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Tomorrow I am visiting these two cities during the weekend. Before the trip, I would like to do some homework about them for the business and leisure purpose.
In Wikipeida, it says that “ Kajaani is the capital of the Kainuu region. It is located southeast of Oulujärvi (Lake Oulu). There are 38,038 (in 2012) inhabitants. The population density is 20.73 inhabitants per square kilometre (53.7 /sq mi) . Kajaani is in the center of the region of Kainuu. Folklorist Elias Lönnrot began his travels from here when collecting folklore in Karelia. “
“One famous historical monument in Kajaani are the ruins of Kajaani Castle, located on an island in River Kajaani in the centre of the city. The castle was originally built in 1604 and completed in 1666. The castle served as an administrative centre, prison, military base and a refuge for the citizens.” I had been the castle with my Finnish friends. They told me the story about the soldiers who toughly, bravely fought against the enemy for months even when they ran out of supplies and food. They did not give up. The spirit passes on to the next generations. Finns know how to fight with the limited resources. I believe that’s why Finland can stand out even though with the harsh climate and small population.

On the other hand, Sotkamo is a municipality of Finland, located in the Kainuu region. The municipality has a population of 10,694 (in 2012)and covers an area of 2,952.11 square kilometres (1,139.82 sq mi) of which 302.61 km2 (116.84 sq mi) is water.The population density is 4.04 inhabitants per square kilometre (10.5 /sq mi).
Vuokatti, west of Sotkamo, is a popular skiing resort. The Hiidenportti National Park (see as the picture below) is located in the municipality. In sports, Sotkamo is known for its Finnish baseball team, Sotkamon Jymy.
One of the major landmarks of Sotkamo is the sandy beach of Hiukka, which locates by the lake Iso Sapsojärvi, just beside the Sotkamo center. Beside tourism, mining is important for the economy of Sotkamo. Mondo Minerals BV mines talc in Lahnaslampi and the biggest unutilized nickel deposit in Europe is in Talvivaara. Talvivaara Mining Company was formed to utilize the reserves and metals production started in late 2008.

For the business purpose, I should take a loot at some companies in the region. Snowpolis Technology Park is the technology park I surfed online in Kajaani-Sotkamo region. The below is the information I got from their website (http://www.snowpolis.com/index.asp?pid=2). “With well-being with the help of sports-, nutritional- and winter technologies, Snowpolis Vuokatti is an international leader in the areas of wellness technology, sports and winter. The Competence and Firm Center is located in the Sotkamo-Vuokatti-Kajaani-region. Functionally, the technology park is a meeting point for companies, scientific research, development centers and education. Snowpolis gathers various companies working in similar fields together, in order to develop the area business activities, top-quality expertise, education and services. Snowpolis Vuokatti offers reputable jobs in an interesting working environment, as well as a pleasing and safe living environment for the entire family.

Business
Snowpolis is a modern and innovative environment e.g. for companies designing sports- and fitness equipment. The Technology Park suits well various kinds of testing, testing in cold conditions, electronics- and programming industry, as well as businesses based on biotechnology. Snowpolis combines entrepreneurial pursuits with university-level competence in sports technology, nutrition, and wellness technology and snow expertise.

Science and research
Local businesses as well as scientific personnel throughout domestic Finnish and international universities are part of Snowpolis-cooperation. The University of Oulu, the University of Kuopio,… and the Kajaani University Consortium are all part of it, as well as the Municipality of Sotkamo, the City of Kajaani, the Kainuu Employment and Economic Development Centre, and the Province of Kainuu.

Snowpolis is a part of a larger Multipolis-network, where there are 17 000 top-skilled professionals from various fields of expertise.

In addition to these facts and despite of the fairly young age of Snowpolis it has been accepted as a member of many remarkable international networks, such as IASP (International Association of Science Parks), TEKEL (Finnish Science Park Association) and ENoLL ( European Network of Living Labs) .

Snowpolis lifestyle
The strategy of Snowpolis builds on frictionless synergy, which is created by the companies and departments. Behind all activities are the competence and skills of the people, teamwork and willingness to do high-quality work. What makes the strategy of Snowpolis special, is its modern way of seeing the daily work to be done in a highly technological environment, whilst living and spending one free time in the midst of nature; factors which continuously support each other and raise the quality of living. Snowpolis stands out, both nationally and internationally, providing an attractive, pleasant and safe environment for working and living.

Sports technology
The competence of Snowpolis in sports technology is based on the activities of two university departments, the Department of Biology of Physical Activity and its division of Sports Technology …, as well as on the Measurement Laboratory for Sports at the University of Oulu. Different measuring equipment, - methods and concepts and their applications are tested. Winter sport is an area of specialization.

The competence in nutritional technology is based on the long experience the Laboratory of Biotechnology at the University of Oulu possesses. In addition, the MTT (Research Center for Agriculture and Food Science) in Sotkamo supports the competence in nutritional issues.

The expertise of Snowpolis in winter technology is founded on the many years of experience in testing winter sports equipment. The Vuokatti Sports Institute, the Vuokatti skiing slopes, the cross-country skiing tunnel and the snowboard tunnel have already functioned as a testing ground for many years. At Snowpolis, we are constantly seeking new dimensions of snow, ice and extremely cold conditions. The vision is to combine snow sports, ice sports and the testing of vehicles for their characteristics (e.g. friction).

Finland is such a country with freezing cold climate and only 5.3 million population. Decades ago, she promoted herself to the whole world with the telecommunication technology like Nokia. The world has changed the lifestyle since then. As we are aware of the fact- nowadays technology matters tremendously. Snowpolis takes advantage of the “traits ( the cold climate and few residents)” that Finland has, and transforms them into the competitive aspects, such as the skills to integrate the same profession and develop the winter technology. That is the dominant position that some countries such as Taiwan cannot compete with.
I am looking forward to my trip to Kajaani and Sotkamo, waiting to see more and learn more.

    As a foreign newcomer in Oulu, Finland, it is not easy to “survive” in such a different environment, especially you do not speak the language-Finnish. Fortunately, I make some Taiwanese friends, who have been in Oulu for more than three years. They help me develop the interest in Finnish language and know the Finns better. Yesterday, my Taiwanese friend, Corrina (interesting enough, Taiwanese in general like to have English names ), spent the whole day with me to give me the survival guidance in Oulu. The first stop is to the information center. To my surprise, Oulu has such a thoughtful service for bikers. There is a map for bikers in three languages- Finnish, Swedish and English. As you can see in the map, the city is covered by well-organized bicycle paths to almost everywhere. How convenient it is!

