Nobel Peace Prize...

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)

Two weeks ago I was greeted by this gentleman as a long lost friend because he was reading this blog.

Arpad Hamos

I really enjoyed his company.

When I opened my email INBOX today morning, the first post I saw was with this


Nobel Peace Prize Certificate of Arpad Hamos

I am sure all of you will join me in sharing in the joy of our dear friend Ildikó, at this great honour bestowed on her father Arpad and his colleagues at the IAEA.

(Ildikó - Annikki and I hope that we do not have to wait 30 years till you get yours to keep that family tradition going!)

Yesterday afternoon Ilari, Antti, Ildikó and I went on a trip to Raahe, about 75 km from Oulu. Ilari and Antti are in the process of starting an Association of Finnish-Armenian interests. Antti had said that there was a great restaurant in Raahe which served Armenian food.

So off we went.


Ararat Restaurant in Raahe

When I saw this sign it revived memories of when Annikki and I were flying to India and suddenly both of us noticed the huge formation of an ark on top of a mountain, visble from a height of 10000 metres. That was the ark on top of Mount Ararat. It was an experience neither of us will ever forget, not from any Biblical sense, but the sheer enormity of the sight below us.

The Ararat Restaurant is owned by a delightful Armenian couple, Samvel and Gohar Zakarian.


Samvel and Gohar Zakrian

Ilari spoke a few magic words of the Armenian language that he knows. The floodgates of true friendship and hospitality opened from Gohar. We learnt the story of this family which runs this restaurant.


Gohar Zakrian

Samvel is a Highway Engineer but because of the wonderful work policies in Finland, he is now reduced to running this restaurant. His wife is a qualified nurse, but now she has to work as a waitress. Their eldest son, 22, is stuck in St. Petersburg as he cannot be reunited with his parents in Finland because of the stupid EU and Finnish rules on family reunification! A person above the age of 18 obviously does not need to be reunited with his family!

The saddness in the heart of this mother was so evident, even through her smiling face.

Their second son, aged 14, was with them in Raahe and was in school. I wondered what tremendous upheavals in his life he was facing in this hostile Finnish environment.

But despite all this saddness, they have truly worked hard to set up this small and beautiful business. Antti and Ildikó ordered the Armenian Shaslik which was based on the filet of chicken. Ilari ordered the Lula Kebab with fried potatoes, while I ordered a version of the Pitakebab which is called Shaverma based on grilled chicken with salad and the special pita bread.

The food was excellent. The service was great and anyone visiting this small town should make it a point to drop in and eat at this resataurant and share a few special moments with this special couple from Armenia. A joy worth keeping in one's memory bank.

Tomorrow...

(Cross-posted in Jacob's Blog.)

Annikki and I were invited to attend a seminar organised by EFA (Expatriate Family Adjustment). It was called "Dialogue Today, Action Tomorrow - Visions on internationalisation".

Annikki was unable to attend. But I did, primarily to cover this for my blogs.

Having been actively involved with work related to foreigners in Finland from 1984, having served as the elected representative of the English Speaking Community on the Ethnic Minorities Advisory Board (ETNO) from 1999 to 2003, having organised the ETHICS (Effective Tools for Harmonious Integration using Cultural and Sporting Activities) Conference, having been the representative of the Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Northern Finland) Region in the Finnish Sports Federation special action group on Tolerance (chaired by Finnish Olympian Gold medallist Tapio Korjus) from 1999 to 2003, having been an Advisor to the National Equal Opportunities Organisation from 1996 to 2003, having been the Vice Chairman of the Oulu Section of the Same Law For All from 1998 to 2002, and having with Annikki been vocally and physically active in fighting Finnish Bureaucracy and its racist and anti foreigner stand from 1984, I still do have some interest in this subject.

However, I am sceptical of any initiatives as they are really superficial and exist only on paper to promote the "image" of a tolerant Finnish Society. As Annikki and I have repeatedly said - Finland is like a polished apple - all shiny outside, but rotten to the core inside.

Deputy Mayor of Oulu addresses the audience

The Deputy Mayor of Oulu Päivi Laajala said all the nice things that have to be said in her presentation "New Challenges for a fast growing city". That is the official stand that Oulu intends to be an International and Culal City and it is working to a plan. But it was purely superficial!


The organiser, Ata Bos, from The Netherlands,
with a Oulu City Official. Sandra Grotsch from Germany, who acts
as a part time journalist for a web newspaper,
65degrees North, started by Ata Bos,
is on the far right

Ata Bos, who has been running this EFA project gave a well thought out presentation of what she has achieved during the two years she has been running this project. She did not address the very fundamental issue that her contract was for 2 years as she is a foreigner and the City of Oulu cannot employ a foreigner for more than a period of 2 years unless.....


Strategy Manager of the Oulu City, Juha Ojala

There was a presentation by a consultant,, Juha Ojala, Corporate Strategy Manager of the City of Oulu, on the subject of Oulu's Strategy 2015 - a lot of waffle and above all skirting the main issue - Oulu City employs 10,000 people and less than 20 (0.2%) are from the migrant communities. The "migrant community forms more than 2.5% of the local population. If the City cannot set an example in its employment policy, I wondered who is preaching to whom?


