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Concerts FREE! Blog Music

Swiss Metallers Herod Debut New Video On Noisey Ahead Of Deathcrusher Tour!

Teutonic Quartet’s New Clip Announce Ahead Of Support Slot on Deathcrusher Tour With Carcass, Napalm Death, Obituary & Voivod This Winter!

Swiss noise mongers Herod have premiered their latest video, Northern Lights, through Noisey on October 13th ahead of their upcoming slot as part of the stunning Deathcrusher tour; opening for legendary death metallers Carcass, grindcore overlords Napalm Death, Floridian extremists Obituary and Canadian thrash gods Voivod!

The video can be seen here – http://noisey.vice.com/alps/music-video-premieres/exklusive-videopremiere-herod-northern-lights-224

Herod

The dates for the tour are:

Friday, 23 October – Wulfrun Hall – Wolverhampton, UK
Saturday, 24 October – Barrowlands – Glasgow, UK
Sunday, 25 October – Limelight 1 – Belfast, Northern Ireland
Monday, 26 October – Vicar Street – Dublin, Ireland
Tuesday, 27 October – Motion – Bristol, UK
Wednesday, 28 October – Northumbrian University – Newcastle, UK
Thursday, 29 October – The Forum – London, UK
Friday, 30 October – The Ritz – Manchester, UK
Saturday, 31 October – Trixzaal – Antwerpen, Belgium
Monday, 2 November – Live Music Hall – Köln, Germany
Tuesday, 3 November – L’Usine – Geneva, Switzerland
Wednesday, 4 November – Longhorn – Stuttgart, Germany
Thursday, 5 November – Folimanka Hall – Prague, Czech Republic
Friday, 6 November – The Factory – Magdeburg, Germany
Saturday, 7 November – Aalborg Metal Festival – Aalborg, Denmark
Sunday, 8 November – Tradgar’n – Gothenburg, Sweden
Monday, 9 November – Arenan – Stockholm, Sweden
Wednesday, 11 November – B90 – Gdansk, Poland
Thursday, 12 November – Rprogresija – Warsaw, Poland
Friday, 13 November – Täubchenthal – Leipzig, Germany
Saturday, 14 November – Music Hall – Gieselwind, Germany
Sunday, 15 November – Simm City – Vienna, Austria
Monday, 16 November – Backstage – Munich, Germany
Tuesday, 17 November – Estragon Club – Bologna, Italy
Thursday, 19 November – Schlachthof – Wiesbaden, Germany
Friday, 20 November – Astra Kulturhaus – Berlin, Germany
Saturday, 21 November – Speedfest – Eindhoven, Holland
Sunday, 22 November – Garage – Saarbrucken, Germany
Monday, 23 November – La Cigale – Paris, France
Tuesday, 24 November – Le Transbordeur – Lyon, France
Thursday, 26 November – Sala Riviera – Madrid, Spain
Friday, 27 November – Cine Teatro – Lisboa, Portugal
Saturday, 28 November – Sala Santana 27 – Bilbao, Spain
Sunday, 29 November – Sala Razzmatazz – Barcelona, Spain

Initially the brainchild of guitarist Pierre Carroz, Herod formed in Switzerland back in 2011 and have since gone on to carve a solid niche for themselves in the realm of head crushingly heavy metal with their 2014 release “They Were None”. Recorded by renowned Swiss producer Julien Fehlmann (The Ocean, Coilguns and Unfold) and mastered by Svante Försback (Volbeat and Rammstein), “They Were None” was met with universal praise by the media, and has seen the band go on to tour Europe a number of times.

Be sure to catch this stunning outfit this winter when they rip a blackhole through Europe with some of the finest extreme metal bands on the planet!

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Articles Blogs FREE! Blog Misc

Steven Tyler and the street musicians

The charismatic leader of Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, seems to enjoy surprising street musicians wherever he goes. If not so long time ago, you could have seen him in the heart of Helsinki replacing a street musician in a curious set of bottles (which you can still see nowadays played every day if you walked around Aleksanterinkatu street), there are other famous viral videos circulating in Youtube where he joins a couple of beautiful classic street musicians in the streets of Vilnius, the capital or Lithuania, or more recently, when he surprises another musician in Moscow and starts to sing his hit “I do not want to miss a thing“. Steven, what a legend both on stage and on the streets!!!

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Blogs FREE! Blog Outside Finland Travel

The Formula for Happy Traveling

Backpacking has become one of young Finns’ favorite hobby. Born under the Aurora Borealis, nature’s own spectacular light show, people are later willing to travel a great distance to chase other wonders of the world. Perhaps you, too, have always wanted to hike the Inca Trail to see the first rays of sun falling on the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru? Or maybe it is walking along the Great Wall of China or imagining gladiators fighting for their lives at the Roman Colosseum that truly thrills you?

