Blue Wings Gift issue December 2013

HELSINKI BREWERIES

CANARY ISLANDS PHOTO ESSAY

UNICEF WORKS IN VIETNAM

CHRISTMAS IN KAUNAS

Gifts issue

Trends, destinations and insights for travellers • December 2013

Your l na perso y cop

HOW TO

DO BUSINESS IN CHINA

OUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE TRADITION MEETS PRESENT

IN MOROCCO

Finnish Lapland’s

holiday glow

TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM. THE UNIQUE ASYMMETRIC STYLING OF THE AUDEMARS PIGUET MILLENARY COLLECTION HAS TRANSFORMED THE WAY DESIGN ENGINEERS DEVELOP CALIBRES. THIS TRI - DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT COMBINES PERFORMANCE AND CHRONOMETRY WITH HAUTE HOROLOGY MICRO-DETAILING. IN THE TRANSVERSAL BALANCE - BRIDGE, OPTIMUM SHOCK RESISTANCE IS COMBINED WITH THE ELEGANCE OF THE CÔTES DE GENÈVE WAVE-FORM FINISHING. THE PERFECT SYMBIOSIS OF ENGINEERING, DESIGN AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, AND A CLASSIC EXPRESSION OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF LE BRASSUS.

MILLENARY 4101 IN PINK GOLD. SELFWINDING MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT.

EDITORIAL

BY ARJA SUOMINEN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILTY

WWW.FINNAIR.COM

Change for Good supports education in countries including Vietnam.

DEPUTY EDITOR Laura Palotie laura.palotie@sanoma.com +358 9 120 5815 ART DIRECTOR Miia Taskinen miia.taskinen@sanoma.com LAYOUT DESIGNER Peter Sade CONTENT MANAGER Kati Heikinheimo REPROGRAPHICS Anne Lindfors, Tuukka Palmio ENGLISH TRANSLATION Wif Stenger EDITORIAL OFFICES Lapinmäentie 1, 00350 Helsinki, Finland, Postal address P.O.Box 100, 00040 Sanoma Magazines, Finland, tel. +358 9 1201, fax +358 9 120 5988, e-mail firstname.lastname@sanoma.com ADVERTISING SALES Media Assistant Sirkka Pulkkinen tel. +358 9 120 5921 PUBLISHER Sanoma Magazines Finland Oy Custom Publishing PRINTED BY Hansaprint, Turku, Finland 2013 PAPER Nova Press 70g Cover paper Lumi Art Silk 200g CIRCULATION 60,000 ISSN-0358-7703

The gift of giving

D

uring the holidays, our thoughts often turn to helping others. In the newest Commitment to Development Index, which ranks 27 of the world’s richest countries on policies that affect the five billion people living in poorer nations, Finland holds fifth place, moving up two spots from 2012.

The Index, compiled by the Center for Global Development, an interna-

tional “think and do” tank, commended Finland for its strong environmental record. The Finnish government also gives a relatively large amount of high quality aid, and is a strong supporter of investing in the developing world.

Finnair also believes strongly in helping others. Since 1994, Finnair’s Change for Good campaign together with UNICEF has raised 1.2 million euros. This year we are raising funds for the UNICEF Schools for Asia initiative that supports education in 11 countries, including Vietnam. Read more about this innovative project on page 56. Other topics covered in this issue include business in China, Christmas in Lapland and Kaunas and Moroccan

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

traditions in the cities of Agadir and Marrakesh.

The Change for Good campaign will be carried out on almost all international Finnair flights until January 5, 2014. You can participate by placing coins or notes of any currency in the marked envelope in your seat pocket and giving the envelope to a member of the cabin crew. There are also collection boxes in the Finnair Lounge areas at Helsinki Airport.

Wishing you and yours a peaceful and happy holiday season.

PS Did you know that you can also donate Finnair Plus points to help the Finnish Red Cross aid typhoon victims in The Philippines? Find out more at finnair.com.

DECEMBER 2013

34

30

62

17

CONTRASTS IN MOROCCO

24

LAPLAND FOR THE HOLIDAYS

30

TOP 5: YEAR-END MADRID

34

A CANARY ISLANDS PHOTO ESSAY

44

MERRIMENT IN KAUNAS

48

OUR HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

56

UNICEF PROMOTES EDUCATION IN VIETNAM

60

SANTA CLAUS HELPS OUT IN INDIA

62

SUCCEEDING IN BUSINESS IN CHINA

Tradition and new waves in Agadir, Marrakesh and beyond

Salla offers a quiet Christmas with guaranteed snow

Art and celebration in the Spanish capital

Portraits of six distinctive Spanish islands

The Lithuanian city gets decked out for the holidays

Quicky Finnish design, healthy treats and more

Boarding schools in remote areas help kids stay in school

A new school and donated water buffalo do good in Sagar

Beyond knowing industry demands, regional know-how is key

COVER BY FOLIO IMAGES – LAURI ROTKO

TRAVEL COLUMNS 8

10

12

NEWS

TRAVEL WELLBEING

HELSINKI

CULTURE

Local brews

Beloved carols

Reasons to head North

4 BLUE WINGS

DECEMBER 2013

Exercise gadgets

14

24 IN THIS ISSUE

REGULARS

Vattaja, p. 6 Helsinki, p. 12 Morocco, p. 17 Salla, p. 24 Madrid, p. 30 Canary Islands, p. 34 Kaunas, p. 44 Vietnam, p. 56 India, p. 60 China, p. 62

6

TRAVEL MOMENT

32

SIXTEN KORKMAN

46

ALEXANDER STUBB

67

THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD

80

FINLAND IN FIGURES

FLYING FINNAIR

17

New border crossings

82

Before and during the flight

83

In-flight entertainment

85

Helsinki Airport

86

Maps and destinations

88

Corporate responsibility

92

Fleet

94

Frequent flyer benefits

95

56 DECEMBER 2013

BLUE WINGS

5

TRAVEL MOMENT

BY VESA RÖNTY

NOCTURNAL ART IN SEPTEMBER of this year, artist­ Sanna-Mari Prittinen and Oikea Eteinen (“Right Atrium”) artist group organised an exhibition on the sand dunes of Vattaja in western Finland.

Abandoned cottages marked for demolition became temporary galleries showcasing paintings, photography,

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DECEMBER 2013

sculptures, video installations and performances. Nature put on its own show as well, in the form of vibrant northern lights. The northern lights are not as commonly observed in central Finland as in Lapland, but the dark nights of autumn increase the likelihood of their appearance.

DECEMBER 2013

BLUE WINGS

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TRAVEL NEWS

COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR

HEAT WAVE FOR THE SUMMER 2014 season, Finnair offers three weekly flights to Tel Aviv, Israel, and four weekly flights to Venice, Italy.

Summer service to Xi’an, China starts on March 30 and to Toronto, Canada on June 1.

’T

is the season for Santa Claus, who lives in Finnish Lapland, and for viewing the spectacular natural light show known as Aurora Borealis, or the northern lights. But Lapland also offers a wide range of other draws.

The world’s northernmost design week takes place in Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland, from February 17 to 23, 2014, under the new name Arctic Design Week. This is the sixth year that the event is being held, owing in part to the growing international interest in the Arctic region and its sustainable design. Local green design runs the gamut from clothing and textiles to visual arts and area-specific applications such as cold air testing.

Just over the border in Norway, Tromsø hosts Arctic Frontiers, an international conference that addresses development in the Arctic from January 19 to 24. This year’s theme “Humans in the Arctic,” aims to tackle the opportunities and challenges to viable economic growth and societal and environmental sustainability in the region.

Finnair’s new three times weekly route to Tromsø opens on January 1 and runs to March 28, 2014; the airline also flies nonstop daily to several destinations in Finnish Lapland including Rovaniemi.

WWW.FINNAIR.COM

FINNAIR

NORDIC STARS DJ ON BOARD NOKIA’S MIX RADIO debuts in December on Finnair’s long-haul flights, offering a tailor-made playlist comprised of songs chosen according to global tastes from Asia to North America and Europe.

HELSINKI AIRPORT UPDATES

JAN TUOMISTO

THE NEWLY OPENED Relaxation Area provides several different options for resting or napping.

Located next to gate 31 in the Schengen Area of Terminal 2, the space highlights elements of Finnish nature such as the northern lights. Options include a silence chair, which blocks out excess noise, and a small sleeping tube where you can actually lie down.

It’s open 24 hours a day and free of charge.

Sleepinginairports.net travellers have voted Helsinki Airport as the fifth best airport in the world for the four Cs when selecting an airport: comfort, conveniences, cleanliness and customer service.

SLEEPINGINAIRPORTS.COM

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DECEMBER 2013

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Dangerously Appealing For hunters of elegance, there is nothing that rouses the senses like a high quality magazine. Smoothly stealing through jungles of jewels and fountains of thoughts, we feast our eyes upon the strikingly beautiful pages. Pictures roaring with colours so vibrant and contrasts so sharp they are almost an improvement on reality. For every prey to be caught and every story to be told, Stora Enso has the paper for the purpose.

This Blue Wings magazine is printed on our NovaPress paper from Veitsiluoto, Finland. Sold exclusively by Stora Enso sales network worldwide, presented on www.storaenso.com

TRAVEL WELLBEING

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATJA PANTZAR

TRAVEL-FRIENDLY

EXERCISE GADGETS

W

hether you’re a hard-core fitness enthusiast or a leisurely walker, staying fit on the road is beneficial to help prevent stiffness, aches and pains. Helsinki-based frequent flyer and yogi Maria ­Dmitrienko shares her top three, easy-to-take-along accessories.

“This slip-resistant mat stays put on the floor whether you’re practicing yoga or doing sit-ups,” says Dmitrienko, who currently logs about four months of travel a year. “It’s lightweight – about one kilo – and folds up into a square that fits neatly into even the smallest suitcase.” Fabric-like, the mat is an invaluable aid whether you’re working out on the floor of a five-star hotel room or outdoors on the grass. And it’s made using a zero-waste, zero-emissions process. €40 MANDUKA.COM

3. THERAPY BALLS

These come in a wide range of shapes and sizes including the spikey ten-centimetre model (shown here) that can be used to massage the back of your neck, shoulders or back. For an alternative, Dmitrienko recommends wrapping two used tennis balls (softer than new ones) into a sock and tying a knot so that the tennis balls are snug against the sock’s toe. Then, seated or supine, you can roll the tennis balls wherever you have tension or tightness, for example in your hips, upper back, shoulders or neck; the pressure will release the tension from the muscle. Spikey therapy Ball €5.10 JASMEL.FI

2. YOGITOES STRETCH STRAP “This stretchy strap is excellent for arm balances and inversions and to increase the resistance of a simple stretch or pose,” says Dmitrienko. The eco-friendly strap is made from two recycled plastic bottles. €12 YOGITOES.COM

Dmitrienko is also a passionate skydiver. Her hobby has recently taken her to the United Arab Emirates, the United States and across Europe. While studying finance at the University of Vaasa in Finland, she realised that she preferred leggings to a blazer and made the leap to full-time yoga instructor. She teaches in Helsinki and at retreats worldwide. Find out more about her work at

­M ARIAYOGA.COM.

10 BLUE WINGS

DECEMBER 2013

Maria D ­ mitrienko teaches yoga around the world.

EGG-CELLENT THE THREE MINUTE EGG, invented by American Jason Scholder as a way to relieve his back pain, is widely used as a prop in yoga and other forms of exercises to aid stretches. Reportedly, lead vocalist 69 Jyrki of Finnish rock band 69 Eyes uses the Three Minute Egg as extra back support on long-haul flights. €19 WWW.YOGANORDIC­ WEBSHOP.FI

STRETCH MATE THE PATENTED STRETCH OUT STRAP features multiple loops that allow assisted stretching without a partner. The strap comes with a guide that features more than 30 stretches for the upper and lower body. €14 OPTP.COM

KATARIINA TRÄSKELIN

1. MANDUKA STICKY MAT

Marine Chronometer Manufacture Manufacture chronometer movement with Silicium technology.

Self-winding. Water-resistant to 100 m. 18 ct rose gold case.

Available also on leather strap or gold bracelet.

U LY S S E - N A R D I N . C O M

TRAVEL HELSINKI

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY WIF STENGER

THE INAUGURAL We Jazz festival features A-list Finnish jazz names such as saxophonist Timo Lassy and international greats including American­drummer Andrew Cyrille and Polish trumpet player Tomasz Stańko. Concerts are held at venues of varying sizes around Helsinki (December 9−14, wejazz.fi/2013).

THE EUROPEAN Christmas tradition of the nativity scene, or crib, is believed to have originated in Italy in the 1200s. The Italian Institute of Culture and Helsinki’s Italian Embassy present a large exhibition of Italian nativity cribs in the Helsinki Cathedral crypt from December 9 to January 6. The cribs on display are built according to the traditions of different eras.

MARKUS HENTTONEN

FINNISH photographer Markus Henttonen takes a subtly somber look at holiday lights in Los Angeles.­In a multicoloured glow, the darkness and silence around these private homes − and their protectively drawn curtains − become emphasised. The exhibition is held at Korjaamo arts centre until January 26 (korjaamo.fi/en/gallery).

-Laura Palotie

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DECEMBER 2013

Bryggeri’s brewmaster Mathias Hüffner toasts with CEO Pekka Kääriäinen.

BREWED IN THE CITY

T

he first Helsinki brewery opened 250 years ago, but a refined beer culture is just now taking shape.

“Twenty years ago, people drank basic lager. Now they’re interested in local, handcrafted flavours,” says Pekka Kääriäinen, head of the Finnish Microbrewery Association and CEO of Bryggeri Helsinki, a brewpub that opened this spring at Sofiankatu 2. Bryggeri is part of a major overhaul of one of Helsinki’s most historic quarters, designed in 1830

by Carl Ludvig Engel, who also created the white Helsinki Cathedral. There’s a rotating selection ranging from Red Ale and Alt Stadt to seasonal brews, as well as 30 other beers and ciders. Bryggeri’s brewmaster is Mathias Hüffner of Germany.

“His beers are pure and unfiltered,” says Kääriäinen. “Our batches aren’t big, so we can create flavours based on people’s preferences.” The menu includes food pairing recommendations. Bread is baked on the premises, and a heated outdoor terrace serves mulled wine in December.

“There’s such a variety of beer now that you can find the right selection for every kind of dish,” Kääriäinen says.

Helsinki’s oldest brewpub is located on the fortress island of Suomenlinna, 15 minutes from Market Square by ferry. The elegant Suomenlinnan Panimo (“Suomenlinna Brewery”) is housed in a barracks built in 1870. While there has been brewing on the island since the 1700s, this brasserie opened in 1995. Last year its beer capacity multiplied tenfold, with an auxiliary brewery opening in nearby Vantaa.

