Heureka...

Finland has a well deserved reputation for technology education. The universities produce well qualified, creative talent for the tech industries, in part I am sure this is because higher education is effectively free here.

But getting kids interested in technology subjects in the first place is a challenge facing many countries. Places like Heureka, where I had a team meeting today, must surely help spark their imagination.

Heureka is the Finnish Science Centre, clearly geared up for school and family visits. Rather than the dull exhibits I remember from the Science Museum in my childhood, (admittedly, a long time ago now), it is an exciting place, full of interactive displays and real life examples, all described in Finnish, Swedish and English. Each is designed to grab and hold the attention of all who visit.

After our meeting, we had a chance for a small competition, trying out some of the activities. I think the most fun to do as a team was a simple computer game, projected on a massive screen, where you work together to catch items dropping from the sky. I've not laughed as much at work for ages.

Heureka was much better than a hotel venue for stirring our own creative thinking. My only regret is that we should have done the competition before our planning meeting and driven our innovative thinking to new levels.

En famille...

The last few days have been blissful. Stephanie and Sally took advantage of the school half term holidays to fly over and spend a week in Helsinki. After spending last Sunday together, I flew North to Oulu for three days for a work event, so they got the chance to discover more of Helsinki on their own; mainly the shops, it seems.

I got back on Wednesday evening and since then we have been a family again for a few days. On Friday, I took a day off and we took the HKL ferry to the Suomenlinna fortress, a 15 minute journey to this UNESCO World Heritage site, the second most visited attraction in Helsinki, after the Linnanmäki amusement park. The photo shows the view of Helsinki from the ferry as we steamed across the harbour.

On Saturday, we took a drive out to Porvoo, a charming old town around 50 kilometres by car from my apartment. We had lunch at Cafe Helmi, including Runeberg cakes, named for a former resident who was Finland's national poet and who apparently enjoyed them for breakfast.

Sunday morning was spent packing, then I took Stephanie and Sally for a drive, to see where I work and then for lunch to Cafe Ursula, a favourite for Sundays. We had a walk down the jetty beforehand, just to work up a thirst for a hot coffee. Here are the girls shivering...

After that, it was back to the apartment to pick up the suitcases and then off to the airport. Not too sad, as I shall be seeing them for the next three weekends, between trips to the Bay area and New York.

Dans la cave...

Exploring the first level of the basement this evening, I've found another storage area. I already have a cage on the second level, where my winter tyres, packing boxes and the attractive rugs left by the previous tenant are safely behind bars. But on the first level, there is a smaller, lockable (when I buy another padlock) wooden slatted cupboard in a chilled room. I am sure it will be handy for storing the booze ahead of next Thursday, when some of my new colleagues are coming round for drinkies! I shall go down with a torch next time and see what my neighbours are storing in theirs.

Tee'd up...

My chum Chris sent me one of a limited edition of T-shirts that he has produced. The picture says it all! Taken in my hall mirror with the N95 and then flipped on the PC.

Chris used to work with me and now runs his own PR agency, XL Communications, working with clients in the mobile industry. See the link to his blog below left.

Thanks, Chris!

Feeling connected...

One of the biggest challenges for me, living away from my family and, for the first time in my life, from the UK, has been a general feeling of being disconnected.

Everything here seems different. That's not a bad thing, I am enjoying the learning process but, just occasionally, I yearn for the more familiar. Mostly my family and, thankfully, through the phone, instant messaging and the web cam, I can keep in touch and see them when I am in the apartment.

But beyond the family, it has surprised me how much feels disrupted. I used to get ready for work listening to the Today programme on Radio 4, as I've mentioned before. At home in the evening, the TV showed programmes I knew, at times I was used to.

Here, all that changed. The only English language radio I could find was the BBC World Service news at 7am on YLE, for just half an hour. Not much news of home. On TV, it was BBC World or BBC Prime, which seems to specialise in shows I never enjoyed shown at unpredictable times.

So, I find myself grateful for the products of my industry. I can listen to Radio 4 live, using my multimedia computer (which many folk still call a mobile phone) connected over the wireless network in the flat. I can even use the BBC Listen Again service to catch up on shows I have missed. I can also use the pod casting software to download content from a range of sources.

With TV, I can use the Slingbox at home over the Internet to my PC, so that I can watch some of the programmes I know. As long as the family at home don't change channel, of course. And with the client software I can even watch on my phone.

This week, I have been trying out a dedicated Internet radio, a Logik IR 100. Though supposedly a Dixons exclusive in the UK, I saved a few pounds and bought it over eBay. Setting it up was very straightforward, even though the wireless network in my apartment is hidden and uses a WEP (security) key. Now I can easily listen to live broadcasts from around the world, as well as listen again services, using the Reciva service.

Older technology has also helped me feel connected. This morning, while doing the ironing, I was watching the DVD of series 2 of Extras, a funny, if somewhat painful, comedy from Ricky Gervais.

So, I now have only one more challenge to fix. Getting rid of the two hour time difference between Helsinki and the UK. I'm not sure which would be easier, inventing time travel or persuading the various governments to agree. I'm guessing the former.

Winter draws on...

The week has ended well. Gunther the Audi is back, two weeks away having a new transmission system fitted, after the first failed less than 24 hours after he was delivered. The dealership realised that this was not good and so by way of apology the car was delivered back with a golf umbrella on the back seat and a rather "bling" key ring, which has a detachable Audi logo that doubles as a token for the supermarket trolleys. So that makes it all OK, then!

On Friday morning, we had our first snow of the season, though it didn't settle. The temperature was -1º Celsius (below freezing in Fahrenheit) and it was raining as I drove to work. To make me feel a little warmer on Friday evening I tried Rodolfo, an Italian restaurant within walking distance of my apartment. It was excellent, a great salmon pasta to start, calzone and green salad to follow, with tiramisu, a doppio espresso and grappa to finish. Even though I needed a hat, scarf and gloves to walk there and back, my mood was lifted considerably!

Crazy days...

On my way to work this morning, I noticed a big crowd waiting outside Stockmann, the department store in Helsinki (and, apparently, the largest department store in Europe).

It turns out they were waiting for the store to open for "Hullut Päivät", or "Crazy Days", a supposedly manic sale. I shall, in the interest of informing you, dear reader, pay a visit on Saturday. More later ...

Rockin' all over the world...

Another great weekend at home draws to a close and I'm back at Heathrow waiting for my flight back to Helsinki. Ellie came home too from her new digs in Bath so it was great to have the family together. Saturday evening was a pub night at the Christy Hall in Old Alresford, a short walk from home, with the added attraction of an excellent live band, "Beatz Working", who played a great range of rock, pop and soul music from the era of my sixth-form discos up to current stuff. Live music and a few pints of Godfather's in the company of family and friends, who could ask for more? Congratulations to the hall committee for organising the event, which was supported by Hampshire County Council's Hog the Limelight scheme.

I had a good chat with Mike, the lettings secretary for the hall, who met his Finnish wife Vienna when he was working in Helsinki several years ago. Apparently she has been casting her critical eye over my Helsinki restaurant reviews in the Village Voice, for which I am the roving food reporter.

Today was a mix of comforting domestic chores and a pub lunch at one of our locals, the Crown at Axford. Then a quick spot of packing and I'm off, looking forward to getting my new Internet radio, bought on eBay, up and running when I get back.