Blue Wings Culture issue March 2015

CULTURE ISSUE TRENDS, DESTINATIONS AND INSIGHTS FOR TRAVELLERS

MARCH 2015

Your personal copy FINDING THE REAL

GANGNAM STYLE MODERN ART RISING IN

ST. PETERSBURG

WORLD’S BEST CAFÉS

FOR DIGITAL NOMADS

Stepping up to the mic in

New York

TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 STEEL & CERAMIC DIAMONDS Cara Delevingne challenges rules. Being free-minded is her motto. Like TAGÂ Heuer, she defies conventions and never cracks under pressure.

EDITORIAL

BY PEKKA VAURAMO CEO OF FINNAIR

WWW.FINNAIR.COM

HEAD OFFICE FINLAND CONTENT DESIGNER Amanda Soila VISUAL DESIGNER Sirpa Ärmänen SUB-EDITOR Shelly Nyqvist ENGLISH EDITING Silja Kudel REPROGRAPHICS Faktor Oy BEHIND THIS ISSUE Daniel Allen, Maija Astikainen, Paula DiPerna, Laura Iisalo, Kati Heikinheimo, Markus Henttonen, Silja Kudel, Alex Leander, Mirva Lempiäinen, Jorma Leppänen, Tanja Mikkola, Minna Nyrhinen, Laura Palotie, Katja Pantzar, Anu Piippo, Vesa Salmi, and Yuanchang Wang SUBMISSIONS bluewings@headofficefinland.fi BLUE WINGS ONLINE www.issuu.com/headofficefinland EDITORIAL OFFICES Lapinmäentie 1, 00350 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, firstname.lastname@headofficefinland.fi ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Head Office Finland PRINTED BY Hansaprint, Turku, Finland 2015 PAPER UPM Valor 61g Cover paper Stora Enso LumiArt 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703

Vive la différence!

T

he world is getting smaller and more connected every day, thanks in no small part to the growth of international air travel. Airlines profit by building bridges between cultures and making it convenient to conduct business – and maintain friendships – across distant borders.

But a smaller world doesn’t have to mean a world of monoculture, where we all watch the same movies or spend our money on the same megabrands. On the contrary, the more I travel, the more amazed I am by the sheer abundance and creativity of culture on

our planet, whether local, global or somewhere in between.

To me, this is not so surprising: the more ideas are shared, the more traditions and influences that artists, tradespeople and entrepreneurs have to draw on, surely the more varied and individual their responses will be.

Think about how travel has shaped you and given you new ideas. Where will this world take you next?

Wishing you an inspiring journey, Pekka Vauramo

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com FINNAIR HEAD OFFICE Tietotie 9 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

Nordic tips for your summer holidays

1

Sail the Finnish Archipelago, one of world’s most beautiful collections of islands, along Finland’s Baltic Coast.

2

Fish in Europe’s best salmon fishing river, River Tenojoki on the northern edge of Finland next to Norway.

3

Cycle the Åland Islands, which are easy for anyone to pedal, as they’re relatively flat; landmarks such as the 14th century Kastelhom Castle dot the gorgeous natural scenery.

MARCH 2015

BLUE WINGS

3

A good night’s sleep is guaranteed in a Hästens bed.

Long live a good night’s sleep and a better quality of life! Hästens beds are high-quality products hand-made from natural materials, and will last for decades. Every detail in our beds is carefully designed – and has been since 1852.

Don’t settle for anything less.

HÄSTENS STORE HELSINKI Mannerheimintie 8, 00100 Helsinki Tel. 020 780 1370

hastens.com

IN THIS ISSUE

28

MARCH 2015 DESTINATION ROMANTIC LAPLAND

Exchanging vows in Finland’s winter wonderland

TOP 5 MADRID ROOFTOP TERRACES Spanish cuisine, cocktails and dizzying views

CULTURE OPEN MIC IN NEW YORK Emerging talents take to the stage

Gangnam style hunting in Psy’s footsteps

CULTURE ST. PETERSBURG’S ARTSY SIDE Modern Russian art is full of surprises

FOOD A SPANISH SEAFOOD TREAT Funky-looking percebes are a local delicacy

BUSINESS TOP 10 WORKING CAFÉS

World’s best coffee places for the digital nomad

DESTINATION BRAZIL’S MOVABLE FEAST With Rodizio, the buffet comes to you New York’s famed open mic nights are lively and welcoming.

48

38

In Seoul’s Gangnam, street style meets high-end fashion.

36 38 48

LIFESTYLE SEOUL COOL Tying the knot in Finnish Lapland is still a well-kept secret.

28

54 58 60 68

TAKEOFF DESIGN

Chinese inspiration......................11

NEWS

New boutique hotel....................12

ART

WELLBEING

Clean air cosmetics ....................20

DESTINATION

Bangkok floral design ...............22

AROUND THE WORLD

14

Smetana Days.................................24

New start-up magazine............. 16

New travel app...............................26

Mapplethorpe in Helsinki

BUSINESS

HELSINKI

FOOD&DRINK

Brewery favourites...........................18 MARCH 2015

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5

IN THIS ISSUE

60

Tero Isokauppila reveals his favourite coffee places around the world.

54

Brazil has perfected the art of the all-you-can-eat buffet.

Modern art in St. Petersburg is thought provoking and refreshing.

REGULARS

Travel Moment............................................ 8

Tiina Rosenberg......................................52 Alexander Stubb.....................................66 Finland in figures.................................... 98

68

FLYING FINNAIR Tips for takeoff........................................ 80 Inflight wellbeing.................................... 81 Entertainment.......................................... 82 Shopping..................................................... 83 Sustainability............................................. 84 Border crossings..................................... 85 Helsinki Airport ....................................... 86 Maps and destinations......................... 88 Fleet.............................................................. 92 Frequent flyer benefits........................ 94 6 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

China, p. 8 Bangkok, p. 22 Helsinki, p. 26 Lapland, p. 28 Madrid, p. 36

New York, p. 38 Seoul p. 48 St. Petersburg, p. 54 Brazil, p. 54

8 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

TRAVEL MOMENT

BY YUANCHANG WANG

STRIPED YOUNGSTERS TIGER BREEDERS gently play with cubs at the world’s largest Siberian tiger breeding base in the northeast China. The Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park, tucked away in the forests at the foot of Mount Hufeng, was established in 1986 by the Chinese government to address the dwindling

number of tigers over the past century.

Since then, the number of tigers has grown from eight cats to a population of more than 1,000.

The park has also developed wilderness training to prepare the captive animals for survival when they are released into the wild.

MARCH 2015

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TÄYDELLINEN PARI

FINNAIR PLUS JA STOCKMANN Nyt voit ansaita Finnair Plus -pisteitä ostoksista Stockmannin tavarataloissa ja verkkokaupassa. Aktivoi kanta-asiakaskorttisi osoitteessa www.stockmann.com/finnair

TAKEOFF

NEWS / ART / BUSINESS / FOOD AND DRINK / WELLBEING / DESTINATION / AROUND THE WORLD / HELSINKI

DESIGN

Floral homes TEXT BY AMANDA SOILA

This spring interior design travels back in time to historical Chinese artworks with the launch of the “Shanghai Garden” collection.

Drawing inspiration from 100-year-old paintings, the Designers Guild collection features motifs of flowers, bamboos, mountain sceneries and temples. Designers Guild, an English family-run company best known for their bright colours and distinctive patterns, is represented in Finland by Vallila Interior.

FEBRUARY 2015

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TAKEOFF NEWS

DID YOU KNOW? The new Finnair mobile app can be used to check in, select seats, purchase upgrades, receive news, and view point balances.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN KUVATOIMISTO KUVIO

APPLICATION

HOTEL

Sweet dreams, Helsinki style VISITORS TO FINLAND will soon have yet another trendy spot to catch some shut-eye when the international Hotel Indigo chain opens its first Nordic outpost in Helsinki on March 3. The Guardian has already named it one of this year’s top 20 new accommodation options in Europe.

Hotel Indigo is known for modern, eco-friendly boutique hotels that blend with the character of the neighbourhoods where they are located, drawing inspiration from local culture and history. The new 120-room Hotel Indigo Helsinki on the Boulevard is no exception.

“The decor relies heavily on the work of young designers, such as Linda Linko, winner of the European Design Award,” explains General Manager Mikaela Pomrén.

The hotel brings two new restaurants

to Helsinki: the Scandinavian bistro Bröd, and Soup & Juice selling artisanal juices, salads and soups, also to take away. Top Finnish chef Kristian Vuojärvi manages both.

It’s no coincidence that Hotel Indigo’s first Northern European home is in the trendy district of Punavuori. The brand looks for locations where guests can “feel like they are part of the local rhythm of life,” says Pomrén.

“The Boulevard and Punavuori offer a lot to see and experience. Also, the Design District with its countless shops, boutiques and galleries fits perfectly with the brand concept. Hotel Indigo Helsinki is excellently located,” she adds. Rooms start at €149. helsinki-boulevard.hotelindigo.com

ACCESSORIES

Bad news for bag-snatchers

LONDON-BASED luxury designer Aki Choklat is going where no handbag maker has gone before – down the smart purse route. Choklat sells five types of high-end handbag embedded with microscopic tags that utilise Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. NFC, together with a smart phone application,

12 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

creates a digital record of each purse, including who owns it and where it has been. The main point is to prove that a particular purse is an authentic Choklat: easily done with the tap of a phone. Aki Choklat smart purses start at €603. akichoklat.com/bags

Walk with artists MARRYING ARTS with tourism, a group of artists and young designers have teamed up with the European Cultural Foundation to create free online walking tours for select European cities. The interactive tours are available through the MultiWalks smart phone application, combining video, audio, maps and animation.

The first tours take place in the lesser-known neighbourhoods of London, Oslo and Italy’s Reggio Emilia. The MultiWalks application is free. multiwalks.com

TAKEOFF ART

ARTSY AWARDS You can use your Finnair Plus points to redeem an award voucher that entitles you to an entrance to Kiasma, Helsinki’s museum of contemporary art.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY SILJA KUDEL

BRIAN DUFFY

©ROBERT MAPPELTHORPE FOUNDATION

Ziggy meets Jean Nouvel JEAN NOUVEL’S dazzling architecture isn’t the only reason to visit the brand-new Philharmonie de Paris. The concert hall has dedicated its first flagship exhibition to pop icon David Bowie.

The touring exhibition features over 300 objects from original costumes and artwork to rare performance material brought together for the very first time. The show traces five decades of Bowie’s label-defying self-reinventions from Major Tom to Ziggy Stardust to Aladdin Sane.

Ken Moody and Robert Sherman,1984

EXHIBITION

Mapplethorpe reopens Kiasma MARCH MARKS the reopening of Helsinki’s Museum of Contemporary Art. After a six-month renovation, Kiasma now offers a smoother visitor experience – and a retrospective guaranteed to drop some jaws.

“Robert Mapplethorpe remains as universal and topical as ever. We are proud to showcase one of the most important photographic artists of our time on a scale unprecedented in Finland,” says museum director Pirkko Siitari.

Best known for his gorgeously lit nudes of muscular men inspired by the New York gay scene of the 1980s, Mapplethorpe wades fearlessly into themes such as sex, violence, race, beauty and death.

14 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

“His photos speak about human relationships and the gay community in a very touching way. His themes and pursuit of perfection are always relevant,” says co-curator Marja Sakari.

The retrospective covers Mapplethorpe’s entire career from early Polaroids to portraits of his celebrity friends Patti Smith, Andy Warhol and Richard Gere. Robert Mapplethorpe died of AIDS in 1989.

Robert Mapplethorpe March 13 – September 13 Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio 2, Helsinki kiasma.fi

David Bowie Is, March 3 – May 31 Philharmonie de Paris philharmoniedeparis.fr

Long live McQueen IF YOU HOPE to catch this long-awaited retrospective paying posthumous tribute to fashion designer Alexander McQueen, grab yours without delay as tickets are selling fast. Featuring over 200 original creations, the show in London brings to life the PHILIP TREACY eclectic work of a flamboyant visionary who pushed the limits of art and fashion.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, March 14 – August 2 Victoria and Albert Museum vam.ac.uk

Testivoittaja!

4/2013

THE BEST COFFEE MAKER IN THE WORLD Dark as night or light as tea. Jet fuel or velvet. With or without sugar, milk, cream or sweeteners, for that matter: there are as many perfect cups of coffee as there are people, so we’re not telling you how to drink it. How to brew it well, on the other hand, is a matter of science. It shouldn’t take longer than 4-6 minutes: 70% of the flavors and aromas are extracted during the first third of the brewing process, so the temperature between 92 and 96 degrees – has to be right from the first drop. What coffee you brew is up to you, but how clean and fresh the water is can be affected by your coffee maker. The SVART Precision has a fully detachable water container. By using this every time and not, say, an empty coffee pot, you’ll avoid re-brewing any remaining stale coffee. It might seem obvious, but it makes a big difference.

Like you can see from the chart, most other certified coffee makers take much longer getting up to the right temperature. The result is that more crud is being extracted during that important first third.

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TAKEOFF BUSINESS

PLUG IN Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, which you will find under your seat.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN

TOP 3 START-UPS TO WATCH

CoFounder magazine responds to the need for analytical media coverage in the start-up community.

Healthy Indoors

With an active FreshWall Original, you can purify indoor air of harmful pollutants. The plants in the wall start a biological process using natural microbes to degrade toxic chemicals. FreshWall is an innovation of NaturVention, a Finnish startup dedicated to improving health and the environment. naturvention.com

START-UP NEWS

Print lives on in the digital age “SO YOU WANT to start a print magazine for the European start-up community? That’s a crazy idea,” said Dmitri Sarle, CEO of media company ArcticStartup, last summer.

A moment later, he added: “Let’s think about it.”

The idea of founding a quarterly magazine for a community that thrives on the gifts of the digital age – constant interaction, agility, reach and powerful targeting – was so attractive that the second issue of CoFounder magazine is now ready for print.

CoFounder was launched in Helsinki last November at the biggest startup conference in the Nordic area, Slush.

“The second issue will be available

by March 16, just in time for CeBIT, Hannover’s world-renowned event for the digital industry. We are operating on a subscription model, but the magazine will also be distributed at industry conferences and many international airports,” says Tarmo Virki, the 16 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

magazine’s co-founder.

The Finnish-Estonian publication is targeting all start-up capitals in Europe. The feedback from readers has been very positive.

“Our stories have been translated from English into Ukrainian, for example. There’s a big need for analytical media coverage in the panEuropean start-up community. We have proved that even young people read long stories, as long as they are relevant, well thought out and well written,” says Virki, an industry veteran with experience in both print and online journalism.

CoFounder is also available as an iPhone app. “Our idea is to offer the start-up community a forum for exchanging ideas, with our print magazine serving as an accelerator.

After all, it’s good to sit down and think every now and then. A print magazine offers the best user experience for this,” says Sarle. cofmag.com

Doggy drone AirDog, the world’s first auto-follow sports filming drone designed for action sports enthusiasts, was the winner of the Best Robot or Drone Award at the CES 2015 global tech event in Las Vegas last January.

AirDog is a Latvian start-up formed by a team of aviation engineers, embedded system engineers, software engineers, and business and marketing professionals. airdog.com

The ultimate sound Estelon is simply synonymous with quality. The Estonian brand integrates Alfred Vassilkov’s 30 years of engineering and loudspeaker design experience into a unique set of signature products. Estelon Extreme was the winner of 2015 CES Best of Innovation Award.

estelon.com

POWER FROM THE WOODS WOOD-BASED RAW MATERIAL

100 %

The world’s first wood-based renewable diesel biorefinery has started commercial production of UPM BioVerno in the UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery, Finland.

UPM BioVerno diesel is like no other fuel in the market. Unlike traditional biofuels, it is made completely outside the food value chain using forest industry residues.

