontaneous card bought and written on a trip to the local supermarket is different and can turn out to be the highlight of someone’s day on the other side of the world.

And, as the idea goes, when you give, you receive. It is a lot more fun to pick up the daily mail when there is a chance to be surprised by a “small hello” from anywhere in the world. www.postcrossing.com

MENTION the word “Google” and the first thing that probably springs to mind is “search engine.”

From the host of Googlerelated words appearing in languages worldwide, its success is evident and with such success usually comes growth.

Google has expanded from a search engine to email, maps and a lesser known gem, Google Zeitgeist.

Zeitgeist, or “spirit of the times,” gives a glimpse into the trends of the billions of search queries entered into Google.

Defined globally or regionally, for the past and for the present and with an overview of the top and fastest rising searches released at every year’s end, it is a treasure trove for the trivia fanatic. Yet surprisingly, despite cultural diversity, it appears it is a small world after all!

Social networking website Facebook features in the

personality and interests. “The competition includes a talent show, which often highlights their strengths and interests.”

Last year’s Queen of Hearts, Lilian Opondo, was encouraged by friends to take part in the competition and she has not regretted her decision.

Throughout the year, Opondo has attended various events from festivals to fashion shows, performed with her dance group and given lectures and interviews about the status of immigrant women.

“The best thing about being the Queen of Hearts was that I was able to help so many people,” she says. “For example, the lady who made my dress for the competition was newly arrived from Ghana. I was able to present her work and get her career started in Finland.” The competition itself was good fun, Opondo states. ”I was a bit nervous at some point, but it was a great evening. I heartily recommend this event to everyone!”

The competition is part of the Valentine’s Day celebration at the Cultural Centre Caisa. It includes a Valentine’s Day dinner with flavours from Cambodia and fresh talent in stage performances. Musical stars of the evening are hip hop artist Baby Joe, a native Ugandan living in Finland who has been on the top of the charts in Africa, and Raggaremi, a reggae/afrobeat artist from London.

Queen of Hearts Sat 14 February 19:00 - 22:00 Cultural Centre Caisa Mikonkatu 17, Helsinki Free entry www.powwer.org www.caisa.fi

top ten searches globally, as well as in the UK’s and Finland’s individual top ten, as does the broadcasting site YouTube. The similarities between the searches made by the UK and Finland do not end there. There is clearly a penchant for googling news with the rather broad term “news” featuring in the UK’s top ten alongside searches for the information hub BBC, whereas Finland ’s newsrelated searches, although more specific, include the newspapers, Iltalehti and Ilta-Sanomat.

Perhaps it is an excuse for my insatiable thirst for seemingly pointless yet strangely entertaining facts, but who knows when you might need to know what the UK’s most googled recipe was in 2008 (cupcakes) or which city Finland googled most during June 2008 (Berlin). It is undoubtedly an excellent research tool, and if the facts alone don’t fascinate you, you can always begin wondering why, in June 2008, the top search query for the UK was “Monopoly” yet for Finland it was “piha” (yard).

Starters

Issue 1 2009

Bid for your dreams! Tobacco users breathe

Aleksi Teivainen

Enter the

Ox

Matti Koskinen

FORGET economic rescue packages, according to the Chinese zodiac this will be the year of prosperity through good old fashioned hard work and careful leadership.

The Chinese Lunar New Year celebrated on 26 January marked the beginning of the year of the Ox. The zodiac signs of course rotate on a 12year cycle, so if you’re turning 12, 24, 36 or any other number divisible by 12, you were born

A nap a day Sam Parwar

FROM young to old, people like taking a good nap every now and then, as napping helps to relax, rejuvenate and gain some new energy for the day.

Studies show that napping can have many benefits, such as restoring alertness, enhancing performance, and reducing mistakes and accidents.

A study at NASA on sleepy

under the sign of the Ox. The Ox represents fortitude, hard work and great leadership. A person born under the influence of the Ox is described as self-assured, arduous, a patient and tireless worker, a dependable friend and one who is prone to achieving great accomplishments. This year’s celebrity Ox Barack Obama fits the bill perfectly, and he’s only just entering his peak luck cycle! Negative attributes of an Ox include bullish and headstrong behaviour, and they loathe failing.

According to astrologists, 2009 promises to be a good year for a proper cleanup and creating new order. Sounds peachy.

IN THE WORLD’S first one-cent auction, Fiksuhuuto, items are sold for less than a tenth, or even less than a hundredth of their list price. This is made possible by charging the bidders for their bids. The price per bid ranges from 1.90 to 0.77 euros ­­­ – the more you buy the cheaper they become.

Therefore, the maximum raise being one cent, an item sold for 1 euro has brought in roughly 100 euros.

The rules of bidding are simple: bid one cent more than the previous bidder. Wait for the pre-designated time to run out. Purchase the product for the price you bid. Sounds awfully easy, but if you want to make the most of your bids, knowledge beyond these simplified instructions is needed.

The key is to decide when to bid and what to bid on. In general, the outcome of an auction is unpredictable. For instance, iPods are sold for anything between ten cents and 20 euros.

In contrast to what simple

military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34 per cent and alertness by 100 per cent.

In Spain, the siesta is a widely practised custom; after lunch, people take a long nap so that they will have more energy for the rest of the day. This kind of napping is also practised in such countries as Greece, China and Taiwan. Even in Japan there are special napping rooms in offices for workers to rest in during a long day.

However, napping is not considered to be a big part of everyday Finnish culture.

While it is not unusual for young children and the elderly to take afternoon naps, for other ages naps usually act more as a sleep supplement after a long night.

But naps might be gaining new ground in Finland as well.

In Turku, a new project called Naphouse is putting napping in the spotlight. Situated close to Turku’s centre, Naphouse offers a place where anyone can

logic would suggest, there is no prime time for bidders looking for bargains. However, choosing your target with care can make or break you. Certain items are in constant demand, whereas others attract a smaller crowd. The competition for items auctioned daily is less intensive than for rarer luxury items. Moreover, items auctioned for the first time often attract packs of bidders.

Estimating the popularity of other items may also come in handy. At times, sought-after novelties may just be enough to distract the attention of most users when your target opens for bids. Bidding on an item that already has its share of bids from few users is generally a bad idea: most are reluctant to give up on an item having made numerous bids.

And if worst comes to worst, you may be trampled by the heavyweights of the auction.

Having purchased your bids, it is no use splashing them around. Decide on an item and be prepared to pay half of its list price – you may be pleasantly surprised. A word of warning: bidding at Fiksuhuuto is addictive. Before you know it, you may find yourself in a race for an item you have no need for. www.fiksuhuuto.com

have a break and take a nap, free of charge. The Naphouse is a project of the non-profit organisation Hauska Perhe ry, whose goal is to promote napping and a more relaxed lifestyle, Fair Trade and local culture. The project is also supported by the European Commission’s Youth in Action programme.

Feeling tired? How about taking a nap? It just might do you some good. www.naphouse.org

A Finnish thing?

Items you can find in every self-respecting Finnish household

Jopo Tuula Ruskeeniemi

WHAT is the best pair of wheels for a city dweller? Many Finns would think of the small-wheeled bicycles that were fashionable in the 1970s: Jopo, Kombi Midi and Maxi, and Tunturi Poni. They are all similar in principle, and although they do not look the same, non-connoisseurs tend to refer to them all as “jopo.”

Jopo itself was born in 1964, based on the idea of the boss of the Helkama bicycle factory, Eero Helkama, and inspired by the British Moulton bike. The designers Erkki Rahikainen and Eero Rislakki gave Jopo its distinct low, flat frame and bright

colours – a brand new look in Finland. In keeping with the spirit of the Flower Power era, Jopo was the first unisex bike and quick and easy to adjust.

Therefore anyone could ride it regardless of age, gender or size, which gave the bike its name – jokaisen polkupyörä, “everybody’s bike.”

Helkama made a quarter of a million Jopos of various types, including a folding bike. By 1975, however, new trekking bikes were all the rage, and Jopos and their contenders were buried in basements and backyards. But not for long. Little by little they got dug up by those who valued a personal and personable bike. This new popularity did not escape Helkama’s attention. In 2000, Jopo made

a comeback, updated and in fashionable colours.

The success of Jopo and its cousins is easy to explain: they are durable, nimble, easy to pedal, and despite being usually gearless and having small, 24 inch wheels, they roll like a dream. They are not made for long distances, but if you want proper exercise, try a hilly 10 km trip on a windy day. It builds character.

And finally, fans of Jopo and its kindred are as easygoing as their bikes. In passing, enthusiasts often stop to admire and compare their beloved bikes and some of them like to tune them. Apart from this, the owners are not peculiar at all.

However, please note the following: although I like the bike a lot, please don’t call my Kombi a “Jopo,” it’s distressing. And if you steal my bike, I’ll break your legs. Peace!

easier?

James O’Sullivan

ONE OF THE cultural oddities experienced by the newcomer to Finland is the small, foulsmelling tea bag that is often found left behind by other patrons on tables at bars and pubs across the country.

Originating from Sweden, snus is a moist powder tobacco product that is placed under the upper lip for up to several hours giving the user a rush of nicotine. Sold in small containers resembling a hockey puck as either loose tobacco or prepackaged small pouches, snus allows the discretion of using tobacco without the socially disruptive consequences of smoking a cigarette. With over four per cent of Finland’s population using snus on a regular basis, why can’t these small pucks be found in shops in Finland?

When Finland joined the European Union in 1995, the banning of the sale of snus which extends to almost all the EU countries came into force here. Neighbouring Sweden was granted an exemption to this due to strong public support of snus when they joined the EU and thus it is still available in Swedish stores. Whilst the sale of snus has remained illegal within Finland, importation for personal use is not forbidden. A visit to the duty free store whilst onboard a cruise ship between Sweden and Finland reveals refrigerated ten-high stacks of pucks

Kustaa Saarinen

(“bazookas”) eagerly being loaded into shopping trolleys by snus-deprived Finns.

The islands of Åland between Finland and Sweden continue to wrestle with the EU over the sale of snus. Whilst still a province of Finland, the sale of snus has continued on cruise ships registered in Åland travelling to and from Sweden. A fine of 2 million euros handed down by the EU for such indiscretions has merely fanned the flame of anti-EU sentiment in the small province.

Recent years have seen a number of large-scale snus smuggling enterprises uncovered in Finland. A glance at Facebook reveals the “Legalise the selling of SNUS in Finland” group boasting over 8,500 members. Whilst the absence of smoke inhalation prevents damage to the lungs, the health risks of using snus as an alternative are still considerable. Both pancreatic and oral cancer are linked to its usage. As the extent of its health risks are explored further, the unfortunate current trendiness of snus amongst Finnish youth and its use by prominent sports people ensures this debate will continue in Finland.

SixDegrees Issue 1 2009

Tomas Whitehouse

Design Duet Aamu Song

Johan Olin

WeMet

Issue 1 2009

D D Ida Hakola

IT ALL started from a bottle of shampoo. The 20-year-old South Korean Aamu Song was interrailing in Scandinavia in 1994. During the trip this industrial design student travelled to the very north of Finland, visited an old lady’s mini-kiosk in Lapland and fell in love with the simple Finnish way of making and representing things.

She started her design studies in Helsinki in 1998. Now ten years have passed and she runs a kiosk of her own with her partner Johan Olin in the heart of the capital. Instead of shampoo, this kiosk sells clothing and decor items designed by Song and Olin. It is located next to the Kiasma museum where the duo held an exhibition called Suomen salat (Top Secrets of Finland) in the summer of 2007. We stepped into the tiny 12 square meter Salakauppa (Secret shop) and met the couple.

Aamu, you originate from South Korea’s capital Seoul.

How did you end up running a designer kiosk in the centre of Helsinki?

Aamu: The first time that I came to Finland was ten years ago when I was backpacking in Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Then I came to Finland through Inari.

That was a really nice place.

Somehow, I knew that I would come here again.

Johan: I feel that there is a straight connection between Aamu’s first visit to Finland and this shop. Her first experience in Finland was a very small kiosk run by some old Sami lady.

Aamu: I needed some shampoo and I went to this kiosk. It was so small. There was only one kind of shampoo, Erittäin hieno suomalainen shampoo.

In Korea you have to know what kind of hairstyle or quality you have, do you need vitamin e, b or z, there are so many options. I really liked it that there was only this one thing to choose from. Somebody has asked me before, was that

really the reason why I came to Finland, a kiosk? Maybe so.

So it wasn’t a shock for you to move here?

Aamu: It was a bit of a shock.

My previous visit to Finland concerned mostly the north of the country so I got to know a little about Sami culture. I had spent only a couple of days in Helsinki. But life in the capital wasn’t the Sami-kind of life.

The first days that I spent in Finland were so lonely. But now we have completed many projects and met a lot of people, and I have lots of friends.

What was so special about Finnish design that it made a Korean girl move across the world?

Aamu: I think that for Finns design is not about style, it’s about life. It’s not about colour, it is just what it is. That’s what I have realised about the Finnish way of living. For example, in the Finnish language you call furniture, literally, a “room tool.” In Finnish design you don’t have to underline that this is a practical thing, it’s something which comes naturally.

You hooked up with Juuso at The University of Art and Design Helsinki, where you both studied. How did you end up working together?

Johan: We participated in a few design competitions when studying and then created the COMPANY label in 2000. We just noticed that we had some common interests and kept on working together.

Aamu: We have ended up here naturally. We have no plans.

Johan: Actually, we usually try to plan things, but something always happens and the plans often change.

After being in the country for ten years, you must have gotten used to Finland. How do South Korean and Finnish lifestyles compare?

Aamu: Life in Korea is totally opposite. The food is delicious; I eat more there than here.

At the moment I feel like I’m living in two places. Korea is

Aamu Song and Johan Olin have created design products together for almost a decade. Among other work, Aamu is known for the Reddress, an enormous singer’s outfit which expands to enfold the whole audience. Within their last project Aamu and Johan decided to open a design kiosk in the heart of Helsinki.

my home, but this is my home now as well. I visit maybe once a year, but last year we had a four-month residence there. I missed home very much and I felt like I had brain damage from the Finglish. I think it’s a little unhealthy not to use your mother tongue for many years. I wanted to hear and use the Korean language and luckily we were able to combine it with work. We were working with Juuso for a company which produces cultural events, shoes, bags and clothing. We’re very interested in shoes and bags.

How did Johan fare in Korea?

Johan: It was quite a language bath. It was really all about language. I think that my record was sitting seven hours in a meeting without a single word of English. It was kind of fun. My skills still aren’t so great but I liked it very much though.

How would you describe Korean design in contrast to Finnish practicality?

Johan: I was observing it as an outsider and I felt that design was just something that was made for different purposes. It’s not a continuation of anything despite Korea being one of the oldest civilisations.

Design seemed to be only an added value. It has a bit of a bad label there, unfortunately.

Aamu: Then again, in the Korean marketplaces there are many things, like fisherman’s shoes and farmer’s gloves, which have great designs, but they are not seen as such.

For me, city life is artificial.

Unfortunately I come from Seoul. I’d like to come from a really small village. If I ever move back to Korea, I’d like to live in a very small place.

What are your most Finnish characteristics and how would you, Aamu, describe Johan’s Korean side?

Johan: Aamu is very straightforward when speaking.

Aamu: And Juuso eats like a Korean.

Johan: When we were in

“S

omebody asked me before, was that really the reason why I came to Finland, a kiosk? Maybe so.”

Korea that was actually what they told me. The Korean way to eat is to enjoy it very openly, including making a lot of noise, making it quite messy and doing it very fast. That’s fitting for me. We eat kimchi at home as well.

The new design kiosk Salakauppa opened a couple of months ago. How has it felt to be a kiosk entrepreneur in Finland?

Johan: We wanted to also sell the things we make, not only design them. We tried to close the design circle, to get more out of making products. We were also very surprised to realise how many good Finnish manufactures there still are. It is like a secret community.

Aamu: It’s been nice, but sometimes a bit tough as well.

We not only design, but also organise the shop, do marketing and sell items among other things. We do everything and are everything. It’s like being a bird, tiger and crocodile at the same time.

Your work represents individual quality design.

What do you think of big consumer brands like IKEA and H&M? Aamu: It’s good that there are different types of places. If the world was one big Salakauppa, we would then do the H&M thing. People need and want different things.

Johan: I personally like H&M. Pretty much all long-lived products are nice. But we saw that this kind of a place was needed too.

How would you describe good design?

Johan: It’s functional and makes sense. In the Kiasma exhibition this one lady came

to ask if we could make a thousand pieces of our baggy jeans so she could sell them in southern Europe. I answered that we can’t and don’t want to do that. It would make sense in the military or in some school system, but it didn’t make sense that everybody would be walking around southern Europe wearing the same baggy jeans.

Aamu: A good design is original, different from the things done before; it connects with you and makes you return to the shop. I feel, however, that you can’t really say what is good or bad in a design.

Design itself is sometimes labelled as trendy, expensive and fancy. Did you want to make a statement by bringing design to a kiosk?

Aamu: Not really. The rent was suitable and the place was just the right size for us. The location is also very good.

Johan: Yep, many people stop in to ask at the IKEA bus stop.

It’s actually very nice to have a lot of people passing by. That was one of the main reasons to locate the shop here. Previously we had been touring with the shop and selling things either in art galleries, museums or at design-related events.

What are you expecting from 2009?

Johan: I’m just waiting for the summer. Then we can have a terassi (a terrace) and we can keep the shop space more open.

Aamu: My vision for the year is big, bright and always exciting.

In the photo: Johan Olin and Aamu Song at their COMPANY office in Kallio. The couple is wearing Pääkaverit (The Head Friends) designed by Aamu.

They are meant to keep your neck, shoulders and cheeks warm.

Birthplace and date: Aamu: Seoul, South Korea, 1974.

Johan: Kuopio, Finland, 1974.

Place of residence: Aamu: Helsinki, Finland.

Johan: Helsinki, Finland.

Education: Aamu: Master of Arts. The University of Art and Design Helsinki.

Johan: University Student of Arts.

The University of Art and Design Helsinki.

Favourite free time hobby?

Aamu: Planning plan B. Johan: Running.

As a child I wanted to be a...

Aamu: Queen of drawing, journalist, good designer, beautiful grandmother, owner of a kiosk (last year)... Before I die I want to act once at a musical, compose music and play accordion like Gommi.

Johan: Biologist, geologist, teacher or Tarzan.

I hope that in the future...

Aamu: I have lots of time to work on many wishes, like a trip to the ice cream factory in Espoo.

Johan: the kiosk business flourishes.

VANTAAN KAUPUNKI CITY OF VANTAA

WHERE

Citizen of the year, grandparent for life Five years ago, Mirja Riihimaa from Hakunila, Vantaa had two grandchildren.

Five years later, she has got four more. She has been with one of them since he was born three years ago to a Finnish-Kenyan family in Vantaa. Riihimaa is not the biological grandmother of the boys, but when it is about finding new family friends, genes do not matter.

Jan Ahlstedt

preconceptions about different peoples or their cultures.”

But would it not be important to try to involve those who do have preconceptions? Would it not be good for some Finns to get to know other people? “Well, we look at this from the child’s point of view,” she quickly responds. “And we want them to have a great time. It is therefore better that we have open-minded people volunteering for us. Also, if one does not like children, there is obviously no point in getting involved.”

Finding out

Mirja Riihimaa has already brought together dozens of grandparents and children.

“ W HEN M Y two biological grand-

children were younger, I still worked, so I did not have too much time for them,” Riihimaa explains.

“When I finally had the time, they had already grown up.”

“Then one day, I was talking about this with my friend Jane Kivilahti, and she told me that it would be nice for her children to have grandparents. They had gone to social services to try to find some, but with no success. So I came up with this idea of being the grandmother.”

“There are many children who do not have the possibility of ever meeting their biological grandparents, and in many cases their grandparents might already be dead,” she explains. “For example, even though Jane's husband is Finnish, there were no grandparents alive on either side. This is why I became the granny.”

Jane Kivilahti is originally from

Kenya and her husband is Finnish.

When they had their fourth son together, Riihimaa was already there for him. “It is amazing to think that I have been involved in this boy's life since he was born,” she says adoringly.

Open-minded grannies

Since that great idea five years ago, 15 substitute grandparents and 45 children have found each other through this activity, and more is yet to come. After all, the NGO has only functioned for five years, and there are definitely many elderly men and women who either do not have any grandchildren or have those who are no longer children.

“Those elderly Finns who find our organisation usually lead very active lifestyles,” Riihimaa says, “and since this is a voluntary-based organisation, it attracts certain types of people. We attract those with open minds and no negative

Many immigrant parents do not read Finnish newspapers, so even though the topic would interest them, it is often difficult to read in a language that is not their own. Why is the idea of substitute grandparents spreading so fast? “Well, people talk to each other,” answers Riihimaa. “Even though we do not have a website and people do not necessarily read about us all the time, we are becoming more popular among immigrant families.”

What can one do with an “adopted” grandchild? “Well, nearly anything from knitting socks and playing football to giving advice about how to find interesting hobbies and teaching about Finnish nature and culture. It is not always just playing,” Riihimaa notes. “In addition, the language skills of the child can improve greatly.”