An emphasis on pairing beers with food is present here, too: pils and seafood, IPA and pork, the brewery’s own Tin Soldier’s cider with Appenzeller-type cheese, porter with a chocolate brownie.

Helsinki’s other brewpubs are less ambitious. Perho (Mechelininkatu 7), the Helsinki Culinary School’s student-run restaurant, brews one or two beers, but the place is to be recommended for its food, service and 1930s decor. Teerenpeli (Olavinkatu 2) is a part of a chain owned by a brewery-distillery in Lahti that excels at ciders. One beer is brewed on site, the smoky Sauhusanttu ale. Nearby Bruuveri (Fredrikinkatu 63) is cosier despite its location inside the Kamppi mall. Though only one beer is brewed on the premises, this is a laid-back place to sample microbrews and ciders. Add pub grub and conversation and you’re set for a winter’s eve.

SODAS ON TAP IN ADDITION TO local beers, Finnish ciders and soft drinks are on the rise.

Most offer bold, natural flavours with reduced sugar and additives. Many are organic, and in the case of Laitila pops and ciders, wind-powered. Laitila is the country’s largest “small brewery,” and its Kievari and Kukko beers are the best of Finland’s widely-available brews. Its non-alcoholic drinks feature tastes such as blood orange and cranberry.

SINIMAARIA KANGAS

HELSINKI HIGHLIGHTS THIS MONTH

montblanc star special edition carpe diem.

A full

calendarium with moonphase, month, day and date display is complemented by a set of blued feuille-shaped hands above a three-dimensional guilloche pattern. A red hand reminds us every second to make the most of our time. Automatic movement. 42 mm stainless steel case.

White-silver coloured guilloche dial. Crafted in the Montblanc Manufacture in Switzerland.

SUOMEN KULTAKELLO - MONTBLANC SHOP-IN-SHOP -

- MONT BLANC SHOP-IN-SHOP -

+358 9 23150005 helsinki - phone - 00100www.suomenkultakello.fi mikonkatu Mikonkatu66, HELSINKI Phone +358 9 2315 0005

TAX FREE

TRAVEL CULTURE

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY IIDA RIEKKO

RAMI HANAFI/ WWW.VISITHELSINKI.FI

Helsinki Cathedral holds carol events on December 15th and 22nd.

JOIN THE CHORUS A PLAYLIST OF FINNISH and international Christmas favourites will be part of Finnair’s inflight entertainment selection in December. A carol event will be held at Helsinki Airport on December 10 from 2 pm to 3:30 pm.

THE STUDENT-POPULATED Otaniemi area in Espoo, Helsinki’s neighbouring city, hosts an English-language event entitled The Most Beautiful Christmas Carols on December 8 at 6 pm.

Otaniemi Chapel, Jämeräntaival 8, Espoo (take bus 102 from the centre of Helsinki).

am not, my child, a bird from this land, I am your little brother, I came from heaven,” sings a churchful of people who have shed their hats and heavy coats and now gaze, red-cheeked, at their lyrics booklets. “A Sparrow on Christmas Morning,” composed by Finnish Otto Kotilainen in the early 20th century, tells the story of a girl who offers a seed to a hungry sparrow. The bird reveals that he is actually the soul of her deceased younger brother who has flown down to visit her.

Many voices are shaky as they make their way through this minor key melody, and a few eyes are wet with tears. This isn’t a solemn church service, however, but a beloved Finnish yuletide tradition that attracts about a million people annually – nearly a fifth of the country’s population. ”Finnish Christmas carols evoke a tender mood; this is probably a reflection of the contemplative Finnish nature,” says campaign coordinator Henriika Lindroos of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Lähetysseura), which has been organising free Christmas carol events for more than 40 years.

Their popularity transcends religion; 30-year-old Anna Peltoniemi of Helsinki attends a church-organised sing-along every year even though she is not a mem-

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DECEMBER 2013

ber of the church. “I like the communal feel; they bring together so many different kinds of people, religious or not,” she says.

“And these are rare occasions in which even people without musical skills, like me, have the opportunity to sing.”

Some carol events target young people, children or senior citizens, but a majority are geared for everyone. Most are conducted in Finnish or Swedish, but even if one doesn’t understand the language, each participant is given a lyrics booklet.

“Singing isn’t mandatory. You can simply come to observe the tradition,” says Lindroos. Many of the best-known Christmas tunes have been penned by beloved composers and poets such as Jean Sibelius (1865−1957) and Zachris Topelius (18181898), making them important parts of the Finnish cultural lexicon.

“Everyone has their own childhood memories of singing or hearing them,” says Peltoniemi, adding that these melodies help create a mood of calmness. “I play them as I bake gingerbread cookies and wrap presents; Christmas doesn’t come without these songs.”

The Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission’s events raise money for aid projects: this year donations assist disabled children in developing countries.

OUTSIDE OF HELSINKI, Christmas sing-alongs are held at Michael’s Church (Puistokatu 16) in the city of Turku on December 15 and at Lielahti Church in Tampere (Ollinojankatu 2) on December 20. The latter puts a heavy metal spin on traditional holiday tunes.

DOZENS OF Finnish expat communities put on their own Christmas carol events. New York’s Finnish School and Lutheran congregation, for example, hold a holiday bazaar starting at 12 pm and a sing-along at 4 pm on December 7.

FINNCHURCH.ORG

LÄHETYSSEURA

“I

A SEASON FOR ­ ISTFUL TUNES W

IN HELSINKI, Kallio Church holds a traditional carol event on December 14 at 11 am (Itäinen Papinkatu 2), and the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission hosts its own carol event on December 15 at 6:30 pm. The church is located inside the mission’s headquarters (Tähtitorninkatu 18).

Life is for

DISCOVERING THE SHORTCUT HOME Get to your loved ones smoothly and fast; fly the shorter and faster northern route via Helsinki to 13 destinations in Asia.

Find a new way to fly at finnair.com

WINDS OF CHANGE OVER MOROCCO CULTURAL HERITAGE AND MODERNITY MEET IN NORTHERN AFRICA. VISITORS CAN STAY IN HOMES TURNED INTO HOTELS, OBSERVE SNAKE CHARMERS PROTESTING AGAINST COMMERCIALISM, AND COOL OFF IN A SURFING COMMUNITY. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY VILLE PALONEN

DECEMBER 2013

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17

Comedians at Djemaa el-Fna try to break the performers’ strike in March 2013.

Henna tattoos are a popular souvenir. The colour usually fades in a couple of weeks.

Olives and preserved lemons are typical in Moroccan dishes.

dancing man, dressed in a colourful women’s robe, shakes his hips and flirts with the audience; his eyes sparkle from behind a veil. Nearby, a band accompanies a group of acrobats building a human pyramid, a cobra dances in a woven basket, and a fortune teller whispers secrets into his client’s ear.

This was Djemaa el-Fna, Morocco’s most famous square in the heart of old Marrakesh, four years ago.

This public space has traditionally bustled with acrobats, musicians, dancers, and other performers. Usually the largest crowd gathers around old men wearing hooded djellaba robes. They are storytellers who borrow their adventures from the Arabian Nights tales.

Performers at Djemaa el-Fna make their living from tips. The longer you watch a show, the more you pay.

Often storytellers pause at a cliffhanger, holding the ending as hostage and only releasing it after the audience has paid a ransom.

But tonight this UNESCO World Heritage site is quiet. The spot in the middle of the town square where men recant their ancient stories is now occupied with wide banners. Slogans are written in Berber and Arabic, and a cardboard sign in English sums up the protesters’ concerns: “Where are the rights of artists in Djemaa el-Fna?” SNAKE CHARMERS ON STRIKE “I used to earn enough money to take care of my family.

Life has become much harder,” says Mohamed Bziou.

The musician has performed at Djemaa el-Fna for more than 50 years, but he says that his passion for singing has faded.

“The square has become a marketplace gearing heavily towards tourists. Merchants hawk henna tattoos and nonsense souvenirs, and food stalls take up our performance space and steal the audience.”

It’s ironic that snake charmers and other performers are infuriated about the shift towards commercialisation. But these men don’t find the situation amusing.

“There are 450 of us, and we will strike as long as necessary,” Bziou says. “If the authorities don’t come up with a response to our grievances, we will march to the capital and ask for help directly from our king.”

Traditions are giving way to change in Marrakesh, the fourth largest city in Morocco.

ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS Beyond the lure of the snake charmers, the accommodation sector, too, has realised the value of tradition. In Marrakesh, more than 200 traditional houses or riads have been converted into hotels.

Sabah Agrcif works at Si Said Riad, a tiny boutique hotel in the old quarter, referred to as the Medina. The hotel’s courtyard is surrounded by columns, the floor is covered with colourful tiles, and the fountain is decorated with ornaments.

Renovating a riad can take up to two years. Everything except the walls has to be replaced in the centuries-old buildings. “A riad is considered to be a historical monument. It’s important to focus on the details and restore these buildings to their original glory,” says Agrcif.

Riads used to house three or even four generations of the same family. Over the past 15 years, however, many residents of the Medina have sold their homes.

The most elaborate riads of Marrakesh are now hotels owned by investors from abroad.

“Younger generations don’t want to live under the same roof with their parents anymore,” says Agrcif. She predicts that after the oldest generation has passed on, their heirs will sell the last traditional riads.

Converting family homes into boutique hotels is one example of Morocco’s change. But despite the undergoing cultural transformation, the streets of the Medina carry on the way they have for centuries. A cyclist pedals down a narrow alley with a live chicken in tow as a DECEMBER 2013

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19

PRACTICAL INFO CURRENCY One euro equals about 11 Moroccan dirham.

Surfing in Morocco kicked off in the 1990s and is popular year-round. Tarik Wahbi (pictured) is one of the country’s top surfers.

ACCOMMODATION The best way to enjoy the magical atmosphere of Marrakesh is to stay in a riad hotel.

These secluded guesthouses have only a few rooms, so booking ahead is essential.

RIADREVIEWS.COM

Angsana Riads Collection has 41 rooms in six hotels (one of them is Si Said Riad), plus their own spa. A double room with breakfast costs 150−200 euros.

ANGSANA.COM

For surfers, the place to stay is the luxurious but laid-back Paradis Plage. The superb hotel arranges a variety of activities such as yoga, surfing, trekking, and mountain biking. Double rooms from 150 euros. A two-day yoga course is 56 euros; a two-day surf course is 48 euros. Longer courses are also available.

PARADISPLAGE.COM

FOOD Food in Morocco is affordable and tasty.

Typical “must try” dishes include tagine (meat or fish in stew clay pot), pastilla (chicken or pigeon pie topped with powdered sugar and cinnamon), and steamed couscous with vegetables.

More adventurous foodies should try meshoui (roasted sheep, sometimes with the face and eyes included), tanjia (meat, olives, and preserved lemon stew), or snails, a popular appetizer. Djemaa el-Fna square is famous for its late night restaurants.

Sweet mint tea is a national drink and costs only 50 cents to one euro per glass.

Djemaa el-Fna has more than a dozen orange juice stands, where a pint of freshly squeezed juice sets you back a mere 50 euro cents. Alcohol is expensive and usually sold only in hotels.

MARRAKECH TAGHAZOU AGADIR

20 BLUE WINGS

DECEMBER 2013

donkey cart clatters by. On a street corner a vendor peddles thick bundles of fresh mint from his cart. Old men wear djellaba robes with pointy hoods, while many women wear veils over their faces.

A labyrinth of shopping streets spreads out north from Djemaa el-Fna. The network of souqs is an endless maze of handicrafts.

Shops sell colourful babouche slippers made of leather, felted bags, silver jewellery, silk scarfs, skilfully painted tagine clay pots, antique knives, and hand-woven Berber carpets. The quality varies, but the prices are low across the board.

At the north edge of the square, a small food stall serves olives and preserved lemons. In the next alley, a full sheep tandir is being cooked inside a two-metre-deep earth oven. Meshoui, a crispy roasted mutton, is eaten with khobz flatbread.

Near a café terrace on the edge of Djemaa el-Fna, an African lady draws a henna tattoo on the hands of an English girl, and a talisman vendor advertises his peculiar potions to passersby. His bright green pet chameleon tries to escape from its cage, but to no avail.

It also appears as if the performers’ strike might be over: a comedy show is going on. A man is crouching over a worn-out sports bag, talking to it in Arabic, while another man points at his rear with a stick and repeats the lines in echo. The crowd howls with laughter.

After a few minutes of silliness, the comedians collect tips from their audience. Their take only consists of small coins, but the show must go on.

Suddenly two men wearing yellow caution vests storm the scene and put an end to this unauthorised performance. A brawl ensues and plenty of pushing and shoving follows.

SURF’S UP IN TAGHAZOU There’s much more to Morocco, though, than the commotion of Marrakesh. Along the Atlantic coast awaits a much calmer country. Off the southwest coast lies Taghazout, a small fishing village, touted as one of Morrocco’s best surf spots.

Waves roll in from the ocean, splashing water high into the air. In the middle of these waves, a group of surfers stare intently into the horizon. When a decent wave arrives they start paddling as hard as they can, stand upright, and ride towards the shore. Tarik Wahbi, one of Morocco’s top surfers, is among them.

Wahbi has been surfing for over 20 years, but says that he still prays in gratitude every time he gets on the board. “Only a surfer knows that feeling. Surfing is therapy. It’s freedom. It’s being connected to nature.”

Later, having changed out of his wetsuit and into a hoodie and trendy sunglasses, 35-year-old Wahbi looks like a poster boy for modern Morocco.

Wahbi began catching waves in his teens, in the late 1980s. “I had been bodyboarding for a couple of years when one of my friends asked if I’d like to try his surfboard.”

He managed to stand up, and there was no turning back. Wahbi found an affordable second-hand board − not a common item in those days − and spent his summer holiday at this very same beach. “I slept in a tent with the safety leash around my ankle so nobody could steal my board!”

After high school, Wahbi travelled to France and became a surf instructor. In the late 1990s, he met a Norwegian girl and moved to Trondheim in central Norway, where he lived for eight years.

“I tried to surf in a fjord twice, but because of the icy water you have to wear a wetsuit so thick that you feel like a robot.”

In Norway, Wahbi designed skateboard clothes and rapped about social issues as part of a crew called The Shoguns, which won a national hip hop competition in 2005. Two years later he returned to Morocco. Now he works as a surf instructor at Paradis Plage, an upmarket resort about 30 kilometres north of Agadir.

Argan oil is a speciality of the Sous region in southwest Morocco. Tibouka Khadija, 80, peels argan nuts at Co-operativa Marjana, located between Marrakesh and Essauoira.

Tagine (or tanjine) is a meat or fish dish stewed in a clay pot.