UPM BioVerno is a low-emission renewable diesel that is well suited for all diesel engines.

A responsible and innovative alternative.

MORE WITH BIOFORE

This magazine is printed on UPM Valor.

Want to know more? www.upmbiofuels.com

TAKEOFF FOOD & DRINK

PRE-ORDER YOUR MEAL Now also Economy Class passengers can pre-order a tasty meal for an affordable price of €10. Take your pick from five delicious meal options.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY ANU PIIPPO PHOTO BY RONI LEHTI

WINE

Best of both worlds

Panimoravintola Koulu is a brewery restaurant housed in a former all-girls’ school in Turku.

Take a tasty trip from Champagne to New Zealand with Finnair’s wine novelties.

Matua Valley, Paretai, Sauvignon Blanc Matua claims to have been the first New Zealand winery to produce wines from Sauvignon Blanc grape. Fruit-driven and crispy Paretai comes from Awatere Valley in the renowned Marlborough region.

Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand Price: €16.90 (available for pre-order)

DRINK

Take a beer tour BEER AND FOOD have been the passion of artisan brewer and beer writer Mikko Salmi for two decades – which makes him the perfect guide for a hopshappy tour of his three favourite restaurant breweries.

1

GERMAN BREWS IN HELSINKI

“Bryggeri Helsinki right next to the Market Square is, in my opinion, the number one restaurant brewery in Finland. Their German-style wheat beer served in unique glasses may very well be the best wheat beer in the country.”

2

TAMPERE BEER INSTITUTION

“Celebrating its 21st birthday this year, Plevna is a traditional Ger-

man-style beer hall situated in an old weaving mill in Tampere. If you’re looking for food that is traditionally enjoyed with beer, this is the place to go to. Plevna’s beer selection is quite diverse, also including modern brews.”

3

BACK TO SCHOOL IN TURKU

“You may well run into ladies reminiscing about old times if you visit Turku’s famed Panimoravintola Koulu, a brewery restaurant housed in a former allgirls’ school. It’s the perfect place to taste classic beers in an uncannily continental atmosphere. Don’t expect any weird stuff – the beer is brewed in strict observance of the German beer purity law from 1516.”

TABLEWARE

Summer on a plate

When young Finnish designer Aino-Maija Metsola wants to relax, she goes outdoors. Her love of nature is expressed in her new and colourful Sitruunapuu (“lemon tree” in Finnish) pattern for Marimekko, which can be yours on a mug, bowl, or plate. The tableware is by Sami Ruotsalainen. Helsinki price of a 20 cm plate: €22. marimekko.com

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Cloudy Bay, Pinot Noir This premium red wine also comes from Marlborough with another first: Cloudy Bay was one of the first wine producers in the region.

This wine has a taste with layers of dark red fruits, dried herbs, and toasty oak.

Origin: Marlborough, New Zealand Price: €28.50 (available for pre-order) Pommery, Grand Cru, Brut Vintage This vintage champagne is created with equal measures of all three of the region’s best grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Origin: Champagne, France Price: €40.90 (available for pre-order) Finnairshop.com

AN ORIGINAL BoConcept® PRODUCTION

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BoConcept.fi

Imola chair now -20% Normal price from 1,589 € Now from 1,271 €

It's more than great design It's a concept

Two Danish style icons.

The Danish star and award winning actor Mads Mikkelsen takes a seat in the iconic Imola chair for a perfect style match in the new film THE CALL. Enjoy the thrilling film at boconcept.fi or in your nearest BoConcept store.

HELSINKI BOCONCEPT STORE Mannerheimintie 8, tel. +358 20 7801 660

TAKEOFF WELLBEING

INFLIGHT WELLBEING See page 81 for handy exercises that will keep you fit while flying.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATI HEIKINHEIMO

A nettle grown in Lapland contains much higher levels of vitamins and flavonoids than its southern counterpart in Central Europe.

TOP 3 LAPLAND LUXURIES

Trusting tradition

Arctic Warriors produce yummy versions of traditional plant-based medicines. Rhodiola Rosea, nettle and angelica are great for your immune system, concentration and energy levels. arcticwarriors.fi

Herbal wonders

WELLBEING

Get some arctic goodness The world’s cleanest air matched with an extreme climate make Lapland’s plants a phenomenal source of healthy nutrients.

ORGANIC, ALL-NATURAL, plant-based – these are trendy qualities we all want in our foods and cosmetics. But what most of us fail to consider is the impact of air quality on the products we consume: organic certification only indicates how they are farmed and produced.

Finnish Lapland is among the regions with the purest air in the world. In fact, the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s research station in Pallastunturi is an international reference point for clean air.

And Lapland’s assets don’t stop there.

“The summer brings abundant arc20 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

tic light. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the growing season is considerably warmer and longer than in other locations of similar latitude, such as Alaska,” says senior research scientist Rainer Peltola from the Natural Resources Institute of Finland.

These extraordinary conditions force plants to produce secondary compounds that act as a UV shield, for example. The good news is that the same antioxidants are beneficial to us humans, too. However, the plants must be prepared properly before consumption, whether used in foods, cosmetics or medicines.

Detria’s products marry ancient medicinal wisdom with modern biotechnology, offering alternative treatments for couperose skin, tattoo aftercare and muscle relaxation. detria.fi/en

Omegas for stronger skin

Since 1991, Aromtech has been developing nutraceutical formulas based on goodies found in arctic plants. Fatty acids from sea buckthorn, blackcurrant and lingonberry offer relief to sufferers of various skin and mucous membrane ailments. aromtech.fi/en

Duffel no. 6

Kategoria: Outdoor Koot: 50 l / 70 l / 110 l Materiaali*: G-1000 HeavyDuty: 65% polyesteri, 35% puuvilla Paino: 1500 g koossa 70 l

Laukun molemmissa päädyissä on tuplakahvat, jotka helpottavat laukun käsittelyä nostellessa.

Laukun päädyissä olevat kiristysremmit pitävät laukun sisällön tiukasti paikallaan silloin kun kassi on vajaasti täytetty.

Säädettävät olkahihnat ja laukun päälliosan läpät ovat topatut, mikä estää laukun sisällä olevien tavaroiden painautumista selkää vasten.

Suurikokoinen sisätasku sekä pienempi tasku arvotavaroille, molemmat vetoketjulla.

Ulkopuolinen vetoketjullinen tasku tavaroille, jotka haluat pitää turvassa, mutta helposti saatavilla.

Vedenpitävän ja kestävän polyamidipohjan ansiosta voit asettaa laukun märälle alustalle ilman, että laukun sisältö pääsee kastumaan.

Voidaan kantaa joko kädessä tai repun tapaan. Kantoremmien kahvat ovat luonnonväristä nahkaa.

Ulkotaskut ovat kätevät lehdille, kartalle ja muille tavaroille, jotka haluat pitää helposti saatavilla. Voit myös piilottaa kantokahvat näihin taskuihin; piiloneppari pitää ne paikoillaan.

Avaa, säilö, sulje – olkahihnat saa säilöttyä kuljetuksen ajaksi laukun päällä olevien topattujen läppien alle. Tämä helpottaa toimia lähtöselvityksessä ja vähentää riskiä, että laukkusi jäisi vahingossa kiinni esim. matkalaukkuhihnalla.

Valmistettu jämäkästä G-1000 HeavyDuty –kankaasta, joka kestää kovaakin käsittelyä ja suojaa laukun sisältöä.

Laukun päälokerossa on erityispitkä vetoketju. Näin ollen pakkaaminen ja laukun sisällön tarkastelu on helpompaa.

Minne ikinä matkaatkin Duffel No. 6 on tilava ja erittäin kestävä laukku, jonka sisään mahdutat kaikki välineesi, henkilökohtaiset tavarasi ja vielä vähän extraa - silloin kun lähdet pitkälle matkalle toiselle puolelle maa-

ilmaa. Laukkua on mukava kantaa ja siinä on käteviä yksityiskohtia, jotka helpottavat toimintaa lähtöselvityksessä ja vähentävät riskiä laukun osien tarttumiselle ja hajoamiselle kuljetuksen aikana.

* Sisältää muuta kuin tekstiiliä olevia eläinperäisiä ainesosia

Duffel No. 6 on saatavilla 50, 70 ja 110 litran koossa ja on valmis lähtemään kanssasi pidemmällekin reissulle.

TAKEOFF DESTINATION

BANGKOK CALLING Finnair flies daily to Suvarnabhumi International Airport, located 25 km east of Bangkok.

TEXT BY PAULA DIPERNA

The museum’s outdoor installations combine engineering and floral design.

FLOWERS

Bangkok’s floral fusions ONE OF BUSY Bangkok’s hidden gems is the Museum of Floral Culture, an oasis of calm tucked away on a narrow side street near Chao Praya River.

Founded by Sakul Intakul, one of the world’s leading floral designers, the museum is housed in a century-old traditional wooden house all too rare in the bustling metropolis. Each plant in the lush gardens has a story to tell: the tamarinds to the west bring the house respect; the mangos to the south protect it.

Intakul’s imagination takes floral design to the level of an art form, combining traditional Thai patterns with brilliant colours and gravity-defying shapes. Each piece is a one-off, whether hand-held or stupendously large.

“If you repeat yourself, you become an organiser, not an artist,” says Intakul, who originally trained as an electrical engineer.

Museum visits are by guided tour only.

All flower lovers should allow a few hours 22 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

Sakul Intakul is one of the world’s leading floral designers.

to enjoy an experience of calm inspiration and a cup of delicious floral tea on the terrace.

Museum of Floral Art Culture Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am-6 pm 315 Samsen Road, Bangkok

Cubes and squares are a feature of Intakul’s floral design.

Elämäsi unet Jenseniltä.

Säädettävä vuode TAVALLISEN VUOTEEN HINNALLA!

Jensen on perinteikäs laatupatjojen valmistaja. Jensen Original -vyöhykejärjestelmä ja yksilöllinen säädettävyys tarjoavat ainutlaatuisen nukkumismukavuuden. Nyt sinulla on mahdollisuus nauttia elämäsi unista. Jensen Limited Edition Diplomat Dream -säätövuode, norm. 5.040,- NYT 2.990,-.

Vuoteen koko 180 x 200 cm. www.jensen.fi

www.vepsalainen.com

TAKEOFF AROUND THE WORLD

TUNEFUL TRIPS Musical instruments can be taken on board Finnair flights as part of the hand baggage allowance if the dimensions don’t exceed restrictions.

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN ISTOCKPHOTO

CALENDAR

PLZEŇ

Smetana Days

March events MARCH 6–8 JAKARTA. Launched in 2005, the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival has grown into one of the world’s largest jazz fiestas, featuring 60 shows per day by local and international artists such as Christina Perri, Jessie J and Petra Sihombing.

Javajazzfestival.com/2015

JOSÉ PIRES

MARCH 2–29 The 35th annual Smetana Days brings a month-long cultural festival to Plzeň in the Czech Republic, Europe’s Capital of Culture for 2015 together with Mons, Belgium. A collaboration between many regional and national institutions, the multi-genre festival runs the gamut from science and literature to music, theatre, fine arts and film.

Smetanovskedny.cz/en

MARCH 8–13 DUBAI. Over 1,000 Ultimate Frisbee players, including two teams from Finland, will compete in the Middle East’s first World Championships of Beach Ultimate. The ladies’ tournament begins on March 8, International Women’s Day. All games are streamed live online.

MARCH 22 SELANGOR. The second annual 7 km Thirsty Runner – Run for Every Drop race takes place in Malaysia on World Water Day. First celebrated in 1993, the United Nations World Water Day’s 2015 theme is “Water and Sustainable Development.” event.howei.com/event/ thirstyrunner2015

24 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

ISTOCKPHOTO

Wcbu2015.org

CHICAGO

St. Paddy’s in the Windy City

MARCH 14 The luck of the Irish – that, or 20 kilos of vegetable dye – turns the Chicago River emerald green for five hours in honour of St. Paddy’s Day. Some 400,000 people pack the downtown streets to witness the spectacle and see the 60th annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. Irish step dancers and marching bands keep spirits high.

Chicagostpatsparade.com

www.mercedes-benz.fi

Uusi luokka, uusi katumaasturi.

Koe GLA. Kanta-asiakashinta GLA 180

32 992 € tai 399 €/kk* vain maaliskuussa!

Liity Stockmann-kanta-asiakkaaksi Mercedes-Benz-liikkeessä tai www.stockmann.com – saat edut heti käyttöösi!

Kanta-asiakasetu

– 3 600 €

Etu voimassa maaliskuussa myös automaatti- ja 4MATICnelivetomalleihin. Katso www.mercedes-benz.fi

GLA 180, autoveroton hinta alk. 28 300 € – KANTA-ASIAKASETU 3 600 € + arvioitu autovero 7 691,51 € + toim.kulut 600 € = 32 991,51 €. CO2-päästöt 133 g/km, EU-keskikulutus 5,8 l/100 km. Huolenpitosopimus 3 vuodeksi kiinteällä kk-maksulla alk. 29 €/kk. Kuvan auto lisävarustein. *RAHOITUSESIMERKKI: All In One taso 1: GLA 180, hinta 35 991,51 €, toim.kulut 600 €, alennus 3 600 €, kokonaishinta 32 991,51 €, käsiraha 3 599 €, sopimusaika 36 kk, kuukausierä 398,74 €, luoton määrä 29 541,51 €, viimeinen suurempi erä 19 768,72 €. Kuukausierä sisältää koron 5,25 %, perustamismaksun 149 €, käsittelymaksun 8 €/kk. Luottokustannukset yhteensä 4 332,11 €, todellinen luottohinta 37 323,62 € ja todellinen vuosikorko 6,0 %. Rahoitusesimerkin max. ajokilometrit 45 000 km. Sopimus sisältää taatun hyvityshinnan 19 369,97 € sopimuksen päättyessä. Edellyttää hyväksytyn luottopäätöksen ja kaskovakuutuksen. Palvelun tuottaa Santander Consumer Finance Oy, Hermannin Rantatie 10, 00580 Helsinki.

TAKEOFF HELSINKI

HELSINKI CONNECTION Finnair City Buses depart from the airport and Helsinki city centre every 20 minutes.

COMPILED AND PHOTO BY LAURA IISALO

HELSINKI

March events MAR 3–14 KULLERVO, the breakthrough work of Jean Sibelius, is reinterpreted by Tero Saarinen at the Finnish National Opera as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations of the legendary composer. opera.fi

Raymond Siems, founding member of Ventoura mobile app.

TRAVEL AND TECHNOLOGY

Local way of travelling

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Solo travellers can use Ventoura’s social discovery feature to connect with likeminded people headed to the same destination. “Our dream is that people can go and experience something they normally wouldn’t be able to do in a foreign city,” Siems explains.

Following a trial in Helsinki, Ventoura will launch this month in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris and Rome.

After conquering Europe the application is planned to go global.

The app will be available in March for iOS and Android. ventoura.com

MAR 16–23 STREET FOOD FESTIVAL StrEAT Helsinki was a huge success last year when 20,000 people took part in the one-day event. This year the festival lasts the entire week and includes workshops and satellite events. streathelsinki.com MAIJA ASTIKAINEN

SOME PEOPLE WOULD rather explore a new city from a local perspective than follow the typical travel guide.

Raymond Siems is one of them. That’s why he and his friends founded a mobile application called Ventoura that enables locals to host tours for people visiting their home city.

“We want to offer travellers three things: connect with people, share knowledge and gain unique experiences,” he says.

With the newly launched app visitors can choose an experience according to their own interests or seasonal themes.

How about sampling local foods, visiting independent galleries or going on a hike with a local host?

FEB 28 – AUG 9 PAUNO POHJOLAINEN was originally a painter but his colourful and expressive art has reached sculptural dimensions.

