Malmö Gallerinatten

Young, but rapidly growing Malmö is full of art. I didn't know this before going out on Saturday night after 6pm to annual Gallerinatten and checked few of the tens of galleries around the town. And I'm not even sure if all of the city's galleries were open on that night. I also don't know if I would ever have found all those cute galleries without our guide or Malmö gallery map.

It was annual gallery night and even ice cream shops were decorated with paintings. Even if it was Northern European influenced in the middle of alcohol friendly culture, still they made effort by offering wine and snacks. Artists were present answering questions and giving their business cards. We saw Bauhaus style photos of doors, paper fruits, pottery jewelry, felting, old romantic Spanish photos, net sculpturer an impressive 10 years-old-sad-story of a man of who had a cancer, beautiful old and new art jewelry and Russian art exhibition.in modern museum. One artist was a bit older Canadian with his wife, who couldn't stop from his label of net art and who said it's real blessing to find the own way of doing art and expressing oneself.

Neighbor menu

What is life without trying new kitchens, sharing cooking recipes and learning about food culture across the world? Best way to end a week is to gather with neighbours, eat delicious dinner with Belgian tapasbread, Karelian pies, Romanian polenta, Pakistanian curry, Hot Tofu Shrimps from Hong Kong, Finnish Cloudberry cheese, French and Portuguese Wine and American pumpkin muffins, listen to live cello music in the kitchen and chat hours about how to make world a better place. Looking forward of this turning into tradition. Happy weekend everyone!

Uusi kotimaa

Ensimmäinen täysi kuukausi on tehnyt tehtävänsä ja ruotsalaistuminen on kovasti käynnissä. Kunhan kieli alkaa taipumaan Skånen tanskalaisvaikutteiselle murteelle ja ruotsalainen henkilötunnus on tipahtanut postiluukusta, ei mua erota paikallisista. Vaikka paikallisena mua voi jo oikeastaan helposti pitää Ruotsin kansainvälisimmässä kaupungissa, jossa tilastojen mukaan puolet asukkaista on alle 30-vuotiaita.

Global Public Health kurssin luennot, viikoittaiset ryhmäkeskustelut ja kansainvälisen kansanterveydellisen kirjallisuuskatsausartikkelin työstäminen ovat imaisseet mukaansa saman tien ja ensimmäinen kurssi maisteriohjelmassa on ylittänyt odotukset mielenkiintoisuudellaan. Toistaiseksi olemme käsitelleet kasnanterveyden periaatteita, toimintoja, strategioita, indikaattoreita, haasteita, kehitystä, määritteitä ja teorioita. Paljon asiaa, tiukka tahti, kokonaisvaltaisten linjojen vetämistä ja suurimpia aiheita ehdimme pintaraapaista, ennen kuin ensi viikolla vaihtuukin kurssi jo kvalitatiivisten tutkimusmetodeihin, joiden parissa vietämme lokakuun.

Kaiken kukkuraksi Lundin perinteikkään ja historiallisen kampusrakennuksen uumenista on paljastunut erittäin rikas opiskelijakulttuurielämä järjestöineen, aktiviteetteineen ja organisaatioineen sekä aktiivinen akateeminen tapahtumantäyteinen kampusarki, joka on täynnä vierailevia luennoitsijoita, seminaareja, konferensseja, kerhoja ja juhlallisuuksia. Olen ottanut MPH opiskelijoiden puheenjohtajuuden kunnioituksella vastaan ja aloittanut yhteistyön MF:n eli lääkisopiskelijoiden opiskelijakunnan edustajistossa syyskauden ensimmäisessä kokouksessa. 

Aika ei käy pitkäksi ja ideoista voi tulla totta jo tänään. Aktiivinen kurssimme esimerkiksi improvisoi malariapaneelin luennoitsijamme tehdessä oharit ja tuo eloa taloomme monikulttuuristen illallisten merkeissä. Elämä on ihanaa, täällähän viihtyy!