Lena Viskari, one of the entertaining and outspoken
panel memberS from Poland


Two more of the panel members,
a Researcher at Oulu University from Italy and
an Engineer working in a Finnish company, The Netherlands

There was a panel composed of a persons from Italy, Estonia, US, Poland and The Netherlands - and they did express some of the problems faced by them during their stays in Finland lasting from 9 years down.

I had been intending to sit quietly through the proceedings but certain matters in the Deputy Mayor's speech and the Strategy Manager's presentation really riled me.

I asked the audience to look at the Panel and the Panel to look at the audience and asked them whether they thought it in any way odd. No-one could see anything strange.

I pointed out that over 70% of the unemployed minorities in Oulu are from the African countries and there was not a single person present to share their views on this subject. Other than an Indian whom I met the day before at an Amnesty International meeting and whom I had dragged to this meeting, there was hardly anyone from Asia (India and China) and there apppeared to be no one from the Russian Community, the largest single group of migrants to Finland.

I then threw my second punch - I pointed to the title of the conference and then drew attention to another well known English idiom, "Tomorrow never comes". I said I had been waiting for 22 years for that "Tomorrow"!

I think I shattered the slight "feel good" factor by throwing in the Racism card into the proceedings.

The discussions after this were lively and many importnat questions were raised from the floor mainly related to the incomprehensible employment norms being followed by almost all Finnish employers.

I was permitted the final comment. I drew attention to subject of lack freedom of speech in Finland but above all the lack of any participation by the media in this event. Ata pointed out she had sent out 20 invitations to the media - and not one had responded!

Well at least, I did!


The guest speaker, Ruth von Renken, with Anne Rännäli of the Oulu City

The highlight of the afternoon was a presentation by the author of "Third Culture Kids" Ruth von Reken. As all my children are third and fourth culture kids, I found the presentation most interesting and bought her book, co-authored by David Pollack, for Annikki, as she has a special interest in this subject being a Montessori advocate. Ruth has a fascinating background having been brought up in Nigeria during the first 12 years of her life. Her roots have many branches and that was made her talk so interesting.

Ruth, being a little younger than me, was pointing the next generation in the audience as the ones who would shape the future for the Third Culture Kids. After the conference, I did go to her and point out the Maria Montessori philosophy that "the child is the father of man" would mean even the generation who she was pointing to did not have the wherewithal to solve the problems. I do hope Ruth will follow that idea further.

I have asked Annikki to give me a comment on Ruth's book, so I hope in a few weeks to have something on it on the blog.

This conference was a genuine attempt by Ata to focus on serious issue. It is a good starting place. Unfortunatesly, as Annikki and I see it, we have been on these starting blocks for the last 22 years and we hope that at least they get to put the bolts down in the coming 10 years so that we may get the race to commence sometime!

Meeting today: Amnesty International in Oulu

As informed earlier, the Oulu Group of Amnesty International which works in the English Language will have its inaugural Public Meeting TODAY.

Hello everyone!

You are invited to the first meeting of the Amnesty Oulu English Language Group on May the 10th, at 6 pm. We are meeting at the Café of the International Activity Centre Toppelius, Torikatu 16. If you have any questions, feel free to mail or call me!

Topic:

- What is Amnesty International and what does the Amnesty Oulu Group do?
- Questions and answers

On the Agenda:

- Event: 'Market of Possibilities' on Saturday May 20, 2006 at NUKU
- Other summer time events we could take part in
- The meetings to come
- A.O.B.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Yours sincerely,

Niina Kuokkanen

See you there.

Chaff thanks Pailin

Several Chaff members got together and decided to give our Chaff Meeting hostess, Pailin, a birthday gift. Kannan (from Rauma) and Annikki also contributed towards the present.



We were able to buy this nice (Best Buy) Canon Camera for her so that she can rest her antique one with which she has been recording our meetings.We also got her a 128K Memory card to go in the cameras as the camera only had a 16K memory card. The languages in the camera also include the Thai language!

When I gave it to her this morning she was so overwhelmed and broke down and cried with joy.



I told her that while all of us our having fun at the meeting we always are grateful how she and Unnop are toiling away making everything just right for us. This was one way to show our gratitude for all that she has done for us.

No doubt we will see lots of results from that camera in the years ahead as it records the progress not only of their lives but also of CHAFF.

Happy Birthday Pailin from all CHAFF patrticipants, far and near.

Pentti Paakki has suggested that we have a Chaff meeting at his home in Haukipudas. That is a very kind gesture. We will decide a date with pentti and also we will organise the transport, possibly on a saturday evening, for this event. That way it will be possible for Pentti's wonderful better half to also take part in one of our meetings.

Son, Jukka, of Sisko & Pentti Paakki

Pentti's youngest son, Jukka, is travelling around Ausralia with a friend. He is recording the progress of his travels on a website and you can keep tuned (in Finnish) with his progress.

In the meantime, next week's meetinng will be as usual at the Pailin Restaurant, Kenttatie 9, Kasarmin Area at 13:00 hours.

I travel to Seinäjoki

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)

Yesterday was a beautiful day. The sun shone right from 5 am and it was sweltering hot. And we are over a month and half before midsummer's day (21st June). Annikki decidd it was just right to put the goldfish back into the fish pomd. She put them a plastic bag and floated that in the main pond so that the water temeratures could equalise.

