Hideaway issue 10 / 2019
BLUE WINGS FICTION FIRST
TA K E A B RE ATHE R
What can Zen temples teach us about calm?
O FF THE GRID
Where to escape from it all in Norway
SNOW PATROL
DON’T BE SHY – HELP YOURSELF TO THIS ISSUE!
Is Sapporo the next skiing hotspot?
Gold as Created by Nature
Diamond Well, Diamond Twig, Diamond Pond | 100 % recycled gold | Design Bjรถrn Weckstrรถm | Handmade in Helsinki
Editorial Welcome onboard
ARJA SUOMI NE N
bluewings.finnair.com
SVP, communications and corporate responsibility
FO KUS M E D I A F I N L A N D Managing editor Amanda Soila Art director Aino Ahtiainen Web editor Shelly Nyqvist Visual designer Sesilja Lindell Editorial assistant Mirkku Helkkula English editing Silja Kudel Cover Pajtim Statovci by Liisa Valonen Behind this issue Daniel Allen, Tim Bird, Jonathan Chu, Laura Feasey, Mark Fletcher, Geoff Harris, Pauliina Holma, Laura Iisalo, Silja Kudel, Sanna Lehto, Lissu Moulton, Mikko Nikkinen, Katja Pantzar, Jussi Ratilainen, Andrew Taylor, Kai Tirkkonen, Liisa Valonen, and Kim Öhrling Submissions and feedback bluewings@fokusmedia.fi Blue Wings online bluewings.finnair.com issuu.com/finnair_bluewings Editorial Offices Hämeentie 135 A, 00560 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 40 630 8253 firstname.lastname@fokusmedia.fi Advertising Sales Jaana Lindvall-Harki tel. +358 40 582 1416 jaana.lindvall-harki@fokusmedia.fi Publisher Fokus Media Finland Printed by Punamusta, Joensuu, Finland 2019 Paper UPM Valor 61g, Cover paper Stora Enso LumiArt 200g ISSN-0358-7703
Editor-in-Chief Arja Suominen arja.suominen@finnair.com Finnair Head Office Tietotie 9 A, Helsinki Airport, 1053 Finnair, Finland, tel. +358 (0)9 818 81, Postal address: P. O. Box 15, 01053 Finnair, Finland Customer feedback finnair.com/feedback or by mail: Customer Relations, SL/403, FI-01053 Finnair finnair.com, finnair.fi, finnairgroup.com
The art of Finnish cosy EAC H YE AR , it feels as though the holiday season arrives quite suddenly following a busy autumn. For me, Christmas is about cocooning and recharging by spending time with family, reading new books, enjoying long walks or a glass of mulled wine in my peaceful, beautiful hometown of Helsinki. The best part about this time of year is that you don’t necessarily have to do anything. Yet, if you have energy there are endless options – especially if we’re lucky enough to get a white Christmas in the Finnish capital, which turns the city into a winter wonderland. When it comes to gifts, I prefer to focus on experiences over material possessions. In our family, we focus on giving shared experiences such as Savonlinna Opera Festival tickets, or gift certificates for dinners together in new, interesting restaurants. As Helsinki brims with Christmas markets and artisan shops such as the Craft Corner (taito.fi) on the Esplanade, I do pick up a small hand-made Finnish item for every family member. Wishing you Happy Holidays! Arja Suominen
“For me, Christmas is about cocooning and recharging.”
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 3
FADE THE WALLS COME RAIN OR SHINE
With Profin sliding doors you can create a fantastic feeling of space and freedom. At the same time you will get exceptional qualities of warmth insulation. The frames made of Northern wood combined with special made glass elements provide warmth insulation, water tightness and sound proofing on a level that is second to none. Proudly made in Finland. www.profin.fi
brandwork.fi
Through the Rough Seas
We have stood long enough in cold rain, to favour simple and functional design that focuses on materials respecting the harsh northern climate. Makia was born in the harbour of Helsinki out of these principles – to stand the test of time and to accompany you for years to come.
makiaclothing.com | Flagship store: Mannerheimintie 22-24 00100 Helsinki Finland
Contents December
Dream 13
WIS E C RA F T
Colourful confidence
15
GLO B AL P U L S E
Health and beauty
18
PASS IO N PR OJ EC T
Chef DeAille Tam
No r w a y’s c o tta g e l ife re i n v e n te d . P ag e 32
Our literary gift
2 2 B U SAN
Dessert musts
27 ITALY
PAG E 40
Hilltop village
2 9 P RO D U C T I N S PI RAT I O N
Norwegian performance
Street eats of Busan PAG E 2 2
Explore 3 2 NORWAY
Engineering a tasty plate
Off-grid hideaways 40 PR OFI L E
Best-selling author Pajtim Statovci
PAGE 1 8
43 SMAR T STUFF
Clever thinking by companies 46 SAPPOR O
Snowy wonderland 53 CONVE R SATI ON
Katri Saarikivi on empathy
En ch a n ti n g H o k k a i d o. P a g e 46
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 7
Contents December
Create 56 C RE ATIV E CO R N ER
Deep connections 63 S CAND I S KINCA R E
Winter cosmetics 70 INV E STIGATIO N
Studying Zen in Japan 75 NANJ ING
Handicrafts 81
S H OWRO O M
Global design
89 Q &A
Na nj i n g’s a r t of p ap e r c u tti n g. P a g e 75
Wellness blogger
Fly
Six months offline PAG E 5 6
95 FI NNAI R NE WS
What’s new
98 FI NNAI R SE RVI CES
Fly the short northern route 99 FI NNAI R PLUS
Frequent flyer rewards
100 SHOPPI NG
Wish list from the Finnair Shop
102 MY FI NNAI R
Passenger stories
103 NOR D I C KI TCHE N
3 ways to a tasy meal
104 W E L L NE SS
Balanced living through travel PAG E 89
Comfortable flying
105 E NTE R TAI NME NT
O n tre n d : a s h a m p o o b a r! Page 63
Stay connected
106 STAFF TI PS
Tasting the world
107 HOL I DAY SAMPL ER
Sunny spots
108 SUSTAI NAB I L I TY
Small steps
109 FL E E T
Modern fleet at your service
110 MAPS
Helsinki Airport and destination check-list
114 FI NL AND FACTS
Fascinating figures
8 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
Crossover, Coupé, Ceed
Uusi Kia XCeed
www.kia.fi Tilaa MyKia Magazine: lehti.kia.fi @kiamotorsfinland
Kia, Alppihiihtomaajoukkueen virallinen pääyhteistyökumppani
XCeed-mallisto alkaen 23 990 €
Tervetuloa uusi aikakausi - Tervetuloa uusi XCeed! Uusi Kia XCeed yhdistää tyylikkäästi Crossoverin monipuolisuuden, Coupén urheilullisuuden ja Ceed-malliperheen käytännöllisyyden. Tämä auto on suunniteltu ylittämään odotuksesi. Luokkansa tyylikkäin muotoilu Luokkansa suurin tavaratila
Dynaamiset ajo-ominaisuudet Innovatiivinen digitaalinen mittaristonäyttö
Tutustu uuteen XCeed-mallistoon ja varaa koeajo lähimmälle Kia-jälleenmyyjällesi: www.kia.fi Kia XCeed 1,0 T-GDI ISG 120 hv LX autoveroton hinta 20 849,67 € + arvioitu autovero 3 140,33 € + toimituskulut 600 € = kokonaishinta 24 590,00 €. Vapaa autoetu 550 €/kk, käyttöetu 385 €/kk. EU-yhd. kulutus 6,3 l/100 km, CO2-päästöt 140 g/km. Kia-takuu 7 vuotta tai 150 000 km, kolme ensimmäistä vuotta ilman kilometrirajaa. Kia 24h tiepalvelu vuodeksi veloituksetta. Kia-huolenpitosopimus 3 vuodeksi kiinteällä kuukausimaksulla alk. 30 €/kk. Kuvan auto erikoisvarustein.
PHOTO JONATHAN CHU
Dream
Keep your curiosity alive
It’s a wild world The women in Ana Leovy’s paintings don’t conform (p. 13) DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 11
Uusi Opel
GRANDLAND PHEV EXECUTIVE 300 4x4 300 hv ja neliveto: alkaen 49 981 € Vapaa autoetu alk. 910 €/kk
Käyttöetu alk. 745 €/kk
Täydellisesti varusteltu lataushybridi. Nelivetoisessa uutuusmallissa on kaksi tehokasta sähkömoottoria, 50 kilometrin toimintasäde sähköllä sekä voimakas bensiiniturbomoottori. 300-hevosvoimainen lataushybridi Opel Grandland X PHEV Executive on luokkansa parhaiten varusteltu uutuus, joka vakuuttaa tehokkuudellaan ja täydellisellä varustelullaan. Vakiovarusteina löytyvät nahkaverhoilu, latauksen ja lämmityksen etäohjaus, AFL LED-ajovalot, kattavat kuljettajan avustinjärjestelmät sekä sähkötoiminen Handsfree-takaluukku täyttävät vaativammankin kuljettajan toiveet. Lue lisää: Opel.fi
Opel Grandland X PHEV Executive yhdistetty polttoaineen kulutus 1,6 l / 100 km, CO2-päästöt 37 g / km. Kokonaishinta alkaen 49 981,07 € (sis. toimituskulut 600 €). Vapaa autoetu 910 €/kk, käyttöetu 745 €/kk. Opel.fi
TEXT LAURA FEASEY PHOTOS JONATHAN CHU
Wise craft Local talents to watch
Burst of colour in Ana Leovy’s paintings are wild and wonderful. They’re filled with colour and confidence; they’re empowered and they’re diverse. Drawn to figurative painting and interested in the human body, Leovy likes to play with human form to challenge the perception of beauty. Born and raised in Mexico, Leovy finds inspiration in everything. “The places I visit, the people I see, films, songs..,” she declares. Originally a graphic designer, Leovy was drawn to life as an artist after studying illustration in Barcelona. The colourful Catalan city has no doubt influenced her work, as has her home country.
TH E WO M E N
“I literally cannot control myself!” she says of her use of colour. “I always start with very few colours, but along the way a few more jump in.” Leovy’s depiction of women and style has also won her a fashionista following. “I love incorporating fashion in my work because it gives the characters personality,” she says. “Fashion itself is a form of art, it allows us to express ourselves on so many levels.” But ultimately, it’s about what talks to Leovy as an artist. “Maybe I will do something completely different in a couple of years, who knows. I will do it as long as it’s still fun,” she says.
Ana Leovy creates her vibrant paintings in her studio.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 13
Global pulse COMPILED BY KATJA PANTZAR
Ideas for good life from around the world
Beauty beat
GOURMET NOURISHMENT with food, people want to know exactly where the raw ingredients in their skincare line are coming from and who has prepared them. Finland’s Niki Newd leads the way in artisan skincare, with ultra-fresh natural Usam apid skincare products thatetem are handmade to provide am quias real, natural nourishment. officid unti Products contain no alcohol, additives, or synthetics and all of the ingredients are sourced from organic, small producers. Niki Newd’s Travel Set is a minimalist traveller’s dream: the elegantly packed Skin Butter cream and Oatmeal Soap comes in a 100 per cent biodegradable container.
PHOTOS OLIVER SCHWENDENER, MATT PET AND COURTESY OF NIKI NEWD COSMETICS
J UST L IKE
F U N FAC T
Fresh cosmetics use edible ingredients.
Green workouts
NATURAL EXERCISE HIGHS do Stockholm’s Eco Gym, London’s Organic Gym, and Calgary’s Natural Fitness Studio have in common? They all employ one of the top trends in workout design – that is bringing together indoor and outdoor space by using plants and greenery along with natural shapes, and sounds. Airpurifying plants, eco materials, natural light, and nature’s sounds are rounded out by forest-inspired scents like pine and cedar. W HAT
Sweet skis PAL L AS
Ski school of the year, Pallaksen Pöllöt freestyle ski school takes skiers to places they’d never go on their own.
FREESTYLE IN LAPLAND Make tracks in the country’s far north.
PYH Ä
Pyhä Backcountry serves up freeriding for even the most experienced skiers with guided tours or skiing lessons.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 15
SCANTOSHOP.C OM
The new easy way to bring home pieces of Finland Exclusive to the airports of Finland, you can now easily
Gedigo Wild Leather is modern Finnish leather
scan & shop products on the fly as you are waiting for
design inspired by the wild Arctic. We make Nordic
your flight. Have a seat at one of the locally crafted
high quality leather goods for people on the move. All
benches in one of our pop ups and have the bench
products are handmade from materials found in the
delivered flatpacked to your home wherever you live.
harsh, wild nature of the North.
Scan — shop — ship
Try the ODDA bench by Gedigo at Kittilä Airport or scan to shop right now.
Global pulse Ideas for good life from around the world
STEAMY IN GERMANY The popularity of the Finnish sauna abroad keeps rising.
BERLIN
Finnfloat is the country’s only sauna float. Sweat, swim, eat, and repeat on Lake Muggelsee with a view of the Muggelberge mountains.
Clothing therapy
PHOTOS SAMI BILL, COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES
A POSITIVE MESSAGE
T he lovable i l l us trati o n s a re b y a r ti s t M atti P i k k uj ä m s ä .
TWO FINNIS H companies – CupOfTherapy and clothier Makia – have teamed up to create a line of t-shirts and totes that carry supportive messages about mental health. “It’s important to make mental health issues visible,” says CupOfTherapy co-founder and psychotherapist Elina Rehmonen. “It’s totally okay to have unpleasant or sad feelings. With our messages we want to encourage people to talk about these issues, to normalise them, and raise hope and joy.”
FRANKFURT
Garden Eden Sauna & Wellness offers a weekly authentic Finnish sauna experience in an outdoor setting.
