Helsinki Times

ISSUE 5 (85) • 29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009 • €3 • WWW.HELSINKITIMES.FI DOMESTIC

BUSINESS

LIFESTYLE

SPORT

CULTURE

Fiscal stimulus packages

Recession then and now

Kayaking among ice

Short soccer season

It’s Jussi time again

page 4

page 10

page 13

page 14

page 15 L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N

Church groups positive towards migrant labour HEIDI LEHTONEN, M AT T H E W PA R R Y – H T

ACCORDING to the provisional results of a study commissioned by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, organisations within Finland’s Evangelical Lutheran Church are keen on providing work to recent migrants. Despite this willingness, however, very few of the church employers surveyed during the study had any previous experience hiring migrants, with only one in ten having done so within the last year.

A rough estimate places the number of church employees with a foreign background during the period 2007-2008 at around 100. Respondents within the church identified language and adaptation issues as the greatest obstacles to further employment, while overly lengthy induction was also found to be a problem.

“The process of taking on new employees is seen as cumbersome and

bureaucratic, and there is very little information out there on successful cases of migrant employees,” says researcher Henrietta Grönlund.

A clear majority, 68 per cent, of employers in church organisations were positively disposed to employing migrant labour, the study reveals.

“This indicates that the potential in terms of employment is fairly significant, it’s simply a question of providing willing employers with adequate support,” Grönlund concludes.

The ministerial study, which will be published in its entirety in March, seeks to assess the potential role of the church in a weakening labour market.

On 1 February President Tarja Halonen will initiate Finland’s largest ever national fundraising initiative, the Solidarity Fundraiser, which will collect funds to support greater employment opportunities for recent migrants.

Nearly 90 per cent of the population reads a newspaper on a daily basis.

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position as the most important news source, claims a new survey commissioned by the Finnish national broadcaster YLE. The survey asked the respondents about their preference for news sources and the reliability of those sources. It compared newspapers and specific news programmes, but did not ask for the names of individual newspapers.

“The newspaper was the most common answer as the preferred news source,” says head researcher Erja Ruohomaa. According to Ruohomaa second place went to YLE’s late news while third place went to MTV3’s tena o’clock news.

Finland remains one of the world's most newspaper-friendly countries. The per capita consump-

tion of newspapers in Finland is third highest in the world, ranked after only Norway and Japan. 87 per cent of the population aged over 12 years read a newspaper every day.

The importance of the internet was reinforced as an alternate news source, especially for those younger than 35 years of age. YLE news chief Jouni Kemppainen believes that the importance of the internet will continue to grow. “From a news point of view, young people are a very challenging audience,” he points out. “By going to places where young people are we can reach them better.”

A separate survey last year found that young people were also increasing their consumption of newspapers. 66 per cent of 12 – 19 year olds read newspapers, up from 64 per cent in 2007. Those aged 20 – 25 showed a similar increase, from 68 per cent to 70 per cent.

For reliability, the best marks of the survey went to YLE’s evening news on television. YLE’s morning television news programme came in second while the national radio news placed third for reliability. MTV3’s news was considered somewhat less reliable than YLE but more reliable than newspapers. The lowest rated source for reliability was YLE’s news website.

The Finnish national broadcaster remains the most trusted news source. Seven of the top ten reliable sources were various YLE programmes. Kemppainen credits his agency’s strong ratings to their vision, accurate information and high visibility with the public. “The availability of news in several media has been a major strength,” he explains.

TNS Gallup interviewed 1,055 people between October and November for the survey.

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VIEWPOINT

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

to only 126 billion US dollars.

This figure includes assistance both from OECD and non-OECD countries, as well as from China.

Pär Stenbäck is a Finnish politician and debater. He has been a member of the city council of Espoo, and also the Finnish parliament (1970-1985). He was the Minister of education 1979 to 1982, Minister of foreign relations 1982 to 1983. Party leader of the Swedish People’s Party 1977 to 1985. He has also been the general secretary for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva.

Recession: the three challenges The worldwide economic slump will have unforeseen consequences in many more foreign policy and security sectors than is currently anticipated. These consequences may affect policies in a profound way and change the international scene considerably. and very obvious result of the recession is that many donor governments are trimming their foreign aid programmes already for 2009. At the time of writing this, final state budgets were under consideration in government meetings and in parliaments. It seems that the outcome will be mixed: some will stay loyal to their earlier promises, some will cut. Some, like Norway, will even reach the one per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2009, for the first time ever. In the US, Barack Obama promised a doubling of foreign assistance from 25 to 50 billion US dollars during the election campaign, but Joe Biden has already said this commitment will probably be delayed because of the economic downturn.

THE FIRST

IN MY OWN country, Finland, our aid decreased by 62 per cent during our severe economic crisis in the early 90s.

Likewise, Japan’s aid declined by 44 per cent when hard times hit the country.

If one projects such numbers to the prevailing slump, we could see a cut in official foreign aid by 30 per cent. This is the prediction of at least one Washington thinktank.

THE SECOND challenge to world security and stability, one that could eliminate years of strenuous efforts, is a financing crisis for UN peacekeeping operations.

It is easy to predict that donor governments will take a careful look at the evergrowing expenditure for the 14 ongoing peacekeeping operations around the world.

In the period ending 30 June 2008, the costs for these operations were staggering, as much as the operations are indispensable. MONUC demanded 1.1 billion US dollars, UNAMID 1.275 billion dollars and so forth. The total amount required for all UN operations in that period rose to 6.7 billion US dollars.

Will governments stay loyal to all these commitments for the next few years? One can only imagine the conse-

quences when already thin operations will be cut in sensitive areas. and probably the most threatening challenge comes from the private sector and from private citizens.

By far the biggest transfer of assets from rich countries to the developing world takes place through remittances made by migrant workers.

Surprisingly many decision makers are still unaware of the facts: in 2006 around 150 million migrants sent some 300 billion US dollars to their families at home in developing countries (IFAD study). The number of transactions is huge: 1.5 billion remittances are estimated to have taken place during one year. This, of course, is based on the fact that most remittances are for a sum of only 100-300 dollars. They normally go towards immediate household consumption.

THE THIRD

BY COMPARISON, the value of

all official development assistance in 2006 amounted

How many job applications were you thinking of writing this year?

IF THIS global network is seriously hurt by the recession, it will throw millions of already poor people back into poverty. This will happen if migrants lose their jobs in their host countries and are forced to return to their country of origin.

OF THE total figure 300 billion, remittances are distributed to different continents as follows: Europe 50 billion, Africa 38, Latin America and the Caribbean 68, Near East 24 and Asia 113 billion (all figures from 2006).

In all, 57 countries received more than 1 billion dollars in remittances.

SOME countries were clearly dependent of this income flow for their economic survival. Let me mention only a few: Cape Verde received 34 per cent of its GDP from this external source, Eritrea 38 per cent and Burundi 23 per cent. In Asia the countries with most at stake are Afghanistan (30 per cent) and Tajikistan (38 per cent). For instance, in Moldova it accounts for 31 per cent and in Honduras for 25 per cent.

AS YOU CAN see, several of these countries are in conflict zones or are fragile states in some way or another. It goes without saying that a diminishing flow of funding through remittances will cause added instability, increase poverty and may add to increased migration to other countries, without any assurance of work opportunities.

the facts, that show how dependent many developing countries are on their citizens abroad, one must ask what can be done to ease the burden if the recession will hit migrant workers? If an estimated 10 per cent of the world population can be found among the benefactors of this income source, clearly this is something that must be of concern to the “aid and assistance establishment” in the donor countries. Or is this a

HAVING STATED

WELL , it may be easy to say that the employment possibilities of the approximately 150 million migrant workers in the world are totally dependent on prevailing market forces. However, governments in Europe and elsewhere should take a careful look at what mechanisms are at work when migrant workers are sent home. These are the same governments that are ready to put money in direct foreign aid. Are there tax breaks which can be adapted to entice employers to keep their workers in the country?

This could even be a better way to support a poor country far away.

look should be taken at the forms of money transactions between rich and poor countries. The transaction costs often cut off a considerable portion of an already small remittance. Here governments may be able to intervene, as the atmosphere now is quite positive to intervention and regulation in the banking sector. One should not exclude the possibility that aid money could be used to create safe and cheap channels for money remittances. This would be necessary especially in cases when the money cannot reach remote rural areas in an African or Asian country, places where the family of a migrant worker finds itself in dire straits.

ANOTHER

WE SHOULD consider also the

restrictive regulations that were introduced after the September 11 attacks. The new demands for effective control mechanisms placed an extra burden on the remittance system operators, all in the interest of fighting terrorism. It is hard to say if this actually has prevented terrorism, but it certainly has made remittance costs higher. money to certain countries is now allowed only through formal banking channels. This has created virtual monopolies and can prevent remittance money from reaching rural areas where bank of-

SENDING

fices do not exist. In western Africa, the IFAD study tells us that just one money transfer operator handles 70 per cent of official payments and this operator demands exclusivity with banks. more informal financial institutions to channel foreign payments would ease the money flow to remote regions. Co-operatives, credit unions or new forms of microfinance institutions could form networks that guarantee accessibility.

ALLOWING

OTHER restrictive legal prac-

tices are in force in some countries where they exclude migrants without legal status from using official banking systems. In some positive cases, other countries have taken steps to make remittance transfers possible by using mobile phones. the huge amount of remittances and their importance for keeping millions of people above the poverty line, there is a good case for institutions like the European Union to take a careful look at the remittance system itself. In times of financial and economic downturn, such a system can be helpful in alleviating the burdens heaped on victims of the slump. Are there restrictive practices that the EU can abolish? Can EU assistance be adapted to the needs of this informal, but highly important rescue network?

Perhaps the EU already has a policy in place; if that is the case, let the Member States know about it and ask them to contribute to it.

CONSIDERING

FINALLY, one may argue that private investments in developing countries should be discussed in this context, as one important factor when analysing which harvest of the recession that developing countries will reap. However, one can anticipate that such investments will inevitably slow down during the next few years. Therefore it seems even more important how employment among migrant workers will evolve: only these workers can secure the wellbeing of hundreds of millions in some of the poorest countries.

Recruitment Fair for university students and graduates Dipoli, Espoo Thursday 29.1. 10am - 5pm

...there are also easier ways to get a job

In co-operation:

shadowy sub-terrain that is not a part of the official aid machinery?

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TODAY www.contactforum.fi

HELSINKI TIMES

DOMESTIC NEWS TV TV GUIDE GUIDE

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

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A winter excursion to Suomenlinna permanent abode of some 850 people. The island’s residents are served by a primary school, a crèche and a library among other facilities.

Ferries through the winter The ferry to Suomenlinna runs between the Helsinki Market Square and the island from early in the morning until 2am at night. During the winter, there are 1–2 departures every hour.

HKL tickets valid in Helsinki and in the metropolitan region are also valid on the ferry. If you do not have a travel card you can purchase a ticket from an automat situated at the ferry terminal. One economical alternative is the special Suomenlinnaticket which provides passengers with a return trip to the island. Valid for 12 hours and solely on the ferry itself, the ticket costs 3.80 per adult and 1.90 per child.

Group tickets for groups of 2–31 people are also available at the terminal automat.

As this comes in the form of a single ticket, all passengers covered by a group ticket must travel together.

Island services during winter

The historical fortress island of Suomenlinna is a fantastic destination any time of year. A winter visit is a mere 15minute ferry ride away from Helsinki’s harbour.

Leave the city’s hustle behind without travelling more than a couple of kilometres from Helsinki’s Market Square. On Suomenlinna you can discover historical treasures and wintry natural beauty, whether you take one of the guided walking tours or set out on your own to explore the ancient fortress which gives the island its name. There are around eight kilometres of centuries-old fortified walls, as well as more than a hundred historic cannons.

The Visitor Centre, Suomenlinnakeskus, and the Suomenlinna Museum which tells the history of the fortress island, are both open the entire year round. The island’s restaurant, local store and kiosk are also open.

Finland’s and Helsinki’s history Suomenlinna is one of the largest maritime fortresses in the world and one whose history is closely entwined with that of Finland and the Baltic region. The fortress was constructed in the eighteenth century at a time when Finland formed the eastern part of the Swedish realm, and it was intended as a bulwark to protect the realm’s eastern flank.

When Finland fell under Russian control in the nineteenth century, Suomenlinna’s role was to help guard the sea routes leading into Saint Petersburg, then the Russian capital.

Much of Helsinki’s growth as a city can also be put down to the importance of Suomenlinna: the presence of the Swedish fortress helped jump-start Helsinki’s economic growth, and later enhanced the city’s credibility as the new capital of the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland in 1812.

In addition to its status as a popular tourist destination, Suomenlinna is also an official residential district of Helsinki and is the

The visitor Centre Suomenlinnakeskus – tourism advice, Suomenlinna Museum – open daily 10am-4pm through to 30 April – during the winter, guided walking tours in English are held on Saturdays and Sundays and depart at 1.30pm from the Visitor Centre (adults 6.50, children 3) The Ehrensvärd Society arranges tours for groups throughout the year in a number of different languages.

Reservations can be made by sending an email to guidebooking@suomenlinnatours.com Additional information in English on Suomenlinna’s services is available at www.suomenlinna.fi The Suomenlinna ferry’s timetable can be found at www.hkl.fi /timetables

Direct from the city centre to the zoo

The Helsinki Zoo in Korkeasaari is open daily in winter 10am-4pm and it can be reached by taking the bus number 11 which departs

from the Central Railway Station platform 8 at hourly intervals. The first departure leaves the Central Railway Station at 9.40am and the final return departure leaves Korkeasaari for the centre at 4.15pm.

One of the buses on line 11 is Korkeasaari Zoobus. Decked out in Korkeasaari colours, the Zoobus features a display screen which includes information on initiatives to protect the environment we humans share with animals.

Winter is an excellent time to visit the zoo since it is easier to get closer to many of the animals than it is during summer. Fans

of the arts should also make a trip to Korkeasaari since the island will also host the international ice sculpting event Art Meets Ice during January and February. The competition will take place on two weekends, from 31 January to 1 February, and from 7 February to 8 February.

On the first of those weekends, sculptors will celebrate the zoo’s 120-year history by sculpting a work entitled ’Saved by the Zoos’. On the second weekend, the theme ‘Frogs unlimited’ will draw attention to the campaign to save endangered amphibians.

No trams in Kaisaniemi on Monday evening Sewerage repair work on Kaisaniemenkatu scheduled for Monday evening will force tram lines 3B, 3T, 6 and 9 onto diversion routes. From 9pm on Monday 2 February until the end of late-night public transport, trams will run through Kaisaniemi in both directions along the following streets: Liisankatu – Snellmaninkatu – Aleksanterinkatu. If the night frost falls below -15 degrees, however, the scheduled repairs will be pushed forward a week to Monday 9 February.

Campaign for mobile phone etiquette Posters encouraging users of public transport to consider their fellow passengers when using a mobile phone have been on display on buses, trams and the metro during January. The goal of the ”Älä kailota” (”Don’t shout”) campaign is to remind passengers that they are in a public space, and to pay heed to what they are saying and where they are saying it. Discussion of private matters or company secrets, as well as speaking at the top of one’s voice, are habits the campaign is especially trying to discourage.

The campaign received a positive reception a year ago when it was run for the first time. The subject was discussed widely both in the media and among users of mobile phones. In a survey of passengers on public transport, loud phone conversations, ring tones and keypad tones were identified as particularly disturbing, as were lengthy phone conversations about personal health or relationship issues, or confidential corporate affairs.

Use of coarse language was also found to irritate some. In contrast, brief, discrete calls were not considered disturbing.

Changes to the timetable of bus 42 The bus line 42 will switch over to a new timetable on 9 February due to congestion on Hakamäentie caused by repair works on that street. Intervals between one bus and the next will stretch by 12 minutes, and the morning’s first departure from Kannelmäki will leave 5 minutes earlier. The line’s night timetable for services after 9pm, as well its weekend timetable, will remain unchanged.

Tram tickets only available from automats or with a travel card As of the beginning of this year, it is no longer possible to buy the cheaper tram-only tickets from drivers. This ticket type still exists, but it can now only be purchased from ticket automats for 1.80, or with credit loaded onto your travel card for only 1.37. Drivers on both trams and buses continue to sell single tickets for Helsinki or the whole metropolitan region, as well as one-day tourist tickets.

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DOMESTIC NEWS

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / K I M M O M Ä N T Y L Ä

To improve the financing situation of companies looking for money, the government has also increased the capitalisation of several state-owned financing companies. The environmental and energy sectors will also receive an extra 15 million euros available for demonstration projects.

Budget changes The 2009 budget aims to put more money in the hands of taxpayers. Income-tax cuts will be spread equally across all levels. As an example, those earning 35,000 euros this year will have about 540 euros more to keep. It is hoped that this extra cash will be used to purchase goods and services, therefore helping Finnish businesses.

The value-added tax on food will also be slashed. Later this year taxes should fall from 17 per cent to 12 per

cent, saving grocery shoppers about 500 million euros.

This should be of great help to those on a low income, because they generally spend more on food.

