Helsinki Times 7

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ISSUE 7 (87) • 12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009 • €3 • WWW.HELSINKITIMES.FI DOMESTIC

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BUSINESS

SPORT

CULTURE

Liquid ban on planes

Negatively viewed nations

Beware of card fraud

Hockey Finns in Canada

How to capture happiness?

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L E H T I K U VA / M A R J A A I R I O

Hate groups appear on social networking site HEL SINKI TIMES

HATE groups based in Finland have recently appeared on the social networking site Facebook. Many of these groups contain implicit or explicit racist remarks and are aimed specifically against refugees. One group has over 13,000 members. It uses as its logo the caricature of a black face and exaggerated red lips that was formerly used by Cloetta Fazer on its lakritsi liquorice. The group’s stated policy is that Somalia is a safe place to live and that Somalis should be sent back there from Finland. It even suggests taking up a collection to gather the funds needed. Although the front page of the group has been carefully constructed to avoid overtly racist language, a deeper look into the material posted finds more troubling material. The group has five administrators who use photographs of individuals such as Adolf Hitler, Eva Braun and Nazi death camp overseer Heinrich Himmler as their profile images. One member uses a photo of an African face being punched by a white fist. Nazi exclamations have been repeatedly posted on the message board by one of the administrators. One of the pictures posted by the group is of a man aiming an assault rifle at the camera. The caption of the photo refers to the other alternative to leaving the country. The picture has been greeted by a chorus of agreement from the members.

“Yes, we have already received one complaint about this group,” says Yrsa Nyman, Senior Officer at the Office of the Ombudsman for Minorities. “We collect information about groups such as this and send them on to the police.” If material is deemed racist or discriminatory, the service provider is often asked to remove it. In most cases they do so. If the provider does not remove the material further steps are necessary. The Ombudsman for Minorities office points out that according to the Equality Act harassment is discrimination. In the past Facebook has removed pages that violate its terms of use. The company’s terms of use forbids the publishing of content that is threatening, hateful, or racially and ethnically offensive. In November it removed seven neoNazi group pages that had caught the attention of a member of the European Parliament. Another xenophobic group created on Facebook wants all refugees removed from Finland. On the message board a member states, “Yeah, they should all be put in that public shower that was not really a shower, but they still got fresh and clean-up was successful.” The statement apparently refers to the Nazi practice of disguising gas chambers as communal showers. Another member of the group does not mince words. He clearly states: “The best Somali is a dead Somali.” “The person who has written the text is primarily responsible,” explains Nyman. “But in our opinion the providers of services, if they allow it, could also get in trouble.”

As part of the penkkarit tradition truckloads of students take to the streets to celebrate the last day of secondary school.

Free candy and formal dances NICK BARLOW HEL SINKI TIMES

of Finland’s school traditions takes place this week. On Thursday 12 February, Finnish upper secondary school students will take to the streets in the annual penkkarit parades. The penkkarit has its origins in the 1920s, when students in their final year would leave school in mid-February to devote their time towards studying for their matriculation examinations. The date of the celebration is, for all intents and purposes, the students’ last day of school. The precise format of the penkkarit varies from school to school but typical celebrations involve dressing up in costumes re-

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lated to a theme chosen by the students, invading classrooms occupied by younger students and giving parody lessons or making up songs – both positive and negative – about their teachers. For the public at large, the most obvious sign that the tradition endures are the parades of long truck convoys, each vehicle holding a dozen or so teenagers in its open back. The sight of the convoys themselves are enough to confuse visitors to Finland, but when the students start to shower passers-by with sweets, it can get even more confusing. Children, on the other hand, enjoy the ceremony because they get free candy. For the students left at school, the following day – this year Friday the thirteenth – is a chance for

themselves to celebrate, in particular those who are now the oldest students in the institution. These now-senior students have the opportunity to commemorate their position with a ceremonial formal dance known as vanhojen tanssit. Students attending the ball are dressed in formal attire, white tie or tuxedo for boys and ball-gowns for girls. Most of the dances are traditional and formal, often commencing with the Polonaise and including, for example, the waltz, Gay Gordons and Quadrille, amongst others. Rehearsals for the dances begin the previous autumn and often two performances take place – once in the presence of other students, and once for parents. A formal dinner is usually held the same evening.


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INTERVIEW Well, it is a very challenging goal, although I do believe that government objectives ought to be bold. When that vision was formulated we still had Jokela and Kauhajoki ahead of us. In many respects, though, Finland is in quite a strong position when it comes to safety and security. Drug crime, organised crime and international crime are low when compared to the European average. We also perform well in terms of traffic safety and workplace safety. The clearest exceptions are our statistics for violence and for fatalities in the home and during leisure time. And unfortunately it is also now true that in relation to the size of our school population we lead the world in school shootings. This is an extremely worrying development, one that we at the Ministry take very seriously indeed.

Ritva Viljanen has worked as the chief director of the Population Register Centre since 1997. Prior to this she was Governmental Counsellor 1992-97, law-drafting counsellor 1989-92 and senior inspector at the Department of Finance 1985-89. Currently Viljanen serves as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, assisting the Minister to supervise and monitor the ministry’s activities along with that of its regional offices and departments. The Permanent Secretary also coordinates the Ministry’s European Union-related tasks with its other international obligations. A L E X I S KO U RO S / H E L S I N K I T I M E S

Interview with Ritva Viljanen What do you see as the most important items on the Ministry of the Interior’s agenda at the moment? There are three issues in particular. The first is the marginalisation of our young people and what we can do to prevent it. The problems affecting safety and well-being often have their roots in the home and in childhood. Although the majority of our young people are better off now than they have ever been, there is a noticeable tendency towards marginalisation among a small but growing minority. And these kids who are not doing well are suffering in many different ways: between five and eight per cent of young people in Finland are falling through the cracks, which is a pretty big number. That amounts to between 55,000 and 80,000 young people who are not participating in the education system and who are often troubled by mental illness and drug addiction, or who run into trouble with the law. At the same time, violence has been a growing problem among young people since the 1990s and alcohol use among young people has also increased in recent years. This last point brings me to the second major priority for the Ministry’s agenda, the massive price we pay as a society for our unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Alcohol is behind a significant amount of violence, many fatalities of which happen inside the home and during people’s spare time. In Finland every third accident leading to death is alcohol related. The third issue is Finland’s rapid multiculturalisation. Now, it is a very positive development. It reflects the fact that we live in an open, modern society, and an international one, too. But in Finland it has occurred within a rather short timespan in compar-

ison to many other European countries. We need to take a major step forward both in our attitudes and in terms of the service infrastructure for new immigrants, neither of which will happen overnight. This will demand a great deal from Finns and Finnish society. We will all have to learn that Finns can come in all shapes, sizes and colours. What do you think lay behind the school shootings in Jokela and in Kauhajoki? Are we seeing a dramatic change in Finnish society, or is this a question of pressures that have been building up for some time, but are only now coming to the surface? Finland is part of the international community, and the world is already globalised to the extent that trends seen elsewhere usually show up here too sooner or later. Of course school violence is a new and worrying trend, and we should ask ourselves whether the culture of violence is gaining ground in Finland. It’s not immediately obvious how we are going to prevent this sort of thing happening in the future. Having said that however a number of initiatives are already underway and we’re trying to implement systems that allow us to anticipate these events and hopefully prevent them. We adults ought to take a more active role in the everyday lives of children and young people. Children want to know where they can find direction and advice from a safe, reliable adult figure. One policeman in the Helsinki Police Department maintains a profile on Facebook that is visited by around 5000 people weekly. Similarly, we at the Ministry of the Interior are currently setting up our own online presence. The authorities need to be where people are, and offer help through the channels that people actually use.

HELSINKI TIMES

You have suggested that the police be granted the right to monitor internet activity undercover and anonymously. How has this proposal moved forward since then? This is something that is being investigated by a joint committee set up by the Ministries of the Interior and Justice. The idea is to renew the preliminary investigation techniques of the police and suggest proposals for legal reform. The central issue of the reform is the ability of the police to investigate online content. The committee’s recommendations will be ready by the spring, at which point it will be placed before parliament for consideration. In Finland there has not traditionally been a great deal of undercover activity by the authorities, and the police can use it in the physical world to a very limited extent. The fundamental principle is that any powers granted to the police can never be as sweeping as those granted to other authorities because, in terms of civil liberties, the stakes are much higher. The role of the state in the online world is poorly defined and there are a number of questions regarding governmental internet activities and what sort of basic data security structure we should have in place. Online identification procedures, for example, leave much to be desired. The internet is not going to be very much use in mediating between government and citizens if just about anybody can assume whatever identity they like and nobody can trust each other. I believe the police should be allowed to go undercover in cyberspace in special cases. I’ve been familiarising myself with some of the techniques of Norway’s police force and how they go about investigating crimes such as child pornography. This is precisely the sort of

case where undercover activity would be immensely helpful to the police, and where crimes could be investigated and prevented much more efficiently. At the moment there is a process under way to amend the law so that the Finnish police would enjoy the same tools as the Norwegians do. If all goes according to plan the amendment should be before parliament before the end of this year. Do the police follow any sort of guidelines as to how internet crime is handled? How are these problems prioritised? The principal focus is on improving the internet’s selfregulation mechanisms. The internet is so massive that efficient monitoring from outside is impossible, it cannot be owned in the same way as a newspaper can. So the main thing is to make self-monitoring easy, for example by developing systems for reporting complaints or for tipping off the police. Of course the police do need more resources to improve profiling. Following the Kauhajoki incidents, the police set up a unit including a number of new full-time positions, and this unit works 24 hours a day constructing profiles of potential offenders and processing tip-offs from the public. The third thing is that we need to clarify the burden of responsibility for content providers, web hosts and online forum moderators in a way that would actually improve the function of the sites that they run. This last point is as yet no more than a proposal from the Ministry of the Interior, but we consider this a good way to move forward. According to the Ministry’s vision for 2012, Finland is to be the safest and most open country in Europe. Do you think this is a realistic goal?

In which direction is Finland’s immigration policy heading? Immigration has increased substantially during the 2000s. It is too early to tell what effect the current economic situation will have on immigration but at the moment it looks as though it won’t be a huge one – as it wasn’t during the 1990s recession, for that matter. That said, immigration to this country only really started to grow in the 1990s and that was the beginning of our development into a more multicultural society. In 1990 Finland was home to only 26,000 immigrants. At the turn of this decade, the number was 100,000 and now it has climbed to 140,000. The 1990s recession was too recent, and the number of immigrants then were too few for us to draw far-reaching conclusions on what will happen during the current recession. There is a risk that immigrant employees will be the first to bear the brunt of mass layoffs. It would be a great pity if they were to be unfairly targeted, and I really do hope that doesn’t happen. Employment is an equally important aim for everybody, for those who move here just as much as for native Finns. For the time being immigration numbers have not declined – applications for work permits, for example, are still being received at a pace comparable to recent years – and the number of asylum seekers has also stabilised at a fairly high level. About a year ago, the Directorate of Immigration became the Finnish Immigration Service, Migri. No doubt an element of rebranding was involved, as well as a rethink of the service’s working model in an attempt to depart from the image of an office trying to prevent immigration rather than actually trying to facilitate it. What sort of concrete changes has this entailed? In my view the service has come a long way. It has shifted from a focus on restriction and control to one on

service and assistance. Application handling times, for instance, have shortened; applicants now receive certainty of their status much faster than they did before. We’ve seen considerable improvement in the process for decisions on residence permits. Ole Norrback, who came in and helped lead the changes, did a wonderful job – not least in changing attitudes within the service. There’s still a lot of work to be done though, and a number of legal reforms are currently under preparation. For example, in future all residence permits granted will automatically allow the person concerned to work in Finland. All adults admitted will be given the right to work. Another thing we’ll hopefully be able to get rid of is the socalled ”availability check,” the stipulation that jobs may only be awarded to foreigners provided there is no unemployed Finnish worker who can do it instead. So there are still some important changes to come. Elimination of the ”availability check” is still in the planning stages, but it’s vital that we take a long-term view since the current recession does not change the fundamental challenge facing Finland. Only 16 per cent of work-permit applications undergo this ”availability check” and it is rarely enforced to deny a permit. So its value is questionable. It is essential that we do everything that we can to increase Finland’s work force because around 200,000 workers will be retiring from the market over the coming years. Finland is becoming a much more international place. The future welfare of Finnish society depends fundamentally on how we can meet the labour demand. You played a major role in reviving Info Bank, the online information service directed at immigrants, which was operating with very limited resources. What do you think is the significance of this resource? Info Bank is an important achievement, not least because it’s available in so many languages. I hear it’s being used in Vietnam to help prepare prospective immigrants for their arrival in Finland, since the service is also available in Vietnamese. Info Bank contains a wealth of much-needed information on the basics of life in Finland. We’ve managed to secure funding for the service for the next five years, as well as the co-operation of all immigration-related organisations in Finland. In future, we hope to involve every municipality in the country, too, especially in those areas that receive the bulk of immigration. Information is really crucial for new immigrants, since those who are uninformed often find themselves excluded in society as well.

Translated by Matthew Parry.


DOMESTIC NEWS

HELSINKI TIMES

A Nugget of Knowledge gee Uni University iversit of Helsinki by JUHA MERIMAA

photo VEIKKO SOMERPURO

trans translation MATTHEW PARRY, HT

A twenty-year-long butterfly chase “In recent years we have been studying the significance of hereditary differences in terms of the sizes of species populations,” says Professor Ilkka Hanski from the University of Helsinki’s Metapopulation Research Group (MRG). “A small genetic difference can make a butterfly population vulnerable to parasites, for example, which cause that population’s extinction. The slightly different gene of a species’ neighbouring population, on the other hand, can make that population almost immune to parasites.” The species Hanski is referring to is the Glanville fritillary butterfly which lives in metapopulations on dry meadows on the Åland islands. This species’ various communities on the islands have been the subject of two decades’ worth of research by Hanski. More important to his research than the butterflies themselves, however, are the metapopulation models they help generate. These models in turn assist in the use of small ecological population environments to map out the reciprocal influence of partially segregated populations, and the dynamic of an entire network of populations. The models generated by Hanski’s group have made an international impact on the discipline and have led to the MRG being designated one of the Academy of Finland’s Centres of Excellence. “The Glanville fritillary is a brilliant subject of research because remains of its various unsuccessful populations are scattered all around the Åland archipelago, and interestingly, in slightly different ways. This gives us a

good foundation on which to build models which can then be used to help map the behaviour of other organic populations.” One of the most important questions thrown up during modelling is how small a population can become before it goes extinct. In addition to this scientific work, Hanski has long been a vocal advocate for environmental protection and ecological diversity. He

rejects the label activist, however. “Not even doctors, who also have a few things to say about self-destructive lifestyles, are labeled politicians,” Hanski points out. “They are experts, as am I. As a biologist I have tried to draw attention to the ways in which human beings can affect the survival of other beings.”

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009 www.helsinki.fi/university

CAN YOUTUBE BE A MODEL FOR UNIVERSITIES? Video communications is increasing in Finnish universities. Students are most familiar with Internet videos and live video broadcasts. The teaching staff favour video conferences.“Centralised services are on the wish list, especially video services or a YouTube for universities.” THE VALUE OF THE RULE OF LAW SHOULD BE RESTORED President Tarja Halonen gave a speech on in an alumni seminar at the Faculty of Law. “Democracy, respect for human rights or the rule of law do not form a package that we can export as such,” she said. ”Instead, we can explain how the rule of law helps create a good and successful society, and there is a lot of interest in that,” she added. DEVELOPING NANOCAPSULES FOR THE PRECISION TREATMENT OF CANCER New dosing technology for medicines is being designed to increase the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy and reduce side effects. “We are developing capsules whose movement in the blood stream can be followed and the capsules can then be discharged at the right location with ultrasound,” Professor Paavo Kinnunen says.

International Business Program Helsinki Business College offers an International Vocational Business Program, which is taught entirely in English language. This program is for students with upper-secondary certificate (matriculation exam) and leads to the Vocational Qualification in Business and Administration. For further information, please visit our website www.businesscollege.fi or contact the Program Manager Ali Daher at +358 207 511 758 or ali.daher@hbc.fi. Application period 19 January - 6 March 2009 Entrance examination 7 or 8 April 2009 Starting date in August 2009

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DOMESTIC NEWS

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O

ty agencies around the world have placed an emphasis on finding ways to ease the problem while maintaining public safety. American, Canadian and European agencies have been working closely together in order to maintain similar standards of security. Officials hope that new technology can help.

The current regulation restricts the quantity of liquids allowed to be taken into the cabin as a hand baggage.

Liquids may soon be permitted on flights again New technology may soon allow airline passengers to take liquids through security checks. ST T DAV I D J . C O R D – H T

on airline passengers carrying liquids in hand luggage may soon be relaxed, reports the Keskisuomalainen. Currently only small containers of liquid placed in a plastic bag are allowed through security screening. All others must be placed in checked luggage to

RESTRICTIONS

be transported in the hold of the aircraft. “Our aim is that passengers will be able to have passengers be able to bring drink bottles with hand luggage to the plane, even through a security check,” says Finnish Civil Aviation Administration head of security Kauko Lehtinen. “The purpose is to focus on the goods which are really dangerous. These are

mainly things such as scissors, knives and the like.”

