Blogs

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.

    On 25th of June, we were honored to interview Mr. Ilkka Pirttimaa, who has developed application programs of cell phones in Apple for three and half years, one of the most popular brands in the world nowadays. 

    I must say that Mr. Ilkka Pirttimaa was such a passionate and patient interviewer through the whole 70-minute interview with us. We talked the application he has been working on for the blind. He shared his profession, answered our questions, and discussed with us. Interestingly, a person who does not have much knowledge of technology like me could be immersed into the exciting technology world by Mr. Pirttimaa’s explanation. In my opinion, that is what experts should be good at- trying to break down possible barriers to communicate with outsiders. Then everyone can easily be on the same page.
    On the website of WHO (World Health Organization), it points out the key fact that so far 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision. It is a huge group that Apple pays attention to and they are working on the advanced app for them. Speaking of the application for the blind, Mr. Pirttimaa said that he has started it from scratch even sometimes without knowing how to do. He groped about all the information he needed, such as how the blind really uses cell phones, what places they may search the most, what kind of service they need, how to make the technology easier for the blind and so on. Hence, he turned to the blind, professors, other experts in Finland and associations even in Australia and the U.S.A. for different advice. Through his network of career, the blind’s whole new world shall be quickly opened.
    Currently, over 20 million people uses service called foursquare that can be used with any smartphone. With it, you can share your experiences, discover what’s nearby and find what you’re craving. There is a website of Foursquare Labs where you can download it (https://foursquare.com/about/new).
    The app for the blind people, blindsquare, is specially designed, that works as simple as possible. Since the current smart phones are not suitable for them (they cannot use the phones by touching the screens), the blind can use the app just through voice. Mr. Pirttimaa demonstrated how it works to us on Skype. By selecting a keyword, let's say "restaurant," the phone started to give the direction of restaurants and the instruction how to get there in details like the addresses, the current locations, the transportation you can get. Without the ability to see, the blind can basically get wherever they want, of course, a guide dog or person is required due to the safety.
    On the other hand, Mr. Pirttimaa encounters the language barriers and culture barriers. For languages, there are Spanish, Italian, English, Dutch, Norwegian version. At moment, because of the giant market in Asia, he needs the ability for Japanese and Chinese languages to develop 200 basic sentences. Mr. Ilkka Pirttimaa was especially concerned about the market in China because in China, where they do not use the Foursquare app. That is, they should figure out a way to connect the alternative service. For culture barriers, the questions would be like how to deal with the payment in foreign countries? Or how to avoid to touch the local people’s taboo? There are so many unsolved questions to answer and problems to solve. Mr. Pirttimaa has been aware of it and made a list to take action step by step. We later got a to-do-list from him and saw how well-organized he is toward this app project.
“These features are brought into product in last 3 weeks, working few hours/day:
NEW FEATURE: Cross street tracking on bus
NEW FEATURE: Auto-blanking of screen can be disabled
NEW FEATURE: Italian language added
NEW FEATURE: Bouncing table starts WhereAmI query (for non-VoiceOver users)
NEW FEATURE: Rating added
NEW FEATURE: "Look around" reports also nearest crossing in each direction
NEW FEATURE: When editing My places, you can reset location
NEW FEATURE: You can start/stop tracking a place from Own places
NEW FEATURE: In settings you can control how shake gesture is used
CHANGE: Compass renamed as "Look around"
CHANGE: Settings-button renamed as "Other"
FIX: Poor GPS or network connectivity announcements doesn't cut out speaking but wait for it's turn
FIX: Changing radius with VoiceOver has smaller resolution
NEW FEATURE: 30 recent places mentioned can be found from Tools/Recent Places, latest first
NEW FEATURE: FourSquare checkin stops tracking
NEW FEATURE: Faster way to stop tracking (Tools / Stop Tracking)
NEW FEATURE: New page for FourSquare check in + starting/stopping tracking. Includes address, twitter, link to menu, distance, direction and phone number
NEW FEATURE: If place published phone number in 4sq, you can make a phone call
NEW FEATURE: If place published twitter account in 4sq, you can open their feed
NEW FEATURE: If place published menu in 4sq, you can take a look at it
NEW FEATURE: Shouting is enabled when doing foursquare check in
NEW FEATURE: Distance Unit can be changed (default is read from iOS settings)
NEW FEATURE: Possibility to set more exact location to FourSquare venues. Corrected locations are saved to iCloud, so they affect to all your devices.
CHANGE: When doing check in with shake gesture, places with corrected location are prioritized
FIX: Rounding error fixed with imperial distances
FIX: Street number is announced when reporting your address
FIX: italian translation typos fixed”

