ISI99 Daily Bulletin 4

Thursday 12 August, 1999

Contents First day

• ISI Service Awards 2 • Jan Tinbergen Awards 1999 2 • Changes in the programme 3 • Correction 3 • Statistical Education 3 • Making Statistics Come Alive 4 • Behind the scenes and in the frontline, part 3 5 IASS - International Association • Many questions were answered at the Information Desk. of Survey Statisticians 6 • Everyday elegance anyone can afford 6 • Golden era of Finnish art 8 • Ateneum, the ”House for the Arts” 9 • Kiasma, the museum of contemporary art 9 • The spirit of the bottle 10 • Harvest in the Market Square 11 • Kuka hän on? 12 • For people on the move 12 Webmasters Markku (left) and Samppa mastering the Web.

ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Thursday, August 12 / 4 1 ISI Service Awards

From time to time, the President awards ISI Service Medals to Adolphe Quetelet (Belgium) persons whose outstanding activities were of particular Henri Willem Methorst (The Netherlands) significance for the Institute’s activities. The Service Medals are Franz von Neumann–Spallart (Austria–Hungary) named after three great statisticians who were instrumental in The ISI Executive Committee considers the following persons furthering international statistical co-operation: as deserving candidates for an ISI Service Medal, to be awarded during the August 13 ISI General Assembly meeting in Helsinki:

Adolphe Quetelet Medal

David Cox (United Kingdom) Ilkka Mellin (Finland) Mario Palma Rojo (Mexico) Timo Relander (Finland) Vijayan N. Nair (Malaysia) Zoltan Kenessey (in memorial -USA) Willem de Vries (Netherlands)

Henri Willem Methorst Medal

Constance van Eeden (The Netherlands) Agnes Herzberg (Canada) Raija Lofgren (Finland) Joop Mijnheer (The Netherlands) Jozef L.M. Teugels (Belgium) Photis Nanopoulos (Eurostat) Graham Pyatt (United Kingdom) Bernard Silverman (United Kingdom) Dennis Trewin (Australia) Fred Vogel (USA) Michael Ward (United Kingdom) René A. Padieu (France) Jon N.K. Rao (Canada)

Von Neumann–Spallart Medal

John C. Bailar (USA) Paul Cheung (Singapore) Pilar Garcia (Mexico) Terry Holland (USA) Gerrit Stemerdink (Netherlands) Jaromir Antoch (Czech Repubilc)

Jan Tinbergen Awards 1999

The ISI is pleased to announce Efficient Regression Estimator”; renamed in honour of the late all-expenses-paid trip to the ISI the winners of the 1999 Jan – V. Swaminathan (India) for his ISI member and world- Session in Helsinki. These prizes Tinbergen Awards: paper “Semiparametric renowned econometrician Jan will be conferred during the – J.P. Ekwaru (Uganda) for his Estimation for Stationary Tinbergen. The Executive August 13 General Assembly. paper “An Approximation for Markov Chains with Committee is grateful to the The papers will be presented by the Rank Adjacency Statistic for Continuous State-Space” Stichting Internationaal their authors in a special Spatial Clustering with Sparse These awards, previously Statistisch Studie Fonds for meeting on August 14 at 9:00. Data”; known as the “ISI Awards for providing each of the winners Come and show your support – D. Gervini (Argentina) for his Young Statisticians from with a five thousand Dutch for these young statisticians by paper “A Robust and fully Developing Countries”, were Guilder prize in addition to the attending their presentations.

2 4 / Thursday, 12 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99 Changes in the programme

