Geneva

... PIILOMAINONTAA ....

Midweek in Switzerland:

LE SALON ROMAND DE LA FINANCE

° pour les investisseurs privés et les professionnels
° sur le thème des fonds et des produits structurés
° plus de 50 exposants issus du monde de la finance
° lieu de rencontre, d’information et d’échange
° stands et programme de conférences variés

http://www.salonfinance.ch/f/default.asp

No, no, no, I had nothing to do with the investment markets, with the finance gurus, with the exhibition in Geneva, next to the United Nations. Left my hubby to do the dirty work.

I thought it was nice to visit Switzerland again. Although, the weather was really crappy, it was raining cats and dogs and upon to that it was bloody cold. But I had my touristic fun, i.e. took those yellw boats "Mouettes genevoises" and cruised across the Lac Léman. Did you know that if you stay in a hotel in Geneva you are entitled to a "Geneva Transport Card" with which you may use the public transportation "unireso" FREE!

How lucky I was: I could escape the rain to the cinema, there was a film festival this week:

CINEMA TOUS ECRANS

In 2008, Cinéma Tout Ecran becomes Cinéma TouS EcranS, a festival for all screens. Renowned for their groundbreaking aspirations from day one, the Festivals organisers remain convinced that visual supports are beyond artistic hierarchy. Because of this, the Festival continues to open itself up to all existing types of screens, those of today and tomorrow - television screens, cinema screens, computer screens and even mobile phones.

Watched two traditional movies (no mobile phone thingies etc.): Zimbabwe, a South-African film telling a story of the poor people of Zimbabwe
and
Eden, an Irish film about a couple struggeling with their 10th wedding anniversary.

Both films in original version, sometimes the french subtitles helped ...!
Check http://www.cinema-tous-ecrains.ch/ - The festival was not really seen anwhere in the city, more like an insider thingie. Good alternative program for rainy days.

When in Geneva, get and see the calvinist guys, or the reformators: Guillame Farel (1489-1565), Jean Calvin (1509-1564), Théodore de Bèze (1513-1605), John Knox (1513-1572). This monument called Reformation Wall is to be found in the park of Bastions, next to Place Neuve. Google will tell you more about the calvinist times, help yourself!

And then you jump to the other side ... you go to the red light district, yes, there is a very lively red light area next to the railway station, and that is where the finance gurus had their evening fun... it was actually really funny: in Palais Mascotte! Check the price list: after midnite it becomes more expensive ...

Live acts, live music, free drinks, what do you need more after an exhausting day at the fair?

And the next morning was so sunny, it was the perfect time to climb up to the tower of Saint Peter's Cathedral. Good exercise: 157 steps. From there you have to best view over the city.

Some call it the symbol of Geneva, that water fountain, which can reach even 140 meters height. The surrounding mountains were mostly covered by clouds, so no further pics, folks.


The public transportation systems includes a tram net which takes you all over the city. I like the trams because they are overground (vv underground). Made a little tour to Carouge, which is a suburb of Geneva, like 6 tram stops away from the city center. It "was developed after 1754, when it was granted to the Kingdom of Sardinia. A city plan then was designed by Turinese architects with checkboard arrangement (...) and low houses with galleries in the rear opening on gardens. (...) Carouge has retained its Mediterranean-like atmosphere." (Genève Guide pratique) I really felt like being in Italy. At the rear you can already see the mountains. Great.

Mamma Mia in Petterweil

MAMMA MIA! What a great party last night in Petterweil. Petterweil? Well, next to Karben, you know. North of Frankfurt.


This party mama of three kids turned 40, hard to believe. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIA!

Yes, it was a theme party with many famous stars; here Sonny & Cher in action.

Even the nuns from Austria (or was it Australia?) came along, singing us from "Sound of Music", what seems to be the problem with Maria ...?

Well, our birthday Maria loves ABBA music, so we had the ultimate quizz show:

Who recognizes the song after a few seconds ... and the winner was ... MARIA!
PS. Check the boots, they must be the number one footwear this season in the US.

Live act by ABBA, jezzzzz. And for the next performance the group promised to rehearse a bit more ... but it was fun, laughing and singing just isn't possible at the same time, so sorry folks!

Check the boots here, too! Found in ebay, where else.

Quite many guests gave their best, look at our mexican Elvis! What a pity he did not get on stage.

Disco dancing, that is what Maria wanted, that is what she got. We had so much fun!

That guitar is only for playback purposes, so sorry Yoschie! Keep it for the next party act. And 1000 thanks for the Maria compilation.