In general, immigrants do have many friends in Finland, but they are mostly non-Finns. Acquaintances can be made easily, but closer friendships are much more difficult to forge when one is from a completely different cultural environment. As Riihimaa points out, shyness and unawareness play great parts when it comes to people getting to know each other, even though there would be great interest in doing so. “It is also a pity that so many children do not have the opportunity to enjoy the company of their grandparents,” Riihimaa adds. Meeting people from different generations can be culturally, historically and socially educational.

Multicultural Vantaa

Because of having lived in Vantaa

Monikulttuurinen Vantaa www.vantaa.fi

TO GO IN

for 30 years, Riihimaa can offer an experienced view of the city. “I have to say that Vantaa is a great place to live. I have nothing negative to say about it! I live in Hakunila and this area does not have a great reputation, but I have never had any problems living here.”

Since Riihimaa moved to Vantaa from Helsinki, her birthplace, she has witnessed a change in the city. “Vantaa has definitely become much more international and multicultural. When I first moved in, there were no immigrants here.”

Grandparenting is for life

Riihimaa says she has gained so much from her Finnish-Kenyan grandchildren. “For once, I have learned much about their culture. Two years ago we even visited Kenya for three weeks with our family, which was an unforgettable experience!” In addition, her adopted grandchildren keep her up-to-date on what is going on in Finnish culture. “Things move on, and it is nice to have someone around you who knows what is fresh and what is new. It is useful to know about the ever-changing environment at school and learn about current issues.” ”I am not able to do things that I used to do,” Riihimaa admits. “I used to go picking coffee beans in Nicaragua, and work at a children's camp in Angola. Altogether, I did a lot of solidarity work.

Even in Finland I was a youth worker! But it is nice to know that I can still keep widening my experience - even though I am older and can no longer pick coffee beans! And there is definitely no culture shock for me when it comes to socialising with people from different countries.”

Dedication and determination

Riihimaa loves all her grandchildren. “This is not just a temporary job to do, it is a lifetime commitment. It is just like being a real grandparent. I myself am going to do this as long as I live. I know that I am getting older and that I can no longer run around in the same way. But I can still be there for the boys, and that is the most important thing to me.”

Riihimaa's dedication was rewarded with the national “Citizen of the Year” award in December by the association of local reporters in Finland. “It felt good to get this kind of recognition. It truly makes us feel like we are doing something worthwhile.”

VANTAA

MUSIC Tue 3 February Snow Queen Family concert with the traditional fairytale by H.C. Andersen.

Martinus hall Martinlaaksontie 36 Tickets €10/15 www.vantaanviihdeorkesteri.fi Fri 13 February Projack, Souldump Grunge and progressive rock sounds in the classic youth venue.

Vernissa, 20:00 – 01:00 Tikkurilantie 36 Tickets €3/5 No age limit www.velmu.net www.souldump.com

OTHERS Tuesdays Silkin Kahvila International café for meeting new people.

Silkin Portti, 16:00 - 18:00 Tikkurilantie 44 F, 2nd floor 040 8367599 Until 15 March SPEED Formula 1 themed exhibition.

Science centre Heureka Mon – Fri 10:00 – 17:00 Sat & Sun 10:00 – 18:00 Extended opening hours on weeks 8 & 9 Tickets € 10.50 – 15.50 (includes all exhibitions) www.heureka.fi Fri 30 January to Sun 1 February Rakenna ja remontoi Building and construction expo.

Myyrmäki Hall Raappavuorentie 10 Open Fri 11:00 – 17:00 Sat & Sun 10:00 – 17:00 Tickets €12/7 www.rakentaja.fi Sat 7 February to Sat April Film Matinee Weekly afternoon screenings at affordable price.

Bio Gran Kielotie 7 Tickets €5.50 www.biogrand.fi Sun 22 February Tikkurila Winter Market Authentic market atmosphere.

Tikkurila Market Square 10:00 – 16:00

Lifestyle

Issue 1 2009

Purls of wisdom Today a traditional craft has found new enthusiasts among young wired people. Knitting is making a comeback while knitters get the best of new yarns and old patterns.

Tuuli Matikainen

“I CAN’T believe Finns know how to do these, I just learned how to sew on a button last week!” exclaimed an American friend of mine when we were visiting a friend’s house where she admired a knitted lace scarf.

In Finland needlework is taught in elementary schools where girls traditionally choose to work with textiles and yarn while boys prefer woodwork. Needlecraft has a long history in the national curriculum. From the 17th to the 19th century knitting socks, mittens and other clothing was an important business for many, especially the poor, for whom it offered a way to earn extra income without a large initial investment.

Unlike what one would imagine, knitting was an everyday chore among women from all walks of life. It was a symbol of a hard-working Finnish housewife, and often women carried their work with them while travelling or visiting neighbours.

Maybe it is this outdated definition of a good wife that makes some modern women absolutely hate knitting.

Failure to teach left-handers, or dull patterns and materials, is what many adult women recall of their knitting history. Some still think knitting means old spinsters making wool socks while drooling over Jari Sillanpää on TV. Luckily, the internet has made luxurious yarns and fashionable patterns accessible while local yarn stores also have a good selection of delicious materials. There are free videos to guide you through techniques whether you are right, left or even three-handed.

So if you are feeling even mildly interested in needlecraft, don’t worry. As legendary author Elizabeth Zimmermann put it in her book title, it is possible to Knit without a license.

Knit happens – all over the globe It is argued that is was Debbie Stoller’s book Stitch ‘N Bitch that started the phenomenon.

With its witty titles, sassy easy to pick up – patterns and sensible but easily replaced yarns it got young Americans knitting.

From there the whole idea that knitting can be fun and you can knit whatever you like for whomever you want started spreading.

As the 21st century is all about going online, that is exactly what knitters have done.

Today there are such a large number of e-zines, blogs, mailing lists, homepages, galleries and tutorials that whatever you’re trying to find, it’s there.

If it’s not, then there’s umpteen places where you can ask other people about it. And knitters are usually newbie-friendly.

One very popular site for knitters and crocheters is Ravelry. A knitters’ Facebook, in many aspects it represents what modern needlecraft is all about. It is a meeting place for people with a variety of skills, and the main idea is sharing.

People share their experiences, learn from each other and there’s little emphasis on hierarchy.

Dude, where’s my needles?

Currently a crushing majority of knitters are women, but men are present as designers and wearers of knitted garments.

As some women have openly expressed a peculiar urge to knit for their significant other who aren’t as open about their willingness to wear knit garments, there are a large variety of discreet patterns fitted to suit men’s selective tastes.

Apparently men have noticed and found needlecraft useful, at least in some situations. A few years ago a trend swept over Finland where teenaged boys got hooked into crocheting and made beanies for skateboarding and snowboarding.

Social aspects of knitting The information revolution has brought about many new communities and forms of socialising, and it is asked whether the feeling of belonging is real or not in these unconventional groups. True or not, traditional get-togethers are doing well, although in new forms.

Knitters organise through blogs, forums or the like and meet in public places over a cup of coffee to chat and, of course, knit. These KIPs are open to anyone, and the group has no actual hostess.

If one cannot join a KIP, then how about a secret knitting pal? After joining the swap online, you check out your SP’s homepage to learn about their tastes and to post (yes, by snail mail) them some knitting-related goodies.

Passing on your precious is a good way for a yarn-a-holic to relieve a yarn-shopping hangover.

Need more blood, sweat and tears? You might want to consider a knitting challenge, which is usually about sheer speed.

All the above are new phenomena and represent an ongoing change: 30 years ago women of a set geographical area assembled in courses to knit regional or national patterns, and foreign magazines and patterns were a rarity.

Today knitters are very experimental and eager to pick up a pattern no matter what its nationality. Many knitters abroad have also grown fond of Scandinavian patterns; the very same ones many Finns still underrate.

For those who don’t know, purl is one of two basic stitches used in knitting!

www.knitty.com www.woolgirl.com www.ravelry.com

Knitting blog slang UFO WIP SABLE SSS KAL KIP

Unfinished object.

Work in progress.

Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy, i.e. buying more yarn than you can use.

Second Sock Syndrome. You’re so bored with the pattern that it’s hard to make a pair.

Knit-along, a group meets in a blog or in a forum, knit the same project and share their progress.

Knit in public, an informal get-together.

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tamk.fi

AH EAD ON THEIR OW N

e v i t a i t ini

Jyväskylä is home to a vibrant youth culture. There are numerous associations in the city which are primarily run with the voluntary and spontaneous initiative of their young members. Here are some examples:

The City of Jyväskylä supports opportunities for young people: Youth Arts Workshop

•

Jyväskylä live music association Jelmu ry • • •

•

Organises gigs in the Lutakko Dance Hall for around 130 evenings each year.

Attracts some 38,000 visitors annually.

Jelmu ry was awarded the New Footsteps of Youth Culture cultural prize.

•

www.jelmu.net

Dance Theatre Kramppi • •

A group for young recreational dancers in Jyväskylä.

Each year, the group stages two performances combining dance, theatre and music in a delightfully unconventional way.

www.kramppi.f

i

The City of Jyväskylä provides an internship opportunity for young people between the ages of 17–28 who are receiving a labour market subsidy.

The goal of the workshop is to help young people clarify their plans for the future.

The principal contents of the workshop are drama, handicrafts, ne arts etc.

p e d i a t / i f . l k j . w ww

aja

Lifestyle

11

Issue 1 2009

Finnish

k n u p

Aleks Talve

Many are familiar with Finnish metal. Fewer know that there is a grittier, more vibrant and, apparently, a more violent side to the Finnish music industry.

beyond metal and schlager Aleksi Teivainen

FINNISH punk music has its international fans. A Cracow city guide describes one of the city’s bars as “a great place to see violent Finnish punk bands.” In 2005, the Finnish punk band Endstand was followed by six Austrian fans during the band’s record release tour in Finland.

However, Endstand is a rare exception, conclude Samuli Peurala (Lighthouse Project), Jani Koskinen (I Walk The Line), and Tommi Forsström (Echo is your love), who together have around 1,500 gigs under their belts.

“For these six Austrians, Endstand is obviously significant, but it doesn’t imply that the whole scene is doing well,” Forsström argues. “Even if these six were the only ones who liked Endstand, they would follow the band around in Finland.”

“Unless you play something similar to Endstand, Kaaos or Terveet Kädet, the fact that you are from Finland is insignificant,” claims Koskinen.

“Of course, there are good bands in Finland – they just have a hard time getting the attention they deserve.”

Yet, the success of the late 80s and early 90s has seen a vibrant and diverse scene emerge. According to Forsström, however, the concept of Finnish punk is extremely vague. “Even the bands’ motives have changed.

The bands in the 80s were mainly motivated by discontent,” he explains. “Whereas in the 90s, bands emerged out of pure interest. The high standard of living allowed people to do what they wanted.

Now, the scene is active and diverse but underground. No one has made an international breakthrough since the 80s,” Forsström concludes.

The charm Despite the unlikely chances

of international success, there is something in punk that has attracted Finnish youth for decades now: a chance to get your hands dirty. When the scene emerged in Finland, in the later 70s and early 80s, the first bands had to start from scratch. Organising tours, recording and publishing took devotion and persistence and as a result, the DIY-mentality still defines the scene. “With Aurinkokerho, we just sent letters and c-cassettes to people and crossed our fingers,” Koskinen says. “And somehow our first tour abroad came into being.”

“In punk, it’s so much easier to find yourself really participating,” Forsström notes. “For me, it was almost like a secret society and definitely revolutionary – despite the fact that it was over 20 years old by the time I got into it.”

Our interviewees are no strangers to work. In addition to their bands, Koskinen and Forsström are co-founders of the labels Combat Rock Industry and If Society, respectively. Peurala, on the other hand, is associated with the skateboard company Tikari.

Forsström diagnoses his involvement in four bands, a label and a music shop as a sign of workaholism, “I feel bad when I’m not active – maybe it’s a sign of deeply rooted mental problems. Still, I want to be a part of all the aspects of punk.

For me, this total involvement brings so much to the whole and emphasises the feeling of achievement,” he adds. “I feel privileged doing something I have always dreamed of. Even so, I made a decision not to quit my daily job because it provides me with the financial freedom to do what I want to in music.”

“But this is not just a job,” Koskinen points out. “Despite the long hours I put in, I’m still not on minimum wage.

But then again, most of this I’d do without any income.”

“And basically any money that is made is invested in the band,” adds Peurala.

The essence There is more to punk than the music, and the essence of it is difficult to dress up in words. It is an approach adopted by bands, artists, labels or even entrepreneurs.

“Punk is a rather loose concept and definitely incorporates more than the music,” starts Forsström. “I’m sure everyone around this table has their own definitions of punk. To me, punk has lost its significance as music and I feel the concept of punk is more closely related to matters beyond music. Labels like Dischord and Touch and Go and especially the way they operate is punk,” he explains.

“Punk is impulsive and you must be ready to commit yourself to the things you believe in,” Koskinen muses.

On the other hand, punk is a label used for marketing purposes similarly to grunge in the early 90s. As a result, punk has commercialised, lost much of its outrageousness and lacks the aforementioned absolute devotion.

“The scene has stagnated,” states Peurala. “Punk desperately needs new revolutions,” Forsström pleads. “Punk can, and should, contradict itself – it is a feeling. Instead, you have to wear a uniform and have to think a certain way. Pretty much the only choice you can make is whether to drink or not,” he sighs. “I wish there was a group of 20-year-olds who would render us old-timers useless. Sometimes, I feel like supporting the National Coalition Party just to stir up some conversation.”

The future So, there is a demand for new revolutions. How do the old-

timers see the future of punk?

“I’ve already achieved much more than I ever thought was possible,” Koskinen says. “We have played in people’s living rooms, a common location for a punk gig in the US, the main stage of Ruisrock and everything in between. However, I never consciously decided this would be my job – things just led to another. I got here by doing what I love and that’s what I’ll do in the future also.”

“I believe punk can still represent the same values it did to us,” Koskinen goes on. “I mean, punk has not changed, but it did change my world.

It still has the same potential – that’s what matters.”

“Punk has definitely not changed – I have changed,” replies Forsström. “And it’s more important to change your own world than universal issues. Punk is about small revolutions. Gradually, I became to understand how much it matters what other people think about my work. However, at the same time, their opinions do not dictate what I do. I do this for myself,” he explains.

“It has never been a struggle for me to carry on,” Koskinen grins. “It’s been much harder to curb my enthusiasm.”

Suomi Punk fact file

• Briard’s I Really Hate Ya (1977) is widely considered to be the first punk recording made in Finland.

• 1977 also marked the emergence of other legends of the genre: Eppu Normaali, Pelle Miljoona and Kollaa kestää.

• The punk movement was ignited in 1978 when the Sex Pistols were denied visas for a gig in Finland.

• Ypö-Viis was the first band in Finland to self-publish their debut single in 1978.

• The hardcore punk of the 80s, led by Riistetyt, Kaaos and Terveet Kädet, is still renowned globally: In Japan, a tribute band named Laukaus (2001–2006) even imitated the Finnish sound on their two recordings Mikä on tuolla? and Ollaan punk nuorisoo...”.

• The history of Finnish punk is reviewed by Mika Saastamoinen in his book, Parasta lapsille – Suomipunk 1977–1984 (2007).

• In 2008, a documentary film on the topic Punk - tauti joka ei tapa by Jouko Aaltonen was also released.

Society

13

Issue 1 2009

Been there, done that

It’s you

VERSUS the cigarette

There are two groups of quitters: those who are trying to quit and those who have succeeded.

There are also many who generously offer their skills to end this odorous addiction.

Marina Sidyakina

SMOKING in bars was banned a few years ago in Finland, and nowadays even the memories of smoky bars are as hazy as the cigarette smoke itself. It is still to be discovered if the percentage of all smokers has dropped due to the legislation, but it is a solid fact that as long as there is this unhealthy habit there will be those trying to quit it and also those who will offer help.

One of the past favourites was the book Stop Smoking Permanently (Allen Carr, 1995). After reading it there was simply no need to smoke.

Other methods include patches, nicotine gum or worse, some other unhealthy habit.

Meanwhile, another kind of help appeared: psychological.

The procedure is rather simple. At a personal meeting, the smoker briefly talks about his relationship with tobacco; describing when and how frequently he smokes, how it affects him and so on.

The major part of the session

concentrates on the negative effects of smoking. Some healing techniques are almost frightening: “when you light up again, it’ll be the minute you die!” “When I heard that, I was really scared,” recalls Raisa, a devoted smoker for 20 years. “It sounded so serious that somehow it really got into my head. After the session I didn’t even want to look at a cigarette again.”

Convincing techniques vary in their approach.

Some recommend keeping a smoking diary in order to observe personal patterns and to recognise what smoking means to the individual. Is it an accompaniment to coffee, a reaction to stress or just an excuse to escape the work place for five minutes?

Other specialists use straight forward threats, whilst some play with conscientiousness.

“I was told to drink a full glass of ice-cold water after each cigarette I smoked,” says Andrei, who also gave up his addiction with the help of a psychologist.

The session costs on average 150 euros. “At the end of the 40 minute session I was asked to sign a document, saying that from now on I voluntarily reject all nicotine-containing substances. I signed and felt really obligated to obey: I am a responsible adult after all,” says Raisa.

The first few weeks after treatment are often bearable, but it is the aftermath that

gets tough. If someone is not mentally ready to quit, there is no force which will make it happen. “Before going to the session, I already made up my mind that I don’t want to smoke again,” says Raisa, “So during those 40 minutes I was only becoming more reassured of my own conscious choice.

The weeks that followed were not easy, but I was sure of myself all the way.”

Did you know?

• As of 1 January 2009, the tobacco tax in Finland is 25 per cent higher. It is hoped that this will especially decrease smoking by young people.

• Tobacco arrived in Finland in the 15th century. In the 1920s, Finnish men were the heaviest smokers in the world.

Smoking reached its peak in the 1970s, when up to 70 per cent of men used tobacco products.

• Smoking has decresed gradually from the 1970s. In 2006, 26 per cent of Finnish men and 21 per cent of women smoked daily.

• Tobacco is the second most common cause of death in the world and the fourth most common risk factor for disease.

Sources: www.tupakkaverkko.fi and www.suomenash.fi

“I started smoking regularly when I was in the army, where the designated smoking area was the place to be. Being there meant not being inside the barracks, where you would invariably be told to do stuff – usually stuff that involved using cleaning appliances. Smoking was very handy in getting to know others and hear the latest rumours. If the group mentality got me started, I quit for very individualistic reasons, namely my health. When you listen to someone coughing their lungs out for a ten-minute stretch, you begin to develop a certain aversion towards cigarettes. Thinking “That’s not me,” I quit. But I still enjoy cigarettes occasionally. Live happily and dabble in vice in moderation, rather than quit completely, is my motto. I’d rather die of lung cancer when I am 70, than live in austerity until I am 90, because, let’s face it, health doesn’t usually equal fun.”

Man, 34 “New Year, the time for resolutions and the time a long-term boyfriend once dumped me. Between contemplating the break-up and choosing a resolution, something hit me harder than the break-up itself. My relationship with cigarettes lasted much longer. But I’m not really a smoker because “I only smoke at parties,” or so I thought. Wine glass and cigarette, a match made in heaven. Somehow I could no longer party without the perfect couple and, without warning, coffee or waiting for the bus had become a “party.” This break-up was going to be brutal. No coffee and a chat with Mr. Cigarette and no give-meanother-chance. I cut all contact; I didn’t answer Mr. Cigarette’s calls and battled through lonely evenings. It was the hardest break-up of them all but as time passed I no longer felt that my outfit was missing the “perfect accessory” and I soon stopped missing my companion altogether. In fact, maybe the relationship hadn’t been so perfect after all.” Woman, 22 “The goal was to say the Finnish word hevonen at the same time as we inhaled the smoke into our lungs. That was how my sister and I learned to smoke. As I entered my 30s, I became ashamed of how dependent I was and the weakness that implied. I never smoked on the street, and even in our apartment courtyard I tried to remain out of sight. The first week without cigarettes was difficult. Meals didn’t taste quite as good with the knowledge that a nice, long smoke was not waiting for me at the end. I tried to motivate myself by visiting peer support forums and I looked up information about smoking-related illnesses. I read somewhere that the withdrawal symptoms of quitting smoking can be compared to walking in shoes a couple of sizes too small. When one gives in and reaches for the smokes, it feels like taking those shoes off. It’s a pretty apt comparison.” Woman, 34 “I’ve been smoke-free for almost a year. I felt like a fool when I was slouched in the corner at my workplace or when I had to turn my back to my kids so they wouldn’t see me with a cigarette in my mouth, even though they could just as easily see the smoke rising above my head. My wife nagged me for years about my smoking: “You smell bad, go sleep in another room.” But when I finally did quit, for weeks she didn’t even notice.” Man, 41 “Quitting smoking must be one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions. My attempts have failed year in, year out, usually because I simply forget what I’ve promised myself and only remember when I’m already in the middle of another puff.