More measures have been included to stimulate the battered construction industry, which has been hit particularly hard. The government has taken steps to promote housing construction and renovation. An extra 30 million euros has been tagged specifically to renovate school buildings.

Political differences Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen is also planning on a long-term stimulus package. He recently called for a multi-billion euro investment project for new road and rail links between Helsinki and northern Finland, energy projects and more spending on research and development.

Member of Parliament Paavo Arhinmäki of the opposition Left Alliance is unimpressed. “In Parliament the speeches have mainly been about businesses and the plight of the banks, but almost nothing has been debated about the economic crisis in the social dimension at the individual level, unemployment and poverty,” he writes on his blog.

He argues that more money should be spent on social programmes. “Our aim must be the concerns of people, not the success of business owners,” he writes. Arhinmäki denounces companies that pay excessive dividends yet lay off workers, and calls for the nationalisation of steelmaker Rautaruukki. “The Left must present ts own alternative to the current economic system.”

Another parliamentarian, Arja Karhuvaara of the National Coalition, appears sceptical as to how far social spending should be extended. “Society has a safety net, not a hammock,” she writes on her website.

Parties vague on fighting racism

the Charter, especially as the issue is becoming more and more topical. As Finland becomes home to an increasing number of immigrants, Finnish society is undergoing a profound transformation.

This calls for an open discussion on Finland’s immigration policy. The aim is by no means to stifle critical discussion.

Suurpää closely followed the debate on immigration during the election last autumn, especially on the internet. She saw a lot of variety in the online exchanges, even some extreme incidents.

However, these were individual cases and no signatory party of the Charter for a

Non-Racist Society was consistently marked by such infractions in their overall campaign. On the other hand, evidence of an expressly antiracist agenda was also rare.

Suurpää calls for more concrete actions against discrimination, more efficient training on and more attention to following up on the obligations set by the Charter. Parties should also pay more attention to minority representation at various levels. Suurpää says her office is offering an open invitation to parties: “We are seeking co-operation in our efforts to educate party officers and elected officials.”

The value-added tax on food should fall from 17 per cent to 12 per cent this year.

Government acts to stimulate economy Fiscal stimulus packages are being set to help improve the state of the economy.

DAV I D J . C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES

THE FINNISH government is hurrying to stimulate the economy. With production decreasing and redundancies being announced on a daily basis, elected officials are trying all means at their disposal to reinvigorate the stalling national economy.

With monetary policy in the hands of the European Central Bank, policy makers are today left with fiscal policy. By increasing spending, cutting taxes or changing regulations the government hopes to increase economic activity and create new jobs. Overall fiscal policy will be eased by about one per cent of gross domestic product this year.

After the previous budget plan for 2009 was not deemed useful enough, an additional supplementary proposal focused on industry financing, improving employment and helping with job training for those made redundant. More may be on the way. Finance Minister Jyrki Katainen has given Raimo Sailas the task of finding different ways that the state can stimulate the Finnish economy. About 300 million euros has been earmarked specifically for the stimulus package this year.

A recent survey conducted by the Ombudsman for Minorities reveals that Finland’s political parties are committed to fighting racism, but as yet have no concrete policies for doing so.

L E H T I K U VA / T O R W E N N S T R Ö M M AT T I KO S K I N E N HEL SINKI TIMES

Ombudsman for Minorities, Johanna Suurpää, urges parties to fight discrimination on a concrete level.

THE ISSUE of immigration was a topic of much debate in the municipal election last autumn, and at times led to heated exchanges. Following the election, Ombudsman for Minorities, Johanna Suurpää, requested that all parliamentary parties report on their activities to fight discrimination. All political parties currently represented in the Finnish parliament have signed the Charter of European Parties for a Non-Racist Society, and all but one produced the report.

While all of the parties assured in their reports that they are committed to fighting racism, the wording of the Charter was generally not known in detail. Altogether the answers were not specific, nor were they grounded on the Charter.

“The answers overall were positive, but lacked concreteness. All parties were committed to fighting discrimination on a general level,” Suurpää told HT. She is reluctant to discuss individual parties.

While some parties had policy papers on specific issues such as the Roma question or immigration policy, few detailed concrete, proactive anti-racist programmes.

Candidates were usually requested to familiarise themselves with the party agenda, which contain various commitments to oppose discrimination. This, according to Suurpää, is not enough.

“Many new municipal officials were elected, and the parties have an obligation clearly stated in the Charter to educate their personnel on discrimination issues,” she said.

One reason for the survey was to remind parties of

The Charter of European Parties for a Non-Racist Society: – A project initially carried out by the National Bureau against Racial Discrimination in the Netherlands with the European Parliament, the Migration Policy Group and the municipality of Utrecht, with financial support from the European Commission.

– Approved by representatives of 40 political parties from EU member states in Utrecht on 28 February 1998.

– Calls on democratic political parties within the EU to act responsibly when dealing with issues related to race, ethnic and national origin and religion.

– Encourages parties to work towards fair representation of racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities within and at all levels of their party system.

DOMESTIC NEWS

HELSINKI TIMES

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

5

L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N

IN BRIEF COLUMN

Managing waste

Finland's ParkCom suspends operations

Sorting and recycling are key factors for everyday waste management at home.

R I T VA L A R VA -S A L O N E N HEL SINKI TIMES

on waste management is a hot topic in many municipalities. Although, Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council (YTV) made the decision to build a new waste-fired power plant in Vantaa in December, the goal is to reduce overall waste production. Sorting and recycling have a significant role in terms of reducing the amount of waste.

How and what to recycle?

Regulations state that people living in apartment buildings should sort bio-waste, paper and cardboard. Alongside these, glass and metals are easy to sort.

Drinks bottles and cans on which a refund has been paid are best returned to ordinary grocery stores. Since September, batteries can be returned to supermarkets as well.

THE DISCUSSION

Where to start?

“The most important thing is to take the hazardous waste, such as energy-saving lightbulbs, fluorescent lighttubes or paints to special collection points, which are located at a number of petrol stations,” advises Olli Linsiö, Responsible-Environmental Expert at YTV Waste Management.

Then, at home, one can continue with bio-waste.

Throw tea bags, fruit and vegetable peels, and food

Finnish parking enforcement company ParkCom said 27 January it would suspend its operations over uncertainty about the legality of the entire business.

November last year, the Helsinki appeals court upheld a district court ruling saying a motorist was under no obligation to pay fines issued by ParkCom. ParkCom has filed a petition for leave to appeal the ruling before the Supreme Court. ParkPatrol, another parking enforcement firm, suspended its operations in December before declaring insolvency last month.

STT

leftovers into a paper bag and take it to the compost or biowaste container at the building’s garbage area.

Apartment buildings have also a paper-recycling box or one can find it in a recycling container nearby one’s home.

The basic rule for what kind of paper that can be recycled is: everything that comes through your letterbox can be put into the container.

Metals, glass and plastics Unlike paper, recycling metals or glass is slightly more challenging because it can be tricky to find containers for such waste. Usually, large containers can be found at bigger recycling areas of larger supermarkets.

“Before dropping the cans and tins to a container, one should rinse them. This is because of hygiene and to avoid smells,” warns Linsiö. “Of course, one should not use too much energy for rinsing the cans. There is no need to wash them with a washing-up liquid,” says Linsiö, with a smile.

In theory, plastics can be recycled. But in the real life, this is only done by industry. The problem with household plastics is that there are several types of plastics and they are not plain enough to be materials used for new products. Nevertheless, some shops have collection points for plastic bags.

The households of the metropolitan area annually generate 300 kilos of household waste per inhabitant.

In some cities, energy waste is also collected.

Energy waste will end up as fuel for industry, which means that all compustible waste belongs in this cateDid you know?

– Brown-paper bags and wrapping paper goes to cardboard recycling, but not paper – Medicines should be returned to pharmacies – Explosives such as fireworks should be taken to the police – Bikes and big garbage to Sortti waste disposal stations in the Helsinki metropolitan area or recycling spots at the wastemanagement area – Clothes, china, furniture to recycling centres, charity shops or flea markets.

Survey finds enthusiasm for Swedish at school Younger Finns are most likely to defend the presence of Swedish in the curriculum.

M I R VA B RO L A – S T T HEIDI LEHTONEN, M AT T H E W PA R R Y – H T

among Finnishspeakers towards the Swedish language have surprised the authors of a recent study.

According to their survey, the majority of Finnish-speakers believe that Swedish remains an essential part of Finnish society. Most also feel that the country’s leading politicians ought to have a command of both Finnish and Swedish. “‘There was a feeling among Swedish speakers that the social atmosphere with regard to their native language has worsened, but these results have come as quite a positive surprise,” beamed Kjell Herberts, a sociologist at Åbo Akademi.

There appears to be a good deal of enthusiasm for bilingual Finns. Swedish speakers have no need to be concerned AT TITUDES

about their linguistic or cultural identity.

The Finland-Swedish thinktank Magma commissioned market-research group Taloustutkimus to conduct the survey of Finnish-speakers’ attitudes to Swedish. Some 1,000 Finnishspeakers were questioned.

Mixed reactions Despite the heated rhetoric of some, the survey indicates that compulsory school Swedish is not a source of irritation for all students. Exactly half of Finnish-speakers held the view that the language should remain compulsory in schools.

The proportion of Finns who wanted it made voluntary has, however, risen slightly over the last decade.

Perhaps most surprisingly, younger respondents were especially likely to defend compulsory Swedish. No fewer than 60 per cent of those

gory. The rule is: sort hazardous waste first, then recyclable waste, and then the rest to the energy waste and to the ordinary mixedwaste containers.

aged between 15 and 24 who were surveyed defended the current policy. In older age groups, that figure fell from slightly over half of respondents to slightly under half.

The recent government decision to make Swedish a voluntary part of the matriculation exam drew support from over half of those surveyed, while 40 per cent of respondents considered the change a mistake.

Women more positive Women tended to be more sympathetic towards Swedish-speakers and the Swedish language in general, than men. Of those surveyed, 65 per cent reported that they could consider marrying a Swedish-speaking Finn.

Attitudes vary widely across the country. Finnishspeakers living in eastern Finland were less likely to view the language as necessary, while some of them felt that Russian was more important than Swedish.

Competency in the language and Swedish-speaking friends often went hand in hand with more positive

attitudes among Finnishspeakers. The majority of Finnish-speakers nevertheless rated their command of the language as weak.

Only one fifth of Finnishspeakers felt confident about their own ability to speak Swedish. This does, however, represent a slight increase over the last decade.

Faith in the future Magma's Olav Melin considers the results a pleasing surprise.

“A 74 percent majority of Finns see the Swedish language as an important part of Finnish society. This reflects a rise of four per cent over the last ten years,” Melin observed.

Some of the results were nevertheless contradictory.

Despite the fact that Finland is moving towards a more pluralistic society, readiness among Finnish-speakers to actually study Swedish has fallen. The relegation of school Swedish to voluntary rather than compulsory status is seen as a major challenge to many Swedishspeakers. Melin remains optimistic about the future, however.

“Finland is and will remain a bilingual country, and moreover, an increasingly multicultural one. I see that as enriching.”

Finnish military orders directional mines from Forcit The Finnish military said in a statement 27 January it had placed a €16.7-million order with Finnish explosives maker Forcit for directional mines to replace pressure-triggered ones banned under the Ottawa treaty.

The Finnish Defence Forces added that Forcit would supply the weapons by 2012.

The Finnish government has pledged to sign the Ottawa treaty in 2012. STT

Jaakonsaari mulls standing in Euro-election Liisa Jaakonsaari, a Finnish Social Democrat MP, said 27 January she would hold a news conference about June's European Parliament election on 29 January. Jaakonsaari added she had yet to decide whether to stand.

STT

Finnish government export credit aid to €3.7 bln The Finnish government said in a statement 27 January that the cabinet committee on economic affairs had approved the trebling of the government's export credit aid package to about €3.7 billion. Parliament had approved a 1.2-billioneuro export credit package in the autumn.

STT

Ljubljana and Zagreb welcome Ahtisaari as mediator Olli Rehn, the EU enlargement commissioner, said 27 January that the European commission's proposal to name the former Finnish president Mart-

ti Ahtisaari chief mediator of a border row between Croatia and Slovenia had been welcomed in Zagreb and Ljubljana. Rehn visited both capitals last week. Slovenia has blocked Croatia's EU accession process over the long-running dispute involving the former's access to international waters from the Gulf of Piran.

"What is at stake here is an area of no more than a few square kilometres, yet the dispute threatens to undermine the credibility of the EU's enlargement policy as a whole," Rehn told Finnish reporters in Brussels.

STT

Young Finnish motorists speed weekly One in two of the Finnish motorists aged under 25 interviewed for a poll admitted to exceeding the speed limit on a weekly basis, Finnish insurer Sampo said 27 January.

It added that a third of the young motorists included in the poll said they tended to break the speed limit more frequently than once a week.

According to Sampo, young motorists are six times more likely to cause an accident than other age groups are.

Commissioned by Sampo, market research company Taylor Nelson Sofres interviewed about 1,000 motorists in December. STT

Finnish FM wants EU to help US house Guantánamo prisoners Alexander Stubb (cons), the Finnish foreign minister, said 26 January he hoped the EU would "lend a hand" to the US to help relocate the prisoners of the camp in Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.

Speaking to the Finnish News Agency (STT) in Brussels, Stubb added that the presidential term of Barack Obama had ushered in a new era in relations between the EU and the US and that the former should act accordingly.

Stubb said that it was understandable if some of the about 30 people to be released from Guantánamo did not want to remain in the US given that they had been kept illegally incarcarated for years and possibly tortured.

Stubb had said at the weekend that he did not see Finnish prisons housing former Guantánamo prisoners. Obama promised after his inauguration last week that the Guantánamo Bay "detention centre" would be closed within the year. STT

6

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

FROM THE FINNISH PRESS

HELSINKI TIMES

TRANSLATIONS BY MICHAEL NAGLER L E H T I K U VA / J U K K A R I T O L A

ILKKA 24 January

Entrepreneurs campaign against recession Computer entrepreneur Kaarlo Aintila from Seinäjoki shrugs off talk of recession. He is among the first to join the small and mediumsized businessmen’s anti-recession campaign, reports the Seinäjoki-based daily Ilkka.

THE “KETÄÄN ei sanota irti’ (No one will be laid off) campaign, which started in Pirkanmaa last Monday, has received a tremendous welcome. Seinäjoki businessman Kaarlo Aintila also set off to fight the recession.

ATK-Apuri Seinäjoki is among the businesses prom-

ising to outlast the recession.

In the web pages of Pirkanmaa’s entrepreneurs Aintila has publicly pledged to remain a businessman for this year at least. ‘I joined the campaign a few days ago. All this jabbering about the recession started to get on my nerves,’ he says.”

Foreign intelligence services have tried to induct many UN employees into their service.

HELSINGIN SANOMAT 19 & 20 January. MATTI HUUSKONEN

MAASEUDUN TULEVAISUUS 23 January

Sex used to lure Finnish UN men Meat still essential especially if they were married.

Captain Reijo Raitasaari, who has served the UN and other international organisations for most of his career, remembers three different recruiting attempts from three different decades. During the Lebanon

War in 1983 he received a clear offer to serve Israeli military intelligence. In Beirut in 1974 and in Macedonia in 1999, the attempted induction was done

by Americans.

Raitasaari says he has heard similar stories from over ten colleagues, all of

whom are Finnish UN employees. He also knows of some who took the bait.

Many Finns who have served in the UN have also confirmed the recruiting attempts to Helsingin Sanomat.

Neither are the Finns the only ones to be lured into serving a foreign power.

In his 2003 book, Dutch war historian Artur ten Cate names Dutch military observers who have spied for Israel during the Middle East crisis.

The Finnish Security Police (Supo) will begin training in resisting attempts by foreign intelligence services to lure those employed in crisis zones. The first classes were held this month. Training will be given to about 150 Finns employed in the world’s crisis centres.

Supo, the Interior Ministry and the Crisis Management Centre (CMC) Finland decided on Monday to start the training after the Helsingin Sanomat had reported the incident”.

An overwhelming majority of Finns eat meat, reports Maaseudun Tulevaisuus.

L E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R

“THERE have been repeated attempts to lure Finnish UN employees into serving a foreign power in the Middle East and Kosovo. Sex and money were used as bait.

Those who have fallen into a sexual relationship may have also been blackmailed,

to the family diet

Meat remains a favourite amongst Finns.

“NEARLY 80 per cent of consumers regard meat as an essential part of a family’s balanced diet. The larger the family, the more important meat is regarded to be for health and wellbeing.

This is revealed by a study on meat consumption commissioned by Lihatiedotus.

Almost two thirds of consumers find it hard to go without meat in their diet. It is much harder for men to go vegetarian than it is for wom-

en, and more difficult on average for youths than for older people.

According to the study, 97 per cent of Finns eat meat, and the figure has not changed from the previous year. Over half consume meat daily or almost daily, men more often than women.

The most critical towards meat-eating are 25-34-yearold consumers, seven per cent of whom do not eat meat or meat products at all.”