To a number of people being on the road is a life choice. For some, it symbolizes the ultimate freedom and detachment from material things, while others focus on broadening their horizon, having an experience that can later be told to friends with great excitement and nostalgia. And who would not want to have their picture taken next to a breath-taking scenery, an exotic animal or a new friend with whom to communicate only by using sign language?

While it is true that places the essence of which even the best cameras cannot quite capture exist in this world, witnessing these locations requires initiative and effort. Maybe you have always wanted to travel more, but other commitments and duties, perhaps financial, have put the long-needed decisions on ice?

Luckily, there are solutions. To secure the success of your trip of a lifetime you just need to navigate to the best online deals to save money on your travel arrangements

Backpacker

Today flying is an ever-cheaper option to reach distant continents. Affordable flight tickets are compared for you by different websites, which does not only save up your time, but helps you to spot the best prices at a glance. And it does not end there. In order to really help you manage the budget of your unforgettable journey-to-be, Internet also offers you coupon codes to save on your flight reservation. Look out for the codes prior to reservation and be surprised at the checkout.

While some independent travelers are adventurous enough to choose camping or couchsurfing as a form of accommodation, the rest of us appreciate a fun yet clean hostel or a good-quality hotel. After all, a good night’s sleep is essential to enjoy new sites. Perhaps you have already browsed through a few websites and picked a couple of accommodation alternatives for your trip based on prices and reviews? What if you got told that the cost of your future stay might not be as final as your decision to book it? To lower the price of hostels and hotels all over the world you only need to look for vouchers. Suddenly the minimum effort of simply noting down a short voucher code to get 10% discount starts to seem a small price to pay.

Experienced traveler or not, the most important thing is that you are hungry for a new experience and always keep an open mind. Leaving the cozy comfort zone is never easy, but there are things that help. Whether you wish to encounter the new world by yourself or with a friend, a good gear is an essential companion to any thrill-seeker. You might notice that the nearer your trip, the more you flick through web shops offering adventure-proof clothing, trekking gear or sports equipment. In order to live up to the title of a true budget-traveler, it is worthwhile to keep an eye for discount codes. They give the finishing touch to organizing and financing your journey budget-friendly and hassle-free.

Before you know it, you will be making your dreams come true.

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Blogs FREE! Blog

Tinder in Finland from a male perspective (Part 1).

Yes, I use Tinder and I am not ashamed of it. I am not alone, many single (and a few non single people) use it too. The story usually goes as a friend recommends you to use it and you give it a try, as was my case when a couple of friends mentioned it the same week.

The trend to have dates from online apps is increasing in Finland and in many other countries although there is still a certain taboo to talk about it. But the reality is here, we live in a fast paced world busy with work and hobbies and studies and friends and there is a point where is not so easy to find nice interesting people in everyday life. Here applications such as Tinder make our life easier, simple to use and start chatting with people you consider attractive.

I want to divide this series of articles about Tinder in two parts. The second part will go to share simple but effective tips to other male users about what I think that works the best and what not in Tinder when you are a male user in Finland. This first part I just wanted to share my thoughts about the many female profiles I have seen through the months.

I want to make clear that I write this as a sarcastic and humoristic article. We are far from surprised when we see in women’s magazines articles about what the men SHOULD NOT do in a date or in their profiles online, but we seem to forget how funny can be to apply those rules when you see Tinder from male eyes. So I just wanted to write a list of what NOT TO DO for women who would use Tinder. I guess that some people could be offended for what is written here. Please do not. Just take it not so seriously as a male opinion, some things said here could be agreed by many other men or some women and some things here are very personal views that maybe are totally distorted, but at the bottom, this is just to put a smile on your face when you reflect about what is written here and maybe a thought could come to your mind such as “I have seen that in a profile too!

WHAT NOT TO DO FOR WOMEN IF YOU HAVE A TINDER PROFILE. 18 GOLDEN TIPS ON THINGS TO IMPROVE THAT YOU COULD SEE IN A WOMAN’S PROFILE:

1. Please put a photo there if you want to use your profile.

Empty profiles with no photos do not say anything to us men. We are visual animals, we are not going to like your profile thinking that you can be the shy princess of our dreams and when we chat, then you will send an amazing picture of a beautiful lady. We want to see how you look like, and we want to see it clear, not with a blurry photo or a photo copied from a Disney movie. If your profile is empty, we will think you are just stalking here for the sake of it, which in some cases could be true.

2. Social yes, but no need to overdo it.

It is cool you show a photo with your friends, but there is no need that you are surrounded by friends in every photo. In fact, if that happens, we will not know who you are among the group. Also, if your friends are hotter than you, that is not going to play in your favour, as most of guys will think that would be nicer to date your friend than you. Post one photo with friends if you wish to show you are not a loner, but think which one you choose.

