"If the cancer is limited to the intestinal wall at the time of diagnosis, over 90 per cent of patients survive for five years or more," Hyöty says. The programme was started in 2004, and now covers over 150 municipalities throughout the country. Continued freezing temperatures have been forecast, but according to Sipilä the situation remains precarious. Many have proven reluctant. Citigroup chief economist Willem Buiter thinks Greece has a 25 per cent chance of leaving the eurozone. Industrial output fell 3.5 per cent in October. See page 14.
Presidential elections almost upon us
ALL AN BAIN HEL SINKI TIMES
IN A WEEK
and a half, Finns will finally have the chance after months of buildup to vote for their preferred presidential candidate. There are little or no symptoms in the early stages, so in many cases cancer is discovered only when it is already at an advanced stage. Bothnia's coastal gem is definitely a town on the up and up. Therefore, learning more about the candidates running including, naturally, the person who will ultimately take office in March is a worthwhile endeavour, both to find out what they stand for and, come 22 January, which of the eight candidates Finnish citizens thought would best represent their country.
As well as this, we recap President Tarja Halonen's 12 years as head of state, look at the changes in the President's powers that will come into force at the beginning of the new President's term in office, and give you the latest news on the race for the presidency. Output was also sharply down in electricity production, but this may be blamed upon the mild autumn. ISSUE 2 (2 33) · 12 18 JANUARY 2012 · 3 · W W W.HEL SINKITIMES.FI
L E H T I K U VA / H E I K K I S A U K KO M A A
EAT & DRINK
Attractive, stimulating eatery A21 is a dining experience that fits sumptuously with Helsinki's status as Design Capital of the World. Even in the most favourable of conditions, Saimaa ringed seals are not very active when it comes to reproduction: females become fertile at four to five years of age, and give birth to a single pup once every three years on average.
Finnish economy slows as Greek bailout lags
DAV I D J . "In bad winters the females can go to a shallow bay to give birth, but then they're at the mercy of people, dogs, and predators." The last two winters have been good for the Saimaa ringed seal, but there have been bad winters too over the past decade. As part of the second bailout of Greece, private investors were supposed to voluntarily forego some of their loans. C O R D HEL SINKI TIMES
THE FINNISH economy is slowing. As the Finnish economy shudders, there are more problems in the European sovereign debt crisis. New orders in manufacturing grew 1.1 per cent in November.
Early stage intestinal cancer tests bring good results
SINIKK A SUOSAL MI S T T HT
ACCORDING
to gastroenterologist Marja Hyöty of Tampere University Hospital, the fledgling intestinal cancer screening programme has brought such good results that the practice should be made nationwide. The internationalflavoured cocktail menu alone warrants multiple visits. Several studies have demonstrated that
screening reduced the amount of cancer deaths by as much as 16-20 per cent. If no single candidate achieves over 50 per cent of the vote on 22 January, a second round of voting will be held on 5 February.
In this week's Helsinki Times, we speak to all the candidates to find out what the country will look like with each of them at the helm. Nonetheless, the vast majority of EU countries have yet to adopt the procedure on a national scale.
Mild winter threatens Saimaa ringed seals
S T T, H T
THE MILD winter up until early Jan-
uary is a further threat to the endangered Saimaa ringed seal. But if the pups are born on open ice, around one-third usually die durL E H T I K U VA / J U S S I N U K A R I
ing the suckling period. "The population dropped by a few dozen in both 2006 and 2007, and for that to happen again would be disastrous," Sipilä says. Since 2000, the European Union has recommended all member states to carry out screening for intestinal cancer. The second threat this winter is that the water level in Lake Saimaa is predicted to rise, which would destroy the seals' habitats. The Saimaa ringed seal is a highly endangered species, with only around 290 remaining. The remaining candidate, Paavo Lipponen, didn't take part in this particular event.
Exploring Finnish Cities The former garrison town of Vaasa has successfully transformed itself into a thriving artistic haven. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Greece to hurry and finalise its debt restructuring, or else it would not receive more bailout funds. The animals urgently need subzero temperatures and snow, according to conservation biologist Tero Sipilä of the state-owned land administration agency Metsähallitus. Paavo Arhinmäki (left), Eva Biaudet, Sari Essayah, Pekka Haavisto, Sauli Niinistö, Timo Soini and Paavo Väyrynen. See page 16.
NEW SERIES BEGINS
Seven of the eight presidential candidates during a recent panel discussion. In Italy, yields on 10-year bonds are back above 7.1 per cent. In Europe, the Greek bailout deal has not proceeded as planned, and Italy is once again under stress. The females usually give birth around the end of February, behind the protection of snowdrifts. While the service sectors are more robust, many of Finland's manufacturing industries show signs of severe weakness. Conceptually clever and aesthetically charming, each seating area tells its own tale and sets a unique atmosphere. The beautiful 17th century city, deep in Finland's western flatlands, boasts a lively student population and a flourishing cultural scene. According to Statistics Finland, total economic output grew 1.1 per cent in October, only a third of the
rate for the first nine months of 2011. Intestinal cancers are the third most common type in Finland, and cause the second-highest amount of cancer-related deaths. The new President of Finland won't wield the same power as his or her predecessors, but the institution remains extremely significant in matters of foreign policy, while the incoming President will still have
much scope for influencing public opinion. The worst performing sectors were secondary production, like manufacturing and construction, which declined 2 per cent. The population has grown over the last decade, however. been diagnosed in various stages of development. Three per cent of all the persons who have been screened since the programme began have been referred for further examinations, and in around 40 per cent of those cases cancer has. Ireland, Greece and Portugal sought bailouts at similar levels. "The target is for a population growth of around ten seals per year, up to around 400 by 2025," says Sipilä. When cancers are found at an early stage, it is more likely that they can be surgically removed, without the need for harsh radiation and cytology treatments. Although threats such as rising water levels are hard to prevent, actions such as placing tighter restrictions on net fishing in Lake Saimaa has helped to reduce the number of seal deaths. Read more on pages 5-7. The electrical and electronics categories fell over 15 per cent
This worrying trend, and the importance of fighting it, is one of the central reasons why I decided to step forward as a presidential candidate.
LAST
immigrants that, equally fancifully, are supposedly destroying these countries' moral values.
THIS is a classic scapegoating strategy, in which any and all social problems are blamed on some or other minority. Next week: Pekka Haavisto (Greens).
Introducing Paavo Arhinmäki
At 35 years of age, the Left Alliance's (LA) presidential candidate, Paavo Arhinmäki, is the youngest-ever presidential candidate in Finnish history. Very often they are founded on little more than people's fear of becoming alienated in their own society. Arhinmäki became the leader of his party in 2009 and, following last year's parliamentary elections, led the LA back into government after an eight-year period in opposition. Paavo Arhinmäki Presidential candidate for the Left Alliance
The President must defend a diverse Finland
The President is an important moral beacon in Finnish society and for this reason must be willing and able to direct attention towards inequality, argues the Left Alliance's presidential candidate Paavo Arhinmäki.
PRESIDENT Tarja Halonen gave the final New Year's Day address of her time in office this year, and true to Finnish style it wasn't exactly a Ciceronian display of rhetorical fireworks. Finland can continue to prosper, but it will do so only to the extent that it remains a multicultural and open society. THE FINNS PARTY,
tional Party. They were more likely than others to fear being discriminated against, and that they would be unable to find suitable work if they were to become unemployed. The same political trend has earlier bore bad fruit in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Russia.
almost everything else she stated in her New Year address, I am in full agreement with the President on this. SOCIAL
and live like parasites. The July atrocities in Norway are an alarming indication of the horrors to which hatred of diversity and difference can lead. THIS HAS always been a multicultural country, despite our minorities being relatively small. It is only under the present government that this mindset has been challenged, for example through the marked improvements in basic security for the unemployed that came into effect at the start of this year.
THE MOST effective way to fight against hostility to diversity is to improve the conditions of the worst off, irrespective of whether they are of foreign or Finnish background. "The growth of inequality is not some predetermined law of nature it can be resisted," Halonen said.
for equality and social solidarity have also included a deep concern with global justice and a defence of Finland's military neutrality. We must also continue to do our share under the many different international treaties the country is party to, including those that provide protection for refugees.
THOSE
who live in Finland should not be divided into "us" and "them" this is one of the most important themes of my presidential campaign.. There has been practically no improvement in the provision of basic security for society's worst off, since the dominant ideology holds that this would discourage the "lower class" and for the right-wing populists this means above all immigrants to avoid work
will falter badly in the coming years if we do not attract people who want to work and live here. The Saame, Jews, and mainly Tatar Muslims have long been part of the cultural fabric of Finland and Finnishness. These include the Danish People's Party, the Italian Northern League, and the anti-Roma Slovakian Na-
fragmentation has been a growing problem in Finland over the past two decades, and has gone hand in hand with the retrenchment of the welfare state. 2
12 18 JANUARY 2012
VIEWPOINT
HELSINKI TIMES
Helsinki Times will publish Viewpoints from each of the presidential candidates from now until 19 January, three days before the presidential election. THE ROOTS of xenophobia are unlikely to be decisively found if one only looks for them in globalisation and the increasing pace of global migration. He is also the only minister among this year's eight candidates and, together with Timo Soini of the Finns Party (PS), is one of two party leaders in the race. Equality and concern for others, she said, were the ideal that had made us a nation. As is well known, this kind of propaganda has an appalling legacy in Europe. The outgoing President has also consistently shown a concern with the growing prominence in Finnish society of intolerance, xenophobia, and hate speech directed at minorities of all sorts. HALONEN said that over the course of the preceding twelve years she feared for the demise of the deep sense of solidarity that had previously defined Finnish society. The Manifesto was drawn up and signed by a group of the party's anti-immigrant candidates, most of whom were voted into parliament.
NOT ONLY that, but in the European Parliament the Finns Party MEPs have actively ingratiated themselves into the company of what cannot be described as anything other than far-right xenophobic parties. Nonetheless Halonen summed up well what had been the main priorities for her during her time in office, and gave a clear distillation of the values that guided her presidency. Several studies have shown that the most common fears among Finns are of serious illness, crime, and fear of losing one's job and home.
ONE SUCH study in which these results came across strongly was commissioned from the TNS Gallup research institute by the Finnish Union of Practical Nurses. With this deplorable development, Finland is no longer one of the few odd ones out in Europe. These cynical opportunists use people's justifiable concern about their own livelihoods to further their own political agendas, based on bizarre theories of racial hierarchy and the "Islamisation" of Europe. These wrongs feed xenophobia far more
surely than immigration. We must ensure that everyone working in Finland works for fair pay and fair conditions, regardless of where they come from. The survey showed that Finns Party supporters stand out clearly from supporters of other Finnish political parties on account of over half of them being concerned about their own economic situation and that of their families. The trio of hopelessness, unemployment and a dearth of opportunity have spread across a broader spectrum of the population, and at the same time poorer Finns and poorer foreigners have been forced to compete with each other for the slim pickings left to them by society's most privileged. But immigrants and domestic ethnic minorities are not the only focuses of the far right: their other focuses of hate include sexual minorities, modern art, and a vaguely defined "social elite," which, in their view, has made possible the supposed flood of
AS THEIR
although not a purely populist party along the lines of many others in Europe, such as in Austria, Norway, or Denmark, nonetheless are determined to continue openly flirting with this vicious ideology. The LA's self-styled red-green candidate is known for being one of the most outspoken politicians of the day, and his views on nuclear power, Nato and poverty are familiar to most Finns. At its worst, it is connected with violent intimidation and terrorism. The President is an important leader when it comes to articulating the values that should most define Finnish society, and he or she must work tirelessly to ensure that inequality is not tolerated. FINLAND
spring's parliamentary elections saw the entry into Parliament, for the first time in the country's history, of a xenophobic, rabidly anti-Muslim, jingoistic populistic right wing. The Finns Party incorporated its so-called "Tight-fisted Manifesto" from 2010 into its electoral programme for last year's general elections. In doing so, he also secured the Minister of Culture and Sport portfolio for himself. One must also work against them. Finland has always done well by striving to ensure that noone in society is left behind. This can be seen more and more clearly in the Finnish jobs market.
MANY Finns are bitter about the fact that many foreigners are working here on far lower salaries and in far poorer conditions than Finnish employees. But even if we can score some successes against exploitation in this field, we will still not be in the clear as long as there are forces in Finnish politics that profit from pitting Finns and foreigners against each other. Males in the upper income levels in Finland live on average thirteen years longer than their counterparts in the lowest income level. Arhinmäki became an MP in 2007. The growing income gap doesn't mean only the disparity in earnings between rich and poor, but is also the foundation of the growing division between the sick and the healthy. It is not enough to condemn bitterness, hate and anti-foreigner hysteria. There are now somewhat more people of foreign background living in Finland than there were twenty years ago, but poverty, inequality, and alienation are far more prevalent now than they were then. As presidential candidate and potential President, my aspiration is to continue the best of Halonen's policies, which in addition to steadfast support
AS WITH
primary target, these bigoted movements have typically taken either Muslims, Roma, or Jews. He had previously led The Left Youth of Finland generally considered to be the youth wing of the LA in 2001-5 and had been, and still is, a member of the Helsinki City Council
One of the advocates of the law, special advisor for the Federation of the Hardof-Hearing Sami Virtanen, is mostly satisfied with the growing number of subtitled programmes, but finds that there are still some improvements to be made. Also, unless one is looking to add Dutch subtitles, one is unlikely to stumble upon them, as the Finnish language subtitles have been put under the Dutch option. "That's great news, especially for foreigners wanting to learn Finnish," he exclaims, but he is quick to point out a small
cultural difference: "As Italian TV is mostly dubbed, I'm not as accustomed to reading subtitles as Finns are, but I'm sure that little by little even I could get used to it."
· The subtitling in Yle channels and MTV3 can be activated by choosing Dutch as the language in the freeview receiver. HELSINKI TIMES
DOMESTIC NEWS
12 18 JANUARY 2012
3
J E N N I T O R I S E VA
Reading the screen
A new law on television subtitles will help Finnish learners and the hard of hearing.
JENNI TORISE VA HEL SINKI TIMES
WITH a healthy abundance of foreign programmes filling up Finnish TV, most Finns have grown up reading subtitles. One of them is Italian student Andrea Dotta, who has been studying Finnish for the past year mostly on his own. · Subtitled programmes show a T-symbol at the beginning of the programme.. At Yle this has been accomplished by giving the speakers subtitles of different colours," Virtanen says. · Yle Areena's subtitled programmes can be watched in their beta-version at areena-beta.yle.fi · Nelonen's Finnish subtitles can be seen in the text-TV's page 333, which cannot be recorded like the ones that come via the freeview receiver. "I must say that it is still difficult to find information about which programmes come with subtitles. Also the commercial channels MTV3, Nelonen and SuomiTV will have to add Finnish and Swedish subtitles to 50 per cent of all domestic programmes by the same deadline of 2016. Twenty-five-year-old student Varpu Salmi made use of the Swedish subtitles in preparation for her matriculation exams. According to Minna Pöntys, the head of the subtitling division at Yle, international freeview receiver (digibox in Finnish) manufacturers seldom add Finnish as a subtitle option in their devices. In July 2011 the new subtitling legislation was put into practice, aiming to provide a comprehensive set of domestic programmes with Finnish and Swedish subtitles. The law, however, does not include constraints concerning children's programmes
and music and sport broadcasting. "Therefore another language had to be chosen that comes as an option in all freeview receivers imported to Finland," Pöntys says. "Even though we don't have a TV any more I would definitely make use of it," Salmi says, while settling with watching the occasional film on her laptop, which almost always has subtitles. Dotta had never heard about the possibility
of adding Finnish subtitles to Finnish programmes. Virtanen himself, who has moderate hearing impairment, has found Finnish subtitles very helpful, especially for practicing voice recognition from the lips, and to know what the speakers offscreen say. At the moment about half of Yle's domestic programmes already have subtitles aimed at the hard of hearing, but the new law requires it to provide all of its domestic programmes with subtitles by 2016. With a new law on subtitling, foreigners living in Finland may also want to start getting used to following subtitles, as they provide an excellent tool in learning Finnish. Also, for the hearing impaired it is useful to know who is speaking. Although the Act was originally backed by organisations such as the Finnish Federation of the Hard of Hearing and the Finnish Association of the Deaf, people with lower levels of hearing are not the only ones to benefit from this new initiative. "Following a programme without subtitles requires much more effort, and involves more guesswork in recognising the words," Virtanen explains, adding that the presence of subtitles can be decisive in choosing whether to watch a domestic programme.
Not only for the hard of hearing The law and the changes imposed have received relatively little publicity, as many do not even know of the possibility of adding Finnish subtitles to Finnish programmes. Another group that the subtitles will be beneficial for are foreigners learning Finnish. Now a mother of a oneand-a-half year old boy, she is very pleased to hear about the provision of Finnish subti-
Yle Areena's domestic programmes with subtitles can be seen in their beta-version.
tles, making it possible for her to watch Finnish programmes at low volume while her son is asleep
4
12 18 JANUARY 2012
DOMESTIC NEWS
L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O
HELSINKI TIMES
K U VA L E H T I / V E S A M O I L A N E N
Candles were lit in Viikki, Helsinki where an 11-year-old girl was killed after being run over by a drunk driver.
Minister for Transport Merja Kyllönen wants drunk driving locks mandatorily fitted to the vehicles of first-time drunk driving offenders.
Harsher sentences demanded for drunk driving
Ministers Kyllönen and Guzenina-Richardson are in favour of tightening the blood alcohol concentration limits.
ST T, HT
MINISTER for Transport Merja Kyllönen (LA) has stated that her support for the proposal that drunk driving locks be mandatorily fitted to the vehicles of first-time drunk driving offenders. f i
Tuulikki Pekkalainen, the author of Susinartut ja pikku immet. The locks are currently rarely used in Finland, with convicted drunk drivers more commonly being banned from driving for a certain period. According to the Ilta-sanomat tabloid, the man received his first conviction for drunk driving at the age of 15, and the latest incident is said to be the seventh for which he will be charged. Some were interned separately from their par-
H e l s i n g i n Ai k u i s o p i s t o. Over 500 minors died during the Civil War, and around a thousand more died in the internment camps after war's end.