Travel hack
SMOOTH OPERATOR W E’ V E A L L H EA R D of the good old roll and pack method, but a new twist to the classic comes in the form of the Ranger Rolling technique, hyped as one of the best ways to keep clothing crease-free. Just lay each item flat, fold the bottom up about two inches to create a pocket at the end, roll the item tightly, and fold one side of the pocket over.
COLOG NE
Classy Claudius Therme provides honey and salt for sauna-goers with its garden and bath for soaking. Source: Carita Harju, Sauna from Finland founder
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 17
Passion project
Kitchen chemistry Michelin-starred chef DeAille Tam brings her engineering background into the kitchen.
W
hen DeAille Tam, 35, was an engineering student at Waterloo University in Canada she unexpectedly discovered a passion for the culinary. “I started university life living on campus and had the time to cook for my study group and friends,” she says. “I’d whip up something for everyone to eat. They would all come back with very positive feedback. It was like ‘Wow! That was a very quick exchange!’ In that moment of satisfaction, I realised this thing makes me really happy,” says Tam, who was born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada. Tam started taking cooking courses in her free time, and eventually left engineering and enrolled in the culinary
programme at George Brown College in Toronto in 2010. Today, she’s a Michelin-starred chef based in Asia working for three-star Michelin chef Alvin Leung. Tam has lived in various locations in Greater China over the past seven years since she and her partner took jobs with Leung in Hong Kong seven years ago and had the opportunity to design a menu from scratch for Leung’s prestigious Bo Hong Kong restaurant. At his Bo Shanghai restaurant, Tam and her partner chef Simon Wong, earned their first Michelin star in 2018. Together with Wong, she’s currently setting up Leung’s newest restaurant in Taipei. “We’re always exploring and learning new things, so the opportunity to open the Taipei restaurant is an exciting one, as it is a brand-new experience,” says Tam.
“We’re always exploring and learning new things.”
18 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
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PHOTO LOCATION RESTAURANT INARI
TEXT KATJA PANTZAR PHOTOS KIM ÖHRLING
Michelin-starred chef DeAille Tam has created Finnair Business Class menus that are available on flights from Greater China to Helsinki.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 19
Chef DeAille Tam was born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada.
“We are Chinese, but I grew up in a Western country, so my culinary journey since I moved to Asia has been about getting back to my roots and learning about Chinese food and culture and what touches people’s hearts in that aspect of the culture,” she says.
ENGINEERING A TASTY PLATE
be very physical, psychological, and artistic: How do you balance all of the ingredients so that they are visually appealing, aromatic, and taste great?” Tam asks. Over the years she’s received a lot of attention, as a woman in a maledominated industry. “I know that has given me a lot of advantages,” she says, “but at the same time I don’t want it to feel like I’m receiving attention only because I’m a female. There’s a lot more to it, there’s the drive and motivation that I have, why I’m doing what I’m doing and I think that’s more important. One of my passions is to bring Chinese cuisine to a broader audience,” she says. Tam says her goal is to transport diners to a new experience: “Don’t be limited to what you know, open your mind to see what is to come, starting from the meal in front of you.”
“My passion is to bring Chinese cuisine to a broader audience.”
Surprisingly, the science background – chemistry, biology, and physics – has been a big asset for Tam. “I often look at food with a micro aspect. Nowadays, a lot of people are talking about molecular gastronomy, which is about understanding every element on its own natural microscopic level,” she says. “But because of my background, I am able to process that a lot faster than other people, so it’s definitely an advantage. Engineering is also about problem solving, which can
D E AI L L E TAM Michelin star chef and Finnair’s newest Signature Chef MOTTO
“Because I came from an engineering background, I like to put everything into a very mathematical scenario. You can have ten per cent luck of being in the right place at the right time, 20 per cent of following your own dreams, but 70 per cent of it is hard work.” PASSI ON
“To give people an experience when they eat, a memory to keep.” D I D YOU KNOW ?
Tam is involved with several television productions that focus on exploring Chinese heritage, culture, and cuisine.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 21
Inside track Busan
Gamcheon Culture Village is the place to go for cute snacks and colourful views.
SWE E T S TR E E T S One of the best places to sample South Korean street food desserts is a city as eye-catching as candy itself: Colourful Busan. TEXT AND PHOTOS ANDREW TAYLOR
FI NNAI R FLIES TO
Busan (PUS) three times a week during the summer season.
22 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
Raindrop cake can be coloured (flavoured) or clear (unflavoured).
B U B B LE S O F B LI S S like contemporary art than a dessert, the raindrop cake is a popular sweet snack served in BIFF square and Gamcheon culture village in Busan. The “raindrop” is made from water and agar, derived from calorie-free boiled algae. Like eating a drink, the cake is refreshingly light and often comes topped with crushed nuts and syrup.
LOOKI NG MOR E
DO N ’ T FO RG E T TO F LOSS to spot Korean kids and adults strolling around with huge orbs of candy floss on street food-lined streets and in popular tourist areas. Somsatang floss has gone next level recently with the introduction of supersized, colourful variations, including flossy creations emulating pop culture characters. Also look out for cotton candy as a topping on desserts in ice cream shops.
YO U ’RE L IKE LY
IC Y ICO N is an iconic dessert popular all over Korea across all generations, consisting of shaved ice decorated with an assortment of toppings. The classic topping is red bean paste (patbingsu), with recent variants including eye-catching fruit, ice cream, rice cakes, condensed milk, biscuits, and candy. Popular for obvious reasons in summer, the icy treat is commonly shared by two.
B I NG SU
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 23
EIGHT UNIQUE THEMED DINING ROOMS Laava is a restaurant designed to captivate all of your senses! Located in the center of Helsinki, this historic 1907 building has been restored and transformed into an extraordinary adventure in dining that you have to see to believe! Wildly different themed rooms take you on a journey through time and around the globe with special light and sound effects. Both vegetarian and meat dishes, including wild caught fish, steaks and seasonal game meats roasted in our wood-burning oven. Visit our website at: www.laava.restaurant Open 12:00 Noon until Midnight 365 DAYS A YEAR!
Laava restaurant Unioninkatu 12 Helsinki Reservations online at: www.laava.restaurant For large groups please contact us at: +358 45 2351 082 info@laava.restaurant.fi
Green tea adds a slightly bitter and creamy taste but it sure does pack in a lot of health benefits.
3
S N AC K TI ME I N B U SAN
TE A O F F
SWE E T S E AFOO D FIS H - S H AP E D bungeoppang is another favourite street food and food court snack, especially in winter. Most commonly filled with sweetened red bean paste, the batter is then poured into a fish-shaped iron mould and baked to produce a steaming pastry that is not only tasty but adorable to look at, too. ďƒź
SAMPL I NG green tea-flavoured products is virtually inevitable during any visit to Korea. Green tea has become a popular flavour in Korean cakes, biscuits, ice cream, chocolate, hotteok, bingsu, and even dumplings. The popularity of green tea derives from the aesthetic appeal of this natural food colouring, its health benefits, or most likely from how well the bitter flavour combines with sweet desserts.
HOTTEOK
Hotteok is a popular street food snack, consisting of a griddlefried pancake stuffed with fillings such as brown sugar, cinnamon, and honey.
SSA M
Ssam are a typical side dish on Korean dinner tables. These bite-sized leafy wraps typically come with a meat filling along with spicy paste and kimchi.
MAND U
The popular Mandu dumplings can be fried, boiled, steamed, or served in soup, with a variety of fillings including minced pork, lamb, tofu, vegetables, and of course kimchi.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 25
Discover an icon LIKE THESE ARTWORKS BY IITTALA AT OUR FLAGSHIP STORE IN CENTRAL HELSINKI, AN ICON ITSELF.
%
You can shop tax free off your at Stockmann.
purchase
Purchases until 31st January 2020
Show your passport at our Service Point and receive your voucher to get discount on regular priced purchases. Visit tourist.stockmann.com for more info. You can shop tax free at Stockmann.
STOCKMANN HELSINKI CITY CENTRE, ALEKSANTERINKATU 52, FINLAND TAPIOLA, ESPOO ITIS, HELSINKI JUMBO, VANTAA TAMPERE TURKU
Coordinates PHOTO KAI TIRKKONEN
A place to be
N 42°37’60” E 12°05’60” LO CATIO N
Civita di Bagnoregio Province of Viterbo, Italy
surrounded by valleys, the hilltop village of Civita di Bagnoregio stands alone atop a mountain accessed only by pedestrian footbridge. In 1695 the residents had to move away as an earthquake weakened the town’s foundation. Over the years, erosion, and landslides have eaten away the land and today Civita di Bagnoregio is best known as la città che muore, the city of the dying.
L IKE AN IS L AN D
Kai Tirkkonen is a Finnish photographer based in Oulu.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 27
Culture swap Destination inspiration
COMPILED BY LAURA IISALO
Wildly Norwegian Nordic high-performance winter gear is one half lumberjack and one half contemporary gentleman.
FI NNAI R FL I ES TO
Oslo (OSL) four times a day.
2
1
3
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES
6
5
4
The knitted Paris beanie is made of pure wool with a warm fleece lining. €29.95 from sweetprotection.com The Lifaloft Insulated Flannel Shirt warms up without weighing down. €180 from hellyhansen.com 3 — WAY O F WO O D An international bestseller, Norwegian Wood by Lars Mytting, weaves life stories through wood. From €13.50 from amazon.co.uk 4 — ST U R DY ST EPS Berg Advance GTX is a robust and waterproof boot for all terrains. €269 from alfaoutdoor.com 5 — H ANDS O N Insulated 7SPHERE II leather gloves are made with non-slip leather. €299 from kjus.com 6 — PR O PAR KA M eeting military grade requirements, the Tamok jacket can handle the toughest of expeditions. €789 from norrona.com 1 — WINTE R WA R M U P
2 — FLU F F Y F L A N N EL
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 29
NELIVETOINEN LATAUSHYBRIDI DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4X4
Hienostunut, nelivetoinen DS 7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE -lataushybridi toimii tiennäyttäjänä uuden sukupolven teknologialle. Se on ensimmäinen SUV-malli, joka tarjoaa 300 hv:n tehon, nelivedon, 31 g/km CO2 -päästöarvon ja 1,5 litran polttoaineen keskikulutuksen sekä 58 km toimintasäteen ajaessasi täyssähköllä. DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4X4 lataa itseään myös ajon aikana ja sähkömoottoreita täydentää tehokas PureTech-bensiinimoottori. Sisätiloiltaan DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4X4 on uskollinen DS:n viimeistellylle tyylille ja yksityiskohdissa laadukkaat materiaalit yhdistyvät tarkkaan käsityötaitoon. DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4X4 antaa dynaamisen ja hienostuneen ajoelämyksen, jota täydentävät 8-vaihteinen automaattivaihteisto ja viimeisimmät teknologiat kuten DS Night Vision, DS Park Pilot ja DS Active Scan -jousitus. Uusi DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4X4 -lataushybridi alk. 54 939 € sis. tk. 600 €, CO2 31 g/km, kulutus 1,5 l/100 km. Vapaa autoetu 980 € ja käyttöetu 815 €. Yksityisleasing alkaen 597 €/kk (36 kk/30 tkm), esim.: DS 7 Crossback E-Tense 4x4 Chic, hinta 54 939 € (sis. tk. 600 €), kk-erä 596,63 €/kk (sis. ALV), kokonaiskustannus 36 kk/30 tkm yht. 21 492 €. Ensimmäinen suurempi erä 2 000 €. Sopimus sis. kaikki auton rahoituskustannukset sekä DS liikkumisturvan. Palvelun tuottaa DNB Auto Finance Oy, Urho Kekkosen katu 7B, 00100 Helsinki. Sopimus edellyttää myönteisen luottopäätöksen sekä kaskovakuutuksen.
NYT MYYNNISSÄ – TERVETULOA!
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PHOTO COURTESY OF SPINN ARKITEKTER
Explore
Think beyond the box
Splendid isolation These Norwegian hideouts will make you crave me-time (p. 32) DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 31
M ANS H AU S E N 2.0
is an extension of an eco-retreat founded by Børge Ousland ARC H ITEC T
Stinessen Arkitektur
LO CATIO N
Manshausen Island, ferry from Bodø to Nordskot CAB IN H IRE
€225 per night
S E R E N IT Y 32 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
Field trip Norway
F I N N A I R F L I ES TO
Oslo (OSL) four times a day; Bergen (BGO) daily; Trondheim (TRD) five times a week.
Norway’s wild hideaways offer weary souls a chance to reconnect with the things that really matter.
TEXT SILJA KUDEL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES
I
n our overwrought world of 24-hour news feeds and social media obsession, many of us occasionally feel the need to go off-grid, cut the noise, and feel something real. Want to know how? Just ask a Norwegian. One of the reasons why Norwegians are ranked among the happiest people on earth is their ability to forge a deep, unadulterated connection with nature. When a Norwegian spends “a weekend at the cabin,” it’s more than just time off – it’s a deep experience of healing immersion in the wilderness. And the “cabin” is far from a lowly hut. Some of Norway’s most exciting new architectural destinations are retreats designed by famous architects, for whom the new-age getaway is a playground for bold creative experimentation.
