Happy Chinese New Year!

New Years seems to be already so long ago. This week you get a second chance to celebrate though. The Chinese New Year is close at hand. For this occasion lots of preparations have been done in the center of Helsinki. A small Chinese village with traditional food, stage shows and music is awaiting visitors at Lasipalatsin aukio.

The program starts at 14.00 and the entrance is for free. And don’t forget to be in time for the fireworks over Töölönlahti at 18.30 to welcome the New Chinese Year.

Funk at Virgin Oil

For those of you who are up for some good black rhythm music Virgin Oil Co. is the place to go this weekend. On Saturday the Funky Awards will take place there. Get to know some local artists, listen to some great music and have a fun night. Asa, LaineenKasperi & Palava Kaupunki and Oaklyn will be performing. You can click on their names to listen to some music samples.

You can buy the tickets in advance from Tiketti or Virgin Oil for 12 € or get them on Saturday night for 14 €. The Funky Awards start at 22:00.

See you all there!

For young city planners

Until February 16^th Laituri invites especially children to come and learn more about city planning. Together with the red elephant they will plan Fairy Tale City and learn lots of interesting new things about city planning.

And since city planning involves lots of good ideas the children are asked to get creative themselves and paint their dream houses.

In the library

The new University Library was finished in 2012. Its glass front and its open floors make it an interesting building. Here are some impressions from the so called Kaisa House.

To check their database click on their website.

Tarts for the national poet

Today Finland celebrates one of its greatest writers: Johan Ludvig Runeberg. Every year on his birthday February 5^th the flags fly in honor of Finland’s national poet.

On this day it is a tradition to eat Runebergin torttu. It is a pastry flavored with almonds and topped with raspberry jam in a sugar ring. According to the legend Runeberg’s wife invented those tarts and made them for him every morning.

At the moment you get them in every supermarket. Enjoy!