L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O
on reaching his apartment informed friends that he had hit somebody on the way. Initially minors were held in camps in more than 20 municipalities throughout the country. "In Seinäjoki for instance there was the Soukanjoki camp, on which I received information and even a ground plan from the remains of a man who had lived near the camp. The camps may have been in workers' buildings, police station holding cells, and other places on which there seems to be no surviving information. According to Pekkalainen the children were not treated differently to the adult prisoners: in prison photos, for instance, they are shown amongst the adults. The debate over drunk driving received renewed force last week after an 11-year-old child was killed in Viikki. The maximum penalty for aggravated drunk driving in both countries is two years' imprisonment.
the man was banned from the road and sentenced to 80 hours' community service. According to historian Jaakko Paavolainen, who has studied the Finnish Civil War extensively, as many as 1,100 under-15s were
charged with such crimes. Her research focuses on the approximately 150 minors between the ages of 13 and 15 who were imprisoned and charged with having committed crimes against the State. Many of these children were eventually charged with crimes against the State for being members of the pro-Communist Red Guard. Pekkalainen is eager to hear from any possible survivors of the camps who were interned as minors, or from their families. Tuulikki Pekkalainen touched on the problem in her books Susinartut ja pikku immet. Between the start of January 2011 until the end of November the Finnish police caught 19,860 boozed-up motorists, around 10,500 of whom were charged with aggravated drunk driving (törkeä rattijuopomus). The total amount of arrests during the same period in Sweden was 15,540 drunk drivers, with a further 11,670 being arrested for driving under the influence of narcotics. Following his last conviction for aggravated drunk driving meaning driving with a blood alcohol concentration level of 1.2 per cent or above
Finland and Sweden battle high levels of drunk driving Finland has the dubious honour of outperforming its western rival Sweden in the number of motorists who are caught and charged for driving while under the influence of alcohol. There is no publicly available information on the existence of this camp," Pekkalainen says. Some of them were given suspended sentences, and others were freed. A person close to the man called the police, after which the drunken man fled the apartment. The child was on her way home, police said. The driver, a 25-yearold male from Helsinki, ran over the girl on a zebra crossing on Viikintie. Sisällissodan tuntemattomat naiset.
Institute of Adult Education in Helsink i Tö ö l ö nt u l l i n k at u 8 , 0 0 2 5 0 H e l s i n k i. Sisällissodan tuntemattomat naiset ("The Wolfmother and the Little Pups: The Unknown Women of the Civil War"), and Punavankileirit1918.Suomalainen murhenäytelmä (The Red Prison Camps of 1918: A Finnish Tragedy"). Kyllönen also maintains that offenders' vehicles should be seized by the State, at least after the second conviction. Despite the scale, this is one aspect of the Civil War that has received very little attention. The girl's parents notified police some time after the child failed to return home at the agreed time. To Kyllönen, such a sentence "seems like a pat on the head." Guzenina-Richard-
son has publicly urged Minister for Justice Anna-Maja Henriksson (SFP) to take action towards implementing harsher sentences for drunk driving.
The suppressed history of Finnish child prisoners
Although the 1918 Finnish Civil War has been picked apart by generations of historians, one of its most shameful sides has received little attention: the imprisonment and trial of children.
E E VA N I K K I L Ä - K I I P U L A S T T HT
Come an d en j oy l e a r nin g th e easiest language in the world! Fi nni sh for Foreig n ers
ACCORDING
to new historical research, large numbers of minors were among those interned in prison camps in the aftermath of the 1918 civil war. Minister of Health and Social Services Maria Guzenina-Richardson (SDP) supports Kyllönen's suggestion that the locks be taken into use for first-time offenders, and both ministers have said that the current legal blood alcohol concentration
limit of 0.05 per cent should be brought down. Pekkalainen's research materials include information on about 200 minors below the age of 13, many of whom were interned with a parent. The devices, called ignition interlock systems, work similarly to breathalysers. "Often minors joined the Red Guard just to get work and food, and others were forced to join," says researcher Tuulikki Pekkalainen, who has been studying the history of underage interns in the prison camps. The driver must exhale into the device, and if his or her blood alcohol concentra-
tion is above the legal limit the vehicle cannot be started. The driver left the scene, and ents, however. She is also interested in first-hand accounts of conditions in the camps.
S ee our vast and absolutely fabulous co u r s e p ro g ra m m e !
No limits Very young children were also imprisoned, even babies
Niinistö is a safe bet, but personally I'd like to see Haavisto in the presidential palace. I would love to be able to, but citizenship is the only option. 2. Citizenship means passing the language test and that is some time away for me. Pekka Haavisto (or second possible option Paavo Arhinmäki).. I am kind of interested, but since I think it is 99 per cent for sure we already have a winner, I am not digging myself too deep into the topic. But it would be good to see something achieved with those relations," Hauk-
kala added. HT
Savon Sanomat: State purchases supports masts to guarantee communications security
The Finnish State has purchased support masts from private telecommunications companies, the Savon Sanomat reported on Tuesday. The long-running efforts to trim down the office have been consistently resisted by the current incumbent, Tarja Halonen, as they have been by her most likely successor
L E H T I K U VA
Who: Tarja Halonen From: Helsinki Famous for: being President of the Republic of Finland from 2000 to 2012
Sauli Niinistö. With some reservations he added a fifth name, the Swedish People's Party candidate Eva Biaudet. The down-at-heel Finnish manufacturer's first Windows phone "will be the first Nokia phone to get customers drooling," Kauppalehti quoted the website's
From left: Niinistö, Väyrynen, Biaudet, Haavisto and Lipponen.
Presidential powers to be curbed further
HEL SINKI TIMES
Did you know...
· The Finnish Parliament made the German Friedrich Karl the King of Finland in October 1918. 2. 3. · Three former presidents K.J. If a serious difference of opinion arises between the President and the Council of State, the dispute will be resolved by parliamentary vote. The purpose of the purchases is to ensure the continuity of electronic communications links in the event of disturbances. Chaired by Christoffel Taxell, the committee strongly pushed for narrowing the powers of the office.
Tarja Halonen, born in 1943 in Helsinki, is the incumbent Preident of Finland, and she'll finish her second term this year. Also, since Finland is my new home country, it's interesting to follow what the different candidates say. · Urho Kekkonen was Finland's longest-serving President. · K.J. No. I've lived here 5 years and pay my taxes here, but that is the law. Ståhlberg, J. 3. The absentee King never came to the country, however, and the idea of making a monarchy out of the newly independent country was soon rejected. Yes, I'm interested. In the professor's view, if Finland is to succeed it must support the European Union and other Western political structures and avoid "scheming" that weakens them, as with the Greek loan guarantees debacle. She's also spoken out against the Finnish military's use of landmines as well as defended cluster bombs and refused to sign a treaty which would've banned Finland from using these kinds of weapons. She has strongly defended the President's role as the commander in chief of the military.
Helsinki Times asked four non-Finns their opinions on the current presidential race
1. The candidate receiving most votes in the second round is elected President. Paasikivi, and Urho Kekkonen had been commemorated on Finnmark banknotes before the euro was introduced in 2002. 3. Last year the State made 12 significant purchases, including population shelters and telecommunications masts. HT
operate and derive support from," Haukkala writes in his book.
Nokia's Lumia 900 "will have buyers drooling"
Kauppalehti reported on Tuesday that the United States-based Business Insider website has set high expectations for Nokia's forthcoming Lumia 900. His term in office stretched from 1956 to 1982. the body comprised of all
the ministers in the government. K. 2. Helsinki Council will review the suggestions made in the report over the coming weeks, and a decision is expected from the council in February. According to Professor of International Relations at the University of Tampere Hiski Haukkala, "four and a half" of the eight candidates for the presidency have realistic prospects for forging good relations with the Eastern neighbour. The President's principal role is to lead Finland's foreign policy in conjunction with the government, and to lead the country's military. Being Irish and living abroad means I have no vote in any Irish elections and am limited to local and European elections in Finland. Who would you like to see as the next president of Finland?
Anders, 27, Sweden 1. · Up until 1994, the President was chosen by an electoral college consisting of 300 electors. These and other critics of the current developments have charged that curtailing the powers of the office is anti-democratic, since the President is elected directly by popular vote.
A committee was established in 2008 by then-Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's second government to consider the vexed question of President's role and standing. No, I can't vote. 3. Lehel, 30, Romania 1. That has all changed over the past two decades, however, during which time there has been a steady drive to rein in the powers inherent to the office. Advance voting in Finland started on 11 January and continues until 17 January. Under the Constitution as it will stand after the March amendments, the Prime Minister will head the country's foreign policy at EU level. It is in this area that the most recurrent problems arise concerning the President's role and its limits. Outgoing President Tarja Halonen's relations with Russia he rated as "on the surface good." "Halonen has been able to create exceptionally good and deep relations with the Russian leadership, and at the end of the day that's perhaps the most of the President's tasks. Are you interested in the upcoming presidential elections. Eoghan, 35, Ireland 1. The Finns Party has also been generally opposed to reducing the powers of the President. At the launch of his latest book Suomen muuttuvat koordinatit (Finland's Changing Coordinates) on Tuesday, Haukkala named the promis-
ing quartet as Pekka Haavisto of the Greens, the Social Democrats' Paavo Lipponen, Sauli Niinistö of the National Coalition, and the Centre's Paavo Väyrynen. The major reason for curbing the President's powers this time round is said to be the desire to bring greater clarity to the respective roles of the government and the President in European Union affairs. But foreign policy remains the single most important arena for the next head of State and in that arena, relations with Russia will continue to loom large. Can you vote in these elections. The main substance of the proposal is that a new building be designed and built to house the gallery. · Following Kekkonen's successor Mauno Koivisto's two sixyear terms in office, the duration of the presidency was limited to two terms. · The President's residence for state receptions is on the Northern Esplanade in the centre of Helsinki, and her official residence is at Mäntyniemi in Meilahti. Not really no vote equals little interest I'm afraid. Even without a vote, you can still discuss it. The City of Helsinki already owns the proposed site on the South Harbour. 3. No, I can't as yet. Advance voting abroad started on 11 January and continues until 14 January. Haavisto is my favourite because he has worked in various international organisations and seems like a good politician. Not really bothered as long as it isn't Timo Soini.
Ana, 32, Spain 1. HELSINKI TIMES
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
COLUMN
12 18 JANUARY 2012
5
Good Russian prospects for half of presidential hopefuls
International Relations professor Hiski Haukkala believes Haavisto, Lipponen, Niinistö, Väyrynen, and with some reservations Biaudet could work well with Russia.
OLLI KEMPPAINEN ST T HT
THE INCOMING
President will have significantly narrower powers than the outgoing holder of the office. HT
reviewer, Ellis Hamburger, as saying.Hamburger believes that Nokia's and Microsoft's combined efforts provide "the best possible" opportunities for challenging Apple's and Google's domination of the US smartphone market. The office of President was most recently brought down to size with the constitutional amendments that come into effect this March. 2. I'm interested in the presidential election since my native country doesn't have an elected head of state. The presidential term is six years · Every Finnish citizen, who has reached the age of 18 not later than on the day of the first election, is eligible to vote.
HS: Guggenheim gallery proposed for Katajanokka
The committee charged with determining the best location for the proposed Guggenheim art gallery has suggested that the building should be located in the harbour area of Katajanokka, the Helsingin Sanomat reported on Tuesday. The Ministry of Transport and Communications ordered in 2009 that the State should buy its own critical components of the country's telecommunications network for itself to improve security. From the point of view of how Finland is seen internationally, it's very important also. Ståhlberg was appointed the first-ever President of the Republic of Finland in 1919. · If none of the candidates receives a majority of the votes cast in the first round, a new election is held on 5 February 2012. "Four and a half of the candidates have the background, experience, and ability needed to create fairly good Finnish-Russian relations," Haukkala said. "Our traditional liberal recipe for success is threatened by the prospect that there will not be a thriving liberal West in the future with which Finland can coM AR T TI K AINUL AINEN
· The first round of Presidential Elections are held on 22 January 2012. The bulk of the purchases were bought from TeliaSonera. · The President's income and all benefits are untaxed. 2. As a non-Finnish, but EU citizen I can vote only in local elections and European elections. One of few reasons for me to get Finnish citizenship would be to be able to vote. The latest set of constitutional changes that are to come into force this spring further specify the division of labour between the President and the Council of State, i.e. Halonen, the first female to hold the office, is a Social Democrat and lawyer by education who's known for her interest in human rights issues and opposition to Finland joining Nato. · Martti Ahtisaari is the only president to have received the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2008.
THE OFFICE of the President has historically been a strong institution in Finland, bringing with it broad decision-making powers and social influence. In effect, this transfers a significant role in Finnish foreign policy to the Council of State
Chairperson of the Greens from 1993 to 1995. MP from 1991 to 2006. Furthermore, what do their different motivations reveal about their personality, ability to lead the country and values. "Finland can promote democracy, human rights, development and equality around the world. She also emphasises the need for moral guidance and promotion of, what she calls, "healthy values". Then came Finnish design Alvar Aalto and Marimekko. The Left Alliance's candidate, Paavo Arhinmäki, repeats a number of the aforementioned points but includes another that was notably absent, at least in explicit form, from the other candidates' answers namely, Nato. Finland can also operate more actively as a peace mediator we've a great tradition in this from President Martti Ahtisaari to Elisabeth Rehn," Haavisto argues. They were followed by Nokia. Eva Biaudet, the Swedish People's Party's candidate, focuses on two sets of issues of importance. Vice chairperson in her party between 1990 and 1994. · The youngest-ever presidential candidate in Finnish history.
· ·
· ·
·
Eva Biaudet The Swedish People's Party Born in 1961 in Helsinki. It's good that Finland's image is composed of differ-
Paavo Arhinmäki The Left Alliance · Born in 1976 in Helsinki. · MP since 2007. · Brought her sporting career to an end in 1996, around which time she joined the Christian Democrats. In international affairs, I'm widely experienced and I've much experience of domestic policies and issues in Finnish society." For Paavo Lipponen (SDP), as with Arhinmäki, the treatment of minorities in Finland at this moment in time is worrying and he'd work for unity between different people in society if elected President. The next logical step is to apply for the most important and valued office." Defending Finland's sovereignty and her security is also of extreme importance to the PS leader.
Today's Finland Although the President's primary responsibility is leading the country in foreign affairs, she also has much scope for influencing public opinion. Therefore, the choice Finns make on 22 January, and possibly 5 February if no single candidate gains over 50 per cent of vote in the first round of voting, has the potential to significantly affect Finland and its relations with the rest of the world for the next 6 or 12 years and perhaps beyond.
Motivations What sort of person wants to be a president, and for
what reasons. · Currently holds the position of Minister of Culture and Sport. Firstly, she feels that Finland's advantages and strengths, such as the country's education system, access to healthcare, strong civil society and sustainable economy "seem to have become a bit forgotten and need to be upgrad-
ed for tomorrow." Secondly, she mentions Finland's need for international cooperation (both politically and in terms of trade), with particular reference to the other Nordic and EU countries. · Elected to the European Parliament as the CD' only MEP in 2009.
· · · ·
·
Pekka Haavisto The Greens Born in 1958 in Helsinki MP from 1987 to 1995 and from 2007 to the present. · Leader of the Left Alliance since 2009. The Christian Democrats' candidate, Sari Essayah, wishes "to find solutions in cooperation with other actors to the many challenges which face the world," including climate change, degradation of biodiversity, conflicts, and food and water shortages. Outside of Finland, he'd work to ensure that "Finland continues its active, constructive and international line while preventing the country's isolation in Europe and the rest of the world." The last of the eight candidates, the Finns Party's (PS) Timo Soini, is the only one to touch on the relationship between the presidential election and party politics. "In my opinion, I have a lot to give Finnish citizens. · Previously led The Left Youth of Finland in 2001-2005 and is a member of the Helsinki City Council. 6
12 18 JANUARY 2012
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
L E H T I K U VA / M A R K K U U L A N D E R L E H T I K U VA / H E I K K I S A U K KO M A A
HELSINKI TIMES
L E H T I K U VA / H E I K K I S A U K KO M A A
Paavo Lipponen (left), Sauli Niinistö and Paavo Väyrynen.
Paavo Arhinmäki (left) and Eva Biaudet.
Timo Soini
Eight possible Finlands
Helsinki Times speaks to all eight presidential candidates to find out, amongst other things, why they're running, how they view the country they'll be leading, and what Finland will look like at the end of their time in office.
ALL AN BAIN HEL SINKI TIMES
THE INSTITUTION of the Finn-
ish presidency in 2012 is a far cry from what it was in the 1960s and '70s during Urho Kekkonen's era. However, the President remains the head of state and represents Finland on the world stage. Worked for the United Nations from 1999 to 2005.. Appointed the OSCE Special Representative on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings in 2006. However, Haavisto chooses to emphasise the values he'd help promote in the international world. Therefore, Helsinki Times first asked the candidates about how they'd like the rest of the world to see Finland and also, in light of recent discussion, what level of racism exists in the country, with a selection of their answers provided. "I've worked for Finland in a political party which has
grown from a tiny group into a party supported by 20 per cent of the country. Appointed Finland's Ombudsman for Minorities in 2010.
Sari Essayah The Christian Democrats · Born in 1967 in Haukivuori · Represented Finland in athletics in the early 1990s, winning bronze and gold respectively in the 1991 and 1993 world championships' 10 km walking races. "The old image of Finland is that of untouched nature in Lapland and Santa Claus. Although most candidates, when asked why they want to be President, mentioned the changes in the international world they'd like to contribute to, as well as the sort of values they'd represent, very few justified their decision to run with reference to the skills they possess. Held the portfolio of Minister of Health and Social Services in 1999-2000 and 2002-2003. In contrast to these first five candidates, the National Coalition's Sauli Niinistö, perhaps displaying some political realism but also less ambition, explains his desire to be President in terms of the person he is, rather than what he'd like to achieve while in office. "As President, I want to keep Finland outside any military alliance, thereby defending the militarily unallied nature of the country." The Centre's candidate, Paavo Väyrynen, who's known for his dogged political determination and `never say die' attitude in the face of impossible odds, says quite frankly, and in characteristic style, that he "wants to influ-
ence the future development of Finland, Europe and mankind" by becoming President. Served as Minister of the Environment between 1995 and 1999, thereby becoming Europe's first cabinet minister from a Green party. Väyrynen keeps things simple: "I hope that Finland could be recognised as a neutral, militarily non-allied Nordic or Scandinavian country." Haavisto, on the other hand, is the presidential candidate who has perhaps the most open-ended understanding of Finland. Pekka Haavisto of the Greens offers a similar an-
swer to Essayah, seeing in the institution of the presidency the need for valued-based leadership. Moreover, the institution of the presidency is one that Finnish citizens hold in high esteem. · MP from 2003 to 2007
It needs to accommodate a variety of phenomena, ranging from Angry Birds to [the social networking site for teenagers] Habbo Hotel, and from Aki Kaurismäki to ice hockey." Arhinmäki, for his part, focuses more attention on specific political and economic achievements. "I haven't met one person in Finland who's said to me that they've had bad experiences of immigrants. One of the main factors in this has been the pressing of the reset button in relations with Russia." "If Finland becomes a member of the UN Security Council for the 2013-2014 period," he continues, "it's very important to maintain direct relations with all the great powers in the Security Council. During the time Bush was president, the US tried to bypass the UN and international law with its unilateral actions. It's important for the President of Finland to have good relations with
the US [and] Finland needs to have relations with Russia both bilaterally and through the EU." Other candidates were more critical of developments in Russia. Narrowly lost to Tarja Halonen in the 2006 presidential election. After touching on the subject of insufficient financial supervision in the US and the effect this has had on the rest of the world, Essayah says that, "In foreign policy I especially respect the support the US has given over the years to Israel the only democracy in the area at the moment," before noting her dissatisfaction with the lack of peaceful solutions pursued in Iraq and Afghanistan and the limited resources the US has channelled to development cooperation. Therefore, I'd say somewhere between 4 and 6 based on the content of this ongoing debate."
