Irishman wins world oyster opening championship.

Ireland was the proud winner on Saturday of the 2006 World Oyster Opening Championship, beating off competition from 17 other countries to open 30 oysters in the fastest time.

At 2 minutes 35 seconds, Irish restaurateur Michael Moran was five seconds ahead of Sweden's Hasse Johannesson and 46 seconds faster than Britain's Frederick Lindford.
"It's just great to bring it home for Ireland," said Moran, whose father Willie took the title twice in the 1970s and whose time of 1 minute 31 seconds is unbeaten.
"I put in a big effort and it paid off -- I can't believe it," Moran, 23, told Reuters.
The secret, he said, was a steady hand with the oyster knife.
"It has to be a smooth movement or you risk crunching the shell and then you get points taken off for grit," he said.

It was the first win for Ireland in 10 years but the country's 15th overall in the four-decade history of the competition, which has long been a major feature of the Galway Oyster Festival, now in its 52nd year.
"He was a bold man that first ate an oyster," observed 18th century Irish writer Jonathan Swift, and by that measure there were a lot of bold men -- and women -- gathered in the mediaeval "City of the Tribes" on Ireland's rugged west coast on Saturday

"We reckon there are around 12,000 people here this year and they'll scoff somewhere in the region of 100,000 oysters in the four days of the festival," said organiser John Rabbitt.
The festival draws visitors from around the world, as much for the Irish "craic" -- dancing and drinking -- as for the oysters, which mollusc aficionados say derive a distinctive sweetness from Ireland's Atlantic waters.

"I've had more oysters than I've eaten in my life," said first-time British visitor Michael Codrington.
"At least 50 -- all washed down with a lot of Guinness."

The festival, dreamt up by a Galway hotelier to mark the start of the oyster season -- and drum up post-summer business.

As reported by By Kevin Smith on Reuters uk online

The Two Faces of Mexico opens at the Helsinki Design Museum 29 September 2006 - 14 January 2007.

Mexican culture is a fascinating mix of different influences, combining the way of life and art of the European conquistadors with the millennia-old heritage of the indigenous peoples. It has produced an artistically magnificent, versatile and unique tradition of craftsmanship and applied art that is without parallel. The Two Faces of Mexico, Design Museum’s main exhibition for the autumn 2006, is a colour-drenched journey into the heart of Mexico, areas such as Oaxaca, Chihuahua and Chiapas, famous for their heritage of applied arts.

The exhibition features the collections of two famous Mexican collectors. On show for the first time outside Mexico is the anthropologist and photographer Ruth D. Lechuga’s unique collection of the country’s indigenous cultures. Ruth D. Lechuga was an Austrian physician who fled the Second World War to Mexico in 1939. She soon ceased to practise medicine and concentrated on collecting the culture of the Indians. For over fifty years, Lechuga travelled around the country, accumulating a collection of Indian crafts and applied art. This material includes the world’s largest collection of skilfully made masks used in different religious rituals and celebrations and reflecting the variety, richness and colourful nature of Mexican culture. Selected for the Design Museum exhibition are 500 masks in addition to hand-woven sarape cloths, embroidered textiles, fine lacquerwork, ceramics, items for celebrating the Day of the Dead, etc. The photographs taken by Lechuga of Indian rituals and traditions during her fieldwork are valuable additions to the image of Mexican culture.

Another aspect of Mexican culture is provided by the collection of Franz Mayer 1882-1975). Mayer was a German businessman, who moved to Mexico in 1905 and made his fortune there as a stockbroker. His collection presents the traditions of art and craftsmanship introduced and maintained by the Spanish in Mexico. In these traditions, features from the indigenous peoples merged with European artefact forms and techniques. The Mayer collection contains artefacts from the period of Spanish rule (1521-1821), including work in silver, gold, mother-of-pearl, leather and lacquer.  

The Two Faces of Mexico will include a published book and a series of lectures presenting the art and culture of Mexico in broader perspective. The museum shop will offer a wide range of Mexican applied art products.

For further details about the design museum click here.

For information about visiting Helsinki click here.

Breakfast view from restaurant at Hotel Iso-Syote!

We took the above photo while we were sat enjoying a leisurely breakfast on our final morning at Hotel Iso-Syote in northern Finland last December.

After 4 crazy and wonderful days of snowmobiling, husky sledging and of course meeting Santa we were all quietly sat reflecting on our trip when the cloud settled and this amazing view opened up before us.

It just summed up our breathtaking location and unforgettable Santa holiday.

Alec.

Nokia hopes to lead the market with slimmer and more powerful phones.