2. We do not like pictures where you appear with other guys in a loving attitude.

I have seen all kind of these pictures, from some with the gay friends to others that look obvious you appear with the ex boyfriend (or maybe still boyfriend) or the ex husband. This is a dating site and it is really a turn off for a man to see you looking with loving puppy eyes to other guy. Special mention to those women who post photos with a wedding dress or in a wedding ceremony. Most guys will reject your profile faster than you said yes to your ex husband in your wedding ceremony.

3. No children please.

You cannot imagine the amount of women’s profiles that show photos of their babies and children. Children are great, we agree, I love my daughter’s children. The problem is that I do not think that a dating app. is a place to post photos of your children. You do not know who is looking at the other side and nowadays takes 1 second to take a screenshot of a photo. Yes, I understand many women want to make clear they “come with a package” and they have family, but honestly, you can tell about that later when chatting. And if the point to show your children is that you are secretly looking for the next father, relax, 95% of the guys do not want that kind of pressure from date one.

I come with a package

5. The gym selfies.

Many women have told me they find stupid the male’s profiles where they take selfies without t-shirt in the gym. Well, these kind of pictures are also commonly posted by girls. Imagine actually how ridiculous is the situation to have to stand in front of your gym’s mirror waiting for nobody to being around to snap a photo of the great workout you just had… Yes, surely we like fit women, but you do not need to post all your five profile photos at the gym. As far as you look nice and take care of yourself, in fact we do not give a fuck if you do a lot of sports or not, off the record for many guys is actually a turn off if you happen to have more muscles than them. So it is cool you like doing sports but no need to show only that side of your life, if you happen to live all day every day at the gym, then probably you are missing other important things in life, like reading a good book…

4. “I love my pets among all the things on the surface of the Earth.”

Yes, you have cats or dogs and you love them. Sure, we men love animals too. But we do not get depressed when our cat suffers from diarrhea. Point here is that surely a photo with your cat or dog is cute, but there is no need to post all five with them. It will end up giving us the impression that you are suffering some case of life crisis where you do not have much social life and you get surrounded by animals to balance the lack of affection from friends or lovers. Which could not be such a wrong shot in some cases…

5. I want to look ugly on purpose so you will fall in love with me just for who I truly am inside!

We do not need that you look like the Queen of Saba in your first profile picture, but surely we men like if you post a nice photo, not blurry and not wearing your most horrible pyjamas while putting a mockery face to the camera. This is a dating app. Try to present yourself at your best. And please smile, it does not cost so much and it makes a huge difference.

8. The cliché sentences in the description.

“I am selfish, impatient and a little insecure… etc etc”. Do those lines ring a bell? Probably, as the infamous words by Marilyn Monroe appear copied in one of every twenty female profiles you see around.

Well, let me break the news from you. First, you are not Marilyn Monroe, sadly but she is dead. The same I happen not to be George Clooney or Brad Pitt. And most of rational men would hopefully run away from people who are selfish, impatient and insecure. So if you think that those lines from Marilyn define your personality, I would say that you have a problem in your life and you should seek for assistance. There are other classics that most women use like “Live, love laugh” or super philosophical things like “you make your own luck” or “you can be as happy as you choose to be” etc.

Well, all those great lines really do not say much to us men. We do not choose how happy we are when we have a huge loan to pay back to the bank or our boss is busting our balls at the office on daily basics. If we would choose to be happy, then we would choose to win the Eurojackpot and buy our own island in Caribe surrounded by an army of hot bisexual models that would assist all and every one of our needs. But we cannot choose that. So why don’t you put something nice and simple about what are your tastes and what kind of person you think you truly are? Believe me, if you like sci-fi movies or videogames, you already have gained half of a heart of a man. The other half comes if you give great head, but yeah, we are not expecting that you share that kind of info in your profile description.

Great pic and collaterally showing my ass

9. According to most tall girls in Tinder, short guys can shoot themselves and die fast.

Classic beginning of a profile description: “1.76 cm” followed by some other couple of words. So like really..? The most important feature of yourself is how tall you are? Yes, I know I know is a clear message that says “I do not like shorter guys than me”. Well girl, in that case, you are really missing to get to know a lot of great guys out there. I personally find so impolite when the first sentence a girl writes to you is to ask “how tall are you?” How would a woman feel if a man wrote in the description that only expects to meet girls with boobs DD size and up?

Height is something that a man cannot change, same than age. Remember girls your ex was probably a tall guy and that did not stop him from being a fucking asshole. It is not like you gain more neurones per centimetre grown…

10. Posting the same photo.

You have 4 photos posted in your profile and they are just the same photo repeated 4 times. We got the idea with the first one, thank you.

