Congratulatons Sanna Marin & Co!

We had a short government crisis. Prime minister Antti Rinne / Social Democratic Party 

had to resign. The new prime minister of the new government is Sanna Marin, 34 

- the youngest ever prime minister in Finland and third female prime minister in our history.

International press is talking about her allover. 

Links: The Guardian, BBC, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Le Figaro,  SVT / Sweden.

FIVE parties build the Finnish Government at the moment. The four other female party leaders in the coalition are 

• Li Anderson, 32 / the Left Alliance
• Maria Ohisalo, 34 / the Green League
• Katri Kulmuni, 32 / the Centre Party 
• Anna-Maja Henriksson, 55 / the Swedish People’s Party

Congratulations to all these wise ladies in politics!
This is really a historical moment.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#all seasons   #der natur donnerstag   #digitalart dienstag   #fokus auf schwarz/weiss 
#foto-tunes   #gartenglück    #image-in-ing   #makrotex   #mosaic monday   #my corner of the world   

#saturday’s critters   # t in die neue woche   #the weekend roundup   #tuesday’s treasures
#uudet värikollaasit   #wandering camera   #willy-nilly   #watw 

Blog Anniversary & About Foreign Languages

My blog friend Jesh asked about my language skills, and she thought that Russian is widely spoken in Finland. That is not the case! Therefore I thought to write a bit about the language dispute Finnish vs Swedish and the foreign languages spoken here.

Finland is a bilingual country, official languages being Finnish, Swedish and Sami. The most common foreign language spoken is English, not Russian! Every child knows English and in international companies it is the corporate’s language. In mid 1800s la crème de la crème of our society were all Swedish speaking. Finnish speakers have felt always a bit underdogs with them and there is a long history of language disputes. As a mother tongue Swedish is spoken mostly on coastal areas and archipelagos. To understand this dispute you have to know a bit of our history. Wikipedia helps:

The Language Strife was a major conflict in mid-19th century Finland. Finland had once been under Swedish rule and Swedish (with some Latin) was the language of administration and education. Finnish was considered by the upper classes to be a "language of peasants”. As a result of the Finnish War, Sweden ceded Finland to Russia in 1809 and Finland became the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. Under Russian rule Swedish continued to be the only official language. The dispute was considered to have officially ended when Finnish gained official language status in 1923 and became equal to the Swedish language. 

But the strife continues! Both languages are mandatory at school but many Finnish speakers are against this. We have a lot immigrants from Russia and Estonia, but Finns don’t speak Russian. I found a statistic where you can see the situation. Englanti = English, Ruotsi = Swedish, Saksa = German, Ranska = French, Venäjä = Russian, Espanja = Spanish.

At school I  have studied English, Swedish, French and German, later on Spanish. I have forgotten all my French, German is a bit better. I read fluently German, but speaking and writing are more difficult. I have put shame aside and write in English and even in German, though I make many mistakes. But the most important thing is to get understood and communicate. I find it great that while blogging I can practise languages - and the brain! I started blogging four years ago, in the autumn of 2015 and slowly changed my blog’s official language into English, because most of my blog friends come from abroad. Thank you for your interesting posts and your friendship ❤︎

  No more Swedish flag colors, but blue & white :)

We celebrate our 102nd Independence Day on December the 6th. A blue-white post later.

Own language is so important to every nation. In the years of wild dispute 

Adolf Ivar Arwidsson (1791-1858) said:

We are no longer Swedes, we do not want to become Russians, 

so let us be Finns!



We have stunning Finnish writers whose works are being translated into other languages, too.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#all seasons   #der natur donnerstag   #digitalart dienstag   #foto-tunes   #gartenglück    

#image-in-ing   #makrotex   #mosaic monday   #my corner of the world   

#saturday’s critters   # t in die neue woche   #the weekend roundup   #uudet värikollaasit   #wandering camera   #willy-nilly   #watw 

Postcards from Finland

Maggie from the blog Normandy Life inspired me to send a postcard from Finland, 

as did Nick V from Australia.