Goldfish ready to be let free in the fish pond


Goldfish swim freely in their pond

We had this week's Chaff meeting outdoors. Kannan, our Chaff visitor from Rauma, hosted the group.


Pentti with the CHAFF Host of the Week: Kannan Balaram

Kaija Valimaa brought a visitor from France, Vincent, the person who was the French mentor of our popular Chaff participant Anais.


Pailin, Kaija and Vincent

The Thai buffet was simply excellent as our Pailin hosts outshone themselves themselves.

As it is Pailin's birthday today, we all sang Happy Birthday for her. She produced a couple of cakes for us to celebrate her birthday. She truly is a wonderful person with so much love in her heart for all of our Chaff members.

Truly a great Chaff meeting.

But we had to call the meeting to a close rather early as Kannan had to get back to Rauma (555 km from Oulu). He was driving his new acquisition, the SAAB, there.

I agreed to drive with him till Seinäjoki, about 340 km from Oulu. From there he had only to drive a little less than 300 km, while I could take the train back to Oulu.

We took food for Annikki and Mika from Pailin, took Thai Sweet Chili Wrap for me and Kannan. As Ilari was on his way back from Helsinki by train, he and I agreed to meet on the Seinäjoki train. So we took a wrap for him. I loaded the car wih my usual drive boosters, some fizzy energy drink, lots of packets of crisps, some chocolates, some biscuts, some nuts and some bananas.

I drove up to Raahe (80 km from Oulu) to ensure we were ahead of the clock in case Kannan's driving was slower than expected. I handed him the wheel just after Raahe. After 15 minutes I was wondering why I had come as he handled his car superbly. He was pushing the limit as he drove the car at over 130 km per hour. But he was being careful, making sure that he was coming back down to the speed limit whenever he saw a speed checker, the video camera. Video cameras are liberally sprinkled all over Finland, but the law dictates that there must be a warning for drivers stating that a particular zone has been fitted with these devices.

Ilari sent me a text message saying that there was no water on the train and would I pick up some bottled water for him.

We reached Seinäjoki with more than an hour to spare. Just as I bought my ticket, there was a message from Ilari saying the train was running 50 minutes late. (It appears that the axle on one carriage was overheating so they replaced the carriage at Tampere, the major stop before Seinäjoki.)

After buying some Pepsi, I helped Kannan fill his petrol tank, found the way out of Seinäjoki and bid him on his way to Rauma. I sat and waited for the train, which arrived as 20:20 instead of 19:30.

As Ilari had given me his carrige and seat number, I had reserved my seat next to his.

Ilari was glad to get the water. We chatted all the way, pausing only to consume the delicious Thai Sweet Chili Wrap.

Ildi had said she was going to wait for Ilari, so he offered to give me a lift home. Unnop and Pailin had offered to pick me up and drop me home, but as the train was so late, I told them not to bother. But when we reached Oulu at a few minutes before midnight, we had a great reception committee, as if Ilari and I were returning from a trip from outer space. Besides Ildi, Pailin and Unnop were there to receive us!

The latter couple dropped me home. It was just after midnight, so I was able to correctly wish Pailin for her birthday.

I cleared my email and hit the sack falling asleep in just 2 minutes as usual. I just took time to share all the news with Annikki who was sitting with her mother. She was happy as the fish, all four of them had settled down properly in the outside pond.

Yet another face of my woman...

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)
Today would have been the 134th birthday of the late Mr. K. C. Mammen Mappillai (KCMM), the doyen of Kerala, my maternal grandfather.

Yesterday was "Freedom of Speech" day worldwide, a day which would have thrilled the heart of KCMM.

The leading local newspaper of Oulu, the Kaleva, had asked their readers to submit their opinions on this subject on this day.

Annikki is a powerful writer on issues she believes in.

She wrote a short and great piece, in Finnish, on the subject. I reproduce it here (in Finnish) for our Finnish audience, as I do not have a good English translation available at this moment.