Finland's Nokia , the world's top cell phone maker, on Tuesday unveiled a pair of media phones and a music service in a bid to increase revenue and win back popularity lost to rivals.
Nokia hopes to regain ground lost to phones such as Motorola Inc.'s fast-selling Razr with sleeker devices equipped with music players and powerful cameras in what it sees as the fastest-growing cell phone market segment.

Nokia unveiled the N95, a high powered camera phone, and a slimmer model called the N75, which has dedicated music player buttons and is aimed at U.S. consumers. It also plans to boost demand with a service for sampling new music.

"We have left nothing out," said Nokia general manager of multimedia Anssi Vanjoki at a launch in New York.

Nokia said the N95, its first phone with location mapping and a 5 megapixel camera, will sell in volume in the first quarter via a number of European and Asian providers. It is priced at about 550 euros ($700), before subsidies and taxes.

It expects the N75, a folding model slimmer than most of its N-Series phone line, to be "widely available" in the United States in the fourth quarter of this year, Vanjoki said.

Nokia did not reveal deals with U.S. carriers on Tuesday, but the phone is based on a high-speed wireless technology only used in the United States by market leader Cingular Wireless, a venture of AT&T Inc. and BellSouth Corp.

"This phone could sell well. Nokia users have been looking for a slimmer model," said eQ analyst Jari Honko.
Nokia's N-series, which it first launched last year, represented a push toward more stylish and lighter phone models. Critics have said previous phones in the lineup fell short of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd's and Motorola's thin models.

For the full story from Reuters click here

Young Swedish director aims for an Oscar with his debut film.

The Swedish Film Institute has named Farewell Falkenberg as Sweden's official selection for the Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film.

The film opened in cinemas across Sweden on September 22 and has received glowing reviews from the Swedish press. It was also highly acclaimed when screened at the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals.
The west coast town of Falkenberg is home to director Jesper Ganslandt, Born in 1978, Granslandt is a self-taught director who has previously worked with music videos and feature films.

With Farewell Falkenberg - Granslandt's feature film debut - he will be attempting to add a fifth Oscar to the Swedish trophy cabinet. Ingmar Bergman is a three-time winner, while Bille August picked up a statuette for Pelle the Conqueror in 1988.

The film is about five childhood friends growing into young men in a small Swedish town. Europeanfilms.net describes it as "a freewheeling dive into the hermetically sealed world of all-male friendships that […] feels natural and true."

Granslandt was not exactly overcome by emotion upon being told that his film was to Sweden's official selection. "I plan to celebrate in the Swedish way, with a cup of coffee", he told Metro.

The young director will have to wait until January 23 to find out whether his film is to be one of the final five nominees for Best Foreign Language Film.

Paul O'Mahony   The Local

Finland ranked 2nd and Sweden 3rd in Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007

Switzerland, Finland and Sweden are the world’s most competitive economies according to The Global Competitiveness Report 2006-2007, released by the World Economic Forum on 26 September 2006.

The rankings are drawn from a combination of publicly available hard data and the results of the Executive Opinion Survey, a comprehensive annual survey conducted by the World Economic Forum.

Countries that, like the Nordics, are investing heavily in education are likely to see rising levels of income per capita, growing success in reducing poverty and an increasing ability to establish a presence in the global economy," said Augusto Lopez-Claros, Chief Economist and Director of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Network.

Finland has a very healthy macroeconomic environment and transparent and efficient institutions, as well as an excellent educational system and a highly innovative business community.

“Finland is very well managed at the macroeconomic level, at a time when many other industrialized countries are struggling in this area. The willingness of Finnish governments to run budget surpluses, so as to be able to meet future social commitments linked to the aging of the population, is particularly impressive. The country is also endowed with public and private institutions that are assessed as
being the most efficient and transparent in the world. Finland is also unsurpassed with regards to the quality of higher education available to citizens, which is so critical for adaptation in a fast-moving global economy. Furthermore, the private sector shows a high proclivity for adopting new technologies and nurturing a culture of innovation, placing Finland very firmly among those countries closest to the high tech frontier,” said Augusto Lopez-Claros.

Sweden's position on the Business Competitive Index, a sister rating focusing purely on business conditions in 121 countries, was seventh. Despite being ranked third for 'sophistication of company operations and strategy', Sweden came eighth for the 'quality of the national business environment'.

High tax rates and restrictive labour regulations were highlighted as the most problematic factors for doing business in Sweden.

Global Competitiveness Index 2006 and 2005 comparisons
Country	GCI Rank 2006	GCI Score 2006	GCI Rank 2005
Switzerland	1	5.81	4
Finland	2	5.76	2
Sweden	3	5.74	7
Denmark	4	5.70	3
Singapore	5	5.63	5
United States	6	5.61	1
Japan	7	5.60	3
Germany	8	5.58	6
Netherlands	9	5.56	11
United Kingdom	10	5.54	9

Source: World Economic Forum click here.