M A R J A VÄ Ä N Ä N E N

Three attempts have been made to enlist long-time UN employee Reijo Raitasaari into the service of a foreign power, reports the national daily Helsingin Sanomat.

TURUN SANOMAT 24 January. ANNE SAVOLAINEN

47 windows in Pendolino train smash in tunnel

You'll love the way we print it The bigger printing house gives you more possibllities

www.iprint.fi

A large number of windows in a Turku-bound Pendolino train broke in a tunnel. The cause remains unclear, reports the Turun Sanomat.

“A PENDOLINO train that left

Helsinki for Turku on Friday at 17:09 had 43 windows break when passing through the187-meter Lillgård tunnel.

Because only the outer layers of the triple-glazed windows smashed, the passengers were not in danger.

Nearly all the cars in the train had their windows broken. Despite this, the train ar-

rived in Turku only about five minutes behind schedule.

A woman from Turku who was on the train described the sound as similar to rocks being thrown at windows.

Timo Metso, the transport coordinator in VR’s transportation administration centre, thinks that vandalism is not a logical explanation. ‘It might be due to ice or debris which

The sudden changes in air pressure caused by the train entering the tunnel may have loosened pieces of ice, which could explain the mysterious window breakages.

fell from the tunnel surface, maybe due to pressure variations. But the cause is being investigated.’

It is not the first time a Pendolino had its windows break. ‘However, the amount of smashed windows today is shocking.’”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

HELSINKI TIMES

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

7

L E H T I K U VA / A F P / L O I C V E N N I N

Tempting the Irish to say yes Ireland's rejection of the European Union's Lisbon treaty has led Brussels officials to plan a major publicity campaign aimed at convincing voters that they should respond favourably to the bloc's economic, social and foreign policies. ment has undertaken to hold a second referendum.

DUBLIN

DAV I D C RO N I N IP S

LATER this year the Irish gov-

ernment will hold a second referendum on the Lisbon treaty, after a majority of Irish voters opposed it during 2008. Anxious to avoid another defeat, the European Commission has earmarked 2.7 million euros for an advertising strategy designed to encourage a "positive emotional identification" with the EU, according to a document outlining the project.

Ireland is alone among EU countries in giving its citizens the opportunity to vote on the treaty. With all 27 countries required to ratify the treaty before it can come into place, the Dublin govern-

EU campaigns for a Yes The publicity campaign is to be largely directed at young people. This follows research indicating that 62 per cent of people aged 18-24 who cast their vote rejected the treaty, more than ten per cent higher than the general 'no' vote.

Joe Hennon, a Commission spokesman, said that publicity efforts will not be specifically focused on the second referendum but on addressing "the longer-term problem of lack of knowledge about the EU in Ireland."

According to the Commission, the publicity being planned is in response to a report drawn up by Ireland's parliament. It stated that EU bodies pay "insufficient attention" to explaining the rationale behind its laws, and particularly the treaties that form the bloc's core rule book.

But critics of the EU's policies argue that the Commission is meddling in internal Irish affairs. A 1995 ruling of the Irish Supreme Court

found that the use of public funds for a partisan advocacy campaign ahead of a referendum violated the country's constitution.

Patricia McKenna, a former member of the European Parliament who instigated the legal action in that case, said it would be "outrageous" for money from the EU taxpayer to be used for a onesided publicity campaign.

The treaty is no treat Although supporters of the Lisbon treaty maintain that it is primarily aimed at streamlining the EU's decision-making apparatus, it would nonetheless enshrine controversial principles of economic policy into the Union's rule books. For example, it commits the Union to removing any barriers that European companies encounter when doing business abroad.

Some anti-poverty groups believe such 'barriers' include social and environmental legislation enacted by poorer countries with which western firms do not wish to comply.

Ireland was the only EU country that held a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. The Irish voted against it last June, and will have another referendum on it later this year.

The treaty also has provisions that are considered a threat to Ireland's status of being militarily non-aligned.

It requires each EU country to come to the aid of another that finds itself under attack. And it stipulates that each country will increase its expenditure on defence, without providing any simi-

lar onus on states to improve health, education or other social services.

Leader of the Irish Socialist Party Joe Higgins said that the Commission's "interference will be resented by the majority of people here, including people who voted Yes." As well as campaigning against the Lisbon treaty,

Higgins will be a candidate in the forthcoming European Parliament elections. "It would be a great concern if the EU launches a campaign before the elections with the intention of influencing the outcome of the elections in favour of political parties who happen to be campaigning for a Yes vote," he said.

Mobile, international, long distance calls and Carrier-service 09 4247 50000. Service available in Finnish, Swedish and English. Business hours Mon-Fri 8.30-16.30.

Cubio Communications Vilhonvuorenkatu 11A, 00500 Helsinki Finland tel. 09-689677 fax 09-689666

and careers 29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009 by 8 Jobs

HELSINKI TIMES IS TOCKPHOTO

Proactive, positive and aware Trying times in the labour market calls for proactive actions and an upbeat attitude. Just as important, the awareness of your rights as an employee is essential in negotiating the transition in and out of work.

IN THE current economic climate it pays to secure your place in the labour market.

You don’t want to be forced to react to events, be discouraged about your situation or be in the dark about what your rights are.

Stay up-to-date with the financial health of your company. Are earnings down?

Has the firm lost big customers? Pay attention to any news you might hear from your shop steward, but don’t be alarmed by rumours.

rary suspension of work and pay. During a period on furlough, all other aspects of the employee’s contract remain unchanged. Employees may be furloughed temporarily, indefinitely or by reducing working hours.

FIRST,

SECONDLY, the times demand

Cooperation negotiations The aim of cooperation negotiations is to augment genuine cooperation between staff and their employer.

The goal is to give employees more opportunities to influence matters affecting their work and job stability.

be proactive with your situation. If worse comes to worse, you don’t want to be hindered by long delays before you are ready to start job hunting. Keep yourself prepared for any eventuality.

Make sure that your CV is current and you have copies of any documentation you may need for a job application, such as education certificates.

ONE SMART tactic is to register with Monster and upload your CV for all prospective employers to look at. Not all vacancies are openly advertised, rather some employers will identify promising interviewees from a CV database.

Don’t be caught by surprise.

a positive attitude. You have to keep your spirits up and stay encouraged. This may be difficult, but focus on all the desirable traits you possess that employers would love to have in an employee. if the job hunt does not necessarily result in the desired outcome right away, persistence does eventually pay off. Don’t give up. Even the smallest steps will take you along the road of your career.

EVEN

FINALLY,

be aware of your rights as an employee:

Furlough Furlough means the tempo-

When a working relationship ends Do not sign an agreement unless you are absolutely sure that you understand its meaning. Check with a trusted expert that the redundancy is properly conducted and on relevant grounds, and make sure you visit the Employment Office as soon as possible.

Monster is the world’s leading provider of online recruitment services, operating in 56 countries. It has over 75 million registered users worldwide. 75% of Monster Finland is owned by Alma Media, one of the largest media companies in Finland, and 25% is owned by Monster Inc. The business started in 1998, and in ten years the internet has become the most popular recruiting channel, causing Monster Finland to become the market leader with over 60% of the total online recruitment business. In 2007 Monster Finland’s turnover grew 47% in comparison to 2006.

Advertisement enquiries: Monster Oy, tel. +358 10 665 2293, e-mail: yritys@monster.fi

FINLAND IN THE WORLD PRESS

HELSINKI TIMES

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 25 January. David Bonetti

MP TALK

L E H T I K U VA / M AT T I B J Ö R K M A N

Eero Saarinen: more than the Arch Finnish architect Eero Saarinen is well known in the US, writes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. expected to practice only one style — which wasn't perceived to be a style at all, but a politically and ethically correct way to design.

Mies van der Rohe, a German emigrant who jolted Chicago's vibrant architectural community into pre-eminence, was the form giver.

Those who didn't follow him were seen as seekers who did not find, sell-outs or adherents to outmoded practices.”

“The Arch represented a vision that went beyond the rigid geometries of Mies and other first-generation modernists. Along with his corporate projects, Saarinen was designing sculptural, even expressionistic buildings that exulted in an exuberant organicism.”

“Only in recent years has Saarinen's star begun

ICELAND REVIEW 20 January

THE STAR 23 January

Markus Mustajärvi. Member of Parliament, Left Alliance, Lapland constituency.

Gods of war

A model of Eero Saarinen’s Gateway Arch is part of an exhibition of his works that have been on show in several countries.

to shine again. Architects who use a computer are astounded by Saarinen's organic works of the '50s with their sensuous curves. After decades of neglect, the TWA

terminal at JFK is seen as an antecedent for the architecture that has excited people all over the world ever since Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened.”

Icelanders Stainless steel giant set to axe jobs involved in Finnish steel comOutokumpu is producing pany forced to cut jobs, reports The Star. new Finnish jobs are being axed at Outokumpu's Sheffield meltmovie ing shop, four months after the stainless steel giant an“FIFTY

Forthcoming film about former President Mannerheim will see Icelandic participation, reports the Iceland Review.

M ARKKU UL ANDER

“ICELANDIC producers Ingvar Thórdarson and Júlíus Kemp will participate in the production of a new movie by Finnish/ American filmmaker Renny Harlin, Mannerheim, about former Finnish President Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim.”

“According to Thórdarson, the total cost of production is approximately 11 million euros. ‘We will then have all rights in Iceland and receive a certain percentage of the film’s global profits.’

Icelanders will also be involved in the making the film; actor Helgi Björnsson will have a role in it. The premiere is scheduled for next year.”

nounced it was closing its thin strip business at Meadowhall with the loss of 230 jobs.”

A spokesman for the firm said, ‘This proposal is necessary as a direct response to the current depressed market situation for stainless steel.’”

“Last month Outokumpu announced a total of 450 jobs were to go in Sweden … and warned of more job cuts at plants worldwide.

Chief executive Juha Rantanen blamed weakening demand and worse-than-expected fourth quarter figures for the cuts.

Attercliffe MP Clive Betts, whose ward covers the melting shop, said it was ‘very concerning’ news ‘obviously most of all for those people

Outokumpu’s Sheffield smelter won’t be safe from cuts that are taking place among the company's plants worldwide.

EU clears Finland's guarantee for Kaupthing rescue

The Finnish government guarantee covers those banks … against the risk of losing money from any possible legal action brought by Kaupthing creditors.

The European Commission said it seemed unlikely that there would be any claims and that the government would ever have to pay out.”

“It also said it could allow the state grant a subsidy to the banks in this case because their actions had prevented a serious disturbance in the Finnish economy.”

HERALD TRIBUNE 21 January

The European Commission permits Finnish banks to compensate Kaupthing customers, writes the Herald Tribune.

Renny Harlin, director of the upcoming film about the life of Mannerheim.

FROM WHERE I live, in Lapland, faraway conflicts seem too abstract to have much of an emotional impact. And then, suddenly, the phone rings. It's the world calling.

A close friend of mine who migrated from Palestine to Finland called for a chat. He’d been following the situation in Gaza daily through the Internet and the international news channels. The anguish of the Palestinian children and women had driven him to tears.

I AM interested in different religions, though none of them have inspired me to embrace any single one. But I am not an atheist, since I don’t think it is possible to deny something of which I have no knowledge, experience or certainty. But I have never stopped wondering at how easily religions preaching love and peace can in the hands of some become weapons of war.

said the one light on the horizon was the firm's competitive edge in Europe and the US because of the falling value of the pound.”

regulators cleared Finland's state guarantee for banks that compensated customers of the local branch of insolvent Icelandic bank Kaupthing.

THE CHRISTMAS period brought more than just a peaceful break from parliamentary sessions for family gettogethers. In the Middle East, the cost of the latest exercise in power politics has been over 1000 killed through bombing raids. I doubt Israel would have resorted to such measures if certain politicians did not have an eye fixed on the approaching election. This conflict did not begin with the missiles fired by Hamas into Israel, it goes much further back than that.

The peoples of the Middle East are paying the price of deals made decades ago among the Great Powers, ones that were convenient for themselves but which overlooked the interests of those whose lives they would most affect.

I HAVE been baffled as to why usually thoughtful politicians – people I personally admire – often seem so narrow-minded when commenting on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Even the recognition that it is reprehensible to make innocents pay for the actions of their leaders is overwhelmingly difficult for many to accept. For many, it seems to be a higher priority to declare which side they are on.

whose livelihoods are to be affected’.”

“Both Betts and MP David Blunkett, whose neighbouring ward is Brightside,

“EUROPEAN UNION

session of parliament begins on 3 February. During the winter break, parliamentarians have again been on the receiving end of countless complaints about our lengthy holidays. It seems futile to explain all the other work that MPs do when we are not sitting in meetings within the confines of parliament.

It’s best to take the criticism in one's stride and get on with the job.

THE SPRING

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

radical and innovative 1948 design for the Gateway Arch made his name and propelled him into a leadership position among modernist architects striving to transform the post war world.

St. Louisans can be forgiven if their knowledge of Saarinen is limited to the Arch. It is the most dramatic and visionary structure in the region, and probably Saarinen's most dramatic and visionary realized design.”

“Saarinen appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1956. After the death of his father, Eliel Saarinen, in 1950, his large firm produced buildings for virtually every American constituency.”

“Saarinen did not have a signature style at a time when serious architects were “EERO SAARINEN’S

Finnish depositors were unable to make withdrawals after Kaupthing collapsed in October … Finnish banks stepped in and offered to compensate depositors in full.

QUESTIONS of war and peace have given me pause for

thought in other ways, too. Recently our former president, Martti Ahtisaari, received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ahtisaari's lengthy career as a diplomat and peacemaker duly deserved this highest distinction. receiving his award, Ahtisaari expressed his conviction that Finland belongs within the Nato alliance. That left a bad taste. Almost a quarter of a century ago, when long-serving president Urho Kekkonen hosted the OSCE conference in Helsinki in 1975, his credibility as a mediator was based on Finland's strict policy of neutrality between the two competing Cold War blocs. The OSCE conference brought important results. The Warsaw Pact leaders would scarcely have anticipated where the path laid in Helsinki in 1975 would eventually take them.

AFTER

is full of states that have declared which side they are on, though those that seek to work with all sides for the common good are fewer. That is one of the reasons why I oppose the present push for Finland to join Nato.

THE WORLD

Translated by Matthew Parry.

9

10

BUSINESS

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / D O M I N I Q U E FA G E T

COLUMN

DAVID J. CORD is a private investor with over ten years of international experience.

KONE shrugs off downturn and posts record results SOMEONE should go over to KONE’s headquarters and find out what is going on. As everyone should know by now, we are in a deep recession and the economic sky is falling. But while dozens of companies are announcing falling profits and increasing redundancies, KONE has just announced record income. Evidently CEO Matti Alahuhta didn’t bother to read the memo about the recession.

wisdom states that if any company should be taking a beating right now, it should be KONE. After all, it manufacturers elevators and escalators, and the global construction market has weakened considerably. But instead, KONE just had a record year. It wasn’t a minor gain, either: the company made more profit in 2008 than the boom years of 2007 and 2006 combined.

CONVENTIONAL

ON THE BACK of a record 2008, KONE remains optimis-

tic for 2009. It is planning on sales and operating profit to increase by 5%. It has good reason to be optimistic because its order book stands at 3.6 billion euros, up from 3.3 billion euros in December 2007.

PERHAPS one sign of the company’s plans for the future comes from the nomination of Juhani Kaskeala for the Board of Directors. Kaskeala is Finland’s Chief of Defence and is well versed with global Evidently CEO Matti With govAlahuhta didn’t bother politics. ernments around to read the memo the world spending billions on economic about the recession. stimulus packages, KONE hopes to gain from investments in infrastructure. Alahuhta explained that Kaskeala’s knowledge could be very valuable for the company.

With Finland a part of the eurozone, worries of exchange-rates and current-account issues are unnecessary now than compared with the 1990s recession.

The recession: then and now Finns are comparing the economic recession of the 1990s with the current situation, but a lot is different this time round.

DAV I D J . C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES

have long memories.

With the current economic downturn at the centre of attention, thoughts immediately turn to the sharp recession that the nation suffered in the early 1990s. The situation 17 years ago was traumatic, and people are hoping that they will not have to go through the same again.

“Some have already talked about the 1990s recession recurring,” writes Member of Parliament Reijo Paajanen on the National Coalition party website. “The comparison is not very apt, because this time the threat comes from outside our borders.”

FINNS SO HOW is KONE doing it? What are they doing right?

For one, they stick to what they know best. Gone are the conglomerate days. Over the past fifteen years or so, KONE has whittled itself down to become a specialist in moving people inside buildings. Konecranes and Cargotec have been spun off to live their own corporate lives and KONE is left to focus on one core business.

THIS FOCUS and narrow specialisation has served the company well. KONE was able to snatch market share in the important North American and Chinese markets. This was the fourth consecutive year of increasing market share.

THE COMPANY has invested heavily in its geographical reach. It is not content to fly salesmen out to meet with customers. Instead it has pinpointed the geographical areas in which it plans to excel and developed a strong presence in local markets. In effect, KONE is not a global company. In the eyes of its customers, it is a local company operating around the globe.

