Sunday, January 31, 2010

Wanna combine good skiing & fun? Go to Vermont!

If you plan to go skiing and can enjoy a down-to-earth, lively and fun before/during/after ski, I suggest to go to Okemo Mountain at Vermont. Over there at Ludlow you need to get yourself to Tom's LOFT Tavern that was also recognized as THE place to go by media.

Great place on the mountain, or what would you expect from a place that has got a quality promise at their sign: ‘‘Home of lousy food, warm beer and grumpy owner.’’...

You can check out the article from here!

http://www.boston.com/travel/explorene/galleries/take10/apres_ski?pg=7

Unfortunately I live at the moment a bit further away so can't make a weekend trip but one of these days I will go there skiing. So far my experience is from the summer and that was good too!
Regards from Espoo, Finland - we got again ~20cm fresh snow over night. 
I love it!!!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Only in Finland

Dear Friends,

As you know we Finns are just like all others. In some things. Then there are some things we differ from the others. Just a bit. I guess all of you are used to have permanent snow and the temperature somewhere between -5C and -15C, sometimes down to -20C. Or are you used to it...?

Today it has been a bit more slippery then normally. By early afternoon there had been registered over 20 car crashes at Helsinki, about 500.000 people city. Yep, it was slippery indeed but I LOVE IT!

It has been icy and slippery ever since mid December and gotta say I have loved to drive, the more slippery the better! It is fun to play with the car, too bad there are not enough places to do it properly and safely.

My favorite spot is the silent road next to our place where I tend to park my car, while the other car is at our normal parking spot. Anyways, when I come ther so that I need to park on the other side of the road I'm driving to, it is ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN to do the hand break turn. If you have seen the legendary movie Blues Brothers, just imagine the guys parking in front of the church. That's what I get to practice on daily basis :o)  

As I said, Finland is just like any other country!

Also in the following articles that I spotted last Sunday from our main newspaper Ican prove you we are just like the others - or what do you thing?
This one is about salmiakki, the salty liquirice you can find in Nordics and something related from Holland (dank u wel Marieke!). My fool countrymen have established a salmiakki promoting union that on yearly basis arrange a tasting competition to find the best salmiakki of the year.

The funny thing is that the salmiakki that has once won the competition can not take part any more. No worries, they will not run out of options any time soon...

Out of the ones below for latest election, my favorite is the one far left, Haganol's one that is closest to the one you have been able to buy from the pharmacy. Nowadays they have made the same stuff also at liquid so making salmiakki vodka is easier then ever ;o)
To keep you guys on your toes, remember that you are always welcome and we are happy to join the winter swimming contest together.

Just for info, the winner was the 2nd from the right.

Back to the winter. Imagine yourself in open water (opened from the frozen lake or sea), naked, swimming. ...get the picture of us Finns? If needed go back to the post around the New Year where I showed a pic of a person in the snow, naked, -20C...
Welcome to Finland!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Go Finland!

I am proud to show you that from the ~250 countries in the world, Finland has been selected to the Visa ad among with some other countries, same as tiny Iceland.

Later on few exotic examples why you should come up here...
GO FINLAND!

Friday, January 22, 2010

Love boat for business usage?

Last week I was on one of the ferries that cruise between Finland and Sweden. In addition to being important cargo transporters, they also carry people. What is surprising, many of these people are not going anywhere.

Let's face it, it is a partry boat with several restaurants. In addition to huge buffet dining, you have a'la carte, cafe type, and then of course night club style with dancing (walse, tango etc.), a bit wilder disco with karaoke, pub, etc.

Since they want all your money, there is of course also chance to do some shopping, including Finnish desing Marimekko, Iittala, Muumi etc. but most important for Finnish and Swedish passangers the tax-free alcohol.

In order for the ferry company to keep the tax free selling right within EU, they applied and got exception for Ahvenanmaa, Åland.

Ever since the ferries stop there for about 30 minutes to unload / load people and cargo - and to get the tax-free possibility.

