NEW YEAR

 This is Helsinki as it was yesterday on December the 30th. My dear fellow bloggers, readers and the most dearest lurkers - I wish you a happy new year 2012 with lots of good blogging, comments and reading! Srečno novo leto! Hyvää ja onnellista uutta vuotta! <3

DIGITALLY UPGRADED

Monthly update, finally. It is November, well, the last day of it, but in November I have had my birthday. This year my birthday has been declared as a magical date when the couples all over the world have been getting married. Well, I only baked a real birthday cake and invited some friends with their lovely dog. The things with my MA Thesis have also been moving forward - and what is a better birthday gift for a future Master of Arts in Digital Culture than a digital device? ;)

Now I am a proud owner of an iPad. So far, I have really liked it. My new HP laptop has to go to repair, and now I finally have a second device I can use more or less like a computer; at least considering communication and the Internet. And of course I plan to download as many versions of Angry Birds as possible; the touch-screen experience is something totally different than using a mouse. This post as well has been written with the help of the virtual keyboard, at least partly. 

Additional update on Helsinki: we have no snow and today it was +7 degrees Celsius. Last year at this time, it was already a proper winter, but this year it is warm and rainy. In a way, I like it as the past years have been so very snowy and cold. Well, for Christmas and New Year it would be nice to get a bit of snow, but just a bit. Have a nice beginning of the last month of the year - Finland is so very Christmasy already, but well, Santa is supposed to be from here anyway. 

THE STORY OF A KLUUVI MAC

In Helsinki, a new shopping center Kluuvi has opened today; it is located conveniently in the center, on Aleksanderinkatu, just before Helsinki Cathedral. However, yesterday I noticed news in a local newspaper that in Kluuvi would open a new computer store, too. What is more, the particular store would offer a notable discount on a limited amount of Apple's MacBook Air laptops. A Mac has been on my wish list for a long time - and I don't know why I did not buy it when I actually had to buy a new laptop. Nevertheless, a Mac is still on my wish list, and I actually need a second computer. :P

Anyway, I was busy today in the morning and there was no way I would get to the opening of the store with the discount Mac, which would be at 10. I had to pass Kluuvi, though - and already 20 minutes before opening, there was quite a long line infront of the door. And the people there were interested in computers, I just felt that. Some three hours later, I was free and of course I went to do inquieries in Kluuvi. The guy in a shiny computer shop only smiled and said: "Yes, we surely had an offer, but all the computers have been sold in half an hour. People came here to wait at 7 in the morning." There were a couple of 100 of dicount MacBook Airs, and the price was still not that low. Half an hour. What the Hell. 

This is my first discount crazyness I feel slightly involved in, or let's say I am slightly shocked. I know these things have been going on around the world, like sleeping infront of shopping centers etc... but such a madness over a Mac? Only half an hour and over a 100 of computers gone? Did people go to buy them just because they were cheap, in their opinion? The models were neither new nor improved, but, well, they were Macs - whatever that signifies to each individual.

More and more I feel tired of all these discounts. Be there first before others, the early bird catches the worm and so on. It feels like a constant fight, where all other consumers are your enemies. Especially here in Finland I think this discount madness is even stronger. Either if it is 0,99 EUR for Lidl's soy milk or 800 EUR for a MacBook Air - everything under an offer is gone and taken as soon as possible. Well, the soy milk shortage happened to me when I did not even know it was under a daily offer, and I had to get it from another shop.

No, I would not stand infront of Kluuvi at 7 in the morning. Perhaps I would have gone there at 10, if I would have had time, but no more than that. I rather wait and buy my Mac at some point in all serenity and in an empty, cosy shop. Give me a brake, I don't feel like fighting no longer. I just want my soy milk. And a Mac.

WHEN IT RAINS

Here in Finland it's already autumn. Barnacle Geese migrate to the South, I hear them quite often flying (and chatting) over my building, and the leaves are getting more and more yellow. Rain, wind and 15 degrees Celsius. Proper autumn. Now, after four years living in Finland, I finally have a proper equipment for this weather. Hai ruber boots  are such a kult  (and retro) Finnish item as for example Marimekko, Moomins or Iittala. They come in many colors; however, I have chosen red. 