Bomb plot The restrictions have been in place since August 2006 when a plot was uncovered to smuggle liquid explosives onto aircraft at London’s Heathrow airport and blow them up over the Atlantic Ocean. Three of the accused were found guilty for conspiracy

to commit murder charges in September 2008. At the time the plot was uncovered, American and British authorities immediately placed severe restrictions on all hand luggage and liquids carried on board flights. Many other countries followed suit, and air travel was disrupted around the world. An estimated 20,000 bags were misplaced at Heathrow

airport and the national carrier Finnair had to cancel a flight from London to Helsinki. Finnish authorities initially attempted to leave security procedures unchanged, but a European Commission regulation in October 2006 obliged all EU nations to increase security in regards to liquids. The restrictions have placed added burdens on both passengers and security staff for some time, but securi-

Current restrictions on liquids: • Containers must be 100 millilitres or less • Containers must be placed in a single one litre plastic bag • Plastic bag should be outside carry-on luggage for security check • Applies to liquids, pastes, gels, creams and aerosols • Liquid medicine and baby food may be carried on board • Liquids may be purchased at airport shops after security checks and carried on board www.helsinki-vantaa.fi www.civilaviationauthority.fi

L E H T I K U VA / H E I K K I S A U K KO M A A

Minced meat a firm favourite for Finns The recession is likely to encourage more home cooking. H A N N A KO I V I S T O – S T T JA MES O’CONNOR – HT

of all the meat consumed in Finland takes the form of minced beef. From meatballs and Bolognese sauce to the traditional makaronilaatikko (pasta casserole), it has long been a staple of the Finnish diet. According to Finnish Gallup survey, the favourite dish for five out of ten Finns contains minced beef. Why is such a humble ingredient so popular? For domestic-science adviser Elisabeth Eriksson of the Swedish Martha Association in Finland, an organisation that educates and advises the public on matters related to the home, family and society, the answer is simple: minced beef is cheap, easy to use and versatile. As such, it is an attractive substitute for more

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Nearly 50 per cent of Finns eat minced meat on a weekly basis.

expensive meats, a fact that is likely to make it an even surer choice as the country finds itself in recession. “It is also nutritious. Even a small portion meets the recommended daily-protein requirement,” added Eriksson. The rate of consumption is growing steadily, having doubled in the past ten years. Finns currently eat some 30 million kilos of minced meat a year. Eriksson is optimistic that the gloomy economic outlook will encourage more households to return to home cooking and bring other money-saving measures to the table as well. For example, leftover cuts of meat such as steaks should not be thrown out, suggested Eriksson, but instead used in hamburgers, sauces, pizzas and the like. “And if there’s still leftover meat after all that, then maybe the neighbours

Bottled Liquid Scanners “Bottled Liquid Scanners are an integral technology the Transportation Safety Administration will continue to deploy through 2009,” said Kip Hawley of the United States Department of Homeland Security last summer. “These are used at the security checkpoint to ensure sealed containers do not contain threat liquids.” According to the European Commission these machines have been tested at locations in the US, Britain and France. The new technology and procedures should not only make life easier for the air traveller, but it should also ease the strain on security personnel. With one less item to worry about, it is hoped they will be able to increase the attention given to other matters. The proposed loosening of regulations are currently being considered by an EU working group. It may be some time before they become enacted, however, as they must be approved by all 27 member states. Officials also aim for a uniform procedure for the entire EU. For example, a person flying from Ivalo via Helsinki to Frankfurt and onwards would have only one security screening.

might be in need of some,” she joked. Eriksson is confident in predicting that there will be newfound demand for even the cheapest cuts of meat, from which meat soups, casseroles and other traditional dishes can easily be made. “The cheaper cuts make great eating, but the preparation time is usually much longer than for the more tender cuts,” explained Eriksson. When buying meat, careful attention should be given to its smell and colour, she advised. “Spotting fresh meat requires experience and a good sense of smell, but fortunately these develop over time once you’ve been a cook for long enough.”

Minced beef often frozen before sale Many households buy minced meat for freezing, but few are aware that what they

are buying may have already been frozen and then defrosted for sale. Riitta Stirkkinen, head of the information department at Finfood – Food Information (Finfood-Suomen Ruokatieto ry) explained that meat producers invariably have no option other that than to purchase frozen meat because of to the relatively poor availability of the fresh product. As a result, the packages that consumers buy are likely to contain a mix of fresh and once-frozen meat. Most people are aware that once defrosted, raw meat should not be frozen again. Despite this warning, Stirkkinen assured consumers that there is no health risk in eating food made from meat that has been frozen and defrosted more than once. It is more important that the meat has been kept cold, which means that there should be no great delay in the getting it to the fridge after purchase. “I freeze raw minced beef myself sometimes, but the best method is to brown it first in the frying pan and then freeze it.”


DOMESTIC NEWS

HELSINKI TIMES

Complaints of medical misconduct on the increase L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N

Supervisory authority: a ministerial proposal would improve patient safety. PÄ I V I S E P PÄ L Ä – S T T M AT T H E W PA R R Y – H T

CASES of medical malpractice, misconduct or incompetence are on the increase in Finland, and the National Authority of Medico-legal Affairs finds itself having to intervene more frequently. Last year, The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) was forced to revoke the medical licenses of 36 medical and social work professionals. Of those subject to punitive action, eight were doctors while 23 were healthcare workers. The corresponding figure In 2007 was 13. Complaints of misconduct by doctors and nurses have also been increasing in recent years, with pharmacists, the police and employers the most common sources of reported complaints. The number of complaints lodged by patients or their relatives has, however, remained constant over recent years, at around 300 a year. Valvira is especially concerned about the increasing number of complaints against nurses. These complaints are typically made by employers, with the most common reason being theft

of medicine and turning up to work intoxicated.

Many cases preventable The Ministery of Social Affairs and Health Paula Risikko (Nat. Coalition) wants to improve patient safety, because one in ten hospitalised patients finds themselves victims to instances of medical malpractice or misconduct. “As many as half these instances are preventable,” the Minister said at a press conference on 5 February at which her ministry presented a new patient safety strategy. Risikko encouraged patients to speak out should they encounter an unprofessional or otherwise unpleasant situation during medical care, as this is the only way that authorities can become aware of the situation and lessons can be learnt. One proposal is to appoint a figure for each hospital ward whose responsibility it would be to keep a log of all reports of misconduct. This would be followed up by measures to prevent their reoccurrence. The focus is less on seeking out scapegoats and more on identifying areas for improvement as well as to introduce changes. The plan also includes amending the law so that both the public and private healthcare providers would be obliged to comply with the measure. According to a study on the matter conducted in the

Reports of misconduct to the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health against healthcare professionals have become increasingly common in recent years.

United States, one in 100 hospital patients falls victim to serious medical misconduct, while for one per 1000 such

incidents are either seriously harmful or even fatal. As yet authorities do not have similar figures for Finland.

ping bag and use light plastic bags for mixed rubbish. The study, conducted by SYKE and Lappeenranta University of Technology, notes that shopping bags are a minor contributor to

greenhouse gases emissions relative to the rest of our daily consumption. At the moment there is no urgent need for a national ban or a tax on plastic bags in Finland, the report concludes.

L E H T I K U VA / PA S I A U T I O

MORE and more consumers are becoming environmentally conscious and paying attention to the ecological effects of their shopping behaviour. But sometimes the smallest choices can be the most difficult, such as deciding what material shopping bag to buy at the checkout counter. According to a recent study published by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the matter is every bit as complex as it seems. Through detailed analysis of the environmental impact of shopping bags made from different materials, the research team attempted to find out once and for all which material is the cleanest and most climate-friendly. The study sought to take into account the full life cycle, from manufacture to use and disposal, of the bags. The results show, somewhat surprisingly, that a cotton bag is not necessarily the least harmful to the environment, unless it is reused enough times. Cotton

production requires plenty of energy and irrigation water, which add to the greenhouse-gas emissions of the cotton bag. The store-brand cotton bags’ durability also left something to be desired, making them less reusable than they could be. The cleanest alternative, the study found, was in fact a plastic bag made of recycled raw material. A paper bag was second best, provided it is recycled after use. This puts it slightly ahead of an ordinary plastic bag, which is still better than a cotton bag. The absolute worst material was biodegradable plastic, which contains substantial amounts of oil-based material used to strengthen the compound. Emissions from decomposing biodegradable bags contribute to accelerating climate change. Proper disposal is as important as the raw material. A plastic bag should be reused as a rubbish bag. However, lightweight rubbish bags cause less strain to the environment than the thicker shopping bags. In the end, the greenest way is always to bring your own durable shop-

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IN BRIEF COLUMN Lipponen supports expansion of domestic nuclear energy production The former Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen (soc dem) wrote in a column printed in the latest issue of Energia-lehti that if it was up to him all three utilities vying for approval to build nuclear power stations could have them provided the applications meet the demands set. Lipponen said that Finland ought to have sufficient electricity generating capacity so that the country was not at the mercy of Norway and Sweden on the Nordic power market. He added that Finland needed one nuclear power station to meet industrial power requirements, another to replace electricity currently imported from Russia and a third to replace two facilities in Loviisa that are due for decommissioning in the 2020s. Lipponen has been hired as a consultant by Pohjolan Voima, the biggest shareholder in Teollisuuden Voima, one of the utilities that want to build new nuclear power generating capacity in Finland. STT

Recycled plastic bag most ecological M AT T I KO S K I N E N HEL SINKI TIMES

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MTV3/TNS poll sees Centre and SPP as losers in Finnish EU vote Finnish commercial broadcaster MTV3 on Monday quoted a Taylor Nelson Sofres poll as indicating that the Centre party and the Swedish People’s party would lose a seat each in June’s European Parliament election. MTV3 added that the True Finns was seen raking in 5.7% of the vote, up from 0.5% from the 2004 election. According to the poll, the formal election alliance announced by the True Finns and the Christian

Democrats at the weekend is set to win one seat. The survey suggests further that the other Finnish parties will neither lose seats nor gain any. Commissioned by MTV3, TNS interviewed about 2,800 people by telephone. There are 14 Finnish Euro-MP at the moment; four each from the Centre party and the Conservatives, three from the Social Democrats and one each from the Green League, the Left Alliance and the Swedish People’s party. Finland will have 13 seats on the 2009-14 parliament. STT

Finnish minister proposes doubling parental leave Stefan Wallin, the Finnish Culture and Sports Minister, was quoted as saying by a union paper on 8 February that Finland should introduce on a trial basis a parental leave system similar to that of Iceland. In Iceland, each parent is entitled to 90 days of 80% paid leave, topped up by another three months that the parents may share as they see fit. Wallin, in whose portfolio the management of sexual equality policies is also included, was quoted by the Confederation of Professionals (STTK) paper as saying that Finland could double the stakes on Iceland and extend six months to both parents and another six months of discretionary shared leave. Under the Icelandic scheme employees contribute a small part of their pay to a parental leave fund. “That could be tried in Finland, too,” Wallin suggested. At present Finnish mothers are entitled to 105 working days with 80% of their pay, with the paternal leave capped at 18 working days. Shared leave is limited to 158 working days.STT

SEURE to provide counselling for immigrants V I L L E U K KO L A HEL SINKI TIMES

THE HUMAN-resource

According to recent study, of the 300 million shopping bags sold yearly in Finland, recycled biodegradable bags like these are the least ecologically friendly option.

management agency SEURE, jointly owned by the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo, has launched a new counselling service on 2 February to provide support for immigrants in the metropolitan area. The service is part of the “Easy Entrance to Finnish Working Life” project, which is funded by the European Social Fund and the three metropolitan cities. It will provide assistance in matters concerning housing, living and working in

Finland, and will be available to employees of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo. Its services will be offered both to immigrants arriving in Finland and those who are already living in country. Support is also offered to employers and recruiters with the aim of making it easier for immigrants to begin working in Finland. The aim of the project is to create a permanent model for integration services by the end of 2010. According to project worker Mari Salo, the objective is to find out what is needed to create an effective counselling service for immigrants.


6

FROM THE FINNISH PRESS

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

TRANSLATIONS BY MICHAEL NAGLER L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / D A R R E N S TA P L E S

TALOUSSANOMAT 3 February

Economist: Vanhanen can “shove his advice” One of the country’s foremost economists had unflattering words to say about Prime Minister Vanhanen’s economic policy, reports online financial newspaper the Taloussanomat.

At least 70 women choose single motherhood in Finland each year.

KESKISUOMALAINEN 8 February.PAULA SALLINEN

Single women having children alone Jyväskylä-based daily the Keskisuomalainen reports that women often want to have children even if they are not in a relationship. year at least 50– 70 women without a partner choose to have a child. In 2007 women living alone adopted 23 children. Single women give birth to about 30–50 children per year with the help of fertility treatments.

This figure is based on the estimates given by the largest fertility clinics. There are no national statistics on fertility treatments for single women. Since September 2007 it has been legal for women living alone and female couples to have fertility treatment.

The amount of children that women have alone is probably greater than the estimate, since the number of women who have gone abroad for fertility treatment or who have used the home insemination method is unknown. In addition,

SAVON SANOMAT 8 February. IIKKA TAAVITSAINEN take out life insurance. This is too little, according to Ann Wahlroos-Jaakkola, the Director of Customer, Online and Telephone Services in Tapiola Group. ‘Finns are negligent in insuring their own lives. Up to 90 per cent of their possessions are insured, including plasma televisions and puppies, but family members are forgotten,’ she says. About 10,000 people of working age die in Finland every year. ‘Finns rely too much on the security provided by society. Social security does not cover a loan you’ve taken for yourself or the risk involved with it. When tragedy hits, it is left to the family to repay the loans.”

Finns skimp on life insurance Most Finns of working age don’t have life insurance, reports Kuopio-based daily the Savon Sanomat. “FINNISH households are badly prepared for the income risk caused by the death of a parent. Only one in three people of working age

HELSINGIN SANOMAT 8 February. TEPPO MOISIO

Sat 14.2. 2-4.30 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Celebration

Union of Friendship Associations in Finland 30th Anniversary Speeches, panel discussion about the future of the Union of Friendship Associations in Finland, and music. Organised by the Union of Friendship Associations in Finland and Caisa. Free Entrance. (Hall)

Sat 14.2. 7-10 p.m.

Cross-cultural marriage rates increasing A growing number of Finns in Helsinki are marrying people from abroad, reports national daily the Helsingin Sanomat.

The Queen of Hearts 2009

International Beauty Contest and Valentine’s Day Celebration POWWE’R and Caisa invite you and your friends to an unforgettable Valentine’s Day in an international atmosphere. Beauty and talent unite one stage as we crown the Queen of Hearts to represent Finland’s international women as a goodwill ambassador to promote intercultural dialogue. Enjoy the maginificent performances, live music, and an exotic Valentine’s Day dinner! Starring Baby Joe, hosted by Adedoyin Awosanya (Dublin, Ireland) and Ehi Enakimio (Helsinki, Finland). More information: www.powwer.org. Organised by POWWE’R and Caisa. Free Entrance. (Hall)

wedding bells in Helsinki ring for more and more foreign citizens. In Helsinki, 26 per cent of the couples who were married in 2007 included at least one for-

“NOWADAYS

eigner, and in 12 per cent of the marriages both partners were foreigners.” “Based on statistics, Finnish women often find a husband from Western Europe, L E H T I K U VA / R O N I R E KO M A A

“EACH

it is impossible to know how many single women get pregnant through sexual intercourse. ‘Women have always had methods for having children. Our data ends with the official figures,’ acknowledges Mika Gissler, the Development Manager of the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Terhi Koulumies from Helsinki had her first child three years ago. The child was conceived by in vitro fertilisation. She was not in a relationship. ‘It was the only way. I didn’t want to waste any more time,’ explains Koulumies, who was 35 when she gave birth to her child. She had failed to become pregnant before this, including during previous relationships. In the end, she decided fertility treatment was the only way for her to become a mother.”

feared that too much saving will accelerate recession. On the other hand, the common sense of any consumer dictates that in an uncertain economic situation one must delay large investments until they can really afford it. Sorjonen, who discussed the financial crisis in an exceptionally frank manner, gave a similar humorous critique of his own profession. ‘Don’t believe economic forecasters unless they predict that the economic situation will clearly deteriorate,’ Sorjonen self-critically advised people.”

“PASI SORJONEN, the Head of Etla’s Forecasting Group and one of Finland’s most prominent economic analysts, entertained his audience on Monday evening at the cooperative bank personnel’s investment event, which was held at the Helsinki Fair Centre. ‘If the Prime Minister tells you to spend, tell him to shove it,’ Sorjonen quipped. Judging by the raucous laughter that followed, the audience agreed. The government has urged people to maintain their spending levels, because it is

Fri 20.2. 7-10 p.m.

Middle Eastvision Try-outs Yalla! Yalla! Gold glitters and the singers glow, as they compete for a place in the semifinals. Hear the songs of a thousand and one nights, and vote for your favourite! Tickets 5 € at the door. Organised by Caisa. (Hall)

International Cultural Centre Caisa Mikonkatu 17C, Helsinki www.caisa.fi

One out of every four in Helsinki marries a foreigner.

whereas Finnish men who marry foreigners find their wives from Southeast Asia or East Asia, or from Russia.” “The share of international marriages has grown each year, says Research director Elli Heikkilä of the Institute of Migration. ‘People move more, travel and meet,’ she explains. Relationships are formed in student exchanges, in international work assignments and on holiday trips. ‘Family concerns are one of the biggest reasons for immigration,’ Heikkilä says. A foreign partner can also be found in Finland. 6.5 per cent of Helsinki’s population were foreigners in 2007. Their share of people of marrying age is significantly higher. In other cultures pressures to marry may be greater than in Finland, where many couples tend to live in common-law marriages. This may partly explain the great share of foreigners in marriage statistics.” “Indeed, a Finnish husband or wife is often a good incentive for an immigrant to integrate, says Heikkilä. ‘It is a bridge between cultures.’”


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

HELSINKI TIMES

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

7

WASHINGTON

GARE TH PORTER IP S

David Petraeus, head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), supported by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, tried to convince President Barack Obama that he had to back down from his campaign pledge to withdraw all US combat troops from Iraq within 16 months at an Oval Office meeting on 21 January. But Obama informed Gates, Petraeus and Joint Chiefs Chairman, Admiral Mike Mullen that he wasn't convinced and that he wanted Gates and the military leaders to come back quickly with a detailed 16month plan, according to two sources who have talked with participants in the meeting. Obama's decision to override Petraeus's recommendation has not ended the conflict between the president and senior military officers over

GENERAL

troop withdrawal, however. There are indications that Petraeus and his allies in the military and the Pentagon, including Gen. Ray Odierno, now the top commander in Iraq, have already begun pressuring Obama to change his withdrawal policy.

Generals stick to their views Petraeus, Gates and Odierno had hoped to sell Obama on a plan that they formulated in the final months of the Bush administration that aimed at getting around a key provision of the US-Iraqi withdrawal agreement signed envisioned re-categorising large numbers of combat troops as support troops. Gates and Mullen had discussed the relabeling scheme with Obama as part of the Petraeus-Odierno plan for withdrawal they had presented to him in mid-December, according to an 18 December New York Times story. Obama decided against making any public reference to his order to the military to draft a detailed 16-month combat troop withdrawal policy, apparently so that he can announce his decision only after consulting with his field commanders and the Pentagon.

United States General David Petraeus, who opposes proposals for a US withdrawal from Iraq in the near future.

BBC poll show US unpopular among its neighbours A recent survey rates countries according to their positive or negative influence on the world.

WASHINGTON

JIM LOBE IP S

ISRAEL , Iran, North Korea and Pakistan are widely seen as exerting the most negative influence on world affairs, according to the latest in a series of annual global surveys by the BBC's World Service on popular perceptions of the world's most powerful or newsworthy nations. The survey, which questioned some 13,500 respondents in countries around the world, found that perceptions of Russian and Chinese influence also became considerably more negative during 2008. Views of the United States, which rivalled those of Israel and Iran just two years ago, continued improving mod-

estly but remained predominantly negative despite the victory of Barack Obama in the November 2008 presidential elections. "Though BBC polls have shown that most people around the world are hopeful that Barack Obama will improve US relations with the world, it is clear that his election alone is not enough to turn the tide," said Steven Kull, director of the University of Maryland's Programme on International Policy Attitudes, which helped conduct the survey. The countries covered in the survey, included Canada, the US, and Mexico, countries of Central America, Chile, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, and Turkey. Respondents also included citizens from China, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Australia, Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria. Respondents were given a list of 15 nations and asked whether they thought those countries exercised a "mainly positive" or "mainly negative"

Keane, who had certainly been briefed by Petraeus on the outcome of the Oval Office meeting, argued that implementing such a withdrawal of combat troops would "increase the risk rather dramatically over the 16 months". The assertion that Obama's withdrawal policy threatens the gains allegedly won by the Bush surge and Petraeus's strategy in Iraq will apparently be the theme of the campaign that military opponents are now planning. Keane, the Army ViceChief of Staff from 1999 to 2003, has ties to a network of active and retired four-star Army generals, and since Obama's 21 January order on the 16-month withdrawal plan, some of

The first clear indication of the intention of Petraeus, Odierno and their allies to try to get Obama to amend his decision came on 29 January when the New York Times published an interview with Odierno, ostensibly based on the premise that Obama had indicated that he was "open to alternatives". The opening argument by the Petraeus-Odierno faction against Obama's withdrawal policy was revealed the evening of the 21 January meeting when retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, one of the authors of the Bush troop surge policy and a close political ally and mentor of Gen. Petraeus, appeared on the Lehrer News Hour to comment on Obama's pledge on Iraq combat troop withdrawal.

influence on the world. The list included the US, Canada, Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Japan, North Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Israel, and South Africa.