    Then, we went to the market hall, which the local calls it “red house” in Finnish. They have fresh meat to buy. In Taiwan, we believe in buying fresh ingredients in traditional markets instead of supermarkets. Shopping here for food makes me really comfortable and homesick. My friend used Finnish to communicate with the butcher and bought some beef. It was fascinating to see one Taiwanese speaking Finnish fluently to the local. After we had the food, I told Corrina that I also needed my“ soul food,” so we went to try my luck in the biggest library in Oulu. The city library is the heaven for book worms. The space tries to make people as comfortable as possible. No wonder in Taiwan we hear so much about the Finns’ reading habit, that is the soft skip cannot be underestimated nowadays. Luckily, we found some Chinese books that I had been missing. Corrina did not understand why I came to Finland to read some Chinese books. I told her that staying away from Taiwan for two years in the U.S.A. makes me appreciate the beauty of Chinese language more. Even though I should take advantage of the chance to know more about the Finnish culture, I just cannot help myself to read some Chinese books. It was not surprising that simplified Chinese ( that Chinese use in China) books outnumbered traditional (that Taiwanese use in Taiwan) ones. We amusingly guessed that the librarians had no clue how to arrange these Chinese books, because the selection was a bit about Chinese classic novels, a bit about romance novels and a bit about some books that Chinese speakers hardly have the interest to take a look. Nevertheless, I was grateful enough for what I could have in Oulu! Kiitos!

    Corrina told me that she wanted to “reduce some weight,” because she is going to visit her family in Taiwan with her husband soon. They would most likely tease about her weight once they see her, so she wanted to take me to swim with her (poor her! She is as light as approximately 46 kilograms! Why Taiwanese are so harsh on girls’ body figures?! ). The swimming pool near the library was shut down for maintenance during June. “Why did they shut it down when the people need to excise the most on vacations?!” Corrina argued. The K Market in the city center was the ideal place for Corrina to show me how to shop in Finland. She taught me how and when to buy some fruits. She gave me lots of tips to pick up all the ingredients. She said that in Oulu, unlike in Taiwan where we can get all the fresh local vegetables, meat and fruits; hence, we should do our best to satisfy ourselves at the least cost. After all, we are such the people who grandly value eating.

    Three hours later from the trip in the downtown, Corrina invited me to her place. She lives in the students house with her Finnish husband. It was such a good pleasure to visit such a bicultural family. She baked Finnish cake for her husband but cooked Taiwanese food as well. Two people with two totally different culture backgrounds live in harmony, which is a perfect example for me to follow.

Rajasthan, the largest state of India, offers ample tourism opportunities. It is famous for its glorious history, rich cultural heritage and stunning desert landscapes. In this state you will see many historical forts, palaces and monuments which tell the saga of its past and heritage. Forts & monuments, wildlife sanctuaries & national parks, sand dunes, camel safari rides, etc are key attractions of Rajasthan tourism. These are attractions which are key elements for various travel packages and products for tourism in royal and imperial Rajasthan. Have a look at some of most poplar tour packages for travel and tours in this royal and imperial Indian state.

Historical tour packages: This kind of tour packages are designed with historical monuments and cities of the state. Historical tour in this state will provide you a wonderful opportunity to explore the historic cities and some of the best Indian monuments featuring forts, palaces, havelis, temples and museums.

Wildlife tour packages: Ranthambhore National Park, Sariska Tiger Reserve and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary are the most sought after destinations for wildlife tour packages in Rajasthan. Desert National Park, Darrah Sanctuary, Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary, Tal Chappar Blackbuck Sanctuary, etc are some other important destinations for wildlife tourism in the state.

Camel safari tour packages: You cannot enjoy the complete charm of Rajasthan Tour if you do not take here camel safari ride. Camel safari tour packages are offered by almost all Rajasthan Tour operators. You will have a great opportunity to see the desert charm of royal Rajasthan and see the rippling sand dunes. Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Bikaner are prominent destinations for camel safari tours in India.

Golden triangle tour packages: Manu of Rajasthan tour operators also provide golden triangle packages. Golden triangle covers Delhi, Agra and Jaipur as its destinations. Delhi is a marvelous amalgamation of modernity and traditional charm. It is famous for Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Lotus Temple, Rajghat, etc are attractions in Delhi. Agra is mainly famous for Taj Mahal Tours. Agra Fort and Itmad-Ud-Daulah are other attractions in Agra. Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan and famous for forts and monuments. City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum, etc are key attractions in the city.

Kerala, a beautiful Indian state located on the Malabar Coast in southern India, offers ample tourism opportunities. If you looking for some of the best experiences of incredible tourism in India then Kerala will never fail to lure you. The state is lovingly known as the God’s Own Country and its capital Trivandrum is known as the God’s Own Capital. The state is internationally famous beautiful beaches and world-class beach resorts. It is also famous for serene and scenic backwaters with luxurious houseboat cruises.

Most of India’s finest beaches are in Kerala. Alappuzha, Bekal, Kovalam, Varkala, Mararikulam, Poovar, Beypore, etc are some of the popular beach resorts in the state. Alleppey, Kumarakom, Kollam, Kuttanad, Kozhikode, Thiruvallam, Thottappally, etc are prominent tourist destinations famous for backwaters and houseboat cruises. Munnar, Devikulam, Echo Point, Rajamalai, Ponmudi and Wayanad are popular hill stations in the state. These are all destinations provide great tourism experience to cherish for lifetime. These destinations are key attractions of Kerala tourism packages. With a right
Kerala Tourism Package you can enjoy best charm of the trip.

There are many other fascinating things to do and see during Kerala Holidays, the God’s Own Country. When you will explore Kochi (fondly known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea) you will see many historical monuments and colonial buildings. You will see the famous Chinese Fishing Nets. Houseboat cruise on magical backwaters is on thing you should not miss during your Kerala Travel Package.