As for the other candidates' scores, Biaudet said 8 and Väyrynen 7, while Haavisto and Lipponen didn't give a specific figure.
The US and Russia A small country like Finland has little leverage over the world's biggest countries, but it can help legitimise or condemn the decisions they take. "Finland isn't a racist country per se and neither are Finns racists." A number of other candidates, such as Essayah and Lipponen, agreed with Arhinmäki. Prime Minister in 1995-2003, leading the governments generally referred to as "rainbow coalitions", notable for including both extremes of the Finnish political spectrum for the first time in the country's history. At the same time, the President of Finland has to engage in a bold and open dialogue about democracy and human rights."
Finland in the future Finally, what would the candidates like Finland's position in the world to be at the time their term in office comes to an end, and what changes would they like to see made in those 6 or 12 years. Domestically we'll be freed from the grip of right-wing populism." In the end, there can only be one winner, and as President the victor will get the chance to help steer Finland in their preferred direction. Disappointingly, a number of candidates demonstrated a reluctance to engage with the question and/or a poor grasp of the differences that exist between these states. "This war was a massive mistake of the George W. Finland is a reliable partner that obeys the mutually accepted rules and emphasises morality even in financial issues." As for the issue of racism in Finnish society, Helsinki Times asked each candidate to rate how racist a country Finland is on a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being not racist at all and 10 extremely racist.
"Maybe 3 or 4," says Arhinmäki, although he points out the danger of making generalisations. Interestingly, Soini was the only candidate to refer to religion. Appointed Minister of Justice after the 1995 parliamentary elections and then became Minister of Finance soon after. "We'd have strong innovative companies, active also in faraway economies, as well as creative entrepreneurs." Haavisto and Arhinmäki, for their part, raise the issues of equality and narrowing income disparity as well as ecological improvements, with the former candidate also mentioning increased citizen participation in politics and the latter Finland's reputation as an "internationally recognised peace-broker and bridge-builder" remaining intact. Minister for Foreign Affairs in four separate governments for most of the 1977-1993 period as well as Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development in the late 2000s. "Finland is a country which values her Christian roots and welcomes foreign workers ... Soini didn't comment on the existence of racism in Finland in his answer but says he sees no need for putting racism on a scale, noting that, "As a Roman Catholic, I'm part of a minority in this country and thus, I can sympathise with members of other minorities." Niinistö contrasts his own experience of racism in Finland with what's been printed in newspapers on the subject. However, if their vision hasn't been realised after six years, Niinistö has some reassuring words to offer. Bush period: a mistake that's already caused the deaths of over 100,000 people. Was Speaker of the Parliament in 2007-11 and then chose not to run for reelection to Parliament in last year's elections.
· · · ·
·
Timo Soini The Finns Party (PS) Born in 1962 in Rauma. Helped found PS and became its leader in 1997. In 2006, he came fifth in the first round of voting.
· ·
·
· ·
Paavo Väyrynen The Centre Born in 1946 in Kemi. MP from 2003 to 2009, at which time he was elected to the European Parliament. "Societally and economically the country is being divided into many groups, with some seeing increases in standards of living and others being marginalised and forgotten." Essayah takes the opportunity to paint a picture of the direction Russia should be heading towards in the future, saying that she "would like to see Russia developing into a normal Western European state, with a free, socially and ecologically responsible economy and wellfunctioning democracy." Arhinmäki also touches on economic issues. At the same time, we read a lot in the media about racist sentiment in Finnish society. "Russia, in particular, is an important great power to Finland economically... MP from 1987 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2011. Sat in the European Parliament for the majority of his 14-year absence from government. Speaker of the Parliament after the 2003 parliamentary elections, a position he held until his retirement from politics in 2007.
· · ·
· ·
Sauli Niinistö The National Coalition Born in 1948 in Salo. Accordingly, Helsinki Times asked the candidates to evaluate the foreign policy and actions of the US and Russia in recent years. "In the world and in Europe I'd like Finland to be very stable and secure. Politically the country's leaders are further solidifying a version of authoritarianism with democratic processes (i.e. In Finnish society, different views and opinions live naturally side-by-side and healthy criticism is welcome, not shunned." Lipponen, presumably referring in no small measure to Soini and his party, says that he would like to see "Finland taking a big step towards being international. This is the second time Soini has run for president. For example, Väyrynen, who prides himself on his foreign policy experience, having been Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs for most of the 1980s, states simply that, "These countries have behaved like typical great powers." Similarly, Soini made no attempt to treat the two countries separately, while Lipponen, who chose to be interviewed by email, says the question is "too broad to answer in a Q&A format." Other candidates didn't appear to agree with the former Prime Minister on this point. "There's been a lot of anti-US opinion in Finland since the Vietnam War, but I think it's calming down now." Arhinmäki, the only candidate other than Essayah to bring up the 2003-11 War in Iraq, is more critical. "Russia is continuing an uneven development. I hope Finland maintains, maybe improves, its reputation as a country that serves the common good of its people," says Niinistö. "The policy of the US has changed during the Obama administration. "It must however be noted that a majority of the population seem to be fine with this," she continues. Led the Centre between 1980 and 1990 and has held a number of ministerial positions during his political career. Soini's vision of Finland in 6 or 12 years' time reflects themes closely associated with his party. Ran for president in 1988 and 1994.. MP from 1983 to 1987 and from 1991 to 2007. HELSINKI TIMES
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
L E H T I K U VA / H E I K K I S A U K KO M A A
12 18 JANUARY 2012
7
Sari Essayah (left) and Pekka Haavisto.
ent layers and that it isn't one-dimensional. "Basically, when Barack Obama was elected, peo-
ple expected major changes, but we haven't seen them that much," thinks Niinistö. Likewise, the CIA's secret rendition flights and, for example, the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay demonstrate the different notions Finland and the US have of how human rights are respected." Arhinmäki also notes the unconstructive position the US has taken towards climate change prevention. elections)," thinks Biaudet. "As a country Finland isn't racist at all. Led the NCP from 1994 to 2001. Party secretary of the Finnish Rural Party from 1992 to 1995. Unlike the other candidates, Haavisto's comments about the US and Russia overlap. Although he was beaten in 2006 by Tarja Halonen, the sitting president at the time, Niinistö, by far the most popular candidate in this year's race so far, partly explains his defeat in 2006 in the following way: "We Finns don't remove someone from their job too easily."
· · ·
·
Paavo Lipponen The Social Democrats Born in 1941 in Turtola. "I'd like Finland to be a thriving, innovative, and international country that comprehends her global responsibility and hosts a selfassured nation that doesn't need to be ashamed of itself. There are, however, individuals or groups with racist attitudes, and they're the reason my answer is 3," the Christian Democrat MEP explains. "Finland's strengths have been solidarity, a comprehensive welfare state, small differences in wages, a high standard of living, a functioning society and a clean environment," he asserts. He returned to the Finnish Parliament last year. Only Biaudet included in her list the relative equality Finnish women enjoy, while Essayah stood alone in listing Finland's peaceful and peace-promoting qualities. Biaudet, on the other hand, would like Finland to be "a strong international partner and an open society
[that] provides an attractive environment for investors and talented people." Finns would have a strong sense of self-esteem and xenophobia would be a marginal phenomenon, she adds
`Tipaton tammikuu is recommendable. No listed company has a female CEO. Thirdly, from the 1990s onwards scientific evidence about the link between
L E H T I K U VA / T O R W E N N S T RÖ M
In Finland, gay couples have been able to officially register their relationship since 2002.
tered their relationship after 2002, 11 per cent have divorced. Can the question of whether poverty is inherited be answered based on the study. Lastly, tipaton tammikuu is never harmful. From the very beginning, registering has been favoured by older couples. Inequality can definitely be seen here.'"
ly. The share of women in the top positions of listed companies was a mere three per cent. ELINA RANTA
Where's that glass ceiling?
"A RECENT
study by Finland Central Chamber of Commerce made for grim reading in the wondrous country of equality that is Finland. Maybe the most important thing is that the right to register a relationship exists in the first place. `Yes, it is inherited, but the passing on of
problems to the next generation can be reduced,' says researcher Reija Paananen. Tabloids have made a big thing out of it being `dangerous', if the break leads to increased use of alcohol in February. `That isn't an easy or simple question. Women are often too modest, too self-critical and lack self-confidence.
`Recruitment is a very important part of managing a company. Men are in charge of the business activities of listed companies, women take
care of the important support services. According to a large-scale study by the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), 70 per cent of the offspring of those parents who have been on income support for more than five years have received income support themselves.
Ten years in the register
"THIS UPCOMING March will mark the tenth anniversary of same-sex couples being able to officially register their relationships. Fourthly, the debate about lowering the alcohol content of medium-strength beer, like is the practice in Sweden, will continue. When it's done halfheartedly, the end result is often the cloning of what you already have and the recruitment of ordinary, average men. A notable age difference is typical for male couples. The right doesn't have to be used: some gay people consider making a relationship official `something for heteros'. Research favouring this estimates that the change would cut alcohol consumption by nine per cent, which would mean 350,000 less alcohol-related deaths every year. By the end of 2010, there were 2,243 gay couples registered in Finland. Of the male couples who have regisfirst place. Turun Sanomat listed five ways to look at alcohol that will continue to cause discussion this year. This means that in a few years' time there will be 70,000 to 140,000 elderly people with an alcohol problem. The first gay couples visited the registry office for this purpose on 1 March 2002. PEKKA MYKKÄNEN
Poverty often inherited
"JUST like in class societies, such as India, Britain or Brazil, poverty in Finland is also often inherited, even though there are plenty of safety nets and public services in the country. However, it's still more common for men to die of alcohol-related illnesses than it is for women. 8
12 18 JANUARY 2012
FROM THE FINNISH PRESS
T R A NSL AT IONS B Y A INO B A IN
HELSINKI TIMES
L E H T I K U VA / M I K KO S T I G
KAUPPALEHTI 7 January. This is a very small number when compared to marriages: 100 times more heterosexual couples, 259,944 in total, tied the knot in the same time period. Secondly, about 5 to 10 per cent of elderly Finns have, at least from time to time, a problem with alcohol. After a busy first year, the number of registrations went down to about 200 annual-
The longer the parents received income support, the more likely their children were to need mental health services. NOORA MATTILA
Bread queues in Kallio, Helsinki.
HELSINGIN SANOMAT 8 January. Paananen uses the ugly term `social inheritance' when putting the backgrounds of families with multiple problems in one category. RITVA SETÄLÄ
Ladies only
Have you noticed that some of our fitness centres are exclusively for women?
Five ways to look at spirits
"MANY people have ended their
boozy festival period and started a tipaton tammikuu [literally `dropless January', meaning `sober January']. In the most recent statistics, breast cancer just managed to take
ADLON TEL. It's a question of resisting diversity, and women are the target,' says author Taina Haahti, who used to work in management positions in the financial sector. Special researcher Irmeli Penttilä from Statistics Finland says that there were practically no alcoholrelated deaths among women about 40 years ago. During it people can consider their own alcohol use as well as the social pressures related to alcohol consumption,' says Solja Niemelä, a teacher specialising in intoxicants."
TURUN SANOMAT 8 January. 415 33 560
Your Global Exhibition Partner arvelin.fi
ENJOY A WORKOUT IN A COMFORTABLE ATMOSPHERE!
YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD
Find it with us.
www.motivus.fi
INTERNATIONAL OY
ARVELIN. During that first year, 446 couples registered their relationship. 415 33 540 KAMPPI TEL. According to Finland Central Chamber of Commerce, neither will there be any in the near future, as there are no female line managers. `It's about educational choices, and maybe about the older tradition which is still with us to some extent of having good experts in management instead of the best managers of people.' According to Huber, men tend to be more confident in their own abilities. A rapid growth in numbers started in the 1980s, and alcohol-related deaths started becoming even more common from 2004 onwards, when tax on alcohol was reduced. The figure for lesbian couples is 16 per cent, and for marriages in the same period 10 per cent." alcohol and cancer has become stronger and more detailed. Can it be said, based on the study, that Finland is a class society. I wouldn't go quite that far, but people are unequal. The CEO of EläkeTapiola, Satu Huber, believes that there are many reasons for this. Firstly, illnesses caused by alcohol are the most common cause of death among working-age women. They're more likely than the rest of the population to be prescribed medicine for psychotic illness, to be taken into care during childhood, and to commit crimes. Huber believes that many women, and nowadays even some young men, choose to focus more on their families and on their lives outside of work."
HELSINGIN SANOMAT KUUKAUSILIITE 7 January. 415 33 530 STOCKMANN TEL
That still leaves 4,600 tonnes a day without a designated purpose. He stated that, if re-elected to a second four-year term, he would allow Nuclear Four to begin commercial operation before 2016 "on the basis of assured safety." of which only 15 per cent is recycled.
Ma said progress toward ending the use of nuclear power in Taiwan could take place under conditions of "no restrictions on electricity supply, maintaining reasonable electricity prices and fulfilling international commitments to reduce carbon emissions." The President added that if Nuclear Four's two reactor units came on line before 2016, his government would not extend the operating life of the first nuclear power plant at Chinshan, in northern Taiwan. The third plant sited at Taiwan's southern tip has two Westinghouse pressurised water reactors and is slated for retirement by late 2025. ICEAC was created in Mexico in 1994 with the aim of resolving environmental conflicts by negotiation between states, individuals and legally recognised bodies, such as companies and NGOs. "If Tsai is elected, her government can simply decide not to turn the key," stated the
NTU economist, who added that "Taiwan could shut down all three nuclear power plants immediately and still not face any shortage of electricity." President Ma had initially endorsed the safety of Taipower's nuclear plants and the rapid entry into commercial operation of the Nuclear Four project, but moderated his position in early November. Such measures would include promoting green and knowledge-based industries, eliminating energy subsidies to carbon, energy or pollutionintensive sectors, improving energy efficiency and conservation to curb demand, boostTaipei, Taiwan
LEHTIKUVA / AFP PHOTO / PATRICK LIN
DENNIS ENGBARTH IPS
NEARLY 14 MILLION of Taiwan's 23 million people will go to the polls 14 January to choose between three presidential contenders, namely incumbent President and ruling Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou, 61, Democratic Progressive Party Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen, 56, and People First Party Chairman James Soong, 69, a former KMT secretary-general. "Consumerism has increased sharply, in tandem with the absence of a culture of nongeneration, classification and recycling of waste," he said. In 2008 ICEAC, based in the Spanish city of San Sebastián, recommended the closure of Bordo Poniente, restoration to compensate for environmental damage, and the investment of 71 million dollars in cleaning up the site. The landfill has ceased to receive 3,600 tonnes of garbage a day, while 3,000 tonnes are going to make compost, 800 tonnes of plastic bottles, cardboard and metals are being recycled, and 600 tonnes are used to produce alternative fuels, according to the ministry of works and services. The issue of whether Taiwan should continue to rely on nuclear power for nearly a fifth of its electricity needs became a major campaign issue after the disaster at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and massive tsunami 11 March 2011.
Taiwan's opposition presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (right) greets supporters while campaigning through the streets of the southern Taiwanese city of Chiayi on 9 January 2012.
Referendum on the project The fourth plant, now being built by Taipower at Gungliao village in New Taipei City on Taiwan's northeastern coast, will feature two 1,350-megawatt advanced boiling water reactor units designed by GE and Toshiba, but has been bitterly opposed for two decades by local residents, the DPP and environmentalists, who have long called for a referendum on the project. Mexico, and they are in danger of overflowing now that Bordo Poniente is closed. HELSINKI TIMES
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
12 18 JANUARY 2012
9
Poll will decide nuclear plant's fate
Voters in Taiwan's upcoming presidential and national legislative elections will also decide the fate of a bitterly controversial 9.3 billion-dollar nuclear power plant.
Taiwan's three existing nuclear plants, all operated by the state-owned Taiwan Power Co, were built in the 1970s during the four decades when the KMT government exercised martial law rule. The metropolitan area of Mexico City, home to some 24 million people, has only two garbage dumps in the state of
THE LEFTWING government of
the Mexican capital decided in December to close Bordo Poniente, the biggest refuse dump, located in the east of the city, without coming up with an alternative solution. The goal is to recycle at least 60 per cent of our waste. You can't just improvise a landfill site," said Restrepo. "We have insisted on the metropolitanisation of public services, like waste collection, water, transport and energy which are in crisis situation now. Besides not allowing Nuclear Four to enter commercial operation, Tsai advocates a mix of strategies to reduce and finally end dependence on nuclear power. tion of garbage dumps in its territory. Restrepo and his team have monitored the garbage situation in this Latin American country since the 1980s. Two nuclear power plants in the northernmost corner of Taiwan each have two General Electric designed boiling water reactors (BWR) similar to those operating at Fukushima, and are currently scheduled to end service by late 2018. We must establish sanitary landfills that meet health and safety regulations. Shortly after the Fukushima disaster, Tsai proposed
ing the efficiency of thermal power plants and adding at least 1 per cent annually in renewable energy capacity.
Legislative approval National Taiwan University Professor of Economics Lin Shang-kai explained that allowing Nuclear Four to be completed, but not allowing it to load fuel or operate would avoid the necessity to receive legislative approval for its cancellation. The Bordo Poniente landfill site has been in use since 1985. "After Fukushima, our society has realised that nuclear power is not only expensive, but is also unsafe," said Tsai, who calls for Taiwan's transformation into a "nuclear-free home" as one of the DPP's three core measures to achieve "justice and equity, sustainability and generational justice". Mexico's ministry of the environment and natural resources estimates 40 million tonnes of garbage are generated annually in the country,
L E H T I K U VA / K I M M O M Ä N T Y L Ä
Mexico City, Mexico
EMILIO GODOY IPS
Valuable materials "We are tossing valuable materials into the trash, and there is the problem of the absence of re-use and recycling. Now municipalities adjacent to Mexico City are refusing to accept its waste. If we take action now, it need not get any worse, but we need a longterm strategy," he said. Only as the new year began did the federal and city authorities reach agreement about the definitive closure programme, which provides for the Mexico City government to put the exploitation of methane, produced by waste decomposition at the site, out to international tender. a 2025 Nuclear-Free Home Plan to phase out nuclear power by retiring the three existing plans on the current schedule or earlier and by not allowing the fourth nuclear power plant to load fuel or begin commercial operation. The 2003 Federal Waste Law regulates waste management and procedures for opening and closing waste dumps, but does not clarify who owns the garbage the source producer, the collector or the waste dump manager.
No one wants Mexico City's garbage
The closure of Mexico's biggest garbage dump has highlighted the absence of a comprehensive policy for urban waste collection, disposal and processing, a failure that has serious consequences for health and the environment.
of the Ecology and Development Centre, explained. This, Tsai said, would avoid adding a fourth "time bomb" to the three existing plants in one of the world's most seismic risky territories. It covers an area of 600 hectares and was receiving 12,600 tonnes of waste a day, 7,000 of them from municipalities in the state of Mexico, adjacent to the Federal District (DF) or city proper, according to the capital city's secretariat of works and services. The crisis became acute as "more urban areas became densely populated, so that waste was further concentrated," said Ramón Ojeda, secretary-general of the International Court of Environmental Arbitration and Conciliation (ICEAC). Moreover, 70 million tonnes of waste are buried underground at the dump, causing serious water and air pollution problems. "We are going to have a problem with garbage for a long time. A fair amount of Mexico City's waste comes from people who live in the metropolitan area people who come in to the city to work, and the informal traders," Iván Restrepo, head
City authorities The closure of Bordo Poniente has sparked a conflict between the national, city and state governments: the national government has been exerting pressure since 2008 to close the site, but the Mexico City government kept it open until 2011, while the state of Mexico government is resisting the loca-
Landfill sites are unsightly and damaging to the environment.