Across the spectrum As in last year's survey, Germany topped the favourable list, with an average of 61 per cent of respondents describing its influence as "mainly positive". Canada placed second, followed by Britain, Japan, and France. At the other end of the scale, the most negatively viewed country was Iran with an average of 55 per cent of respondents describing its influence as mainly negative. Pakistan was narrowly ahead, just behind Israel, and North Korea. Views about Israel were most negative in Egypt, Spain, Turkey, Australia, and Germany, according to the survey, which was completed before Israel's widely criticised military campaign against Gaza. 14 of the 21 countries saw Iran's influence as mainly

the retired four-star generals in that network have begun discussing a campaign to blame Obama's troop withdrawal from Iraq for the ultimate collapse of the political "stability" that they expect to follow US withdrawal, according to a military source familiar with the network's plans.

Keane favours troop increases Ever since he began working on the troop surge, Keane has been the central figure manipulating policy in order to keep as many US troops in Iraq as possible. It was Keane who got Vice President Dick Cheney to push for Petraeus as top commander in Iraq in late 2006 when the existing commander, Gen. George

W. Casey, did not support the troop surge. It was Keane who protected Petraeus's interests in ensuring the maximum number of troops in Iraq against the efforts by other military leaders to accelerate troop withdrawal in 2007 and 2008. Obama told Petraeus in Baghdad last July that, if elected, he would regard the overall health of the US Army and Marine Corps and the situation in Afghanistan as more important than Petraeus's obvious interest in maximising US troop strength in Iraq, according to Time magazine's Joe Klein. But judging from Petraeus's shock at Obama's 21 January decision, he had not taken Obama's previous rejection of his arguments seriously.

L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / PA U L J . R I C H A R D S

Army generals have strong opinions about US troops in Iraq and are prepared to battle hard for changes in President Obama’s plans for troop withdrawal.

L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / J I M W AT S O N

Generals seek to reverse Obama withdrawal decision

A recent survey showed that the United States was viewed negatively by its neighbours.

negative. Only India leaned toward seeing Iran in a mainly positive light. Eighteen countries had mainly negative views of Pakistan's influence, according to the survey which was conducted just after the attack on Mumbai, India, widely believed to have been carried out by Pakistani-based guerrillas.

The big three Among the great powers, the survey found that Russia's ratings fell the most significantly in the course of the year, no doubt due in major part to its military interven-

tion in Georgia in August. The view of Russia was most commonly negative, while in only four countries, most notably China and India, were they found to be predominantly positive. "...The more (Russia) acts like the old Soviet Union, the less people outside its borders seem to like it," noted Doug Miller, the chairman of GlobeScan, a private firm that also helped design and oversee the survey. The latest poll revealed that the US had surpassed Russia in positive ratings for the first time since 2005.

Despite holding a successful Olympics, China's influence on world affairs was also rated increasingly negatively. Views of China were most positive among developing countries. Perceptions of the US showed improvements in Canada, Egypt, Ghana, India, Italy and Japan. Countries with the most negative views included Germany and Russia, Central America, China, and the United States' closest neighbours, Canada, and Mexico. The BBC poll, is as such questionable, since it excludes opinions of citizens in countries such as Iran.


8

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

Give a subscription to Helsinki Times As a Valentine's Day gift to your

friend for a special price*: €20 for 3 months €30 for 6 months €49 for 12 months

To subscribe now, call 03-424 65 340 or send your details (name, address, postcode, city and telephone number) by e-mail to subscribe@helsinkitimes.fi Please write ‘valentine's day offer’ in the subject field. *The offer is valid until 18 February and for subscriptions to Finland only.


FINLAND IN THE WORLD PRESS

HELSINKI TIMES

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE 5 February

MP TALK

Fortum applies to build Finland’s sixth reactor Applications for another nuclear plant in Finland have been made, writes the International Herald Tribune. “FINNISH utility Fortum Corp on 5 February said it has applied for permission to build the country's sixth nuclear power plant on the southern coast near Helsinki. The 1,000-1,600 megawatt unit would be situated next to

two existing reactors at Loviisa. Construction would begin during the next decade and the plant could be operational in 2020, Fortum said. A similar application for a new nuclear reactor has been made by Fennovoima.”

“Finnish utility TVO, which is building Europe's first European Pressurized Reactor, or EPR, on Finland's west coast has also applied to build a new nuclear plant. No decision has been made about a sixth reactor, which would require a government license and parliamentary approval.” “Economic Affairs Minister Mauri Pekkarinen was cautious about granting building permits to

more than one company simultaneously. ‘It would be one of Europe's single largest construction projects if a 1,600 megawatt or 1,800 megawatt nuclear plant is being built,’ Pekkarinen said. ‘It's clear that we have to limit construction here in Finland.’” “Fortum, which is 51-percent owned by the Finnish government, is the No. 2 power company in the Nordic region.”

Unsung heroes L E H T I K U VA / J U S S I N U K A R I

INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE 9 February

KIMMO KILJUNEN is a Social Democratic Party MP and a member of the Committee for Foreign Affairs.

UPM to lay off 1,200 workers in Finland

kind eyes fix on the elderly person unable to rise from his bed unaided. Helping him to slowly roll over onto one side, Sanna gently removes the soaked diaper and caresses the man's withered neck as she does so. His skin is covered in bedsores. A little potato starch will soon take care of those, she remarks.

SANNA HANNILA’S

SANNA HAS come to bathe this elderly victim of Alzhe-

Layoffs continue around Finland at UPM paper mills, reports the International Herald Tribune.

imer’s disease, and earns a smile for her trouble. I am accompanying her as part of my week-long practical training in home help in Vantaa, on this round in the district of Hakunila. is a thick, stuffy smell in the next home. The house is badly in need of a clean: things are scattered around the place and the ceiling is speckled with mould. The man living here suffers from both alcoholism and schizophrenia. Kindly, sensitively, Pauliina Onkalo greets the world-weary man before taking his hand and helping him sit. She loosens his bandages and cleans the man’s enflamed and swollen big toe, then checks his medication and warms up his soup, all the while chatting with him.

THERE

largest magazine paper maker UPMKymmene Corp said on 9 February it will temporarily lay off 1,220 workers in Finland, as the economic downturn continues to hit the wood and paper industry. Most of the layoffs will be in the plywood and sawn timber sections of the Finnish company's operations at several mills in southern Finland.” “The announcement follows UPM's earnings report last week which saw it swing into a fourth-quarter net loss of 286 million euros and an “THE WORLD’S

eight per cent drop in sales to 2.3 billion euros. The company gave a grim outlook for the rest of the year, saying it will continue to close mills and curtail production, expecting poor demand to continue in 2009.” “Last year, UPM closed mills in Finland and slashed 700 jobs. It also announced plans to cut thousands of jobs worldwide during the next few years. UPM-Kymmene has production plants in 14 countries with 170 sales and distribution companies worldwide. It employs 26,400 people — down from 30,000 a year ago.”

HÜRRIYET DAILY NEWS. 4 February

Well-heeled Finns warm up in Istanbul Finns spend their holidays under the sun in Turkey, writes the Hürriyet Daily News. Istanbul will be flooded with Finns fleeing the cold and gloomy atmosphere of their home country. Around 34,000 of them will visit the city. According to the [Turkish] Tourist Hotels, Managers and Investors Association 60 percent of Finns prefer to spend their holidays abroad.” “Around 62 per cent of tourists prefer the sea, sun and sand while 19 per cent travel to play golf, have a spa holiday or to view religious sites. Of the total amount of Finnish holidaymakers, 12 per cent take short journeys over the weekend while seven per cent are cultural travellers and stay away longer. In 2008, five million Finns travelled abroad. The number of Finnish tourists visiting Istanbul increased from 20,000 to 26,000 within a year and this year, the number of tourists is expected to increase to 34,000. Istan“THIS YEAR

bul also expects Finns to arrive for the Formula 1 races on 5- 7 June.”

Marimekko will open more stores in Japan this spring.

THE GUARDIAN 6 February. Karin Jensen

Marimekko to open new stores in Japan and Denmark Marimekko is optimistic about sales and plans to open new stores, reports The Guardian.

AS HER ASSISTANT, I have the task of clearing up the kitchen and changing the man’s bed sheets. As she leaves, Pauliina remembers to grab the rubbish bag, and the home smells that much less nauseating. In my mind, I can only raise my hat to the tireless home helper in the Korso district.

wonderful, the women who do this work – and women they all are. Although they give so much of themselves to help those most in need, home helpers must surely end each day in the knowledge that they’ve done something useful and decent. Those they help are genuinely grateful, and let it be known – if not in so many words then through a grateful glance or a smile.

THEY’RE

design group Marimekko will continue to open new stores despite the global financial slowdown. “High quality and the company's design, which include its signature patterns printed on everything from clothes to kitchenware, are advantages during difficult economic times, director Päivi Lonka said. ‘People are thinking about what they spend and why they spend it. And I think our values are more to do with sustainability, that what you buy from Marimekko, you don't just buy for the season,’ Lonka said.”

“FINNISH

“Marimekko reported on 29 January that net sales for 2008 rose by five per cent to 81.1 million euros, but forecast a decline for 2009 of five to ten per cent. Lonka said Marimekko was doing well in the Japanese market and the company planned to open another three stores there within the next two months. ‘There are 15 Marimekko stores at the moment in Japan and during February and March there will become three more,’ she said. ‘And I can tell already now that we will have a store in Copenhagen in the autumn.’”

lonely old people the visit from the home helper is the highlight of their week. When the carer arrives she has more waiting for her than just work. The person in need of help is looking forward to her time, for a shared moment. While she’s there the old person living alone can be sure of the carer’s undivided attention, despite her tight schedule.

FOR MANY

THE MOST wonderful

thing was to see how the people who needed help were treated as just that – people. No matter what their problems – alcoholism, dementia, immobility or simply old age – everyone was treated as a valued human being. ”We're not caring for homes, nor for sickness, but for people,” Pauliina reminded me.

AND HER PAY? Around 2,000 Euros a month – disgracefully low when you consider how demanding the job is, how much work and responsibility is involved. But that’s how it is in the female-dominated public sector. Is it not shameful how little we as a society pay the ones who do our most important work, helping people? IT IS NO wonder there is a shortage of nurses. There is

no shortage of work for them and demand is only increasing, but when you see how poorly they are paid and how little value is placed on their work, you understand why we will soon run out of them altogether. AS THE Finnish population ages, an increasing number of old people will require assistance with their everyday household chores – that is, if we intend to allow them to live in their own homes, rather than ship them off to institutional care. We urgently need to direct far more resources towards home care in general.

Translated by Matthew Parry.

9


10

BUSINESS

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O D D P / C H R I S T I A N F I S C H E R

COLUMN

David J. Cord is a writer and a columnist for the Helsinki Times. He is also a private investor with over ten years of international experience.

Amer Sports finds something to cheer about AMER SPORTS hasn’t had much to celebrate in recent years. Since 2006 sales and profit have fallen. Rumours of a corporate raider swooping in to snap up the firm have appeared from time to time. Even Mother Nature, it seems, is against the Finnish sports company. Mild winters have seen fewer people buying winter sports equipment. With the global economic slowdown, a person may think more doom and gloom is in store for Amer Sports. But that person may want to think again. DESPITE rapidly deteriorating conditions, the company managed sales in 2008 almost at 2007 levels. Moreover, Amer Sports also almost doubled their net income from 18.5 million euros to 34 million euros. This year might be even better. “Our current view is that earnings in 2009 will improve,” said CEO Roger Talermo in a statement. INVESTORS were

delighted. Amer Sports’ shares were among the best performers last week, jumping by more than 10%. Analysts are bullish as well. Amer Sports earned 47 cents a share last year, but no fewer than 12 analysts expect the company to earn between 52 and 70 cents a share this year.

THE KEY to Amer Sports’ good results is cost cutting. Their sales and gross profit actually decreased. However, the company drastically cut adAmer Sports’ shares ministration and othwere among the best er expenses. Selling marketing costs performers last week, and barely changed: they jumping by more certainly need to advertise their prodthan 10%. ucts. But cutting excess fat, and especially drastically reorganising the important Winter Sports Equipment division, has yielded improved results. AMER SPORTS still

has certain problems to overcome. Their operating cash flow remains lacklustre, although it is positive. The sports market is sluggish and the company still has difficulties in the vital North American market. Competition is tough. Quiksilver, a main competitor, managed to increase its revenue in North America while Amer Sports suffered.

THE LEVEL of debt Amer Sports carries remains a signif-

icant concern. Its short-term liquidity position is about half that of the industry average. The firm’s long-term financial position is even worse. The company has a long-term debt-to-equity ratio that is five times greater than industry standards. Although the company was already highly leveraged, the company took on an additional 31.5 million euros of debt last year. AT LEAST the company is tackling this problem. Taler-

mo says that “the absolute priority in 2009 will be on strengthening the balance sheet. We are ready to consider all necessary measures to achieve this.” Amer Sports will attempt to reduce working capital dramatically and says that it will slash capital expenditures and its dividend. It will also continue to its cost-cutting programme. AMER SPORTS isn’t facing smooth sailing ahead. Major

challenges remain to be faced. However, it has shown that a diligent attention to detail can have an impact on the bottom line. Let’s hope that they continue to make progress in the coming quarters. david@helsinkitimes.fi

Reports of payment card frauds have increased and people should be cautious when using their cards.

Increased credit card fraud in 2008 Reports of payment card fraud were at an all-time high last year, but police action has also become more effective. DAV I D J . C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES

MIKAEL was quite surprised when his bank called him one morning. “They asked if I had recently been in Indonesia, and I said I had never been there in my life,” he recalls. “Then they asked if I was trying to purchase some large industrial machinery from there with my credit card and if I wanted it shipped to the Philippines. I was shocked, and quite a bit frightened.” Mikael was lucky. He had almost been the victim of credit card fraud. “I have no idea how they got my credit card number,” he says. He remains leery of the whole episode, and declines to have his last name published or to name his bank. “I have no idea how my bank caught it. I guess it was such an unusual purchase that it just aroused suspicion. I don’t know how they did it, but I am very grateful they did.”

Organised crime The number of payment card frauds reported to the Finnish police increased about one per cent last year to 3,835 cases. “The beginning of the year 2008 was worrying because there was a sharp increase in reports,” explains Detective Sergeant

Tero Toivonen of the National Bureau of Investigation. “The prime reason for this was that Finns spent Christmas in Southeast Asia. Their credit card data was copied in Thailand and later used in counterfeit cards mostly in Australia. This also tells you how organised crime usually exploits credit cards: the magnetic strip data is copied in one country and sold to criminals in another country. The frauds often come to light only after a delay, when people see their credit card bills.” Luckily the hard work of the Finnish police had an impact on payment card fraud towards the end of last year. The police and the financial sector have enhanced cooperation, and several large cases were cracked. “We were able to catch an international credit card crime group in August 2008,” Toivonen reports. “There had been a similar group in Finland also in the summer of 2007 that produced over 100 reports. We estimate that the 2008 group would have produced at least the same amount if they were not captured.” Criminals use a variety of methods to steal payment card information. Malware or computer viruses may steal information. Manipu-

lating ATMs or point-of-sale terminals may do the same. Toivonen explains that the stolen data is sold on the internet to persons who create fake credit cards. The fake cards are then used for shopping or withdrawals.

Safer than cash News broke last summer of a rash of Finns who had been victims of fraud during trips to the Latvian capital Riga. Tourists were getting overcharged in various nightclubs or were even forced to withdraw cash under threat of violence. In July estimates of the fraud topped 100,000 euros. “Unfortunately the practice is still going on,” says Toivonen. “But we are working on it in cooperation with the Latvian authorities, the Finnish Embassy in Riga, the banking sector and Europol.”

The problem is well known publicly, and Toivonen mentions that the United States Embassy in Latvia website even lists some of the problem bars by name. “Unfortunately the bars change names from time to time, so the list is seldom 100 per cent accurate.” Although some crimes undoubtedly go unreported, Finns should have little to be worried about. Toivonen points out that Finns have millions of transactions every year and still less than 4,000 cases are reported. “If a credit card is copied, the financial loss is covered by the card issuer and not the customer,” he says. “It is still much safer to carry a payment card in your pocket rather than a large amount of cash.”

Steps to take to minimise risk: • Always cover your hand when typing a PIN code into a machine • Adjust your daily withdrawal limit to your need; don’t set it too high • Avoid establishments when warned by the police about them • Beware of phishing scams (attempts to get people to reveal their credit card details through email or the Internet) • If you lose your card, call +358 20 333 immediately to reach the blocking service of the banks (in use 24 hours)


HELSINKI Business Hub

HELSINKI TIMES

BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

11

S U O M E N I L M A K U VA OY

New Nokia Foundation visiting professor eager to begin DAV I D J . C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES

has an impressive CV. He has worked at the Universities of Michigan, Washington and Harvard, to name a few. At the age of 18 he won a prize for designing a single-seat aircraft. In 2007 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology named him one of the top 35 innovators in the world under the age of 35. Now he is coming to Finland. “I will be primarily located at the Helsinki University of Technology (HUT),” he explained. “I will be visiting and collaborating with two research groups. One is headed by Professor Harri Lipsanen and the other is headed by Professor Kyösti Kontturi. A primary area of research for me is nanotechnology. Together with professors Lipsanen and Kontturi we will be exploring new molecular and nanoscale devices for telecommunication devices, energy storage/conversion and healthcare.” Nano- and smallscale technology is one of Parviz’s many strong points. His work on functional electronic contact

BABAK AMIR PARVIZ

The University of Helsinki (University main building to the left of Senate Square above) coordinates HERA International, an initiative to promote greater international cooperation in higher education.