Kulturnatten

One definition of culture is ''the way of life, excellence of fine arts and humanities, outlook, attitudes, values, goals, and customs in society seen for instance in writing, clothing, religion, music and cooking.'' This time culture night of Lund took us MPH students for a trip to colourful and mysterious Bollywood, passionate and elegant Spanish flamenco, cool reggae beats, melancholic Northern European hard rock, learning-by-doing dramatic Tango Argentino, dazzling and charismatic female jazzconcert, futuristic modern visual art, sefardic rustic countrymusic and delicious African food culture. 28 years old ''unique cultural manifestation'' of Lund filled the small Lund city with music, beauty, smells, joy, art and happy people. Culture definitely takes us closer to the full existence, opens all the senses, refreshes the mind, revitalizes the soul and fulfills with delight.  Late hours of night and the end of Kulturnatten came too soon as always. 

Development Research Day

The 11th annual Lund University Development Research Day 2013 was hosted this year by Faculty of Social Sciences, who chose the title of the seminar ''Gendered Developments - Imaginings, Politics and Practices''.

The idea of this conference is to bring together both inside and outside Lund University those interested in development issues from a wide variety of disciplines, share knowledge and research, inject new ideas and expand dialogue.

The keynote speakers this time were Professor Naila Kabeer, from School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and Margot Wallström, former special representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict and current chair of the Lund University Board. Wallström was the initiators of this new UN body,  which tries to prevent sexual violence as a human rights issue against humanity and humanitarian law. She told about starting the work; mobilizing media, reporting to security council, raise awareness in especially 7 selected countries, meeting the survivors, forming analytical framework, training manuals and early warning metrics, and cooperation with the governments, NGOs and civil society. Naila on the contrary told about gender justice, citizenship, empowering women, gender status, identity and individual rights giving background from Bangladeshian and Afghanistan culture and Hindu religion. 

Afternoon continued with parallel discussions, but I had to participate to group discussion about Botswana PMTCT program of my own degree program instead.

In the evening our class gathered for cozy make-your-own-pizza evening in our backyard to taste new delicious pizzaflavours and new creative pizzastyles.

Helsingor

Shakespeare's Hamlet's castle in Elsinore is a real Kronberg castle in Helsingor. The history of the city is about 2000 years old already. The castle itself was build by one of the numerous Danish kings, Eric de Pomerania, due to it's good location in a narrow sea passage between the coasts of Denmark and Sweden. The name for this Danish city comes from word hals meaning ''neck'' or ''narrow strait'' referring to the geography and Danish took advantage of this since 1429 by establishing the Sound Dues. All foreign ships passing through the strait had to pay a toll, which constituted up to 2/3 of Denmark's state income. However, the Sound Dues were abolished in 1857 with the Copenhagen Convention, where all naval nations agreed to pay a one time fee.

Castle was famous of glamorous parties, which included hours of eating and endless dancing, which could last for days. Latest fashion in furnitures, decorations, art, architecture and dressing was strictly followed. Castle also had important role to play in wars between Denmark and Sweden.

 Memory statue for Shakespeare.

 Castle is surrounded by canal.

 Sweden is very close.

 Danish King, Holger the Dane, who legendary rescued France and returned to sleep in Denmark before obligations require him to save his own country.

 Walls and furniture are decorated with astonishing beautiful handicraft.

 Notice the real precious chinese above the fireplace.

 Dancehall.

From art collection of the queen.

It was unpolite to stop eating before the king, who had practiced his stomach to eating for hours.

Kotiutumisesta

Paras keino tutustua uusiin naapureihin on kiertää käytäviä kysymässä miten saadaan langaton nettiyhteys toimimaan. Tai sitten muuteen vain matkustaa usein hissillä jos sattumalta joku naapuri myös olisi valitsemassa saman kulkupelin, tai koputella oville säännöllisesti ja esittäytyä jos joku olisi avaamassa oven, tai uusiin kasvoihin käytävillä törmätessä hidastaa vauhtia ja eloisasti aloittaa iloinen keskustelu.