JACKASS, DUUDSONIT AND FINNISH CULTURE

 Duudsonit

This summer my friend has successfully infected me with her recent Jackass-fascination. She (and we) talked about Jackass so much that I had to check at least the movies out - and I liked the thing. Of course there is stupidity and nonsense in all these stunts the Jackass team does, yet there is also a lot of irony, wit and smart (toilet) humor. Shit is not just shit in Jackass, that is. And the guys are cute, all of them.

Finland, however, has a Finnish version of Jackass - Duudsonit or The Dudesons. These four guys are also cute, btw. After watching some Jackass I understand Duudsonit much better than before, and now I even enjoy the show. I have seen this part where The Dudesons go to the USA and try to learn how to survive in the wilderness. Two of the guys went to bathe in an icy water; actually, there was a hole in the ice made for them to bathe. Then I started to think... in a way, Finnish culture is slightly Jackass/Duudsonit, especially for a foreigner. Running from the sauna into the snow and jumping around in it totally naked, or even swimming (totally naked) in a hole in the ice... OK, these things are usually done right after sauna, so one feels very warm, and after swimming in a hole of ice there is a hot sauna waiting again... but still, on the other hand this seems like a kind of a stunt. Oh, and also enjoying ammonium chlorid based black candies or salmiakki feels a bit Jackass-like, not to mention drinking vodka with the same flavour and color. These candies are not even sweet... and vodka is even more interesting.

Well, probably every culture seems a bit Jackass-ish to a foreigner, but after finding out that there is a Finnish version of Jackass and then watching Duudsonit how they wash themselves in an icy water, I have had these brief thougts. I still love Finnish culture - and that's why I am teasing it. ;)

Jackass

BORROWED LIGHT

Yesterday, I have seen a dance performance Borrowed Light by Tero Saarinen Company in Finnish National Theatre. It was so amazing... beyond words amazing. More information here.

LUMENE HAUL

 First row, left to right: Vitamin C+ Day Cream SPF 15,  Cleansing Emulsion (for sensitive skin), Cleansing Foam (for normal skin) and those three green thingies at the end are Anti-Cellulite Serum, Body Scrub and Body Lotion from Birch and Honey collection.

Second row, left to right: Face Toner, Comforting Eye Cream, Total Comfort Mask, Sun and Care cream with SPF 30, Wild Rose and Lumene Natural Code lipstics and Mineral Makeup foundation 

Today it was a nice spring day here in Helsinki - yes, the snow had actually melted a month ago and trees are getting green. I decided to go on a short trip to Kauklahti, which is in Espoo and about 40 min train drive from the centre of Helsinki. The final destination of my trip was Lumene's factory shop.

Lumene is a Finnish beauty care manufacturer. Lately, they have improved the formulas of the products as they are trying to avoide, for example, parabens. A lot of their products are supposed to be  of at least 80% natural ingredients. Well, I do read the labels and the ingridients seem  to be good indeed. Lumene also does not test on animals. Finally, as Lumene is a Nordic brand, they clame to use actual Nordic ingreedients (smart marketing move for sure, but they actually use them). The products are not the cheapest around here at all, but with no DM and Müller chains present in Finland, I have decided to use Lumene. It is Finnish, it tends to be more and more natural - and it suits my skin.

Lumene's factory shop offers their regular products whit more or less regular shop prices. There are also some products with "mistakes" on their packages, which are slightly cheaper than the same products in "proper" packages. Anyway, the content is the same, and that is what matters. I also had some 25% discount to use - and so I got this big haul... of course much bigger than I had planned at first.

Actually, I do need most of the products. :D I ran out of them and I would need to buy them anyway -  so why not to buy a bit cheaper? Well, the Birch and Honey series was not on my list; I decided to try it. Of course I spent quite a lot at once and now I feel a bit bad; I guess it was my biggest beauty products purchase so far. However, with the 25% off and other cheaper products, I hope I did actually save some money, especially as I won't need to buy cosmetics for quite some time now.

