But be warned, the first snow falls in Helsinki later every year

The City of Helsinki's Public Works Department has announced a competition to guess the date when the first snow will be cleared from Helsinki's streets. The date has appeared to be later and later in recent years.

      Those who intend to take part in the competition will have to know more than just the date of the first snowfall. One has to be able to predict also how fast the Public Works Department is ready to get the ploughs out.

     
According to the rules of the competition, the criterion of the first snowfall is met when three out of the Public Works Department's six maintenance districts set off with their snowploughing vehicles to clear snow from the streets of the capital.
      "The snowfall has to be a bit heavier than a dusting", says engineer Juha Mäkelä from the City's Public Works Department.
      "It is rather difficult to say exactly how many centimetres the snow cover should be, and it also depends on the snow itself. Whether it is wet or dry, or whether it comes with strong winds and gets packed" , he notes.

      Mäkelä reports further that the foreman of the Public Works Department will be on duty at night from the beginning of November.
      "He will go around the city and evaluate when there is enough snow for the crew to set off", Mäkelä explains.

"However, each district is to assess the situation in its own area. The city is large, and if it is snowing in the district of Pitäjänmäki, it may be raining by the coast", he concludes.
      The six maintenance depots of the Public Works Department are situated in the districts of Kamppi, Pitäjänmäki, Kyläsaari, Tattarisuo, Oulunkylä, and at the Roihupelto industrial area.
     

In addition to the criteria set by the Public Works Department, even some more official definitions of the first snow exist.
     
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the first snow means an intact snow layer of at least one centimetre that has been measured in the morning.
      Statistics of the first snow have been gathered since 1900. The earliest day for the first snow was recorded in 1928, when the first dump came in Kaisaniemi on September 29th.
      On the other hand, the first snow has appeared later and later every year. Over the 30-year period from 1971 to 2000, the first snow appeared in Helsinki's Kaisaniemi around November 14th on average, while the first years of the current millennium saw the first snow around November 16th on average.

      A hint for those who plan to participate in the competition: last year, the first snowplough based on the criteria of the Public Works Department set out on November 28th.

For further details on visiting Helsinki click here.

According to Swedish Radio's Kulturnyttat, the change will take place at the beginning of 2007

The opposition Social Democrats have said they will fight against the reforms.
"We want to have culture policies for everyone and we noticed that this has been greatly appreciated," said Margareta Israelsson, a Social Democrat member of the parliamentary culture committee.

The vice chairman of the committee, Cecilia Wikström (Liberal Party) said she was surprised by the announcement and asked for a full analysis. She pointed to research from the Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs, which found that 70% of Swedes were in favour of free museum entry.

Writing in Dagens Nyheter, 19 museum bosses have demanded that free entry remains in place.

The Alliance parties made clear before the election their view that free entry to museums should be abolished, but that young people up to the age of 19 should still be able to visit without charge.

Lars Amréus, head of the Historical Museum, is one of those who wants to keep free entry.

"We have doubled our visitor numbers. In 2005 we had 200,000 visitors, and before that we had 100,000 in a normal year."

There have also been many new visitors, he said.

The government's budget proposal will be made public on Monday, but the 21 state-run museums were informed of the move on Wednesday in a letter from the Culture Department.

"We have had part of the budget proposal and the only issue we have to comment on is that free entry will be abolished from 1st January 2007," said the finance director at the Nordic Museum, Karin Englund.

Published: 11th October 2006 The Local

The way ahead with lower emissions and less noise pollution.

The Finnish factory of Canada Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) has developed the world's first natural gas-powered snowmobile, it said Wednesday.

The Lynx-branded model is to be sold mainly to central European skiing resorts, which requested the development of a gas-powered alternative a couple of years ago.

Using gas instead of petrol as fuel significantly cuts emissions as well as engine noise. Further, natural gas is up to 70 per cent cheaper than petrol.

In Austria, for example, there are about 40 natural gas filling stations.

To visit Finnish Lapland to try snowmobiling, sadly not yet the natural gas-powered verion click here. 

Winner of the Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited Travel Awards 2006.

Sweden came out top in the category “Favourite European Country” when the results of a survey into the preferences of readers of British national newspapers, The Guardian and Observer, as well as the online version, Guardian Unlimited, were collated. Italy came second and Norway, third. The survey offers a unique and fascinating insight into the tastes and preferences of a discerning group of travellers.

“We are very pleased that Sweden has been chosen by such a quality group of readers. The results have confirmed us in our choice of target group and we hope that those who voted Sweden top destination will help us to spread the word about Sweden for the future,” says Fredrik Barthold, Regional Director, VisitSweden (formerly Swedish Travel & Tourism Council).

“I suspect glamour and the pull of nature have something to do with our readers voting Sweden their favourite European destination. There can't be too many capitals like Stockholm, where you can stay in a boutique-style hotel owned by former Abba stars, enjoy a gourmet dinner, party in clubs, and then, the next morning, swap your dancing shoes for a pair of hiking boots to explore the islands or the coast. If you really want to get back to nature, you can head up to Lapland. But even there, they've made a style statement in the form of the Ice Hotel. Swedes seem to have effortlessly struck the perfect party/healthy balance, and that would appear to be a winning combination.” Andy Pietrasik, Travel Editor of The Guardian comments on the Award.