The best outfits you get from NYC, how lucky we are to have good frends who travel and go shopping suuccesfully.

This delicious pig "Spanferkel" was soooooo tasty, I tried even the crispy skin, yammy. Yes, Beilagen gab es auch, yammy, too.


THE END

SRK not to Germany

Hi fans,

King Khan is not coming. He is trying to tell a reason in his video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2rCMTy-HSE

Hihii. Well, in November I have to have a serious word with him - yes, in India!

Buchmesse * Ende gut alles gut

* It's over, we made it, long live Frankfurt!!! Yeah yeah yeah!!!
Rosebuds survived the 60th Bookfair, welcome next year again.

It was like Christmas for us ... party nights, bookful days, nice food and enough of drinks.

But dear Rosebuds, maybe next year you do your tour the other way round: you start in Munich with the Oktoberfest and come to relax to Frankfurt Book Fair! We promise you to keep these hearts until next Oktoberfest!

Türkisch - tückisch?

There are a couple of turkish restaurants in Frankfurt. Our favourite place has been the Tandure in the Wallstreet = Wallstrasse in Sachsenhausen. Yesterday we tested Manolya in Bornheim, and even though the food in Manolya gets better notes the all over winner still is Tandure.

"Tandure - that's the name of the stove build by brickearth, which is tradionally used by the kurdish residents in the south east of the Turkey. It's wooden fire and it's consistent heat produce very tastefull and mellow specialities with meat from lamb, beaf and turkey hen.
According to our ethnic hospitality, we let you be blessed with only very fresh meat and vegetables."

www.tandure.com

What really draw the points down in Manolya was the horrible rock'n roll background music. It was too loud, too rocky, too fast, too everything - it has nothing to do with a turkish restaurant and it definitely does not suit as dinner music. 10 minus points from oderazzi restaurant critic! Although, if you go for dinner in Turkish party towns like Marmaris or in Bodrum you might experience the same disco feeling...

Kirjamessut jatkuu

Today I had to work at the airport, arrived to the book fair only after 17 hrs, but got two cool interviews.

Yes, there was a beer and Kossu party in the finnish corner, I gave my Kossu to the chinese girl who gave me an interview.

Have you ever seen those beautiful 1,5 liter round Kossu bottles? Me neither. Have you ever met a finnish man who voluntarily goes to an art exhibition? I have, today, it's Veijo in the picture. Interesting. He comes from Rovaniemi, Lappland, originally.

Kirjamessut alkoi

This guy is Juhani Seppovaara, formely known as Bank of Finland financial expert, now writing books with great fotographs. Huussikirja, Mopolla Suomeen etc. are his contributions for Finnish literature, and definitely worth mentioning abroad, too. He gave SISU-radio an interview, thanks for that, you can hear it on coming Sunday.

And the reason he is around is this book which has been translated to German, a book showing historical views of East-Berlin with a cool story. Juhani spent many good times in East-Berlin and nowadays spends most of his time in Prenzlauer Berg. His "kanala" has been outsourced.


In the Turkish exhibition hall I greeted Mr Gül, yes, head of Turkey. Well, he was pushed around with his bodyguards follwed by some thirty journalists and I happend to stand on the way ... he said something me fitting to the exhibition boxes (in Turkish, of course) and I said "merhaba". HA HAA. True story. Let's see if I'll meet him tomorrow again, what do they say in Germany when you by change meet someone three times ..??? Time for coffee or so?

BUCHMESSE - KIRJAMESSUT

Yes, every year is book year. This year is the 60th anniversary of the book fair and the special guest is TURKEY. Have fun, my friends! Welcome Rosebuds!

PS. Yes, I did attend the grand opening ceremony with all of those grand speeches. Noticed that I should do some "Bildungsurlaub" in Turkey, did not really understand much of Orhan Pamuk's speech, not even to mention Abdullah Gül ...

BUCHMESSE NEWS LETTER 14.10.:

Einer, der die Funktionalisierung der Literatur für welchen Zweck auch immer ebenfalls ablehnt, ist der der türkische Nobelpreisträger Orhan Pamuk. "Der Hang des türkischen Staates, Bücher zu verbieten und Schriftsteller zu bestrafen, hält leider immer noch an", bemerkte der türkische Autor in seiner Eröffnungsrede. Er betonte zugleich, dass die Schriftsteller und Verleger sich jedoch nicht entmutigen ließen.