Storage problems means an early start to Christmas in Cornwall.

Shoppers in St Austell were checking their calendars on Monday to make sure they hadn't missed three months and it was September 25 and not December 25.People coming into the town were surprised to find that the Christmas lights, including a large sign saying 'Merry Christmas', had been put up over the weekend in Fore Street and Truro Road, three months before Christmas Day.

The surprise left many people bemused and has also attracted the attention of the national media with the belief that St Austell is the first and only town in the country to have its festive lights up in September.

St Austell and District Chamber of Commerce and Industry was forced to put the lights up early after failing to find a new place to store them.

The chamber is set to move out of its current base in the Engine House this week as work starts on preparing the building for demolition next month.

The chamber is set to relocate to an office in Sembal House.

Chamber chairman Paul Scott said: "We were left with a choice of leaving them in the Engine House and having them trashed or putting them up, so we decided to put them up.

"Nobody has come forward to provide a store for them, despite me asking around the town and the appeal in the Cornish Guardian.

"At the end of the day they are only really up a month early, but I am surprised by the fuss it has caused.

"I think there are more important things in the world to worry about - we should be worrying about the cars in Fore Street for a start.

"The lights won't be turned on until the end of November, so I don't see why everyone is talking about it."

However, many shoppers in the town were left laughing about the decision.

One commented: "It has certainly brightened up the town, although it looks a bit daft having them up so early.

"We might be the first town to have Christmas lights, but we are probably already the first town with no town centre."

Another said: "I'm surprised they haven't gone the whole way and set up a Santa's Grotto."

One trader in the town said: "It makes the town a laughing stock, as if we didn't have enough problems already.

"I feel sorry for the chamber in a way because they have had no choice.

"The fact that nowhere could be found to store the lights shows just how little support there is for the town from Restormel Borough Council and the Regional Development Agency."

However, there is some good news with hopes for a new storage area for the lights under the Woolworths store in the town being made available after Christmas.

Mr Scott added: "There have been Christmas puddings in the shops for weeks and nobody says anything about that - why is this any different?"

Cornish Guardian.

The refined art of fermented fish.......

Truth be told there are few “bring the house down” parties, but the custom is regularly practiced in small bunches of dinner guests. Ironically, there seems to be a great sense of style and refinement expected for those who take part in the tradition.
And a tradition it is. In 1999 the Fermented Herring Academy was created. Its mission is to maintain the surströmming culture and promote its development. Ruben Madsen, Chairman of the academy takes his PR responsibility for the fermented fish quite solemnly:

“Surströmming should be eaten with finesse. Should one host a surströmming party all the fixings ought to be represented on the table: minced onion, dill, sliced tomatoes and bread; that gives visual appeal,” Madsen says.

“Potatoes boil while the guests settle and chat at the table sipping some sherry or snack on some crisp bread with Västerbotten cheese or blana - a paste of whey butter and cinnamon. Only after the potatoes are done should the tins of surströmming come out.”

Apparently the sophistication of the tradition ensures some dignity of eating a strong smelling fish in the age of refrigeration and food preservation.

But why are these events associated with September?

The surströmming season runs from late August through to the end of September. It is now that the fermentation process is complete and the herring is ripe to eat. This is the time that these die-hard traditionalists unlock the bulging conserved tin of the fermented herring.

The eating of “sour herring” began centuries ago when salt was a hard-to-come-by commodity and the people ate what they could get. The preservation process uses salt sparingly to slow down the decaying process in a delicately timed dance which relies on the fermentation process to take over in conservation.

But back to the gobbling of suspicious smelling herring. Keep in mind that no herring, fermented or fresh, should ever be served in Sweden without the accompaniment of copious amounts of beer and chilled spiced aquavit.

Helan Går!

Elizabeth Dacey-Fondelius, The Local.

Huge success as Ikea brings art to the masses in Sweden.

Swedish furniture giant Ikea’s decision to sell paintings by well-known artists was a wise move, with the warehouse’s entire stock running out in just 12 minutes.

Some 6,000 paintings will be sold, 1,560 of those were bought this morning in the store’s warehouse at Kungens Kurva.

“Three of them were sold out at the same time,” said Tina Björeman, Ikea spokesman, according to Dina Pengar.

“It was Ernst Billgren, Denise Gråstein and Jan Håfström which went in five and a half minutes.

The paintings were being sold at all Ikea warehouses in the country and long lines were reported in Malmö and at Barkarby near Stockholm. Some waited all night at Kungens Kurva to buy a painting.