And then I just keep on puffing, until the next New Year rolls around. I’ve finally understood that I don’t need New Year’s Eve as an excuse to kick the habit; I just need to make a lasting commitment at the right moment. I have read that if I smoke a pack of cigarettes a day then it is necessary to fell 24 trees in a rainforest just so my tobacco can be refined and dried. So, not only have I been ruining my health, I’ve also been ravaging some rainforest in the process, which means that both my lungs and the planet’s are worse off for it.” Man, 35 “I took up smoking at the age of 15, to make an impression on my mates, and ended up smoking for almost 45 years. I tried to kick the habit a couple of times over the years, but the longest I managed without fags was maybe five days. I went through around 1.5 packs a day, even getting up at night just to go out for a puff. I had just turned 60, had divorced and got myself a dog when one friend of mine told me about a pill that was meant to kill the craving for a smoke. Sounds like it’s at least worth a try, I thought, as I felt sorry for my dog amidst the stench of cigarette smoke. Since I’ve taken those pills I haven’t had a single puff, and I’ve managed five years without cigarettes. I don’t feel like my quality of life has jumped dramatically. I guess my sense of smell has improved, and as for the money, I’ve managed to spend it on other things. I gained 10 kilos after I stopped smoking. I still get up at night, but it’s not the fags I’m heading for, it’s the fridge.” Woman, 65

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13

Society

15

Issue 1 2009

SOCIETY Column

Walking in your

Sleep

(Finnish) Men are from Mars David Brown

EVERYONE has heard the clichés; that Finns are shy, that they drink far too much and are more comfortable in forests than they are in cities. But in my experience, the clichés are true of only half the population. I don’t mean roughly half; I mean exactly 50% of the population. Finnish women, as you may have noticed, are actually quite normal. Most can hold conversations on a variety of topics, dress nicely, and frequently laugh in public places. Some can even make eye contact. Most drink in joyful moderation, and are not driven to violence as a result of doing so.

FINNISH men, on the other hand, are a far more worrying lot. While Finnish men may make the best engineers in the world, they are the world’s worst talk show hosts. Topics of conversation seem to be limited to weather, programming in C++, and occasionally Formula One. At parties, while the women are in the kitchen laughing and discussing the issues of the day, the men are sat on the sofa in pained silence. Walls are stared at, lest eye contact encourage some backslider to start a conversation.

Sami Makkonen

Sleepwalking, or somnambulism, affects up to four per cent of adults.

Diagnosing such a condition with objective instruments, however, is often difficult because episodes rarely occur in the laboratory.

Nicholas Whitehouse

evenings,” Samuli recalls.

DESPITE the obvious challenge in the research on somnambulism, there are specialists working in the field who offer diagnoses.

“Sleepwalking occurs if part of the brain sleeps and another part doesn’t.

We keep patients overnight for observation and we use various instruments to help us make a diagnosis such as an electroencephalograph, or EEG. We also use video polygraphic equipment in order to show that the patient does indeed wake up and gets up out of bed,” says Markku Partinen, MD, PhD of Vitalmed Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Centre in Helsinki.

Around 25 per cent of children are sleepwalkers. Riitta, 63, recounts the time when her son Samuli used to walk in his sleep as a 10-year-old.

“Samuli slept in his own room and I once awoke to the sound of him trying to open the door to the balcony. He seemed to mutter something about going to school while he fiddled with the door handle,” Riitta recalls. “His eyes were open, but he didn’t make eye contact. It looked as though he were in some sort of trance.

I took him by the hand and said that it wasn’t time to go to school just yet,” she continues.

Similar episodes occurred throughout Samuli’s childhood. “At some stage mum heard that strenuous physical activity within a couple of hours of going to bed increases the likelihood of being active in your sleep, so I wasn’t allowed to play football in the

Somnambulism attacks Indeed, a somnablumatic attack is all the more difficult to recount if you have virtually no recollection of what happened during the night.

Samuli is now 28 and still sleepwalks. Fairly recently, while on a cruise from Turku to Stockholm with his friends, he experienced another such episode.

“We spent most of the evening in the bar, but I definitely didn’t drink that much before eventually retiring to the lower bunk of my cabin bed,” Samuli explains. “I woke up when the cleaner shook me and told me that we’d already docked at the harbour. I wondered to myself how on earth I’d managed to wake up in the top bunk. I jumped out of bed to discover that my friends were not in the cabin. I thought they must have already left. I couldn’t find my clothes nor any of my other stuff,” Samuli continues. Gradually he figured out that he had managed to sleepwalk his way not only to another part of the ship, but also a completely different cabin to the one he had rented with his friends.

“It felt pretty scary. I have no idea how I managed to make such a long trip and find an empty cabin with an open door in the middle of the night,” says Samuli of his experience on the cruise ship that night.

“Actually, it is quite typical to experience absence of knowledge or even a total blackout of events following somnambulism,” comments

Partinen, adding: “Behaviour is strange, and objects in the outside world are confused.

For instance, they can jump out of a window, thinking it’s a door, or get hit by a car because they just don’t realise that it is, in fact, a moving object. The risk of injuries is great to anyone sleepwalking.”

What you can do to help Practical assistance you can offer to someone or someone close to you can be lifesaving. “I would advise locking the windows. In the event of RBD type (REM behaviour disorder), a sleep walking attack with signs of epileptic activity in the brain, fighting and aggressive behaviour may occur, although very rare. In such an event I would advise putting an extra lock on the door of the room where the person sleeps so they can’t get out,” warns Partinen.

Drastic measures are sometimes required as much for the safety of the sleepwalker as for what they may or may not do to someone in the outside world. Indeed, what causes sleepwalking is something of a mystery, albeit a treatable one. “It is partly genetic, partly stress related. Typically, sleepwalking occurs in children between the ages of three and eight and up to 10-year-olds. If there is no medical history of heredity sleepwalking then we must exclude brain disorders,” states Partinen.

Samuli’s mother also recalls how she, while staying with family friends as a 12-year-old, went for a walk in the middle of the night. “I awoke squeezed

next to another kid on the lower part of a bunk bed. I immediately tiptoed back to my own bed. I was terribly ashamed, and I didn’t dare tell anybody about it,” she tells.

Treatments are available, although anyone suffering from sleep disorders is advised to consult a specialist first before seeking help. “We may give some medication, for example chlomesatine. If there is epileptic activity then they must seek treatment urgently as it may be a brain disorder. Other sleeping disorders can be treated using sodium valerate,” Partinen prescribes, adding: “Otherwise, avoid heavy exercise in the evening.

People should know that sleepwalking is unusual but not untreatable.”

Did you know? · Sleepwalking is a parasomnia or sleep disorder where the sufferer engages in activities that are associated with wakefulness while he or she is asleep or in a sleep-like state. · Sleepwalkers have their eyes open so they can navigate, not with their eyes closed and their arms outstretched, as often parodied in cartoons and films. · 25 per cent of children walk in their sleep. It becomes rarer among adults, of whom only 1-4 per cent sleepwalk. · Normally sleepwalking occurs once or twice a year, it rarely happens on a weekly basis.

Finnish men make the best engineers in the world, but the worst talk show hosts.

IN these situations, alcohol functions less as a social lubricant and more as a kind of defibrillator. Late every Friday night, men who have slumped monosyllabic and sullen over their workstations for 60 hours are suddenly sparked into robust monologues on anything from bus timetables to fashion. As a (female) friend put it, “When men talk to me in nightclubs, I understand why it is best they stay silent the rest of the time.” It seems as if alcohol allows Finnish men to become the kind of people they would want to be while sober; whilst ensuring they do so not with the suave cool of Daniel Craig, but more the stumbling weirdness of Boris Yeltsin.

OF course, these are clichés. We all know some Finnish men who are kind and funny and do not work in mobile communications. But beneath many generalisations we can also find some facts, and in this case there are also some disturbing statistics. It is estimated that some half a million Finns have serious drinking problems. There are more than 4,000 reported cases of domestic violence in Finland every year. It barely needs mentioning that the overwhelming majority of cases are not reported, any more than it does that the overwhelming majority of perpetrators are men. Drunk men, in fact.

I AM appalled by the figures, but I am not shocked. If we consider domestic violence as an explosion at the end of a fuse marked by frustration and resentment, then it should come as no surprise that people with limited communication skills are more frustrated than those with many.

IT may be that the men we see cackling hysterically over bottles of fruit wine outside the railway station are not the ones we should be worrying about. It is the apparently normal middle class men on the street who may most often mix the lethal ingredients of frustration, despair and alcohol.

AS Finns travel more and mix more with other cultures, Finnish men will hopefully learn what Finnish women already seem to know; that social chit-chat can be both fun and easy, that wine can be drunk from glasses and not from bottles, and that it is far better to talk about what one feels, than explode from the fear of doing so. In doing so, hopefully some of the deepest and darkest wounds in our society can begin to heal.

David Brown runs Word Of Mouth Ltd, a language consultancy working with politicians and the media.

He also works as a journalist, recently covering stories in Azerbaijan and Georgia. He has lived in Finland for seven years.

16

SixDegrees

Feature Issue 1 2009

17

Issue 1 2009 Sampo Korhonen

Matti Koskinen

Part-time Independent club promoters and event producers bring music and people together.

It’s a tough but rewarding job, and it might even pay the bills one day.

IN MANY Finnish cities a hit-music driven realm of mainstream nightlife is compounded by an effervescent independent club scene. Some more geared for dancing, others for listening, clubs tend to dish out something more exciting than the average music of the masses. It’s the job of an independent club promoter to bring up new sounds and interesting bands. They put on the shows and make parties happen, often on their own free time and for sparse compensation.

John Sjöholm, Lani Nordlund and Sari Palm are relative newcomers to the scene in Helsinki. They’re behind two brand new clubs adding to the city’s repertory. Since last fall, John has been cooperating with rapper Janne Vakkilainen, alias Superjanne, organising a club called Sir William Gotfunk at bar Korjaamo. “We want to bring up fresh talent and feature the hottest names from the underground hip hop scene, present alternatives to the stuff you see on MTV,” John describes the basic concept.

When we meet it’s been a week since Lani, Sari and a few other friends premièred Säpinää, an indie rock club at bar Kuudes linja. “It’s a more traditional rock club,” Lani explains. Every month they will feature two bands: one lesser-known artist and a more established Finnish indie band.

“We want to give up-and-coming bands the opportunity to play a decent venue, and provide the audience a good time at a reasonable cost.”

In the context of the music business the role of a promoter is that of a facilitator. Through organising clubs John, Lani and Sari donate a great deal of time, energy and resources to building and promoting an alternative music scene. “I don’t play anything and I can’t sing, so this is the next best thing,” John admits. “Anyway, I can’t be both on stage and organising at the same time.

I mean, the hockey coach isn’t supposed to be on the ice, he’s running the game!”

It’s definitely not the easy way. Putting on a club involves a ton of work and a great deal of negotiating. The list of responsibilities ranges from finding a venue, securing financing and booking the artists to advertising and running the event. For the part-time club promoter, practically every hour of spare time outside school or work is spent on different projects.

Some do it simply for love of the music.

But all that toil has its rewards, of course. It’s fun.

John still fondly remembers his first ever party. Only a few friends were invited and advertisement was minimal, but somehow 250 people showed up, filling both floors of the

W

ithout the audience there’s absolutely nothing.

small venue they had booked.

“We found out there was no working air conditioning. Of course halfway through the downstairs bathrooms broke down. There wasn’t even a proper stage, so much broken glass; it was just a glorious chaos,” he reminisces with a grin.

Career plans Naturally, it’s not all purely for kicks. A major motivation for many upstart promoters is building a future in the business. While their ventures might not yet yield much of a cash flow, running clubs does not amount to misspent youth.

What is now a labour of love may some day turn a profit.

Lani and John both study Arts Management at Novia University of Applied Science and aim for a career in cultural production. Sari has a day job, but through her active involvement in the music scene she’s learned the ropes along the way. She also admits to a certain romantic notion of making a living by doing what you love. ”In ten years I might end up working for a record company or a booking agency, but right now it’s fun to be doing your own thing. I want to work with all the cool people I meet and get involved with the interesting projects that come up,” Lani tells us. When likeminded people get together, ideas start to flow and things happen. It’s how most projects come about, as the result of serendipitous coincidence.

For now Lani and Sari are running Bring the Sound, a small non-profit association dedicated to “enriching cultural life,” which they recently established with Kerttu Penttilä and Kia Sofia Ryhänen. Working through an association helps with the paperwork and bureaucracy, Lani explains. John is a sole proprietor with his own event production company. “It’s not a million euro business yet, but the idea is to build it into an enterprise and make a living through producing events.”

Money matters In practice, it’s an unpleasant fact that most clubs devoted to alternative music styles lose money. Though many clubs

run on minuscule profit margins and rely heavily on volunteers, it’s generally agreed that the aim should be to provide just compensation for everyone who donate their time and talent. ”Financially it’s always a balancing act. On the one hand you want to pay everybody a proper salary, but then again with some venues you scarcely walk away with the ticket sales to cover your costs,” John admits. ”In a way Säpinää is a community project. Without us there’s no party, without the artists there’s no music, without the venue there’s no roof overhead, and without the audience there’s absolutely nothing. Everyone contributes,” Sari figures.

Both clubs look for outside funding to cover costs. This usually means applying for grants from cultural foundations or attracting corporate sponsors. But, it sounds like sponsors, particularly in the public sector, are slow to realise the value in producing alternative music events. As it’s chiefly the realm of enthusiasts, many seem to consider it as more of a hobby than a profession. ”Young people are encouraged to be enterprising and to take the initiative, but when it comes to actually setting up a venture, it’s another story,” Sari laments. “In terms of cultural production a lot of people have a very narrow idea of culture. You come home and turn on the telly and there’s culture coming at you. Some people listen to the radio, some might buy a CD. What we’re doing is no different, but still our line of work is considered somehow of less value, like we’re just goofing around.”

Working the scene Erkko Lehtinen and Marko Karvinen are veterans of the Finnish club scene. A freelance event producer and Arts Management graduate, Erkko started putting on techno parties in Jyväskylä in the mid 1990s and has worked on scores of clubs, festivals and events over the years. Marko has organised events with a more or less indie slant since the turn of the millennium.

According to Erkko the

Lani Nordlund (front), Sari Palm and John Sjöholm aim to offer fresh talents and the best parties for clubgoers.

club scene is thriving at the moment, at least in Helsinki.

“There’s a lot more going on in Helsinki than in a lot of other places. Now there’s starting to be some tough competition even. There are plenty of venues and the whole scene is looking totally different compared to, say, three years ago.”

The number of new venues also lowers the threshold for new start-ups. Just about any bar with two record players and a sound system can easily host a DJ evening. ”When I first started to put on clubs I don’t think there was a single indie club playing new music. They were more sort of nostalgic events,” remembers Marko. Things have changed since then. In terms of styles, traditional club music genres such as hip hop and house music have seen a decline. “Or maybe they’ve just moved elsewhere,” Marko ponders. Now a fast rotation of new music and mixing of styles is all the rage.

Together Marko and Erkko run Misf*ts, a club devoted to fresh new indie and electro music. It has been running weekly at the Redrum bar in Helsinki for a year and a half now. Along with visiting DJ gigs around Finland, the duo has tallied almost a hundred events under the Misf*ts

sobriquet. It’s an impressive achievement for a devoutly indie concept. ”The original idea behind Misf*ts was to play music you don’t hear in the other clubs, stuff outside the usual categories. So we went for a kind of outsider theme for it and came up with the name,” Marko relates. “At first there was a demand for it, I suppose.

It’s vital for a club, especially a new one, to fill a gap in the scene and to offer something the others don’t.”

Building a lasting brand is a whole other mystery.

According to Erkko, “novelty is always a big factor. Beyond that it’s just up to hard work and luck to get people to keep coming back.” More than advertising, it requires spreading information and keeping contact with regulars.

The internet has practically revolutionised the entire publicity aspect of running a club. “People have been trying to get rid of flyers since the early 2000s, but now we’re finally getting there,” Erkko remarks. A social networking site as massive as Facebook is an incredibly powerful tool in forming communities and spreading information.

Posters, flyers, radio and newspapers can work as a good

reminder, but for the most part people get their information online.

Tomorrow’s parties Talking about the future of the scene, Erkko admits he would like to see still more professionalism, to allow for more people to make a living on running clubs. Of course there’s always a demand for fresh new DJs, new promoters and new ideas as well.

It takes time for a club to become established, but the two newcomers Säpinää and Sir William Gotfunk have gotten off to a good start.

For the moment John is concentrating on fostering his pet project. “We were surprisingly well received last fall and we’ll be back at Korjaamo this spring,” he promises. “We want to keep Säpinää going for a long time,” declares Lani. She and Sari also have other plans hatching under the auspices of Bring the Sound, including the dormant electro club Cheap Tricks, slated for a spring comeback. ”Get out there, people!” Sari urges. “Every night you can find interesting cultural events around town. Some are free, some may cost a little, but you might be surprised by how much fun it is to get out of your own home.”

16

SixDegrees

Feature Issue 1 2009

17

Issue 1 2009 Sampo Korhonen

Matti Koskinen

Part-time Independent club promoters and event producers bring music and people together.

It’s a tough but rewarding job, and it might even pay the bills one day.

IN MANY Finnish cities a hit-music driven realm of mainstream nightlife is compounded by an effervescent independent club scene. Some more geared for dancing, others for listening, clubs tend to dish out something more exciting than the average music of the masses. It’s the job of an independent club promoter to bring up new sounds and interesting bands. They put on the shows and make parties happen, often on their own free time and for sparse compensation.

John Sjöholm, Lani Nordlund and Sari Palm are relative newcomers to the scene in Helsinki. They’re behind two brand new clubs adding to the city’s repertory. Since last fall, John has been cooperating with rapper Janne Vakkilainen, alias Superjanne, organising a club called Sir William Gotfunk at bar Korjaamo. “We want to bring up fresh talent and feature the hottest names from the underground hip hop scene, present alternatives to the stuff you see on MTV,” John describes the basic concept.

When we meet it’s been a week since Lani, Sari and a few other friends premièred Säpinää, an indie rock club at bar Kuudes linja. “It’s a more traditional rock club,” Lani explains. Every month they will feature two bands: one lesser-known artist and a more established Finnish indie band.

“We want to give up-and-coming bands the opportunity to play a decent venue, and provide the audience a good time at a reasonable cost.”

In the context of the music business the role of a promoter is that of a facilitator. Through organising clubs John, Lani and Sari donate a great deal of time, energy and resources to building and promoting an alternative music scene. “I don’t play anything and I can’t sing, so this is the next best thing,” John admits. “Anyway, I can’t be both on stage and organising at the same time.

I mean, the hockey coach isn’t supposed to be on the ice, he’s running the game!”

It’s definitely not the easy way. Putting on a club involves a ton of work and a great deal of negotiating. The list of responsibilities ranges from finding a venue, securing financing and booking the artists to advertising and running the event. For the part-time club promoter, practically every hour of spare time outside school or work is spent on different projects.

Some do it simply for love of the music.

But all that toil has its rewards, of course. It’s fun.

John still fondly remembers his first ever party. Only a few friends were invited and advertisement was minimal, but somehow 250 people showed up, filling both floors of the

W

ithout the audience there’s absolutely nothing.

small venue they had booked.

“We found out there was no working air conditioning. Of course halfway through the downstairs bathrooms broke down. There wasn’t even a proper stage, so much broken glass; it was just a glorious chaos,” he reminisces with a grin.

Career plans Naturally, it’s not all purely for kicks. A major motivation for many upstart promoters is building a future in the business. While their ventures might not yet yield much of a cash flow, running clubs does not amount to misspent youth.

What is now a labour of love may some day turn a profit.

Lani and John both study Arts Management at Novia University of Applied Science and aim for a career in cultural production. Sari has a day job, but through her active involvement in the music scene she’s learned the ropes along the way. She also admits to a certain romantic notion of making a living by doing what you love. ”In ten years I might end up working for a record company or a booking agency, but right now it’s fun to be doing your own thing. I want to work with all the cool people I meet and get involved with the interesting projects that come up,” Lani tells us. When likeminded people get together, ideas start to flow and things happen. It’s how most projects come about, as the result of serendipitous coincidence.

For now Lani and Sari are running Bring the Sound, a small non-profit association dedicated to “enriching cultural life,” which they recently established with Kerttu Penttilä and Kia Sofia Ryhänen. Working through an association helps with the paperwork and bureaucracy, Lani explains. John is a sole proprietor with his own event production company. “It’s not a million euro business yet, but the idea is to build it into an enterprise and make a living through producing events.”

Money matters In practice, it’s an unpleasant fact that most clubs devoted to alternative music styles lose money. Though many clubs

run on minuscule profit margins and rely heavily on volunteers, it’s generally agreed that the aim should be to provide just compensation for everyone who donate their time and talent. ”Financially it’s always a balancing act. On the one hand you want to pay everybody a proper salary, but then again with some venues you scarcely walk away with the ticket sales to cover your costs,” John admits. ”In a way Säpinää is a community project. Without us there’s no party, without the artists there’s no music, without the venue there’s no roof overhead, and without the audience there’s absolutely nothing. Everyone contributes,” Sari figures.