Today Denise Lievesley (FRANCE) Some names of the speakers of introductory speaker will be In CPM1 at 13.00, the instead of Mary H.Regier. IPM 42 “Statistical training of Heli Jeskanen-Sundström, presentation of T. J. Rao has people working in and with FINLAND. been cancelled. In CPM73.1, a presentation has official statistics” have been been moved from 141: omitted by mistake in the A new meeting, IPM84, In IPM53 at 15.30, the “Internal evaluation: an Information Bulletin No 3. The President’s Invited Paper presentation of Ivor Francis has approach to use data for action meeting is to be held at 13.00 - Meeting on “Recent advances been cancelled. Michel Jambu in higher education quality 15.15. These should be added: in probability and statistics”, will NOT be a discussant at this improvement” by Abbas will be held at 13.00 - 15.15 in meeting. Bazargan (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC As organisers: meeting room EL/136. The OF IRAN) is scheduled at 10.30. Blumberg, Carol Joyce, UNITED organiser is Willem van Zwet, Friday, 13 August STATES the speakers will be In CPM46.1, at 9.00 , a new Monday, 16 August presentation is scheduled at In IPM18, “Multiway data in Smulders, René H. M., THE Jef Teugels 10.45, ”estimation of Mean psychometrics and NETHERLANDS Wind and Stochastics Square Error in Multi-stage chemonetrics”, to be held at Elja Arjas Sampling by Kim, Kyuseong. 9.00, the talks of Pieter As chairpersons: Latent structures supported Kroonenberg and Claus Blumberg, Carol Joyce, UNITED by point measurements In CPM136, a presentation has Andersson will be given in the STATES David Siegmund been moved from 16.1. The reverse order. Mr Andersson Smulders, René H. M., THE Mapping quantitative trait presentation of Sylvia Früwirth- will speak at 9.04, and Mr NETHERLANDS loci Schnatter (AUSTRIA), on “Bayes Kroonenberg at 9.39. Richard Tweedie factors and model selection for Papers: 13.25 Impact of Publication analysis in meta- random effect models” is In IPM36, Nick Fisher Internet on official statistics: analysis scheduled at 10.30. (AUSTRALIA) will be chair and User opportunities presenter of the introduction. * Bregar, Lea; Ograjensek, Irena In IPM20, at 13.00 - 15.15, the In CPM104.1, a new The presentation of Corinna (SLOVENIA) discussant Bertrand S. Clarke presentation, “Demographic Cortes (UNITED STATES), from UK, has cancelled his situation in Russia and scheduled at 16.30, has been A new presentation for CPM58, presentation. problems of information on cancelled. starting at 15.30, will be heard population” by Andrei G. at 17.15: Comparison of In CPM132, at 13.00 - 15.15, Volkov (RUSSIA), has been New item for CPM81: at 17.00, Predictive Accuracy of Neural the paper “Reseaux de added to start at 11.00. “Intervalle de confiance de Network Methods and Cox neurones et regression l’indice de végétation, de Regression for Censored logistique en finances” by Ana The meeting of the Agricultural l’indice de brillance et de la Survival Data, by Azen, Stanley Silvia Haedo (ARGENTINA) and Statistics Committee (Gregor matière séche totalle” by (UNITED STATES); Xiang, Annie; Leonardo Focsaner has been Mendel Committee), originally Abdellani, F. and Chamayou, J. Lapuerta, Pablo; Ryutov, Alex cancelled. scheduled for Monday 16 F. (FRANCE). and Buckley, Jonathan. August at 11.15, has been In CPM86, scheduled at 15.30, advanced to Friday, 13 August, Tuesday, 17 August An addition to CPM130, the chairperson will be Paul 11.15. The place will be In CPM134, the paper starting at 15.30: Operational Sommerville. announced later. “Generalised kernel density estimation of the Russian GDP estimator” by Novak, Serguei dynamics, by Kosarev, Andrey. In CPM38, scheduled at 15.30, Saturday, 14 August (NETHERLANDS), scheduled at The presentation is scheduled the presentation of Filzmoser, In the CPM73.1, the paper of 9.30, has been cancelled. at 17.15. Peter (AUSTRIA) has been Patrick D. Bourke, scheduled at cancelled. 9.00, has been cancelled. IPM12 on “Whither statistical Wednesday, 18 August publishing?”, scheduled on In IPM62, at 9.00, Joan Garfield In IPM74, at 9.00, the Tuesday 17 August at 13.00, has cancelled her appearance. introduction will be given by has been cancelled. The chairperson and

Correction Statistical Education

The ISI General Information leaflet contains an error concerning the All participants who are interested in statistical education are officers of the IASS. Please note that Clyde Charre de Trabuchi was invited to look at the web site http://www.swin.edu.au/maths/ the Vice President for the period 1997-1999 and John Kovar was icots5/. This site gives some information on events organized by the the Scientific Secretary for the same period. IASE. In particular it gives some details of sessions of special interest to statistical educators which are being held at ISI-52. Also everyone is invited to attend the IASE General Assembly on Monday August 16 at 11.15-13.00 in 1F/HH at which many activities of the IASE will be discussed.

ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Thursday, August 12 / 4 3 Making Statistics Come Alive

“When we spread knowledge about statistics, we should put more emphasis on how they can be used, instead of just explaining how they are produced,” says Doctor Marcel van den Broecke, Director of the ISI Permanent Office in Voorburg, the Netherlands.

• “When we spread calculate these risks. A chance disciplines together, as happens knowledge about statistics, we of say 50% that something will now here in Helsinki, so that should put more emphasis on happen is only meaningful they can learn what is going on how statistics are used and when we are not talking about in neighboring fields as well as affect everyday life, instead of a single event, but about a exchange ideas with explaining the principles of series of event. For the colleagues in their own field. So how they are made”, says Dr. individual, to have a chance of one of the “products” of the ISI Marcel van den Broecke, 50% that, say, it is going to and its sections is professional director of the ISI Permanent rain, is intuitively rather meetings. Office in Voorburg, the meaningless. For the individual, Bringing statisticians Netherlands. it is either 100% or 0%. together is an essential task. “The image of statistics is Similarly, when you bet, you Another is publications. ISI is not very positive, is my either win or lose. the only organization which, experience. Statisticians are dry Statisticians try to make among its publications, number crunchers, and have no meaningful statements about produces a journal covering all public appeal whatever to the chances and risks with the help areas of statistics, namely the

Aulikki Järvinen general, uneducated public. It is of models which explain and International Statistical Review. only the interpretation of (to some extent) forecast what What ISI tries to do for the Doctor Marcel van den Broecke, Director of the ISI Permanent statistics which brings statistics is likely, or less likely, to happen. whole profession is what the Office. alive. It is our task as If people were helped to five ISI-sections try to do for statisticians to show that understand what risks mean for their specific branches: survey statistics have an important them, they would surely statistics, probability, official place in people´s everyday life. become more interested in statistics, statistical computing, We must make statistics alive if statistics”, he believes. and education in statistics. we want the image of our About every week, profession to improve”, Dr van ISI unites statisticians somewhere in the world ISI or den Broecke continues. one of its sections is organising “One statistical subject with Statistics is a fairly young a meeting. Together, they immediate public appeal is the science, but has meanwhile produce an impressive number notion of risk. Everyone takes developed into a number of of journals, proceedings, and risks all the time, and has some specialisms. ISI is unique, and books. Statistics as a scientific awareness of this. Whether we always has been unique, in discipline is alive and well. I just cross the street, eat delicious uniting statisticians from the think that every statistician but fattening substances, take various statistical disciplines should be more conscious of medicines, travel by airplane, within official statistics, the importance of bringing his we take risks all the time. academic statistics, and or her subject more alive for the Most people are not aware statistics in the corporate general public. that professional statisticians world. This is achieved by have developed models to bringing statisticians from these

Association for Survey Announcement to IAOS Computing members

The Association for Survey concerned with Survey or The IAOS General Assembly on Monday 16 August at Computing (ASC), which is Statistical Computing and will discuss the “Final report on 17.45. affiliated to the IASC, has a Analysis. There are also details the review of the profile, The report is available at the new web site, at of the programme for the ASC mission and tasks of the IAOS” Information Desk. www.asc.org.uk. This includes conference on Survey & the latest version of the ASC Statistical Computing, to be Software Register, a classified held in Edinburgh from 21st to list of more than 100 packages 23rd September.

4 4 / Thursday, 12 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99 Behind the scenes and in the frontline, part 3

The presentation of the people who have contributed to the preparation of the conference continues. The earlier parts have been published in the Daily Bulletin 1-2 and 3. This will be an ongoing feature.