KONE is also very conservatively capitalised. As Alahuhta proudly pointed out at the press conference, the company is now debt-free in net terms. In 2007 it paid almost €5 million in net interest charges. Last year the company earned €7 million in interest from lending.

WITH a constant barrage of disappointing news coming

out of Finnish companies, it is heartening to see one demonstrate how to thrive in the current market condition. Let’s hope that other CEOs are taking notes. david@davidcord.com

A major blow to exports Paajanen’s point is well made.

Economist Petri Mäki-Fränti of the Pellervo Economic Research Institute (PTT) explains that the roots of the recession in the 1990s can be found in actions that Finland took in the 1980s. Financial deregulation allowed a flow of foreign credit that rapidly increased domestic liquidity.

Households were eager borrowers and private-sector debt more than doubled between 1987 and 1990.

The international economy began to slow while European interest rates began to rise after 1990. Then the Soviet Union collapsed. The great eastern trade route was mangled beyond all recognition and Finland was left to deal with the loss of a major trading partner.

The markka was devalued to spur exports, especially to help the important forestry sector. Unfortunately, much of the debt held by individuals and companies was denominated in foreign currency. The devaluation of the markka and high interest rates made foreign debt difficult to service, and a wave of bankruptcies followed.

Times were tough. GDP shrank by 14 per cent and almost one in five people were unemployed. “My mother, being a single parent, did have to struggle quite a bit to provide for us,” remembers Daniel Helvaci. “She was unemployed a few times and did a lot of job hunting, which was not unusual at the time.”

“Banking crisis seems improbable” Today much is different.

“In the 1990s the economic problems soon resulted in a banking crisis, which was finally solved using govern-

ment aid,” says Mäki-Fränti.

“Although the current financial crisis now plays a central part of the worldwide economic crisis, a 1990s-style banking crisis seems improbable. Today the number of problem debts is lower and interest rates are not nearly as high, which helps customers service their debt.”

As Finland is now part of the eurozone, there are fewer reasons to be anxious. “Because of our Economic and Monetary Union membership, we don’t need to worry about exchange-rate or current-account issues,” explains Mäki-Fränti.

But people are still worried. “Today it seems that quite a few students in our school are somewhat hesitant to think of graduating this year because of the poor number of job opportunities,” continues Helvaci. “Personally, I have yet to experience

any big problems with the economic slowdown.”

Mäki-Fränti believes that many have yet to see the full extent of the downturn. “The consensus view of PTT’s economists is that the Finnish GDP will shrink by two per cent and we will lose 100,000-150,000 jobs in 2009-2010. Unemployment increases in Finland will be offset by a large number of retirees shrinking the labour force. The Finnish economy starts to gradually recover no sooner than in the end of 2010.”

While many people may be worried about how bad the situation will get, at least one economist isn’t seeing quite as much gloom. “Actually, we see light at the end of the tunnel,” writes Helge Pedersen, Global Chief Economist for Nordea, in the bank's latest economic outlook. He believes that a gradual recovery will start by the second half of this year.

How things are different now 1990s recession GDP Unemployment House prices Interest rates Retail trade

-14%

Current recession -1%

17%

7%

-50%

-3%

13%

2%

-18%

-1%

HELSINKI Business Hub

HELSINKI TIMES

BUSINESS BUSINESS BUSINESS

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

PA U L W I L L I A M S

Lepistö’s gold tops the week for Finns M A N U PA AV O L A HEL SINKI TIMES

The light work designed by Mikki Kunttu light up the Dome Church and Senate Square in downtown Helsinki.

Putting on a show The Helsinki City Events Unit is celebrating its one-year anniversary.

DAV I D J . C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES

large events can be quite lucrative for area businesses, as Helsinki learnt during the Eurovision contest. The city would like to play host to more such events, but it can be difficult even for a local organiser to wade through the bureaucratic red tape required. An event may need security, permits, rental agreements or help with traffic.

“The administrative system is not the easiest for an outsider,” explains Helsinki Event Manager Saila Machere. “There are many contacts you have to make, and if you’ve never worked with the city before, whom do you call?”

The person to call, of course, is Machere. Coming to the city of Helsinki from Infront Sports, she has worked on events such as Eurovision and the Athletics World Championship. With her experience, she knows exactly how to get an event off the ground in Helsinki. “If we can, we make it easier,” she puts it modestly.

HOSTING

Machere has to work hard to make it easy for event organisers. When she is not developing the internal apparatus of the new unit, she is busy meeting organisers or various Helsinki City departments.

Asked to reflect on the first anniversary of the Events Unit, her enthusiasm bursts out. “Very busy!” Machere exclaims. “But it is very interesting. This is a new office so we have the possibility to create what we would like to do. It is best when you can start from scratch.”

The Helsinki Events department was created last year and Machere was chosen from 129 candidates. The unit currently has a staff of five, but they plan to add one more in March. Machere is impressed with how everyone in the unit works together. “I like to see how all my colleagues work. They are motivated and professional. We have a lot of work to do, but the motivation is very high. There is a good spirit, in that everyone knows that events are important to Helsinki.”

Events are indeed important. They can bring money to local establishments and help establish Helsinki as a soughtafter destination. Even television events can be important.

Besides film crews and reporters spending money in Helsinki, people around the world are exposed to the city. “The European Figure Skating Championship is a television event,” says Machere. “I was there and there was such a nice feeling in the atmosphere.”

Even events that are aimed solely at local inhabitants are important. The Mayor’s Independence Day Celebrations, for instance, are not aimed at tourists from the Continent.

Events such as this do help the local economy, certainly, but they also contribute to a shared sense of community in the city. “Everyone living in, coming to or staying in Helsinki make the atmosphere,” Machere believes.

She is especially excited about the upcoming Helsinki Week in June. A range of events will take place throughout the city. “It is one brand for several events,”

Machere points out. Helsinki Week is being expanded in 2009 to make it an even larger and more diverse event than in past celebrations.

And to help make the atmosphere in Helsinki positive, events such as these need to go off without a hitch.

“I am very happy that Helsinki has recognised that events have a meaning. They realised that they have to help and give support.”

THE FIGURE skating European Championships received a perfect ending for the hosts on the last day of competition. In the ladies’ event, Laura Lepistö took the gold medal and Susanna Pöykiö the bronze. It was the first Championship gold for Finland since Rahkamo’s and Kokko’s triumph in 1995 and the nation’s first two-medal showing in history.

Lepistö pulled off her win in stunning fashion, as she had to meet the challenge put up by the favourite Carolina Kostner. The Italian had skated a near perfect performance, and this must have put enormous pressure on 20-year-old Lepistö. She successfully completed her programme and when the judges’ scores appeared, Lepistö found herself just 1.9 points ahead of Kostner.

Pöykiö, who went next, skated a decent programme and her total score put her comfortably in third place. The third Finn in the competition, Kiira Korpi, managed to climb two spots from the short programme and ensured the Finns an impressive 1-3-5 finish.

If the ladies’ competition belonged to the Finns, the French-born were equally dominant in the men’s event.

The winner’s name was familiar, Brian Joubert, who took his third European title and eighth medal overall. His choice of music for the free programme, Matrix Reloaded, was a little disappointing because he had already used the Matrix theme in 2004 and 2006. The real

discovery of the competition was Samuel Contesti, who performed a dashing cowboy routine to a Spaghetti Western score by Ennio Morricone.

Contesti was born in Le Havre, France, but decided to represent Italy after the 2007 season. The bronze medal went to Belgium’s Kevin Van Perren, who hung on to third place by mere 0.06 points.

The pairs short programme began dramatically for the reigning champions from Germany, Aliona Savchenko/ Robin Szolkowy, when Szolkowy fell on the pair’s opening triple toe. This meant that Russians Maria Mukhortova/ Maxim Trankov were in the lead before the free programme. However, it was Russians’ turn to falter on the next day, and Savchenko/ Szolkowy skated seemingly without much pressure and easily overcame the deficit to claim the gold. Mukhortova/Trankov were left in third place after fellow Russians Yuko Kawaguchi/Alekdander Smirnov beat them by 0.70 points.

Russian pair Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski, who placed third in last year’s World and European championships, won the ice-dancing competition. The rest of the podium was seized by first-timers, as Italians Federica Faiella/Massimo Scali took the silver and a British pair Sinead Kerr/John Kerr the bronze. Khokhlova’s comments after the victory may have resonated with Casablanca movie fans, when she said: “I think this gold medal is only the beginning, but it was a big step for us.”L E H T I K U VA

Upcoming events: Viapori Winter Blues 27-28 February Church Music Festival 21-29 March May Day 1 May Helsinki Week 4-14 June UEFA Women’s Football Tournament 23 August-10 September Herring Market 4-10 October

www.helsinkibusinesshub.fi

This page is provided by Greater Helsinki Promotion.

11

Finland’s Laura Lepistö, gold medalist, performs at the European Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki.

Did you know …

Helsinki hosted the Summer Olympics in 1952.

12

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

BOATING IS TOCKPHOTO

HELSINKI TIMES

Age-old maritime tradition lives on The carving and restoration of wooden boats is an ancient but still thriving trade, kept alive by craftspeople with a shared passion for a bygone sailing aesthetic.

M AT T H E W PA R R Y HEL SINKI TIMES

PUUVENEVEISTÄJÄT RY,

an association established in 1990 to provide carved-toorder wooden boats as well as wooden-boat maintenance and repairs, now has 70 member carvers.

“Once upon a time, the skills required in carving boats were passed down from father to son, but these days practically all new carvers will have formally studied their trade somewhere.

Some of these qualified carvers continue to work exclusively on wooden boats, while others take up work in other parts of the boat-building industry. So far, our association has picked up new members at a rate of 1–2 a year,” explained Puuveneveistäjät ry’s Jari Reijonen.

Fully renovated saloon boat to hit the water The Helsinki International Boat Fair “Vene 09 Båt” in February is an opportunity to

admire professional woodenboat carvers demonstrating their skills. Additionally, the Mahogany Yachting Society ry will display the fully renovated saloon boat AEB. The boat’s name is taken from the name of the firm August Eklöf Borgå, and the boat once served as the company’s promotional vessel.

The AEB was designed by the renowned boat designer Gösta Kyntzell in 1928. A year later Kyntzell designed the motorboat Kultaranta II for Finnish President Lauri Kristian Relander.

During the war the AEB was used by the Finnish Defence Forces in Helsinki, and after the war the boat was sold to the firm Serlachius.

In subsequent years, the boat was passed among a number

of different owners until the wooden-boat enthusiast Ismo Postareff seized the opportunity and began to restore the boat in August 2004.

“So far a good 5,000 hours’ worth of labour has gone into this project. The vessel was stripped of everything except the hull, some nine square metres of which we’ve renewed. We’ve ordered around five and a half cubes of hardwood for the boat. All of the boat’s structures have been reconstructed in the original style and some of the fittings have also been chosen in keeping with the original,” said Postareff.

The boat has been retired from service for around 30 years but once restored, its home dock will be in Turku.

Vene 09 Båt will take place at the Helsinki Fair Centre 7-15 February.

LIFESTYLE

HELSINKI TIMES

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

13

ANTHONY SHAW

COLUMN COLUMN

LESLIE HYDE

Finland’s Obama

BY NOW the

Cutting through the ice – in a kayak We know the planet is warming up and that the good old white winters in southern Finland are becoming rarer. So why not face the grey – with a paddle, a sea kayak and some good equipment.

ANTHONY SHAW HEL SINKI TIMES

WINTER months in northern Europe are famed for the brightness of the snow, the shortness of the days and the darkness of the nights. But in southern Finland the prevalent weather increasingly comes from the south-west, meaning cloud and overcast skies.

As Al Stewart sang of the infantry soldier’s lowly perspective, “the grey skies of Russia go on forever.” To counteract this depressing reality, what better way to confront this grey - and what better vehicle to do this - than with a sea-kayak. And the weather that makes for messy, often dirty-grey reality of melting snow on land, on water is ideal for a local speciality: ice-breaking.

Even if overhead, there is a monotony of colour; on the

water one quickly becomes aware of the variety. Granite rocks and pebbles on the stony shore contrast with the snow patches nearby. The windblown roll of matted reed that lines the shore has a glossier hue than the broken grass stalks in the adjacent fields.

I travelled 80km west from Helsinki to find a sheltered area of sea, still largely unfrozen – unlike the many inland lakes and ponds that I had driven past on the way.

Following nearly a week of subzero weather, the few centimetres of ice were covered with a sprinkling of powdery snow, reflecting a bright grey sky. By the sea shore the water is a few critical degrees “warmer” and the wind more effective in maintaining clear water.

The location is a familiar one to Jöns Aschen, proprietor of The Paddling Factory, a

small rental operation working from his summer cabin just outside the town of Tammisaari (Ekenäs). Based on the side of the broad deepwater channel leading to Pohja, kept open by the passage of ships, Aschen offers icebreaking outings through the winter.

Dead of winter My route last December afternoon was explicitly utilitarian – to the local general-store cum fuel-supply cum café, about 6 km distant. In the summertime this trip would witness numerous tourist cruisers, yachts, silent fishermen, maybe other paddlers, not to mention a multitude of wildlife on land and water.

Mid-winter brings change: empty expanses of water, skies devoid of wildlife apart for a few moorhens and, on our trip, a distant circling sea eagle. This was no Arctic expedition, but after initial contact with a net-laying fisherman, the total lack of human presence during our trip confirmed that we were operating at the edge of the civilised world.

Unfortunately, our attempts at ice-breaking our way through a short-cut channel came to nothing.

Powering the front end of the kayak up onto the ice results in a few seconds of rather perilous tottering atop the ice before breaking through.

Then one is left in the middle of a quivering mass of ice floes. This restricts your paddle’s access to free water or tends to trap it under the surface. Not fun for a wobbly novice.

Home after dusk Starting the return journey, we exited the warm café into the blackness of early evening to find the tops of the canoes glistening with a layer of ice. Actually, the ice covering was not a significant safety factor, though on a longer trip it could be tricky if it builds up. Neither was the chill a problem after a few minutes’ exertion.

Most challenging, in fact, was the lack of light to help the visual senses reinforce the sense of balance, already shaky in a narrow canoe. As every drunk knows, walking a straight line with eyes shut is no easy matter. However, as the vestiges of natural light faded it became apparent that our isolation from civilisation was in fact very relative.

The skies overhead were soon black, but the horizon reflected the lights of Tammisaari and the distant glare of an industrial plant. These, and the dim flashes of far navigation lights, gave straining eyes the minimal stimulation to keep the kayak upright.

The greatest threat to balance is typically from cramping forearm muscles, this time working overtime against a headwind for the last two kilometres.

In fact, the most precipitous activity of the whole trip was exiting the kayak on tired muscles, finding

hunt must be on to find Finland’s Barack Obama. There is a quaint habit here of relating Finland to the rest of the world by saying such things as “Jyväskylä is Finland’s Athens” or “so-and-so is Finland’s Brad Pitt.” Nobody was grubbing after the ‘Finland’s George Bush’ title, probably because practicing Bushisms in Finnish was far too demanding. But it’ll be a tough job for the politico who chases after the Barack Obama title. Consider the difficulties: you’d have to be cool, have a relaxed dress style, superb oratory skills and a comfortable sense of the grand occasion.

OBAMA’S rhetorical style derives from the black American pulpit. Here in Finland verbal parsimony in a politician is admired and any tendency to eloquence is distrusted, a sign of superficiality and perhaps dishonesty. The muttering monotone is the preferred Finnish style and is even an election winner. The former Prime Minister Paavo Lipponen’s great election slogan was “like Moses, I too am a slow speaker”. Media experts gave this a triple A rating for sheer political brilliance.

Does being tongue-tied in this country indicate leadership? I had the pleasure of chatting in English to Lipponen and found a fast-talking, twinkle-eyed, laidback persona. Was he advised to keep his verbal agility hidden as a potentially damaging attribute?

THE WORD is out that the current frontrunner for the “Finland’s Barack Obama” mantle is Parliamentary Speaker Sauli Niinistö. One of Niinistö’s selling points is the intensity and focus of his gaze. In the last presidential elections there were photographs of him staying tightlipped, but fixing his stare on anyone within eyeshot. This was even thriftier than Lipponen’s Moses brand - no words at all! But Niinistö is nonetheless very comfortable in television TV debates.

obstacle to getting the award is handling the set piece grand show. The combined scale and informality of the inaugural ceremony is something only the US can pull off. Monarchies might excel at high ceremony, but cannot do easy informality. So what about Finland’s grand set piece show, the President’s New Year Ball? Is it not time that this dreadful event got a makeover? At the moment it has all the panache of a village fete. Let’s hand it over to gay pride organisers, who might come up with something with a lot more glamour and fun, especially for the men.

THE FINAL

the landing-stage slats covered with a mirror sheen of smoothly rounded ice. The knobbly granite shoreline littered with broken reeds was a welcome surface on which to stand up on, take stock and appreciate the beauty of the blustery open water we had just travelled.

Equipment used: Barracuda sea kayak by Prijon of Germany, paddle mitts

by Palm of UK (very effective) and two-piece Goretex drysuit by Polar Safety of Finland. And of course, a good woolly “pipo”!