He says that Morocco is a great place to live. “Other North African countries struggle with unrest and other problems, but not us.”

Morocco’s king, Mohammed VI, has refined policies and pioneered efforts towards modernisation. Almost all of the country is connected to an electricity grid, and two years ago the constitution was reformed and Berber was proclaimed an official language alongside Arabic.

“Many from my generation have lived in Europe. After a while they understand what we have in Morocco, and return home. If Morocco wasn’t a good country and if our king [Mohammed VI] wasn’t doing a good job, people wouldn’t come back. It is possible to live a good life here,” says Wahbi.

SWEAT AND SWEET In a hammam, the local version of a steam room, the difference between good life and pain is nothing but a line drawn in soap water. Requesting a gommage, soap massage, will send you to the floor on your belly, with your arms stretched out and face pressed against hot tiles. A brawny man then twists your limbs into painful positions. There is no point asking him to be gentle – unless you know Arabic.

At the majority of spas, a gommage may consist simply of an exfoliating treatment − scrubbing the skin with black soap made of olives − and a light massage.

But a gentle treatment is unheard of at Salam Hammam on Rue de Tarfaya in the centre of Agadir, Morocco’s most popular package holiday destination. A soap massage here costs the equivalent of five euros. In Marrakesh, Hammam Ziani on Rue Riad Zitoune offers a similarly steamy experience.

Snails are a popular appetizer at Djemaa el-Fna square.

Agadir is located on the Atlantic coast and has a population of more than half a million people. An earthquake destroyed nearly all of the buildings in 1960, and the city’s magical atmosphere was buried in the ruins. Incredibly long beaches are the most notable sight here.

Modern Agadir lacks old-world charm, but it’s not completely void of genuine Moroccan experiences. Salam Hammam is an ordinary washing place where nobody speaks English. Signs on the wall forbid nudity (swimsuits are a must in a hammam, and one should bring his or her own towel).

Patrons sit on a bucket made of car tyres, and get scrubbed with a course glove. There are separate sections for men and women.

After the soap massage, one is encouraged to drink something warm. In a tea salon across the street from Salam Hammam, “Moroccan whisky” is served in a traditional manner. A waiter brings a tray with a metal tea pot, a few mint branches, and a sugar block the size of a cigarette pack. Tea is first poured into a glass, leaving enough room in the pot for the mint and sugar. The tea is then poured back into the pot, and again into the glass. This ritual is repeated three times.

The result is sweet and comforting.

Traditions can be found anywhere in Morocco − even in areas saturated with travellers from abroad. l FINNAIR FLIES weekly on Wednesdays to Agadir in co-operation with tour operator Aurinkomatkat.

WWW.AURINKOMATKAT.FI (Tours until March 5th)

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SILENT NIGHT IN SALLA TEXT BY RIITTA AHONEN

PHOTOS BY KLAUS-PETER KAPPEST AND TIMO LINDHOLM

ALTHOUGH URBAN AREAS IN FINLAND BOAST THEIR SHARE OF HOLIDAY SPARKLE, THE TRADITIONAL FINNISH CHRISTMAS EMPHASISES PEACEFULNESS AND WARMTH. FINNISH LAPLAND'S SALLA OFFERS A QUIET HOLIDAY IN SNOWY SURROUNDINGS.

Lapland's cabins often feature sturdy wood and stone.

Many families maintain a tradition of do-it-yourself Christmas presents.

he municipality of Salla in Finnish Lapland, situated northeast of the Arctic Circle close to the Russian border, refers to itself as “in the middle of nowhere.” With 4,000 inhabit­ ants, 10,000 reindeer, and a lot of pine trees, this moniker is fitting.

Originally founded with the name Kuola­ järvi, Salla received its current name in 1937. The word "salla" is of Sami origin, and means the bosom of a mother or a groove on the side of the fell. During the dead of winter, with only rare glimpses of sunshine, twilight and dusk govern the day. Life here is calm and unhurried, and in branding itself for travellers, Salla has focused on remaining an authentic wilderness destination. It’s easy for a visitor to adopt the local low-key lifestyle and quickly get in the mood for a Christmas void of commercial hassles. Salla's popular­ ity among travellers has increased over the past three years. Although January, February and March are still the busier months for winter tourism, December's overnight visitor numbers surpassed 10,000 in 2012.

“Many people come here in search of a quiet and outdoorsy break,” says Tarja Mattila, manager at the Salla Reindeer Park, which organises husky- and rein­ deer-drawn sleigh rides as well as snowshoe hikes in the region. ”You won’t find incessant Christmas music or flashing lights here.”

Mattila usually enjoys Christmas in the company­ of her family and a good book, and doesn’t give or receive more than a gift or two. She decorates a Christmas tree in her yard, and likes to set a holiday mood with candles starting in November.

On December 24th, after the southern Finnish city of Turku declares the traditional Christmas Peace at 12 pm in a live broadcast – Christmas Peace is a tra­ dition dating back to the 1300s – most locals enjoy a couple of days at home with their families. Even those working in the tourism industry go home in time for Christmas Eve dinner. Following tradition, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are spent at home, and larger holiday parties don’t take place until the 26th.

WOOD GROUSE AND GINGERBREAD Christmas dinner in Salla often includes rice pudding, ham, salmon fished from the Naruska River, reindeer and – as an exception to the more ubiquitous Christ­ mas ham or turkey – birds such as wood grouse,

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Holiday cakes have seasonal flavours such as ginger and cloves.

which is a delicacy saved for special occasions. The most delicious part of the wood grouse is the täkkä, fillet of breast. When it comes to preparing grouse, the classic ways are either to sautée or to roast in the oven. Grouse makes for tasty sauces, soups, and broths, too.

But while food is a central holiday tradition, not everyone stresses over it. “We sit down for a traditional meal, but don’t feel any pressure to make big preparations,” says KORVATUNTURI FELL, the fabled ­Tarja Mattila's daughter Tiina home of Santa Claus in modern Mattila. “If I feel like it, I bake Finnish mythology, sits in the gingerbread cookies, but we manmunicipality of Savukoski, near age just fine without them, too. the Russian border, about Our gifts are usually home-made.”

80 kilometres from Salla.

Among visitors, catering services in Salla are becoming more common.

One such business is Akkavaara, which usually focuses on pizzas, sandwiches and layer cakes, but also prepares hundreds of Christmas dinners during holiday season.

“Our catered Christmas meals have been gaining popularity over the years,” says Akkavaara’s owner Teija Poikela.

DID YOU KNOW?

SAUNA AND SANTA CLAUS Before gathering for Christmas Eve dinner, families often visit the cemetery and place candles by the

ESSENTIALS FOR A SALLA HOLIDAY • Reserve your cottage from onlineshop.salla.fi. It is worthwhile to make your reservations in the autumn, although there is some availability around Christmas, too.

• Purchase a Christmas tree at the local Market Square or shops located in the centre of Salla.

• Enjoy a traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinner at a local restaurant or have the meals catered to your cottage from a local service such as Akkavaara (akkavaara.nettisivu.org, in Finnish).

Christmas tree decorating is a family affair.

• Enquire about organising a visit from Santa Claus at tourist.info@salla.fi or matkailu@savukoski.fi • Adventure out on a reindeer or husky ride organised by Salla Reindeer park: sallareindeerpark.fi/en • To take advantage of the many local ski slopes and trails, visit the Salla Ski Resort at ski.salla.fi. The resort has 160 kilometres of trails for cross-country skiing, of which about 42 kilometres are illuminated. Salla fell has 15 slopes for downhill skiing, of which the longest is 1,300 metres.

• Rent a kick sled at B. Art Collection. See salla.fi for more information.

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Christmas Eve culminates in a visit from Santa Claus.

”Suosittelen

Vantaan Energiaa sähkön myyjänä*).

Tarpeisiimme suunniteltu hajautettu sähkönhankintasalkku mahdollistaa pitkäaikaiset toimitussopimukset.

Tämä antaa vakautta asiakassuhteillemme.”

Toimitusjohtaja Harri Laaksonen, Europak Oy on johtavia puhallettujen muovipakkausten valmistajia Suomessa.

*) Vantaan Energian asiakastyytyväisyystutkimuksen mukaan 89 % suosittelisi Vantaan Energiaa mielellään tai erittäin mielellään.

HAPARANDATORNIO TURISTBYRÅ

New Year's performances in Tornio and Haparanda incorporate snow and ice.

TWICE THE COUNTDOWN

graves of relatives. It is also customary to enjoy an afternoon sauna. For the thick-skinned, a roll in fresh and powdery snow is a typical way to cool off.

After dinner, Santa arrives with gifts. As in most Finnish towns, both Salla residents and visitors can order a visit from Santa Claus; in Finland Mr. Claus delivers presents on Christmas Eve, not in the middle of the night.

On December 26th, families visit friends and many people go out skiing on the lakes in search of ice-fishing spots. In January to February, with increasing sunlight, ice fishing begins in earnest. The catch may consist of whitefish, perch, grayling, or trout. Other activities include sled rides and cross-country or downhill skiing.

There are about 1,500 holiday cottages in Salla, with their owners scattered all around Finland. Many spend both their winter and summer holidays in the region.

High season begins in November.

Christmas signals stress-free time – relaxing by the fireplace, reading, and playing games – and amidst the famed silence of Lapland, the sometimes elusive holiday spirit feels very close by. l FINNAIR FLIES several times daily to Rovaniemi and Kuusamo, which are located 150 and 120 kilometres from Salla, respectively.

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SWEDISH HAPARANDA and Finnish Tornio, located 275 kilometres from Salla, celebrate the New Year together on Victoria Square, which is located at the border and shared by the two towns. Two countries, two languages and two time zones (Sweden is one hour ahead of Finland) create a distinctive mood: in the span of one hour, the countdown into the New Year is experienced twice.

Since the founding of these festivities at the turn of the new millennium, more and more visitors, including plenty of families with young children, are arriving to Victoria Square on December 31st. The event has drawn about 2,000 people.

Torches illuminate the arctic landscape on Victoria Square. In anticipation for midnight, city representatives participate in the Nordic tradition of casting tin and predicting the future of these two towns based on the shape made by the melted tin as it hits a container of cold water. The programme also features musicians, dancers and other artists who make use of the themes of ice, snow and fire. This year a fortune-telling Sami shaman is also scheduled to participate. At this international meeting spot that symbolises the collaboration between Nordic countries, the local Sami populations also play an important role.

When the clock strikes midnight in Tornio, the Swedish side of the shared Victoria Square is still living in 2013. The first fireworks rocket into the sky, and revellers pop champagne and clink glasses. One can literally take a stroll into the upcoming year, or take one last glimpse at the one that has just passed, by walking from one end of the square to another. An hour later a new countdown celebrates Sweden’s New Year.

A shared history brings a special dimension to the festivities. This border between Finland and Sweden was drawn just two centuries ago. And as the number of Russian travellers to Lapland increases, it may very well be that the New Year is soon celebrated three times in one night.

For accommodation options, see www.haparandatornio.com. Companies including Lapponia Safaris (lapponiasafaris.com) and Nordic-safaris (nordicsafaris.com) organise rides to the celebration.

FINNAIR’S partner Flybe flies to Kemi-Tornio up to three times daily. The airport is located about a half an hour drive away from the Finnish-Swedish border.

Nautin talvesta.

Webasto-lämmittimellä.

Astu autoon, ota mukava asento, lähde liikkeelle – Webaston autonlämmitin voi tehdä talvesta näin miellyttävän. Enää sinun ei tarvitse kiirehtiä aamuisin raaputtamaan jäätä kohmeisilla sormilla. Voit juoda rauhassa toisen kupin kahvia tai kääntää vielä kylkeä vuoteessa. Voit käynnistää autonlämmittimen kotoa käsin tai ohjelmoida sen etukäteen. Se kytkeytyy toivottuun aikaan päälle ja lämmittää auton etukäteen. Ja polttoaineen kulutus on minimaalista. Webastolla auton sisätila lämpiää tehokkaasti. Ja tuulettuu kesällä.

Kun sää lämpenee, vaihda autonlämmitin tuuletustoiminnolle, ja matkustamo tuulettuu etukäteen.

www.lämminauto.fi

1

GET IN THE MOOD. Each year during Yuletide, the streets of central Madrid light up with imaginative, multi-coloured decorations by notable visualists such as Madrid-based architect Teresa Sapey. Explore the city on foot to get the best sense of the visual fireworks, or hop on the “Navibus” tour on the popular shopping street of Calle Serrano: for just two euros per person, the route covers all the Christmas lights. The decorations will be on display until early January.

ESMADRID.COM/EN/CHRISTMAS-MADRID

FINNAIR FLIES DAILY TO MADRID.

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MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

YEAR-END MADRID

YEAR-END MADRID

TOP THE SPANISH CAPITAL MARKS THE END OF THE YEAR WITH SPARKLE, REVELRY AND SOME NOTEWORTHY ART EXHIBITIONS.

ISTOCKPHOTO

COMPILED AND WRITTEN BY KATI HEIKINHEIMO

2

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VROOOOM! An exhibition on the legendary Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso is a must for motor sport fans. His cars, trophies and other memorabilia are on show for the first time – starting from his first overalls, sewn by his mother when Alonso was three years old. Shown at the Centro de Exposiciones Arte Canal (Paseo de la Castellana, 214) until May of 2014, the event is for all ages. There’s an opportunity, for example, for kids to test their road safety knowledge.

FERNANDOALONSOCOLLECTION. COM

SANSILVESTREVALLECANA.COM

HOLGER METTE EXPOSICIONES ARTE CANAL

MUSEOTHYSSEN.ORG

4

URBAN ROAD RACE For a sporty atmosphere, head for the sidelines of the San Silvestre Vallecana run on December 31. This tenkilometre race, sponsored by Nike, attracts tens of thousands of amateur and professional runners. In addition to serious sprinting you can expect a real spectacle including artificial snow and goofy accessories. Those interested in participating should click on “Inscríbete” on the official web site. The run starts from Calle Concha Espina/Real Madrid Stadium.

KRAUSE, JOHANSEN

SURREAL IMAGINATION If you weren’t among the hundreds of thousands of visitors who flocked to this year’s Salvador Dalí exhibition at the Reina Sofía museum, you still have a shot at a deep dive into surrealism.

Another one of the city’s museum giants, the Thyssen-Bornemisza (Paseo del Prado, 8), explores the connections between dreams and images in Surrealism. Artists such as Dalí, Breton, Delvaux, Tanguy, Magritte, Masson and Nougue are featured in Surrealism and the Dream, on display until January 12.