Kaikesta tästä huolimatta on kuitenkin edelleen on jäänyt sellainen tunne, onko asuintalomme puolityhjillään, kun ei naapureita juuri kuulu tai näy, olemme alkaneet leipomaan. Alkuviikosta korvapuusteja, loppuviikosta mustikkapiirakkaa. Meitä on kansainvalisen kansanterveyden opiskelijoita talossa kokonaista 7 kappaletta, niin maisteriopiskelijoita ja tohtoriopiskelijoita ja erityisesti he ovat olleet hyvä syy kirjoitella tervetuloviestejä kynnysmatolle ja ostaa paljon teetä illanistujaisia varten. Pääasiallisesti uudet naapurituttavat ovat olleet ulkomaalaisia eli samassa tilanteessa; innokkaita tutustumaan uusiin ystäviin, kaupunkiin, kulttuuriin ja maahan ja pari kertaa ollaan oltu yhdessä jo ihailemassa auringonlaskuakin ja tummenevaa taivasta ylimmän kerroksen parvekkeilta.

Ennen kuin jokapäiväisen elämän iloista uudessa kotimaassa tulee itsestäänselviä mukavuuksia, joihin ei enää kiinnitä yhtä paljon kiitollisuudella huomiota, on pakko hehkuttaa

- junien hiljaiseksi merkittyjä vaunuja, joissa voi halutessaan täysin uppoutua kirjoihin matkan ajaksi

- omatoimikassoja, joita on lähikaupoissakin ja jotka nopeuttavat erityisesti vain muutaman tuotteen ostajia, jotka muuten joutuisivat odottamaan kauppakärryllisiä ostavien joukossa

- jonotusnumeroita, joissa ilmoitetaan kuinka paljon jonotusaikaa arviolta oman numeron kohdalle on, jotta voi käydä jossain muualla asioimassa sillä aikaa kun odottaa omaa vuoroa esimerkiksi paikallisliikennetoimiston (Skånetrafiken) virkailijalle

- yleisestikin ottaen aikatauluja, joissa kulttuurin mukaisesti pysytään ja jos ei pysytä, siitä informoidaan ajoissa ja informaation tarvitsijoita tavoittavasti

- niin julkisia, kuin oppilaitosten kuten yliopiston kirjastoja, joissa ilmaiseksi pääsee valtavan kokoelman äärelle

- opiskelijaliikuntaa, opiskelija-aktiviteettejä, harrastustoimintaa, opiskelijakulttuuria, opiskelijabileitä, opiskelijapolitiikkaa, joita on niin paljon, että kaiken kartoittamisessakin menee viikkoja

- opiskelijahintoja, usein jopa 50% alennuksia

Vedenrajasta

Tanskalaisten ystävieni Malmössä ensikertaa vierailun kunniaksi päätimme nauttia Itämerestä, cruisailusta ja nähtävyyksistä merenpinnan tasolta ja hyppäsimme sightseeing risteilykierrokselle nähdäksemme Malmöä uudesta perspektiivistä. Ilmat ovat vieläkin kesäisen lämpimiä vaikka aurinko harmittavasti menikin pilveen jo laivan lähtiessä liikkeelle ja siksi kuvista tuli vähän harmaita. Mutta me nautimme mielenkiintoisista historiallisista faktatiedoista joita turistioppaamme ja taitava kapteenimme meille kertoi koko tunnin ajan. Alitimme 22 siltaa ja kiersimme vanhan kaupungin ja sataman kanaalia myöten ja matkan varrelle mahtui vaikka mitä nähtävää patsaista hautausmaihin, ja taideteoksista puistoihin. Tässä parhaiten mieleen jääneet otokset.

 Malmön satavuotiaita asuinrakennuksia.

Tuulimylly. 

 Kuninkaan puisto ja linnapuisto täynnä erilaisia puita, istutuksia ja patsaita.

 Scandinavian vanhin säilynyt renessanssilinna, Malmöhus Castle.