Among VisitSweden’s current campaigns is the innovative “Stockholm the Musical” campaign, in which Stockholm is marketed by the interactive website www.stockholmthemusical.com . The website forms the basis of a viral campaign to drive UK visitors to Stockholm. It takes the visitor on an ironic, fun-filled musical journey through all the city has to offer and includes an interactive retro-style short film inviting users to enjoy picturesque city sights accompanied by a vibrant, uplifting tune specially written for the website. VisitSweden has created interest in the campaign through a variety of channels, including Guardian Unlimited.

So far this year, commercial bed nights in Sweden from the UK have increased by 16%.

The Swedish Space Corporation say it could be a reality by 2011.

Not content with having them dotted all over the countryside, Sweden is now considering putting a little red cottage on the moon. The idea, first conjured up by the artist Mikael Genberg seven years ago, may become reality with the help of the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), according to N24.

The state agency SSC has carried out a technical study showing that it is indeed possible to put a little red cottage on the moon.

"If we manage to do this Sweden will be the third country to occupy the moon", said SSC's Fredrik von Scéele.

A competition has been arranged for students to construct a little red house that is suitably sized for placement by a moon landing device. The construction may not exceed eight square metres and can weigh a maximum of four kilos.

A jury consisting of leading researchers and professors from the Swedish space industry has already been appointed to oversee the project.

The project is expected to cost 500 million kronor. Unless there are problems financing the project or there is a sudden scarcity of Falun red paint there could be a little house on the moon by 2011.

"The idea came to me in 1999. I had just finished working on a tree house hotel and was in the process of producing an underwater hotel when I saw an article in Expressen: 'Now Sweden goes for the moon'. My idea was not realistic at all. But it kept coming back to me and by August 2003 I had made quite a few enquiries. Ever since then it has grown into far more than an artwork," artist Mikael Genberg told The Local.

He explains how the last few years have seen a new race to the moon. And Sweden is keen to be involved, even if this means cooperating with other countries. Putting a house on the moon would strengthen the impression of Sweden as a hi-tech country.

"The project will cost 500 million kronor, which is quite reasonable. I think if we can make absolutely sure that this will happen it should be possible to finance it."

While the little red house is well known as a national symbol within Sweden, Genberg would like the construction to have a more international aspect.

"Everybody sees the moon, so the house should be a symbol for mankind, as well as a sort of all-seeing eye looking over us," said Genberg.

Experts could not confirm whether the cottage would finally provide a permanent housing solution for the man on the moon.

Published on The Local 11 Oct 2006.

Bears prepare to hibernate…….

In the dense taiga forests of Kainuu in eastern Finland it has been another successful year for bear watching, much to the delight of the visitors to the hides at the Wild Brown Bear Lodge.  A visit to the lodge usually involves an overnight stay in a 1-2 or 8 person hide allowing guests to get up close to the bears or the more elusive wolverines.

In preparation for hibernation, which will start in the next few weeks the bears are eating up to one third of their body weight each day, making the most of Finlands bountiful supply of berries.

Bear watching will start again mid April next year and will available through until the autumn. During summer the glorious never light summer days allow you to make the most of your visit.

Image provided by the Finnish Tourist Board. Photographer Eero Kemilä

For further information click here.

Lordi get their own payment card.

A payment card featuring a photo of Lordi is now available from from the Finnish Sampo Bank. The Lordi version of Sampo Bank's international payment cards is for Visa Electron, Visa and MasterCard.

Lordi are currently half way though their European Tour....remaining dates include

October 11th Arena - Vienna (AUT)
October 14th Gamma - Murcia (SPA)
October 18th La Riviera - Madrid (SPA)
October 19th Apolo - Barcelona (SPA)
October 20th Sala Jam - Bergara (SPA)
October 22nd Hof Ter Lo - Antwerp (BEL)
October 24th L'Elysee Montmartre - Paris (FRA)
October 25th Melkweg - Amsterdam (NED)

October 26th Nottingham - Rock City (UK)
October 27th Birmingham - Academy (UK)
October 29th Manchester - Academy (UK)
October 30th Glasgow - The Carling Academy (UK)
October 31st London - The Forum (UK)

November 4st Helsinki, Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki Halloween festival.

Young directors make genre-films that are sold around the world on DVD

"Do you love me?" asks Tommi Eronen on the big screen. Nothing new here – a Finnish man whining about his love again. But this time we are in ancient China, the actress is Zhang Jingchu, and the couple has just had a dance-like fantasy duel.

      The film is called Jade Warrior. It is an ambitious combination of themes from the Finnish national Kalevala and Chinese mythology, and tells the story in the style of Wuxia – Chinese warrior films.