FIERCE FJORD-HOW
N OW
Perched on a rocky outcrop in the remote Steigen Archipelago, the secluded Manshausen eco-retreat offers supreme me-time for people wanting to press “pause” on their busy lives. The cabins sit gingerly on stilts, with one glazed end providing dramatic floor-to-ceiling panoramas of the mountains and the Barents Sea. Inside, you literally feel “exposed” to the elements, yet snug in
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 33
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The retreat offers a total time-out from the hectic pace of modern life.
the knowledge that the nearest hot cuppa is never more than a few steps away. “We wanted to give visitors an honest, immersive experience of nature, but in a sheltered, comfortable setting suitable for everyone. The glass gives you a feeling of sitting on a shelf over the sea,” describes architect Snorre Stinessen. While the land-facing side is warm timber, the seafront exterior is aluminium – a choice dictated by the extreme conditions. “Aluminium can withstand the salinity and moisture of the sea, but it also reflects and absorbs the changing colours in different seasons and weather,” he says. The Manshausen retreat wants to redefine luxury by offering frazzled nerves a total time-out from the hectic pace of modern life. “Simple cabin living has always been an important part of Norwegian culture, but new technology allows us to explore our relationship with nature in a more direct, exposed way. And in Norway, we are lucky to have beautiful scenery to play with,” says Stinessen.
EYE OF THE MOUNTAIN When Spinn Arkitekter first began designing the vertiginous Varden hiking cabin, they envisaged a
34 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
simple hut that could be carried up the mountain in a backpack one piece at a time. “Simple” turned out to be an intricate 3D puzzle. “We were very anxious that all the pieces would actually fit together. The tolerances in such a complex shape are quite tight. When we saw the final piece slipping perfectly into place, it was an exciting feeling,” recalls James Dodson, Spinn’s general manager. The domelike form appears to rise from the ground like an all-seeing eye, mimicking the Ice Age boulders found in the area. “We wanted to create a shape that would blend with the rugged setting. The hut has an organic, rock-like form, but it’s made of wood,” explains Dodson. The millimetre-perfect honeycomb structure was designed in collaboration with Format engineers, who optimised the shape using 3D printing to test how the pieces would fit together. The cabin was constructed by local volunteers in their free time. Heated by a wood-fired stove, the popular cabin provides an off-grid retreat for hikers to warm up and share tales of conquered mountains. “It’s part of a wider Norwegian preventive healthcare concept encouraging people to get off the couch and into nature. It’s even accessible by wheelchair,” he says.
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VAR D E N HIKIN G CAB IN AR CHI TEC T
Spinn Arkitekter LOCATION
Storfjellet mountain, Hammerfest CAB I N HIRE
Free access to members of the Norwegian Trekking Association
The exterior of the vertiginous Varden hiking cabin is treated with the Japanese burnt timber method known as yakisugi.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 35
PAN TRE E TO P CAB INS ARC H ITEC T
Professor Espen Surnevik LO CATIO N
Gjesåsen, two hours north of Oslo CAB IN H I R E
For up to six guests, from €390 per night
These black beauties won top prize in the recent European Steel Design Awards.
36 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
ONCE UPON A PINE
PENTAGON OF PEACE
Do these mysterious “treehouses” look strangely familiar? They might if you’re a Moomin fan: They were inspired by Tove Jansson, Finnish author of the famous Moomin books. The design is also a nod to the site’s history as a former Finnish settlement called “Finnskogen.” “I’m a fan of Tove and how she captures the ambiguous way that Nordic people relate to the daunting side of nature. I wanted to create a safe nest where you can feel sheltered in the dark forest,” reflects architect Espen Surnevik. The twinset cabins have a simple A-frame structure elevated high above the treetops on slender stilts, looking almost as if they might pick up their skirts and stride off. The surprising choice of cladding material – black steel rather than timber – is an “intellectual intervention in nature.” The cabins are jovial manmade interlopers that seem to teeter on spindly legs like a pair of lost lunar landers. The black matte metal nevertheless blends quietly with the forest, vanishing altogether at night. Beneath a blanket of stars, all that can be seen in the darkness are two triangles of light, glowing like storybook lanterns.
The eye-catching pentagonal shape of the Fuglemyrhytta cabin isn’t just a fanciful flourish, but practical, too. “It prevents the cabin from being lifted off in a storm. The angled shape breaks the speed of the wind as it gathers momentum on the exposed hilltop,” explains Anne Cecilie Haug, senior architect at Snøhetta. Seeming to float upon the steep hillside, the off-grid hideaway serves as a popular rest spot for trekkers near the Vettakollen panoramic viewpoint. Being just a 30-minute hike from Oslo’s nearest metro station, the cabin is often packed with picnickers, many popping in for a quick digital detox after their work day. “Up above the city, you can really feel nature on your skin,” says Haug. As the cabin is accessible only by foot, the construction process was challenging: All supplies had to be airlifted by helicopter. Snøhetta opted for locally sourced elements that could be assembled with minimum waste. Despite its modern look, the amenities are primitive, with only gas, a fireplace, and a nearby stream instead of plumbing and electricity. Within, the asymmetrical panorama window provides eagle-eyed views across the Oslofjord,
FU GLEMY RHY T TA ARC HIT EC T
Snøhetta
LOCAT ION
Vettakollen, Oslo CABIN HIRE
Year-round free access for members of the Norwegian Trekking Association, sleeps 8
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 37
True luxury today is connecting with nature and feeling that your senses work again.
THE AR CTI C HI D E AWAY AR CHI TECTS
while the side window highlights unusual details of the trees and creek below. “You get a curated view of the landscape – you see things you don’t normally notice,” notes Haug.
TYIN Architects & Rintala Eggertson LOCATI ON
Fleinvær Island CAB I N HI R E
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD “Let it all go. See what nature teaches you.” This is the ethos behind the Arctic Hideaway, a life-altering island retreat created by jazz composer Håvard Lund. Accessible only via an hour-long ferry ride from Bodø, there are no cars, no shops, no small talk – just a village of ten cabins and a breathtaking landscape almost frightening in its surreal beauty. “I grew up in this area, and I’ve had a romantic relationship with this place since I was a kid. I wanted to offer a place where people can adjust to a slower pace of life and find peace and inspiration,” says Lund. Combining low-impact engineering with highimpact visuality, the cabins were designed by two of Norway’s top architectural firms, with input from 100 students taking part in workshops. Keeping watch over endless skies of green and purple Northern Lights, the distinctive cabins rest upon stilts, eliminating the need for blasting bedrock. One is mounted high on a pole like a njalla, a traditional Sámi granary built atop a long stump to prevent animals from stealing food. “The pole structure has the added effect of making you feel uplifted both physically and mentally,” says Lund. “This is a place of minimalism and serenity where we try to teach our guests the art of doing nothing. True luxury today is connecting with nature and feeling that your head, eyes, and ears work again,” he concludes.
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€200 per night per person
The levitating njalla expresses the ethos of touching the earth lightly.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 39
Pajtim Statovci’s books have won numerous awards; his latest book Bolla is nominated for The Finlandia Prize at press time.
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Think again
STORIES OF AN UNKNOWN PAST Best-selling author Pajtim Statovci writes about life, love, and violence in search for his roots. TEXT LAURA IISALO PHOTOS LIISA VALONEN
I
The characters in Statovci’s books nequality and prejudice are recurring are people looking for their place in themes in Pajtim Statovci’s novels. the world. Trapped in lives where their Born in Kosovo, the author has firstexterior doesn’t reflect their interior, hand experience of what it feels like to they experience universal emotions of be labelled from a young age because of one’s ethnic background. Statovci moved unrequited love, fear, loss, sorrow, and hatred during times of war and conflict. to Finland when he was two years old and has no recollections of his earlier life Statovci describes longing and lust but also ugly things that people do to in former Yugoslavia. He says he had a themselves and to one another when happy childhood, yet other people often sad and confused. He tackles difficult assume he was traumatised because themes in the belief that things are never of the violence, war, and oppression black and white. “We all know what it’s associated with his native land. “I have like to be around people countless memories who are so broken that of being seen through they break everything my ethnicity and not “Violence is around them. I think it’s as an individual. Other not diminished important to write about people’s attitudes made me feel less valuable and by not talking violence, as violence is not diminished by not different from everyone about it.” talking about it,” he says. else,” he recalls. Five years on from Knowing from a young his debut novel, My age that he wanted to Cat Yugoslavia, the 29-year-old author be an author, Statovci started writing is now an international literature star his first novel at the age of 20. It was with two new books, rave reviews, and then he realised that he suffered from numerous awards under his belt. When internalised self-hatred; he, along with broaching the topic of his success, everyone else, had come to believe what Statovci pauses to search for the right the media wrote about his homeland. words. “Writing is an intimate, private In his books, Statovci returns to his project. There is a big contrast between birthplace to search for his roots. “My the years of solitude and uncertainty, relationship with Kosovo is familiar and the public exposure that follows,” and alien, close and distant, all at the he reveals. “Writing a book has been the same time. Writing is a way for me most difficult thing I have ever done. to understand where I’m from,” he And that’s probably why I like it.” explains.
PAJTI M STATOVCI
Author and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Helsinki AB OUT B E I NG A D R E AME R
“Unrealised dreams are great motivators because they push you forward. Being an author was a big dream for me, but dreams that come true are never like you imagined.” ANI MAL STUD I E S
“I’m interested in why and how animals are portrayed in literature to emulate humans. Through fictional animal characters, I too, have addressed inequality and racism in today’s world.” W HAT I WOUL D SAY TO MY YOUNG E R SE L F
“Don’t take yourself so seriously.”
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 41
L U X B AG H E L S I N K I
W
WO &
EN
C E L I N E · G U C C I · B A L E N C I AG A G I V E N C H Y · F E N D I · S A I N T L AU R E N T C H LO É · LO E W E · B OT T EG A V E N E TA
P O H J O I S E S P L A N A D I 2 5 - 2 7, 0 0 1 0 0 H E L S I N K I W W W. LU X B AG . F I
Smart stuff Discoveries for a clever life
COMPILED BY MARK FLETCHER
To k y o’s g re e n v i l l a g e i s s e t to b e c o m p l e te d i n 2 0 23 .
Urban development
PLANT HAVEN FOR THE MASSES Heatherwick Studio has launched its newest project, Toranomon-Azabudai, a gargantuansized planted pergola to create a new district in the heart of Tokyo. “Much of our effort has been focused on designing the public spaces that everyone will experience when they spend time in this new area,” says Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio. The area will have a mix of office, residential, retail, a school, and a temple, all set within a new vibrant piece of urban topography.
LO N D O N - BAS ED
HOMEMADE GOURMET These mini factories will smarten up any kitchen.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES AND GETTY IMAGES
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Home-brewing beer is a messy business but the PicoBrew keeps the mess to a minimum and all with pressing a couple of buttons. From €550
“Sometimes, you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” D R S EU SS
FR OZ E N G OODN ESS
The SnowWhite from LG is a pod machine that will make ice cream instead of coffee. This prototype device also makes sorbets and frozen yoghurts.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 43
LEXUS SELF-CHARGING HYBRID
UUSI LEXUS RX UUDENLAISTA TAHDONVOIMAA Luja tahdonvoima voi viedä sinut juuri niin pitkälle, kuin haluat mennä. Me Lexuksella tiedämme tämän omakohtaisesti, sillä tekemisemme keskiössä olevat Takumi-käsityöläiset ylittävät itsensä ja taitonsa kerta toisensa jälkeen. Meille tahdonvoima tarkoittaa myös sitä, että etsimme aina uusia innovatiivisia tapoja tehdä asioita. Uudessa RX:ssä olemme yhdistäneet kaikki parhaimmat ominaisuudet BladeScan-teknologiasta uusimpaan itselataavaan hybridivoimalinjaan, joka on EV-tilassa käytännössä päästötön. Koeaja uusi Lexus RX ja näe, kuinka pitkälle olet valmis menemään.
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Smart stuff Discoveries for a clever life
Sustainability
PEELING GOOD an orange-peel glass of fresh OJ at a new orange juice bar designed by Italian studio Carlo Ratti Associati. The studio has developed this device to demonstrate circular economy in practice by extracting the juice and then 3D-printing bioplastic cups from the leftover peel.
Recycling innovation
THIS IS NUTS
EN JOY
the sunscreen! In cashew farming regions the shells are a waste product, so a team of scientists headed by the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg has found a unique way of using them up in sunscreens. The nutshells have shown to be effective in absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation.
PASS
Tak e a ch i l l p i l l!
App of the moment
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES AD ISTOCK
DAILY CHILL Created with the help of health experts and meditation tutors, Aura is a meditation app that uses A.I. to customise your chill. Users can simply put on some headphones and choose from a range of meditations that include music, life coaching, and short stories. The app also has daily mindful reminders and the ability to track and identify mood patterns. DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 45
Escape
Powder to the people
Hokkaido’s snowy hills beckon sporty daredevils and lovers of hearty Japanese comfort foods. PHOTOS MIKKO NIKKINEN
46 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
The forests near the Furano slopes offer Âseemingly endless tree-skiing opportunities for adventurous souls, as long as they are up on their backcountry skiing skills and carry safety gear in case of avalanches.
The enchanting Ningle Terrace is a cluster of small stores and workshops where artisans sell their handicrafts, from jewellery to paintings, while the little cafĂŠ offers hot drinks and pastries.
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 47
Owain Basset from Wales has a special bond with Hokkaido snow. He has c  reated his own handcrafted snowboard brand to suit local conditions, and tests these out regularly on the hills facing the Mount Yotei volcano.
Ikuko Hino washes her hands and mouth with icy water before entering a Shinto shrine. This is considered a spiritual cleansing in the ancient religion that’s still present in the everyday lives of many Japanese.
48 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
On the outskirts of Furano, you’ll find the traditional Japanese pub Izayaka Robata, where the welcoming atmosphere and smoky Robata grill create a feeling that’s like stepping into somebody’s living room.
Besides the cosy atmosphere, the Robata serves freshly grilled mackerel, sizzling gyoza dumplings, and full-flavoured miso. The relaxed Japanese-style pub is particularly popular amongst the younger crowd.
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 49
FI NNAI R FL I E S TO
Sapporo (CTS) two times a week.
British news anchor and freestyler Keme Nzerem enjoys the powder on the hills of Furano. Hokkaido often gets tens of metres of snow in a season, making it ideal for off-piste skiing.
