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  • Helsinki's tractor pub Zetor and Leningrad Cowboys

    Helsinkis Zetor Tractor Pub

    Tractor driver chatting up woman from old Zetor-tractor at one of Zetor’s characteristic pub tables.

    After visiting Helsinki’s tractor pub Zetor, named after the Czech tractor brand popular during the Cold War, my interest for Leningrad Cowboys came to life again after years of slumber. The pub, owned by Aki Kaurismaki, was decorated with Zetors fitted with a bar counter so you could sit on or around the tractors enjoying your beer. Almost like home.

    My first meeting with Leningrad Cowboys was through Kaurismakis 1989 cult film, Leningrad Cowboys go America (which I didn’t see until 1996). I was immediately intrigued by the pack of strange characters, the lack of continuous dialog and their highly original and irregular interpretations of rock’n roll music!

    As with so many things, the contrasts are what makes the band ingenious. The cooperation between the Cowboys and the Alexandrov Red Army choir see to it that contrast is in plenty! Together they do covers such as “California Girls”, “Happy together” and balalaika renditions of “Sweet Home Alabama”, “Knocking on Heavens door” and “Stairway to Heaven”.

    Great stuff!

  • IST 2006, Helsinki (Finland)

    Founded in 1550 by Gustavus I of Sweden, Helsinki is today the capital of Finland with a population of roughly 570 000 (2006) spread out over an area of 186 square kilometres. The national stereotype is someone who can sit idle in a sauna (at about 80 degrees) for several hours without uttering a word. Upon completion of a steam bath the avreage Finn is prone to venture out into the seemingly perennial winter, roll around in the snow, take a quick dip in the sea (at about 4 degrees) and then commit entirely to the delights of Vodka.

    IST 2006

    Travelling with no less than eight colleagues from the region of Sogn og Fjordane in Western Norway, my purpose of being in Helsinki was attending the IST 2006 conference. The core topic of the conference was preparing for the launch of a new European research period throuh the 7th framework programme for reserach and development. This was also reflected in the selection of key note speakers which in sum covered all the aspects of FP7 projects: the technicalities of writing a proposal; how to establish and set up a consortium; how to run a project and finally, which thematical priorities are put forward for the new programming period and its various calls for proposals.

    Key feedback

    • The new programme is to focus on enabling European industry to take global leadership within ICT and increase the ability to compete with emerging economies in Asia and India in addition to challenging the position of USA.
    • Focus is on technologies to form the basis for new economies rather than simply improving current processes and implementing regional political strategies.
    • The commission seems to be targeting the fulfilment of overall European objectives such as the European Digital Library within the cultural heritage sector.

  • Cycling and tourism, Newcastle (England), 2006

    Situated in the region of Northumbria between the Scottish border and North Yorkshire, Newcastle upon Tyne has a population of 266 000 inhabitants (2006) distributed over roughly 112 square kilometres. The settlement dating way back to the romans, the city owes its name to a castle built by the Normans in the year 1080. Locals refer to themselves as Geordies. Local eccentricities include the wearing of mini-mini-skirts outside in winter.

    Final conference of the North Sea Cycle Route project

    Good colleague and well-loved project manager Eli Viten brought me along to the final conference of the North Sea Cycle Route – Cycling On project. My role was to deliver a key note introdcution to the web site developed for the project by my company.

    This project has been a great challenge both in terms of technical and practical issues. The concept of trans-border mapping in a seven country environment has taught me a lot. As has the task of developing a web site in a democratic, user driven manner aiming to serve 68 different partners of highly varying demeanor and hew.

  • Social Networking Fatigue

    With social networking sites ever on the rise, new problems arise with them. One of the latest is “social networking fatigue” which is what kicks in when you become a member of one too many arenas that require your presence your interaction and thus a part of your time.

    The earliest quotation that mentions the topic dates back to 2004, but the problem ought to be increasingly relevant by now.

    With new social networking sites launching every week, some users have fallen prey to “social networking fatigue,” as their inboxes are flooded with dozens of invitations.

    —Adam Pasick, “More than love to be found on networking sites,” Reuters, February 25, 2004

  • Heksekunst

    I følgje Associated Press har ein tysk domstol ilagt ei sjølvproklamert heks å tilbakebetale eit større pengebeløp innkravd for salet av ein kjærleiksfremjande trylleformel. Dette etter at ein kvinnelege klient kunne konstantere at den tidlegare kjærasten hennar, heksekunsten til trass, likevel ikkje kom attende.