14

SPORT

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

Veikkausliiga fixtures offer a compressed 2009 season L E H T I K U VA / M AT T I B J Ö R K M A N

The weather in Finland isn’t always favourable for playing football, but climate isn’t the only thing to blame for Finland’s short football season.

Finland's climate is not the best for football, but there is still room for improvement in this season's schedule, which will take two international tournaments into account in 2009.

EGAN RICHARDSON HEL SINKI TIMES

2009 fi xtures were announced last week and were immediately greeted by much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The problem is simple: football's season is too short, and matches are cramped together in the schedule.

The Veikkausliiga season will be interrupted by the

VEIKK AUSLIIGA'S

European Under-21 Championships, in which Finland will participate, and by the Women's European Championships, which will be held in Finland.

Veikkausliiga begins on 18 April this year, two and a half weeks later than the Swedish and Norwegian leagues, and a month later than the Russian Premier League.

The Finnish league will also end earlier than those

leagues, which will not break for the women's European Championships.

“I suppose it's two games a week again, right,” said Inter coach Job Dragtsma when Helsinki Times asked him about the new fixtures. “It's not ideal, but we have a plan for it, and that plan worked very well last year. We have to be ready, and we will be, because the start is the most important time in any sea-

son, and this schedule makes it more so.”

Climate blamed The Finnish climate is usually blamed for the short football season, but it is becoming more apparent with each passing year that the problem is a lack of professionalism, rather than freezing temperatures.

Leagues to the north, south, east and west of

Veikkausliiga will start earlier and finish later than Veikkausliiga. Allsvenskan, the Swedish top flight, will begin on 30 March, while Damallsvenskan, the Swedish women's league, starts on 1 April this year. The latter includes games played in Piteå and Umeå on 1 April, and both towns are farther north than all but one Veikkausliiga club.

“We are trying to get it changed,” said Britta Åkelund, Umeå IK's Club Director. “We have UEFA games the week before and the week after, so we would prefer to play on 16 April instead.”

So there's no problem with the pitch conditions or weather in Umeå at that time of the year?

“No, not at all. We can play from February onwards, whereas before we got the pitch we could not play before mid-May and had to finish in mid-October. Now we can train on the pitch yearround, and the pitch is UEFA compliant.”

Money problems Such concerns are quite distant for Veikkausliiga clubs.

Tampere United, who of all Finnish clubs have come closest to a European run in recent years, are currently experiencing financial difficulties and have been forced to loan out Finland under-21 starlet Tomi Petrescu, send last season's goal machine Henri Myntti to Hansa Rostock on a free transfer and allow New Zealand midfielder Chris James to find a new club in England's Championship League.

It will be difficult for Veikkausliiga clubs to allay these financial pressures while they are saddled with the current schedule.

Veikkausliiga lasts for 183 days in total, compared to 221 days for ice hockey's SM Liiga and 228 days for basketball's Korisliiga. Other Nordic football leagues are similarly lengthy, with Norway's Tippeligaen coming in at 232 days and Damallsvenskan at 221.

Super Bowl is here again Superbowl fever will reach its yearly peak as fans around the world excitedly wait to see who will be this year’s winners.

MARI K AISL ANIEMI HEL SINKI TIMES

Degree programmes starting in autumn 2009, in Tampere Degree Programme in Nursing Degree Programme in Tourism 12 January – 13 February, 2009

www.admissions.fi More information admissions@piramk.fi tel. (03) 245 2397, www.piramk.fi

THE 43RD Super Bowl will be played on 1 February in Tampa, Florida. The match will decide the winner of the National Football League’s (NFL) 2008 season. This year's battle is between the American Football Conference champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champions Arizona Cardinals.

Pittsburgh is going into its seventh Super Bowl match and is after its sixth win. Arizona is on its way to its first Super Bowl and first league title since 1947.

The Cardinals have travelled a long path to get to the final game and credit must be given to their coaches. Ken Whisenhunt, Cardinals head coach, was the offensive coordinator of the Steelers up until the end of the 2006 season. Assistant head coach Russ Grimm also transferred from coaching the Steelers to coaching the Cardinals after the 2006 season.

An audience of millions The Super Bowl is known to be a big event for advertisers and this year is no different. The game will be

broadcast on NBC with 30second commercial time slots costing a record three million dollars. The company had no problem selling air time until the economic situation took a turn last year. A week before the game there were still a few commercial spots to be sold.

Classic advertisers such as General Motors and FedEx are passing up the chance

sudoku

to reach millions of viewers, blaming the economic situation. Others such as PepsiCola are getting discounted rates for buying multiple adverts. DreamWorks are advertising their new film Monsters vs. Aliens with a 3D trailer.

The half-time show will be as grand as ever, with a performance by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

SOLUTION ON PAGE 18

CULTURE

HELSINKI TIMES

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

15

SOL AR FIL MS / JAN GR ANS T RÖM

Reaching out The Renaissance man of blue-eyed soul releases the eagerly anticipated follow-up to his celebrated solo debut.

M AT T I KO S K I N E N HEL SINKI TIMES

FEW MUSICIANS in Finland can boast a CV like that of Tuomo Prättälä. An acclaimed jazz pianist, soul singer, composer, lyricist and producer, he does it all. He is at home with almost every kind of groove music and has played with countless live and studio bands. The tireless Prättälä can currently be seen with the Emma Salokoski Ensemble, the Ilmiliekki Quartet and Huba.

He is also releasing the solo album Reaches Out For You, the follow-up to his 2006 debut My Thing. As a solo artist, the multi-talented musician shows yet another side to himself: the sweet-voiced soul singer-songwriter with a flair for the classic soul sound. “The first album created so much hype that this time the reception might not be quite as ecstatic,” Prättälä remarks.

Thanks to rave reviews, extensive radio play and an immediate rush to the Top 10 on the Finnish album charts, My Thing was the surprise hit of 2006. Its smooth and elegant soul drew comparisons

to icons like Curtis Mayfield and Stevie Wonder, not least because of Prättälä's silky vocals and flawless production that captured the essence of vintage soul.

“That was definitely what we were going for. We wanted to do something that sounded like 1970s classic Motown, not contemporary nu-soul stuff,” he says. Stylistically the new album will offer more retro grooves, with some slightly edgier shades of rock thrown in.

A wave of retro-oriented soul appears to have swept Finland over the past few years: artists and groups like Nicole Willis, Sharon Jones and Huba all take their cue from classic 60s and 70s soul music. Critics and listeners alike are into vintage sounds, it seems.

“I do think it's a wider phenomenon reaching beyond the Finnish music circles, which after all are pretty confined. If you consider the popularity of artists like Amy Winehouse for instance, you can tell classic soul is coming back,” says Prättälä. “But in Finland it's still a pretty fresh, smallscale phenomenon.”

TUOMO

A scene from the film The Home of Dark Butterflies.

Red carpet and glamour Finnish film industry professionals gather on the 1st of February for the Jussi Awards, the annual celebration of the best in Finnish film.

S U S A N F O U R TA N E HEL SINKI TIMES

of the Jussi Awards (the Finnish equivalent of the Oscars) will be announced at the Kaapelitehdas in Helsinki on 1 February.

The Jussi prize was founded by the Film Journalists’ Asso-

THE WINNERS

Korkeasaari hosts its 6th annual international ice-sculpting competition, spanning 2 weekends, 4 competitions, 18 countries, 52 artists and hundreds of endangered species. larly disappear forever without us even knowing about it.

Fortunately, zoos around the world have played a bigger part in slowing this trend, and several species have been successfully returned to their habitats though rehabilitation programmes.

The second weekend has the artists supporting an EAZA initiative to raise awareness of the world’s declining amphibian popula-

tion by working under the theme “Frogs Unlimited”.

Of the more than 6,000 species of amphibians, nearly 3,000 have declining populations, with more than 120 species having become extinct within the last 25 years.

Contributing to this crisis are primarily human factors such as the destruction of wetlands, pollution and the abduction of amphibians for illegal exotic-animal trade,

Hidden Helsinki

park, through which trickles a manmade stream, attracts people seeking a bit of solace.

Lenininpuisto is often quite deserted, which makes it the perfect hideaway in the middle of the city.

THE FIRST weekend’s theme, “Saved by the Zoos”, gives artists the opportunity to interpret animal species that have been saved from extinction through the intervention of zoos around the world. Depending on who you ask, practically every animal on Earth is threatened in some capacity, and species regu-

TUE 3.2. 7 PM

Heinavanker (Estonia) A well-respected vocal group of old church music sings Estonian spiritual folk songs from the religious awakening of the nation and a pre-Christian epic song Luominen (Creating).

Tickets € 10/8 reservations tel. (09) 310 12000 or www.lippupalvelu.fi

Kanneltalo, Klaneettitie 5 www.kanneltalo.fi

best director, best actress in a leading role, best actor in a leading role, best actress in a supporting role, best actor in a supporting role, best script, best cinematography, best music, best editing, best sound design, best set design, best costume design and best documentary.

Art meets ice at the Helsinki Zoo

J U S T I N GO N E Y HEL SINKI TIMES

Tuomo Prättälä’s second solo album, Reaches Out for You, will be released in the beginning of February.

ciation and first awarded on 16th November 1944, earning it the title of Europe’s oldest film award.

Jussi nominees are selected by members of Aura Film, the Association of Finnish Film Professionals and by secret ballot. The Jussi Awards cover 14 categories: best film,

Right outside your doorstep is an adventure waiting to happen. You can start by visiting these places and then go exploring to find your own special slice of Helsinki.

MARI K AISL ANIEMI HEL SINKI TIMES

HELSINKI is full of places that

tell us stories. Art historian Julia Donner and photographer Taneli Eskola take us on a journey through Helsinki and its places in their recently published book Löytöretki Helsinkiin-Paikkoja, polkuja, puutarhoja (Exploring Helsinki-Places, paths, gardens). You’ve probably walked through Esplanadi park, and you might have visited Kai-

vopuisto, but this book tells the stories behind places that you may have never noticed or new stories about places you visit daily.

Lenininpuisto You may have made a trip to the Linnanmäki amusement park, but you’ve probably missed the small park tucked behind it up on the hill. Lenininpuisto (directly translates to Lenin’s park) was built in the early 1960s for a garden exhibition. These days the small

Töölönlahti The area around Töölönlahti (Töölö Bay) is a landscape of grand schemes. The likes of Eliel Saarinen and Alvar Aalto had visions to expand the Helsinki city centre onto the shores of Töölönlahti. Their designs were never carried out and instead nature and city have been left to merge naturally. The shores of Töölönlahti are graced by the Finnish National Opera, where the Töölö sugar factory once stood, and Finlandia House, which stands where a sports field used to be.

Keep your eyes open when you walk around the city, you might find new spots of beauty.

The highest amount of nominations went to The Home of Dark Butterflies/ Tummien perhosten koti (10 nominations), Sauna (7 nominations) and Falling Angels/Putoavia enkeleitä (4 nominations).

My bet for best script would be Three in Love (Kolmistaan), directed by Peter Lindholm. The Jussi for best direction could well go to Mika Kaurismäki for Three Wise Men (Kolme viisasta miestä). As for best film, I would go for The Home of Dark Butterflies, the story of a troubled teen and his journey discovering inner strength and self-acceptance. traditional medicine and culinary consumption.

With this being its sixth such ice-sculpting competition, the zoo counts on the transient and fragile nature of ice as a sculpting medium to symbolise our role in either the destruction or the conservation of nature itself. Each weekend will feature both four-hour and seven-hour competitions, and though the finished pieces will be on display until they melt, it is worth going to see how the artists work, as the sculpting process itself is fast paced and interesting.

Saved By the Zoos 31 Jan Frogs Unlimited 7–8 Feb

If the weather isn’t inviting, you can go to the Finnish Museum of Photography to see Asphalt Gardens – Paradises beneath the urban fabric, an exhibition of Taneli Eskola’s photos. It is on show until 24 May. The Finnish Museum of Photography is located at the Cable Factory, Tallberginkatu 1 G.

16

EAT & DRINK

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES IS TOCKPHOTO

which case, you will need to plan your menu accordingly. If your main spends two hours in the oven, your starter might best be one cooked on the stovetop.

9) Check your plates and cutlery Give some thought to plates, cutlery, wine glasses and even chairs. It’s fine to ask guests to lend you a few forks if you are short, but it is best to know what you need well beforehand. Finding out that you don’t have enough plates might mean that someone has to wash a pile of dishes while your guests sit and wait.

10) Be inspired Dinner-party food should be a little special. It is a time to be creative and have fun in the kitchen. Arranging food nicely on the plate, forming things into shapes and adding little garnishes can look very professional. Putting warm chocolate sauce into a plastic bottle means it can be used to ‘paint’ lines or circles on the plate. Cooked rice can be pressed into a cup and inverted to form a small tower on the plate. It’s fun, creative and looks great.

Dining at home DAV I D B RO W N HEL SINKI TIMES

in some parts of the world the idea of inviting six or eight people over for dinner has long been one of the most common ways of both socialising with old friends and getting to know new people, the idea has only recently begun to catch on in Finland. This is possibly because the famous Finnish social reserve makes it difficult to chat to new people with only a glass of chardonnay for security, and possibly because the idea of producing varied and international cuisine at home isn’t something that a lot of people feel comfortable with.

But with Finnish culture opening up more and more to visitors from other coun-

WHILE

tries, the chances are that the concept of the large dinner party will also start to become more commonplace here too.

In Australasia and North America, a fairly standardised dinner-party etiquette has developed during the past 20 years. As a general rule, there will be between four and eight people, including the hosts. The guests bring wine, or occasionally dessert (if asked); failing to do so is considered rude. Arriving late is also a serious faux pas – you never know if the hosts are producing a soufflé, which has a lifespan of 30 seconds. There are usually three courses: entrée, a main and dessert. It is Finnish tradition to also bring a houseplant or chocolates as a gift – if invited to a Finn-

ish home, it is an inexpensive and appreciated gesture.

For those new to dinner parties, here are some top tips.

1) Test new recipes beforehand Most failures happen with recipes that are made for the first time. After that, it is usually not difficult to know that the recipe needs a little less salt, a little longer in the oven or is simply terrible. Making the recipe for the family during the week beforehand means that you can usually avoid total humiliation later.

This will also help you determine what you need to buy.

2) Have a theme Having an entrée from Thailand, a Mexican main and a French dessert may seem in-

SATKAR Nepalese Restaurant 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

ternational, but in practice is it usually more likely to cause stomach upset. Sticking with one style of cuisine is more sophisticated and means that the courses sit well with each other.

3) Allow plenty of time I generally allow the full day for shopping and cooking for a French meal, or a half day for faster Asian food. Desserts and soups can often be made in the morning, meaning that you are free to sit and chat when the guests arrive. If the dishes are complex, you can also set the table and make any sauces or garnishes ahead of time. This also means you are more likely to spot missing ingredients before it is too late.

4) Don’t over-extend Dinners are supposed to be fun. While some of us love spending the day in the kitchen, if you don’t, then try and produce meals that are simple and which you feel confident about preparing. Ingredients such as yeast, gelatine and egg whites present a lot of challenges, whereas anyone can produce a dessert of fried pineapple slices in chocolate sauce without too much effort.

5) Invest in ingredients It is all about quality. Buying all of your meat and fish

from kauppahalli will make a definite and notable difference to the quality of your meal. Using organic ingredients can also be a nice touch.

And always buy a little more than you need – it helps if you have a tendency to drop the occasional cup of cream on the floor.

6) Think about your guests Always check whether any of your guests are lactose intolerant, have allergies or simply hate the idea of veal. If you are making Thai or Mexican, also check whether or not they like chillies. Even asking whether or not they actually like escargot can save your evening from potential disaster.

7) Think about your guests again If your guests don’t know each other, give some thought to whether or not they might like each other. Not speaking the same language is an obvious starting point, but inviting people with similar careers, hobbies or tastes means that they should have something to talk about.

8) Think about your kitchen If your kitchen is small you probably don’t have unlimited oven space, stove elements, pots or plates. In SC ANS TOCKPHOTO

A few of the best and worst dinner parties Probably my most audacious dinner party was for 20 people in New Zealand. My Finnish girlfriend (now wife) was flying in, but I’d got the time difference confused, and rather than arrive the day before dinner, she got to the house after a 30-hour flight about an hour before I served the first course. My worst experience was probably when I checked my duck l’orange in the oven – and it slid out of the oven and on to the floor – and exploded into flames. A guest had just wandered into the kitchen in search of water and muttered “I'll come back later”.

Sarah, Australia: We were having a potluck dinner, where everyone just brings a plate of something.

We had invited 20 or so people, so I was sure we’d have an amazing array of food. And we did – except that we had 14 desserts, and only a plate of escargot for the main! It’s the only dinner that I’ve ever had where people had lemonmeringue pie for their main course, followed by chocolate cake.

Geoff, New Zealand: We had invited 20 or so people over for a housewarming dinner and asked everyone to bring a plate. One guy had brought a soup, so we decided to use that as an entrée.