50 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
EXPLORE JOY OF CHRISTMAS IN DESIGN See it. Feel it. Sense it.
FROM MUURLA
FROM NUMMELA
MUURLA
GLOBE HOPE
What’s better than enjoying Christmas at home with your Muurla favorites? Muurla products also make amazing presents. Shop at muurla.com
All I want for Christmas is green design. Globe Hope makes jewelry, bags and much more from recycled materials. Buy ecological Finnish presents from globehope.com
FROM TURKU
FROM NAANTALI
CAILAP
FOODDUCK
All you Dashers and Vixens – achieve the perfect holiday look with Cailap’s beauty products. Find your new beauty essentials at cailap.com/en
Who said practical can’t be joyful? Foodduck spread dispenser is a hygienic and sustainable solution for serving fats, jams and other spreads. This Finnish duck innovation spreads joy for kids and adults alike. Waddle to foodduck.fi/en
Roam with us into Finnish nature and design Finnish nature and Finnish design are inseparable. The extremes of our nature – from the nightless nights of summer to the polar nights of winter – affect everything we do and design. We grant the Design from Finland mark to Finnish design that elevates and surprises, but more importantly, feels like it’s designed for you. Continue your design journey at www.designfromfinland.com/explore
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THE DESIGN HUB OF HELSINKI Kämp Galleria is a must for every styleconscious shopper living in or visiting Helsinki. In addition to elegant architecture, the historical milieu and high-quality restaurants, the shopping centre has dedicated its top floor to Finnish fashion and design only. We picked up three interesting spots to explore in Kämp Galleria. POLO RALPH LAUREN
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We are all familiar with this iconic American brand: Polo Ralph Lauren represents the classic yet spirited American modern style and denim is a critical category to the brand. Ralph Lauren debuted this fall its ‘Wear Your Story’ Denim campaign featuring new washes, treatments along with responsibly sourced cotton in numerous styles.
ASEMAN KELLO
Watch this space GEMMI
Proper attire for Finnish winter
The cold winter months do require appropriate clothing. Pay a visit to Gemmi and you will get introduced to the luxurious fur outerwear brand that is born out of the harshest winters in the north. The handmade pieces represent a unique fusion of luxurious fur and streetwear aesthetics. In their own words, their collections for women and men are “modern-day fur made for everyday use”.
If timepieces are your thing, look no further! Aseman Kello, family-run Watch and Jewellery store with a long tradition, stocks not only the finest jewellery but also the most desirable watch brands. Familiarize yourself with the handmade watches by the wellknown Finnish watchmakers Voutilainen and Sarpaneva or find your favourites among brands like Blancpain, OMEGA, Glashütte Original, Jacquet Droz, Zenith, Nomos and fine jewellery by Chopard and Mikimoto.
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Conversation Guest writer Katri Saarikivi
We’re all human, after all
H
uman-centeredness is a big trend in business. During the last few years, companies have started talking more and more about the importance of understanding customers and individual wellbeing. This change is in part an outcome of increasing competition, fuelled by technological advancement and globalisation. Today, the problems we solve at work are more complex than ever, calling for increased creativity and learning. It also increases the need for collaboration: most problems cannot be solved by one brain alone. What does this mean in practice for work organisations? Team building has of course been a major focus for many years. We have seen various recipes for building the perfect team, from finding the ideal mix of individual characteristics to maximising diversity. But, in addition to looking at individuals and their characteristics, we should also focus on what happens between them. Often, the success of interactions between individuals determines the quality of the solutions they create together. What, then, is the recipe to successful interaction? Empathy may be one key ingredient. According to studies by Google, the most successful teams have high levels of psychological safety. In these teams, people feel that they can express unpolished ideas without a fear of being embarrassed. They also feel they can
depend on each other, and even talk about personal matters if they need to. Some studies furthermore link advanced empathy skills with better joint problem-solving. Empathy is also associated with better results in customer interaction. According to a meta-analysis, physicians with good empathy skills have more positive relationships with patients, leading to better treatment adherence and better treatment outcomes. How, then, can we cultivate more empathy? Empathy is a set of skills we use to understand each other, see things from other people’s points of view, connect on an emotional level, and help each other. Empathy mechanisms are activated when we recognise that the person with whom we are interacting with is a fellow human being. By contrast, empathy is switched off by anything that dehumanises us. Interestingly, many work organisations are held back by structures that can dehumanise us and inhibit empathy. Titles and work roles can distance us from each other, and so does speaking about employees as “resources.” One powerful way to increase empathy is to think about each individual collaborating in your team. In practice, this could be achieved simply by getting to know them better. What do they value? What are they like as people? Humanising our interactions not only makes us happier, but it could also go a long way in bringing in better results.
KATR I SAA RIKIVI
is a cognitive neuroscientist leading a research project that investigates how people and computers could best interact.
The most successful teams have high levels of psychological safety.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 53
A SENSE OF FINLAND For well-being and healthy living environments Nordic eco log homes by Polar Life Haus Furniture by Tapio Anttila Collection
www.polarlifehaus.com
www.tapioanttilacollection.fi
PHOTO SANNA LEHTO
Create
Celebrate accomplishments
What are dreams made of? Dasha Pears creates surreal photography in the digital realm (p. 56) DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 55
Nastja Säde Rönkkö explores the human connections made online and offline.
56 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
THE ART OF DIS/ CONNECTING Are the deepest connections made online, offline, or somewhere in between? TEXT LISSU MOULTON PHOTOS SANNA LEHTO
T
he internet is arguably the most important technological development of our time. Ok, maybe even of any time. Which is probably why most of us spend an average of seven hours a day online. That might not sound like much, until you do the math: Seven hours a day works out to around 100 days a year. At that rate, you’re spending a quarter of your life online. And for many of us, that estimate is lowball. With all that time you spend online, do you ever get the feeling that the more connected you are to your devices and the internet, the less connected you are to the people around you? We meet two artists who explore the art of
connecting and disconnecting and ponder whether sometimes you need to disconnect to reconnect. Or vice versa.
THE ART OF DISCONNECTING Nastja Säde Rönkko is a Finnish interdisciplinary artist who splits her time between London and Helsinki. Her work explores topics like intimacy, presence, love, and community through performance, video, text, and installation. Rönkkö was born in 1985. Six years later, so was the World Wide Web. About five years ago, Rönkkö began collaborating with two other artists, Shia LaBeouf and Luke Turner, on a series of internet art projects, perhaps the most epic of which is #TAKEMEANYWHERE,
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 57
in which the trio spent a month hitchhiking across the US through the internet. “It was based on this almost romantic idea of making real connections through social media,” Rönkkö says. It worked like this. Every day the group would post their coordinates online, wait for someone to come pick them up, and, as the hashtag suggests, take them anywhere. They went to Mardi Gras, met gun-slinging horse riders, and had a sleepover with a young girl and her family in a tiny town in Arizona. “We went from the craziest to the mundane, but mundane in the most beautiful way,” Rönkkö says. In all of the hashtag projects, the internet was the starting point for the real and deep connections the artists made in real life. But even before they were made, Rönkkö was already thinking about what life might be like offline. “How we work, live, and communicate today means we have to be in a 24/7 state of always-on and alwaysconnected. But the internet is only 30 years old, and that’s just a tiny fraction of human history,” she thought. “Our brains haven’t had time to catch up.” The more she thought about it, the surer she was. In her next project, Rönkkö would go where almost none of us is willing to venture: offline. And with that, 6 months without was born. Beginning in October 2018, anyone who emailed Rönkkö received the ultimate “out of office” response: “Thank you for your email. For six months I will live, work, and be without internet. Everything from personal and professional communication to socialising, loving, and travelling, will happen offline.”
During that time, she invited people to visit her at Somerset House, an experimental workspace in London, where she’d set up a studio for “discussions, contemplations, work, and socialising.” And she encouraged people to write her letters or, if necessary, to call her on the “burner phone” she’d bought to replace her iPhone. As you can probably imagine, it wasn’t easy. Rönkkö was surprised at how long it took to adjust to being offline. “I’d be waiting for a bus and just feel this primal need to be on my phone,” she says. It took her two months to get into “the niceness of slowness.” Before going offline, Rönkkö did a lot of research on what she describes as the cost of technology. There’s a ton of talk about the perils of our hyperconnected lives, like poor sleep, decreased attention spans, and even higher rates of anxiety. But Rönkkö was struck by something else, too. We tend to think of the internet in abstract terms, she says. As if all those emails, Google searches, and Netflix shows just magically appear on our devices. The truth is, our devices leave a carbon footprint. “Maybe we can give up holidays or milk, but we’re never going to give up our smartphones,” she says. In addition to having an element of environmental activism, 6 months without also activated deep and meaningful relationships all over the world, replacing online networks with human ones. Over the course of the project, Rönkkö exchanged hundreds of letters with people she knew well, friends she hadn’t seen in years, and people she’d never even met. And she grew closer to all of them.
The internet is only 30 years old. Our brains haven’t had time to catch up.”
W H O A M I Nastja Säde Rönkkö I ’ M I N SPI R E D BY Baroness Elsa Von Freytag-Loringhoven, Artemisia
Gentileschi, Jenny Diski, Mia Kankimäki. To name just a few. MY FAVOUR I TE PL ACE I N THE WOR L D By an ocean. T H R EE T H I N G S I CA N ’ T L I VE W I THOUT Making art, experiencing art, people I love. In no specific order. FAVO U R I T E PEO PL E I FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA The White Pube (Zarina Muhammad and Gabrielle De La Puente). They make epic memes on how the contemporary art world operates. M Y H O PE F O R T H E F U T U R E That humankind will figure it out before it’s too late for us.
58 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
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Laccae eat maxim as accatem que vit quatiam dercieni Rรถnkkรถ exchanged od que pa sum, hundreds of handnobit hil ipictat written letters over issunderit, quae. Et six months spent offline. aperfer rumquis
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 59
Laccae eat maxim as Dasha accatem quehas vit Pears quatiam dercieni built a career od que pa sum, interacting with nobit hil ipictat viewers, galleries, issunderit, quae. Et and other artists aperfer rumquis online.
60 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
“Handwritten letters are so intimate. You send emails without even thinking about them, but no one wants to write a boring letter,” she says. Those letters were at the heart of what Rönkkö describes as a long, durational performance piece. Part of the original work is now part of an exhibit called 24/7: A Wake-Up Call for Our Non-Stop World, which will run until February at Somerset House in London. Rönkkö says the LaBeouf and Turner projects and 6 months without were ultimately about real and deep connections. “Human connections will come through, whether online or offline,” she says. “If you like or love someone online, you’re probably going to offline, too.”
THE ART OF CONNECTING
other artists who were doing surreal work that was like nothing Pears had ever seen before. “Until then I thought photography was just documentary – black and white pictures of the real world,” she says. “But all of a sudden there was a whole internet full of amazing images.” Today Pears is a conceptual photographer based in Helsinki but working closely with a tightknit global community she’s grown online. She describes her work as dreamlike and whimsical, telling stories that combine real life, surrealism, and elements of surprise. “The human attention span is currently shorter than a goldfish, you need to be creative to grab it,” she says. Pears has close to 55,000 followers on Instagram, where she posts her work, does Insta-live interviews with other artists, and interacts with people near and far. She also teaches online courses around topics like “Storytelling with Photography.” Pears’s students come from pretty much every corner of the world. And many of them are exactly where she was a few years ago – still working a “regular” day job and just starting to follow their passion for surreal photography. “Just like me, they’re now realising that they are not weirdos and they are not alone. They are artists and they belong,” she says. Today Pears lives 3,000 kilometres from Kurgan, but she’s still the same person who would spend hours flipping through the pages of her mother’s art books. “The internet is a great democratiser,” Pears says. And platforms like Flickr and Instagram help level the playing field, giving artists everywhere the same opportunities to flourish creatively, develop professionally, connect with like-minded people, and do what they love.
The human attention span is currently shorter than a goldfish.”
Dasha Pears grew up in the city of Kurgan in the middle of Russia, not far from the Kazakhstan border. Back then the city was home to a little over 300,000 people and just one art gallery, which only showed the work of local artists – never anyone else. Pears’s mother loved art and had a large collection of art books. “I would just sit and turn the pages and absorb the masterpieces of the Renaissance,” she says. But growing up in Russia, the idea was “No one can make a living doing art.” And Pears believed that. Until she didn’t. After ten years spent in a high-paced and highstress job as a marketing communications manager at a St. Petersburg IT agency, Pears burned out and took some time off. And while the marketing manager in her rested, the photographer came to life. Pears opened a Flickr account and started posting her pictures. She also started following
WH O A M I Dasha Pears I ’ M I N S PI R ED BY People, who make their dreams come true despite all the obstacles
and limitations. M Y FAVO U R I T E PL AC E I N THE WOR L D My home. THR E E THI NG S I CAN’T L I VE W I THOUT My camera, my computer, and a cup of good green tea. FAVOUR I TE PEOPL E I FOL LOW ON SOCI AL ME D I A Gary Vee, Tom Bilyeu, and @thefemalewarhol MY HOPE FOR THE FUTUR E That people will create more with respect for nature and others and therefore distruct less.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 61
Tampere Helsinki Stockholm Riga
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2h Budapest
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Destination Tampere Region – The city with smart safety solutions International Tampere Smart City Week
The future of urban development
Event security for a growing city
Who sets the agenda for global safety and security? A charming city nestled in the heart of Finland – Tampere – may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But Tampere’s rapid growth, major investments and bustling event activities all emphasise security as a strategic focus of urban development. International Tampere Smart City Week will take place from 25–31 January 2020, and will showcase one of Europe’s most ambitious techdriven programmes in the safety and security sector.
