Vapaa Sana

Editorial

21.2.2012

Since Easter is relatively early this year, also Shrove Tuesday is already on February the 21st. Shrove Tuesday has a long tradition in Finnish folklore (Laskiainen). Still perhaps the best part, special foods, exist.

Meaty pea soup, pancake in the oven and creamy Shrovetide rolls still belong to the agenda in our old homeland. Ash Wednesday that follows is a day, if not of repentance, but at least of quieting.

Shrove has been a…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

14.2.2012

There exist certain things that we take for granted until they suddenly end or go missing.

E.g. every day we utilize electric appliances, range and keep the lights on without thinking about this. Only when the power fails or is disconnected due to an unpaid bill we realize how important staple it is.

Or, if the subway stops its services because of a strike, break-down or earthquake, we notice how much more difficult it makes our…

Vapaa Sana

Pääkirjoitus

14.2.

On olemassa asioita, joita pidetään itsestäänselvyyksinä, kunnes ne yhtäkkiä loppuvat tai puuttuvat.

Esimerkiksi joka päivä käytämme monia sähkölaitteita, hellaa ja pidämme valoa lampussa. Vasta kun tulee sähkökatkos tai virta katkaistaan maksamattoman laskun takia, havaitsemme kuinka tärkeä hyödyke se on.

Tai jos metrojuna lakkaa kulkemasta lakon, vian tai maanjäristyksen vuoksi, huomaamme kuinka paljon vaikeammaksi se tekee…

Kaija Saariahon, 59, ooppera Kaukainen rakkaus (eng. Love from Afar, alkuper. L’Amour de loin) sai ensi-iltansa Toronton Four Seasons Centressä viime viikon torstaina. Esitys saa raikuvat aplodit ja ylistäviä arvosteluita.

Tiistaina Duke of Yorkissa puolestaan järjestettiin 101 Opera -tapahtuma, jossa Saariahon lisäksi oopperasta olivat puhumassa sopraano Erin Wall ja mezzo-sopraano Krisztina Szabó. Pubin…

Kanadansuomalaiset rikkoivat taas ennätyksiä, sillä presidentinvaalien toisella kierroksella koko Kanadassa annettiin peräti 670 ääntä. Ensimmäisellä kierroksella äänesti 582 äänioikeutettua, joten toiselle kierrokselle päässeet vihreiden Pekka Haavisto ja kokoomuksen Sauli Niinistö houkuttelivat kanadansuomalaisia uurnille.

Vuoden 2006 presidentinvaaleissa toisella kierroksella annettiin 401 ääntä, joten nyt äänimäärä kasvoi 269 äänellä.

Yhteensä ensimmäisellä ja toisella…

"Human heart is so small..." go the lyrics in one well-known Finnish tango. I woke up in the morning my heart pounding curiously. I had sweated and had a nightmare that June had 32 days. After opening my eyes I pondered what was all that...until I realized there was a Ladies Choice dance that night.

Since Suday I had planned of going to the summer season´s first…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

7.2.2012

This week our paper is publishing a special Valentine's Day issue. Albeit love, care and affection belong to everyday life, it's good to raise one weekday on the pedestal.

Our world is too busy today and it feels, that the only times offspring visit their parents are at Christmas, Thanksgiving and birthdays. Valentine - or like in Finland; Friend's Day - is dedicated to remind us of our friends and closest ones in the middle of normal…

Vapaa Sana

Pääkirjoitus

7.2.2012

Tällä viikolla lehdessämme on erityinen Valentinen päivän numero. Vaikka rakkaus, välittäminen ja toisista huolehtiminen kuuluvatkin jokaiseen päivään, on hyvä, että sitä vielä erityisesti korostetaan.

Nykymaailmamme on liian kiireistä ja tuntuu, että moni käy vanhempiaan katsomassa vain jouluna, kiitospäivänä ja näiden syntymäpäivinä. Valentinen eli suomeksi Ystävänpäivän tarkoituksena on pysähdyttää muistamaan lähimmäistään keskellä…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

31.1.2012

When reading this, January has already turned into February and the traditionally coldest month is behind us.