5

STUFFED WITH GRAPES The traditional place to greet the New Year is Puerta del Sol square. Thousands of madrileños chase off bad luck by swallowing a grape each time the clock of Casa de Correos strikes. This December 31 ritual was begun in the early 20th century by farmers stuck with a grape surplus. It has spread to other Spanish-speaking countries.

SPAIN.INFO > SEARCH “NEW YEAR’S”

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY SIXTEN KORKMAN

The dollar dilemma

“T

he dollar is our currency but and store of value. The dollar is widely your problem.” This was the used in foreign exchange transactions and message the Nixon administhe interbank market. International transtration articulated to a delactions are conducted in dollars and cenegation of Europeans in the tral banks all over the world hold reserves early 1970s. The quotation in dollar assets. The world has been served seems apt again today. well by the dollar and the liquidity of its A year ago there was widespread conassets. cern that the euro might collapse in the context of an escalating banking crisis.

THE US CERTAINLY benefits from the Since then, the euro has risen by some ten global status of the dollar. US companies per cent against a trade-weighted basket can do business in their own currency, of currencies. However, the spectacular and the US government can borrow at low turnaround is not due interest rates without facto the strength of the ing exchange rate risks. euro area economy Large holdings of dollar THE ONGOING or the wish of policy notes around the world STAND-OFF IN makers for a strong amount to an interest-free currency. loan of roughly 500 bilWASHINGTON IS Economic recovery lion dollars to the US govUNDERMINING THE in Europe is threaternment. This may not STATUS OF THE ened by the strength amount to the “exorbitant of the euro. In parprivilege” once referred to DOLLAR. ticular, the appreby former French presiciation is making it dent Giscard d’Estaing hard for southern European countries to (1974−1981), but it still amounts to a sigimprove their competitiveness as needed nificant advantage for the US. to achieve export-led growth. The ECB There is no obvious alternative to the could and should try to weaken the dollar as world currency. The euro is still euro with policy actions or by talking on a shaky foundation. The Bank of Japan it down, but there is no guarantee of is pursuing policies designed to weaken success. the yen. The Chinese renminbi, meanThe problem is the chaos in Ameriwhile, cannot play a major international can politics, which is reflected in the role without capital flows being liberalised. weakness of the dollar. There is seriThe process towards a more multipolar ous concern among investors about the currency will accelerate if the Democrats ultimate consequences of the polariand competing fractions of Republicans sation in American politics. In parcannot find a compromise. The collateral ticular, the ongoing stand-off in Washdamage to the global economy would be ington over the US debt ceiling is big – and the dollar might become a probundermining the status of the dollar. lematic currency for the Americans. l Investors are diversifying asset holdings into other currencies, including Aalto University professor Sixten the euro.

Korkman is the former director general at the The situation is bizarre from the Council of the EU’s Directorate for Economic perspective of both global and Ameri- and Social Affairs. He is the author of several can interests. The dollar has served as books, including last year’s Talous ja Utopia the currency of world economy: as a (“Economy and Utopia”). medium of exchange, unit of account

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MAINOS

Tee kotisi lämmitysjärjestelmästä älykäs.

Säästä jopa 15 %.

Fortum Fiksu on täysin uudenlainen, älykäs tapa hallita energiakustannuksia. Kun kotonasi on varaava vesikiertoinen sähkölämmitysjärjestelmä tai öljylämmitys, Fortum Fiksun avulla säästät jopa 15 %* lämmityskustannuksissasi.

Pieni investointi olemassa olevan lämmitysjärjestelmäsi tueksi Fortum Fiksun älykkyys perustuu automaattiseen ohjausjärjestelmään ja tunneittain hinnoiteltuun sähkön hintaan. Öljylämmittäjän Fiksu vertaa öljy- ja sähkölämmityksen kustannusta tunneittain ja valitsee edullisemman lämmitysmuodon. Sähkölämmittäjän Fiksu ohjaa vesivaraajaa käyttämään vuorokauden edullisimmat sähkötunnit kodin lämmitykseen.

SAANKO KERTOA TARKEMMIN? Lähetä tekstiviesti FIKSU sekä etu- ja sukunimesi ja postinumerosi numeroon 16183. Esimerkiksi: FIKSU SAKU SÄÄSTÄJÄ 00100 Viestin lähettäminen maksaa normaalin tekstiviestin hinnan.

Käyttöönotto ja käyttö on helppoa Saat Fortum Fiksun valmiiksi asennettuna. Ammattitaitoinen asentaja asentaa laitteen ja säätää tarvittavat asetukset puolestasi. Halutessasi voit seurata palvelun toimintaa omalla käyttöliittymällä tietokoneella, tabletilla tai älypuhelimella.

Uuden sukupolven energiaratkaisuja Tutustu myös muihin älykkäisiin kodin ratkaisuihimme. Esimerkiksi Fortum Kotinäytön avulla seuraat energian käyttöä reaaliajassa ja Fortum Aurinkopaneelipaketin avulla tuotat itse uusiutuvaa energiaa. Lue lisää tuotteistamme osoitteessa fortum.fi.

Fortum Fiksu Öljylämmittäjälle 819 € + palvelumaksu 7,95 €/kk ja asennus 220 € Fortum Fiksu Sähkölämmittäjälle 540 € + palvelumaksu 4,98 € /kk ja asennus 124 €

*Säästö perustuu vuoden 2012 sähkön Spot-tuntihintojen ja Öljyalan Keskusliiton vuoden 2012 kevytöljyn tilastollisen keskihinnan (1,135 €/l) erotukseen, lue lisää fortum.fi.

HIDDEN EL HIERRO THE SMALLEST, westernmost and most isolated of the Canary Islands is El Hierro. Volcanic, lush and windy, it has no jumbo hotels or tourist crowds.

It appeals best to those seeking nature adventures. The island is one of UNESCO’s Biosphere Reserves and includes species such as the endangered Giant Hierro Lizard.

The tiny, ascetic Hotel Punta Grande, which contains only four rooms, comes recommended. Originally built in the 1800s and rehabilitated in the 1970s, the building stands on a ­narrow, rocky and isolated copy ­surrounded by the ocean. A visitor can fall asleep listening to the waves of the Atlantic splashing against the hotel’s walls (hotelpuntagrande.org).

narian Saaret Blue ngs

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DECEMBER 2013

THE CANARY ISLANDS ARE AN ENDURINGLY POPULAR WINTER ESCAPE FOR EUROPEANS: TEN MILLION TOURISTS VISITED THE ARCHIPELAGO IN 2012. BUT THESE VOLCANIC ISLANDS ALSO EACH HAVE THEIR OWN DISTINCTIVE ATMOSPHERE. WE TAKE A LOOK AT SIX OF THEM.

CANARY

CHARACTER TEXT BY OUTI PIPPURI

PHOTOS BY SAMI LAMBERG

LA GOMERA, NATURE LAB THE SMALL, LUSH LA GOMERA is a destination for nature buffs. Long serpentine roads lead from one palm grove to another, and particulary in springtime it glows with multicoloured flowers.

Among the flower species found here is the blue Echium pininana. The Garajonay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains laurel forests.

Many locals still master a historical whistling language, whose 4,000 expressions allowed for a quick transfer of messages: a whistle could travel around La Gomera in seven minutes. The Island’s capital is San Sebastian, a town of 9,000 people.

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COLOURFUL GRAN CANARIA THE MOST FAMOUS of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria, has plenty of hotels, beaches, shopping − and tourists.

More than three million people visited the island in 2012. Las Palmas is the Canary Islands’ capital city.

Some buildings in Vegueta, the old town of Las Palmas, date back 500 years.

Christopher Columbus reportedly stayed in the building in which La Casa de Colón museum is housed today. Among the defining characteristics of Vegueta’s architecture are picturesque wrought iron balconies.

Stop for a crêpes dulces (a waffle and frozen yoghurt) at Capricci Yogurteria (Calle Kant 21) and stroll down the beachside promenade of Canteras.

narian Saaret Blue gs

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STARS AND STROLLS IN LA PALMA ABOUT 49 PER CENT of La Palma is occupied by national parks such as Caldera de Taburiente, and the subtropical Canary Island pine defines the landscape. The observatory of Roque de los Muchachos (Apartado de Correos 50) makes La Palma a destination for hobbyist astronomers.

Those not interested in star-gazing can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and terrace life of Santa Cruz de La Palma, the island’s historical capital, which has a population of about 18,000 people. There’s also a replica of Christopher Columbus’s Santa Maria ship; it is much smaller than one might imagine.

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TENERIFE HEIGHTS SPAIN’S HIGHEST POINT of elevation is the 3,718-metre-tall volcano of Teide in Tenerife, which has not awoken from its sleep since 1909.

The mountainous landscape offers a variety of scenic and challenging hiking trails. A cable car is another way to get close to the summit.

Tenerife has roughly one million inhabitants, ­making it the most populous of the Canary Islands.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been largely spared of mass tourism and offers a taste of local urban life.

Stop at the Museum of Nature and Man to get an overview of the history and heritage of the Canary Islands (museosdetenerife.org).

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MOONWALK IN LANZAROTE LANZAROTE is the most distinctive of the seven main Canary Islands, marked by a landscape of solidified lava that resembles the surface of the moon. The national park of Timanfaya offers particularly stunning views of these volcanic sceneries.

There are 300 dormant volcanoes here, and its ground is still so hot that some restaurants make use of this heat in their kitchens. One is unlikely have his or her Lanzarote holiday spoiled by narian SaarettoBlue rain: the island only gets about 150 millimetres ngs of rain throughout the year. Cycling is a popular way to get around.

Kanarian Saaret Blue Wings

DECEMBER 2013

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HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE

LITHUANIA’S SECOND-LARGEST CITY MARKS THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH PLENTY OF EVENTS, HISTORY AND CHRISTMAS IDYLL. TEXT BY SIMON FRY

ithuania, Europe’s last pagan nation, did not adopt Christianity nationally until 1413; by comparison Sweden, another country with long-spanning pagan traditions, did so in the 11th century. Today Christmas is celebrated in Lithuania with distinctive customs and traditions, as well as some alternative festivities.

The country’s second-largest city, Kaunas, has a friendly and bustling air exemplified by Laisves Avenue, the longest pedestrian street in Eastern Europe. Along Laisves stands one of Kaunas’s main Christmas trees.

Some of its decorations last year were made by players from the city’s basketball team, BC Žalgiris. Basketball is Lithuania’s national sport, and Žalgirio Arena, which has a capacity of up to 17,500 people, is the city’s entertainment hub.

BC Žalgiris faces off with Anadolu Efes of Istanbul on December 12.

The city’s primary tree, meanwhile, is switched on at Rotušės Square, the focal point of Kaunas’s holiday celebrations, on November 30. This structure has a reputation for the spectacular; 2011’s 16-metre incarnation was the world’s tallest plastic bottle sculpture, as confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records. This year’s 17-metre version is adorned with hand-knitted decorations. As is customary, people can also attach personal wishes and greetings to the tree.

The square is also the location of a “Christmas city,” running from December 7 to January 6. Festive lodges sell hot wine, ginger tea and coffee plus snacks to enjoy while wandering around perusing gift items such as woolen socks, gloves and honey. Entertainment at Rotušės Square includes an outdoor ice rink and creative workshops.

Father Christmas will be in the Square’s adjoining Town

Hall from December 7, and leads festivities in the Square itself. Visiting families can also take their yearly Santa Claus photos here.

Those who feel coerced into celebrating Christmas may find an antidote at Kaunas’ Devil Museum on Putvinskio (www.ciurlionis.lt), which is part of the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. This quirky collection of around 3,000 historical depictions from around the world (carvings, soft toys, masks and more) of Old Nick – as opposed to Saint Nick – provides an interesting diversion.

There is a 50 per cent chance of snow in Kaunas in December, but whether it has fallen or not, the view from Aleksotas hill, accessed via a funicular railway, is well worth photographing. Kaunas is the only Lithuanian city to have such modes of transport.

For holiday gifts, head to Urmas Shopping Area (www.urmas.net), Lithuania’s largest shopping town, on Pramonės Avenue. There are 1,500 outlets spread across 15 hectares, as well as a regular flea market and other events. A farmers’ market is staged on Saturdays by Kaunas Castle a few kilometres away. The castle was originally built in the 14th century and recently reconstructed.

Christmas takes on a poignant significance at the Ninth Fort (9fortomuziejus.lt), a former Soviet fortress on Kaunas’s outskirts. During the Second World War the occupying Nazis executed as many as 50,000 people here. On Christmas Day in 1943, 64 prisoners escaped to freedom.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of this event. l

THE DEVIL MUSEUM IS A CHRISTMAS ANTIDOTE.

FINNAIR FLIES twice daily to Vilnius. Trains from Vilnius to Kaunas take about an hour and a half and cost six euros (WWW.LITRAIL.LT). Buses take around 95 minutes and cost approximately seven euros (WWW.AUTOBUSUSTOTIS.LT).

VILNIUS FINDS

A. ZYGAVICIUS.

BEFORE JOURNEYING from Vilnius to Kaunas, you may wish to take in a few of the Lithuanian capital’s holiday attractions. Cathedral Square, the Old Town’s central gathering place, stages a Christmas village from December 5 to 29, offering various delicacies and ceramics, glass and jewellery. An animated fairytale incorporating city history, folklore, Christmas themes and modern motives will be projected in 3D onto one side façade of the Cathedral between December 25 and 30.

A Vilnius Christmas train runs from December 1 to January 7. Starting from Town Hall Square, it travels along Pilies Street and Gediminas Avenue and passes by the Parliament Building before returning to Town Hall Square. Christmas Day sees the lighting of Vilnius’s Television Tower, effectively creating Lithuania’s largest Christmas tree via the use of six kilometres of garlands.

The lighting, at 6 pm, will be accompanied by fireworks.

VILNIUS-TOURISM.LT

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EUROPEAN VOICES

BY ALEXANDER STUBB

PHOTO BY SUSANNA KEKKONEN

Why Finnish rap rocks

I

have vague memories of the first time I heard someone rapping. It was in the mid-1980s, when I was an exchange student in the United States.

My US “brother” was a DJ, and I asked him what this rythm-based talking was all about. He said it was a way for angry young men to voice their opinions.

Fine, I thought. Not my cup of tea. I was not angry, nor did I have an opinion.

I just wanted to have fun, as most young exchange students do.

My next encounter with rap came in 1990 when I started to listen to hip-hop icon MC Hammer. His pop rap, exemplified in “U can’t touch this,” got my generation to the dance floor (which in my case was, and still is, a scary sight).

In the US, rap and hip-hop emerged in the early 1970s. The Finnish rap scene began to take shape some ten years later with the likes of General Njassa, but it did not become popular until rap group Raptori arrived on the scene in 1990.