    Besides the barriers, Mr. Pirttimaa was asked the price of the app. The price for the app is not high- US 15 dollars (12 euros). Hopefully, Mr. Ilkka Pirttimaa would like to keep the price higher (like US 30 dollars = 24 euros) to maintain the quality. But first of all, the app should be tested by the customers in real markets, he suggested.
    Helge later introduced the Chinese professor whom we just interviewed last week- Tao, Minling (陶密霖), who is working on the project to help the people who have mental issues or elderly for the independent home care service. Helge acclaimed that since both Mr. Pirttimaa and Professor Tao are helping the people with special needs, it would be a good idea if they can interact with each other. I saw that by doing the interview, we could build our network with all different kind of experts, and also help them connect each other. It is exactly the advantage of the social media.
    Last, it occurred to Helge that the app could also be applied to foreign tourists. Since as a foreign tourist, everyone is not that different from the people who cannot see- we could be the same lost. In that case, I surely will buy it for my own travel purpose. After all, a great technology shall benefit everyone in the world. We gratefully thank Mr. Pirttimaa for the interview and wish him all the best for the app.

 Note: for the audio file of the interview, please go to the link:
http://visualradio.posterous.com/ilkka-chloe-and-helge-public

If you have never been to Taiwan for business, you definitely need some tips for it. As a Taiwanese, who travels back and forth to Oulu,Finland, I would like to share my own experience with you.

*The first step is to book a flight ticket from Helsinki to Taiwan. Remember, it is a lot more expensive if you travel directly from Oulu to Taiwan. The international airport in Taiwan is located in Taipei, Taiwan - Chiang Kai Shek Airport (TPE).  The airline I recommend is Cathay Pacific, an airline run by one Hong Kong cop.. The food and service is good,the price is reasonable and you will have an experience to transfer from Hong Kong International Airport,which operates one of the world's largest passenger terminal buildings. While waiting, you can shop to kill time!

* The next step is to plan your transportation from Oulu to Helsinki. An 8-hour road trip from Oulu to Helsinki absolutely is a pain, so I recommend you take a cheap flight by Norwegian Airline. On weekdays, you can even find one-way ticket with the price just around 30 euros. It is even cheaper than a train ticket and save you lots of time!

* The last step is to prepare for the currency, New Taiwan Dollar (NTD), the converter for your electronics and a cellphone in Taiwan.

Most foreigners would exchange their currencies in the airport right after they arrive in Taiwan. My suggestion is that if you have some local  guides, please just exchange little money for you to survive the first two days, and go to another banks to exchange the rest of your budget since the bank in the airport would not provide the most ideal rate for you even though they acclaim "no commission."  Here is the bills ( currently 1 EURO = 37.68 NTD):

The plugs are different from the ones in Europe, so you need a converter (6A/250V) in Taiwan. If you happen to forget it, you can buy it in some grocery shops. It looks like this:

The last step is to get yourself a local cellphone. I would suggest you take your own phone with you and go to a convenience store, such as 7-11, to get a local phone number for your short visit. It would be better if you ask a help from your local guides. 