Both clubs look for outside funding to cover costs. This usually means applying for grants from cultural foundations or attracting corporate sponsors. But, it sounds like sponsors, particularly in the public sector, are slow to realise the value in producing alternative music events. As it’s chiefly the realm of enthusiasts, many seem to consider it as more of a hobby than a profession. ”Young people are encouraged to be enterprising and to take the initiative, but when it comes to actually setting up a venture, it’s another story,” Sari laments. “In terms of cultural production a lot of people have a very narrow idea of culture. You come home and turn on the telly and there’s culture coming at you. Some people listen to the radio, some might buy a CD. What we’re doing is no different, but still our line of work is considered somehow of less value, like we’re just goofing around.”

Working the scene Erkko Lehtinen and Marko Karvinen are veterans of the Finnish club scene. A freelance event producer and Arts Management graduate, Erkko started putting on techno parties in Jyväskylä in the mid 1990s and has worked on scores of clubs, festivals and events over the years. Marko has organised events with a more or less indie slant since the turn of the millennium.

According to Erkko the

Lani Nordlund (front), Sari Palm and John Sjöholm aim to offer fresh talents and the best parties for clubgoers.

club scene is thriving at the moment, at least in Helsinki.

“There’s a lot more going on in Helsinki than in a lot of other places. Now there’s starting to be some tough competition even. There are plenty of venues and the whole scene is looking totally different compared to, say, three years ago.”

The number of new venues also lowers the threshold for new start-ups. Just about any bar with two record players and a sound system can easily host a DJ evening. ”When I first started to put on clubs I don’t think there was a single indie club playing new music. They were more sort of nostalgic events,” remembers Marko. Things have changed since then. In terms of styles, traditional club music genres such as hip hop and house music have seen a decline. “Or maybe they’ve just moved elsewhere,” Marko ponders. Now a fast rotation of new music and mixing of styles is all the rage.

Together Marko and Erkko run Misf*ts, a club devoted to fresh new indie and electro music. It has been running weekly at the Redrum bar in Helsinki for a year and a half now. Along with visiting DJ gigs around Finland, the duo has tallied almost a hundred events under the Misf*ts

sobriquet. It’s an impressive achievement for a devoutly indie concept. ”The original idea behind Misf*ts was to play music you don’t hear in the other clubs, stuff outside the usual categories. So we went for a kind of outsider theme for it and came up with the name,” Marko relates. “At first there was a demand for it, I suppose.

It’s vital for a club, especially a new one, to fill a gap in the scene and to offer something the others don’t.”

Building a lasting brand is a whole other mystery.

According to Erkko, “novelty is always a big factor. Beyond that it’s just up to hard work and luck to get people to keep coming back.” More than advertising, it requires spreading information and keeping contact with regulars.

The internet has practically revolutionised the entire publicity aspect of running a club. “People have been trying to get rid of flyers since the early 2000s, but now we’re finally getting there,” Erkko remarks. A social networking site as massive as Facebook is an incredibly powerful tool in forming communities and spreading information.

Posters, flyers, radio and newspapers can work as a good

reminder, but for the most part people get their information online.

Tomorrow’s parties Talking about the future of the scene, Erkko admits he would like to see still more professionalism, to allow for more people to make a living on running clubs. Of course there’s always a demand for fresh new DJs, new promoters and new ideas as well.

It takes time for a club to become established, but the two newcomers Säpinää and Sir William Gotfunk have gotten off to a good start.

For the moment John is concentrating on fostering his pet project. “We were surprisingly well received last fall and we’ll be back at Korjaamo this spring,” he promises. “We want to keep Säpinää going for a long time,” declares Lani. She and Sari also have other plans hatching under the auspices of Bring the Sound, including the dormant electro club Cheap Tricks, slated for a spring comeback. ”Get out there, people!” Sari urges. “Every night you can find interesting cultural events around town. Some are free, some may cost a little, but you might be surprised by how much fun it is to get out of your own home.”

SIXDegrees

18

Issue 1 2009

For good times and

better music

Jenni Viitanen Matti Koskinen

IT’S RARE for a club in Finland to boast both a live band and a full dance floor on the same night, but for almost two and a half years now the monthly Pop-O-Matic indie pop club has managed to do just that. A key figure behind the success story is DJ Yolapongo, Jose Ferrándiz, now the primary engine running the show.

Born in Spain, Jose has lived in Finland for the past four and a half years. He has deejayed for almost ten years in Spain and around Finland.

“The main difference between Finnish and Spanish audiences is that the Spanish people are more open to new music. Finns won’t dance unless they know the song. Play something new

and you’ll empty the floor. You have to carefully slip the new stuff into the set,” he explains.

Another difference is the heavy role of club organisers in Finland. Spanish bars tend to book their own programme and they usually have a clear musical profile. In Finland it’s the club promoters who bring the music. The same venue can host a different club with a different style of music every night.

“Pop-O-Matic was originally going to be just a one-off party for some friends. Back then the place didn’t even have a dance floor, but those guys got up and started to party anyway, and that got some of the other people dancing too. The next time we went back and booked a band as well. I owe a lot to

the folks who were there at the beginning,” says Jose.

“The idea was from the start to have good music and fair prices and to support the Finnish indie scene.” He sees a lot of potential among Finnish bands, but what they need is more push. Since Pop-O-Matic started, indie clubs have proliferated. But it seems the tide is turning now: “Electro is now growing more popular, while the more traditional indie rock is losing out. They attract a lot of the same people, so if one goes up, the other goes down.”

Nevertheless, Jose plans to keep the club going for some time. He says he is happy in Finland and plans to stay.

“For a day job I work for a software company, but this is really what I love to do.”

Jose Ferrándiz is the mastermind behind the Pop-O-Matic club and its success.

Check them out!

Tired of the music they play in all the clubs and bars? Does a buddy of yours have a band that desperately deserves a break? Well, why not throw a party of your own! Six Degrees offers a few tips straight from the experts:

1

Plan ahead

2

Get to know the right people

3

Get your friends involved

Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

You’ll need to assemble a skilled and trusted squad to work with and knowing the people personally helps. If you don’t enjoy talking to people and being social you probably shouldn’t get into the whole thing.

There’s a ton of work to be done and you’ll need some volunteers. It’s also a good idea to surround yourself with people you can openly vent your frustration at, just in case things start to hit the skids.

4

Go online

5

Don’t get wasted

6

Smile

Why bother with flyers when you can reach half of humanity on Facebook? Keep throwing that spam, make sure nobody misses out on your event because they didn’t know about it.

On the big night there will be a bazillion different things that can go wrong, and it’ll be up to you to deal with them. Remember, the buck stops with you!

Don’t lose faith! Adversities may mount, but don’t let them discourage you. After all, you’re out to put up a party.

Thu 5 February Misf*ts Joakim (FRA) DJ set, residents Erkko & Marko Makelove.

Redrum, 22:00 Vuorikatu 2 Tickets 10 www.myspace.com/clubmisfits Thu 9 February Säpinää!

Echo Is Your Love, Bolomo Makrofilm, +DJs Antti & Jaako Kuudes linja, 21:00 Kaikukatu 4 Tickets €5 www.kuudeslinja.com Sat 14 February Pop-o-Matic Pop-O-Matic hangs the DJ. Belly Tickets €5 Uudenmaankatu 16 Fri 20 March Sir William Gotfunk Korjaamo Töölönkatu 51 www.sirwilliamgotfunk.fi

Some other night-outings worth a go: Turku Fri 27 & Sat 28 February Club Hitto!

Fri: Sharkslayer, Sat: Hitto! Vs, Top Billin, + Hitto DJs. Klubi, Turku Humalistonkatu 8 A Tickets €12 www.myspace.com/clubratto Jyväskylä Fri 13 Feb NS. Klubi Alpo & Tomi, NS DJs. Ilokivi, Jyväskylä Keskussairaalantie 2 http://www.myspace.com/nsklubi Tampere Hang the DJ! Indie music, live bands, and more. See the website for up-to-date info.

Every second Saturday of the month Klubi, Tampere Tullikamarin aukio 2 http://www.myspace.com/hangtampere

WEMet Cultitude

19

Issue 1 2009

Chef recommends Tomas Whitehouse

Gran Delicato

Café on the Cusp

APPETIZER Column Tipaton Tipple Violetta Teetor

EVER heard of the phrase tipaton tammikuu? The Finns will tell you that it’s the January month in which they don’t drink a drop of alcohol, hence the tipaton. This could make you feel guilty for every tipple you taste after New Year but I have to remind you that when February first comes along, those ‘on the wagon’ suddenly come off (or shall I say ‘fall off’) and join the rest of the establishment in their consumption of the good ole tipple.

But as we all know, expenditure, especially in these times of economic crisis, is at a premium which makes us all a little more conservative as to what we would like to spend our money on. If you still fancy your tipple, here are a few recommendations to keep your wallet intact.

Kostas Barbunakis runs Gran Delicato, a little piece of Greece in the heart of Helsinki.

Anthony Shaw

GETTING down towards the far end of Kalevankatu isn’t quite the dark side of town, but the streets thereabouts definitely have a different feel. On one side is the modern, commercial, concrete side of town, on the other the residential or artisan, the wooden and the brick. The eatery in question is right on the cusp of this change, the last number on the block that in days gone by was known as Käki (Cuckoo).

Across the street and down a little is the Helsinki School Museum, sited in one of the best preserved local examples of the wooden houses that fulfilled much of the housing needs in the central areas of Helsinki up until the 1930s.

Like all blocks in the centre of town after the major fire in 1808 and the subsequent start of Russian rule, that one too was named, as Starling , and from there local residents would collect their supplies of liquid refreshment, beer from the Nya Aktie Brewery.

During the last centuries most of those wooden dwellings have been demolished, or as happened in many Finnish cities over those years they burned, but the provision of local refreshment continues.

Kostas Barbunakis started the Delicato in 2004 and since then he has concentrated on providing snacks, lunches and light refreshment from the premises, themselves a gracious building from 1860.

Modern customers are not exclusively diners, many take their fare to eat back at work in the variety of employment available still in the vicinity.

This was the café chosen

by Helsingin Sanomat a few years back as the best purveyor of a cup of coffee in town and Barbunakis works

hard to maintain standards of refreshment and service. Not only is there a full range of French bread sandwiches, ciabattas and a mean feta-salad, but also a choice selection of Mediterranean groceries.

This season these include organic Greek olive oil, various teas and herbs, Paskà coffee and for special customers honey from his home island of Lesbos, produced by bees feeding exclusively on thyme.

I didn’t get to taste that, but the feta-salad was a heap of finely sliced fresh vegetables dotted with creamy Greek cheese and served with ciabata bread. Scrumptious. To take home there is also a cold cabinet of various cuts, prosciutto and cheeses from around the Romance world.

Maybe romance will be to the fore when the anticipated developments in the dining area adjacent to the shop are completed. Currently the

Customers’ Comments Ingredients of a successful café Penni Parviainen of Artebia design and craft shop praises the atmosphere. “The mix of people here is as varied and rarefied as the artists who supply my shop. As colourful and demanding too.” Paul Williams from a neighbouring design shop – Aito – confirms Parvianen’s comment. “The best cup of cocoa this side of the Bramaputra, and I have sampled a few. And Kostas is the meanest dishwasher north of Thessalonica!” Photographer Tomas Whitehouse points out the warmth of the decor (including blowups from Keisarikunta, the music docudrama set in 1950s Kotka) – “very cosy.”

chairs shine with a translucent blue hue we know from the travel posters for the Med and the atmosphere is essentially southern, if the customers are absolutely cosmopolitan.

Barbunakis adds: “This isn’t a Greek café, more a place for all nationalities to drop by and pick up a snack, or pull up a chair for a longer break. We aim to serve something that will lift them out of the everyday routines – via their tastebuds.” Time to test yours maybe?

Gran Delicato Kalevankatu 34, Helsinki 09 694 0403 Opening hours Mon – Fri 08:00 – 20:00 Sat 10:00 – 18:00

TRIVENTO (RED): The varietal is Bonarda and, to be honest, I know very little about the grape. But the wine’s great. From the Mendoza region of Argentina, this red wine gives you a full-bodied taste with a great nose and spiky, fruity flavours.

Even the finish will not go away too soon and you will be left with spiciness and a good memory of not having spent too much on a wine that has not given you all it has promised.

Check out the price: 6.98 euros (Alko).

NERO COPERTINO RESERVA (RED): With a blend of four different grapes from Italy, you are bound to find something in here that you like, even if you’re not a connoisseur. And the blend is smooth and easy which is what we’re looking for, right? For a red wine, this one’s flowery, a term I would only use on a white. It’s got spice and just a hint of oakiness which complements that nearly full-bodied taste that you might be looking for. 7.98 euros (Alko).

VERSUS (RED): Now here’s something from South Africa that might titillate your taste buds. It has the blend of three different varietals, so-called ‘noble’ grapes i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and Shiraz thrown in between those two. Talk about value for money? This one is for sure. At 5.99 euros a bottle, it has backbone, with a fruit-forward taste, and so sluggable that it will make you come back for more. Try it with tomatoe pasta, blue cheese or just on its own. (Alko) TRAPICHE SAUVIGNON BLANC (WHITE): Now I know this article has been dominated by reds, but demand requires supply in these days of ours, so here is the best money can offer at Alko for those of us that like our wine a little bit blonder than red. Dry, grapefruit, not too acidic, refreshing wine that goes very well with spiced chicken and innovative salads. 7.40 euros (Alko).

KINGSTON SOFT PRESS CHARDONNAY COLOMBARD (WHITE): Ok, so I know that Chardonnay is not on most people’s ‘favorites list’ of the season, but this one comes with Colombard which adds acidity to the taste buds. Made from free-flowing juice (i.e. not pressed) and hardly ever seen the inside of an oak barrel, we can enjoy a light-hearted, conversational, easy drinking wine that pleasantly surprises with its tropical fruitiness. 6.76 euros (Alko).

SECOND HAND TREASURES for a better future

And so, as always, at the risk of sounding boring, TIPPLE WITH CARE! Happy New Year!

Available in Helsinki I Espoo I Joensuu I Jyväskylä I Järvenpää I Kerava I Kotka I Lahti I Mikkeli I Tampere I Turku I Vaasa I Vantaa and in many more places www.lahetystorit.fi

FIDA – MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE.

“From the wilds of Africa, via Australia, New Zealand, USA, Great Britain to Finland, I have learnt that whatever you like is right, at least as far as wine is concerned! So let’s stick our nose in the glass, get a good whiff of it, swirl it around in the mouth, slurp it and spit if you like, but put it where it belongs, in its place, without the snobbishness that so often goes with it!”

SIXDegrees

20

Issue 1 2009

Laura Närhi

electronic & organic

What in the World Column The bright side of recession Robin DeWan

Laura Närhi is the singer in one of Finland’s most popular bands. Having released four albums with Kemopetrol, she is currently working on her first solo album to be released later this year. We asked Laura for her views on the secrets of her success, the role of music in society, and whether Idols really is a good idea.

Nick Barlow

For our readers who aren’t familiar with the band, could you briefly summarise Kemopetrol’s sound and musical direction and influences?

Kemopetrol’s sound is a combination of electronic music and real instruments. Although we use a lot of computer programming in the studio, we are still a real band with real instruments. Our influences on the first two albums were mostly 90s trip-hop bands such as Massive Attack and Portishead.

The third album Play For Me has a softer and more organic sound to it. Teleport has a more ‘glittery’ 80s disco sound. The next album is going to be much darker and more electronic.

that I would feel comfortable writing in that language.

Does your solo music differ in style from the music you make with Kemopetrol? In general, who do you consider to be the most influential, musically speaking, for you?

It’s probably going to be much more mellow and organic.

The songs are based more on my vocals than for example beats and bass lines. I have taken influences from artists like Suzanne Vega, The Cardigans, Anna Järvinen, Emiliana Torrini and Dido.

Kemopetrol is one of Finland’s most successful bands, both amongst critics and the public. How do you account for your success?

This is a tough one! We were one of the first Finnish electronic bands that got airplay time on the radio. I guess our sound was something new and fresh at that time. And one thing I am especially proud of is that we’ve always tried to make good pop songs with strong melodies. That’s probably something the audience appreciates.

Your media image seems to be rather a ‘girl-next-door’ image. I hope I don’t offend you when I say that! Would you mind telling us a little about what you like to do outside the music industry?

No, I’m not at all offended!

Actually it’s probably one of the things that keeps me out of trouble with the press. I try to avoid going to these so-called celebrity parties and giving out meaningless interviews. I really don’t like being in the papers that much. And I guess I am a relatively “good girl”.

My hobbies include knitting (!), cooking and reading. I see my family every week, and I’m really close to my sisters and parents. Sounds a bit boring, doesn’t it?

In Kemopetrol you sing in English. Why did you choose this language instead of Finnish?

Our keyboard player Kalle Koivisto writes all our songs, both lyrics and melody. When growing up, he almost never listened to Finnish music, so he just naturally started to write songs in English.

So we never even discussed the possibility of singing in Finnish. On the other hand, my solo album is going to be in Finnish. I really enjoy singing in my native language for a change. It’s nice to not have to concentrate on the pronunciation. Also I’m writing some of the lyrics myself, and my English is not so good

Sounds quite normal rather than boring! As we all know, the world seems to be in a rather terrible situation at the moment, with financial crises, wars and so on.

Do you consider that your music has any particular role to play in the world when it comes to, for example, supporting certain political ideas or changing attitudes?

We are by no means a political band. Both Kemopetrol and I mostly sing about every day life, things like relationships and friendship. I think it’s great that some bands include politics in their lyrics, but that’s just not our thing. We’ve done some charity shows, like played in anti-drug events, and we

WITH all the grim talk of a looming recession circulating lately, it’s wise to take counsel from the folks at Monty Python and “always look on the bright side of life” (cue: whistle). Below you will find a mere smidgen of the positive knock-on effects that the economic downturn could bring.

THAT dream vacation abroad just got cheaper. Tour operators, hotels and airlines are going to be offering some big discounts to weather out these times. They desperately need you and your holiday to stay in business and are ready to take a hit to get you motivated.

GAS prices are falling. Oil prices have nose-dived since last summer. We all love a good road trip, don’t we? Plus, airlines can stop griping about their high fuel costs and maybe even start offering free drinks again… but unfortunately, probably not.

are happy to do more of them in the future. I think musicians can help raise money and awareness, but I think the most important thing music has to offer is making people happy, even if it is just for a couple of minutes. Pop music probably can’t save or change anybody’s life but at least it can bring great comfort to a lot of people.

Talking about superficial, TV shows like Pop Idol and Choir Wars are extremely popular.

As someone who started their music career the ‘traditional’ way, how do you feel about the success of these kinds of shows?

I try not to take these shows too seriously. I see them as entertainment. Most of the people who succeed in Pop Idol, for example, are really talented and have been practising their skills for many years.

It’s a tough business and you do not succeed without talent and hard work. Of course it may seem that they are getting a free ticket to fame and fortune, but they may also be forgotten pretty easily. So I really do not envy them.

HOME ownership, something many young people had all but given up on, is moving back into the realm of possibility. The way real estate prices skyrocketed during the first years of this decade was absolutely criminal. With prices on the housing market expected to decline along with interest rates, it might soon be a ripe time to take out a mortgage. Of course, a lifetime of monthly payments to the bank is never a godsend but it’s comforting that at least such an option is coming back onto the table.

CULTURE thrives on recession. Sure, government grants for the arts might fall off a bit, and artists may have to scour pawn shops for the new equipment they need, but culture – especially music – has had an uncanny ability to blossom when money is tight. Look at the mid-70s, which ushered in Punk, and the early-90s which saw Grunge and Rave take off. Both were times of global recession. The early 90s put a smiley-face out there and got the youth to say “never mind”. Originality in music has been scarce these past 16 years. Isn’t it about time for something fresh to happen?

AND one final thought to ponder: it is “growth” that drives economies and it is “growth” that depletes our planet’s resources. Either we cut down on this mad dash for more, more, more in the ways that we are operating, or we will end up with an environmental catastrophe. We can’t have our cake and eat it too.

SO between now and when the excrement really hits the fan, expect the clever lads running the show to come up with more creative financial measures to stave off an economic meltdown. Just don’t forget to whistle a tune and prepare for more fun and adventure… or what?

Robin DeWan is a musician, writer and conceptual artist living on Suomenlinna. He holds a degree in literature from the University of California.

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info Birthdate and place Place of residence Education Family

19.01.1978 Kirkkonummi Helsinki Undergraduate Mom, dad, stepmom, stepdad, 2 sisters, 1 brother As a child I wanted to be... a nanny or Miss Finland.

I love... cooking with my friends.

I hope that... I will finally finish my album in a few months.

In one year’s time I... will be finished with the solo album and can concentrate on the band again.

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Cultitude

21

Issue 1 2009

Coffee time in Helsinki

Dysfunctionally yours Anthony Shaw

ONE THING you must handle, apart from the often-wild music in this place, is the name – sometimes translated as Cardiac Dysfunction (or Arrythmia) Club. It’s held through the spring every Wednesday evening in Juttutupa bar at the back of Hakaniemi, but you need to spell the name right to find any information on the net!