Despite Raptori’s success, rap and hiphop did not hit the mainstream until just a few years ago. Today Finnish rap is Big with a capital B. A new generation of male and female rappers has proven its staying power on the charts. The likes of Elastinen, Cheek, Uniikki, Tuomas Kauhanen, Mikael Gabriel, Paleface, Brädi, Redrama, Signmark, Karri Koira and Sini Sabotage are also brilliant artists − modern-day poets with a message.

NOT HAVING BEEN brought up in rough, crime-ridden neighbourhoods, Finnish rappers in many ways represent the counterpoint of the gangsta rap tradition.

But this does not mean that Finnish rappers lack attitude. The thing I like about these guys is that they are inherently positive. They have the guts to say whatever they have on their mind; they have no fear. They are changing the mindset of a whole nation, and doing so with a sense of humour.

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Take Uniikki, for instance. His big hit, “Pätkätöis,” is about the challenge of growing up short. The message is simple: you are perfect as you are, and being short is actually really cool.

Or take Signmark, the first deaf rapper in the world to sign a major record contract. He is one of the most brilliant guys I have ever met. He is also a man with great dreams: tell him that he can’t do something, and he will.

Or Elastinen, in many ways the godfather of modern Finnish rap. He writes great music, has been named the country’s most positive person, and is always willing to help others. As far as attitude goes, it just does not get much better than that.

Rap is increasingly incorporated into more traditional rock and pop songs. I really like this “sweet and sour” approach.

I enjoy the sweet melody of a good singer combined with rythmical rap.

FINNISH RAPPERS HAVE AN INHERENTLY POSITIVE MESSAGE. In my little world, rap has come a long way. I am not young anymore, nor am I angry, but I do have an opinion. And that opinion is that Finnish rap is great! And in order for you to enjoy it as much as I do, all you need to do is learn Finnish... l Alexander Stubb is Finland’s minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade. His Spotify playlist is full of Finnish rap.

MANDATUM HENKIVAKUUTUSOSAKEYHTIÖ

Mustaa kultaa Mandatum Lifen asiakkaana istut oikeassa pöydässä.

Olemme osa menestyvää Sampo-konsernia ja avaamme sinulle ovia suursijoittajien kohteisiin sekä pääsyn maailman suurimman varainhoitotalon, BlackRockin pörssinoteerattuihin indeksirahastoihin. Ja mikä parasta, koko kattaus vakuutussopimuksessa – joustavasti ja verotuksellisesti järkevästi.

Tutustu ja ota yhteyttä:

www.mandatumlife.fi

WINK AND STYLE

4

THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAY GIFT PICKS PUT A FRESH TWIST ON FAMILIAR FAVOURITES, PROVIDE COMFORT WITH SWEET PATTERNS AND ENCOURAGE RECIPIENTS TO GET OUT AND PLAY.

BY SAIJA KATTELUS AND THE BLUE WINGS EDITORIAL TEAM

PHOTOS BY PÄIVI ANITA RISTELL

LINES AND INSPIRATION 1. Laser-engraved skateboard €90 Laser Cut Studio, shop.lasercutstudio.com 2. Plus salt and pepper mill €69 Muuto, formverk.com 3. Sprocket light (candle holder) €23 Hienostella, astubutiikkiin.fi 4. Airo necklace €130 Bird of Passage, birdofpassage.fi 5.Levels lamp L Copper €395 One Nordic Furniture Company, onenordic.com 6. iPhone case €35 Laser Cut Studio, shop.lasercutstudio.com 7. Red Wool Beanie POWDER €39.90 Superyellow, superyellow.fi 8. Guest book made of fish skin €140 Galateia galateia.fi, business gifts, www.bravoo.fi 9. Birch Wave sandals €249 Marita Huurinainen, maritahuurinainen.com 10. Burn After Reading table lamp €89 &Bros, andbros.fi 11. Birch bag Big, €147, Salakauppa, salakauppa.fi 12. Dance Shoes €95 Salakauppa, salakauppa.fi 13. “Sulo” the Hedgehog needle cushion €15.50 Delfia Design, astubutiikkiin.fi 14. Recycled rag rug bag €64, INTOA design, astubutiikkiin.fi 15. Mosaic set €34.90 EMMA Shop, emma.museum/shop

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FINISHING TOUCHES SPICE UP YOUR HOME OR EVERYDAY LOOK WITH TONGUE-IN-CHEEK STATEMENT ITEMS RANGING FROM KITCHENWARE TO GAMES AND ACCESSORIES.

COMFORT AND FLAIR 1. Pal stool, yellow €179 One Nordic Furniture Company, onenordic.com 2. Ville – the Gentle Man tie €99 gTIE, gtie.com 3. Bearded man cutting board €45 Olkkari, Tel +358 50 531-4440 4. Striped hat €39 Hankala, ovvn.net 5. Yöpuu decorative pillow €45 Polkkajam, polkkajam.com 6. Karhu fulcrum shoe €145 Karhu, karhu.com 7. ROK espresso maker €179, roknordic.com 8. Creatures from Finland memory game €28 &Bros, andbros.fi 9. Accordion boots €195 Salakauppa, salakauppa.fi 10. Knitted leggings €149 Uhana design, ovvn.net 11. Villi Pohjola laptop case (for 13”) €47 Saana ja Olli, saanajaolli.com 12. 3knots necklace, turquoise €59 Dotti, katoko.mycashflow.fi 13. Yellow Little Brother mug €32 &Bros, andbros.fi 14. Mieli silver ring €139 Kokoru, kokoru.net 15. Turquoise round notice board €79 Kotona Design, kotonadesign.fi 16. Pisara earrings €25 Uhana design, ovvn.net 17. Lempiväri necklace €120, Lempiväri earrings, €29, Elli Hukka, ellihukka.com 18. Afghan hound necklace, black €18 titiMadam, titimadam.com 19. CityChic wallet €14.50 Pisama Design, astubutiikkiin.fi

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GROWN-UPS CAN LOOK FAB IN WOOL PANTS, TOO.

DECEMBER 2013

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OUT AND ABOUT

2

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KEEP WINTER BLUES AT BAY WITH HEALTHY TREATS FROM NORDIC NATURE, NOURISHING SOAPS AND LOTIONS, THERAPEUTIC LIGHT AND A SLED FOR SNOWY SEASON FUN.

3

A SOUND BODY AND MIND 1. Davos sled €109 Matkavaruste, matkavaruste.fi 2. Strawberry Hide jumpsuit €42.90, Metsola, metsola.co 3. Stainless steel salad set €85 Latimeria latimeria.fi, business gifts www.bravoo.fi 4. Eco nappy €17.50 Bellapuu, astubutiikkiin.fi 5. Salt soap €5,95 Vuotar, astubutiikkiin.fi 6. Handmade mint soap €5.90 Minttumaa, astubutiikkiin.fi 7. Valkee 2 bright light headset €199 Valkee, valkee.com, www.preordershop.fi 8. I Know trivia game €49.90 Tactic, www.tactic.net 9. Balance bike VeloWalker €179.90 miniMaatti, minimaatti.fi 10. Eden herb pot set with bamboo tray €29.90 Orthex, orthexgroup.com 11. Nordic Koivu™ birch sap €6.20 Nordic Koivu, nordickoivu.fi 12. Spelt liquorice €4 Sunspelt, sunspelt.fi 13. Jenkki Tasty Cube Smooth salty liquorice chewing gum €3 Jenkki, jenkki.fi 14. Classic yellow sled €9.90 Orthex, orthexgroup.com 15. Berry hand soap, sea buckthorn €4.60 Dermosil, dermoshop.com 16. Loota mirror €279 Matti Syrjälä, kaamosgroup.fi 17. Tubo bright light €270 Innolux, innojok.fi 18. SOS Sensitive Touch for body & face, light cream €14.90, intense cream €19.90, lip and dry spot balm €9.90 Lumene, lumene.com

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BIRCH SAP AND SPELT ARE HOT THIS SEASON. DECEMBER 2013

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be welcomed. be one.

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

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

member of

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

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

oneworld alliance members

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

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

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

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

Students at Dien Bien’s semi-boarding schools take health and hygiene lessons back to their homes.

Children at the Phi Nhu primary school put on a performance for UNICEF visitors.

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Ten-year-old Xi returns to her remote mountain home on weekends.

SEMI-BOARDING SCHOOLS IN THE REMOTE VIETNAMESE PROVINCE OF DIEN BIEN ARE AT THE HEART OF A UNICEF-SUPPORTED PRIMARY EDUCATION POLICY FOR ETHNIC MINORITY CHILDREN.

A HEALTHY START IN VIETNAM

TEXT BY TIM BIRD PHOTOS BY ©UNICEF/VIETNAM/2013/TIM BIRD

T

en-year-old Xi, a member of the Vietnamese Mong ethnic minority, wants to be a police officer when she grows up. “I’d like to protect the ethnic minorities, and to be able to spot the drug dealers and stop them,” she says.

Such confidence and social responsibility in someone so young is startling, especially bearing in mind that her home is in one of the most disadvantaged and remote parts of Vietnam, where making ends meet is the main priority. Her mature attitude also represents an encouraging victory for UNICEF’s new country programme geared towards supporting ethnic minority children as well as disabled and other disadvantaged young people.

Xi’s family home, a one-room wooden shelter with a corrugated roof and hard mud floor, is located on a distant upland ridge in Dien Bien province, in the country’s northwest corner. Their village is located some ten kilometres and a series of steep and rugged slopes from the nearest school.

Because of this distance, and because of an affirmative action educational policy introduced by local authorities and supported by UNICEF, Xi’s parents qualify to allow their daughter to stay overnight during the school week at the semiboarding school. Boarding saves her an exhausting daily trudge for lessons – in some cases, a long commute can deter kids from attending school altogether. A network of satellite pre-school classes operates in the actual villages, attended by children who are too young to make the longer trek to the main school.

Xi’s school is located a half-day drive from Dien Bien Phu, the provincial capital, through a broad valley of rice paddies where farmers sway on the backs of buffaloes. The road into the northern hills is lined with houses of the Thai minority, built on wooden stilts and

partly shrouded in smoke from smouldering maize husks. Women sort the yellow corn and spread it in the sun to dry. The road winds up to patchwork vistas of cultivated hillsides, like giant quilts draped across the mountains.

REDUCING EDUCATIONAL GAPS UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, has drawn up a country programme for 2012−2016 that includes a special emphasis on tackling educational disparities between different ethnic groups in Vietnam. UNICEF’s remit is to contribute expert advice as well as financial and policy support to the educational authorities. The benefits of UNICEF-supported semi-boarding schools are a key element of the strategy.

Funds collected from Finnair passengers in its Change for Good campaign go to support this component of the programme.

Statistics verify the need for measures that support the Mong children in Dien Bien, one of eight UNICEF target provinces in Vietnam. The Mong, who primarily occupy an inaccessible terrain with poorly developed infrastructure, are one of the most populous of 21 ethnic minorities in this province. Across Vietnam, only 60 per cent of ethnic minority children finish the first five years of their primary education compared with 86 per cent of the Kinh ethnic majority. Infant mortality in Dien Bien, at 37 per 1,000 live births, is one of the country’s highest. Many also suffer from stunted growth as a result of a diet of maize, rice and vegetables but very little protein.

Children of pre-school and primary school age are vulnerable to diarrhoea and pneumonia, as only 30 per cent of Dien Bien’s total population have access to safe drinking water. Hygienic toilets are in short supply. HIV prevalence in Dien Bien is also well above the national average. Children who either have AIDS or are

UNICEF TACKLES EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES.

DECEMBER 2013

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orphaned or neglected as a result of the disease lack a safety network of effective social services. Malaria is another common health hazard.

The Phi Nhu primary school attended by Xi belongs to a national network of more than 400 government-approved semi-boarding schools across Vietnam, with more on the way. Set up in remote villages, the schools help to combat challenges of health and hygiene, directly and indirectly, and confront the problem of low school-attendance among ethnic minority children.

Xi and her fellow boarders – there are 139 of them at Phi Nhu out of a total of 426 students − get balanced meals every day, and are taught hygienic and healthy habits as well as information about AIDS prevention. These are lessons that they can take back to their families. Their guaranteed attendance during the school week also ensures that they get a primary education which they might otherwise find reasons to skip.

After lunch the children wash the dishes, brush their teeth and head for their dormitories for a twohour nap. Sixty-eight boys huddle in one of these, pulling blankets across a single wooden platform. It’s cramped, but combined body warmth provides effective central heating.

TAKING LESSONS HOME “The children learn things like teeth-brushing at school and take these skills home,” says Mai. “Parents really are influenced by their children’s behaviour when it comes to hygiene.”

“My father listens to me when I tell him he shouldn’t drink and smoke so much,” says ten-year-old Dua during a visit to her home the following day. “I’ve been showing my brothers and sister how to brush their teeth and wash their hands properly too.”

Dua’s mother sieves corn, and a litter of weaning puppies tumble around their flustered mother in the doorway. “I am happy that Dua can go to boarding school during the week,” says her father Lau, and he points at his daughter’s school certificates on the otherwise bare wall. “But I am concerned that we might not have enough money to continue boarding when she reaches secondary school.”

Dua’s classmate Va lives in a neighbouring village.

His father expresses similar worries: “I want to send all my three boys to school for as long as possible,” he says. He adds that he never had the time to learn how to read and write.

Back at the school, Mikko Aaltonen gives his impressions of how the education programme is working in Dien Bien. “UNICEF works with local partners, and I think it’s clear that the relationship is good between the local education committee and UNICEF, personally and professionally,” he says, adding that there seems to be trust between UNICEF in its supportive, monitoring and advisory roles and the educational managers that implement the policies.

“I’m glad we can support such dedicated teachers to do their jobs better,” he continues.

“It’s not always easy to see how we influence policy, but I saw it demonstrated here on a practical level. I didn’t expect to see UNICEF books and materials everywhere – that’s not the point. It’s more a matter of influencing policy. And it’s good to hear that the kids and their parents appreciate what’s happening – in the end, it’s all for the benefit of the children.” l

FINNAIR TAKES PART IN THE CHANGE FOR GOOD CAMPAIGN.

YOUNG PIONEERS When Mikko Aaltonen of UNICEF Finland and Phan To Mai of UNICEF Vietnam arrive for a visit, the autumn term has just started. The children are assembled outside the classrooms of Phi Nhu, wearing their young pioneer uniforms for a morning ceremony. Coming from the commercial frenzy of Hanoi, it’s easy to forget that this is still a one-party Communist country. A portrait of Ho Chi Minh, the figurehead of Vietnamese independence, is displayed in every classroom.

The children perform some coordinated routines before returning to their classrooms for lessons.

When a journalist tries to enter a reading class discreetly and undetected, the children sound out in unison: “Good morning, teacher!”