By the way, 7-11 is the most popular convenience store in Taiwan- there are more than 5,000 stores in such a small island. If you need to make a copy, fax, buy bus/train/movie/concert tickets or print files out from your USB, it will be the place for you.

Hope the tips help. Enjoy your trip in Taiwan! 

I've been looking at pictures from the Nuclear Powerplant in Loviisa.

This nuclear power plant will be obsoleted in a decade or so. There're no plans to build new ones at Svartholmen, Loviisa.

There's a new nuke under construction in Olkiluoto and another one in Norther Finland. Nuclear power is a controversial issue but Finland is still continuing to build new units. 

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.

February 8, 2014 - Seventy persons participated in the Sapsottaret Charter Night Evening at Taulikettu, Sotkamo.

More pictures from the event: http://kknet.1g.fi/kuvat/Lions/Sapsottaret/ 

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.

Shimla and Manali are two beautiful hill stations in Himachal Pradesh, India. The pleasant and delightful climate of Shimla and Manali makes these places fascinating destinations of the tourists. The nature has blessed the places with exceptional striking features like snow-capped mountains, green hills, delightful ambience, meadows, colorful flowers, lovely lakes, vivacious waterfall, etc. These stunning and striking natural features present panoramic view of nature. Shimla is rightly attributed as “Queen of Hill Stations”. Manali is also very picturesque. Nature loving tourists frequently visit the place to explore the unmatched and undulating nature.

Shimla is emerging as Honeymooners’ paradise. There are many attractions sites in Shimla. Some of the popular attractions in Shimla are the Mall, the Ridge, Himachal State Museum & Library, Viceregal Lodge & Botanical Gardens, Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Summer Hill, Glen, Tara Devi Temple, etc. These places are frequently visited by the tourists. Tourists are also fond of visiting Jakhoo Hill and St. Michael’s Cathedral. A variety of adventurous activities can also be enjoyed by the tourists. Trekking, hiking, river rafting, paragliding, etc are interesting adventure activities to enjoy in Shimla.

Manali is located at the end of gorgeous Kullu Valley. The scenic landscape and panoramic view of nature is truly very charming. The fascinating charm of Manali invites thousands of nature lovers. The natural beauty of the place gets greatly magnified by the presence of the Beas River, which swiftly meanders through it. Wild flowers, small hamlets and fruit-laden orchards are the adding charm of the place. The charming tourist attraction sites to see on Manali tour are Gadhan Thekchhokling Gompa, Hadimba Devi Temple, Manu Temple, Vashisth Baths, Malana, Naggar, Roerich Art Gallery, Uruswati Himalayan Folk Art Museum, etc. These places are highly acclaimed by the tourists. Over these features, sightseeing is the main attraction of Manali. tours to Kullu Manaliwill really give you lifetime experience to treasure.

Various tour packages are available in market for Shimla Manali Tours. You can select a tour package and embark on journey to explore the different forms of nature in its best form. Do not forget to enjoy the freak of trekking, hiking, mountaineering, paragliding, angling, etc. Tourists are also fond of taking nature walk in the pleasant and picturesque surrounding. The romance can be felt in the air and you need to absorb it to make your life cheerful and romantic. Visit Shimla and Manali to enjoy the charm of nature.

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.

Golden triangle is a popular travel circuit in northern India. It covers three historic and historical cities of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur as its destinations. It has been one of the most sought after travel circuits of India as it provides a unique way to enjoy the best charm of cultural heritage tourism in India. It provides tourists to see some of the best Indian monuments and observe the rich culture heritage of the region and country. It is cultural journey in northern India that can make you amazed and surprise in the whole trip. It will never let you down. You will enjoy lots and gather lots of delightful experiences & memories to cherish for lifetime.

The first destination is Delhi, the capital city of India. Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Lotus Temple, Akshardham Temple, Jama Masjid, Rajghat, National Museum, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Chandani Chowk, Connaught Place, etc are prominent tourist attractions to see in Delhi that will definitely make you delighted.