The club has been going for nearly 10 years and specialises in music of the challenging variety – mainly jazz with a modern edge, and often a sharp one. YLE jazz journalist Markus Partanen runs the show, booking the hottest young musicians on the Helsinki scene, as well as a number of touring international artists. On 4 February it’s the piano-led K Trio from Iceland, and on 11 February hot (or possibly cold) from the Ylläs Jazz-Blues Festival, the Afro-French trio Savadu.

The place gets pretty full before showtime at 21:00, but it’s a big bar with plenty of space for sitting, eating in the back room, or just hanging out. This is rather rarified fare, but well worth testing. And entry is free.

Ravintola Juttutupa Säästöpankinranta 6, Helsinki www.juttutupa.com www.myspace.com/rytmihairioklubi

Carina Johansson

SKIP the beaten chaincafé track and luxury street premises in Helsinki and try these cafés: great atmosphere, the smell and taste of home made buns as well as good coffee guaranteed. Ask for the specialties of each place. And what better time to explore than the hereby proclaimed Month of Pastry, February?

Starting with Pastry of Runeberg - a delicious creation of almond and a dollop of jelly to celebrate the national poet and his favourite cake. Come the end of February, indulge in Laskiaispulla (Buns of Lent); a bun with the top cut off and filled with whipped cream and marzipan or strawberry jam.

And many of the cafés will also commemorate Valentine´s Day in their own sweet way.

Enjoy!

The Hakaniemi Kauppahalli indoors bazaar in itself, as well as the outside market square, are both absolute musts in Helsinki. Needing a rest from all the marvelling and craving a real coffee treat, you’ll find one of the most sympathetic coffee places Helsinki has to offer on the second floor of the bazaar. Sit at the regular table of President Tarja Halonen and watch the world go by.

Café Regatta is a tiny little café with enormous atmosphere situated near the Sibelius monument, by the sea front.

The staff are friendly and it’s always busy. The little house is

over 100 years old and served earlier as a shed for fishermen.

Nowadays it’s warm, cosy and crowded with decorations such as music instruments, antique café equipment, pictures and photos. For every refill of coffee you get five cents back. The outside area is also open during the wintertime, so wrap yourself in a warm blanket and sip your coffee, or grill a sausage over an open wood fire. You’ll need cash though – cards are not accepted.

Café Senaatti is an openspaced, cosy café on the second floor of Kiseleff House

by Senate Square, opposite the Cathedral. The building dates back to the 18th century and today houses a small shopping centre for Finnish souvenirs.

Lunch soups are served weekdays from 11 to 14. Wlan is available, and in a corner the café provides access to an internet point for a small fee.

Hakaniemen Kauppahalli, 2nd floor Open weekdays 08:00 17:30, Saturdays 08:00 -15:30. Sundays closed.

Café Regatta, Merikannontie 10 Open daily from around 10:00 till late in the evening.

Café Senaatti Open weekdays 10:00 -18:00 Saturdays 10:00 – 16:00 Runeberg’s Day 5 February Valentine’s Day 14 February Laskiainen 22 & 24 February

Weddings,

IS IT NOT well known that many women were once so keen on banishing marriage from their lives and defending their right to a life without men, without family, and for career above all? Maybe today’s marriage fever is driven less by a reappraisal of matrimony for its own sake,

but by the wedding industry, which organises dreams into carefully packaged portfolios, filled with photographs of well-known, smiling people where the only variety is in the brand of the bridal gown. Virginia Woolf once wrote that “a woman must have money and a room of her own,” but that does not seem to carry much relevance

Yasmine Zein

THE INTERNATIONAL community in Finland has proven its musical abilities. Caisa (International Cultural Centre in Helsinki) is about to host its third annual Ourvision singing contest.

This year’s competition is bigger than ever. All money prizes have been raised. The first place winner’s award has been increased from 2,500 to 7,000 euros, and that’s just a side dish to be enjoyed with a recording contract. The location has also been extended to three venues: the try-outs are held at Caisa, the semi-finals at Savoy theatre and the finale at Finlandia hall.

A further addition is that all contestants will receive guidance at every stage of the contest. The instructors are well known professionals such as Marco Bjurströmand Johanna Virtanen.

Last year’s winner was Iolanta Savva from Moldova, who moved to Finland less than four years ago. “Ourvision gave me self-confidence and an opportunity to show my worth as well as my vocal abilities,” she says. “The atmosphere in the contest was brilliant.”

Tryouts will be held according to continent starting with Afrovision on 30 January 2009, 19:00 at Caisa Mikonkatu 17 in Helsinki. www.ourvision.fi

vows and dreams by Hollywood

Luciana Ferreira

A vision to sing

when it comes to the success of Hollywood in 2008 with movies such as Sex and The City, 27 Dresses, Made of Honor and Mamma Mia! If we look closer, there is a slight difference in the approach. Nowadays, it is not only virginal young maidens in the waiting line who get to wear the princess’s white gown, but also career women willing to stand up for their dream of walking up to the priest and declaring “I do” to their beloved. Hollywood offers a romantic vision of bridal bliss which seems to be oh so tempting to the modern woman.

In planning the wedding, from the selection of a gown to the subsequent party, everything is presented as incredibly luxurious, dreamy, enchanting, or even – dare one say it – somewhat surreal. Unfortunately, this surreality is presented as entirely attainable in some of

the movies mentioned above.

If the movies would come a little bit closer to ordinary life, though, it might be that the new generation would have to adapt to the financial situation in which Hollywood “brides” find themselves. But is a wedding fever really on the rise among those of us who have planned our lives without ever glancing at the bridal gowns featured in fashion magazines?

Even though trends may come and may go, Hollywood still brings shining, sparkling stars to our lives in times of financial crisis. Don’t fret, brides-to-be, just pay attention to the budget and you can still have the wedding of your dreams!

Wedding Expo 7 to 8 February in Tampere Hall Yliopistonkatu 55, Tampere 10:00–17:00 Entrance 10 www.tampereenhaamessut.com

Stand up and riot Nicholas Whitehouse

COMEDY Club Laugh Riot touts itself as the one and only comedy club in Finland that regularly features Englishspeaking acts from around the world. Pundits are assured that only the undisputedly best venues are chosen such as the Helsinki Hall of Culture Omid Djalili rocks the Helsinki and the Peacock Theatre. house of culture in February Maybe that’s why Laugh Riot has presented live acts which not only include Finland’s most riotous performers, but also a very exclusive list of overseas special guest stars. Topping the bill in February and March through April will be California-based comedian and vocal impressionist Pablo Francisco as well as one of Britain’s hottest comedians, Omid Djalili at the Helsinki Hall of Culture on 28 February 2009.

Francisco cut-his-teeth on MADtv and has even featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and is widely recognised for his vocal impressions of famous people like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Whereas Djalili hit out with memorable sketches such as the (now quite topical) “The Arab and the Jew”. Since then, Djalili has gone on to perform his talents worldwide and even made appearances in famous films such as The Mummy and Gladiator.

The organisers of these events say they take pride in what they do and have a track record to prove it. Added to that, organisers believe that their cooperation with the Swedish Absimilis Entertainment company should help to keep that list growing all the time. www.laughriot.fi

22

TVGuide

Previews

Issue 1 2009 FS-Film Sean Penn lends his face to civil rights fighter Harvey Milk.

By Ville Ukkola

What to watch this month

Sunday 1 February Shadows in Paradise – Hitler’s Exiles in Hollywood Yle Teema at 20:55 Adolf Hitler’s meteoric rise to power sent many members, some estimate around 30 000, of the German intelligentsia packing with quite a few of them ending up in sunny Southern California, more specifically Hollywood. Among them were legends such as Fritz Lang and Thomas Mann.

Movie premieres Compiled by Kati Hurme

Milk

Gomorrah

SEAN PENN plays Harvey Milk, who leaves a secretive life style and well paid job in Wall Street to come out of the closet and move to the colorful Castro district in San Francisco with his long-time companion Scott. Milk opens a small shop that soon becomes a haven for people who feel like they can’t gather anywhere else. Milk starts to promote these people’s rights and eventually he becomes the first openly gay politician in the US and an advocate for the repressed and the silenced.

Director Gus Van Sant’s (Elephant, Paranoid Park) film is based on a touching and inspiring true story of Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978. The film captures the spirit of the 1970s and brings alive one of the most important human rights battles of the 20th century.

Premiere 6 February.

MATTEO CARRONE’s film is based on Roberto Saviano’s best selling documentary novel about the organised crime syndicate Camorra in the city of Naples, Italy. In the spirit of neo-realism, the film takes us to the mean streets and dark backrooms of a city that has already lost the battle against crime. Amateur actors and an episodic structure are bound to destroy the romanticised image of the mafia portrayed in Hollywood films.

The film has already won several prizes and is predicted to be a strong competitor for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film this year, but it has also gained a great deal of publicity because some of the actors have been imprisoned due to their connections to the mafia, while the author, Saviano, lives under a constant death threat. The dialogue is in Italian.

Premiere 20 February.

Degree Programme in Business Management Bachelor of Business Administration Laurea Leppävaara and Otaniemi

90 ECTS credits / 2,5 years Application period 14 Apr – 30 Apr 2009

Monday 16 February Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang Sub at 21:00 Petty criminal Harry Lockhart,

played by Robert Downey Jr., flees the police to Los Angeles, where he takes up the guise of an actor looking for work. He ends up at an audition and gets acquainted with a private investigator, who gets him mixed up with a real murder investigation. This movie really takes off when an aspiring actress is thrown into the mix.

Wednesday 18 February Three Kings Sub at 21:00 Three soldiers search for a hidden treasure during the closing days of the Gulf War. During their odyssey they come face to face with the consequences of international politics as they meet Shi’ite rebels abandoned to the mercy of Saddam Hussein by the Coalition forces.

(CERT15) Saturday 21 February The Life of David Gale Nelonen at 21:00 Kevin Spacey plays a successful professor accused of a sex crime and Kate Winslet the ruthless reporter, Bitsey Bloom, who comes to his aid. As Bitsey delves into the case, she quickly turns from a bystander into a participant.

Nothing is as it appears to be in this movie. (CERT 15) Wednesday 25 February Last Days of Disco Sub at 21:00 Alice (Chloë Sevigny) and Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) try to find love as the era of disco slowly winds down. This film is all about sex, drugs, alcohol and general allround decadence and captures the early 1980s beautifully. If you liked Studio 54, you will not want to miss this.

TV column

Degree Programme in Business Information Technology Bachelor of Business Administration Laurea Leppävaara

Master’s Programmes

Saturday 14 February Spun Nelonen at 00:55 Jonas Åkerlund’s (who has directed videos for Madonna, Robbie Williams and Metallica) first movie is about the life of young drug addicts. Mickey Rourke plays a chemist who manufactures drugs from prescription medicine and John Leguizamo pulls off a stellar performance as a dealer.

(CERT 18)

Friday 6 February The Fearless Vampire Killers Yle Teema at 22:15 Horror comedy about hunting vampires set in the wintery Transsilvanian mountains. Directed by the legendary Roman Polanski in 1967 and starring his future wife

210 ECTS credits / 3,5 years Application period 12 Jan – 13 Feb 2009

Degree Programme in Tourism Bachelor of Hospitality Management Laurea Kerava

Friday 13 February Cold Creek Manor Nelonen at 21:00 Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone play a couple with two children, who leave the hustle and bustle of the Big City behind them and start a new life in the manor of their dreams. Unfortunately, their manor holds certain dark secrets, which turn their life upside down.

(CERT 15)

Thursday 5 February Deathlands MTV3 at 23:30 It’s the year 2014 and the United States of America has been ravaged by nuclear war. The reign of Ryan Cawdor’s father is brought to an abrupt end when his wife and Ryan’s nefarious brother murder him. 20 years after the murder, Ryan returns to set things straight.

(CERT15)

Bachelor’s Programmes

Degree Programme in Social Services Bachelor of Social Services Laurea Otaniemi

Monday 9 February Johnny English Sub at 21:00 Johnny English, played by the hilarious Rowan Atkinson, is a secret agent who has to save England from the clutches of a megalomaniac French tycoon, Pascal Sauvage (John Malkovich).

Although aided by a competent sidekick and beautiful spy, Johnny English goes from blunder to blunder.

Monday 2 February Bourne Supremacy SUB at 21:00 Having watched James Bond go from very old and not very funny to just sad and finally simply not up to par in the 1980s and 90s, audiences had almost given up hope as far as Action Heroes were concerned. Then came Jason Bourne, who in the second Bourne movie is forced out of retirement.

(CERT 15)

Degree Programmes in English 2009

Degree Programme in Nursing Bachelor of Health Care Laurea Otaniemi

Sharon Tate, who is best known as one of the Manson family victims.

(CERT 15)

Premium public service Matti Koskinen

EVERYONE loves HBO! Over the past decade or so that fabulous

little cable network has turned American television drama from force-fed evening-fillers to praiseworthy quality entertainment. Free from pandering to advertisers and the morality standards that burden major broadcasters, HBO shows tend to be more edgy, creative and challenging than most commercial programming.

Don’t believe the hype?

Finland’s national public broadcaster YLE does. In fact, they felt HBO productions should be part of the public service, without pesky commercial breaks! YLE kindly committed to a three-year contract to buy all new HBO series, miniseries and TV

movies. Such an investment in quality is a credit to the nation’s public enlightenment agenda.

Unlike poor Americans, no Finn is left a philistine for lack of premium cable.

Accordingly, throughout last fall YLE rolled out new HBO series and reruns, with one notable absence: visionary crime drama The Wire. Buried in an after-midnight slot by Sub despite profuse praise from critics and viewers, The Wire’s take on drugs and thugs in Baltimore deserves much better. So wake up YLE, you’re sitting on the best damn cop show ever!

The Wire on Sub, Wed 00:55

What to play this month

Degree Programme in Service Innovation and Design Master of Business Administration Laurea Leppävaara

Tomb Raider:

Prince of Persia

Degree Programme in Health Promotion Master of Health Care / Social Services / Physiotherapy Laurea Otaniemi

Underworld

(PC, PS3, 360)

(PC. PS3, 360, Wii) Nick Barlow

Studies will start August 2009.

More information: admissions@laurea.fi

Laurea – Prime Mover

www.laurea.fi

LARA has returned for her umpteenth adventure exploring exotic locations, unearthing bizarre conspiracies and discovering long-lost treasure. As far as Tomb Raider games are concerned this is better than the last couple of installments, and it certainly boasts impressive graphics and convoluted puzzles. On the minus side, however, there’s not really anything that different from earlier escapades apart from some new moves and minor gameplay changes, so this is unlikely to convert you to the series if you’ve previously been unimpressed. 7/10

Nick Barlow

THE SECOND long-running game franchise this month, and while he’s been away the Prince has acquired a whole new look. Now boasting a very cool comic-book style of graphics, the locations are ingenious and the controls are easy to master. Even better, it’s now impossible to die in the game, which at first sounds like a cop-out but is actually a great tool to keep the adventure going. It’s certainly refreshing when developers realise gaming doesn’t have to be an exercise in frustration, and make a game that’s accessible right off the bat. 8.5/10

Previews

23

Issue 1 2009

New on CD Pintandwefall: Hong Kong, Baby

What to READ

New on DVD Eagle vs. Shark

Bruce Lee – Fighting Spirit

by Bruce Thomas. Sidgwick & Jackson, updated edition 2008.

Kati Hurme Matti Koskinen

AS THE STORY goes, the four girls who make up Pintandwefall picked up instruments and started the band mainly just to have fun. A big part of the fun seems to have been developing a detailed concept and aesthetic. The result comes across as a homespun amalgamation of girl groups from the Spice Girls to the Donnas, an unapologetic celebration of being young, female and anything but coy.

Accordingly, the band’s second album Hong Kong, Baby delivers a handful of stylistically diverse rock tracks. The Pints’ enthusiasm is dangerously contagious here and it’s all too easy to go along with the pure silliness. There’s something charming in the balance of endearing naïveté and raucous delinquency in songs about octopi, zombies, breakups and the infinite difficulty of deciding what to wear.

JARROD (Jemaine Clement, TV’s Flight of the Conchords) and Lily (delicate Loren Horsley) form the main couple in this romantic New Zealand version of Dumb and Dumber. Lily is as sweet as she is dorky and has a huge crush on Jarrod, who is an arrogant looser, obsessed with a bizarre vengeance plan. Their romance is unlikely and full of obstacles, but in the end it’s also a hearty lesson in acceptance.

Director Taika Waititi’s indiesque film is a controversial collection of quirky characters and borderline obscene scenes, which are likely to make you either roll on the floor with laughter or just wonder why such a film was made in the first place. For me personally, it was the former, and if you liked films by Farrelly brothers and Judd Apatow, you are likely to agree.

Janna: The Makings of Me

Prison Break: Season 3

Matti Koskinen

Laura Seppälä

SINGER-SONGWRITER Janna returns with more chartfriendly modern soul. Like her début album Right Now, the forces at work behind The Makings of Me include Finnish top tier pop sages, with the dark-eyed songstress herself handling much of the song writing duties. She packs ample variety in modernised takes on 60s and 70s soul, moody ballads and contemporary soul-blended pop.

There’s plenty of warmth and passion in Janna’s lyrics and soulful vocals. It’s a cool and composed record, only inches away from the numb sleekness that characterises too many “nu-soul” offerings. But the production has enough muscle and fat to lend a touch of true grit to even some of the more polished tracks. Funky opener Go Go Get Gone is a good example.

Like many of her peers, Janna could do with a little less sucking up to the adult contemporary crowd, but overall the scales tip firmly over to the positive.

She’s no pop-princess and not quite the soul sister either, but she seems to occupy the in-between quite comfortably.

Matti Koskinen

BRUCE LEE is one of the few people who deserve to be called legends. A layer of folklore surrounds the life of this ultimate action hero and master of the “Chinese hard man” schtick. Emphatically a story of Bruce Lee, martial artist, this account recycles the myths into an exciting, if superficial, warrior’s tale.

The book follows Lee’s lifelong development as a fighter, his obsession with pushing the limits of human ability and, of course, his rise from an engineering student to the highest-paid Chinese film star in the world and an icon of a nation’s self-esteem. Along the way some familiar and lesser-known facets of the man emerge: street fighter, show-off, hothead, practical jokester and more.

The latter part of the book is rich in anecdotes about the making of 1970s Hong Kong films. But author Thomas is not a film scholar, and some off-colour remarks betray his limited knowledge of Chinese cinema. However, as a martial arts saga the book is highly entertaining and well worth the casual kung-fu fan’s attention.

The Fame Formula

THE CENTRAL premise of the popular series Prison Break is simple: Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) infiltrates the Fox River prison in a bid to help his brother Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), wrongfully imprisoned, to make an escape. In the third season, Scofield has himself ended up behind bars in the Panama jail Sona, from which nobody has apparently got out alive.

The show’s characteristically inconceivable and implausible plot twists leave their mark on this season, too.

One curiosity is that Sarah Wayne Callies, who played Scofield’s beloved Sara, refused to take part in this season. The writers were forced to devise a way to write her out of the plot without having her feature in a single episode. The result is a somewhat grotesque fate as you will see.

As a result of the scriptwriters’ strike which hit Hollywood at the time, the third season only contains 13 episodes. There is nevertheless around an hour’s worth of extra footage, but unfortunately the bulk of this made up of brief and superficial interviews with the actors and directors.

by Mark Borkowski. Sidgwick & Jackson, 2008.

Matti Koskinen

WHEN ONE of the world’s leading press agents promises to tell all about the history and practice of the publicity racket, you had better keep a grain of salt in hand. Having said that, it is clear where Mark Borkowski’s talent lies. The man can concoct a tale so astounding and so utterly gripping as to defy all credibility, and yet retain the reader’s full faith in his every word.

From P.T. Barnum to silent era Hollywood and on to the blockbuster age, Borkowski details the people and practices that have manipulated the media and the public view. For added entertainment value, he stuffs each page with a volley of peculiar incidents, and the lies and liers behind them. True or not, the fantastic stories in this book are certainly a joy to read, though liable to make you cynical of anything you think you know about celebrities.

International Business Program Helsinki Business College offers an International Vocational Business Program, which is taught entirely in English language. This program is for students with upper-secondary certificate (matriculation exam) and leads to the Vocational Qualification in Business and Administration.

For further information, please visit our website www.businesscollege.fi or contact the Program Manager Ali Daher at +358 207 511 758 or ali.daher@hbc.fi.

Application period 19 January - 6 March 2009 Entrance examination 7 or 8 April 2009 Starting date in August 2009

Out&See Helsinki

24

where to go what to see Music_Clubs Sat 31 Jan & Wed 4 Feb The Talking Drum The new opera production takes children on a musical journey around the world.

Finnish National Opera Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €9/7 www.operafin.fi 09 403021 Sun 1 Feb Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning country musician.

Old Student House, 19:00 Mannerheimintie 3 Tickets €49.50/45.50 www.juhlaravintolat.fi 09 13114372

Janna

22 Pistepirkko

Thu 5 Feb Sébastien Tellier (FRA) France’s former Eurovision representative charms with his electro pop music.

Tavastia Club, 20:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets €14/12.50 www.tavastiaklubi.fi 09 77467423 Fri 6 Feb Cinta Hermo This Spanish-born flamenco singer and songwriter is an expert on world music and improvisation.