Toronto weather has altered like a roller coaster all the through the beginning of this year. Minus fifteen temperatures have soon turned to high single digits on the plus side.

The winters, or actually any seasons in the northern latitudes are never alike. Average temperatures can fluctuate widely.

Sometimes the feel of…

On a sunny day the snow village is full of people on the contrary to a day before, when the village was almost as if a ghost town. It was raining, the streets of the village were covered in water and there was no sight of tourists.

Now the bad weather is only a memory, although one of the igloos is closed because of water on the floor.

The world's first snow…

18-vuotias karjalaispoika Ben Järvenpää juoksee Kannaksen kaduilla kotia kohti varmistamaan, että perhe on kunnossa. Ympärillä talot palavat ja pommit räjähtelevät.

Kun Järvenpää lopulta pääsee perille, äiti ja sisar on onneksi ehditty evakuoida kiireellä, mutta huonekalut ja verhot ovat paikoillaan vielä 20.6.1944.

Järvenpää näkee kotinsa viimeisen…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

24.2.2012

The attendance in Finland’s presidential elections advance voting was surprisingly high both in Toronto and Canada. This indicates that the politics of our homeland still mean a lot to the immigrant Finns and they want to participate in things over the pond.

An interest in Finnish affairs has been on the rise during the recent elections. There are plenty of reasons for this. First, the internet has made our world smaller and it’s easier to…

The full moon shining in the sky in one of those wonders that goes unnoticed by nobody. It's staring us like an eye of Cyclop. It causes a tide phenomenon, but does it also induce lunacy as they claim?

When the full moon is on the sun and moon are on the opposite sides of the earth and the illuminated side of the moon faces us.

During the new moon the moon…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

17.1.2012

Even though this year there won’t be a big economic shift, it’s only a matter of years before China will rise to be the biggest economic power in the world.

The United States has been an undeniable economic leader during the past hundred years. For instance Wall Street has been the most important trendsetter in the world economy and the global trade has been measured in the name of omnipotent US-dollars.

China, however, has a huge…

Finland's presidential elections' first round attracted 582 Finnish citizens who polled their votes all over Canada. This is a new record for Finnish Canadian voters.

During the first round of the last presidential elections in 2006 only 336 voted so this year there were 246 more voters.

Toronto was the most popular amongst voters since 201 votes were…

Vapaa Sana

Editorial

10.1.2012

Finland has always had a little troubled stand on Sweden. In Scandinavian co-operation we are officially friends, but otherwise rather sulking neighbours. It's a little alike between Canada and the United States.

At least the Canadians know where the Yankeeland is found, while not all the Americans know where Canada is.

We are the biggest trading partners to each other and thus the economic fluctuations affect a lot to which…

Andrea Hansen joined local filmmaker Pirkko Karvonen for a performance at Athabasca University in Northern Alberta on November 7, 2011; part of an ongoing series put on by Science Outreach. Hansen performed for the crowd, and Karvonen showed a documentary about the violinist.

The film documents the life of Andrea Hansen whose mother was from Myllykoski, Finland…

All the Christmas shoppers have seen Santa Clauses in the Malls and big warehouses. They yell their ho-ho-hoes, deliver candies and invite children to sit on their laps. In America, that is.

But the kids never see live Santa Clauses on Christmas nights, because they sneak in the wee hours clandestinely down the chimneys to fill their socks. By morning Santa has…

Nearly 20 year old folk metal band Korpiklaani started their third North American tour from Montreal. Vapaa Sana met them in Toronto.

Base player Jarkko Aaltonen and singer Jonne Järvelä are sitting in the tour bus, drinking beer and getting ready for the gig that is about to begin in a couple of hours. Alcohol and beer especially are a crucial part of the imago…

Classical music specialist Rick Phillips presented a seminar on Sibelius focusing on his Violin concerto and the Tempest. Seminar was a third one Phillips has done for CFF.

Music writer, musical tour guide, concert host and former CBC classical radio host is accustomed lecturer on several composers. He tells that he has a specific interest and love for Sibelius…