Taking education global The Helsinki Education and Research Area (HERA) sets its sights far beyond Helsinki. DAV I D J . C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES

past Finland was a very isolated country, but this has changed dramatically in recent decades. Finns have become avid world travellers, English is widely spoken and Finnish companies do most of their business abroad. The Finnish education establishment

IN CENTURIES

HERA’S recent international activities: • Saudi Arabian delegation visit to Finland • Visits to Abu Dhabi, Arab Emirates, Egypt, Oman and Saudi Arabia • Developing co-operation in Beijing, Nanjing and Shanghai • Student visit from St Petersburg • 'Helsinki in Berlin' event • Education fairs in Beijing, Istanbul, Kiev, Nanjing, St Petersburg and Shanghai • Feature in Future Talent Russia and Future Talent China magazines • Chinese press visit www.hera.fi www.studyinhelsinki.fi

is now adopting this international outlook. The Helsinki Education and Research Area (HERA) is a consortium of higher-education institutions in the Helsinki metropolitan area. HERA has several main goals, such as ensuring a qualified workforce, innovation and promoting Nordic co-operation. One major focus, dubbed HERA International and coordinated by the University of Helsinki, aims to develop the international activities of higher education. “The objective of HERA International is to improve the international competitiveness of the Helsinki metropolitan region,” said Marketing Manager Ira Leväaho. “We do this by creating awareness and strengthening the brand of the region. We develop international activities of higher-education institutions and enhance the services on offer for international students and personnel.”

Focus on the student One example of HERA International’s activities came last week when the Education Minister of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Bin Saleh Al-Obaid,

led a delegation to Finland. The Saudi educators toured the Finnish Ministry of Education, various universities and schools. At the Department of Applied Sciences of Education at the University of Helsinki the Saudis learnt, among other things, about Finnish humour regarding the weather. “At least indoors we can give you the warm welcome you deserve!” joked Dean Patrik Scheinin. Saleh Bin Sulaiman AlShayaa, Executive Director of the Saudi Secondary Education Project, was undeterred by the cold. He was much more interested in education. “Finns are very open and friendly, and Finland is very attractive in education,” he said. “I really like the focus on the student, not on the process.” The Saudis were fascinated by what the Behavioural Sciences faculty at the University of Helsinki had to say. They questioned the professors about everything from teacher salaries to how the teaching profession was viewed in society. Vice-Dean Seppo Tella even led a fascinating side discussion about the role of technology in education.

Great opportunity for new co-operation Mikko Toivonen, Director of the HERA International project, is delighted with the Saudi visit. “Our main goal is to establish good contacts with our Saudi guests,” he explained. “It is an enormous opportunity to open a relationship with the Saudis about education. We have been thinking about this for a long time but very little has been done up until recently.” Saleh Bin Sulaiman AlShayaa said that one part of his trip that he really enjoyed was learning about Finland’s preparation programme for teachers and administrators. “The teacher is the key element and the school principal is the guide for good education,” he pointed out. “Our goals for this trip are to look at your successful experience, exchange ideas and try to increase co-operation. This is a global age and many people benefit from exchanging experiences such as in economic, education and social aspects. This is a good chance for both Saudi Arabia and Finland. We have a great opportunity to make a new co-operation on all levels.”

www.helsinkibusinesshub.fi

This page is provided by Greater Helsinki Promotion.

lenses has caught the attention of news organisations such as the BBC and Le Monde. Now he will be putting his research expertise to work in Finland. “I am very much looking forward to this visit,” he enthused. “The researchers at HUT are world class. My visit is also supported by the Nokia Foundation (for which I am very grateful) and I look forward to interacting with Nokia researchers.” Parviz, who was born in Iran and educated in both Iran and America, will add to the already diverse research group working at the University of Technology. “I am a big fan of Helsinki and I think spending a few months there would be great!” he said. “I can say that the image of Finland abroad is very positive. It would be nice to see a high traffic of international researchers to Finland. I think the exchange is beneficial for all parties involved. For example, there are a number of people at my University (University of Washington), and in our region in the US (the Pacific Northwest) who are quite interested in strengthening ties with Finland.” L E H T I K U VA / V E S A M O I L A N E N

The Helsinki University of Technology will be the primary location of Nokia Foundation's visiting professor.

Did you know … The University of Helsinki has approximately 80 international co-operation agreements with universities around the world.


12

BUSINESS

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / P E K K A S A K K I

IN BRIEF COLUMN Nordea's Q4 operating profit down 28% yr/yr Nordic bank Nordea on 10 February reported its final-quarter 2008 operating profit falling by about 28% year-on-year to some €781 million. "Loan losses increased as expected following the economic slowdown and they will remain at a high level in 2009," said in a statement Christian Clausen, the chief executive of Nordea. Nordea said in a separate statement it would raise about €2.5 billion through a share issue and a further half a billion euros by proposing to cap dividends to 19% of last year's net profit. STT

Virkkunen apologises for jibe at Left Henna Virkkunen, the Finnish education minister, has extended an apology to the Left Alliance and the Social Democrats for calling them "parties for bitter people". The remark was printed in the latest issue of the monthly supplement of national daily Helsingin Sanomat. "I know that my remark has caused grief among members of the leftwing parties and their supporters," Virkkunen was quoted as saying by Tampere-based daily Aamulehti on 9 February. "I am blaming myself here." Virkkunen added that her intent had been to describe the opposition left-wing parties' “obstructionist and negative" approach to politics. STT

Steveco begins layoff talks in Kotka Finnish stevedoring company Steveco said in a statement on 9 February it would launch a round of statutory cooperation procedure talks affecting the entire workforce of its operations in Kotka. Steveco, which employs about 700 people in Kotka, added that while it planned to lay off all workers there the duration of the layoffs had yet to be decided. Kari Savolainen, the chief executive of Steveco, said the company deeded to cut costs in response to a reduction in shipping. STT

UPM Kymmene to close plywood mill in Lahti Citing a slump in demand, Finnish wood processing group UPM Kymmene said in a statement on 9 February that it would close down a plywood mill in Lahti in southern Finland with the loss of up to 110 jobs. The company added

it would launch a round of statutory cooperation procedure talks on up to 1,220 temporary layoffs at all sawmills and at a plywood mill in Lappeenranta. STT

Finnair: Flights in January up 6.3% on last year Finnish flag carrier Finnair said in a statement on 9 February it had logged about 1.96 million passenger revenue kilometres in January, representing an increase of 6.3% from the year-ago period. Finnair added its passenger load factor, the bums-on-seats rate in industry jargon, had risen by 4.4 percentage points year-on-year to 71.3%. The carrier's overall capacity rose by 0.3% from the year-ago period. STT

Sanoma posts €50 million pretax loss Finnish media house Sanoma on 10 February reported it had turned a pretax loss of about €50 million in the final quarter of last year having posted a profit of about €64 million in the year-ago period. Net sales were almost flat year-onyear at about €799 million. “The outlook of Sanoma’s net sales and operating profit in 2009 is affected by the overall economic development in the group’s countries of operation, and the development of advertising and private consumption in particular,” Sanoma said in a statement. “Advertising is expected to decrease on the primary markets in 2009. Sanoma will continue its focus on investing in digital media and strengthening its market positions.” STT

Finnair is one of the companies seeking to making a deal on the routes from Moscow to Lapland’s ski resorts.

A silver lining for airline companies Airline companies face a gloomy forecast this year, but new routes from Moscow to Lapland give cause for optimism. MARI K AISL ANIEMI HEL SINKI TIMES

airline companies got some rays of sunshine when Finnish and Russian officials finalised a deal to allow direct air traffic between FINNISH

Moscow and ski resorts in Finnish Lapand. Finnish airline companies have been publishing grim results and the industry welcomed the positive news. The number of Russian tourists visiting Finnish ski

resorts has increased steadily. These direct flights will allow Russians direct and fast access to the resorts. The new routes will fly from Moscow to Kittilä, Kuusamo, Ivalo and Kuopio. Levi ski resort is located in Kittilä, Ruka

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Salcomp falls into debt in fourth quarter Finnish mobile phone charger maker Salcomp on 10 February reported a fourth-quarter 2008 pretax loss of about €0.8 million versus a year-ago profit of about €7.2 million. Net sales fell by about 17% year-on-year to some €6.5 million. Said in a statement Markku Hangasjärvi, the chief executive of Salcomp, “The influence of the global financial crisis on consumer spending, and therefore on the mobile phone sales, was clearly visible as a decrease in both our net sales and the number of chargers delivered during the last quarter of the year.” “Profitability was weakened by a decline in sales volumes, as well as exchange rate differences, which remained at a significant level.” STT

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is in Kuusamo, Saariselkä is in Ivalo and Tahkovuori resort is near Kuopio.

Flight partnerships According to the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications Finnair, Blue1, Air Finland and Finncomm Airlines are all interested in flying the Moscow-Lapland routes. All flights will be flown as code sharing, so the Finnish airline companies are seeking a Russian airline to partner with. Blue1’s communications manager, Tom Christides, says that they are in the process of negotiating a partnership deal. Blue1 has made an application for the Moscow--Kittilä route. Finnair’s financial communications officer, Taneli Hassinen, believes that the Moscow to Lapland flights will be seasonal. Finnair is looking into whether or not there is a demand for the routes. Finnair already has partnership agreements with Aeroflot and Rossiya, so one of these is likely to be Finnair’s partner in the ski resort flights. Grey skies Finnair reported a loss of 61 million euros during the final quarter of 2008. The loss was blamed on the high price of fuel and low fares. Finnair CEO Jukka Hienonen said that the company enters 2009 with “the gloomiest outlook for some time”. Finnair is among a number of Finnish companies that won’t be giving out dividends on shares for the latest period. Blue1 saw a fall of ten per cent in passenger numbers last year compared with previous year. Their result last year was 2.3 million euros, a dramatic fall from the previous year’s profit of 12 million euro. The high price of fuel caused problems for Blue1 as well.


SPORT

HELSINKI TIMES

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

13

L E H T I K U VA / R I C H A R D W O L O W I C Z

Finns on foreign ice Finland is a hockey country, but for the younger generation getting into the NHL nowhere is better than in Canada's junior leagues. SIDNE Y KITCHEN HEL SINKI TIMES

is a long and tiresome path, and for many it ends far short of its goal. There are indescribable hurdles to overcome, each unique to the individual. Getting seen is probably the greatest of these and with a league that plays primarily within the confines of North America, exposure for young foreign NHL hopefuls is doubtful. But becoming increasingly more common are those who search out experience and exposure through the Canadian and American minor leagues. The Western Hockey League (WHL) is one of three junior leagues associated with the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The CHL is considered the best junior league in the world. The WHL hosts over 20 teams that span more than half of Canada (including teams in Washington and Oregon). Every year only a handful of foreign players are drafted to play in the league, of these there are currently three Finns. THE ROAD TO THE NHL

Saskatchewan tough Beginning on a frigid and windy -30 Celsius night, common to the province of Saskatchewan, are defenders Jyri Niemi, of the Saskatoon Blades, and Tommi Kivistö, of the Red Deer Rebels, faced off for a regular season game in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Both are intimidating, tall and athletic, but their polite and softly spoken manner soon became the hallmark of the Finns I spoke to. Speaking with Niemi it was interesting to find out that he had actively sought to find a spot in the league – a gamble that paid off. Niemi this summer signed to the New York Islanders but still plans to improve his game in the minor leagues for the next couple of years. Watching him play, it became apparent as to why he had been signed. For a style of game known for being physical, Niemi can match and even surpass Canadian standards while remaining skilfully superior to many. For Kivistö, getting drafted came as a pleasant surprise and, considering that

spots for foreign players are scarce among the multitude of Canadian youth who compete for such a position, this reigns as quite the compliment. Easily recognisable on the ice is his dexterous style of play that gave him an advantage as well as an assist, early into the game. "Simple plays," he aptly put it.

Hurricane Metsola The third and final Finn is Lethbridge Hurricanes' goalie Juha Metsola. Metsola has been playing for the Hurricanes these past two years but plans to return home at the end of this season. The differences in speed and style were tough adaptations for Metsola, and with Finnish modesty he admits that he "thinks" and "hopes" that it has made him a better goalie overall. Asking him about his experience with the Hurricanes he said: "It was kind of tough at first, I didn't know these guys. It's easier now and I love this." "It's a different lifestyle," he explained; different language, different people. For someone yet to turn 20 it is quite an accom-

Goalie Juha Metsola, who plays in Canada’s Western Hockey League for the Lethbridge Hurricanes, makes a save during the IIHF World Junior Championships in a Finland-Germany game.

plishment to have thrived as he has.

On the road Tough is an understatement when describing these players. All of them expressed the hardships of being away from country and kin, as well as the

added strain of hockey and travel takes its toll. Games are frequent in succession and the distances between games often involve 10-hour bus journeys. Kivistö himself addressed these as inevitable if he wants to play in the NHL. In the end though, to

see them enjoying a sport so much and go to such lengths to pursue a dream is awe-inspiring. Certainly, Finland should be proud of their players on foreign ice, and all we can hope for is that no matter the outcome, the sacrifice was worth it.

Mäkelä released as Hibernian FC struggles with budget The Finnish contingent in Scotland's capital was reduced by Juho Mäkelä's departure from Hearts this month, while manager Mixu Paatelainen continues to fennd off transfer bids for his best players. EGAN RICHARDSON HEL SINKI TIMES

EDINBURGH’S tenure as the centre of Finnish footballers in Scotland took a bit of a blow recently, when Hearts striker Juho Mäkelä was released from his contract. The former Tervarit player found it difficult to settle at the club, which has had six managers since Mäkelä joined in 2006.

sudoku

Mäkelä scored five goals in 23 appearances for Hearts, the highlight of his stay coming in a pre-season friendly against Barcelona, when he became the first ever Finn to score against the Catalans. His future is uncertain, and a return to HJK Helsinki cannot be ruled out after a thoroughly successful loan spell with the Töölö club in 2008. Back then Mäkelä was unsure of his place in Edin-

SOLUTION ON PAGE 18

burgh, as one of the club's higher earners at a time when Hearts were between managers. He spoke highly of HJK manager Antti Muurinen's methods when HT caught up with him after a convincing early season win over Tampere United in 2008.

takeover showered money on Hearts. Finnish manager Mixu Paatelainen brought over his compatriot Jonatan Johansson from Malmö FF, but the former Pargas IF striker had a losing start when he made his debut in the New Year derby against Hearts on 3 January.

Intelligent coach After a couple of years in which his Hearts coaches have had communication problems due to a lack of English and suffered from a severe lack of job security, Mäkelä was glad to be back on familiar ground. “Muurinen's a very intelligent, tactical coach,” said the Finland striker. “He likes to teach players which pass, where to run, and that's very good for me. He also gives a lot of feedback after the game, about how it has gone. He tells us what went well, what didn't, and what he wants us to do in the future. That's what players want and need, they want to know what the coach wants them to do. You also need some improvisation too, but if the coach gives clear instructions it helps a lot.” The other Scottish contingent in Edinburgh is at Hibernians, a Leith-based club that have been comparative paupers since the Lithuanian

Derby defeat Hibs lost that match 2-0 at their home ground, Easter Road, after striker Steven Fletcher was sent off. Fletcher was the subject of interest from Celtic, a transfer which would place a heavier reliance on Johansson, but Hibs rebuffed the offer. Paatelain-

en was phlegmatic about the difficulties of keeping hold of his young starlet, whose agent said he was “distraught” over the collapse of the Celtic move. “We realise the difficulty of building a team,” said the former TPS manager. “We are not a club that pays the huge wages. Players with proper talent, fantastic players, they are used to getting big wages and we are not in the position to offer players wages like that.” “I want to build, I want to keep the best players and bring in others to improve and get the whole team playing well. But football is a short game and if someone comes in from even the lower leagues in England they can offer the players twice or three times their wages.” Financial problems are affecting almost every aspect

of life in Britain right now, including football. The Scottish Premier League proposes to help deal with cash flow problems by drastically cutting squads and eliminating reserve teams, something that Paatelainen plans to take in his stride. “It is my intention to cut the size of my squad in the summer anyway so the younger players who are on the fringes of the squad right now will be even closer to a place in the first team in any case so it shouldn't affect us too much.” “If the people who run the league think that disbanding the league is the best way forward in the current financial climate then we just have to deal with it. The financial problems are affecting everyone across the world, including football clubs.” L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / D AV I D M O I R

Scottish Premier League team Hibernian's manager Mixu Paatelainen was all smiles when he became the team’s manager over a year ago. Now the team is struggling financially.


14

LIFESTYLE

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES IS TOCKPHOTO

COLUMN COLUMN

LESLIE HYDE / HEL SINK I T IME S

Eating our words DOES our everyday language get less flowery the longer we live in Finland? This came to mind when I read advertising copy for a college in India; the style is far removed from Finnish advertising copy, which does not go in for rich, fruity promises? My own advertising blurb has got sparser in style and I wonder if this is true of our everyday usage. FINNISH college

sites set out practical details and are very ‘Finnish functional’ but they offer no inspiration. Stockholm University was not much better, offering the clichés of ‘Independence, creativity and critical thinking’. No Scandinavian colleges can compete with Indian ones when it comes to promises.

restaurant training sites around the world could offer possibilities for mouth watering adjectives. Here is a crushingly boring Finnish promise: ‘The students of the school gain their first experiences of customer service with on-the-job learning.’ Why not promise to transform trainees into devoted servile waiters, or turn out chefs who create quiche with quantum leaps in flavour? We Brits are even more irritating. The country’s idiotic press has reduced us to pathetic punning. One UK training restaurant promises ‘to tickle your taste buds at a price that won’t paralyse your purse’.

Over-50s disco rolls into Helsinki K-50 is a rocking monthly disco in Helsinki exclusively for the over50s where hardly anyone gets blind drunk and where bar brawls are unheard of.

I THOUGHT

IT IS EASY to see from this how the Brits have a reputation for being skinflints in the US. The American appreciation of big bucks flaunts itself in a promise of ‘the very best education...for an industry earning 3.6 trillion US dollars worldwide, with 440 billion in the United States alone’. Small bucks are just as important in the US; one waiter-training programme claims ‘to increase check averages, tips and profit’. CANADIAN blurb style suggests that the country suffers

from Stockholm University Cliché Syndrome when a college offers ‘exceptional educational experiences time and time again’. The Oscar for dullness, however, goes to a university in Novgorod that ‘carries out its activity in accordance with existing legislation and normative acts of Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation’. I THINK I’ll go for a curry and lap up a portion of rich Indian English.