Korjaamo Culture Factory, 20:00 Töölönkatu 51 A Tickets €12 www.korjaamo.fi 0207417000 Sat 7 Feb Reggae Snowsplash Lots of reggae-oriented music performances at Tavastia and Semifinal.

Tavastia Club & Semifinal, 21:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets €15 www.tavastiaklubi.fi 09 77467423

Tickets €17/15.50 www.tavastiaklubi.fi 09 77467423

Fri 13 Feb Janna Club Wahoo presents the talented Finnish soul singer Janna.

Kuudes linja, 22:00 Kaikukatu 4 Tickets €9 www.kuudeslinja.com

Sat 21 Feb Frida Hyvönen (SWE) Breathtakingly beautiful music by the Swedish singersongwriter Frida Hyvönen.

Korjaamo Culture Factory, 20:00 Töölönkatu 51 A Tickets €20/15 www.korjaamo.fi 020 7417000

Fri 13 to Sat 14 Feb Finnish Metal Expo The live performances will be provided by the international names such as Andre Matos, Misery Index, Grand Magus and Legion of the Damned. Finnish prowess is well represented by the likes of Ancara, Before the Dawn, Ensiferum, Grendel, Medeia and Profane Omen.

Various locations Tickets €25-45 www.fme.fi

Wed 4 Feb Lucky Dragons (USA) Islaja will be supporting the experimental music group Lucky Dragons.

Semifinal, 20:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 6 Tickets €13 www.semifinal.fi Thu 5 Feb Middle of the Winter Music Chamber music group Via Regale and musicians from the Accademia dell´arco orchestra of the Academy of Music in Bydgoszcz.

Stoa Cultural Centre of Eastern Helsinki, 18:00 Turunlinnantie 1 Tickets €15/10 www.stoa.fi 09 31088405

Tickets €20/13/6 www.hel.fi/filharmonia 09 4024211

Fri 13 Feb 22-Pistepirkko, Joensuu 1685 Two atmospheric rock trios.

Virgin Oil Co., 22:00 Mannerheimintie 5 Tickets €10 www.virginoil.fi 010 7664000

Anna Karenina

Sat 14 Feb James Blunt (UK) The popular British musician James Blunt plays acoustic guitar pop.

Hartwall Arena, 20:00 Areenankuja 1 Tickets €50/46 www.hartwall-areena.com 02041997 Sat 14 Feb History Of Violence & Check The Rhyme A hip hop evening with Jedi Mind Tricks, The Beatnuts, Jeru The Damaja, Lords Of The Underground, Mic Geronimo, Alkaholiks and Paris.

Helsinki Hall of Culture, 18:00 Sturenkatu 4 Tickets €48 www.kulttuuritalo.fi 09 77402744 Sun 15 Feb The Gaslight Anthem The Gaslight Anthem is a rock band that mixes punk and folk sounds.

Tavastia Club, 20:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets €17/15.50 www.tavastiaklubi.fi 09 77467423

Sanna Kekäläinen

Mon 16 Feb Terhi Kokkonen and Joel Melasniemi Stripped-down versions of Scandinavian Music Group’s production.

Kom Theatre, 20:00 Kapteeninkatu 26 Tickets €12 www.kom-teatteri.fi 09 6841841

Mon 9 Feb Ladies First The concert is a tribute to female composers across time.

Sibelius Academy’s Wegelius Hall, 19:00 Töölönkatu 28 Free entrance www.siba.fi 020 75390

Wed 18 Feb Emma Salokoski Ensemble This impressive band concentrates mainly on bossa nova standards and Brazilian music.

Alexander Theatre, Bulevardi 23-27 Tickets €25 www.aleksanterinteatteri.fi 09 676980

Tue 10 Feb Jim Campilongo (USA) A guitarist from New York.

Malmitalo, 19:00 Ala-Malmin tori 1 Tickets €12 www.malmitalo.fi 09 31012000

Fri 20 Feb The Boundless Jazz Festival Finnish-Russian guest stars play energetic and delicate music as well as magical improvisations.

Vuosaari House, 19:00 Mosaiikkitori 2 Tickets €10/8 www.vuotalo.fi

Marita Liulia

Wed 11 Feb The Great Helsinki Swing Big Band Swing Concert featuring vocalist Annimaria Rinne and trumpetist Mika Mylläri.

Malmitalo, 19:00 Ala-Malmin tori 1 Tickets €12 www.malmitalo.fi 09 31012000 Thu 12 Feb Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra Compositions of Wuorinen and Feldman with Dmitri Slobodeniouk as the conductor and Petra Hoffmann as the soloist.

Finlandia Hall, 19:00 Mannerheimintie 13 E

Head First

Issue 1 2009

By MIISSA RANTANEN

THIS

MONTH’S PICK Nadia Lauro

Sun 22 Feb Kamus Quartet The string quartet will play works of Mozart, Wennäkoski and Schumann.

House of Nobility, 18:00 Ritarikatu 1 Tickets €20/18/15 www.uusihelsinki.fi 040 5545400 Sun 22 Feb The Gypsy Queens and Kings (RO) The heroes of Gypsy brass music.

Finlandia Hall, 20:00 Mannerheimintie 13 E Tickets €48/45 www.finlandiatalo.fi 09 4024211 Mon 23 Feb Frio An original mixture of folk, jazz and contemporary music.

Malmitalo, 19:00 Ala-Malmin tori 1 Tickets €6 www.malmitalo.fi 09 31012000 Thu 26 Feb Bloc Party (UK) The acclaimed and energetic indie rock band will visit Finland.

The Helsinki Ice Hall Nordenskiöldinkatu 11-13 Tickets €44 www.helsinginjaahalli.fi 09 4777110 Thu 26 Feb UMO & How Many Sisters The 20th anniversary show of the Finnish singing group How Many Sisters.

Korjaamo Culture Factory, 20:00 Töölönkatu 51 A Tickets €20/15 www.korjaamo.fi 020 7417000

Theatre_Dance 31 Jan & 4/6/711/13/14 Feb Visible Volumes A dance work choreographed

by Mikko Orpana.

Koko Theatre, 19:00 Unioninkatu 45 Tickets €20/12 www.kokoteatteri.fi 09 2784820 3/5/11/13/14 Feb Anna Karenina The ballet version of Tolstoy’s classic novel focuses on the fatal love triangle.

Finnish National Ballet Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €14-56 www.operafin.fi 09 40302211 4/5/6 Feb Fragments World-famous cult director Peter Brook’s visionary interpretation of Samuel Beckett’s plays.

Espoo Cultural Centre, 19:00 Kaupinkalliontie 10 Tickets €28/25/15 www.espoonteatteri.fi 09 4393388

Fri 20 & Wed 25 Feb The Merry Widow Lehár’s effervescent Merry Widow is one of the world’s best-loved operettas.

Finnish National Opera, 19:00 Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €14-56 www.operafin.fi 09 403021

7/10/11/12/14/21/24/25 Feb Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth Circus Helium Circus Helium is a oneman performance that is as light as helium.

Cable Factory Tallberginkatu 1 A/117 Tickets €10 www.hurjaruuth.fi 09 5657250

Sat 21 Feb Dungen (SWE) Psychedelic folk rock band from Sweden which has achieved fame all over the world.

Tavastia Club, 20:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6

Thu 12 & Fri 13 Feb Nordic Flamenco Scandinavian performers at Festival Flamenco de Helsinki.

Gloria Cultural Arena Pieni Roobertinkatu 12 Tickets €18/15

Latifa Laâbissi’s dance work Self Portrait Camouflage deals with colonialism.

Side Step Festival SIDE STEP is a festival of contemporary dance that has throughout its history aimed at bringing out different currents in dance thinking. The seventh Side Step Festival at Cable Factory examines various perspectives on dance and the possibilities of dance artists in today’s society.

The festival’s programme includes an astonishing work by renowned French choreographer Boris Charmatz, a humorous performance by charming Dutch-Austrian duo Frans Poelstra and Robert Steijn, a politically oriented solo piece by French dancer-choreographer Latifa Laâbissi and Irish Daghdha Dance Company’s thrilling performance installation. The festival’s commission is a multifold event U. N. I. (You and I) which consists of performance events, discussions, lectures, a sleepover and a family brunch.

In addition to international and topical performances, participation is a significant theme that is emphasised at Side Step. Artist dialogues, seminars and discussions bring together people from various backgrounds, communities, and walks of life.

Fri 30 January to Sun 8 February Cable Factory Tallberginkatu 1 Tickets €5-40 www.sivuaskel.fi 09 6944948

malmitalo Tue 10.2. at 7 pm

12€

Jim Campilongo (USA)

Jazz, country and blues.

Jim Campilongo (USA) – guitar Tim Luntzel (USA) – bass Aarne Riikonen – drums Thu 12.2. at 7 pm

12€

Hot Wires

Instrumental rock from 60’s.

Nono Söderberg – guitar Tommi Lindell – keyboards Rudy Ryynänen – drums Veede Sinivaara – bass Juki Välipakka – guitar and voc.

Wed 11.3. at 7 pm

10€

Ari Hoenig Quartet (USA)

Jazz Band from New York: Ari Hoenig – drums Jonathan Kreisberg – guitar Danton Boller – bass Will Vinson – saxophone Malmitalo box office tel. (09) 310 12000 and Lippupalvelu Malmitalo Ala-Malmin tori 1 Helsinki

www.malmitalo.fi

Out&See Helsinki

25

Issue 1 2009

www.flamenco.fi 040 7163134 18/20/21/22 Feb Ball of Witnesses Ball of Witnesses is a participatory performance in which all participants are also performers.

Zodiak Tallberginkatu 1 Wed, Fri, Sat 19:00 Sun 15:00 Tickets €17/10 www.zodiak.fi 09 6944948

Korkeavuorenkatu 23 CLASSIFIEDS & SERVICES Tue 11:00–20:00

www.mfa.fi 09 85675100

Until Mon 2 Mar Mikael Pohjola Works The exhibition includes three large sculptures as well as paintings and drawings.

Amos Anderson Art Museum Yrjönkatu 27 Mon, Thu, Fri 10:00–18:00 Wed 10:00–20:00 Sat - Sun 11:00–17:00 Tickets €8/6/4 www.amosanderson.fi 09 68444634 Uushammas tel. 146 1460

Dental care centre

Wed - Sun 11:00–18:00 Tickets €7/6/3/0 www.designmuseo.fi 09 6220540

competition.

22 – 28 Korkeasaari Zoo Mustikkamaanpolku 12 Mon - Sun 10:00–16:00 Tickets €7-12 www.korkeasaari.fi/artmeetsice 09 31037900

Finland info

Until Sun 24 May 29 January – 4 February 2009 Tensions of Space 5/12/19/26 Feb Mohamed Bourouissa’s, Sini Reading Course Pelkki’s, Carrie Schneider’s and The comics reading course is held Sauli Sirviö’s solo exhibitions. in English by Jelle Hugaerts.

The Finnish Museum of Photography Comics Centre, 17:00 Tallberginkatu 1 G Open Tue - Sun 11:00–18:00 Mon €6/4/0 - Fri 8-20 Tickets www.fmp.fi Sat 9 -15 09 68663622

Sat 21 Feb Eurohammas Hämeentie 60 Goldilocks and the Three Bears The prices of the special dental technician Dance Company performs Prosthesis Fri 3asFeb Sun were 19 Apr service.The OurAB dentist: Mikko Larjomaa. if thetoteeth your own (made with the best materials) a story about a curious little girl Marita Liulia IN THIS MONTH: Sports that secretly goes into the home Choosing My Religion .......................€52 of a bear family, tastes their MaritaprOSTHeSIS Liulia’s most Of recent THe full upper Or lOwer jaw......€360 .......................€52 food, and sits on their chair. multimedia project views the THe full Ofworld upper aNd lOwer €590 nd stains, Vuosaari House, 15:00 majorprOSTHeSIS religions of the Fri jaw....

6 to Sun 8 Feb .......................€52 THe full prOSTHeTIc lININg................................ ........€65 Mosaiikkitori 2 from multiple perspectives, Apassionata Horse Show ......................€150 Tickets €4 particularly the female one.

The show called Grand IN caSe Of eMergeNcy THe prOSTHeSIS www.vuotalo.fi Museum of Contemporary Voyage combines equestrian Surgery Tooth Jewels caN be IN 12 HOurS. e buses, 050 trams5598931 and the metro.

ArtMade Kiasma skills with traditional dances, h the wheelchair.

Mannerheiminaukio Lining2and fixing while waiting.costumes and music.

No discount of the special prices Sun 22 & Thu 26 Feb Tue 10:00–17:00 Hartwall Arena Sanna Kekäläinen Wed - Fri 10:00–20:30 Areenankuja 1 Happiness Sat - Sun 10:00–18:00 Fri 19:30 In her performance Sanna Tickets €7/5/0 Sat 13:00 & 18:00 Kekäläinen explores different www.kiasma.fi Sun 13:00 aspects of happiness.

09 17336501 Tickets €24-54 Kiasma Theatre, 19:00 www.hartwall-areena.com Mannerheiminaukio 2 Until Sun 19 Apr 02041997 www.kekalainencompany.net Rafael Wardi – The Soul of Colour 09 17336501 Rafael Wardi’s 80th birthday Others celebratory exhibition presents the artist’s work Exhibitions from the 1950s onwards.

The Didrichsen Art Museum Fri 30 Jan Kuusilahdenkuja 1 Comedy Club Laugh Riot Until Sun 8 Feb Tue 11:00–18:00 Matt Kirschen will perform in Young Croatian Art Scene Wed 11:00–20:00 English with Harri Lagström The first presentation of Croatian Thu - Sun 11:00–18:00 and Pekka Jalava. contemporary art in Finland.

Tickets €8/6/2 Studio Krunikka, 22:00 Muu Gallery www.didrichsenmuseum.fi Meritullinkatu 33 A Lönnrotinkatu 33 09 4778330 Tickets €20/12 Tue - Fri 12:00–17:00 www.studiokrunikka.fi Free entrance Fri 13 Feb to Sun 17 May 050 4065010 www.muu.fi Head First 09 625972 The exhibition explores design and 31 Jan & 1/7/8 Feb culture related to the human head.

Art Meets Ice Until Sun 8 Feb Design Museum of Finland International Ice Sculpture Jenni Hiltunen Make Your Own Paintings The exhibition by Jenni Hiltunen is a combination of paintings and video.

Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 Mon - Sun 11:00–17:00 Tickets €12 www.korjaamo.fi 0400 499396

24 h

Rebuilding - A Divorce Recovery Group How to deal with the grief, anger and other feelings caused by the end of a love-relationship?

Join the English language recovery group!

Ten meeting times on Tuesdays at 5.30-7pm Starting March 17th Further information: Tel. 09 4135 0534 sos-keskus@mielenterveysseura.fi

www.sos-keskus.fi

lee\im`e^ efn 8efk_\i k_`e^ @ c`b\# Xe[ Thu 5 to Fri 27 Feb N\ c`m\ Iles `e X _flj\ `e <j$ fli ]Xd`cp ]fccfnj# `j k_\ Zfe$ James New gff# Helsinki: n_`Z_ `j X Views Y`^ Z_Xe^\ Z\gk f] k_\ Èjldd\i ZfkkX^\É% A Welsh paintings ]fi lj X]k\i artist’s _Xm`e^ c`m\[ `e 8 _flj\ ]fi k_\ jldd\i Æ X of Helsinki landscapes.

XgXikd\ekj `e @e[`X# International Cultural J`e^X$ Centre CaisagcXZ\ kf ^\k Zcfj\ kf eXkli\% gfi\ Mikonkatu Xe[ ?fe^ N\ c`m\ Zcfj\ kf j\X Xe[ k_\i\ 17 CBfe^% 8e[ Mon - Fri 9:00–18:00 n_`c\ `kËj e`Z\ kf _Xm\ X YXZb$ `j X ]fi\jk X ]\n d\ki\j ]ifd entranced`jj _Xm`e^ pXi[# Free @ i\Xccp fli _flj\% @ ZXeËk `dX^`e\ www.caisa.fi ]i`\e[j Xe[ g\fgc\ c`m`e^ Xcc ^\kk`e^ Xep Zcfj\i kf eXkli\ 09 31037500 Xifle[ lj% F] Zflij\ j_fm\c$ k_Xe k_Xk% ;X[ `e`k`Xccp ]fle[ c`e^ jefn `e 1k_\ n`ek\i Xe[ lj X jldd\i ZfkkX^\ n`k_flk Until Sun March Thec\Xm\j Archives an Xlklde iXb`e^ `e ofk_\ \c\Zki`Z`kp Xe[ gcldY`e^ Æ Architect – Olli Kivinen `j efk jf ^i\Xk \`k_\i% ]fikleXk\cp dld glk _\i ]ffk Professor Olli Kivinen had a K_\ g\fgc\ career Xi\ jf remarkable as ahl`\k teacher, [fne Xe[ n\ `ejk\X[ ]fle[ Xe[ jf]kcp jgfb\e k_Xk use dld researcher and land planner. X ZfkkX^\ n`k_ X [`j_nXj_\i Museum of Finnish Architecture Xe[ nXj_`e^ dXZ_`e\% `j ]fi\m\i k\cc`e^ lj kf jg\Xb Kasarmikatu 24 jf]kcp% <m\e k_\ [f^j Xi\ hl`$ N\ _Xm\ Y\Zfd\ hl`k\ Tue & Thu - Fri 10:00–16:00 \k _\i\% K_\i\ `j X jXp`e^ k_Xk =`ee`j_ `e jfd\ nXpj Æ efn Wed 10:00–20:00 k_\ g\fgc\ _\i\ Xi\ Èj`c\ek `e n\ befn k_Xk Jle[Xpj Xi\ Sat - Sun 11:00–16:00 Tickets €3.50/1.70

Sun 8 Feb Helsinki Vintage A celebration of vintage culture.

White Hall, 11:00–18:00 Aleksanterinkatu 16-18 Tickets €9 www.helsinkivintage.fi

THIS

MONTH’S PICK D. R.

International Contemporary Ensemble will perform at Musica Nova Festival

Musica Nova Helsinki

MUSICA NOVA HELSINKI, Finland’s biggest contemporary music festival, strikes to the heart of Manhattan this year. The audience will be guided through the theme of the Big Apple by various distinctive music performances, interesting artists and urban compositions.

One of the top artists playing at Musica Nova is DJ Spooky from New York who is not only a conceptual artist, writer and musician but also a pioneer of DJ culture. Equally recognised is a leading representative of the young US pianist generation Marilyn Nonken who will hold a show at the festival too. Also, to name a few, the International Contemporary Ensemble from Iceland, Avanti!

Chamber Orchestra with its Andy Warhol inspired performance, and the famous saxophonist Billy Harper who draws on black spiritual music, are all guarantees of a diverse and high quality event.

Sat 7 to Sat 14 February Tickets 0-20 www.musicanova.fi 09 61265100

IEW

Finland

www.sarjakuvakeskus.fi

Sat 14 to Sun 22 Feb Linnanmäki Winter Festival The amusement park offers the possibility to try out various winter sports.

Linnanmäki Amusement Park Tivolikuja 1 Mon - Sun 10:00-18:00 Tickets €18/4/0 www.linnanmaki.fi 09 773991

Musica Nova and its vast musical programme will extend across Helsinki, and also into art galleries, and offer something for everyone. There will also be talks and meetings with the artists.

Until Sun 15 Feb G-60 Photographs, ceramics and sculptures made by Anna Hackman, Keita Ioka, Dan Palmgren and Mari Shiono.

Gallery Jangva Uudenmaankatu 4-6 ar-old Tue girl-in 6 at the International School FriGrade 11:00–19:00 SatLiving - Sun in 11:00–17:00 ssay on Finland as part of her entry for Free entrance EESA (Central and Eastern European Schools www.jangva.fi ebate Competition, in Budapest in 2008.

09 6123743 Until Sun 22 Mar Aletheia – Positions in Contemporary Photographies The exhibition concentrates on questions regarding photographicknf cXe^lX^\jÉ% K_Xk `j Y\$ practice and the photographic ZXlj\ dfjk g\fgc\ jg\Xb medium and their roles within Yfk_ =`ee`j_ Xe[ Jn\[`j_ contemporary culture. k_Xk n`k_ @e[`XËj ( Y`cc`fe$gclj Æ Xe[ \m\e <e^c`j_ XZklXc$ Meilahti Art Museum gfglcXk`fe Xe[ pfl n`cc Y\$ cp Æ p\k k_\p k\e[ kf lj\ Xep Tamminiementie 6 ^`e kf le[\ijkXe[ n_p @ Ôe[ `] k_\p ZXe _\cg `k% @ nfe[\i Tue - Sun 11:00–18:30 k_\ hl`\k lee\im`e^ Xk `] k_XkËj n_p Efb`X ZXd\ lg Ticketsm\ip ˇ7/5/0 www.hpf.fi k`d\j# Xe[ n_p @ Ôe[ ^f`e^ kf n`k_ `kj jcf^Xe f] ÈZfee\Zk$ 09 31087031 @e[`X ]fi k_\ _fc`[Xpj \hlXccp `e^ g\fgc\É%

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Kolmas linja 17 JANUARY 2009 Tickets €10

SAT 28.2.

