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Northern Zone of India is full of tourists’ delight. There region is full of numerous attractions including heritage & historical sites, historical monuments, magnificent forts & palaces, exhilarating adventure sport options, pilgrimage sites, lush hill stations, terrific temples, etc. There are many famous places to visit and explore in this region which appeal travelers from all over the world. This article provides you brief ideas about some of famous tourist places found in northern India.

New Delhi: New Delhi, the capital city of India, is a blend of tradition and modernity. Worth visits in this city include Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Rajghat, Qutub Minar, National Musuem, India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb, Akshardham Temple and Lotus Temple.

Agra: Agra is a beautiful city located on the banks of Yamuna River in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is ancient and historical city of India and home to world famous Taj Mahal – one of Seven Wonders of the World. Worth visits in this city include Taj Mahal (the Symbol of Love), Agra Red Fort and Itmad-Ud-Daullah (the Baby Taj or the Little Taj Mahal).

Jaipur: Fondly known as the Pink City of India, Jaipur is a prominent tourist place and beautiful well-planned city in Rajasthan and India. It is the state capital of Indian state of Rajasthan. Worth visits in this city include Jantar Mantar Observatory, City Palace Complex, Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall Musuem, Birla Temple and Amber Fort.

Jodhpur: Also known as the Blue City of India, Jodhpur is the second largest city of Rajasthan after Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan. Worth visits in Jodhpur city include Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jaswant Thada Memorial, Clock Tower, Sardar Market, Balsamand Lake & Palace and Mandore Gardens.

Jaisalmer: Fondly known as the Golden City of India, Jaisalmer is a beautiful city and renowned tourist place in Rajasthan which is located in the middle of the Thar Desert. Major tourist attractions of this city are Golden Fort (Sonar Kila), Patwon-Ki-Haveli, Salem-Singh-Ki-Haveli, Nathmalji-Ki-Haveli, Jain Temples, Desert, Sam Sand Dunes, Camel Safari, etc.

Shimla: Shimla is a prominent hill station and famous tourist spot of North India located in the foothills of majestic Himalayas in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Gifted with superb nature beauty and cool & delightful ambiance Shimla is often referred to as the Queen of Hill Stations. The Mall, the Ridge, Christ Church, Scandal Point, Summer Hill, Prospect Hill, Jakhoo Hill & Temple, Tara Devi Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Vice Regal Lodge, etc key attractions to visit and explore in Shimla. Shimla is very popular among honeymooners, nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Many tour packages are available in small and mid budget. Select an Indian Holiday Package to embark your journey.

Varanasi: Varanasi is a famous Hindu pilgrimage place and tourist destination of Northern India. It is considered as one of the oldest living cities in the world. Major tourist attractions in this city include Vishwanath Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, Ganges Ghats, Banaras Hindu University, Ramnagar Fort, Sarnath Archaeological Musuem, etc.

Manali: Manali is one of the most sought after hill stations and summer hill resorts in northern India. It is located in Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. It is very popular among nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts and honeymooners. The magnetic charm of this hill town not attracts travelers during summer but also in winter. Hadimba Devi Temple, Manu Temple, Buddhist Monasteries, Vashisth Village & Temples, Hot Water Springs, Solang Valley and Rohtang Pass are major tourist attractions in Manali, the Switzerland of India. Solang Valley and Rohtang Pass offer spectacular sights of snow-capped mountain peaks of majestic Himalayas.

Kashmir (the Paradise on the Earth), Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mussoorie, Ranikhet, Ranthambhore National Park, Jim Corbett National Park, etc are some other famous places which can be visited and explored on northern India travel and tours. The destinations of northern India are very popular on budget tours in India. If you too really interested to explore some of famous places in India you should go on north India tour.

India is a diverse country in South Asia. It has be worldwide popular in terms of tourism and holidays. Tourists and vacationers from all over the world visit their country quite in good number. There are several holiday spots and tourist destinations this country appealing tourists & holidaymakers with their attractions and facilities. Here is brief information about some famous places and holiday spots in India.

Rajasthan: Rajasthan, the land of kings, is the largest state of India. It is considered as one of the most vibrant and colorful states in country. It is worldwide noted with its rich culture & tradition, and glorious past. It has emerged as one of the most popular tourist and holiday destinations in the country with a number of cities, tourist destinations and holiday spots. On your holidays in this royal and imperial state you will have wonderful opportunity to visit several magnificent monuments, forts, palaces, havelis and temples. There are also many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in this state you will love to visit and explore. Camel safari is an ideal option to explore the rippling sand dunes and desert landscapes of Rajasthan.