JULLE TUULIAINEN HEL SINKI TIMES

THE OVER-50S disco has been up and running in Helsinki for a few years now. It is normally held once a month in the cellar bar of the legendary Kappeli restaurant, near the Kauppatori market. The host of K-50, Lilu Nissinen-Turja, is a warm-hearted lady who likes to welcome everybody at the door personally when possible. But this is becoming increasingly difficult these days, since K50 now has an average of 300 visitors each time. Despite the large turnout, NissinenTurja is adept at remembering both new and old friends. When K-50 started in February 2006 there were some 25 women for every man, but more recently it’s levelled out to about half-and-half. The minimum age for entry is 50 – and this is strictly enforced. If you happen to look

Annual skiing exodus underway The nation’s families will soon begin heading to Lapland en masse for the traditional ski holiday season NICK BARLOW HEL SINKI TIMES

THERE ARE two great annual migrations in Finland. One of them takes place around Midsummer’s Eve, when the Finns move en masse from the cities to their country cottages and spend several weeks dozing in the sun and eating sausages. The other one is almost

upon us. The Finnish hiihtoloma, or ski holidays, take place from February to March. During this time, schools close for their half-term winter holidays and families travel to the slopes. The exact timing of this holiday varies from region to region. The country is essentially divided into different areas that each have

their own ski-holiday period during different weeks. The holidays are spread over weeks 8, 9 and 10 to avoid too much chaos at ski centres in Northern Finland. If everyone went there at the same time it would be an absolute disaster. As it stands, the ski holidays are still pretty much the worst time of the year to visit any popular ski resort

young, bringing your ID along is well recommended. Turning up with a dance partner under the age of 50 is not encouraged, but they might be let in on the condition that the more senior person promises to be responsible for them. If you look young and don’t bring ID, NissinenTurja suggests trying to talk your way in.

Mosse have the unenviable task of balancing between the different tastes of music and follow the directions given by Nissinen-Turja. The safest choice seems to be disco from the late 1960s, 70s and 80s, as well as an occasional classic from Beatles, Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin. Music from later decades is also played, and original 1950s rock´n´roll is always popular.

Disco and rock Since everyone is over 50 you can count on the more negative aspects of a usual night out not being the case here. You rarely see anyone blind drunk and bar fights are so far unheard of. The general age of patrons stretches between 50 and 65, but you might occasionally see someone older. The hardest and most criticised aspect of running K-50 is the choice of music; some want disco, others more rock. DJs Håkki and Light DJ

In bed (fairly) early Another feature of K-50’s popularity is that you don’t need to be up until the early hours. The disco opens at 19:00 and closes at a reasonable 01:00. For those old enough to remember, this is how Finnish nightlife used to be until the early eighties. Today’s more liberal policies have shifted the nightlife later into the early hours, so younger people don’t venture out until later, typically ar-

in this country simply due to the sheer number of people. Also, good luck booking accommodation if you leave it too late – too late in this case being anytime after the previous October. Finns are nothing if not organised when it comes to their holidays, and the resorts really do get booked up well in advance. The same can be said of the travel options. The Finnish railway network is efficient, though not particularly cheap, but the overnight sleepers also get booked up well in advance. The most popular destinations are in Lapland. Levi, Ylläs and Py-

hä are three of the biggest ski resorts in the country. Of course, you don’t have to travel quite that far to get some white-powder action. Around the capital area are a surprising number of locations to ski. Serena Ski, Vihti, Påminne and Hirvensalo are just a few of the 25-odd sites in the South, from 30 minutes to two hours’ drive from Helsinki. There is even a small slope in the small enclave of Kauniainen, in Espoo, if you really don’t want to travel far. At these smaller settings, however, accommodation may be limited or non-existent, making these them more suited to

riving at midnight and going home around four. Nissinen-Turja’s inspiration for starting K-50 came from a night out until four in the morning and being worn out the following day. Visitors to K-50 can decide whether they’ve had enough at 01:00; if not, then they’re free to continue partying at one of the many spots in town still open after that.

More foreigners wanted Non-Finns are still something of a rarity at K-50. Finland’s lack of an older generation of immigrants means that only few are old enough to get into K-50, but they are sorely wanted. So if you’re over fifty and either live in Helsinki or are just visiting from abroad, do drop in! All are welcome regardless of nationality or background, and the entrance fee is a reasonable ten euros. The only people turned away at the door are kids under fifty. The events are held once a month, on Saturdays. For further details go to www.k50.fi

a single day’s exercise rather than spending your whole week there. More information from the Finnish Ski Area Association www.ski.fi. L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N

WITH a glorious lack of bashful inhibition, the Indian college talks of its ‘brilliance and devotion’, preparing pupils to make ‘quantum leaps...in competitive standing in exams’; staff are ‘a perfect blend of teachers...who are handpicked and groomed’. Course content is ‘precise, crisp & clear’ even though no information whatsoever is given. But who cares, when the applicant knows that the entire matter ‘is specially designed so that every student develops extraordinary penetration power into the subject’.


CULTURE

The way of tea Chado – The Japanese Way of Tea is an exhibition presenting tea art and the culture of Japanese tea ceremony. J U S T I N GO N E Y HEL SINKI TIMES

tea was first introduced in Japan sometime during the 9th century, it didn’t really begin to take off until the introduction of “tencha”, or powdered tea that is whipped together with water, by a Buddhist monk returning from China. Nowadays, tea is an important part of Japanese culture, as is the tea ceremony and its underlying principles of har-

THOUGH

mony, respect, purity, and tranquility. The exhibition, Chado – The Japanese Way of Tea, features tea art dating as far back as the 16th century, as well as articles selected by Kyoto’s Urasenke Chado Research Center that relate to the numerous implements involved in the Japanese tea ceremony. The tea ceremony as well as ceremonial tools such as the tea bowl, tea towel, and tea whisk are sacred to many Japanese, and so

COMMENTARY

Suckers for love Even the most cynical of hearts can sometimes be warmed by the most romantic and commercial day of the year NICK BARLOW HEL SINKI TIMES

IT’S THAT TIME of year when the big V-day comes around again. In the West, Valentine’s Day is a traditional day for people to express their love for one another on one day a year by sending tacky, mass-produced cards to their loved ones. In most European countries the emphasis is on romantic love. I remember when I was at school sending anonymous notes to the girl of my dreams, and having my 12-year-old heart broken when I got nothing in return except a lone buttercup from the weird, bespectacled girl in class. These days of course people are more sophisticated, and with the relentless march of technology the sending of e-Valentine cards is becoming more and more popular amongst the terminally lazy and unromantic. In Finland, Valentine’s Day is called Ystävänpäivä, which translates as ‘Friend’s day’. As you can tell, the day is more about remembering all your

Move and play! The Finnish Science Centre Heureka’s exhibition inspires visitors to get active. HEIDI LEHTONEN HEL SINKI TIMES

new temporary exhibition Move and Play! is aimed at inspiring visitors to move and play through various activities. The exhibition also offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the impact of

HEUREKA’S

physical exercise. In connection with each individual exhibit, visitors will learn which sensory processes each specific exhibit activates or requires, which physical skills it develops and which types of mental processes occur while using the exhibit. Move and Play! was designed particularly for those

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

15

SEINYU R AKU XIII

these utensils can be quite ornate. Also on display will be a model tea room, showing the tatami-clad room in which the ceremony traditionally takes place. Chado’s central theme is the tea ceremony as a way of celebrating spring and the Girls’ festival, and the exhibition is meant to dovetail with the feminine themes of its sister exhibition, Daughters of Sun Goddess. In addition to the art on display, Sinebrychoff Art Museum is planning a series of events coinciding with the two exhibitions, which include lectures, musical performances, and of course tea ceremonies as they are actually performed. Chado – The Japanese Way of Tea at the Sinebrychoff Art Museum until 28 June. ‘Rising Dragon’, a black Raku tea bowl.

friends rather than only those you want to get into bed with. The Estonians have a similar emphasis on 14 February. The custom of celebrating this occasion has spread literally throughout the world, mainly thanks to intense marketing exertions from card and gift companies. The expansion of this tradition has not been welcomed everywhere, however. Various Romanian organisations have condemned Valentine’s Day for being superficial, commercial and imported Western kitsch – claims one is hard-pressed to deny. In Saudi Arabia the police have banned all related items on the grounds that they are unIslamic. The South Koreans have moved in the opposite direction, though, and have a love-related day on the fourteenth of every month. The best one is in April, when they call it Black Day, and single people get together to eat noodles and commiserate with each other for being alone. Like all these ‘Hallmark holidays’, including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, one question remains – is it so hard to be nice to each other more than one day a year? And if not, why do we need to spend one day buying unnecessary junk to show how much we appreciate our friends or lovers? Mind you, I did propose to my wife on Valentine’s Day, so I guess even the more cynical among us can be suckers for romance sometimes. who are usually not too interested in exercise,” explained exhibition manager Jaakko Pöyhönen. Special groups have also been taken into consideration. Two thirds of the exhibits have been designed so that they can be used by visitors with a limited capability of motion. At the same time, the exhibition also offers the opportunity for anyone to experience what it is like to move around, for example, in a wheelchair. The exhibition is Heureka’s own production and will be on display in the science centre until 28 March 2010.

On the trail of happiness piness is social inequality. “What effects have increasing commercialisation and consumerism on the distribution of happiness?” she wonders, and goes on to suggest that what she sees as the current greed-oriented version compares poorly to the classical definition of happiness. In addition to her readiness to take a political stance in her work, Kekäläinen is known for her forceful physical expression, her dedi-

M I I S S A R A N TA N E N , JA MES O’CONNOR – HT

HAPPINESS is the theme of the latest solo project from dancer and choreographer Sanna Kekäläinen. The topic, familiar to us all, will be interpreted in Kekäläinen’s dance performance OnniBonheur-Happiness throughout the months of February and March. The internationally successful dancer isn’t daunted by such a complex theme, since the idea of happiness in all its universality and humaneness provides a fascinating and thought-provoking challenge. As she answers when asked about the motivations behind her choice of subject matter, “What could be more important to people than happiness?” To express the pursuit of happiness as an inseparable part of human nature Kekäläinen’s performance draws together many elements, including fantasy and dream sequences. The overall interpretation combines particular and general references, from the past as well as the present. A strong underlying theme of Onni-Bonheur-Hap-

Onni-Bonheur-Happiness 22/26/28 Feb & 1/4/5/7/11/12/15 Mar Kiasma Theatre www.kekalainencompany.net

In her new solo work Sanna Kekäläinen asks whether we can really capture happiness.

Comedy Club Laugh Riot presents By arrangement with Bound & Gagged Comedy

talo rita tuuuri KKuultlttu SLaat 2288.2.2. . 30 1.0 2 1:23 aktlo 3399€€

cation and the breadth of expressive technique she brings to the stage. Since the 1980s Kekäläinen has been at the forefront of Finnish modern dance, and her plentiful output has found a wide audience both at home and abroad.

S A R I T E R VA N I E M I

HELSINKI TIMES

“Hilarious and painfully fu nny” – The Indep endent


16

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

EAT & DRINK

HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / T O R W E N N S T R Ö M

Pampushki As Eastern Europeans have truly mastered the art of potato cooking, I give you pampushki, or stuffed potato balls. These are traditionally either poached or fried, so here I’m giving you the fried version. You’ll need… • 700 g peeled potatoes, grated • 250 g peeled potatoes, cooked and mashed • 75 g fresh cheese (such as feta, sirene, or bryndza) • 2 tbsp. fresh herbs (such as chives or dill) • ½ tsp. each, salt and pepper (or to taste) • 2 or so liters of oil, for deep frying 1. Preheat the oil to 170°C (use a thermometer!). Combine the grated potato, mashed potato, salt and pepper in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the cheese and the herbs. 2. Using a tablespoon, divide the potato mixture into 12 portions, then, on parchment paper, flatten them into small disks. 3. Place a teaspoon or so of the cheese mixture onto the middle of each disk. Carefully fold the rest of the potato disk around the cheese, forming a tightly sealed ball. It is very important that the edges be completely sealed. 4. When the oil is ready, lower the balls into the oil and fry until golden brown (about 10 minutes). When ready, drain them on paper towels and lightly salt again while hot.

The king of vegetables In a period of overabundance and food snobbery, few of us really get fired up over something as pedestrian as the potato. Coinciding with Potato Week, we’re proud to present our favourite unpretentious tuber. J U S T I N GO N E Y HEL SINKI TIMES

journey from obscure Andean root crop to the world’s fourth largest staple food is an interesting tale. By all accounts, the potato is originally indigenous to the Peruvian Andes, where the In-

THE POTATO’S

cas cultivated them as well as a variety of other root crops that thrive in such a temperate mountain climate. Luckily for us (and unluckily for the Incas) the Conquistadors arrived, and among the gold, silver, and slaves that they took with them back to Europe were potatoes. Culinary an-

thropologists speculate that the Incas knew how to cultivate hundreds of different varieties of potato, information that was irretrievably and regrettably lost when they were slaughtered by the explorers. Though the Conquistadors saw the potato as a delicacy, it was treated with indifL E H T I K U VA / P E K K A S A K K I

ference or hostility when it reached Europe around the year 1570. Europeans all across the continent were wary of the potato, both because it wasn’t mentioned in the Bible and because it’s related to the “Devil’s Herb” as a member of the deadly poisonous nightshade family. Horticulturalists were unsure of how to classify it and for a long time the potato was mistaken for a fungus. It was thought to cause unspeakable diseases such as leprosy or syphilis, and though people at that time subsisted primarily on cabbage and cereal gruel (punctuated by frequent bouts of starvation due to failed crops), it wasn’t until the 1700s that Europeans finally decided that eating potatoes was preferable to dying of hunger. Nowadays potatoes are eaten all over the world, thanks to the sailors who found them to be an indispensable source of nutrition

on long sea voyages, and who introduced them to ports all over the world. They’re a nutritious staple, containing large amounts of carbohydrates as well as vitamin C among other vitamins and minerals. Statistically speaking, you’re likely to eat roughly 33 kilograms of potatoes this year, and probably even more than that since Eastern Europeans and Scandinavians eat more potatoes than anyone else in the world.

Sliced, diced, mashed or riced One thing that makes potatoes especially interesting culinarily is the variety of methods with which they can be prepared. Potatoes can be cooked by any method, can be eaten whole or prepared in some, and can be eaten with or without their skins. This versatility makes preparing potatoes less monotonous and better suited to local tastes than a less versatile staple such as rice. The only rule is that the potato must be cooked, since our stomachs are incapable of breaking down raw potato starch. As an example of this versatility, one folk recipe calls for cooking potatoes in pine resin. This is supposed to create the mealiness unattainable through traditional cooking methods, and is supposedly “sensational af-

NOTE: The frying oil can be re-used several times. Let the oil cool, strain it, and using a funnel, put it back in the original bottles for later use.

ter an hour or two of skating or skiing”. Finding 15 kilos of pine resin to cook potatoes in is of course no easy task, and it should be mentioned that resin is highly flammable and that it would be most unfortunate to burn your house down trying to make a rustic potato dish. In addition to their limitless culinary value, potatoes are used industrially to produce ethanol (which can be diluted to make vodka), as well as paper and cardboard products. Though there exists over 5,000 varieties of potato in the world, for the common cook the important thing is to distinguish between waxy potatoes that are good in gratins or anything where the potato needs to keep its shape, and floury potatoes, which are good baked, mashed, or as French fries. To store potatoes, keep them in a dark, cool, and dry place, as moisture makes them rot and light makes them turn green and sprout. Remember to always cut off any sprouted eyes or green parts of the potato before using, as they’re poisonous.


EAT & DRINK

HELSINKI TIMES

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

RESTAURANTS

17

RESTAURANTS Proudly sponsored by:

Korkeavuorenkatu 27 Helsinki Tel. +358 9 635 732 www.juuri.fi

Transforming Finnish gifts of nature in an innovative manner to suit modern tastes.

SHEEP THIEF

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Open: 14-02 Sunday-Tuesday 12-03 Wednesday-Saturday WHAT’S ON AT THE AUSSIE BAR:

Friday 13/Saturday 14 - Lucky Number Friday! DJ’s pumpin’ both nights! Don’t be late! Sunday 15 - hangover Sunday’s at the Aussie with Snakebites and Fisu! Monday 16 / Tuesday 17 - Start ya week off with top quality Aussie (and Kiwi) Beers! Wednesday 18 - Live Music with “MIKKO SIPULA� from 10pm, don’t be late! Thursday 19 - Cocktail Eve with cheap drinks for the chicky babes + DJ’s spinnin’ from 9.30pm! Tel. +358 (0)9 737 373 AUSSIE BAR Come and have Email: aussiebar@aussiebar.net Salomonkatu 5, Kamppi a Tooheys Web: www.aussiebar.net 00100 Helsinki, Finland or two!

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Namaskaar Express Forum Mannerheimintie 20b

Indian Restaurant Menu: www.sandeep.fi

Namaskaar Express Railway Station Elielinaukio 3

Namaskaar Express Tunnelin Kaivokatu 6 Namaskaar Express Tunnelin Opening Lunch Offer: â‚Ź7,50 until 30th March. Eat in or take away.

LĂśnnrotinkatu 22, 00120 Helsinki Tel/fax: (09) 6856 206 Open: Mon-Fri 10:30-23:00 Sat 12:00-23:00 Sun 12:00-21:00 Reservations: lucky.tarsem@elisanet.fi

Present this voucher to get 2 lunches for the price of 1. One coupon per person per visit.

www.spiceofindia.fi

FIRST ORIGINAL NEPALESE RESTAURANT Open: Mon-Fri 11-23, weekends 12-23, Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-15 Contact: Ratakatu 1 b, 00120 Helsinki. www.himalaya.fi Book your table: tel. (09) 647 551, fax. (09) 647 552

Nepalese Restaurant Time stands still at the Brezhnevian era’s last monument Kafe Moskova, situated in central Helsinki. Cold beer and freezing service. Open: Mon-Sat 6pm-2am. Sun closed. Contact information Eerikinkatu 11, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Tel. +358 9 751 75613 www.andorra.fi

Mon-Thu 11-24 Fri-Sat 11-01 Sun 13-21

Advertise your restaurant here.

Mikonkatu 8, 00100 Helsinki Tel. 09 - 6222 625. www.meze.fi

For example, this size: 80 x 67 mm

The biggest Nepalese Restaurant in Helsinki • Suitable for group parties • Fully licensed • Delicious food with tandoor

Welcome to Satkar Fredrikinkatu 46 (Kamppi, Autotalo). 00100 Helsinki, Finland Tel. +358 9 611 077, +358 40 707 1140 www.satkar.fi

G]c` V][S OeOg T`][ V][S

Advertise your restaurant here. Salomonkatu 19, Helsinki Tel. 09 694 0750 Mon-Fri 11-23, Sat 12-23, Sun 12-22

www.ravintolatandoor.net

For example, this size: 37.5 x 31 mm

PUB ANGLETERRE - FREDRIKINKATU 47 MON-THU 15-01, FRI 15-02, SAT 13-02


18

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES Wed-Sun 11:00-17:00 Thu 11:00-9:00 Free entrance www.helsinginkaupunginmuseo.fi Until Sun 28 Mar 2010 Move and Play! Heureka’s new exhibition is intended to inspire visitors to move, play and have fun together through shared activities. Science Centre Heureka Tiedepuisto 1 Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 11:00-18:00 Tickets €8-20 www.heureka.fi

Behind the Scenes The Design Museum’s new exhibition 'Behind the Scenes' is putting on display rarely seen prototypes of Finnish furniture design from the past 60 years as a part of the Finnish Association of Interior Architects’ birthday celebrations. On show are lamps, tables, divans and cabinets as well as various smaller, but the main focus is on chairs. The pieces of furniture at 'Behind the Scenes' are designed by old hands, new comers, well established and not so well established interior architects. The exhibition gives the most attention to design of the current decade, but there are some exceptional pieces from the past.