In Chinese language, we say there are four basic aspects to constitute life. They are eating, clothing, housing and transportation (食衣住行). Frankly, I do not have a strong position to comment the life in Oulu, because I have only been here for three weeks, which is longer than a tourist but shorter than a resident. However, you may find my observation entertaining and start to see Oulu in a different way.
For eating, Oulu is such a multicultural city with many exotic restaurants, including Indian, Chinese, Tai, Turkish, Viet, Japanese ,American restaurants. I am happy to see this city enjoying Asian food that much, because it is my favorite.

I had been in Oulu in the winter of 2010. It was freezing cold for me, since we do not have snow in Taiwan! -5 degrees were “warm” for the local but “fridge-cold” for me. Before going out, wear two more swears, one big coat, one pair of glove, two pairs of socks, one scurf and one hat! Gosh! I told my Finnish friend that I had never worn this much in my whole life and I felt like a Christmas tree hanging with lots of stuff!

I wonder how come Finns never invent one piece of super powerful coat that you only need to wear it and you will become undefeatable in the harsh winter? In that case, people do not have to wear so many clothes to go outside and take off them to come inside, how brilliant is this one-billion-dollar idea (kidding)!
Next, it is housing. I have stayed with my Finnish friend in an apartment and visited several of my Finish friends’ houses. I would say the houses in Finland are simple, cozy without too many decorations or too much stuff. Maybe it is because Finns do not like to shop too much; maybe Finns know how to organize and store stuff. In Oulu, you cannot tell the difference between the normal apartments and social houses; the city center and the outskirt. What kind of urban plan can reach such a level that you cannot see the the division between the rich and poor; the city and the nature? Everything emerges exactly the way to show the most significant value of North Europe- equality. Unlike in the U.S.A., there are “black areas,” where you should be more cautious. In that country, you always notice the difference among people, the race, social status, education, so on and so on. At this point, I must say that I feel very comfortable in Oulu.
The aspect opens my eye the most is the transportation. People can really bike to get almost everywhere they want. The paths for pedestrians and bikers are well designed. It is safe, relaxing and “green” to bike around in Oulu.

Oulu, the 6th largest city in Finland with the population around 140,000 people, may be the 40th city that I have stayed in. It may not be as exciting as New York or Paris; may not be as lively as Taipei; may not be the popular tourist attraction as Venice. Nevertheless, Oulu is such a treasure that you should take more time to know it better and appreciate the way it is.

I think there are very few people who are as lucky as I am for participating three different cultures- in graduation ceremonies and parties. In 2008, I graduated from National Taiwan University; in 2012, I graduated from Trine University, U.S.A.; and on 2nd/6, I was invited to join one high school graduation ceremony and the party after then. It is just so amazing to be in Taiwanese culture, American culture and Finnish culture in such big events!
In Taiwan, EVERY graduation ceremonies count, because they represent a good symbol for the next step of life. In 2008, we, the graduates, dressed up with the graduate gown and the cap with tassel. Different colors of collars meant different departments. My belonged to Sociology Department, which was purple.

The ceremony was long and boring. It was all about rituals, so I decided since there were so many people, I would not be the spotlight if I had my own fun. I quietly took out the donuts to share with my friends! Finally, we had a great time in such a routine!


At night, it was the time for the graduation prom. It was such a fancy event, so we seriously dressed up for the very first time. It was fantastic to see all my friends that elegant and gorgeous.

It was a bit strange that after the graduation ceremony, we still needed to go to school for the rest of classes and tests. During the time, we threw a thank-you-teacher party for all of our professors in Social Work Department. We recalled all the good memory during these four years and thank each of our teachers by showing videos, and giving small gifts.

Four years later, In U.S.A., on 9th/5 of 2012, it was the graduation ceremony of Trine University. Compared to my university in Taiwan with around 7,000 graduates, it was only about 521 graduates. Graduates wore gradation gown and the cap with the tassels. Different tassels represent different departments. To my surprise, few graduates showed up with flip-flops in such an event!
Since I already experienced being a graduate in the university ceremony, this time, I attended as an audience. When all the graduates entering to the ceremony, all the audience cheered and applauded loudly! It was such a pleasure to see their families graduating from university. Especially, I could see the race difference. Because it is so hard for African Americans to graduate from universities, their families were extremely proud of the graduates by whistling and yelling their names aloud. I somehow felt like in a basketball game and shared the excitement together.

After the all the routine of graduation ceremony, graduates went home with their families to celebrate a bit time. We, international students, had no families in the U.S.A., so the school arranged a banquet in Caruso Restaurant, the Italian restaurant . It was a nice gesture and it was the last activity I attended in Trine University. No more classes and tests from now on! How wonderful it is!

I could not believe after three weeks, I participated another graduation ceremony in Finland although I did not know the graduate! Unfortunately, I did not understand Finnish to get more involved in the ceremony, but I observed it on different perspectives. Finns are serious and quiet even in a graduation ceremony- no cheers, whistles, yelling or loud applauding but soft music, speeches and rituals. It seemed to me that it was not appropriate to cheer up or something. I asked why and my Finnish friend answered me that it actually was sentimental for graduates because they were leaving friends and families for the next step- boys go to military service and girls go to universities.

For the dress code, it was interesting to see that Finns do not wear graduation gowns; instead, they wore their own fancy gowns/suits and the special white cap!

After the ceremony, we went to the graduate’s home to have our celebration. The house was full of people ,but they could still manage to talk quietly in such a crowd. I was amazed and wondered how they made it! The food was special- sandwich cakes, dessert, salad with drinks and it was buffet. People talked and ate for more than three hours.

In graduation ceremonies, people in different countries celebrate in different ways. Taiwanese respect teachers a lot; Americans are more casual; and Finns are more restrained. I am grateful for these cultural experiences and hunger for more!

Some countries share alcohol to bond with people, but Chinese/Taiwanese use the food to be the effective ice-breaker. With chopsticks in hand, varies dishes in front of eyes, it is the time for people to spend some time to enjoy good food and chat. In the U.S.A., preparing for four to five dishes is not common and people prefer easy-cooked meals. During my stay in Finland, I would like to experience something “exotic”- the Chinese food in Oulu.

There are plenty of Chinese restaurants in Oulu. Compared to Angola, the small city where I spent two years studying and teaching Chinese in Indiana State, U.S.A., Oulu is the paradise for Chinese food. I can easily shop for Chinese/Taiwanese ingredients or eat out by bike. When I googled “Chinese restaurants in Oulu,” not much information coming out. However, someone’s blog shares quite an interesting conclusion about Chinese food in Oulu.” Chinese restaurants are among the oldest of all ethnic restaurants in Oulu. The Chinese restaurants in Finland mostly offer sweet Canton Chinese food. This is made of rice and different kind of sauces. Soy sauce replaces salt and sesame oil brings original texture to the food.” Today, I prove it right.