Pertti Ruhanen, 57 As a member of the IT team of the conference, Pertti is responsible for the acquisition, installation and user support of the computer equipment and programs. These are exactly the same things he looks after in the Information Technology Services unit at Statistics Finland. Pertti’s hobbies include bird watching, cycling, woodwork and genealogy. His family consists of a wife, two adult children and a dog. He prefers to listen to light, entertainment music, not pop or jazz. Samppa Kytömäki, 24 Virpi Viertola Markku Huttunen, 37 ISI Webmaster, Samppa is the Virpi is responsible for media Webmaster at Statistics Finland, youngest member of the liaison at the conference. At whose work focuses on secretariat. His official job title Statistics Finland, she heads the contents and renewals. In the at Statistics Finland is the Press Office, which takes care ISI organisation, Markku’s title is somewhat ambiguous “Web of news service to the media Information Technology Programmer”, meaning, and internal communication. Advisor, a term covering a lot basically, that he is the technical Virpi prefers to spend her more than the Web. He has expert of the office Web Trio. leisure time taking physical studied international politics In his scarce spare time, exercise that is possible and communication. when he is not cooking obscure anywhere, anytime. She is Markku is a bachelor, who PERL scripts, creating web- particularly fond of getting to likes motorcycling, steam pages or arguing about the know strange cities by jogging engines, science fiction, conventions of web design, early in the morning along collecting, different beers (ales, Samppa goes sailing with his empty streets - hints on bitters, porters). friends or parents, restores his interesting routes are welcome! Markku’s favourite film is ancient BSA C15 Star Likewise, if anyone would like Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner, but motorcycle - “an eternal project to know the best jogging he also likes the films of the in which everyone has lost routes in Helsinki, Virpi is the Finnish brothers Aki and Mika hope of completion” - or goes right person to ask. Kaurismäki. Esa Järvinen, 52 to Finnish SciFi conventions. Virpi’s favourite music is jazz, Esa is a member of the IT funk and fusion, in particular, section of the secretariat and is and all music you can dance to. responsible for systems for the conference management. Esa, too, has long experience at Statistics Finland. At present, he heads the IT applications team and is Deputy Director of IT services. Music is Esa’s main hobby, he played the saxophone in brass and dance bands for 15 years. In recent years, though, he has spent more time in the audience than on the bandstand. Esa is married and has a married daughter of 25.

ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Thursday, August 12 / 4 5 IASS - International Association of Survey Statisticians

• Founded in 1973, the The IASS has 1,200 The society is run by an In connection with the 52nd International Association of individual members from 130 Executive Committee, elected Session of the ISI, the IASS has Survey Statisticians is the countries, as well as 17 for a period of two years, and a organised a satellite conference second oldest of the ISI institutional members. Its Council, elected for a four-year with three short courses on Sections. Its object is to headquarters are situated in period. small area estimation in Riga, promote the study and Libourne, France, and it The IASS organises Latvia, on 20-21 August. development of the theory and operates, to a large extent, international meetings in Tonight, there will be an practice of sample surveys and under the auspices of the conjunction with the ISI, and informal silver jubilee censuses. It also aims towards French statistical agency INSEE regional meetings and celebration after the General increasing interest in surveys (Institut National de la seminars. It publishes and Assembly of the IASS to mark and censuses among Statistique et des Etudes distributes to its members a the association’s 25 years of statisticians, governments and Economiques). journal called “The Survey activity. the general public. Statistician” and, naturally, the main ISI publications are also sent to the members of the IASS.

Everyday elegance anyone can afford

In Sweden, Nokia mobile phones are more popular than their own Ericssons are. According to a recent newspaper article, one of the reasons is that Swedish women find the Finnish phones more elegant. Mobile phones are one of the latest links in a long chain of rational, everyday objects with stylish design and a price most people can afford.

