May/June 2006
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48 Hours: Helsinki
By Husna Haq Photo by Raymond Patrick
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At Kiasma, the Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art, the space reflects the art. |
The Finnish love of nature, steamy saunas, and bold design fuels the creative spirit in the capital city of Helsinki.
 n the May/June issue of Traveler, Raphael Kadushin gets caught up in the vibrant, cosmopolitan energy of this Nordic wonderland, a bustling city of roughly half a million on the southern coast of Finland.
Following are resources to help plan your visit to Helsinki. Even though the most common languages are Finnish and Swedish, many of the residents speak English, as evidenced on these websites.
Blogs
Podcasts
Newspapers
Magazines
Radio
Maps
Books
Movies
Blogs
Washington Post Finland Diary
Reporter Robert G. Kaiser and photographer Lucian Perkins embark on a three-week tour of Finland "to find out why this rarely noticed little country has the world's best educational system, produces such talented musicians and architects, and has more cell phones per capita than Japan or America." The result is an intelligent, thoughtful, and well-researched chronicle on issues like women's rights, technology, depression, taxes, abortion, racial homogeneity, and much more. This easy-to-navigate site also features links to Washington Post articles on Finland, and intimate photos of Finnish life.
Finland for Thought
During three years of working in Finland, an American IT professional named Phil explores politics and culture in his new home. Read Phil's commentary on Finnish news and post replies to his sharp opinions on Finn-American relations, racism, and Finnish media, military, education, and music. Browse side columns for links to English-language Finnish news and suggested blogs and websites.
Life in Finland (and Beyond): Odds and Sods of an Expat in Finland
A Canadian expat living in Espoo, Finland, reveals an eye-level view of everyday life in the land of saunas, cell phones, and snow. From shoppingless Sundays and tin-can cars to Finnish performances at the Turin Olympics and the cost of living ("only beer and milk is cheaper in Finland"), "Carmen" muses about Finnish customs and cultural differences. What she lacks in authority, she makes up for in curiosity.
Podcasts
Radio Free Finland
This live weekly English-language talk show is available online and can be downloaded to iPods. Host Phil (yup, same Phil behind the Finland for Thought blog—the guy gets around) chats up guests like Ovi Magazine editor Asa Butcher on current events, politics, culture, and Finnish-U.S. differences. Recent guests discussed sexuality, drug policy, the Muslim cartoon controversy, and the Olympics.
Pod CityGuides
Download free info on Helsinki sights, restaurants, hotels, clubs, and cultural events on your iPod. CityGuide compiles files on sights throughout the world, then offers free iPod downloads with a quick registration. CityGuide files include a brief descriptive paragraph on attractions, including business hours, credit cards accepted, and price range.
Newspapers
Helsingin Sanomat
Read the international edition of Finland's leading national paper (the only general-interest, English-language Finnish newspaper) for global stories with Finnish connections, and local news and columns by Finnish writers. Past headlines touched on EU politics, Finnish-Russian relations, and social movements in Finland.
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Magazines
SixDegrees
Allegedly named after the average yearly temperature of Finland (5.3°C, 42°F), SixDegrees is a free English-language monthly enticing readers with compelling covers and thought-provoking pieces on politics, spirituality, society, and the arts. Check out the Helsinki events calendar, reviews of cultural events, and interviews with Finnish personalities.
Helsinki This Week
Read the entire issue of Helsinki This Week online before you even set foot in Finland. It's available free throughout Helsinki and in digital format online. This magazine-cum-tour-book, published eight times a year, is packed with information for English-speaking visitors. Skim through useful info on Helsinki history, transportation, and accommodations, then flip to the calendar of events and shopping and dining guides. Don't miss "Helsinki Musts" and city maps highlighted with attractions. Available at tourist bureaus, the airport, hotels, and museums throughout Helsinki.
Ovi Magazine
For an offbeat look at news, culture, and science, with a Finnish slant, check out the monthly online Ovi Magazine. The editors of Ovi, two of whom live in Finland, analyze news headlines (from oil to Iran, Pat Robertson, and why Finnish politics are stuck in the Cold War era), review quirky arts and culture events, publish seven regular columns, and oversee an online forum. Best bet: "Le Meteque" for thoughts, advice, and experiences for foreigners living in Finland (everything from starting a business in Finland to marrying a Finn).