Die kritischen Worte Pamuks dürften dem Staatspräsidenten der Republik Türkei, Abdullah Gül, der mit seiner Frau zur Eröffnung angereist war, nicht unbedingt geschmeckt haben. "Wir wissen, dass Demokratie auf der Grundlage der Achtung für das Recht auf freie Meinungsäußerung und auf den Menschenrechten basiert, und dass sie auf Toleranz und gegenseitiges Verständnis aufbaut und nur auf ihnen weiter wächst, und wir messen dieser Voraussetzung große Bedeutung zu", sagte Gül, der den kulturellen Schatz des Ehrengastes betonte.

Syksyn sumua

It's not only night, it is a foggy night. We cannot see the river. Spoooookey!

Thus fog, surprises come up - thanks Trish! Look at this Ode-thingie ...

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/

NO, I DID NOT START WITH A MAGAZINE, NO! Someone just stole a perfect name:

Ode is a print and online publication about positive news, about the people and ideas that are changing our world for the better.

In print and online, Ode's aim is to bring a new reality into view, to explore opportunities for positive change in our daily lives and our daily minds.

and this is what "Ode" wrote about our Mara:

Nobel Peace Prize winner hopes to find peace through education
Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari said Saturday that finding jobs for young people in the Middle East and Asia will be a major challenge to peace building in the next decade. Within the next 10 years, more than 1.5 billion young 15-30 year olds will be entering the job market. However, only 300 million on them will get a job because of poor education.
Therefore, Ahtisaari, is working with a group in Qatar to educate young people in effort to continue building peace around the world.

Nobelin rauhanpalkinto

At last! Finland's Ahtisaari is finally awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Daily mail

Nobel peace prize for ‘stubborn’ Finn

Mr Ahtisaari is the first European to win the prize in a decade. Today he declared that his next project would be tackling youth unemployment. The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Martti Ahtisaari, the Finnish diplomat who has successfully banged heads together to end many conflicts from southern Africa to Indonesia to the Balkans.
independent


Finlandiya'nın eski Cumhurbaşkanı Martti Ahtisaari, BM temsilcisi olarak Kosova gibi dünyanın önemli sorunlarında gösterdiği olağanüstü başarılarından ötürü 2008 Nobel Barış Ödülünü aldı.
HÜRRIYET


Seine Taktik, um Frieden zu stiften, hat Martti Ahtisaari einmal ganz simpel beschrieben: "Zuhören, zuhören, zuhören." Wenn man alle Seiten ausführlich zu Wort kommen lässt, mag man den Faden finden, mit dem man weiterspinnen kann. Seine Fähigkeit, aus dem Gehörten die richtigen Schlüsse zu ziehen, hat den 71-jährigen Finnen seit Jahrzehnten zu einem der meist benützten Friedensmakler gemacht, und jetzt hat er dafür die höchste Auszeichnung bekommen: Am Freitag kürte ihn das Nobelkomitee in Oslo zum Friedensnobelpreisträger
fr

Dass Martti Ahtisaari, der Friedensnobelpreisträger dieses Jahres, von März 1994 bis Februar 2000 Staatspräsident Finnlands war, wirkt heute wie ein sonderbarer Irrweg seiner Biographie. Der Finne ist zwar ein Diplomat mit politischem Verstand, aber weniger ein Politiker mit diplomatischem Gespür. Er beeindruckt im Gespräch unter vier Augen, doch fällt es schwer, sich diesen Mann als Redner vorzustellen, der Massen überzeugt, gar mitreißt. Sein Charisma wirkt im kleinen Kreise, nicht vor einer Fernsehkamera. So blieb es für ihn denn auch bei nur einer Amtszeit an der Spitze Finnlands. Danach tat Ahtisaari wieder, was er schon davor getan hatte: Er vermittelte.
faz


Nobelin rauhanpalkinnon saa tänä vuonna presidentti Martti Ahtisaari. Ahtisaari on jo parin vuoden ajan ollut veikkausten kärjessä. Tänä vuonna Nobel-komitea päätti palkita hänet rauhanponnisteluista Acehissa ja Crisis Management Initiative -järjestön (CMI) rauhanrakentamistyöstä muissa maailman kriisipesäkkeissä.
Hs 10.10.