 Turning Torso, kierteellä oleva pilvenpiirtäjä.

Maailman vanhin edelleen käytössä oleva jäänmurtaja, Bore, jonka nimi tarkoittaa jään murtamista. Laivan käynnistäminen kestää 3 päivää.

Malmön yliopiston päärakennus, jonka seinässä lukee vapaus eri kielillä.

Copenhagen day

Warmest and sunniest day for weeks was a good excuse to leave the books and go for a day trip to Copenhagen, which is only 35 minutes from Malmö. We were a bunch of MPH students and at our destination we had excellent allmost-local guides, some Finnish business students.

As real tourists, we absolutely had to visit the endearing Little Mermaid, famous from the fairy tale of H.C.Andersen.

On our way to Little Mermaid, we passed Chapman's haven, old harbor, with beautiful wooden boats and sea food restaurants, and walked through Amalienorgpalace, and beautiful Marble church, which has elegant 18th century rococo mansions. Copenhagen is full of both old and modern architecture and art, no wonder why the city is full of prize-winner design attractions and has even named World's best design city in 2008.

Copenhagen is full of parks, and the oldest and propably most decorative one is King's Garden, the garden of Rosenborg Castle, which was full of sunbathers enjoying the relaxed weekend atmosphere.

It was a last day of Images festival and Aarhus Jazz orchestra together with Gambian drummers made Queen bridge full of people watching, dancing and enjoying good music.

Nobel Prize Winner visiting

Today, Medical Faculty of Lund University was honoured with a visit from Ada Yonath, an Israeli crystallographer and director of the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly of the Weizmann Institute of Science. In 2009, she received the Nobel Price in Chemistry for her studies on the structure and function of the ribosome, becoming the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize, the first woman from the Middle East to win a Nobel prize in the sciences, and the first woman in 45 years to win the Nobel Prize for Chemistry.

She gave a lecture 'Life: Expectancy and Origin' of her path to start studying ribosomes after noticing that life expectancy of human kind wasn't growing as fast as it could have, her discoveries in mechanism underlying protein biosynthesis, by ribosomal crystallography, continuing to elucidating the modes of action of over 20 different antibiotics targeting the ribosome and illuminating process of drug resistance and synergism. In terms of medical science due to her research, she has been able to decipher the structural basis for antibiotic selectivity and show how it plays a key role in clinical usefulness and therapeutic effectiveness, thus paying the way for structure-based drug design.

Besides being a pioneer in science, she is an excellent lecturer being able to visualize and explain crystallography in simple terms, and according to her own words; a grandmother who has time for her family  and  not only for work ending the lecture to the words of thanks to family and supporters. May her have many health years to come as Rita Levi-Montalcini.

UN visiting

One of the international coordinators of Lund University said last week that Lund University is full of surprises even for him, who has studied, volunteered in student activities and worked there for years and traditions dating about 350 years back. Today, already after 2 weeks, I had a first chance to taste some of these delicacies, when I joined Anna Lindh Lecture ''United Nations Prevention and Peaceful Settlement Disputes'' given by UN Deputy-Secretary General Jan Eliasson. 

The purpose of Anna Lindh foundation is to bring people together from across the Mediterranean to improve mutual respect between cultures and beliefs. Today they have developed region-wide Network of over 3000 civil society organizations. 

The Annual Anna Lindh Lecture is held in memory of the late Swedish Minister for Foreign Affaris, by inviting distinguished scholars, politicians, civil-servants and diplomats to speak at Lund University Hall this time in cooperation with the Raoul Wallanberg Institute and the Student Association of Foreign Affairs of Lund. 

It was a real privilege to hear an inner look of United Nations and its work behind the curtains. Our lecturer shared his own fascinating experiences of promoting and facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, civil rights, political freedoms, democracy, and the achievements of lasting world peace. Big part of the focus was also in the situation of Syria, and UN is currently working through days and nights around this issue. Let us have hope everything is being done that possibly can be done in this moment and pray wisdom for trustees.