“One person was here already at 10:30 p.m. and has waited all night,” said Björeman.”

The paintings are being sold for 1,695 kronor each (Approximately £120). Shoppers have to mount the paintings themselves.

Image by Toshikiro Oimatsu, Flickr

Northern Finnish Lapland gets its first snow.

As we are basking in our Indian summer it is hard to believe that this week has seen the arrival of snow in the north of Finnish Lapland. At the moment Finland is definitely a divided country when it comes to weather. While Helsinki basks in day time temperatures of +20, in the far north evenings are already a chilly -3.

With the leaves still on the trees the region had not even seen the end of Autumn or as it is called locally ruska before this light snow shower earlier in the week. The covering will probably last just a few days before melting or being washed away in the rain. It may be several more weeks before the snow arrives in earnest, but it is a gentle reminder that winter is on its way.

For Finnish weather information click here.

To visit Finnish Lapland click here

Swedish research shows that Oily fish prevents kidney cancer.

People who eat oily fish at least once per week have increased protection against kidney cancer, according to a Swedish study presented on Wednesday.

Between 1987 and 2004, the eating habits and sicknesses of some 60,000 Swedish women were followed by researchers. The participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire regarding their food habits and given a mammography during the late 80s. The same routine was done in 1997.
The institute for environmental medicine at Karolinska Institute analysed the results and has now concluded that the regular consumption of fatty fish at least once per week reduced the risk for renal cell cancer, the most common form of kidney cancer.

“This is the first study of its kind,” said Alicja Wolk, a professor working on the subject, to Svenska Dagbladet.

“Earlier investigations have not differentiated between oily and lean fish.”

The big difference between oily fish and other fish is the amount of the omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D. Fatty fish have 20 to 30 times more omega-3 fatty acid and three to five times as much vitamin D.

“We think it is a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and D vitamin that works against cancer,” said Susanna Larsson, a doctor with the Karolinska Institute.

“We already knew that fatty fish helps prevent heart disease, and that vitamin D reduced the risk for other cancers.”

The study was published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A Judge bans snowmobiles to protect caribou.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A judge has declared nearly 470 square miles of national forest land in northern Idaho off-limits to snowmobiles in an effort to save the last mountain caribou herd in the contiguous 48 states.

In a 31-page ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Robert H. Whaley banned snowmobiles throughout a caribou recovery zone in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests until the U.S. Forest Service develops a winter recreation strategy taking into account the impact of the loud, exhaust-spewing devices on the herd.

Estimates of the herd in the Selkirk Mountains, which extend into southeast British Columbia from around Priest Lake, Idaho, northeast of Spokane, run to about three dozen animals, a "precarious finger-hold" on survival, Whaley wrote.
Citing aerial photographs that show snowmobile tracks crisscrossing caribou routes to vital feeding areas, the judge added, "The court chooses to be overprotective rather than under-protective."
The ban does not apply to hundreds of miles of state-owned land east of Priest Lake and offers a slim chance that limited snowmobiling might still be allowed in part of the recovery zone. Whaley gave environmental groups and the forest service a week to develop a proposal for a more trail-specific approach.

Many experts believe that not all snowmobile trails within the 300,000-acre recovery area cross key caribou habitat, especially at lower elevations.
The ruling was the second in less than a year by Whaley against snowmobilers who have provided a vital wintertime economic boost in an area many have viewed as a powder paradise.
In December he banned snowmobile trail grooming, and few were willing to endure the bumpy trails although snowmobiling was still allowed.

Owners of businesses on the west side of Priest Lake said the grooming ban put a severe damper on winter tourism, and the new snowmobile prohibition "will probably be pretty devastating," said Mike Sudnikovich, a lifelong area resident and member of the Priest Lake Trails and Snowmobile Association.
Citing evidence that snowmobiles scare caribou from feeding and calving grounds, environmentalists have sought to ban the machines to protect the endangered animals, which once roamed vast reaches of the forests east of the Cascade Range.

"We're down to the last few animals. We need to do everything we can to protect them," said Mark Sprengel, director of the Selkirk Conservation Alliance in Priest River.
Other plaintiffs in the legal battle include The Lands Council, the Idaho Conservation League, Conservation Northwest, Defenders of Wildlife and the Center for Biological Diversity.

With lighter, more powerful designs, snowmobiles have increasingly been able to roar through remote areas that once provided refuge for the caribou, which can weigh 400 pounds but are able to walk on deep snow with their dinner plate-sized hooves, grazing on lichen that hangs from the branches of subalpine trees.
Lichen provides little nutrition, but deep snow provides safety from predators - except when, according to experts cited by the environmental groups, the predators area able to take advantage of compacted snowmobile trails and tracks.