• About two Finns out of three have a mobile phone, but every single Finnish household has something made by the Arabia glass and tableware factory. The factory, named after the part of Helsinki it was built in, has been in operation for 125 years. It started as a producer of luxurious exhibits, and was quite successful. In 1916, a new energetic manager, Carl Gustaf Herlitz, decided to change the course. He wanted to sell products which were as good as possible to as many as possible as cheaply as possible. In a couple of decades, Arabia became the largest tableware factory in Europe. Arabia is today part of the Hackman group. Tomorrow’s tour includes a visit to the factory where the most popular designs have been in production ever since 1937. A round tour of the museum - the only one of its kind in Museum of Art and Design/Wärtsilä Foto Finland - gives an overview of Kaj Franck’s Kilta set is a true classic of the Arabia factory.

6 4 / Thursday, 12 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99 the varying styles and fashions in Finnish tableware. Fiskars scissors for every hand Probably the best known Finnish industrial product internationally are the Fiskars orange-handled scissors, designed by Olof Bäckström in 1967. They are made for every conceivable purpose, in a wide range of sizes, with special models even for the left- handed. Like every good product, they have had many imitators. Fiskars ironworks was the first industrial plant in Finland, established in the 17th century. It has grown into a conglomerate producing, for example, electronics and rescue and fire control systems for industry, but it is best known for its consumer goods. The best sellers are axes and gardening tools such as cutters, spades and rakes. Museum of Art and Design The original Fiskars scissors. The glassy fifties

Functionalism gained ground in The golden era of Finnish “everyday elegance”, there is Finnish. After the revolution, Finnish design in the 1930s, glass production was the one exception in the past. The most of them continued their particularly thanks to the 1950s. The best known main designers of the famous work in Finland, but had to architect couple of Alvar and designers were Tapio Wirkkala Fabergé jewellers, a producer simplify their style, as their new Aino Aalto. They combined and Timo Sarpaneva, both of of exquisite objects for the clients could not quite afford architectural work with whom worked for the Iittala court in St. Petersbourg, were the imperial grandeur. matching designs of furniture, glass factory. They designed art lamps and glassware. They also glass as well as utility objects founded the furniture shop for mass production. Today, Artek together with some of their work from fifties is very Read more at their friends. Alvar Aalto popular with collectors. www.formin.fi/finfo/english/design.html designed the interior of the Although most Finnish www.formin.fi/finfo/english/tsarpa.html Savoy restaurant. design goes under the headline

Earring lost Bus ticket

A silver clip earring was lost on Tuesday. If you find it, please return All participants have received a buses, trams, metro and the it to the Information Desk. Helsinki City Transport ticket Suomenlinna ferry, valid for during registration in the plastic nine days from the stamp. envelope together with name On the reverse of the ticket tags and entrance tickets. The there are instructions on how ticket is a nine-day tourist ticket to use it. On your first trip, which allows unlimited travel validate your ticket by stamping on the Helsinki City Transport it.

ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Thursday, August 12 / 4 7 Golden era of Finnish art

In Finland churches, castles and manor houses had been decorated and portraits painted hundreds of years before the profession of an artist was officially mentioned for the first time. In the census of 1830, artists were placed above servants, but clearly below doctors, in the social scale.

• In the middle of the 19th century, idealistic landscape painting gained ground. Portraits and still lives were also popular subjects of the time. Regular art education was started in 1848. The years 1880 - 1910 are often called the golden era of Finnish art. Artists studied in Paris, adopted open-air painting and began to depict ordinary people, historic motifs and the Finnish nature in a realistic way. Kalevala inspired