OTHERS

Furniture design is an essential part of the interior architect’s field but only a few can make a living solely as a furniture designer. It is more common to design special pieces of furniture as part of a décor. Prototypes and sample collections manufactured by furniture factories don’t often make it to the market for various production and commercial reasons. This interesting collection at the Design Museum is a rare chance to see some unique designer pieces.

Fri 13 to Sun 22 Feb Linnanmäki Winter Festival The amusement park offers possibilities to try out various winter sports. Linnanmäki Amusement Park Tivolikuja 1 Everyday 10:00-18:00 Tickets €18/4/0 www.linnanmaki.fi

Fri 13 Feb to Sun 5 Apr Design Museum Korkeavuorenkatu 23 Tue 11:00-20:00 Wed-Sun 11:00-18:00 Tickets €8/6/3/0 www.designmuseum.fi

Mon 16 Feb Moomin Event A Moomin literary evening concerning Tove Jansson's first Moomin comic strip Moomintroll and the End of the World. Arkadia International Book Shop, 18:00 Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 9 Free entrance www.arkadiabookshop.fi

MUSIC Thu 12 Feb Helsinki PhilharmonicOrchestra Compositions of Wuorinen and Feldman with Dmitri Slobodeniouk as the conductor and Petra Hoffmann as the soloist. Finlandia Hall, 19:00 Mannerheimintie 13 E Tickets €20/13/6 www.hel.fi/filharmonia Thu 12 Feb The Magic Flute A fairy-tale opera for the whole family. Finnish National Opera, 19:00 Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €14-62 www.operafin.fi Fri 13 Feb Janna Club Wahoo presents the talented Finnish soul singer Janna. Kuudes linja, 22:00 Kaikukatu 4 Tickets €9 www.kuudeslinja.com Fri 13 Feb Cousin Bill (SWE) Cousin Bill is a pop band that has both Irish and Swedish members.

A chair by Timo Ripatti.

Molly Malone’s Irish Bar Kaisaniemenkatu 1 C www.mollymalones.fi Sat 14 Feb The Bronson Powerful jazz music with an inimitable Hammond sound and a healthy portion of black blues and tight grooves. Vuosaari House, 19:00 Mosaiikkitori 2 Tickets €11/9 www.vuotalo.fi Sat 14 Feb James Blunt (UK) The popular British musician James Blunt plays acoustic guitar pop. Hartwall Arena, 20:00 Areenankuja 1 Tickets €50/46 www.hartwall-areena.com Sun 15 Feb Minguet Quartet (GER) One of the most famous German string quartets. Sibelius Academy, 16:00 Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 9 Tickets €7-10 www.siba.fi Sun 15 Feb The Gaslight Anthem

The Gaslight Anthem is a rock band that mixes punk and folk sounds. Tavastia Club, 20:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets €17/15.50 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Mon 16 Feb Terhi Kokkonen and Joel Melasniemi Stripped-down versions of Scandinavian Music Group’s production. Kom Theatre, 20:00 Kapteeninkatu 26 Tickets €12 www.kom-teatteri.fi Tue 17 Feb Daddy’s Girl Daddy’s Girl has been hailed as Kortekangas’ best opera to date, tapping into the melodic vein of true classic opera. Finnish National Opera, 19:00 Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €29-68 www.operafin.fi Wed 18 Feb Emma Salokoski Ensemble The impressive band concentrates mainly on bossa nova standards and Brazilian music. Alexander Theatre, 19:00 Bulevardi 23-27 Tickets €25 www.aleksanterinteatteri.fi THEATRE AND DANCE

RENEWED

WWW.V ISIT HE L S I N K I . FI

all-round travel information maps with satellite pictures extensive event search 360°pictures

Tourist & Convention Bureau Pohjoisesplanadi 19 Tel. +358 (0)9 310 13300, Fax +358 (0)9 310 13301 Tourist information is temporarily located at Aleksanterinkatu 20 due to renovations MORE TIPS FROM

www.visithelsinki.fi

Thu 12 & Fri 13 Feb Nordic Flamenco Festival Flamenco de Helsinki. Gloria Cultural Arena Pieni Roobertinkatu 12 Tickets €18/15 www.flamenco.fi Thu 12 & Sat 14 Feb Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth: Circus Helium Circus Helium is one man performance that is light as helium. Cable Factory Tallberginkatu 1 A/117 Tickets €10 www.hurjaruuth.fi Fri 13 & Sat 14 Feb Anna Karenina The ballet version of Tolstoy’s classic novel focuses on the fatal love triangle. Finnish National Ballet Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €14-56 www.operafin.fi Wed 18 Feb Ball of Witnesses Ball of Witnesses is a participatory performance where all participants are also performers. Zodiak Tallberginkatu 1 Wed, Fri, Sat 19:00 Sun 15:00 Tickets €17/10 www.zodiak.fi

EXHIBITIONS Until Sun 15 Feb Mari Keski-Korsu Illusion of Safety The exhibition deals with feelings of safety through video works, photographs and installations. Lasipalatsi Exhibition Space Mannerheimintie 22-24 Tue-Sun 12:00-18:00 Free entrance www.lasipalatsi.fi Until Sun 15 Feb Maria Wolfram: Paintings The main theme in Wolfram’s paintings is female identity. tm•gallery Erottajankatu 9B Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00 Sat 11:00-16:00 Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.artists.fi/painters/tmgalleria Until Fri 27 Feb James Iles Helsinki: New Views A Welsh artist's paintings of Helsinki landscapes. International Cultural Centre Caisa Mikonkatu 17 C Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00 Free entrance www.caisa.fi Until Sun 1 Mar Kaisu Koivisto Installations and sculptures. Gallery Sculptor Eteläranta 12 Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.artists.fi/sculptors Until Sun 1 Mar Henna Aaltonen: My Life as a Tourist In her photographs, Aaltonen deals with the feelings of outsiderness when travelling. Napa Gallery Eerikinkatu 18 Thu-Fri 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.napagalleria.com Until Sun 1 Mar The Archives of an Architect – Olli Kivinen Professor Olli Kivinen had a remarkable career as a teacher, researcher and land use planner. Museum of Finnish Architecture Kasarmikatu 24 Tue & Thu-Fri 10:00-16:00 Wed 10:00-20:00 Sat-Sun 11:00-16:00 Tickets €3.5/1.7 www.mfa.fi Until Mon 2 Mar Mikael Pohjola: Works The exhibition includes three large sculptures as well as paintings and drawings. Amos Anderson Art Museum

Yrjönkatu 27 Mon, Thu, Fri 10:00-18:00 Wed 10:00-20:00 Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets €8/6/4 www.amosanderson.fi Until Sun 22 Mar Aletheia – Positions in Contemporary Photographies The exhibition concentrates on questions regarding photographic practices and the photographic medium and their roles within contemporary culture. Meilahti Art Museum Tamminiementie 6 Tue-Sun 11:00-18:30 Tickets €7/5/0 www.hpf.fi Until Sun 19 Apr Marita Liulia: Choosing My Religion Marita Liulia’s most recent multimedia project views the major religions of the world from multiple perspectives, particularly the female one. Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma Mannerheiminaukio 2 Tue 10:00-17:00 Wed-Fri 10:00-20:30 Sat-Sun 10:00-18:00 Tickets €7/5/0 www.kiasma.fi Until Sun 17 May Daughters of Sun Goddess – Japanese Feminity The exhibition presents the life and image of Japanese women Sinebrychoff Art Museum Tue, Fri 10:00-18:00 Wed-Thu 10:00-20:00 Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets €7.5/6/0 www.sinebrychoffintaidemuseo.fi Until Sun 24 May Tensions of Space Mohamed Bourouissa’s, Sini Pelkki’s, Carrie Schneider’s and Sauli Sirviö’s solo exhibitions. The Finnish Museum of Photography Tallberginkatu 1 G Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00 Tickets €6/4/0 www.fmp.fi Until Sun 23 Aug What a Feast! Exhibition introduces the colourful and most varied festive traditions of Helsinki. Sederholm House Aleksanterinkatu 16-18 Wed-Sun 11:00-17:00 Free entrance www.helsinginkaupunginmuseo.fi Until Sun 30 Aug Watch Out, Gypsies! The History of a Misunderstanding A guest exhibition about the history and culture of the European Roma. Hakasalmi Villa Mannerheimintie 13 D

Film premieres in Finland Friday 13 February

Bolt (USA) Director: Chris Williams and Byron Howard Starring: John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton, Greg Germann Genre: Animation / Comedy Pink Panther 2 (USA) Director: Harald Zwart Starring: Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Andy Garcia, Aishwarya Rai, John Cleese Genre: Comedy Wild Child (USA/UK/France) Director: Nick Moore Starring: Emma Roberts, Natasha Richardson, Shirley Henderson, Aidan Quinn Genre: Drama/Romance

solution sudoku


12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

thursday TV1

MTV3

09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 News in English 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors 15:05 Coronation Street 17:08 Peak Practice 22:35 In Treatment 23:00 In Treatment Alex tells Paul he’s met Laura. Paul is surprised. 23:35 The Boys from County Clare FILM Brothers face each other in a music competition. Directed by John Irvin. Starring: Colm Meaney, Bernard Hill, Andrea Corr. Ireland/ UK 2003.

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 10:40 Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s giant slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 12:45 Derrick 14:15 Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s giant slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 15:40 Paralympic Cross-country Skiing World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish. 17:00 The Secret World of Benjamin Bear 18:00 Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish. 19:20 World Café Asia 20:10 Die Kommissarin 23:55 David Nolande SERIES ENDS. Part 6/6. David believes he is close to the truth.

YLE TEEMA 17:00 Around the World in 80 Treasures DOC 19:00 SOAP 19:30 Backroom Heroes DOC 21:00 Absolute Zero DOC SERIES ENDS. Part 2/2. Many practical innovations resulted from the search for absolute zero. 22:00 Permanent Vacation FILM Couple of days in the life of an unemployed and homeless young man. Directed by Jim Jarmusch. Starring: Richard Boes, Ruth Bolton. USA 1980. 23:10 Jasper Morello

Permanent Vacation. YLE TEEMA at 22:00

friday

12.2.

09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 10:45 Emmerdale 12:15 Space for Living 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 Wa$ted 13:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 14:30 New Adventures of Old Christine 15:00 Men in Trees 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 ER Banfield saves a little girl from drowning. 22:30 Closer Brenda's breakfast is interrupted when a man barges in claiming to have found a head on a skip. 23:30 Airport 1975 (CERT15) FILM Crew of a jumbojet is killed in mid-flight. Directed by Jack Smight. Starring: Charlton Heston, Karen Black, George Kennedy, Gloria Swanson. USA 1974. 01:35 Unit

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Digimon Tamers, 07:25 Lazy Town, 07:55 Walter. 08:05 The Game 08:30 Birth Stories 09:00 Come Dine with Me 09:30 Newlywed, Nearly Dead 10:00 10 Years Younger USA 10:30 Take This House and Sell It! 13:00 Birth Days 13:30 Diva on a Dime 14:00 Changing Rooms 14:30 Come Dine With Me 15:00 Dr. Phil 16:05 Days of Our Lives 17:00 Kyle XY Kyle’s first date with Amanda is coming up and he’s nervous. 18:00 Talent USA 20:00 90210 SERIES BEGINS. Drama about rich high school kids.

SUB 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 George of the Jungle, 07:35 Animaniacs. 11:25 Sturm der Liebe 12:45 Holiday Showdown 15:40 Project Runway 16:30 E! Entertainment: Behind the Scenes 17:00 E! Entertainment: Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 Freddie Freddie lands a babysitting gig. 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons 21:00 Top Chef 23:00 Supernatural Members of a strange cult go berserk. 00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 00:55 Peep Show 01:30 Génesis Mental patient is found castrated with forks sticking out of his eyes. In Spanish.

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air 19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 20:00 Rachel Allen: Bake! 20:30 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter Paul wants Christmas to be perfect. 21:00 Flashpoint 22:00 Alias McKenas Cole takes over the L.A. office.

90210. NELONEN at 20:00 21:00 Criminal Minds Team chase after Garcia’s shooter. 22:00 Breaking Bad SERIES ENDS. Walt and Jesse try to prepare the promised amount of methamphetamine. 23:30 Frasier 00:00 The Office

JIM 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:45 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:15 Design Remix 16:40 Trigged Out 17:10 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody Leon finds shelter with a group of young women. 19:00 DIY Tools & Techniques 19:30 Save My Bath 20:00 Most Daring Rescues 21:00 Digging for the Truth: Kings of the Stone Age DOC Scientists are trying to find out how the stone age Olmec civilization managed to move around stone statues that weighed tens of tonnes. 22:00 Contender 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 23:50 Modern Marvels: Alaskan Fishing DOC 00:50 Extreme Evidence (CERT 15) USAir Flight 427 crashed killing everyone on board. It took investigators over four years to find out what had happened.

Airport 1975 The pilot of a Beechcraft Baron suffers a heart attack and the light aircraft collides with a Boeing 747 while both are high above Salt Lake City. The jet is left without a pilot and officials on the ground are forced to improvise to bring the airliner down without killing everybody on board. Disaster films were a craze in the 1970s. Airport 1975 is a fine example of the genre and an excellent movie in its own right. The sequel to Airport, the movie was not a critical success but fared well at the box office. Some movies are best known for their parodies and this is definitely one of those movies, so pick up Airplane!, one of the greatest spoofs ever, from your local videostore.

MTV3 at 23:30 Thu

SELECTION OF ENGLISH PROGRAMMES ON FINNISH TELEVISION 13.2.

TV1 09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 News in English 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors 15:05 Coronation Street Liz and Bev come up with a crazy idea. 17:08 Peak Practice 19:00 Heartbeat Rob has to make a difficult decision. 22:00 The Street Part 6/18. Sean’s violence leads him to trouble. 23:50 William & Mary

MTV3 09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 10:45 Emmerdale 12:15 Space for Living 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 At the End of My Leash 13:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 14:30 Suddenly Susan 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 21:00 Without a Trace FBI has to find a missing teenager.

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 10:35 Laurel & Hardy Laughtoons 10:40 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s giant slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 12:45 Cross-country Skiing World Cup SPORT Sprints. Commentary in Finnish. 14:15 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s giant slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 16:10 Cross-country Skiing World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish. 18:00 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish. 22:05 Law & Order: Criminal Intent 22:50 Sopranos (CERT15) 00:15 Sin City Law (CERT15)

YLE TEEMA 11:35 La Trilogie Marseillaise (The Marseille Trilogy) Three-part miniseries based on Marcel Pagnol’s writings. 17:20 The Final Sacrifice DOC Documentary about the lives of gypsy boys in India. Directed by Akhim Dev. Australia 2007. 18:15 Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture DOC Part 4/8. Dresden was turned to rubble by Allied bombers. 20:00 Forsyte Saga Part 5/13. Irene leaves Soames. 22:15 Cul-de-Sac (CERT15) FILM Two criminals hide in an old castle. Directed by Roman Polanski. Starring: Donald Pleasance, Françoise Dorleac. UK 1966. 23:55 Master and Margaritha

Programmes on Yle Teema may be viewed in the original language(s) by changing the digital receiver’s settings.

Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture The bombing of Dresden by the Royal Air Force and the United States Army Air Force is still a hotly debated issue more than 60 years after the raids. One of Germany’s most beautiful cities, also known as Florence on the Elbe, Dresden was completely destroyed and approximately 30 000 civilians lost their lives. Many actually consider the bombing to be a war crime that was left unprosecuted only because it was perpetrated by the victors. Professor Cruickshank visits Dresden to see what the city looks like today and ponders how quickly architectural masterpieces can be turned to rubble by blood-thirsty world leaders.

YLE TEEMA at 18:15 Fri and 20:05 Sat

19

Alien & Predator. MT V3 at 22:40 22:40 Alien & Predator FILM Team of archeologists discovers a pyramid with a sinister purpose. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen. US/ Canada/Germany/Czech Republic/UK 2004. 01:05 Smallville

SUB 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 George of the Jungle, 07:35 Animaniacs. 11:25 Sturm der Liebe 15:40 Project Runway 16:30 E! Entertainment: E! News Weekend 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons 22:05 Bones Booth and Brennan have their hands full with a badly crushed cadaver. 23:00 C.S.I. Moviegoers make a gruesome discovery. 00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 01:25 Skins 02:20 Katie & Peter – The Baby Diaries

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Digimon Tamers, 07:25 Timon and Pumbaa, 07:50 Walter. 08:00 The Game 08:30 Birth Stories 09:00 Come Dine with Me 09:30 Birth Days 10:00 Diva on a Dime 10:30 Changing Rooms 13:00 Birth Days 13:30 What Women Really Want 14:00 Selling Houses 14:30 Come Dine with Me 15:00 Dr. Phil 16:05 Days of Our Lives 17:00 Kyle XY Stephen’s father lapses into a coma and Kyle wants to help him come to terms with the tragedy. 18:00 Talent USA 21:00 Cold Creek Manor (CERT15) FILM Couple move to the countryside, but their new abode turns out to possess dark secrets. Directed by Mike Figgis. Starring: Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone. US/Canada/ UK 2003. 23:45 Tudors Sweating sickness strikes England. 00:55 Spun (CERT15) FILM Movie about the lives of young drug addicts. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund. Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Mickey Rourke, John Leguizamo, Brittany Murphy. USA 2002.

JIM 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:45 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:15 DIY Tools & Techniques 16:40 Save My Bath 17:10 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 18:00 Canadian Sportsfishing 18:30 Skier’s World Edith and Chris visit MontSainte-Anne. 19:00 Wasted Spaces 19:30 Carter Can

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air 19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 20:00 Dangerous Minds FILM Teacher struggles to win her pupils’ confidence at an inner-city school. Directed by John N. Smith. Starring: Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, Renoly Santiago. USA 1995. 22:00 Packed to the Rafters 23:00 Secret Lives of Women

Police Interceptors. JIM at 20:00 20:00 Police Interceptors Speeder with a fast car creates problems for the police. 21:00 Parole Board (CERT 15) DOC New Jersey parole board decides whether an armed robber should go free. 22:00 Miami Ink 23:00 Banzuke 00:00 Most Daring Rescues 01:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!