The new retrospective exhibition at Didrichsen Art Museum covers over four decades of his work. didrichsenmuseum.fi

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Siemens digitizes companies to succeed SIEMENS WANTS TO HELP COMPANIES TO SUCCEED LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY BY PROVIDING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR ELECTRIFICATION, AUTOMATION AND DIGITALIZATION AS WELL AS EXPERT SERVICES.

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lobal competition is fierce. The view of Siemens is that Finnish companies and manufacturing industry can succeed globally. The labour costs are not the biggest hindrance but distance from global market area is.

So, how can you succeed? The answer is digitalization.

“The whole business process has to be efficient. Good is not enough, you have to be the best in your business. Copying others won’t help you succeed. You have to innovate by yourself”, says Janne Öhman, CEO of Siemens Oy.

There are a lot of positive signals in Finnish business in terms of digitalization.

Digitalization is the key.

“If a company doesn’t embrace digitalization, it won’t exist for very long”, Öhman explains.

Overall, the Finnish economy has stalled and growth has failed to recover from the last financial crisis. However, there are promising recent developments, according to Öhman.

“There are a lot of positive signals in Finnish business in terms of digitalization.

It is being discussed widely within industries and via the media. In order to succeed, you can’t be isolated from the society around you and your business. We are making our contribution to this evolution in order for it to become reality.”

“Like others, even though we invest a lot in R&D, we keep our eyes open for the latest technologies from start-ups. Cooperation is key for profitable innovations. Siemens’ software is used by tens of thousands of professionals in Finland.

There have already been many success stories Digitalization is a must, says Janne Öhman, CEO of Siemens Oy. PROMOTION PRODUCED BY CALCUS GROUP

and there will be more in the future.”

Industry 4.0 One of Siemens’ core businesses is to provide technologies for automation. The manufacturing industry is taking the next step in this development: it is called Industry 4.0.

“In Germany, for example, there are car manufacturing lines where each car differs from the next. It is called cyberphysical manufacturing.”

Siemens has provided the platform for start-ups to create profitable innovations. One example of this is Mapvision.

“Their innovation is a visual quality control system for car manufacturers. If the standard of a certain job is compromised, the system will send adjustment commands to a robot.

The process adjusts itself in real time, resulting in no quality defects. We provided the planning software for this.”

Big data + analytics = smart data The Internet of Things isn’t a new thing in the manufacturing industry. The equipment and controlling systems have been connected to each other for a long time, but of course the ways in which they connect have evolved.

“The main point is how to use the data.

Information from different sources must be merged and analyzed using the right attributes.

This smart data can be used for better decisionmaking in business.”

Siemens offers financing services that enable their customers to invest in the right equipment in the first place.

“The main purpose is to help our core businesses. A good example of this is a service we provide where we enhance the energy efficiency of our customers’ premises. There is no initial investment needed at all.” ●

DESTINATION LAPLAND

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COURTESY OF THE TAEYMANS-DE ROOY FAMILY ALBUM

As the mercury drops below zero, Benjamin Taeymans and Karin De Rooy tie the knot in Lapland’s Ice Chapel.

white wedding A truly

Exchanging vows in Lapland draws travellers to Finland’s far north for a cool winter wonderland experience that’s a well-kept secret.

TEXT BY KATJA PANTZAR

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COURTESY OF THE HALES’ FAMILY ALBUM

Newlyweds Suzanne and Jason Hales hail from Exeter, England.

A

fresh coat of white snow had just frosted the tree branches outside when the first British couple to be married in Ruka’s Pohjanseita Wilderness Lodge exchanged their vows.

“It was magical, I can truly say it was the best day of my life,” says

Suzanne Hales.

Shortly before the start of the New Year, Suzanne and her soon-to-be husband Jason Hales and a small group of their closest family journeyed from Exeter, England to Kuusamo in the far north of Finland just below the Arctic Circle.

“We were married in a ceremony performed in front of a log fire inside the lodge, which was beautifully lit by hundreds of candles,” says Suzanne. Their wedding party included the couple’s two sons and their two-year-old grandson, Freddie, all of whom braved the minus 20 degree Celsius temperatures.

The Hales have been together for 17 years and first heard about Ruka through their sons Ben and Leigh, who are avid fans of the area’s Rukatunturi, which is one of Finland’s leading ski and snowboard resorts.

“We discovered Lapland from our sons. Their photos looked great and they kept inviting us to come with them,” says Suzanne. “They love it because the slopes are so good and there are no queues on the ski lifts,” she adds.

For the youngest member of the wedding party it was also a memorable experience. “We wanted to take our grandson to see the real Father Christmas. It was the perfect family Christmas holiday,” says Suzanne.

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l era sev s ie s to r fl nai flight i. n i F ly m dai vanie m Ro ir.co a finn

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COURTESY OF THE HALES’ FAMILY ALBUM

Caption

COURTESY OF THE TAEYMANS-DE ROOY FAMILY ALBUM

COURTESY OF THE TAEYMANS-DE ROOY FAMILY ALBUM

Benjamin Taeymans and Karin De Rooy: “We wanted something out of the ordinary.”

The Hales are among the approximately 7 million tourists who visit Finland each year. According to the most recent statistics, 2.4 million overnight stays were recorded in Lapland in 2013, with 40 per cent of those being made by foreigners.

“Wedding trips as well as outdoor adventure and wellness group excursions with friends are growing in popularity,” says Rukapalvelu’s Anne Murto, who was one of the main organisers of the Hales’ wedding.

While Kuusamo is not officially part of Lapland, the area is only about 60 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle. As it shares a similar nature, geography and climate, many consider it part of Lapland.

CHAPEL OF ICE A few hundred kilometres north in Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland, the Arctic SnowHotel is constructed every winter from snow and ice, providing the perfect backdrop for a cool wedding.

Belgian couple Benjamin Taeymans and his wife Karin De Rooy, who married at the SnowHotel last March, chose the exotic location for specific reasons.

“We really wanted something special and Lapland is truly out of the ordinary,” says Taeymans, who fell in love with Scandinavia as a teenager, and later founded an agency specialising in travel to the Nordic countries called North and Away, which is based in Kapellen, Antwerp. His wife, who he met while studying

The couple wanted to share the natural beauty of Lapland with their friends and family.

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COURTESY OF THE HALES’ FAMILY ALBUM

The Hales and a small group of their closest family journeyed from Exeter, England to Kuusamo in the far north of Finland.

tourism, also works for the company.

“We wanted to show our friends and family how beautiful Lapland is,” says Taeymans. “We also didn’t like the idea of a classic wedding in a church with a traditional party in a boring venue afterwards,” he adds.

The ceremony was preceded with a visit to Santa Claus Village by reindeer-drawn sled.

“There we met the one and only Santa Claus before transferring to the Arctic SnowHotel. We had to dress up quickly (and felt really cold when entering the snow hotel!) and then we went to the ice bar to have a very ‘cool’ aperitif in ice glasses,” says Taeymans.

Then it was on to the ceremony where Benjamin and Karin exchanged vows and rings, and were united by bringing two candles together.

There was also an element of the unexpected for the 20 guests from Belgium in attendance in the chapel.

“At the end of the ceremony we each read an emotional text. In mine, I announced that we were expecting our first baby in September. Of course this was the biggest surprise!” says Taeymans.l

Wedding trips as well as outdoor adventure and wellness excursions are growing in popularity.

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ROMANTIC NORTH In addition to weddings, RUKAPALVELU in Ruka organises a range of tailored adventures from snow safaris to wellness getaways and trips across the border into Russian Karelia. tailoredadventures.fi ARCTIC SNOWHOTEL & GLASS IGLOOS in Rovaniemi is open from midDecember until the end of March, depending on the weather. (When spring arrives, the hotel melts away.) The rooms are between 0 and -5 degrees Celsius and there’s plenty of warm bedding to keep honeymooners and others cosy on Arctic nights. arcticsnowhotel.fi The glass igloos at KAKSLAUTTANEN ARCTIC RESORT in Saariselkä are often voted among the world’s most romantic and exotic by the international press.

Guests can watch nature’s spectacular light show, the Aurora Borealis, dance across the night sky while lying in a cosy bed. kakslauttanen.fi

PIIA SÖDERGÅRD PHOTO

Saariselkä’s newest boutique hotel Jávri Lodge is housed in a log chalet that was once a presidential residence.

IN THE LAPP OF LUXURY FURTHER UP FINLAND, about 250 kilometres northeast of Rovaniemi, lies Saariselkä in the municipality of Inari, an area rich in history, folklore and romance. Many people fall in love with the region’s pure nature, which is a rare luxury for those who live in European and Asian megacities.

“People who come from big cities really value the pristine wilderness of Lapland, which is absolutely unique,” says local restaurateur and entrepreneur Juha Mehtäjärvi. He has made a business of offering the area’s natural best to visitors from home and abroad.

NEW BOUTIQUE HOTEL Mehtäjärvi recently purchased the log chalet that was once the winter residence of Finland’s longest-serving president, Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (1956-1982).

Kekkonen, who many credit with helping maintain diplomatic ties between East and West during the Cold War, had a real passion for the outdoors, spending much time skiing and fishing in the area. (The 2,550-square-kilometre Urho Kekkonen National Park named after the statesman starts just outside the Lodge.)

DAVID LINDSEY

“Kekkonen is still very popular and quite a legend here, as he helped put us on the map by bringing many businessmen and politicians here,” says Mehtäjärvi, who is turning the 800-square-metre chalet into Jávri Lodge, a high-end, full-service boutique hotel offering tailor-made dining and accommodation, along with nature excursions and outdoor activities.

“We want to serve everything on a personalised platter to our guests,” says Mehtäjärvi. According to MARCH 2015

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GEDIGO

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and cloudberries and some Château Suduiraut 1er Cru Classé 2008 from Bordeaux.

Mehtäjärvi, known for his attention-to detail, says, “If you’re going to do something, do it brilliantly, or not at all.”

Next to the bistro is a Tax-Free design shop that sells high-quality Nordic giftware ranging from Muhoksen Villa woollen sweaters to eco luxury brand Duohtavuohta’s leather and fur outerwear and Uoma Design jewellery by Piia Södergård.

Jávri Lodge officially opens this autumn, but bookings can be made this spring. The lodge accommodates up to 20 guests at a time, with all rooms fitted out with the best linens and features such as 7,000euro custom-made beds. javri.fi KATJA TÄHJÄ

LAPLAND ON A PLATE Building on the 21 years of experience in the catering and restaurant business, Mehtäjärvi has revamped his well-known Siberia restaurant in the centre of Saariselkä into the Jávri Bistro, which offers fine lunchtime dining.

“We use only the best raw ingredients and many of them are locally sourced such as King Crab that comes from just over the border in Norway and Lapland reindeer,” says Mehtäjärvi.

As with its predecessor Restaurant Siberia, there’s no ordering à la carte. Dining is a multiple-course experience, where exquisitely displayed dishes are served with the finest wines and spirits.

A sample menu includes a glass or two of Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve champagne, followed by salted whitefish, chilli-ginger marinated Arctic char and pickled cucumber accompanied by Kungfu Girl Riesling 2013. This is followed by delicate portions of Matsutake consommé, trout stuffed with King Crab, liver brulé of reindeer calf and filet of reindeer, each paired with the best drink before a dessert of white chocolate ice cream with blackcurrant panna cotta

UOMA DESIGN

REIMA MUSTONEN

his philosophy, customers shouldn’t need to fit into a hotel or restaurant’s schedule. Rather, he says, it should be the other way around with all services being catered to suit the guest’s needs.

Clockwise from left to right: Juha Mehtäjärvi, Jávri Lodge, and local design from Gedigo leather bags to Uoma jewellery.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Katja Pantzar Katja Pantzar is a Helsinki-based writer and broadcast journalist raised in Canada, with stints in the UK and New Zealand.

Her forthcoming book Helsinki by Light (Siltala/May 2015) offers a bright new ­perspective on the Finnish capital.

INTRODUCING NEW ECONOMY

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TOP5 Madrid roof terraces

1

THREE-SIXTY DEGREES For an entrance fee of €3, the roof of the Fine Arts Circle offers a breathtaking 360-degree eyeful of Madrid’s classic tourist attractions, famous streets, skyline and mountains to the North. You can visit the terrace just to admire the view, but if you’re feeling peckish, the Tartán rooftop restaurant serves an extensive menu from breakfast to dinner.

Tartán roof/Circulo de Bellas Artes, Calle de Alcalá, 42 circulobellasartes.com/azotea.php

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MA D Fin n

air to flies d M finn adri aily d air .co m

Some of Madrid’s most impressive terraces are found not on the streets, but high on the rooftops. These sky-high oases offer delicious food, refreshing cocktails and dizzying bird’s eye views of the Spanish capital.

TEXT BY MINNA NYRHINEN PHOTOS BY MAIJA ASTIKAINEN

2

BETWEEN YOU AND THE CHEF La Cocina de San Antón invites hungry visitors to buy fresh fish or meat from the San Anton Market below and bring it up to the kitchen. For a €5 supplement, the cook will custom-prepare your dish and serve it with a variety of garnishes. The terrace is perfect for a sun-downer, too. Try the mojitos and carajillo, famous Spanish-style coffee laced with rum.

Mercado de San Antón Calle de Augusto Figueroa 24 mercadosananton.com

3

CHILL IN THE CLOUDS Gymage is where young people gather year-round for divine yet reasonably priced cocktails, smoothies and great eats in good company. The terrace is sundrenched all day, but the air stays cool thanks to a vaporised water system. If it still isn’t wet enough for you, dive into Gymage’s own swimming pool.

Gymage Calle Corredera Baja de San Pablo 2 gymage.es

4

RELAX DELUXE Though situated on top of a luxury hotel, the roof terrace of Las Letras is open to everyone. The chillout music and lush jungle of plants guarantee a laid-back atmosphere for drinks and tapas on one of the busiest streets of Madrid. With its long opening hours, the rooftop bar is a great spot to visit especially on hot summer nights. If you are spoilt for choice deciding what to drink, try the bar’s specialty, Gin litchi.

Hotel Las Letras Calle Gran Vía, 11 hoteldelasletras.com

5

AN OPEN SECRET The old Escuelas Pías building in the bohemian Lavapiés neighbourhood has plenty to boast about: probably the city’s most beautiful library and an adorable top floor terrace, Gau & Café. The aerial hideaway attracts food-lovers with its delicious but affordable Mediterranean and Arabic-style dishes. When the terrace first started ten years ago, its fame grew by word of mouth. Today it is the much-loved crowning jewel of Lavapiés.

Gau & Café, Calle Tribulete 14 gaucafe.com

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DESTINATION NEW YORK

K F J

top ons k. n s flie Yor air New n n o m Fi .co ly t dai nnair fi

Chris Fuller, an active hobbyist musician, works in content operations by day.

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THIS IS YOUR SONG New York’s reputation as a city of dreamers comes to life at the city’s lively open mic evenings, where performers of all levels can step up to the microphone.

TEXT BY LAURA PALOTIE PHOTOS BY MARKUS HENTTONEN

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A line forms outside of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe hours before the Wildfire Open Mic start time.

I

n her seminal 1968 essay collection, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, American writer Joan Didion described “the sense, so peculiar to New York, that something extraordinary would happen any minute, any day, any month.”

Didion’s words still ring true; it’s difficult to think of another city that has remained as steadfastly emblematic of artistic dreams as New York City.

Over the decades it has undergone massive economic shifts (the average monthly rent for a studio apartment in the famously artist-friendly Lower East Side is 2,100 US dollars), but New York’s status as an artists’ mecca appears to be unshakeable.

At venues such as Beacon Theatre, the Roseland Ballroom and the Radio City Music Hall, New York features household names and carefully groomed talent in concert each night of the week. But inside countless dive bars and other tiny music venues, lesser-known artists hone their craft and discover new audiences – there’s no better place to discover the diversity and audacity of the city’s musical population than the open mic night, an event during which anyone, regardless of talent level, can perform in front of a live audience. Ranging from songwriter showcases to rap battles, open mics have survived both gentrification and countless cultural shifts.