Himachal Pradesh: Himachal Pradesh is a beautiful Indian state located in the foothills of majestic Himalayas. It is widely acclaimed for many picturesque hill stations endowed with extraordinary copious nature beauty. The state states features some of the most sought after and famous places in Indiasuch as Shimla (the capital of the state), Manali, Kullu Valley, Dalhousie, Kasauli, etc. With many beautiful hill stations and cool & delightful climate, Himachal has emerged as one of the best places for holidays in India.

Goa: Goa, the smallest state of India, is a globally famous holiday destination in India. It is known for beautiful beaches, intricate churches & convents, magnificent colonial buildings and several water sports. With its charm and excellent accommodation facilities Goa attracts a large number of holidaymakers from all over the world. You will certainly love to include Goa as a destination in the itinerary of your Indian holiday package. On you Goa holidays, you will have wonderful opportunity to enjoy the charm of sun, sand, surf and sea.

Kerala: Kerala is a beautiful Indian state situated in the southern tip of India curving alongside the azure Arabian Sea. It is very popular among with its unique & diverse cultural and geographical features. Beaches, backwaters, historical & religious places, monuments, temples, wildlife, hill stations, tea & spice plantations, greenery, etc are key attractions you will explore on your holidays in this beautiful Indian state, also called God’s Own Country.

Interview with Pauliina Mäkelä

    If someone generalizes all Finns as silent and shy people, I would suggest him/her do not jump to the conclusion and meet Pauliina Mäkelä, an entrepreneur, a social media trainer, an event organizer and simply just an enthusiastic sharer!
    The whole 50-minute interview was inspirational with her delightful tone. She was such a giver to share her experience about social media on different perspectives. By sharing her profile, articles on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Kinda, Sometu, Slideshare these websites, I was amazed how active she is to connect the world through the social media. At that time, it occurred to me about what I studied about Finland on the geography textbook- “Due to the cold climate, sparse population and huge land, Finns are good at the technology to connect people, such as mobile phones.” From mobile phones to social media, it only takes such a short time for the users around the world to accept.
    Mrs. Mäkelä takes advantage of the trend. After working in Nokia as a network organizer, she knew what she is good at. Afterwards, she starts to run her own business. She loves learning, sharing, connecting with people and creating events. From all the links she shared during the interview, I clearly saw that she is working and enjoying her work with all her heart and soul.
    Among thousands of millions social media users, the key point to attract people’s attention is, according to Mrs. Mäkelä, a good photo of yourself. Make people interested in you and follow what you share. From her lovely and creative profile photos, she seems like a super star in the social media and people do enjoy her very much.
    Later, she shared the do’s and dont’s in the matter of social media. Be kind, do listen and discuss, get a good skill to make use of social media, create your own boundary, act well on the Internet, think twice before sharing, do share things whenever is possible. On the other hand, there is something Finns need to break it down- the shy characteristic. She personally believes that a personality matters a lot for communication. People should talk about things instead of waiting up for the “right” moment. There is no such a moment, so just speak up and be more motivated.
Last but not least, Mrs. Mäkelä and I shared about our own cultures- Finland and Taiwan. We know each other “exists” on the global business platform, but lack a better understanding about each other. The common reason may be because of the lack of promotion or easy access. For example, in Taiwan, Japan and some another Asian countries, the characters of Moomin are popular, but only few people know it is originally from Finland. Mrs. Mäkelä agreed and shared the link with us (http://www.moomin.com/). As I looked it up and I realized that even the official website is in three languages- Finnish, Swedish and English, there are not Asian languages to make things easier for Asian audience/readers. The language barrier has become one of obstacles between these two different cultures.
    As we can see, a better and more friendly communication channel is urgently needed for the global business world. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to talk with Mrs. Mäkelä and learn from her. 非常(very much) kiitos!

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. 

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. 

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-

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.       

Professor Johan Sjöblom (from Pietarsaari) speaking at the Kokkola Material Week about a new paradigm in Water / Oil / Gas Separation Offshore.

Department of Chemical Engineering
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
7491 Trondheim Norway

Johan Sjöblom has been Professor in surface and colloid chemistry and the Head of the Ugelstad Laboratory at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim from January 1^st 2002.

