Helsinki

Helsinki
Originally uploaded by phototouring.

Silja Line was bought out last year by an Estonian company, but continues sailing the Baltic Sea. A fun trip, even if you never get off the boat.

Rebirth?

I am considering starting back to blogging, since I've got a bit more time for the summer and because there's still a ton going on in Finland and in the world to be brought to notice. Jury's still out, but for now, here's are the results from the Wife Carrying World Championships that happen annually in Sonkajärvi, near where I attended high school.

For the 5th time in a row and the 7th time total, Madis Uusorg from Estonia has won. Though his "wife" changes every now and then, one wonders how he can keep in shape and still enjoy his prize of his wife's weight in beer each time he wins. For the BBC video see [here], for history of the contest look [here], and to see what the town has to say about its tradition go [here]. In 2005 Dennis Rodman, who was doing a stint in the Finnish National Basketball league, made an appearance at the contest, though it was half hearted and he probably couldn't have finished even if he had tried.

Quick and dirty election results

Briefly-

Centre Party and SDP the losers, losing 4 and 8 seats, respectively. National coalition party big winner, picking up 10 seats. Greens also gain a seat. True Finns gain 2?!?! A few other shift happened, nothing to major. Vanhanen will stay in power more likely than not, even after his sex scandal. the SDP losing so much isn't a huge surprise, as it follows the trend started in the last Swedish elections.

Kuopio Ski jumping

Kuopio Ski jumping
Originally uploaded by Ant G.

I was once interviewed just under that ski jump next to the tower by Savon sanomat. I never understood what would make someone invent a sport, especially like this one. --"Hey Pekka, let's ski really fast down this hill and when we get to the bottom flatten ourselves out and see who can make it furthest down the flatter continuation of the hill" --"OK Juha, that sounds like an amazing idea."

And of course you've all heard of the famous Finnish ski jumper, Mr. Matti Nykänen? Worth googling for a good laugh if you are bored.

Quote of the day

"It was unlawful because there was no lawful reason for it and in that respect it was criminal."
-Oxford assistant deputy coroner Andrew Walker

As quoted on the BBC. The story really is a tragedy, but honestly, the redundancy in the above statement is nauseating.

Finland 2nd to Ireland - How'd this happen?

It appears as though Finland is slipping! In the latest Eurobarometer survey to come out (not sure why I've been so hung up on these reports lately), Ireland has been proven the country with the largest binge drinking problem. Finland and England were relegated to 2nd and 3rd, respectively. With the leading cause of death in Finns of working age being alcohol related, one would expect more from these statistics. What's going on Finland? Did the state's recent legislation moving the start time for selling booze to 9am really cause that much of a change? I somehow doubt it.

Binge drinking is defined by the poll as having 5 or more drinks in one sitting. While (among others) the Nordic council has taken up the issue, especially among the youth, things don't change all that much. Ultimately the choice must be personal. The state can do little to coerce people in this arena. It's a cultural mixed with personal choice, in the end. And perhaps some are starting to chose to drink less. Or they're just lying on these surveys- also a distinct possibility. There is, after all, a stigma associated with drinking til one hits the floor. I still need to do that research I talked about in the earlier post, as well as a holistic survey of the Eurobarometer's methods. I'll add that to the to do list.

And now I'm late for class...

More Eurovision Entries

Sunday afternoon when I should be working I instead began reading my news feeds and came across [this] story about Swedish homeowners saving 5 bil kronor by not trading in for the Euro immediately followed by news of the selection of Sweden's Eurovision 2007 entry. I popped over to youtube for a look, and let's just say I don't have any fear that next May if I'm in Europe and want to watch the competition I'll have to go to Stockholm. Check it here

Also, thanks to Topi, I got a look at the Finnish entry a couple weeks back. For those of you that haven't seen it, it's here.

And while I'm at it, figured I might as well put a few others up.

Israel - I think this one is really funny, should be interesting to see how it fares, but I could see it being top 10 easy


Denmark - A pretty crappy song, gonna rely heavily on the performance as the singer is a drag queen, though it's also already been done before apparently

Belarus - sounds a lot like Russia from last year, nothing particularly special, but dramatic beats anyway

Spain - not so much



Malta - Cute and fun, but likely will not do as well because it's not in English, sadly


Bulgaria - I think I like this, but I'm not sure if I should...?


Andorra - Punk rock? Haha, this is good.


Turkey - Jury's still out, the beats are used and kinda dull

I can't believe I've just wasted so much time on that. Back to DeGaulle. I'll likely post more when I need a break later.

Edessä Auroran sairaala ja takana Länsi-Pasila

Edessä Auroran sairaala ja takana Länsi-Pasila
Originally uploaded by pieni punainen.

My Helsinki home - it's amazing how you can live in a city and still have so much nature around. I miss Pasila.

Alternative Energy?!

OK, this is just strange. The town of Umeå in Sweden is going to begin burning chicken carcasses- about 9,000 annually- in order to help heat the town. The relationship is eerily symbiotic: the power plant will take dead chickens from egg producers and burn them, aiding the farmers in getting rid of bodies in a healthy way and helping people stay warm through the Nordic winter. It works, but somehow still unsettling on some level.

Passion in heaven

Passion in heaven.
Originally uploaded by MuseBellamy.

Iisalmi, my first home away from home, always has had the best sunsets.

Parliamentary Elections- Advancedvoting begins today

I know all my friends back in Finland were already standing in line waiting on the doors to open in order to cast their ballots in the 2007 Parliamentary elections, but for everyone else, here's a little quick info from Helsingin Sanomat International Ed.

Advance voting in Finland’s Parliamentary elections began today - Wednesday - and continues until Tuesday next week.
The actual election day is Sunday March 18th, while advance voting is arranged in Finland on March 7 to 13 and abroad on March 7 to 10.

With so many days to vote, everyone can find time. For a recap of how the elections played out last year, and for a look into how things are shaping up this year, check wikipedia.

If I were a Finn, I think it's pretty clear who I'd vote for. But since I'm not I have to count on my Finnish friends in Helsinki to do it for me. Still, everyone can have a look at Anni Sinnemäki's official page [here] (for my non Finnish speaking friends I would even be willing to translate the important parts of the page in order to enlighten) and the Helsinki Green's [here].

Salibandy Season

Suomi Januar 2007 --22
Originally uploaded by TorLau.

I took a class in Salibandy (floorball) in high school. It's basically hockey without the skates and pads. Boy was I terrible...

Finland, Helsinki 2006

Finland, Helsinki 2006
Originally uploaded by Chomiq.

Behind lasipalatsi

from Helsinki - photo by keltanen

Charles Luckman on the US

"The trouble with America is that there are far too many wide-open spaces surrounded by teeth."
[via]