And it would not be me if the idea didn’t go a bit further.

So I’ll send you two BIG postcards with some facts about my northern home country.

This is not a history lesson, only to give you some fun info.

We have only 5.5 million people speaking two official languages: 

Finnish (87.9%) and Swedish (5.2%). Sámi is the mother tongue of about 1,900 people. 

70.9 % are Lutherans and about 1.1% Orthodox by religion.

The Finnish language is one of the most challenging languages in the world. 

It’s no wonder, when a noun can have over 200 forms or when one of the longest words is epäjärjestelmällistyttämättömyydellänsäkään!

Google translator went dumb but this means something like this:

She is a person who has a habit of using disorder and chaos, 
but not even that was of help!

Finland is a long country. From the southern Hanko to Utsjoki Lapland

the distance is more than 1300 km.

We have clearly four seasons, pure nature and clean air.

And Santa Claus is really Finnish and lives in Lapland, Korvatunturi.

The whooper swan / Cygnus cygnus is our national bird,

national flower is Convallaria majalis and national animal is the brown bear / Ursus arctos.

The Finnish Design and architecture are world famous.

Maybe you know Alvar Aalto, Tove Jansson & her Moomins, Marimekko,

and Oiva Toikka just to name a few.

Finland’s Rovio Entertainment is the creator of the phone app Angry Birds. 

Finland has been a member of the European Union since 1995.

Finland is The Land of a Thousand Lakes, but in fact there are whopping 

187,888 lakes and a total of 179,888 islands.

Finland is THE place to see the Northern Lights. Each year, the Aurora Borealis
appear more than 200 times in the skies above the Finnish Lapland.

The Saimaa ringed seal / Saimaannorppa is a subspecies of ringed seal Pusa hispida. 

They are among the most endangered seals in the world, having a total population 

of only about 380 individuals.

We love our Formula drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Walter Bottas.
Here I must tell you that the brand new biography of the silent Räikkönen
sold 100 000 copies in a few weeks - and that is a lot in our small market!
Icehockey is our hottest team sport - not football.

Finland has the most heavy metal bands per capita: Children of Bodom, Nightwish
and Eurovision Song Contest winners Lordi.

About Finnish classical music I could mention Jean Sibelius, Kaija Saariaho,

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Jukka-Pekka Saraste and Karita Mattila.

Far from Buenos Aires, yet we love tango!
Tangophiles travel from all the world to The Seinäjoki Tango Festival in July since 1985.

We have over 3 million saunas and over half a million summer cottages.

We are heavy drinkers, also of coffee: the average Finn consumes 12 kg of coffee a year.

Our long time president Urho Kekkonen was the man who  guided us through
the years of the cold war 1956-1982. The present president is Sauli Niinistö since 2012,

in the photo with his beautiful young wife Jenni Haukio.
They recently hosted the Trump-Putin summit in  Helsinki.

#MOSAIC MONDAY

A COUPLE OF LINKS:

21 Reasons to love Finland / VisitFinland

Finland / Wikipedia

This stamp was released in 1989 when the Finnish mark was still in use.

I wish you enjoyed my postcards from Finland.

- riitta

Photos: taken by me & my friend P & free from Wikipedia & the press
Facts: Wikipedia & VisitFinland

Celebrating Kalevala & Finnish Culture

About Kanteletar in German, English and Finnish

Heute feiern wir Kalevala und Finnische Kultur.

Die Kanteletar ist eine 1840 von Elias Lönnrot zusammengestellte Sammlung von finnischer Volksdichtung. Sie gilt als lyrisches 'Schwesterwerk' des finnischen Nationalepos Kalevala. Der Name bedeutet Kantele-Spielerin, und weist auf das traditionelle finnische Zupfinstrument hin, mit dem die Volkslieder begleitet wurden. Die Übersetzung dieser alten Gedichte ist mir zu schwierig, aber ich habe dieses Gedicht auf Deutsch und Finnisch gefunden:

Alle wundern sich im Dorfe,

sind erstaunt und schwatzen drüber,

dass ich armer Mensch noch singe,

am Gesang noch Freude finde,

dass ich spät und in der Frühe

singend durch den Weiler ziehe.