He was earlier Professor at the University of Bergen during the years from 1988-1999, and Chief Researcher at Statoil's R&D Centre in the period 1998-2001. Sjöblom has served as Adjunct Professor of Colloid Chemistry and Materials Science at Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York, and at the Technical University of Helsinki from 1992-1999.

Sjöblom is the editor of 10 books, and the author or coauthor of more than 300 professional papers. He has educated 31 PhD's and 35 MSc's.

Johan Sjöblom is Editor-In-Chief (from 2005) for Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, and previous Editorial Board Member of Colloids and Surfaces during the period 1993-2003. Sjöblom is also a member of the Advisory Board of Microporous and Mesoporous Materials.

He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Norwegian Chemical Society, and the Finnish Chemical Society. He is also elected Member of the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences and the Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in Finland. Sjöblom received his PhD degree (1982) in physical chemistry from the Åbo Akademi, Finland.

Sjöblom has been an industrial consultant in colloid chemistry since 1980.

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

The Associations for the Blind in China

    Today, we are going to know more about the associations for the blind in China. Beijing, the capital of China; and Shanghai, the biggest business city of China, are the cases to study.
    According the website of Baidu ( the replacement for Google in China), the study of WHO (World Health Organization) from the director of the prevention for the blind and deaf, Dr. Thylefore, suggests there are around 5 million blind people in China (imagine the whole population in Finland is blind…), which is the biggest group in the world and the number goes higher by 450,000 people per year. If the situation continues without any solutions, the number would be fourfold- 20 million visually impaired. On the website of WHO, it clearly points out that most of the blind are from developing countries. As we can see, while the booming economy starts, China has lots of issues to deal with; lots of people in need to take care of.
    I am here to introduce you a school in Beijing and an association in Shanghai. Meanwhile, I can also compare the service in Taiwan with China. The first thing I notice is that both websites have the English version for foreigners. It would make things a lot easier to interact with the resources overseas.
    In Beijing, there is the special school for the blind- Beijing School for the Blind, the only educational institution for the blind. It was founded in 1874. It is not only the earliest special educational school in China but also the unique special educational school for the visually impaired in Beijing .It has now developed into a comprehensive school for visually impaired students ,which includes kindergarten for kids before, special-needs class ,primary and secondary schools , high school section (including senior high, intermediate vocational school for acupuncture and massage and piano tuning vocational high school) and teachers’ training program.
    The school also undertakes the responsibility of guiding those visually impaired children reading in normal schools, information counseling and early intervention for the visually impaired children from 0 to 3.
    Over the years, the school has highlighted the idea of "scientific development" "people-oriented" and "multiple intelligences". The school art troupe and sports teams have won many awards in international and domestic competitions .It is one of the earliest schools that carry out the research project of computer-aided teaching .Thus we build a bridge for the visually impaired students to step into the information society by using modern technology. In 2008, the massage teaching and research group of our school was honored as Innovative intermediate vocational school team in Beijing. The teachers and students of our vocational department have won a number of prizes in many domestic massage competitions. What’s more, the profession of piano tuning is unique and has a good reputation in China, having trained a great many influential piano tuners that are warmly welcomed by the community. Now the new Beijing School for the Blind is developing to have fine education facilities, first-class teaching quality, and high reputation both at home and abroad. Now the new Beijing school for the blind is developing towards the goal of Beijing first, China best, world advanced.
    The vocational education is worthy to know more if you are interested (http://mrxx.bjedu.gov.cn/EVocational.asp). The photo below is the 6th contest of massage for the blind. The student from Beijing School for the Blind had the excellent performance. The way to contact the school is via e-mail: yangshifeng504@163.com; or by phone call: surport: 010-88464930＆Tel: 010-88461146.The School Address : Beijing School For The Blind ,NO.11 Fuwai wuluju,Haidian District, Beijing, China.