11. Everybody can follow how mega super hyper cool I am in Instagram.

This is almost a rule in the description field of most hot young girls, to include in the description field their Instagram user name. I personally do not use Instagram, but even if I use it, I do not see the point in Tinder. Yes, we already saw in your pics in Tinder that you look fine, then what we want is chat with you and set a date. We do not need to see your other 100 photos in Instagram of your cats, what you prepare for breakfast and how nice was the beach in Thailand where you were last summer. Maybe some chicks just expect a model hunter recognizes them as the next super top model. Probably many just do it to show off because girls love attention, we have to recognize it. Point is that we do not care so much what is your Instagram account. Say something about yourself instead: are you a person with a good heart, friend of her friends, faithful and trustful? At least those features seemed to matter not so long time ago apart from how great you look tanned at the beach…

Remember that Tinder is full of beautiful young girls and competence is ferocious. Try to make a difference and show that you are more than a nosed up girl who only craves attention.

12. “Why am I framed as an easy party girl?”

Number one complaint of women in Tinder is probably that most guys want sex. Well, I do not want to enter to argue about that, as I do not like the old cliché of “all men being perverts and all women innocent flowers”. I guess everybody likes sex in good company when chemistry kicks in. But the perception of the guys is not gonna be exactly as you are girlfriend material if your pics, specially your profile pic, shows yourself half naked or with your boobs about to jump out of your dress, or if in every one of your five photos you are holding an alcoholic beverage and partying in the club. And yeah, for us men there is no big difference between you wearing a tiny bikini and sexy underwear, we know the tiny bikini it is just the socially accepted way you can show most of your flesh. Just saying.

Note: profiles with photos of beautiful women that state in the description they want straight sex and contain a url link to a site are 100% always fake.

I never seem to find suitable clothes to cover myself

13. “I have so super healthy lifestyleeee and you have to be like me.|

Yes, you are addicted to gym, you do yoga and drink smoothies and you do not smoke. Great for you. A man does not need to be like you. Men want to date a girl, but that does not mean we want to go to train every day to the gym with that girl or we have to quit smoking because of you or not drinking beer anymore or having to join zumba lessons just cause you love it. It is good you take care of yourself. Just do not make it an obsession like if any man who does not live as healthy as you is not worthy to talk to.

14. I love travelling!

Well, guess what, everybody loves travelling! But sadly most people have to work to pay bills, so it is not like you can travel every week. I appreciate well-travelled women as it really avoids having a narrow-minded perception of the world, but really, you do not need to show off in all your photos how many amazing trips you have done. The sad reality is that probably most of the days after work you just arrive home, put on the pyjamas and lay on the sohva watching your favourite TV series and eating candy while daydreaming of that prince in shiny armour, tall, sporty, rich, kind and amazing lover that you never seem to find in Tinder.

15. Flashback in time.

In the first photo you look cute and thin and then in every next picture you look older and older and more overweight. Yeah, it is true we men are a bit blind to notice changes in women, but believe me, if your first pic is taken 15 years younger than the last one, we will notice. And unfortunately for overweighed girls, just because you post photos showing only your face, it does not mind we will not realize what you are trying not to show there.

16. “I am just looking for new friends!”

Right, maybe you want to make it believe that to your friends, couple, husband or even in some kind of self denial to yourself. But we know this is a dating app. and you are scanning the market if “somebody special” pops up to spice up your life. And deep inside you, you know it too…

17. “I am just looking for a serious boyfriend, not casual dating nor one night stands”

Is not putting a little bit of too much pressure from first date to look for only your next husband (or ex husband). Besides, probably 80% who say they do not look for one night stands from Tinder is because actually they have had one night stands with guys from Tinder.

You are going to be my next ex husband

18. The men hater style.

Other classical female profile, usually posting sexy photos while telling in the description how she hates players and she knows everything as she has been around followed by a long list of the kind of guys that is better never to meet. Well, this is a dating app., so is this not about going with open mind to meet interesting people how this should work?

If your view is that all men suck, then maybe you should not use Tinder or just select to see other female profiles if you are into women. There are some lines I have seen in women’s profiles such as “I love more my dogs than any man I have met” that are really offensive and sexist towards men, and probably if a man would write something similar about women, he would be labelled in 0.1 seconds as a chauvinistic pig. A man should not have to apologize for being a man the same that no woman should have to apologize for being a woman; equality rules as far as there is respect.

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And after that list, many readers could think. Ok, so then men do not like any kind of profile at all? Not true. I am not going to deny that most men are simple straightforward creatures, so probably just with a couple of very sexy pics, you will have the 95% of male matches secured. But we are talking here not just about the looks, but about how to present yourself attractive in general as a quality woman, not just like a piece of ass in a thong to have men fantasizing about you.

Having a nice and attractive female profile is not so difficult, and in fact women know much better than men how to select the photos that suit them best. Just select some photo where you look nice, no need to overdo it with the sexiest dress in the world or tones of make up but make the effort to select a photo where you feel pretty at your best and you have made an effort to look good, just with some nice photos of you and one of a hobby would do, followed by some short description of what floats your boat, what are your passions, hobbies or what kind of people you would like to meet. No need to write the Bible there either, you can chat more later. Be honest, be friendly and be nice. And if you have good sarcastic sense of humor, show that too, we men love a woman with good sense of humour who does not take things too serious and is not a drama queen.