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JARMO SAARI SOLU

BITTER SWEET

A one-man guitar band sounding like orchestra.

Jarmo Saari  guitar

An energetic power trio!

Tickets € 7/5

Reservations tel. (09) 310 12000 or www.lippupalvelu.fi

Max Tabell  keyboard Tomi Salesvuo  drums Timo Tolonen  bass Julia Eklund  vocals www.jarmosaarisolu.com www.bittersweet.fi

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Working in Finland?

To get earnings-linked benefits in case of unemployment in Finland, you need to be a member of an unemployment fund.

Kanneltalo, Klaneettitie 5 www.kanneltalo.fi

Out&See Tampere

26

where to go what to see

Music_Clubs Sun 1 Feb Satu Sopanen & The Tutti Orchestra A children’s concert held in the main auditorium of the Tampere Hall.

Tampere Hall, 15:00 Yliopistonkatu 55 Tickets €17/12 For tickets, see www.lippu.fi www.tampere-talo.fi Thu 5 Feb Metallifonia The duet Olli-Pekka Tuomisalo (saxophone) and Risto-Matti Marin (piano) play hard chamber music by such composers as Yngwie Malmsten, Led Zeppelin, Megadeath, Van Halen, Sergey Rahmaninov, Stone, Ludwig van Beethoven and Rammstein.

Tampere Hall, 15:00 Yliopistonkatu 55 Tickets €22/18 For tickets see www.lippu.fi www.tampere-talo.fi Sat 7 Feb Fest Afrika Winter Jam Musical guests all the way from Tanzania and dj’s GeorgeMTV, Nestar, Jahgun-Bongo and Altune bring some warm rhytms to the winter.

Klubi Tullikamarinaukio 2 Tickets €10 www.klubi.net Fri 13 Feb Dreamtale & Dominia (RUS) Yo-Talo Kauppakatu 10 Tickets €7/5 www.yo-talo.com Sat 15 Feb Pintandwefall The energetic girl band has just published their second album, Hong Kong Baby.

Yo-Talo Kauppakatu 10 Tickets €6 www.yo-talo.com

City of Tampere

by Jutta Vetter

Mon-Fri €20, Sat-Sun €50.

Lenin Museum, Mon-Fri 9―18, Sat-Sun 11―16 Hämeenpuisto 28 Tickets €5/2 03 276 8100

Sports Mon 2 Feb Ice hockey A national league game between Ilves (Tampere) and Pelicans (Lahti).

Hakametsä Ice Arena, 18:30 Keltinkatu 2 For tickets, see www.lippupalvelu. fi or call 0600 10 800 www.ilves.com www.pelicans.fi Tue 3 Feb Trotting races Trotting races at the Teivo track.

Teivo trotting track, 18:00 Free entrance For further details and exact location, see www.teivonravit.fi 03 315 481

Others Fri 6 Feb – Sat 14 Feb Russian Movies A series of Russian movies (with English subtitles) is shown at the Niagara Cinema: Vladimir Khotinenko’s “A Moslem – Musulmanin” (Fri 6 Feb at 16:30), Stanislav Mitin’s “Family Name – Dvojnaja Familija” (Sat 7 Feb at 14:00), Aleksandr Melnik’s “Terra Nova – Novaya Zemlya” (Fri 13 Feb at 16:30) and Aleksandr Sokurov’s “Aleksandra” (Sat 14 Feb at 14:00).

The age limit for all the movies is 18.

The Niagara Cinema Kehräsaari Tickets €3 03 223 4912 For more information and brief descriptions of the movies, see www.elokuvakeskus.com/niagara/

Tue 10 Feb Ice hockey A national league game between Tappara (Tampere) and HPK (Hämeenlinna).

Hakametsä Ice Arena, 18:30 Keltinkatu 2 For tickets, see www.lippupalvelu. fi or call 0600 10 800 www.tappara.fi www.hpk.fi Sun 15 Feb Volleyball A national league game between Isku-Volley (Tampere) and Piivolley (Salo).

Pyynikki Sports Drome, 17:00 Ammattikoulunkatu 20 Tickets €10/7/5 www.iskuvolley.com www.piivolley.fi

THIS

Pintandwefall

The event listings in the Out&See section 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.

MONTH’S PICK

Wed 18 Feb Napalm Death (UK) Klubi, 22:00 Tullikamarinaukio 2 Tickets €18 www.klubi.net Mon 16 Feb Opeth, Entombed (SWE) Giants of Swedish death metal arrive in Tampere.

Pakkahuone, 18:00 Tullikamarinaukio 2 Tickets €30 For tickets see www.lippupalvelu.fi No age limit www.klubi.net

Theatre_Dance 12/12/17/19 Feb Rafael Our childhood fantasies guide us on our adventure into adulthood.

When do we stop being children and become grown-ups? A beautiful and touching piece by Mari Rosendahl Dance Theatre MD Hämeenkatu 25 Tickets €14/10 www.tanssiteatterimd.fi

Wed 25 Feb Daytime dancing Daytime dancing to the music of Sinikka and her band at the Cultural Centre of the Old Customs Hall.

Tullikamari pakkahuone, 13:00―15:45 Tullikamarinaukio 2 Tickets €6 www.tullikamari.net

Exhibitions Every day Lenin Museum The museum is located in the hall where Lenin convened Russian revolutionaries in 1905 and 1906.

The museum displays material on Lenin and the history of the Russian revolution, as well as Lenin’s contacts with Finland. There are also changing exhibitions. Guided tours available by advance booking:

Immigrant advice service Cartoon character B.Virtanen being interviewed in the Tampere Book Fair 2008.

in languages starts 2 February 2009 at the municipal counselling information desk.

Address: Puutarhakatu 6.

Tel. 03 5656 6100 Email: info@tampereenkaupunki.com

Tampere Book Fair

Mon

11:30-13:30 13:30-15:30

English, Estonian, Russian Polish

The Tampere Book Fair is an event for the whole family and

Tue

12:30-14:30 14:30-15:30

Arabic, Kurdish English

Now anybody has the chance to literally come and read between the lines and see how books develop language, affect the readers’ imagination and provide unforgettable moments. Literature also provides elements and inspiration for other fields of culture, such as theatre, music and arts.

Wed

12:30-13:30 13:30-15:30

English Russian

Thu

11:00-13:00 13:30-15:30

Bulgarian, French, Spanish Persian, Kurdish

Fri

10:00-12:00 13:30-15:30

Dari, Pashto, Urdu, Hindi Somali

this is the seventh time the fair is being arranged. In previous years, the fair was known by the name “Henki ja Elämä” (Spirit and Life)

The Tampere Book Fair brings together Finnish authors, publishing professionals and book lovers of all ages. The whole weekend is dedicated to reading and writing, and to see all the newest trends on the Finnish book scene. One of this year’s main themes is also Finnish cartoons. The fair’s programme includes discussions, interviews with authors, theatre, music, games and plays. Most of the programme is in Finnish.

Sat 14 to Sun 15 February Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre Pirkkahalli, 10:00 -17:00 Ilmailunkatu 20 Tickets €12/8 www.tampereenkirjamessut.fi/kirjamessut/

At the information desk you can ask in your own language about any issue in every day life or about unclear documents. The counsellors can also help in filling different forms or for example book an appointment to a doctor by phone. All the counsellors give guidance also in Finnish.

Out&See Turku

Out&See Jyväskylä

where to go what to see By Sini-Tuulia Numminen

Music_Clubs Sat 31 Jan East Meets West Arvo Volmer, a conductor of the Estonia-theatre in Tallinn visits Turku with Boris Brovtsin, an awardwinning violist. The programme includes Brahms, Britten and Shostakovitsh’s Symphony 6.

Turku Concert Hall 19:00 Aninkaistenkatu 9 Tickets €19/15/7 www.tfo.fi Fri 7 Feb Astrid Swan Astrid Swan is a known and praised Finnish singer and a songwriter in the USA and Western Europe.

Pop music with experimental lyrics added to edgy, unexpected tunes.

Dynamo 22:30 Linnankatu 7 Tickets €4 www.dynamoklubi.com Wed 11 Feb Music and Poetry Evening Turku Global Theatre is a brand new theatre group operating in English and open for the international community. They meet every second Wednesday for music and poetry and are open to all nationalities and anyone interested.

Restaurant Koulu/History class Eerikinkatu 18 19:00–22:00 Free entrance 050 9264842 Tue 17 Feb Napalm Death (UK) & The Final Harvest A heavy evening in Klubi. The legendary hard core punk band Napalm Death from England warmed up by its Finnish cousin The Final Harvest.

Klubi 21:00 Humalistonkatu 8 Tickets €17 www.klubi.net Sat 21 Feb Poem and Rock The best of the performing poets and rockers on stage the same night in the legendary TVO club in a once a year happening. Featuring Marjo Isopahkala, Esa Hirvonen, Happea&Mysticaa and more.

TVO, 21:00 Rehtoripellonkatu 6 Tickets €4 www.myspace.com/runorock

Exhibitions Until Sun 1 Feb Once Upon a Time in Italy In her works, Anja Puntari focuses on the subject of immigration from the point of view of Italy. Whereas the Italians once immigrated to America en masse, now they are facing a massive flow of immigration into their own country.

Galleria Just Great Old Square 5 Tue - Fri 12:00–19:00 Sat - Sun 11:00–17:00 Free entrance 044 274 1178 Until Sun 15 Mar Children in the City What was it like to be a child 500 years ago? Did they have time for play, or did they have to work and help around the house? Exhibition about children’s everyday lives in medieval towns, and the clues we have used to recreate it.

Aboa Vetus Ars Nova Itäinen Rantakatu 4 Tue - Sun 11:00–19:00 Tickets €5.5-8 www.aboavetusarsnova.fi Until Sun 26 Apr Living National Costume The Estonian National Museum has produced a very colourful exhibition of Estonian national costumes used up till the 19th century, after which the use of colours has become more moderate.

Turku Castle Linnankatu 80 Tue10:00–18:00 Wed 10:00–20:00 Thu - Sun 10:00–18:00 Tickets €7.50/4.50 www.turku.fi/turunlinna

Sports Sun 8 Feb Women’s Self Defence Fighting for Lives is a charity organisation run by a group of people which specialises in martial arts seminars. A one-day self defence course for women is

THIS

where to go what to see

held in English. Learn effective self defence techniques and support children in need.

Turun Ju Jutsuseura Virusmäentie 65 N, 2nd floor 18:00-21:00 Ticket €10 http://www.fightingforlives.com/

Family Until Sat 28 Feb Beautiful Panama Little Bear and Little Tiger, characters created by beloved German author Janosch, leave their comfortable home behind to go in search of Panama, the land of their dreams, and end up in the most beautiful place in the world.

Turku City Theatre Itäinen Rantakatu 14 30/31 Jan, 5/6/7/12/14/ 18/19/26/27/28 Feb Tickets €11 www.teatteriturku.fi Sun 8 Feb to Sun 29 Mar My Favourite Toy An interactive performance for the youngest members of the family.

Children can bring a toy of their own with them and the toys will be part of the show. The halfhour show is recommended for children over two years of age.

Adventure Park Kupittaankatu 2 15:00 Tickets €3 www.seikkailupuisto.turku.fi

Others Thu 5 Feb Little Mardi Grass Downhill sledging, a sledging competition, bars tourney and an after-ski organised by the external affairs committee of the Economics Student Union.

The town will be full of happy students and others, making an early start on the Mardi Grass.

Puolalapark 14:00 Tickets (after-ski) €6 www.tuky.fi/pikkulaskiainen

MONTH’S PICK Antti Parkkari

Theatre_Dance Until Mon 23 Mar Uncle Vanya Uncle Vanya, a tragicomedy by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov about frustrated longing and wasted lives, deals with love, hate, anger and a lack of meaning in life through Uncle Vanya and his extended family.

Nummenmäen Näyttämö Vanha Hämeentie 29 12/22/26 Feb and 5/12/15/22 Mar Tickets €9/6.50 www.nummenmäennäyttämö.fi 044 458 859 Until Sat 4 Apr Romeo and Juliet Never-ending love, loyalty and overwhelming emotions sweep the main stage of the Turku City Theatre in the form of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, produced in Finnish, directed by Juha Siltala.

Turku City Theatre Itäinen Rantakatu 14 31 Jan, 4/6/7/14 Feb, 5/7/14/21 Mar and 4 Apr Tickets €27/22/19 www.teatteriturku.fi Until Sat 25 Apr Ballerinas and The Faun Dance Theatre Eri presents a humorous ballet parody in which the world of classical dance is looked on with a warm-hearted gleam in the eye. Faun, a solo dance by Tiina Lindfors, fills the second half of the evening.

Eri Yliopistonkatu 7 30/31 Jan, 6/7/13/14/19/20 Feb and 23/25 Apr Tickets €20/15/10 www.eridance.net

Some of us are looking at the stars…

“We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking up at the stars,” said Oscar Wilde. If you feel you have had enough of the gutter and would like to cast your gaze heavenwards, now is your chance to do it with a bit of help from the professionals.

The Turku astronomical society (Turun Ursa r.y.) provides guidance for the public into the fascinating world of planets and the wonders of space in the Iso-Heikkilä observatory. With some 80 years’ worth of enthusiasm and interest they no doubt have many fascinating facts to recount about nebula, moons and stars.

Star-evenings take place on Fridays provided that the sky is clear enough. You are advised to take a bus (32/42) because of the lack of parking space and come warmly clothed as the air temperature inside the observatory is the same as outside. Come with an open mind and eyes – enthusiasts maintain that astronomy is not such a serious and humourless science as people tend to think.

Until Fri 3 April Star Viewing Iso-Heikkilä observatory Pohjantähdentie (end of) 19:00-21:00 Tickets €3/2 www.ursa.fi/yhd/TurunUrsa

Music_Clubs Fri 30 Jan Lutakko Presents: Conscious Youths Conscious Youths are a Finnish band that play hip hop and rap with a pinch of reggae. The band consists of Finnish rappers Paleface, Redrama and Mr. Singh. Tickets for this event can be purchased from the event website.

Lutakko, 20:00 Messukatu 3 Tickets €8/7 www.jelmu.net 014 617866 Fri 20 Feb El Yoyo El Yoyo is a ten-person group with Cuban and Puerto Rican vibes and influences. The band takes these vibes and adds a unique Finnish touch to them.

With instruments such as the trumpet, bass and percussion everybody will be feeling the rhythm and standing on their feet!

Poppari, 21:00 Puistokatu 2-4 Tickets €10/7 www.jazz-bar.com 014 621398 Lutakko Presents: Tarot Wed 25 Feb The one and only Tarot, a Finnish heavy metal band that was formed in the mid 80’s, will be performing live in Lutakko! The band gained more fame when singer Marco Hietala joined Nightwish.

Lutakko, 20:00 Messukatu 3 Tickets €12/10 www.jelmu.net 014 617866

Sat 31 Jan and 1/3/4/5/7/10/1 1/14/17/19/20/24/25/26 Feb Viiru and Pesonen A warm-hearted play about old man Pesonen who finds a little cat and decides to keep her.

He calls her Viiru and the two become inseparable. One day, however, viiru disappears. Why does she leave? And will she ever come back? Suitable for children over the age of three.

City Theatre, various times Vapaudenkatu 36 Tickets €12/8 www.jyvaskyla.fi/kaupunginteatteri 014 624200 Tue 3 Feb onwards Improvisation Theatre for Kids An improvisation children’s theatre group for kids, aged 7 to 12, that meets every three weeks. Suitable for all who have an interest in theatre. Sessions do include games but the kids also learn about theatre and working in theatre.

Lutakko, 18:00 Messukatu 3 Annual fee €40 www.impropaatti.net 050 5253017 6/18/20/22 Feb Richard III A play about power; destructive power. Richard lies. He manipulates, betrays people, attacks and loseseven himself. The circle of power destroys, and with power comes responsibility. Translated by Matti Rossi. Directed by Tarja Järvinen.

Huoneteatteri, 19:00 (at 15:00 on Sun 22 Feb) Sammonkatu 4 Tickets €12/10/6 www.huoneteatteri.fi

Exhibitions Thu 12 Feb The Colours of Oaxaca: Mexican National Costumes Hanna Korhonen, who studies design, welcomes you all to discover the wonder of Mexican women’s national costumes from the area of Southern Oaxaca.

The costumes convey the position of women in society.

Main Public Library, 18:00–19:30 Vapaudenkatu 39-41 Free admission 050 5021597

By Amira Elbanna

Sat 14 and Sun 15 Feb 49. and 50. International Cat Show The occasion to take a look at different cat breeds and get together with other cat lovers.

All exhibition slots are taken, but the exhibition is open to spectators all day long. Welcome!

Killeri Equestrian Centre, 10:00–17:00 Killerijärvi Tickets €5/3 www.keskis.net 050 9113135 Sun 22 Feb until Sun 15 Mar Kanerva Niemelä: Paintings Come and admire Kanerva’s collection of paintings at Gallery Utu. The exhibition changes every three weeks, and you have the chance to exhibit your masterpieces by either renting space in the gallery or selling your work, which can be paintings, sculptures or handicrafts.

Gallery Utu, Tue-Fri 11:00–17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00–15:00 Kilpisenkatu 8 Free admission www.kolumbus.fi/galleria.utu 040 7056925

Sports Sat 14 Feb Snow Football Finnish Championships This competition has been held for ten years already, and this year is no different. Come and watch a couple of hundred motivated players battle it out in the snow and show off their skills and endurance.

Hippos Hall, 09:00–17:00 Kuntoportti 3 Free admission www.lohikoskenpallokerho.fi/lumifutis

Theatre_Dance

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27

Others Sat 7 Feb Women’s Day The theme of the day is the beauty and pain of a woman’s life. This event is open to all; the program will include speeches, an art exhibition and musical performances. During half time coffee will be served.

Huhtasuo Church, 13:00 Nevakatu 6 Free admission, coins for coffee 040 0547753 Tue 10 Feb Lars and the Real Girl A comedy drama about a delusional young man who strikes up an unusual relationship with a doll he buys from the internet. Directed

by Craig Gillespie. Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Paul Schneider. USA 2008. Doors open at 18:30. Bar is open before the film starts. Finnish subtitles.

KampusKino, 19:00 Keskussairaalantie 2 Tickets €4/5 www.jyu.fi/kampuskino 014 2603356 Thu 12 and 19 Feb Get acquainted with the Internet A course for anyone who is not quite confident with his or her computer skills. You will learn all about the Google search engine, as well as find out about blogs and Facebook. Also, one can get a great deal of information from the internet; learn how to distinguish fact from fabrication.

Main Public Library, 18:00 –19:30 Vapaudenkatu 39-41 Free admission www.jyvaskyla.fi/kirjasto 014 624400

MONTH’S PICK Pekka Helin

Lyseo High School hides a School museum.

Tours of Jyväskylä’s Lyseo Museum Lyseo high school is an undeniably special part of Finnish

history. It is, in fact, the country’s first and thus oldest Finnish language school.

In celebration of Lyseo’s 150th anniversary the school’s museum, located on the bottom floor, has been completely renovated.

The museum deals with the history of education in Finnish and also explores Lyseo’s story in being a pioneer in Finnish-language education.

The original idea for the museum came from a student group in the 70s and the idea was a good one as the school had a valuable collection of unique material to be shown. The museum is made up of three main rooms, all of which present an authentic picture of what schooling was like and how classrooms looked back when the school first started out. The rooms hold furniture such as desks and chalk boards a well as pictures and school supplies. The museum will be open throughout the spring. Tours will be held on Sundays and they are open to all.

Starting Sun 8 February Lyseo High School, 14:30 Yliopistonkatu 13 Free admission www.jyu.fi/keskisuomenmuseo 014 624930

Out&See Oulu

28

where to go what to see

Music_Clubs Sat 31 Jan Oulu Pop History 2009 Around 13 bands from Oulu and the surrounding areas formed between 1964-1989, and whose names are now a part of local musical history, get together on two stages to perform their pop/rock classics. Bands include: The Beatles Band, Atomic Dog, Savusauna and many more.

Hotel Radisson SAS, 20:00 Hallituskatu 1 Tickets €20 www.kotisivu.suomi. net/oulupophistory Thu 5 Feb 22 Pistepirkko Alternative rock from the legendary band.

Club 45 Special, 22:00 Saaristonkatu 12 Tickets €10 www.45special.com www.22pistepirkko.net Tue 10 and 24 Feb Oulu Open Decks No need to request songs anymore because now you yourself can be a DJ! Come early because spots cannot be reserved. Everyone gets 20 minutes to play their playlist.

This event takes place every two weeks. The age limit is 19.

45 Special, 21:00 Saaristonkatu 12 Free admission www.45special.com 08 8811845

By Amira Elbanna

an extra performance at 13:00.

School of Music, Dance and Media, 18:30 Kotkantie 1 Free admission www.oamk.fi

such as R-Kioski and Stockmann and ticket sales offices open one and a half hours before the game begins.