    Through their own introduction, I can see the difference. First, Beijing School for the Blind integrates early intervention, computer science, piano tuning training, massage training and Chinese acupuncture training with their lesson planning. The trainings for future jobs are more choices for the blind. Further, on the website, I can read lots of details for the vocational education but not in the Taipei school for the blind. It seems that the information at the Taipei school is not transparent enough.
    Next, let’s talk about the association for the blind in Shanghai. Originally, the association for the blind was founded in Beijing in 1953, and then in 1961, the branch in Shanghai was built up. The association is well-organized with professors of Shanghai Music College supervised.
    Again, I see more information and resources on the website- the English version, the national library   for the blind, the electronic products for the blind. Allow me to cut to the chase to mention the electronic products. There are audio labels, e-book for the blind and two specialized cell phones.
The audio labels are the special labels to audibly inform the blind what the things are, such as the heater that they should not touch or the medicine they should take every day. The product is from the company called AMONE Company and charged as 150 RMB (19 euros).
愛漫科技 AMONE （北京）有限公司
聯繫人：張彥輝 先生 (Mr. Yan-hui Zhang)
電話 (phone)： 010-82897271-606
手機(mobile)：18801012131
傳真(fax)：010-82439285-607
郵箱 (e-mail)：18801012131@139.com
QQ (the Chinese version of MSN)：530562053
    The audio books work as the moving library. By downloading the file, you can listen to books and manage your personal agenda. There are more products from the Guangzhou Braun Electronics Ltd., especially for the blind and deaf. The info to contact the company is as below:
廣州博朗電子產品有限公司(Guangzhou Braun Electronics Ltd.)
公司地址：中國廣東省 (Guangdong Province, China)廣州市天河區車陂路黃洲工
公司網址 (website)： http://www.eview-ebook.com/enindex.asp
聯繫電話 ( phone )：0086-020-38602937or 13482759849
    There are two cell phones served for the blind- GA81 and E2266. Basically, they have unique functions like they can “speak” to the users. The first one is installed with GPS to help the blind find places, also with the special typing function, the blind can use social media like QQ (the Chinese “MSN”) to contact people. 

    And for the second one, it has the SOS function for the blind to call out for help. The typing is also for the blind. Speaking of it, there is a big program for the blind in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. I just read an article to introduce the national library for the blind. It says that although all can speak Mandarin Chinese in these three places, the “written languages” are all different from one another! Therefore, the keyboard to type and the written books cannot be shared. If you are interested to open the market in these three countries for the blind, it is the thing you should keep in mind- the language barrier.
    The E2266 phone is from TongQiMing Technology Development Ltd., and here is the info to make contact with them.
北京瞳啟明科技發展有限公司（ TongQiMing Technology Development Ltd. ）
公司地址(address)：北京市海淀區復興路 83 號
電話(phone)：0086-10-5160 6478
傳真(fax)：0086-10-5160 6478
E-mail：andrew.wei@tongqiming.com

    Again, hope the information I share helps you know the service for the blind better!

Rio de Janeiro, commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area.

2014 FIFA World Cup Football in Rio de Janeiro.

Rio de Janeiro is the very depiction of Brazilian football with all forms of kick abouts taking on its streets, public parks and vast beaches.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the city is the birthplace of such world-renowned footballers as Jairzinho, Zico, Ronaldo and Romario, to name but a few.

Four of Brazil's biggest and most popular clubs are based in the Cidade Maravilhosa: Botafogo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, the club with the country's biggest fan base, of over 30 million aficionados.

Football is like a religion for the cariocas, and its temple is undoubtedly the mythical state-owned Maracana, arguably the most famous and once the largest stadium in the world.

Officially named Mario Filho Stadium, after a famous sports journalist, the Maracana was inaugurated shortly before the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and hosted five of the home country's six matches in that competition, including the fateful 1-2 loss to Uruguay in the final match of the tournament.

The resounding defeat on 16 July 1950 - dubbed Maracanazo by world champions Uruguay - was to be forever remembered as a national disaster in Brazil.

The Maracana has been completely renewed for the FIFA World Cup, in order to offer absolute comfort while still being the largest stadium in Brazil as a 75,117-seater. 

The Engenhão, which was built as a venue for the Pan-American Games in 2007 and will be used in the 2016 Olympic Games, is the home ground of Botafogo. Vasco owns the São Januário, a stadium built in the 1920s that was the largest in the country before the Maracanã was opened.

Education has been a way of life since time immemorial. It has defined man’s way of life for centuries. The oldest educational processes entailed sharing knowledge about hunting, gathering food, learning crude languages, making tools, acquisition of values and rites of passage. Learning and teaching evolved from the man’s struggle for enlightenment and survival. Before the onset of writing and reading, human beings lived in environments in which they were struggling to adapt and struggle against wild animals, natural forces as well as fellow human beings. In order to thrive, humans developed skills which transformed into educational and cultural patterns.