There will be farther a lot of time to chat or talk face to face and get to know each other. Remember, try not to be too bitchy from the beginning, because in fact, when your profile is dismissed, there are tones of other pretty girls in the line. So be yourself, be positive, be friendly and be a bit flirty too if you wish so. There are many cool guys out there waiting for your match, and life is too short to waste great company!

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Blogs FREE! Blog

Candy Test from Finland Video

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Articles Blogs FREE! Blog Misc

What you always wanted to know about public bus transportation in Helsinki (and never dared to ask)

Written by Antonio Diaz

So here you are! You just arrived to the capital of Finland. It can be for studying a few months or a few years, for visiting a friend, a relative or a lover, just for a few hours before continuing your trip somewhere else, a new job, a permanent life here… In any case, once you step out of the airport, bus or train station, there is a lively city out there to discover and probably some distance to your destination.

Taxi prices in Helsinki can be considered everything but cheap, tram is nice for a ride but extremely slow, train network is improving but still insufficient… so there they are! Painted in white and blue, reaching all neighborhoods of the big capital area and running almost at any time of the day and night: the public buses!

FREE! Magazine gives you 20 helpful and funny tips so from the first time you step on a bus in Helsinki, you can feel at ease like a local!

Helsinki public bus

1. The main Helsinki Public Transportation office is located at the heart of the city in the metro station down the Railway Station. If you will stay for long time, the easiest way to travel is getting a transport card that can be loaded with just a selected amount of money or monthly. And they allow you to choose your favorite color, how cool is that!

2. Students (holding Finnish student cards) get half the price when loading the transportation card. In general, they always get 50% of discount traveling around Finland. So find any excuse to start or never leave your studies! And second saving money tip, line 615 will also take you to and from the Vantaa airport to Helsinki centre much cheaper than the buses provided by the flight companies.

3. So now you are at the bus stop ready for your first bus trip. Congratulations! Many around the city count with a digital board where you can easily check the minutes remaining for the bus to arrive, controlled by GPS. But watch out, although they usually work like charm, they are not always accurate. Technology is not always an exact science! Just in case, you will also find paper printed timetables in every bus stop.

4. Buses are VERY punctual in Helsinki. If it is written that will leave at 15:38, it will leave at 15:38. So be punctual to be on time at the stop. Of course as good Murphy’s Law, when some foreign friends come to visit you and you brag about the great punctuality of the buses, then the bus will be exceptionally late and you and your friends will freeze your asses at -25 degrees waiting half an hour for the next one…

5. There is a very easy to use mobile application called “Reittiopas” that will show you the fastest route on your phone when you just type your destination address.

6. At winter while you wait for the bus with your nose getting frozen, you would expect at least a small shelter in every bus stop that would protect you from that hard snowstorm falling, right? Nope, forget about it, a simple post marking the stop point will suffice and you will find no cover in the middle of the forest from the snow trying to bury you alive. Thankfully as we pointed before, the buses are punctual, so try to be on time, but do not try to be too early when it is minus 30 degrees out there and it is snowing like there is no tomorrow!

Helsinki public bus

7. The non-written rule while waiting the bus is to keep as much distance as possible from the other people waiting. Do not expect a clear organization to form the queue; it does not matter if you were the first one waiting for the bus. People do not mind trying to enter from any direction once the bus approach, so sharpen your skill to foresee the exact spot where the bus will stop!

8. Do not worry if you do not speak perfect Finnish when trying to communicate with the bus driver. Many of them are actually foreigners and in general almost all of them can speak good English. In any case, if you do not have to buy the ticket directly from them, your only interaction is placing your card in front of the reader at the entrance of the bus and, optionally, telling “moi” to the driver. It is up to the good or bad mood of the driver to answer back…

9. Remember what we say about keeping as much space as possible from the other passengers while waiting the bus? Well, now when you step inside the bus, remember one of the most important rules if you do not want to assist to public suicides inside the vehicle: you NEVER sit close to another person as far as there are 2 free seats in another row of the bus. We repeat, NEVER. If you do so, God will erase all the kitten photos from Facebook and Swedish will replace Finnish as the official language of the country. Do not say later we did not tell you!

10. If the bus is full, there will be 3 or more people around you using their mobile phones. If those people are teenage girls, be sure 100% of them will be using their mobile phones.

11. Just because that boy and that girl sitting together in front of you have not exchanged a single word during the whole bus trip, it does not mean they are not happily dating.

12. Alcohol consumption inside the bus is prohibited. However, the rule gets more relaxed during the weekend, depending also how strict the bus driver is. If you do not make a mess and drink sneakily at the bottom of the bus, and you manage not to puke around, everything should be fine. But remember not to smoke inside the bus that will end up no other way than hated by all other passengers and with your bones quickly thrown away outside the bus.

