Blue Wings Winter issue January 2014

DREAM ENTREPRENEURS

TOP 5 DAZU ROCK CARVINGS

Winter issue Your l na perso y cop

HELSINKI’S LIGHT SPECTACLE

ARCTIC CULTURE IN TROMSØ

Trends, destinations and insights for travellers • January 2014

NORDIC SKI RESORTS OUR PICKS

CHINESE NEW YEAR

IN SINGAPORE

SWITZERLAND’S

INFERNO SKI RACE

The new creators of

Helsinki design

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The northern lights are Lapland’s most famous nature spectacle.

ART DIRECTOR Miia Taskinen miia.taskinen@sanoma.com LAYOUT DESIGNER Peter Sade CONTENT MANAGER Kati Heikinheimo REPROGRAPHICS Anne Lindfors, Tuukka Palmio ENGLISH TRANSLATION Wif Stenger EDITORIAL OFFICES Lapinmäentie 1, 00350 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma Magazines, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, fax +358 9 120 5988, e-mail firstname.lastname@sanoma.com ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Sanoma Magazines Finland Oy Custom Publishing PRINTED BY Hansaprint, Turku, Finland 2014 PAPER Nova Press 70g Cover paper Lumi Art 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703

Making wishes come true

O

ne of the most common dreams shared by people around the world is to travel to new destinations. Some dream of climbing the steps of the Great Wall of China on the outskirts of Beijing or seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an.

Others plan for a gourmet meal in Paris or New York.

One of Finland’s biggest natural attractions is the northern lights.

In Finnish Lapland, they appear about 200 nights a year. According to experts, the bright dancing lights of the northern lights, or aurora borealis, are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth’s atmosphere.

The beginning of 2014 is part of a peak in a cycle regulating the forces that create the spectacle, which means that the displays should be even more vivid than usual. We recently hosted a group of Japanese journalists who caught the

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com FINNAIR HEAD OFFICE Tietotie 11 A, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, 1053 Finnair, Finland, tel. +358 9 81881, Postal address: P. O. Box 15, 01053 Finnair, Finland CUSTOMER FEEDBACK www.finnair.com > Information and services > After the flight or by mail: Customer Relations, SL/08, FI-01053 FINNAIR. www.finnair.com www.finnair.fi www.finnairgroup.com

northern lights three times in Lapland.

As we start off 2014, this issue of Blue Wings is full of articles about dream destinations including Bali, Singapore, and our new seasonal destination Tromsø in Norway, another spot for viewing the northern lights. A guide to northern Europe’s ski resorts, a preview of Helsinki’s Lux festival and a piece on Dreamdo, a new platform that helps people realise their dreams, round out the list.

Wishing you a happy New Year and many inspirational journeys.

PS For all the accessories you need on your travels, check out the online Finnair PlusShop (finnairplusshop.com) for a wide selection of high-quality items ranging from home electronics to clothing and design.

JANUARY 2014

24 49

71

18

CHINESE NEW YEAR IN SINGAPORE

24

SWITZERLAND’S INFERNO

30

HEMINGWAY AND WAVES IN KEY WEST

36

NORDIC SKI ESCAPES

46

TOP 5 DAZU ROCK CARVINGS

49

A FRESH CROP OF DESIGNERS

58

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SOARS

64

BALI’S LEGENDS AND INFLUENCES

The buzzing city-state welcomes the Year of the Wood Horse

An annual ski race brings the town of Mürren to life

A trip to the quirky and legendary Florida town

Our winter resort picks in Finland, Sweden and Norway

UNESCO-protected creations near Chongqing

Bringing global influences to Finnish design

Companies such as Finnair focus on direct customer contact

Gods, demons and visitors from the West define the island

ON THE COVER: LINCOLN KAYIWA BY HELI BLÅFIELD

16

TRAVEL COLUMNS 8

10

12

14

16

NEWS

CULTURE

BUSINESS

DESTINATION

HELSINKI

New summer destinations

Riga is Europe’s culture capital

Crowdfunding dreams

Tromsø’s happenings

Lighting up January

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JANUARY 2014

46 IN THIS ISSUE

64

18

6

TRAVEL MOMENT

34

ALEXANDER STUBB

56

SIXTEN KORKMAN

71

THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD

80

FINLAND IN FIGURES

FLYING FINNAIR

REGULARS

Havana, p. 6 Riga, p. 10 Tromsø, p. 14 Helsinki, p. 16, 49 Singapore, p. 18 Switzerland, p. 24 Key West, p. 30 Finland, Sweden, Norway p. 36 Chongqing, p. 46 Bali, p. 64 Beijing, p. 71

New border crossings

82

Before and during the flight

83

In-flight entertainment

85

Helsinki Airport

86

Maps and destinations

88

Corporate responsibility

92

Fleet

94

Frequent flyer benefits

95

36

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TRAVEL MOMENT

BY TIM BIRD

CUBAN CABBIES THE FIBRE-GLASS cocotaxi, shown here in the Cuban capital of Havana, moves on three wheels and fits two passengers and a driver. It is the Cuban cousin of the Thai tuk-tuk and the Indian motorised rickshaw. This noisy but popular vehicle is so named because of its resemblance to a giant coconut shell – and it is the cheapest and most fun means of transport in Havana.

JANUARY 2014

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TRAVEL NEWS

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

20/20 BY 2020 THIS YEAR FINAVIA starts a major 900-million-euro expansion project of Helsinki Airport to meet its growing demands: the Airport is expecting 20 million passengers annually by 2020. Currently, it handles about 15 million travellers a year.

“Passengers expect quick transfers, high-quality services and a wealth of experiences,” says Finavia’s CEO Kari Savolainen.

“In a highly competitive environment, the success of an airport depends on these factors, and they must also be the focus areas at Helsinki Airport. Maintaining our principal airport as a leading transit hub will ensure that Finns will continue to have extensive flight connections, and it will also boost the competitiveness of the Finnish economy,” he says.

Improvements will include additional security check capacity, development of the congress area, automation of check-in and baggage drop, improvements in transit traffic capacity such as more places for wide-body aircraft in non-Schengen traffic, and a potential extension via a satellite terminal.

FINAVIA.FI

FAMED WAVES IN BIARRITZ

B

SWEET

DREAMS THIS MONTH Finnair starts revamping the majority of its longhaul aircraft’s Business Class, which will have lie-flat bedseats by the summer.

TOP TRANSFERS HELSINKI AIRPORT has once again made it on to lifestyle magazine Monocle’s Travel Top 50 List, in part for its hassle-free flight transfers. Hong Kong Airport was the only other airport to make the list.

FINNAIR

MONOCLE.COM

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JANUARY 2014

iarritz, on the Bay of Biscay in southwestern France, is a major surf resort that draws boarders from around the world. The town of almost 30,000 people has a long history of aquatic activities. As early as the 18th century, Biarritz’s waters were touted for their therapeutic qualities and many visitors came here to take saltwater cures and spa treatments.

Starting from Midsummer, Finnair will operate two weekly flights to Biarritz, which joins the roster of new summer destinations that also includes Alanya in Turkey and Pisa in Italy.

The summer schedule, which steps into effect on March 30, offers more frequencies to European cities such as Düsseldorf, Zürich, Antalya and Vaasa. Seasonal flights to Xi’an in China start up again on March 30 and to Hanoi, Vietnam on June 2.

From June through August, additional frequencies are also being added to the Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Malaga, Paris, Rome and Tel Aviv routes. Popular North American spots returning to the summer roster include Toronto, now operated with upgraded Airbus 330 aircraft from June 1 to September 21, and Chicago as a codeshare with oneworld partner American Airlines.

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SHOP UPGRADE THE WORLD DUTY FREE GROUP (WDFG) has won the Finavia tender to operate 11 stores at Helsinki Airport – the retailer’s first business in the Nordic region. WDFG, which starts operations at the airport in March, will operate four duty-free and duty-paid stores offering the core categories of beauty, liquor, tobacco and confectionery. It will also operate seven luxury product stores.

The 1,000-kilometre-long River Daugava flows through Riga.

RIGA CITY COUNCIL

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY FRAN WEAVER

TEA KARVINEN

TRAVEL CULTURE

RIGA’S YEAR IN THE SPOTLIGHT

T

he lively and charming capital of Latvia has been gearing up to put on a show during its year as European Capital of Culture. Originally conceived

by EU culture ministers, the initiative for selecting culture capitals was launched in 1985. Riga shares the 2014 honour with Umeå in Sweden.

“The overall theme of our programme is that culture is an unstoppable ‘Force Majeure’ that will take over our city,” says programme director Aiva Rozenberga from the Riga 2014 Foundation.

The year will kick off on January 18, when a 2,014-metre-long human chain transfers countless books by hand over the River Daugava from the old National Library building to a monumental new building called Gaismas pils – the Castle of Light. Requiring about 25,000 people, the event commemorates the immense human chain created by the citizens of the freedom-seeking Baltic States in 1989.

Rozenberga says that music may be the strongest cultural element in the year-long festival. “Music, especially choral singing,

is part of everyday life for many Latvians.”

One historical example was the “singing revolution,” a nonviolent resistance movement also present in Estonia and Lithuania, which preceded the 1991 regaining of Latvia’s independence.

Some 20,000 singers from almost 90 countries will come to Riga to partake in the World Choir Games in July. Latvian globetrotting maestros and divas will meanwhile star in a yearlong series of solo concerts entitled “Born in Riga.” Another musical highlight will be multimedia performances of Richard Wagner’s opera Rienzi, premiering at the Latvian National Opera on January 17. Wagner lived and worked in Riga in the 1830s. Two new operas have been commissioned for Riga 2014, including Mikhail and Mikhail Play Chess, a tribute to the Latvian chess grandmaster Mikhail Tal (from March 12 at the National Opera).

Many less formal happenings will take place year-round in “creative quarters” that have been springing up around town. People of all ages can watch or participate in

RIGA IS 2014’S CULTURE CAPITAL.

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events ranging from performances, lessons and workshops to art markets.

In another echo of Latvia’s chequered history, exhibitions and performances will be held in a grand building known as the Corner House, which housed Nazi occupiers in the 1940s and a KGB interrogation centre during the Soviet era. Looking back further, the National Art Museum’s exhibition 1914 marks the centenary of World War One with related works by top European artists (Jan 17–April 19).

Exhibitions in several locations will look at a Baltic natural resource, amber, from the perspectives of art, design, medicine, nature and history. The Amber Road exhibitions are named after an ancient trading route that led from the Baltic to the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Riga itself is marked by its art nouveau architecture, medieval relics and spacious parks. The best place to start exploring the city’s cultural attractions is the Riga 2014 information office at Riga Congress Centre, Krisjana Valdemera 5, just outside the city’s medieval Old Town.

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TRAVEL BUSINESS

TEXT BY KATI HEIKINHEIMO

ISTOCKPHOTO

THE NEW DREAM INDUSTRY

D

ream big, they say. “Just do it,” states the Nike slogan. Innovative online tools created in Finland are now allowing us to put these ideas into practice, whether one dreams of creating the perfect cupcake or impacting society. Crowdsourcing initiatives are gathering steam around the world – according to research published

by Crowdsourcing.org, crowdfunding platforms raised more than 1.9 billion euros worldwide in 2012 – and the concept of helpful virtual communities is expanding into projects driven by shared ideals.

One of these aspiration-enabling initiatives is Dreamdo, a new online platform helping people realise their dreams, whether it be their own or the dreams of others.

“A good life is made up of dreaming and doing,” says Dreamdo founder Sabrina Viitasaari of Finland. “The first phase is to identify the dream and verbalise it – at least to yourself. But the next step is just as important: working towards and realising that dream. This is where we want to help.”

Dreamdo offers a global network open to individuals, companies, associations and other organisations interested in set-

ting goals for themselves and becoming involved in like-minded endeavours.

Within a network designed specifically for making dreams come true, even seemingly nutty ideas begin to seem attainable.

Viitasaari cites an example: “Three friends had a dream of driving from Finland to Nepal and bringing with them enough money to build a school. Via Dreamdo, they were able to acquire the necessary donations and support.”

There are so-called “I” dreams – like learning a skill, visiting a place, building a house – and “we” dreams, which can range from raising money for a children’s hospital to doubling a company’s turnover. “I” and “we” dreams can also intertwine: an individual’s goal of running a marathon can link with a sneaker company’s aim to launch a new model in that local market.

NEW TOOLS HELP PEOPLE SHARE AND REALISE DREAMS.

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“STUDIES SHOW that people want to participate when given the chance,” says Timo Berry, CEO of MyWorldNeeds.Us, which encourages people to co-create by articulating a need for assistance and inviting others to help via an online platform.

According to Berry, change makers can be found in any organisation.

Through his method, also known as Joukkoenkeli (“Crowd angel” in Finnish), individuals can organise their projects and enlist help from others, while public officials can get citizens involved in problemsolving. Companies, meanwhile, receive outsourced R&D and increased brand value. Some current Joukkoenkeli projects include the design of a new playground and the implementation of reusable takeaway coffee mugs in Helsinki.

Because traditional advertising is producing less value for money, firms need to look for ways to present their products in an inspiring way, Viitasaari says.

Dreamdo trusts that its service can answer this need. Several large Finnish companies have incorporated the service into their communication and marketing toolkits. Food corporation Fazer is using Dreamdo to narrate its history, while Finnair has signed up for the service with the aim of informing its customers of corporate responsibility initiatives, for example.

“We look forward to seeing how Dreamdo continues to develop and how it can become a part of our customers’ lives,” says Anna-Kaisa Varamäki, Finnair’s social media manager.

In the public sector, a new Dreamdo co-operation with Helsinki schools encourages kids to collaborate on their own dream scenarios. Dreamdo also aims to deepen its partnerships with NGOs. “By 2020 we would like to be the global leader of helping people dream and do.

It would be wonderful to see millions of people around the world pursuing their dreams and helping each other to do the same,” Viitasaari says.

MyWorldNeeds.Us also has a global aim. The service has been launched in English, Finnish and Spanish, with more in the plans based on future user needs.

DREAM.DO

MYWORLDNEEDS.US

THE COMMON MAN STRIVES. THE REINVENTED GENTLEMAN IS.

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TRAVEL DESTINATION

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY DAVID NIKEL PHOTOS BY INGUN A. MAEHLUM/TIFF

ARCTIC ENERGY

F Above: Hundreds of local kids attend Tromsø’s International Film Festival.

Left: Music festivals take place in Tromsø throughout the year.

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amous for its reputation as Europe’s northern lights hotspot, Norway’s Tromsø attracts tourists from as far away as Brazil and Australia.

But many focus so much on looking up at the sky that they might miss the other draws of this surprisingly lively Arctic city.

Tromsø is often referred to as the “Paris of Scandinavia,” referring to its importance as a trading port and starting point for arctic expeditions in the early 1900s.

Cenral European fashions and customs often arrived in the region before many other areas of northern Europe caught on.

Tromsø’s international feel remains today, largely due to the growing university that draws thousands of foreign students to the city. Among its several areas of focus are Arctic research and fishery sciences. And these students, as well as visitors, have plenty to do: the city’s events ­calendar is impressive for a place with a population of just 70,000.

January’s Tromsø International Film Festival (TIFF), for example, is the country’s largest festival devoted to cinema. According to festival director Marthe Otte, the nearby borders with Sweden, Finland and Russia, as well as the influence of the local indigenous Sami population, creates a fertile and diverse breeding ground for a fes-

ALSO ON IN TROMSØ POLAR NIGHT HALF-MARATHON January 4 MSM.NO

SAMI WEEK Feb 3-9 MSM.NO

EXHIBITION: MASTERS OF ITALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY Until March 30 PERSPEKTIVET.NO/EN

BÅRD LØKEN/VISITNORWAY.COM

tival. “We have local regulars, but one-third of our audience travels in,” she says. Nearly 53,000 people attended TIFF in 2013.

The 24th edition of the festival (January 13 to 19) features a popular regional programme entitled “Films from the North” and an outdoor screen, in front of which local kids can wrap up warm to watch foreign shorts during the dark days of winter; in January Tromsø gets no more than five hours of daylight, and the sun doesn’t rise at all during the first half of the month.

“The regional programme is one of the most important parts of our work. [A lot of ] Filmmaking happens in places where there are hardly any people living, so we have launched initiatives to bring these creative people to the festival to meet other filmmakers,” says Otte.

Tromsø also boasts a fierce musical legacy; Röyksopp, Bel Canto and Lene Marlin started their careers here. This heritage is celebrated with the Insomnia techno festival in autumn, Bukta rock festival in July and the genre-hopping Døgnvill in August. The gentler Northern Lights Festival (January 25 to February 2), features the world-famous Bolshoi Ballet amid jazz and classical concerts.

As much a part of the music scene is the homely record-cum-coffee shop Backbeat (Vestregata 3), run by Bukta festival organiser Kari Westergaard. It’s unusual to find thriving independent record shops anywhere, let alone the Arctic.

“We have established a stable operation with the help of a positive and inclusive environment, a little madness and the general boom in vinyl sales,” says Westergaard, adding that one reason why Tromsø manages to maintain such a rich cultural programme is a staple of local volunteers. A project called Samdrift coordinates and trains volunteers for various events.

Of course, keeping up with all this fun is thirsty work. Tromsø has you covered with Mack, the world’s northernmost brewery that has created beers and sodas since 1877.

Although the beer is brewed 70 kilometres away in Nordkjosbotn, today the original factory in the heart of Tromsø (Storgata 4, MACK.NO) is open for tours.

Mack’s beer is served in an array of watering holes. Unlike most Norwegian towns, you’ll find a bustling bar on any day of the week here. Stop by the homely Rorbua or Blå Rock, which offers concerts, a dance floor, and a musically-themed bar menu: try the Red Hot Chili Pepper burger.

FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Tromsø three times weekly until end of March.

JANUARY 2014

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COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY LAURA PALOTIE

HANNU ISO-OJA

TRAVEL HELSINKI

JANUARY SPARKLE

D

espite their sense of frosty magic, Nordic winters are famous for their absence of daylight: even southern Finland only gets between six and seven hours of sun in December and January. To counteract the darkness, the annual Lux Helsinki festival stages a variety of ambitious light installations around the Finnish capital. These include a giant, eye-catching pinball display on the front façade of the century-old New Student House, a beating heart in front of the Helsinki Cathedral by Spanish fashion designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, and a light art exhibition at Cable Factory culture centre.