Snowmobile interests have countered that the herd has shrunk over the decades mostly because of past logging, backcountry skiing and global warming, adding that as few as two or three caribou from the herd have been seen south of the border in recent years.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

It is the ideal way to experience Finnish Lapland.

While there is a mad exodus come winter by Brits to the Alps, Rockies and just about anywhere else that allows them to throw themselves down black runs or show off their skills on a Super Pipe, but mention cross country skiing to them and they look at you as if you have gone mad!

As Lapland is usually the first place to see snow in Europe there is an influx of international Cross country Ski teams from all over the world desperate to get in some pre-season training. A first flurry of snow last October saw the arrival of 6 international teams to the resort of Saariselka in the far north of Finnish Lapland. Each team arrived with hundreds of pairs of skis, a huge support team and operated in great secrecy. They have experts to wax their skis, a chef to prepare their food, this is serious stuff. 
Having to gain access to one of the conference rooms a team was using to prepare and store their skis, the hotel manager rang the team manager on our behalf to ask permission. The team manager adamantly denied the request due to secrecy until he realised we were British, when between chuckles he changed his response implying that we were no threat as Brits know nothing about cross-country skiing! Hurtful but on the whole true.
As the days warmed once again the snow quickly began to disappear leaving the teams competing for an ever shrinking short distance of track! We had the last laugh the following day when we passed all six teams out jogging along tarmac roads in glorious sunshine!

I have to admit that in the past the mere mention of cross country skiing would be met by a rolling of eyes and yawns but after many years visiting Finnish Lapland during its long beautiful winters I have  slowly been won over. Not by the Finns, I think they quite like our indifference as it means all the more never ending trails for them, but by nature. Come spring, not your British spring of daffodils and gambling lambs but the Lappish variety, metres of snow, crystal clear blue skies and long sunny days, there is nothing more amazing than setting out on a trail through the silent forests for a days trek.  

I guess the equivalent in the UK is hiking or rambling. The Finns take their cross country skiing seriously, there isn’t a village in Lapland that can’t boast at least a 250km network of trails, all lovingly cared for and maintained. For those crazy people that wish to ski on the short winter days of November to January there are also illuminated tracks. Along the network of trails you find small Kotas (Lapp tepees) where you can rest, make a fire to prepare lunch, or in the middle of nowhere cabins where coffee, soup and cakes are on offer.

There are a small number of people in the UK that have discovered cross-country skiing. Put the skis on children and they are off, making it look so easy. For many people that hike it is not the process of walking that they love but the scenery along the way. Once they had mastered the basics of cross country skiing they would soon love exploring, Finnish style!

In Finnish Lapland you are spoilt for choice when it comes to cross-country skiing, to learn more about the villages and resorts click here.

Saunas play a major part in Finnish life.

If the entire population of Finland was told to immediately enter a sauna, they'd all be accomodated. With a population of around five million, there are more than 2.5 million saunas. That means almost every household has its own sauna.
And there are plenty of public saunas.

"Sauna is basically in the nature of everything here," says Jari Etelalahti, who runs local tour company Eat and Joy Helsinki.
"A lot of homes have them and Finnish people are crazy about summer cottages which all have sauna."

For Finns, going to a sauna is more than a passtime. It is part of their Nordic culture.
"In the old days, that was the only place that was really heated," said Etelalahti.
"It was hygienic also so you gave birth in a sauna ... you spent half of your day in the sauna.

As a tourist, there are many opportunities to experience the traditional Finnish sauna.
Public saunas are open daily and you may be lucky to be invited to enjoy some Finnish hospitality at a local's home.

Traditional sauna is a wooden building where the bathers sit on benches splashing water on the hot stones of the stove and gently beating themselves with leafy birch whisks.
More common in homes nowadays are electric saunas.
"The real sauna is the smoke sauna which is heated for like six hours before the whole event and it stays like that."
"Saunas can be electrical ... many of these flats nowadays have electrical saunas.
"But for me the wooden heated saunas are the best."

Temperatures can range from 70 degrees celcius to 180 degrees celcius for the more hardcore sauna lovers.
"It can get up to 150 or 180 degrees and the guys sit there happily sweating."
There are even competitions where people attempt to stay in the sauna for a lengthy time at a high temperature. Etelalahti said men were particularly competitive.
"Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature," he said.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want. Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature. "Guys are always competitive and many have fainted in the heat of the battle.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want."