School director Lé Van Ngoan leads a staff of mainly Kinh teachers – Kinh is the majority ethnic group in Vietnam - recruited from the Red River lowlands around Hanoi. The children’s minority language thrives in their communities, but should they have any prospects beyond their local environment, they need to become competent in the national Vietnamese language.

The children lead visitors to their herb and vegetable garden, a neatly watered patch at a comfortable distance from the lavatories. There are separate facilities for boys and girls, a feature that is unknown in many villages.

In the canteen, children help to set the tables and form two orderly but clearly hungry queues – boys in one, girls in the other. The polite but wide-eyed bemusement that greeted their foreign visitors has now been forgotten, and the focus is on food for the next half an hour: the kids eat bowlfuls of fish, rice and vegetables with wordless appetites. Compared with what these children might consume in their village homes, the lunch constitutes a hearty banquet.

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TRAVELLERS ON Finnair’s international flights can support the 2013 Change for Good campaign by placing coins or notes of any currency in the envelope provided in the aircraft seat pocket and handing the envelope to a member of the cabin crew. Finnair Plus members can also donate points to support UNICEF at finnair.com/plus.

Mikko Aaltonen works as product coordinator at UNICEF Finland.

Boarders settle down for a post-lunch nap.

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SANTA CLAUS PROMOTES GIVING IN INDIA TEXT BY LEILA ITKONEN

L

PHOTO BY WORLD VISION/MINNA ANNOLA

ast year the Santa Claus Foundation and the Finnish branch of World Vision, a humanitarian organisation, donated a water buffalo to a family in Sagar in central India.

World Vision and the Santa Claus Foundation also gave funds for the construction of a new kindergarten. This autumn, before the bustle of the holiday season began, Finnish Santa Claus paid a visit to Sagar with World Vision’s representatives to observe the impacts of these end-of-year presents.

The water buffalo had been given a home with a family of seven. Today none of the five children are suffering from malnutrition as they had in 2012. “Beyond the nutrition the family gets from buffalo milk, they are able to sell whatever they don’t use and and buy medications,

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school supplies and other essentials,” says communications director Unna Lehtipuu of World Vision.

During his visit Santa Claus also stopped by the school he helped to launch. This year he will donate tools and training for more efficient and ecological farming as well as children’s health check-ups.

World Vision’s Finnish-language webshop (www. worldvision.fi/lahjakauppa) offers plenty of options for socially conscious holiday gifts, including malaria nets, clean water and HIV tests for communities in developing countries. World Vision has been the official humanitarian organisation of Santa Claus since 2012.

Santa Claus Foundation, meanwhile, was established in 2000. Its official patron is Sauli Niinistö, president of Finland. l

ilmoitus

ilmoitus

Quo vadis, johtaja? joukkojaan eteenpäin. Erityisesti tuen tarve korostuu muutostilanteissa. Esimies tarvitsee tukea omalta esimieheltään, mutta myös vertaistuki on arvokasta.

Huipulla tuulee Johtajan työtä sanotaan tuuliseksi paikaksi. Usein käy kovakin puhuri. Johtamisoppien kentällä liikkuu ja puhaltaa hyvinkin erilaisia tuulia. Ismit tulevat ja menevät. Yleensä vielä aaltoliikkeenä, sykleissä. Ne eivät kuitenkaan ole tärkeintä johtamisen kehittämisessä.

Tärkeintä on kuunnella. Ja ennen kaikkea kuulla.

Johtamistyötä on tehtävä ihmisenä ihmiselle. Kiireen ja päivittäisten tehtävien keskellä on aika ajoin syytä hetkeksi pysähtyä ja kysyä: ”Mitä sinulle kuuluu?

Kuinka voit? Miten voin auttaa sinua?”

Jokainen työntekijä on oman työnsä käytännön kysymysten ja kehittämiskohtien sekä mahdollisuuksien paras tuntija. Löytyisikö työn arjesta kysymysten lisäksi myös vastauksia ja ratkaisuja hiertäviin tai solmuun menneisiin asioihin? Tai pieniä, mutta tarpeellisia muutoksia, jotka lisäävät työn mielekkyyttä?

Ui johtamisen aallonharjalla

SuomeSSa menetetään vuosittain satoja tuhansia työvuosia ennenaikaisen eläköitymisen, sairauspoissaolojen, työtapaturmien ja alentuneen työkyvyn takia.

Tämän menetyksen suuruudeksi on arvioitu jopa 41 miljardia euroa vuodessa (lähde: Työ ja Terveys Suomessa 2012). Tämä on huikea summa.

Menetykset ovat suuria, mutta samalla niissä piilee myös suuri mahdollisuus. Millä muulla yhteiskunnan alueella on yhtä selvästi nähtävissä näin suuri kehittämispotentiaali? Prosentinkin parannus nykyiseen tilanteeseen lisäisi kansantalouden kokonaistuotantoa 400 miljoonalla eurolla.

Menetyksistä menestymiseen Osataanko Suomessa johtaa? Kyllä osataan. Suomessa on tehty johtamisen tutkimusta akateemisella tasolla noin 100 vuotta. Monet suomalaiset johtamisen tutkimuslaitokset ovat kansainvälistä huippua. Haasteena on: Miten saada työtä ja terveyttä koskeva tutkimus ja tietämys osaksi arkipäivän johtamista?

Työyhteisön hyvinvointi on sen kaikkien jäsenten vastuulla. Johtajan tehtävä on luoda jokaiselle mahdollisuudet kehittyä työssään ja käyttää osaamistaan työyhteisönsä tavoitetta edistävästi.

Epäkohtien esiin nostamisen ja niihin tarttumisen voi tehdä taitavasti tai taitamattomasti. Tällä on selkeä yhteys lopputuloksen onnistuneisuuteen. Onko otteena syytteleminen ja kyräily vai mahdollisuuksien ja uusien vuorovaikutuksen ja yhdessä tekemisen tapojen etsiminen? Tämä vaikuttaa suoraan siihen, lisääntyykö työpaikalla hyvinvointi.

Puun ja kuoren välissä Johtamistyön arkeen kuuluu myös kipeästi pistäviä piikkejä. Keskijohto jää usein ahtaalle puun ja kuoren väliin: vaatimuksia ja toiveita tulee sekä ylhäältä että alhaalta. Kuka silloin tukee esimiestä työssään?

Esimiehen oma hyvinvointi ja jaksaminen heijastuvat koko työyhteisöön. Väsynyt, ilman tukea jäävä esimies ei jaksa innostaa ja tukea alaisiaan eikä luotsata

Työelämän laadun kehittäminen, työurien pidentäminen ja tuottavuuden parantaminen vaativat niin yksityisissä yrityksissä kuin julkisella sektorillakin hyvää johtamista.

Esimiehet ja kaikki johtamisesta kiinnostuneet voivat jakaa hyvän johtamisen ja esimiestyön käytäntöjä valtakunnallisessa Johtamisverkostossa. Verkosto on virtuaalisen ja fyysisen kokoontumisen paikka, jossa voi oppia muilta ja oppia yhdessä. Meidät löydät osoitteesta www.johtamisverkosto.fi.

Johtamiseen tarvitaan lisää vuorovaikutteisuutta ja uteliaisuutta sekä meininkiä, jossa kaveria ei jätetä. Piirteitä, jotka liitämme erääseen sympaattiseen merien älykköön: delfiiniin. Siksi se on valittu Johtamisverkoston symboliksi. Liity joukkoomme, ota kaikuluotaimesi käyttöön ja ui johtamisen aallonharjalla.

Paula Risikko Sosiaali- ja terveysministeri

DOING BUSINESS

IN CHINA TEXT BY JORMA LEPPÄNEN

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY MIKKO VÄYRYNEN

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS VARY WIDELY BETWEEN DIFFERENT AREAS IN CHINA. SEASONED CORPORATIONS AND YOUNGER FINNISH COMPANIES OPERATING IN CHINA BOTH EMPHASISE THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING REGIONAL NUANCES.

W

hen China began to open its economy in the 1970s, much of the rest of the world had an image of a nation where people spoke one official language and had a largely homogenous way of thinking. This was a major misconception, however: regional cultures continued to thrive after the Mao Zedong-led Cultural Revolution.

According to professor Matti Nojonen who is conducting post-doctoral research at Helsinki’s Aalto University, China’s cultural intricacies are most visible in large urban hubs. “If you ask people in different provinces what the Chinese are like, the answers are similar. But if you ask them what people are like in Beijing or Shanghai, the cultural differences emerge.”

While all Chinese schools teach the standard language, Mandarin, there are still more than 100 languages spoken in the country.

“If the Roman Empire hadn’t collapsed, all Europeans would probably speak Latin. Nevertheless, Germans would still speak German with each other and the French would speak French among themselves. In China, Mandarin corresponds to Latin in the heyday of Rome,” Nojonen explains. He also points out that the dialects of Mandarin can vary so widely that they sound like entirely different languages.

“People living a few dozen kilometres apart may not comprehend each other’s dialects, even though they all speak Mandarin Chinese,” says Nojonen, adding that there are also large cultural differences.

“For instance contract forms – and how strictly they’re followed – vary from one region to another,” he says, adding that as in any other large area, having an understanding of regional cultures can give a company a major competitive edge. Finnish companies who have succeeded in China have understood that a business operation must be built separately in each area and for each target group.

“It’s worth hiring local directors for different operational environments – people who know the stakeholders’ language and culture,” Nojonen says.

The Finnish Metso conglomerate, which started supplying machinery to China as far back as 80 years

ago, is one example of a large technology company that has successfully taken this approach.

“The diversity between the provinces, in terms of both culture and approach to business, is both a richness and a challenge,” says Jukka Seppälä, vice president of stakeholder relations and trade policy at Metso. He adds that even his Chinese colleagues sometimes feel overwhelmed when traveling to provinces that are unfamiliar to them. Metso set up its first joint-venture company in China in 1989, and today has a local network of manufacturing, sales and service units.

WHAT WORKS IN ONE CHINESE PROVINCE DOESN’T NECESSARILY WORK IN THE NEXT ONE. Standardising corporate operations across China is much more difficult than doing so in the United States or Europe. A company cannot simply duplicate all of its operational models and concepts countrywide.

“The size and diversity of China is reflected how sales references are valued, for example; a reference in the customer´s own province can be more important than a bigger one from somewhere else,” says Seppälä.

OPERATIONAL INTRICACIES Despite the recent slowdown in economic growth, China continues to appeal to companies from abroad: according to China’s Commerce Ministry, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) for the first nine months of 2013 were about 66 billion euros – this is about six per cent more than the equivalent 2012 numbers.

Today many companies from abroad are allowed to have fully-owned companies in most business areas in China, except in some restricted or strongly regulated fields such as IT or the energy sector. In these, joint ventures can still be compulsory or at least a practical approach to cope with regulatory issues. Local business partners also often have the best knowledge of national and regional regulations.

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For Metso, a joint venture with a local energy industry specialist company was a pragmatic approach for bringing the company’s automation solutions to the Chinese energy industry.

ECO-INVESTMENTS Finnish companies are particularly drawn to China as a result of business generated by urbanisation and the increasing demand for environmental technologies.

Metso also focuses on these megatrends.

“There are huge amounts of infrastructure being built in China, which creates demand for Metso’s rock crushers and wear parts,” says Seppälä. Metso’s rock crushing equipment can be easily moved along as road construction proceeds, and allows companies to conserve fuel, equipment and working hours by not needing to transport crushed rock by truck.

The company also provides process automation systems for the pulp, paper, chemical, energy and oil and gas industries. These technologies are designed to conserve raw materials and produce fewer emissions.

In 2014 Metso´s pulp, paper and power technologies will be spun off as a separate company, Valmet.

Amidst rapid growth, China’s main environmental challenges are water scarcity and pollution, as well as poor air quality in urban areas. The country will spend close to 205 billion euros during next five years on improving air quality − rougly twice the annual defence budget. China’s central administration has set sustainable growth as one of its main goals.

Finnish cleantech companies have identified China as a particularly fruitful market, and improving and monitoring air quality as well as water treatment and purification are the spearheads of this industry. Finland’s share of the global GDP is approximately 0.4 per cent, but it makes up more than one per cent of the global cleantech market. One noteworthy platform for Finnish cleantech expertise is Beautiful Beijing, which helps Finnish cleantech firms gain a foothold in the Chinese market. Chinese cities are also investing in cleantech solutions from abroad − about one billion euros yearly in Beijing.

Cleantech companies aspiring to enter the Chinese market should keep in mind, however, that not all provinces place equal priority on solving environmental problems.

“The Chinese leadership has a clear vision of the country’s environmental interest. On the local level, the scope is sometimes still more short-term under the pressure to keep up industrial output and employment. However, the direction is clear,” Seppälä says.

Finnish minerals and metals technology company Outotec has reassured its Chinese clients of the profitability of environmental investments. About 70 per cent of China’s copper smelting plants use Outotec’s technology, which enables them to achieve much smaller emissions than competing technologies.

“We’re expecting growth particularly in environmental technology and our new energy applications.

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DECEMBER 2013

with three terms: environment, resource efficiency and energy saving,” says Kimmo Kontola, Outotec’s executive VP and president of the Asia-Pacific region.

Outotec, which operates throughout China, has local sales and service production. “We make an effort to understand local demands and business culture, and aim to have as large a local share as possible in our deliveries,” Kontola says. The company has an assembly factory in Suzhou, for example.

Outotec received its first orders from China more than 30 years ago, and focuses on long-term client relationships as well as relationships with official bodies. Its representatives meet regularly with officials from CNIA (China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association) and MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China).

Political relations between countries play an important role. Finland was among the first Western countries to recognise the Republic of China, and the trade agreement between China and Finland – also one of the first of its kind in the Western world – was signed in 1953. According to Seppälä, Chairman Mao himself came to witness the inauguration of a Finnish paper machine supplied to Guangzhou Paper in 1956.

“The goodwill we earned back then still remains,” says Metso’s Seppälä, adding that in the mid-1950s, both Finland and China were recovering from tough times. “Finns have been pioneers, in a way, in their trade with the Republic of China.”

CHINA IS A FRUITFUL MARKET FOR CLEANTECH. CLEANTECH IN DEMAND Finnish GreenStream Network, which focuses on carbon asset management, renewable energy services and projects pertaining to energy-efficiency in China, cooperates closely with Chinese officials. Its joint venture is located in Beijing’s Forbidden City. The company operates a fund that finances emission-reduction projects by buying Certified Emission Reductions from project owners. The fund’s investors can profit from these through the EU cap-and-trade system.

CEO Jussi Nykänen says that China presents good opportunities for sustainable growth, and that officials have set up a functioning system for the approval of emission-reduction projects. The Clean Development Mechanism system, defined in the Kyoto Protocol and monitored in China by local authorities, requires that sustainable development projects be approved by the target country, the UN CDM Executive Board, an external quality controller and the buyer country.