Also for Finns this brings a possibility to buy snuff / nuuska / snus, the horrible smelling tobacco that you should put under you lip and look rediculous. Just check out some of the Swedish hockey players - also in NHL. That's the reason they sometimes have a funny bump at upper lip, it is not from the game...

Reason for this being successful is the high tax on alcohol in both countries. Hence we also have state monopoly for selling any alcohol above 4.7%. That is all good beers, wine etc., not to talk about our national treasure Koskenkorva Vodka.

Similar pricing applies to the restaurants so no wonder Finns and Swedes keeeeeep drinking. And all of the sudden the boat becomes the LOVE BOAT.

We went onboard due to the conference facilities - and of course to have some fun too. Gotta say, outside the time you spend in the conference room, bars or in the cabin sleeping, there is no point being onboard. Boring. So I don't think the love boat is the best place for conference after all, unless you can keep the schedule busy from start to finish.

Highlight of the trip?
Well, it was not love boat for me. Highlight was to see the rednecks on dance floor without any sense of the moves and their jeans pulled up to their armpits... I bet they were Swedes (and am afraid they are Finns).


I found another writing about the ferry trips and it is something worth reading. I was about to go further with this posting but after I saw this one, I will take the easy option and let you check the info from another site ;o)

Here are still few pics from the archipelago. Would you want to live here?

What about this place then? No complaints expected from next door.

Let's finish it with some ice art...

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Comeback of the sun

After 7 weeks the sun made a comeback and climed above the horizon for one full hour up North in Lappland. This is at the northest place called Nuorgam, Utsjoki in Northern Finland.

Well, only 6 months to go and then it is the opposite: the sun does not go down at all. Hence they have e.g. midnight golfing... Not bad, here is a taster of midnight moment from Lapland summer.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Now I know better!

Good morning,

Before going further, I wish to complete previous posts about Bääbs; Unfortunately Bääbs did not make it to the next round - unless the wild card comes to her - but despite of the outcome I am extremely proud of the show that was put together self produced, without any record company support.
Well done!!!

Then to the blog-topic;
I have been wondering if there are people who truly visit and read what I write. Ivanka is the only one who dares to comment (you know, you can post comments anonymus and without registering from the end of the post) and I only now and then hear direct feedback from some of you.

Feel free to post comments or give your views directly to me!

After I added the gadget that shows the flags and counts of visiting countries together with the total page downloads my confidence in you raised. Already over 100 page in a week, since I published it on 8th.

Thank you for reading, give your comments and stay on the channel - something new coming up again soon!



Friday, January 8, 2010

Bääbs Show can begin...

Continuance to the previous;

We are ready, already put the champagne in the natural cooler at the back yard.

Yes, it is real - the cooler is in the middle, next to the iglu that has got light inside. Just to clarify, this is different from the previous iglu - the one K made in Levi, Lapland.

-18C outside so the cooler is very efficient...

To complete tonight's Bääbs-packet, here are the instructions for voting (only in Finland).

Tässä tiedoksi äänestysohjeet:
Soita numeroon 0700-717-03 tai lähetä tekstiviesti 3 nroon 17132.
Äänestys alkaa suoran lähetyksen alussa ja jatkuu lähetyksen loppupuolelle asti.
Äänestyspuhelu maksaa 99 senttiä + pvm per puhelu.
Tekstiviestin hinta on 99 senttiä per viesti.


Live - tonight - from Tampere: Bääbs!

At her website http://baabs.fi/ scroll down and you can check out the video of the performance - but it is different from the show tonight.

Also English pages are available so go ahead and get into the mood, let's see if she can make it to the next level. However, for a self-produced piece it is FANTASTIC achievement that she has made it even this far!!!

Hyvä Päivi, Go Bääbs!
Enjoy your moment in the spotlight!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Go Bääbs

Like I said earlier I have higher interest to the Finnish qualification to the Eurovision song contest this year.