Tampere is leading the way in urban security with the centerpiece of the Smart City event, Mindtrek 2020 – a collaborative meeting-of-theminds focused on smart urban development. A recent solution undertaken by Tampere, no doubt fed up with dark winters, was a pilot project that used anonymous traffic data to place lighting where people actually move around. The pilot helped to reduce energy use, increase safety and improve the smoothness of everyday urban life.
Finland is the safest travel destination in the world, according to a report published by the World Economic Forum. Tampere, a hub of international events, is researching ways to stay on the cutting edge of event safety and security – an increasingly crucial competitive factor in international event hosting. Recent solutions, driven by robust investments from the EU, include sensor data integration and 3D models, CCTV supervision and traffic signs.
www.visittampere.fi @FlyTampere
Photo: Visit Tampere / Laura Vanzo
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Take care
Nordic winters can wreak havoc on hair and skin, but with the right products it’s easy to protect them from the harsh elements. COMPILED BY LAURA IISALO PHOTOS FABIAN BJÖRK AND REN QINGTAO
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Meistä luonto on kauneimmillaan luonnossa ja sen monimuotoisuuden suojelu on tärkeää. Teemme retkiä vain kumppaneiden kanssa, jotka jakavat kanssamme samat arvot. Lopetimme lipunmyynnin eläinpuistoihin ja akvaarioihin, emmekä tee eläinretkiä, joissa villieläimet eivät pääse liikkumaan vapaasti. Jaamme myös asiakkaillemme aktiivisesti tietoa, miten lomailla luontoa kunnioittaen ja luonnonvaroja säästäen. Emme ole valmiita, mutta olemme sitoutuneet yhteiselle matkalle kestävämmän tulevaisuuden puolesta. Lue lisää aurinkomatkat.fi/vastuullisuus
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Winter Wonderland Dancing Northern Lights in the sky. Arctic activities the middle of snow covered trees. Come and experience one of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the world.
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70 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
Investigation
To Zen and back Centuries-old they may be, but Japan’s Zen temples can still teach us how to live calmer and more balanced lives.
TEXT GEOFF HARRIS ILLUSTRATION PAULIINA HOLMA
J
apan is welcoming overseas tourists in record numbers, particularly with 2020 being the year of the Tokyo Olympics, and naturally the country’s world-famous Zen temples are high on many visitors’ must-see list. Their beautiful wooden buildings, exquisite rock gardens, and serene yet exotic atmosphere always appeal to travellers interested in Japanese culture, or those seeking a respite from the clamour and constant distractions of the big cities. Far fewer visitors get to experience what it is like to live and study in a traditional Zen Buddhist temple, but it is now relatively straightforward to arrange – and the result can be a greater mental calmness, focus, and insight that lasts much longer than a holiday. Studying Zen in Japan can be life changing. “I am drawn to Zen’s simplicity,” says Daniel Bachrach, a 20-something employee of a games company who recently attended a beginner’s workshop in English at the historic Eihei-ji temple, some four hours train journey from Tokyo. “There are no mystical elements or faraway elevated states of mind to strive for. The instructions are to ‘just sit.’ I found that Zen was equally or more effective as therapy, especially with my anxiety,” he says.
MIND LIKE AN EMPTY SKY Herein lies the appeal of Zen practice for many non-Japanese. The main Zen schools, Soto and Rinzai, came to Japan from India and then China. Unlike other forms of Buddhism, the emphasis is very much on formal seated meditation, or zazen, instead of chanting ritual or elaborate guided meditations. Zen master Dogen, who founded Eihei-ji in 1244, told students to “think of not thinking. Non-thinking. This is the essential art of zazen.” Sounds straightforward, right? As anyone who has tried meditation will testify, this is easier said than done, but studying at internationally minded Zen temples such as Eihei-ji gives one the chance to fully immerse in the practice. Dogen’s meditation teaching is also expanded upon, with modern students encouraged to allow thoughts, emotions, and impulses to come and go, like clouds in the sky, rather than being endlessly distracted and disturbed by them. Dogen may have been writing nearly 800 years ago, but the traditional Zen approach echoes a lot of what is now taught in modern mindfulness programmes. As psychologist Willem Kuyken, Oxford University’s first professor of mindfulness, explains, there are three main benefits to regular
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 71
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meditation and mindfulness practice. “First learning to gather the scattered mind and stabilise our attention. Once we’ve done that, we can see things more clearly, as it provides a new perspective on our thoughts, feelings, and lives. This creates a bit of a space between our experience and how we react, a space that enables us to respond with greater wisdom and care.”
EVERYTHING IS PRACTICE Mindfulness courses, books, and podcasts are everywhere, so you don’t need to go to Japan to study. What students at Japanese Zen temples soon discover, however, is that sitting on a cushion can be part of a much wider practice. “The monks at Eihei-ji can’t sit in zazen 24-hours-a-day so they try to make their whole life in the temple a practice,” explains reverend Taiken Yokoyama, director of the office of international affairs. In practical terms, this means every waking hour is an opportunity to practice the core teaching of Zen, letting go of the ego and its preoccupations in order to focus on the task at hand and be of service to others. For visitors at the centre, this means waking up before dawn, eating together in harmony, consuming the vegetarian food in a certain order, and avoiding chat. There is even due process regarding work sessions (an essential part of any temple stay), bathing, or going to the toilet. And phones and laptops must be handed in at reception. “I love how Zen is grounded in reality – sweeping the floor, washing dishes, chopping vegetables – as opposed to an escape into an altered state,” Daniel Bachrach adds. “Although Zen is ancient, I don’t find any of this to be traditional or outdated.” Even a short stay at Eihei-ji can be physically demanding, especially if you’re not used to early
starts or frequent 45-minute periods of seated mediation. While zazen is presented as a natural practice, it’s important to ensure the back is erect, the head straight and the eyes carefully focussed in front, to ensure body and mind are in perfect balance (and to avoid slumping or dozing off).
ZEN AND THE ART OF TIDYING UP Although comparisons with a spiritual boot camp are not totally off the mark, attendees of Zen workshops conclude it’s well worth the discipline and effort. “I remember the first 3 am wake-up call after few hours’ sleep on a hard pillow and thought ‘no way!’” recalls Alexandra Shevchenko, who works for a major US software firm in Tokyo. “Then I saw the other ladies in the dormitory putting their futons away and getting ready for zazen with a gentle smile full of determination. I was deeply inspired by people around me. By the end of day two I started to enjoy the quiet sitting. It’s very liberating,” she says. Studying Zen in Japan also reminds you of how it has permeated many aspects of the traditional culture, from calligraphy and the tea-ceremony, through to martial arts. Right up to the present day, Marie Kondo’s “tidying up” empire also has roots in Japan’s Zen culture. “Zen teachings and traditions have more relevancy today than ever before,” says Ray Jolicoeur, a meditation teacher from New York who also did the Eihei-ji workshop. “With the world becoming a more crowded place, the environment deteriorating, mental health issues skyrocketing, and technology bringing us more and more away from our true selves, I see Eihei-ji as a place of true authenticity. It can bring a lot of value to people seeking a respite from this chaos, a new perspective on it, and hopefully a few effective ways to address these issues.”
“I love how Zen is grounded in reality as opposed to an escape into an altered state.”
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 73
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Sidesteps Nanjing
HANDY IN NANJING Where age-old handicrafts are enjoying a new dawn. TEXT AND PHOTOS DANIEL ALLEN
W
ith a history that goes back millennia, Nanjing has been capital of China on no less than ten occasions – the last time was in 1937. Yet its reputation for fine craftsmanship goes back way further than the twentieth century. This is a place that has always been renowned for products such as satins, velvets, and brocades. Despite its fast-paced industrial development, Nanjing’s guild of master craftsmanship is alive and well. B ro c a d e weaving at th e Na nj i n g B ro c a d e M us e u m .
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 75
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Perinteet jättävät jälkensä. Viininvalmistusta yli 115 vuoden kokemuksella. Yksi perhe. Yhteinen intohimo.
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T he art of p ap e r c u tti n g d ates b a ck o v e r 6 0 0 y e a rs i n Na nj i n g.
CUTTING-EDGE CREATION A C USTO M practiced by various ethnic groups in China, the art of paper cutting (or jianzhi) dates back over 600 years in Nanjing, where it is noted for its intricacy and curves. Jianzhi artisans create their masterpieces from memory using a single piece of paper – there are no sketches involved. In the past they were hired to create unique patterns for weddings, while today paper-cut artwork is mainly sold as souvenirs and home decorations for public celebrations.
Na nj i n g’s s i l k b ro c a d e i s tra d i ti o n al l y made on a loom.
BEAUTIFUL BROCADE silk brocade is known as yunjin, meaning “beautiful as clouds at sunset.” Dating back more than 1,500 years, it was once used for imperial garments – besides silk it incorporated other fine materials such as gold and peacock feather yarn. It is still used to make refined clothing. The brocade is traditionally made with a loom operated by two people, who produce only a few centimetres of this prized material in a day.
NANJI NG ’S
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DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 77
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ON THE SAFE SIDE
Heads up! Funding is welcomed by the inventors of a promising new Finnish diagnostic test for detecting head injuries.
A
rapid test for detecting potential head injury would be needed urgently, as more than 50 million people around the world suffer from head trauma every year. Currently, there is no reliable diagnostic test available outside hospitals to assess the presence or severity of such injuries. To date only one blood test has been approved by regulatory agencies for TBI diagnostics. Medicortex is a Finnish medical enterprise that is tackling this problem by developing a test that could be used in emergencies such as traffic accidents, sports injuries or military activity. “We are developing an accurate diagnostic kit that can detect brain injury from biomarkers. The test will be fast and reliable, and its interpretation will not require medical professionals,” says CEO & Founder Adrian Harel, PhD, MBA.
Open for investment The Medicortex diagnostic test uses readily available biological samples such as urine and saliva. These biomarkers have been proven to be effective in the detection of brain injury. Medicortex holds two pending patents for the biomarker test, which is in its second clinical trial. The company is now looking for additional investors to accelerate the development and commercialisation of the prototype diagnostic kit. “As diagnostic tests have a relatively short approval process, we believe that the prototype diagnostic kit will be ready in two years,” predicts Head of R&D Lasse Välimaa, PhD.
Every 15 seconds, someone suffers a new head injury.
Medicortex kehittää potentiaalisen aivovamman diagnosointiin uniikkia pikatestiä. Siinä käytettäisiin helposti saatavilla olevia näytteitä, kuten virtsaa tai sylkeä. Tähänastiset tulokset ovat lupaavia. Testin arvioidaan olevan markkinoilla noin kahden vuoden kuluttua. Sijoittaminen yhtiöön on juuri nyt mahdollista. www.medicortex.fi
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BLOOMING MARVELLOUS manufactured and crafted in Nanjing for centuries, and it has long been used in tapestry, cushions, rugs, clothing, and upholstery. The city is famous for the art of ronghua (velvet flower making), which dates all the way back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Based in the Nanjing Folk Custom Museum, veteran artisan Zhao Shuxian is one of the few people still making ronghua in the city. ďƒź
VE LVE T HAS B E E N
SEE THE MASTERS AT WORK Two of a creative kind:
NANJI NG FOL K CUSTOM MUSE UM
Sprawling across 10,000 square metres, this labyrinthine museum is the best place in Nanjing to see both paper cutters and velvet flower makers at work, and to learn the techniques oneself.
S e e v el e v e t flower m ak i n g at th e Na nj i n g Fo l k Cu s to m Museum.
NANJI NG B R OCAD E MU S EUM
The first brocade museum established in China, this is a great place to learn about the art of yunjin with an active workshop where artisans still produce brocade on traditional wooden looms.
FINN A I R F L I ES TO
Nanjing (NKG ) two times a week during the winter season.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 79
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Enjoy the magnificent Lappish scenery at Aurora pyramids in Levi
Surrounded by the northern landscapes, clean waters and amazing forests – the Aurora glass pyramids offer a unique accommodation experience. Next year, the pyramids will be connected to a new virtual power plant service provided by Siemens through which they promote sustainable development. At Aurora pyramids, you can almost touch the ever-changing sky and the surrounding nature. The pyramid shape has provided positive effects to the human body throughout the ages. The pyramids and the Northern lights (Aurora Borealis), form an empowering experience for travelers. The roofs of the pyramids are built of glass, which utilizes solar power for heating to keep them clear of snow and ice. Behind the pyramids is a pioneer in many unique solutions, Hullu Poro Oy, a privately-owned tourism company established in the early 1980s in Levi. The technology and digitalization of the Aurora pyramids ensure good conditions for travelers sustainably. Siemens Osakeyhtiö delivers building technology and related automation as a service, as well as electrification for the Aurora pyramids. The pyramids will be connected to a new virtual power plant service, through which they will promote sustainability. The pyramids will also become the world’s most northern microgrid that is connected to a larger electric-
ity system under normal conditions but is able to operate as an independent network. “Hullu Poro is a responsible tourism company that promotes sustainability in Finland and wants to show the way for tourist centers worldwide, as well as to ensure that nature in Lapland will remain clean also for future generations. The virtual power plant service allows us to participate in the fight against climate change. Meanwhile, we will build one of Finland’s largest solar panel fields,” says Päivikki Palosaari, the owner and managing director of Hullu Poro and holder of the Finnish honorary title entrepreneur counselor. In each of Hullu Poro’s actions, we consider the benefits for Lapland and positive experiences for the customers keeping in mind innovation, responsibility and Lappish traditions. Siemens’ delivery scope covers all the required building technology and automation components for the pyramids, electri-
fication of the Taivaanvalkeat area, a solar energy system of 132 kWp with an annual output of 114 Mwh, and a battery storage of 1.3 MW. The virtual power plant service makes it possible to offer power from the pyramids as a load-balancing reserve for the Fingrid electricity market. The pyramids will be able to automatically increase or reduce their electricity consumption to balance the power grid. Fingrid, the grid operator, pays compensation for such load-balancing operations. Siemens’ virtual platform and the connected building automation will enable efficient and safe operation of the pyramids with the help of cutting-edge technology. Virtual power plant service increases the profitability of tourism companies through new types of revenue. Find out more in Finnish at siemens.fi/energiakarkihanke To reserve your next stay at Aurora pyramids, go to www.hulluporo.fi/en/accommodation/aurorapyramids
Showroom Celebrating creative outcomes
COMPILED BY SILJA KUDEL
MERRY MINIMALISM
Off-grid bliss
HAPPILY STRANDED C RITIC S ARE RAV I N G about Project Ö, a fully self-sufficient seaside getaway designed by Aleksi Hautamaki and Milla Selkimaki on a five-acre islet in the Finnish archipelago. The two cabins are powered by off-grid systems including rooftop solar panels, with hot running water and underfloor heating provided solely by the wood-fired sauna stove. Filtered sea water is used for drainage, sinks, and toilets. The low-impact ethos is paired with simple wooden aesthetics paying tribute to traditional Finnish island architecture.