Agra is the second destination of golden triangle. It is mainly famous for Taj Mahal tour. Once the capital of Mughals it is home to many magnificent Mughal monuments featuring Taj Mahal (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), Agra Red Fort and Itmad-Ud-Daulah Tomb. Sikandara Akbar’s Tomb, Chini Ka Rauza, Dayal Bagh, Mehtab Bagh, etc are some other attractions to see in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Jaipur, the capital and largest city of Rajasthan, is the third destination of golden triangle tour in north India. It is one of the most beautiful cities in India and a prominent tourist destination. It is popular among tourist because of its magnificent forts, palaces, temples, museums and other monuments. Jantar Mantar Observatory (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Hawa Mahal (the Palace of Winds), Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, City Palace Complex, Govind Devji Temple, Albert Hall Museum, Ramniwas Gardens, Jaipur Zoo, Raj Mandir Cinema, Moti Doongri Ganesh Temple, etc are major attraction to see in Jaipur, the Pink City of India.

Indeed, Golden triangle tour will never let you in the whole trip. You can reserve package of golden triangle journey from one of Rajasthan tour operators in India.

The Interview with Ari Kormi

    If the image about Hungarians is the warmth and kindness, then I think Mr. Ari Kormi is pretty “Hungarized.”
    During the 70-minute of interview on 3rd of July, 2012, we were thankful for his openness to share his experience about the business, culture difference and barrier from his personal experience. I searched for more information about Mr. Kormi’s career. Here is the summary about his current job- “The Flying Finn connecting people and business across the globe. Finnish native living in Hungary since 1990. Export-import business expert in Hungarian language region.” (The LinkedIn profile of Mr. Kormi is http://www.linkedin.com/in/arikormi )

    Mr. Ari Kormi is experienced for business, especially for the international trade and marketing. The range is wide. Previously, in 1992, 1993, he helped friends to connect to the local market in Hungry for real estate business. In 2000, he started the new business for packaging business until 2009. Then, he dealt with the business for problem-solving. Since 2005-2006, he has opened the window to export and import for middle-size enterprises between Finland and Hungry. In the past three years, he has worked in the food industry and agriculture which is the economy driver in Hungry. Excitingly, last year, he fulfilled his dream by marking the history for the cooperation between Finland and Hungry. The history book actually writes this historical moment down and he was so thrilled that he could be one part of it! We can say that through his connection as the bridge, the distance from Finland to Hungry is a lot more shortened.

    It is said that Finnish and Hungarian is from the same family; however, the culture difference can be huge. Mr. Kormi is the great example ,who heartily embraces the culture difference, respect it and learn it. For instance, he knew how Asians value the process of exchanging business cards. Unlike the casual style in most of the Western business world, Asians appreciate titles, good manner to give and receive business cards and good attention to business cards once you receive them. He shared that once he exchanged the business cards with Asian businessmen, he took the cards seriously and even took important notes on the back of the cards to show how much he cared. (Note 1) The little action can be huge to build up relationship with foreigners.

    Moreover, Mr. Kormi honestly said that the way Finns do the business in Finland would not work in Hungry. First of all, they do not like to be called East Europe most likely duo to the historical reason. He explained that as the matter of fact, Hungry is “westerner” than Finland (one hour later than the time zone of Finland), so why is Hungry East Europe? To show the respect, he suggested the term of “ Central Europe.”
    Spending 20 years in Hungry, he learns Hungarian, works with Hungarians and even builds his own family in Hungry. He is the perfect lecturer to represent how different between the Finnish business style and Hungarian as below.