The reason for the interest, Bääbs, has done apparently better then ever expected but is this Friday facing the next phase of the qualifications. She is performing on stage and I am really looking for it!!! At Facebook there has been fan groups where Finns have been able to find instructions on how to vote etc. That's today's marketing ;o)

Go Päivi - I mean Bääbs - on Friday at Finnish TV2, 9:00 pm!!!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Wanna have a beer in Finland? Pay for it...!

If you plan a trip to Finland, keep in mind that you can get almost all the beers from the world - but with a price tag. Or what do you think about these prices in a Finnish pub?


(You can enlarge the pics by clicking them)

A regular lager 0.33 liter bottle with 4.7% alcohol (4.7 due to a strange law in Finland) costs you from 4 to 5 euros, but as you can see from above, all "special" brands to Finnish markets are 50-100% more expensive. What comes to the taste of the Finnish beers, no matter what the brand is, they taste more or less the same...

While passing a pizza joint the other day I couldn't resist - I had to take the pic below. -20C outside and yes, it is bare skin that you can see at arms & shoulders. And the hat is similar to what my daughter was wearing. She was too embarrased to go to the same pic...


Matter of taste and style, I'd say. He was smiling after I took the pic!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The iglu

We have a family member (or actually several) who loves to play in the snow and has not had the chance in past years. Hence he used the opportunity and went sleighing, pulkkamäki, as well as decided to build an iglu.

One hour passed and it was ready to go, big enough for a 2 meter tall man to sleep in!!!

Also it has been enjoyable to see him as well as another family member to clear the yard from the snow voluntarily. Still now, let's see how long it will last...

Friday, January 1, 2010

Ladies, let's park!

Let's start the new year with a news from last year.
####
Ladies, this is good news;
There is a shopping mall that has got parking designed for women. Pink colors, bright lights and 1meter (3 ft) wider parking places!!! And this is not a joke.

Ja sama suomeksi.

Downside?
It is in China, not (yet) in Finland...

And here is another good one.
Someone is selling a ginger bread house at the same site as normal houses are sold. If someone buys the house, the money goes to charity of homeless people...

Hyvää Uutta Vuotta - Happy New Year!

2010, I bet it will be even better than 2009!

Well, at the same time I do remember how some guys were beaten by certain employer... There is a reason for everything and call me naive or what ever but I do believe the good guys will win at the end ;o)

Another dark story to clear the air;
What the f__k is wrong with people since they can't accept the facts and at the end can't handle things other then with violence - and in worst case like today. Not to talk about the school shootings - or the not-so-brutal-but-still-violent beatings at the schools. Parents, kids, it is time to wake up, you need to respect life!!!

OK, so much for the dark side. The best is to continue life and make the best out of it - realizing still the dark side. This year our New Year was a bit different from the past ones, since we are in the middle of active ski holiday, where 10-12 hour night sleep is nothing extraordinary...

Laplad is still beautiful! Here is a pic from the top of the World Cup slope on a foggy day. In clear weather you would see a nice background but here this looks like uphill... This is the same slope where the top guys and ladies ski for the title...

And here is the Tuikku-restaurant which is a bit like a water fountain in the middle of Sahara desert.

The Horizont-restaurant is pretty good, even if they should keep the fire place hot all the time
 
Well, at least they have the reindeer horns

And outside you can find the nature art

At the end of the day you can park your vehicle - or skis - and head to the village. Some of you might remember that I wrote something about FAN-F___ING-TASTIC Exel-ski poles that you can see on the left. They are great! Just like the Salomon Pilot8 skis, which are on the other hand a bit outdated and not enough curved... High speed and no mogules, they are great!

Anyways, you can finish the day at the bottom of the slope with sleigh (pulkka) ride. I can tell you it can be fun!!!

Afterwards cross the road and you are in the middle of the village centre.

There is a tower and all, but let's get real - it is new built without proper history. Commercial...

But on the other hand one can NOT argue about the beauty of Lapland!!!

It on the other hand can make one crazy, as we Finns know. Or how would you otherwise explain the man in the snow you can find in the pic...?!?

It is 2010 and we also did the traditional tin melting, this time with snow unlike the past years.


Hyvää Uutta Vuotta
Happy New Year
2010