Returning from last year’s festival is a project entitled Lux Ratikka (Lux Tram) that turns a familiar aspect of Helsinki’s everyday bustle − one of its ubiquitous

HELSINKI HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH

green trams − into a multicoloured, moving light installation. The project, powered

by LED lights, was conceived by Lux Helsinki’s artistic director Markku Uimonen and created by three of his lighting design students at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki.

“What’s nice about the tram is that it’s not tied to a specific place in the city, so it can bring cheer and entertainment even to people who may not even realise that Lux Helsinki is going on,” says Riikka Karjalainen, one of the project’s designers.

“We wanted to turn the tram into a splash of colour in a city that can otherwise feel grey at this time of year,” she adds.

Karjalainen says that many of last year’s challenges, such as how to make the best use of the allotted 3,000 watts of electricity, have no longer presented a problem the second time around. “Last year gave us

a lot of practical information in terms of the technicalities involved,” she says.

Karjalainen and co-designer Alexander Salvesen will take turns riding in the tram during the five-night run of Lux Helsinki. “It’s tough to see through the windows to get a sense of people’s reactions; last year I had to keep track of the GPS on my phone to know where we were at any given moment,” she says. “But a couple of times when we stopped at a red light, I could hear kids’ voices saying things like ‘look, mom!’ That felt nice.”

Most of Lux Helsinki’s installations will be displayed from 5 to 10 pm from January 4 to 8. Walking tours are offered via the City of Helsinki Tourist Office in Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian.

LUXHELSINKI.FI

FOURTY travel bloggers spend a week in Finland as part of the Nordic Bloggers’ Experience programme, courtesy of Visit Helsinki and Visit Finland. They will test out husky safaris, design tours and more, and attend Helsinki’s Nordic Travel Fair.

-Mirva Lempiäinen

DOCPOINT festival (January 28− February 2) brings noteworthy documentaries to Helsinki cinemas each year. Its “New Finnish Films” series includes outstanding local documentaries and student films. The “Vanishing Point” series, meanwhile, is devoted to experimental documentary. This year’s main guest is British documentarian Kim Longinotto.

FINNISH CERAMICS COMPANY Arabia marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Tove Jansson, beloved author and creator of the Moomins, with a new line of jars and a mug based on the Moomin book The Dangerous Journey.

Two euros from the sale of each product go to support UNICEF’s educational projects.

MATKAMESSUT.FI

DOCPOINT.INFO/EN

ARABIA.FI

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THE COMMON MAN STRIVES. THE REINVENTED GENTLEMAN IS.

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To usher in the Year of the Snake in 2013, a snake was created with hundreds of yellow lanterns.

Lanterns featuring the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac hang across a Singapore thoroughfare.

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The Tooth Relic Temple, colourful at any time of the year, becomes even more colourful around New Year’s.

SINGAPORE WELCOMES THE WOOD HORSE THE COMPACT, BUZZING CITY-STATE PROVIDES A LIVELY CRASH COURSE ON CHINESE NEW YEAR TRADITIONS. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY PETER WELD

JANUARY 2014

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I

t’s one of the biggest holidays and famously the largest annual human migration on the planet, setting hundreds of millions of people into motion. All across eastern Asia, people travel back to their hometowns to be with their relatives, to put up decorations, to feast on traditional foods, and to hand out sweets and packets of cash.

In China, it’s called Chunjie (literally, “Spring Festival”); in Vietnam it’s Tet. Most of the world knows it as Chinese New Year. In either of those sprawling countries, a person working far from home might have to travel for several days on jam-packed trains and buses.

But in the island nation of Singapore, which at its widest point measures just 42 kilometres across, getting home for the holidays can be as easy as a ride on the MRT subway. Here the festivities are known as “Lunar New Year,” and although they feature most of the same activities as in China, everything is on a Singapore-sized scale, making this a great place to get your first experience of ringing in the new year Chinese-style.

PROPER PREPARATIONS The Chinese calendar, thousands of years old, features 12 animals and five elements: fire, water, wood, metal, and earth. Together the animals and elements form a 60-year cycle in which January 31, 2014, will see the start of the Wood Horse Year. Because it’s a lunar calendar, the exact date of the New Year’s celebration shifts from year to year, as seen from the perspective of the Gregorian solar calendar, but it always falls in January or February.

Preparations for the Lunar New Year begin days in advance. The streets of Singapore’s Chinatown district fill with stalls selling all kinds of necessities – most of them some shade of red, orange, or yellow, the tradi-

Elaborate lantern displays are a highlight of the River Hongbao festival.

tional colours of good fortune. To celebrate properly, Singaporeans need to buy red posters and decorations for their homes, fake red firecrackers (real firecrackers are illegal), and pussy willows. They’ll need an abundant supply of mandarin oranges, as well as pomelos, sausages, and even something called “waxed duck.”

They’ll need angpao, little red envelopes into which they’ll put ten-dollar notes—the only denomination of Singaporean currency which is red, of course—and present them to any young, unmarried friends and relatives that they meet during the first 15 days of the new year. They’ll also need lots of sweets on hand.

To symbolise the fresh beginning that the New Year brings, they might also buy new clothes and shoes and get a haircut. All of this and more can be found in the streets of Singapore’s Chinatown, although one will probably have to join a long queue or jostle with other shoppers to get it.

But although the New Year is an occasion for stocking up, many also take a close look at their finances: settling both personal and professional debts in the waning days of the old year is part of the tradition. Another important preparation involves cleaning one’s home from stem to stern. This helps sweep out the bad luck from the year that’s about to end.

Conversely, brooms and dustpans must not be used during the first several days of the new year because they might accidentally brush away good luck coming into the home; if for some reason one absolutely must sweep during the celebrations, he or she should gather

YOU’LL NEED FAKE FIRECRACKERS AND SOMETHING CALLED “WAXED DUCK.”

These intricatelytied decorations can be seen everywhere at New Year’s.

A family reunion dinner is usually held at home, but people who can’t cook ten courses themselves eat at restaurants instead.

the dirt into a corner and leave it there, only disposing of it after the fifth day.

CULINARY CONNECTIONS When Lunar New Year’s Eve finally arrives, the big event is the reunion dinner, at which all the members of a family crowd around a table crammed with food. Traditionally the dinner features ten courses, including dishes chosen as much for their symbolism as for their taste. There will be at least one fish course because the Chinese word for “fish” sounds almost the same as the word for “abundance.” In the past, family members who for any reason couldn’t return to their homes for the occasion were represented by an empty chair, but in today’s weird, wired world, some families reportedly are replacing the empty chair at the table with a video chat session.

Although ideally the reunion dinner is held at home, Singapore’s Chinese restaurants also do boom-

On a downtown street, people read their fortunes for the coming year.

ing business on Lunar New Year’s Eve. Stroll past any Chinese restaurant on the last day of the lunar year and you’re likely to find the tables spilling out onto the sidewalk, loaded down with symbolic delicacies. Getting a table is a challenge.

SPIRITUAL BEGINNINGS After finishing dinner, many go and pray at a temple.

At the temple of the Goddess of Mercy in downtown Singapore, the crowds grow ever thicker as the stroke of midnight approaches. A bustling place any day of the year, it shifts into overdrive on this night. The custom is to pray by holding several sticks of incense, facing away from the temple and praying to the sky before turning and facing the temple and praying to the earth. People then plant their incense in a huge ash-filled urn and get shooed out the temple’s exits so that the next batch of worshippers can do the same.

By midnight, thousands of people have arrived.

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Security guards, bullhorns and metal barricades all play a role in controlling the crowds, and although the situation never gets truly out of hand, this is one aspect of Lunar New Year which visitors might prefer to observe rather than participate in. Those lucky enough to have a friend living nearby can observe the commotion from the upper floors of adjacent apartment buildings.

It might seem as though Singapore’s entire population is clasping incense in front of that one temple, but of course that’s not the case. There are other temples and other ways to celebrate, such as the elaborate River Hongbao New Year’s festival (starting on January 29) that has been held for nearly three decades. Centred on a floating pier right across the water from the iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the attractions at the 11-day River Hongbao include 28 giant lanterns, handicrafts, delicious street food and a stage with performers from across eastern Asia: opera singers, dancers, and acrobats, for example.

When midnight rolls around, the darkness overhead is temporarily erased by fireworks, launched from a platform out in the middle of the river. Fireworks were invented by the Chinese more than a millennium ago.

Although they are now banned for individual use even in many parts of mainland China, they’re an indispensable part of all major celebrations, a means of scaring away evil spirits who are believed to be afraid of bright lights and loud noises. Singapore’s downtown continues to grow, and the sleek, straight, modern skyscrapers make a nice counterpoint to the chaotic, vivid explosions high above them.

Outside the temple of the Goddess of Mercy, a woman prays for good fortune in the new year.

SOFT LANDING INTO THE NEW YEAR Lunar New Year’s Day and the day after it are both national holidays (New Year’s Eve is an unofficial halfday holiday), but don’t plan on getting much done for a few days after the festivities, either. Many Singaporeans of Chinese descent (nearly 75 per cent of the country are Chinese) will close their businesses for the first four days of the new year, and even some Singaporeans of nonChinese ethnicities will take extra time off from work at this time. Tradition dictates a different activity for each of the first 15 days of the new year, and not surprisingly there are innumerable “dos” and “don’ts” to be adhered to. For example, the seventh day is the day for remembering Nüwa, the goddess who created humans and all other animals; to honour her, people are expected to avoid consuming animal products on this day.

Of course Singapore is a busy place, and not many people can set aside two weeks just for New Year’s celebrations. By the time the 15th day rolls around, more than a few Singaporeans are probably a little tired of celebrating and ready to get back to work – at least until February 19, 2015; that’s when the Wood Horse trots out the door and the Wood Sheep strolls in. l FINNAIR flies nonstop to Singapore four times weekly until the end of March, then daily.

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MacBook Pro

IN THE INFERNO EVERY JANUARY, THE INFERNO SKI RACE BRINGS THE GENTLE SWISS VILLAGE OF MÃœRREN TO BOISTEROUS LIFE. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY TIM BIRD

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The Inferno gets going from the snowy roof of Europe.

Race participants head up by train to the village of MĂźrren.

O

nce a year, the Swiss Alps deal with the Devil. On a wintry Friday night in January, with the snow drifts piled up against the cuckoo-clock houses of the town of Mürren, people take to the streets.

Mürren’s population has swollen from its normal few hundred to several thousand to mark the the occasion. Members of the GuggeMusik Ventil-Blöterler marching band, incongruously dressed in Scots tartans, gamely press their lips to cold brass. It’s minus ten degrees Celsius here, 1,600 metres above sea level.

The band leads a torchlight procession, its members dressed in grotesque devil masks, carrying a Satanic effigy at its head, through the snowy streets.

Once the procession reaches the sports ground, the effigy is lit to loud approval. The flames signify that the village is purged of evil spirits − except the kinds you drink, of course.

The ceremony, staged on the eve of the annual Inferno downhill ski race (main race day is January 25 this year), has all the atmosphere and rowdy enthusiasm of an ancient pagan ritual – despite the fact that it dates back just 85 years. The International Inferno Race, in which 20-plus countries participate, is one of the few occasions when this tranquil and exquisitely picturesque mountain village, perched on the sheer slopes facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, lets slip its rustic, quiet façade.

“People take part in the Inferno because it’s the biggest, longest, fastest and most technically challenging amateur ski race,” says event president Ueli Stenger.

Allotted its fiery name in 1928 when founded by Briton Sir Arnold Lunn, the Inferno is a hellishly challenging event by any reckoning. The full 15-kilometre course, when not truncated by weather conditions or risk of avalanche, descends 1,970 metres: the course begins at an altitude of 2,790 metres above sea level and plummets down to the Lauterbrunnen valley floor at 820 metres.

over breathtaking mountain views and cloud-filled valleys, was a famous setting for the 1969 Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, adds to the drama.

The summit of Mont Blanc is visible through a gap in the peaks to the west. The Black Forest lines the horizon to the northeast, and the troika of Mounts Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau soars to the east.

Inferno competitors ski down to the starting line just below Schilthorn. The terrifying course stretches in a series of steep ribbons through the snow, skirting the rocky column supporting the cable car station of Birg and the village of Mürren, its chalets and hotels smothered with dollops of snow. Looking down at its sometimes almost vertical progress from Schilthorn’s lofty vantage point, it’s perfectly obvious that a degree of reckless courage is required to compete in, never mind complete, the Inferno. But according to local boy Oliver Zurbrügg, that’s not all.

“Fast skis, good conditions, and fitness are what you need,” says Zurbrügg, who will end up winning

The burning of a devil effigy is a traditional pre-race ritual.

HIGH ON ADRENALINE In 2012, 1,850 competitors entered the Inferno race, of which only about 200 were women. In 2013 the male-to-female ratio was 1,450 men to 188 women. In view of this gender distribution, it’s no surprise that an air of machismo hangs in the icy air as the competitors queue for the early morning cable car from Mürren to Piz-Gloria, the restaurant and terrace on the craggy peak of Schilthorn.

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AT EUROPE’S PEAK IN JUNGFRAU “WE HAD THE OPTION to build a road from the valley up to Mürren some years ago,” says Anne-Maria Goetschi of the Jungfrau Region tourism organisation and village hotel association. “About 75 per cent of residents were opposed.”

This explains why a cableway and a quaint but functional railway running down to Grütschalp – as well as the good old human foot – provide the only access to Mürren in Switzerland.

Much of the scenic charm and attraction of the Jungfrau region at any time of the year can be attributed to the rail trips one has to take to get around.

The area is home to the highest train station in Europe at Jungfraujoch (a heart-thumping 3,454 metres), excavated in a tunnel between the Jungfrau and Mönch mountains. To get here, one can take the slowly-climbing train from Lauterbrunnen, snaking above the valley through the small town of Wengen to a transfer ­station at Kleine Scheidegg.

Here passengers switch to another train that chugs up towards Jungfrau and enters a seven-kilometre tunnel originally excavated in the late 1800s. The train stops twice, giving passengers the opportunity to look through windows cut into the rock face and take in the views.

Often rendered faint by the sudden increase in altitude, passengers emerge at Jungfraujoch’s rugged outcrop. A small outdoor plateau overlooks the lower peaks, the toy-like ski lifts, the clouds in the valleys and the Aletsch Glacier. It’s a dizzying panorama.

An exploration through Jungfraujoch takes visitors through an ice tunnel with penguin and polar bear sculptures, past restaurants and souvenir shops, and finally to the semi-spherical tower of the Sphinx Observatory. This facility is used by Global Atmosphere Watch to monitor and help predict climate change.

In the sharp winter winds that scour the viewing platform on the Sphinx, the idea of global warming might seem hard to believe. The mountain glaciers have retreated fast in recent decades, however.

JUNGFRAUJOCH.CH

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The train to Jungfraujoch, the highest station in Europe, passes fabulous ski slopes.

All change at Kleine Scheidegg for departures to Jungfraujoch.

The Inferno is the biggest, longest, fastest and most challenging ski race open to amateurs.

the 2013 Combination Male Senior Class. “It helps to be familiar with the track, and it’s a good idea not to accept the schnapps you’re offered at the starting line.”

“I just want to get going; it’s too cold to hang around,” says Briton George Ruck who, at 17, thinks he might be among the youngest Inferno racers ever (competitors must be at least in their 18th year).

His father Adam is working his way towards 12 Infernos, a distinction marked for those who manage it with “Diamond” status.

tain railway station, opposite the cosy Tächi Bar at the Hotel Eiger. The railway leads down to the cableway at Grütschalp, which takes us to the small town of Lauterbrunnen, overhung by frozen waterfalls clinging to a vertical rock face. The race track enters its last kilometre below the cable car. A couple of skiers have become distracted by fatigue and tumbled into the track-side drifts.

There’s a festive throng at the finish line in late afternoon. Switzerland’s Kuno Michel has recorded the phenomenal winning time of just over 13 minutes. George Ruck and father Adam have both made it down in one piece. The kilted Gugge-Musik Ventil-Blöterler band has turned out again, and racers are clutching beer bottles. The celebration continues into the early hours in Mürren’s village hall.

Scottish Alan Ramsay, who runs the Hotel Jungfrau with wife Veronique, has completed the course in kilt and sporran and is enjoying a well-earned nip from a pocket flask. His time: just under 20 minutes. “Am I satisfied with that? I’m ecstatic,” he says. l

THERE’S A FESTIVE THRONG AT THE FINISH LINE.

SCARY VELOCITY As the first racers set off and the sunlight strokes the peaks, us spectators descend to Mürren and ascend again by funicular to the Panorama Restaurant Allmendhubel. Here the appetising aroma of fondue drifts from the kitchen, and fortified mint tea and glühwein provide added distractions.

From Allmendhubel’s sun-warmed terrace it’s not far to the racetrack and a spectacular turn, which the skiers approach at scary velocity before hurtling downwards in a puff of snow-spray. A helicopter swoops down, collecting an injured racer. Sprains and bruising tumbles are not unusual, but serious injuries are rare.

The slow-descent alternative continues by means of a walk through the village to the single-track moun-

FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Zurich and Geneva twice daily.

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Key West is known for its festive atmosphere : pictured is Shannon Jackson In the Bahama Village neighbourhood.

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park is home to beautiful beaches.

Inside Fort Zachary Taylor park, visitors can contemplate their location on the globe.

The Quantum Key West regatta is held each January.

THE FAMED SOUTHERN FLORIDA TOWN OF KEY WEST DRAWS CROWDS RANGING FROM WATER SPORT ENTHUSIASTS, SPRING BREAK PARTIERS AND FAMILIES TO HEMINGWAY BUFFS. THIS SPIRITED AREA HAS A REPUTATION FOR STEALING HEARTS.

CHASING DREAMS TO THE KEYS TEXT BY EEVA PUHAKAINEN

D

PHOTOS BY EEVA PUHAKAINEN, CURT RICHTER, FLORIDA KEYS TOURISM COUNCIL

uring my weeklong trip to the southernmost tip of Florida, I get to talking with two women who came to Key West for a visit but ended up staying for good. One of them (“just call me Alicia,”) says she is living with her nearly 90-year-old mother. During the day, Alicia is working towards her Divemaster certification – in other words, taking care of tourists’ diving equipment for a pittance and overseeing their safety during dive trips – and enjoying every minute.