1) Finns are comparatively direct. It may be hard to build up trust and relationship easily with Hungarians, especially you do not speak their language- Hungarian.
2) Finns tend not to do follow-up conversations and thus do not build up long-term relationships. In Hungry, people keep in touch after actual business relationship and have follow-up communications. That’s how long-term relationship is appreciated in the culture.
3) The regulation for dress code cannot be underestimated. Unlike the Finnish casual style, Hungarians have certain rules for how you should dress yourselves at different business occasions. For example, they tend not to mix colors. One simple color at one time. Mr. Kormi nicknamed the Hungarian style as “gentlemen business culture.”
4) Hungarians are friendly. Although they feel uncomfortable because of your behaviors, they do not show their emotion but deep inside, they are aware of it. As Mr. Kormi stated above, when they hear you say Hungry is East Europe, Hungarians would not argue with you but keep the unpleasant feeling to themselves.
5) Finns admire quality while Hungarians value titles. In Hungry, they do not address you by your first names but by titles, such as Mr. or Miss.

    In this case, Hungarians are quite suitable to develop business relationships with Asians since we are similar when it comes to the business manner- Asians appreciate titles and long-term relationships as well.

    According to what Mr. Kormi shared, we can see that he truly loves Hungry with his heart and soul. The country is worthy to visit -Budapest, the capital of Hungry, is praised as the pearl of Danube and highly recommended by Mr. Kormi, and the people are trustful to have business with, especially the location of Hungry is the central of Europe to easily go anywhere in Europe. For example, eight-hour trip in Finland, you can only travel from Helsinki to Sotkamo, but with the time, you can reach Italy by train from Hungry.

    Nowadays, Mr. Ari Kormi runs the business with his family- Mrs. Kormi works on the management and his children help with the computer and sale parts. In Chinese/ Taiwanese culture, I would like to wish him to have good fortune in his business (生意興榮) and look forward to further conversations. Thank you for the interview, kiitos paljon!

Note 1: Though I am sorry to say that it may be offensive in Taiwan since Taiwanese may think you insult their business cards by taking notes on the back .

Note 2: If you are interested in the detailed of interview, please go to the audio file:
http://digitalvillages.posterous.com/ari-chloe-and-helge

    Yesterday Nokia laid off 3,7000 employees in Finland and 100,000 globally. As the slogan says, ironically, they are connecting people but also firing people... Recently the sale of HTC smart phones has been dropping down by approximately 30%. As far as we know, Nokia was the biggest cell phone company in the world, occupying more than 25% of the cell phone market. On the other hand, HTC is the company that invents the very first smart phone in the world. In that case, Finland and Taiwan both have advantages for the global competition. Then what exactly happened? Why both us lost the technology battle with Apple and Google?
    My Finnish colleague suggests that Nokia overlooks the importance of the Internet and a decent software, so it led to the current situation. As for HTC, I would say HTC smart phones did not gain the first comer advantage and has not created an extract value for their products. Step by step, HTC cell phones are just “cheaper” alternatives for i-phones. Nokia and HTC are pioneers for the mobile devices, but both fail to satisfy the picky customers around the world.
    Another question comes along- why do Americans win over us? Apple and Google are not even the companies that originally produce cell phones! Apple is known for the computers and Google is for the search tool. They build up their own kingdoms and hunger for more possibilities. It takes such a long time for them to do R&D work and know the market better. Unlike most of Taiwanese companies, these Americans are not in hurry to make profits. Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple, is not a genius for innovative products but a patient businessman, who really takes his time for the best outcome. He is the pioneer for the personal computer revolution and leads Apple to the top of the world. If we think about it, maybe Nokia and HTC urgently need such a strong leadership.
    Even Apple is that successful, Forbe magazine recently wrote about Apple and asked a question- how long can Apple last? This is Americans, who always analyze for the best and worst in their money-driven society.
    What can we learn from these Americans? What can we do to improve ourselves? It takes a good leadership, capitals, human resources and global marketing. Are we enough for these factors?

We've been networking with Juha Mentu for years and created Biotechtouch as a platform for future projects.

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.   