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The open mic culture has survived New York’s social and economic changes.

WHILE MY GUITAR WEEPS “Open mics will always have a foothold for people who are trying to develop themselves as performers,” says Bruce Martin, host of the Pete’s Candy Store Open Mic in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “In an electronic age in which anyone can make a well-produced album at home, coming here allows you to actually see how the music communicates.”

Martin, a professional percussionist and keyboard player, launched the weekly open mic alongside Pete’s owner Andrew McDowell 15 years ago. Held every Sunday in the narrow, darkly paneled back room of Pete’s Candy Store, the event draws singer-songwriters, the vast majority of whom arrive with acoustic guitars in hand. Each performer is allowed two songs, and the night is intended strictly for original material.

Songwriters perform for one another at the narrow, atmospheric performance space at Pete’s Candy Store.

Bruce Martin has been hosting Pete’s Candy Store open mic in Williamsburg for 15 years.

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Ben Schapiro plays folk influenced by classical music.

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“A lot of people use this venue to start out a professional career as a songwriter, while for others music is a side line, like an outlet.”

“I didn’t want everyone covering Brown Eyed Girl,” says Martin. “Then again, that would actually be kind of cool, like a weird, hypnotic thing.”

He says that the weekly event draws a mix of regulars and newcomers; “some come every week, some have been coming the entire time that the open mic has been held, but most commonly performers come in waves; groups of people come for a while, then they maybe move out of the neighbourhood or go move on to do gigs elsewhere in town. A lot of people use this venue to start out a professional career as a songwriter, while for others music is a side line, like an outlet,” Martin adds.

Participant Ben Schapiro, who teaches guitar lessons and works at an after-school programme in the city, says he has been attending the open mic for a

couple of years. He says his music is folk influenced by classical music and John Coltrane.

“This open mic gets a lot of white men with guitars singing about how lonely they are,” he says, with a laugh.

Chris Fuller, a self-taught musician who works for international content operations at Viacom by day, has been coming to Pete’s Candy Store for ten years to try out his own material: “It’s melodic, The Beatles mixed with reggae,” he says.

“I like Pete’s Candy Store because it has a great stage and a magical vibe – it’s visually a very interesting room. I also really like Bruce, and the bartender is great,” he says.

Beyond the small performance space at Pete’s, musicians waiting for their turns chat, sip beers and partake in impromptu jam sessions in Pete’s outdoor garden. It’s a seemingly judgment-free gathering of music lovers that makes the surrounding city appear just a tad less intimidating.

Those who are stopping by to see the show can first pop into the performance space to catch a few acts and then nurse a beer at one of the outdoor tables while listening to the tuning and casual strumming of a dozen acoustic guitars.

SPREAD THE SPARK A similarly warm but more fervent sense of community is present at Wildfire, a multi-genre open mic held on Mondays at The Flat in Brooklyn and once

Musicians chat and wait for their turns on the back patio of Pete’s Candy Store.

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Ronnie, performing at the Nuyorican, says she drove from Kansas City to New York. a month at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, a Manhattan institution made legendary for its poetry slams. Open to any genre of art from poetry to beatboxing, Wildfire gives each performer a five-minute slot. The project is led by singer-songwriter Nisha Asnani, whose vision is to bring the concept to cities around the US and thus help nurture a large network of independent artists.

“I want to cultivate a community of artists who want to push the boundaries within themselves and transform their work beyond what is happening onstage,” she says.

Standing at the Nuyorican stage with a clipboard under her arm, Asnani asks the audience to declare their love to the people on their right and left, and finish by hugging themselves.

In quick succession poets and musicians take the stage as the lively audience breaks out in spontaneous applause and shouts out words of encouragement.

A young man identifying himself as “Young Poet” has written an ode to a spider, while fellow poet Izzy Jay silences the room with a piercingly candid poem about a mother’s cruelty. Hip hop artist Ronnie says she just drove from Kansas City to New York for 23 hours with her dog. Austin Watts introduces himself as “a white rapper from Poughkeepsie.”

About halfway through the three-hour show, Asnani takes the stage with beatboxer Chris Celiz.

With Asnani accompanying her vocals on the piano, the two launch into an explosive rendition of Beyonce’s Drunken Love. It’s a performance fit for an arena.

Asnani, who teaches voice, piano and yoga to supplement her career as a singer, says that she takes the stage herself every time she hosts. “I’m not going to 44 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

Chris Celiz is making a name for himself in beatboxing circles.

NYC OPEN MIC STANDOUTS THE MOTH STORYSLAM: Known for its Peabody Award-winning radio programme, America’s bestknown storytelling organisation The Moth holds weekly open mic storytelling events in venues around New York City. Participants prepare a story on the week’s theme (think “Love hurts” or “Anxiety”), put their names in a hat, and get five minutes in the spotlight. themoth.org/events

FREESTYLE MONDAYS: Held at Meridian 23 in Chelsea, this freestyle rap battle dates back 13 years and is held on the first Monday of every month from 8:30 pm-1:30 am. Showcasing a crop of up-and-coming artists, the event is known to have a raucous and free-flowing feel.

161 West 23rd Street freestylemondays.com

WEDNESDAY NIGHT SLAM: The Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which opened its doors in the early 1970s, hosts a variety of open mic events beyond Wildfire.

This weekly poetry slam (except the first Wednesday of the month) gives 20 people a three-minute slot to read one poem. The winner is invited to perform at the Friday Night Poetry Slam, the Nuyorican’s bestknown event.

236 East 3rd Street, Manhattan nuyorican.org

“I want to cultivate a community of artists who want to push the boundaries within themselves.�

Singer-songwriter Nisha Asnani leads Wildfire, a multi-genre open mic event.

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“It’s a supportive environment, like a workshop where you can test out a few tunes or pieces to see what works. Knowing that it’s a safe space makes artists feel super comfortable,” he says, adding, “it helps because New York is not an easy town to get people’s attention.”

Celiz, who has also attended other open mics around town, including a weekly open jam session at Arlene’s Grocery, says that these events have helped him both grow as a performer and create new relationships. “At open mics, the music is about the people. They have helped me interact with people, whether it’s commanding a stage or networking afterwards. Your friends are ultimately your closest contacts.”

For this reason Celiz, who has performed at legendary venues such as the Blue Note and Joe’s Pub, says that he can’t name a favourite music venue in the city. “It comes back to music being about the people – these New York spaces aren’t about how legendary they are, but about the people who make these spaces what they are.” l PETE’S CANDY STORE OPEN MIC: Sundays, 5-8 pm 709 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg petescandystore.com/open_mic.html

Chris Celiz and Izzy Jay wait in line outside of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe.

ask people to do anything I’m not going to do myself.

There are nights when it’s just not my night, but I still do it every time. This is also a space for me to grow as an artist,” says Asnani, who is releasing a single and music video in April.

FIRST-TIME ENERGY In late 2014 Asnani’s open mic concept expanded from New York to Philadelphia, and similar events are in the works in nine other US cities. Wildfire also showcases a monthly featured artist, and offers giveaways of studio time.

Asnani says that Wildfire’s attendance is made up of roughly 40 per cent regulars and 60 per cent newcomers. “That’s the wonderful thing about an open mic – it always has that first-time energy to it,” she says. “I want people to come here and feel like they are safe. Even if I don’t agree with what they have to say, I support their right to say it and their right to hear themselves say it.”

Chris Celiz, who works as an elementary school music teacher in Queens, says he has been performing at Wildfire for about a year to develop as a performer.

46 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

WILDFIRE OPEN MIC: Mondays from 8-11 pm at The Flat, 308 Hooper Street, Brooklyn, first Tuesday of every month at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Check times at facebook.com/sparkawildfire

BEHIND THE SCENES

Laura Palotie Laura Palotie is a New York-based and Finland-raised literary agent, journalist, editor and translator. She is a cultural omnivore whose great loves are her two hometowns, Helsinki and Brooklyn.

Markus Henttonen Markus Henttonen is a Berlin-based Finnish photographer whose new photography book Twisted Tales -Road to Hope will be released in the autumn 2015. As a music enthusiastic, Markus was inspired by the open mic scene and almost climbed to the stage himself.

AJA EDELLÄ.

AJATTELE EDELLÄ.

• Nelivetoinen ladattava hybridi • CO2-päästöt 44 g/km • 5 vuoden takuu ja 5 vuoden tiepalvelu Koe uusi uraauurtava OUTLANDER PHEV -nelivetohybridi, joka tekee ekologisesta ajamisesta taas jännittävää. Se yhdistää tehokkaan suorituskyvyn ja tilavan ajonautinnon alhaisiin päästöihin ja juottaa ne saumattomaksi kokonaisuudeksi.

Tuloksena on kiihkeä ja polttoainetehokas tulevaisuuden katumaasturi. Se on suunniteltu ajajille, jotka eivät tyydy tavanomaiseen.

Outlander PHEV -malliston hinnat alkaen: autoveroton hinta 45 839,32 € + arvioitu autovero 4 155,68 € = kokonaishinta 49 995 €.

CO2-päästöt 44 g/km, EU-yhdistetty kulutus 1,9 l/100 km. Mitsubishi-henkilöautojen takuu 5 vuotta tai 100 000 kilometriä, kaksi ensimmäistä vuotta ilman kilometrirajaa. Mitsubishin MAP-ajoturvapalvelu 5 vuodeksi veloituksetta. Kuvan auto erikoisvarustein.

DESTINATION SEOUL

LOOKING FOR

GANGNAM STYLE Seoul’s Gangnam district skyrocketed to fame with Psy’s K-pop anthem “Gangnam Style.” We take a look at the real street scene in the Beverly Hills of Korea.

TEXT BY ALEX LEANDER PHOTOS BY VESA SALMI

I

t might not be as loud and colourful as the hyperactive fashion districts of Tokyo, but upper-middle class Gangnam is inarguably the hottest new trend hub in the South Korean capital.

When Korean artist and TV personality PSY chose “Gangnam Style” as the hit single of his sixth studio album Psy 6 (Six Rules) in 2012, little did anyone know that it would go on to become the best-known Korean song ever. Originally targeted at the domestic market, the song tells the sarcastic story about how posers and wannabes aspire to associate

48 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

themselves with the posh Gangnam neighbourhood by imitating the style of its cool, trendy people.

The music video featuring Psy doing his catchy invisible horse dance in various locations around Gangnam went on to become the most-watched video on YouTube ever, with more than two billion views to date. When the record-breaking song talks about the perfect Gangnam girlfriend “who knows when to be refined and when to get wild,” it might well be describing how the neighbourhood sees itself today.

The sleek, simplified and contemporary men’s fashion of Goon Style Lab boutique on Garosu-gil Street has a street element to it, says shop manager Cho Jag Ho.

WHAT IS GANGNAM STYLE?

“When it comes to fashion, design and eating out, Gangnam is the trendiest part of Seoul at the moment. In the evenings it’s great just to hang out in the cafés on the side streets and watch coollooking people passing by. I would say that Gangnam style is mix ‘n’ match: street-inspired style meets high-end fashion.”

- Fashion editor Hong Seok Woo visitkorea.or.kr

MARCH 2015

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49

SHOPPER’S COMPASS

K-COUTURE EXPLOSION

GAROSU-GIL Sinsa Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 8. Head straight for 250 metres and turn left.

CHEONGDAM-DONG FASHION STREET Apgujeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2 or Cheongdam Station (Seoul Subway Line 7), Exit 8. Cheongdamdong Street is a 10-minute walk from either station.

APGUJEONG RODEO STREET Apgujeong Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 2. Exit the station, make a U-turn, and turn right at the corner.

Go straight about 900 metres and turn right onto Apgujeong 50-gil Road.

Continue straight for 2–3 blocks.

N C I

SHOPPING, GANGNAM STYLE “Seoul is a very good shopping city for fashion,” says Hong. “Especially here in the Sinsa-dong neighbourhood of Gangnam you can find many small, unique concept stores that take pride in their original styles and collections.”

aily sd e i r fl ul. nai o Fin to Se om .c air finn

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BLUE WINGS

Literally meaning “south of the river,” Gangnam is one of Seoul’s main commercial areas south of the River Hangang. In southern Seoul, “Hallyu,” or “the Korean wave” is evident everywhere, with screens showing teasers from the latest domestic TV dramas and movies, and everyone listening to K-pop stations online with their smartphones. The Hallyu wave, which refers to the increase in popularity of South Korean culture, started in the entertainment industry, but has recently made a major impact on the Korean fashion industry.

Local fashion editor Hong Seok Woo has witnessed the emergence of the Hallyu trend from a ringside seat in the industry. He is the name behind the popular Korean fashion portal Style.com Korea and Spectrum, a free fashion and lifestyle magazine that can be found on the counters of the trendiest fashion and design outlets throughout Korea.

“The Korean fashion industry is quite fresh,” he says. “In my opinion the new wave started around 2008, the time when many young Korean designers came out with their first prêt-à-porter collections at Seoul Fashion Week. A good example of the Hallyu crossover is one of my favourite Korean designers, Kye. Her collections take inspiration from music culture, especially from the Korean hip hop and rap scene. She is in turn respected by stars of the K-pop scene. For instance G-Dragon, one of the biggest K-rappers, can always be spotted in the front row of Kye’s runway shows.”

MARCH 2015

The people of Garosu-gil street showcase in their everyday clothing the styles of Korea: Music, fashion and the “Hallyu”movement.

Vintage clothing is getting more popular in Gangnam.

Hong Seok Woo, fashion editor

HONG SEOK WOO’S FAVOURITE SHOPS IN GANGNAM MSK SHOP “This very small shop is kind of a secret store, because it’s on the 6th floor of an office building at Apgujeong station close to Rodeo Street. The shop has a very well picked selection of local and international street fashion for men.” mskshop.net

SOSU607 The best vintage shop in Gangnam sells designer clothes for both men and women. The store can be found on a small side street of Garosu-gil at Sung-Ho BD 101, 279-59, Hongje 3-Dong. sosu607.co.kr

And it’s not just women who are lucky when it comes to shopping in Gangnam.

“Right now, I also feel that Korean men and their style is the most fashionable in Asia and the selection of menswear in Seoul is really good,” proclaims Hong.

The main shopping street in the trendy Sinsa-Dong neighbourhood is tree-lined Garosu-gil, famed for its fragrant ginseng trees. Here you will find cool boutiques, trendy bars and western designer shops co-existing with Korean streetwear, accessory and vintage shops.

Shop manager Cho Jag Ho and his sleek Goon-Style Lab boutique on Garosugil Street caters for the trendy men of the area. The shop sells mainly Koreandesigned menswear.

“The trend now is to dress in minimalistic, mostly black and white clothes and to add colourful accessories and shoes for a unique look. The street element is always there, but now people want to express their identity by adding luxurious, expensive-looking clothes and accessories to their style,” says Cho. Another famous shopping neighbourhood in Gangnam is Cheongdam-dong fashion street, which is the main drag for upmarket luxury brands in Seoul. This is also the place to spot K-pop stars and Hallyu celebrities doing their shopping rounds for the latest designs.

Apgujeong Rodeo Street is another busy fashion hub in Gangnam, brimming with an abundance of reasonably priced hip hop fashion and accessory shops alongside international sportswear and famous fashion brands. l style.co.kr spectrumprojects.com facebook.com/goonstyle.garosugil

MARCH 2015

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51

EUROPEAN VOICES

BY TIINA ROSENBERG

Get up and dance!

W

hy is art imporsinki. Contemporary dance is a dynamic tant? This quesart form that blends the avant-garde, autotion emerges biographical insight and popular culture. again and again.