Radio
Radio Helsinki 95.2
This format-free station plays a wide variety of music and offers broadcasts in Finnish and English. Check the website for schedules and tune in to English-language shows like Paul Cheetham's "The Music Club" for rock and pop and Nick Triani's "8 1/2" for modern indie and pop. Click the MP3 links on the right to listen on your MP3 player, RealPlayer, or Media Player.
YLE Mondo FM 97.5
Listen to lessons in Finnish, programs in Russian, or news in English on this 24-hour world radio station. Programming includes BBC and NPR, as well as Finnish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Norwegian-language shows. Check the schedule for programs to listen to when in Finland.
Maps
Helsinki City Map
Explore Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, or Kauniainen through this online map outlining metro stops, parks, and shopping attractions. Zoom in and print out areas of interest.
Helsinki This Week Map
Visit the website of Helsinki's tourist magazine and click on "Maps" for several excellent maps highlighted with transportation centers and attractions like museums, cathedrals, parks, markets, and tourist centers.
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Books
Kalevala, compiled by Elias Lonnrot, translated by Keith Bosley (World Classics, 1989)
Like Britain's Beowulf and Greece's Odyssey, Kalevala is Finland's 50-chapter national epic, comprised of old Finnish folk poetry compiled by 19th-century scholar Elias Lonnrot. This collection of ancient creation myths, journeys, weddings, duels, spells, and lessons inspired Finnish national identity and is required reading for understanding the country's psyche. Kalevala has been translated into about 50 languages, including five English versions. Check out poet Keith Bosley's 1989 translation.
The Seven Brothers, by Aleksis Kivi, translation by Alex Matson (Coward-McCann, 1929)
Called "Finland's most celebrated literary treasure" and "the greatest Finnish novel of all time," this novel is a coming-of-age tale of seven brothers who struggle to survive and run the family farm after their parents die. Required reading for most Finnish students, The Seven Brothers celebrates the Finnish homeland and the transformation of seven scared, young boys to noble men. Check out the English translation by Alex Matson.
The Helsinki Chronicles of Dr. Louise C. Love and Mr. P. : Six Adventures in Finland's Capital, by Arthur M. Alexander, Notes by Olen Sukkela Poika (Author House, 2005)
Ramble across Helsinki with Dr. Louise Love as she unravels six mysteries that take her (and the reader) all over Finland's capital. Learn about Helsinki sights, and Finnish history, personalities, and language in this Sherlock Holmes-meets-Lonely Planet romp that entertains and informs. Poika's "Notes" follow each mystery, adding interesting factoids and references.
Movies
Mother of Mine (2005)
Finland's entry for Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award 2006, Mother of Mine tells the story of the forced evacuation of 70,000 Finnish children to Sweden, Denmark, and Norway during WWII. Director Klaus Haro focuses on nine-year-old Eero, who struggles to adapt after he is sent to live with a family in Sweden when his father is killed in the war. Watch this movie for its quiet emotion, acclaimed musical score, and commemoration of one of the most overlooked aspects of WWII.
The Man Without a Past (1978)
This Oscar-nominated foreign film follows the life of M, a man who suffers from amnesia after being attacked in a park in Helsinki. Viewers will get an inside look at Finnish culture as M slowly builds a new life in the lower-class outskirts of Helsinki and falls in love with a Salvation Army worker. Finnish pop music adds sparkle to this quiet, thoughtful film.
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
Follow nine members of a Finnish rock band as they go to America for fame and fortune. The Leningrad Cowboys drive their Cadillac from New York City to Mexico, playing rock, blues, country, salsa, and mariachi in seedy joints along the way. Watch this offbeat flick for its dry humor, fun music, insight into Finnish culture, and critique of American society.
Ariel (1988)
Life is drab and depressing for Finnish coal miner Taisto Kasurinen, who gets laid off, loses his friend to suicide, gets robbed, is framed for a crime he didn't commit, and throughout it all, trudges through life with mute resignation. Director Aki Kaurismaki's film has all the Finnish staples: deadpan humor, gloom, restraint, irony, long stretches of silence, and a silver lining of hope, set against a snowy Finnish landscape.
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