Trim the tree on a low-key note this year. To tal l y of fg r i d , y e t w i th al l th e m o d e r n c o mfo r ts!
TRASH TO TR E AS URE
Recycled rubber diamonds from Loiste add dark charm to holiday decor. €15
PHOTOS ARCHMOSPHERES, COURTESY OF THE COMPANIES
SE AL E D W I TH A KISS
Hearts by Valona can be packed flat and mailed as a holiday greeting. €16.60
Book nook
COMIC GIANT by John Allison, Giant Days follows the misadventures of three young women sharing a hall of residence at university. The series recently won two Eisner awards, and Finland can cheer on as one of the illustrators is Turku-based Max Sarin.
A CO M I C S ER I ES
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Spruce up your tree with geometrical snowflakes from VAJA Finland. €16.50
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 81
Showroom Celebrating creative outcomes Adds holiday m a g i c to m o s t s ta n d a rd f i x t u res!
A ring and b ro o ch c o m p l e te th e fa m i l y.
Season of sparkle
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Normann Copenhagen’s golden bulb was inspired by the lights of the Tivoli Gardens. €26.75
Gold is the colour of glam girls and charismatic winners.
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We are siblings Pirre and Tom. We operate as HELSINKI K-Market shopkeepers in Levi and in the city centre of Helsinki. We offer our customers a wide selection of genuine and traditional Finnish products such as Karelian pies, fish, and reindeer products. In addition to these, you will also find different caviars in our selection. Everything good can be found close by, both in Levi and in Helsinki – welcome!
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Showroom Celebrating creative outcomes
Anu Tuominen’s retrospective opens at Helsinki’s Kunsthalle in January.
Q&A
NEW VISUAL ALPHABET Anu Tuominen converts oddments of trash into conceptual treasures. W H AT’S TH E MESSAG E
W I L L W E S EE
B E H IND YO U R A R T ?
N EW WO R KS AT
“I try to subtly unearth hidden aspects of the visual world, almost imperceptibly. At first I don’t always understand what I’m hunting for… until I hit upon a particular word that unlocks it for me.”
YO U R U PCO M I N G
YO U D E S C RIB E YO U R S E L F AS A “ GAT H ER ER .” H OW D ID TH IS BECO M E
“I’m working on a new series called The Measure of a Woman? (Heel of a Sock). Surprisingly enough in today’s world, women are still expected to know how to knit the heel of a sock. I thought, ‘Okay then, let’s knit a sock with many heels.’ It was a fun challenge.”
R ET R OS PEC T I V E?
PHOTO JUKKA SILTANEN
A PASS IO N FO R YO U ?
“As a child, I lived in a remote place without any friends, hobbies, or shops nearby. I guess that’s why I started looking around for interesting things to keep me occupied. As soon as I got my driving license, I headed straight for town to attend my first auction.”
N A M E A PL AC E T H AT I N S PI R ES YO U V I S UAL LY.
“My simple wooden cabin and tin woodshed in the far north of Finland, where you see the occasional reindeer, grey rocks, and peatland. I enjoy the transition as you travel from the south towards the Arctic Ocean.”
Voita hulppeita palkintoja joulukalenteristamme! Osallistu Facebook-sivullamme arvontaan vaikka joka päivä.
Suomalainen We Love Cruises on palvellut asiakkaitaan paremmille risteilylomille jo vuodesta 2013. Tavoitat meidät puhelimella 0400 157 374 (arkisin klo. 10–17) tai sähköpostilla info@welovecruises.fi. Joulukalenteriarvonta voimassa 1.–24.12.2019, Facebook ei ole osallisena arvonnassa.
Showroom Celebrating creative outcomes
MUSICAL CHAIRS irresistible about a chair that breathes a wistful sigh as it enfolds you in its lap. It certainly teased a smile out of Alberto Alessi, who recently selected Hemmo Honkonen’s Audible Furniture as the best stand at Helsinki’s Habitare Fair. The collection also comprises a wall-mounted cabinet and rocking stool that make soft sounds when used, giving each piece a playfully lifelike character.
A Finnish family-owned company founded in 1999
SHOWROOM – POHJOISRANTA 2, HELSINKI
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 87
FINNISH CRAFTMANSHIP – WITH RESPECT FOR TRADITION
PHOTO AUDIBLE FURNITURE
TH E RE ’S S O M E T H I N G
ADVERTISEMENT
OUTDOOR DESTINATION OF THE YEAR
Skiing & Snowboarding
PICK OF THE SEASON
Skiers and snowboarders know Ylläs comes first in Finland with the highest vertical drop and the longest slopes in the country. Find your number one run on the 63 slopes of Ylläs. Snow parks and ski schools offer fun for the whole family and ample off-piste terrain waits for your turns. Enjoy cross-country skiing on Finland’s largest network of tracks, with first class track service that guarantees outstanding conditions.
Eight seasons. Seven fells. Genuine Lappish villages. One national park with the world’s cleanest air. Explore and discover throughout the year in Ylläs, Lapland, Finland.
www.yllas.fi
Globetrotter On the road with travelling creatives
O a tm e al w i th quinoa and coconut i n M al i b u , L . A .
I al w a y s c a r r y a l o t of b o o k s w i th m e.
Ne w Yo r k i s m y fa v o u r i te c i ty to v i s i t b u t to o h e c ti c to s ta y l o n g e r.
T ra v el l i n g h a s ta u gh t m e to ap p re c i a te cl e a n air and Finnish n a t u re.
Sweet harmony Wellness blogger Vilma Peltonen cultivates happiness with the right combo of passion, health, and travel. H OW D ID YO U B ECO M E A
DO YOU B E L I E VE TRAVE L L I NG CAN
By following my passions: travelling, photographing, and w riting. When I found yoga, I added it to the package. Now I travel and share my thoughts about holistic wellbeing.
BO OST YOUR HE ALTH?
TRAV E L L IN G YO G I ?
If there’s a right amount of travel that allows you to live a balanced life and get enough sleep, then definitely yes. I find it refreshing to see new places.
W H AT’S YOUR FAVOUR I TE SPOT S H ARE A S EC R ET W EL L B EI N G T I P.
I sleep better since I quit drinking coffee. It gives me a feeling of freedom to be able to stop something I was addicted to.
Bali, Thailand, and Tulum in Mexico are great locations to escape the cold season. I also love the Finnish cottage atmosphere in Kuusamo.
F O R W I NTE R ?
VI L MA PE LTON EN
is a Finnish wellness blogger, model, and certified yoga teacher who spends half of the year travelling with her boyfriend. @vilmape
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 89
Fly with the brighter alliance. Welcome to oneworld®, an alliance of 13 world-leading airlines committed to providing the highest level of service and connecting you to over 1,000 destinations around the world. It’s the smartest way to travel and make your connections to more than 150 countries worldwide. Exploring the world has never been easier. If you’re planning to visit three, four, five or more continents in a single trip, booking a oneworld Explorer fare is the simpler way to travel around the world. Select routes, plan stopovers, and book your itinerary by searching global travel options that fit your needs. Learn more about how you can travel bright at oneworld.com
Enjoy more places. And how you get there.
Finnair Plus Silver oneworld Ruby
Finnair Plus Gold oneworld Sapphire
Finnair Plus Platinum oneworld Emerald
Earn and redeem Finnair Plus points on all oneworld member airlines Earn Tier points on all eligible oneworld flights Access to Business Class priority check-in Access to preferred or pre-reserved seating Priority on waitlists and when on standby Access to Business Class lounges Priority boarding Extra baggage allowance Priority baggage handling Access to First Class priority check-in Access to First Class lounges Fast track at security lanes 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. Fast track is not available at all airports. Priority baggage handling is not available on flights operated by British Airways. Extra baggage allowance benefits differ for Sapphire and Emerald level members. 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). American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LATAM Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, SriLankan Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companies. LATAM Airlines (Paraguay) is currently not a part of oneworld. Some limitations and exceptions may apply. For more information, visit www.oneworld.com/benefits. Fiji Airways is a oneworld connect partner which provides select alliance benefits to oneworld members. For more information, visit www.oneworld.com/oneworld-connect.
WE COMBAT ANIMAL DISEASES TOGETHER! We want to prevent serious animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever and African swine fever from spreading to Finland. These and other animal diseases can be transmitted from one country to another by animals or by meat and dairy products even if they are packed for personal consumption or intended as gifts. Travelers like you play an important role in preventing the spread of animal diseases.
Don’t bring meat, meat products, milk and dairy products from non-EU countries to Finland! A ban on personal imports applies to meat and dairy products brought into Finland by travelers or ordered and sent through the post. The ban applies to foodstuffs intended for personal consumption or as gifts and to pet foods. If you have food products of animal origin with you, throw them in a waste container in the point of entry or contact Customs! Outside the EU, African swine fever has been detected in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, China, Mongolia, Vietnam and Cambodia, and in several African countries for instance. Although not dangerous to humans, the disease is deadly to pigs and keeps spreading from country to country if not stopped.
Bringing meat-containing products as presents and for personal use from an EU country to Finland At the moment, there are EU countries with cases of African swine fever. In those countries there are restriction areas and, as a rule, pork or wild boar meat or products containing these meats may not be imported from these areas into Finland. Import is allowed only under very strict criteria controlled by local authorities. However, the sales of these meat products within the country may be allowed. In the EU, the disease has been detected in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium and Italy (Sardinia) for instance. It is difficult for travelers to know and prove from which area meat products originate and whether the products on sale meet all criteria. This is the reason why we recommend that people avoid importing any meat products containing pork or wild boar meat as presents or for personal use from countries with African swine fever. PLEASE NOTE! Never leave any food waste or scraps in the environment or places where they may be eaten by wildlife. Never give food waste or scraps to production animals or to pet pigs.
Thank you for helping us to prevent the spread of animal diseases. We wish you a pleasant journey! More information on private import:
Fly
PHOTO JUHO HUTTUNEN / FINNAIR
The world of Finnair
Inspiring journeys The world is your playground with Finnair’s extensive network DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 93
HELSINKI
PUNTA CANA
DAZZLING DAYS In Punta Cana, the waters are clear, the days are dreamy, and the only must-see sight is the Caribbean sunset. Finnair flies non-stop from Helsinki to Punta Cana during winter season 2019/2020.
Book your flights at finnair.com
World of Finnair Highlights of the month
Singapore IMPRESSIVE JEWEL
The 10-storey neofuturistic Jewel at Singapore Changi Airport combines a modern retail complex with an urban indoor nature park. The lifestyle gateway adds a whole new meaning to airport transit. Visitors can walk and bounce among the treetops, take in a blockbuster movie for free, or indulge in a shopping spree. The massive building features a glass-and-steel faรงade which lets in natural light. Finnair flies to Singapore (SIN) daily.
PHOTO DARREN NUNIS
Early check-in at Jewel Finnair passengers are able to check-in up to 12 hours ahead of standard departure time.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 95
FINNAIR.COM
TO DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ONE OF 6 974 073 REASONS TO FLY
World of Finnair Highlights of the month
Asian and Finnish flavours forward to a new taste adventure onboard? Finnair has teamed up with Michelin-starred chef DeAille Tam for the latest Signature Chef menu available for Business Class passengers on flights from Greater China to Helsinki. Chef Tam fuses her Asian influences with Finnish flavours to create a fusion menu that features
LO O KING
three appetizers and three main courses, including one vegetarian option. Among the key ingredients she uses are Finnish mushrooms, Chinese olives and noodles, and osmanthus, which is popular in Chinese teas. Tam works for three-star Michelin chef Alvin Leung and has been based in various locations in Greater China.
China calling of the most visited cities in the world, and its popularity is only increasing. Finnair has expanded its routes to Greater China by adding Beijing Daxing International Airport to its roster. The new airport was opened in autumn 2019, and Finnair is one of the first airlines to fly there. Finnair operates three weekly flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport from Helsinki.
B E I JI NG I S ONE
FINNAIR ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Did you know that you can use your own headphones on our A350 operated flights?
FE E L FINNAIR
@reddot award for Finnair’s onboard services, including Wi-Fi portals and in-flight entertainment systems.
FINNAIR
Packing a carry-on bag is an art form that our flight attendants really have perfected! Learn their hacks for any trip.
FI NNAI R
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 97
World of Finnair Services
STAY CONNECTED
Fly the short northern route
FI NNAI R CHAT Finnair Live chat is available on every day of the week.
chatbot, affectionately known as Finn, who is ready to help plan your journey via Finnair’s global Facebook Messenger account. ME E T FI NNAI R ’S
FI NNAI R APP Tap your way through your journey. Log in with your last name and booking reference or your Finnair Plus username and password.