The growing nationalism in the late 19th century brought

national motifs into the art. d of Antiquities One of the great inspirers was the national epic Kalevala, first published in 1835 and completed in 1849. Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931) won the competition for the Otava/National Boar illustration of Kalevala and used Albert Edelfelt painted this view of the Luxembourg Park in Paris in 1887. the motifs from it in his other paintings. Albert Edelfelt (1854-1905) was in his own time the most Kalela, in Ruovesi, in the lake esteemed Finnish artist abroad. district, in the middle of He came from a wealthy family wilderness in Southern Finland. and could devote himself to his On Sunday’s Cultural tour, art free from financial worries. we will visit some of the homes He studied art in Antwerp and of the Tuusulanjärvi artists’ Paris, and won international community. Around the turn of acclaim with his psychologically the century, a group of artists realistic open-air painting. He with nationalist ideas - made portraits of, e.g., the composer Jean Sibelius, novelist children of the Russian Imperial Juhani Aho and painters Pekka family and Louis Pasteur. Later, Halonen and Eero Järnefelt, he adopted a more among others - escaped from impressionistic style. the distractions of the city to One of Edelfelt’s pupils was the shores of this lake north of Akseli Gallen-Kallela, who was Helsinki. an exceptionally diversified talent. Apart from numerous paintings and frescoes of events and characters in Kalevala, he designed textiles, furniture, flags, bank notes, uniforms and decorations. He stayed some time in Africa, which influenced his later work. Today’s tour will take us to Tarvaspää, the home of Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Gallen-Kallela Read more at had his studio and home built www.formin.fi/finfo/english/ of Antiquities National Board on the seaside in Espoo in art.html 1913. He had another home, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, the illustrator of Kalevala.

8 4 / Thursday, 12 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99 Ateneum, the “House for the Arts”

• If you want to have good art, a part of the Finnish overall view of Finnish art National Gallery. The two other throughout the centuries, then parts of it are the Museum of Ateneum, or the Museum of Contemporary Art, Kiasma , Finnish art, is the place to go. and the Museum of Foreign The building at Kaivokatu 2, Art, often called the close to the Central Railway Sinebrychoff museum, at Station, was inaugurated with Bulevardi 40. great ceremony in 1887. In The permanent collection of those days, building such a Ateneum displays the grand establishment for art, development of the Finnish art was a major achievement in from the 18th century rococo which also considerable sums portraiture to the experimental of money were invested. art movements of the 1920’s Originally, the Ateneum and 1930’s. The present special building housed four different exhibitions are Lamina Magica, types of activity. The Fine Arts depicting the development of Association of Finland kept its graphic art, and Reflections in collections and Drawing School glass, where you can see there. It was the home of the negatives of Daniel Nyblin’s collections and offices of the photographs of his Finnish Society of Crafts and contemporaries in 19th century Design, and also the School of Finland. Applied Arts. Ateneum is open on The museum of the Finnish Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 Society of Crafts and Design a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesdays was the first to go within a few and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 decades. Its successor, the p.m., and is closed on Museum of Applied Arts, is Mondays. today located in its own building at Korkeavuorenkatu 23. Each of the schools moved into their own facilities in the 1970’s. What was left in the building came under government administration in Read more at www.fng.fi/

1990 as the Museum of Finnish Kuvapörssi

Kiasma, the museum of contemporary art

• Even before it was opened workshops. in May 1998, Kiasma met with The present exhibitions criticism. Most of all, the critics display Finnish comics from the did not find the site suitable. It 1990’s and part of the Kiasma would be too crammed, they collection, consisting of 61 claimed, and a modern building works from 38 artists, among like that was not worthy them Richard Serra, Carl Andre. enough background for the Robert Longo, Julian Schnabel, equestrian statue of Marshal David Salle, Markus Lüpertz, Mannerheim. Anselm Kiefer, Louise Bourgeois The public debate, critical or and Mario Mertz. otherwise, was good publicity Kiasma, at for the museum, and visitors Mannerheiminaukio 2, a few continue flowing in. Kiasma has hundred metres south of the many functions, and the Finlandia Hall, is open on building is easy to access Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. because the entrance hall, with and from Wednesday to a café and a shop, is a free Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10

zone. There is also a computer Kuvapörssi p.m., and closed on Mondays. room for children on the entrance level. Graphic art and photography are placed on the first floor, the second and third floor is reserved for large theatrical, dance and film present mainly the Museum’s exhibitions. Kiasma is not just performances as well as Read more at own collections, and the top an art museum, it offers lectures, seminars and www.kiasma.fng.fi/

ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Thursday, August 12 / 4 9 The spirit of the bottle

The consumption of alcohol in Finland is around the European average, about 7 litres per person per year. Finns sometimes have a reputation of being heavy drinkers, although most of us drink very moderately. Unfortunately some tend to drink too much at one sitting and both sound and look as if they have.

