Helsinki City Center

Helsinki City Center Tour

Above is the a Market Square (Hakaniemi). There's a bunch of these around town with fresh produce, food, and annoying Gypsies selling you expensive souvenirs and flowers.

Tuomiokirkko, the Lutheran Cathedral. This Socialistic/Welfare State system is marvelous - everything is free to get in! Universities are all free, meals are subsidized by the government, and a surgery costs around 20 euros.

Orthodox, Russian Cathedral. They were having a wedding in there. It was pretty neat, but I couldn't find the location for the reception =(

ReindeerPan - Mix of Potatoes, Veggies, Reindeer Sausage, Reindeer Meatballs served with Lingonberry Sauce and Gravy (the same stuff you'd get with the Ikea Swedish Meatballs). Man, this stuff is GOOD. It was heavy and very gamey, but lots of flavor. Also tried their famous Salmon, Mammi (gross), Karelian Pastry (OK), Glogi (awesome drink), Viili (hard yogurt), Pulla (awesome desert), and Hesburger (Finnish version of McDonalds). Also, everything in the supermarket is organic and whole-wheat (and very pricey).

Statues and Swedish architecture everywhere in City Center. This was at around 9PM.. Haha. It doesn't really get dark.. just very dusk I'd say. Sunset around 11PM or so, sunrise around 2AM. In late June/July, there is no darkness.

Lots of people in downtown. Malls are huge and pricey. Blondes everywhere.. I feel very out of place. This is an entirely different culture. People here are very quiet, introverted, and shy... until the night =D Stories on that later, perhaps.

Parliament building. Pretty sweet - toured the building (for free of course). Also went to the rock church (underground church), Sibelius monument, Finlandia concert hall, and the Finnish National Museum. Going to Olympic Stadium, Suommenlina Fortress/Island, more churches, etc next weekend.

As for lab work, it's pretty awesome. I'm learning a new coding system (LabView) which is extremely tedious and even more difficult than MatLab (which I use at Emory). I'm working with a graduate student to design the task and hopefully get it working by June 1st. We'll be working in the "BioMag" of the hospital recording E/MEG from subjects for the entire month of June. Then I will most likely takeover the project and begin analysis of the data. Also, my PI lent me his bike! Very useful.