HELSINKI TIMES
BUSINESS
12 18 JANUARY 2012
11
L E H T I K U VA / K I M M O M Ä N T Y L Ä
Vulnerability of power lines angers consumers
The disputes in the aftermath of the electricity supply failures caused by the Christmas storms continue unabated.
ANNU M AR JANEN S T T HT
THE POWER
cuts brought about by the storms over the holiday period have spurred debate over the vulnerability of the country's ageing power lines. /jm. Newspaper letters' pages and online discussion columns are filled with acrimonious comments about the perceived indifference of companies such as Vattenfall, and Fortum in particular, which has been especially slow in restoring supply to customers who were left in the dark after the 26 December storms brought down power lines. The standard compensation rate has been 700 euros per household member. The State's Energy Market Authority (EMV) is responsible for monitoring the pricing policy and other activities in the electricity transmission sector. Other incentives for improvement of the national supply grid are also available, however. Minister for Employment and the Economy Jyri Häkämies (NCP) has been especially vocal in demanding vigorous action towards making the country's electricity network more reliable.
Suppliers are also bound by law to ensure that customers are compensated for breaks in electricity supply. Fortum's director of communications Aki Koskinen also says that transfer of profits from production to
transmission is unfeasible. Häkämies said on 3 January that before the end of the month his ministry will have come to a decision as to whether this rate should be increased in order to give suppliers a stronger incentive to improve their service. It also has handles for convenient opening and closing. The bulk of Fortum's profits come from electricity production, says Hänninen, but he admits that consumers see no difference "between what's going on" at Fortum and the company responsible for transmission, Fortum sähkönsiirto Oy. This Thule box has the best forward positioning design, which will allow you to gain access to your boot more easily. Many have wondered whether Fortum should be putting its profits back into improving its service instead of into managers' bank accounts. Fortum's electricity transmission sector is an independent company that is juridically completely separate from Fortum's electric-
ity production, marketing, and other sectors. The Motion box can be opened from either side for ease & safety. Available in 4 sizes (all available in gloss silver-grey or gloss black). "Now would be a good time to investigate whether the legal responsibilities on power companies are specific enough," admits the supervisory authority's director Riku Huttunen. "The different sectors within the Fortum consortium operate independently of each other, with no money transfers or overlapping investments," he told STT news agency by email.
L E H T I K U VA / M A R T T I K A I N U L A I N E N
Fortum's CEO, Tapio Kuula.
NEW
Thule Motion
The spacious box line
The Thule Motion has a unique Power-Click quick fit system with an integrated torque indicator which allows you to fit the box to your roof bars easily and securely with just one hand. For more information: www.thule.. Many consumers seem suspicious that electricity suppliers are uninterested in making the necessary investments to adequately tackle the problem. By law, electricity suppliers may make only a "reasonable" level of profit on the power they provide, meaning a profit margin of around five per cent. A significant proportion of the typical consumer's elec-
tricity bill is accounted for by the cost of electricity transmission, which in Finland is a monopoly sector. The Fortum consortium's corporate structure hasn't be designed so as to allow one company with the consortium to support the activities of another, Hänninen explains. But according to Kenneth Hänninen, the director of Finnish Energy Industries, an industrial policy and labour market policy association, the idea that Fortum could be forced to redirect more of its profit into developing its service is "impossible". The very latest such incentive is that companies may take a bigger profit provided they invest a sufficient amount of capital into making the grid more efficient and reliable. Only the latter company is subject to State oversight and legal sanctions, however. By law electricity providers are bound to develop the power supply network "in accordance with the reasonable requirements of customers," which according to EMV is a very vague criterion. Don't forget the Roof Bars! All Thule roof boxes require roof bars to fit to your car.
Importer:
Retailers: www.kaha. In practice this means that overhead lines will gradually be replaced with underground cabling.
Consumers have been angered by the lavish bonuses electricity supply companies pay their top management, most notoriously Fortum.
Lavish bonuses In addition to escalating profits, consumers have al-
so been angered by the lavish bonuses that electricity supply companies pay their top management, most notoriously Fortum
One source with knowledge of the company's plans described Mr Siilasmaa as the `likely successor' to Mr Ollila, although added that this decision was still subject to a recommendation to the board..."
L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O
and inflexible, but having seen how the Greek military bureaucracy operates, I think it may not be a bad idea if our officials were to provide training to the Greek Ministry of Defence officials.
Follow Helsinki Times on
http://twitter.com /helsinkitimes
Risto Siilasmaa, the founder of F-Secure Corporation, is proposed to be elected as the new chairman of Nokia.. TO BETTER understand the nature of Finnish internationality, it's worth looking in the direction of the Aegean Sea. Finns, it is clear, feel themselves secure without increased weaponry. Iman Allaf of the Arabic Women Seniors Group said the activity kept members physically active. `We tried different things, we tried tai chi. JUST RECENTLY Greece purchased a submarine and new artillery, and is in the process of buying a number of top-of-the-range frigates. This is an enormous boon to Finnish businesses in the capital as well as to those along the border. "It's harder for me because I'm not able to get involved with the Finnish media so well, which is why I need everybody in Wales to vote for me...."
FINANCIAL TIMES 8 January
Siilasmaa is frontrunner to chair Nokia
Finnish Citroën driver Kimi Räikkönen in Jyväskylä, July 2011. His
track Melt is a mellow mix of acoustic guitar and heart tugging vocals, but he's up against stiff competition. Mr Siilasmaa, who is little known outside Finland at present, is the frontrunner to take over from departing
sudoku
SOLUTION ON PAGE 18
chairman Jorma Ollila at a crucial time for the company. The short answer is: we're not. Coming back is what I wanted, so I'm happy..."
for Finland!
"WELSH musician Tom Morgan is on the cusp of being selected to compete in Eurovision and now he's looking to Finnish the job. to membership. `This is the first time I've properly sat in an F1 car with a helmet on since the last race of 2009,' said the 32-year-old former Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari driver. These are far too expensive for routine coastguard patrol operations and prevention of smuggling. Räikkönen is making a return to Formula One.
"NOKIA, the Finnish telecoms group, has lined up Risto Siilasmaa, the founder and chairman of the Finnish software security company F-Secure, as its next chairman. Another point that needs to be emphasised is that the equivalent of 500 billion dollars is unlikely to be found in the Russian budget. This line has the steadfast support of the majority of the electorate, making Nato membership unlikely for the foreseeable future. A prospering Russia has brought us thriving commercial relations, with steadily growing numbers of Russians coming here every year. Both have pleaded not guilty..."
Women Seniors Group of Australia has received funding from Arthritis Victoria to purchase Nordic walking sticks, which are used by the participants, most with arthritis, to enhance their movement while walking. 12
12 18 JANUARY 2012
FINLAND IN THE WORLD PRESS
L E H T I K U VA / K I M M O M Ä N T Y L Ä
HELSINKI TIMES THE GREATER DANDENONG WEEKLY 7 January
Annika Lapintie is the leader of the Left Alliance's parliamentary group.
Walking the walk with the Finnish in sight
"THE ARABIC
No fear of the border
FOREIGNERS
often ask whether we Finns aren't terrified of the 1,000-kilometre border we share with Russia. The country has no enemies, but that has not stopped it growing its army and weapons reserves. Nordic walking was developed in Finland by cross-country skiers who maintained their physical fitness over summer by walking with their ski poles. Belonging to the EU brings sufficient stability without arms.
The ship M/S Thor Liberty at the harbour in Kotka. During the holiday season, many Russians come here from Moscow and other parts of Russia. The 2007 world champion, who is returning to F1 after two seasons competing in the world rally championship, had a seat fitting at the
L E H T I K U VA / M A R T T I K A I N U L A I N E N
For one thing, the Russian military sank into a state of dilapidation following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and modernisation is bound to be costly. How can it be possible that Greece, on the brink of economic catastrophe, has the largest army per capita of any European country. The prosecutor general's office said the captain and first mate of the Britishregistered M/S Thor Liberty
acted negligently when overseeing the loading of the explosive picric acid `They had been negligent when monitoring the loading of the explosives,' State Prosecutor Juha-Mikko Hämäläinen said. However, some people have been unsettled to learn that Russia has decided to begin a programme to modernise and expand its armaments to the tune of 500 billion dollars. A wealthy country would not lose much sleep over such a sum, but for the Russian taxpayer certainly would.
FAR FROM being a liability, the long border with Russian has been beneficial to Finland. Far more important to Finland has been membership of the European Union. `It will be nice to get back to racing. WE FINNS often think our officials are too bureaucratic
former Renault team's Enstone factory in England. The 30-year-old, who has lived in Helsinki for eight years, got his break late last year when he entered a song writing contest without even knowing exactly what it was for. That's an imposing figure, although it's most likely to have been released prior to the election to woo nationalistic voters. We wanted to do something different..."
HINDUSTANTIMES.COM 8 January
WALESONLINE 9 January
Räikkönen back in Eurovision hopeful Tom driving seat, eager to race Morgan eyes up victory...
"KIMI RÄIKKÖNEN made himself comfortable again in a Formula One car on Thursday and looked forward to getting back up to speed in his comeback season with Lotus. THE FIGURE needs to be seen in its proper perspective.
top two officers with endangering the crew. Finnish customs found 69 Patriot missiles on the ship.
THE BOSTON GLOBE 5 January
THE PRESENT government has no plans to apply for Na-
Embargo lifted on missiles, explosives
FINNISH officials on Thursday lifted an embargo on a shipment of 69 Patriot missiles and some 160 tons of explosives impounded from a ship, but charged the vessel's
FINLAND will cut its military spending significantly in the coming years, since it is only right that the army carry its share of the savings burden when times are tough. If found guilty, the two men both Ukrainians face a maximum three-month prison sentence, or more likely will be fined. The EU is not a military alliance, nor need it be one. Finland has consistently maintained its military neutrality in other words, we've stayed out of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato)
With Travie McCoy once again out front after his
hugely successful solo 2010 album Lazarus, the Geneva, New York outfit arrives in Finland to get the Tavastia stage bouncing on Monday 16 January. Any attempt by an artist to broaden their repertoire met with immediate suspicion. Well, scratch that they were thrilled by the poptastic collaboration, and ensured that the single enjoyed heavy rotation around the world. Shame debuted at Cannes earlier last year to critical acclaim, as British director Steve McQueen`s follow-up to his highly regarded 2008 debut feature, Hunger, which also starred Fassbender. With critical accolades following the film's release around the globe, many involved in making this film no doubt should be making room on their mantlepiece in light of the forthcoming awards season in the US. HELSINKI TIMES
CULTURE
week Shame offers Michael Fassbender (aka the helmeted superhero from last year's X-Men Origins: First Class) as Brendan, a sex-obsessed New Yorker whose passion for bedroom antics makes him slip slowly into a quagmire of overindulgence. But is this green example by the largest country in the world all that is appears to be. With an investigation underway at work concerning the content found on his hard drive, things begin to further unravel when his sister (Carey Mulligan) comes to stay with him, throwing a spanner in the works of his carefully cultivated seductive rhythm. Advance word has been lukewarm. Day-to-day life for our protagonist involves satisfying his hunger for physical intimacy with random pickups. The prolific Mikä Kaurismäki returns behind the camera once again, following up last year's Mama Africa with the documentary Punaisen Metsän Hotelli ("Red Forest Hotel"). Displaying photographs by Jani Kaila, along with a number of design objects, this exhibition seeks to present some of the most interesting works of contemporary Finnish design. However, these rolls in the hay are not enough to quench his thirst, so he has an array of pornography stashed at home, and, less wisely, on his office desktop. Rap and pop, together again.
As the first cut of their fifth album The Papercut Chronicles II, which hit shelves towards the end of the year, this was yet another feather in the cap for Gym Class Heroes. Alongside portraits of 19 designers, Finnish Design Unwrapped includes photographs of their work. Finally, French star Daniel Auteuil dons his director's cap in a remake of Marcel Pagnol's Kaivontekijän tytär ("The Well-Digger's Daughter"). Fastforward to 2012, and singers must also have their own clothing line, perfume, wristwatch and a different producer for each song on their album to prove their breadth of talent. So, when Adam Levine from pop-rockers Maroon 5 appeared last year with rappers Gym Class Heroes on the single Stereo Hearts, no one raised an eyebrow. After breakthrough album As Cruel as School Children dropped in 2006, the outfit's blend of hip-hop, rock, funk and R`n'B has grown in popularity, with cuts like `Cupid's Chokehold' and `The Cookie Jar' making themselves comfortable at the top of the US charts. Trouble ensues between the two families when she discovers that she is pregnant. Support comes from local collective 15 Minutes Before The Dive.
Gym Class Heroes 16 January, 19:30 Tickets 21.50/23 Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Helsinki
Gym Class Heroes. See what you think.
12 18 JANUARY 2012
13
JANI K AIL A
Between the sheets
J A M E S O ' S U L L I VA N HEL SINKI TIMES
ARRIVING alongside such raunchy headlines as "Magneto lets it all hang out", this
Shame (K16) Release date: 13 January Director: Steve McQueen Starring: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan Tropa De Elite 2 Release date: 13 January Director: José Padilha Starring: Wagner Moura, Irandhir Santos Punaisen Metsän Hotelli Release date: 13 January Director: Mika Koskinen Starring: Dokumentti Kaivontekijän tytär (S) Release date: 13 January Director: Daniel Auteuil Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Kad Merad
Aki Chokolat's felt shoes.
Unwrapping the design
J A M E S O ' S U L L I VA N HEL SINKI TIMES
FRESH
from being exhibited at London Design Festival in September last year, Finnish Design Unwrapped is currently on display at Helsinki's Design Museum until 29 January. Kaila has captured the designers in a variety of situations, helping form a unique perspective heightened by his own objectivity, a trait developed through living in London for many years.
With a variety of lamps, furniture, art installations, ceramics and glass joining the photographs on display, visitors can also enjoy modernised, traditional Finnish felt shoes, speakers designed by Harri Koskinen for the Genelec CompaJANI K AIL A
ny and a number of design creations made from recycled materials.
Finnish Design Unwrapped Until 29 January Design Museo Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki
One example of Artek's Alvar Aalto stools.
Rap heroes
J A M E S O ' S U L L I VA N HEL SINKI TIMES
WHILE it may seem strange to
think so nowadays, once upon a time the musical genre crossover was something quite outrageous. Here a Finnish news cameraman, having worked in Beijing for 15 years, commences documenting China's massive tree-planting campaigns. Elsewhere sees the release of Brazil's biggest box office success of all time, Tropa De Elite 2 ("Elite Squad: The Enemy Within"). Selected as the Brazilian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards, here events are set some 13 years after the first film, with Roberto Nascimento finding himself caught up in a bloody political dispute involving the Public Safety Department, the State governor, the State Military Police and also a number of paramilitary groups. Things are not helped when the father-to-be is sent to the front. And what happens when the filmmaker is stopped by government officials on his way to film tree plantations in the country's south. Set at the commencement of World War II, here Auteuil's daughter falls for the son of a wealthy shopkeeper
Although the uniform-brown paint of the buildings looks dreary from a distance, the buildings have undergone a transformation in usage that would have startled any diehards in the military. More appealing for a visitor may be the sports halls that Vaasa city provides for the many teams active there.
Aleksanterinkatu
Aleksanterinkatu traverses Helsinki city centre from east to west, running from Meritullintori to Kolmen sepän aukio where it joins Mannerheimintie. Vaasa Oliver's Inn a Swedish bar with events, bands, games on Kauppapuistikko (closed Sun & Mon). Rantala emphasises that the possibility of radically higher flight prices is just one scenario among others. The fear of Friday 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia a fearsome word in its own right. The eastern end of the street was first known as Storgatan (Great Street; Suurkatu in Finnish) during the period of Swedish rule, and later became Kungsgatan (Kuninkaankatu, King Street). In Helsinki, for instance, this could mean a bus trip to the suburbs and a visit to a karaoke bar or a kebab joint. Just a couple of stones' throws south from the paved squares and neon lighting of the new centre and beyond the surrounding ranges of modern six-storey residential blocks lies another world of single-storey, brown and grey, wooden barrack buildings and 14 hectares of them.
The forces of fun Those seeking lively, alternative nightlife had better avoid the mean streets of Vaasa town. Like many similar provincial Finnish cities, once you move away from the commercial centre the variety of the town geography really opens up. It may not rival Copenhagen's Christiania, but the spirit of change is now well rooted in the area. In the summer, the beaches and the archipelago just on the edge of the city centre offer relaxation spots galore although in the autumn and winter they are expansive but bitter, windswept places. The Doo-bop Club offers a range of bands local and national, acts, poetry on Kauppapuistikko.
All that is drab is not dreary For nearly two centuries, these buildings housed military forces; first of the Russian occupying forces garrisoned to protect the
TOMORROW is the first Friday 13th of 2012, in a year which sees the unlucky date occur on three occasions: after January, it comes around again in April and July. While some have been sold off for development as private residences, a large number have been retained by the city for use as artistic, recreational and community projects. This was necessary because land up-rise in the Vaasa area a delayed reaction to the disappearance of the ice-age glaciers 10,000 years ago is still nearly 1 cm each year. During times of crisis especially primitive security measures, like controlling mobility, tend to be resorted to." For now, travel gets easier and easier making it harder and harder to find places untouched by mass tourism and with any authentic local culture left. All of the major Finnish retail stores are there, mainly in the streets around the main square. The town is divided culturally into these two camps, with the Swedish speakers making up nearly a quarter of the population. Across the courtyard is a kindergarten speckled with gaudy, kids' outdoor clothes, and on the corner opposite is a service centre with lounges and meeting rooms for daytime visitors. cause for despondency however; there are still plenty of authentic destinations left. Combine this with the fear of Fridays, which has been considered an unlucky
day since the 14th century possibly originating in the fact that Christ was crucified on a Friday and you have a superstition which has led to numerous horror movies and links to the Knights Templar in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Aleksanterinkatu received its current name only after the tsar's death.