Sananvapaus Suomessa Annikki Matthan KALEVA version / KALEVA Version Suomessa sananvapaus on vapaata. Se on rajattoman sallittua. Sananvapautta on monenlaista ja kaikilla. Joillakin on enemmän ja joillakin vähemmän. Keskiarvona laskettuna sitä on jokaiselle jakaa oma osansa. Se jaetaan tarkoin tasapuolisesti. Silloin sananvapaus on hiljaista. Se ei näy eikä kuulu vaan on näkymätöntä. Suursanatilallisilla on sanat hallussaan. Heillä on sananvapaus vallassaan. He kylvävät sanoja vapaasti sinne minne haluavat. Heidän palstoillaan ne kasvavat suuriksi. Ne peittävät maan ja taivaankin. He myyvät palstoja ja sanoja tiloillaan. He kasvattavat ja tuottavat sananvapautta hinnasta. Sanat ovat lukossa sanakirstuissa. Siellä ne ovat tallessa ja turvassa. Suursanatilojen rengeillä on niihin avaimet ja lupa avata kirstun kansi. Sanakirstun kanteen on kirjoitettu; salainen. Suomessa sananvapaus on salaista. Kun renki avaa kirstun kannen, sieltä tulee ulos sananvapaus metamorfoosa. Sen loistava säteily häikäisee ja sokaisee. Se näyttää hyvältä ja kauniilta katsella. Siinä on sateenkaaren kaikki värit. Se leijailee kohti korkeuksia vapaana. Sana on vapaa. Ihmiset tavoittelevat sitä haltuunsa. He ihailevat sen muotoa, värejä, keveyttä, ilmavuutta ja läpinäkyvyyttä. Kaikki, jotka näkevät sen, uskovat siihen. Se on kuitenkin hauras, eikä kestä kosketusta. Se on kosketusarka. Ne, jotka eivät sokaistu sen häikäisystä näkevät sen läpi, että se ei kestä käyttöä eikä kulutusta. Hämmästyneinä he tajuavat silloin. Mikä näyttää sananvapaudelta, onkin vain hajoava suuri imagokupla. Se särkyy käsiin tai hajoaa taivaan tuuliin. Yhä uudestaan se kuitenkin hämää ja ilmaantuu. Nyt he eivät enää vain usko siihen, vaan tietävät; sehän onkin täysin uskon asia. Suomessa sananvapaus on olemassa vain teoreettisena ajatusmallina uskon tasolla. Uskokoon ken tahtoo!

Sananvapaus Suomessa Annikki Matthan Jakobin Blogin Versio / Jacob's Blog's Version Suomessa sananvapaus on vapaata. Se on rajattoman sallittua. Sananvapautta on monenlaista ja kaikilla. Joillakin on enemmän ja joillakin vähemmän. Keskiarvona laskettuna sitä on jokaiselle jakaa oma osansa. Se jaetaan tarkoin tasapuolisesti. Silloin sananvapaus on hiljaista. Se ei näy eikä kuulu vaan on näkymätöntä. Suursanatilallisilla on sanat hallussaan. Heillä on sananvapaus vallassaan. He kylvävät sanoja vapaasti sinne minne haluavat. Heidän palstoillaan ne kasvavat suuriksi. Ne peittävät maan ja taivaankin. He myyvät palstoja ja sanoja tiloillaan. He kasvattavat ja tuottavat sananvapautta hinnasta. Sanat ovat lukossa sanakirstuissa. Siellä ne ovat tallessa ja turvassa. Suursanatilojen rengeillä on niihin avaimet ja lupa avata kirstun kansi. Sanakirstun kanteen on kirjoitettu; salainen. Suomessa sananvapaus on salaista. Kun renki avaa kirstun kannen, sieltä tulee ulos sananvapaus metamorfoosa. Sen loistava säteily häikäisee ja sokaisee. Se näyttää hyvältä ja kauniilta katsella. Siinä on sateenkaaren kaikki värit. Se leijailee kohti korkeuksia vapaana. Sana on vapaa. Ihmiset tavoittelevat sitä haltuunsa. He ihailevat sen muotoa, värejä, keveyttä, ilmavuutta ja läpinäkyvyyttä. Kaikki, jotka näkevät sen, uskovat siihen. Se on kuitenkin hauras, eikä kestä kosketusta. Se on kosketusarka. Ne, jotka eivät sokaistu sen häikäisystä näkevät sen läpi, että se ei kestä käyttöä eikä kulutusta. Hämmästyneinä he tajuavat silloin. Mikä näyttää sananvapaudelta, onkin vain hajoava suuri imagokupla. Se särkyy käsiin tai hajoaa taivaan tuuliin. Yhä uudestaan se kuitenkin hämää ja ilmaantuu. Nyt he eivät enää vain usko siihen, vaan tietävät; sehän onkin täysin uskon asia. Suomessa sananvapaus on olemassa vain teoreettisena ajatusmallina uskon tasolla. Uskokoon ken tahtoo!

What Annikki says here in a humourous and truly interesting fashion is that, rather than pointing the finger all over the world at where there is no freedom of speech, it is necessary to draw attention to the lack of freedom of speech for the common man and woman in Finland. (I will try to get her to do a translation when she has some time.)

The article was posted to the newspaper well before the due date and exactly complied to the norms specified by them.

Having read it, I assured Annikki that there was little hope of the newspaper even thinking about publishing it.

Like the recent hilarious sarcastic Stephen Colbert speech at the White House Correspondents Dinner (if anyone wants to see the video of this, please contact me), Annikki has drawn attention to the Oligarchic System that presently is in place in Finland!

Come yesterday, I got up at my usual time of 4 am and thumbed through the Kaleva newspaper. Although there was much about freedom of speech, there was no attention drawn to the lack of freedom of speech in Finland, and no article by Annikki in the columns. There was not a single reference to the lack of freedom of speech in Finland.

As soon as Annikki awoke, I drew her attention to the fact that her article had not been accepted. She thumbed through the paper, read all that was published, which was all about finger-pointing at everyone else in the world, with no mention to the lack of the freedom of speech in Finland itself.


Full page advertisement inserted by the Finnish Newspapers Union,
in all major newspapers in Finland, including the Helsingin Sanomat and Kaleva,
on Freedom of Speech Day

Then, she noted that on one full page, there was this huge advertisement put out by the Finnish Newspapers Union of a "typical page in a controlled newspaper", with all the words supposedly struck out in the sort of "barbed wire" fashion.