Education can be categorized into formal and informal. In formal education, teachers equip students with knowledge in a school and classroom setting whereas informal education is the overall social process through which people acquire skills and knowledge that are usually deemed appropriate in culture and society in general. In the following sections, I explore three important aspects in the educational process in the 21^st century:

1. Features of modern education

Use of technology

Speaking of the modern education, people feel proud to be educated regardless of whether it is formal or informal. Education is evolving a lot and technology is at the center of its transformation.  It is obvious that the present day classroom needs differ a lot from the traditional classroom needs. The modern-day classroom is an ideal environment in which every student can grow the skills required in the workplace. Teachers are the key facilitators in the learning process. The key focus of the current educational systems is on students.  The teaching and learning process exposes the students to the environment they will enter as present-day workers. It develops their higher order collaboration skills, thinking skills and proper communication skills thus preparing them accordingly to understand how to use technology as well as other skills that are needed in the current workplace.

Computers and other digital devices characterize our modern classrooms. Most governments and educational organizations are availing these tools to most public schools which are replacing the utilities of paper and pen. They give the students the avenue to conduct internet-based research as well as comprehend the technological skills that they require. At the same time, teachers have the opportunity to develop their lesson plans easily and also enhance their learning. Educators clearly understand that the ability to operate computing devices is an extremely important skill in the 21st century. Computers make learning highly effective and greatly assist in the educational process

Paper writing services

Today, students are using custom writing services to complete most of their assignments. A good number of them cannot generate papers in the required academic writing standards. Others have numerous assignments that they cannot complete on time. As such, they seek assistance from professional essay writers who are trained to write academic papers within very short timelines. Most students get great essay writing services and admission essay help whenever they want.

Student-centricity

At the moment, students play a significant role in their learning. On the other hand, teachers mainly act as guides who direct students through various class and school activities. There is a growing number of knowledge facilitators compared to lecturers. Teachers mainly serve to help students understand how to learn and think critically. They act as resource persons who mentor students to invent and master concepts that are geared towards addressing the current global challenges.  In the modern day classroom environment, a lot of focus is dedicated towards students’ interests, needs, learning styles and abilities.

Active learning

 In modern education systems, students actively participate in the process of learning. Teachers have shifted their focus to organizing students into small groups that can discuss or work on projects jointly. Students learn to work together as well as help each other develop new skills. Through group work participation, students learn actively through reflecting, talking, listening, writing and reading.  Joint working facilitates higher knowledge retention and creativity.

Invitational environment

The modern-day classrooms accommodate an average of 30-35 students. However, there are developing countries in which over 50 students still occupy one classroom. The good news is that most governments and policymakers are making a deliberate effort to reduce the number of students per class as well as standardize the student-teacher ratio to about 35:1. Most classrooms have the basic materials like LCD projectors and interactive whiteboards. Also, in some countries, there is the “Bring-Your-Own-Device” initiative that allows students to carry their tablets or laptops to the classroom for enhanced personalized learning.  Technological materials have made learning more effective and have stimulated student engagement thus easing teachers work.

There are detailed rules and procedures

The present-day learning setting is well-organized and carefully planned. Procedures, notices and class rules are posted in convenient locations to aid students to stay updated. Students are frequently encouraged to remember their responsibilities and goals. Class routines and school activities are mandatory, and there is a consistent involvement of parents in their children’s welfare.

2. Difference between the modern education and the education that was 20 years ago

The differences between the modern education and the education that existed 20 years ago vary from state to state and from country to country.  Most variations have been experienced in policy making and use of technology. Nowadays, there is extensive use of online services that include online college admissions, applications, school placements, distant learning and internet-based exam administration.   There is a widespread development of education portals and online libraries that provide multiple study resources for students.

Education has become more expensive, and there is a mushrooming establishment of international schools in big cities and towns. We now have more learning institutions than ever before. Most importantly, there is increased funding for educational initiatives and learning programmes in underdeveloped countries.

3. Directions education moves and how it will be after 20 years

The practices in the conventional classrooms are no longer relevant, and educators are constantly devising new teaching techniques which are radically unique from the ones employed in the classical classroom system. The future school setting will be more focused on students’ welfare and teachers will assume the role of guides and facilitators instead of just being knowledge providers. They will ensure that students participate in the process of learning and teaching, and they will offer appropriate instructions through the use of diverse instructional approaches as well as by adopting various pedagogical techniques that will be strongly aided with technological advancements. Trends in educations indicate that teachers will actively participate in their own learning which will in turn influence how students learn.  It is evident that they will seek professional development to enhance their performance as well as students’ learning. After 20 years, students will take more responsibility for their own education through collaborative learning.

