Finland – VAGABOND IMAGES

Get the wishes from Santa himself, hand-delivered at Lapland!

Upendra SwamiNovember 20, 2018274 Views0

Over the time Santa has become a character transcending the boundaries of festival, community and religion. He is being loved everywhere. The Christmas tree, gifts, and Santa Claus hat have become part of a celebration across countries and communities. He has become the ultimate wishmaster. That is why people around the world write to him and he perhaps wishes fortune to all of them. To many, Santa Claus is a mythological character. So, while Saint Nicholas was indeed a 4th century historical figure, his embodiment as Santa has continued for centuries as an icon for peace, joy, giving and caring. Hence all those in need used to convey their wishes to Santa. Thus a tradition to write letters to Santa, specially around Christmas came into being. But where all these letters go? There are m...

InternationalNews

Helsinki’s cultural quarter gets a new skylight!

Upendra SwamiAugust 27, 2018338 Views0

Finland’s capital Helsinki has gained a major new cultural institution and a striking new public space with the completion of Amos Rex. The art museum opens after a five- year, €50 million project designed by architecture firm JKMM, which has seen the refurbishment of the landmark 1930’s Lasipalatsi building in Central Helsinki. At the heart of the museum, 13,000 cubic metres of rock has been excavated to create a new 2,200 sqm world-class flexible gallery space topped with a series of domes and skylights that form the new undulating landscape of the Lasipalatsi Square. Amos Rex’s exhibition programme extends from the newest, often experimental, contemporary art to 20th-century Modernism and ancient cultures. Amos Rex aims to present captivating and ambitious art refreshingl...

IndiaInternationalNews

Finland is ranked as safest, Spain at top in tourism rankings

Upendra SwamiMay 11, 2015243 Views2

With so much thrust on travel and tourism, one could have expected a better performance. But actually India ranks very poorly in most of the indicators related to travel and tourism compiled by World Economic Forum, whether it is safety or infrastructure. Unfortunately, in many of the indicators India does not figure in top 100 among the 141 countries included in the rankings. Irony is that, India ranks higher in terms of resources- natural or cultural, but when it comes to developing tourism around these resources, India has failed miserably. The World Economic Forum measures the annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), in which Spain tops the overall rating, while Finland is the strongest in safety and security, with Nigeria being the least secure. In terms of interna