Minerva Martinoff writes to me:

Kindly asking if you could spread this amateur Free Pussy Riot support video on your own wall. Only if you feel comfortable with it and willing to help us to drum for freedom of speech. Also it's example that you can do a demonstration without vandalism or getting police involved. Big thank You for all of your help. And I do apology if this material is upsetting you any possible way.

Thank You - Kiitos- Tack from Minerva & co

It's time to start planning, we want to be better prepared. Ligna 2019 is the largest wood industry / working event in the world. 

Many things are at stake this time. Who do we want to meet? What do we want to achieve? Over 1 500 exhibitors and more than 90 000 visitors.

In the past years Industry 4.0, robotics, automation, digitalization, CLT and high-rise wooden buildings have been on the agenda in Central Europe. These things will continue to attract attention and headlines. What else?

How about distance support and digitalized customer support services? We can provide personalized services over digital networks. We can be on the spot supporting maintenance people while they install spare parts or calibrate new instruments.

Do you often get feedback from your teacher that your essay lacks structure? Or that you are missing certain parts like support to that statement you made?

Follow tried and tested methods of writing body paragraphs to prevent overlooking essential parts of your essays.

The first common method is the PEEL method. This is a straightforward method that allows for formulating the most basic paragraph.

What PEEL stands for:

• Point - make your point
• Explain - explain your reasoning
• Evidence provide evidence that proves your point
• Link - link to the question and the next paragraph

Next popular method is the PESEL method. A slight variation of the PEEL, where you will be required to replace the ‘Evidence’ phase with ‘Support’ and ‘Evaluate’. This allows a slightly more sophisticated argument where you can challenge your own points and support them to provide more depth. It is recommended that at least 1 of your paragraphs will follow the PESEL method - usually the first body paragraph.

• Point - make your point
• Explain - explain your reasoning
• Support - support your point with evidence
• Evaluate - evaluate your point and evidence
• Link - link to the next paragraph

Another alternative is to use the Hamburger model. The idea of a hamburger is differs slightly from person to person. But pretty much everyone would agree that it will follow something like the below

The must haves:

• Top bun - Topic sentence of the paragraph
• Meat/ patty - Evidence and support
• Bottom Bun - concluding the statement

The additions:

• Cheese
• Lettuce
• Sauce

In the case essay writing, the must haves is the parts of the essay that you should spend time formulating and writing well. In addition to this, you can layer some cheese, lettuce and sauce. What does this include? These are little additions that bring your argument to life. For example, anecdotes - a short story that helps bring a statement to life. While you can use these sparingly, when used well these will make the essay more interesting, and you will definitely score more points for style from the reader.

Try an essay example free and see if you can spot the different sections mentioned above in these essays. Learning how to spot the various sections of the paragraph will help you understand what they require and will expose you to a variety of styles. Once you have seen many examples, you can pick and choose what works for you. Always, plan your paragraphs in one of the above methods and never lose marks for not remembering to provide adequate evidence or missing out on a clear topic sentence.

Remember, this is just a framework for you to use. There is still a lot of research and understanding of the topic that is required before you can master the skill of essay writing.

Other ways of acing that essay assignment are to get some professional help. The most efficient way to get professional help is to use trusted essay writing services. These will help elevate your essays and boost your confidence in wiring again.

PICTURE: Irja Kallio, Sotkamo (5.9.2012)

Ilkka Pirttimaa demonstrating Blind Square on national television today. The iPhone / iPad app uses global open data sources like Four Square and Streetview. Great 11 min 33 sec webcast is also available through YLE Arena.

Helge V. Keitel Finnsih language, but you see the gadgets: http://areena.yle.fi/tv/1656160

Puhelinsovellus mullistaa näkövammaisten liikkumista

areena.yle.fi

Ilkka Pirttimaa on harrastuspohjalta ja ilman businessenkeleitä tehnyt puhelinso

velluksen joka voi mullistaa miljoonien näkövammaisten ihmisten elämän. Aamu-tv otti selvää, miten temppu tehdään.