• Finns have cultivated grain for centuries, and the skill of brewing beer from barley and distilling spirits from rye was practised by many generations until the Prohibition Law came into force in 1919. Finland was then one of the driest countries in the world, but the total ban on alcohol resulted in almost the opposite of what was intended. It brought about extensive smuggling and trafficking. Because liquor was cheap and freely available, it was diligently consumed. The consequences were very much the same as in the United States, where a similar law was in force in 1920 - 1933. As a result of the first referendum in the history of Finland, the prohibition was repealed in 1931 by 72 per of Antiquities National Board cent of the votes. Confiscated tin cans and bottles of bootlegged spirits during the prohibition. A monopoly with a bipartite function As a tradesman, Alko has strength” beer (keskiolut) 3-4.7 as the finest products of the After the prohibition in 1932, a been in a somewhat per cent, and the strongest Finnish food industry are the centralised national monopoly schizophrenic situation: large (A-olut or nelosolut only sold berry liqueurs, particularly those was established for the sales assure the state in restaurants and at Alko) can made of wild berries such as production and retailing of considerable revenues, but have a percentage of anything cloudberry (lakka) cranberry alcohol. The monopoly - you cause a great amount of social between 4.7 and 7.5 (some (karpalo), arctic bramble can see the shops with a and health problems. It has imported brands are even (mesimarja) and lingonberry sign with dark red letters been the duty of the monopoly stronger). The Finnish names of (puolukka). “Alko” - is there still in retail to see to that drinking causes the various categories originate trade, but has been dissolved as little trouble as possible, and in the old taxation system, otherwise. Ordinary restrictions of availability, in where the lightest was in tax supermarkets have been addition to relatively high class I, the medium in class III allowed to sell beer (with less prices, have been the means in and the strongest in class IV. than 4.7 per cent alcohol by achieving this. These marks can still be found volume) since 1968 and wines in the labels. of the same strength since Beer - the liquid bread Wines (including sparkling 1995. wines) are also produced in One of the derogations Finnish lager-type beer has won Finland. They are mostly made accepted for Finland in the gold medals in international of cultivated berries such as process of accession to the EU competitions, and is the most black and white currants and in 1995 was the preservation of popular alcoholic beverage gooseberries. The gourmets the alcohol monopoly and a among the Finns: more than prefer wines made of grapes, substantial excise, based on the half of all the alcohol but the strong, sweet desert grounds of public health. consumed is beer. Finns drink wine type may be worth trying. Undoubtedly national economy about as much beer as the What instead is by many valued was in the mind of the Dutch and the Americans. decision-makers as well: the Beer is to be found in several excise duty on alcohol gives the strength categories: the lightest state a revenue of 7 billion (ykkösolut) contains only 2.6 Finns drink on an average marks, more than twice as per cent alcohol by volume, the 80 litres of beer

much as the excise on tobacco. most popular “medium- per person per year. Mikko Nurmi

10 4 / Thursday, 12 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99 An introduction to Finnish Cuisine Part 3 Harvest in the Market Square

The Market Square in Helsinki is a sight worth seeing, particularly towards the end of the summer. Crisp potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, tomatoes, and many other vegetables, fresh from the ground or greenhouse brim over the stands.

• Strawberries, blackcurrants bonfires by the lakes, and with and, if you are lucky, plenty of good food, drinking, cloudberries, make your mouth singing and dancing. The water by their colour and traditional Midsummer day aroma. You can taste smoked lunch consists of pickled Baltic herring straight from the herring or slightly salted salmon fishermen’s boats or have an and new potatoes. early morning coffee with the Farmers have their own famous doughnuts in the tricks for ensuring their new marquee tent. potatoes are the first in the market. News once reported of Herring and baby one who had electric heating potatoes installed under his potato field. Every home gardener, too, aims Midsummer, around the 20th at producing homegrown new of June, to honour the longest potatoes, not much bigger days of the year and than a fingertip, ready for commemorate John the Midsummer. Baptist, is celebrated with The consumption of

Mikko Nurmi

Fresh vegetables are at their best now.