13. Since last couple of years, now if you hold a monthly transport card, you do not need to pay any extra fee for night tickets. A very convenient change, taking into account the extremely expensive prices of taxis in the city. The down side is that it has killed quite a few opportunities to flirt at night with that stranger who wanted to share a cab or was looking at you with puppy eyes to help him/her to pay the night fee ticket.

14. Do not expect that the passenger sitting close to you who needs you to stand aside to exit will communicate this verbally to you. Listening to a small cough, watching him/her punch the stop button or observing the beginning of his body movement separating the ass from the seat should be enough for you to understand that you need to move. Who said verbal communication is needed inside a bus?

Helsinki public bus

15. If there are teenagers sitting close to you in a bus and they happen to be of the talkative kind, you will hear the word “vittu” at least 3 times every 30 seconds.

16. If the driver forgets to stop in the requested stop or open the door, passengers will patiently wait a few seconds before (maybe) managing the braveness to shout at him for the mistake.

17. When there is a sudden break due to an almost accident on the road, you will notice clearly the dissatisfaction of the other passengers listening only to their grunting.

18. If there is an old lady (mummo in Finnish) just trying to punch the transport card in the system, you will always have to wait 1 more minute than normal to enter the bus until the driver finally takes her out of her misery and punches the transport card for her.

19. School children also use public buses to move around the city under the surveillance of their teachers. This probably would be a nightmarish thought for any other adult passenger. However, they usually behave well and make not much noise or hassle. It must be due to the fact that Finnish children do not usually sing in the bus when going on excursions… They wait until they become teenagers to join a heavy metal band.

20. Some people even shout “thanks” before jumping out of the bus, although is not always required. Be nice and show kindness to the driver. You arrive safely and cheaply to your destination! Until the next bus ride!

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FREE! Blog Misc

Teemu Selänne: A True Finnish Legend

Current season 2013/2014 will probably see the end in the career of Teemu Selänne, who can be accurately considered one of the best and most charismatic Finnish sportsmen of all time.

Having seen him to help the national team to achieve the bronze medal at the recent Winter Olympic Games in Sochi at the amazing age of 43, being nominated as the MVP of the Olympic tournament, FREE! Magazine also wanted to pay his little tribute dedicating an amazing video to the ice hockey legend. Long life to the “Finnish Flash!”

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Beauty and the Beast – The true story of Estonian men and women

Written by Gunnar Sorensen

Gunnar Sorensen is a Danish comedian who has been living in Estonia for a couple of years. Here offers exclusively for FREE! Magazine a pick of what you can find in his blog, treating with sense of humor his views on Estonian women and men:

A friend came to visit me in Tallinn and asked very honestly while in a nightclub “Why are there so many prostitutes in here”!!! Before you think we were in a very seedy place, we were not. What he was simply referring to is that Estonian woman are far more attractive than their male counterparts.

So why is it like this? Well for every 100 men in Estonia there are 119 women, rising to almost 130 in the capital city Tallinn, comparing to 1/1 in Sweden. This phenomenon creates a high demand and competition for available men.

So how beautiful are the women? Well Estonia has the highest number of international models per capita than any nation in the world. When walking the streets of Tallinn you will not just notice the beauty of the women, but also the sheer number of beauty salons created to cater to their need.

Estonian Women

So guys, sound like the perfect country? Well it gets better. All those hours you spent in the gym, that funky new haircut, the expensive suit etc…! In Estonia you don’t need that!! Well with the vast surplus of women that classic image of the man chasing the women has been reversed. So you can put on your comfortable sports trousers and that favourite old hooded jumper and still get the girl!!

This lack of effort needed by Estonian men to get a girlfriend is summed up by this pick up line I heard an Estonian man say one evening “Do you like having sex with men?”

Not only is the girl hotter and easier to get with, you know that night out you want to go on with your friends, guess what? She will let you go!!

I know you are asking, before I quit my job and get on the ferry, what’s the catch?
Well did you know that Estonian men live on average just 69 years, the lowest in the whole of the EU! A large part of the reason behind this is typified in the popular joke ¨ That awkward moment when an Estonian man is sober”. Considering all the attractive girls and all the fun you can have, it sounds like a reasonable sacrifice right??? Maybe not….
That idea of the perfect wife, family and home you had in your mind it is not likely to happen in Estonia. Present figures show that in Tallinn alone 80% of high school students are living in single parent families.

Akarusa Yami

Although us men would almost certainly unite in saying having a few drinks with our friends would be preffered to putting up those shelves for the mother in law. It is now clear that our Scandinavian women are just helping us to become better men and healthier, husbands and fathers.

For those who want to know more about me and how I came to this conclusion. I am a Danish citizen who has been living in Tallinn, Estonia for the past 2 years. I work in the Finance sector, but since arriving in Estonia it is the psychological aspect of the people that has most interested me.