It was Curried Orange, and looked amazing, but was the hottest thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. Everyone was sweating and groaning, but luckily most people did like hot food. The only problem was, no one could taste a thing for the rest of the evening and the only thing that people remembered about the party was the ‘soup that nearly killed me’.

EAT & DRINK

HELSINKI TIMES RESTAURANTS

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

RESTAURANTS

17

RESTAURANTS Proudly sponsored by:

Sandeep Indian Restaurant Menu: www.sandeep.fi

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

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

Transported to Australia in 1828 for the crime of steeling a sheep, this man was never to see Europe again. Now his descendents are back.

Serving you with criminally good Australian beer, wines and snacks in Helsinki today.

SERVICE BY DESCENDENTS OF CRIMINALS

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

Thursday 29th - Cocktail Night cheap cocktails plus DJ’s pumping groovey tunes from 9.30pm. Fri/Sat- Chaos & Mayhem AUSSIE BAR STYLE!! Get in early!!

Sunday 1st - Live Football LIVERPOOL v CHELSEA! Steve’s a chav!

Mon/Tues - chill out evenings with the crew - wash away those hangovers!

Wednesday 4th - Live Music with “Jeff Bagley Indian Sensation� from 10pm

Come and have a Tooheys or two!

AUSSIE BAR Salomonkatu 5, Kamppi 00100 Helsinki, Finland

Tel. +358 (0)9 737 373 Email: aussiebar@aussiebar.net Web: www.aussiebar.net

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

FROM MIAMI TO HELSINKI

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.

New Latino Cuisine Finally in Helsinki!

Korkeavuorenkatu 47 / Etelä Esplanadi, Helsinki tel. 09 678 345 www.nuevolatino.fi

Contact information Eerikinkatu 11, 00100 Helsinki, Finland Tel. +358 9 751 75613 www.andorra.fi

Advertise your restaurant here.

For example, this size: 37.5 x 31 mm

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

www.ravintolatandoor.net

Advertise your restaurant here.

Advertise your restaurant here.

For example, this size: 37.5 x 31 mm

For example, this size: 37.5 x 31 mm

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

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

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

Advertise your restaurant here.

For example, this size: 37.5 x 31 mm

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

in the spirit of finnish countryside

18

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES Muu Gallery Lönnrotinkatu 33 Tue-Fri 12:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.muu.fi S TEIRISCHE HERBS T

Feminine Delight

Until Sun 8 Feb Jenni Hiltunen Make Your Own Paintings The exhibition by Jenni Hiltunen is an entity of paintings and video.

Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 Mon-Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets €12 www.korjaamo.fi

Feminine Delight is a dance work with unusual humour, where choreographer and performer Frans Poelstra, playwright and author Robert Steijn, and musician and composer Martin Siewert tell the story of a personal drama that is at the same time part of the history of dance and theory. They follow the tracks of the work; the life of those women who helped getting modern dance accepted; and also the women who broke with the rules of modernism, becoming figureheads of postmodern choreography.

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

Feminine Delight is a part of Sidestep Festival, which has throughout its history aimed at bringing out different currents in dance thinking. The seventh Side Step Festival at the Cable Factory shows various viewpoints on contemporary dance and the possibilities of dance artists in today's society.

Wed 4 & Thu 5 Feb Zodiak, 20:30 Tallberginkatu 1 Tickets €20/15 www.sivuaskel.fi

MUSIC Thu 29 Jan Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra John Storgårds will be conducting Uuno Klami’s ever-popular Kalevala Suite.

Finlandia Hall, 19:00 Mannerheimintie 13 E Tickets €20/13/6 www.hel.fi/filharmonia 29/31 Jan & 2/4 Feb The Magic Flute A fairy-tale opera for the whole family.

Finnish National Opera Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €14-62 www.operafin.fi Fri 30 Jan Tapiola Sinfonietta A youth concert featuring Pekka Kuusisto and Jonna Tervomaa.

Tapiola Hall, 19:00 Kulttuuriaukio 2 Tickets €10 www.tapiolasinfonietta.fi Fri 30 Jan Sami Saari Duo Sami Saari is a legend of Finnish soul music.

Villi Wäinö, 22:00 Kalevankatu 4 Free entrance www.villiwaino.fi

Feminine Delight is a playful dance performance.

Sat 31 Jan & Wed 4 Feb The Talking Drum The new opera production takes children on a musical journey around the world.

Finnish National Opera Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €9/7 www.operafin.fi Sun 1 Feb Rodney Crowell Rodney Crowell is a Grammy-Award winning country musician.

Old Student House, 19:00 Mannerheimintie 3 Tickets €49.50/45.50 www.juhlaravintolat.fi Tue 3 Feb Heinavanker Heinavanker is a vocal group from Estonia with a focus on old church music.

Kanneltalo Cultural Centre, 19:00 Klaneettitie 5 Tickets €10/8 www.kanneltalo.fi Wed 4 Feb Lucky Dragons (USA) Islaja will be supporting the experimental music group Lucky Dragons.

Semifinal, 20:00 Urho Kekkosen katu 6 Tickets €13 www.semifinal.fi

Wed 4 Feb K Trio (IS) Experimental jazz trio from Iceland.

Restaurant Juttutupa, 21:00 Säästöpankinranta 6 Free entrance www.myspace.com/rytmihairioklubi THEATRE AND DANCE Sat 31 Jan & Wed 4 Feb Visible Volumes A dance work choreographed

by Mikko Orpana.

Koko Theatre, 19:00 Unioninkatu 45 Tickets €20/12 www.kokoteatteri.fi Tue 3 Feb Anna Karenina The ballet version of Tolstoy’s classic novel.

Finnish National Ballet Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets €14-56 www.operafin.fi Wed 4 Feb Fragments World-famous cult director Peter Brook's visionary interpretation of Samuel Beckett's plays.

Espoo Cultural Centre, 19:00 Kaupinkalliontie 10 Tickets €28/25/15 www.espoonteatteri.fi EXHIBITIONS Until Sun 1 Feb King Nosmo: Bon Appetit An imaginative food related exhibition.

Napa Gallery Eerikinkatu 18 Thu-Fri 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.napagalleria.com

Until Sun 1 Feb Håkan Rehnberg: Headings Håkan Rehnberg’s paintings are unique, final and incontrovertible acts.

Galerie Anhava Mannerheiminaukio 3 Tue-Fri 11:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.anhava.com Until Sun 1 Feb Sanna Peurakoski Wunderkammern: Leben vs. Stilleben Photographies and still lives.

Photographic Gallery Hippolyte Kalevankatu 18 B Tue-Fri 12:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Free entrance www.hippolyte.fi Until Sun 1 Feb 100 Years on Skates Sports Museum of Finland Mon-Fri 11:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 Tickets €5/3/0 www.urheilumuseo.fi Until Sun 8 Feb Black and White – Classics of Japanese Photography Depictions of landscapes, urban scenes and everyday life convey the traditional Japanese way of life, as well as changes in Japanese culture.

Ateneum Art Museum Kaivokatu 2 Tue & Fri 09:00-18:00 Wed-Thu 09:00-20:00 Sat-Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets €8/6.5 www.ateneum.fi Until Sun 8 Feb Visiting – Young Croatian Art Scene The first presentation of Croatian contemporary art in Finland.

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 Fri 3 Feb to 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 Thu 29 Jan to 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 OTHERS Wed 28 Jan to Sun 1 Feb Disney on Ice A magnificent show and loved Disney characters.

Hartwall Arena Areenankuja 1 Tickets €18-42 www.hartwall-areena.com Fri 30 Jan Comedy Club Laugh Riot Matt Kirschen will perform in English with Harri Lagström and Pekka Jalava.

Studio Krunikka, 22:00 Meritullinkatu 33 A Tickets €20/12 www.studiokrunikka.fi 31 Jan & 1/7/8 Feb Art Meets Ice International ice sculpture competition.

Korkeasaari Zoo Mustikkamaanpolku 12 Mon-Sun 10:00–16:00 Tickets €7-12 www.korkeasaari.fi/artmeetsice

Film premieres in Finland Friday 30 January

Valkyrie (USA) Director: Bryan Singer Starring: Tom Cruise, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh Genre: Action/Thriller Revolutionary Road (USA) Director: Sam Mendes Starring: Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kathy Bates Genre: Drama Doubt (USA) Director: John Patrick Shanley Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Amy Adams Genre: Drama

solution sudoku Helsinki Zoo International Ice Sculpting Competition 31.1.-1.2.2009 and 7.2.-8.2.2009 www.artmeetsice.fi MORE TIPS FROM

www.visithelsinki.fi

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

thursday TV1 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 Jack’s past is revealed.

22:35 In Treatment Insurance company needs to know if Sophie is suicidal after her bicycling accident.

23:00 In Treatment Amy is pregnant and wants an abortion. Husband Jake is opposed to the idea.

23:35 A Love Song for Bobby Long FILM Young woman encounters an odd duo in her mother’s house. Directed by Shainee Gabel. Starring: John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriel Macht, Deborah Kara Unger. USA 2004.

MTV3 09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 10:45 Emmerdale 12:15 Who’ll Age Worst 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 Honey I Ruined the House 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 Abby shows her skills in front of her new boss.

22:30 Closer Brenda is angry with Provenza and Flynn.

23:30 Ticker (CERT15) FILM Police chase a gang of criminals with a penchant for blowing things up. Directed by Albert Puyn. Starring: Steven Seagal, Tom Sizemore, Dennis Hopper, Jaime Pressly. USA 2001.

01:15 Unit

SUB

A Love Song for Bobby Long.

T V1 at 23:35

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 07:55 The Moomins.

10:35 Happy Days 11:05 Camilla Plum – Boller af Stål 11:35 Plus belle la vie 12:00 Junk Brothers 12:50 Derrick 16:10 Schwarzwaldklinik 17:00 The Secret World of Benjamin Bear 18:00 Cooking the World Fred Chesneau tours India.

19:20 World Café Asia Bobby Chin checks out what Bali has to offer.

20:10 Die Kommissarin 23:55 David Nolande Part 4/6. David’s condition worries his wife.

YLE TEEMA

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

17:00 Around the World in 80 Treasures DOC Part 4/10. Professor Cruickshank takes a look at a samurai sword in Japan and terracotta warriors in China.

19:00 SOAP 20:30 Everest ER DOC 21:55 Indigènes (Days of Glory) FILM Critically acclaimed movie about Algerian soldiers fighting in the French Army during WWII. Directed by Rachid Bouchareb. Starring: Jamel Debbouze, Samy Naceri. Algeria 2006.

friday

29.1.

07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 Jim Jam and Sunny, 07:35 Animaniacs.

11:25 Sturm der Liebe 12:45 Holiday Showdown 15:35 How I Met Your Mother 16:00 Stacked 16:30 E! Entertainment: Behind the Scenes 17:00 E! Entertainment: Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 My name is Earl 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons Marge writes a book and fears her family could be offended.

21:00 Top Chef Contestants have to prepare lunch for the production team of Dame Chocolate.

23:00 Supernatural Sam and Dean investigate mysterious deaths in a remote inn.

00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 01:00 Peep Show 01:30 Peep Show 02:00 Génesis

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 Scrubs 20:30 Scrubs J.D. flirts with a patient, whose face he can’t see.

Dr. Cox tries go for 24 hours without a fatality.

21:00 Alias

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Disney’s the Replacements, 07:25 Tutenstein, 07:50 Charlie & Mimmo.

08:00 10 Items or Less 08:30 Birth Stories 09:00 Come Dine with Me 09:30 Newlywed, Nearly Dead 10:00 10 Years Younger USA 10:30 Staying Put 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, Lori and Declan go to the university, where Professor Kern lectured before he died.

18:00 Talent USA 20:00 Stylista Remaining contestants have to write an article about an up-and-coming fashion designer.

21:00 Criminal Minds Team is called to Montana, where three women have been kidnapped.

22:00 Breaking Bad Walt and Skyler are invited to a party at an old friend’s house.

23:30 Frasier Frasier’s agent wants to negotiate a new contract for him.

00:00 The Office Michael has to sack one employee.

JIM 15:15 Stunt Junkies 15:45 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:25 Design Remix 16:40 Trigged Out 17:10 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody Leon travels to Charleston.

19:00 DIY Tools & Techniques 19:30 Save My Bath 20:00 Perfect Weapon Monty and Stuart try out two 15th century armours.

21:00 Digging for the Truth: The Hunley: New Revelations DOC What happened to Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley?

22:00 Contender 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

23:50 Monster Truck Tech DOC 00:45 Extreme Evidence (CERT15)

Indigènes.

YLE Teema at 21:55

SELECTION OF ENGLISH PROGRAMMES ON FINNISH TELEVISION 30.1.

TV1

MTV3

09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 News in English 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors 15:05 Coronation Street Police find evidence of hitand-run.

17:08 Peak Practice Beth’s meeting with her former lover goes poorly.

19:00 Heartbeat Father of a still-born baby causes problems.

22:00 The Street Part 4/18. Billy’s future in football is cut short. Will he turn to drugs?

23:50 William & Mary

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish.

10:35 Laurel & Hardy Laughtoons 10:55 Cross country skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s 10 km. Commentary in Finnish.

12:25 Cross country skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s 15 km. Commentary in Finnish.

13:15 Derrick 16:20 Mr. Bean 16:35 Building the Ultimate: Submarine DOC 18:00 Cross country skiing World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish.

22:05 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Woman gets a lethal present.

22:50 Sopranos (CERT15) 00:10 Sin City Law (CERT15)

Carter Can. JIM at 19:30

NICK BARLOW

One of the more amusing television moments recently came during the live broadcast of last year’s municipal elections on the Swedish-language channel FST5. Part of the national broadcasting company YLE, FST5 provides programmes in Swedish, nominally for the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. During the election night they showed none of the ridiculous pomposity of the other channels, being more interested in who won the Finnish football championship, and generally having a laugh, fluffing their lines and displaying a level of tomfoolery never

09:35 The Young and the Restless 10:20 Emmerdale 10:45 Emmerdale 12:15 Who’ll Age Worst 12:40 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 Wa$ted SERIES BEGINS. How can one person make a difference in a world drowning in waste?

13:30 The Bold and the Beautiful 14:30 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup SPORT Women’s slalom. Commentary in Finnish.

15:40 WRC: Ireland SPORT 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Without a Trace Doctor goes missing after treating an assault victim.

22:30 WRC: Ireland SPORT 22:40 From Russia with Love (CERT15) FILM Bond is sent to assist when a Russian spy wants to defect.

Directed by Terence Young.

Starring: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendariz. UK 1963.

00:55 WRC: Ireland SPORT 01:25 Smallville

SUB 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Tractor Tom, 07:10 Jim Jam and Sunny, 07:35 Animaniacs.

11:25 Sturm der Liebe 15:35 How I Met Your Mother 16:00 Stacked 16:30 E! Entertainment: E! News Weekend 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 My Name is Earl 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons 22:10 Bones Santa Claus is dead. Booth and Brennan have to find out why.

23:05 C.S.I. 00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 01:25 Skins SERIES BEGINS. British teenagers do everything they shouldn’t.

YLE TEEMA TV VIISI 18:15 Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture DOC Part 2/8. Dan Cruickshank marvels at a Mayan pyramid.

20:00 Forsyte Saga Part 3/13. Soames is not pleased with Bosinney.

22:15 Nòz w wodzie (Knife in the Water) FILM Couple invite a hitchhiker to come sailing with them. Tensions rise on the boat. Directed by Roman Polanski.

Starring: Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka, Zygmunt Malanowicz. Poland 1962.

23:45 Master and Margaritha

before seen on Finnish T V. Just like coverage of an election should be, in other words.

The chill-out channel

19

National telly has always had a certain percentage of broadcasts shown in Swedish, or with Swedish subtitles.

Since 2007, however, rather than sharing airtime with Finnish-language shows on YLE1 and 2, all Swedish-language shows have been broadcast on the digital channel FST5.

The majority of shows still have Finnish text, although if the original language of the show is not Swedish, Swedish subtitles will be used instead.

If you watch this channel, it’s actually rather interesting as a cultural phenomenon.

Somehow, the shows that are actually produced by FST have a different feel to them than the ones produced by the other, main channels.

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 High Fidelity FILM Audiophile looks back on his relationships and wonders what went wrong. Directed

by Stephen Frears. Starring: John Cusack, Jack Black, Iban Hjejle. USA 2000.

22:00 The Friday Night Project 22:30 Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman

For one thing, the shows feel much more relaxed. The channel’s stand-out lifestyle programme, Strömsö, is a perfect example of this. Filmed on an island off the coast near Vaasa, the presenters not only demonstrate how to make nice stuff for your home, make yummy food and tend your garden, they do it in such a nice way, and with a soothing musical background reminiscent of 1990s Ibiza chill-out, that when the show ends it’s like you’ve had a full body massage from Eyasha, Santharian Goddess of Peace and Contentment. Even the documentaries tend to be of a high standard, unlike, for example, Nelonen’s tacky 4D collection.

Shows for children have a similar feel, in opposition to many which are produced with the idea that the little gits are only interested

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Disney’s the Replacements, 07:25 Tutenstein, 07:50 Walter.