Unlucky for some
DAV I D DU N N E HEL SINKI TIMES
Some hotspots in town:
DOM Munkhaus at Superstereo: an underground club/music bar on Hartmaninkuja. Rantala and his Madventures co-presenter Tuomas Milonoff have just published their third book, Mad World Seikkailijan atlas (Mad World: The Adventurers' Atlas). Project Artemo has involved locally trained artists working in the still-spartan rooms of the former barracks, where the blue linoleum floor tiles are now streaked with rainbows of spilt oil paints rather than glistening with drops of mechanics' oil leaks. At the same time the street was extended to its current length. "There are counter-reactions to this, of course. The whole nature of flying will change when prices go up, says Rantala. If emissions taxes on flights are not increased, faster and faster airplanes may make the world even smaller than it currently is: how about Helsinki to New York in two hours by supersonic aircraft. This relatively new phobia is believed to stem from the fear of the number 13: in numerology 12 is seen as a complete number 12 Apostles, 12 Gods of Olympus and 13 is seen as a corruption of this. This could lead to food and water crises, mak-
ing safe foreign travel a thing of the past. As in historical towns all along Finland's western coast, the historical port area had become too shallow for boat traffic. Two important reasons why flying is currently so cheap is that cut-price airlines are subsidised, and tax on air travel emissions are slight. The reigning tsar had initially declined to have the street named for him, and on his visit to Helsinki had himself proposed the name of Unioninkatu (Union Street). I don't think that's too likely to happen, though." More likely in his view is that borders and visas will become less of a problem than they currently are. "A new rail connection to Lhasa was built a couple of years ago, and Tibet is being systematically Sinofied. "When you can't travel any farther, the only solution is to go deeper. According to studies in the US, over 20 million people in that country suffer from this phobia. But that's bound to
change, says Riku Rantala, the well-known co-presenter of the Madventures travel programme. The series' next installment will be published on 26 January with Turku in focus.
Vaasa heart of the cultural west
empire on its western border and until just 15 years ago the Vaasa Garrison. In fact, research by Dutch insurers claims that there are fewer road accidents on average on Friday 13th than other days of the year possibly as people are more careful, or indeed won't use their cars on that day. The town has only a modest foreign population (known for its moderating effect) but that is the way many westcoast towns in Finland are every community will have a degree of rumblings.
A potted history of Helsinki's major streets
L E H T I K U VA / A N T T I A I M O - KO I V I S T O
Street View
Statue of Freedom, one of this bilingual city's many landmarks.
Welcome to a superbly liveable city that is transforming itself into a thriving hub of art, culture and sport.
ANTHONY SHAW HEL SINKI TIMES
ARRIVING in Vaasa by any means other than by air is the culmination of lengthy journeying through the flatlands that start 130 km south east of the city and extend another 100 km to the north the plains of Bothnia. "Flying may even be prohibited, or be so expensive that it becomes the preserve
L E H T I K U VA / J U S S I N U K A R I
Madventurers Tuomas Milonoff (left) and Riku Rantala.
of the extremely rich," Rantala told news agency STT. "And then there's the nightmare scenario that climate change and population growth continue at their present levels. But why the irrational fear of what should, by all rights, be just another start to the weekend. As the principal port of this area of former agricultural dynamism, Vaasa has played a key role in the development of the area and now in its postindustrial phase is a minor beacon of urban activity in a rapidly contracting region. Although it doesn't seem so now, artificial impediments to international travel will decrease in number as global networking and interaction increase. The name was changed to Aleksanterinkatu in 1833 under the third decade of Russian rule, in honour of Tsar Alexander I. The unofficial separation of town from gown means that many students return home at weekends, leaving some to burn the party lights in the dorms and the rest to share the dance floors with hard-partying local crowds in the centre. Popular destinations that are quickly losing their appeal include Cuba and Tibet, according to Rantala. In Cuba, the casinos will soon be run by the mafia just like they were before the revolution."
`Flying may become the privilege of the extremely rich'
Kebabs in Kontula, karaoke in Jakomäki: Madventures co-presenter Riku Rantala believes local travel will soon be the favoured way of getting authentic travel experiences.
JUSSI L ANKINEN S T T HT
AIR TRAVEL
is now more affordable than it has ever been. Rantala sees no. While the town was once a focus for the forces of conservatism, as the capital of Marshall Mannerheim's white army in the Civil War, Vaasa has undergone a transformation during recent years, with 12,000 students now in higher education from the two dominant language groups. The city theatre offers a selection of plays in Finnish and Swedish, this autumn including Jorma Ojaharju's White City, investigating civil-war tensions, and Hemsang a musical dealing with the post-war social tensions. After the relentlessly flat fields scattered with wooden barns of a Lego-type construction and the dilapidated structures of earlier eras' farming economy, the centre of Vaasa stands staid and respectable with redbrick edifices and lead-glass windows. Vaasa is located on the west coast of Finland, 419 km from Helsinki. Travel may be restricted not only to those who have the money to fly, but to those who can spare the time to travel long distances by land or sea. That way it's easier to make contact with the local residents, which is usually the best way of getting the best travel experiences." As the world changes, the list of top destinations will too. "There'll be a return to backpacking and local travel,"
the TV adventurer reckons. In fact Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, claims millions of dollars are lost on this day, "because people will not fly or do business as they would normally do." Statistically, however, it has been shown that accidents are no more likely to happen on Friday 13th than on any other day of the year. 14
12 18 JANUARY 2012
TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE
HELSINKI TIMES
Exploring Finnish Cities
In this new fortnightly series, Helsinki Times travels to different Finnish cities. The major fire of 1852 meant that the new centre was built on an open-plan, rectangular grid pattern, with wider streets and boulevards
and a location 7 km north of the old town
Many people who have passed through the area and purchased wines from the vineyard have phoned us later to ask if we could send on more of the same. Some others can be ordered through the national off-licence chain Alko, which has selected a number of Finnish wines for inclusion in its product range. The problem for consumers is the difficulty in getting hold of Finnish wines, since there are only around 30 producers in the country, and most of them sell on-site. Think instead about what is the dominant flavour in the food which the wine will be chosen to accompany. Light and fruity wine is not spoiled by having its flavour intensified. · Don't be swayed by fashion; follow your own tastes, since people's experiences of the same flavours can differ a good deal.
Source: wine expert Mika Vanne, wine producer Sanna Maula.
Fondue Menu 12.1. 4.4.
It's Fondue time!
Red berry wines have a tendency to be more problematic than their white counterparts, according to Vanne. Sanna Maula of the Alitalo vineyard in Lohja says that a lot has been learned since the early days, and the range of wines made by most Finnish producers has broadened. · Salty or acidic foods soften the flavour of the wine, whereas if the food is on the sweet side, or contains plenty of tomato or onion, it strengthens the flavour of the wine. Of the approximately 55 million litres of wine sold by Alko annually, about 10,000 litres are accounted for by domestic production. "Many people cannot even distinguish the two types in blind tastings." Vanne points out that there are some "magnificent features" of Finnish wines, which should be boldly emphasised in marketing them both at home and abroad. The answer, unfortunately, always has to be no," Maula says.
HI
L MA A
Nepalese Cuisine
Since 1993
Restaurant Savu Old storehouse atmosphere Tervasaari island tel. · Don't give up easily the quality varies greatly. "Good red berry wines are a fine accompaniment to cheese and desserts, for instance, and encourages wine aficionados to think of apple and berry wines as being best suited to drinking with food." Not all wine drinkers notice a major difference between berry and grape wines. The range of berry wines made in Finland is broad, but the qualities varies quite a lot," he says.
Five tips for choosing Finnish wines
· If you're used to grape wines, go with wines that are slightly sweeter when purchasing apple and berry wines. (09) 647 551, mob 040 7347 638 www.himalaya.fi
YA. +358 (0)9 7425 5574 Open: TueSat 1823 www.asrestaurants.com
The Oldest Nepalese Restaurant in Finland
Open Mon-Fri 11-23, weekends 12-23, Lunch: Mon-Fri 11-15 Contact Ratakatu 1B, 00120 Helsinki. One example is the uniquely Finnish jääviini, or icewine, which is pressed from frozen strawberries.
Homegrown success According to the Finnish Country Wineries associa-
tion, quality has improved steadily since domestic production began in 1995. So if you're not happy the first time round, try other varieties and brands. Producers are naturally unhappy with this tiny share of the market, and fervently hope to secure a licence to establish a delivery service. For example, if your taste is for dry grape wines, then it's worth going for a medium-dry berry wine. · When choosing berry or fruit wines, forget the "white for fish, red for meat" rule of thumb that applies to grape wines. Book your table tel. "That would be a great improvement, but it's unlikely to come about. HELSINKI TIMES
EAT & DRINK
L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N
12 18 JANUARY 2012
15
L E H T I K U VA / S A R I GU S TA F S S O N
Alitalo vineyard in Lohja, where a selection of fruit wines are produced.
Of the approximately 55 million litres of wine sold by Alko annually, some 10,000 litres are accounted for by domestic production.
Homegrown wines quite good, says expert
The quality of Finnish fruit wines has improved, and there is now a wider selection on the market than ever before.
PA U L A RO P P O N E N S T T HT
MANY FINNISH apple and ber-
ry wines are perfect accompaniements to a meal, says wine expert Mika Vanne.
"Many excellent white and sparkling Finnish wines are already available, as are several superb dessert wines. "We began production with two wines, which over the years has grown to 17, including apple, blackcurrant, whitecurrant, and different combinations of apple varieties and flavourings," says Maula
Puh. Then there's the room for a gathering with the Aurora Borealis watching over you. It comes with the understated, tasteful designs of Ilmari Issakainen and Jukka Korpihete, respectively responsible for interior design and lighting. The bear represents the Finnish male: shy, reticent, determined, slow and strong just like a Finn in a social context. The cocktails are handcrafted using fresh ingredients yet are first and foremost based on an idea of a journey. As Matti Santala, a doctoral student at Aalto School of Economics says, it takes two years to build a concept. KITCHEN 11-23 FRI 11-02 . Owners Niko Autti, Matti Santala and Timo Siitonen have thought this one
through, opening the bar first and then the restaurant on Kalevankatu four years later. The bar specialises in cocktails and the slogan `Sip with Style' fits perfectly into the picture. 16
12 18 JANUARY 2012
EAT & DRINK
A21
HELSINKI TIMES
A21's attractive cocktail lounge goes well with Helsinki's World Design Capital status in 2012.
Dining with design
V I O L E T TA T E E T O R HEL SINKI TIMES
THE PLACE
is called A21 and you'll find it at Annakatu 21, but the significance of its name ends there. The `Bear Room' or `Kontio' contains heavy, leather, masculine furniture and seats just two in what is one of the most private dining places in Helsinki. There's a doorbell and you're asked whether you've been before and if not, a welcoming introduction is given to you to
A21
On the menu walk through a forest full of berries.
tell you a little more of their philosophy. 135 4148 www.kolumbus.fi/zinnkeller
Töölönkatu 27
www.ravintol akuu.fi
Tel.+358 (0)9 270 90973. KITCHEN 12-24 SUN 12-24 . They call it "Mind Dining", an accurate description of what an evening of pleasurable entertainment in the truly beautiful surroundings of these two venues turns out to be. 09 6981225, helsinki1@vapiano.fi, www.vapiano.fi MON-THU 11-24 . The idea is that you enter an apartment. KITCHEN 11-24 SAT 12-02 . This is no ordinary drinking experience. And don't underestimate the latter this is what creates the moods and feelings of the unique atmosphere. The specialties of the house are, of course, Finnish themes such as Finnish Maiden, made from forest berries. KITCHEN 12-23
FREE WIFI
HELSINKI STOCKHOLM BERLIN NEW YORK PARIS LONDON WIEN TALLINN
Das Lokal mit der besonderen Note
Neben Spezialitäten aus den verschiedenen Regionen servieren wir Ihnen Deutsche Biere und Weine
HERZLICH WILLKOMMEN
CL A S S ICAL F INNISH CUISINE
with a modern twist
Meritullinkatu 25, 00170 Helsinki. 00100 Helsinki, Finland Tel. The white and silver of the main dining room presents a moment of detachment from the outside world. Each space has its own story and no design is laid out by chance. You have choices here, too. The menus are reminiscent of a walk into the Finnish forest and consist of several courses, paired with cocktails or wine. But to give it an international twang almost
every other country is represented on the drinks list, utilising a huge variety of fruit and unusual alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic beverages. +358 9 611 077, +358 40 707 1140 www.satkar.fi
The world of beer in all its glory
BEER HOUSE KAISLA
Vilhonkatu 4
Mon-Thu 1302, Fri-Sat 1303, Sun 1302
www.oluthuone.com
FIRST VAPIANO IN HELSINKI IS NOW OPEN! COME AND ENJOY!
FRESH DELICIOUS HEALTHY
VAPIANO HELSINKI MIKONKATU 15 tel. The restaurant is a short walk away a little fresh air before you settle in to dine. It's not just the drink, it's the whole social atmosphere that is focused on, engendering a new type of conversation culture, steering away from the "let's get hammered" attitude. With Helsinki designated World Design Capital for 2012, these concepts fit right in with the innovation and creativity that is so prevalent in Finland today.
A21 Annankatu 21 Helsinki www.a21.fi
RESTAURANTS · PUBS · BARS
Newly opened Nepalese Restaurant
treats you like a royalty right in the heart of Helsinki City center.
Lunch A la carte Mon-Fri 10:30-15:00 15:00-23:00 Sat & Sun 12:00-23:00 www.basecampnepal.fi Find us in facebook: www.facebook.com/basecampnepal Yliopistonkatu 5, Helsinki, tel: 09 698 0995
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). It has everything to do with concepts and nothing to do with something as tacky as a street address. The bar area feels like you're sitting around an open fire somewhere in the woods of Finland
+358 9 4336 6330 omalleys.torni@sok.fi / www.omalleys.fi Opening hours: Mon-Thu 4pm-1am Fri-Sat 2pm-2am, Sun closed
Bar & Restaurant
MEXICAN FUSION CUISINE
Unioninkatu 18, Helsinki Mon-Fri 11:00-02:00, Sat 17:00-02:00, Sun closed
www.shanghaicowboy.fi
NUMBER ONE FOR FANS!
Two more pints please!
Keskuskatu 6, Citykäytävä, Helsinki
· KAIVOKATU 8, HELSINKI (OPPOSITE THE CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION) · TEL. (09) 611 217 Mon-Tue 10.30-23.00 Wed-Sat 10.30-24.00 Sun 12.00-23.00
H E L S I N K I · L A H T I
Forum Mannerheimintie 20 tel. The best Hot Wings in town!
Eteläesplanadi 24 tel. HELSINKI TIMES
EAT & DRINK
RESTAURANTS · PUBS · BARS
12 18 JANUARY 2012
17
RESTAURANTS · PUBS · BARS
RESTAURANTS · PUBS · BARS
Italian Restaurant
Mon-Fri 11-22 | Sat 14-22 | Sun 14-21 | Annankatu 4 | www.vaelsa.fi | + 358 9 698 00 12 |
Yrjönkatu 26, Helsinki, tel. (09) 694 4207 Mon-Fri 10.30-21.00 Sat 10.30-19.00 Sun 11.00-19.00
· T A M P E R E
BEST STEAKS IN TOWN Welcome!
w w w . Hesperiankatu 22 tel. m a n h a t t a n s t e a k h o u s e . +358 44 7398 125
TO
Korkeavuorenkatu 27 Helsinki Tel. +358 10 292 5010 Simonkatu 3 www.rengasravintolat.
A
CLASSIC
SINCE
1932
Et. +358 10 766 4300 SPORTSACADEMY.FI
THE LEADING NORDIC SPORTS RESTAURANT
oluthuone.com
LET'S
ROLL
OPEN: MON-TUE 11-24 WED-THU 11-01.30 FRI 11-04 SAT 13-04 SUN 14-01
TABLE RESERVATIONS: VARAUKSET@KOKOMO.FI / TEL. f i
Mon-Wed 14-01 Thu 14-03 Fri-Sat 12-03 Sun 12-01 Kitchen open Mon-Fri 15-23 and Sat-Sun 12-23 tel. +358 9 635 732 www.juuri.fi
UUDENMAANKATU 16 - 20 HELSINKI
WWW.KOKOMO.FI
Transforming Finnish gifts of nature in an innovative manner to suit modern tastes.
Te n n i s p a l a t s i n a u k i o 4 - H e l s i n k i - o l u t h u o n e . +358 9 6128 5200 mon-thu 11-24, fri 11-01, sat 13-01, sun 13-23 www.royalravintolat.com. c o m
Welcome to Henry´ Pub! s
Live music every Thursday, free entry
Their music, which is difficult to label, is as mythic as the band's name intense, ambientlike and even hypnotic. The Circus Salomonkatu 1-3. Virgin Oil CO. Coming up Australia Day 26th Jan Thursday. Finnish National Opera, 19:00 Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets 14-77 www.opera.fi Sat 14 January Purple Night 2012 All Night Long Music from Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. Liisa Pentti + Co's studio, Henry Fordin katu 6 Tickets 8/17 www.liisapentti.com
Proudly sponsored by:
solution sudoku
Open: 14-02 Sunday-Tuesday 12-03 Wednesday-Saturday
WHAT'S ON AT THE AUSSIE BAR:
DJ's spinning Thursday through til Saturday from 9:30pm. The band consists of Markus and Risto Joensuu (former Joensuu 1685 members), Matti Ahopelto and Saku Kämäräinen men who aren't afraid of exploring new soundscapes. Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 20/23 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Wed 18 January Leavings-Orkesteri The legendary Suomi-pop/rock band. 18
12 18 JANUARY 2012
WHERE TO GO
HELSINKI TIMES
SAK ARI PIIPPO
Helsinki rock outfit ready to move mountains
Siinai, the impressive Helsinki-based group named after the mountain, will perform at Tavastia on Friday 13 January. Malmitalo Ala-Malmin tori 1 Tickets 10 www.malmitalo.fi Thu 12 January FRSO & French horns Conducted by Sakari Oramo. Music Centre, 19:00 Concert Hall Tickets 6-25 www.musiikkitalo.fi Fri 13 & Wed 18 January La Rondine Puccini's classic opera. With only a few months to go until this summer's London Olympics, get into the swing of things at Tavastia this Friday. Ravintola Juttutupa Säästöpankinranta 6 www.juttutupa.fi Fri 13 January The Duplo! Experimental rock. Bar Loose Annankatu 21 Tickets 5/7 www.barloose.com Wed 18 January The Great Helsinki Swing Big Band & Pepe Willberg : "Nat King Cole" Winner of the 2011 Iskelmä Finlan-
dia, Willberg has discovered a new jazz concert repertoire in the songs of his childhood. Didrichsen Museum of Art and Culture Kuusilahdenkuja 1 Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00 Tickets 3/7/9 www.didrichsenmuseum.fi Until Sun 29 January Anssi Kasitonni Exhibition by the winner of 2011 Ars Fennica Prize, featuring sculptures and videos. DOM Fredrikinkatu 42 Tickets 10/12 www.domhelsinki.fi
Sat 14 January La Fresquita - Grand Salsa Fiesta Latin fiesta with brilliant music and performances. Art Museum Meilahti Tamminiementie 6 Tue-Sun 11:00-18:30 Free entrance
Siinai, playing at Tavastia on Friday, are well worth a listen.