By bringing in references to film, televiArt can do many sion, and popular music, it draws on the things, but one audience’s everyday media habits, offerof them is to make us think and feel. Proing ever-new opportunities for bolder and vocative, accessible and engaging, art must bolder experimentation. have something to say to its audience – If we are lucky, Helsinki’s artistic horiand dare to say it. Dialogical art practices zons will soon widen. The Jane and Aatos have a positive aesErkko Foundation thetic momentum have provided a that teaches us to 15 million-euro OVER THE YEARS, A VERY pay attention and grant for a new VIBRANT DANCE SCENE HAS experience things Dance House ProEMERGED IN HELSINKI. in greater depth. ject, which will be Art forms a fantastic addithat are expetion enriching the rienced live are special because they performing arts scene in our capital. The affect their audiences directly. SharDance House Association has been pushing the same space and bodily presing this project in cooperation with varience right here and now is, at its best, ous partners over the past few years. Let’s a powerful encounter. The experience keep our fingers crossed – and let’s keep continues to resonate and inspire the dancing as we wait for the new Dance audience even after the applause is House to materialise. over and everyone has gone home.

In the meantime, if you want to experiEncounters such as this become an ence something truly Finnish, head for the important part of our personal mem- Finnish National Ballet to see a fresh proory, that inventory of moments of duction of “Kullervo,” the tragic story from inspiration and enthusiasm that have the Finnish national epic The Kalevala, fealiterally brought us to tears, forced us turing music by our national composer Jean to think, or provoked us to question Sibelius and brought to stage by contempowhat is given. rary choreographer Tero Saarinen. l But what if people find the arts unapproachable or difficult to understand? Harri Kuorelahti, artistic director of the Zodiak TIINA ROSENBERG is the rector of the Center for New Dance in Helsinki, emphasises that everyone can enjoy University of the Arts in Helsinki for the 2013–2017 term, and currently on leave from art. All you need is curiosity and her professorship at the University of an open mind. Our society provides Stockholm. Her research has focused on plenty of institutions for enjoying feminist theatre, performance studies, feminist art – all we need is the courage to theory, gender and sexuality, and critical enter. Over the years, a very vibrant theory. dance scene has emerged in Hel52 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

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DESTINATION ST. PETERSBURG

The “Cherry Orchard” U-Space at the Erarta Museum and Gallery of Contemporary Art.

54 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

Red art rising Contemporary art hits the mainstream in St. Petersburg.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL ALLEN

MARCH 2015

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55

D E L

ies ir fl to a n Fin daily rg. ice rsbu tw te om Pe St. nair.c fin

E

merging from Moscow’s shadow, St.Petersburg’s contemporary art scene is experiencing exciting times. With new galleries and boutiques opening monthly, there’s no better time for the art-minded traveller to visit Russia’s second largest city.

There may be no “Drink Me” potion involved, but the “Childhood U-Space” at the Erarta Museum and Gallery of Contemporary Art in St. Petersburg evokes a certain empathy with Alice from Lewis Carroll’s fairy tale, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Indeed, being locked in a room with giant furniture is an experience pretty much guaranteed to bring out the inner child in most. It also typifies the modern art scene in St.Petersburg, which today is fun, fecund and full of surprises.

“In recent years there has been an incredible surge of interest in contemporary art in St. Petersburg,” says Erarta curator Elizaveta Shagina. “Now undergoing gentrification, this city is home to huge industrial buildings which are increasingly being converted into

56 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

The classical exterior of Erarta Museum and Gallery of Contemporary Art.

workshops and exhibition spaces. These spaces are very popular with young people.

NEW AVANT GARDE “The state of Russian art over the last century is very interesting,” continues Shagina. “During Soviet times it consisted of either heavily politicised work or the ‘underground’ art of freedom-loving artists. The creative practices of the late 80s and 90s then became the ‘new avant garde’, and we are currently building on those foundations.”

Russian attitudes toward contemporary art are now certainly changing dramatically, especially in big cities such as St. Petersburg. In the more conservative museums and galleries watchful attendants still patrol each room, waiting to pounce on overly tactile visitors. But in the more innovative spaces – such as Erarta’s thought-provoking installations – interaction with the artwork is now positively encouraged.

“There’s still a division in how Russians view modern art,” says Galina Zhushman, Erarta’s bubbly head

STATE HERMITAGE MUSEUM (closed Mondays) No.2, Dvortsovaya Square Closest metro: Admiralteyskaya hermitagemuseum.org

ERARTA ST. PETERSBURG (closed Tuesdays) No.2, 29th Street of Vasilyevsky Island Closest metro: Vasileostrovskaya erarta.com/en

NOVY MUZEI (closed Mon–Tues) No.29, 6th Street of Vasilyevsky Island. Closest metro: Vasileostrovskaya (opposite the entrance) novymuseum.ru (Russian only)

TOURS St. Petersburg contemporary art tours on request: stpetersburgprivatetours.com

ARTSY SHOPPING Select and order a gorgeous print from Erarta’s online shop before arriving in St. Petersburg and collect it after your visit to the museum. If that’s too organised, they also deliver anywhere in the world. shop.erarta.com/en/shop

THE SOL ART GALLERY is a great place to buy contemporary art by St. Peterburg artists. They also provide all the documents overseas visitors require to ship artwork back home. solartgallery.com/artist

“Those born in the era of the Soviet Union generally don’t like it, but younger people embrace nonclassical art.” of PR and media. “It’s mostly a generational thing.

Those born in the era of the Soviet Union generally don’t like it, but younger people embrace non-classical art as thought provoking and refreshingly different in all its forms. They want to get involved.”

ECLECTIC VARIETY A must-see on any St. Petersburg contemporary art tour, Erarta was founded recently by a local philanthro-

pist and Russian contemporary art lover. Housed in an ornate classical mansion, it boasts a museum on one side and a gallery on the other. One of the aims of the latter is to promote up-and-coming contemporary artists on the global stage – there are also Erarta galleries in New York, London, Zurich and Hong Kong.

Erarta primarily focuses on work by Russian artists; many are also displayed in St. Petersburg’s world famous State Hermitage Museum. A vast repository of classical artwork, in recent years this cultural instutition has become ever more involved in contemporary art, showcasing international artists such as as Chuck Close and Terence Koh, as well as exhibiting an eclectic variety of Russian talent.

Conveniently located a stone’s throw from Erarta, albeit on a far smaller scale, is St. Petersburg’s first private contemporary art gallery – the Novy Muzei (New Museum). The gallery’s two floors principally showcase art from the mid to late twentieth century, with a focus on work that was “forbidden” during the Soviet era. l MARCH 2015

Top: Automobileinspired contemporary art outside the Hermitage Museum.

Bottom: Contemporary Russian art by the late Vladislav Mamyshev-Monroe (1969–2013).

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WORLD ON YOUR PLATE TEXT MINNA NYRHINEN PHOTO MAIJA ASTIKAINEN

UGLY, BUT IRRESISTIBLE

NO, THESE ARE not prehistoric animal claws – they are gooseneck barnacles, also called percebes, Spain’s funkiest-looking shellfish found on the rocky shores of Galicia. Highly prized for their intense, sweet flavour, they are extremely expensive because catching them in the crashing surf is a risky business. This gourmet delicacy is available at almost every well-stocked fish stand, market hall or seafood restaurant in Spain.

“Gooseneck barnacles are at their best during months containing the letter ‘r’ – January and February, but not May or June,” advises Esther García, who sells seafood at San Miguel Market in Madrid.

The good news is that these weird sea creatures are really easy to cook.

58 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

“Just pop them in boiling water with some sea salt.

When the water starts to reboil, they’re ready,” García says.

The edible flesh of the gooseneck barnacle is hidden. Just make a slit under the white part that looks like a dinosaur’s foot. Then pull the coral-coloured meat out of the brown skin, add a squirt of lemon juice and enjoy a pure taste of the ocean! l

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ll companies in every industry are facing unprecedented disruption due to digitalization. We are living through what I call a digital revolution just as significant as the agricultural and industrial revolutions that preceded it.

In the last two decades the world started to digitalize as a result of global internet penetration, advances in technology and the development of powerful mobile devices.

This digitalization has made business faster, more competitive and much less predictable.

Many large companies are understandably fearful of this change, but I think it’s a good thing. Actually I think it’s fantastic, as this kind of revolution drives new innovations, user centered thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration in a way that connects companies to their customers, and creates a dynamic, lean, prototyping mindset.

Digitally native startups are a great role model and continue to lead the way.

Digital has empowered a social revolution.

We are sharing, chatting, reviewing, snapping and connecting with each other more than at any other time in the history of our planet.

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Health food start-up founder Tero Isokauppila has worked in cafés around the world; his favourite in Helsinki is Johan & Nyström.

60 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

to coffice FROM CUBICLE

A totally new clientele has started to populate cafés around the world: brainworkers who favour a buzzing public space over a static office environment.

TEXT BY KATI HEIKINHEIMO PHOTOS BY ANNA HUOVINEN AND COFFICES

W

hile the debate over the pros and cons of cubicles and remote work continues, many creatives these days choose to skip office life altogether. Rentable co-work spaces respond to this demand but an increasing number of individuals prefer setting up their basecamp in the nonwork-like environment of public cafés. Business plans are drafted, sales charts filled and websites created amidst the grannies, idlers and the occasional tantrum-throwing child.

This “coffice” way of working certainly is cost efficient, and believers say it is productive as well.

INSPIRING ATMOSPHERE “A stimulating environment keeps the brain agile,” says seasoned cofficer Tero Isokauppila, founder of Four Sigma Foods, a health food start-up operating in Europe, the US and Asia. “A bit of commotion in the background actually helps to concentrate, especially once you’ve been conditioned to it. And if you need some privacy, just put headphones on. No one is likely to disturb you,” he adds.

Isokauppila says working in a public space is effi-

cient, if you make it so. A fair amount of self-discipline and orderliness is needed since the element of social control is missing.

Sure enough, the start-up crowds love this concept – at least they save on rent costs. But does this way of working have any relevance to corporations?

“It completely depends on the job description and role. I used to work for a multinational consulting agency and while travelling, I would sometimes write reports while sitting in cafés and restaurants,” says Isokauppila.

He admits traditional offices do have upsides: usually they ensure better ergonomics and provide social interaction. Yet, work communities can also be so interactive that tasks are constantly interrupted. Or, on the contrary, they may be painfully unsocial – whereas many established coffices have formed a distinct culture and social environment that a newcomer can easily slot into.

Café owners everywhere have noticed the trend, and those who have space for these lingering customers see them as an important target group. Free (and reliable) wifi, great coffee, good food and an inspiring atmosphere: that’s what it takes to lure the creative nomads. Tero Isokauppila shares with Blue Wings his favourite coffices in ten cities around the world. l MARCH 2015

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2

TOP 10

FOR COFFICE LIFE Seasoned digital nomad Tero Isokauppila shares his favourite working cafés in ten cities around the world:

1

LOS ANGELES – CAFÉ GRATITUDE “This café on Venice Beach is very uplifting without being too hippie-ish. Whatever state of body and mind you are looking for, you are likely to find it here: portions have names like I am powerful. Tasty organic food, free parking, fast wifi.”

2

cafegratitude.com

MELBOURNE – ST. ALI “Melbourne is a coffee culture haven, and the city hosts many of the world’s best cafés. St. Ali is the most convenient for working. It is located on a side street, uninhabited by tourists. Long, shared tables and an airy, lofty space with high ceilings guarantee a liberating atmosphere.”

62 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

stali.com.au

3

HONG KONG – THE COFFEE ACADEMICS “A good location on a side alley close to Times Square, yet hidden from the crowds. Lovely interior and extremely attentive service in true Asian style. Less communal than some of the other places I’ve recommended, this café is great for work that demands high concentration.” the-coffeeacademics.com

4

NEW YORK – BUDIN “Budin reflects the Nordic trend prevalent in NYC. Finnish design brands like Marimekko and Iittala are all over the place, so to me this café feels like a piece of home abroad. Located in Green Point, Budin has less hustle and bustle than an average New York City diner.”

5

budin-nyc.com/roasters

LONDON – ACE HOTEL “This hotel chain is well known among start-ups for their excellent free wifi and relaxed ambience. You can make some interesting acquaintances while sipping on your green juice.” acehotel.com/london

6 3 5

6

10

VANCOUVER – REVOLVER “An energetic and upbeat café suitable for working in my favourite city in the entire world. Good location with lots of interesting restaurants nearby.” revolvercoffee.ca

7

PARIS – CAFÉ CRAFT “Very calm, modern and technically well equipped. In other words, the opposite of a traditional Parisian café, which tend to be great for idling but far from optimal for working.” cafe-craft.com/home

8

MANILA – KUPPA ROASTERY “This place may not have the best location, but according to my experience after living in Manila, it is definitely my favourite. The service level is outstanding and coffee is home-roasted. And the wifi works, which is not self-evident in the Philippines.” facebook.com/kupparoastery

“Make sure you choose a café located close to your accommodation. You don’t want to lose precious working time in commuting,” says Tero Isokauppila.

9

HELSINKI – JOHAN & NYSTRÖM “I have noticed a positive trend in Helsinki: many intriguing new cafés and restaurants keep popping up. Known for their top-notch coffee and impressive selection of teas, Johan & Nyström is also one of the only cafés in town serving raw food cakes.

Suitable for both individual work and team meetings.” johanochnystrom.se/en

10

TOKYO – STREAMER COFFEE “The passion for perfection is well visible in the cafés of this chain. It inspires me to outperform in my own job as well. Scandinavian style interior design meets Japanese architecture and the best service culture in the world.” streamercoffee.com

COFFICE FINDER AT YOUR FINGERTIPS These apps, recommended by startup founder Tero Isokauppila, make sure you have an efficient workday − whichever city you wake up in.

YELP - “A global, comprehensive service that publishes crowd-sourced reviews about local businesses. Try searching cafés with wifi. And don’t forget public libraries − they are a great alternative for focused work sessions.”

BEAN HUNTER - “If great coffee is a top-ranking criteria for you, this app will help you locate the cafés with the best brews.

NEW YORK WIFI “Informs you where to find free wifi connections.”

MARCH 2015

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63

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY ALEXANDER STUBB

Give peace a chance

I

started my undergraduate studies in mediating peace in the war in Georgia in 2008. at Furman University in the United Power politics, armed conflict and spheres of States the same year that the Berlin interest had returned to the borders of Europe. wall fell in 1989. Two years later the Two additional frozen conflicts emerged: AbkhaSoviet Union collapsed. zia and South Ossetia.

It was exciting times for a young Things calmed down for a while, until last year. political science student focused on That’s when Russia violated international law, and international relations. Eastern and the territorial integrity and sovereignty of another Central Europe embraced liberal democracy and country, by annexing the Crimean peninsula and market economy. Self-determination and indeby starting the destabilisation of Eastern Ukraine pendence integrated the East with the West.

For Finland this is not a “far-away” conflict. It Today Russia is one of Finland’s biggest trad- takes less than two hours to fly to Kiev from Heling partners, together with Germany and Swesinki. That’s why we have tried to do our best to den. Last year we issued solve the conflict first FOR LASTING PEACE, THERE and foremost as a steadsome 1.1 million visas to Russian nationals; there fast member of the EuroNEEDS TO BE PRESSURE were over 11 million border pean Union, and secAND POLITICAL WILL. crossings. ondly through normal But we share bilateral channels. a lot more than just trade and a Peace mediation is never easy. For lasting 1,300-kilometre border. Whatpeace, there needs to be pressure and political ever happens in Russia always will. Pressure can be either political or economic. interests us – greatly.

Money is often the best peace broker in the Our joint history goes back world. The Ukrainian economy is in bad shape. centuries. From 1809 to 1917, The Russian economy is also on the brink.

Finland was an autonomous The thing with these kinds of conflicts is that Grand Duchy of the Russian you need patience – one of the greatest virtues Empire. During the Second in international politics. Negotiations are not a World War, we fought hard shortcut to a solution, but they are the only susagainst the then-Soviet Union tainable way to get there. Similarly, economic to keep our independence. sanctions need time to show their true strength.