     
A new generation of filmmakers who have grown up in the 80’s and 90’s with VHS videos and comic books is emerging along with Jade Warrior. They are not afraid to make a genre film, be it fantasy, horror, science fiction, or Wuxia.
      Director Antti-Jussi "AJ" Annila was studying filmmaking at the Tampere Polytechnic at the turn of the millennium, and became acquainted with the cameraman, editor, costume designer, and sound technician of Jade Warrior there. Now the years-long project of the former kung-fu short film crew is ready and the full-length feature is about to premiere.
     
The group responsible for the Sci-fi parody Star Wreck, led by Samuli Torssonen, can be included in the same generation. They have been successful as well. The script for their next film will be written by Finlandia-prize winner Johanna Sinisalo. This is a significant improvement to shooting homemade films in someone’s living room.

      It is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to include Lordi – the genre-conscious project of one man and his friends that made an international breakthrough.
      "These new-generation artists are emerging with increasing frequency, and not just in Finland. Technology has improved, and genre-specific projects are more natural to young people", analyses producer Tero Kaukomaa of Blind Spot Pictures.
      It has not been easy, however.
      "Genre-specific ideas are disgustingly new in Finland", Annila laments. "It is very hard to gain approval for a film like this – you need a group of supporters that believe in your idea."

     
Advances in computer technology make the job easier. Special effects of reasonable quality have become quite affordable. Although the budget for Jade Warrior, EUR 2,5 million, is a lot for a Finnish movie, it is puny by international standards.
Technology has improved on the consumer end as well. The international DVD markets already comprise a large portion of the money earned by films. This favours genre-specific films, since they are specifically popular on the DVD market.
      "Although the dialogue in Jade Warrior is in Finnish and Chinese, it has a clear DVD market, much larger than that for traditional Finnish drama", Kaukomaa admits. Jade Warrior has already been sold to over 30 countries.

      Blind Spot Pictures intends to answer the call of the market, and is making more genre-specific movies. The framework for AJ Annila’s next film is already on the table. It is also a genre-specific film, and it does not combine Finland with Wuxia, but no further details have been revealed.
     
Annila knows his field. He discussed the principles of a good action movie in his diploma thesis at Tampere Polytechnic. Annila describes the balance in action sequences: "Combat sequences take the story forward in a good action film. They are the culmination of something essential. They still need a certain flamboyance, and they need to be complete entities in themselves." 

After seeing enough poor action movies, you know how to do it wrong.
      "I have seen lots of action scenes that become pointless after two minutes. When a fight scene has served its purpose, it needs to end."

     
After learning the principles of a specific genre, it is possible to take a sidestep and make a genre-specific film that is more appealing to a larger audience, for example a Finnish Wuxia film. Combining Finnish filmmaking and Wuxia was not such an acrobatic leap after all.
"I think that Wuxia does not differ much from Finnish melodrama. It is introverted, feelings seethe on the inside and are not vividly expressed."

Jade Warrior opens in cinemas (Finland) on October 13th.

     
By Jussi Ahlroth  Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 6.10.2006

Will the real Swedish prime minister please stand up?

The Riksdag formally approved the appointment of Fredrik Reinfeldt at 2pm on Thursday by 175 votes to 169, and he thereby became prime minister. But while Reinfeldt has the title, Göran Persson remains theoretically in the job.

“Fredrik Reinfeldt today became prime minister”, reported tabloid Aftonbladet and broadsheet Dagens Nyheter. Indeed, the Riksdag itself now refers to Reinfeldt as prime minister on its official website. If only the Swedish constitution were that simple.
“He becomes prime minister today, but the new government doesn’t take office until tomorrow,”said Roberta Alenius, spokeswoman for Reinfeldt’s Moderate Party.

Sweden has entered a momentary state of constitutional limbo, with Reinfeldt prime minister, but with Göran Persson in theory still in power for a few more hours.

The new government will formally take control at a meeting with the king at the Royal Palace on Friday. But in the meantime, it’s a bit confused as to who is Sweden’s head of government.

“He has been approved by the  and assumed the title from the speaker, so in one sense he is prime minister,” said Anna Wieslander, spokeswoman for the Swedish Riksdag.

But what if the government needs to do anything urgent in the 22 hours between Reinfeldt’s election and the meeting with the king?

“I suppose that according to protocol Reinfeldt won’t be prime minister until tomorrow. For the government to do anything official, it’s still Göran Persson who will act.”

On Friday morning at 9am, Reinfeldt will present his new government’s programme to the Riksdag with Göran Persson and his outgoing cabinet still sitting in the government seats. Yet on the Riksdag’s website it says that “the prime minister will present his programme for government.” And there, they’re talking about Fredrik Reinfeldt.

“It works in every important sense, but the protocol’s a bit confused,” admits Wieslander.

Indeed, when Reinfeldt and his colleagues emerge from their visit to the palace on Friday at lunchtime, there will be no doubt as to who rules Sweden.

Published: 5th October 2006 14:46 CET  The Local.