My Finnish friend has a clever idea that we should go to try every Chinese restaurants in Oulu and give some feedback. Our first try is Shenglong (勝龍酒家).

First of all, I feel like explaining one thing that not all the owners of Chinese restaurants can speak Chinese (Mandarin) which is spoken in China and Taiwan. Some owners who are from Hong Kong serve Canton food and speak Cantonese way better than Mandarin or even cannot speak Mandarin. Therefore, I was careful not to speak Mandarin right after I met the owner.

Fortunately, she spoke Chinese with me and I could even read a Chinese menu. We ordered the pork with vegetables and Chicken fried noodles.

Before the courses coming up, we could enjoy the salad bar. It was quite interesting how I saw the Finnish and Chinese culture work together to satisfy customers. In Chinese/Taiwanese families, we have no salad; instead, we consume varies fried vegetables with garlic.

If I listened carefully to the background music, it was pop songs sung by Taiwanese singers about 12 years ago. Due to these Chinese immigrants in 1980s to 1990s, they also bring the classic pop Chinese songs with them around the world. One song caught my friend’s attention, which in English means “Lover.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0vjeHRBWZ8&feature=bf_next&list=FLfMVi9N6UMy8VWnYBxOafrg

Our food was satisfying for my friend. With the 7.5 euro price, we had unlimited salad, drinks, main course and dessert or tea.

To be honest, the courses are quite westernized for natives. For meat cuisine, no matter what you order, all the courses would be sticky with cornstarch and taste-all-the-same sauce. In Taiwan, we do not use cornstarch in daily meals, because it contains extra unnecessary calories.

For noodles, since there are not similar vegetables in Finland, the kitchen replaces with alternative ones. I think in order to attract foreign customers, the Chinese fried noodles no matter in the U.S. or in Finland are a bit salty for me. In Taiwan, the fried noodles are like noodles, vegetables, meat and sauce are in good combination. You can enjoy as a whole. However, the fried noodles here I tried were the noodles, vegetables, chickens and sauce working separately. It was not in such a “harmony” that I always enjoy. Our Taiwanese fried noodles look like this:

If I rate this restaurant from 1 to 10, I would give it 7. Hopefully, after I try all the Chinese restaurants in Oulu and I can find the most authentic one among them. Wish me luck! :P

As we know, Asia is raising. If Finland wants to participate in the huge market, let’s narrow the market down to the market in China and Taiwan, there are some facts we should be aware of.

First of all, the Asia market has been learning examples from Western countries since 18^th century. Asians come to Western countries to study, work, and travel. Also, we Asians are familiar with the Western popular music, movies and series. By Western, I refer to the U.S.. Chinese and Taiwan know no much about Finland. On the other hand, how much do Westerners or Finns know about the Asian culture?

The lack of trading relationship, communication channels, and the interaction with the cultures lead to the current situation- we may be interested in each other but know very little about each other.

Two years ago, I hosted my Finnish friend in Taiwan. My relatives were excited about the fact that it was their first time to meet a Finn. One of my uncles even showed off by lifting his shoe and saying, “Finland, I know! Nike!” Actually, he mistook Nike as Nokia...Since Nike has nothing to do with Finland. As you randomly ask one Taiwanese about Finland, he/she may say, “Oh, it is a country with good social welfare and education.” Nowadays, there are more and more publications introducing Finland to Chinese and Taiwanese.

I read a news about the relationship between China and Finland. It says that in Finland, the Chinese immigrants are rather few. Even with the Chinese students studying aboard in 1980s, the Chinese Finns so far are less 1,000 with more than 3,000 Chinese in Finland- most of them are students and visiting scholars. Besides, quite a few Chinese students who go to work in Finnish companies or research institutions right after they graduate from Finnish schools. In this case, it means by academic interaction, Finland and China can build up a tighter relationship together.  

When I googled “investment in Finland,” I found some information about it. It says the government welcomes foreign investment and implements some policies, tax incentives to attract foreign investment.

As the information shows, there are some benefits for foreign companies to invest. Please see as below:

• A business environment with minimal red tape
• One of the world’s least corrupt countries (Transparency International)
• Out of all the Nordic countries, Finland has the biggest turnover from innovation
• Finland is the EU leader for utility patents, and has the world’s third biggest R&D spending per capita
• Easy access to venture capital
• One of the first countries to integrate digital and wireless technologies
• Highly developed scientific, technological and telecommunications infrastructures
• Among the highest internet, broadband and mobile phone penetration in the world
• Efficient business start-up process
• Well-developed roads, railways, and airports
• A comprehensive network of waterways, canals and sea-lanes, facilitating vibrant trade with the EU, Russia and Asia.
• Lowest electricity costs of all Nordic countries
• 24 airports, facilitating freight and passenger traffic.
• Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is of the best international airports in the world (surveys conducted by IATA and ASQ), and provides connections to over 120 destinations worldwide.
• Strategically situated in Northern Europe to reach over 80 million consumers
• Highest concentration of scientists and engineers in the world
• A world-renowned educational system, and among the best-reputed research centers in the world.
• Increase in the number of R&D personnel from 40,000 to almost 80,000 in just 10 years, accounting for 2% of the total labor force - the highest figure among the OECD countries.
• The number of doctoral degrees has doubled in the last decade
• 1/3 of Finland’s working population holds a degree or higher qualification
• The new Aalto University in Helsinki will create exciting possibilities for further multidisciplinary education and research

Yes, the infrastructure, human resources, R&D development and technology are the attraction for foreign companies. Then there must be many foreign investment in Finland, right? As a guest in Finland, this is my fourth visit. As far as I observe, the high tax and the limit time for shops to open, Finland definitely is not the shopping paradise or the place to encourage people to consume as much as possible. That is, Finland cannot develop the capitalism model as the U.S. does. Finland just has the first Starbucks in Helsinki recently; the diversity of stores/shops frankly is not that exciting.