Lipstick close-up left to right: Wild Rose Natural "Mauve Nude" and Natural Code "Juicy Plum"

SUMMER TIME

In Finland also sundials are set to summer time. 

P.S.: The picture has been published in today's Helsingin Sanomat. 

CHRISTMAS CHATTERBOX

Christmas madness has come to Finland. Streets of Helsinki are quite crowded - not to mention shopping centers, especially during weekends. Buying, giving and getting gifts for Christmas seems to be more than important here in Finland. However, I am only sending some cards with Season's Greetings. I won't travel to Slovenia during Christmas/New Year's either, it's just too expensive, too long as I should change planes - and I also have to work. Thus, I will spend this particular family-all-together kind of holiday more or less alone, and that...  well, that slightly sucks, I guess.

Considering lonesome Christmas Eves, I have recently seen Swedish movie adaptation  Män som hatar kvinnor of Stieg Larsson's novel from his Millennium Trilogy. However, in the movie there was a short scene when the character Lisbeth Salander catches a glance through the window. For a moment  she observes the joyful  family next door during Christmas dinner while Lisbeth herself sits alone at home. She gives an impression that she does not care at all, but then again she hesitates and considered the situation a bit. I slightly know how that feels... 

On the other hand, I don't like all this Christmas commercial pressure, kind of forced images of happy family celebrating together. Reality is sometimes quite different than these ideal images offered in the media. Here in Finland the expectation of Christmas is important; I have already mention the gifts. Then, good food and all that. Already on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, all the offices are closed and public transport completely stops around two o'clock in the afternoon, if not earlier. Everybody is supposed to be at home or somewhere, celebrating. Or whatever. 

I have never put a lot of stress on such holidays. Also, I think that such a general image of overall happiness and constantly highlighted necessity for, in this case Christmas, celebration can bring some bad mood to those that do not have any option to celebrate. Well, at the end it's all about money and commercialism; the necessity of celebration most probably would not be mentioned so many times in the media if it would not bring the benefit of shopping for Christmas gifts/food/you-name-it. But who knows, perhaps even lonesome Christmases would become trend and fashion one day... 

To conclude this chatter-boxing, there surely is something I like about all this Christmas-celebration-thing: lights! Many lights and candles. It is so dark during Finnish winter that I have decorated my apartment already at the beginning of December - and also the city is very nice, especially in all this snow. Thus, we can enjoy at least some shiny, decorated and so Christmas-like traditional winter wonderland. Happy and lovely holidays I wish! :) 

SKYR IS IN FINLAND!

I was actually thinking to write some other post today, but then I went to one of the local stores to buy some fruit. When I passed the fridge with milk products, something caught my eye. I stared. I could not believe. What I had stared at was so very familiar to me, yet it belonged to my images and memories from some other Nordic country. There, on the top shelf, there was a pile of pots with the very real and the very Icelandic SKYR!!! Woow!!!

This surely is the news of the day as I am so very happy that Finland has started to import skyr from Iceland. Now what is skyr and how have I fallen in love with it? According to Wikipedia, skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product, similar to strained yoghurt. Technically it is a very soft cheese. It is very popular in Icelandic cuisine. It seems to have originated in Norway and been brought to Iceland by the Vikings. Skyr has a slightly sour dairy flavor, with a hint of residual sweetness. Commercial Icelandic manufacturers of skyr have added flavors such as vanilla, berries, etc. common to yogurt to the final product, to increase its appeal.  

Skyr is exactly what I was longing to taste even before my first trip to Iceland in 2003; you must know that I have always been a big fan of Iceland, anyway. During my first trip I ate really a lot of skyir; I guess I don't need to repeat how much I liked it. This summer I went to Icleand again - and the first thing I did when I came to Keflavik airport was that I had bought a skyr in the shop on the airport and ate it  outside while waiting for the bus to Reykjavik. Strawbery skyr. Then, I dragged my two friends all over the city to the biggest shopping center in Reykjavik, Kringlan, just because I had read that somewhere near that shopping center should be an ice-cream shop, which sells skyr ice-cream. I took a map and walked and finally found ÍSland, the place with great home-made skyr ice-cream. And of course the last thing I ate in the morning before leaving Iceland in August 2010 was again a big pot of skyr. 

