Cabbage and pickled cucumber, do not pass them

The Zone of Cabbage, the cabbage in Russian "Kapusta" and pickled cucumber begins from Germany and Finland eastwards. These countries included. Cabbage and pickled cucumber, a very MUST for tourists when visiting Russia.

If you on the way to Russia visit Helsinki, there are two cabbage dishes you should try, the cabbage rolls and the cabbage soup. Very delicious. In Helsinki you can also find many good restaurants serving Russian dishes. 

By the way, here you can find some Images about the Russian Helsinki, if interested. And here is some info about Russians in Finland, the second largest immigrant group in Finland after Estonians.

Super! Young Finnish enterpreneurs with students...

Yes - from exchange period to job...From Finland to Russia...

This muster of helping Finnish students to find work or have traineeship placements in firms in Russia was created 5 years ago by young Finnish enterpreneurs doing business in Russia. Students also here what is like to do business in Russia, and what should be taken in account when doing business in Russia and with Russians. By the way, many of these young Finnish enterpreneurs had begun "their career" in Russia by making a CIMO-Traineeship in Russia. Yes for us in Finland it is important to have skillful, also skillful in Russian, young folks to work for Finland and in the field of Finnish-Russian cooperation. It may be kind of pure business relations, it may be in the field of more humanistic or social cooperation.

So earlier today we had in St.Petersburg "Vaihdosta Duuniin" for students and newly graduates. From exchange to work... Read here how it was. It was organized in St.Petersburg by the Russian-Club of young Finnish enterpreneurs in Russia, Consulate of Finland in St.Petersburg, and CIMO Centre for International Mobility. Almost 100 Finnish students participating, and a good amount of Finnish firms also. So the ones which do business in Russia.

Not bad at all!

In autumn this kind of muster will be spread to China, and probably after that to Brazil. So Finland, a small country from the northern Europe, cooperating worldwide...

Uzbekistan way

Today I ate in an Uzbekistan restaurant. 

I thought to go to Ukrainian restaurant, but because I had visited it so many times I decided to try something else. Here for you some music from Uzbekistan, Yulduz Usmanovo... (Skip Ad) to come into the right feeling. I saw Yulduz Usmanovo first time when in Holland some 20 years ago, a World Music Festival. Do you see in the video the high heels? If you want to have such shoes, the Russia is the right place to come and buy them, so visit Russia....

Well, this kind of music is little bit of exotic music for the Europeans I  had it in the restaurant too. Very nice. And food was good too. I wonder why they have such good eggplant in the "Eastern countries" like Uzbekistan or Georgia? Really something. I ate some kind of Kebab with "Ovoštši", so it means vegetables in Russian.

And drank Siberian beer, as well as pomegranate wine. Hmmmm...A little bit kind of exotic...
I asked them to make the meat kind of "well made", you see it is so and also the vegetables...So you see, this time I did not take the local "pelmenis", which are called "chuvara"...

Drink fine, but eat fast

Where you can find one of the best sparkling wines in the world? Maybe your answer is Spain or Germany, or some other country. But have you tasted already the Russian champagne? If not, it is definitely a missing part in your life. You can buy sweet ("sladki" po-ruski) or dry("suhoi" po-ruski) Russian champagne. In Russia you can also buy the very fine Armenian cognac "Ararat", it is my favorite. Sorry my dear French fellows, I like it more than French cognac. But maybe it is because it is kind of sweet cognac. So different from French cognac.

 
And if you want to eat fast in St.Petersburg but still Russian food, go to Teremok-restaurants. You can choose also "Soviet café".

In "Teremok" you can find different types of blinis, pelmenis, even Finnish fish soup they serve. Do you know why this specific soup is called Finnish? Because the broth is white and it is because we mix the broth with milk. It may sound strange, but the Finnish fish soup is very delicious. At least we think so, and couple of other persons, too. The fish for the soup we take from the thousand lakes of ours... The last tip, if you do not speak Russian in "Teremok" you can ask for English menu at the desk...

Traineeships in Russia?

Have you ever thought that your students could make a traineeship or the voluntary period in Russia? Or you yourself? If you are interested, contact for more information the German-Russian Exchange in St.Petersburg and ask for more information: nro@obmen.org . There are also possibilities for those who cannot speak Russian.

Finland has been sending trainees to Russia already for 12 years or so. First only to St.Petersburg, but lately also to other parts of Russia. Finnish students are day by day more and more adventurous. Above all those who already speak very well Russian and have experienced everything in St.Petersburg.  I find it very important that the Finns among other languages have also the possibility to practice Russian, as we have many business and other connections with Russia. And learn the Russian way of working. During their traineeship period they can also deepen their practical skills in the field of their studies. The very core of everybody´s traineeship period.

Georgian way - delicious

Have you ever eaten in the Georgian restaurant? If not, well try it. I have done it, in St.Petersburg, in Georgia, and in Finland. You know, the Georgian food is as good as the Peruvian food, and as good as the Nepalese/Indian food. So, the best.

What else? Well, the Georgian wine is also among the best wines of the world. Georgian wine is produces differently from wines for example in Spain. In the pottery in the grounds. Nowadays you get Georgian wine also in Russia.

As you can imagine now, I ate today in Georgian restaurant. In St.Petersburg. Everything super! Delicious! Because of that here for you some Georgian music by Katie Melua, and the "Traditional Georgian singers". Let's say so...Before going to sleep...

 

Very good soup, you know. In the eastern Europe you should take soup in the restaurants...

By Train to St.Petersburg, business calling…

Yes, soon in the train from Helsinki to St.Petersburg. The trains from Helsinki to St.Petersburg are not so nostalgic as in older times...

...with nostalgic curtains and Russian champagne. Can you imagine, they serve nowadays small bottles of sparkling wine from abroad in Russian trains from Helsinki to St.Petersburg? And the sparkling wine comes from elsewhere as from Russia…But anyway, you can eat there at least traditional Russian (and Finnish) food, as in older days. Well, those good old days are maybe gone, now or forever…

And to finalize this nostalgic moment of mine…Listen to the tune from  the legendary Russian artist Alla Pugatcheva, the tune is called “Harlequin” (Skip Add) and comes from the 80’s. Well, after this I though change my tune to the more modern Russian rock, listen to Zemfira. As the trains to St.Petersburg called “Allegro” are now modern and it takes only 3,5 hours to get from Helsinki to St.Petersburg. In older days more or less 7 hours...Happy trip to me and to you to Russia…

By the way...in incoming days you will get tips concerning the traineeship possibilities for students in Russia, hear from a professional get-together of Finnish employers, CIMO and Finnish students in St.Petersburg. You will also get some news, and tips concerning cultural issues in St.Petersburg. Some of them may be something else that the most common ones... We will see what comes up, you never know when we are talking about Russia!