“I’m from Nevada. There’s more snow there than I can tell you. Here I work in a bikini and flip-flops,” she tells me. “What more could I wish for?”

In the tropical Florida Keys, January is the coolest month. In other words, as warm as Scandinavia in July.

Carol Shaughnessy, a former tourist who also fell under Key West’s spell, came here on vacation 30 years ago and stayed. After a few weeks, she had her family in the Midwest ship her belongings here.

“I still remember the moment I stepped off the plane. The cabs were pink, the ocean smelled amazing and palm trees swayed in the wind. I couldn’t even imagine something like pink cabs back in Minnesota. I fell in love with the place immediately,” Carol says.

The stories of Alicia and Carol, both of whom are past middle age, fit the image of Florida as a place teeming with retirees. A short bar crawl along Key West’s main street strengthens the conception.

Around noon at the famed Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where legendary writer Ernest Hemingway often had his daily dose of alcohol, there are only a few middle-aged customers inside and no young people in sight. Is there anybody under 40 in town?

“Sure,” says Shaughnessy, who works for the Keys tourism council’s public relations agency. “You should see the place during spring break in March or at New Year’s, when there’s a real mix of party people. Our population is 28,000, but sometimes the number of tourists is several times that number and the hotels have to turn people away.”

Large ocean cruisers also bring more than 800,000 yearly visitors to Key West. Despite the mobs of tourists, Key West’s historic centre seems like an idyllic small town during the days, in places even sleepy.

When the sun begins to set, however, the younger generation seems to emerge from the beach. The later it gets, the more cheerful, sunburnt – and wrinkle-free – faces appear on the bar patios and seaside decks. And beyond the contrasts of sleepy days and rowdier nights, Key West leaves an impression with its quirky cultural history and an all-inclusive feel.

IN HEMINGWAY’S FOOTSTEPS Nobel laureate “Papa” Hemingway lived in Key West in the 1930s and left his mark on the town. Opensea fishing trips are marketed with the slogan “just like Hemingway did years ago,” and Sloppy Joe’s even arranges a Hemingway look-alike contest in July.

Hemingway was fascinated by the fishing opportunities of Florida – and the land some 145 kilometres to the south, Cuba, where he spent plenty of time.

The home of Hemingway and his second wife Pauline Pfeiffer at 907 Whitehead Street in Key West was a luxury house in its day; originally built in the 1800s, the wooden conch home was complete with the first pool in town. On a tour of the house, a popular tourist destination, the guide tells us about the couple’s disputes over the pool’s building process. Dozens of JANUARY 2014

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descendants of the couple’s famous six-toed cats still live in the house. The hour-long house tour costs 13 dollars (ten euros).

Not far away, a line of tourists winds toward “the Southernmost Point” marker – purportedly the furthest tip of continental North America, though several other points are actually further south. At any rate, beyond it lies Cuba.

GO WITH THE FLOW The Florida Keys archipelago includes some 1,700 islands. On a drive from Miami to Key West, you pass more than 30 of them. From bridges connecting the islands, you can see people soaking up water activities – surfing, water skiing, kitesurfing, kayaking and boating. Though the journey on US Highway 1 from Miami airport is only 200 kilometres long, it takes time because of the distractingly fabulous views.

At a gas station I meet Pete from Poland, known as “Polish Pete” throughout the region. He was brought to Key West by a job on an ocean liner decades ago and now wouldn’t dream of moving back to Europe.

Like most locals, weather-worn Pete is friendly. He offers to arrange a fishing trip on his boat anytime, even the next day. We would, of course, let the fish drop back into the sea in catch-and-release style.

Fishing is an important tourist draw, and there are divers everywhere along the Keys, from Islamorada and Marathon to Key Largo. The latter was the inspiration for the 1988 Beach Boys hit “Kokomo.”

On Key West’s main drag, Duval Street, Fury Water Adventures advertises jet skis, sunset cruises and sailing trips, while another company offers to take visitors out snorkelling, fishing or just to admire the coral reefs surrounding the island. Fishing trips range from party boats and deep-sea trips to fly-fishing and fishing with a spinning rod. US writer Zane Grey famously fished in the Florida Keys in the 1920s, followed by Hemingway a few years later.

And no wonder. You’d be are hard-pressed to find such a spectrum of fish species anywhere else: these waters boast bonefish, tarpon, jacks, Spanish mackerel and barracuda, burly grouper, snapper, dolphinfish (mahi-mahi), billfish, tuna and wahoo. In their day, Grey and Hemingway favoured fishing spots that are today parts of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and the Everglades National Park. Fishing is still allowed – but mainly catch-and-release.

LEATHER SHORTS AND COWBOY HATS In the evening, younger tourist crowds arrive on Duval Street, and the terraces of many restaurants boom with live music.

There are also more serene wine bars and seafront restaurants in Key West, however.

The nightlife is gay-friendly and many places host drag shows. On the side streets one encounters all sorts of curious characters.

As evening turns to night, Key West’s handful of clubs and discos come to life. At the Coyote Ugly bar, a concept that originated in New York in the mid1990s, women dance on the saloon tables wearing Stetsons. In the neighbouring gay bar, one lad is partying in leather shorts and not much else.

Key West turns out to be a town of peculiar contrasts, with space for families, ocean adventurers, pensioners and subcultures. They all seem to coexist with a relaxed sense of mutual respect. l

HEMINGWAY LOVED TO FISH IN FLORIDA.

A statue of Marilyn Monroe flirts with passersby in front of Tropic Cinema.

FINNAIR OFFERS, in cooperation with its oneworld partners, several daily connections to Miami via New York or European airports. American Airlines flies from Miami to Key West several times daily (flight time is less than one hour). See fla-keys.com for plenty of practical travel information.

LITERARY LEGACY KEY WEST holds its 32nd annual Literary Seminar from January 9 to 12 and January 16 to 19. Although most events require advance registration, free public programmes on Sunday afternoons feature poet Billy Collins, author of the mega-selling Gone Girl Gillian Flynn, and others.

KWLS.ORG

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The bayside marina leads out into the Gulf of Mexico.

COASTAL GRUB THERE ARE MORE THAN 300 restaurants in the Key West area. Stone crab claws are a popular local treat worth sampling. Among other favorites is Key West pink shrimp, a delicacy generally considered sweeter than other crustaceans.

A & B Lobster House, 700 Front St Louie’s Backyard, 700 Waddell Ave Michaels, 532 Margaret Street Prime Steakhouse, 951 Caroline St Latitudes, 245 Front St Salute! On the Beach, 1000 Atlantic Blvd Rooftop Cafe, 308 Front St Nine one five, 915 Duval St (fine dining)

Commercial fishing is the second-largest industry in the Keys. Fish and seafood headline almost every menu.

WIND IN MY SAILS SAILING ENTHUSIASTS are encouraged to head to the Keys from January 19th to the 24th, when the Key West Race Week international regatta takes place.

Petri Sane, a Finn who took part in the race in 2012, says that the regatta was then at its lowest point, attracting only 110 crews. Last year there were around 150, including some from as far afield as Japan and Sweden. Prior to the 2008 economic slowdown, the event lured over 300 crews from dozens of countries. The regatta remains one of the largest winter sailing events in North America. The standard is high, but the atmosphere is relaxed.

“Key West is absolutely fantastic for winter sailing. Sheltered by the reef, the turquoise water is always relatively wavefree and 24 degrees Celsius, even in January, while the winds stay warm even when they get brisk,” he says.

“The diving sites are good and the water is at its best during the winter, offering visibility of dozens of meters,” he adds. And although the tip of the peninsula is built-up, the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park offers a pleasant green area away from the oceanside shops and restaurants.

Most participants stay at hotels and rented apartments. Only some student crews sleep in their boats.

“Our crew had a huge suite with several bedrooms in a hotel next to the harbour and the whole gang stayed there. During the regatta, we often visited Kelly’s Restaurant, which was next to the regatta centre,” Sane adds.

Some “lifestyle artists” live on their boats year-round, bringing a nostalgic breeze of the old hippie days.

PREMIERE-RACING.COM

Weather is usually optimally windy during January’s race week.

EUROPEAN VOICES

BY ALEXANDER STUBB

January in moderation

N

ew Year’s resolutions come in many forms.

Some give up sweets, others join a gym.

Many of us look for a lifestyle change or to

I like the idea of Tipaton tammikuu in principle. Sometimes short-term projects lead to long-term changes in lifestyle.

Other times we end up going back to our old, bad habits.

ARISTOTLE WAS A WISE MAN. He knew a learn something new, thing or two about virlike a language or an tues, moderation being instrument. Some one of them. In NiccoIN FINLAND WE HAVE A succeed, others don’t. machean Ethics he put it TRADITION LITERALLY In Finland we have well: “Nothing in excess, TRANSLATED AS funny tradition called except moderation.”

Tipaton tammikuu.

I agree with Aristo“DROPLESS JANUARY.” The literal translation tle about moderation is “Dropless January,” being a good thing. But i.e. a month without I must admit that I often alcohol. fail miserably. An excesIn many ways it makes sense. We have sive personality means that if I get excited all stuffed ourselves over the holiday seaabout something, I often go over the top: son and probably downed a few I like sports, so I become an exercise glasses of wine, beer and booze in fanatic. I like Twitter, so I end up tweeting the process. like there is no tomorrow. I like to write We make a New Year’s promthis Blue Wings column, so I end up doing ise to start to live a healthier it for ten years. life. It’s time to rinse the system Now don’t get me wrong: there is nothand feel better as a result: you ing wrong with getting excited about know the pattern. things. On the contrary, excitment is good.

Many people manage to It is important to be passionate about teetotal through January what you do − however, sometimes a bit without problem. Good of self-constraint might be useful. More for them. Personally I importantly, it is important to get excited have never tried it. about the right things.

So, at the end of the day I think I will try Tipaton tammikuu this year. Why not?

I think I just got excited about a month without alcohol (well, at least moderately excited). l Alexander Stubb is Finland’s minister of European affairs and foreign trade.

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IHAN

KAIKKI AKUT.

Kokeile

kuukausi veloituksetta!

O-onpa painavaa asiaa!

Š Disney

www.akuankka.fi/lataamo

Aku Ankka Lataamossa on kaikki Suomessa ilmestyneet Aku Ankat alusta alkaen. Lataa sovellus iPadiisi tai klikkaa lataamo.akuankka.fi. Normaali kuukausihinta 9,90 â‚Ź.

Naurettavan paljon naurettavaa

NORDIC

JAAKKO POSTI

TO MARK THE START OF 2014’S SKI SEASON, BLUE WINGS HAS COMPILED A GUIDE TO THE BEST SKI RESORTS IN THE FAR NORTH, FROM FAMILY-FRIENDLY TO APRÈS-SKI HEAVY. MANY ALSO BRING THRILL-SEEKERS CLOSE TO HIBERNATING, UNTOUCHED NATURE. TEXT BY PAULA LARJO, ARTTU MUUKKONEN AND EEVA PUHAKAINEN

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SLOPES

HIDDEN SALLA THE TINY SALLA SKI RESORT serves visitors in eastern Lapland, close to the Russian border. Its slopes are short but top-notch, and intended primarily for advanced skiers.

Salla slopes are in parts a bit narrower than in most other places in Finland. Accommodation and services are close together and easily accessible; you can get almost anywhere on skis. There are gorgeous log cabins located right next to the slopes.

PROS AND CONS + A compact slope area that is easy to manage; even young children do not get lost here. + Five-day and longer passes are valid for a day both at Ruka and Pyhä ski resorts.

– The slopes are all quite similar in profile.

Day pass: 33−37 euros (children 22 euros).

SALLA IS located 120 kilometres from Kuusamo airport, where Finnair flies several times daily.

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LEVI/SSC.

Levi has invested in snow fences along its first-rate slopes.

LIVELY LEVI LEVI OFFERS PLENTY OF SLOPES for skiers of all levels, a lively après-ski scene and busy nightlife. The 43 slopes are mainly for intermediate levels. The FIS-rated World Cup slope offers a steep end after the gently undulating start.

The extensive landscape of bare fells makes skiing possible in the off-piste areas beyond the maintained slopes.

Levi has grown extensively in recent years. Some criticise the its services for being spread out over too wide of an area, while some enjoy the opportunity to choose lodging further from the centre’s entertainment hub. Accommodation should thus be chosen with care, but fortunately there is plenty to choose from: Levi has a total capacity of 24,000 beds.

Central hangouts in Levi include a café and shop named after accomplished Finnish alpine skier Tanja Poutiainen and the adjoining after-ski terrace V’inkkari, where the party starts in the early afternoon.

Of all the Finnish ski resorts, Levi provides the most extensive smörgåsbord of culinary treats, from Arctic king crab to Tex-Mex and northern Finnish delicacies. Tuikku restaurant, atop one of the slopes, offers spectacular views.

The alpine skiing season at Levi usually lasts around 200 days.

PROS AND CONS + The best lifts in Finland, including two gondola lifts + A top-notch restaurant selection – The famed après-ski scene is becoming a nuisance.

Day pass: 35 euros through mid-February, then 39 euros until May 1, when it drops to 20 euros.

HARRI TARVAINEN

FINNAIR FLIES to Kittilä several times daily. Levi is located 15 kilometres from Kittilä airport. There is bus connection after every flight.

Ruka’s ski instructors can be recognised by their red coats.

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RUKA

VERSATILE RUKA RUKA, LOCATED NEAR LAPLAND and the Finnish-Russian border, encompasses an impressive range of 34 slopes that offer more variety than most Finnish ski resorts. The gently-sloping and wide descents in the Vuosseli skiing area, for instance, are thoroughly different from the Kelo slope and front slopes, which feature steep stretches. The sheltered Saarua and Pessari slope areas are a world of their own.

One can ski down the Ruka slopes smoothly by going around them and thus avoiding skiing the same slope twice in a row.

In recent years, Ruka has been marketed especially for families and serious skiers, since the resort has one of Finland’s few FIS-registered competition slopes. There are plenty of piste restaurants as well as services in the resort centre.

These include a ski school and shop named after alpine skier Kalle Palander. Peetu Piiroinen and other international-level snowboarders are also familiar sights on Ruka’s pipes. World Ski Awards named Ruka Finland’s best ski resort in 2013.

The town of Kuusamo, with additional services including an Angry Birds playground, is only 30 kilometres away, so there are plenty of activities in the area to keep visitors busy for a week. Ruka’s nightlife provides entertainment by big-name Finnish artists, especially on weekends. The season here is one of the longest in Finland, totalling 230 skiing days last year.

PROS AND CONS + Versatile slopes in a large area + Excellent restaurant services – The felltop is vulnerable to wind Day pass: 36 euros online, 38 euros at the cashier.

The same pass is valid at the Pyhä Ski Resort in western Lapland.

FINNAIR FLIES to Kuusamo up to twice daily.

Ruka is located about 30 kilometres from Kuusamo airport. There is a direct bus connection from Finnair flights to Ruka and vice versa.

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SOUTHERN TAHKO TAHKO SKI RESORT, 65 kilometres from Kuopio in central Finland, is a good alternative to Lapland. Although slopes are a bit shorter in these more southern latitudes, the resort offers otherwise the same services and opportunities as Lapland for alpine skiing and snowboarding.

Like Ruka, Tahko provides a chance to ski around the fell without coming down the same slope twice in a row, though most of the slopes are on the eastern side. The newer slopes on the western side are shorter and gentler, but none vary much in steepness.

A lake cove separates the actual centre from the slopes. Most accommodation is therefore further from the slopes, with only the Tahkonhovi Hotel and the Tahko Apartment Hotel located on the same side as the slopes. Since Tahko is by far the closest large ski resort to Helsinki and has a long tradition of after-ski entertainment, the scene is at times dominated by high-spirited corporate groups. Tahko’s season usually runs through April.

Koli’s landscapes recall late 19th and early 20th century Finnish romantic paintings.

PROS AND CONS + Shortest drive from the Helsinki region + Slopes comparable to Lapland Diverse activities (riding, tennis, golf, swimming, badminton) in a small geographic area – Long lift lines at times.

Day pass: 37 euros (children 25 euros)

Ski Patrol staff offer guidance at Tahko.

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JUKKA PELKONEN

FINNAIR FLIES to Kuopio several times daily, which is about 50 kilometres from Tahko.

TALL AND PROUD YLLÄS YLLÄS MARKETS ITSELF as Finland’s biggest and highest fell. Due to its cone-like shape, the wide and even slopes largely resemble one another.

Although Ylläs does not really have any steep parts, the slopes slant nicely, making it easy to gather up speed under your skis.

Services are split on two sides of the fell: the Ylläs Lake side provides accommodation right next to the slopes, while in Äkäslompolo guests stay a few kilometres away from the epicentre of action. The after-ski spots are scattered evenly throughout the area. The resort also boasts great crosscountry ski trails and the finest views in Western Lapland, with huge, rugged fells in all directions.

A special feature is the Ylläs Twilight: between early January and mid-February, the street lights are turned off every evening at ten and turned back on at six in the morning. This makes it easier to admire the northern lights, which tend to be at their best around midnight. Ski season at Ylläs begins around the middle of November and continues at least through early May. PROS AND CONS + Because Ylläs fell rises more than 700 meters above sea level, the top offers spectacular views.

– Ylläs is a split resort centre, with no handy connection available between the northern and southern sides

– Treeless slopes make for a windy skiing experience Day pass: 35 euros until February 14, then 38 euros until May (children 24−25 euros).

In 2013, Koli was selected Finland’s Ski Resort of the Year. During the current season, it is celebrating both the award and its 75th anniversary of alpine skiing, culminating in festivities from January 24 to 26. The season lasts until late April.

PROS AND CONS + Set amid legendary landscapes – A small resort does not offer enough challenges for a trip lasting several days Day pass: 37 euros (26 euros for children) ARTISTIC INSPIRATION Around the turn of the twentieth century, Koli’s fell landscape inspired leading Finnish painters Eero Järnefelt and Pekka Halonen as well as composer Jean Sibelius. At Koli’s Relax Spa, music by Sibelius is featured as part of the spa experience – you can even hear his Finlandia Hymn underwater.