Ice Hall, 17:00 Teuvo Pakkalan katu 11 Tickets €26/22/19/11/8 www.oulunkarpat.fi

Exhibitions Sun 1 Feb until Sun 22 Mar Art Exhibition Art exhibition entitled The Trace of Man, featuring: Jussi Goman, Tiina Heiska, Jani Hänninen, Päivikki Kallio, Heta Kutcha, Antti Laitinen, Johanna Lecklin, Teemu Mäenpää, Pekka Syrjälä and Anna Tuori.

Renovation is over so exhibitions are back in the original art museum.

Art Museum, museum opening hours Kasarminkatu 7 Free admission www.ouka.ouka.fi 044 7037472

Others Sat 7 and Sun 8 Feb Reindeer Feria An event joining together the Sami and the Spanish Flamenco culture with the aim of increasing awareness of both. 16 of the best race reindeers in the world will compete against each other. Also: a lasso throwing show, dance performances, fashion shows and much more.

Market place, Sat 12:00 –21:00 and Sun 11:00–15:00 Torikatu Free admission www.rotuaari.info

Sports Sat 31 Jan Ice Hockey Match A match for the male Finnish championships; Espoo vs. Oulu.

Teams Kärpät and Blues battle it out.

Tickets can be bought from places

THIS

The event listings in the Out&See section 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.

MONTH’S PICK Paul Struyk

Sat 14 Feb Opeth and Emtombed Live!

Swedish heavy metal band Opeth invade the stage alongside Swedish death metal band Entombed.

In 2008, Opeth released a new album entitiled Watershed.

The age limit of the event is 15, and 18 in some areas.

Club Teatria, 21:00 Härkätie 1 Tickets €35/32 www.teatria.com Fri 20 and Sat 21 Feb Jalometalli Winterfest A festival featuring Finnish and foreign metal acts: Napalm Death (GBR), Sotajumala, The Final Harvest, Napoleon Skullfukk, Tarot, Sabaton (SWE), Kiuas and Agonizer. The age limit of the event is 15, and 18 in some areas.

Club Teatria, 19:00 Härkätie 1 Tickets €25/20 (for one day) and €30 (for two days) www.teatria.com

Theatre_Dance 7/12/14/27/28 Feb The Taming of the Shrew A Finnish version of the classic by William Shakespeare; translated

by Leena Tamminen. Directed by Kari Paukkanen. Suitable for adults.

The performance lasts for two and a half hours and includes an intermission. The play is in Finnish.

City Theatre, 13:00 or 19:00 Kaarlenväylä 2 Tickets €22/17/10 www.teatteri.ouka.fi 08 55847000 Fri 13 Feb Wanhojen Tanssit The senior ball, or prom, is for second year high school students who celebrate being the eldest in the school. Students dance various old and formal dances such as the Polonaise and Waltz. Everyone feels like the king or queen of the world with their fancy gowns and tuxedos.

Oulu Hall, time unknown Ylioppilaantie 4 Free admission www.ouka.fi/liikunta 08 55848000 Wed 15 and Thu 26 Feb Dance performances The School of Music, Dance and Media organises various dance performances open to the public; a chance for their talented students to strut their stuff. On Thursday there will be

AYA dance theatre is one of the international guests in the festival.

International Oulu Children’s Theatre Festival For the 28th time this fantastic theatre festival opens its doors to the public. The festival offers one whole week filled with the best entertainment, including puppet theatres, musicals, dance performances and much more! The event also provides workshops, shows and seminars for teachers.

This year we also welcome some international guests such as a dance theatre group from the Netherlands, and a theatre group from Namibia who will be performing their strong and impressionable act entitled Trumpet Player, which deals with how HIV affects the lives of modern African youth.

The festival would not be complete without a street dance show and an insight into hip hop culture. Appearances will be made by street dance Finnish champions Sonic Skool and Natural Hype.

Mon 16 to Sat 21 February Oulu City Theatre, various times Kaarlenväylä 2 Tickets will have varying prices - for more information check website www.teatteri.ouka.fi 08 55847000

Degree programmes starting in autumn 2009, in Tampere Degree Programme in Nursing Degree Programme in Tourism 12 January – 13 February, 2009

www.admissions.fi More information admissions@piramk.fi tel. (03) 245 2397, www.piramk.fi

DOMESTIC NEWS

HELSINKI TIMES

2

WWW.JAMK.FI

Jobs & Careers Issue 1 2009

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BecoMe A ProFessIonAl By studyIng In englIsh! Gain a practical degree of higher education and international know-how. In a multicultural student group you learn about cultures and strengthen your language skills!

APPly 12 JAnuAry – 13 FeBruAry 2009 at www.admissions.fi

BAchelor’s degree ProgrAMMe In englIsh l l

Facility Management l International Business l Logistics Engineering Music and Media Management l Nursing

We oFFer

Bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes l Open Studies l Continuing Education l Vocational Teacher Education l

JAMK University of Applied Sciences is located in the heart of Central Finland and is one of the most popular universities of applied sciences in Finland!

Looking for a job?

www.jamk.fi/english

The Finnish official unemployment rate now stands at 6 per

www.iprint.fi

cent. With the country entering the new year in the economic doldrums, that figure is likely to increase. For all of us looking for a job, the chances of finding one just got a little bit tougher.

Still, there is no need to despair.

Carina Johansson

THE WAY the employment market has developed up until today, it has become increasingly common for people to have periods of unemployment on their records. In job hunting, there are some general truths. If you are occupied with some kind of work activity or employment, it is easier to get a new job. This way you will also get to know more people, which is especially important with regard to a second, more striking truth about job hunting. The majority of available jobs are not openly advertised.

Landing a job you do not even know exists is tricky.

Networking and general activity are key. Talk to everyone around you: friends, relatives, study companions, people you meet at your hobbies, at meetings, at parties, contact a former work place. If you are not going to meetings and maintaining a hobby, start one. Or, literally, go for an Operation Door Knocking or make a direct call to the HRperson at a company and send off open applications. Just generally spread the word that you are looking for a job.

You will find the actual advertised vacancies in newspapers, on the webpages of the Finnish Employment Services, or the webpages of recruit-

ment firms as well as those of companies you are interested in. And these might very well be advertised nowhere else, so check those websites. Find out more about the workplace, the position as such, give the potential employer a call, providing the ad does not specifically instruct you not to, and display genuine interest. Prepare well for this talk. Ask about things that are good to know, but not explicitly mentioned in the ad. The importance of this call cannot be stressed enough. It will help you to write a better application, it is the first impression of and for your potential employer, and will mean that this person remembers you when he/she is going through the dozens and dozens of applications. It will make your application stand out and if you go for an interview, you will already have some important background information and a general feeling for the position, the workplace.

Make a real effort with your application and make sure it is sent off in time. Then comes the waiting part. One of three things will happen. The most common by far is total silence.

Or, you will actually receive the thanks but no thanks.

Usually after some months and you have already forgotten all about that place. Or then

the most wonderful, joyful and well, unusual, thing will happen. You get a call for an interview. Start checking lists of standard interview questions found on the internet, ask people about interviews they have had. Work hard to come up with really compelling answers. Going to more interviews will give you more confidence in answering the questions. Find out more about the work place, check the internet. Ask people if they know about that workplace, the work culture, the attitude.

Be on time for the interview, be organised. Remember there is only one chance at a first impression and you should be prepared for everything.

Maybe the hunt continues after the interview. That is the hard part, but at the same time it is the only way. It is The Job between the jobs. Among all the job hunting, the single most important thing is: Take care of yourself! Go for walks, eat healthy, see your friends, even when you feel horrible and less of a person, be active in associations, volunteer for charity organisations, treat yourself; have a coffee once in a while at your favourite café. And who knows, with all the activities or the volunteering you may get to know the people who can let you in on all those hidden jobs!

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www.iprint.fi

29

Mobile, international, long distance calls and Carrier-service 09 4247 50000. Service available in Finnish, Swedish and English. Business hours Mon-Fri 8.30-16.30.

Cubio Communications Vilhonvuorenkatu 11A, 00500 Helsinki Finland tel. 09-689677 fax 09-689666

you want!

Your interests are important to us.

Let us know the sorts of topics you’d like to read more about.

Please send suggestions and feedback to info@6d.fi

Where to find SixDegrees Helsinki: Aasialainen ruokakauppa/Kolmas linja, Amarillo, Amiedu/Valimotie, Arabianrannan kirjasto, Arbis Hfors Kansalaisopisto, Arcada, Aussie Bar, Belge bar&bistro /Kluuvi, Berlitz-kielikeskus, Bruuveri Panimoravintola/Kampin keskus, Cafe Antell, Café Bulevardin Kahvisalonki, Café Engel, Café Esplanade, Café Luft, Café Mascot, Café Picnic/Kluuvi, Cafe Strinberg, Café Tin Tin Tango, Café Ursula, CAISA Kulttuurikeskus, Cantina West, Chico`s/Mannerheimintie, Cubio/Itäkeskus, Diakonissalaitoksen Opiskelijakirjasto, Dream Catcher Oy, East Club/Itäkeskus, Eduskunta, Elmo Sports Bar, Espoon työvoiman palvelukeskus, Espresso Edge, EteläHaagan kirjasto, Eurohostel, Finn Britt Society, Forex/ Pohjoisesplanadi, Forum/Stockmann/parkkihalli, Grande Grill, Haaga Helia Haagan yksikkö, Haaga Helia Pasilan yksikkö, Hakaniemen metroasema/Jasmin food, Halal-liha, Hanken, Heinon Pikatukku, Helsingin Aikuisopisto, Helsingin kaupungin matkailuneuvonta, Helsingin luonnontiedelukio, Helsingin Pääkirjasto, Helsingin tekniikanalan oppilaitos, Helsingin yliopisto/ Kielikeskus, Helsingin yliopisto/Opiskelijakirjasto, Helsinki Business College, Henry’s Pub, Herttoniemen

Kirjasto, HKL/Kauppatori, Holiday Inn/Pasila, Hotelli Artturi, Hotelli Finnapartments Fenno, Hotelli GLO, Hotelli Helka, Hotelli Rivoli Jardin, Hotelli Scandic Simonkenttä, Itäkeskuksen kirjasto, Jakomäen Kirjasto, Kaapelitehdas, Kaisla ravintola, Kallion kirjasto, Kampin Anttila, Kampin parkkihalli P-Kamppi, Kannelmäen kirjasto, Kanneltalo, Kappeli, Kauppakeskus Malmin Nova, Kauppakeskus Ruoholahti, KEPA, Kieliavain, Kirjasto 10, Kontulan Kirjasto, Kulosaaren Kirjasto, Kulttuuritehdas Korjaamo, Kämp Galleria, Käpylän Kirjasto, Laajasalon Kirjasto, Lauttasaaren Kirjasto, Learnwell Oy, Look Salon/Hämeentie, Luckan/ Simonkatu, Maahanmuuttoyksikkö, Makuuni/ Kamppi, Malmin Kirjasto, Malminkartanon Kirjasto, Malmitalo, Mandarin Court, Maunulan Kirjasto, MBar, Metsälän vastaanottokeskus, Molly Malone’s, Mr Pickwick/Kaivokatu, Munkkiniemen Kirjasto, Namaskaar/Bulevardi, Namaskaar/Railwaystation, Next Century Fashion/Hämeentie, Norisushi Bar, Nosturi, Oulunkylän Kirjasto, Paloheinän Kirjasto, Pitäjänmäen Kirjasto, Pohjois-Haagan Kirjasto, Pub O’Malleys, Public Corner/Mikonkatu, puistolan Kirjasto, Pukinmäen Kirjasto, Pääkirjasto/Pasila, Radisson SAS Plaza Hotel, Radisson SAS Seaside Hotel, Raffaello, Ravintola Grecia, Ravintola Lappi, Ravintola Nolla, Ravintola Singapore, Rikhardinkadun Kirjasto, Robert´s Coffee/Citykäytävä, Roihuvuoren Kirjasto, Southern Fried Chicken, Sport Pub Chelsea, Stadia, Stadin Kebab/Yliopistonkatu, Stadion Hostel,

Stoa Itä-Helsingin Kulttuurikeskus, Suutarilan Kirjasto, Tapanilan Kirjasto, Tapulikaupungin Kirjasto, Teatterikorkeakoulu, Texas Outback Grill, Työvoimatoimisto/Kluuvi, Töölön Kirjasto, Vallilan Kirjasto, Vanhan Kuppila, Vastaanottokeskus, Wayne’s Coffee/Aleksi, Wayne´s Coffee/Kaisaniemi, Wayne´s Coffee/Kampin keskus, Wayne´s Coffee/Sanomatalo, Viikin Kirjasto, WTC Plaza, Vuorikello/Itäkeskus, Vuosaaren Kirjasto, Zetor Espoo: Bar Fennia/Sellokeskus, Espoon keskuksen keskuslähettämö, Espoon Keskuksen Työvoimatoimisto, Espoon Kulttuurikeskus, Kauppakeskus Iso Omena, Maahanmuuttajatyön Palveluyksikkö, Otaniemi Marketing, Tapiolan Työvoimatoimisto, Teknillinen korkeakoulu/Kansainvälinen kiltahuone, Teknillinen korkeakoulu/Maarintalo, Teknillinen Korkeakoulu/ Elektroniikan, tietoliikenteen ja automaation tiedekunta Vantaa: Hakunilan Kansainvälinen Yhdistys, Heinon Pikatukku, Keskuslähettämö, Kulttuuripalvelut, Monikulttuurisuusasian yksikkö, Ramada Airport, Tikkurilan Työvoimatoimisto, Vantaan Aikuisopisto, Verotoimisto Tampere: Ammattikorkeakoulu, Amnesty-talo, Antikvariaatti Lukulaari, Anttila, Asematunneli/ Rautatieasema, Elokuvakeskus Niagara, Epe’s levykauppa, Galaxie Center, Galleria Rajatila, Grand

Star Café, Hervannan kirjasto, Hotelli Ramada, Kahvila Valo, Klubi, Lenin-museo, Maailmankauppa Tasajako, Makuuni/Asematunneli, Messukylän kirjasto, Punnitse ja Säästä/Tullintori, Pyynikin Näkötornin Kahvila, Pääkirjasto Metso, Ravintola Artturi, Ravintola El Toro, Ravintola Katupoika, Runsaudensarvi, Sara Hildénin Taidemuseo, Taidekeskus Mältinranta, TAMK Taide ja Viestintä, Tampereen Ammattioppilaitos, Tampereen Kansainvälinen Naisten Tapaamispaikka, Tampereen Teknillinen Yliopisto, Tampereen Ulkomaalaistoimisto, Tampereen vastaanottokeskus, Tampere-Pirkkalan lentokenttä, Tampere-talo, Tamy/Kv-toimisto, Telakka, Toimintakeskus Vuoltsu/Nuorten palvelu- ja tiedotuspiste, Työväen Keskusmuseo, Työväenopisto Sampola, Unipoint, Vanha Vanilja, Vapriikki, Wayne’s Coffee/Siperia, Pinni B aula, Yliopisto Pääaula, Yotalo Turku: Akateeminen Kirjakauppa, Assarin Ullakko, Aurinkotehdas, Bar Bristol, Blanko, Blue Cow, Cantina Azteca, Galleria Titanik, Hotelli Holiday Inn Turku, Ilpoisten kirjasto, Itäkeskus, Juhana Herttuan lukio, Kahvila Fontana, Kauppakeskus Forum, Kirjakahvila, Konservatorio kirjasto, Konservatorio Sigyn-sali, Levypörssi, Maailmankauppa Aamutähti, Macciavelli, Makuuni/ Kaskenkatu, Makuuni/Kristiinankatu, Myssy ja Silinteri, Nummen kirjasto, Panini ravintola, Pappagallo, Proffan Kellari, Ravintola Bar Cafe Erik-29, Ravintola Laituri, Ravintola Uusi Apteekki, SPR, Taideakatemia, Tehdas Teatteri, Turku Daisy

Ladies ry, Turku Labour Force Service Center, Turun AMK, Turun AMK kielikeskus, Turun Kansainvälinen Kohtauspaikka, Turun kauppahalli, Turun kaupungin kirjaamo, Turun kaupungin matkailutoimisto, Turun kaupungin musiikkikirjasto, Turun kaupungin pääkirjasto, Turun lentoasema, Turun Taidemuseo, Turun ulkomaalaistoimisto, Valokuvakeskus PERI, Wäino Aaltosen Museo, Yliopiston päärakennus Oulu: Amarillo, Bar&Cafe Milou, Bar&Cafe Pint, Cumulus Hotel Oulu, Galleria Harmaja, Hesburger/ Isokatu 32, Holiday Club Oulun Eden, Holiday Inn Hotelli, Kahvila Humus, Maailmankauppa Juuttipukki, Makuuni/Hallituskatu, Makuuni/Torikatu, NeliöGalleria, Nuku-Nuorisokeskus, Nuorten tieto- ja neuvontakeskus Nappi, Nuortenkeskus Walda, Oulun ammattikorkeakoulun osakunta/OSAKO, Oulun elokuvakeskus, Oulun kaupungin matkailupalvelut, Oulun kaupunginkirjasto, Oulun lyseon lukio, Oulun vastaanottokeskus, Oulun yliopiston keskusaula, Linnanmaa, Oulu-opisto, Pohjoinen elokuva- ja mediakeskus (POEM), Pohjois-Pohjanmaa-museo, Radisson SAS Oulu, Ravintola Amica, Ravintola Torero, Robert’s coffee, Rockpolis – Musiikin tiedotusja neuvontakeskus, Tiedekeskus Tietomaa, Uusi seurahuone Jyväskylä: Agora, Anttila/Forum, Anttila/Sammontie, Bar 68, Cafe Libri, Coffee House/Kauppakatu, Elosen Konditoria/Jyväskeskus, Hemingways, Hennes &

Mauritz, Ilokivi-baari, Intersport Megastore/Tourula, Jyväskylän AMK/Mankolan kampus, Jyväskylän kaupunki/hallintokeskus, Jyväskylän taidemuseo, Kahvila Eeden / Viherlandia, Kasvisravintola Katriina, Kaupungin kirjasto, Kulttuuriravintola YläRuth, Kumppanuustalo, Kuokkalan Messi, Lozzi, Luontaiskeskus Torikeskus, Luontopuoti Kurjenkello, Matkailuneuvonta, McDonald’s /Jy väkeskus, McDonald’s/Keljon keskus, McDonald’s/Tourula, Nuorisoasiainkeskus, Old Corner, Parnell`s/ Gummeruksenkatu, Parnell`s/Väinönkatu, Piato/ Mattilanniemi, Pizza best/Lutakko, Ravintola Idea, Ravintola Rentukka, Sohwi, Tanssisali Lutakko, The Old Brick’s Inn, Vakiopaine, Wilhelmiina, Yliopiston pääkirjasto, Yliopiston päärakennus, Ylistö, YTHS Muu Suomi: Etelä-Karjalan ammattikorkeakoulu, Kainuun monikuttuurinen toimintakeskus / Kajaani, Kuopion kirjasto, Lahden Multi-Culti, Mikkelin Monikulttuurikeskus Mimosa, Työväen akatemian kirjasto / Kauniainen, Vaasan yliopisto, Joensuun Carelicum, Hyvinkään Kirjasto, Kotkan vastaanottokeskus / Karhula, HAMK Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu / Riihimäki, Kokkolan koulutuskirjasto, Diakonia AMK:n kirjasto / Järvenpää, Lappeenrannan kaupunki Maahanmuuttajat / Kirkkokatu

Starting in September 2009

The University of Vaasa is a multidisciplinary University offering degrees at all academic levels from Bachelor’s to Doctor’s. The focus of teaching and research activities of the University is on business studies, administration, technology, languages and culture.

The maritime campus presents a modern study environment for 5000 students.

Master’ s Programmes (120 ECTS) in English

• Master’s Degree Programme in International Business • Master’s Degree Programme in Finance • Master’s Degree Programme in Intercultural Studies in Communication and Administration • Master’s Programme in Telecommunication Engineering • Master’s Programme in Industrial Management

Application deadline is 28 February annually For more information, please visit www.uwasa.fi/english or send an email to information@uwasa.fi

Mailing Address: University of Vaasa, PO Box 700, FI-65101 Vaasa. Visiting Address: Wolffintie 34, 65101 Vaasa. Telephone switchboard: +358 (6) 324 8111. Fax: +358 (6) 324 8208. www.uwasa.fi

HAMK University of Applied Sciences is a cross-cultural higher education institution with a warm, friendly atmosphere and over 20 degree programmes. HAMK is situated centrally in southern Finland within only one hour’s drive from Helsinki or Tampere.

Find out how it feels to make new friends while getting a highly valued degree and profession.

www.hamk.fi

for details.

Visit Contact admissions@hamk.fi for further information.

Apply 12th January to 13th February at www.admisssions.fi

Models are HAMK studen ts. Styling, hairstyling an d make-up

by HAMK students. Ph otography: Jere Hietala.

Go international.

Currently HAMK offers six Bachelor’s Degree Programmes completely in English.

BEng Programmes: • Automation Engineering • Construction Engineering • Industrial Management (starting Autumn 2009) • Mechanical Engineering and Production Technology • Supply Chain Management BBA Programme: • International Business