Nobelin rauhanpalkinto on myönnetty presidentti Martti Ahtisaarelle. Palkinnon perusteluissa viisijäseninen komitea sanoo, että Ahtisaari ansaitsee palkinnon työstään rauhan ja sovinnon puolesta. 71-vuotias Ahtisaari palkitaan yli kolme vuosikymmentä jatkuneesta urastaan rauhanvälittäjänä, mukaan lukien vuonna 2005 saavutettu rauhansopimus Indonesian Acehin maakunnan kapinallisten ja maan hallituksen kesken.Nobel-komitea muistuttaa myös Ahtisaaren ponnisteluista Namibian itsenäistymisen ja Kosovon konfliktin ratkaisemisen hyväksi. Hän on myös antanut rakentavan panoksen konfliktien ratkaisuun Pohjois-irlannissa, Keski-Aasiassa ja Afrikan sarvessa, sanotaan palkinnon perusteluissa.Ahtisaari sai Nobelin rauhanpalkinnon ensimmäisenä suomalaisena. Tätä ennen Suomeen on tullut kolme Nobel-palkintoa. Kirjailija F. E. Sillanpää sai kirjallisuuden Nobelin vuonna 1939. Kemian Nobel myönnettiin A. I. Virtaselle vuonna 1945 ja lääketieteen Nobel Ragnar Granitille vuonna 1967.
Yle uutiset


Nobels fredspris 2008 går till Finlands förre president Martti Ahtisaari. Det är första gången Finland får fredspriset.
– Jag är tacksam och positivt överraskad, sade Ahtisaari när norska NRK bad honom kommentera priset och tillade att han har lite norskt blod i ådrorna.
Ahtisaari framhöll sitt fredsarbete i Namibia som det viktigaste han gjort under sin karriär.
– Framför allt för att det tog så lång tid, sade Ahtisaari som på en direkt fråga sade att han hoppades kunna fira priset "med familjen och nära vänner" i kväll.
Nobelkommitténs motivering lyder: "för hans viktiga ansträngningar på flera kontinenter och under mer än tre decennier för att lösa internationella konflikter".
Han är mest känd för sitt arbete för en fredlig lösning av Acehkonflikten i Indonesien och för att ha varit en nyckelfigur i arbetet med att göra Kosovo självständigt. Så sent som häromdagen fick Ahtisaari Unescos fredspris i Paris för sitt livslånga arbete för fred i världen.
SVENSKA DAGBLADET


Il premio Nobel per la pace per il 2008 è andato all'ex presidente finladese Martti Ahtisaari «per i suoi importanti sforzi, in molti continenti e per più di tre decenni, per risolvere i conflitti internazionali». Così l'annuncio a Oslo del Comitato norvegese del Nobel.
Corriere da la sera


Ahtissari (newspaper's typing mistake, too bad), nacido en 1937, fue presidente de Finlandia entre 1994 y 2000. Su presidencia impulsó la entrada del país a la Unión Europea (UE). También se ha distinguido por sus múltiples acciones mediadoras en conflictos. Fue enviado especial de Naciones Unidas (ONU) en los Balcanes y autor del plan de paz para Kosovo, que llevaba su nombre, el pasado febrero. Este plan, que recomendaba la independencia de Kosovo supervisada y tutelada internacionalmente, contaba con el apoyo de buena parte de los países occidentales pero la oposición de Serbia y de Rusia.
El pais


Le successeur d'Al Gore est Martti Ahtisaari. Le comité Nobel norvégien lui a attribué le prix Nobel de la Paix, vendredi à 11 heures, après avoir tranché parmi 197 candidatures dont l'identité était un secret bien gardé. Le diplomate de 71 ans était toutefois donné favori ces dernières années, avec sa fondation, la Crisis Management Initiative. Il se voit décerner un prix de 1,7 millions de dollars.
Le figaro

... and PRAVDA did not mention Ahtisaari at all ...

Green trip to HEL

Vihreä Vyyhti täytti kymmenen vuotta Hakaniemen hallissa - ONNEA!

10 years' celebration in Hakaniemi market hall, Vihreä Vyyhti 1.10.2008.

Shop owner's job is multitasking: decision making, ordering, carrying, storing, selling, representing, marketing, very often sweating, swearing and even smoking.

Kässämessuja siellä sun täällä, Lea se ei istu villojen päällä.
Kutoahan voi joka säällä, sitten onkin hyvällä päällä.

Tralalalalaa.
Saiskohan Hartikaiselta tähän sävellyksen ...?

On se putelinsa ansainnu tuumi Murtsikin kun halliin heräs.

ROSEBUDilla on vielä runsaat 9 ja puoli vuotta ekoihin kybävuotisjuhliin tuossa Mariankadun nurkassa, tsemppistä Iialainen! Tervetuloa Frankun kirjamessuille hakemaan lisää virikkeitä! Hos geldiniz sanoo messujen special guest Turkki.