20

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

saturday TV1

HELSINKI TIMES

sunday

14.2. MTV3

08:05 HairWorld: The Pursuit of Excellence DOC 14:05 Keeping Up Appearances 14:35 Los Serrano 16:00 Holby City 18:20 Mumbai Calling SERIES ENDS. Part 7/7. Can Kenny return home? 19:45 Monk Monk goes undercover as a butler. 22:35 Lucky Louie (CERT15) 23:05 The Thick of It

TV2 07:45 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 09:55 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Women’s 7,5 km. Commentary in Finnish. 10:55 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 13:10 FIS Cross-country Skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s 10 km. Commentary in Finnish. 14:20 FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 15:20 Nordic Combined World Cup SPORT Ski jumping and 10 km. Commentary in Finnish. 16:35 FIS Cross-country Skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s 15 km. Commentary in Finnish. 20:50 Ein Fall für Zwei 22:05 Lethal Weapon 2 (CERT15) FILM Cop duo track down South African criminals. Directed by Richard Donner. Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Patsy Kensit. USA 1989. 23:55 The Border 00:40 The Best of the Grammy Awards

Lethal Weapon 2. MT V3 at 22:05

NELONEN

07:55 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:55 Dora The Explorer, 08:25 Viva Piñata, 08:40 Powerpuff Girls, 09:05 Pokémon, 09:30 Zorro, 09:55 Woody Woodpecker. 10:25 Hannah Montana 11:30 Freestyle SPORT Snowboarding. Commentary in Finnish. 12:15 Candid Camera 15:10 Shrek FILM Green monster and a loud donkey set off to save a princess. In Finnish. Directed by Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson. USA 2001. 16:55 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 17:55 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares 21:00 Survivor 22:25 Bullitt (CERT15) FILM Bullitt is ordered to protect an important witness. Directed by Peter Yates. Starring: Steve McQueen, Jacqueline Bisset. USA 1968. 00:55 Mystére

11:30 Volvo Ocean Race 13:00 Voitto The best Finnish advertisements of 2008. In Finnish. 13:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 16:25 Things You Can Tell by Just Looking at Her FILM Five women deal with their problems. Directed by Rodrigo Garcia. Starring: Glenn Close, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Kathy Baker. USA 2000. 18:30 America’s Next Top Model 20:00 American Gladiators 21:00 Year of the Gun (CERT15) FILM American journalist stumbles onto a plot to murder the Italian prime minister. Directed by John Frankenheimer. Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Sharon Stone, Valeria Golino, John Pankow. USA 1991. 23:35 Las Vegas 00:35 When the Sky Falls (CERT15) FILM Journalist puts herself in harms way when she crosses the Irish underworld. Directed by John Mackenzie. Starring: Joan Allen, Patrick Bergin, Lian Cunningham, Kevin McNally. USA 2000.

JIM Bullitt. MT V3 at 22:25

10:35 Hooked on Fishing 11:05 House Hunters International 11:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:00 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:30 Good Eats 13:00 Stuntdawgs 13:30 Human Weapon – Kung Fu DOC 14:20 Dangerous Encounters 15:20 America: The Wright Way New Orleans. 16:15 Canadian Sportfishing 16:45 Skier’s World 17:10 Wasted Spaces 17:35 Carter Can 18:00 Hidden Potential 18:30 Ace of Cakes 19:00 Rip + Renew 19:30 Dream Builders 20:00 Border Security Thai man is found have connections to a large criminal organization. 20:30 Crime Museum: Charles Peace Charles Piece was a murderer and a thief active in England in the 1870s. 21:00 The Final Report: The Attica Rebellion DOC The 1971 Attica prison riot resulted in a bloodbath. 22:00 Crime Scene Academy (CERT15) 23:00 Banzuke 23:30 Banzuke 00:00 Most Shocking (CERT 15) 01:00 Speeders 01:30 Fifth Gear 02:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 02:45 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

SUB 13:00 Australian Princess 14:00 E! Entertainment: How Do I Look 14:50 Superhomes SERIES BEGINS. What kinds of real estate are rich people interested in? 16:00 World’s Greenest Homes 17:00 Instant Star 18:00 American Idol 20:00 Real Housewives of New York City 21:00 C.S.I. Miami Serial killer is loose. 22:00 Most Haunted Is Petty France manor really haunted? 00:30 Murder (CERT15) 00:30 Stargate SG1 01:25 X Files

TV VIISI YLE TEEMA 18:00 Rachel Allen: Bake! 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air 19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 21:00 True Crime (CERT15) FILM Reporter Steve Everett discovers a man on death row is actually innocent. Directed by Clint Eastwood. Starring: Clint Eastwood, Dennis Leary. USA 1999. 23:00 Flashpoint

LIVE SPORT Friday 13.2. 21:25 1899 Hoffenheim-Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga (U+)

L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / S T E FA N O R E L L A N D I N I

10:50 Cidade dos Homens 11:20 Shadows in Paradise DOC 17:20 Backlight: Waste=Food DOC What should be done with the increasing amounts of waste? 19:10 Prestuplenie i nakazanie (Crime and Punishment) 20:05 Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture DOC Part 5/8. Dan Cruickshank looks at urbanization.

TV1 12:30 14:45 17:08 18:20

Last of the Summer Wine Los Serrano Gilmore Girls The Tribe DOC SERIES BEGINS. Bruce Parry travels to Brazil. 21:15 This World: The Man Who Armed the World DOC The story of Viktor Bout. 22:10 Nesser’s Van Veeteren (CERT15) 23:00 Absolutely Fabulous

TV2 07:45 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 09:57 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Women’s 10 km. Commentary in Finnish. 10:50 Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 12:30 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Men’s 12,5 km. Commentary in Finnish. 13:25 Nordic Combined World Cup SPORT Ski jumping. Commentary in Finnish. 14:20 Alpine Skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s slalom. Commentary in Finnish. 16:03 Nordic Combined World Cup SPORT Men’s 10 km. Commentary in Finnish. 19:10 The Colour of Magic FILM Humourous fantasy adventure based on Terry Pratchett’s books. Second part. Directed by Vadim Jean. Starring: David Jason, Sean Astin. UK 2008. 20:55 Elisa di Rivombrosa 00:35 Skithouse 01:00 Sopranos (CERT15)

YLE TEEMA 09:50 Prestuplenie i nakazanie (Crime and Punishment) 10:45 Cuéntame cómo pasó 12:00 Peter the Great SERIES BEGINS. Part 1 /4. Peter the Great tried to turn Russia into a modern state. 14:45 Absolute Zero DOC SERIES ENDS. Part 2/2. The search for extremely low temperatures resulted in some surprising innovations. 15:45 SOAP 16:10 Forsyte Saga 18:00 Never Give a Sucker an Even Break FILM Fields tears Hollywood apart. Directed by Edward F. Cline. Starring: W. C. Fields, Gloria Jean. USA 1941. 22:30 My War Years: Arnold Schönberg DOC Composer Arnold Schönberg is known for his innovations in atonality.

This World: The Man Who Armed the World

Monday 16.2. 21:40 Arsenal-Cardiff City, FA Cup (U)

Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death”, was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand on 6 March 2008 and is currently awaiting extradition to the US. For many years he sold guns all around the world to a variety of people, regardless of race or religion. It is said that Bout often supplied weapons to opposing forces of small-scale conflicts. It was only after the US declared war on terror in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks that the international community truly started to clamp down on this former Soviet military major. This World: The Man Who Armed the World takes a look at how he was eventually captured and arrested.

C+S1/2/E = Canal+ Sport 1/2/Extra, U(+) = Urheilukanava(+)

TV1 at 21:15 Sun

Saturday 14.2. 14:40 Swansea-Fulham, FA Cup (U) 16:55 Portsmouth-Manchester City, Premierleague (C+S1) 18:55 Lazio-Torino, Serie A (C+S2) 19:25 Lukko-HIFK, SM-liiga (C+S1) 19:25 Watford-Chelsea, FA Cup (U) 19:55 Bordeaux-Grenoble, Ligue 1 (U+) 20:40 PSV Eindhoven-AZ Alkmaar, Eredivisie (C+SE) 23:00 Valencia-Malaga, La Liga (U+) Sunday 15.2. 15:55 Juventus-Sampdoria, Serie A (C+S1) 15:55 Genoa-Fiorentina, Serie A (C+S2) 16:25 Everton-Aston Villa, FA Cup (U) 18:25 Derby-Manchester United, FA Cup (U) 21:25 Inter-Milan, Serie A (C+S1) 21:55 Atletico Madrid-Getafe, La Liga (U) 21:55 New Jersey-San Jose, NHL (C+S2 )

SELECTION OF ENGLISH PROGRAMMES ON FINNISH TELEVISION 15.2.

MTV3 07:20 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:20 Roofters, 07:35 Monster Allergy, 08:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers, 08:55 Batman. 12:30 Candid Camera 13:00 According to Jim 13:30 To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar FILM Drag queens get stuck in a small town on their way across the continent. Directed by Beeban Kidron. Starring: Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes. USA 1995. 15:30 Ski Jumping World Cup SPORT Continued at 16:50. Commentary in Finnish. 21:00 Amazing Race 22:35 In Plain Sight Mary’s father went missing 25 years ago. 23:25 To Catch a Predator SERIES BEGINS. Reporters pose as children in online chat rooms as they attempt to catch peadophiles.

NELONEN 08:15 Jamie at Home 09:20 Colin & Justin’s Home Heist 10:20 Jeff Corwin Experience 12:30 Dr. Phil 13:30 Frasier Four episodes of Frasier. 15:30 Whistler 16:25 Wildfire Wildfire falls ill. 17:20 Brainiac: Science Abuse Will dressing in red make you more successful? 18:15 Greatest American Dog 21:00 Basic Instinct 2 (CERT15) FILM Famous footballer dies and suspicion falls on Catherine Tramell. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Starring: Sharon Stone, David Morrissey, Charlotte Rampling, David Thewlis. UK 2006. 23:40 Lost (CERT15)

SUB 09:30 Voitto The best Finnish advertisements of 2008. In Finnish. 10:30 Futurama 11:00 Family Guy 11:30 King of the Hill 12:30 Dog the Bounty Hunter 13:00 Instant Star 13:30 Xena: Warrior Princess 14:30 Pepper Dennis 15:30 Holiday Showdown 16:30 Hot Properties 17:00 Katie & Peter – The Baby Diaries 18:00 American Idol 19:00 Make Me a Supermodel Models get a make-over. 20:00 Peep Show 20:35 That Mitchell and Webb Look 22:05 Entourage 22:40 The Thin Club DOC Documentary about pro-ana websites that view anorexia as a conscious choice. 00:10 Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps 00:45 Supernatural

TV VIISI 17:00 Alicia Keys LIVE 18:00 Biography: Catherine Zeta-Jones 19:00 D2: The Mighty Ducks FILM Gordon Bombay starts coaching Team USA. Directed by Sam Weisman. Starring: Emilio Estevez, Kathryn Erbe, Michael Tucker, Jan Rubes. USA 1994. 21:00 Outrageous Fortune 22:00 Paranormal State Paranormal Research Society investigates a haunted piano. 22:30 Farscape 23:30 The Friday Night Project

Basic Instinct 2. NELONEN at 21:00

JIM 10:20 Hooked on Fishing 10:45 House Hunters International 11:10 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 11:40 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:05 Corkscrewed 12:30 Mighty Movers 13:25 Flip This House 14:15 A Bikeography 14:40 Voitto The best Finnish advertisements of 2008. In Finnish. 15:10 American Hot Rod 16:05 Kings of Construction Building California’s new science museum is a real challenge. 17:00 Digging for the Truth: Kings of the Stone Age DOC 18:00 Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern 19:00 Cooked 19:30 My Country, My Kitchen Cook Cheryl Smith knows Jamaican cuisine. 20:00 Destination Truth Josh follows up on rumours about a winged monkey. 21:00 Biography: Patrick Dempsey DOC Patrick Dempsey has had his share of ups and downs. 22:00 Crime Investigation Australia Seven young backpackers were brutally murdered in Australia in the early 1990s. 23:30 Contender 00:30 Parole Board (CERT15)


12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

monday TV1

MTV3

09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 YLE News 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors Liam is in a coma and Mac is worried sick. 15:05 Coronation Street Sarah pressures Jason. 17:08 Peak Practice Jack has returned to Africa and left Beth behind. Chloe and James receive good news. 23:45 Stolen Babies, Stolen Lives DOC Hundreds of children were stolen from their mothers during the civil war in Argentina. In French, English and Spanish.

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 10:20 Plus belle la vie 11:35 Supernanny 12:55 Der Alte 14:25 Elisa di Rivombrosa 16:10 McLeod’s Daughters Alex and Stevie are off to sell cattle and Alex has equipped himself with an engagement ring. 18:05 Schwarzwaldklinik 19:20 Vroom Vroom Noble M400 vs. BMW M5. What does a car have in common with a golfball. 22:05 The Border Prime Minister receives a threatening letter from a mad bomber, who’s been in hiding for decades. 22:50 Third Watch Russian mob boss resorts to brutalities as he seeks to get back at Tatjana. Fred is released from the hospital and Bosco gets himself in trouble.

YLE TEEMA 19:00 Cuéntame cómo pasó 21:00 Classic Albums The Who: Who’s Next 1971. 21:55 Kantatar (Barbed Wire) FILM Woman crosses national and personal borders to survive. In Bengali. Directed by Bappaditya Bandopadhyay. Starring: Sreelekha Mitra, Sudip Mukherjee, Rudranil Ghosh, Nemai Ghosh. India 2005. 23:55 Backroom Heroes DOC

Kantatar. YLE TEEMA at 21:55

tuesday

16.2. 09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 10:45 Voitto The best Finnish advertisements of 2008. In Finnish. 12:15 Space for Living 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 At the End of My Leash 13:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 14:30 Two and a Half Men 15:00 L.A. Law 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 21:00 Life Two men are found dead in a freezer and the attack appears racially motivated. 22:30 Fringe Parasite threatens the life on an FBI agent. 23:30 Psych Man is convinced a ghost is following him and asks Shawn for help. 00:20 Survivor

SUB 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 George of the Jungle, 07:35 Steven Spielberg presents Toonsylvania. 11:25 Sturm der Liebe 15:40 Project Runway 16:30 E! Entertainment: Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? 18:05 American Idol 19:00 Freddie Zoe goes on a school trip and Sophia hits the bars. 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 My Name is Earl 20:30 Simpsons Lisa starts her own paper. 21:00 Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang (CERT15) FILM Petty criminal flees the police to Los Angeles, where he takes up acting. Directed by Shane Black. Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen. USA 2005. 23:00 E! Entertainment: Pam: Girl on the Loose Tommy Lee sees Pam's house. 23:30 The Thin Club DOC 00:30 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 01:25 E-Ring

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away People of Summer Bay get together to celebrate. 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air 19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 20:00 Airline Missing documents jeopardize a family holiday. 20:30 Big Spender 21:00 Intervention 22:00 Secret Lives of Women 23:00 X-Weighted

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Digimon Tamers, 07:25 Timon and Pumbaa, 07:50 Walter.

Timon and Pumbaa. NELONEN at 07:25 08:00 The Game 08:30 Birth Stories 09:00 Come Dine With Me 09:30 Birth Days 10:00 What Women Really Want 10:30 Selling Houses 13:00 Baby Squad 13:30 10 Years Younger USA 14:00 Open House 14:30 Come Dine With Me 15:00 Dr. Phil 16:05 Days of Our Lives 17:00 Kyle XY Kyle confronts Tom Foss. 18:00 Talent USA 20:00 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2008 21:00 Desperate Housewives 22:00 Californication (CERT15) 22:35 Weeds (CERT15) U-Turn starts training Nancy. Doug’s jealousy is getting out of hand. 23:30 Frasier Roz meets Rick’s parents. 00:00 Living in Extremes Animals can survive in extreme conditions.

JIM 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:45 Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern 16:35 Ultimate Gambler 17:05 Cooked 17:35 My Country, My Kitchen 18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody $5 won’t get you far in Las Vegas. 19:00 Cool Tools 19:30 Hidden Potential 20:00 Most Daring Rescues Running with the bulls is not a good idea. 21:00 Single Subject: Trapped in the Towers 9/11 (CERT15) DOC Some people made it out of the twin towers alive. Others weren’t as lucky. 22:30 Speeders 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 23:50 Biography: Patrick Dempsey DOC 00:50 Extreme Evidence (CERT15) Giant crane collapses in San Francisco. None of the workers survive to aid in the investigation.

TV1 09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 YLE News 11:10 Peak Practice 14:05 Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe DOC 14:30 Doctors 15:05 Coronation Street Shelley regrets her actions and Ashley is still worked up over the custody battle. 17:08 Peak Practice 19:00 Last of the Summer Wine Nora Batty prepares for the annual parade. 19:30 Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe DOC Part 5/13. Madagascar is home to some extraordinary primates. 21:00 Jekyll (CERT15) SERIES BEGINS. Part 1/6. Tom Jackman has a dark secret and it will out. 21:55 In Treatment Sophie opens up to Paul about her relationship with her coach. 22:23 In Treatment Amy comes to therapy alone and tells Paul about her reaction to her miscarriage. 22:55 The Street

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 08:50 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Men’s 20 km. Commentary in Finnish. 11:00 Kylie Kwong: My China 11:30 Animal Hospital 12:00 Vroom Vroom 16:10 McLeod’s Daughters 18:00 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish. 21:00 Ajankohtainen Kakkonen Panel discussion about Finland's refugee policy. In Finnish. Continued at 22:05. 23:45 Skithouse

YLE TEEMA 19:00 Cidade dos Homens 19:35 Little Mosque on the Prairie 21:00 The American Future: A History DOC SERIES BEGINS. Part 1/4. Historian Simon Schama offers a take on US history.

The American Future: A History. YLE TEEMA at 21:00

21

17.2.

SELECTION OF ENGLISH PROGRAMMES ON FINNISH TELEVISION

MTV3 09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 12:15 Space for Living 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 At the End of My Leash 13:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 14:30 Alf 15:00 Windfall 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale Paddy meets Tom King. 20:00 Private Practice 21:00 Lipstick Jungle Victory grows suspicious of Cantero. 22:30 C.S.I. New York Violent attack on a hearingimpaired family leaves the team baffled. 23:25 C.S.I. New York Young woman’s sexual fantasies get out of hand. 00:20 Man Stroke Woman

SUB 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 George of the Jungle, 07:35 Steven Spielberg presents Toonsylvania. 11:25 Sturm der Liebe 12:45 World’s Greenest Homes 15:40 Project Runway 16:30 E! Entertainment: Denise Richards 17:00 E! Entertainment: Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 Freddie Freddie and Chris fall for the lovely Rose. 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons Homer and Bart delve into the world of organized crime. 21:00 O.C. It’s Valentine’s Day and everybody is preparing for the big party. 22:00 Pushing Daisies Jockey claims to have been killed by a ghost. 23:00 Génesis (CERT15) 00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air 19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 20:00 X-Weighted 21:00 Packed to the Rafters Ben is convinced his father is having an affair. 22:00 Minor accomplishments of Jackie Woodman Tara takes Jackie to brain yoga. 22:30 Friday Night Project 23:00 Moonlighting David and Maddie are hired to find a wife for a wealthy businessman.

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Digimon Tamers, 07:25 Timon and Pumbaa, 07:50 Walter. 08:00 The Game 08:30 Birth Stories 09:00 Come Dine with Me 09:30 Baby Squad 10:00 10 Years Younger USA 10:30 Open House 13:00 Newlywed, Nearly Dead 13:30 10 Years Younger USA 14:00 Open House 14:30 Come Dine with Me 15:00 Dr. Phil 16:05 Days of Our Lives 17:00 Kyle XY 18:00 Talent USA 20:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Ty and the team help the Harvey family, whose house was hit by a hurricane. 21:00 Navy NCIS McGee’s unpublished book puts the team in jeopardy. 22:00 Young Guns a.k.a. Kids with Guns DOC Many US families enjoy shooting guns together.