MUSIC
Thu 12 January Battle Beast Traditional heavy metal sounds. Alexander Theatre, Bulevardi 23-27 Tickets 25 www.aleksanterinteatteri.fi Fri 13 January Tim Ries (USA) Versatile saxophonist and composer performs with Finnish musicians. Among the artists featured are Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso and Kuutti Lavonen. Semifinal Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 5/6 www.semifinal.fi Sat 14 January Rytmihäiriö, M.O.R.A, Slugstain Hardcore and metal. Semifinal Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 5/6 www.semifinal.fi Wed 18 January Laineen Kasperi & Palava Orkesteri Finnish hip hop. Malmitalo Ala-Malmin tori 1 Tickets 15 www.malmitalo.fi Wed 18 January Club Folks: Third Brother (SWE) Acoustic pop. Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 B Tickets 6 www.korjaamo.fi Wed 18 January Liisa Pentti + Co: The Weight of My Heart Dance piece exploring the themes of remembrance and memories. Music Centre, 19:00 Concert Hall Tickets 7-25 www.musiikkitalo.fi
Thu 12-Tue 17 January Il viaggio a Reims Opera by Gioachino Rossini. Olympus", "Anthem 1+2" and "Marathon", the album takes the listener back to the time of ancient games. Ateneum Art Museum Kaivokatu 2 Tue & Fri 10:00-18:00 Wed & Thu 10:00-20:00 Sat & Sun 11:00-17:00 Tickets 0/8/10 www.ateneum.fi Until Sun 15 January Raakel Kuukka: Retrospective The retrospective shows Kuukka's works from the 1980s, up to the present day, with vintage prints, new works and a number of video works. Helsinki Art Museum Tennis Palace Salomonkatu 15 Tue-Sun 11:00-19:00 Tickets 0/8/10 Until Sun 29 January Juhani Linnovaara - The Power of Fantasy Retrospective exhibition of an artist with a distinctive visual world of his own - includes paintings, graphics, sculptures and jewellery. Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 14/16 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Wed 18 January Ankkuriklubi!: Nimetön, Tyyne Raunio Rock. The Finnish Museum of Photography The Cable Factory Tallberginkatu 1 Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00 Wed 11:00-20:00 Tickets 0/4/6 www.valokuvataiteenmuseo.fi Until Sun 15 January Akseli Gallen-Kallela: European Master Exhibition presents the artist's aesthetically most brilliant peak, a selection of masterworks. Venue Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 21 Tickets 10.20-20.20 Sat 14 January Serial Humpers Pop/rock. Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 12/14 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Thu 12 January Mastodon (USA) + support Metal giants from Atlanta. With monumental sports-themed tracks, such as "Mt. Tickets 39 www.thecircus.fi Thu 12 January Brian Kramer (USA) A tribute to Muddy Waters. Loads of sports Check website. Live Music, DJs, Free food @ 7pm.
AUSSIE BAR TURKU OPENING MAY 2012
EXHIBITIONS
Until Sun 15 January The Power of Colour - Works from the Collections of the State Tretjakov Gallery Early 20th century Russian art fea-
Come and have a Tooheys or two!
AUSSIE BAR Salomonkatu 5, Kamppi 00100 Helsinki, Finland
Tel. Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 B Tickets 12-15 www.korjaamo.fi Sat 14 January Stig Dogg, Kemmuru, DJ Kridlokk, Eevil Stöö & Koksu Koo Finnish r'n'b, rap and underground. Bar Loose Annankatu 21 Tickets 8/10 www.barloose.com Mon 16 January Gym Class Heroes (USA) Hip hop/rock quartet's first visit to Finland. Cafe Mascot Neljäs linja 2 Tickets 6 www.soffa.tv/juise/mascot
THEATRE & DANCE
Thu 12 & Sat 14 January Aki Suzuki Spirits: Giselle Noh interpretation of the dramatic, but sentimental French ballet classic. Photographic Gallery Hippolyte Kalevankatu 18 B Tue-Fri 12:00-17:00 Sat-Sun 12:00-16:00 www.hippolyte.fi Until Sun 12 February Believe It Or Not Exhibition featuring new works from the Helsinki Art Museum from 2007 to 2011. Siinai Fri 13 January Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 10/12 www.tavastiaklubi.fi
turing the beloved masters Marc Chagall, Kasimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky. Live Music Wednesday 18th with New Band Dukebox @ 9:30pm. +358 (0)9 737 373 E-mail: aussiebar@aussiebar.net www.aussiebar.net. Kanneltalo Klaneettitie 5 Tickets 15/18 www.kanneltalo.fi Sat 14 January Dance and short films Short films with impressive choreography Tiempo. Kaivopiha Mannerheimintie 5 Tickets 8 www.virginoil.fi Sat 14 January Liekki Unique rock. Korjaamo Culture Factory Töölönkatu 51 B Free entry www.korjaamo.fi Wed 18 January Antero Lindgren Pop/rock. Finnish National Opera, 19:00 Helsinginkatu 58 Tickets 14-77 www.opera.fi Fri 13 January The Overtures (UK) Celebrating the sixties. Semifinal Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 6/7 www.semifinal.fi Fri 13 January Sydän Sydän Extraordinary rock sounds.
Bar Loose Annankatu 21 Tickets 7/9 www.barloose.com Fri 13 January Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra: Beethoven & Mendelssohn Rarely performed symphonies from Beethoven and Mendelssohn with brilliant soloists, Soile Isokoski, Hanna-Leena Haapamäki and Tuomas Katajala. Helsinki Art Museum Tennis Palace Salomonkatu 15 Tue-Sun 11:00-19:00 Tickets 0/8/10 Until Sun 15 January Impressive Stones Exhibition presents a wide and diverse selection of art created using the lithographic technique. 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 0/4/6/8 www.amosanderson.fi Until Sun 29 January Erica Kovanen - A Room of One's Own II Photographic exhibition reflects ideas of subjective existence, which always blends personal history with the current moment. Siinai's debut album, krautrock-influenced Olympic Games, is a powerful and almost spiritual experience with timeless, flowing melodies. Malmitalo Ala-Malmin tori 1 Tickets 12/15 www.malmitalo.fi Sat 14 January Dancealive 2012 Fresh breezes of street- and show-dance. Tavastia Urho Kekkosen katu 4-6 Tickets 13/15 www.tavastiaklubi.fi Sat 14 January Clinic presents: Kyau & Albert & Dennis Shepherd (GER) Techno and trance
He meets his former girlfriend, Maggie Hamill (Emily Watson), who now is married to his best friend. 18:00 The Queen DOC Part 1/5. USA/1990
friday
NELONEN TV1
13.1.
MTV3
10:05 The Young and the Restless 11:00 Emmerdale 13:15 ER 14:20 Freaks and Geeks 15:15 Rita Rocks 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Forgotten 22:50 The Boxer FILM Directed by Jim Sheridan. In German. Professor Jerry Brotton explores the history of maps and the world view reflected by them. The mother was injured and ended up in wheelchair for the rest of her life. USA/UK/2007 00:00 Oz 01:10 Jesse Stone: Night Passage FILM Directed by Robert Harmon. Starring: Tom Selleck, Stephanie March, Stephen Baldwin. Directed by Thaddeus O'Sullivan. Brian (Justin Bartha), who is the victim, is mentally disabled. with Children 21:00 Criminal Minds 22:00 Blue Bloods 23:15 Frasier 23:45 Married.... Ireland/1997 01:05 Sensing Murder
NELONEN
Landgirls YLE News in English The Green Green Grass Landgirls Bea tries to conceal her pregnancy. USA/1999 02:20 The Fast Show 04:30 Relic Hunter
JIM
11:55 Fifth Gear SERIES ENDS. Part 1/8. Directed by Martin Brest. The journey continues from Aswan to northern Sudan by ferry. 22:05 Law & Order: Criminal Intent (K15) 00:10 Rush (K15)
TV5 YLE TEEMA
17:00 Il était une fois... 16:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Dr. 14:15 Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections 15:15 Dragon's Den 16:10 Pawn Stars 16:35 Bondi Rescue Season 4 rerun. Les enfants du paradis DOC A documentary about the French film Les enfants du paradis. John Jardyce is the new carer of orphan girl Esther Summerson. At least Dorcas is afraid that there will be more surprises. 21:00 Elements DOC Part 2/3. In French.
Game of Thrones T V2 22:05 07:00 Children's Programming 08:30 Gary Unmarried 09:00 James Martin: Sweet 09:30 A Baby Story 10:00 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 13:00 A Baby Story Julie and Jet Cardona were surprised by Julie's pregnancy. 15:10 Dragon's Den 16:05 Pawn Stars 16:30 Bondi Rescue 18:00 New York City Food Show 18:30 Grimefighters 19:00 Pawn Stars 19:30 South Park 21:00 JIM D: CI Asia 22:00 Weird or What. 13:30 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 14:30 James Martin: Sweet 15:00 Pink Panther 15:05 Build a New Life in the Country In year 2008 David and Barbara Shore bought an old light house to turn it into an inn. R. USA/2003 23:15 The Only Way is Essex 23:55 Disturbing Behaviour (K15) FILM Directed by David Nutter. The film also got a significant amount of attention in the media because the stars were romantically involved at the time.
The Boxer
The film centres on the life of a boxer, Danny Flynn (Daniel Day-Lewis). Did Nostradamus himself paint them as a final warning for the humankind. In today's episode we meet the couple six months later. 21:30 La vida secreta de las palabras FILM Hanna travels to an oil rig where she takes care of a man suffering from severe burns. Starring: Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman. In the first episode King Robert Baratheon travels to Winterfell to make Lord Ned Starkille an offer he can't refuse. 17:10 Pink Panther 17:20 Accidentally on Purpose 21:30 A Mighty Heart FILM Directed by Michael Winterbottom. 14:30 That 70's Show 15:00 Dad Camp 15:55 Airport 16:30 Hale and Pace 17:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 17:30 My Wife and Kids 18:00 That 70's Show 18:30 The King of Queens 19:00 The King of Queens 19:30 America's Funniest Home Videos 20:00 Breaking The Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed SERIES BEGINS. Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha. An intern in a radio channel gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is asked to replace the host of a morning show. UK/ USA/2009
Accidentally on Purpose Nelonen 17:20 07:00 Children's Programming 08:30 Gary Unmarried 09:00 James Martin: Sweet 09:30 A Baby Story 10:00 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 13:00 A Baby Story 13:30 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 14:30 James Martin: Sweet 15:00 Pink Panther 15:05 Gary Unmarried 15:35 Eddie & Jeff Joy gets kicked out of school, but luckily Stephen needs a new assistant. Joyce wins Lord Hoxley on her side. A documentary about Queen Elizabeth II and the colourful events that took place during her reign. 11:55 The Cup 15:10 Biathlon World Cup SPORT 17:00 Children's Programming In Finnish. Germany/2005. Starring: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Tom Noonan. Directed by Gary Fleder. 16:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition The Hawkins family lost their home in a tornado. Starring: James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl. 00:00 Destroyed in Seconds 00:30 Ultimate Tourist Scams 01:00 Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie 01:55 Man Hunters: Fugitive Task Force 02:25 Naked and Funny
Programmes on Yle Teema may be viewed in the original language(s) by changing the digital receiver's settings.
Free Radio T V2 20:30
Gigli
Gigli (Ben Affleck) is a hitman, assigned by the mob to kidnap the brother of a district attorney. 06:55 Grounded for life 07:20 The King of Queens 07:45 The King of Queens 08:10 Airport 13:10 Superstars of Dance 14:35 That 70's Show 15:00 Relic Hunter 15:55 Airport 16:30 Hale and Pace 17:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 17:30 My Wife and Kids 18:00 That 70's Show 18:30 The King of Queens 19:00 The King of Queens 19:30 America's Funniest Home Videos 20:30 The Fast Show 21:00 Gigli (K15) FILM Hitman Larry Gigli is assigned to kidnap the district attorney's mentally disabled brother. 23:05 Episodes 00:05 True Blood 08:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. The Boxer is the third collaboration between director Jim Sheridan and Daniel DayLewis. 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Friends 19:30 Two and a Half Men 20:00 Simpsons 20:30 Simpsons 21:00 US Kitchen Nightmares 22:30 C.S.I. 21:00 JIM D History: Nostradamus Effect Pictures in a recently found old book seem to include symbolic messages implying the upcoming end of the world. Prior to the film's release, there was a battle between the studio and the director. 9:00 Bleak House SERIES BEGINS. But is it actually a coincidence. Directed by Julie Bonan and Serge July. 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Friends 19:30 Two and a Half Men 20:00 Simpsons 20:30 Simpsons 22:30 Sons of Anarchy 00:30 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 01:00 Vampire Diaries
10:00 Landgirls 11:05 YLE News in English 16:00 Joanna Lymley's Nile DOC Part 2/4. 22:55 Into the Storm FILM A biographical film about Winston Churchill's years as a prime minister and his personal life during the Second World War. Gigli abducts Brian from a mental hospital to hold him as a hostage in his apartment. Martin's books. 14:00 The Mask 14:30 George of the Jungle 15:00 Criss Angel: Mindfreak 15:30 Make Me a Supermodel 16:30 Marienhof In German. USA/2003 23:20 Navy NCIS 00:20 The Bone Collector (K15) FILM Directed by Phillip Noyce. 00:30 Knight Rider 01:30 Miami Vice 02:30 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
TV2
06:50 Children's Programming In Finnish. France/2009. 14:00 The Mask 14:30 George of the Jungle 15:00 Criss Angel: Mindfreak 15:30 Make Me a Supermodel 16:30 Marienhof In German. Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Janet McTeer. Ty's team builds them a spacious new home. 18:30 Biathlon World Cup SPORT 20:30 Free Radio Part 1/9. HELSINKI TIMES
TV GUIDE
Helsinki Times T V Guide offers a selection of English and other language broadcasting on Finnish television.
12 18 JANUARY 2012
19
thursday
TV1
10:00 11:05 12:35 17:10
12.1.
MTV3
10:05 The Young and the Restless 11:00 Emmerdale 13:15 Doctors 14:10 Jamie's Kitchen Australia 15:15 Kath & Kim 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Mentalist 22:35 Modern Family 23:05 Robocop 2 FILM Once again Detroit needs the help of Robocop. She and two other protégés arrive in a gloomy mansion called Bleak House. It also competed for the Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival.
TV5 21:00
MTV3 22:50. The film was nominated for three Golden Globes. She accidentally encounters a brilliant sewer. 17:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. Directed by Isabel Coixet. USA/2006 03:00 13: Fear is Real
SUB
08:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. 15:20 Biathlon World Cup SPORT 17:00 Children's Programming In Finnish. Starring: Jana Pallaske. As it turns out, it's not that simple. Ricki (Jennifer Lopez), who is an assassin, is sent to oversee the job and make sure nothing goes wrong. Directed by Irv Kershner. 22:00 Pawn Stars 22:30 Rude Tube (K15) 23:00 South Park 23:30 Naked and Funny 00:00 Modern Marvels: China's Great Dam 01:00 The Real A & E
YLE TEEMA
19:00 Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession DOC Part 1/3. 08:55 Marienhof In German. 08:55 Marienhof In German. Fourteen years later, he is released from prison and returns to his old neighbourhood to resume his life as a boxer. Starring: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie. 19:00 As the Time Goes By 23:00 La Reine et le Cardinal Part 1/2. 20:30 The Wrong Door 22:05 Game of Thrones SERIES BEGINS. 12:30 Dirty Jobs 13:20 Border Security: Australia's Front Line 13:50 Sliced SERIES ENDS. Starring: Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins. Spain/2005
JIM
11:55 Bondi Rescue Season 4 rerun. 18:00 Dragon's Den 19:00 Pawn Stars 19:30 South Park 20:00 Runaway Squad SERIES ENDS. When he was 19-years-old, he was imprisoned for involvement with IRA. 21:00 Runaway Jury FILM A thriller based on John Grisham's novel about a trial against a gun manufacturer. 17:10 Landgirls 19:00 Lark Rise to Candleford Pearl gets an important order, but she's in trouble without Ruby's help. Winter is coming. Finally a radically revised version was released. In French. A mini-series based on the novel by Charles Dickens. 17:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. He opens a boxing club where he trains aspiring young boxers. with Children 00:15 Oz 01:25 Cleaner
TV2 SUB
06:50 Children's Programming In Finnish. Annie suffers a loss. A fantasy series based on George R. Lumley explores the treasures of the Nubian pharaos. Phil 18:10 Married.... 12:20 Dirty Jobs 13:10 Border Security: Australia's Front Line 13:40 Monster Jam 2010 SERIES RETURNS. Sergeant Dennis Tucker suspects that there is a spy among the women. They're expecting their first child and planning on a water birth. 20:30 Whatever! The Science of Teenagers DOC Part 5/5. The film was director Martin Brest's first film since 1998's Meet Joe Black. Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson. 08:50 The Flying Doctors 11:10 Die Schwarzwaldklinik In German. He also wrote the script for Gigli. 08:49 The Flying Doctors 11:10 Die Schwarzwaldklinik In German. Danny has decided to stay away from all political conflicts and violence. In the 19th century the chemists began sorting the chemical elements. 14:10 JIM D: Black Blizzard Part 2/2. Starring: Angelina Jolie, Dan Futterman, Will Patton, Denis O'Hare. USA/Australia/ Canada/1998 02:15 Born to Kill (K-15) 04:00 Relic Hunter
TV5
06:25 Grounded for life 06:50 The King of Queens 07:40 Airport 12:40 Stürmisch verliebt FILM Directed by Josh Broecker
22:05 The Half-Life of Timofey Berezin FILM Directed by Scott Z. 00:00 Top Shot 00:50 JIM D CI Asia
JIM
09:30 Flip This House 10:50 Rescue 1 Season 1 rerun. Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton, Matt Dillon, Breckin Meyer. Bean 16:45 Globe Trekker: Morocco 21:00 Boardwalk Empire It's the beginning of the year 1920 and Nucky Thomson welcomes the new decade in Atlantic City. 22:00 American Chopper 23:00 Weird or What. 16:00 Elements DOC Part 2/3. Directed by Jason Ensler. The director claimed, that it was a joy, although an expensive one, to restore the original film. 18:45 Toscanini: In His Own Words DOC Larry Weinstein's dramatised documentary on the secret recordings made by the conductors son. 16:00 The Return of Sherlock Holmes 18:45 Frozen Planet DOC Part 2/6. Toscanini is played by Barry Jackson. 16:15 Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition 19:00 Herbie: Fully Loaded FILM Maggie Peyton's father buys her a used car for her birthday. Steve-O 03:40 Hale and Pace
JIM
09:00 Carter Can SERIES ENDS. 13:35 Biathlon World Cup SPORT 14:35 Down Hill Skating SPORT 15:25 Biathlon World Cup SPORT 16:20 Mr. Starring: Robin Williams, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels, Kristin Chenoweth. 15:20 The Queen DOC Part 1/5. 17:45 Bleak House Part 1/8. France/1952. USA/2006 17:50 Melrose Place 21:00 Good Shepherd FILM Edward Wilson's relationships and family life suffer from his challenging career as a CIA agent. 22:05 Top Shot 23:00 Trigger Happy TV 23:30 Penn & Teller 00:05 Amazing Survival Stories (K15) 01:05 Big Trouble in Thailand 02:50 Naked and Funny 03:20 Naked and Funny
Legend of the Seeker Nelonen 00:30
Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot YLE Teema 18:00
Bird on Wire
Tony Palmer's documentary about the Canadian musician and poet Leonard Cohen was lost for a long time, but now it has finally been re-discovered and restored. Starring: Chrissey Styler, Eddie Jay, Naomi Nektare. He kept working despite the cancer that finally took his life. It was filmed at various locations in Great Britain, as well as in Iceland and the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia.