  • Autumn holiday, Berlin (Germany), 2006

    The German capital lies on both banks of the river Spree where it has grown out of the settlement of Cölln founded in 1237. The city is now home to about 3 385 000 (2000) citizens spread over an area of 890 square kilometres. Germans love cars, something which puts a definitive mark on the cityscape

    Walking Berlin

    I found Berlin to be a messy capital in terms of layout. The city maintains a polycentric structure where the most festive neighborhoods are tucked away in the furthest and most remote areas and not apparent to the first-time visitor.

    Never theless, it is a great city and a great document to the impact of differnt types of government philosophy as it was exercised in the eastern and western part of Berlin during the Cold War.

  • 92-years with orange sun-glasses

    Anna P. Fitje

    My great aunt, Anna, aged 92 at the time (2002), with her new sun-glasses. Who said old people are prejudiced and out of sync with the fashion industry?

  • Culture, nature and tourism, Slovenia (2006)

    Located in the Dravinja Valley in the north east, Slovenske Konjice spreads out over 98 square kilometers and is home to a population of modest 13 600 (2006). Less than one hour away from the capital, Ljubljana, the scenic landscape and wineries are easily accessible even on a day trip. Slovenians are an agreeable bunch!

    1st visit to Slovenia

    Ignoring Slovenia as a destination is a big mistake and one that you shouldn’t have to repeat as I have made it for you – for 32 years. Slovenia is much greener than the dull-grey eastern europe hue of post-WW2 films. In fact it is right out beautiful! It has mountains, it has villages, it has cities and they are all nicely distributed throughout the country rendering beautiful scenery nearly everywhere. Add to this the largest portions of meat you’ll be served in Europe and ignore the terpentine/juniper based liquor Brinjevec (see separate article) and chances are you’ll find yourself on your way to Ljubljana before you know it!

  • Brinjevec, the worst ever!

    BrinjevecThose of you who are familiar with Western Norway, know that there are some pretty shady products brewing in the pots and stills below the steep mountains by the fjords. However, compared to Brinjevec – the main objective of this article – “our” moonshine tast like fresh apples.

    It was in September in the year of the Lord 2006 I first came to encounter Brinjevec. The occasion was a business trip to Slovenia and an evening of high spirit in the captial of the said country, Ljubljana. In the company of my two excellent accomplices, Torbjørn and Tommy, I entered in a bar where we asked the waiter to keep the drinks flowing until further notice. Closing time, however, came first.

    At some stage it became evident that good quality would be wasted on our anasthetised taste buds and so we changed the strategy to asking the waiter to bring the worst alcoholic fluids on sale in his establishment – with the purpose of making a top – or rather bottom – five list of Slovene alcohol.

    Intrigued by the challenge he set out for the bar and returned time and time again with one drink fouler and more evil smelling than the previous one. Just as we thought it couldn’t get any worse he brought Brinjevec.

    There is no means to describe the taste, smell and characteristics of Brinjevec merely by using an ordinary vocabulary consisting of words. The closest one might get in a regular human life would be terpentine. The mere shock of still being able to see after gulping down the first little sip of the drink was almost too much for me.

    It was then that it dawned on us that we had a winner. Brinjevec. For the interested a bottle of the said substance can be procured at a cost of about 5000 Slovene Tollars – to be converted to Euros by 1st of January 2007. It is allegedly based on juniper berries and ethanol but I would believe anyone who said it was made from a random mix of terpentine and methanol.

    Other than that – go to Slovenia immediately. Go to Trebnik Castle in Slovenska Konjice and buy all their cool stuff – don’t miss the love potion which – if nothing else – is a sturdy herb liqueur.

  • Kven er (Stein) Runar Bergheim?

    Eg, innehavaren av denne nettstaden, held til i ein omfangsrik skrott som i daglegtale lyder namnet Runar. Eg er vaksen opp hjå – og går dermed utifrå at eg er son av – Asgjerd og Rasmus Bergheim og er følgjeleg bror til den andre sonen deira, Kjetil. I følgje kjelder som står meg nær har eg vore dette sidan 11. Desember 1974.