Certain rules generally apply to saunas. "Sauna is not supposed to be a connection to business so the rules are: no politics, no religion, no business and hardly no sex talk at all," says Etelalahti. "It is just about pure and natural things. It is nice to just talk about everyday subjects like the weather or food."

A trip to the sauna usually takes a couple of hours and involves a whole process of activities.
One must first get naked and shower before entering.
Sauna is usually done nude - it is more hygienic that way - and in public places, male and females are normally separate.
At home, saunas are usually mixed. "Every time you go naked because it is more hygenic not to go with the swimsuit," says Etelalahti.

The term sauna refers to the whole bathing process and includes several repeated periods of perspiring in the heat and the steam, known as "loyly", produced by the water thrown on the stones.
Loyly is described as the spirit of the sauna. It is a Finno-Ugric word going back 7,000 years.
Between bouts in the sauna room, people often bathe in cold water.

In winter, people cut holes in the ice in the Baltic sea or any lake and jump in for a short time.
If there is no water nearby, people will often roll around naked in the snow.
"If you have water next to you, of course you want to jump into it," says Etelalahti.
"If you don't have the ocean or a lake near you, you always go outside and chill out in the cold for a while."
"It is addictive, both sauna and going into the icy water."

Jonathon Moran, Sydney Morning Herald. September 12, 2006
Image provided by the Finnish Tourist Board.

To visit finland and sauna among the experts click here.

Saunas play a major part in Finnish life.

If the entire population of Finland was told to immediately enter a sauna, they'd all be accomodated. With a population of around five million, there are more than 2.5 million saunas. That means almost every household has its own sauna.
And there are plenty of public saunas.

"Sauna is basically in the nature of everything here," says Jari Etelalahti, who runs local tour company Eat and Joy Helsinki.
"A lot of homes have them and Finnish people are crazy about summer cottages which all have sauna."

For Finns, going to a sauna is more than a passtime. It is part of their Nordic culture.
"In the old days, that was the only place that was really heated," said Etelalahti.
"It was hygienic also so you gave birth in a sauna ... you spent half of your day in the sauna.

As a tourist, there are many opportunities to experience the traditional Finnish sauna.
Public saunas are open daily and you may be lucky to be invited to enjoy some Finnish hospitality at a local's home.

Traditional sauna is a wooden building where the bathers sit on benches splashing water on the hot stones of the stove and gently beating themselves with leafy birch whisks.
More common in homes nowadays are electric saunas.
"The real sauna is the smoke sauna which is heated for like six hours before the whole event and it stays like that."
"Saunas can be electrical ... many of these flats nowadays have electrical saunas.
"But for me the wooden heated saunas are the best."

Temperatures can range from 70 degrees celcius to 180 degrees celcius for the more hardcore sauna lovers.
"It can get up to 150 or 180 degrees and the guys sit there happily sweating."
There are even competitions where people attempt to stay in the sauna for a lengthy time at a high temperature. Etelalahti said men were particularly competitive.
"Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature," he said.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want. Of course when guys have a sauna, they want to be competitive and there is also a world championship for people to see who can stay in the sauna the longest at some high temperature. "Guys are always competitive and many have fainted in the heat of the battle.
"But usually it is about being therapeutic so you can stay in the sauna as long or as little as you want."

Certain rules generally apply to saunas. "Sauna is not supposed to be a connection to business so the rules are: no politics, no religion, no business and hardly no sex talk at all," says Etelalahti. "It is just about pure and natural things. It is nice to just talk about everyday subjects like the weather or food."

A trip to the sauna usually takes a couple of hours and involves a whole process of activities.
One must first get naked and shower before entering.
Sauna is usually done nude - it is more hygienic that way - and in public places, male and females are normally separate.
At home, saunas are usually mixed. "Every time you go naked because it is more hygenic not to go with the swimsuit," says Etelalahti.

The term sauna refers to the whole bathing process and includes several repeated periods of perspiring in the heat and the steam, known as "loyly", produced by the water thrown on the stones.
Loyly is described as the spirit of the sauna. It is a Finno-Ugric word going back 7,000 years.
Between bouts in the sauna room, people often bathe in cold water.

In winter, people cut holes in the ice in the Baltic sea or any lake and jump in for a short time.
If there is no water nearby, people will often roll around naked in the snow.
"If you have water next to you, of course you want to jump into it," says Etelalahti.
"If you don't have the ocean or a lake near you, you always go outside and chill out in the cold for a while."
"It is addictive, both sauna and going into the icy water."

Jonathon Moran, Sydney Morning Herald. September 12, 2006
Image provided by the Finnish Tourist Board.

To visit finland and sauna among the experts click here.

Man trapped in Chimney in Johannesburg, South Africa

Joburg emergency personnel have battled for two hours to free a man trapped in a chimney.