08:00 10 Items or Less 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 Kyle finds out he can read lips.

18:00 Talent USA 21:00 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (CERT15) FILM Lara Croft searches for Pandora’s box to foil the plans of a mad scientist. Directed by Jan De Bont. Starring: Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler. USA/ Germany/Japan/UK/Netherlands 2003.

23:40 Tudors 00:50 Maximum Risk (CERT15) FILM French policeman solves the mystery of his dead doppelganger. Directed by Ringo Lam. Starring: Jean-Claude van Damme, Natasha Henstridge. USA 1996.

From Russia with Love.

MT V3 at 22:40

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 19:00 DIY to the Rescue 19:30 Carter Can Carter creates a home for Doug and Dawn.

20:00 Police Interceptors Interceptors chase after a stolen van.

21:00 Parole Board (CERT15) DOC Louisiana parole board handles the applications of a variety of criminals.

22:00 Miami Ink 23:00 Banzuke 00:00 Most Daring Rescues 01:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

in being treated like morons by screaming idiots, accompanied by god-awful music created by a tribe of hyperactive monkeys and some dustbin lids. FST’s main kiddie show, Buu-klubben, is presented by people who don’t seem to feel the need to patronise anyone, which can only be a good thing, even if we all know kids need to be taken down a peg or two once in a while. The show’s website is also surprisingly interesting, at least interesting enough for this 30-something-year-old hack to spend a good 45 minutes messing around with it.

Many media organisations seem to think that they’re God’s gift to the ‘information age’, but one of the best things about FST is that what it does, it does simply, with relatively little glitter and arrogance. Plus, all that ambient music is really soothing, man.

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

saturday TV1 08:05 Pursuit of Excellence: Lords of Gourd DOC 13:05 Pedigree Dogs Exposed DOC 14:10 Keeping Up Appearances 14:40 Los Serrano 16:00 Holby City 18:20 Mumbai Calling Part 5/7. Kenny is asked to deliver a keynote speech.

19:45 Monk Millionaire with leprosy offers Monk work.

22:35 Lucky Louie (CERT15) Louie makes a confession and enjoys it.

23:00 The Thick of It Part 3/6. High profile proposal is shot down.

23:30 Medea SERIES ENDS. Part 6/6.

Jason is elected in a landslide victory.

TV2 07:45 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 10:00 The Moomins.

12:25 Cross country skiing World Cup SPORT Sprints. Commentary in Finnish.

15:15 Nordic combined World Cup SPORT Ski jumping and men’s 10 km. Commentary in Finnish.

20:00 Eurovision 2009 Final. Who will represent Finland in Moscow? Continued at 22:05. Commentary in Finnish.

22:20 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers FILM Comedy about a funny comedian, who was a very difficult person. Directed by Stephen Hopkins. Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Charlize Theron, Emily Watson, Stephen Fry. USA 2004.

00:25 The Border 01:10 Yle Live: Country Music Awards 2008

YLE TEEMA 10:50 Cidade dos Homens 11:44 The 39th Symphony by Mozart Performance by RSO conducted by Sakari Oramo.

15:50 Everest ER DOC 17:20 Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive DOC 19:10 Prestuplenie i nakazanie (Crime and Punishment) Part 3/8. Raskolnikov’s odd behavior raises questions. In Russian.

20:05 Dan Cruickshank’s Adventures in Architecture DOC 21:52 Some Like It Hot FILM Two musicians dress as women to escape gangsters.

Directed by Billy Wilder.

Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis.

USA 1959.

23:50 The Bullshit Detectives

HELSINKI TIMES

sunday

31.1.

MTV3

NELONEN

07:50 Cartoons for Children 07:50 Dora The Explorer, 08:15 Viva Piñata, 08:30 Powerpuff Girls, 08:55 Pokémon, 09:20 Zorro. In Finnish.

09:45 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Races SPORT 11:00 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Races SPORT 14:30 Star Wars Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back FILM Imperial drone finds the rebels on Hoth. Directed

by Irvin Kershner. Starring: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams. USA 1980.

16:55 Star Wars: The Clone Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are sent to destroy an ioncannon.

17:55 Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares 19:20 WRC: Ireland SPORT 21:00 Survivor 22:25 Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) FILM Woman searches for her fiancé, who is missing in action.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Starring: Audrey Tautou, Gaspard Ulliel, Dominique Pinon, Chantal Neuwirth.

France 2004.

00:55 WRC: Ireland SPORT 01:25 Mystére

SUB 12:50 Mad T V 13:40 Mad T V 14:30 E! Entertainment: How Do I Look 15:30 E! Entertainment: The Big Party Plan-Off 16:30 World’s Greenest Homes 17:00 Instant Star 17:30 Office Monkey 18:00 American Idol 20:00 Real Housewives of New York City LuAnn goes bohemian with a friend and Ramona parties in a bar full of Marimekko prints.

21:00 C.S.I. Miami Horatio sacks a member of his team.

22:00 Most Haunted 00:30 Murder (CERT15) 01:25 Stargate SG1 02:15 X Files

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 21:00 Murder by Numbers FILM College kids think they’ve committed the perfect murder. Detective Cassie Mayweather disagrees. Directed

by Barbet Schroeder. Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin. USA 2002.

LIVE SPORT Saturday 31.1.

14:40 Stoke-Manchester City, Premierleague (C+S1) 16:25 Hannover 96-Schalke 04, Bundesliga (U) 16:55 Jyp-Jokerit, SM-liiga (Nelonen) 16:55 Arsenal-West Ham, Premierleague (C+S1) 19:25 Manchester United-Everton, Premierleague (C+S2) 19:25 Linköping-MODO, Elitserien (C+S1) 19:55 Boston-NY Rangers, NHL (C+S1) 19:55 PSG-Caen, Ligue 1 (U+) 21:25 Juventus-Cagliari, Serie A (C+S2) 23:00 Numancia-Real Madrid, La Liga (U+) Sunday 1.2.

15:25 Newcastle-Sunderland, Premierleague (C+S1) 15:55 Inter-Torino, Premierleague (C+S2) 17:55 Liverpool-Chelsea, Premierleague (C+S1) 17:55 Bordeaux-Lille, Ligue 1 (U) 20:55 Montreal-Boston, NHL (C+S1) 21:25 Lazio-Milan, Serie A (C+S2) 21:55 Sporting-Sevilla, La Liga (U) 00:55 Super Bowl XLIII Arizona Cardinals-Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL (Via) C+S1/2/E=Canal+ Sport1/2/Extra, U(+) = Urheilukanava(+), Via = Viasat Sport1

11:30 Volvo Ocean Race 13:00 3 lbs 17:00 JYP-Jokerit SPORT Ice hockey. Commentary in Finnish.

20:00 American Gladiators 21:00 Legends of the Fall (CERT15) FILM The lives of three brothers are turned upside down, when one of them gets married. Directed by Edward Zwick. Starring: Brad Pitt, Julia Ormond. USA 1994.

00:00 Las Vegas 01:00 Den Tredje Vågen (The Third Wave) (CERT15) FILM Stock broker has to flee for her life, when she stumbles onto her employers criminal activities. Directed by Anders Nilsson. Starring: Jakob Eklund, Irina Björklund. UK/ Sweden 2003.

JIM 11:05 Hooked on Fishing 11:30 House Hunters International 11:55 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:20 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:45 Good Eats 13:10 Stuntdawgs 13:40 Human Weapon – Marine Corps Martial Arts Program DOC 14:30 Dangerous Encounters 15:25 America: The Wright Way 16:20 Canadian Sportfishing 16:45 Skier’s World 17:10 DIY to the Rescue 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 Couple’s honeymoon is at risk, when something very strange is found from their luggage.

20:30 Crime Museum: John Robinson John Robinson committed a murder in London in 1927.

A used match led the police to him.

21:00 The Final Report: The Battle for Fallujah DOC 22:00 Crime Scene Academy (CERT15) 23:00 Banzuke 00:00 Most Shocking (CERT15) 01:00 Speeders 01:30 Fifth Gear 02:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Empire Strikes Back.

MT V3 at 14:30

L E H T I K U VA / A F P / J I M M C I S A A C

20

SELECTION OF ENGLISH PROGRAMMES ON FINNISH TELEVISION 1.2.

TV1 12:30 Last of the Summer Wine 14:50 Los Serrano 17:08 Gilmore Girls Double wedding drives Lorelai to the edge. Rory and her grandfather bond over golf.

18:20 Ferrets: The Pursuit of Excellence DOC 22:05 Nesser’s Van Veeteren (CERT 15) 22:50 Absolutely Fabulous 23:20 Den sista hunden i Rwanda (The Last Dog in Rwanda) (CERT15) FILM Man’s childhood interest in war takes him to Rwanda to take pictures of war. Directed by Jens Assur. Starring: Jonas Karlsson, Reine Brynolfsson. Sweden 2006.

TV2 07:45 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish. 10:00 The Moomins.

10:55 Little House on the Prairie 11:55 Cross country skiing World Cup SPORT Men’s 2x15 km. Commentary in Finnish.

13:25 Nordic combined World Cup SPORT Ski jumping. Commentary in Finnish.

13:55 Cross country skiing World Cup SPORT Women’s 2x7,5 km. Commentary in Finnish.

15:10 Nordic combined World Cup SPORT Men's 10 km. Commentary in Finnish.

16:00 Cooking the World 19:10 Little Man Tate FILM Single mom’s eight-year-old boy turns out to be a child prodigy. Directed by Jodie Foster. Starring: Jodie Foster, Adam Hann-Byrd, Dianne West. USA 1991.

21:00 Elisa di Rivombrosa 23:35 Skithouse 00:55 Sopranos (CERT15)

YLE TEEMA 09:45 Prestuplenie i nakazanie (Crime and Punishment) 10:40 Cuéntame cómo pasó 15:45 SOAP 16:10 Forsyte Saga Part 3/13. Bosinney’s disregard for financial concerns irritates Soames.

18:00 The Bank Dick FILM Egbert Sousé stops a robbery and lands a job as a result. Directed by Edward F. Cline. Starring: W.C. Fields, Cora Witherspoon. USA 1940.

19:10 Lucerne Festival Orchestra with Brendel & Abbado 21:50 Brando DOC SERIES ENDS. Part 3/3.

Documentary about Marlon Brando.

23:40 Rock Album Classics The Band: The Band 1969.

Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams Spy Kids 2 is strictly a family film written, directed and produced by Robert Rodriguez, better known for action films such as Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Sin City.

Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) are OSS agents searching for a device known only as the “Transmooker”. They are, however, not the only ones, as Donnagon Giggles, the head of OSS, is also after the device – which can be used to shut off everything remotely electronic.

Giggles wants to use the Transmooker to take over the world and the Cortez kids have to stop him. In their quest they end up on an island inhabited by a mad scientist (Steve Buscemi) and a large quantity of monsters.

TV Viisi at 19:00 Sun

MTV3 07:40 Cartoons for Children 07:40 Tractor Tom, 08:05 Pokémon, 08:30 Transformers Animated, 08:55 Batman. In Finnish.

12:25 According to Jim 12:55 Ski Jumping World Cup SPORT 13:55 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup SPORT Men’s slalom. Commentary in Finnish.

15:10 Dragnet FILM Friday and Streebek get into trouble. Directed by Tom Mankiewicz. Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan. USA 1987.

17:25 Simpsons 19:20 WRC: Ireland SPORT 21:00 Amazing Race Contestants travel to Mongolia.

22:35 In Plain Sight Hitman’s former assistant needs protection.

23:30 K-Ville 00:20 WRC: Ireland SPORT

NELONEN 08:45 Jamie at Home 09:15 Colin & Justin’s Home Heist 10:15 Jeff Corwin Experience 12:30 Dr. Phil 13:30 Frasier Four episodes of Frasier.

15:30 Whistler 16:25 Wildfire Wildfire is put on sale. Kris has reservations about the buyer.

17:20 Brainiac: Science Abuse How many helium balls does it take to get one person airborne? What is the best way to relieve stress?

18:15 My Dad is Better than Your Dad 23:20 Lost (CERT15) Body is washed up on shore and Ben’s enemies attack Locke’s crew.

SUB 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:30 15:30 16:30 17:00

Cow & Chicken Futurama Family Guy King of the Hill Office Monkey Dog the Bounty Hunter Instant Star Xena: Warrior Princess Pepper Dennis Holiday Showdown Hot Properties Katie & Peter – The Baby Diaries 18:00 American Idol 19:00 Make Me a Supermodel SERIES BEGINS. Twelve contestants who all want to be supermodels. Only one can make it. Hosted by Rachel Hunter.

20:00 Peep Show 20:35 Peep Show 22:05 Entourage 22:40 Sperm Wars DOC Documentary about sperm quality and production.

00:30 Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps 01:05 Supernatural

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air 19:00 Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams FILM Cortez kids are after the Transmooker. Directed by Robert Rodriguez. Starring: Alexa Vega, Daryl Sabara, Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino. USA 2002.

21:00 Farscape Crew of Moya gets a very strange distress call.

22:00 Paranormal State Carol Anne tapes the sounds made by spirits.

22:30 The Friday Night Project

Lucerne Festival Orchestra with Brendel & Abbado.

YLE Teema at 19:10

JIM 10:00 24 Hour Design 11:00 Hooked on Fishing 11:25 House Hunters International 11:50 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:20 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 12:45 Corkscrewed 13:10 Mighty Movers 14:05 Flip This House 14:45 A Bikeography 15:20 Wheeler Dealers 15:45 Gumball Rally 16:10 Kings of Construction 17:00 Digging for the Truth: The Hunley: New Revelations DOC 18:00 Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern Andrew has Bombay duck made out of fish.

19:00 Cooked 19:30 My Country, My Kitchen 20:00 Destination Truth Josh searches for the mythical Pendek-man – an orangutang-like primate living in the jungles of Sumatra.

21:00 Biography: Joe Biden DOC A look at the new vice president.

21:30 Biography: Sarah Palin DOC 22:00 Crime Investigation Australia The kidnappings of Graeme Thorne in 1960 and Daniel Morcombe in 2003 were both media events in Australia.

23:30 Contender 00:30 Parole Board (CERT15)

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

HELSINKI TIMES

monday TV1

MTV3

09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 YLE News 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors 15:05 Coronation Street Sean tries to bond with this father. Steve attempts to make amends, but will he be forgiven?

17:08 Peak Practice Will and Sarah’s marriage appears irreparable. Beth’s friend’s backache threatens her career.

23:45 Heading For a Food Supply Crash DOC How bad will the food crisis get?

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish.

10:20 Plus belle la vie 11:35 Eurovision 2009 Who will go on to represent Finland in the Eurovision 2009 song contest? Commentary in Finnish.

14:30 Elisa di Rivombrosa 16:10 McLeod’s Daughters Jodi hears strange noises and everything points to Emma McLeod. Alex is furious with Marcus.

18:03 Schwarzwaldklinik 19:20 Vroom Vroom Emma Parker Bowles meets Dougie Lampkin.

22:05 The Border Known contract killer surfaces in Toronto. Her target is thought to be a cartoonist, who has offended the muslim community.

22:50 Third Watch Doherty stumbles onto a massive pile-up. Sully finds out Tatjana is being followed.

Day Break.

Nelonen at 00:00

YLE TEEMA 19:00 Cuéntame cómo pasó 22:00 Yin shi nan nu (Eat Drink Man Woman) FILM Renowned director Ang Lee’s breakthrough movie about an aging father and his three unmarried daughters, who meet every Sunday over dinner. Directed by Ang Lee. Starring: Sylvia Chang, Sihung Lung, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu. USA/Taiwan 1994.

tuesday

2.2.

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 Two and a Half Men 15:00 L.A. Law 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale Ledbetter’s behavior has given Eric the edge.

21:00 Life Woman dressed as an angel falls nine stories and lands on a car.

22:30 Fringe Voltage spike causes an elevator cart to crash to the bottom of the shaft. Consequences are devastating.

23:35 Psych Shawn and Gus interrogate a cat, which irritates Lassiter.

00:30 Survivor

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 15:35 How I Met Your Mother 16:00 Stacked 16:30 E! Entertainment: Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

SERIES CONTINUES. Courtney and Richard want to get married in the Caribbean.

18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 My Name Is Earl 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons Milhouse goes away.

21:00 Bourne Supremacy FILM Jason Bourne’s peaceful retirement in Goa is cut short and he has to go on the offensive again. Directed by Paul Greengrass. Starring: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Brian Cox, Julia Stiles.

USA 2004.

23:20 E! Entertainment: Pam: Girl on the Loose 23:45 Sperm Wars DOC 00:40 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 01:30 E-Ring

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 Airline EasyJet staff dress up to raise money for an orphanage.

20:30 Big Spender 21:00 Intervention 22:00 Secret Lives of Women

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Disney’s the Replacements, 07:25 Tutenstein, 07:50 Walter.

Walter.

Nelonen at 07:50 08:00 The Game SERIES BEGINS. Melanie Barnett moves to San Diego with her boyfriend Derwin, who is a professional football player. How will Melanie adjust to being a footballers wife?

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 is unsure who his real parents are.