I have missed skyr. Until now. I really like such cottage cheese/yogurt-like products; however, skyr is, at least for me, something special. It should be also very healthy, low on calories and with lots of proteins.  My favorite flavors are vanilla and strawberry, but I also like others. However, it seems that the economic crisis has affected Iceland also in the way that they have started to export skyr to Nordic countries - first, I think, it was to Norway in 2009. Well, I just hope Finland will like skyr, and that the product will remain here in our shops. For the benefit of the Icelandic exporters - and just because skyr rules. 

RUSKA

I was away from Finland for 9 days - on holiday in Slovenia. While I was away, all the birches in front of my building had turned golden yellow. The birches, so typical Finnish trees, grow in the park here, and my balcony looks directly to the park; thus, I have a nice autumn view, especially if the day is sunny. Just too bad that the trees will soon be black and bare, all the leaves on the ground. However - Finnish ruska, the time of colored trees, is really beautiful. 

Otherwise I have brought some autumn flu from Slovenia with me, which is totally annoying. Not to mention that I am on sick leave right after I have returned from holiday... now how clumsy is that... 

HELSINKI - REALLY THE BEST?

While I was writing posts within one internet forum, I also had to mention, every now and then, that I live in Helsinki, Finland. Well, I am not boasting with this - it's a fact, I am an immigrant, at least at the moment. However, the reactions of other members were something like "ooh, Finland, I envy you, such a beautiful country" and "ooh, Helsinki, I envy you". Yet - are Helsinki really so great and the best city and all?

Newsweek magazine recently ranked Finland as the best country to live in - mainly because of very good educational system - but still. I surely do like living in Finland, it's clean and naturally beautiful country. The salary is in general good - but on the other hand, the taxes are high, and that hurts. Further more, there really is a big difference between Helsinki and, for instace, Jyväskylä where I first lived. Helsinki is, of course, much much bigger - here lives half a milion of the population, whereas in Jyväskylä it was less than 100 thousand. So, all the good shops are basically located in Helsinki, all the biggest bands come to Helsinki; the city is a capital and, as most probably elsewhere in the world, everything aims to the capital.  

However, it also looks like that it is much easier to find a job in Helsinki. Thus, people have to move from other parts of Finland - and that causes a shortage of proper rental apartments. So, there is a big competition among tenants, which make rents very, very high. I mean, the difference between Jyväskylä and Helsinki is almost 60%  regarding rental costs. For instance, one can easily pay even 900€ for a small one-room flat in Helsinki, whereas in Jyväskylä the rent could be 400€, or even less. Of course there are possibilities to get a municipal flat, where the rent is cheaper etc. - but for a young individual just starting to work and with no family, small flats on the rental market seem to be the only option. And thus, one has to take the situation as it is, and get over it.

As Helsinki is much bigger than other cities in Finland, I also sense some kind of metropolis-feeling. Sometimes, the city feels too crowded, and one cannot be alone. People squeeze on vacant seats of public trasport, and sometimes I get this feeling that they really don't care about others. There is much more rush and ignorance in general; quite hard to explain. Annoying and loud teenagers, people all the time talking on mobile-phones, no silence. Drunks, and lately beggars from Romania. All in all - Helsinki can be too big and too crowded place, where one can hardly maintain her or his own little personal space. 

Anyway... I like Helsinki, and I like living in Helsinki. I like green suburbs, I like the sea, I like the fact that people have so many dogs here - and I also like the fact that I can get much more stuff  here than in Jyväskylä, or even in Ljubljana. Helsinki is trendy and up-to-date; Helsinki is, afterall, very cool -  but still no fairyland.   

