Sigurd Eriksen: Happy in Helsinki

Greatings Bonnier colleagues. My name is Sigurd Eriksen. I'm 34 years old and I've left my beautyful girlfriend, Karina, and my two best friends, Lukas (3.5 year) and Rasmus (1.5 year) to be a part of this GROW program. I've come all the way from Oslo, Norway (yeah, I know, it's basically the same neighborhood, just 90 minutes with plane), but being a father of two small kids, and having to leave them behind in Oslo, it's a good thing it's not so far away.

In Norway I work in Bonnier Media II AS, as an Art Director in the department of development. My reasons for joining the GROW program is to get closer to my Finnish colleagues (which to me are heroes, making great magazines and even launching a new magazine in this economical hard times), learn how they manage to be small, but significant - and actually change the market. It seems all the big publishing houses in Finland are afraid of Bonnier Publications OY. I just know I have a lot to learn from my new colleagues.

The first thing I did when I arrived Helsinki, was to go to the Helsinki FLOW festival. It was a blast. FLOW featured both international and domestic acts at six different venues, including a Sauna Yard. Yes, a sauna! Inside the festival! I'm usually a shy guy, but when in Rome ... I tell you, it was totally surrealistic being butt naked inside a sauna (100° C), with the party right outside. During the festival I got to see Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 (NGR), Grace Jones (JAM), Jenny Wilson (SWE), Lily Allen (UK), Fever Ray (SWE) and many more.

Well, when I finally arrived the Helsinki office of Bonnier Publictions, the first week contained several meetings, from logistics to customers service and of course all the editorial staff of Divaani (a life style magazine for passionate decoraters) and Olivia (a style magazine for smart women aged 30-40). Everybody gave me a warm welcome. Within the first week I had the opportunity to join some of my new colleagues in bowling, eating out, and even (yes, it's true) going to a bar having a olut (beer) and cideriit (you guessed it - cider).

Normally family life is quite busy, but since my family is back in Oslo I have plenty of Sigurd time. I get to try out all kinds of different training activities at the local training facility (Idealfit), such as Yoga, Pilates, Body Pump, Deep Streching, Kickboxing and more. I'm just trying everything that doesn't include aerobic-coordination skills. Exept from Kickboxing, all of this activities are new to me, and it's actually harder that I thought. And at the same time, I feel good about myself for doing it, it's almost like I'm eating organic food or doing something good for the planet. It must be the Yin-Yang-music they all play, that makes me go into a zen state of mind ...

And now it's time to tell you about my flat. It's not big (I would guess about 35 square metres), but certainly big enough for one person. But, the best part is the location. It's smack in the middle of Helsinki. If I turn left coming out of the building, it's only 10 minutes walk to work (and Idealfit). If I turn right, it's just about 100 meters to the shopping streets and malls. And if I should be so unlucky to experience rainy days while I'm here i Helsinki (hmmm - Autumn, Finland, yeah I guess I will), the nearest metro station (Kaisaniemi) is basically in the basement of my building (from my front door it's 14 meters to the entrance of the station). To get to work, it's just one stop (Hakaniemi, 1 minute), and that's basically in the basement of my the office  (13 meters to the entrance of the building - I'm not kidding).

Now I have work waiting for me, so I gotta go. Moi, moi (Bye, bye)!
See some photos from my first weeks in Helsinki...