18:00 Talent USA 20:00 Ugly Betty 21:00 Desperate Housewives 22:00 Californication (CERT15) 22:35 Weeds (CERT15) Nancy has to get a day job and Silas gets connected while doing community service.

23:30 Frasier 00:00 Day Break Hopper discovers Rita has a secret.

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 Leon has to go from Charleston to Indianapolis on a budget of five dollars.

19:00 Cool Tools 19:30 Hidden Potential 20:00 Most Daring Rescues 21:00 Single Subject: My Husband’s Secret (CERT15) DOC What happens when your husband turns out to be gay?

22:30 Speeders 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

23:50 Biography: Joe Biden DOC 00:20 Biography: Sarah Palin DOC 00:50 Extreme Evidence (CERT15)

Heading for a Food Supply Crash

TV1

3.2.

SELECTION OF ENGLISH PROGRAMMES ON FINNISH TELEVISION

MTV3

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 Jamie is upset with Sean’s naiveté. Leanne tries to be a peacemaker.

17:08 Peak Practice Will’s friend is diagnosed with HIV. 19:00 Last of the Summer Wine Somebody takes Truly’s flirting too seriously.

19:30 Travels to the Edge with Art Wolfe DOC Art Wolfe takes beautiful pictures in Patagonia.

21:00 Sense and Sensibility Part 2/3. Elinor’s patience is rewarded.

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 Alf 15:00 Windfall 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale Val’s former employees support her.

20:00 Private Practice 21:00 Lipstick Jungle Nico assures her boss that the allegations of sexual harassment are unfounded.

22:30 C.S.I. New York 23:30 C.S.I. New York 00:30 Man Stroke Woman

SUB

Sense and Sensibility.

T V1 at 21:00 21:55 In Treatment Paul turns to his former counsellor after a ten-year break.

22:23 In Treatment Laura tells her therapist she loves him.

22:55 The Street Part 4/18. Billy’s career in football is cut short. Will he turn to drugs?

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish.

10:35 Happy Days 11:00 Kylie Kwong: My China 11:30 Animal Hospital 12:00 Vroom Vroom 13:50 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup SPORT Women’s super-G. Commentary in Finnish.

16:10 McLeod’s Daughters 18:00 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup SPORT Highlights. Commentary in Finnish.

22:05 The Eagle Has Landed (CERT15) FILM German soldiers are sent to England to kidnap Churchill. Directed by John Sturges. Starring: Michael Caine, Robert Duvall. UK 1977.

00:45 Skithouse

YLE TEEMA 19:00 Cidade dos Homens 19:35 Little Mosque on the Prairie

The Eagle Has Landed

Everybody has noticed the rise in food prices, and some in more visceral ways than others. But last year’s events may just be a prelude to something much more serious. A global system whereby people eat more than what the farmers produce is inevitably unsustainable; leading to an outcome that can be either controlled or apocalyptic.

Destructive migrations in the history of the world have frequently been started by famines, and many experts feel that we will soon witness one. Making sure that no one goes hungry and the construction of a global system where the amount of food produced by farmers does not exceed the amount that people need are massive challenges, and the way in which they are tackled will define the 21st century.

A German commando team led by Colonel Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine) is sent to England at the height of the Second World War with orders to capture Prime Minister Winston Churchill and transport him back to Germany. The unit, aided by an Irish terrorist and a South African spy, dress as Polish soldiers and infiltrate the small village of Studley Constable, where Churchill is staying. The Eagle Has Landed is based on the novel by Jack Higgins, which was in turn inspired by the Gran Sasso Raid, in which German paratroopers saved the deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini from his captors in the Autumn of 1943. As the tagline promises, this is a movie about 16 German paratroopers who nearly won the war in three days.

TV1 at 23:45 Mon

TV2 at 22:05 Tue

21

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 World’s Greenest Homes 15:35 How I Met Your Mother 16:00 Stacked 16:30 E! Entertainment: Denise Richards 17:00 E! Entertainment: Battle of the Hollywood Hotties 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 My Name Is Earl 19:30 Will & Grace Jennifer Lopez makes an appearance.

20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons 21:00 O.C. Oliver plans to make a move for Marissa, which doesn’t please Ryan.

22:00 Pushing Daisies Ned has to face the consequences of his earlier decision.

23:00 Génesis 00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air Will tries to coast through college.

19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 20:00 X-Weighted Paul Plakas pushes overweight people to turn their lives around.

22:00 Minor accomplishments of Jackie Woodman Tara meets Brad, who seems like a nice guy. Unfortunately he spreads bad luck everywhere he goes.

22:30 Friday Night Project 23:00 Moonlighting Wealthy businessman hires David and Maddie to find him a wife.

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Disney’s the Replacements, 07:25 Tutenstein, 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 Kyle finally receives information about himself from Adam Baylin.

18:00 Talent USA 20:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Ty and the team help a nice family.

21:00 Navy NCIS While performing an autopsy, Ducky discovers the patient is still alive.

22:00 Primordial Dwarf DOC Alex Connerty has MOPD II, a rare and dangerous medical condition.

23:20 Frasier 00:20 Jericho

JIM 15:20 Stunt Junkies 15:50 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:20 Cool Tools 16:45 Hidden Potential 17:15 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody Leon pushes on to Chicago.

19:00 Over Your Head 19:30 Dream Builders SERIES ENDS. Beautiful 1950s house gets renovated in Virginia.

20:00 Re-Inventors 20:30 How It’s Made 21:00 Big Business DOC Obesity is a growing problem in the US, but it is also a great business opportunity.

Everything from oversized caskets to superbig hamburgers is available to the overweight consumer.

22:00 Build It Bigger 23:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

23:50 Single Subject: My Husband's Secret (CERT15) DOC 00:50 Extreme Evidence (CERT15)

Will & Grace.

Sub at 19:30

22

TV GUIDE

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

wednesday TV1

Thu 1/29

4.2.

MTV3

09:30 Down to Earth 11:05 YLE News 11:10 Peak Practice 14:30 Doctors Marc tries to help Faith with her problems.

15:05 Coronation Street Sean is overcome with happiness.

17:08 Peak Practice Jack helps a young girl with a drug problem. Beth does her best to help Will get over his divorce.

19:00 Keeping Up Appearances Daisy and Onslow’s unmarried daughter has had a baby and the baptism is to be held at church.

00:25 Inside the Actors Studio

TV2 06:50 Pikku Kakkonen Cartoons for children in Finnish.

10:35 Happy Days 11:00 Mat med Niklas 11:50 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup SPORT Men’s super-G. Commentary in Finnish.

13:30 Globetrekkers 16:00 Nordic combined SPORT Finnish championships.

Commentary in Finnish.

17:00 The Secret World of Benjamin Bear 18:00 Ski jumping SPORT Finnish Championships.

Continued at 19:05. Commentary in Finnish.

YLE TEEMA 16:30 Sleep Clinic DOC Sleep walking, snoring and sleep apnea are all disorders, which are studied at the Sleep Clinic.

20:40 Le jeune homme et la mort (The Young Man and Death) Roland Petit’s choreography performed at the Paris Opera in 2006. Featuring Niholas Le Riche and MarieAgnès Gillot.

22:10 Little Mosque on the Prairie Amaar’s Qur’an lessons get interesting, when one of the teenage girls develops a crush on the imam. What will the teacher do? Fatima needs advice desperately.

23:20 Yle Live: Magnum

Lincoln Heights.

Nelonen at 23:50

HELSINKI TIMES

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 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 Northern Exposure 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 17:30 Emmerdale 18:00 Emmerdale Alan’s visit to Adam Forsythe’s reception ends unexpectedly.

21:00 C.S.I. Trial of a feared Las Vegas gang runs into trouble, when several key witnesses are murdered.

22:30 Ice Road Truckers Todd is caught speeding and punished.

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 Animaniacs.

11:25 Sturm der Liebe 16:00 How I Met Your Mother 16:30 E! Entertainment: Style Star 17:00 E! Entertainment: Keeping Up with the Kardashians 18:05 Sturm der Liebe 19:00 My Name Is Earl 19:30 Will & Grace 20:00 Friends 20:30 Simpsons 21:00 Chungking Express FILM Noodle bar brings people together in the hustle and bustle of a big city. Directed by Wong Kar-Wai. Starring: Brigitte Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony Leung, Faye Wong. Hong Kong 1994.

23:00 Heroes Claire sneaks off to meet her biological mother. Hiro’s father and sister don’t believe it is his destiny to save the world.

00:00 Late Night with Conan O’Brien 00:55 Wire

TV VIISI 18:00 Home and Away 18:30 Fresh Prince of Bel Air Will needs Nicky.

19:00 America’s Funniest Home Videos 19:30 America’s Funniest Home Videos 21:00 Outback Jack SERIES BEGINS. Twelve women have come to Australia to win Jack over. Who will he choose?

22:00 Scrubs 22:30 Scrubs Carla and Kelso bond, but Cox still doesn’t like Turk.

23:00 Dark Justice

−8 −7

NELONEN 07:00 Cartoons for Children In Finnish. 07:00 Disney’s the Replacements, 07:25 Tutenstein, 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 Staying Put 14:30 Come Dine with Me 15:00 Dr. Phil 16:05 Days of Our Lives Kate gets caught red-handed.

17:00 Everybody loves Raymond Ray’s parents annoy everybody.

17:30 Talent USA 20:00 The Bachelor Women tell all in this special episode, where Brad answers some tough questions from the ladies.

21:00 Grey’s Anatomy Webber gives Bailey more power and more responsibilities. Erica starts crying after sex and Callie is spooked.

22:00 Mad Men Pete’s in-laws pressure him to start a family.

23:20 Frasier Lilith asks Frasier for help and Niles is tasked with making sure they don’t end up in bed together.

23:50 Lincoln Heights SERIES BEGINS. Police department encourages officers to move to the areas they patrol and Eddie Sutton moves to Lincoln Heights, which is a high-crime neighborhood.

00:50 Dirt Don gets into trouble.

−3

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−5 −5 −3

−2 −2 Fri 1/30 −8 −8

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−5 −5 Sun 2/1 −6 −3

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−14

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−7 −8 −9

−6

JIM

−9 15:20 Stunt Junkies 15:50 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 16:20 Over Your Head 16:45 Dream Builders 17:10 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

18:00 Banzuke 18:30 Amazing Adventures of a Nobody 19:00 Design Remix Kelly and Todd want to turn their kitchen into an area, where the whole family can hang out.

19:30 Trigged Out 20:30 Fifth Gear 21:00 Inside: Super Carrier DOC USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is back from the drydock but needs a set of sea trials to determine if she’s ready for action.

22:05 American Hot Rod SERIES BEGINS. Building hot rods is just as difficult as it seems.

23:05 Jimmy Kimmel Live!

23:55 Big Business DOC 00:55 Extreme Evidence (CERT15)

Outback Jack Twelve beautiful women, all accustomed to the high life in sunny and civilised Los Angeles and all somehow enticed to take part in a dating show, are parachuted to the Australian outback to meet Jack, a handsome bachelor, who likes to rough it in the wilderness. The girls are forced to sleep outdoors, catch their own food and handle crocodiles as they fight for Jack’s affections. If you like dating shows, hit the couch an hour early and check out The Bachelor as well. It takes place in a mansion and the guy is American, but the basic idea is the same – several women fight over one man and the last girl standing is the winner.

TV Viisi at 21:00 Wed The Bachelor Nelonen at 20:00 Wed

−9

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−11 −12 −7

−5 −9

−6

−5 −5 Wed 2/4

−11

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Tue 2/3

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+26

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Wed 2/4

+2

Thursday 1/29 8:43 am 4:24 pm

9:16 am 3:46 pm

8:55 am 4:33 pm

9:30 am 3:31 pm

8:56 am 4:21 pm

10:11 am 2:41 pm

CLASSIFIEDS & SERVICES

HELSINKI TIMES

29 JANUARY – 4 FEBRUARY 2009

23

Finland info 29 January – 4 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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 TueFri 9-12. Bear in mind that bookings should be made at least one week in advance. More information about museums is available at www.a5.fi/lehdet/museoesite.

Post. Post offices are usually open Mon–Fri 10–18.

See www.posti.fi.

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

EXPAT VIEW Ishita Chatterjee is an 11 year-old girl in Grade 6 at the International School of Helsinki. She wrote the essay on Living in Finland as part of her entry in the Original Oratory section of the CEESA (Central and Eastern European Schools Association) Speech and Debate Competition, in Budapest in 2008.

Living in Finland I HAVE lived in Finland for al-

most three years now. I still do not know my neighbours any better, but I do understand a lot more about the people and life here. Previously, the only things that I knew about Finland were Nokia, Santa Claus and the fact that it was a long long way from Hong Kong, where we had been living.

We came to Finland in the middle of winter – I loved the snow, the quiet and the calm – until I found that it was so quiet that I could not sleep at night. Suddenly, I missed the noise and hustle bustle of Hong Kong. The quiet in Finland is not surprising, because there are only about five million people and a couple of hundred thousand reindeer. Moreover, compare that with India’s one billion-plus

population and you may begin to understand why I find the quiet very unnerving at times, and why I find going to India for the holidays equally unnerving now!

We live in a house in Espoo, which is a big change for us after having lived in apartments in India, Singapore and Hong Kong. Although it's nice to have a backyard, I really miss having friends and people living all around us.

Of course shovelling snow in the winter and raking leaves in the autumn is not so great either.

The people are so quiet and softly spoken that mum is forever telling us to speak softly. Even the dogs are quiet here. There is a saying that the people here are “silent in two languages”. That is because most people speak

both Finnish and Swedish – and even English actually.

Nonetheless they tend not to use any language if they can help it. I wonder if that’s why Nokia came up with its slogan of “connecting people”.

Another thing I like, and which our family follows, is the concept of the “summer cottage”. A house for the summer – a place to get close to nature. We live close to the sea and there is a forest a few metres from our house. I can’t imagine getting any closer to nature than that. Dad initially found us a summer cottage without electricity and plumbing – fortunately mum put her foot down and we instead found a cottage with a dishwasher and washing machine.

We have become quite Finnish in some ways – now we know that Sundays are tru-

In this series expatriates tell about their lives in Finland.

ly rest days – not days to go shopping, because most of the stores are closed anyway. Our front door step resembles a shoe-shop and we use the sauna quite often (at a comfortable temperature of 50 to 60 degrees). We eat a lot of traditional Finnish food like Karelian pasties and ruis bread, and tell everyone how good the tap water is here. But I still do not like salmiakki, a sort of licorice – and cannot bear the idea of salmiakki ice cream!

Overall I am happy with life in Finland – not surprising, since Finland was rated the best country to live in, by Readers Digest in the October 2007 issue. And this one is especially for my school friends and teachers – International School of Helsinki is definitely the best school to be in!

Thank you – or KIITOS, as they say in Finnish!

035535-0805

ISSUE 5 (85) 29 JANUARY – 4 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 Trainee in layout design Saira Jaferi 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 / A F P P H O T O / J E F F PA C H O U D

T UE SDAY

This picture taken on 20 January shows a newly born Madagascar lemur, Propithecus coronatus, an endangered specie named Tahina, at Besancon Zoo, eastern France.

There are only 17 Propithecus coronatus living in captivity worldwide. Tahina, meaning in malgache “Needs to be protected”, was born on December 27.

W EDNE SDAY

MONDAY L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / S H A N N O N S TA P L E T O N

A man holds a sign along 14th Street as preparations continue for the inauguration of US President-Elect Barack Obama at the US Capitol in Washington 19 January.

FRIDAY

T HUR SDAY L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / K I M K Y U N G - H O O N

A mock intruder, tangled in a net that was launched by the remote-controlled security robot T-34, lies on the floor while posing beside the robot during a photo opportunity in Tokyo 21 January. T-34 users can see live images from the robot’s camera and control the robot using a mobile phone. The robot, which has sensors that react to body heat and sound, can launch a net against an intruder by remote-control during its surveillance.

S AT URDAY L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / S H A M I L Z H U M AT O V

A tame golden eagle swoops down on a hare during a traditional hunting contest near the town of Karkaralinsk in central Kazakhstan 23 January. Kazakhstan’s national sport of Sayat or hunting with golden eagles - is popular in the Central Asian state. Berkutchi, or golden eagle hunters, from all over the country arrived for the annual competition.

L E H T I K U VA / R E U T E R S / I B R A H E E M A B U M U S TA FA

A Palestinian looks up while repairing a smuggling tunnel in Rafah near Gaza’s border with Egypt 22 January. Hundreds of Palestinians came to the Gaza Strip’s border with Egypt on Thursday to try to repair smuggling tunnels bombed by Israel during a 22-day offensive and restore a commercial lifeline to the Hamasruled territory.

SUNDAY L E H T I K U VA / A F P P H O T O / M A N U E L L O R E N Z O

A woman fights a fire in her house in La Nucia near Alicante southeastern Spain on 24 January. High winds lashed Spain and France, killing at least eleven since Friday in Spain and knocking out power to over a million homes in southwest France, as well as disrupting air and rail traffic

L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N

Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov of Russia performs at the Exhibition Gala of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland on 25 January.