A LOT AND THEN AGAIN NOT

What's new? Some things in my life have changed all of a sudden, some are still the same... First of all, I have got a job in Helsinki. Thus, I also have my own flat and I don't have to share it with flatmates. Finally. I had good as well as bad experiences with shared flats and people that shared the flat with me; however, I rather live on my own. Oh, it is a very big difference. I am certainly among those that cherish individuality and, sometimes, also loneliness.

So I had to move quite fast into a new city; alright, that was not such a problem as I had known Helsinki quite well for some years, at least the center. The thing is that I had to start with a whole new rhythm. Which makes me to feel a bit old. But... I should still finish my Master's thesis and that is what still makes me a student. :) And also bothers me a lot... I am really slow when it comes to writing a thesis, any kind of a thesis...

Well, I guess I should not complain as it is probably not that easy to get a job in these times I am happy that the days here up North are much longer again. Spring is finally coming to Finland, no matter some remnants of snow are still lurking under shady corners. However - good Vappu, May Day I wish!

GREETINGS FROM JYVÄSKYLÄ

Sometimes I don't know why I've chosen this land. The weather in early winter is most of all gray, and so very heavy. No wonder that bears hibernate - I could also sleep for hours and hours. Yes, perhaps even days. It was snowing last week, now the snow has melted again, it's damp, it's also icy and so very very sleepy... Not to mention the fact that the darkness comes around 3pm, and this is not getting better until January; it'll only get worse now when December appears. And even when there is day light, kind of, it's gray... as someone would put a thick cloth over the only source of light left.

Sometimes I think that the life here is heavy, considering the climate. Why somebody moves to this climate, and then even decides to spend another winter here, I wonder. But still... I feel like staying.

TIME FOR A SWIM

Finally... swimming in clear, fresh and yet not cold water of the lake Jyväsjärvi... just too bad that nice and warm weather does not last long during Finnish summer.

P.S.: The image was taken at 3:00 in the morning.

FESTARIT

Source (click): Kiroileva siili, The Cursing Hedgehog

THE TIME FOR SUMMER MUSIC

Tuska, Helsinki 2008

June in Finnish is kesäkuu and since kesä means summer, June is thus summer month. And so it is, regardless strange weather, sunny 28 degrees one day and then rainy cold of barely 7 degrees the other day within the same week. June in Finland represents the beginning of school holidays and the time of summer festivals; the time of open-air, live music which lasts all the long way to August. There are so many rock-and-metal festivals and Finns is summer are a festival nation.

This year, I am looking forward to at least some of these festivals, but I am also waiting them with slight excitement... and there are some reasons. For the first time I am not going to be the audience, but I will belong to the festival crew... eeek, sure I am a bit scared! :D

AN APPROACH TO INDIVIDUALISM

In my previous post, I was writing about Finnish food, so let’s just continue with my recent observations of Finnish culture. When I have checked keyword analysis of my blog, I have noticed that somebody visited my page due to the word finish individualism. Thus, I am offering one of the possible approaches to the subject; however, please be aware that Finnish individualism has many faces, and this is just one among many. The post might feel a bit black-and-white as I am just writing from my angry part of self. Of course there are always some nice exceptions – but do they only prove the rule?

The beginning of my interaction with Finnish individualism reaches about four years into the past. Even then I had some feelings the society might be very self-orientated. However, when I have started to live with Finns and when I have started to deal with Finnish society more active, my experiences have grown. What bothers me, and sometimes also hurts me a lot is the fact that what an outsider would perhaps see as individualism might actually be egocentrism. The I-only-care-for-myself-and-my-own-good attitude. Egocentrism surely is a part of human nature after all; my friend M. would even say that altruism does not exist.

Blame it all on the developed capitalism. Finland is among the richest countries in Europe; their social system is functional and standard more or less high. They have never gone through the socialistic system as Slovenia did – and I guess here is one of the differences. In a way, society feels less compassionate. For me, it seems the sense for sharing and cooperation almost does not exist. No ‘together we can do it’ feeling. No care for the other, no care for the people around you; thus meaning those people that are not a part of one’s own private world, but still in close distance.