The 21-year-old became stuck after allegedly trying to make his way into a Yeoville house through an L-shaped chimney on Sunday.

Emergency personnel first tried to pull him out through the top of the chimney. When that didn't work, they broke their way into the chimney from inside the house.

"He was hanging in there and we broke away some bricks to free him," said spokesperson Malcolm Midgley. The injured man was taken to hospital.

Homeowner Gavin Almazien thought it was a joke when a friend told him someone was in his chimney. He later found out it was a man who had lived with him in the house for about six years.
"I asked him to leave as I couldn't handle his behaviour anymore," Almazien said, adding: "He knew he could knock at my door at any time for help."

By Poloko Tau
This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on September 11, 2006

JAPAN WINS AIR GUITAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THE FIRST TIME

Air Guitar World Championships took place in Club Teatria, Oulu, for the 11th time. Japan's strong presence produced a world champion and this year Ochi "Dainoji" Yosuke gets a chance to spread the gospel of air guitars. Yosuke outplayed the other skillful contestants with his simplistic but extremely classy air guitarring.

The five finalists who had made their way from the Qualifying Round on Thursday were challenged with Michael "The Destroyer" Heffels, the reigning champion, and the winners from national competitions. There were people from Australia, Austria, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, the United States, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, and the Great Britain. After a round of optional songs, the ten best players performed a song chosen by the organisers, "Who's Your Daddy", the latest single release by Lordi, the winner of this year's Eurovision Song Contest.

In addition to fame and prestige, Yosuke received a custom made Finnish guitar called Flying Finn and a special donation from the Queen guitarist Brian May, a VOX BM Special amplifier, designed by the man himself.

The results of the Air Guitar World Championships are:
1. Ochi "Dainoji" Yosuke (Japan) 35.4
2. Clay "Bangers" Connolly (Australia) 34.8
3. Christian "Heart Buckboard" Sweep (Germany) 34.6
4. Gabriele "The Hoxton Creeper" Matzeu (United Kingdom) 33.9
5. Takeshi "Takeshi the SAMURI Kongochi" Kongochi (Japan) 33.8
6. Craig "Hot Lixx Hulahan" Billmeier (United States) 33.7
6. Rainer "Le Freak" Fussgänger (Austria) 33.7
8. Romain "Sideburn" Lesaffre (France) 33.4
9. Christian "Der Prettauer" Steinhauer (Italy) 33.1
10. Benjamin "Helmutt" Greaney (New Zealand) 32.7
11. Karita "Rässi Rinsessa" Kivioja (Finland) 16.7
11. Michael "The Destroyer" Heffels (The Netherlands) 16.7
11. Igmar "Iggy Stardust" De Haan (The Netherlands) 16.7
11. Eero "Oulun oma poika" Ojala (Finland) 16.7
15. Max "Max" Heller (Austria) 16.4
16. Kanagawa "Super IQ" IQ (Japan) 16.2
17. Terje "Doc" Stephansen (Norway) 15.7

The chair of the prestigious jury was, for the 11th time now, Juha Torvinen, a legendary Finnish guitarist himself. In addition to Torvinen, the jury included Sami Lopakka, an ex-guitarist from Sentenced; Marzi Nyman, a real guitar virtuoso; Milton Mermikides, a guitar professor of Royal Academy of Music London; and Philipp Brammer, the organiser of the Austrian competition.

As usual, the contestants welcomed everyone to join in as they played their guitars along with the song Rocking in the Free World. Air guitarists believe that all the bad things disappear from the world when everyone plays the air guitar, you know.

The first ever CIRKO Festival: 18th-29th October 2006

The CIRKO Helsinki Contemporary Circus Festival 2006 is an event for all interested in modern circus and the performing arts. During the week and a half there will performances by 13 acts from France and Finland at various venues throughout Helsinki.

The festival, being organised or the first time, is enabled by the tight cooperation between Cirko –Centre of New Circus and Centre Culturel Français, the City of Helsinki, The Cultural Office of the City of Helsinki and 5-3-1 the Festival of New Juggling.

Cirko - Centre for New Circus was established in Finland in the autumn of 2002 for the purpose of gathering together the resources of new circus groups and artists and to promote new circus. In the spring of 2004 the Finnish Cultural Foundation granted Cirko significant three-year funding for a development project, giving Cirko the decisive impetus for starting its activities. Cirko was established as a response to the development of new circus in Finland in the mid-1990s.

A few of the performances include:
From France: Compagnie Pré-O-C-Coupé´s LES KUNZ fascinates, COUNTREPOINT by Les Objets Volants, Compagnie XY
From Finland: Ville Walo and Kalle Hakkarainen´s DISCUSSIONS, Tatu Tyni introduces his production MULTIMAGIGA

For further details of the festival click here.