I have lived most of my adult The paradox is that the whole conflict broke life with a dream that Russia out because Ukraine, an independent and free would become a European country state, wanted to choose the European path. It like others, abiding to international wanted an association agreement with the EU. rules. In Finland, we have also This did not fit the Russian master plan, and the worked hard towards this. result is unfolding before our eyes.

After the Cold War, Russia We Finns are problem solvers by nature. The took steps towards democracy. It fact remains that Russia has been, is and will be also established closer relations our neighbour in the future. That is one of the with the EU and NATO. It even- many reasons we want to give peace a chance in tually joined the WTO. Ukraine. l But in the past few years the trend has, unfortunately, reversed.

Alexander Stubb is the Prime Minister of Finland.

When I was Foreign Mintwitter.com/alexstubb ister, I was closely involved

66 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

YOUR SHORTCUT TO ASIA WITH

SWEET DREAMS More full-flat seats on flights to Asia than ever before

WAKE UP AT YOUR DESTINATION FEELING REFRESHED AND READY FOR THE DAY AHEAD.

Our full-flat seats in business class offer you more room and privacy to work, dine, and sleep. Fly with Finnair and experience the best in travel comfort.

DESTINATION BRAZIL

A Brazilian rodizio is an all-you-caneat buffet where the food travels to the customer, not the other way around.

68 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

THE RODIZIO

A movable feast TEXT BY MIRVA LEMPIÄINEN PHOTOS BY TANJA MIKKOLA

Brazil has truly perfected the art of the all-youcan-eat buffet: when you visit a rodizio, you don’t even have to leave your chair.

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D

ressed casually in a grey T-shirt, Rio de Janeiro resident Joao Emiliano Carlos Leite has barely taken his seat at the Churrascaria Carretão near Copacabana beach when his dinner is already in front of him.

The minute he enters, he is greeted by a waiter, who walks directly to his table with a skewer of filet mignon, slicing the meat with a long knife.

Soon another waiter brings out Leite’s favourite dish: piping-hot lamb rack. Leite digs into his heaped plate with a healthy appetite.

The attentive service is no coincidence: the 60-year-old engineer says he has been to this particular restaurant “more than 100 times” over the last decade.

“The price is right here,” says Leite of the €20 allyou-can-eat deal.

But it’s not just because he’s a regular that he enjoys such swift service. The same would apply even if he were a first-timer: the Carretão is what the Brazilians call a rodizio – a rotation buffet.

Here the food comes to the customer, unlike typical buffets in other countries.

Joao Emiliano Carlos Leite loves visiting Carretão, where the waiters know him by name.

70 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

There are thousands of rodizios in Brazil, where waiters take turns carrying a steady stream of food to the customers. The diners look at what’s on offer on each tray, and then decide whether to take it or leave it.

“It’s good because you can try lots of different dishes,” says Leite of his favourite restaurant concept.

THE GRILL FROM IPANEMA In addition to being a rodizio, Carretão is also a churrascaria, which means a Brazilian steakhouse where barbequed beef, chicken and lamb are served on skewers.

Churrascarias are a carnivore’s dream, offering unlimited protein delicacies such as bacon-wrapped filet mignon, sirloin steak, pork ribs and the Brazilians’ favourite dish, chicken hearts.

There are also other types of all-you-can-eat rotation buffets in Brazil, serving everything from sushi and seafood to pizza, pasta and Middle Eastern fare.

In addition to the main dishes that are served directly to the customer, most rodizios have a separate salad

“It’s good because you can try lots of different dishes.”

Sushi rodizios are especially popular in SĂŁo Paulo, a city that is home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan.

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O I R

ly dai s r e off air world ia n n v e Fi on tions c to ne rk con w Yo eiro Ne e Jan d om Rio nair.c n fi

Marius, a maritime-themed rodizio popular with tourists, draws its inspiration from pirates, sea, romance and history.

and side dish buffet for people to help themselves.

Leite, however, skips the pastas and the greens: he’s here for the meat.

“It’s not good to eat rodizio every week. You get very fat,” he says with a laugh, estimating that he eats at buffets about once or twice a month.

Rodizios typically cost €7–35, depending on the type of food served, the day of the week and the location. Sushi, fine meat and seafood buffets are the most expensive, pizza and pasta the cheapest.

The priciest day is Sunday, when many Brazilian families dine out at a rodizio. Establishments in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro also cost more than those in smaller Brazilian towns.

One of Brazil’s high-end rodizios is Marius, an all-you-can-eat meat and seafood buffet in Rio de Janeiro’s Leme neighbourhood. With its funky maritime theme, the restaurant is decorated with fishnets, ropes, pots, pans and even high heels hanging from the walls and the ceiling.

“Newcomers are always very surprised. Is it a museum? They’d never guess it’s a restaurant,” chuckles waiter Otoniel Carlos de Souza Monteiro.

“The owner of this place travels a lot. When he sees something special, he adds it to the collection.”

The food selection at Marius is top-notch: In addi-

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Rodizios typically cost €7–35, depending on the type of food served, the day of the week and the location. tion to lobster and oysters, the restaurant also serves Kobe beef – rare Japanese premium meat.

“The young bulls are treated like a rich person, enjoying beer and massages. They don’t exercise much, so the bulls get fat, making the meat tender and smooth,” Monteiro explains.

This is why Marius charges its visitors 170 Brazilian Reals (€53) for its meat and seafood buffet – much more than your average rodizio.

Another difference between Marius and other buffets is how the dishes are served. Whereas elsewhere customers have no control over which foods rotate from table to table, here the customers can order specific items off the menu.

Carretão is a classic churrascaria, where meat is served on skewers.

RODIZIO FACTSHEET • The word rodizio, meaning "rotation," refers to the circular non-stop movement of the waiters that carry trays of food to the customers.

• In most rodizios the customer is given a card with a green and red side. The colours are like a traffic light: green is the go-ahead signal for the waiters to serve more food, and red means stop.

• The cost includes all food, but not drinks. Beer, soft drinks and water cost around €1–3 each.

Desserts and coffee usually cost extra as well.

• There are different stories about how the Brazilian rotation buffet was invented. One theory is that it originated in the Brazilian countryside, where cowboys cooked skewers of meat during campfires and passed them from one to another.

• One of Brazil’s fanciest rodizios is Porcão. The chain runs restaurants in Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, New York and Miami.

Porcao.com.br

• Fogo de Chao is another popular fine dining rodizio steakhouse with eight locations in Brazil, as well as restaurants in Puerto Rico and 25 US cities. fogodechao.com

Rodizios that offer seafood are usually the fanciest and most expensive.

Marius carries tens of different kinds of seafood and fine cuts of meat.

“We also don’t serve meat on skewers. It comes on trays to avoid accidents,” Monteiro says.

He says about half of the customers are tourists, many from Europe.

SUSHI UNLIMITED Of all the rotation buffets, sushi is the favourite of young urban professionals like Ana Claudia Suaide of São Paulo.

About once a month the 35-year-old finds herself at Kawa Sushi, her favourite Japanese rodizio in São Paulo. The popular restaurant is located in Jardins, one of the city’s upper-class neighbourhoods.

“Here you can try a little bit of everything without having to order a full plate, which is how I like to eat,” says Suaide, using her chopsticks to pick up a strawberry maki, one of the Brazilian-Japanese fusion options available at Kawa.

Next up, the waiter brings out stuffed salmon rolls on top of lemon slices and lights up a small fire under the dish to create a more impressive display. Then out come the calamari rings, shrimp and tuna sashimi. There’s plenty of food to go around for Suaide’s party of six, consisting of family and friends.

Paying around €20 for the rodizio is “worth more than going to a Japanese restaurant and ordering one dish,” says Suaide.

Frequenting rodizios with family members, friends or co-workers is very popular, explains Suaide, who works as an English teacher. “It’s part of Brazilian daily life.”

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Being health-conscious, she admits that having unlimited servings of food appear under your nose in brisk succession is a sure-fire recipe for overeating.

“That’s the dark side of coming to a rodizio. You always leave feeling miserable,” she says, laughing.

Despite Kawa Sushi often ruining her diet, Suaide doesn’t promise to steer clear of all-you-can-eat buffets in the future.

“How could I?I know I’ll be back.” l

BEHIND THE SCENES

Mirva Lempiäinen Mirva Lempiäinen is a US-educated freelance journalist and travel writer from Finland. When not out roaming the globe, she splits her time between New York City and the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe.

Tanja Mikkola A sushi chef cuts salmon at Fazendola, a Rio rodizio that serves pizza and sushi.

Tanja Mikkola is a tier point collector, a globetrotting photojournalist, who has visited 70 countries.

Ilmoitusmyynti: Oy Suomen Myyntitieto Ab | Mirja-Liisa Vuorenmaa | P. 09-7742 3316

www.ylikraka.fi

IHMISEN KOKOINEN ASIANAJOTOIMISTO Annankatu 1, Helsinki www.hotelanna.fi info@hotelanna.fi Tel. +358 9 616 621

Helsinki | Jyväskylä | Keuruu | Mikkeli | Salo | Tampere

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JÄÄKIEKON MM-2015 Ostrava-Praha, Tshekki 1.–18.5.2015

+358 10 421 8990

KORIPALLON EM-2015 Montpellier, Ranska 4.–11.9.2015

www.aikamatkat.fi/sport

FINNAIR NEWS

LUXURIOUS LOUNGES Relax, rest or work before your flight at one of Finnair’s three awardwinning lounges at Helsinki Airport.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

TOP DESTINATIONS

Finnair flies nonstop to 3 classics in Japan:

Tokyo Step into one of the world’s largest metropolises – home to more than 13 million people –for a travel experience full of contrasts from futuristic skyscrapers to historic Zen gardens.

Greek cuisine draws on the Mediterranean for fresh seafood.

DESTINATION

Crete expectations FINNAIR STARTS UP non-stop scheduled flights to the largest of the Greek islands on April 17, with up to 6 weekly departures to Chania and twice-weekly service to Heraklion during the summer high season. Crete offers 1,000 kilome-

tre-long coastline with gorgeous beaches, mountains and gorges, a rich gastronomic culture and archaeological treasures such as the birthplace of the Bronze Age Minoan kingdom. finnair.com GOSLEEP SEATS

Nagoya Birthplace of Toyota and

Pachinko, the country’s manufacturing centre lies on the Pacific coast on central Honshu, a short shinkansen (high-speed) train ride from Mount Fuji, about 170 kilometres away.

Napping on the fly

MORE THAN a billion passengers spend time at airports before or between flights.

What better way to spend the time than having a good rest? Newly launched Go­Sleep seats provide an innovative solution for a short rest while waiting for a flight at Helsinki Airport. Hand luggage is stowed safely under the reclining seat in the quiet and comfy pod.

Just opened at Gates 38 and 18, the seats cost 9 euros per hour.

Helsinki Airport’s new GoSleep seats.

76 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

Unisolutions.fi

Osaka Known as the country’s kitchen, Japan’s third largest city is a culinary mecca from delicious street food to high-end Michelin-starred restaurants.

Kiertomatkamme vievät sinut niin Euroopan kiinnostavimpiin kohokohtiin kuin kaukomaiden eksoottisiin kohteisiin – kohti paikallista elämänmenoa ja ikimuistoisia seikkailuita. Esimerkiksi Costa Rican kiertomatkalla nautit ensin luonnonihmeistä, jonka jälkeen siirryt suurkaupungin sykkeeseen Miami Beachille.

Itävallan kiertomatkalla huikeat maisemat ja kotoisat alppihotellit hurmaavat. Tervetuloa kokemaan aitoja paikallisia elämyksiä kanssamme.

Iskikö matkakuume? Tutustu koko kiertomatkatarjontaamme: aurinkomatkat.fi/kiertomatkat

Kiertomatkojemme hintaan sisältyy kaikki oleellinen: • lennot • aito, käsityönä tehty matkaohjelma ja matkaohjelmaan listatut retket, sisäänpääsymaksut ja ateriat • laadukas majoitus aamiaisella parhailla sijainneilla • suomalaisen kiertomatka- ja paikallisoppaan palvelut • lentokenttä- ja muut kiertomatkan kuljetukset

FINNAIR NEWS

CHEERS Surprise your friend or pamper yourself by ordering a bottle of ­champagne (or a box of chocolates) to be served on board.

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

BOCUSE D’OR

Culinary success

WRITTEN BY SILJA KUDEL PHOTO BY JAANIS KERKIS

Award-winning chef Matti Jämsén is also the creator of Finnair’s new Business Class menu.

TWEET OF THIS MONTH

ONE OF THE CREATORS of Finnair’s signature menus, Matti Jämsén, has scooped the fourth place in the world’s most prestigious gastronomic competition, the 2015 Bocuse d’Or after two years of fierce practice.

This is the all-time best result achieved by Finland. Jämsén also took home the Best Meat Dish Award with a show-stopping forestthemed platter of guinea fowl.

Jämsén is Executive Head Chef at G.W. Sundmans, famed for its modern take on Nordic cuisine. The star chef is also the creator of Finnair’s highly praised signature Business Class menu for January–April.

“We came here to improve our earlier fifth-place ranking, and we nailed it. How could we not be proud?” said a relaxed Jämsén after the finals, which took place on January 27-28 in Lyon.

This year’s Bocuse d’Or winner was Norway, followed by the United States and Sweden. bocusedor.com finnair.com

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C MYK / .ai

Finnair crew tips As a wine enthusiast, jet-setting Inflight Supervisor Marja Jäämeri always has her eye out for a good bottle of Bordeaux or bubbly.

Here’s where she finds the best deals:

Top 3 wine shops

1

Frankfurt and Munich’s airport tax-free shops often have great offers on wines and Champagnes. The selection’s not extensive, but it varies, and you may catch a good deal.

2

In addition to Hong Kong’s many excellent fine wine shops, good wines from New Zealand and Australia are also sold in supermarkets at surprisingly affordable prices.

3

In Madrid, one of my favourite cities in Europe, visit the San Miguel covered market in the historic city centre for tastings of the top Spanish wines and lots of other goodies.

FINNAIR IN

Finnair fun facts Served on-board in 2014

Congrats to pursers Emma and Petri on their bronze medal win at #ISPY2015! twitter.com/Finnair

Take a coffee break in Toronto, where Finnair flies nonstop during the summer season. youtube.com/user/finnair

78 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

Did you know you could use your Finnair Plus points to redeem excess baggage vouchers in advance? facebook.com/finnair

1,161,000 litres of bottled water

6 million

cups of coffee

FLY FINNAIR

Your complete guide to travelling with us

WELCOME ABOARD We want you to enjoy your flight. This guide contains all the information you need for stress-free travelling. We have even included tips for inflight wellbeing and entertainment.

So sit back, relax and enjoy your travel experience.

MARCH

In this guide 80 TIPS FOR TAKEOFF 81 INFLIGHT WELLBEING 82 ENTERTAINMENT 83 INFLIGHT SHOPPING 84 SUSTAINABILITY 85 HELSINKI AIRPORT 88 MAPS 92 FLEET 94 FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME 98 FINLAND IN FIGURES MARCH 2015

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FLY FINNAIR TIPS FOR TAKEOFF

FINNAIR

TRAVEL TIPS

in a nutshell

ANSSI PARTANEN, marketing manager, began his career at Finnair in 2000.

“We are getting ready to welcome our newest family member, the fabulous Airbus A350 XWB, later this year. The first long-haul flight will be to Shanghai but for all airplane enthusiasts, I can already reveal that we will fly some flights in Europe before that.”

Established in 1923, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines.

Finnair’s route network includes more than 50 international destinations.

Finnair publishes the list of flights later this spring. So keep an eye on the website for upates: a350.finnair.com

In 2014, Finnair carried 9.6 million passengers.

More than 1.5 million passengers fly between Asia and Helsinki each year.