All Finnair A319, A320, A321, A330, and A350 aircraft offer Wi-Fi connections. SKY HI G H W I - FI
WITH A MODERN FLEET, extensive route network, and
world-class service, Finnair offers a comfortable and convenient way to travel. ESTAB L IS H E D IN 1 923 , Finnair is one of the world’s oldest airlines. Since then, the company has grown from a small carrier to one that is a respected member of the international airline industry. Finnair’s route network includes 20 destinations in Asia, eight in the Americas, and 100 in Europe. In
2018, Finnair carried over 13 m illion passengers. And during the 2019 summer season, Finnair will operate 104 flights a week to Asia, of which 42 flights are to China and 41 flights are to Japan. Finnair’s modern and ecofriendly fleet consists of over 60 aircraft, most of which are Airbuses.
W ECHAT Scan and follow Finnair’s official WeChat account.
SMART PACKING
TIPS FOR A SMOOTH TAKEOFF
A change of plans? If your flight is delayed or cancelled you can keep up with the status of your new booking via Manage my booking. Go to finnair.com or scan the QR-code.
Pack too much?
Self-service bag drop
Off-peak lounging
Print your bag tag at the selfservice kiosk, go to the self- service bag drop, scan your bag tag, and send your bag through.
Use Finnair Plus points for a reduced price Finnair Lounge voucher at Helsinki Airport or buy access in advance via finnair.com.
98 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
Avoid excess baggage fees by paying in advance for extra allowance at special pre-paid prices directly from finnair.com.
Liquids rule Liquids are allowed through security in containers (max 100ml) packed in a transparent resealable 1-litre plastic bag.
World of Finnair Frequent flyer program
Finnair Plus membership THE FINNAIR PLUS program allows
FI
N
N
A JO IR IN .C A O T M /P L
U
S
you to earn both tier points and award points when travelling with Finnair or a oneworld airline and award points from services provided by Finnair Plus partners.
A WORLD OF BENEFITS for free by filling in the form online at finnair.com/plus. As a Plus member, you get access to valuable benefits and rewards. Earn points for flights and services and use them both at home and abroad. You can use your Finnair Plus award points for additional Finnair services such as seat selection, J O IN FINNAIR PLU S
WHAT’S NEW THIS MONTH?
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Earn points from electricity contract
meals, and extra baggage payments. The number of points you pay depends on your flight and the chosen service. You can pay for travel extras at the time you book your reservation or later through the Manage Booking tab. Go to finnairshop.com to find Finnair gift cards, partner services, and award vouchers.
Earn up to 6,000 Finnair Plus points when signing an electricity contract with Fortum. All contracts are 100% carbon free. finnairshop.com
a wide selection of seasonal meals inspired by Nordic nature. Did you know you can use your Finnair Plus points to pre-order sandwiches, salads and hot meals for your Finnair Economy Class flights? Or mix and match options from the onboard Nordic Kitchen menu. FI NNAI R OFFE R S
Points offer at HEL Airpro Travel Service 24h offers customers the opportunity to store winter jackets, additional belongings, and car keys at Helsinki Airport while travelling. Finnair Plus members receive 25% off all storage services. Airpro Travel Service 24h is located on the ground level of T2. finnairshop.com
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 99
World of Finnair finnairshop.com
4 easy ways to shop Find the best deals on tax-free products and enjoy special Finnair Plus offers at finnairshop.com
Home delivery
Onboard
Use Finnair Plus points to shop for products delivered directly to your home.
Shop online via your own mobile device during the flight using the complimentary Nordic Sky portal.
Pre-order
Vouchers
Pre-order online before your Finnair flight: finnairshop.com.
20%
Use Finnair Plus points to redeem a voucher for restaurants, hotel stays, car rentals, and much more.
OFF
100 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
Find the perfect gift or exclusive souvenir! Receive 20% off all pre-order and onboard purchases from December 16, 2019 to January 12, 2020. Please visit finnairshop.com, check the catalogue in the seat pocket, or ask a cabin crew member for more information.
World of Finnair finnairshop.com
FINNAIR PLUS OFFERS
December picks Find the perfect gift or exclusive souvenir from finnairshop.com Made from dried grapes!
Pre-order € 37
ME AT THE R MOME TRE
Roast a steak to perfection by tracking meat temperature with the Meater thermometre and app.
UR B ANI STA HE AD PHONE S
AMARONE D EL L A VA L PO L I C EL L A
The red classic brings a rich taste to a festive meal.
W I R E L E SS SMAR T
Wireless freedom!
let you enjoy music and make calls without touching your phone.
€ 86 + 1000
Home delivery
Pre-order € 83
CAT VS D OG SOCKS G I FT B OX is a perfect
MONTHLY VOUCHER OFFER
gift for design and animal lovers. Pre-order € 16
M AKIA TIL E S S CARF
Merino wool meets Alvar Aalto’s lines.
Pre-order €79
NE STE Redeem an award voucher at Neste with your Finnair Plus points or a combination of money and points. € 39 + 4,000 P
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 101
World of Finnair Flying stories
Flying stories
Q&A
IT’S THE CUSTOMERS who make Finnair and that’s why we’ve dedicated this page to your travel stories.
SHAR E YOUR Finnair
moments on Instagram! Use #feelfinnair, if you want to be featured.
Meet the frequent flyer.
JOHN ME E W E L L A
Finnair Plus member from Sri Lanka, currently living in Finland rubychengx We travel not only to see new landscapes but also to see things with new eyes. #india #delhi
henrifromhelsinki These details. Enjoy your day! #henrifromhelsinki #kamppi
FI NNAI R PLUS TI ER
Platinum Lumo W HI CH FI NNAI R PLUS B E NE FI TS D O YOU U S E?
I use most of them: inflight WiFi, lounge, direct helpline, and other priority services. W HAT’S YOUR AL L-TI ME FAVOURIT E VI E W ?
My favourite view is seeing the faces of my family when I return from a work trip. FAVOUR I TE
siljewerner #veneziagram #veniceitaly
eilikatrummar Home away from home. #islandlife #thailand
TAKING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ONBOARD your travel experience? The use of small cameras or mobile devices for photography and video to capture your own travel moments is welcome onboard Finnair flights. Please respect the privacy of others onboard, and always ask the WANT TO S H A R E
102 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
crew and your fellow passengers for their consent before including them in your memories. Please follow cabin crew instructions: Crew members can prohibit photography or video if it disturbs other customers or the crew’s work, or causes a safety concern.
D E STI NATI ON?
Sri Lanka, as it’s one of the most beautiful places globally and is my home country. It has adventure, culture, wellness, sun, and much more. W HAT I TE M COUL D YOU NOT TRAVE L W I THOUT ?
Family photos, inflight work task lists, laptop, phone, and headphones. I travel light, mostly with hand luggage only.
World of Finnair Nordic kitchen
3 ways to a tasty meal Fancy a snack onboard? Finnair offers a wide selection of seasonal and healthy options that are inspired by untouched Nordic nature and its pure flavours.
Pre-order You can choose from a wide selection of sandwiches, salads, breakfast, or dinner by pre-ordering.
Onboard The onboard menu includes a selection of tasty snacks, sweets, and beverages to mix and match.
Ho w abo ut a cinnamon bun with y o u r c o f fe e?
P remium salmon has a true Nordic taste.
Complimentary Complimentary coffee, tea, water, and Finnair’s signature blueberry juice are served on Finnair flights. Complimentary meals are served on all intercontinental flights.
Business Class Swedish top chef Tommy Myllymäki’s delicious menu emphasises the fresh flavours that bring out the best of the Nordic s eason.
Pick of the month Start your holiday with a special treat! Pre-order a delicious business class standard meal for your flight to selected long haul destinations.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 103
World of Finnair Wellness & comfort
Onboard wellness
3X TIPS FOR CABIN COMFORT
STAY HYDRATED
It is recommended to drink 1–2 decilitres of water every hour. If possible, minimise the amount of tea, coffee, and alcohol you drink.
HEALTHIER AIRCRAFT
The Finnair A350 combines the latest technology with advanced passenger comfort features to help you rediscover the thrill of flying. An advanced HEPA filtering system changes the cabin air every two to three minutes ensuring comfort and health for all passengers. Large windows let natural light flow into the cabin and LED technology emits lighting and colours that are customised to fit the time of day, destination, or season. The noise level is 16 decibels below the standard requirement, so resting and relaxing while onboard is easy.
GET SOME SLEEP
The best way to tune out is to wear an eye mask and ear plugs. Keep warm, too – have a jacket or blanket handy in case you need it.
2X COMFORTABLE UPGRADES NORDIC BUSINESS CLASS Finnair’s Business Class seats let you fully recline on your intercontinental flight. The seats transform into a 200 cm (6’6”) horizontal bed, so you can enjoy a good night’s sleep.
104 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
ECONOMY COMFORT Finnair’s Economy Comfort seating in the front of the Economy Class cabin makes intercontinental travel even more pleasurable with 8–13 cm (3–5 inches) more legroom.
GENERAL WELLBEING
Try to bring something to snack on. Fruit and veggies are always a great healthy option. And remember to wear comfortable clothing.
World of Finnair Flight mode
Stay connected THE NORDIC SKY portal is available on all inter-
continental flights and most European flights, and gives you access to news, destination information, and Finnair services. You can use the portal to connect your own devices to the internet.
HOW TO GET STARTED
1 Join the Wi-Fi network Nordic Sky
3 Start exploring at nordic-sky. finnair.com
urn your T device to flight mode and enable Wi-Fi
WI-FI PRICES
1H
3H
12 H
2 Open the browser of your choice
4
LOOKING FOR A READ? Choose RE AD IN G to access all magazines available on the Nordic Sky portal.
7.95€
YOUR TRAVEL COMPANION
0-2 H
11.95€
19.95€
Long haul
2+ H
BROWSE 4.95€ STREAM 9.95€ BROWSE 6.95€ STREAM 12.95€
Short haul
Get boarding passes, book flights and travel extras, view your Finnair Plus balance, and much more with the Finnair app. The app supports your Finnair journey all the way from home to your destination and back!
WHAT’S PLAYING FAST & FUR I OUS PR E SE NTS: HOB B S & SHAW
LUCE
A RAI NY DAY I N NE W YOR K
MI CKE Y AND TH E R OADSTE R RAC ERS
THE ANG RY B I R DS MOVI E 2
MOOMI NVAL L E Y
Sworn enemies must team up to take down a cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist.
Two young people arrive in New York for a weekend of bad weather adventures.
The angry birds and the scheming green piggies take their beef to the next level!
A married couple is forced to reckon with their idealised image of their son.
The Sensational Six race roadsters around the world!
Moomintroll with his family and whimsical friends take us into the magical Moominvalley.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 105
World of Finnair Staff tips
L o c al fo o d i n S e o ul i s a m us t! E nj o y i n g ta s ty tap a s m a d e my holiday in Spain.
W h o w o ul d n’ t l o v e Am e r i c a n p a n c ak es fo r b re akfa s t?
Tasting the world Flight attendant Anni Luojus loves discovering new dishes when travelling.
NE W YO RK is a city with endless opportunities for the perfect breakfast. While taking a morning walk in Soho it’s easy to find a heavenly spot to enjoy coffee and toast or sweet buns. The small Bouchon Bakery close to Rockefeller Center is my favourite place for the best glazed cinnamon rolls and cheesy toast.
106 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
has a vast selection of amazing Korean barbecue restaurants and sweet coffee shops. I highly recommend eating near Gyeongbokgung Palace and City Hall. There you can find lots of places for trying delicious Korean food such as grilled vegetables.
S EO U L
is my favourite food spot in Europe. I love Spanish tapas, especially traditional Manchego cheese and patatas bravas. You can get those almost anywhere in Spain, but in Malaga there are some great restaurants that don’t break the bank.
M A L AG A
ANNI LUOJUS , a flight
attendant and member of Finnair’s cabin crew, is passionate about her culinary travels. anniluojus
PHOTOS ANNI LUOJUS AND ISTOCK
I go to a new destination, I make sure I try some local food. I am quite the opposite of a professional cook, but I love finding inspiration and cooking tips and recipes to take home.
EVE RY TIM E
World of Finnair Holiday sampler
Experience more with Finnair
TOP 3 SUNNY SPOTS Soak up some sun in these classic holiday destinations from finnair.com/holidays.
COSTA D E L SOL . This region of Spain is all about beautiful cities and towns, mesmerising beaches, and awe-inspiring Mediterranean scenery.
EXPLORE FINNAIR HOLIDAYS TAILOR YOUR TRIP to look like you! Explore the Finnair
Holidays selection and book flights, hotel, and airport transportation conveniently from one place. Finnair Holidays is available in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. Start your journey at finnair.com/holidays.
Over 80 destinations
Entire trip from one place
Triple Finnair Plus points
Finnair Holidays opens the door to the most intriguing places in the world. The story of a lifetime awaits!
Find flights, hotel, experiences, and airport transportation all in one place.
Every euro you use for your Finnair Holidays trip will gain you three Finnair Plus tier and award points.
D UB AI . There’s only one season here: hot and dry! Year-round sunshine guarantees that you can enjoy both an exciting city break and an amazing beach holiday.Â
MI AMI . This famous tropical paradise has it all. The city offers not only the best beaches and sunsets but also a rich art and music scene.
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 107
World of Finnair Sustainability
PUSH FOR CHANGE Changes begin with small actions. Join us on a journey towards a more sustainable future.