“Our business in China took off quickly when we found a local company with a strong network. We created a joint venture in Hong Kong and a subsidiary in

mainland China,” Nykänen says. GreenStream has 15 employees in Beijing, including one Finn.The company has also recently launched a new business concept, which it expects to significantly boost its turnover.

“We’re developing, funding and implementing energy-efficiency projects based on Nordic technologies in China. One example is the Henglian Shandong Guanghua project, in which we are replacing a paper factory’s old vacuum pumps with Finnish Runtech Systems turbo pumps,” says Nykänen. GreenStream then earns money from sharing in the Chinese client’s financial benefit from the resulting energy reduction.

Helsinki’s Tengbom Eriksson Architects are also responding to the megatrends of urbanisation and sustainable development. This autumn the company signed a cooperative agreement with China’s largest landscape design company, Beijing Orient Landscape.

The office set out to explore opportunities in project exports in late 2008. “We were mainly interested in ecological urban planning but also separate building design,” founder Patrick Eriksson says. In 2009 his firm was invited to take part in the international Tianjin SinoSingapore Eco-City architectural competition. Since then, it has participated in three other Eco City projects in China.

“An ecological starting point in design differs from the present Chinese urban planning which has largely copied the American urban sprawl-type block structure; the different functions are so far from each other that you need a car to travel between them,” he says.

“By considering the location and mutual relationships between various functions, we can decrease traffic and energy consumption,” Eriksson says.

Eriksson also underlines the importance of local know-how.

“You have to understand how the local markets work, how projects develop and at what stage it’s possible to join them.

Local partners are important in design. In China, all construction design requires cooperation with the local design institute,” he says.

In less than five years, the Tengbom Eriksson Architects have managed to acquire projects in the Beijing area, Tian-

LOCAL KNOW-HOW IS IMPORTANT. jin, Shanghai region as well as in Kunming in southern China.

“So far the east coast has developed the fastest, but the resulting economic growth and development will also show up inland and in western China. This country has immense opportunities for cleantech companies,” says Eriksson. l FINNAIR FLIES daily to the main cities in China and to Xi’an from the end of March 2014.

DECEMBER 2013

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

It’s Christmas markets galore in Stockholm. For traditionalists, there are Skansen and Stortorget, and the two-day fair of Drottningholmen.

The trend-conscious should head to the Beckmans College of Design Christmas market and the holiday flea market of Hornstulls Strand.

A cup of coffee at Rosendal’s ­ Garden completes the day.

Through December VISITSTOCKHOLM.COM/EN/ TO-DO/TIPS/ CHRISTMAS-IN-STOCKHOLM

DECEMBER 2013

BLUE WINGS

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HENRIK TRYGG /MEDIABANK.VISITSTOCKHOLM.COM

Hipster Christmas in Stockholm

THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD

A royal birthday

Tampere shopping

Space cowboy party

Arts in Germany

Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej turns 86 on December 5th.

The birthday of the world’s longest reigning monarch is a national holiday and Father’s Day in Thailand. Bangkok’s Grand Palace and the main avenue, Ratchadamnoen, are lit up, and a culture festival is held at Sanam Luang square. Wearing pink or yellow is customary.

Sixty carefully selected Finnish and German vendors sell holiday handicrafts, foods and sweet treats in Tampere, Finland’s third biggest city. Last year’s vendor of the year was Chef Crépe’s Café, serving salmonlime crépes. The annual market has attracted up to 160,000 visitors - three-fourths of the city’s population.

For the 20th year in a row, Cape Town throws Africa’s biggest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) party. The theme of this year’s Mother City Queer Project is “Space Cowboys.” Entrance to Cape Town Stadium’s seven dance floors and 17 bars is reserved for those in costume, whether space cadets, aliens or UFOs.

Founded in 2006, the biannual NORDWIND festival promotes Nordic and Baltic arts in Germany.

This year it takes place in three cities: Dresden, Berlin and Hamburg. More than 250 artists, including the Helsinki-based performance group Oblivia, present their work during the 80 scheduled musical, theatrical and visual arts events.

December 1 MYDESTINATION.COM/ PATTAYA > EVENTS

December 5–22 TAMPEREENJOULUTORI.FI/ EN

December 14 MCQP.CO.ZA

Until December 14 NORDWIND-FESTIVAL.DE/ 2013/EN

7 3

3

1 5

6

9

4

68 BLUE WINGS

DECEMBER 2013

2

8

NORDWIND FESTIVAL 2013 © DON KOMMUNIKATION

MELANIE SMITH & SIMON MCGRATH AT PIPS NIGHTCLUB (1981). CREDIT: KAREN MCWILLIAMS & MELANIE SMITH

THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD

Radish revelry

Manchester sounds

Carols in Australia

India gets sunburnt

Oaxaca in southern Mexico is best known for its dark chocolate and soft cheese, but every December the town hosts a massive radish carving competition. The 19th century tradition brings thousands of people to the main plaza, where craftsmen create human figures, nativity scenes, dancers, buildings and more out of the spicy red vegetable. Celebrations continue through Christmas.

The “Defining Me” exhibition celebrates the heritage of ­Manchester, the UK’s musical capital. Styles from punk rock to swing have thrived in the city, and Manchester has also provided a stage for legendary performers such as the Hallé Orchestra, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan and the Sex Pistols. Rare images and memorabilia­from the collections of the Manchester District Music Archive, launched in 2006, are on display.

Melbourne may celebrate Christmas in the summer, but there’s no shortage of holiday spirit at Vision Australia’s Carols by Candlelight event, whose proceeds go to provide services for visionimpaired children. Thousands of people sit on blankets and light up candles at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Top entertainers perform the season’s favourite carols, as they’ve done since 1937.

Promising three days of “complete clubbing madness in the great outdoors,” Asia’s biggest electronic music festival takes place at Goa’s Candolim Beach.

Now in its seventh season, Sunburn combines music, entertainment and shopping. This year’s headliner is Swedish DJ Axwell.

CNN named Sunburn the 9th best festival in the world in 2009.

About 150,000 people attended in 2012.

December 24 CAROLS.VISIONAUSTRALIA. ORG

December 27–29 SUNBURN.IN

December 23 VISITMEXICO.COM/EN/ OAXACA

Until February 23, 2014 THELOWRY.COM/EVENTS

DECEMBER 2013

BLUE WINGS

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Helsinki

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Just a short trip (1.5 hours) away from Helsinki, perfectly close for an experience you won’t forget.

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Car manufacturing in Finland shifts into high gear relatively small investment can yield high benefits in a production environment. Valmet Automotive has invested in a comprehensive manufacturing execution system (MeS). the contract manufacturing of the Mercedes Benz A-class is controlled from welding to parking of ready made vehicles by one centralized system.

A powerful MAnufActuring execution System can generate a competitive advantage and make the manufacturing environment more intelligent. in Valmet Automotive’s case Delta enterprise ltd., a finnish company specializing in intelligent manufacturing systems helped Valmet Automotive’s factory in uusikaupunki in launching the contract manufacturing of the Mercedes Benz A-class in less than eight months. the company used less than four man-years for this extensive it project. prior to the new system, the plant already had a highly automated production line and an enterprise resource planning (erp) system but lacked a system integrating the production robotics with resource planning. the new manufacturing execution system centralizes all of the factory’s automation and controls the entire production line.

- the target of our new Manufacturing execution System is to make production environments even more intelligent and shift it into a higher gear, says Antti Varis, Vice president and coo of Deltaenterprise ltd.

High benefits with low risks Delivering a large, centralized it system quickly can be a quite a challenge. this can be essentially mitigated by using an agile and modular approach from the outset. when a project is executed in modules the benefits of each completed module are available immediately and the project is also less vulnerable. A flexible, modular system or project is also easier to expand and modify, ensuring a longer lifecycle for the entire system.

-Basically agile means involving the customer at every turn of the project and constantly checking that

Modern manufacturing execution system provides a real time view of the assembly line. Possible problems and bottlenecks can be identified and handled quickly.

what we are doing is what the customer wants. Modular means delivering the project in smaller pieces and ensuring that these components work, explains Antti.

Finnish provider made the difference - this manufacturing execution project was started under a tight schedule.the pre-production run of the A-class was completed in time, also thanks to Delta enterprise’s dedicated professionals, recalls Ritva Gregorio, Manager production control at Valmet Automotive.

Valmet Automotive’s centralized approach enables fully transparent tracking and control of material flows. This real time visibility helps identify and eliminate possible bottlenecks in the process.

-this extra gear given to us by the new system helps cope with customer requirements quickly and efficiently, as it did with us and Daimler. This extra flexibility was pivotal to meet the A-Class project’s requirements, says ritva gregorio.

the success of the project was possible due to two important factors highlighted by project Manager Joonas Varso from Delta enterprise.

-The first factor is constant communication between the contractor and the client. the personnel at Valmet Automotive Project Manager Joonas Varso were committed to the project throughout. this is especially important in fast development with agile methods where continuous feedback is essential.

- the second factor is a good team. Delta enterprise and Valmet Automotive built a good team of experts with a good mutual fit around the project.

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Uusissa lomakodeissa on tilavat parvekkeet, osassa asunnoista poreamme, takka ja viihtyisä saunaosasto. Kelotähdessä nautit oman loma-asunnon yksityisyydestä Lapin puhtaan luonnon kämmenellä, keskellä tunturikylän iltamenoja ja palveluja.

Huoneistoesimerkkejä 2h+mh-alk+kk+s 3h+kk+s 3h+mh-alk+k+s 3h+mh-alk+kk+th+s+parvi 2h+3mh-alk+k+s+parvi 3h+2mh-alk+k+s+parvi

52,5 m2 60 m2 87,5 m2 94 m2 128 m2 137,5 m2

Kiinnostuitko? Lisätietoja saat asuntomyynnistämme puh. 0800 140 150 (maksuton) • Maarit Nevalainen puh. 040 828 0063 • maarit.nevalainen@skanska.fi

mh. € 66.620 92.600 117.680 162.820 194.800 226.880

vh. € 161.900 224.900 287.000 395.500 473.200 567.200

ECONOMIC STRUCTURE Employed persons by industry, 3rd quarter 2013

FINLAND IN FIGURES

MANUFACTURING Food prod. and textiles 14%

Construction and energy Miscellaneous services

FOREIGN TRADE 2012 EXPORTS BY PRODUCTS

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

14%

34%

19%

Forest industry prod

Other manufactured goods 23%

8%

23%

Chemical ind prod

13%

Electric and electronics

Agriculture

4%

16%

Other industries

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

Energy Capital goods

Metal and engineering products 48%

Trade and hotel

Transport and communications

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

Intermediate goods

Financial and business services

16%

10%

14%

Machinery and equipment

Forest products 15%

13%

15%

Metals and metal products

Manufacturing

C C C mm

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII VIII

IX

X

XI

XII

52

36

38

32

37

57

63

56

76

70

58

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

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

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

EXPORTS

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

IMPORTS

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

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

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

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

Languages: 90% ­speak Finn­ish; 5.4% Swedish.

Religion: 78% are Lu­ther­an; 1% Orthodox.

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

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CURRENT TRENDS IN FINLAND, SEE:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Av­er­age month­ly earn­ings, 3rd

quarter 2013: men 3,563 euros; women 2,957 euros. Un­em­ploy­ment ­rate 7.6%, in September 2013 according to Labour Force Survey.

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

Annual inflation rate as of September 2013: 1.2%.

Currency: Euro.

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT PER CAPITA 2012* (EUR)

Nominal

Adjusted for Purchasing Power Standard

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

Eurostat

Source: Statistics Finland

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

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

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

www.finnair.fr

www.finnair.de

www.finnair.com/ru

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

www.finnair.es

www.finnair.dk

www.finnair.com/cn

www.finnair.kr

www.finnair.it

www.finnair.fi/pl

Flying Finnair AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL

82

BEFORE AND DURING THE FLIGHT

83

IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

85

HELSINKI AIRPORT

86

MAPS

88

CORPORATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

92

FLEET

94

FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS

95

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FINNAIR INFO HOW TO USE THE AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL GATES

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

Enter through the gate and turn right.

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

Wait until the second gate opens.

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

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

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals with biometric passports can take advantage of the automated border control gates. Third country nationals, who are exempt from the visa requirement and hold a biometric passport, may also use the automated border control upon departure.

The service is available for Japanese and South Korean citizens. The automated border control is monitored by a border guard ensuring secure border crossings.

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

Have a nice journey!

Finnair in a nutshell

日本人で、ICパスポート（※）をお持ちの方 は、2012年5月から試験的に、出入国審査場におい て自動化ゲートをご利用頂けます。 ヘルシンキ空港のシェンゲンエリアから、日本に 向けて出国される際にお使い頂くことが可能です。

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

まず、パスポートの顔写真ページを読み取りま す。該当ページを開き、読み取り機に向けて置い てください。

• IN 2012, Finnair carried 8.8 million passengers.

こちらで個人情報と生体認証データを読み取りま す。

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

ゲートが開いたら中に入り、右を向いてくださ い。カメラで顔認証を行い、パスポートの顔写真 と照合します。

• IN 2012, THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS on scheduled flights totalled 8 million. Domestic travel accounted for 1.6 million passengers. Passenger total on leisure flights was nearly 813,600.

二番目のゲートが開いたら、出入国審査官のカウ ンターにお進み下さい。パスポートの入国スタン プを確認した後、出国スタンプを押印致します。 ご協力頂きまして有難うございます。

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

※ ICパスポートとは、2006年3月20日から申請受 付を開始したIC旅券、つまり冊子中央にICチップ 及び通信を行うための

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

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

アンテナを格納したカードが組み込まれているバ イオメトリック・パスポートのことです。

www.finnair.com/jp

FINNAIR INFO BEFORE THE FLIGHT

BEFORE DEPARTURE

Speed up your takeoff!

Feeling hungry?

Checking in to your Finnair flight is quick and easy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2013 Finnair will offer Economy Class customers on European scheduled flights the option to select and preorder a meal to enjoy onboard. Choose between five delicious options: a fresh salad with smoked salmon, an all-day breakfast enchilada, beef burgundy, pasta bolognese and chicken korma with rice.

The price of each meal is ten euros.

We will also offer a few meals for purchase onboard at a price of 12 euros, but the availability is very limited.

Go to WWW.FINNAIR.COM and select “My Booking” 72 hours before your flight or earlier. Choose a meal, and pay using a credit card. You will get a confirmation email and an EMD receipt.