I noticed almost instantly the cold and serious nature of Estonians, however what struck me must profoundly was the countries lack of laughter. With no real comedy shows on TV and no internationally known comedian. I found out very quickly that the only people trying to make Estonia laugh were foreigners.

Although the humour of my blog has encountered some negativity in the Estonian press. It would be hard to find a comedian who has not experienced that at some point. It is our duty to use humour to test the boundaries and bring those avoided or controversial topics in to daily conversation.

For more humour about Estonian men come and visit my blog:

http://eestimees.wordpress.com/

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Blogs FREE! Blog

Tie Pohjoiseen – The new movie by Finnish film director Mika Kaurismäki

The most internationally recognized Finnish director Mika Kaurismäki will have a new movie in the cinema theatres with premiere on the 24th of August, featuring Vesa-Matti Loiri and Samuli Edelmann. Here you can have a bit of a taste with the trailer.

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Blogs Concerts FREE! Blog Music

Monster Magnet at Tavastia. 13-11-2011. Pics & Video

Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet

Monster Magnet – Space Lord at Tavastia 2011

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Concerts FREE! Blog Music

The Jayhawks – Pics & Video. Tavastia gig. 14/08/2011

Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet
Monster Magnet

The Jayhawks – Two Angels at Tavastia 2011

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Blogs Books Features FREE! Blog

Competition – The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel

FREE! Magazine and Random House Group bring you the best of the best in fantasy literature!!!

Get one of the three amazing packages we are giving away for free as a present to our readers with the full 5 books published so far of the saga The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by The New York Times bestselling Michael Scott:

The Alchemyst
The Magician
The Sorceress
The Necromancer
The Warlock

books for free!

Just send the correct answer to the following question below by email, writing in the subject field “Michael Scott competition”, to free(at)freemagazine.fi or to the editor antonio.diaz(at)freemagazine.fi and the books can be yours!!!

Question: The author Michael Scott is:

a) Finnish
b) Swedish
c) English
d) Scottish
e) Irish

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Blogs Books Features FREE! Blog

We give away 5 copies of Peter James newest novel: Dead Man´s Grip

FREE! Magazine and Pam Mcmillan Publishing brings you the last amazing thriller from one of the most acclaimed British authors: Dead Man´s Grip by Peter James.

Peter James

To celebrate that summer is here, nothing better than relaxing with a good book in your hands while taking the sun on the beach or close to the pool. Answer correctly to the question below, sending an email with the right choice and “Peter James contest” written in the subject of your email to free(at)freemagazine.fi, or to antonio.diaz(at)freemagazine.fi, and get one of the 5 copies we have for our readers!!!

Question:

To what police force does detective superintendent Roy Grace belong?

1. London police force
2. Brighton police force
3. Sussex police force
4. Liverpool police force

Good luck!!!

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Blogs FREE! Blog

What the Finns need to know about Portugal

Interesting and educative video. And now that after the success of the True Finns has shaken the foundations of the political and social world in Finland, it is worthy for a sector of the Finnish population to watch…

What the Finns need to know about Portugal

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Blogs Cover story FREE! Blog Misc

Helsinki Nightlife – Tips & Hints

When visiting a new city, apart from the offer of restaurants, museus or monuments that a new place can offer, the curiosity about the local nightlife scene is undoubtedly one of the most searched items in the net and forums. New bars and clubs to explore are double exciting to discover when the light of the day deems and let the night evolve us, although in Helsinki on summer, you can still feel pretty much daylight in your eyes due to their geographical location.

This is not of course an exhaustive tourist guide with all possibilities to explore in such a big city as Helsinki is, but more a collection of personal observation and hints about my favorite and not so favorite places after having lived, studied and worked for several years in the Finnish capital.

Party girls

The first important thing to take into account is that Finns drink a lot when going out. So do not be surprised if your perception of Helsinki and its habitants change drastically from daylight to nighttime. What during the day is a mass of quiet and shy people turn into a perfect machine of drinking when the party times of the night comes closer. Due to the price of alcoholic drinks being quite high all over the city (a pint of beer will cost between 5 -7.5 euro depending on the place you hang around), it is a normal tradition to gather with some friends in a house for a warming up drinking session before hitting the clubs and bars downtown.

Although most of the people go out reverently on Friday and Saturday nights, as in most big cities of Europe, actually Wednesdays and especially Thursdays are also days where you can find the bars pretty crowded. Remember that Helsinki is a University City, so during the scholar year, it is normal that many parties for University students take place on Thursday, because on Friday they come back to their hometowns for the weekend.

It is also recommended not to leave very late towards the nightclubs, partially because the neighbors can feel annoyed because of the noise, and partially because the unpleasant tradition of the queues in most of the popular Finnish nightclubs and bars. Even when the place can be half empty inside, for many Finnish clubs seem cool to make people wait outside in endless queues. This can be sometimes a good chance to make acquaintances and new friends while waiting, but believe me, on winter time, it is not so nice to wait half an hour queue with minus 25 degrees and a snowstorm over your heads.

