It’s cold in Helsinki
2009
The last time I was in Helsinki in 2008, it’s autumn. It’s sunny with temperatures hovering between 14 and 16 degrees C.
I was there for the The Way We Live two-day event organised by Nokia and which focused on the things that could be done on cellphones. On the last afternoon when the seminar finished after lunch, I’d a couple of hours to kill before I headed to the airport.
I made my way to the city centre and looked for my caffeine fix. At Café Java which is next to one of the bigger shopping mall, called Forum, I had a café latte, sitting al fresco, enjoying the sunny day. That’s the beautiful thing about temperate countries. The sun is out but the cool temperature keeps the perspiration away.
On Monday, I was at Café Jave again. But this time, I was indoor. My thick overcoat and woollen scarf are draped over a chair as I enjoy my café lattte. Winter has arrived in Helsinki and with temperature at 2 degrees C, everyone is indoors.
I’m now in Helsinki again for the same Nokia event which was held between Nov 9 and 11.
On Tuesday, it was snowing. It’s like heavy drizzle except that instead of water, small specks of snow floated down in steady streams to blanket car tops, roads and pavements.
On the 20-minute drive to Nokia House, the trees, bushes and fields were covered with snow. Temperature had hit about -1 degree centigrade. Brrr, it’s cold even for me who enjoy cooler climes.
Sunlight is hardly seen. It’s a pity because the Espoo district where Nokia House, headquarters of the world’s largest cellphone maker, is located by a lake. The company occupies two buildings at this site. Neighbouring it are other buildings that house other multinational companies.
When I was here last year, I saw motorboats with powerful engines tied up on a small quay adjacent these buidlings. Apparently some workers use the motorboats to go to work instead of driving along the highways.
It was pleasant in autumn to do this but the weather in the last few days would have been too cold to do this. The scenary has also changed. Instead of green trees and bushes, all the leaves have fallen and the sheen of white has spread over the ground because of the snow.
The good news is that the day looked brighter because the white snow refracts light, making it look more cheerful than it really is.
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