However, all of my statement above can be looked on the bright side. Finland is such a country preserving the tradition and values. Their design- the elegant and simple style makes more and more Asians crazy about Finland. Only have been in Finland less than 3 months altogether, I have so much to learn about Finland. Nevertheless,I believe that even though Finland cannot purchase the fruits out of capitalism, or export as much as China does, Finland has her unique role in the world to play. All we should do now is to open up the communication channels and know each other better. It would lead to win-win situation for more foreign investment.   

The Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) includes Tainan Science Park (2,578 acres) and Kaohsiung Science Park (1,409 acres). On July 1, 1993, the 2,388th executive meeting of the Executive Yuan approved an Economic Revitalization Project in which the establishment of a science park in southern Taiwan was proposed. The STSP Development Plan (which covered the Phase I Site of the Tainan Science Park) by the National Science Council was approved by the Executive Yuan in May 1995 to mark the beginning of southern Taiwan’s high-tech development.
To help the Park enterprises within 1 kilometer of the High Speed Rail deal with the impact of vibrations, former Premier Chun-Hsiung Chang during his inspection of STSP on May 17, 2001 ordered that the Phase II Site of the Tainan Science Park be accelerated. The expansion plan was approved by the Executive Yuan on September 19, 2001.

As a matter of fact, I am not the export for science and industry but I would like to humbly share some of my personal opinions. During my research about all three science and industrial parks in Taiwan, the Southern Taiwan Science Park maintains the best official website to connect with people in six languages, including Chinese, English, French, Japanese, German and Spanish. (http://www.stsipa.gov.tw/web/indexGroups?frontTarget=ENGLISH)

Besides, there are several videos to introduce themselves and the overall statistics to show their performance. The sales of the park is mostly for integrated circuits ( for example, in 2011, the labor productivity per person is NT$14.4 millions = 387 thousands euros); and for optoelectronics is NT$ 8.32 millions = 223 thousands euros). Obviously, the labor productivity is highly valued and has been tracked.

Meanwhile, one section on the official website interests me the most is the employment of foreigners. Please see the description as below:

“ Application qualification and requirements

Lots of industries acclaim that they want to promote their competition by hiring foreign employees. As we can see from the official website, STSP really takes action. What’s more, they also know how to distinguish themselves from the others by saying their advantage aloud-

The ICT & Electronics industries form one of the key business areas of the region and therefore offer excellent opportunities for investment. Businesses in these fields are in a particularly crucial role in developing Kainuu’s economy.  The main focus areas to be seen in the ICT and electronics industry are measurement and sensoring technologies, vehicle testing systems, the data centre knowledge cluster, wellbeing and sport technologies, gaming and software development and energy technologies.

Technology

As in the majority of other regions across Finland, the ICT & Electronics sector holds significant influence in terms of employment and business.  Kainuu’s technology industries account for 19% of the region’s exports and 73% of ongoing R&D work with a collective turnover of 200 million Euros.  With 5700 professionals employed in the Technology sector, this accounts for approximately 20% of the region’s workforce.

Read more http://www.investinkainuu.com/index.php?id=5

Source: Kainuun Etu / Invest in Kainuu 

Taiwan is an industry –intensive island. There are three science parks cross this 36,000 km² area.Today, I would like to introduce the central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) to you.

The origins about the park is that in 2002, the Executive Yuan approved the plan for the Central Taiwan Science Park under the authority of the National Science. It is the very first science park in Taiwan that the public construction and the manufacturing plants for Park enterprises were built simultaneously. It took only 10 months and 5 days from plan approval to commencement of construction. By July 28, 2003, the park was open to enterprises, resulting in unprecedented records and efficiency for the Park. On June 27, 2005, Houli Park was approved, and by March 31, 2006, the site was open to enterprises, making for another development record of 9 months and 4 days.

On October 27, 2004, AU Optronics Corp. was officially opened for business in CTSP. It took 1 year and 3 months from plant construction to operation, making for a new page of historical records in the Park’s developments. By December 2010, the Park has approved a total of 108 enterprises whose combined investments have totaled to NT$ 2 trillion (US$ 63.694 billion). 79 of these Park enterprises now have fully operational plants. At this point, CTSP’s clusters have begun to define their reputation

On 8^th/9, 2011, the park was visited by delegation of Japanese companies, as the press release shows “The delegation visited potential investors, including M.SETEK (PV mono-crystalline silicon wafers), KOHA (LED light source), ULVAC (FPD, PV, LED vacuum equipment), Mitsubishi Materials (FPD materials), Ohara Optical (optical glass), and Nippon Electric Glass (glass substrates used in TFT-LCDs), as well as the Yokosuka Research Park ("the YRP"), a sister park of the CTSP, and the telecommunications firms in the YRP. The delegation briefed the firms visited on the superior investment environment of the CTSP and the incentives the CTSP provides. The delegation was warmly received and had friendly discussions with the firms. Four of the firms expressed interest in investing in the CTSP and will prepare and submit applications worth approximately NT$12 billion.” Further, it emphasizes Taiwan’s attitude towards the foreign investment- “Currently, Taiwan is aggressively encouraging foreign investment. The delegation's trip to Japan has been fruitful.”

Let’s let the numbers talk. For the investment in 2011, the average investment is more than 20,000,000 million NTD (538,000 million euros). See the chart by month in 2011:

As for human resources, they intend to increase the numbers of high educated employees. So far, the majority have B.A or Master degrees.

Science Park Human Resources Distribution Statistic 2011 as below:

Science Park Human Resources Distribution Statistic 2011

If I look at the park on a macroeconomic perspective, in my opinion, compared to the first science park- Hsinchu Park, the Central Taiwan Science Park has some advantages. First, the location is the central of Taiwan, which means that it connects the North science park and the South science park with the human resources,technology and communication channels. Next, the weather in the central of Taiwan is more comfortable than the other science parks. It would affect employees’ productivity and also attract more visitors. Last, since it is quite a new science park, policies are under way. It means that the park is younger and more flexible to adapt it to fit in the global competition.

Can the Central Taiwan Science Park become the heart of Taiwan to boost the high technology economy and further become the heart of Asia to build up a reputable distinction in the world? We hold our breath to await.

Taiwan’s tech industry, we can say, is all started from Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park ( Chinese: 新竹科學工業園區). In 1980, the government established an industrial park that straddles Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County, the Northwestern of the island of Taiwan.

Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park was founded by Kwoh-Ting Li, former Finance Minister of Republic of China (Taiwan). Inspired by Silicon Valley in the United States, Li consulted Frederick Terman, on how Taiwan could follow its example. From there, Li convinced talents who had gone abroad to build companies in this new Silicon Valley in Taiwan. Among those who returned is Morris Chang, who later leads the Industrial Technology Research Institute(ITRI). Li also introduced the concept of venture capital to the country in the effort to attract funds to finance the startups in the science part (Note: info from Wikipedia).

Hsinchu Science Park (HSP) is now one of the world's most significant areas for semiconductor manufacturing. More than 400 high-tech companies (see the list below), mainly involved in the semiconductor, computer, telecommunication, and optoelectronics industries, have been established in the park since the end of December 2003. Its 400 technology companies accounted for 10% of Taiwan GDP in 2007. It is home to the world's top two semiconductor foundries, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company ( TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), both of which were established at the nearby Industrial Technology Research Institute. Taiwan is the only country that possesses a professional division-of-labor system in the semiconductor industry and also has the highest density of 12-inch wafer-producing fabs, most of which are based in the park.

Next door to the science park are two of Taiwan's science and engineering powerhouses, National Chiao Tung University and National Tsing Hua University. In this way, these companies can directly communicate with the students- the potential employees and the students have more channels to motivate themselves towards their profession. There is also a science-themed amusement park nearby. That is, the Park tries to connect people and technology together.

   Major companies located in the park

• Acer Inc.
• Alpha Networks Inc.
• AU Optronics
• D-Link
• Chimei Innolux
• Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Holtek
• Lite-On
• Logitech
• Macronix International (MXIC)
• MediaTek
• Microtek
• MiTAC
• MStar Semiconductor
• MA-tek Inc.
• Optodisc
• Philips
• Powerchip Semiconductor (PSC)
• ProMos Technologies
• Realtek
• Sunplus
• Silicon Integrated Systems
• Tecom - Tecom Co., Ltd
• TSMC - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
• United Microelectronics Corporation
• Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation
• Winbond
• ZyXEL

Promisingly, the technology industry in Taiwan, thanks to Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park, gets to grow and expand. It sets a good example for our neighbors. On 19/5, 2012, the governor of Hunan Province came to visit and exchange some ideas. He said that Hsinchu Park and Optics Valley of China (the industrial park in the central of China- Wuhan) are the important high-tech industry bases in China and Taiwan;therefore, both sides should interact with each other more.

Moreover, the first Chinese company is coming to locate themselves in the Taichung Science and Industrial Park, which opens another new door for the cooperation between China and Taiwan. 

If you see an i-phone, you would know it is an U.S. brand; if you see a Samsung smartphone, you would know it is a S. Korean brand; and if you see a HTC smartphone, you may wonder where it comes from, right? The answer is Taiwan.

What is HTC about? Let’s go back to look at its history:

HTC Corporation (Chinese: 宏達國際電子股份有限公司; pinyin: Hóngdá Guójì Diànzǐ Gǔfèn Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), formerly High Tech Computer Corporation, is a Taiwanese manufacturer of smartphones and tablets.

The company has a rich heritage of many "firsts", including creating the first Microsoft-powered smartphone (2002) and the first Microsoft 3G phone (2005). Their first major product was made in 2000 and was one of the world's first touch screen smartphones. The Palm Treo 650 and the iPAQ were created by HTC. They started producing 3G-capable phones in early 2005 and made the world's first Android phone in 2008, the HTC Dream (also marketed as the T-Mobile G1). It was first released in the United States for pre-order through T-Mobile USA on September 23, 2008, and became available in U.S. T-Mobile stores on October 22, 2008.

Compared to Taiwan’s biggest company- Foxconn, HTC is far more important for the exporting and GDP in Taiwan. Due to “MIT,” which means their products are Made In Taiwan (they actually hire people in Taiwan), though their annual revenue is only 1/7 to 1/8 of Foxconn’s, their influence for Taiwan’s economy growth and employment market is enormous.

On 22.5.2012,CommonWealth Magazine ( one of the biggest magazines in Taiwan) points out that, during these three years, the HTC smartphone exporting is the main driver for the export growth in Taiwan. The official number shows that in 2008, the exporting for the sole company is valued 31.6 billion NTD (equals to 842 million Euros) and in 2011, the amount is tenfold- 415 billion NTD (11.06 billion Euros).  

In Wikipedia, “in April 2011,the company's market value surpassed that of Nokia to become the third largest smartphone maker in the world, only behind Apple and Samsung.”

Unfortunately, things cannot be always right with HTC. The fourth quarter in 2011, the exporting decreased by 4%, and it keeps worsening, especially the electronic and communication products. The markets that shrink the most are in China and the U.S.. Further, the first quarter of 2012, the revenue severely falls by 35% because of Apple and Samsung. According to the IDC market survey, the sale of Samsung grows 267% since 2011, overtaking Apple as the NO.1 in the smartphone market. On the other hand, the sale of HTC declines by 23.3%.

What’s wrong with HTC then? As a customer, one of my Finnish friends honestly told me that he is very satisfied with his HTC smartphone except one disadvantage- the battery. Once he surfs online, the battery quickly dies ,so he needs to frequently charge it. Besides, if you look at the design of HTC, you cannot tell it is Samsung or another brands. Unlike Apple, which has the most recognizable and elegant design to attract customers, the design of HTC, in my opinion, is slightly disappointing. 

The well-being of HTC is not just about the company itself but the economy growth of Taiwan. That is, it is way too important to fail. How should HTC win customers back? It is an urgent question for HTC and the government to answer. 

Rajasthan is an incredible land of India which is popular for many features. The sand dunes is one of the most appealing and attractive feature of the state. The golden sand dunes attracts tourists in such a way that they can’t ignore to take a camel ride. The camel ride is another very temping activity among the tourists. During the sunrise and sunset vacationers love to enjoy the camel ride as want to explore the far distance of the entire desert from the back of camel.

Apart from sand dunes and camel ride, vacationers here explore the majestic forts and palaces of the place. The fantastic places where vacationers can have fun are Ajmer, Alwar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Mount Abu, Pushkar, Ranakpur, Sariska and Ranthambore. Rajasthan travel guide vacationers very well to enjoy all these places and have extreme fun. While exploring all these places tourists get to know about various stories of India’s rich background. Rajasthan tour operators have expert guides with them that help tourists to enjoy and experience lots of things from their superlative journey.