On the other hand, dress code is usually pretty relaxed in most of the clubs in Finland. Just wearing jeans and sport shoes will allow you entrance with no problems, although of course for some more nose up luxury places, like Tiikkeri club, it is recommended to dress up accordingly

In basically all or most of the clubs and bars in Helsinki, you will have to pay for a service fee, using or not using the wardrobe, that is around 2.5 euro, and it is paid separately from the entrance fee. If you live your jacket, you will receive a ticket with the number, so try not to lose it, because getting your jacket back can turn into an odyssey if the bouncers and personnel are not friendly to trust on you.

Party Girls

Some of the easiest options for the visitors are located just in the heart of the city, like in Mannerheinmintie, the main avenue. There for example you can visit Apollo Live Club that seems pretty popular among Finns lately, but honestly, when I visited a couple of times, I got disappointed. The best part is that a count with live bands, but it is usually too crowded and customers are not the friendliest in Helsinki. Better options, also located close in Mannerheinmintie, is Cuba, a bar-club that counts with free entrance, and where it mixes a heterogeneous crowd of Finns who love Latino music and expatriates.

At this point, many of the readers will wonder how easy or difficult is to score and have some romantic fun with a Finn (let´s be honest, is that not the main reason why the single people go out ;) ).

Certain specific rules have to be followed in Finland that differ from other countries for example, it is normal that at the beginning of the night, the girls are the first ones “breaking the ice” on the dance floor. So it would not be uncommon in a club that you could go to the dance floor, and you would be surrounded by 40 women. But do not get mistaken, that does not necessarily mean that they are single. A bit later at night you will see how many of their boyfriends “pop out” magically out of nowhere. In Finland, the behavior of the people is much more independent than in other European countries, so a couple can be perfectly by their own with their common friends inside the same nightclub without having to be all the time sticked to each other´s back. So be sure that your target is single, if you do not want any unpleasant surprise when making your move.

All in all, mentality of Finnish people is quite open minded and relaxed about having some random fun and romance during the night. Although Finnish men are a bit shy by nature, alcohol makes them more open and friendly, although watch out, because sometimes, when they go off the hook, they can turn into a bit annoying or even agressive if a couple of too many vodka drinks were consumed.

As previously stated, Finnish ladies are quite independent and strong, so do not be surprised if some of them just make the first move on you. Nevertheless, this is the country of equality! Also, in some circumstances, small talk is not so needed like in other countries. It is normal that in the dance floor people start to rub and dance with each other quite flirtatiously without having exchanged a word, but once again, you have to read the signals correctly if you do not want to get anybody angry for miscalculating your attack…

Although gay scene is not as big as in other European capitals, there are also a couple of reference places to go. DTM (Don´t Tell Mamma) in Iso Roobertinkatu in Punavuori district is one of the most popular ones, but be ready to pay 8 euro entrance at weekends. Close to it there is the free entrance Lost & Found, which in later years has become more and more hetero friendly. Legend said that Ville Valo, the charismatic leader of the love metal band H.I.M. used to hang around there, but honestly, I have never seen him, and I have visited the place quite often, being very popular among students in Helsinki too.

DTM

Being Finland the country of heavy metal music, if you dig it, you cannot skip visiting the most legendary metal club in town, Tavastia, located in Kamppi district, where basically all the most famous bands play or have played at some point of their careers. It is not unusual that local artists hang around there, and the list of concerts through the year is pretty good. Not far from it, also in Kamppi, are located Bäkkäri and Heavy Corner, two good options for metalheads if you want to continue the party after watching a gig. If you prefer a bit more classic rock and alternative pop atmosphere, Bar Loose is your choice. The changed to a bigger venue a couple of years ago, and they offer also a great selection of live gigs at their down floor, while upstairs is always nice to have some beers or a coffee with friends. One of my favorites in town.

If you like Irish pubs and a very international atmosphere, your best choice is Molly Malone´s, near the Railway Station Square, that offers live concerts every night, and that recently had been enlarged, with a new dance floor. It is packed with the foreign community of Finland, but also the more international oriented Finns go there. If you like an atmosphere more 100% Finnish, try the very popular Kaarle XII nightclub, known commonly by natives as “Kalle”. In its 2 floors you can find very different atmospheres and kind of music, and a bunch of Finnish animal parties ready to give their best. The entrance is free on Thursday, a very good day to visit because many locals start their long weekend there.

All in all, Helsinki is a vibrant city with many more great venues offered to enjoy the night. Just go out, explore it, and probably after warming up your body with a couple of drinks, you will have a better view of an important side of Finnish culture. Or maybe you will find some Scandinavian romance and love…!

http://www.kaarle.com/fi/

Tavastia


http://www.cubacafe.fi/
http://www.apolloliveclub.fi/

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http://www.lostandfound.fi/

Etusivu