To visit Helsinki click here.

The only ferry route between Britain and Sweden to be discontinued from the end of October.

Danish shipping company DFDS Seaways is to scrap the only passenger ferry route between Sweden and Britain, with the axing of the Gothenburg-Newcastle route at the end of October.

The company said that "a number of factors" were behind the decision, including rising fuel costs and falling passenger numbers.

DFDS has been running ships between Gothenburg and England for decades, with the Newcastle route the last to close. The company had previously also served ports including Harwich and Immingham.

The company said it would still continue to operate routes to England from Norway and Denmark. The company said it was in the process of purchasing the M/S Fjord Norway from rival ferry company Fjord Line, and would run the ship on a Norway-Newcastle route.

DFDS has faced competition from airlines in recent years on its routes between the UK and Sweden's second city. Ryanair has invested in new lines from Gothenburg, and FlyMe has recently introduced new flights to London.

DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, will continue to run shceduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, although these have limited capacity for passengers.

Published: 6th September 2006 15:11 CET
The Local by James Savage

Image by Kjell Holmner, Goteborg & Co.

The 11th Anniversary taking place in Oulu, Finland.

Tomorrow sees the start of the Air Guitar World Championships in Oulu, Finland. Finalists from 11 countries will be competing for the world title.  The event runs along side the Oulu Music Video Festival.

Following qualifying rounds on Thursday 7 September, The Grand Final will take place on Friday 8 September 2006 at Finland’s biggest rock club, Club Teatria.

During competition intervals there will be performances from the Finnish rock bands The Sweatmaster and The Crash!

Besides fame and glory the winner of the Air Guitar World Championships will be awarded a hand-made Flying Finn electric guitar and the Queen guitarist Brian May's donation, a Signature Vox amp.

The evening will be rounded off with the finalists and their fans gathering to play air guitar together for world peace!

For further information visit the Air Guitar World Championships Site, click here.

Image provided with thanks by wgarcia / Wilfrido García Espinosa , Flickr

Televised debate to be in their second language as it is felt they will be less evasive and will keep it simple.

There can’t be many countries where you could persuade four high-level politicians to turn up for a televised election debate in their second language.

But this is Sweden, and Swedish politicians are as keen as the rest of their fellow countrymen to show-off their English skills – as well as to give people who understand English better than Swedish the chance to hear the issues debated.
That’s why on Wednesday evening SVT will be showing Election 2006, a one-hour debate between representatives of the two blocs competing to form Sweden’s next government.

Presenter Keith Foster says that the main aim of the debate is to give immigrants a better understanding of the election, with four leading politicians discussing issues including unemployment and immigrants’ integration in Sweden.

But the programme should be interesting even for people with a grasp of Swedish and for Swedes themselves.

Doing a debate in English makes it harder for politicians to be evasive, Foster says:

“When politicians are asked questions in a foreign language, it’s harder for them to avoid answering.”

"It also keeps the debate at a basic level - you don't have to have a knowledge of Swedish political history to be able to grasp it," he says.

The debate, pre-recorded last week, will also be unusual for only featuring women: the Social Democrats are represented by sustainable development minister Mona Sahlin and foreign aid minister Carin Jämtin, while the Alliance is represented by Centre Party leader Maud Olofsson and the Moderates’ Ewa Björling.

The debate takes place on Wednesday, 6th September, at 9:30 pm on SVT1.

The Local: James Savage

Image by: R Ryan. Stockholm Visitors Board

Finland continues to make preparations for next years Eurovision contest.

Next years Eurovision contest is to be held in Helsinki following the win by the Finnish band Lordi in Athens earlier this year.

The 2007 Eurovision Song Contest is to take place on 10th May (semi-final) and 12th May (final).

Although there was intense competition from various venues throughout Finland, YLE, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, have chosen the Helsinki Arena (Hartwell) as the location for the event due to ease of access and capacity.  Additional facilities will still have to be built at the Arena to accommodate both the contestants and the media.

It is estimated the event will cost 13 million Euros to stage, a cost that will be met by YLE, Finnish government, City of Helsinki and ticket sales. The City of Helsinki has plans to arrange events throughout the city in the week leading up to Eurovision final to help in creating a festival atmosphere.

A definite date for tickets to go on sale has not yet been set but it will probably be during the autumn.

Within Finland there is a great deal of interest as to who will host the event on the night with many TV personalities, actors and pop stars being mentioned. The name of the hosts will be announced in January. You just know that whoever they choose will delight Mr Wogan!