Taj Mahal Tour is incomplete if tourists do not enjoy the program of folk music and dance. The cultural music and dance of the place make vacationers forget their all tiredness and sorrows. Apart from the enjoyment, the royal treatment in hotels of Rajasthan make tourists feels that as if they were reached in raja’s era. The colorful and bustling markets of the state also attract tourists to enjoy shopping. It compels tourists to purchase some memorable item for their sweet memories.

Tourists must plan to enjoy their vacations in Rajasthan. On this Rajasthan tour tourists will gather lots of memories with them that compel them to visit again and again. So plan your vacations to enjoy immensely and gather lots sweet memories.

Kerala is one of the most captivating tourist states in India. It is located at Malabar Coast alongside the blue Arabian Sea in South India. Whether you are planning your honeymoon or want to spend some relax time in the lap of nature, Kerala would be the ideal place. The state is mainly famed for its long stretched white sand beaches and 900 km interconnected backwater network.

The state is home of many appealing tourist attractions. Some world-famous beaches are also located along its beautiful coastline. Kovalam is the most visited beach holiday destination in the state located at the outskirts of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala. Sunbathing, adventures water sports and swimming are the most exciting activities to enjoy over here. Tourists can also take pleasure of Ayurvedic body massage at body massage parlors located in surrounding areas of Kovalam. Varkala, Fort Kochi, Kappad, Cherai and Alappuzha are the other popular beaches in the state.

Kerala is also known for its excellent backwater network. The state has 900 km long interconnected network of several water bodies. Backwater of Kerala is the best way to explore nature grandeur of the state. Tourists will explore many remote and scenic places on sailing through its tranquil backwaters. Alleppey, Kasargod, Kumarakom, Kollam and Kochi are the important backwater destinations of the state. Luxury houseboats are easily available at all these places. Tourists can hire houseboats per day charges or for any preferred tourist circuit according to interest. Houseboats are also favorite accommodation options for lovemaking couples on Tour To Kerala offer romantic solitude to spend memorizing time.

There are much more to explore in Kerala like beautiful hill towns, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, heritage sites, old temples, etc. So, if you are looking for a complete refreshing break, you can select suitable Kerala Travel Packages and embark on the memorizing expedition this wonderland. Many reputed tour and travel service providers available in the country offer specially organized Kerala Tours according tourists’ budgets. You can take their services to plan your trip.

When it comes to electronics industry, we Taiwanese are proud of Foxconn and HTC. Nevertheless, they are very different from each other. Today, I would like to just address some points about Foxconn.

Foxconn is funded by Guo, Tai-ming in Taipei, Taiwan in 1974. In the beginning, the company only manufactures plastic products, in 1981, the company changes the direction into electronic components, in 1988, Guo sets up the first factory in Guangzhou, the province of the southern China and in the end of 2010, Foxconn climbs up to Top 50 companies around the world.

In Wikipedia, Foxconn “ is the world's largest maker of electronics components and the largest exporter in Mainland China.” In 2008, it occupies 3.9% of China’s exporting. Furthermore, it has factories in Asia (China, Malaysia and India), Europe (Hungry, Slovakia and Czech Republic) and Latin America (Mexico and Brazil), which together assemble around 40 percent of consumer electronics products in the world. The influence of Foxcoon for the economy growth of these countries cannot be underestimated.

Customers worldwide may not be familiar with the brand of Foxconn. But you must be with Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson or ZTE. Foxconn is the largest OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for these products. It is interesting to realize how small the global village is- the Taiwanese company builds up a factory in China to manufacture the American band smart phones! 

Unlike Samsung to South Korea (which occupies 22% GDP), Foxconn frankly does not bring the economy booming that much to Taiwan. Yes, it is a Taiwanese company and the headquarter is located in Taipei. With only 5,000 employees in Taiwan, Taiwanese cannot feel the prosperity that Foxconn enjoys around the world. On the other hand, in China, there are plenty Foxconn factories and more than 1 MILLION employees working for Foxconn! (Just imagine more than 1/5 Finns in Finland work for Nokia) Therefore, Foxconn helps China tremendously grow instead of Taiwan. In other words, I would say Guo,Tai-ming builds his own “kingdom” in China, where Taiwan could not share together.

Things could get worse- several employee suicide events happened in the factories of China. The media later debunked that the employees were badly treated, which led to poor health and even the danger to their lives. Duo to the lack of the decent communication, the reputation of Apple was affected, since some people called i-phone the products of "blood and sweat". Ever since then, in 2012, the Fair Labor Association was hired by Apple to audit working conditions at Foxconn.

Nowadays, Foxconn obviously is not confined in such a small island like Taiwan, but belongs to the global stage. Hence, how the company sees a big picture to grow, to maintain and to manage is not only involved with 1 million employees in China but also the big companies like Apple.       

My hometown is Taichung City, which is the third biggest city in Taiwan with over 2.6 million population (please imagine half of population in Finland all live in a area as small as 2,214.8968 km² ! ). However, many people means many entertainments. I have hosted several foreign friends in my hometown and I realized that what they enjoyed the most was not always from what travel guides recommended.

There are my favorite places in my hometown:

1. Yi-zhong Street: it must be surprising for foreigners to understand how this street prospers- due to the afterschool education industry! We Taiwanese believe what you learn from high school is not enough to compete with another students so that private class after school becomes more and more popular. Since thousands of students come to the class right after school, they got to eat. Step by step, more and more shops for food, clothes, hairstyle and so on come to play along with these young people. It is an ideal place to observe our youth culture with some snacks in hand. 
   