KOLIRELAXSPA.FI

FINNAIR FLIES to Joensuu several times daily, from where it’s about 70 kilometres to Koli. On Saturdays (January 18−April 19) there is a ski bus connection to the resort. Other times visitors are served by a shared taxi van from Joensuu to Koli several times daily.

YLLÄS MARKETING LTD

KOLI IN FINNISH NORTHERN KARELIA is renowned for rugged landscapes and a small ski resort. The Koli centre has few slopes – but few crowds as well. Queues are an unknown concept here.

Koli’s Break Sokos Hotel nestles atop the highest fell in Northern Karelia, 347 metres above sea level, in Lieksa. The hotel terrace, recently renovated restaurants and spa all offer majestic views of Pielinen, Finland’s fourth-largest lake, which stretches out for 90 kilometres.

Finland’s tallest and most handsome spruce trees grow beside Koli’s only chair lift. They provide shelter from the wind, which sometimes blows briskly from the lake. The T-bar lift serves as a starting point for the gentle blue slopes. The hotel restaurant is so far from the upper station that it can hardly be considered a piste restaurant. Still, it’s a great place to enjoy dishes made from local ingredients – and the stunning landscape.

One of Koli’s slopes is steeper, though one of its two routes avoids the dicey parts. Red and blue-level undulating slopes alternate here, with short ascents in between. Since the slopes are all very much alike, they provide a good opportunity for those wishing to polish up their technique.

The scenic gondola lift at Ylläs is open year-round.

Northern lights viewing is an alternative after-ski activity.

JANNE KOSKENNIEMI

KARELIA EXPERT MATKAILUPALVELU OY

CALM KOLI

FINNAIR FLIES to Kittilä several times daily, which is located 40 kilometres from Ylläsjärvi and 55 kilometres from Äkäslompolo. Rovaniemi airport, where Finnair flies several times daily, is located about 200 kilometres away.

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PHOTOSON THE SPREAD BY ARTTU MUUKKONEN

MAJESTIC PYHÄ PYHÄ IN NORTHERN FINLAND is popular among extreme skiers and those who appreciate peaceful yet high-quality slopes – there are 14 of them altogether.

Located adjacent to the Pyhä-Luosto National Park, the resort is better suited for nature aficionados than afterski enthusiasts: Pyhä’s entertainment scene basically consists of troubadours performing at the Calle piste bar. Ski season in these latitudes usually lasts from early November to early May. Pyhä was selected Finland’s Ski Resort of the Year in 2011.

Pyhä’s six-seater chairlift, one of the fastest in Finland, takes the skier to the fell top with great speed. The FIS slope offers enough steepness, curves and variation even for the toughest skiers. A forest slope called Jackson Hole on the edge of the national park, meanwhile, gives one a chance to ski down in deep powder snow in a pine forest.

From Pyhä’s upper lift station it’s easy to transfer to the broader, gentler northern slopes. These also serve as starting points for hiking routes leading into the national park. A string of four mountains welcomes cross-country trekkers on sunny days.

The resort has invested in environmental values.

It is the first carbon-neutral ski resort in the Nordic countries, consuming energy produced from renewable sources and carbon-compensating for its fuel emissions. Pyhä’s new visitor centre Naava hosts events and offers information on local nature and geology, for example.

The approach to Pyhä offers majestic landscapes.

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Pyhä is located roughly a two-hour drive away from Ruka, Finland’s second-largest ski resort. A lift ticket bought at Pyhä is also valid at Ruka, and vice versa.

PROS AND CONS + First-rate, variable slopes + Lift queues are rare + Small-resort atmosphere + Wilderness close by – Quiet for those seeking evening activities – Not suitable for beginners – Restaurants are small and have a limited selection Day pass: 36 euros/day online (38 at the gate).

FINNAIR FLIES to Rovaniemi several times daily.

Pyhä is located 130 kilometres from Rovaniemi airport and railway station. A ski bus serves visitors four times daily during high season.

A HIDDEN NORWEGIAN GEM IN NARVIK NARVIK, NORWAY IS A TOWN of 18,000 people. Narvik’s ski resort is quiet and small, with just six lifts. Don’t let the number of lifts or slopes fool you, though: the conditions are magnificent.

The vertical descent from the top of the Linken lift to the lower centre is 900 metres. One can thus usually count on snow on the higher slopes, regardless of Norway’s variable climate.

Reportedly, this lovely resort has long been for sale at a price of one Norwegian crown – on the condition that the buyer takes care of the unprofitable resort and guarantees work for the staff.

There have been no offers so far.

The centre is open only in the spring, from March through May. The best ski conditions stretch through April. Most slopes are suitable for intermediate skiers. As the days grow longer on the Arctic Circle after the midwinter polar night, the centre stays open through the evening. It is worth making the most of the late hours: when the evening sun shines, there are fantastic views from the top toward the sea in three directions, and the giant cargo ships awaiting loads of ore in Narvik harbour look like miniature vessels.

Narvik also offers vast opportunities for extreme skiing, but the off-piste runs are long, and there is always a danger of avalanche outside the managed slopes. Skiers without the necessary off-skiing skills should therefore avoid them.

PROS AND CONS + Impressive vertical descent + Versatile slope selection – Norway is an expensive country – The location is isolated Day pass: 41 euros FINNAIR FLIES to Tromsø three times weekly until the end of March; Narvik is located 370 kilometres from Tromsø. Getting around by car is recommended.

Several challenging ski hiking routes are found near Narvik.

Camping accommodations are affordable and scenic.

PHOTOS ON THE PAGE BY TUUKKA ERVASTI

Åre boasts diverse slopes and a lively atmosphere.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE IN ÅRE ÅRE IN SWEDEN is the largest, bestknown and most varied of northern Europe’s winter sports destinations. Skiers seeking long, steep, Alpine-style declines (Åre’s maximum vertical drop is 890 metres) and families in search of an active winter holiday will feel at home here. The resorts of Åre, Duved and kid-oriented Björnen have a combined number of more than 100 slopes. There are also heliskiing and paragliding opportunities for adventurous types. One can also hop on a zipline crossing a canyon as fast as 70 kilometres an hour. Åreskutan mountain, 1,420 metres tall, is the convergence point of several lifts and slopes. A grown-up theme park offers half-pipes and jumps, while kids can test out the beginner hills.

Duved is known for its well-maintained 44 BLUE WINGS

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slopes, and thus attracts professional skiers and locals. There are plenty of lifts and slopes to choose from, and congestion is rare. Duved is also suitable for young skiers, for whom the Vildmarksstigen themeland comes recommended. Björnen, meanwhile, is designed for beginners and families, and offers a special children’s after-ski with juice service and activities.

There is no shortage of grown-up entertainment either: Åre’s centre has several quality restaurants where the party often continues until morning. Recommended spots include Wallmans Salonger, which offers a show-and-dinner package, and Karolinen, which serves excellent food in cosy surroundings. Åre also has a wide selection of spas and boutiques: stop by Åre Chokladfabrik, a shop selling handmade chocolates in beautiful packaging.

PROS AND CONS + Accessible; the Åre Östersund airport is only about 80 kilometres away from the slopes + Suitable for all ages + Plenty of programming and activity options + Top restaurants and after ski-scene + One lift ticket gives you access to three different ski areas – Nights can be quite cold, especially early in the year: the temperature often dips to minus 10 degrees Celsius Day pass: 415 kroner (about 46 euros) FINNAIR OFFERS several daily connections to Åre Östersund via StockholmArlanda and -Bromma.

A SKI BREAK FROM STOCKHOLM

KUNGSBERGET • Roughly 220 kilometres (a two-hour drive)

IN GÄVLEBORG

from Stockholm

•18 slopes, longest decline a 1,800-metre “Kungens kurva.”

•Highest point 200 metres above sea level • Day pass 340 kroner (about 38 euros)

TEXT BY PIA HYTÖNEN

THE REGION OF GÄVLEBORG IN SWEDEN, WITHIN A FOUR-HOUR DRIVE FROM STOCKHOLM, IS HOME TO SEVERAL SKI CENTRES RANGING FROM THE FAMILYFRIENDLY DAY TRIP DESTINATION OF KUNGSBERGET TO THE LIVELY WINTER ENTERTAINMENT HUB OF JÄRVSÖBACKEN.

GORAN ASSNER

KUNGSBERGET, a day trip destination, is decidedly kid-friendly, offering snow park activities for different skill levels. Children below the age of eight ski for free.

Happy Park has slopes for gentle practice, while aspiring ski jumpers can practice by landing directly into a ”big air bag” that ensures a safe landing. Ski Lodge hotel, located right next to the slopes, offers free wi-fi and a playroom, as well as a glass-covered walkway into a centre housing a restaurant, convenience store and ski shop.

JÄRVSÖBACKEN • Roughly 315 kilometres (three-hour drive) from Stockholm, and also connected to bus and train routes

• 19 slopes, the longest of which is 1,950 metres • Highest point 370 metres above sea level with a vertical drop of 200 metres

HASSELA

JÄRVSÖBACKEN IS A WINTER activity hub, offering snowmobile rides, husky safaris and a zoo housing lynxes, wolves, originally Norwegian musk ox and other Nordic animals.

Guests can also stay in Varghotellet (jarvzoo.se/varghotellet), which is ­partially surrounded by a wolf pen and thus allows wolves and humans to spy on one another.

The village of Järvsö is located right next to the slopes, so everything essential can be reached on foot; in addition to handicraft shops and local foods, Järvsö has one sit-down restaurant, Condis. The centre also has about 80 kilometres of cross-country trails.

• Roughly 350 kilometres (a 3.5-hour drive) from Stockholm • 16 slopes, the longest of which is 2,500 metres • Highest point 310 metres above sea level • Day pass 310 kroner (about 34 euros)

• Day pass 320 kroner (about 36 euros)

HASSELA’S SKI RESORT AND SPA, located amidst the wilderness, offer an oasis-like escape. Its after-ski scene often welcomes big-name artists, and Bäver Benny club offers activities for kids. Snowmobile safaris and sleigh rides are available, and cross-­ country skiers can enjoy 14.5 kilometres of trails.

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DAZU ROCK CARVINGS

1

TEACHER OF DESIGNS Dazu’s version of Vairocana, the celestial Buddha, differs from most depictions with a face that has a distinctively Chinese appearance; many earlier Buddhas had a more Western or Indian look. This sculpture is among the more than 10,000 rock formations in Baodingshan, the primary attraction at Dazu, where the carving work was led by Buddhist monk Zhao Zhifeng between 1174 and 1252.

FINNAIR FLIES nonstop to Chongqing four times weekly. The Dazu rock carvings are located about a two-hour drive from Chongqing.

TOP

DAZU ROCK CARVINGS

THE UNESCO-PROTECTED ROCK CARVINGS OF DAZU IN SOUTHWEST CHINA ARE A STUNNING RECORD OF CHINA’S BUDDHIST, TAOIST AND CONFUCIAN HISTORY. THE OLDEST DATE BACK TO AD 650, BUT MOST WERE CARVED SOMETIME BETWEEN THE 800S AND THE 1200S. STOP AT THESE FIVE TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY JOHAN AUGUSTIN

2

THE YUANJUE CAVE OF DAFOWAN The largest cave in Dazu, measuring­ six metres in height, nine in width and twelve in depth, was man-made during the Southern­Song dynasty (1127−1279). The well-preserved red and brown colouring on the Buddhas, who appear to be made of wood, comes from local ­minerals and plants.

4

THREE SAINTS OF HUAYAN SECT Dafowan cave is considered the most impressive section of Baodingshan in Dazu. These three figures representing enlightened beings stand seven metres tall on a ledge built during the Southern Song Dynasty. In the middle stands the central figure: Shakyamuni Buddha. On his left stands Samantabhadra Bodhisattva and on his right Manjusri Bodhisattva holding up a pagoda weighing­500 kilos.

Behind them are dozens of shrines with miniature Buddhas.

3

THE TEN AUSTERITIES OF LIU BENZUN This gold-faced statue represents Liu ­Benzun – Sichuan practitioner of Tantric Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 BC). Liu Benzun is five metres high and surrounded by five apprentices holding up papers that describe the development and practice of asceticism. This particular carving is valued among ­academics studying esoteric Buddhism.

5

SLEEPING BUDDHA This 31-metre-long, reclining figure with its eyes closed represents Buddha after he has attained nirvana, an ultimate state of peace; this is the most famous and difficult stage to achieve in the Buddhist faith. This image of the peaceful, ­reclining Buddha is commonly seen in religious art.

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HAPPY 2014 THE YEAR OF BEING CARED FOR We wish you a successful new year and welcome you on board Finnair.

Taking care of you is our business – so you can take care of your business.

With us you’ll arrive to your destination feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Find a new way to fly at finnair.com

FRESH FINNISH TEXT BY KATJA PANTZAR

PHOTOS BY HELI BLÅFIELD

BY 2030, ONE-FIFTH OF THE HELSINKI REGION’S INHABITANTS WILL BE FOREIGN-BORN. THE FINNISH CAPITAL IS ALREADY HOME TO A NEW CREATIVE CLASS OF ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS SUCH AS UGANDAN-BORN LIFESTYLE BRAND CREATOR LINCOLN KAYIWA, AMERICAN JEWELLERY DESIGNER LINDA TOYE, AND JAPANESE TEXTILE PRINT ARTIST SAWAKO URA.

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PRINTS CHARMING

W

hen art student Sawako Ura moved from Tokyo to Helsinki in 2008, she had no idea that her dream of design­ ing fabrics for Mari­ mekko would come true.

In Japan, the venera­ ble Finnish textile and clothing­design house has an almost cultish following.

Ura was finishing her studies in textile art and design at Aalto University, when Marimekko picked up three of her prints including Tunturipöllö (“Snowy Owl”) in 2011. Then Crate & Barrel, the American chain of furniture and homewares stores, commissioned different colour versions of the Tunturipöllö print along with another print Villisika (“Wild Boar”) that Ura had designed for Marimekko.

“It’s really been amazing,” says Ura. “Marimekko is the dream and Crate & Barrel is so huge.”

Tunturipöllö, as many of Ura’s other prints, was inspired by nature. “Because I got the idea and inspi­ ration from Finnish nature, I gave them Finnish names,” says Ura. Her tutor at Aalto University was designer Fujiwo Ishimoto, who also recommended Ura’s designs to Marimekko. Ishimoto is perhaps the most famous Japanese expat in Finland – he was the designer for Marimekko for over 30 years and is now the artist-

in-residence for Arabia [another well-known Finnish household design brand].

Ura lives in Helsinki with her husband, chef Toshi­ aki Hoshi, who opened a Japanese restaurant, Hoshito, on Mäkelänkatu. “It’s quite a small restaurant based on the home cooking of the Kobe in the Kansai area, and it’s doing well. We really like living in Helsinki and want to continue living here,” she says.

Compared with her former hometown of Tokyo, which has a population of nine million people, Ura says that, “Helsinki is really comfortable, people are kind and city is very green – espe­ cially if you compare it with Tokyo, which has so many more people and a much more hectic pace of life.” She adds that she has noticed Helsinki become more stylish over the past three years.

“There are so many more for­ eigners here, new restaurants opening, and all kinds of events such as World Design Capital 2012 Helsinki [happenings].”

Ura (whose name in Finnish, incidentally, means “career”) says that Japan and Finland have many things in common. “The relationship to nature, especially the forest and trees, is important in both countries.

Finnish and Japanese people have a respect for nature and a sense of the spirit of nature, which is evident in design and art.”

MARIMEKKO PICKED UP THREE OF URA’S PRINTS IN 2011.

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SAWAKOURA.COM HOSHITO.FI

Textile print designer Sawako Ura at Helsinki’s Hoshito restaurant.

Lincoln Kayiwa and his Aakkoset bookcase, which sells for just over 27,000 euros.

STYLE COUNSEL

I

n person, Lincoln Kayiwa is soft-spoken and immaculately dressed in the modern yet classic gentlemanly style that’s found in London, Milan and New York. Born in Kampala, Uganda, the Helsinki-based designer and his work have been featured in The New York Times, Elle Decoration, Living Etc, and a host of other international interior design glossies.

His limited edition furniture and housewares ranging from bookshelves to hangers, chopsticks and chairs have a playful yet clever cosmopolitan tone that marries the dynamic Ugandan crafts tradition with Nordic minimalism.

“When I came to Finland in 2003 I was trying to merge my African experience with this new Finnish experience, which is why my design is more like objet d’art that tends towards artistic sculptural, although there are elements of minimalism there,” says Kayiwa, whose father was an architect. “I grew up with the elements and principles of design, such as ‘less is more,’ and so on,” he adds.

Kayiwa’s Aakkoset (“ABCs”) Bookcase, which is inspired by the children’s “Alphabet Song,” features 26 individual shelves, each the shape of one of the alphabet’s letters. It sells for just over 27,000 euros. And eight have already been sold.

Why does it cost 27,000 euros?

“The idea is that because the lifestyle brand is sustainable, the products are not mass-produced, the focus is on quality, and they are made to last a lifetime.

They’re also made in limited editions, and produced through a subcontractor using very high-end machinery, materials and techniques, as well as some handmade phases,” replies Kayiwa. “The bookshelf is an objet d’art in that it works remarkably well when it’s empty. It doesn’t have to have books on its shelves, whereas a regular bookshelf with no books on it could be an eyesore.”

After attending Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, Kayiwa moved to Helsinki in 2003 to enrol at Aalto University. “It’s one of the best design institutions in Europe, perhaps in the whole world,” he says. “One of the blessings of Finland is top notch, top quality education that’s essentially free.”

Kayiwa, the father of two young preschool-aged children, is taking Finnish lessons with the goal of passing the language proficiency test and applying for Finnish citizenship.

This year he plans to release some high-end plastic versions of his work including baseless picnic glasses that can be propped up in the snow for a post-sauna or post-ski drink.

He’s also very excited about the possibilities of 3-D printing.

“You can sell the file and someone can print it, irrelevant of location. I like that mobility and that kind of spontaneity.”

“I GREW UP WITH THE ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN.”

KAYIWA.FI

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Linda Toye makes all her jewelry by hand.

THE ACCIDENTAL ARTISAN

A

merican jewellery designer Linda Toye has a refreshing approach to her work. When asked where her vibrant beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings are sold, she rattles off a list of select Finnish boutiques and galleries. Then she adds: “People often say that I should expand to more shops – but not everything needs to be everywhere; small can be good too.”