See page 93 for more information about A350.

SAFETY

IN YOUR POCKET A NEW FINNAIR MOBILE APP is available for Apple iOS devices, with other platforms to follow. The app provides personalised, up-tothe-minute flight information and e-boarding pass storage.

It can also be used to check in, select seats, purchase upgrades, receive news, and view point balances.

Download yours now from the App Store!

80 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

SMOOTH JOURNEY 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.

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 when the "Fasten safety belt" sign is turned off. This is when laptop computers, tablets and mobile phones can also be used in airplanemode.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT WELLBEING

FOOD AND DRINK

Business Class passengers can enjoy Signature Menus created by top Finnish chefs.

Until April 28, you can taste the wintry fivecourse meal prepared by Matti Jämsén, executive head chef at G.W. Sundmans.

EAT WELL

Foods to fuel on European flights MAKE SURE to arrive at your destination restored and energised. For a little extra money, you can choose from a tasty selection of foods and drinks. You will find the Sky Bistro menu card in your seat pocket.

Coffee, tea, water and Finnair’s new signature drink – blueberry juice – is served free of charge on all Finnair flights.

MINDFULNESS Sit back and relax

WELLBEING

INFLIGHT EXERCISES

These moves keep you fit while flying. Hold each movement for a few seconds and repeat five times per side.

CIRCLES

LIFT

RAISE

LOWER

Lift one foot and draw circles with your toes.

Reverse direction.

Lift one knee up and then lower your foot back down to the floor.

Keep heels on the floor and lift your toes upwards, then release.

Keep toes on the floor and lift your heels upwards, then release.

Mindfulness instructor Aleksi Litovaara's exercises will help you feel calm and rested during the flight.

1

BE AWARE The basic idea of mindfulness is that you have arrived. The aircraft is already taking you where you need to be so just sit back and relax. Watch, listen and feel your present environment without judgement – just be aware of it.

2

TACKLE ANXIETY If you experience nervousness or restlessness, try holding and feeling an object in your hand. It will help bring your attention to the simple physical sensation instead of getting caught up in your own thoughts.

3

BREATHE EASY Focus on your breath. Think of the word “peace” when inhaling, and of the word “calmness” when you exhale. You can also try the 7/11 method: count to seven when breathing in, and to 11 when breathing out. It will have a balancing effect on your nervous system.

SHRUG

NOD

ROTATE

TURN

Lift your shoulders up towards your ears and release.

Lower your chin slowly towards your chest and lift back up again.

Gently rotate your head from side to side. Keep your shoulders relaxed.

Slowly lower your left ear to your left shoulder and then back up again.

aleksilitovaara.com

MARCH 2015

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FLY FINNAIR ENTERTAINMENT

MARCH

WATCH TIME FLY

Make the most of your flight with your personal entertainment system. Use your handset or touchscreen to choose from 72 movies, 150 TV shows, 15 games and a wide selection of music.

PICK OF THE MONTH MOVIE DUMB AND DUMBER TO. Twenty years after their first adventure, Lloyd and Harry go on a road trip to find Harry’s newly discovered daughter, who was given up for adoption. (Rating PG-13)

NEW PERSONAL entertainment systems are available on Airbus A330 and Airbus A340 aircraft. Just one click and you can choose your favourite from movies to music and games.

Available language tracks depend on the programme; some programmes include Finnish and Chinese subtitles.

You can also track your flight’s ­progress with the Airshow moving map.

Entertainment systems may vary by aircraft. On scheduled intercontinental flights, headphones are available free of charge. On leisure flights (AY1000 series), there is an entertainment fee, which includes headphones.

KIDS PICK

Fun for the little ones PADDINGTON A young Peruvian bear travels to the city in search of a home. Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realise that city life is not all he had imagined — until he meets the kindly Brown family. (Chinese subtitles, Rating PG)

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ON SCREEN Latest films and TV series

MOVIE INTERSTELLAR. A group of explorers travel through a wormhole and into another dimension. (PG-13)

MOVIE BIRDMAN. A washed-up actor must overcome his ego as he mounts a Broadway play in a bid to reclaim his past glory. (R)

MOVIE TOUR DE FORCE. A Tour de France fanatic finds his life falling apart and decides to ride the route of the Tour, starting the day before the pros, and trying to get to Paris before them. (English subtitles, Rating NR) TV SERIES SURVIVING JACK. Joanne catches Rachel kissing a boy other than her boyfriend and finds herself in an awkward conversation about kissing somebody else while still with Jack.

TV SERIES FOREVER. Henry ­Morgan, an immortal, searches for the man who caused a subway train accident. Meanwhile, a mysterious call informs Henry that someone knows his secret.

RADIO SINGAPORE SLING. The perfect soundtrack to enjoy with a cocktail or two. With music from Capital Cities, Faye Wong, Sarah Aqilah, Wale and more. Powered by Nokia MixRadio. Enjoy more music at mixradio.io.

PLUG IN!

Most Airbus A340 aircraft and all Airbus A330 aircraft are equipped with an electricity socket, which you will find under your seat.

FLY FINNAIR INFLIGHT SHOPPING

BIOEFFECT 15+5 ML Sold on European and intercontinental flights €149 LA PRAIRIE SKIN CAVIAR LUXE CREAM 50 ML Sold on intercontinental flights €299

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO, SIGNORINA EDP 50 ML Sold on intercontinental flights €59

SHOP NOW Best in flight

EXCLUSIVE SELECTION

FINNAIR CARRIES a broad selection of cosmetics, fragrances, gift items, confectionary and jewellery, which can be purchased during your flight.

On most Intercontinental and flights to and from destinations outside the EU, wine and spirits are also available for purchase.

Check out the onboard shopping catalogue for the latest must haves. Surprise a loved one, a friend or even pamper yourself. Sit back and relax — let us bring the special offers to you.

HERMÈS, TERRE D’HERMÈS EDT 50 ML Sold on European and intercontinental flights €54 TIMEX WATCH FOR MEN Sold on intercontinental and leisure flights €135

LINDT BALLOTIN 250G Sold on European and intercontinental flights €24

MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES, GAUDIUM, RESERVA, RIOJA Available in pre-order shopping catalogue €37.90

PRE-ORDER

Shopping made easy Pre-ordering your favourite products is stressfree. There’s no minimum order and your ­purchases will be waiting at your seat on your next flight! finnairshop.com

MARCH 2015

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FLY FINNAIR SUSTAINABILITY

MARCH MARTINE PERRET

BETTER PLANET A few examples of Finnair’s societal involvement in action:

THE UNITED NATIONS Global Compact is a ­corporate responsibility initiative aiming to make human rights, fair labour standards, ­environmental responsibility and anti-corruption core parts of the participating companies’ operations. Finnair has been a member since 2103.

The airline company has also signed the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles in 2011.

STANDING UP FOR EQUALITY

IN 2015 Finnair will receive its first four Airbus A350 aircraft, which will cut back on fuel consumption and emissions by 25 per cent.

MARCH 8TH marks International ­Women’s Day, a holiday that dates back to the early 1900s. March 9th kicks-off the 59th session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN headquarters in New York. This year the conference reviews the progress made in gender equality since the establishment of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a blueprint for women’s ­empowerment established 20 years ago.

Finnair is a proponent of UN Women, the United Nations’ entity focusing on gender equality and women’s involvement in global and local communities.

The airline was the first Finnish

FINNAIR is one of the first airlines in the world to receive an IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) certification; this environmental management system is designed to assess an airline’s environmental management.

International Women’s Day

WORK WITH US

DO GOOD Finnair makes it even easier to donate to charity. Passengers can now make a donation to UNICEF Finland when they book their flights on the Finnair website. Donations are possible in sums of one, five or ten euros.

Finnair also collaborates with many other environmental and ­humanitarian organisations.

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c­ ompany to sign the UN Women’s ­Empowerment Principles in 2011.

The principles provide guidelines for ­enabling women’s leadership on the corporate level through equal treatment, health and safety, thoughtful marketing and business practices, ­community initiatives, and reporting on corporate and social responsibility. Finnair is also a member of United ­Nations Global Compact, a comprehensive corporate responsibility initiative.

More than 12,000 organisations worldwide are part of Global Compact. weprinciples.org unglobalcompact.com

­ embers of Finnair’s frequent flyer M programme can still donate points to the following charities at pointshop.finnair.com: • The Finnish association for Nature Conservation • The Association of Friends of the University ­Children’s Hospitals • The Cancer Society of Finland • The Finnish Red Cross • UNICEF Finland • The Baltic Sea Action Group • Hope

THE AIRLINE supports the International Air ­Transport Association’s (IATA) goal of zero ­emissions trading scheme. Finnair is dedicated to reducing its carbon dioxide emission revenue as much as 20 per cent per tonne-kilometre from 2009 to 2017. Another ambitious goal is to reduce the total amount of de-icing fluids by 40 per cent from 2006 to 2016.

FINNAIR CONDUCTS an annual employee well-being survey, participates in campaigns promoting equal opportunities at the workplace and places a strong focus on occupational safety and continuous training.

FINNAIR WAS INCLUDED on the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) 2014 A List: The 2014 Climate Performance Leadership index for its efforts to reduce emissions and slow climate change. Among the 187 businesses included, Finnair was the only airline.

FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT INFORMATION

HAPPY LANDINGS Arriving and departing Helsinki Airport

PASSENGERS at Helsinki Airport can use the 30 automated border control gates. Fifteen of these are located in the departure hall. The Finnish Border Guard’s automated border control helps serve growing passenger volumes at Helsinki Airport.

EU, EEA, Japanese and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can take advantage of the automated border control 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 Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, South Korean and U.S. citizens. The automated border control is monitored by a border guard ensuring secure border crossings.

Please note that passengers travelling with an infant, baggage trolley or wheelchair must use the manual border control lane.

AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL 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. ヘルシンキ・ヴァンター空港シェンゲンエリアで は、入出国審査の際に自動化ゲートをご利用頂けま す。対象となるのはICパスポートをお持ちのお客様 です。

대한민국 전자여권을 소지한 승객께서는 유럽에서 한국으로 입국 시, 헬싱키 공항에서 자동출국심사 서비스를 이용 하실 수 있습니다.

① パスポートの顔写真ページを読み取ります。該当 ページを読み取り機の上に置いて下さい。個人情報 と生体認証データを読み取ります。

우선, 전자여권의 사진 페이지를 인식장치에 올려주시기를 바랍니다. 이 과정에서 여권정보가 시스템에 자동 인식됩니다.

② ゲートが開いたら中に入り、右を向いて下さい。 パスポートの顔写真と照合します。バックパック・ 帽子・眼鏡などは外して下さい。足跡マークの上に 立って画面を正面からまっすぐに見て下さい。 ③ 二番目のゲートが開いたら、入国審査官のカウン ターにお進み下さい。パスポートを確認した後、入 国または出国スタンプを押印致します。シェンゲン エリア居住許可証をお持ちの方は、入国審査官にご 提示下さい。

finnair.com/jp

첫 번째 게이트가 열리면 안으로 들어가 오른쪽에 위치한 카메라로 안면인증을 거치게 됩니다. 이후 마지막 게이트에서 출입국관리 직원의 출국확인도장을 받으시면 됩니다. 보다 간편하고 빠른 본 자동시스템의 많은 이용 바랍니다. 대한민국 전자여권은?

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

finnair.com/kr

Enter through the gate and turn right. Please remove your backpack if you’re wearing one and stand on the footprints on the floor. Remove your glasses and hat. Stand still and 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.

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FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT INFORMATION

WELCOME TO HELSINKI AIRPORT HOW TO TRANSFER Check your gate and departure time on the airport monitors. All Finnair and Flybe departures are located in the same terminal.

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

Most passengers transferring from non-EU countries to EU countries have to go through security and passport control. Please note that liquids are restricted in carry-on baggage.

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

AUTOMATED BORDER CHECKS are available to passengers with Border control bio-metric EU, EEA, Japanese 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.

See more information on page 85.

FINNAIR TRANSFER SERVICE desks in Helsinki Airport T2 terminal are ready to help you with any inquiries related to your connection flights.

TRANSFER SERVICE

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: €6.40

CHECKING IN Checking in to your Finnair flight is easy. You can save time by checking in at a self-service stand at the airport, online 36 hours before departure or by text message.

CANCELLATIONS In case a flight is delayed or cancelled, Finnair will make every effort to keep you updated.

Please make sure that you have provided Finnair with your email address and phone number.

86 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

34 35

SHOP

33

32

32a

Security control

SHOP

31a-e 30

31x 31

Border control

SHOP

SHOP

LONG-HAUL AREA NON-SCHENGEN

Bo con

TRANSFER SERVICE 3

2ND FLOOR 36

FINNAIR LOUNGE FINNAIR PREMIUM LOUNGE 37

38

2ND FLOOR

37a-d

GROUND FLOOR

During 2015 the Helsinki airport will renovate most of the shops, cafés and restaurants for your greater enjoyment. Thank you for your patience!

SERVICES AND FACILITIES

TRAVEL TIPS

Make most of your time SHOP 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.

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

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

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

SHOP

FLY FINNAIR HELSINKI AIRPORT INFORMATION WALKING TIME GATE 24-30: 7 MIN

T2 29

LOST AND FOUND Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn

28

27

26 SHOP

SCHENGEN AREA

SHOP

SHOP

GATE AREA

Security check

TRANSFER SERVICE 2 SHOP

23 SHOP

FINNAIR LOUNGE

Security

order ntrol

CHECK-IN 240–270

P

SHOP

SHOP

INQUIRIES Lentäjäntie 1 (next to T2, street level) Open Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00 and Sat 09:00–15:00 Tel 0600 41006 (1,97€/min + local network charge)

24

25

FINNAIR check CHECK-IN/ SERVICE DESKS 201–232

22

GROCERY

3RD FLOOR

21

SH

OP

20

1ST FLOOR

SHOP

19

TOURIST INFO

18

PHARMACY

17 16

TRANSFER SERVICE 1

15

CHECK-IN 101–114

GROUND FLOOR

T1

14

Security check

BAGGAGE STORAGE

13 LOUNGE FINNISH SAUNA EXPERIENCE Get a little steamy and enjoy a real Finnish sauna. The sauna is open every day from early morning ­until midnight in the Finnair Lounge in the non-Schengen terminal between gates 36 and 37. Anyone can access the lounge for only €48 unless travelling in Business Class or holding a Finnair Plus top-tier loyalty programme card, which automatically entitles you to lounge service.