2. Feng-jia Night Market: it is one of the biggest night markets in Taiwan with more than 1,000 vendors/shops. The night market is near Feng-jia University, so there are a lot of “older (compared to the previous one)” students wandering around in the night market (If you feel like, you can also visit our university campus). If you want to experience the crowdedness; If you want to buy something, drink something and eat something, Feng-jia Night Market is your best choice. Unlike in Finland, it opens almost 24 hours (it depends on vendors/shops).
3. The Third Market: unlike most western big cities, most Taiwanese tend to shop in traditional markets for fresh vegetables and meat. From morning to noon, you can see how lively our traditional markets are. You can even have your local breakfast here. If you have no clue what to eat, then follow the crowd! That is the tip to find what is the most popular among the local. As the picture shows, during Chinese New Year, there are vendors selling decoration and calligraphy.  
4. Holiday KTV: it opens 24/7 and comes with all-you-can-eat buffet. Unlike in Finland, Taiwanese ,in general, dare not to sing in public ( I cannot picture myself singing in public and torturing people’s ears and appetite… ). Lots of people hang out there in their private rooms. It is a good way to know our pop music better and also bond with people.
5. Eslite Parklane: it is a sort of department store but Eslite Bookstore is the spotlight. There are plenty shops and restaurants. If you feel like having some air-conditioning indoor, and please visit the place. You can observe how Taiwanese read and what kind of books interest us. The reason I like this place so much is because they create such a comfortable place for people to read, shop and eat. The vertical garden on the wall is a huge hit. 
6. The good way to know the local better and save your budget for the trip, I would recommend a website- couchsurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org/). You can stay in their places for free and make friends with them. Also, it is a great way to experience Taiwanese's hospitality! 

In my opinion, the moment upon arriving at the foreign airport is scary. You have no idea where to go, what to do and whom to ask help from. Hopefully my tips as a local Taiwanese would save you a lot of panic. The task is once arriving at the airport, how should we be prepared to meet a Taiwanese colleague? 

- Greeting: Asians generally are shy. We do not hug or kiss on cheeks especially on business occasions. Please shake hands when you meet your Taiwanese colleagues.
- business card: exchanging business cards is important to introduce yourself to a Taiwanese colleague. In Taiwan, the manner matters.

As a receiver, you should receive your colleague’s business card with both hands, and read the title plus the family name. For example, if the colleague is a manager and the family name is Yang, please address him/her “Manager Yang” immediately. Note: we do not like to be called “assistant managers,” which means lower than real managers. Instead, please address an assistant manager by “manager”  to save face.

As a giver, also use your both hands to give your business card to your colleagues. It shows your respect.

- gifts: a small gift which presents your country is much appreciated. The price of a gift does not need to be high. We Taiwanese say “ the heart matters.” A gift can be an excellent ice-breaker and build up a relationship with your Taiwanese colleagues. I would say some Finnish hand-made crafts are ideal choices.

-timing: for formal meetings, it is important to be punctual. On the other hand, if it is a big party event with your friends in Taiwan, being a bit late is acceptable.

- travel to hotel: in fact, the international airport is not located in Taipei (the capital of Taiwan) but in Taoyuan, 40-minute driving distance to Taipei. If you have no one to pick you up from the airport, just follow the sign to lead you to the local buses or taxis. I would suggest you take a bus to the cities and then take a taxi to find your hotel, which is cheaper. There are plenty of bus companies for different destinations, so it would not be long for you to wait.

- visiting an office: please make an appointment before you visit an office. Once you get there, just be professional and polite. Generally Taiwanese are hospitable and talkative; therefore, be ready and try not to feel overwhelmed!

- dress code: for business, for men, it is appropriate to wear a decent shirt with a tie; for women, wearing a suit with a skirt/ a pair of long pants is consider formal and professional. For social event, please wear something comfortable but not sloppy.

 
- visiting at private home: like I mentioned above, Taiwanese are famous for our hospitality. Once you are invited to someone’s home, you are considered as his/her friend. Most likely, you would be invited for an authentic Taiwanese dinner. I would suggest you not to go visiting with empty hands. In other words, please bring some drinks or some dessert to share with.

 
- food and beverages: this section can be connected with the previous one. Taiwanese like to share our food and drinks with visitors. Our food basically is not that different from Chinese food. If you like Chinese food in Chinese restaurants, then that is great for you; if not, at least try everything that your host serve you. Since we like to share so much, once we see your bowl (we do not eat in plates but bowls with chopsticks) is empty, we would keep serving you over and over again until you “explode!” Hence, a tip for you here is to make yourself clear that you are full and completely satisfied. In Chinese, you can say, “Bú yòng ,wǒ chī bǎo le ！不用,我吃飽了！（No more, I am full!）” Furthermore, if you know you cannot force yourself to eat something too “authentic” (I know some Taiwanese food would bring some culture shock to foreign friends like chicken feet as the picture shown)

, and you do not how to politely reject, you could say you are allergic to it. “guò mǐn 過敏 （allergic）.” People would understand it and would not be offended.

For beverages, for business, Chinese/Taiwanese tea would be served. Please smell the tea and take a sip. It is always appreciated if you admire our tea. For social events, tea or beer would be shared. In Taiwan, we would like to drink our own brand of beer- Taiwan beer. It is a good way to bond with your Taiwanese colleagues or friends. Try it and enjoy it!

In the end, I would like to just say please be open-mined to embrace the culture difference. Once you build up a relationship with a Taiwanese, it is a long-term relationship that you would cherish very much. 

Hsuan-chu (Chloe) Lee, last week we spoke about new blog postings featuring Taiwan, China, and Hong-Kong.

How should an European prepare himself / herself?

1. ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT: how should we be prepared to meet a Taiwanese colleague?
   - business card
   - formalities, customs, etc.
   - gifts, presents, timing
   - meeting at the airport
   - travel to hotel (taxi, subway, public transport)
   - visiting an office
   - dress code
   - visiting at private home
   - food and beverages...
   
   
2. YOUR HOMETOWN: It might be a good idea to present some of your favored shops, tee-houses / cafeterias, shopping centers where you like to go
   - my idea is to add a human interest point of view to the blog postings
   - also consider how to travel to Asia with a small budget, not necessarely staying at five star luxury hotels or traveling first class

Monday morning: could we talk over skype at 10 am. I'll be traveling on Tuesday all day from early morning to late night, so we can cover the writings of the new week.

We used to live and work in Alsace par la route des villages fleuris during the 90's.

It was a great time and  I learned to speak some French.

Good food
Excellent wine

Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area (8,280 km²), and the smallest in metropolitan France.

It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km².

(total population in 2006: 1,815,488; 1 January 2008 estimate: 1,836,000)

Alsace is located on France's eastern border and on the west bank of the upper Rhine adjacent to Germany and Switzerland.

The political, economic and cultural capital as well as largest city of Alsace is Strasbourg. Because that city is the seat of dozens of international organizations and bodies, Alsace is politically one of the most important regions in the European Union.