And that’s part of the unique charm of Toye’s work: it’s all hand-made by the artist in her Munkkiniemi studio, not far from downtown Helsinki.

“One of my lines is an eco-luxury line where you can trace how and where the beads are made, where the silver comes from, and so on. If materials come from the US, Japan and the EU, you can be sure that the waste is being disposed of properly, people are being paid a decent salary, and working conditions are good. In countries such as China, India and Thailand, you don’t always have those guarantees,” she says.

“I feel strongly about there being too much stuff in the world, so I am very careful about what I use and how I use it, and about not wasting anything,” says Toye, who studied art in college and is also an established painter.

She first came to Finland with her then boyfriend (now husband) Olli, a Finn who works in the film production business.

“When I first came to Finland in the late ’80s I can remember the Soviet-ness. We then moved to the US for almost four years, and when we moved back [to Finland] in 1995 during the Nokia boom I noticed a huge change in Helsinki: suddenly there were a lot more foreigners and I heard people speaking English everywhere. I couldn’t believe it.”

She says that Finland used to feel like a faraway place on the globe. “Nowadays if you tell people that you live in Helsinki the response is: ‘Wow!’ I just had a friend visiting from California and she loved it. I felt proud. It’s as though the city has come into its own,” she adds.

She found her calling somewhat serendipitously.

While growing up in Detroit in the 1970s and attending her brother’s Little League baseball games, she

“HELSINKI HAS REALLY COME INTO ITS OWN.”

often saw a woman in the bleachers making macramé bracelets. “I remember looking at those beads and pestering her to teach me, which she eventually did,” Toye says.

Many years later on a visit to the US, Toye, then in her 20s, was invited to the home of a friend, who happened to a jeweller. “The tables were covered with about 30 gemstone-filled bowls, each dedicated to one gemstone,” says Toye. She bought some of them and started making jewellery back at home in Helsinki.

Soon her friends were asking to buy her creations.

“When my friends opened Gaudete boutique on Fredrikinkatu and Limbo on Annankatu, they were the first places to carry my work,” says Toye. “[After that] many of the Finnish women’s magazines started profiling my work, but that’s really how it all started, almost by accident.” l LINDATOYE.FI

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY SIXTEN KORKMAN

The Eurozone on a knife-edge

T

he world economy natively, confidence may evaporate and is increasingly buoysentiments of gloom and doom will take ant, but the Eurozone is over. not. Many of its memThere is an urgent need for policy bers are still mired in a action to tilt the balance in favour of the multidimensional crisis more positive scenario. Progress in setinvolving weak banks, ting up the banking union would help, governments and macro- as would the recapitalisation of banks economic developments. Social and politi- through forceful action. However, there is cal problems are continuously becoming also a need for actions that more directly more serious. support overall economic demand.

Some favourable developments can be detected, however. Financial markets GIVEN THE RESTRICTIONS on fiscal polihave calmed down, thanks to the promcies, the question remains of what the ECB ise of the European Central Bank (ECB) could do. Arguably it should do whatever to do “whatever it takes” to safeguard the it takes to minimise the risk of deflation euro. Europe’s crisis countries are improvand therefore raise inflation from its preing in competitiveness, and their exports sent rate of below one per cent. are growing. Current account deficits In concrete terms, the ECB could have been turned impose negative interest into surpluses. The CONTINUED POSITIVE rates on deposits held by its Eurozone authorities banks. It could engage in a MOMENTUM have agreed to set US-style “quantitative easup a banking union ing” by purchasing large REQUIRES URGENT to improve the resilamounts of securities. It POLICY ACTION. ience of the financial could refinance lending to system. small and medium-sized However, at many European banks businesses. It could intervene in the forthe number of bad (or non-performing) eign exchange market with the aim of lowloans is increasing. Banks are in need ering the external value of the euro. of more equity in view of higher capiSuch action might annoy German offital requirements and the forthcoming cials and citizens, which is a serious conasset quality review by the ECB. Espesideration. They see inflation lurking cially in crisis countries, banks are cutbehind the corner, and suspect that bubbles ting back on lending. Loans for small will emerge in property markets. Such fears and medium-sized enterprises are also are presumably what holds the ECB back. drying up. Instead, banks are stocking However, more forceful action would up on domestic government bonds. make it easier to achieve the needed Government debt levels are high adjustments and reduce the risk of the and rising, and fiscal policy will conEurozone tumbling onto the wrong side of tinue to be tight. Private spending is this knife-edge. The stakes are high: lack of subdued as households and corpoaction might transform the current state of rations try to reduce their debt lev“muddling through” into a much more dire els. According to forecasts, economic situation. l activity will remain weak in southern Europe for years to come, while Aalto University professor Sixten unemployment will remain high.

Korkman is the former director general at the The Eurozone is currently at a critCouncil of the EU’s Directorate for Economic ical juncture. Current signs of growth and Social Affairs. His latest book is Talous ja may be confirmed and support a posiUtopia (“Economy and Utopia”). tive momentum of the economy. Alter-

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Greenland Down Jacket Klassinen untuvatakki kestävää G-1000 Original-materiaalia, kiinteä, hyvin istuva huppu. Lantiopituinen malli, jossa on paljon käteviä taskuja.

Greenland Jacket-takki tuli myyntiin vuonna 1968, ja siitä tuli nopeasti tuon ajan vuorikiipeilijöiden suosikkitakki.

Se oli tuulenpitävä ja vettä hylkivä, ja siinä oli pään liikkeitä mukaileva huppu ja kätevät rintataskut, joita pystyi käyttämään myös kiipeilyvaljaiden kanssa. Se on edelleenkin rakastettu ulkoiluklassikko. Takki on nyt saatavilla useina eri versioina vuorattuna tai ilman, sekä myös parka-mallina.

GREENLAND - TAKKI

Greenland Winter Jacket Klassinen takki, joka pitää tuulta ja kestää käytössä vuosia. Lämmin vuori. Kuusi taskua ja kiinteä, hyvin istuva huppu. G-1000 Original-materiaalia.

Rakastettu suosikki jo vuodesta 1968 Ulkoiluvaatteet eivät olleet 1960-luvulla yhtä toimivia kuin ne ovat nykyisin. Toimimattomuus kävi erityisen selväksi pohjoismaisen Grönlannin tutkimusmatkan aikana vuonna 1966.

Vuorikiipeilijöiden takki Fjällräven tarjosi tutkimusmatkan osanottajille teltat ja rinkat. Kotiin palattuaan Hasse Hellström ja Per-Åke Sjöman kävivät pitkiä keskusteluja ulkoiluvaatteista Fjällrävenin perustajan, Åke Nordinin kanssa.

Heidän ideoidensa pohjalta Åke teki kiipeilytakin alun perin telttaan tarkoitetusta kankaasta.

Tuo kangas oli tiiviiksi kudottua puuvillan ja polyesterin sekoitetta. Kangas osoittautui erinomaiseksi ulkoiluvaatteiden materiaaliksi, etenkin sitten, kun se vahattiin mehiläisvahan ja parafiinin seoksella.

Kun Fjällrävenin ensimmäinen takki tuotiin myyntiin vuonna 1968, se nimettiin Grönlannin tutkimusretken mukaan. Greenland Jacket-takissa oli helppo liikkua, se oli kestävä ja vettä hylkivä

ja se kuivui nopeasti – toisin kuin aiemmat puuvillaiset vaatteet. Niinpä takista tulikin pian vuorikiipeilijöiden suosikki.

Alkuperäinen konsepti 1970-luvun alussa Greenland Jacket-takista tuli suosittu laajemmankin ulkoilijajoukon piirissä.

Takkiin lisättiin etutaskut, mikä paransi sen yleistä soveltuvuutta muuhunkin ulkoiluun.

Mallistoon on lisätty myös pitempi parka-malli ja talvikäyttöön soveltuva lämminvuorinen versio. Nyt saatavilla on useita malleja. Uusimpana Greenland Down Jacket, jossa on lämmin untuvatäyte.

Yhden konseptin olemme säilyttäneet kaikki nämä vuodet, nimittäin alkuperäisen g-1000kankaan. Yhä vieläkin tämän Fjällrävenin oman, mukautuvan ja toimivan kankaan katsotaan olevan maailman parhaita ulkoilumateriaaleja.

Greenland Winter Parka Pitkä parka kestävää G-1000 Original-materiaalia, lämmin teddyvuori. Ajaton malli, jossa on kiinteä huppu ja paljon taskuja.

SOCIAL MEDIA TAKES TO THE SKIES VIRTUAL NETWORKING IS THE NEW NORMAL OF MODERN-DAY MARKETING. FOR FINNAIR, SOCIAL MEDIA HAS PROVIDED A CONVENIENT WAY FOR KEEPING TRAVELLERS INVOLVED. TEXT BY SILJA KUDEL

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MATTI PIKKUJÄMSÄ

id you know that if Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world? Or that YouTube has more than one billion monthly visitors? Or that more than 400 million tweets are sent every day?

If you aren’t a believer in the marketing magic of social media, consider this: according to Socialnomics, a book and Web publication created by US social media and marketing wiz Erik Qualman, 90 per cent of consumers trust peer recommendations, but only 14 per cent trust ads. A strong social network presence is becoming a must for survival, with 93 per cent of marketers using it for generating business.

“It’s where people talk about you, like it or not, so joining the discussion is the most direct and credible way of communicating the essence of your brand,” says Jari Lähdevuori, CEO of the Helsinki-based Kurio Digital Marketing Think Tank.

A new style of brand-building is becoming the norm, with companies using direct online communication to show rather than tell.

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“Actions are evidence of what your brand stands for, and they speak louder than words,” says Lähdevuori.

His favourite example is Small Business Saturday, an American Express campaign urging US holiday shoppers to support local brick-and-mortar businesses. The campaign generated more than one million Facebook “likes” and provided a welcome revenue boost to small entrepreneurs.

“This innovative campaign shows how a company can, and should, do good to really help their customers through social media.”

A NEW STYLE OF BRANDBUILDING IS BECOMING THE NORM.

BOLLYWOOD BASH Lähdevuori sees Finnair as a company doing many things right to make its marketing work in the age of social media, starting with empowering employees to “live the brand” and spread the word online.

A fun example is Finnair’s spontaneous Bollywood viral video. Passengers boarding a flight to Delhi last year were surprised by crew members who broke into a choreographed dance routine to celebrate India’s

SURPRISE STATS FACEBOOK has more than one billion users globally. Social media is the most effective channel for expanding global reach.

An estimated 200 million Facebook users are mobile only. Smartphone apps often provide a better user experience than traditional computers.

YouTube is more popular than cable TV. Many campaigns are launched as internet videos, with TV following later.

Over five million Facebook users are under the age of ten. Brand loyalty is built early.

SOURCE: SOCIALMEDIATODAY.COM

63rd Republic Day. The video became an instant hit on YouTube, attracting more than 500,000 views in just 24 hours.

“I’m a believer in the power of video. It’s a great way to convey our story. We also hope to see more user-generated material on YouTube, which is a very important channel for us,” says Finnair’s social media manager Anna-Kaisa Varamäki.

Also widely followed is the Instagram account of Finnair pilot Tomi Tervo, who shares behind-thescenes scoops and magnificent aerial photographs taken from the cockpit. Many members of Finnair personnel are also active bloggers.

“Customers don’t want just ads – they want to see real people. We’re putting a human face on Finnair by letting our employees tell our story,” says Varamäki.

IT TAKES A SPECIAL VOICE TO CUT THROUGH THE NOISE. CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE Today’s digital landscape offers so many channels for reaching customers that it takes a special voice to cut through the noise. Finnair selectively uses all the most popular networking sites, such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare and Chinese Sina Weibo, but Facebook is the clear heavyweight.

“We use it for company updates, answering customer questions and for sharing photos and videos,” says Varamäki. The company also arranges monthly customer chats with Finnair’s experts on topics ranging from food to fear of flying.

“There’s a lot of negativity in social media, because it’s such an instant channel of feedback.

But when we give our people visibility – ‘meet Maarit, she’s in charge of our food services’ – the tone of dialogue becomes more constructive.”

Following a narrowly averted threat of strike action by cabin crews and aviation workers last November, Finnair was praised for its proactive use of social media to keep passengers up-to-date on flight schedules.

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KAWAII CULTURE In Japan, Asia’s top Twitter user, Finnair recently launched a quirky hashtag campaign that is striking a chord with the Japanese love of all things kawaii (cute). Every morning Finnair tweets huomenta (“good morning” in Finnish) accompanied by the image of a cat formed out of kanji letters.

“Our morning tweets usually get as many as 1,000 retweets. We’re trying to bring out the fun, friendly side of Finnair, which is the image that Japanese people already have of Finland,” says Minori Yoshida, Social Marketing Coordinator at Finnair Japan.

Yoshida is also coordinating a Moomin wedding campaign on Facebook, asking fans to share why they should win a trip to Finland to be married at Moomin World this coming June. Users can submit answers in text, video or audio, and the three winners will be voted by fellow Facebook users. The pairs with the most “likes” win.

ships. “Not only am I getting my ideas and opinions out there, but I’ve also made a lot of good friends. We Quality Hunters travel a lot, so we often meet in person,” says Hong Kong-based fashion designer Katharine Yeung.

She describes Quality Hunters as something new that she has never seen from any other airline.

“Having a company care what customers want – and actually do something about it – is special. How cool is it that you can make suggestions and you know the airline is actually listening? It’s a great feeling that Finnair knows me by my name.”

Yeung agrees that a distinct brand presence on social media is critical, because marketing is no longer just about eye-catching commercials.

People are watching the media space for something different.

“People like me want an airline with a special personality. We want our opinions heard, and social media makes it easy. These days you can’t just throw a product in the faces of customers and expect them to take it. It drives them straight into the arms of the competition,” she says. l

FINNAIR IS COORDINATING A MOOMIN WEDDING CAMPAIGN ON FACEBOOK.

LOOKING IN THE MIRROR Finnair’s most talked-about social media innovation is the Quality Hunters initiative launched with Helsinki Airport in 2010. Seven people with the best ideas for improving their airline experience were awarded a seven-week trip around the globe to hunt for the world’s best travel ideas. The campaign won 2012’s European Excellence Award, which recognizes top efforts in communications, in the Travel and Tourism category.

Today Quality Hunters has evolved into an online travel chat community in which anyone can take part through Twitter, blog and Facebook. Active online community members are invited to attend workshops in Helsinki, where they sit down with Finnair experts to tweak Finnair’s services.

If you just enjoyed a delicious vegan curry on your flight, thank the Quality Hunters – they share the credit for bringing fresh flavours to the vegetarian menu on long-haul flights.

“Quality Hunters is more than just a wishing well – it’s a forum for generating genuine dialogue. We welcome critique as an opportunity to improve our service. It forces us to look in the mirror, which is healthy for any company,” says Varamäki.

KNOWING YOU BY NAME With Quality Hunters, what began as an airline campaign has evolved into a network of real-life friend-

SHARE YOUR VISIONS QUALITY HUNTERS is a social media community open to all. Join Finnair’s online chats and share your bright ideas for new ways of improving air travel through @qualityhunters on Twitter, at facebook.com/qualityhunters and the Quality Hunters blog at qualityhunters.com. You can also win prizes by sharing photos of your Finnair flight on Instagram and Twitter through #MyFinnair.

Check out the cute cats on Finnair Japan’s Twitter account: matome.naver.jp/ odai/2137636724527988801

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be welcomed. be one.

Qatar Airways has joined the oneworld alliance. As a Finnair Plus member, you can experience more destinations, more rewards, and more of the level of service you’ve come to expect around the globe.

To learn about the exclusive privileges that await you on Qatar Airways, visit oneworld.com

member of

be connected Welcome to oneworld, an alliance of the world’s leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and convenience across almost 900 destinations worldwide. Whenever Finnair can’t take you to your final destination, we encourage you to travel with our oneworld partner airlines.

Enjoy an array of special privileges and rewards — which include earning and redeeming Finnair Plus points on all oneworld airlines and, for Finnair Plus Platinum and Gold members, access to over 550 premium airport lounges.

oneworld alliance members

be recognised As a oneworld traveller, satisfaction awaits you around the globe. Your Finnair Plus status is recognised across all member airlines. And you are entitled to a range of benefits, which are provided according to the following oneworld tier levels, no matter which cabin class you are flying in:

*Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating is in accordance with the individual policy of the oneworld member airline operating the flight. First and business class check-in desks and lounges are not available at all airports. Lounge access for Emerald and Sapphire tier members only. Fast track at security lanes and extra baggage allowance for Emerald members only. Fast track is not available at all airports. oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airline’s flight number on your ticket). For information on oneworld, visit www.oneworld.com. Air Berlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companies. Some limitations may apply. For more information, visit www.oneworld.com/lounges.

be global Round-the-world travel is easy, flexible and affordable with oneworld Explorer. Fares are based on the number of continents you visit or pass through, and class of travel. Select your route, plan your stopovers, even adjust your itinerary. oneworld Explorer means ultimate flexibility and value.

To book, or to discover more multi-continent and single-continent options, visit www.oneworld.com/flights

The best Balinese dancers have a gaze that is alternately defiant, frightening and slightly mad.

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BALI HAS A REPUTATION AS THE ISLAND OF GODS, WHERE THINGS CENTRE AROUND ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS AND A PURSUIT OF HARMONY. BUT THERE ARE ALSO FEARSOME AND FASCINATING DEMONS LURKING BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THIS PARADISE. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ANTTI HELIN

ANGELS

DEMONS

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The mask of Rangda, the Demon Queen who is known for her long and spikey tongue.

A farmer tilling his farm close to the picturesque mountain village of Munduk.

he Demon Queen kneels in a flirtatious position, her tongue sticking out and a snake wrapped around her waist as a belt. She is stroking her tangled hair with one hand and holding a pendulous breast over her bulging belly with another.

The statue portrays the witch Rangda, a popular figure in Balinese folklore. According to legend, her favourite snack is newborn infants. A young monkey squatting nearby is far from fearful, however, grabbing some of the fruit placed before the statue as offerings.

The animal draws affectionate coos from backpackers passing by. One of them, a young woman, approaches the macaque to take a picture. But the monkey’s mother clearly disapproves, showing its teeth and hissing.