GATE AREA

2ND FLOOR

12

11

SHOP

1ST FLOOR MARCH 2015

BLUE WINGS

87

FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS WITHIN EUROPE KARTAT Great Circle Estimated FROM HELSINKI ALGHERO AMSTERDAM ALANYA/GAZIPASA ARRECIFE ATHENS BARCELONA BERGEN BERLIN BIARRITZ BILLUND BODRUM BRUSSELS BUDAPEST BURGAS CATANIA CHANIA COPENHAGEN DALAMAN DUBLIN DUBROVNIK DÜSSELDORF EILAT EKATERINBURG FARO FRANKFURT FUERTEVENTURA FUNCHAL GENEVA GOTHENBURG HAMBURG INNSBRUCK IRÁKLION KAVALA KAZAN KERKYRA KOS KRAKOW LAS PALMAS LISBON LJUBLJANA LONDON MADRID MALAGA MALTA MANCHESTER MILAN MINSK MOSCOW MUNICH NAPLES NICE NIZHNIY NOVGOROD NORRKÖPING OSLO PALMA DE MALLORCA PAPHOS PARIS

Distances km

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

Flight Times

2473 03:35

1525 02:35 2722 03:45 4518 05:55 2490 03:40 2632 03:55 1112 03:30 1123 02:00 2581 03:45 1060 01:50 2572 03:55 1651 02:40 1481 02:20 1982 03:00 2636 03:45 2756 03:50 895 01:40 2639 03:40 2030 03:10 2027 03:00 1512 02:25 3457 04:45 2098 03:05 3480 04:45 1543 02:35 4578 06:05 4310 05:45 1994 03:00 785 01:25 1172 02:00 1701 02:35 2777 03:55 2159 03:15 1521 02:30 2331 03:25 2620 03:45 1186 02:00 4700 06:10 3369 04:50 1713 02:40 1863 03:10 2950 04:25 3357 04:35 2822 04:15 1817 03:00 1953 03:05 740 01:25 876 01:40 1577 02:30 2283 03:25 2202 03:25 1189 02:10 530 01:30 766 01:30 2777 04:00 2898 04:00 1900 03:05

PISA PRAGUE PREVEZA RHODES RIGA RIMINI ROME SAMARA SANTORINI SKIATHOS SPLIT STOCKHOLM ST. PETERSBURG TALLINN TARTU TEL AVIV TENERIFE NORTE TENERIFE SUR TROMSØ VARNA VENICE VERONA VIENNA VILNIUS WARSAW ZAKYNTHOS ZÜRICH

2093 03:20 1322 02:10 2397 03:25 2668 03:45 382 00:55 1993 03:00 2235 03:25 1698 02:35 2660 03:40 2353 03:30 1956 02:55 400 01:00 301 01:00 101 00:30 245 00:50 3230 04:25 4691 06:10 4745 06:10 1081 02:00 1911 02:55 1847 02:55 1903 02:55 1462 02:30 633 01:15 940 01:40 2526 03:55 1781 02:45

SCHEDULED DESTINATIONS LEISURE DESTINATIONS PARTNER-OPERATED CODE-SHARE OR MARKETING DESTINATIONS SEASONAL ROUTE EW SCHEDULED N SEASONAL ROUTE NEW SCHEDULED DESTINATION IN 2015

Atl Oc antic ean

TÄHÄN KARTTA

8 WINGS 2014 88BLUE BLUE WINGSDECEMBER MARCH 2015

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS New

FROM HELSINKI IVALO JOENSUU JYVÄSKYLÄ KAJAANI MARIEHAMN KEMI/TORNIO KITTILÄ KOKKOLA/PIETARSAARI KUOPIO KUUSAMO OULU ROVANIEMI TAMPERE TURKU VAASA

quay

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 01:05 697 01:20 143 00:35 150 00:35 348 00:55

Bay of B isca ya

Arct ic

Ocea n

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Nor weg ian S ea

Nort

h Sea

on

on-D

tov-

Ros

Medit erranea n Sea DECEMBER 2014BLUE BLUE WINGS89 8 MARCH 2015 WINGS

rctic

Arctic Ocean

FLY FINNAIR FLIGHTS INTERCONTINENTAL Circle Estimated KARTAT Great Distances Flight FROM HELSINKI

km

Times

AGADIR 4193 05:35 BANGKOK 7912 09:45 BEIJING 6325 07:55 CHICAGO 7139 09:15 CHONGQING 6736 08:40 DELHI 5229 06:50 DUBAI 4537 05:55 GOA via Sharjah 6739 10:15 HÔ CHI MINH CITY (Saigon) 8510 10:50 HONG KONG 7821 09:35 KRABI 8350 10:20 MIAMI 8342 11:10 NAGOYA 7780 09:40 NEW YORK 6626 08:45 OSAKA 7751 09:30 PHUKET 8312 10:05

PUERTO PLATA 8417 11:15 SEOUL 7050 08:40 SHANGHAI 7410 09:05 SINGAPORE 9272 11:30 TOKYO 7849 09:45 TORONTO 6619 08:50 VARADERO 8665 11:40 XIAN 6421 07:50

Atlantic Ocean

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

Pacific Ocean

Ocea n Atlantic Ocean

Oneworld: almost 1,000 destinations

8 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2014

Arctic Ocean

FLY FINNAIR IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Nizhniy Novgorod

an

Agadir

Taiwan

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

n

DECEMBER 2014 BLUE WINGS 8

FLY FINNAIR FLEET

AIRBUS A350-900 (NEW IN 2015) Number 19 in order Seating capacity 297 Length 66.8 m Wingspan 64.75 m Cruising speed 903 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 13,000 m AIRBUS A340-300 Number 7 Seating capacity 266/263/257 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,500 m AIRBUS A330-300 Number 8 Seating capacity 289/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRBUS A321 (ER) Number 11 Seating capacity 136–209 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 190/170 Operated by Flybe Number 12/2 Seating capacity 100/76 Length 36.2/29.9 m Wingspan 28.7/26 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m

92 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

FLY FINNAIR FLEET A350

COMING SOON EUROPE’S FIRST AIRBUS A350 XWB WITH FINNAIR Business Class full-flat seat OUR NEW ECO-SMART Airbus A350 aircraft brings the future of air travel to Finnair passengers.

Economy Class seat Economy Comfort seat

Length 66.8 metres / 297 seats

Finnair will begin operating its first A350 XWB (extra wide body) aircraft in 2015, initially serving Shanghai, Beijing and Bangkok.

THE A350 is noticeably more ­spacious.

Even in Economy Class the seats are nearly 46 centimetres wide. The new Economy ­Comfort seats have up to 10 centimetres more legroom and comfier headrests, too.

The 297-seat configuration includes 46 seats in Business Class, 43 seats in E ­ conomy Comfort and 208 seats in Economy Class.

FOLLOW THE STORY ▶a350.finnair.com ▶on Twitter #A350Finnair @Airbus: How exciting: @Finnair's first #A350 XWB is taking shape in the ­ Toulouse Final Assembly Line! #A350Finnair

THE MAKING OF A350 FINNAIR’S A350 aircraft are currently ­being built in Toulouse, France. Finnair is happy to share this photo of one of our 19 customised tail fins rolling out from the paint shop, and ready for installation at the Airbus factory.

MARCH 2015

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FLY FINNAIR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME

JOIN NOW

DID YOU KNOW? JOIN FOR FREE by filling in the Finnair Plus form attached to this magazine or online at finnair.com/plus

Big benefits for ­frequent flyers

FINNAIR PLUS PROGRAMME allows you to earn points when travelling with Finnair or oneworld airlines and from services provided by many Finnair Plus partners.

As a Finnair Plus member you can also benefit from many valuable offers and benefits including: · A head start on special flight sales · Exclusive members prices on offers · Earn and use points on Finnair, oneworld and partner airline flights · Earn and use points on numerous worldwide partner services EARN POINTS when flying ­Finnair scheduled and leisure flights. Points can also be earned on oneworld scheduled flights.

As a member you also receive points when purchasing products and services from any one of our Finnair Plus partners.

USE POINTS to purchase Finnair award flights, pay for additional baggage and upgrade your ­Finnair flight from Economy to Business Class. You can also use your points for oneworld flights.

Points are valid currency in the Finnair PlusShop online and you can use them to pay for services and products from Finnair Plus partners.

Read more about our partners on page 96.

94 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

IMPROVED CLASSIC AWARD Even better benefits for Finnair Plus members.

Finnair Plus members can now book Finnair Classic European award flights without having to pay the fuel surcharge fee. The fee is removed from European Classic flight awards, as well as from Tel Aviv and Dubai Classic flight awards.

The surcharge ranges between 15–40 euros per one way within Europe. The amount of Finnair Plus points needed for Classic flight awards remains the same, and in addition, the passenger pays necessary taxes and other government charges.

BOOK ONLINE finnair.com/plus

FLY FINNAIR FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMME

KIDS

FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERSHIP

These are some of the benefits you receive as a member. For more information go to finnair.com/plus.

FINNAIR PLUS TIER BENEFITS

BASIC Up to 40,000 tier points

SILVER 40,000 – 90,000 tier points or 24 scheduled flights

GOLD 90,000 – 150,000 tier points or 54 scheduled flights

PLATINUM 150,000 tier points or 92 scheduled flights

• F lights awards •A dditional baggage charges with points*

• One extra piece of baggage free of charge*

• Special baggage free of charge *

• Special baggage free of charge*

• F innair lounge access*

•W aiting list priority based on tier

•P riority Lane*

•P artner service purchases with points

• 1 0% discount on ­normally priced tax-free purchases outside of the EU*

• T ravel class upgrades* • Finnair and oneworld Business Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest

• T ravel class upgrades* •D iscounted travel upgrades for family members*

• 1 0% points bonus*

•P riority Lane* • 1 5% points bonus* • 1 0% discount on normally priced tax-free purchases outside of the EU*

• Finnair and oneworld Business and First Class and Frequent Flyer lounge access + 1 guest •P riority Lane* •N o expiration on award points during tracking period

JUNIOR

Kids get points, too!

Children aged 2–17 can join the Finnair Plus Junior program.

The points earned can be spent on flight awards and exciting product prizes.

• 2 5% points bonus* • 1 0% discount on normally priced taxfree purchases outside of the EU* * Finnair flights (AY operated and AY marketed)

EQUIVALENT ONEWORLD TIERS Finnair Plus oneworld Basic --Silver Ruby Gold Sapphire Platinum Emerald

Combine your Finnair Plus membership card with a credit card and you can earn Finnair Plus points on all your purchases. Read more: finnair.com/plus

DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN BUY additional Finnair Plus award points to top up your account, or you can buy points as a gift to add to someone else’s account.

Now there’s a special offer until 31 March: Buy Finnair Plus award points and get up to 35% extra free.

See more finnair.com/plus

MARCH 2015

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FLY FINNAIR PARTNER BENEFITS

MORE THAN 300 PARTNERS For your benefit As a member of our Frequent Flyer ­programme you can earn and use points when purchasing ­services and products from our world-class partners around the globe.

EARN THOUSANDS OF POINTS WITH POINTSHOUND OUR NEW FINNAIR PLUS partner PointsHound allows NEW you to earn miles in more than 150,000 hotels around PARTNER the world. With PointsHound you can even earn more than 5,000 points per night. Booking a hotel is easy and convenient and rates are the lowest you can find!

Not yet a member?

Find out how to join on the previous page.

pointshound.com

· Airlines · Travel · Credit Card · Insurance · Restaurants · Shopping · Wellness · Golf · Entertainment · Charity · Leisure time For complete listings and more information: finnair.com/pluspartners

15% DISCOUNT AT GLO HOTEL AIRPORT Double your rewards at the renewed GLO Hotel Airport at Helsinki Airport benefitting from a 15% discount on best available rates until May 3, 2015, and a 10% discount on day rooms until the end of the year. Plus you can earn Finnair Plus awards points with each stay at GLO Hotel Airport and other Kämp Group hotels in Helsinki.

NEW HOTEL INDIGO HELSINKI-BOULEVARD Enjoy a spring city break at the new Hotel Indigo Helsinki-Boulevard. The environmentally friendly boutique hotel is well-located and the staff is more than happy to share tips to best explore the neighbourhood. The urban bistro-style restaurant serves an ecletic mix of food as well as breakfast. Special rates for Finnair Plus members start at €124 per night/room.

glohotels.fi/finnairplus

hotelindigo.com/helsinki-boulevard

96 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

FLY FINNAIR PLUSSHOP OFFERS

YOUR FINNAIR PLUS points are now worth even more! With the 1000 Point Special Offers, your Plus points can be worth hundreds of ­euros. As a Finnair Plus member, you can choose a new offer every time you have 1000 Plus points.

Find these products and the entire 1000 Point Special Offer ­selection from finnairplusshop.com and choose the things that bring luxury to your everyday life!

finnairplusshop.com

ARTEK AALTO E60 Moomin stool 3 print options €245 Member offer €175 + 1,000 points

VICTORINOX KITCHEN KNIFE SET Set of three knives in a gift box €145 Member offer €99 + 1,000 points

VILLEROY & BOCH NEW WAVE DINNER SET IN GIFT BOX Incl. dinner plate 4 pc & soup plate 4 pc €225.20 Member offer €165 + 1,000 points

MARIMEKKO MERIVUOKKO TRAY & TWO MUGS €97.80 Member offer €65 + 1,000 points

CANADA GOOSE SIGNATURE BLANKET 140x195 cm, several color options €220 Member offer €149 + 1,000 points

SAMSONITE LITE-CUBE DLX SPINNER SUITCASE 76 cm and two color options €519 Member offer €399 + 1,000 points

JIELDÉ SIGNAL SI333 TABLE LAMP Various colors €349 Member offer €229 + 1,000 points

Prices subject to change.

MARCH 2015

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FINLAND IN FIGURES

DID YOU KNOW? Government: Finland’s 200 members of Parliament are elected for four-year terms.

Finns go to the polls on April 19 to vote for the next government.

FINLAND

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE

IN FIGURES

Employed persons by industry, 4th quarter 2014 (per cent of total)

AREA • 390,920 sq. kil­o­me­tres, of ­which 9% is fresh water; land area is 303, 909 ­sq. kil­o­me­tres. There are 188,000 lakes. 6% of the ­land is ­under cul­ti­va­tion. Fo­rests (main­ly ­pine and ­spruce) cov­er 68% of the country.

GOVERNMENT • Sove­reign par­lia­men­tary re­pub­lic ­since 1917.

• The pres­i­dent is elect­ed eve­r y six years. The current 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.

ECONOMY • GDP 2013: 193 billion euros, the annual change in volume -1.4% • Annual inflation rate as of December 2014: 0.5% • Currency: Euro

Construction and energy 8%

Miscellaneous services

13%

35%

Manufacturing

14% 4% Agriculture

10%

15%

Transport and communications

Manufacturing

Financial and business servces

Trade and hotel

GDP

Norway Denmark Sweden USA Finland Germany France UK EU27

48%

Other manufactured goods

23%

Forest products

15%

Food prod. and textiles

14%

EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS

Nominal

Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard

75.900 44.400 43.800 40.000 35.600 33.300 31.300 29.600 25.900

49.200 32.100 32.700 39.900 28.700 32.000 27.800 27.200 25.800

Chemical industry products

25%

Forest industry products

20%

Other industries

16%

Metals and metal products

14%

Machinery and equipment

13%

Electronics

11%

Foreign trade 2013 exports by products by activity: 55.903 MEUR (per cent of total)

GDP per capita 2013 (EUR)

MONTHLY TEMPERATURES IN HELSINKI

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Mean˚C -5.9 0.2 2.1 5.9 10.6 13.5 20.1 17.9 13.0 6.7 3.2 0.1 Max˚C 5.6 4.7 10.9 19.9 26.3 24.4 29.6 28.4 20.3 14.7 10.3 5.5 Min˚C -18.2 -7.6 -8.3 -4.5 -1.2 3.5 11.1 9.6 0.4 -3.8 -2.4 -15.7

More information: finland.fi, goodnewsfromfinland.com, findicator.fi

98 BLUE WINGS MARCH 2015

Metal and engineering products

Source: Statistics Finland

POPULATION • 5.5 mil­lion • Life ex­pec­tan­c y: men 77.8 and women 83.8 years • Av­er­age house­hold ­size: 2.1 persons • L anguages: 89.3% ­speak Finn­ish; 5.3% Swedish • Religion: 75% Lu­ther­an; 1% Orthodox • 81% of the pop­u­la­tion aged 25 to 64 ­have com­plet­ed upper secondary or tertiary ed­u­ca­tion and 37% ­have uni­ver­sity or other tertiary qualifications.

the astron gps solar chronograph. the watch that adjusts to your time zone*.

By connecting to the GPS net work, the new Astron adjusts at the touch of a button to your time zone* and, by taking all the energy it needs from light alone, never needs a battery change. *Time zone data as of January 2014. Time zone can be also manually adjusted as required.

seiko.fi

You never know where a good book will take you And that’s the beauty of it. That magical feeling of being whisked away to lands far and near, not knowing what will happen next. So sit back, relax, and let your favourite book give your imagination the chance to fly.

Learn more about our sustainable paper selection at www.storaenso.com/paper