Helsinki? Hel yeah!

By Tiara Lin Source:Global Times Published: 2015-9-29 5:03:02

Finland’s capital is a world of contradictions


A visitor sits in the Taidehalli Art Museum in Helsinki. Photo: Tiara Lin

Tourists walk by the Fortress of Suomenlinna, a UNESCO world heritage site, in Helsinki. Photo: Tiara Lin

If I had to describe Helsinki, the capital of Finland, in one word, it would be "contradictive."  Helsinki is a city full of contradictions.

It's a place that seems so quiet on the surface yet has the highest amount of heavy metal rock bands per capital in the world; the Finns seem a little bit reserved and shy yet have no problem showing themselves naked in front of others in the sauna; it is one of the happiest cities in the world yet it gave birth to Angry Birds.

As my list got longer, I found this pocket-sized city even more interesting to explore.

Car-less VS car free



My journey in Helsinki started with a shocking fact: My Finnish friend has no car.

"I'll pick you up at the airport," she wrote me. I was expecting a car ride as many of my Chinese friends who live in the capital of traffic jams, Beijing, have more than one car. I was surprised to see my Finnish friend come and pick me up by bus. It only cost 5 euros ($5.60).

The thing is, it's not like my friend couldn't afford a car. She has a good-paying job and owns a boat. Car-less might be poverty, but going car-free is a lifestyle.

"The Finns are low-key, we don't like showing off," she said.

Helsinki, home to 1.2 million people, has an ambitious plan to stop people from owning cars. If everything works out, 10 years from now no one in Helsinki will need to have a car.

The idea behind it is called "mobility on demand" system, which combines all forms of public transportation from bikes to buses, from subway to taxi, in a single payment network. Passengers just need to enter their location and destination in a mobile app, and the app will do the rest for them, according to a report from the Guardian.

In reality though, I'm afraid a car-free life is not that easy to achieve. On September 18, almost all the city's public transportation was shut down due to a nationwide protest against government cutbacks. My friend had to call her father to drive me to the airport.

Serious VS fun



Walking down on the street of Helsinki, I noticed that many people look reserved and serious. No greetings to stranger, no eye contact, no smiles on people's faces.

"It's probably because of the weather," a Finnish boy told me.

"But after a couple of drinks, they would open up to you."

Ah alcohol! The universal social lubricant. The day-time seriousness of the people is probably why pocket-sized Helsinki has tons of bars and clubs within walking distance from each other. Bars open until 2 am and clubs until 4 am. I heard they even have wife-carrying competitions in some bars. The winner wins his wife's weight in beer. I also saw people carrying a huge amount of alcohol on the boat returning from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. It is just a three-hour boat trip and the alcohol over there is cheaper.

Another way to get serious-looking people to open their mouth is karaoke, which is not just popular in Japan. In Helsinki, you might see or hear a karaoke taxi rolling through the street. It is a minibus equipped with karaoke machines and TV screens. Up to 12 people can sing their way to their destination.

Shy VS letting it all hang out



Many Finns appear shy. As a local joke goes: "An introverted Finn looks at his shoes when talking to you; an extroverted Finn looks at your shoes." However, they have no problem being naked in front of others in a sauna or at home.

Another Finnish friend of mine was surprised when I told him that I've never seen my parents naked. He said he has seen it all.

"It was awkward when my friends came to visit and my dad walked out naked, he just said sorry and quickly covered his private parts," he said.

I kindly asked him not to invite me home.

Still, I had a burning question. "If you saw a hot lady walk into the sauna, you wouldn't even bother looking up?" I asked. "No," he answered without hesitation.

"I've probably seen it all."

Happy VS angry



Even though I barely saw a smile on a stranger's face, Finland is a happy country. Once again, Finland made it on the list of the world's top 10 happiest countries, according to the new World Happiness Report. Its capital Helsinki is considered one of the happiest cities in the world, according to Reader's Digest's 2014 report. The reason it gave was the "Finns are naturally honest." If you lost your wallets in Helsinki, 11 out of 12 would be returned.

However, such a happy country invented an "angry" video game: Angry Birds. Since the game released in 2009, it has been downloaded 2 billion times, according to the games developer Rovio Entertainment. It is considered the most famous Finnish product since Nokia. 

Speaking of Nokia, the legendary mobile phone that was used by almost all my college friends back in the early 2000s has pretty much disappeared from the mobile market in Finland. The only Nokia phone I saw was a life-sized model at the entrance to the Kiasma modern art museum.

Many of my friends in China have thrown their old Nokia phones away. Here in Finland, people might get an award throwing their phones away, literally. Each year the country hosts a Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships in the homeland of Nokia. In 2012, 18-year-old Ere Karjalainen set a new world record by chucking a Nokia phone over 101 meters, according to Times.com. I'm pretty sure Nokia isn't a sponsor.

Grey VS green



Grey weather, grey mood. The typical gray European summer might leave people feeling under the weather. Fortunately, Finland is very green. Up to 75 percent of the land is covered with forests. Its capital Helsinki has 330 islands, providing beautiful green views.

On one windy day, my friend took me to the island of Suomenlinna. Just a 15-minute ferry ride away from the city center, we arrived at the fortress island.

In 1991, the island was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In summer time when the city enjoys almost 19 hours of daylight and the nights are warm, people like coming to the island with friends to have a picnic or enjoy the natural scenery. The last ferry back to town is at 2 in the morning. There aren't many lights on the island, so don't forget to bring a flashlight.

Contradictive VS comfortable



When I asked my Finnish friend to use one word to describe Helsinki, she said "comfortable." From a local's perspective, the city is a very comfortable place to live. The streets are clean, things are in order and people are honest.

But what really impressed me was how comfortable the airport was. In 2014, the international sleepinginairports.com website selected Helsinki Airport as the world's third most sleep-friendly airport.

How friendly? Instead of sleeping on a cold hard bench, I spent an evening sleeping in an "egg." Actually the little beds are called GoSleep pods. The Helsinki Airport is the first European airport to introduce such a service to provide passengers privacy and peace while sleeping.

The GoSleep pod is a six-by-two foot capsule in which has been placed an ergonomic seat that can be turned into a bed. Passengers can charge electronic devices inside while they sleep. There are 19 pods in the airport and they cost 9 euros an hour.

It was the first time I had ever slept in the Helsinki Airport. My biggest concern was my personal luggage. The manager of GoSleep Lounge lifted up the seat and showed me the storage space under the bed. It was such a relief to find that I wouldn't have to sleep on my bag! My second biggest concern was I didn't want people to see me sleeping. The manager pulled down a magical shield from the top and transformed the egg into a light and noise-free cocoon. That night, I had a weird dream about living in a spaceship. The only accident I had was when I went to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I almost stepped on a passenger who was sleeping outside of the toilet.

Rules of thumb



Depending on when you travel, you might have different experiences:

Spring: March -May, 0C-10C

Spring is short in Finland. But it is the season you can see ice melting and hear birds singing. The weather is still cold and the city is quiet. I highly recommend you to spend some time in the countryside.

Summer: June- August 15C-30C

The city never sleeps in summer. You might enjoy 19 hours of daylight. The city will be full of life: music festivals, art festivals and a lot of parties.

Autumn:  September -November, 2C-15C

There are a lot of nice cafés to relax during lazy days. If the weather is bad, go explore the cuisine in the city.

Winter: December-March -30C-0C

Ski! It is cold, but that's no reason to stay indoors. You can go skiing for up to 16 hours under the sun. If you need any help during your travel in Helsinki, go ask the Helsinki Helpers. They can be easily identified by their green vests.

Source: visitfinland, visithelsinki

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