Rangda guards the Pura Dalem (Temple of Death) located in the Monkey Forest, a lush bit of woods near the popular Balinese tourist town of Ubud. Visitors can admire the temple from the outside, but the entrance is bolted with a large padlock. The temple is believed to house horrible, supernatural powers that can take control­of anyone who meditates in it overnight.

The feisty macaques of the Monkey Forest are a fitting symbol for Bali as a whole – at once sweet, sinister and unpredictable.

Bali has been dubbed the Island of Gods: many visitors view the Balinese as artistic and devout, living in harmony with the world according to ancient Hindu traditions. And that is how it appears at first. On any given day, there is a colourful temple celebration going on somewhere, and every morning the Balinese place some three million little Canang sari flower arrangements as offerings on their home altars. Artists’ galleries abound, and there are traditional dance performances every evening. Eat, Pray, Love, the 2006 mega-selling memoir by US writer Elizabeth Gilbert, only boosted Bali’s reputation as a spiritual destination and resulted in an influx of female tourists. The concept of soul-searching in Bali has nearly turned into a cliché.

Yet, when Bali first began to gain popularity as a tourist destination in the 1930s, its reputation was quite the opposite: it was known as the Island of Demons.

BALI HAS BOTH SWEET AND SINISTER ELEMENTS.

GAMELAN STYLE The tempo of the music is breathtaking. In the courtyard of the Ubud Royal Palace, 20 men jingle and rattle­ xylophones, bells and drums, which intermingle with wooden flutes and stringed instruments. The instru66 BLUE WINGS

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BALI IN A COCONUT SHELL     

POPULATION: 4 million CURRENCY: Indonesian rupiah, 1 euro = 16,500 rupiah AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME: 1,000 euros CAPITAL: Denpasar, pop. 788,000 AREA: 5780 sq. km, about twice the size of Luxembourg

The Balinese believe their gods to live high on the volcanoes, the sea was traditionally considered the abode of demons.

BALI’S CULTURE and predominant Hindu faith sets it apart from the rest of Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country. Bali is Indonesia’s most popular tourist destination, attracting 2.9 million travellers in 2012. Although 80 per cent of Bali’s economy is based on tourism, agriculture remains the largest employer.

Hills on the mountainous countryside are used as rice terraces.

ments are decorated with devils’ faces. To an untrained Western ear, gamelan music sounds completely foreign, yet captivating.

Appearing among the musicians are four heavily made-up dancers contorting their hands and legs into odd positions. The most striking aspect of the legong dancers is their eyes, which remain wide open. The best dancers have a gaze that is alternately defiant, frightening and mad. Although these dances are now performed for tourists, they were originally exorcism rituals aimed at driving away evil spirits that were tormenting Bali.

Indonesian tourism officials have done their best to conjure up a tranquil image of the island. But in reality, Bali can be associated as much with evil spirits as with friendly gods. Indeed, fear of wicked spirits fostered the flowering of Balinese culture. When the first travellers arrived here in the early 1930s, the island was in deep crisis. The Dutch conquerors had ruthlessly massacred the local rulers, and the old power structures had collapsed. At the same time the locals were facing a famine.

The Balinese blamed their misfortunes on demons. To combat their fears, the islanders began dancing, painting and carving statues with unprecedented fervour. This was the kind of island that the first visitors encountered: exotic, threatening and saturated with art – just the right kind of cocktail to spin the heads of decadent European artists in the era between the two world wars.

BALI WAS IN CRISIS WHEN THE FIRST TOURISTS ARRIVED.

A man takes a holy bath in the temple of Tirta Empul.

BLANCO’S MUSES THE ARTISTS who followed Russian-German painter Walter Spies to Bali were inspired by the island’s dark temples, lush rice terraces – and its unabashed nudity.

Far into the mid-20th century, many Balinese women walked about topless, which delighted many visiting Europeans. Breasts were long a prominent feature of Balinese tourism advertisements.

Public nudity was banned in the 1960s, but artists continued to portray the locals au naturel long after that.

The best-known proponent of this approach was the Spanish-Filipino painter Antonio Blanco (1912−1999), who billed himself as “the Dali of Bali.” His pompous home museum is a shrine to unshrouded female beauty.

When Indonesia adopted a strict anti-pornography law in 2008, the governor of Bali hurriedly declared that it would not be enforced on the island. However, brochures advertising Blanco’s exhibition have been gently censored with fuzzy pixels. Blanco’s son has also become an artist, but says he prefers to portray coconuts over nudes.

BLANCOMUSEUM.COM

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CHAPLIN AND THE FATHER OF BALINESE ART The most famous of the artists who moved to Bali was Walter Spies (1895–1942), painter of a Russian-German background who sailed to Indonesia as a hired hand on a cargo ship and made a living for a while in Jakarta as a cinema pianist.

Spies settled down in the inland town of Ubud in 1927. In those days, the island’s life was concentrated far away from the coast, as many Balinese believed that the shore was controlled by sea demons. The primary residence of the gods, though, was thought to be the island’s volcanoes, which spewed ash that fertilised the rice paddies and whose peaks attracted rain clouds.

Spies quickly became the centre of Bali’s expatriate social scene. Guests at his bungalow in Ubud included Charlie Chaplin, who visited in 1932.

Ubud has been the centre of Balinese art ever since.

The village is packed with bohemian restaurants, cafés, galleries and boutiques, as well as Bali’s premier art museums, the Neka and ARMA.

Locals in traditional attire attend a village festival.

SAND AND WAVES UBUD IS A CENTRE OF ARTS AND CULTURE, but there is course much more to see and experience in Bali. The island attracts surfers of all levels and divers who come to swim among the large sting rays and sunfish.

At Seminyak Beach you can live the hedonistic beach life, shopping in stylish boutiques and dining­in upscale restaurants. Kuta Beach, a favourite hangout of young Australians, is known for its rowdy nightlife.

PROSURFSCHOOL.COM

The best beaches and sea views can be found along Bukit Badung peninsula.

These museums’ collections illustrate how foreign and local artists have clearly influenced each other, giving birth to Balinese painting as it is now known. Leading the way was Spies, whose primitivist paintings depicted Bali’s magical atmosphere as lurking in dark shadows.

Spies’s hand can also be seen in Bali’s best-known dance, the kecak.

PAINTER WALTER SPIES HELPED TURN UBUD INTO AN ARTISTIC HUB.

LINES OF AUTHENTICITY Dozens of men, stripped to the waist, charge onto the stage, waving their hands at the sky and rhythmically chanting “chak, chak, chak”. There is no instrumental accompaniment. Dancing in the centre of this group is a beautiful woman in an elaborate costume.

Kecak, also known as the monkey dance, looks like a Hollywood version of a ritual dance. And indeed, the show is Western-designed. Spies originally choreographed it for the 1933 German film Insel der Dämonen (“Island of Demons,” also known as “Black Magic”), beefing up an old trance ritual with more drama, action and visual appeal. Of all Balinese dances, the kecak has become the most popular among tourists.

The tradition of entertaining travellers from abroad has had an impact on the local culture for more than half a century. Aspects that many visitors assume to be ancient rituals may actually be recent inventions.

Some cultural researchers argue, however, that tourism has not eroded Bali’s traditions, but instead helped the island to live on in the modern world. The tourist trade has in some ways given Bali reasons to highlight its cultural history and value.

At the same time, the essence of Bali has been adapted to fit the visitors’ expectations of the island as a peace-loving paradise. The demons have been swept under the carpet to make more room for the benign gods.

Having tourism interwoved into a culture doesn’t make this culture any less real. It is thus unfortunate that no documentation survives of Charlie Chaplin’s version of Balinese dance. l FINNAIR OFFERS offers several daily connections to Bali via Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore.

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TOGETHER ACROSS THE ATLANTIC Are you flying between Europe and North America? Finnair has teamed up with American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia to provide you with more flight choices, smoother connections and better pricing on transatlantic routes. Make your global travel experience easier and more rewarding.

Learn more at finnair.com

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NOW BETWEEN EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA

GATEWAYS IN NORTH AMERICA

ONWARD DESTINATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA

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DAILY RETURN FLIGHTS

ONWARD DESTINATIONS IN EUROPE

THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO AND SEE COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN

HAPPY NEW YEAR

PETER WELD

China rings in the Year of the Horse with its 15-day Spring Festival. Beijing residents attend temple fairs that combine fun, commerce and spirituality. The Dongyue Temple Fair in Beijing dates back to the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and features drum troupes, opera singers, calligraphers and acrobats. New Year’s festivities conclude in the Festival of Lanterns.

January 30–February 13 CHINATRAVEL.COM/FOCUS/ CHINESE-NEW-YEAR

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THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD

A chilly start to 2014

A show of inventions

Joy in the Philippines

A Caribbean party

In keeping with a tradition started in 1960, the Dutch welcome the new year by jumping into icy waters. Some 10,000 people go for a swim in the North Sea off Scheveningen on New Year’s Day, wearing red woolly caps. Another 15,000 utilise the more than 60 ice swimming locations across The Netherlands.

It’s time for the annual technology conference that introduced us to the VCR in 1970 and today draws crowds upwards of 150,000. Among the thousands of new inventions at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show (CES) are Tobii EyeMobile, a device that lets you operate a tablet with your vision, and Skulpt, a muscle-measuring gadget.

Despite the terror brought on by November’s devastating typhoon, the Philippines pushes forward with its wild Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo. The tribal celebration dating back to the 13th century sees revellers donning body paintings and colourful costumes while dancing to drum music.

Since the Spanish era the festival has been held in honour of Jesus Christ as a child.

Some 10,000 people gather in the Caribbean for the fourth annual Dominican Republic Bachata Festival that pays tribute to this originally Dominican dance tradition. The event is organised in collaboration with Finnish promoter Vesa Parkkari, who has also organised bachata events in Finland. The festival takes place in four cities, two beaches, a catamaran and the jungle.

January 7–10 CESWEB.ORG

January 10–19 KALIBOATIATIHAN.PH

January 7–27 DOMIBACHATA.COM

January 1 HOLLAND.COM/US/TOURISM/ ARTICLE/NEW-YEARS-DIVESCHEVENINGEN.HTM

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Scottish poetry

Socially conscious art

Québec carnival

Twenty travellers spend a week camping among the sand dunes in the Sahara Desert. The fourth annual Road Junky Sahara Retreat in Morocco gives participants a chance to reflect on their lives through meditation, yoga, aikido and dance. This year there will be an additional retreat from February 9 to 15, hosted by British storyteller Tom Thumb.

Scotland commemorates poet Robert Burns (1759−1796) on his birthday with special suppers served in homes and hotels.

Haggis, a sausage prepared in a sheep’s stomach, is the main course and is served while reading Burns’ “Address to a Haggis.”

Traditions include singing Selkirk Grace, playing bagpipes and drinking whiskey. Men wear kilts.

Belgian artist Francis Alÿs sheds light on social problems by conducting stunts. These include pushing an ice block around Mexico City and attempting a human bridge across the Strait of Gibraltar with the help of African and European children.

The Hiroshima Museum of Contemporary Art shows his videos, paintings and photography.

Snow haven Québec hosts the world’s biggest winter festival.

An annual tradition since 1955, the carnival features a 120metre ice slide, a snow bath for folks in swim gear, marching bands, snow sculptures and dogsled races. Nearly 100,000 people attend. Bonhomme, the dancing snowman mascot, closes the parade on a new float.

JANUARY 12–18 ROADJUNKYRETREAT.COM

January 25 EDINBURGH.ORG/SEE-DO/ EVENTS/BURNS-NIGHT

Until January 26 HIROSHIMA-MOCA.JP/ MAIN_E/INDEX.HTML

January 31–February 16 CARNAVAL.QC.CA/EN

MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN

Sahara meditation

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art & science exhibition

HEUREKA at the borders of madness The visitor can now sense simulated how mental disorders are felt. The aim of the exhibition is to dispel prejudices associated with mental health problems and to encourage people to take care of their own well-being.

ExpErts from various fiElds have given their input in the planning of the exhibition. in addition to scientific experts, sufferers of mental health disorders have made a valuable contribution. In cooperation with Universcience, Paris, and Ciência Viva, Lisbon, the exhibition is the first science centre exhibition on mental health. Heureka Goes Crazy runs at Heureka from 12 October 2013 to 21 September 2014 and then moves on to Lisbon and Paris.

Feed your troubles to the ‘worry shredder’ the exhibition also encourages visitors to fool around and surprise themselves as well as take care of their own minds on health and mental wellbeing.

Some parts of the exhibition have been designed especially for children. The exhibition also encourages visitors to fool around a little and surprise themselves -to take care of their own mental health and well-being. Some of the exhibits have been designed especially for children. Furthermore, visitors can take part in touching and comforting accounts of people suffering from mental health disorders, or take a look at the history of insanity.

One can feel how liberating it is to feed your troubles into the worry shredder which is placed

Skitsofoni, Pierre-Laurent Cassière, 2013. in the show and to see how it mutilates them into small pieces. After this your feeling is probably enough released to dance in the rhythm of the music telling about madness -the music that no one else can hear.

The art of madness In addition to being a science centre exhibition, Heureka Goes Crazy is also an art exhibition. The visual foundation of the exhibition is made up of unique paintings by artist Vappu Rossi, who has created the

works directly onto the structures. The experience is enhanced by large photo portraits by art photographer Karoliina Bärlund. Some of the people portrayed have first-hand experience of mental health disorders. In the exhibition, visitors can also try the acoustic sculpture by Pierre-Laurent Cassiére, the Schizophone, which simulates what being constantly distracted feels like. The miniature worlds in the Take a peek at the history of insanity exhibit are by set designer Kimmo Takala.

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M

istralsnacksin missiona on saada suomalaisten kuluttajien kulutustottumukset lähemmäs välimerellistä ja terveellisempää ruokaympyrää, jossa päivittäin käytetään pähkinöitä, hedelmiä, siemeniä ja marjoja.

Pähkinöiden syöjillä on pienempi sydän- ja verisuonitautiriski

Makeisneuvos Oy on vuonna 2002 perustettu kotimainen yritys joka tuo maahan ja markkinoi omalla Mistralsnacks-brändillä kuivattuja hedelmiä, pähkinöitä, marjoja ja siemeniä. Konserniin kuuluu myös tytäryhtiö Kouvolan Lakritsi Oy, jonka juuret ulottuvat aina vuoteen 1906.

Pähkinät ovat erinomaisen terveellisiä ja ne vähentävät huomattavasti riskiä sairastua sydänsairauksiin. Tutkimusten mukaan säännöllinen pähkinöiden syönti on yhdistetty jopa 37% pienempään sydäntautiriskiin. Pähkinöitä kannattaakin syödä säännöllisesti, mikäli henkilöllä ei ole todettu pähkinäallergiaa.

Kuivatut Hedelmät Kuivatut hedelmät ovat makeisia tai pullaa selvästi terveellisempi vaihtoehto kun makeanhimo yllättää, tai kun urheilusuorituksen aikana ja sen jälkeen tarvitaan energiaa.

Kuivatuissa hedelmissä on jäljellä merkittävä määrä tuoreiden hedelmien

ravintoaineita sekä runsaasti kuitua, ne ovat helppokäyttöisiä ja käteviä otettavaksi mukaan esim. treeneihin.

Parhaat tuotteet huipputuottajilta Mistralsnacks valitsee tuotteet parhailta ja luotettavimmilta tuottajilta kaikilta mantereilta, aina sieltä missä parhaat kasvuolosuhteet kohtaavat mainiot makuelämykset.

Valikoimiin on valittu tuotteet, jotka parhaiten sopivat suomalaiseen suuhun ja pusseihin on pakattu parhaiten toistensa kanssa sopivat hedelmät ja pähkinät, jotta makuelämys olisi täydellinen.

Lisätietoja: www.mistralsnacks.com www.kouvolanlakritsi.fi timo.nisula@mistralsnacks.com tel.+358400490020

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An International Knowledge Center around Sanding and Finishing Systems One of Mirka’s success factors has been the focus on educating sales force, employees and customers. Systems and solutions with real benefits for the customer’s profitability and competitiveness have become more and more important during the last decade. Mirka has a long history in the abrasive industry, the company celebrated its 70th anniversary this summer and the new technology center was officially opened at the same time.

The 1,800 square meter new technology center is equipped with state of the art technology, including gas-heated paint boxes and an auditorium with high technology presentation facilities. Mirka’s technology center is aiming to become an internationally recognized knowledge hub in the area of sanding and finishing systems. “We are hoping to attract 1,500 visitors every year to Mirka Academy training courses, where the latest developments in the abrasives industry

will be showcased. Mirka is known for its high quality and innovative products, but it is not enough for us to just have good products. We need to show people how to use them and get the best out of them”, says Mats Sundell, R & D Director at KWH Mirka Ltd. The center plays a key role in strengthening Mirka´s philosophy of valuing customers and listening to the market, as well as improving the entire abrasives industry in the automotive refinishing, vehicle manufacturing and wood processing fields.

The new facility also seeks to involve customers in research and development, which is unique in the industry. A visit to the Finnish countryside for training in Mirka’s technology center, surrounded by pure white snow or light summer nights and total quiet, creates a crispy, clean feeling.

It fits well into the overall image we want to portray to the world.

Mats Sundell, R & D Director at KWH Mirka Ltd.