OFFSET EMISSIONS
Small can be big
Offset the CO2 emissions of your flight by supporting an emissions reduction project. Donate €1 for flights within Finland, €2 for flights within Europe, or €6 for intercontinental flights. Donations will go in full to an emissions reduction project in Mozambique.
that in 2018 Finnair recycled 506 tonnes of reusable waste? That’s equivalent to the weight of four A350 aircraft! “We want to do more and better with less,” says Kaisa Jaakkola, Senior Manager at Finnair Kitchen. Jaakkola notes that the circular economy is the way to go. But what does this mean for Finnair? One example is seen in the way Finnair chooses packaging materials for meals. All clean PET-plastic items, including plastic bottles, are recycled on flights and sent to treatment and conversion centres for reuse. Other small actions towards less food, plastic, and package waste are seen on domestic and European flights. Finnair has started to replace individual milk
D I D YO U K N OW
BUY BIOFUEL Alternatively, you can buy biofuel to reduce the CO2 emissions of a flight by 60–80% compared to fossil fuel. The biofuel we use has been produced from used cooking oil. Buy biofuel for €10, €20, or €65. All sustainability products are available at finnairshop.com/ en/sustainability-products
packets with fresh milk poured from a carton. And after renewing the packaging of the fresh food selection, a single sandwich wrapping comprises 48 per cent less packaging material than before. “Change doesn’t happen on its own,” says Jaakkola. “Customers can also do their part for food waste reduction by pre-ordering meals on European flights.” This leads to less food waste and reduces the weight of the aircraft, which equals decreased fuel consumption. Although some of these actions might seem small, their impact is significant: If each passenger on long-haul flights to Helsinki drinks one can of soda, it adds up to a total of 118,000 consumed cans per month. Now that’s a lot of stuff to be recycled!
95+ YEARS AND COUNTING 1 92 3
1 924
Finnair, known as Aero, is founded
Finnair receives its first aircraft: Junkers F 13
1 9 47
1952
1968
1969
1980
1992
Finnair air hostesses take to the skies
Helsinki irport opens A
Finnair reveals its new logo and name change
First Finnair trans-Atlantic flight to New York City
Blue Wings launches
The Finnair Plus program is introduced
108 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
World of Finnair Fleet
AIRB U S A35 0- 9 0 0
Number 14 + 5 on order Seating capacity 297/336 Length 66.8 m Wingspan 64.75 m Cruising speed 903 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 13,000 m AIRB U S A330-3 0 0
Number 8 Seating capacity 289/263 Length 63.6 m Wingspan 60.3 m Cruising speed 870 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,600 m AIRB U S A32 1
Number 19 Seating capacity 209 Length 44.5 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRB U S A32 0
Number 10 Seating capacity 174 Length 37.6 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m AIRB U S A31 9
Number 8 Seating capacity 144 Length 33.8 m Wingspan 34.1 m Cruising speed 840 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 11,900 m E M B RAE R 1 9 0
Operated by Norra Number 12 Seating capacity 100 Length 36.2 m Wingspan 28.7 m Cruising speed 850 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 12,300 m
ATR 72
Operated by Norra Number 12 Seating capacity 68/70/72 Length 27 m Wingspan 27 m Cruising speed 463 km/h Maximum cruising altitude 7,620 m
1 995
Finnair’s website launches
1 999
1 999
2 004
Finnair joins oneworld alliance
Arrival of irbus A320 A
Online check-in opens
2 013
Launch of Marimekko for Finnair collection
2 014
2 015
2018
Finnair celebrates its 90th anniversary
Arrival of irbus A350 A
Finnair celebrates its 95th anniversary
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 109
World of Finnair Airport info
Welcome to Helsinki Airport CHECK YOUR GATE and
departure time on the airport monitors. All Finnair and Nordic Regional Airlines (Norra) departures are located in the same terminal. If you do not have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, please contact the transfer service desks in T2.
HAPPY LANDINGS
Fly the short northern route FLY VIA HELSINKI and take the most direct route between Europe and Asia. Thanks to Helsinki’s location, Finnair’s northern route is a geographically convenient way between Europe and Asia. The northern route also offers competitive travel times to destinations in the US from many European cities. The Helsinki Airport is efficient, compact, and easy to navigate, making it ideal for transferring between Europe, Asia, and the US with short transfer times.
110 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
PASSE NG E R S AR R I VI NG from outside the Schengen-area will find their way into the arrival hall with both automated border control gates and manned border control booths. EU citizens , as well as citizens of Japan, South Korea, Australia, US, Canada, and New Zealand can use the automated gates as they depart. Citizens from other non-Schengen countries will be directed to the manned booths. In addition, there are separate queues for passengers travelling in large groups. Passengers travelling directly to Helsinki from the non-Schengen area will follow their own route to the border control downstairs. Those passengers travelling with infants or baggage trolleys must use the manual control lane. Passengers with the capability to use wheelchairs independently may use the automated gates.
World of Finnair Airport info
49
48AB
47
46
45AB
44
43
42 40
55
54
53
TRANSFER SERVICE 3
52
AUKIO
FINNAIR CITY BUS
to the Helsinki Railway Station leaves from platform 10 at T2 every 20 minutes. Travel time is approx. 30 minutes. €6.90 THE RING RAIL LINE
connects Helsinki Airport to downtown Helsinki via train. There is direct access from the corridor between T1 and T2. TAXI RANK
BUS GATES 51 A–D
T2
39
Agency-specific price information is available in front of the terminals on the information screens.
38
WIRELESS INTERNET
FINNAIR LOUNGES
Security
BUS GATES 50 A–M
check NONSCHENGEN AREA
NONSCHENGEN AREA
37 TRANSFER SERVICE 2
31 Passport control
31A–31E
30
29
Helsinki Airport offers free Wi-Fi throughout the airport. PLAYROOM
Children’s playrooms offer toys, videos, and baby care facilities. WATER DISPENSER
Passengers can refill their water bottles with drinking water free of charge.
Security check
CHECK-IN 240–270
28
FINNAIR CHECK-IN + SERVICE 201–229
2ND FLOOR GATES 5–11
T2
CHECK IN 101–114
T1
26
13
14
15
16
PASSPORT CHECK
CHECK-IN AREA
Security check
SCHENGEN LOUNGE
12
27
SECURITY CHECK
17
18
19
20
21
22
SCHENGEN AREA
23
25
ARRIVALS AREA
24
BAGGAGE STORAGE
1ST FLOOR DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 111
World of Finnair
Domestic and European destinations
From Helsinki
Tromsø Ivalo
Reykjavík
Ivalo 931 01:35 Joensuu 360 01:00 Jyväskylä 235 00:50 Kajaani 464 01:20 Kemi/Tornio 609 01:35 Kittilä 823 01:25 Kokkola/Pietarsaari 391 01:10 Kuopio 335 01:00 Kuusamo 667 01:15 Mariehamn 282 00:55 Oulu 514 01:05 Rovaniemi 697 01:20 Tampere 143 00:35 Turku 150 00:35 Vaasa 348 00:55
Kittilä Rovaniemi Kuusamo Kemi Oulu Kajaani Kokkola
Finnair Destinations New Finnair Destinations 2019/2020
Umeå Vaasa
Trondheim
Oslo
Gothenburg
Edinburgh Billund
Dublin
Manchester
Visby
Riga
Moscow
Copenhagen Vilnius Gdansk
Hamburg London
Kuopio Joensuu Jyväskylä Tampere
Turku St Petersburg Helsinki Mariehamn Stockholm Tallinn Tartu
Bergen
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
Amsterdam
Berlin Hannover Düsseldorf Brussels Frankfurt
Paris
Minsk
Warsaw
Kraków
Prague
Stuttgart Zürich Bordeaux
Geneva Lyon
Porto
Nice Madrid
Munich Vienna Salzburg Budapest Innsbruck
Ljubljana Milan Venice Verona Pula Bologna Rimini Pisa
Varna
Split Dubrovnik
Barcelona
Lisbon
Rome Ibiza Alicante
Menorca Palma de Mallorca
Naples Corfu Skiathos Preveza
Málaga Catania Malta
Athens Zakynthos
Antalya Kos Dalaman Alanya Santorini Rhodes
Heraklion Chania
Paphos
Funchal Tel Aviv-Yafo
Arrecife Tenerife Norte Fuerteventura Tenerife Sur Las Palmas
From Helsinki
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
Alanya/Gazipasa 2722 03:45 Alicante 3034 04:25 Amsterdam 1525 02:35 Antalya 2638 03:50 Arrecife 4518 05:55 Athens 2490 03:40 Barcelona 2632 03:55 Bergen 1112 03:30 Berlin 1123 02:00 Billund 1060 01:50 Bologna 1976 03:00 Bordeaux 2417 03:30 Brussels 1651 02:40 Budapest 1481 02:20 Catania 2636 03:45 Chania 2756 03:50 Copenhagen 895 01:40 Corfu 2329 03:25 Dalaman 2639 03:40 Dublin 2030 03:10 Dubrovnik 2027 03:00 Düsseldorf 1512 02:25 Edinburgh 1717 02:40
Eilat
From Helsinki
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
Eilat 3457 04:45 Frankfurt 1543 02:35 Fuerteventura 4578 06:05 Funchal 4310 05:45 Gdansk 768 02:00 Geneva 1994 03:00 Gothenburg 785 01:25 Hamburg 1 172 02:00 Hannover 1278 2:15 Heraklion 2777 03:55 Ibiza 2897 04:00 Innsbruck 1701 02:35 Kos 2620 03:45 Kraków 1 186 02:00 Las Palmas 4700 06:10 Lisbon 3369 04:50 Ljubljana 1713 02:40 London 1863 03:10 Lyon 2081 03:10 Madrid 2950 04:25 Málaga 3357 04:35 Malta 2822 04:15 Manchester 1817 03:00
112 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
From Helsinki
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
Menorca 2688 04:05 Milan 1953 03:05 Minsk 734 01:15 Moscow 876 01:40 Munich 1577 02:30 Naples 2283 03:25 Nice 2202 03:25 Oslo 766 01:30 Palma de Mallorca 2777 04:00 Paphos 2898 04:00 Paris 1900 03:05 Pisa 2093 03:20 Porto 3117 04:20 Prague 1322 02:10 Preveza 2397 03:25 Pula 1865 02:55 Reykjavík 2429 03:50 Rhodes 2668 03:45 Riga 382 00:55 Rimini 1993 03:00 Rome 2235 03:25 St Petersburg 301 01:00 Salzburg 1592 02:30
From Helsinki
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
Santorini 2660 03:40 Skiathos 2353 03:30 Split 1956 02:55 Stockholm 400 01:00 Stuttgart 1637 02:45 Tallinn 101 00:30 Tartu 245 00:50 Tel Aviv-Yafo 3230 04:25 Tenerife Norte 4691 06:10 Tenerife Sur 4745 06:10 Tromsø 1078 01:55 Trondheim 813 01:50 Umeå 459 01:20 Varna 1911 02:55 Venice 1847 02:55 Verona 1903 02:55 Vienna 1462 02:30 Vilnius 633 01:15 Visby 481 01:25 Warsaw 940 01:40 Zakynthos 2526 03:55 Zürich 1781 02:45
World of Finnair
Intercontinental destinations
Sapporo Beijing Seoul Busan
Xi’an Nanjing Shanghai
Fukuoka
Tokyo Nagoya Osaka
Delhi Dubai Guangzhou Hong Kong
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
From Helsinki
Bangkok 7912 09:45 Beijing Capital Intl. 6309 07:40 Beijing Daxing Intl. 6309 08:00 Busan 7847 08:55 Delhi 5229 06:50 Dubai 4537 05:55 Fukuoka 8060 09:30 Guangzhou 7693 09:30 Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 8510 10:50 Hong Kong 7821 09:35 Krabi 8350 10:20 Nagoya 7780 09:40 Nanjing 7165 09:35 Osaka 7751 09:30 Phuket 8312 10:05 Sapporo 8013 09:35 Seoul 7050 08:40 Shanghai 7410 09:05 Singapore 9272 11:30 Tokyo 7849 09:45 Xi’an 6421 07:50
Bangkok Ho Chi Minh City Krabi Phuket
Singapore
Chicago New York
Winter season 2019–2020
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Finnair adds flights to popular winter destinations in Lapland, including new non-stop flights from London, Paris, and Zurich.
Miami
From Helsinki
Chicago Havana Los Angeles Miami New York Puerto Plata Punta Cana San Francisco
Great Circle Estimated distances / km flight times
7139 09:15 8703 11:15 9016 10:35 8342 11:10 6626 08:45 8410 11:15 8404 11:05 8724 10:45
Havana Puerto Plata Punta Cana
1 W E E KLY F LIGHT
London Gatwick – Kittilä Paris – Kittilä Zurich – Kittilä 2 W E E KLY F LIGHTS
London Gatwick – Ivalo
DECEMBER 2019 BLUE WINGS 113
FINLAND FACTS Nature
168,000 lakes*
75%
Government
1917
land covered by forests
*with an area of 500 m2 or more
Sovereign parliamentary republic
1995 Monthly avg. temperatures in Helsinki (2018):
area
338,455 km2*
Member of EU since January 1995
200 members
elected for four-year terms
*includes land area and fresh water
Parliament
7%
National bird
Education
GDP
(2018*)
SV
€234
FI
billion
the annual change in volume 1.7% *preliminary
88% speak Finnish 5.2% speak Swedish 0.04% speak Sámi
Fun facts
Currency
€ EURO
73%
14
Universities *incl National Defence University
of students have studied beyond basic education
25
Universities of applied sciences
Consumption of coffee per capita
National food: rye bread
9.9kg* 2,300,000* saunas
*estimate
114 BLUE WINGS DECEMBER 2019
*per year
506,000*
overnight stays by foreign travellers (Sept 2019)
SOURCE: STATISTICS FINLAND ILLUSTRATION: ANGELINA LUZHINA
million
Economy
*preliminary
5.5
Languages SÁ
elected every six years; current president is Sauli N iinistö, who was re-elected to a second term in January 2018
whooper swan
land used for agriculture
Population
President
WHAT IS LIFE WITHOUT
–
JEWELRY? This Christmas the best gifts are sustainably handmade in Finland.