The Associations for the visually Impaired in Taiwan

    Back to 1891, a foreign priest (甘為霖as the Chinese name) founded the first school for the visually impaired in Tainan, the previous capital like Turku in Finland , where locates in the Southern Taiwan. To date, in Taiwan we have more associations for the blind throughout. Let’s take Taipei, the capital, for instance, today I would like to introduce what kind of associations for the blind in Taiwan.
I would break this topic down on three perspectives- the education, career, and entertainment.
For the education, there is The School for the Visually Impaired in New Taipei.
    It is founded for the deaf and blind since 1917, by the Japanese called木村謹吾. Afterwards, the system for the special education turned more sophisticated, so the school for the deaf and blind was separated.
    In 2000, The School for the Visually Impaired developed the whole education system for the blind. From the kindergarten to the senior high school or the vocational school, the visually impaired schoolchildren can stay in the same school for 15 years long. The school has lots of social resources like audio books for the children from Taipei Resource Center for the Visual Impairment, located in the school itself.
    Trough the gallery on the website, I saw that the blind schoolchildren are not just confined to the indoor activities. They were taken to the zoo in Taipei and the traditional culture center in Yilan. Even though they cannot see the world with eyes, they “feel” it by all means. The more social contact they have, the easier they can develop their career after graduation.
    Unfortunately, all the associations I searched for the blind tend not have the English version of official websites. It was shocking to me since lots of social associations were founded by Westerners or Japanese. Although we try to localize our own service, we need to open ourselves to the whole world. Here is the e-mail and the phone number of The School for the Visually Impaired. tmsb@tp.edu.tw (+886228740670)
    For the career, there is the association of the advancement welfare for the blind in Taipei since 1957. As I saw, the association is good at connecting social resources. They maintain relationships with plenty of companies such as中華電信、台灣大哥大、遠傳電信、帝盟科技、富晶電子、和碩聯合科技、友達光電、南亞科技、信義房屋、森森百貨、耕莘醫院及新北市政府 and so on. Most of them are technology companies. The association sends their professional blind masseurs to serve these clients and also get some support from them.

    Speaking of the massage, every blind masseurs serve with the license. If you are craving for some self-indulgence, you can make a reservation online or by phone call. The service will be home delivery, which means they will drive theses blind masseurs to your places to massage you. From Monday to Friday, from 9 am to 10 pm in New Taipei Area, this service is right for everyone. Also, the price is reasonable, 800 NTD for one hour, about 20 euros and you can have the whole-body or feet massage.
Moreover, everyone deserves more choices. The association works on more possibilities for the blind. Now, they have a program of “telephone marketing (電話行銷)” for them. In other words, the blind are able to get the training and make sale business via phone calls. The products they sell are newspapers, magazines and even insurance. The blind members are empowered by selling products on their own. Now, the association is looking for more products for them to promote.
    The e-mail of the association is jie0029@pchome.com.tw and the phone number is +886-22964-8122.
    Last but not least, the entertainment is important for everyone. There is an interesting association for the blind to play BASEBALL, the most popular sport in Taiwan, called Taiwan Beep Baseball Association, that is founded since 1996. It shares the faith that sports should be played by EVERYONE. In 2009, the Taiwan team won the second place of the world game for the blind . In 2010, they were invited to play with many foreign teams. The info to contact them is :

球員 players／ 召集人：張壬壤 +886915-848-999
志工 volunteers／聯絡人：張宇萱 +886955-514-188
Email：taiwanbba@gmail.com

    They maintain a blogger (http://taiwanbba.blogspot.fi/) to interact with the society. In many photos, I saw some foreigners were playing baseball with the Taiwanese members. Since they already have some channels to reach out, it would be a good business opportunity for someone who is interested.
    Hope this introduction helps!

What I rellay wanted to ask Jouko was whether he had brought the newspaper with the article written by Svetlana.

No problem, the artcile is also available at Helsinki Times - News from Finland.

This is an interesting coincidence, while we're negotiating to close a deal about a Clenatec CRM project where we need bloggers and social media activists to cover the Russian market. 

I hope to be able to get a contract in August or September 2013. We're also thinking about other possibilities in the same line. I'll write more about that in my coming postings.