YLE Teema 21:00
Nelonen 21:00. She is skilled in combat, weapons-training and foreign languages. After the discovery, Palmer painstakingly reconstructed the movie. Hulot FILM Jacques Tati's comedy about M. Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thandie Newton. 17:10 Un village Français In French. USA/1996 23:40 Navy NCIS 00:35 Runaway Vacation FILM Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Directed by: Simon West. 12:20 Black Stallion 14:55 Ski Jumping World Cup SPORT 17:20 Top Gear 21:00 Amazing Race 22:35 In the Name of the Father FILM Directed by Jim Sheridan. Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Debi Mazar, David Ogden Stiers, Burt Reynolds. Directed by Sergi Agusti. She collects ancient artefacts from ruins of temples and cities worldwide and doesn't mind getting into dangerous situations to get them. 23:30 Eternity Man FILM Directed by Julien Temple.
TV5
06:35 Grounded for life 07:00 Superstars of Dance 12:10 The Hottest Home Baker 13:00 Hanna & Penguin (K7) FILM Directed by Dennis Satin. Directed by Angela Robinson. Butler. Directed by Bradford May. USA/2006 23:40 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV5
07:30 Grounded for life 07:55 The King of Queens 08:20 The King of Queens 08:45 Airport 13:40 Packed to the Rafters 14:35 My Strange Addiction 15:05 DC Cupcakes 17:20 After the Fall (K11) FILM A young rider falls off a horse and is temporarily paralyzed. 11:20 JIM D: Crumbling of America 12:15 JIM D History: Ancient Discoveries 13:10 Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern 15:00 Animal Mega Moves 16:00 Customs 17:00 New York City Food Show 17:30 Surf Patrol 21:00 JIM D: Day After Disaster Part 1/2. USA/2006 03:05 Dr. It was last screened in 1974, before it's disappearance. Novak is surprised how little his students know about the history of their country. USA/2005 21:00 Lara Croft: Tomb Raider FILM Lara Croft's father's secret past leads her to face the biggest challenge of her life. Directed by Tony Palmer. The car turns out to have a mind of its own. 11:15 L'Instit 12:00 Last of the Summer Wine 12:30 Frozen Planet: On Thin Ice DOC 13:50 Gilmore Girls 16:00 The Return of Sherlock Holmes 18:45 The Making of Frozen Planet 19:00 Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side 22:20 Law & Order: UK (K13) The police investigate a murder of a student. 22:50 Entourage 23:25 United States of Tara 23:55 Sons of Anarchy 00:55 Knight Rider 01:55 Rock of Love
08:05 Frozen Planet DOC Part 2/6. Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha. Starring: Leo Bill, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Kate Fahy, Sarah Ball, Neil Conrich. 19:55 Eternity Man FILM Film adaptation of the opera Eternity Man. UK/2006 04:10 13: Fear is Real
SUB
13:20 Red Bull Cliptomaniacs 13:50 Will & Grace Five episodes. Bird on Wire follows Cohen and his band on, and off, the stage during his European tour in 1972, when he was at the height of his popularity. 11:15 At the End of My Leash 12:20 Just for Laughs Gags 12:30 Norbit FILM Directed by Brian Robbins. 02:30 The Living and the Dead FILM Donald Brocklebank has to leave his terminally ill wife alone with their delusional son to pay for the wife's medical treatment. 11:15 L'Instit In French. Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) is a member of an aristocratic, British family. 22:00 The Big C (K13) 22:30 Waking the Dead (K15)
Black Stallion MT V3 12:20 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 Waverly Place Wizards Rules of Engagement Make It or Break It The Secret Life of American Teenager 16:00 Grilled FILM Maurice and Dave are meat sellers who are about to lose their jobs because of low sales. 20
12 18 JANUARY 2012
TV GUIDE
HELSINKI TIMES
saturday
TV1
14.1.
MTV3
07:50 Children's Programming In Finnish. Starring: Angelina Jolie, Jon Voight, Iain Glen, Noah Taylor. Starring: Andrea Bowen, Theo Breaux, Nicole J. While some of the footage was in bad condition, the sound was in perfect shape. Decades later it was found in a warehouse in Hollywood. Burns. Starring: Paddy Considine, Radha Mitchell. Starring: Robin Williams, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Daniels. Accidents follow him where ever he goes. Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Pete Postlethwaite, Emma Thompson, John Lynch. USA/2010 21:00 Runaway Vacation FILM Business man Bob Munro has promised his family a vacation but now his career depends on an important work trip. She travels to exotic places in search of the artefact. UK/USA/Germany/ Japan/2001 23:20 Raising the Bar 00:20 Blue Bloods 01:15 Cleaner
SUB
09:30 King of the Hill 10:00 Friends Five episodes. 12:20 Two and a Half Men Four episodes. Directed by Robert De Niro. He decides to combine business with pleasure. Their luck seems to have turned when they meet a charming woman called Loridonna. The tour, which included 20 cities, began in Dublin and ended in Jerusalem
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
The action film, adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series, is directed by Simon West. Directed by James Cameron. Starring: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, William Hurt, Alec Baldwin. The United States has announced the prohibition. Directed by Julien Temple. 14:45 Accidentally on Purpose 15:15 Life Unexpected Social worker Fern visits Cate's and Baze's homes to see if they are suitable guardians. 21:00 Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire DOC A documentary about Leonard Cohen's world tour in 1972. Lux's friends want her to return to her former life. The first Tomb Raider film adaptation, later followed by a sequel, was a commercial success. Lara comes up against a secret society called Illuminati, who are seeking an ancient talisman that makes it possible to control time. 14:40 Biathlon World Cup SPORT 20:50 Der Alte In German. Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton. 12:00 One Goal DOC A documentary about a football team of young amputees in Sierra Leone. USA/2003 03:45 Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind the Closed Doors 04:35 Hale and Pace
YLE TEEMA
15:30 Whatever! The Science of Teenagers DOC Part 5/5. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. 09:30 Surf Patrol 11:00 American Chopper 11:55 Right to the edge: Sydney to Tokyo by any means SERIES ENDS. 22:55 Yle Live: Kylie Minogue 00:30 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
TV2
07:45 Children's Programming In Finnish. He has them make a presentation on the events of the Second World War. Starring: Floriane Daniel, Jan Sosniok. They manage to narrow the suspects down to two people, who supply each other with an alibi.
Meet Wally Sparks T V5 18:00 09:50 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 10:45 Animal Planet 12:45 Frasier Four episodes. USA/1997 20:00 Flashpoint 21:00 Jerry Maguire FILM Directed by Cameron Crowe. 13:05 Toscanini: In His Own Words 14:20 Mein Bruder - We'll Meet Again DOC In German. 18:00 Les vacances de M. Germany/2008 14:55 That 70's Show 15:20 Dad Camp 16:15 Relic Hunter 17:10 Breaking The Magician's Code: Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed 18:00 Meet Wally Sparks FILM Directed by Peter Baldwin. 16:20 Glee 18:15 Harry and Paul Three episodes. She begins a difficult healing process in order to get back on the saddle. 19:40 Midsomer Murders Part 2/2. 14:10 Friday Night Lights 15:05 Southern Belles 16:00 Big Bang Theory 16:30 2 Broke Girls 18:00 Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution 19:55 Mythbusters 21:00 Terminator FILM Sarah Connor is hunted by a cyborg whose mission is to change the future by killing her. USA/2006 23:00 Sexcetera (K18) 00:05 Hot Desire (K18) FILM Directed by Mike Sedan. Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Jr Gooding, Jay Mohr. Hulot who goes to a beachside hotel for a vacation. USA/2007 16:10 Ski Jumping World Cup SPORT 17:00 Private Practice 22:40 Chase 23:40 Without a Trace
NELONEN
08:05 Joanna Lymley's Nile DOC Part 2/4. In French. USA/2006 00:30 The Legend of Seeker 01:30 Battlestar Galactica SERIES RETURNS. Food 19:30 New York City Food Show 20:00 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 21:00 JIM D Biography: Patrick Swayze Patrick Swayze was a talented dancer and an athlete who became a famous actor for the films Dirty Dancing and Ghosts. 22:46 Leonard Cohen Live in London
YLE TEEMA
11:50 Cuéntame cómo pasó In Spanish. 13:45 Gilmore Girls 14:30 Croatia's Undersea World Part 2/10. 22:00 Enjoy poverty DOC Renzo Martens' provocative documentary about Congo. Starring: Ray Romano, Kevin James, Sofia Vergara, Juliette Lewis. 22:25 Episodes Part 3/7. USA/2002 01:40 Gigli (K15) FILM Directed by Martin Brest. USA/Ireland/1993 01:10 Saving Grace
sunday
NELONEN TV1
15.1.
MTV3
07:40 Children's Programming In Finnish. 13:05 Breakout 14:05 Animal Mega Moves 16:05 American Pickers 17:00 JIM D History: Nostradamus Effect 18:00 Dinner Impossible 19:00 Man v. USA/1984 23:10 Vampire Diaries 00:10 Claire Richards: My Big Fat Wedding 01:20 Bones 02:15 Red Bull Cliptomaniacs
TV2
07:45 Children's Programming In Finnish. Directed by Simon Rumley
Since it seems to be HBO's biggest-ever money spinner (merchandise now available at a store near you), the answer may well be yes, but until we all get bored of it or something more interesting takes its place, Game of Thrones looks to be the best thing on telly this year and it's only January!
Y L E K U VA PA LV E L U. 18:14 Garfield 20:30 18 to Life Jessie and Tom are neighbours. Steve-O 01:35 Sexcetera (K18) 02:50 Navy NCIS
TV5
07:00 Grounded for life 07:55 The Little Couple 08:25 The Hottest Home Baker 09:45 Big Spender 14:35 DC Cupcakes 15:00 Relic Hunter 15:55 Airport 16:30 Hale and Pace 17:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 17:30 My Wife and Kids 18:00 That 70's Show 18:30 The King of Queens 19:00 The King of Queens 19:30 America's Funniest Home Videos 20:30 The Fast Show 21:00 Made of Honor FILM Directed by Paul Weiland. Miami 23:35 Nip/Tuck 00:35 30 Rock
NELONEN
09:30 Fork to Fork Part 2/6. 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Friends 19:30 Two and a Half Men 20:00 Big Bang Theory 20:30 Simpsons 22:30 Skins 23:35 Heroes 00:30 Harry and Paul 01:05 C.S.I. Based on the books by George R.R. 22:00 Ein Schnitzel für Drei FILM Germany/2009. 16:15 Heartland Ty's father arrives in the farm with a trailer full of starving horses. Game of Thrones is one of the most talked-about series of recent years, and you can be sure that it didn't come cheap I'd imagine the season budget of something like Salatut elämät would barely cover one episode. 08:50 The Flying Doctors 11:10 Die Schwarzwaldklinik In German. Can we really look forward to seven seasons of this. In California, a woman disappears from a boat. 08:55 Marienhof In German. The journey continues to Ethiopia where she visits a training camp for athletes. 22:00 4D: Hoarders Carolyn's three children suffer from the uncleanness of the family's home. USA/2008 01:10 Dr. Frankly, the production values are so high and the acting so uniformly good that you'd have to be an idiot not to at least appreciate the artistry involved. New York
TV2
06:50 Children's Programming In Finnish. As mentioned, it's based on a series of books, but it's rather hard to see where the whole thing is going: the book series hasn't been finished yet since a planned trilogy now includes five novels, with two more on the way. 23:25 Frasier Frasier tries to choose between two women. 17:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. Claire defends him in court. 16:15 Heartland 17:00 Children's Programming In Finnish. Directed by Robert Aldrich. 17:30 New York City Food Show 18:00 Dragon's Den 19:00 Surf Patrol 19:30 South Park 20:00 The Crocodile Hunter 21:00 Cold Case Files: Vintage Murder A lucky coincidence helps the police to track down a murder suspect. Her answer surprises everyone. Monty reveals the secrets of growing organic tomatoes. 18:00 Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey Part 2/6. Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Kevin McKidd, Michelle Monaghan, Busy Philipps. What exactly is going on. 14:35 That 70's Show 15:00 Relic Hunter 15:55 Airport 16:30 Hale and Pace 17:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 17:30 My Wife and Kids 18:00 That 70's Show 18:30 The King of Queens 19:00 The King of Queens 19:30 America's Funniest Home Videos 20:30 The Fast Show 21:00 High Crimes FILM (K15) Claire Kubik is a successful lawyer whose husband, a former soldier, is arrested in the middle of Christmas shopping. 21:00 Good Wife 22:00 Nurse Jackie 22:35 Californication Karen lets Hank come back home because she thinks he attempted a suicide. Mon oncle DOC A documentary about Jacques Tati's brilliant comedy. 23:55 Married.... 18:30 Stoked 22:20 Winners and Losers 23:05 Rush (K15) From whose gun did the bullet come that killed an innocent man in a bus. 19:00 Cuéntame cómo pasó In Spanish. Tyler's parents are worried about his strange behaviour and decide to find out what's wrong with him. Amy is shocked to find Apollo among them. He gives advice to a man who is in the same situation. Martins, GoT is an engrossing, superbly acted fantasy yarn starring Sean Bean, Lena Headey, and the outstanding Peter Dinklage, amongst many others in a cast of too many. Luckily for everyone concerned, Thrones is an excellent T V show. The film includes interviews with David Lynch and Jean-Claude Carrière. 13:50 The Mask 14:15 George of the Jungle 14:40 Criss Angel: Mindfreak 15:30 Make Me a Supermodel 16:30 Marienhof In German. 10:00 Landgirls Bea's pregnancy is beginning to show. France/2008 19:00 Un village Français In French. 08:55 Marienhof In German. Rick Stein's journey continues by the Mekong river to Vietnam where the basic foods are fish, fresh herbs and rice noodles. Directed by Michael House. Kevin Fong meets people who have had groundbreaking heart operations.
Lethal Weapon 3 SUB 21:00 07:00 Children's Programming 08:30 Gary Unmarried 09:00 James Martin: Sweet 09:30 A Baby Story 10:00 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 13:00 A Baby Story 13:30 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 14:30 James Martin: Sweet 15:00 Pink Panther 16:10 Life Unexpected 18:10 Married.... Directed by Billy Corben.
TV2
06:50 Children's Programming In Finnish. Niles makes an unfortunate visit to a nude beach. with Children 00:25 NCIS Los Angeles 01:25 Legend of the Seeker
SUB
08:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. In German.
Made of Honor T V5 21:00
Downton Abbey T V1 21:00
Nick Barlow nick@helsinkitimes.fi. 17:00 Children's Programming In Finnish. 17:10 Landgirls 19:00 Joanna Lymley's Nile DOC Part 3/4. 18:00 World Palooza 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Friends 19:30 United States of Tara 20:00 Glee 21:00 Lethal Weapon 3 Directed by Richard Donner. One of the writers, Da-
vid Benioff, referred to the show as `The Sopranos in Middle-Earth,' and indeed if you're a fan of skulduggery, familial and political scheming and the fantasy genre then this is most certainly likely to be your cup of tea. 14:30 James Martin: Sweet 15:00 Build a New Life in the Country 16:00 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 18:15 Married.... 23:20 Frasier 23:50 Married.... The writer knows the art of channel surfing.
Swords, sex and sorcer
Maybe it was purchasing the rights to air the first season of impressive HBO series Game of Thrones, now starting on Thursday evenings on Yle2, that gave them the idea to tax everyone in the entire country in order to pay for the publically-owned media company's spiralling budgets. with Children 20:00 America's Next Top Model The girls learn how to express their feelings with the help of Paulina Porizkova and Clay Aiken. 13:50 The Mask 14:15 George of the Jungle 14:40 Criss Angel: Mindfreak 15:30 Make Me a Supermodel 16:30 Marienhof In German. USA/2008 23:00 5D: Outsiders Peter Pan 00:00 Jerry Maguire FILM After being fired, sports agent Jerry Maguire decides to return to the top with the help of a single mother and a football player. The film is featured by modern film makers. 23:50 Game of Thrones SERIES BEGINS.
10:00 Landgirls 11:05 YLE News in English 12:30 The Green Green Grass Marlene finds her employees busy in the kitchen. HBO have obviously taken the route of showing lots of flesh and hoping the punters will stream in. He tries to remember how he ended up lying wounded in the alley. Starring: Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Rene Russo. Jo is about to lose her husband because of her reckless shopping habits that have made their home nearly uninhabitable. with Children 21:00 NCIS DiNozzo is recovering in a hospital. Personally, I find most actors under the age of 18 annoying little gits, but here they're so well-cast and well-integrated that even I can't find them annoying, dammit. Grieving Annie is in a bad shape. Nancy is accused of being a spy, but she's got someone to defend her. USA/2002 23:15 Made of Honor FILM Directed by Paul Weiland. Lumley is in the capital of Sudan where she tries the local skin treatments. USA/1996 04:50 Flashpoint
JIM
13:20 Border Security: Australia's Front Line 13:50 Monster Jam 2010 14:20 Madhouse 15:10 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 16:05 Dinner Impossible 17:00 Man v. 11:05 YLE News in English 12:30 The Green Green Grass 17:10 Landgirls 19:00 How to Mend a Broken Heart DOC Dr. My only complaint about the series is that after a beginning which makes you think it's going to be something like Lord of the Rings, weird magical monsters and convoluted fantasy and all, for several episodes we're subjected to political intrigue that makes the Kennedys look like kindergarten pupils. This is all well and good but I'd like a bit more spooky monsters, not to mention some fighting every once in a while. Of particular note are the child actors. He takes part in the Hellfire sushi challenge. USA/1970
TV5
07:00 Grounded for life 07:25 The King of Queens 07:50 The King of Queens 08:15 Airport 09:40 The Little Couple 13:10 Breakthrough with Tony Robbins SERIES BEGINS. HELSINKI TIMES
TV GUIDE
12 18 JANUARY 2012
21
monday
TV1
16.1.
MTV3
10:05 The Young and the Restless 11:00 Emmerdale 15:15 Better Off Ted 15:45 At the End of My Leash 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 C.S.I. 14:05 Jon & Kate Plus 8 SERIES BEGINS. 17:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. USA/1992 23:25 C.S.I. The boys realize that the strike means the end of the Terrance and Phillip comics. Directed by Carl Franklin. Miami 22:35 In Plain Sight 23:35 Burn Notice
tuesday
NELONEN TV1
17.1.