It implied how people around the world were caged in by the oppressive governments which denied them freedom of speech.

I explained my understanding of this advertisement to Annikki and said that this advertisement was being carried in almost every Finnish newspaper.

That really riled her.

She has produced this beautifully written piece (in English) in response to that full page advertisement, which represents HER understanding of that same page!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Freedom of Speech in Finland?

by

Annikki Matthan

An entire page of Kaleva, and almost every major newspaper in Finland, was devoted to a picture of the words in the columns of a newspaper blacked out by barbed wire. Even the darkened pictures were fashioned in a manner to depict how freedom of speech was being denied to masses around the world.

It was meant for the Finnish newspaper readers to understand what they had something which was not being enjoyed by millions of people around this planet.

This was the special contribution of the Newspaper Publishers Union on 3rd May 2006, Freedom of Speech Day.

The message was very clear.

The Members of the Finnish Newspapers Union control Freedom of Speech in Finland.

It must have cost the Union several millions of Euros to hammer this subliminal message across to all the Finns.

Whatever was meant to be the message for those who are behind the barbed wire fence was not clear. Obviously, it was meant that the Finns were those outside the borders of this fence, looking in on those behind it!

One thing the Union did not state was that the Finns could be added to the masses of people who are denied this freedom of speech.

Instead of allowing the people to have the extra space to express their opinions, the professional Union took the entire space for itself. Their message could be understood to be exactly what the official Finnsh line has always been:

"Look around everywhere else and consider yourselves especially fortunate, as you had better believe, understand and know what you have. You lack nothing. You are kept in a special protection zone of barbed wire which separates you from those oppressed rest"

It is worth remembering that a barbed wire fence looks the same from both inside and outside.

The power brokers are the watchdogs and the "professional guardians" of the freedom of speech in Finland.

They protect the Finnish establishment, the interests of the State, the Authorities, the Church, the Police and the entire Legal System structure, which are not free from outside controls.

I consider the projection and exhibition of the barbed wire lines to be a strong warning and a threat to the freedom of expression by individuals in Finland.

If I had the money and the power to decide to defend the freedom of the speech on the day of its commemoration, it would have been done in a different way. I would have bought that space to give the same space for the people to say something which was troubling their minds.

I would not have surrounded them with the barbed wire fence.

The full page advertisement seemed to be a dramatic attempt to say:

"Stop here and look. Go no further. This is a protected area!"

The page needs no words to explain the meaning. It was the signal and symbol of DANGER!

In an attempt to change the subject and focus, the message being conveyed was for Finns not to ask for more than what they have. They were already at the edge. What they had was enough for them - and they should not make any attempt to shake the POWER STRUCTURE.

It does not seem right to commemorate the Freedom of Speech Day by frightening the readers of all the major newspapers in Finland with symbols and pictures.

I hope you understand what I mean when I say that I am married to the most multi-talented and multi-faceted woman in this Universe!

Tinged with sadness

CHAFF has been responsible for many friendships across all ethnic and other physical and emotional barriers.

About five months ago, a news item in a small local newspaper brought two outstanding human beings into the lives of us at CHAFF. They are people who are devoting their lives to the love and care of the youth.

Some of you will remember the picture I picked up from the newspaper:

Picture of French girl, Anais, with
Tamilian from Villipuram, Subramaniam

We were greatly saddened when the first of them, Subramaniam, returned to India at the end of January of this year. Yesterday, we were all greatly saddened as the second of the duo came to the CHAFF meeting to say her goodbye.

With her was Kaija Välimää. who has been responsible for these amazing youngsters to have come to Oulu in the first place. We have learnt much from these two youngsters who have brought much joy to us older folk in CHAFF.

Not only did they treat us with respect, but we, in turn, learnt to truly respect young people with such enormously important moral values.

As has been said by the late Maria Montessori, a great educationalist "The child is the father of man." In the hands of such wonderful youngsters, not vile and evil men as Bush and Blair, lies the future of our grandchildren.


Kaija, Anais and Pentti


Anais says goodbye to David
with Ruben and Kevin practicing Takraw
in the background.

Yesterday was the first outdoor CHAFF meeting.

We welcomed three students - Anup from Nepal, Kevin from China and Ruben from Kenya. We were also witness to an amazing performance from Soda who displayed his Takraw (Kick Volleyball) skills.





David turned to me and said he now understood why I had such a great opinion of this youngster who played with the Takraw ball as if he was using the ball as if it was at the end of a yo-yo.

When I had seen Soda on the football field, I had known nothing of his Takraw skills. I saw a young boy who could amazingly toy with a football. The ball did exactly what he wanted it to do.

That is the first essential of a natural football player. After this comes physical fitness, team skills, speed with and without the ball and solid physical strength. This is the combination which produces the greats as Maradonna and present day greats as Ronaldino, Zinédine Zidane, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.

In the past 6 months, Soda is very slowly picking up the other skills, despite the pressures of a youngster growing up in a very troublesome environment which puts much pressure on the youth of today.

With dedication, Soda can become an all-time great football player. But, that lies in entirely his hands as he turns his Takraw skills into being a team-playing footballer.