Svetlana Huusko writes: "My first visit to Finland was in 2005 when my family and I went on vacation to a Spa-Hotel and my first impression of the country was very positive. It was quiet and peaceful, and people were not in a hurry. There were many ways to relax here and the nature was insanely beautiful. Since then, I have visited Finland quite a few times for shopping, leisure and cultural attractions but I never thought about living here or marrying a Finnish man. I’m originally from St. Petersburg, so it was easy for me to visit Finland and enjoy all the pleasures."

Read more about Svetlana at Helsinki Times

The Futurologist Jari Kaivo-oja spoke yesterday in Lapinlahti (Yla-Savvo) about Climate Change 2050 and Energy alternativees. There was an interesting discussion about the transition time management and the change programs needed in Finland to get to the frontline in the areas of 1) bioeconomy, 2) cleantech and 3) digitalization. The challenge is to get SMEs to grow and become more international.

PICTURE: Heimo Veli Keitel, Keitteli & Paisteli Food Art and Decoration, Wirby (2012)

Food can be tasty but can also look good. This picture has been taken in Wirby a few days ago and the picture is taken by the person who made this plate look so good.

    On 20 of June, it was our pleasure to interview Mr. Heikki Hallantie about the idea of modeling, social media ,culture and the concept of happiness.
Mr. Heikki Hallantie had served Aalto University for ten years and now retired. He is good at building the bridges in the social media. Honorably, he is called as “ The Father of Sometu” and “The Conductor of Orchestra.” Mr. Heikki agreed with the importance of social media. The issue we should pay attention to is that there is no single one to satisfy all of needs. The social media is widespread and too many so that it turns out no single person can make decisions- it takes groups to do so.
When it comes to modeling, Mr. Heikki had so much to share. He mentioned about a “three-dimension hat” to analyze the connection between human beings’ mind and activities. Since humans’ mind is complex and difficult ( like someone focuses more on feelings but some others do not ), when we solve problems, we need modeling to make things smaller and take action to deal with it step by step. In this way, we are allowed to concentrate on one thing at one time. There is a model of 5T.

Tavoite = Destination, target

Tunne = Desire, feeling

Tieto = Data, knowledge

Tahto = Determination, dedication

Toiminta = Do-it, execution, action

    Via this model, we can definite tasks one by one and get to solve problems. I also found a video about this 5T video (http://vimeo.com/20203585)

    Mr. Heikki Hallantie could not emphasize the importance of modeling enough. He explained that modeling has something to do with working memory, which means the memory skill to work on human mind and let us take action spontaneously. That is exactly why we need modeling to guide us how to do. Modeling is to reach people and reduce problems.
When being asked about how Finns compete, Mr. Heikki replied that let’s focus on people instead of nations. Nations are too complicated and political. If we focus on individual human resources, we can just focus on skills. Then, we three discussed about the education in Finland. The Finnish free education is highly admired in Taiwan, I shared, and there are more and more Chinese and Taiwanese students coming to experience , so it must be one advantage for Finns to compete. Mr. Heikki pointed out that education cannot change cultures easily. We have to understand what is receiving. I immediately agreed with him due to my own experience- two-year of American education did not change my culture but reinforce the meaning of my own Taiwanese culture background.
Next, we talked about technology. Mr. Heikki suggested the meaning of technology is to make people understand each other better. In order to build a long-term relationship, we should work on people-to-people contact instead of institutions. I could see that Mr. Heikki is the one who tries to keep the harmony and balance between technology and people.
    Last, I got to know that Mr. Heikki studied about the happiness. He shared with us that happiness is not just a state of mind, so people should practice it. Since how to practice it was too big to discuss this time, it was quite a pity to let the question stay in our mind. Hope we will have another opportunity to talk more about the idea of happiness. Thank Mr. Heikki Hallantie! Kiitos!

*Note:
1. the audio file about our interview:
http://visualradio.posterous.com/heikki-chloe-and-helge
2.there are some social media about Mr. Heikki Hallantie
http://tinyurl.com/7twqbvm (the profile from LinkedIn)
http://www.facebook.com/hhallantie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hek1n0P36tc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuZxOTAw7HQ

The Vuokatti Hiihto - Vuokatti Skiing event attracted 1 400 participants this year. This Skiing competition calls for participants from several countries and the skiers are men, women, kids, adults, and seniors.

They take the skiing seriously  regardless of age and gender. Here 24 is the mother of the teenage boy 24.

I can assure you that these people are moving fast on the track. More about Skiing.