The preorder meal is an optional, chargeable service available for Economy Class customers travelling on all scheduled European flights operated by AY and on AY2000-series flights operated by BE (Flybe), with the following exceptions: flights within Finland, to/from Baltic countries, to/from Stockholm, to/from St Petersburg and Madrid-Helsinki return flights.

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FINNAIR INFO DURING THE FLIGHT

IN THE AIR

Welcome aboard!

SAFETY

PERKS FOR KIDS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

FINNAIR INFO INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

THIS MONTH ’ S INFLIGHT PICKS Movies, TV, music and games onboard

S The Wolverine Hugh Jackman plays Wolverine for the sixth time in the latest installation of the X-Men franchise. Wolverine is summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance and forced to confront his own demons.

(Finnish Subtitles, Rating PG-13)

Raanjhanaa In this Bollywood film, a small-town boy is in pursuit of earning the love of his childhood sweetheart.

The film stars Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush, and the soundtrack is by A.R. Rahman, Oscar-winner for Slumdog Millionaire. (English Subtitles, Rating NR)

NEWS UPDATES DAILY NEWS ROUNDUPS from the BBC, RT, FINNISH YLE and JAPANESE NHK are now available on your personal inflight entertainment system.

Despicable Me 2 The sequel to 2010’s Despicable Me continues the story of reformed super villain Gru, his minions and his three daughters. (Chinese Subtitles, Rating PG)

BW P

ICK

We’re the Millers David Clark (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time marijuana dealer who employs creative measures when his supplier, Brad (Ed Helms), makes him deliver a load from Mexico to the US. Jennifer Aniston also stars.

(Chinese Subtitles, Rating R)

OF T

HE M

ONT

H

Elysium It’s 2154. The wealthy live on a space station called Elysium while the rest live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Max (Matt Damon) takes on a dangerous mission that could finally establish equality.

(Chinese Subtitles, Finnish Rating K-16)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Entertainment/communication systems may vary by aircraft.

FINNAIR INFO BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLIGHT HELSINKI AIRPORT

TRANSFER SERVICE

34

33

32

32a

31x 31

31a-e 30

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

35

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

SHOP

Security control

Finnair Tax-Free Shop

FINNAIR LOUNGE

AIRPORT SHOPPING

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

37

2ND FLOOR

37a-d

GROUND FLOOR

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

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

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

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

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

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DECEMBER 2013

Borde contro

36

Border control

SHOP

SHOP

2ND FLOOR

38

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

SHOP

Transfer Service 3

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

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

Border control

LONG-HAUL AREA NON-SCHENGEN

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

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

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

SHOP

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

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

SHOP

WALKING TIME GATE 24-30: 7 MIN

CHECK OUT

T2 29

28

Restaurant & Deli Fly Inn

27

FINNAIR LOUNGE 26

Finnair Tax-Free Shop

23

GATE AREA

Security check

er ol

CHECK-IN 240–270

CHECK-IN 201–232 SHOP

SHOP

24

25 Transfer Service 2

SHOP

Security check

22

Finnair Service Desk

GROCERY

21

20

SH

OP

SCHENGEN AREA

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

LOUNGE 2

SHOP

1ST FLOOR

19

Tourist info

18

Pharmacy

17 16

Transfer Service 1

15

CHECK-IN 101–114

14

Security check

Baggage storage

T1

GROUND FLOOR

13

GATE AREA 12

2ND FLOOR

11

FINAVIA

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

1ST FLOOR

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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FROM HELSINKI

Great Circle Estimated Distances Flight km Times

ALGHERO 2473 03:35

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

88 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2013

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

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

Atl Oc antic ean

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

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

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

Bay of B isca ya

Arct ic

Ocea n

Nor weg ian S ea

Nort

h Sea

Black Sea

Medit erranea n Sea DECEMBER 2013

BLUE WINGS 89

Arctic Ocean FINNAIR-INFO WORLD MAP

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

Atlantic Ocean

Cartagena

Pacific Ocean

Ocea n Atlantic Ocean

oneworld: more than 800 destinations

90 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2013

Arctic Ocean

Taiwan

Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

DECEMBER 2013

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FINNAIR INFO CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Finnair employees are offered continuous training and development opportunities.

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

DECEMBER 2013

A PUSH FOR BIOFUEL FINNAIR AND FINAVIA, which operates Finland’s airports, have joined the Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation (NISA) that also includes other airport operators, aviation authorities and airlines in the Nordic countries. The new organisation promotes a more environmentally friendly aviation industry, particularly through the development and implementation of biofuels.

NISA’s primary aim is to ensure that the aviation sector secures sufficient access to sustainable fuels. It will coordinate initiatives pertaining to biofuel production at its different stages, including R&D, production, logistics and distribution, for example.

In 2011, the EU set a goal to reach two million tonnes in annual renewable fuel production by 2020. That same year Finnair flew its first biofuel flight on an Airbus A320 aircraft using recycled cooking oil.

Costs and supply chain issues are the primary obstacles standing in the way of widespread biofuel use. It currently costs three times as much as regular jet fuel.

CPHCLEANTECH.COM/NISA

FINNAIR INFO ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

DID YOU KNOW? Finnair is again taking part in UNICEF’s Change for Good campaign, which supports childhood education in different parts of Asia. Last year’s contributions from Finnair staff and passengers as well as travellers at Helsinki Airport totalled nearly 70,000 euros.

Any currency is accepted.

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

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

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

• Finnair serves 16,000 meals

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

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

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

F

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

by PricewaterhouseCoopers and updated on a quarterly basis.

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

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

Visit www.finnairgroup.com/

responsibility/index.html to access the report.

BLOGS.FINNAIR.COM

DECEMBER 2013

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FINNAIR-INFO FLEET

AIRBUS A340-300 Number 7 Seating capacity 270/269 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 890 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,500 m AIRBUS A330-300 Number 8 Seating capacity 297/271/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 890 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRBUS A321 (ER) Number 9 Seating capacity 136–196 Length 44.5 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A320 Number 10 Seating capacity 110–165 Length 37.6 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRBUS A319 Number 9 Seating capacity 105–138 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m EMBRAER 190 Operated by Flybe Number 12 Seating capacity 100 Length 36.2 m Wingspan 28.7 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m BOEING 757 Number 2 Seating capacity 227 Length 47.3 m Wingspan 41.4 m Cruising speed 860 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,800 m

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DECEMBER 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finnair Plus

oneworld

BASIC SILVER GOLD PLATINUM

--RUBY SAPPHIRE EMERALD

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

www.finnair.com/plus

BASIC BENEFITS:

+ C lassic and Any Seat flight awards

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

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

ADDITIONAL SILVER BENEFITS:

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

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

ADDITIONAL GOLD BENEFITS:

+ C onfirmed seat 48 hours before

+ + + + + +

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

ADDITIONAL PLATINUM BENEFITS:

+ N o expiration of points during tracking period

+ Oneworld First Class checkin and lounge access

+ 25% points bonus on Finnair flights

* For example: Helsinki, Stockholm-Arlanda

DECEMBER 2013

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95

FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q A

WHY HAVE I NOT RECEIVED THE FINNAIR PLUS ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER?

Please make sure that your email address is up to date at www.finnair.com/plus. Here you can also check whether you have permitted the sending of newsletters or other email communication.

Q

I PURCHASED A FINNAIR RETURN FLIGHT USING A CLASSIC FLIGHT AWARD. CAN I MAKE CHANGES TO MY BOOKING?

A

ou can make changes to your reservation by calling Y our information line at +358 (0)9 818-888. A fee of 50 euros per person is charged for a reservation change.

Q A

WHAT SHOULD I DO WITH MY EXPIRING POINTS?

rowse the services of an array of Finnair Plus partners, B including restaurants, car rental companies and more, at finnair.com/pluspartners. You can purchase award vouchers with a combination of Finnair Plus points and

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DECEMBER 2013

money and take advantage of a variety of services.

And don't forget Finnair PlusShop's extensive selection of various high-quality products.

Q A

CAN I PAY FOR AN ADDITIONAL PIECE OF LUGGAGE USING FINNAIR PLUS POINTS?

You can purchase an excess baggage voucher for Finnair flights at finnair.com/plus > use points > services.

Did you know?

YOU CAN enjoy a pre-flight coffee and pastry or meal using Finnair Plus points at several of Helsinki Airport's restaurants (excluding O'Leary's, Starbucks and Picnic). Present your Finnair Plus card when paying, and the points will be automatically deducted from your account; one euro equals 400 points.

FINNAIR PLUS FREQUENT FLYER BENEFITS PARTNERS

OFFERSOffers FOR fOr FINNAIR PLUS MEMBERS IN finnair Plus members in november DECEMBER The Finnair Tax-free shop at the Helsinki Airport welcomes Finnair Plus members with monthly offers and benefits. Just

The Finnair Tax-free shop at Helsinki Airport welcomes Finnair Plus members show your Finnair Plus card and save 20% or more on our with many holiday season benefits. regular tax-freeoffers prices and on certain items.Just show your Finnair Plus card and save 20% or more on our regular tax-free prices on certain items.

TAX-FREE SHOP

GATe 28

Offers fOr finnair Plus members in

november

The Finnair Tax-free shop at the Helsinki Airport welcomes Finnair Plus members with monthly offers and benefits. Just show your Finnair Plus card and save 20% or more on our regular tax-free prices on certain items.

NEW & IMPROVED!

WINE WORLD & 2ND FLOOR LIFESTYLE WORLD

Gerard Bertrand Domaine de Cigalus Red Bio

€22,90

TAX-FREE

Normal tax-free price €27

Additional offers: SHOP

GATe 28 WIN A TRIP TO

Castello di Monsanto Fabrizio Bianchi Chardonnay

€17.90

DESIGN ITEMS • EXCLUSIVE BRANDS FROM FINLAND LUXURy COSMETICS • TOp FRAGRANCES • GIFT ITEMS JEwELLERy • qUALITy wINES • SwEETS AND TOyS…

Wolford Soft Opaque 70 den, black

€20

Normal ta x-free price €25

Normal tax-free price €21

neW YorK NEW & IMPROVED!

Wolford Men Long Distance Knee Mumm Cordon WINE RougeWORLD Brut & 2ND FLOOR LIFESTYLE WORLD

€32.90

€26

VISIT OUR• EXCLUSIVE RENEWED Normal tax-free price €32 ITEMS BRANDS FROM FINLAND Normal tax-freeDESIGN price €37 LUXURy • TOp FRAGRANCES • GIFT ITEMS GATECOSMETICS 28 STORE AND WIN JEwELLERy • qUALITy wINES • SwEETS AND TOyS… Selected Biotherm products TWO RETURN TICKETS -20% from normal tax-free prices TO THE BIG APPLE!

WIN A TRIP TO neW YorK VISIT OUR RENEWED GATE 28 STORE AND WIN TWO RETURN TICKETS TO THE BIG APPLE!

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

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

Guess Odoro Medium Frame Satchel Bag

€135

Normal tax-free price €168 Guess Odoro Top Zip Bag

€100

Normal tax-free price €126 Guess Odoro Bill Fold Zip Around Wallet

€55

Normal tax-free price €68

FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP

Shop online with Finnair Plus points HOME DELIVERY

SodaStream Source Metal soda maker SODASTREAM'S SOURCE soda maker, winner of the prestigious Red Dot design award in 2013, allows you to make carbonated water in your home easily and quickly.

The carbonating bottle locks into place with a quick "snap-lock" motion, and the strength of carbonation is visible through an LED display, providing instant feedback.

Source does not require electricity and is powered by a CO2 canister.

Regular price €159 Member offer €119 + 1,000 Finnair Plus points (With gas delivery to Finland only!)

Regular price €139 Member offer €109 + 1,000 Finnair Plus points

(No gas included in international orders!)

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

FINNAIR PLUS PLUSSHOP

More PlusShop offers

MARLEY CONQUEROR IN-EAR HEADPHONES €99.90 Member offer €59 + 1,000 points

SAMSUNG GALAXY S4 ACTIVE SMARTPHONE & BATTERY CHARGING + COVER €674, 3 colour options Member offer €539 + 1,000 points

BRIO All Brio Builder toys -20%

MARIMEKKO NIMIKKO BATH TOWEL SET, 2 TOWELS €79, 4 colour options Member offer €55 + 1,000 points

POLAR RCX3 €165 3 colour options, limited edition, black & white Member offer €130 + 1,000 points

ENIGMA BOARD GAME €39.95, Family Game finalist 2012 Member offer €29 + 1,000 points

HAGLÖFS DOME 40 BAG €69.9, 3 colour options Member offer €49 + 1,000 points

FATBOY DOGGIELOUNGE LARGE/SMALL €129/€99, several colour options Member offer €99/79 + 1,000 points

PAULIG CUPSOLO VERUS CAPSULE COFFEE MAKER & CAPSULE GIFT SET €149, 3 colour options Member offer €99 + 1,000 points

PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

WWW.FINNAIRPLUSSHOP.COM

www.mercedes-benz.fi

Uusi A. Made in Finland.

Suomi nousee jaloilleen hyvillä uutisilla.

A-sarjan valmistus on alkanut Uudessakaupungissa. Tervetuloa koeajolle.

A-sarja alk. 27 582 € A 180 BE-Edition, autoveroton hinta alk. 21 850 € + arvioitu autovero 5 131,41 € + toim.kulut 600 € = 27 581,41 €. Vapaa autoetu alk. 615 €/kk, käyttöetu alk. 420 €/kk.

CO2-päästöt 120 g/km, EU-keskikulutus 5,1 l/100 km. Huolenpitosopimus 3 vuodeksi kiinteällä kk-maksulla alk. 24 €/kk. Kuvan auto lisävarustein.

HELSINKI Herttoniemi Mekaanikonkatu 14 010 569 3400

ESPOO Olari Piispankallio 2 010 569 2555

Mercedes-Benz verovapaasti!

VANTAA Koivuhaka Mäkituvantie 3 010 569 3300

Ulkomailla asuva, sinne muuttava tai Suomeen palaava, kysy tax free -hinnoiteltua Mercedes-Benz-autoa myyjältämme.

TURKU Raisio Vesilaitoksentie 1 010 569 2880

TAMPERE OULU Taninkatu 11 Kallisenkaarre 5 010 569 3100 010 569 2080

www.veho.

Diplomat & Tax Free Sales -myyntipalvelut Kimmo Liljedahl, p. +358 (0)10 569 3460 Mäkituvantie 3, Koivuhaka, 01510 Vantaa, Finland. taxfree@veho.

Puhelun hinta 010-alkuisiin numeroihin: kotimaan kiinteänverkon lankaliittymästä 8,35 snt/puhelu + 6,00 snt/min (sis. alv 24 %), matkapuhelinliittymästä 8,35 snt/puhelu + 17,17 snt/min (sis. alv 24 %).