When a football scout appears to choose his players, he looks for a combination of all the essentials - not just one skill.

Many people ask me who I think has been the greatest football player of all-time. Many say that it is the Brazilian Pele.

When I witnessed the 1966 World Cup in England, there was only ONE great - Eusebio who played for Portugal, but was from Mozambique. Eusebio was the top scorer at the 1966 World Cup (9 goals) held in England. His lightning fast acceleration and wonderful ball control skills earned him acclaim. His trademark was a spectacular shot, which allied to his powerful running and dribbling skills, made him one of the most dangerous strikers of all time.

Eusebio
Born: 25 January 1942, Lourenco-Marques (now Maputo), Mozambique
International Caps: 64
International Goals: 46
Teams: Benfica (Portugal), Boston Minutemen (USA), Toronto Metros-Crotia (Canada), Las Vegas Quicksilver (USA)
Team Honours: European Cup 1962
Portuguese Cup: 1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1972
Individual Honours: European Footballer of the Year 1966
World Cup Top Scorer 1966: - 9 goals

Pele was a master of ball control and also had an amazing turn of speed, but the minute he came on the field, he had two people marking him with the deliberate intention to put him out of the game, physically. Even with all his skills, almost in every major match, he was sidelined within a few minutes.

They tried the same with Eusebio - but this 24-year old was truly amazing as he left his attackers wondering where he and the ball had gone. Besides his ball control, and his amazing teamwork, as Eusebio was a complete team player, he was able to leave his two markers not know which direction they should be running. It was truly hilarious as I watch in several instances, the markers looking dumb-founded at each other, while Eusebio was setting up his team for another goal, absolutely selflessly.

He led the goal scorers of the 1966 World Cup with 9 goals. he was voted European Footballer of 1966. In my humble opinion, he was undoubtedly the Greatest Footballer of the 1966 World Cup.

Scoring 38 goals in 46 games for Portugal, he had to end his first class career in 1974, when aged just 32. He injured his knee so badly he was advised never to play again. In Eusebio's spectacular short career he played 715 games and scored 727 goals. Only Ronaldino comes close to the football poweress of Esuebio.

Soda has a long way to go to reach this level of football - AND it lies entirely in his own hands! Like Esuebio, Soda has to live and breathe football with every single breath.

Soda taught our three new student CHAFF participants the principles of Takraw. In just 30 minutes, all three of them were controlling that ball with expertise that they may be able to form their own Takraw team.

Hopefully, this great spring weather will turn into a summer paradise. We could enjoy many more such active outdoor CHAFF meetings with the great food served up by the Pailin Restaurant.

Next week (Sunday 7th may, 13:00 hours, Pailin Restaurant, Kenttätie 9, Kasarmi) we are expecting a very special guest. Details in a later posting.



As a final word, I include a picture of three of our young and beautiful CHAFF particpants, taken on Saturday, - Kerstin (Germany), Ildikó (Hungary) and Anais (France).

It is this vibrant youthful spirit from Soda to Kaija and Pentti that has made CHAFF such an enormous success.

Au revoir, Anais.

Hitting the sack....

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)

(Today's CHAFF meeting is at the usual time 13:00 hours at the usual place: Thai Pailin Restaurant, Kenttätie 9, Kasarmi Area. It is a farewell meeting for one of our regulars, Anais, who returns to France.)

I had a late night yesterday.

Annikki and I were invited by Ilari Sohlo's parents (Jorma & Heli) to attend the official engagement party of Ildikó to Ilari. Annikki could not come as someone had to stay at home to look after her mother.

I reached Prof. Sohlo's house at 17:00 hours. I was greeted by Ildi, and surprise, surprise, Ildi's mother (Juliska Hámos) who had come in from Hungary.

The bedroom door opened and out popped Ildi's dad (Árpád Hámos), who had flown in from Vienna, via Budapest.

Árpád greeted me as a long lost friend saying that my blog was extremely popular in his IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) circles in Vienna. I had never met either of Juliska and Árpád, but this blog had already sealed a relationship between us!

I guess I was surprised to see them there. The persons who were even more surprised and delighted were Ildi and Ilari. They had had no clue that Juliska and Árpád were coming for the party. The scheme had been plotted by Jorma & Heli.

They had arrived at 01:05 am that morning and had been whisked from the airport to Prof. Sohlo's home.

They had slept the night and got ready during the day. When Ildi walked in through the front door for the party, she received a phone call from Árpád who was apologising for not being there for the engagement, while calling from the closed bedroom.

But Ildi heard a familiar ring on the phone, which sounded surprisingly like the sound of her own mobile. She rushed into the closed bedroom to see Juliska and Árpád standing there.

Sorry, I do not have a photograph of that moment - I can only guess the explosive emotions that were there.

Clockwise starting at the top left: Árpád, Juliska, Heli, Ilari & Ildi, Jorma

Juliska is taller than Ildi and as graceful as her daughter. Árpád is an effervescent person, full of life and wanting to be a friend of everyone. Unfortunately, Ildi's brother could not be present.



The food was superb. There was all sort of Finnish delicacies, smoked salmon, smoked reindeer salad, and there was the Thai Pailin speciality - the Mini Flap (both vegetarian and noon-vegetarian).