potatoes has declined slightly in 63 kilos per person per year - is Finland during the last couple higher than in Sweden, Norway of decades. Potatoes are a and Iceland, but modest staple part of every Finn’s diet, compared to the rest of the EU. although pasta and rice have The first new carrots, increased in popularity. Even beetroots, cauliflower and city dwellers have become broccoli are eaten cooked au more “potato-conscious” as a naturel, accompanied only by a result of extensive advertising knob of butter. Dill is used to about the qualities and best season new potatoes, fish and usage of different potato crayfish. varieties. Kesäkeitto, “summer soup” is a seasonal dish often made at Feast of fresh home but rare in the restaurants. vegetables It consists of new season’s potatoes, carrots, cauliflower,

Mikko Nurmi The consumption of vegetables peas and spinach cooked in milk Buying potatoes is not simple any more. There are several different has nearly doubled in Finland in and seasoned with plenty of sorts for different purposes. less than 20 years. The level - parsley, chives and dill.

ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Thursday, August 12 / 4 11 Teach yourself Finnish Part 3 Where to go and what to do Kuka hän on? For people on the

Finnish has a very monotonous intonation, so questions are mainly move expressed by interrogatives, such as mikä what run is designed specifically for kuka who children, but is suitable also for missä/mistä/minne where/from where/where to less competitive adults: the milloin when running time is not recorded. miten how The path around Töölönlahti miksi why bay is one of the most popular (if not THE most popular) Some examples: jogging, walking and cycling routes in Helsinki. Apart from Mikä tämä on? What is this? walking or running, you can Mitä sanoit? also rent a pair of roller skates or more formally at Cat Sport, Töölönlahti, or a Mitä sanoitte? What did you say? bicycle at Greenbike, Kuka hän on? Who is he/she? Mannerheimintie 13. Mistä voin ostaa Töölönlahti bay is lined by postimerkkejä? Where can I buy stamps? many points of interest: the Milloin bussi lähtee? When does the bus leave? National Opera, the Olympic Kuinka paljon tämä Stadium and the Helsinki City maksaa? How much does this cost? Winter Garden. On the cliffs high above the railway tracks, Questions can also be expressed by suffixes -ko, -kö added to there is a cluster of old wooden various forms of words, for instance villas called Linnunlaulu Lähteekö bussi nyt? Does the bus leave now? (Birdsong). The area is Paljonko tämä maksaa? How much does this cost? • The banks of Töölönlahti particularly favoured by artists bay, behind Finlandia Hall, will and writers. If you climb up, In general, Finnish has a normal word order. It can be inverted in form part of the scene for the you will find an outdoor café at some questions (as in “Lähteekö bussi nyt?”), but if something has year’s biggest running event in one of the villas, with a to be emphasised, the words can be put in almost any order. Finland, the Helsinki City stunning view of the bay. Reija Marathon. On Saturday 14 Helenius, who runs the café, is August, approximately 5,000 also an employee of Statistics participants from over 30 Finland. countries will start their course Helsinki City Marathon, at the Olympic Stadium at 3 Radiokatu 20, 00240 Helsinki p.m. Telephone: (+358 9) 3481 The course of the Marathon 2405 follows the seafront streets and Entry fee for the Marathon boulevards of Helsinki. Many FIM 300 on Friday 13 August, runners find the route unusually FIM 350 on Saturday 14 beautiful. August. Fun run, inline skating You do not have to be a run and 10 km street run, each serious long distance runner to FIM 100. Today’s weather take part in the Helsinki City Helsinki City Winter Garden, Marathon. The event also open Monday to Saturday from includes a street run of 10 noon to 3 p.m., on Sundays Weather is unstable in Finland. kilometres, an inline skating noon to 4 p.m. Partly cloudy skies and showers of rain possible. Temperature is route of 10 kilometres and a Café Linnunlaulu, in the afternoon about 20 degrees Celsius. Wind is from northwest fun run of only three kilometres Linnunlauluntie 11 and wind speed is 2-4 m/s. around Töölönlahti bay. The fun

12 4 / Thursday, 12 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99