Doch ich singe meine Lieder,

summe halblaut die Gesänge

nicht im Kreise heitrer Zecher,

nicht zum Trunke, 
nicht beim Becher;

nein, ich sing' in schweren Sorgen

mit gekränktem, wundem Herzen,

lindre in betrübten Stunden

durch Gesang die bittern Schmerzen.

Lasst das Vöglein lustig zwitschern,

lasst die Trunknen fröhlich lärmen,

doch den Traurigen lasst singen,

Lieder werden Trost ihm bringen.
***

Kuuluvi kylä sanovan,

kyläkunta kuuntelevan

minun laihan laulavani,

minun hoikan huutavani,

laulavan iloista virttä

remullista riehkoavan.

En laula iloista virttä, 

remullista riehkaele 

enkä myös olven himossa 

enkä taarin tarpehessa. 

Laulan, hoikka, huolissani 

ikävissäni iloitsen, 

murajan murehissani, 

panen pakkopäivissäni.

Luotu on lintu lentämähän,

humalainen huutamahan,

viinainen viheltämähän,

huolellinen laulamahan.

***

Today we celebrate Kalevala and the Finnish Culture.

Kanteletar was published in 1840 under the name  Suomen Kansan Wanhoja Lauluja ja Wirsiä / Old Songs and Hymns of the Finnish People. Lönnrot got the foundation for the collection on his journeys in 1838 after he met rune singer Mateli Kuivalatar on the banks of the Koitere. It is very difficult to translate these old poems, so here for you a translation found online, both in English and in Finnish:

Should my treasure come

my darling step by

I’d know him by his coming

recognise him by his step

though he were still a mile away

or two miles behind.

As mist I’d go out

as smoke I would reach the yard

as sparks I woud speed

as flame I would fly;

I’d roll beside him

pout before his face.

I would touch his hand

though a snake were in his palm

I would kiss his mouth

though doom stared in the face

I’d climb on his neck

though death were on his neck bones

I’d stretch beside him 

though his side were all bloody.

***

Kun mun kultani tulisi

Kun mun kultani tulisi, 

armahani asteleisi,

tuntisin ma tuon tulosta,

arvoaisin astunnasta,

jos ois vielä virstan päässä

tahikka kahen takana.

Utuna ulos menisin,

savuna pihalle saisin,

kipunoina kiiättäisin,

liekkinä lehauttaisin;

vierren vierehen menisin,

supostellen suun etehen.

Tok' mie kättä käpseäisin,

vaikk' ois käärme kämmenellä;

tok' mie suuta suikkajaisin,

vaikk' ois surma suun eessä;

tok' mie kaulahan kapuisin,

vaikk' ois kalma kaulaluilla.

***

Tänään juhlitaan Kalevalan ja suomalaisen kulttuurin päivää. 

Minä luin pienen kirjasen Valikoima Kantelettaren runoja, painettu 1950. Kanteletar on Kalevalan sisarteos, ja sen ensimmäinen painos ilmestyi vuonna 1840 nimellä Suomen Kansan Wanhoja Lauluja ja Wirsiä. Varsin moni Kantelettaren laulurunoista kuvailee nuoren neidon miehenkaipuuta. Apeasta mielestä ja melankoliasta lauletaan myös.