About Mirka Mirka Ltd is a world leader in abrasives technology innovation, offering a complete range of technically superior, high quality abrasives, supplementary products and complete sanding systems. Mirka’s core business areas are automotive refinish (ART), original equipment manufacturing (OEM), construction & decoration as well as the wood and furniture industry. All of Mirka’s products are manufactured in Finland and more than 90% are exported and sold in over 80 countries, including subsidiaries located in Europe, North America, South America and Asia.

www.mirka.com

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE Employed persons by industry, 3rd quarter 2013

FINLAND IN FIGURES

MANUFACTURING Food prod. and textiles 14%

Construction and energy Miscellaneous services

FOREIGN TRADE 2012 EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS

BY ACTIVITY: 56,777 MEUR (per cent of total)

14%

34%

19%

Forest industry prod

Other manufactured goods 23%

8%

23%

Chemical ind prod

13%

Electric and electronics

Agriculture

4%

16%

Other industries

IMPORTS BY USE IN 2012: 59,158 MEUR (per cent of total)

Energy Capital goods

Metal and engineering products 48%

Trade and hotel

Transport and communications

MONTHLY TEMPERATURES AND RAINFALL IN HELSINKI 2012 MEAN MAX MIN RAINFALL AVERAGE 1971-2000

Intermediate goods

Financial and business services

16%

10%

14%

Machinery and equipment

Forest products 15%

13%

15%

Metals and metal products

Manufacturing

C C C mm

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

52

36

38

32

37

57

63

56

76

70

58

-3,4 -6,8 0,8 4,1 10,9 13,7 17,7 16,0 12,5 6,7 4,2 -5,3 4,6 3,9 9,3 14,8 22,5 24,5 26,6 24,2 19,8 14,0 8,9 2,5 -15,9 -26,2 -14,3 -5,5 3,5 5,6 10,2 8,0 5,3 -6,2 -7,5 -16,2 80

Non-durable goods Durable consumer goods 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS (MEUR) TOTAL 2012 SWEDEN GERMANY RUSSIA USA NETHERLANDS CHINA GREAT BRITTAIN FRANCE

EXPORTS

56,777 6,283 5,238 5,688 3,580 3,561 2,961 2,885 1,689

IMPORTS

59,158 6,220 7,282 10,579 1,970 3,327 4,642 1,752 1,808

POPULATION 5.4 mil­lion, giv­ing an av­er­age den­sity of 18 people per sq. km of land area; an­nu­al ­growth ­rate 0.5%­ Life ex­pec­tan­cy: men 77.5 and women 83.4 years. As in most oth­er in­dus­tri­al coun­tries, t­ he middle-aged ­groups predominate.

Av­er­age house­hold s­ ize: 2.1 persons. 54% of the households ­live in single-family hous­es; 44% in apart­ment b ­ locks. 84.4% are urban-dwellers, ­with 1 mil­lion in the Hel­sin­ki Area, which includes Es­poo and Vantaa.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CURRENT TRENDS IN FINLAND, SEE:

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Oth­er ma­jor cit­ies in Finland in­clude Tam­pere, Tur­ku, Ou­lu and Jyväskylä.

Languages: 90% ­speak Finn­ish; 5.4% Swedish.

Religion: 78% are Lu­ther­an; 1% Orthodox.

Education: 81% of the pop­ul­a­ tion aged 25 to 64 ­have com­ plet­ed upper secondary or tertiary ed­u­ca­tion and 37% (the highest percentage in the EU countries) ­have uni­ver­sity or other tertiary qualifications.

AREA 390,920 sq. kil­o­me­tres or 150,900 sq. m ­ iles, of ­which 9% is fresh water; land area is 303, 909 ­sq. kil­o­me­tres or 117,337 sq. miles. There are 188,000 lakes.

6% of the l­and is ­under cul­ti­va­tion, ­with bar­ley and ­oats the ­main crops. Fo­rests (main­ly ­pine and ­spruce) cov­er 68% of the country.

GOVERNMENT Sove­reign par­lia­men­tary re­pub­lic ­since 1917. From 1809– 1917, au­ton­om ­ ous G ­ rand D ­ uchy with­in the Rus­sian Em­pire; be­fore ­that ­part of the King­dom of Swe­den for centuries.

The pres­i­dent is elect­ed eve­r y six years. The new president of Finland, Sauli Niinistö took office in March 2012. The 200 mem­bers of Par­lia­ment are elect­ed for fouryear terms.

Finland has been a member of the European Union since January 1995.

WORKING LIFE 80% of wom­en aged 25–54 are employed outside the home.

Av­er­age month­ly earn­ings, 3rd

quarter 2013: men 3,563 euros; women 2,957 euros. Un­em­ploy­ment ­rate 7.4%, in October 2013 according to Labour Force Survey.

ECONOMY GDP 2012: 193 billion euros, the annual change in volume -0.8%.

Annual inflation rate as of November 2013: 1.4%.

Currency: Euro.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT PER CAPITA 2012* (EUR)

Nominal

Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard

NORWAY 77,500 49,900 DENMARK 43,800 32,000 SWEDEN 43,000 32,800 USA 38,800 37,900 FINLAND 35,900 29,400 GERMANY 32,300 31,100 FRANCE 31,100 27,500 UK 30,500 28,400 EU27 25,600 25,600

Eurostat

Source: Statistics Finland

This is Finland at WWW.FINLAND.FI (English, Russian, Chinese, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) News by Finnfacts at WWW.GOODNEWSFROMFINLAND.COM Findicator: WWW.FINDICATOR.FI

Tervetuloa / Välkommen/ Welcome / Bienvenue / Willkommen / Добро пожаловать / Tere tulemast / ようこそ / Bienvenido / 欢迎 / Benvenuti / Velkommen / 환영 / Witamy /

www.finnair.fi www.finnair.se www.finnair.com

www.finnair.fr

www.finnair.de

www.finnair.com/ru

www.finnair.ee www.finnair.com/jp

www.finnair.es

www.finnair.dk

www.finnair.com/cn

www.finnair.kr

www.finnair.it

www.finnair.fi/pl

Flying Finnair AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL

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BEFORE AND DURING THE FLIGHT

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INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

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HELSINKI AIRPORT

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MAPS

88

CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

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FLEET

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FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS

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FINNAIR INFO HOW TO USE THE AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL GATES

Place your passport with the info page face down on the reader. Please wait while your passport is being read for biographical and biometric data. When the scan is complete, the gate will open.

日本人で、ICパスポート（※）をお持ちの方 は、2012年5月から試験的に、出入国審査場において 自動化ゲートをご利用頂けます。 ヘルシンキ空港のシェンゲンエリアから、日本に向 けて出国される際にお使い頂くことが可能です。 まず、パスポートの顔写真ページを読み取ります。 該当ページを開き、読み取り機に向けて置いてくだ さい。 こちらで個人情報と生体認証データを読み取ります。

Enter through the gate and turn right.

Remove your glasses and hat. Look directly at the screen keeping your face visible. The camera will compare your facial image with the biometric feature scanned from your passport.

Wait until the second gate opens.

The border check for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals is completed when the gate opens. Third country nationals must now move towards the border guard, who will check your entry stamp and mark your passport with an exit stamp.

Have a nice journey!

Smooth crossings ARRIVING AND DEPARTING PASSENGERS at Helsinki Airport can use the 25 automated border control gates. Ten of these are located in the departure hall; the rest are located at arrivals. The Finnish Border Guard’s automated border control helps serve growing passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can take advantage of the automated border control 82 BLUE WINGS

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gates. Third country nationals, who are exempt from the visa requirement and hold a biometric passport, may also use the automated border control upon departure. The service is available for Japanese and South Korean citizens. The automated border control is monitored by a border guard ensuring secure border crossings.

Please note that passengers travelling with an infant or wheelchair must use the manual border control line.

ゲートが開いたら中に入り、右を向いてください。 カメラで顔認証を行い、パスポートの顔写真と照 合します。 二番目のゲートが開いたら、出入国審査官のカウン ターにお進み下さい。パスポートの入国スタンプを 確認した後、出国スタンプを押印致します。 ご協力頂きまして有難うございます。 ※ ICパスポートとは、2006年3月20日から申請受付 を開始したIC旅券、つまり冊子中央にICチップ及び 通信を行うための。 アンテナを格納したカードが組み込まれているバイ オメトリック・パスポートのことです。

www.finnair.com/jp

대한민국 전자여권을 소지한 승객께서는 유럽에서 한국으로 입국 시, 헬싱키공항에서 자동출국심사서 비스를 이용하실 수 있습니다. 우선, 전자여권의 사진 페이지를 인식장치에 올려주 시기를 바랍니다. 이 과정에서 여권정보가 시스템에 자동 인식됩니다. 첫 번째 게이트가 열리면 안으로 들어가 오른쪽에위 치한카메라로 안면인증을 거치게 됩니다. 이후 마지막 게이트에서 출입국관리 직원의출국확인 도장을 받으시면 됩니다. 보다 간편하고 빠른 본 자동시스템의 많은 이용바 랍니다. 대한민국 전자여권은?

2008년 8월 25일 이후 발급된 여권으로 표지 하단 부에전자칩과 안테나가 내장 되어 있는 여권입니다.

www.finnair.com/KR

FINNAIR INFO BEFORE THE FLIGHT

BEFORE DEPARTURE

Speed up your takeoff!

Checking in to your Finnair flight is quick and easy.

You can save time and reduce hassle by checking in at a self-service kiosk at the airport, online or by text message.

Find out more about our check-in services at WWW.FINNAIR.COM.

ONLINE CHECK-IN Check in over the internet at your convenience, 24 hours a day, for all scheduled Finnair departures from Finland or destinations abroad (except from Ljubljana, where check-in can be completed on the airport’s own website), as well as connecting flights. Online check-in is also available for leisure flights departing from Finland. The service opens 36 hours before departure.

AUTOMATIC CHECK-IN Save time before departure and leave the check-in to us: if you haven’t completed online check-in, we will automatically take care of it for you and send your boarding pass to your mobile phone. If your flight departs in the morning, you will receive a check-in confirmation between 5 pm and 7 pm the previous evening. If your flight departs in the afternoon, you will get a confirmation approximately three hours before the flight takes off.

This service is available for Finnairoperated flights and Flybe-operated AY2000-series flights departing from most airports in Finnair network.

CHECK-IN VIA A SELF-SERVICE KIOSK To check in at an airport selfservice kiosk, all you need is your passport or your Finnair Plus membership card or credit card. Finnair check-in kiosks are available at the following airports: Helsinki, Amsterdam, Beijing, Brussels, Budapest, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hong Kong, London, Manchester, Munich, Oulu, Prague, St Petersburg, Stockholm-Arlanda, Tallinn, Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich.

The kiosks at Helsinki Airport can also be used when departing on a leisure flight.

Finnair in a nutshell • FINNAIR IS NUMBER ONE in air traffic between Northern Europe and Asia.

• IN 2012, Finnair carried 8.8 million passengers.

• CLOSE TO ONE AND A HALF MILLION passengers fly between Asia and Europe via Helsinki each year.

BAG DROP SERVICE If you only have carry-on baggage, proceed directly to security control. After self-service checkin, checked baggage should be left at the Bag Drop desk within the normal check-in times.

ONLINE CHECK-IN is available for leisure flights departing from Finland, and at check-in kiosks for departures from Helsinki.

IN CASE A FLIGHT IS DELAYED OR CANCELLED, Finnair will inform you about the situation via SMS. Please make sure that you have provided Finnair with your mobile phone number. Find out more information on flight disruptions at FINNAIR.COM/FLIGHTINFO.

• IN 2012, THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS on scheduled flights totalled 8 million.

Domestic travel accounted for 1.6 million passengers. Passenger total on leisure flights was nearly 813,600.

• IN 2012, FINNAIR TRANSPORTED more than 148,000 tonnes of cargo.

• ESTABLISHED IN 1923, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines.

• FINNAIR’S ROUTE NETWORK includes more than 50 international destinations.

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FINNAIR INFO DURING THE FLIGHT

IN THE AIR

Welcome aboard!

SAFETY

PERKS FOR KIDS

• Safety information is presented by the cabin crew at the start of each flight. This information is also listed on the safety instruction card in your seat pocket.

• Children are offered puzzles or colouring books on intercontinental scheduled flights and leisure flights.

• Safety belts must remain fastened when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is on. For safety reasons we recommend keeping them fastened even when the sign has been switched off.

• Passengers may use MP3, CD or DVD players as well as laptop computers when the “Fasten safety belt” sign is off.

• Music and video entertainment is available on intercontinental scheduled flights and leisure flights.

• On the Airbus A340-300 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft, games are available as part of the personal entertainment system.

MEALS • Meals or snacks are served on most international flights. Pre-order meals are available for Economy Class passengers on most European flights.

• Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages are available on scheduled flights.

ENTERTAINMENT • Inflight entertainment on intercontinental scheduled flights and leisure flights includes music, movies and an Airshow programme, which allows passengers to track their flight on a map.

• On scheduled flights, headphones are available free of charge. On leisure flights, the entertainment fee includes headphones.

• Alcoholic drinks are for sale in Economy Class on European scheduled flights, except on routes to and from Riga, St. Petersburg, Stockholm and Tallinn.

• In Economy Class on intercontinental scheduled flights we serve a hot meal with complimentary wine and beer.

• On European and intercontinental scheduled flights, coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks are complimentary.

• In Business Class all drinks are free of charge. On leisure flights, there is a charge for all beverages.

• On flights to and from northern Finland, alcoholic beverages are sold after 9 am.

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Inflight shopping • You may order products in advance from our large and affordable pre-order assortment at www.finnairshop.com. On most flights we also have onboard sales items. The selection varies by route.

• Tax-free products, alcohol and tobacco are sold on aircraft flying to and from destinations outside the European Union. These include all intercontinental flights, as well as Ekaterinburg, Geneva, Moscow and Zurich. On flights within the EU, products are affordable but not tax-free.

• Due to limited space onboard, alcohol and tobacco products are not for sale on flights operated with Embraer aircraft, but these products may be ordered through the pre-order service.

• Gift items, cosmetics, fragrances and confectionary are sold on scheduled flights to and from the following destinations: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Düsseldorf, Ekaterinburg, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Ljubljana, London, Madrid, Manchester, Malaga, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Nice, Paris, Prague, Rome, Venice, Vienna and Zurich.

• SHOP WITH POINTS Pamper yourself with Finnair Plus points at www.finnairplusshop.com

FINNAIR INFO INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

THIS MONTH ’ S INFLIGHT PICKS BW P

ICK

OF T

HE M

Movies, TV, music and games onboard

ONT

H

S Enough Said A divorced woman (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who decides to pursue a new relationship learns that the man she has begun seeing is also her new friend’s ex-husband. This acclaimed American indie film also stars the late James Gandolfini. (Rating PG-13)

Ilo Ilo In 1990s Singapore, a maid (Angeli Bayani) and a local boy (Koh Jia Ler) develop a friendship as a recession hits the region. Ilo Ilo won Best Picture at 2013’s Golden Horse Awards (English Subtitles, Rating NR)

MUSIC MIXES ON THE FLY NOKIA MIXRADIO offers a wide variety of music on Finnair’s long-haul flights.

Mixes feature genres such as jazz and hip-hop and artists from regions including India and China.

Rolli and the Golden Key In this Finnish film, a little girl named Juniper meets an old troll called Rolli. This is the beginning of a magical adventure as the girl tries to find out who she really is. (English Subtitles, Rating NR)

The Dark Knight Rises When a new criminal, Bane, begins terrorising Gotham, the Dark Knight resurfaces to protect the city. This is director Christopher Nolan’s third Batman film. (The following content may not be suitable for younger passengers.) (Finnish Rating K12)

Before Sunrise In this 1995 classic, the first entry of Richard Linklater’s romantic trilogy, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) meet on a train from Budapest to Paris and decide to spend one night together in Vienna. (Finnish Rating S)

it back, relax and enjoy your flight with your personal entertainment system. Use your handset or touchscreen to choose from 72 movies, 150 TV shows, 24 music channels, up to 200 CD albums and 15 games.

From films to news and sports, there’s always something for you to enjoy, including programs from Hollywood, Asia and around the globe.

Available language tracks include English, Japanese, Korean, Thai, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish and Finnish, depending on the program, as well as Finnish and Chinese subtitles. We also offer family films and cartoons on all international and leisure flights. Selection may vary by aircraft type.

You can also create a music playlist from up to 200 CDs (on select aircraft).

Most entertainment systems also include a satellite phone for texting and emails, and a power outlet so you can use your own laptop computer or personal entertainment device. The system also offers an Airshow moving map that displays the progress of your flight.

Personal entertainment systems are available on Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 aircraft.

Headphones are free of charge on intercontinental scheduled flights. On leisure flights (AY1000 series) there is an entertainment fee including headphone rental (on Boeing 757, €5.00 per person including return flight; on Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, €8.00 per person per flight). Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, telephone and the option to send SMS & email messages via the Inflight Entertainment System (not available for inbound SMS to the US or Canada). Messages cost $2.00 each. Calls cost $7.00/first minute and $3.50/every 30 secs thereafter.

Entertainment/communication systems may vary by aircraft.

FINNAIR INFO BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLIGHT HELSINKI AIRPORT

TRANSFER SERVICE

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33

32

32a

31x 31

31a-e 30

HOW TO TRANSFER • Check your gate and departure time on the airport monitors.

35

• If your baggage has not been checked through to your final destination, collect it from the baggage claim area and go to check-in and security control.

SHOP

Security control

Finnair Tax-Free Shop

FINNAIR LOUNGE

AIRPORT SHOPPING

Finnair Plus members receive special discounts at the Finnair Tax-Free Shop when presenting their membership card.

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2ND FLOOR

37a-d

GROUND FLOOR

AUTOMATED BORDER CHECKS are available to passengers with biometric EU, EEA or Swiss passports.

Place your passport on the reader with the photo page down, then pass through the first gate, turn towards the monitor, and wait for the second gate to open.

NON-SMOKING Smoking at Helsinki Airport is prohibited outside of designated smoking rooms.

SHOPPING Receive special offers for airport services when you show your Finnair Plus card. You will recognise our partners by the Finnair Plus symbol.

Helsinki Airport features more than 30 shops and boutiques and various restaurants and cafés.

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Borde contro

36

Border control

SHOP

SHOP

2ND FLOOR

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CHILDREN Children’s playrooms offer videos, microwave ovens and baby care facilities.

SHOP

Transfer Service 3

• All Finnair and Flybe departures are located in the same terminal.

WIRELESS INTERNET is available free of charge. An eService Bar is located across from gate 21.

Border control

LONG-HAUL AREA NON-SCHENGEN

• If you don’t have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, please contact the transfer service desk.

• Most passengers transferring from nonEU countries to EU countries have to go through security and passport control.

Please note that liquids are restricted in carry-on baggage.

SHOP

LOST AND FOUND INQUIRIES, Lentäjäntie 1 (next to terminal T2, street level) Open Mon-Fri 07:00-17:00 and Sat 08:00-15:00.

Tel 0600 41006 (1,97€/min +local network charge) WWW.LOYTOTAVARA.NET

SHOP

WALKING TIME GATE 24-30: 7 MIN

CHECK OUT

T2 29

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Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn

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FINNAIR LOUNGE 26

Finnair Tax-Free Shop

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GATE AREA

Security check

er ol

CHECK-IN 240–270

CHECK-IN 201–232 SHOP

SHOP

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25 Transfer Service 2

SHOP

Security check

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Finnair Service Desk

GROCERY

21

20

SH

OP

SCHENGEN AREA

THE LATEST FINNAIR PLUS TAX-FREE OFFERS ON PAGE 97.