Matkani ylläriohjelma - spontaneous program in Helsinki ICE HOCKEY MATCH
HIFK - Oulun Kärpät

the reason was this guy:

32 Lennart Petrell

HIFK - laitahyökkääjä *** s. 13.4.1984 Helsinki *** 191 cm / 95 kg /

NHL-varaus: 2004 Columbus Blue Jackets 6. kierros #190sopimus: 2010

Ura: Lennart Petrell pelasi junioriuransa HIFK:ssa piipahdusta Karhu-Kissoissa lukuun ottamatta. Teki läpimurtonsa kaudella 2003-2004 ollessaan IFK:n junioreiden johtopelaajia. Edusti Suomea myös vuoden 2004 nuorten MM-kotikisoissa ja varattiin kesällä 2004 NHL:ään Columbuksen riveihin. Kaudella 2005-06 oli Sheddenin luottopelaajia. Keräsi 20 tehopistettä runkosarjassa, mutta kunnostautui eniten likaisen työn raatajana. Kausi 207-2008 nosti Petrellin IFK:n ykkösnimien sarjaan ja myös maajoukkueeseen.

Or should I say the reason is to be found in this picture on the right, this dark lady is the aunt of Lennu and next to her are Lennu's proud parents. So we just had to go and see the match. Thanks for the tickets.

Lennu really has fan club, the smaller one here is his godson.

Yes, actually it was quite fun to watch the match, not that I understood much, but it is the atmosphere that crabs you. It is amazing how much advertisement there is all around the stadium, and also the players are carrying company names even at theit buts ... very clever, most of the time the back part of the players is up on the air anyway!

If I was 15 years old would I also dream of being a cheerleader girl in an ice hockey match ...? Would I? Should I?

At the end of the match the boys got carried away, at least three fights started even before the final whistle was blown. Lennu (32) kept cool, how good for him.

By the way, the final score was 4 to 2, for HIFK, of course.


It was a big sports night in Helsinki, next to the ice hockey stadium there was a soccer match, Honka playing against Santander from Spain. The Finns lost the match with 0-1. I could have bet that the Spaniards cannot make it as it was pouring rain the whole evening.

HELSINKI DESIGN WEEK 08 /// 25.9. - 6.10. /// Artek showroom: Tom Dixon lamps.

Great. Did not really know about this when I arrived, meaning I did not prepare my trip that much. Should have done it, could have seen some interesting exhibitions. This low profile design week was not really shown anywhere, until you got inside the shops. Too weird. Low profile, indeed.

And now I must admit that I haven't followed the news either. What the h ...? Artek has a BRTITSH artistic manager, Tom Dixon. This information deserved some surfing, and what did I find out? Interesting things, like Artek, the cool shop at Esplanadi Street selling world famous finnish design products, mainly furniture, belongs to swedes. And now they hired a brit to manage the artistic development of the shop.

At least this guy seems to be modest: "We do not plan to implement a revolution in the first year", says Tom Dixon, the new artistic director of Artek. "When Artek was founded in 1935 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, Maire Gullichsen and Nils-Gustav Hahl, it was a manifesto of creative people, who aimed at being more than just an export company. The attitude was very modern, and we should take Artek more in that direction, rather than keeping it as an Aalto museum, which it has been for some time now."

Asked if Artek’s line would remain Nordic by nature, Dixon answers with another question. "What is Nordic? Is it just Scandinavia, or does it extend to the equator? The Japanese probably represent a more Nordic kind of design than the Finns do."

(HS 27.8.2008)

Punertaa marjat pihlajan, kuin verta niillä ois - finnish tango.

But this trip was basicly green, so this is the whirlpool in my sister's new house and you can bathe in all colours! The house is good, congrats to the new home, little sis.

Our little big godson might find his career as a cook ...? If not as a filosofical rally driver ... Thanks for driving me around, Walde!

Checked Sirpa's new place, too, actually I should rename this post "the home checking tour". But as the third home checking was exhanged to ice hockey, the title will stay green.

Little Anni likes drawing with old Ode, that was fun. Next time we'll meet with more time.

Next time you fly from HEL, check the Alvar coffee shop decoartion wall at the departure gate 25. I could swear the lights are not green. My camera just sometimes does what it wants. Omapäinen niinku hallikauppias. The idea with the Aalto vases is brilliant, like the brits say. Cheers Mr Dixon!


I really really really prefer window seats, beacause sometimes you really really really can enjoy the views.

The football season has just started in Germany, so Saturday afternoons are booked, mostly in front of the tv-screen. Poor Eintracht Frankfurt, something is really really wrong.

I won't change the title of this post because it is still green in Frankfurt, much greener than in Finland.