There was loads of great coffee, beer, wine, Benedictine, etc.

I stuck to my water and tea.



It was a glorious evening. For a large part, till the sun went over the horion, we sat outside enjoying the company, the food, the drink and the spring sunshine warmth.



Juliska and Árpád had brought some great presents from Hungary including silver ear rings for Ildi and white metal cuff links and tie pin for Ilari. Also they gave them some unique ceramic from Hungary which is glazed with a superb metal finish.


Sketches of Jorma & Heli

The Ilari family home is one of the most unique that I have visited in recent times. Their love of art predominates and every wall is covered with paintings from well known, as well as not so well known artists.


Sohlo Siblings
Ilari is on the far right

When they stopped filling the walls with paintings, most unusually, you could see paintings affixed to the roof! :-)



The final touch was the Guest Book signing which was specially prepared and brought from Hungary.



There were three almost identical booklets, one for Jorma & Heli, one for Juliska and Árpád and one for Ilari & Ildi.



The last page of each featured a beautiful Transylvanian woodcut.



It was way past my bedtime when we left Jorma & Heli place.

I got home and briefed Annikki on the happenings and showed her the collection of photographs so she could feel as if she had been there. After checking and clearing my email, I took my computer headphones to listen to "Ring of Fire", a Talk Show hosted by Bobby Kennedy Jr. As I climbed into bed at 12:49 am, Bobby was just announcing that his next guest was going to be my good friend and best Talk Show Host in the world, Mike Malloy.

Great, I thought, what a surprise to get to hear Mike on a Saturday night.

My head hit the pillow at 12:50. I did not see 12:51 and missed Mike!

People say it is so difficult to get to sleep - not ME!

Democracy is just an IMAGE in Oulu

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)

I was busy all day today and did not have time to browse the Kaleva, our local nwewspaper, in much detail. When I returned from the physiotherapy session of our son, Mika, I settled down to watch one of the few TV programmes that I do watch, “Murder She Wrote”.

Annikki was busy attending to her mother. When she had given her mother her food, she joined me in the living room and asked whether I had seen a small news item in the newspaper about how the students in Oulu had been disallowed to carry out a public protest in Oulu or to set up a information tent or display banners as the Image of City of Oulu as an International City with the coming of summer would be “damaged”.

My blood boiled, just as much as Annikki’s, when I heard this.

I had just spoken to my good friend Ilari Sohlo who is in touch with the Student World, but he had not mentioned this protest. So I rang back, but he did not answer his mobile.

Then Ilari rang back. When I told him about this, he said he had missed this news item as he was busy with a seminar presentation. He immediately looked up the web and found the protest was to be between 12:00 noon and 16:15 in Rotuari, the central walking street of Oulu.

I looked at my watch, and it was just turning 16:05. I decided to make a dash to the city to see if I could catch up with some of the student leaders behind this protest.

On my way, Ilari sent me a text message giving me the name of the main Organiser, Milja Seppälä and her contact phone number.

When I reached the town centre, it was past 16:15. I noted that the protest was over and the students had packed up and gone home. So I rang Milja and had a word with her.

I asked her whether Oulu was becoming like the US where, if one needed to protest, then it had to be in “Free Speech Zones”.

Milja said she hoped that this was not so.

I then asked her for the rationale behind the City not giving the students the right to carry out a public protest. She told me that it was because it could damage the reputation of the City as an International City, especially with the onset of summer!

I was horrified.

I asked Milja whether she had any pictures of the protest for this blog entry. Sadly she did not have any and as she was just about to enter into a meeting, she had to end our interview.

I was really mad as I drove home. I told Annikki the outcome of the visit to the city and my conversation with Milja. She was just as mad as me and she immediately queried whether Democracy in Finland was going to be just an IMAGE?

I wonder whether this protest demonstration in London made that city less of an International City than Oulu?

Protest in London

Or did this protest in Paris make it less of an International City than Oulu?


Paris Student Protest

Is it not strange that we were allowed to carry out a protest in Oulu against the Iraq War but students could not carry out a protest about their student grants?


Iraq War Protest in front of
Oulu City Hall, Picture by Jacob Matthan

This is not the first time we have come across this issue of safegaurding and polishing the “Image of Oulu” by corrupt Oulu bureaucrats.

In the forerunner to this Blog, our popular internet fortnightly FINDIANS BRIEFINGS Volume No: 05 Issue No. 01 - - 28th January 1998 had this item Analysis - Journalist Pimps

When we exposed the strategy of Oulu City bureaucracy to get favourable stories in International newspapers and magazines published by Journalist Pimps, we were called to the office of the Oulu Economic Affairs Office to try to convince us that Oulu was really a great city as had been reported by these "bribed" journalist.

We concluded then:

“To cut a long story short, our meeting with Mr. Seppo Mäki ended when we asked him that if he wanted to tell the truth or just to promote a set of half-truths about our city. We compliemented him on the great job he is doing but sadly what is being done is just polishing the Finnish image in public, while underneath it stinks to the high heaven.

Sadly, Mr. Mäki is very efficient in his job. The Finnish newspapers then feed the gulible Finns with a dose of their own city handouts routed through the gulible international press as if they emanated from these great journalists. These are not journalists, but in our opinion, but glorified pimps.”