Young Guns a.k.a. Kids with Guns. NELONEN at 22:00 23:30 Frasier Frasier and Niles fall for the same woman. 00:30 South Park (CERT15) 01:00 South Park (CERT15)

JIM 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:45 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:15 Cool Tools 16:40 Hidden Potential 17:10 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody Leon’s trip nears its end. 19:00 Over Your Head SERIES ENDS. Maggie Ibarra has been renovating a single guest room for too long. 19:30 Make a Move 20:00 Re-Inventors 20:30 How It’s Made 21:00 Porn Star: Legend of Ron Jeremy (CERT15) DOC 22:00 Build It Bigger Danny Forster takes a look at one of the world’s highest skyscrapers. 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 23:50 Single Subject: Trapped in the Towers (CERT15) DOC 00:50 Extreme Evidence (CERT15) Space shuttle Colombia disintegrates on re-entry. What went wrong?

Jekyll The creators of this series describe it as a sequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s fabulous novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, rather than an adaptation of it. Tom Jackman, played by James Nesbitt, is a contemporary version of Dr Jekyll, who is just beginning to feel the presence of Mr Hyde. He tries to keep his evil alter ego in check but the task gets more difficult as time passes. In the first episode of this six-part miniseries, Jackman experiences troubling transformations into a savage manbeast devoid of empathy or compassion. His wife hires a private investigator, Miranda Calendar, to find out why he left her and it is from Calendar that Jackman hears troubling details about his past and his origins.

TV1 at 21:00 Tue


22

TV GUIDE

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

wednesday TV1

Thu 2/12

18.2.

MTV3

HELSINKI TIMES

−9 −10

NELONEN

−7 09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 YLE News 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors Marc has to tell his patient he has HIV. 15:05 Coronation Street Ashley fears Matt’s first visit to Joshua. 17:08 Peak Practice Family tragedy unites Will and Sarah. Jack is back from Africa. 19:00 Keeping Up Appearances Mrs. Fortescue asks for a lift and Hyacinth is in seventh heaven.

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 10:35 Happy Days 11:00 Laurel & Hardy: Laughtoons 11:10 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Women’s 15 km. Commentary in Finnish. 16:10 McLeod’s Daughters Bryce comes to the engagement party. Phil surprises Moira. 17:00 The Secret World of Benjamin Bear 18:00 Biathlon World Cup SPORT Women’s 15 km. Commentary in Finnish. 20:00 Mr. Bean 22:55 Lir’ot Im Ani Mehayechet (To See if I’m Smiling) DOC Israeli documentary about women serving in the occupied territories. 23:55 Brides of Allah DOC Not all suicide bombers are successful. Thought-provoking Israeli documentary.

09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 10:45 Emmerdale 12:15 Space for Living 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 At the End of My Leash 13:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Northern Exposure 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 C.S.I. Woman is shot dead and C.S.I. is called to investigate. 22:30 Ice Road Truckers Drewon has had enough. 23:30 Mythbusters 00:35 3rd Rock From the Sun

SUB 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 George of the Jungle, 07:35 Steven Spielberg presents Toonsylvania. 11:25 Sturm der Liebe 12:45 Superhomes 15:40 Project Runway 16:30 E! Entertainment: Living Lohan 17:00 E! Entertainment: Keeping Up with the Kardashians 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 Freddie Freddie cooks dinner for Rose and her Italian boyfriend. 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons Lisa is depressed by Bart’s jazz skills. 21:00 Three Kings (CERT15) FILM Soldiers search for a treasure during the Gulf War. Directed by David O. Russell. Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze. USA 1999. 23:10 Heroes 00:05 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 01:00 Wire

TV VIISI Brides of Allah. T V2 at 23:55

YLE TEEMA 16:30 Sleep Clinic DOC 17:00 Everyday Einstein DOC Einstein’s genius lives on in modern technology. 19:00 Peter the Great Part 2/4. Peter the Great attempted to reform Russia. 22:00 Little Mosque on the Prairie Mayor attacks a tradition and Sarah fights back. Is Yasir allowed to enjoy his big screen T V? 23:10 Yle Live: Wendy O. Williams

18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air Will’s vendetta puts Carlton in harm’s way. 19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 21:00 Outback Jack Jack takes the girls to meet his friends. 22:00 Scrubs Dr. Cox wallows in Weltschmerz. Carla and Kelso have a musical disagreement. 22:30 Scrubs 23:00 Dark Justice Brutal slaying of a young woman shocks Judge Marshall.

07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Digimon Tamers, 07:25 Timon and Pumbaa, 07:50 Walter. 08:00 The Game 08:30 Birth Stories 09:00 Come Dine with Me 09:30 Newlywed, Nearly Dead 10:00 10 Years Younger USA 10:30 Open House 13:00 Newlywed, Nearly Dead 13:30 10 Years Younger USA 14:00 Take This House and Sell It! 14:30 Come Dine with Me 15:00 Dr. Phil 16:05 Days of Our Lives 17:00 Kyle XY 18:00 Talent USA 20:00 The Bachelor Girls confront Brad after the final rose ceremony. 21:00 Grey’s Anatomy Meredith's old friend comes to the hospital.

Thu 2/12

−4 −6 −6

−4 −3 Fri 2/13 −12 −11 −9 −8 −9

−5

−5 −2 Sat 2/14 −11 −10

−11 −11 −10 −7

−4

−3

Sun 2/15 −12 −12 −10 −10

Grey's Anatomy. NELONEN at 21:00 22:00 Mad Men Crash of an airliner opens up possibilities for Sterling Cooper. 23:20 Frasier Frasier has triplebooked. Niles finds himself in a dangerous liaison. 23:50 Lincoln Heights Eddie and Kevin try to catch a drug dealer working Cassie’s school. 00:50 Dirt

−8 −9

−7 −9 Mon 2/16

−13 −12 −10 −13 −8

−11 −6

JIM 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:45 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:15 Over Your Head 16:45 Make a Move 17:10 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody Leon sets off to tour Europe on a shoestring. 19:00 Design Remix 19:30 Trigged Out 20:30 Fifth Gear 21:00 Modern Marvels: James Bond Gadgets DOC Bond’s gadgets are world famous. 22:00 American Hot Rod 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 23:50 Porn Star: Legend of Ron Jeremy (CERT15) DOC 00:45 Extreme Evidence (CERT15) Fishing vessel disappears without a trace.

YLE Teema NICK BARLOW

The Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE has in some respects a tough time. For a start, when you pay your ridiculously expensive television licence fee, it is ostensibly to pay for the whole gamut of services YLE provides. 99.98% owned by the Finnish state and with an annual turnover of somewhere around 380 million euros, the organisation operates four national television channels, 13 radio channels, and 25 regional radio stations. Since your 250odd euros a year pay for YLE, they need to provide something for everyone – a thankless and almost impossible task. Since YLE1

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and 2 seem to have identikit programming philosophies, variety is not naturally the spice of life around here. During the digital "transformation" in 2007, YLE introduced a new TV channel, YLE Teema, which aimed to bring a rather more highbrow programming schedule to your telly. This came as something of a surprise to some of us regular TV watchers, as we were under the impression that practically everything YLE does was, if not highbrow, then at least terribly serious. Teema broadcasts cultural, education and science programmes, including lots of documentaries and (according to the website) "legendary European drama". Check out the schedules and you pretty quickly notice the metro-

Thursday 2/12 8:08 am 5:01 pm

8:29 am 4:35 pm

8:20 am 5:11 pm

8:38 am 4:25 pm

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8:59 am 3:55 pm

nomic programming schedules Finns love – each day is themed so you can easily remember what you’re going to be watching. Mondays are popular culture, for example, Tuesdays for History, and so on. At least, that’s the theory. In practice, you get pretty much the same stuff whatever day of the week you’re on. But the stuff you do get is occasionally surprisingly enjoyable. British period dramas like the Forsyte Saga rub shoulders with historical reconstructions and weird films you’d never otherwise hear of. Here I will however signal my impatience at the fact that there are only ever Finnish subtitles for foreign movies. So much for that digital revolution we heard so much about. There’s also the extremely an-

noying habit of frequently dubbing documentaries into Finnish. For example, YLE has frequently shown the fantastic BBC nature documentaries hosted by David Attenborough. The weird thing is that when Attenborough himself is on screen, they subtitle what he’s saying, but when he’s off screen they don’t keep the original voice-over, but dub it instead. It makes absolutely no sense and basically makes watching the programme redundant for non-Finnish speakers. In YLE’s own material they proclaim that they only dub kiddie’s shows into Finnish, but apparently this is nonsense.

Forsyte Saga 20:00 Fri and 16:10 Sun


CLASSIFIEDS & SERVICES

HELSINKI TIMES

12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009

23

Finland info 12 – 18 February 2009 DENTAL CARE

tel. 726 2266 Emergency duty

24 h

Dental care centre

Eurohammas Hämeentie 60

We offer you kind and professional service. Our dentist: Mikko Larjomaa.

OUR SPECIAL PRICES Tooth-coloured filling from.............................€52 Painless tooth removal from.........................€52 Removal of dental calculus and stains, fluoridation and cleaning from.......................€52 Dental whitening..........................................€150 Other services: Dental Implants Surgery Tooth Jewels Open: Mon – Fri 8 – 20. Right by the buses, trams and the metro. On the street level, easy access with the wheelchair.

MASSAGE

Open Mon - Fri 8-20 Sat 9 -15

Uushammas tel. 146 1460

The prices of the special dental technician Prosthesis as if the teeth were your own (made with the best materials)

IN THIS MONTH: THE FULL PROSTHESIS OF UPPER OR LOWER JAW......€360 THE FULL PROSTHESIS OF UPPER AND LOWER JAW....€590 THE FULL PROSTHETIC LINING................................ ........€65 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY THE PROSTHESIS CAN BE MADE IN 12 HOURS.

24 h

Lining and fixing while waiting. No discount of the special prices

Saturday 14 February is Valentine's Day (Ystävänpäivä). Alko. Alko is the only store to sell any alcohol above the strength of beer. Alkos are open Mon-Fri 9-20, Sat 9-18 and closed on Sundays. More information is available at www.alko.fi. For store locations, please call: +358 20 711 712. Banks and Money Exchange. Banks are usually open Mon-Fri 10-16:30. The money exchange office, Forex, at the Helsinki Railway Station is open Mon-Sun 8-21. See www.forex.fi for more information. Department stores are open Mon-Fri 9-21, Sat 9-18 and are closed on Sundays. Emergency Number. Dial the number 112.

BARBER SHOP

Grocery stores. Most grocery stores are open Mon-Fri 7-21, Sat 7-18 and Sun 12-21.

A traditional Barber Shop by an Englishman. Good bus and train connections Kylänevantie 2, Etelä-Haaga, 00320 Helsinki UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Working in Finland? To get earnings-linked benefits in case of unemployment in Finland, you need to be a member of an unemployment fund. Get your independent unemployment security now for only 67 €/ year. Join us: www.ytk.fi

Health. Helsinki City medical centres are open Mon-Fri 8-16. In case of children in need of urgent medical treatment, contact tel. +358 9 10023 or Lastenklinikka’s emergency department, tel. +358 09 471 72783 or +358 09 471 72751. Emergency rooms at the Malmi and Maria Hospital offer treatment at night and during weekends. Malmi tel. 09 10023 or +358 9 3106611. Maria tel. 09 10023 or +358 9 471 63466. Libraries. Public libraries in Helsinki are usually open Mon-Thu 10-20 and Fri-Sat 10-16. Kirjasto 10 (Library 10) in the centre of Helsinki (in Postitalo, Elielinaukio 2 G) offers internet access and good information services in English. It’s open Mon-Thu 10-22, Fri 10-18 and Sat-Sun 12-18. Market halls. Fresh vegetables, fish, meat, bakery items and dairy products are sold at the traditional market halls. Wanha Kauppahalli (Old Market Hall) in Kauppatori (Market Square) and Hakaniemen Kauppahalli (Hakaniemi Market Place) are the most popular. Both are open Mon–Fri 8–18, Sat 8–16 and are closed on Sundays. Museums are closed on Mondays. The National Museum of Finland is located in Helsinki (Mannerheimintie 34, next to the Parliament building) and is open Tue-Wed 11-20, Thu-Sun 11-18. For more information, see www.nba.fi or tel. +358 9 40 50 95 44. Should you wish to book a guided tour, call +358 9 40 50 95 52 Tue-Fri 9-12. More information about museums is available at www.a5.fi/lehdet/museoesite.

EXPAT VIEW

Post. Post offices are usually open Mon–Fri 10–18. See www.posti.fi.

Rebekah Rousi is an Australian performance artist and cultural researcher at the University of Jyväskylä.

Public Transport operates in Helsinki and its surrounding regions from around 05:30, 06:30 on weekends, until midnight. Night buses operate extensively at weekends. For more information. see www.ytv.fi and www.hkl.fi.

The Australia of the North It’s 31 May 2005 and I’ve just received a letter of acceptance from the University of Jyväskylä for a Master’s Degree in Nordic Arts and Cultural Studies. I’m in one of the rooms in my 106-year-old weatherboard house, located on the outskirts of Perth, Western Australia. I have been juggling between job applications, offers and acceptance letters, yet somehow I watch myself automatically sign the acceptance form and place it in a postbox. I’m finally moving to Finland. I first visited Finland in 1998 when my then-fiancé and I both travelled here from Sweden to spend the summer with his dying mother. I didn’t have many preconceptions of what Finland would be like. I had just moved to Gothenburg to live with my man. It was safe, clean and

–being summer time – everyone was happy. However, I had that ‘I’ve just moved to the other side of the world’ feeling and was longing for home already. The first June night, after stepping off the ferry, my fiancé and I took a long walk together through a small town called Urajala. I couldn’t get over the familiar feeling – the roads, light posts, fields – I was home, back in South Australia. From then on, there were never any qualms about returning to Finland for holidays. In fact, the hardest part about coming to Finland was leaving. It was Australia, but colder and near Europe. I loved the snow, my in-laws and the food. Two obstacles that I had in regards to moving here were: what to do when I arrived, and how I would get my expat Finnish

husband to return to Finland permanently? Receiving that letter in 2005 meant that at least I knew how my professional life would progress in Finland. The remaining challenge was my husband. Actually, in the end I didn’t even think of it as a challenge. I gleefully told my husband that I was moving to Finland, and that was that. He could come if he wanted, but if he didn’t want to come he could just as easily stay in Perth. This didn’t seem to be too much of a challenge for my husband either, as he resolutely said that he was staying in Perth. Five months later he was in Finland. It took a year for my Finnish husband to start liking the country. Even if he was here in body, he was still in Australia in spirit. I, on the other hand, was relieved eve-

In this series expatriates tell about their lives in Finland.

ry time I thought of the fact that no longer did we need to leave this wonderful country, and no longer did we need to fly for an eternity to get back to a place like Finland – except warmer – in the middle of nowhere. I’ve been living in Jyväskylä now for over three years, and life’s good. The job market is more competitive here. I have been fortunate enough to complete my Master’s Degree and a teaching diploma, and have been working constantly within education. Quite often I worry about what will happen tomorrow, particularly when living on short-term contracts, but I wouldn’t want to worry like this anywhere else. Finland’s my home. I love Australia and will always miss parts of it, but until I’m Richard Branson, I choose Finland.

Have you got expat views

runs a column series Expat views with rotating expat column writers and we are interested in your experiences. Share your funny, memorable, frustrating or great experiences of Finland with our readers. Please send us a brief email to heidi@helsinkitimes.fi with a piece of information about yourself and what kind of experiences you would like to write about and we will give you more information on how to proceed with your story.

Helsinki Times Oy Vilhonvuorenkatu 11 B 00500 Helsinki www.helsinkitimes.fi


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ISSUE 7 (87) 12 – 18 FEBRUARY 2009 • ISSN 1796-8321. Price €3 (sis ALV) Publisher Helsinki Times Oy Vilhonvuorenkatu 11 B 00500 Helsinki Finland

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Editor-in-chief Alexis Kouros Editor Laura Seppälä Subeditor Heidi Lehtonen Proofreading Jesse Karjalainen, James O'Connor Editorial team Nick Barlow, David Cord, Kati Hurme, Mari Kaislaniemi, Miissa Rantanen, Egan Richardson, Ville Ukkola Layout and graphic design Andrei Kuzmin Webmaster Mahmoud Assiabi, Jere Kokko Translations Michael Nagler, Matthew Parry Sales Aiman Kaddoura, Bob Graham, Kati Hurme, Stephen O'Brien Print house I-print, Vaasa All articles, pictures, adverts and graphics are subject to copyright. No reproduction or reprinting is allowed without permission from ©Helsinki Times Inc.

the week in pictures L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / Z A I N A L A B D H A L I M

SUNDAY

A Hindu devotee take a special shower before beginning their pilgrimage to the sacred Batu Caves temple during Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur 8 February. Thaipusam, a Hindu festival observed on the full moon day of the Tamil month of Thai, is celebrated in honour of Lord Muruga.

T UE SDAY

MONDAY

W EDNE SDAY

L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / A B D I R A S H I D A B D U L L E

L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / K I M J A E- H W A N

Hardline Islamist militia display their weapons on 2 February in Mogadishu after they rejected the newly elected Somali President and moderate Islamist, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed. The Somali capital remains restive even after the pullout by Ethiopian troops as hardliners continue launching sporadic attacks on civilians and targeting AU forces, posing a formidable challenge for new President, Sheikh Ahmed, to break the political deadlock and bridge armed factions and government.

South Korean protesters shout slogans as they hold defaced pictures of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il during a rally against North Korea's recent military policy in Seoul on 3 February. North Korea seems to be preparing to test-fire its longest-range missile, reports said on 3 February, a move which would heighten tensions amid stalled disarmament talks and icy relations with South Korea.

T HUR SDAY

FRIDAY L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / E D D I E K E O G H

Young boys roll a giant snowball in a park after a heavy snowfall in Oxford, southern England 5 February. Heavy snow caused chaos across a swathe of Britain as councils said they were running out of grit to keep roads open and forecasters predicted fresh flurries for southern England during the Friday morning rush hour.

L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / B A Z R AT N E R

A zoo keeper feeds a one-week-old large hairy armadillo, abandoned by its mother, in Jerusalem's Biblical Zoo 4 February.

S AT URDAY L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / D A M I E N M E Y E R

France's Mathieu Crepel competes during the Men's World Cup snowboard half pipe qualification round in Bardonecchia on 6 February .

L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / K I R I L L K U D R YAV T S E V

Men swim in the icy cold water during the 21st winter swimming Championship of Finland in Imatra, outside of Helsinki, on 7 February. More than 2,000 people of all ages and from nine countries swim a 25 metre distance at a minus five degrees centigrade water temperature.


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