MTV3
10:05 The Young and the Restless 11:00 Emmerdale 13:15 Doctors 14:15 Amazing Race 15:10 Two and a Half Men 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 18:00 Emmerdale 21:00 Love Bites 22:35 C.S.I. with Children 00:20 Tracey Ullman 01:20 Body of Proof 02:20 Good Wife
SUB
08:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. 22:00 Pawn Stars 22:30 Wildest Vacation Videos (K15) 23:00 South Park 23:30 Naked and Funny 00:00 JIM D Biography: Patrick Swayze
YLE TEEMA
18:00 Il était une fois... 22:05 Too Late the Hero FILM A war film about a small British unit on a Pacific Island during the Second World War. 11:10 Die Schwarzwaldklinik In German. Food Adam tries the delicacies of Salt Lake City. You might find it necessary to record episodes and watch them several times over, as you're given so many characters to remember, never mind their fragile alliances and doublecrossing antics, that it's rather hard remembering who exactly is romping with whom. 08:50 The Flying Doctors 09:40 Globe Trekker: Rome Estelle Bingham begins her journey in Rome by visiting the famous Foro Romano. Starring: Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson. 23:30 Naked and Funny 00:00 Cold Case Files: Vintage Murder 01:00 The Real A & E
YLE TEEMA
17:00 Maps: Power, Plunder and Possession DOC Part 2/3. The drama is based in the fictional seven kingdoms of Westeros and the struggle for the Iron Throne therein. Starring: Tom Cruise, Cuba Jr Gooding, Jay Mohr, Kelly Preston. Directed by Cameron Crowe. 21:00 Prohibition DOC Part 2/5.
JIM
11:45 Bondi Rescue 12:15 Dirty Jobs 13:10 Border Security: Australia's Front Line 13:40 Monster Jam 2010 14:10 Iron Chef UK 15:10 Dragon's Den 16:05 Pawn Stars 16:35 Bondi Rescue 18:00 Dragon's Den 19:00 Pawn Stars 19:30 South Park 20:00 Customs 21:00 JIM D: Ancient Aliens 22:00 Pawn Stars 22:30 Trigger Happy TV 23:00 South Park Canada has had enough of discrimination and now the whole country is in a strike demanding more money. New York 00:25 Cocaine Cowboys DOC A documentary about Miami becoming the USA's drug capital in the 1980's. Also noteworthy is the fact that the majority, if not all, of the actors speak proper English. Apparently it works, as the show was nominated for an impressive 13 Emmy awards last year. The husband's explanation fails to convince the police. Between museum visits she learns how to prepare a genuine Roman pizza. During a game of truth or dare, Tom asks Jessie a question. Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Kevin McKidd, Michelle Monaghan, Busy Philipps. The members of the team wait for the result from a laboratory. 20:00 The Magnificent Tati DOC A documentary about Jacques Tati, one of the greatest comedians of all times. 21:00 Downton Abbey 22:55 How to Mend a Broken Heart DOC
30 Rock MT V3 00:35 07:00 Children's Programming 08:30 Gary Unmarried 09:00 James Martin: Sweet 09:30 A Baby Story 10:00 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 13:00 A Baby Story 13:30 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 45-year-old Sheila and 47-year-old Dawn, who pretends to be a pensioner, face each other in the challenge. Starring: Tom Bower, Jim Caviezel, Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd
22:50 The Last Days of Kim Jong Il DOC Dictator Kim Jong Il created a giant army while the citizens of North Korea suffered from hunger. with Children 21:00 Body of Proof A body of a man is found near a shopping centre. USA/1999 22:55 Jean-Claude Van Damme: Behind the Closed Doors 23:55 Navy NCIS 00:45 The Only Way is Essex 01:20 5D: Outsiders Peter Pan (K15) A documentary about people who seek attention in various ways. Flashbacks show that Harry used to be in love with the businessman's mistress Lena (Penélope Cruz). 02:15 Relic Hunter
YLE TEEMA
17:00 Mein Bruder - We'll Meet Again DOC Thomas Heise's documentary about brotherhood and his own brother, who has started a new life in a small French village. 17:10 Landgirls 19:55 Last of the Summer Wine Floggie thinks their home town needs a flag, but first they have to get a flagpole. 23:15 Frasier 23:45 Married.... Ryan tries to impress a pretty nurse. 16:05 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 17:10 Dr. What will the future of the country be like?
Sun 1/15 Mon 1/16 Tue 1/17 Wed 1/18
+10 -5 +10 +30 +12
+7 +12 +29 +13 +5 +4 +6 +5 +15 +5 +15 +24 +5 +7 +5 +15 +6 +12 +5 +21 +18 +8 +14 +29 +21 -5 +1 +3 +3 +2 +6 +5 +30 +13 +4 +30 0 0 0 +5 +3 +4 +6
+7 +13 +29 +11 +2 +4 +5 +4 +17 +4 +16 +22 +5 +3 +4 +16 +4 +12 +5 +21 +17 +8 +14 +30 +19 -18 -2 +2 0 -1 +5 +5 +32 +13 +3 +30 -1 -3 -2 +3 +3 +4 +4
+5 +8 +25 +11 +2 +1 +4 +1 +17 +1 +17 +21 +2 +3 +2 +19 +6 +11 +5 +16 +16 +5 +12 +30 +18 -21 -1 0 -4 -5 +4 0 +33 +10 +2 +31 -3 -6 -4 +3 +3 0 +1
+1 +6 +28 +10 +3 +1 +2 0 +16 +4 +16 +19 0 +3 +1 +15 +2 +9 +4 +13 +16 +6 +11 +27 +19 -15 -6 -1 +3 -2 +2 +2 +31 +9 +6 +30 0 -5 -4 +4 +1 +1 -1
+2 +6 +29 +11 +6 -1 +2 0 +16 +3 +14 +19 +2 +5 +2 +16 +2 +12 +3 +13 +18 +11 +11 +29 +20 -2 -7 0 +5 -3 +1 -3 +29 +7 +7 +30 -1 -5 -11 +5 +2 -1 0
+1 +9 +30 +12 +2 -3 +3 -3 +15 +2 +14 +21 0 +3 +1 +16 +2 +11 +4 +15 +18 +9 +13 +29 +18 -9 -9 -2 +5 0 +3 -2 +28 +8 +8 +30 -3 -5 -11 +5 +3 +1 -2
-13 -10 -7 -7 -5 -4 -3 Sat 1/14 -16 -15 -11 -11 -9 -8 Sun 1/15 -9 -10 -16 -14 -13 -13 -11 Mon 1/16 -4 -2 -6 -10 -9 -10 -8 -7 -7
+4 +9 +9 +8 +15 +8 +15 +24 +7 +9 +7 +16 +6 +11 +11 +19 +18 +9 +13 +30 +20 -3 0 +6 +7 +2 +8 -8
SUB
08:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. It was Pedro Almodovar's sixth film to be nominated in this category. 22
12 18 JANUARY 2012
TV GUIDE
Thu 1/12 -8 -5 -6 -5 -4 0 +2 Fri 1/13
Human Trafficking T V1 22:00 07:00 Children's Programming 08:20 Pink Panther 08:30 Gary Unmarried 09:00 James Martin: Sweet 09:30 A Baby Story 10:00 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 13:00 A Baby Story 13:30 10 Years Younger: The Challenge 15:00 Gok's Fashion Fix Mandy, who is 36 years old, dresses like a 13-yearold boy. 15:45 Yle Live: Arctic Monkeys Concert in Roskilde festival in the summer of 2011. 08:55 Marienhof In German. 01:00 The Real A & E
-7 -12 Tue 1/17
-16
+29 +12 +1
-3 -3 0 -4 -1 -5 Wed 1/18 -2 -2 -2 -3 -3 -2 -5 -3 Thursday 1/12 -5 -4
+30 +4 0 +3 +7 +2 +5 +9
9:14 am 3:42 pm 9:27 am 3:51 pm 9:31 am 3:36 pm
10:04 am 2:48 pm 10:29 am 2:22 pm
Body of Proof Nelonen 21:00
Los abrazos rotos
In Madrid, Harry Caine (Lluís Homar) is a blind screenwriter who shares his life with his agent Judit (Blanca Portillo) and her son Diego (Tamar Novas). 20:30 The Cup Terry and Kaskar both want to become the next coach of the kids' football team. 21:45 Los abrazos rotos FILM Directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Directed by John G. with Children 00:15 Three Rivers Two teenagers waiting for heart transplants have a crush on each other, and they cause Andy and Miranda some trouble. 17:00 Sturm der Liebe In German. The film was shot in the style of a hard-boiled 1950s American film noir, although it is filmed in bright colour, rather than black-and-white.
WANTED
Have you got expat views?
Helsinki Times runs a column series called EXPAT VIEWS, where we publish voluntary contributions written by expats, and we're interested in your experiences.
Share your funny, memorable, frustrating or great experiences of Finland with our readers. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe's for the Best Foreign Language Film. In Spanish and English.
JIM
11:55 Bondi Rescue 12:25 Dirty Jobs 13:20 Border Security: Australia's Front Line 13:50 Monster Jam 2010 14:20 Dinner Impossible 15:15 Dragon's Den 16:10 Pawn Stars 16:35 Bondi Rescue 18:00 Dragon's Den 19:00 Pawn Stars 19:30 South Park 20:00 Grimefighters 21:00 Modern Marvels: Tuna 22:00 Pawn Stars 22:30 Gene Simmons Family Jewels 23:00 South Park 23:30 Naked and Funny 00:00 JIM D: Ancient Aliens Undersea cities arouse researchers' curiosity. Avildsen Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Pat Morita, Danny Trejo. Spain/2009. 22:00 Human Trafficking Part 1/4. Starring: Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar. 13:50 The Mask 14:15 George of the Jungle 14:40 Criss Angel: Mindfreak 15:30 Make Me a Supermodel 16:30 Marienhof In German. 18:30 Will & Grace 19:00 Friends 19:30 Two and a Half Men 20:00 2 Broke Girls 20:30 Simpsons 22:30 Fly Girls 23:00 Numb3rs 00:00 Numb3rs 00:55 Skins
TV2
06:50 Children's Programming In Finnish. Phil Heartbreaking stories about adoptions that have gone wrong. 16:15 Heartland 17:00 Children's Programming In Finnish. 08:36 Garfield 08:50 The Flying Doctors 11:10 Die Schwarzwaldklinik In German. Adam's return makes Annie happy, but she faces a difficult task. 10:45 The Making of Frozen Planet 11:05 YLE News in English 12:25 The Green Green Grass 16:00 Frozen Planet DOC Part 2/6. 22:40 Boardwalk Empire
TV5
07:00 Grounded for life 07:25 The King of Queens 07:50 The King of Queens 08:15 Airport 09:40 My Strange Addiction 13:10 Packed to the Rafters 14:05 Jon & Kate Plus 8 14:35 That 70's Show 15:00 Relic Hunter 15:55 Airport 16:30 Hale and Pace 17:00 America's Funniest Home Videos 17:30 My Wife and Kids 18:00 That 70's Show 18:30 The King of Queens 19:00 The King of Queens 19:30 America's Funniest Home Videos 20:30 The Fast Show 21:00 Inferno (K15) FILM Veteran soldier Eddie Lomax goes to the desert intending to end his life, but ends up on a revenge mission. 01:10 Raising the Bar 02:05 NCIS Los Angeles
Thu 1/12 Fri 1/13 Sat 1/14
HELSINKI TIMES
wednesday
TV1
18.1.
MTV3
10:05 The Young and the Restless 11:00 Emmerdale 13:15 Doctors 14:15 Private Practice 15:10 How I Met Your Mother 17:00 The Bold and the Beautiful 18:00 Emmerdale 22:35 Mythbusters 23:40 Fringe 00:40 30 Rock
NELONEN
09:30 Croatia's Undersea World 10:00 Landgirls Billy and Bea are about to get married, but before the wedding Billy gets suspicious. He was recently operated in a hospital where Megan used to work as a surgeon. 18:10 Married.... Do the sunken cities found in the Caribbean Sea have something to do with the mythical Atlantis. 19:00 Weissensee In German. The film competed for the Palme d'Or in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Huge amounts of birds arrive in the area to breed. Randy dresses up as Peter Pan, Magnus as Diva Carola, and Dominika wears colourful clothes. Spring time means the end of the long dark period. Will Gok manage to make her give up the hoodies. Please send a brief email to heidi@helsinkitimes.fi with some 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.
www.helsinkitimes.fi
YLE Teema 21:45
Bring this advert and get a 10% discount on our website prices. He is visited by the son of a wealthy businessman Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez), whom he knew from years ago
F or non-urgent ambulance services, dial 09 394 600, and non-urgent police matters, dial 09 1891. 09 471 87383; Vantaa: Peijas hospital, Sairaalakatu 1, tel. The volunteers are a mix of Finns and non-Finns, internationally-minded and, by the nature of the Red Cross movement, without prejudice and willing to help others. Most hotels as well as the Helsinki Tourist Office and Helsinki's General Post Office have a computer terminal. The currency exchange counter at the harbour in Katajanokka, Helsinki is open every day (Mon-Sat 10-11:30, 1617:30 and 19:30-21:15, Sun 10-11:30, 16-17:30 and 6:30-8). I had visited the country on numerous occasions and had friends in Finland going back nearly 20 years. Grocery stores. But it's not quite the same.
Before I moved to Finland my circle of friends had remained relatively unchanged for most of my life. Café Tin Tin Tango, Töölöntorinkatu 7 open Mon-Thu 7-24, Fri-Sat 9-02, Sun 10-24, call 09 2709 0972 to make a reservation beforehand.
Happy to be a foreigner
MOVING to Finland in October 2010 was not such a culture shock for me. Health advice and information call centre (if you are unsure of what to do) 09 100 23. Grocery stores in the Helsinki Central Railway Station tunnel are open Mon-Sat 7-22 and Sun 10-22.
WORKING IN FINLAND?
To get earnings-linked benefits in case of unemployment in Finland, you need to be a member of an unemployment fund. Attending language courses has led me to a number of friendships with people who are also immigrants. And so steadily the circle keeps expanding. I truly have great Finnish friends ones I can really depend on but the friends who are also immigrants are the ones who give me this new and very important sense of home. Children in need of urgent medical treatment should be taken to Lastenklinikka children's hospital. Send your suggestions to info@helsinkitimes.fi
renewed! t the rees.fi has been ok . Telephone. Helsinki Times will have es also contin"My Neighbourhood" seri The popular ues nex t week.
Ecological living -theme in February The first ever Ecological Living theme will be published on 23 February. 09 471 67371; Espoo: Jorvi hospital, Turuntie 150, tel. They are great friends and whenever I return to Ireland they are there, and things are as if I had never left. Wanha Kauppahalli ("Old Market Hall") at the Market Square and Hakaniemen Kauppahalli ("Hakaniemi Market Hall") are the most popular. See www.posti.fi Emergency Numbers. In a number of Finnish towns public internet posts are quite rare due to extensive per-person internet use at home. Internet. The Forex desk at Helsinki Central Railway Station is open Mon-Sun 8-21. At these public terminals internet use is usually free of charge. Dial 112. Banks are usually open Mon-Fri 9:15-16:15 except for the bank at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, which is open 6-22 daily. As an example, two weeks before Christmas I went for a drink with some friends from my Finnish language course. Stenbäckinkatu 11, 09 471 72783 (between 6:00 and 22:00), 09 471 72751 (between 22:00 and 6:00). Rööperin pesulapalvelut, Punavuorenkatu 3, open MonThu 8-20, Fri 8-18, Sat 10-15 and Sun 12-16. 0300 20200, calls are charged), Mannerheimintie 96, is open 24 hours; its branch at Mannerheimintie 5/Kaivopiha is open daily 7-24. Both telephone cards and Finnish SIM cards for mobile phones can be bought at R-kioski shops. During that time the number of international friends I had numbered about five or six mostly wives or partners of my friends from about four different countries. There is a sense of all of us being in the same boat and this has begun to give me a new sense of home that is the oneness of being an immigrant. HELSINKI TIMES
CLASSIFIEDS & SERVICES
TRANSLATIONS
12 18 JANUARY 2012
23
WORKING
Finland info
Banks and Bureaux de Change. Get your independent unemployment security now for only 99 /year.
Join us: www.ytk.fi
Tell us what you want to read about in Helsinki Times!
ART
Post Offices. Laundry. 09 471 72432; Töölö hospital, Topeliuksenkatu 5, tel. We miss small things: foodstuffs we grew up with, how people interact socially and perhaps even the pace of life to which we have become accustomed. Most of all we miss family and friends those near and dear to us. Operator number 118. Post offices are usually open Mon-Fri 10-18. Thankfully, modern social media means we can keep in daily contact with those back home. Medical services. Yet in the 15 months since I've been in Finland I'm happy
to say the circle has expanded to dozens of people, from about 22 different nations. There were nine of us, of nine different nationalities, from Sweden to Vietnam and Serbia to India. a special Education theme. We struggle with the language, we complain about the volume of work and, more importantly, over weeks and months we get to know each other. The cultural diversity and range of conversation really were something to behold. Health centres around the country are open Mon-Fri 8-16. The full weight of the financial crisis had become apparent and the crash meant that the chances of my returning to Ireland and gaining employment again were unlikely there was a sense of finality in the move. In the evenings and at weekends adults in need of urgent medical treatment in Helsinki should go to emergency health centres at Haartman hospital (Haartmaninkatu 4) or Maria hospital (Lapinlahdenkatu 16).
Working Life Education Housing Health
What sorts of things would you like to know about these topics?
Send any article suggestions you may have to info@helsinkitimes.fi
EXPAT VIEW
Dave Dunne moved to Finland in October 2010 after working in newspapers in Ireland for 15 years. Leaving Ireland, however, was a bittersweet experience. Café Aalto, 2nd floor, Akateeminen kirjakauppa, Pohjoisesplanadi 39; Telecenter, Vuorikatu 8; Netcup, Aleksanterinkatu 52; mbar, located in the Lasipalatsi complex, Mannerheimintie 22-24. Restaurants in the Helsinki area can be found from the internet service www.eat.fi, which provides information on restaurants, their menus, opening hours and some user rating etc. One other hugely important thing I did last spring was to become involved in
the Finnish Red Cross. Both are open Mon-Fri 8-18 and Sat 8-16 but are closed on Sundays. These were part of my `home' solid, reliable and always there when you needed them. Internet Cafés. The volunteer work is immensely rewarding, but one of the most positive things is meeting people from around the world, hearing their stories and getting to know them. Most grocery stores are open Mon-Fri 7-21, Sat 7-18 and Sun 12-21. Public phones are scarce. Currently he is on a traineeship with Helsinki Times.
Emergency clinics in Helsinki and Uusimaa area hospitals that are on call 24 hours a day: Helsinki: Meilahti hospital, 2nd floor, Haartmaninkatu 4, tel. What kind of articles would you like to see in this themed issue. Check ou Helsinkitim e has a new lo send i Times onlin itimes.fi and Helsink w w w.helsink T website at .fi designed H helsinkitimes on it to info@ your feedback
In this series expatriates write about their lives in Finland.. I had good, old friends ones whom I had known from my school-going years. See www.forex.fi for more information. Pharmacies. Inevitably we will miss things about our home country. Helsinki's General Post Office is also open at the weekend 10-18. Finland's international country code is +358 and to ring abroad from Finland dial 00. Yliopiston apteekki (tel. I had never previously sheltered myself from meeting people of diverse nationalities in fact I've always had an interest in different cultures and Ireland in the past decade or so has become quite multicultural it was more a case of lack of opportunity. Market halls. 09 4711. Restaurants. It can be easy to feel down about living away from the place of your birth, but the thing to remember is that we are not alone in this new home of ours in fact our being from elsewhere is the very thing which unites us with so many others here. I wouldn't swap it for the world.
Next week..