Lately, I have been reading some forums where the Finns themselves were complaining over their Finnish flatmates; and no wonder some magazine was writing how to behave towards those that live with you. In this society, everything feels like a competition. I was here first, I don’t care about you. This is mine, I don’t care about you. If one is too soft and too kind, one gets hurt; the developed and welfare world is cruel. No, I guess young Finns are not so introverted – they can be just so very ignorant. And that ignorance produces social coldness here up North; the frost among people which might also appear as daring individualism.

FINNISH FAVORITES

Again I was waisting my time with traveling between two countries, Slovenia and Finland. But it was fun and now the spring has started here up North as well. However, during my visits at home I noticed that I had started to miss some food one could get only in Finland; of course I sometimes miss Slovenian food. Thus, the idea has immerged and I decided to introduce you some of mine favorite Finnish food. The dishes here might not be traditionally Finnish; the plan is just to offer a quick and, most of all, personal info on some tasty treasures.

1. Leipäjuusto - Bread Cheese
Also known as squeaky cheese, round, baked to get its brown marks. In shops one can find it in pieces or whole small disks. Traditionally, it is eaten with cloudberry jam - I've tried it and no matter how strange it might seem it is just so very tasty.




2. Viili
A product of fermented milk, some kind of yoghurt, very special texture. Good for stomack. One needs to get used of viili's strange surface, but afterwards it is really nice. Especially I like organic viili with forest fruits.

3. Tyrnihillo - Sea buckthorn jam
It took some time for me to realise this is actually the plant we call rakitovec in Slovenian. Never seen it in the nature; even if I have done, I haven't been aware of it. Used in cosmetic industry also, has lots of vitamines.4. Lakkahillo - Couldberry jam
The lakka grows in Lapland and in Finland it is sold to tourists in many different ways. However, the best is in my opinion the jam where one can notice actual fruit and its proper taste.


5. Lapin rieska - Lefse
Traditional Nordic bread, low, baked without yeast. In Finland, there are rye, potato and also barley versions. The disks can be big or small, thinner or thicker. I also like the package in which rieska is sold; the baker has cleverly used motives from shaman drums. Thus, I can imagine also Kalevala heroes were feasting on such bread...


6. Karjalan piirakka - Karelian pie
Finnish type of pirozhki, so originally not Finnish as it has come from Russia; afterall, Karelia is on the border. Rye crust and rice fiilling; rice, however, is not very traditional but I like it nevertheless. Also comes with potato and meaty fillings.


7. Daim kakku - Daim cake
Well, this last dish is not Finnish, but, alas, traditionally Swedish. The reason why I put it here is the fact I have tasted this cake in Finland for the first time and one can also buy it frozen in almost every supermarket. Almonds, chocolate, no flour... just delicious.

SUDDEN SPRING

I know such differences are totally normal and I should not wonder so much. Yet this fact amuses me a lot. The thing is I am visiting Slovenia for an Easter visit; well, this visit will be slightly longer than usual Easter holidays. When I left Finland in the beginning of April, we still had some snow there. On the ground, falling from clouds. When I have come to Slovenia, I have immediately started to wear summer T-shirts. Hell, I am not overdoing, it does feel hot here to me!

Maybe long Finnish winters are something which I cannot accept as easily as many other cultural and natural features. Sure, snow in winter feels fine, and also that classical white Christmas. One learns how to overcome long nights with many additional lights; candles, for instance. In March, days are already long, but still... the snow stays there. Now in April days are even longer, already much longer than in Central Europe, but still... the snow in Mid-Finland is melting slowly; too slow, perhaps.

I like spring, and I don't see it as romantic period of love and all that kitchy stuff. I like how the nature wakes up in spring; I like fresh leaves, flowers and first mild storms. Proper spring is what I have really been missing in Finland and I have been glad when I have seen first cracks on the ice.

However, now during my visit in Slovenia, during this warm and green spring, I have already started to miss Finland and really long days; regardless the snow. Oh, I guess I constantly suffer with melancholy and gentle longing...