Elinan surma on pitkän pitkä intohimodraama / by Juha Hurme

Koska runo on pitkä, julkaisen siitä vain viimeisen säkeistön Hurmeen analyysin jälkeen. Kirsti on muuten Klaus Kurjen mustasukkainen vaimo, Elina oli naineen miehen flamma, hurahdus. Tästä runosta Juha Hurme sanoo Finlandia-palkitussa Niemessä näin (s. 259):

"Elinan surma on täydellinen sekoitus seksiä ja väkivaltaa eli erinomainen draama. Ensimmäisessä näytöksessä julma miekkamies Klaus Kurki pölähtää joukkoineen pihalle ja kihlaa Elinan puoliväkisin. (...) Viides näytös leikkaa savuisella rauniolla itkevään Klaus Kurkeen ja katastrofipaikalle kerjäläisen hahmossa saapuvaan Jeesukseen. (...) Hieno kohtaus on myös itsemurha-avantoon halki kansallismaiseman (suo, järven jää, mäntykangas) rientävän Klaus Kurjen etääntyvä säkkipillisoolo. Ja 'Kirsti rakkina perässä' on kuolematon kolmen sanan tylytys."

Klaus tuo ajohon lähti,

pisti pillit säkkihinsä,

soitti suolla mennessänsä,

kajahutti kankahalla,

järähytti järven päässä;

ajoi päin sula'a merta,

alle aaltojen syvinten.

Se oli meno nuoren miehen,

kanssa nainehen urohon;

Kirsti rakkina perässä.

***

Ilpo Tiihosen ihastuttava runo

Kesäillan kevyt käsitteellisyys,

KLIK!

Hyvää Kalevalan ja suomalaisen kulttuurin päivää!

Wishing you a lovely last day of February!

Weekend in Black & White

The Church of Mietoinen from the 17th century

Photos in color here.

Weekend in Black & White

Mietoisten kirkko

Myös mieheni on evakkosukua. Evakkoja oli yli 400.000, noin 11 % koko väestöstä. Heidän asuttamisensa oli valtava projekti. Mieheni äidin suku ohjattiin sodan jälkeen Kuolemajärveltä Mietoisiin Turun lähelle. Siellä elää edelleen runsaslukuinen mieheni äidinpuoleisten sukulaisten joukko. Viime lauantaina kävimme Impin hautajaisissa. Hän eli pitkän elämän, 95-vuotiaaksi saakka. 

My husband belongs also to a Carelian family whose homes were left to Russia after the war. There were over 400.000 Carelians who had to leave their homes, approximately 11 % of the population. For all these people had to be found a new place to live, a huge project. My husband's mother's family moved from Kuolemajärvi to Mietoinen, near Turku. There still is a large number of my husband's maternal relatives. Last Saturday we attended to Impi's funeral. She lived a long life, up to 95 years of age.

Mietoisten kirkko on kaunis harmaakivikirkko 1600-luvulta. Sisustusta uudistettiin vuonna 1911 arkkitehti Ilmari Launiksen suunnitelmien mukaan. Sisustusta on tosin muutettu jälleen vuonna 1968 jolloin kirkon väritys tummeni: penkit, virsitaulut ja katto maalattiin tummiksi. Alttariseinä ja sen lasimaalaukset on säästetty Launiksen suunnittelemassa asussa.

The Church of Mietoinen is a beautiful gray-stone church from the 17th century. The current modernized jugend interior dates back to 1911 and is designed by architect Ilmari Launis. The interior was renovated again in 1968, when the church's coloring was darkened. The altar wall and its stained-glass windows have been saved in the design designed by Launis.

Mietoisten kirkon vanhinta esineistöä ovat keskiaikanen koivupuinen krusifiksi noin 1500-luvulta ja hiekkakivinen 1200-luvulta tehty kasteallas. Kirkon valkoinen, lahjoituksena saatu könninkello on 1800-luvun puolivälistä. 

The oldest artefacts of the church are a medieval wooden crucifix from around the 16th century and a sandstone baptistery basin from the 13th century. The church's white grandfather clock is from the middle of the 19th century. 

Karjalaan jääneiden muistomerkki. To the memory of those who were left to Carelia.

Mosaic Monday

Wednesday around the World

Kirkko ympäristöineen huokui ikiaikaista rauhaa. 

Toivottavasti se välittyi sinullekin kuvieni kautta.

The church and its surroundings were peaceful and beautiful. 

I hope my photos could transmit this peace to you too.