LOUNGE 2

SHOP

1ST FLOOR

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Tourist info

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Pharmacy

17 16

Transfer Service 1

15

CHECK-IN 101–114

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Security check

Baggage storage

T1

GROUND FLOOR

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GATE AREA 12

2ND FLOOR

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FINAVIA

SHOP BUS CONNECTIONS The Finnair City Bus to the Helsinki railway station leaves from Terminal 2 every 20 minutes, stopping also at Terminal 1. Travel time is about 30 minutes. Price: €6.30

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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

ALGHERO 2473 03:35

AMSTERDAM 1525 02:35 ANTALYA 2637 03:40 AQABA 3494 05:05 ARRECIFE 4518 05:55 BANGKOK 7912 09:45 BARCELONA 2632 03:55 BEIJING 6325 07:55 BERGEN 1112 03:30 BERLIN 1123 02:00 BILLUND 1060 01:50 BODRUM 2572 03:55 BRUSSELS 1651 02:40 BUDAPEST 1481 02:20 BURGAS 1982 03:00 CANCUN via Scandinavia 9127 13:40 non-stop 12:05 CATANIA 2636 03:45 CHANIA 2756 03:50 CHONGQING 6736 08:40 COPENHAGEN 895 01:40 DALAMAN 2639 03:40 DELHI 5229 06:50 DUBAI 4537 05:55 DUBROVNIK 2027 03:00 DÜSSELDORF 1512 02:25 EKATERINBURG 2098 03:05 FARO 3480 04:45 FRANKFURT 1543 02:35 FUERTEVENTURA 4578 06:05 FUNCHAL 4310 05:45 GENEVA 1994 03:00 GOA via Sharjah 6739 10:15 GOTHENBURG 785 01:25 HAMBURG 1172 02:00 HANOI 7478 10:10 HÔ CHI MINH CITY (Saigon) 8510 10:50 HONG KONG 7821 09:35 HURGHADA 3743 05:05 INNSBRUCK 1701 02:35 IRÁKLION 2777 03:55 KAVALA 2159 03:15 KERKYRA 2331 03:25 KIEV 1171 01:55 KOS 2620 03:45 KRABI 8350 10:20 KRAKOW 1186 02:00 LANGKAWI 8560 10:25 LAS PALMAS 4700 06:10 LISBON 3369 04:50 LJUBLJANA 1713 02:40 LONDON 1863 03:10 MADRID 2950 04:25 MALAGA 3357 04:35 MANCHESTER 1817 03:00 MARSA ALAM 3932 05:10 MILAN 1953 03:05 MINSK 740 01:25 MOSCOW 876 01:40 MUNICH 1577 02:30 NAGOYA 7780 09:40 NEW YORK 6626 08:45 NICE 2202 03:25 NORRKÖPING 530 01:30 OSAKA 7751 09:30 OSLO 766 01:30 OVDA 3457 04:30 PALMA DE MALLORCA 2777 04:00 PAPHOS 2898 04:00 PARIS 1900 03:05 PHUKET 8312 10:05 PONTA DELGADA 4316 05:50

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Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times PRAGUE 1322 02:10 PREVEZA 2397 03:25 PUERTO PLATA via Scandinavia 8417 12:40 RHODES 2668 03:45 RIGA 382 00:55 RIMINI 1993 03:00 ROME 2235 03:25 SANTORINI 2660 03:40 SEOUL 7050 08:40 SHANGHAI 7410 09:05 SHARM EL SHEIKH 3664 05:00 SINGAPORE 9272 11:30 SKIATHOS 2353 03:30 SPLIT 1956 02:55 ST. PETERSBURG 301 01:00 STOCKHOLM 400 01:00 TALLINN 101 00:30 TARTU 245 00:50 TEL AVIV 3230 04:25 TENERIFE NORTE 4691 06:10 TENERIFE SUR 4745 06:10 TOKYO 7849 09:45 TORONTO 6619 08:50 VARADERO via Scandinavia 8665 12:55 VARNA 1911 02:55 VENICE 1847 02:55 VERONA 1903 02:55 VIENNA 1462 02:30 VILNIUS 633 01:15 WARSAW 940 01:40 XIAN 6421 07:50 ZAKYNTHOS 2526 03:55 ZÜRICH 1781 02:45

SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED DESTINATION N IN 2013

Atl Oc antic ean

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI ENONTEKIÖ IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU PORI ROVANIEMI SAVONLINNA TAMPERE TURKU VAASA VARKAUS

900 02:15 931 01:35 360 01:00 235 00:45

464 01:00 282 00:55 609 01:30 823 01:25 391 01:05 335 01:00 667 01:15 514 01:05 214 00:40 697 01:20 281 00:55 143 00:35 150 00:35 348 00:55 259 00:50

Bay of B isca ya

Arct ic

Ocea n

Nor weg ian S ea

Nort

h Sea

Black Sea

Medit erranea n Sea JANUARY 2014

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Arctic Ocean FINNAIR-INFO WORLD MAP

Finnair Plus members earn Plus points from travelling on any scheduled flight with a oneworld airline.

Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Ocea n Atlantic Ocean

oneworld: more than 800 destinations

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Arctic Ocean

Taiwan

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

JANUARY 2014

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FINNAIR INFO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Society and the environment Finnair wants to be the number one choice for quality- and environmentally-conscious travellers.

The airline collaborates with many environmental and humanitarian organisations, and invites its frequent flyers to participate in these efforts by donating Finnair Plus points.

Here are a few other examples of Finnair’s societal involvement in a changing world:

SMART TRAVEL FINNAIR HAS JOINED the Sustainable Travel

• From 1999 to 2009, Finnair cut its carbon dioxide emissions per seat by 22 per cent.

By 2017, it intends to reduce this number by another 24 per cent; total reductions per seat from 1999 to 2017 will equal as much as 41 per cent.

Finnair supports the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of zeroemissions air travel by 2050, as well as a global emissions trading scheme.

• Finnair flies one of the youngest fleets in the business. The average aircraft age is 8.4 years. Operating with new aircraft cuts back on fuel consumption and emissions by 20 to 30 per cent. The airline also flies the shortest routes between Europe and Asia via Helsinki, reducing fuel consumption. Passengers and cargo are carried on the same flights.

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• As part of the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) program, Finnair provides weather measurements to the Finnish National Weather Service and to a number of meteorological institutes globally.

• Through its collaboration with Nordic Offset, a Finnish company, AREA travel agency offers companies the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions from business travel by donating to renewable energy projects in growing markets such as China and India.

• Finnair employees are offered continuous training and development opportunities.

The company also conducts an annual employee wellbeing survey, participates in campaigns promoting equal treatment at the workplace, and places a strong focus on occupational safety.

Leadership Network, an initiative that collaborates and communicates on various sustainability issues and projects.

The network, which currently includes 14 international organisations such as Finnair Group, Cathay Pacific, Abercrombie & Kent and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, is the brainchild of Sustainable Travel International, a US-based nonprofit organisation. Among Sustainable Travel International’s projects is helping companies manage their corporate responsibility efforts.

According to Finnair’s VP of sustainable development Kati Ihamäki, the network is valuable because it takes into account issues pertaining to sustainable development along the entire industry chain, from transportation to destinations. ”Several highly regarded operators from different areas of the industry are taking part in this project, all with the shared goal of promoting sustainable travel,” she says.

Finnair is active in several international corporate responsibility projects: in 2013, for example, it joined the United Nations Global Compact and the Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (NISA).

SUSTAINABLETRAVEL.ORG

FINNAIR INFO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

DID YOU KNOW? After a deadly typhoon struck the Philippines in November of 2013, Finnair Cargo collaborated with the Finnish Red Cross to deliver emergency aid equipment, such as tents and medical supplies, to the affected areas.

Finnair Plus members can donate points to the Red Cross at pointshop.finnair.com.

HOW YOU CAN HELP At pointshop.finnair.com, members of Finnair’s frequent flyer programme can donate points to the following organisations: ☛ The Finnish Association for Nature Conservation ☛ The Association of Friends of the University Children’s Hospitals ☛ The Cancer Society of Finland

• Finnair supports groups such as the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and UNICEF, and has provided humanitarian assistance during environmental crises including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The airline has also worked with smaller organisations including Tikau and ENO, an environmental education programme.

• Finnair prioritises recycling: for example, the airline has donated cabin crew uniforms, blankets and other textiles to Uusix and GlobeHope, companies that turn used materials into design items.

• Finnair serves 16,000 meals

onboard daily, with more than 55 per cent of the waste going to recycling or re-use.

• Plastic wine bottles, mugs, packages and utensils, as well as cardboard cups and paper napkins are burned to produce energy. Aluminium cans and clear plastic bottles are recycled. The recycling process begins during the flight.

• Plastic trays are washed and reused. In Business Class, washable dishes and utensils are used.

F

· innair’s emissions calculator (at www.finnair.com/emissionscalculator) allows travellers to check their personal fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by plugging in their departure and destination cities. Data assurance is done

by PricewaterhouseCoopers and updated on a quarterly basis.

☛ The Finnish Red Cross ☛ UNICEF ☛ The Baltic Sea Action Group ☛ Hope

FIND OUT MORE Finnair has published an annual overview of its sustainability efforts since 1997. The 2012 Sustainability Report, available online, offers information on Finnair’s efforts in four areas: customers, personnel, operations and safety.

Visit www.finnairgroup.com/

responsibility/index.html to access the report.

BLOGS.FINNAIR.COM

JANUARY 2014

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FINNAIR-INFO FLEET

AIRBUS A340-300 Number 7 Seating capacity 270/269 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 890 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,500 m AIRBUS A330-300 Number 8 Seating capacity 297/271/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 890 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRBUS A321 (ER) Number 7 Seating capacity 136–196 Length 44.5 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A320 Number 10 Seating capacity 110–165 Length 37.6 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A319 Number 9 Seating capacity 105–138 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m EMBRAER 190 Operated by Flybe Number 12 Seating capacity 100 Length 36.2 m Wingspan 28.7 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m BOEING 757 Number 4 Seating capacity 227 Length 47.3 m Wingspan 41.4 m Cruising speed 860 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,800 m

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Join Finnair Plus & enjoy countless benefits FINNAIR PLUS IS a frequent flyer program open to all Finnair passengers. Children aged 2−17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior program. Enter your membership number upon booking or show your card at check-in to earn points on Finnair and oneworld flights.

USE POINTS TO buy services from Finnair Plus partners or make purchases from the online Finnair Plus­Shop, which stocks more than 3,500 items from gadgets to design. Shop with points, money or a combination of both.

COLLECT POINTS FROM more than 300 international Finnair Plus partners, including car rental companies, restaurants, hotels, airport shops and more.

JOIN FINNAIR PLUS AT www.finnair. com/plus or by filling out an application found as an insert in this magazine. The Finnair Plus site includes plenty of information and allows you to check your points balance, book flight awards, and browse special offers.

FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERS ENJOY a variety of benefits and flight award options.

Purchase an Any Seat flight award at finnair.com/plus with a flexible combination of points and money, a Classic flight award with a set amount of points, or a flight on a oneworld airline.

Finnair Plus

oneworld

BASIC SILVER GOLD PLATINUM

--RUBY SAPPHIRE EMERALD

THERE ARE FOUR FINNAIR PLUS TIERS: Basic, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Move up to higher tiers by collecting qualifying tier points on Finnair or oneworld flights.

www.finnair.com/plus

BASIC BENEFITS:

+ C lassic and Any Seat flight awards

+ T ext message check-in for + + + + +

Finnair flights P ayment for excess baggage charges with points W aiting list priority based on tier P lusShop and partner service purchases with points D iscounts and points for partner services P oints for credit card purchases

ADDITIONAL SILVER BENEFITS:

+ B usiness Class check-in with + + + + +

Finnair Priority Lane* security checks O ne extra piece of baggage free of charge F innair lounge access when flying with Finnair 1 0% points bonus on Finnair flights 1 0% discount on purchases made in Finnair Shops and on flights outside of the EU

ADDITIONAL GOLD BENEFITS:

+ C onfirmed seat 48 hours before

+ + + + + +

Finnair flights (European or intercontinental for Business Class, intercontinental for Economy Class) P riority Lane* security checks t ravel class upgrades for Finnair flights U se of a service phone number S pecial baggage free of charge on Finnair flights O neworld Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest 1 5% points bonus on Finnair flights

ADDITIONAL PLATINUM BENEFITS:

+ N o expiration of points during tracking period

+ Oneworld First Class checkin and lounge access

+ 25% points bonus on Finnair flights

* For example: Helsinki, Stockholm-Arlanda

JANUARY 2014

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FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q

I ’M 4,500 TIER POINTS SHORT OF REACHING SILVER TIER. CAN I PURCHASE THESE MISSING POINTS?

A

may exchange your award points for tier points; You 15,000 award points equals 5,000 tier points.

A service fee of 20 euros also applies.

Q A

CAN I BUY SOMETHING FROM FINNAIR PLUSSHOP EVEN IF I DON’T HAVE ANY POINTS?

es, you can also buy products from Finnair PlusShop Y using money only. Don’t forget to sign in first using your Finnair Plus login – that way you’ll earn one point for every euro you spend.

Q

I HAVE ACCUMULATED BOTH FINNAIR PLUS TIER POINTS AND AWARD POINTS. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE TWO?

A

ou earn award points when you take a scheduled Y flight operated by Finnair or another oneworld airline, or buy products and services from Finnair Plus partners. See finnair.com/pluspartners to find out more. Meanwhile, you earn tier points when you take a Finnair flight or scheduled international flight operated by a oneworld airline. Collecting tier points allows you to move up through the Finnair Plus membership tiers. With each tier upgrade, you’ll get access to more varied and valuable benefits.

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Did you know?

YOU CAN NOW transfer Finnair Plus award points online; for example, you can give award points to family members as gifts. Log into your account at www.finnair.com/plus.

A service fee of 20 euros applies.

FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS PARTNERS

OFFERSOffers FOR fOr FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERS IN finnair Plus members in JANUARY november The Finnair Tax-free shop at the Helsinki Airport welcomes

The Finnair at Helsinki welcomes Finnair PlusTax-free membersshop with monthly offersAirport and benefits.

Just showPlus yourmembers Finnair Pluswith cardaand save 20% or moreand on our Finnair variety of offers benefits. tax-free prices on certain Justregular show your Finnair Plus carditems. and save 20% or more on our regular tax-free prices on certain items.

TAX-FREE SHOP

GATe 28 NEW & IMPROVED!

WINE WORLD & 2ND FLOOR LIFESTYLE WORLD DESIGN ITEMS • EXCLUSIVE BRANDS FROM FINLAND LUXURy COSMETICS • TOp FRAGRANCES • GIFT ITEMS JEwELLERy • qUALITy wINES • SwEETS AND TOyS… Chateau Poitevin Cru Bourgeois AC Médoc

Guess Odoro Medium Frame Satchel Bag

Normal tax-free price €19.90

Normal tax-free price €168 Save 27% off city price

€16.90

WIN A TRIP TO neW YorK

Chateau La Couspaude 2010, AC Saint Émilion Grand Cru Classé

€56.90

Normal tax-free priceVISIT €64.90 OUR RENEWED GATE 28 STORE AND WIN TWO RETURN TICKETS TO THE BIG APPLE!

€135

Guess Odoro Top Zip Bag

€100

Normal tax-free price €126 Save 28% off city price Guess Odoro Bill Fold Zip Around Wallet

€55

Normal tax-free price €68 Save 27% off city price

Collect points daily You can earn Finnair Plus points on your everyday purchases: just apply for the Finnair Plus Diners Club or MasterCard credit card. Both credit cards also double as your Finnair Plus membership card − all of your benefits are available on this one card. The Finnair Plus Diners Club and Mastercard are available for Finnair Plus members in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

Find out more and apply at WWW.FINNAIR.COM/PLUS.

FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP

Shop online with Finnair Plus points HOME DELIVERY

Orrefors Pulse complete glass kit: includes four wine glasses (35 cl), four beer glasses (45 cl) and four tumblers (34 cl) The stylish Pulse, designed by Ingegerd Råman for Orrefors, is machine-washable and thus well suited for everyday use.

The series includes wine glasses, beer glasses and a tumbler.

The glasses are sold in packs of four.

Regular price €137 Member offer €99 + 1,000 Finnair Plus points

THE ONLINE FINNAIR PLUSSHOP stocks more than 3,000 items and delivers around the world. Pay with Finnair Plus points, money or a combination of both. Items are shipped to your home or to your nearest post office.

FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP

More PlusShop offers

GP BATTERIES PORTABLE POWERBANK 10400 BACKUP BATTERY €79, black & white Member offer €59 + 1,000 points

ARTEK KANTO MAGAZINE/WOOD RACK €140, black & white Member offer €109 + 1,000 points

IITTALA KIVI VOTIVE €35.90, red, sevilla orange Member offer €25 + 1,000 points

OMRON BF-511 BODY COMPOSITION MONITOR €149 Member offer €125 + 1,000 points

MARIMEKKO UNIKKO TEA POT & 6 TEA CUPS €179.40 Member offer €145 + 1,000 points

MARIMEKKO UNIKKO THROW €199 Member offer €159 + 1,000 points

FINLAYSON LUMIMUUMI BED SET €48 Member offer €39 + 1,000 points

TUBO LIGHT THERAPY LAMP €269, 3 colour options Member offer €229 + 1,000 points

ISOSTEEL TOURING SET PRO BAG THERMOS SET €64.90 Member offer €49 + 1,000 points

PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

WWW.FINNAIRPLUSSHOP.COM

PRINCESS FINLAND tel. +358 10 281 2910 · info@princess.fi · www.princess.fi We are attending London Boat Show from 4th to 12th of January and Boot Düsseldorf from 18th to 26th of January at the Princess Yachts International Stands.

Welcome also to visit the Princess Finland stand at Helsinki International Boat Show from 7th to 16th of February.

Mats Carlson · mats@princess.fi · tel. +358 500 667754 Max Malmström · max@princess.fi · tel. +358 400 185035