The situation between 1998 and 2006 has not changed one bit. The City of Oulu is still run by a set of CORRUPT OFFICIALS.

Students in Oulu - Are you going to stand by your principles or be brow-beaten and your natural rights trampled by your “political masters”. If the latter, forget that you live in a democracy! If these people are your "political servants" as they should be as they are in your pay - then tell them exactly what you think of their actions.

The answer lies in your hands - not theirs!

Everyday gets more hectic

(Cross-posted on Jacob's Blog.)

Sunday was no exception.

I was already out of the house early to see my car mechanic, Reijo, to pay him for my tyres.

(Hot news:
For Sale:
Opel Kadett - 1987 Euro 700, MOT'd till August;
Volkswagen Passat - 2002 Euro 22,000 (about 120000 km on the clock;
Wanted: A good diesel 5 seater car in the price range of Euro 1000 - 1500.
Contact me for details.)

I went to see the master Pizza "Taikina" Maker, Zambian Kamutaza Tembo, demonstrate his skills.

Kamu demonstrating making pizza "taikana" balls

Kamu can make 120 of these balls, from which the pizza base is rolled, in just 15 minutes!

Then I picked up some CHAFF participants. The CHAFF meeting was much larger this week than I had expected.

(It would be nice if you could call in to the Restaurant and tell them if you are coming so they can make the Thai / Chinese buffet suit your taste - especially if you are a vegetarian or have special dietary needs. The hosts know all present CHAFF participants who have taken part so far and know their tastes - spicy, mild, vegetarian, etc.!)

We had two newcomers brought by our regular Kenyan participant, David Okele. Business management students from Kenya, Cleo and Joel, are also sportsmen, one being a 5 km runner and the other a keen footballer.


New CHAFF participants from Kenya
Cleo and Joel with me

They showed us some superb Kenyan Bead Art in the form of bracelet.


Kenyan Bead Art

For someone who takes almost half-an-hour to thread a needle, this was simply superb.


German speaking CHAFF participants,
Ildikó (Hungary), Pailin (Thailand) and Kerstin (Germany)


Michela (Slovakia), Anais (France), Ilari (Finland) and Ildikó (Hungary)

I introduced (orally) some of the more athletically minded CHAFF participants, including Kerstin (Germany), to the super-action sport of Thai Sepak Takraw (Kick Volleyball), a fast paced game requiring agility. Top international football stars hone their ball contol skills using this sport.

The court and net are of the same height and dimensions as in badminton. A team (Regu) consists of 3 members. Two regus compete by spiking a ball into the opponent's court. Most of the same rules apply as for volley ball, with the following main exceptions:

- players are prohibited from using their hands & arms;
- a player can touch the ball up to 3 times consecutively;
- the players' positions on the court need not be rotated;
- net serves (falling within the boundary) are accepted.

A rattan ball is served from the corner.


Takraw rattan ball

The striker kicks the ball over the net. You can use any part of your body except your arms and hands. If you're not used to playing and you strike the ball with your head it will hurt! It really helps if you are flexible. The back kick is the most exciting move when the strike spikes the ball while doing a back flip!!

A match is composed of 3 sets. The first regu to score 21 points wins a set. The first regu winning two sets wins the match. In either set, if both regus are tied, 20 - 20, play continues until one regu wins by 2 points, up to a ceiling of 25 points. If each regu wins one set out of the first two, then the third set is played and is called the "Tiebreak". The Tiebreak only goes up to 15 points, but again a regu must win by 2 points, up to a ceiling of 17.

Pailin was trying to say that takraw was unladylike! This picture sequence shows a lady in the process of serving in a Ladies Takraw tournament. Women probably play the game faster and better than men!


Women's Takraw - Service

We have some very talented young Thai Takraw players here in Oulu. The Thai Pailin Restaurant is planning to launch a Takraw Club.


Women's Takraw game in progress

If you are interested contact the restaurant will organise for training sessions if sufficient number of people are interested.

Warning - Do not try this game unless you are intending to be really PHYSICALLY FIT.

As Pentti Paakki had to rush off for a GNLD Meeting, I dropped Matti Moisa home to Haukipudas. He stopped along the way to show me the oldest pine tree in Oulu - over 300 years old!


300 year old Salt Pine tree at Kaskila


Two antiques of Oulu!

I then went to see Soda play football. His side won 2 -0 but Soda did not see much of the ball!


Cold and windy evening football in Oulu

I returned to the Pailin Restaurant to pick up food for Annikki and Mika. I was pleasantly surprised to see an old friend from the University, Peruvian Manuel with his elder son, Daniel, having a pizza at the restaurant.


Peruvians in Oulu, Manuel and Daniel

Manuel has been in Oulu for 21 years (I have been here 22 years) and he was a student in Oulu University in the Electrical Engineering Department when I was working in the Microelectronics Laboratory. Today, Manuel works in Oulu for a large US Corporation and is married to a girl from Peru. Besides Daniel, they have another baby boy, Miguel.

As I was finally driving home after this busy day, I had a panic call from Annikki. She had not seen me all day. I reassured her that good hot and spicy Thai / Chinese food was on the way home!

All was forgiven! :-)